#but it stands out to me as a small bright spot in what is otherwise a very sad conversation

[raainstorms]

Karen Page Appreciation Happy Moments (1/3)

[wileys-russo]

late night visits II k.mccabe x reader

i think this is the longest fic i've written so far but as she deserves, katie is so lover girl coded and no one can convince me otherwise

late night visits II k.mccabe x reader 7.3K words

"katie!" the irishwoman glanced up with a squint, standing taller to try and see over the crowd of drunken bodies packing the bar. finally she spotted her friends jammed into a booth toward the back and pushed her way through toward them.

"jesus is there like a two for one special on drinks tonight or what?" katie huffed as she took the vacant seat beside leah, looking around at the hordes of patrons around them. the little restaurant and bar was hardly unknown, however it rarely got this busy.

"guess our little secret isn't so secret anymore." jen chuckled, sliding katie a rum and coke she'd ordered her earlier as the irishwoman sent her a grateful smile before necking it. "slow down katie! it's not a race." beth laughed with a shake of her head as the irishwoman grinned.

"almost every bar in manchester was like this it took like a half an hour to even be served!" alessia piped up, seated beside leah and across from jen. the small group of girls deciding at training earlier today they'd go out for a drink tonight since there wasn't a match this weekend.

the invitation had been extended to the whole team but a lot had plans to go and see partners or family in the short few days break.

"oh we don't have that issue here, do we katie?" jen teased with a smirk as the girl in question rolled her eyes. "i don't even know if she's workin jen, lay off!" she defended. :please like you haven't memorised her schedule by now." leah joined in with a chuckle.

"i feel like im missing some context here?" alessia piped up with a confused frown, not quite following along with the light hearted teasing.

"katies sleeping with one of the bar tenders." beth eagerly filled the younger blonde in as viv smacked her on the shoulder with a look of disapproval. "are you?" alessias curious gaze turned to katie who groaned.

"sometimes. it doesn't matter anyway its none of any of your businesses!" the brunette warned sternly, sending a particularly harsh look toward laura who couldn't seem to stop herself from laughing at the situation.

"wonderful. you can get the next round then!" leah grinned and gave her a shove almost sending the girl flying onto her ass out of the booth as katie shot leah a glare but nonetheless stood to her feet.

"russo you're coming with me, i need extra hands and you're the least annoying one present tonight." katie gestured toward the girl who scrambled quickly over leah.

"thank you…i think?" alessia frowned as katie slung an arm over her shoulder, tugging her away from the group who resumed their chatter. "so is she here?" the blonde asked looking around eagerly as they finally got to the bar.

"that one." katie gave in with a sigh, nudging alessia and pointing you out where you were busy making cocktails at the other end of the bar. "she's gorgeous." alessia stated with a nod of approval as katie couldn't help but chuckle, small talk made between the two as they waited for someone to come take their order.

someone who katie secretly hoped was you.

meanwhile you joked around around with a few regulars, making sure to maintain the bright smile on your face despite how much harder you were needing to work tonight, the growing frustration inside you that as per usual your boss had understaffed for a busy night to save money.

"well well, i thought i heard security talking about trouble brewing." you greeted the familiar irishwoman with a grin as you wiped your damp hands on your apron, katies own face curling into a smug smile as she shamelessly checked you out.

admittedly the brunette was somewhat of a weak spot for you, there was just something about her cheeky grin which oozed confidence, paired with that strong accent and effortless charm she made your knees buckle.

you wound up a messy of sweaty limbs tangled in one another's bedsheets far more often than you'd care to admit, reaching out to one another at all sorts of hours with all sorts of excuses for your late night visits.

it should have been a seemingly easy relationship, you used one another for whatever was needed without really holding any responsibilities for how the other felt.

the first time you'd slept together was a few months ago and you'd both agreed it was just a one time thing. merely a drunken fling as you and katie had shared a few drinks once you'd clocked off for the night, which inevitably ended in your sweaty bodies pressed up together in her bed a couple of hours later.

yet months later and here she still was, looking you up and down with a hungry glint in her eyes probably imagining the lustful activities she hoped would be happening later on.

there was just one small problem to all of this, which was that you secretly wanted more. you wanted her in a way where it didn't feel transactional, where you weren't just a late night thought but rather could be someone meaningful to her.

but you knew that wasn't on the cards for katie and so you'd convinced yourself into a firm state of delusion where it didn't hurt to continue on like nothing had changed and you didn't secretly hope for more.

your friends had begged you end it, seeing how much it knocked your normally confident persona down, playing on your self esteem and picking at insecurities you didn't even know were there as you couldn't help but wonder why she only wanted to keep it casual if it was such a seemingly common occurence.

you couldn't quite say when things had started to shift,. as at first you were more than satisfied with just being friends with benefits, barely meeting the friends part since you hardly knew anything about one another.

maybe that's what had made it easier in the early stages, that lack of knowledge and impersonal connection. you didn't know anything about football nor did you care to change that, so of course to you she was just a girl, not some big celebrity superstar athlete.

thats not to say she didn't show her athletic prowess in other ways, the irishwoman had the best stamina you'd ever seen and could go for hours without even needing a water break.

and when the relationship was only transactional, impersonal and occasional, you were fine with it.

but lately, lately things had been different. and it had all started a couple of weeks ago.

once the two of you had finished for the night, katie had stuck around. she begun to ask questions, about you, your work, your family, and to your shock seemed actually interested in the answers.

she hadn't stayed the night, only for a couple of hours and a cup of tea but it was out of the ordinary behavior from your usual arrangement. though you'd tried not to dwell on it too much, knowing that overthinking it was dangerous.

but then it had happened again the next time, and again the time after that. katie once more asking you question after question, and if she wasn't doing that she was telling you the more intimate details of her life and her family, or debriefing about a particularly hard training session or her concerns for an upcoming match.

without even realising it she'd kicked down your walls and she'd done the worst possible thing in a friends with benefits situation, she'd begun to accidentally indulge you into what it could be like if the two of you were more.

~

"we're completely out of bacardi and we're running low on jager." nathan, one of your coworkers, popped up beside you as you bent down to grab a cider for a customer from the fridges under the bar.

now counting down until the end of your shift, you were endlessly grateful you weren't on close tonight. though things had begun to die down, the more rowdier of patrons beginning to be moved on by security, you knew there would be some that lingered long into the night.

"there's more downstairs, i'll go stock up before i finish so you don't need to worry about it. can you handle this for awhile?" you offered, the boy sighing in relief and nodding with an appreciative smile.

you untied your apron and tossed it under the counter, jumping over the small gate at the end of the bar and ducking around the corner where only staff were allowed.

busying yourself quickly checking your phone you hadn't noticed someone follow, someone whose eyes had been trained to you most of the night, who'd been relentlessly teased by her friends for exactly that.

"scuse me but has anyone ever told you your bum looks quite peachy in those shorts?" your eyes flickered up from your screen as the brunette grinned cheekily, taking a few steps toward you as you shook your head and slipped your phone into your pocket.

"just drunken creeps who i've had kicked out right afterwards." you smiled, katies hands finding their way to your hips as she gently pressed you into the wall, blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

"send them my way next time, i'll be sure to teach em some manners about how to treat a pretty girl." katies smile widened as her eyes flickered down toward your lips.

"i'm still on the clock here mccabe." you chuckled, pushing her off gently as you knew what would happen next if you didn't. "well then when do you get off?" she asked, pressing her body back into yours as you shook your head.

"in an hour." you revealed watching her lips curl into a smirk. "then i'll meet you out back by your car." the older girl spoke suggestively, face so close to yours you could feel the warm tickle of her breath against your lips but then just like that she was gone, striding off back into the public area seeking out her friends.

with a sigh and a shake of your head you straightened up, banishing the lust which clouded your mind and hurrying off downstairs to the dry store.

~

of course katie wound up in your bed that night, a chorus of moans of plesure and lips smacking together in sloppy kisses, crisp linen gripped in white knuckled fists with sweaty limbs tangled.

this was then once again followed by a cup of tea and soft conversations about your childhood pets, quite the contrast from your previous activites.

then things only became stranger that next morning.

sundays were always your day off so you'd never have alarms set, allowing your body to wake you up whenever it was ready, purposefully never setting up any plans or commitments you needed to arise early for.

so when your eyes fluttered open around eleven in the morning, your room still quite dark due to an overcast and cloudy day, nothing seemed out of sorts.

it wasn't until you shifted tiredly that you felt someone move beside you. your body was instantly jolted awake, and that's when you became aware of the warm arm draped lazily over your naked midsection, an arm that was not yours.

with a sharp intake of breath you slowly turned your head to the side, seeing a mop of brunette hair sprawled across the pillows, duvet only partially covering her half naked form, tanned back moving up and down as she slept soundly with her face smushed into the mattress, and your eyes widened at the sudden realisation that katie had slept over.

she never slept over, even spending a few hours chatting your ear off with a cup of tea she'd never stayed afterwards. you weren't sure if she could hear but your hate rate began to thunder in your ears, thumping like horses hooves against a track as your cheeks flushed scarlet red.

"i can feel your eyes burning a hole into the side of my head ya know." the irishwoman finally spoke, accent somehow thicker in her half awake state as she gently pushed herself up and flopped onto her side with a tired sigh.

your skin burned where her arm had been as she retracted it, running a hand through her hair and flicking it to one side of her head, blinking tiredly with a stretch as your eyes did their best not to fall directly down to her bare chest.

"you can look you know, certainly did last night." she grinned, immediately noticing your internal struggle as her own blue eyes shamelessly roamed your naked body with a hungry glint before you tucked yourself more into the duvet making her chuckle.

"you stayed over." was all you could manage to spit out, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "with observations like that you could give up bar tending for some detective work." katie smiled teasingly as you rolled over and grabbed your top off the floor.

slipping it over your head to somewhat cover up you tossed katie's at hers, the material smacking her in the face as you sat up, snatching your underwear off the floor and wiggling quickly into it.

"you've never stayed over." you made your point a little firmer, slipping out of the bed as katie now sat up, tugging her own shirt on.

"well we were talking in bed and i guess we both fell asleep." the irishwoman shrugged casually, grabbing her suit pants off the floor and slipping into them, buttoning them as she stood. you only hummed not really believing her as the action was so out of character, but you were too tired to argue as you tied your hair up into a messy bun.

"you should come to the game today, there's still tickets." katie spoke up again, sat on the end of the bed as she laced up her shoes. you choking on your own spit at the shock from her statement, the girl glancing over her shoulder with an amused smile before turning back round, not mentioning anything more than that.

you walked her to the front door wordlessly, cogs going into overdrive in your mind, almost in shock katie couldn't hear how loud your overthinking was right now.

"catch you later maybe kid." katie winked charmingly, pressing a kiss to your cheek and stepping out the front door. striding down your driveway without a single look back she slipped into an uber as you touched your cheek and slowly closed your front door.

oh you were down bad, and maybe it was time you started dealing with it.

~

and that exact thought was how you found yourself huddled among a small group of your friends, rain drizzling down on your head and body tucked into itself trying to utilise your body heat to warm up.

your friend mathew was doing his very best to keep you interested, explaining every little rule and tactic that he could as the match dragged on, desperate to try and up your enthusiasm of what was apparently a fantastic game being played.

the poor boy raised a die hard arsenal fan was over the moon when you'd loosely mentioned attending as the two of you caught up for brunch. within five minutes he'd somehow conjured you up a ticket, forced you into a jersey, talked your ear off the entire car ride and here you were.

you'd chosen not to mention that the girl you were so hung up who was in your bed at least twice a week nowadays was the katie mccabe, you'd not told any of your friends her actual name only referring to her as 'bar girl', and so the only ones who could have put two and two together were maybe your coworkers.

though all of you were generally so run off your feet most nights they hardly batted an eyelid into your personal life, too focused on making it home to their own beds rather than being hung up on who was sneaking into yours.

"oh they're doing a lap! come on i wanna get my shirt signed by viv if i can she's one of the only ones im missing." mathew eagerly grabbed your hand, practically yanking you out of your chair and away from the rest of your friends who you hastily waved goodbye to.

"you know if i just gave you my jersey one time-" "no matty, the answer will always be a no." you chuckled, despite not knowing of your late night visitors identity the boy did know the arsenal girls frequented your workplace, and he was forever pestering you about having them sign something

you'd held firm with a no, and would continue to.

one of the main reasons the girls continued to come back was that you all made sure to treat them like actual people, and despite being more than household names your regulars tended to leave them be most of the time as well, most of the time.

you hung by yourself away from the main crowd eagerly chatting to the players, leaning against the barrier and busying yourself organizing to cover a few vacant shifts next week.

trying to save to upgrade your car you would take any extra money you could get at the moment, now only a few thousand away from your goal.

"want me to sign that for ya?" your head lifted at the familiar accent, meeting her mischievous blue eyes as she gave you an alluringly cheeky smile.

"no thanks i'm waiting for a starter, not a bench warmer." you quipped back, slipping your phone into your pocket as katie feigned offence.

"how about a goal scorer then?" the brunette moved a little closer, leaning on the barrier with her hands as your eyes drifted down to her well toned arms before flickering back upwards, which didn't go unnoticed by the irishwoman.

"oh did you score? didn't see." you brushed it off with a shrug, katie opening her mouth to speak but falling silent as mathew appeared back by your side, slinging an arm over your shoulder.

at the sight katies stomach flipped a little and her jaw clenched, she watched the boys mouth move, words clearly directed toward her as she only hummed and sent him a polite smile, barely listening.

"well well well, look who it is. our favourite bartender!" the brunette snapped back out of it as jen appeared by her side with a smirk, closely followed by beth. "i thought you weren't a football fan." beth teased, and katie watched as you gestured to the boy beside you, blaming him for your attendance.

you picked up on katies lack of joining into the conversation, trying to catch her attention again but eventually having to excuse yourself and mathew as you had dinner plans. "oo a hot date is it?" beth teased, shooting katie a subtle side eye, the blonde also picking up on her lack of effort to join in.

"every sunday! she loves me for my roast dinners." mathew grinned, pressing a sloppy kiss to your cheek as you gagged sarcastically and pushed his face away.

"see you round then." you smiled, directing the comment more toward katie than anyone else, frowning a little as she blanked you and walked off without so much as a glance your way.

~

you didn't see or hear from katie for the next few days, which wasn't all that abnormal seeing as since the two of you were just casually sleeping around you hardly had a regular routine of meet ups.

however when you did finally see her again it wasn't under circumstances you expected.

you were covering the closing shift for nathan tonight as it was his 30th birthday. the seemingly quiet Wednesday not one of your normal rostered days it seemed to be a running joke among the regulars present.

yet no matter how many times you heard the same one liner you still faked a laugh and a grin, watching the tip jar fill up gradually as you did so with a satisfied smile.

given it wasn't all that busy you found yourself people watching in the odd pockets of free time which fell your way, a habit which was easily one of your favorite perks of the job. yourself and your coworkers often busied yourself dreaming up extravagant imaginary lives for the drunken strangers occupying the bar.

but that was how you spotted her, tucked away in a table toward the back and not by herself, an unfamilar blonde sat beside her and the two seemed quite cosy. you watched with a frown as katie mucked about with the blonde, kissing her on the cheek as the girl shoved her away with a grin.

you couldn't but feel as though you'd been punched in the stomach as you wrenched your eyes away, plastering a fake smile on your face and hurrying off to serve a patron.

thankfully you managed to avoid interacting with the irishwoman for the most part, katie too busy entertaining her date as the blonde came up a few times to grab them both drinks, and by some miracle she'd been served by someone else each time.

though of course that luck didn't last.

as the bar began to empty you busied yourself starting to pack down and clean glasses. but you watched on hopelessly as katie made her way over and with your coworker for the night already occupied with other patrons you knew you'd have no way of avoiding her.

"hey." was all the brunette said with a smile that you returned, handing her a rum and a coke like she always ordered and waiting for if she wanted anything else. "oh nah just a water for me i'm drivin, and a glass of house red please." you nodded and wordlessly prepared her drinks.

"just 8.40." you placed the eftpos machine up on the counter as katie tapped her card and hearing the beep you turned back to what you were doing. "hey, can i see you later?" you glanced up realizing she hadn't left yet, lingering at the counter with her drinks in hand and a hopeful look in her eyes.

"i'm on close tonight." you shook your head and katie frowned, unsure why you seemed so upset with her. "i just wanted to-" the brunette started but you cut her off with a scoff, in disbelief she was really trying to come onto you while out with another woman.

casual or not you had higher standards for yourself than that, and maybe your friends were right and it was time you started to treat yourself with a little more kindness.

"i'm working katie, just leave me alone." and with that you ducked out back before the irishwoman could even say another word, stunned at the somewhat aggressive tone which still lingered in the air after your abrupt exit.

~

since the frosty encounter katie had tried to call and message you but with no response and left on read she'd taken the hint and had backed off.

she'd still been around with her team mates over the weekend for dinner in the restaurant but didn't dare come to order a drink at the bar since you were on shift.

most of the girls gave up questioning her about what had happened, noticing that something had shifted between the two of you, and with a stern warning from the irishwoman hadn't dared to ask you about it either.

but ever persistent and hating to see the obvious discontent hidden behind her friends eyes that the others missed, leah continued to press her for an answer.

"oh for fuck sakes cause she's got a boyfriend leah!" katie eventually snapped and gave in as the blonde had once more cornered her for an interrogation. "what! are you sure? since when?" leah frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall.

"i dunno! i met him at that game she came to, he's not even a good lookin fella." katie huffed with a roll of her eyes, sitting down at her locker and beginning to take off her boots. "i thought that she seemed quite into you?" leah sat down beside her as katie sighed deeply.

"i don't know i thought she was. we'd been talking a lot, getting to know each other better, it was starting to feel like more but i guess not. ever since i met him she's been blankin me so i guess whatever it was with us is over now." katie shrugged it off, not wanting to dwell on the subject as she brushed leah off to go for a shower.

"and please don't tell anyone leah!"

and leah tried not to, she really did. but when beth continued to pester katie and she could see the annoyance building, she figured she would be doing the girl a favour by filling the girl in.

"wait that was her boyfriend? i was only joking about the date thing." beth frowned, both girls having filled the other in over a coffee. "did they seem like they were? katie said she's ghosted her ever since so i guess it makes sense?" leahs eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

little did they both know just how wrong they were.

~

"oh! thats him, thats the boyfriend." beths eyes widened as she gripped leahs bicep, yanking her around to look where she pointed, mathew hanging around chatting to a few of their team mates.

"wait him? i've met that guy a bunch times he's here almost every match." leah realised, beth tightening her grip on her and marching the two of them in the boys direction.

"no personal bartender with you today then?" beth plastered a smile on her face, not wanting to go in with all guns blazing and scare the poor guy off. "oh her? please it took me almost twenty two years to get that girl to come to one game!" the boy laughed and re-introduced himself at beths subtle request.

"twenty two years?" leah frowned a little at the timeline, trying to piece it together. "yeah we go way back, grew up together since we were kids. pretty sure our parents were convinced we were gonna get married someday!" he joked with a grin, beth and leah exchanging a look.

"were?"

"well yeah, when they realised i liked boys and she liked girls that put a bit of a pin in their plans." mathew chuckled, leahs face paling as beth bit her lip to hide a smile at their obvious blunder. "so you two aren't..." beth gestured as the boys eyes widened and he laughed harder.

"please! god no. why, are one of you interested?" he winked, well aware of their ongoing presence at your workplace.

"but no she's very much so single. i've begged her to let me get her back into the dating scene but she's hopelessly hung up on some girl she's been sleeping with for months now-" the boy rolled his eyes, and had you been present you'd have smacked the living daylights out of him for oversharing, his favorite habit.

"-but this girl only wants something casual where as she wants more. so i've tried to get her to cut it off but she's convinced it doesn't hurt to keep it going, which i know her like the back of my hand and believe me, it's hurting her." mathew sighed with a shake of his head, eyes widening when he realized who he was actually talking to.

"but i am very very certain that she would kill me for sharing all of that so please if you see her at the bar don't mention it. i'd quite like to live to see next week i have tickets to next weekends match." the boy joked, glancing over his shoulder as a few of his friends called out for him.

"well fantastic game girls it was lovely speaking to you both. thank you for your time and i am very sorry for filling it with my own voice." he winced apologetically, flashing them a dazzling smile before hurrying off after his friends.

"find katie?" "find katie."

~

you looked over your shoulder in surprise as there was a knock at your door, a quick tap of your phone screen showing it was nearly half seven at night, hardly a time for a door to door salesmen to be coming round, and most of your friends knew where your spare key was and never hesitated to let themselves in.

pausing the episode of love island you were catching up on as you cooked, you tucked your phone into the pocket of your hoodie and padded over to the door, cautiously opening it as another knock sounded.

"we need to talk."

you stepped back as katie shot past you, a blur of red having just come from a video study debrief for the teams upcoming match against chelsea.

she knew you didn't work sundays so took a shot in the dark that you'd be home, grateful it paid off as you closed your door. "please, come in!" you scoffed at her abruptness, following after her into the kitchen.

"i'm not sleeping with you." you started firmly, crossing your arms over your chest as katie now scoffed, taking a seat at the kitchen bench. "when i said we needed to talk, i meant with our mouths and not with our tongues." the irishwoman quipped back causing a slight blush to creep over your cheeks.

"what's there to talk about katie?" you withheld a groan at the intrusion, ignoring her patting the seat beside her for you to sit down as if she was in her own home, instead you chose to stay standing a few feet away from her.

"why you're actin funny with me." the brunette folded her arms sternly and raised an eyebrow, now thanks to her faithful blonde friends she knew you didn't have a boyfriend she wanted answers as to why you'd been ignoring her.

"i've just been busy." you lied, turning your back to her and busying yourself resuming the chopping and prepping for your dinner, hoping with some minimal responses the brunette would grow tired and hopefully leave.

"bullshit, ya never ignore me entirely." katie held firm, and you could feel her eyes bore into the back of your head like lasers. "why do you even care? its not like we're dating or you can't get your needs met elsewhere." you added the last part a little bitterly, a pause of silence falling between the two of you.

"and what's that supposed to mean then?" katie scoffed, raising an eyebrow at the obvious change of tone. "you know what it means i'm not spelling it out for you." you shook your head, the only sound being your knife hitting the board as you chopped up the peppers.

"jesus would you stop that and actually talk to me?" katie snapped, standing to her feet with a frustrated huff. "okay. you want to do this? fine, lets do this." you also snapped, dropping the knife and spinning around to face the older girl.

