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yung-notorious · 2 months

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8 WORDS WHEN I THINK ABOUT US IS FUCK ME, FUCK ME, FUCK ME, FUCK ME! — ♡

— crammed up in the backseat of his car, he just can’t get enough of you — feat. satoru gojo

+18 MDI. WARNINGS. baddie!reader x college!gojo, never lose me chapter 4, unestablished situationship, rough makeup sex, latenight drives, fast food drive-thru’s, hotboxing, unprotected sex, car sex, blowjobs, fingering, squirting, begging, almost cream pie, gojo’s character is questionable. notes. word count 8k, apart of a larger body of work but can stand alone as a one-shot. read entire work here on ao3. comments likes reblogs all appreciated 💕

You’re pissed honestly, all the way fed up with Sukuna and his stank ass attitude. You’d be FaceTiming the group chat right now telling them what just happened if they weren’t out drunk off their asses. But you can't, so someone is going to have to hear your mouth and it’s going to be Satoru whether he likes it or not. You’re not playing this time, enough is enough.

You don’t even bother signing out before you push through the front lobby doors, the security guard is too busy on his phone to notice you leave and by the time he does he doesn't have the energy in him to stop you. You’ll get an email from housing if he cares enough to report you. It's not like that shits going to affect you in any way though, you don’t even live on campus. Yeah you might get suspended from staying over his dorm if it happens again but at this point you don’t ever want to come back up here again.

It’s dark when you make it outside, chilly with light rain hitting your face and you can’t see which car he’s in with there being a few other cars parked out front with their bright ass LED headlights blinding you. There’s people shuffling out of each one, likely getting dropped off from the bars and you hate having to stand here looking around searching for him.

You take your phone out to text him to ask what car he’s in and not even a second later a car horn honks…you turn to look, and out of all these cars parked up of course he’d be the one in the Audi. You had a feeling he came from money with the girls coming from a private high school, but you were too busy trying to see through the Honda’s and Kia’s, you didn’t even consider him to be in that car.

Walking over, you pull on the passenger side door handle and hop in putting your backpack down. The bottom of your sneaks are wet and you feel icky having them touch the floor.

“You got down here quic–”, he moves towards you in an attempt to sling an arm around and pull you into a hug but you jerk back pushing him away.

“Aht aht, no.”

“What’s the matter with you?” He pulls back. You don’t miss the slight irritation in his voice either. He’s probably confused as hell. One minute you’re hot the next you’re cold, then you’re hot again, you can’t even blame him if he’s mad you’re coming in his car with an attitude.

“Your friend…” you start off, and it’s taking the strength of Joseline off Zeus Network to not start cussing and that’s one strong bitch to hold back from.

“What?” You hate how confused he sounds, he should already know what you’re about to say.

“You need to get him, like dead ass. I’m tired of his mouth.”

“Who?”

“Sukuna!”

“He said something to you?”

“Yes! This is like the second time too.” You throw your hands up in annoyance and he sucks his teeth at that. No shit he said something dummy, you wouldn’t be sitting here talking if he hadn’t.

“What he do now?” He leans back manspreading, like the conversation is already boring him. As if you fussing isn’t worth his time. You really don’t know him well enough to be getting hype and for damn sure don’t know what it takes to piss him off. He might have made a couple smart comments before, but up until now he’s been so patient with you…you probably shouldn’t be picking a fight. But you go on anyway…

“He keeps getting smart with me.”

“Saying what?”

“He came in saying some, fuck you doing here, when he saw me. Like who the fuck does he think he is talking to me like that?”

“I told you to stay in my room, did you say anything back?”

“Of course!”

“Then why are you so upset? It sounds to me like you already handled it.”

“Satoru…yo!” You can’t help but laugh…because oh my god…he doesn't know how fast shit can flip when it comes to you.

“Get your friend…” You start off bluntly, because shits really not a joke anymore.

“Like for real. Because I got an uncle back home that don’t play about me an—”, he cuts you off.

“I asked you the other day if you want me to say something to him and you said it wasn’t that deep. I asked you twice, didn't I?”

“Okay! But that’s ‘cause I didn’t think it was gonna become a problem. Now for whatever reason, he has an issue with me. I don’t know what for, but I know one thing, I don't take disrespect. So y’all both can do whatever y’all want with that information.”

“See, I can tell you don’t have brothers. You’re really mad over that little thing he said?”

“Satoru!” You can’t stress his name enough. What’s not clicking?

“Get your friend please! Because this shit…me and you? Uh-uh, it won’t be happening.”

“What you scared of him or something?”

“Are you!?” You hit back, because huh ? How many times do you have to say it? You can handle Sukuna on your own, but he’s acting like he’s too good to confront him on it.

“Alright. Alright. I’ll talk to him. I got it.”

“Thank you! Like c’mon ‘toru, you're actually cool as shit and I really am starting to fuck with you. I’d hate for some petty shit like that to get in the wa—” he turns his head before you could even finish, you can’t tell if it’s because of the new nickname that rolls off your tongue so effortlessly well or finally admitting to him you feel some type of way…but he’s blushing now…a shade of pink so faint if it wasn’t for the light of the nearby lamp post shining through the windshield you wouldn’t have even been able to see it.

“What, you blushing?” You tease, you’re surprised really, you can’t fucking believe it, that smooth player attitude he’s kept up since you met him done melted away like it was nothing.

“No.” He doesn’t even believe himself when he says it. How could he with the tip of his ears and his cheeks flushed a dust pink.

“Aw you blushing?” You lean in closer to get a better look and all he does is his turn away further, he’d snap his neck before he’d let you catch him. You should take a picture just to really get him for giving you such a hard time not even a minute ago.

“No.” He’s a liar and you can hear it in his voice. He knows damn well he’s blushing and why. You probably shouldn’t have told him you’re feeling him though, that’s exactly when boys take their chance to start acting up. Fuck it though, your player card already gone, you’ll cross that bridge if he ever takes you there.

“Oh my god. Yes you are, you’re really blushing, that's so cute!” You say it in the most fake disgustingly babyish voice possible just to irk him, even reaching over to pitch at his cheek too. You made him fucking blush and he can’t hide it! He’s blushing even more now with the tiniest smile starting to pull at his lips. How fucking adorable is that.

“I’ll talk to him, I’ll talk to him…” he swats your hand away. You go to lean back in your seat, you’ll leave it alone for now but you’re keeping this moment under lock and key tucked away in memory. You finally cracked it. Toru , that’s all it took to make him blush. Boy’s are so easy.

“But you fuck with me now?” He throws a look back at you ready to rub it in, you knew he’d hold it against you. Now you’re a blushing mess too and you know damn well you’re worse at keeping anything off your face. You can’t stand how easy he says it, because now he knows and he’s probably going to tell the whole world. You’re a fool for giving it up, but to see him blush like that was still worth it.

“Just shut up and drive.” You make a face rolling your eyes. He’s going to rub it in more, you already know. Y’all are both evil.

“Nahhh, you fuck with me. You said it. What do they be saying on the 'gram? Stand on it?” He cheeses so big, you love to see him smile, you really do.

“Oh my god…” Your hands come up to cover your face, you can’t help but smile though. He fucking got you back and you just about gave him the tools to do so. You can’t even be mad about it.

“You still want Wendy’s?” He puts the car in reverse to back out the parking space.

“Yeah, I think we can make it.” Wendy’s isn’t too far, it’s right outside the borough, which isn’t too big either. There might be a wait at the drive-thru with everyone outside tonight but hopefully there’s enough people back in the kitchen cooking.

“I don’t know why…but I have the biggest cramp in my back.” He says, shifting in his seat.

“Probably because you be fucking me too hard.” You joke, because yeah your legs are sore too but you’re for damn sure not going to admit that to him.

“Definitely not from that, that was nothing.” He laughs. Alright now! You roll your eyes at that.

“Maybe ‘cause you’re so tall.”

“Maybe…” He shifts again. Aw poor him, probably blew his own back out fucking you.

“All these people outside damn this–”

“Can I put on music?” You ask, you didn’t mean to cut him off, but not having music playing in the background is starting to kill you.

“Yeah, I don’t have an aux cord you have to connect it to CarPlay.”

You move to play around with the entertainment screen trying to connect your phone to it. This car is like a fucking spaceship. You see some of his boy’s and other people's names you don’t recognize in the list of previous connections. Guess your name is on two lists now.

“How do you go out every week? It’s got to be tiring.”

“What makes you say that?

“I don’t know, it seems like you do…”

“Always assuming. But it’s fun, I be with my friends, and we be having a good time. How come I never see you out here?” You’re going through your music library, you don’t know what to put on yet but you do know that you want it to be a vibe.

“Way too busy, and I don’t drink.” Is all he says and you have no choice but to take his word for it. You already know his major is harder than yours, just the intro class alone has been kicking your ass this semester.

“Nah I get it, that’s why I’m not out there now.”

“You could have gone, it was still early when we left the library.”

“You said you wanted to go back to yours?”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t gonna hold you if you wanted to go out.” Oh my gosh…can he shut up and stop playing. Now just act like you weren’t trying to take me back to yours to fuck me.

“Even if I did, I don’t really like what I have on so…”

“What? You looked good as shit when I pulled up.” He says it in such a way as if you’re crazy for even thinking you’d ever look bad a day in your life.

Oh my god…please…you’re going to ignore that.

“You could put on anything and still look good.” He takes his eyes off the road for a second to smile at you, but you’re still ignoring him…you’re like mentally blushing so hard right now.

“You still ain't find anything to put on yet?” He takes a hand and slips it between your thighs, you spread them apart in an attempt to get him to stop but he just moves his hand up further. He's not teasing, just holding you.

“I’m just going to shuffle any playlist.” You hit shuffle on one of Apple Music’s curated playlists and Through The Nigh t by Maeta starts playing. A little too slow for your liking so you hit shuffle again and settle on Offset’s Worth It . A couple more minutes of you two talking about random stuff goes by and y’all are finally pulling into Wendy’s drive-thru, and to your surprise no other cars are lined up.

“What do you want?” He asks, rolling his window down to read the menu. You can’t see clearly from sitting in the passenger seat, you lean over the center console a bit.

“Um…hold on I can’t really see it.”

“What, you wear glasses?”

“Contacts. I didn’t feel like putting them in today…wait can I…” You lean over his lap trying your best to read the menu, you hear him shift to lean his seat back giving you space.

“I’m just going to get what I always get.”

“Hi, just one moment!” A younger woman's voice comes through the drive-thru speaker. You can already tell they’re about to take forever back there. Just as you’re about to move to sit back in your seat she speaks again.

“Hi, sorry! What would you like to order?”

“You can go first.” You say to him.

“Just a six piece spicy nugget.” He says with his customer service voice on.

“Your sauce?”

“Uh...can I do sweet n’ sour?”

“We’re out of that tonight, sorry.”

“Here go the bullshit.” You laugh. You swear this place gets worse than McDonald’s on a late night.

“Just the nuggets then.” He sighs.

“You’re just going to eat them dry?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re freaky.”

“Watch your mouth.” He whispers, slapping your butt when he says it too. Shit…at least it sounds better coming from him.

“And for you miss?”

“Um…okay, do you have cold brew?”

“Ice coffee?” He snickers.

“No…it’s almost three a.m and we’re about to close.” Now you definitely ordered coffee this late from here before but okay girl, whatever you say.

“Okay, can I get a medium strawberry lemonade?”

“We’re out of that too.”

“What!” You huff. Satoru’s laughing now.

“They suck.” He whispers for only you to hear.

“I know…can I just get a sprite and a large fry then?”

“With ice?” She asks, and she’s dead serious too. Satoru’s cracking up now and you’re about to spazz, why the fuck would you want warm ass sprite?

“Yes!” You stress out then moving to sit back down, god you know it’s late and she’s just trying to do her job but is she dumb?

“Is that all?”

“Yes.” He replies back to her.

“Okay, second window.”

“You’re so mean.” He laughs out, hitting the gas to drive the car forward. You dig through your backpack to search for your wallet, pulling out a ten dollar note, the one time you have cash on you and it’s going right into Wendy’s hands.

“Hi, 9.80.” The young woman says as she opens the drive-thru window.

“Here.” You pass him the bill and he takes it, his own debit card already between his fingertips.

“I got it. Thanks though." He hands her his card, giving you the bill back and she moves to process the transaction.

“I was going to pay for it…”

“It’s like ten dollars, It's cool.” He waves you off. Guess money is not a problem for him then, what a gentleman…bare minimum but you’re starting to love it here.

“You forgot to get a drink.”

“Thank you, just a moment.” She hands him his card back.

“Can I share with you?”

“Sure…” You had to stop yourself from making a face at that, he can drink off you but can’t kiss you? Oh the fucking logic.

“You get five sips.”

“I paid for it!”

“You wouldn’t let me!”

“I’m taking thirty sips, just sit back and look pretty.” You’re going to punch him one day…

“You should have got a sweet tea…” he says.

“Ew…with fries?”

“Whaaaa!? Sweet tea is the best.”

“No. Just No.” You shake your head in disgust, how could he drink that? How!?

“You were just about to get an ice coffee, what do you mean!?”

“That’s not the same!”

“You’re right, it’s worse. Freaky ass combo.”

“You’re the freak.” Because ain’t no way he just about ate you off the bone not even an hour ago and is calling you the freak.

“Hell no, you are!” He laughs, and just as you’re about to clap back the drive-thru window opens again with the young woman passing him your drink and the bag of food.

“Thank you, thank you.” He says sweetly to her and she’s charmed. Poor thing, you can’t even blame her. His charm already worked on you too, that’s how your ass ended up here now.

“Are we parking here?” You ask as he hands you the food, you put the drink down in the cup holder.

“No, I got a spot nearby. I wanna spark up.”

“Okay.” You say going with the flow, you could do a blunt with your meal.

Where he ends up taking you isn’t even a secret. It’s a parking lot right behind the old post office building that you’ve been to plenty of times freshman year when you and your then circle of friends were too scared to smoke on campus out of fear of getting caught.

“I’ve been here before.” You say looking around, it’s still dark and creepy out here as before and you can barely make out anything in the distance with his car tints being so dark.

“With who? This my spot.”

“Definitely not your spot.” You say smart, everybody knows this spot.

“Pass me the raw’s in there.” He points to the glove department on your side and you go to open it.

“You don’t have a wood?”

“I think I got one left...you don’t smoke papers?” Digging in the middle console box.

“Not at all…unless it's a King Palm.”

“Y'all girls love those. Only one gas station out here sells them, tired of driving up there.” Damn…what bitch got him complaining?

“You got something flat like a notebook I can use? I gotta roll this real quick.” Finding the backwood pack he pulls a small mylar bag out too that has the bud in it.

“You can use this.” You give him a spiral notebook that you don't care about out of your bag and he takes it, putting it in his lap. Honestly, just watching him roll is making you horny. It isn’t even the action, but the movement of his fingers is what’s doing it for you. He’s licking the blunt now putting it together, you’re watching him like a hawk and he’s letting you, too concentrated on the task at hand. You need something else to look at before your panties get wet.

“You want your nuggets?” Reaching for the fries in the bag, just as you were about to fuck them up you find they’re cold to the touch. Disgusting!

“I'll eat them late–”

“The fries are cold.”

“For real? You want to go back?”

“It’s past three…” You sigh, looking at the time on the dash.

“Damn, you can eat mine then. I’m not that hungry.”

“Thanks.” You say sadly…but you hate spicy food so you roll the bag up and chuck it away. Reaching for your drink now you take a few sips and just as you’re about to speak again your phone vibrates, a FaceTime call from Utahime. You quickly hit decline but she calls right back.

“I got to answer this.”

“Go ahead.” Still busy working on the blunt.

“Utahime, you’re on speaker.” You get out quickly before she says something wild.

“Girl I don’t give a fuck, where you at?” She says, there’s commotion in the background, people around her talking and the noise of the Pandora bracelets she always wears jingling in the microphone.

“I’m at Wendy’s.” You lie, and you hear Satoru snicker.

“You’re lying. I got your location. Who are you with?”

“Why are you so nosey?”

“Nosey!? You told me you were going to be at the library ‘cause you had all this homework to do and not even an hour or so later I see you were over at West!”

“And I did finish, so what’s up?”

“Then why are you not home? Who are you with?” She’s yelling now, too drunk off her ass to hear herself and you have half the mind to hang up in her face again.

“I’m out ‘boutta smoke real quick, mind your business!” You try to turn the volume down but she’s still loud as hell, stupid ass iPhone.

“Bye girl, I know you’re with that fucking boy! Satoru! Bring my bitch home right the fuck now!”

“I’m hanging up.” You end the call right in her face. She’s so dramatic, but you can tell she’s more so upset that you ditched her, not the fact that you’re with him.

“Here.” He passes you back your notebook, finished with rolling the blunt, and to your surprise it’s pearled to perfection. Oh you really do love it here for real now.

“I don’t know how you live with that girl…” he starts, pulling out a lighter to light the blunt then blowing the flame out.

“...she’s got a crazy mouth on her.” He takes his first two hits then passes it to you and you hold it between your finger tips.

“She’s not that bad, she’s just playing.” But he’s speaking facts though, she’s a firecracker when she wants to be but you’d never chop it up with him about it.

“How!? She just cussed you out?”

“She ain't cuss me out.” You suck your teeth, Utahime knows you’ll knock her ass out. Whatever beef they have got him bitching.

“That is one scary little girl.” He shakes his head laughing, you take your hits then pass it back. Reaching for the sprite to soothe your throat.

“I’ll tell her you said that.” You tease, because don’t call my bestie scary or little!

“Don’t. Please. I do not need to hear her mouth.” He begs. You laugh at that because seriously, why is he so fucking scared.

“Then don’t poke the bear.” You joke. He passes you the blunt instead of responding and you happily accept it. Already feeling it in your system, this has got to be Yuuji's stuff, he really does have the best gas on campus. You want to ask what’s the deal between the two of them, all four of them even. But you don’t want to ruin this moment. Men lie so you’ll have to get it out of one of the girls eventually, you know it.

Time goes on as the two of you smoke, he’s rambling on about something his friends got into earlier this morning but you’ve already checked out of the conversation, you don’t give a fuck about them boys. His car is cozy and you feel warm and dizzy high off the blunt so you just let him talk as you sit and watch him with the biggest heart eyes on your face.

He’s so handsome…you could sit and listen to him talk for days. You’d happily play your role as his little listener if it meant getting your homework done and smoked out every night with dick on the side. Every time his hands drop to his lap your eyes travel down with them...you’ll eat his dick right now if you could and the more he talks the more you want too then before you know it you’re leaning in closer.

“What…?” He stops midspeech to look at you.

“Nothing…I’m listening.”

“What I say then?” He sinks down lower in his seat, his legs spreading further apart and wow just wow. You just might be a slut tonight, because the only thing on your mind right now is giving him head. He should know your ass was not listening!

“I don’t know.” There’s no point in lying, he could have been plotting to kidnap you the whole time and you wouldn’t have known.

“Because you weren’t listening.” He laughs.

“So?”

“Why you come closer then?” He tries instead, you can tell he’s baiting you but you’re trying to avoid answering.

“So I can listen.”

“But you’re not…so what’s up?” He takes a hand to lift your chin up to face him and you have no choice but to let him as you lean yourself up on the center console. You hate them so much, you wish cars didn’t have them, he’s still so far away.

“What? Tell me?” He continues pressing, you want it but you don’t want to say it out loud. Communicating…you’re good at it when you need to but when it comes to something like this you clam up.

“Whatever it is…I might already know.” He says smoothly, a challenging look in his eyes and you know better than to look away. You want it so bad. You’re almost there.

“What then?” You say, if he can bait you then you can too.

“You can say it. Stop being shy.” He moves to place a thumb on your bottom lip. Man, fuck it then.

“I want to suck it…”

“Yeah?” He pushes his thumb further parting your lips. He’s such a flirt, you should bite his finger off for it but it’s time to play nice.

“Mhm…” You wrap your lips around it instead, boy’s always tell you how good they look, you hope he thinks the same.

“Don’t let me stop you then…” He lets up off you and that’s all you need to be told to get down to work. He pushes the driver's seat back to give room to slide his pants and boxers down and as you come closer leaning over the center console, you can feel your knees digging into the edge of your seat as you reach to take him in your hand. It’s about to be your first time giving him top and you need to show out.

You don’t know what you like more, the sound of your mouth as you slurp him up or the clacking of your acrylic nails as you work his dick. He’s moaning now and you definitely like the sound of that better than whatever Bryson Tiller track is playing on the stereo.

He’s saying something to you but you can’t make out what it is, you’re too focused on sucking him off. He’s got one hand gripping your hair as you bob up and down, the other still holding the blunt and you pray none of that hot ash gets on you.

“You don’t have to be gentle…” He moans out as you come up to the tip again.

“Huh?” You’re taken aback by that, aren’t you already doing your best?

“Lemme show you...” He moves to hold the blunt between his lips then takes your hand to wrap both his and yours around him. “Squeeze the tip…like this…there you go.” He breathes out, you’re doing just as he directs and you swear you just heard his toes crack.

“Suck it while you do it too.”

Your mouth is back on him and you got him moaning like a bitch now, you might not be textbook smart when it comes to physics but if it’s one thing he can teach you right it’s how to suck his dick.

“Hold on…” he breathes, the blunt leaving his lips as he holds it between his fingers. The hand in your hair is gripping tighter now and you love having it tugged on.

“Fuck— you still want your drink?”

“No.” You pull off. An audible pop sound when you do too. He reaches under you for the cup. Hand still wrapped around his dick, you move to the side for him to get it. Taking the cup he drops the blunt inside and motions you to come back towards him.

Leaning back over you start up again, this time two hands coming to hold your hair up as you suck him. The more he moans the wetter you get and it's tonight you realize you actually love giving head, he’s doesn't even know how lucky he is.

“Pull these down.” He breathes out, moving to tug at the waistline of your pants. They're a tight fit, so they're not coming off easy.

