#and she tricks him into going home and they call each other by first names for the first and last time

[herawell]

Eiffel and Minkowski knew each other for 1200 days and spent only 300 of them as friends.

[katyswrites]

don't call me 'baby'

PART 9 | SERIES

Pairing: Steve Harrington/fem!reader

Warnings: Sugardaddy!Steve, SMUT (18+), angst (so much angst, sorry), unprotected p in v, daddy kink, oral sex (f receiving), cum play, ddlg dynamics, dom/sub dynamics, kind of a derogatory reference to sex work, swearing, alcohol use, smoking, age gap, no use of y/n

Wordcount: 5.4k

A sugar daddy modern AU, a whirlwind summer romance in Italy, and two people from completely different walks of life, somehow finding each other in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But, what will happen when summer ends?

PART 9 | forever the name on my lips

“So - Robin knows that this surprise party isn’t actually a surprise, right?” you asked.

Steve laughed over the phone.

“Uh, no - she 100 percent thinks you have no clue.”

You groaned. “I’m terrible at lying to her -”

“You’re not lying - look, you should see how excited she is -”

You rolled your eyes, putting the phone down on your desk and putting him on speaker. 

“You’re an enabler, you know that?”

“I am not -”

“You so are!” you retorted. “Every year, Robin tries to make my birthday a bigger thing than it is - it’s always over-the-top, and never what I ask for. I usually just like, want to go get drinks, or watch my favorite movie at home, but she decides to invite over 40 of our closest friends instead, or pull out some trick to outdo the year before. Did you know that our first year we lived together, she almost burned our place down by putting 18 trick candles on my cake?”

“Your point being?”

You sighed, leaning over the desk closer to the mirror to put on your mascara.

“My point being that you’ve taken a monster, and given her a real budget this time.”

He laughed again, and the sound of it made your heart ache. You took a deep breath, thankful he couldn’t see you right now.

“Look, I think she’s doing this because she loves you - plus, she’s mad that I stole you away for your actual birthday, so this was my bribe.”

You sighed, stepping back to pull on your dress - another new one you had commissioned, thanks to Steve’s credit card.

“I’m going to really have to practice my surprised face,” you said sarcastically. 

You reached for your earrings on the dresser, the ones Steve had bought you for the gala. You didn’t love the idea of walking around with a million dollars on your ears, but it was a special occasion, after all.

“What has she told you you’re allegedly doing?” he asked, voice tinny and slightly muffled through the phone’s speaker.

“Just meeting some friends for dinner - but, she said to dress a little nicer than usual. I can’t believe she thinks I don’t suspect anything.”

“Maybe she does - maybe you’re both putting up a silly charade for no reason, just to spare feelings.”

You nearly scoffed, but stopped yourself - he had no clue how much you were doing that with him already.

It had been nearly a week since you and Steve had returned from your birthday getaway. Since then, you had been spiraling. Every time you thought of him, you felt like you couldn’t breathe. When you were with him, it felt so right - when you were alone, you felt lonelier than you ever had before. You gave it a few days, just to see if the blissful environment of being on vacation was just tricking you into thinking  you had real feelings for Steve. After all, that wasn’t reality… right?

But now, nearly a week later, you nearly felt sick when you thought about him - the sight of him made your heart flutter, every nice gesture and sweet compliment made your stomach flip and your face bloom with heat. You were hopelessly in love - you were so stupid.

Since the trip, you and Steve hadn’t spent much time together. Part of it was him getting slammed with work - a relief, honestly. It had given you time to try and have some rational thought, and sort out your feelings. You getting your period right upon return to Rome also put a dent in things - you hadn’t exactly been feeling up to sex, which Steve had been understanding about. But, this had only made things worse - he still took you out to dinner a few days ago, insisting on still wanting to see you, if you were up for it. Afterwards, you had gone back to his place and just put on a movie, falling asleep on the couch. It was the first time you had ever slept over without having sex - somehow, more intimate than anything you had done up to that point.  In short - you were screwed. 

But, now you had to go to this godforsaken birthday party, with Steve in front of all of your friends, and act like everything was fine. In some ways, it was. But in others… the end of summer was fast approaching. And, the thought of that left a pit in your stomach.

“You still there?” Steve’s voice asked.

“Oh, yeah,” you said, zipping up the back of your dress. “Sorry, I’m just getting ready -”

“What are you wearing?” he asked jokingly.

“Shut up -”

“Right - that’s for later,” he said. You could practically hear him smirking through the phone. You roll your eyes again.

“Well, I’m ready to go, and I’m sure Robin is itching to get me out the door, so - see you in a bit?”

“Yes - except, you don’t know that,” he said.

“Oh of course - well, I’ll be sure to act surprised.”

“I’m sure you’ll kill it - see you, bye,” he said, promptly hanging up.

You didn’t take time to dwell on it, how formal he still could be sometimes - reminding you of exactly who you were to him, you supposed - as Robin started knocking on your door, asking if you were ready to go.

“Just a minute!” you cried. You reached for the dresser for a final thing - the ruby necklace Steve had given you for your birthday. When you opened the bedroom door to an impatient Robin in the doorway, you were clasping it on.

“Jesus - where did you get that?” she asked, gesturing to the jewel on your sternum.

“Birthday gift from Steve.”

Robin crossed her arms, shaking her head.

“What?” you asked.

“Nothing, it’s just - how’s that going?”

“Fine,” you lied. “I told you, the vacation was fun -”

“Doesn’t it all just seem - like a bit too much?” she asked cautiously.

“I - what do you mean -”

“Well - the trip, the gifts, being with him for hours on the phone every night - it just feels like he’s more than a - benefactor, sugar daddy, whatever you want to call it -”

You felt your face heat.

“Robin - no - it’s just - it’s an arrangement, and it’s going the way we both said it would -”

Robin just stared at you for a moment, and sighed with defeat. 

“Whatever you say. Just - be careful, okay? I don’t want you getting hurt again -”

“I’m fine,” you said firmly. “I promise.”

A lie.

“C’mon - let’s go out,” you said, quickly changing the subject and heading for the door.

Robin didn’t get the chance to argue further.

*****

You took the bus towards the city center, walking a few blocks before reaching one of your favorite restaurants - you and Robin frequented the bar more than the tables, often going there to celebrate the end of the semester, or to drink your sorrows away after a breakup or shitty week.

“You could have just said we were coming here,” you said, letting Robin take your hand to lead you inside.

Robin just shrugged, and you could tell she was fighting a grin - she really is terrible at keeping secrets. But, you did your best to keep your face neutral.

When you walked inside, the place was dimly lit. You could practically feel Robin’s anticipation behind you, and felt inwardly thankful that she couldn’t see your face. Then, the lights flashed on, and you were bombarded with an uproaring “SURPRISE!”

Even though you were anticipating it, you still jumped - it was far more people than you had been expecting. 

“Holy shit -”

Robin was practically bouncing, grinning. “Happy birthday, babe.”

You shook your head. “I - did you invite like, everyone we know?”

She nodded excitedly. “Mm hm! And the whole place is rented out, so it’s just us - open bar too!”

How much did this cost Steve? you wondered.

“Robin - you really didn’t have to do all this -”

“Oh hush - your boy toy took you away from me on your birthday, so we’re celebrating now.”

You laughed, pulling Robin in for a quick hug.

“Thanks, Robs.”

She was positively beaming, and you didn’t have the heart to tell her that you’ve known about this for two weeks, that Steve had told you when he and Robin had been texting, how he had put his credit card down for the whole thing. So, you just smiled, and squeezed her tighter.

“Well,” she said when she pulled away, “you need a drink - your usual?”

You nodded, watching as she headed over to the bar. Soon enough, it was a whirlwind of friends, classmates, old co-workers, and essentially anyone you would even consider a friendly acquaintance swarming you, giving you a hug and wishing you happy birthday. There was even a DJ, playing all of your favorite music, the tables cleared to the sides to make the space empty enough to fit everyone - you were certain the evening would descend into dancing soon enough. Robin soon enough returned with your drink, and you let yourself actually relax. 

Then, a strong arm wrapped around your waist, and you feel yourself jump. You turn, smiling.

“Hey there, baby,” Steve said, pulling you close.

When did he start calling you that outside of the bedroom?

“Fancy seeing you here,” you joked. He smiled softly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. 

“What do you think of your party?” he asked.

“I think you’ve been too good to me.”

“Well, this was all Robin - I just helped.”

“If that’s what you’re telling yourself - I - thank you,” you whispered. “You really didn’t have to.”

He waved you off. “Nonsense - I like spoiling you. You look beautiful, by the way,” he added, his fingers coming to brush the pendant hanging from your neck.

The butterflies were back. Fuck.

“Only because you give me such pretty things to wear,” you retorted.

He laughed. “I’ll buy you every pretty thing you want, baby.”

Your heart fluttered, and you looked down into your glass to avoid eye contact. 

Then, a familiar voice was calling your name. You looked up, and smiled.

“Eddie?”

“Bella, look at you!” he said, bounding over and pulling you out of Steve’s grasp and into a tight hug. You laughed, Eddie practically lifting you off of your feet.

“You’re stunning, as always -” he says once he puts you down.

“Oh, shut up - flattery will get you nowhere -”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Can’t blame a man for trying, right?”

He then glanced over your shoulder.

“Steve, right?”

Steve nodded stiffly, forcing a smile.

“You two look gorgeous - want a picture?” Eddie asked, holding up the camera hanging around his neck.

“Oh, sure - Steve?” you asked, turning to silently plead with him.

Then he was back by your side again, arm snaking around your waist and pulling you close.

“Smile!” Eddie said from where he was crouching behind the lens. You did, posing for the photo. The shutter started rapid-fire clicking, and after a moment, you felt Steve’s lips on your cheek, and your face heated. You did your best to ignore it, letting Eddie get a few more shots as you pressed closer into him.

“What a beautiful couple!” Eddie proclaimed, grinning into the viewfinder. 

“Oh - Eddie, we’re -”

“She’s doing the heavy-lifting there!” Steve joked. You froze, unsure how to even address that. But Eddie just chuckled, saying something along the lines of you didn’t need to tell me that! and walking away, making a beeline for the bar.

Before you could say anything to Steve, Robin is running over, taking you by the hands.

“Sorry Steve, can I steal her?” 

He nodded with a smile, letting go of you as Robin pulled you through the crowd, babbling on about how Vickie’s ex had the audacity to show up, and how someone brought their boyfriend uninvited, and a hundred other things you would normally care about.

Steve hadn’t said no when Eddie called you a couple - what the fuck?

But, the next few hours were a whirlwind - you had lost count of how many drinks you had, catching up with friends you hadn’t seen all summer, learning who's dating who, what their plans were for the upcoming semester, asking how you’re doing - you decidedly did not mention that you had spent all summer as the mistress of a man a decade older than you - still, it felt nice to see your friends again, to catch up and try to relax. You ate your fill in the food spread that had been put out, all of your favorite things from the menu, a few extra things that Robin must have requested specially. So many of your friends remarked on how well you looked, how you were glowing, admiring your jewelry and asking where you got it (which, you pointedly lied about). Even Jonathan Byers showed up, the sweet yet introverted guy who you had befriended in one of your art courses. You were chatting with him and Eddie about their upcoming photography portfolios when you saw Steve again, approaching with a new drink for you.

“Oh, hey,” you said, accepting it gratefully.

“Having fun?” Steve asked, casting a glance to your friends.

“Yeah! Uh, Steve, you know Eddie, and this is Jonathan - not sure if you two met yet.”

“Nice to meet you,” Steve said, extending his hand. Jonathan hesitated, then took it, letting Steve shake it firmly.

Then, Steve’s lips pressed to your ear, whispering, “Want to dance?”

You bit your lip, nodding, and bid farewell to the other boys for now. The makeshift dance floor was starting to fill up now, your friends moving along to the music and spilling drinks onto the floor. 

“So, does Eddie know how to button a shirt?” Steve asked sarcastically.

You huffed.

“Don’t tell me you’re still jealous -”

“I - I’m not. He’s just - he’s such a flirt -”

‘He’s a flirt with everyone - he’d shoot his shot with you, if I left you two alone.”

Steve’s face turned red at that. 

“I - uh -”

“Besides,” you whispered, pulling him closer by his shirt collar, admiring the way his chest hair just barely peeked out of the open top button, “I kind of like how easily he gets you riled up.”

Steve rolled his eyes.

You closed your eyes, swaying to the music.

“When was the last time you did something like this?” you asked over the cacophony, gesturing to the club-like atmosphere around you. He laughed.

“I’m not that old - but, probably not since a little after I finished college… when I started working, I didn’t really have the energy for… all of this. And… Nancy never liked it much anyway.”

You felt your heart sink, and shook your head. You were properly tipsy, had the confidence to pull Steve toward you, taking his hands in yours. 

“Then - dance with me like you’re 20 again, yeah?”

“Again, I’m not old -”

“Will you just shut up and dance?” you said, pulling him close. He obliged, letting you bury your face into his neck as you swayed along to the music.

He twirled you, watched on fondly as you found your friends on the dance floor, and laughed as he saw how excited each new song made you. At one point, you caught him looking at you in the corner of your eye - he wore an expression so soft, so sincere, that he was almost unrecognizable.

“What is it?” you asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing - I just -”

“Where’s the birthday girl?” Robin’s voice called from the other end of the room. The music faded, and she came out from behind the bar with a massive cake, lit with what you guessed were probably 21 candles.

“Everyone! 1 - 2 - 3-”

Then everyone was singing you Happy Birthday, pushing you towards the front to where Robin stood, wearing a wide smile. 

“Make a wish,” she whispered.

You sighed, knowing exactly what to wish for, and leaned down to blow out the candles to boisterous applause.

“Chocolate cake with mousse, of course - your favorite,” Robin said, serving you the first slice.

“I’d expect nothing less,” you replied, accepting it gratefully - it’s been the kind of cake you’ve gotten for every birthday for as long as you remembered. Even your parents remembered that each year, to their credit.

“Want a slice?” you asked, turning to Steve.

“Oh - no, I’m okay -”

“At least taste a bite?”

He sighed, smiling in defeat.

“Yeah, okay.”

You took a forkful and held it out to him, feeding it into his mouth. He groaned at the taste, fighting a smile.

“Yeah, okay - that’s delicious -”

“I told you -”

Then Steve reached out, gently wiping away what you presumed was some smeared chocolate from the corner of your mouth with his thumb.

“Did you have a nice birthday party?” he asked softly.

“Yeah - I did. Just - everything for my birthday was wonderful. I - thank you.”

Then he was pulling you close and kissing you, on the lips, in front of everyone. You let your eyes flutter shut and leaned into the kiss, tasting just a bit of chocolate on his lips, inhaling the familiar scent of his cologne.

You pulled away, looking up at him through half-lidded eyes.

“What was that for?”

He shrugged.

“I just really wanted to do that - is that okay?”

You nodded, eyes flitting to his lips again as your stomach did a somersault. You were so aware of eyes on you two, some whispers floating through the room despite the loud music, but you pulled him down for another kiss again, lacing your hands around the back of his neck.

“Take me home with you,” you whispered against his lips.

“Now?”

“Now.”

Then he was grabbing your hand, only slowing down as you bid goodbye to Robin, thanking her for the party, and you both practically bolted towards the door.

*****

It was nearly midnight by the time you reached Steve’s place - not that it mattered. You had jumped him nearly the second you got in the car he had called, closing the privacy shield between yourselves and the driver. You technically behaved yourselves - clothes stayed on, at least. But you kissed him like you needed him more than oxygen, all tongue and desperate gasps as you moved to straddle his lap in the backseat. You were grinding on his thigh, palming him through his pants like horny teenagers in their mom’s old Honda. 

You tore out of the car like bats out of Hell when you reached his apartment building, only maintaining self-control in the elevator thanks to the old man who got on with you and rode it most of the way. The moment you tumbled through Steve’s door, you were all over each other, shedding clothes in a trail leading to the bedroom.

“I missed this,” you breathed against his mouth, shedding him of his button-down.

“Me too,” he said, reaching to unzip your dress and let it fall to the floor.

“Steve - I want to thank you - for my birthday party - for everything -”

“Mm, okay - yeah baby, whatever you want -”

It was desperate, messy, and filled with carnal need, Steve tearing your undergarments off as he practically threw you onto the bed. He wasted no time, eating you out like your pussy gave him oxygen, making you cum on his tongue twice before even taking his pants off. You pulled on his hair, crying out his name as he coaxed your orgasms out of you, slowly kissing his way back up your body until his face hovered above yours. He was grinning, his chin glistening with your release, and you could have just stared at that forever.

“Steve, please -” you begged, “I need you -”

“I know, baby,” he said, crawling over you. “I just wanted to take care of you first, it’s okay -”

Then he was kissing you, fumbling with his belt and shedding himself of his boxers, pulling you close.

It had only been a week, but you nearly screamed when he entered you, gasping at the stretch.

“Fuck - you’re always so tight and perfect, baby - I haven’t fucked you since we got back to the city, it was drivin’ me nuts -”

“Me too,” you mewled, clawing at his back as he began to thrust into you. “Steve - please fuck me, please -”

And he did. But, the earlier desperation had faded - he rolled his hips into yours slowly, holding you close as he groaned into your skin. He pressed kisses to your neck, showering you with praises and sweet nothings in your ear. It didn’t feel like primal, needy sex - it almost felt like making love. He was soft, gentle, but knew your body better than anyone by now, touching you in all the right places.

“You’re so beautiful, so perfect -” he murmured, smirking as you moaned at a particularly deep thrust, “my whole life, I’ve been looking for a pussy like yours, baby -”

“I - ah! Fuck, I - I know what you mean. You fuck me like nobody else - daddy, I -”

“I know, baby,” he said, pressing gentle kisses across your face. “Look at you, wearin’ the fuckin’ jewelry I bought you as I fuck you - I love when you do that - you’ve been so good, letting me spoil you all summer - like a good girl, I can’t believe it -”

He was rambling now, and you knew that meant he was close. You wrapped your legs around his torso, digging your heels into his back to pull him in impossibly deeper. Pleasure pulsed through your body, heat gathering in your abdomen, and you started meeting his thrusts with your hips in earnest.

“You close?” he asked. 

“Yes - I’m going to cum all over your cock, sir -”

“Thank god - I’m not going to last much longer -”

“I know - let go,” you said, pulling him down for a messy kiss. He groaned against your lips, his cock twitching a bit inside you.

“I just wanna stay buried in this pussy, baby - forever -”

“I know,” you whispered. “I never want this to end.”

You never wanted any of it to end. 

But you held onto him with desperation, losing yourself in the feel of him, his scent, the sound of his voice -

All that was running through your mind was I love you I love you IloveyouIloveyouIlo-

Then you were coming, convulsing around him with a scream. You arched off of the mattress, burying your face in his shoulder as your orgasm washed over you in waves, ebbing and flowing gently instead of crashing all at once. He followed moments later, hips stuttering as he filled you, your name on his lips like it was a sacred thing.

You both stayed like that for a while - you stared at the ceiling, soothingly running your fingers through his hair as he lazily kissed your neck. You weren’t sure how long you stayed like that, but eventually he began to soften, forcing him to pull out of you and roll over onto your back by your side. 

You turned your head on the pillow to face him - he was blissed out, smiling as he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“I think that was our best yet,” he whispered. 

You hummed in agreement - you had felt it the night of your birthday in the villa, too - something had shifted in bed. Yyou couldn’t quite place it. But, you knew it scared the hell out of you.

“Are you okay?” he asked, brushing the backs of his fingers along your arm.

“Mm, yeah - just thinking.”

“About what?” he asked, propping himself on his elbow. “What’s going on in that pretty little mind?”

You could’ve cried from the gentleness in his voice, your heart fluttering a bit as you looked at him - you did your best to memorize his face, the way his hair fell, every freckle and mole along his body - and it hit you that this was ending soon. You didn’t even realize you had started to cry - but, hot tears were rolling down your cheeks, and you pressed the heels of your hands into your eyes.

“Fuck,” you whispered.

“Whoa - you okay? What’s going on?” he asked - he sounded terrified.

