#attended a wedding for one of my oldest friends

[yutahoes]

Caramel

(Part Two)

characters: stripper! Yuta x female! Y/N genre: chaptered, smut, fluff, angst word count: 3.6k words summary: Y/N has everything in her bitter life, not until she meets a sweet-looking stripper. warnings: matured theme, stripper au!, third person POV, rusty writing, curse words, degrading words, complicated family dynamics, shirtless guy, alcohol consumption, lap dance, horny Yuta, there's a specific description of Y/N but you can easily discard that if you're not comfortable

Part One

Y/N had always been an early riser. 

But since she came home late at night, when everyone was already sleeping, she groaned at the sound of the alarm clock by her bedside table. She should have stayed at her apartment unit, not her family home. But she misses the home-cooked meals here at home. 

And if she doesn’t get up, she’ll definitely miss it. 

The girl was done with her usual morning routine, just brushing her teeth, when there was a knock on her door. She shouted for the person to come in and she could hear small pitter-patter steps that made her smile, “Noona, you’re home!” the six-year-old Junyoung shouted while running to give her a tight hug. If there is one thing - person rather - that she missed the most in this house, that will be her younger brother. “Jungwoo hyung said she saw your car outside so I knocked on your door.” He shared while giggling. He might have missed her as much. 

“Sorry if I haven’t been coming home,” she claimed, picking him up and groaning that he had gotten heavier and bigger. 

She remembered when he was a newborn and she had the opportunity to carry Junyoung, she was so scared of the change in her family. But now, she was ecstatic at the change that happened. 

When she was the same as Junyoung’s age, all she could remember were the sound of the thunderous night, muffled cries, and shouting.  

She was relieved at the change that happened in her life. 

The younger boy had been chatting non-stop about his school activities that made his older brother laugh, “You missed Y/N so much, don’t you?” The girl smiled at Jungwoo before grinning at the young kid who only giggled as an answer. “I was surprised to see your car early this morning. What time did you come home?” 

Y/N took a bite of the bacon before answering that it was already early morning when she arrived home. “You didn’t even tell us you were coming home.” Doyoung, the oldest of the brothers, claimed. The girl smiled, she didn’t even intend to come home. But her apartment is on the opposite way and she doesn’t want a man to struggle finding his way home. “Where have you been?” 

“Bachelorette party,” she answered quietly. 

“So that’s why Mr. Song thanked me for the Maserati.” the patriarch of the household claimed, smiling at her. “He was repeatedly thanking me as he saved a fortune for his future son-in-law’s gift.” 

Doyoung’s eyes widened in surprise, “A Maserati for a wedding gift? Y/N, aren’t you spending too much?” 

The girl reasoned out that the groom-to-be kept on complimenting her car so she decided to just give them a car instead. “And I took it from my funds so you don’t have to audit anything.” The eldest male smiled proudly at her. 

“Didn’t I set you up with that guy? From the hospital chain, right?” Y/N’s mother asked in a serious tone. The girl nodded. She did. “Have you been attending the meet-ups I set you up with?” The males on the table became quiet. “All your friends have been married, what do you plan to do with your life?” 

The younger female stared at the older. She now remembered why she hated going home. 

A small smile escaped her lips before eating her breakfast quietly. The father lightly coughed before continuing, “I heard you secured a deal with a French investor. That was amazing!” She nodded, smiling warmly at him. 

Y/N was about to share about the multi-million deal when the matriarch spoke up, “I’m scheduling a meet-up for you tomorrow night. You have to meet him.” She gave a heavy sigh before nodding. 

She shouldn’t have come home. 

—--

Jungwoo was talking on the phone the whole ride. It’s fascinating to Y/N how she was driving on the same road with a different person in the passenger seat. When he put down the phone, he only leaned on the leather chair and stared at her. “You know when I told Junyoung you’re home, he started sprinting to your room. He misses you so much.” 

The girl giggled at how endearing her younger brother was. “I did miss him as well,” she claimed then turned to the person in the passenger seat. “I also miss you, Woo.” 

The guy gave a hearty laugh and Y/N wondered how he resembled Junyoung so much. They both gave such a puppy vibe that it wasn’t hard to be close to him. “You saw me in the company yesterday.” 

“I always see your picture whenever I enter the company, Woo.” He laughed giddily. It isn’t even a surprise that the model Kim Jungwoo is the face of their own company and he has been great in that field ever since he started. With his tall height and very handsome face, the younger Kim evidently has everything. “Are you enjoying your work?” 

Jungwoo nodded. He had been modeling for different products, always on the magazine covers, and even walking the runways of New York, Milan, and Paris. “I wouldn’t even enjoy this if not for you.” Y/N shushed him. “I mean it, Y/N. Doyoung hyung feels the same way but you know he’s not good at expressing his emotions.” The girl shook her head, he shouldn’t say anything. “We’re thankful that you stepped up in this responsibility and Dad found his business-minded child in you.”

Y/N gripped the steering wheel harder. “I hope Mom,” then Jungwoo stopped. “I mean your mom eases up on you like what she does to the three of us.” 

She pursed her lips at that. Even if Jungwoo isn’t blood-related, she knows how sympathetic he is when he comes to her. He understands her better than she understands herself. Maybe that’s why she warmed up to him first when their father and her mother got married. When he asked if she could drive him to his photoshoot, she knew that he only wanted to talk to her about something.

“The guys introduced to you,” he started. “Are they truly that bad?” 

Y/N laughed at the question before nodding. “They’re spoiled jerks.” Jungwoo gave a groan of disgust that earned a chuckle from her. 

She’s very thankful for his stepbrother's presence in her life. 

—---

The valet was easily on her aid when she stopped the car in front of her apartment building. The staff of the high-end establishment greeted her as she made her way to the penthouse of the said building. Her own home. Her safe place. Y/N had only been out of the place for a night but she missed the place and the solitude it brings. 

Here, she could be who she truly is. 

Once settled in the room, she removed her light makeup and sat on the couch. She removed her contact lens, replacing it with her thick-rimmed glasses. The dark living room and the warm confines of her blanket made her sigh. 

“Don’t you feel lonely?”

The question came to her as she stared at her own reflection from the television. She had everything but why does she feel empty? She has a loving family, friends, and co-workers who seem okay but why does she feel alone? She is obviously happy with her life but why does she feel sad? 

Unconsciously, she stared at the cup of coffee warm in her hands. The color of darkness. Bitter coffee.  

Just like her life. 

One side of her lips curled up in a smirk, why is she so lonely? 

Even while listening to the presentation in front of her, her mind was on the endless questions forming in her mind. Should she stop obsessing about the company? She wasn’t even the chairman’s son, wasn’t even a blood relative. She’s only a daughter on paper, a stepdaughter. What makes her think that she can be the next president of the hard-earned family company? Maybe her mom was right. She should just marry rich and wish that her husband wouldn’t care about business and let her run the company. 

But it’s more of an idea than a reality as she listened to the conceited guy in front of her talk about how his father was happy that he had a chance to meet her. He kept addressing her as the company president’s daughter which made her think twice about why she agreed to meet him. And really, him? Her mom could do better. 

He’s not even as handsome as the guy she met the other night. Not as interesting to talk to. 

But why is she even comparing the two? 

This guy definitely has nothing against Yuta. 

When they were teens, she remembered her stepdad always telling his sons to always be a gentleman. Never let a girl open a door or hold her chair, always let her order first, and drive her home. Doyoung and Jungwoo both adhere to that and Y/N wouldn’t be surprised that her youngest brother, Junyoung, would be the same gentleman as his brothers. A quality the guy in front of her doesn’t have. 

She was thankful though. He had an eye-catching bright yellow Audi and the thought that someone could see her in that showy car made her shiver. Immediately, she texted Jungwoo that the date was a disaster and she hated the guy before putting her phone in her handbag. A piece of folded paper inside the handbag captured her attention. 

Maybe she’ll lessen her loneliness tonight. 

The strip club is different from what she imagined it to be. The bouncer just gave her a look while she headed inside, her fingers playing with the folded paper. The speakers boom sensual music and from the stage, she can see men in their small underwear grinding their bodies to the music. Women flock to the stage as the smell of sweat, alcohol, and cigarette smoke fills the lively gold-embellished room. 

This doesn’t seem like a good idea. 

What was the instruction again? Find the manager, give this paper, and ask for Yuta. Yuta Nakamoto. She tried to remember. 

“Hi baby girl,” someone called making her turn to the owner of the voice. She was wide-eyed when she was facing a shirtless man, smiling at her. “Are you lost?” Wait, she remembered him. The tall guy from the bachelorette party. He probably knows Yuta right? “You look like you’re new here.” 

She breathed heavily before handing him the piece of paper, “I’m looking for Yuta Nakamoto.” 

The guy stared at the paper before glancing at her with a questionable expression. “I’ll call him. Wait for me at the bar.” Y/N only nodded, walking to where he pointed at. 

The uniformed man tending the bar was smiling when she sat on one of the high chairs, asking her what she wanted to drink. Should she drink? But she needed to drive back to her apartment. In the end, she asked for a non-alcoholic drink. It’s a different environment that she kept on guarding herself. This is more nerve-wracking than presenting in front of board members. 

Is this even a good idea? Maybe she could still make an escape. 

“Hey,” Y/N turned to see Yuta smiling at her. He was wearing a denim vest with a gray tank top underneath and a cowboy hat. She was suddenly thankful that he was rather clothed unlike the guy earlier. “You came.” 

She mirrored the same smile as him. “You said to find you when I wanted a drink.” 

Yuta chuckled, then eyed the drink that the bartender just served her. “Well, you wouldn’t be drunk with that.” 

“I have to drive back.” 

The guy shook his head, “I’ll get you a substitute driver.” Y/N nodded, putting her full trust in this man. “Whiskey?” Once again, she nodded. He ordered a bottle from the bartender and then glasses before asking Y/N to follow him. 

If the girl thought that was chaotic, she wasn’t prepared for the image by the hallways of the strip club. Couples were making out, not even reaching one of the many doors on both sides of the wall. It already seemed like a brothel. Now, she wonders what activities are happening inside the rooms. She shrugged, she didn't want to know.

Yuta opened one of the doors, letting the girl inside. He pushed open the lights which had a purple mood lighting that startled Y/N. With another push of the switch, the lights turned white. The room isn’t too bad. There was a couch in the middle with a small table, and a sound system located on the side of the room. The floor has a huge carpet but the ceiling has mirrors which she found odd. “Please feel at home,” The side of her lips curled up. That is a weird sentence. 

She sat down on the black leather couch as he put down the whiskey bottle and glasses on the table. Yuta walked to where the sound system was and started playing a sensual song that startled her. “Don’t mind the music, it’s just so the club manager won’t bother us.” 

Y/N lightly gulped at the idea that there were only the two of them inside the room so she tried easing her nerves by fidgeting on her seat and taking notice of anything around. Should she run away? Ask him how he was. “You’re wearing a cowboy outfit.” The girl noted as Yuta sat beside her on the couch. 

He started pouring drinks into one glass and handing it to her, “I was supposed to have a dance set next.” 

“Oh,” she claimed before drinking the whiskey in one gulp. That was so strong that she couldn’t help but hiss at the burning of her throat. “Then I came early.” Yuta smiled before pouring her whiskey. “You’re already making me drunk.” 

The guy laughed, “Isn’t that the idea why you’re here?” 

She smiled. It is. But it also isn’t at the same time. She now wondered why she was here in the first place. She took another gulp of the whiskey and then poured another into her glass, chugging the contents as if just drinking water. “I went on a date with a guy,” she started. Yuta just stared at her, listening intently. “He kept on saying that his father was happy that I agreed to see his son.” Another shot of whiskey. “Maybe his father was the one who wanted to marry me.” She tried to say it in the most humorous way possible. “Or they just want the company, not me.” 

Yuta brushed the strand of hair away from her face, staring at how she downed another shot of whiskey. “A company that isn’t mine to begin with.” She tried to pour the liquor into her glass but nothing came out of the bottle that made her chuckle. “In the end, I’m the only one who got drunk.” 

The guy smiled before giving her a light chuckle, “You’re so easily drunk, Y/N.” he teased while taking the empty bottle of whiskey. “Your face is so red.” 

She started feeling her cheeks and then her forehead before laughing at herself. She does feel warm. “I have never drank this much. My mom will definitely kill me.” Yuta chuckled at that then stood up to maybe get her something light to drink but before he could leave her side, she held his wrist. “Since I’m dying, do you think I can get that free lap dance tonight?” 

What the heck is wrong with this girl? She’s very unpredictable. 

Yuta sighed before sitting beside her, holding her warm cheek. “You are very drunk.” She shook her head, arguing that she was just tipsy. “You won’t die tonight, Y/N.”

“If I go home in this state, I might be.” 

Yuta laughed at that. She is a cute drunk. The music is still playing in the background and he guessed that it was just past the last half of the full song. “A little lap dance then I’ll get you a driver.” She nodded, making him smirk. How adorable. 

He had to walk back to the sound system, raising the volume. When he turned back to her, her eyes were on him and he felt self-conscious. He had been dancing for countless women before, even going as far as to give them private lap dances. But this was the first time that he got this nervous in front of someone. And she’s drunk for crying out loud. 

Yuta started swaying along the music, body rolling against the sensual beat, as he took gentle steps to her. His eyes locked on her expression but got annoyed that she wasn't showing much emotion. Slowly, he removed the denim vest followed by the tank top before kneeling on top of her. The stripper moved his body on her, hands on the headrest of the couch for balance. He’s shirtless, grinding against her, yet she still looks bored. And it frustrated him. 

Lap dances have different categories in Yuta’s book: the non-physical and the physical ones. He doesn’t need to explain it further. If you pay more, you’ll get the physical service. And although he knew this girl could pay, he offered this lap dance for free. Typical Yuta would keep on reminding in his head that it should be non-physical but the Yuta tonight, held her hand and placed it on his chest. He let her fingers trail south, warm skin against his. He had never liked someone’s touch like tonight. Her fingers were soft, her palm warm as she explored the muscles of his abdomen. 

It feels oddly sexy. Erotic, perhaps. 

His finger was on her chin, raising her head to face him. She’s very pretty with those glistening eyes, flushed cheeks, and plump red lips. Lips that looked so soft. He leaned closer, her breath warm and ticklish against his lips. Then the music came to a sudden stop. 

Yuta blinked in surprise before taking every self-control to get himself away from the girl. “I’ll call you a driver.” He walked briskly out of the room and into the bar where he asked for a glass of cold water. What the heck is wrong with him? Is he seriously trying to kiss her? He might be crazy. The bartender asked if he was alright and he just nodded, asking if he could call for a substitute driver. If he was a little embarrassed earlier, he’s more embarrassed now. He just wanted to be swallowed to the ground. Is this the result of having a beautiful client? Is it the result of his horniness these past nights? This is dangerous. 

“Hey,” he turned to the owner of the voice and there was Y/N, standing while tightly holding her handbag. “Thank you for tonight, Yuta.” She shouldn’t be thanking him. He almost did something sinful to her. There was a smile on her face, different from the expressionless face she had earlier. He felt betrayed that instant. Maybe she didn’t like his performance. “I left something for you back in the room.” 

The guy’s eyes squinted in confusion before standing from his chair to jog to the room. He offered the service for free so why is she paying him all of a sudden? And what is this obscene amount of money? This is way more than what Johnny or Taeyong gets from sleeping with their clients. He immediately returned outside with the empty whiskey bottle and glasses. “She’s rich, isn’t she?” Taeil, the bartender, asked. “She paid for ten bottles of whiskey but when I returned the payment to her, she claimed that I could keep it as a tip.” Why is she throwing money like this? “Just a week and you’ll probably be out of this club, Yuta.” 

His feet started walking to go outside the club. Taeil was right. If there is any way to help him get out of this club - to get out of this stripper business - it surely is this girl. But he cannot do that to her. She seemed to hate guys who only wanted her for money, guys who used her for their own comfort. 

He doesn’t want to be that kind of a guy. He cannot use her like this. 

Luckily, the car is still there. Yuta lightly knocked on the window of the driver’s seat and even Y/N looked surprised when the assigned driver asked Yuta what he wanted. The guy just pointed at her window and the driver immediately clicked on a button that pushed the tinted window of the backseat down. Yuta handed the thick cash back, “I gave you that service for free.” She was about to answer when he continued, “And this is too much for a tip, Y/N.” 

The girl only gave him a timid smile. “It’s fine, Yuta. Just keep it, you actually deserve more.” But the guy only laughed at how absurd that was. Is she even hearing herself? Or is she so out of touch with reality that she doesn’t know how huge this money is? “With your smile and handsome face, you should charge a million.” 

Fuck! Yuta thought. She’s fucking good at this game. And it’s pulling him in. He’s fucking interested.  

He wants her. 

So bad. 

“Then Y/N,” Yuta started in a low voice, leaning close that his arms were on the window of the car. “Sleep with me tonight.” 

[littlestartopaz]

This is a thank you to all my temporary friends.

To all my friends for a day, who participated in something with me and i never saw again.

To my friends whom i knew since childhood, then distance drew us apart.

To my best friends and siblings of choice who moved away or never lived near me to begin with.

To my friends whose inboxes I'll agonize over for hours, aching to reconnect but not knowing how.

To all my internet friends who moved on.

To all the traitors and back stabbers and fake friends, i guess i was the only one who thought us friends, but thank you too for being kind while you were.

Thank you all, for being my friend. I ache for the days we talked and laughed. I hope that life treats you well, and that you find someone who can accept you as you need.

[s0fter-sin]

prince!ghost and lord in waiting!soap

ghost is a warrior prince, next in line after king price and it’s always been accepted he would be the lone ruler; never one for entertaining the courts or indulging foreign rulers trying to consolidate their power. he hardly acts like a prince at all, in name only when he spends more time as a pseudo captain of the guard. price has never begrudged him that, not when he himself has been a lone king since his inauguration

though he’s a warrior prince, he’s never lost the favour of the people; many see him as a guardian even if he doesn’t interact with the people as much as benevolent and stalwart king price. who he does interact with is the kingdom’s children; always ready to bend a knee and listen to bright voices, to praise stick swords and shields or hear the plight of a struggling family. it was a common belief that if he wasn’t out protecting, then he was with the protected; face covered, blonde curls shining in the sun

soap’s always loved ghost. as his lord in waiting, it’s been his job to attend him since they were young and even as a child, he’d idolised him; his skills in battle, his surety. he thought his life would be nothing but service, clothing a brat prince and making sure his shoes shined. but ghost has proven more than that; he treats him as an equal, consults him on strategy and court politics and over time that idolisation turned into love

and ghost has always felt the same. he’d begrudged the idea of a lord in waiting, not wanting someone always in his business but then came this spitfire who never missed an opportunity to push back on him; to make him dig deeper. johnny is more than some mere servant; he’s his confidant, his best friend, his… everything. he could be simon with him, not prince ghost

but simon figures that out too late

king price gets word from king shepherd, a kingdom they’ve only recently stopped feuding with and he’s offering up his son, prince graves, as a way to bond their kingdoms together and firmly put war behind them. price is ready to deny him, he doesn’t fear war from shepherd, when he sends some ancient laws that leave him unable to refuse. he hates it, hates that he’s ruining ghost’s happiness and feels like he’s betraying his adopted son but there’s nothing he can do

graves comes to their kingdom within the month and it’s clear from the moment he walks through their gates that he’s the opposite of ghost; arrogant and conceited, his ceremonial armour glossy and untouched by battle. he’s dismissive of their servants, of their ways, of their people and ghost hates him

graves insists that the wedding happen as soon as possible, pushing the craftsmen and cooks beyond their limits to prepare and every moment ghost spends with him, the more he dreads his wedding day. every evening he retreats to his room, exhausted, and it’s all johnny can do to keep him afloat; trying to keep him positive as ghost falls away and simon breaks in his arms. he wants to whisk him away like the old tales, the pain his oldest friend and love is in making his heart ache but all he can do is promise to be there with him

but it seems graves wants to take even him away

“soap’s been my lord in waiting since we were children,” ghost protests, voice barely clinging to civility. “i wouldn’t want to lose such a valuable worker.”

“there are plenty of decent servants in our kingdom; you’ll forget this one soon enough,” graves waves away, carding a possessive hand over his curls and it’s only bc he’s looking for it that soap sees ghost’s jaw twitch beneath his neck gaiter. “it’s custom for one marrying into our kingdom to embrace all that it has to offer, leaving who they were behind to become someone better. you’re entering a new life with me; you don’t need the baggage of this dreary place.”

soap feels sick as he walks behind them, his blank expression hiding all sign of his breaking heart.

“soap is beholden to me,” ghost declares. “we were sworn together by the old laws. i’m afraid a custom isn’t enough for me to break a vow to the gods.”

graves lets out a disgruntled noise, tugging harshly at one of ghost’s curls with only a thin veil of fondness; his conceding smile not reaching his eyes.

“i never made a vow to the gods,” johnny points out later. “price gave me to you because he was sick of me setting fire to the kitchens.”

simon hums and sets his freshly cleaned armour aside, turning to him with a twinkle in his eyes he’s barely seen since sheperd’s missive. “you pinkie swore that you would never leave me; that’s more powerful than any promise to the gods,” he says and soap’s thrown back fifteen years, to a willow tree big enough to touch the sky; to two boys from different stations who didn’t care that one was dressed in silk and the other in scraps.

johnny feels a lightness he hasn’t in a month as simon winks at him. “besides, do you really think graves is smart enough to figure it out?”

the days pass quickly, graves’ veneer of affection growing ever thinner, and before either of them are ready, it’s the eve of ghost’s wedding.

he’s said nothing, done nothing but stare at the wedding robes graves had tailored for him in the fashion of his kingdom and johnny doesn’t know how to break the silence. he draws out each second as he fusses with the cape piece and ensures the shoes shine in the fire light until he has no more excuses.

he sighs as he straightens up, brushing off polish onto his pants. “i suppose this is where i leave you,” he says with a weak smile but it quickly dies when simon still doesn’t look at him. “i’ll be here in the morning to help you get ready… good night, simon.”

johnny bows and makes for the door, trying to convince himself he didn’t just say goodbye.

but he’s stopped by simon’s hand loosely wrapping around his wrist.

he looks back as simon finally tears his eyes away from the robes, looking at him with such clear longing it almost brings him to his knees.

“i don’t want graves to be the first man to touch me, johnny,” he confesses and johnny’s breath hitches. “i don’t want to be married to another… not when the one i’m set to wed isn’t you. but if i have to do this… please let me feel loved one final time.”

simon’s thumb brushes the back of his hand; their kingdom’s greatest warrior caressing him with a touch light as silk. he doesn’t pull johnny in, doesn’t need to; johnny’s already sinking into his touch.

desperation and love tinge every movement; johnny dancing his fingers over simon’s neck gaiter until he all too happily removes it, baring his scarred cheeks and lips. johnny kisses each one, willing his love and his touch to linger above all others as they move together; sharing breath, sharing body, sharing soul the way they wish they always have.

when ghost makes his way down the aisle, it’s not in the fine embroidered robes graves had laid out for him. he’s in his battle armour; dark and weathered, the sign of the ghost, the warrior prince, going to battle. the only thing missing is his helm, tucked under his arm.

showing his hair; curls gone and shaved tight to his skin.

a thing done only in a time of great mourning.

graves looks irate and it’s the only spark of joy ghost feels as he stops before the altar; set beneath the willow tree where johnny promised himself to him. one final insult.

ghost is silent throughout the ceremony and in spirit and in grief, so is the entire gathered kingdom until the priestess reaches the final vows and suddenly, a great roar rises above the crowd as seemingly every child in the kingdom swarms the altar.

ghost is too shocked to do anything but let them push him away from graves, bullying their way between them like they’re preparing to protect him just as he’s always protected them.

graves is furious but the children stand firm in the face of his threats until he moves to strike one-

and freezes as soap’s blade finds his throat.