“I got it…” You figure he wants to squeeze your butt while you give him top, so you move to do what he asks. Shimmying your cargos down then taking your shoes off he takes a handful of your ass and brings you closer to him, you’re completely hunched over the console at this point, your elbows digging into his thighs. Just as you’re about to protest being uncomfortable in this position you feel your thong being pushed to the side and his fingers slipping through your wet pussy. He’s finger fucking you like crazy now, didn’t even give a bitch a warning before he does it. Task at hand now lost, your slump over him moaning out his name with your ass tooted up as he continues curling his fingers deep in you.

“Fuck— shit…toru…wait!”

“Uh-uh…” He breathes out hot, slapping your ass on the last syllable too with his other hand. He’s hella deep now, digging dangerously close towards your cervix, you’d go back to sucking him off but your mind is spinning, nothing but the sound of your moans and the squish of your pussy as he fucks his fingers in and out of you is pleasing him.

Your pussy is soaked, sloppier than the mess you made all over his dick and he better stop before he makes a mess he can’t clean up. You can feel it coming on…the pressure of his fingers in you is just too sweet and he’s about to fuck around and find out if he doesn’t quit it.

“Toru…” You moan out, you’re holding onto the side of the car door, grabbing his thighs, gripping his knees, anything at this point to hold yourself up.

“Take it baby…you got it.” He slaps your ass again, he’s been so rough with you tonight and it’s turning you on even further.

“I can’t!” You nearly shout, even if anyone could hear you there’s no one in the parking lot too.

“You can, don’t tap out on me just yet.”

You throw your hair out of your face with that, don’t tap out…it’s fucking hot in here. You’ll die before you cum if he doesn’t crack open a window.

“Wet ass pussy, you gonna let me eat it again?”

“Yes!”

“Or you want me to fuck you?”

“Yes!”

“Pick one.” Bitch…both options sound great. Who the hell are you to choose? You can’t even think straight enough to answer that stupid question, he’s about to make you cum if he doesn't stop.

“Pick one.” He says again, and all you can do is babble out his name, two fingers still curling up in you and you swear by the end of this your pussy is going to be through till the weekend.

“Toru!” That feeling from before is coming back…a pressure that’s building up again.

“Yes baby? I’m listening.” Oh my god that made your pussy sing, the way he talks to you drives you crazy. His dick is rock hard and he won’t stop the pace he’s at fucking his fingers into you. It’s as if watching you come undone is what’s getting him off.

“You know, you’re such a princess when you’re not being mean…” he starts, and your ears perk up at the pet name.

“You cum on my fingers, I’ll let you slide for that lil attitude you had with me.”

“Toru…” You whine out, it’s not cumming that he needs to be worried about it’s—

“Fuck!” You feel his fingers leave you before you know it and you’re squirting all over his hand, down your legs, and onto his car seat. You don’t know if you should be embarrassed by yourself or mortified that you just soiled thousand dollar car seats.

“Shit— Wait wait hold on—”

“Huh?” Is all he says, wiping his hand on the back of your thigh then shifting to lift you up so you move to fall back into the passenger seat, you can feel the spot you soaked right underneath you and it’s fucking gross.

“It’s wet! It got all on your—”

“Get in the back.” He goes to pull his pants back up, then looks at you waiting for you to make a move. You know that look…you’re about to get fucked!

The car is wide enough for you to hop in the back instead of getting out and back in like he has too. He’s in the back with you now, waiting for you to sit in his lap so you move to completely take your thong off and the hoodie too.

“Don’t worry about the mess, I’ll get a detail soon…” He grips you at the waist as he takes you into his lap. His dick is flushed red against his stomach and you can’t wait to sit on it. You move your arms to wrap them behind his neck as you lift yourself up for him to slip his dick into you.

He fucks you nice and rough this time, holding your body close against his chest, gripping your hair and breathing your name hot in your ear while he does it too. Bouncing on his dick like this is going to make you cum quick and he knows it, he's already had you like this before.

“Toru!” You moan out. Getting dicked down in the backseat of his car was not how you thought your Thursday night would go when you woke up this morning. He’s deep in your guts and your mind is going crazy getting fucked down every single inch of him. Your high is already blown, the car is rocking now. This shit is getting wild.

“You still have an attitude?” He breathes out, looking you right in the eye as he says it too. You move to lay your head into the crook of his neck, but he pushes you to lean against the backside of the driver's seat. Your thighs are sore now and you’re scared you’re going to fall but you know he won’t drop you.

“You love this dick?”

“Yes!” You moan. What’s the use in lying acting like you don’t? He grabs your ass then, gripping one cheek in his hand with the other arm wraps around your back as he pushes you closer towards him.

“Show me then.” He slaps your ass, then grips you, letting his hand guide you as he bounces you on his dick.

“Get up when I say…” He moans out, you can hear that he’s close but you need to cum first.

“Oh my god, toru I can’t…I can’t I can’t.” You cry out. With how sore your thighs are you don’t even think you can get up. You hope he’s strong enough to get you off him before he busts.

His hips are snapping quicker now, he’s close and you are too.

“Up. Get Up.” He growls, pushing you up off his dick. Using his thumb he works to rub at your clit and you’re so fucking grateful for it. Looking down you see he’s pumping his dick, cumming all over his knuckles with some of it getting right onto your pussy. You’re cumming too now, thighs shaking as you do. You’re breathless. The hardest you’ve ever came fucking him thus far.

You’re done. You’re fucking done. You can’t take it anymore. You’re done!

“Fuck girl! Damn.” He breathes out, lifting you up to try and push you to the side. Moving over you take a seat next to him, god damn it’s hot in here.

“Check if there’s napkins in the bag. I got…shit I got it all over me.”

“Yeah…” He slaps your ass as you get up to reach for the bag sitting on the floor of the passenger seat. There’s a couple in there, you reach in the bag to pass him a few then lay a couple down on the seat where it’s still damp. Pushing yourself over the console to sit back in the front, you get your pants back on then try your best to get the rest of yourself back together. There’s no point in putting your thong back on, wearing them would feel way worse than the rough fabric of the cargos against your coochie.

Smoothing your hair down you hear him get back into the driver's seat. His pants are back on but he’s looking just as fucked out as you do, if not worse. Drake’s Spin Bout U is playing and he’s bopping to the beat.

Fuck your main page, what’s your Finsta? I wanna know the real you

You started dancin to pay your tuition, girl, I wanna know what you been through

You want a boutique or you wanna sell hair, just let me know what you into

“If you out in public and he want your number, just tell him my man’ll spin you!” He raps, playfully poking your shoulder. Looks like someone’s in a good mood now that they just nutted.

You swat his hand away and just before you can say something smart to him the sound of a FaceTime call cuts off the music, looking at the dash you see it’s a group call from The One’s and he presses the green button to answer it.

“Yoooooo! Gojo, where you at?” It's Sukuna’s voice. Please god, give you a fucking break.

“I’m out.” He says, turning the engine on.

“Out where?”

“He’s at the spot. I’m looking at his lo’ now.” You hear a voice sounding like Choso’s come through.

“The spot? With who? Bet not be with that one girl.” You make a face now…because who are they talking about?

“What girl, the tall one?” Choso asks, and before Satoru can reply Sukuna cuts in.

“Nah the new one.”

“Uhhhh—” His eyes widen at that.

“Her!? Gojo, you start talking to her yet?”

“Talk to her? Man, he already fucked her!” Sukuna laughs and your jaw fucking drops. What the hell! You turn to Satoru now, you’re about to knock his ass out if he doesn’t hang up the call right now but you know better than to speak up in hopes Sukuna doesn’t hear you. Whoever’s on the call is laughing now, you think you make out three voices.

“Man, Gojo…you gotta chill bro. Naoya texted me saying it’s a whole bunch of noise coming from the dorm asking if it’s me, I tell him nah bro, I’m not in there right now. Next thing I know he call me laughing, he's telling me some girl is in there getting cracked and she's loud as hell—”

Oh my god…your eyes are popping out their damn sockets now.

“I tell him nah bro, that’s my man Gojo. Y’all…this fool texted me a video of him standing outside the door recording as If I really want to hear that shit. I swear, something's fucking wrong with that kid.”

They’re all laughing again now and all you can do is just sit there and take it to the chin. Naoya…that furious beast looking mother fucker…ain’t no fucking way this is happening to you.

“Gojo, you got the entire floor group chat jumping with that shit—” Nah, you’ve heard enough, you’re seeing red now so you take it upon yourself to hang the call up.

“SATORU, ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!” You scream, god you’re so fucking mad your head is about to spin.

“Why are you screaming at me for I ain’t even do anything!” He doesn’t even sound serious when he says it, he’s laughing…he’s actually fucking laughing

“You think that shits funny!?”

“No no no…It’s not–”

“Bro!? Yes you do! Oh my god—” You need to calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Breathe!

“You sat there and let him say all that shit about me! Satoru I swear to god, I’ma fuck you up, text him right now to delete that bullshit!”

“Alright. Alright. Alright. Chill. Chill. Chill.”

“No! Y’all fucking chill! All y’all do is ran y’all mouths talking about bitches, that’s so fucking childish!”

“What yo!? You probably let Utahime and your friends talk mad shit about us and I don’t say anything.”

“Are you serious!? Satoru, that is in no way comparable to what the fuck they just did!”

“But you ain’t denying it though!”

“What yo!? Shut up! All bitches talk shit about their girl friends hoe’s—” Oop, now you know you fucked up the second that word came out your mouth.

“Oh, so I’m just one of your hoe’s now?” He says sarcastically, his entire demeanor switching at that. You feel bad, but watching his face pull into a sad scowl is kind of funny.

“My bad…I aint even mean it like that.” You can’t hide the amusement in your voice either, the girls are going to piss themselves when you get around to telling them this. He looks pissed too, y’all can call it even now

“Yeah? Then how you mean it?” He puts the car in reverse, backing out of the space to drive off.

“What are you actually mad!?” Because no way he’s in his feelings over this. It was not that deep.

“I’m not one of your hoes.”

Yeah boy, okay!

“Then what are you?”

“You tell me.”

“Coulda swore I already did.” You say smart back, you can tell he’s not really mad, but if he is then he needs to tighten the fuck up.

“Put your address in. I’m taking your lil mean ass home.” He hands you his phone and you snatch it.

Y’all both ain’t shit.

370 notes · View notes

chaoticharrington · 5 months

Text

Chapter Three: Queer Panic and Smutty Books

***BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER THERE IS GOING TO BE SEX,BDSM,AND OTHER GENERAL NSFW THINGS IF YOU ARE A MINOR OR A BLANK BLOG OR A BLOG WITH NO AGE PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT,IF I SEE IT, YOU WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED! THANKS<3***

Pairing: Professor! Steve Harrington x Best Friends Dad! Eddie Munson x Fem! Reader

Warnings: Angst, Steve being sad, Robin being awkward, Eddie being sexy as hell, kissing, cum eating, blow jobs, oral female receiving, major dirty talk, Dom! Eddie, masterbation, voyerism (if i've missed any lemme know), Eddie and Steve are in their early to mid 40s, reader is in her mid 20s

Summary: Eddie takes you out on a proper date, and you have some words with Steve

Authors Note: YAYYYY THE SMUT HAS COMMENCEDDDD! i'm sorry this took so long to upload, I genuinely was having major writers block writing the smut for some reason, plus I just wanted it to be perfect for you guys! Anyways ENJOY :D 8k words

**Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Four Chapter Five**

(banners and headers by @cafekitsune)

You could get lost in this man’s lips forever, constantly intertwined. He kissed you like a man starved, like his life depended on every kiss. He tasted like whiskey, you didn’t even like whiskey that much, but you couldn’t care less. You want him, you want him in such a primal way that you huff when he finally breaks off the kiss and touches his forehead to yours.

“Slow down there tiger” he breathes as his chest rises harshly up and down trying to catch his breath. You huff in protest, trying and failing to pull him back into a kiss with your arms still around his neck. But Eddie is too strong, he pulls your arms from around his neck and holds your wrists in one of his hands and holds your chin with the other.

“If we’re gonna do this I wanna do it right, kay?”, he says, nuzzling his nose against yours. You look at him confused, unsure of what he means by that, head still clouded with lust and want.

“Do it right?”, you question him. He smirks at you like you’re oblivious and missing something obvious. He runs his thumb over your lips while he explains.

“Well..If we’re going to do this...us.. together. I want to take you out on a proper date, you can pick where we go. But I want to show how you deserve to be treated. That alright with you?” he proclaims.

You bite your lip to hide the smile that was threatening to spill out and nod your head in excitement. This was really happening, with him. With Eddie fucking Munson.

“Good girl”, he coos, looking at your lips again like a lion hunting its prey. And you almost give in, and let him kiss you, touch you, fuck you. But Eddie was right, you wanted to see what it felt like to be treated like a woman, like someone desirable.

So, instead you groan and put your head into his chest, inhaling his scent. He smelled like cigarettes and leather, you breathed in deeper like a woman starved.

“You’re making it really fucking hard here mister”, you groan into his chest. His laugh vibrating his chest making you look up to see the smile on his face, eliciting a smile on your face too.

There he is.. there’s my Eddie... MY Eddie

“I didn’t know being a gentleman was considered a crime nowadays,” he taunted, his eyes twinkling under the light of the kitchen. You roll your eyes.

Oh yeah, he’s still Eddie

“No not that Eds... what you said AFTER that” you said your voice faltering at the end, your cheeks turned a light shade of pink, unable to utter the actual words “Good girl” out loud.

Eddie raises his eyebrows, clearly amused by your sudden shyness after basically eating his face off. “Oooohhh you mean when I called you a good girl?” he asks knowingly.

You look down at Eddies feet, unable to look him in the eyes, your cheeks surely bright red by this point. Eddie’s hand that’s still resting on your chin, forces you to look at him again.

“So easy to fluster, this is gonna be fuunn,” he taunts lowly, giving you a quick kiss on your lips. You whine against his lips indignantly.

The two of you spend the rest of the night entwined on the couch, alternating between kissing each other or how the two of you usually were; just laughing and talking about life.

You felt so free, like part of you that you had left in a cage long ago was starting to flap its wings. At some point the talking and kissing ceased and the both of you fell asleep entangled together on the couch. As you were falling asleep, you genuinely thought that you had never been this comfortable in your life.

You woke up in the middle of the night with a gasp, waking Eddie up too, making him fall off the bed with a thud.

“Gawd princess you gotta warn a fella, I’m not invincible like the young bucks you’ve been with before” he says sleepily, rubbing an ache out of the small of his back.

You giggle at him and look at the time on the clock, 5:04 am, you sigh in relief, still time to sneak back into Violet’s room and get some sleep before she wakes up for work.

“I can’t believe we fell asleep on the couch” you whisper, trying not to make too much noise as you get off the couch. You were young, but no one’s back feels good after sleeping on the couch.

“I was just so comfy, with you laying on me.” Eddie admits.

“Me too,” You reply sheepishly, now fully awake you remember the events that transpired not a few hours ago.

You help Eddie up off the floor, he immediately wraps his arms around you. You hum into his touch, appreciating how natural this already feels to you. He kisses the top of your head and then lifts your head up with both of his hands and kisses your lips firmly.

This time he moans into the kiss, hearing him sets your skin on fire. You squirm out of his arms to look at his face to make sure it was real, that this is really happening.

He looks back at you scanning your face for any doubt but finds none and smiles idly at you.

“I should probably go back to Violet’s room,” you voice.

He does a dramatic frown and pouting noise, before kissing you one last time.

“Just need one more for the road,” he teases, eventually releasing you.

The two of you walk up the stairs together, holding hands the entire way, parting at the top of the stairs to go your separate ways. You feel giddy, never having felt this way before.

You get one last peak at him before he goes into the master bedroom at the other end of the hallway. You touch the doorknob to Violet’s room and turn it slowly. Trying to make as little noise possible in hopes of not waking her up. You slide under the covers soundlessly. Staring up at your best friend’s ceiling.

What the fuck am I doing?

Violet turns over in her sleep and rests her arm over your chest, completely unaware of what transpired between you and her dad. You take a deep breath in, willing yourself to calm down so you can sleep.

Deciding that future you, would think more about this tomorrow, right now you just wanted to bask in the fact that Eddie Munson kissed you.. and now he wants to take you out on a date.

You wake up to the sound of Violets work alarm, you hear groaning next to you as Violet wakes up to turn the alarm off. She sits up and rubs the sleep out of her eyes.

“Good Morning babe,” she says tiredly.

You smile, she looks so much like her dad, her deep brown eyes, her infectious smile, even how her eyes look when she’s just woken up. Little things you never noticed before because you tried so hard not to think about her Eddie. But now you can’t not see it, not after last night.

“Morning,” you mutter, still waking up yourself.

You sit up in bed, you’re exhausted, between the emotional rollercoaster of a day you had yesterday and staying up late with Eddie, it feels like you’ve gotten almost no sleep.

“What’s that?” Violet asks, pointing at you.

“What’s what Vi?” you look at her curiously.

“Is-is that a hickey on your neck?” she asks a bit louder.

You cover your neck faster than a flash of lighting, you were so caught up in the moment with Eddie yesterday you weren’t even thinking about whether or not him kissing and nibbling on your neck would leave marks.

Violet moves your hand away to get a better look at your hickey, you try to fight her off, but she pins your hands with her legs, stuck in her grasp. Your decisions from last night suddenly becoming very very real and very scary. You wanted to tell Violet eventually about you and Eddie. But not right now, not before you’ve even had your first date.

“Damn... He kissed you like that and still rejected you. What a fucking prick, I was so caught up in helping you yesterday I didn’t see this last night” she says still admiring your hickey.

Relief floods your system, Violet assumes you got the hickey from Steve. Why wouldn’t she? She has no reason not to trust you, until now.

“Yeah, that’s why I was so embarrassed” you lied, you fucking hated lying to her, but you’d tell her when you were ready; And the timing just wasn’t right.

“Give me his address so I can kick his ass, better yet give me the name of the Dean so I can get him fired for using you like that,” she retorts.

“No Vi it’s really okay, I’m only going to be in his class for a couple more months and then I won’t have to see him ever again,” you reply.

Violet nods seemingly satisfied with your answer and got off you. You watch her as she gets out of bed and starts to get ready for work, quickly concealing the hickey Eddie gave to you the night before. You really do have the best friend in the entire world.

Even with everything that happened with you and Eddie, your interaction with Steve still really stung. Remembering what happened, felt like a pit was sitting in your stomach. Thinking back on it you don’t blame him for how he reacted, he’s your professor, he could lose his job if the wrong person found out about the two of you.

You do regret how you reacted to him though, you’re not usually one that is quick to anger, but you just felt so rejected by him. Maybe you would apologize to him after class, you hoped he would accept your apology.

Violet lets you borrow some of her clothes and the two of you get ready for the day in her room. You do some light make up, while Violet fixes her hair.

“Fuck where is it?” You see Violet searching around in one of her drawers looking for something.

“Do you mind running to the bathroom for me and seeing if my hairspray is in there?” she asks.

You nod and head out into the hallway, looking at the stairs that you walked up last night hand in hand with Eddie. You can’t help but smile lightly at the memory.

You walk down the hall to the bathroom and go to open the door. But as you reach for the handle it swings open. Coming face to face with a shirtless Eddie, wearing only a towel around his waist.

You lips go into an “O” shape at the sight of him, your panties practically dropping to the basement floor. He smiles widely at you, looking at Violets door and then scooping you up into a kiss. You soften into his grip, glad that he hadn’t changed his mind about the two of you since sleeping.

“Mornin’ m’lady” he smiles into your hair.

“Morning Eds” you say as you kiss him on the cheek because that’s as far as you can reach on your tippy toes. It takes every atom in your body to not jump him right there in broad daylight with Violet in the other room. He beams at the nickname, giving you another swift kiss.

“Did you find it?!” Violet yells from the other room.

Both of your eyes go wide, and Eddies hands drop to his sides at the sound of his daughter. He winks at you before leaving to go to his room. Your head now dizzy after kissing Eddie, you scramble through the bathroom drawers to find what Violet needed, and running back to her room before she went looking for you.

The rest of the morning continuing with business as usual, the three of you eat breakfast together, courtesy of Eddie. He made French toast and bacon, and he put whip cream smiley faces on all the French toast stacks.

Violet announces that she’s spending the following weekend at Quinns, because they were going to have a Lord of The Rings marathon, something they both take very seriously. Violet leaves soon after to go to work, while you and Eddie both take your time finishing your food.

“So next weekend then?” Eddie questions, with a mischievous smile.

You look up at him from your plate, “Can’t wait,” you confess.

He looks down at his food again, pushing his food around his plate with his fork like a child. His eyebrows are knit together like he’s thinking really hard.

“You alright over there old man?” you joke, nudging him with your foot under the table.

He looks up at you like you broke his concentration, “Yeah, I’m good, I just don’t want you to think that I’m trying to keep you a secret or anything, ya know? I know Violet is grown and what I do with my life isn’t really her business anymore, but I just don’t think I’m ready to tell her yet if that’s okay with you?” he explains.

You look at him kindly and nod, feeling the same way. You hoped that when the both of you did eventually tell Violet that she would at least want the both of you to be happy, even if it took her awhile to get used to it.

You finish breakfast shortly after, needing to stop at your apartment before school to grab some books. You grab all your stuff from Violet’s room, and you’re about to put your stuff in the car before he calls out to you.

“Not so fast princess” turning you around and pinning you against the inside of the front door. Cradling your face in his hands, a sensation you were now very familiar with, dipping down and kissing you fiercely.

“I could get used to this” he whispers into your neck, giving a swift peck before grabbing your bookbag and walking you out to your car. You were so shocked you didn’t know what to say, a guy had never carried anything for you before, you could get used to this too.

“Text me later k?” he asks, you had his number in your phone because technically the two of you work together, but up until this point you had been too chicken to ever text for anything other than necessary for work, and maybe a few memes you thought he’d get a kick out of.

You nod and give him one final kiss, addicted to his lips at this point, and then drive off down the road towards your apartment.

Driving away from the safety of Eddie’s house was making the anxiety in your stomach boil up into your throat. You had to see Steve today and you had to apologize. As much as you didn’t want to go to class and face him, you knew it was the right thing to do. If you wanted to keep your job and work civilly alongside him then you had to.

