#anyways everyone just speeds up as they go past my house

[seabeck]

My neighbor, the first house on the street, put up two “10 mph speed limit” signs (it was 15mph when I was a kid and the old sign is still there with 15, just propped up against a tree). And the placement of the first one makes sense, it’s right as you enter the street, but the other is before his house on the way out. He clearly only wants people to go the speed limit in front of his house

[bambikisss]

My girl :: C.San

BAMBIKISSS MAN OF THE YEAR WINNER : CHOI SAN

'Why would I make you one of my girls when you're my girl?'

📙: San always seemed to have a rotation of women around him at all times. He would attend various charity events with any women from the company he chose. If you were picked, you were labeled as one of San's girls. However, when you join his company, he knows that he no longer needs the others when he has you

⚠ : Talk about San's playboy past, unprotected sex, mentions of workplace annoyances

💕 : Unprotected sex (again, you should always wrap it up), sex in public locations, taking pictures, taking videos, other's listening, use of bondage (reader), oral (both receiving), biting, spitting, Choi San (yes, his own warning)

🎶: One of the girls - THE IDOL, House of Balloons - The Weekend (first part only), Candlelight - Sam Rui ft Grazy Grace, Language - Jiselle, It's you - Choi San, Jung Wooyoung, Kang Yeosang

Bambi's notes: Hello my loves! I bring you Choi San like I've probably never written him before. Shout out to all the Wesslys out there, I'm sorry 💀 B/N = Best Friend's name.

🤍 TAGLIST:

@lovely-red2 @aloverga @megseungmin @sann1e @yunhowooyo @unlikelysublimekryptonite @jaehyunicecream @cosmic-w0lf

@duztbunni @legendarybatherringmonger @kurom2nsan @8xbygirl

@teez-the-time @atzz8 @chaotic-floral @dinossaurz @idfkeddieishot @vvnnn7 @vantediary @hschg69 Z@jennylychee

@dawn-iscozy @sunnyhokyu @sanhwalvr @staytiny816

@chillyambrrrr @acciocriativity

COMMENTS + REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED | ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY | buy me a coffee?

"Good evening, Y/N. I hope you have fun at the 20th Metropolitan Hospital Gala."

You thanked the valet, placing your car keys into the palm of the young man's hand before you began to make your way inside the seaside venue. You could feel the passerby's stares as you made your way to the bar, your own aura drawing everyone in. You didn't mind, though. But, this event was strictly business and not just a drink during a night out.

"A glass of red wine, please," you ordered, the female bartender immediately nodding before going to grab you your wine and a glass. You took the opportunity to look around the packed room, looking at the various women's dresses and how they all seemed to match their partner's ties and suits. You found it cute and smart; it was a silent way of telling everyone that the woman was taken and to not try anything. You gazed down at your own silk white dress that hugged you perfectly. Your date tonight ordered it to be tailored to fit you just right, making you feel like a goddess. You gently raised your wine glass to your lips as you scanned the room, looking at the fancy decor that surrounded the venue, showing off the wealth everyone in the room had.

Your eyes soon then fell on a group of men who hung by the double doors, as if they were bodyguards to a celebrity. You noticed the various patterns on their ties, remembering that none of the women who were in the event wore anything to match them. 'They must be here without a date' you thought, taking another sip of your wine as you decided to move your eyes away from the group before they got any ideas. This was a business event, not speed dating.

However, one of the guys decided to try his luck anyway, approaching you wearing a blue and red striped tie and a confident smirk on his lips. He stood next to you at the bar, looking around the room with you in silence for a moment before saying "What's a pretty woman like you doing all alone like this?"

Of course that was the first thing that came out of his mouth. "What, can't a woman enjoy some wine and look around by herself?" You asked, choosing to entertain him until your date arrived. It gave you something to do rather than people-watch. The blue and red striped tie man scoffs, moving closer to you as he says "Not a woman like you. Don't tell me a woman of your beauty came here all alone. You know, I think that I'd-"

"Ah, thank you for keeping my date company, Wessly." You turned to see your date approaching you now, his black hair styled perfectly to show off his strong face and piercing eyes. He wore a tailored suit that shaped his Dorito-like upper body perfectly, even highlighting his muscles. He adjusted his white tie that matched yours perfectly before placing his hand on the small of your back, offering a now embarrassed and annoyed Wessly one of his charming smiles. That same smile that had women on their knees and had made him the billionaire and CEO he was now.

"Come on, San, you really can't let me talk to her? You always stroll into charity events with different women, surely you don't mind letting me get to know one." You didn't miss the mixture of annoyance and embarrassment that coated Wessly's words, only making San chuckle, shaking his head as he stepped closer to the other man, towering over him with his height. San's face may have shown that he was still smiling, but his eyes showed his true feelings: leave her alone and stay out of my business. "Oh, Wessly, always trying to make comments on other people's lives. You know, instead of becoming a failing interior designer, you should've became a private investigator with how much you seem to love talking about my personal life. Oh well, maybe next time."

You watched as Wessly dropped his head, making his way back over to the group of friends who watched him get destroyed with amused grins on their faces before turning to San, who had his own amused grin now on his lips. "Was that all really needed, San? You didn't have to bury that guy like that, I could've held my own."

"I know." San simply replied before grabbing a champagne flute from one of the waitresses. He chuckled silently as you rolled your eyes at his simple response, his hand still pressed to your open back as he led you down the steps and into the large group of people. Everyone had their eyes on the two of you, making your confidence grow as San stood next to you at various rich people's tables, bragging about everything you've done for his company and how you were basically the company's backbone. And it was true.

San took over his mother's successful company at the age of 20, making him one of the youngest CEOs in his respective industry. San worked hard to show everyone that he was the right choice to be CEO and not just because of his DNA relations. San truly worked hard and that's why everyone knows his name.

"Oh, you look just dashing tonight, Mr. Choi. Your date must be so lucky." San smiled at the woman's compliment, putting on his most charming smile before motioning over to you, showing you off to the woman before wrapping his arm around your waist, and pulling you close to his side. You didn't mind, though, placing your hand over his heart as you both met eyes before he said "No, I'm the lucky one tonight."

You had been in the company for only 5 years when San took notice of you. He had seen your name on the various emails you and him sent back and forth, but he had never physically seen you as you worked from home most of the time, and he wasn't at your job interview. The first time you actually saw San was at the company one evening during a meeting. You and him were sitting across from each other at the long, meeting table as everyone around you both discussed a new location for the company to open. While you didn't keep your eyes on him, you could feel his gaze on you; whenever you spoke, whenever you moved, he always seemed to be looking at you. Only after the meeting did you both speak your first words to each other...

"We haven't met yet, have we?" You stopped packing up to see your boss giving you a charming smile, his hands in his suit pants pockets. You shook your head, holding your hand out to him, which he took. "No sir, I've been working from home for the past 5 years. My name is Y/N L/N." San nodded, his eyes moving up your soft, warm hand to your body, then slowly up to your face. It was as if he was scanning you, trying to commit you to memory. 

Ever since then, you've both been seeing more of each other and soon you were brought into his office for some news. "I'm promoting you to head of company image. As you know, this role works very closely with me, so that means that you will no longer work from home, but work in the office next to mine. That is, if you accept." Who were you to turn down a promotion? You got a huge pay raise, your own beautiful office, and got to see more of the handsome man who was now leading you around the venue as if you were a beautiful diamond that needed to be admired by everyone. It didn't take you long to accept his offer, and you've been his right-hand woman since.

"Did you parade the other girls around like this, San? I may be used to walking in heels, but damn." You sighed he led you outside, waiting with you till your valet arrived. San shook his head, unbuttoning his suit jacket to place on your bare shoulders. "I didn't. You're the only one I felt like I just had to show off. You just have that affect, I guess."

San always seemed to have a rotation of women around him at all times. He would attend various charity events with any women from the company he chose. If you were picked, you were labeled as one of San's girls. You became the talk of the company as the other women gossiped if he'd actually want to see that girl romantically or not. None of San's girls have ever been taken seriously though by him; he called it a business event and that they were just his guests. It never was meant to be taken as him taking interest in them, he just thought it was a nice thing to do.

"I'm glad you finally admitted it" You smiled as your car was pulled up by valet, San moving to open the door for you to get in. When you got in the car, he closed the door, leaning his elbows onto your door as he leaned into the car to give you a small kiss on your cheek- a thank you for coming tonight even though he knew you didn't want to. You waved goodnight as you began to drive away, glancing at the rearview mirror as San watched you leave, a smile still painted on his lips.

______________________________________________________________

"Alexa, put the house in night mode."

You removed your heels at your door as you walked into your home, sighing at the feeling of the cold floor on your exhausted feet. You grabbed your house slippers before walking your way through your home to your bathroom, deciding to go about your nighttime routine. You put on some music before turning on your shower, looking forward to the hot water and relaxing. You turn back to the large bathroom mirror, removing your accessories as you did so.

You paused when you noticed San's jacket that still sat on your shoulders, as if he was there right behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders. You couldn't help but bite your lip as you imagine it was him undressing you, his hands going onto your shoulders, his thumbs rubbing your shoulders before slipping under the fabric, pushing the sleeves of the dress down your arms, his lips following the falling fabric as he sinks his knees. His hands would move back up your body, feeling along your underwear as he kissed around the backs of your thighs before removing your bra and underwear, kissing back up his body before standing back up behind you.

You suddenly snapped out of your haze, your thighs pressed together as you took a deep breath before going into the shower.

San had just arrived at his own home by that time, his head pressed back against the front door as he closed his eyes, releasing a breath he didn't realize he had. You had filled his mind, his body aching for someone. He would usually try to find someone to spend the night with him to take care of his problem, but tonight he couldn't be bothered. Unless it was you, he didn't want her.

He pushed himself up from the door, making his way to the bathroom to begin his own night routine. He began to empty his pockets, unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt before going after his cufflinks. Before he could continue, he met his own gaze in the mirror, admiring it for a few moments before he decided to take a picture. San knew he looked good and sometimes would take pictures of himself just to keep to himself; he went to the gym and it boosted his confidence to see that even when he was tired, he still looked good. He took around 3 pictures before he had an idea. He went over to his social media, posting the pictures to his story. While others may think he did it for everyone else to see and thirst over, he was really doing this for you. Whenever he posts anything provocative, you always send him a flirty text that has his mind racing. You may be his right-hand woman, but you had him like putty in your hands.

You had emerged from the shower when he posted, putting on your nightgown and robe before you checked it out. You took your phone with you to your vanity, sitting down at the large table filled with skincare and makeup before clicking on San's recent story, your eyes widening at the sight. Even undressed and tired, Choi San seemed to always look absolutely delectable.

You bit your lip as you moved to message him, clicking on the contact name "Sannie" before typing and sending "Who are you showing out for?"

San bit his lip when he saw your text, his smile growing as he texted back "You. Did you like it?''

"Yes, but you should've just sent it to me San. You can't keep showing out for all your fangirls and not giving me anything. It's like I can't have you to myself." Your text made San groan softly, his tongue poking out over his lips as he tried to not Facetime you. His thumb twitched over his keyboard before he cursed softly, clicking the Facetime button. He wondered what you looked like at that moment; were you wearing only underwear? Were you still in your dress? were you naked?

You propped up your phone against your mirror before answering, giving San a full view of your open robe and your sexy lace night dress in white. San couldn't help but curse before saying "Damn, Y/N, you weren't going to tell me that you were looking like this?" You laugh softly at the tone of his voice and how his eyes seem to stay on your body. You made sure to move in a way that gave him a full view of your body as you did your skincare. San patiently waited for you to finish your skincare, cursing whenever you moved in a way that gave him a view of your chest and hard nipples. You loved having his full attention on you, occasionally making flirtatious comments just to rile him up more. What you didn't know was that San was riled up beyond what you thought, a plan forming in his head on how he was going to get his fix from you.

"Since you're doing your skincare, I'm assuming you aren't going out anymore tonight?" You nodded at San's question, finishing your conversation quickly before hanging up. You didn't think anything of it, thinking that maybe he was getting bored watching you.

After finishing your skincare, you went to your kitchen with your corgi Star following behind you. You fed her and gave her more water in her bowl before deciding to look for a night snack. Before you could decide between strawberries and an apple, you heard a knock at your door. You tilted your head, glancing at the time before looking back at the door, the knocks getting louder. You followed behind Star (who was barking at the door, trying to protect you), opening the door before gasping as San immediately crashed his lips into yours. He walked inside, kicking your door closed before dragging you to the kitchen. Star followed behind, still barking at you both as your tongue met San's, locking you in the kiss.

San grunted as he pulled back from your lips, grabbing a dog bone he had brought for Star from his back pocket before tossing it deep into the living room, chuckling as the small corgi forgot all about you and ran away. Your own laugh was cut short by San picking you up, placing you onto the kitchen counter, kicking your legs away from each other before he stepped in between them, kissing you deeply. San took his time kissing you, despite feeling incredibly hot for you. He closed his eyes as you moved your hands through his hair, slowly scratching his scalp with your nails before dragging them down the back of his neck, making him shiver and moan softly against your lips. He smirked against your lips as your hands moved to the front of his shirt, your fingers immediately moving to unbutton the rest of his shirt.

San let you, his lips and kisses moving down your jaw and neck, sucking a gentle spot on your collarbone, making you close your legs around him, officially caging him in. Once you finally finished removing his shirt, you tossed it away before returning your lips to his, your hands exploring his body. You gently scrapped your nails down his large pecks, down his strong torso, till you got to his dress pants that no longer had a belt. "No belt, Sannie?" you asked, making him chuckle. "There's no point in a belt when my pants are going to be coming off soon anyways. Isn't that right, Y/N?"

You bit your lip at the sound of his voice, his smirk growing at the sight. He decided that it was his own turn to move his hands up your body, starting at your thighs, moving his fingers slowly up the inside of your thighs, making you shake a bit before moving them up your hips, sides, up to your breasts that were now barely covered by the nightgown. San could feel his mouth water at the sight, dipping down to place kisses and bites on the top of your breasts before his fingers pushed away the straps. You whimpered his name, wanting him to move faster, but San only shushed you, dragging his tongue along the tops of your breasts before pulling them down to expose your hard nipples. San smirked at the sight before leaning down to wrap his lips around one of your nipples, his tongue immediately wetting it till it became hard, sucking on it.

You gently tossed your head back as San sucked on your nipple before switching to the other one. You placed your hands into his hair as he roughly pulled you to the edge of the counter, pressing his rock-hard erection against your wet pussy, allowing you to grind against it as he returned his attention to your nipple.

You cursed under your breath at the feeling, rolling your hips against his, making you both moan. You could tell San's resolve was breaking by how he was meeting your thrusts, his body pressing harder against yours until you had no choice but to lay back against the kitchen counter. Once you were laying back in a position he liked, he dragged his hands down to cup your wet pussy with his hand, his fingers dragging along the now wet fabric while his other hand pushed down his pants and boxers, giving you a perfect view of his hard cock that now stood up against his abs. You dragged your eyes down his v-line to meet the head of his cock, already leaking with precum. "Meet my eyes, angel." Your eyes meet San's as his hand moved to cup your jaw, keeping you facing him as he rubbed the head of his cock against your pussy.

Both of you let moans out in unison as he pushed into you, his hands gripping your hips as he stretched you out slowly. You closed your eyes at the feeling, your mind becoming fuzzy as he fully stretched you out, his hips pressed against yours. You opened your eyes as he kissed your stomach, switching between leaving kiss and bite marks on your skin. You could feel his cock twitch inside of you, his balls heavy with cum as he slowly kissed his way to your lips. San chuckled at how desperate you seemed to now, repeatedly pulling his lips back before they could meet yours and smirking when you chased his lips. He did a few more times before you got frustrated, placing your hand into his hair before making him meet your lips in a rough, needy kiss that made you both moan.

San took the opportunity to grab the tops of both of your thighs, his fingers digging into the flesh before he slowly pulled back out of you, letting you feel every inch and curve of his cock, only stopping when the head of his cock was still in you.

"Hold on, baby. I'll make sure you feel good." You had no doubt that he could, your hands grabbing onto his strong shoulders. San met your lips once more in a heated kiss as he thrusted into you, making you both moan out loudly. San dipped his head into your chest, kissing and pecking on the skin between your breasts as he cock rocketed in and out of you. You dug your nails into his shoulders and locked your legs around his waist, holding onto him as he fucked his cock deep into your pussy. "Fuck, San, calm down" your words came out broken between your moans, making him chuckle. He playfully mocked you, pausing his hips to let you try to speak before thrusting hard into you, not giving you the opportunity to even deny him your pussy.

San suddenly picked you up, your legs and arms still around him as he held you in the air, fucking up into you. You gasped the the feeling of your nails now digging along the shoulders of his back as you moaned louder. In the position, San could hit any spot, no matter how deep. "That feels good, doesn't it, Y/N? How does it feel having me hold you up in the air like this, drilling into your naughty pussy like this?"

"So fucking good" you moaned, making San grip your ass as he completely wrecked you. You didn't get to prepare for your orgasm as it came crashing through you, making you whine his name loudly as your cum dripped down his cock and balls. At the feeling and the sight of you cumming, San felt his own release approaching fast. "Fuck, where do you want me to cum Y/N, fucking hurry up I can't hold back any longer" Through your pleasure-filled haze you reached up to cup his cheeks, making him meet your eyes as you spoke. "Fucking cum in me, please."

"Yeah? Want me to drain my balls into your wet pussy, baby? You want that? To fill you up with my cum and let it leak out of you like a dirty fucking girl?" You nodded, begging for him to do so until his lips crashed into yours, San stumbling back to the counter to put you down on the surface as he came, his cum filling you up as he praised you against your wet lips, his own voice now horse as he came down from his high. You closed your eyes as he held you, his body warm against yours as you both rested in each other embrace. After a few minutes of silence, you felt him slowly pull out, his cock now soft and his cum now leaking from your pussy.

"Shit, Y/N, honey, sorry. That's a lot, hold on." You loosely held onto San as he picked you up, carrying you to the bathroom, where he placed you onto the sink.

The same place you were thinking about him touching and undressing you, he now stood naked as the shower heated up. "There, I think it's good enough," San mumbled as his hand touched the water, checking the temperature before going back over to where you were admiring his backside. San chuckles as he approaches you, kissing your forehead before picking you up into his arms so that he could carry you into the shower. "Were you staring at my ass?" he asked, placing you down in the shower before closing the door. You nodded, having no shame in admiring it.

San chuckled, pressing another kiss to your forehead before grabbing your body wash and loofah, following your instructions on where to wash you and how to wash you before letting you wash him off. When you apologized for not having any "manly" smelling soaps, San laughed softly before saying "I don't mind. If you want, next time I come over here, I'll bring some to keep here. Plus that means I can go home tonight smelling like you."

You smiled at his words, placing a kiss on his chest peck as he finished washing his hair before helping you out of the shower, leaving the bathroom to grab you both towels and something for you to wear to sleep while you used the bathroom. When you came back into the bedroom, you notice that San had prepared the bed for you, a dim light by the bed being the only light in the room.

"Come here, honey," You turned to see San approaching you with your lotion, his hands gently massaging it into your skin before meeting your lips in a deep kiss. It was moments like this with San that you were always looking forward to: sure, the sex was amazing, but how he handled you with so much care afterward always made your heart swoon. He helped you get dressed before tucking you into the bed, placing a kiss onto your forehead before he left the room to go put back on his clothes. You almost drifted to sleep when he returned, keys in his hand as he crouched down in front of you. "I'll see you in the office tomorrow, honey. You can come in late if your legs hurt too much." You nodded at his words, placing a small kiss on his hand, watching as he stood up and made his way out of the room.

Before he could leave, you called out to him, making him turn around to you. "Oh and San, can you take Star outside so that she can go use the bathroom then bring her back inside so she can go to sleep?" San laughed softly before nodding. Just like you asked, he took the happy corgi outside before letting her upstairs into your room, where you slept soundly. San blew you a kiss before closing the door, making his way back to his car outside with a smile on his lips. Before San backed out of your driveway, he bit his bottom lip, imagining that he was in the bed with you, holding you as you slept. He soon sighed, deciding to just go home and not bother you. He'd see you tomorrow anyways.

______________________________________________________________

"Y/N L/N! How could you be this late and make me deal with everyone by myself for an extra two hours?!"

You offered your best friend an apologetic smile as you walked through the hallways, your heels clicking in sync with hers. You took San up on his offer that you could come in late. You called this morning to tell him, but you must've forgotten to tell her.

"It can't have been that bad while I was gone, right B/N?" You asked as you both entered your large office, a pout on her face as she fixed her bright red heel. You took her pout as a sign that it wasn't bad, she just didn't like anyone else like she liked you. You turned to open your large floor-to-ceiling windows, inviting light into your large office before you sat down at your desk. "How was the gala last night? I saw the picture Mr. Choi posted and the photos you sent me of the dress he made for you, so you both must've looked great."

Before you could tell her about the amazing night and how San was showing you off, your office door opened to show a group of women entering your office with excited grins also on their faces. You looked at them with confusion before one spoke up asking "well? how did last night go with Mr. Choi?"

