#but it felt remarkably realistic in some ways

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

Huh, I didn’t remember all *that* in Barbie: The Princess and the Pauper

[paragonrobits]

some important calvin and hobbes facts in case you haven't read the original comic strip in a long time or only absorbed stuff on it from memes and out of context bits on here:

Calvin's last name has never been given, and neither has any of his parent's names. This was actually why his uncle Max only showed up for a brief storyline; the creator of the comic, Bill Watterson, ultimately felt that while it was fine to have him as someone for his parents to talk to, it felt far too awkward to never have Max refer to them by name and he never made a return appearance.

The general tone of the comic is fairly light-hearted, with a big emphasis on goofy slapstick comedy contrasted by clever wordplay and often surprising adult-centered jokes that'll hit you like a slap. A big part of the comedy is, as Watterson put it (paraphrased) "It's really funny to me when people express deeply stupid ideas with really fancy terminology." One notable example you might have seen is that one bit where Calvin asks his mom for money to buy a Satan-worshiping rock album and his mom replies that there's nothing genuine about them and they're just putting on the attitude for shock value, and comisserates with Calvin as he deplores that mainstream nihilism can't be trusted. He concludes that childhood is disillusioning.

There is a LOT of criticism of the extreme materialism and selfish mentality of the late 80s, when the comic was initially written. This may go a long way to explain how its aged so well; much of what it criticizes resonates well with people today.

Bill Watterson views comic strips a legitimate form of artwork, and repeatedly fought to have more space to draw more beautiful and artistic backgrounds, which was a very hard fight and unpopular even with other comic strip artists. He eventually did win some compromises and a lot of Calvin And Hobbes' artwork shows it, with the use of space to indicate time as well as a sharp contrast between the often plain environments of mundane life contrasted by the wildly beautiful imagery of Calvin's imagination (which often sports realistic depictions in an art shift of sorts).

Hobbes is explicitly not an imaginary friend, by word of Watterson himself. We don't know WHAT he is exactly, and Hobbes is apparently unaware of the strange nature of his reality; people look at him and only see an ordinary stuffed tiger plushie, but he has a tangible effect on the world that would be physically impossible for Calvin to do on his own. He's apparently been around for a while, and was apparently around when Calvin was a young baby.

On that note; Hobbes has implicitly killed (notably treated as both a gag and also with the vibe of 'he's a tiger, duh') and while he doesn't do it again on-screen, he doesn't have any moral issues about it. Calvin claims that he's never had trouble bringing Hobbes to school because the last time he did, Hobbes killed and ate a bully named Tommy Chestnut and simply comments that it was gross and he needed a bath. Calvin's tried to repeat this again, but Hobbes was grossed out at the thought having to eat a kid raw and not being allowed to use an oven first, or complaining that children are too fattening.

Hobbes became gradually less human-like in body language and more like an actual cat in both body language and behavior; this was due to Watterson drawing more inspiration from his cat, who also inspired a lot of Hobbes' running gags, such as pouncing on Calvin when he got home. Several years into the syndication of the strip, Watterson's cat passed away, and he did a tribute to her with a comic strip of the two of them agreeing to try to dream together so they can keep playing when they have to sleep; Watterson's commentary (if I recall right), remarks on his cat: "We can see each other again in dreams."

[soul-controller]

Selfish Top Bottom

When it came to distinguishing whether a man was a top or a bottom, there was no way that anyone could look at Ryan Thompson and know that he was an absolute top. With the bulky and imposing physique of a powerlifter and an obscenely large cock that was instantly noticeable that no matter how loose or tight his pants were, the man could absolutely be the perfect individual to represent what a power top was.

Due to living in a relatively small urban town (at least in comparison to a huge city like Los Angeles or New York City), word seemed to travel fast around queer circles to the point where if you didn’t know who Ryan was, you at least knew of his reputation. He was a perpetual manwhore, constantly hooking up with anyone he wanted and discarding them immediately after they fulfilled his needs. Although most people understood that that was just the way that things worked in their community, the same could not be said about Mitchell. Although he had never actually met Ryan or been intimate with him, the young twink knew that it was someone he had no desire of ever interacting with. 

However, all of that changed once Mitchell found out that the hunk had hooked up with his best friend Shane and mistreated him once Ryan had came. As Shane recollected how the stud ridiculed the “pale” and “pathetic” man and told him to leave his apartment as soon as possible before threatening to beat his “weak pansy ass” up, Mitchell could only see red at the other man’s behavior. There was certainly no problem with hookup culture if that was how Ryan wanted to live his life, but Mitchell drew the line at blatant disrespect and homophobic rhetoric. So with that in mind, he decided to put a plan into action – one of complete revenge to teach a lesson to the asshole meathead. 

To Mitchell’s amusement, it didn’t take much for him to catch Ryan’s eye. All he had to do was show up to the same club where Ryan had met Shane and sneak peeks at the ginger-haired hunk’s beefy body and playfully avert his gaze once Ryan realized that someone was staring. After a good 30 minutes of this back and forth, the beefy stud and twink finally met before heading off to Ryan’s place to “have some fun”.

Once they were walking up the stairs to the apartment, Mitchell wasted no time giving a performance of a lifetime by pretending to be fully infatuated as he felt up the man’s thick muscles and remarked about how hot and sexy the stud was. As a result, the duo couldn’t even make it into the bedroom before they ducked into the first bathroom they saw to get more intimate. Upon undressing himself and helping Ryan take off his clothes as well, Mitchell’s right hand began to traverse down the man’s pectoral shelf and cobblestone abs as he quietly whispered under his breath. As the twink’s dainty fingers finally began to graze along Ryan’s impressive and girthy manhood, Mitchell then grit his teeth and smirked as he forcefully wrapped around the man’s cock and balls and tugged.

The immediate tension caused Ryan to gasp and scream in shock, but rather than intense pain, the tugging was soundtracked by a resounding POP that echoed through the spacious bathroom. As he looked down at himself, a guttural scream escaped his lips as he noticed two things – his crotch was completely flat reminiscent of a Ken doll and Mitchell’s frail hand was still holding onto his real cock and balls.

As Ryan desperately asked what was going on, he watched in pure horror as he watched the man whisper more words under his breath which led to a chain reaction onto his detached genitalia. Before his eyes, his cock and balls were losing its realistic organic composition and shifting to gain an artificial shimmer – his cock was turning into a rubber dildo (with a suction cup even added onto the end to fully seal the deal).

While the hunk was acting absolutely manic at the transformation that had befallen him, Mitchell was completely calm and even joyful as he savored the other’s utter helplessness. Revenge felt oh so sweet… and he still had one more thing planned to make it even sweeter! As he continued to recite the words underneath his breath, the young warlock couldn’t help but smirk as he watched his magic going to work immediately. In an instant, the man’s firm muscular butt had been replaced with an insanely large and flabby ass that would wobble with every step he took. 

Despite wanting to wring out the pathetic twink’s neck, Ryan realized that there was something preventing him from either speaking to the man or physically attacking him. So instead, he could only watch in disbelief as the twink cockily stared at the man before turning and exiting the apartment.

Now alone with his new body and desires, Ryan stood at the sink and looked back at the dildo that still hung from a nearby wall. Despite how eager his mind was in regards to getting fucked, the perpetual top had no practice bottoming and thus knew what he needed to do before he got on Grindr and searched for a man to fill his needy hole…

Eager to read more stories like this? Head over to my Patreon to discover tons of hot transformation fiction including monthly mini-stories like this one!

[grand-theft-carbohydrates]

i literally spend at least 2 hours a week just looking at various pictures of the terracotta army. utterly entranced. look at the details in the hair. you'd never see ANY of this when they're lined up in formation, but they're there.  

theres about 8000 of these guys down there, no two faces are alike. they're works of art. they're the manifestation of a cruel despot's delusions of grandeur. a talisman against the terrible inevitability of death, both pathetic and strangely pitiful. like watching a child clinging to his blanket, begging you not to turn off the light. they were a bunch of insignificant clay statues from a side chamber that was so small and unremarkable, no one bothered to write down the location. they were modelled after real people. their only purpose was to serve qin shi huang in the afterlife, so he could reign in heaven as he did on earth. now the emperor is just a ghost and his pawns are immortal. my dad and i visited them in the dead of winter, on a weekday, just so we wouldn't have to deal with tourists like us. the place had easily 500 people--not including the ones below ground. we traveled to xian via the old "green skin" diesel train. there are faster means, like highspeed rail but dad insisted i try the authentic way, the same way he would have traveled when he was my age it was also like, a quarter of the price but im sure that had nothing to do with it! back in the 80s carriages would get so packed people had to have their luggage passed in via the windows. as we chugged along, i read my book and my dad made us cup noodles. car is just a shortened version of "carriage", the word is the same but the mechanism is different. it's the same in chinese. i think if i told someone from the warring states period i could travel from the Kingdom of Qi to Qin in just four hours with my metal carriage, i'd be laughed out of town--or accused of being a spy and sentenced to 'death by carriage.' we hopped off the train at 4am and took a different "carriage." the taxi driver joked; "basically every dynasty put their capital in xian, stick a shovel anywhere and you'll turn up some national treasure or another." i wonder what it would have felt like to be a farmer digging a well and then out pops a remarkably realistic human head. statistical analysis show the soldier's faces bear a strong similarity to people living in the region today. the taxi stopped in front of a jewellery-hawking tourist trap and refused budge an inch until we went inside. did you know the terracotta soldiers were originally multi-coloured and painfully gaudy, just like the greek marbles? they were made assembly-line style. the arms and legs were made from the same workshops that made clay plumbing pipes and roof tiles. for quality control, the artisans were required to stamp their names. the workers who built these tombs were executed shortly afterwards, because only dead men can be trusted with secrets. qin shi huang's mausoleum is unlikely to be excavated in my father's lifetime, or mine, not unless i'm willing to take a BIG ONE for the team... instead of the tomb, they built some kind of qin shi huang-themed theme park next to it. not only was it tacky as hell the entrance fee was like $50. we went to the museum and i looked at bronze tools and pottery shards for three hours. look why can't we just crack the thing open i can't be the only one here whos dying from curiosity what if we all just took turns digging

[lilirari]

happy halloween !

𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. summary : the one in which you're helping oscar with his face painting for halloween.

𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. pairing : oscar piastri x fem! reader

𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. genre : fluff

𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. word count : 0.8k words

𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. author's note : i wanted to write something special for halloween but i didn't get the time to do so T_T this is pretty rushed & quite short too with a terribly written ending & it's not really proofread either but i hope it'll still make up for the lack of content 😞

" oscar, stop moving around! you're going to mess up your face painting! " you exclaimed, landing a light slap on his right arm in hopes that he'll stop squirming as the said male let out a soft chuckle in response.

" hey, it's not my fault! the ends of the brush are just very soft.. i feel a bit ticklish. " oscar replied back, trying to defend himself. he did stop moving his head around though and had tried to stay still as you were seated on his lap, painting some scars on his face.

the two of you had decided to go as pirates this year, something which you thought would've been funny and at the same time, a sort of a genius moment because your boyfriend already had that thick aussie accent so it wouldn't be too hard for him to get the "arr !!"'s in.

" are you not done yet? i feel like you've been painting on my face for an hour now. " oscar remarked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at you.

" pfft.. it hasn't even been 30 minutes, silly. i'm almost done though, don't worry. just a few more touches and you'll be the best-looking pirate with the nastiest and most realistic scar out there. " you replied back, gently rubbing the brush across his cheek, your tongue sticking out slightly as you had your full concentration on finishing that scar.

as he noticed how focused and serious you were with painting on scars on his face, oscar couldn't help but smile as he looked at you in admiration. the way you sticked your tongue out, the way you squinted your eyes when you were painting the little details, the way you bit your lower lip whenever you made a slight mistake and the feeling of your thumb rubbing the excess paint off from his face all attracted him and made him feel euphoric. the aussie remained quiet throughout the rest of the process, as he stared at your features, admiring your beauty with the most love-struck eyes ever.

" ah, there you go! it's all done now! " you finally exclaimed after a few minutes, a look of satisfaction on your face as you grab the mirror laying on the table next to you. " what do you think? "

" whoa, i didn't expect it to look this realistic.. you did a great job, y/n. " your boyfriend commented, letting out a low whistle as he looked at the painted scar across his face.

" hehe, i know. i'm such a great artist, aren't i? " you asked, placing the brush behind your ear. you straightened your back and placed your hands on your hips as you striked an cartoonic pose, a wide and proud grin plastered on your face.

oscar could almost see stars sparkling around you as you striked your pose. he let out another chuckle and looked up at you once more, a smile decorating his features and not a word escaping from his lips.

" .. what? what's wrong? why are you staring at me like that? " you asked, tilting your head in confusion once you noticed the male simply staring at you and not uttering a word.

" hmm.. nothing. you just look really adorable when you're being all smug and proud of yourself. " he replied back, his smile turning into a grin as he slowly wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer to him.

your eyes widened slightly when you felt his arms around your waist as oscar wasn't someone who showed his affection through physical touch. but you did notice that he had started being more comfortable around you lately and would even be the first one to intertwine your fingers when you walk together or wrap his arm around your shoulders when you're just sitting and casually talking to someone else.

a giggle escaped your lips when you heard him call you 'adorable' as he leaned in closer to you until your foreheads were touching and you were staring into each other's eyes.

" you're so cute.. so pretty.. you're my pretty girl. " oscar whispered, planting a soft kiss on your lips.

your face immediately flushed at both his words and his actions, which didn't go unnoticed by him. the mclaren driver let out a hearty laugh after noticing your red cheeks, his lips tugging upwards into a smirk.

" so, i assume you like the nickname, pretty girl? " he asked, gently poking your sides to tease you.

" maybe.. well, if i'm your pretty girl, then that makes you my pretty boy. " you replied back, running a hand through his hair.

" your pretty boy, huh? .. doesn't sound too bad. " oscar commented, resting his chin on top of your head, his arms now engulfing you into a hug. a small sigh of satisfaction escaped his lips as he felt you melting into his touch. it was the small and intimate moments like this which made him feel truly happy and he never wanted to let you go.

" oscar? " you muttered, leaning your head onto his chest as you heard the soft beating of his heart.

" yeah? "

" i love you. "

you could hear his heart beat a little more rapidly after you said those three simple, yet powerful, words. his hold on you loosened for a second as he looked down at you before pressing his lips on your forehead.

" i love you too, my pretty girl. "

© LILIRARI, 2023 ★

[shuuuuush]

LET ME LOVE YOU 【SHARKY】

【Summary】 ; Finding yourself dragged in to join a video with the beta squad, you meet Sharky. You've promised before that you wouldn't fall for anyone anymore after all you've been through. But now that he's popped up in your life, maybe you're slowly breaking your promise.

【Warnings】 ; slow build, reader has a description of a past abusive (more toxic than abusive) relationship and insecurity, mentions of trauma from it, slow brains to comprehend feelings, words: "damn", "bastard", "Shit" are used, Sharky being a jokeman.

【Pairing】 ; Sharky x f!Reader

【Word Count】; hehe 15k !!

【A/N】 ;Hope you all enjoy this, and it did take a while, so please let me know what you all think about it ! @vctrvn-ls thank u so much for scenario ideas and motivation when I felt like my brain was fried, and @allygatcr for hyping me up for this fic 🫶🫶 and all my mutuals who have long awaited this fic I love u all !

Masterlist

━─━────༺༻────━─━

The cold, cool air of the summer breeze hit your face as you stared out the window of the moving car.

Chin leaning on your hand as you watched houses and landscapes moved past your eyes in a speedy manner.

You didn't know what to expect in this upcoming event you were attending, well not a big event but a video that was shooting.

It was your first collaboration with other youtubers as you yourself was an upcoming one. Well you were more a guest than a collaboration but that's what you liked to call it.

Being nervous was an understatement, you didn't know what to expect but all you could do was hope for the best. Knowing the Internet could do anything after the video was posted was what made you more nervous, you hope things go your way and all but is that really realistic?

"You better not be over there being worried about the whole thing Y/N." A voice spoke beside you, one who was driving the car you were in.

Turning to roll your eyes at him, Aj just shook his head, hand still on the steering wheel as he continued speaking, since you didn't say anything.

"Cmon, I told you it's all good. These guys are my trusted friends and good collabs too. It'll help you a lot. And maybe get over your fear of…" He trailed off, glancing to your side as he faked a cough to quickly recover from what he was originally going to say, "You know what I mean. I'm telling you right now it's all good."

"It better be." You mumbled, still staring out the window of the car trying to calm your nerves down. Sure, Aj tried giving you a pep talk, but right now, it wasn't really working. Still, you appreciated what he did for you.

Aj was one of your family friends, you both have known each other since you were really young and both grew up together. He was the older brother that you never had. Throughout your childhood, you would be able to count on his triangle head.

Even though you'd both insult and tease each other, you still cared and were thankful.

And being the good friend Aj was, he saw how you were trying to become a bigger youtuber. But he knew you were afraid to expand and get to know more people than your small circle of ones you already knew.

So, he told you about the beta squad and how he and his friends created this group, where they make videos together and live in the same house. They do collabs with others too to make their videos more fun and interesting when there's guests.

He invited you, despite you saying you were fine by yourself, he insisted that it would be fun. And now here you are, on your way to the beta squad house to film a video with some people you don't know.

Except the short triangle head.

"If things don't go great, I'm heading straight back to this car, Aj." Sitting up straight and turning your head to him as you spoke.

You could tell he was contemplating whether or not to say some insult or snappy remark back, but in the end, he just nodded and said alright.

The driving came to a slow as the car approached the driveway of the house. The house itself was actually impressive. You thought maybe it would not be the best-looking house you'd seen with Aj living in it, but clearly, you're wrong.

I mean, what did you expect? They live in a mansion for crying out loud. You thought to yourself, as if hearing you, Aj laughed and commented on that thought.

"Yep, this place cost a sh' ton of money, but it's worth it." He spoke as he parked the car and turned off the engine. Looking for his keys to open the front door.

You laughed, finding the key on the front window of the car and handing it to him "Okayy mind reader shabeel. Thanks for the info."

He rolled his eyes in response and exited the car, causing a laugh to escape you again. Taking your phone out of your pocket, you looked at the time as it read, 4:30pm. The video was scheduled to start preparing to shoot at 5:00pm.

You got out of the car and shut the door, following Aj to the front of the house as he unlocked the door with some passcode at which he told you to "look away I don't want you breaking into this house"

And then proceeding to use the key to unlock the front door.

Stepping inside the house, it was cooler than outside, probably because of the air conditioning, and the mansion was huge, bigger inside than what it looked like outside.

Cold marble flooring that matched the white of the walls. Taking a look around the house, you noticed posters of all the beta squad, sitting on their thrones and wearing royal king crowns, following with their names beneath the poster.

You admit this place is starting to look really cool, and the fact that all of them are still quite young and can afford a house like this amazes you. Perhaps one day you'd be able to do the same.

Sniffing, you smelt a savoury aroma enter the room, you guessed, coming from the kitchen as you imagined the delicious food being cooked.

But your attention to food was taken away when you heard a ringtone coming from Aj's phone.

Glancing at it, he started to speak, "I gotta take this sorry, you can go ahead and sit on the couch or take a look around. Sharky might be at home right now, too."

Before you could question further where the sitting room was, he already was on the call, speaking to someone and walking out the door outside to the carpark.

You sighed, putting a hand on your hips, guess you had to explore now.

Thankfully, you found the giant couch without too much effort. As there was a glass door in front of you, beside the posters you were looking at earlier.

Speed walking up to the couch and plopping onto it, you felt the comfort of it instantly sink in, you felt like you were in your own bed that's how comfortable it was.

You pulled your airpods out of your pocket and connected it to your phone as you put them into your ears to listen to some music to pass the time a bit.

Going into Spotify to find your most trusted thing, your music playlists.

Pressing shuffle, you were glad one of your favourite songs popped up, "Thinkin' bout you." By Frank Ocean.

You listened to a lot of music artists and you never really had a favourite, but whenever you did listen to Frank Ocean it's just something about the lyrics that always touched you. Either they were too real or too sad and it made the songs more enjoyable. Or they were also just a good beat to be honest.

Humming along to the song, you foot tapped to the beat, following along with your head in sync. As you scrolled through your phone to find something to do, quietly singing the song that played through your airpods.

Cause I been thinking 'bout forever, ooh

Most of the time, you could almost dance to the music when you were alone but here, you were content with just tapping your foot along with the beat.

No, I don't like you, I just thought you were cool enough to kick it

You started humming along to the words, enjoying the beat of the music.

Got a beach house I could sell you in Idaho, since you think

Now the music had taken over and you were singing along to the music, not singing too loud but enough to not classify it as a whisper.

I don't love you I just thought you were cute, that's why I kissed you

Got a fighter jet, I don't get to fly it though I'm lying down

Too lost in the music, you failed to hear the footsteps approaching beside you. You jumped slightly as a hand tapped your shoulder, causing you to remove one of your airpods and look up to see who it was.

"Hey, sorry for startling you. I just wanted to come over and say hi, You're Y/N, right? The guest today?"

You were greeted by dark chocolate eyes that were connected with a smile. A pretty face, you'll be honest. And he was tall. Damn, he was tall. Like 6 foot something, definitely. He had a good sense of style, wearing a grey backwards hat and matching hoodie and joggers that had a logo, Primo on it.

Still hooked on the fact that this beautiful man was standing in front of you. Were you daydreaming again?

Maybe you were observing him for too long, as he waved a hand in front of your face with a small chuckle.

"Oh! sorry, yes, I'm Y/N, I didn't mean to stare.." You internally punched yourself in the brain. He didn't have to know you were staring. Why did you say that out loud? You frickin idiot. You still haven't even turned off your music yet.

You paused the music on your phone and it caused an excited gasp to escape from the man in front of you, confused you looked back up at him to see him smiling with excitement as he was looking at your phone.

"Oh my days, you listen to Frank Ocean? Do you like his music?" He came over to sit beside you, still excited like a little kid who just made a friend for the first time.

You gave a slight giggle as you nodded, "I don't just like his music, I love his music. It's just something about the way his songs are always so real."

"Yeah, it's so relatable, and the way his lyrics are raw, it just makes it more enjoyable, you know?" He added, nodding while he talked and listening to you intently.

"I know, right? Honestly, one of the best music artists I know." You agreed, a small smile dusting your face as you talk about the one thing you enjoy, music.

He chuckled, "The greatest of all time," he stopped for a bit before asking, "What's your favourite song of his?"