Before you could even think about Steve, you had a huge paper due on Queer Cinema in your Gender Studies class. Gender studies really was one of your favorite classes that was sure to put you in a good mood before you had to face the music.

Professor Buckley spent a majority of the class showing clips from iconic queer films and discussing the importance of representation in media. She was in the middle of taking about a scene she had just played and why its relevant, when a male student raises his hand.

“Plus, he’s really hot.” he said.

The entire class erupts into laughter, and one of the girls you sit behind in your sociology class chimed in.

“Not hotter than Professor Harrington though!” she giggled, a bunch of other girls and guys from the class agree along with her.

Robin rolling her eyes, “This class is supposed to give me hope for humanity, not swooning over some GUY, and dingus isn’t as hot as you all think. Plus, he’s really into TAs so you’re all out of luck” she says nonchalantly, not knowing that your Steve’s TA.

The room went silent, the only sound you’re able to hear is your heart begging to explode from your chest. The few people that you have in your sociology class look at you in horror, Robin covering her hand with her mouth realizing what she had done.

Your feet move without you thinking, standing up and grabbing your things and fleeing the room as fast as they could take you. You were utterly embarrassed with tears threatening to spill from your eyes for a third time in less than 24 hours. You don’t even know where you’re going until you do, and you’re standing outside of Steve’s classroom. You know he likes to get there early to get everything ready for your class.

You open the door and shut it, Steve jumps at the noise. Lips formed in a tight smile once he realizes that it’s you.

“So do you do this with every one of your TAs then?” you say loudly, hoping it would stop him from hearing the quiver in your voice.

He walks carefully over to you, like you’re a wounded animal ready to pounce. You can’t bare to look at his face, so you look at the floor, blinking vigorously willing the tears back into your eyes.

“What are you talking about?” he says carefully.

“I was just made a fool of in Robins class, because one of the girls thinks you’re hot and she said that you only have a thing for TAs, was all this just a fucking game to you Steve? To get me to like you and then make me feel like an idiot?” You spat at him, looking him in the eyes now so he can see the anger behind them.

Steve sighs loudly and nervously runs his fingers through his hair, his eyes look tired, like he didn’t sleep a wink the night before. “No- I, No that’s not even remotely true, Y/N you have to believe me, nothing like this has ever happened before. This is all uncharted territory for me,” he says tiredly.

“How do you expect me to believe you? After rejecting me the way you did last night, after weeks of flirting with me. You were just toying with me all along, weren’t you? I thought you were better than that!” tears now spilling over your cheeks, conceding in your fight to keep them in.

“Y/N I- Fuck I’m so sorry this is all so fucked up. I didn’t expect anything of this to happen, I shouldn’t have kissed you, I should have waited until you weren’t my student anymore, so it was less complicated. But you have to believe me when I say that my feelings for you are genuine, regardless of how messed up it is. None of this should’ve happened. Please just let me explain and it’ll all make sense,” he begs.

You take a deep breath in and wipe the tears from your eyes, “You are right about one thing Steve, this never should have happened” you seethe.

Steves eyes sadden, and he nods in defeat, knowing he’s lost the battle and you along with it.

“Go find yourself another TA to fuck with Steve because I’m done.” you growl.

You turn your heel and walk out of the room, working alongside Steve was no longer an option. If you didn’t need the credit to graduate you would’ve marched into the student center and drop his class right then and there. But your education was more important than some guy.

The rest of the day happens in a blur, unable to concentrate on any of your classes that day. Your mind constantly just floating aimlessly in the air, if someone coughed to hard in your direction you’d probably float away. Going through the motions of the day, kept you safe, steering clear of all thoughts about Steve was the best course of action for the moment.

You did feel conflicted, your feelings continuing to confuse you. Why were you so upset about this? Your thing with Eddie is so good, the best you ever had, so why are you so upset? It’s all so confusing, you’ve never liked one person as much as you like Eddie, and reluctantly Steve too. Yet it felt so right, like it was the most normal thing in the world, for the short while before the whole thing went to shit.

As much as you are furious with Steve, it also made things easier and less confusing. Now you could just focus on Eddie, and that you didn’t mind at all. You could spend every day of forever with him and it still would never be enough. That’s not to say that thoughts of Steve still didn’t pop up in your mind and dreams, he still was your teacher so you still saw him almost every day. The first few days after the initial shock of what Robin had said were awkward, both in class with Steve and Robin.

Robin was relentless with her apologies, apologizing for it every chance she got.

“I’m so sorry, sometimes I just do this thing where I start talking, and then I don’t know what I’m saying until I say it. It’s like I blackout in the middle of taking and then by the time I realize, the damage has already been done and I’ve put my whole foot in my mouth. I’m so sorry,” she rambles anxiously.

“Its fine really, water under the bridge,” you dismiss her kindly.

You really didn’t blame Robin, it’s not like she knew what was going on between you and Steve, she was just trying to make a joke, a bad joke but a joke, nonetheless.

Steve, on the other hand, went completely silent. His classes were filled with less energy than before. He seemed tired, like he stopped sleeping through the night. His skin seemed less shiny, his eyes no longer bright, and his hair always seemed slightly out of place from anxiously running his fingers through it. Steve was a mess.

You almost felt bad, yes he hurt you, but there was a part inside of you that still cared deeply for the man that you once had a connection with. He didn’t try to talk to you anymore or explain himself after the fight that the two of you had. Just radio silence.

You tried your best not to think about it too hard, plus you had an amazing distraction. It had been about a week since you and Eddie first made plans to go out on a date, with that date now fast approaching only a few days from now. And still stumped as to where your first date should be, maybe you were over thinking it, but you wanted it to be perfect. Your head was swirling with so many different ideas. You wanted to do something unique, that would show him parts of you. You weren’t always the best with your words, but if you could show him parts of yourself maybe he’d understand. You were shaken from your thoughts when your phone buzzed a few times in a row.

“hey”

“heyyy”

“I’m bored and you’re cute call me when you’re free x”

You smile widely at your phone; Eddie always knew how to make every day better. You pick up your phone and dial his number.

“Hi handsome,” you beam into your phone.

“Hey baby, how was your day?” you can hear the smile in his voice

“Eh fine, I’d rather be with you,” you confess.

You really wish you could be with Eddie, but instead you were surrounded by your textbooks swamped with the homework you had this week.

“Then come over here, Violets out, and I have the house to myself,” he asks.

“Can’t, homework,” you sigh.

“You can do your homework here, I won’t distract you. Pinky Promise! Only several thousand kisses that’s it!” he begs. You groan into the receiver, and Eddie retorts with a chuckle knowing that he’s wearing you down.

As convincing as Eddies offer was, and it was really convincing. You wanted to have a good time on your date, you needed to get all this work done to give Eddie your full attention, and not worry about school.

“I don’t trust you mister,” you joke.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t either, but you should still come over anyways,” he retorts.

You laugh at his goofy nature, and that alone almost makes you say yes.

“How bout this princess, I’ll come over there. I’ll sit and read a book or something, and be a good boy while you do your work,” he suggests.

You ponder this over in your head for a minute but who are you kidding, how could you possibly say no to him? Plus, you really only have to revise two papers, shouldn’t take too long.

“Alright alright you win, come on over stinky,” you say with a roll of your eyes.

“Be over soon pretty girl,” he says slyly.

How could you ever say no to Eddie fucking Munson.

You appreciate that Eddie didn’t make it too hard for you to concentrate when he finally showed up at your apartment. He did as he said he would, sitting next to you on your bed, one had rubbing circles on your back and the other holding a book that he was trying to finish.

His touch soothing you, as you rub stress out of your own temples. When you could, sneaking glances at the very beautiful man sitting right next to you. He was dressed down today, hair in a low bun, in a pair of sweatpants and an old Iron Maiden T shirt. He could wear a brown paper bag and he’d still be one of the sexiest men you’ve ever seen. It made the time between today and the date that much more excruciating, Eddie had been very adamant that there would be no funny business prior to the date, which is honestly a surprising amount of self-control for him. It showed he meant business, which you respected. But it was also driving you to the brink of insanity, cursing into the abyss that the universe would give you the prettiest man in the world and not be able to jump his bones. It was a cruel world indeed.

Your insatiable urges aside you could get used to this. Him being here, even if you weren’t talking, his presence soothed and ache inside of you. You also loved that Eddie loves books almost as much as you did, you wouldn’t think by just looking at him. But he had his nose in a book quite often, whether that’s a new DnD manual, researching for a new campaign, or just reading random sci-fi books.

And that’s when it hits you, you know where the two of you are going to go for your date. You look up from your computer screen and look at Eddie. His brows lightly scrunched together, probably reading a thrilling part in his book. He looks at you from the corner of his eye.

“Take a picture it’ll last longer gorgeous. I’m trying to be good here and you’re distracting me,” he taunts, as he flips a page in his book very dramatically.

You roll your eyes at him, if he wasn’t so cute, he’d be the biggest pain in your ass.

“Alright then I guess you just won’t get to know where we go on our date then, fine by me!” you hint.

Then you’re jumped by a mass of dark brown curls and you’re tackled onto the bed.

“Tell me tell me tell me!!!!” he says in between kisses to your cheeks and neck. Giggling uncontrollably, you concede.

“Fine fine, you win! Me and you. Saturday. Coffee shop and bookstore. 12 pm don’t be late Munson.” You reveal with a light kiss to Eddies bottom lip.

Expecting Eddie to continue his shenanigans, his eyes soften a little and he dips down to give you a firm kiss on your lips.

“You’re perfect, ya know that?” he says sincerely.

You roll your eyes at him. He holds your chin in place, the way that makes your breath hitch.

“Nuh uh, don’t be mean to my girl,” he coos.

You blush and kiss him back with the same ferocity, your homework can wait. You spend the rest of the night snuggled up against Eddie while he read his book to you in between the thousands of kisses he promised.

The day the date actually came around you were a fucking mess, you woke up super early, trying to figure out the right outfit to wear. Not that you thought it would matter to Eddie all that much, but it mattered to you. You were something of a perfectionist and you wanted this date to go well.

You decide on a comfy green sweater, a pair of leggings, and black platform combat boots, and your winter jacket. It was getting colder outside, and you were not used to the Indiana winters, you swear you had never seen so much snow in your life.

You were just doing your finishing touches in the mirror when you heard a knock on the door. You can’t contain the smile that spreads across your face as you basically leap to the door in excitement. You swing the door open, and you are face to face with a excited smile that matched yours.

“Hi princess,” he greets you, giving you a light kiss on your lips.

“Hey Eddie,” you smile up at him, even in your platform boots, this man was so much taller than you. It made your heart flutter and your body tingle.

“Ready to go?” he says seductively leaving a more passionate kiss onto your lips, making your legs buckle slightly. The kiss makes you want to abandon the date all together and take him right here on your couch. The week since your first kiss had been grueling, and you wanted more than kisses.

“Yeah, let’s go,” you beam up at him leaving a kiss on his jaw. He moans and you know he’s thinking the same thing as you.

In his car the energy is electrified and nervous, Eddies knee bouncing wildly in the driver’s seat while you fiddle with your hands. Hanging out at his house or your apartment was one thing but going out in public together. On a date, completely different. You just try to remind yourself that it’s still Eddie, the same goof that he was the day before and the day before that.

You go to the local coffee shop in town, he grabs a black coffee which you make fun of him for, making the tension between the two of you, ease. And you get a chai tea, which Eddie makes fun of you for.

“You know that chai is tea in Hindi right? So, you basically just ordered “tea tea”? he snickers.

“Yeah well at least I didn’t order a steaming hot cup of bitter water old man,” you retort as you grab your drinks from the barista.

You hand him his coffee and he pulls you in to leave a kiss on your forehead. The people in front of you look at you inquisitively, and that’s when you realize that the two of you probably look a little odd. A 45ish year-old man and a 25 year-old woman together. Age was never a thing that either of you ever thought too much about in all honesty. Besides the “old man” jabs that you gave him occasionally. Regardless of the age difference between the two of you, you had so much in common that it never seemed that noticeable. You give the couple in front of you a glare and head out the door with Eddie hand in hand.

Any bookstore is the best place on earth, any book you could ever dream of stocked on the shelves, endless possibilities. Plus, the new book smell, is just addicting. Eddie watched in amusement as you picked up every other book reading the backs of them, completely immersed in your own little world. Following along behind you holding your hand or wrapping his arm around your waist, reading the backs of books that look interesting to him. That is until you get to the DnD section, and he becomes the biggest nerd you ever met and it makes you swoon even harder if possible.

After almost looking at every section in the store, the two of you stand in front of the romance section. You had decided before the date that you were going to steer clear from this section to avoid any teasing from Eddie because you basically read porn. Not just porn, porn that would make a grown man clutch his pearls.

But the spicy section had been updated since you had been there last, and you remembered that one of your favorite authors had dropped a new book. You gasp lightly and Eddie looks at you inquisitively.

You walk briskly over to the section of steamy books, searching for the book you were looking for.

“I didn’t really peg you as a girl who likes romance books, I’m intrigued,” he taunts lightly.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me Munson” you say, still looking for the right book. Instead, you find another smutty book that you’ve been meaning to read, one about an older guy owning a BDSM club that a bunch of your online friends were gushing about. You pull that off the shelf and accept the fact that you’re going to have to ask an employee for help to find the book you were looking for.

“Do you mind holding this for me for a sec? I just need to ask an employee for help,” you ask.

Eddie’s eyebrow is upturned in curiosity but takes the book from your hands as you go off to look for an employee. The book was in the “New Releases” section and that’s why you couldn’t find it.

When you finally make your way back to Eddie you look at him in horror, he has the book you asked him to hold for you, open to the middle of the book, smirking like a devil in disguise. He looks up at you before you can defend yourself.

“Princess, you like this stuff? Seems a little intense for a pretty little thing like you,” he says tauntingly under his breath so none of the other patrons can hear you.

You let out an anxious squeal and try to grab the book from Eddies hands, but he’s too quick. He dangles the book easily over your head still reading from the pages.

Your heart is beating so fast threatening to drop into your stomach. What if he thought you were weird and didn’t want to be with you anymore? What if you fucked all of this up before you even started?

“Give it back Eddie I mean it,” you whine, still trying to reach the book in his hand.

“Then tell me you like this kind of stuff, and ill give you the book back right now,” he says still holding the book out of your reach. He leans in really close, his eyes dark with lust. Caging you in against a bookshelf and puts his lips up to your ear.

“Tell me, you get off on reading this stuff, tell me you read this late at night right before bed with your hand down your pants and the book is all yours,” he whispers before backing away to a normal distance, leaving the rest of the customers none the wiser.

You shiver when his breath touches your ear, you have to bite your lip as to not whine out in the middle of the bookstore. If you were needy before the date, nothing compared to how you felt right now. You were an omega about to go into heat, and the only thing that was going to put out the fire brewing in you was Eddie. Your legs threatening to give out below you, you take a deep breath to steady yourself before responding. Eddie patiently awaiting your response, taunting you with his one hand cupped behind his ear.

“I do,” you say meekly.

He gets closer to you, flaunting his size against your frame.

“You do what pretty girl, come on use your words” he coos, caressing you cheek with his thumb.

This time you let a whimper escape and a smile the size of Texas spread across Eddies face. You clear your throat and wet your lips.

“I touch myself when I read them,” you whisper loud enough for only Eddie to hear.

“Good girl baby,” he praises you, rewarding you with a kiss on your cheek.

He grabs the other book from your hands, leading the two of you to the checkout line. You felt like you were floating, you had never been this turned on in your life and Eddie barely touched you.

Then there was the dilemma, that Eddie refused to let you pay for your own books despite your countless protests. You pouted lightly next to him while he paid for your two book and one for himself.

“Don’t worry babycakes, I’ll pay for your porn” he teased with a wink as the two of you walked out of the store. He helped you into his truck, grabbing your waist tightly, making you gasp.

The car ride back to Eddie’s house was intense, both of you feeling the consequences of the little stunt Eddie pulled in the bookstore. Your chest heaving up and down heavily, Eddie holding on to your thigh with one of his hands.

“Do you trust me?” Eddie asks seriously, once the two of you get inside, he helps you shrug off your winter jacket hanging it up for you.

You nod quickly with no hesitation, only admiration in your eyes. You needed this man more than you needed air; did he really expect you to say no? And with final confirmation Eddie takes your hand and leads you up to his bedroom. Your eyes fixating slightly on Violet’s room before forcing her out of your head and focusing on the man in front of you.

He ushers you in, immediately tackling you into a heated kiss, pushing you closer and closer to the edge of his bed until you feel it with the backs of your knees. You inch yourself farther into the middle of his bed pulling him closer, looking up at him through your eyelashes, Eddies eyes are dark looking at you like he’s the hunter and you are his prey. Eddie follows suit incasing your body with his, enveloping your lips again.

But with more urgency, like the first time you kissed in the kitchen. You open yourself up guiding his body between your legs. He thanks you by grinding his bulge against your sweet spot making you gasp. Eddie takes that as an open invitation to slide his tongue into your mouth. Your lips clash together feverously, a mix of lips, tongue, and teeth. You pull back taking his bottom lip in between your teeth. Biting hard enough to elicit a hiss from his mouth.

“Fuckkk,” he groans loudly.

Changing pace, he dips down and starts sucking on your pulse point, sending shivers down your body. Your hips moving on their own rolling into his, the friction making you both moan. You could feel him leaving little bruises all over your neck, your mind too empty to care, having only one thing on your mind now. Him.

You become very aware that Eddie was wearing entirely too much clothing, tugging at the bottom of his shirt, he takes the hint and lifts up to exposed to pale ink decorated skin under his T-shirt. You were in awe of him, grabbing and kissing anywhere and everywhere, wanting to taste every single part of him. His arms were almost completely covered in ink, and most of his chest was covered too. You made a mental note to spend an entire day kissing every single tattoo on his body, but that day was not today.

Eddie wanting the same from you, he starts to pull up the bottom of your shirt, looking into your eyes for the okay. Seeing no protest, he takes it the rest of the way off. If his eyes could bulge out of his head, they probably would have with how wide his eyes got.

“Jesus Christ” he groans as he re-attaches his lips to yours, only to pull apart slowly making his way down your chest, leaving bruising kisses along your collar bone and the swell of your breasts that were peaking out from your bra. Getting impatient he peels the cups of your bra down to expose your nipples to him and incasing one in his mouth. Swirling the bud with his tongue, groaning into your chest. Each pinch and lick sending shock waves through your body.

Eddie stops what he’s doing and looks up at you, “Show me baby,” Eddie says while leaving little kisses down your stomach. You look at him slightly confused, unsure what he means. A small smirk falls on his lips as he uses his hands to reach up and take your left breast in his hand. Your nipple brushing up against his fingers. Enticing a hissing noise from you.

“Show me how you touch yourself when you’re reading your books, show me how you like it.” he says leaving more kisses on your breasts as his fingers continue to play with your nipple.

Getting impatient, Eddie grabs the hem of your leggings and panties, pulling them up and off your body. Pushing your knees apart exposing your dripping center to him, guiding your hand to your slit.

Then his touch is gone, you look to see his figure rummaging next to the bed in the bag from the bookstore. He pulls out the book he was reading and taunting you with. Flipping open to a page that seemed to peak the older man’s interest, pushing it into your hand.

It was your turn to become speechless, looking down at the words on the page he picked out for you. Your cheeks turn a bright shade of pink. His eyes dark but still warm and encouraging, still your Eddie. You bite your lip and nod back at him.

You look back to the words on the page, moving your hand slowly up and down your slit. Gathering the wetness from your center and swirling it around your aching bud. You see Eddie in the corner of your eye, palming himself through his pants, watching intently where your hand and legs meet.

Breathy moans spilling from your mouth while you touch yourself, your mind clouding in pleasure. If you weren’t so turned on, the wet sounds that echoed around the room would have embarrassed you.

“So fuckin naughty, you look so good touching your pretty little cunt like that,” he says breathily, pupils blown.

His words only edging you on, you moan loudly as you sink a finger inside your entrance, making your back lift off the bed in ecstasy, book completely discarded. You feel Eddie remove your hand from your core, you whine in protest. Enveloping you hand in his mouth, lapping at your juices, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

“Spit,” he commands, holding his hand out in front of your mouth. You gather the saliva in your mouth and spit it into his hand.

“Good girl” he praises, rubbing your spit onto your slit, making you gasp loudly. His fingers quickly replaced by his wanting tongue, teasing your entrance, and nudging his perfect nose against your clit.

“OH FUCK EDDIE!” you cry out.

Your words encouraging him to buckle down, swirling and flicking his tongue on your clit making you see stars. You buck your hips up to meet his tongue, chasing your release.

“Shit, you taste so good baby, could drown in this fucking pussy,” he babbles, re-attaching his lips to your bundle of nerves.

You can feel yourself getting close already, your entrance pulsing in anticipation. You grab a fist full of his curls in desperation. Eliciting a deep groan from him that vibrates through you.

“S-so good, so fucking good Eds, holy shit” you say with another roll of your hips. Then without warning Eddie sticks one of his fingers inside of you, finding a spot inside that you could never reach yourself.

“Fuck Eddie I-im gonna” you breathe.

“Come on sweet thing, cum for me” he purrs into your core. Keeping his pace with his tongue on your clit, adding another finger inside you. The feeling of fullness finally sending you over the edge.

You throw your head back in a silent scream, the coil inside you finally snapping sending wave after wave of pleasure through your body. Eddie leaving sloppy kisses on your inner thighs brings you back into your body.

“Still with me princess? You did so good f’me,” he murmurs into your skin.

You look at him hazily, he looked so pretty between your thighs. His strong arms incasing each thigh, his lips and chin glistening with your release. You reach for him, wanting to feel his lips on yours once again. He obliges you, tasting the remnants of your release on his slips, sighing against his mouth contently.

You roll him over so he’s on his back, leaving kisses against his stomach down to his clothed cock, making him buck up into you. You strip him quickly from his pants and boxers, impatient, you want to make him feel as good as he made you.

His cock is bigger than you expected, not too thick but long, a little patch of curly dark brown hair at the base. You situate yourself between his legs and look up at him through your eyes.