“It’s nothing - don’t worry about it -” you said, sitting up.

“Baby, you’re crying - of course I’m going to be worried -”

“Why?” you cried, the question coming out harsher than you had intended.

His face flashed with confusion and concern, and he sat up, too.

“What do you mean why?”

“Because - because you’re not supposed to care!”

“I - I don’t understand -”

“Steve! What the fuck are we doing here?”

“We - we were having a nice night, I thought - now I don’t -”

You wiped your tears, groaning with frustration.

“Steve - I don’t know how to be around you. You said this was just for sex, right? All fun, no feelings, all that bullshit? We literally wrote it down -”

His face went more neutral, and he nodded.

“Well, yes - that was the arrangement -”

“So then you don’t get to ask me what’s wrong - you don’t get to ask me how my day was, plan my birthday party with my best friend, call me nearly every night, name a goddamn star after me -”

“Whoa - you don’t like that I did those things?”

“No!” you screamed, frustrated. “I don’t like that you’re being my boyfriend!”

“I - I’m not your boyfriend.”

“Oh, you’ve made that very clear - so you can stop acting like it!”

You didn’t realize how loud your voice had gotten, your breakdown quickly pivoting to unbridled anger and frustration.

“I’m not - so what, you want me to fuck you and just send you home? Like a goddamn prostitute?”

“Well maybe if you had done that in the first place you would’ve saved yourself a whole lot of trouble!” you screamed.

He went silent for a moment, just staring at you. You sighed, pressing your fingers to your temples.

“Steve, look - this summer - I mean, it’s been amazing. I really mean that. But, the summer is ending soon - when do you even go back to the States?”

“September 1st,” he said quietly.

You froze, your heart plummeting. “Jesus Christ, that’s in like two weeks - when were you going to tell me?”

He stared down at his hands, shaking his head.

“I - I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you - I just wanted you to enjoy tonight, and not ruin it, I know it sounds ridiculous, but I figured if I didn’t tell you, it would make it less real -”

“So you were just going to disappear on me?”

“No! No - I -”

He throws his head into his hands.

“Steve - look me in the eyes and tell me this is still just an arrangement for you.”

A moment of silence passes - there it was, your cards laid on the table. Your heart was thudding in your chest, waiting for his answer.

He sighed, and looked over to meet your gaze. 

“Of course it isn’t.”

Your stomach flipped, and you felt like you were going to be sick - oh God -

“Then - what the fuck do we do?”

He shook his head.

“I - I don’t know,” he admitted. “I - I don’t know what the fuck is even going on. I told myself I wouldn’t get… attached, and now -”

You scoffed.

“What?” he asked.

“It’s just - attached? Like a fucking dog you found on the street and have to give back to its owners or something?”

“Well, what would you call it?”

You paused - you considered confessing everything, that you were past the point of falling for him. No, you couldn’t - you needed to keep that close to your chest, not give him the upper hand.

“Steve - maybe we should just end this,” you said, the words feeling like a knife to the chest as they left your mouth.

“What? No - I - I don’t want to -”

“Steve - you said it yourself - if we got any personal feelings, we would stop the whole thing, before it got too far - we’re only delaying the inevitable anyway -”

“Come back with me,” he blurted out.

You stop mid-sentence, eyes widening.

“I - what?”

“Come back to Chicago with me - we can just do it. I can take care of you -”

“Steve - I can’t -”

“Why not?”

You just laughed dryly.

“Because - I have a life here. I have friends, a semester left before I get my degree -”

“You won’t need to work if you -”

“You really don’t get it, do you? I want to finish school, actually achieve something, and do something that matters to me. I know, you look down on me as some downtrodden peasant or something -”

“No, that’s not it -”

“But I’m smart, and when I’m done with school - I may not be rich like you, but I’ll be able to work for a living, and actually support myself. I don’t want to just exist for you -”

“I didn’t mean that,” he said - you were both raising your voices again. “This summer…it’s the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Maybe ever, actually. I just - I want to help you -”

“Well stop! I don’t need you!” you screamed.

He went silent for a moment.

“That’s what Nancy said, too,” he said quietly.

You sighed, your heart breaking for him.

“Steve - I didn’t know -”

“Maybe there’s a reason,” he continued, staring down to avoid your gaze. “I mean - you’re right - I’m meant to be alone.”

“I never said that -”

“You didn’t have to.”

You both sat in silence for a moment, unable to say anything else.

“Steve - I’m sorry that this is where the night went. But… we both knew this was coming. I - I think we’re going to both get hurt if we try to keep it going.”

He nodded, shoulders sagging.

“You’re probably right.”

There it was. The moment you had been dreading. 

The silence was deafening - neither of you daring to look at one another, letting the weight sink in of everything just said. You were certain you were going to be sick. 

“I - I should probably give these back,” you said quietly, gesturing to the earrings and necklace. You reached up to take them off, but he gently placed his hand on yours to stop you.

“No - keep it. Keep everything.”

“Steve -”

“No - nothing that I gave you was a loan. It’s yours. Keep onto the credit card, too.”

“Steve - I can’t do that -”

“Sure you can. Only use it for emergencies, if it makes you feel better to do that. As long as you don’t go over the limit… it’s yours.”

You shook your head.

“I can’t -”

“Please,” he said, eyes pleading. “At least until you’re done with school - focus on your studies, I’ll take care of it.”

“But - I’m not giving you anything in return -”

“Doesn’t matter. I promised to help you with school, and - I’m a man of my word.”

You sighed with defeat.

“I - I think I should go.”

“Probably best,” he said coldly. You couldn’t even blame him for that.

You gathered your things quickly, pulling your dress back on. He rose to follow you to the door, pulling on his boxers as he went. He stood in the doorway as you left, his face stoic - was he angry? Or did he just feel nothing? Maybe the latter - you were in love… and he had grown attached, whatever that meant.

“I guess this is goodbye,” you whispered.

“I suppose so.”

He won’t look at you.

“Steve - you’re going to find someone someday who’s right for you, okay? Someone you’ll actually want to be with. Then you won’t need - you won’t need someone like me. You’ll forget all about this - I know you will.”

Something softened in his face, and he shook his head.

“I somehow doubt that.”

You stared down at the ground.

“I guess this is goodbye,” you murmured.

He nodded.

“I wouldn’t change any of it,” he said quietly.

You could actually feel your heart breaking, crackling and splitting like it was made of porcelain. You still avoided eye contact, afraid you’d cry if you looked at him.

“My car can take you home,” he added.  “I don’t want you taking the bus this late, okay?”

You nodded solemnly. As you turned to leave, he said one more thing that stopped you in your tracks.

“Wait - I just wanted to say -”

He stopped for a moment, running his hand through his hair as he took a deep breath.

“I wish you well.”

That was it - the final nail in the coffin. The end of a failed negotiation, a transaction. You nodded firmly, turning quickly on your heels and walking straight ahead to the elevator, refusing to look back at him.

The moment you slid into the car, you gave the driver your address and closed the privacy shield again. But now, it was so you could sob into your hands, feeling your heart break in half as you pulled away from his apartment for the last time.

author's note: hi everyone - sorry about this chapter. The next part will be the finale - plus, an epilogue. I'll probably just write those together and post them in quick succession. Don't panic - you guys know I don't like writing sad endings (or if I do, I leave massive warnings). So, hang tight - it's going to be okay. Please let me know your thoughts - comments, reblogs, and messages are always appreciated!

[boldlyvoid]

Boldlyvoid fics set in the fall masterlist

Spencer Reid x reader:

Hypothetically -- 89k | reader and Spencer were friends in kindergarten, she watched him grow up and explore the world while she was still trying to catch up to him. now that they work together, they fall in love incredibly fast.

friends to lovers, case-of-the-week style story

State of Grace -- 26k | While trying to find herself after college, Y/N moves in with her aunt in D.C for a while. Falling in love with the city, her aunt’s job and the cute co-worker she’s heard so much about

Redamancy -- 5.4k | The co-op librarian at the FBI Academy has been secretly crushing on the smartest agent in the Bureau, TA, Doctor Spencer Reid, and he’s been crushing on her too.

New Romantics -- 23k | She needs help studying for her Case Exercises at the Academy, He needs a date for the annual Banquet… they just so happen to be neighbours who aren’t afraid to lend a helping hand, or in this case, a helping kiss.

Don't Let Me Go -- 6.4k | Reader comes home for her moms funeral and ends up falling for her dad’s co-worker

Red Alert -- 2.7K | For the 55th Anniversary of Star Trek (sep 8), the local bar is hosting a Pon Farr night…

Chip Taylor x Reader:

Forever is the Sweetest Con -- 6.2k | Reader’s dad is a carpenter; sometimes he takes on apprentices and sometimes, if they’re lucky, they get his daughter’s number at the end of their training. Chip Taylor, however, hits the jackpot when her father invites him over for one of her homecooked meals.

Spencer Reid stand-alone fic:

Found Family -- 3.4k | Henry’s best friend, Taylor, is struggling to take care of her mother’s schizophrenia, Spencer knows exactly how to help and it’s by getting her out of that environment while her mother gets help.

Halloween Fics:

Spencer Reid x reader:

Hallo-ween -- 4.1k | Reader has had a crush on him for the last 9 weeks of her semester, but on Halloween night she finally has the courage to walk up to him at the local bar and offer to go home with him

The Reidd Family -- 4k | For Spencer’s 40th birthday his wife and kids want to have a costume Halloween party

Raymond x Reader:

Alone Together -- 2.4k | Raymond moves into a haunted house and ends up sleeping with the ghost who lives there… only he doesn’t know that when you fuck a ghost you also become one.

Spector Spooktacular -- 1.6k | for their first anniversary, Raymond takes his girlfriend to a cemetery for a Halloween picnic… having dinner while giving the spirits a show

Franklin x Reader:

Trick or Treat -- 3.1k | Franklin and Reader are paired up for costume bowling as their costumes accidentally match. she’s a sexy cheerleader, and he’s a 70’s porn star… they spend most of the game teasing each other instead of trying to win

Chip Taylor x Reader

Rater R for Revenge -- 6.7k (murder tw) | Chip’s new neighbour doesn’t answer to her name… he remembers settling into a new town with a new name and no friends, so he helps her settle in. learning about her abusive husband, the reason she’s on the run and falling in love with her in the meantime. he loves her so much he can’t imagine someone ever hurting her and getting to live freely, so they plan to murder him.

Wes x Reader:

House Calls -- 2.5K | Wes asks his receptionist if she’s coming to the building’s Halloween party, letting it slip that he just wants to spend time with her outside of work.

[chixkencxrry]

oh, baby

WARNINGS: SEXUAL THEMES, MENTION OF ASSAULT (NOT BY MIGUEL), ORAL (F/M), CURSE WORDS, EXPLICIT SEX, CUM SWALLOWING, DIRTY TALK. Your consumption of media is on you. Not Proofed.

DO NOT REPOST OR TRANSLATE MY SHIT.

Summary: Miguel O'Hara x Fem! Reader; Miguel was a mystery you'd hardly began to solve. Too bad you were already in love with him.

I

Two weeks. 

It had been two weeks since you last saw or heard from Miguel. Now, you tried not to feel abandoned — per se, but the emotion nagged to the corners of your soul. Miguel was secretive and cagey. You’d just sort of embraced that part of him. It wasn’t like the two of you were in a relationship or anything like that: a fact you have to remind yourself of constantly. You just slept together; sometimes. 

He was a mutant like most people in the city; like that Spider-Man kid. But he never got caught on YouTube or anywhere. In fact, if it wasn’t for the marks he left on your skin — you were quite sure you would have thought he wasn’t real.

“I’m tired of you moping around in your apartment.” Your best friend, Tia, had said when she called. “You’re going on the date whether you want to or not.” 

Tia’s solution to everything seemed to be getting dicked down. To you, this date wouldn’t even begin to scratch the itch Miguel left behind. Yet, here you were, putting on lipstick and wearing your good lingerie set beneath a new cocktail dress. 

“And where are you going?” Snarled a familiar voice, causing you to snap your lipstick in half.

Miguel stood by your window. Black and red suit on but maskless. His face looked worse for wear. Your heart clenched at the thought that he might be hurt.

You wiped your hands and grabbed your first aid kit, exiting the bathroom and jogging to him. “What the hell happened to you?”

He passed his tongue over his teeth; watching you scrambling over him in a little black dress. “Fight. Where are you going?”

“A date.” You didn’t have to answer to him.

“Oh.”

“Yes.”

You padded rubbing alcohol to a nasty scar on his chest. He didn’t even flinch as you cleaned it. “With who?”

“Not sure. Tia arranged it.” 

“Plan on fucking him?”

“What the fuck, Miguel?” 

“I’m just asking. That dress barely covers your fucking ass, your tits are all the way up to your neck —”

Angry, you poked the bruise until he flinched. “Don’t you fucking start! You disappear for what, two weeks? And just barge in? I don’t even know your last name, Miguel. So yes, I can go out and fuck whoever I want.” You threw the supplies at him and grabbed your bag. “You can clean up yourself you fucking asshole.”

II.

The date went horribly.

You couldn’t blame the guy — he was nice, Peter Something was his name, but he was a little young to you and you weren’t in the mood for a bad decision tonight. 

So, you came home alone and cold. Miguel had long since gone. Your supplies had been returned and surprisingly, there was a note at your bedside with some sort of tricked-out cellphone. 

My name is Miguel O’Hara. You can contact me on this.

It took you two days to send a message. A bright, sunny June morning. And it wasn’t anything poetic or well-thought-out. A simple hey. 

You’d shoved the phone aside and gone on your laptop to teach a few classes. At lunch, when you opened it — you were surprised to see he had responded.

I’m sorry. It wasn’t my place.

Huh. 

Damn right. 

The reply came instantly; Did you have fun? 

Should you lie? No. That was petty. Biting your lip, you twirled your fork in your ramen. What the hell. 

Yes, I did. 

This reply came slower. Okay. 

Another text came in before you could respond. I don’t want you going on dates with other guys.

Your reply was automatic. Did he think you were some well-trained maltose? 

Then do something about it. 

I plan to, cariño  .

It seemed you’d underestimated what those texts had started. Miguel had honestly started to court you. He called you often, even video-calling and you spoke at great lengths about each. Then, the gifts came. 

The first was a bouquet of flowers. Carnations, roses and tulips. You had set them on your nightstand. Looking at them every night until they turned brown. 

Then, the Nat King Cole record. It was mint and sounded crisp when you played it. A perfect sound and echo. 

Miguel was determined. 

At least now you knew he was serious. Excitement coursed through you. You liked getting to know him. You liked the vulnerability he shared with you. You liked that you knew his favourite meal, his hatred for his father, his love for his mother – you knew he lost someone he cared deeply about, you knew his aches as well as you knew the curves of his back. The scars healed and were left behind. You cared for this man. You loved this man. That was scary.  

The two of you stayed over at each other’s homes on and off. Miguel’s home was clinical and lacked warmth. He had offhandedly said he lived at work and not really here, in this little apartment he showed you. 

“Someday, I’ll take you to where I actually sleep.” he’d promised one night, rubbing your feet as you queued up an old movie. 

You’d said nothing, not wanting to show him how eager you were for any scrap of information he had to give. You wondered if it was sane; to want someone the way you wanted Miguel. This craving hunger seemed to get the better of you. Was it foolish? To let him in when there was so much pain, so much secretiveness about him. 

Could you want something so much it killed you?

III.

You’d taken a summer job when classes had closed down. Waitressing in the city, like you had when you were a grad student. The problem, however, came with getting back home during the night shift. The buses ran till midnight and sometimes, you had to walk home. It was lonely, sure, and you kind of regretted taking the shift. You preferred it being you – older, fewer ties than the other girls with families and who were now getting their degrees. Plus, the late-nighters seemed to tip better.

 A cold glock pressed itself to your side – pausing you from moving. Your fingers trembled. “Give me the purse or die.”

Twitchy fingers dug into your fanny purse for your cash, eager to get the fuck away from the psychopath. Then, a flash of colour popped before your eye and the feeling of the glock disappeared. The gun hit the floor and you turned slowly to see the attacker on the ground clutching his throat. Over him stood a familiar black and red, hulking form. Talons dripped crimson and in the shadow of the street light – Miguel appeared fearsome.

Your lips quivered. Words couldn’t wrench themself from your throat. But Miguel turned to you, leaving the man bleeding on the ground. 

“I’m taking you home, now.” His voice was a growl. Modulated and unlike the voice you had come to care for. His arms wrapped around you and soon, you were swinging through the city until you met your apartment. 

Miguel stripped you and bathed you, tied your hair in a satin scarf and laid you on your bed. You watched him, he seemed laser-focused on you as he tried to make sure you were safe and comfortable. He made that orange tea you liked so much, lit a pine candle and wrapped you in your favorite blanket. 

It was when he was half-way out your window that you found your voice. “Stay. Please, Miguel.”

Miguel turned. Removing his mask and suit until he was just in his footlong briefs. “Of course, mi cariño.”

In the morning, Miguel took you to HQ. And boy was that a mindfuck.

IV.

“Empanadas?”

“Beef or chicken?”

Miguel opened the box, took a seat next to you on the park bench, and took a sniff. “Beef.”

“Oh. Yum.” you made grabby hands.

Your boyfriend relinquished them to you, smiling as you dug into one. “So good. I think we should keep coming to this universe just for the food.”

He hummed. “Highly unlikely.”

You licked your fingers and rolled your eyes. Your eyes caught an alley in dark corner and red flushed across your neck. It had been a while since you and Miguel fucked. He wanted to take things at your pace. Sure, he ate you out from time to time and you certainly couldn’t go long without deep-throating his cock but you hadn’t had him deep inside you for a while.

Wiping your hands on your jacket, you placed a hand on his thigh and rubbed a circle. “Mig?”

“Yeah, baby?”

You dropped your voice low and pressed your breasts against his large arm. “Wanna do a quickie in a dark alley?”

Miguel stopped what he was doing and flickered his eyes over you and then back to the alley. “Baby, don’t do this to me.”

“C’mon,” your hand went higher to his groin. “Fuck me like a whore up against a dirty alley wall.”

“Fuck.” Miguel rolled up his sleeve to show his gizmo and in a few taps, you were home.  

V.

Your hands were pinned on top of your head by webbing. You showed your teeth and snarled. Though, everything about this was consensual. You liked making things difficult for Miguel. He was about to turn your pussy inside out and you were going to weep on his cock, anyway. 

So, yes – you liked making things a little difficult for him. It was your thing. You fought and acted like a bitch and he made you pay deliciously for it. 

A hand slapped across your heavy breasts, eliciting a whimper and drawing you from your thoughts. Red eyes flashed down at you, fangs hanging between pouty lips. “I must be doing something wrong if you’re so distracted?” 

“Yes.” You answered without hesitation. “You aren’t fucking me.” 

Miguel didn’t respond. His hand pinched a hard nipple, sharp talons tracing your skin and making your pussy grow wetter at his teasing. Cupping your pussy, he parted your folds and caressed it — sticky love coating his finger as his thumb rubbed your swollen clit. You buckled beneath his touch. 

“Look how that mouth disappears when I’m touching my pussy, cariño  .” Miguel kissed your neck; determined to make you come just by playing with your clit. Which wasn’t hard to do. Not when he was pressed against you like this. Kissing your throat and nipping at the swell of your breasts; sucking your nipples as if to draw nectar from them. 

You became a wiggling — snivelling thing under him. Fuck. Fuck. Your pussy quivered with the impending fall of your climax. 

Arching you back, your mouth hung open as your peak approached. Just as the crescendo reached its high Miguel pulled away from you. Tears burned your eyes as they snapped open to look at him. 

“What the fuck?” Your voice came out needy, weak and pleading. 

Miguel simply grinned at you, sucking on his fingers. “Are you complaining? Stop being such a whiny little puta.” 

Raising your hips, you demanded attention to your pussy. “If you’re going to tease me I might as well take out my vibrator and get the job done.”

“Neta?” The humour in his voice was dry and you felt as though your horny mind had just made a fatal mistake. “You’re going to pay for that.”