"Ohh, it's hard to say because I love them all." You looked away to ponder for a minute, trying to differentiate which of his songs you would classify as a 'favourite.' No one really asked that before, too, so you never really had to think about it. "Honestly, I can't choose."

"Cmon, you have to have one that you could listen to forever."

You thought for a bit, "Hm, but if I had to have one, I'd say this song I'm listening to right now, Thinkin Bout You."

"Ohh, that song is so good, I'd say mine is Pink and White, only because I've been listening to it a lot." He admitted, one hand in the air as he said that last statement with a grin.

It's been a while since you've been able to connect and talk to someone about interesting topics you enjoy. You felt so welcomed, and something about him just warmed your heart, always managing to put a smile on your face every next sentence he spoke.

You could tell he was an open person, someone you could trust. This feeling you get of trust and instant friendship is rare and hard to find, and when you do find it, you've heard that you shouldn't lose it. It's a once in a lifetime chance.

Suddenly, he face palmed and mumbled an 'I'm so dumb,' "Sorry I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Sharky." He held a hand out to you to shake. You took it automatically and with a smile.

"Y/N L/N." Wait, you didn't even register what his name was for a second, and then it just clicked. "Sharky? Like a shark? Is that a nickname?"

"Aha, yeah, that's what I'm nicknamed as my actual name is Sharmarke. It's just that's what I'm better known as." He scratched the back of his neck while looking to the side, a small pink dusting his cheeks.

You were about to ask more on that before you heard more voices enter the room. Both of you turned your heads to see what you assumed was the beta squad, and some camera crew entered.

Sharky turned to you and smiled, "We can talk after, I think we're about to start. These are the rest of the beta squad." He said, standing up and pointing to the four guys. You followed his line of sight and saw them waving at the both of you.

Getting up and coming over to greet them all, you introduced yourself to the three and got their names as Niko, Kenny, and Chunkz. You were about to comment on the last one's name before he put up a hand and pointed to all of himself as his explanation to which he gave a laugh.

The camera crew set up everyone, placing mics on them and doing sound checks on everyone. Putting cameras in two rooms, one for the main video and the other for another part of the video, the part where an individual talks to the camera themselves.

Now you saw that everyone had put on their silly costumes and understood why Aj had asked you previously to bring something too.

You had brought a red riding outfit since it was the only costume-like thing that you had owned. You changed into that, and you went to check out everyone's costumes, or if you didn't know what it was, you asked them.

Kenny was dressed as bigfoot, Chunkz as "Prince of Saudi Arabia", Niko as Sharky, well more specifically a Shark biting him, Sharky as a black viking and Aj a sheep. Quite accurate, you thought with a small giggle.

The lighting in each room took a while to set up as it had to change throughout the video. Green and red lights were the two colours. While getting mic'd up, Niko explained to you the video they were shooting.

A game called Mafia.

"So basically, there's 6 players, 6 cards, 2 for the mafia, 4 for the civilians. The cards are picked at random by all players. The mafia share their identity with each other, while the others close their eyes and are left in the dark. All players open their eyes, and the game is on." Niko spoke as they finished up the sound and led you all to the mafia game room upstairs. He continued to explain the game to you while also showing you a clip of the previous videos on how to play.

"The civilian's job is to find the mafias and get them out. They need to work together in catching these two and not letting them take over. The only problem is they don't know what card everyone else has. The mafia's job is to make all the civilians turn on each other and eventually vote each other out, making them the only remaining players."

"And at the end of every round, one person will be voted out and punished by being dunked into a tank of freezing water, the victim will then reveal their card showing the rest of the players whether they made the right choice or not." Aj laughed as he told you that this was his favourite part of the game. He just hoped he wasn't the one being dunked in the tank.

Everyone sat down in their respective places on the couch. You sat down next to Aj, obviously because he was the closest to you, following Chunkz beside Aj, Niko, and Kenny beside him. Leaving one space beside you, Sharky took that place with a smile on him.

"So the game ends when either both mafias are caught or all civilians are outnumbered and voted out, right?" You asked no one in particular, but they all nodded and that you now understood how the game was played.

You'll admit it does sound fun. You've never heard of this game before, but if it's as fun as it sounds, it probably would end up being one of your favourite games. And as Aj told you before your chance to get over your fear. You don't like being reminded about it, but just for a while, you didn't have to remember.

Looking around the grey but well lit room, you noticed an LED light sign that read "Mafia" in blue, and playing cards that had each beta squad member on it as a king or joker etc.

The camera director told you all it was starting in 1 minute, causing the chatter to cease as quickly so that they could start filming. You glanced to your side as Aj nudged you, giving you a thumbs up and mouthing an "you'll do great," to which you whispered a thanks.

Seeing this interaction, Sharky leaned in towards you but respecting your space and also whispered, "Don't worry, Y/N, it'll be fun." He smiled at you when he saw that the nerves in your face calmed down a little after both of the reassurance you've gotten.

"Camera rolling!" The cameraman shouted.

Aj was the first to speak, "Welcome to another game of Mafia! Please welcome our new guest, drum roll, please!" Everyone was hitting the table to sound a drum roll as they then all pointed at you, "Y/N L/N!" You waved at the camera and thanked everyone.

"Now that we've introduced her, it's time to pick the cards." Sharky glanced at you for a split second when he spoke, before reaching to grab the cards, everyone following suit to do the same.

If the cameras didn't pick it up, then you surely did when you both made eye contact with each other after looking at your card, which was the mafia card. The King. Why did you look at Sharky first after looking at your own card? You really don't know the reason for it. But you couldn't ponder any longer as you had to win this game.

Chunkz did the honour of telling everyone to put down their cards and close their eyes.

"Mafias! Open your eyes." Chunkz said cheekily while dragging out the 'eyes.'

Slowly, you opened your eyes and looked around, trying not to make any noise when you turned as you were still wearing your hood over your head.

Looking towards your right, not Aj, not any of the other boys so that must mean, as you turned your head to the left, you met eyes with Sharky, who smiled instantly and slowly nodded his head while you gave him a smile back.

"Mafias, close your eyes." Chunkz shouted, which caused the both of you to turn your heads back and shut your eyes. "Everyone, open your eyes."

When you opened your eyes, for some reason, you just couldn't hold in your smile. You were excited, genuinely. This already seems fun.

Aj must have caught on to this because he instantly went to attack you on that. "Nah, why you smiling Y/N, are you Mafia?"

"What? Can I not smile?" Damn it, where you about to get caught already? The game just started ain't no way you're letting them think you're mafia.

"Smiling is a bit suspicious, you know? I'm getting mafia vibes from Y/N." Aj turned around to the rest of the guys and pointed at you, who faked being shocked and hurt.

"Wow Aje, you know, you thinking I'm mafia without any other grounds other than me smiling is suspicious in itself. I'm thinking you're targeting me because you're mafia." You stated as a matter of fact, to which the others nodded.

"That does sound like Aj when he's mafia." Kenny said, rubbing his chin while looking at Aj with distrust.

"Yo HOW blud. She's trying to trick you all against me." Aj shouted as he threw both of his arms in the air to prove his point.

"Yeah, I think we should just vote Aj out. Personally, I don't like mafia infested rats." Niko laughed as he looked at the camera saying those last words.

"So all in favour of voting out, Aj?" Sharky spoke now, looking around the room as he raised his hand to see who would follow, and everyone did but Aj, causing the shorter man to stand up and leave, mumbling an "I hate you guys" making the rest of you laugh.

All of you were led outside and were about to watch Aj be dunked into a tank of freezing water. You laugh as you remember Aj saying earlier that the forfeits were his favourite part of the video, oh how the tables have turned for him.

Niko was the one to throw at the dart target board for Aj, he missed the first few times but when he finally made it, seeing Aj's face as he dropped in the water was one that made everyone burst into laughter and excitement.

As he got out of the tank, the boys shouted "Show your card" And when he did, it showed a 5 of spades. Everyone just groaned in disappointment.

"YOU LOT WASTED YOUR TIME, MAFIAS STILL OUT THERE." Aj yelled as he ran back into the house to change out of his now freezing cold clothes.

Obviously everyone knew Aj wasn't the mafia but if he was that would've been great, 1 out. But realistically they just wanted the rat gone. Kenny pointing a suspicious finger at you after Aj showed his card to everyone.

You glanced at Sharky, sending him a quick, worried look as you saw Kenny tell Niko his suspicions. And you both knew what you had to do in the next round.

As everyone sat down, Chunkz was the first to speak, "Now automatically I'm smelling Niko vibes." He giggled afterwards as a shocked and confused look went on Nikos face.

"What? I've not done anything? You can't always target me because you don't like me."

"Okay so Niko, who do you think is the mafia?" Sharky asked, because he knew that once Niko thought that one of you was the mafia, he would stop at no costs to prove his point and he might even end up winning the game.

"Well, earlier, Kenny told me that it could be Y/N. But I mean, you haven't really done anything that would be mafia suspicious in my eyes. But Chunkz keeps targeting me, so now he's my suspect."

You sighed quietly, hoping no one heard that. At least Niko didn't think you or Sharky were mafia.

"Yeah, actually," you started to speak, turning to Chunkz, "Why are you thinking Niko's mafia?"

"Nah, it's because every Mafia, I go for Niko, I just try to show from early that he's not my friend. There's like no coalition."

They all went back and forth with the banter and hurling suspicions left and right and each other, but surprisingly, no one thought you or Sharky were mafia. The only suspects were Niko, Kenny, or Chunkz.

Sure, they suspected you both a few times, but really, they didn't think much of it, as everyone was already pinning it against themselves they didn't have time to suspect you both fully.

Until the last round, Chunkz had been voted off and seeing as his card wasn't a king card the suspicions now turned to you again. Kenny was the first to pounce again on the argument.

"Listen, Niko, I'm thinking Y/N is mafia. One hundred percent, no doubt. But I think Sharky might be the other mafia. I'm not too sure about that."

"Niko, don't listen to him, I promise you, I am not Mafia." You looked at Niko and put on your best innocent face.

"I don't know, to be honest, I'm baffed." Niko threw his hands in the air in confusion and placed a hand over his mouth to think. "Then again, big foot here isn't really giving me much evidence to question on."

"Yeah, but it's not about evidence!" Kenny shouted, and it caused the rest of you to laugh at how serious he's being, even if he was telling the truth, you were a mafia. "Oh my days, Niko, can't you see? They literally are both mafia!"

"Niko man, vote out, Kenny, because clearly he is mafia by trying to lure you in and win. There is one other mafia. I think it's Y/N if not you. At least get one of them out." You turned your head as Sharky spoke those words. You thought he was supposed to work together with you?

But then he sent a sly wink and smile towards your way, if you blinked you would've missed it and then it hit you, if Niko voted our Kenny here, you and Sharky would've won, both the mafias would be left standing winners.

And so when it came to the vote, it started with Kenny voting for you, then it was up to Niko, who looked back and forth between you and Kenny, you pleaded one last time with him.

"Look Niko, if I was mafia I would've been out by now, this is my first time playing. If you think it's me, vote for me by all means but if you just use your brain you could clearly see Kenny is mafia."

And with that, Niko agreed and voted Kenny, leaving you and Sharky to vote for him as well. Instantly after the votes were complete, Kenny stood up and left yelling at the camera as he didn't want to get dunked in water.

But as soon as he did, and when he showed his card making him a civilian, you and Sharky both shouted and jumped with joy, while Niko just stood there mouth agape as he slowly went to cover his mouth still being shocked and the rest of the boys yelled at Niko for being an idiot.

While you and Sharky celebrated, he went up to wrap his arms around you while yelling "We did it!!"

And you laughed along, hugging him back. When you did, it instantly felt comfortable, being in his arms felt safe. You didn't know what it was, why did it make you feel all fuzzy?

It reminded you of your mother's hugs when you were a kid, and you won something, the genuine happiness and excitement you found in that hug reflected Sharky's hug. It felt familiar and you wouldn't admit it if anyone asked you but you could stay in that hug forever.

Maybe you lingered in that hug for a second too long as the others started teasing Sharky, saying ooo, and Chunkz started singing, causing him to let go of you as quick.

After they calmed down a bit, they filmed the outro, and thanked you as their guest, and they allowed you to do the honors of saying, "play the trailer."

After they finished the filming, you grabbed your belongings, and headed towards the bathroom to change out of your red riding outfit.

Just as you were about to enter, you heard your name being called, you turned your head to see Sharky running up to you with a wave.

When he finally reached you, you gave him a small smile to which he returned it and then rubbed the back of his neck while looking away.

"Hey, I just wanted to ask if you'd like to hang out sometime?" Sharky asked, a small cough erupting out of him at the end of his sentence. As he gazed back at you with those same soft brown eyes.

You were about to say sure, but then you hesitate. Why did he want to hang out with you? Did he mean romantically or platonically? And if you were about to fall in love again, you didn't know how you would feel about it. The last relationship you had, let's say … didn't end nicely.

But you were thinking too far ahead, for now you could make friends. And you always stick to the same branch of people that you hang out with, and these guys all seem really nice, and Sharky did have the same interest as you in music so why not?

"Sure, I'd, uh, I'd like that." You hated that against your own will. Your cheeks started to burn a little. You just hoped it wasn't noticeable to him.

"Yes!" He did a mini punch in the air but then realised what he did and scratched his head and cleared his throat, "I mean, that's great. Could I get your number? If you're okay with that, that is?"

Nodding, he quickly took out his phone and handed it to you, and you typed in your number, putting your contact name in too. He waited patiently as you did and when you handed it back to him, he called the number and the phone in your pocket buzzed.

He smiled and thanked you, "Hey, you know we make a good team. You actually did really well for your first mafia game."

"We do," You laughed, "you guys should invite me more on your mafia videos."

Sharky was about to say something when Aj yelled, "Hey lovebirds! I gotta drop Y/N back off so be quick and finish your conversation!"

Your eyes widened, Lovebirds?? Oh hell no, Aj's not getting away with that, you mumbled under your breath. Glancing up at Sharky to see his reaction he had the same reaction as you, but he just rolled his eyes and smiled at you saying that he'll leave you to it and pointed at the clothes you were holding. He waved as left to head towards the group.

Going into the bathroom and shutting the door, you looked at the mirror. Damn it, you were blushing. Shaking your head, this was gonna be a long car ride.

When you were done changing, you walked towards the door, where Aj was standing, waiting for you on his phone, when he looked up at you he rolled his eyes and said finally.

"Alright, I'm gonna drop Y/N off. See you guys later!" He yelled into the house, causing the boys to yell out a bye to you, and Niko popped around the corner to shake your hand and say bye to you.

"By the way, Y/N, all that banter that we said earlier, that was just for the video, so don't mind it." Niko admitted, waving a hand off towards Aj, who just laughed as he agreed with him, and then you both left to head to the car.

"So, what was that all about, ay?" Aj teased, as he had a smug grin on his face. As he glanced over at you, who was there looking straight ahead on the road, trying to avoid this conversation.

"I don't know what you're talking about." You shrugged, crossing your arms over your chest.

"Y/N, cmon, don't think I didn't see that idiot Sharks flirt with you."

"Flirt? I don't think he was flirting, he was just being friendly. We just met after all."

"Nah, he definitely was. Knowing Sharks, he just sucks at flirting. Actually," he started as he turned into the street you lived in. "Yeah, maybe he might just be friendly. But I'll be honest, it looked like flirting to me, Y/N. So just be careful. Don't want him breaking your heart or vice versa aight?"

You scoffed. Aj was definitely overreacting with this. But it did make you think, was he really flirting with you? Or was he just being overly friendly. You hoped it was the latter, though. You don't think you could handle a relationship right now.

࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚

He watched as the car drove away, and when he turned around, he was frightened to see Chunkz looking at him with a sly smirk on his face. He just rolled his eyes as he made his way towards the couch, Chunkz following him as he continued to pester the other Somali.

"Oh my days, I know I made it so awkward. You know how awkward that was? I'm not good with girls at all." Sharky covered his face with hands as he slouched down onto the couch and sighed.

"You seemed fine when you hugged her." Chunkz did his famous laugh, as he went to sit beside Sharky.

"Stop, man, that was just -" Sharky cut himself off. What was that hug actually? Shaking his head, he cleared his throat as he pulled out his phone to ignore looking at Chunkz. "A winning hug. Like I hug all of you when we win a game."

"A winning hug? Sharky, you're a joke man. I know you fell in love instantly, bruva." He elbowed his friend as he laughed in his face. Causing the fellow Somali to pull over his hood to cover his face, which started to warm up.

Fell in love instantly? Sharky's not like that. Or was he? He didn't know at this point, just the very thought of you got his face heating up and the flutter of wings in his stomach grew out of nowhere. You've got him second-guessing himself. Usually, he's a confident guy, but now.

Now, he's definitely not.

Sharky was in the kitchen when he first saw you, he was making something to eat while waiting for the guys to arrive back at the house, but that's when he saw you walk toward the couch and sit there like you owned the place.

He was about to ask who you were, but then he remembered there was a guest for today's video. Normally, he would just call out loud and make his presence known, but he was caught off guard by your singing or, well, whispering the words to a song.

A song to which he also listened to.

He started to smile after hearing the words to the song you were singing. He leaned back against the counter to listen, but he then decided it would be a bit weird if he just stood there listening to you without you knowing, and that's how he decided to confront you.

As he moved closer to you, he realised how pretty you were. Like genuinely pretty, stunning even. The way your face smiled in that look of content as you listened to the music and-

Oh no. Maybe Chunkz was right.

You head down the stairs to make your breakfast. It was about a week since you met the beta squad. And you were currently at home. You just finished getting ready to go on your morning run.

Usually, you don't go on runs in the morning as you'd sleep in, but for some reason, you had the urge to just get up and exercise.

As you were making your breakfast, a classic bowl of cereal and toast, your phone buzzed on the table. Turning your head, you stopped making the cereal and opened your phone, and checked the notifications.

A big smile cracked on your face against your will as you read the text from Sharky.

Message sent at 8:16 am

Sharky 🦈

Good morning 👋🏻

I was thinking, do you wanna … maybe hang out today?

IF YOU'RE NOT BUSY THAT IS😅

You 💟

Morning Sharky !

Nah I'm not busy, where do you wanna go?

Sharky 🦈

Hmm, wherever you want! I don't mind honestly 😁

You 💟

Ok, how about let's meet up in the park since I'm gonna go on a run there anyway and we'll see where it goes from there 😂

I'll see you at 9

Sharky 🦈

👍

See you then ❤️

࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚

You stared at the message he last sent, "See you then ❤️"

Oh my days, you're going nuts over a heart emoji? You thought, internally slapping yourself, but you can't help but look over the message, and then you shook your head. Get yourself together, you send hearts to everyone, why did it surprise you when he did?

Finally taking the pieces of toast, and finishing off your cereal. You ate as quickly as you could, as soon as you finished it you grabbed your house keys and headed out to the park.

Locking your door, you put on your headphones and play your music playlist. You start to jog towards the park. You were thinking of running, but maybe you'll save that last bit of energy when you're closer to the park.

It was a chilly morning, the cool, crisp air hitting your body, but not enough to make you freeze, especially since you were jogging.

You don't remember the last time you jogged, maybe a few weeks or months, who knows at this point. Perhaps the conversation you had with Aj last time slightly may have hinted that Sharky does like his runs in the morning.

Is that what motivated you to run? Or was it just the fact that you haven't been out in a while?

The warmth hit you as soon as you closed in near the park. It wasn't that far from your house, maybe about 20-24 minutes.

You reached the entrance of the park, the soft scent of the array of flowers surrounded the area, and the tall trees moved with the gentle breeze.

People walked around the park, and some kids played as they ran around the park, chasing each other and shouting with joy when they caught up.

Nearing a bench, you sat down and pulled out your phone, checking the time, 8:42 am.

Maybe he was here already?

You hesitated. Should you call or text him? You ended up calling Sharky to see if he was here already or not. The phone rang twice before he picked up the phone.

"Hey Y/N, I'm at the park where are you?" Sharky's voice spoke through the phone.

"Just near the entrance, I'm sitting at a bench, uh," looking around, you tried to describe your surroundings, "near this really tall tree."

You heard him laugh softly through the phone, instantly causing you to smile and ask, "What's so funny?"

"Nah, it's because you said you're near this really tall tree, but Y/N, there's trees everywhere." He laughed again, making you roll your eyes but still have a smile on your face.

You ended up sending him your location, and he followed it, finally making his way as he caught sight of you sitting on the bench.

He stood there for a split second because call him crazy if you will, but he swore he saw some light shine upon you as the trees moved their way to do so. He softened his gaze, as the scene in front of him seemed like a movie.

It was a chilly day, yes, but somehow the sun came around just as he arrived. And especially when he saw you, the trees, sunlight and wind might have been paid actors if it wasn't for the fact that they're not people.

"Is this seat taken?" A familiar voice spoke as you looked up and met eyes with Sharky, who smiled as soon as you did. You motioned for him to take the seat beside you, and he gladly did.

The sounds of the park all muffled out, no person walking past, the rustle of trees in the breeze or even the cars on the far side could be heard as you drowned out all noise to listen to the Somali in front of you.

As you both talked, you ended up deciding to head to a cafe nearby, just to grab a drink, to talk and get to know each other. The walk wasn't that far and it was a small cafe.

A blue and white awning hung over the entrance and window of the shop, the inside was decorated nicely with tables and chairs surrounding the room. The warmth from the coffee being made radiated throughout the cafe, and the smell of baked goods added to it.

Both of you waited in line to order your drinks and pastries if you were feeling like it. You stared at the menu board behind the counter, looking at what to order. They had a wide range of drinks and food. Checking the prices beside them surely they couldn't be-

Why the hell are they so expensive??? You thought a small cafe like this would surely have good prices, but this was insane. £6.80 for a coffee? Crazy. And that was the cheapest thing there.

"What ya thinking of getting?" Sharky asked, leaning down to ask while still keeping his eyes on the menu board. You looked up at him briefly and made eye contact, causing you to turn your head swiftly back to the menu and pretend to look at it.

"Hmm, I was thinking of getting just the coffee because it's the cheapest thing there." You scoffed, shaking your head at the insane prices of this place.

"Just coffee? You could get something else too. You know I'm paying right?" He blurted that out like you were supposed to know that already, a giant grin forming on his face. You raised your brows, surprised.

"No, it's alright," you waved him off, "I can pay for my own one."

"Cmon Y/N, I insist." He started to grab his wallet from back pocket, but you stopped him by pushing his hand away from reaching it.

"Well, then I insist back?? And I don't want you to waste your money."