Eddie was trying to be patient, but you could see the desperation in his eyes. You start swirling your tongue around the tip, collecting his precum in your mouth. You groan deeply at the slightly salty taste, encasing the rest of your mouth around the tip. You hear Eddie curse under his breath, his hands cup the hair falling around your face so he can see you better.

You take this opportunity to lock eyes with him, gathering all the saliva in your mouth and spitting sloppily onto his cock, working it from the tip to the shaft.

“Jesus, fuck! Such a dirty fucking mouth,” he babbled. His words making you clench around nothing, Eddie was more vocal than any other partner you’d ever been with but you liked knowing that you were making him feel good.

You go back to working your mouth down on his cock, forcing it lower and lower until the hairs at the base of his shaft were tickling your nose and lips. You gag slightly around his cock, throat constricting around the tip, making him thrust farther down your throat.

“Shit, fuck I’m sorry baby, you just look so fucking good with your mouth full of my cock, couldn’t help myself,” he sputters. You hum as you remove his cock from your mouth leaving opened mouth kisses all the way down the shaft and onto his balls. You hear his breath hitch when you reach his balls. You spend time down there licking and sucking.

Taking your time lightly sucking each ball into your mouth and swirling your tongue around them. Truth be told you loved sucking and licking balls and you could tell Eddie did too by his reaction.

“Fuck, Fuck yes, you like that? You like sucking my balls? Good fucking girl, such a good fucking girl, shit” he cries out, tightening the grip he has on your hair. The new hold he had on your hair leaving a delightful sting on your scalp and that made your eyes roll back. You pull of his shaft with a pop , sloppily licking up and down his member.

“Fuck my face Eddie, please, fill my throat” you plead with your mouth still full of his length

“Don’t have to fuckin ask me twice sweetheart,” he says grabbing another fist full of your hair. You give up control and let him lower your head back down on his cock. His pace starts out slow at first seeing what you can handle. You can take most of his cock, and the rest that you can take you use your hand to stroke it, making sure every part of him feels good. He continues to shower you with praises, all of it becoming to much, you start to feel your own wetness start to drip down your thighs.

You can feel his cock twitching in your mouth has his pace picks up, slamming his cock in your mouth with reckless abandon. Making you gag every time his tip hit the back of your throat, Eddie swearing obscenities left and right.

His pace getting sloppy as he comes closer to cumming, and with one final thrust into your mouth he releases his load down your throat. You both moan in unison at the act. Smooshing your face down into the curls at the base for good measure before pushing off to straddle his waist.

Opening up your mouth to show him his cum gathered inside your mouth, Eddies eyes rolling back farther than you thought humanly possible. Looking back at you with hungry eyes, he holds your face with his one hand, cupping your cheeks. And with his other hand dipping two of his fingers into your mouth, fucking his cum farther down your throat.

“Swallow for me pretty girl,” he commands, your body tingling to obey his every thought, his eyes watching you like a hawk.

You swallow the rest of his cum left on your tongue, and stick your tongue out to show him the job done.

“Good girl, such a good girl,” he praises again, kissing you fiercely on the lips. Then you collapse onto the bed next him contently.

He grabs hold of your waist forcing you to cuddle close, he leaves kisses in your hair and your run circles across his chest with your fingers. Your mind completely empty of everything that wasn’t Eddie Munson.

That was until your phone went off, buzzing next to the bed. You ignore it, deciding that whatever it was, could wait. That was until it buzzed again, and again, and again. Finally you climb over Eddie and reach for your phone, seeing a couple missed calls from Violet.

You call her back without even thinking, there’s no way she could know that you were naked in her dads bed, no way.

“Hey Vi, you okay?” you say sleepily, worn out from your previous activities.

“They’re cheating me, they’re fucking cheating on me, I can’t fucking believe it!” Violet wails into the phone.

“Woah woah, slow down and start from the beginning babe what’s going on?” you say, concern in your voice. Eddie now sitting up wanting to know what was happening.

Violet goes onto explain that her and Quinn have each other’s phone passwords, and that she went to go look up something on his phone, and they had changed their phone password and had a text message from an unsaved number on their phone.

“Fuck,” you mutter into the phone.

“I need you to come over, I need you right now, i'm on my way back from Quinn's house now,” she pleads with you.

“I’ll be there as soon I can babe, don’t worry we will figure this out” you reassure her, feeling guilty for lying to her again.

You hang up the phone and look at Eddie, you fill him in on whats going on. Eddie wanting to go over to Quinn's house right now and give them a piece of his mind, but you talk him out of it until you know exactly what’s going on.

“Sorry we gotta cut this short,” you chuckle, leaning back into Eddies exposed chest.

“S’alright, I’d rather know that Vi’s okay. You’re a good friend Y/N, Vi and I are so lucky to have you." You blush at his words, he leans down and leaves kisses along your hair line and neck.

The two of you dress, you cover up your very obvious hickeys from Eddie, and part your separate ways. Just in time for the two of you to share one final kiss in the living room before the door opens.

Tag List! **If you want to be added to the tag list just lemme know, just need to be 18+**

@chaoticmunsons @sweetblinginrose @tlclick73 @paleidiot @frogtape @too-efn-old-to-be-here @peaches-roses-sins @micheledawn1975 @untitled74745 @hellv1ra @cozyquinn

#eddie munson #steve harrington #steve harrington smut #steddie x reader #steddie #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #steve harrington x reader x eddie munson #older! steve harrington #older steve harrington #older eddie munson #stranger things #steve harrington x reader #older!eddie munson

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honeytama · 2 months

Text

Make Your Move - Chapter 6

Noah Sebastian x Reader x Matt Dierkes

A/N: She’s back! A little thing; a minimal scene in this chapter may seem similar to a sound deck scene in Unveiled Hearts by @thefallennightmare. I noticed it after I read her story (which I love), but I chose not to rewrite my scene. No copying here, just great minds thinking alike <3

Fic Summary: Find in Fic Masterlist

Content and Warnings for Ch. 6: Lots of fluff and more dating! AHH, some suggestive content, some smut 18+, hands stuff (hand job/fingering etc), almost caught, semi-public

Word Count: 8k

Tag List:

@xxkittenkissesxx @exitwoundsx @jilliemiw86 @abiomens @lma1986

@flowery-mess @doomhands-jr @rain-down-on-me @justdamnpeachy @thatchickwiththecamera @narcissisticbehavior81

@xcllnt @somebodyels3

After Noah and you had your late-night tryst in the showers of the venue, the walk back to the bus felt desolate. You walked alone through the hallways and into the dark, humid night as you exited the venue into its back alleyway.

The grin on your face wanted to stay there; you wanted to be elated that both of the men that you were attracted to wanted you. However, your face falls when you realize that Matt was right: you’re not being fully truthful to him, or Noah.

You feel it’s hard to swallow when you think back to just ten minutes ago. Noah asked what you wanted to speak to him about and you dodged the question. Wanting to believe that your brain was foggy from the sight of Noah’s body, and that kiss, was half of your reasoning for lying, but the other half is that you really couldn’t bear telling Noah the truth.

Outside of the bus, you pace the side of it while listing the options available to you: don’t tell the two men that you kissed both of them the same night and risk their friendship and your relationship with them once they find out, or do tell them and risk it all anyway.

Everything about the situation made you feel gross and at a loss. If only you told Noah about Matt’s confession, then maybe you wouldn’t feel like you’re on track to manipulating them both in the process.

“Why?” You yell out into the night, holding your head in your hands.

You calm your senses and walk to hop onto the bus to head to Nashville, Tennessee. While in bed, you finally decide you should come clean to both of them as soon as possible to save you the heartache. In contrast to your decision, you thought, why not indulge yourself in the fantasy you had never thought possible?

—

A constant buzzing tone from your phone wakes you in the morning; you turn over in your bunk to grab it while noticing the bus isn’t moving. You must be outside of the Nashville venue already.

Without checking the caller ID, you hold the phone close to your ear and mumble, “Hello?”

“Good morning, loser, get out of bed,” Matt's voice is loud in your ear. You pull your phone away from your head and wipe the sleep from your eyes before responding.

“You’re such a bully, let me sleep,” you whine and check the time. Ten AM. It’s a bit later than when you would usually wake up. “Where are you?”

“I’m finishing a run with Noah. I’m on my way back to the venue, but he decided to go the extra mile,” he answers.

“Oh,” you’re lucky the fact that you just woke up can hide the lack of enthusiasm in your voice. You hope with everything in you that they didn't share the things they did with you the night before. They could have been laughing at you. They could’ve been plotting to “dump” you. They could be planning to fire you from the tour. Clenching your eyes closed to push back these intrusive thoughts you finally respond, “Sounds fun.”

“Yeah, it was,” he says, unfazed by your tone. “Anyway, I called because I was wondering if you had plans at, let’s say, noon?”

“Yes, I plan to rot in bed with my phone six inches from my face until they need us to work later,” you explain, matter-of-factly.

“So you’re saying you wouldn't want to go out on a date with me?”

This shocks you awake and you sit up on your bunk. The crown of your head bumps the top of the enclosed space, “Ouch, fuck!”

Matt laughs over the phone, but questions, “You good?”

“Yeah, I just banged my head on the top of my bunk.” You rub the throbbing spot on your head as you return to reality, “You’re asking me out?”

“Yup,” he pops the “P” in the word. Even though he isn’t there with you, you can just see the smug look on his face. “There’s a hot chicken place I’ve been wanting to try since we’re in Nashville and I thought I should finally take you out. You know, just you and me, like we said.”

You never thought that this day would come, but you remember your decision to be open and honest with the two boys. This would be the first time you addressed the elephant in the room, “Does it still bother you that I went out with Noah a few days ago?”

He hums softly. “I’m getting over it. I did give you two permission,” he says. “But, I figured, since I told you how I felt last night… and our kiss,” he pauses again, “you would want to start hanging out with me, too. Just not as friends.”

You bite your lip and sway in your bunk. “You want to date me,” you sing in his ear, teasingly.

“Don’t make me take it back, Y/N,” he grumbles.

“Okay, okay! Yes, I’ll go out with you,” you say quickly. “I’ll be ready at 11:45! Is it close by?”

“Sure is, we can walk there together. Wear something cute,” you can hear the smirk in his voice again.

“I will,” you sing. “Matt?”

“Hm?”

“Are you going to let me hold your hand?” You ask, hopefully.

“Maybe, if you’re good,” he laughs before hanging up the phone.

—

You’re dressed up in your favorite casual date outfit. It’s only a few minutes until you need to meet Matt outside the bus.

Adjusting your hair and accessories, you look into the bus bathroom mirror. The jitters that have shaken your body since the moment he asked out over the phone have not stopped, and really, it’s getting worse. You have to keep your jaw clenched to keep your teeth from chattering. The only thing that can help you is seeing him.

You huff and head down the hallway to the front room. Jolly and Folio sit on the couch on their phones, relaxing.

“Hey, beautiful,” Jolly says. “Where are you going?”

Folio looks up from his phone too, “Yeah? Damn, you look good, I like that outfit.”

Your cheeks flush at their compliments, but you realize you don’t feel comfortable with them knowing that you have been on a date with Noah and are now going on one with his best friend. “I’m going for lunch with Matt,” you tell them a half-truth. Lying seems to be in your repertoire these days.

“Oh, cool. Where are y’all going?” They say in unison.

“It’s a hot chicken restaurant he knows about,” you tell the truth.

“Shit, that sounds good. Could we come with y’all?” Folio asks, excitedly.

Folio, please. “I would love that, but we're going to do some catching up as friends,” you give him a sorry smile and offer to take him there another day while you’re still in town.

“It’s all good,” he shrugs. ‘Y’all have fun.”

You wave them goodbye, “See you later for the show boys.”

“Bye, Y/N!” They sing as you exit the bus onto the concrete of the venue alley.

Matt leans on the brick wall of the venue looking at his sneakers.

“Hey, handsome,” you compliment him. His outfit is different than usual. It’s not that different, however, you could tell he had his idea of a casual date outfit, too. Your chest flutters at the thought of him getting ready for you.

Matt looks up at you at the sound of your voice. A smile slowly creeps on his lips and builds to a toothy, shit-eating grin.

“I see you wore a clean, oversized tee today,” you tease him while looking him up and down. “And, camo cargo pants? That’s so hot.”

“Shut up,” he rolls his eyes. “I think that I look best without clothes, but I dont think Hattie B’s would allow that,” he jokes.

You tend to agree with that statement. He looks like a God when he is down to a pair of fitted boxer briefs. Besides the other features of his physique, below the belt, you’ve only ever taken a good look at his ass. You know that your life would be over if Matt were ever to catch you ogling his bulge, so even after countless sleepovers and pool days, you have no clue what he might be packing.

“Is that the restaurant we’re going to?” You ask as he comes to your side to start your walk.

“Mhm,” he hums. “By the way, you look,” you catch him sneaking a glance over to you, “amazing.”

“Thanks, babe,” you nudge his shoulder.

A ghost of a smile makes his lip curl upwards. He doesn't want you to notice, but you do. “I’m already regretting sharing my feelings with you,” he grunts before taking his hand in yours. His thumb rubs over the top of it softly and you smile to yourself as you walk down the city sidewalk, side by side.

—

“Can you order for me, Matt? I need to use the restroom,” you ask him.

“Yeah, I know what you like,” Matt agrees while staring up at the menu overhead at the ordering counter.

That was something that you loved about him and something you wouldn't get from Noah, not at this point. Matt remembers everything. The second you tell him you love something, your goals, even something you're just remotely interested in it’s like he has a notes app page open about it. Matt tends to order your food for you when you go out back at home, but if you order he’ll speak up for you if you’re too shy to ask for something specific.

“Could I have three chorizo breakfast tacos, please?” You would ask at your two’s favorite taco shop on Sunday mornings. Matt would give you a stare and a subtle head tilt to mention your customization, but when you don't.

“With salsa on the side. Not on top, please. She doesn't like it,” he would say for you before handing over his card.

You haven't realized it until now, looking into the bathroom mirror, but you have been comparing the two men you've been involved with and you don't like it. It’s not like you should have the privilege of comparing either of them anyway. Your choice to have one, for peace, is completely null. You could only hope to enjoy your time with the two of them until everything goes to hell.

Enough, you say to yourself roughly. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy your date. You wash your hands with warm water; the temperature change and the sweet scent from the soap soothes your senses.

You walk back out into the restaurant lobby and spot Matt sitting alone at a booth. His leg bounces up and down as he looks out the building window.

Walking up to sit across from him, he jokes, “You didn’t fall in did you?”

You giggle and get settled in your seat, “No, I was just nervous, I guess. I was taking a second to myself.”

“How do you feel now?” Matt reaches across the table from you and holds his hand in yours.

“Better,” you smile. He continues tracing circles with the pad of his thumb on your hand just like he did on your way here. Just on the soft skin of your palm, this time. “So, what did you order me?”

“I got you the mild spicy sandwich with fries. I think I got us a side of mac and cheese to share,” Matt purses his lips. “I got myself the hot sandwich with fries. You can try mine, but I know you’re not too into spicy stuff,” he shrugs.

You both speak at the same time.

“Thank you–” “Unless, it’s books–

“Matt,” you squeeze his hand in yours while making “What the fuck?” eyes to him. Ducking your head, you look around the restaurant to make sure no one overheard him. “Don't talk about my book.”

“You read it in public,” he says matter of factly. “I can talk about something that you do in public.”

“Reading on the bus isn't in public,” you defend. Heat travels up your neck to your cheeks like it usually did when Matt and you got on to the topic of sex. It happens often, and you hate that you don't mind it.

He shrugs and starts to laugh at himself. “I’ve Googled the title, by the way, I know what you've been reading about, Y/N.”

You decide to play his game. After over a year of dealing with him, you have found that the best way to combat his taunting is to do it right back. “Oh, really,” you tilt your head at him. “What is it about then? Describe it to me.”

Matt lets go of your hand and adjusts his hat. This is his common tell that he would rather change the subject, but in proper Matt fashion, he wants to play with you. “If I remember correctly,” he pauses while looking up at the ceiling, “It’s about a woman who moves into the house next door to this hot guy. Hot guy is a boudoir photographer? She does his marketing in exchange for him to teach her how to fuck. I stole your copy to check for myself and I remember the guy laying her out on top of a counter—”

“Uhm, I have the mild and hot sandwiches with a side of mac and cheese?” The woman delivering your food squeaks out.

“That’s us, thank you,” Matt coughs out.

“Thank you,” you say as they start to dart away from your table.

You and him stare into each other’s eyes with blank faces waiting for the employee to walk far enough away before you can react.

Once they have walked through the swinging door to the kitchen Matt is in hysterics laughing across from you. His keeling over the side of the table just so you can see the pleasure on his face a bit closer.

“Why did you just explain my sex book in front of the employee?” You cover your face with your hands.

“You asked me to! You did this to yourself,” he continues to chuckle while shoving a fry into his mouth.

“Also, I haven't got to the part you’re talking about, so thanks for the spoiler,” you huff before also taking a fry and shoving it in your mouth. “Shit, this is good,” you moan and relax your shoulders.

“Is that how you moan when—”

“Matt, I’m on my knees—,” you glare at him before he can interrupt you. “I’m begging you, could we please talk about something else?”

“Sure,” he calms and starts eating. “I wanted to thank you for saying “yes” to coming out with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was nervous that you might just want to see how things go with Noah,” he admits.

“Matt, I have had the biggest crush on you since, like, a month into knowing you? There’s no way I would pass up the opportunity for a date. I just—”

“What’s wrong?”

Here we go. “I just don't want everyone to know that I’ve been on a date with Noah and you. I feel sleazy.”

“It’s going out. It’s innocent,” he shrugs and bites into his sandwich. Talking with his mouth full, “You let me know if anyone tries giving you shit for it. I’ll beat their ass.” He swallows his bite. “If it will make you feel better, I don’t mind you saying that we’re doing stuff as friends. I’ll do the same. It’s pretty normal for us to be alone since people know we've known each other for a long time.”

Thank God. “I’m glad you feel that way,” you start. “Something happened with Noah. I need to—,”

“Tell me later?” He interrupts and then shakes his head, “Sorry, I don’t want to talk about him on our date. I just want to hear about you.”

“Okay,” you nod. Fuck, don’t take the out. You need to tell him, you think. “Yeah, sorry.”

“It’s ok,” he smiles. “Here, try this sauce. Shit’s good.”

You and Matt spend the next hour at the restaurant eating and chatting away. He feeds you fries and lets you try his sandwich. Which ultimately, as he predicted, would make you chug your drink down to get another refill.

He asks you to tell him about your aspirations again as your legs are intertwined with his underneath the table. He always listens to you so intently with a furrowed brow. It’s intimidating as all you want to do is impress him. However, Matt has never made you apologize for being yourself: for liking what you like, or for dreaming big dreams.

He reminds you of his goals in life and your chest has that familiar tingle by the way his face glows when he talks about them. He shows you his favorite pictures of his dogs that you have seen time and again. He gives you countless, soft-spoken affirmations and praise about how you look, the jokes you tell him, and your work ethic. He tells you how great you’ve been doing at your job. He’s proud of you and date Matt, romantic Matt… isn’t afraid to show it.

You feel loved. He’s in love with you.

—

Matt invited you to watch the show from the sound deck again tonight.

You agreed, excitedly, the butterflies in your stomach have yet to die down after your first date with him this afternoon. The smile on his face wouldn’t dissipate either.

The crew teased about how sweet he treated them when you two came in to check up on them after returning from getting lunch.

“What’s got you so excited, Dierkes?” Kooter, Bad Omen’s drum tech, teased from behind Matt while massaging his shoulders.

“Fuck off, go help Folio,” Matt said, brushing Kooter off. His tone showed itself to be negative, however, you love the way his lips turned up at the ends as he turned back to face you. His eyes smile too as they meet yours as if to say, “You’re what I’m excited about, Y/N.”

The crew set everything up as organized and as detailed as it would be if you two were there to manage the process, and the gig began as usual.

Later in the night, you stand at Matt’s side in the sound deck to prepare for Bad Omens to begin their set of the night. It would be two whole days since you would return to work after spending some time in Nashville before moving on to the next tour stop. Looking around the room, you take it all in, to save the excitement and fulfillment that your job brings to you every night. Fans line and lean over the railings of the balcony seats at both sides of the room; chatting and patiently waiting for the band’s introduction to the stage.

A group of women, around your age, stand in front of the sound deck barrier. They're laughing and taking pictures and you hear one of them dare another to ask Matt for a photo, too. He doesn't seem to notice, but the women catch your curious stare, they nod and motion for you to tap on his shoulder. You take a step closer to him, “Matt, do you want to take a picture?” You ask while lightly tugging on the sleeve of his shirt to get his attention.

He turns to you, immediately. “Yeah,” He smiles and begins to pull his phone from his jogger’s pocket.

“Oh, sorry, not with me,” you giggle, patting his arm. “Them,” you nod your head the ladies waiting hopefully and excitedly across from you two.

“Oh, sure,” he smile falls a tad, but returns to assure you. “I’ll be right back, okay? Then there’s something I want to show you.” He steps off to the side closer to the metal barrier that separates the crowd and yourselves and you watch as the group’s faces light up at him. They cover their mouths in excitement and mouth to each to “be chill or be calm”. It’s hard to read their lips.

The way they feel right now is how you would be reacting to meeting him or Noah in an alternative universe where Matt and you had never met on that walk that one day. Every time you're invited back to the sound deck, you feel like a fan again.

Matt says, “Have fun!” to the group and returns to your side. “So, I was thinking about something cool you could do if you’re interested?”

“Sure,” you raise an eyebrow at him as he walks a couple of feet over to the lighting board on the table.

“Do you want to control the lights during the Concrete Jungle call and response thing?” He pats the console.

“What? Me?” You say, shocked, yet excited. “Hell yes, but what if I mess it up?”

“It’s super easy, not even you could mess it up,” he teases and you give him an eye roll. “I swear. All you have to do is control these two faders; up for brightening down for dimming, and you just lead the crowd to chant “Jun-gle” using the lights. You’ve seen it almost every night for the past week, you’ll be fine.”