Miguel bowed his head and started eating your pussy slowly. Tongue lapping like a cat to cream, he licked from your clit to the end of your slit. Sucking and tonguing your weeping pussy at his own slow pace. Building you up all over again. 

He pressed his pretty lips to it, kissing your pussy like it was a precious thing. Then he pressed it to your aching clit. Sucking it slowly, making loud sloppy wet sounds as your hips worked desperately against his face. Miguel made pussy eating a gourmet art. 

His index and middle finger pressed into you, sinking into the depth of your carven. You shivered, moaning loudly at the combination.

“Miguel! Oh, please, baby. Miguel! Miguel!” 

Moments from it. You felt your release coming before he pulled away again. This time tears fully flowed. “Please, please, please.” 

Licking his lips, Miguel showed his fangs, brown eyes dropping to your dripping pussy. He set his hands on your thighs, then rubbed his thumb over your clit before slapping your pussy softly. “Oh. I wouldn’t want to put your vibrator out of business, cariño  .” 

You groaned. God, if only you’d kept your fucking mouth shut. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, baby. Just let me have it. Make me come, please baby. I’m sorry. Baby, please.” You were outright begging now. Your voice a pathetic, weak mewl. How the mighty had fallen already. 

But that pleased Miguel. He liked you pleading. Liked it when you wanted him so badly it made you insane. Writhing on his bed, tied up and weak for him and only him. 

Stretching his body over you, he let his hard cock rub against your wet core as he grabbed the aforementioned vibrator from your bedside. Flicking it on, the purple device vibrated. Then he clicked it up to the highest speed. 

You hit your lip; excited to see where this would go. 

Miguel went back to his meal. Kissing and sucking your pussy before focusing on your clit again. 

The vibrator slowly inserted into your pussy as he sucked your clit. You arched your back, whimpering and moaning as the vibrator went in and out of you. Miguel’s expert kissing and use of the toy had you collapsing in moments, spraying his face with your orgasm. 

You felt raw and overstimulated but Miguel kept the toy there even as he raised his head to kiss your breasts. Covering them in bite marks.

You are already mute at his work. He worked the vibrator deep into you so that it would stay there in you as he sat on your face — working the tip of his cock into your open mouth. 

“Relax your throat, slut.” He growled, working his cock in and out of your mouth. It was an awkward angle sucking his cock as you lay down. The salty taste of his velvet member was a favorite of yours still. You often told him it was your favourite thing to eat. 

The vibrator stayed in you even as you wiggled your hips to try and get it to slip out. The sensitivity of your pussy with its motions and the delicious feel of Miguel fucking your mouth had you trembling.

Looking up at Miguel felt like a religious experience. A god, looking down at you as his balls slapped your chin. 

“Look how pretty you look — silent and full of my cock. Fuck. Yeah, suck it like that. Fill up on my cock.” 

Miguel held your head, controlling the pace but you made your cheeks shallow and kept your tongue wrapping around him. His member jammed the back of your throat and slid down it, you gagged — naturally but Miguel kept it there for a few seconds before pulling out. He rubbed his head, coated in spit and pre-cum all over your lips. 

“Pretty puta. You like sucking my cock? You like being my fucking whore?” 

He didn’t give you a chance to respond before slipping the tip in. He slid in and out before pulling out and cumming on your face. A spurt landed on your lips and forehead — barely missing your eye. Miguel slipped it back into your mouth and you sucked the head, swallowing the milk that came from it. 

You’d lied before. His cum was your favorite meal. His cock was a close second. 

Pulling out from your mouth, Miguel reached forward and sliced the webbing open with his talon. Your hands fell to your sides and automatically went to your face. He removed the vibrator from your messy cunt, planting kisses on the poor, trembling pussy.

Miguel wasted no time and plucking a wet-wipe up from his nightstand and wiping your face clean. 

“There’s my pretty girl.” He said with softness. You smiled, kissing his cheek and lips. “How’re you? I wasn’t too rough?”

“There’s my beautiful man.” Your hands trailed his body, all the way to his still hard member. Miguel let you lead, guiding his cock into your trembling pussy. You bit your lip and moaned as his thickness sunk into you. “You weren’t rough enough, baby.”

His head dropped, lips to your ear as he hummed against the familiar feel of your walls. You hissed as he pushed himself to the hilt, kissing your skin. You were sure by the end of the night you’d resemble a leopard. “Let me endeavor to correct that then, cariño  .”

Miguel’s hand settled onto your throat as he began to stroke you. His girth stretched you slowly, thickness digging deeper into he attempted to dissolve fully into your warmth. He was being kind to your sensitivity but that kindness ended quickly.

His fingers tightened around your neck, conjuring a gasp. He slipped his tongue into your mouth, kissing you sloppily as his hips picked up a harsh pace. His cock spreading you and burning your pussy with its fever. 

“You like stretching out this pretty little pussy? Like me making this a home for my cock, whore?” 

His teeth nipped your lips, tongue passing across your jaw before he bite your neck. 

“Yes, baby. I like you fucking your little whore’s pussy. Stretch me out.” You whispered, fingernails digging into his impossibly large back. You doubted you broke skin but mania overtook you when Miguel’s cock was inside you. 

His hips stuttered, ever so slightly, and you couldn’t help but squeeze your pussy around his cock, rocking on the member. 

Miguel placed a hand on your crouch, pushing you down. “Not so soon, cariño  .”

Staying perfectly still for a moment, he released your throat and sat on his hunches — forcing you to sit up. Miguel placed a hand at your back and another beneath your buttocks, keeping you up. 

The movement, and friction of your clit against his pubes, caused for a shutter of an orgasm to race through you. A little thing like that, made you coat his cock. 

Full of machismo, Miguel puffed his chest out and began fucking into you. Hard. “Miguel! Fuck, oh god. Oh god!”

“That’s right, baby. I want everyone to hear me fucking you.”

“Oh god, oh god!”

“That’s not my name baby. Fucking say my name!” 

And you did, over and over. Until his name became the only word that would fall from your lips. His thick cock dragged against the walls of your sensitive pussy rough and fast, fucking Miguel was holy. Fucking him was close to heaven.

“Love fucking this pussy, cariño  . My tight little pussy. Love spreading it open with my fat cock. Oh, take it baby. Roll those pretty eyes back on this cock. My cock dumb little whore.”

Still sensitive, you came wet and messy on top of him. Miguel followed after, chasing his orgasm with hard, burning thrusts until he came inside you. Laying you on your back, he made a few more jerky thrusts; just to get it all inside you and collapsed on top of you. 

He rested on you for a moment, before pulling out, cock bouncing onto his thick thigh. Miguel’s chest heaved, his dark eyes looking over your face. His hand found its way between your legs, rubbing his leaking cum all over your sore pussy — pressing some of it back into it. 

You couldn’t help it. You kissed his lips and cheeks. God, you loved this man.

Comments are nice ✨

Master list

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 5: From the Ground Up

From: You Catch More Bees With Honey Series

Pairing: Mob! Bucky x Farmer! Reader

Summary: It’s time for Bucky to take charge in your absence.

Word count: 4,065

Content/warnings: Interrogation, restraints (not in the sexy way), allusions to violence, swears, name calling, pet name usage, female reader, kissing, horseback riding?

Author’s Note: I REALLY loved writing this chapter. This is where we start to see the other storylines of the Outta Nowhere AU emerge, so keep an eye out as those get released.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

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Bucky was mad-no, he was seething as he paced back and forth in your home office. It was in the wee hours of the morning when his private jet had landed on the local airstrip. Within that same hour, Sam had personally escorted in the little nerd responsible for a good third of the turmoil going on in Bucky’s head: Jake.

Sam had taken the liberty of pre-binding his hands and duct taping his mouth shut. Bucky was going to enjoy ripping the goatee straight off his mousy little face.

Five hours ago

As soon as Steve had gotten off the phone with Bucky, he called the construction crew. They kept them on call for things like this, but the two of them never thought the stakes would be this high. It wasn’t often that someone important and non-expendable was put in this type of danger, let alone someone Bucky cared about. As he was finishing up the call and directing them towards your house, Sam reached out to him with a sticky note.

On it was a name and the address to an apartment in the city, along with Sam’s scrawled ‘pick her up on your way over.’ Steve nodded as he hung up his call and placed another, grabbing the duffel bag he kept packed by the door and heading out.

Three Hours Later

Bucky hadn’t left your side since the rocks collapsed. Luckily, the two of you had been able to find a small gap in the rocks where you both sat. It wasn’t large enough to keep air circulating, but it was big enough to at least allow the two of you to talk with each other. You and Bucky had shared so much, from him sharing his first business operation with Steve, to you detailing crazy college stories of when you, your roommate, and Curtis would hang out.

Bucky laughed along. There was a whole side of you he never knew. He had studied intently what showed up on paper, and he knew the hardships you’d faced from your deep conversation last week, but this? This was a whole new, more playful side. He was surprised to see your spirits so high despite the situation.

“I do not believe that one bit. No way you were climbing up clock towers at school just to steal the clock hands, or a random brick or whatever. You’re too straight-laced.”

You laughed and rolled your eyes as you leaned your head back against the stone wall. “Oh please, people already pay so much to go there, if anything, I had more than the right to do it. Our money pays for that stuff. Technically we owned it. Not the school.”

Bucky snorted. “You didn’t even pay tuition. Didn’t they pay you to go there?”

“That’s besides the point, Bucket. Fight the man. And anyway, if you think I’m straight laced, you should meet my roommate.”

Bucky grimaced. “Yeah, about that. She’s on her way here right now.”

Your ears perked up. “Decks is on the way? Oh, that’s good. She’ll be super helpful. She’s so organized, although, I can’t imagine she took well to whoever had to interrupt her beauty sleep. Who’s the poor guy?”

Bucky sharply inhaled. “Steve.”

“Oooo hooo hoo.” You laughed. “That’ll be a fun one for both of them. They’re either gonna love or hate each other. What are all the rest of the ETAs?”

Bucky looked at his watch. Well, really, he had been checking his watch this whole time to monitor his pulse, which was over 100 consistently since the tunnel buckled. He was shaking with concern for you, but kept his voice level to keep you calm, a trick he and Steve had worked tirelessly to master. “Ummm… looks like the construction crew should be here within the hour. And I’ll bet Decks and Steve will be pulling up any minute.”

You hummed in acknowledgment. “Anyone else coming that I should know about? So I can figure out where they’ll best fit around the farm? Decks is great with the animals.”

You hadn’t heard all of Bucky’s or Curtis’s phone calls earlier since they stepped out of the cave to make them with better reception. Bucky didn’t want you to know Jake was on the way, mostly because he knew you’d make him promise not to hurt the rat, and he didn’t want to have to make that promise with the high likelihood it would be broken. He decided a better move would be to change the subject.

“So where did the nickname ‘Decks’ come from anyway?”

“Oh! Well it’s actually-“

Bucky heard footsteps near the mouth of the mine. He did his best to politely cut you off. “Wait, Honey, I’m so sorry, quiet for one second.”

He sat there and silently listened, the rustling becoming closer and clearer until he identified it as hooves clopping gently against the soft ground. He heard Curtis’s voice say something vaguely before he moved to get his feet underneath him and brush off his pants.

“I think Curtis is here with Steve and Decks. I don’t want anyone else to come in, just in case it’s still too unstable. Can you tell me exactly what you need them to do?”

You nodded, even though you knew Bucky couldn’t see it and began to lay out the instructions. Decks and Steve weren’t here to clean out the tunnels, they were here to help keep the farm running until you were freed, and no one knew how long that would take. It was best to keep only those who could be closely trusted around until this was all figured out. God forbid the authorities come knocking, or worse yet, Cole. Bucky held onto your every word before briefly leaving the tunnel to relay the information.

Bucky returned to you shortly after instructing Curtis to take Steve and Decks back to the house so they could rest before their long day tomorrow. Everything needed to run as smoothly as possible to not raise suspicion from your absence, which they were going to claim was due to a corn crop farmer’s conference out in Iowa if anyone asked.

After another hour with you, Bucky let you know the construction company arrived and was starting to stabilize the ceiling so they could dig you out. “I’ve gotta go deal with some business, so I’ll be back soon. Plus, I can’t get in the way of these vehicles. But say the word to one of the crew and I’ll be back here in a minute flat. I promise.”

Bucky’s promises meant a lot. That was something you had learned in your conversations. He never said something unless he had a plan to deliver. A man’s word was everything in his line of work.

“Okay, I’m going to hold you to that!” You yelled back.

Bucky chuckled. “I’m going to send Sam back here as soon as he arrives. He’ll keep you company.” And with that, Bucky made his way back to the house.

So this is where Bucky found himself, walking back and forth menacingly behind Jake, who had been tied down to the guest chair in your office. Jake’s eyes shifted back and forth with nervousness as he tried and failed to hold back whimpers and near-hyperventilating breaths.

Bucky had been silent for only ten minutes. He liked the way it made them squirm. He could sit and stare all day, completely unbothered, as anyone he interrogated slowly lost their mind. Of course, there were other, more fun ways, to get information, but he wouldn’t dare mark up your home. He’d never let the one they called ‘The Winter Soldier’ be unleashed in your sanctuary. This is the closest he would ever get, though, and it would never be seen by you.

Bucky stalked around Jake and crouched in front of him. “A milk maid came in here and told me that you’d given him information about this farm. Care to share?”

Jake shook his head vigorously and whined through the duct tape over his mouth. Bucky leaned in closer. What was more terrifying than being yelled at by him? Bucky with an alarmingly level voice.

“Sorry, I couldn’t quite catch that. I can help you talk a little better, but you’ve gotta be quiet. There are people upstairs sleeping, and I can’t guarantee they’ll be as nice as me if you wake them. Promise to be good?”

Jake nodded carefully and slowly. Bucky reached for the tape at the corner of Jake’s mouth and ripped it off quickly. Jake’s head lurched forward, his mouth open with a silent scream between gasping breaths. Bucky examined the sticky side of the tape. There was no hair on it. The steam from Jake’s mouth must’ve reduced the stickiness just enough that it didn’t cause damage. Shame.

Bucky slammed his hands over Jake’s on the armrests of the chair. “Tell me everything.” He gritted out between clenched teeth.

Jake giggled uncomfortably. “Uh….there’s not really much to know, mister…sir….does this have to do with Peach? I thought she owned this farm now. Where is she?”

Bucky growled. “That’s not important right now, but yes, this is about this farm. Tell me everything you told the guy with the soft hands and the jackets that were too crisp to indicate a day of work in his whole life.”

Bucky had no intention to associate that with his own designer crisp suits that he wore everyday back in the city. That was different, it was a totally separate line of work, plus, he wasn’t trying to pose as something that he’s not when he wore them. Anyway, he’s not the one on trial here.

“Oh! You mean Cole? Fucking prick.” Jake mumbled looking down and to the side. “I can promise whatever he said to you was a lie. That guy’s always been awful. He hides a demon face behind his handsomeness.”

Bucky didn’t want to be on Jake’s side, but he couldn’t argue with that. But to keep him talking, Bucky leaned in closer, moving his hand towards the knife on his belt loop. Jake flinched and raised his hands in surrender as much as he could with his wrists tied down.

“Okay, okay, I promise I didn’t say much. At least not on purpose. I was at an investors party up in San Francisco when Cole bumped into me. He was bragging about how he had just inherited his parents’ company and it was way bigger than when we were in high school. Frankly, I didn’t care, I make an effort to forget about a lot from back then, mostly him, so I tried to disprove him by saying that there are still nice little farms around despite his family’s efforts. I told him I still had my mom buy me honey that Peach makes, herself.” He hung his head in shame.

Bucky huffed as he leaned back against your desk and crossed his arms. “Well, way to go. You know, they painted you to be some genius, but you’re an absolute idiot.”

Jake looked up and scrunched his nose. “Well I actually prefer the term loser, bu-“

Bucky raised his hand to stop Jake from talking. “I really don’t care. What matters is that you’ve made a mess for Honeybee that inconveniences all of us. I’ve gotta be the one to work on cleaning this up while she’s otherwise occupied.”

Jake cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow in confusion. “Who the fuck is ‘Honeybee?’ Are we talking about the same person?”

Bucky sighed and wiped a hand over his face, stopping with it covering his mouth. He looked at the helpless man in front of him. How had you ever dated this guy? If he used to be great, what on Earth happened to him? “God, you’re slow to catch on. Yes, it’s the same person, but I don’t think the sweet peach you used to know and love is in there anymore. Not after you abandoned her. And especially not after you gave up her operation on a silver platter to Cole.”

Jake swallowed as he caught on. He had seen the devious glint in Cole’s eye when they had run into each other, but just thought it was a product of Cole’s braggadocious success. Not his complete hunger for domination. Despite the way Jake left, he still cared for you. He didn’t want to see the thing you loved taken away, especially by the guy who caused him so much grief. The guy your family defended him from on so many occasions. He felt awful. You’d taken care of Jake when he was around, but when the opportunity came for him to do the same for you, he failed.

Tears began to well up in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Whatever I can do to help, I will, please, misterrrr…….”

Bucky’s shoulders pushed back in arrogance. Jake squealed all the information he had and didn’t even know the name of the man interrogating him. That wouldn’t do, especially if Bucky wanted to eventually release Jake back out into the wild once this was all over. He made a mental note to have someone coach Jake on how to not give up sensitive intel so easily. But for now, Bucky would take advantage of the ease of informational access.

“Barnes. You get to call me Barnes.”

“Ooh! So like a cool nickname only I get to use? I feel so special.”

Bucky chuckled dryly at that. Jake really was clueless. “No. Not at all like that.” Bucky leaned forward, elbows on his knees as his face inched closer to Jake’s.

“Now tell me everything you know about the mines.”

Jake’s eyebrows raised. “Oh? Those old things? Yeah, Peach and I used to make out in the-“

Bucky waved his hand again as he closed his eyes, unable to look at Jake for another second. “No. Skip that part. What else?” He quickly said, dismissively.

“I know they’re old? Like crazy old and probably prone to collapse at this point. But Pe- I mean, your Honeybee does some occasional civil engineering contracting work. She could probably easily whip up a plan to reinforce them.”

Bucky looked at Jake more intently. He liked the way Jake said his Honeybee, but he couldn’t let that distract him right now. And anyway, you were very much your own person. Far from his. If anything, he was yours. He knew about all your business endeavors, but not those kinds of specifics. “Keep talking.”

“Yeah, I kept up with her after school-well, more like I asked my mom to keep up with her. Apparently she’s like, designed bridges for town and stuff. Why? What’s going on with the mines?”

“That’s not technically your business.” Bucky stood there, debating on his next move.

Jake’s eyes lit up as he gasped loudly. “Oh my gosh. Is she in trouble!? Did she get hurt in a mine!?”

Bucky slapped his hand over Jake’s mouth and whisper yelled at him. “What did I say about keeping it down?”

Jake winced and whispered back. “Sorry. Does Curtis know?”

Bucky nodded. “Yes. And he’s upstairs sleeping. Don’t. Poke. The Bear.”

Jake nodded again. He was being so compliant, Bucky figured he could let a few more details slip. Maybe Jake was a little smarter than Bucky gave him credit for. “She’s trapped in one of the smaller caves. I’ve already got a construction crew digging her out.”

“Wait wait wait. You guys have a proper plan for this, right? You’ve gotta put supports in first and then calculate the load-bearing rocks. You can’t just go willy-nilly digging or it could get worse.” Man, based off that language, Bucky had no doubt Jake truly did grow up around you.

“Good observation, Jakey. That’s where you come in. I know I could’ve just called you if I wanted to know what you told Cole, but I needed you in person to know how serious I am. Grab your little computer and we’ll get going so you can run the calculations while Honeybee talks you through them. You can still ride a horse, right?”

Jake moved to get up, only to be stopped by the restraints. Bucky turned around from the door, voice dripping with fake sympathy. “Oh, that’s right, my bad. I’ll get you untied and then we can go.”

Sam was talking with you about where to put which construction vehicles when he heard hooves make their way to the entrance. Bucky dismounted the back of a horse holding a laptop, followed by Jake who was riding ahead of him on that same horse.

