#being outside of FL for so long makes you aware of the air again and wow. it's like hot jello

[beaversatemygrandma]

Being back in the hometown this week is so far pretty nice. I didn’t realize just how much i missed this town. Sure. Sure. It’s been humid, hot and gross, but everything else makes it just that much better.

....I can feel the air dude. It’s wet.

Tomorrow my sister is finally graduating high school. She did great, even if she’s working today before it and most of the week so a lot of plans don’t even include her. We had dinner the other night and I got food poisoning from the same damn wing place i got food poisoning at when i was like 15. Nothing’s changed there. My partner ate my leftovers tho and I’m jealous of their damn iron stomach bc those wings were Good.

To be fair, most plans don’t even include me bc I’ve been staying with the partner of sorts and I have to say, i fucking love it here with them. Even if they’re going through a search for a new roommate and I’m a bit jealous it isn’t me, but it’s not like there isn’t space for me here if i come back to town. I’d likely go back to staying with my mom and spending like 90% of the nights here. Even if there’s 5 cats around now bc of said new roommate. We had to drive to the next town over last night to pick up her cats and some stuff bc her place got a week’s notice eviction and that turned into her moving in within the week as I’m here which is just a pain in the ass. Not to mention how we’re trying to accustom her cats to this house. There’s a very mean and hissy cat in the bathroom rn and it scares the shit out of me. There’s also a little black one who’s an absolute sweetheart. Either way. There’s two cats locked in the bathroom rn and I’m scared to shower bc the big guy hiding behind the door keeps growling and hissing at me lmao For valid reasons tho, the cat just got randomly uprooted by strangers but the little one is already being friendly. Idk. But allergies are quite something today. Why can’t more people have white cats or sphynxes? Black cats and fluffy grey ones are making my eyes itch. Such cuties tho And there’s a slightly awkward thing about the new roommate. She’s an ex-coworker of mine and I Hated Her. She was the one who would literally hit on any slightly attractive 20-something guy who came in leaving me to deal with serving in a lunch rush alone as she disappeared to hit on him. AND back then, when my partner was still very much not out yet, one of my friends caught them making out in the parking lot before work and that was the one time I’ve ever gotten mad about their other endeavors. Like yeah, they’re poly, that’s cool. I wouldn’t mind figuring out poly relationships, they seem neat and i might be into that. But HER. Luckily, it seems like that was just some casual thing and they’re nothing more than just friends now. (I Was told I’m the only one who didn’t break off after they came out.) Either way, Super Fuckin Awkward just being there to pick up her cats. We never really got along well and it was just weird. Apparently i wasn’t the only one who was awkward as all hell though, so they were there just randomly joking and flirting with me between each thing going on. Staying here while they’re at work and she might not be when she lives here later on might be awkward too tho.

Alright, might get a bit tmi now lol

And I have to say, just being with the partner of sorts for the first time without having to struggle with timing and alternative plans and the ex-roommate who wouldn’t let anyone even look at their apartment, it’s great. They’re stuck with me all week and we’re both loving it and already trying to make plans to do it again. It’s been my first time sleeping with them, actually having a bed to have sex instead of the back seat of the car during an adventure across town, and ugh, i love them. I ended up waking up at 3am during that whole food poisoning bout and even though they had work in the morning, they still got up and tried their best to help me out through that bc it was causing me such extreme back pain along with the nausea and i couldn’t do anything without crying in pain. Everything just felt better once i was finally able to not deal with that damn nausea and just cuddle up to them and sleep. They’re just so damn comforting. Bonus points on the recent top growth they’ve had from the past year of HRT. Let me tell you just how SOFT it is. Its a whole new level of comfort being buried into their chest. <3 Also gave them their first titty hickey and that was a whole event lmao

But now, with the addition of a new roommate who won’t be the excessively controlling one they had previously, there’s advantages of having somebody who can take care of the cats if they decide to come up north for the weekend to spend time with me and then take me back here with them for a week and do it all over again the next weekend to drop me off. I’m hoping I’m going to be able to see them more often than i have the past few years. Like, since i’ve been here i’ve already gotten to know so much more about them that I’m surprised i didn’t before. It feels so much more romantic than it ever has. Before it was more casual, this genuinely feels serious. There’s more affection here than there was with my ex and I’ve only been here since saturday night. Tbf, that night was almost nothing but passion bc we haven’t actually hooked up for like three years or so and now it doesn’t feel like a series of hook ups. It’s a strange feeling possibly having a potential real relationship with the person I’ve had a crush on for nearly five years now. It’s amazing, but very odd bc I’ve convinced myself multiple times that this would never happen and i should get over having a crush, but here i am, sitting on their couch in my underwear after having them come home for their lunch break with no time other than to bring me a matcha latte and a kiss before leaving.

Ugh. I can’t wait until tonight after my sister’s graduation and they’re off work and it’s just us here again. They’re so damn sweet, i already miss them.

And it turns out we have the same goals when it comes to gender. Just that ‘when you walk into a room, everybody questions their sexuality’ kinda vibes. And apparently i give them gender envy already bc of that. Then again, they’re leaning far more fem than i am. Apparently, i already have the chapstick lesbian look that their going for while I’m wanting to be more masculine later on. Either way, they’re still cute as shit right now. And after dinner with my family, my mom called me the next day and was like “Huh. So, are you with him again or is he finally gay? Because that was far more feminine than i remember.” and i just had to tell her that they’ve always been vaguely queer. Even before the beard got shaved off never to return. Tho, i will say it’s hilarious how my parents think this is a safe choice (like idk, i won’t be having sex or smth) bc all they see them as is a very fruity guy. When in reality I’m spending time with a they/them chapstick lesbian who very much has some strong chemistry with me. I also finally figured out the whole deal with the name I overheard somebody else calling them a few years back. Apparently, that coworker was just somebody they came out relatively early to and she immediately was like “OH SHIT I GOTTA CALL YOU SOMETHING” and started up with calling them Bree. Which was cute as shit, but not actually the chosen name which cleared up SO MUCH for me after reeling over that for so long. Literally, they’re not even changing their name. If anything, further on, they’re just dropping the first letter of their first name, so going with Ames instead. Also cute as shit btw. Or the same initials based nickname they’ve had for years already. Also, they’re calling me Taks and it’s so Nice. I’ve never had that before and it’s great. <3

Damn. Let it be tonight already.

[gottlem]

summer fl(in)g. part 2 (gigi x crystal)

summary: after lockdown, Gigi and Crystal find it hard to keep their chemistry in person. Will they ever figure out how to get it back? (3.6k)

The first time Gigi and Crystal see each other in person after lockdown is with Jan and Jackie. Jan had insisted in their little group chat that they all meet up as soon as possible, and it just so happened that everyone was already free - having been unable to make any plans due to complete uncertainty of the future. But that’s in the past now. It was finally time to go and see friends, hug them, appreciate the things they had taken so easily for granted. Like how full the park was - before the lockdown, the four would have bitched about the excitable children and ignorant adults. But today was different. Today, sat in the same park they had been in many times before, felt like a turning point in everyone’s lives. They laid out a checkered blanket onto the grass (Gigi couldn’t risk the stains and Jackie didn’t like how the grass made her legs itch) and started their small, last minute picnic. 

The cool summer air enveloped them in a welcome hug - it was starting to become a little cooler, with the hottest part of summer being in the middle of lockdown. Of course they were disappointed in missing the heat, but they knew how necessary the lockdown had been (a/n STAY INSIDE) and couldn’t complain when they were finally outside and feeling the refreshing breeze on their exposed skin - it was (thankfully) still just warm enough for shorts and t shirts, giving the girls a quick taste of summer before the clothes would have to be swapped out for jeans and sweaters.  

Crystal loved how vibrant everything looked. She adored the way the grass was just so green, and the sky so blue. And Gigi was so Gigi. They sat next to each other, their bare legs ever so slightly brushing up every now and again, sending shivers down Crystal’s spine. She only hoped that Gigi was experiencing the same electricity. Crystal felt stuck, she was so scared of getting too close to the girl and scaring her away. She cared about what they had too much to risk it for the chance of something more. 

Everytime Crystal smiled, or laughed, Gigi would find herself absolutely captivated by the sound. It was intoxicating to her. What she loved more, was the fact that every time her ears picked the sound up, Gigi would find that she was the first (and only) thing Crystal would look at. It made her feel special. Like maybe what they had started during the lockdown wouldn't be wasted. Though, she could never describe it that way, even if nothing else came out of it all, the time couldn’t have been wasted when she found so much joy within the memories.

“Gigi. G. Gig. Genevieve. Babe” That last word was what took Gigi out of her thoughts. She was suddenly very aware of how close Crystal’s face was to hers. Turns out, she had completely zoned out and now all she could think about was how good Crystal smelled. She wondered why she hadn’t noticed before, but the realisation came crashing down onto her soon enough - she had never actually been this physically close to Crystal before. Though, it was difficult to believe, with how much they had bonded. All Gigi wanted was to stay like this forever. Stay close to Crystal forever.

But alas, Gigi had been taken out of her trance, which was Crystal’s cue to sit back, and return to stealing subtle stares at the girl. Gigi caught every single one, and returned it with double the intensity. That’s all they could do. Look. Admire. Appreciate from a distance, all the while longing for so much more. They could have a whole conversation with their eyes, but neither would admit it. Not to each other, not to themselves. Not yet, anyway.