"It's not a waste if it's for you, plus I asked to hang out with you today. It's the least I could do." He shrugged, finally managing to reach for his wallet without you stopping him.

You were about to argue on that until he shot you a look, and you ended up rolling your eyes and accepting. Inside, you were grateful. At least your wallet was saved.

"Fine." You sighed. When you looked back at him, he had a smug grin on his face. He looked as if he had achieved the impossible, but he laughed when he saw the frown on your face.

He ordered for the both of you, and you waited for about three minutes before you collected your coffee and a pastry.

Heading over to a table that had two free seats, you sat down across from each other. Sipping your drink as he started a conversation. Turning to face you as he put down his own cup of tea.

"You have a channel, right? What videos do you make?" Sharky asked, genuinely curious since he didn't actually know much about you being an influencer.

"Honestly, I haven't made many videos, just a few prank videos with Aj and some beauty videos. A mix of everything I'd say." Chuckling as you took another sip of your coffee. He nodded at your answer and smiled.

"What else do you like to do then? Do you have any hobbies?" Laying his hand on his chin as his soft eyes met your gaze.

"Um," you ponder for a bit, "I like music, and I sing," you hesitate, scratching the side of your head, "well sometimes."

"Ohh, of course!" He throws his hands up in realisation, "Frank Ocean! So you like singing, that's good to know."

"Maybe one day you could put on a show and sing for me." Sharky's lips curled into a small smile, creasing the outer corner of his eyes. And seeing your face get slightly warmer only made his smile grow wider.

It seemed as if you've talked forever, the way the conversations you've had with him flowed like honey. Almost as if you've known him your whole life, it was almost … comforting.

You don't know how you ended up talking about football, but it led to a conversation with him explaining the basic mechanics and how it's "so easy" even a baby could do it.

"You really don't know how to play football?"

Seeing you shake your head, must've lit a light bulb in his head, as his gaze turned from one of confusion to his sienna brown eyes widening.

"Unacceptable." He shook his head and stood up, taking your hand in his as he left you out of the cafe.

By the looks of the sky, it was evening already, the sun slowly setting as the sky painted a canvas of light orange hues and yellow rays.

You laughed, still holding on to his grasp, "Where are we going?" As he led you both down the street.

Your laugh rang in his ears, a small thing motivating him to stay by your side. It was angelic. You may not have thought so, but to him, if his heart had melted from it, he would fix it all up just to hear it again.

He brought you to a stadium, a football stadium. The grand entrance of the place staring you in the face as he entered in with some ID card and brought you to the pitch.

"I'm teaching you how to play football." Sharky spoke as he grabbed a nearby football that was lying in a basket full of other ones. Putting one hand on his hips as he beckoned you to come closer.

You were in awe of the stadium, it was huge, and it especially looked amazing in the evening, the peach coloured rays hitting the walls of the stadium emitting a soft hue around the pitch.

"How were you able to even get in?" You inquired of him, slowly walking closer to him as you looked around the stadium.

He led you to the middle of the huge pitch. The whole stadium was empty, except you thought you saw two cleaners, but other than them, it was just you and Sharky on the field.

He grinned, "Perks of being an ex-emirates stadium worker. Plus, I'm a youtuber, they know me." Putting a hand on his chest, as it was something that always deeply touched him.

"So," He started, as he kicked the football to go in front of him, "I'll show you how to kick the football first." He motioned for you to come closer, pointing at his right foot as he told you to kick it with the side of your foot instead of the tip.

He took a few steps back and sped up towards the ball and kicked it just as he showed you, evidently making a goal.

Earning a cheer from you, to which he gave a small bow, running up to get the ball back and placing it in front of you. "Now you try." He placed his hands on his hips as he waited for you. You looked at him as your face contorted into one of confusion.

"Uh, I don't think I'll be able to score a goal just like that? "

"Well, try it first then you can complain." He laughed, ushering you forward towards the ball, you looked at him and then back at the ball.

'Well here goes nothing' you thought and tried to kick as Sharky showed you, but you ended up only kicking it more than a meter away from you, and heading off to an angle to your right.

You heard a small snort come from Sharky as he tried not to laugh at that kick, earning an embarrassed chuckle from you, as you tried to shorten yourself from this situation.

Making Sharky feel bad so he put on a smile for you, to make you feel less awkward about this, he really did want you to learn and he has tons of patience so this would be really easy he thought.

"Yeah, maybe we should practice other things before goals. I realised that may be a bit difficult." He rubbed his chin, thinking of what to do next and his brows raised as it came to him.

He moved towards the storage room and brought out a few cones, placing them in a row in front of you, measuring the width of the spacing between each cone with his own body, he placed six cones in a row.

Taking the ball back and bringing it near the both of you, he started to move it between his feet, looking up at you as he did.

"So what I'm doing right now is called dribbling." Slowly moving towards the cones, the football still between his feet as he demonstrated going around the cones left and then right, up until the very end where he repeated it again heading back to you.

"Dribbling is basically just moving the ball between your feet, like kicking it a little."

Passing the ball to you as you stopped it with your foot, the small of your lips turning upwards, "You could practice by going around each cone and coming back to me here."

You nodded, placing it between your feet, moving closer to the cones as you tried to kick it back and forth between your feet, but it's easier said than done. As you tried but ultimately failed, crashing into the cones as you almost tripped over the ball, trying to go through the cones.

Causing a small laugh to come out of Sharky, as he walked over to you and extended a hand to help you up. He put the cones back in their place and let you try again, repeating to you how to do it as he watched you try to dribble between the cones. Evidently crashing into them again, at least it wasn't all of them this time.

After a couple more training sessions (more like failed attempts) you managed to do somewhat of a decent job at dribbling and sometimes you scored a goal. Almost always you earned a high five from Sharky, even if you did fail an attempt, he'd just smile and say we can try again. Never did he sigh and give up.

࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚

"Wait, what did you just do right there?" You asked, after he suggested you can take a break, since you seemed out of breath after all the training.

You were kicking the ball back towards the seating area when Sharky quickly kicked the ball from beneath you, taking it back towards him as he tossed it up into his hands.

"This? It's called a nutmeg, you simply just kick the ball through your opponent's legs, to retrieve it back so that they won't have it anymore."

You laughed, sitting down in one of the chairs, gazing up at Sharky as he messed around with the ball. "I thought nutmeg was a spice?"

He furrowed his brows for a split second and then let out a laugh, "Yeah, it is, but that's just the term for it. We're not really cooking here, are we?" Shrugging his shoulders as he went to sit beside you.

A soft silence filled the area, as both you and Sharky didn't speak a word. Even the usual white noise, when things got quiet, couldn't be heard, but instead, a delicate soft breathing between the two of you.

Fiddling with your thumbs as you stared at your feet. When is there ever just silence? Normally overpowering the peace, the sounds would get louder, the steady rhythm of your beating heart, sometimes going off track to stumble you.

But now, it's at ease, the quietness, an instant comfort to soothe your mind and heart. Lifting your head up to look around the stadium, it's not normally quiet in a place like this, but now, now is a rare time.

Sharky was looking at you now, eyes softening at your figure, the way you're peacefully sitting here, content, and the soft breathing from you showing him that you're alright with him being here. Alright, with him being beside you. And that, that's what makes him smile.

"You know what," you say, suddenly standing up and placing your hand on your hips, catching him off guard as he didn't expect you to move suddenly, "Let's do a 1v1."

Sharky squints slightly, uncertainty written upon his face, "Are you sure? It seems a bit unfair from my point of view."

"Are you doubting me?" You scoff, picking up the football that was tossed to the side earlier and holding it in your arms.

He laughed quietly, gazing up at you with his brown doe eyes, "Not at all."

Both of you moved towards the centre of the pitch, placing the ball in the middle of you and Sharky. You glanced up to see he was already looking at you. You thought it was to prepare himself, but something was telling you it was anything but that, behind his eyes. Shaking off the thought and ignoring it, you stood ground and prepared for the 1v1.

"Don't go easy on me." You grinned, winking at that statement.

He pretended to think for a minute but then smirked and locked eyes with you, "Never, don't worry. First, to score wins."

He counted to three, and you both aimed towards the ball, you managed to grab it first but he took it off of you, heading towards the goal while dribbling, you tried to run after him but then you saw that he was about to make a goal.

You remember him doing a nutmeg, earlier and thought maybe this was your ticket to victory, moving closer as you ran beside him trying to get the football.

But as you did, your foot got caught on his ankle causing you to spin. Your eyes widen as you see him fall back and you shut them waiting for impact.

Only when opening them do you find yourself fallen.

on top.

of Sharky.

It was too fast to stop it, and both of you didn't react until it was too late. Landing on his chest, you slowly lifted your head up to see him, his hand reaching to touch the back of his head. Your brows furrowed in worry, and pupils written in fear.

You watched as his gaze instantly shot to you, raising his head just as quick and the same worried expression you had on your face, reflecting his own one. "Are you alright?"

"No! Wait yes, I mean, are you alright? I should be asking you, not the other way around…"

Your voice trailing off, you found yourself frozen in place, a shiver of nervousness hitting your skin. Despite your brains commands to move, your body ignored it.

As part of you wanted to get up, the brain telling you to do so, the common sense in this situation, but your longing heart, the other, just wanted to keep looking into his dark eyes and get lost in them.

Dark chocolate rays fanning out around the bottomless pit of an iris, inky crescent moons trapped by a hazy, black limbal ring.

Those eyes are the colour of every tree in the forest, richer, due to the golden light from dawn to dusk. The warmth of an eternal hearth felt in those deep brown eyes.

Holding eye contact was the strongest thing you could have ever done. An achievement, a rare feeling inside of you bubbling up just waiting to come out.

For a second, you thought you imagined it, but reality hit you as you see his eyes flicker to your lips. Your mind finally taking over the reins, causing your heart to match the speed of the beads of sweat falling down.

You blinked, clearing your throat and getting up off of Sharky. You got up, stumbling, almost tripping on your own foot as you do so. The normal colour of your cheeks suddenly changing to a red hue as the warmth builds up.

Why can't you function properly today?? Placing a hand on your face, you can feel the warmth radiating, no doubt an obvious hue, seeping and shown through, you could not let him see you like this.

His brows knitted together as he took a glimpse at you, and he shifted to sit upwards, What happened? What did I do? Sharky thought, as he observed you, watching as you stood there covering your face with your hands.

Standing up now, rushing to your side, he put a hand on your shoulder as he tried to get your attention, "Are you okay?"

The smoky sound of his voice, making you feel intoxicated. The sound of your heart beating like crazy rang through your ears as you could barely make out the words Sharky was saying. Your breathing, quickening, and uneven, why were you like this?

Sharky didn't know what was happening at this point, he guessed maybe you were a bit overwhelmed with the whole football thing, and tired from all the running. He was worried but he didn't want to overthink it if it was a minor issue.

"Do you want some water?" He offered, handing you an extra bottle of water, he brought with him earlier.

"Uh, yeah…" You accepted, nodding your head frantically and taking the water from him, "Thank you." turning away from him as you drank.

࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚

The night sky was aglow with the bright city lights of London, the shades of navy and black painted across the sky like a giant canvass, and yet the stars fought their way onto this canvass, outnumbering and conveying their glow to the eyes of people.

You were heading home now, and even though you insisted you'd be fine heading back yourself, Sharky wouldn't take no for an answer and made sure that you had to return home safely.

Walking beside each other as a small breeze hits your backs. Sometimes when you walked your hand would brush against his, and your stomach would get butterflies. Causing you to pull your hand back but not enough to make it too obvious.

The touch was electric, one that sent your nervous system to jealousy, but you couldn't help but think about it. The soft touch of his hand, what would it be like to hold it again? But… longer?

Little did you know, he was thinking the exact same thing. Earlier, he did manage to grab your hand, but only for a short spur of the moment. It wasn't technically holding your hand. It was more of a… guiding you.

Sharky wasn't gonna back down this time. He had an amazing time with you. Your laugh, your smile? He really didn't want it to end. Just one day isn't enough time with you.

How did he do it before? How did he manage to take hold of your hand earlier? Maybe it was because he wasn't overthinking back then, but now he was.

I've done way more scarier things, I got this. He reminded himself, taking a deep breath to prepare, hyping up himself as he tried to get rid of the nerves.

3… 2… 1… He reached out for your hand, but you suddenly stopped in your tracks. Turning to face the other way, he retracted his hand.

"This is my stop." You mention, as you came to a stop in front of the pathway of your home.

Shit, Sharky sighed, gaze turning to the floor. There goes that opportunity, he sighed. Why couldn't he have just done it faster?

"Alright… uh, I'm gonna go? Thank you for walking me home, Sharky." You beamed at him, flashing a shy smile as you tried to hug him goodbye.

Clearly, he didn't know it was going to be a hug because he tried to elbow bump or more of a fistbump you instead. You tried to motion to him that it was a hug and he ended up realising it with a laugh, then engulfed you in a hug, wrapping his arms around your waist as you wrapped yours around his shoulders.

"Of course," He spoke just above a whisper into the hug, and smiled to himself, good thing you couldn't see his face right now because if you could, rosy cheeks dusted his face and a wide smile stuck on his face.

If you could stay in this hug, you would, the warmth radiating from it shielding you from the night breeze. The soft fabric of his clothing hugged your figure as it provided comfort in his arms.

As you tried to pull apart, a piece of your jewelry got caught on a stray thread of his jumper, an awkward chuckle coming out the both of you as you attempted to try and just break the thread off of your necklace.

Instead, it just made the thread longer, to which you just resorted to taking off your necklace and handing it to Sharky, giving up on trying to remove the stray piece of thread.

"Just… when you get home, cut it off and give it back when you next see me." You say, a tinge of hope in your voice, hoping that he did want to see you again.

But your worries were gone when you saw him flash you a smile while he gave you a nod, holding your necklace in his hand.

As you both walk your separate ways, you're both thinking, "Why the hell, did I make that awkward?"

Days turned into weeks, and during that whole time, you'd hang out with the beta squad more and more, being in their videos to just movie nights and snacks, which included more time spent with Sharky. He did give back the necklace after a couple days, but from your perspective it looked as if he was busy those couple days.

But in reality, he was debating what day to give it back to you and how. Should it have been a gift he gives you along with the necklace? Or just hand it back to you normally? He did the latter, but it did really mess him up, a flustered mess thinking how he actually had something of yours with him.

Throughout the weeks going by, Sharky invited you to join in his videos, the fans loved you with the beta squad so he thought it would be a great thing to have you on his channel. He said it would be great for your channel too but honestly in his heart, he just craved to spend more time with you.

Every minute with you was precious, every moment and every smile. Hearing your voice, brightened his whole day, yes his heart would race and yes his breathing would be uneven thinking about you. But it didn't matter, none of it mattered as long as he was by your side.

You made everything better, and he knew it, in fact he wished every day would be with you.

He had learned a lot just by hanging out with you for videos or even just football sessions. He loved listening to your voice as you talked about your passions or just random things that came to your mind. He'd often smile as you talked, sometimes not even realising he was staring at your features.

Gazing at you was like daydreaming outside a window, it wasn't much to people on the outside, but to himself, it was something he couldn't stop himself from doing. It was addicting to say the least. You've got him hooked from the start.

࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚

"No. Way. You have to come over right now, spill all the tea."

You let out a laugh, currently you were on a call with your friend, trying to catch up but she realised it wasn't easy to get to know all that's happened through the phone so she arranged for you to meet at her place later today.

She drove to your house, waiting in the driveway as you hurriedly got out of your house, locking the door as you left. And making your way to her car.

The weather wasn't the best, it could've been better but the raindrops hitting against the roof of the car and the floor outside didn't seem that the weather was going to get better anytime soon.

On the way to her place, she started to tell you stuff that's been going on for the past couple of weeks, exciting things and sometimes boring ones, you'd be honest sometimes you could fall asleep to what she says at times.

When you arrived at her house, she got you some warmer clothes and brought you a hot drink. Thanking her as you took a seat on her couch, her following suit.

As soon as she sat down, you knew she was going to ask you what happened in your life so far. Usually, you'd laugh and say nothing much, as she almost basically told her whole life story in the car. But this time, there was something interesting to talk about.

More like… someone.

Explaining the start of when you met Sharky, to the football training, the videos and the hangouts you told her all about the fun, but you also told her about how you couldn't function at times around him.

When you finished telling everything, she put a hand on your shoulder and looked deeply into your eyes, "You're in love, no doubt in my mind."

"Are you joking? In love?" You scoffed, averting your gaze from her to the mug you were holding, sloshing around the liquid inside of it.

"You're so delusional. Can you not see it?" She sighed in exasperation, throwing her head back to lean it against the couch.

"Last time I was in love, it didn't really turn out well." You mumbled an air of melancholy surrounding you as it clouded your features. Placing the cup onto the table as you crossed your arms in front of you and leaning back.

"Hey," She turned to you, nudging you to make you face her, "Your ex was a piece of shit." You let out a small chuckle as she continued. "You didn't ruin anything. He ruined it."

"This Sharky you're talking about clearly isn't like that. From what you're describing to me anyway. And clearly, you like him." She grins, a stupid grin on her face.

"I don't—"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that again." She cuts you off, glaring and raising one brow at you.

Your mouth snapped shut, pressing into a thin line. She has a point, one that you couldn't argue on, and even if tried, it would make you look stupid.

"C'mon, you can't deny that you didn't like that date." She teased, a knowing smirk lingering on her face as she drank the rest of her coffee.

"What date?" You raised eyebrows surprised, turning to face her.

"You know, where y'all went to a restaurant and then he taught you how to play football after?" She giggled as she saw the look on your face.

You rolled your eyes playfully, shoving her arm slightly, "Stop messing around. We didn't go on a date! It was a friendly hangout. He sees me as a friend for sure."

She gave you a look which said really? Are you kidding me?

"But is that really all he is to you?"

You gulped and thought about it, shifting your gaze to the ground. Your mind suddenly goes back to the past weeks.

When your hand would brush against his, or when his arm would be pushed near yours in a tight space, your heart would race each time without fail, and you'd think about it for days.

Or when he'd speak, his voice warm and calm, like a flowing river, soothing to one's heart. And that's how he made you feel, all warm and fuzzy on the inside, a tingle in your stomach building up.

When you'd happen to look across the room and he was standing there so perfectly, talking about something you couldn't hear with a glimmer in his eyes and the corners of his lips upturned.

And when he'd notice you looking, turning his gaze to your direction and you'd stare into his dark golden eyes, suddenly everything around you would blur out, the voice of someone speaking disappeared, and the sound of your surroundings vanished. And all you'd notice was … Sharky.

"Just date already!" Your friend laughed, cutting you out of your thoughts, shaking your head to focus again.

You would laugh it off, but the truth was that you were scared on the inside. You didn't want it to end up like your last relationship, cold and cut off. But then again, Sharky wasn't your ex. Sharky was a whole different person.

You had promised before that you wouldn't love for a long time, to heal you had said, you roll your eyes at that, you couldn't stay away.

Why? Because here you are catching feelings.

࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚

The talk with your friend really made you think this week, made you think a lot, actually. Maybe you'd try to accept that you've fallen in love, but it's hard when you don't even know if the other person feels the same way.

It's honestly so frustrating, and yet you hate that you love the way he's making you act up like this. It's like a high school girl with a stupid crush.

You don't even know if you've been obvious to him this whole time.

But you had to ignore it, just for today, because right now you were heading to the beta squad house to film a video for Sharky's channel. A general knowledge video is what he mentioned to you.

As you arrived at the house, you were greeted by Niko as he brought you along to the sitting room. Aj, Chunkz, and Sharky were standing there talking to the camera crew.

While you walked in, you caught the eye of Sharky, waving to you as soon as he saw you, of course you waved back, but this time you took more notice of Sharky, specifically the way his eyes lit up as soon as he saw you.

Or maybe it was the way Chunkz elbowed him in the ribs immediately after Sharky waved at you, a knowing smirk on his face as he switched his focus between the both of you.

Niko turned to all of you, reminding you all that the video would start in 10 minutes, "So if you guys need to do anything, now's the time not later."

"Oh! That reminds me we've gotta get the boxes for the challenge upstairs." Sharky added, heading towards the door, but stopping before he reached it, half turning to face you all with a questioning look.

"Anyone gonna help me?"

"We three are a bit busy so," Chunkz stated, Shrugging his shoulders as he put on a cheeky smile. "Y/N can help you with that? Right Y/N?" Chunkz wrapped an arm around your shoulders as he observed his friend's reaction.

You glanced between Chunkz and Sharky, both of them waiting for your answer. You nodded hesitantly before following Sharky upstairs.

There were forfeits to this challenge, most of them being hidden in boxes that you'd have to find out during the recording of the video.

As you both walked towards the room, you hated that your hands started to sweat, and your heart started to race. The silence was deafening to your ears, you wanted to break the silence but what could you say? But you didn't have to worry much as he ended up speaking first.

Sharky cleared his throat as he opened the door, revealing a small room that had a poster covering the walls, some few items scattered around the floor and the stack of boxes, "We don't have to take them all in one go, by the way."

"Obviously not." You giggled, watching as he moved towards the boxes only to stop after hearing your sarcasm.

"Sorry." You groaned, diverting your gaze as you covered half of your face with your hand out of embarrassment.

He rolled his eyes at your response, shaking his head with a small smile.

With your help almost all of the boxes had been brought down in no time, leaving only a couple of things on the bed. You were so focused on actually helping that you hadn’t noticed Sharky walk in whilst you were picking up the cards with the questions on them.

His hand grazed over yours, slightly brushing just the back of your hand, but it was enough to make you freeze and make your heart beat like crazy.

Your mind was all over the place, nervous and flustered. Your gaze darted up and down and all over him, struggling to focus. As you glanced at his face you noticed something different…

He wasn't wearing his usual backwards hat or a durag this time, but just his hair, the way the curls formed faultlessly on top of his head, accentuating the rest of his features. He'd be on the front cover of a modelling magazine, and you could stare at it all day long.

And when he looked at you, oh boy, that's when you knew you were in for it. You can't go back, you've fallen too far ahead now. Those eyes, they hypnotise you, draw you in instantly and it's hard to get out.

"Stop looking at me like that." You half-rolled your eyes, but the corners of your mouth started to curl up against your will.

"Like what?" He chuckled, making your heart skip a beat once again. Genuinely smiling and you could tell he was curious to know what you meant as he leaned just maybe an inch closer than he already was.

When you look at me and it speaks a thousand words when our voices couldn't and when our gaze crosses from a distance, and it fills my heart with comfort.