“Not a word of this, Samuel.” Bucky growled lowly into Sam’s ear with clenched teeth. “I’ve already threatened the kid with the same.”

Bucky still had no idea how to ride a horse on his own, but would never admit that, so he was actually extremely grateful that Jake could take the reins. Sam had taken the other horse to get to you, leaving only one back at the house for him and Jake to use.

Bucky handed Jake the laptop and patted him on the back harshly, making it more of a shove. This led him to the small hole where you and Sam had just been talking.

Bucky followed at a quicker pace, reaching the area just before Jake could and held his arm out in front of the blond to bar him from going any farther. “Hi Honey, it’s me. I brought you a little present to help out, I hope you’re not mad. It’s your old friend Jacob from high school. Say hi.”

“Jake? Like… Jensen?” You responded, trying to look through the small hole unsuccessfully.

“Yeah, Peach, it’s me. I’m here to get you out. A-and Mr. Barnes wants you to know he’s been nothing but kind to me.” Jake clutched his laptop firmly to his chest, leaning over to be heard better through the small opening.

Bucky gave a stern nod to Jake for already responding well to his coaching on the way over here. Jake sat down by the hole where Bucky had sat before and got to work.

“Okay, Bee. Like I told you before, you say the word and I’ll be here in a minute. You can time me.”

“Where are you going?” He could hear the slight worry in your voice.

“To run a farm. And by that, I mean listen to Curtis.”

You giggled. “Okay, Bucket. See you soon.”

He looked back and smiled before turning towards Sam and pointing into his chest. “You tell me the second she’s close to getting out. I’ll be there.”

Sam nodded. “Sure thing, boss. Need help getting back up on your horse?”

Bucky was already turned away and heading back to your house. He waved a hand dismissively. “No. I’m walking.”

Sam chuckled as he watched the mob boss trudge away. He knew something had shifted in Bucky’s feelings. And he definitely had his suspicions that Bucky couldn’t ride a horse.

When Bucky returned to your house, he didn’t go upstairs. He feared the creaking of the steps would wake Decks, Curtis, and Steve. Plus, he knew he wasn’t going to sleep. Why would he when there was so much to do to help you? He would just get in the way at the mines, so he went into your office. He pulled out the files and article you had planned to show him the previous night regarding Cole from the kitchen, and as he sat down in your chair, he saw a contract with a familiar watermark. Shit.

Fuck. Shit. Bitch.

The letterhead was from ‘Turners Farm Corporation,’ which he had expected, but the associated law firm was ‘Hansen & Co.’ Bucky had his fair share of law firms in his back pocket, but this was not one of them. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Lloyd Hansen was something of Bucky’s rival in the city. He was an unhinged lunatic. Where Bucky ran things with honor, poise, and calculated movements, Lloyd was messy, unpredictable, and reckless. He’d been trying to make multiple steps into Bucky’s territory, geographically and business-wise, but Bucky had done a decent job at shutting it down thus far.

And now Cole was in cahoots with Lloyd, well, not him directly on paper, just his bitch-ass sister who ran the firm. Bucky couldn’t believe-well, actually he could. He could believe that Cole would have teamed up with Hansen to build enough power for a takeover, especially considering it didn’t add up if Cole was making these moves on his own.

Fired by frustration that more than supplemented the sleep Bucky lacked from not just tonight, but this whole week, he snapped a picture of the contract and sent it to Sam. Sam would make sure it made its way through the right channels and contacts still back in the city. For now, Bucky had a more important priority than personally dealing with business: You. He had never been so grateful for Sam.

As he skimmed through the final page of the contract Cole had proposed to you, the first rooster crowed. Bucky got up to gather the eggs and make breakfast like any other day in the routine he’d grown so familiar with over just the past two weeks. But instead of cooking for you, he was cooking for the small army that came to your aid.

Curtis came barreling down the steps first, followed by Decks, and then eventually, Steve, who slumped and slinked down the stairs, reminiscent of Bucky’s first day doing the same. At least they were able to get themselves up.

Bucky plated their food, Curtis eyeing him with a small smile that Bucky failed to notice, and he sat down in his normal spot to start eating. He honestly didn’t have the appetite to do so, but he knew he’d crash without food since he already wasn’t sleeping, so he forced it down, preparing to go over the assignments with everyone once again.

Steve would be doing what Bucky had last week to set up the farmer’s market since it was scheduled to go again. Decks would be taking over the tasks you had, feeding the animals, and then doing sales with Bucky since people already knew his face. No need to raise more suspicion by introducing two new people to an event you were usually at.

Once everyone cleared their plates, they got to work, doing everything they could to be of assistance for the mob boss who was very evidently on edge.

It was early afternoon when Bucky got a call from Sam. He immediately picked it up.

“We’re close, boss. Only a couple more large boulders to go before there’s a big enough gap to pull her through.”

Bucky dropped the empty crates he was carrying onto the floor of the storage shed where he was returning them from the farmers market. Lucky for him, the storage shed was much closer to the mines than the barn.

Bucky was full-on sprinting in a way no one had ever seen. He never had to once he rose to power. All he did was walk, his long strides alone commanded enough respect. But this wasn’t about pride. It was about you.

He arrived at the mine entrance, breathing heavily, just as Sam was holding your hand, helping you step over a pile of sand and pebbles. Jake stood awkwardly to the side as you looked up from your feet to see Bucky quickly moving toward you. A smile took over your face and you sighed in relief. He scooped you up and spun you around before setting you down again and using his large hands to frame your face. Bucky didn’t care about the dirt and grime that had built up on the two of you. All he cared about was your safe return to his arms.

You watched as his eyes darted between yours and down to your lips. You wouldn’t hold back anymore. He had put all his resources into saving you, helping you. Without wasting another second, you leaned up on your toes and smashed your lips into his. When you pulled back, Bucky lost consciousness, collapsing in your arms.

Next >

Bonus A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Tbh I thought some moments in here were so funny, but I’d love to hear your thoughts!! Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo appreciated!!! If I could, I’d make a secret handshake with you through the phone for following this plot line with me. 😉🤠

Series Taglist:

@scuzmunkie

@openup-yourmind

@vicmc624

@hawkeyes-queen

@blackhawkfanatic

[svt-nari]

the airport incident / part three

warnings: language (the word s*** is written once, panic attacks, stalkers, weird creepy man, not proofread! a/n: i’m so so so so so so sorry for not posting this sooner, i was trying to finish it as soon as possible and i’m really sorry if it’s not as good as you guys expected. also,,, this will have a continuation, not sure if a part four, but i’ll post other chapters about this whole situation.

part one | part two | part three

nari remembers the exact first time she heard that name. seventeen’s first comeback had just happened and they were holding a small fansign. they were still a small group, not much recognition but they were happy and living their dreams. the fourteen young adults/teens were ecstatic, people coming to meet them and get their autograph – it was just like how they saw on tv.

as fans passed by, one of them caught her attention because he was a bit older than the other people there – probably in his mid-thirties. what made him stand out the most too was how he skipped every single one of the boys just to meet nari.

he greeted her and she greeted back, laughing at his enthusiasm to see her. he apologized to all of the boys, claiming that she’s someone he likes a lot. everyone laughed at that moment, it was funny. though, they didn’t know that from there on he wouldn’t just be a harmless fan.

the second time they meet she was shopping with a friend – a private going, her personal life. many fans saw her because they were also shopping, taking pictures and asking for her autograph. but, nari knew he wasn’t there before they arrived. no. he arrived there with them. she thought it was just a coincidence when he entered the mall doors at the same time as her, bumping on her shoulder and apologizing, feigning surprise when he saw who she was.

nari knew it wasn’t just a normal fan behavior when he asked for her autograph and gave her a card with his number written on it, claiming that she could call him whenever she felt like it. something about him gave her chills. but she ignored it for her own sake, nodding along and trying to convince herself that it was normal for fans to give idols their number.

two years passed when the third huge issue happened, nari knew it wasn’t all just a coincidence. he was stepping foot in her family’s apartment building, moving to the floor bellow to the one where her family lived. she knew that he was aware of what he was doing, he made sure to wave at her and tell her that he was moving there. claiming that he didn’t know her family lived there.

but she knew it was all a big, fat lie.

she was scared and she told her company, getting a huge “we can’t do anything without proof!” as a response – as if the fact that he moved to her parents’ building wasn’t proof enough. they told her it was just her mind playing tricks on her since it was a public building, that he could have just rented it. but she knew it was far from the truth.

he had been following her, she knew because she took the time to memorize his plate just in case something ever happened to her. nari’s safety was in game, she didn’t want to end up hurt because of this guy. she knew he followed her to her family’s home because of his car plate. that made her even more terrified of him.

she had to beg her parents to move, took the time to find a new place for them just to get them to be safe and away from that maniac. though, she wasn’t expecting his reaction to that.

a few days after her parents moved to their new place, nari received a letter on her own building - her members’ home, the dorms. it didn’t have any name nor address written, meaning it was delivered by someone and not the post office. the moment she touched it, nari could feel her whole body shiver. as she opened the letter, her heart pounded in her chest with each word she read to herself.

“hi, hwang nari.

it’s me, your hajunie. i miss you so much, don’t you miss me too? well, i hope you do, because i’m planning on seeing you as soon as possible. i know your schedules are full because of all the comeback preparations, it’s hard being talented, right? well, you sure do know since you’re amazing.

i’m sorry i took so long to reach out, but i was organizing how i could do it all without messing up or having someone else mess it all up. i’ve been keeping track of you though. i memorized your schedules and made sure to be there whenever i could - even if i didn’t make myself known. i’m sorry for letting you down.

though, you also did something to make me upset. i mean, how could you move your family away from me? i just want to get closer to you, meet your - our - family. your actions really hurt me, hwang nari. can’t you see that i just want to see you happy and healthy? that i do everything for you? that we are made for each other? well, if you don’t, i’ll remind you :)

tell jaebeom-ssi to be careful. i have never approved nor appreciated your relationship with anyone. have i not made myself clear when i asked you to never see anyone? i wasn’t kidding, nari. you don’t want your career ruined by this little scandal, right?

i hope you can wait for me, just a few more weeks and then i will see you and hold you. wait for me, darling. i’ll show you that we were made for each other.

much love, your hajunie <3”

she could feel her throat closing, her heart pounded and she reread everything over and over. her mind going miles per second. the thoughts never ending, questions unanswered roaming around her mind. how did he know her address when she’s never seen him around the dorms? how did he know she was dating jaebeom when they were never in public together? what did he mean by seeing her and holding her? wait a few weeks? it all made the young woman’s head spin.

nari gripped the stairs railing as hard as she could, her breath shortening as scenarios ran through her head. she could feel herself slowly slipping into a anxiety attack, her mind not being able to process it all as she looked around. she felt watched, as if some type of paranoia - but she knew it wasn’t just her seeing things.

the first rational thought that came to her mind was calling one of the boys, so she quickly took her phone out of her pocket and dialed junhui’s phone. it took him a few seconds to answer but, the moment he did, jun was already out of the door and towards the buildings ground-floor.

the moment he laid eyes on her, he felt his own heart tighten upon seeing his sister’s state. she had her breathing uneven, tears streaming down as she sat with her face on her knees.

“nabi-ah…”, he sighed worriedly. “oh my god, what happened? are you okay?”

jun sat down next to her, bringing the upset girl to a hug. her sobs instantly got louder, her face buried on the taller one’s chest. her hands gripped his shirt, trying to grasp her breath. he didn’t know what to do, so he just sat there and rubbed her back, whispering reassuring words to the upset girl.

“what?”, she said out loud. the whole venue quieted down, the surprised gasps being the only thing to be heard in the moment. “repeat it.”

“noon-,” mingyu started, being abruptly cut off by the girl.

“no. i said. repeat. it.”, she huffed.

“his name is kim hajun… i saw it on twitter if i’m not mistaken it’s his name.” the taller sighed, his head hanging low.

she knew he wasn’t mistaken. she knows him and now that it got to this point, she’s sure she should’ve told them earlier. if she had just told them about it all, it wouldn’t be like this.

“i know him.”, the boys looked at her with furrowed brows, her manager quickly sighing and bowing his head upon her words. “i know i should have told you about this sooner – a lot sooner – it was just,” she sighed. “i didn’t know how to bring this up.”

“we have had some sasaengs before, i know it’s not an excuse, but i didn’t think it would come to this. the most he did was send a letter to m-“

“wait,” jun exasperated. “so that letter you were crying about all those years back…”

“yeah…” nari sighed. “it was from him.”

she came closer to the boys, having cheol bring a chair so she could sit down amongst the boys.

“he also gave me a letter yesterday…”, she fidgeted with her fingers, focusing on something else than the thirteen boys around her. “i didn’t want to talk about it, but i feel like ot got out of hand and-“

“you feel like it got out of hand!?”, s.coups scoffed. “he touched you and he’s been stalking you. it got out of hand a long time ago!” he exasperated.

“i know, i know!”, she stood up. “but do you think i wanted it to get to this point? he threatened me! he threatened to hurt you all, to hurt my parents!”

everyone’s eyes widened upon hearing her words. she have never said anything about this to anyone, she never even showcased any different emotion. she was so lowkey about it that they never even suspected anything.

“what do you mean by it?”, chan looked at her with a frightened expression. he was clearly worried and distressed by this, which made nari feel even worse about the whole situation.

“the letter jun mentioned, all the way back in 2017…”, nari sat back down. “he had moved to my parents’ building because he discovered where they lived, then i asked them to move once again and he didn’t like it one bit.”, she adjusted her glasses, biting down on her lip as she remembered that in her head. “i was with jaebeom at that time and he somehow knew it, so he sent me a letter threatening to expose us and saying t-that he didn’t l-like-“, her breathing got uneven, her chest tightening as the memories came back.

instantly cheol hugged her, seungkwan getting up to bring her some water and dino going to her side to hold her hand. they knew she was having panic attacks more frequently, so they wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be as bad as the last one.

“it’s okay, we can talk about the other letter some other time. your confirmation was enough for us to take matters, okay?”, jeonghan whispered, petting her head reassuringly.

“yeah, don’t worry about it now. they’ll work with what you told us. when you’re ready you can tell us everything, okay?”, shua smiled at her. “your safety and wellbeing is our number one priority.”

the one thing nari was sure of, is that; if they knew that the company already knew about it and did nothing to change it all, shit would hit the fan. for now, she just wanted to avoid it as much as she could to not make things even worse.

all rights reserved © svt-nari, 2023

[bonefall]

i know u dont rework arcs untill theyre complete but im very excited to see what you do with a starless clan, theres so much exciting things happening in this arc to work with. do you have any changes you already know for sure you’ll be incorporating?

No for-sures. I don't want to make any for-sures. I have ones I'm feeling but I don't want to call ANYTHING a for-sure yet. I need to find out what the ending is, WHERE this is all going, because I have a strong philosophy in my writing that a story is like a spear;

IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING TO THE POINT.

But we are 4/6 of the way in, so I CAN start talking about thoughts!

I'm actually leaning pretty heavily towards axing Nightheart as a POV. There's still time for the books to turn around and justify it, BUT HEAR ME OUT

(Saying AS someone who is a Nightheart Enjoyer)

So far I'm really feeling that his character would benefit from us never being inside of his head, or seeing what he's been going through. As much as I WILL stand by that I enjoyed books 1 and 2 and liked his perspectives there, I'm starting to think that it would serve the story a lot better for Sunbeam and Frostpaw to be guessing just as much as we are.

We'd get introduced to Nightheart on the journey for catmint.

Sunbeam connects with him immediately, because she's tossed on this mission while she's in the middle of a swirling tide of drama. With nothing but Clerics and a hardened Rootspring to the left and her ex-bestie (exstie) to the right, he's really her only other choice for companionship. She's chronically unable to stop problems before they get out of hand, the sort of person who becomes frozen by indecision, and then here comes this Glorious Bastard

In her eyes, he's so caring, and bold, and fun! He's the first one to jump headlong into danger, to really be interested in her problems and just let her talk, and his story is so heartbreaking! A mother who's so hard on him... and his Clan is so mean all the time, but he wants to prove to all of them that he's more than just Firestar's descendant... but he was so brave to choose his own name.................

And then, when she follows him into ThunderClan, she learns he fucking lied. She changed Clans based on SOB STORIES

When she first comes, no one knows what he's been saying behind their back. Even if they did, they don't want to start trashing Nightheart right to his new mate's face. But then he LEAVES, and Sunbeam will bring up,

"Maybe it was because you were hard on him?"

And then Sparkpelt tries to agree, just to take blame onto herself and stop all this, but Finchlight's had eNOUGH and ends up setting the record straight;

"No this is DEFINITELY another tantrum. He already ran off once before."

"NO he didn't pick his own name, he stopped the whole ceremony to complain and Bramblestar gave him a compromise"

"MEAN to him?? I had to do HIS WORK because he couldn't STAY ON THE GROUND"

"Oh he's buckling under the weight of his legacy? that must be so hard. I was cat-fifteen when i punched my first fascist and he was wearing the face of my grandpa."

"His mom aba-WHAT?? ABANDONED???? OUR MOTHER WAS EXILED AND HE STAYED HOME!!!!! WE WERE CAT-FIFTEEN!!"

With this false hope shattered, Sunbeam is thrown into a devastating situation where... her mother was right. She was tricked. And now she's stuck in this new Clan without any of her old friends, without this mate who was too-good-to-be-true, the ONE impulsive choice she's made on her own in her WHOLE LIFE turns to ashes in her mouth. She can't go back, either, because Berryheart would NEVER let her live this down.

But... it's okay.

It's a slow shock, to make a choice SO impulsive and SO self-concerned, and find a safety net below her. It's going to be okay. The trials are fair. The cats of ThunderClan interrupt and speak over each other, but, that teaches her to be more assertive. Sparkpelt and Finchlight are not the mean assholes that Nightheart built them up to be, and they'll support her no matter what she chooses to do with her possible mate.

I want Nightheart TO get better, but, in order for that to happen, he has to face, and, more importantly, ACCEPT consequences. He needs to develop the maturity to say, "I acted like a brat and didn't appreciate what I had. and I'm sorry. you don't have to forgive me."

Bottom line being, Nightheart is striking me lately as a character that works best as unpredictable, because we have NO IDEA what's truly in his head. It would be interesting for him to have a novella later, but as it stands, his POV has consistently just been a duplicate since he joined ShadowClan. We gained NOTHING from splitting the Frostpaw Journey of the newest book in half POV, and VERY little from splitting the ShadowClan one into half POV.

I might reduce the POVs to 2, just Sunbeam and Frostpaw, or change Nightheart's to Lightleap. If I NEED 3 main characters, then they should all be a consistent camera on different parts of the conflict.

Again. I do not commit to changes until the arcs are done. Nothing in BB!ASC is set yet.

But here's some other little things I'm thinking,

Bramblestar is VOTED out.

He does not step down. The little "game" he played with Nightheart to create a situation to yell at Squilf, who hasn't been his mate in a long time in BB, was the LAST straw for ThunderClan.

They had sympathy for him before that point, because of what he went through with Ashfur, but his leadership was long and controversial even before the Impostor.

And there's a really strong sentiment that IF Bramblestar had been a good leader... they would have realized he was possessed sooner. So, there are those who partially blame him for the tyranny of the Impostor.

Basically; enough is enough.

Berryheart's hate group has ACTUAL consequences. Someone gets killed; probably Antfur, who survived the last arc to die here.

More fights. This arc has been too bloodless. Already planning SEVERAL sudden, random brawls in RiverClan as tensions boil.

Heartstar is going to be MORE controversial. Not controversial enough in canon imo. I don't like how Leaf and Squilf seem like they have "hypothetical" issues with the invasion instead of being able to point at REAL ones.

riverclan didn't forget how to do the chores they've done their WHOLE lives, no. I'm going to talk about POWER VACUUMS and create ACTUAL factions that begin to coagulate in RiverClan.

if we're going to have a brainless plot about how "Well Ackshually democracy has enough problems to make us reconsider not having unaccountable, tyrannical dictators, because a vote could maybe be called over One Single Issue" then I'll talk about shit like the spoiler effect, mob mentality, and factionalism. Get the hell out of my way ERIN I'll cook

No Smoky. Society has progressed past the need for Smoky. No Smokyng Area.