"i thought that whatever we were doing was completely casual, a friends with benefits situation and i was fine with that." you started, crossing your arms over your chest. "but then you made it complicated." you accused, pointing at her as she made a face of both confusion and offence.

"i made it complicated? till yesterday i thought ya had a boyfriend you were using me to cheat on with!" katie defended making you now pull a face. "what on earth gave you that impression?" you asked, face scrunched up in both disgust and confusion at the mere thought.

"your boy mathew or whatever his name was!" katie rolled her eyes and you paused for a minute before letting out a loud sarcastic bark of laughter. "my best friend? jesus no he's not my boyfriend katie i'm a lesbian for god sakes!" you corrected now with a roll of your own eyes.

"and like you're one to talk about loyalty anyway. asking me to 'hang out' right after you're on a date with another girl and at my job of all places, you don't want to be used to cheat with? i don't like being a backup option when your first one isn't interested in rounding the bases with you." you spat, katie scoffing at the accusation.

"a date? when the hell did i go on a date? you're deluded!" she waved you off with a shake of her head, accent only getting thicker the more upset she became, still not understanding why everything had changed.

"don't you gaslight me! the blonde you took to dinner the other night, you two certainly seemed cosy." your nostrils flared angrily as you held your ground, not allowing what you'd seen to be dismissed. "the blonde what-" katie grimaced trying to think back, but then it clicked.

and she did quite possibly the worst thing she could have within that moment, grabbing her stomach and doubling over in laughter, which you assumed was at you.

"okay you know what? this conversation is over. get the hell out!" you ordered angrily, clearing the distance between the two of you in a few steps and shoving at her as the brunette barely stumbled backwards, still trying to catch her breath.

"you're quite gorgeous when you're jealous ya know." the irishwoman smirked cockily and your cheeks flushed red at the sudden shift in tone. "i repeat, get. out." you recovered quickly, pointing toward the front door as katies smirk only widened, advancing slowly toward you.

"katie-" you started to warn, backing up until you smacked into the counter, the brunette pressing her body against yours, hands flushed flat on the marble counter as she smiled smugly down at you. "say that again then, tell me to leave and i will."

you tried to tell her to get out, you really did, but as she lent down and brought her face closer to yours you were consumed by the alluringly comforting smell of her perfume, knees wobbly at her pearly white smile and the cheeky twinkle of her blue eyes.

but as your stomach fluttered and your heart leapt into your throat, you remembered that to her this was all just a game, it would never be anything more than this and for your own peace and protection, you couldn't give in.

"get out, please." you dropped your gaze right before her lips could touch softly to your own, gently pushing her off and quickly rounding the counter, trying to put as much distance between the two of you as you could.

"that wasn't a date ya know." you refused to turn around at her words, instead grabbing your knife again and resuming the chopping of your vegetables. "hey would you stop that, please." you hadn't heard her make your way over to you, her hand grabbing yours as you dropped the knife with a sigh.

"five minutes. just give me that to hear me out and then if you still want me to go i'm gone and ya won't hear from me again." she requested softly, you hesitated but after a quick glance at her pleading face you gave in with a sigh.

keeping a firm grip on your hand the irishwoman lead you over to the sofa, gently sitting you down before she took her own seat at the opposite end, purposefully giving you some space.

"that wasn't a date. that blonde lass you saw me with last week was one of my sisters, she came and stayed with me for a few days to see the game and catch up while she's on break from uni." katie started to explain as you felt your cheeks burn bright red in embarrassment, burying your face in your hands with a gentle groan.

"stop that, listen." katie lent forward, tugging your hands away and nudging you to sit up before she settled back and continued. "and the whole reason that i brought her to your work was so she could see ya, cause i might have talked her ear off about you." katies own cheeks now flushed a rosy pink as you frowned slightly.

"because if you'd have spoke with me that night, i was going to ask you on a date." katie revealed nervously, fidgeting a little in her spot. "you were?" was all you could manage to get out, positively overwhelmed at the thought.

"well actually i was going to ask for some clarification around the boyfriend thing, but then if we worked that out yeah i wanted to ask ya on a date." katie smiled awkwardly, rubbing her hands nervously on her thighs.

"but i don't-i thought you wanted things to be casual." you stammered out. "i thought you wanted things to be casual, i'd have asked you out after we first slept together until you brought up it being a one time thing." katie admitted as your eyes widened further.

"which is why i made sure i always left right after, didn't get to know ya, kept it casual. cause i guess you're alright in bed!" the girl teased cheekily, softening the somewhat awkward tension a little which you were grateful for.

"but then i couldn't help myself. i really wanted to get to know you more so i started hanging around a little, asking some stuff, testing the waters. then when you didn't immediately kick me out i thought maybe you might be into us being not so casual." katie admitted, the shy and nervous side of her she was revealing now not anything you'd ever seen from the brunette before.

"then mathew came into the picture and it threw me off!" katie rolled her eyes, a small smile curling into your lips as the puzzle pieces started to align in your head.

"so i guess that kind of brings us to now, and was really all i wanted to say." katie looked to you somewhat hopefully, awaiting to see what you would say next in return.

"i only said we should keep things casual after we slept together because i thought that's what you wanted, and i was fine with it too for awhile. but then you started to hang around and ask questions and seem interested, and then you slept over!" you paused for a moment to collect your thoughts as katie watched on, intently listening.

"well you made it complicated like i said and then i started to indulge myself into the delusions of what things would be like if we were something more. but i never thought you felt the same way and then you asked me to come to your game but you were being weird and quiet the whole time. then you came in with what i assumed was a date that really hit home for me that all we would ever be was casual." you revealed with a small wince at the obvious misunderstandings from the both of you.

"and i don't want that. my friends are all off having kids or getting engaged and i want something more than just casual sex, i want to mean something to someone which is why i brushed you off and sort of ghosted you i guess." you laid your own feelings down on the line somewhat hesitantly, scared for what it meant but unable to continue holding them back anymore.

"so you're telling me, that we could have been something more for the last few months if we just...talked about it." katie cracked a small smile which you returned with a slow nod, the two of you sharing a look before breaking out into a bout of soft laughter.

"jesus christ what a mess." katie sunk into the sofa with another laugh, dragging her hands down her face in disbelief. "do you want to stay for dinner?" you asked with a soft smile, head flopping against the back of the couch as you stared at the irishwoman a few feet away who perked up at the offer.

"i'd love to."

~

"no you chose last night! give it to me katie, now." you ordered with a huff, struggling to stay balanced as you straddled your girlfriends leg, craning for the remote which the taller girl held just out of your reach.

"i don't want to watch that reality crap you'll put on, can't we at least watch a movie?" katie held firm, pushing you away with her spare hand as you continued to fight her for the remote.

"no! you said that last night and then you fell asleep about ten minutes in." you rolled your eyes at the memory, squealing as a pair of strong arms wrapped around your waist, quickly pushing you down onto the lounge as she now sat on top of you.

"well here i am wide awake baby girl, so how about we ditch the tv all together and go to bed?" the footballer smiled suggestively, still holding the remote out of your reach. "sure." you smirked, grabbing her collar and pulling her down into a kiss.

"after we watch love island." you snatched the remote from her, taking advantage of her moment of weakness as you pushed her off of you, hastily sitting up and getting comfortable again as you navigated through to find the latest episode.

"are you serious? you would rather watch that crap than have sex with me right now?" katies chest heaved a little at the sudden passionate kiss which was rudely stolen from her, propping her body up on her elbows.

"i can get you in my bed any night of the week you're quite easy, love island is only on wednesdays." you grinned cheekily, clicking into the episode and patting the space beside you. "easy she says!" katie scoffed in disbelief, sitting upright but staying on the other side of the sofa, arms crossed with a frown embedded into her eyebrows.

with a roll of your eyes at her dramatics you shuffled down the lounge, forcefully uncrossing her arms and maneuvering your body to settle half on top of her, back wedged against the arm of the sofa while your legs draped across her lap, shaking out a blanket and settling it over the two of you.

"relax the face baby, at your age you'll get wrinkles." you teasingly rubbed your thumbs against her forehead as she scoffed. "my age! i'm only two years older than ya!" the bruntte shook her head, offence written all over her face as you grinned at how easy she was to wind up.

"you know i've always been into older women." you wiggled your eyebrows as the girls large hand came to cover your face, shoving your head away playfully. "shut up and watch your shit show."

though of course after ten minutes katie was fully invested, asking you all sorts of questions as you'd settled into her arms, her hands sliding under your top and resting on your stomach.

both of you content in the little bubble of domestic bliss you'd created, wrapped around one anothers fingers tightly and very much so smitten, not a single casual thing about any of it.

[starflirts]

OUR SECRET MOMENTS IN A CROWDED ROOM

as mrs swift once said: "romance is not dead if you keep it just yours" luke castellan x fem! reader, wc: 614, warning: none, note: here's a little something i queued before classes took over my life… enjoy! (still working on other stuff though don’t worry!)

“They have no idea about me and you” he whispers softly in the space between your neck and your collarbones, soothing breaths tickling your skin. 

The lake is quiet at this time of day, campers from all cabins too busy with their own activities to pester Luke. The setting sun casts its golden rays on the water and you can hear the faint giggles of dryads in the woods. 

You stand with your back against the trunk of a tree, a bright smile on your face as you card a hand through his hair. “You have to thank me and our secret spot for that.” you muse, slightly pulling on his curls to get him to look at you. 

Luke grins, hands resting on your waist, thumbs tracing small circles on the skin hidden by your shirt. “And you,” he tilts his head to the side, “should be thankful Chris accepted to take over my camp counselor duties without asking any questions !” 

Curling your hands around his neck, you let out a laugh and Luke swears you’ve stolen the last remnants of sunlight. “If you keep disappearing like that he might become a little too curious and find out. And I really don’t want him complaining about you not telling him about us. He’d beg to be your best man.” you tease him, fingers toying with the curls at the back of Luke’s head. 

Your boyfriend can’t help but smile at the implication. He shrugs, hands still on your waist. “Whatever. I’d like to see his face when we tell him.”

Pretending to pout, you cross your arms over your chest. “No more secret rendezvous then ? Such a shame, I love having you all to myself.” you answer with a grin, tone dripping with amusement. 

Luke can feel warmth creeping up his ears. His hands crawl up your sides until they're resting on your cheeks. He’s so close to you now you can almost feel his lips hovering over yours and the tip of his nose brushes against yours. “Pretty lady, I am yours all the time. Always have, always will.” 

He’s about to lean in when voices suddenly call your names. Whipping your head towards the source of the sound, you push yourself away from the tree but the distance between you and Luke remains minimal.

“We’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Annabeth is the first one to appear in your line of vision, Percy in tow. “The Apollo cabin is setting up the bonfire. You guys should come now otherwise Percy’s going to eat all the s’mores.” she adds, ignoring Percy’s complaints. 

When the four of you make your way back to the heart of the camp, Annabeth looks back at you once. If she notices the way Luke’s hand brushes against yours she doesn’t say a thing. 

Bonfire nights are Luke’s favorites by far. With your hand safely secured in his underneath a blanket you both share, he enjoys the proximity; whispering sweet nothings into your ear when no one notices, grinning when only he can see your bashful smile. 

“You’re so obvious Castellan” you giggle, shaking your head.

He only chuckles at that. “Can’t help myself pretty. I just love you too much.” 

His words make you shy away from his gaze, turning towards the crowd of campers by your side.

As you face the fire, you can feel Annabeth’s eyes on you from across the flames, a smirk on her face. Her gaze shifts from you to Luke, intently observing his lovesick gaze and your giddy countenance. Raising your eyebrows as if to ask her what she was thinking about, she only mouths back: “I knew it !”

[symbiomancy]

PRIZE —ryōmen sukuna

—summary: You and Sukuna make a bet. He doesn't clarify what he wants if he wins. It's okay; you'll find out soon enough.

—cw: f!reader, stepcest, otherwise pretty tame today

—wc: 1,4k // also on ao3

“So, do you even do anything on the court or do you just stand there and look pretty?”

Sukuna turns to you, brows raised. The corner of his lips curls up in amusement. “Just because you don’t understand how the game works doesn’t mean I don’t do anything,” he counters, crossing his arms over his chest. The movement makes his biceps bulge and you allow your eyes to linger on them momentarily before you meet his gaze again.

“Prove your worth, then,” you shrug your shoulders once and tilt your body to the side to get a glimpse of the people doing their last warm-up exercises on the basketball court. “Earn a lot of points, be the MVP. Win, or do whatever it is you do.”

He eyes the way you’re leaned to the side and the way you pull yourself straight again and shift your attention away from his teammates, head tilted, now staring at him through your pretty lashes. He likes this angle. You’re not that much shorter than him, but this, this angle he likes, and finds himself wanting to place his hand on your jaw and tilt it up.

“Let’s make it a bet, then.”

You purse your lips, narrow your eyes.

“Alright,” you cede, tilting your head the other way. “If you suck out there, you make me a second bento for a week so I don’t have to grab something from the convenience store on the way to my language classes. And if you win—”

“When I win.”

You roll your eyes. “If you win… I don’t know, what do you want?”

“I can choose anything?”

“Yes, unless it brings me physical, psychological, emotional or reputational harm.”

Sukuna is quiet for a few moments, staring at you with a new intensity. It sends a shiver down your spine and you take a quick breath in to dispel the jitter in your veins. Then, he holds out his hand.

“Deal.” He grins, broad and charming when you accept and shake on the deal. He motions to the overhead level where a crowd has gathered — mostly girls, probably from all years if you had to venture a guess — his other hand between your shoulder blades, pushing you towards the stairs. “Enjoy the show.”

To his credit, he’s good. It takes a while for the game to get going, but when it does, he’s fast, almost graceful in the way he dodges around the other team’s players to make his way to the net. He stops, sneakers squeaking against the vinyl, and throws the ball. It’s a clean shot. His teammates pat him on the back and the girls around you cheer.

Your eyes meet and Sukuna stops, turns his body towards you, and does a small, almost mocking bow. The crowd around you explodes in a cacophony of screaming and you place your hands over your ears.

He sure is popular.

The games pass in a blur. Sukuna keeps up easily, netting point after point after point. Each time, the cheers of your peers threaten to deafen you. Then, the last game is called, the teams shake hands and everything winds down. People still linger when the teams are stretching and cleaning up. You even spot a few volunteering themselves for help.

Sukuna doesn’t say anything about the bet when you meet up after he’s showered and dressed and parted with his teammates. You congratulate him and he beams like you’ve never seen before, eyes bright and hair slicked back, curling at the ends. He doesn’t bring your bet up even at the dinner table or when you’re all winding down in the living room, everyone piled onto the couch and the armchairs. Your parents congratulate him on a successful match and his smile returns full force, launching into a play-by-play for everyone that wasn’t present. You almost think he’s forgotten about your bet by the time the lights are all out in the house.

Until there’s a knock on your bedroom door as you’re getting ready for bed. The clock on your laptop screen stares at you. Just minutes from midnight. You unlock your door and crack it open just enough to see Sukuna on the other side, leaning against the doorway with his hands in his sweats’ pockets. The outline of his cock is obvious against the fabric and you let your eyes linger on it for the fraction of a second before you raise them to meet his. You almost, almost get distracted by his lack of shirt. He notices.

“I figured out what I wanted,” he announces with an easy grin.

“Right now?” You glance at the clock again, then back to him. Sukuna nods. You pull your door open just enough for him to slip in. “Need I remind you the clause about physical, psychological—”

“Emotional and reputational harm. I got it; I took ‘em all into account.” He wanders a few steps deeper into your room as the lock on your bedroom door triggers and picks up the cat-shaped nightlight on your dresser. He smacks it once. It turns purple. He smacks it again and the light changes to warm white.

“So?” You cross your arms over your chest, suddenly rethinking your nearly non-existent sleeping attire. Summer is warm and stuffy; there’s no point in sweating through the night when you can keep your clothing to a minimum and the window cracked open. Cheeky shorts and a thin, cropped shirt help ward off the usual heat. Now there’s a different type of heat simmering under your skin.

“I want a kiss,” he says, placing the nightlight back onto the dresser. “A nice, proper kiss.”

“Why?” You shrug your shoulders when he gives you an incredulous look. “No, I mean like— you had so many girls practically throwing themselves at you during and after the game-meet-thingy; you could get a kiss from anyone.”

“Yeah, I could.” He closes what little distance separates you and hooks his knuckles under your chin. His other hand rests on your hip, draws lazy circles into the flesh. It sends a jolt down your spine, like livewire in your veins. “But I want it from you.” His breath fans your lips. Heat rushes to your face.

You shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t ruin your parents’ relationship with something so messy, something like this, something that’ll only blow up in your faces down the line. But he’s all-encompassing, taking up your whole vision, everywhere is him and only him, his eyes glued to your lips.

Sukuna closes the gap. His mouth is slow on yours, his lips warm, slightly chapped. You really shouldn’t—

His hands skirt under your sleeping shirt, and travel up your torso, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Thumbs graze your nipples and you arch into his chest, gasp into his mouth. He swallows the sound, eager and hungry. His tongue slips into your mouth. The heat bubbling under your skin spreads through your body, has your pulse living in your throat. Your hands rest on his shoulders, nails digging into the flesh. He grunts against your mouth, digs his teeth into your bottom lip and suddenly you’re lightheaded, his hands anchoring you to place, keeping you from floating off into space. His chest is pressed to yours, large warm hands on your ribs and then down, down, until one rests on the small of your back and he pulls you into him, hip to hip. His cock is stiff against your thigh.

You’re the first one to pull away, hands firmly on his shoulders when you nudge him backwards. Sukuna’s cheeks are flushed in the faint light of your cat-shaped nightlight, lips glossy, eyes half-lidded, breath loud in the confines of your bedroom, hands still on your body.

You inhale slowly but it does little to knock some breath back into your lungs. Your chest is heaving — so is his — and yet you step aside, unlock your bedroom door and pull it ajar. He slips out just as easily as he’d slipped in, his touch lingering as he takes his escape.

When you hear his bedroom door open, you lean into the hallway, calling out his name in a whisper. He looks over, hand on the doorknob, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. “If… if you want to keep… this,” you motion between him and yourself, “going, get some chapstick, dude.”

You close the door and lock it.

banners by @/cafekitsune.

[stairain]

Loosen Up

Parties have never been much of Spencer's scene, luckily you've got no problem helping him calm down.

Warnings: Sub Spencer, Dom Reader, male fingering, male orgasm, choking, praise, finger gagging, lots of spit.

WC: 2.0K

You walked through the crowded party with Spencer’s hand in yours, and as usual, you were the one dragging him around as he aimlessly followed with an uneasy expression on his face. 

Looking back at him over your shoulder, you smile and tease him.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

He stops walking and turns to you with an annoyed look. His response is nothing short of sarcastic.

"How couldn't I be? A room full of strangers, loud music I didn't choose, and the possibility of being touched by people who don't understand boundaries? Sounds like a great time."

Your eyebrows furrow a bit and you give him a small pout, tightening your grip on his hand for reassurance.

“Hey, loosen up a little baby.. I’m just teasing.”

Spencer sighs and lets out a little chuckle despite himself, and he tightens his grip back on your hand. 

"I know you're teasing. But I just wish I could enjoy situations like these. They're just uncomfortable and stressful. And I don't see how anybody can feel otherwise."

You pull him over to an empty spot on an otherwise full couch, making sure you’re sitting as close as possible to him to help him ease his nerves. You extend your legs over his lap and give him a hopeful smile.

“Well, I enjoy them. I like being around everyone, seeing people enjoy themselves and having fun, what’s not to enjoy?”

He glances over at you and smiles affectionately as you take a seat, placing his head on your shoulder and leaning against you.

"It's just.. too much stimulation for me. It's noisy, bright, and crowded. There’re so many people I don't know, and they're all moving and talking and trying to touch me."

He looks over at you and smiles.

"It's nice to be here with you, though. That helps a lot."

As he speaks about his discomfort, you sigh and look around the large living room full of people. 

No one would notice if you two slipped away for a moment. You look back to Spencer and lean in to suggest a solution.

“Do you wanna get away for a bit? Maybe it’ll help calm you down?”

His eyebrows raise and he nods enthusiastically. He leans back against you and wraps his arm around your waist, looking off to the side for a moment before glancing back at you and saying in a whispered plea.

"Yes please."

Nodding, you’re quick to stand up and drag him along with you. He’s got one hand situated on the curve of your waist and one that’s awkwardly shoved in his pocket to attempt to make himself look smaller.

There’s a staircase that leads you to the second floor of the house, and you’re almost surprised to find how empty it is despite the large number of attendees.

You gently push open one of the doors that line the hallway, and Spencer doesn’t think twice before pushing himself in and walking inside in a hurried panic.

The quiet of the space immediately calms him, and he relaxes for the first time since arriving at the party. He doesn’t have a chance to speak, as before he can even turn around to look at you, you’re grabbing him by his neck and shoving him down on a couch situated in the middle of the room.

He lets out a soft yelp as he falls on the couch, and he looks up at you in confusion and a little bit of fear.

“W-what are you doing?!" He gasps and attempts to sit up, but you shove him back down before he can.

With the hand that’s wrapped around his neck, you loosen two fingers and reach them up to shove them in his mouth and make his jaw go slack. Spencer lets out a gasp of surprise and makes a noise of protest when you don’t remove them.

“Shh baby, you’re fine.”

You coo as you sit yourself down on his lap and begin littering his face with wet kisses.

"Mmmph mm," He mumbles into your hand as you kiss him, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion. 

“Shh shh, that’s a good boy. Wet those for me, baby.” 

You murmur in his ear, finally letting go of his neck in favor of further shoving the two fingers down his throat. You can feel the crude sloshing of his spit and tongue slithering against your digits, and it only makes things better.

There’s a distinct tent in his pants, and your lower body begins to slowly gain friction against him.

His breath hitches and he glances around to the room, making sure nobody is around to see what is happening. "Mmmf," he mumbles against your fingers, his saliva covering them and his jaw still limp as he stares up at you.

Spencer calls out your name in a breathless whimper, not quite wanting to protest what’s happening but also not knowing how to feel about it.

You continue to press your fingers against his tongue as you mouth at his sweaty neck, licking over the dampened skin as you mumble against it. “Take your pants off, baby.”

He whimpers when you lick his neck, and he glances down to his lap, his face flushing a bright red in embarrassment. But nonetheless, he obeys.