The day out is filled with laughter until the sun starts to set and the girls start to get chilly. Crystal had brought an extra jacket (because of course she had) and gave it to Gigi, without trying to think about it too hard. Jan and Jackie had both spotted how the interaction had made both girls turn impossibly red, and giggled amongst themselves, instantly catching onto what was happening, and remembering when they were in the same boat a few months prior. They decided to let them figure it out themselves - it would be fun to watch unfold, and meddling would only complicate things. Though, even if they didn’t know the full story, it seemed to be pretty complicated already.

When Crystal returned to her apartment, her face stung a bit from the cold, Gigi having been given the warmer of her two jackets. And the only one with a hood she could have used to at least try to stop her ears from freezing. The warmth from her apartment was comforting as she made herself a hot chocolate and let herself relax after the day she’d had. She was exhausted from being around a group, a group that included Gigi, for so many hours, but she relished in the way it made her feel. She was content.

When Gigi returned to her apartment, she went straight to her bed and almost passed out. But before falling asleep, she let her thoughts wander to the green haired girl she felt so deeply towards. It had become her routine, her guilty little pleasure, to let herself imagine what could be if she just told her how she felt, what she wanted. But she didn’t want to lose what they had. What if she didn’t feel the same and suddenly felt too awkward to keep up the flirty banter? Or worse, what if she felt exactly the same and they started dating, only to lose that spark they had. She shook the thoughts out of her head - thinking like that wont do her any good. But then again, neither will imaginary scenarios filled with light touches and gentle kisses. It didn’t take her much longer to fall asleep fully, with Crystal’s hoodie hanging loose on her small frame and her perfume comforting her senses.

Two weeks passed after the lockdown was lifted, and the small group had met up countless times, trying desperately to make up for lost time. Gigi and Crystal stood next to each other, taking in each other's presence but barely talking. They were so scared to ruin what they have by speaking, they were just ruining it by avoiding each other. Everytime they returned back to their apartments, they would spend their time drowning in thoughts about the other, dreaming up the things they weren’t bold enough to do in real life. 

Crystal hated the silence. She had gotten so used to calling, so used to spending her waking hours on the phone with Gigi: chatting, laughing, flirting. She kept waiting to hear her phone to ring, or to get a text. She just wanted something. Something to show that what they had was still there. And as if Gigi could read her mind, despite being blocks away, she got a text.

goodemorning: hey. i’m gonna call u, if that’s ok?

Crystal could feel Gigi’s hesitation from the way she had typed out the message. Gigi was just as scared as she was.

CRYstal: ...when has it ever not been ok? ofc u can call b

The call was slow. And awkward. Their dialogue was stilted and it felt like they were walking on eggshells around each other, their new dynamic being achingly polarizing. They tried to idly chat about nothing, just like they would have three weeks ago, but to no avail. They both knew they were holding themselves, and each other, back.

“Ok, no, I can’t deal with this anymore,” Gigi took a breath before continuing. Crystal froze up. “Listen I’m just gonna say this; what are we? I mean, we talked so much on lockdown, like, so fucking much and then all the flirting started, I mean, you call me babe for fucks sake, so, what does it all mean? Because this isn’t how friends act, Crys, you know that, right? This isn’t how ‘just friends’ act around each other, you had to have known that. You had to! Cause God knows I do, far too well.”

Gigi hadn’t expected to sound so angry. She wasn’t angry. Or maybe she was? She couldn’t really tell anymore. All she knew now was she felt horrid watching the tears prick behind Crystal’s eyes at her words, and instantly wanted to go back in time.

“Hey, no, don’t be upset. Look at me, I’m not mad, ok? I’m not mad. I’m just confused. I just want to know what’s going on because it’s just too much right now, so please just, talk to me?”

Crystal took a breath. She had been waiting for this moment. Waiting for one of them to finally acknowledge that there was something more going on here. There was no going back now - so that's why Crystal asked:

“Why don’t we try a date? We could go grab some coffee or something. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work and we can go back to being just friends”

In reality, Crystal hated the idea of it not working. She would do anything to keep their relationship as is. The flirting, the electric touches, they kept her going. Made her feel wanted. Gigi agreed to the offer in an instant, letting out a breath she was holding and physically relaxing at the way the unspoken had finally been spoken.

But they were still both terrified.

Crystal was the first to arrive at the small cafe. It's a quaint little shop - quiet, not too empty nor too full. Perfect for a first date. In theory. In practise, the first date has more to do with the compatibility of those in attendance. This shouldn’t have been a problem for Crystal and Gigi, they could spend hours and hours talking to each other from the safety of their bedrooms. Apparently doing this in person is easier said than done.

Gigi walked in nervously and Crystal was overwhelmed the moment they locked eyes. Gigi joined her at the table she had taken up in the corner. They sat opposite each other. The tension could have been cut with a knife. Crystal sipped on her tea she had ordered not long before, and Gigi stood up slowly, announcing she’d get herself a drink.

When she sat back down, the conversation didn’t pick up as well as they had hoped. It didn’t really pick up at all. Suddenly they were reduced to simple small talk, as if they had never even met before. Crystal could feel Gigi’s knee touching hers under the table. It didn’t spend sparks flying through her body. She felt uncomfortable. She didn’t know what to say anymore, it was like the title of this being a ‘date’ had taken every word out of Crystal’s mouth. The thing was, she still felt so strongly to Gigi, she wanted more than anything to have that cliche moment of figuring out if a kiss goodbye on the first date was too much, of laughing at stupid jokes, of interlocking picky fingers until they’re bold enough to preoperly hold hands. She wanted that with Gigi. But she felt awkward, like their chemistry had vanished.

Gigi wasn’t any help either.  She would stare off, deep in thought. But it wasn’t like how she had stared before. No, before she would stare at Crystal with what might have been described at love in her eyes. Pupils wide, smiling contently. Now she looked right through Crystal, trying to come up with something good to say, but coming up just as empty as Crystal had. While the date wasn’t completely silent between them, it was undeniably awkward. Unlike any interaction they’d had before.

When Gigi finished her coffee, she left. Excused herself and apologised that the date hadn’t lived up to expectations. Neither knew who, or what to blame for it. Crystal didn’t leave straight after. She sat there for a while, ordering another tea and letting herself get lost in her thoughts. Just as she felt tears behind her eyes, Jan walked in. Despite the fact that she was still in the corner, feeling small as ever, the blonde spotted her instantly, her face falling when she saw Crystal’s glassy eyes. As soon as she had her latte in hand, she sat down by Crystal.

“What happened. Why are you alone? Did someone stand you up? Oh my god I’ll kill them. Do you want a hug?” 

Jan had never been the best at comforting upset friends, her constantly high energy often not matching the mood of the room. Crystal didn’t mind. They had all gotten used to it, and knew the myriad of questions she would ask came from love. Crystal let out a sad giggle at Jan’s energy despite the situation, and nodded to say, yeah, I do want a hug.

Jan always gave the best hugs. She held on tightly, giving a little squeeze every now and again, as if trying to either take her friend’s pain away, or pass on some of her own happiness. When Crystal started lightly crying onto her shoulder, Jan just hugged tighter and whispered to her that it would be ok, and that she wasn't going anywhere. She waited for Crystal to pull away first, and when she did, she wiped her tears with her thumb and gave her the softest look.

“I had a bad date”

Neither Crystal nor Gigi had mentioned their date to their other friends, but Jan wasn’t surprised when she started to tell the whole story of what happened. The two girls spent a couple hours in the corner of the coffee shop, Jan refusing to leave until Crystal was back to laughing and smiling again. She couldn’t do anything to help Crystal and Gigi sort themselves out, but she could be a shoulder to cry on. And sometimes, that's all you need.

When Gigi had left, the first thing she did was ring Jackie. She explained everything, from how much they had talked in lockdown, to the failed date. Gigi was confused. Jackie somehow wasn’t.

“Y’all are forcing it. You made this connection when we were all stuck inside, and now suddenly things are different. You’re trying to act like things aren’t. Of course it’s gonna be awkward. But if you stick to that stupid ‘stick to being just friends if the date fails’ agreement, I’m kicking both your asses”

Trust it to Jackie to make some sense of the situation. 

After the date, Gigi and Crystal were scared to talk to each other at all - flirting or not. This is what they were scared of, and yet neither were bold enough to make a move to get them out of it. A few weeks passed, and they had barely exchanged a few words. They would steal glances at each other during group outings, but the other never seems to notice, or at least not pay attention like they used to. Crystal remembered when Gigi would purposely brush her hand on her thigh when they were sitting next to each other.  Gigi remembered when Crystal would wink when she caught her staring. They didn’t do that anymore.

The last week of summer had the four friends buzzing with excitement - Pride was finally happening! It was supposed to happen much earlier, but couldn’t go ahead due to the lockdown. Everyone was beyond pleased when they found out Pride had only been postponed and not cancelled, and would be taking place at the end of Summer instead. Jan, Jackie, Gigi, and Crystal didn’t even have to ask for them to go together - they had been going as a group every year since they had come out to each other. Over the years, they started to get more and more excited for the event.

It was surprisingly warm despite the time of year, but it allowed the group to enjoy the sun. The energy of pride was hardly ever dampened, but it was often a bit more difficult to have as much fun when it rained, or if it was a little too cloudy. That, thankfully, wasn’t the case this year. The four met up an hour before the parade, just as they did every year. Gigi and Crystal were scared of ruining each other's fun, worrying that their presence would make the other feel awkward. But somehow, the atmosphere surrounding them threw that possibility out the window as soon as they locked eyes. Each girl had dawned rainbow colours, and Gigi had done the most beautiful pride-inspired makeup. Crystal was in awe.