Whistlepaw should to try and take care of her ALONE, not trained enough to take care of SUCH bad wounds and barely able to keep her trembling paws straight, and Frostpaw realizes that she's making her watch her own friend die.

Is this how her life is going to end? slipping away under the paws of someone she loves, for what? pride? to do what her mother told her-- trust no cat?

As she TRUSTS Whistlepaw? Trusts her SO much, that Frostpaw will force her to be the only witness to her death?

FROSTPAW CALLS THE HUMAN

...which in BB, is a team of researchers. She drags herself to them, and collapses. This is why they just HAPPENED to have the proper equipment on them; they're WILDLIFE VETS.

Not sure how I'm going to handle Frostpaw's Journey though. In BB, the Park Cats are already a foundational part of Clan Culture.

In all honesty, while I HAVE to praise the fact that the Erins have FINALLY created ONE outsider group that isn't malicious or defenseless... I don't much care for them.

sending frostpaw on a side quest to what's essentially a big DOTC reference. Look! It's that group we introduced in the last 5 chapters of our latest glorified recap! cooool.

We're just going to get nothing but fucking founders in every dream from now on. I'm SURE of it.

As a consolation prize to myself though I will be writing cool angel scenes of the absolute BEING that Riverstar has become in heaven.

Riverstar (normal cat): "Elder Bones I'm going out!"

"not dressed like THAT you're not!!!"

Riverstar (the manifestation of the river, the rain in the sky above, and the abyss below, and how through water we are all truly connected as one being): "better?"

I will probably keep the Park Cats and rework them significantly, but I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Frostpaw visiting a LOT of places. A holy pilgrimage.

ESPECIALLY one of the Tribe's three wards; the River Ward. The Tribe of Rushing Water believes (it's even in the name) that water connects all things.

So I think it would be really fitting for Frostpaw to learn from MANY perspectives, starting with this philosophy put forth by the River Ward.

And she realizes-- that's what Riverstar is, as well. As a being. He is mentoring her on this pilgrimage, while barely saying a word. She can feel him wherever she is, because he isn't JUST the God of the River.

He is connection. He is peace. He's water. Too much and you'd drown, not enough and you'd thirst.

[unicyclehippo]

flew for the first time in a very long time, since well before covid started, & oh i missed it so much. first, how remarkable an invention a plane is, how clever, how world changing!! it can seem so normal but actually we are FLYING. i looked down on the clouds that look down on me. the sun rose & everything was brilliantly incandescently white. i stared out the window for the entirety of the admittedly too-short flight & cloud spotted—i saw lions & palaces of cloud & a fleet of dolphins breaking out of the waves. mostly it looked like quilting wadding. i love to fly. i love to people watch, i love to cloud watch, i love the clouds, i love the captains & the cabin crew. when i fly i feel like i will never run out of things to love about humans

a short list of things i loved about the two flights i took:

- special shoutout to the cabin crew, ground crew, they’re incredible. literally all the crew i interacted with had the biggest smiles & were so so friendly & helpful. if ur a crew member out there, i love you. huge shout out to the mid 50s (?) hostess on my first flight—short, super sharply put together in the “im a modern witch” kinda way—who had a quip for almost every comment directed her way. the only one i rmbr was when an elderly passenger called her love she replied “how’d you know my name is love? you must be a psychic!”

- all the passengers i saw were calm & unruffled at the least & sometimes very nice! all around me i could hear people meeting & passing with those small human courtesies repeated & repeated—pardon me, d’you mind if i duck past, hey do you need help with your bag, oh mind their head there, where are you headed, can you get by do you need some room, thank you, thank you, thank you, can i help you, can i help you, can i help you

- special shoutout to the passenger w the crying baby. he was such an upset baby & the only thing that calmed him was being walked up & down the aisle over & over. every time he came down the aisle, i saw heads turn toward him & people smiling their baby smiles—exaggerated, kind, often accompanied by a scrunch of the nose or a tiny wave. ‘he doesn’t sound happy poor thing,’ i heard a lot, or things like it, as his dad bounced him in his arms, & then, invariably, help was offered. ‘my mother swears by this trick‘ — ‘my husband does this to calm our kids” — ‘my wife always does this’. the flight was delayed by nearly fifty minutes. no one was allowed out of their seat as we idled on the tarmac except for this unhappy baby & his dad, walking up & down the aisle.

- special shoutout to my seat buddy, who had a wonderful bright yellow backpack with rainbow straps. i have a matching one & told her so. she said it was a whim, on account of the yellow & rainbow. i told her it’s a very durable bag & one of my favourites. there’s a softening that comes with a compliment, a small comment when we meet—it’s an invitation from then on to say whatever little something pops into our heads. are you listening to music? what book are you reading - oh it’s a library book! good on you mate! we gotta use them more. do you know how to get the headphones working—ooh i figured it out. mind if i use your charger, mines not working. hey the refreshments are headed this way did you want anything? are you headed home? my family is in the row in front & she smiles every time they twist uncomfortably to chat through the gaps in the seats. later, as we are waiting to disembark, she confesses she was on the flight before but it was cancelled . you mean i could’ve had more space, i teased. she laughed, apologises. i could have had far worse company…but not by much, i teased a little more, & she laughed harder. get home safe, we say to each other—i don’t know her name, she knows mine just because my mother whispered it through the seats (are you too hot back there? do you have enough leg room? i can’t move the seat but - oh your sister wants me to recline my seat onto you, im going to squish you!). get home safe, i hear echoed by ten more people to their seat buddies as i hurry off the plane. the last is from a smiling crew member (refer back to my first point. i love you crew members).

- a turbaned man held his baby up at the huge windows looking out to the planes. she clung to him for a minute then tried to dive out of his arms, her own spread wide like the wings of a plane, laughing.

- the women having dinner in the food court as we waited for our plane. i was facing away from them & somewhat half heartedly eavesdropping but every now & again they said something so familiar that it may as well have been my own sisters sitting behind me. ‘—don’t hate her but some of the things she says-‘ ‘i know, i know. can she even hear herself? it’s like. so self-centred.’ ‘and she THINKS she’s being the nice one or she wants us to think it? i don’t even KNOW anymore. like, either she’s so conceited she thinks we love everything she does or she knows she’s behaved badly & is enjoying, i don’t know, us not knowing what to say?’ ‘i KNOW. and, like, we have to be honest,’ ‘absolutely,’ ‘but at the same time it’s like. she should know.’ ‘she should KNOW.’ ‘but she doesn’t or she’s pretending not to and im so done.’ i don’t know who you ladies were, i never saw your faces, i wish you all the best with your friend.

- the Intensely Cheerful & Organised Mother who was my seat buddy on flight 1. you were corralling three teen daughters &, from the glimpses of your notebook i caught, were studying for a test on medicine or maybe nursing. i know you were all on your way to see taylor & you were Determined that it was going to be the perfect trip. i have never seen someone work so hard at getting their luggage to fit in the overhead compartments but you managed to find a space for all of it & i applaud you now

i know there’s more but im for bed. basically i love to fly & im so happy to have done it again

[snoreyua]

₊˚ෆ ⁀➷　come back to me // ep. 1

synopsis : you and riki were childhood best friends doing everything together. when you entered middle school, you overheard him talking shit about you to his so-called friends. out of frustration, you moved schools and cut all contact with him. now starting a new year in high school, what will you do when riki unexpectedly transfers to your school? can you rebuild your friendship or will something much deeper will bloom?

word count : 1.4k

warnings : shit talking, lowercase intended, lmk if i should add anything else

yua's notes : this is my first fic so i apologise if it's not v good hope you still enjoy tho! :D

previous masterlist next

story written under the cut

"catch me if you can!" you taunted the black hair boy who was slowly gaining behind you. "i'm gonna get you!" he yelled back before tackling you in a tight hug. you both giggled as you felt the warmth of the sun on your faces. he let go of you and sat down on the dewy grass, his breathing growing louder by the second. "since when- could you- run so- fast…" he said huffing after each word before letting his body fall back onto the green field. you sat down next to him, smiling from his red face. "you're too slow riki, even with your 'special' sneakers" you said while pointing at his lightning mcqueen sneakers. he rolled his eyes before sitting up again.

you gave him a bright grin as you signalled him to come closer. the black-haired boy edged closer to you, curiously staring at you digging through your pockets, sticking out your tongue while trying to find something. you smiled when your fingers met the braided bracelet, pulling out from your pocket. it was a cream colour, with a blue charm that read "riki". he looked at you as you gently pulled his arm closer to you, putting on the bracelet on his wrist. you put down his arm, looking at him with sparkly eyes. "well? do you like it? i made matching ones with the bracelet kit you gave me for my birthday!" you showed him an identical bracelet, instead of a blue charm was a pink charm which had your name. riki smiled, his eyes barely visible from how happy he was. "thank you y/n i love them!" he said before tackling you in a hug into the grass.

you and riki were inseparable. if you were at school, he would be sitting next to you, using your crayons to draw a portrait of you and him. if you were at the playground, he was copying all your tricks on the monkey bars. if you were at home, he would be in your room, groaning about how your room was too girly. it was like he was permanently stuck on you but you didn't mind. he was your best friend, and as your best friend, he should stay with you until the end. at least that's what you thought.

as you and riki entered middle school, things started to change. for starters, you weren't the best at making friends. seeing that most of your elementary friends were gone, you were often forced to sit by yourself in classes if riki wasn't there. luckily for him, he easily made friends with lots of people and found a group where he hung out with. you often went with him but his group were different. they relentlessly picked on you, saying that you were a freak and that riki had poor choices in friends. he stood up for you most of the time, saying that you were his best friend and they shouldn't be saying those things about you. but one day something changed.

you were waiting for riki beside his locker because you usually walked to class with him. despite for waiting for him for almost half an hour, he never came to his locker. defeated, you walked to class by yourself. you were about to arrive to your classroom when you saw riki with his other friends. rolling your eyes, you were about to approach him when you overheard their conversation. "riki that y/n girl you like," one of the guys said, a tone of disgust in his voice. "she's so weird… like how are you even friends with her," he looked at riki, almost snickering at his own words. "look here, I don't like y/n ok? she's not even my friend she just follows me everywhere, like a lost puppy," riki hissed at the other guy. "i just don't wanna be mean to her and tell her to piss off," he shoved his hands into his pockets before entering the classroom with his friends.

your grip on your books tightened as you felt a wash of emotions crash onto you. before you knew it, your legs directed you to the bathroom, locking yourself inside one of the stalls. your body slumped against the door, still in shock of what your best friend had said about you. his words repeated in your head, like a broken record player. you felt your face was wet with tears, your nose runny with snot. you felt your chest closing up as you buried your face in your knees. did you really just hear that? you slammed your fist against the door, a couple of people mumbling to each other about your bizarre behaviour but you didn't care.

"y/nie~" you heard riki's voice behind you. out of habit, you turned around, your face meeting with a smiling riki. great. he's pretending like he didn't do anything you thought to yourself. "what do you want?" you said coldly, not returning his smile as your gaze pierced his eyes. he tilted his head to the side, observing your face. "is there something wrong? oh my god, did you cry? your eyes are puffy and your eyes are red…" riki trailed off as his hand inched closer to your face before you quickly slapped it away. "you think there's something wrong? stop acting like you're clueless nishimura," you spat before walking away from him, bumping into his shoulder on the way.

since then, you ignored him. as soon as you saw him in the crowd of people in the hallway, you turned the other direction. riki kept trying to approach you, but you always seemed to disappear before he could reach you. he even visited your house, but you told your mother to tell him that you didn't feel well. eventually, he managed to catch you walking back home. "Y/N!" you recognised the voice and started running. the calls grew louder, as well as the footsteps trailing behind you. a hand grabbed your arm before forcing your body to face him. his soft brown eyes bore into yours, an unfamiliar emptiness obvious in his eyes. you tried to pull your arm away but his grip was firm.

"please y/n, tell me what's wrong. you've been like this all week and you're avoiding me." his hand loosened on your arm, desperation in his voice. his eyebags are more noticeable and he looks pale. for a second, you forgot why you were mad at him and felt sorry for him. "isn't it obvious? you're talking shit about me to your amazing new friends," you said coldly while taking his hand off your arm. "don't you understand how it feels when your own best friend backstabs you? do you think i'd avoid you like this for no reason? maybe you do think that. that's what you're telling your friends." before riki could talk, you ran away, ignoring his pleas for you to listen to him.

after a while, you finally convinced your parents to let you move schools. riki would finally be the least of your worries. although it was a rough start, you made friends at some point and your pain from him was healing steadily. you love your new friends but you can't help but feel they can only patch the missing piece of you. the riki part.

"y/n! y/n!" eunchae skipped happily towards you with grin on her face. you looked up from your book, pulling out one of your earplugs. "hey eun! how are y-" before you could finish your sentence, she put a finger on your mouth. "uh uh! I have some big news," she sat down in front of you, leaning on the backside of the chair. "there's a new transfer here! apparently he went to your old school and i've heard he's super hot," eunchae giggles, hitting you playfully. you smiled, wonder filling your mind. "huh? is that so? well i'll go see if he's really 'super hot' for myself," you chuckled before returning her a playful hit on her shoulder.

after your first class, you walked with eunchae, listening her ramble about school gossip. "and you believe what jihyun did to her after it was-" you looked at her, slightly confused at her sudden pause. her eyes widened at something in the crowd. you tried to see at what she was. maybe it was more of a who was she looking at. there stood a tall boy, his hair bleached with dark ends, with his hands stuffed in his pockets. your eyes were glued to a familiar bracelet, disbelief washing over your body. his eyes were locked onto you, shock obvious throughout his body. you opened your mouth, your words barely audible.

"r-riki?"

[cluuny]

Skyjacks: Legends

or, three times jonnit kessler met gods

The first time Jonnit Kessler saw a god, he was 10 years old, and his neighbor was very sick.

He didn't know it was a god at first- he certainly didn't look like one. He was thin, lanky, with short whitish hair and a gaunt face and bulging brown eyes. The shadows cast in his face by his white cloak made him look ghoulish, yes, but not particularly holy.

“Hello,” He called, lifting a hand in a wave. “You here to visit Miss Rosa?”

The man paused, blinking at him. “I- I- mmm… Yes.”

“That's good,” Jonnit smiled. “She could use the company.”

The man hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Right.”

“Okay, I'll let you do that, then.”

Two days later, the coroners came to get her body. Jonnit watched them carry her out with wide eyes. She’d been dead for a little over a day and a half, apparently. Since the man showed up.

Come to think of it, he’d never seen the man leave.

The second time Jonnit saw a god, he was at the market with his father, 13 years old, and he had no idea what to do with the eye that had appeared on his forehead a little over a week ago. He was trailing behind his father, headband over his third eye, watching the people run around, hawking wares and shouting and bargaining.

And then he saw a crowd gathered around a low table, and two men playing cards. This was nothing unusual, the market was a common meeting place for card players. However, the closer he got, the stranger he felt. A wave of emotion, an emotion he couldn't name, washed over him, and he paused to gasp.

His father didn't notice as he pressed onwards into the crowd, fighting his way closer to the game.

Two men sat across from each other, a game of Illimat happening between them. One was leaning forward, visibly sweating, teeth clenched, but the other lounged back in his seat, sharp black eyes evenly scanning his cards without a care in the world.

Finally, he smiled, picked a card from his hand, placed it down, and chuckled. “Good game.”

The man across from him froze, before howling in rage. “You can't- you cheated, you must have! I know it!”

The silver haired man held up his hands in a playful surrender, his sleeves sliding back to reveal dozens of watches on his wrists. “I don't know what you mean, this was all fair and legal.”

The loser shrieked, jumping at him, but the men in the crowd lunged forward, hauling him off, nervous whispers among them.

Jonnit watched curiously as the man flashed a grin, raising his hand. “Anyone else care to play?”

The crowd fell silent. Someone murmured something about fae tricks, and the man's impossibly dark eyes shot to them, his grin going almost snarl-like.

“I'll play,” Jonnit called. “I'm not super good, though, you gotta go easy on me.”

“I'm afraid I don't do that, little man,” The man said, his smile returning full force. “Come, sit.”

Jonnit sat.

Illimat was a complicated game, and Jonnit really was not a good player, but as the game went on, whispers began to snake through the crowd. At one point, Jonnit played a card and the man let out a surprised laugh, and someone in the group let out a gasp.

And then, a round or two later, it was over.

“Nice game,” Jonnit beamed, extending a hand to shake with the man. “I thought you weren't gonna go easy on me, though?”

“I didn't,” The man said, calmly wrapping his hand around Jonnit's. “That was something else, kid.”

“Jonnit!” Jonnit's father called. “We need to get home!”

Jonnit sprung to his feet, giving the man a quick bow before darting away, not even noticing the small token tucked in his palm until he had reached the wagon and started homeward.

The third time he met a god, he was fifteen, and the Uhuru was sinking.

Not very quickly- Spit was desperately shoveling coal into the furnace while the fighting raged on around them, but they were going down.

They'd made the mistake of trying to raid the Civility, a ship that was by far out of their reach, and they were paying the price.

Captain Orimar let out a hollar as his shoulder was clipped by a knife, swinging a mighty fist and catching the attacker in the jaw, breaking it in one blow, and Jonnit felt a wave of respect and awe rush through him.

It was dark, and the deck was poorly lit, but Jonnit's eyes were sharp, so when a shadow darted between the sails and ropes and mast, he noticed.

Nodoze noticed too.

“Captain!” He yelled. “They’re here.”

Jonnit knew what that meant.

The Angel of War, a terrible being who rode a griffin into battle and stood twenty feet tall. They were here, and they would kill anyone else who was here.

The crew began stumbling towards the stairs to the lower deck, but Jonnit's foot caught on a rope and he tripped, falling hard, his head slamming into his arm. He screamed as the bone cracked.

A pair of boots appeared before him, and he craned his head back to blearily look at the man before him.

The man raised a hook, and Jonnit let his head fall again.

When he woke up, he was in a soft bed, tucked in up to his chin. Faintly, he heard music and cheering and clapping, and his arm was in a sling.

He felt… well, he felt fine.

In the corner, wrapped in gauzy white fabric, sat a figure. When Jonnit sat up with a groan, a single shining brown eye cracked open.

It was the man from Miss Rosa's house. Jonnit didn't know how he recognized him, after all these years, but he knew it, he knew it had to be.

“Don't - don't - don't move,” The man said, calmly despite the stammer. “You've got- uh- a concussion and a broken arm. You need- mm- time to h-heal.”

Jonnit blinked slowly. “Am I dead?”

The man tilted his head. “Wh-wh-what? No.”

“Oh,” He frowned. “But the Angel of War…?”

The door swung open and a massive person stepped in, a raven on their shoulder. “Dref, we brought you ale- oh, he's awake.”

“Hi,” Jonnit said, feeling silly. “I'm Jonnit.”

“Gable,” They smiled politely, sticking out their hand. “It's a pleasure to meet you. You had a nasty fall on the ship, I saw.”

“Wait,” Jonnit said, pulling his hand back right as it brushed their impossibly cool palm. “You're the Angel, aren't you?”

Gable paused, their face twisting. “Where'd you hear that title?”

“Is that not what you are? An angel that became a god? A god of war?”

“I- oh, I'm not a god. I'm a former angel, yes, but- these two are more god-like than me.”

“Yes, well,” The raven suddenly said. “That's not saying much. Dref and I… well… I’m essentially as holy as you get.”

Gable swatted at it and it fluttered to land on the headboard.

“Your voice… I remember you,” Jonnit realized. “You were the Illimat player in the market who gave me that coin thing!”

“My token, yes,” The bird said, a smile in his voice. “Basically, if you were ever to need me, I would be able to find you with that. You're welcome.”

“Is that how you guys saved me?” Jonnit asked, awed. “You could tell I was in danger and brought me… wherever this is?”

“Port Rådjurshjärta.” Gable said.

“That's dozens of miles off course- how long was I out?”