You recognized the group of girls as the self-proclaimed "San's girls" group; all of San's ex-charity invites. You knew they were here to hear gossip about you and San and try to recruit you to join their friend group. "Look, I have no interest in gossiping about the charity gala and the time I and Mr. Choi spent together. I want to remind you all that we are in a place of business: we are here to work, not gossip over a boy like high school girls. Now please leave my office." Your words made all the girls' smiles leave their faces, disappointed that you weren't like them when it came to San. As everyone filed out of your office, your phone rang. You raised an eyebrow at the sudden phone call, shrugging at B/N before picking up the call.

"Ah, Ms. L/N, you're in. There is a large board of directors meeting today, so Mr. Choi asked that I give you a call to remind you and tell you to report to the meeting room in an hour for the meeting." You cursed softly as you listened to San's assistant Bambi, thanking her before hanging up. You had completely forgotten about the meeting, grateful that San had her remind you.

You rushed to the bathroom, checking on your hair and makeup before you checked out your outfit to make sure it was perfect: your white button-up had the first few buttons open, not showing your cleavage but enough to show off your gold necklaces, while your black pants hugged you perfectly. As you applied some perfume, you thought back to your phone call with San this morning:

"Yeah, you can come in late Y/N, just make sure you take your time getting ready then. I want you to come in today looking absolutely stunning so that when everyone leave tonight, I can bend you over my desk and fuck you like you deserve for listening to me." 

You bit your lip at the thought of what could happen later, checking your appearance once more before leaving the bathroom to join the meeting upstairs. When you entered the meeting room, you were met with an older man's eyes scanning you. You rolled your eyes as they did so, looking at you like you were candy for them. You were the only woman that attended these meetings as San's right-hand woman, so the men (whom you doubted have felt the touch of a woman since the early 2000s) decided that you were their favorite to look at.

San noticed how everyone kept their eyes on you, making his jealousy flare up. How dare these men look at you like that when you were his?

"Excuse me, let's get back to meeting matters please" San hid his jealousy under his charm, hoping that he wouldn't have to get disrespectful with some old men. The men thankfully agreed, all embarrassed from being caught checking you out by San. "Yes, well, the new location our company has secured is in Las Vegas, and before they open the venue the company would like for you to go and check it out to make sure it's up to your liking." San nodded, agreeing with the idea of him going to Vegas to look it over.

Then, he had an idea.

"How about this: we all go look it over. That includes you too, Ms. L/N." You turned to see San's smug smile, tilting his head as everyone cheered. You held question in your eyes, which San ignored as he returned to dealing with the group of men who were asking questions about the sudden business trip.

Later that evening, once everyone had went home for the day, you went into San's office as planned. "San, what do you mean that it includes me? I never travel with you and the other trustees."

"I know. But I think it's time for a change, don't you? Plus, the old men are planning a big celebratory dinner at the beautiful restaurant and I'll need someone to be on my arm, right?" You paused at his words, biting your lip. San never picked the same girl twice when it came to public appearances, always picking a different girl in the company. Before you could say anything, San stood up from his desk, preparing to go home. You still tried to gather your words while he walked around his office gathering his things before he walked behind you, his hands resting on your hips as his chest pressed against your back, his lips against your ear. "Make sure to bring a nice dress for dinner and some pretty underwear for me, baby."

You continued to stand in his office as he left, your cheeks heated while you processed what just happened.

You're going to Vegas.

You continued to mumble that as you looked through your closet for outfits to wear, wanting to find something perfect to wear to dinner. You sighed as turned to your bed, looking at the many dress options you picked out. To you, they all were great options for a celebratory dinner party in Las Vegas, but you couldn't pick one. You bit your lip for a while before grabbing your phone, dialing San. If anything, he'd offer you his honest opinion.

"Hello?" San asked, looking surprised when you turned it into a Facetime call. He then laughed as you showed him your dress-covered bed, biting his lip to hold it back when you began to complain. "You're overthinking it, honey. Just pick one, you'll look stunning in anything you pick." San sighed as you continued to overthink about the dresses, making him want nothing more than to solve this for you.

"My tie is going to be black honey. Do with that information what you will."

You paused at his words, your eyes immediately landing on a form-flattering black dress. You thanked San quickly, making him laugh before he stopped you from hanging up. "Real quick, honey: what's your favorite flower? The restaurant wanted to know for decor reasons and I know that me and other men won't care." You let out a small 'ooh' before saying "I've always been a red rose type of girl. But only fresh ones.'' San nodded before allowing you to hang up and finish packing, a smile on your face as you did so.

______________________________________________________________

You hated business trips sometimes.

You had to board your dog early in the morning to reach your booked flight in time, where you sat in business while San and some of the other old men sat in first. You pouted to San about it over text, his only response being "I'll make it up to you, I promise." Then when the plane landed, you all were immediately taken to your luxury hotel rooms, which all had a nice view. However, you didn't have to admire it as you had to change fast, all the other men were already in suits and waiting on you in the lobby. When San saw how rushed you seemed he felt a huge pang of guilt. He wanted to just hug you and let you relax for a moment, but he knew he couldn't do it in front of his trustees or he'll never hear the end of it.

Once you all had toured the new building that the company built, you all went back to your rooms to prepare for dinner. You appreciated the time you had, taking a long shower before taking your time doing your hair, skin, and makeup. When you put on the black dress, you admired how much it hugged your curves and flattered you beautifully. You then put on your heels, grabbed your bag, and made your way outside to meet the others in the lobby. When San saw you, he felt absolutely speechless. To him, you looked like a complete goddess. How was he supposed to keep his hands to himself when you looked that good? He smiled as the others complimented you, taking a moment to breathe in your new perfume that he had gifted you a while ago, making him close his eyes momentarily before opening them again.

When you all arrived at the dinner venue, you were escorted to a private dining room at the top of the building, which gave you all a beautiful view of Las Vegas. However, when the door opened, you noticed San become tense and then froze. Only when you got past him did you see why he stopped.

"I hope you don't mind, Mr. Choi, but I invited my personal friend Wessly to join us tonight. I think you two know each other." You glanced back at San who held in his anger in his eyes. He didn't say anything for a moment, his jaw locking then unlocking a few times, leading you to step up before he said or did anything that was unfavorable. "I'm sure Mr. Choi doesn't mind. Please, Mr. Wessly, sit down. Join in the celebration."

You then met San's eyes, watching as the anger that was in his eyes became hidden under his charm once more. "Of course, he can join. The more, the better." The group erupted into cheers as San sat down at the table across from you, his eyes not meeting yours. You felt a pang of worry when he continued to ignore you, moving your foot to gently touch his, hoping to get his attention. You succeed, San's eyes immediately meeting yours at the touch of your heel against his leg.

Now you knew why he wasn't looking at you.

San's eyes darkened, offering you a warning in his eyes before they were once again replaced by his charming smile as he took a sip of his wine and joined in on the group conversation again. You bit your lip, removing your heel from his as you tried to hold back the arousal that you felt beginning to pool in your underwear. Noticing your silence though, Wessly leans over to whisper into your ear, asking if you're alright. You nodded, whispering back that you just got a random heat flash. Wessly nodded, suddenly wrapping his arm around your shoulder. Your eyes widened slightly at the feeling, looking over at him as he took the opportunity to flirt with you, with the other old men egging him on. You could see out of the corner of your eye that San was absolutely not having the display in front of him, his leather shoe soon meeting your ankle, making you turn to him. To everyone else, his eyes seemed normal, but to you, you knew that he was sending you a message.

Get his arm from around you now. 

You tried a few times to move from his arm, but Wessly would move in his seat so that you would be back to being right back against him. You sighed happily when the food arrived, forcing him to remove his arm from you to eat. However, before you could dig in, you felt San's foot, tap yours again, making you look back up at him. San didn't say anything as his mouth was busy with the food in his mouth, but his eyes did motion over to your phone that sat in your bag. You furrowed your eyebrows, looking through your bag before finding your phone. When you did, you noticed a text from San.

Sannie: When everyone else leaves this room, you and I need to have a conversation.

You looked at San with another look of confusion, but you're only met with the sight of him eating and ignoring you once more.

After dinner was finished, some of the trustees ordered themselves drinks, deciding to head to the many casinos around Vegas. You thought about joining them, standing up from your chair only to remember the message that sat on your phone. You glanced out of the corner of your eye to see San drop something and kick it under the table. Before you could grab it, San spoke up. "Ready to go, Y/N?" You nodded, letting him decide where you went. Only when you both reached the elevator did San stop you suddenly, patting his arms and pockets before cursing softly. "Ah, it seems that I lost my phone. You go on without me and Y/N, we're going to go look for it then probably head back to the hotel for the night."

You agreed with San, waving goodbye to everyone as the elevator doors closed before heading back to the private room with San. The minute the doors closed behind you, San had you pressed against the door. His lips were immediately on yours, his tongue pushing his way into your mouth, making you moan. Something seemed different with San right now: he was more aggressive and demanding, his hand moving around your jaw to tilt your head back so that he could make out with you properly. You let out a muffled moan as he pulled back, his hands grabbing your ass roughly before he pulled back from your embrace. When you moved to make a step forward, San let out a stern "Stay," stopping you in your tracks. You watched as San untied his tie, placing it onto the table before he spoke.

"Look at you being good for me, it's a shame that that won't help you out of this punishment." Your thighs pressed together at the faux disappointment in San's voice as he walked closer to you. He was close enough that you could reach out and touch him, but you didn't dare. San smirked softly, cupping your cheek before leaning in and kissing you softly.

"Safeword is Honey, ok?" San asked against your lips, waiting till you nodded before he whispered "Good girl" against your lips, placing a soft kiss back on your lips. You smiled into the sweet kiss enjoying how San was treating you, but you couldn't help but be excited at the idea of him punishing you.

San pulled back from the kiss, his smile dropping as he made his way over the the nearest chair, pulling it to face you and the door before he sat down on the chair, manspreading as he he beckoned you. You bit your lip, about to take a step forward when he stops you. "Take off your panties and give them to me." You blinked at his request, your mouth trying to ramble off excuses on why you couldn't but San didn't care. "Don't act like we haven't done worse in private. Shall I remind you of that time we were having phone sex and you were begging for me to take you into my office during a phone meeting and fuck you stupid while I work?" You blushed, rushing to cover his mouth.

San smirked at your reaction, grabbing your hand, removing it from his mouth as his free hand moved to touch your thigh, slowly moving up your inner thigh, making you shiver. "Cold?" He asked, his smirk growing when you asked him to shut up as you didn't want anyone else to hear you both. San didn't care, though, leaning forward to bite the skin on your leg before pulling down your panties, placing them into his pocket before he looked back up at you. He loved seeing the submission fill your eyes when he got like this, his cock twitching in his pants.

"Get on your knees, baby. You gotta start earning your title as my good girl back." You nodded, sinking to your knees in between his legs, running your hands up his thighs as you kissed along his thighs. Your hands made quick work of his belt and pant buttons, your hand eagerly moving to rub his cock over his underwear.

"Get to it, baby, before someone comes in here to clean up." He groaned, raising his hips to help you push down his pants and underwear. He sucked in a breath when you wrapped your hand around it, pumping his hard cock a few times before placing your mouth around the top, teasing him by gently sucking. San groaned again, his patience snapping when he pushed your head all the way down on his cock. You looked up at him as you began to bob your head, letting him fuck your throat as you gripped his thighs. "That's it, Y/N, let me use your throat like this. You like this don't you? You want someone to walk in on us like this? With you on your knees letting your boss fuck your pretty mouth and throat like this?" You moaned around his cock, making him hiss at the vibration.

You were suddenly pulled up from his cock, San panting above you with his eyes closed. "I was so close to fucking cumming. Wanna come in you, baby" He breathed, his hand still in your hair as he stood up, kicked the chair away, and bent you over the table. You bit your lip as San smacked your ass, pushing up your dress around your hips. He moved his hand around the globe of your ass, grabbing and spanking as he pleased. You had been moaning into your hands as to not let anyone else know about what you two were doing, but that only made San upset.

You suddenly felt San's chest against your back, grabbing his tie from the table before he grunted "Open." You did so, allowing San to place his tie in a line along your mouth, muffling your words. San tilted his head, tugging his tie, smirking when your head moved back with his tug. "Remember the safe word, baby. If you can't speak, hit the table three times and I'll let go of the tie." You nodded, smiling when you felt him press a gentle kiss to your cheek. But this was a punishment.

You cursed loudly around the tie as San thrusted hard into you, not giving you a moment to adjust as he drilled his cock into your pussy, his hips meeting your ass roughly with every thrust. San cursed at every movement of your ass against his rough thrusts, leaning over to spit on one cheek before he spread it over your ass, roughly massaging your ass. You closed your eyes as San roughly tugged on the tie, making you sit up with your back against his hard chest.

"Y/N? San? Are you two still in there looking for the phone?" San released his grip on the tie as he heard Wessly's voice, closing his eyes as he tried to fix his voice to respond to him. You bit your lip, moving your ass against San, giving your pussy and his cock some friction while you spoke, making San moan into your neck as his hands move to the front of your dress, his hands pulling down the fabric to envelope your breasts in his hand as you both continue to grind against each other. "Y-yeah, sorry Mr. Wessly-"

You were cut off by San's lips crashing into yours, making you gasp. "Do you know how fucking annoying it is to hear you say that son of a bitch's name? I bet he gets off on the idea of you moaning his name like you're moaning mine," San spat against your lips, his jealousy clouding his mind and judgment as he picked you up, moving you over to the closest wall to the door before he picked you up, wrapping his arms around you as your wrapped your legs around his waist, letting him refill you easily, making you both moan.

"S-san, he's still out there. And I don't think I can keep quiet" You whimpered, making San scoff. "Who fucking cares if he hears you? Let him listen to how good I fuck my girl." You bit your lip as he began to pound into you, your wet pussy making loud sounds as he does so. If someone were to walk by and listened close enough, they'd be able to clearly tell what you and San were doing, but he didn't care, and neither did he. He roughly removed his suit jacket, tossing it onto the floor before he laid down on it, moving your legs to his shoulders.

"Oh my fucking god, San, that feels so good," you moaned, not minding your volume, which made San's cock twitch. He leaned over, pressing your knees against your breasts as he moved faster, making you louder. San glanced behind, smirking when he saw Wessly's shoes still outside the door.

The little perv was listening.

You whimpered when San pulled out, moving you to your hands and knees before he fucked himself back into you from behind, making you get louder as he spanked your ass. "Come on, baby, let the perv hear how fucking good it feels for me to absolutely drill into this pussy from behind baby" You moaned louder, your legs shaking as your orgasm began to approach quickly. San cursed at how tight you were getting, moving his hand to play with your clit before proudly saying "That's it, Y/N, be a fucking good girl and cum all over my cock, then you're going to come clean my cock"

At San's words and the feeling of his cock drilling into you, you came all over his cock, even coating the front of his thighs. You shook as you came down from the orgasm, your eyes closing before San pulled out, moving in front of you with his cock still hard, but now shiny, covered in all of your cum and essence. You opened your mouth, welcoming his hard cock as you sucked on his cock, bobbing your head as San moaned loudly. You slipped a hand between your legs, playing with your clit as you continued to move your head on his cock, the sight making San moan louder.

"Such a dirty girl, are you? You just came, yet here you are, playing with your poor clit while you suck me off. You just love this cock, don't you, baby? Why don't you beg for me to fill your throat with my cum. Nice and loud so our buddy Wessly out there can hear too" You nodded, pulling your mouth off of San's cock as you played with your clit faster, begging him to cum down your throat. San soon rolled his eyes back as his hand moved on his cock before he pushed your head back down on his cock, filling your throat with all of his cum. You didn't have a moment to breathe, because San flipped you over onto your back, moving in between your legs before he leaned down, shoving his tongue deep into your pussy. You moaned loudly closing your eyes as one of San's hands moved up your body as he ate your pussy, gripping your jaw to face the door, silently letting you know to moan that way and let him hear you.

San moved faster as you moaned his name, a finger pushing its way into your pussy as he continued to suck your clit, only pulling back when you had cum and pushing him away from your clit. He sat up with a confident smirk on his lips before he moved under the table, grabbing his phone before he fixed his outfit. He offered you a sweet, shy, smile before he picked you up, helping you fix your outfit before he placed his jacket on your shoulders, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

When you both exited the room, you offered Wessly an apologetic look as San said "Yeah, me and my girl found my phone. See you later, yeah?" San didn't wait for a response laughing softly at the man's shocked reaction as he entered the elevator.

"San, that was crazy!" You whined, San's smile growing as he placed a kiss on your cheek. He spent the elevator ride assuring you that there were no cameras in the room and that you weren't getting into trouble and that Wessly wouldn't tell anyone.

When you and San get outside, he leads you to the black SUV he rented for the trip. "Wait, before you get inside" You pause at the passenger door, turning to see San grab something from the backseat before he stepped back out, facing you with a bright smile. In his hands, he held the most beautiful and biggest bouquet of roses you had ever seen. You gasped softly, accepting the flowers from him before he placed a kiss onto your lips. "I thought you'd might want something pretty after all that" San smiled, placing another kiss onto your lips before he helped you get into the seat. As he walked around to the other side of the car, you bit your lip at something you remembered him saying. 

Yeah me and my girl found the phone

You couldn't help but smile at the thought of becoming San's official girlfriend. "Woah, did I do that good a job with the roses that you're smiling so big like that?" San asked as he got into his seat, chuckling softly before he turned the car on, holding your hand, gently intertwining your fingers. "No, just you said me and my girl to Wessly..." you said, looking down at your intertwined hand with a smile. San glanced over at you before lifting your hand to his lips, placing it back down on your lap with a smile.

"Well, let me take my girl back to the hotel. I have another surprise for you."

"Please do."

______________________________________________________________

"San, when did you have time to do all of this?"

You stood in the doorway shocked as San chuckled, a small blush appearing on his cheeks. He had hotel staff move your luggage to his exclusive suite, and bring in a bunch of heart balloons, more roses, and bring in champagne. San cleared his throat, seemingly more nervous than usual. He took the flowers from you, placing them on the desk before he got down on his knees, carefully removing your heels. You felt your heart skip multiple beats a the sight, thanking him softly. He nodded, before holding your hand, leading you to the bathroom. The bathroom was gorgeous, with a beautiful marble bathtub that sat next to a view of Las Vegas. You smiled as San prepared the bath, adding bath bubbles, rose petals, and brought in his speaker and phone to play some soft jazz.

You allowed San to help you undress before helping you into the water, letting you relax. You watched him undress before he got in behind you, allowing you to rest back against his chest.

"This is nice, no?" You leaned back to look at San, who still had that blush on his cheeks. He was trying so hard to impress you and be romantic.

"Yes San, this is perfect. You smile, turning around in his arms to wrap your arms around his neck, placing a long kiss onto his lips. San welcomed the kiss, his lips molding with yours as he welcomed you onto his lap. As the kiss continued, you moaned at the feeling of his cock hardening. You bit his bottom lip, raising your hips to sink down on his cock, making him toss his head back. "Shit, this...isn't how I expected this to go" He moaned, holding your hips as you began to grind down on him. You raised an eyebrow, cupping his face to ask what he meant. San tried to play it off, but you knew better.

"I did all of the decorating and stuff because I wanted it be romantic so that I could ask you to be my girlfriend." You paused your movements at his words. San was going to ask you to be his? "I thought it would make me look like less of an asshole if I did it correctly. I was even going to order room service so that we could eat and then I could ask you."

"San you're not an asshole. Why would you ever think that?" You ask, making San look away. "I took over the company at 20. I was still a stupid college student just with all this money now. When it came time for me to start going to those charity galas, I...I don't know, I guess I was insecure and so I bribed a woman at the company to go with me as my date. That's how this whole "San's girls" group started. Instead of actually dating someone, I just picked a woman from the office and made her mine for the night, knowing damn well I wasn't going to pursue anything." You could sense the shame in San's voice, cupping his cheeks so that he could look at you. Before you could speak, though, San cut you off.

"But, now I've grown up. I've learned from that part of my life. And after bringing you with me to the gala, all our years of flirting, and fucking, I can't deny that I'm in love with you, Y/N. So, if you'll have me, I'd love to be your boyfriend."

You smiled at his words crashing your lips into his, making him moan. He closed his eyes, making the kiss deeper as you began to roll your hips again. You both were then interrupted by San's phone notification. You both leaned over to see who it was. It was a message from Holly, a girl who was part of the "San's girls" group.

Holly: Hey Mr. Choi, what are you up to tonight? Wanna facetime? ;)

San rolled his eyes, about to delete the message and go back to making out with you when you stopped him, leaning over to prop up his phone and pull up the camera. San looked at you with a confused look before you pressed record, locking your lips his again. You began to bounce on his cock, making him moan into the kiss. "Who's your girl?'' You asked against his lips, making San whine "You."

"Who? I can't hear you." You said, getting louder to show him what volume he needed to be talking at. San bit his lip before moaning louder "You. You're my fucking girl, honey." "Then you need to fuck me like you mean it, okay baby?"

Your words made San's mind short-circuit, his hands rushing to grab your hips before held you in place as he fucked up into you. You grabbed his shoulders as the water splashed around you both, making you both moan louder. "That's my girl, taking my cock just like this, gonna show the camera how good you can take it? Maybe I should show all of those girls at the office how I would've fucked them if they were truly my girl." You moaned louder at San's words, feeling your orgasm rip through you. San didn't stop though, finding the water now annoying, pulling you up from the water and grabbing his phone to move to the bedroom, where he laid you on the bed, wrapping your legs around him as he fucks you. Your back arched as San played with your clit, pressing down just right to make you cum again. San then pulled out, cumming all over your stomach and breasts. You closed your eyes to try and catch your breath, opening your eyes when you heard a camera shutter go off.