“Good boy..”

You praise and move out of the way to allow him to strip himself for you. As he’s pushing the denim down his legs, you’re slowly sinking to your knees in front of him. 

Once his pants reach his ankles, you grow impatient and yank the rest of the garment off for him. 

His pale thighs tremble around your head as you look up at him with a morbid expression of satisfaction. His entire body jumps and his eyes squeeze shut as he feels your soaked middle finger prod at his tight hole.

“Come on baby, loosen up a bit for me alright? Just wanna help you.”

Spencer nods the best he can as his veiny hands grasp and fist at the fabric of the couch beneath his sweat slicked body. His entire being is tense in nervousness, so it’s no surprise you’re not finding much luck in an easy entry.

Your finger teasingly circles his hole, spreading the sticky spit all over his most intimate area, making him tremble even more at how positively aroused and terrified he was. 

His once tense legs relax a bit, and you can feel himself presenting to you easier than before. The first knuckle pushes in with a great resistance, just barely allowing you any room to work with. 

You sigh and press a soft kiss to his inner thigh before speaking gently to him, as if he were that of a baby animal.

“Let me help you, love.”

Spencer’s chest heaves and he looks as though he might break down, but with a quiet moan he allows his body to go slack and let you have your way. He trusts you. 

The tight muscle practically sucks you in with how absolutely tight he is. His spit makes for a slick entrance, and the feeling immediately has him in shambles.

“Oh, there you go, pretty thing..”

The disheveled brunet drops his jaw in a deep moan, unheard by the crowd as the loud bass of the music booms from under your lap.

His eyes were still glued shut, almost too far gone without even taking another step forward. When the skin of his ass meets your hand, you sigh dreamily and gently twist the digit inside of him. 

He’s warm, just as you expected, and so so tight around you. When you try pulling your finger out, one of his shaking hands reaches out to your wrist and holds you in place. Spencer lets out a soft whine and shakes his head.

“N-No.. Stay in.” 

You nod, not wanting to upset him in this state. He was so very vulnerable, spread wide for you on some strangers' couch, warm slick walls pulling you in deeper, it was just what he needed and he didn’t even know it. 

“You want more, baby?”

Spencer shakes his head and he slowly lets go of your wrist, giving you the control, putting this into your hands once again. 

You curl your finger inside of him, making a hook as you carefully calculate your movements and don’t break your stare from his face. 

He looked like heaven. His fuzzy eyebrows furrowed in an overwhelming pleasure, and his mouth dropped wide open as a flurry of whimpers and whines sung about. 

As you begin a scooping motion, his thighs thrash beside your head and you place a firm hand on his knee as a silent warning. 

You hadn’t quite found his spot yet, but you knew you could. You’d just need a bit of help.

“How’s that feeling, Spence?”

And although your voice sounds blurry and distant to him in this euphoric state, he finds it in himself to be good and answer you.

“G-Good..” 

You tilt your head to the side and begin to thrust deeper into him. His small moans spurred you on, but you didn’t want “good” right now. 

“Just good?” You curl your finger even more and thrust into him with greater vigor. “How about now, baby?”

Spencer’s breathing grows more labored and you can hear each huff of warm air coming from his nose with every harsh thrust you dealt to him. You felt so good inside of him it was driving him crazy, he involuntarily opened his eyes for just a moment as they crossed in pure ecstasy.

“F-Feels.. re—really really good..”

You pout and let out a sound of dejection at his answer. Now “really good” just wasn’t good enough.

Sticking your tongue out, you let a glob of your spit drop onto your ring finger and look up at him to make sure he was still distracted with the middle one already as deep as possible.

“You think we can do better than that?”

Before he’s even got it in him to respond to you, you’re shoving your ring finger alongside your middle finger inside of his warm wet cavern. The sounds are slick and downright obscene, and it surely doesn’t help how his noises increase in both volume and intensity.

As you curl both fingers inside of him and finally hit that mind numbing spot inside of him, his eyes shoot open for the first time and he almost screams out in pleasure. The spot feels gummy and you know it’s the right spot by the way both hands reach out to grasp onto something. 

His left hand reaches out to grab at your hair, and the right hand reaches down to death grip your wrist and shove it even deeper between his legs. 

“Mmn—fuck, fuck. O-Oh.. Oh my god..”

He whimpers in a broken chorus of bliss, all accented by the sharp and persistent thrusts you’re still battering into his spot. 

It’s not long at all before his grip tightens on both accounts and his hips are bucking wildly in the air and he’s shooting ribbons of his release onto his chest and chin. 

“Fuck—I can’t.. I-I can’t stop.”

So neither do you, fingers still fucking him with a fiery passion that simply can’t die down now; Not when sticky ropes of white hot arousal drop against his hips and even drip down his shaft. 

“Pl—Please.. I can’t..”

Spencer cries out and throws his head back against the cushions once more, begging you to take him out of whatever arousal induced panic he was in. 

It’s only when you finally take your fingers out of the slick hole does he stop cumming all over himself. 

You sit back against your heels and sigh happily at the mess you’ve made, admiring how absolutely horribly you’ve defiled this man.

He’s somehow got cum on his face, dripping down his cheekbones and chin, and his heaving chest was positively covered in his arousal.

“How was that?”

You question with a cocky grin adorned in your face, and you’re so satisfied you’re not even bothered with the way your fingers are drenched  and soaking into the expensive fabric of your dress.

Spencer’s neck cranes up and he looks down at you with an expression that was nothing short of fucked, and he’s lost all shame for himself in this moment he’s got no problem admitting it to you.

“D-Definitely better..”

[bruisedboys]

also!!!!ugh eddie taking a shy!you to one of your first ever concerts. just let’s you cling to him the entire time because it’s just a little overwhelming. he buys you drinks all night and definitely!!!! gets angry when he catches some other guy flirting with you.

sweet — eddie munson x reader

summary: protective bf eddie takes his shy girl to her first concert. fluff, established relationship, shy!reader (ty aerial for this superb ask I love you sooo so much)

fem!reader 1.2k words

You’re clinging to Eddie like a koala to a tree. You don’t seem like you’re going to let go any time soon. Eddie doesn’t really mind, though it worries him a little.

You say something but you’re too quiet and the music’s too loud and Eddie doesn’t understand. The only reason he knows you’re trying to tell him something is because he sees your lips moving. He’s maybe been watching your expressions like a hawk for the past half hour. Maybe.

Eddie thinks, defensively, that he has a right to be worried. It’s your first concert, and you’ve always been on the shyer side, to the point where even small gatherings with Eddie’s friends overwhelm you. Not that he cares. He likes you just the way you are. He’s just worried this — the people, the music, the crowds — could be too much for you.

Eddie bends down slightly so his mouth is next to your ear. “What was that, pretty girl?”

As expected, you flush from head to foot. Your fingers toy with the hem of your denim jacket as you shake your head, staring at the dirty floor.

“It’s nothing,” you say, loud enough for him to hear but still quiet. Timid. Your voice is scratchy. “Doesn’t matter.”

Eddie’s brow pinches. He reaches around his torso to grab your wrist, pulls your hand away from where it’s abusing your jacket, his fingers working into the spaces between yours. His movements make you look up, your big sweet doe eyes meeting his.

“What did you say?” He asks, voice low and careful. Kind, but concerned. “Are you feeling okay?”

You swallow and it looks awfully hard for you to do so. Eddie remembers your scratchy voice. Something clicks in his brain.

“You’re thirsty,” he says suddenly. “Gotcha.”

You look embarrassed that he’s figured you out but happy that you don’t have to ask again. You nod, all flushed in the cheeks. It’s adorable.

Eddie steps around so he’s facing you better, chest to chest, your joint hands squished between you. You’re still clinging to his other arm, your fingers digging into the crook of his elbow. You’re standing so close now that it’s hard to tell whose limbs are whose.

“Do you want to wait here while I go get drinks or do you want to come with me?” Eddie asks. Usually he’d take you with him, but he doesn’t want you to miss any songs.

You give his elbow a squeeze. “I’ll wait here.”

There’s a hint of braveness in your tone that makes Eddie proud. It shows in his smile. “Yeah? You’ll be okay by yourself?”

You nod just as the stage lights wash over the both of you. The fluorescent lights paint your face all sorts of colours, your skin glowing under their heat. You look like an angel, Eddie thinks. He can’t help reaching out to touch your face, the line of your jaw blazing bright under the stage lights, the shadowy hollow of your neck.

Eddie’s totally mesmerised. “You’re so pretty,” he says, ultimately forgetting the conversation at hand.

Your skin burns under his touch. You look to the side, forcing him to drop his hand from your face. “Eddie,” you chide quietly. You look like you want to floor to swallow you up.

Eddie’s heart swells. You’re so shy. It’s endearing. “Just telling the truth, bub,” he says, hooking a knuckle under your chin.

He tilts you up until you’re looking at him again, flushed and nervous but pretty as ever. Your skin is burning. He figures he better dial down the flirting, otherwise you might burst into flames on the spot.

“What drink did you want?” He asks gently, casually, like you’re not seconds from passing out.

“Um,” You stutter for a moment, words lost in the heat of the moment. Eddie waits patiently for your mouth to catch up with your brain. “Just, um … whatever you’re having. Get your favourite.”

Eddie almost melts on the spot. You’re the sweetest girl he’s ever met. “Okay.”

“Thanks, Eddie.”

Eddie’s pleasantly surprised when you push up onto your toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. Your mouth is warm and soft on his skin. It’s a quick peck and you pull away after only a moment, but Eddie still feels frazzled by it. He’s sure if he doesn’t pull away soon, he’ll never be able to. He gently frees himself from your grasp and gives both your arms a good rub.

“I’ll be back soon, angel.”

When Eddie gets back, a drink in each hand, you’re not alone. Some guy is talking to you animatedly, his hands moving as he speaks. Eddie’s surprised and then not. You’re very pretty, of course you’ve caught someone’s eye. Though, you look less than enthusiastic about it, silent and tight-lipped. Your hands are gripping the ends of your jacket again.

Eddie gets closer and he can tell you’re trying to be polite, a small smile plastered on your face as you nod every once in a while. But he can see by your body language that really, you just want the dude to leave you alone. Eddie gives him a once over. He’s admittedly quite a bit taller than Eddie. He could probably steamroll him if he wanted to. Eddie doesn’t let that stop him. He strides forward.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He addresses you directly, his tone loud and cheerful, acting as if the dude isn’t there. His interruption cuts off the stranger in the middle of what sounds like a very self-absorbed speech. Eddie steps in so he’s half blocking you from the guy’s view. “I got your drink.��

You look immensely relieved and grateful as you take the drink from him, your fingers brushing his for a beat too long. You meet Eddie’s eyes and he gives you a look, raising one eyebrow as if to say who does this guy think he is? You’re giggling softly as he turns to face said guy.

“You alright, dude?” Eddie asks loudly, almost shouting in his face. In any other setting Eddie would get a mouthful of knuckles for that, but here, where the crowd is loud and the music louder, he gets away with it.

The guy scowls and grumbles something unintelligible.

Eddie uses this to his advantage and acts like he can’t hear him, bouncing along to the pounding music and pointing to his ear. “Sorry, man! Can’t hear you!”

To top it all off, Eddie throws an arm around your shoulders, jostling you to the music and planting a smacking kiss to your cheek. The dude rolls his eyes and walks off, disappearing into the crowd. Eddie and you watch him leave with twin grins.

You feel a tad stiff under Eddie’s arm. He releases you though he doesn’t want to, worried he’s overdone it. Your shy smile as you step back into Eddie’s personal space and take his hand in yours reassures him.

“Thanks, Eddie,” you say quietly, squeezing his hand in a way that has him melting like a popsicle.

Eddie feels dazed and can barely get his words out around his massive grin.

“That’s okay,” he says. He’s not sure why he’s grinning so much. He thinks it’s because you’re just so fucking sweet. “S’what boyfriends are for, right? Scaring away the creepy dudes?”

You wrinkle your nose. “That guy was annoying,” you complain, pushing into Eddie’s side like you want to be glued to him forever. “Wouldn’t stop talking about himself.“

You giggle at your own words, a pretty lilting sound that makes Eddie feel like he’s floating. Really, he should be enjoying the music, but instead he’s just enjoying the sweet sounds of you, drinking up your laugh and your voice like it’s liquid gold. The concert thrives around him but he can barely hear it.

Grinning so wide his cheeks ache, Eddie nudges your drink with his, your glasses clinking. “Drink up, sweetheart. I got my favourite, like you said.”

Actually, he got your favourite instead of his. He doesn’t tell you this. You’ll figure it out soon enough.

thank you for reading! reblogs are appreciated 🤍

[luveline]

Hi friend! I just have a small request for zombie au Steve if you’re feeling up for it. I miss him lol. It’s snowing where I live currently and it got me thinking. I would love to see just about anything with zombie au steve and some snow. I’m a little partial to pre-college times but it definitely doesn’t have to be. Fluff or angst bc tbh it could so go either way. Just if it strikes your fancy. And thank you as always for your lovely and warm writing you share!

thank you for reading and requesting, you angel!! some pre-college zombie!au for you <3 —steve acts like a boyfriend even when he isn’t one (officially) on a cold day alone together. fem, 1.1k

It can feel weird waking up next to you. Steve’s so used to taking shifts and sleeping half on top of one another that waking up face to face scares him at first —he flinches and his body fills with inertia as he throws his leg back to stop from falling out of bed. 

You doze peacefully through his panic. Your face is soft with sleep. You have deeply etched lines under your eyes that show how badly you need it, but beside them, Steve can’t find a thing wrong with you. You’re really pretty this close. He finds you beautiful. 

He lifts his hand to your neck in apology though you weren’t awake to notice his fear. “Morning,” he mouths, rubbing the side of your neck gently. 

Your skin is chapped, but his hands are calloused, so it’s not like he minds. He steals another minute watching you sleep, and then he leans forward to kiss your jaw just by his hand. You make a sound he chooses to believe is a knowing pleasure, a happy sigh at being with him. He’d kiss your lips if he thought he could, but he’s been asking first each time for the last few weeks, cautious of overstepping a boundary you haven’t laid. 

The thing is that Steve knew you liked him before he liked you back. Well. He guessed you were attracted to him, then argued with himself that he was being delusional. But one day you were asking if he’d hold your hand, and you wouldn’t admit it but you were scared, and he realised you depended on him for more than just your survival. He realised you were his friend, and now more than that, and it wasn’t that he wasn’t falling for you, but that he just didn’t know how to do that. You were already there waiting for him when he kissed you the first time. 

You’d been so nervous. It was enough to finish him off, compel him forward into whatever this is. (Whatever, but not whatever. He loves it. He’s not sure how to handle it.) 

When he peels away from you, his arms immediately prickle with goosebumps. The room is cold and it has to have been your proximity that was keeping him warm, his breath rising like fog as he stands. “Shit,” he mumbles, mouth glued together with fatigue. “Fucking hell.” 

He stretches until the sore spot at the low of his back clicks and turns to look at you again, checking you’re alright while he scratches the last eight hours out of his hair. You’ve curled a touch into his warm spot but otherwise remain asleep. 

Why is it suddenly cold? 

A white light is emanating from behind the curtains. Steve hopes to god it’s just a bright day today, that the sun is high and reflecting off of a lake nearby, but he pulls the drapes open and startles into silence. 

Powdery snow stretches thick and fast from either side of the landscape. Wind carries it around in drifting sheets, but it seems to have stopped for now. 

He grabs another blanket from the linen closet, a third, and stands with his head cocked by the door listening for sounds. Steve’s more often than not thinking about who or what might be near. 

He closes you both in again, shuts the curtains, and climbs into bed with you, draping the blankets heavily over your body where it makes half a heart. You pull a knee higher and disrupt the image, eyes squeezing tightly closed at his return, and opening sluggishly. 

“Hey,” he says, resting his head on the pillow. Eye to eye like this, he can see the sleep in your lashes. He probably has his own. “You feeling okay?” 

“Are you trying to cook me?” you ask. Now you’ve seen him, you’re relaxing, closing your eyes again. 

“Don’t go back to sleep.” 

“Why not?” 

“‘Cause I’m bored and you’re my only friend,” he says. 

“Ooh, wouldn’t say that. Not sure we’re there yet.” 

Steve cups your cheek. You smile into the pillow. 

He draws a line back and forth. It’s nice to give you something nice, a soft sensation. He thinks maybe that’s what falling in love is; wanting to make someone else happy, wanting them to make you happy. You’re a sweetheart when he’s not antagonising you; you’re nice, and gentle, and you hold his hand like you’ve loved him for years. He’s not stupid enough to miss how awesome that is. Nor can he ignore the way his heart has started to patter when you’re changing, or the contented, near bliss of your face pressed under his chin. This isn’t just about you wanting him or vice versa, it’s love. 

“Maybe you should sleep more. You still look tired.” 

You wrinkle your nose and he leans in, thinking about kissing you again, but you’re not on the same page yet. “I can’t sleep anymore. It’s midday, right?” You squint at the bright square of the window before hiding your face, your forehead slipping against his chin to his shoulder. “We should get going soon.” 

“That’s not happening.” 

He wraps his arm around you. You practically preen, happiness sewn into your words as you ask, “Why not?” 

“It snowed last night. All night, I’d say.” 

You look up at him sceptically. “Really?” 

“You think I’m lying?” 

“I thought it was too cold to snow.” 

“Tell that to the penguins in Antarctica.” 

You laugh into his shoulder. Slowly, your hand is climbing his stomach. After a half second of deliberation, you curl it behind his back and settle in. “You’re not nice.” 

“I’m nice,” he says into your forehead, pulling you closer in turn. “Not making you walk in the blizzard.” 

“Generous.” 

He hugs you tighter and decides fuck it, pressing a generous smattering of kisses into the skin between your brows. “You love that about me. I’m oh so forgiving.” He encourages your head back carefully to kiss the tip of your nose. “Are you warm enough?” 

You’d think he’s told you you’re beautiful, or that he wants your babies, the way you melt. “I’m fine. Thank you,” you mumble shyly. 

He presses his forehead to yours. The snow might stay for days, and eventually you’ll have to brave it, but for now he wants to stay here kissing you and exacerbating the ache that brews in his stomach every time your breath catches. “You’re welcome,” he murmurs. “There’s more linens if you need them.” 

“I won’t need them. You’re going to keep me warm.” 

“I am.” Steve presses a gentle kiss to your lips, endorphins like a rush of heat through every inch of skin as you kiss back. 

[lost-walmartbag]

SP characters as dads pt 2

Warning!: All characters are over 18 unless stated otherwise

Background: You and your husband are first-time parents. In this fic you and Kenny. You and Butters. You and Clyde figure out how to be the best parents you can be.

Status: Request Open

Previous part

Next part

Kenny

You wake up when the baby starts crying. You groan and wake Kenny up making him roll out of bed. He hits the floor but gets up and goes to the nursery. When he came back in the room you were asleep. He tiptoes in holding the baby and gets into bed with the baby.

"Kenny" You groan. "You can't have Kai in bed with us we could squish him."

"Mommy ruined the fun," Kenny says to the baby.

"You're gonna ruin the soft spot on his head." You groan.

You kiss the baby making him coo and squirm closer to you. You look at Kenny and smirk making Kenny frown.

"Why does he like you more than me?" Kenny whines.

"Because I carried him for nine months," you say nuzzling Kai with your nose.

"Hey, I carried him in my balls for much longer than that." He jokes making you laugh.

You move the baby closer to him making the baby squirm away towards you again. You move closer to Kenny and put the baby in between you two.

"My favorite boys." You mutter drifting to sleep again.

Kenny stays awake watching you sleep peacefully as the baby gently touched your face. He moves the baby closer to him and Kai grabs his hair making himself happy. Kenny was about to take his hair out of his hands until he noticed how calm it made him and how closely he moved toward him.

"I love you so much," Kenny said about to kiss his head until Kai pulls his hair harder as he scooted towards you again.

Butters

You walk to the nursery seeing Butters dressing Bradley in bright yellow clothes and a big hat. You smile and walk inside and stand next to Butters looking down at Bradley who was cooing happily.

"You ready Honey?" You ask him.

"Sure am." He says picking Bradley up, nuzzling his nose into his cheek.

"You always dress him so well. He looks like a cute little bee." You see kissing his cheek.

"Do you mind if we leave the stroller I just want to carry him?" He says holding him tightly.

"Of course not baby. But you get tired you're out of luck~" You tease giving him a kiss on the cheek.

You three head out the door taking a nice walk through the neighborhood letting Bradley point at things and babble nonsense.

"glasjhde." Bradley babbled while pointing at some flowers on some bushes at the park.

"Yeah, Bradley those are flowers." Butters says slowly.

"fowe." Bradley responds.

"Oh my god, Leo he's saying words." You say excitedly.

Butters smiles and sits down on the grass with him giving him a flower from the bush. "Flower" Butters says slowly.

"Dada," Bradley says excitedly and giggles.

"No flowe-" Butters starts before realizing what Bradley had just said.

"Dada? Did you say, Dada?" He asks smiling brightly.

"He said, Dada!" You yell in excitement at your baby's first words.

"Dada! Mama!" Bradley yells giggling loudly.

"He said, Mama!" Butters says hugging you tightly.

You both hug Bradley making him giggle and grab onto Butter's shirt

Clyde

"Clyde baby can you change the baby she spilled some milk on herself!" You ask from the other room as you try to clean up the mess.

He comes in with a onesie and takes the baby from you drying her off. She coos and tries to reach for him. He smiles and takes off her wet onesie and tries to fit her inside the onesie he brought.

"Hey, babe I think some of her clothes shrunk in the wash," Clyde says noticing how small the onesie was for her.

You get up and look at the onesie and inspect it. You raise a brow and smile. "I don't think so baby I think Claire's just getting bigger."

Clyde's face drops and he looks down at Claire who was trying to get out of the tight onesie.

"Getting bigger?" Clyde repeats and you cringe knowing what was about to happen.

Clyde starts crying and drops to his knees. You sigh and go to grab another onesie. You come back seeing Clyde still crying now holding Claire closer.

"You're getting bigger you won't love me anymore." He says between sobs.

"Oh, Clyde calm down. She'll still love you she's just getting bigger." You say trying to take her from him.

Clyde steps back not letting you take her. He shakes his head and tries his best to stop crying.

"God Clyde you do this every 3 weeks. She can't stay small forever." You say finally taking her from his arms.