“A few hours,” The pale man, Dref, said. “Travis helped guide your crew here.”

“I'm a different bird,” The raven, Travis, said, a grin audible in his voice. Some sort of inside joke? “We'll be leaving in the morning since you're up, just wanted to make sure you were fine.”

“You guys… you guys are gods, or something, right? The god of death, the god of war and the god of luck,” Jonnit snapped his fingers. “I've heard of you guys.”

“No, we're not g-” Gable said, but Travis spread his wings, posturing proudly.

“We are, in fact, gods, yes,” He posed for a second, then tilted his head. “You better remember this day, kid. It's probably the only time you'll ever get the privilege to see us again.”

The next day, as the crew packed up, Jonnit searched the crowd for the gods. Everyone there knew the gods had been there- Nodoze especially seemed to be searching- but no one could say where they went.

Jonnit approached the man as they sailed off, tugging his sleeve as he worked. “You met them, didn’t you? You met the gods too?”

“I did,” Nodoze said, solemnly. “I saw the Angel.”

“They’re so cool, aren’t they?”

The man fell silent, a strand of hair falling in front of his face. He swiped it away, leaning on the railing of the ship, watching the land retreat.

“They are.” He murmured, softly, and Jonnit felt like he was missing something very important.

Secretly, as he gazed at the sea far far below, he promised to himself he would see the gods again, and would repay them for all they'd done for him.

[thebubblesareevil]

Aquadad

Based off @phand0mfic s idea of Aquaman adopting Danny

So the big reveal has just happened and it did no GO WELL. Danny ends up on a table with his chest open and the only reason he is able to escape is because Jazz manages to distract their parents. Danny is literally holding himself closed as he dives into the ghost zone, normally this would be the end of it. The zone start mending the wound immediately as he’s slowly flying making his way to the far frozen when he here’s the sound of the specter speeder hot on his trail. He starts flying as fast as he can but he’s getting weak. The zone can sense that he’s in impending danger and opens a portal near him, he dives in transforming as he falls through.

He lands in the Atlantean throne room, human, Vulnerable and scared. He can barely see so when a large Orange blob approaches him Danny freaks out begging him to stop, that he’s sorry, please just don’t hurt him before passing out

King Orin was in a meeting with several council members when the teen appeared at first they were worried it was an attack until they realizes it was a kid. Aquaman approaches the kid who then has a full blown panic attack, begging him not to hurt him and not hearing as he tries to calm him down. He sends everyone out of the room. And cautiously approaches the kids. Who’s pleading with him. Orin nearly stops breathing when he says, “please don’t hurt me, I’m still your son I swear, dad please” seconds later the child is unconscious. Orin goes to see where he is hurt, he removes the white bloodstained shirt and sees RED when he recognizes the barely sealed y shape incision. He rushes the kid to the medical wing, king or not they refuse to let him stay and he demands that they alert him the moment he is out of surgery.

King Orin goes to his wife and explains what happened. She looks him dead in the eye and says what ever you decide I am at your side no matter what. Orin decides there is no way he’s sending this kid back to the monsters that did this to him, that should the child agree he will name him his son. Mera fully agrees, they both understand that Atlantis would not agree with a surface dweller as an heir. So Mera give Orin a LOOK and says well then I’ll e should probably get to work making him a sibling.

The next day Danny wakes up with King Orin at his bedside, he asks if he knows where he is, how he’s doing, what’s his name, Danny introduces himself explains he does not know where he is and lies that he doesn’t know how he got here. Orin eventually breaches the topic of him adopting Danny and he’s in shock, like why me I’m nothing special. Orins like you don’t need to be. Danny accepts.

Danny doesn’t tell anyone about being a half ghost, aquaman just thinks that his new son is a meta with ice powers, because he sneaks away to practice. Neither parent brings it up, worried that this might be why his other parents attacked him. Mera just puts books on Atlantean magic in his room so he can practice with magic with actual guidance, and waits for him to come to her. Mera also does a spell that alters Danny’s lungs so he can breathe underwater and withstand the water pressure. Danny does not like Orm. He doesn’t directly say anything but he gives him serious Vlad vibes so he tries to avoid him.

Danny is actually not in Atlantis when the ocean master attacks, he was in another city hanging out with a friend when he heard about the attack. He rushed home only to find the fight was over. He tackles his parents the moment they are “alone” (Kaldur and Garth are there) and says that he doesn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to them. And if his eyes looked green when he said that it was probably just a trick of the light. He thanks Kaldur and Garth for helping his dad (who is now tearing up because he just called him dad) both of whom say it was an honor. Aquaman gives them the options of continuing their studying or training under him. They each choose. And things are normal except Danny and Kaldur hang out anytime he’s not training, Danny has a crush on Kaldur and Kaldur is absolutely smitten. Aquaman isn’t sure if he wants to encourage the two or (murder) scare Kaldur away from Danny. The dad instinct is strong in this one. Kaldur joins the young justice team and Danny is all for it. Just like in the series kaldur returns to Atlantis but this time it’s to confess to Danny and he states his intentions to his king. Never before has Kaldur has so fear his kind as when he told him what would happen if anything happened to his son. Mera just smiled…it was terrifying. Mera announces her pregnancy and Danny absolutely glows (definitely a trick of the light, totally) and talks about how excited he is. When the attack occurs Danny refuses to leave meras side and to everyone’s surprise he viciously took down a manta goon that got too close with (ghost) Atlantean magic Mera just smiles and says you’ve improved very proudly.

This is getting really long but Kaldur confesses to Danny who tells Kaldur I’m not who you think I am I have a lot of secrets that I’m not ready to share and Kaldur takes his hand and holds his face and says then you do not need to, you can tell me whenever you’re ready . They kiss and have a moment. Kaldur tells Danny his plans to stay in Atlantis so he could be closer to him and Danny vetos that and says he is more than capable of visiting him on the surface, thank you very much. Fast forward ocean master attacks and nearly causes Mera and to lose the baby and this is not okay. Danny follow when Mera was taken because he may or may not have marked her with his ectosigneture to make sure his could protect her. When he sees the ocean master sucking the life force out of his mom and unborn brother he sees GREEN he transforms and tear the area apart, the only reason ocean master escaped with his life is because Danny was worried about the baby and his mom. He meets up with the young justice team and leaves Mera in their care before fleeing to the ghost zone Terrified of their reaction. Eventually danny returns in his human form to find his worried parents who hold him and listen as he explains everything and they just ACCEPT it and danny is overjoyed. He also casually asks his dad if he could get some help learning diplomacy because apparently he’s the new ghost king. Aquaman laughs and says of course you are and they arrange for him to have tutors. Aqualad still goes undercover but Danny knows what’s up and uses that time to study..

Okay I’m gonna stop here or else I won’t stop enjoy!!

[justjasper]

do you have any domestic moreid headcanons?

Pre-Relationship

They become fast friends, they hang out a lot, they call each other at odd hours.

Reid gets Morgan into Star Trek by making him watch Deep Space Nine. Morgan would fight god for Captain Sisko.

They fall into bed sometime in season 1, and keep doing so on and off for years while their feelings brew.

Reid wakes up alive after the events of Amplification with Morgan by his bedside, and they have a conversation full off feelings. They become "official" here.

Newly Established

They can both cook; Reid looked after his mother and went to college young, Morgan's dad cooked, and Morgan followed his example.

Nobody proposes moving in together officially, Reid just spends less and less time at his apartment until the lease runs out. He mentions it to Morgan quite matter of factly, and Morgan shrugs, smiles, pulls his pretty boy in for a kiss. "Most of your books are here already."

A morning where they don't have to work goes like this: Morgan gets up early to go for a run with Clooney. By the time he's back, Reid is making is making them breakfast. They eat, and then shower together.

Morgan has a decent vinyl collection and likes to listen to them on chill evenings. Reid is a musical sponge, and if he gets a chance when they're on cases, will seek out record shops for something interesting or rare.

Their favourite takeout is Thai. Reid is one of those "white guy with spice tolerance" outliers.

Well Established

It takes some time for them to switch to using first names in private, Morgan takes significantly longer. It's not a problem, they've known and loved each other a long time with these names. Neither of them shorten each other's names.

Clooney is a K9 dropout, and highly trainable, and Reid teaches him a lot of silly tricks. He likes to show Clooney magic tricks.

One of the properties Morgan buys has a decrepid grand piano in it. He gets it restored for Reid, who's dabble with learning on and off. He plays the piano every day.

Morgan thinks Reid doesn't really believe in marriage as an institution, and is okay with that, they don't have to get married, even if they could. Reid proposes to Morgan one morning in shower.

Reid never gets an official autism dignosis, wanting the plausible deniability while working for the goverment. They talk about it. Morgan starts packing a weighted blanket in his go-bag for him (people often ask why his go back is so heavy).

The Future

They get married once it's legal, a simple ceremony but all their important people are there.

When they leave the BAU it's a joint decision. They're both ready for a new adventure, with less actual threat of bodily harm.

Morgan goes into property full time, flipping houses and rent-to-buying them to local people/families, instead of selling them to landlord who will end up pushing locals out of the area.

Reid goes into research/lecturing.

They move to Chicago to be closer to family. They move Diana to be close them them too.

As Reid gets older, he has to use a cane more. His migranes are mostly under control, but eventually he experiences migralepsy (migraine seizures). The dog they get after Clooney passes becomes Reid's service dog.

The Future (with kid)

Reid carries (he's trans). It's an unplanned pregnancy, but they go for it. Reid is terrible at being pregnant.

They have a daughter they name Sam after Morgan's dad (bc I chose this fanon name years before CM bothered to give Morgan's dad a canon name and I am sticking with it out of spite).

Morgan's sisters teach Reid to do Sam's hair.

Morgan is very involved when sam becomes a Girl Scout, and coaches her softball team.

Reid teaches her piano. They read together every day.

They struggle not to intefer when she's a teen and it becomes apparent the girl she keeps bringing home is her first crush.

They both try so hard to be present, devoted dads that they can can fall into helicopter parent tendencies.

[klausinamarink]

One Kid Gone, Another Up and Vanished (part 7)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 next: Part 8

spoilers but a phone call gets through!

“You’re a thousand percent sure?”

Mike groans as he checks down the school halls, “Yes, Lucas. How many times do I gotta tell you that?”

“Well, maybe until I’m positive that we’re not having a collective auditory hallucination or the weirdo isn’t tricking us.” Lucas crosses his arms. Beside Dustin, El mutters “auditory hallucination” to herself with furrowed eyebrows.

“You guys hear that?!” Dustin exclaims too loudly, earning equally loud shushes. “Sorry, but El just said a scientific word without mispronouncing it! She really does have superpowers…”

“Not now, Dustin.” Mike hushes as they finally get to the AV club. He unlocks the door and lets everyone inside after peeking in. He guides El to sit in front of the radio while Lucas and Dustin turn it on.

Dustin won’t lie - he’s super excited to see El use her powers for the radio. He couldn’t believe it when she made Will’s voice come out. Will! Alive and singing!

But he’s still confused over Mike’s news of Will being with someone named Eddie. Eddie who? is their biggest question but El can’t say because she doesn’t know his last name or how to describe him.

“He’s a friend.” She keeps telling them.

Dustin prays it’s not Eddie Tremblay from fifth grade. The little sucker doesn’t deserve to be Will’s new friend after his football landed on their rocket project last month.

“Aaaand we’re in!” He announces, hopping behind El. Mike and Lucas squish against him even though they clearly have much more space.

El closes her eyes and listens to the whining static. Then the static changes through channels, voices quickly overlapping until they get more comprehensive. Then the voices get compressed into six, four, two-

“-Control to Major Tom..”

Dustin shoots his hand forward and grabs one of the speakers. But so does Lucas and Mike and now they’re slapping each other’s hands until Lucas finally takes it and yells, “Will, can you read us? Over!”

“‘Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong..’”

At the sound of the second person, Dustin’s first thought is oh thank God, it’s not Tremblay. Then his second thought is hm, this Eddie guy sounds kinda cool. Then his third thought is oh my god, we gotta talk to Will!

“Will! Do you copy? Over!”

“Will, where are you?”

“You feeling a bit better so far?”

“Tell Eddie we’re saying hi! Who is he? Over!”

“I’m getting cold again..”

“Me too. C’mon here.”

“Will! We’re right here!”

“How the hell are they not hearing us?”

“I wish I could go home…”

“So do I…”

El gives out a painful gasp and the radio explodes into flames. Dustin manages to extinguish it before the rest of the room catches, but the fire alarm goes off.

They all stare at the now-ruined transmitter, their only chance of connecting with Will and his mysterious new friend.

—

Eddie’s definitely missing.

It’s a fact that Jeff grows more sure of every day since Wayne Munson had asked him for Eddie’s secretive hideouts.

He keeps trying to ignore the seed of dread in his stomach, but it’s impossible now with the slightly somber atmosphere in the school after the morning announcement of Will Byers’ death. The fact that Eddie hasn’t shown up for classes or in the cafeteria again today isn’t helping either.

“If Munson’s still gonna be on his bender, he should’ve at least cancelled this week’s session.”

Jeff takes a half-open Skittles bag from Maya’s tray and throws it at Evan, making the two members jump. Maya because those are her Skittles and Evan because the bag hits his chest making more pieces fly out on the table.

“Eddie’s not on a bender.” Jeff hisses at Evan. Across him, Frankie is giving him one of his Don’t-Make-This-Any-Worse looks.

Evan huffs and crosses his arms, “Oh, yeah? Then where the hell is he?”

“Definitely not on a bender of any kind!”

“Gee thanks, that clears things up.”

Jeff’s about to snap back, but Frankie discreetly kicks his leg with a warning glare. It might be a good call because Jeff doesn’t know what to say next. Another defence of Eddie, for sure, but nothing to quench the rest of the club’s antsy-ness.

“Maybe he’s gone to a concert. Like hitchhiked to Indy or Chicago?” Maya asks after picking up her spilled candy.

“But he has a van?” Daniel, the senior member of Hellfire and their current drummer, frowns pointedly.

“What concert could’ve he gone to? Is there even any band playing in this bum state?” Evan raises his eyebrows.

“I dunno, Dio?”

“They’re touring in the UK right now.” Frankie says. Jeff shoots him a bewildered look that’s the equivalent to screaming are you kidding me? Frankie gives him a Play-Along-With-It look.

“Well, that settles it.” Evan raps his knuckles on the table. “Munson’s saved a fucking ticket to the goddamned Iron Lady’s territory and is breeding chicks in Dio’s mosh pit as we speak.”

Jeff stands up, no longer feeling hungry. He throws his half-eaten sandwich at Evan. The other boy gives out a disgusted shriek as the mayonnaise hits and stains his shirt. “Dude! What-”

“Shame on you.” Jeff keeps his voice even, just quiet enough for only Hellfire to hear him. Maybe it would somehow reach Eddie wherever the hell he is right now. “The only good thing about Eddie being absent is that he isn’t ripping the skins off of you and your characters right now. Especially you, Evan.”

He stares Evan down, who visibly gulps. “Eddie took you in the club’s open arms because he saw you were a loner who needed the right people to hang out with or you would’ve been one of the bullies. And this is how you thank him?”

He looks at the rest of the members and points at them accusingly. “When Eddie comes back from whatever he’s doing, I hope that rest of y’all feel guilty for thinking he doesn’t care. Because he absolutely does.” Then he grabs his bag and leaves the cafeteria without a second thought.

Outside is chilly as usual and the breeze helps relax Jeff’s nerves. For a while at least.

He stands at the parking lot, trying to think what he should do when he hears someone running over. He looks up and groans.

“Frankie, leave me alone, man.”

“So you haven’t heard anything from Eddie?” Frankie’s voice isn’t accusing but his look might’ve been.

“No. Not since the band practice days ago.” Jeff walks away but Frankie still follows him. “Then his uncle came and asked if I knew any places Eddie frequents. I told you guys that already.”

“Doesn’t stop Evan’s stupid theories.” Frankie mutters.

“You should’ve shut him up!”

“Are you kidding? You did better than what I could’ve done.”

“Words are stronger than death looks.”

Frankie snorts. He goes quiet as they reach the end of the school parking lot. Then he says, “Are you going to search for Eddie?”

Jeff stops. Turns and stares at him. “Uh, yeah? I mean, from what he said, Wayne’s probably already doing that. So, I dunno, I’m probably gonna do the bare minimum. Like where am I going to look, dude?”

Frankie doesn’t answer. His face is strangely pale and looking at something behind Jeff. He follows his friend’s phase and feels the dread well up in his mouth when he sees a poster on a nearby telephone pole.

He doesn’t need a closer look to recognize the black and white photo of Eddie from two months ago grinning at him or the large word MISSING written in Sharpie above it.

He tries very hard not to notice that it’s stapled right below Will Byers’ already wrinkled poster.

It’s a very strong feeling to see your best friend’s missing poster a few days after you last saw him alive.

Jeff forces to tear his eyes away from Eddie’s captured monochrome cheeriness. “Know what? Fuck it. Let’s find him. Wanna start at the woods?”

—

There’s something about singing quietly in the nightscape hell mirror version of your bedroom that makes Eddie’s fingers twitch to jolt it down somewhere.

After the meltdown at the house, Will had grew more quiet. Eddie had rocked him until Will complained of motion sickness and then Eddie had held him even when they slept.

After piggybacking the kid and singing “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” (at least until Eddie admitted death by earworms and convinced a change to “Space Oddity”) on the way back to Forest Hills, Will seemed to be back in his original spirits. Still quiet but no longer on the verge of tears next to Eddie. Although his coughs started to sound more wet and shook his small frame like a leaf.

Eddie prays to god that he can speak to Wayne this time. He hopes his uncle to come up with a cooler code system than Mrs. Byers and maybe get them out somehow.

But the trailer is quiet, save for Will’s whistled breathing as he sleeps in Eddie’s arms, the old itchy quilt cocooning them both. He has to stay up. Keep a lookout for the demogorgon in this hell land and for Wayne in the real world. But he feels so tired. If he can rest his eyes for just a moment…

The sound of muffled crying wakes him up.

—

The longer Wayne stares at the posters, the bigger the impulse to rip them up grows.

After Hopper left, he had went back inside and started on making the Missing posters for Eddie. The hardest part of it had been trying to find the right photo of his nephew and he had held back tears at how much Eddie had grown. How happier he looks.

He had printed copies at the library, keeping his head down from curious and pitying eyes. Christi Waldon was nice enough not to charge him for the fees.

Then he started putting the posters up and Wayne had felt like he was making a mistake.

Nobody never said anything how difficult it is to go around town again, putting a poster with your child’s face silently begging strangers who may disliked them to find them, and to do all of this without the police helping.

Wayne had printed 100 copies. He only managed to put up 18 of them before it became too much and hurried home.

Now there’s a pile of 82 posters with Eddie’s face staring up at him on the table. Wayne can’t bring himself to rip them up no matter what his mind demands it. He has a new superstition that if he does, Eddie will never be found alive.

He checks the time. Seeing it’s only after six, he sighs heavily and takes out his cigarette. He’s briefly overcome with the memory of catching a fourteen year old Eddie trying to smoke and how his smart cookie of a nephew swallowed the lit cigarette, immediately threw up, and sobbed while Wayne had to sit down so he wouldn’t break his own ass from laughing so far. After they’d both calmed down, Wayne showed him how to smoke properly and said-

He said…

What did he say?

Something erupts from his mouth. He clamps a hand over, suddenly worrying that he just got sick. But there’s no taste of bile. Only wet salt. He takes his hand off and, ah. He’s crying.

Wayne gives a wet laugh. Then it gasps into another sob. He covers his mouth again, unable to hold the tears back.

Above him, the lights flicker.

It feels almost comforting.

Wayne sniffs, watching as the bulbs hang on to its dear life of electricity. Then one of the lamps next to the couch start flickering as well. Slow and rhythmic.

The sadness does go away, but it makes Wayne feel the back of his neck hairs stand up.

—

Eddie drops his hand from the lights, stomping over to the phone. “Fuck this, now’s the chance.”

Will glances at him from where he’s crouching by the lights, still tired from being jostled awake so soon, “Eddie?”