"San, did you just take picture of me covered in your cum?" You asked, making San smiled brightly and nodded. "I'm not going to show anyone, I promise. I just want it for if I ever have to travel and I missed you." You smiled as San cleaned you up before laying down on the bed next to you, kissing you softly.

"Is it too late to say that I want room service still?" you asked, making San shake his head as he laughed, leaning over you to grab the hotel room phone and handed you the menu. "No, baby. Anything my girl wants, she'll get."

__________________________________________________________

One month later

"There you are!"

You looked up from your paperwork to see B/N enter with a huge smile on her face as she sat down in a chair. "I've been in my office all day, you know that B/N. What's up?" You asked, leaning back in your chair as your friend pulled up San's Instagram, showing his newest post with red hair. Everyone in the office was in love with it. B/N gave you a proud smile before she asked "Did you dye his hair for him? Is that why your bathroom looked like you murdered someone?"

You smirked, doing the zip motion with your lips and hand before you stood up, gathering your things to go to lunch with San. B/N pouted as you both left your office asking "When are you going to let me in on you and San's relationship? I wanna know the details."

"Soon, B/N. Patience is important." You smiled, patting her head before you walked away to the elevator. When the doors open, you were met with the back of your boyfriend's head, his hair still a vibrant red. You smiled as you entered his office, making him turn around. He smiled softly at you before muting himself on the phone meeting he was in. "I'm sorry baby. I'm still in this meeting, so you're going to have to wait."

"That's alright, I can think of something to do while I wait" you smiled, walking to him with a smirk. San knew that smirk meant, standing up from his chair to move the chair as you began to pull up your skirt. San rushed to lock the door, biting his lip with a proud smirk as he looked at you bent over his desk already with your skirt and panties off. "Do you think you could multitask?" You ask as he stood behind you, unbuckling his belt.

"I think so, baby girl. Let's see, shall we?'' He asked, placing a kiss onto your lips before he pushed in, kissing your ear as he whispered "That's a good girl, already so wet for me. That's my girl."

BAMBIKISS | 2024

[forthewomenonly]

Possessive

Warnings: NSFW, smut, GAYS, Amber Freeman x fem reader (implied no pronouns used), daddy kink, dubcon, fingering(r receiving), oral(r receiving), toxic relationship, Amber’s kinda bitchy in this one a/n: Had fun writing this one, enjoy my loves! Amber Freeman is the epitome of possessiveness. You knew it, she knew it, hell, everyone in Woodsboro must have known it from the way she had her arm wrapped tightly around your waist. Her fingers digging into the flesh of your hip, the other hand grasping her cup of liquor in an ironclad grip, head poised ready to stare daggers at anyone who so much as dared to look in your direction.  “let’s go home baby” she purrs in your ear. It wasn’t a suggestion it was a statement, you would be going home whenever Amber wanted, of course you would. You always did exactly what she asked of you. There was a double meaning to her declaration, she wanted you home and away from prying eyes, nearly as much as she wanted you home and naked in her bed. “Few more minutes  Am.” you mumble out. The alcohol clearly settling in your system as your plead is barely coherent. But Amber hears it. Of course she does. Her hand snaps down to look at you, eyes narrowing as she takes in your slightly intoxicated figure. Wordlessly she drags you through the front door ignoring your displeased grumbles as she all but pushes you into the passenger seat of her car, buckling your seat belt.  “What the fuck Amber, I don’t want to go home yet!” you snap at your girlfriend as she starts the ignition. Her hand stills on the car keys, turning her head slowly to meet your gaze. She’s angry you can tell, and suddenly you’re sobering up, acutely aware of your seething girlfriend. “You’re lucky I even let you go to that fucking party.” she says through gritted teeth, her knuckles turning white as she grips the steering wheel impossibly tight. “Take me home Amber.” You spit out, unsure of where this false sense of confidence is coming from.  “We are going home brat.” she counters. “No, not your home. My home.” She remains silent. Part of you wishes she would say something just so that you could gauge her mood. But she doesn’t. She doesn’t acknowledge you and stays eerily silent. Amber tunes out your protests as she speeds past your house. You should have known better anyway. When she pulls into her driveway she swiftly exits the car, basically carrying you into her house as you struggle against her arms. She drags you upstairs, throwing you on her bed. She towers over to as you push yourself up onto your elbows. Amber pushes herself onto you kissing you with fervor, you moan surprised and subconsciously buck your hips up into her own. She takes your shirt off and starts unbuttoning your pants before you push her back by her shoulders. “I’m not letting you fuck me tonight tonight Am, I’m mad at you.” you say with indignation. A fake pout graces her lips, mocking you “oh baby you’re mad? Not gonna let Daddy make it up to you?” you whimper in response but don’t say anything as you stare at her blankly. Amber sighs heavily before removing your pants and underwear in one swift motion.  “How about this then, I’ll stop...if you’re not wet.” You’re suddenly all too aware of the burning heat pooling between your thighs and you’re positive that you’re absolutely soaked at this point. Amber recognizes it too as her hand resurfaces from your slick heat.  “Oh would you look at that! You’re fucking dripping all over my sheets baby!” she says not at all surprised.  “So messy” she tuts, as she leans down coming face to face with the place you need her most. Your body shudders and your eyes shut close as you feel Amber exhale into your cunt. She licks a stripe up your lips, flexing her tongue when she reaches your pulsing clit. You grind your hips down onto Amber’s face and she presses her hand on your waist to keep you still, her other hand teasing your hard nipples through the fabric of you bra. Once she’s done playing with your chest, Amber moves her free hand and pushes two fingers inside of you.  “Oh f-fuck Daddy please” you moan loudly. Amber groans into your slit and curls her fingers, abusing the spongy spot inside of you that has your eyes rolling back into your head.  “You wanna cum?” she asks rhetorically lifting her head up. She knows the answer, she can feel your walls sucking her fingers in deeper. “Yes” you gasp out “needa’ cum, need you to make me cum please.” Amber redoubles her efforts leaving you squirming underneath her desperately grinding into her hand, letting her finger-fuck you as she pleases. She presses her thumb harshly onto your reddened clit. “Go ahead baby, cum for me” and you do. Gushing all over her hand as she fucks you through your orgasm.  Amber falls down onto her bed beside you, pulling you to her chest, murmuring sweet nothings in your ear, and softly running her fingers through your hair. She doesn’t apologize for making you leave the party early, she doesn’t have to. Amber was fiercely jealous but you loved her. You loved everything about her. After all, what’s a good partner if not a little possessive?

[firegirl888101]

Insatiable Madness (3)

|Sagau Yandere Fatui Harbingers x Reader|

I don't have much to say this update, how is everyone doing? Slow updates will continue to occur btw.

Reader is Gender Neutral!

"I'm hungry as fuck, let's get some food!" You cheered, closing the car door behind you.

"Strap in, Y/N. My sister's already being soooo fussy..." Your aunt sighed, looking in the rear mirror to see your dad comforting your mum.

"So... Where are we going this time?" You looked at her, the car beginning to drive.

"Oh, you know..." She trailed off, avoiding your inquisitive gaze. "Fine, I won't lie. We're going to one of those fast food chains down the street."

"But... But I thought we were going to a fancy restaurant...?"

"Get your head out the gutter, Y/N. When it's my turn to pay, the best you're getting is Wagamama's." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'll make sure to get extra food this time then." You scoffed, noticing her eyes. "Sure, Sure, go ahead. I'll just buy an 'All-You-Can-Eat' pass for you." She laughed to herself.

"Damn it." You cursed, looking away from her and staring at the passing trees and harbingers.

...

Wait...

"What the fuck?" You leaned forwards, your head pressing against the window.

Why are there people cosplaying in the fucking park? Eh, you shouldn't judge, really. It's not the weirdest place to cosplay...

They look lost, and they're arguing with eachother. How canon.

"Friends of yours? I recognise the ginger one, didn't I buy you a pillow of that guy for your birthda-"

"You 100% did not!" You interrupted her, your cheeks burning in embarrassment.

Why, oh why, did she have to say such confidential information in front of your parents!?

"Aren't you going to help them? They look lost, and this could be an opportunity to make friends and share hobbies. and maybe get out the house too..." Your dad questioned, eyeing the suspicious individuals.

"Obviously not! Do I look like the type of person who would willingly walk up to a big friendship group like that??"

"Well, you don't look like the type to chicken out." Your aunt laughed, speeding away from the area in a hurry.

"Ah, too late anyway! We already drove past." She sent a wink in your direction, a slight smile on her lips.

Thank fuck someone here is on my side.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"How strange..." Dottore muttered, tapping the glass on the compass and coming to a stop.

"Whatever could be the matter now, Dottore?" Pulcinella, firmly slammed his walking stick to the ground.

"No need for such aggression, Pulcinella." He sighed, waving off the old mayor's aggressive antics.

"Then whatever is the matter, Doctor? You seem to enjoy demoting my intellect while your invention is malfunctioning." Sandrone sarcastically asked, grabbing the compass from his hands.

"Always jumping to conclusions..." He sighed once more, snatching the compass back from her hands.

"...The compass recalculated."

"And why is that such a big deal?" Childe shrugged, squinting his eyes at Dottore's mask.

"It's 'a big deal' because it means our Decider is aware of our intentions. They're on the move." Dottore glared, watching the other harbingers' reactions.

"Are you sure, Doctor? The Decider could very well just be heading somewhere in one of those moving metal boxes..." Columbina pointed, a car driving past coincidentally.

"I suppose you could be right, Columbina." He coughed, turning his attention to the passing machines.

"Oh... I would love to just get a little glimpse of..."

"If you don't shut up and keep moving I swear to the Tsaritsa, Dottore!" Arlecchino threatened, tugging the Damselette along with her.

All Dottore could do was sigh at the ineducated buffoons around him.

...

..

.

"What is this place?" Capitano stepped forward, leading the group.

The building looked strange to them, it seemed like a cafe but there was no place for customers to sit! And the bright artificial lights covering the external and internal walls...

The light blinded the Harbingers, they all took a moment to turn away and rub their eyes.

"Is this a joke?" Scaramouche stared in disbelief, turning to Dottore with anger in his eyes.

"The compass says they're in there." He quoted, walking infront of Dottore and through the doors.

"Well, I suppose we're to walk inside with him. It's best to be on our guard; this place looks blinding." Pantalone coughed in his hand, covering his slight chuckle.

Hmm... I don't think meeting the Harbingers will turn out well. What does everyone think?

Anyway,

I'm going to France for the week! 😀😀

Hoorah! My middle ages ancestors are screaming at me right now...

I promise I won't bring soldiers with me lmao

Please don't expect too many happy, nice and generally fluffy scenes.

This is Yandere, a genre which should never, under any circumstance be considered normal. It's abusive, unhealthy and leads to a lot of victims facing awful conditions which they never should or ever have to endure no matter who they are.

This is fiction that I'm writing, meaning it's all taken light-heartedly IN A FICTIONAL SENSE.

If anyone, by chance, is currently in conditions where a loved-one or yourself has suddenly become distant and/or being hurt when away from eyes please get help. Talk to them, or if it's you, talk to someone you know you can trust.

If you can't talk to anyone, find authorities who can help you. Call 999, as it is in the U.K, or your local emergency service. They will always help you, and will never deny your rights or freedom.

Thanks for reading this, I hope all who's reading knows this information already, but I thought I'd include it since who knows when it comes to where you are in the world and whether your education programs taught critical information like this.

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[frost-queen]

Bodyguarded // part 5 (Reader!Grimes x Daryl Dixon)

Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22, @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve, @queen-of-books, @glimmering-darling-dolly @denkisclown, @wildieflower, @meyocoko, @bubblybrianna, @justanothercoco, @subjecta13-thefangirl, @m-rae23, @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr, @swampthing07, @melsunshine, @panhoeofmanyfandoms, @venomsvl, @the-uncoordinated-house-cat , @rosecentury,  @imagines-by-her,  @evilcr0ne, @vviolynn , @niktwazny303 Tag: @strangerthingslover69 , @ankhmutes , @yoowhatthefuck , @sseleniaa, @deansapplepie , @abbiesxox, @skulliecadaver-blog, @winterassassin1804 , @love-zami

Summary: When there is a need for supplies, a select group goes to the city. Shane and you are forced to be together. How will this play out? Will you find a way out savely out of the city with the others? [ read part 1 & part 2 & part 3 & part 4 ]

Shane slammed his hand on the hood, alarming everyone they were set to ride. Rick kissed Lori goodbye and gave Carl a hug before joining Shane by the car. Glenn already stood by it, wanting to drive. Shane came standing before him with a glare. Glenn swallowed nervously getting the hint. He moved to the backseat as Shane got in the front. Rick joined Shane on the other side. Daryl was by his motorcycle with Carol. Carol was speaking to him, telling him to be careful.

He listened half, finding her motherly concern a bit overrated. You tossed an empty bag in the trunk, shutting it. You were about to get into the car when Daryl whistled loud. It made you look back at him, seeing him ask you over. Smiling, you went up to Daryl. The car door opened as Shane set one foot out, standing up. – “In the car!” – he ordered. – “She’s riding with me!” – Daryl called back.

“Y/n! the car!” – he made clear. Daryl let the engine roar of his motorcycle to overpower Shane’s overrule. You went over to Daryl anyways, grabbing his back as you swung your leg over the motorcycle. Shane puffed annoyed getting back in the car. Your hands were on Daryl as he took them, wrapping them tighter and closer to the front around him.

Daryl rode off, passing by the car. Shane easily caught up with him, riding past him. Shane then slowed a bit down so Daryl and you were still close by. Daryl wasn’t speeding much to not attract any walkers with the noise of the motor. You were leaning against his back, watching the trees pass till it would eventually make way for the highway. – “Hey Y/n.” – Daryl said catching your attention. It made you lift your head up from against his back. – “Yeah?” – you answered.

Daryl turned the steering a bit, getting closer to the woods as you were confused to what he was doing. – “How about a little detour?” – he chuckled out. – “Daryl!” – you called out slapping him against his back. Daryl steered back to the middle of the road where the car drove a few meters up front. – “Shane would go feral.” – you told him. – “I don’t care.” – Daryl answered back.

“Yeah cause having him drive after us like a maniac with Glenn and my brother in the car is so thrilling.” – you teased with a roll of your eyes. Daryl chuckled already picturing it. – “It’s not funny!” – you called out giving him another slap against his shoulder.

Wrapping your arms tighter around him, you snuggled closer against him. – “Just enjoy this.” – you mumbled out. Daryl kept tailing the car till they made it up to the highway. There they started to speed up knowing they had to have daylight at their side. If they would be stuck in the city by night, it would be hell. By the edge of the city, they parked. Not wanting to attract the walkers that roamed the city. Their city now. Fallen a few years ago.

You got off Daryl’s bike as he held you in place by taking your wrist. You turned confused at him. Daryl pulled out a gun, putting it in your hands while his gaze was on Shane up ahead with the car. – “I don’t want my girl to be unarmed.” – he told you, pushing your hand closer to your body. You turned your back to the car, putting the gun away out of eye’s way.

Daryl knew Shane would never let you have a gun. It was even a surprise that were allowed on this run for supplies. You leaned down resting your arm over his shoulder. – “I always have you to save my ass.” – you told him smirking. Daryl inhaled deep bringing his hand on your back down to your bottom. – “A fine one too.” – he answered making you snort.

Daryl and you kissed quick before he got off his motorcycle. You went over to Glenn, taking an empty bag from as well. Glenn stepped away when he saw Rick approach you. – “Nervous brother?” – you asked when he slid his arm over your shoulder. – “Only for you.” – he responded. – “I’ll be fine. I’ve dealt with walkers more than you.” – you laughed out patting him against his cheek.

Rick chuckled giving you a little shove. – “Hey you’re the newbie here.” – you teased giving him a bump with your hip. Shane came walking around you and Rick having a little comment to say. – “Try not to scream at a walker Y/n.” – he said making you smile sarcastically back at him. You left Rick’s side going after Shane wanting to reply to that. – “Try keeping him alive now.” – you commented hinting your brother.

Shane’s eyes widened briefly but before he could reply, you had joined the others. – “Here you go.” – Glenn said offering you a machete. You accepted it, looking over at Daryl. You didn’t think you would be given a weapon. You then looked over to Shane, wanting to see what he would do about it. He didn’t comment on it, so you got to keep the machete.

Glenn took the lead as he knew some good routes to a nearby store. Daryl and you walked at the back, keeping a good eye on your behinds. The streets were silent. Papers and trash scattered around. Some moving with the wind. Glenn stopped at the front of an alleyway that led up to the main road. Shane and Rick right behind him. Daryl turned his back at you, holding his crossbow up to the other end of the alley in case one would dare to sneak up.

Glenn overlooked the main road, seeing some walkers stand mindlessly still. Some wandering a bit at the slowest pace. Almost unactive from not having eaten so long. – “And?” – Shane asked keeping his voice low. – “It’s a risk.” – he answered seeing a walker sniff the air, making him pull back into he alleyway. – “The stores are up ahead across this street. I don’t think we can make it across unnoticed.” – Glenn spoke lowly looking at Rick and you.

“What if we distract them with noise?” – you suggested making everyone look at you. – “This way we’ll clear the road for you all to cross.” – you finished. – “And who are you suggesting to sacrifice themselves?” – Shane asked with crossed arms.

“It’s not a sacrifice if you do it right.” – you replied with a glare. Shane puffed loud. He then pushed Glenn forwards amidst you all. – “He’ll go.” – he put up. Glenn stared angry at him. – “No, Glenn is the fastest runner, besides he knows the place.” – you countered, backing Glenn up. – “I’ll do it.” – you proposed. – “Y/n no!” – Rick let out, shaking his head. – “It’s not up for discussion.” – you told your brother. Daryl joined having been on guard the entire time. – “I’m coming too.” – he said.

Shane shook his head, pinching his nose bridge. – “We need focus, not more distractions.” – Shane let out. Daryl came up to Shane. – “You got a problem?” – he asked. Shane puffed up his chest to appear larger. – “Enough!” – you shout-whispered coming in between them. Now was not the time and place to argue and fight.

“I don’t care who comes with me, but if we stay here any longer there will be an army of walkers feasting on our flesh!” – you said frustrated. Shane grabbed you by the elbow, pulling you away. Apparently he was coming with you. Daryl wanted to go after you but Rick held him back. – “We have to be ready when they clear the road.” – Rick told him.

You pushed Shane’s hand off you. The two of you rounded the back of some abandoned houses. Shane knocked some wooden planks off that boarded up the broken windows. – “After you.” – he said gloating. It made you roll your eyes. You gave him a little shove out of the way so that you could crawl through the window. Shane got in after you. With his gun up, he sneaked through the dark room to scout for any walkers.

You heard some faint groaning sounds walking up to it. Amidst the rubble was a walker. Stuck underneath parts of the ceiling that had crumbled down. The walker started to groan louder, reaching out to you to grab. You stood in front of it, shoving your machete down in it’s head. Giving it a twist so it surely was dead. Shane found one as well stuck as he knelt down, taking out his knife.

He stabbed it in the head. Blood spattering up. Shane wiped his knife clean on the walker’s dress. Shane and you rejoined in the middle of the room. – “All clear.” – he said making you nod. The two of you started to search for something to cause noise. – “What do you see in him anyways?” – Shane asked from across the room, going through some stuff.

“You mean what don’t I see in you?” – you responded back. Shane’s eyes widened brief, stopping his search, caught off guard. You came over to him. – “That’s what you want right? For many years now.” – you added finding something useful in a dusted box. An football horn, you so hoped still worked, but didn’t want to test out now. You showed Shane the horn as he came over to you.

Grabbing you tight by your arms. The way he stared at you, made you feel uneasy. His hard stare with that struggle deep inside of him. For a moment you thought he was going to kiss you forcefully. Having wanted nothing more. Ever since you were teens perhaps. The making fun of you, the teasing, always coming around.

It was clear now that he liked you but never dared to show it openly because of your brother. Now that he was older, his methods might have become more violent. Cursing at you and threating you bad just because he knew he never had a chance with you.

“What are you going to do.” – you dared him feeling him squeeze your arms tighter. – “Why can’t you just…” – Shane began nearing with his face. It made you gulp, thinking he might actually kiss you now. He kept coming closer with his face as it made you turn your head away. Shane’s forehead came in contact with your side as he shut his eyes hard. Then he tore himself away, taking the horn from you.

Letting out a loud breath, your heart was pounding. This could’ve taken a different direction. You followed Shane back out of the broken window. Jogging after him, you went further down the street to head into one of the next alleyways. Shane looked around and spotted a few cars parked in the middle of the road. He ran over to it, you right behind him.

Shane got up on the car, standing on the roof. He pressed on the horn as it let out a loud sound. Shit you thought, opening the car door and trying to see if the car worked. The walkers were alarmed. Groaning and calling it out as they collectively all turned towards the sounds. Shane horned again and long to lure them over. You kept turning the key, trying to start the car.

