#and the whole exchange of did you tell him the truth? yeah. are you telling ME the truth?

[rise-my-angel]

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[pucksandpower]

Lovefest

Lando Norris x Reader

Summary: Oscar thought that adjusting to Formula 1 would be the biggest challenge of his rookie season … no one warned him that being around you and Lando would somehow both traumatize and make him believe in true love at the same time

Based on this request

Oscar steps into the bustling McLaren garage, his eyes darting around as he takes in the flurry of activity. It’s his first day in the paddock wearing papaya and he’s eager to make a good impression.

As he weaves through the mechanics and engineers, he spots Lando chatting animatedly with a woman he assumes must be Lando’s girlfriend.

Approaching the pair, Oscar puts on his friendliest smile. “Hey, Lando! Great to see you, mate.”

Lando turns, his face lighting up. “Oscar! Welcome to the team.” He gestures to the woman beside him. “This is my girlfriend. Babe, this is Oscar, my new teammate.”

You extend your hand, smiling warmly. “It’s so nice to meet you. Lando’s been talking about you non-stop.”

Oscar shakes your hand, chuckling. “All good things, I hope?”

“Oh, absolutely,” you assure him. “He’s really excited to work with you this season.”

Lando nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, mate. It’s gonna be epic. We’re gonna crush it together.”

Oscar grins, already feeling at ease. “That’s the plan. So, how long have you two been together?”

The moment the words leave his mouth, he notices a few nearby mechanics exchange knowing glances and stifle laughter. Lando and you, however, seem oblivious to this as your eyes lock onto each other.

“Well,” Lando begins, his voice softening, “it’s been about two years now, but honestly, it feels like I’ve known her my whole life.”

You blush, squeezing Lando’s hand. “Oh, stop it, you. But really, Oscar, from the moment we met, it was like everything just clicked into place.”

Oscar nods politely, not quite understanding the sudden shift in atmosphere. “That’s great. You two seem really happy together.”

“Happy doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Lando says, his eyes never leaving yours. “She’s my soulmate, my best friend, my everything.”

You giggle, playfully swatting Lando’s arm. “You’re such a charmer. But he’s right, Oscar. We just ... we get each other, you know?”

Oscar opens his mouth to respond, but Lando cuts in, “Remember our first date? I was so nervous I spilled my drink all over myself.”

“Oh my god, yes!” You exclaim, laughing. “But it was adorable. And then you tried to clean it up and knocked over the candle ...”

“Nearly set the whole restaurant on fire,” Lando finishes, grinning. “But you didn’t run away screaming, so I knew you were a keeper.”

Oscar shifts uncomfortably, feeling like he’s intruding on a private moment. He glances around, hoping to catch someone’s eye for help, but the other team members seem to be purposefully avoiding their corner of the garage.

You turn back to Oscar, your eyes shining. “Sorry, we got a bit carried away. It’s just, when you find that person who completes you, it’s hard not to gush sometimes.”

Lando nods sagely. “Absolutely. Like, did I tell you about the time she surprised me after a race in Monaco?”

Before Oscar can answer, you jump in, “Oh, Lando, I’m sure Oscar doesn’t want to hear about that.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Oscar says weakly, trapped by politeness.

Lando grins, oblivious to Oscar’s discomfort. “So there I was, exhausted after the race, and I walk into my hotel room to find it covered in rose petals and candles ...”

As Lando launches into the story, Oscar notices a mechanic nearby making frantic ‘cut it out’ gestures. Confused, he tries to catch the man’s eye, but the mechanic quickly busies himself with a nearby toolbox.

“... and then she steps out of the bathroom in this gorgeous dress,” Lando continues, his voice filled with awe. “I swear, Oscar, my heart stopped for a second. She was like an angel.”

You blush furiously. “Lando, stop it. You’re embarrassing me in front of your new teammate.”

“I’m just telling the truth,” Lando insists. “Oscar, mate, when you find someone who makes your heart race every time you see them, even after years together, you know it’s real.”

Oscar nods, desperately searching for a way to change the subject. “That’s ... that’s really sweet, guys. So, uh, Lando, how’s the car feeling this season?”

But Lando seems to be in his own world now, gazing adoringly at you. “You know, speaking of the car, it reminds me of how supportive she’s been throughout my career. Remember that time you stayed up all night with me before a big race, just talking and calming my nerves?”

You smile softly. “Of course I do. I’d do anything for you. You know that.”

“And that’s why I love you so much,” Lando says, pulling you close. “You’re always there for me, through the highs and the lows.”

Oscar watches, bewildered, as the two of you seem to forget his presence entirely. He catches movement out of the corner of his eye and sees Daniel Ricciardo approaching, a look of amused resignation on his face.

“Hey, Oscar,” Daniel says quietly, coming to stand beside him. “I see you’ve made the rookie mistake of getting these two started.”

Oscar turns to him, relief evident in his voice. “Daniel, thank god. What’s going on? They’ve been like this for ages.”

Daniel chuckles, shaking his head. “Ah, mate. You’ve stumbled into the Lando and Y/N lovefest. There’s a rule around here: never get them talking about how much they love each other, or you’ll be stuck listening to them being lovesick for at least an hour.”

Oscar’s eyes widen in horror. “An hour? But ... but we have the first testing session soon!”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Daniel says, patting Oscar on the shoulder. “Once they get going, there’s no stopping them. It’s like a force of nature.”

As if to prove Daniel’s point, Lando’s voice rises slightly as he recounts another story. “... and then, on our anniversary, she organized this incredible scavenger hunt all around London ...”

You chime in, your voice equally enthusiastic. “Oh, but Lando, what about the time you learned to cook my favorite meal just to surprise me?”

Daniel leans in close to Oscar, whispering, “See what I mean? They’re in their own little world now. Best to just let it run its course.”

Oscar watches, fascinated and horrified, as Lando and you continue to trade stories and loving glances, seemingly oblivious to the world around you. The garage bustles with activity, mechanics and engineers working around the loved-up couple as if this were a regular occurrence.

“So, uh, how long does this usually last?” Oscar asks Daniel, his voice tinged with desperation.

Daniel checks his watch. “Well, you’re about fifteen minutes in now. I’d say you’ve got at least another forty-five to go, minimum.”

Oscar groans. “But what about testing? Shouldn’t someone ... I don’t know, snap them out of it?”

Daniel laughs, clapping Oscar on the back. “Oh, you sweet summer child. Many have tried, all have failed. It’s best to just let nature take its course. Think of it as your initiation into the team.”

As if on cue, Lando’s voice rises again. “... and that’s when I knew, without a doubt, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”

You gasp, your eyes filling with tears. “Oh, Lando, do you really mean that?”

“With all my heart,” Lando says solemnly. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, on or off the track.”

Oscar turns to Daniel, a pleading look in his eyes. “There has to be something we can do. Anything!”

Daniel shrugs, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Well, there is one thing that sometimes works ...”

Before Oscar can ask what he means, Daniel cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, “Hey, lovebirds! Last one to the track buys dinner for the whole team!”

As if snapping out of a trance, Lando and you both turn, suddenly aware of your surroundings again.

“Oh, shoot!” Lando exclaims. “Testing! Come on, we can’t be late!”

As Lando rushes off to get ready, you give Oscar an apologetic smile. “It was lovely meeting you. Sorry if we got a bit carried away there.”

Oscar watches, dumbfounded, as you hurry after Lando. He turns to Daniel, who’s wearing a self-satisfied grin.

“And that, my friend,” Daniel says, “is how you break the spell. Welcome to McLaren. I’m just happy they’re your problem now.”

As they head towards the track, Oscar can’t help but shake his head, a mixture of amusement and disbelief on his face. It’s going to be an interesting season, that’s for sure.

***

Several months into the season, the McLaren garage buzzes with anticipation. It’s race weekend, and the team has invited a popular podcaster to get an inside look at their operations. Oscar, now comfortably settled into his role as Lando’s teammate, watches with mild interest as the podcaster, Mike, bounces around the garage, microphone in hand, eyes wide with excitement.

“This is incredible!” Mike exclaims, his voice carrying over the din of mechanics at work. “The energy here is just electric!”

Oscar chuckles to himself, remembering his own first days with the team. He catches Daniel’s eye across the pit lane, and they share a knowing smirk.

Mike continues his tour, interviewing various team members, his enthusiasm never waning. Oscar keeps one ear on the conversations while focusing on his pre-race preparations. Everything seems to be going smoothly until he hears the fateful words that make his blood run cold.

“So, Lando,” Mike says, his voice dripping with curiosity, “I couldn’t help but notice your lovely girlfriend here. You two make such a cute couple. How about you tell us a bit about your relationship?”

The entire McLaren garage falls silent. Tools clatter to the ground. A collective groan rises from the team members. Someone in the back yells, “No!”

Oscar feels his chest tighten, his eyes already beginning to water. He looks around desperately, seeking an escape route, but he’s trapped between his car and a wall of mechanics who have frozen in horror.

Lando’s face lights up, oblivious to the panic around him. “Oh, mate, where do I even begin? She’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

You blush, squeezing Lando’s hand. “Oh, stop it, you charmer.”

“No, really,” Lando insists, turning to face you fully. “From the moment we met, I knew there was something special about her.”

Oscar watches in mounting dread as the familiar scene begins to unfold. He catches Daniel’s eye again, silently pleading for help, but Daniel just shakes his head, a look of resigned amusement on his face.

Mike, unaware of the can of worms he’s just opened, leans in eagerly. “That’s so sweet! How did you two meet?”

“Well,” you begin, your eyes never leaving Lando’s, “it was at a charity event. I was volunteering, and Lando was there as a guest ...”

“And I saw her from across the room,” Lando interjects, his voice soft and reverent. “She was helping an elderly gentleman to his seat, and the way she smiled at him ... I swear, it was like time stopped.”

But Lando and you are lost in your own world now, the podcaster forgotten as you gaze into each other’s eyes.

“I remember thinking,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper, “who is this adorable guy in the McLaren jacket?”

Lando grins. “And I was trying to work up the courage to talk to you all night. I must have walked past your station a dozen times.”

“Thirteen,” you correct him with a giggle. “I was counting.”

Mike looks around, confused by the reactions of the team. He catches Oscar’s eye and mouths, “What’s happening?”

Oscar, his eyes already glistening with unshed tears, just shakes his head frantically. He tries to sidle away, but his movement seems to draw Lando’s attention.

“Oh, Oscar!” Lando exclaims. “You should have seen her that night. She was wearing this beautiful flowy dress that matched her eyes perfectly.”

You laugh, playfully swatting Lando’s arm. “Stop it, you’re embarrassing me. But Lando looked so handsome in his suit. I couldn’t take my eyes off him all night.”

Oscar feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to see Daniel standing beside him, a sympathetic look on his face. “Breathe, mate,” Daniel whispers. “It’ll be over ... eventually.”

Mike, still oblivious to the situation, presses on. “So, what was your first date like?”

The entire garage seems to groan in unison. Oscar feels a tear escape and roll down his cheek.

“Our first date,” Lando says dreamily, “was at this little Italian restaurant. I was so nervous I could barely eat.”

You nod, your eyes sparkling with the memory. “He was adorable. He kept knocking things over and apologizing.”

“But you were so patient,” Lando adds. “Even when I spilled wine all over the tablecloth.”

“Because I could see how genuine you were,” you reply. “How kind and funny and passionate.”

Oscar, unable to take it anymore, turns to Daniel. “Please,” he whispers desperately, “make it stop.”

Daniel pats his back comfortingly. “I know, buddy. I know. But you know the rules. Once they start, there’s no stopping them.”

Mike, finally sensing that something is amiss, tries to steer the conversation back to racing. “So, uh, Lando, how do you balance your relationship with your career?”

But Lando is too far gone now. “Oh, she’s the most supportive partner I could ask for. She’s there for every race, every triumph, every setback.”

“Because I believe in you,” you say softly. “In us. In what we have together.”

Oscar feels another tear roll down his cheek. He looks around the garage, seeing the mix of resignation and amusement on his teammates’ faces. Some have plugged their ears, others have found suddenly urgent tasks to attend to far away from the love-struck couple.

Mike, now looking slightly panicked, turns to Oscar. “Uh, Oscar? Any thoughts on ... on teamwork?”

Oscar opens his mouth to respond, grateful for the lifeline, but Lando beats him to it.

“Teamwork!” Lando exclaims. “That reminds me of the time we decided to cook dinner together for our six-month anniversary.”

You laugh, the sound light and musical. “Oh god, what a disaster that was!”

“But it was perfect,” Lando insists. “Because we were together.”

Oscar feels his knees go weak. He leans heavily against his car, Daniel’s steadying hand on his shoulder the only thing keeping him upright.

“How ... how long?” Oscar manages to croak out.

Daniel checks his watch. “Only twenty minutes in, mate. We’ve got a long way to go.”

Mike, now fully aware that he’s lost control of the interview, looks around helplessly. His eyes land on a senior mechanic, silently pleading for assistance.

The mechanic just shakes his head. “You brought this on yourself, kid. Rule number one around here: never ask about their relationship.”

“I didn’t know!” Mike protests weakly.

“None of us did, the first time,” the mechanic replies sagely. “Consider this your initiation.”

Meanwhile, Lando and you continue your love-fueled reminiscence, oblivious to the chaos around you.

“Remember our first vacation together?” Lando asks, his eyes shining.

You nod enthusiastically. “That little cottage in the countryside. It was so peaceful.”

“Except for when we tried to go hiking and got completely lost,” Lando adds with a chuckle.

“But it led to that beautiful hidden waterfall,” you remind him. “Where you told me you loved me for the first time.”

Oscar lets out a quiet sob. Daniel, still by his side, pats his back sympathetically. “There, there, mate. Let it out. It’s healthier that way.”

Mike, looking increasingly desperate, tries one last time to salvage the situation. “So, uh, about the upcoming race ...”

But Lando and you are in full swing now, trading stories and loving gazes, completely lost in your own world.

“And then there was the time we went to that cooking class together,” you say, giggling at the memory.

Lando groans good-naturedly. “Oh god, I nearly burned down the kitchen!”

“But you made the most amazing chocolate soufflé,” you remind him.

“Only because you were there to guide me,” Lando says softly. “You always bring out the best in me.”

Oscar, his face now streaked with tears, turns to Daniel. “How ... how did you deal with this?” He asks, his voice hoarse.

Daniel shrugs. “You have to learn to find the humor in it, mate. And maybe invest in some good noise-canceling headphones.”

Mike, realizing he’s fighting a losing battle, slumps against a nearby workbench. “I’ve made a terrible mistake, haven’t I?”

The senior mechanic nods sagely. “Yep. But don’t worry, kid. We’ve all been there. Give it another ... oh, forty minutes or so, and they’ll run out of steam. Maybe.”

As if to prove him wrong, Lando’s voice rises again. “Oh, and remember that time we went stargazing in the desert?”

You nod enthusiastically. “How could I forget? The way the stars reflected in your eyes ...”

“It was nothing compared to the way you light up my world,” Lando replies, his voice thick with emotion.

Oscar, unable to take it anymore, slides down to sit on the floor, his back against his car. He draws his knees up to his chest, rocking slightly as he mutters, “Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop.”

Daniel crouches down beside him, patting his shoulder. “There, there, rookie. It’s all part of the McLaren experience. You’re doing great.”

Mike, looking shell-shocked, turns to the senior mechanic. “Does this happen often?”

The mechanic chuckles. “Often enough that we’ve developed a whole system to deal with it. See those guys over there?” He points to a group of team members huddled in a corner, passing around a packet of earplugs. “They’re the smart ones. Always come prepared.”

As Lando and you continue your lovefest, the rest of the garage settles into a strange sort of routine. Some team members go about their work, seemingly immune to the ongoing spectacle. Others gather in small groups, sharing knowing looks and suppressed laughter.

Oscar, still on the floor, has progressed from quiet sobs to a sort of resigned hiccupping. Daniel sits beside him, offering silent support and the occasional reassuring pat.

Mike, having given up all pretense of conducting an interview, slumps further against the workbench. “I just wanted to talk about racing,” he mumbles dejectedly.

The senior mechanic laughs. “Lesson learned, kid. Next time, stick to lap times and tire strategies.”

As the love-fest enters its second hour, Oscar finally looks up, his eyes red and puffy. “Does it ever get easier?” He asks Daniel plaintively.

Daniel grins, helping Oscar to his feet. “Nah, mate. But you do develop a certain appreciation for true love. And maybe a slight tendency towards nausea.”

Oscar manages a weak chuckle. “I guess there are worse things than witnessing too much love.”

“That’s the spirit!” Daniel says, clapping him on the back. “Now, how about we sneak off for a coffee while these two finish up their romance novel?”

As they make their way towards the exit, carefully skirting around Lando and you (who are now recreating your first dance together, much to Mike’s bewildered amusement), Oscar can’t help but shake his head.

“You know,” he says to Daniel, “when I joined McLaren, I thought the hardest part would be the racing.”

Daniel laughs. “Oh, Oscar. The racing’s the easy part. It’s surviving the Lando and Y/N love story that’s the real challenge. But hey, look on the bright side.”

Oscar raises an eyebrow. “There’s a bright side?”

“Sure,” Daniel says with a grin. “At least now you know what true love looks like. Even if it does make you want to cry and vomit at the same time.”

As they exit the garage, leaving behind the sound of Lando and you laughing and reminiscing, Oscar can’t help but smile. It’s been a strange journey, but he wouldn’t trade his place on this team for anything in the world.

Well, maybe for a good pair of noise-canceling headphones.

[jadedvibes]

Marked

Summary: Your secret relationship is nearly exposed when Natasha spots Bucky's neck covered in hickeys.

Pairing: Beefy!Bucky x reader

Warnings: 18+ only, smut, unprotected rough sex, lots of hickeys, swearing, pet names, fluffy feels, very minor angst, protective natasha, avengers tower au, beefy!bucky (he needs a warning).

Word Count: 1.3k

Like, comment, and/or reblog to put a giant smile on my face ♡

“Hey babe, I’m really sorry,” Nat sat down beside you on the couch, looking at you with a sad smile. 

You furrowed your brows, trying to process her words. What did she have to be sorry for?

“Um, why?” 

“Because of you-know-who,” she subtly nodded her head towards Bucky chatting with Sam in the kitchen. He was laughing at something Sam had said, and despite the fact that he was wearing a hoodie, the hickeys on his neck were still visible. She knew you couldn’t miss those prominent love bites. 