“I’ll do it,” you nod slowly.

“Here, practice,” he grabs your hands to rest them on the correct sliders on the board. He’s soft when he guides your fingers to push the sliders upward, slowly, which gradually brightens the lights overhead the stage. Various groups of fans cheer in the crowd for the lighting, hopeful it’s a sign for their show to begin. Matt guides your fingers back down the board and the lights dim to black again. “Now, do it yourself, just faster,” he leans back on his foot and crosses his arms over his chest watching you experiment with the sliders.

“Ok,” you let out a quick breath. Your heart beats fast in your chest, but you would have time to settle your nerves as you wouldn’t have to do this until Dethrone, their final song of the night. “I think I have the hang of it.”

“Good, because that’s all you,” he says. “Sometimes I forget that you're a fan of all of this. I want you to have more of these experiences,” Matt leans in close to your ear, in hopes only you would hear him. “I know I can be an ass, but you deserve to have the time of your life on this tour. I want this to work out.”

“Yeah, I know,” you squish his cheeks with your fingers. He reels back and swats your hand away, but laughs with you before returning to his soundboard and set up. Once he’s out of earshot, you mumble, “I want all of this to work out too, believe me.”

—

You sang to yourself and danced at a volume that wouldn’t take Matt's or fans' attention from the stage as you stand with him tonight.

While you were still reeling from your day with Matt, you still missed Noah. Your heart yearned for them equally, although it is hard to forget the six words that came out of Matt’s mouth last night. “I’m in love with you, Y/N.” It has been on repeat all day.

The nights you weren’t invited into the sound deck you would stand sidestage and would get hyped up with Folio as he passed you funny looks from his drum throne. Noah would partake in the antics, too, when it wouldn’t take away from his performance. Like: Having dance-offs with you when the audience thinks he’s dancing alone, or giving you eyebrows and a smirk at certain parts of his lyrics, and when he undresses down to a tank top mid-set.

Tonight, you don’t have to hide your gaze on his hands as he lifts his overshirt above his head. The way the muscles in his back and biceps flex involuntarily by the motion makes you shutter.

It was the same feeling you felt the first time watching him live. The bass of his growls coming through the stage monitors vibrate in your chest and makes your thighs clench. Sometimes, you wonder how long he can hold his breath as he holds on to notes and screams. You imagine his tattooed hands spreading and gripping your thighs apart uneager to come up for air as he feasts on your aching cunt.

Matt can’t hear your thoughts even standing a few feet from you, but you feel like he can so you sneak cautious glances over at him when these delicious thoughts pass through your mind to he if he reacts in any way.

The show was coming up to ‘Dethrone’. Noah has nearly finished his first encore of the night and you take your place in front of the lighting board with your fingers touching lightly on the sliders Matt showed you earlier.

While waiting patiently for Noah’s cue to you, he finds your eyes in the sound deck. His dark eyes match yours directly. Surely, he can’t be looking at you? You wonder. You feel like a fan in the crowd who’s just made eye contact with their favorite band member for the first time. He nods at you, and then he begins.

“Concrete,” he growls into the mic before ticking his fore and middle fingers at you twice.

“Jungle!” You slide the light faders in tandem and they glow above the stage with each syllable the crowd screams.

Noah and you go back and forth. His eyes never leave yours, even as he paces back and forth on the stage, and he successfully directs you through his chant. The room is packed as it’s a sold-out show, but you feel as though it’s only you two present.

He tosses you a proud smile as he begins ‘Dethrone’ and it makes your legs melt.

Fuck, he’s so hot. Distracted by him, you hadn’t realized the number of times he had unintentionally made you blush and make the hairs on your neck rise. Let alone let you realize the growing need for him building up fast in your abdomen. You want any part of him, and preferably more than a kiss tonight.

You watch him perform their final song in awe; you can imagine your tongue rolling out of your mouth and drooling onto the pit floor.

—

After fans have fully exited the venue, you’re left with Matt in the sound deck with a couple of other guys from the crew.

You catch Matt yawning and he asks, “Are you sleepy yet?”

“I’ve found I have a lot of energy after each show. I’m gonna stay up for a bit,” you explain. Your lying streak made this fib too easy to tell. While you had a lot of energy, it wasn’t because of the music or the atmosphere, it was because of Noah. Impulsive thoughts appear like demonic ghouls floating around in your head whenever your sexual needs aren’t met. You wanted so badly to throw yourself at Noah the second you saw him next; to re-do your first kiss? To go even further? However, you can’t, if Matt is to be too close tonight. He was learning to be okay with you having gone on a date with Noah, but you’re unsure of his reaction if he were to find out about you doing anything more.

“I want to try to get to the showers first, but I should get all of this down so we don’t have to worry about it in the morning,” he stretches.

“Go and shower, get to bed,” you rub Matt’s shoulder with care. “I’m gonna stay here and help out.”

“M’Kay,” he yawns again. “Goodnight, Y/N. Make sure my stuff gets packed up real nicely. You’re the only one I trust.”

“Yes sir,” you give him a faux salute as he walks off toward the back of the venue. You smile at him, but your stomach lurches. He trusts you. He’s in love with you! I am being manipulative, you think guiltily.

You spend around forty-five minutes tearing down the sound deck making sure to pack Matt’s equipment, cords, wires, and laptops carefully away. You handled his things with care, even though you were half-distracted by the throbbing between your legs.

“Y/N,” a male voice calls from behind you.

It’s a crew member’s voice. Their usual lighting and production tech who helps Matt in the sound deck. “Hm?” You turn around to meet his face.

“Go ahead and wind down for the night. We’ll take care of the rest,” he nods toward the back of house. “Thanks for helping.”

“Of course, anytime. Goodnight everyone,” you set what you’re working on down and start walking toward Bad Omen’s green room with a sense of urgency.

Once inside, you grab your bag, your nighttime relaxation clothes, and the clean towel you pack in case you want to take a late-night shower. Tonight you do, but you doubt you’re going to be doing your wash routine.

Please be in here and alone. Please.

“Noah, are you in here?” You call out his name as you push open the door to the showers. The layout of the room is more like a locker room than the past showers you have used at other venues. One side of the room is lined with sizable shower stalls with floor-length curtains for privacy, while the other side of the room has a wall of lockers and benches. On them, you notice Noah’s backpack and nicely folded clothing. His boots sit together underneath the glossy, wooden bench.

“I’m in the second stall,” he talks over the sound of the steaming water raining down over him. A light mist rises over the top of his curtain and dissipates as it hits the ceiling. You can’t see him the way you could the night before.

You bite your lip anxiously. What are you doing? You ask yourself. Your body feels hot by how turned on you are and it keeps you warm as you strip yourself naked. Pulling your panties down your legs, you notice a prominent wet spot accumulated by the pool of your arousal. You stuff all of your belongings into an empty locker and softly click it closed.

His name falls from your lips before you can catch it, “Noah?”

It wasn’t in your plan for him to poke his head through the curtain, but he does. “Yeah?” His voice is innocent, but his eyes widen once he sees the sight of you. Your arms bravely stick to your sides to allow him to gain you in full. “Shit,” he hisses under his breath while making haste with the outline of your body. You watch his eyes roam you as you stand there in heavy silence before he opens the curtain a little more to invite you inside. “You’re so damn beautiful,” he says as you stand in front of him. Once you’re in the stall, you feel like his eyes will never leave yours. So, if you tried to sneak a peek anywhere but his face, he would most definitely know.

“Thank you,” your cheeks feel hot. “Is it okay if I shower with you?”

“Mhm,” he nods and hums. His low tone reverberates against the walls of the shower stall. “I was hoping you would. You have no idea the thoughts that have been running through my head since last night.”

His admission makes you feel tingly. “I hope I’m not moving too fast. This feels so out of character for me,” you shake your hands out.

“I want to move as slow or as fast as you do,” he confides to you in a low tone. His fingers reach to the crook of your neck and trace down your shoulder, to your bicep, to your forearm, and rest to intertwine with your fingers.

“You looked so good on stage tonight,” you admit as you look up at him with shining eyes. “Every night, I watch you perform, and it—,”

“And what?” Noah steps into your bubble. The tips of your breasts just barely graze his skin.

“I get so turned on,” you’re nearly talking into his clavicle. He slightly shutters as your breath hits his skin. “Noah, I’m so pent up, it hurts.”

“I can help,” he nods and his wet bangs sway. You watch the water from his hair drip onto your chest. The varying temperature makes you shiver. He notices this. “Get yourself wet first,” he instructs while switching places with you for you to stand under the running shower head.

You run your hands through your hair and close your eyes to enjoy the heat. You feel the same tickly feeling on your breasts that you always feel around him, so you open your eyes to catch his gaze from your tits when you admit, “Noah, I swear I’m already wet.”

His laugh and toothy smile make you warm inside, as much as the hot water warms your skin on the outside. He leans in close to press a kiss into your cheek, “I want to feel how wet you are, Y/N. But first, I want you to look at me. I give you permission,” his shoulders shake as he laughs at you trying your best to look at every shiny tile that lines the stall rather than his nude form.

When he backs away, your eyes trail his body. The freckles on his shoulders are the first of what you see. You reach out to touch them, but his hands come to your bare hips to push you slowly until you’re both underneath the warm, running water. The water moves in slow motion and you follow it with your eyes as it hits his chest and drips lower to his stomach. His waistline is spotted with water droplets. You take one last big breath before letting your gaze fall to his groin. He’s half hard and the tattoos around his lower stomper and thighs surround his member like he’s a work of art. Your shoulders shake a tiny bit when you chuckle at the sight of his wet leg hair and impatient toes that are dancing, waiting for you to look back up at his face.

You look up to meet Noah’s eyes, but you can’t help but sneak glances at his lips. “You’re so beautiful,” you whisper to him as you wrap your hands behind his neck and pull him down into your kiss.

He hums against your lips as if to thank you. Noah’s arms wrap around your body as you detach and reattach to his mouth in fervor. He scratches your back with his nails and grips the skin of your back. He tastes so good, so fresh. Your tongues fight each other for dominance and you win.

Noah groans when he feels your hand caress down his stomach and slowly makes its way to wrap around his half-hard cock. He feels so warm in your hand like he’s blushing down there. You open your eyes while making out with him and his cheeks are glowing pink. The sight of his dick on your small hand gives you raging confidence and makes your heart burst.

You begin to stroke him while kissing him. He grows harder in your hands and grows longer, and thicker. You move your lips and teeth and attach them to the side of his neck as he allows heavy breaths to fall from his lips. “I like the way your cock hardens in my hand,” you moan in his ear.

Noah grips your ass and it makes you pull away from his neck to whine. “I like that,” he moans. “So fucking much, you don’t even know. But, I want to help you. You can make me cum another time.”

You bite your lip and nod.

“Spread your legs, just a little bit,” he commands in a low tone. You spread your legs apart and he praises, “Yeah, just like that.”

He dips his head to your left breast and latches on, tongue first, to the nipple while kneading your other breast with his hand fingers. Water splashes off to the sides of the shower as he presses himself into you.

“Ah,” you whine when his dominant hand leaves your chest to snake between your bodies to your core. The pads of his fingers find your clit and give you a firm press before sliding through your folds, curiously.

Your dazed eyes meet Noah’s as he pulls his hand from your cunt to show you the clear, slimy juices that drool down his fingers. “I really do turn you on, huh?” He boasts before sticking his fore and middle fingers between his lips and lapping your arousal away.

“Mhm,” you moan at the sight of him licking his fingers clean.

Noah plays with your nipples with his empty hand while the right one is brought back to your pussy. “Do you remember when I heard you say my name?”

“Hm?” You’re dizzy and can’t fully think of what he’s referring to.

“The second night of the tour. The morning after, I asked you if you needed to ask me a question because I heard you say my name,” he explains while rubbing your clit in expert figure-eights. “Noah.”

Your eyes shoot open and meet his eyes, but they’re attached to your lips. “I was touching myself. Thinking about you,” you admit while whining on his fingers.

Suddenly, his fingers pinch your clit gently, but with enough force to make you cry out, “Noah.” The pain makes you shutter and collapse against his form.

“I’ve been waiting to hear my name come from your perfect lips again,” he chuckles while pinching your nipples at the same time. “Good girl. Now, tell me what you were thinking about.”

“I was thinking about, fuck,” you grind against his hand as he releases your clit to palm your cunt. “I brought my favorite sex toys with me. I was imagining you using them on me.”

“We can do whatever you want,” he speaks low into your ear before kissing your neck. His longest fingers prod your entrance and tease your pussy with quick, shallow pumps. The palm of his hand presses firmly into your clit and you grab his forearm for balance. You feel it flex under your fingers. “Do you want to cum on my fingers?”

“Yes, please, I need you—,” you squeak out.

The sound of the locker room door swinging open causes Noah to turn you around and press your back against his chest. His hard cock rests against your ass and you want to grind on him so badly, to make him feel good too.

“Noah, could I borrow your phone charger? I’ve lost mine already,” you hear Nick call out to Noah from the entrance of the room.

Noah covers your mouth with his hand and you breathe softly through your nose. His other hand cautiously rubs circles on your throbbing, aching clit as he responds, “Yeah, Nick, that’s fine. You can find it in the second pocket of my backpack.”

You start to grind up against Noah feeling his dick harden against your skin, again, and his hand pressing hard into your private region. You need relief.

Nick’s footsteps echo through the room, and you can feel your heartbeat matching the pace of his steps; so quick and to the point.

Noah continues his movements but goes a bit further to test the waters. He uses his weight to hike you up a bit further and you get the sign to stand on your tiptoes and bend your knees just a bit. Noah reaches his fingers between your thighs again and dips them in your slick cunt, slowly.

Your eyes roll back into your head, and you do your best to stay silent. You hope the running shower can hide how your breath hitches as Noah curls his fingers inside of you, stretching you out.

“Nick, when you find it,” Noah’s voice vibrates against you, “you can keep it. I have two others in my bunk.”

“Thanks, man. I got it now. Good night!” Nick says before you hear his steps towards the door and the door closing behind him.

With Nick gone, you moan against Noah’s palm on your mouth freely. His fingers are slim, but they’re so long and reach the best spots inside of you. His thumb rubs your clit as he fucks you with his fingers.

“Such a good girl for staying quiet,” he praises and removes his hand from fully covering your mouth only to prod your lips with his fingers to stuff them between your teeth. “Now, be loud for me.”

His name is broken as you try to say it, “No-ahhhhh, ple—please!” Your eagerness for full relief drives you to grind harder on his fingers, so much, you're bouncing on them and doing the work for him.

Noah supports your hips so you don’t slip on the wet tile. “I know, I know,” he says daringly while kissing the crown of your head. “Go ahead and cum, you deserve it.”

“Fuck, thank you—,” you hiss as you reach up and tangle your fingers up into the back of his hair. You release on his fingers and he hooks them to repeatedly hit your G-spot as you ride through your high.

“That was so hot,” he praises into your ear. “But, let’s try not to get caught again, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you laugh as you stand while holding the wall for support.

“Let me clean you up. We still need to actually take our showers,” he holds your waist and pulls you back into the water.

—

“Are the showers going to start being our new meeting place?” He chuckles as wraps your fresh towel around your shoulders. The one you stuffed into the locker when you came in. You patted yourself on the back for remembering to do it or else Nick would have definitely known you two were hearing together.

“Maybe,” you shrug at him with a smile. While you enjoyed your private meetings, you also wished you could say and do everything you wanted to you with him in front of everyone else. You could feel that keeping things secret was starting to get harder on your mental health. Sex is the main thing you don't mind keeping behind closed doors.

Noah’s head pops up as if he has had an epiphany. “Do you want to go on another date before we go to sleep?”

“Of course!” you match his excitement with your arms loosely wrapped around his waist.

“Good, because I already have an idea of where can go,” Noah reaches into the front pocket of his backpack to retrieve his phone. You peak at his screen as he opens his Yelp account and searches for the best milkshakes nearby.

—

Noah sits across from you in a black hoodie covering his hair. His lips are wrapped around one of the white and red striped bendy straws in your shared cookies and cream milkshake. He giggles as you pull out your phone to take a picture of him and his hand comes to cover your phone camera.

You playfully fight his hand away while snapping a couple of shaky pictures. “I need more pictures of you!” You whine. “You took so many of me when we were in Boston.”

“We can take one together,” he pulls his phone out of his hoodie pocket and angles it towards your faces. You both take a sip from the shake and he takes a picture. He looks at it before showing you, “You’re so cute.”

“Mhm,” you hum, sipping through your straw. This milkshake was definitely in the top three of all you have ever had. Noah knows how to pick good places.

“So, tell me,” he sits up a little higher in his seat before leaning forward. “Everything. Everything about you that you didn't day on our first date.”

“Noah, it’s past midnight,” you chuckle, but he still looks at you with eager eyes. He wants to know you. Everything about you. You mentally note that one day you could reach the level of comfort that Matt and you have, and you want to try to get there with Noah. “We have the next two days to talk, too,” you kick your legs in excitement and he smiles when they brush him. It’s pretty easy to touch him; his long legs take up the majority of the space under the tiny table you’re sitting at. “What should we do with all of our free time?”

“I have one idea of how we can spend a lot of our time together,” he shrugs and gives you a knowing smile.

“What?” You giggle with your tongue on the straw.

“You could share a bed with me at the hotel we get to stay in for the next two nights,” he suggests.

Your eyebrows raise in intrigue, “Mmm.”

“We would have to have one other person to share our room with us for the room costs to be worth it, but I would get to sleep next to you for real, instead of across from you,” he plays with his hands over the table.

“We’ve slept next to each other every night on the bus,” you think out loud. “I would feel comfortable with that, I think.”

Noah moves his fidgeting to the strings of his hoodie. You love to watch how nervous he gets talking to you. It’s charming. “I really like the way we talk to each other across the short space between us when everyone else is asleep,” he admits and you pout your lip at him in awe. “I’ve never told you this, but sometimes I’ll stay up and watch you sleep when you forget to close your curtain.”

You lean forward and rest your hand on your cheek.

“Also, because I stay up,” he sips on his straw. “That’s how I knew about— you know?”

You gulp down the shake in your mouth so as not to choke on it. He’s referencing what he reminded you of earlier in the shower. Noah. “Oh, yeah, that.” Your face heats up.

One of his hands shoots towards your open hand resting on the table. “That didn’t bother me by the way,” he reassures. “I’m flattered, honestly. Feel free to think about me all the time.”

You giggle before watching his fingers interlace with yours.

“You make me really excited, Y/N. I haven’t thought about being in a relationship with anyone for a long time. I feel so preoccupied with so many other things, but when I think about that with you… it feels possible.”

“Noah, that feels so good to know,” you say softly, it’s almost a whisper. You feel vulnerable now. “You have no idea how much of a dream it is to get to know you that way I had when I was just a fan three months ago.”

“I love that you’re a fan, but you’re also my equal. I was pulled into you the second I saw you. I still think back to us sitting on the patio bench at the L.A. studio together,” he squeezes your hand.

“Me too,” you agree. You two sit in comfortable silence for a beat.

“You don’t have to tell me everything I need to know about you, yet,” he chuckles. But, before we go back, can I ask you two questions?”

You push the empty shake glass to the side and hold both of his hands in the center of the table. “I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all I want,” he says. “First, do you say yes to at least rooming with me at the hotel the next two nights?”

“Yes,” you nod with an excited smile. Whether you’ll have to live with the consequences of your answer or not, you’ll see.

“Lucky me,” he smiles. “Second—,” he takes his time to continue, “what are you looking for with your time with me? Is it just fun, a relationship… I want to know.”

#my favorite chapter yet!!#next time is WHEW #love you ty!#matt dierkes #noah sebastian #matt dierkes x reader #noah sebastian x reader #bad omens fanfiction

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princessdimondheart · 1 year

Text

The Twins | Ghost x Wife! Reader

Pairing: Ghost x f! Reader + Their Twins

Warnings: 🔪- violence, terrorist act, blood, inaccurate medical scenes; 😭- fear, emotional stuff, family; 🥺- well deserved happiness

Edited: No

A/N: Simon’s mother doesn’t have a canon name so I decided it’s based off of a flower. You pick which one. Almost 8k words 😳. Part 2? Idk. Sorry it took so long! 😭😭

Masterlist

Character banner ©️ Me

Tommy brushed his short hair back like it would do anything. It was a standard military cut, close shaven but not exactly bald. When he had it cut- to get used to it he told himself- his twin sister, Violet, laughed in his face. Said he looked like an escaped inmate with the cut or someone from pre-Y2K. He pouted remembering it, he had yelled something about her blue-dyed hair being basic and threw a dirty sock in her face. She yelled and then grabbed his arm and proceeded to throw him over her shoulder. He really should have seen it coming. Her hard work in Tai Kwon Do really paid off. His back and ass hurt for the next few days.

Unfortunately, his poor mother paid witness to the little altercation. She was tired from a long shift at the hospital and was laying on their gray couch munching on Doritos. She only shook her head when he whined to her about Violet. She told him that if he wanted to join the army like he dreamed about, then he would have to toughen up and not complain about things whenever they went wrong. A distant look shown in her eyes. An old memory most likely; one of their long gone father, a military man, and one of the reasons why Tommy wanted to join. To follow in his father’s footsteps despite his job being the reason he wasn’t in their life anymore. He and his twin got quiet and then went their separate ways. They knew how much the loss of their father hurt their mother and they didn’t want to bring her any more pain by mentioning him when she’s emotionally drained from her shift.

When Tommy had told her that he wanted to join the army, his mother froze in shock before tears spilled from her eyes. A hand covered her sobs and her brow furrowed. He had never seen his mother cry before and it nearly had him spiraling. He rushed to hug his mother asking her what was wrong. When she calmed down, she pulled back and held his cheek in her hand.

“You’re just like your father. I knew something like this was going to happen but I wasn’t sure it would be so soon.” She wiped her tears with her other hand. “It’s okay, you can go if you really want to.”

He didn’t realize the tears building up in his eyes until they were running down his face. He was only 15 but he was already a head taller than his mother. She said he got his height from his father. Tommy had to tell her his decision because her permission was what would get him into the army when he turned 16. He had no other dreams, just the army and making his parents proud.