Looking briefly through the window, you saw the others carefully look before running across. This car was no use as you got out and went over to another car. Shane horned again, firing at some walkers that were coming near. Anxiously you were trying to start the next car. It was great that all the walkers were coming your way, but you still needed to escape. This car wasn’t working as well as you got back out and checked the hood. The engine stolen.

“Shane!” – you called out. Shane turned his head to you. – “None of them start!” – you yelled at him. Shane aimed his gun your way as you thought for a moment he was going to shoot you. His gun fired making you jump out of your skin. Then you heard a body drop to the ground. Looking over your shoulder you saw a walker down.

Gasping loud, you saw more walkers come from alleyways or hit their heads against glass to get to the noise. With no other way out, you climbed on the roof of the car with Shane. Taking out the gun Daryl had given you. You noticed Shane taking a moment to stare with wide eyes at it. – “Shut up.” – you said not wanting to hear complaints.

Some walkers were below at the car, swaying their arms around to grab for your feet. You started shooting at them. Each hit right through their skull. Shane blew the horn again luring more walkers to you. A walker threw himself on the hood, snapping his mouth around. Shane moved his arm over your shoulder, shooting at him. You shot a few by the trunk as their dark blood splashed the car. The space on the roof was just manageable for two if you didn’t move too much. You gulped feeling a hand grab at your ankle.

You felt yourself slip back off the roof. Before you could fall down reacted Shane. He had taken a hold of your wrist, holding you in place as your back dangled over the walkers. He pulled at your wrist, pulling up against his chest. With an arm around you, he continued to shoot around. Your heart was pounding still trying to recover from your almost fall.

The walkers were snapping their jaws at you and swaying their arms around. Gurgling loud with their calls. You so hoped they raided the place quick. Not sure how much longer you could hold them off. You fired at them one by one. They dropped down like flies but kept coming closer in tenfold. Shane stepped on a walker’s fingers as they reached the roof.

“Give me that horn.” – you told Shane. He gave it to you as you took a hairband from your wrist. You pressed the horn in, wrapping the hairband around it so it kept blowing. You were about to throw it away yourself, but offered it to Shane instead, knowing he might throw further than you. Shane accepted the blowing horn from you, throwing it further down the street. Some walkers were drawn to it that hadn’t smelled your flesh yet.

The others staid around the car, snapping beastly at the two of you. Shane and you fired at the remaining one’s. You furrowed your brows seeing a walker slide down the car side with an arrow in his head. Looking up, you saw Daryl, Glenn and your brother up ahead. They had come back from their raid. Rick was shooting as well, clearing a way for the two of you.

Walkers dropped down lifeless with each hit. Shane jumped off the roof first. You jumped after him, falling through your knees. Shane jerked you up by your arm. He then started running with you. The two of you met up with the others as Shane let go of you. You ran straight in Daryl’s arms, hugging him tight. Daryl exhaled relieved, hugging you back.

“Let’s go.” – Glenn called out knowing more would come soon. The five of you started to run back towards the alleyway. You were hallway through when a few walkers appeared on the other end. It made Glenn stop, you bumping against his back. – “Go back.” – he called out as you already turned around. Shane took about a few steps before he stopped. From the other side walkers now as well. They were closing in, having cut off your escape routes. – “Up!” – Rick called out seeing a ladder hanging a few feet above the ground. 

Rick grabbed you, picking you up for you to reach the ladder. You grabbed it, pulling yourself up by your hands before your feet could touch the first step. After you, Rick helped Glenn up. Daryl didn’t need any help as he jumped grabbing the first step with his hands. Rick and Shane joined last climbing up to the roof. Up, you helped Glenn from the ladder.

Daryl, Rick and Shane joining moments later. Glenn looked down the alleyway, seeing the walkers cramped up together, arms up trying to grab for you all out of reach. – “How are we going to get to the car now?” – Glenn panicked with his hands in his hair. Rick stood by the edge, overlooking the town from above.

You looked around the rooftop trying to look for a way out. Daryl joined your side, pulling you closer to him for a moment. Over his shoulder, he glanced at Shane close to Rick. Wondering what had occurred when he wasn’t near. You checked your gun, seeing how many bullets you had left. It wasn’t enough, perhaps to kill a few walkers. Rick whistled loud to round you up. – “We either wait for it to calm down or we take a risk.” – Rick suggested.

“If we wait they’ll just keep roaming below mindlessly cause nothing attracts them anymore.” – Glenn answered. – “Glenn’s got a point.” – Daryl spoke in agreement. The five of you set out to look around the roof top for anything useful. You neared the side of the roof towards the back, feeling that the foundation beneath your feet didn’t feel stable.

Rick was nearing as you stopped him. – “Stop!” – you called out, standing completely still. Rick stopped confused, setting his foot back. – “It’s unstable.” – you explained standing in the middle of it. This part of the roof probably rotten from damp and rain. It wasn’t sturdy cement. The others neared as well, standing by Rick.

You tried to set a foot down back towards them, but felt the foundation crack underneath you. – “Careful.” – Glenn called out. Perhaps if you ran, you could outrun it crumbling away. Eyes locked on Daryl, he knew what you were going to do. He nodded holding his hands out to catch you if he needed too.

You started running towards him, feeling the foundation crack underneath you. The foundation sunk below you, making you leap for Daryl. Daryl sucked in a breath holding his arms further up to you. Your hand touched his hand, swiping down it as he couldn’t catch you in time.

The foundation gave way beneath you, getting sucked into the building. – “Noooo!” – Daryl called out as you screamed loud, disappearing into the gaping black hole. Swallowed by the gaping gap left by the rotten foundation. Your back hit the ground, leaving you in complete darkness.  

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

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[armins-main-hoe]

Todoroki’s Twin au

Pt.5

Your sister’s food was tasty as always, it had been a while since you last ate her food after moving into the school dorms. Had the atmosphere not been so awkward for you, you would have a warm smile on your face while you enjoyed each bite of the food. You sat between your two older siblings with Midoriya sitting opposite you. You would look over at your father every now and then, he has a neutral expression, it was softer than you mostly see from him. Looks like he is trying to be better, though you aren’t so sure if being better now would fix anything.   There was some small talk here and there, but you were mostly zoning out, eating the food without even realising it.  

“How is your internship going Y/n?” You heard your father speak up. His voice was thick and stern, however, there was no doubt that it was softer than it usually was.  

You look up from your food, lowering your chopsticks as you looked over at him. Everyone’s eyes were on you now. “It’s going well.” You replied simply, not going into much detail. In all honesty, you didn’t feel like talking much tonight. First of all, you were tired from patrolling all day, secondly, you were regretting coming over to this family dinner because of how awkward it was getting. If only you could speed time up and get this whole thing over with.  

“You should come and join my agency-”

“I’m good, thanks.” You didn’t even let him finish his sentence. You knew Midoriya and Bakugo were struggling to swallow their food with the thick tension growing. Fuyumi nudged your side, but you ignored her. You knew your father was only saying all that as a formality, he didn’t actually mean it. You know that he is perfectly happy with the three boys as his interns. Sure, perhaps he’d rather not have the other two but since he has Shoto as his intern, he doesn’t mind.  

“I understand you do not like me, but you would be better off learning from a higher-ranking pro than-”  

“I said I’m good. Is that so hard to understand?” Your voice strained a little as you tried not to raise it too much, after all you had guests over.  

A few beats of silence followed after. Great now not only is it awkward but you’re the reason for it. You picked up your plate and utensils and got up.  

“I’m sorry, I’m gonna leave early.” You muttered as you walked out of the living room.  

“But it’s late, you can’t go back alone-” You heard your older sister calling after you, but you were too caught up in the downing thoughts in your head to even register what she was saying. Going back to the kitchen, you quickly washed your plate and got your bag and coat, leaving the house before anyone could call out after you. As you were on your way out, you walked past your old room. The door was slightly open, but you walked straight past it anyway.  

The sun had already settled an hour ago so when you looked up at the sky, you could see the stars littered in the dark sky. You knew how to get back to school, it was a few trains stops away. If you walk a little quicker, you might make it in time for the next train, then you can go to your dorm room and finally get this day over with.  

Your mind was still flooded with that family dinner, you bet their all just laughing awkwardly and acting like everything is fine. Why does your father even bother at this point? Why bother making things better now when the damage is already done? Is so obvious he prefers Shoto over you so there is no need for him to be all ‘you should come over to my agency’, like hell you would ever join his agency.  

Had he given you this offer a year ago you’d be jumping with excitement and saying yes quicker than you could breathe. You’d be thinking that you’re father finally sees you as worthy, finally doesn’t see you as an extra child that came along with Shoto. However, he asked you now. He asked you when you know he’s only asking out of formality, out of his efforts on looking like a better father not because he actually sees you for what your worth is.  

Ugh, this is all so frustrating. So stupid. So, tiring. Why couldn’t you have been born into some other family? Why this one? Why do you have to go through all this, were you really that bad in your past life?  

“Well, would you look at that. Another one of Endeavour’s mistakes.” A dry, croaky voice spoke out of nowhere. You snapped out of your thoughts and started looking around for where the voice came from.  

“It’s pitiful. Really. I mean, just look at you.” The voice spoke again, this time you followed the direction it came from, it came from an alleyway you were walking past. Great. You decided to keep walking back to the station, but you got dragged into the dark alleyway by a rather strong hand.  

Your heart started beating quicker, you face went cold. You can’t see anything so you can’t fight whoever it is because you don’t know where they are. You should escape, but you can’t. You can’t move your hands or legs. It’s like your body won’t listen to you.  

You’re a hero in training, get a grip!  

“Your little retaliation against your father was cute. Did nothing to actually affect him though.” The voice spoke again. The voice was dry and croaky, as if it was worn out. 

You heard a matchstick be lit and soon a small lamp was lit. It was only now that you could put a face to that voice. Your breath was taken away when you saw who. You knew him, not very well but you’ve seen his face enough times to know that he’s from the league of villains, just you forgot his name-

“Tell me, are you really being a hero because that’s your dream? Or is it just to prove to your father than you are better?”  

What the fuck? Why is he talking like he knows so much about you. Your eyes moved around, and you saw a few other members of the league with him at the back, all smiling menacingly at you. The villain that was talking to you had parts of his skin turned purple, with metal that looked like staples holding his skin together. He towered over you, smiling at you just like the other villains around him. Wiat, you’ve definitely seen this guy before.

“Let go!” You ignored his question and struggled against your invisible restraints.  

You could hear the villains at the back snicker and mock you as you tried to escape.  

“No use trying to run away. Now answer my question.” The villain who towered over you asked.  

You kept struggling against the force keeping your body still.  

“You’re breath stinks!” You shouted at him before you finally felt your body move. As soon as he knew you were free, he activated his quirk, creating blue flames in his palms which you put out by shooting water at him.  

“Ah, right. You have that as your quirk, how annoying.” You heard him mumble as he continued dodging all your attacks.  

“Don’t think your plan is gonna work Dabi. I’m leaving.” A villain at the back spoke before others hummed in agreement. You still kept your eyes on Dabi, making your quirk work faster to increase the pressure of water shooting out of your palms so that it leaves a mark upon impact. You did manage to land quite a few blows on him before his entire body turned into muddy goo, pooling around your feet.

“He was a fake.” You spoke to yourself. Looking back up, you see that all the other villains had already left. Your feet wobbled a little as you took steps back until your back hit the wall. Chest rising up and down, taking slow deep breaths as thoughts of the family dinner were replaced with questions of what just happened.  

That villain kept asking you questions. Kept questioning your reasoning to be a hero. He asked if you wanted to be a hero to prove to your father that you are better. Better than Shoto? Wait, how does that villain know that much? Who is he? Why did he ask all that? Why did he not hurt you when he clearly had the upper hand? What were his motives?  

Minutes pass by before you managed to calm down and continue going back to school. On your way back all you could think of now was that sudden villain attack. Well, it wasn’t really an attack, at least not a grand one. It was almost like they were trying to make you come with them, willingly. When Bakugo was captured by the league of villains, they were forcing him to join them. It’s not like they had given you much of a choice either, but they were much more relaxed and were not worried about you getting away, they gave you chances to fight back.  

Why would they do that?

“Um... Y/n? You good?”  

You look up and see mina standing in front of you. Wait, you got back to the dorms already? Did you zone out the whole way back?

“You just came back pretty late; you weren’t replying to anything anyone was saying.” She told you, tilting her head a little in worry.  

“Oh...” You blinked. You looked around and saw a few other classmates in the living room, all looking at you confused or worried. “I’m okay...”  

“Are you sure about that?” Mina spoke up again.  

“Yeah.” You nod.  

Neither Mina nor anyone else looked convinced.  

“It’s just that I saw dabi on the way back and-”

“You WHAT?”  

---

Laying on your bed in your dorm room was supposed to be comfortable. It was supposed to help lull you to sleep, after all, you were longing to lay in bed throughout the entire family dinner.  So, you eventually gave up on the idea of sleeping and got up to go to the balcony attached to your dorm room. The air was cold, but it was comforting in a way, not many stars were in the sky, but you could still point out a few. It was rather late so you doubt anyone would be up to keep you company.

“Gods damn it all.”

Or maybe there is.

You look down and see everyone’s favourite blonde standing up after tripping over. You use your water quirk to create water slide, made out of water, to quickly get to him, though that did mean your clothes got wet, probably should have thought that through.

“The fuck is you doing up so late?” Bakugo asked, a little startled to see you behind him but he covers it up with a frown.

“Couldn’t sleep and then I saw you trip.”

“I didn’t trip, and I am not going to be a source of entertainment for you.”

“Why are you still awake?”

His shoulders tensed up a little.

“None of your damn business you dumb mermaid.”

“Mermaid?”

“Yeah, a dumb one.” Bakugo scoffed. You shrugged and squeezed out some of the water from your top. You saw him roll his eyes and start walking away, you knew it would piss him off if you followed him, so you started following him.  

“You idiot, why are you following me around? Go away.”  

“Where are you going?”  

“Like I said before, none of your business.”  

“What happened after I left?”  

That made him stop. He turned around and looked down at you with a smaller scowl on his face.  

“Oh yeah, what’s up with you and your dad? I know your brother’s story, but I never understood yours.”  

You raised an eyebrow. “You... actually want to know?”  

“Don’t get the wrong idea, mermaid. I’m not into knowing about everyone’s family drama but after having been put through that hell of a dinner, I think I deserve to know.”  

Before you knew it, you and Bakugo were sitting under a tree that was at that behind the dormitory, talking about your whole past.  

“I often switch the person I blame for everything, going through all of my family members and then blaming myself too. I know my father has a major role to play in everything, he probably is the cause of it all, but I still find myself being so competitive with Shoto, even though I tell myself I don’t need my father’s approval for anything. I honestly don’t know what I’m doing, one day I think this and another I’ll think that.”  

“Well, that sucks ass but I’m not your therapist so I’m not gonna say shit.” He leaned his head back on the tree.  

“Weren’t you the one who asked to know-”

“You’ve got too much sea water in your dumb ears, mermaid.” He stood up. “Stick to focusing on yourself though. Sure, family matters and all but for now just focus on yourself.”  

You blinked at him. “Maybe I do have water in my ears because there is no way you just said that.”  

You heard him scoff again, he walked over to you and crouched down beside you.  

“You’re feisty and somewhat more tolerable than your brother. Now if anyone and I mean anyone, finds out about us hanging out here, I’ll kill you. Got it.”  

You let you a quick breath through your nose as a laugh and shrugged, “Sure.”  

He ruffled your hair, albeit harshly and messing up your hair, before walking away. You never thought you would ever rant and trauma dump to Bakugo fucking Katsuki, but it seems life is full of surprises lately.

Wait. Why was he up and out of his dorm in the first place? He usually goes to sleep so early. Wait, where did he go? Wasn’t he right there a minute ago? 

[illubean]

hii, i love your writing! ^__^ it's my birthday on saturday and i was just wondering if you could write something about how the main 4 in hxh would celebrate your birthday? they're all a big comfort for me ( especially killua :,) ) no pressure if you can't get it out by then or if you don't feel comfortable <3 idk if this makes sense 😭

Happy Birthday!

Characters: Gon Freecs, Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika Kurta, Leorio Paladaknight Type: Fluff, Mini Oneshot, Gn!reader

*deep inhale*

HAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU-

Warnings: none

The past few days your friends had been acting weird. Both Killua and Kurapika have been more reserved than usual, Leorio was trying harder to keep conversations short and Gon was super jumpy and fidgety.

You all decided to visit Whale Island together, so why are they being so distant?

What's gotten into them?

Every time you tried to ask, they would all brush you off or walk away before you had the chance.

Now you were left with no choice but to find things out the only way you know how.

Catch Gon alone and interrogate him until he cracks.

Because of his honest nature, it was almost impossible for Gon to keep secrets, especially from the people he cares about.

On this particular day, he happened to be sitting on the side of a river alone with his fishing rod perched in the dirt.

"Hey Gon, I have a question."

The boy's entire body went rigid at the sound of your voice before he whipped around to face you at the speed of light.

"Party, what party? Haha I don't know what you're talking about!"

Your eye's narrowed before you took a step closer.

"But I didn't say anything about a party did I? What are you guys planning huh?"

At this point the dark haired boy was sweating nervously and quite literally shaking in his boots.

"Nothing, no one's planning anything! Uhhh I gotta go, bye Y/n!"

Gon scrambled to grab his fishing rod before making a run for it in the opposite direction.

Damn it he, got away.

After wandering for a few minutes you decided to return back to Gon's home, which his aunt Mito so graciously allowed all of you to stay in. Before entering though, you heard voices from around the corner.

"You idiot, you seriously gave it away that easy!?"

"I'm sorry Killua I couldn't help it! Besides I don't think they know yet-"

Gon stopped upon seeing you round the corner.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?"

"Uhmm uhh just- MFHH"

Killua slapped his hand over his friend's mouth before he could say anything else before looking at you.

"Gon and I were just going to explore the forest, see ya!"

The white haired boy quickly grabbed his friend by the arm before fleeing from the side of the house.

Huffing you decide not to go into the house and instead sat on the cliffside, feet dangling off the edge as you overlooked the water.

Jeez why is everyone ignoring me today... did I do something wrong?

The two youngest members of your group just keep running away from you every time they have the chance and earlier today Kurapika refused to let you tag along with him to the market place. You haven't even seen Leorio.

Sighing you rest your head on your hands as you stared blankly out at the ocean. You didn't know what to do. None of your friends seemed to want your company and you had been bored and alone all day. The day had passed while you sat thinking to yourself, the sun now setting on the horizon. It's not like you had anything better to do anyways. Before you could spiral even further you felt a tap on your shoulder, turning around to come face to face with Leorio. You felt a little better upon being able to talk to at least one of your friends today.

"Hey, what's the matter? Why are you all mopey and stuff?"

Your face scrunched in annoyance as you recalled everything that happened to you earlier.

"The others have been completely blowing me off and I have no clue why! What did I do to them, huh!?"

Leorio let out a laugh before reaching his hand out to you to help you up.

"I'm sure it's nothing, come on lets go inside."

Upon approaching the front door, the atmosphere seemed to be mysteriously quiet. Leorio pushed the door open to reveal a seeminly empty house, all the lights shut off and curtains closed. When you set foot inside the lights flicked on and everyone jumped out from behind something, popping confetti at you.

"Happy Birthday Y/n!"

Your jaw dropped as you looked around. The space was decorated with balloons and streamers in your favorite colors while the dining table was covered with various dishes (courtesy of aunt Mito).

Tears of joy pricked at the corner of your eyes as you rub them away before they can fall.

"Screw you guys, I thought I did something wrong. Now come here!"

The first person you grabbed was Killua, knowing he'd be the most reluctant of a group hug and the two of you were squished between the other three.

After you were released from the embrace, aunt Mito approached you with a cake that was your favorite flavor, one candle lit at the center.

You rubbed the tears away from your eyes again, not wanting to feel like such a crybaby.

"I love you guys so much!"

Everyone clapped as you blew out your candle, then you went on to spend your special day with the people you care for most.

I wish we'll all be friends forever.

[blackholelynn]

Missed Confession

Summary: When you get the chance to confess your crush to your best friend, will you take it?

Pairing: Bella Swan x Reader

Warnings: Nothing major; some unrequited feelings, maybe?