As the morning passed, the group had visited every stall, collecting an array of freebies. Each girl had an arm filled with multi coloured wristbands and were starting to warm up to the day ahead. Gigi and Crystal stood next to each other, brushing their arms up close and smiling intimately at each other. Now when Gigi stared, Crystal stared right back, winking in the exact same way she had before. Somehow it wound Gigi up more than she was used to. By noon, the pair were joined at the hip, hands intertwined like their lives depended on it. Conversations flowed naturally, and Gigi was back to hearing the laugh she had grown to love over the past few months.

In the early afternoon, Jan and Jackie left to ‘get some food’ while Gigi and Crystal stayed on the huge field, periodically getting themselves another drink. In their tipsy state, the girls couldn’t help but giggle at their friends' departure, knowing fully well they didn’t leave to get something to eat (well, food at least). Neither girl was accustomed to drinking during the day, but pride was an annual exception, so they allowed themselves to get a bit tipsy - it was pride after all. Barely anyone was 100% sober, and if they were, it was usually because they weren’t old enough to buy any alcohol.

Later on in the day, they found a small tent, music blasting from speakers inside it and filled with people dancing like nobody was there. Crystal pulled Gigi in, giving her no other option but to dance with her. They stayed in the tent for an hour or so, bodies getting dangerously close as the time progressed, but neither girl was complaining. It was as if they were daring each other to come closer and closer.

They left the tent when the main stage started to gather a bigger audience, opting to join everyone else on the open field. Their hands stayed intertwined as they danced and sang along to the live music , the buzzing atmosphere egging them on to stay impossibly close. Crystal found herself looking at Gigi more than she did at the stage, feeling hypnotised by the way she smiled. It was a smile she Gigi wasn’t even thinking about - she was truly happy, enjoying herself by Crystal’s side. Crystal smiled just as wide and just as truthfully. 

The pair decided to move to the back of the crowd when Gigi started complaining that her feet hurt. While it was the truth, it was really just an excuse to sit down with Crystal, who put her head in her lap the second she sat down. Gigi found herself not caring about the grass stains this time. The sun had started to set, and cast a dreamy golden light on the pair as they began to sober up and take a moment to relax with each other after the crazy day.

They fell back into their rhythm quickly, with Crystal’s head in Gigi’s lap and Gigi playing with her green hair. They were both so comfortable. So content. Happy. This is what they wanted, this is what they had expected for their date. However, Gigi had spent the whole day getting progressively closer to the other girl, and she was starting to get sick of coming to what seemed like a dead end. She decided it was time for that to change.

“You know Crys… I remember you promising to give me something when the lockdown finished, remember what it as?”

~

“When this is over, I’ll kiss you, don’t even worry about it” Crystal was only half joking. GIgi went red, but tried to act as if the thought of Crystal kissing her didn’t phase her at all.

“Oh will you now?”

“I’m not kidding”

“Well. I’d very much like that Miss Methyd”

~

She didn’t quite remember at first, but it didn’t take her long to understand exactly what Gigi wanted. 

“Well, I’d hate to not stick to my word”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Crystal answered that question by bringing her face up to Gigi’s and planting a firm kiss on her lips. From the start it was certain, and wanting. They stayed like that for a while, letting the sounds of the music grow smaller until the only thing that existed was their touching lips and hands in each other's hair (well, Crystal's hair, Gigi had kept hers shaved after Crystal kept saying that she thought it was hot). When they pulled away, they didn’t say anything. Crystal rested her head back into Gigi’s lap and smiled up at her. Gigi smiled back.

Jan and Jackie joined the pair not long after, as if they had been watching and waiting for something to finally happen between them before they interrupted. And maybe they had been. But none of them seemed to care.

That night, Crystal went home with Gigi. They made up for lost time, taking in each other's presence and the way their bodies worked together as if they were made to fit, and they never let go of eachother until morning.

[michael-langdon-appreciation]

You’re with me - Oneshot

Duncan Shepherd x fem!reader

Words: 4K

Summary: Duncan and I used to be something, something that just worked. It’s been months since our break-up and it’s time to face him once again armed with my new job and my new date. But that’s not going to stop Duncan from trying to win me back.

Warning: SMUT, elevator!sex, mention of squirting, swearing, softdom!Duncan, could be considering cheating I GUESS?!

A/N: My first Duncan fic as promised! Our Duncan is one determined boy in this one, some may argue a little too pushy even so this is just a reminder that you DO NOT have to put up with a situation like this or feel like you have to do anything similar to the reader. They have history in this fic, but even so! Couldn’t resist going a little soft with Duncan in this one too.

(Gif by @codyfernsource) 

I was aware of what I was letting myself into. This event was being hosted by the Shepherd Foundation and by attending I am willingly plunging myself back into my past. This is Duncan’s empire, a world I used to be so familiar with. I knew how it worked, how I operated within it and most importantly how to keep my head above the surface, but now I’m an outsider. I don’t know the faces in the crowd, the only familiar people are the Shepherds themselves making it painfully awkward as Annette kisses me on both cheeks, ‘We don’t get to see enough of you anymore.’ She laments, ‘There’s no need to be a stranger, Y/N.’

        ‘My new job is taking up a lot of my time.’ I reply, offering her my best smile though we both know it’s fake.

        ‘Yes, Duncan has told us all about that.’ Annette’s eyes gleam, ‘Working under our new Madam President must be very exciting, quite the promotion wasn’t it?’

        ‘Claire remembered some of the favours I did her.’ I admit, but Annette is making me sound dishonest, as if I got my job underhandedly and it sends a note of suspicion through me. I know the President has her suspicions about the Shepherds, but I’ll keep that to myself for now.

        ‘Are you here alone?’ Annette asks, ‘Duncan is yet to arrive if you are looking for-’

        I’m quick to cut in, ‘That ended a while ago, actually.’

I can see Annette’s intrigued, ‘Really?’ She breathes, ‘Duncan has kept quiet about that.’

‘Quiet about what?’

I would have cursed under my breath if I could, instead I’m forced to suck it up as Duncan swaggers towards us. As our eyes meet he swipes a second glass of champagne and hands it to me, ‘I had no idea you were on the guest list tonight Y/N and I should know, I planned it myself.’

It’s a warning, a barb that tells me I don’t belong here without his approval. ‘I’m here with my date, Nathan Pendlehouse.’ I reply, ‘You did allow plus ones.’

I take great joy in watching Duncan’s expression sour, ‘Pendlehouse,’ He mutters before plastering on a smile of his own, ‘So I did.’

Annette has sensed the awkward atmosphere, ‘I’ve heard of him, the Editor of the New Yorker, no? How long have you been dating?’

‘It’s relatively new.’ I reveal, watching for any action that will give Duncan away. ‘But it’s going well so far.’

Duncan finishes his champagne, plucks mine and starts on that too. Annette gives him a disdainful glance, ‘Well I must do the rounds,’ She announces. ‘I’ll be sure to congratulate Nathan on landing our dear Y/N if I see him.’

        We both wait till Annette is out of earshot before rounding on each other, ‘Leave.’ Duncan orders.

        ‘This is a hotel for starters and I have a room here.’ I fire back, ‘Plus I am a guest at your Uncle’s benefit so it will take a lot more than you to get me out of here.’

        ‘I have a room too.’

        It takes you a moment to process his intonation, ‘You’re disgusting.’

        ‘You wouldn’t still be talking to me if you weren’t interested.’

        ‘You’re vile.’ He’s steps closer to me, finishes my champagne and passes me back the empty glass, ‘I was going to drink that.’

        ‘I’ll buy you a whole bottle,’ Duncan pushes.

        I walk away, Duncan’s advances are just too much and I’m more than happy with Nathan. I have no intention of ending the night in Duncan Shepherd’s bed…again.

Nathan is over by the ice sculpture, sampling the buffet. He kisses my cheek and I feel nothing as I rub my hand over his back, just in case Duncan has followed me.

        ‘Mingling, darling?’ Nathan asks and I just nod, trying to engage in the nearest conversation around me. Nathan does a better job at socialising than I and for a while I’m happy losing myself in the small talk. The only thrill I have is throwing in my own disparaging remarks about the Shepherd chemical leak, but soon Nathan blabs about who I am and who I work for.

        The tone of conversation shifts to me and suddenly I’m the centre of attention. Of course I am, everyone wants to know Claire Underwood’s secrets and I’m one of the few who knows a handful. I wind up with a crowd circling me, most are respectful but there are a few who cast disparaging remarks towards my decision to back the first female President. I catch Duncan loitering in the back of the group next to his step-mother, a fresh glass of champagne in his hands. He offers me a toast when we lock eyes and Annette has had enough. She breezes forwards, ‘If you keep crowding dear Y/N you’re going to suffocate her.’ She jokes, though there’s no warmth in her eyes. Her hand cups my lower back, ‘Let’s get you some fresh air, my dear.’

        I let her lead the way just so I can take the escape she’s offering me. Nathan is already chatting up another group of people and I feel a wave of distaste slither through me, did he not worry where his date was going?

        ‘You always knew how to steal the spotlight.’ Annette says and the warning is all too clear.

        I put some distance between us both, ‘Perhaps you should do a better job of hanging onto it then.’ I say, ‘Tell your son to stop perving on me too, I’m not his plaything anymore.’