You start to dress her in the bigger onesie as Clyde calms down more and more. Clyde sniffles and hugs you from behind.

"You better now?" You ask him.

"Yes, I've come to terms with how big she's getting. I just wish it didn't have to happen so soon. I want her like this forever." Clyde says.

"I know." You say gently placing Claire down on the floor to play with her toys. "But she's gonna grow and it's a good thing, love."

"You're right god I feel so stupid crying about it." He says smiling at you and kissing your lips softly.

When you both look back at Claire you see her slowly standing up and walking toward Clyde. You gasp and start smiling brightly as your baby takes her first steps but when you look over at Clyde he was once again on the floor crying holding onto Claire tightly.

A/N: So you guys clearly loved the first one so here is part two for yall. Ik ik im amazing you're welcome. But fr thank you sm for reading. Let me know who should be in the next part. I love you all 🩷

[arduouslove]

Loving You isn't Hard to Learn 06

genres: hybrid, romance, found family, slow burn(ish) series rating: mature (mentions of/references to death and abuse. eventual smut) chapter warnings (may contain spoilers): mentions of death. accusations of drugging/roofie-ing. descriptions of injury to the face. the reader character cooks meat; if you don't eat meat, please think of it as them just cooking it for other people. relationship(s): ot7 x female reader

In the middle of what many would call nowhere, a sign glows bright yellow. Old, unmaintained, and on its last legs, the letter e flickers for a few seconds before going dark. H aven’s Door Motel, it now reads.

prev | chapter six (12.0k) | next

The floor is cold when you wake up on it, though not as cold as it could be, so you must've been sleeping on the floor for at least a couple hours. As you sit up, you try to get on your knees, but find your legs tangled up in half of a throw blanket. You grumble, touching one hand to the side of your head, where you had to have laid directly on the floor rather than the throw pillow you can see pushed under the coffee table. Okay, you're definitely not telling Hoseok your head kind of hurts. He's already enough of a worrywart. Speaking of...

Looking up at the couch, you see Hoseok's sleeping face smushed against the cushion, his hair ruffled all over and his mouth slightly open. Upon closer inspection, a small wet spot of drool has grown on the couch cushion directly under his mouth. You grimace at that but quickly shake the split second of disgust away. It's just saliva; it'll wash out just fine.

You untangle yourself from the blanket, and when you stand up, you drape it over Hoseok's sleeping form as quietly as you can. Yawning, you head to the kitchen, first filling your kettle and turning it on, then moving to the other side of the counter and unplugging your phone from the wall. As the screen flicks on, you see a missed call from Lee Minhyuk from only a few minutes ago, and a text from him that followed soon after.

It seems I forgot to leave one last thing to you. I found it in our storage this morning. I'll be in my office all day if you'd like to come and pick it up. Otherwise, please let me know by phone call.

As professional as always, this guy. Glancing over at the microwave, you take note that it's only 8:56AM, which isn't that early for someone like him, but still. Lee Minhyuk is punctual, you'll give him that. Well, you suppose if you head out soon, you could get back before ten, depending on what it is Minhyuk forgot to give you. Some paperwork, maybe. He did say before that Mr. Jung had liquidated everything he owned other than the motel... You wonder what it could be.

Not wanting to wake your two house guests up, you stop the kettle before it can beep to signal that it's boiled and pour the hot water over a tea bag in a to-go mug to let it steep while you get changed. You sneak on tip-toes back to your room, and you move your hand as deftly as possible on your bedroom doorknob, focusing on your feet as you step in and close the door behind you. Bee-lining to your dresser, you tug off your pyjamas and pull on some fresh clothes as quietly as you can.

But when you turn around, Jimin is sitting up in your bed and looking at you with a frown.

"Oh my gosh!" You jump and pat a hand over your heart, taking a sharp breath in at the sudden sight of him. He barely reacts, just raising one of his eyebrows at you, his bottom half still snug under the comforter. "How long were you just sitting there?"

Eyes still half closed, Jimin says, "Long enough."

"Oh. Well..." Embarrassment trickles along your veins knowing he watched you trying to quietly sneak in. He looks too tired and uninterested to care about the fact that you changed right in front of him, though. There goes your confidence in your own sex appeal. "...Did you sleep okay?"

"It was fine." His words come out short and curt, and you can't quite pinpoint why, but you get a weird feeling as you try not to narrow your eyes. He flips the covers off himself and swings his legs over the edge of the bed, using his hands at his sides to push himself off and stand. His eyes dart around your room. "Where are my clothes?"

You blink. "Oh. They're in a hamper in the bathroom. I was planning on putting them through the wash and then making something to eat." Of course, stopping by Lee Minhyuk's office threw a tiny wrench in those plans, but still, you weren't expecting this from Jimin as soon as he woke up. Whatever this is.

Just as he tries to exit your bedroom, you move to stand between him and the door, your hand held up. Jimin stops himself before either of you touch, and he frowns slightly when you go, "Whoa, hold on. What's the hurry?"

"I have to go back."

"Go back?" you echo, confusion tinged in your voice, but Jimin doesn't bother. He gently puts a hand on your wrist and moves you out of the way, which you let him do all too easily in your stupor. Go back? To the streets? Blinking and shaking yourself out of it, you turn to follow him into the bathroom, where you watch him find his dirty clothes at the top of the pile in the hamper. "What do you mean?"

Jimin doesn't look at you as he focuses on unbuttoning his pyjama top. "She's looking for me."

Sputtering, you completely miss the fact that Jimin is taking off his clothes right in front of you. "Rayoung?"

Even though he doesn't answer you, the determined look in his eyes tells you you're right. He slips on his old clothes and pushes past you again.

"She is?" You struggle to follow both him and his words, stepping into the main living space after him. "How do you know--"

Jimin whips around, and you almost bump into him, but your feet screech to a halt directly in front of him. He glares at you with those piercing brown eyes. "She loves me," he says.

Your mouth opens and closes like those dogs in kids movies they'd feed peanut butter to so it'd look like they were talking. You can't say what you think, no, that would be too harsh. You can't just say outright that someone who loves him wouldn't leave him to live miserably like he did. But, what can you say? You don't want him to go back to where he was, even if what he thinks of Rayoung is true... not when you have something within likeness of a solution so close to falling in your grasp. You were planning on going to the motel this evening with Hoseok -- and, ideally, Jimin -- to scope out the building better and finally figure out what the hell you're doing.

"Jimin..." You hold yourself back from reaching out to him, knowing that your touch might be the last thing he wants. "At least eat something..."

"I'm not hungry," he tells you, and with the conviction he puts behind the words, you almost believe him.

"C'mon, at least a bite--"

"No!"

Jimin's sudden volume startles you, and your eyes go wide as he pushes both hands against you, causing you both to stumble back a step. You stare at your feet for half a second before looking back up at him, a breath of a laugh tainted with disbelief puffing past your lips. "What--"

"Don't come any closer!" He wraps his arms around his chest and scrunches his eyes shut. "I don't know what was in that fucking tea, but you can't keep me here." His back turns to you. "Rayoung was right. I can't trust anyone."

Completely thrown off, you straighten up slowly, his words settling in your brain. "...Excuse me?"

Jimin says no more, simply standing there in the foyer with his back turned, shielding himself from... you.

Roused from his deep slumber, Hoseok appears next to you. His hair is tousled and pressed flat against the side of his head that he slept on, but the sight isn't as endearing as it would be if you weren't so baffled by what Jimin just said. Taking one step in front of you, Hoseok puts a hand on your arm before you've even realized you went to get closer to Jimin, one hand up and pointed at him.

"You--" Hoseok's firm grip on your arm stops you from getting far, and as he pulls you partway behind him and your shoulder bumps into his back, you lower your voice to a whisper. "You think I drugged you?"

With his head down low, Jimin still refuses to respond. His entire body trembles, fear coursing through him like rapids under his skin. Even you can see it.

But something fogs over your rationality.

"Are you serious right now? I didn't-- I would never--" You try to take a deep breath, but it gets stuck in your throat and only serves to fuel this ugly feeling inside your chest. "You're delusional."

Hoseok hushes out your name, a warning of sorts, or maybe something closer to a plea. You don't hear it past the ringing in your ears.

"And it's not because of anything in my fucking tea," you continue. "No, you know why you're delusional?"

Hesitantly, Jimin turns around half-way, his frowning profile causing that awful roiling in you to flare up.

"Because even though you've been living on the streets for months, starved enough to root through restaurant trash bins, abandoned by the very person who supposedly loves you--" Something flashes across Jimin's eyes, but you have no grasp of what it is. "--you still think she's coming back for you."

No one says anything for a second -- too long, and Hoseok's hand slides down your arm and gently wraps around your wrist. You tug it out of his grasp with a sharp inhale. "So let's just go," you say, walking to where you keep your car keys. The jingle-jangle as you pick up your keys is the only sound in the apartment aside from your footsteps. "I'll take you right now. Near Antonio's, right? She left you around there and that's where you think she'll go looking for you?"

Hoseok softly calls your name again, but you don't hear him. Jimin only follows you with angry eyes.

"I was on my way out anyway," you continue. With your hand already on the doorknob, you slip on your shoes. "So yeah, I have no problem with dropping you off on your own with nowhere to go." You pull the door towards you and step out, eyes still on your feet. "Where you have no sure way of getting food."

Jimin doesn't look at you as he puts on his shoes.

"Where Hybrid Services already know your face--"

Your words choke to a stop when you look down the hall towards the elevators. That damned fluorescent yellow armband you had no business caring about a couple days ago -- two of them -- appear in your sight just a few metres away, directly in front of the apartment-next-door's open entrance, where your neighbour to the right, Anne-Marie, is talking to the two officers.

Without uttering another sound, you push Jimin back inside your apartment as quickly and overtly as you can. Unfortunately, this means you achieve that by shoving your hand in Jimin's face, but your head isn't exactly in the right place to think about hiding-someone-away etiquette.

"Wha--?! Stop--!"

"Shh!" You make frantic eye contact with Hoseok while Jimin glares daggers at you. At this point, you know you can't just go back inside yourself; both the officers and your neighbour have probably seen you already. You keep your voice as quiet as you can, hoping the boys can still hear you with their weird hybrid powers. "Both of you, not a peep. Got it?"

You don't wait for either of them to answer before you grab the doorknob and swing the door shut in their faces. As soon as you look back down the hall, both officers, a man and a woman, and Anne-Marie are looking at you.

"Good morning," you greet with a slight bow, completely unsure of what to do or say next.

Would asking some sort of question be suspicious? Or would trying to walk by and ignoring them be even worse?

Either way, you have to get to the elevator...

Before you have to decide, (or maybe after you already should've, considering the awkward silence,) Anne-Marie waves you over with a slight frown. "Leaving so early today?"

"Ah..." You nod at her with a strained smile as you walk up to her and the officers, making sure to smile and nod at them too in that weird, you're not really part of this conversation but you're standing here so I'll try to include you sort of way. "Yes, I have some errands to run this morning."

Anne-Marie doesn't question you, thank goodness, and just gestures towards the officers. "Well you should hear them out before you go," she says. "Apparently there's a feral hybrid on the loose."

"Feral hybrid?"

You don't have to fake the initial look of concern that appears on your face, but the way you deepen your frown at the flyer one of the officers hands you is definitely for show.

"Yes," he confirms, face stiff and almost bored from repeating the words so many times to all the residents in the building already. "He ran away from a hybrid clinic in the city and was last spotted in this neighbourhood."

Anne-Marie nods along as he speaks and shakes her head when he points out the area the hybrid was spotted last night on a small map included in the flyer. "So close to home..." she mutters, which he ignores.

Continuing after him, the female officer speaks up. "We're doing rounds to make sure everyone living in the area is aware of the risks of a feral hybrid, as well as inform everyone of the proper procedure."

"Which is...?"

"Do not approach," the man tells you as your eyes finally focus in on the two pictures of the feral hybrid, one from the front and another of his profile. In both photos, he's smiling, eyes bright. "It's dangerous for regular citizens to attempt to capture feral hybrids. Leave it to the professionals and call Hybrid Services upon encounter."

He doesn't look so dangerous.

His smile is wide and almost boyish, like someone told him he was posing for a photo op rather than the strange hybrid-version of a mug shot it actually is. He holds up his name placard like it's an award he's proud of. "V," it reads, then a bunch of numbers underneath. His animal ears are perked straight up, and you can't tell what kind of ears they are in the grainy black-and-white pictures, not to mention how small they look compared to Hoseok's. Still, the deepness of his smile, the happiness in his eyes and the scrunch of his nose -- you're not scared at all.

You don't say any of that, though.

"I'll keep an eye out, thank you," you say with a polite smile. "What kind of hybrid is he?"

The two share a look, the female officer grimacing before she turns back to you. "That's unfortunately classified information."

"What? Why? Wouldn't it help us be safer and more prepared if we know what he looks like?" You turn to make eye contact with Anne-Marie, who drinks in your words and nods with a slight frown towards the officers, a finger propped concernedly on her chin.

The man sighs. "As much as I agree with you, these pictures are the only images any of us have to go off of. Even Hybrid Services hasn't been informed of his sub-species. It's private information belonging to the clinic, and legally, we don't need to have it to apprehend the hybrid."

"I see..."

After thanking them again and giving your due goodbyes, you do your best not to turn around and watch the officers as you wait for the elevator. You step into the elevator, and as your finger finds the button for the ground floor, you peak down the hall and let out a breath of relief. The officers seem to have skipped your door because you already spoke to them.

It would probably be suspicious to re-enter your apartment so soon while they're still patrolling your floor, you think. The last thing you need right now is Hybrid Services finding a reason to look into you.

And, maybe, you need a minute to yourself. Just to breathe.

You hadn't meant to snap at Jimin like that, it just... So much doesn't make sense to you. You've barely had Hoseok around for a few days, but you feel as though your friendship is something already. Maybe not something to be proud of, exactly, but it's something.

Jimin... you've known him for even less time, if you could even call that "knowing" him at all. And yet, you felt this strange surge of protectiveness over him.

You really hope that isn't part of the saviour thing Hoseok spoke of before...

Sighing into the empty elevator, you try not to think about the fact that it probably is, and instead focus on what is right in front of you. Your car keys are still in your hand, the shape imprinted into your palm from how hard your nerves had made you grip them between your fingers while you talked to the officers.

You take the coward's route and run away.

Lee Minhyuk's office building isn't that far in terms of distance, but the traffic around it is pure hell. It gives you much too much time alone with only your thoughts. You try to drown them out with whatever is on the radio, but even that can't seem to calm the disquiet within you. The more you think about the things you said, the more regret builds in your gut. What right did you have to say those things to Jimin? Sure, you think it's a fool's dream to believe this Rayoung girl is out there searching for him, but to purposefully shut him down like that? To crush that dream just because you got offended by emotions he was completely valid in feeling? Just because he's been scarred by humans before and you happen to be one? It's not his fault that he thought you might've drugged him, it's a product of--

"Ah, you're here."

Blinking, you realize that your body went on autopilot and walked you up to Lee Minhyuk's office without you knowing, and you watch his back as he goes to sit at his desk.

"Yeah I... got your text," you say dazedly, unsure of anything else you could possibly say in the moment.

"Well, it's good that you came. I wouldn't want you to go without this." Minhyuk holds his hand out, and you step closer to his desk to let him drop whatever the thing he forgot is in your awaiting palm.

A single key stares up at you, attached by a small ring to a simple metal tag.

Silver Meadows Columbarium, it reads.

"Oh."

Moving the key to your fingers, you flip over the tag and read lot C 258 on the back. You'd never heard of Silver Meadows Columbarium before. Never needed to...

"I believe Mr Jung set up his..." Minhyuk pauses as he mulls over his word choice. "...accommodations before he passed."

You can't help but ask, "Just him? No family, or...?"

Your words trail off, both of you knowing that Mr Jung left you as his sole benefactor. If he had family, he didn't leave them anything. Not even the location of his remains.

Minhyuk shakes his head, and you frown.

"He prepared for his own death all by himself?"

Your concern is met with a small, understanding smile on Minhyuk's face. "Well, he may have done the paperwork himself, but he wasn't alone. He had you."

"But I--" You hardly knew Mr Jung.

"He brought you up more than once," Minhyuk says, making you close your mouth and blink stupidly at him. At your silence, he continues. "He came to my office a few times to sign the papers and whatnot, and he mentioned you every time. Always said you're the only one who laughs at his jokes."

"They're funny!"

Your own response jars you a bit. The last time you said that, you thought Mr Jung was alive.

Minhyuk only smiles again, softly. "He was happy you thought so."

"Did he say that?"

"Not in so many words, but I it wasn't hard to tell. Don't get too caught up in the fact that Jung didn't have blood relatives he wanted to include in his will. Evidently--" He gestures to you. "--he had a family of sorts."

Except that you weren't it. You couldn't be, right?

A seedling plants itself in the forefront of your mind.

A seedling named Hoseok.

That's must be it -- Mr Jung wanted to leave his estate to Hoseok, but couldn't figure out how to, legally. Hybrids probably can't even have bank accounts, much less accept inheritance, which is why Mr Jung defaulted to you. He trusted you to help Hoseok start up Heaven's Door as the legal owner of the land it's built on.

In his letter, he'd said it's that it's you, whatever that means.

You look down at the key in your hand, taking a deep breath in. It might not be the key to Heaven's Door Motel, but you clutch it in your fingers, and as you step out of Lee Minhyuk's office, you make a silent promise to Mr Jung.

You'll get Heaven's Door up and running.

And you'll do a damn good job of it too.

=

When you return to your apartment, you have a brown paper bag of fresh pastries in your hand and a heavy something in your chest. You tried to figure out what you want to say to the two hybrids in your place on your way home, but it's hard. You feel like all you keep doing is messing up. Now, you even ran off without a word after seeing the Hybrid Services officers, which had to have freaked Hoseok out.

You grimace as you twist the doorknob. Less than an hour ago, you'd resolved yourself to running Heaven's Door with everything you've got, but are you really the right person for the job?

When you enter, you go to call out for Hoseok, but you freeze with your mouth partially open. The guys stand ramrod straight in front of you, Hoseok with a slight smile and Jimin with a hesitant clench of his jaw, arms crossed. You gape at them for a couple seconds until Hoseok frowns at Jimin and jabs his elbow into his side.

"Ow! What the--"

"Don't you have something to say?" Hoseok prompts through his teeth, a harsh grit to the question.

Jimin huffs, his arms shifting in front of his chest, hands holding his own arms a little tighter. He meets your eyes. "I'm--"

"Wait." You hold up a hand to stop him, not missing the confusion that flashes across Hoseok's face. Something like panic reflects in Jimin's eyes when he sneaks a glance at Hoseok, but you don't acknowledge it. "Let's talk." With the hand still holding the paper bag, you gesture towards the couch. "Have a seat. Both of you."

Jimin doesn't move until Hoseok does, following silently while Hoseok watches you out of the corner of his eye as he sits down.

You set the pastries on the kitchen table before making your way to them, stopping in front of the couch and chewing over your thoughts. Jimin regards you with a half-frown, brows knitted in apparent distrust. You can't really blame him.

If your ears were better, you might've heard the slight gasp Hoseok let out when you dropped to your knees, bent down, and pressed your forehead to your hands, which are now flat on the floor. You bow in front of them, let out a breath, and raise your head once you gather your thoughts, putting your hands respectfully on your lap. "I'm sorry," you say. "I fucked up."

Hoseok's ears twitch, dipping, and he scoots forward on the cushion, about to say something, but you don't let him.

"Jimin, I want to apologize for this morning. I had no right to react the way I did." You look at Jimin, but you can't read his face. "It's not your fault if humans have hurt you enough to make you think we're all the same. People can be... horrible. I wish things were different, but... I want you to know that I will never intentionally hurt you--" Your eyes meet Hoseok's. "--either of you. I'm not going to punish you. I'm not going to force or coerce you into anything you don't want to do. I don't want to be the kind of human you're afraid of."

Hoseok shakes his head. "I'm not afraid--"

"I can't promise I won't fuck up again," you say, wincing as you realize you've spoken over him, but when he doesn't speak up again, you continue. "I honestly feel like a walking disaster with how many times I've fucked up, and it's only been a couple days. Sometimes I speak before I think, and I really need to work on that. I'm sorry."

You don't know when you started staring into your lap, but you let out a long breath, and only after that do you slowly look up at the two hybrids. They both wear blank expressions, and it makes you want to shrink back in on yourself. "I just--"

"I lied," Jimin blurts out, and you face him, eyes slightly widening.

"...Lied? About what?"

Sighing, Jimin casts a glance at Hoseok, who nods determinedly. He fidgets with his hands, looking at them rather than meeting your eyes. "I guess, technically, Rayoung isn't looking for me right now," he mumbles. "But she will. As soon as she breaks up with her stupid tool boyfriend."

"Oh." You blink at Jimin. "Well, um... You're welcome to stay with us. Until then, I mean."

Jimin's lips form into a contemplative pout, but he says nothing.

You scratch the back of your neck. Is there a good way to approach this? "We could, um... let her know somehow? That you're with us."

You eye Hoseok, who's hopefully in the same boat for you to be saying we. He wasn't exactly Jimin's biggest fan last night, weird possessiveness over pyjama sets aside. Now, though, you see that even he can tell this Rayoung girl is bad news. Still, Jimin's ties to her seem to run deep, and you know it's nowhere near simple to tell someone a person they love isn't as great as they thought.

Jimin takes a deep breath in, his shoulders scrunching up as his body tenses and relaxes. "Can I... think about it?"

"Of course!" You perk up at the idea of him even considering your offer after the way you snapped this morning, and you point at the brown paper bag on the table. "Do you want to have breakfast while you think?"

While Jimin marks a straight line to the kitchen, Hoseok holds his hand out for you before you even move to get up. You take it, and he uses his other hand to gently grasp your elbow and lift you onto your feet. He doesn't let go right away, instead holding both your hands and whispering, "You shouldn't have gone out alone." He rubs his thumbs over your knuckles. "You're still concussed."

The proximity combined with his concern for you causes heat to stir in your chest. It's uncomfortable and foreign, so you try to force it down, smiling and letting out a chuckle that screams casual. You hope. "I can hold my own. Besides, I think I'm all better; right as rain up here." You pull one of your hands out of his tender hold and curl it into a fist, knocking on your cranium like a door. Except, the impact makes your brain swish around in your skull like gargled fluoride. "Whoa-- shit."