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: A day late, but it's better late than never! I think that may be my motto lol. Another entry for @twilightsaganetwork's appreciation week, with today's entry being "Favorite Quote"! I will put my favorite quote in bold and all I ask is that you don't laugh 😭 I genuinely have the first letters of every word of this quote on a candy bracelet, so I think it would've been a crime not to choose this one? Anyways, enjoy!

~~~

You were sitting in the passenger seat of Bella’s beat-up truck, wondering how you had even gotten into this position. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from her pensive posture as she sped down the rainy road to the Rez to see Jacob. The car's speed and her dazed affect only served to make your anxiety heightened. You didn’t even know Jacob, so you were struggling to find a reason for you being there. It had just become difficult for you to leave her side after Edward left, and to see her so broken was too much for you.

“You sure you should be driving this fast?” you asked nervously, unable to keep quiet about it any longer.

Bella spared you an exasperating glare before her eyes focused on the road. “I do know how to drive. That’s not something I’ve forgotten.”

“No, I wasn’t–” You cut yourself off from trying to justify the question because you were sure you came off as patronizing when you asked. Taking an extra moment to adjust your seatbelt, you sighed, “I’m sorry. I’ve just been worried about you. And not in the ‘I don’t think you can take care of yourself’ kinda way, more like the ‘my friend is in a lot of pain’ kinda way.”

“Oh…thanks.” Her muscles relaxed a bit as her defensiveness eased. The speedometer (thankfully) also seemed to lower as she let up on the gas. The heavy trees started to thin the closer you got to houses, and when a few popped up, she asked you another question. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to come if this isn’t your thing. I know you’ve never met Jacob, so it might be a little awkward.”

You shook your head with a reassuring smile. “As long as you introduce us, it’ll all be fine. I’m just happy to spend some time with you.”

The grin on Bella’s face was a nice change from the sour expression that had started to make its home there. Her happiness was infectious and spread to you as well. You couldn’t remember having this much quality time with your best friend since she was still coming every summer to visit her dad. But that was a long time ago, and a lot had changed.

You stared at the greenery whizzing past your window as you reflected on that time. When you were younger and still a bit unsure, you dreamed about spending your life with her. You had thought it was what everyone hoped to do with their friends. Then she stopped coming around, and a few revelations later, you realized that you were absolutely and painfully in love with your best friend. To make matters worse, her return to Forks was quickly punctuated by her getting into a relationship with Edward Cullen, of all people.

I’ll just keep it to myself. She doesn’t need this right now.

As you always had done, you pushed your feelings down to spare hers. Thankfully, the truck came to a halt, and you opened the door to get some fresh air.

“Bella!” A boy’s voice called out, and you saw who you assumed to be Jacob. He wasted no time wrapping her in a hug and spinning her around when he reached her. “Where the hell have you been, loca?!”

Bella chuckled once he finally let her go before gesturing towards you. “Jacob, this is one of my friends from school. I thought it would be fun to hang out together and have an extra set of hands.”

You told him your name and stuck out your hand for a handshake. “It’s great to finally meet you. Bella’s told me so much about you.” After an awkward handshake, you added on a teasing remark, “All good things!”

Jacob seemed to bristle at your presence, and you began to space out as Bella showed him the motorcycle she had in the bed of her truck. It was a fixer-upper that she wanted done, and you weren’t about to argue. The last time she tried to ride a motorcycle, you found out from Jessica that she had hopped on a stranger’s bike. You were shocked out of your stupor when Jacob lifted one of the motorcycles out of her truck as though it was made of plywood. “Holy shit!”

“Yeah, Jake, you’re like…buff?” Bella added in total shock. “And you’re only 16?”

“Yeah, age is just a number, baby. You’re like, what? 40 now?” Jacob walked the bike back towards the garage with an impish smirk.

You knew he was only poking fun, but the severe look that crossed Bella’s face told you that he had hit a nerve. Without thinking, you put a hand on her back and rubbed between her shoulder blades in a sympathetic gesture.

She sighed and leaned closer to you as you both followed behind Jake. “It feels like that sometimes,” she muttered under her breath.

The rest of the time in the garage, the two of you were glorified assistants while Jacob did most of the work. Bella wasn’t sure exactly what she was doing, and you had even less of a clue. Thankfully, the tense rivalry Jacob seemed to fabricate between the two of you faded away. By the end of the day, the three of you were laughing like old friends.

“Wait, wait, wait!” You giggled, leaning back on the futon that Jacob had set up in the garage. “You made mud pies together?! I thought that was our thing!”

“To be fair, it was our thing first,” Bella agreed.

“So what I’m hearing is that Jake totally stole my play there.”

“Just a little.”

Jacob rolled his eyes as he continued tightening a bolt on the bike, only turning back to address you when he was done. “I didn’t steal anything. We just happened to think of the same idea.”

“Uh huh, sure we did. I can see you for what you really are, thief!” you teased, dramatically throwing your arm over your face. The two of them laughed at your melodramatic antics. Bella’s fit of giggles caused her to lose stability, and she leaned on you once more for support. You thought your heart might beat out of your chest on the spot.

When she finally returned to her senses, she frowned at the purple-pinkish sunset outside. “It looks like it might be time for us to head out.”

“Oh, yeah. For sure.” Jacob hastily dropped the metal wrench in his hand with a clang and stood up. “You want me to walk you to your truck.”

“I think we’ve got it, but thanks, Jake. See you tomorrow,” she said, getting ready to leave. Jacob moved as though he was going to hug her goodbye, but she walked past him without realizing it. The only thing you could do was mouth a silent ‘sorry’ before hurrying after her.

The silence of your walk was broken when your intrusive thoughts came blundering out of your mouth. “So, you know that Jake has a thing for you, right?”

“What?”

Bella stopped in her tracks, looking at you like you had just made the biggest faux pas of your life. The silence stretched out for an eternity, only being filled by the nighttime sounds of the forest near you. You felt your hands grow clammy as your stomach twisted. Should you be this nervous when talking to your best friend?

“I just thought you knew,” you chuckled, trying to play it off. “It’s not a big deal! I just thought I’d mention it so it didn’t come out of left field or anything. You know, because that would be really awkward if you weren’t prepared, and I know you’re still dealing with some things–”

She began laughing again and started back up her pace to the truck. “You seriously think Jake has a crush on me? We’re just friends! Although I appreciate you looking out for me.”

“Bells…” You meekly trailed behind her. The words swam around in your head, clawing their way up your throat. You knew you shouldn’t bring it up, and you definitely knew that the topic of Edward was still sore. You couldn’t help telling her what was on your mind, just as you always had. “Friends can still have crushes on other friends. I wouldn’t dismiss it that easily.”

Bella cocked her head in confusion. “What…are you saying?” Her eyes scanned your face for something hidden, although it was clear she wasn’t even sure what she should be looking for. She was never one to see any of the hints people gave to her.

This was your chance. She had given you a moment, a huge opening to lay out all your feelings. If she accepted them, then you would deal with it. If she rejected them, then at least you would know how to move past it. It was what you had been waiting for since she came back into your life.

“Nothing,” you replied, forcing a smile on your face. “It’s nothing. I guess I don’t know Jacob that well to be able to tell anyway.”

That seemed to assuage her curiosity, and she hopped into the driver’s side of the truck. You slid into the seat next to her, trying not to feel sick by your close proximity. The regret swirled inside you like a sick whirlpool, and it was all you could do not to crawl out of your skin. You’d have to find another chance if there would ever be another, and then you’d have to decide all over again if you wanted to confess.

How were you ever going to keep this up?

[evermorethecrow]

EVERMORE THE CROW 1K SPECIAL..... EXPOSING MY PAST.................

ages ago when i was younger i had to write this letter talking about times i got injured for school work and it was so bad i went through it with a friend of mine and because i thought i wouldnt hit 1k before the end of the year saying id post it if i did.

AND NOW IVE DONE IT

so heres my letter :(

Dear sir, I chose to write about a dangerous situation I've been in but I found it so difficult to pinpoint one situation.I am such an impulsive and spontaneous person and I rarely think before I act .Therefore instead of just one dangerous situation I have composed. Before i start i would like to issue a warning under no circumstances should a person attempt to recreate any action in this list for it is ill advised and i don't want to go to court again Kind regards -------

Okay so let's start out small ,i mean like when i was small really small i couldn't walk, but oh boy i could climb and unfortunately for the better of my own health climb I did,climb out of my cot and i know because gravity people who drop out of things tend to have this annoying habit of hitting the floor.Lets just say my mum put PE mats on my bedroom floor after that.

Next…uhhhhh incident??? Oooh it's another escaping story  maan maybe i should change my name to houdini or something,anyway this was a little later like i was able to walk (uh oh) i reckon i was good a walking, a little too good, my mum looked away from my pram for a second a second too long when she looked back i was gone, everyone in the park was looking for me and after 10 minutes of looking my mum saw me walk out the playground, i left and went to the playground.We went home after that.

Time for the third story  I was two years old and was running buckwild in Greenwich Park and having a fun time, in fact I was having such a fun time I didn't hear my mum shout “LOOK OUT”.  I had a comically large bump on my head got concussed and had to go to hospital, Not for too long though the very next day i got sent home for using a IV as a skateboard

Just a heads up befor the next story alot of these storys will be me being stupid and endeing up in hospital so if you have idiotphopia or are scared it would be advised to leave now or buy todays sponsor raycon earbuds.

Anyway next accident  When i was five I was in bed as a five year old should be when I had a genius revelation Hmmm i I dont wanna use my legs to get out of bed so why not roll out instead….i did roll out of bed,right onto a plastic dinosaur and cut my eyelid, there was blood all over my face.But hey at least i got to meet an old friend of mine.The hospital waiting room.

So yeah you can probably see how i'm quite an accident prone person but i never really did anything that bad.SO WHO WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT THE TIME I JUMPED OFF MY SCOOTER WHILE GOING SUPER FAST ON IT DOWN A HILL? I was seven and i was at our local park blythe hill and my seven year old brain wanted nothing more than to go down that hill at record speeds on my scooter,and i'm not talking about one of those fancy stunt scooters no i'm talking about a kids micro scooter, you know , the one where you would always put elastic bands on it, any way I was about halfway down the hill when i decided I was going too fast on it and i could get hurt and since id never had an injury before i wanted to prevent that so what did i do? I jumped of the scooter I was a smart kid. I jumped off my scooter and pretty much removed all the skin on that side of my body and too make matters worse it got infected and i had to take antibiotics for 4 weeks. Fun times

As you can probably see i might be a bit reckless and might be a bit bad at planning ahead  Which leads me to our next story, this ones a bit different you see this time  I didn't actually get hurt. I was at a friend's house and that friend's house had a garden with a tree,a tree and a garage which was placed close to the tree, and I, being a master climber since birth, scaled the tree with ease. But that wasn't enough for me no I wanted to climb the garage.So i went across the tree to the branche nearest the garage ,and climbed on top of the garage,the lovely,brick garage.my friends dad came out and saw me on top of the garage simply chilling and as you can probably predict he asked me to get down so instead of doing the rational thing and using the tree to et down.. I jumped of the garage onto the stone floor.I didn't go to their house for a while after that

I have another garage related story,This was in 2017 I was nine surely I was smateer by then and learned my lesson Right……Right? Me and my siblings were playing marco polo out the front of our house (never a good sign) And it was my turn to be blindfolded and find my siblings.I decided to run straight forward and hit the brick wall between two garages , I fractured my nose, chipped my front tooth and had to go to hospital.oops.

Now they say save the best for last and boy did i. It was 2020(oh god ) and we were celebrating my mom's birthday and all was going smoothly, well until i decided to leave our living room by jumping out the room from the sofa.it didn't go as planned.yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah i jumped off the sofa hi my head on the top of the door landed on my arm and spent 5 hours in hospital on my mums birthday.

That's all we have time for today However here are some honorable mentions 

.The time i used my scooter on a tall thin brick wall (someone really ought to take that thing of me honestly)

.All the times I hit my head on bins 

.And that time this year I literally without thinking put the hairdryer on my face after I used It and burnt stripes into my face 

Well thats the list of the most dangerous things ive done, of course ive done more dumb things but this paper has gone on long enough and I have school in the morning so bye I guess.

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

MY LIFE IS RUINED

[thebowieconstricker]

Head Over Heels - Chapter 1

(The Creature x Reader)

A Lisa Frankenstein (2024) fanfic

YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T GONNA POST DIDN’T YA??? Nah I’ve just been doing other things. We’re gonna have ONE more chapter after this one and then… we meeting our boy. Enjoy!

~~~

1989, Brookview, Indiana

As you reapplied your mascara for the fourteen billionth time, you let out a sigh. It was the first semester of your freshman year and Taffy was determined to drag you along with her to your first rager. You had fought her for years when it came to you attending parties. They were your own personalized hell, too much smoke and alcohol and noise, and for the past three years of high school, you had explained this to Taffy. Somehow, for some reason, she had respected your decision and you had successfully avoided them.

On the condition that you would go to one when you were a senior.

Unfortunately for you, you now had to actually fulfill that promise.

Taffy couldn’t be happier about it, though.

You had been struggling with your hair, face, outfit, everything since you’d gotten home from school. It was a Friday, so you couldn’t use the school night excuse on your father.

Even if you tried to, you doubted he would keep you home. These days he seemed exhausted with you, too wrapped up in his own business to care to listen to your silly teenage problems. You thought that he’d be more dad-like these days, his kid going into their senior year, but no. Anytime you complained, he retorted that you should just be more like Taffy. She didn’t have problems! Maybe join the cheer team! He’s sure she’d teach you the ropes!

He didn’t care to know you would rather drop dead then join the cheer team.

Anyways, back to you. Getting ready, yes. You grabbed a jean-jacket littered with patches you had stitched on yourself. You had a job with a local tailor in town and you’d always loved to sew. You considered yourself an artsy person, fascinated with the art of creation. This patched jacket was an especially loved project of yours, a sort of comfort jacket. So, it was coming with you.

After putting it on and glancing at yourself one last time in the mirror, you heard a honk outside your door. Taffy.

You shut off your bathroom radio, currently blaring “Keep On Loving You” by REO Speedwagon, a favorite of yours. You hummed the rest of the song as you zipped around your bathroom, grabbing a shoe here and chapstick there, shoving things in your bag and absentmindedly combing through your hair with your fingers. One final check later and you were speeding through your house, running out of your bathroom, through your room, down the stairs, past the living room, and straight towards the door, grabbing the handle and yanking it open.

You gasped and squinted as you walked out of your house, taken aback. Taffy’s car lights were on and pointed directly at you, completely blinding. As your eyes adjusted, your stomach began to turn as you recognized the cherry red of her car.

There was no going back now.

You saw Taffy in the drivers seat, excitedly smiling and waving at you.

This was gonna be a long night.

~~~

“So… are you hot for anyone?”

Oh my god, Taffy would not shut up.

Yeah, you two had been friends for… forever at this point, but didn’t she know you well enough by now to understand how you worked? You were already going out on a limb here, why did she delight in torturing you? You didn’t talk a lot, you rarely had crushes! Why did she act like you were like everyone one else?

“Taffy, that’s gross.” You replied, groaning.

“It’s not gross! It’s human, (Y/N). There has to be someone at school you think is cute.” She looked at you grinning.

A thought popped into your head. You knew it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but you couldn’t help yourself.

Your eyes shifted to look out the window. “I mean…”

Taffy gasped. “That wasn’t a no! Details, details!”

You giggled a bit at her enthusiasm. Perky as she was, she was fun.

“There’s… someone who doesn’t go to our school, I guess.”

Taffy nodded aggressively, bouncing in her seat.

Now, you knew very well that you weren’t interested in anyone at school, but you could… stretch the truth a bit. For her sake. Make her think there was still a chance for you.

“We don’t talk much, but… when I see him, he’s sweet.”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH-“ Taffy let out a high-pitched squeal, causing your eyes to close tightly.

“Can you not?!?” You tried your best to maintain an annoyed expression, but her genuine happiness for you made your smile impossible to hide.

“What school does he go to??” Taffy was glancing back and forth at you and the road.

“He’s homeschooled.”

“Ooh, so he’s like, freakishly smart?”

“Yeah, freakishly.”

“Does he have more of a football bod or a basketball bod?”

“He, um- doesn’t play sports.”

Taffy gave you a look.

“(N/N), I thought I went over this with you. How are you gonna climb the social ladder this year if you only go after geeks?”

You wrapped your arms around yourself defensively.

“He just caught my attention, okay? It’s not like we’re anything serious.”

Taffy sighed and turned up the radio, beginning to hum along to whatever was playing.

You couldn’t hear it, though. All this talk about your bachelor friend had you daydreaming.

What would it be like if he went to Brookview High? Maybe he would actually be your friend. He’d help you with your math homework, eat lunch with you, walk you to class, give you kisses in the hallway…

EEEEKKKK

The car lurched to a halt. You jolted from your dreams, arm hitting the car door.

Damn, you forgot how bad of a driver Taffy was.

“We’re here! Alright, (Y/N), are you ready for your first official senior rager??”

Taffy’s smile was impossibly wide, her eyes shining in the darkness of her car. You could faintly hear the music and noises of the party, whoever’s house you were at ahead of you.

Sitting there in the dark.

Waiting.

You took a breath.

“Okay.”

~~~

Nope nope nope, this was the worst choice you could have possibly made.

You could have thrown yourself into oncoming traffic and you would have been better off than being at this stupid, awkward party.

Standing outside with an unopened bottle of water, you watched as Taffy flawlessly buzzed about. She seemed to somehow know every single person here, to the point where each of them was just so glad she made it! It’s not a party without her! Damn, girl, I’m loving the outfit!

You thought your jacket would have gotten you some complements, at least from the right people, but apparently not.

Even the goth kids were steering clear of you.

Was there a meeting before you got here to make sure no one would talk to you??

You swallowed harshly and began to walk over to one of the random coolers strewn about the lawn. Thankfully, Taffy hadn’t forced you inside the actual house. You were sure the music was even louder, and the bright lights pouring from the glass doors and walls that shone on the pool were much brighter and even more headache inducing inside. Finally getting to a cooler, you realized that you had already been holding an unopened waterbottle.

Mentally rolling your eyes at your own idiotic behavior, you decided to just commit. Yes, it was stupid, and yes, you should just go hide in Taffy’s car for the rest of the night, but you might as well just suck it up at this point.

Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, it would get Taffy off your back for good.

You bent down and opened the cooler, and your hand dove straight into the icy cold water. It was pure instinct, a desire to feel something that wasn’t hot and sweaty and awkward, and it honestly gave you a brief feeling of relief.

You took your original water bottle, now lukewarm, and placed it in the ice water, grabbing a new, much cooler bottle of water.

Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind and above you.

“If you’re looking to fade out, the ethanol’s inside.”

You furrowed your brow in confusion. “What?”, you responded.

“The booze…?” The voice said as you stood up, not yet turning around. “It’s in the house.”

You started to turn, now actually understanding whatever this guy was talking about.

“O-oh, yeah, I think my friend brought most of it-“

Wait-

Your eyes focused in the dark on the figure who was speaking to you. Pretty brown hair and eyes, a slight tan, and a face that you would recognize in an instant.

Why was Micheal Trent talking to you?

[snowbellewells]

"Carolina Moon" update {Chapter Two}

Hello Friends! Here we are at last with the next chapter of my @cssns23 fic!! I sincerely never meant to keep everyone waiting so long; real life got really hectic there for a bit, and I had to focus on the job that pays the bills in the few hours that were left over! Anyway, I hope that you'll forgive me and enjoy this update. If it's any sort of consolation, it nearly doubles the length of the story so far...

Also, this story is now moving into M-rated territory. After talking with a few fandom friends and readers, this seems like the way to go to be on the safe side and let everyone know what they're reading upfront. I don't know that I find my love scenes half as spicy as others I've read, but there is one for sure in this chapter, and it will not be the last before all is said and done. I hope that doesn't turn anyone away from reading, but I would rather someone know before starting than be bothered by it after the fact.

**As always, thank you SO MUCH to @eastwesthomeisbest for this beautiful cover art to go along with the story, and to @xarandomdreamx for her thoughtful beta reading comments, suggestions, and encouragement.**

Can be read from the beginning HERE on Tumblr or HERE on AO3

Summary: Emma Swan has returned to the town she grew up in, and the past that has haunted her no matter where she has run. She seeks answers and peace at last. Despite the years that have passed, some things haven't changed very much in Storybrooke, South Carolina, and one of those things is Killian Jones. He never forgot the gangly girl with the world on her shoulders and pain in her eyes, but will he finally be able to slip past her defenses and help her find the answers she seeks?

Chapter Two: Secrets Beneath the Surface

By the time Killian got back home to the family home that afternoon, he could already hear their housekeeper Johanna scolding Ruby from the kitchen, as soon as he crossed the threshold. “Well, what else was you expectin’ Miss Sassy Britches, sashayin’ all over town the way you do? Didja think that would make you a lot of friends ‘mongst the other young ladies?”

Killian kicked off his shoes in the mud room, well aware that the older woman who had practically raised he and Ruby - more so than either of their parents had done - would turn on him next if he tracked up her clean floors. Making his way quietly along the well-worn path to the kitchen at the back of the house, he could practically hear his sister huff and sputter indignantly at Johanna’s rebuke and picture all too well the way she’d roll her eyes and pout, before grumpily going to Johanna’s side and taking up whatever chore the woman had no doubt bid her to help with before their little spat had begun.

It was a rhythm as old as Killian could remember, since almost the first afternoon Johanna Bishop had appeared in their kitchen - cooking, cleaning, puttering and tending to all the essential but seemingly unworthy, household chores his mother simply couldn’t be bothered with. If - as the Jones children had grown - those chores also came to include bandaging scraped knees, soothing hurt feelings, listening to whispered wishes, and cuddling and correcting where needed, well, that had fallen naturally under her purview as well. Even more so when the three children had become just two.

Stopping in the open doorway, Killian leaned against the jamb for a moment, trying to keep his chuckling to himself as he watched his tall, leggy sibling with brilliant red streaks running through her dark hair frowning in deep concentration next to the short, rather round Johanna, trying diligently to match the rosy-cheeked, twinkling-eyed matron’s deft and graceful speed at coring and slicing apples, and failing miserably. He must have made some involuntary noise, however, because both women looked up at him in surprise.