“Tommy! Are you done checking yourself out? We need to go to this last store before heading home.” Violet’s voice crashed his preening in front of a mirror in an H&M store. “The sun’s already set and we’re running late as it is.”

“Chill, Vi, we don’t always have to be punctual. Mom’s on shift anyways, we can go home at whatever time we want!” He looked at her through the mirror.

She rolled her eyes at him, scoffing, “says the boy that wants to join the army where punctuality is very important.”

Violet’s eye color was from her mother, in fact, all of her looks were from her, even her height except her eye shape was from their dad. Tommy was the one who was almost a carbon copy of their dad. There were slight variations in their looks, like skin tone and hair texture but nothing too different. He liked the fact that he looked like his dad. It made him feel closer to him in a way.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, let’s go so you can shut your whining. I am in the army.” Tommy mumbled the last part under his breath. He shoved a hand in his pocket and pushed the other in front of her face, wiggling his fingers for the bags she was holding. She handed them over when he moved his hand closer to her face and she swatted it away. Sure, he messed around with his sister but he was still a gentleman. His mother would fry his ass if he was anything but.

They were heading to Piccadilly Circus to look at the stores in search of a birthday present for their mom. It was coming up soon and they were running behind in the gift department. All other aspects of the little party they were planning were already put together, the only thing left was her gift. Now that he was in the army for just over a year, he had some money saved up and was planning on using it for her gift. That was the reason why he was here, he was on leave for her birthday next week. Violet suggested a nice pair of earrings and a necklace for her since she doesn’t really own jewelry other than her wedding bands. Tommy readily agreed.

The walk from H&M to the square wasn’t longer than ten minutes but they took their time window shopping along the way. The square was decently crowded, it was a Thursday after all and there were plenty of tourists and locals scurrying in and out of the shops. Tommy rubbed his hands together, it was cold that night. Unusual for the time of year but he assumed global warming was to blame. He really wished spring would finish up so summer could get here.

~~~~~

Ghost was methodically sharpening his knife on a whetstone when Price knocked on his door with a loud bang. His masked head whipped up and he gripped the knife tighter.

“Load up, Simon. My office, yesterday!” His voice was hurried and gruff. Something was going down and that made Ghost kit up faster than normal. Grabbing his gun he was out of his room in less than a minute.

In Prices office was the rest of 141, Gaz and Soap were kitted up in their tactical vests with their weapons slung over their shoulders. No one was sitting.

“We just got word that a terrorist plot is going to go down tonight at Piccadilly Circus. We’re going to head over there before it goes down.” Price shook his head. “Hopefully our presence deters them or we’re able to put a stop to them before anyone gets hurt.”

Gaz was reasonably upset. He had been there for the first attack on the square a few years ago. It was actually how he got into Price’s sights in the first place and joined the Task Force. “Again? Seriously?”

The Captain gave him a knowing look. “If it’s going to be an issue, you can stay here Kyle. You don’t have to go.”

“No-no, sir. It won’t be an issue.” Gaz sighed. “I just hope it turns out better than last time.”

Soap patted him on the shoulder. Price nodded at him and then walked to his office door.

“Let’s go!”

~~~~~

Violet had tugged on Tommy’s jacket and pointed out a jewelry store that seemed promising. Luckily it was still open so they both went inside. The clerk greeted them but wasn’t as attentive to them because of their youth. That is until they told her their budget. Typical.

She was looking into the bright glass boxes filled with different types of jewelry in gold, silver, diamonds or other precious stones. Tommy wasn’t really paying attention to her. He fiddled with his dog tags and the busted up ones that belonged to his father. They rested over his jacket. He’d hum and glance at a necklace she was pointing to but he was rather distracted. There was a small commotion just across the street near the metro entrance.

A black van pulled up and several men jumped out of it seemingly inconspicuous. He thought nothing of it until he saw a handgun sticking out of his waistband. Now, Tommy didn’t do that great in the section about their laws in school but he sure as hell knew that guns were illegal in their country. His brows furrowed, and Violet tugged at his sleeve once more to get his attention.

“Tommy! What’s with you?” She voiced her annoyance. “What are you looking at?”

She peered around him but didn’t notice what he was staring at so intensely. Tommy noticed that one of the men planted something on a nearby car parked on the street. He felt something go through his body. It was a feeling of cold and dread. Dread of what was most likely going to happen. What it was he didn’t have a clue. He just felt the cold chill his blood and goosebumps ran down his arms.

His eyes widened in shock and fear when one of the men pulled out an assault rifle from the truck. He only had a few seconds.

“Get down!” Was all he could manage to get out.

Tommy turned and grabbed his twin by her arms, pulling her into his body. The shots rang out directly towards them and in various directions. He vaguely remembered hearing a loud boom ring out. Screams spread around them. Tommy could only feel the burning sensations coming from his right arm, lower back and left leg. Violet’s screams were muffled by his jacket, the dog tags dug into her face. Her head had hit the ground hard despite Tommy covering it with his hand, and it throbbed in that dull way. Glass shattered around them and alarms were going off. They dropped heavily to the ground. Tommy’s body was covering Violet’s protecting her from the blaze of bullets still lodging themselves in the walls around them.

Violet screamed again as one land near their heads. Tears ran down both their faces. He tightened his grip on her.

“Violet- Violet, please.” He grunted. “It’s okay, we-we’re gonna be fine. Just lay down. S-stay quiet, yeah, you’re good, Vi.”

She was shaking. He was shaking. Although his body was prepared for going to war, his mind had yet to catch up. Although, Tommy wasn’t sure if it was nerves that was causing him to shake, the cold chill spilling through the shattered store front, or the blood seeping out from his wounds.

Violet felt wet but she couldn’t figure out what it was. At first she thought she had wet herself in fear but the feeling was coming from her torso. She turned her head as best as she could and saw Tommy grimacing in pain. Her eyes looked further down and saw the blood pooling under her. She wasn’t in pain.

“Tommy! Ta-Tommy, you’re bleedin’!” Her voice pitched high with alarm. She sobbed into his shoulder. Her hands tucked into her body pulled out and wrapped around his back. She held him tight.

“I-I’m fine, Vi.” He stuttered out. He was feeling weak from the blood loss.

“Don’t l-lie to me Tommy.” She hiccuped. “You’re s-shit at it.”

More explosions rang beyond the store. They shook the building they were in. Pieces of debris were falling from the ceiling, landing on and around them. Suddenly, various gunshots were fired in rapid succession and Violet worried that more terrorists had arrived. She hoped that the police or some anti-terrorist agency would arrive soon. Several minutes pass and the gunfire lessened until it finally stopped.

“Tommy? We can get up now, l-let me put pressure on y-your wounds.” Tommy wasn’t saying anything and that worried Violet. Her breathing quickened in her panic. “Tommy!? Get up! Tommy!”

Her hand reached up to push him off of her. It was a struggle as he had gained a significant amount of weight in muscle over the last year. He weighed a ton and when she was finally able to push him off of her, Violet was huffing even with her martial arts skills. Other times she’s able to pull him over her shoulder with momentum but now he was dead weight. God she dreaded the thought. Her shaking hands scrambled to his neck. Two fingers felt for his pulse and found a faint one. It fluttered but it was still there. She sighed in relief.

Violet tried to remember the first aid course that she took last summer that their mom’s hospital was offering to students interested in joining the medical field. She surveyed his unconscious body to find any wounds and when she found them all she got to work as best as she could. Violet took off her jacket and wrapped it around Tommy’s arm hoping to slow down the bleeding. Then she remembered that he had on a belt and so she took it off to tie around his leg. He unconsciously groaned when she tightened it. She couldn’t really put pressure on the wound on his back but she tried her best to keep a hand covering the wound. The bullet hadn’t gone all the way through and stayed lodged inside him. It wasn’t sanitary but it was the best she could do.

Her body continued to shake and she looked around the destroyed jewelry store. There were other bodies lying around. Blood was smeared on the shattered glass display where the lady was standing minutes before. The lack of pained noises sent a pang through her chest. More tears rolled down her cheeks and onto Tommy’s shuddering chest below her. She wished she hadn’t insisted on stopping by the other store instead of going straight here. They would have been home earlier. She wished she were the one injured and not Tommy. She was the oldest by a few minutes and it was her job to protect her little twin brother. She wished her mom was there to help Tommy. She wished her dad was there to help them get through this.

She cried and cried. Pain and sadness filling her up and boiling over in body racking sobs. Her hand gripped one of Tommy’s.

The silence was almost unbearable, until it wasn’t.

~~~~~

They were too late, again. The intel that they had been receiving lately was always a little too late than normal. Ghost knew that Price was gonna have a word with all the intelligence personnel when they were done with the mess that was before them. Gaz was pissed as his expression showed. They’d all seen similar scenes like this before but it always hurt more when it happens on home soil.

The police had arrived but were not as prepared as the Task Force, so they set up a perimeter not letting anyone in or out. They had dispatched all of the terrorists within a few minutes of them being in Piccadilly Circus. A few had lingered in the square while others had gone into some of the shops. Once the area was cleared and the police had began searching for survivors, Price had them doing the same.

“Soap, Gaz, go together and look for anyone still breathing on the north side. Ghost and I’ll stay on the south side of the square.” They split up and began their search.

Ghost passed a few bodies that weren’t alive. He saw the Captain flinch at the body of a child but he never said anything. Children were always hard in their line of work but for him it hit closer to home than what Ghost could ever understand.

“Hello? Is anyone alive?! We’re the army!” Price began to call out in hopes of an answer back.

There was silence yet it was loud. Sirens, alarms, and broken glass crunched underfoot and around them. They saw that the police and EMTs had found a majority of the survivors near them so they pushed further into the square. Price called out again and a muffled cry called back.

“Help! Help me please!” The feminine voice cried to them. Her voice pulled them towards her like a lifeline.

They ran to where the voice came from, a rather famous jewelry store that didn’t look as nice as before. The broken glass and bullet holes would turn anyone away. Ghost made it to the entryway first but Price stopped him with his hand. He gave him a look and went in first. Then Ghost remembered his skull mask and the fear it brought to people, especially civilians, so he waited until he was needed. The familiar crackle of the radio was heard faintly.

“Shite, get in here Ghost! They’re kids!” Great, another demographic that he wasn’t really good with. When he stood by them he realized that these kids were older than what he thought. They were teenagers.

Then, he froze.

Years of memories rushed through his mind in seconds. The sound of laughter… a certain hair color… the smell of her favorite perfume… her flowers, whose scent would waft up his nose whenever he came home. Things he so painfully remembered and yet chose to let go so as to not cause tremendous harm. A feeling that he had longed to never let go. He grasped at the tendrils for a short while before that dreadful night.

Those eyes… they were her eyes. At first he thought that she was kneeling there before him, but then remembered that more than a decade had passed and she would have changed in that time. Rarely had he seen her with tears streaked down her face. Or blood on her clothes…

Her look-alike cried out a sob and reality overtook his memories.

“Please, please help my brother he got shot.” The girl pleaded looking up as he walked closer. She wasn’t scared of him in the mask but she was for her brother. That’s when Ghost looked down.

Was he staring in a mirror? This boy. This kid. It was like looking at a photo of his younger self.

Clink.

Ghost’s eyes snapped to the sound of metal in Prices hand. He’d already done a glance over of the boy and decided that the girl did a good job of wrapping his wounds with what she had.

“Are these his?” Price asked the distraught girl.

“Y-yeah. Tommy just joined the army not long ago. Barely over a year in.” She breathed in deeply as if to calm her mind.

Tommy… he knew a Tommy once. His own brother. Every piece was coming together. He was one, and they were the other two. Just one was left…

“…and the other?” Price continued. He didn’t need to ask but he wanted to confirm the information he held. The cheeky bastard.

“It’s our fathers… or what’s left of him.” Those same eyes as her looked down. Sadness filled them. Sadness for himself, he realized. A father long gone. Those were the tags that he left behind in the wreckage. Now here they were… somehow returned to him.

Ghost hardly remembered when the ambulance pulled up in front of the store. Or when the EMTs moved Tommy onto the stretcher. But he did remember the smell of his blood and the salt in the air from her tears.

Price was able to convince the EMTs to let them go with Tommy and his sister. They weren’t happy about it but decided that armed men tagging along with them after a terrorist attack wouldn’t be so bad. He’d also radioed Soap and Gaz of their departure. They had found some victims buried under rubble and were trying to get them out with some firefighters.

Price whispered low enough for only Ghost to hear. “You doin’ okay, Simon?”

He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? His new-found daughter was siting across from him while his son lay injured, bleeding out from wounds caused by a terror act not thwarted by his team. He felt useless. Yet, he felt grateful that he was able to meet his children in a way. The situation was horrible, but that brought them together; and it was highly likely that if it had not happened then he would have never learned about them. He’d have probably died in combat before he ever heard whispers of them. No, he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He would continue on the path placed in front of him, for now at least.

He just shrugged his shoulders and stayed silent. That must have been enough for Price as he just eyed him for a bit before looking down at what the EMTs were doing to stabilize Tommy.

“Oh!” Price jolted in realization. “We never got your name, love! So sorry.”

The girl looked up at them. She glanced at him then at John. Ghost must have looked strange sitting there in his black gear. They both definitely looked out of place in the ambulance.

“It’s fine. I’m Violet… Mister…?” She wasn’t stuttering anymore but her voice was subdued and scratchy from her crying.

“Call me John, young lady.” He nodded at her. “And this is Ghos-“

“Simon, will do.” He had no idea why he cut him off or why he gave her his name, but it brought a grin to Prices lips.

“Oh, it’s like my da-“ The ambulance coming to a stop cut her off and the EMTs began off-loading the gurney.

They moved themselves out of the way and followed closely behind as he was rolled into the emergency department. There were other ambulances dropping off patients from the attack. EMTs, doctors and nurses were coming in and out, and there was a heavy police presence at the entrances.

Inside was more chaotic. The hospital was in Code Orange for mass casualty or disasters.

Patients lay in gurneys as nurses and residents tended to them. Many of the dead rested under blood soaked sheets, yet to be moved to the morgue. Blood pooled on the white floors, some of it was stepped on and tracked throughout the rooms. Cleaning workers did their best to mop up the evidence of the nights tragedy. Very few had minor injuries. Friends and family were there searching for missing relatives. One of the smarter police officers began a missing persons board and had them write descriptions of the missing.

As Violet stepped through the automatic door, she saw her mom finish tending to an older lady who had been grazed by bullets and suffered a concussion when she fell over. She fiddled with her gloves. It was loud in there but when she called for her mother, the older woman’s head shot up in fear.

“Mom!”

Hearing this, Ghost’s eyes scanned the crowd. He had to find her. A face he hadn’t seen in years, unless he counted the similarities with his daughter. It wasn’t so hard. He’d recognize her face if he was blind and only had his hands to see.

She was older, of course, but no less as beautiful as he remembered. Her hair was styled differently, likely due to her job, but still shined healthily. Her scrubs were in her favorite color and a blood stained white lab coat donned her body. She wore blue gloves and a face mask as she tended to her patients.

“Violet!” She speedily walked to her daughter, passing between other doctors and nurses. Fingers tugged on latex and she dumped the gloves in a garbage can filling up with similar bloody items. Her hands rested on Violet’s shoulders as she couldn’t hug her with all the blood on her.

She gasped when she saw Tommy.

“Tommy!” She cried and tears flooded her eyes. Her hands went to his cut up face. “You were there?!”

An EMT asked her to help them. “This patient needs immediate care, doctor!”

“I-I’m sorry. I’m too close to the patient.” She stuttered.

She looked around her in the chaos for a free doctor. She hardly noticed the two armed men hanging back. Her eyes stopped on her colleague. He had worked as a doctor for over forty years and had done thousands of surgeries. He had been a great mentor to her since she first started working at this hospital.

“Jack! Dr. Yates!” She called over to him loud enough for others to look over. The older gentleman startled but made a bee-line for her. When he was close, she grabbed a part of his white sleeve. “Please, doctor, help my son. I’m too close to work on him properly.”

The grayed man gave a look over Tommy and had them immediately push him to an open operating room. He grasped her upper arm. “Don’t you worry your brilliant mind, sunny. We’ll get him spick and span in no time. Take a break for a few minutes, you’ve been running around since 5 this mornin’.”

Letting go, she only nodded along as they wheeled Tommy away. She allowed a tear to fall. It dripped onto the floor, mixing with other bodily fluids that fell from their patients. She tried not to let her fear of her losing another person get to her.

Not again. Not here. Not now.

“Mom?” Violet called for her worried about her sudden silence. She tugged on the back of her white coat, which was still white, surprisingly. That got her moving.

“Violet? Are you alright? You’re okay, right? There’s blood all over you!” She inhaled once. “Do I need to get you som-“

“Mom! I’m fine! Honestly!” Violet interrupted, her bottom lip wobbled. “T-Tommy protected me. He saved me, mom!”

She sobbed harder than before and her mom, now not caring for the blood, pulled her in for a tight hug. They clung to each other desperately. Violet was shorter than her mom so she was able to burry her face into her neck. Tears wetting her skin and clothes.

Movement behind them, made her look up, unsure if anyone else needed help. It was the two men that had come in with Violet. She had not really noticed them before because all her focus was directed to Tommy and Violet; her two most important things in life. Both had some blood on, what she now realized was military kits, and they stood there in silence carrying their weapons slung over their shoulders. One wore a funny fishing hat and the other had a rather fitting face mask for the overall mood of the day. The skull plated mask hid the face underneath. Her eyes lingered and he caught her gaze.

Ghost stared at his once-wife in the eyes. The eyes that would always making him feel like he was falling deeper into her soul. She spoke but his ears weren’t working. Price answered and his hand whacking his arm made him blink twice and their staring ended when she looked at Prices hand.

“No, we’re fine… Doctor…?” Price answered her worries of injury.

“I’m Doctor-“

“Dr. Riley!” A nurse interrupted her. Ghost felt his chest tighten. She’d kept his name. “We need you here! He’s code blue-ing!”

She sprang from her daughters arms. “Coming! Violet go to my office and stay there for me, please. I’ll be back soon, hopefully.”

Violet nodded before her mom ran off to where the patient had just rolled in. She jumped onto the gurney and began chest compressions. The EMTs continued to the elevator and up to the operating rooms like nothing had happened. More nurses followed them into the large elevator. Her mom pumping that mans chest was the last she’d see of her for the next few hours.

She was still a Riley. His Riley. After all these years, he remembered her saying that she wanted to keep her maiden name for her doctor status. He was always okay with that and knew she’d never change her mind, despite her taking his name, although hyphenated, when they married. He wondered what made her change her mind. Then he remembered that he had ‘died’ several months before her graduation as a resident. He reminisced on how he snuck in to see her one last time at the ceremony before running away to the battlefield.

Price eyed Ghost as he stood there staring at the closed elevator doors, even when they opened as another body was taken down to the morgue. He looked tense, brows furrowed, pained, and understandably so. His whole life just flipped over and over in the matter of a few hours.

But then Ghost glanced at his hands. Bloodied hands. Tommy’s blood. Then to Violet and then back again to the dried blood. The blood of his only son. It dawned on him that he almost lost him. Almost her. Both of them could have been stripped of their lives. And so easily too. He hardly knew them and that hurt him even more.

“Ah… let’s escort you to your mums office, yeah?” Price called to Violet, who was also spacing out.

She wiped her face and nodded. She led them to the stairwell and they climbed up two stories. Several corridors down and they were in a decent sized office. Price told them he would get them some snacks and drinks at the vending machines he saw awhile back. Ghost knew he was giving him time to talk to Violet. He was somewhat grateful and annoyed that Price knew what he needed.

They both sat down on the cushioned chairs. Violet flung herself down with a loud sigh. She was drained both mentally, physically and emotionally. She wanted this nightmare to be over.

“You’re Violet, right?” His deep voice asked and Violet’s eyes drifted upward. He’d heard her name multiple times, was even introduced, but he needed the confirmation again.

“Yeah, I’m Violet… why?” She looked a bit confused, brow raised just like her mother used to give him.

His chest tightened and he felt like he couldn’t get the words past his lips but he forced himself to. There was no better time than right now. “I- I just know your mum… that’s all.”

“Really? Why didn’t she recognize you?” She asked but Ghost pointed at his masked face and she blushed. “Oh, right.”

The silence was awkward for a moment before Violet spoke, surprising Ghost with her words.

“Well… I like your mask. Kinda edgy. It’s actually pretty cool… for an old man.”

“How do you know I’m old?” Ghost tilted his head slightly.

Violet scoffed and crossed her arms, leaning back into the chair. “You know my mom, so you’ve gotta be old.” Ghost almost rolled his eyes; she was gonna be the death of him. Then she looked contemplative.

“Do you think Tommy will still be able to be in the army?” She looked at his eyes, her brows furrowed even more. “It’s been his dream for the longest and now that he’s in, I don’t think he’d ever get out… but if he’s discharged, I think that’ll hurt him the most.”

Ghost didn’t say anything right away so she continued her little rant. “Mom tried to get him to go to uni, but his heart was set on the army ever since he learned that our dad was in. He held onto that dream for so long and when mom let him go, well, I’ve never seen him so happy…”

Her breath shortened as tears ran down her face. “I—I should have been paying more attention. It’s my fault. I have no situational awareness, damnit, even Tommy’s told me that before. If I’d noticed sooner or realized what was going on, he wouldn’t be hurt. I’m the older twin. I should be-be the one taking care of him!” She sobbed harder.

Ghost came to kneel in front of her. He took her hand that was twisting her bloody shirt. “It’s not your fault. You, nor anyone there, knew what was about to happen. Terrorists have no regards for the lives of the innocent while doing things that would harm them.”

“Tommy’s hurt but I can tell that he’s strong. I’ve been hurt like that before and I healed up fine. Plus he has even greater care here. They’ll take care of him and you only need to keep your head up and know that Tommy’ll pull through.” He continued. “He’s young so he’ll bounce back well enough to return to his unit. Don’t you worry your pretty lil’ head ‘bout that.”

“Thanks.” She laugh-cried. “But it’s hard to take you seriously with that mask.” She giggled.

Ghost huffed. “Well, Tommy pulled some heroics back there saving you. Might even earn a brag rag with the right recommendations…”

Violet’s confused head tilt made him explain the meaning. “It’s a medal.”

Her eyes brightened. “You’d do that?”

He hummed. “Captain Price might put in a good word too, but yeah, he deserves it.”

There was a sudden and somber silence. His hand gripped his knee to prevent it from bouncing.

“Ah… any plans for uni? Or something…?” Bollocks, how the hell do you talk to a 17 year old girl, who is also your child but doesn’t know it? Improvise… he guessed?

Violet told him that she was debating going to vet school or medical school to become a surgeon like her mother. She wasn’t sure which university she would apply to.

“Tommy keeps teasing me that I should join him in the army as a field surgeon. But… um, I think I wanna help out people in our community here.” She chuckled softly. “I told him that if he ever got hurt he could come to me to patch him up, but that I’d have to hurt him again for even getting injured in the first place.”

Ghost smiled under his mask. Mask. His mask?

Maybe he wasn’t thinking clearly. Perhaps one too many whacks to the ole head. Or maybe it was the high of meeting his long lost children for the first time. Ghost wasn’t sure what it was…

His hand reached up, curling under the bottom of his balaclava, and pulled the black cloth over his head in one tug. The higher it went, the more his chin, lips, nose, cheeks, eyes, and hair was revealed.

Violet’s breath hitched as she took his face in. Her eyes roamed over every feature and scars. She knew this face, from the back of her mind she knows that this face is like the one going through surgery right now. Like the one in the frame sitting on her mother’s desk right in front of her. Tears began to burn her eyes but did not fall. Her lip wobbled.