Nat was well aware of the giant crush you had on the dark-haired supersoldier, and she also thought that those feelings were requited. Bucky had seemed entirely enamored by you ever since you joined the team. She couldn’t believe he would do that, especially because everyone including him knew how you felt. You must have felt terrible about the whole situation.

“Oh,” biting your lip, you willed yourself not to react. Nat could read you like a book and you didn’t want her to know about the sordid details of this chapter. Not yet at least. “He’s a grown up, and he can do whatever he wants,” you stood up in haste, giving her a nod before walking back to your room. 

She missed the wink Bucky shot you, and the way you smiled at the ground as you left. 

Bucky assured you that the marks would heal fast, giving you free rein to do whatever you wanted to him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t fast enough. 

“What the hell?” Nat muttered under her breath. She figured his actions must have hurt you so much that you couldn’t even properly react to it. Deciding to confront the man himself, she stormed into the kitchen, pulling out a chair and sitting next to Sam. 

She glared at Bucky as he finished up his story, catching the eyes of both men. Sam exchanged a look with Bucky, neither having any idea why she was staring like that. 

Bucky grinned at Nat cautiously, “What’s up?” 

“She was literally in the room, and you couldn’t think to maybe pull your hood on, or wear a scarf?”

“Nat,” he tried to think of an explanation, but the truth wasn’t his to tell. You asked him not to. “It’s no big deal,” he lied. 

His time with you was everything, and he couldn’t fight the flashback his brain had of you in his lap the night before sucking and biting his neck as you rode him. If only Nat could see the state of your chest and the marks that you had thanks to him, she’d know there were no hurt feelings. 

Sam watched on, trying to keep his face neutral because he already knew about the two of you. He’d seen Bucky slip out of your room a few mornings ago, however he respected your privacy and kept your secret. Although, he had no problem teasing Bucky about it when you weren’t around. 

“Live your life, but you could be more respectful of her feelings,” she said before standing up and leaving. 

Bucky pursed his lips as he looked at Sam. 

“Should’ve covered it up, man,” Sam smirked. 

Nodding his head, “Yeah, for her sake.”

“What are you guys waiting for?” 

He shrugged his shoulders, “I’m letting her set the pace, it’s up to her.” 

┈┈┈┈┈・・

“Fuck, Bucky,” you cried out as his powerful hips snapped into you at a relentless pace. The sheer look of pleasure and determination on his face made you shudder as you watched him take you apart. Your legs wrapped around his waist, an impulse for more; to be closer, to be consumed. 

Metal fingers began to circle your clit, making your body contract beneath him. 

“Oh baby,” you whimpered. He fucked you like a god, a self-assured divine being. 

Bucky smirked, “Do you like that?” His fingers continued their sweet torture as he took what he needed. With each fierce thrust he brought you closer, to your end, to his soul. 

Unable to speak, you watched your perfect man lose himself inside of you. 

It hit like lightning striking your body, electrifying every nerve with blissful euphoria. You threw your head back as you heard your pulse ring in your ears, wet walls squeezing tight around his cock. 

Unable to think, simply feeling the sensory overload. 

He groaned out your name as his hips stuttered erratically. Pushing impossibly deeper, he came hard. Shuddering his release, pumping himself empty inside his favorite place. 

Collapsing on top of you, he kissed you softly before turning you on your side as he stayed nestled inside of you. 

Dark blue eyes connected with yours, his thumb dusting over your bottom lip. 

Tangling your hands into his hair, you pulled him closer, pressing your lips to his. Tongue sliding between his parted lips, chest pressed against his, close. 

This was where you were supposed to be. 

Bucky pulled back and playfully started peppering your face with kisses. Down your jawline, all over your cheeks, on your nose, and you couldn’t stop yourself from giggling. 

“Bucky!” you tried to grab his face. But he wouldn’t relent, gripping the back of your neck, kissing you until you were squealing in laughter. 

He loved that sound, he adored seeing you so happy. How Nat could ever think that he’d go for any other girl was not something he could comprehend. Bucky only had eyes for you. 

“Doll,” he kissed your lips before letting you catch your breath. He couldn’t wait any longer, he had to know. “What are we doing?” 

“What do you mean?” you whispered. 

“Why are we hiding this?” 

You sighed. “Because I want this to be our thing for a while longer, we’re having fun aren’t we?” you grinned, not understanding his concern. 

“Of course we are, but… this is more than just fun for me,” his eyes searched yours. 

Oh this sweet, soft man. 

“Then we’ll tell the team, we can tell anyone you want.” 

“Really?” he beamed. 

“Yes, really. It’s more for me too, I don’t want you to think for a moment that it isn’t. I didn’t want anyone casting doubts on us – but I’m sure about you, so it’s okay.” 

“Thank you, I can only take so much mad-dogging from Nat,” he breathed a sigh of relief. Although, his true solace came from the knowledge that the feeling in his heart was reciprocated – he was damn well certain about you too. 

“Right, because that’s your thing, isn’t it tough guy?” you teased. His penchant for staring often intimidated others, but you knew the kind-hearted man under the hard exterior. 

Bucky narrowed his eyes, rolling you on top of him in one swift movement. His hardened length still inside of you told you that the time for talking had ended. Your hands fell onto his strong, broad chest as you held yourself up, ready to take him for a ride. 

His fiery gaze landed on your breasts, the heat from his stare capable of scorching the earth. He ran his warm fingers over the fading marks he’d left from the night before, admiring them. 

Desire flooded your body and when your eyes locked, an idea came to your mind. “Why don’t you bite my neck?” you raised an eyebrow. 

He sat up, the offer one he wasn’t willing to pass. Bucky trailed his lips along your jaw, nibbling his way down until he whispered, “Only if you promise to bite me back,” he licked up your neck. 

With a racing heart, you circled your hips before grinding down on him. “Deal.” 

There was no point in concealing this connection that meant so much to the both of you. And as his teeth bit down on your skin, a rush of arousal ran through you. The sting of his possession, the way he felt so deep inside you; this was it.

The two of you would likely tell your friends the following day about your relationship – or they could just take a look at the matching marks on your necks that let them know exactly who you belonged to. 

[bellaxgiornata]

Seeking Forgiveness [Part Six]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader Word Count: 3.5k

[Full summary and installment list for this series can be found here.]

Warnings/tags: 18+ contains angst, emotional hurt, delayed comfort, pregnant Reader

a/n: Another angsty and sad installment, but hey there's finally an update for this fic! There's also some POV switches in this one but it should be obvious. Feedback is always appreciated!

Matt hadn’t meant to show up at the office in such a foul mood that Friday morning. That wasn’t his intention. He’d gone through a multitude of emotions last night, barely getting any sleep after he’d stopped by your apartment and found out that you were pregnant. Eventually he’d finally decided that he would seek your forgiveness for how awful he’d treated you, wanting to prove just how serious he was about being there for the both of you. And he was not going to give up until he’d somehow managed it. Until he proved himself to you. With a focused calm after that silent vow, he’d put back his apartment after the destructive mess he’d made of it in his self-loathing fury.

But yet somehow as he stepped into the office and heard both Karen and Foggy working at their desks, he couldn’t stop that bit of bitter anger that suddenly burned white hot in his stomach. Because they both had to have known that you were pregnant this whole time. He knew Karen had been spending time with you, and he figured Foggy’s rage at him back on Monday morning had to have been due to him finding out the truth, too. And yet neither of them had said a thing.

Feeling irrationally angry, Matt slammed the door harshly behind himself before roughly storming his way to his office. He heard the way both Foggy and Karen had glanced up from their desks at his loud entrance, probably exchanging a look with each other about his bad mood. 

Dropping his briefcase onto his desk in his frustration, Matt folded up his cane before he also slammed that onto his desk. Closing his eyes, he blew out a rough breath, his hands aggravatedly readjusting his tie.

This wasn't on Foggy or Karen, he reminded himself. This was between the two of you. What had happened was due to his actions. You were allowed to be friends with them still, allowed to have confided in them. Even if it hurt him to be the last to know.

But as much as Matt tried hard to calm himself down and not lash out, ultimately his anger won out.

Swiftly turning on his heel, Matt stormed back out of his office, his teeth grinding together. Hands rising to roughly grip his hips, he couldn’t fight the near growl in his voice when he spoke.

“Both of you knew, didn’t you?” he called out into the office. “That she was pregnant? With my child?”

He heard Foggy sigh, gradually sliding his chair back and making his way around his desk before exiting his office. Karen hesitated for a moment, running her fingers through her hair before she slowly rose from her desk, too. Both of them entered the main room of the office a moment later, focusing on Matt.

“So you finally spoke with her?” Foggy asked.

“Yeah,” Matt snapped. “I did. Turns out she’s pregnant. But you both knew that, didn’t you? Before I even did?”

“Yes,” Karen replied. “Wasn’t exactly my place to tell you that, though.”

“She was planning to tell you herself, Matt,” Foggy added. “That was her place to do so, not ours. I know you know that.”

Matt’s lips thinned out in irritation. Of course he knew they had a point, he wasn’t that much of an asshole, but that didn’t stop him from being angry that he’d been walking around this office entirely oblivious while both of them knew what was really going on. While both of them knew he was going to be a father.

“I…take it the talk didn’t go so well?” Foggy asked carefully.

Matt’s eyes narrowed back at him behind his lenses. “No, Fog, it didn’t,” he answered. “She told me to leave. Told me she was raising our child by herself, even after I practically begged her to let me be a part of things with her.”

“I mean,” Karen began cautiously, “can you blame her?”

Matt’s head darted in the direction of Karen’s voice. He heard the way she crossed her arms over her chest and leant up against the doorframe of her office. His eyes narrowed even further at her words.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked sharply.

“It means that you’ve been throwing yourself out there as Daredevil for so long now, Matt,” Karen explained. “You don’t even think about the consequences of it anymore. You were supposed to be in a committed relationship with her. And things had been going well between you both, but in the entirety of your relationship, nothing crazy had been happening in Hell’s Kitchen until just recently. And then you prioritized that over her,” Karen continued. “So can you blame her for not wanting you around for this? For not wanting the added stress of wondering if you’re actually going to show up for her when you say you will? For not wanting to wonder if she even matters to you? If you’re even going to be any help to her when she needs it?”

“Well, I–”

“Because you have absolutely no idea what she’s been going through for the past few weeks,” Karen barreled over Matt. “The fear and the loneliness she’s been feeling. Struggling with uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms while trying to take care of herself all on her own. She’s been in this alone for weeks now, Matt. Because you couldn’t have just put her first for a single damn minute and listen to her the other week when she begged you .” 

Matt stood there dumbfounded when Karen finally finished, his mouth falling open as his hands dropped from his hips, coming to hang loosely at his sides. In all his anger at himself since finding out that you were pregnant last night, he admittedly hadn’t thought too much about what you’d been going through alone. Sure, he figured you were scared, he’d certainly thought about that last night–cried over it repeatedly–but he hadn’t thought about what you must be feeling from pregnancy on top of all of that. The memory of you having been sick last night surfaced in his mind and guilt burned through him, dissipating the anger within him immediately.

“She thinks you wouldn’t want to be a father,” Foggy added softly. “That you’d care more about the city and Daredevil than raising a child.”

Matt shook his head firmly, a pain hitting him hard in the chest at Foggy’s words. You’d said that to him last night, too, but it still hurt to hear.

“That’s not true,” he breathed out, still shaking his head. “Nothing could ever be more important to me than my own family. Nothing . Especially because I never–” the words caught in his throat, his eyes closing sharply, “–I never really had one. And I wouldn’t–wouldn’t do the same to my own child. Wouldn’t have them growing up feeling like I ever abandoned them. Because I wouldn’t ,” he nearly snarled out. “I would never . And I will do everything in my power to get her to understand that.”

"I believe you," Foggy said.

The words caught Matt off guard, his head tilting to the side as he heard the truth in Foggy’s heartbeat. 

"I know you, man," Foggy continued. "I know how difficult it was for you not having your family once your dad passed. We talked about it often at Columbia. So I believe you."

Matt felt his throat closing up with emotion at his friend’s words. Tears were brimming in his eyes behind his glasses and he blinked them back, not wanting to cry in front of Foggy and Karen.

"For what it's worth, I do, too," Karen added gently. "And we have both told her that. But honestly? You do have some changes to make, Matt. You need to learn balance if you're ever going to make things work. Because it's not Foggy and I that you need to convince."

"You're right," Matt readily agreed, fighting to keep his voice steady. "You're right, I do. And I will prove to her that she can depend on me. That I want to be in this with her."

"Good," Foggy firmly replied. "Cause I think you've got some work to do, buddy."

Matt kneeled down on the roof of your building, hunching over and turning an ear towards your apartment below so he could listen in better. He'd passed by here earlier when he'd first gone out tonight as Daredevil, which was something he had been avoiding ever since the breakup. He hadn't wanted to catch so much as a single beat of your heart, afraid the sound alone would shatter him to pieces, only reminding himself how much he missed you. But after the past couple of nights, stopping by your apartment was all he ever seemed compelled to do. 

Earlier when he stopped by you'd been curled up on your couch, quietly watching some of those shows he knew you liked. He'd noticed you were tired, close to drifting out of consciousness as you lay there focused on the television. He could hear the exhaustion in your body and the countless times you'd yawned. He'd been itching to hop down onto your fire escape and slip through the window as he listened, desperate to peel off his suit and hold you on the couch like he used to. To let you drift to sleep in his arms while he buried his nose into your hair, breathing in the scent of you.

He'd focused on the baby, too. He'd listened to that fluttering heartbeat for quite a long while, having to eventually tear himself away from it only when he overheard someone screaming for help in the city. He hadn't wanted to go, deluding himself into feeling like he was there with you both if he focused hard enough. But ultimately you both were safe inside that apartment and somewhere in the city someone else needed his help.

But he'd come back one last time before he planned to head home for the night and try to sleep because he'd heard you up and about in your apartment. He knew it was early in the morning and he'd been curious, wondering if you were alright. Because you should have been asleep at this point. 

So he had settled on the roof, and now he heard you rummaging around your kitchen. A loud rumble of hunger from your stomach met his ears and he understood immediately why you were awake–you were hungry. Making something to eat in the middle of the night. 

His shoulders sagged as he placed a gloved hand to the floor of the roof as if that would somehow bring him closer to you. He'd have made you anything you asked. Would have ordered you whatever you wanted, any time of the night. 

He'd have done anything for you. 

Too little, too late , the bitter words of the Devil reminded him. 

"Yeah, I know, I'm going as fast as I can," he heard you say. "Don't forget you're the one who woke me from a dead sleep at two in the morning wanting a grilled cheese. So you'll just need to be patient cause I am not awake, and that weird hunger-nausea is not helping.”

A smile slowly pulled Matt’s lips upwards under the mask as he listened in. You were talking to the baby, your tone a mix of tired, affectionate, and frustrated. He wondered how often you did that. This was the first time he’d stopped by and overheard you.

"Would be a lot easier if you craved things like an apple," you continued, heating the pan. "You know how much work it takes to prep an apple? None, my little devil."

Matt's hand curled into a fist at those three words you'd spoken so lovingly from your lips. My little devil . You used to call him that when he'd make his way back to you at night, running your fingers so delicately across cheek, just beneath his mask, as you inspected him for injuries. 

Now you were calling the baby that? It was almost too much for Matt to bear. Sitting on the roof, bent in half over his knees, he became very aware of how much he wasn't quite a part of any of this with you. How separate he felt from you and his own child growing within you. Because of his own mistakes, his inability to prioritize the different parts of his lives. Because he should have just listened to you when you’d asked him to stay.

The burn of tears unexpectedly hit him fast and hard, his heart thumping heavily in his chest. What he wouldn’t give to slip through your window right now and pull you into a kiss, to wrap you in his arms and just hold you. He’d love nothing more than to settle you on the couch and make you the best damn grilled cheese you’d ever had. Afterwards, he'd happily clean up the kitchen and take you back to your bed, curling himself around you and falling asleep. You'd always fit so perfectly in his arms.

But you’d probably have yelled at him if he tried to step foot into your apartment again to help. He honestly didn’t think he could handle hearing you tell him yet again that he wasn’t wanted. That he had nothing to offer. That there was nothing here for him. Because that part wasn’t remotely true–you and that unborn child meant more to him than you clearly knew. 

“I don’t understand how this smells like the best thing in the world right now,” you said to your belly, Matt’s ears picking up on the way you were rubbing a hand across it. “Yet coffee makes me want to throw up. I have never been a grilled cheese person. Your dad can attest to that.”

It wasn’t until he heard a few droplets land on the roof beside his fist that he realized he’d been crying. His tears had somehow managed to slide out beneath his mask as he’d been listening in to you making your late night snack. His throat had felt like it was closing up the second you’d mentioned him. And the emotions that stirred awake inside of him when you’d referred to him as dad were strong and foreign to him. 

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he croaked out between his tears. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. Talked to you like that. And I–I certainly shouldn’t have left you when you’d needed me.” He slammed his fist against the roof, grimacing at the force as his knuckles stung beneath his gloves. “I should’ve been better. You deserved better. But I’ll fix it. I swear to you, I will fix it.”

“Wonder who you’ll take after more,” you mused softly, entirely oblivious to Matt sitting on the roof of your apartment building listening in. “Me or your dad.”

Raising a gloved hand to his mouth, a muffled sob slipped out of Matt and into it. As much as hearing this was further twisting his heart in his chest, he couldn’t tear himself away. He couldn’t stop listening, wishing he could be part of the conversation with you.

“Hopefully you get your father’s intelligence,” you continued on. “He’s a smart man, even if he’s stubborn and makes absolutely terrible decisions sometimes.”

A humorless laugh fell out of Matt next, still muffled against the palm of his glove. More wet tears trailed down his cheeks, the brisk night air biting unforgivingly against his damp skin. You weren’t wrong on that.

“I wonder what your favorite animal will be, too,” you said, turning off the stovetop. “Dogs? Cats? Koala bears?”

He heard you hum in thought as you plated your grilled cheese, walking your way over to the small table in your kitchen. The same table he’d sat at with you for many dinners, flirting with you over a meal he’d helped you cook or one you’d both ordered out. The same table you both eventually crawled out of bed in the mornings together to have coffee at, with Matt often pulling you down to cuddle in his lap while he slowly woke up.

“Or will you like narwhals maybe?” you murmured, breaking through the memories playing through his mind. "What do you think, my little devil?"

Matt forced himself to stop listening in to that one-sided conversation when he heard you take a bite of your food, shaking his head roughly as he rose to his feet. His heart ached far too much, the tears continuing to drip down his chin and land on the cement roof with an echoing plop each time. He wiped the sleeve of his suit across his face below the mask, trying to dry the tears even though they still kept coming.