The way your eyes have that slight crinkle at the corner of them and that makes your face the cutest when you smile and makes my heart skip a beat, all. the. damn. time.

And when those eyes are looking only at me.

"Nevermind," You dismiss him waving a hand, while looking away, missing to see that he frowns, he has that longing behind his eyes to ask what you meant but he knew he shouldn't pry any further, he didn't want to scare you away.

But he had to know. His mind couldn't stop his curious heart, and so he moved without thought, stepping closer towards you and grabbing your waist.

You yelped at the sudden closeness, eyes widening in shock at how close you both were. His face leaning towards yours with longing eyes, his lips slightly upturned at your reaction as your face started burning.

"Tell me." Sharky breathed, his eyes flickering to your lips for a second too long before gazing back into your eyes.

He was too close, too close that you could see all of his features, the small crinkle on the side of his smile, the unrivalled shape of his eyes, making him unique.

And you'd dare say you also saw a small pink dusting his cheeks.

He was too close, too close that you could feel his breath upon your lips, just centimetres away from you.

His lips looked inviting,

craving something from you.

Asking you to complete it, to fill in that emptiness, it so longed for.

Or maybe you were the one that longed for it?

And you watched as it slowly formed into a smile, glancing back up to the eyes of the owner.

You could see that he was inching closer and closer, your heart denying your every wish to stay calm.

Your mind was frightened, scared of the outcome; it was like stepping on glass, afraid to fall into nothingness and yet your heart thrived in it, determined to see through it.

Honestly, you could move, you should move. It was the smart thing to do.

And yet why didn't you move? You could've moved, told him you weren't okay with him being that close.

But you just… couldn't? It was like you were frozen in place, stuck, bound to stay here for eternity.

And so maybe that's why you shut your eyes slowly.

Waiting to accept the invitation.

But the creaking of a door opening made both of you jump and pull away, swiftly turning your heads to see who it was.

Niko raised his eyebrows, glancing back and forth between the two of you, "Am I interrupting something here?" His mouth formed into a thin line as he scratched the back of his neck, silence dawning upon his answer.

Only until a cough came from Sharky, did Niko return back to his normal self, disregarding what he said earlier and advancing towards the middle of the room, lifting a box, "Guys, we're starting the shoot in 3 minutes and you both didn't even bring down one last box?"

Walking to the door before turning to the two of you, "By the way, when I said earlier, if you have something to do, do it now. This is not what I meant." He laughed, bolting downstairs not to see yours or Sharky's reaction.

Sharky rolled his eyes, scoffing as he couldn't help but let a smile sneak on his face, as he placed his hands in his pockets. "We better head back down, I guess."

You nodded, swallowing the nerves as you took the cards back into your hands, walking beside Sharky downstairs, avoiding any contact with him.

Throughout the whole video, your mind just couldn't focus. Your thoughts going back to earlier, what would have happened if Niko didn't walk in? What would you have done if he didn't? Was Sharky even trying to kiss you and you were just delusional?

Aj kept snapping his fingers in your face every time he noticed you weren't focusing. People who would watch the video would think he's just being his usual Aj self, but in reality, he was worried.

Worried that maybe something happened, and you were going back to not feeling like your usual self.

He hated that time, he hated whenever his friends felt at their worst. He knows because he's felt that same way before, and to feel it multiple times? There's nothing worse.

And so after the video, he went up to you, to see if you were alright. He caught up to you, right as you were about to leave the house, calling out your name.

"Ay Y/N, why you leaving so fast? Are you alright?" Worry surrounded his voice as he placed a hand on your shoulder.

"I'm okay Aje, thanks." You chuckled nervously, "Just uh, tired, yeah..." Scratching the back of your neck as you glanced away.

You hoped he hadn't seen the way you tried to avoid Sharky, or the glances you took during the video, causing your heart to race every second you did.

"Thanks for having me, tell that to the boys alright?" You gave Aj a small smile, patting him on the shoulder as you pointed towards the door with your thumb, indicating you were gonna leave, stepping out the door.

"How are ya gonna get home?" He shouted after you, still at the door, watching as you walked towards the driveway.

Turning around, you pulled out your phone in your pocket showing it to him, "Uh, I'll just call a taxi." You waved at him as you left.

As soon as you turned round the corner, where the eyes of the houses were gone, you took a deep breath, trying to steady it, as you wiped your sweaty hands. You cursed under your breath, How'd one guy get you messed up like this?

࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚

Aj closed the door when you were out of sight, as he turned towards the sitting room where the rest of his friends were. But he stopped in his tracks, a light bulb flickering in his head as he remembered something.

He scoffed as he peered inside the room, showing Sharky, Chunkz and Niko, having a conversation around the table, sitting back with their phones in their hands.

When he turned to head to the kitchen, Aj heard Sharky's voice call out to him as he glanced back and saw Sharky walk up to him.

"What's up Aj?" Sharky asked, darting his gaze around the room, it's as if he was looking for something, "Where's Y/N?"

Aj raised a brow, something clicking in his head, as he eyed the taller man in front of him. He placed his hands in his pockets as he spoke.

"She left." Aj started, squinting his eyes at Sharky as he continued to speak, suspicion drawing in his voice, "But I was just thinking, Sharks, what happened upstairs earlier?"

Sharkys eyes went round for a split second before returning to his normal face, "What do you mean?" He chuckled.

"Don't play stupid, I know you know what I mean." Pointing a finger at him, his voice raising slightly.

Sharky diverted his gaze, staring at the ground as he scratched the back of his neck. He knew what Aj was talking about, but was it what Sharky was thinking?

Aj shook his head and sighed, "I know you like her Sharks, but …" He trailed off, getting the other Somalis' attention as he watched Aj continue.

"I was worried. She wasn't herself today. It reminded me how she acted after her ex, dazed, fake smiles, and all that shit." Aj narrowed his eyes.

Sharky's brows upturned as he listened, something aching his heart. Would it be right to ask what happened? Or would it be overstepping his boundaries if he did?

He shook his head. If it was overstepping, Aj would tell him, and so he spoke, "I don't want to pry too much, but what happened?"

"Her ex was fine at first you know? No one noticed anything off with him, he was great until he started being toxic, then we could see it from a mile away. Man flippin gaslit her into believing that he loved her the whole time." Aj furrowed his brows in annoyance, as he placed his hands on his hips.

Sharky's face was stern, no emotion on it other than in his eyes, flames of anger burning behind them, his brows knitted together.

If looks could kill, his one would have.

How could someone do that to you? Play someone's feelings like it was a game? He hated people like that. He thought it was so disgusting to even think about it. For sure, if he ever sees the guy, he's gonna have a serious talk with him.

"I don't want you breaking her heart. You're a good guy for sure so just stay that way, blud." Aj pulled a smile, looking up at Sharky as he patted his shoulder, going to the kitchen and leaving Sharky with his own thoughts.

࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚ ࿙ ࿚

He slowly went over to sit on his bed, still in disbelief. You had to go through all that? And that bastard treated you like that? Proper mad, that guy.

Something in his heart suddenly twisted, an ache, or a pain, he wasn't sure. But he didn't like the feeling, the feeling of someone hurting you? Sharky would never do that to you.

He knew he didn't like you, because he loved you. He loved you so much that it hurt to think of someone hurting you. He wanted to be there for you, always. To let you lean on him when you needed to, and to be there just to see you laugh, to see you smile.

Pulling out his phone and putting on his Frank Ocean playlist, the song "Thinkin' bout you" popped up.

He sighed quietly as he put on his airpods and laid his head on the headboard of his bed, shutting his eyes close as he listened to the song.

"I've been thinking 'bout you"

A song that was your favourite of Frank Ocean.

"Do you think about me still? Do ya, do ya?"

He smiled, remembering you first singing it.

"Or do you not think so far ahead"

"Cause I been thinking bout forever, ooh"

And that's when it hit him, forever is a long time. And he didn't want to just think forever. He wanted to experience things, experience them with you.

But how could he, if he didn't tell you that he loved you?

He wanted you, no, he needed you.

That's why he got up and ran out of his room, grabbing a jacket on the way out as quickly as possible.

That's why he fumbled rushing to get his car keys to drive to your house.

That's why he's getting into his car, not even bothering to put on a seat belt, but focusing on getting out of the driveway to head to you.

And that's why he's running up to your house, knocking at your door, in the middle of the night.

And when the door opens, revealing you, looking up shocked when you see him, that's when he knew he wasn't too late, that he could still tell you.

Sharky is always a prepared guy. He plans out things for everything, and he's normally very organised. But this was hasty, reckless even, for the first time from what he can remember, he's unprepared.

No planning, no nothing, he was just following what his heart desired in this very moment. And in this moment, he desired you.

Rushing to you? Was definitely spontaneous. But how could he complain? He'd change up his life. He'd endure through any hard circumstances if it meant he'd be by your side.

This was why he wanted to let you know, to let you know now before it was too late, before someone tried to take you away from him.

He turned his gaze to the floor, fumbling for the words to say, suddenly his mind was everywhere, words didn't exist, only feelings at this point.

But he tried, calming his heart down as he shifted his gaze back to you, taking a deep breath in to say something, anything to you.

Sharky rushed to speak, "Y/N, I'm never this impulsive, I think things through, I … I … I'm organised, I plan it all out but…" His brows drew together, sighing in exasperation.

"Agh, I can't stop thinking about you. You're making me act all different, I can't focus anymore." He rubbed his temple, trying to calm his voice, to speak clearer.

"My heart races everytime I think about you, my palms start to sweat and my brain just can't focus. Everytime I close my eyes at night your face shows up and I can't sleep."

His eyes were darting everywhere but you at this point, "Every song I listen to suddenly reminds me of you and I can't get you out of my head."

"And every. damn. glance. I take is because I can't take my eyes off you, you really steal the spotlight when you're in the same room as me. I can't concentrate."

"You honestly looked so perfect when we were filming the video earlier and before upstairs… I'm sorry. I couldn't control myself. The urge to kiss you was killing me, and if Niko didn't walk in, I would have kissed you without thinking properly."

He realised he hadn't looked at you the whole time he talked because he was afraid, afraid of what your reaction would be, afraid maybe you wouldn't have felt the same way as him.

Maybe he read the signs wrong? Maybe you didn't love him back as he did with you?

But the thing was when he did look at you, you were in shock, you stood there wide-eyed, frozen in place at his confession. You couldn't say anything, you wanted to, but nothing was coming out.

He thought he was done for, that you didn't feel the same way until he saw the bright red flush creep upon your cheeks. Your gaze softening at the Somali in front of you.

He took a deep breath, inhaling as much air physically possible because right now he felt like he couldn't breathe either. You were just there in front of him, barely even an arms reach away from him. And the urge to envelop you in his arms was too strong.

"I will treat you right, the way you should be treated. I would never do anything to harm you or hurt you. And it's because I love you. I truly love you. Please…"

This was the minimum he could do for now, Taking your hands in his soft ones, moving your gaze to his soft sienna eyes.

He knows he shouldn't be doing this right here. But he couldn't help it.

It was now or never, to think he would lose you was one mistake he never wants to make, not later, not now.

But if the pain of not having you in his heart was stronger than in his head where his logical thinking was, just for once, just one time in his life he could ignore it.

He would do anything.

Anything for you.

So he spoke, words coming out of his loving heart rather than his mind, his brain allowed his heart to speak just this once, to know, truly know what you feel.

"Let me love you."

Taglist: @b4tasquad @p3drii @n1kodl @elora-k @slutforpablogavi @enhacolor @amwife @distantfromu

Mutuals Taglist: @b4tasquad @p3drii @vctrvn-ls @allygatcr @slutforpablogavi @kennysboxergf @n1kodl @amwife @heartsforaj

Taglist for this fic: @vctrvn-ls @allygatcr @kennysboxergf @lunasmindinwriting @heartsbyvalentina @heartsforaj @elyse3s @leanamaybank

I'm sorry if anyone else wanted to be on the taglist here. Send me an ask, and I'll add you! Currently cannot think rn of who I have to add-

[uchispeach]

Happy House (part 2)

Pairing: Singh! Reader x Dark! Rafe Cameron

➥ Warnings: NON-CON touching (somnophilia), violence, obsessive & manipulative behavior, death, naive! reader…

➥ Series Masterlist

The tiles were aligned with a remarkable precision -that was something you learned from the excruciating time you had been staring at the floor-.

Rafe had trusted you enough to complain about the whole situation. And you were feeling quite ashamed by your father’s behavior.

Luring an innocent person with false promises and then kidnapping them was a new low for Singh.

So you simply kept your head low as you felt a weight pulling the mattress down. You had been sitting there for a whole minute, simply playing with your fingers.

“I’ll talk to him” You turned your head to the side, shy eyes locking in with Rafe’s blue ones. He let out a playful scoff, completely dismissing the idea.

“He won’t let me go. That’d be reckless” He seemed to be really secure, and you recognized his view was probably realistic.

“Still, it’s worth the try” You raised your shoulders.

The Cameron boy continued looking upfront, his facial features were undeniably remarked by the moonlight

“Hey. You’re hurt” You pointed out the dried blood on his knuckles.

“It’s not mine” He shrugged you off. “They look inflamed” You insisted at the noticeable bumps on his rough fingers.

The blond continued to ignore you, so you took his hand, standing up while giving him a light tug.

“Come with me. There’s a first aid kit in the bathroom” You pulled again, this time slightly harder. Still, you were conscious that no matter how much force you put into it, the blond wasn’t going to budge unless he wanted to.

You shook him again, making sure to be delicate. This time he gave up, lazily standing up as he eyed you down.

He allowed you to guide him into the reduced space, leaning on the sink.

You struggled to reach the last cabinet, your arm completely stretched when you felt an unknown heat on your back. Big palm squeezed your side as hard muscles rubbed against the thin fabric of your nightgown.

“There” He groggily whispered into your ear, hotness making you feel ticklish. He finally reached for the red bag, leaving it right on your hands.

“Thanks” You said back, leaning on him as you turned your head around. He simply rubbed your waist before stepping back.

A soaked cotton cloth laid between your small palm while you examined the state of his injuries. One small cut here and there and some inflammation was all you could see, still the red on them was abundant.

Rafe noticed your face turning into a scowl at the metallic smell, making him smirk in a wolfish way. “Are you scared of a little blood, princess?”

“No” You gulped, massaging one of them with the cloth. Your movements were soft and careful, a real contrast to his.

He simply chuckled, chest rumbling in reaction to your cute ways.

His hands were almost completely clean, and as you wiped away some residue from a thick ring, you couldn’t help but notice the detail to it.

“It’s pretty” You pointed out. Rafe focused on the piece of silver, grimacing a bit on the memories it brought to him. “That’s a family ring” His response came out with some roughness to it.

“Well, it’s gorgeous” You continued your task, not really facing him. “My dad gave it to me. That’s when I knew he finally saw me as a real man.” There was a hint of proudness in his tone, and that made you smile.

“He must be really proud” Your eyes finally locked with his sharp ones. He dryly hummed at your words. “Having such a proactive son.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. “You barely know me” He let out with no softness to it, “But I can tell you’re no quitter…and you’re brave” You smiled lightheartedly.

The Cameron boy was amused, never in his life has he heard such words directed his way. He felt weird, a new sensation making its way on the pit of his stomach.

(…)

“Don’t” Your hand wrapped around Rafe’s wrist. He was taken aback, surprised by your sudden eagerness “Sleep here” You said in a shy tone.

The mattress was huge and soft, unlike the dusty rug lying on the floor. “I mean, you must be tired and- I just-” You stumbled upon your words, afraid of being too pushy.

The dirty blond seemed unfazed as he simply pulled the covers down and plopped himself on the bed, completely comfortable with your suggestion.

The heat exuding from his hefty body was enough to get you nervous, not really used to sharing your sleep with someone else, less with someone as imponent as the blond.

Now, with your palm holding your head as you saw him uninterestedly lying on his back, you couldn’t help but feel the need of reassuring him. “They’ll let you go in no time” You weren’t sure why you said that, knowing it was probably a lie.

His eyes darkened, no real expression on his stoic face. You got the hint, not wanting to push his bottons, you got on your side -facing the opposite wall-.

And as you wished him a good night, you couldn’t avoid the sensation of being overly exposed. Still, with your nerves on peak, you were able to fall asleep in a decent amount of time.

Contrary to you, the Cameron boy was wide awake, senses thrilled as he heard your peaceful breathing. Quiet snores left you as you laid in obliviousness.

Rafe didn’t know why, but it gave him some sort of satisfaction to see you so defenseless; making him feel as if your vulnerability was exclusive to him.

The way in which your nightdress’ strap slightly slid down your shoulder was driving him insane. So much flesh on display that he felt the need to bite onto it, just to get a taste of your softness.

He gave in not long after, positioning himself right behind you.

In such proximity he was able to get a good grip of your scent, so sweet and comforting that he got the urge of burying his nose on your silky hair.

Silk. You were pure silk; silky hair, silky skin, silky clothes and silky personality. Such a contrast to his rough edges.

Without much thought, he grabbed some strands between his rough fingers, getting them close to his nose, sniffing the fresh aroma. Then, he proceeded to rub two digits against the bare skin of your neck -going up and down, from the side of your ear to your clavicle-.

The strap got farther down, tempting the blond. He took the lead, playing with the line of fabric before pulling it.

He could see your breasts slowly spilling out of the flimsy dress, noticing how they both got perky at the cold breeze.

Your mounds of flesh felt warm and doughy under his rough touch. He was careful to be delicate as he cupped one of them with his open palm. Still, in your sleepy face a frown formed.

You squirmed a little on your sleep, but that only seemed to encourage the blond to continue exploring.

Once his fingers reached your hardened nipples, a hoarse groan left his lips, hips bucking unintentionally against your soft ass.

He twisted them with contained fervor, as he felt himself hardening.

The white fabric pulled over your thighs as the blond continued to grind against your round buttocks, causing you to whimper under your breath. Rafe’s arm found its way between your thighs, hiked up skirt allowing him to massage the inner part of your legs.

Your warmth crawled all the way to his bones, covering him completely; making him want to hold you down until he consumed all of it.

He squeezed your inner thigh with frustration. Pants suffocation his desire for you. He couldn’t understand it, the boiling wish to see more of you, to taste more of you -just as if it was a need-. It was ridiculous how pent up he felt after barely touching you.

You unconsciously leaned onto him, riding up your dress and allowing some pink lace to peek under it. Rafe took the invitation; quickly, his fingertips were all over your clothed cunt. Running up and down as he felt you wriggling uncomfortably under his touch. His digits pressed harder against your underwear, creating a wet spot on it.

He smirked at that, rubbing circles over your entrance, feeling the wetness soak the fabric up.

The stimulation had you shaking so sweetly against him, breathing heavier than before as a melodic mewl reached his ears. His mouth was now on the side of your smaller face, rubbing against your puffy cheek as he heard you moaning at the friction his unrelenting fingers created.

And just as he was about to pull the piece of lace and cotton aside, he saw you slowly incorporating out of your sleep; limbs stretching and eyes opening. He backed up slowly, digits leaving your heat as he pretended to rest on his back.

Your wake up was abrupt, and the constant panting was a proof of it. Your eyes were wide open as you took in your surroundings.

The Cameron boy was deep in his own slumber and you felt yourself growing calmer. You went back to your previous position, doing your best to resume your rest.

The last thing you wanted to do was disturb the boy’s sleep.

(…)

Your heartbeat increased in less than a second, a choked scream was all you could let out as a strange hand pulled you back onto the mattress.

Your feet were already on the floor as you felt the grip of who you now recognized to be Rafe holding you down.

“Oh God” You turned to face him, your free hand on your chest as you looked into his sharp eyes.

You couldn’t help but cover your mouth as soon as you realized the loudness of your voice, suddenly scared of being heard by a passing guard.

“I’m sorry” you said in a muffled tone, looking like a frightened fawn.

His shirt had been lifted up by his sleepy moves, showing his toned torso. You embarrassingly looked away, waiting to be freed by his firm hold.

“Are the guards left?” He asked in a groggy voice, blinking aggressively as he incorporated on a sitting position. “Yes” you answered shyly “I should leave” you said even quieter.

At that, he only nodded, letting your sore wrist go as he looked intently at you.

While shutting the piece of wood behind you, you couldn’t ignore the burning sensation of Rafe’s intense gaze still following your every step.

(…)

“That’s ridiculous, Y/N” Your father scoffed, continuing to look through his investigation files without paying you much mind.

“But dad, we can not force him to stay here” You tried to talk some sense into him. “His family is probably waiting on him” Still, no response.

“How would you feel if I was the one being held back against my will?” Singh lifted up his view from the bunch of photos and documents.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, you insolent girl” His finger now pointed aggressively at you.

“A treasure that goes back hundreds of years in history will take commitment and sacrifice…This search is way beyond your understanding” Your father’s words were conclusive, harsh tone and harsher look thrown your way.

“But, what if he actually doesn’t have the diary” You pushed again, this time being more careful with your tone.

“The diary is the last piece of the puzzle. The only way to translate the directions to El Dorado…Do you really think he’ll be stupid enough to give it away just like that?” His brows furrowed together in exasperation while his digits massaged the space in between them.

“I-” You were interrupted by a loud bang on the table. The glass of scotch shook at the violent ways of your caregiver. “Enough with this nonsense…Get out of my office before I lose my temper!” He ordered in his warning voice, letting you know he wasn’t playing around.

“Yes, sir” You looked down while silently slipping out of the room, feeling quite hopeless.

(…)

The refined wood felt great under your fingertips, such a shame it wasn’t what you were expecting.

Sure, the dresser was exquisite, brought right from India and made by the most skilled hands of famous artisans. Still, it didn’t fulfill your expectations.

You weren’t too materialistic, you appreciated love and care. But your father wasn’t the best with the latter ones, so he preferred to surround you with luxury.

Your birthday wasn’t at all like you wanted it to be, with a hostage one floor away and your father too occupied with his gold hunt, you couldn’t help but feel down.

“Hey” You looked down at the air vent. “Rafe” You whispered in realization. Immediately, you kneeled, trying to get closer to where the sound of his raspy voice came from.

“What’s up? I saw Singh going away this afternoon” The blond sounded impatient.

“Yeah… He seemed really pissed off. Probably some trouble with business” You frowned tiredly at that.

“Fuck…this is driving me insane!” You could hear his harsh voice being accompanied by a hit to the wall.

You closed your eyes in shame. “He said he’s not letting you go unless you tell him where the diary is” You flinched at the second hit, thinking of how he was probably hurt from the impact.