“you would dare hurt these children?” he growls, sword following graves as he stumbles back. “you’ve kept up your charade the entire time and here is where you show your true colours. i think it’s time i show mine.”

graves splutters as johnny turns to the priestess and king price, falling to one knee and offering up his blade. “your grace, i wish to challenge prince graves for the hand of prince simon!”

his voice rings clear and he feels the eyes of every person in the kingdom.

but he only cares for one man.

who is watching him with more love than he’s ever felt.

“who are you to challenge me?” graves sneers. “you’re nothing more than a servant; no better than the dirt on my boots.”

johnny doesn’t bother to look at him, too caught in the love in simon’s eyes and the grateful look on king price’s face. “then you should have nothing to worry about. you’ve been crowing your accolades from the rooftops since you got here; let’s see if you live up to the hype.”

because simon only ever introduced him as his lord in waiting.

never as sir soap- his second in command and one of the greatest swordsmen their kingdom has ever seen.

[bagopucks]

Q. Hughes - Plus One

✄————————————

Quinn Hughes x Reader

Word Count: 4.6k

Warning(s): Implied smut, little make-out, some seducing, other than that just general fluff

Proofread Once

—————————————

“They are just so in love, I remember when we looked at each other like that.”

I had asked Quinn to attend this wedding with me. I thought by the look on his face the day I did ask, that he would have immediately said no.

“It’s just a family wedding, please?”

“I don’t know…” he seemed to contemplate the idea for a while before agreeing. “As long as you don’t leave me alone anywhere.”

It was a promise I could make. We rented a house and flew out to the Florida Keys together on a Monday. After a bit of discussion, Quinn and I decided to turn the wedding weekend into a vacation week. He said he was excited for the time on the beach away from family or friends. Excluding myself of course. We spent the said week finding restaurants to eat at, mini golfing, swimming, watching endless movies, and learning how to mix drinks. By the time Saturday came, Quinn was sitting on the couch opposite of me, massaging my feet in his lap, and telling me how excited he was to meet my family. A contrast to the beginning of the week when he wanted nothing to do with anybody.

“Are you ready yet?” Quinn called from the bottom floor, his voice easily heard from the loft master bedroom we had agreed to share only because this had been the last house that wasn’t booked on the week we needed it. I looked myself over one last time, a short baby blue dress with Birkenstock sandals. I curled my hair and applied a small amount of makeup to avoid sweating it off on the beach during the ceremony. I adjusted the rings on my fingers and fixed my necklace before I heard Quinn making his way up the steps. A nervous smile painted my lips.

When he made it to the top, I turned to look at him. Quinn smiled at me, looked me over, then blushed. I was doing too much of my own looking to even notice the flush in his cheeks. I was far more focused on the curls in his long hair, and the flutter of his lashes.

“You look good.” It was sudden, the way I began to feel as though the room heated up. I clasped my hands together in front of myself and let out a low sigh. “Are you ready now?” He looked impressed with how long it had taken me to get ready.

“Yeah.. sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize. But four hours or one wouldn’t have made much a difference.” He smirked at the confusion on my face. “You’d look beautiful all the same.” Quinn and I were used to complimenting each other, but it felt especially good when I got as dolled up as I had. He held his hand out for me, and I approached slowly to grab it.

“I’m surprised some guy didn’t beat me to this.”

“Correction, you should be surprised I asked you first.” I teased, smiling at the soft laugh that fell from his lips.

“Thought I would have been your first option.” Quinn spoke as he guided me down the steps.

“You technically were, but I know how busy your family is with playoffs going on, and I didn’t want to steal you from all that.”

Quinn glanced back at me. “I’m kinda glad you did.” I hadn’t been expecting his answer.

“Really?”

“My parents- all they ever do is talk about Jack and Luke right now. And I get it. It’s their moment- but it’s nice to have something of my own going on. Ya know?” I squeezed his hand and smiled softly.

“I get it. It sucks when you’re the oldest sibling and the younger ones are doing all the things people expected you to do first.” I liked to think I was a breath of fresh air for Quinn. That our mutual understanding of being oldest siblings was what drew him to me, and he had told me so on multiple occasions.

The drive to the parking lot closest to the beach was a short one. It was rented out and packed full of cars. People were standing around talking, smiling and laughing, jovial as ever. With Quinn’s own family, I knew he would have been just as excited. But I could tell the moment I peeked at him, he was tense.

“Quinny,” I chided.

“What if they don’t like me? Jack says I have an RBF. What if they think I’m judging them?”

“You haven’t met my younger sister yet.” I shook my head. “My family is accustomed to quiet grumpy types.”

“I’m not grumpy.” Quinn turned the car off and turned to me.

“Just a little, Quinner.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes at me before climbing out of the car. I was swift to follow. We met each other around the trunk of the rental. I straightened Quinn’s tie before I heard the squeal of a child and the little girls arms wrap around my legs from behind.

“She’s here!”

Introducing Quinn to my family was as hot of a mess as it could get. I had to tell each individual person that we weren’t dating, only for them to nod their heads in mocking disbelief when Quinn would rest his hand on my lower back and follow me around like a lost puppy. He did me no favors in convincing anybody we were friends. He did some talking on his own, but introductions and excited conversations ceased when the large group of family and friends of the bride and groom, began down the boardwalk to the beach. Quinn and I remained near the back of the group, and we remained there even when we sat down in the pews. The few people around us turned to speak occasionally, but Quinn and I were in our own little world.

Until it was invaded by the great grandparents of the bride and groom.

“Well don’t you look hot.” I’d met Goldie a handful of times. She was always a bit.. lacking in filter. An old woman still able to walk, and hell I’d bet fifty bucks she could still run too. She was lively and sweet, but headstrong all the same.

“Thank you,” I laughed softly, dragging my hand down the front of my dress, adjusting the low neckline that dipped quite far.

“I remember when I was your age. I loved dressing like that. My husband loved it too.” That brought laughter from the two men seated beside us. I glanced back at Quinn with a knowing smile.

“I used to have one dress in particular, that got him all kinds of riled up. Always wore that one when I wanted something.” Sometimes one could only laugh at the woman’s lack of privacy. Which was what Quinn and I both did.

“Grandma!” The bride’s aunt immediately turned around from the seat in front of us. Goldie looked forward with an innocent expression. “They don’t want to hear that.”

“I was just giving some advice to this lovely girl. I don’t see anything wrong with that.” Goldie defended herself.

“Did she ask for it?” The woman in the row in front of us questioned.

“She didn’t have to. I could tell by the look on her face, she needed it. Her boyfriend could probably use a bit too.”

“Oh- we’re not.. together.” I quickly corrected, tensing at my own words. I always wished we were, but Quinn and I had been strictly friends since the dawn of time.

Goldie eyed us with a blank expression, then scoffed, rolled her eyes, and waved her hand in a dismissive motion. Her silver bracelets clinked.

“You will be.”

The music started, and all conversation quieted, then eventually ceased. I adjusted myself in my seat, my knees pressed into the side of Quinn’s thigh since he sat on the edge of the pew. I was turned toward the isle to see the bridesmaids come down with the groomsmen.

“Look how pretty she is,” I whispered excitedly as the first, mine and the bride’s mutual friend, came down.

“She’s okay.” Quinn mumbled in return. I gently swatted his thigh before my hand came to rest there.

“Don’t be rude.” I countered, though a piece of my confidence was boosted by his response. He told me I looked great today, but he wouldn’t compliment that girl. The one in an exquisite dress, walking down the aisle. Quinn couldn’t possibly have a thing for me…

“She’s beautiful too.” This time, it was spoken in more a coaxing way. My gaze flickered go Quinn while the next woman walked down the aisle. Watching the way his gaze lingered before he looked away. Uninterested, but trying to seem invested.

“She’s not really my type.” I hated how excited I got, and I hated even more so how hard I found it not to smile when his eyes met mine. I hadn’t known I was leaning into his personal space until we both realized how close our faces were. I slowly leaned back and laughed softly.

“Sorry.. I’m just excited.”

“It’s okay.” Quinn rested his hand atop my own and gave a reassuring squeeze. “Weddings are exciting.”

Once the pairs reached the end of the aisle, the new song started, and everybody rose. I gently removed my hand from Quinn’s to rest on his chest, pushing very slightly. He stepped back until his legs were pressed against the pew seat, trying to give me room to see. The moment she passed, I was beaming. One of my best friends, my closest family friend for the longest time. We used to daydream about getting married together. I was elated to see her dream coming true. Marriage was all she’d ever hoped for as a little girl. Her perfect wedding. Perfect husband. Perfect life.

“Wow,” I whispered as I felt Quinn’s arm wrap around my back.

“Why don’t you sit on the outside? So you can see better?” Such a subtle thing, but one I couldn’t help but appreciate immensely. Quinn and I shuffled around one another, and sat down once we were permitted to do so. Then the ceremony began. Quinn draped his arm over the back of the pew, and I found myself leaning into his side as time passed by. Occasionally he’d whisper something to me. Point something out or make a quiet joke that only the two of us understood. We’d giggle quietly and share eye contact, then giggle some more. At one point I started gently pulling sideways on his tie to make it crooked. He’d readjust it and roll his eyes. Then, eventually, he gave up with my antics and grabbed my other hand to keep it still. Quinn was never as grumpy as people made him out to be. It simply took the right type of person to make him happy and content.

When the ceremony ended, the chaos began once again. Quinn and I tried to avoid it for the most part, content to sit and watch everybody talk and laugh, and take their turns congratulating the bride and groom. I would do so at some point, but I was in no rush when there was one hell of a reception following.

We spoke with a few others, then Quinn and I slipped away to go back to our car. I was too excited to notice the way I grabbed Quinn’s hand and dragged him back to the boardwalk. He didn’t seem to mind anyhow.

“I loved that dress on her- god she was so beautiful, Quinn.” I babbled on, and he listened with a smile on his face.

“What kind of dress do you want?” His question caught me off guard, and my head swiftly snapped in his direction.

“What?”

“When you get married,” he explained. “What dress do you want to wear?”

“Oh god Quinn. I have so many things- something that flows- but preferably something I can pin up so I don’t step on the skirt at my reception. And I want a top with lace sleeves- or no sleeves at all.”

“Backless?” He cut in.

“Backless, for sure.” I agreed as we made it back to the car. Quinn opened my door for me, and I thanked him before slipping into the vehicle. We waited to leave until most others began to do so. We followed the bulk of the wedding traffic to the reception venue. A big shoreside building that had indoor and outdoor seating, a beautiful view of the ocean, and all the drinks one could want.

When we arrived, Quinn and I gave our names to the hostess and found our seats. The tables were round, decorated in white lace tablecloths. Each seat was accompanied by an empty plate and an upside down champagne glass, as well as a notecard with one’s name and a thank you note written on it. The lights were dim, the music turned on low.

“I’m starving.” Quinn muttered, and I could only laugh at how much he sounded like Jack. Even Luke. Those boys were always hungry.

“Patience.” I reminded. Thankfully, Quinn didn’t need too much of that. The bridal party came in, soon the bride and groom followed. A round of applause and cheering took place before everyone was seated and tables were called left and right to be served. Quinn and I found relief in knowing we were sat at a table with Goldie and her husband Frank. I was even more so relieved to know Quinn enjoyed their presences. That RBF he spoke of was nowhere in sight the moment Frank struck up a conversation with him.

The food was eaten, speeches spoken, cake cut. The main traditional festivities were long forgotten once the dance floor was opened up and people really began to party. Goldie dragged Frank off to the dance floor, and Quinn and I were left in a fit of laughter at the sight of his helpless expression.

Quinn wouldn’t say it, but there was a look of familiarity on his face. I was always dragging him around like that. And no matter how hard he tried to act like he hated it, he loved it.

“I’m gonna go get a refill on this champagne. Did you want anything from the bar?” I asked as I rested my hand on Quinn’s back. He shook his head and smiled at me.

“Just don’t leave me alone too long.”

“I’ll be back soon, I promise.” I reached out to ruffle his hair before reminding myself he spent far too long on it in the bathroom for me to put his hour of work to waste. So I withdrew my hand and laughed softly, taking my glass and waltzing off to the bar. The woman there was kind, striking up a conversation that lasted well after she finished pouring me a fresh glass of champagne. She asked of my relation to the bride, how I was enjoying the party, if the wedding went well.

By the time we finished speaking, I had to fight my way back through the standing crowd to find Quinn. He hadn’t moved an inch, but my brow furrowed the second I spotted the distress on his face.

“Quinn!” I called, catching his attention as I arrived at the table. He turned his phone off and set it face down on the surface. I didn’t know which question to ask first. Is he okay? Did something happen? Was his family alright? “You look tense.” I decided not to ask a question at all.

“I’m fine.” He dismissed my statement with one of his own. I shook my head.

“Open up, Quinn. What’s going on?” I set my glass down and turned my seat to face his own before I sat down. Quinn let out a quiet sigh and shrugged.

“My mom texted. Said the Devils lost tonight. It’s their third game in a row now. One more and they’re out.”

“I see.”

“Jack’s gonna be devastated.” He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, rubbing his face as if it might erase the stress. Stress that wasn’t even his own.

“Quinn.” I caught his attention. “You don’t have to carry the weight on your brother’s shoulders all the time. I understand you want to be there, but- sometimes it’s okay to not worry about it.” I reached out to wrap my hand around his wrist. “How many times did you clean his boo-boos?”

“Too many.”

“And how many times did you sit with him until he fell asleep? Because there was a monster under his bed.”

“A lot.”

“You were there for him when USA didn’t win gold. You were there for him when his first girlfriend broke his heart. Hell, you were there for most of his rookie year. Quinn, you throw away all of your time for your brothers. I know you do it out of choice.. and you’re the most selfless person I know, but please.. just this once. Worry about it later.” I searched his eyes for any indication that he’d give in. Throw in the towel and have a good time. A piece of me expected him not to, especially when he sighed and picked up his phone. But then he turned it off. Then he set it back down, and reached for my hand.

“Come dance with me.” Then I realized, I finally convinced Quinn Hughes, to just forget about it. Jack probably wouldn’t even call for a while anyway. He’d have Luke. He’d have his team to lean on. Quinn’s number would hopefully be the last on his list of lifelines.

“You’re supposed to ask, not demand.” I slipped my hand into his own and we stood up.

“I’ll ask when we get outside.”

“Outside?”

“The sun is setting, there’s barely anyone out there, and enough space to dance without feeling squeezed in with everybody else.” Quinn explained as his gaze drifted toward the large windows of the venue. “Don’t make me stand around all those people.” He pleaded, and I giggled at the antisocial behavior I was used to seeing from him.

“Alright, weirdo.” I let him drag me off, swiping up my glass of champagne before I got too far from it. Quinn led me outside, past the propped open doors, and found a clear space for the two of us to dance. Only when he glanced back at me, did he wrinkle his nose at my occupied hand- holding my champagne.

“Dude,” there was a playful yet judgmental tone in his voice.

“You haven’t even tried it.” I held the glass out.

“Cuz I don’t wanna be drunk tonight.” He smiled, scoffing.

“How’s come?” I taunted.

“Because I wanna remember all of this. I wanna be completely sober, so I can remember the way you look. Right here… right in front of me, in that beautiful dress, and with the most beautiful smile, and those beautiful eyes.” I was speechless, my breath caught somewhere in my throat as a wide smile parted my lips. It almost hurt my cheeks.

“Okay well..” I paused. “Tipsy isn’t drunk.” Was I avoiding the compliments? The flirting? Possibly.

“Tipsy is still hazy.” Quinn argued as he rested his hands on my hips. “And I’d never want a single memory of you to be hazy.”

I placed my free hand on his shoulder, smiling uncontrollably at his words. The Hughes brothers may have sounded like men of few words when it came to the media, but Quinn certainly had a way with his.

“Quintin Hughes,” I turned my head to the side, resting my cheek against his chest. Quinn set the pace as he slowly began to sway, my body following suit within his hold. “Where’d this come from?”

“Years of loving you.” The words were spoken so softly that I had completely missed them. I squeezed his shoulder.

“Speak up, Q.”

“I love you.” The initial shock left me silent. His grip on my hips tightened. In anticipation, fear of rejection, hope and relief. I slowly lifted my head, looking up at him in wonder. My hand slid from his shoulder toward the back of his neck. A nervous smile formed on Quinn’s lips.

“Sorry,” he laughed out awkwardly. I shook my head in disapproval for his apology.

“No. No, Quinn please don’t take that back.” I set my glass of champagne aside on the nearest table. “I’ve waited forever to hear you say that, please don’t take it back now.” I wrapped my other arm around his shoulders. His smile eased into a genuine one. Our hearts beat quickly, our embrace tightened, bodies impossibly close, pressed to one another. As if the thought of parting would simply kill us.

“I won’t, then.” Quinn dipped his head toward my own. Our noses brushed, causing quiet bouts of laughter to erupt from lips that locked within seconds. Laughter silenced, though it was impossible to remain lip-locked for long when we could barely contain our smiles.

“You’re gonna make me look like a liar,” I whispered against his lips.

“Cause you kept telling everybody we weren’t dating?” Quinn pulled back only slightly, to look me in the eyes.

“Yeah.” I laughed softly.

“Technically we’re still not dating.” His smile was contagious, but not quite as enjoyable as kissing him. I moved my hands to hold his face, guiding his lips back to my own. I never would have guessed it would take a week alone with him to get him to open up, nor would I have guessed Quinn ever would have liked me. We took our time before pulling back, sighing before drawing in our own breaths of air. Quinn reached out to push a few locks of hair from my face, tucking it securely behind my ear.

“Two days.” He thought aloud.

“Two days?”

“Until I have to take you back.” He clarified. “Two days until we’re apart for two weeks.”

“It’s just two weeks, Quinner.” I assured.

“Then we have the lake house.” He reminded both himself and me.

“The lake house, and I’m coming back to Michigan with you. Don’t forget.”

“Do you have to go to Europe?”

“I already told my girlfriends I would.” I laughed, running my thumbs over his cheekbones. “You’ll be fine for two weeks.”

“Two weeks with Luke- maybe Jack.. and my parents. They’ll drive me insane.”

“You act like your family is unbearable.” I wrapped my arms around Quinn’s shoulders again.

“They’re okay,” he joked with a shrug. I laughed and leaned forward to kiss his jaw. “I’ll be counting the days too. But let’s focus on these two days, yeah?”

“Movie night tonight?” He asked, his hands drifting past my lips to wrap around my back.

“You just confessed your love to me, and you wanna watch movies?” I whispered with an amused smile.

“Did you have something else in mind?” I could tell by the look in his eyes, that he caught on. He was merely playing hard to get.

“Take me home and find out.” Quinn’s smile widened before he stepped away and held his hand out for my own.

“Now?” He asked.

“Now.” I clarified.

“Come on.” He urged, his excitement unmatched. I grabbed his hand, and we practically rushed through the building to get our personal belongings. Quinn draped his suit jacket over my shoulders, held my clutch for me, and out the doors we went.

We made occasional conversation on the drive back to our house, but we were far too focused on what was to come, to be truly invested in a discussion. When we got to the house, Quinn told me not to get out of the car. Confused by his words, but deciding to trust him, I sat patiently while he got out and ran around the hood of the car. If only I’d taken a video of how funny he looked.

My smile practically reached my ears when he opened my car door and held his arms out.

We weren’t the newlyweds, but I still let him carry me like a princess to the front door. I was on key duty, unlocking and opening the door so he could carry me inside. He kicked the door shut behind us, and I shuttered when I felt his lips on my neck.

“Quinn,” his name fell from my lips in surprise, want laced in my tone.

“I’m gonna set you down.” He whispered in warning before he gently placed my feet on the ground. He kicked his shoes off by the door, and knelt down to undo the buckles of my sandals. His hair was finally fair game, so I leaned forward and ran my hands through it while he slipped off my first shoe. Quinn pressed a kiss to the inside of my thigh, and my grip on his hair tightened momentarily, before he worked on the second shoe.

“Hurry up,” I urged just as he slipped my second shoe off. He trailed lazy kisses up my leg, stopping at the hem of my skirt before he stood up, quiet chuckles falling from both our lips when his nose got caught on the fabric of my skirt, pulling it up only slightly before I had fixed the fabric and leaned into his grip. His hands found my hips, and his lips- they certainly found mine as well. Quinn’s hands slipped down my back, nipping at my lip. When his hands found the bottom of his suit jacket, he tugged it off and let it hit the floor, one of the buttons clacking against the hard wood. I pulled away before his wandering hands could get anywhere else.

“Come on,” Quinn groaned out. I stood just out of reach, a challenging smirk on my lips. It took him a second to catch on, but when he did, he reached for me. I stepped out of his reach again, and soon it became a game of chase. An effective way to lead him up the steps toward the loft bedroom. Quinn’s hand grazed my ankle toward the last step, and a worried shout fell from my lips before I got up and out of his reach again. I heard him mumble a, ‘Damnit.’ But he hadn’t anticipated my immediate halt, and our bodies collided. He held onto me tightly, assuring myself and himself that I wouldn’t fall.

“Finally.” Quinn smirked, and I began to laugh when his lips found my neck. “Stop that,” he whispered against my skin.

“A little ticklish I guess.” I whispered, surprised by his actions once again when I heard the zipper of my dress being undone. He was good at this. I rested my hands against Quinn’s chest and slowly pushed him back. My dress looked much looser with the zipper undone, but it was the last thing I was worried about. I reached for the buttons on Quinn’s shirt, making quick work of them and pulling the white dress shirt out from his pants. I was too focused to notice the way he was staring at me until my gaze flickered up to meet his own. I had just begun to slip the shirt from his shoulders when I took note of the look in his eyes.

“What?” I paused my movements, my hands resting on the edges of his shoulders.

“Nothin’. You just look so beautiful.” I nodded and silently continued to push his shirt off.

“Take me to bed, Hughes.” I gave in, a gasp leaving my lips when he hoisted me up by my hips and walked me over to the bed. He was gentle when he set me down, and even gentler when he laid me out, leaning over me and kissing me once again.

“You got it, beautiful.”

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

[thedroneranger]

I Can Make It

Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Précis: Jake gets a lengthy deployment—will he make it home for the holiday?

Note: For @notroosterbradshaw’s #hello december playlist challenge. My song is One More Sleep by Leona Lewis—fic incorporates many of the song lyrics.

Warnings: Angst n' fluff

Word count: 1.7k

The last year had been hard.

While Jake was floating on a carrier in the icy waters somewhere between Greenland and Russia, you were in California starting your life as a married woman alone. 

You remembered last year vividly—you and Jake had just gotten out all your holiday decorations. As you sifted through boxes and checked lights, you were doing your best to sell Jake on going to Minnesota for the holidays. 

Born and bred in Texas, Jake never had the pleasure of a white winter. Snow was a foreign concept he never really encountered until he attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland. Since college, Jake hadn’t been deployed many places where it was cold unless he was on an aircraft carrier, so the best he got was ice flows and permafrost.