He didn’t think he could sit up on your rooftop any longer. It wasn’t the same as actually being there with you. Touching you. Smelling you. Holding you. He needed to find a way to do more than this. To be welcomed back into your life, even just a little bit, so that he could prove himself. He couldn’t just sit here pathetically crying on your apartment building’s rooftop while he eavesdropped.

With a frustrated growl, Matt threw himself over to the next rooftop, heading back out into the night.

Groaning, you woke up to that familiar, unpleasant dizziness as your alarm rang out on the nightstand beside you. Pulling a hand up from out of the sheets, you turned off your alarm before running your hand across your forehead, keeping your eyes closed and waiting for the sensation to pass. It was a few minutes before it finally did, and you slowly began to toss the sheets off of yourself. 

Throwing your legs over the side of the bed, you reached over and grabbed the half-full tumbler of water from your nightstand. You had been keeping one there every night lately, noticing that the cool water sometimes helped ease the nausea that woke you from a dead sleep. 

Bringing the tumbler up to your parched lips, you slowly drank a few sips down. Your stomach immediately grumbled, churning once the water reached it. Groaning again, you stopped drinking, not wanting to push your luck and end up hunched over your toilet again. Apparently you still had a few more weeks before the morning sickness generally wore off for most women in pregnancy, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t counting down the days. You’d celebrate with a cup of coffee–assuming the scent of it didn’t still deter you.

Rising up onto your feet, you groggily trudged your way out of the bedroom and across the hall to your bathroom. You flipped on the light, setting your tumbler down on the bathroom counter so you could relieve your very full bladder. You’d woken up a handful of times to pee in the middle of the night, but yet somehow there always seemed to be more to empty.

When you’d finished in the bathroom, you shuffled your way down the hallway, throwing a hand over your mouth as you yawned. If only you could have crawled back into bed and taken the day off of work. It was the last thing you felt like doing today. But as you made your way past your couch in the living room, something had caught your eye and you paused.

Doubling back you stopped at the armrest of the couch, staring down at what was positioned in the middle of it. A blue plush narwhal with a gold horn sat smiling back at you. One that hadn’t been there earlier.

For a moment all you could do was stand there and stare at it, confusion washing over you. Until you remembered how you’d gotten hungry in the middle of the night last night and made yourself a grilled cheese. And you’d been talking to your baby bump aloud, musing what they may or may not be like in the future.

You gasped when realization dawned on you, your hand flying back up to your mouth. Matt must have been nearby, eavesdropping on the conversation you were having. He must’ve heard you mention narwhals last night, and then apparently decided to run out and buy one–and the thought of him doing that dressed as Daredevil was admittedly amusing–before slipping into your apartment and leaving it here for you to find. For the baby.

As you trudged your way over to the couch, setting your tumbler down onto the coffee table and collapsing into the couch cushions, you didn’t know what to make of that. Picking up the stuffed narwhal, you hugged it to your chest, your eyes closing. Half of you wanted to be pissed that he’d been listening in without your knowledge, wondering if he’d been doing that often, but the other half of you was touched. It may not have been a grand gesture, but it was a gesture that clearly meant something. But what exactly still remained to be seen.

Tag List: @mattmurdocksstarlight @just-going-through-the-motions @paracosmic-murdock @yeonalie @auroraslibrary @1988-fiend @will-delete-this-later-probably @two-unbeatable-beaters @danzer8705 @ragamuffin285 @callmebrooklynbabes @spookyboogyuniverse @peachy-aisha @stevenknightmarc @nerdytreeflower @fucktthisworld @remuslupinwifee @kmc1989 @thychuvaluswife @mywellspringoflife @thornbushrose @yarrystyleeza @shiorimakibawrites @marvelcinematiquniverse @vallovesthedilfs @scoliobean @this--is--music @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @ashlynhasmanyhyperfixations @swissy23 @lilthbunny @that-girl-named-alex @warsaur @lareinaisabelle @pazii @senjoritanana @mischiefmanaged71 @xxdrixx @jess-rye @hannahbohen @theclassicvinyldragon

The tags aren't working for some and I'm not entirely sure why (could be a settings issue or just tumblr being annoying, I'm sorry!)

[toxicanonymity]

The Contractor. Silence can never be bought, only rented (pt. 6 of 6)

4k / dbf!Joel x f!Reader / pt 1 / master list

STORY MASTER LIST

Warnings/Notes: I8+ some angst, dry (wet?) humping, unsafe PIV SEX (!), legal age gap. Acronyms - RICO is about organized crime. barely edited.

It’s so close.  It’s finally here. His hand slides under your shirt, runs over your back then pulls you closer. He feels so good, it’s like a dream.  But the more you wake up, the more your thoughts creep in.  You want the truth.  You pry your lips away from his, and right away, he latches onto your neck.  “What did my Dad want?” you ask. Between kisses, he murmurs, “don’t worry about it.”

Joel shows you his phone and your dad is at the gate.  He thinks in silence for a moment. 

“Well, we’re not doing anything,” you offer, but your heart is pounding.  “Don’t let him in.”

“I’ve gotta let him in.  What’s he gonna think if I don’t?”

He rubs his beard and opens his home automation app.  “You’re in the pool house,” he decides.  He turns on a dim light in the pool house.  

“What does he want?” you ask.  

“Hell if I know.  Go through the basement.” 

“No way.” 

“Come on, Trouble.” 

“I’m not going through the tunnel alone.” 

He seems endeared by your fear.  “Do it for us,”  he says with a wink that makes your heart jump.  Then he gets up to take the drinks to the sink. 

“Wait,” you say. 

He freezes. 

“What were you gonna say? Now that I know . . . ?”

“Now that you know, I don’t have to worry about you finding out later and being mad.”

You kind of doubt that’s what he was going to say.  “I’m mad anyway,” you say. 

“Figured.  It’s okay.”

A car door opens and closes.  

“Go,” he whispers. “I’ll come get you when he’s gone.” 

You make it to the pantry stairs just in time.  

-

When your dad comes in, Joel says, “Welcome back.” 

Your dad asks, “Where’s my girl?”  

“Sleepin’ it off in the pool house, I reckon.  Didn’t want her to drive.” 

There’s a long pause and your heart races. 

Your dad says, “Good, good. . .thanks.” 

Damn, Joel is smooth.  He asks your dad, “Somethin’ you didn’t wanna call about?”

“Yeah. . .” 

You’re tempted to stay and hear more, but you’re also afraid of what you might hear.  You creep down the stairs quietly.  You think about going to the theater instead and waiting in one of those recliners.  It’s silly, but you really don’t want to go underground to the pool house.  The tunnel is climate controlled and has automatic lights, but it’s still spooky without windows.  

-

You’re standing near the tunnel entrance trying to work up your nerve when you hear raised voices, and now you can’t resist.  You quietly make your way back toward the stairs to listen.  If no one is going to tell you what’s going on, this is your chance to find out.  It occurs to you there’s no reason for you to go all the way to the pool house except that Joel doesn't want you to hear this.  Otherwise, you could have hidden anywhere and your dad would be none the wiser. 

A cabinet slams shut and Joel demands,  “How many aren’t you tellin’ me about?”

“Not tellin’ you? I just found out!  I’m not in charge, you know that.”  Glasses clink with ice. 

“North of the fuckin’ border again. God damnit,” Joel says. He’s even more heated than he was in the car the other day. 

Your dad asks, “What do I have to do to get you all in on this? Let’s get it done and be done with it.”

“You know what I want.  I want out.”

“You’ll be out.” 

“I want it in writing.” 

Your dad scoffs.  “You want a paper trail now? When the whole point was to keep your charges off paper?” 

“Not the charges, damnit.”

“Then what do you want in writing? You made some bad guys go away in exchange for evidence going away, now we’re square?” 

“It was supposed to be a six month contract.  Here we are, how many renewals later? And I’m still consulting.”  You can picture the air quotes with the way he says it.  

“Still better than 20 years for RICO,” your dad says. 

“Never woulda gotten the max. . . You know what? At least the wiseguys have a code.”

Your dad sharpens his tone.  “Ever wonder what happened to that evidence?”

“FUCK”  A glass shatters. “I’m never gettin’ out. Just say it.”

“This is the last-” 

“Don’t string me along with this one last job bullshit, then the job’s a whole fuckin’ cartel.  Call it what it is.  I’m an asset.  Not a contractor if I don’t got a fuckin’ choice.”

“You’re gonna be out.” 

“You won’t even give me your word.”

“Joel, you have my word.”

“Alright,”  Joel calms down a little.  “And what about you?  You ever think about your daughter in all this? You want her on tiktok seein’ your head roll off one day ‘cause you couldn’t take the loss and retire?”  

“Don’t talk about my daughter.”

There’s a moment of silence, then your dad continues. 

“We’re on the same team, buddy.  I want this over as bad as you do.  C’mon, let’s look at the intel.” 

You’re sick to your stomach.  Whatever this is sounds like it’s about your dad’s ego. What’s new. You shrink back to the tunnel and jog through it so it’s over fast.  

-

You’re laying on the couch in the pool house, and you don’t even want to think about what you just heard.  So you’re replaying the earlier conversation in your head.  The one about your stepmother and  . . . gross.  Something doesn’t sit right about it.  You’re trying to figure out why Joel would have felt guilty for you blackmailing him into sex. 

It hits you that the only reason he’d feel guilty is if it were his doing. . . If he realized you thought you had leverage and saw an opportunity.  Deprive you, make you want it that bad, see if you’d try to twist his arm into it.  And once you got there, game over?  Was he just getting off on having the power all along? Then you ask yourself the real question.  If that’s the case . . . do you wish none of it ever happened?  It’s an easy no.  

So you put that to rest and can’t help but think about what you overheard between Joel and your dad. You want to know how this all happened, but from the way Joel was talking about heads rolling off,  you’re most worried about what he and your dad are up to right now.  You want to hear it from Joel.  You want to know what his real job is.  The truth might be the only thing you want more than to fuck him.  And if he won’t tell you the truth, maybe he doesn’t deserve the latter. 

You’re exhausted from being in the sun all day.  There’s a big, heavy blanket – silky, not exactly cozy.  It’s like a rich guy blanket, probably put there by an interior decorator.  You curl up on the oversized couch and pull it over you.  There’s a bedroom, but you don’t expect this to take as long as it does, so you don’t get in bed.  You stay on the couch.  It feels like Joel is taking forever, but you’re too tired to even look at the time. You take off your shorts and bra, swaddle yourself in the blanket, and drift off. 

-

You don’t hear Joel come in or take off his pants or put his stuff on the table.  You feel cold for a moment when he lifts the blanket, but then he gets under it with you and takes you into his arms, and he’s warm.   

You stir, and Joel whispers, “You wanna get in bed?”  

You shake your head no.  

“It’s right there . . .”

“No,” you manage weakly.  You’re not remembering any of the drama at the moment, just enjoying being in his arms and too sleepy to move.  

“Ok,” he whispers, and kisses you on the head.  You fall back asleep with your head in the crook of his neck. 

. . . 

In the middle of the night, you wake up in his arms with one of his legs hooked over both of yours and his boxers pressed against your panties, which are soaked with arousal, you can feel it.  He’s only somewhat hard, but it’s enough to make you need it, bad.  He smells freshly showered but you can still catch a hint of his sweat, which makes you need it worse.  Your nose brushes his beard as you look up at his face. 

He blinks awake with sleepy eyes.  He presses his lips into yours for a long kiss that starts light, affectionate, closed-mouth, then becomes desperate, invasive. You accept his tongue greedily. He hardens right against your crotch.  His hips roll into yours, and before long, he’s rock hard, and you softly moan “mmm” into his mouth.  

He whispers, “Are you on-” 

“Yeah,” you cut him off.  Then he covers your mouth with his lips again.  Yeah, you’re on birth control, and the question makes you throb as he kisses you.  It’s so close.  It’s finally here. It’s grinding into you right now.  His hand slides under your shirt and runs over your bare back, pulling you closer against him, and he moans softly.  He feels so good, it’s like a dream.  

But the more you wake up, the more your thoughts creep in.  You really, really want the truth.  It dawns on you this might be your best shot at getting it. 

You pry your lips away from his, and right away he latches onto your neck.  

“What did my Dad want?” you ask him. 

Between kisses on your neck, he murmurs, “don’t worry about it.”  

“Tell me what’s going on,” you demand.  

He rolls his arousal into your clit and you bite your lip to suppress a moan while you wait for his answer. 

 “Not now, sugar. . .”

He lifts your shirt swiftly but smoothly and palms a breast, then is hard-on drags down your thigh and you feel a damp spot on his boxers. He takes your nipple into his mouth while he pulls your shirt off, and you help him, despite your reservations.  You need the truth, but you’re aching.  Your body needs to be filled by his. 

“Not now. . . so, when?” you ask. 

“When I’m back,” he sighs.  

“Back from what?”

He doesn’t answer.  He lightly drags his lips over the top curve of your breast, over your shoulder, up your throat, your jaw, to your ear.  

-

His boxers find your drenched panties again and press against you in just the right place.   He’s so stiff, it takes your breath away, and a soft moan falls out of your mouth.  He whispers, “This is all that matters,” and you want him to be right so bad.  He nibbles then sucks your neck right under your ear. He grinds his rock-hard member into you in a slow rhythm at just the right angle.

“This,” he says, looking from your eyes to your mouth and back.  He wraps his arms around you, grinding into you rhythmically.  He kisses you again, and his tongue erases whatever words were on yours.  Blood rushes to your lips with the gentle suction of his own. With his face still on yours, he slowly, carefully takes his boxers off under the blanket. 

You slide your hand down his abdomen and your breath hitches as you graze the light padding of his lower stomach.  You find that small, circular scar and gently caress it.  He flinches, then moves your hand to his cock.  It sends a  bolt of need to your aching clit, but you still have to ask. 

“What’s it from?”

“C’mere,” he says, and latches onto your mouth again as he thrusts into your hand.  

You want his lips on yours forever.  You want nothing more than to just give in and fuck him.  You push yourself up with your arm and he rolls onto his back.  You shrug off the blanket.  He watches you in a trance as you straddle him with his cock still in  your hand.  You thumb his scar again and he says, “you know I served.”  Right.  Of course.  

His stomach rises and falls, and his head tilts slightly as he watches you nestle his naked cock at your drenched, silky underwear, right against your clit.  You roll your hips into him and moan at the friction. 

“Let’s lose these, sugar,” he pants. He hooks his fingers into your underwear and you lift each leg to slowly slip out of them.  

-

You settle back in, then close your eyes, tilt your hips, and use him to pleasure yourself.  You drag along his cock, from your clit to your dripping entrance and back, making his manhood shine with you, and he groans.  Then you lay your hips onto his again and his hips rock against you, with his unfathomably hard cock gliding firmly against your slick.  

He moans and breathes heavily.  “I gotta be inside you, sugar,“ he says as he grinds into you rhythmically.  

“I’ve gotta know the truth,” you reply, but it physically pains you.  

He groans.  “Fuck,” he pants. “What do you wanna know?”

“What you’re up to,” you say as you use your hips to massage yourself with his stiff manhood.  

He takes a deep breath.  “It’s complicated,” he says, and you inwardly acknowledge he’s probably right.  You stop moving and start to back yourself down his thighs.  You bend at the hip and hover over his cock. 

“Are you still in construction?” You stroke him slowly.  

“Still own the business.”  He adjusts his hips under you.  

“But that’s not all you do.”  You bring it almost to your mouth and take a deep whiff of his musk which makes you twitch with need. 

“No,” he quietly admits. 

You think about how to simplify this and get it over with.  You throw caution to the wind and ask,  “Do you kill people?” You thumb the precum beading at his tip.  No immediate answer.  Then, you take his salty tip into your mouth for just a kiss and he groans.  You take it out.

He sighs.  “You really wanna know?” He thrusts into your hand.

You give it another kiss. “Yeah.” 

You slowly crawl back up his body and lay half on him and he rolls toward you so you’re on your side like before.  You hook your top leg over him.  You search his eyes for an answer, but he looks down at your bodies instead.  His large hand engulfs your ass cheek, caresses it with his palm, then gives it a firm squeeze and pulls you hard against him, and your wet pussy meets his stiff cock again.  

“What do you think?” He asks quietly, then buries his nose in your neck and whispers, “Cause you’re prolly right.”  Your heart skips a beat.  You wanted more, but at the same time, it feels like he just told you everything he has to tell - or that’s what you’re trying to believe, for your body’s sake.  You don’t feel anything about what he just said. All you feel is him, and that’s all you want.  

-

He groans as he grinds into you, and his neck vein bulges. He rolls his arousal harder against your slick seam and kisses your neck. “Come on, sugar,” he says.  

You open your mouth but don’t have any words, you can only breathe.  He ruts against you again and you close your eyes with a moan.  You’re throbbing, physically aching, swollen with need, dying to have him.  

“Gotta be inside you now baby,” Joel repeats, smooth and low.  He thrusts hard against your clit, slow, but so hard.  His mouth devours yours, and your nipples harden against his broad chest.  When his stiff member drags back down your clit, he hesitates at your entrance, then puts his hand on your ass, and the tip of his cock is caught by a tilt of your hips.  Tension swells and tightens deep within you. 

He begins to slowly push the firm head of his cock into your tight, wet hole and reads your face.   You have to remind yourself to breathe. Your brow furrows.  You bite your lip and inhale through your nose.  You both adjust your hips so the angle is just right.  He pushes a little more, and the stretch of his girth makes your whole body dizzy and desperate for more.  He pauses and you just barely nod. 

The arm under you pulls you closer with his hand flat on your back while his other hand braces on your leg that’s hooked over him.  Then he pushes his stiff length into you with a grunt that becomes a loud sigh, and you gasp as his thick cock makes room for itself inside you.  He pauses when he’s mostly in, and you look into each other’s eyes.  

“Now fuck me,” you whisper.  

“Yes ma’am,” he growls.  He backs out all but the tip, then plunges into you completely.  Your mouth falls open with a moan as your bodies are finally joined and he bottoms out with a shudder.  

His lips latch onto yours as he retreats, then slams into you again with a grunt.  He buries himself in you, slow and hard, each time somehow better than the last.  Your hips roll into him, and together, you gradually up the tempo.  You kiss sloppily, half your mouths breathing heavily and vocalizing against each other’s cheek. Each exhale is a moan.