“I already told y’all I don’t have no damn shitty journal!” Exasperation could be clearly heard in his tone.

The silence was loud for a couple seconds. You didn’t want to open your mouth only to enrage him more, as for himself, you were sure he wasn’t feeling chatty right now.

“Of course” He chuckled humorlessly, bitterness spilling out of his tone.

“That fucking bitch and his surf rat friends” He said in annoyed realization. “It’s everything alright?” You asked dumbly, unsure of every word.

“Hell no, your father has the wrong fucking guy!” You were confused at his outburst. “…Mmm” Your brows furrowed together.

“My damn sister and his criminal friends… they certainly deal with that kind of information” He spat out, the poison in his voice being undeniable.

“Alright… then, I’ll get you a phone and we’ll contact her and-” You were cut in the middle of your sentence by a mean sneer. “That’s not how it works, sweetheart” He said harshly. “My sister doesn’t give a shit about me.”

“But, I don’t get it…She’s your sister” Your puzzlement was amusing to the boy. “She should be able to help you” You insisted with a cute frown on your face.

“Oh, she’s able to…she just won’t” A feeling of disappointment washed over you. Feeling desperate at the lack of resources to help the Cameron boy.

“I’m sorry” You said in a pitiful tone. And Rafe didn’t get why, Why would you feel bad for him? “Stop apologizing” His tone was dry, tired words slipping out of his pink lips.

The silence made itself present again, this time filled with tension. You both stayed like that for an excruciating minute, contemplating what else was to be said.

Suddenly, a new worry clouded your mind. “Have you eaten anything yet?” Your legs started to cramp for being seated too long on the hard floor, still, you refused to step away from the ‘blond’s side’.

He chuckled once again, this time lightheartedly. “That’s the last of my concerns, right now.” He took it as a joke, not really paying it much mind.

“Well, it concerns me…You could faint or-or” You stumbled across your words, struggling to back your point up. His laugh echoed through the air vent, rumbling in your ears.

“Rafe. I’m being serious!” You pouted. Rafe couldn’t believe it, you were actually worrying your little head off for him -and for some selfish reason, he seemed to enjoy it-.

(…)

“Rafe” You whispered into the room, once again you had succeeded in sneaking in. And as you looked around the room, you joyfully added “I brought a board game…and snacks!”

You stood timidly against the door, wondering where the blond was. “Rafe!” You increased the sound of your voice, lowkey panicking at his absence.

“Ra-” You choked on your own words as you observed a tall figure stepping out of the bathroom. A cloud of steam followed right behind.

You felt yourself growing embarrassed as you saw the Cameron boy walking confidently out of what seemed to be the shower.

He was only wearing a towel, allowing the droplets of water to roam freely on his brawny body. He didn’t look ashamed at all as he stood next to the queen sized bed. “You took your sweet time” He said in what you could only describe to be a playful tone.

A plain T-shirt was lazily extended on the mattress and as he picked it up, a set of huge biceps revealed themselves.

Never in your life had you seen a body as hefty as his. Rafe continued to ignore your gaze, lazily putting on the piece of fabric. A glimpse of his toned torso was the last thing you saw as he completely covered his upper body.

“See something you like?” He finally faced you, a proud smirk on his lips as he looked at your astounded face. “No!” You were quick to answer, shaking slightly at the bold ask.

Your anxiousness only seemed to fuel the blond more. A mean grin decorating his face while he reached for the flimsy towel.

The towel hit the floor, revealing his underwear. A pair of designer boxers wrapped tightly against his big bulge.

You simply looked away, gripping the bag of homemade cookies a bit too hard. The Cameron boy laughed at your shyness. “What is all that for? Are we having a picnic?” His grin grew bigger.

“Well, I figured out you might be hungry and stressed out so…” You finally dared to look his way, relived to see he was finally wearing pants.

He only hummed in response, eyeing you up and down in your sleeping shorts and thin top.

“I’m sure you could take some of my worries away” You couldn’t decipher the look on his face as he said that.

You stayed on your place, waiting for the right moment to get closer.

“C’mere” He signaled you to join, and you did, sitting right beside him.

Now, face to face as you sat on the floor, you could see the water dripping from his dirty blond strands. Quickly, you reached out for him with his towel in hand, rubbing it slightly against his hair.

Rafe allowed you to massage his scalp, surprised at your caring touch. “There!” You reacted joyfully at the almost dry result.

And just as you were about to pull your hand away, the Cameron boy grabbed you roughly by the wrist. A soft whine escaped your lips at the rough grip.

The blond completely ignored your small protest, only tightening his hold as he stared deeply into your soul.

“You missed a spot” He finally talked, moving sideways to reveal some strands of untouched hair.

You complied immediately, repeating the process in order to satisfy the blond.

He only hummed once you were done, letting you know he was content with the result.

A few minutes were invested into debating which activity had the right to be first: eating or playing and given the hungry look on Rafe’s face, you both decided on the first.

Seeing him eat made you feel lighter, now without the weight of one concern over your shoulders. “I’m glad you liked them.” You smiled sheepishly at him.

“How could I not like anything that comes from you?” He expressed in between bites, you didn’t think much of it -considering it just to be an exaggerated compliment-.

And as you picked up the residues from the floor, a new sense of curiosity raised deep within you. “So, what’s your hometown like?”

(…)

“Kildare sounds pretty entertaining” You turned your head to the side, noticing how Rafe’s eyes were already on you. “Wish I could visit someday” You looked down, focusing on the way his fingers draw circles around your thigh.

“I bet you know a couple of impressive islands” He had a boyish smirk on his face. The fingertips on your skin tickled you in a nice way. “… I don’t know about that” Your eyebrows were slightly squeezed together.

The Cameron boy stayed silent, waiting for an explanation. “I’ve never really…left The Bahamas” Your frown grew bigger.

“My dad would never let me…” You continued, a tight knot forming on your throat at each word. “He says it’s safer here” Your eyes found his, as a pitiful look made its way onto your face.

“Well-” The sound of multiple vehicles approaching the property cut him off. Engines roared wildly before parking completely.

You heard the voices of a couple men, most of them whom you recognized to be your dad’s men, expect for one.

A guy protested in a shaky voice, putting up a fight. “Rafe, wait!” You reached out for the blond’s pants, pulling from them as you desperately tried to make him sit.

The curses became begs. That’s when you heard your dad with his condescending voice. “This is what happens when you don’t zip your mouth, Mr. Portis” He was furious, you could tell.

“Rafe!” You pulled again, trying your best to keep it together as you heard desperate screams coming from the adult man.

“Rafe, if my dad sees you-” You jumped, choked whimper escaping your throat.

A gun. A gun was fired. The screaming had ceased, only to be replaced by a sepulchral silence.

You sat frozen, eyes stinging heavily while you saw the Cameron boy looking straight onto the murder scene.

“We have to get the fuck outta here” His tone was stern.

Rafe remained stoic as he closed the blinds.

A/N: Let me know your thoughts on this one! 💭

[ohtobeleah]

Jake and Iris make me feel things I’ve never felt before. The chemistry, the toxicity, the overall dynamic makes me sweat 🥵

I.R.I.S Masterlist

Brrooo, I had so much fun writing this one and I really got carried away because it’s over 5k long. So please enjoy.

Warning: Smut! Female receiving oral. Jake Seresin x Mitchell!reader. Undisclosed age gap.

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

“Dad—cool your jets alright I said it’s not what it looks like.” You groaned as you hid your face in the palms of your hands as you kicked off the covers of your bed.  

“Iris….” Mav looked at you like he was ready to combust on the spot. The little vein near his temple had risen like it was about to pop. “What are you doing sleeping in Hangman's shirt?” 

You had to think fast on your feet with this one, but this wasn’t your first rodeo. Jake, unsurprisingly, wasn’t the first guy you’d fucked around with. What could you say? You had a thing for older guys. 

“I got pretty hammered the other night alright, shit happens and I threw up on my shirt, this must’ve just been the one I picked up from the lost and found bin at the Hard Deck.” You lied through your fucking teeth as you got out of bed. Mav just stood there speechless. “Must’ve got thrown in with the washing and just ended up in the pile on the chair.” You gestured to your clean washing pile you had yet to put away. “I got in pretty late last night, but if you’d rather me not keep it, I’ll give it back. You said it belongs to Jake right?” 

“No I said it belongs to your Lieutenant Commander, Iris, Lieutenant Commander Seresin—“ Mav corrected you. “He’s Jake to you when he’s over for family events, any other time he’s your superior, address him as such or at least as Hangman.” You just paused, you rolled your eyes as you collected some things for a shower. Underwear, jeans, a normal shirt that wasn’t Jakes. 

“Uh, but I quit the program Daddio.” You reminded your dad. “So realistically he’s not my superior, and I can call him Jack Shit if I wanted to.” 

“You did not quit, Mitchell’s don’t quit.” Pete replied, he was losing his cool and you could tell, but like father like daughter, so were you. “You don’t get to quit TopGun, you’re the top one percent and of this nation aviators Iris.” Pete thought reminding you of your remarkable skills would sway you into thinking twice about your decision. It didn’t. Not even in the slightest bit. 

“They do when the whole system is rigged!” You turned on your heels as you slammed the draw you’d been looking in for a belt. “They do when they’ve been capped dad!” 

“What are you talking about?” Pete just played as dumb as he possibly could, but he knew. Oh boy did he know what you were talking about. 

“Rooster told me what some of the guys said to the Admirals! He told me what they said they’d do if I was given an ounce of a shot at this—“ You’d have to call Bradley later and tell him to take the L. You couldn’t tell the truth but you couldn’t not confront your dad. You weren’t about to say, ‘Nah l heard what you said when I was under your desk with Jake's dick down my throat—‘ Were you? 

“Iris—“ 

“Why would you not tell me that? My own dad, the reason why I’m fucking stunted in my career! This is it for me dad.” You hissed. “I don’t get to go any further than this because I’ve got Pete fucking Mitchell goddamn DNA—“ 

“Enough, we’ll talk to Admiral Simpson—“ Pete’s heart ached inside his chest as he looked at you, his daughter, every ounce of him. He hadn’t always been there and hell he’d missed a lot. But he loved you, he loved your mother in some strange amicable way too. Enough that he never missed a child support payment, he even paid more than he was required. He sent birthday and holiday gifts, paid half your schooling fees and paid for your first car. But Pete knew no amount of money equated to time lost. “I agree, this whole thing isn’t fair.” He said softly. “And we’ll figure out a way to fix it.” 

“You can maybe but I’m not going shit.” You weren’t in the mood for this. You didn’t want to be told what to do, you weren’t a child and you weren’t in the wrong here. If you wanted to quit on your own terms you were going to. “I’m not the one who thinks so low of myself that I need to stunt others to gain notoriety, that’s fucking Rebound and his ugly ass personality.” You didn’t exactly know who had put in the complaints against you but if someone had held a gun to your head and asked you to take a wild guess, you knew your answer would be pretty accurate. “So if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna take a shower, make a coffee and enjoy my morning off because I. Fucking. Quit.” 

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

“You come to your senses finally?” Bradley asked as he flipped through his lesson plan. “Heard through the scuttlebutt yesterday that you dragged Iris into the Admirals office by her damn ear?” Jake's mind momentarily flashed to the events of last night, when he had you splayed out beneath him moaning his name. As he blinked back the X rated image he remembered he’d woken up alone, in a cold and empty bed he wished you were in. 

“She’s flunking on purpose because these guys are intimidated.” Jake looked at his own lesson plan as he lent on the table in the hanger turned makeshift classroom. “Someone had to pull her back in line.” 

“And that someone’s you?” Bradley asked, all Jake did was look at him confused. He was your teacher fisher and foremost, what else was he supposed to do? “Huh, you could’ve had me and everyone else fooled.” Bradley shrugged. “Heard you really gave it to the kid.” 

“Don’t call her a kid man.” Jake cringed. “God it makes me feel like I’m some kinda perv.” 

“You are a perv! You’re fucking Mavs daughter!” Bradley hissed. “On multiple occasions it seems? Jake, Have you actually stopped to think for a moment what will happen when he actually finds out? Because it’s gonna come out eventually and I’m gonna be so fucking far gone when it does man you won’t see the ass end of me.” 

“He’s not gonna find out, we’re keeping it casual.” Jake just shrugged it off, he couldn’t keep thinking about the what ifs when he was with you in the moment. He wanted to enjoy the time he had with you. Sneaking around, being discreet, if he kept thinking about your dad every time he was with you he was gonna form an unwanted association and Jake couldn’t have that. He’d almost lost you once and he wasn’t ready to give you up yet. “Casual and consensual Rooster, she might be Mavs daughter but she’s still an adult.” 

“Oi!” Just as Rooster and Hangman were about to start preparing their whiteboard, Mav was walking into the hangar with broad shoulders and a stirn glare. “Tweedle dee and dumbass!” 

“Who’s who?” Rooster asked through a laugh as he wrote up his status on the whiteboard, earning himself a smack in the back of the head. “Ow! The fuck Mav—?” 

“Thanks for telling Iris about the complaints some of her classmates made, Rooster.” Maverick just deadpanned Bradley, the guy had a few inches on Mav but he didn’t care. “She’s pissed off now and you of all people know how she gets when she’s pissed off!” It was true, Bradley Bradshaw was literally the closest thing you had to a brother, which meant when you were both a little younger, you in your teens and Bradley in his twenties— fought like cats and dogs.

“What are you even talking about?” Rooster asked as he looked at Jake who just kept writing on the board, he looked all kinds of guilty. “I—“ Rooster paused, what had you and Jake been up to that meant you had to lie and say that Rooster told you? He hadn’t checked his phone all morning but he regretted it now. “Did, yeah I did do that, sorry—she cornered me when I pulled a point or two when she was doing Hard Deck pull ups.” Jake let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as Bradshaw took the blame, he owed him—big time. 

“Well because she knows, apparently she quit the program.” Jake's heart sank from his chest into his ass. No you didn’t? You would’ve mentioned that last night. “I've gotta go talk to Cyclone about it now—this whole thing is a giant mess.” 

“Iris could probably still have this thing if she applied herself.” Jake hadn’t taken his eyes off of what he was writing. “She could fly circles around those losers with her eyes closed and hands tied behind her back.” Jake kinda wished he’d just said this to you yesterday instead of dragging you through the mud. The longer he thought about it, perhaps words of encouragement could have prevented you from taking an overly critical approach. “She’s a smart girl, but she’s your daughter, which means she’s just a stubborn as you so—“ 

Pete just fished the T-shirt he’d stuffed into the back of his jean pocket out and threw it Hangman's way. Jake caught it on his shoulder. He looked rather confused at the white material that cascaded down his shoulder. 

“She is smart, but she’s got her mothers rage.” Mav sighed. “Or stupidity, I’m not sure, but she damn near gave me a heart attack this morning when I went into her room and saw her sleeping in that shit.” Jake took the shirt from his shoulder to investigate, he could feel the heat sweeping across his face as he realised that you must have accidentally picked up his prized Hangman shirt after he’d discarded it last night. You know, before he fucked the shit out of you. “Wanna tell me why my daughter was sleeping in your shirt? Jacob?”

“I uh—“ Jake was panicking, Mav could tell. He was onto whatever was going on here he just couldn’t tell what exactly it was or to what extent it had gone. Did he believe your little lost and found story? No. Not in the slightest bit. “I couldn’t tell you man I haven’t seen this thing for a while.” Jake chuckled out, rubbing the back of his head as he thumbed at the cotton fabric. “Thought I’d lost it? How’d Iris end up with it?” 

“She said she thinks she got it out of the Lost and Found box at the Hard Deck?” 

“That checks—“ Rooster mumbled as Jake sent him a look. “Honest, she was a mess a few nights ago. She’s lucky I didn’t kick her out of the Bronco when she threatened to spew her guts up on my dash.” It was all fabricated. Bradley didn’t know why he was jumping to Jake’s defense when the evidence was literally in the palm of his hands. But today was not the day to be down an instructor—so if anything Bradley took it upon himself to make sure Jake Seresin could live to breathe another breath for his own selfish reasons. “What, you think they’re fucking or something Mav?” 

At that moment Jake forgot how to breathe when Pete Mitchell starred directly into Jake's soul. Just waiting for him to crack. 

“I haven’t figured that out yet, but if they are? Just know it doesn’t bode well in your favour, Hangman—“ 

“I would never touch your daughter Mav, it’s Iris.” Jake cringed like you were beneath him, like it was an insult to his character that he’d stoop so low. That’s he’d be that dumb. “She’s basically a kid—“ Bradley couldn’t believe what he was hearing, blowing air into his cheeks as he turned back to hide his face against the whiteboard as Mav continued eyeing off Jake. “You know I wouldn’t, and the fake I haven’t seen this shirt in weeks just adds up. Iris got it outta the lost and found, thanks for returning it.” 

As Jake spoke complete and utter lies, all he could hear was your soft moans and delicate whimpers. He could feel your nails dragging into the muscles that littered the expanse of his back and after last night? The track marks you’d left began to throb with anxiety. 

“Yeah—“ Mav sighed, tapping Jake on the arm a few times. “Yeah I guess you’re right, sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” 

“No hard feelings.” Jake just replied, he just wanted this conversation to be over so he couldn’t put his foot in it any further. 

The second Pete turned his back Jake went weak in the knees. Bradley’s eyes widened with endless questions and queries. But he settled on just one. 

“What exactly were you and Iris doing that she had to throw me under the bus like that?” Jake didn’t respond right away, he was still trying to process the fake he was rock fucking solid. The idea of Mav threatening him for being any way shape or form involved with you had him going feral. 

Jake liked it, and he thought maybe, just maybe, he even loved you. 

“You want the truth?” 

“Probably not—“ Immediately, Bradley regretted asking. “Nope, I actually don’t want to be any more of an accomplice than I already am.” Jake just grinned like a Cheshire Cat. Looking Bradley up and down before he spilled the very R rated and inappropriate beans. 

“She was under Mavs desk, with my dick in h—“ Bradley couldn’t let Jake finish before he was covering his ears like a child. 

“Oh my god! No shut up, I can’t know that!” He shoved his fingers in his ears and looked away. He couldn’t think of you like that, his little sister. He knew Jake was a goner, a deadman walking but Rooster was too. An accomplice to Jake's own stupidity. “No la la la la— I can’t fucking hear you!” 

“You asked!!” Jake laughed to himself. “You asked what we were doing!” 

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

Later that same day, Jake was heading to your place during his lunch hour. It was only a five minute drive from base on a good day. He should have known better than to rock up unannounced, but the line between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour was becoming far too blurry to really focus his moral compass. 

“Iris?” Jake knocked damn well knowing you weren’t going to answer—if Mav had been right about anything it was that when you were in a foul mood you were sour. Jake’s presence probably wasn’t going to make your mood any less aggravated. “Iris open up!” 

To Jake’s surprise, you answered. You couldn’t have reefed the door open any harder if you tried as Jake stood there taking in the sight of you. Clad in nothing but a little black bikini and Prada Milano sunglasses. Looking over them up at Jake as you tilted your gaze to look above where they sat on the bridge of your nose. 

“Can I help you?” 

“The fuck does Mav mean you quit the TopGun program? Are you mentally deficient or something!?” Jake pushed past you in the doorway, barreling in as his rage consumed him. “God you’ve done a lot of dumb shit recently Iris but quitting TopGun? That’s career suicide—“ You didn’t answer, you simply stood there, raising an eyebrow as you pushed your glasses up the bridge of your nose. 

“If those guys, Krod and P:E and fucking Rebound are the Navy’s top one percent than I send my hopes and prayers to their families—“ You explained as you walked your way out towards the back deck. “They’ll be burying the bastards sooner rather than later and I for one, will be there to say they should’ve worked a little harder for their titles instead of manipulating the system in their favour.” 

Jake hated to see you leave, but he loved to watch you walk away, your bikini bottoms left very little to his imagination.

“Now if you’ll excuse me Hangman, I was enjoying the sun and a nice glass of scotch before you rudely showed up at my dads house unannounced.” You turned, sinking a hand on your popped hip. “So unless you have someone interesting to say I’d shut the hell up and leave before dear old daddy comes home and finds you here, tainting his only daughter’s innocence.” Jake went to speak, he wanted to laugh and call your bluff and tell you how fucking stupid you were being. But you cut him off as he held his tongue and clenched his jaw. “And yeah—I can tell you to shut the hell up because you aren’t my superior anymore, stings knowing you’re the one who pushed me over the goddamn edge by dragging my ass into Admiral Simpson's office for that write up huh?” 

“Oh don’t act like me doing my job had anything to do with the fact you were looking for an excuse to give up!” Jake shouted as he followed you out onto the back porch. “By the sounds of things you’d already made up your mind before I even decided you’d crossed the line between brat and insubordination.” You let Jake finish his rant before you looked at him with sinful eyes. Eyeing him up and down. Was there anything he didn’t look good in? 

“What are you even doing here?” You asked through a sigh as you sat back down on the lounge chair you’d been posted up in the sun on before Jake arrived. Enjoying your day off. “Because I know you didn’t just come here to berate me for my decision to quit—you could’ve done that when I came to collect my stuff, you didn’t need to make a personal house call.” Despite wanting to pull you up by the hair on your head and drag you back to base himself, Jake just continued to undress you with his eyes as he undid the zip on his flight suit. Standing in your direct sunlight as he did so just to piss you off. “Jake, don’t be a pest fucking move your old ass—“ 

As Jake’s cock twitched against the fabric of his boxer briefs, undressing the very little clothing that covered you, he hatched a plan—a rather simple plan to have you biting your tongue and dragging your ass back to TopGun. 

“I actually came to talk about last night.” He admitted, shimmying the arms off his body as he tied them around his waist. “I wanted to ask if you really meant what you said, about wanting more.” 

“I don’t want shit from you if you’re gonna come in here ranting and raving about my problems and how I choose to deal with them.” You mumbled, pretending that you weren’t interested as Jake sank to his knees before you on the sun lounge. “But, if you must know, I wouldn’t technically be opposed to the idea of this being more than just sex, because unfortunately I’m hot for teacher.” You smirked as Jake grinned ear to ear at you as he sauntered up and hovered over you. Taking your lips hostage in a slow and sensual kiss that had you forgetting how to breathe for a second before he pulled away. 

“I came here on my lunch break you know—“ You pretended to care, looking around as if you were trying to spot something. “What?” 

“I didn’t see you bring anything with you?” You winked as you winded your legs. Looking up at Jake as he hovered over you. “You might just have to go hungry there, teach.” Jake caught your intentions as he lowered himself down between your legs. His dangerously dark, lust filled eyes never left yours as he did so. Dropping lower and lower till he was at eyeline with your just barely clothes cunt. 