You sway, tipping the direction you knocked your own head into. Hoseok keeps you standing, but he doesn't like it. "You just proved my point."

"Listen--"

"From now on, no going off on your own," he says, and from his tone, there's no point in a rebuttal.

You roll your eyes, and, whoa, does the room always spin when you do that? Still, even wooziness can't stopper your sarcasm. "Protective much?"

"Kind of my job description."

"I thought I was your bodyguard," you tease, and he chuckles, his seriousness evaporating with the sound.

"As if--"

"You're dumb."

You and Hoseok both turn towards the kitchen, where Jimin stands next to the table with a half eaten pastry in his mouth. Ignoring the glare he's under from Hoseok, which you don't notice, he speaks around the pastry. "Only a dumb person would go out on their own in your condition."

Even though you're pretty sure he should be on the same side as Jimin on this, Hoseok sneers at him, the slightest of growls rumbling in his throat.

Jimin holds up a hand, mockingly. "Easy, pup."

"I'm older than you, punk!"

You can't help it; you laugh. Jimin is all over the place, accusing you of atrocities one second and talking to you and Hoseok like you're long-time friends the next. The two hybrids cease their bickering at the sound of your laughter.

"Okay, okay." You take a breath to stop the giggles threatening to break past your lips. "New temporary house rule: no one should go off on their own unless they have to."

Jimin raises a brow. "No one?"

"Ideally." You nod. "Which brings me to the next thing I wanted to talk about. When the Hybrid Services officers were here before, they were telling everyone there's a feral hybrid in the area. The entire neighbourhood is going to be on alert-- I don't know how kindly they'll take to finding any unregistered or, uh, stray hybrids if they run into either of you alone."

Nodding along, Hoseok rubs his chin with his thumb. "Makes sense."

"They know what the hybrid looks like, but we don't know how much they actually care about the picture. Who knows if they'd just nab any male hybrid off the street," you say. "It's probably best to play it safe; at least while we're still in the neighbourhood."

"What do you mean, 'still in the neighbourhood'?" Jimin asks, curious.

You smack your own forehead and ignore the way Hoseok immediately brings his hands up like you're going to knock yourself over any second now. "Right, uh... We're kind of..." Bringing up a hand, you gesture between yourself and Hoseok. "...prospective business owners? Is that--? No, we're, uh...starting up a motel? But, like, for hybrids?"

Hoseok is decidedly unhelpful with explaining what Heaven's Door is meant to be, staying silent and just making a face as you botch it.

"Anyway, it might be safer if we head out there sooner rather than later if the neighbourhood is getting paranoid over stray hybrids. It's outside of the city, and Hybrid Services doesn't do patrols out there. I was thinking to move once I'd figured more shit out, but I didn't think the whole 'feral hybrid' thing would happen today, and I definitely didn't foresee meeting you." Not that anything that's happened to you in the last few days could've been foreseen, either. You smile at Jimin. "But hey, at least you were a pleasant surprise."

"Didn't I threaten to kill you?."

You shrug. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

"And your guard dog attacked me."

"After you attacked her!" Hoseok argues.

Clicking his tongue, Jimin gives his head a nod. "Point taken."

"Anyhow," you continue on. "While you think about what you wanna do, I'd like you to come with us. Of course, you're free to refuse. I still have two-ish weeks of rent paid for this place, so you could stay here, but..." You share a look with Hoseok, then return your eyes to Jimin.

"...I'd be alone?" he finishes for you.

"I guess I'd just feel better if you're with us."

Jimin seems to absorb your words, but he stays silent for a few seconds. He tosses the last bite of the pastry into his mouth, chewing quietly and brushing his hands together to get rid of the leftover crumbs. He takes a breath. "I guess I sort of owe you for the food and the bed I slept in last night... The least I can do is make you feel better."

Your cheeks make way for a beaming smile.

"Just while I think about it."

You school yourself. "Right! Right," you say, clearing your throat of any enthusiasm that might've gotten clogged in there. "Just while you're thinking about it. Nothing's set in stone."

=

Either Hoseok calls shotgun outside of your hearing range, or Jimin silently sits in the backseat of your car out of some unfounded sense of regularity. He doesn't speak a word as you drive, just watches the world pass by through the side window. You can't really see him in the rear view mirror, and most of your focus is on the road, but there are a few moments where you catch his fingers scratching at his arms before he flexes his hands and stops. You're reminded of the red, bumpy skin you saw on his arms. Now, it's covered by his shirt and jacket, both of which you convinced him to let you wash before you all left your apartment.

"I don't think this is the right way..." Hoseok says, squinting at the street signs as you drive out of the inner city.

"Yeah, uh." You'd looked up the address to Silver Meadows before you left, and it's practically on the other side of the city as Heaven's Door. "There's somewhere I wanted to go first. You know how I left this morning?"

Hoseok nods.

"Well, it wasn't just to throw a tantrum, if that's what you were thinking."

"I thought maybe you were trying to get those Hybrid Services officers to think you were going somewhere, so they'd think no one was in your apartment," Hoseok says, making your eyebrows rise on your forehead.

"Wow, you're pretty intuitive, aren't you?" Your eyes dart to the backseat, but you can't see Jimin's face since he's sitting right behind you. "Were you guys able to hear that whole conversation in the hallway?"

Jimin scoffs, something sarcastic in the simple sound, while Hoseok nods again. "It's weird how even they don't know the species of the feral hybrid," he says. "Without that information, they'd go after any stray hybrid they encounter -- not that they weren't doing that already."

"But they might treat any stray like they're feral and dangerous," you finish the thought process for him, and when you meet his eyes, he sports a grim expression. You roll your shoulders back, sighing. "It's a good enough reason to stay on our toes, but hopefully we won't run into any trouble outside of my neighbourhood..."

And, hopefully, the feral hybrid doesn't get found by anyone less than civil. The cheerful face of that hybrid flashes across your mind, and you wonder about his circumstances. What makes a hybrid go feral, anyway? What made him run away from the hybrid clinic? How much of the information the officers gave you is a stretching of the truth?

"So where did you go?" Hoseok asks when you make another unfamiliar turn.

"Lee Minhyuk texted me -- he was Mr Jung's estate lawyer." You add that in to give Jimin some context, but you're not sure if he's even listening. "He forgot to give me the key for Mr Jung's niche."

Hoseok's brows furrow as he echoes you. "Niche?"

"It's what they call the individual sections in a columbarium," you explain, not too informed yourself, but you know enough. You take Hoseok's silence as him not filling the gaps quite yet. "Mr Jung's urn is being kept in one. Lot C, niche 258, at Silver Meadows Columbarium."

"Oh." Hoseok doesn't exactly slump in his seat, but you see the way his shoulders sag just the slightest. "He was cremated?"

You nod, eyes still on the road. "Yeah... I hadn't thought about it much. I'd assumed his family was dealing with all the..." Breathing out a long exhale through your nose, you try to think of the right words. (And come up with nothing.) "...well, that kind of stuff. But apparently I'm the only one with the key."

"Mr Jung never talked about any family..." Hoseok mumbles.

A road sign ahead reads Silver Meadows, and you slow down to turn into the lot.

"You're not bringing flowers?"

You turn your head at Jimin's sudden question, surprised since he was quiet the whole drive. He meets your eyes.

"You're visiting a grave, and you didn't bring flowers?" he asks, arms crossed.

"Oh." You look downward. "I hadn't thought about that..."

Jimin doesn't say anything, and you've run out of words yourself. Does it make sense to go back to buy some? You think about Mr Jung, and far above wanting to go get flowers for him now, you wish you could've brought him one back then. When he could see it.

You find a parking spot and switch off the engine.

"It's okay," Hoseok says before any of you exit the car. He's not looking at you, though. "We can bring flowers next time."

You watch him step out of the car, and as he does, he pulls his collar out of his pocket and fastens it around his neck, clasping the metal ends together before he shuts the car door behind him. Before you'd left the apartment, you told him to bring it, but you forgot about it during the drive.

"Oh, right. Jimin." You twist in your seat and reach into your bag, finding the red velvet choker you'd stuffed in there earlier. You've never really worn it since someone gave it to you however long ago, and you just hastily grabbed it from your room before you all left the apartment. You hold it out for him. "Wear this for now. It's not technically a collar, but... no one will be looking too closely. I hope."

Jimin frowns, but he takes the choker. "Can't I just stay in the car?"

You don't want to pressure him, but you can't help the grimace that crosses your face. "I feel safer together..."

"Fine," he huffs, bringing his hands up to fasten the choker. "You're lucky this is cute."

By the time you both catch up to Hoseok, he's already found the directions to lot C. He walks silently, and when he finds niche 258, you and Jimin hang a bit back, giving him a moment.

This section of the columbarium is indoors, and the walls and niches seem to be white marble, or made to look like white marble. Whichever it is, it feels a bit... cold.

Mr Jung's niche is empty, save for the black urn inside. Jimin was probably right -- some flowers would at least bring some life to the space.

Hoseok stands in front of the niche, which is embedded in the wall at around the height of his chest. His arms hang limp at his sides. You step up beside him, and you take his hand, gently, bringing it up so you can push the key into his palm.

"I think he meant to give this to you." And everything else, you want to say, but you hold your tongue. That's a lot to put on someone all at once.

You would know.

Hoseok holds his hand in front of him, staring at the key. He looks up at you and meets your eyes with his watery ones. "You think so?"

"Of course I do." You put a hand on Hoseok's shoulder, your thumb rubbing back and forth over his coat. "You said Mr Jung never talked about any family, right? That's because you were his family."

Sniffling, Hoseok bites his bottom lip to stop it from trembling as he breaks eye contact and returns to looking at Mr Jung's niche. "I... I wish he wasn't this far away. He made it so much harder to visit."

"Hey..." Gently, you use your hand on his shoulder to turn Hoseok toward you, then put both your hands on his arms and give him a reassuring squeeze. A tear threatens to roll down his cheek, but you reach up at thumb it away. "I know you probably knew Mr Jung better than I did, but... something in me thinks he'd want to say..." You turn your head to look at the niche, smile, and shake your head. "He's not in there." Bringing a hand up, you softly poke the pad of your pointer finger between Hoseok's eyebrows. "He's in here." You move to his chest and poke at where his heart should be. "And here." Finally, you take both his hands, a bit awkward with the one still holding the key, and hold them between you. "And that's what matters, right?"

Hoseok nods, but his face crumples up, and he tucks it into your neck. You wrap your arms around him just as his embrace you tight. Over his shoulder, you glance at Jimin, who quickly looks away, but you know he was watching. He stuffs his hands in his pockets, suddenly very interested in his worn out shoes.

"But we can still visit, right?" Hoseok mumbles into your skin, bringing your attention back to him.

"Of course. And next time, we'll bring flowers."

=

As you slide into one of the parking spots in front of Heaven's Door, it occurs to you that this is the first time you're seeing it in the daylight. All of its mediocre glory. The outer walls are a faded yellow, with supporting pillars and railings on the second floor landing which were once white. The doors to the individual rooms are a nice dark green that matches the roofing, but you have to admit they've seen better days. Still, you can feel the potential the old building blooms in your chest.

"Not too bad, hey?" you say to Jimin, who's leaning forward between the driver and passenger seats to peer out the windshield at the place.

He sniffs. "It's no Plaza Hotel."

"You've been?"

"No, I've seen Home Alone 2."

Chuckling, you pull your car key out of the ignition and exit the car. You put your hands on your hips, inhaling a big, exaggerated breath as you take in the motel. Hoseok walks over and stands next to you, arms crossed.

"Well," you say. "It might be a bit of a fixer-upper, but that's nothing a couple of fixer-uppers like us can't handle, right?" You bump your shoulder into Hoseok, who smiles at you and bumps back with his hip. You stumble a bit, but Jimin's hand on your back stops you from swaying too hard. When you take your eyes off your feet, he meets your eyes with a plain expression.

"You guys are disgustingly optimistic."

A hand on his shoulder, you grin. "You just named one of my best traits!"

=

The move into Heaven's Door is by no means smooth, but you can't say it's not something you expected.

The first thing you notice is the broken window in the convenience store under the motel lobby, which you'd missed that first night in the dark. Hoseok sheepishly admits that he'd had to break in to eat the snack food inside. You don't push it -- that void of time between losing Mr Jung and meeting you isn't a topic you think is worth diving into if it's going to bring Hoseok back to that time. The window won't be cheap, but if you don't put a custom decal on it like the shattered one on the ground, it might not be as expensive.

Secondly, Hoseok leads you and Jimin to the master room you remember Mr Jung mentioning in his letter, and you realize you'd only seen the motel from one side. Behind the lobby, which has a lot of that same forest green as the doors outside, Hoseok shows you the half of the building you had no idea about before. An entire branch extends behind the lobby, about the same length as the front, but instead of the entrances to each room facing outside like the ones you saw before, there are doors mirroring each other on both sides of a hallway. Immediately to the right is the master room, but at the end of the hallway seems to be a common area with couches and coffee tables, and two walls lined with a counter and cabinets. Hoseok tells you it's the same downstairs, except the end of the hall is a kitchen and dining area. It reminds you of a college dorm.

If anyone stayed in the rooms you saw out front, you don't think they'd even notice this half of the building.

The master room is smaller than your apartment, but it has its own half-kitchen and en suite bathroom with a pretty nice shower. Hoseok explains to you that most of Mr Jung's time and focus went into building and upgrading the interior of Heaven's Door, which is why it has its less than shiny exterior.

You can tell Hoseok was staying in the master room up until you... kidnapped(?) him.

"This is probably the nicest room in the motel, huh?" Jimin posits, walking inside with his hands in his pants pockets. He's wearing the clothes he met you in, now washed but no less worn down.

You nod. "Probably. We're a bit far from the city, so it would make sense for the owner to just live here."

"Dibs." Jimin flops down face first into the bed.

Hoseok crosses his arms. "Yah."

As you fail to hide your laughter behind your hand, Jimin squirms in the bed, twisting himself so he lies on his back. He stretches his arms and legs out like a sea star. "Smells too much like dog here, though."

While Hoseok sneers, you say, "Probably because this is Hoseok's room. You and I can take the rooms next door and across the hall."

"Why would I wanna be next door to you?" Jimin closes his eyes and interlocks is fingers behind his head, fully relaxing into the bed.

You let out an affronted scoff. Your hand goes up to your chest, right over your heart even though Jimin can't see it. "Um, my amazing company and charming personality?"

"Pass."

As you and Jimin go through this back-and-forth, you miss the way Hoseok's face fell when you said you'd be in a different room. His disheartened expression goes unnoticed, and when you stand up, proclaiming there's a lot of work to be done, he smiles at you with all the sunshine he can muster.

You're none the wiser.

=

Aside from the horrors (the mere idea of business management, the building maintenance, the absolute atrocity that is dealing with plumbing, the phone calls, etc, etc,) at least it's fun to print keys. Hoseok apparently never figured the system out because Mr Jung took care of getting it installed, but half an hour on the computer, and you manage to print a key for both yourself and Jimin. He chooses the room across from the master, while you're right next to it.

Hoseok insists on him and Jimin carrying all the food you'd brought inside, but to appease your need to take part, he lets you carry one item for each trip from your car to the common kitchen area. (You find this a little patronizing, but it is admittedly nice to be doted on by them both, even if Jimin's still pretending he doesn't care.)

((He takes a bag you were reaching for, despite already having both his hands full.))

Much of your things are still back at your apartment, but you have time to bring them over. The first day is mostly about getting Hoseok and Jimin out of dodge -- you can worry about your own problems later. You spend the afternoon sitting in the lobby, poring over the paperwork left there and googling motel business 4 dummies like your life depends on it. Hoseok, who'd been cleaning up his room and taking care of the broken glass outside (and inside, unfortunately) the convenience store, forces you to take a break in the form of helping him make dinner.

During dinner, unprompted, Jimin tells you he's still thinking.

It hasn't slipped by you, of course, that Jimin's stay with you is conditional and, lest you hope otherwise, temporary.

But when he says that, staring into his food rather than looking at you, a tiny smile makes it's way onto your face,

"Take all the time you need."

=

On the third night, you wake up to soft knocks on your door. You have no expectations because your brain is in the process of trying to dissect the dream you'd just been ripped out of, but seeing Hoseok on the other side of your door still isn't something you were prepared for. He's wearing the new, new pyjamas you'd bought for him in a sparse shopping trip you'd all gone on the second day, despite him saying he didn't care that much about Jimin wearing the other ones.

You go to say his name, but he just brings a finger up to his lips in a silent shush, and with his other hand, he gently takes your hand and leads you down the hall into the master room.

Nothing in your body wants to fight it, so you let him bring you right up to the bed. He practically pushes you onto it, but the way he pulls the warm comforter over you defies any ill intent. When he settles in on the other side of the bed, his breath puffs against your cheek. He hasn't really scented you since the day you met Jimin; you've been near each other almost constantly since, so there was really no reason to.

You remember him telling you it's about separation, but also not. He never did tell you more about it.

In your sleep-ridden haze, you shift to your side. Hoseok is on his side too, rather close, and his eyes are closed, but you know he can't have fallen asleep so fast. Gently, you bring a hand to the back of his head, careful, as always, not to touch his dingo ears. You pull him closer ever so slowly. If he resists at all, you'll let go.

Hoseok lets out a shaking breath. He wraps both arms around you and tugs you closer, his face pressing itself against your neck. Eyes still closed, he squeezes you close. It's warm.

That's right, you think.

He’s a strong little pup, but he hates being alone.

How did you manage to forget that?

=

If Jimin has anything to say about the fact that you've started to retire to the master room at the end of the day, he doesn't vocalize it. Hoseok never brings it up, either. He's hardly touchy during the daytime, keeping his hands to himself, especially in front of Jimin. Yet, when night comes, he pulls you to bed like he's done it his entire life and keeps his arms around you until you fall asleep and wake up to find him all tangled up in the sheets.

Jimin either hasn't noticed, or, as you suspect, he doesn't care.

He'll often say he's "still thinking about it". You're not quite sure how to respond to it every time, so now you just smile and nod, sometimes reminding him that the choice is still his.

One night, you find him in the common area, sitting on a couch and watching a muted cartoon on the tv you'd connected to your Netflix account the day before. The subtitles aren't even on, and when he turns at the sound of your footsteps, you see the red of his eyes, and the shining tracks on his cheeks.

There's still a lot you don't know about Jimin.

Rayoung. Her boyfriend. His red contacts and why he wore them.

"It's freezing in here," is all he says as he wipes his cheeks with his sleeve. "You should get the heating system checked."

You sit down next to him, neither of you looking at each other. "Feels normal to me."

The cartoon isn't one you recognize, but it looks like it could be fun if you knew what anyone was saying.

For a while, you and Jimin say nothing. He sits next to you, and you next to him. At some point, he shifts just the slightest bit closer so your shoulders brush against each other. That's as far as he goes for your body heat.

"Do you get cold easily?" you eventually whisper.

"Mhmm."

"Is that a snake thing?"

Jimin shakes his head, slowly, the late hour finally getting to him. "Some reptile hybrids are like that, some aren't. There aren't many of us, so people don't really know why. At least... that's what he told me."

He. You decide not to dig into that. Jimin will tell you if he wants to.

"Your scales... the skin around them seemed irritated."

"...Itchy..." Jimin's head falls to your shoulder. He doesn't snuggle in, but he rests there. "I had a cream for it..."

"We should buy some," you say.

"It's expensive... You shouldn't buy it if I'm going to leave soon..."

Though his words cause a muted ache in your heart, you don't stew on it. That was always the case.

"You can take it with you."

Jimin doesn't respond, asleep on your shoulder.

You're not sure how much time passes, but later, you hear light, shuffling footsteps behind you, and you turn your head towards the sound, careful not to jostle the slumbering Jimin on your shoulder. Hoseok stands there, eyes half closed but on you nonetheless.

"You left," he mumbles, swaying slightly like he's struggling to stay both awake and upright.

You give him a small smile, lit only by the tv that's still playing that cartoon you don't know the name of. "I didn't go very far."

"Come back to bed?"

Gently, you lift a hand and gesture at Jimin. "Can we bring him back to his, first?"

=

When you're sent the invoice for the window repair, you realize (not for the first time) this won't be easy.

You didn't think it'd be a walk in the park, of course not, but you've never really had to worry about the cost of running a business before. Now, you look at the numbers, and you just can't wrap your head around how it'll all work. Mr Jung left you a considerable amount, yes, but... will it be enough? You can't imagine the motel is in any high level of traffic area for travellers. There are quite a few campsites around in the surrounding forest, but that's about it. How many customers would it take monthly to support the motel? How much has to or even can be sacrificed before any income is made?

You've already spent so much on keeping you, Hoseok, and Jimin alive and warm for the past week. It's normal, you suppose, but you've never supported two dependants before, and the fact that you're currently unemployed doesn't settle the heavy feeling in your chest at all. You're draining your savings while not making any money in the meantime.

A safe haven for hybrids...

...who can't pay rent.

Maybe Mr Jung was older and more senile than you thought.

You shake your head and rub your hands over your face, resting your elbows on the desk in front of you. First, you gotta apologize to Mr Jung for disrespecting the dead. You might be cynical, but he had a dream. A really good and nice dream. Secondly, you scold yourself for thinking what you did about hybrids. Of course they can't pay rent. They were born into a system that actively discourages their financial (and pretty much every other kind of) autonomy. They can't pay for anything because of humans.

Still, you don't know how long you can keep running Heaven's Door on your inheritance alone. You haven't even opened yet -- how much will it cost to run for a month? Three? A year?

"Do the numbers change if you sigh hard enough?"

You turn in your swivel chair to glare at Jimin, who's sitting in the chair next to you with one leg folded up to his chest, foot propped up on the seat. He doesn't return your gaze, enraptured by the match-three game he's playing on your phone, which he's been going at rather consistently for the past two days. You don't really have a job for him right now, and aside from the tv, he doesn't have much to take up his time. You'd offered to grab the contents of your bookshelf back at home for him, but he'd casually refused, telling you he'd take a look next time you make the trip, but not to go out of your way.

"Maybe they will," you taunt back, which goes just as ignored as your glare. "I better sigh harder to test it out."

You tilt your head, looking at your phone in his hand. "Should I get you guys phones...?" you ask, mostly to yourself.

Jimin's eyes glance up, and he finally acknowledges you. He doesn't need to say it. He does anyway.

"I'm still thinking."

Curling your lips in, you nod, turning back to the computer and hovering your hands over the mouse and keyboard even though you have no plans on what to do with them. "Right. Right..."