His hips roll fluidly against yours and his whole body tells you how bad he’s been wanting this. Every time he fills you up, you could cry from how good it feels.  He opens his mouth wide and puts it on your neck again, gently sucking your delicate skin into his mouth.  He grabs hold of your ass and uses the arm under you to gently put you on your back without fully pulling out.  Your legs wrap around him and he sheathes himself entirely once again.  

You hook your fingers under the bottom hem of his t-shirt and pull it over his head.  He takes in the view of your whole body again before he leans back down.  

“You look so goddamn hot,” he says, looking down at you, thrusting into you. He looks hot, too.  

The moonlight reveals a faint farmer’s tan from the barbecue.  His pecs and triceps are pumped up and flexing as he moves in rhythm.  His hair is messy and perfect.  The silver bits of his beard glisten. 

He leaves space between you and reaches down to thumb your clit, almost putting you over the edge, but you quickly take his hand and pull his body back into yours.  

“About to come?” he asks.  You nod and take a deep breath.  He thrusts into you hard then slowly rocks his hips deep inside you with his neatly trimmed hair grinding into your clit.  The tension bursts inside you and you groan his name as a massive wave of pleasure overwhelms you.  Then another.  You clench around him and your body jerks erratically.  Your nipples go almost painfully hard and drag against him.  

He pushes deeper than you thought possible, balls tightening against your ass, and you gasp and moan. Then he grunts, pulses inside you, and his whole body shudders as you milk his cock.  You keep pulsing as he fills you up with his seed. Your whole body is drunk with him.  When you’re both finished coming, he looks at you, and himself, then you again as he catches his breath.  He strokes your face and says, “god damn.” 

You almost forget you’re two different bodies until he slides out of you, leaving a void your insides try to fill. He lays on his side and takes you in his arms again.  

-

He looks so peaceful.  At the moment, you don’t care if you still don't know what’s going on.  You don’t even care if he manipulated you into wanting this so desperately.  All you care about is whether this is going to happen again, and you’re terrified of finding out it’s not.  You start to worry about him going to do this job. 

After a long silence, you say,  “You don’t wanna do it, do you?”

“Do what?” 

“Whatever you have to go and do.”

The peace evaporates from his face.  He sighs.  “No. . . No, I don’t, sugar.”  He rubs his temples with the thumb and pinky of one massive hand.  

“Then why do it?”

“No choice,” he says. 

“That’s messed up,” you say.  “I mean, not having a choice.”

“Yeah, well, it was my own dumb ass.  Thought I was gettin’ outta somethin’ worse.  Didn’t know what I was gettin’ into.” 

“How do you get out of it now?”

“Finish the job, call it a day, see what happens.” 

“Really?”

“It’s been a long time comin’.” 

A couple seconds after he says it, a little smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.  He doesn’t have to make the joke out loud.  You playfully pinch his cheek. 

“Worth the wait?” he asks with a smirk.  

You shrug, and he says, “I’ll take it.” You can feel your whole face and body glowing.  You don’t need to spell it out.

-

You get pensive thinking about why now, why tonight.  “You weren’t just pissed at my dad, were you?”

He chuckles, then almost seems to panic when he sees you’re serious. “God, no, Trouble. . . “   His heart rate visibly quickens on his neck.  He didn’t even have to ask you what you meant.  He wraps his arms tight around you and kisses your head.  

“So whatever happened to ‘not tonight’?” you ask. 

“Couldn’t help it,” he says.  “Neither could you.”  Well, that’s true.  “Plus, now I don't have to worry ‘bout you findin’ out you didn’t blackmail me.  That woulda broken your sick little heart.”

“Maybe,” you say, still a little paranoid, but you push the thoughts away.  

“I don’t think your dad needs to know about this,” he says.  “That woulda been a sick serve though if I was mad at him,” he chuckles.

“Did you just say sick serve. . . “

“Sick serve,” he whispers in your ear.

“I don’t think that means what you– where do you pick this stuff up, anyway?” 

“Prolly Jesse, he never shuts up.”

“So, Jesse’s-”

Joel puts his thumb on your lips.  “Said too much already,” he says. “ You gotta keep it to yourself, okay?”  You give his thumb a little bite before he takes it away. 

It’s funny, you never had anything over him before, but now you kinda do.  Not that you’ll do anything with it.  Too dangerous. 

“Yeah,” you say.  

After a long silence, you ask, “What are you gonna do when it’s over?”

He sighs and adjusts his arms around you.  “This right here,” he says.  “If you want.”  

You fall asleep in his arms again. 

-

When you wake up, he’s gone.  It’s light outside.  Birds are chirping.  You have a text from him that says “Stay here if you want. Back in a couple days.”   You don’t stay there.  It’s too creepy without him.  You go back to your apartment, but you worry about him a lot and check your phone constantly.  A few days later, you get off work, and when you walk out of the bookstore, he’s parked there, leaning against his truck, ankles crossed, wearing Ray Bans and a t-shirt, jeans as tight as ever, arms tucked under his massive biceps.  

“Here comes trouble” he says as he pushes himself off his truck.  He puts his hands on his hips and lets his pants adjust as he pops out one knee.   

Your lips meet as he wraps his arms around you.  

“All done?” you ask.   

“Let’s celebrate,” he says.  “Got that same suite on the river.  Booked it for the rest of the month, so I reckon I’ll be around.”  

-

Thank you for reading and engaging with this story for all six parts, y'all have been so awesome!

FWIW I see this as a happy ending with ominous undertones lol. I think I will come back to these two in the future (assuming there's still interest now that they've fucked). That's why I didn't blow my whole load in over explaining the subplot in this part. I initially included the sub plot so there would be an interesting basis to come back to them after the main story.

I just started another (darker) dad's best friend story: Left in Lincoln. In addition to smut it's also slow burn horror but no gore. Heed warnings. . .

-

Tags - This story: @jbcalway @daddy-din @angelmenace @silkiers @axshadows @legs0pen4dilfs @fan-fiction-floozy @grnherbs @icuminurbutt @lokanda @not-a-unique-snowflakewflake89 @likeanimagepassingby2 @witchy-jadda @mxtokko @missannwinchester @cannolighost @anxiousankylosaurus @montenegroisr @97cityy @lillyrob @billyloomiswhore4 @cloudroomblog @boysddontcry @blackvelveteen1339 @twsssmlmaa @call-me-doll-facee @str84pedro @ausamocee @skythighs @jasminedragon @leeeesahhh @blushynini @momia2910 

All joel: @ethanhoewke @silkiers @eiviea @evyiione @xdaddysprincessxx @queerly-anxiousus @chernayawidow @ambassadortotrilliusprime  @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @jasminespringtime @romanarose 

[kurishiri]

n.3 . . . “ the hunter hides the fleeting truth from the thorns ”

— this translation may not be 100% accurate or may contain creative liberties for characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost or claim these as your own!

— thanks to @ndoandou for helping me with the jude lines! it's thanks to her that they sound a lot better than what they were before, ehe.

— cw: blood and injury, angst.

Ellis: Good evening. Are you Roger?

E: I’d like you to treat this person.

E: I can’t have him die now.

Roger: You ‘can’t have him die’?

When I looked to his side, I saw that the man had a terrible look in his eyes, with blood spilling out from his stomach.

Roger: Hey, who did this to you!

Jude: The hell does that matter, just hurry up ‘n get stitchin’ already.

At the time, I occasionally examined patients at my dad’s clinic while also working for Crown.

It was before the time Jude and Ellis even knew of its existence.

Jude was allegedly a former patient of my dad’s, but that evening, he got stabbed with a knife and asked me to treat him.

Jude: Even without a license ya still can do what you lot do.

J: But in exchange don’t go yappin’ ‘bout takin’ me in as a patient to save face.

Roger: I see, so you’re saying there’s something in it for both you and me? Can’t say I disagree there.

Ellis: ...So can he be treated, Roger?

Roger: Yeah, don’t you worry about that. There’s no way I’d go and let a practice partner die off before my eyes.

Ellis: Thank goodness, I really can’t have him die now.

(...He said the same thing before.)

Roger: What’s with the whole ‘I can’t have him die now’ deal? Just when is it okay for him to die then?

Ellis: Um... at life’s happiest moment... maybe?

My first impression of him was that he was a strange fellow.

But at the same time, Ellis was an honest person, which was something I immediately grew fond of.

It was almost as though I was going through the nostalgia of meeting a friend from long ago.

And finally, I found out the reason for that nostalgia.

Ellis was just like my first ✕✕——he was ✕✕✕✕✕✕ [1].

With my meeting Ellis as a turning point, I became even more immersed in my research.

(Ellis’ tragic fate is... ‘to die by the hands of justice.’)

To me, it was like I could see his death already.

And through Ellis, I could see the Cursed ones who have died meeting their tragic fates they had been dealt.

——To be honest, it sent me into a panic.

And it was at that time when Ellis once again appeared before me.

Ellis: Hey, Roger, come hang out with me.

Ellis took me to a place where you could get a panoramic view of London.

Roger: So you said you wanted to hang out with me, but how’re we gonna do that here?

Ellis: Just wait a little, Roger.

E: I think it’s right about now... ah—

Just then, a bang that seemed to break through the air resonated, and before my eyes, huge flowers bloomed.

Roger: .........

Ellis: I once saw these by chance with Jude, so that’s how I know there are fireworks around this time.

E: I also remembered that Jude was gazing at them, as if taken by them.

E: And I thought to myself, if something is beautiful, it has the power to make them forget what is bothering them, even just for a moment.

Roger: ...And? Why did you take me here?

When I lowered my gaze back, I saw Ellis was speaking while looking up at the fireworks.

Ellis: Well, when you found out I had the Curse of the Thorns, you... acted kind of strangely.

E: Or, probably not strangely... more like, you seemed sad.

Ellis’ silhouette was outlined by the flickering fireworks.

Ellis: ...Hey, Roger. It’s okay to forget everything.

Roger: Forget?

Ellis: Mhm. The fact that I’m Cursed, and whatever you’re going through that you can’t tell anyone else... everything.

E: I want you to be happy too, Roger.

Ellis’ words were so simple and to the point.

Roger: Pff...

R: Pfft, hahaha!

But they were also very kind, and strangely my heart seemed to metaphorically crack.

Roger: Now I think you’re just misunderstanding something here.

Ellis: Eh?

Roger: See, I own a dog at home, and I’ve just been thinking about how he’s been putting on a bit too much weight. And I was sorta moping about that.

Ellis: .........

E: Hehe, I see. That’s also an important problem.

Roger: Yeah. But really, I appreciate the sentiment.

We gave each other smiles before turning back to the night sky, which was decorated with fireworks.

Ellis: ...Let’s just leave it at that.

Ellis’ voice came out in a small murmur, but my ears, not caring about anyone’s intentions, picked the words up anyway.

But I only continued to stare up at the fireworks, pretending I didn’t hear.

(Sorry, Ellis.)

(But forgetting everything is probably impossible for me.)

(Getting destroyed by justice just doesn’t suit someone as kind as you.)

While thinking back on the fireworks, I flipped through the medical records again.

Jude Jazza. “The 13th Fairy.”

Problems with his bronchial tube. Also problematic in character.

I’ve long lost count of how many times I’ve saved his life.

Jude: Speed up n’ get stitchin’ ya quack of a doctor.

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full masterlist ⛓️

NOTES:

[1] maybe a vague spoiler from Roger’s route: if I had to guess, the ✕✕ is something like “friend” [友達] (tomodachi), [友人] (yūjin) or “partner” [相棒] (aibō), something along those lines. Then the ✕✕✕✕✕✕ is probably “the bearer of the Curse of ‘Thorns’” [茨の呪いつき] (ibara no noroi-tsuki).

[shinynewmemories]

Okay okay I'm having Thoughts™ about the basement exchange again. It's a lot all at once but ima try to organize it into 3 main points:

1. Why was Katniss so hurt that Peeta didn't argue with Gale when he said "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can’t survive without"?

At this point, Peeta had in no way recovered from the hijacking. Parts of the old Peeta were returning, yes, but he was NOT 100% back yet. Obviously, Katniss knew this. And it's not like Peeta necessarily AGREED with Gale; he just kept quiet. So why did she feel wronged by Peeta's "failure" to defend her? 

I think it's because Katniss's feelings for Peeta are the exact feelings Gale implied she WOULDN'T have for whomever she picked. Immediately after Gale said it, Katniss thinks: 

Am I really that cold and calculating? Gale didn’t say, “Katniss will pick whoever it will break her heart to give up,” or even “whoever she can’t live without.” Those would have implied I was motivated by a kind of passion. But my best friend predicts I will choose the person who I think I “can’t survive without.” There’s not the least indication that love, or desire, or even compatibility will sway me.

I think Katniss is so deeply offended because she IS motivated by passion (for Peeta). I think love, desire, and compatibility ALL play a part in why she chooses Peeta. And Katniss subconsciously feels that Peeta, who is the OBJECT of her love/passion/desire, should know this. It's as if she's saying "Peeta, you OF ALL PEOPLE should know Gale is wrong because I feel ALL OF THESE THINGS FOR YOU!!!"

And while I think most people (including Katniss) would say her offence at Peeta's silence is a bit irrational, I think it speaks VOLUMES about the truth of her feelings. Especially towards Peeta.

2. What if Gale took what Peeta said about him having "to take care of her family" to heart?

I always assumed Gale took whatever Peeta said and promptly threw it in the garbage bin in his brain. You know, because jealousy? Or I thought Gale was already of the opinion that protecting Katniss's family was his job.

But what if Gale actually listened? What if that's why, during their last interaction before Snow's execution, Gale says, “That was the one thing I had going for me. Taking care of your family"?

Idk I don't have any big point to this. It's just a "what if".

3. What if Peeta took what Gale said about how Katniss would make her choice to heart?

I also always assumed Peeta didn't give Gale's statements in the basement much thought afterwards. After all, he had a lot of other things on his mind (the war, people being beaten to death for looking like him, the hijacking, etc.).

But what if Peeta actually listened? And not only that, but what if he, like Katniss, understood everything Gale was implying: that Katniss would not make her choice based on love, or desire, or compatibility? What if, when Gale said "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can’t survive without", Peeta heard "Even if Katniss DOES pick you, love, passion, and desire will have nothing to do with it"? And what if Peeta BELIEVED him??

If we assume all that is the case, the "so after" scene takes on a whole new meaning. Because one night, Katniss feels such an intense hunger (that's desire!) for Peeta that they end up having sex (that's passion!). And it's this moment that Katniss realizes she would have ended up with Peeta anyway and that he's the only one who can give her what she needs (that's compatibility!). And then, of course, the closing line of the book:

So after, when he whispers, “You love me. Real or not real?” I tell him, “Real.”

(That's love!)(Duh!)

So yeah maybe at some point after "so after", Peeta's just lying there and he thinks "Hey, Gale, if you can hear this: I just gotta let you know that you were dead wrong."

[casteliacityramen]

The lunch rush has passed, replaced with a spectacle of two trainers trading fists for the sake of their pokemons' honor. Ayumi frowns as she watches a trainer take a fist to the face.

"I'm gonna lose this bet," Ayumi groans. Rio raises a half smile away from Ayumi's gaze, a tiny bit of triumph cracks through her lips.

But she drops her smile as quickly as it came, instead pausing to look at Ayumi's face as it contorted with "oohs" and "aah's" after each physical exchange. It was close to the end of the shift, and Ray might be on his way back. Now might be the best time to ask.

Rio's first reaction was to internally sigh with relief along with Ayumi, who did the same. Her next reaction, however, was to internally sigh out of frustration. She was, in fact, from the same Matsumoto clan she knew from a long, long time ago. There's no way Ray didn't know.

"Does Ray know about that whole business? Did he treat you differently once he found out?" Rio asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He knows, and…" Ayumi paused, giving it some thought as she thought back to a couple of years ago.

"Now that you mention it, yeah. He did start acting a little different," Ayumi furrowed her brows. When she looked at Rio for a comment, she met her confused look with an expectant one. She continued.

"He started actin'… nicer? Not the kinda nice where he's hittin' on me or trying to suck up to me 'cause I come from important history or whatever. But he looked kinda…" Ayumi stops, pausing as she remembers the late night noodle runs she had with her husband and her son.

She remembers the nights she'd catch him looking at her direction with a deep seated sorrow. She remembers how his shoulders would sag and his eyes would wander over her face to look for a resemblance to someone he knew before he shook himself and returned to his usual stoic face.

"He looked kinda sad. Did he know someone from my family?" Ayumi asks slowly.

"He did." Rio looks away. She searches within herself to find the right words to be vague enough to respond, but detailed enough to satisfy her question.

"Gotcha," Ayumi softly says, getting the idea that this was something she shouldn't press. She decided to take it a different direction.

"Well, it's fair you tell me somethin' since you keep askin' me all sorts of questions," Ayumi smiles.

"Why are you askin' so many questions about Ray? Don't ya two work together? He doesn't tell you nothin', huh?"

Rio's heart quickens, unexpectedly put on the spot. Again, she thinks about how to be simultaneously vague and truthful.

"I talk about him a lot because…"

"No, it's just that you need a last name to be fully registered in Castelia if you don't want to deal with any pokeballs. I just stole his last name, and I guess he stole Tai's," Rio says.

"I can't tell if you're worried for him or tryin' to find out what he's been doin'," Ayumi nervously laughs, looking slightly uncomfortable at the idea of unintentionally throwing Ray under the bus.

"Both. He hasn't been himself, recently. I guess I'm worried for him," Rio mutters begrudgingly.

"You must've dumped him pretty hard, huh?" Ayumi laughs. Rio looks away awkwardly.

"It was a mutual breakup."

"… So he must've dumped you pretty hard, huh?" Ayumi laughs again, and Rio quickly shoots a frown at her. Ayumi laughs harder.

"Just messin' with ya."

Rio huffs. It technically was Ray to first suggest that they separate, even after all the ordeals they went through together. It's not that she didn't disagree with the decision, but-

Before Rio could think more about it, the two are cut off as the trainers take a seat with pained expressions.

"Dammit, there goes five hundred pokeyen. Coming right up!" Ayumi smiles.

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[therunawaykind]

When You Love Somebody

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x GN!Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None? honestly, I can't remember I wrote this back in May

A/N: Long time no see! I finally have time to post something for you all again! I'm pretty sure this stemmed from a prompt @writing-house-of-m gave me months ago that I for the life of me cannot remember anymore. This very much could be a disaster and mess of writing but nonetheless, enjoy!