        I haven’t been here long, but I’ve already had more than enough of the Shepherds for one night. I tap Nathan on the shoulder, ‘I’m feeling a little dizzy,’ I lie. ‘I think I’m going to call it quits if that’s alright.’

        My date excuses himself and pulls me over to the chocolate fountain, ‘We’ve been here less than an hour.’

        ‘I know.’ I whine, ‘It’s just been a bit too much. Annette’s already harassing me and Duncan-’

        ‘Why did I know this would be about your ex.’

        ‘Duncan was six months ago.’ I reply, ‘We are ancient buried history.’

        Nathan plucks a strawberry and dips it in the fountain, ‘Doesn’t look that way to me.’

        ‘Meaning?’

        Nathan offers me the chocolate covered strawberry and I take it, ‘It means he’s been watching us from behind that pillar ever since we started this conversation.’ There’s a burning urge to look where Nathan is referring to, but I resist. ‘Seems he isn’t over you.’

        Pride surges through me. I bring the strawberry to my lips and suckle all the chocolate off, nice and slow keeping my eyes on Nathan. ‘All the more reason for me to head back to my room now.’ I persuade, ‘Unless you like the idea of another man staring at me,’ I tilt my head and inch a little closer to him, ‘Wanting me the way you do.’

        Nathan smirks, ‘Perhaps you’re right.’ He glances from his social circle and then back to me, ‘I won’t be too long, wait up for me?’

        I flash him my best smile only a little disappointed by his decision to remain here, I kiss him on the cheek and wave goodnight to his ‘friends’. As I’m heading out of the ballroom I catch sight of Duncan following me and I quicken my pace, not wanting another altercation. He’s certainly trying hard to win me over and I feel my veins jump to life at the thrill of the chase.

        I seize a bottle of Cava from an ice bucket on my way out, ready for it to keep me company till Nathan returns. I head for the elevator, glancing back over my shoulder as Duncan rounds the corner. The elevator doors ping open, I get inside as quickly as possible and press the button for my floor along with the close door button at the same time. Duncan’s broken into a run, trying to beat the doors and just as he reaches them they slide shut. I offer him a cheeky wave as he disappears from my view and once I’m alone I let out the breath I was holding.

        I beat him, I won.

        For some reason I’m always on the highest floor whenever I stay at a hotel and the doors open twice on my way to floor thirteen. My heart races every time we stop, I’m expecting to see Duncan standing on the other side, but so far there has been no sight of him. My companions get out at floor eleven and I’m alone again for the last two floors, I check twitter on my phone as the doors open and nearly walk right into someone as I step out.

        Hands grasp my shoulders, pushing me back inside the elevator, seizing the bottle of Cava and my phone drops out of my hand, landing on the carpeted floor just outside the elevator. I try to bend down for it, but my captor is having none of that, ‘You can get it after.’

        Duncan.

He’s panting heavily, his suit crinkled and his tie loosened. Duncan’s dark hair is mussed as he eyes me up and down. I shove against him, ‘The fuck? Did you run up-’

        ‘All thirteen flights of stairs?’ He asks, ‘You bet your sweet ass I did.’

        My mouth drops open, ‘Why?’

        A faint chuckle leaves his plump lips as he presses me into the back of the elevator. Duncan places the champagne bottle on the floor as the elevator doors slide shut, with them my chance of escaping. He returns to me quickly, his eyes hungry and predatorial. Duncan’s hand skims my collarbone and then lifts my chin up to meet his eyes, ‘Oh my Y/N,’ He purrs, ‘Because you wanted me to.’

        We start to descend, ‘I want to go to my room.’ I say, ‘Let me go.’

        ‘But you don’t want me to.’ Duncan’s voice is as light as a breeze, ‘Not really. That cute little wave you sent me just now, sucking that strawberry dry when you knew I was watching, you want me just as badly as I want you.’

        His lips crash into mine, stealing my breath away. My hands shove against his chest, but I can’t deny the moan of approval that hums in my throat.

I’m finally tasting him again.

The flavour of champagne and luxury meets my tongue, it’s so familiar and so Duncan I pull him closer. An ache settles deep in my bones at finally having it in my mouth again as my tongue curls around Duncan’s.

        My senses return to me and I break away. There’s a crack as my hand connects with his face and Duncan staggers wildly, falling into the side of the elevator. I pelt over and smash the button for the next floor, willing the elevator to arrive before Duncan recovers.

Luck is not on my side, Duncan’s right behind me and his hand slams against the Emergency Stop button. The elevator screeches to a halt as he presses himself against my back, hands running up my curves and cupping my breasts. Duncan’s lips are at my ear, ‘I can play dirty too.’

        ‘Well you’ve fucked it now.’ I hiss, ‘Who knows how long it’ll be till we get help?’

        ‘Exactly how I planned it.’

        I turn back round to face him, his cheek is blooming red blotches and I’m proud of my handy work. Duncan’s finger traces down my cheek, ‘You’re gonna pay for hitting me.’ He promises, ‘And you’re gonna beg for more when I’m done with you.’

        ‘You stay away from me.’

        Duncan slides a finger under one of my dress straps, ‘Still putting up a fight?’

        ‘I mean it,’ But I don’t remove his hand as my strap falls down.

        ‘Do you?’

        ‘I am with someone.’

        ‘Yes you are.’ Duncan’s lips descend onto mine again, his kiss passionate as he tugs me close our lips popping as he disconnects us and I’ve leaned into him without realising. Duncan is pure magnetism and I’ve always struggled to resist him, one of the things I fell in love with was his tenacity. He never gives up on the people he considers close. His lips dance over mine as he finishes his sentence, ‘You’re with me.’

        We both wait for the other to make a move, our breath mingling together. His tongue darts out and swipes at my lip, my hands fist the front of his blazer and I’m about to do it, I’m about to throw caution to the wind when the elevator alarm breaks out.

        Duncan keeps leaning in but his spell has been broken. The alarm is deafening inside the elevator and I slope as far away from him as I can get, which isn’t that far at all. I slide down the wall and start taking off my heels, ‘Looks like we’re be here a while.’

        Duncan slams his fist against the set of buttons and the alarm dies, ‘Huh.’ He looks pleased with himself.

        ‘How are they gonna know we’re stuck now?’

        ‘I guess they won’t.’ He sits opposite me, picks up the champagne and reads the label while I prize off my shoes, ‘Cava?’ He asks, ‘Really, we were serving Bollinger at the Benefit.’

        ‘Good for you.’ Duncan scowls, his legs spread wide so I can see his full package. My eyes keep sneaking to it when he’s not looking. Duncan pops the bottle open without spilling a drop and takes a good swig, ‘Thought it was too cheap for you?’

        He wipes his mouth on his sleeve, ‘Better than nothing. Gotta get my rocks off somehow.’

        ‘You are the worst kind of person.’

        ‘You were the one with your tongue in my mouth.’

        I don’t answer, finally unstrapping my shoes and letting my feet breathe. It feels wonderful and I lean my head back, grateful that at least with Duncan I can do what I want. His hand takes hold of my foot and I throw him a warning look, ‘Let me.’ His thumbs press into the ball of my foot and I gasp at the wonderful feeling as Duncan massages my foot. We don’t speak for a while, Duncan consumed in his task while the champagne sits next to him, I reach out for the bottle and scoot a little closer so he has better access to my foot. I’m not about to stop him any time soon.

        ‘Remember when I used to do this?’

        ‘No my brain has a big black hole where our relationship used to be’

        Duncan pinches my foot and I yank it away from him. He chuckles, taking the other one in his lap, ‘Still a bitch.’

        ‘Still an arrogant ass.’

        ‘I never pretended I wasn’t.’

        My retort dies. I take a big drink of champagne and some spills down the front of my dress, ‘Shit.’

        Duncan doesn’t comment on it, he just gestures for the bottle and I hand it back to him. ‘Wonder where your boyfriend is.’

        ‘It’s just a date.’

        ‘Are you changing your tune?’ He asks, smacking his lips and inching closer to me. ‘I must say that kiss had me doubting your loyalty to him.’

        ‘I shouldn’t have kissed you.’ I admit, ‘It was a mistake.’

        Duncan pushes his tongue against his cheek, ‘It’s never a mistake Y/N, let’s not kid ourselves.’

        I meet his eyes and all I want in that moment is to jump him. Duncan looks like the definition of a pop-star, his shirt unbuttoned so I can just see his muscles underneath, his hair dishevelled, his lips wet from the champagne we’ve been sharing.

        He’s right, isn’t he?

        ‘You still love me.’

        My realisation has Duncan backtracking at once, ‘What the hell gives you that delusion?’

        ‘You chased me down and trapped me in an elevator.’ I say, ‘And you massaged my feet which let’s admit is something you’d only do for someone you love.’

    ‘So?’

    ‘So?’ I’m becoming indignant now, pushing up the strap he slid down earlier and kneeling before him, ‘You never could admit your feelings, that’s why we broke up.’

     ‘We broke up because of our family’s.’ Duncan snorts, drinking once more. ‘They hated each other, real Romeo and Juliet shit.’

     ‘And you wouldn’t tell me those three words.’

     He bites his lip, ‘Well I’m not gonna say them now.’

     ‘Have you ever?’

      ‘No.’

       You reach out and brush some of his hair back behind his ear, ‘I feel sorry for you then.’

       There’s a crack in his façade, a quiver of his lips as he blinks quickly. ‘I don’t know what love is.’ He admits, ‘I’m adopted. I still don’t really know who my Mom is…’

        I don’t fully know what he means, but I can tell Duncan is hurting. I creep closer, kneeling right in front of him and take his face in my hands, ‘I loved you.’