“I think I’ve got a pretty delectable meal right in front of me darlin—“ Jake purred as he spread your legs a little wider, drinking in the sight of your core nearly hanging out of those little black bikini bottoms. “And I’m absolutely ravished.” You snapped your knees together just as Jake slowly made his way forward, just scraping the tip of his nose as you giggled wildly. 

“Too bad, it’s gonna cost ya.” You taunted, biting on your bottom lip as you eyed Jake off and spread your legs apart before him again, watching with awe as the crimson hume that crept across Jake's cheeks grew brighter and brighter with every passing second. “Walking Propaganda Poster Boys who pray on women half their age from conservative Texan families pay extra too.” Jake was speechless as you dragged him through the mud, the sad thing was it turned him on. 

Perhaps Bradley was right from the get go—Jake Seresin had a thing for degradation. 

“What’s a dining experience at the Iris Inn gonna cost me?” Jake growled as he slowly dragged the tip of his index finger up your calf and to your inner thigh. “Name your price—“ You hissed when Jake took the little string that kept your bottoms tied together and snapped it back against your hip. 

“Ah—“

“Words Iris, use that bratty mouth of yours and tell me what it’s gonna cost.” Jake looked at you with lust filled eyes that had never been darker, keeping his trail to your core right on schedule as his fingers grazed the fabric that clothed your core. “I ain’t got all day Iris.” 

“Your entire career, deadman.” You softly gasped as the pad of Jake's thumb danced softly over the fabric of your bikini bottoms, making your sensitive bundle of nerves ignite. “Ohhh—maybe even that won’t cover it.” 

“Guess we’ll have to find out won’t we?” Jake asked as he pulled back the fabric of your bikini to reveal your soaked pussy. “Huh, you really get off on the idea of me going straight to hell for all this don’t you?” 

“I touch myself to the thought of it every night.” You admitted as a wicked smile crept across your face. Jake chuckled to himself, he was a goner. “Touch myself thinking about all the ways I’ll ruin your life and I cum so hard when I remember you want me to.” 

“Fucking hell Iris you’d make the strongest of men weak.” Jake sighed as he crept closer and dragged you forward to his face, sinking his teeth into your inner thigh as you unfit the sides of your bikini. “You’re poison—“ 

“And yet you keep coming back for more—“ You would always beat Jake at his own game, he knew his fate and accepted it. He kissed up your inner thigh slowly before finally landing right where you wanted him, where you needed him. Against your core in a feaverish moment of sudden ecstasy. “Oh fuck—!” Jake kissed and sucked against your glistening core, drinking in the taste of your nectar. 

He’s been right, oh how you were a delectable meal and such a cuisine that was surely exclusive to the most exclusive restaurants. You were soft and sweet and all things in between as Jake looked up at you as he flicked his tongue against your clit. Reveling in the jolts of electricity he knew washed through your body whenever he flicked up. 

“Jake—“ You sighed out as you let all your thoughts go. “Fuck baby feels so good.” You told him as you reached back to untie your bikini top, Jake watched through dark hooded eyes as he made you his lunch. His heart danced inside his chest at the sight before him, you peeled off your black bikini top to expose yourself fully in the backyard of your dads house. You knew what you were doing to him and Jake fucking loved it. “Eat my pussy Jake, just like that—“ 

“You taste so fucking sweet Iris, so sinful.” Jake growled as he pulled away, reaching up to coax two of his digits into your mouth. He paused at your bottom lip, deciding that to ask you to open would give you far too much power and if Jake knew anything about you it was that you had a power complex. So as Jake gripped at your chin and looked at you with stirn eyes—he told you what to do. 

“Open.” And do it you did, without hesitation. Welcoming the two chosen digits into your mouth as you hummed and swirled your tongue around and gripped at your own tits. “Fuck Iris—“ Jake was about three point five seconds from ruining his flight suit. He had a Hop after lunch. “Good girl.” Jake praised you as he pulled his dripping digits from your mouth and slowly and ever so carefully, guided them past your dripping lips into your core. Stretching you to a nice full feeling as you arched your back and squeezed your tits all for Jake to watch as he got you off. 

“Ohh, Ohh fuck Hangman—-“ Jake had never really been a fan of the calllsign Bradley gave him all those years ago. It was more of a personal attack on him and their once strained friendship than a nod to his personality, his professionalism. But as it dripped from your mouth like a siren song, Jake found a new reason to love it. “Jake fuck—feels so good, oh god.” 

You sounded like every sin Jake had ever had. Vocalised into a reality playing out before him as he ducked his head back down to suck a pressure out of this world against your sensitive bundle of nerves, coaxing his fingers up against your velvet walls to create a feeling so pure and intense it had you singing out his name into the heavens above. Surely neither of you would be granted access after this. You’d both be sent straight to hell. 

“Ahhhh fuck yes! Yes Jake!” You moaned out as you rolled your hips to grind against Jake's face as he lapped away at your cunt. His chin glistening with your arousal as he worked to finger fuck you. Drinking up all that you could give him. 

“So fucking pretty aren’t you Iris.” Jake mumbled against your core as he buried his fingers to the hilt. “So pretty and gorgeous and fucking irritating—“ Jake moved to mark your inner thighs with love bites and bruises that would linger on your supple skin for days to come. “I’ll make you a deal.” 

“Fuck off—“ You knew what was coming as Jake slowly moved back to your core, soft kitten like licks against your clit nearly had you breaking as you whimpered and whined and arched your spine. “Jake, I’m close! So fucking close.” It was the smirk that gave it away, the devilish, oh so endearing shit eating grin Jake sent you as he pumped his fingers inside you, hitting just the right spot to send you hurtling towards the edge of insanity. “JAKE! Oh Christ! Aauugghh—“ You were so close it hurt. “Please, please I wanna cum for you daddy.” 

You saw the look in Jake's eye when you called him that. He hated that he loved it. He’d never been a ‘daddy’ guy. But with you? It felt right in the worst kind of im fucking your daughter way. 

“Say you’ll come back to TopGun and I’ll make you cum Iris.” Jake mumbled as he sucked against your cunt. Curling his fingers up inside you in a come hither motion. “I promise baby, say you’ll come back and ruin those fuckers and I’ll make you cum so hard you’ll forget everything but my name.” 

“You're a bastard!” Jake raised a hand to grip at your throat, applying just enough pressure on the sides of your neck to have your head spinning as you gasped and tried to hold onto whatever sanity, whatever control you had as your orgasm barreled towards you. “You—you fucking bastard.” 

“Is that a yes?” Jake grinned as he lapped away at your throbbing bundle of nerves. “Say it Iris.” He growled as the tips of his fingers hit just the right spot with enough force to send you flying towards the sun. You couldn’t hold it even if you wanted to, which you didn’t. 

“Ahhhh yes! Yes alright, alright you son of a bitch I’ll come back! just make me—“ You didn’t even need to finish your sentence and Jake was sucking against your clit so perfectly it had you arriving at your very dirty destination. “Ahh—oh god ahhhhh FUCK!” 

Jake, in all his years had never heard such a beautiful sound. You always managed to surprise him every time you came. Everytime your body trembled at his touch, everytime your jaw hung slack as your eyes rolled and beautiful whimpers and moans and sighs of relief escaped in their droves. Releasing your neck from his hold just as your pushy fluttered around his now soaked digits.

“Oh my god you’re such an ass Seresin.” You sighed as Jake lapped the last of your sweet sweet nectar from your dripping cunt up all for himself before he rose up to take your lips hostage with yours. 

“I gotta get going, thanks for lunch.” He mumbled as you enjoyed tasting yourself of his tongue. “I’ll see you later though when you come to reclaim your throne Mitchell.” You just rolled your eyes as Jake dropped his head, taking each of your nipples in his mouth one at a time before he pulled up and away. “Seeya soon—“ 

“What if you don't?” You called out, watching as Jake left you on the outdoor lounge chair to soak up the rest of the midday sun. Jake didn’t even look back over his shoulder to address you but you knew good and well he was smirking as you flipped him off. 

“I will.” 

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

“What’cha have for lunch Hangman?” Mav asked as he caught Jake in his peripheral vision. “You weren’t in the Rec room?” 

“Nah I ate out today—“ Jake smirked, god he was going to hell. The only Heaven he’d be sent to, was when he’s alone with you. 

Later that same afternoon about an hour or so after Jake had left, you sauntered on into the hanger you knew your dad would be in. Doing whatever it was that he did between his lessons. Low and behold Jake Seresin had been right. 

“Hi honey.” Pete beamed, Bradley stood beside Maverick with a curious smirk on his face. Stupid mustache, hiding his upper lip. “I see you changed your mind?” Jake stood leaning against one of the empty desks. His arms nearly bulging out of black T adorning his stupidity perfect body. 

“Yeah well—“ You sighed as you took your aviators off and placed them into the neck of your shirt. You were just in a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. Nothing fancy. Nothing too extreme for your meeting with Admiral Simpson. “You can either chock it up to downright stupidity—“ You paused, tucking your hands into the back pockets of your jeans as you watched Jake wink at you from behind your fathers shoulder. “Or post nut clarity.” 

“IRIS!!” Pete scolded you as Bradley’s jaw hit the ground in second hand embarrassment as Jake's face turned a bright shade of crimson. 

“My god, she’s your fucking daughter—“ Rooster sighed as he tried to scrub the last five seconds from his memory bank.

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

[weirdkpopgirl]

Jealousy | Dream Reaction #9

Reaction: When they get jealous of their gf being close with another member Genre: Fluff, comedy, a little angst if you squint Warnings: quite a few repeated words lol Word Count: 3829k Author's Note: Gosh, it feels nice to post something for NCT Dream as a whole after a while. Initially, I wasn't crazy about the idea of writing a scenario where the members get jealous. But it was fun to write, I tried to make them realistic to the member's personalities. Hope you guys enjoy it. Thank you for reading ^ - ^

~ ~ ~

MARK

The longer he went without seeing you, the restlessness within him grew. His schedule had been all over the place, leaving him with scarcely any breaks in between. Despite his love for his career and his unwavering dedication to giving his all, he couldn't help but wish that it didn't take such a toll on your relationship. Even if you never complained about the months of being apart, only communicating through text messages, and maybe a phone call if he was lucky, Mark still carried a sense of guilt for not being able to give you the time you truly deserved.

So when you dropped by his group’s photoshoot (after he indirectly implied that you come to visit him), he was beyond excited. Unfortunately, you came when it was his turn to take photos. Luckily, Chenle who was supposed to go after him, greeted you warmly.

"Oh, (Y/n)! What brings you here?" he exclaimed. The corner of your lips upturned into a smile when you caught the way the boy’s eyes lit up with excitement upon seeing a visitor on the set.

"It's been quite some time since Mark and I last saw each other," you explained. "He actually called me this morning, and I thought it wouldn't hurt to come by for an hour or so." 

A teasing glint flashed across the boy’s eyes as he playfully nudged you. “Aw, you guys are so in love. Mark hyung hasn’t stopped complaining to us about how much he’s been missing you.”

Chenle's remark caused a faint shade of pink to tint your cheeks. 

“Hm, I’m sure you’re just exaggerating,” You replied with a nudge back. 

Mark frowned when he noticed Chenle talking to you. He was too far away to hear the conversation. But his stomach churned in unease when he observed you laughing at something the boy said. 

"Mark-ssi, please stay focused," the camera director called out, effectively snapping him out of his momentary daze. 

A sheepish smile spread across his face, displaying his embarrassment for getting distracted. He quickly redirected his attention back to the camera. Every so often he would steal glances at you and Chenle, resulting in having to redo some of the photos. Frustration began to build within Mark as impatience washed over him.

It felt like an eternity before he finally finished, and as soon as he was done, he walked across the room. You were caught by surprise when the boy engulfed you in a much-needed hug.

"Hello to you too?" you laughed, gently patting his back. Chenle and you exchanged amused glances before he excused himself to prepare for his photoshoot.

Mark pulled away slightly, allowing himself to get a better look at you. His eyes carefully scanned for any discernible changes within the past few months.

“I missed you so much,” He murmured, tenderly caressing your hand. 

Your heart fluttered with affection as your hand moved to cup the side of his face. "I know. Chenle was telling me," you whispered.

His eyes widened, not expecting to hear that from you. “Oh…that’s what you two were talking about?”

You raised an eyebrow and tilted your head in confusion. But it didn't take long for you to connect the dots. “Don’t tell me you were jealous of us,” you teased, giving him a knowing look.

Mark's cheeks immediately flushed with a rosy hue at your words. "What? Me, jealous? Never—I just, uh, I thought—”

Before he could continue stammering, you interrupted by rising on the tips of your toes to wrap your arms around him once more. The height difference didn't diminish the sense of security he felt being embraced in your arms.

“You’re just too adorable, Mark Lee,” you said in an endearing tone.

The affection you showed made Mark feel stupid for feeling jealous over a harmless interaction with his member. He found himself instinctively leaning in closer to snuggle into the comfort of your shoulder. No matter how busy life got for him, Mark cherished the fact that you were the one constant he could always rely on. 

✎__________________________________________________________

RENJUN

Lately, he couldn’t help but notice the way Haechan had been acting more affectionate with you. It was the way he would casually wrap his arm around you or the playful exchanges of inside jokes that seemed to create an exclusive bond between the two of you. Of course, Renjun was happy to see the love of his life getting along with his members. He also knew you were someone who maintained clear boundaries. But it was just Lee Haechan who made him feel uneasy. 

At first, Renjun tried to brush off his concerns, knowing Haechan was clingy with anyone he was close to. But he found himself subconsciously picking at every interaction between you, letting the twinge of jealousy seep into his heart.

One sunny afternoon, the three of you plus Mark gathered at the Dream dorm to bake some brownies. But not all the necessary ingredients were readily available. So you volunteered to go on a quick trip to the grocery store, and Mark joined you.

With the two of you gone, Renjun and Haechan found themselves alone. A subtle tension lingered in the air, primarily coming from Renjun. The obliviousness displayed by his friend irked him.

Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Renjun nudged him. “Hey, aren’t you too close with (Y/n) these days?”

Haechan seemed taken aback by the boy’s accusation. But a mischievous grin was quick to appear on his face.

“What? We’re just friends,” he replied. 

The playful tone he used only caused Renjun’s irritation to grow. His fist came into contact with the counter in aggravation. “Look, just back off of her okay?”

Haechan had to suppress the urge to burst into laughter, finding it amusing how easily Renjun could be provoked. However, he never thought that witnessing Renjun's jealous side would be so entertaining. The realization only motivated him to push a few more buttons.

He raised an eyebrow in defiance. “What if I don’t want to?”

That was the last straw for Renjun, as he grabbed a fistful of flour and threw it at Haechan without thinking. Within seconds, the boy’s face and hair were covered in a cloud of white. Amused by the sudden attack, Haechan retaliated by flinging a handful of cocoa powder toward Renjun. 

The heated moment quickly turned into a full-blown food fight. Flour and sugar filled the air as egg shells were scattered across the kitchen island. Mark and you returned with wide eyes, completely bewildered by the disaster that had unfolded in their absence.

“Okay, what the hell happened here?” Mark asked, eyes darting back and forth between the two boys who were covered head to toe in flour.

Renjun locked eyes with your concerned ones, and the remnants of his anger began to dissipate. He surveyed the chaotic scene before him, feeling a pang of embarrassment. Allowing jealousy to consume him seemed trivial now as he observed the mess he made.

Feeling a mix of emotions, Renjun quietly excused himself and headed to the bathroom to clean up. Meanwhile, Mark and Haechan took the initiative to restore order in the kitchen. On the other hand, you felt the need to check on your boyfriend.

As Renjun splashed water on his face, he heard the door creak open. It was you, holding a damp towel in your hands.

“(Y/n),” he murmured, feeling a little flustered. “I’m sorry…I just lost my temper back there.”

You approached him with a soft smile, before reaching to gently wipe away a spot of flour on his neck. “I could tell. Do you mind me asking why?”

Renjun held your gaze for a few lingering seconds before releasing a sigh. “It’s just…seeing Haechan being all over you bothered me. I know it’s stupid to feel jealous because he’s my best friend and all but…the feeling got harder to ignore.”

“It’s not stupid at all,” You spoke up, carefully moving the cloth to his jaw. “I understand how you feel. But you know Haechan and I are just friends, dear.”

The sincerity in your eyes made his heart melt. “I know…”

You chuckled, finding the pout on his face to be utterly endearing. With a tender smile, you leaned in closer to gently pluck a piece of eggshell from his hair.

“Huh, you’re kinda cute when jealous.” 

Your affectionate remark caused him to blush, leaving his heart racing. Before he could respond, you closed the distance between the two of you with a reassuring kiss on his lips. 

“I only like you, Injunnie. You are the one who holds a special place in my heart,” you whispered.

He let your words sink in, feeling the weight of their meaning wash over him. The previous embarrassment melted away, replaced by a warm, comforting feeling that enveloped his being. Renjun's arms instinctively wrapped around your waist, pulling you into a tight embrace. "I love you so much," he whispered back, the words filled with sincerity and affection.

At that moment, as he held you close, Renjun knew with absolute certainty that he was the one who had captured your heart. All the worries and doubts that had plagued him faded away, replaced by a profound sense of contentment and assurance.

✎__________________________________________________________

JENO

The two of you were enjoying a cozy evening at his dorm, curled up together on the sofa watching an MCU movie. The room was filled with occasional commentary about what occurred on the screen, and the sound of popcorn crunching between your fingers. However, your moment of peace was soon interrupted when NCT Dream’s maknae strolled into the living room.

“Wait, are you guys watching Guardians of the Galaxy?” Jisung asked, his eyes widening with intrigue.

You nodded, gently removing yourself from Jeno's embrace, which caused a slight frown to appear on his face. "Yeah, would you like to join us?"

“Really? Is that okay?” Hesitation tinged his voice as he glanced between you and Jeno. A smile formed on your lips as you patted the open space on the couch beside you.

“Yes, of course!”

Jisung returned your smile with an appreciative one, grateful to be included. He flopped down on the couch and made himself comfortable beside you. Jeno couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy when he saw you playfully ruffle Jisung’s hair with a sense of endearment. 

As a few minutes ticked by, the playful interactions between the two of you only served to amplify the pout on Jeno’s lips. He was a little sulky because why were you giving Jisung more attention than him?

When you became engrossed in one of the action scenes of the film, Jeno took the opportunity to give Jisung a death glare. To his satisfaction, Jisung’s eyes widened at the lasers shooting from his hyung’s eyes.

"Actually, (Y/n), I just remembered that Chenle and I had plans to play a video game," Jisung abruptly excused himself, his voice slightly rushed. 

The pout on Jeno's face transformed into a smug smile as he saw Jisung dash out of the room. On the other hand, you were left feeling confused.

“Aw, he left so suddenly.”

"Well, that's unfortunate," he said, feigning disappointment. "But hey, now you have me all to yourself. You can shower me with all your affection instead."

Jeno’s sudden clingy behavior made you realize the situation. Honestly, you thought it was kind of funny seeing Jeno jealous of his younger member. Then there was the other part of you who felt bad, understanding that you inadvertently excluded him on what was supposed to be your date night.

“I’m sorry Jeno-ssi,” You cooed, leaning to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I didn’t mean to make you feel left out.”

The eye smile you adored so much on him was quick to appear. He wasted no time in pulling you closer into his warm embrace. 

“It’s okay,” he murmured, resting his chin on the top of your head. “But you do owe me a few kisses to make up for it.”

You laughed at how cute he sounded at that moment. Normally, his suggestive remarks made you feel a bit shy. But tonight you let your heart take control for once. With a surge of passion, you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him down so your lips could lock with his

Jeno's smile widened with eagerness as he welcomed your boldness. He shifted his hand to gently rest on the back of your head, pulling you even closer as he deepened the kiss, intensifying the connection between you both. Regrettably, the movie became a distant memory as the focus shifted entirely to the passionate exchange between you. However, neither of you had any complaints about the delightful deviation from the initial plan.

✎__________________________________________________________

HAECHAN

Just as you stepped out of a literature class, Haechan sent a text that cause a smile to grace your lips. That's how you ended up sitting in SM's cafeteria with your boyfriend during his lunch break, accompanied by Jaemin, whom you had recently been introduced to. Currently, Jaemin was showing you some photos from places they traveled during the tour.

"Wow, you took all these? Do you edit them on your phone?" You gasped in awe. Your eyes filled with admiration as you gazed at a breathtaking picture of a city view.

Jaemin smiled modestly and nodded, “Yeah when I don’t have a tablet with me. I make use of whatever time I have to edit.”

Inattentively, the two of you leaned in closer, engrossed in Jaemin's demonstration of the app he used for photo editing. Unbeknownst to you, Haechan had been observing with a growing scowl on his face. Feeling a bit left out, he cleared his throat conspicuously.

“Excuse me, did you guys forget I was here?” He interjected, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at the both of you. 

Jaemin tilted his head in amusement. “Oh, is someone feeling jealous?”

"Me, jealous?" Haechan scoffed, sticking his tongue in his cheek. “Well of course, I am! Do you guys really have to sit so close?”

You stifled a laugh, finding it hilarious how Haechan didn’t even try to hide his jealousy. His transparent display of possessiveness was a side you hadn’t seen in him before.

“Hyuck…” Your voice trailed off, meeting his eyes. As if to make a point, he wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you closer to him. 

“But hey, (Y/n) is mine, so I’m allowed to be a bit territorial right?” He added with a playful wink your way.

Jaemin scrunched his nose in disgust. “Okay, I get it! Gosh (Y/n), how do you put up with him?”

You couldn't help but chuckle at Haechan's possessiveness. Leaning into him a little, you silently reassured him of your affection and presence. The gesture secretly melted Haechan's heart, filling him with warmth and a sense of adoration that he couldn't help but cherish.

✎__________________________________________________________

JAEMIN

After day three of his group’s three-hour concert, Jaemin gladly accepted your offer to retreat to your apartment for some much-needed rest. There weren’t enough words to convey the sheer happiness he felt, as he finally had the opportunity to unwind and spend some quality time with someone he loved deeply.

While Jaemin was in your bathroom, taking a quick shower to freshen up, you patiently waited for him in bed. With your phone in hand, you passed the time by scrolling through social media. As Jaemin settled down beside you, you came across a Twitter post featuring a photo that a fan had taken of Jeno during the concert. 