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*Please do not repost or translate my material or claim as yours. reblogs, comments and likes are always appreciated!*

At the start, people were very much against the idea of you pursuing and starting this long-distance relationship…of course, it's completely understandable why the people you knew would be hesitant about something like this. The one consolation you had for this whole experience was that you had met your now girlfriend's twin brother whilst he was on exchange at the college you were currently studying at. You had gotten friendly with the twin who you now knew as Pietro due to being one of the many people in charge of giving information to any exchange or new students. As well as giving campus tours and any queries these students may have regarding the college and accommodation.  

It was on a random afternoon when Pietro was hanging out in your apartment when he got the notification of a Facetime call coming through, being respectable you offered to leave the room whilst he talked to whoever it was for his own privacy worried in case it was his anyone from his family or a significant other. He quickly turned down and dismissed your offer stating that it was only his younger sister. Sitting at the other end of the sofa scrolling on your phone in an attempt to give him at least some privacy whilst they talked….you quickly realised he had all the privacy he wanted and needed as they both started conversing in their native tongue.

Chuckling to yourself as you threw your phone onto the coffee table to start looking through the cupboards to search for what you could make for dinner. As you started taking out the pots and pans the mention of your name made your head shoot up subsequently hitting your head off of the open cupboard, muttering a quiet “fuck” under your breath. You take a deep breath and rub the back of your head as you hear Pietro call out to you “Hey Y/N c’mere a sec I wanna introduce you to Wanda…annndd she also kinda wants to say hi since she saw you in the background.” Your eyes went wide as you realised Wanda Pietro’s younger sister had just seen you go through that whole predicament. 

Sheepishly making your way over behind Pietro to introduce yourself, you waved slowly as you started to furrow your eyebrows “Hey Piet… I thought you said that your sister was younger.” You chuckled slightly at the gasp that left Wanda’s mouth as she started cursing and muttering at Pietro in their native language again as Pietro fell back laughing on the sofa. Glancing between Pietro and Wanda seeing her eyebrow arch as she silently tells him to share the truth, between laboured breaths he starts to sit up saying “Technically technically she is my younger sister-” smirking as you hear Wanda clear her throat “However she is my twin sister I am just 12 minutes older.” You nod your head slowly and let out a quiet “Oh okay cool.” Clearing your throat as you scratch the side of your neck nervously “Hey Wanda can… can I ask you something.” As Wanda turns her attention towards you she grins and rests her chin on her hand “Sure what’s up?” 

“Did you..did you uhh see everything that happened back there a few minutes ago?” 

The second Wanda starts to smirk you know the answer as she slowly nods her head “Oh yeah Y/N I saw everything.”  You purse your lips and nod your head as you start rambling “Cool cool cool cool.” 

Pietro suddenly snaps out of whatever daze he was in “Huh? What, what happened Y/N/N what happened what did I miss that happened to you?” You smirk and pat him on the shoulder “Nothing Piet don’t worry about it. I better get back to making dinner but Wanda it was nice meeting you and hopefully, we can talk again at some stage.” Giving her a lil two-finger salute in goodbye as you spin around on your heels to go continue making dinner. 

What you missed was Pietro smirking to himself and Wanda as he wiggles his eyebrows and she swiftly tells him to shut it. 

It was from that moment on you and Wanda started contacting and talking to each other…Wanda boldly asked Pietro if he could get your number for her, you naively thinking it was innocent and Wanda just wanted to be friendly, not realising it would lead you both to now. 

Packing your suitcases with Pietro for another one of your visits to Sokovia, granted you had been able to pack by yourself to go to Sokovia before. But Pietro warned you this time around you would need his help. The reason being it's winter in Sokovia and you’d severely underestimate just how cold it is during that time and under pack hugely and he really couldn’t handle dealing with the wrath of his sister. Wanda had come to visit you from time to time overall it was just easier for you to visit her on the regular with your college and work schedule being so flexible. 

As the aeroplane started to descend to the runaway you looked out the window and saw just how much snow Sokovia was covered in an amazed “woah” came from your mouth. As you manoeuvred your way through baggage claim and the airport. Whilst you have witnessed and experienced snow back home..this was unlike anything else you’ve ever seen, stepping outside and taking a deep breath in as your eyes scan the exit of the airport taking in all the hustle and bustle whilst also attempting to catch a glimpse of your brunette covered in a beanie and bundled in layers.

Rocking back and forth on your heels as you look around the parking lot you smirk to yourself when you see the beanie-covered head coming your way with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her coat. Exhaling the breath you were holding and smiling to yourself as your breath clouded the cold air in front of you, slowly approaching the grinning brune- redhead? You wrap your free arm around your torso in an attempt to keep in the little warmth you have as you state “You changed the colour of your hair.” 

“Wow no hi, hello, how’s my lovely girlfriend doing? But yes I did, I did I wanted it to be a surprise. You- you don’t hate it do you?” Wanda brings her hands up to the hair that’s cascading down her shoulders touching and playing with it insecurely. “No no! God no! I like it. It’s just the last time we talked…well you were brunette so I was expecting a brunette to come pick me up.” Wanda lets out a sarcastic laugh as she shoves you and notices your teeth start to chatter “Yeah, yeah alright come on before you turn to ice.” Sighing to yourself in relief as you sat into Wanda’s car feeling the warmth inside heating you up, placing your head back against the headrest as you shut your eyes making sure to catch up on all the things you both missed out on as you prepared for the journey to Wanda’s house. 

After a few hours of getting settled into Wanda and her family's home, you assumed the feeling of cold would’ve disappeared by now however that wasn’t the case. You were sitting on the floor in front of their fire with a fluffy blanket wrapped around you with your warmest clothes on trying to get warm. Wanda was lying across the sofa relaxing whilst her parents were sitting together on a separate sofa relaxing as if this was an ordinary day and….actually functioning as normal human beings. Wanda propped herself up on the couch leaning her hand against her temple as she stared at you despairingly as she sighed “Y/N/N honey come up here will you please and lemme try help and get you warm?” As you turned around to face Wanda the only way she could describe the expression you had on your face was pure stubbornness that you couldn’t succeed in getting yourself warm. She smirked to herself and her parents as she glanced at them quickly whilst she was reaching for yet another blanket at the bottom of the sofa to drape it over both you and her. 

The dip in the cushions of the sofa made her look up at you and grin lovingly as she threw the ends of the blanket over her feet haphazardly whilst opening her arms wide for you to lie into. Trying to stop a smile from spreading across your face pretending you hate the idea of being cuddled up with Wanda on the sofa, you sigh heavily as you start getting yourself comfortable in front of her as she fixes the blanket that was already wrapped around you and pulling up the other she threw haphazardly by her feet making sure everything was tucked in tight around the both of you so you would get as much heat as physically possible. 

Wanda leans forward and whispers in your ear “Also honey don’t pretend that you hate this I know you love being cuddled up next to me, besides we need to get you warmed up we can’t be having you this cold for the duration of your stay.” 

You sigh lightly “I know, I know I just didn’t wanna seem… I dunno weak or whatever I suppose in front of your parents for not even being capable of getting myself warm.” 

She purses her lips as she places her hand on your head “Honey I can assure you they don’t think you’re weak or whatever. This type of weather is new to you, your body is getting accustomed to this. I can assure you they just don’t want you getting sick or affecting you badly…so if it takes you cuddling up next to their daughter under some blankets, they don’t care. All that matters is that you get warm and you know….they do say body heat is the most effective way to keep warm.” 

You chuckle slightly as you mumble “I could think of a more fun way of using body heat to get and stay warm.” Wanda gasps slightly as she shoves you forward before grabbing the back of your shirt so you don’t fall off the sofa, “I was making reference to emperor penguins and how they huddle together in the cold….you had to go and suggest that I was insinuating it another way.” Wanda smirks and winks at you as she sees your head turn slightly to look back at her. You shake your head in disbelief and mouth “Oh my God, unbelievable.” 

Getting comfortable on the sofa again Wanda slips her arm underneath your shirt draping it across your stomach, flinching slightly at the warmth coming from Wanda it’s only then that you realise she’s been wearing a t-shirt the whole time as you run your hand up her forearm to hold her hand. “You’re always so nice and warm, how are you always so nice and warm?” 

Wanda chuckles slightly at the comment as she mumbles “Well honey you might not have noticed but whenever I am with you…you’re always cold so I can only assume that carries over to when I’m not with you as well. But it works, that makes us a good combination you cool me down in the summer with how cold your body is and in the winter I get to warm you up. We’re a perfect team.” She grins down at you after stating that, rubbing her thumbs across your stomach and kissing the top of your head. You both divert your attention to the television screen and bask in the comfort and happiness of being with your partner and her parents.

[ckret2]

Guess who's finally satisfied with part 3 of "Human Bill Cipher (In A Purple Bedsheet Toga) Attempts To Get His Revenge On The Pines"! (Real title TBD.) Here's the masterpost for the whole fic. 7/30/2024 now edited for TBOB compatibility. When we last left off:

For all Bill's struggling, flailing, and wheezing, he couldn't do much from beneath an entire school bus's worth of Mabels and Dippers. Voice thin from crushed lungs, Bill demanded, "What—how—where did you come from?!"

The entire population of Mabels grinned. The one sitting atop the pile crowed, "I think you mean... when did we come from!" Her duplicates cheered.

"Two hours from now," a Dipper added. "Our bus gets here in two hours."

####

Two hours from then, Mabel, Dipper, and Waddles got off the bus from California and looked around the bus stop with wide smiles.

Mabel's smile faded when she couldn't spot anybody. "Huh, I thought Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford were meeting us. They got here this afternoon, right?"

"Maybe their flight was delayed?" Dipper suggested—then spotted another Mabel and Dipper running up. "Whoa, what—?"

At the top of his lungs, the new Dipper shouted, "AMBIDEXTROUS PLATYPUS FARTS!"

Mabel cracked up. "WHAT?"

Dipper gasped. "It's my password! After all the evil clones and shapeshifters and bodysnatchers we dealt with last summer, I came up with a secret password—"

New Dipper cut in, "—so if I ever came up to myself and claimed to be a time traveler, I'd know I'm telling the truth!" New Dipper and New Mabel skidded to a stop. "We have an emergency, guys. Bill is back—"

Mabel cut in, "Wait, Bill-Bill?"

"Bill-Bill!" New Mabel said. "And he's possessing a tourist and about to shoot Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford and Soos right now!" She paused. "I mean—right now, two hours ago."

New Dipper handed a time tape to his double. "You've got to go back to 5:18 p.m., take Bill down, and take his laser and this tape away from him! And then... do that again a bunch of times in a row, I guess."

New Mabel added, "I painted an X in the future so you'll know where to tackle him in the past!" She offered a can of red spray paint to her double. "Here, you'll need this."

Dipper dropped his duffel bag and shrugged off his bulging backpack. "We don't have any time to lose! We'll come back for our luggage later. Let's go, Mabel!"

She dropped her bags as well, and the four twins sprinted for the Mystery Shack with Waddles chasing as fast as he could.

Until Mabel skidded to a stop. "Hold on! We've got a time thingy, right? We don't need to hurry! We can just jump back to 5:18 from any time."

"Oh, yeah." "That's true." "Good thinking, me!"

The original twins retrieved their luggage, and the group headed toward the shack again at a leisurely stroll, with Waddles trotting happily between the two Mabels. The evening weather was lovely.

####

"What about you, Bill? What are you doing here?" Dipper demanded.

"Yeah," Mabel added, "I thought you were stuck in that dumb book we chucked into another universe! What happened to that whole thing?"

Bill let out as heavy a sigh as he could manage when pinned down by a ton of teenagers. "Well..."

####

This is where Bill's explanatory flashback would be, if he were cooperative.

He wasn't cooperative.

####

"You actually thought I was ever really gone? Boy, look at gullible over here!" Bill laughed.

The Dippers and Mabels exchanged a collective look, and without a word, shifted so more of the pile was weighing directly down on Bill.

He wheezed. "No sense of humor."

"I've got his time tape!" one Dipper shouted, holding it above the crowd.

"And I've got the laser," a Mabel called, waving it in the air. "Can I keep...?"

Ford gave her a stern look and held out his hand. She sighed and handed it over.

"Okay, Mabel Number One here!" another Mabel shouted, shaking her spray can. "Everybody move forward, I've got an X to mark!" The group obligingly shuffled forward, prompting more displeased grunts from Bill. Mabel considered his feet thoughtfully before spray painting an X where she estimated he'd been standing before.

"Not gonna lie, I thought we were goners," Soos said. "That was crazy! How did you two do that!"

Bill snapped, "By pulling the kind of time loop that ought to have Time Baby down here gumming you idiots to death. I throw one little party and he makes a personal trip to the 21st century just to invade my pad, but two brats pull off as clear-cut a paradox as you can imagine..."

The Dippers and Mabels worked through the logic of their own rescue as they realized they wouldn't have known to come if they hadn't told themselves. Dipper said, "Maybe this is actually the altered timeline, and in the original timeline you did kill them and we had to steal your time tape to change the past?"

Ford took a time tape from a Dipper who had two. "Although that does beg the question of why the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron isn't here to investigate all these time loops. Or how you got so many of yourselves here at the same time. Has this tape been tampered with...?"

Bill said, "Yeah, smart guy, everybody knows time tapes are designed to prevent overlapping time loops! So how are there so many kids here? The mystery must be killing you!" He laughed. "I could tell you, if you let me up."

Ford shot him a dark look. "You know I won't."

"I know." Bill sneered at Ford. "Just wanted to make sure you remember all the things I could tell you. Your loss."

Bill's eyes looked the same as they always had—maybe a little jaundiced, a little too human, but those were still Bill's eyes. Ford had never seen such wrath in his eyes before. 

He looked away. When he properly met the woman Bill was possessing, he wouldn't want to remember Bill glaring through her eyes.

####

While the adults found something to tie up Bill, the Dippers entertained themselves by journaling and the Mabels by decorating each other's faces with scented markers.

Without anything better to do, Bill twisted his head to watch the kids. "Hey. Can I get some art?"

The nearest Mabel looked at him, looked at the closest Dipper (who considered the odds that this was a trap, and shrugged warily), and looked back at Bill. Logically, he might be trying to get her hand close enough to his face for him to bite it and drink her blood or something—and ethically, the alien menace who'd threatened her family didn't deserve nice things—and pettily, she didn't want him to have nice things—but then, when she tilted her head just slightly, rather than seeing Bill Cipher, she saw a vast expanse of unblemished face skin just begging for artwork. Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter if a murderous monster got to enjoy the benefits of scented markers, as long as Mabel got to enjoy the benefits of making art.

Anyway, who else's face was she gonna draw on? Dipper had already turned her down and her duplicates were running out of facial real estate. "I don't see why not! What do you want?"

"Draw me."

Mabel grimaced. "Ooh, that's gonna be a no. Grunkle Ford says drawings of you are magic?"

Bill sighed loudly. "Sheesh, you sound as paranoid as him. What are my options?"

"I specialize in tiger masks, butterfly masks, rainbows, unicorns, spiders, aaand flowers!"

"Fine, gimme a butterfly."

"Colors?"

"Dealer's choice."

"Oooh." Mabel considered his face, grabbed her banana, cherry, and raspberry markers, held them from the very butt so Bill couldn't reach her fingers, and got to work. But Bill didn't try to bite her. He just stared off into space stoically.

He did start biting when the adults returned to secure him. As they tried to restrain his limbs, he kicked, clawed, struggled, flailed, and snapped his teeth—but without the advantage of the time tape and a gift shop of projectile souvenirs, he only wore himself out. By the time they determined him sufficiently immobilized—hands cuffed behind his back, up arms chained to his ribs, knees and ankles tied up—and the twin pile freed him, Bill was gasping for breath, eyes squeezed shut. He didn't even attempt to sit up. Stan and Ford tried not to look too close at the trembling human form collapsed on the stony floor.

"And the final touch..." Soos took off the fuzzy pink belt he'd been wearing all day and wrapped it around Bill's waist. "Yes. Finally." He paused. "Hey, I was right, this belt does look good with that bedsheet. Compliments the pink in your butterfly, too!"

Bill opened one eye. Voice strained, he conceded, "Doesn't look bad."

"Is that unicorn hide? Excellent work." Ford clapped a hand on Soos's shoulder. "A few moonstones and mercury, and Bill will be trapped inside that body until we find a way to extract and contain him."

"He will? Hey, whaddaya know!" Soos beamed. "Fashionable and functional."

Ford tried to ignore Bill's gaze on the side of his head—attentive, calculating, scheming. "I'll... get the supplies and be right back."

The Dippers and Mabels consulted the tally marks on their palms, added one more each with Mabel's markers, arranged themselves in a semicircle behind the X marking Bill's spot, and all returned to the past except for two. The Dipper and Mabel with twenty-five tallies high-fived. "Yes!"

Dipper sighed, "Finally. I thought we were gonna repeat the same fifteen minutes forever."

Stan—currently guarding Bill with Ford's laser—glanced over at Dipper. "Hold on. If you kids have been doing some kind of crazy time loop, then that means you've been tackling this creep over and over for...?"

"Over six hours," Dipper groaned.

"We ate my last pocket bus snacks ten loops ago," Mabel said. She held up her hand. "On the bright side, I smell so delicious now?"

Dipper sniffed his own hand's tally marks. "Ew."

"Haaa! You wanted the black licorice marker, bro!"

Wiping his palm on his shorts, Dipper said, "And we got up at five to catch our bus. We've been up almost twenty-one hours. I'm completely drained."

"Pffft!"

Stan, Soos, and the twins turned to give Bill a wary look.

"'Oh no! I'm a delicate little human! I've gone half a day without a REM cycle and three hours without glucose! How can I function like this?'" His laugh was a wretched, hacking cough. "It's pathetic how weak you are."

"You're one to talk," Dipper snapped. "These weak humans took you down! Again!"

"Wow, amazing, if you pile five thousand pounds of dead weight on top of a body made of calcium sticks wrapped in raw meat, it can't get up. Congratulations on learning how gravity works!" Bill rolled onto his back, and—with a laborious effort akin to a kid in gym class attempting one sit-up too many—managed to heave himself up to a sitting position. "You got lucky—" he cast a dirty look at the X spray painted on the ground, "—but luck changes." His lower butterfly wings crinkled as a smile twisted up his face. "I escaped death itself. Do you really think a bunch of stupid sub-centenarian children like you can stop me from escaping a little rope and chains?"

Stan bristled. "What I think is you've got a butterfly-shaped bullseye in the middle of your face and I've got a laser with your name on it if you don't shut up!"

Mabel gasped quietly. "My butterfly."