        His hand strokes down my arm, ‘You still do.’

        ‘Duncan-’

        ‘You can be in denial all you want but we both know the truth.’

        I look deep into his eyes, trying to reach the boy inside. The Duncan I fell in love with, the one only I could find is still here, ‘If you say it back now, then maybe there’s a chance for us to rekindle what we had.’

        He blows out his breath slowly, ‘I guess I haven’t been subtle.’ I wait for him, running my fingers through his hair, tracing a finger down his nose as Duncan summons all his courage. ‘I love you, Y/N.’ He admits, ‘Or you’re the closest I’ve ever been to love, so it must be right?’ He gives me a smile full of insecurity, ‘I loved you and I lost you and I couldn’t stand to see you again because I knew I wouldn’t be able to switch these feelings off because I’ve never cared about anyone else before. Seeing you with that fop guy today just proved it, I was so worked up I-’

        I kiss him, letting my lips fall gently against his.

        ‘He doesn’t deserve you.’ I press my lips once again to Duncan’s a little firmer this time to quieten him but he seems determined to keep speaking, ‘Neither do I.’

        ‘Just shut up.’

        This time he lets me kiss him, Duncan’s hands cupping either side of my face. He pushes himself onto his knees so ours are just brushing against each other’s. Duncan’s tongue slides inside my mouth and curls around my own, he sucks at my tongue and I feel myself tingling at the erotic feeling. We move closer together both of us in a vertical kneel, Duncan’s arms winding around me and pulling me tight. My hands palms his cock through his suit trousers and Duncan releases my lips with a groan, ‘Tell me again.’

        ‘What?’

        His hands grip my ass through my dress, ‘You know what.’

       ‘I love you.’

        His lips go straight for my collarbone, shoving the straps of my dress down. His movements are wild and unrestrained, as if I’ve unlocked the cage to the beast inside. My hands slip into his trousers, cupping Duncan’s hot flesh while he makes do with branding my skin as his own. He feels heavy and hard in my fingers, I remove a hand to unzip his fly and take out Duncan’s cock right as he kisses me again. I feel his hands run into my hair and then Duncan gives one firm tug, fingers locking into my roots and I whine from the pain, ‘I’m gonna fuck you.’ He murmurs, ‘I’m gonna fuck you right here in this elevator.’

      ‘Shit.’ I groan, still working his cock with one hand while the other braces myself on his thigh.

      Duncan pulls me to my feet along with him, ‘Get up.’

     ‘What happened to the I love yous? I ask as he backs me against the wall and pushes my dress up round my waist.

     ‘Well once you’re pretty slit is full of my cum I’m gonna take you to my room and I’m gonna make love to you until the wake-up call comes.’

     ‘Sounds like an ideal night to me.’

     He pushes my underwear aside and my only warning comes when Duncan pulls my leg around him giving his cock the perfect access point to push into me. I jump when the head of his large cock pushes its way in and Duncan smothers me in another heady kiss.

    ‘Forgot how big you are.’ I whine, feeling my walls expanding to take him in once more.

    ‘Biggest you’ve had.’ He smirks and I find myself nodding along, ‘No one can fuck you like I can.’ Duncan grunts, slapping his hips into mine and starting our pace off nice and fast.

      My head falls back against the elevator wall, only just able to keep myself standing by tensing the leg I have hoisted around him as Duncan fucks me good and deep, ‘Feels so good.’

     ‘You like feeling my cock inside you again?’ My hands push his trousers down, running over the smooth cheeks of his ass as Duncan thrusts in deeply and I feel myself gush over him. ‘Was that a little orgasm?’ He checks and I nod, guilty of having already cum. Duncan comes to life, his chest puffing out and he begins to fuck me with renewed vigour. ‘I love that feeling of your cum covering my cock.’ He confesses, ‘How I’m coated with you, how I glisten with your sweet arousal. I’ve dreamed about having you cream for me again.’

        My cheeks flash scarlet remembering that one time, I can tell by the manic gleam in Duncan’s eyes that he is too. He takes my earlobe between his teeth, gently nipping at me, ‘Do you think you’re going to squirt this time for me?’

        My gasp hitches as Duncan plunges in deeper than his other thrusts, his cock brushing against my sweet spot. I arch my back, pushing my breasts against his chest, my arms wrapping round his neck so we are the same person. One of Duncan’s hands supports my back while his other braces against the wall, grunts falling from his lips, ‘It was the most beautiful fucking sight.’ He continues, ‘Watching you come so undone for me, you orgasm just leaking out of you while that pretty pussy squirted everywhere.’

        I’m falling apart in his arms, Duncan keeps hitting me in just the right spot and I shudder in his grasp stars popping into my vision as my second orgasm rocks over me.

        ‘DUNCAN!’ I cry and he lets out a cry of approval, losing his rhythm and thrusting messily till he too cums. Duncan’s load is warm and thick and he makes sure to fuck it all inside me as deep as he can before slowly, torturously pulling out.

        We catch our breaths and Duncan twangs my underwear back in place. There’s a little burn where the fabric was rubbing against my skin which sings in relief when he moves away.

        There’s a knock from the other side of the elevator, ‘Uhhh are you two done now? Can we open the doors?’

        Duncan stuffs his softening cock back inside his trousers while I tug my dress back down into place and try to make myself look presentable for the public again. When I’ve finished I catch Duncan picking up the Cava, my heels danging from his hand. ‘I’m celebrating.’ He quips as the elevator doors ping open and there stands Nathan along with a hotel maintenance man.

        Shame runs through me as I step out. Nathan is no fool, he knows what we were doing and there’s no way to hide it. I have no words and it doesn’t seem he does either at first. We two aren’t official, it’s only been a couple of dates and he looks as if his suspicions have been proven correct and I have to admit, they have. ‘I mean you could have tried to be a little less obvious.’ Nathan says, looking from Duncan to me. ‘The leaving quickly, the heated arguments. The power of exes I guess?’

        I can’t believe how well he’s taking it. Nathan seems almost nonchalant as if hearing his date fucking her ex in an elevator was an everyday occurrence. Nor do I believe it when Duncan puts his hand on my lower back and pushes in gently to encourage me to move. He pats Nathan on the shoulder, a swagger in his step. ‘Sorry buddy, but I’ve learned you can’t fight fate, or love.’ He says, offering Nathan the champagne bottle. ‘I think you’re gonna need this more than us.’

Tagging these babes who I think may like this: @langdonsoceaneyes @sodanova @petersfern-fics @avesatanormalpeoplescareme @sassylangdon @confettucini @sammythankyou @wroteclassicaly @Sloppy-Wrist @Langdonalien @alexcornerblog @sevenwondr @queencocoakimmie @sojournmichael @langdonsdemon @satcnas @alexcornerblog @wickedlangdon @cryptid-coalition @katiekitty261 @the--queen-of-hell @yourkingcodyfern @ritualmichael @icylangdon @sammythankyou  @lovelykhaleesiii

[jinkisbelly]

Divination 1/?

Hi, this is a big au that I started writing like early 2015, but I’ve been rewriting and reworking it for jjongsmonth that @rollarscoasterwrite is doing again this year, so ^^  2K18 jjongmonth if interested     Ao3 link     AFF Link

Pairing: Jongyu

Rating: Pg-13, for violence and talk of past death

w/c: 4k

Summary: After both of his older brothers are assassinated, Prince Jinki must return home to take the throne. Given the circumstances, he’s given a new, special guard. Jonghyun Kim of Jyee  

The beautifully gilded walls of the ballroom may have been draped in fine fabrics and precious jewels, but as Jinki stood just to the left of his father’s throne, he thought them to be utterly boring to look at. He also thought that the endless line of guards around the perimeter was a bit overkill. He sighed quietly and ran his hands over the black of his mourning garments. It was odd to not have his brothers beside him, the vacant space cold and deafening. There was a small part of him that wished for the feeling of something missing to disappear, but the bigger part of him didn’t want to be used to the feeling of not having his brothers with him.

Growing up they hadn’t always gotten along. Jaeho and Jiwoon had been bigger, taller and stronger than he. Part of it was them being years older than him, but the rest was because he had inherited something thought lost in their bloodline. Magic. Instead of playing in the mud outside and learning to ride horses and sword fighting, he was stuck up in the Wizard’s Keep with the almost ancient being he even called Master to the day. Training, learning. What powers he had, the limitations of the ones discovered, and what they meant for the good of the Kingdom and his family. If he tried hard enough, he could hear Jaeho teasing him as he read a book instead of working with the Master at Arms like them. So many afternoons spent under the shade of a tree, watching as his brothers learned to fight with different weapons, getting a feel of the one for them, and eventually mastering them. A whole lot of good the mastery did them though, he thought bitterly.

He glanced over at his father softly. It seemed like overnight the years deepened the lines on his face. Sure, it had been a few years since he had been home, spending his time in the far land of Bochlis exploring the ancient tomes and scrolls kept protected there, but it surely hadn’t been that long for the grey in his beard to appear so greatly.. Had it? Then again, losing not only the son meant for the throne, but the second as well, had to be devastating in a way Jinki only partly understood. He wishes he was still in Bochlis, surrounded by so many ancient magical artifacts and tomes. For if he was, his brothers would have to still be alive.