Although you had been together for years, Jake had yet to make it to Minnesota during the winter. You wanted to fly into Duluth and then rent a car to drive to your parents’ place just outside of Two Harbors. After Christmas, you would continue up the Lake Superior coast to Grand Marias to your family’s lake house to ring in the New Year just the two of you.

Discussion of your pitch was cut short when Jake’s phone vibrated. He signaled it was a work call, so you continued assessing decor while he wandered into the kitchen to get away from the soft music you had playing.

“What’s wrong?” You stood as Jake returned to the room, looking disappointed. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders as you stepped into his embrace, encircling his waist with your arms. Your cheek laid against his hard chest, and his cheek rested on top of your head. 

“I’ve been tapped for a special mission. However, the deployment is eight to 10 months, and I leave on January first.”

This what you signed up for—you knew deployments would happen at inconvenient times. But it did not make hearing that your summer wedding and starting your family would have to be put on hold any easier.

Instead of stringing lights, you and Jake spent the afternoon rearranging the next year of your life. Jake could tell you were deflated from the news, so he ordered takeout and popped open a bottle of wine. 

“Let’s get married next week,” Jake said as he topped off your glass.

“Are…you serious?” You could not tell if he was messing with you as you settled into the couch.

Jake nodded. “Serious as a heart attack, honey.” He sat the bottle on the coffee table and joined you, laying an arm along the couch behind you. “Let’s go to Minnesota and get hitched. I want to come home to my wife in a year.” Your heart swelled three sizes at his statement. A smile pulled your lips as you leaned forward and pressed yours to his. 

A week later, on Christmas Eve, you and Jake stood at the end of a dock jetting into Lake Superior at your family cabin. The sun was shining, making the snow glitter and the ice glisten. Your family holiday had been extended to include Jake’s family, so both your parents, all your sisters and their families—partners and children—were huddled at the top of the dock to witness your wedding.

With the help of your sisters, Jake had surprised you by purchasing your dream dress, which thankfully wasn’t traditional, so it was tailored and ready in a matter of days. Jake wore a dark heather charcoal suit—you loved that it made his eyes pop. Jake’s oldest sister owned a salon back in Austin, so she lent her skills to you and Jake for the big day.

Your lifelong best friend, who happened to be a photographer, was recruited by your sisters to document your nuptials. And your father, a retired district judge in Duluth, officiated your ceremony. Your mothers could not help themselves and teamed up to cook one of the best meals you’ve ever had—a combination of traditional southern and midwestern dishes that featured many of yours and Jake’s favorites. 

The next morning, your families left you and Jake alone at the cabin. It was the closest thing to a honeymoon you were going to get, and you were thankful to have a couple days at the lake. 

You were dreaming of the few days you woke up shrouded in the warmth from the fireplace and tangled with Jake between the sheets as the pair of you drove to the base. Jake kept his eyes on the road and his fingers laced with yours on the center console. Meanwhile, you could not take your eyes off him. “Why are you staring, weirdo?” he teased. 

A smile crept across your face as you squeezed his hand and looked away for a minute. “Soaking you in—this is going to be the longest we’ve been apart.” It was his turn to steal a glance at you. He then raised your entwined fists and kissed them.

You were proud of yourself—you managed to keep it together until you climbed back into the vehicle. It took you 15 minutes to compose yourself and the tears to subside enough that you could drive home.

Nearly a year later, you weren’t sure Jake would be home for the holiday. Once his deployment hit eight months, it became nine, then 10. Ten turned into 11 and now he was in Month 12 headed into Month 13. 

You didn’t even bother to get the holiday decorations out. Not wanting to chance spending the holiday alone, you packed your bags and caught a flight to Minnesota. Since he had finally admitted that he enjoyed your home state in the winter, you agreed he would come there if he were to make it home.

The last time you spoke, Jake chattered about how excited he was to celebrate your anniversary. He was hoping you two could sneak away to the cabin. You agreed but didn’t want to get your hopes up. Although the last time you spoke you knew it was five more nights until he was next to you, you kept telling yourself one more sleep until you saw him. Daily doses of disappointment seemed more manageable than a week’s worth of time.

Lost in your memories of you and Jake, holding a warm mug of coffee and irish cream, you were staring out the living room window into the darkness of night. Fluffy flakes fluttered through the crisp air and disappeared into the undisturbed gentle slopes of a fresh snow blanket. The decorative lights on the house cast a golden glow, making the snow sparkle.

Your mind spiraled further into your memory bank to your youth, recalling the sound of your boots stamping prints into the fresh accumulation and the sound of snow falling all around you. Being alone in the silence of snowfall was your childhood escape. “Ma, I’m going for a walk!” You abandoned your drink on the nearest surface, slipped on your boots, coat, hat and mittens before bounding out the door.

Your nose was already chilling, surely turning red, and your lungs burned from inhaling the icy air. Muscle memory had your legs carrying you to the trailhead that disappeared into the treeline on the backside of your childhood home. As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, a smile pulled your lips as you listened to the silence and the hard crunch beneath your feet. It was tough to say how much time passed while you stood on the trail, listening to the snow, letting the flakes hit your face, feeling your resolve harden.

In the distance, you heard crunching. Keeping your eyes closed, you listened as it neared. Years of listening to the snow, you knew those were human feet, and they were headed your way. Curious who would approach you, you kept your eyes closed and just listened. The crunching was within yards of you when it stopped.

“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” you heard from behind you. Your entire body tensed. Eyes cautiously opening, you turned to look over your shoulder. Jake was casually standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling at you. 

Still in disbelief, you turned your entire body to face him. “Hey, stranger,” you greeted.

His smile grew three sizes bigger, his dimples really digging into his cheeks. “Has it been that long?” he teased as he stepped toward you.

Pursing your lips, you glanced at the ground and then at him. “Just 357 days.”

“But who’s counting?” He continued to walk closer. His hands were still in his pockets, while yours were balled in your mittens at your sides.

You shrugged as he closed the distance between you. “I had my doubts you’d get back home,” you added. Your eyes were locked on his, your head tilting back to keep eye contact as he stepped into your personal space. Your lip disappeared between your teeth as you watched him lean closer and closer—his eyes landing on your mouth.

Jake’s warm hand slipped out of his pocket and gently cradled your jaw, his index finger resting behind your ear and his thumb resting on your cheek. Your lips were almost touching. “I told you I’d be with you real soon, honey,” he said before pressing his lips to yours. His warmth melted the winter night chill. Jake pulled away and let his thumb graze your bottom lip while his hand remained on the side of your face.

“I’m still in shock that you’re really here,” you confessed. His signature smile reappeared—nearly as radiant as the snow. He pulled you as close as your thick down coats would allow and pressed a lingering kiss to your lips. 

“I can think of a few ways to prove I’m really here.” He held you so your bodies were completely pressed to one another. “But first, let’s go celebrate the holiday with your folks.” He gave you one more kiss—this one hungrier than the last. 

“You can prove yourself when we get to the cabin tomorrow night.” Lust was evident in your voice. You slipped your mitted hand around his and led the way back to the house.

[livsoulsecrets]

Appreciation post for some of my favorite excerpts about Bobby François, from Society to the Snow by Pablo Vierci:

“There he encountered his friend Bobby François smoking a cigarette.

‘Put that cigarette out, don’t you know we’re surrounded by kerosene?’ Carlitos blurted out.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Bobby responded calmly, as though he weren’t a victim of such a disaster.”

“Bobby was a fellow of strange and ironic sayings, always using phrases from his farming experience which popped into his head. Moreover, his attitude was amusing, seemingly indifferent, as if his life mattered little to him. But it was exactly that which ended up being a reason for the cooperation and accord of others. As Bobby was affectionate and kind, everyone wanted to take care of him, as if he were their little brother – a brother who didn’t much bother to take care of himself, who didn’t listen to the doctors or attend to his own needs at all, but a beloved brother nonetheless. Everybody needed that little brother, needed someone to take care of.”

“In June 2006 Moncho Sabella, the only one of them who was still single, got married to a young Paraguayan woman. Seven survivors travelled to Asunción, in Paraguay, to attend his wedding. Bobby François, who was one of the witnesses, since he could never again fly in an airplane, drove all the way to Paraguay, a journey which took him two days.”

“On 8 May 2008, on an autumnal Saturday, the oldest daughter of Bobby François got married. […] The majority of the survivors were among the small number of people who were waiting outside the entrance to the church. When Bobby arrived in his car with his daughter, he was very nervous. The survivors came right up to him, one by one, and whispered something in his ear. By the time Bobby reached the door of the church he was transformed, completely relaxed.”

[ytmanzwhore]

The Realm’s Princess- Harwin Strong

summary: Alyssa Targaryen, youngest daughter of Aemma and Viserys, lives a peculiar life

warnings: super long intro, wanted to give some back story to my OC :) I was really going to try to power through and make this one part, but it’s not happening

Alyssa Targaryen, the second daughter of Aemma and Viserys, was a surprise and a blessing for the then family of three. Aemma had spent 9 moons hoping for a boy, only to deliver a still born. As the woman had laid in bed, the midwives and her sisters trying to comfort her, the blonde had felt the labor pains again. Shortly there after, a pink and squawling newborn girl made her demands for attention known.

Rhaneyra was obsessed with her little sister. The oldest daughter was the realm’s delight, but Alyssa became the realm’s princess. Many small folk over the years would see the form of Veraxion, the bright white dragon who had been born from Alyssa’s cradle, and smile at the thought of the Princess on it’s back. 

Alyssa made herself accessible to the people of King’s Landing. At the age on ten and one, the young lady was sneaking out of the keep to visit Flea Bottom. She would bring her allowance and shop the stalls before heading to the orphanages to spend the rest of her time and deliver the rest of her change. 

(The girl would never need to know that her dramatic uncle followed her on every excursion, to ensure the little ones safety).

The people of the keep were hard pressed to find any issue with the youngest Princess. She always attended her studies, she was very kind to all of the workers in the keep. She was able to keep her Father and Uncle from killing each other with a look, and was able to bring her sister back down to earth when she found herself longing for freedom. 

Aemma and Balerion’s death had taken a toll on young Alyssa. She had barely left her quarters, no matter how many times her sister begged it of her. She joined her father and sister for dinner when ordered, but the woman she spent most of her time with was her cousin Rhaenys. 

It was the woman’s gentle but stern guidance that had Alyssa slowly returning to her normal self. Alyssa began to spend her time in the gardens once again, reading with her sister and a few ladies in waiting. The first time she trekked back into the city, was when Viserys had summoned his youngest to tell her about his upcoming marriage to Alicent Hightower. 

Viserys wasn’t sure how he expected his daughter to take the news, but laughing in his face was not it. Alyssa, despite her kindness, had spent years hearing her uncle, Rhaenys and Corlys speak of the detrimental effect Otto Hightower’s influence would have on the King’s reign, and this was the biggest indicator yet. 

Alyssa had been able to shake off Viserys, and then practically ran to visit Flea Bottom. As her father and one of her friends planned their wedding, her sister pouted, and her Uncle used his exile to participate in a war, Alyssa spent her time with the small folk once more. She used her father’s desire for a big happy family to ask for extra money to disperse among the people of King’s Landing, continuing through his wedding and the birth of his son, her brother Aegon.

For Rhaenyra, the current heir to the Iron Throne, the birth of their brother was one of the hardest moments of her life. While the older sister worried about succession, Alyssa found herself worried about her half-brother when she saw the way the newborn was thrust onto nurse maids, Allicent rarely with the young boy. So Alyssa found herself breaking into her brother’s nursery, sitting and reading with the boy in High Valyrian, and playing with him. 

She had even been the one to drag her father to the Dragon Pit to pick out an egg for Aegon. By the time Allicent came around, Aegon was as obsessed with Alyssa as the rest of the realm was. Alyssa had been the one to take over planning the boy’s name day, even convincing Rhaneyra to spend time with their younger brother, to not see him as her competition, but as her family. 

“Look at us, all together,” Viserys looked around the wheel house, Alyssa and Rhaneyra on one side with Aegon in the former’s lap, with his pregnant wife next to him, ignoring the other three. 

“Should you be travelling in such condition?” Rhaneyra questioned Allicent as the auburn haired woman winced as they carriage went over some bumps. 

“The Maester said fresh air will do me good,” the girl grimaced.

“Soon you two will be with your own children,” Viserys looked at his girls with pride. “And make me a proud Grandsire.”

Alyssa sighed as she felt Rhaneyra tense up next to her, Allicent talking about how easy having children was as the mid wives exchanged looks and gazed at Aegon who was more comfortable with his older sisters than his mother. 

“You should ride out with me, join the hunt,” Viserys tried to invite his oldest, Rhaneyra quickly declining. 

“It’s a hunt,” he sighed. “How would the two of you like to participate?”

“I shall hold onto Aegon I think,” Alyssa smiled, trying to break up the tension. “Someone will need to make sure no one kills themselves while you men go out and play.”

Viserys’ smile quickly turned to a frown as Rhaenyra asked why she should have to participate. Alyssa rubbed her sleeping brother’s back as the two Targaryen’s shouted, sighing as she felt the carriage slow as they approached the area chosen to celebrate Aegon’s name day. 

Her father and Alicent exited first, while Alyssa waved off the wet nurse offering to take Aegon. With her brother sleepily blinking on her hip, the blonde reached down to grab up her skirts as she approached the steps. Her personal Kingsguard Ser Rodd began to approach the wheelhouse to offer her his hand, but he was blocked by a broad back. 

“My Lady,” a deep voice interrupted Alyssa’s concentration, her eyes darting up to meet a pair of brown eyes shining with mischief. “May I?” Ser Harwin Strong offered the Princess his hand, which she accepted with a smile. He even grabbed up some of the spare fabric of her skirts to ensure she did not trip. 

“Thank you Ser,” Alyssa bowed her head. “I think I would have never lived it down if I had fallen and made a fool of myself.”

“No one would ever think you a fool, Princess,” Harwin smiled as he escorted the woman to where her father was waiting, both their siblings staring at them in intrigue. “I hope to be able to see you later during the hunt, my Princess,” Harwin nodded with a grin, strutting off as Alyssa blushed and turned to offer Aegon to their father. 

Alyssa and Rhaenyra entered the tent, Alyssa heading to a seated circle of ladies and Rhaenyra meandering around the area. Alyssa listened half heartedly to the gossiping women sitting with her and Alicent, but looked up when she heard heavy foot falls approach. 

“Ah, Larys,” Alyssa smiled, beckoning the man over. The two of them were the most frequent visitors of the Red Keep’s many libraries, and had found themselves debating many topics over the time the man had joined his father at court. “Please sit,” she gestured to a chair, introducing the women to the youngest Strong lord. 

The ladies continued on talking about the Stepstones, the women turning to Rhaneyra as she came through the curtains. 

“Your Uncle is the brain behind this war, is he not?” Lady Ceira Lannister needled Rhaenyra, the young woman clearly uncomfortable. 

“My Uncle and I have not spoken in years,” Rhaneyra stared at the Lannister woman.

“Since you supplanted him as heir,” Lady Ceira mused.

“Since the King of the Seven Kingdom’s named her his rightful heir,” Alyssa said sharply, Lady Ceira looking to the normally soft spoken Princess in shock. “You should have care of how you speak Lady Lannister.”

Alyssa levied the older woman with a sharp stare, before getting out of her chair and walking out of the tent. The youngest Princess walked her way around the camp, saying hello to the court goers she knew and checking in on the animals who were being prepared for the hunt. She couldn’t deny she felt the penetrating gaze coming from the area the Lord of Harrenhal had settled his house in, meeting Ser Harwin’s gaze more than once before the sight of her sister storming out of the tent caught her attention.

“Rhaneyra?” Alyssa called as she hurried to where her sister was mounting her horse. The girl paid no attention to her sister, galloping off as Alyssa went to climb on her own horse to follow her sister, and then Criston Cole. 

“No Princess,” a gruff voice called out as large arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from her horse. “You must not.”

“Let me go!” she squirmed for a moment before realizing she would never catch up with them at this point. She huffed and stilled her body, waiting for the arms to release her before turning around with a glare. “Ser Harwin, next time you should just let me go.”

“Ah, but then I would have to give chase,” the man smirked at the glare on her face. “Ser Cole will bring her back, I can assure you.”

Alyssa begrudgingly agreed with him, turning to head back to the tent. “Would you like to join my sisters and I before the evening meal?” Harwin called out as she retreated. She stopped in her tracks, thinking it over before turning around. 

“Let me see if my brother is awake,” she smiled at the heir to Harrenhal as he grinned back, heading back to his own tent. Aegon was in fact sitting up silently in his crib, almost waiting for her. After grabbing a blanket in case he got cold, the Princess carried her brother back to the camp site where she joined Harwin, his sisters Shaena and Jane, and Larys. 

Alyssa mostly observed the family as she sat there for the next few hours. The girls cooed over the Prince of course, and the Princess asked the girls how they were finding life in the Red Keep. Knowing how hard it was to grow up as a woman in the castle, Alyssa made a note to spend more time with the Strong girls as the evening approached. 

After returning her brother to the wet nurses, Alyssa decided to not spend her evening alone at the head table, and returned to feast with the Strong house. Lord Lyonel had joined them for the evening meal, finding himself very pleased that the Princess was showing his girls attention he knew that were lacking. Alyssa ignored the drama she could see her father participating in between Jason Lannister and Otto Hightower lurking, immersing herself in the stories the girls were telling her of their older brothers, both of whom denied every tale.

The camp woke slowly the next morning, the King riding out with many of the men to hunt. Alyssa broke her fast with Aegon and Alicent, the two women sitting silently, the only noises being Aegon’s babbles. After eating she made her way back out of the tent and was pleased to see Shaena and Jane sitting outside with books open. The Princess headed over, asking if she could join them. 

As Larys and Harwin joined them, the girls became entranced as Alyssa told stories of her adventures with Veraxion. Harwin found himself smiling as he listened to the girl wax poetic about her dragon, skinning a rabbit he had caught earlier in the day. The girls all looked up as they noticed the camp go quiet, staring at the blood covered Rhaneyra walking through the camp. Alyssa said a hurried goodbye to the Strong children, chasing after her sister to help her clean up and get the story of her night before they returned to the keep.

Alyssa was shocked to be summoned to the Small Council chambers the next morning. “Good morning father,” she greeted as Ser Harrold admitted her into the room, before closing the door with Ser Rodd by his side.

“Good morning my sweet,” Viserys smiled as Alyssa kissed his cheek before settling into the chair at his side. “I wanted to tell you, your sister is to go on a tour of Westeros these next months to search for a betrothal match.”

“Ah, good,” Alyssa nodded. Her sister would feel much better about a marriage if she had a say. “Would you ask me to go with her?”

“Not this time,” her father shook his head. “I want you to do your own searching for a match.” Alyssa nodded in agreement. It’s not like she did not know she would have to be married soon enough. “And while your sister is gone, I had hoped you would be able to help the Small Council on a matter.”

“Me?” Alyssa asked in surprise. “I would of course be honored. How can I help the council?”

“It has been brought to our attention the issues in Flea Bottom are not getting better,” Viserys sighed. “It has also come to my attention, that you may have some, let us say, insights, over what may be the most helpful to the people.”

Alyssa blushed at the knowledge that her father had clearly been told about her trips to the city. “I would like you to meet with the leaders in Flea Bottom, and find out where we can be the best help. We are prepared to supply money, grain, wool, and can talk about other supplies if needed.”

“You will be sending me to Flea Bottom?” Alyssa asked in shock.

“Only occasionally,” Viserys smiled. “I would like you to take some of your meetings here, so the people can see the crown supports this endeavor. But when you do go to Flea Bottom, you will have an escort.”

“And I assume you have someone in mind if not Ser Rodd?” Alyssa eyed her fathers smirk.

“Yes,” he nodded to the cup bearer who headed to the door. Alyssa had to hold back her grin as the man was admitted. 

“Ser Harwin Strong is to be our newest member of the City Guard,” Viserys looked between the two of them. “While he will be your protector on these trips, my hope is he will be able to learn more about the city and how best to keep it safe.”

“An admirable mission,” Alyssa smiled softly, her grin widening as Harwin winked at her across the table.

[ajaxstar]

The Right Hand Man

pairings: thoma x fem!reader

sypnosis: you’re hiding from everyone in the garden when you met thoma.

genre: royal AU, arrange marriage, reader is a princess

note: i’m not a 100% proud of this work

Masquerade balls has its purpose of securing the identity of those who attend, leaving them unknowledgeable of information of whom they were spending time with or whoever the other guests may be. it’s just how it works. Although you were never really one to enjoy parties or balls, you found the idea of not sharing identities with people intriguing and fun.

However, your father had other plans for the evening. at first, he insisted that you make a grand public entrance of your arrival. He reasoned that it’s natural; after all, this ball was in your honor. Despite your main reason why you agreed to show up in the ball being ruined by your father, you’ve made up your mind that maybe you’d still enjoy it — it was still a masquerade ball, right? — so you let it slide.

You had completely forgot the feeling of disappointment because of your father’s insisted request earlier as you have emerged yourself with the activity of conversing with guests. It was cut short when you’ve soon received a summon from your father — you guess that it may be for a chat — so you excuse yourself.

Once you’ve arrived at the certain area of the ballroom where you will meet your father, your eyes met blue pairs of a another man who was standing beside your father, you notice that the guest was not wearing his mask that concealed his identity. Of course he had taken this as an opportunity to wed you off to the oldest and heir of the duke of Inazuma. There stood Ayato Kamisato, Marquess of Inazuma, with all his graceful glory in Inazuma styled suit that stood proud in white, gold, and blue accents, a calm but superior aura radiating from him. You sighed internally as you made your way towards them, a forced but respectful enough smile on your face to greet them. At the back of your mind, you conclude that this was the reason why your father had brought up the topic of marriage and kamisato’s at every dinner.

“Good evening, princess Y/n. It is of my pleasure to meet you this fine evening.”

“Likewise, Marquess Ayato. I hope you are enjoying your evening.”

It wasn’t as if you and Ayato didn’t get along, rather it was the complete opposite. Despite the title you and he had to uphold, mostly taking into consideration how equally powerful both of your families are in teyvat, you were friends and even had worked together in situations that both of your aid was needed by the head of your families. Princess Ayaka, his younger sister, is also one of the few you’ve shared a great friendship with.

As of current, you don’t have an idea about ayato’s opinion of getting married to you. Even as friends, you both never really considered it. To say the least, the topic along with the more your father and his talked about how it would probably be good for the both of you and how it won’t be hard to bond over it made you uncomfortable — even the word itself was an understatement. sure ayato is charming, intelligent, and an absolutely close and nice friend you have, but it was just not clicking into you to have a romantic relationship with him. So once you’ve noticed the opportunity to excuse yourself, you grabbed it whilst silently giving ayato a thankful smile when he had supported your excuse albeit your father’s displeasure.

Throughout your escape, you successfully avoided to be caught by any of your guests. you wanted — needed — a breather from all this. you knew that your father had more plans than just putting you into marriage with ayato; after all, he was as greedy as a devil for power. But you didn’t want that, neither did you want to include your best friend into a mess like that. your family name is powerful as it already is, yet he wanted more. It suffocated you to think about it, so you ran. You passed by servants on your way, but thankfully they didn’t put much thought when they saw you and only greeted you a good evening.