He turns to him and says, “Little Byers the Vanished, how does one make a landline in the Vale of Shadows?”

“You, uh, just pick it up-”

Eddie does exactly that.

“Wait! It won’t even last-!”

—

The phone rings with a shrill.

Wayne snaps his head over to it. He’s breathing slowly, watching the landline like it’s his childhood spider.

The atmosphere in his trailer feels suddenly colder. As if there are ghosts present. Waiting.

The phone rings and rings until it gets to voicemail, his gruff message for the last decade. “You’ve reached the Munsons. Leave a message after the beep.”

There’s nothing after the beep.

Wayne looks at the lights again. The ceiling light has stopped but ones over the kitchen and door are flickering this time.

The phone rings again.

He stands up slowly, walking over to the phone. It rings louder to his ears now. He tries to ignore the sudden sense of a presence behind and beside him as he picks the phone up and holds it to his ear.

He hears static as if the caller has a bad connection.

He clears his throat and speaks, “Wayne Munson speakin’.”

The static crackles with some kind of harsh breathing. It’s loud to make Wayne cringe away and hang up-

“..Wayne..”

He freezes. The anxiety vanishes in an instant. “..Eddie?” He chokes out.

“..Wayne!”

“Oh my lord…” Wayne clutches the phone closer. “You’re alive, right? Eddie! Tell me where are you!”

“..I’m-”

The phone bursts into literal shock. He drops it with a yell and it clatters to the ground, dead.

That was him. That was Eddie’s voice.

Breathing raggedly, Wayne’s gaze snaps up to the lamps flashing maniacally. The air around him feels desperate and sinks down upon him. Anxiety comes back as quick as it comes, squashing on the brief spot of hope he felt.

“Nah, fuck this.” He mutters as he swipes his keys and runs out of the door. He can’t deal with more ghosts at this hour.

—

“Nonono—NO!”

Eddie slams his hands against the lights too hard. The pulsing glass bulbs nearly crack under the pressure.

None of it stops the sound of the truck engine starting.

“Wayne, it’s me! Can’t you hear me?!” Eddie’s throat is already dry from screaming, but he doesn’t care about it. “UNCLE WAYNE! JUST STOP AND LISTEN TO ME!”

He runs outside to the ever barren yard. He tries not to think about Wayne leaving just like how his dad did in his very last visit. How he had tried to chase after his dad’s car until Wayne stopped him. How he had been a crying mess while Wayne told him that both of them will stay together from now on.

“WAYNE, PLEASE! YOU PROMISED TO STAY!”

The truck drives away, farther and farther. If Eddie can catch him-

His lungs constrict themselves again. He stumbles, scraping his knees and palms on the ground. He coughs, gulping in too many shaky breaths that almost tastes like glass shards. He calls out-

“Come back! Come back!”

It comes out as a hoarse whisper.

His throat hurts.

The truck disappears. The sounds of the trailers’ muted everyday life and his own painful wheezing replace it.

Eddie is vaguely aware of Will shuffling up next to him and wrapping his arms around his shaking shoulders.

-

Taglist: @unclewaynemunson @steves-strapcollection @hellion-child @sidekick-hero @mmmmwaffles94 @demolitionjetstar @hbyrde36 @princessstevemunson @sirsnacksalot @tartarusknight @lyriclight @kodaik97 @plsdontdrinkmylavalamp @bookbinderbitch @gutterflower77 @soaringornithopter @angeldreamsoffanfic @panicatthediaz @renaissan-vvitch @manda-panda-monium @newtstabber @little-trash-ghost

[blossom-works]

Home For My Heart: It’s a Family Thing

More of my Mbappe stories can be found here

---

Since you and Kylian are from two different countries and cultures, you love to mess with each other. When you really want to mess with him, you will purposefully call football, “soccer”. Without fail it annoys Kylian and you take great pleasure in it. One time you put on an American Football game and called out to your then boyfriend, “Hey, babe! Let’s watch some football!” Kylian glared at you when he came downstairs. He snatched the remote from you and put on a true football game. 

It is no surprise that the Mbappe family loves football. Heck, all their sons play the sport. It will not be long until the Mbappe family line is full of professional athletes. You have no idea what the family talks about more than football. Whenever his family gets together, Kylian and his brothers will have a 1 v 1 v 1 game. Their father, Wilfriend, will act as the referee. Sometimes they will drag you and Melissa into their game. 

When your nephew found out that you were dating a professional footballer, they did not know how to react. Especially when they met Kylian in person for the first time. Your boys were shy and even shyer when Kylian asked them if they wanted him to teach them how to play “soccer”.  After they warmed up to him, Kylian ended up teaching them a couple of tricks. Your oldest nephew ended up joining his school’s soccer club too. 

You remember going to one of Kylian’s matches as his girlfriend for the first time. It was a game in England against Manchester. Kylian told you to clear your schedule for one week and he flew you to the British country. It was also the first time you met his family. 

---

Landing at Heathrow Airport, you try to navigate your way through the big building. When you eventually reach the bagging area, you feel like you are playing “Marco Polo”. You think you found your bag, but it is someone else’s. Spotting another light gray suitcase, you check the tag and yes! It is your bag! Hauling it out of the luggage carousel, you head to the main exit and find a man holding a sign with your name on it. 

“Mr. Lewis?”

The uniformed man smiles. “May I see an ID ma’am?”

“Sure.” You pull out your wallet from your carry-on backpack and take out your driver’s license. Still smiling at you, the man hands you back the card.

“Allow me, miss.” He takes your suitcase and starts leading you to his car. “Mr. Mbappe has instructed me to take you directly to the hotel. He has also instructed me to tell you that you’ll be having dinner with him and his family. Six I believe.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Man... this feels weird. Never have you had someone take your luggage for you and tell you what your agenda looks like. Not only that, but to have a total stranger chauffeur you around (you are not a fan of Ubers or Lyfts). 

Mr. Lewis opens the door for a Mercedes for you and once closed, puts your luggage into the truck. The vehicle has leather seats and looks brand-new. It even has a parting window in it. You feel like Mia Thermopolis from “The Princess Diaries” when you think about playing with the buttons. 

The ride to the hotel is smooth. Mr. Lewis even starts a conversation with you without getting personal. He tells you that he is from the countryside, but he moved to the city for work. He even met his wife here and they now have three children. When you arrive at the hotel, bellhops open the door and takes your luggage out. Mr. Lewis tells them your name and to your surprise, the bellhops know who you are. Like they have been expecting you. 

‘God what money can do.’

One of the bellhops escorts you to the front desk and before you can thank Mr. Lewis, his car is gone. The receptionist checks you in and hands you a keycard. She informs you that your luggage should already be in your room, and that another employee will bring a refreshment to you soon. When you get to your room, you are amazed at how big it is. Most of your hotel stays consist of Holiday Inns or The Marriott. Kylian did not let the opportunity to impress you slip by. There is even a fresh bouquet of your favorite flowers on the dresser with a note that says, “Welcome to London, bébé”.

You remember Mr. Lewis telling you about the dinner plans and scrambling to get your phone out. You have about five hours until you have to leave your room. Enough time for a three-hour nap. Taking your shoes off, you plop your bodyweight on the comfortable bed. Just when you are about to lose consciousness, someone knocks on your door. Opening it, an employee with a cloche and tray greets you and places the snack on the table. He asks you if there is anything you need and you tell him no. Thanking him, you shut the door and open the cloche. A cup of hummus with fresh pita bread and vegetables is beautifully arranged. As good as the snack looks, sleep is what you really need. You set a timer for three hours and knock the fuck out. 

Thank goodness you decided to put your ringer on full blast or else you would not have heard it. Though, it does make your heart race from the sudden, loud noise. You have to coach yourself to not fall back asleep. Feeling an uncomfortable wetness, you lift your cheek and smell saliva on the pillow. Way to go you...ruining a perfectly good pillow in less than half a day. Shaking your head and wiping your cheek on your shirt, you roll out of bed and open your suitcase. Luckily Kylian told you to pack at least three pairs of nice clothes and maybe a dress or two. Pulling out whatever you think is nice, you set it on the bed and get started with your makeup. You opt to keep your hair simple by just straightening it. You put on some dainty earrings with a matching necklace. Your dress is a modest, black body con dress. From the top compartment of your suitcase, you pull out a pair of Jordans Kylian got you for your birthday. 

As you are checking yourself out in the mirror you realize that you have no idea where you are supposed to go. Fuck! You forgot that you are meeting his family all together! Jumping back, you make sure that your attire is appropriate enough to meet your boyfriend’s family. Is your makeup too much? You like to keep it natural and minimal as possible, but everyone has their own definition of natural. Maybe wearing shoes Kylian got you is a bit much. His family might think that you are showing off Ky’s money. Oh, God, you hope they at least like you. 

Before you can continue playing your own Devil’s Advocate, someone knocks on your room door. On the other side of the door is a nicely dressed woman. 

“Hello, miss. I’m here to escort you to the restaurant.”

‘Oh, thank goodness.’

Thanking her, you make sure you have all you need, not forgetting the key card, and follow the lady to the elevator. She leads you up to the fifteenth floor and makes a sharp right. The restaurant she takes you in has a modern and dark look to it. Instead of leading you to a table, she takes you down a secluded hallway. Opening one of the doors to the left, she motions you to enter. You quietly thank her with a racing heart. 

Kylian is the first to spot you and he smiles. 

“Bébé!” His taller figure appears right in front of you, and he gives you a couple of pecks. 

“How are you doing? How was the flight? I’m sorry I couldn’t get you myself. We had to practice once more before the game.”

“C’est bon.” It feels good to finally see Kylian after being months apart. He plants a final kiss on your temple and moves to the side so he can introduce you to his family. You give them an awkward greeting with a small wave, hoping that you do not look stupid. It’s alright.

His mother, Fayza, gets up and greets you with a hug. His father, Wilfried, is next. He gives you a handshake before hugging you. They both say “Hi” to you in English. Kylian’s brothers give you a wave and Melissa offers you a hug. She tells her kids to say “Hello”, which they obey. It is kind of crazy to see them all grown up. You remember seeing them on Kylian’s Instagram years ago when they were only two or three. Holy crap...Does that make you old? Needless to say, meeting Kylian’s family is a surreal moment for you. 

Kylian’s family asks you about your family life and job in America. You tell them stories of your childhood and they told you Kylian’s in exchange. He tried to stop his mother from showing you a picture of his baby self in the bathtub, but it did not work. She just slaps his hand away and shows you the image in her phone. Wilfried and you talk about your education. What schools you went to and about your internships. You even expose that you are a history nerd. It takes you a while for you and Ethan to get comfortable around each other, but you find some things to talk about. 

Jires and Melissa ask more about your family. You come from a big family. Four older siblings while you are the abby. You and Melissa bond over feminine topics and even your experience with kids. Since your whole dream job deals with children, you ask her about tips you can put to use. All the while you talking to the Mbappe family, Kylian cannot keep his eyes off you. Nor can his smile leave his face. Yeah. You will fit in just fine. 

---

Excited that your package has arrived, you run to the kitchen to open it. Pulling out the product you awe at the craftmanship. You start to get a little emotional over the sentimental value of the product. Getting a mailer box you got a week ago, you jazz it up. Placing the crafted items right on top of the fillers. You close the box and leave it on the wooden table.

You decide to take a walk around the area where you live. Ever since you moved to Europe, you have fallen in love with its architecture. Unlike the US, European cities are more condensed, so people prefer to walk rather than drive. You love that you do not have to drive at least fifteen minutes to a shop, bakery, restaurant, or park. European cities are like a cleaner and less noisy Washington D.C. 

Going to a nearby fresh market, you pick up a few small desserts and fruit. With two bags in hand and a cup of gelato, you head back home. Your apartment building doubles as a hotel. The hotel consists of the bottom three floors and the upper four are apartments. Residents use separate elevators than the hotel guest. Their elevators are right in the front lobby while the resident’s elevators is in a private lobby that is closely monitored. 

When you and Kylian got married, you agreed that you two will wait to buy a house when you have two kids. It is not that your penthouse is small (it is far from that), but you have always wanted to have a backyard. One that your children can run in. You prefer real grass, but faux grass is fine too. As you walk inside your home, you put the desserts and fruits in the fridge. Every now and then on Instagram, you see these moms who buy organizers for their fridges, and you just cannot bother. The same can be said for your pantry. 

You throw your gelato cup in the trash and put on your favorite show. It has been your favorite for a long time, and it never gets old. Kylian does not understand how you can watch something over and over again in a one-week period, and then do the same thing the next week. You get lost in a couple of episodes when the front door opens. 

“Hey, bébé.”

“Hey. I accidentally opened one of your packages. I left it on the kitchen table.”

Kylian is not bothered that you opened something mailed to him, but he is confused because he is not expecting a package to come in. Maybe a company sent him a PR package. Kylian kisses your cheek from behind the couch and sees the white box. Pulling the tabs out and lifting the top. It only takes a couple of seconds for him to register what the “package” is. Jumping in joy, he whips his head to the couch and sees you leaning against the back of it, widely grinning. 

Your husband of just four months takes out the plastic stick and makes large strides to you. 

“Amour! Are you serious!”

“Mm-hmm.” You nod. 

Kylian hugs you by your shoulders. If you could, you would bet that Kylian is happier than when he wins the World Cup. Truthfully, no trophy can top what the “package” contains. Inside the white box is a pair of small crochet cleats, a small crochet football, and a positive pregnancy test. It looks like football really does run in the Mbappe family. 

Two Months Later:

Your pregnancy has been easy to hide since your stomach has not grown a lot. It only looks like you just overate a bit. Kylian has been waiting to tell his family and friends about the exciting news, but you asked him not to. You know and know people that have had a miscarriage early in their first trimester. Plus, doctors say that the first trimester is the most critical because most miscarriages happen during this stage. After your first trimester ended, you and Kylian decided that now is time to tell your family. 

There is no major holiday coming up so you cannot announce the pregnancy in one go. Getting creative, you decided to copy the way you told Kylian. Just a little different. You made a list of all your immediate family members (Kylian’s combined) who have their own residence and made a coordinating number of boxes. Each box contains copies of your latest ultrasound photo and a note that says, “Little Kicker, Coming August 20XX.”

[604to647]

Hat Trick (Safest with You AU)

1.7K / Modern AU Retired Mob Enforcer!Din Djarin x fem!reader

Summary: Din takes you to a hockey game for date night. Hat Trick = when a player scores three times (goals) in a game.

Warnings: 18+ content (MDNI please), No smut but smut adjacent, established relationship, possessive!Din if you squint really hard, thigh riding/grinding in public, dirty talk, light degradation (whore, affectionate), pet names as usual (pretty bird, baby, sweetheart, etc.), use of hockey terms.

A/N: My beloved Canucks are leading their conference (woo!) and they’re playing tonight so to wish them luck, here’s a little one shot with our Safest with You couple. There’s a little more characterization of reader in this one in that she’s a big hockey fan, hope that doesn’t stop anyone from enjoying the story! 😘 Also, the term "puck bunny" is used but is not intended in any actual derogatory or sexist way; it's completely light-hearted teasing because we, reader and Din, all know that shaming female fans is not a thing and we can happily let woman enjoy sports any way they want🏒🐰

“These are great seats, Din!” you beam, as you take off your jacket and look around; you’re seven rows up from the ice in the lower bowl, right behind the goal.  Perfect seats.

As soon as Din sees your sweatshirt, he laughs at the bright team colours and large block letters in the front that read “I just hope both teams have fun.”  My sweet girl, he thinks.

Turns out, you did not want both teams to have fun.  Turns out, you wanted the visiting team to eat ice shit.

The first time your team’s defense crushes someone against the glass with devastating precision and you roar your approval, he looks over, stunned.  While he knew you loved hockey, he hadn’t expected you to get so into a live sporting event.

And he knew you had a mouth on you, but he’s never heard it at this volume, your hands cupping around your mouth in a makeshift bullhorn to amplify your trash talk:

“PUT HIM IN JAIL!!!!” When the ref doesn’t call for the tripping of one of your players.

“Don't get too comfortable!!! Don't even sit down!!” When the opposing team opts for a two-man advantage for their power play by pulling their goalie.

“How was that fucking slashing?!  He barely touched him!! What is this, soccer????”  When your team captain is put in the penalty box.

“Get it together!! I've seen more organization at the zoo!!” When the teams fight for the puck against the boards, the other team attempting to clear.

“This isn’t cake, stop icing!!” When the other team does clear the puck.

You’re equally as vocal with your encouragement and praise:

“Shoot it!  Shoot it!  Atta boy!!”

“Let’s go defense, let’s go!! Yesssssssss!!”

“Fucking look how smooth that line change was!!”

“Get it, get it, you got it!!”

You cheer loud and earnestly for every save your goalie makes, face-off won, and glove dropping fight.  Each home goal is celebrated out of your seat, reverie extending to Din and your seat neighbours via hugs and high-fives. Your energy is infectious and Din hasn’t had this much fun at a hockey game in years.

During the second intermission, just when the two of you are musing if it’s worth the line-ups to get a bucket of popcorn to share, you hear a familiar voice say your name.

“Jessica?” you squeal in delight, throwing your arms around a petite blonde, “I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“I thought that was you! Derek and I have been debating it over the last two periods, and I finally said I would just come over and find out for myself,” she points up in the stands a couple of sections over and a few rows up, and you see her husband waving wildly with both arms and you wave back enthusiastically.

The two of you catch up quickly and when you introduce Din to your friend, she looks thrilled, “Do you play as well?”

Din looks confused, so you proudly answer for him, “Din’s a boxer.”

“Ohhhhhh. Sorry, you just had the look of an enforcer, but that makes sense.”  You have to keep yourself from laughing at the double meaning Jess definitely didn’t intend.

The two of you chat a little bit longer before your friend has to leave if she’s to make it back to her seat before the third period starts.  As you say goodbye and promise to see each other again soon, you look up to wave to Derek as well, and Jess says, “Oh, yeah, Russ is here with us too.” The man sitting next to Derek locks eyes with you and waves back, same as his friend.

Starting up the stairs, Jess says, “Nice to meet you!” to Din, a sentiment he returns, and to you, “Nice to see you’re branching out,” before she winks and runs away as you roll your eyes good naturedly.

When the third period gets underway, Din leans over, “What did she mean, branching out?”

You feel your cheeks get hot, and you avoid Din’s eye by keeping yours locked on the game, “Oh… well, I used to almost exclusively date hockey players…”

“Like…. a puck bunny?”

Dropping your jaw, scandalized, “No!! Not like a puck bunny!! That’s not a thing!” And as Din laughs, you feel the need to explain, “I wasn’t trying to date hockey players.  It just turned out that the people I dated also happened to play hockey.  Like, when Jess set me up with Derek’s friend, I didn’t know they played on a team together!”

“Oh, that guy over there?” Din looks up at where Jess has rejoined her husband and sees the man next to him looking over at the two of you.  You shrug and nod, turning back to the game, “So anyways, it was kind of like this joke that if I dated someone, they would coincidentally turn out to play hockey.”

Puck bunny, you mutter under your breath, and Din grins and throws his arm around you, kissing you on top of your head to placate you.

After the end of an exciting final period where your favourite right winger almost scores a hat trick, you and Din file out of the arena with the crowd, Din’s arm casually draped around your shoulders as you practically bounce out of happiness at your team’s win.

While walking to the subway, you spot Derek’s head peaking out above the crowd and he smiles big when he sees you and starts to make his way over.  Your two groups converge near the subway entrance and it’s another happy reunion. You haven’t seen Derek since you last saw Jess and you’ve always found him to be hilarious, laid back and kind; perfect for your bubbly friend.  Even seeing Russ again is nice, although there isn’t really any reason it wouldn’t be; the two of you had dated for a bit, but your long work hours and his away game schedule had prevented it from getting too serious, and the two of you had parted amicably.  If he stares at you while the five of you chat and revisit your favourite moments from the game, you don’t notice.  Derek and Jess invite you to join them at the sports bar they’re heading to, but you and Din politely decline, saying you have to get back to Al.  Only Jess and Din catch Russ’ look of disappointment before you part ways.   