When his father stood, he turned his attention to the center of the room. Approaching was a pair of men. One he recognized as the Captain of the Castle guard, Eunhyuk. The other, he didn’t know, and that fascinated him. The man was dressed simply in dark clothes with an open collar of his shirt. There was a sword at his hip and a dagger poking from one of his knee-high boots. The tiny bit of heel on the boots made Jinki want to smile. Finally, something interesting.

Eunhyuk and the mystery man deeply bowed in the presence of their King, and Jinki pushed down the urge to raise his eyebrow when the attention quickly shifted to himself. Eunhyuk looked back at the King as he informed him, “I have acquired what you wished for, Your Majesty.”

“As always, I thank you for your diligence Eunhyuk.” Jinki’s gaze snapped to his father when he was gestured to, “Come forward Son.”

He let his hands fall from where they had been held in front of him, and bowed his head respectfully. “Yes, Father?”

“Given the recent circumstance, I’ve increased the strength of your guard.”

“I am quite aware of that, Father, for I seemingly have an entire regiment outside my door every night.” He completely ignored the way his father was glaring at him.

“I have lost two of my children and I will not lose my last. This is your new personal guard.” The King’s hand was gesturing to the Mystery Man. “He is to go everywhere with you, do you understand Son?”

Jinki flicked his gaze to the man carefully before taking the few steps down to the main floor. As he approached the man, he was pleasantly surprised to find him bowing and offering his hand up. He was looking at Jinki with warm eyes, expecting. Hesitantly, he took the offered hand and studied the way a kiss was pressed to his knuckles in a way no one had done since news of his power spread. “Jonghyun Kim of Jyee. It’s a pleasure to serve you, Your Highness.”

“It seems we shall see just how great of a pleasure it is, Jonghyun Kim of Jyee.”

-----

Jinki still wasn’t sure what to make of the man. He could sense something about him, different, than the other guards that stood outside of his door. He couldn’t put a finger on it, not yet anyway, but he knew whatever It was, was the reason the number of guards outside his room and following him around the castle had decreased dramatically. For the first time in weeks he might add, no matter how often he requested them to leave him alone beforehand.

As they stepped into his rooms, he gestured toward the hallway that led to the left directly from the door. “Down there are a few rooms that could be converted into living quarters for you should you require them. Otherwise, your room would be located in the barracks in the Southern Wing of the Castle.”

“If you don’t mind sharing your little wing, I would prefer to be closer to you if the need arise for me to get here quickly when I’m off duty, Your Highness.”

Jinki quirked his eyebrow up, “Do you foresee me needing your assistance in the middle of the night frequently, Jonghyun?”

“Anything is possible, Your Highness. Have to be prepared.”

-----

He closed his eyes as he barely brushed his fingertips over the clothes of Jaeho’s, neatly tucked away in his closet, skin tingling as a memory associated with it descended over him. Laughter spilled tea, and stumbling because of the whiskey poured into the delicate teacup when their tutor wasn’t looking. Jinki smiled softly, remembering the very few shared lessons. Ettique. When he opened his eyes he realized he was touching the shirt he had gotten Jaeho for his 18th birthday. He swallowed thickly before letting his hand fall. Being able to feel the memories tied to items was a blessing, and a curse, wrapped in a tight little bow.

Jonghyun was across the room, leaning against the wall by the far window. His arms were crossed over his chest, eyes gazing out of the glass toward the back courtyard and the ponds in the gardens. If he noticed the silent tears falling from Jinki’s cheeks, he made no sign or mention, and Jinki was grateful for it. He wiped his eyes with the sleeves of his overcoat, taking a deep breath to center himself. When he opened his eyes again, Jonghyun’s gaze was directly on him. Interesting enough, Jinki couldn’t read him. He turned a little so he was facing the new guard fully. “Tell me, Jonghyun, what made you accept this position?”

An eyebrow quirked up as the man straightened, “You really had no idea I was being employed, did you, Your Highness?”

“None in the slightest.”

“Interesting.”

“Quite.” He hummed softly. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Ah, yes. I apologize, Your Highness.” Jonghyun shrugged, right hand resting on the hilt of his sword on his hip casually. “I have certain qualifications that your father was looking for and the pay is quite nice compared to my previous employment.”

“So you’ve been,” He cleared his throat as he waved his hand in the air gently. “Informed? Of what I am that is.”

“I can’t say I completely understand the question, Your Highness.” Jonghyun’s head was slightly cocked to the side as he continued. “You’re the crowned prince, the future king. My Charge.”

“I am fascinated by the idea that you hold something so special that my Father seems to think you can protect me better than I can on my own.” Jinki smiled gently before he was turning away, walking out of the door. He knew Jonghyun was following by the soft vibrations of his boots against the wood of the floors. Down the hall from Jaeho’s rooms was a walkway that led to his own rooms across the bridge in the Northern Tower of the castle. Jonghyun seemed to be keeping up well enough, from what he could tell without looking behind him. His bedroom door was opened with a flick of his finger and he turned to the right through the doorway that was his library of sorts. A few dozen paces more and he paused in front of a cobblestone wall between to bookcases that rose to the high ceilings.

“Your Highness?” Jonghyun’s voice was a light, a bit out of breath.

Jinki grinned. “After you, Jonghyun.”

“That’s a wall, Sir.”

“I suppose it is,” He gently pushed his hand against it, chuckling when Jonghyun’s eyes widened as his hand went straight through. “From a certain point of view.”

“I should warn you that magic doesn’t-” Jinki curled his hand around Jonghyun’s wrist and tugged him behind him, through the wall. Jonghyun blinked as the light shifted. He turned to look at the... Whatever it was and his eyes widened. “I didn’t expect that to work.”

“You were saying something about magic?”

He whipped his head around to focus on him in the dim light of the room. “Nothing, Your Majesty.” He cleared his throat. “What is this place?”

“My safe place.” He quickly replied. He rose his hand and the light in the room brightened. “And when I asked about what you were told about me, I meant this. That I’m a wizard. The first in the royal family in a hundred years.”

“I was.”

“Were you told of all of my powers?”

Jonghyun walked along the curve of the opposite wall, gently running a fingertip over the displays. “I was given a scroll. I’m quite well read on you, Your Highness. I doubt the King would allow me to guard you solely as I am now if I wasn’t well prepared.”

“I’m almost flattered.” Jinki chirped quietly moving towards the stack of books near the couch against the wall. “I have a scroll.”

“Doesn’t everything important have one somewhere, Your Highness?”

He didn’t respond until he was rested on his couch, the tome on his lap. As it was opened to the page he needed, he glanced up at Jonghyun. “That would require my Father to have deemed me important before my brothers’ passings.”

Jonghyun opened his mouth for a moment before softly shutting it. Jinki was well aware of his movements around the room, even if he didn’t raise his gaze from the words he was reading. Until he heard Jonghyun’s voice again, “Why do you have this place? What in here needs to be hidden?”

“What makes you think its purpose is for hiding something?”

“The magic wall-that’s-not-really-a-wall, Your Highness.”

Jinki chuckled quietly, putting his hand palm down on the book and looking up. “I created this room when I was thirteen. The room existed, but instead of that mirage, you see there was a normal doorway. If anything in here needs to be hidden, it was me and always has been. I don’t belong here.”

“Here?”

“This castle, this Kingdom. I was never meant to be King.” Jinki tapped his ring-covered fingers on the thick, rough pages of the book as he thought about his choice of words. “If my brothers were still alive, I’d still be deep within the archives of Bochlis.”

“I’ve been there once,” Jonghyun commented. “As a young boy. The monks there helped me. The most I remember from being inside was that the bookshelves seemed to go up and on forever like I’d never reach the end if I tried.”

“I have tried,” Jinki smirked, “And they don’t end. Or, well, I hadn’t reached it in the three years I was there.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, Your Highness,” Jonghyun finally looked over at him then, hands clasped behind his back. “If you feel like an outsider in your own home, why accept your claim to the throne?”

“I won’t mind if you allow me to ask you something of my own, Jonghyun.” When the man bowed his head in acceptance, Jinki continued. “In the scroll, you were given of me, how in depth did it go into my early life?”

“Vaguely. Mostly ages of when certain powers were known to develop.”

“My mother died giving birth to me and while my Father has been the only one to outright blame me for it, I knew my brothers felt the same way. They were kinder in that sense to never verbally tell me so.” He leaned his head back against the couch, eyes fluttering for a moment before he began to talk again and found Jonghyun’s gaze. “When I developed my first power my father was so startled he called me a demon. I was only three, levitation of objects. It had been so long since a Wizard was born to the Royal Family he questioned my origins if he was my father. Being that I’m a spitting image of his own father, his doubts were quickly extinguished.”

“Your Highness, you don’t have-”

Jinki shook his head, “If you are to guard me as my Father requires than you need to know, really understand who I am. What makes me who I am. I am not the rightful King. Jaeho was. I am a consolation prize. To answer your question, I accepted my claim to the throne in the small hope that for once I wouldn’t be a disappointment to my Father, to my bloodline that has sat on the throne of this kingdom for the last fifteen generations before me. For some reason, his opinion of me matters deeply to me still.”

Jonghyun was silent for a long time then, jaw tense and lips pressed together in a firm line. When he finally spoke, his eyes were hard. “I may only have known you for a few days and my opinion may not mean much, but I have a great history of reading people. I must say, Your Highness, I doubt you’re the consolation prize you view yourself as.”

For once, Jinki didn’t have a snappy comeback. Instead, opting to stare at the back of Jonghyun’s head as the man turned to flip through one of the tomes on the bookcase he had stopped in front of.