At the end of your escape, you successfully avoided the royal guards around the estate, making it possible for you to reach the garden. Despite it being dim with only a few light sources, the tranquility you always received in the garden eased your mind. Feeling lighter than before, you took your shoes and mask off, even letting your hair down from the heavy accessories that kept your hair in place during the ball. You inhaled a calm breath once your back met the soft surface of the flowery grass, the scent of asters filled you with delight while you watched the twinkling stars in the night sky. This was truly better than the loud, gossip filled masquerade ball.

However your peace was destroyed the moment you heard footsteps arrive at the garden. in haste, you quickly sat up and turned your body so you could see who it was. Your eyes met brightly surprised emerald eyes of a blond man wearing a formal suit colored black and red, an enamel pin of the kamisato’s on his coat. he looked as shocked as you are, but he looked like someone who wouldn’t harm you or return you back to the ball.

“Oh…” he started, “I’m deeply sorry for being rude and for intruding but… would it be okay if i join you here? I promise, i’m not here to harm you.”

He seemed to have noticed your thoughts. You shook your head as your eyes closed with a sigh, accepting him and even inviting him over to sit wherever he’d please. Yet he chose to sit on the grass as well, a distance between the both of you but enough to be called close.

“Where are my manners..” he muttered before turning to look at you, “my name is Thoma.” he flashed a smile, you swore that you felt something inside you flutter from his natural charms that seemed like he wasn’t even trying hard on affecting you. Nevertheless, the normalcy that his introduction made you feel at ease, a contrast from being addressed formally with your title.

Not to mention, you concluded that his smile is contagious as your lips lifted up into a gentle, genuine smile. Your eyes shined without your knowledge as you expressed your fondness at the simple interaction. Your live in a world of nobles and royalties wherein masks of facial expressions were treated as a requirement to maintain status and reputation, yet you did not feel the need to with thoma.

“I’m Y/n.” you reached out your hand to clasp his in a handshake, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Thoma.”

Thoma swore he felt his face heat up once butterflies started fluttering in his stomach. The feeling he got when he met your eyes and saw the way that you smiled intensified when you accepted his handshake. Both hands did not move, not even shook, but just held each other with a comfortable, gentle grip.

Until it clicked in his mind.

“You’re the princess of-!”

“Quiet down!”

Thoma’s eyes looked down and realized that he has been silenced with your hand covering his mouth from saying more. His eyes also wondered to meet your face that was now in close proximity to his, with this he was able to study your facial features more. He observed that your hair frames your face perfectly, it did not matter to him that your hair was not styled right now and neither will he ever change his mind. He could see the glitters of your foundation shimmer softly on your skin and the way your lips looked oh-so kissable. The thought made him even more flustered, the heat now traveling to the tips of his ears and down to his neck.

Unbeknownst to him, you were studying him as well. Memorizing each and every small detail of his skin, as if tattooing his image into your eyes and never let yourself forget how his long lashes complimented his beautiful emerald eyes. Your hand that covered his lips slowly detached from his face and made it possible for you to travel your eyes down, making you imagine how soft his lips actually feel. The thought flustered you, of course, but you couldn’t find the strength to move away when his hand came into contact on your back to support you from falling. You felt your arms wanting to pull him close, yet you fought against the idea. So from here, you moved back slowly to sit on the grass once again.

It is only then that you notice an emblem on his collar — the Kamisato emblem. Your lips turned into a thin line as your eyes seem to take interest on the grass your fingers rest upon as you stroke it. You sigh before asking, your eyes still trained on the grass.

“Say, Thoma… What’s your position in the Kamisato Family?”

He seems to take a hint on your earlier actions of looking at the emblem on his collar as he did the same. “I work for Princess Ayaka Kamisato as her personal butler, but I am also Sir Ayato Kamisato’s right hand man of sort.” He chuckled at your quizzical look but understood the lingering curiosity, entertaining it as he continued. “It may seem difficult to work in both positions, however I find it enjoyable; after all, I’m able to be acquainted with countless nobles and royals — sometimes even having my own connections to some.”

You nodded along his words, listening to everything he spoke about his job. Thoma reached a point wherein he shared almost everything about himself as well; aside from being Ayaka’s personal butler he also guides her through her tachi jutsu trainings, he likes doing household chores and knits mostly for animals as well as the fact that he had even held a small class session that covered techniques and methodology of accomplishing household chores — which, in fact, made you giggle. He had also mentioned that he will soon be promoted as the Chief Retainer of the Kamisato Clan once Ayato is crowned as the Duke of his family.

“Enough about me, your highness. Let’s talk about you.”

“Me?” You chuckled. “You’ve told me that you’ve read through legal papers and, as far as I am aware, half of my information are publicized due to my status.”

Thoma hums before letting words slip off his lips one again, “You do have a fact, however I’d like to know more about you from you.” He notices you ponder over his words and continued once you nodded. “Let’s start with a simple question, why are you here and not inside the palace? I heard from The Marquess and Princess that the party is in your honor.”

You chuckled solemnly. Despite it being entitled by Thomas as a simple question, it was not for you. But you did not hold any grudges against him, he probably did not know about it. After all, it wasn’t directly stated by your father, rather it was a hint that you and Ayato caught onto.

“My father… wants to arrange a marriage for Ayato and I.” You took in a breath as you pulled your knees to your chest. “Don’t get me wrong — Ayato is a very lovely and kind person, we have been very close friends from the beginning. However… that’s just not how I feel for him.” You sigh before giving him a gentle smile that made him wonder, how could you smile like that in a situation wherein you’re practically being given off in the name of greed, power, and reputation?

A cool evening breeze brushed past the both of you. Your hands wrapping around your own arms caught the attention of his green eyes, in a flash he had already discarded of his red and black coat on his body to drape it on your arms.

“Tha-“

“Princess, can you raise your arms? I’d rather help you properly wear it, having it draped around your shoulders wouldn’t be as useful to shield you from the cold.”

Before you could protest, you found yourself raising your arms up while Thoma worked on helping your arms slide into the sleeves that was obviously too big for you. Nonetheless, your eyes closed as you laughed when you saw that the sleeves were too long. Flapping your arms made you laugh more while Thoma’s laugh duets with yours. As you finished your laughter, your eyes widened at the sight of his face being merely centimeters apart from yours. You could smell the scent of Windwheel Asters from him rather than from the garden.

A blush made its way onto your cheeks, oblivious that he had a blush similar to yours. Even when you knew that it would probably be disrespectful and inappropriate for a princess you leaned onto his shoulder, you just couldn’t help but to feel at ease with Thoma. The warmth he brings reminds you of the comfort you would get by sitting close to a fireplace at a cold, winter season. The scent of Windwheel Asters he lingers reminds you of the nation of flowers, Mondstat, one of your favorites to visit.

As the two of you stayed in comfortable silence accompanied by the sound of plants swaying along with the wind, the sound of music playing from the ballroom was heard. It seemed that it was time for the dance to start, you recognized that it was the one that you chose as the first music to be played and danced to: Tchaikovsky’s Suite from Swan Lake, Op. 20a - II Waltz, your personal favorite. While you were humming, you watched as Thoma stood up and bowed while offering his hand.

“May I have this dance, Your Highness?”

“I’d be delighted.”

You were surprised at the way the words slipped from your lips as smooth as silk and at how as light as a feather you felt from placing your hand on his before standing up on your feet. You’re not particularly someone that was fond of dancing with people, neither do you enjoy ballroom dancing. However, with only Thoma, it felt perfect — you didn’t feel the need, but you felt yourself wanting to dance with him. His hand positioned on your waist while the other kept your hand held, you’ve never felt secured before. When your eyes met his and you saw the soft smile gracing his lips. Behind him was the starry night sky, you found it hard to look away.

A soft groan suppressed by a chuckle broke your trance of being engulfed by his charms once you realized your mistake and your head hanging low.

“M-My apologies! I-I’m not very well-practiced of dancing… I always found it difficult…”

From his silence, you figured that he might have started judging your incompetence. A princess that is part of one of the most powerful families untrained and horrible at a simple ballroom dance? A disappointment, you are.

“Your Highness…”

“I-I know that it’s a disappointment that I-“ A hand tucking a loose strand of your hair behind your ear silenced you, more so when two fingers cupped your chin so delicately as it guided you to look up to the most beautiful pair of green eyes you’ve ever seen in your life.

“I do not see any problem here, Your Highness. You are no disappointment.” His hand that’s placed on your back gently traced comforting figures. “What do you think of the idea of dancing without following any rules? I’d like it to be enjoyable for you, My Princess.”

The dimly lit garden under the star filled night sky silent sounds of wind now filled with shared heartfelt laugh between you and Thoma became a sanctuary of tranquility. Endearing enjoyment and blooming love formed at every step, turn, and twirl. The dance did not feel as suffocating as it always had before in your experiences whether was it in practice or in performances at balls.

Thoma never felt so much emotions from a dance. Sure, he has thought and partnered up with Ayaka at countless dances as part of his job and care for the family he serves — but with you it was different. He could feel every butterfly that scattered and fluttered in adoration and flattery from the way you smiled at him, the crinkle in your eyes convinced him that you truly are enjoying yourself.

What was it that drawn him to you? He thinks it started because of the stories he had heard from Ayato, about how much you were caring for the pets he adopted and took care of in the Kamisato Estate while he was away doing business in His Marquess’ stead. It was at that moment he felt the need and want to meet you. He just didn’t expect his wish to come true after a few months that had passed since then.

More so, meeting you gave him more reasons to feel Windwheel Asters growing partnered with the butterflies he felt at how flustered he was. Your eyes sparkled like a galaxy, your smile defeated everyone else’s, your body was just too perfect to even be compared to anything or anyone. It didn’t matter what you negatively be thinking towards your physique, he found it perfect beyond compare.

He found you perfect, ethereal, and stunning. If he or anyone ever dared to compare your beauty with the beautifulest and most expensive diamond there is in the world, he wouldn’t be surprised to know that you stood victorious.

Thoma pulled you close to his chest as the song ended, chests heaving as tired but fond laughter echoed.

“Your Highness, that was-“

“Please, call me by my name, Thoma.”

“Y/N…” he tested the waters and received reassurance when your smile widened.

“It was a pleasure to dance with you, Y/n.”

[runnning-outof-time]

-> Arthur Shelby Masterlist <-

Main Masterlist

Last Updated: 11/01/23

Want to be tagged? Let me know!

All works are my own - I do not give consent to the reposting of them in any form.

——— (listed oldest -> newest) ———

x Reader Imagines:

— Saving the Enemy: Arthur Shelby had been put to a task of taking the most prized possession of a rival Birmingham gang leader: his only daughter. However, he finds himself in a difficult situation with that very woman before he is able to do so.

— The Reopening: After all of the stress of the London expansion, and the original Garrison Tavern being bombed by the Irish, all (Y/N) and Arthur want to do is celebrate this upcoming quiet period. What a better place to do this than at the reopening of the bar that means so much to their relationship.

— What’s Happened Here?: (Y/N) seeks comfort at a friend's in order to help her forget her problems. But she goes a bit overboard, and her problems end up helping her.

— They Said You Were Gone: (Y/N)'s told that her fiancé, Arthur Shelby, is dead. Hell, she even attended his funeral. So she was a little bit confused when he showed up at their home one night.

— Set Me Straight: Arthur's feeling lost again. With Tommy not around, Finn seeks out the only other person who can help bring his brother back to being level: (Y/N). This time, however, Arthur responds in a way (Y/N) wasn't expecting.

— Proud: Back in Small Heath, Arthur's struggling with his old habits that he's fought so hard to push away. Thankfully, he's got his wife alongside him, who lets him know that she's still proud of the man he is.

— Night and Day: Arthur's got a woman that can brighten his day just by being in her presence, regardless of what he was doing before she showed up.

— I Can’t Go On Without You: In which Arthur will do whatever it takes in order to get (Y/N) back...even if it means crossing a line. (Dark)

— Sleep-Talking: Arthur has trouble expressing his feelings for (Y/N)...while he's awake at least.

— My Girl: Arthur can't admit his feelings to (Y/N), but he can almost get into a fight for her.

— A Sanctuary: Arthur's stuck in his head again, but luckily, (Y/N) knows just how to help him out.

— Thank You For Saying Goodbye: Arthur calls (Y/N) in hopes of trying to rebuild their relationship. Through their conversation, he realizes that she's ready to say 'goodbye'.

— The Perfect Team: Arthur's ability to reason with (Y/N)'s child has them realizing that they work rather well together.

— Everything Is Alright: Arthur and (Y/N) spend a special evening out under the stars and recall how they came together.

— Swear It To Me: Arthur needs some extra reassurance from (Y/N) after a day of rather unsettling events.

Blurbs:

— Wedding Night Chats: Arthur goes on the defensive when the status of he and (Y/N)’s relationship is brought up on the night of Tommy’s wedding.

— For No Reason: A question about the future of the company turns into an action that will change the future of Arthur and (Y/N)’s relationship.

— Send Someone Else: Finn attempts to get Arthur out of bed, but (Y/N) succeeds at keeping him there.

— A Fork in the Road: Arthur finally shows up at (Y/N)’s door after she’s been avoiding him for some time. Then feelings come to light.

— Snow In the Country: In which Arthur, (Y/N), and their son Billy experience snowfall in the country for the first time. Of course a snowman will be made.

— A Kiss Under the Mistletoe: In which (Y/N) finally manages to make a move on her feelings for Arthur…and finds the perfect way to do it.

— You’ve Got This: (Y/N)’s worried about the upcoming job interview that she has, so Arthur’s got to give her some words of encouragement.

— After A Long Day: (Y/N) comes up with the perfect solution when Arthur tells her that he’s had a stressful day.

— When I Grow Up…: A creative writing prompt and some needed grading sparks a warm-hearted conversation between Arthur and (Y/N)…but not after his smile and answer to a question just about make her forget where she is.

— Just Another Woman: Tommy gives some - rather terrible - advice to Arthur as the elder of the two Shelby brothers tries to get over (Y/N) leaving him.

— Forget For Tonight: (Y/N) feels conflicted with which direction she should go. Arthur realizes that, but wants her to stay one more night.

— Worth Much More: (Y/N) offers some comfort to Arthur after he comes home distraught and thinking erratically.

— What A Chain of Events: Dancing at the Garrison turns into arguing at the Garrison, which then turns into…feelings being confessed?

— Should’ve Proved It: At the moment where he’s needed most, Arthur freezes.

— Put On the Spot: Arthur gets put on the spot when his child asks him a rather interesting question.

Headcanons:

— there’s nothing here yet…

———

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

[btsgotjams27]

my plus one | ksj

when you and jin have weddings to attend, you decide to help one another by agreeing to being each other's plus ones.

✨ title: my plus one | one-shot | ✨ pairing: assistant!jin x ceo!f.reader ✨ genre/au: fake dating!au, fluff, romance, idiots-to-lovers ✨ word count: 10.2k (oops!) | ✨ rating: PG-13 ✨ warnings: kissing, alcohol consumption, swearing, namjoon is a toxic ex-bf, banter, hawaii wedding, shirtless jin (visual), a bit of angst ✨ a/n: this is for @thebtswritersclub summer project under the theme of 'beach' ✨ playlist | ✨ read on ao3 | wattpad

An ivory envelope sat in front of you, on it in beautiful handwritten calligraphy was the name of an old childhood best friend getting married. But this time, it was a destination wedding.

It's that time in your life when friends were getting married and having kids. You, on the other hand, weren't even in a relationship, let alone not even close to having kids. It started to annoy you, glaring at the question on the RSVP card.

M__________________

_____ Accepts with pleasure

______ Number Attending 

_____ Regretfully declines

The dreaded RSVP card. You weren't sure how many times you've checked off regretfully declines just so that you didn't have to attend a wedding with no plus one. But this was a wedding that couldn't be avoided because it was one of your oldest friends getting married. Recently, the pair of you reconnected and she told you she ‘had’ to have you at her wedding.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Jin asked when he stepped into your office.

You sighed and leaned your back against the chair, “Another wedding invitation.”

“You gonna say no again?” He smirked because as your assistant he knew way too much about your personal life.

You gave Jin the side-eye. He needed a life, instead of sticking his nose in yours. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t. “Can’t…it’s an old friend and I have to go.”

Jin stood next to you, leaning against your desk. “Sucks to be you, boss,” he said in a singsong voice. It was starting to become a routine for your assistant to snoop around when he was bored in the office, and wanted to avoid his responsibilities. He’d come to your office, hoping your life was more interesting than his.

“Please remind me why I hired you again?”

“Because I’m Worldwide Handsome and you need me.”

You sneered at his comment. “Well, speak of the devil. She’s calling me,” you glared at Jin to leave, “I’ll tell you the scoop afterward.”

He quickly stepped out of your office, closing the door behind him.

“Hey, Cass!” You answered in the most chipper tone, you couldn’t recognize the person you became when you talked to old friends, made you almost wanna gag.

“Did you get the invitation to my wedding?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got the invite. Thanks again. You really didn’t need to invite me.”

You hated weddings with a passion, but you knew there was no way out of this one. Should you have said no when she asked you out for coffee? Probably…but you hadn’t seen one of your oldest friends in years and wanted to catch up. Damn you for being so curious about her life.

“Yee! It’ll be in Hawaii in the most beautiful location, and a lot of our old friends are going to be there too. It’ll be like a big college reunion. And, oh my gosh, you’re bringing a date right?”

“Yeah, yup, I’m…coming and bringing a date…” You said, lying through your teeth. Why? Why did she have to call you right now? Did she have a tracker on this invitation or something?

“I can’t wait to meet your man…or woman! What’s his–her–their name?”

“Oh, uh, who? My date?” you answered, peering out through the glass window at your assistant who was now playing games on his phone. “Um, I’m gonna bring my boyfriend, Jin,” you stupidly blurted out, and then smacked your forehead with the palm of your hand. Why the hell did you name your assistant as your boyfriend?!

“Ooh! Jin? Sounds very mysterious…I gotta head out but I just wanted to call and make sure you got the invite. I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”

You apprehensively chuckled before saying goodbye to Cass. Jin cocked his eyebrow when you motioned for him to come back in, automatically nuzzling your head in the folds of your arms on your desk, repeatedly saying, ‘stupid, stupid, stupid.'

“That bad huh?” Jin teased, continuing to scroll through his phone. He always wondered why it was always so hard for you to find a date, it’s not like you weren’t attractive, maybe it was because you were picky.

You mumbled something indistinct. Jin leaned over to try and make out what you were saying, “Huh?”

Sitting back up, you lolled your head against the chair. “I stupidly told my friend Cass that I had a date…and that…”

Jin took a seat in the chair facing your desk, “And that what?”

“And that I said you were my boyfriend,” you confessed, covering your agony with your hands. There was no response from Jin, so you peered through your fingers to see if he was still there.

You’re not sure what came over you, but hearing Cassie go on and on about this and that, you wanted to make it sound like your life wasn’t pathetic. So, you panicked, telling her Jin was your boyfriend. He was the first person you saw when you looked over, it wasn’t your fault - it was his! If someone else was there instead of Jin, you surely would have named that person instead.

“Say something…anything.”

Jin straightened his posture, “I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend…” Your eyes widened. Was he going to agree to this? “If you also pretend to be my girlfriend for my brother’s wedding.”

Holy shit. You were not expecting this sudden turn of events. Scratching the back of your head, you asked, “You,” pointing at him, “Want me,” pointing to yourself, “…to be your girlfriend?” You asked, pointing back at him again. You wanted to make sure you heard him correctly or if you were daydreaming.

“Pretend girlfriend, yes,” Jin stressed, wanting to make it known this whole ordeal would be, indeed, fake. "But in addition to agreeing to be your pretend boyfriend, I’ll also need a year-end bonus AND you have to say yes whenever I need a day off."

You narrowed your eyes, giving him a 'really' look. As if you didn't pay him well or practically let him do whatever he wanted around the office. "Fine."

This could work, you thought to yourself. Because no old high school friends knew what you were up to, thanks to your non-existent presence on social media, and you’d probably never see any of them ever again after Cass’ wedding.

And the same goes for Jin, his family was so busy that they never bothered to become involved with Jin’s life. He was hired during the pandemic, so none of his family had ever met you.

This is perfect! Two weddings to get through and it’ll be peachy!

“So…you’re not mad I lied?”

“Ha!” He scoffed. “Hardly. This is better for me, so I don’t have to find a date on my own. You’re a genius. I have no idea why I didn’t think of this earlier.”

“Did Mr. Kim Seokjin just call me a genius?” You teased, flipping your hair back and forth. The pair of you had a funny work relationship. He charmed the pants off of you when he applied to be your assistant, and you just knew the two of you would get along perfectly.

He glared at you, “Don’t let it get to your head.”

You took out your phone and went straight to the recorder app. “Wait, say it again. Tell me I’m a genius,” you teased him. It was hard to get a compliment out of this man, even though you knew he absolutely adored you. He was just never going to say it to your face.

Jin stared blankly at you, unwilling to say what he just said mere seconds ago. He knew you knew it, but he was stubborn when it came to giving out compliments.

Tapping on your phone, you joked, “You’re looking at the woman who pays your bills,” playfully giving him the once-over. Lucky for you, since you owned your own business, you could charge whatever you wanted and work when you wanted.

“Are you my sugar mama? Can I tell people that?”

You rolled your eyes at him. Maybe you shouldn’t have agreed to this little arrangement, because now he’d probably make your life a living hell, but you’re desperate and the wedding is next weekend. There’s no way you’d find a date so quickly.

Pursing your lips, you sighed, “Fine. I’ll let you tell people that, but are you sure that’s something you want to be proud of?”

“It’s the 21st-century boss. Of course, my girlfriend can provide for me. I’m not ashamed,” he grinned. Jin was a modern man and didn't care for tradition, unlike his family.

“Fake girlfriend,” you reiterated with a smile.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jin said, waving you off. He knew the implication of the whole deal.

Well, you didn’t want to waste time since the wedding was just around the corner. There were many things to do: find a dress, buy your flights, book your hotel, rent a car, pack, etc. 

But of course…there needed to be ground rules for the two of you, in case either one of you decided to stupidly catch feelings or anything. cough*jin*cough

"We should set ground rules,” you said, opening up your laptop to a blank Google doc.

"Why? You gonna fall in love with me or something?"

You scoffed. "I highly, highly, highly doubt that. It's more so that you don't fall in love with me."

"I highly, highly, highly doubt that," he taunted your own words back at you.

"Okay, rule number one: no kissing.”

Jin scoffed, “Who is going to believe we’re together if we don’t kiss? That makes no sense.”

You sat there thinking about the rule you just tried to enforce. Well, fuck. “Okay fine. You’re allowed to kiss and appropriately touch me, when and if there are people around where we have to make good.”

“Who says you’re not gonna wanna kiss me?” Jin asked, wiggling his eyebrows. He leaned forward, “I’m pretty sure these rules are more for yourself than they are for me.”

You narrowed your eyes at the handsome man in front of you. “Kim Seokjin, I wouldn’t fall for you even if you were the last man on earth. I’d fall in love with a goat before I fell for you.”

He laughed at how serious you were and thought it was cute. "Whatever you say, boss. You're paying for everything, so I can't complain."

The rest of the work day consisted of planning for the wedding weekend in Hawaii and finishing the list of rules to keep this arrangement as platonic as it would allow.

As the wedding was getting closer, the only thing you and Jin did was quiz each other on all of your old school friends. Forget work because it’ll always be there.