Johanna’s bright eyes smiled at him as her cheeks crinkled with the welcoming grin he could always look forward to, no matter how long he had been gone, whenever he returned. Ruby stuck her tongue out at him when he smirked at her efforts, arching an eyebrow as if to question what in the world she was trying to do.

“Oh? Think you can do better, do you?” she challenged, flipping a discarded peel his way, before Johanna hushed her, not about to have food flying on her watch, just before Mrs. Jones’ formal dinner was expected in the dining room; as formally as it had been expected every night for years.

They all quieted for a moment at that remembrance, none of them necessarily wanting to summon the lady of the house any sooner than necessary - though that feeling went unspoken. Johanna’s nimble fingers flew over her task, the knife flashing with ease, and Killian noticed that Ruby’s movements gained confidence as well the longer she worked at it.

Giving a bit of a playful bow in flirtatious chivalry, he greeted them with, “How can I help, Miss Johanna?” and his most charming grin.

“Oh Sugar,” she demurred, “you don’t need to do nothin’ but pull up a chair and tell me ‘bout your day. Things are almost ready in here.”

Pausing to put a hand on her hip, Ruby mock glared at him, before turning to the older woman in challenge. “And why are you always nagging me, and then turning around and acting just sweet as sugar to Killian? I suppose he’s your favorite now, too?”

Ruby’s question was largely put-on sass, that melted into an unconvinced, “Uh huh, sure,” when Johanna blithely assured her that “Sweetness is as sweetness does.” All the same, Killian could see the doubt underneath her churlishness, and the longing in his sister’s expression, not wanting this one person she depended on, no matter how much they snipe at each other, to dismiss her as everyone else did. Honestly, Killian thought to himself with a guilty pang, he had written her off and disregarded her many times himself over the years. He hadn’t done it to be cruel, more out of his own survival instincts and desire to avoid conflict. Where he had withdrawn into his own thoughts, focused on achieving goals, meeting the standards set for him, making up for what had been lost, even if he ran himself ragged in the attempt, Ruby had instead completely cut herself free from all boundaries and expectations, going wild, or at least appearing so to the untrained eye. The moment she had gotten the chance, she’d fled Storybrooke on the back of her boyfriend’s Harley - eloping and not returning to Storybrooke until she had seen her fill of everywhere else. She played at nonchalance - as if nothing bothered her or could even penetrate the perfectly painted-on armor their mother had taught her to apply so well long ago.

She hadn’t really been back home that long, but Killian found himself wanting to get to know Ruby all over again, to bridge the gap that had grown between them over the years while they each attempted to weather the hurt and neglect in their own ways. The simplest method for doing that seemed to be in joining the easy banter between Ruby and Johanna, so he waggled both eyebrows at her, both in playful challenge and as an annoyance to his ‘little’ sister, then he circled the island easily to pull Johanna into a side-hug and plant a smacking kiss on the older woman’s cheek before nettling Ruby with, “Hear that? I’m sweetness itself. Maybe you should try a little sweetness sometimes and see how far it gets you.”

Johanna’s softly weathered cheeks crinkled with well-worn laugh lines, even as she rolled her eyes and shooed him away - but not before he snatched a sugar and cinnamon-dusted slice of apple from the pie crust she was crimping, causing Ruby’s eyes to narrow at him further in playful indignation. “You just hush now with all that, Killian Jones,” their housekeeper scolded. “Your sister has more than enough sweetness to share when she takes the notion - you just don’t give her any more reasons to be sour.” And though the woman who had been with their family for as long as Killian could remember, imbuing their kitchen with a warmth and comfort that the rest of the pristine, stately old home notably lacked, was warning him with her words, she also winked at him slyly - letting him know that she was glad he’d joined their fun, and that she was still nettling Ruby a bit herself.

Shaking out her mane of dark hair with a dramatic flounce, and planting her red-lacquer nailed hands on her hips, Ruby fixed them both with a fiery look. “Just the two of you know, plenty of people find me a delight to be around. Maybe I should take myself off somewhere I’m appreciated.” Turning on her heel with all the precision and purpose of a high fashion runway model rather than the demure Southern debutante their mother had hoped for, she stalked toward the doorway which led from the kitchen back into the hall, only to turn around before she left with a retort on her tongue when Johanna called after her.

“You tell that nice Dr. Hunter hello for me, Ruby Jean. You should bring him round here for a nice, home cooked meal sometime. That sweet young man needs a little meat on his bones.”

“But - I didn’t - why do you think- ?” Ruby spluttered indignantly, never finishing any of the attempted comebacks and finally just snapping her mouth closed and shaking her head with vigorous agitation.

Killian would have been laughing at her plight if he hadn’t been so wide-eyed and flummoxed himself by their housekeeper’s words. Oh, he’d known alright that his best friend since grade school had been nursing a painfully awkward silent crush on his remaining sibling, pretty much since puberty. What he’d never realized or noticed as Ruby had chewed up and spit out a first husband and teased and strung along countless other men since, was that maybe she was aware of Graham’s feelings - possibly even returned them.

“And you,” she turned from squinting at Johanna as if sizing her up to point an accusing finger at Killian, “don’t just think you can come in here and take over the one room in this place where I can actually breathe, just because you’re the family’s perfect prince and entitled to whatever you want.”

Killian jerked back at the sharp edge to her voice until he looked for a moment at the tensed pain of her features behind the dangerously flashing brown eyes. She was hurting - aching, in fact - at the idea that her one ally in her own home might also turn to the heir, her big brother, as well.

He had always known she snapped and hissed partly out of pain; he felt it too. They all did. He missed Rose awfully - more than he would have ever imagined - but to have shared the womb with her? To have been joined with her from birth and then suddenly find her gone? He couldn’t imagine that. And maybe he hadn’t really wanted to see just how much turmoil hid beneath his sister’s vexing habit of picking fights and pretending he drove her crazy, or how much loneliness was painted over with her vivacious bombshell facade. At any rate, he didn’t pick an angle and fight back at her as he normally would have, instead he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, giving a slight dip of the chin and a tentative smile. “Aye, Ru… Well do I know you and Johanna are the undisputed queens of this domain. I only wanted to join you for a moment.”

She huffed as if not knowing quite what to make of his earnest admission, then with a shrug of her shoulders and one more toss of her head, she merely replied, “Whatever you say,” and was gone. But he hadn’t missed that small half smile tilting up one corner of her mouth, or the spark of hope in her eyes. Maybe they weren’t as far removed from each other as he had feared.

Johanna turned and tilted her head up to look at him knowingly before patting him on the cheek and affirming, “You’re a good boy, Killian. You always have been. And you’ve grown into a fine man. Just don’t you give up on that sassy sister of yours, you hear? She needs us more than she’d like to own. Much like Miss Emma, I’ll wager.”

Killian smiled at the older woman warmly before nodding in agreement and scoffing lightly at her uncanny prediction, knowing she had him there and he couldn’t even argue. “You’ve always seen a lot more than we realize, haven’t you?”

She was the one to wink knowingly at him this time. “You’d better believe it,” she retorted. “That’s part of my charm.”

Chuckling and shaking his head, Killian wasn’t about to challenge her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Not half an hour later, at Hunter Veterinary Clinic on the outskirts of town, Graham was closing up for the evening when he heard the bell on the door jangle, signaling someone’s arrival. He was puttering around in the back, making sure that the surgery was cleaned and sterilized for the following morning, and that the mother golden retriever and her unexpected litter of mixed breed pups he’d delivered in a tense, last minute c-section that afternoon were settled in the kennel area for the night, and he had been certain they (he and the dogs) were the only ones still there. He knew that Grace, his summer assistant while she was home from college, was normally careful to be sure the sign was off and the door closed and locked when she left, but maybe she’d forgotten something.

“I’m in back!” he called out distractedly, still running over his mental checklist of closing chores to accomplish as he awaited an answer. “But we’re closed for the evening. Is this an emergenc– “

The door from the waiting room and lobby swung open while he was still speaking, only to reveal a vision that made him choke on the end of his words and nearly swallow his own tongue as well. Graham knew he had flushed all over almost instantaneously at the sight before him, a sweat that was part embarrassment and part lustful attraction breaking out across his skin. His eyes were wide as he shook his head in stunned disbelief, drinking in the temptation of Ruby Jones posing seductively where she leaned against the doorframe and watched him knowingly.

When several silent moments had ticked by, the heat and tension in the room between them only climbing higher, Ruby finally quirked a dark, artfully sculpted brow and smirked at him, those full red lips glistening in a lure so effective Graham could think of nothing but grabbing her, pulling her close, and capturing them with his own until his need was sated. And she knew it too - she always had. Pushing off from the wall and slinking toward him purposefully on blood red kitten heels, she began to unknot the belt of the trench coat cinched at her waist as she fairly purred her response. “Well, you see, Doctor Hunter, it is an emergency. I’m burning up with fever - one only you can break.”

By then, she stood directly in front of him, where he had backed up against the stainless steel surgical table and was clenching and releasing his hands into tight fists, straining mightily to keep himself from grabbing her and clutching much too tightly. Ruby Jones was nothing if not untamed; a wild bird that ventured close, playfully allowing the observer to think he could hold her. But he knew she would flit off and leave him behind again if he made the wrong move. Instead, Graham watched her intently, muscle working in his jaw as her graceful fingers danced across his chest and shoulders, tracing over muscle and skin, inflaming him with her touch as she went. Tilting her head to one side, Ruby shamelessly licked her lip before grinning broadly. “What’s the matter, Hunter? Cat got your tongue?” She snorted at her own little joke. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Bringing her hands to the lapels of the coat she wore, now loosened and unbelted, Ruby parted the fabric on either side and allowed the garment to fall to the floor at their feet. Pleased amusement flooded her veins at Graham’s bulging eyes and gaping mouth. Completely bare beneath the thin jacket, she’d felt a thrill running through her since leaving the house in search of him, and the power sizzling along her nerve endings, where she usually felt as though she were careening out of control, was genuinely intoxicating.

Poor Graham couldn’t seem to move and managed only to hoarsely croak out, “Ruby, w-what are you…?  Someone could… could walk in here and see…  This is a place of business! You can’t just…” He swallowed hard, and her eyes tracked the reflexive movement of his Adam’s apple with ravenous intent.

“Are you sure about that, Doc?” she teased seductively, clicking the ‘c’ with her tongue exaggeratedly, despite his eyes already being glued to her lips - and every other part of her on display before him. Voice low and throaty, cajoling him to take what he very clearly wanted - what she wanted too - she added, “I’m pretty sure I can actually. I’m standing right here waiting. What are you going to do about it?”

His handsome face reflected his inner conflict for several long moments, and Ruby fought not to hold her breath in worried anticipation. She didn’t care that much if he accepted her offer, she tried to tell herself, but deep down she was well aware of how much of a lie that was. Brow furrowed, Graham struggled to resist her manfully, but it was a lost battle even before he began. He had never been able to deny her; they both knew it, and today would not be any different. At last, with a growl of mingled frustration and lust, he lurched forward, his dexterous, long-fingered hands gripped her hips and pulled them into his own roughly before practically devouring her mouth with an almost maddened groan of arousal.

Sinking into his clutches, Ruby thrilled at his loss of control, all synapses firing and the blood boiling in her arteries as he finally gave her exactly what she wanted. Clinging to his bicep to stay upright as her knees went weak, Ruby plunged her other hand into his hair, mussing the honey-coloured curls he’d never outgrown between her fingers and pulling them tightly in response to his ardent desire and how he was further igniting her own.

Desperate by then, Graham was long past caring who might have seen her walk in past closing, what small town rumors might get started, whether or not Ruby was simply using him again to have a little fun and forget the past that nipped at her heels, and how he knew it would chip away another small piece of his soul when they finished and she wouldn’t stay in his arms. Whirling to push her back against the exam table in the center of the room, earning him an enthusiastic moan from deep in Ruby’s throat, even muffled by his own lips over hers.  Sweeping a hand over the cool, hard surface with reckless abandon, Graham cleared it to easily lift her onto the tabletop and soon had her spread out on it, frantically working to strip out of his lab coat and remove his shirt, even as her grasping hands fumbled for the button and zipper of of his pants to free him to her touch.

Writhing against him, Ruby grinned up at him wolfishly, her cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling, every bit the goddess he’d never been able to deny a thing: the dessert from his sack lunch, the use of his first car, and every inch of his body and corner of his heart. She wrapped her long legs around his trim hips, demandingly pulling him closer still, before he thrust forward and finally sunk into her willing body, welcomed home once more.

Leaning over her as he moved, Graham captured her nipple between his teeth, his scruff abrading the sensitive skin around it as he did and stealing her breath when he bit down just at the edge of too much. He captured both her hands, twining their fingers together and pressing them to the steel surface on either side of her head. Setting the rhythm they both craved, feeling the rightness of what he had missed echoing through his body as they moved together, Graham forced himself to take the moment he had; enjoy it, love her enough so that she would feel it, despite refusing to see what they could have always, and not let himself think of what came after.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Killian had just left the kitchen, still contemplating his relationship with his sister and the things Johanna had told him, when he was brought up short by the regal, silent appearance of his mother, Cora Jones, the once-belle of Storybrooke, in the hall nearby, studying him with an icy assessment which made him feel distinctly like she had heard all they had said and could read his mind beside. Forcing himself not to startle or recoil physically like some teenager caught sneaking out past curfew (he had actually never been caught at that in his youth, though by the time he’d had a license and places to run, the dangers parents fear for their children at night had long since struck and the damage been done) Killian gave his mother a nod of respectful deference, smiling at her carefully and waited, knowing there must be something she intended to say.

Cora’s bearing was still poised and correct, standing straight enough to appear taller than her actual height, her chin tilted rather haughtily. Even in the comfort of her own home, before no one but her eldest child, her skirt and jacket ensemble was impeccably tailored and she had not a hair out of place, her makeup flawless. Her eyes had lost none of their shrewdness as she moved nearer to her golden years. And Killian couldn’t help wondering with a blend of bitter sadness if she would allow anything about them to be golden or fulfilling. His mother retained all of the clout and reputation she had held in her prime, but her sharp edges had only grown harder and more jagged with the loss of, first her favored child, and then her husband, to his own grief and poor choices.

He was right of course. A moment later Cora’s clear, measured voice reached his ears with unmistakable authority; as always, she meant what she said and expected to be obeyed. Though his mother had never been especially warm or effusive, Killian had always known she was pleased with him, proud that he was living up to the Jones family name as she saw fit. Things he really had no power or control over - his natural good looks, athleticism, intellect, and so on - were only to be expected, and so, when he excelled in school, made the papers and the Homecoming court, and earned a college scholarship, or when the other mothers in her social circle all enviously wanted their daughters to catch his eye, well then Killian was merely behaving as he ought and garnering just the sort of attention she had hoped he would. He had grown up following in his father’s footsteps, learning all he could about running their small shipping business and how to manage all that would one day be his.

Killian had never rebelled or railed against the expectations, the assumption that he would blindly follow along on the path laid out for him, until recently. He had made several changes to modernize and streamline the business - almost two years ago now - and things had been tense between he and his mother as a result. Cora did not welcome change in any arena, not unless it was on her orders, and though she deeply resented her husband’s gradual decline and eventual abandonment at his death, she did not see why Killian needed to upgrade what had always worked well for Brennan. She had gone as far as threatening to withdraw her shares from the operation until Killian’s changes had doubled - then tripled - their profits, word of mouth bringing in a steady stream of new clients and renewed raves from established ones at their company’s efficiency and success. There was no arguing with such hard evidence, and so Cora had grudgingly relented, but she had not forgotten.

However, even at a glance, Killian could see that the bone she meant to pick with him would not be resolved with patience and time. He gritted his teeth against offering a harsh warning for her to save her breath. He knew before she spoke a word what she wanted to discuss, but this time she would find him every bit as unyielding as she was herself.

Without further preamble, Cora leveled her accusation. “You’re renting that cabin on the marsh to her, aren’t you? Despite what she’s done, and knowing how it would displease me, you’ve let that Swan girl waltz right back into our lives and invited her to make herself at home. I simply cannot understand it, Killian.” Her words were clipped out distinctly, but as cold and pointed as chips of ice. “Do you not remember what associating with the likes of her cost your sister? Or are you looking for a reason to spite me? I hardly think I have done anything to merit such hurtful defiance.”

She waited, seeming to have all the time in the world for her son’s reply, but Killian was still tempted to stare back, challenging her silently, waiting to speak until he discovered whether the pristine veneer she presented to her family right along with the rest of the world would crack and show some human feeling underneath. In the end though, Killian couldn’t hold out forever; she was still his mother, and despite his frustration, the manners she had pressed into him from birth would not allow it. Not only that, but he knew what she had suffered, the pain and loss she had endured - just as he had. It might have made her brittle and untouchable, but he always had the hope somehow that things might thaw between them yet.

With a sigh, he released the answer on a low breath, still meeting her eyes to let her know both his resolve and that he was hardly ashamed of his choices. “You clearly already know that I am, Mother. Though you might not believe this, it was not a decision made to hurt anyone - least of all you. Emma Swan is moving back into town. She needed a place to stay, and ours was available to rent. Honestly, I was glad to have it, to do something to help her out after how horribly we treated her years ago.”

He meant every word, but, as he had expected, her eyes widened with indignance, her voice finally losing its polished control. “What we did to her?!” Cora Jones spluttered, clearly appalled and faintly trembling in her righteous anger. “It was she who took our sweet angel from us. If we had kept Rose away from her… If she hadn’t crept out to meet that vagabond child…. Rose would still be here!”

Killian had heard this argument many times, yet the unfairness of it never ceased to stoke his own temper. Fighting to remain calm, he tried to reason with his mother, to speak in a tone that still remained civil - tightly wound as it was and on the knife’s edge of tipping over. “You know as well as I do that Ms. Swan is not Rose’s killer. There was never any chance of that. She was thirteen years old, still a child just like Rose, and Rose was her only friend in the world. She was as devastated as we were.”

Cora could not have appeared any more injured or insulted if he had drawn back his hand to strike her. “No one has suffered as we have,” she hissed, eyes flashing dangerously, “certainly not that little she-devil! How dare you even suggest it?” She took a seething step closer, appearing as taken by emotion as Killian had seen her through the smooth, proper mask in years. “You mark my words, Killian,” she continued distinctly, eyes boring into him like pinpricks through his skin, “you may have control of this family’s land, the business, all the executive decisions your father left to you as intended, but I do not condone you allowing that woman to live on our property. Not even for a second, do you hear me? There is something not right about her - always has been - and you will live to regret letting her back into our world. Rose must be rolling over in her grave at the very thought - “

Flinching away so abruptly that his mother’s words were cut off and they both stood, breathing harshly in the horrible silence, Killian finally shook his head sadly and broke eye contact. He turned to leave, at last seeing with regrettable finality that Cora Jones would never change her mind, not for anyone or anything, no matter how much time passed. At the door, he looked back at her, his eyes betraying the strange mix of pity and bitterness she had stirred up in him anew. “You’re the one who should feel regret. Rose was good and kind, the best of us all. It would break her heart to know you’ve spent all these years holding a grudge and nurturing hatred against the person she considered another sister. I am finally thinking about what Rose would have wanted. Then maybe we can all let her rest in peace.”

That final admonition voiced, Killian was out the door in the next instant, letting it slam behind him exactly as he had been reprimanded against all his life. Even as one part of him cringed, he also felt a thrill of petty satisfaction too, knowing it made Cora crazy for such noisy outward shows of temper and bad breeding to be on display. Hurrying down the wide front steps to his truck, Killian gripped his keys in hand tightly, not at all sure where he was going, only that any place seemed preferable at that moment.

His cell went off, just as he reached the driver’s side door. Fishing it out as he settled into his seat, Killian pulled the door closed behind him and answered to find Graham on the other end of the line. Too relieved to turn his energy to something - anything - else but the argument he had left behind, Killian didn’t dwell long on why Graham sounded out of breath, cagey, and awkward as he explained how he had planned to meet Emma at the end of the work day, take her to dinner, and then go with her out to the cabin and help her make sure she at least had enough unpacking done to settle in there for the night. It turned out something had come up, and would Killian mind going to meet Emma instead?

While a part of him wasn’t at all sure how fond Emma would be of the development, he couldn’t deny the way his insides leapt at the opportunity to see Emma Swan again and spend some more time with her. Especially if it kept him away from the lit powder keg his home had just become.

“Not sure how Emma’s going to feel about that,” Killian quipped to his buddy lightly, “but I’ll do it. I’m heading her way right now.”

Graham’s relieved thanks made Killian smile as they said goodbye, wondering vaguely what had his friend all tangled up in knots, but he couldn’t dwell on it long. What almost felt like happy anticipation was creeping up on him, and whatever else might be pressing on him, Killian was simply glad to have an excuse to be near Emma Swan.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Some three hours later, Killian’s arms and back ached from lifting heavy boxes and moving them around to various counters and display tables for unpacking, his cheeks ached from grinning and laughing like he hadn’t done in ages, and he knew his eyes must look a bit dazed, mesmerized in Emma’s presence as she breathed some sort of magic into the air around her and onto him, bringing the previously empty and nondescript space to life. She didn’t seem to keep much of the warmth and humor for herself, however, Killian noted painfully, but it was easily felt standing next to her, and his fingers itched to grasp her, to pull her in and hold her tight, give back to her some of the warmth he had felt since he’d walked into her new little shop - particularly welcome after the chill of his encounters with his own family just before he’d arrived.