“Wow, I never noticed how defined Jeno’s muscles are. He looks amazing,” You said without thinking.

Jaemin couldn't help but form a pout on his lips as he leaned over your shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the photo that had captured your attention. He couldn’t ignore the pang of envy that flickered inside him. 

“I have muscles too, you know,” He grumbled in a low voice.

Your head turned in his direction and laughed. It didn’t take long for your heart to melt at the sight of his sulky expression. It was hard to resist finding his pouty demeanor adorable at that moment.

Setting your phone aside, you scooted closer to Jaemin, closing any remaining distance between the two of you. You nestled your head against his steadily rising chest, finding the rhythmic movement of his heart to be calming. 

"Just because I think another guy is good-looking, it doesn't mean I like him," you whispered, wrapping your arms tenderly around his waist. "Because you're the only man I have eyes for, Na Jaemin." 

Jaemin felt his discontentment slowly dissolve as he relaxed into your warm embrace, and let the sincerity of your words sink in. You snuggled closer to him and reached one hand to stroke his bicep, feeling the firmness of his muscles beneath your touch. He closed his eyes momentarily, allowing any remaining doubts to melt away.

“I’ll have you know, I thought you were very sexy tonight,” you confessed with a shy smile. 

His eyes opened again in slight surprise, as those types of compliments were rare from you. “Really?” He asked.

As you nodded, Jaemin's beautiful smile reappeared, radiating pure joy and affection. He couldn't resist leaning closer, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead as a sweet gesture of tenderness. Not long after, he moved to capture your lips in another loving kiss, sealing the moment with a shared sense of connection and sentiment. You seriously had no idea how madly in love he was with you.

✎__________________________________________________________

CHENLE

Typically, Chenle wasn’t prone to jealousy when in a relationship. He understood the value of trust and believed wholeheartedly in the commitment he shared with you. However there were the occasional moments when his usually calm composure would crack, and a hint of possessiveness would emerge if he saw you getting close with another member.

One late night, you, Chenle, and Renjun gathered around for a steaming hot pot. Before meeting your boyfriend, you had casually listened to their group’s music and Renjun happened to catch your attention. You couldn’t help but feel captivated by his voice in songs. Although you tried not to get too ahead of yourself, your lasting impression of the singer compelled you to muster up the courage to say at least something.

“I’m sorry, I just have to say that I really admire your vocals,” you stammered. “The clarity of your voice sounds so satisfying, but I can also feel the emotions of the lyrics.”

Renjun’s face lit up with a bashful smile. “Aw, you’re too kind (Y/n)-ssi.”

Chenle silently observed the two of you, feeling a small flame ignite inside him. Usually, he’d be enthusiastic to see two people he considered to be close, getting along. Normally, he would be thrilled to witness one of his closest friends getting along so well with you. He guessed, that it was his lack of presence in the conversation that left him feeling unsettled.

“Babe, didn’t you say you liked my voice too?” 

Renjun and you glanced up, momentarily taken aback by the boy's sudden disruption. He spoke so nonchalantly. Only you two were able to detect the underlying motive of his interjection.

You slowly smiled, “I do, don’t worry. You’re still my favorite singer, Lele.”

Chenle’s expression softened as your simple words immediately affirmed him. Renjun sat back with a smile and observed the boy’s affectionate side take over. Chenle encouraged you to eat more and even picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks to feed you.

 encouraged you to eat more, and even picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks to feed you.

It was weird to witness his usually carefree member be so fond of someone. But Renjun felt content, understanding the immense joy you brought into Chenle’s life. He looked forward to watching the love between you two continue to blossom into something beautiful.

✎__________________________________________________________

JISUNG

His energy levels were starting to dwindle from the long hours of grueling dance practice. But when you showed up with food from his take-out place, Jisung’s spirits were instantly boosted.

Your occasional visits during their breaks had become something Jisung cherished greatly. Gathering in a circle with you and the other members on the studio floor, they would munch on the food you brought and chatter about miscellaneous subjects. Being surrounded by people who were like family to him created a warm and comforting atmosphere that Jisung held dear.

As the others were conversing, you couldn’t help but notice Mark fumbling with his chopsticks to get a perilla leaf. Without a second thought, you naturally reached out with your chopsticks to help him out and safely place the vegetable into the male’s bowl.

Jisung watched this interaction unravel before him, his brows furrowing slightly as Mark sent you a grateful smile. The ongoing perilla leaf debate that had been circulating within the community, came to his mind.

“Aw (Y/n), did you really have to help him?” He whined.

You turned in his direction with a confused expression. The other members were quickly amused by the maknae’s displeased state. Then Haechan who was sitting on the opposite side of you started to tease.

“Awww, our Jisungie is jealous,” He sang. Jisung shot his hyung a glare, feeling defensive. 

“I am not.”

“Oh really?” The elder asked before leaning over to hug you tightly. The unexpected gesture caused a warm blush to rise to your cheeks. “Then me hugging her shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Haechan challenged.

Jisung’s face also flushed a tinge of crimson, though not due to sudden shyness. “Yah, you can’t do that!”

Chenle, never one to miss an opportunity to mess with Jisung, was the next to join in on the playful banter. “Relax Jisung-ah, it’s not like you own (Y/n) or anything,” He quipped, sticking his tongue out mischievously before enveloping you in a hug as well.

Soon, you became more flustered when the other members couldn’t resist joining in on the teasing of their maknae and formed a joyful group hug around you.

You had to admit it was a little funny to see Jisung’s mildly frustrated reaction, as the member’s laughter filled the air. Also, you didn’t think you’d been hugged by this many people before. 

Deciding you had seen enough of your boyfriend’s pouty face, you reached your hand out.

“Come here, Park Jisung,” you coaxed with a gentle smile.

Jisung let out a small sigh, before moving closer to join you in the comforting embrace. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to take in the warmth of the moment. He was reminded of how much you and his hyungs meant to him. No matter how often they got on his nerves.

✎__________________________________________________________

[snuggleboots]

Akatsuki parents? Akatsuki parents.

because I like shoehorning my experiences into my ninja bullshit. Hope y'all enjoy my rambling. : )

Feat. Hidan, Kakuzu, Kisame, Itachi.

Hidan ends up a girl-dad, and a proud one at that, given your daughter is a complete fucking gremlin, just like him. An aggressive toddler that looks like a tiny little sweetheart, with chubby cheeks, gorgeous violet eyes framed by the prettiest eyelashes you'd ever seen, and hair that looks like a carbon copy of your own. Her little smiles are a mixed bag, and you never know whether to expect cute baby affection or chaos that no toddler her size should realistically be capable of bringing into existence.

Nobody expects it when she toddles on up, all tiny, squishy hands and 'awwww, hug?'s, only to turn on a dime and start biting, smacking, or pinching- all while wearing a huge grin that she must have inherited from her dad, or giggling like a squeaky hinge. Babysitters do not last, Hidan finds absolutely nothing more hilarious than seeing another one leave haggard and never pick up jobs from either of you again.

She's a natural climber, knows no fear, and loves nothing more than climbing up onto the back of the couch and waiting. 'Oh no, 'M stuck!' is a goddamn trap. It took a couple pint-sized ambushes, wherein she lunges, catches some serious air, and rams into you or Hidan at full force to learn that lesson. Your natural state becomes STRESSED. Hidan, on the other hand? Constantly entertained. That little girl can do literally no wrong, because, shit, she's just emulating her dad, obviously.

If it's possible for a toddler to be sarcastic, she is, and it's only ever when she's using her manners. One tiny little eyebrow cocked, a crooked smile and cooed, 'Oh, nooo. So-orry!' Hidan has literally cried from laughing so hard, until she turned it on him. One big, angry bitemark on his forearm later, and those tittering giggles and 'Uh-oh, you o'tay? Uh-oh!' felt just a little more irritating than when they were directed towards you. He's even less impressed when you're laughing right alongside your little devil-child.

Older kids tried, once, to pick on the little girl who laughed too loud and played too hard. Unfortunately for them, she's always had a set of lungs and knew damn well how to use them. One blood-chilling shriek- not because she's hurt, but because she knew he'd hear, and haha, there's dad. Big, fat crocodile tears, a quivering pout and squeaky, 'Oh, no!' and it was game on.

Hidan doesn't give a fuck how old a snot-nosed shithead might be, his bullying is indiscriminate and he's had far longer to refine his insults than they have. She's rarely bullied, because word spreads and it's hard for a kid to bounce back from such heated and targeted shit-talk, even harder to bounce back when they watch some whooping, laughing maniac beat the shit out of their dad for trying to step in. You were only slightly surprised, and a little concerned when your little gremlin laughed and squealed over the playground dad on dad beatdown.

Deidara drops by from time to time, and he seems to have as much fun wrangling your tiny little hellion as Hidan does. He doesn't mind the fact that she can be aggressively playful, and takes absolute delight in the way her eyes go wide and shine with awe when he shows off his art. She's fascinated by his hair, and you find some remarkable moments of quiet and peace when she's perched on the couch with him on the floor, her chubby fingers toying with and carding through the golden mane that's somehow smoother and shinier than silk. If he minds the fact that she essentially pets him like a cat, he certainly doesn't mention it. 'Awww! So sof', so sof'.' Between Deidara and Hidan's high energy capacity for mischief, his visits always end up with your daughter properly knackered, and mercifully tame for the rest of the day.

Kakuzu didn't want kids the same way a dad doesn't want the dog his kids inevitably end up bringing home. You two ended up with a daughter, and at some point, somehow, someway, he became begrudgingly attached and takes over everything surrounding that little baby. Maybe it was the fact that when he looks into her eyes, he sees a soft, sweet mirror of his own, moss-green eyes that haven't yet seen the horrors of the world and the awful things that wait within it. Either way, the most miniscule part of him that can still feel love does, and every ounce of it belongs to her. You have your share, but you know that his daughter put the moon and the stars in his sky again.

Your full-time job becomes raising her, the little lady that sees the world with his eyes and speaks remarkably well for a tiny toddler her age. There's not a snowball's chance in hell that he'd trust some random to watch over his girl. You're just lucky that she's an honest delight to raise, although that might be your own bias talking. Kakuzu does a lot of reading with her, and it's almost comical to see a man like him drawling and grumbling through a ten-paged book about a little pig's wild adventures in kindness.

When Kakuzu's balancing books in the evening and she can't sleep, she always seems to find her way to the kitchen table where the old bounty hunter is pouring over expenses and budgets. Tiny fingers count on an abacus while he counts stacks of green, and when he loses count because she's quietly chatting away to the walls and the table and his ears when they listen, he can't even find it in himself to be upset. Not when those pretty eyes turn their gaze to him and she bids her sweet 'uh oh, sorry papa'. For all his power, he can be weak in those moments that make his heart just a little happier.

Innocent, and unacquainted with the temper that almost defines him as a man, she isn't afraid of him, she isn't afraid of him, she isn't afraid of him. Never had she, nor will she ever bear witness to the ugly, vicious face of his short-fuse and hellfire wrath.

That sweet little girl is spoiled, and that's only because she never seems to ask for anything herself. So polite, for one so small. When little green eyes sparkle because they fell upon a pretty dress, a toy, a book that has her oohing and ahhing, a little cup that has a straw 'oh, wow!' and a cute little pig printed on the plastic 'ohh! a piggy! haha, oink oink!' - who is he to turn his head and leave it at that?

She could ask for the moon, and it would be all he could do to bid a slow, pensive nod and murmured assurance, 'It only sits in the sky for you.'

Hidan is a frequent and uninvited visitor, and while normally you'd find that to be cause for concern it's quickly proven pointless to worry given the fact that if Kakuzu isn't grouching him under control, your daughter has a hilarious talent for putting him in his place. Seeing the zealot sat on your couch, being prodded and chided by a girl less than half his size is certainly a sight to behold; hearing her tut and chastise him in a way she must have learned from her dad for putting his feet on the coffee table, shoes on the couch, or his drink on the side table without a coaster is absolutely hysterical. 'Stains are 'spensive! Feet down!'

Kakuzu's sweet little mini-me: breathes

Kakuzu:

Kisame takes on the dad role like he was born for it, after a small period of adjustment. You two end up having a boy and a girl, and he's practically putty in their little hands. Your boy is huge, had been since he was a baby - which is natural, Hoshigaki kids are just... big, generally. Your girl caught both of you off guard, only because she's so tiny. The sibling dynamic is chaos, but a warm one that always seems to leave Kisame cackling or grinning over something ridiculous those two end up getting into.

Your boy is like a walking clone of his dad, and even as a little boy he's already standing as tall as your ribs. Slate-blue hair as soft as cornsilk, teeth that make you grateful he was never a biter, and little gills bracketing his throat. Soft-spoken, a little shy outside of his parents, and constantly looking to wrestle and play. If you're doing something, he's a guaranteed little helper - he likes to help with cooking when you let him. If his baby sister is getting into trouble, he's either helping her do it to make sure she's safe, or he's the one carrying a kicking, griping toddler to one of you two to handle. Yeah, he's a bit of a narc- but it's always for a good cause. He's a fretful big brother.

Your girl is probably the most precious little baby you'd ever met, and Kisame is quite literally helpless against her doe-eyes and deceptively sweet, cheery little voice. Where her brother is quiet, she is loud; where he's happier to follow the rules and keep out of trouble, she's a born rule-breaker that finds boundaries just to test them. When you stumble upon her in the midst of some suspiciously quiet, pint-sized anarchy, she always manages to look surprised that you ever caught her in the first place. She looks like you, if you were knee-height and sporting tiny little daggers for teeth and gills on your cheekbones. Kisame blames you entirely for her gremlin personality.

Kisame does not discipline unless he needs to, because he feels awful when big, sweet baby eyes look at him with complete betrayal that he dared to tell them no, or stop them from pulling off some kind of crazy baby scheme that would make your hair grey from stress. Quivering pouts or teary eyes and he's gotta tap out.

Babysitters adore your kids when they behave, but Kisame vets any you hire thoroughly because he's more than a little protective of his babes. It's like they're each a half of his heart living outside his body and he honestly struggles to manage the overwhelming love and affection they pump into his veins every day. He could, and gladly would break fingers over something as minute as hurt feelings.

You hold the sole rights to discipline outside the house, too. If either of your ankle-biters act out their mischief in public, and someone tries to step up and throw in their two cents, Kisame's massive silhouette and mean, sawtooth grin are very effective deterrents.

Itachi is a semi-frequent visitor, and both of your children love him fiercely. You're half-convinced that he has some kind of Uchiha magnetism, given the fact that he'd won over not one, but three Hoshigaki by the sheer power of his quiet, soothing presence. Kisame takes great amusement in watching your little lady climb all over the poor man, and your son sidle up beside him with his favourite book to chat his ear off about the adventures that lay within it. Itachi, to his credit, never ever seems to mind the undivided attention of the lively gilled babes.

Kisame, and his pint-sized sidekick: getting into Hoshigaki-brand bullshit

You, with your sweet little chore buddy: > : ( no- one hundred times, no!

Kisame, and his tiny co-maker of mayhem: betrayed, bamboozled, and somehow? positively shocked that you found out

Itachi slips seamlessly into a domestic role, despite how long he'd been absent from one. Childrearing almost seems like his god-given purpose in life once he actually sets himself to it, and the second you two brought home your cooing, burbling baby it was on. He's happy, grateful to stay home and take care of your son, tend to the home and make your transition back to work as smooth of a process as possible.

It's an all-too common scene to come home and find the Uchiha at task in the kitchen, tending to a meal simmering on the stove while your squishy, pudgy-cheeked and sleepy eyed boy perched on his hip with a tenderness that makes your heart hurt. Even as a clumsy little toddler, he's never found very far from his dad. If Itachi is cleaning, there's his little mini-me, trying to help and earning gentle encouragement and a soft, fond smile for his efforts.

Honestly, your little guy is the most well-mannered, well-adjusted, well-spoken toddler you've ever met. He genuinely likes to help, to the point that it sometimes becomes a problem because he's very determined when there's any little problem set out in front of him. At the park, playing with other little babes, he's more concerned with making sure everyone's playing fair and playing safe than he is about actually having any fun himself. He's a bit of a worrywart for someone his age, and half the time it feels like he's the self-appointed tiny guardian of his friend group. Someone trips and skins a knee? 'Are you okay? We can sit down for a little. It's okay.' A born father, is your Itachi.

Who, for a man so reserved and soft-spoken, is hellbent on making sure his son has the most peaceful, memorable childhood he can possibly offer. Not a day is wasted in your household, even a lazy day is an opportunity to make memories and spend some honest, quality time with the people he loves most. You three can cook meals together, with your boy set to work at taste-testing and mixing ingredients under the quiet, watchful eye of his dad. He never wants for encouragement, love, affection, or little things that catch his eye; it would be wrong to call him spoiled, because he isn't, but there is little he wants that he doesn't receive.

Your secondary job is bullying Itachi into taking a day to relax and unwind, because although your son is essentially the perfect child, it's still a lot of work to raise him. Even when you're the primary parent on those days off, he's never far away, and always finding sneaky ways to slip back into dad-mode rather than actually relax. Half the time it takes you putting your son on the job of wrangling his dad just to make the man sit down, crack open a book and let himself just be. That typically entails your little boy gently chiding his father in a way you're certain he learned from the Uchiha himself- and god, it makes your heart melt. 'No, no. Gotta have your tea, it's gonna get cold', 'Sit, sit, sit. Sometimes we need to sit, papa. Gotta rest!'

Kisame loves to visit, he makes that fact no secret. For a man so massive, so intimidating, he handles your boy like glass- as if he's afraid a little rough play might break him. And your son, always as sweet as he is smart, adores the company. His questions know no limits, and he's a clever little babe about getting answers without actually asking questions. 'Can we go swimming? You must swim fast- can you swim under water? I can hold my breath longer than you can.' You once got to watch the boy perched at the end of a dock for half an hour, holding a staring contest with the swordsman who'd been stubbornly sat at the bottom of the lake's shallows for at least half an hour. That thoroughly entertained grin on the swordsman's face when he flared his gills told you he knew what exactly your boy was so curious about when he'd challenged him in the first place.

[i-am-the-oyster]

I can’t remember where I heard it and it’s driving me a bit insane and was wandering if you knew since your like a Beatle encyclopedia. Have you heard or know of a quote that said Paul had Linda on a “tight leash” and that she felt unhappy but stayed for the kids ? And something along the lines of Linda not having money of her own cause paul was in charge of all of it ?

Hello nonny! Thank you for the lovely compliment. Unless you meant to say that, like any Beatles encyclopedia, I am full of inaccuracies and unjustified opinions. :)

I must admit I am very skeptical of a lot of the negative takes on Paul and Linda's marriage. They get accused of claiming it was idyllic, but the only times I've seen either of them speak about their relationship it was always in very realistic terms like: "we're not perfect", "we argue", "we have to work at our relationship".

I have heard references to Paul being controlling and tight with money, but not from any sources I considered particularly reliable.

It is my firm belief that despite their unique circumstances, they had a reasonably normal relationship that they worked hard on. Did they sometimes upset and disappoint one another? Of course. Did they go through phases where one or other thought they might leave? Most likely (show me any 3 decade marriage where no-one ever considered leaving). Is Paul a bit of a misogynist? Yes, but within normal parameters for the time he grew up, and with some really remarkable streaks of empathy.

Was Paul monstrous towards Linda? I just don't believe it. Linda doesn't act like someone on a tight leash, in my opinion. She shows confident resistance to Paul's bullshit in plenty of Wings interviews, and his response is not (as far as I can tell) that of an abuser who will get her back for it later.

As someone who has also chosen to prioritise caring for my kids over my own career goals, Linda is a bit of a hero of mine. I object to the way her choices are treated (in some corners of the fandom) as something imposed on her.

[emlynnnnn]

ODD ONE OUT — .5

gosling!ken x barbie!reader

summary | You and Allan need to have a talk. Ken brings you your first flower.

part one , part two , part three , part four , part five

. . .

“WE need to talk,” Came the simple demand from your best friend, Allan, after he had stormed into your book shop one afternoon.

You looked up at him curiously before hesitantly closing over the novel in your hands, slipping it under the register like you always did whenever someone came into the shop to bother you for something—most cases being for a book, of course.

“Yes?” You answered with a raise of your brow, clasping your fingers together patiently as you waited for Allan to explain.

He huffed dramatically before crossing his arms, practically glaring down at you. “You need to stop hanging around Ken,” He stated.

You almost choked on air at the sudden request. “I’m sorry; what?” You managed to respond after getting over your original shock.

“Barbie…” Allen began with a sympathetic glint in his eye. “You’re only gonna end up getting hurt if you keep up this friendship with him,” He explained, confusing you further.

“Allan, I have absolutely no idea what you’re trying to tell me here,” You spoke dryly, not being very amused by his initial proposal of dropping one of your good friends.

Your friend rose a palm to his head, dragging it down his face tiredly at your ignorance to what was obvious to himself. “You’re in love with him!” He exclaimed. “You’re hopelessly in love with him and he can’t return those feelings because he’s hopelessly in love with his own Barbie!”

In all honesty, you hadn’t expected that outburst at all. You felt your face burst into a bright red at the sudden confrontation of your otherwise ignored feelings for Ken along with some hurt that trickled its way into your chest over the honest brutality of Allan’s words.

“Not cool,” You spat, pushing yourself up from the chair behind the register to face your friend with a fiery scowl.

“Barbie, I had to be realistic with you,” Allan looked at you desperately. “I’ve watched you the last few months get progressively more upset over this Ken and I just cannot stand it anymore. As your best friend and your brother from another mother, I’m telling you to leave this friendship behind.”

You stared at Allan blankly for a few moments before furiously shaking your head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Al,” You scoffed. “I’m perfectly okay—and I’m not in love with him.”

“I’m your best friend, not blind,” He remarked with a roll of his eye. “If what you feel for him isn’t love, then I clearly hate volleyball.”

You tried to hold in the giggle at his remark, wanting to stay mad at Allan for being so blunt with you—and frankly, for hurting your feelings.

“Please leave my shop, Allan. I don’t want to have this conversation,” You mumbled as you disappeared behind one of your many bookshelves, desperately trying to hide from the situation.

Of course, however, your best friend was quite determined to make his point as he followed you in through the maze of shelves. “I’m serious, Barbie!” He hissed, crossing his arms across his chest with a fiery look on his face. “It’s killing me; seeing you hurt yourself over caring for this guy.”