Cassie graciously emailed you the guest list, so you could prepare yourself to face the multitude of friends you hadn't seen in ten years, and you also promised her you’d help her with writing over 150 names on place cards for her reception.

"There are so many people to remember. When can we stop? I'm bored and hungry,” Jin complained after a two-hour PowerPoint presentation.

"Wow, do I need to pay someone else to be my date?” You glared at Jin. “Buckle up, baby. This is what you signed up for."

"I did not sign up to be quizzed for days on end. I signed up for a free trip, food, and alcohol."

"And you'll get all of those things! Let's go through it once more, then I'll let you go home."

He sighed and signaled to keep going.

"Okay…" a breath was hitched in your throat when you read the next name on the list, Kim Namjoon. Shit. You hadn't seen or heard that name in so long, but once you saw it, memories came flooding back of your ex-boyfriend.

"What? What's wrong? It's like you've seen a ghost or something."

You glanced at Jin, "Or something…he’s my ex-boyfriend.” He broke up with you right as the two of you were set to graduate, claiming he needed a new start.

"Who is it?" Jin asked curiously, wondering who this mystery man was.

"His name is Kim Namjoon."

Jin shrugged when you showed him a recent picture. "Looks like a douche."

You playfully smacked Jin's arm. "Be nice! He’s going to be there at the wedding.”

"Why, huh? I don't know the guy."

"He's not a douche….he's just pretentious, and a smart ass, know-it-all,’ you murmured. You weren’t sure why you felt the need to defend Namjoon. You didn’t deserve it.

"So, in other words, a douche."

You glared at the man in front of you before returning to the presentation, aimlessly scrolling through the presentation. Should you just back out of this whole wedding weekend? It wasn’t too late.

“Why do you look terrified? Shouldn’t you be excited to see all of your old friends?”

You tightened your lips at his question. When you quit your corporate job, you didn’t know what the hell you were doing with your life, until you picked up an old love for calligraphy, which seems like an odd pastime for someone to pursue but you always had a love for beautiful, elegant writing. And when your small business suddenly took off, you hired Jin to help you out. At first, you were unsure of hiring Jin, he seemed overqualified for being an assistant, but he convinced you that a low-key assistant position was exactly what he needed.

“I don’t know. My life seems a bit lame compared to everyone else on this guest list.” Everyone on the list was making six figures and your small business was nowhere near where those on the list were. 

“Do I need to give you a pep talk?” Jin gestured for you to stand up, as he walked over, standing in front of you, his hands on your shoulders.

You wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock and never come out. Your head was hanging low and you closed your eyes, taking in a breath before opening them again, and looking up at Jin. “Okay, fine…say your piece,” you said. You were expecting him to just pull up your big girl panties and deal with it.

“Look boss, it’s not easy quitting a cushy lifestyle, especially when you’re making bank. But you did it because you’re fucking crazy–”

Your eyes widened at his words and you were going to say something but he stopped you by putting his crooked index finger up to your lips.

“I’m not done…but you’re crazy and you did it because you weren’t happy with your life. You took initiative. I’d call that brave. And look at you now, you started your own business and it’s taking off. I bet half those people on the guest aren’t happy with their life. It may look like it on the outside but I know for sure that those people will look at you and feel envious. You should be proud of yourself, and even if you don’t believe in yourself…at least you have me.”

Jin’s words took you aback. Out of the six months, you’ve known him, he’s mostly joked around with you. But it was nice to know that he’d have your back. “Jinnnnnn, are you in love with me or something?” You couldn’t help but tease him, even though he was being really sweet and serious.

“Yah–I’m not going to repeat what I just said. That was your only lifetime chance of hearing me say something like that,” he complained, letting go of you.

“I’ve gotten so many compliments from you lately. What have I done to deserve this?”

Jin walked over to his laptop, starting to pack it away. "Someone's gotta believe in you, even if you don't."

Flights secured? Check.

Hotel rooms? Check.

Rental car? Check.

Dress and outfits all planned? Check.

Ready to mislead all of your friends? Check. Check.

On the flight to Hawaii, you were quizzing Jin like this was the biggest exam he'd ever taken. The two of you even prepared your dating backstory and anniversaries dates. You were not going to be caught off guard.

When the pair of you arrived at the hotel, you were ready to relax in your room, take a shower, and hit the sheets, because the wedding weekend festivities would wear you out.

"What do you mean you overbooked for this weekend?" You hissed at the worker behind the counter. "You don't have any availability? We have nowhere else to stay." Of course, you didn’t have a backup plan because this was your plan! Who would’ve known that everyone and their mom would be staying at this resort?

"I apologize for the mistake that was made on our behalf. It looks like the only room available is an Oceanfront Deluxe room priced at $2500 a night,” said the tremendously frightened worker.

Hearing the price said aloud made you choke on nothing. "I'm sorry, what? You've got to be kidding me. How is it my fault that you overbooked and now I have to pay $2500 a night!" You were trying your best to figure out this situation without having to spend an arm and a leg.

"Ma'am, again, I apologize for the mistake but this is the only room we have available. Would you like to book it?"

You looked over at Jin. "What should we do?"

At this point, you’d rather take your chances and sleep on the beach. It was fairly warm in Hawaii, and it would only be for a few nights. Would Jin be up for your crazy idea?

Jin was sporting a devious smile. He told you to go grab a drink at the bar while he'd handle this mix-up.

The lobby and bar were quite busy with people checking in and lounging around. You walked up to the bar, waving down the bartender. Peering back over your shoulder, you could see Jin speaking animatedly with large, exaggerated gestures toward the employee. You guessed he was trying to make his argument against the ridiculous, overpriced hotel room.

Finally, the bartender took your order, and as if planning this getaway weekend wasn’t already difficult, you could feel a headache starting to develop. “Can this weekend, please, just go my way for once?” You muttered to yourself.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite tutor girl,” a voice chimed in from behind, making you turn around.

When you saw the angelic face you always loved so much, you couldn’t help but excitedly stand on your feet, enveloping him in a bear hug. “Jimin!”

Jimin groaned at the tightness of your hug, “It’s so good to see you, tutor girl.”

You finally pulled away, getting a good look at him, his blonde hair and honey skin suited him perfectly for this summer wedding. You were hoping that everyone you saw didn’t have a glow-up.

"You look amazing! And when are you going to stop calling me tutor girl?" You asked teasingly. You tutored him for one semester in a finance class and he could never let go of that nickname for you.

“You’ll always be my tutor girl,” Jimin said with a smirk. “I didn’t think I’d see you at Cass’ wedding. Did you bring someone?”

Letting out a nervous laugh, you scratched the back of your head, and thought to yourself, “Well…here we go. Buckle up because that'll be fun keeping track of all the lies you’ll be telling this weekend.”

“I’m here with my boyfriend, Jin,” you turned to point him out to Jimin. Jin was walking towards you with a grin on his face, holding up a keycard.

“Lookie, what I got,” Jin said in a singsong voice, handing you the keycard. “My handsome face convinced them to give it to compensate us for their mistake.”

“Holy shit! You’re kidding!” You said in a gleeful tone. How the hell did Jin convince them when you couldn’t? Did his face really have the magic touch? Maybe you should keep him around for a bit.

Jimin couldn’t help but stare at you two. You even caught him checking Jin from head to toe, and anyone with eyes can tell that Jin was extremely handsome. He was tall, had broad shoulders, and had a killer smile to go along with his plush lips.

“And you must be tutor girl’s boyfriend?” Jimin asked with a sly smile, holding his hand out for a handshake, and Jin reciprocated.

“Jin…baby,” you cringed at the pet name, again almost wanting to gag at the fact you were going to have to keep up appearances all weekend. “This is Jimin. We went to school together.”

“Ah–it’s very nice to meet you Jimin, but if you’ll excuse us…we have to get all settled in if you know what I mean,” he gave Jimin a wink before wiggling his eyebrows at you.

You stared blankly at the handsome man. Was this his way of getting the pair of you out of this situation? You suppose you better play along.

Clearing your throat, “Is it okay if we catch up later Jimin? I’m tired and also want to wash up before tonight’s luau.”

“Oh, by all means,” Jimin gestured for the pair of you to make your way to your room. “I’ll see the two of you later. It was nice to meet you, Jin.”

You were already pulling Jin away as you bid farewell to Jimin. “Whew…thanks for thinking quickly on your feet. I was not ready to bump into someone so fast.”

Jin chuckled, “I got you, boss. Don’t worry. You picked the right person to be a fake boyfriend.”

A look of relief settled on your face while Jin continued to lead the way to your room, which was way off in the distance from the crowd. You wondered how he managed to charm the pants off of the front desk employee, or maybe he charmed his way into the employee’s pants. Regardless, you were happy you didn’t have to sleep on the beach.

“Kim motherfucking Seokjin!” You cried when he opened the door to the room the two of you would be staying in. Holy shit–you were not expecting a luxurious room and the view? You weren’t sure if you could ever go back to a regular ol’ room with no view, but to be honest, this would probably just be a one-time deal. “I can’t believe you really got us this room!”

You gleefully dropped your luggage and ran to jump onto the bed, all sprawled out, your limbs hardly reaching the edges of the bed. It was big enough to fit five or six grown adults. There is no good reason as to why a bed should be this big.

"I call dibs on the bed,” Jin shouted, running after you, plopping himself on the bed. “Ha-ha sucker!"

You turned to face him. “Nuh-uh. No way. This bed is big enough for the both of us.”

“I don’t want your crummy hands near me!”

You scoffed, taking a look at your hands, “My crummy hands?!” Propping yourself up, you reach for a pillow, taking a swing at Jin, striking him on the stomach, then aiming for his head. No one gets away with teasing you.

“Yah–yah–yah!” He shrieked, trying to protect himself from your antics. “You’re gonna get it!” Jin finally escaped your sudden outburst and grabbed a pillow for payback against you, taking a good smack right to your face, which made you gasp.

Jin wheezed when he realized how firmly he had struck you in the face, and when you didn’t make a sound or move after the hit, it began to worry him since you rolled over on your side. Oh shit, he thought to himself.

“Hey, are you okay?” He asked with genuine concern, now moving closer to check up on you.

Suddenly, you shrieked out of nowhere, causing Jin to do the same, rolling back to your other side, you pushed him to lay flat against the bed, straddling him while holding a pillow in the air, about to take another strike.

“Yah–yah! I give up! I give up! You win!” He shouted.

“Didn’t think you were the type to give up so easily,” you said with a smirk. You thought he’d put up more of a fight against you.

“I’m only admitting defeat because my face has a reputation to uphold,” Jin said, raising his arms to protect his face.

Rolling your eyes, you relinquished your hold on the man. He’ll be suffering soon enough with all of your old friends. “You’re lucky you have to look good with me this weekend, otherwise, I’d ruin that handsome face,” you stated, removing yourself from this compromising position you didn’t realize you were in.

You stood at the edge of the bed, watching as Jin sat up, hair all messy and disheveled from the little tussle the two of you had. Clearing your throat, and straightening out your outfit, you informed him you were going to take a shower and get cleaned up for tonight’s luau.

As you grabbed your toiletries and made your way to the bathroom, you scowled when you realize just how fancy this oceanfront room was, because the fucking shower was attached to the outside of the room. It was, of course, enclosed but still, you’d have to shower outside for the next few days. You pinched the bridge of your nose, “Oh, Kim Seokjin. I’m going to kill you.”

The luau was crowded with friends and family from Cass and Yoongi's wedding. The funny thing was that the couple couldn't be more polar opposites. Your college friends didn't call the bride-to-be Cass the Sass for nothing. Her vivacious and vibrant personality compared to Yoongi's could be comical in someone's eyes but you found it a perfect marriage of opposites attract.

Cass was already tipsy from the endless supply of Mai Tai's and Yoongi was following her around, making sure his future bride would make it through the night.

With Jin on your arm, you felt somewhat at ease. He looked quite dapper in a heather brown polo, khaki linen pants, and white sneakers. And you cleaned up nicely too, in a white square neck flowy dress that hugged every curve.

You figured you needed to make your way to greet the future bride and groom. You softly tapped on Yoongi 's shoulder, and he greeted you with his famous gummy smile.

"Hey! You made it!" Yoongi said, surprising you by leaning in to give you a hug.

"I'm here!" You smiled widely, briefly letting go of Jin's arm. "I can't believe you and Cass are getting married."

"Right? Who would've thought the two of us would've ended up together," Yoongi chuckled, while also watching his future wife almost fall over. "Oof–good to see you! Oh and is this your boyfriend?" He held out his hand to Jin.

"Yoongi, Jin. Jin, Yoongi," briefly introducing the two.

"Nice to meet you, man. We should catch up soon, but maybe once Cass isn't so drunk," Yoongi cocked an eyebrow, now holding onto Cass.

You shook your head, watching the two head off to their seats. Jin suggested the two of you hit the bar, to which you happily obliged.

“So Yoongi seems like a cool guy,” Jin said, pointing him out in the crowd again, holding onto Cass. The pair of you laughed, watching Cass make somewhat a fool of herself. You knew she’d regret it if she continued to drink.

“He is…super chill and laid back. The complete opposite of Cass,” you stated, before taking a sip of your Tequila Sunrise cocktail. Yup, you’re definitely happy this was an open bar. You’ll need more than one drink tonight.

Leaning against the bar counter, you scanned the crowd to see who else you’d recognize. Your drink was a third of the way finished, when you spotted him. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” You cried, trying to hide behind Jin.

“What? What? What’s happening?” Jin asked, looking around in a panic, trying to figure out what was going on.

You shielded yourself from the one person you were trying your best to avoid. It was Kim Namjoon, your ex-boyfriend.

You set your drink down, and pulled at Jin’s arm, making him lean down. “That’s my ex–and he’s headed our way. Act like we’re in love, put your arms around me, and pretend you just told me something really funny,” you screeched at Jin and he obeyed, wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you in, even more, whispering something indistinct.

Taking another peek out from Jin’s broad shoulders, Namjoon was definitely headed your way. You looked back at Jin, pulling him closer, “Kiss me,” you begged him.

His eyes widened at your demand. Yes, kissing and touch were stated in the rules, but you probably should have practiced all forms of PDA before actually having to do it.

Your eyes were desperate, gazing at him to make the first move, then he tilted his head, leaned down, and pressed his plush lips against yours. His hand, supported your lower back, pushing you against his body, your hands flushed against his taut chest as you leaned more into the kiss. A tingle of butterflies in your stomach swirled around when his other hand snaked around the nape of your neck, making you lean back against the bar, lips still connected, and the tip of his tongue nipped at your bottom lip, making you abruptly pull away.

Feeling breathless from the short, but intimate kiss. You playfully hit Jin on the chest, “Oh my gosh, baby! Stop–there’s people around.” You wanted to throw up after hearing yourself talk and laugh like that. What the hell has gotten into you?

Jin scoffed at your attempt to play it cool. He gave Namjoon the once-over, sure, he was good-looking, but definitely not as handsome as him, he thought.

"Hey…there's my favorite girl," Namjoon said in a low, husky tone. Obviously, he didn’t care that another man was just down your throat just moments ago. He’d still shoot his shot.

Favorite girl? You hadn't been that girl in years, you hadn't seen him in forever and he dared to call you that.

You glanced at Jin, giving him a 'here we go' look as you turned to face Namjoon. "Hey Joonie," you muttered.

Fuck, why did he have to have a stupid glow up too? He looked so beefy and brawny in a beige linen button-down that had too many unbuttons undone, and his white chinos and brown birks completed his fit. But the thing that always made you melt were his dimples - the ones that you always wanted to crawl into and live in, still made you feel the same way to this day.

"You look…absolutely amazing," Namjoon said with the deepest dimpled smile, and then he did that thing, the one where he shuffled his feet, looking at the ground, before gazing back up at you with those piercing dragon eyes.

With your heart beat out of your chest, staring at this fine specimen, you finally shook off the mesmerizing spell of Kim Namjoon. Clearing your throat, you finally spewed out a somewhat coherent sentence, "Thanks. You look good too."

Shit, he even smelled delicious. Okay–stop–focus! You are with Jin, not Namjoon.

"And we all know how good I look," Jin interjected into this little conversation.

You almost forgot he was there, intertwining your hand with his, you gazed lovingly at Jin and decidedly tiptoed to press a kiss into his cheek, just to spite Namjoon.

"Hi, I'm Namjoon, the, uh, ex-boyfriend," he said with a low chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm Jin, the new boyfriend,” Jin said with a wide smile, feeling the need to emphasize it. Jin could clearly feel how nervous you were, given the sweaty hand, he was holding. He squeezed it, trying to reassure you that he had this all under control.

“It’s nice to meet you man,” Namjoon said, briefly looking at Jin before turning his attention to you. “What’s my favorite girl up to now?”

It was hard not to frown at the man and his antics. You knew he was clearly trying to get under Jin’s skin, especially after finding out he was your boyfriend. Namjoon was always the jealous, competitive type and it was clear as day that he hadn’t changed.

“I run my own business and my Jinnie,” you leaned into him, “helps me.” Every fiber of your being was already trying to figure out how to get out of this conversation with Namjoon.

“Ah–” he said, nodding his head, “and how’s that going?”

You were ready to answer Namjoon but Jin interrupted, “It’s going great actually. My baby’s small business is taking off. We’ve been so busy but it’s all worth it because she’s amazing at what she does. You should see her in her element. It’s truly a beautiful thing to witness.”

Did your jaw drop after hearing Kim Seokjin practically praise you? Why yes, it was on the floor at this point. You weren’t sure if he was being genuine about his words or if it was all for show, but regardless, well done Jin.

“Babe–stop–you’re embarrassing me,” you said sheepishly. Seriously though, hearing compliments from Jin were rare.

Jin wrapped his arm around your neck, pressing a kiss onto your head. “Well, I do love bragging about my sugar mama.”

Rolling your eyes at him, you chuckled. Of course, he had to bring up that little comment.

Namjoon let out a dry laugh, watching you being all lovey-dovey with a new man that wasn’t him. “Well, uh…it was good to see you. The two of us should catch up sometime this weekend, yeah?”

Obviously, you didn’t need Jin’s approval but you didn’t want to be put in any awkward situations that would cause concern if they saw you and Namjoon together.

“Yeah, um, maybe if we can find some free time.”

Namjoon smiled politely, and went on his way to find his seat, finally giving you a chance to relax until the next person came along.

The luau was more enjoyable due to the presence of Kim Seokjin. Honestly, just having him by your side sets you at ease. His carefree spirit, his can-do attitude, and giving no shits were exactly what you needed, so you were glad you accidentally named him as your date/boyfriend. He was the perfect fit.

During the middle of the luau, they asked for the audience’s participation and Jin quickly jumped to his feet, dragging you along with him. You huffed and puffed the entire way to the stage, wanting to blow the house down, but seeing Jin shaking his hips in a goofy manner was endearing. He brought out a playful side of you, which you hadn’t seen recently because the launch of your small business was so stressful, that you didn’t have time to goof around.

Before the end of the night, you made sure to say your goodbyes to Cass and Yoongi, all the while avoiding Namjoon - you did not want to run into him again.

All in all, the wedding weekend was turning out just fine. Lying had become second nature to you and Jin, and it was honestly fun making up some outrageous anecdotes that no one questioned.

The pair of you returned to the hotel room, ready to sleep the night and alcohol away. You needed to get up bright and early to help the bride out on some last-minute reception errands.

“Jin?”

His hands were resting underneath his head, he turned to you and answered. “Yeah?”

“Did you really mean what you said tonight?”

“Fake girlfriend…I said a lot of things tonight. You gotta be specific,” he said.

“About me being amazing at what I do? I don’t think it’s anything special. I just have pretty handwriting and charge people an arm and a leg for it,” you chuckled.

He paused for a moment, thinking about what to say next. “I mean yeah, you have a skill set that not everyone has and you’re really cute when you mess up on a piece and have to start all over again.”

You laughed, staring at the ceiling. “See, now I know you’re drunk because you just called me cute.” You let out a groan while you stretched, tonight’s luau made your body ache. “Thanks for tonight. It really means a lot to me. You’re a great fake boyfriend.”

“I should add that to my resume, but change it to an escort service or something,” Jin teased.

A yawn left your mouth - the alcohol starting to settle into every fiber of your being, making you feel extra tired. “Mm, night Jin.”

He peered over at you, already passed out. “Night.”

It was D-day for Cass and Yoongi, and you promised the bride you’d help her with some last-minute reception details. With your lovely and convenient skillset, you were able to pump out some last-minute place cards that she needed.

“Don’t you have to go get ready? You’re getting married in…” you looked at your phone, “T-minus three hours.”

“Nah–I’m going for a more natural look anyway, Yoongi likes me like this,” Cass grinned, checking off the list she had in front of her. “So…Jin seems like a nice guy.”

You gave her a tight-lipped smile, “He’s great.”

“Why do you say it like that? Is there a red flag or something?”

“No–”, you interjected.

Jin’s great…he really is. He’s put up with your wild and crazy shenanigans, going along with your stupid idea of fake dating, and for what reason exactly? A year-end bonus and PTO? It hardly seemed like a fair exchange.

“There’s no red flag. He’s honestly a great guy. He supports what I do, makes me laugh, even cooks for me when I forget to eat during a long day of working on projects,” you explained, having an epiphany moment.

“Well, it looks like you found yourself a Yoongi. Better snatch him up before someone else does.”

When you arrived back in the room to get ready for the wedding, Jin was nowhere to be found, you thought maybe he went to grab a drink from the bar or something. As you grabbed your dress from the closet to change into, something caught your attention – a bare back, a very broad shoulder bareback. Stepping closer to examine the individual, you gulped when realized it was Jin. You always assumed he had a nice body but it was nothing like you imagined because he was never one to show off like some other men.

You guessed he just got back from a quick swim, his hair tousled and damp from the salt water. He turned around when he heard you bump into something.

He smiled, “Oh hey, you’re back?”

You cleared your throat, “Um, yeah, sorry. Did I take long?” You needed to avert your eyes from his now bare chest staring right at you.

“Boss…” Jin called out but you were still ogling his body.

“Hmm?”

“You’re drooling,” Jin chuckled.

Snapping out of your daze, you swiped at your mouth to make sure there really wasn’t drool, and of course, there wasn’t. Liar. “Shut up and go get ready, or we’re gonna be late.”

“Anything for my sugar mama.”

Cass looked like a total babe in her ivory slip wedding dress. What a lucky man Yoongi was.

The ceremony couldn’t have been more perfect. The sunset in the background, the sand between your toes, hunky fake boyfriend by your side - it wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. It was nice to share this with someone.

And of course, you cried like a baby during their vows. You really had a soft spot for weddings even though you hated going because it was always hard to find a date. Maybe if you would’ve thought of a fake boyfriend earlier, weddings would have been more bearable.

“Are you cold?” Jin asked, noticing you shivering from the night’s breeze.

You nodded, “A little.”

“Here,” he said, sliding his blazer off and slipping it on your shoulders instead.

You mumbled a little thanks, staring at your feet as it was digging into the sand. Jin stuffed his hands into his pants pocket, looking out into the crowd dancing the night away.

“Wanna dance?” He asked. The pair of you had been quite distant from each other since last night’s kiss and this afternoon’s shirtless run-in.

Staring at the handsome man in front of you, you agreed. He held his hand out for yours, leading you to the non-existent dance floor that was in the sand. The noise of the dancing crowd began to die down as the live band began to play a slower song: a cover of Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars. The lead singer was killing it, by the way, you had to make sure you got their info in case you ever wanted to use them for your wedding.