While waiting on the subway platform, Din asks to know more about your friends, and you tell him everything: how you and Jess met at a baking class, Derek’s courtship and their wedding, and also about your and Russ’ brief relationship.

When you get on the subway, it’s too packed for you to find seats, so you end up standing right next to a pole by the door, with Din hovering protectively, ready to catch you if you lose your footing while the subway moves. 

“You know… I know how to play hockey too,” he’s looking at you with a silly, pouty face and you can’t help but giggle.  “Not ice hockey, but we’d sometimes play street hockey in front of the gym when we were kids.  Stopped after Paz broke a car window and it turned out that car belonged to a Hutt and nearly started a damn street war.”

“Omigod,” you chuckle, imaging a young Din and Paz running around the street with hockey sticks. 

“So… your streak isn’t broken… puck bunny.”

“Ugh!” you playfully swat at Din’s shoulder, “I told you!! It was a coincidence!”

Din leans in, pressing your back into the pole and whispers, “Ok, not a puck bunny… but you’re still my bunny.”

You gasp a little at the possessive tone lacing his words and can’t help but squeeze your thighs together, squirming slightly and hoping no one on the subway notices.

Din notices, though, “Is my pretty bunny feeling needy in front of all these people?  You need something between those legs, baby?”

You nod, whimpering just a bit, and pull Din closer by tugging at the bottom of his jacket.  Very subtly, he steps between your legs and bends his knee slightly so the angle slopes right at your core.  When the subway makes a tight turn, all the passengers jostle and Din’s leg bumps up into you, giving you a jolt of electrifying friction.  You close your eyes and have to bite you lip to stifle a moan.  Feeling cocky, Din whispers hotly in your ear, “Let them hear you, pretty bird.  Let everyone in this subway car know how dirty you are, getting off on daddy’s thigh in public.”

The subway goes over a bumpy stretch of track and you’re knocked right into Din’s chest, pressed up against his body, practically sat down on his leg.  You don’t bother to upright yourself, instead letting the rolling movement of the subway rock your needy pussy back and forth against Din’s thigh, slowly warming the ball of pleasure within you.

You’re practically humming with need in Din’s arms; just before the subway jerks to a stop, he growls in your ear, “Do you think you can come like this, baby? Or do you need me to fuck you in front of all these strangers, so they can see what a pretty whore you are?”.  The screech of the subway brakes cover-up your moans, and you’re only slightly relieved when Din withdraws his knee, but continues to hold you close against his chest.  As the train starts to move again, you look up at him with your lust hooded eyes, and quietly whine, “Daddy.”

Din chuckles and leans down to press a chaste kiss to your lips, “No one gets to see you come but me, okay pretty bird?  Now can you be a good girl and be patient for daddy?  Just two more stops and I’ll give you that hat trick you deserve when we get home.”

Smiling dreamily at the promise of multiple orgasms, you nod, “Okay, I’ll be good.  As long as both teams get to have fun,” and as you snuggle deeper into Din’s arms, you feel his whole chest vibrate with laughter.

Part 2 (The Playoffs)

[missmaniac25]

Ateez Scenarios - Meeting them in a bar

Inspired by this song Last Call by Will Linley and the fact that Arriba is a drinking song, here's my thoughts Ateez ot8 x reader Each member's piece is between 400 - 550 words TW: drinking, swearing Disclaimer: I've never been into a bar before

The TL;DR: Hongjoong: falls in love with reader for the night Seonghwa: leaves his phone behind and reader finds it Yunho: beats the reader at a drinking game Yeosang: dances with reader for the night San: reader takes care of him when he's drunk Mingi: reader helps him duet a karaoke song Wooyoung: sits in the regular's (reader's) spot Jongho: takes care of drunk reader ~~~

Hongjoong

Any other day of the week, if someone had asked Hongjoong if he believed in love at first sight, he would’ve told them that they were stupid. Tonight, however, he’d have a different answer. There was a buzzing in his blood and he couldn’t decipher if it was the shots he’d taken or something more. Despite being with his friends, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you from where you and your friends were on the other side of the room.

“He’s still looking at you.” Your friend says, subtly gesturing across the bar.

You follow her direction to find out what she’s on about.

“He’s been staring at you for like ten minutes already,” she continues. “I think he’s smitten with you.”

You laugh at her and ignore her. But curiosity gets the better of you and a short while later you look back to the man, only to find him already looking at you.

“Go talk to him,” she encourages you and you relent, making your way through the crowd and to his table.

Hongjoong wants to tell someone to pinch him when he sees you standing in front of him.

“Hey,” you start, not entirely sure of what you’re doing here.

The other boys around the table all greet you and one of them elbows the starer in the ribs.

“Ow!” He yelps but it does the trick and he regains his senses, quickly greeting you.

You introduce yourself to the group and learn that your not-so-secret admirer’s name is Hongjoong.

“Please sit!” He offers, forcing everyone to move up and make space for you, ignoring how they moan that they’re squished.

And so, you find yourself spending the rest of your night with these ragtag boys, Hongjoong at your side. He hangs off of every word you say, wanting to remember every detail in case this is the only chance he gets to be with you.

And to be truthful, you find yourself falling a little for him too. Hongjoong’s enduring nature and the way he keeps checking in with you to make sure you’re ok really pulls at your heartstrings.

When your friends eventually come to take you home for the night, you find yourself not wanting to leave but they’re rushing you and everything feels like a blur.

In a moment of madness, you quickly press a kiss to Hongjoong’s cheek before you’re dragged out of the bar, Hongjoong staring after you the whole time with a hand where your lips had been not moments before.

That night Hongjoong can’t fall asleep; the only thing on his mind is you. He wonders if there’s any chance that you’d go back to the same location two nights in a row.

He finds himself standing outside the bar when he hears a voice from behind him.

“I’m surprised to see you back here.”

Hongjoong turns to see you smiling at him and he can’t help but do the same.

“I just had to see you again.”

~

Seonghwa

“They’ve finally gone!”

You and your friends had been camping at a small table for the past half an hour, waiting for the group of boys next to you to leave so that you could commandeer their space. At your friend’s triumphant words, everyone shuffles over and makes good use of the extra table.

It’s a while later when someone’s phone on the table starts to ring. When no one goes to pick it up, you decide to answer just in case.

“Hello?” You say cautiously.

“Who is this? Why do you have my phone!?”

The voice on the other side sounds panicked.

“It was on our table at the bar in Main Street!”

There’s quiet before a soft ‘shit’ is heard over the line.

“I’m coming back to get it, keep it safe for me.”

And with that, the call goes dead.

All your friends look at you for an explanation but you decided to just shrug, holding the phone in your hand.

It’s only 5 minutes later when a rambunctious group of boys tumble into the bar with one of them making a beeline for your table.

“Which one of you has my phone?”

He was slender with eyes that looked fierce in the dimness of the bar’s low lighting.

“How do I know that it’s your phone?” You ask as you step forward, not willing to give it over without proof.

The man looks taken aback. A few of his friends have finally made their way over, some of them chatting up your friends while they wait.

“What’s the passcode?” You ask, lighting up the screen.

“I’m not saying it out loud!” He whines.

“Why? You have secrets?” You tease.

He tries to grab it from you but you’re quick to pull your arm away.

“Fine, whisper it in my ear.” You lean forward, still not giving him what he wants.

The man sighs, relents and whispers the numbers into your ear. When the phone does unlock, he tries again to get it from you but you’re on a mission.

“What are you doing!?” He is desperate to leave, especially now that his friends are laughing at him.

When you’d succeeded in your mission, you hand the phone back.

“My number is in there; you owe me for keeping it safe for you.”

There is a chorus of whistles and yells but the man ignores them, pushing his friends out of the bar without so much as a ‘thank you’ thrown your way.

A week later, Seonghwa sat in his room on a Friday night. That number looked tempting.

He hit call.

~

Yunho

‘Shit, how can someone be so good at this?’

You watched as the tall guy you’d labelled at ‘The Puppy’ easily throw the ping pong ball waiting for the inevitable small splash of it landing in the drink. The Puppy and his friends gave a mellow cheer as your friend downed the liquid after removing the ball.

Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t play drinking games at the bar but since it was a special occasion for a friend’s promotion, you had made an exception. The cups on your side of the table were dwindling quickly whilst The Puppy and co. still had plenty. He was clearly their secret weapon.

With some jostling and pushing you find yourself with the ball in your hand and a terrified look in your eyes. You hadn’t noticed how quickly they’d knocked you down to your last cup. This was make or break.

The Puppy gave you a friendly smile from across the mini arena. He was cute. But you still didn’t want him to win. With a deep breath, you threw the ball…

Through some divine intervention you heard the light splash and watched as The Puppy’s ears went red, picking up the cup and downing it. If he missed this next shot, there was hope for your team.

The Puppy honed in…

The cheers they let out were almost deafening and with a sigh you fished the ping pong ball out, held the cup up to him in mock cheers and downed it.

“Good game.”

The Puppy was now in front of you with his hand outstretched. His ears still looked red but you couldn’t tell if it was from the drinking or something else.

“Good game.” You shook his hand. “Are you the reigning champion or something? You’re so good”

He laughed, the sound reverberating from his chest.

“No. Just like to have fun.” The Puppy peered over to the bar. “Can I buy you drink? To say good game?”

“A pity drink?” You teased, and he shook his head.

“No! No, no, no, no.” He tried to correct himself and you found yourself smiling at his reaction. “Just a… a get to know the competition drink.”

It was your turn to laugh, thinking that you guys hadn’t been much competition, but agreeing to go with him anyways.

The Puppy kept the conversation light hearted as he ordered your drinks and waited to be served.

“Oh, I’m Yunho. By the way.” He quickly added in the middled of one of his sentences, ears going red again.

“Good to know my competitions name,” you teased, taking your drink when it arrived. “But I best get back to my team.”

“Wait,” he reached out after you as you turned to go. “Can’t I know your name?”

“If you lose, I’ll tell you my name.”

Yunho titled his head with a smile before asking.

“And if I win?”

“I’ll give you my number.”

The Puppy was quick to jump off his chair and head back to the beer pong table.

“Who wants to play another round!?”

~

Yeosang

“Hey, pretty boy, come here!”

Your ego was definitely inflated right now. Between your friends hyping you up and the few drinks you’d had; your normal behaviour had flown right out of the window.

The pretty boy in question was looking at you with wide eyes, pointing to himself with a confused look on his face.

“Yes, you! Come on, let’s go dance!”

Grabbing his hand when he didn’t protest, you manoeuvred your way through the tables to the small dance floor.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” He stammers, still a little taken aback.

“Nope, but you will soon!”

The pretty boy’s eyes go wide and you can both hear his friends hollering as you reach your destination. He lets you manhandle him some more as you make him put his arms around you before placing your hands on his shoulders.

You notice that he’s a little stiff at first and in a moment of clarity you suddenly think ‘what have I just done?’ A debate starts inside your brain as to whether it would be weirder to keep dancing or to abandon ship.

“Um… so you like to dance?” Your partner asks, snapping you out of your daze.

He slowly starts to move you to the beat and you feel him relax ever so slightly.

“Uh, yeah.” You take a breath. “It’s just a fun way to let off some steam.”

The two of you continue with idle chit chat, learning each other’s names and some common interests. And the more you and Yeosang converse, the easier it becomes to dance with him. He gets bolder, leading you into a turn, pulling you closer to him than you were before. You find yourself laughing at how effortless Yeosang makes it seem – you’ve had some really stiff dance partners in the past.

As the music starts to climax, Yeosang asks you: “Do you trust me?”

“Yes!” You answer without any hesitation.

A look of determination crosses his face. Gracefully, he leads you into a dip and you let your head fall back to see the people around you cheering at the two of you. You stay there for a beat, feeling like the main character in a movie before Yeosang easily pulls you back up. As the song comes to an end, there’s a round of applause and the two of you flush pink.

“Thank you!” You say, catching your breath. “That was loads of fun.”

Yeosang smiles sweetly at you before holding out his hand.

“Care for another dance?”

You feel no regret as you take his hand and head back onto the dance floor.

~

San

He tried hard to not drink too much but being out with his friends made that so much harder than he thought. And when they all disappear off to dance or meet new people, he finds himself left at the table with only empty glasses to keep him company. Well, mostly by himself.

“You doing alright, sweetie?” You ask, clearing the glasses off of the table.

Out of principle and safety, you normally don’t make small talk with drunk patrons but this man looks so sad as he sits by himself that you can’t help yourself; you just have to know.

The nickname you use causes San’s heart to flutter and if he wasn’t already red in the face, he’s sure you’d see the way he blushes. You’re pretty and he knows that if he opens his mouth, he may say something that he’ll regret.

“Mhmmm.” He nods a little too enthusiastically, opting to not talk for his own reputation.

“Ok,” you laugh softly. “If you need anything, just let me know. I’m mostly over at the bar.”

You point to your section and he nods again.

The way you smile before walking away has San’s eyes glued to you like you created the universe.

For the rest of the night, you keep an eye on him and every time you look over, he’s already looking at you. Sometimes he tries to quickly look away. Other times he waves happily at you.

‘He’s kind of cute like this,’ you think to yourself. ‘I wonder what he’s like sober.’

As his group of friends finally make their way back to him and get ready to leave, you make your way over one last time, having devised a plan to find out your queries.

“Here, sweetie.” You hand San a water bottle. “My phone number is written on there. Let me know that you’ve gotten home safely, ok?”

San felt his face hurt from how wide he smiled, looking between you and the bottle. One of his friends, slaps him on the back, joking that all of them had tried to get someone’s number but San did nothing and got one anyways.

“Now get out of here,” you tease, urging the group along. “I’ve still got more work to do before we close.”

Sure enough, as you’re putting the last glasses away, your phone beeps.

‘I’m home ☺️ thank you’

It’s then when you see his contact name: San. And it’s a name you’d like to get used to seeing from tonight onwards.

~

Mingi

“Is there anyone in the crowd willing to help a poor soul out in a duet?”

The karaoke coordinator’s voice is only just heard through the speakers over the crowd.

Karaoke nights were loud but fun - no one took it too seriously and most people generally just sang the songs they liked, whether they were good at it or not.

Next to the coordinator stands a tall man with a wide smile on his face. He’s good looking too.

‘Screw it,’ you think and hop onto the low stage with them. ‘Let’s live a little.’

There’s a round of cheers as you shake hands with the tall stranger, finding out that his name was Mingi. You realise that he’s very easy to talk to as you scroll through the song options on the bar’s laptop.

“This one is one of my favourites,” you absentmindedly comment.

Mingi’s face lights up.

“It’s one of mine too!”

You tap the video quickly without much more convincing needed and Mingi is quick to get you both a microphone – if your fingers brush against his when you take it from him, he doesn’t seem to notice but you feel your face heat up for a moment.

The music kicks up and you start to sing, knowing all the words off by heart and it seems your duet partner does too. Mingi’s energy is infective and you’re only hyped further by the bar’s patrons who encourage you from the floor.

You and Mingi sing your hearts out and you dance with him pretending you’re in a music video. Every now and then you catch his eye and Mingi’s smile is wide. You find yourself really enjoying the whole thing but maybe you were enjoying the atmosphere between yourself and your duet partner more.

As the song comes to a close and the applause dies down, Mingi helps you off of the stage, like a gentleman. For a moment, you just look at each other.

“Can I buy you a drink?” You decide to be bold, feeding off the energy from moments before. “If that’s ok?”

“I’m actually not drinking tonight,” he confesses and your heart sinks. “But I’d love to buy you a drink, if that’s ok?”

You smile at him, feeling your heart pull in your chest.

“I’d love that. Maybe next week you can be my karaoke partner again and I can repay you then.”

His eyes light up at your words.

“I’d like that a lot.”

~

Wooyoung

“What the fuck.”

The bartender looks at you with wide eyes. It’s busy tonight and he doesn’t really have time to listen to you rant but he knows your face so he owes you some attention.

“This dude is sitting in my spot!” You complain again. “Did no one tell him that that’s my chair! Like come on!”

He gives you a half-hearted shrug before moving off to deal with other customers.

So, you sit, away from the corner where you normally hide and watch the people as they filter in and out, and stare at the intruder. He doesn’t look familiar to you and you’re sure you would remember that loud ass laugh that you can hear over the noise of the crowd if he’d been there before.

‘This is ridiculous,’ you think to yourself, sliding off the barstool. ‘I’m getting my spot back.’

Shuffling past the people, you manage to end up in front of the man who stole your spot.

Wooyoung smiles when he sees you, thinking that it’s someone who wants to buy him a drink.

“Move.”

Your word surprises him but he doesn’t comply.

“Why would I do that?” He asks, sipping from his glass.

“Because you’re in my spot! I always sit there and you’re in my spot!”

He can’t help the laugh that escapes his mouth.

“Well, I got here first tonight.” He looks you up and down. “So, now it’s my spot.”

His arrogance and cocky smile both frustrate and fascinate you, and you decide that because your words didn’t work, it’s now time to take action.

At first you try to gently shove him off of the barstool.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He asks with a laugh.

It pisses you off even more so you shove a little harder. Actually, a lot harder and you do succeed in getting the stranger off of the chair. You also succeed in taking yourself down with him. The stranger somehow manages to catch you on his body as you both tumble to the floor. With your noses almost touching, he grins again.

You try to get up as quickly as is humanly possible but he holds you down against him.

“Ok, I’ll make a deal with you,” he says as you relent and listen. “You buy my drinks for the night; I’ll give you your spot back.”

There’s a pause.

“You better not drink the entire bar dry.” You finally manage to break free and claim your seat in your corner.

The stranger smirks and wonders off to find a new seat somewhere else.

You can’t believe the audacity when you return next week to find him in your spot again.

“Oh, you’re in for it now.”

~

Jongho

There's a thunk as you plop yourself almost entirely onto the bar counter. With the music and the people, there’s so much noise, you can barely even hear yourself as you try to order another drink. It seems that the bartender can’t hear you either as he walks right on by to serve someone else.

You try again but with the same result.

“I just want a drink…” You quietly lament, thinking that no one will hear you.

“I think you need some water first.”

Your eyes shoot up to see who said that. At first you want to chastise this person, who are they to tell you when you’ve had enough?

But when you’re met with a handsome stranger, your attitude changes instantly.

For a moment you just stand and stare at him. Then it feels like the world is moving under your feet and you stumble a little. The man in front of you immediately reaches his hand out to steady you, despite him not knowing you from a bar of soap.

It makes your stomach flip. Or maybe it’s just the alcohol.

“Can you do it for me?” You ask.

“Do what?” His hand is still out next to you, ready in case you stumble or heaven forbid, actually fall.

“Order me a drink.” Your voice takes on a sulky tone. “The bartender guy keeps ignoring me.”

“I think there’s a reason he’s ignoring you.”

Regardless of what he says, the man manages to get the bartender’s attention and orders something from him but the noise of the bar is still too much for you to hear them properly. A minute later a glass is placed in front of you.

“Drink it,” the stranger tells you, sipping from his own glass.

Who are you to argue with an attractive man you met at the bar? You somehow manage to drink it quickly and feel no different.

“Hmmm.” You place the now empty glass down. “That was really good. What was that?”

“Aqua-Cooler.” He eyes you up and down.

“What’s in it?”

“Water and food colouring.”

The two of you stare long and hard at each other as the news washes over you. He tricked you. He tricked you but you can’t find it in yourself to be completely angry at him because you know that he’s actually just looking after you and that’s very kind but you don’t know him so…

There’s a weight on your shoulder and a voice that’s loud and clear amongst all the noise.

“I think you need to go home now.” The stranger’s eyes are big and filled with worry. “I’ll wait outside with you till a cab arrives.”

In no time at all you’ve got your jacket back on and are standing outside with your prince charming next to you.

“What’s your name?” You suddenly get the courage to ask.

“Jongho,” he tells you, just as your cab pulls up.

“Thank you, Jongho.”

You manage to get yourself semi-gracefully into the backseat and Jongho closes the door behind you.

The last you see of your prince charming is him waving goodbye to you as the cab pulls away.