Bill laughed at Stan's anger, mouth open, all teeth. It seemed like far too many teeth, coming from a creature that shouldn't have had a mouth. "Oh, that's precious! Sure, go ahead, Stanley, let's find out what'll happen—!" Bill froze as Stan shoved the laser between his eyes.

"Maybe I will!"

Dipper flinched, "Grunkle Stan, what if it's a trap—"

Bill headbutted the barrel hard enough to knock the laser out of Stan's hand; and even with his body restrained in four place, with an unexpected burst of grace he was back on his feet. Bill's voice plummeted to a demonic roar that hardly seemed to fit inside the short human body. "Do you want to see what I can do?! You wanna see what I'm still capable of?! FINE! I'll SHOW you what... wh-what..."

Bill's eyes rolled back and his face went slack.

He flopped face first to the ground.

The humans stared. Stan asked, "Is, uh. Is this what you're capable of?"

The back of Bill's head didn't answer.

Soos rolled him onto his back and tugged up one eyelid. "Guys, I think he fainted. Is that a good thing, or...?"

Mabel poked his arm. "This again? You'd think he'd have learned to grab an energy drink by now."

Dipper said, "Maybe he's still trying to drink them with his eyeballs." Mabel laughed.

Stan grunted. "I'm fine with whatever gets him to shut up a few minutes."

Dipper gasped. "Wait—if we let him escape this body, he could be anywhere! The belt! Grunkle Ford, the moonstones!"

He and Mabel ran to find him. 

####

Stan said, "I say we sit him up, shoot him in the back of the head, and bury the body right in here." Dipper and Mabel stared at him with wide eyes.

"Believe me, Stanley, I'd love to do that." (Dipper and Mabel turned their wide-eyed stare on Ford.) "But all that would accomplish is murdering some innocent woman who was probably unlucky enough to pick up his book, while Bill himself escapes. And that's assuming he hasn't already left her brain!" It had taken almost a minute after Bill fainted for Ford to coat the belt in mercury and duct tape on several moonstones. "Kill her and he'd just come back wearing another poor victim."

Stan considered that. "Could he escape her brain if we buried her alive?" (Dipper and Mabel turned again to stare at him.)

There were no good solutions. There was no point in being cruel enough to ask Fiddleford to make a new memory gun so they could retry the stunt they'd pulled during Weirdmageddon, since getting shattered into psychic dust had clearly only slowed Bill down; and setting the gun to erase "Bill Cipher" from the puppet's brain would just erase her memories of Bill rather than Bill himself. They could try going into the victim's mindscape after Bill, but all the tricks Ford knew to capture dreams or exorcise spirits only might work on an entity like Bill—or might let him hop into one of their heads. 

First, they needed to make sure Bill was still in this body; and if he was, they needed something foolproof to extract and destroy him.

And until then, they had to contain him.

####

Melody turned toward the opening vending machine door, relief on her face. "Oh, Soos! There you are! I was getting worried. I've been looking for you for twenty minutes, the gift shop looks like a tornado hit it..." She trailed off, taking in the sight of Soos and Stan carrying an unconscious, tied-up woman wrapped in a bedsheet with a butterfly on her face, and Ford training a laser gun on her. "Please tell me that's some kind of evil fairy queen and not an actual tourist."

"Worse, it's Bill Cipher!"

Stan flinched. "Soos—"

"Yeah, he took over this tourist in a cool toga, I think he's been staking out the Shack the last few months with time travel, and he tried to kill the Pineses—Dipper and Mabel had to stop him and..." Soos looked at Stan. "Oh, hold on, was I not supposed to share that?"

"Of course not!"

Ford said, "This is a very delicate situation, and the more people get involved, the less we can control it. We can't tell anyone—"

Abuelita stuck her head through the living room "Employees Only" door. "Mijo, here you are. Who is this? A... guest?"

"Oh, hey Abuelita. This is Bill Cipher—you know, the triangle guy? Yeah, we caught him trying to kill us, so we're gonna keep... him..." Soos trailed off under Stan's glare. "Oh, come on! You can't expect me not to tell Abuelita!"

Abuelita gave Bill's unconscious form a calm, considering look, said, "I will cook an extra serving for dinner," and let the door swing shut.

"Wait wait wait," Melody said. "Triangle guy Bill Cipher? Like, turned-us-all-into-statues Bill Cipher?" She'd been unfortunate enough to be on a weekend trip back to Gravity Falls for a date with Soos when Bill had invaded. He'd been in her nightmares ever since.

Soos shot Stan an apologetic look, then said, "Yeah, that one."

"So, have you called the police yet? Or—or the FBI, or...?"

"It's cool, we've got it all under control," Soos said. "We're gonna lock him in the cellar."

"You're what?"

"Yeah, I've got a mattress down there he can take. There's a TV, the pinball machine... Do you think Bill likes pinball?"

"He won't be here long," Stan reassured Melody. "I've got some out-of-state 'connections' from a previous 'business venture' who have 'resources.'" He'd hooked his arms through Bill's armpits to free his hands up to make finger quotes. "I'm calling in a 'favor.' They can hold him somewhere 'comfortable,' until..."

Firmly, Ford said, "Until we've come up with something more permanent."

Stan nodded. "Once we're sure we trapped him in this girl, he'll be outta here."

Soos said, "Oh, hey—do you think we might need to close the Shack tomorrow? I should go tell Wendy. Be right back." He handed Bill's feet to Ford and headed to the living room.

"Oh no you don't, hold on!" Stan dropped Bill's head on the floor and followed Soos.

Ford looked down at Bill in dismay, trying to figure out how best to pick him up without risking Bill trying to bite out his throat again if he woke up. From the stairwell, Mabel and Dipper peered around him to help consider the predicament; Mabel said, "Just drag him." Dipper nodded.

Melody screwed up her face, but sighed in resignation. "I've got it." She helped heave Bill back up. "But I want a really good explanation why we aren't letting the cops handle the dangerous superpowered criminal."

Ford said, "Melody, I know you haven't lived here long. But have you seen the police in this town?"

Melody sucked thoughtfully on her teeth. "Fair point. But what about the government? If there are actual aliens on the planet, surely there's some kind of Guys In Black or X-Folders squad to deal with them?" She paused at the gift shop exit.

 Mabel got the door open for her. "I think we brain damaged the last guys in black that came to town."

Dipper laughed. "Yeah, they could barely handle zombies. I don't think they'd have any idea how to handle Bill."

"Precisely," Ford said. "They don't know his abilities like we do. Once he's out of our hands, we wouldn't be able to ensure he's properly contained." Voice lowered, he added, "Besides—I'm afraid involving the government might play right into his hands. He's been pulling the strings on human politics for millennia, and there's no way to know who secretly answers to him—"

Melody made another face. "Yeeeah, no, nah, I don't believe in any of that... 'shadow government' conspiracy theory stuff."

"And in most contexts, your skepticism would be wise." Ford and Melody let Dipper and Mabel haul open the cellar doors, and then carefully descended the stairs. "But where Bill's involved—there are few facets of human history that haven't been drawn into his tangled web. He's a master manipulator, and our world has been his pet project for millions of years. For crying out loud, he even helped fake the moon landing—"

Flatly, Melody said, "The moon landing."

"Yes!"

"How do you know this."

Ford and Melody dropped Bill on the bare mattress, and Ford gestured impatiently at him. "He admitted it himself! When he was busy boasting about how he helped 'inspire' Kubrick's work."

Melody planted her hands on her hips. "So, you're telling me a 'master manipulator'... told you he faked the moon landing... and... you believe him?"

Ford stared at her.

####

"Hey Wendy," Soos said, fiddling with office phone's cord. "This is Soos. Your boss. Listen, I know you have a shift tomorrow, but uh, you might not need to come in, okay? I mean—maybe. It depends. Still figuring it out. I'll call you in the morning." He glanced at Stan, who sharply nodded.

Wendy said, "Oh? How come?"

While Stan furiously mouthed Soos do NOT tell her anything or I swear— Soos said, "Uhh, Shack might be closed tomorrow, that's all."

"Oh, is it for like family reunion stuff?"  Tone brightening, she said, "Hey, is it cool if I swing by anyway? I wanna come say hi to Dipper and Mabel."

Soos frantically waved a hand. "Nooo, you can't! For. Reasons."

Wendy was silent a moment. Soos bit his lip. Wendy said, "For... weird scary paranormal stuff reasons?"

Soos looked at Stan for guidance. Stan shrugged and made a so-so gesture. Soos said, "Yeah, pretty much."

Wendy laughed. "Oh man, seriously? Give the Pines heck for me for getting into something the first day of summer vacation. Text me every half hour so I know you're alive and I don't have to come over with an axe."

Soos sighed in relief. "Thanks, Wendy."

As Soos was hanging up, Ford barged into the office, Dipper and Mabel behind him. "Stanley, this is urgent. As soon as we've dealt with Bill, we need to visit the moon."

Stan processed that and grinned. "All right, I'm game!"

Ford's watch beeped, startling him. "What—oh! That's right, I set a reminder for us to go..." He paused, looking at Dipper and Mabel. "... Pick you two up from the bus stop."

Dipper gasped. "Right! Mabel, I almost forgot! We'll be here any minute! We've got to go tell ourselves to stop Bill! Where did the time tape go?"

"And the spray paint! I gave myself spray paint—"

"Kids—hold on a second." Stan nudged past Ford to kneel in front of Dipper and Mabel. "Listen. I know this isn't how you wanted your vacation to start—especially after we spent all year convincing your parents there won't be any more apocalypses this time—and, I'm sorry. But as soon as you get back from the bus, treat it like you just got here for the first time. We'll say hi, we'll have dinner, you two can make plans to visit your friends tomorrow—and we'll keep all this as far from you as possible."

Dipper started in first. "But, Grunkle Stan—"

"What if you need our help?"

"We've defeated Bill more times than anyone else—"

"And we just saved your lives again!"

"Whoa, easy!" Stan put his hands on their shoulders. "I know you can deal with him—but you shouldn't have to. You're kids, it's summer, you're here to have fun."

"Stan's right," Ford said. "We've already contained Bill—so try not to let him weigh on your mind."

Stan gave them an encouraging smile. "Let the old guys clean up this mess, okay?"

They didn't answer. Instead, they exchanged a glance, and then leaned in to fling their arms around Stan's neck. 

"Hey, hey! C'mon, kids, what's..." His voice caught on a lump in his throat. He wrapped his arms around Dipper and Mabel and squeezed them tight. After a moment, Ford joined in.

They didn't separate until Soos leaned in to crush their lungs.

####

As they ate dinner together around the large living room table, the Pines didn't talk about Bill. They talked about who they wanted to catch up with in town and what events they'd participate in this summer, and the kids' last semester of school, and the places Ford and Stan had traveled, and where in Gravity Falls the kids might be able to continue their judo lessons (by the sound of it, nowhere), and what Stan and Ford remembered about taking boxing as kids, and Dipper's indecision over what electives to take next year, and Mabel's enthusiasm over the parkour classes she'd started at a gym near home.

They didn't talk about why the kids had decided to pick up sports that could help them fight or escape. They didn't bring up all the times Dipper had called Ford after recurring nightmares of being pulled out of his body and left adrift. They didn't comment on Soos and Melody's absence from dinner as they took first watch over the cellar. They didn't ask questions when Stan left the living room table to take a call in the kitchen from his "connections." They didn't speculate on whether Bill might have escaped his puppet's body during the precious seconds between when he passed out and when they completed the barrier belt. They didn't talk about fear.

Down below in the cellar, the unconscious body didn't stir.

[jesssssssssica]

are we still friends? cl16

“i think that we should end this”

i knew the end was near a while back, i mean did he not think i’d seen the way he would look at my friends, the same way he used to look at me when we were just two teenagers in love who thought they could take on the whole world together. 

i miss those days a lot.  

“oh okay.”

i think he expected a much bigger reaction from me, i mean at least i think by the surprised expression he bears at my short answer. i don’t know why he thought i would give him much more than a one sentence answer though because i know if the roles were reversed he would be the exact same, maybe he would only just utter ‘okay’. 

does he expect me to empty my heart out and beg for a second chance? to say that he was the best thing i had because he isn’t, i have a life outside of him, or does he think that when i’m not attending races with him i’m crying in my room, missing his presence? i don’t know what goes on in his mind. 

i will miss him though.

i’ll miss waking up to the sunlight shining down on his face, highlighting his features as he lightly snores against the pillow.

i’ll miss christmas and spending it with his family, waking up on christmas morning and trotting downstairs, laughter echoing around the living room as we all exchange gifts.

i’ll miss his stupid accent struggling to pronounce words.

i really will miss him but if it’s really meant to be then maybe one day, whilst i’m sitting down in some random cafe i’ve stumbled across, i’ll look across the room and spot him and only then will i realise that we’re meant to be but until then we will have to part way-

“hey y/n, i hope we can still be friends.”

what.

the.

hell.

how can he ask that when he knows that in a weeks time he’ll find himself in the arms of someone i called a friend?

if i had the strength i would ask him ‘can we be friends?’ but i’m afraid that a sob might escape me instead.

is he an idiot? he had the perfect chance to just leave and get on with his normal life and yet he has my mind working a mile a minute. surely he realises that we would never work as just friends, i’d be petty that you moved on so quickly which would then cause you to make a snide comment about me which would then make me throw my drink on you and then yeah…. not the greatest friendship.

if we were still friends, i wouldn’t shake your hand or say hello or laugh at your jokes, i would probably just smile at you once or twice, though you’d be able to tell that the smile doesn’t quite reach my eyes, causing your mood to damper but i know even after that you won’t give up. 

so why, when you know the truth, do you still want to be friends? just say your goodbyes not ‘see you soon’ or ‘smell you later’ because that means you hope we have another chapter, so just say goodbye and walk away. 

i don’t exactly like you right now charles, but i’d rather we didn’t end this on bad terms. 

i look up, only just remembering the other presence in the room, somehow ignoring his beady eyes on my face. 

he stares at me, waiting anxiously for my answer, so i just shake my head. 

“no charles, we can’t.”

his shoulders sag and he walks away into the night. 

i never saw him after that. 

i wonder what could’ve been.

authors note: i’m gonna cry, i’m going back into my short pieces again :(((

[omgrachwrites]

Over Now - Dalton Lambert

Pairing: Dalton Lambert x Reader

Warnings: fluff, angst, mentions of cheating, ooc Dalton

Prompt: "Did you think of me when you were having sex with her?"

A/N: I'm really not sure how I feel about this! I hope you guys enjoy though, I love you all! xxx

You shivered slightly in the cold as you pulled your jacket tighter around yourself as you and Chris waited for Dalton in the quad. You were slightly worried as to where he could be, he hated being late. He shot you a quick text telling you that he had something to do off campus but that he was still coming.

“Are you sure he’s coming?” Chris asked, turning to face you.

You nodded as you double checked your phone for what felt like the 100th time. There was no text from him to say he wouldn’t be coming. You knew he wouldn’t just bail without telling you. Especially not today.

“He’ll be here,” you insisted.

The truth was, you and Dalton, and Chris were going out for breakfast because you and Dalton were going to come clean about your secret relationship. The two of you had been dating for months now, you had wanted to shout it from the rooftops but Dalton wanted to keep it quiet, just for a little while.

Finally, you saw your boyfriend walk towards you both with an apologetic smile on his face, “I’m so sorry that I’m late, guys!” he apologised as he greeted you. He gave you a hug that lasted a little longer than it needed to, and as he pulled away his smile dropped a little, “did you think that I wouldn’t come?” he frowned when you nodded, “I promised I would.”

You nod again, “yeah, I know, guess I was just a little worried.”

Chris, who had been watching this whole exchange narrowed her eyes at the both of you, “c’mon, I’m starving.”

You and Dalton jumped away from each other, grinning at her guiltily.

The three of you sat in the diner a couple of blocks away from the campus and you ordered your usual breakfast. Dalton laced his fingers through yours underneath the table, giving your hand a squeeze. You glanced at him with a nod, knowing it was time.

Dalton cleared his throat and spoke up, “Chris, there’s something we need to tell you.”

Chris looked between the two of you, a ghost of a smirk on her face, “is it the fact that you guys are together?”

“You knew?” you ask with a gasp.

Chris snorted as she cut into her pancakes, “of course I knew, you guys aren’t exactly subtle, y’know,” she laughed as you and Dalton looked at each other, a flush staining your cheeks, I’m happy for you guys, as long as you don’t gross me out by making out all the time or something.”

Dalton chuckled as he kissed your cheek, you grinned, happy that your best friend had taken the news so well. The three of you spent the whole day together hanging out, it was really nice, you were all so busy with college you didn’t do this as much as you would like.

“Do you wanna stay the night?” you asked Dalton, ignoring Chris’ fake retches.

“I’m sorry baby, I can’t tonight, I have to finish a project for class,” he kissed the pout off your lips.

That night, you decided to order take out and watch a movie, as you went to the foyer to grab your food you were cornered by a girl you recognised from class.

“Hey, you’re Dalton Lambert’s girlfriend, right? I saw you guys together in the diner.”

You nod, “yeah, I’m his girlfriend,” you replied with a smile, “how come?”

The girl took a deep breath, “look, there’s no easy way to tell you this, but he’s cheating on you with Eve, my roommate. She’s in his Art class too.”

You looked at her with wide eyes as you snorted out a laugh, that was the most ridiculous thing you’d ever heard. Your stomach dropped when you realised she wasn’t joking, “he wouldn’t do that.”

“I can prove it.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because, if my boyfriend was cheating on me, I’d want to know,” she smiled at you sadly.

The following day, the girl’s words rang in your head as you went to meet Dalton after class, you were waiting for a little while, your stomach feeling like lead as he walked out of the lecture hall. There was a girl at his side, a beautiful girl with dyed hair and a septum piercing, she looked like the definition of cool art girl. You knew it was Eve without a second glance.

Dalton’s face lit up as he saw you, wrapping an arm around his waist, “hey, you,” he didn’t make any move to kiss you which hurt.

Eve looked between you and Dalton, “I’ll see you later,” she shot him a wave as she walked down the hallway.

Over the next couple of weeks, you almost brought it up a 100 times but you didn’t want to accuse him without proof. Until one day, you got it. The girl who had told you about Eve and Dalton handed you one of his shirts, telling you it had been left in her dorm room. Now, you knew you had to confront him.

You walked into his dorm without knocking and he looked at you in surprise, “baby? I wasn’t expecting you.”

“You left your shirt in Eve’s room,” you spat as you threw it at him.

He looked down at the shirt before he looked back up at you with wounded eyes, “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not going to deny it?”

“Would you believe me?” he asked, when you didn’t reply, he sighed, “it was only meant to be a one-time thing.”