Thankfully, Hoseok chooses that awkward moment to walk into the lobby. "You should take a break," he says. "How is your head feeling?"

"It's fine, doc." You roll your eyes, smiling. "Just as fine as I said it was yesterday."

"Have you been taking your meds?"

You shake your head. "The doctor said they're for headaches. They're just painkillers -- the few times my head has hurt, the pain went away by the time I remembered I could take them."

Jimin lowers your phone and gives you a look you can't quite decipher. It's not positive; you know that at least. "You're still getting headaches?"

"Only itty-bitty ones," you try to placate them.

"How long has it been since you fell?"

You almost forgot you lied to Jimin about how you got your concussion. By the looks of Hoseok's guilty expression, though, you're not sure if you regret it. You don't want him to feel responsible, but talking about it -- whether or not Jimin knows -- still seems to remind him of what he did. Where you put the blame doesn't matter to him. He still thinks it's his fault.

"Uhh... a little over a week?" you answer, keeping a careful eye on Hoseok. "Maybe eight or nine days."

Jimin frowns. "That can't be good, right?"

"The doctor said to go back to the hospital if the symptoms last over two weeks." Concern laced in his features, Hoseok crosses his arms.

You nod along. "I'll put the date on my calendar, okay? I'm sure I'll be fine by then."

"You better not play it down when the time comes," Hoseok warns.

"Yes sir," you joke.

Hoseok takes in a sharp breath, shoulders scrunching up for half a second before he forces them to relax. A small huff of a laugh escapes Jimin's nose, and you look at him in confusion, but his eyes are on Hoseok, something playful and teasing in them. Jimin mouths something to Hoseok, which you can't read.

Hoseok grumbles and tightens the arms crossed in front of him. "Shut up."

"No fair," you whine. "You guys already have inside jokes?"

Jimin just laughs harder while Hoseok gives him a death glare and says, "It doesn't count as an inside joke if I don't find it funny."

"Don't worry," Jimin teases through a smirk. "I find it funny enough for the both of us!"

You can't help but smile at the ever-growing amity between the two hybrids, which is admittedly playful in the biting way, but it still makes you happy that they're somewhat getting along.

=

"We should celebrate," you tell the boys one day.

"Celebrate what?" Jimin questions, hands stuffed in his coat pocket and shoulders scrunched up to his ears.

You'd gone around the back of the motel and found a paved, patio-like area, complete with five wooden picnic tables, propane patio heaters, and an old-looking but (probably) functional barbecue, but Jimin isn't exactly a fan of the cool breeze flowing through the air.

You lift the lid of the barbecue, examining the charred grates of the grill. "Well, I dunno, but it'd be a shame not to use this before it gets too cold out."

"Too late," Jimin mumbles. His lips are hidden behind the front of his coat, which he's ducked half his face into.

Hoseok ignores Jimin, nodding at your idea. "A barbecue night would be nice."

"How are you on the grill?" you ask him.

"I'm better at prepping."

You chuckle. "So basically, not good?"

"Not good," he echoes with a smile.

After sharing some giggles, you look at the barbecue again. "I'm sure I could figure this out."

"I'm going back inside," Jimin tells you both, already walking away.

"C'mon!" you call after him. "It'll be fun!"

=

Although you're in a different store now, near the edge of the city closer to the motel, the pet/hybrid aisle hosts a pretty similar collection to the store near your apartment. You pull another plain, black collar off the hook on the shelf, which matches the one currently sitting around Hoseok's neck.

He's not paying attention at all, as far as you know, instead hunched over the pushbar of the shopping cart he insisted on pushing for you, poring over the grocery list you'd written on a memo pad for tonight's "celebration".

In your mind, you've started calling it your "new friends party :D", emoticon included, but you haven't worded that out loud to either of the boys. Hoseok would surely laugh at the childishness of the name, even if he'd politely try to stifle it, and you know Jimin would only remind you that his relationship to you and Hoseok is temporary.

Mood killer, you think to Jimin, although it's the hypothetical version of him.

The real Jimin is looking at the array of collars on the shelf like you asked him to, and you step up next to him.

"What do you think?"

Jimin frowns, deep in thought. "They're all ugly."

Okay, maybe not that deep.

"Ouch," you chuckle, fingers toying with the black silk in your hand. "You don't have to wear one all the time -- just while we're in public spaces like this."

Grumbling, Jimin stuffs both his hands in his coat pockets. "In public... that's when I wanna look good."

"Okay, okay." You pat a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we can find one you like online, or something."

"Doesn't this one work?" Jimin points at his neck, fingers ghosting over the soft velvet of your red choker.

You tilt your head. "I guess... Probably."

The tags for collars have to be bought and customized separately anyway. There's no reason why you wouldn't be able to put Jimin's on your choker, though attaching the tag might not be as simple as the store-bought collars. Manageable, though, you're sure.

"If you're done being picky, we should get going. The frozen meat will be rotten by the time we get to the car," Hoseok says, making Jimin roll his eyes and stick his tongue out at him.

You clap your hands together. "Ooh! We should get ice cream!"

When you bring all the groceries to the counter, you notice that Jimin keeps his head down, avoiding the eyes of the person ringing everything up. This isn't new -- Jimin seems to not like making eye contact with anyone but you or Hoseok.

He'd tossed the red contacts after one of them had an intimate meet and greet with your bedroom floor, but you can tell he doesn't like being without them. It's awful, you think, how long he wore those fake red eyes just because his owner... what, enjoyed the idea of owning a deadly hybrid?

The... exoticism?

You shiver.

On the cusp of winter time, with Jimin in a couple layers, you wouldn't even know he's a hybrid if you weren't paying attention. As far as you know, his only hybrid-defining trait is his scales, and the only ones you can see right now are on his neck. They'd easily go unnoticed to the everyday passerby.

"Your total is--"

The cashier's voice startles you, and all you can do is shake your head when they ask if you have their points reward card.

Before heading back to the motel, you make a quick stop at your apartment, telling the boys that you're just grabbing some more of your clothes and that they can wait in the car. You do grab some clothes, but you also pick up a few of your favourite books. Hopefully the boys will be able to find some entertainment in them. Recently, you discovered a recreation room in the motel, complete with a couple of exercise machines and a pool table. With how preoccupied you are with all this motel business stuff, though, you haven't had the time to play a round of pool or even think about exercising. Maybe the boys have been in there, but it seems like Hoseok is almost always somewhere around you, still weary of your condition.

It's sort of fair, you think. Dizzy spells still hit you sometimes.

Jimin, too, often sticks around somewhere nearby. Maybe it's because he likes scrolling through your phone and doesn't want to just take it and leave whatever room you're in.

Which brings you to the real reason you stopped by your apartment. You walk up to the mailboxes and pull out your key, smiling when you open your locker and find the packages you were expecting.

It's a bit of a pricey expense -- at least, for how you used to budget your life before it flipped on its head -- but you think it's worth the money. A simple phone for each of the boys, a new family plan to save on the phone bills, and a specialty reptilian hybrid eczema cream. You hope it's the right one for Jimin. You haven't seen his irritated skin since that shower due to the chilly weather, but you still catch him scratching his arms over his clothes from time to time.

You're sure if you told Jimin you wanted to buy the cream for him, he would've refused. The phone, too.

"Took you long enough," Jimin says when you dip back into the driver's seat of your car.

You chuckle. "I missed you too, Mochi."

He huffs at the nickname and crosses his arms, then turns his head to stare out the window. You don't see his faint smile.

=

"It's freezing," Jimin complains through chattering teeth, hands stuffed in his coat pockets and shoulders scrunched up practically to his ears.

You can't hold back a little laugh. "I told you, you could either help me out here with the grill, help Hoseok with prepping everything inside, or run the raw food from the kitchen to out here." Raising an eyebrow at him, you gesture towards your gloved hands and the food you're flipping on the grill with metal tongs. It is chilly out, especially since the sun set, but you're wrapped up in your own jacket, and the fire from the grill is keeping your cheeks warm. It probably feels colder to Jimin, though. "You wanna trade with me?"

He gives you a flat look. "You're kidding."

"Thought so. You wanna trade with Hoseok?"

Cringing, Jimin shakes his head. "I hate touching raw meat."

"Well, there's our answer then," you say. "Was that the last of it?"

He nods, another shiver rippling through him. It's almost endearing how red his cheeks are turning, but you know he really can't stand the cold.

"Okay, go inside and warm up. I should be done cooking everything in ten or fifteen minutes. Bring this plate in--" You point at a foil-wrapped plate of the food you've already cooked. "I can bring the rest inside once I'm finished."

Jimin's eyes widen slightly. "I thought you wanted to eat out here?" He looks at one of the picnic tables.

"Nah." You shrug. "It's way too cold for me, and the food will cool down too fast."

Elated by this news, Jimin smiles and bounces on his feet when he grabs the plate and runs it inside.

"And help Hoseok clean up the kitchen!" you yell out right before the door shuts behind him.

Truthfully, you did want to eat outside for the celebration, but it's more important to you that Jimin is comfortable and happy. After all, he's one of your new friends, and that's the whole point of tonight. You smile at the thought, excited to gift the boys their new cell phones after dinner.

Flipping some of the last pieces of meat on the grill, you hum to yourself. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a hand reach for the plate you have set to the side for the cooked food. It tentatively grabs one of the slices of meat and pulls it off the plate, which you let out a chuckle at.

"What, you couldn't wait a couple more minute--"

You choke to a stop, though, when you look up and see neither Hoseok nor Jimin.

Dark eyes meet yours for less than a moment before swiftly turning downward. The man stumbles back a step, but he freezes in almost the same way you do. Except, instead of his jaw dropping open like yours does, he pauses mid-chew, the frisked meat still in between his teeth.

That's not what makes your breath hitch, though.

Even under the blackened sky, you can see the bruises.

A dark, deep purple sits boldly under is left eye, the surrounding skin a sickening blend of yellow and green that winds up all the way to his brow. His chin sports another bruise in a similar state, like the blows had been a couple days ago and the skin has gone through only the first stages of healing. Although his face is grimy with sweat and dirt, you can see crusted blood just at his hairline before his black hair hides anything else. You can tell his lip was completely busted at some point, marred with dark, dried blood that's been split over and over again and given no chance to heal.

Even his stance looks like he's in pain. Like he's trying to make himself look smaller.

You swallow the shock down, the words not coming out. "I..."

He snaps out of it at the sound of your voice. Both of his hands shoot up, palms flat and facing you. "Sorry-- I'm sorry," he mumbles and winces, like it hurts to speak. His voice is scratchy and rasping.

He backs up further while you try to find something to say, something to do, but before you can do anything, he runs off the patio and disappears into the treeline, a clear limp in his movement.

"Wait!" you call out, but he's gone.

Maybe it was the injuries that made you want to go after him. Maybe it was the way he held himself, like he didn't want to be in his own body. Maybe it was the way his voice trembled, or the fact that he definitely wasn't wearing enough for the temperature outside.

Maybe it was all that combined, but most of all, it was the pointed black ears you saw on top of his head.

prev | chapter six (12.0k) | next

[eluminium]

SKIZZLEMAN WEEK LETS GOO!!!! May not have actually written and finished something for like two years BUT SKIZZLEMAN WEEK IS MORE POWERFUL THAN PROCRASTINATION!!!!

Thank you @skizzlemanweek for organizing and creating these prompts!

Prompt 1: Silent/Shout

-

It had been a weirdly silent few weeks on Magic Mountain.

Well, kind of. Of course, with seven hermits nearby and many more in horse riding distance, real silence is quite a rare phenomenon. But for the residents around Magic Mountain, an uncomfortable stillness louder than expected had settled into their hearts lately. As she cleans out the bones of her latest catch, Gem remembers mentioning it to Impulse recently.

"I didn't realize how much the man talks until he was gone. And now I'm like: Oh, this is what it's like for there to be silence, actually!"

The man in question? None other than Skizzleman, of course! Who isn't dead, just on some off-server business of some kind. At least that's what he told Gem and the others before leaving.

She rolls her eyes fondly at how Scar started talking about some conspiracy theory of his where Skizz is some heaven-sent spy barely a tick after Skizz took his leave. A rant that resulted in poor Mumbo explaining to a confused Joel that Scar's comic-book hero phase last season had some lasting side effects.

She unceremoniously drops the fish bones into the river outside her new anglerfish-shaped fish shop. They hit the water with a small splash before sinking into the murkiness below. Gotta give back to the river! Otherwise, it'll get mad. That's basic fisherwoman knowledge.

When she turns to head back inside so she can put the fish on the cutting boards away, her eyes catch the faint silhouette of Skizz's pyramid in the distance. The sight of it makes the silence around her somehow more prevalent. A sigh leaves her. She misses him. She never thought that the silence he leaves behind would suck this much.

But as she heads back inside, Gem reminds herself that she won't need to miss him for long. He said he'd only be gone for a few weeks, so he's due to be back pretty soon. Then she can go back to poking him for being old or something. In fact, she can almost hear him shout an overdramatic "HEYYY!" already as she points out that-

Wait.

She quickly drops the floppy boneless salmon in the chilled chest and rushes out the door. She may have a good imagination, but it's not THAT good! She looks around rapidly until her eyes catch something. Two figures in the distance. She squints, but it doesn't really help, so she pulls out a spyglass instead.

She can't help but gasp in surprised happiness when she spots familiar feathery wings and a bright spinning halo. It's Skizz! He's back!

Of course, Impulse stands next to him, his demonic tail flapping wildly in excitement. They seem to already be caught up in a conversation. Typical them, can't leave each other alone for five seconds. Seems like the perfect time for her to come and deliver some made-with-love Gem Punches!

But just as she's about to put the spyglass down and run over, she spots a shocking change in Impulse's facial expression. The happy smile decorating his face melts in a tick into something unreadable. (Fear? Annoyance? Teasing? A mix of that and more?) Confused, Gem stops and pans the spyglass over to Skizz's face. Is he…Is he making kissy faces at Impulse-?

Before she can even process what's going on, Impulse looks in her general direction and RUNS. Full-on sprints at top speed in a manner Gem would be impressed he could do if she wasn't so caught off guard. The spyglass quickly disappears into her inventory as she watches him approach with Skizz hot on his heels.

"GEM!!! HELP!!!" Impulse shouts in a clearly overdramatic tone.

"You can't run forever Dipple Dop!!!" Skizz cackles manically.

"What are you idiots doing?!" She tries to put on a tone of playful annoyance, but her amusement leaks through like water through a hole in a boat.

"He's gonna kiss me on the cheek, Gem!!! You gotta help me!!!" Impulse squeals as he runs around in circles on the shore, skillfully dodging Skizz's attempts to grab him.

Gem can't help it. She bursts out laughing so hard it almost hurts her throat. These dudes, she swears. Obviously, if Impulse was actually uncomfortable with the situation he'd tell Skizz, and they wouldn't have a silly goose chase on her front lawn, so she feels rather justified in cackling at his supposed misfortune. And she only laughs harder when Impulse lets out various desperate noises of desperation, which are comical enough that Skizz has to stop his chase because he's laughing too hard. His hands land on his knees as he completely loses it together with Gem. Impulse giggles and stops in his tracks instead of running further, all but confirming that they're just messing around.

"Wow, Gem! I beg for your help, and you laugh at me? I thought we were friends!" He says in an overly hurt tone while crossing his arms and sniffling dramatically.

Gem opens her mouth to respond, but before a single syllable leaves her, Skizz pounces on Impulse and finally scores his victory by snagging a smooch on the man's cheek. He even manages to catch Impulse in a hug. Gem lets out something between a cheer and an "awwwwwww!" as Impulse wiggles in his best friend's grasp.

"I missed you, Dipple Dop!" Skizz says with happy sincerity as he squeezes said Dipple Dop.

"Missed ya too buddy" Impulse responds, sounding like he's getting all air wrung out of him. He pats Skizz on the back. Skizz, in turn, lets him go and turns his eyes to Gem, still standing in the mouth of her anglerfish. He wastes no time jumping into the river, splashing water everywhere, and then swimming over to her.

"And I missed you too, Gemstone!" He cheers as she helps him up onto the solid (?) ground.

Gem can't help but smile as she tackles him for a hug of her own. As his sturdy and comfy arms wrap around her she feels, more than hears, how the hush around Magic Mountain fades away as one of its seven lively mountaineers has come home once again.

[lvlyghost]

I See You

Pairings: Ghost x F! Reader

Summary: you’re tired of not being enough for anyone

Tw: angst, comfort, reader has some insecurities about herself

A/N: just something that came to my mind at 12:00 a.m while listening to this song and that I had to write bc otherwise the voices in my head won’t shut up. not sure this is even good but oh well, enjoy!💗💫❤️‍🩹✨

Never a second look.

Never a priority.

Always the second choice.

Sometimes not even that.

You were used to your whole life.

You pick at your food not really wanting to eat. Cheek resting against your free hand. Sitting alone you sigh, today’s one of those days when you don’t feel like socializing with your team. There’s a hole in your heart that threatens to swallow you whole.

It’s a gnawing feeling that claws at your chest and stings.

Another disappointment. It is what it is. Your bottom lip slightly trembles with the memory of how it all went wrong a few hours ago.

You thought…

You hoped…

Yet again…

A mistake.

You didn’t like the guy that much anyway. No, you were completely head over heels for someone else. No that it mattered, it was never going to happen. But still.

Why?

You stand up.

Am I the problem?

Leaving the cafeteria of the base making your way to…

Where were you going?

Nowhere really. You just needed to get out of there. So deep in your self-destructive thoughts, failing to notice the three men that were watching you from the other side with worry in their eyes.

Before any of them could say anything there were only two sitting.

He found you in the armory after looking around for a while.

Arms crossed over his chest, making his shirt tighten.

You didn’t have to turn your head to know who it was. You could just sense him whenever he was around.

“Tell me everything.” His guttural voice broke the silence. Ghost cared for his team members, there was no doubt. But for some reason he had a soft spot for the small girl with a bright smile that didn’t care about talking too much. Except this wasn’t like yourself at all. He knew you more than you could ever comprehend.

“What do you mean?” You murmur, hands shaking ever so slightly whilst cleaning your gun. Eyes avoiding Ghost’s enormous frame.

“Don’t make me…”

“What’s wrong with me Ghost?” You blurt out. Slamming your gun down the table, still refusing to look at him in the eye. A shaky breath leaves your glossy lips, tears threatening to spill.

“There’s nothing wrong with you, love.” He mutters, Ghost is taken aback by your question, although he doesn’t let it show.

Shaking your head, you take a deep breath.

“No one cares for me, I- I just, I’m trying.” A moment passes. “Why are you here?” You finally turn to look at him.

He doesn’t answer right away. The mask is gone, he’s only wearing the black balaclava that he once let you lift enough to clean up a rather nasty wound.

“I’m not blind, kid. Whether you believe me or not, I sense when something’s bothering you.” He explains. “And I’m your superior, whatever’s got you like this…”

Before he can think, Ghost reaches your cheek wiping away a lone tear only to retreat his hand somewhat abruptly. The gesture surprising both of you.

You give in. Deep down, you know he’s the one you trust enough to say it.

“I just wish someone would care enough for me one day. Most people spend their lives, waiting for someone to see through them, I- I just want someone to…”

Ghost hums. Whatever possessed him to say the next words is still beyond him.

“S’alright, kid.” A heart beat. “I see you.”

[cevansbrat0007]

The Green Light: Afterglow

Summary: After an emotional afternoon, you finally allow your husband to take you to bed. Can you trust your man to help you see past your flaws? This is an immediate follow-up to The Green Light.

Warnings: Mature Themes, Body Acceptance, Smut, Daddy Kink, Implied Lactation Kink, Oral Sex (fem rec), Unprotected Sex, Spanking (mentioned), Punishments (implied), Post-Pregnancy Discussions, Cursing, Minors DNI

A/N: Be sure to read The Green Light before this drabble, otherwise it might not make sense. Dedicated to my sweet friend, @sarahdonald87. Part of my ongoing Growing Pains Series. Not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated. Thanks for reading! ___

“Here we are, my lady.” Your husband purrs, gently dropping you on your bed. He’d carried you all the way from the foyer upstairs to your bedroom and he wasn’t even remotely out of breath. 

“Oof!” The sound of your giggles fill the room, helping you forget the fact that you’d been ashamed of your naked postpartum body only moments before. “And here I was worried about being too heavy for you to lift.” Your teeth go to nibble your lower lip as your Big Man quickly goes to work shedding himself of his clothes.

“Hush.” He chuckles as he kicks off his slacks. “Start that shit up again and my palm is liable to start twitching.” The pants go sailing into a random corner, which is nowhere near the hamper. But this time you allow it. 

You were too busy enjoying your front-row seat to Andrew Barber’s enthusiastic, occasionally bordering on frantic, striptease.   

“Yes, Daddy.” You mumble as you feel your core spasm in anticipation. “No spankings for this girl tonight.” More giggles tumble out before you can stop them. 

Andy’s gaze never leaves your lounging form, his bright blue eyes brimming with adoration. What struck you most was that this open look of love was all for you. It wasn't a ploy or a tool used to manipulate - oh no. It was all truly genuine.

This was the only man you trusted enough to share your innermost thoughts and insecurities. The ones you so often convinced yourself were better off being kept locked away. 

But your man wasn’t the type to ever leave you to face your demons alone. He never shied away from a challenge. If only because he wanted to see you smile.  

Sometimes life with Andrew Barber was like walking around with your own personal knight in shining armor. It truly was the stuff of dreams.

“I’ve missed you so much, Baby Girl.” He growls as he stands in front of you now clad in only a pair of form-fitting boxer briefs. “You honestly have no idea.” His head tips back on a strangled groan as he palms his impressive erection. 

The sight of the wet spot darkening the fabric of his briefs is enough to make your mouth water. You really hoped that your man had been serious earlier when he’d said you two had all night. 

Because now you were starving for a taste of him as well.

“I’ve missed you too.” You breathe, reaching up to play with your heavy breasts. Andy’s attention immediately shifts as a small trickle of milk leaks out, leaving a delicious trail as it tracks its way down your belly. “I already pumped before you got home.” You can’t help but notice the way his cock twitches when you pinch your nipple between your fingers, producing another tantalizing drop. “So this is all for you, handsome.”

You reach out your hand, inviting Andy to join you on the bed. He takes it without hesitation, but instead of doing as you bid, he sucks the sticky digits into his mouth. Another moan rumbles deep in his chest as he licks your fingers clean.