Thankfully, Emma hadn’t seemed averse to his visit and offer of help, to be followed by dinner in his friend’s stead. She was possibly a little hesitant and uncertain of why he wanted to help out and spend time with her, but it did his conscience good to see that she seemed willing to at least see how the evening went.

After the initial bit of awkwardness upon his arrival, Killian had assured Emma that she should put him to work. Once she had done so, they’d had their hands full and the conversation had begun to flow between them. She was incredibly knowledgeable - not that Killian was surprised, she had always been smart and eager to learn, one of many things she and Rose had shared in common - but he’d never been able to hear her really speak unabashedly about something she loved. Not only did she have an engaging and eclectic collection of art and photography by several known artists, but she also had numerous pieces of her own photography available for purchase as well. When Emma began talking about how she had captured some of the shots, and what she hoped they conveyed, Killian simply couldn’t look away from her features that had come to life with enthusiasm, her eyes alight. It was enchanting; he could think of no other word for it. His lips curved upward irresistibly, without his really even noticing it until she paused, cocking her head curiously before asking, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Startling from the reverie he’d slipped into on the rise and fall of her words, Killian smiled back at her, shaking his head slowly in amazement. “Just marveling at you, honestly. You’re brilliant, Emma.”

“Hardly,” she retorted, making a dismissive noise and waving off his praise, though the pleased blush on her cheeks unmistakably belied her words.

“No, truly… You’ve got a real gift.”

Emma shrugged noncommittally, but didn’t argue with him further, instead she merely studied the photograph on the countertop in front of her, matted but still in need of framing. A wry, wistful tone slipped into her voice as she spoke then, more quietly than she had before, “Well, that’s at least one instance when my added sight is a pleasant benefit.”

Killian’s eyes widened, his attention even more fully captured than it had been, curious as to what she might say next. Emma rarely - if ever - offered to comment on her visions and the things she knew because of them voluntarily. He bit his lip to keep from speaking, from verbally nudging her to continue. Instead he watched, waiting hopefully, breath held, for her to do so if she chose.

Looking up, Emma caught his eyes, but the soul-searching expression pierced right through his chest. “It’s as if the person or animal or place in front of the camera tells me the story it wants to share.” Shaking her head helplessly after that admission, she chuckled at herself before adding, “Yeah, I know that sounds completely crazy.”

“Not at all, Swan,” he breathes, the nickname sliding from his lips naturally and without thought, neither of them reacting to it - almost as if he had never called her anything else. “It’s just like I said… amazing.”

For several minutes, no more words were spoken, the quiet stretching comfortably between them as the shadows of evening lengthened outside the big front window. It was nearly seven-thirty, well past time for dinner, and they both laughed when his stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the spell between them. “What say you, Swan? Time to find some sustenance?”

Eyes glimmering with a mysterious sort of humor, she hedged, “Would you be willing to take a rain check? It’s been a packed couple of days, and I’m hoping to open in a couple more. I’m exhausted, and really just need to make it an early night.”

Considering her words for a moment, Killian studied her before acquiescing, hoping she wasn’t putting him off when it felt like they’d gotten so much closer over the course of the evening. “Fair enough,” he assented before playfully adding, “but I’ll hold you to that rain check. Unless you’re afraid of finding me even more irresistible after a few libations.” He waggled his heavy dark brows at her devilishly until Emma was laughing out loud at his antics.

Only a few minutes later they were ready to go, Emma locking the door of her shop behind them and Killian following her gallantly to her VW. Turning to look up at him where they stood facing each other on the sidewalk, Emma added, “I really would be glad to go to dinner another time, Killian. It’s been a nice evening, and - to be blunt - I could use a few friends. Just so we’re clear that’s all it is.”

Killian felt a tightening in his chest at her proclamation, disappointment clenching in his gut and alerting him that he had already allowed himself to want so much more. “You’ve already decided that, have you?” he responded, fighting to keep his voice light. 

She held his gaze, expression mournful, knowing, and more than a little haunted. “It’s for the best really. Trust me on that. You don’t want to get too close to me. Eventually, I’m too much for anyone to deal with. It gets messy. I’m just sparing us both a lot of hurt in the long run.”

He hummed low in his throat, the deep vibration of the sound almost physically palpable to her as he leaned closer, gauging her reaction with a knowing glimmer in his eye. “You say that now, Swan. And that’s fine, I can be incredibly patient. But I see that there could be so much more between us.”

“Do you indeed?” she queried in an equally teasing measure, his response allowing her to drop the wary seriousness she had spoken with before and banter back with him in return, almost irresistibly.

“Have a gander for yourself if you doubt me,” he offered, holding her gaze, an open expression seeming to lay himself bare before her. “I am an open book to you… just as you are to me.”

Emma caught her breath, helpless but to stare back into his eyes as he asked. Guard down, walls lowered, there was a flash behind her eyes of bare limbs moving in unison, heavy pants of exertion, whispered endearments in a familiar timbre, and a shattered cry of completion in a voice sounding much like her own. 

Blinking free and pulling away with a gasp, she knew what she’d seen, and flushed from the roots of her hair outward. “What was that?” she whispered, almost to herself, even as she knew exactly what she had witnessed. Never had she experienced such a glimpse of something so pleasurable it left her quivering with unquenched need.

“I think you know,” Killian replied with a roguish smirk, though his voice was gentle, almost hiding the slight hurt that swam in the crystal blue of his eyes at the distance she still tried to keep between them. “Possibly the dessert we could enjoy if you let a nice dinner for us progress to its natural conclusion?”

Nodding, she regained her equilibrium at last and reached out to pat him on the shoulder with a sort of playful camaraderie. “Hmm… well, maybe you’d better keep those thoughts to yourself for now,” she taunted. Still, as she settled into the driver’s seat and waved to him while backing away from the curb and pulling onto the street, Killian could see a deep and fragile longing behind her practical nonchalance. She wanted, just as he did; that closeness and heat and belonging, but she wouldn’t allow it for herself. She didn’t trust that anything good could last - and why would she, after all that she had survived already? Possibly she had waited so long to be loved, to feel wanted, that when it was placed before her, she denied what was being offered. While that might have worked for most, he wasn’t going to stay at a careful distance. Not when he could see the loneliness and yearning in her, as clearly as he could see it in his own mirror each morning. He would keep coming back, closer and closer each time, until maybe they could both find what they had been living without for so long.

Tagging: @cssns @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @searchingwardrobes @laschatzi @whimsicallyenchantedrose @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @stahlop @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @bluewildcatfanatic @wefoundloveunderthelight @eastwesthomeisbest @xarandomdreamx @sotangledupinit @justanother-unluckysoul @booksteaandtoomuchtv @kazoosandfannypacks @anmylica @motherkatereloyshipper @jonesfandomfanatic @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook @xsajx @lfh1226-linda @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @darkcolinodonorgasm @resident-of-storybrooke @drowned-dreamer @optomisticgirl @tiganasummertree @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @blackwidownat2814 @blowmiakisscolin @let-it-raines @bdevereaux @caught-in-the-filter

[qqueenofhades]

With full acknowledgement that you're not actively looking for prompts from the spoopy season list, I do want to do my part as a self-confessed enabler and say that assorted pairings from the Bartimaeus series would lend themselves very well to Fall Semester, Dim Cobbled Street, Chilly Evening, Stargazing, or anything Beyond the Veil related :)

By now, it's Kitty's third year teaching at the University of London, but the first day of term is always extremely strange. She's almost (almost, but not quite) stopped feeling like an interloper, surrounded by chattering commoner students who are just young enough to not fully grasp what a miracle it is that they are here, able to actually study their own country's past in something approaching honest detail. That's Kitty's job, as it's been since she came on as a fixed-term lecturer and has only just, budgetary approval pending, been made the formal offer to convert it into a permanent appointment. However, she isn't sure if she's going to take it. Teaching The History of the Magicians' Empire, 20th-21st Centuries is beyond any doubt important work. She just doesn't know if it's the rest of her life's work.

She ducks into the ladies' loo, checking her makeup. She doesn't usually wear it, but it helps her feel more confident at the front of a lecture theater, and smooths out some of the disunity between her face and her actual age. The silver threads in her dark hair and the lines around her eyes, lasting legacies of the Other Place, make her look an attractive forty, forty-plus. She's barely twenty-five. She doesn't tell the students; it's easier to command their respect if they think she is considerably their senior, instead of barely. They call her Dr. Jones, which is -- well, technically, whenever she gets around to submitting her final revisions on the long-reworked PhD thesis, also a comprehensive and deeply unflattering history of the magicians' empire -- true. She hasn't entirely let go of the fear that a black car will speed up, throw a bag over her head or an imp in an orb, and make her suffer for the things she says, but she says them anyway.

Kitty decides that she looks presentable, clicks up the marble stairs of Senate House in her high heels (another unfortunate concession to women's fashion, definitely not good for climbing fences or staging illegal break-ins -- not that she does that anymore, or at least not very often) and steps into her classroom. It goes well, as much as the first day does. She dashes down to the canteen for lunch, has another class in the afternoon, and by the time she steps out in a chilly rain around four PM, fumbling for her brolly, she wonders if this will be the year she finally stops feeling so damn disconnected from everything and everyone. Maybe she should try again to meet someone, but it's so hard. She doesn't even know who an age-appropriate partner would be. Men in their twenties are rancid; men in their forties are either freaked out when they discover her actual age, or creepily, perversely intrigued. She's not opposed to dating women; maybe she should give that a try. But it's still just a giant --

"Hello, Kitty."

She looks up with a jolt, almost spilling the contents of her purse across the wet cobblestones of the courtyard. She hasn't seen the slight dark-skinned boy, wearing a too-large hooded sweatshirt and floppy trainers, until just now, and she opens her mouth to ask if he's one of her students, though he looks barely old enough for sixth form. But then she catches sight of his eyes, she sees his face, and she knows beyond any doubt. It's been a long time since she's seen him, four or five years at least. She assumes he's been enjoying a well-earned rest in the Other Place, or at least she hopes. But this --

"Bartimaeus." Her voice sounds croaky. She swallows. Of course he looks the same; Ptolemy never ages, and neither do djinn. "I... hello."

He smiles thinly, an eclipsed fingernail, acknowledging that he's startled her. "I see you've gone legitimate these days."

"More or less." Kitty is still thrown from the shock of his appearance, like something from an old life she's almost forgotten, and she can feel her heart racing in her throat. "Coming to check up on me? Make sure I'm not throwing smoke bombs in the classroom?"

"Entirely your own business how you decide to teach the nippers." Bartimaeus tips a cheeky wink -- almost, if not quite, as sardonically uncaring as his old ones. "Suspect a few bombs of any variety could only liven the place up."

Kitty can't really argue with that. It's a miracle that they're letting a former Resistance member in the building at all, and she is always braced for someone calling her to the Head of School's office like a misbehaving child. She looks at him, and he looks at her. Neither of them seems to know what to do. Then casually, as if it's nothing to him either way, Bartimaeus says, "D'you fancy a drink?"

"I -- " Kitty thinks about that. She can't see why not. And she's missed him, more than she can articulate or even admit. Him, and --

Well, never mind. It's no good dwelling on what can never come back. At least she can talk to this one. At least while she still has time.

"Yeah," she says. "Yeah, I think I would."

Bartimaeus, of course, doesn't actually drink. He pays for hers and a plate of supper (no use asking where he got the wallet or the quid), and sits in the booth across from her, watching with those unblinking dark eyes. When she's gotten enough food down her to be moderately more sociable, she says, "I didn't -- I hope you're not back here because you've been enslaved again, are you?"

"No." Bartimaeus shrugs. "Not really anyone who dares to do that any more, not that I miss it. But the gate works both ways, you know. You went to the Other Place, so I can come to your world when I please, without a summoning or a master. Normally I pop down in spring, closer to when -- well." He pauses, as if about to wag an admonitory finger. "Don't get me wrong, now. I don't miss it."

"Course you do." Kitty wipes her mouth. "How else would you add new glorious deeds to your many names?"

Bartimaeus blinks, as if unsure whether she's actually daring to tease him. Then he chuckles wryly, though those eyes still remain dark and liquid and deep as the abyss. "I suppose there's that. Though it does feel as if I've had my fill of bloody glorious deeds for a bit. Any other idiots taken over the world while I've been gone?"

"Not yet. Not as far as I know." Kitty fingers the half-empty beer glass. She wonders if she should ask about that pause earlier, that quickly skipped-over moment. Normally I pop down in spring, closer to when the Glass Palace came down. It is probably just her imagination that that is how that sentence would have ended. Does Bartimaeus, despite all the fraught history between himself and his final master, return to Earth to pay his quiet respects on the anniversary of Nathaniel's death? Or is that Kitty's lonely pilgrimage alone?

"I'm sure there will be some eventually," she says belatedly, to Bartimaeus's expectant expression. "Just not now."

Bartimaeus snorts, a remarkably eloquent and wordless remark that when it comes to the fucking British, an idiot who will attempt to take over the world is never far away. He clears his throat. "You doing anything besides teaching a bunch of commoners how awful the last lot were? Seeing anyone?"

"No." Kitty had briefly thought about moving to Prague and reconnecting with Jakob Hyrnek, but it was only a stillborn fantasy, then and gone. "Why? You're not about to ask me out, are you?"

"What? Me?!" Bartimaeus's outrage is a little too instant and piquant to be, perhaps, entirely real. "A human? Even you?! Never. I'd rather hang myself upside down from silver meathooks and let Faquarl play Little Drummer Boy on my backside. No offense."

"Of course not. No." And yet for an unnerving moment, Kitty finds herself actually considering it. He can take on any shape, he can be anyone, he's the only person (or person-like creature) who understands everything about her, and it would spare her the drudgery of finding any kind of human mate. But no, of course not. It's silly, absurd, unthinkable. Especially if she was so cruel as to ask him to, perhaps, take on the shape and soul of --

Kitty seizes her glass and drinks harder, just to get that image out of her mind. She finishes her meal, and when they step out into a chilly dim evening, London fog twining through the busy streets as it has done in any age of the world and effacing the faint stars, Bartimaeus clears his throat awkwardly. "Actually, I thought -- well. Stupid, really, but speaking of the magicians and studying the things they used to be. I, er. I have something I could show you. If you're interested."

"Something to show me?" Kitty blinks. She supposes that she could pop in, take a look at it, make a note for academic purposes. See if it's something she can talk to her students about, the struggle to make them actually visualize what it was like. Most of the time, she's firmly convinced that it's good that they can't imagine it, that it's not an everyday part of their lived experience. Other times, it is so profoundly alienating that she can hardly breathe.

"Sure." Yet again, Bartimaeus sounds as if he's trying a little too hard to be casual, unaffected, gliding through his endless life with a theatrical twirl, a well-timed Detonation, and a sparkling witticism -- as much a hollow shell as Kitty Jones is, something essential hollowed out and the soul not quite what it used to be, permanently put just to one side. "If you want to, of course. This way."

******

The djinn leads her to some small side-street of the kind that exist by the dozens in London: narrow, cobbled, dim and twisted, flower boxes overhanging from seventeenth-century townhouses that lean together unsteadily like drunken revelers at the pub. There's an art gallery at the end, the kind that looks legitimate but is notorious for fencing old magical artifacts by the bushel, and Kitty opens her mouth to ask if Bartimaeus has brought her here for old times' sake, to break the window and clean the place out. She's not opposed, but she'll at least need to cover her tracks. She doesn't customarily keep that stuff around anymore, either. Maybe she should?

Bartimaeus, however, doesn't appear to have larceny in mind (at least not tonight). He unlocks the door and deftly disables the alarm, which these days is more likely to be a commoner device than a lurking foliot, and they step inside. The place is quiet, dusty, and Kitty has no idea what they're doing here. "Are we supposed to -- "

"Shh." Bartimaeus comes to a halt at the far wall, which is hung with several age-darkened oil portraits of magicians; they are all sporting old-fashioned ruffs and constipated expressions. Since that can't possibly be what he's brought her to see, Kitty frowns, until she notices what's hanging next to it. A full-length mirror filled with oddly nebulous smoke, something that even she -- with her very limited talent, never like the others -- can sense is real magic. She looks at Bartimaeus, utterly lost, and he beckons her. "Here."

Kitty hesitates, decides that he probably wouldn't push her through a portal to some nefarious underworld without at least some warning, and steps up, as he backs away. For a long moment, nothing. All she can see in the mirror is her own pale, tired, too-old face, matching more the full century that she feels than the mere quarter of it that she is. Then she catches sight of something moving in its depths. Walking steadily, coming closer, until it takes shape and form. Until the mirror has become clear and insubstantial as air, as a fluttering veil, and she can feel the chill on her face, breathed from somewhere that is neither the Other Place nor London. A different world altogether, a different gate. It's not --

It can't be --

But then he's standing right in front of her, almost close enough to touch if she reached out and risked her own hand turning to bare and skeletal bone, and it is.

"Hello, Kitty," Nathaniel says, in almost the exact same tone Bartimaeus used. "Long time no see."

Kitty's tongue is locked to the roof of her mouth. She can't speak or move. She thinks wildly that this is a trick -- this isn't Nathaniel, just some strange shade inexplicably summoned out of the mirror's depths, or at most his long-dead fetch -- but just then, it almost seems possible that it is. He looks older than he was when he died: still pinched, thin, dark-haired and pasty-pale, but a man, not a boy. She doesn't know if that's another illusion conjured by her own perception, her own mind trying to picture how he would look now, if he had lived. Just like her, he looks too old for his body, but... handsome. Wise. Serene. All the things he never was in life, as if the ever after has bestowed the learning he drove himself crazy attempting to acquire. They stand there gaping in mutually and excruciatingly awkward silence, like two old friends who ran into each other in the street and aren't sure what to say. Are they friends? It seems like the wrong word, as if they speed-ran right past that and became much more and much less. Possibilities only. Nothing else.

"Nathaniel," Kitty manages at last. "You look... dead. Well. I mean well. For being dead. If you are."

"I am." Something flickers in his eyes, half wry humor and half unbearable grief. "You can have my word on that. Honestly, I'm not sure how we're managing to speak -- wait, you're not -- ?"

"No." His flash of sudden concern is slightly searing, and Kitty doesn't let herself think about it. "I'm in London. There's a mirror. I don't know how he found it, but that's probably beside the -- "

Nathaniel's unearthly eyes flick sideways and spot the dark figure lounging just out of frame. He smiles, shakes his head. "I should have guessed. Hello, Bartimaeus."

"Boss." Bartimaeus snaps off a louche salute, but his eyes are still on Nathaniel in the mirror. "Wasn't actually sure it was going to work this time. It didn't for me -- can you imagine it? It's as if it didn't even know who I am -- but I thought Kitty might have a crack at it."

"You were actually trying to see me again?" Nathaniel raises a skeptical, elegant eyebrow. "That must be a first."

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up. Don't read too much into it." Bartimaeus huffs, hands jammed into his too-tight dungaree pockets. "Look. Here you are. You've seen us. We've seen you. Lots of seeing going on, Natty boy. Now you can faff off and be defunct again."

"It's interesting on this side," Nathaniel informs the djinn. "Very interesting. Plenty to study, to learn, to look at. Not really defunct."

"Well." Bartimaeus seems nonplussed -- and though this too is surely Kitty's imagination, slightly choked up. "I'm, er. Glad you're enjoying it. The benefits of your heroic sacrifice, and all."

A pause, weighted between three worlds, three creatures, three planes of existence. The three of them glance at each other, unsure whether to fall back into their old barbed banter or whether this moment is entirely something else, far past all ordinary divisions or decisions. Then Kitty steps closer, raising her hand as if to reach through the veil, though she knows that she can't. Nathaniel does the same, mirroring her gesture like her own reflection -- which technically, she supposes numbly, he is. "You look good," he says, simply and without pretension. "Beautiful, actually."

"I... thanks." At one point she would have loudly scoffed that off, but it slips the lock into her raw, hunkered-down heart and softly turns the key. "Nathaniel, I -- "

"Yes?"

She wants to say so much that she can't, that she can't get her tongue around, even when he's miraculously standing right in front of her, even or perhaps especially because she knows that he has to go. His eyes are as deep and patient as the sea, as the starless shores of the world after death, a place where he still can surface from, but not very often, and not for long. Their fingers ghost as close as they can without touching, they raise their other hands to do the same, and for once, Bartimaeus offers no sardonic comment or other inopportune interruption to break the moment. Kitty almost thinks she can feel Nathaniel's breath on her cheek, but she can't. He has no breath, and it is only the cold chill of death. Their eyes, their noses, their lips are just a few inches apart. If she took the plunge, if she kissed him, if she leapt through the veil right now --

It's an unsettling, alluring feeling, like walking too near the edge of the cliff and being possessed with the urge to jump, and she can't. Not now, not for a while. She swallows, struggles to clear her throat. "It's good to see you, Nathaniel," she says, and steps back, as if to divorce herself from the temptation that still pulls at her hand, that tells her to go through, to learn even more than him, to solve the one mystery that she or her students alike will never know without being so themselves. "We won't... we won't keep you long here. On this side."