~~~~~

“Violet, I am your father…” Simon’s eyes stared into hers for a moment before closing tightly. His brows scrunched together and his lips tugged into a fine line.

“Was t-that a Star Wars reference? Or are you being serious?” Violet asked confused, burning tears finally falling.

“You’ve seen Star Wars?” Stop deflecting, Simon!

“What?! Don’t change the subject Mr. Simon!” She gasped, her eyes widening. “Mister… Simon. Simon. Simon?”

“Yeah?” He asked, swallowing hard.

“This doesn’t make sense! I-I must be hallucinating. Maybe, maybe I actually did die or something.” Violet’s voice shook. She closed her eyes and moved her head side to side. There was a subtle shake to her body. “Nope! This is not fucking real! You’re supposed to be dead! Dead, I tell you!”

Oh god, she’s reverting back to her drama club days.

“Umm… language?” Not the time to reprimand her for her words. “I mean. Sorry. It’s… It’s just a really, really long story. I actually don’t know how I’d tell-“

“Daddy!” Violet sobbed and before Simon could comprehend it, the teenager had her arms wrapped around him as much as she could with his size and body armor.

The shock in his eyes softened with her continued sobbing. It struck him in his heart. All the walls he’d built since before joining the Task Force began to crumble. Piece by piece, chunks began to disintegrate. His own eyes burned with tears that hadn’t fallen in years. It was almost a relief when they did start to fall. They dropped onto Violet’s shoulder and rolled down her back.

Simon didn’t know how long they held onto each other for. Hours or days could pass but he would rather still be in the newfound embrace of his daughter. Violet had settled into soft sniffles and little hiccups, eventually falling asleep in his lap. His own tears had dried, for now, leaving streaks down his cheeks. For a moment, it felt peaceful despite the chaos several floors down and a few streets away. His arms tightened around Violet. He wasn’t sure if he could ever let her go…

His eyes staring off into the wall flashed to the door when it was pushed open. And there she was.

~~~~~

Dr. Riley sighed as the sound of the EKG flatlining continued. They had initially brought the patient back from cardiac arrest and proceeded with the surgery. However, in the last fifteen minutes he began to show signs of another cardiac episode. The nurses and she had tried their best but unfortunately the patient’s wounds were too much for his body to handle.

Pulling off her bloody gloves and dumping them into the hazardous waste disposal, she told the nurses to take a breather since they’d been going at it for hours by that point. Hell, her shift had long been over when her daughter and son had arrived but she had stayed. She couldn’t bear leaving while knowing that many people were suffering. She’d seen over a dozen patients when the casualties started pouring in, almost tripling her patient count for the day.

A quick change of clothes in a designated room and she was walking back to her office. Eerily, the floor her office was on was quiet. There were other busy wards here but the chaos was concentrated downstairs. She heard her crocs squeak on the polished floors. It used to make her blush at the loudness of the sound but now she couldn’t give a fuck. Her patients needed her, damnit! As if a squeaky shoe would hold her back from reaching her patients on time just because she was embarrassed by the sounds.

Reaching the door to her office, she noticed that the light was on letting her know that Violet had made it in one piece.

“Hey, Violet, are you hungry-!” Her eyes widened in mild confusion and concern at what she saw, before glaring slightly. “What the fuck?!”

Her Violet was in the arms of a strange grown man, she been crying, clearly as they stained her cheeks. She nearly lost her top and yelled more before focusing on the man’s features.

It was like seeing a ghost.

He said something but it was like cotton balls were stuffed into her ears. Whatever it was she probably needed to see an otolaryngologist. She felt something fall down her face and along her neck and into her clean scrubs. Her vision blurred. She wasn’t sure if it was from tears building up or her body moving quickly in their direction.

~~~~~

Simon called for her by name. He hadn’t said it in a very long time. It honestly hurt him to. After all, he had left her alone and with his children no less, although he hadn’t known. He’d spent some time thinking about it while holding onto Violet. If he would have stayed had she been able to tell him about them. He would like to think that, yes, he would have stayed, but Simon wasn’t sure if his own insecurities and trauma related to his abusive father would push him from wanting to claim such a responsibility.

She stared blankly at him. Her dull and tired eyes worried him. He knew she’d had a long and hard day. Simon missed the shine in her eyes from long ago. He was starting to feel strange with her gawking. He shifted in his seat as softly as he could to not disturb Violet.

The movement seemed to awaken her and gave her the strength to move closer to him. But her knees weakened and Simon had to outstretch an arm in order to catch her. A loud sob fell from her lips. Slightly chapped due to lack of time to care for them that day. The jerkiness of his movement woke up Violet and when she saw her crying mother in the arm of her dad, her tears renewed.

“Mom!” She tasted salt. The words were taken from her.

Simon pulled her up into his lap too, before tightening his arms around both of them. Both of his girl’s hands were clutching him equally as tight. They were all breathing heavily and their bodies shook with each sob, with each inhale and exhale. Simon rested his head against theirs. Fingers tangled in their hair.

After they all calmed down a bit, Simon began to explain what happened all those years ago. What happened to his family, why he left, and that if he had known that he was going to be a parent that he would have taken the time to think things more carefully before doing anything drastic.

She raised her hand against his stubbled cheek. “It’s not your fault, Simon. I should have told you about the pregnancy sooner. I-I just wanted to surprise you when you came home, but…”

He knew the ‘but,’ he never came home. Only a news article about a whole family dying in a house fire. Dog tags left to be found hours later. His only living ‘relative’ was his father.

He needed to stop thinking about his father, who he believes may or may not still be around. But those fears of being like him as an adult presented as usual. It was a constant struggle to let those feelings go. Feelings of inadequacy surfaced and since his face wasn’t covered as usual, it was easier to see by his frown and furrowed brow.

She recognized that look on his face despite the many years apart. She held his face in her palm. He leaned into it, his own hand coming up to hold hers closer to him. The look in her eyes told him all the reassurances that he craved.

Violet watched all this in awe. Never would she have thought that she’d be witness to the love between her mother and father. She tucked herself closer to her father’s chest. Violet had grown even more tired after the attack and the crying. Her eyes drooped and a sigh left her lips as she fell asleep. Simon’s arm subconsciously pulled her closer.

It felt like hours but only thirty minutes had passed before Dr. Riley got restless. She tapped Simon on the shoulder.

“I should go check if there are any updates on Tommy.” She said and Simon, reluctantly, let her go. “I’ll come back if there’s any news. And I’ll bring you both something to eat. Surprisingly, the cafeteria has a decent sandwich selection.”

Ghost nodded and readjusted his grip on Violet to hold her with both arms.

“I can have a cot brought in if you want?” She looked lovingly between the two. A soft smile tugged at her lips.

“Ah… I think I’m fine, for now at least.” His pale cheeks flushed. He just couldn’t let his little girl go. Especially not when she’s sleeping so peacefully in his arms.

She nodded and left the room.

During that time, his phone had buzzed and a text from Price glowed back at him. He texted that he had the next few days off and to not come in to work for any reason other than emergencies.

Simon texted back a simple, “Okay.”

~~~

Dr. Riley returned with food in paper bags and good news. Tommy was in post-op and was being moved to a private room soon. She told Simon that she could take them there. So, Simon stood with Violet in his arms, who surprisingly has not been awoken by the move. His arms were under her knees and back.

They had arrived before Tommy so Simon took the time to survey the room. It was rather large with a couch on each side of the room. His love told him that they pulled out into beds if they wanted to use them. Simon lowered Violet onto the blue couch, resting her head on the pillow and covering her with the provided gray hospital blanket.

Thirty minutes later and Tommy was rolled in by a team of nurses. The principle doctor residing over his care began to explain the next steps in Tommy’s recovery. It felt like a lot but Simon was intimately familiar to the process due to his own previous injuries.

Afterwards, his love was finally able to rest so she sat next to him on the other blue couch. There was distance between them and Simon couldn’t get his body to melt into the soft couch. He could feel her glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. He spied her hand inching towards his. His eyes looked and then looked away. He argued with himself to just grab hers. He finally said ‘fuck it all’ and just wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her whole body closer.

A soft squeak escaped her lips. He buried his face into her hair and breathed in deeply. It still smelled like her shampoo. She melted into his embrace.

“Simon?” He hummed. “I don’t know how, but, thank you.”

He looked her in those eyes that kept him awake at night. “Of course.”