The stars in the night sky set the mood for this little rendezvous. Your arms snaked around Jin’s neck and his around your waist.

“Why are you being so sweet?” You blurted out of nowhere.

Jin chuckled, glancing at you for a moment before looking away. “I can’t be sweet?”

“No…” you grumbled, looking in the opposite direction, watching others be all cute and coupley.

He was really sweet this weekend and he put up with a lot of your crazy shenanigans and lies.

“What? Are you falling in love with me or something?”

“Ha-ha. Only in your dreams Kim Seokjin,” you teased. “But no, seriously…thank you for doing this. You didn’t have to, but you did and I probably was out of line or over-exaggerated on a few stories, and you’re probably mortified by the person I’ve become because of this whole thing, so in all honesty, I owe you–” then you were rudely interrupted by a kiss from Jin.

His lips made every part of you tingle as he deepened the kiss, your skin radiating heat from his touch, pulling you closer into his frame, lips continuing to intertwine, never wanting to disconnect. That is, until he withdrew, leaving you breathless, gazing into his eyes, wondering what the hell that was for.

The corner of his mouth curved up. "Your ex-boyfriend was staring," he explained.

Oh…

"And I just really wanted to do that to shut you up. You talk too much, you know that?"

Well, that explains it.

Clearing your throat, you straightened your dress, arms still wrapped around Jin's neck, continuing to slow dance. When the song ended, everyone applauded the band, and that's when Namjoon stepped in.

"Can I steal my favorite girl away for a dance?" He asked Jin. You rolled your eyes at him. He knew Jin was your boyfriend, fake, of course, but still called you his favorite girl.

You and Namjoon stood, awaiting Jin's answer. "Oh, by all means..she's all yours," he said freely.

Scowling at the fake boyfriend who just let you go like nothing, you expected some pushback but there was none. So, you grabbed Namjoon's hand, and Jin watched while you whisked him away.

Who was Jin to stop you from your ex-boyfriend? It's not like he had any say in what you could and couldn't do…not really anyway.

Namjoon briefly turned around, smirking at how easy it was to steal you away. "Damn baby, he let you go that easy huh?"

"No talking Joonie," you threatened, "just dance."

"Lover's quarrel already? Is that why your boyfriend agreed to let me steal you away?"

You scowled at him, "We're fine and deeply in love."

Namjoon chuckled, "Whatever you say, baby," he said, bringing you in closer to his frame, hands lingering too low for your liking.

"What do you want Joonie?"

"I miss you," he said bluntly, not even beating around the bush, got right to the point.

You scoffed, shaking your head, of course, he'd pull some bullshit like this when he knew you were with Jin. “What do you think is going to happen by you saying that Joonie? That I’ll leave my boyfriend and run away with you?”

“I can’t say I miss you. It’s been years since I’ve seen you…and you were such an important person in my life at the time. I don’t know…seeing you again just brought back all these feelings, you know?” He admitted, and a part of his confession even seemed genuine.

But you understood where he was coming from, seeing him after all these years made your heart flutter, you didn’t think it would, considering why he broke up with you in the first place.

“Joon, do you remember why you broke up with me?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know. I probably gave you some stupid reason.”

He was indeed correct.

“You told me I was a sell-out because I took a high-paying position, the position you wanted but didn’t get–way to make a girl feel great about herself, Joonie,” you said. “You couldn’t face the fact that I was better than you, so you made me feel like shit for saying yes to a job. Well, good news Joon, I left that job, you can have it for all I care.”

You felt stupid. You shouldn’t have agreed to dance with Namjoon, nothing good could ever come out of this. Breaking away from his embrace, you went searching for Jin, but Namjoon caught up to you, grabbing a hold of your wrist.

“What? There’s nothing more to say. I need to go and find Jin.”

“He’s not good enough for you.”

You clenched your jaw. How dare he judge Jin? He didn’t even know him. Jin was ten times the man Namjoon was. “And what? You’re good enough for me?” You glared at him, waiting for an answer.

Namjoon was dumbstruck by your confidence and you were met with nothing but silence.

“Let’s be real Namjoon, I was never good enough for you, was I?”

The corner of Namjoon’s mouth curved up, and he brought his hand up to tuck your hair behind your ear, gazing back and forth between your eyes and lips. “It’s cute of you to think you’re even on my level.”

You told yourself that you wouldn’t let Namjoon get to you, but it was too late. You should’ve pushed the urge to reconnect with him down to the ground, buried it. All those feelings and memories of the 21-year-old you was just a pipe dream. Of course, Kim Namjoon hadn’t changed. He always made you feel inferior just so he could feel better about himself.

You were dazed and speechless, a grown-ass woman in her 30s, and here you were, looking like an idiot. He took a step forward, leaning in, pressing a kiss on your cheek. You stood there frozen at his gesture. Kim Namjoon truly was a menace, bold enough to leave you with a kiss after his vile words.

Although you wanted to find Jin, you found yourself at the bar instead. The bartender let you get away with one too many 'mai tais'. You blame the cute umbrellas sticking out of the glass for making you come back for more.

You felt like shit after the conversation with Namjoon. His words got under your skin and it made you feel even worse about yourself. All the emotions you felt during the end of your relationship made you realize now why you deserved more than him.

The walk back to the room was a big blur. You somehow managed to find the room, but not the key card. You searched everywhere in your tiny purse, but it was non-existent.

After pounding on the door a few times, Jin finally opened the door with no shirt on and sleepy eyes. "What?" He asked with a grumpy, groggy voice.

You weren't sure what took over you, but you walked in and pressed a kiss against Jin's lips. He was caught off guard by your sudden display of affection. The two of you set a rule where you'd only kiss when you needed to, but here you were kissing him in the middle of the night in the hotel room.

Jin suddenly pulled away. "What are you doing?"

You looked at him with dark, lustful eyes. "I'm trying to kiss you," you stated, pushing him to sit down on the edge of the bed. Hiking up your dress, you placed yourself on top of him, your legs straddled on either side, arms snaked around his broad shoulders.

You gazed back and forth between his eyes. You weren't sure if you were using Jin to feel better about yourself or if you really wanted him. He had been playing the part of sweet, funny boyfriend this whole weekend, and maybe a part of you needed that validation. That you were enough and worth all the trouble. Clearly, you were if Jin was willing to do this whole arrangement with you.

Jin continued gazing back to understand where this was all going because he somehow stupidly started to fall for you within the past few days. It was hard not to. He started to notice all the little things he didn't notice before. Like how you'd cover your mouth when you laughed too hard, how you'd lick your lips before taking a sip of a drink, or how you unconsciously dug your toes into the sand.

You leaned in to kiss him but he pulled back, making you grow frustrated.

"Are you okay?" Jin asked.

Annoyed at the fact that you were trying to kiss and potentially fuck him, but he kept denying you from doing so. "Yeah, I'm fine," you huffed, trying to kiss him again, but he turned away from you. "Look, if you don't want to sleep with me, just say so, and I'll leave you alone."

"I think you're drunk and you'll regret this tomorrow if we continue," Jin said. He was trying to be the rational one right now but you were giving him a hard time. "And I don't want you to regret it."

Ugh, first Namjoon, now Jin.

"You know what? Forget it. If you don't wanna fuck me, I'll go find someone else," you spat out, lifting yourself off of him, and began heading to the door.

Jin called after you, catching up, and grasping your wrist. "Did something happen while you were out?"

"No," you replied curtly. You didn't want to get into this with him right now. You wanted to get your mind off of it.

"Hey…" Jin muttered, walking in front of you, stopping you in your tracks. He could tell something happened, he just didn't know what and with who. "Was it Namjoon?"

You cringed at the name, not wanting it to affect you but it clearly did. "I don't want to talk about it," you murmured, avoiding his gaze.

He lifted your chin up with his finger, "What did he say?"

“Jin, please–” your now teary eyes pleading with him. You didn’t want to say it, you couldn’t say it, otherwise, you’d be crying over a man who didn’t deserve your tears.

“Hey–” Jin murmured, his finger still under your chin. “I want you–I do, but not when you’re upset like this.”

The alcohol in your system was making your head pound like a jackhammer was going off. You closed your eyes before fluttering them open again, taking a step back from Jin. “I told you not to fall in love with me.”

Jin laid in bed the next morning, unsure of where you were the whole night. He wanted nothing more than to have slept with you the night before, but not in the state that you were in. Should he have just let himself go and have you anyway?

No, he would never forgive himself because you wouldn’t even be sober enough to remember.

He groaned before turning over and stuffing his face into the pillow. He just wanted to know if you were okay and if the two of you would be okay after all of this.

Although the wedding was over, the festivities were not. There was still a wedding brunch to attend. Thankfully, Jimin found you wandering the hotel lobby like a lost puppy and took you under his wing, even letting you crash in his room and take a shower.

You snuck back into your room after quarreling with the front desk to copy another keycard but didn’t find Jin in the room. Maybe he already left, you wouldn’t blame him if he did. You made a complete and utter fool out of yourself last night, and if you remembered correctly, did he make a confession to you?

Massaging your temples, you let out a loud groan. What a fucking mess.

Since Jin was nowhere to be found, you decided you should hurry and get dressed for brunch, and you’d make up some excuse as to why Jin wasn’t with you. Apparently, you could add a compulsive liar to your resume too.

Thankfully, a lot of wedding guests didn’t show up, probably because they were still hung over from the night before. You greeted Cass and Yoongi, congratulating them on their marriage, then you found Jimin and plopped down next to him.

“Where’s the boyfriend?”

“Oh, um…he’s not feeling well, so he’s sleeping in.”

Jimin turned to you, cocking his head, “Really now?”

You nodded at Jimin, then followed his finger as he pointed to something. It was Jin, sitting on the sand, watching the tides go back and forth. You figured you should talk to him, and not let this arrangement get any more awkward than it already was.

You walked over, taking a seat next to Jin on the warm sand. He quickly glanced at you before focusing on his feet in the sand. You were ready to talk this through but Jin beat you to it.

“I, um, I’m gonna let you out of our deal,” he said with a sad chuckle. “So, you don’t have to come as my date/fake girlfriend to my brother’s wedding. We set some pretty clear rules and obviously, I broke them.”

To be honest, you both broke them.

“Jin–”

“No..don’t say anything. I feel like it’ll just make me feel worse than I already do, so yeah, don’t worry about it,” he said with such sorrow in his voice. “Let’s just have brunch and then we have a full day of travel. Come on.”

He stood up, holding his hand out for you, which you hesitated in taking. This little chat turned out completely different from what you imagined. You weren’t sure how to feel. You assumed he would tell you how much he loved you but maybe this whole thing was a mistake.

So, you took his hand, ready to fake it again for the next few hours.

And that’s what the two of you did. Faked it, until you stepped onto the flight.

The wedding weekend was over and there was no more fake dating. It was back to reality, back to just working together. Well, at this rate, you weren’t even sure if Jin would still want to work for you. Of course, you would completely understand if he gave you his notice of leave. You’d probably do the same.

The week before his brother’s wedding, you told him to take more days off so that he could enjoy time with his family, and he happily obliged. But your suspicions were correct when he handed you his notice the day he was leaving back to Seoul.

“I hope you’re not disappointed,” he said.

“Of course I am,” you teased. “Who’s going to yell at me to eat when I forget?”

Jin chuckled. “Good luck with everything, boss.”

“Thanks, Jin…I wouldn’t have gotten here without you,” you said, reaching up to give him one last hug.

It was bittersweet to watch him go. Every fiber of your being was urging you to pack your bags and follow him and tell him that somehow through the process of him being your fake boyfriend, you stupidly fell in love with him.

When Jin arrived at his family home in Seoul, he knew he’d have to tell them that he had broken up with you, his fake girlfriend. He was dreading that conversation because he knew his parents would try to find him a last-minute date. There was no way he could show up to his brother’s wedding with no date. How would that make his family look? And paying someone to be his date/girlfriend wouldn’t be out of the question, because they had the money and resources to do so.

“Yah–I can’t believe mom is really paying some girl to be my date for your wedding,” Jin complained to his older brother.

“I wonder whose fault it is!” Seojoon responded shortly to his little brother. “Help me with this tie.”

Jin obeyed, taking the two sides of the tie, overlapping them, and tying it into a knot. “And this is why I want no part of this family, everything we do is just to save face and show off our money.”

“Is that why you left us and got a job as an assistant with that little girlfriend of yours?” Seojoon shook his head, not understanding why his baby brother would choose such a thing.

“Girlfriend?”

“Yeah, dude, we have spies everywhere. You didn’t think mom and dad would let you go without keeping an eye on you, right?”

“Well, she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Boss, girlfriend, whatever. You guys were definitely in love,” Seojoon argued.

Jin waved off his brother’s comment. “Whatever man, let’s get you married.”

The date that Jin’s mother chose was arguably the worst person they could have chosen. She was everything that Jin despised. He was really regretting his decision of letting you off the hook and also quitting his job. What was he supposed to do now? Be a part of the family business? That’s one of the reasons why he left in the first place.

Just before the ceremony, Seojoon forced Jin to go to the nearest convenience store to grab a bottle of soju, claiming it would lessen the pre-wedding jitters. And Jin could have sworn, he was seeing things because it was you…standing in front of the wedding venue, looking a bit lost.

“Boss?” He asked with the most confused expression on his face.

A huge grin was plastered across your face, realizing you were in the right place.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, I’m your date, aren’t I?” You asked as if nothing had happened between the two of you.

“I mean, yes, technically, you were but–”

“No buts–” you lifted your finger to shush him. “Now, it’s your turn to listen. I was…I am an idiot for letting you go without telling you how I feel. I was so engulfed with trying to keep up appearances that I completely failed to see that I somehow fell in love with you through it all. And the night of the wedding, I made a fool of myself in front of you, and then shifted the blame on you for falling in love with me. Oh god–I’m hearing myself talk right now and I’m a complete ass.”

Jin chuckled, thinking how cute you were. “Boss…you’ve got it all wrong.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not in love with you,” he said.

Your jaw dropped for a moment, inhaling deeply, you wanted to scream at the top of your lungs. You flew all the way here from New York, just to get turned down. A stupid phone call would have been easier, because that way, the rejection would have at least been a smidge easier than having to face him in person. God, you felt like an idiot, professing your love to Kim Seokjin.

“Well,” you cleared your throat, “I’ll…just be on my way then.” You tilted your head before turning to walk away. Oh fuck, this has got to be the most embarrassing moment of your life. You just wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out.

Jin let you take a few more steps before he ran in front of you. Ugh, what now? You couldn’t look at him.

“I’m kidding…I’m in love with you too,” he confessed.

A loud smack could be heard from miles away, as your palm slapped him across the chest. “Kim Seokjin, I swear to god, I will kick your ass!”

You continued to playfully smack him, but he held your hand in his and you finally succumbed to his touch. He gazed into your eyes, a smirk was plastered on his face before he leaned down, and kissed you deeply. It felt nice to have his lips on you again, you missed it so much.

Pulling away, you couldn’t help but tease him, “I knew you’d fall in love with me.”

[sukunasstomachtongue]

Boss: Prelude

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Tiny (black fem OC); Rod Reiss x Tiny

Rating: R | Minors DNI

Warnings: infidelity, cursing, sexual conversation

Part 1: Boss

Tiny began to hate her marriage after the first ten days.

She had low expectations walking into the marriage, as most young women do when they are arranged to marry men over twice their age for nothing but the financial gain of a coldhearted father. She was a pawn on a chessboard for a game that has been going on for longer than she’d been alive. 

Whatever business her father and Rod Reiss had with one another had nothing to do with her personally, yet the rivalry influenced every sector of her life. Where she attended school, what she wore, how big her celebrations were, the type of car she had to drive, all decisions made by her father to one-up Rod Reiss. 

The only good thing that came from the affluent version of a pissing contest was the strong bond she had with Historia, Rod Reiss’s youngest child, and Tiny’s oldest friend. Pre and post-wedding their friendship never wavered, both knowing the best way through this mess was bare it until the right moment came to make a run for it. The pair were so close to securing their independence when the marriage agreement slapped them in the face.

Then she met Levi.

Ask any of the men in her life, and they would all call him a lowly thing, only good for menial physical labor that their overfed and spoiled asses couldn’t dream of doing. But Tiny knew differently. She could see it in the way he accomplished any task asked of him with a gleam in his eye that could make the devil scream. 

Suddenly her days in the Reiss Manor became bearable, armed with the knowledge that wherever she walked, Levi would be somewhere on the property with her, minding his business and completing his tasks. Tiny found her brain stalled several times a day after catching just a glimpse of his short yet powerful stature. 

He worked with a small crew, a group of ten a most, all meandering the lot to accomplish individual tasks. The one time she saw them all together was during their lunch break, under the shade of a large oak tree. Eating their fill, the group would smoke and joke around, pushing each other and letting loose curses that they kept suppressed while working. Levi didn’t talk much, but when he did the rest of his crew would shut up to listen. 

They didn’t talk about the Reiss’s all that much, or any rich folk for that matter. A throwaway remark here or there while telling a story, no names dropped but everyone seemed to understand who exactly was being discussed. Tiny was quick to catch on to the alias for Rod.

Boss. 

Not particularly creative in the slightest except for how they all enunciated the ‘b’ in the word.  Levi didn’t speak about Rod much, he left that for the youngins in his crew. He’d smoked his cigarette and let out a laugh or two as they cursed her husband for whatever grief he gave them. 

The only person outside the crew Levi would talk about was her. It took Tiny a minute to figure out who they were referring to when they said that name. 

Princess. 

Tiny thought they were referring to Historia or the other Reiss women that frequented the manor, but the crew called them different variations of ‘miss’. She was princess, the way she found out was the day she went for a swim in the pool during the same time Connie had finished cleaning it out. 

Later while getting the mail, she heard it.

“Saw princess today jump in the water, almost nutted in my shorts.”

“Lucky. Did you see her come out of it? I’d kill to see her dripping water.”

 “I saw her get dressed one time in front of the window. Boss must not be fucking her because she didn’t have a mark on her.”

“You ever seen her in the gym? Way too much for Boss, no way he’s keeping up with her.”

The group continued to discuss her, unaware of her proximity. Talking over one another, only shutting up when Levi opened his mouth to share his opinion. 

“If I had her, she wouldn’t be able to leave the bed and walk around the house like she does.”

She took that statement and ran to the bank with it. Immediately called Historia and put a plan in motion. She started small. 

Small, not subtle. 

First, she had to bend the world to her will. It only took a couple of statements at the right time. 

“Who cleaned the pool this time?”

“Levi, Mrs. Reiss.”

“Can you make sure he does it from now on, I’ve never seen it so clear?”

“Yes, Mrs. Reiss.”

“Thank you, Erwin. Please pass on my compliments.”

“Princess wants you to clean the pool from now on, Levi. Said it was the cleanest she ever saw it.”

“Course it is, I did it.” 

“Maybe you keep that up and she’ll have you cleaning something else?”

Step one, complete. 

Step two was to build a repertoire.  Every three days, Levi would come to the pool to clean it. The first few times, she waved and gave a cheeky smile which he responded with a cool nod, acknowledging her as his Boss’s wife and nothing more. Tiny did her best to leave an impression, wearing the skimpiest thong bikinis in her arsenal. Taking the extra minute to exaggerate her exit from the pool, making sure her near nip slips were always in his eyesight.  

Then she stepped it up with a pot of tea to share as the late fall heat finally cooled down to early winter temperature. As the outdoor pool went into hiding under the pool cover, the indoor pool became in more need of upkeep. Like clockwork, every week Levi would make the journey into the house to clean the indoor pool, unknowingly fueling Tiny’s fantasy as his upper body worked to clean the filters and maintain the water’s clearness. 

“I don’t know if Erwin told you, but I just want to thank you for keeping the pool so clean. I heard you had a taste for tea, so I decided to make you a pot to thank you.”

Levi paused on his way out of the room, face blank as he took in the words. The smell of properly brewed earl grey filled his nostrils, his shoulders sagged as they released tension. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Reiss.”

“Please, Mrs. Reiss was my predecessor. Call my Tiny.” She waited until he had a mouthful of tea to continue. “Or princess. “

Levi didn’t choke or spit out his tea, the quirk of his eyebrow was enough of a reaction to tell Tiny he knew she knew what the crew had been talking about during their lunches. 

“Princess, huh? Are you sure you want me to call you that? Someone might get the wrong idea if they heard that." 

“Or the right one.”

“Which would be?”

“That we’re fucking, Levi.”

“We aren’t.”

“That could change. If you want.”

[arofili]

Hello! If you've already have done this, then my mistake but do you have any hcs on Eärwen?

I certainly do!! This got long -- hope you enjoy :)

Eärwen is born in Alqualondë in YT 1200, the same year as her cousin Lúthien. They never meet, but sometimes they will see each other in dreams.

She is the oldest of Olwë’s children, and thus nominally his heir, though unlike with the Noldor there is never really a succession crisis among the Falmari and she serves more as his second-in-command than as a future queen in her own right.

She has two younger brothers, Ainairos and Elulindo [both names for Teleri I have repurposed from older drafts]. Elulindo is slain at in the First Kinslaying; Ainairos is so bitter about this that he demands the Valar close Aman to the exilic Noldor forever. Eärwen’s feelings toward the Noldor are much more...complicated.

Eärwen is significantly older than Arafinwë, being 30 years his senior. [Age differences do matter to elves, in their youth—which is when these two met.]

They first met at the celebration of Ainairos’ birth in Alqualondë, which Finwë and his family attended. Arafinwë was 17, and Eärwen 47. Arafinwë is immediately smitten, and in his childish enthusiasm informs Eärwen that he’s going to marry her someday. Eärwen, who has almost reached her first coming-of-age and already has a a social sphere of her own, just laughs him off.

Decades later, when Arafinwë turns 50 and reaches his first coming-of-age, Olwë and his family attend the celebration Finwë throws for his youngest son. Arafinwë seeks Eärwen out again and attempts to begin a courtship with her, but once again she dismisses him.

Over the years, they run into each other at various official functions. Arafinwë grows embarrassed by his forwardness and treats Eärwen with formal courtesy, which she appreciates.

When the third of Finwë’s grandchildren (Findekáno) is born, Olwë sends Eärwen as his representative to Tirion for the celebration. By now, Arafinwë is 65 and Eärwen is 95 (almost to her second coming-of-age), and this time...Eärwen notices him. Arafinwë has grown into a very attractive young nér, polite and kind and clever. Most people overlook him, but Eärwen is finally seeing him, and she likes what she sees.

Eärwen is nervous to approach him, remembering how dismissive she was in the past, but she’s a bold nís and musters her courage to flirt with him. They quickly become friends, and enter into a formal courtship. Arafinwë asks permission his father to move to Alqualondë, and Finwë agrees.

Their fathers encourage the match, as it is diplomatically advantageous and a nice excuse to see old friends more often—but no one expects how swiftly their relationship will develop...

Only a few years later, when Arafinwë is 69 and Eärwen 99, they go too far in playing around one night, and Eärwen ends up pregnant. They have something of a half-marriage bond (an incredibly awkward situation, not to mention psychically frustrating) and are forced to come clean to their parents.