Something flashes over his face that she can't read, something that is only the secrets of the dead, that perhaps he could not tell her even if he tried. He smiles. "No," he says gently. "No, you won't."

[yourejinx]

//Let me in// (Azriel x F!Reader x OC ?)

A/N: this is something very new to me, something that i'm still trying out so bear with me. I've got this idea to bring other characters to a side Azriel story, sometimes following the events from the books sometimes not.

SUMMARY: Destiny is a cruel thing, bringing together two people who still seem to be hung up in the past.

WARNINGS: angst, slow burn.

SIDE NOTE: English isn't my first language so I apologize for any grammar mistakes.

Welcome home (Vol. 1)

I haven't set proper foot in the Town House for forty years, not after that night on the rooftop with Azriel. I've mostly kept my distance, always away on duty either watching over the borders or spying and reporting back suspicious movements from other courts and Hybern. I've been present, of course, for some of the most important meetings at the House of Wind but I just couldn't bring myself to spend another night under the same roof as him. It was too much to bear sometimes, suffocating even.

After a while I got myself my own place in the city, a nice small house just a few feet away from the art district. I couldn't be bother to let anyone know about it, and they didn't ask anyway, too busy dealing with everything that was going on. It wasn't strange, after all, that I was always on the move. I missed them a lot, and I knew they were kinda pissed at me for pushing them away, but I couldn't deal with this fucked up twist of fate. Not when he looked at her like that.

Today something felt different, as if the air around the city had change directions, leading the way back to the House. For a moment everything seemed to stop as a low playful voice purred into my mind.

"Did you miss me?"

Rhysand. Rhys was back. I immediatly dropped everything I was purchasing at the market and run towards that voice. My feet were burning by the time I reached the house as a result of the speed I went to get there, but I didn't care as I flung the door open and saw everyone gathered inside. Rhysand was standing next to Amren in the middle of the living room, lazy smile plastered on his face. Before either of us could say anything I threw my arms around him, tight enough I wasn't sure he could breathe.

"I'm gonna pass out if you keep squeezing me like this" he let out a breathy laugh.

"Good" was all I said, swallowing the tears.

He knew about my family, how I lost them to the brutal and unrelenting hands of the enemy; Rhys also knew about Asta and how much losing my best friend affected me. So he let me hug him some more and patted me on the back lovingly.

"I'm sorry" he muttered.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there" I replied letting him go and stepping back.

"I wouldn't had allowed that and you know it, to any of you" he said taking a look at the rest of the group. Only then I acknowledged them as well.

Mor was standing a few feet away by his right side, Azriel and Cassian stood behind, by the kitchen doorway. I hadn't seen them in weeks even when I got back from the border with the Winter Court just a few days ago.

"Let's not get all sad about it, shall we?" Rhys spoke again "How about we go out to dinner, all of us, for the old times?"

Cassian took a step foward pressing a hand down to Rhysand's shoulder but he didn't take his eyes off me as he said "Fine by me, is been a while since we all got together." His gaze was scrutinizing, it felt like he could see right through me. I didn't coward under it.

"Yeah, that sounds nice" I said not daring to cut a glance at the other Illyrian standing behind him.

"We could all go to Rita's after" Mor added rather enthusiastic.

"Sure, why not? I'm in" Azriel spoke and suddenly the room felt too small.

Of course, — I thought — why would you ever turn her down? I shook that thought right out of my head, I had no right in thinking like this. It was not her fault– nor his– and I cared deeply for both of them. It wasn't jealousy, Mor was my friend, it was this stupid primal bond thing making my mind go foggy and making me feel uneasy.

I locked eyes with Azriel for a fraction of a moment and he had this puzzled expression written all over his face. I went rigid. Did he catch that? Did he feel something? I was starting to get anxious and very eager to get out.

"All right, then it's settled" Cassian's smile was wolf-like as he turned to Amren for approval.

"Fine" she clicked her tongue.

"I'll meet you guys there" I said throwing one final look at Rhysand.

He looked pale probably from being underground for so long; other than that, physically at least, he looked put together dressed in his casual attire. But i knew better than that, looks like I joined the reunion rather late. Rhys gave me a look that promised later, we'll talk later.

With a final nod I took off back to my place to get ready for the most awkward yet much awaited dinner ever.

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

"Seems like I was the last one to hear from your return" I inclined my head towards Rhysand and lowered my voice enough just so only we could hear our conversation.

We were already sitting at the small diner by the river, Mor and Cassian falling into playful bickering with each other, even Amren seemed more relaxed tonight. Except for Az. I knew that every now and then his eyes drifted to me, a hardening look that promised scolding sat heavily on his face. And I knew why; I was supposed to report back to him when I got back from the Winter Court but instead I went radio silence for two whole weeks. Nothing of relevance had happened in my short stay there and I hadn't particularly felt like being in constant communication with him, so I just decided to wait until I was back in Velaris. He didn't seem to think of it as a good idea.

I fought the need to make myself smaller in my sit and just focused my attention on the male beside me.

"Well, aparently you haven't been around that much." Rhys said side glancing at me "Or so I've heard. And no one knew how to contact you" he lifted a brow.

A slight blush crept up my cheeks at that, noticing the shadowsinger's eyes falling into me yet again.

"I've been busy" I replied almost biting my tongue.

"Yeah, I bet you were. Anything you'd like to share?" He asked throwing a not-so-subtle look at Azriel that was now chatting with the group.

I looked at Rhys for a long minute, debating wether I should tell him about the bond or not. It would definitely impact the dynamic of the group, and despite the years I've kept it a secret for myself, I still haven't got any idea what to do of it. I'd never really considered the idea of persuing a romantic situationship whatsoever with Azriel. Not because I didn't find him atractive but because of the nature of his feelings for my blonde gorgeous friend.

It wasn't fair, the entire situation was messy to say the least. I honestly thought I didn't have a mate, and if I did I had lost him quite a few centuries ago at the war, even before the bond could snap into place between us. Oh was I wrong, and it hurt for so many reasons.

I took a deep breath and smiled a little at him. Rhys was hidding something as well —many things probably—, he knew I could tell. He felt... different, changed. The things he had to endure Under the Mountain had most definitely affected him in more ways than one but there was something else there.

"Is there something you'd like to share?" I mused leaning gently against the backrest.

He only gave me a feline smile.

"Oh, I'd like to share plenty of things with you" he flirted. Teasing, he was teasing to snap a reaction either out of me or from Azriel.

Bastard. Of course he of all people would notice.

He laughed it off when I threw him an unamused look. It was nice seeing him like this, though I could still make the heaviness that settled behind his eyes. Whatever he'd been through it had marked him deeply. My heart stung for him, my friend, who did not hesitate even for a second to sacrifice himself for us.

His eyes softened a bit and he let out a small sigh. "Her name is Feyre" he murmured "she's my mate"

There it was. Mate. I fought against looking in Azriel's direction.

Feyre...it sounded pretty, the way he said her name. Rhysand was already in love with this girl. It warmed my heart a bit.

"So...where's she? What's the story?" I asked gently, I knew it could be a touchy subject. After all, if she wasn't here, something was going on.

"She's at the Spring Court" he breathed " but that's a story for another day" he smiled though it didn't truly reach his eyes. I didn't push him further.

"Hey, you two! What are you whispering about so much?" Cassian's voice dragged across the table turning the attention to us.

"Fear we've been talking about you?" I offered playfully. He narrowed his eyes at me and the corners of his mouth tug up.

"Never. We all know how awsome I am" he replied and beside him Amren snorted.

"Does your bat always have to make a show of himself?" Amren asked unamused and lifted her gobblet to her red lips. Cassian had the audacity to look hurt.

I couldn't help the laugh that scaped my lips. The air didn't felt as tense anymore. It was a real laugh, from the heart. I had truly missed them all.

A featherly like touch caresed the exposed skin of my collarbone, I looked down to find shadows softly dancing around me. Azriel's shadows. I threw him a look through my lashes, not quite fully turning to him, he seemed confused. I swore the whole table went silent.

He blinked twice, perplexed, and then it was gone. The shadows went back to him, he didn't say anything to acknowledge it. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when I met his eyes again, he was scowling now as if remembering he was supposed to be pissed at me.

"I haven't heard from you in weeks." His tone was stern when he spoke. His expresion blank.

He probably said what everyone else was thinking ever since I came back.

"You knew I was just fine, your spies reported daily to you"

"That wasn't their task. It was yours."

"But you did know, didn't you?" I mused bored.

"That's not even the point." He spoke with lethal calm.

"Then what's the point, Azriel?" I snapped, not liking being scolded in front of everyone.

"The point is" Cassian cut in "you don't pull a shit like that. Not after..." Rhys, he wanted to say. Not after what happened to Rhys. I understood what he meant and I felt awful. I hadn't mean to scare them.

I softened a bit at that and turned to Cassian, hoping he would read the apology in my eyes.

"Why didn't you reach back?" Azriel asked, but he seemed to be talking about something else entirely.

"I didn't think there was anything of importance to report 'till I got back. It won't happen again."

Something shone in Azriel's eyes for a second and then dissappeared, –Bullshit– it seemed to say. But he let it go.

"You bet it won't." Mor said, hurt danced in her dark eyes. "Now let's fucking enjoy this night before we have to actually go back to business. Who's ready to dance?" She dramatically stood up.

I looked at her and smiled coyly. Thank you, I muttered silently to her. She winked at me, I felt relief wash over me at that.

"Let's go" Rhys offered, Mor already heading toward Rita's. Cassian and Az following up. My eyes couldn't help but trail after him.

"I'll pass. You go have fun." Amren said before leaving.

"You coming?" Rhys asked, a knowing look on his face.

I nodded slowly, bracing myself for yet another night of Azriel silently suffering at Mor's desinterest.

"Yeah, let's go." I said falling into step beside him.

"If it makes you feel better" he started "I'll be joining you in sentiment" he smiled sympathetic.

"Oh man, I was hopping you'd be the fun one tonight" I teased. He chuckled.

"I'm always fun, what do you mean?" A feline smile adorning his dark features "You still owe me a story, by the way."

"You do too" I snorted. "Kind of a major one."

"I know, but for tonight let's just get hammered."

"Deal." I smiled and lifted my eyes at the trio already waiting for us ahead.

I unconsciously grazed the bond hidden deep within me, hopping it dissappear. It didn't.

One night, I could bear one night.

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@mulansaucey @starrstrucked @ev-ems @owllover123 @waffleleina @violet-shadows @bankerfrog @baarishkiboond

I'll tag you guys on the next one as well, thank u so much

[natalynsie]

Buzzing Lights (Noco Ficlet)

“I can’t believe your dad kicked us out,” Heather stated.

It was just past sunset. The park had a faint smell of rain from earlier that day, the pavement was ever-so-slightly wet, and the lights above the baseball fields buzzed quietly. It was dark, dark enough that the sign listing the rules, one of them being the park is only open dawn to dusk, was unseen.

“Duncan literally stole his wallet. I don't know what more you want from him,” Noah responded blankly. “Would your parents not kick us out? Because if they wouldn’t that says a lot about your family.”

“Well, he could’ve just thrown Duncan out, but he had to take all of us out. I mean, I guess being slow runs in the family.”

“I’m actually a very fast runner,” Lindsay argued. “But my dad is a little slow.”

“See what I mean?”

Noah rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe Owen managed to drag him to another party with his homeroom, one at Lindsay’s house no less. What he also couldn’t believe is the fact that Lindsay would actually invite Duncan to her house. Of course, after Duncan decided to go and start robbing the family, effectively getting all the kids kicked out. Now, they were walking around a local park aimlessly.

Duncan just shrugged at the conversation. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

“Well hey, it’s a nice night!” Geoff smiled, optimistic as always. “I think me and Bridge are gonna go find a place to watch the stars.”

“Hey, not a bad idea,” Duncan grinned as the two blondes departed from the group to find somewhere to sit. “Courtney, would you-”

“Not in a million years, Duncan,” Courtney responded. “Especially not after you robbed Lindsay’s parents.”

“Worth a shot,” Duncan replied.

“Courtney, let’s go on the swings!” Gwen suggested, pointing at the swing set standing on its own separate from the playground.

“Sure,” Courtney smiled.

“Don’t you leave me here with these crazies,” Leshawna called, following them. After a moment, Trent followed them as well.

Heather, Lindsay, and Beth headed to the bleachers to paint their nails. Alejandro, Duncan, DJ, and Tyler headed for the field where they saw an abandoned soccer ball. Everyone slowly split up from the group, going off with their own friends, leaving Cody and Noah heading to the woods.

“You sure we should go in there?” Noah asked.

“I know my way,” Cody argued. “I’ve been here a million times.”

It wasn’t like Noah had anything better to do, anyway. Eva, Izzy, and Owen went climbing fences so he wouldn’t want to hang out with them. Going for a walk in the woods was tame and required little effort. Plus, Cody knew what he was doing.

Well, not really.

After about twenty minutes of walking and Cody ranting about anything and everything, they decided to turn back. It was even darker than it was earlier, and Noah could barely see Cody.

He heard a clunk. “Wait, where are we?” Cody voiced.

“Are you serious right now?” Noah responded. “I thought you knew where we were going.”

“I just hit my leg on something and I have no idea where we are. Sorry.”

Noah let out a sharp sigh. Great.

Lost in the woods with Cody of all people. Maybe Izzy or Eva would be able to find their way back being the crazy people they were, or Owen could find his way back with the promise of food, but Cody?

Then Noah felt another hand touch his.

“I just don’t wanna lose you,” Cody justified the action, lacing his fingers into Noah’s. “In the woods, that is.”

Noah felt his heartbeat speed up, but blamed it on the fact that he was lost in the woods at night. He wasn’t scared, but what else would it be?

And he tripped.

“Ow, Jesus,” he exclaimed, letting go of Cody’s hand.

“Woah, sorry.” Cody crouched. “Are you okay?”

“I just fell really hard.”

“Are you bleeding?”

Noah felt the area directly below the knee he fell on. “Yeah. A little.”

“Okay, um, we’ll get band-aids when we get back. We can wash your cut in the bathrooms.”

Noah nodded, but then remembered he couldn’t see Cody. “Uh, yeah.”

Cody took Noah’s hand again and began walking slowly, not wanting to fall again. Noah stuck his free arm out so he wouldn’t run into anything again.

“Man, this would be a lot easier if Izzy was here,” Cody stated.

Noah snorted. “Yeah. The girl has night vision.” His hand hit a bush. “I guess we have to turn here.”

“Wait. Stick your foot out to the right.”

Noah did so. “Okay?”

“So there’s two paths here. I think we need to go left.”

“I guess you know better than me. If you’re not right though, I’m going to be mad.”

“No no, I know where we are now.”

Noah sighed. For the rest of the walk they didn’t talk much. There wasn’t much more to say.

“Oh hey, we’re back,” Cody smiled. The buzzing lights were visible and shone light on the path. “We can make it to the bathrooms from here,” Cody grinned and let go of Noah’s hand.

Noah nodded, following him, but longing to hold Cody’s hand again.

[steddiehickeys]

be my mistake

pairing: jonathan byers x gender neutral! reader

tags: angst, besties w jonathan who’s in love with you, complicated feelings, reader is actually clueless, mention of steve x reader, descriptions of nervous feelings, jon does not get a happy ending lol

requested?: yes!

word count: idk tbh but it’s short

a/n: (click the title for the song for this fic) i made a gif on here for the first time bc there aren’t enough good jonathan ones. be proud of me. this is really short and it’s my first angsty sorta story so cut me some slack pretty pls

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Jonathan contemplates tapping on your window tonight; he knows that every minute longer he spent with you just caused him a world of anguish. But he couldn’t help himself.

The chilly October breeze causes his hair to tickle his nose; he pulls his beige jacket tighter to his body. The view of your house causes the pit in his stomach to grow more by the second.

He shimmies his way up the gutter pipe on the side of your house. Once he reaches your window, he sees you sitting on your bed while you listen to music and doodle in your journal.

As to not startle you, he gently taps the glass with his knuckles and he watched you turn around with a smile on your face, already knowing who was attempting to get your attention.

You quietly lift your window open and extend your hand for him to take it so he doesn’t stumble over.

It’s not like this is the first time you guys are doing this, he does this literally every other night. But your hands touching causes his heart to speed up a bit.

Whenever you guys touch, whether it’s you helping him into your room, your thighs touching each other’s when you’re in the back seat of Nancy’s car, or your shoulder just grazing him as you walk by; it always has him getting weak in the knees.

He doesn’t know when he really started to feel this way toward you, all he realized is that whenever you brought up dates you’d go on or guys you’d hook up with, it made him feel nauseous. Which is what caused him to realize how truly in love he is.

“It’s cold, Jon. Get inside so I can shut the window.” You gently laugh and pull him over the threshold of the window. His lips pull to the side in a soft smile as he stands up in your room and takes off his jacket.

“I thought you said you and Will were doing some sort of movie night tonight while Joyce works?” You sat back down on your bed gathering your colored pencils into your bag.

He picks at a loose thread on his shirt and he closes his eyes and shakes his head, “Y-Yeah! He decided to go over to Mike’s for some D&D thing they’re doing, so I decided to just, you know, stop by.”

He feels a plethora of emotions because seeing your smile in response to what he just said made him melt and cause butterflies in his stomach, but it’s also the reason he stares at his ceiling at night, unable to sleep.

“Well, I’m honored to be the person you decide to hang out with.” You chuckle softly at the man still standing at the end of your bed. “I wanted to talk to you about something anyway! So, you know how I’ve gone out with Steve like four times now? I wan-”

You pause when Jonathan sits at the end of your bed and sighs along with a nod. “Is everything okay?” You scoot so you’re sitting next to him.

He looked at you and just stared for a second.

Should he tell you everything? Tell you how he’s been feeling for the past months? Tell you that you’re all he thinks about all the time? How when you talk it’s literally the only thing holding his attention? How even if everyone in the world suddenly started hating you, he’d still love you till the end of time?

After his mind racing and another one of his cuticles becoming victim to his anxiousness, he opens his mouth to say something before squeezing his eyes shut quickly again and sighing.

“Just an annoying headache—what were you saying before?”

You smile gently before continuing your story about you and Steve. Jonathan can feel his throat becoming hot with the tears he’s holding back.

Why must you be so oblivious, Y/N?

Someday he might have the balls to tell you, but for now. He’s okay with hurting if it means he gets to be a part of your life.

[statticscribbles]

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Summary: Twilight, Leah/Reader; Past Paul Lahote/Reader, Reader learns about imprints

You’d been dating Paul Lahote for almost a year without any issues. Not that you’d consider him turning into a giant wolf and scaring your cat an issue that most couples go through. That is the reason you’re currently sitting in Sam and Emily’s kitchen staring at some muffins on steroids and trying to avoid getting a very uncomfortable talk from them about actual supernatural creatures. A few of the other pack members, because there were others, not the whole of everyone on the reservation; and no one off of it either, but enough where you didn’t recognise most of the people coming in and out. You do recognise Leah, so you smile at her, she stares at you for a moment, looking between Sam and Emily before narrowing her eyes at them, smiling back at you and then almost jumping out the door when it opens next.

“Sorry about Leah, we uh, well it brings up a good point. Shehas issues, because she used to date Sam..” Emily smiles but it looks more sad than happy and you wait for her to continue. By the time you’ve finished half of one of the muffins, she’s explained not only what imprinting is, but that Leah had imprinted on you, and Sam had imprinted on Emily, so Leah had been cast aside.

“That’s what happened to Paul right? He imprinted on someone which is why he broke up with me?”

“No, he just, well he didn’t imprint on you, which he thought he would…”

“He wanted to save you the heartbreak for when he does imprint; all wolves imprint.. It can’t be avoided. He would have had to have broken up with you.” Emily cuts across whatever Sam was going to say.

“Thanks for that I guess.” You shrug a little and focus more on your muffin, trying to avoid watching Leah walk in without a top.

“We tend to lose our clothes when we shift.”

“That must be pretty miserable, always having to get new clothes.”

“Gives us an excuse to go shopping; Leah! Take Y/N shopping, she needs a pick me up after Paul dumped her!”

“I’m busy!” Leah shouts down and you realize this is a good prediction of how the rest of your friendship with her is going to go.

She pretty much is busy anytime you go to hang around any member of the pack; at first you think it’s maybe because of the whole drama with Sam, even if you agree with Leah and know she has a right to be angry; especially now that she’s stuck with him in her head all the time. You voice this to Emily and Seth, Leah’s younger brother, but Seth just laughs at you and grins like he knows something but no matter how much you ask him he never says anything about it.

You’re pretty sure the pack set you up; you’re at Leah’s house, Seth had said he wanted to show you something but when you asked Leah she said he was out running patrols.

“Listen I get the whole thing with me and Paul probably reminded you of what happened with Sam and I don’t know why..”

“I imprinted..”

“On Paul?”

“No on you..”

“Oh..” You blink at her and she looks almost shy when she nods at you.

“I understand if you don’t like girls, or me, I just; well I feel like you should now know..”

“I mean I assumed you’d been ignoring me because I was getting on your nerves always trying to hang out…”

“I mean it’s a little odd, but… you were doing it because you liked me?” Leah laughs a little and you blush.

“Is that a wolf thing?? You can tell when I’m lying?”

“Your heartbeat speeds up, but it usually speeds up when I’m around anyways.”

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