Your heart shattered as you felt tears sting at your eyes, “why?”

“She gets me, in a way that you don’t,” he whispers, “she’s not waiting for me to have a mental breakdown about the whole astral projection thing.”

“Well, forgive me for worrying about you,” you hissed, “tell me something, did you think of me when you were having sex with her?”

When he didn’t reply, you had your answer, “why didn’t you just break up with me Dalton?” you felt pathetic with tears streaming down your cheeks, “I would have understood.”

He stood from his bed and reached out for you, tearing up when you flinched away from him, “because I love you, I don’t want to lose you.”

You let out a hollow laugh, “you’ve been cheating on me and you don’t want to lose me?!” you ran a hand through your hair, “I can’t forgive this, Dalton. I don’t know, maybe if it was a one-time thing I could have. But if you really loved me, you wouldn’t have fallen for her and you have fallen for her haven’t you?”

He nodded as tears silently slid down his cheeks.

“Goodbye, Dalton,” you sniffled as you walked out of his dorm and he didn’t come after you or call after you.

Like you, he knew it was over.

[lost-in-fiction-like-ur-mom]

Confessions on the Marauder

Echo x Reader

Summary- You and Echo finally have a moment alone on the Marauder. Of course the pressure gets to one of you, and confesses.

A/N- This is my first time writing for this fandom :) ! Possible OOC Echo, feel free to let me know any way I can improve! Love you all!!!

Word Count- 1,108

Defective. That's what you were told your whole life. Actually, that's what you were literally labeled since day one. A defective clone.

Unlike the rest- you didn't get any cool advancement. No special abilities. The only thing wrong- you were born female. How could the Kaminoan's be so careless! Ha, a female!

The thought almost made you want to laugh, smiling from ear to ear.

"Whats so funny?" Echo asks, craning his head from the 'Pilot' seat. You glanced from your seat next to him.

"Nothing important." He eyed you a moment longer before focusing on leaving hyperspace. The ship jolted, signaling the completion.

While typically Tech would be flying with Echo as Co-Pilot, this mission was different. Cid had sent just you and Echo to retrieve a package for her. A simple mission that was successful.

"Echo?" You asked, keeping your gaze out the window on purpose. Eyeing the planet you were getting closer to.

"Hm?" He responded.

"Can we not land yet?" You said, hesitant.

He slowed down the craft significantly, though still moving. "What for, we've got the package?"

"Yeah, I know. I just... I'm not ready to go back yet." You faced your fears and turned to look his way. To your surprise you were met with his gentle eyes, no sign of judgment.

"Did something happen?" Echo worried himself.

"No, no." You fought to tell him the truth, wavering.

"Then whats wrong?" To anyone who didn't know him, he might have sounded blunt and rude. You knew it was his own way of showing how he cared.

"Its just, it seems like forever since we've gotten a break. Mission after mission after mission." He kept his hands on the controls of the ship, but eyes on you. He waited for you to continue.

"In here, just us two... It's really relaxing." You said, trying not to sound too cliche.

"I can ask Hunter for you to sit the next mission out, you can stay with Cid." He suggested, trying to find a solution.

"It's not that Echo, I'd just feel guilty that I wasn't helping out. Pulling my weight y'know?" You were slightly hurt, thinking he missed the comment about the two of you.

"Five minutes. Five minutes of sitting here, no one knowing. Not being on guard every second, please?" This wasn't like you, but the crumbling weight of work and stress had put you at rock bottom. Desperate for a break.

Echo looked at you, understanding flashing through his eyes. He didn't respond, instead picked up his comlink.

"Minor detour, the package was distributed to the wrong planet. We've located it and are heading that way." Responses were exchanged, but it seemed everyone bought the lie.

You thanked him as he let the Marauder hover.

A few moments of silence went by. At first it was comfortable, but then you started to feel nervous. The reality of you and Echo being alone in the ship sunk in.

The man you had a crush on since you could remember. You wouldn't dare tell him, worried that he wouldn't feel the same. How could you continue on the team with denial weighing in the air.

You tried your best to seem smooth as you looked over to him.He sat with his eyes closed. Not asleep, just basking in the moment.

Eventually the silence got to you. You had to say something.

"How long do you think we'll do this?"

He peaked open his eyes, an indescribable look on his face. "This?"

You grew hot in the face. "I mean, the missions, working for Cid, fighting. Do you have any plans... after?"

"Well, I haven't put much thought into it. Were clones, it's just what clones do. I assume things are bound to change when Omega is old enough to look after herself." You started to pick at your nails, nervously, but stopped yourself in embarrassment.

You took a breath in to respond, but he continued.

"I do know that, as long as you're here. Then i'm content." You had never perked up so fast in your life, heart beating rapidly. He looks over at you, seemingly calm.

You take another deep breath, "Me? What if there's someone else, someone you want to make a different life with."

He looked at you with seriousness in his eyes. Not a shred of doubt in his next words. "There is no one else. No one else I would want anything else with. There's only you." He said it as-a-matter-of-fact-ly.

"Why?" You immediately regretted your words. He just confessed and you froze up.

"Because I love you." He looked you dead in the eyes. You stood up from your seat, heart beating faster than any battle you'd been in.

He must have stood out of instinct, because he followed you up.

"Are you sure?" You asked, believing this was a dream.

"Yes."

It only took a single step to be as close as you could to him. Your breast pressed up against his chest. You tip-toed your way up to his face. Smashing your lips against his, dreadful in experience but just as lovely.

"I love you too, I have for years..." You claimed as you slightly pulled away, your foreheads touching.

You two simply breathed in each other for a moment, panting.

You pressed in for another kiss, just before your comlink went off. You heard Hunter calling your name and then- "...Echo! What's your current status?" Damn.

Echo responded before you could even get your thoughts straight. You mind hazy from the kiss. "Got the package, en-rout to Ord Mantell. Eta is still unknown." He lied, glancing at the said planet right in front of us.

You continued to stare up at him as he responded to Hunter, almost in a daze.

The second Hunter went out, Echo came down for another kiss, holding the small of your back.

After what felt like hours of kissing, you pulled away. The lack of oxygen dared you to take a step back, but you sharply breathed in through your nose.

Looking up at him, you realized he wasn't near as out-of-breath as you. He simply waited for your next move, patiently.

"What does this make us?" You asked, still pressed up against him.

"Whatever you want it to be..."

You smiled at this, responding with "I want it to be something. I want us to be something."

"Then we're something..." He leans down for one last kiss. Before the two of you have to break your pretty little bubble and return to reality. But for now, it was just you and Echo. Oh, and that secret something.

A/N- Thank you so much for reading! Tags (lmk if you want to be tagged as well!) @thethreeeyed-raven @knight-of-flowerss

[wroteclassicaly]

Don't mind me back again with more thoughts and maybe a lil continuation of what I started the other night same tw

Gator inhaled on the vape pen, letting the smoke permeate his lungs. He exhaled slowly, watching the tendrils curl up and dissipate in the air. "I've told you not to smoke in my house!" You snap, causing him to jump.

He sits up at attention, eyes wide. "I'm not smoking." He swallows," It's vaping." Gator looks away from your glare, messing with the fringe on a throw pillow you have. "It still releases smoke dumbass," you sigh.

And that shouldn't turn him on. It really shouldn't. But he can't help but think of the last time you were a little mean. Called him out on his shit. You on your knees before him. The way your mouth felt around his dick. How warm and wet you were. He didn't even get the whole thing in your mouth and thought he was in heaven.

Gator is thankful you had moved on to finishing the task you were doing, not even sparing him a glance. If you did you would without a doubt see his sudden arousal. Gator grabs the pillow and holds it delicately in front of him. Not suspicious, and if you ask he can say his arm hurts and he's just resting it.

You ignore him. He's been here for an hour and very few words have been exchanged. Gator has tried talking some, but you're more focused on...whatever it is your doing. A slight drop of guilt fills him as he realizes he hasn't paid enough attention. He realizes he doesn't know your favorite color. Or flower.

But he does know your favorite scent. Because every time he smells it he thinks of you.

"What are you doing?" Gator clears his throat. You turn and look at him with a puzzled look," What you asked? You said you-" a look of realization hit. You smirk at him," You aren't here on official business are you?"

Gator's breathing picks up as you drop the papers in your hand on the table and stand, stalking towards him. "Why did ya come pretty boy?" You trail a finger down his jaw. "To see you." Gator can't help but tell the truth.

You're like a drug. Better then any vape pen he's hit. Better then the ecstasy he confiscated from that dickhead one time. Better then the time he saw his first pair of boobs in real life. You envelope all his senses and take him to new heights. Gator knows that yall crossed a line last time, and there was no going back for him. "You here because of last time?" Your voice is saccharinely sweet. He nods slowly, looking up into your eyes.

Your fingers tug on his vest," Come in here in your sheriff uniform. Need to feel big and strong?" Gator shifts as he feels his dick throb at your words. "Yeah, you want to be a big, strong man, dontcha Gator?" Gator nods again. You click your tongue and grab his jaw, forcing him to look up at you," You talk way too much and now you can't say a thing? Words Gator."

Your grip is firm and strong on him. He can feel his pants getting wet from the precum leaking out. He shouldn't be getting turned on from your touch, and yet he is. He wants your touch, gentle but firm, wrapped around his dick again.

"Did you forget the question? Wanna be a big strong man huh?" "Yes." "Good boy," you condescendingly pat his cheek as you let go of his jaw and-

Shit. Hearing you call him good? That's all he's ever wanted. To be good. Praised for a job well done. And of course, your perceptive eyes pick that up. "Oh you liked that didn't you baby?" You smile widely at him," I am gonna have a lot of fun with you." "Yes please." You chuckle at his response. He isnt sure if you are making fun of him or not.

You grab the useless pillow from his lap and toss it further down the couch. You unbutton his pants and he hurriedly lifts his hips off the couch to tug his pants down. Gator sighs in relief as his dick is freed from the confines of the fabric. The tip glistening in the light from how much cum he's already leaked, and you haven't even touched him.

You smirk at him, "You a big, strong, independent man, Gator?" "Yes." "Then touch yourself."

Your words sink in and Gator whines. He blushes slightly at the noise he let out but quickly covers it up by speaking fast," I thought you were gonna touch me?" "Well, I could. But you're so independent. So strong. You can handle this can't you?" You lightly trail a finger along his length, causing his hips to jut forward," Show me how good you are Gator. Pleasure yourself."

Gator swallows as he slowly wraps a hand around his length. His large hands seem to be a regular size compared to the size of his dick. He hesitantly strokes from the base up to the tip, slowly getting faster as he relishes in the feeling.

Your eyes watching him, admiring him? Fuck, he wants to put on a good show for you. Wants to be good for you. His logic, the little he had, is gone out the window. "This good?" He grunts out as he thrusts in time with his hand. You lay a hand on one knee, smiling at him," Very good Gator. You're doing such a good job."

At your words Gator moans," Fuck I'm gonna nng I'm-" "Already? Hmm...well, go ahead then. Be a good boy and come." And he does. Thick, heavy ropes of cum cover his hand and the bottom of his vest. He gasps and moans as he fucks his fist in front of you.

"I'm a good boy I'm good i-" Gator babbles as he pants heavily. "Yeah baby," you murmur as he comes down from his high.

He's about to ask for a tissue when you grab him by the wrist and lick his hand. His dick twitches again, and he thinks he could become hard again just at the sight of you. You lick his hand clean and he stares at you in awe. "You're the hottest thing I've ever seen," Gator declares. "Thanks babe." You smile at him," You're pretty hot yourself. But we gotta work on your stamina. I'm not gonna let you fuck me if you come in two seconds." "You're gonna let me fuck you?" "We'll see. You can't be a virgin forever..."

At this point, I am encouraging you to join us and make your own blog to post these! ;) You’re amazing, babe!

[minas-linkverse]

Gentle Linkverse scenarios cause its been a rough day

Twilight and Colin sometimes find clay in the waters around Ordon Village. They make little trinkets and attempts at useful things like trinket holders. The other kids like to join sometimes, but their parents dont always let them due to how messy they get.

One of Colin's favourite things was the little goat family he and Link made and ended up coming up with a whole storyline for.

They're all displayed with pride, and Link said he'll bring paint from castle town soon. They shall be a beautiful and colourful family. 💛

_

The coat Wind has wrapped around his waist is Linebeck's old coat. It's seen far better days and it doesnt actually do much as a coat. Linebeck doesn't really get why Link insisted on taking it instead of letting him throw it out.

He's give the excuse that he wants to practise sewing, and shown off the various patches he's added as proof. Linebeck isn't so sure that's true however.

Trying to figure it out, he fumbled about asking about it in various round about ways. Comedically fell on his butt a few times and got hit by a sign. Yet no answers from Link...

Finally, while nursing the wound on his nose, Tetra walked in and said she'll tell him why Link wanted the coat, in exchange for him to take outhouse duty that week. At first he refused, saying he doesn't care about this THAT much... But as Tetra turned to leave he accepted the deal.

Linebeck struggled to believe what Tetra said as the truth, but couldn't deny it either. She said Link would miss the coat because it reminded him of Linebeck...

Silly kid, he was right here! Who needs an old rag of a coat for that.

He is now secretly working on getting a new excellent quality coat, not for himself but for Link. Why? Er, he just doesnt want to see the kid run around with that thing anymore... Yeah, that's all. Mhm. Tetra why are you smirking. Stop.

_

Groose, inspired by Pippit's delicious pastries, picked up a book on candy making from skyloft. He's made a few batches of some fairly okay-ish treats, which he showed off to Zelda and Link. He is a bit too nervous to show the others yet... Er, well not nervous! He just... He just wants to make the best batch possible!

He asked for input on what flavours he should try next, and Zelda suggested various fruits they'd found on the surface. Link meanwhile took a moment to ponder things, before offering with that usual smile of his: "Fish?"

After baffled questioning he did admit he knew it wasn't an usual flavour for sweets, but he'd always been curious of the idea...

Groose decided then and there— against Zelda's wishes— That he would commit his candy training on figuring out the perfect fish candy! Don't worry Link, I wont let you down!

Link told him it's really not that important, but Groose had already set his mind to it.

So far? No luck. It tastes awful. Zelda suggested he make them a normal flavour but in the shape of a fish. Groose is now attenpting to make fish flavoured candy in the shape of a fish.

The next few tries did not look like fish. What they looked liked shall not be spoken of, in fact.

He continues to practise, though! And although this goal seems to be doomed to fail, all the trial and error has really made his normal candy making skills improve and FAST. Perhaps when he realises how good he's gotten, he'll finally feel satisfied.

[adrealucia]

pairing: agedup!ao’nung x y/n

warnings: mature content, first time, p in v, fingering, praising, ao’nung being a total softie and so whipped for you

word count: 5k

wanna read part one?

Truth or dare

Some time has passed, and many kisses have been shared between you and Ao'nung. Still, you guys have not discussed the status of your relationship and it drives you crazy. Are you friends? Are you, friends, that occasionally share some kisses and sometimes share a bed and cuddle or maybe you guys are officially dating at this point and you are just clueless?  

You never went past the point of kissing, maybe you have rubbed yourself on his thigh once or twice, but never more than that. It is not that you don't want to do more, because every time Kiri tells you about her little "experiences" she has made with Rotxo by now, you are craving the feeling of sharing these experiences with Ao'nung as well. You actually tried to go a little further by now, but something always comes between the two of you. 

Sometimes you wonder if it is your fault, that you guys haven't done anything too sexual yet, and some days you wonder if it is because Ao'nung does not want to sleep with you. You are shy and would like him to make the first step, but he never does it, and when you try to get up on his lap, kiss down his neck, moving your hips a little bit back and forth, he always finds a way to stop what you are doing and brings everything back to an innocent mood. 

"You think it is because he doesn't like me?" the question leaves your mouth, followed by a little cry. Kiri looks at you as if she was about to just slap you across the face. "No dumbass, you are innocent and he is not. I bet he just doesn't want to ruin you in that way." 

"Ruin me? why would ruin me? It's normal..."

"Mh... maybe he wants to bond first?" Your best friend tries to think of possible reasons why he wouldn't want to sleep with you. But honestly, she couldn't think of another reason. "He has slept with other women before and as far as I know he is not mated with any of these!"

"Maybe he is though!" Jokingly she started to open her eyes in disbelief and held her hand to her mouth in shock. You rolled your eyes at her and lightly slapped her shoulder. "I am being serious... What am I supposed to do?" you sigh, throwing your head back, and staring at the sky. "Talk to him... honestly, just straight up ask him why he doesn't want to have sex with you." 

Alone the thought of talking to him about sex makes your face turn a darker shade. "I don't know, maybe I am not ready for it anyways..." Kiri looks at you, one eyebrow lifted and a judging expression covering her face. "If you wouldn't be ready, you wouldn't be worrying about it so much."

Maybe she is right, but you weren't sure about it. 

Later that day you were still struggling with the thought of just talking to him about it. But otherwise, you might never find out the reason why he does not want to touch you like that. So you made up a little plan. 

"Kiri, Rotxo and I are gonna meet up in my Marui later, you want to come as well? We want to play truth or dare." 

"Yeah sure, why not." 

Kiri helped you with figuring out the plan, even though that made you feel a little bit embarrassed. But your friend swore to you she wouldn't judge and neither would her "boyfriend". You hated this word, why did it seem so easy for everyone else around you? It feels like you are the only one that has a hard time with the whole relationship thing. 

"Is he coming or not?" Kiri complains and rests her fragile against Rotxos, they were cute, that's something you had to admit to yourself. "He said he would." you shrug your shoulders, actually you kind of hope he wouldn't show up, so you wouldn't have to embarrass yourself like that. "Why don't we already start playing?" Rotxo gives you an uplifting smile and places the knife from the very first night on the ground. You and your best friend exchange a quick glance and then nod to agree with his idea. 

"I want to start this time!" Kiri grabs the knife and spins it, without anyone having the chance to complain. Not like you would have complained in the first place. You were way too nervous to actually speak up right now. The sharp end of the knife pointed toward her boyfriend and with a grin on her lips, she turned to him. "Truth or dare, baby?"

"Truth"

For a moment she seemed to think about the question she was about to ask him. Repeatedly touching her lips with her finger and then smiling. "What was your very first impression of me?" 

Rotxo held back a chuckle and looked away for a second, cheeks flushing darker. "You looked interesting to me, different, but also weird... I mean that is appearance-wise. The first time I ever spoke to you, I immediately knew you are the smartest girl I ever met... and I thought your smile was really pretty too..." 