“Fuck – I was hoping you’d be willing to feed me tonight, princess.” Your husband winks at you before climbing on the bed. 

Feeling powerful in your own right, you rise up on your knees, giving him a better view while you continue to play with yourself. You sneak a glance at him through lowered lashes as you tease him, delighting in the way his nostrils flare every time he’s treated to another glimpse of milk.  

“Am I making you hungry, Daddy?” Your voice comes out so husky you hardly recognize it. “Hm?”

“Very.” 

He’s not kidding. You have no idea just how many times he’s spent himself in the shower fantasizing about the prospect of enjoying you like this again. 

“But there’s no need to rush it. I plan to savor every second of our special time tonight. Starting with reintroducing myself to that sweet little pussy of yours. And you’re gonna offer it to me like a good girl, aren’t you?”

Andy quirks one confident dark brow as he waits for you to comply. Wanting to obey, your hands abandon your breasts in favor of maneuvering yourself backwards on the bed. You both knew from experience that you needed to be good and relaxed before taking things to the next level. 

He waits until you’re settled comfortably against several pillows before taking hold of your ankles and deftly parting your thighs, exposing your glistening cunt to his predatory gaze. His tongue darts out to moisten his plump bottom lip as he leans forward to pet the swollen clit peeking out from between your folds. 

Your hips buck when his fingers make contact with the slippery bundle of nerves. He repeats the action twice more before bringing his hand down with a little more force, eliciting a cry from you as the wet slap echoes throughout the room. 

“Consider that your punishment for all of the negative self-talk you subjected yourself to earlier. Daddy won’t settle for anyone mistreating his baby like that.” Andy pops you again. “Not even you. Understood?” He raises his hand to administer another blow when you don’t answer fast enough.

“Yes, Sir.” Your response comes out more like a whimper. 

“Good girl.” A hint of wolfish grin is your only warning before your man’s head is suddenly buried between your thighs. Your fingers tangle their way into his chestnut locks as he busies himself getting reacquainted with your most intimate flesh. 

“Ooh! Yeah, Daddy – just like that!”

Andy takes his time with you, enjoying your flavor on his tongue once again. You don’t even have it in you to be self-conscious about the fact that you’d only been able to devote a few minutes towards a quick, ahh, trim down there before rushing out the door this morning. 

Not that he ever really gave a fuck about things like that. Andrew Barber wasn’t the type to let a little body hair distract him from his prize. 

“I don’t know how you did it, baby.” Andy rasps when he finally comes up for air, his mouth shining with your juices. “But you taste even sweeter than you did when you were pregnant.” He nuzzles your puffy lips with his nose before allowing his skilled tongue to tease your increasingly sensitive clit. 

“It’s all for you.” You keen, arching your body off the bed. “Always for you.”

“Fucking soaked.” He growls, slowly working one thick finger inside you, patiently allowing you all the time you need to get used to his delicious invasion. “Let me know if you need me to slow down or stop, okay?”

“Kay.” Hopefully you wouldn’t need him too. 

He hums in pleasure when your thighs instinctively go to clamp around his head. Effectively holding him hostage as he goes back to appreciating the meal you’ve so generously set before him.

Not that he was complaining any. Your husband is more than content to lap at your drenched core like a jungle cat enjoying his favorite treat as you buck and writhe beneath his sensual ministrations.

“God!” You push at his head as you feel the coil tighten in your belly, threatening to snap with each maddening lash of his tongue. Fuck if it didn’t feel good to be worshiped like this!

“Daddy, I – ooh! I can’t!” Your knees begin to tremble as your impending orgasm looms – just out of reach. It was too much. Too much too soon. “Andy!” You wail as you crest higher and higher – your body hurtling towards that carnal plateau. “Oh FuckFuckFuck!”

Glittering pinpricks of white hot pleasure course through your veins, growing more and more intense by the second. Sensing you’re about to run, Andy wraps one thickly muscled arm around your thigh while his free hand goes to rest on your belly.

You get the message loud and clear. You’re to hold still and take it, take everything your man has to give you, until he’s good and satisfied.

Your husband increases his ardent assault, loving the way your heels dig into his back when you finally go flying over the edge into absolute bliss. A spectacular display of lights and colors dance behind your eyes as the orgasm thoroughly wrecks you. 

You’re not sure how long it lasts. But you’re aware that at least a few minutes have passed by the time you’re finally able to think again. Of course your smug husband is waiting for you on the other side, his eyes glazed over with unrepentant lust.

“Beautiful.” He bestows a hot, open-mouthed kiss on your still spasming cunt. “Thank you for that gift you just gave me.” The reverence in his tone lets you know that he means every word. “How do you feel?”

“Amazing.” You tell him, also feeling just a tiny bit bashful. On impulse, you reach out to lightly stroke your fingers through his messy strands, your short nails affectionately grazing his scalp. 

It’s a simple moment of quiet intimacy shared between two lovers.

“You wanna keep going?” You smile at the question, appreciating his thoughtfulness. Andy wouldn’t push if you said you wanted or needed a break. But you also weren’t ready to stop just yet. 

He wasn’t the only one who wanted more out of this evening. Mr. Barber was shaping up to be a terrible influence on you... 

“Yes, please.” You beckon him forward, opening up your arms to receive him. Wanting to feel the heat of his tattoo-covered chest with your own two hands. Seconds later, your man joins you at the head of the bed. 

Unable to resist, you bridge the distance between you to take his soft lips in a kiss. Andy lets you lead for a moment, giving you time to appreciate just how good you taste before taking control again. Your eager tongues dance with one another as a familiar fire ignites a slow burning in your belly. 

By the time you finally pull away you’re both breathing hard and grinning like a couple of dopey, lovesick teenagers. 

“Hi.”

“Hiya, Andy Bear.” You giggle back, excitement blooming in your chest. “I love you.” You put everything you have into those three words, wanting him to feel the emotional weight behind them.    

“I love you more. Any pain or discomfort just tell me to stop. Okay?”

“Mhm.” You nod, knowing that there was also a handy vial of lube in the nightstand nearby in case you needed a little something extra. “But I want these off first.” Your man doesn’t fight you as you work to divest him of his pesky boxers, finally freeing his hardened length from its confines.

You hated his boxers almost as much as he despised your panties. Damned things always got in the way.  

You tenderly wrap your hand around his girth, loving the way his big body shudders in your grasp. Emboldened by his response, you begin to work him with your fist – occasionally using your thumb to tease the swollen mushroom head. 

Andy lets out a sharp hiss as you continue to tease him. But he doesn’t make any moves to intervene until you pull away briefly, intending to roll him onto his back so that you could tend to him like he’d cherished you earlier. 

“Later.” He promises, kissing the pout off your lips. “Remember, we have all night.” Although, he can’t quite seem to resist taking a nipple into his mouth either, sucking just hard enough to be rewarded with a taste of your breastmilk. “Sorry – but they’re right there. Couldn’t help myself, Baby Girl.”

“Uh huh.” You nip at his jaw as your hands seek out the taut globes of his ass, giving them a hearty squeeze.

“Not my fault you’re sweet all over.” His sensual laugh rumbles through his chest. The sound proves to be rather contagious as he helps you get settled comfortably on a pillow before lining himself up with your slick entrance.

Andy’s eyes never leave yours as the broad head of his cock gently bumps against your cunt before slowly easing inside you. “Just look at me, princess. Daddy’s got you.” He keeps going, pausing only briefly to link his fingers through yours. “Swear I’ve got you. Fuck, you’re tight.”

You knew that he did. Your husband was always there, waiting to catch you when you fell. Your fucking knight in shining armor.   

“And you’re big.” You gasp, breathing through the pressure. Only to exhale in relief when your man is finally seated fully inside you. “But it feels good. So full with you inside me.”

Once Andy’s satisfied that there isn’t any lingering discomfort, he finally allows himself to move. He starts things off slow enough. And he doesn’t increase his pace until you sink your teeth into his arm. 

“Okay, my greedy girl.” He purrs, acknowledging your impatience. “Have it your way.” Andy bears down then, giving you time to get used to the power of his thrusts as he finds his rhythm. 

It’d been so long since you’d been together like this. You’d missed the kind of intimacy that could only come from being physically joined with the man you loved. With your husband. 

“God, yes!” Your hips snap up in time with his movements, making it clear that you were well and truly enjoying yourself. “Oh please don’t stop!” You tell him, pressing a quick kiss to his knuckles.

And while Andy is thankful for the encouragement, he’s also pretty certain that he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to – that’s how far gone he was. His hungry mouth slants over yours as your velvety walls continue to clench around his thick cock, enthusiastically milking him for all he’s worth.  

He swallows each and every moan that slips passed your lips as he lovingly fucks you mindless. The sharp sound of his heavy balls rhythmically slapping against your core pushes you even closer to yet another orgasm.

Right as you’re about to topple over the edge, Andy pulls back – adjusting your positions so that your legs are now draped over his shoulders. And then he’s back fucking you like the sensual madman that he is, angling his body so that his cock hits that special spot inside of you. 

But his attention is focused solely on that of your connection. Almost as if he’s enthralled by the carnal image of his hard cock slamming home inside your sopping wet pussy over and over again. 

Fuck! You were gonna cum again.

“Never had a better pussy.” He snarls, his pace becoming more erratic. “Never had a better wife.” Your man was close – so fucking close. And you weren’t too far behind. “All fucking mine.”

“Yes, Daddy.” You mewl, spurring him on as your inner muscles work him over good. “Take your pussy. Take it. Take it. Take it.” You chant as your orgasm threatens to rob you of breath. 

Your bliss crashes into you at the same time it hits Andy. He throws his head back when he cums, a pleasure-filled roar escaping his throat while your hungry cunt milks every last drop of his thick seed.

You were his greedy girl after all.

He lightly continues to pump in and out you for another moment, his movements eventually slowing when he finally comes back down to earth. But even still, he finds himself reluctant to sever your connection. 

“We have all night, Andy.” You remind him gently before reaching out to cup his bearded cheek. 

“Promise?” He whispers back, his eyes shining with emotion as he presses his lips to the inside of your wrist. “Because I’ve really missed my wife.” 

Truer words had never been spoken.

“Well, I think that’s only fair to say. Especially since I also really missed my husband.” You lightly trace your fingers over one of his many tattoos. “Which is why neither of us is leaving this bed until it's time for us to get the kids tomorrow.” You toss him a wink for good measure.

“You promise?” Andy asks again, not bothering to hide his chuckle.

“You've got my word on that, Big Man.” You pull him down for another kiss. "Now, let me welcome you home again."

END

[pinkhoneydrop]

Its A Game pt. 2

[ A/N ] - Part 2 is here!!! i love it i hope you love it please let me know what you think or if you have an idea for this story let me know otherwise enjoy :)

[ Pairing ] - Harry Styles x Reader!

[ Genre ] - fluff, smut future angst

[ Word Count ] - 2.5k

[ Part one ]

[ Masterlist ]

As much as it may seem, neither of you truly belonged to anyone. You hadn’t had a boyfriend in a long while and Harry was known to have a few flings here and there. You just hoped that this thing between the two of you was more than that. In truth both of you were scared to take that step but Harry seemed do unserious about it. You decided that after the amazing gesture he made last night for your birthday meant that you should give this a real try. Really put your heart out there.

You were spent the next morning when you woke up. Legs sore and heart happy, as well as other parts of you thanks to Harry and his many talents. Your impromptu late birthday celebration lasted well into the early hours of the morning. Cups filled with vodka and mixers swirled up in the passing time. Body parts tangled up with sheets and fabrics and here you were in Harry’s bed just waking up for the day. Peaking one eye open you saw the piled-up duvet and blankets on the opposite side of the bed. You reached your hand out and felt the material with your warm hand and found it to be cool to the touch. A small coy smile played on your lips. The sound of the elevator door opening meant Harry was just arriving back at his flat after leaving for a well-deserved run.

Taking a deep breath, you stretched in the bed. Bones cracking and lengthening all together.

“Ahh there’s the Birthday princess, sleeping beauty herself.” Harry spoke softly as he entered the bedroom. The large bed was being drenched with sun and you looked beautiful. Harry smiled to himself as he sat on the edge of the bed you were laying in. you pushed the duvet down to greet Harry with a proper good morning. Your top half was bare, smooth skin left to ruminate in the bright morning sun. nipples soft and peeking out of the sheet falling from your body.

The two of you shared a sweet good morning and decided it was time to replenish from the night’s activities. The kitchen of the penthouse was exactly as you would expect, eclectic but still modern and earthy, just like the man stood across from you making you eggs. The pan sizzled as he added ingredients, and you sat on the counter next to him. Your legs dangled above the floor and your hands were busy holding your phone.

Social media was no stranger to you. The world of the rich and famous knew you well and you had many friends in the industry. Harrys fans have known you to be spotted with him a few times in the past, but the photos were few and far in between. Like the one a fan account just posted of you and your close friend in your hotel room just a day ago before Harry’s show last night.

96,399 likes

@/harryflorials @yyY/nn3 and her friend @/assa22 before Harry’s show having a dance party.

2,546 comments

Harryfan_1 aww so cute!

Harryfan113 wait…do they know each other?

y/nharryshipper @harry fan113 yesss they’ve been friends for quite some time now. Hopefully more in the future.

You laughed a bit as you tapped the screen to leave a like on the picture. A few seconds later and your phone buzzed for a while as people mentioned you more in the comments. Most comments were nice but of course some people didn’t have nice thoughts about you hanging around “their man”. It made you laugh a bit harder, catching the attention of harry as he finished up placing eggs on a couple plates for the two of you.

“Who is it I have to thank for blessing me with that cute laugh of yours? hmm?” harry moved to stand between your legs and nudge his nose against yours as you giggled again.

“Your fans found me again.”

“Being nice I hope.”

“As nice as fangirls can be I guess.” You looked down at the food and your stomach growled. Harry helped you down from the countertop and sat down with you at the table to eat.

“You don’t have to worry darling I’ll be nice to you.”

The day was simple. After finishing breakfast, you lounged around the penthouse until Harry had to leave for soundcheck. Around 2 you left his penthouse. Your heels were forgotten next to his bed, and you wore a pair of his slippers to drive back to your hotel. You also stole a hoodie but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hut him. You had planned to get ready for the night with some friends of yours. Asara and Penn. Asara has been your friend since diapers the two of you are thick as thieves and don’t do anything without telling the other. Your other friend was Penn, short for Penelope.

The fangirls in your phone were still talking about how you intervened in their relationship with the star. You looked at some of their posts and liked a few tweets. You even shared a selfie to your Instagram story of the buildings moving in the window. Arriving back at the hotel you received a text message from Melissa, well Lizzo as her fans knew her. You met Lizzo about a year and a half ago through Harry and were fast friends. Often times the three of you will meet for dinner. You had seen each other in passing but it was at an award show you did some interviews for where you were introduced to her. The conversation the two of you carried on was short but you learned she would be in your section along with your friends.

Excitement buzzed in your chest as you and your friends threw clothing around the room trying to find outfits for the show. Make up hair supplies and shoes littered the room. Your friend Asara helped you sift through your luggage and soon enough you were in the shower getting ready to doll yourself up for the show. Penn arrived a bit later with more goodies in the form alcohol.

“She wants to ditch us for her man and then spend hours in the shower Asara. It a shame.” Penn joked as she walked past the bathroom.

“Ha-ha. I’m just taking your advice Penn. Weren’t you the one who said I should come on this trip?” you yelled out from the fog that covered the air in the shower. It actually was Penn’s Idea for you to come out here. You probably would have said yes to Harry either way, but Penn made it seem like a life or death situation. Both girls knew about your feelings for the man. How you wanted nothing more than to pleas your deep personal desires and live with him for the rest of your life like a princess. It wasn’t that simple though and you knew that. Harry was complicated but so were you. His list of exes was nothing compared to yours and you guessed that sometimes you could blame that on age.  

The girls on the other side of the wall laughed loudly and it made you smile. Spending time with them like this was your favorite past time. Besides spending time with harry of course. Pretty soon you were out of the shower. A speaker sat on the nightstand near your bed was blaring Asara’s playlist. Lil Wayne, 21 Savage and The Weekend serenaded you as you all dressed. The three of you looked hot. Your outfit was red from head to toe. You wanted Harry to spot you from the stage as you wouldn’t be in the pit tonight.  Asara was wearing an over sided shirt as a dress with black thigh highs. Penn had on a denim miniskirt and matching top with black heals. By the time, all three of you were ready it was time to head out to the venue.

“Okay ladies we need some shots before we go.” Asara was the first to crab the bottle of Casamigos from Penn’s bag. Penn lined up three shot glasses she brought, and you readied your camera. Once the song changed you started recording and the three of you did a cheer and downed the liquid.

“Fuck!” you groaned at the burning sensation and smiled at the warm feeling in your chest. Looking down at your phone you texted the video to Harry. The file sent with a swoosh and almost immediately a chime came back.

“I’m jealous.”

“Lmao you’re going to have some catching up to do after the show tn.”

“Wahh you say that like I’M the light weight. We both know that’s not true.”

“Well then, we’ll settle this later at the bar!”

You giggled at the messages rolled in. swiping out of the conversation you posted a quick photo of the three of you pre showtime fits.

Liked by @/harrystyles, @/assa22, @loopy and 500,556 others

@yyY/nn3 the girls are back in town!

Photo credit to @/assa22

8,279 comments

Liked by @yyY/nn3, @/assa22, @loopy and 100,564 others…

@/harryflorals paparazzi caught @yyY/nn3 heading to another one of Harrys shows tonight with two of her friends!

5,612 comments

y/nharryshipper wtf she’s so hot!!

Harry_fan33 Harry really has some good taste I see why y’all like her frr!

Harryisbae_ hmmm little sus that she gone to two shows in a row…did she even pay for tickets???? Its givingggg desperate for attention.

The rest of the night was a bit of a blur. The show was amazing you and your friends met up with Lizzo and Sza in your section of the crowd. You all chanted along with the music and even caught Harry’s attention. Madison Square Garden was hue and you felt so proud of him for accomplishing this goal. After the music ceased and he did his first round of talking with the fans he got a question about you from a girl in the crowd.

“what’s your name sweetheart?”

“Emma!”

“Emma, what were you asking just a minute ago?”

“Can we say happy birthday to Y/n?” the girl’s question was met with roaring cheers. Fans screamed as they turned to find you. You giggled and hid behind your friends trying to avoid the attention.

“Absolutely, because I know it will embarrass her. For those of you who don’t know, Y/n is an important friend of mine and it was her birthday a few days ago. So, on a count of 3 we all will scream a big happy birthday.”

“1…2…3! Happy birthday!”

You smiled so hard your cheeks hurt. You couldn’t believe this man. Forcing his fan to wish you a happy birthday. But you had to admit it was a happy birthday. The only thing that would make it better was if you could thank him personally. The grin never left your face the whole rest of the show. Secret waves and words were exchanged between the two of you.

On your left Asara was singing along. Her body catching the beat to Cinema.

“Something in the way you move.”

And you sang back even louder as you turned to dance on her.

“I like it when you dance for me.” Asara placed her hands on your hips and swayed along to the beat with you. Little did you know harry saw the whole thing. Seeing the two of you like that reminded him of when he used to joke about the two of you being lovers. It was innocent he never went too far but the two of you have done everything but be intimate with each other. The sate lights were already hot, and he wasn’t doing himself any favors by watching you grind against your friends. Taking another lap around the stage he was able to conceal his much-needed adjustment of his pants.

 Thankfully for the both of you, you got your wish to thank him in person soon enough. Your entourage was being escorted to a car service ready to take you to a club for an after party. Ny was probable the best place you could think to party. The DJ’s are better than Miami and the people were hotter too. You and your friends arrived at the door before Harry made it. The three of you walked to the door along with Lizzo and she helped you get in. she didn’t stay for long but you do remember after several shots she appeared with Harry at her side. Leaving with a quick goodbye you were left standing in front of a gorgeous man who had no drink in his hand.

“We need to fix that immediately.” You said and pulled him towards your table. The bottle service came fast and left even faster. The music seemed to get louder as ore people joined you. Hid band made an appearance and a few other celebrities you couldn’t remember. Heat was on the rise as harry lead you out to the dance floor. You didn’t remember what song was playing all you knew was that a pair of hands were on your hips. The rings on his fingers gleamed in the sparce lighting.

“Angel, I saw what you did to Asara at my show. Do I get a taste too?” harry whispered in your ear. After 3 rounds of shots and nursing a vodka on the rocks his voice went right between your legs. The bass was beating in time with your heart as you pushed your ass into his hips.

"Tell me, were you always this pretty?" harry asked you as you turned to face him again. You looked perfect. Your corset top pushed your breasts up just so wonderfully and Harry thought he could dive into your cleavage. Your neck was laced with jewelry and all he thought about was how his rings would look next to the silver.

“You think you’re hot shit, don’t you?” you challenged him with those words but your eyes remined playful. “Complementing a girl with that stupid James bond voice.” You poked fun at him but secretly you enjoyed it. How he showered you with his thoughts and even when he did that dumb impression.

“Oh, hush I do it cause I know you like it.” He pulled you closer as he laughed. And he caught your eyes as he held you chest to chest. Harry almost whimpers at the thought of you. How soft your lips would feel on his. How warm your skin is. His mouth almost drooling at the image of your legs in a vice grip around one of his hands. Your body trembling from how hard you’ve came. His fingers wet from touching you. Leaning forward he dips you slightly and locks you into a deep kiss.

As the night progressed after the kiss things did get a bit wild. The alcohol was flowing and little blank pills started floating around and the appeal of white lines crossed both your minds briefly.

94,698 likes

@/harryflorals Harry kissing on a lucky girl last night after the show!

10,246 comments

Harryfan45 wait a minute who is thisssss

Harry_fan33 OMG IS THAT Y/N!!

y/nharryshipper  @yyY/nn3 miss gurl you got some splainin to do!

[starlitmark]

Summary: You work at an alien intelligence subset of the government. You were asking to get abducted… you’re just getting an in-depth look at extraterrestrial life. Pairing: Alien!Keven x fem human!reader Tropes: supernatural au Genre: smut Rating: R 18+ Warnings: aliens, nonhuman Kevin Smut Warnings: fingering but with a tentacle, clitoral stimulation, breast play Word Count: 1,605 Host Tags: @sanjoongie @thelargefrye Before You Interact February Filth Masterlist

Listen to ♡ E.T. by Katy Perry

“There’s no way we just made contact…” Your coworker gasps.