Eärwen and Arafinwë’s marriage is rushed, the customary year-long betrothal discarded so that they can wed before Eärwen starts to show. Fëanáro, whose marriage began in a similar fashion (though his and Nerdanel’s conception of their eldest before the wedding was intentionally rebellious), congratulates Arafinwë with amused but earnest delight, the most attention he has paid his youngest half-sibling in decades.

[Canon timelines have Arafinwë marrying when he’s only 50; this is a significant change from that, to fit my own headcanons and timelines. My headcanons are that generally, Amani elves aren’t “supposed” to get married until they’ve reached their second coming-of-age at 100 years old, making Arafinwë scandalously young to be a husband and father, though Eärwen’s age is much more typical. The greatest scandal, though, is an unplanned/spontaneous pregnancy happening in—gasp!!—the royal families of both the Noldor and the Falmari!]

It is at her wedding that Eärwen first meets Anairë, the wife of her new husband’s brother Nolofinwë. Eärwen and Anairë have an immediate connection, one that Eärwen recognizes as a fateful romantic bond, and she wistfully muses on what could have been if they had met earlier. Anairë, however, is deeply entrenched in Valarin homophobia, and while she also finds herself drawn to Eärwen, she can’t fathom her feelings to be anything other than sisterly friendship.

[I do have Arafinwë and Eärwen beginning their courtship right after Findekáno’s birth, so I think that when Eärwen gave her congratulations to the baby’s parents, Anairë was very tired and not in a headspace to really “meet” anyone. Eärwen probably interacted more with Nolofinwë on that occasion; this isn’t the first time she actually saw Anairë, but rather the first time they actually speak.]

Within the year, Anairë finds herself pregnant with her second child. She and Eärwen grow incredibly close in a short period of time, planning their children’s futures and hoping the baby cousins will be as close in spirit as their mothers.

In YT 1300, Eärwen has her first child, Findaráto. She sees that though in appearance he is very much like his Vanyarin grandmother, and in culture he will grow up Falmarin in Alqualondë, his fëa is deeply Noldorin like his father, and thus she gives him the mother-name Ingoldo, the same as Arafinwë’s mother-name.

Though not so close with her law-sisters as they are to each other, when Nerdanel delivers Turcafinwë Tyelkormo later that same year, both Eärwen and Anairë are there to support her.

As the year nears its close, Anairë gives birth to Turukáno, whom she names Núrondil, for with her motherly foresight she foresees he will love the sea—an unusual trait for a Noldo, but one she hopes will be due to his fondness for his cousin Findaráto. [Núron is an old name for Ulmo. Anairë is deeply religious, and gives all her children names related to the Valar. Part of her foresight is that she knows Turukáno will be favored by Ulmo.]

Findaráto and Turukáno do indeed grow up very close, as close as brothers. They are both very much influenced by their mothers, Turukáno inheriting Anairë’s faith and Findaráto inheriting Eärwen’s free spirit and love for exploring.

Eärwen’s second child, Angaráto, is born 15 years later, in YT 1315. She names him Poldoro for his strength. [Angamaitë is an epessë that he earns later in life, but it has a very similar meaning; Poldoro as a mother-name is my headcanon.]

In YT 1323, Eärwen has her third child, Ambaráto. She names him Aikanáro, a mother-name of foresight she cannot fully explain. She knows he has a high doom before him, and though this troubles her, she hopes he will be a great hero and vows to give him as happy a childhood as she can. And perhaps she is misinterpreting her visions—perhaps he will be fine... She uses his name with love, and Aikanáro grows up to be a mama’s boy, preferring to go by his mother name.

At Aikanáro’s birth, Arafinwë is only 93 years old, still 7 years from his second coming-of-age. Jokes begin to spread in Tirion that Arafinwë intends to outdo Fëanáro’s count of children (currently 4) before he even reaches full adulthood!

That does not, however, come to pass. Fëanáro and Nerdanel have their fifth child, Curufinwë Atarinkë, a decade later, while Eärwen and Arafinwë show no signs of adding to their own brood.

That is, until YT 1361, when both Anairë and Eärwen announce that they are pregnant again! They specifically timed this, actually, so they’d be pregnant together. They’re very much hoping to have daughters who will be close as sisters, just as Findaráto and Turukáno are practically brothers.

(Throughout all these years, Eärwen is happy with her relationship with Anairë. She knows they could have had something more, had circumstances been different; but she also knows by now of Anairë’s belief in the Valarin virtues around the sanctity of a nér-nís marriage, and has little hope of changing her mind. It doesn’t matter what else she feels, not when she and Anairë’s friendship is so deep and strong as it is. Anairë herself remains oblivious. Eärwen is also very happy in her marriage to Arafinwë, whom she loves deeply, and she can’t imagine a life without him.)

The next year, in YT 1362, Anairë gives birth to Írissë Aldarindë [named by her mother for Oromë Aldaron, though not for another few years]. Only a few weeks later, Eärwen delivers her daughter Artanis.

It turns out that Írissë and Artanis, while they don’t dislike each other, have very little in common. Írissë loves Tirion and the woods of Oromë nearby; Artanis prefers Alqualondë and the coast, and has little patience with Noldorin politics. Írissë doesn’t care for politics either, but she loves her Fëanárion cousins, something Artanis cannot relate to. The only granddaughters of Finwë aren’t particularly close, though they do have moments of comradery from time to time.

Artanis is approaching her first coming-of-age before Eärwen finally settles on a mother-name for her only daughter: Nerwen, for her delight in traditionally masculine pursuits, and for the shifting nature of her fëa that Nerwen only recently revealed to her mother. [Basically: Nonbinary/genderfluid Galadriel comes out to her mom, and Eärwen names her in a gender-affirming way.]

As the tensions rise among the Noldor, and especially the sons of Finwë, Eärwen and Anairë grow frustrated with their husbands. Eärwen misses Arafinwë, who spends more and more time in Tirion while she grows increasingly unfond of the city; and Anairë feels she is losing Nolofinwë to his feud with Fëanáro. Anairë spends longer and longer stretches in Alqualondë with Eärwen—but returns to Tirion for her husband’s regency after Finwë follows Fëanáro into exile, hoping that with his rival gone they can work on their marriage.

It works, until it doesn’t.

Amid the Darkening, Anairë and Eärwen both know they will not follow their husbands to Endórë. Eärwen is actually more torn than she expects, for she does want to meet her father’s kin, especially the mysterious cousin she sees in her dreams. But she is tired of Noldorin nonsense, tired of her husband choosing politics over her, tired of Fëanáro in general. It grieves her greatly that all her children leave, and she thinks that perhaps some day she might follow, but now is not that time.

For Eärwen’s sake, and because Nolofinwë has once again prioritized Fëanáro over her, Anairë chooses to remain as well. Nolofinwë actually begs her to stay—and Arakáno, too, but he refuses to leave his family behind. Anairë wishes her youngest would stay, but unlike Nerdanel, does not ask it of him. She is done asking for people to choose her: she is going to value now the people who do.

And the person who does choose her, the person who has always chosen her, is Eärwen.

(And the Valar, who she has always believed in. Even if she has been having doubts of late.)

Anairë has been having a crisis of conscience over the last few decades, ever since she finally stumbled into the realization that Findekáno has been having an affair with his male half-cousin for years. She reacted poorly, but this incident made her begin to examine her biases...and, especially in the light of her crumbling marriage, her own feelings and experiences.

Anairë is already on her way to Alqualondë when the Kinslaying occurs. Eärwen loses a brother, and two of Anairë’s children (Findekáno and Írissë) become Kinslayers. Anairë arrives to discover both these horrors, and she doesn’t know how Eärwen will react to her presence—but she knows she needs to go anyway.

Eärwen is absolutely devastated, heartbroken and betrayed beyond anything she could have imagined. She says some harsh things to Anairë, who takes it despite her own breaking heart, but in the end she knows it’s not Anairë’s fault. And finally, finally, with the world ending around them, they confess to one another the true depth and nature of their love.

[I have a fic about this! My headcanons have changed a bit since I wrote that uhhh...3.5 years ago?? but the vibe is absolutely still how I see them.]

Anairë stays by Eärwen. Anairë chooses her, loves her, supports her. And Eärwen, who has loved her from the beginning, loves her even more.

When Arafinwë returns—when he turns back at the Doom, but not the Kinslaying—Eärwen does not welcome him back. He goes to Tirion, installs himself as King, and they do not dwell together. Eärwen shuts him out of their marriage bond.

But Arafinwë does not give up on her. He knows he betrayed her unforgivably, but he will do what he can to make it up to her. He expects nothing from her, but knows it is his duty to support her in whatever small way he can.

Anairë resents him. But when he comes to her and asks how he can help—truly help, not in order to win Eärwen back, but because he loves her and knows she deserves more than what he did—she relents, just a little.

And when the Sun finally rises, Arafinwë travels to Alqualondë, and asks to see Eärwen. She doesn’t forgive him then, but the Valar have given Light another chance, and with Anairë at her side, she decides to give Arafinwë another chance, also.

It takes centuries, and things are never the same between them. But eventually Eärwen and Arafinwë reconcile—though Eärwen will never forsake Anairë, nor deny their love, and Arafinwë must respect that if he is to earn his right to stand at Eärwen’s side again. He does, and in time, the three of them fall into bed together. Anairë and Arafinwë are never quite lovers, but they both love Eärwen, and together they forge what happiness they can out of the ruins of the life they used to have.

This is pretty much all I have...though I'm sure I could come up with some stuff for reuniting with her kids later :)

[jimblejamblewritings]

it just sort of... happened | part 1.

Summary: After Hogwarts is turned upside down after Harry Potter started attending, a new normal DADA professor seems like a Godsend.  

Warnings for the Series: age gap age gap age gap (however reader is of age because anything under deserves jail time no exceptions). student-teacher relationship. slow burn because obviously. smut at some point. honestly nothing else. forbidden love trope BUT ONCE AGAIN of age reader

Pairing: remus lupin x reader eventually, professor!remus x student!reader

Word Count: 2.0k

A/N: told y’all I would write the forbidden romance trope. I really just want to try to write it correctly (personal opinion) so i’m taking a stab at it even though this isn’t a trope I really enjoy. Oh and because of the nature of the fic, if you don’t want to be tagged then let me know and I’ll make a taglist specifically for this fic that doesn’t include you

(Series Masterlist)

“Do you think you’re going to miss it?” a voice made you look over.

Cedric was standing in the now open door of your compartment on the Hogwarts Express. You moved over so he could sit down after throwing his trunk on the other seat. The boy picked up your cat who never minded and took her place.

“We still have a two years after this one,” you reminded him.

“But it goes by pretty fast don’t you think? Sixth and seventh year will be done in the blink of an eye.”

You shrugged at your fellow Hufflepuff. You and Cedric had been close since first year but only because Tonks, who was a fifth year, decided that you were both shy and needed friends. You both bonded over late birthdays putting you a year behind and making you a part of the oldest members of first year. Not that other students were complaining. It just meant that you and Cedric would be able to legally purchase alcohol for all the sixth year parties without having to rely on a seventh years’ kindness or having to open the party to them.

You weren’t exactly excited to think about having only two years left at Hogwarts after this one but at the same time the last few years hadn’t been normal. Not that you were blaming poor Harry Potter for anything, but shit got weird when he came in. You were hoping that your fifth year would be normal. And then the Daily Prophet came with a lovely headline about an escaped convict from Azkaban.

Cedric patted your knee as the train pulled into the station. “Save a seat for me, Prefect Duties call.”

“Have fun!”

“I won’t!”

You laughed as you made your way inside and saved your friend a seat. It was funny seeing him take his Prefect badge seriously as he welcomed the new Hufflepuffs. You simply watched him as you put food on his plate for him. Beatrice Haywood smirked as she sat across from you two.

“So when’s the wedding?”

You rolled your eyes and put some food on her plate. You and Cedric’s friends were constantly teasing you guys about your friendship to the point where the whole school started calling you a married couple. Sometimes you both felt bad, the nickname had caused all of your relationships to fail— partners breaking it off every single time. A few times you guys tried to distance yourself from each other but it felt weird having to change your friendship just for partners. You and Cedric had never even kissed on a dare so neither of you felt that any boundaries had been crossed or lines blurred.

Dumbledore’s speech changed every year but you still found yourself zoning out all the same. You loved the Headmaster, you really did. But the beginning speech was just… boring. You only tuned in again when he announced the new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Both you and Cedric breathed out sighs of relief, so did Beatrice even though she was no longer going to be taking DADA after passing her OWL level and leaving it at that.

“Lockhart was an absolute tosser,” you muttered into your pumpkin juice. “Maybe this year we’ll actually learn from our professor.”

“Oh piss off, you still scored an O on the practice OWL.”

“Because I studied my ass off.”

“I studied too! Barely got an E.”

“Well the O is necessary if I’m going to become a Healer.”

Cedric poured more drink into your cup. “I thought you wanted to be a professor.”

“I’m still deciding.”

He hummed in understanding. Cedric always knew he wanted to be a quidditch player professionally. You were still trying to figure it out. A Ministry job wasn’t for you that much you knew. Teaching seemed nice, you were already used to tutoring fellow students. Being a Healer was also fascinating to you but you didn’t want to work at St. Mungo’s either. And you didn’t want to work in any shops in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade unless it was a bookstore. You didn’t mind a bookstore. But that left your options limited. Teaching, Healing, Bookkeeping.

Cedric leaned in close to your ear. “You think Professor R.J. Lupin will be a tosser?”

“If he is, I’m handing Professor Dumbledore a resignation letter.”

Your friend snorted and went back to acting like he was paying attention to Dumbledore’s announcements. Naturally, you snuck a bunch of desserts and a bowl of pasta in your robe pockets for you and Cedric to eat at an ungodly hour of the night when he finished his prefect duties. The only reason you regretted not applying for a chance to be a prefect was because they got their own rooms. However, it made it a lot easier to just hang out in Cedric’s room without his roommates there. Not that your roommates had been any better over the years when he snuck in.

“Alright, I’m heading back,” you said as you got off of his bed. His new room was nice.

“Already?”

“Because of Potions I don’t have a free anymore after DADA, I can’t exactly take our usual morning naps.”

“Right you and your NEWT prep class.”

“You could’ve taken it too!”

“I’m fine in normal level. I don’t need more of Professor Snape in my life.”

“Well I don’t either. It’s needed for Healers, you know it’s not too late to switch into it. Please, ask Professor Sprout.”

Many pouts later, you retreated to your shared dorm after unsuccessfully convincing Cedric to switch into NEWT prep Potions. At least, he still took the prep for Defense Against the Dark Arts. You both made your way, arm in arm, to the classroom to see what this new professor was about.

Remus Lupin stopped writing on his chalkboard when he felt a presence in the room. He could roll his eyes for accepting the job from Dumbledore but it was short notice that they needed a good professor after the two years of failed attempts. He shouldn’t have been teaching, not with his condition. At least the pay was good enough that he was finally able to fix up his derelict cottage. And Severus was brewing him wolfsbane. But still.

Already nervous enough, it was awful that his first class of the year was a bunch of fifth years. At least they were Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. He felt he could handle that first. His eyes wandered over to look at the two yellow-robed students just standing in the doorway. They were early.

He didn’t want to start gossiping about his students already but he was curious if they were together or good friends. If he wasn’t mistaken, they were the so-called married couple he had heard the students talking about. Even without his werewolf hearing, Remus could probably hear the two students’ entire conversation. They were either unaware of how loud they were or didn’t care.

“Hmm, the R stands for Remus. Anyway, middle?” Cedric asked.

“I like the front.”

“Middle front?”

“Where else in the front?”

“That makes us look like we’re trying to kiss his ass.”

“The middle gets too much sun when class is in the afternoon, you know I’m short and it gets right in my eye.”

“We can always switch on those days.”

“But other students get attached to their seats, they might not let us.”

Remus chuckled. “Might I suggest the second row nearest the windows. Surprisingly, it’s the desks by the doors that get all the draft.”

You and Cedric looked at each other. You shrugged your shoulders. “We’ve never sat second row before.”

“Let’s try it.”

Remus felt his nerves calm a bit. If all his students were like you two then maybe he could get through teaching. He went back to writing his lesson plan when a thought hit him. He had done tutoring when he was a student. It would be just like tutoring but with more students at once. The thought kept him calm when the rest of the class poured in. He finally fully faced everyone. They seemed curious? Ready to learn? Maybe he could actually do this.

You actually enjoyed DADA. Of course, you were holding judgment until the month ended. Lockhart had put up a good front at first. Professor Lupin might be just as incompetent. At least he wasn’t evil like Quirrell… or at least he didn’t have Voldemort growing out of his head. You figured you still had to reserve judgment on the evil part until later.

Like DADA, the rest of your classes were also enjoyable. It helped that you had tried to read as much of the material over the summer before school started. If Gryffindor had Hermione then Hufflepuff had you. The sentiment of your classes didn’t end as the first month of school came to a close.

Much to your relief, Professor Lupin continued to seem competent. Dare you say it, he might have actually been a good teacher. You thought that much as you finished your essay for his class while eating the new chocolate mousse that the house-elves had made. You very much enjoyed being their taste tester for new dishes.

It was late at night when Remus dragged himself back into the castle. One month of school down, one full moon down. His Moony Nights weren’t as painful when he had his friends but now he was alone. Considering he was already tired as hell, he probably shouldn’t have gone to the kitchen for some firewhiskey but he really needed a drink. His eyes widened when he saw you sitting at the large kitchen island, spoon in mouth as you scribbled something furiously on parchment. The spoon dropped from your mouth when you looked over.

“Professor, I know it’s technically past curfew but when you think about it the Hufflepuff common room is right next door and the kitchen is practically Hufflepuff extended since the elves told us all the password. Please don’t give me a detention, I’ve never had one, seriously, never which is like really rare for a fift— Chocolate mousse?” You held out the bowl as a peace offering.

Remus looked over. “My essay isn’t due for another week.”

“Oh, I know, but Professor Snape is already trying to drown us with homework so time management is crucial. And Cedric won’t let me skip any of his games for anything… Um, about the detention.”

“Do the house-elves really give Hufflepuff the password.”

You nodded furiously. “Tickle the pear but the trick is it’s always a different pear in the picture each year. This year it’s…”

“The top one,” he answered with you. “They tell all the staff the password too. I guess I can ignore this then, but (Y/N), it’s nearly dawn. A couple of hours past curfew is one thing—”

“If I leave now then it’s technically not proper morning yet.”

You quickly jumped off the stool when Remus stopped you. “The chocolate.”

“Oh, right.”

You handed him the bowl of chocolate mousse but not before sticking two fingers in it to get one last bite. Remus just nodded to himself as you walked off. He began to search for a spoon so he could take the mousse back to his chamber. You reminded him a lot of four rambunctious boys that once used to roam the very same halls. He thanked the elves for the stolen chocolate mousse and retreated back to his place.

“Where’d the chocolate mousse go? And why’d it take you so long?” Cedric asked when you came into his room.

“Professor Lupi—”

“No way! Did you finally get busted? You get detention?”

“No, he let me go if I gave him the choco— Hey!” You blinked after he threw a pillow at your face.

“You should’ve taken the detention.”

You rolled your eyes as you stomped over to him, pushing him over so you could start prepping your side of the bed. Cedric didn’t stop complaining. You could hear him as you took a shower in his private Prefect bathroom that you were in love with. It didn’t stop as you changed into one of his quidditch jerseys and checked on your cat who was sleeping in a cat bed that was set up in the boy’s room. And he was still prattling on as he adjusted you in his arms so you both were comfortable to sleep.

“Ced. I’ll buy you literally whatever you want from Honeydukes tomorrow if you shut the fuck up right now so we can go to bed.”

“What about that new breakfast special at Three Broomsticks?”

“Deal.”

(Part 2)

[titanbabyeams]

Roy Mustang never fully connected with the concept of ‘giving your daughter away’ until he released her after walking her down the aisle.

Logically, he knows it’s been a long time in the making. He’s seen less and less of his daughter as she’s grown-up but it’s strange to sit at her wedding reception, knowing she’s officially a part of a family he will only have limited contact with. That she will have an entire life separate from him, regardless of how close they are.

He’s okay with that. It doesn’t feel wonderful, no, but he trusts the man his daughter has chosen to marry. A half-Ishvalan, open-minded and extroverted fellow. They dated for five years before even approaching the topic of marriage. Now, at 23, his daughter is married.

“It’s a dry wedding, I can’t even drown my emotions,” Jean bemoans as he worms his way between Roy and an empty chair.

“Sophia isn’t a fan of alcohol,” Roy explains as if Jean doesn’t already know this, “And we do have at least one sober alcoholic in attendance.” Edward Elric’s oldest child, who is currently pretending to cry in a picture with his newly-wed daughter. He’s quite the character but has always been gentle with Sophia.

“Yeah, yeah. How ya feelin’, Chief? Like you’re losin’ her forever?”

“Please.” Roy tears his eyes away from her—clad in traces of Ishvalan culture, blending with a classic white wedding dress—and to his friend. “She still crawls into bed with me if Simeon leaves early enough. I will not be rid of her, even in death.” Roy’s eyes find his daughter again. She’s beautiful, he’s so proud of her.

Jean barks a laugh, good-natured even after everything. “Don’t sound so disappointed.”

Sophia laughs at something Winry says to her, and Simeon is at her side grinning along. Roy isn’t sure either of them have stopped smiling this entire time. The reception is exclusive only to close friends and families, and neither of them have slipped from their ‘slightly higher than normal’ cheerful demeanor.

“Have you taken a picture with her?” Roy asks Jean. “A serious one, don’t think I didn’t notice that photo you took with her earlier.”

“Hey, it was Fuery’s idea!” Jean defends, “And Sophie loved it so much, she was the first to pose. We did take a serious photo, thank you very much.”

“Good.” Roy smiles, “Good. As eccentric as they may be, I am sure even they will be glad for some more sentimental photos.”

“I’m not sure the Elrics are physically capable of a serious photo,” Jean reaches onto the table to snag a chocolate mint, popping it in his mouth. “Ya should’ve seen Ed earlier, he’s having more fun with this wedding than his own, I swear.”

“Less stressful that way, I’m sure,” He remarks quietly.

“What was that?” Comes the ever-familiar voice of his dearly beloved.

Roy laughs, somewhat nervously. “Nothing, Dear,” He looks over at Riza, “You look lovely. Did you do your hair today?”

She rolls her eyes—but he can see the smile. He’s won. “Come. Sophia would like pictures with her parents.”

“Wow, Chief,” Jean shakes his head, low and disappointed, “Getting on my case and ya haven’t even taken a photo with her yet.”

“Go fuck yourself, Havoc.” Roy stands and pats his friend’s shoulder as he breaks into laughter again.

He takes his wife’s arm in his own. “How did we get so lucky?” He asks her as they weave around the tables.

“Luck.” Riza pats his arm, “And maybe the tiniest bit of paranoia.”

“Funny.”

Sophia catches sight of them and she brightens, as if she wasn’t already the brightest and most gorgeous person in attendance.

He truly, truly regrets nothing that’s led him to this moment.

[theladyofdeath]

The Viscount Who Loved Me {Eighteen, Part II}

TVWLM Masterlist

CHAPTER WARNING: NSFW 18+

An A Court of Thorns and Roses fanfiction, inspired by the first 2 seasons of Bridgerton.

Written alongside @snelbz

Ships: Nesta x Cassian x Elain - Feyre x Rhysand - Elain x Azriel x Gwyn

Summary: (see TVWLM masterlist!)

A/N: Thank you for reading! The most heartbreaking of smut...