You grind your teeth in your mouth, taking a deep breath through your nose before slowly turning to face Allan once again. “And I’m serious—I would like you to drop this conversation,” You spoke firmly. “Regardless of what you think about the situation, at the end of the day Ken is my friend and I won’t be dropping him—”

The ringing of the bell over the front door stopped your conversation in its tracks, forcing you to speedily walk back behind the register to tend to whatever customer had just walked in.

“Oh! Ken!” You looked at him in surprise. Of course he would have perfect timing. “What can I do for you?” You asked through grated teeth, desperately trying to give Allan a look to tell him to get out after he had appeared from behind the shelves you had just left behind.

“Just the usual, please. What book do you have for me this week?” Ken asked excitedly as he put last week’s book on the counter to return. “And I have this…” He sent you a charming grin before revealing the hand he had hidden behind his back, holding a tall and healthy sunflower out for you to take.

You gasped, your eyes taking in the ring of bright yellow petals. “Ken! What—?”

“I seen it in the flower shop and I thought of you… Sunflowers just fit your vibe,” He explained sheepishly as you took the stem into your own hands, the tips of his ears turning a bright red.

“I… I don’t even know what to say, Ken… It’s beautiful,” You looked up at him radiantly, your whole face lifted up with the smile tugging at your lips. “Thank you.”

Behind Ken, you hadn’t noticed the disappointed Allan as he trudged his way out of the shop to leave you both be—his whole argument was already forgotten in your mind, so what was the point?

. . .

“KEN?” You questioned from behind your front door, tiredly rubbing your heavy eyes after answering the knock of the door in your pyjamas. “What are you doing here so late?”

“I had to talk to you about this book, Barbie! It’s so fascinating… I couldn’t go to sleep without talking to someone about it, and backflip Ken told me to buzz off, and I usually talk to him about the books I read, but—”

“Okay. Pause,” You cut his rambling off by raising a hand up to his face, letting out a quiet yawn. “You do realise how late it is, right?”

Ken’s face suddenly dropped. “Shoot… Is it really that late?” He asked worriedly. “I hadn’t noticed… I was reading.”

You couldn’t help the smile that grew across your mouth, admiring that he had picked up a habit you yourself had as a reader. “Yes, it’s quite late,” You nodded before noticing that Ken was ready to suggest he should leave. “Come inside,” You quickly cut in, stepping aside for your friend to enter you house.

Ken took a moment to look surprised before making his way into your dream house, looking around curiously—he hadn’t actually been inside before. He quietly admired the fairy lights that lined your walls along with the aesthetically messy assortment of book and film posters. “Wow, it’s so…”

You couldn’t help the cringe that grew on your face, scrunching your shoulders after realising that you had just invited him into your cluttered home. “Messy, I know—”

“What? No. I was gonna say it’s so you,” He shook his head approaching your wall to take a closer look at one of your movie posters. “It’s so awesome.” There was a moment of silence. “I’ve never been inside a dream house…”

You felt quite horrified at this statement—he’d never been inside a house before. “Oh…” You replied stupidly, not being entirely sure what to say in response to that bomb of information. “Well, uh… let yourself get comfortable. Want a drink?” You asked awkwardly, pulling on the hem of your fluffy white pyjama sleeve.

Ken cleared his throat before nodding. “Yes please—just a drink of water.”

You quickly ran to your kitchen, grabbing one of your pink cups before “filling it” with water and handing it back to your friend who gratefully took a “sip”.

“So… Has Barbie really never invited you into her house?” You asked curiously, sitting beside Ken on your sofa.

He shook his head solemnly. “No, she’s always busy when I ask to visit,” He shrugged.

You nodded hesitantly, knowing that was probably a lie being a friend of Barbie’s and all. By all means, Barbie didn’t owe Ken any right into her home if she didn’t want him, but you had assumed that they were friendly enough for visits… Maybe their relationship was purely reliant on Ken’s pining?

“Right,” You nodded. “Well, you can always come visit me at my dream house,” You shrugged, leaning back on the soft cushions on your sofa. “I enjoy the company.”

Ken’s cheeks flushed a soft pink at the invite, not being entirely sure what to do with it but feeling elated nonetheless. “Sick,” He brushed off coolly, crossing his arms over his chest as he also sat back against your sofa to get comfortable.

“Well then, what did you want to talk about with the book?” You eventually asked, referring back to the whole reason he had arrived at your doorstep in the middle of the night.

. . .

RAYS of light refracted through the glass and around the room, annoyingly shining right onto your eyes and waking you up. You stretched your arms and gracefully rose from your place of rest, which you quickly noted was your sofa, and remembered that you had a guest over.

You glanced over to your side where Ken was curled up into a comfortable ball on the other side of the sofa, making you chuckle quietly before reaching over to gently shake him awake.

“Huh…?” He mumbled, still half asleep, before shooting up and frantically looking around. “I fell asleep! Oh gosh, Barbie, I’m so sorry! That was a mistake,” He rushed, jumping up off of the sofa and making you flinch from the sudden movement.

You furrowed your brows. “You’re fine, Ken. Allan stays over all the time,” You explained.

Ken shook his head. “No, no… Staying over is for boyfriend-girlfriend, and I’m stabbing Allan in the back by doing this because we’re not boyfriend-girlfriend!” He shrieked dramatically, pacing around your living room.

You ignored the pang in your chest over his words and decided to focus on the middle part of his outburst, shaking your head with a chuckle. “Do you think Allan and I are boyfriend and girlfriend?” You hid your grin behind your hand. “Because we’re not, and it’s normal for friends to have sleepovers. You do it with the other Ken’s all the time, right?”

“That’s not the same. We all live on beach together,” Ken stared at you flatly, raising an amused brow as he looked down at you with his hands resting on his hips.

You rolled your eyes before pushing yourself up off of the sofa. “Regardless, it’s normal for friends to sleep over,” You continued, walking past Ken. “Do you want some cereal? I can’t cook you eggs or anything because I need to buy more food from grocer Barbie…” You mumbled to yourself.

Ken shook his head, looking awkwardly tense as he continued to stand in the middle of the room. Clearly, you weren’t going to be able to sway him on the whole “sleepovers are normal” topic.

“I guess I should go,” He scratched his neck.

You sighed, nodding your head understandingly before leading the blond man to your front door. “You’re welcome here anytime, Ken,” You pursed your lips up at him as he stopped in your doorframe, looking down at you thoughtfully before pulling you in for a quick hug.

“Thank’s for having me over, Barbie!” He thanked you cheerfully, already gone back to his normal self—it was bizarre how quickly he had switched from being frantic to merry.

You waved your friend off as he strolled down the street and out of sight, spotting one of your neighbours, doctor Barbie, giving you an odd look. “Hi Barbie!” You sent her a wave, gritting your teeth together for as genuine of a smile you could muster. This was slightly awkward—she had caught Ken leaving your house.

She sent you back a rather confused greeting before getting into her own car and driving off, leaving you behind as you let out a sigh of relief and walked back into your home.

. . .

—> part six

. . .

[inactivewattpadauthor]

Shang Tsung x Reader: Ballroom

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two Shokan guards narrowed their eyes down at you as you had approached the palace, wearing a lovely looking dress that you nearly spent a fortune on.

"Evening. I'm Y/n... representative of, uhh, Earthrealm. I was invited here to the ball. I don't know by whom, however." You forced yourself to bow at the scary looking guards.

They glanced at each other before silently opening the giant doors, letting you pass.

'That easy, huh?' You thought, entering the palace. "Thanks, you two."

The beautiful lights of the chandeliers gave you a flamboyant greeting, and all you could hear were talking amongst the many guests present as well as glass clinking from where some were seated with each other.

You could see the guests vary from different realms. You noticed a few fellow Earthrealmers, which you waved at them before carrying on with yourself.

Walking around the somewhat crowded floor, only to appease your exploration side, a kind servant tried offering you a glass of champagne, which you politely rejected.

'Wouldn't be so smart to drink when I came alone in a whole other realm.' You tell yourself, smiling and waving off the servant.

"My, Y/n. That dress looks gorgeous on you."

That voice...

Your eye instinctively twitched, and you turned around to see the infamous man. Standing with his iconic smug grin, his top part of his hair tied in a bun while the rest is free. His eyes didn't stay in contact with yours before he continued checking you out.

"Shang Tsung." You scoffed.  "Didn't know they were allowing reptiles here in such an event like this." You said, not noticing the Saurian walking past, giving you a side eye.

"Pleased to see you here as well." He bows to you, clearly not taking your remark seriously.

"Why are you here? Were you the one behind that mysterious invite? What are your intentions?! Because I swear if it involves Earthre-"

"Lady Y/n, I am a special guest here as are you. How about we disregard your concerns and just enjoy the ball?" The sorcerer cooed.

It wouldn't be such a great thing to cause drama here, although it's against the loathsome sorcerer, but you knew you shouldn't ruin a fancy party like this. You were thinking on it, but then:

He bowed again, this time offering his hand. "Shall we?"

You hesitate with the rather sudden request. 'I should say no to this twit.'

"Fine." You rolled your eyes and took his hand.

'Damnit!'

You let him interwine his fingers with yours, but you felt yourself tense up as you felt his other hand go a little behind your back.

He seemed to notice this but only chuckled.

Keeping your spite down inside, you placed your free hand on his shoulder, atlas, letting him guide you during the dance.

While you two danced, you didn't dare make eye contact, only just looking at the ground, watching the steps. You weren't even sure if you were doing it completely right.

"I can tell you're anxious... it's endearing." Shang Tsung hummed.

Narrowing your eyes at him, you responded, "Quiet. I shouldn't even be meddling with you."

"Oh, but you are, my dear. You're making this night quite finer." He kept charming you.

"Watch it. Don't take this as we're friends. I still feel like you're still up to no good here."

"Well, you know what they say: Keep your friends close, your enemies closer." The snake chuckled. An old, but realistic phrase for this situation.

"Right. And when you do decide to continue your schemes, I will take you down." You deep heartedly threatened the powerful sorcerer before being twirled rhythmically.

"Oh? But what if my plans are coming together as we speak?" Shang Tsung asked, dipping you and holding you there, waiting to hear your response.

Goosebumps stood on your skin from his question. He could be crudely joking, but... it's Shang Tsung damnit.

"Kombat is your better skill than comedy. Keep it that way." You hissed.

Shang Tsung giggled before pulling you back up from the dip. "Whatever you say, my lady." He moved a strand of h/c out your face in such a loving manner.

But you knew he was only trying to charm you. Your mind was screaming that to you.

You only took a calm breath before slow dancing the night away with your unexpected partner. ~~~~~~~~~~~~

[jw1213]

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon when Ben found himself wandering into a small, unassuming costume store in the heart of the city. The store was cluttered with a variety of masks, wigs, and bodysuits, all seemingly waiting to transform their wearers into someone else entirely. Ben had always been fascinated by the idea of wearing masks, of stepping into the shoes of a different person for just a moment.

As he browsed the racks of costumes, his eyes landed on a particularly realistic bald and goatee cop bodysuit. Intrigued, Ben picked it up and examined it closely. The bodysuit was incredibly detailed, down to the last button and badge. The material was soft yet sturdy, and Ben couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the thought of trying it on.

Without hesitation, Ben made his way to the dressing room in the back of the store. As he stripped off his own clothes and slipped into the bodysuit, he felt a sense of liberation wash over him. The bodysuit fit him perfectly, molding to his body like a second skin. He pulled on the mask that accompanied the costume, and suddenly, he was no longer Ben. He was Officer Jake Matthews, a seasoned cop with a heart of gold and a no-nonsense attitude.

Stepping out of the dressing room, Ben couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline. The other customers in the store glanced at him in surprise, some even taking a step back in awe. Ben, or rather Officer Matthews, straightened his posture and adopted a stern expression. He walked with purpose through the aisles, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of trouble.

As he made his way to the front of the store, Ben caught sight of a young boy attempting to steal a small toy from the counter. Without a second thought, Officer Matthews sprang into action. He marched over to the boy, who looked up at him in fear. Ben could see the guilt written all over the boy's face, but Officer Matthews wasn't one to let anyone off easy.

In a firm voice, he reprimanded the boy, lecturing him about the consequences of stealing. The boy's eyes widened in fear, and he quickly returned the toy to the counter with a trembling hand. Officer Matthews nodded in approval before turning to the store owner, who was watching the scene unfold with a mix of surprise and amusement.

"You handled that quite well, Officer Matthews," the store owner remarked, a twinkle of admiration in his eyes. Ben felt a surge of pride at the compliment, the thrill of playing a character so different from himself exhilarating him to no end.

As he made his way back to the dressing room to change out of the bodysuit, Ben couldn't shake the feeling of longing that had taken hold of him. The idea of being someone else, even just for a moment, was intoxicating. He found himself trying on more and more masks and bodysuits, each one transforming him into a different person with a different story to tell.

From a suave secret agent to a mysterious vampire, Ben lost himself in a world of endless possibilities. With each new costume, he felt a spark of creativity ignite within him, a newfound sense of freedom and self-expression that he had never experienced before.

As the hours passed and the store began to empty out, Ben finally emerged from the dressing room, his arms laden with a pile of costumes. The store owner looked at him in awe, a smile spreading across his face.

"You've certainly made the most of your time here, young man," the store owner remarked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Ben grinned back, his heart full of gratitude for the unexpected journey he had embarked on that rainy Saturday afternoon.

As he made his way out of the store, the rain pounding against the windows in a steady rhythm, Ben couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over him. He had stepped into the shoes of countless characters, each one leaving a mark on his heart in a way he could never have imagined.

And as he walked back out into the bustling city streets, the memory of Officer Matthews, the bald and goatee cop, lingered in the back of his mind, a reminder of the power of transformation and the joy of stepping into someone else's shoes, even just for a moment. Ben knew that he would never forget the thrill of wearing that bodysuit, of becoming someone else entirely, if only for a fleeting moment in time.

[theemporium]

Could I possibly request a number 46 smutty fic with Charles leclerc 👉👈 loved your Daniel fic!!!

thank you, darling!🖤this was meant to be a blurb and became 1.3k but enjoy!!

46. "leave the heels on"

.

It was funny how quickly you could go from hating a person to fucking them. 

Or maybe when it came to Charles Leclerc, it was really fucking realistic. 

Securing a position as a team member in the infamous Scuderia Ferrari quickly out of university wasn’t something you expected to happen, and yet it was just how your life seemed to go. A handful of interviews and silent prayer of thanks for your supervisor pushing you to take up Italian classes to improve your resume, you found yourself working with one of the biggest and most historical teams in motorsport history. 

And eighteen months after joining the team, you finally got upgraded to join the team as they travelled from city to city with each and every race. 

That was how you came to learn that you and Ferrari’s golden boy did not get along. 

At all. 

The team found it endearing: the quarrels and arguments, the scoffs and eye rolling, the fact neither of you could stand to be alone with each other for longer than two minutes but always found your way next to each other. 

You found it to be the biggest pain in your ass. 

But being a part of the Scuderia Ferrari team meant more than late meetings and travelling the world. It also meant fancy events and over-the-top galas you were constantly having to show your face at. 

Deep down, you hated them. The dressing up in pretty dresses and glam makeup was fun the first few times, but now it just felt like a chore—all for you to stand around the bar abusing the no-limit drinks and get through a handful of awkward conversations when most people at these events just wanted to talk to the drivers themselves.

“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t look so sad.” 

The accent was thick and very Italian, the smile was something quite like charm and mischief and you were pretty sure he was just a guest. But hey, the gorgeous man in the three piece suit seemed like a far better way to kill your time than sitting at the bar alone. 

“What are you gonna do about it, handsome?”

But what you didn’t seem to notice was the piercing eyes of Ferrari’s number one trophy glaring at you from across the room. 

Now, Charles wasn’t stupid. 

Did you irritate him beyond measure? Yes. 

Did you make him want to rip his own hair out? Also yes. 

But were you also one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen in his life? Unfortunately, yes. 

Maybe that was why it pissed him off so much, why you pissed him off so much, because half the time he wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell you to fuck off or to just fuck you. He was left in some weird internal battle that drove him crazy, and usually you were the person on the receiving end of his shitty moods and snide remarks. 

And whilst the driver knew you were in no way, shape or form his, it didn’t stop the burning bitter feeling bubbling in his stomach. It didn’t stop him from downing the rest of the overpaid champagne in his flute and slamming the glass down with little care. And it did nothing to stop him from striding across the room towards you and the mystery man who was all over you, giving you little chance to say anything before he was tugging at your hand and pulling you towards the valet. 

Hissed sneers and bitter words were passed between you, which quickly became hard, sloppy kisses and wandering hands underneath clothing. In some daze of lust, want and anger, you had made it to an apartment—undoubtedly his apartment—and despite your racing heart and the voice in your head screaming this was a bad idea, you didn’t want to stop. 

“Leave them,” his voice was rough and a little husky, matching the darkened look in his eyes as he watched you from the end of the bed. Your dress was pooled at his feet, your hair was sprawled out around you from where you laid on his bed and your hand fell back to your side when he spoke. 

“Leave what?” you asked because you were a little shit, because you wanted to hear him say it. Your body hummed and sang to reach out, to touch him and undo the buttons and see the skin you caught glimpses of during race weekends. But your ego was winning out. 

“Leave the heels on, cherie,” he muttered as he shrugged off his jacket, tugging at the stupid bowtie he was forced to wear and shedding off his shirt as effortlessly as a drunk man trying to restrain himself could. 

“This some weird kink of yours, Leclerc?” you commented teasingly, watching with your painted lips tucked between your teeth as his shirt fell to the floor, his belt following and the unbuttoned trousers he had yet to take off tempting you. 

“Acting like you don’t like it?” he retorted, grinning a little at the way you fell silent as his fingers glided over your heels, along your calves and up your thighs until you were spread for him. 

“Are you going to do anything or just stare?” you muttered, your voice a little breathier than you would have liked. “I had a willing partner before you dragged me off, Leclerc, it would be a shame for this night to be a disappointing performance from you.” 

His eyes gleamed with the challenge. “Pick a number.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“Pick a number,” he repeated, hooded eyes falling to the apex of your thighs as his hand reached out towards you, his thumb pressing against your clothed clit. 

Your breath shuddered. “Four.” 

“Four,” he hummed with a low chuckle, one that felt mocking and twisted but still made the coil in your lower stomach tighten. “Such a low number, not very ambitious.” 

Four. 

Fucking four. 

As it came to be, that would be the number that haunted you for the rest of the night in the best way possible. Whatever snarky remarks or digs you took at Charles, they would quickly fall flat when the boy had you shaking and moaning and begging, when he had you so fucked out that you couldn’t even bring yourself to care about stupid rivalries or the teasing comments. You just wanted him. 

“Please, please, please,” your cries muffled against the pillows, your hands clutching the sheets of the bed and your body jerking with every thrust of hips. “I-I can’t—”

“Can’t what?” Charles hissed between clenched teeth, his fingers digging into the flesh of your hips so hard that you knew there would be bruises in the morning but you didn’t care. Not when his cock was hitting spots inside you that you didn’t even realised made you feel this good. “Can’t give me one more, baby? You’ve already been so greedy, already came five times.” 

You choked out a sob, one hand reaching back for him. “Charles–”

“Shhh,” he cooed mockingly as he reached towards you, your body pressed against his chest and his hands on your hips guiding you back onto his cock. “You sound much less annoying when you’re moaning my name, cherie.” 

“Fuck,” you hissed, eyes clenched shut as your head lulled back to rest on his shoulder as his fingers brushed against your swollen clit. “Charles, I can’t anymore, I-I can’t—”

“One more for me, baby, one more,” his lustful words slurring together as you clenched around him, a sound deep and guttural escaping his mouth as he nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck. “Shit, so good for me.” 

Maybe fucking someone you hated was easier than either of you thought.

And maybe it was going to become a more recurring incident than either of you ever considered.

.

[meear]

I hate how the consensus in the fandom is disliking Romione because "Ron isn't good enough for her". lmfaoo y'all, Hermione isn't good enough for HIM.

Remember guys, she got jealous that he was dating someone else and physically assaulted him until he bled. He had scratches. What the fuck was that and how did anyone read this scene and not think Hermione was a disgusting, abusive piece of trash? No because if Ron had been the one beating up Hermione like that you can BET people would've remembered it and held it against him forever (as they should!).

And I saw so many people defend Hermione saying shit like "oh i don't excuse her but it was understandable". She was just acting like "an irrational teenage girl"! Yeah uh no that was not just irrational teenager behaviour. Teenagers are emotional yes but most teenagers don't beat up their crush when they kiss someone else unless they have some serious disorder. Like, St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys level of disorder. She actually needs to be locked up, asap. The most understandable depiction of violent teenage behaviour in HP was OotP, and Harry was literally traumatised. Rowling wants you to believe that Hermione, on the other hand, is supposed to be a well-adjusted teenager.

"oh but Ron was rude to her too wah wah" yeah I don't give a fuck. Nothing Ron did to Hermione was on this level of violence, I genuinely do not give a fuck.

You know who angerly retaliates to Ron's rude remarks without acting like fucking Vernon Dursley? Ginny. And I don't even like Ginny. But when Ron acts like a jerk towards her, she understandably shoots back, she gets spiteful and mean, in an actual teenage girl way. No way y'all are trying to normalize the shit Hermione pulled.

"but", I hear you say, "it's normal for characters to have flaws :((( you just want every character to be flawless! It just shows that in HP no one is perfect! It's realistic!"

First of all, Harry Potter characters have the depth of a wet tissue, be fucking for real, second of all, that argument might hold water if the narrative held Hermione accountable and criticised her for what she did. but it didn't. The narrative blamed Ron. Ron is written as a flawed character, but Hermione isn't.

I love flawed characters, but I don't love flawed characters whose shit behaviour constantly get excused/validated by the author at all. They are actually the type of characters I despise the most. they become very unlikable and not in a fun way. If there's one thing in a story I can't stand it's inconsistent morality and the author playing favourites (looking at you Isayama)

Also, I'm pretty sure there's a world between "not being perfect" and being a genuinely abusive, bad person. HP1-3 Hermione is the former. HP6 Hermione is the latter. Ultimately, Rowling does intend for Hermione to be a good person. She kinda failed at portraying that. Hermione wasn't even shown as the bad guy for what she did! Harry felt a bit awkward 'cause he saw her cry and the narrative treated Ron like a jerk for daring to be interested in anyone other than Hermione and not realising she wanted him. How dare he! Nevermind that Hermione dated Viktor and Cormac. It's okay when she does it, but how dare he! Even when Rowling talks about these two, she thinks Ron is the one who needs to grow up and get himself together. He needs better friends. And a better author.