You snap your head around, “We what?”

“We made contact! That UFO we spotted out by Saturn, we made contact!”

He starts scrambling around the room to scribble down wherever he can and runs out the door. He doesn’t even tell you where he’s going. You can only assume that he’s going to find your superiors to report the finding. You’re left with no answers as your coworker makes a mad dash for the door. Furrowing your eyebrows together, you walk towards the monitor that he had left open. The screen shows a rather blurry photo of the ship. From what you can tell, it’s enormous. Almost as if it could house an entire community. Just as you go to pull up the transmission you got from the ship. A bright beam of light blue surrounds you. Your heart rate spikes out of fear. You don’t know what’s happening or why. One moment, you’re standing in the lab, then next, you’re standing in what seems to be a command center. You stand out like a sore thumb in the space. Your messy bun, with safety goggles on the top of your head, your stark white lab coat, and blue gloves stand out in the dark space.

“Welcome to space,” a voice calls, “We’re orbiting Saturn right now. Of course, you already knew that.”

“Who are you?” You question. 

The creature turns around. His upper half looks human-esque. His hair is split horizontally. The top half of it is a stark white color, and the underneath is entirely the opposite. The color is so dark it nearly rivals the void outside the ship. His eyes are a golden color you’ve never seen before. It’s almost as if the color swirls around his wide pupils. As your eyes take in his form fully, you notice that his lower half is tentacles. It almost reminds you of the half-human, half-sea creature beings that you were told about in fairytales as a child. He stalks closer to you. The tentacles move as if they’re human legs but also move like an octopus’s tentacles as well. He doesn't have suction cups like a sea creature typically has, but you’re still fascinated by the deep purple appendages. 

He stops not but a foot from you. One of his tentacles barely touches your boot as he analyzes you. You feel small under his gaze, but you still love every moment of the feeling. It takes everything in you not to reach out and figure out exactly what he’s like. Your mind’s scientific nature begs you to analyze him just the way he’s analyzing you. Before you can reach out to get a feel of his physical form, he reaches out to touch you first. His hand is the same as a human's. His hand comes up under your chin, tipping your chin up. He has his chin tilted up, looking down his nose at you. Turning your head side to side, he lets out a slight hum.

“Maybe I should be asking you that.” He says, “Your lab is the one who sent us a transmission first.”

You let out a shaky breath, “It wasn’t me specifically.” 

“Still your lab, no?”

“Yes.”

He hums again, “You would never be able to pronounce my name. How about I find a human name for you to call me.”

“Which would be?”

The alien drops his hand from your chin. He moves and crosses his arms across his body as he thinks. He looks around the otherwise empty space. His golden eyes glow under the lights of the room. 

“How about Kevin?” He finally says.

You try to stifle a giggle, “Of all human names you could’ve chosen, you chose Kevin?” A snarl-like sound escapes his throat, “Is there an issue with that?”

A fire burns beneath his eyes as he questions you. You feel a shiver run through your body and center in your core.

“Nothing’s funny! I like it. I was just shocked you chose that over a more unique one!”

Kevin smirked, “You want to analyze my species so badly. Why don’t we both get a nice close encounter with each other, hmm?”

All you can do is nod and let him walk around you. You assume he wants you to follow, so you do. You take in your surroundings. The ship is nearly entirely composed of dark silver metal. There are bright white strips of light that follow down the pathway. You can’t be sure if they’re lights like at home or if there is some sort of other technology humans have yet to discover.

Kevin guides you further down this seemingly never-ending hall until you stop in front of what seems to be just part of the wall. The alien knocks a unique pattern, and a doorknob appears. Your eyes nearly bulge out of your head with the notion of his species’ technological advances. Humans could never come close to what they’ve accomplished already. Pushing the door open, Keven gestures for you to step inside before him. Once you’re inside the room, Kevin pulls the door shut again. You watch as the door disappears and becomes nothing more than the wall again. Taking in this new environment, you notice it’s similar to a bedroom you’d see on Earth. It feels like a safe space for someone to relax and be themselves. There’s some sort of digital pad with a three-dimensional hologram half-drawn floating above it. Kevin moves toward it and taps a few things before the device goes black and sinks into a space on the surface.

“On the bed.” He states, “I want a close look at what you human women look like.”

You turn to locate the bed before sitting down on it, “Most women aren’t in my career field, and I’m not exactly dressed how I’d wish to be for this kind of encounter.”

He nods, “You humans put such a president on appearance… it’s a shame.”

“Well, humans are naturally drawn toward pretty things. Pretty is subjective.” 

Kevin nods again and undoes his outfit, letting it fall away from his body. You just mentioned that humans are naturally drawn to aesthetics. Now, you couldn’t be more right. Kevin’s human-like upper half is well-sculpted. He��s toned but not too bulky in any way. He’s like a walking wet dream. You subtly rub your thighs together, hoping Kevin doesn’t notice. His golden eyes immediately dart to the movement, though.

“Do humans get pleasure from that? Rubbing the upper portions of their legs together?”

“Not well, but, um, it does help a little sometimes.”

“Is it helping now?” The alien questions further.

You shake your head, “Not at all.”

Kevin’s golden eyes swirl with some unknown green flecks. He stares at you for a few moments. Then, your body feels bare. Not a single bit of clothing is on your body. You look around the room, and the clothing is nowhere to be seen. Kevin steps closer and notices the sheen of arousal coating your lower lips. Your eyes are blown wide with desperation as you notice his tentacles shifting as he calculates his next move.

“Is this how humans show their arousal? Do all humans’ genitalia grow wet? Is it always this wet? And these,” he brings a tentacle to toy with your nipple, causing you to moan, “These feed your young. Why are they erect?”

“C-can’t I answer your questions later? I need something inside me!”

Kevin brings another dark purple tentacle to wrap around your thigh and push it so that your cunt is exposed to him properly. Another moves to gently rub along the edge of your entrance. His eyes are fixated on your wet core. The appendage pushes into you, and you let out a loud moan. You deduce that he must have some sort of telepathic knowledge of what you want next, or it’s simple curiosity, but he starts thrusting the tentacle into you while a third, much smaller one, fixates on your clit. The first one continues to play with your chest. The entire experience is too much to process at once.

You fall back against the bed and spread your legs further apart as he starts to thrust the tentacle into you harder and faster. The smaller one focused on your clit starts to rub the bud quicker and harder as well. Just as you go to warn him of your impending orgasm, it shocks its way through your system. You shake and convulse on the bed as he continues to toy with your body. His eyes are full of perverted fascination as you moan nonsense in any language known to either of you. 

When you pant, catching your breath, as you come down from your high, Kevin pulls his tentacles off of your body and comes closer to your sensitive core. His breath puffs against your wet folds, making you both desperate for more, and you hope he lets you have a small break to recuperate.

“I’ve done some research on you humans.” He starts, “What I found was that nearly 60% of females don’t find true pleasure in these activities. Even more, don’t react the way your body just did. Did I do something special, or are you one of the rare females that can react this way?”

You gasp when he runs his finger through some of your arousal, “You definitely worked some magic with those tentacles.”

“Wanna see what else these tentacles can do?” He asks with a suggestive lilt, “You haven’t finished your close encounter yet?”

COPYRIGHT STARLITMARK 2024© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — reposting/modifying any fic or piece of original writing posted on this blog is not allowed. Translations are not permitted. 

Networks: @deoboyznet @monsterfvckersunited @cultofdionysusnet @kwritersworld @k-vanity

Tag List: @bratty-tingz @yeosangiess @minjaeluver @abbietwilight @wooyoungmybelovedhusband

[alsojnpie]

It had never seemed necessary for Papyrus and I to nail down an exact meeting place. “At the park” was always enough for the two of us to find each other. And today, we found each other at the top of the white columned stairs. Well. I guess technically I found him.

It really seemed like he’d been waiting in that exact spot, knowing I was going to be walking that way. But he was watching in the wrong direction; his back turned to me as he waited, watching the stairs. Or maybe he was watching the fountain? Cool air wafted away from flowing water, which I could feel even from across this small plaza. He seemed like he was watching something. I slowed my pace, in order to get a good look at him before he could know that I was watching him.

He was sitting on the wall, leaning forward, with one foot propped up in front of him and the other flat on the ground. A half-eaten lime creamsicle was in his hand, his arm lazily draped over his raised knee.

I guess he must not have been waiting long at all, since he still had popsicle left. As if he was aware of my thoughts, he took a big bite right as I considered it. The wind blew more cool air our way, and ruffled the collar of his too-large shirt and the tall grass on the other side of the wall. I considered, just for a moment, that maybe I should stop walking altogether--just long enough to snap a photo of the picturesqueness of it all. He looked so thoughtful and serious, gazing out towards the lake. Juxtaposed with a popsicle full of lopsided bite marks, this scene was a perfect encapsulation of the monster that was Papyrus.

But I couldn’t. I didn’t have the guts. I didn’t even have the guts to disturb what looked like a satisfying reverie by calling out or otherwise making my presence known. Instead I awkwardly shuffled up to his side and moved to place my hand on his shoulder, but then second-guessed myself and thought, maybe I should tap it instead? It didn’t matter, since he startled and swiveled his head around before I could even decide.

“H...HEY!!” It was always fun to watch his face, and the clear progression of emotions that often played out. Right then it was shock at being approached by a stranger, which instantly gave way to shock at being approached by someone you love, which quickly melted into glee at having been tricked (with a hint of sheepishness for having been facing the wrong way).

“HEH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON YOUR WAY UP! WANT SOME?” The softened popsicle was extended towards me. Of course I wanted some, so I obliged him with a slurp that took care of a good half of what was left on the stick.

“..........” His disappointment was palpable, and my sudden guilt must have shown on my face too.

“WAIT, IT’S FINE. REALLY. I OFFERED IT TO YOU, SO...”

“Where’d you get that from, anyway? Do they sell those here??”

“THESE? THESE?? YOU KNOW THEY DON’T SELL THESE HERE! I HAD TO BRING IT WITH.” He gives a good slap to a bag I hadn’t noticed sitting next to him.

“.....They’ll melt.”

“THEY WON’T!”

“Hm. I didn’t know you had popsicle-cooling magic... Neat!” I reached down to the bag, eager for a popsicle of my own and curious about the cooling mechanism.

But the bag was swept away from my grasp, and Papyrus was shaking a finger at me. “YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO GO DIGGING IN MY MAGIC BAG.” He swung his leg over the wall, landing both feet firmly on the ground and standing up straight with an exaggerated gesture. “BUT I AM!” A bright red creamsicle was soon procured, unwrapped and thrust into my hands. I was suspicious of what sort of “magic” was keeping it cold, since it seemed to be already starting to soften, but couldn’t find the heart to complain about getting a treat.

Once Papyrus had started in on his second popsicle (orange this time), the two of us linked arms and began strolling towards the stairs overlooking the lake. From this vantage point, even more of the lake was visible, as well as the vague outline of paths surrounding it on the opposite side. This lake wasn’t particularly big, but it took almost half an hour to walk around a single lap. The paths were forested, at times so thickly that the lake couldn’t be seen, and that made them seem isolated, and longer than they really were. But all of it seemed so much smaller from up here even though it wasn’t that far away at all.

As we began making our way down the staircase, I bit the popsicle with my lips over my teeth then slurped up the melting ice cream inside. It cooled my face but warmed my heart. “You know, I didn’t even realize they still made these popsicles. I used to eat them a lot as a kid.”

“I, DON’T THINK THEY ACTUALLY DO?? YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE WHAT A PAIN I WENT THROUGH, TRYING TO FIND THEM!” 

On the lake there wasn’t much visible from here other than a few small paddle boats, but as we got closer I could make out groups of kayakers who seemed to drift effortlessly by.

“IT COULDN’T HAVE BEEN THAT LONG AGO THEY WERE DISCONTINUED. I REMEMBER EATING THEM TOO, BACK WHEN THE BARRIER WAS FIRST BROKEN.”

In reality, I knew that the riders were having to work hard to propel their boats forward through the water. I’d never been kayaking, but it had always looked like fun to me. Stealing a glance over at Papyrus, who was still going on about the popsicles, I wondered if it could be a good way to work out together with him, fully expecting that he’d be excellent at it.

Suddenly I realized that my popsicle was gone. “Oh hey...can I have a green one now?” I waved my popsicle stick, licked mostly clean, in front of Papyrus and he grimaced. “It’s been so long since I had these, I forgot how much I liked ‘em.”

“YES, I KNEW YOU HAD EXCELLENT TASTE. OF COURSE I WOULD LOVE TO FETCH YOU A GREEN ONE. BUT I’M NOT YOUR TRASH COLLECTOR! AND IF YOU STICK THAT...THAT STICKY THING IN THE BAG YOU MIGHT-- RUIN THE MAGIC OR SOMETHING!” He made a shooing gesture at my stick, which only made me want to wave it in his face even more. “GO FIND A GARBAGE CAN!”

Seeing as there were no garbage cans nearby, I stuck the stick into my jeans pocket, much to Papyrus’s dismay. But he forgave me enough to serve me a green popsicle after all. This popsicle was suspiciously much softer than the last. “Hey.....you’re not using magic at all, are you?” I squinted at him as almost the entirety of the lime popsicle shell sloughed off in my mouth. “.....*gulp*. You just packed a ton of popsicles and counted on being able to finish them off before they melted.”

Papyrus seemed to be watching the boats on the lake quite intently now but surely he was aware of my accusatory stare out of the corner of his eye. His stern expression twitched with a grin. “I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT."

"..........."

"BUT. I'LL ADMIT THAT IT’S A GOOD THING YOU’RE HERE, SO YOU CAN HELP ME EAT THEM ALL.”

“True. It’ll be a lot of work to finish them all before they melt.”

“WELL, DON’T GET ME WRONG! I COULD MANAGE IT.”

The path down the stairs was lined with shady trees, but the lake itself was surrounded by a sunny, open walkway. I had a feeling that no, he could not manage it. These popsicles were not going to last more than 10 minutes, tops. Even through our combined efforts, there would probably be a couple of melted treats. I slurped up most of the ice cream center as we walked across a platformed break in the stairs, eager to do my part either way. 

But as we stepped down onto the stairs again, I saw something that made me jump in alarm: a wedding party! And their cameras were pointed straight up the picturesque stairs, right at us! Without even thinking, I pulled Papyrus by our linked arms, running back up to the platform before turning off onto a small dirt path running diagonal to the stairs.

The air was heavy and quiet as I pondered whether or not I had photobombed that bride and groom’s photoshoot. Probably so. Even though I hadn’t noticed it until we were very near, that was only because I hadn’t been paying attention. The pictures probably had us there in the background, though it wouldn’t have been very close to the subject. It was a public park, so I couldn’t really feel guilty for it, but even still, I didn’t want to be in some stranger’s wedding photos.

“.......” I wasn’t exactly sure why but suddenly things felt clumsy and awkward. I didn’t know what to say, or whether to say anything, and the little bit of popsicle I had left was completely forgotten. Slowly I turned my eyes up towards Papyrus only to find him calmly nibbling on a new popsicle (a red one now) while looking back in the direction of the couple.

“........HM. YOU THINK....YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO THAT SOMETIME? ME AND YOU?”

My heart, pounding, leapt straight to my throat, blocking out any words or sounds from coming through, while my grip on the popsicle stick tightened. Was this a joke?

No...he was genuinely asking me for an answer, I realized, as he looked down, smiling at me expectantly. But he looked so laid back about it. Somehow, we must have been thinking of two different things.

“U..uh....I, I mean....um...ho-honestly, I’m, I-I’ve.......you know...it feels embarrassing somehow to b-be...honest...but....” My words got quieter as my face got hotter. I went to take a giant bite of the popsicle to cool down, but what had been left of it had already melted and ran down into my fist. 

“HANG ON....OH MY GOD......ARE YOU SCARED OF BEING OUT ON THE WATER???” His suddenly concerned face only confused me even more.

“WAAAAIT, WAIT WAIT WAIT...” Papyrus took a brief look around himself, which at first I took to mean that he was checking to see if anyone was around. But maybe he was looking for a place to hold his popsicle because the next thing he did was quickly suck the whole thing directly off the stick (swallowing it dutifully rather than savoring it, and tossing the stick to the ground), before placing his thick-gloved hands squarely on my shoulders, and leaning in close.

His worried frown was right in front of my face, much closer than it usually happened to be. I tried to listen to him instead of focusing on his features, but it was hard. I hadn’t had this chance to be so close before. His voice wasn’t...quiet... but, it was softer than I expected.

“IT’S OK TO BE SCARED OF THAT. PERFECTLY OK. DON’T....DON’T BE EMBARRASSED. WE DON’T HAVE TO--”

Suddenly everything clicked in my mind. Our eyes met. “To...go kayaking together....?”

“YES. EXACTLY. WE DON’T HAVE TO GO KAYAKING TOGETHER. I’VE NEVER DONE IT MYSELF, BUT....WELL...WHEN I SAW THOSE LITTLE BOATS ON THE BIG LAKE....” He smiled softly, sheepishly even. “I THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE FUN.”

Actually, it did sound fun. Really fun. I returned his smile, shyly, even though he didn’t seem to completely understand that look, and grasped his hand, pulling it to my chest confidingly.

“Maybe it wouldn’t be too scary....if we were together.”

Sorrowfully, Papyrus shook his head. “THE KAYAK IS A BOAT THAT ONLY FITS ONE PERSON, I’M AFRAID.”

“I meant. Together, in our own boats. Side by side on the water.”

“OH. SURE. YES! I’LL STICK RIGHT BY YOU!!” His grin was nothing short of triumphant.

Then he noticed my hand, clasping his.

“ ............YECCCK!! WHY ARE YOU SO STICKY?!?!?!”

[redheadspark]

Hey hey! Hope it's not too late for the May writing prompts! Can you write 21 with Druig?

A/N - Oh, not too late at all! You requested just in time! I would LOVE to write this for Druig! Thanks for requesting this, anon!

Come With Me

Summary - Druig senses you need a getaway from your Eternal Duties.

Warnings - Just some cute fluff and a hint of angst

"Ajak, may I speak to you about something?"

"Of course you can, Druig. You always can talk to me, you know that by now,"

"I know, but this is a different kind of talk. Nothing involving humans or Deviants,"

That got Ajak's attention, she perked up from her spot from looking over some human documents to see the Mind Controller at the door of her room. He looked uneasy, almost worried about talking with her which was not like him at all. He was never afraid to speak his mind or say what he wanted, though at times it was sarcastic and a bit on the aloof side.

Nevertheless, Druig spoke on what bothered him or what intrigued him. Yet the way he was standing in front of Ajak, it seemed otherwise. Ajak walked over to stand in front of him, giving him her kind smile that she knew would surely sway him into telling her what was going on.

"I was hoping to go away for the weekend," he explained, sounding a bit nervous as Ajak kept listening, "The past few months were a bit hard for us, and since we took care of most of the Deviants in the region, I think it's a good time to have some time away from...from my duties,"

Ajak was surprised to hear this kind of request from him. Knowing Druig and how he worked when he needed to be away, he would simply leave. Druig was never one to hang around when he was stressed, he would find time to himself to recharge before he was needed again. So Ajak had to wonder why he would ask to go away for the weekend.

"Well, the humans have no plans for us this weekend and things are quite quiet, so I see no problem in taking some time for yourself," Ajak reassured him, though behind him out in the hallway both Ajak and Druig heard some laughing. They both looked, seeing you and Thena talking together and walking shoulder to shoulder.

You were in your gray armor, your long hair in a braided crown on your head along with your bright brown eyes that shined from your giggles that were echoing in the room. Ajak saw how Druig was watching you walk, how your hands were fidgeting a bit at your sides, and how your stance was a bit stiff, yet you smiled and kept talking to Thena as if nothing was wrong.

That's when it clicked on Ajak's mind.

"Unless this time away is not for you," She commented, Druig's head snapped over to her as she gave him a knowing look. Druig then sighed, rubbing the back of his head as Ajak grinned, "I can read you like a book too, Druig. This is for her, isn't it?"

"Aye, she's been stressed lately, and given the last few Deviant attacks were a bit rough on her," Druig explained, no longer wanting to hide the real reason why he wanted an escape, "I just want her to relax and to have some time for peace,"

"Of course," Ajak agreed, "And I do understand that she needed some rest. I find it admirable that you wish to give that to her, given your feelings for her,"

Druig's eyes went big and his breath was lost for a moment as Ajak never once blinked or hesitated in what she said. She simply smiled and placed her hands on his arms, giving them a small squeeze.

"I know Druig. I know how you feel about her and how your heart feels too,"

Druig bit his lower lip, almost flushed now as he looked back again in your direction. You and Thena were sitting together in the meeting room, barely seen by Druig where he was but he could tell you were talking to Thena about something serious.

"I find what you feel for her is good," Ajak reassured him softly as he kept his eyes on you, "You have a good heart too, Druig. I can only see good things for the two of you, and I think you do need to take her away for the weekend,"

"You do?" Druig asked, looking away from you finally and back at Ajak as she grinned, "You honestly think so?"

"I do. You think of nothing but the best for others, Druig. As much as you wish to deny it, I can see how you care for her," Ajak explained as she squeezed his arms one more time, "So, you two are allowed to have a weekend away from us and the Domo. As long as you two stay out of trouble and find some rest, you have my permission,"

Druig felt as though he wanted to yell out in joy or grin so big at the news. He knew he was not a big fan of Ajak 100% of the time, but he did respect her in a way. He knew she wanted what was best for them and the humans, even in the times when they would butt heads with their separate philosophies. However, Druig still had some admiration for her.

So he did the last thing neither of them expected: he hugged Ajak.

Ajak was shocked by the impact of his arms around her, but she hugged him back just as willingly. She knew he was kind, very kind and willing to place his neck on the line for others. There wsa good in Druig, even when others never saw it.

"Thank you, Ajak," Druig said to her as he pulled away from her. S he merely nodded her head, and he walked out of the room without another word. She watched silently, looking out from her room as Druig approached you from your spot. Seeing you two talk together, a grin now appeared on your face as you shot up from your spot and hugged him tightly.

Ajak had to smile widely, she knew then there was more than just Druig wishing to bring you peace on a weekend trip.

And two years later, Ajak watched you and Druig get married in the early morning sunrise, beyond proud of two heart becoming one.

The End

Tagged - @a-lumos-in-the-nox