You envy these two so much. Even though Ao'nung says sweet stuff to you all the time, it's just not the same. "... you are so cute!" she says, smiling shyly and slightly pressing her body against Rotxos. He also leaned against her and now you kind of started to miss Ao'nung. "My turn!" Rotxo excitedly spins the knife and while he does so, someone enters your Marui. 

Ao'nung. 

Your eyes were so fixated on him, that you did not even acknowledge the knife pointing directly at you. He looked so pretty to you, his hair halfway up and halfway falling down his broad shoulders. "Sorry I am so late, Dad needed me..." He whispered against your ear like he only speaks to you. 

"y/n, truth or dare?"

You blinked a few times, coming back into the present moment. With confusion, you looked into Rotxos eyes and then down at the knife. "...umm dare?" Your voice was quiet because Ao'nungs presence still makes you nervous. "Why don't you give our latecomer a little welcome kiss?"

How much you hated it when Rotxo suddenly became so brave. Kiri really had no good influence on him. Your "almost boyfriend" began to chuckle, he seemed to like the idea. "yeah give the latecomer a little kiss" his deep voice gave you shivers down your spine and made your knees feel a little weak. You were still embarrassed to kiss him in front of your friends, but it was a pretty small audience so that made it easier for you. 

You slightly tilt your head, looking up into his face and he already had that smug grin covering his face. With your big doe looking eyes you focus on his lips before gently pressing yours against his. In the background, you could clearly hear Kiri punching Rotxos arm out of excitement as if she saw the two of you kissing for the very first time. One of his rather big hands gently cups your face and pulls you ever closer to him. You loved the way he kissed you, always so loving and sweet, and now that you learned a bit from him, you also don't overthink too much when kissing him. The kiss did not last very long and he pulled apart from you. For a moment you stayed close, locking eyes and smiling at each other. 

You pressed your lips together, turning away from him and trying to focus on the game again. "Okay... my turn" you spin the knife and this time it chose Kiri as its next victim. 

"Give me a dare!" she pleads, folding her hands into a prayer gesture. You have never been the most creative when it came to truth-or-dare questions. Searching for help you looked over to Ao'nung. Immediately understanding he pulls you close and whispers something into your ear. 

"I dare you to get on Rotxos lap... and whisper something... dirty into his ear." 

You stutter a little bit when saying these words out loud. Kiri quietly chuckles, nods, and gets on her boyfriend's lap. Carefully she leans closer to his ear, seductively rolling her hips one and then she whispers something into his ear, only he can hear. Immediately Rotxo starts to blush and presses his lips together, in shame. The fact, that Ao'nung has these ideas in mind and never lives them out with you makes you sad. "That was an easy one" Kiri states and turns around in his lap, making her way between his legs, gets comfortable again, and rests her back against his chest. Might have been easy for her, but the flustered expression on Rotxos face tells a whole different story. 

She moves forward a little bit, spinning the knife again, and grins evilly when the sharp end points towards Ao'nung. You know she won't go easy on the two of you, considering the plan that you had made earlier today. "Ao'nung, truth or dare?" she asks, challenging him to make a bold move. "Well, let us stick to the dares, hm?" he glances over at you, his eyes always seem so loving when he looks at you. 

"Get the little princess on your lap... and fake an orgasm, while looking right into her eyes." 

You shut your eyes close, silently cursing your best friend and opening them again with a tormented expression covering your entire face. "You are out of your mind for this one..." Ao'nung sighs, still he cannot help himself but laugh a little. 

"I can pass on this one if you'd like that?" concern sparkles in his eyes and you lightly shake your head. "let's not always skip on the fun" 

He seems to be surprised by your eagerness, but he just opens his arms and adjusts himself in his seated position. "come here, princess" the pet name makes you smile and with excitement, you crawl onto his lap. Buckling your hips a little, you balance yourself on his crotch. "'you comfortable, baby?" his hands finding their way to your hips, gently holding on to them. Right now, there is only you and him. 

The two others stayed quiet when Ao'nung slowly started to rock your hips forth and back. It is a little bit embarrassing to admit that you don't even hate the idea of others watching anymore, slightly turns you on when everyone can see that he treats you so well. "gotta get in the mood first, yeah?" your hands resting on his chest, when he analyses your face. You bite your lip when you feel his skin so close to yours, letting out a quiet sigh. 

"You two love birds take your time, we will be leaving you alone..." you hear Kiri's voice, but don't even acknowledge her words. Only when Ao'nung stops his movement, do you look at him in confusion. "...' game is already over?" he bites the inner flesh of his cheek, raising an eyebrow. "we can continue playing if you'd like that?" your eyes seem innocent, but your mind is not. 

"Okay baby, truth or dare?" 

"Truth" 

"what's going on here?" 

Feeling caught you slightly smile and look to the side. "...' wanted to be alone with you." With the power of his hands, he pulls you closer by your lower back. "Could've just asked me?" Ao'nung quietly chuckles, slowly caressing your skin with his thumb. "Truth or dare?" you ask him, more serious this time. 

"Truth" 

"Why are you not sleeping with me?" your expression is blanc, even though your cheeks are burning hot. Ao'nung is clearly surprised by that question. "it's not like I don't want to." his hands travel up and down your sides, and now he tries to avoid looking into your eyes. "that does not really answer my question..."

"I don't want to force you into anything. It wouldn't be my first time and If you would want me to be your first... I don't know, I thought that might hurt you... knowing you are not my first." 

"I know that. I thought I might not be your first, but I could be your last?" 

His gaze softened and a little shy smile appeared on his lips. Your words were honest, you meant what you said. Of course, it would have been nice to be his first as well, but knowing that he can teach you so many things gets you excited and aroused at the same time. 

"So, you have to pick dare now." 

"I know." his hips buckled up a bit and he got himself in a more comfortable position, leaning back a little and admiring you. "Tell me, princess, what's my dare?" Ao'nung's hands wandered down your waist again, stopping just right before touching your butt. 

"Touch me, here" one of your hands guided his to your right butt cheek "and here" the other hand you are placing on one of your boobs. "and this time you won't stop touching me." 

The sweet smile on his lips disappears, being replaced with an evil grin. He liked your innocent side, but you telling him what to do has a whole other effect on him. "Alright... whatever you want" the soft tone in his voice makes your tail swing side to side. 

He starts to slowly, gently knead your butt cheek, and breast. He had this desire to touch you like this for so long now and finally feeling your smooth skin under his hands makes him growl quietly. "baby, don't hold back yeah? show me what feels good to you" he pleads, leading you to giggle under his touch. 

"Is this a dare?" 

"yeah, I dare you to." 

You lean closer to him, face so close to his, feeling his breath touching your lips. He can see the lust in your eyes and you can feel a slight tingle in your gut. Your hips easily buck against his abdomen, making him frown. Now that he doesn't have to hold back anymore he is scared that he might be rushing into things, so he wants you to decide the pace. Once the strength of his grip hardens you quietly whimper, enjoying the way he is touching you in all these forbidden places. 

Your bodies move against each other at a steady pace and you start to feel hot once you can feel his bulge touching your womanhood. His eyes focus on your lips, and he leans in and presses his against yours. Earning a voiceless moan from your side, that's being absorbed from his tongue. Kissing him has become one of your favorite things. Every kiss with him feels different, better, every time your lips collide with one another it drives you crazy. 

You pull apart, giggling against his plump lips. "You wanna know a truth?" 

"Tell me"

"I love how you can show me so many things, love that you are so experienced. I want you to show me how much you can make me enjoy myself." 

He can't hold back a soft chuckle, you really surprise him every day again. "Come here...' want you closer" he immediately pulls you closer to his chest, causing him to fall on his back. His hands wander to your top, fiddling with the strings. You think it is cute that he is holding himself back so much, treating you so carefully, but you just want him to get you undressed already. "Open it." you breathe against the fold of his neck, placing little wet kisses on his skin afterward. 

He opens your top, slowly removing the piece of fabric. With one bold move, you lift yourself up, now sitting straight on his lap, looking down at him. Ao'nung takes in the sight of your perky breasts that he now sees for the very first time. "You are so beautiful..." a little gasp escaped his mouth. He spoke his truth. 

He lifts one of his hands, touching your breast, caressing it, and making you yelp under the sudden sensation that you are feeling. His body leans up again, placing a little kiss on your lips before he starts kissing a trail down to your boobs. You watch him as he does, your hands wrapped around his neck, playing with his hair. A moan leaves your lips once he presses down the first wet kiss on the sensitive skin of your boob. His other hand kneads your other breast. "...feels good, Ao'nung" you whimper, pressing yourself closer to him. 

Your hips grinding against his now really hard dick and you can't help yourself but imagine what it might look like, what it might feel like. His tongue suddenly licks over your nipple, and your body twitches from the feeling. He quietly hums against it, sending small waves of vibration to it. Your hips begin to grind harder against him and you want him so badly. 

He pulls away from you "...' want to touch me as well?" you nod quicker than you could think and slowly crawl down from his lap. You get between his legs, just looking at his crotch. You don't really know what to do next, so he grabs your hand and places it right on his fully erected bulge. "Move your hand like this, yeah?" for a moment he moves your hand with his together, stroking over his sensitive dick. Just feeling how hard he is, even though there is still fabric between your hand and him, makes your brain go foggy. 

"mhh... just like that, baby" he removes his hand, giving you full control. You move your hand just like he showed you, watching as he leans his head, licking over his lips. He has to swallow, you are making it very hard for him to hold back. You come closer to him, grabbing his face with your free hand and gently kissing him. Exchanging spit and playing with his tongue, while your hand moves under his loincloth. The sudden touch of your cold hand against his dick, makes him moan into the kiss and you could swear, this was going to be your new favorite sound. 

"Fuck y/n" he is panting, already feeling weak under your touch. You chuckle against his lips, watching as he closes his eyes, enjoying the way you are touching him. 

"I want you" this time it is you who is panting against his lips. The feeling of your loincloth, that's already a little soaked, rubbing against you makes you feel dizzy. 

Between little whimpers, Ao'nung slowly nods, because he needs you as well. Rushing himself he places a hand on your chest "lean back my pretty girl, get comfy... I am gonna prepare you now." You follow his demand, leaning back and already spreading your legs for him. A muffled growl escapes his lips, as he watches how you open your legs for him. 

The soaked spot on your loincloth doesn't go unnoticed by him and he licks his lips, as he slowly makes his way between your legs. His hands stroke over your thighs, wandering upwards to your heated core. You whine under his touch, so excited that it's finally happening. Ao'nungs fingertips gently press down on the wet stop, making you giggle in embarrassment. "you are driving me crazy, you know that?"

"Let's get rid of this, shall we?" with these words he hectically pulls on the fabric, making you cover your face out of shame. You don't worry about whether he thinks you look pretty or not, because you know he does, still it's the first time that you are sitting fully exposed in front of him. "...don't... don't hide your pretty face. Look at me"

He grabs you by the chin, pulling you into a quick and heated kiss to get rid of the embarrassment you are feeling. 

"You wanna help me?" with confusion you look at him, wondering how you can help me. But you nod, you would do everything for him, especially right now. He holds up two of his fingers, placing them on your bottom lip. You look at him and when you see the smug grin on his face you hesitantly open your mouth for him. "You are a good girl." 

While sucking on his fingers you hold intense eye contact with him, knowing you would drive him crazy and you want him crazy for you. When he pulls them out again, a small string of spit follows his fingers, making you gulp. 

"Wanna dare me to make you feel good?" 

You quietly laugh at his words, nodding as he raises an eyebrow, you know he wants to hear you say it. "...' dare you to make me feel g-good"

His wet finger hovered over your pussy, touching it ever so slightly and making you clench your jaw. You bit your lip, looking down at him watching him as he finally gives in and rubs over your folds. A sigh leaves your lips as he spreads the spit along your slit, one finger already pressing against your desperate hole. 

You moan once he pushes his index finger into you, he's looking up at you, checking in on you and making sure this is still something you want. But when he sees how much you are already enjoying yourself he gets excited for what's about to come. His finger pushed in and out of you at a steady pace, watching as you push yourself against his touch. 

He is quick to at a second finger, slowly scissoring you open for him. Meanwhile, you have to support yourself on your hands, moaning when he suddenly hit your sweet spot "... do that again" you demand, pushing, once again, closer to him. Ao'nung chuckles, trying to find the same spot again, and when you quietly moan he knows he found it again. 

The sounds you are making, cause him to leak some pre cum, and now he is the one with a slight wet stain on his loincloth. He can feel you loosen up around his fingers, ready to take more of him. "mhng... m-more" you whimper, bucking your hips up, making him hit your sweet spot once more. He adds one more, now moving three of his fingers inside and out of you. Hearing you whimper for make makes him go faster and that makes your knees feel like. This already feels so good, you don't know how much better it would get. 

"You think you're ready?" slowly pulling his fingers out of you, leaving you feeling empty and wanting more. "yeah, 'm ready" 

He swallows, knowing this is the time you guys will finally melt into one. It might not be his first time having sex, but it will be the first time he actually cares about the other person, the first time he is not just simply fucking, but rather making love. 

He removes the fabric, that's covering his already pulsing dick. For a moment you stiffen up, looking down at him, wondering how he hid all of that under the small piece of clothing all along. You gulp, unsure if it will fit, his fingers were already making you feel so full. "Intimidated?" he chuckles, pressing a kiss against your forehead. "a little..." you whisper, and it's the truth. 

"I will be very careful, I promise"

You press your lips together, you trust him and you know he would never hurt you on purpose. Trying to relax and regulate your breathing, you close your eyes for a few moments, mentally preparing yourself for what's about to happen now. Once you are ready you open your eyes again and slowly pull Ao'nung close to you. 

With his dick in one hand, he guides it between your folds, gently rubbing it against the sensitive body part of yours. You whine in an instant, already feeling a little overwhelmed. He can sense that you are a little afraid and tense, so he stops his movement and gently connects your lips to a kiss. His hand traveled down your body, kneading your breast for a few seconds and then going further down pressing his thumb onto your clit, slowly moving it in circles. 

Immediately you moan into the kiss, leaving your mouth open and unable to kiss him back. Slowly your body starts to relax under his touch and you can feel his dick sliding up and down your folds again. You are locking eyes with one another and with a little force, he pushes his tip into you. Your eyes widened in shock, not because it hurt, but because it already felt so much better than just his fingers. 

He stops again, making the waiting feel like torture, but you figure he knows it better. His lips are meeting yours again, this time more passionate and a little more heated. When he moves again and you already feel so full, you let out a loud moan. "S-Shit baby... fuck you're tight"

His fingertips lightly brushed over your nipple, taking it between his index and middle finger leading to you whimpering under his touch. Slowly, but with slight pressure, he rubs his fingers against it. He pushes himself even deeper into you and when you can finally feel his hips touching yours you figure he is all in. "Ao'nung... 'm s-so full" you mutter, brain already foggy from all the sensation. 

"I know, I know...It's fine baby, you are all right. Tell me when you think I can move again." 

You never thought you could feel so connected with someone, until this very moment. With your walls already clenching and pulsing around him, he growls, squinting his eyes close. You whine wanting his attention, wanting to kiss him again and he understands, immediately kissing you again. His tongue is playing with yours, while he slowly tries to control his breath. You push yourself closer to him, wanting to feel him even closer, wanting to feel even more of him. 

"W-want you to move..." 

With a little hiss, he gently pulls himself out of you, only leaving the tip inside, before he slides back into you again. Your heartbeat starts to rise and you wrap your legs around him, clinging onto him. "fuck..." he gasps, trying to hold himself back from fastening the pace too quickly. "feels so good" your arms holding onto his neck, face buried inside his neck. 

The overwhelming feeling doesn't stop, only gets worse when his thrusts become a little harder. Your nails dig into his back, while you try to hold onto something. Your eyes are closed, mouth wide open, drooling against his skin. Once you're totally comfortable with his length you're pleading for more "faster... faster... please" 

Now thrusting faster into you, you cannot keep quiet anymore. The feeling is too much for you to concentrate, and somehow it even feels better when you let it all out. Ao'nung already feels close to his release, but he doesn't want it to happen so soon and he would like you to cum before. So he slows down, wraps his arms under your body, and lifts you up. Switching positions you cling onto him even more, not wanting to be separated from him any time soon. 

You are now laying on top of him and he is on his back. "...' you alright baby?" the exhaustion on your face is unnoticeable, but you never felt better. "Yeah, I'm fine..." you quietly chuckle and give him a sweet smile afterward. 

When he slowly starts to move again, you're once again pressing your lips onto his, smiling in between the little breaks when you guys have to catch your breath. One of his hands makes its way down to your clit, rubbing it in circles, causing your body to tremble. "Ao'nung... I-I.." You don't know what you are feeling, unable to describe it, only knowing you are feeling close to something that's about to happen to you.

"feeling close, my princess?" 

You nod and he starts to go even faster, also moving your hips with his thrusts. "It's... too m-much.. Ao'nung I-" whatever you say gets interrupted by moans, whines, and little cries. "It's alright baby, don't hold back... let it happen.." the faster your bodies are moving against each other, the closer you get to your orgasm. His hand applies more pressure to your clit, and suddenly you are reaching your high. Thighs pressing against his body, your walls clenching around him and you are crying out loud. Your body twitches, until you eventually have to stabilize yourself by holding onto his chest. 

He still moves, but slower than before, fucking you through your orgasm. "yeah, that's it... it's all good.." he whispers, when he cups your face with his hands, placing a little peck on your lips. Unable to return the kiss, you try to calm down from your high again. You buck your hips forth and back, liking the feeling that's coming from the slight overstimulation. 

Ao'nung lazily fucks in and out of you, knowing that he is really close as well. "Baby... I n-need to pull out.. 'm cumming" a quiet whine escapes your mouth, scared of feeling empty without him. Still, you lift yourself up so that he can pull himself out of you. He gives himself a few last strokes while looking into your eyes and came all over his stomach. 

He reacts quickly, grabbing his loincloth and cleaning himself up. "Come here, wanna have you close my y/n" you give him an exhausted smile, cuddling against his chest, pressing weak kisses against his skin. 

"That was perfect..." you whisper against his chest, slowly looking up at him. He replies with a sweet smile, one of his hands gently stroking through your hair. "...yeah, it was" 

"y/n, truth?" 

"Hm?" 

"Will you be my girlfriend?" 

You playfully hit his chest, giggling "thought you would never ask!" 

✿⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ✿

authors note: y’all this took me soooo long 💀 at first I really hated it, but honestly now I kind of really like it

dedicated to my lovely @c78r