Interesting, indeed. He wasn’t sure why he had opened up and revealed so much of his past to a man he had only known for a few days, not for certain, but if everything worked out he would be around the man for a significant amount of time. If he was honest with himself he half expected Jonghyun to either laugh or walk back out the magic wall when he was finished answering his question. What kind of King had a complex about needing his Father’s approval? A bad one. That’s the correct answer. The entire situation intrigued him immensely and his fingers twitched against the book he had yet to continue to read.

-----

It felt right to have the white, soft flowy fabric over him again. The darkness of his mourning clothes felt suffocating. He knew their purpose and the respect wearing them meant, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t glad when the public mourning period ended. He was fastening his dagger to his thigh when he heard the soft clacks of Jonghyun’s boots coming down the distant hall. Sure enough, once he finished and had looked up the man was ascending the few stairs that led to the breakfast nook he was standing in. Jonghyun bowed slightly at the waist in greeting, “Good Morning, Your Highness.”

“Good Morning, Jonghyun. How did you sleep?”

“Soundly.”

“Good. You’ll need it.”

Jonghyun’s gloved hands were resting on the hilt of his sword casually once again, a habit Jinki had quickly pinned him for. “Are we going somewhere of dire danger this morning, Your Highness?”

“Nothing too dire I hope.” He wrinkled his nose, brushing his hands over the fabric of his shirt. Once satisfied he was ready, he let his hands fall to his sides. “I haven’t been to the Wizard’s keep by the bay since just before I first left for Bochlis. My Master, there is expecting me.”

“That doesn’t exactly sound dangerous, Your Highness.”

“In theory? It isn’t.” Jinki walked over to the small table on the left side just down the set of steps. He wiggled each ring onto his fingers quickly and familiar as he continued, looking around the room for his cloak. “However, to reach the keep, one must travel around the cliff multiple times up a steep incline. The path is also too narrow for more than two horses to walk beside each other comfortably.”

“Ah, you’re worried about an ambush.”

“There is no reason to believe that whoever wished my brothers dead don’t also wish that fate on me. Just stay vigilant, Jonghyun.”

“Always, Your Highness.”

Jinki paused in clasping his cloak to send a little smile in Jonghyun’s direction. “Good. Come, My Master is expecting me before High Noon tea. We must make haste.”

-----

Jonghyun looked up the rock and grass of the cliff’s edge for a moment before returning to watch the dust of the path billow as their horses moved forward. “Your Highness?”

The young Prince turned, eyes slow to find his. There was a kind smile on his face, the breeze blowing softly past them. “Yes, Jonghyun?”

“You wouldn’t happen to know why they chose to build the keep here of all places, would you?” He adjusted his hands on his reins as he continued. “It just seems far too dangerous for the inhabitants to travel down for supplies to live.”

“I just so happen do.” The Prince’s attire was different than he had seen in the two weeks he had worked for him. He supposed today was the first day out of mourning. He looked more at ease, relaxed than in days past. His body wasn’t as tense, his hands gently holding the reins in his lap, his feet swinging just a little in the stirrups. “Back during the Wizard Wars some hundred years ago, when the last Wizard King sat upon the throne, they decided to move the keep somewhere safer. This location was chosen because of how hard it was to reach it. The path up is too narrow for cannons or wagons, and very few soldiers could stand in a row as they marched up. Before the fear that the knowledge and artifacts that are housed here now would fall into enemy hands, the keep used to be in the Northern Tower connected to the Castle. My rooms.”

“This keep has stood untouched for a hundred years?”

“Mostly. Right before my Eldest brother was born a rogue Wizard managed to break the defenses and scale the tower. If you look to the back of the tower, toward the sea, you can still see the scorch marks from where their spell backfired.”

“Spell, Your Highness?”

“They tried to translocate the entire attic of the Keep.” Jinki hummed as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing fallen strands back softly. “The spell backfired because it meddled with a very powerful artifact kept up there. The different schools of magic, the aura around them, didn’t mix and in consequence, the spell blew up in their hands. They flew out over the edge of the cliff and fell into the rocks in the sea below.”

“That’s awful.”

“Oh, Completely. My master once told me how there were adept Wizards were sent to clean up the scene. He described it in way too much detail for an eleven-year-old to hear.” Jinki shook his head slightly, before pressing his lips together. “Gruesome.”

“That’s even more awful, Your Highness.”

“Well-” Abruptly the man stopped speaking, eyes squinting as they peered across the path. His hand was on his dagger on his thigh a moment later. “We have company.”

Jonghyun followed his lead and dismounted. He pulled his sword from the scabbard, fingers flexing on the hilt. He took a few steps until he was next to Jinki. He didn’t fail to notice the bright light swirling around his left hand. His question died on his lips as men jumped up from the path’s edge, armed to the teeth. He turned to relay a plan to Jinki, but the man had already rushed forward to meet their attackers. He hissed a curse before joining him.

He realized that Jinki had the two he was fighting handled easily, swiping low and knocking the two men off balance with his right leg, air swirling under them as they landed and tossing them a few dozen feet in the air as Jinki straightened once again. The men crashed into the dirt with loud groans and didn’t move to get up as Jinki turned to the next. Jonghyun blinked before focusing on the closest attacker to himself.

The small group of soldiers that had been sent with them were doing their best to aid them while trying to keep the horses and themselves out of the line of fire. The battle blurred together for Jonghyun, the sounds of metal scraping against metal, the snap and sizzle of Jinki’s magic. He was disarming one of the last men in front of him when he saw the Sorceress by the edge, lips moving just as quick as her hands as she focused. He quickly disposed of his attacker, twisting around the back of another and slid between her and Jinki, hand held out. As the spell came rushing to him, it backfired, ricocheting off his palm and barreling toward the woman. She flew over the edge of the cliff with a scream.

Just like that, the attack ended as quickly as it arrived. He was about to turn around to check on Jinki when he felt an arm tight around his waist and the cool metal of a blade against his throat. Jinki’s voice was deep as he hissed against his ear. “You’re a lithe.”

“I am.”

“Were you sent to kill me?”

He rose his hands slowly, making a point to drop his sword where Jinki could see. “The King knows. Me being a Lithe is the reason I was hired. To protect you against magic users.”

“Am I supposed to trust you after this was kept from me?”

Jonghyun swallowed thickly, the dagger against his throat a little too close for comfort. “I thought you were told, Your Highness. I mean you no harm, I promise.”

For a few, slow and almost deadly moments, the blade was kept against his throat. Then it was removed and Jinki stepped back, letting him go. When Jonghyun turned around, slowly picking up his sword to return it to his scabbard, Jinki was moving to wipe his dagger with a dark cloth he had in his other hand. He looked up then, hair falling into his eyes, “If you ever decided to try to use my magic against me, just know I can gut you like a fish.”

“Point taken, Your Highness.”

Jinki sighed then as he put his dagger away, eyes closing for just a moment before he bowed his head. “My apologies for that. It startled me and I was defensive.”

Jonghyun rubbed his neck absentmindedly. “You’re forgiven, Your Highness. I should have told you what I was.”

The Prince smiled then, juxtaposed to the deadly expression he had just wielded. A soldier handed him the reins to their horses and he held out Jonghyun’s. “Let’s get going. There may be more.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

-----

[cherrywineandmagic]

In The Morning - Ch. 2

Luke stared in wonder as Y/N fell into her natural rhythm. She walked swiftly, stopping every now and then to snap a picture of the fields. Her all black outfit was a stark contrast the the vivid reds and oranges around her, giving the afternoon a surreal sense for him. The image was breathtaking to the point he almost felt like he was dreaming. 

"So this is what your work looks like," he commented as he followed behind her, his feet following the same steps she had taken. He was careful to not block the natural light as he towered over her. She nodded, her face full of concentration as she snapped another picture. "This is a fairly easy piece. Photograph the poppy fields. It's actually pretty relaxing." "Yeah, it is," he agreed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. The day was cool, with just enough sunlight to provide the warmth they needed. Roxy was bouncing ahead of them, excited to be in such a large playing field. Her happy barks filled the air as she chased birds and butterflies. Y/N turned her head and lowered her camera for a moment, a small smile gracing her lips. "I've missed you. My last visit wasn't nearly long enough." "Two days a year ago? Definitely not long enough," he chuckled. She had crashed on his sofa for two nights, refusing to take his bed and instead opting for the pull out couch. It was only two days but she had brought a sense of joy back to him that he had missed while out in the field, and it had left just as quickly as she had. He took a step forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, bringing her into him protectively. The hint of coconut from her hair wafted up to him and he smiled at the fact she continued to use the same shampoo since high school. He kissed the top of her head in a loving manner, lingering just a second too long. "You're still the big softy I know and love, aren't you?" Y/N asked with an amused grin. She pulled away and his body almost immediately reached out to pull her back in before showing some restraint. "Guess even the FBI can't change that." He laughed, his eyes nearly disappearing at the smile on his face. She had expressed her concerns when he had told her about the BAU, claiming that every FBI agent she'd ever met felt cold. He'd simply laughed and commented on the fact she'd only ever met two agents and they were both known to not be the kindest of people. Suddenly he was very aware of the fact she stood in front of him and so his body moved naturally, his arms reaching out to caress her hair before stopping at her neck, his thumbs slowly rubbing against the skin of her jaw. "I'll always be soft when it comes to you." The honesty in his words surprised them both. They stared at each other for a moment, emotions swimming behind both of their eyes before Y/N cleared her throat and took a step back, leaving his hands yearning to touch her again. Roxy appeared at the very moment, her head reaching the fill the emptiness of his hands. He sighed internally, slightly comforted by Roxy's loving gesture. "Come on. Let's finish this so we can go grab something to eat," Y/N said as she took off into the field again. Roxy took off running again and Luke watched as Y/N snapped some photographs of his dog in all her joy. 