Tag list is at the end. If you’d like to be added, please comment below or submit an ask. :)

My Loyal Readers,

The Viscount has finally found his match! The Diamond of the season has captured his heart and their wedding is being held by the Queen herself.

Even so, did anyone notice that the oldest Archeron sister disappeared right after the announcement of their engagement? Perhaps she is jealous that she was not the one who won the Viscount's heart all those years ago.

Pity.

The Suriel

Nesta was dropped off at home but she watched the carriage depart before going to the stables and preparing her horse.

She was at Cassian’s manor within the hour. 

With the ball still ongoing, she figured Cassian would still think her there, would not be expecting her for hours yet.

But when she got to that spot in the woods where he had comforted her, where they had kissed, there he was.

A heap of blankets was strung across the ground. Candles littered the fallen logs, creating a glow. Cassian sat on one of the blankets, legs outstretched and ankles crossed, his back against one of the tree trunks. He read a book in the candlelight.

When Nesta came into view, his eyes were immediately on her, the pages he had been studying long forgotten.

“I hadn’t expected you to be here,” she breathed, gathering up her skirts, careful not to get too close to the small flames. He’d stood as she approached, book tossed to the side.

“I wasn’t sure whether you’d attend the ball tonight.” He took in her attire, knowing the answer. “Anything happen that I should know about?”

She should have told him about her hand in his best friend’s sudden engagement to her sister, should have told him that his name was being dragged through the mud while Elain had come out of their engagement unscathed, should have told him about her encounter with the queen.

But instead, Nesta shook her head, taking a step closer, and said, “I don’t want to talk about the ball.”

Reaching for her hand, Cassian breathed. “Neither do I. You look…” His gaze dipped, leaving her face and skimming down her body. “I can’t even find the words to describe how beautiful you look.”

From anyone else’s lips, Nesta would have rolled her eyes, but as Cassian complimented her, her cheeks heated. “It’s Feyre’s dress. I’ve packed all mine.”

Cassian’s eyes flashed, but he brushed his thumb along the back of her hand. “I wish you did not plan to leave.”

“Me either,” she admitted, quietly, “but I must.”

“I know,” he said, and brushed her hair back behind her ear. Nesta leaned into his touch. “I understand, but it does not make it any easier to endure.”

Nesta nodded and stepped closer to him. “I do not wish to speak of that right now, if that is okay with you.”

Cassian nodded, his other hand snaking out to grab her waist and pull her closer to him. Her heart leapt at his touch. “Then what is it you wish to speak of?“

“I don’t want to speak at all,” she breathed, and his eyes darkened as a small smile graced his lips. 

“I am afraid I do not know what you’re implying,” he said, although he surely did. 

She nudged his shoulder. “You are insufferable, my lord.”

“As are you,” he quipped, arms tightening around her, “my lady.”

She kissed him.

Before that smart mouth of his could say anything more, she jolted on her toes and pressed her lips tenderly to his. 

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she clung to him, molding her body to his. It was nothing like the kiss they’d shared the night before. This was the kiss they’d been longing to share since they first laid eyes on each other. The kiss was an undoing, yet at the same time it was as if everything was finally clear.

Nesta loved him. She loved this impossibly frustrating man, who had turned her entire world upside down. She wasn’t supposed to love him and he wasn’t supposed to love her, but Nesta had no doubt that he did, not as he cupped the back of her head and tightened his arm around her waist, carefully lowering her to the blankets.

Even though Cassian laid his body over hers, she noticed that he kept himself off of her, not putting any of his weight on her.

That simply wouldn’t do.

Nesta wasn’t a short woman. She was a good two inches taller than most women, and Cassian was nearly head taller than her. His height had been one of the things that captivated her from the beginning.

Her arms left his shoulders, instead gripping the front of his shirt and tugging him down until he lay atop her.

Cassian’s grunt in response gave Nesta only a second of notice before his kiss became savage.

She had kissed men before in the past - well, boys really, in her adolescence. But Cassian did not kiss like a boy. He had a hunger that sent chills through her body, a hunger that only a man would know, a hunger that can only be satisfied by that of a woman. She ran her fingers through his hair and moaned quietly as he nipped her bottom lip between his teeth.

That little sound only intensified his movements. His tongue pushed its way between her lips as his hand trailed down the side of her body, to her thigh. He inched her skirt up until he was touching skin, pulling her leg over his waist. He sank into her and Nesta had never felt so alive. 

She clawed at his tunic, pulling it loose from his trousers before making quick work of the buttons. His lips never left her skin. They trailed across her jaw and down her neck, over her chest to where the swells of her breasts peaked out above her neckline.

The throbbing between Nesta’s thighs was nearly too much to handle. 

When his buttons were loosened, Cassian peeled off his shirt once he pulled himself back. With his knees on either side of her hips, he looked down at her and the gleam in his eyes was feral.

By the Mother, he was going to devour her.

She had never longed for anything more.

Before he could move, Nesta found herself reaching up, longing to touch him. She’d seen men shirtless before, in art pieces or competitions or even at the occasional boxing match she’d sneak off to. But the men had never looked like this.

Cassian’s body looked like a statue she’d seen once before, supposedly depicting a long forgotten god. His muscles seemed to be carved from the stone itself. Letting herself explore, she brushed her fingers along his abdomen, feeling the hard muscle and deep grooves that ran between each of them.

If she didn’t know better, Nesta would have thought she felt him shudder beneath her touch.

His hand closed around her wrist and she inhaled sharply, eyes immediately finding his. They glowed in the candlelight. It was clear he had no intention of pushing her hand away.

“Have you ever touched a man before, Nesta Archeron?” His words were soft, not meant to tease, but a genuine question. She shook her head, the use of her voice momentarily lost in her need for the man kneeling before. “And you’ve never been touched before?” Another shake of her head. His throat worked as he swallowed, his free hand finding her knee. The simple feel of his thumb drawing slow circles there nearly drove her mad. “I won’t pretend that I don’t want you, in every sense of the word. I need you to tell me you want this, want me.”

Nesta knew what he was saying without actually voicing it. But she was never going to be a wife, so her virtue was of no consequence at this point.

“Of course I want this, want you,” she breathed, and as if it were the most ridiculous thing to think otherwise, she added, “you fool.”

Cassian grinned, his eyes sensuous as he pushed himself up and stood. He held out his hand and Nesta took it with no hesitation.

“Good,” he whispered, and his fingers trailed along the top of her bodice. They lingered there as he stepped around her body. His fingertips trailed after him, over her shoulder and down her back until he was tugging at the bow in the middle of her back. Once hanging in ribbons at her sides, he undid the buttons beneath until the bodice was loose. He came back around to the front of her and Nesta could scarcely breathe as he pulled off one of her silk gloves, then the other. With her arms bare, he pulled down her sleeves, the dress falling with it until she was stepping out of it. Her undergarments were nothing too extensive, nothing too fancy, but his eyes still flared at the sight. 

Then he was on his knees before her. 

Without a word, Cassian pulled one of her feet onto his lap and unlaced her heeled boot. His fingers moved slowly, and with each passing second, Nesta’s heart began beating a little bit faster. Once her shoe was discarded, he reached up her thigh and rolled down her stocking. He repeated the same routine with her other leg. Once they were bare, his lips trailed kisses up each and Nesta gasped with each light touch. He trailed them up her leg, her abdomen, until he was standing again. Swallowing, Nesta’s breath hitched as he turned her around and began unlacing her corset.

“Is this okay?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she breathed, amazed she was able to get the word out.

He worked her corset with ease until it was another layer added to the heap on the ground. Even so, his hands continued to move but Nesta turned around. She placed a palm against his chest.

Instantly, Cassian stilled, hands falling to his sides. 

“Sorry, did I—”

His question of concern broke off as she stepped back and, looking him in the eye, removed the rest of her undergarments. She wanted to see his face the first time he saw her bare.

What a beautiful face it was.

His lips parted as his body tensed, those hazel eyes that she had spent restless nights dreaming about roamed her body as if there was not enough time to memorize every inch. She stood poised, with her chin held high and her back straight, loving the power that standing bare before him brought. 

“You…” he began, stepping forward, and she noticed the hardened bulge beneath his trousers that she so desperately wanted to set free. He shook his head. “Beautiful is not a strong enough word.”

So strange to have someone feel the same way about her as she did him.

“I want to see you.” She reached for him, her fingers blindly finding the ties and stays of his trousers.

Slowly pulling them loose, Nesta’s eyes were trained on him as he stepped back, bending to unlace his own boots, and then standing before her again. But when he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants he paused. Nesta waited, but when she looked up at his face after a few seconds, she found him smirking at her.

As soon as he had her attention again, he pushed his pants over his hips, taking his undershorts with them, and then he stood before Nesta, as naked as she was.

And Nesta… Nesta had forgotten how to breathe at the sight of him. He was unbelievably thick, long and hard and even from across the blankets, Nesta had no idea how he was going to fit inside her.

As if he could read her thoughts, he quietly said, “I’ll be gentle.”

Her eyes snapped up to his face again and she found him watching her, eyes soft.

Feeling far more bold than she really felt, Nesta stepped forward, clearing her throat. She grazed a finger along his cock and he winced. “And if I don’t want you to be gentle?”

His eyes darkened, lust in his gaze, but he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I will be regardless, at least at first. No matter how brave you’re acting, I know you’re nervous, and I also know that I won’t be getting into you until you’re good and ready. I want this to be an experience of pleasure, not of pain.”

Nesta knew there would be pain her first time, had learned that from the friends she’d had that had married and from the romance novels she hid from her father and sisters, and had accepted it as inevitable. She hadn’t known that during her first time, there could be pleasure that would override the pain, but knew if anyone would take care of her, it would be Cassian.

She reached up and took his face into her hands and kissed him. It was not gentle, not in the slightest, but she had never felt as safe as she did then, bare and wrapped in his arms. He led her back to the blanket, laying her down carefully before covering herself with his body. The kiss deepened, and it was a clash of teeth and a dance of their tongues. Nesta couldn’t get close enough to him.

With her fingers twisted into his hair, his mouth left hers and trailed down her body. Nesta closed her eyes as his lips found her breasts. He palmed one, brushing his thumb over her nipple as he sucked in the other, and at Nesta’s moan, his body jolted. He nipped at the sensitive nub and Nesta gasped, those fingers in his hair tightening, only urging him on. When he was done with one he switched to the other and when they were both left satisfied, his lips continued down her abdomen. With every inch he moved, Nesta grew more nervous, more excited. A thrill controlled her body and she feared she would soon combust.

Cassian stopped at her waist and spread her legs as wide as they’d go. Nesta suddenly felt vulnerable, but she was not afraid, not even as Cassian settled himself between her thighs and looked up at her.

She met his gaze with swollen lips and flushed cheeks as she asked, “What are you waiting for?”

The grin he gave her had that ache between her legs intensifying. 

“I would say that a please wouldn’t kill you,” he said, quietly, and she could feel the warmth of his breath against her most sensitive parts, “but I honestly don’t believe that to be true. It just might.”

She felt the need to reach down and shove at him, but she didn’t get the chance. His thumb ran between her folds, finding a warmth and wetness that had him groaning, deep in the back of his throat. He parted her and stared, memorizing the masterpiece that was before him before leaning down and running his tongue along the same path.

Nesta’s body tensed, but Cassian’s hands were there, holding onto her thighs, fingers brushing along her skin. “Relax,” he breathed, before repeating the motion again and again. Then he reached up, one hand abandoning her thigh and leaving it cold as he settled it between her breasts. She took his hand in hers and clung to it. 

His tongue explored, slowly, indolently, and Nesta’s eyes fluttered closed at the sensations it ignited in her. Once it reached the bundle of nerves, she gasped, hand tightening in his. He repeated the motion again, his thumb circling in the back of her hand at the same time. Licking her lips, Nesta admitted, “That feels…good.”

There was a pause and Nesta looked down at him, meeting his eyes. He trailed his tongue down her core again, stopping to tease her entrance, before gently sucking her clit between his lips.

Nesta was unable to stop the moan that tore from her, thankful that no one was around to hear her. She felt Cassian’s fingers tighten on her thigh at the sound, before releasing it all together. Just as she was about to beg him to touch her again, there was a slight pressure at her slit. One of his fingers slowly pushed into her, just a bit, until Nesta’s legs locked up, thighs closing around his head.

Turning his head, Cassian pressed a kiss to her inner thigh. “Breathe, sweetheart. Relax for me.”

She tried, she really did, but her body wasn’t listening to her.

“Look at me.”

She wouldn’t have been able to disobey if she wanted to. Her eyes found his and he pressed a kiss to her opposite thigh.

He was being so gentle.

There was a time when she would have never thought that this man could resemble anything close to gentleness, but that was another lifetime ago. He would take care of her, would guide her and give her what she needed. Her legs relaxed, as much as she could manage, and he pulled his finger out only to push it in again. He repeated the movement, slowly, each time going in a little deeper. Her hips began to shift beneath him, began to roll, that ache growing more agonizing by the second. Cassian’s lips were back on her, working in tandem with his plunging finger. 

That growing ache developed into something more. She couldn’t control the sounds that escaped her, not as an overwhelming feeling began to control her body, making it writhe, making it tremble. Around Cassian’s head, her knees shook, and it only urged him on. His movements grew faster and he did not stop, not as Nesta’s body locked up and she felt as if she would explode if he continued to do what he was so expertly doing. 

Which is exactly what she did.

She was pushed over the edge, crying out as she fell into nothingness, her entire body reacting to the intimate things Cassian had done. He continued to do them until Nesta’s body relaxed and the second he propped himself up, Nesta felt cold from the absence of his hand, his mouth.

She could see her release shining around his mouth, on his chin, as he crawled up her body. He licked his lips and Nesta shuddered.

He leaned down on his forearms, framing her face, and lowered his lips to hers. “Are you okay?” 

For a moment, Nesta just stared at him, as if she hadn’t understood his question. Blinking, she asked, “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

His lips tipped up, a smile that lifted just one side of his mouth. It was the cockiest damn expression she’d ever seen. “I just gave you your first orgasm. I wanted to make sure it hadn’t overwhelmed you.”

“I’d hate to disappoint you, my lord, but that was not my first orgasm.” The words were out before Nesta could rethink them, and her eyes flared as that smile grew.

She expected him to tease her, to point out the fact that she was clearly embarrassed, but instead he reached down, found her hand, and brought it to his lips. He kissed each of her fingers, before guiding it between their bodies. They skimmed over his erection, Nesta’s eyes growing wide, but he barely even reacted, a different goal in mind.

When he settled her hand over her own wet cunt, she swallowed roughly. He lowered his head until his lips were at her ear. “Show me how you touch yourself, Nesta.”

It was the most erotic thing someone had ever said to her and she nearly gave into the request. Instead, she lifted her hand, wrapping her fingers around his thick length. “I’d rather touch you.”

“Plenty of time for that later, love,” he grunted, not expecting her to be so bold. It was stupid of him, honestly.

His words made what they were doing more sharper, because no, there wouldn’t be plenty of time later. She would be gone in a matter of days, and while she wanted to explore his body, there was one thing she needed more than she wanted.

With her free hand, she threaded her fingers into Cassian’s hair, pulling his mouth to crash into hers in a brutal kiss. When she released her hold, both of them gasping for breath, she begged, “I need you to fuck me, Cassian.”

A low growl rumbled out of his throat as her words rushed over him. He searched her face for any trace of doubt but found none. 

Nesta had a feeling that this would be the moment that changed her life, that changed her. She had no idea if she would see Cassian again after this night, but this was how she wanted to remember him. She wanted to remember him as her first, wanted to remember him beneath the stars, in the candlelight, giving her something that no one else could. She was giving him this gift, her innocence, and she had never wanted to gift anything more.

“If you ever want me to stop, you tell me,” he whispered.

“I won’t,” she promised, her fingers brushing down the hard lines of his back. “Please don’t stop.”

His chest heaved as if every word she spoke made it more and more difficult for him to keep control. He teased her entrance with his finger, seeing how ready she truly was, and cursed. With her eyes locked on his, he replaced his finger with the head of his cock and pressed against her entrance. Nesta sucked in a breath and although it was natural for her to close her eyes, she did not. They remained on his, on the adoration and love that dwelled within them. No one had ever looked at her in the way that he did, in the way that he was now, and she swore that no one ever would again.

With a gentleness that made her want to weep from the purity of it alone, he leaned down and captured her lips with his as he pushed into her. He filled her, not at all at once, but slowly, inch by inch. All the while, he kissed her. It was nothing like the kisses that had led them to this point. No, they were kisses of comfort, him letting her know that he cared about her first time, that he wanted her to feel good, that he didn’t want to hurt her in the slightest. He pulled himself out and did the same thing again, this time going a little bit further, and he continued to repeat that until her body had relaxed, until she began to sink into his kiss, into the hold he had on her.

Then he slid into her further until she was full, and Nesta moaned at the feel of him. He leaned back to meet her eye, and all he found was lust and want and need. It had been uncomfortable at first, as he stretched her, as he had gone where no one had before, but she was ready. Gods, she was so ready. She needed him moving, needed him to do what she just knew he was good at.

“I’m okay,” she breathed, his forehead against hers as she began rocking her hips, pushing him up and sliding onto him once more. He groaned, and this time their kiss was not gentle, not at all. 

He sucked her bottom lip between his teeth as he set a steady pace, but Nesta’s head fell back and her eyes fell shut. She did not even try to stop the noises that escaped her, and she assumed Cassian liked those noises when his mouth explored her, his groans muffled by the skin of her neck. He wasn’t going fast, wasn’t going hard, not yet, but with each pass it felt better and better. 

Her hands swept across his back, into his hair, down to his waist until she was grabbing his ass. She couldn’t stop feeling him, wanted to feel all of him at once, never wanted her hands to leave the warmth of his skin. 

He murmured something against her neck, something she couldn’t quite comprehend as he ravaged her body, until he said it again, pulling back until he was gazing down at her.

“Don’t go.”

As he slid in and out of her, Nesta took in a shaking breath, not expecting his words. She framed his face with her hands and he leaned into her touch. “I have to.”

“You don’t,” he argued, gripping her hip and rocking into her. The way his pelvis rubbed against Nesta’s clit had her groaning, eyes fluttering shut. “Stay.”

Fighting against the oncoming orgasm, Nesta blinked, trying to clear her head. When she spoke, even she heard the disbelief in the slight laugh in her voice. “Stay? Stay where? My sisters despise me, the ton considers me an old hag despite being years from thirty, and the Queen uses my failed status as the Diamond to belittle me. Where in Velaris would I ever be welcomed?”

“Right here, with me.”

The sincerity in Cassian’s tone nearly broke her, nearly making the tears threatening to spill over her lashes unleash.

But she managed to stop herself, to keep those tears from running down the sides of her face, and pulled his face down to hers. As if it were a sin to speak it out loud, as if it were the dirtiest secret to ever be whispered, Nesta’s lips brushed Cassian’s as she breathed, “I love you.”

She felt his entire body, his entire being, shudder and then he was kissing her, giving her more of his weight, hips pinning hers to the blanket beneath them, grinding against her. He only moved to pull his hips out, slowly, inch by hard, thick inch, before thrusting back into her, harder than he had before.

Nesta’s mouth tore from his as she cried out, and he relished the sound of his name on her lips. “I love you.” His words were punctuated with the snap of his hips. “I want to fall asleep with you and wake up to you every morning. I want to know how you take your tea and what books you’ve read a dozen times.” Still, his hips snapped into hers relentlessly and Nesta thought she was going to combust. “I want to know every inch of you, inside and out. I can’t do that if you leave. So stay, Nesta, please.”

She could hold back those tears no longer. They fell down her cheeks and he was there, kissing them away. She didn’t know what to tell him, didn’t know how to let him know that there was no hope for her, for them. Even if it was what her heart desired, she simply could not stay in Velaris, not now, not after all that had happened.

Nesta clung to Cassian and cried out as she came, her release making her entire body tense. Cassian kept moving, his hips continuously thrusting into hers. As she came around him, he swore, the filthiest of curses tumbling from his mouth in a reverent plea. He found his undoing just after, pulling out and spilling onto her abdomen as Nesta watched, seeing just what it was she had done to him.

When he could not give anymore, his body fell on top of hers and they caught their breaths, slowly. She did not speak, nor did he. The words she held inside of her were unworthy of this moment.

I have to go.

I’m sorry.

This cannot be.

Nesta held onto him, her arms around his shoulders, as his mouth kissed her cheek, then her neck, until his head rested against her shoulder.

Neither of them said a word.

They simply remained in the silence of the aftermath of what they had done, of what they had accomplished, of what they had said with their bodies. They remained there as the night went on, both eventually falling asleep in the comfort of one another’s arms.

And Nesta knew that when Cassian woke, she would be long gone.

____________________________________________________________

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[astramthetaprime]

Going to the Extremes

The turning, the turning, the turning of the year ... those moments when you hear the creaking of the wheel as it grinds, carrying you even as it plows you under.

My first ChattaCon was ChattaCon 11. I was 16 years old, and the ecstatic joy I felt in those first few moments when I walked in and saw a guy dressed as Nightcrawler from the X-Men, leaping across the Consuite ... that moment has lived within me ever since. I picked up my first sword at that ChattaCon. I met people who delighted in talking about comic books without shame. I saw D&D books for sale like so many magical tomes proudly displayed in the markets of a mystical town. This was home, this gypsy circus village of madmen and tavern wenches.

It's been home ever since. And no more so than when I met the three men who have been my family ever since. My soul family.

Ironically, the fourth man, the man I married who introduced me to the other three, that man I haven't seen in twenty years. But the other three who attended our wedding, those three stooges I have kept firm ties.

We're all old now. They're in their 60's now. I'm not far behind. I know I'll be there when they take the last journey. Someday I'll get The Call for each of them. And I will feel grief for them. Every last one. Every moment.

But this last Friday and Saturday, we staked a claim on a table in the Consuite and we talked and talked and talked. It was about equal time how to game Medicare and so many memories of our imaginary conquests in Dungeons & Dragons. I'd leave only to attend panels, come right back and resume my place among them. My oldest friends.

I was safe, I was supremely happy, surrounded by these dear souls, once more in the heart of our ephemeral caravan home. The turning of our year.

Then Sunday dawned, and the party was over.

I washed, dressed in black, and made the drive to the funeral home.

And there was no greater contrast.

I sat silent and alone in a room with my mother's ashes while my blood family fought a furtive war all around me, faction against faction, my stepfather fighting by his absence and flat refusal to have anything to do with any of them. I was left, alone, silent, speaking to no one, watching the strained conversations. And the hyperactive screaming to two little boys that forced me to get out my ear plugs. Kids who haven't apparently been taught appropriate behavior at a funeral.

No one bothered to talk to me, and I was frankly afraid to talk to any of them. No matter who I spoke to the "other side" would take note of it and use it against me. While my uncle urged me to just take my mom's ashes and bury them where he wanted, though I've told him repeatedly in the last few weeks that I don't have that legal right.

Everyone fighting, everyone trying to use me for their own ends. When they aren't ignoring me for being inconveniently moral.

No one seemed to remember we were there for a funeral.

I know who my real family are now. And it's not the people I share genetics with.

It's those three dear souls who opened their arms to me at ChattaCon. Three great bears of men -- each well over six feet tall! -- with expansive intellects and hilarious good humor and unmatched kindness. My dear ones. My best friends.

The ones who make my life worth living.