Spencer stood in line at the local Costco Wholesale with a half empty cart. He was a little zoned out as the large line in front of him barely moved until a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Spencer?" He turned, surprised to hear his name in the middle of his shopping trip. He grinned when he caught sight of who had called out to him. "Y/N. Hey! How are you?" he asked brightly. He took a moment to take her in again and was slightly surprised to find she was just as beautiful as he remembered. He had gone home the other night sure that he had exaggerated her beauty, convincing himself that it was just the fact she was a new face. And yet now she stood in front of him proving his theory wrong. "I'm good! I came to pick up some photos," she said as she held up a fairly thick package. "I see you came for necessities." Spencer chuckled as he looked at his cart. There was literally nothing besides cans of coffee and two new pillows after he had decided the ones he was currently using had begun to hurt his neck. "Yes, necessities. But I've been standing in line for so long I'm thinking about coming back another time for them," he replied honestly. He had been in line for at least fifteen minutes now and had only moved a few feet. "Do you want me to keep you company while you wait?" she asked as she surveyed the line. The cashier appeared to be discussing something with a customer, undoubtedly doing his best to please whatever concern they had. "Oh," he said, flustered by her proposal, "I don't want to keep you here any longer than you need to be." "Don't worry. I've got nothing else to do. I'd rather stay and talk with you than go to an empty apartment," she replied with sincerity. He nodded, fighting the small blush that wanted to make its way to his cheeks. "So, are those for work?" Spencer asked as he gestured to the pack of photos she held. Immediately he regretted the question. Of course they were, she was a photographer for god's sake. "Yep," she answered with a grin, "do you want to see?" He nodded eagerly and so she tore open the package and pulled some photos out. Spencer was enticed by the vivid colors she had managed to capture, and the way the flowers seemed to be flowing in the wind despite the fact they were obviously still. "These are amazing," he complimented. Her lips pulled into a small smile at his words and at the way he observed he photos so intently. "Thanks. They're not my best work but they'll be enough." "Who are you selling these to?" he asked with curiosity. "National Geographic," she replied with a wave of her hand as if it was nothing unusual to have work featured in such a large magazine. "They'll take anything." "I highly doubt that," Spencer chuckled, amused at the fact she was trying to make her work seem like no big deal. "Don't sell yourself short." She smiled at the fact he repeated the same words she had told him the day they met. "So, coffee and pillows. Am I sensing an all nighter happening soon?" she asked, her voice teasing yet genuinely questioning. "I drink more coffee than I should so this is just the tip of the iceberg," he admitted as he gestured towards his cart. "And I don't sleep that well so all nighters are common for me nowadays. Might as well have comfortable pillows to lay on." "Smart man," she beamed. "Oh, we're up next." They had advanced a great deal in line while they talked and Spencer was surprised to see he was next. While time had felt to drag on when he was alone, it had gone by in a blink of an eye due to his new company. Y/N stood silently beside him as he paid for his belongings. "Well, thanks for the talk," Y/N said as they walked out of the store. "My car is that way." She pointed to the opposite direction of his own car and he felt a sudden disappointment at the fact they would part ways. "Would you like to hang out with me? Maybe have a cup of coffee?" Spencer asked, deciding he had nothing to lose in doing so. Her head tilted as she looked at him and for a moment he felt foolish as she contemplated his offer. "I'd love to." He grinned, feeling relief wash over him at the fact he hadn't had to deal with rejection that night. "Um, follow me home then? Or I can just give you my address?" "Send It to me," she replied with a smile. Her hand extended out and he looked at her open palm in question. "Give me your phone, silly." "Oh. Right." He scrambled for his phone before passing it to her fully unlocked. He watched as she typed away, the brightness of the screen illuminating her facial features in a new light before handing it back to him. "Just type in your address and hit send. I'll see you soon!" Spencer grinned as she walked away, a bounce in her step that charmed his heart. He was quick to put his things into the trunk of his car before slipping into the driver's seat. He clicked on her contact, his face flushing as he saw she had added a winky face next to her name, and typed in his address and hit send. He stared at his screen for a second before his fingers moved again, typing out a second message. Can't wait to see you again so soon! He cringed as soon as he sit send. God, that sounded so weird, so desperate. He had literally just seen her. And the exclamation point, what was he, 8? "God, Spencer. Why do you do these things," he groaned as he started his engine and pulled out of the parking lot. 

"You beat me here," Spencer said in surprise as he made his way to the door, pillows and coffee cans in hand. Y/N was standing outside of her car, parked on the street of his apartment. "You must be a slow driver. What's wrong, grandpa? You can chase killers but can't push that accelerator?" she joked, a mischievous grin present on her lips. "Nah, I'm joking. I drive too fast. It scares the shit out of Luke." Spencer laughed at the thought of someone as brave as Luke being terrified of getting into a car with her. "Remind me to never get in a car with you then," he laughed, motioning for her to follow him. She chuckled as she fell into step behind him. "It's good to have a little fun," she replied. "But you're right. I'll make you drive on all of our dates." "Dates?" Spencer froze, his cheeks threatening to burn from the heat that was slowly rising in them. He watched as she sprinted up the stairs ahead of him, her laugh trickling down. "I'm joking! Come on, Spencie. We haven't got all night." "Spencie?" he muttered under his breath, his eyebrows furrowing at the name. He hadn't been called that since he was a child. He shook his head, confused at what was happening and followed her up the stairs. "You lead. I don't know where I'm going," she laughed as she waited for him. He grinned and nodded towards the hallway, letting her know they were already on his floor. "Oh thank god. I hate stairs." "There's an elevator here too," Spencer commented as he struggled to take his keys from his pocket. Y/N quickly grabbed the pillows from under him so he could grab them. He hesitated for a moment before turning the knob, his mind racing to recall how messy he had left his place. It was too late now, she was going to see it whether it was clean or not. "Remind me to take it next time," she replied as she followed him inside. She wasn't surprised at what his place looked like. It was covered from wall to wall in books and she could see at least 3 different mugs scattered around where he had left coffee. "You can make yourself comfortable. I'll start on the coffee," Spencer said. And so she did. She threw herself down on his couch as if she lived there and picked up the nearest book, curious to see what kind of literature he kept around. She tried her best to piece together who he was based on the artwork he had hung up and the pictures he had framed. He seemed like someone who truly loved their friends and family as his frames were dusted off in comparison to the stacks of books they sat next to. His taste in books was diverse as she found things from comics to scientific journals. All around he was very much someone she would find comfort in as his home exuded a certain warmth that very few others did.

“Sorry about the mess,” Spencer apologized as he returned with two mugs in hand. He had left mugs and sweaters lying around, not one to really ever expect much company.

“Are you kidding? This feels like home.”

She took the coffee he offered and sat up, motioning for him to join her on the couch. He took a seat a few feet away, thinking about how most people wanted their own space upon hanging out with new people. Y/N noticed the distance but made no comment.

“So, Spencer Reid. Tell me a story.”

He was thrown off by the conversation starter. Most people would simply ask how someone was doing or how their day went. Never before had he been asked for a story.

“A story?” he asked, his mind suddenly blanking.

“The best way to get to know someone is by knowing where they came from, what they’ve done, what’s happened to them. So tell me a story,” she replied with an encouraging smile. “Here, I’ll start.”

Spencer found himself more entertained than ever before as she told him about her trip to Africa to photograph wildlife only to be chased by a pair of lions. She spoke animatedly, with true love of her work and an appreciation of nature that he found inspiring. And so they traded stories. He even surprised himself as he told her about his childhood, about his mother, about adventures with Henry. She shared her own childhood, the two being refreshingly honest with each other. They were caught up in yet another one of her stories, laughter filling the air between them when her phone began to ring. "Hey Luke, what's up?" she said into the phone. Spencer sat silently, looking away as if trying to give her privacy. "I can't. I'm busy right now." Spencer grinned as she shot him a wink. Her smile was bright, the obvious happiness of the night showing as Luke spoke to her on the phone. "I'm at Spencer's." She paused. "Your Spencer. Spencer Reid, the genius mind who makes delicious coffee." He watched as her eyebrows furrowed. "Because, Luke. He's my friend now too." Spencer frowned as she stood, her body language changing abruptly from happy to noticeably upset. "Sorry, do you mind if I take this outside?" He shook his head and allowed her to step out, wondering what Luke could’ve said to change her mood. His mug sat empty in his hands and so he decided to fill it up once more, stopping for a second to grab Y/N’s empty mug as well.

The day had turned into one he didn’t expect. After a long day at work he had made the decision to stop and grab a few things at the store before heading home, a decision he was now more than happy he had made. Instead of returning to his home with only items, he had returned with company and a new friend. Lord knew he needed new friends.

“Sorry about that,” Y/N apologized as she stepped into his kitchen. She looked towards the time on his clock. “It’s getting late. I should go. You probably have an early morning.”

“I don’t,” Spencer lied. A brief silence passed between them as they stared at each other, the look in both their eyes unreadable. Finally he cleared his throat and spoke. “More coffee?”

She glanced at the coffee he had just poured and nodded. A small smile graced her face that seemed to restore them back to their previous friendliness.

“You better make another pot. I have more stories to tell.”

Ch.1