~~~

Two days later…

~~~

Bleary brown eyes fluttered open. He took several moments to blink away the crust on his eyes. The blindly white room was dark with only a soft amber lamp glowing in the far corner. He felt like his body was stuck to what he was laying on. He looked down and saw white sheets.

A flash of dark movement caught his eye from one of the pull out beds, fully stretched out and occupied. He shifted his stiff neck to see who or what it was.

He saw his own eyes.

Maybe he was dead. After all, he swore he saw his father sitting there by his mother. He tried his hardest but the sedatives won the battle. His tired eyes blinked slowly before finally closing. His breath evening out in slumber.

Wide brown eyes stared at the monitor. Only relaxing when the machine kept beeping at a constant rate. Then, Simon laid back down and clutched her closer. She sighed and moved closer to him. And damn was he happy in that moment.

Masterlist

🔖 Taglist:

@sae1kie

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penkura · 4 months

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Fever Dream [2/2]

Note: Hi! This is part 2 of the request from the lovely @xxchaosjojoxx for Penguin x Reader! :) I finally got it done, I really hope you guys will like it as much as the first part! It may have gotten away from me, sometimes I don't know how to stop myself and just add more parts, that's probably why the WCI chapter of 'knowing' was almost 8k words. :')

Oh well, again, hope you all enjoy!

Part 1 here!

Taglist:

@bby-deerling | @xxchaosjojoxx

Penguin doesn’t think anything is wrong the next day, not at first anyway. He’s finally over his fever with strict orders from Law to take it easy and let others help him out, which he promises to do with the threat of toilet cleaning duty over his head, the thought of asking you or Shachi more than anyone else, especially when he goes to greet you that morning before breakfast.

Only, you give him a wide-eyed look before shouting your own ‘good morning’ and quickly walking past him, saying you’re starving and want to get breakfast right away, when Ikkaku asks what’s wrong. When your best friend sees Penguin is the reason you’ve run to the kitchen faster than she’s ever seen, Ikkaku just smiles a bit, laughing slightly.

“Oh it’s you, Penguin. Morning, happy to see you’re better!”

“Ha, thanks, Ikkaku,” before she gets past him to kitchen, Penguin grabs her wrist to stop her, “Is [Y/N] okay…? She’s never run away from me before.”

“Mm,” nodding, Ikkaku keeps grinning like a devil before Penguin lets her wrist go and she pats him on the shoulder, “She’s doing great, thanks to you.”

Ikkaku doesn’t tell him anything else, not even when Penguin tilts his head in confusion and tries to ask what she means, she just continues on to the kitchen. He follows suit shortly after, catching your eye again and giving you a smile, but it falters when you look away quickly, turning to Jean Bart and asking him something. That’s not normal for you, anytime Penguin speaks to you or gives you a smile, you always reciprocate, you have from the very beginning. When you joined the Heart Pirates you seemed so nervous about everything, Penguin made it his job to help you get comfortable, he didn’t really expect to fall in love with you over that time. He seriously thought you felt the same, that he’d be able to ask you out soon and start courting you.

But now he has to wonder what he did to make you be like this around him. A few of your crewmates notice the difference, shaking their heads at Penguin or snickering over it, especially when you finish your breakfast and take off before he can stop you. It starts to frustrate him, to the point Penguin looks at everyone still around with a frown, though some of them don’t meet his eye (granted they can’t even see his eyes but still).

“…what the hell happened?”

+!+

You don’t stay around Penguin for very long that day, if you can help it. Law paired you both up briefly to wash the dishes, Penguin being surprised when you put your headphones on and ignore him this time. Whenever you do any task together, the two of you would have a blast, chatting or swapping jokes or book recommendations, time flying by and you both feeling like you’ve gotten closer. You’ve been a Heart Pirate for five years now, there’s still so much Penguin has to learn about you he feels like, but if you won’t even talk to him now, it feels like your growing relationship, still a friendship, is starting to backslide.

And he doesn’t know why. You were fine two days ago, what happened yesterday?

“Shachi…” Penguin’s whining pulls Shachi’s focus from his task of checking supplies, Law wanting one more run to the island before you all take off. He barely looks at his lifelong friend before going back to making notes on what the ship could use extra of, since the next potential stop is weeks away from the current one.

“What’s up, Pen?”

“[Y/N]’s been ignoring or running from me all day!”

“Oh yeah?” He snickers a bit, knowing exactly why, Ikkaku had told him and Shachi may have let it slip to a few people who knew how smitten you two were with each other. He really did hope this was the push you both needed to get your relationship going.

“I can’t figure out why, and everyone keeps shaking their heads at me! Did I do something??”

“…wait, you don’t remember?” Shachi stops writing to finally look at Penguin, who shakes his head with a pout.

“No! And if someone says that one more time, I’m going to—”

“Dude, you told her you love her.”

Penguin stops ranting and rambling when Shachi says that, his eyes widening as he barely manages to get a quiet ‘huh’ out before his friend nods.

“Ikkaku said that [Y/N] told her you thought she was Ikka, and were asking how to tell her that you love her—”

“I don’t—” Penguin feels his face turning red and starts to pull his hat down over his face.

“—and then you kissed her before passing out from your fever. That’s the basic gist of it, man.”

Shachi is somewhat amused seeing Penguin fully cover his face with his hat, a bright red blush showing through what’s visible. Twenty-eight and still nervous as hell when it came to romance, no matter how times he’s flirted with other women in the past, it stopped the second he met you when you joined them. It was like a flip switched in Penguin’s brain that told him ‘she’s the one!’ and he’s been enamored with you ever since.

Not like you didn’t feel the same, he’d heard it from Ikkaku constantly. She tells him everything about what you say regarding Penguin, how much you like him back and wish you could make a move but you didn’t want to ruin your friendship in the process. A fair reason, though if you’d only known sooner how in love Penguin was, you probably wouldn’t be running from him all day. Penguin probably wouldn’t be going through such mental anguish and feeling like he’s done a terrible thing by kissing you like that.

He keeps muttering about how that was so wrong, he messed up, you must hate him now. How could you not? He probably just stole your first kiss! And without even asking if he could kiss you! That wasn’t fair to you, he just feels awful about it.

Letting him have a few minutes, Shachi eventually pats Penguin on the shoulder, giving him a smile.

“You should go sit down and talk to her. You guys need to work this out, but I doubt she’s mad at you.”

“Shach—”

“She’s probably more embarrassed than anything, based on what Ikka told me. So just go give it your best shot, Pen.”

+!+

Law pairs you up again that day to work on the crew’s laundry, something that shouldn’t take long or cause Penguin enough stress to make his fever come back. The only thing really stressing him out is the fact you still haven’t really spoken to him, except when you tell him you’re taking clothes to their respective owners. The few times you leave to do so, he tries to hype himself up and convince himself to just talk to you, see if you’re mad or if you’re willing to work things out with him.

When you come back the last time, no headphones in sight, he feels like he has a chance.

“Captain wants me to help him with something, can you finish here?”

His shoulders slump and he’s about to say that he’ll be fine, but instead Penguin shakes his head.

“No, uh, I mean, yeah I can, but…can we talk?”

You bite your lip a bit, Penguin not looking at you, and you shake your head slightly.

“What’s there to talk about? You were sick, it wasn’t on purpose.”

“But what I did was wrong, even if it was because of my fever.”

The way he sounds when he speaks almost sets you off, you almost start telling him that no it wasn’t a big deal, you have the same feelings for him. You were just shocked he returned them! Okay maybe a little embarrassed still, but that was all on you, he’s the first person you’ve ever kissed, you don’t know how to handle it yet.

“I,” you want to tell Penguin he really didn’t do anything wrong, but even though you can’t see his eyes for that hat, you feel like he’s giving you puppy dog eyes and you’re going to absolutely break down and try to kiss him if this keeps up, “I need to go!”

“No, wait, please!!” Penguin grabs your arm, nearly begging you to stay, “I…I’m sorry for kissing you! But I…I love you! So please…stop running away from me.”

You’re both silent for several minutes, you still don’t look at Penguin and it makes him so much more anxious. He needed to apologize, right? That would fix it, it would fix everything. He was delusional and didn’t think that fever dream was reality, he made a mistake and kissed you without permission or knowing he was even doing it. He felt so bad about it, that’s not how it should’ve gone!

“This wasn’t…how I wanted to tell you…”

“…how did you want to tell me?”

“I…I wanted to take you on a date,” he quietly speaks, while you turn around and watch him, Penguin doesn’t lift his head to look at you, “I was going to take you out yesterday but, well, you know…”

“Yeah, I know,” the laugh you give when you respond makes Penguin finally look back to you, he’s almost shocked to see the blush on your face as you slip your hand into his and lace your fingers together, “I would’ve said yes, if you asked.”

“…yeah?”

Nodding, you let Penguin pull you closer to himself, slipping his other arm around your shoulders in a hug that you return. He’s honestly glad to hear that you’d agree to a date with him, finally deciding to ask you today.

“So…will you go out with me tomorrow? Before we leave the island.”

“I’d like nothing more, Penguin.”

“And,” he takes a breath and sets his forehead against your own, giving you a better look at his pretty blue eyes and the blush across his own face while you smile, “Can I kiss you…for real this time?”

You giggle a but and nod, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

“To your heart’s content.”

You’ll probably have to talk about things more later, but the grin Penguin gives you before properly kissing you makes you forget about anything else you wanted to say.

At least until Law comes looking for you and has to break you apart before you two take things too far, deciding that he’s not going to be pairing you up for tasks again anytime soon. You and Penguin making out isn’t what he meant by taking it easy.

#one piece x reader #reader insert #penguin x reader #op penguin x reader #fem!reader

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holdmytesseract · 1 year

Text

The Price of Love

☆ The Baby Fever AU ☆

Loki x Y/N

Summary: You convince Loki to take you with him on a charity event, together with some other Avengers. What starts as a nice and exciting little trip to Canada, ends in a nightmare...

Warnings: pregnancy things/symptomps, overprotective Loki, almost nudity? thirst, suggestive smut?, swear words, Loki being the best hubby and dad possible, angst - quite a lot of angst, guns, bad people, violence, fighting, injury, blood, Loki going FERAL and being a bit... brutal, death, fluff

Word Count: 7,9k

a/n: Here it is, guys! The (almost) 8k words Baby Fever rollercoaster ride. 🫡 Yep... I went absolute bananas with this one. 😂 I love every bit, though. 😁 The story behind this fic? Well... @iamlokisgloriouspurpose made a post about a story she was looking for (some of you might remember) a few weeks ago. It was something about Loki x pregnant!reader, where she accidentally gets hit or something and Loki is overprotective, etc. She couldn't find the fic and I was like: Hey, would you want me to write something along that? And @iamlokisgloriouspurpose was like: Heck yeah! Well, here we are. You know how much of a sucker I am for such things... I couldn't resist. 🤷🏼‍♀️👀 Anyways... I hope y'all like it! 😁

Baby Fever Crew: Tagging y'all again in the comments! 😊💚

Baby Fever Masterlist °☆• Masterlist

"No, love, absolutely not," Loki stated; shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest. "I won't allow that. Not in your condition. You rather stay here with Ella."

You raised an eyebrow, and put your hands on your hips. "In my condition? Babe, I'm pregnant! That's not a condition. I thought you knew that?" Loki snorted. "Well, to me it is." You sighed. "Okay, look, I understand your worry - but geez... Ease up a bit. I didn't even pass the first trimester. And besides, this is just a charity event. Not in the slightest dangerous." Your husband's jaw clenched, as his brain searched for the right words.

"I know, Y/N. I am more than aware of that, but..." He paused; unlocking his arms to tenderly cup your tiny, almost still invisible baby bump. "We fought so long for this, darling. Against heartbreak, sadness - Norns, even depression, and now that we are finally blessed with this little wonder growing in there, I'm not letting it go again. It was so hard for us to get pregnant. I'm not going to risk it."

You swallowed; raised your hands to cup both his cheeks. "I know, babe, I know..." You whispered; on the verge of giving in - but then you remembered a very important thing. "But you'll be there, too. You can always have an eye on me and protect us. I promise, that I'll never leave your side. And that I'll be careful. Plus, you wouldn't need to worry about our princess as well, 'cause she's more than safe with her grandparents on Asgard. She's already so excited to go there."

You could practically see the gears turning in his head. "How does that sound? What do you say?" A low grumble of disliking rumbled through Loki's chest, but in the end, he gave in with a sigh. A decision he was going to regret later. "Alright, fine."

Only a few days later, you and Loki were on your way to Canada - Calgary, to be precisely; together with Bruce, Peter and Tony. It wasn't a very big charity event, but an important one nevertheless.

Once the Quinjet landed, Tony immediately made sure to get everyone to the hotel you were staying in. After checking everyone in, the billionaire was quick to get to his room. "Alright, team... We'll meet at exactly eight p.m. tonight. No minute later. We have to be on time." He pointed at everyone - the longest at you and Loki. "Especially you two lovebirds. Understood?" Everybody nodded well-behaved. "Sure thing, Mr. Stark." Except Loki. The god just rolled his eyes. Tony ignored him and instead turned on his heels to leave the lobby. "Now if you'd excuse me... I've got a terrible headache, caused by all the sweet talk coming from Laufeyson's mouth. Ta-ta." From the corner of your eyes, you could see Bruce shaking his head. "He's such a diva sometimes." "Sometimes?" Asked Loki in return, causing you - and even Peter to giggle.

Loki stopped mid-sentence, to ask you this question in an almost offended voice, once he had turned to face you. You put the t-shirt in your hands down and looked at him confused; blinking. "Umm... Unpacking our stuff?" He immediately shook his head and walked over to you. "No, you're not." Loki said in a firm tone, taking the suitcase away. "You are going to lay down and rest. We can unpack later or even tomorrow. The flight was very stressful and exhausting - and the next few days are going to be packed and eventful as well. I don't want you to overdo it." "But, babe, I-" "No." He shushed you, placing both hands on your hips. "No excuses. You promised me, remember?" You sighed, knowing that he was right. You did promise him. "Alright, alright, fine. I'll go, lay down."

Loki took your hand and guided you to the hotel room you shared - and it was absolutely beautiful. Modern, luxurious, cosy - perfect for a few days. Tony had planned to take everyone to a few fan events and Comic Con's around Calgary after the charity event. Something you were definitely looking forward to.

"Tony definitely has a nice taste in hotels... Can't deny that. Don't you think, babe?" You looked over at Loki, who had just pulled the t-shirt he wore over his head. "It's more than likely the only thing Stark has a good taste in." You couldn't help yourself but to laugh. That laugh quickly died in your throat, though, when Loki slipped the jeans – which covered his lower body, over his hips and down his thighs; leaving him only in his black underwear - and socks. You bit your lip; tried not to stare or give into your raging pregnancy hormones. It was difficult. So, you decided to stop watching your husband strip and rather start unpacking your luggage. "I'm going to take a shower now, love. It was way too hot in the Quinjet. Stark always pretends he doesn't know that I am half a Frost Giant… And after that, I'm taking you out for dinner. You have to- What are you doing?"

Loki smiled and placed a tender kiss on your forehead. "Thank you." You wrapped both your arms around his torso, in order to hug him. But then another idea crossed your mind, and you let your hands wander down to the waistband of his briefs. "I could join you in the shower, you know..." A dark chuckle rumbled through his chest. You really thought you had him for a minute, "As tempting as this sounds, my queen..." but then he stepped out of your embrace. "But no. Not now. Not today. Please rest. It'll be good for you and the baby." Once again you sighed. It couldn't be helped. Loki stood his ground. "Okay, okay, I give up." Loki smiled and pressed a quick kiss on your lips, "Good girl." before he left for the bathroom.

Later that day, after having eaten dinner, you and Loki got ready for the charity event. While your husband got dressed, you decided to pay the shower a visit as well - for which you took your time. Getting ready for such a big event wasn't just done in a few minutes. Funnily, you had absolutely no idea what Loki was going to wear, so you chose to wear a black, elegant dress, which wasn't too sexy and overdressed, but also not completely innocent. It reached to your ankles and had a slit on the left side of your leg; stopping at your thighs. It was also tight around your waist, but not too tight - since you decided to not show the world (and teammates) yet that you were pregnant again. Okay, admittedly it could be easily mistaken by weight gaining, but you didn't want to risk the rumours to spread. After fixing your hair and applying some decent makeup, you were ready to go. You hoped Loki was ready as well, because a look on your phone told you, that it was almost time - and you didn't want to face Tony's diva wrath.

"Babe, are you rea-" Your words died in your throat, when you closed the bathroom door behind yourself; eyes landing on the god. He sat on the big, king-sized hotel bed; legs spread wide and phone in hands - which wasn't an unusual thing. It was the outfit he chose to wear, that took your breath away...

A black shirt, which hugged his arms and torso snugly; causing his biceps to bulge. The sleeves were rolled up, leaving his forearms deliciously bare. He had left the first few buttons of the shirt undone, exposing his chest in an almost sluttish way. With that not enough... Black, tight suit trousers covered his muscular thighs and legs; held together by an equally black leather belt. All this was paired with shiny, black dress shoes.

"Sweet Lord have mercy... Have you planned to get me pregnant all over again, looking like that, or... Perhaps to kill me?" Loki just chuckled, shaking his head, "Absolutely not, my queen." and stood up, "As much as I'd love to do that, though..." straightening his shirt. "I can't, because I already did." He practically growled; winking at you. "I just wanted to give you something to look at. Besides, it's for charity - and you should look adequate on such a big event, right?" You were speechless. Entranced by his look and the words leaving his mouth.

And if this wouldn't have been erotic enough, he overcame it...

Those wild raven locks of his, were bound together, styled into a high manbun, with only a few loose curls being loose; neatly tucked behind his ears. On his fingers twinkled beside his wedding band a few other rings in black and emerald green; completing his outfit. Loki looked drop dead sexy. You could've jumped him. Right then and there - and he knew. Oh, he knew. The mischievous smile and cheeky look he was giving you said it all.

"You are a naughty, cheeky little shit sometimes, do you know that?" Your husband just chuckled once again and stepped over to you, in order to place his big hands on your waist. "I am aware of that, yes - and I know how much you love it." You smiled; trailing your fingertips over his exposed chest. "Hell yes, I do." He smirked mischievously and leaned down to kiss you passionately.

His oceanic blue eyes roamed over your body then; wetting his lips. "You look absolutely stunning as well, my love. Beautiful as ever. I especially appreciate..." His hand found the slit in your dress; cool palm gliding over the hot skin of your thigh. "...this little feature." You giggled like a schoolgirl - high on love and pregnancy hormones. "Thanks, Lokes - but I don't look quite as sexy as you do. You are going to break so many hearts tonight, babe." Loki shook his head. "That may be true, love, but I'd never break yours. Never." "I know."

About twenty minutes later, the whole team - including Pepper, who joined the party a bit later, 'cause she had a meeting this morning - arrived at the charity event, where already a lot of fans and paparazzi waited... At the red carpet. "Are you ready, my love?" Loki asked; taking your hand into his and helping you out of the limousine Tony had rented. "More than ready."

Together, with the other Avengers you set foot on the red carpet; cameras flashing around you like lightning. Loki kept on holding your hand tightly, not letting you go. He still wasn't convinced of your idea in joining all this - him. You noticed it; felt it. Recognized it in the way he acted around you. "Loki! Loki! Loki!" From everywhere around you, fans (mostly girls, of course) and paparazzi screamed his name; literally praising him like the god he was. But Loki only had eyes for you. He didn't give the people that much attention; his number one priority being you - his pregnant wife and mother of his little princess.

Nevertheless, he couldn't help himself but to throw one of his smouldering looks at the crowd, causing several women to faint - you were sure of it. After that, he redirected his attention back to you. "Everything alright, my love?" You nodded, squeezing his hand. "Of course. We're good." Loki gave you a smile, then turned to lean closer to your ear. "Stay close to me, please. I know this is just a charity event. And I am also very aware that you can defend yourself, but I told you once and I'm telling you again... I don't want to risk anything. I hope you understand." There was so much love, adoration and worry in his eyes; it almost caused your legs to give in.

Once more you nodded. "I promise. I promised you already." He smiled the softest of smiles and lifted your hand to his lips, earning a lot of coos and 'Aww's' from the hundreds of people at the display of affection. "Thank you. Somehow, I have a very bad feeling about all this. I don't know why, but... It's present." And Loki was proven right with his gut feeling. He watched you like a hawk during the whole evening, but he couldn't prevent it from happening...

The god was talking together with Bruce to a few of the important people who organized this event, when you were approaching the group of men, after getting yourself something to drink with Pepper. "Apologies to interrupt, but… Babe, do you have a second?" Loki immediately turned to face you, "Sure, darling." and placed a hand on the small of your back. "Please excuse me for a moment, gentlemen, but my lady is in need of me." He gave the men one of his charming gentlemen-like smiles and guided you a bit off sides from all the people.

"What's the matter, my love? Are you alright?" "Actually, I feel a bit woozy and..." You grimaced and placed both your hands on your lower abdomen; Loki's hands following suit. "Uh... Nauseous." Your husband frowned. Sure, this wasn't uncommon and it happened when you were pregnant with Ella as well, but that didn't stop him from being worried and protective. "Do you wish to leave?" "No. It's not that bad. I think I'm just going to pay the bathroom a visit; freshen up a bit and take a breath." Loki nodded, "Alright. I'll accompany you." and was more than ready to walk ahead, when you stopped him. "I think I can do that alone. It's just a visit to the bathroom. I won't be gone for long." The god bit his lip; clearly not convinced by your suggestion. "I don't know, I-" "Hey..." You gently grabbed both his hands squeezing them. "I'll be just fine. I don't want to drag you all across the building just for this. Besides, it's the ladies bathroom and you're a man, so..." Loki sighed, but once again, gave in. "Fine. Be careful, yes? And if it gets worse, we'll leave immediately." "Yes, Sir," you promised and pressed a quick kiss on his lips, before you let go of his hands and left for the bathroom.

Both, Loki's and Bruce's eyes widened immediately. They exchanged one look - and started to run, into the direction from where the woman came from. It led both men into the big, fancy stairwell of the building. Scanning the area, they searched for the said men - and found them quickly. They had barged through the doors on the bottom floor and were now standing in the entrance area, looking up. The Hydra logo shone bright on their black battle suits. "Hydra," stated Bruce, recognising the danger as well. "Stark, get your billionaire ass over here. We have a problem." Loki spoke through his little communication device. Not a second later, Tony flew over their heads, dressed in his suit, of course. "Already on it, Reindeer Games." "We have to get all the people out of here." The god nodded; green seidr washing over his body and changing his suit into his armour. "You do that, Banner. I'll go find Y/N." "No. She'll be alright, Loki. She can look after herself. I firstly need your help. I can't get all those innocent people out of here alone. Tony can distract those guys, but not for long."

That was the last time he had seen you for quite a while. At first, Loki was all cool with it, giving you the time to freshen up and calm your pregnancy symptoms - but after fifteen minutes, he got suspicious and an uneasy feeling started to grow within his stomach. So, he started to look around for you; asking his colleagues on the way, if they had seen you. Unfortunately, they didn't...

"Banner... Have you seen Y/N?" The doctor shook his head. "No, sorry. I haven't seen her in a while to be hon-" Bruce's words got interrupted by a loud noise - causing everyone inside the big hall to freeze. "What was that?" Loki's question didn't need to be answered by Bruce. A woman in black high heels and a sparkling pink dress literally ran inside the hall, screaming. "Guns! Gun! There are men with guns!"

Loki didn't like this. Not at all, but he knew that Bruce was right. If he wouldn't help him, a lot of innocent people would get more than likely hurt or killed. "Fine. Let's go." Bruce nodded and started to run off; Loki following him. "There's an emergency stairway, right down that hall. We'll get them out there."

That's what the two Avengers did then. Evacuating all the people. Loki was unable to stay focused, though. His thoughts were constantly travelling to you. He had a bad feeling about this from the beginning - and he had been right. He just hoped that you were alright...

After emptying your stomach one last time, you walked on slightly wobbly feet out of the cabin and to the sink. Looking in the mirror, you noticed that you were quite a bit pale. Well, no wonder. After throwing up that much... Once more you sighed and turned on the tap to splash yourself with some cold water and to rinse out your mouth to get rid of the foul taste. Then you took some more deep breaths and when you felt slightly better, you decided to find your husband and leave. So, you stepped over to the door and opened it - only to walk into an absolute chaos. It was loud. Gunshots sounded from everywhere. Rubble was laying around; the insides of the building was quite a bit damaged. Then you saw Tony in his suit flying around and shooting at something. You blinked. Whatever it was what happened and what was going on... How could you not notice?! Still in some kind of shock, you walked to the still intact railing of the open hallway, in order to find out what the fuck was happening. A mistake. A wrong decision. A decision your still woozy and foggy brain didn't think through. With horror in your eyes, you witnessed the literal army of what seemed to be Hydra men fighting against Tony and Pepper. Help..., you thought. They needed help. You were about to switch into your fighting mode, when you suddenly heard Loki's voice from far away. "Y/N! Watch out!" The warning came too late. Before you could even make out the sniper from across you, the bullet had hit you already. The force of it threw you to the ground. The last thing you heard before everything got dark, was the heart wrenching scream, which left your husband's lips.

While Loki, Bruce, Tony and even Pepper fought the army of Hydra supporter, you were still in the ladies bathroom; not having a clue what was going on. Yes, you had heard a loud noise, but were too occupied with not missing the toilet bowl while throwing up. On the way to the bathroom, your condition had suddenly switched very fast from 'not that bad' to 'I'm going to throw up any minute now'.

Well, that's where you were now... Hanging over the toilet; literally puking your guts out - all the while trying to not ruin your dress and hair. "Oh gods..." You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You felt awful. Perhaps it was for the best to accept Loki's offer and return to the hotel. But... What to tell the others? The only people who knew of your second pregnancy were Loki, Ella and Natasha. Nobody else. After all, you told your best friend to not tell it a single soul - and you knew you could trust her, so... Bruce wouldn't know. Just like Tony and Pepper. And you had no intention in telling them. At least not now. You wanted to wait until you passed the 'critical' first trimester. Although, the little Frost Giant inside you was growing fast and soon you wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer anyway. Ugh, you thought. Decisions, decisions...

Loki was powerless. He couldn't do anything about it; was too far away from the sniper to stop him. With wide, teary eyes, he saw your body hitting the ground. For a moment, time seemed to stand still for him. He didn't even notice how he screamed. But then the harsh realisation hit him, and he started to run, getting as fast as somehow possible to you.

His heart was beating fast against his ribcage when he saw your limp, seemingly lifeless body - and the tears started to fall rapidly. "No, no, no, no, no!" Loki didn't care that there was a battle going on. All he had on his mind now was you - and his unborn child. He ran over to you and fell to his knees beside you, gently turning your body around. There was blood and a big, gushing wound on your shoulder. Luckily your shoulder. Loki's shaking hand quickly went to check your pulse. It was there. You were alive. Utter relief flooded his body. "Oh thank the Norns, thank the Norns." He praised; voice breaking. But then he noticed how much blood you were losing and that your bullet wound needed medical attention - unless you were going to die. So, he switched on his communication device. "Banner, get over here. Quick. Third floor. Ladies bathroom." The answer came prompt. "On my way." "Bring every medical supply you can find on your way. And hurry up! It's urgent!"

While Bruce was on his way, Loki sat down beside you. He took one hand of yours into his and placed his other hand on the wound. He wouldn't be able to heal you, but he could slow the blood loss. He closed his eyes for a moment; green seidr starting to flow from his palm. "Hold on, my love. Norns, please hold on. I'm here." Loki squeezed your hand, before he gently let go again to cup your lower stomach. Seidr started to pour out of his other hand as well. He tried to feel the baby; knowing well that it was too early for him to feel him or her. And he was right. He couldn't feel them. He couldn't tell if they were alright or not. With a frustrated groan, he stopped his attempt - just as worried as before. Anyways, he had to try, didn't he?

Only a few minutes later, Bruce came running down the hall. The doctor's eyes widened, when he came to witness the scene in front of him. "What happened?!" It was, of course, as clear as a day what had happened, but the question bubbled out of him nevertheless. "Sniper," Loki answered dryly; then quickly removed his hand, so Bruce could take a look. He nodded; examining your shoulder. "There's an exit wound. That's good. Means the bullet went through. Nevertheless, we have to patch this up. Unless she's going to bleed out. We have to get her out of here." Loki clenched his jaw. "I am very aware of that, Dr. Banner," he hissed. "Just do something. I can't lose her." His teary, frightful and worried eyes met Bruce's brown ones. "Please," Loki added, desperately. The doctor nodded and reached for the medical supplies he found on his way... Plasters, bandages, disinfection, gloves and other things. "I'll try my best to stop the bleeding as good as possible, but- Loki, what are you doing?" Bruce witnessed how the god stood up; eyes focused on something across the grand stairwell. "You got her, Banner?" The doctor frowned, "I-I think so, y-yes, what-" and followed Loki's eyes - and realised. There was a Hydra agent - and Bruce had a guess. He could count one and one together. "Loki, no. Leave him be; I-" The god turned around; the fury and anger in his eyes causing Bruce to clap his mouth immediately shut. "You got her, Banner?" He repeated his question, more firmly this time. Bruce nodded; swallowing hard. "Good." His eyes wandered shortly to the man with bright pink hair again - the one who shot you. Loki recognised him, of course. And when he saw him standing there, he lost it. Completely. Rage was taking over his system like venom. "Guard her with your life," he said and started to walk away; adding in a threatening, dark and intimidating voice: "Or you'll be the next."

Led by his untamed wrath, Loki made his way quickly to that one Hydra soldier; killing every other on his way - without even blinking. He was like in a trance; blinded by his anger. That man had almost taken one of his most precious things in his life away from him - and he couldn't just let that pass. That man was going to pay - right now.

The man with pink hair was about to escape through one of the ventilation shafts, when green seidr hit him; causing him to get thrown to the ground. He tried to reach for his rifle, but the god was quick to kick it away and out of reach for him. Before the man could even stand up and defend himself, Loki had picked him up off the hard ground and literally slammed him against the nearest wall; big hand wrapped around his neck. The man's eyes met the god's furious ones - and he just laughed. "What are you waiting for, huh? Kill me." Loki practically growled, squeezing his neck tighter. "Do you even know with whom exactly you are dealing with and what monster you just unleashed by doing what you did?" Again, the man just laughed - not even trying to fight Loki. "For such a smartass god, you are incredibly stupid, Laufeyson." The god's jaw clenched. He was losing his nerves. "What I did was the only reason I came for. Killing Agent Y/L/N was my job; knowing very well that I'd die here tonight doing it - because of you. So, what are you waiting for. Do it." Those words caused Loki to laugh dangerously - almost hysterically. This man really thought he had killed you. "Possibly. But you are the fool - not me. Being so stupid and trying to take my wife away from me… You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into, little mortal," Loki whispered in a threatening voice and started to shapeshift into his Jotun form.

The man's eyes widened in shock. He didn't know. He didn't know. Loki was towering over him now; ruby eyes glowing dangerously red. "Not so brave and impudent now, are we?" The man just swallowed; still gazing at Loki shocked. "I told you. You have no idea what monster you unleashed..." He stated once more, tightened his grip a bit. "Tell me, mortal... You've got a family?" The man nodded, unable to form any words, due to Loki's strong grip. "A wife? Children?" Another nod. "So you are a father, just like me and nevertheless you agree to take the life of an innocent child's mother? That is pathetic. Weak. Cowardly. You disgust me." Loki spat. "And with that not enough... You almost took two lifes." The man's eyes widened to the size of plates; connecting the dots. "That's right. She's with child. I don't know yet if your headless, rash assassination hurt them, but… You better pray it didn't." And again, Loki tightened his grip, before conjuring a dagger - made out of ice, "But... Actually, if I think this through, you don't have to pray, because you won't get to know. It's time to pay." and rammed the dagger into his stomach, causing the man's jaw to drop and a breathless scream to leave his lips. Loki twisted the dagger and let go of him. The man fell to the ground, gasping and gurgling. The god rounded the man – like a predator its prey, before he squatted down beside him, shifting back into his Æsir form. "Next time you try to take my family away from me, do it right - or better... Don't even try it. Although, I highly doubt there will be a next time." With a clasp on the dying man's shoulder, Loki sauntered away. He had to do it. He just had to.

After Bruce had turned the Quinjet on autopilot; giving it the coordinations of the next hospital, which was fifteen minutes away, he returned to you and Loki. He checked on your wound - which was oozing a bit of blood again, but not as much. Loki's seidr and Bruce's pressure bandage had helped, but so slowly the fabric of the bandage turned from white to red as well... "I already informed the hospital. They'll be ready when we arrive," he informed the god, who stared at your unconscious body. "Good." His eyes were focused on your stomach. Loki was utterly afraid and worried, that the blood loss this bullet wound caused, could've harmed the baby. He just couldn't shake off that thought. It drove him crazy not to know - up to the point where he couldn't take it anymore. So, he had no other option but to tell Bruce...

As soon as he had quenched his thirst for revenge, his mind wandered - of course, back to you. So, without further ado, he made his way back to you.

Bruce was luckily still sitting by your side; two lifeless Hydra men laying a few meters away from them. "How is she?" Loki asked immediately. The doctor turned at the god's voice; facing him. "For the moment, stable. I stopped the bleeding, but the point still stands... She needs medical attention." Then Banner looked Loki up and down, swallowing. "Did you...?" He knew what Bruce meant, and nodded. "I had to." Loki stepped closer to you and knelt down, "Let's get her out of here and to the Quinjet." and gently took you in his arms; carrying you bridal style. "Back me up?" Bruce nodded, and turned quickly to Hulk; watching out for any enemies to come your way.

The three of you made it out of the building and to the Quinjet without any further incident. While Bruce started the engines, Loki laid you slowly down on the stretcher. "Stark. Banner and I are on the Quinjet now, bringing Y/N into a hospital and-" "Yes, yes, I know. Bruce told me. Make sure she's alright." "Are you able to make this without us?" "What kind of question is that, Reindeer Games? Pepper and I are almost done here. The civilians are safe and sound and the Hydra men reduced to a group of ten." Loki rolled his eyes at Tony's comment. "Fine."

"Banner, would you check her stomach and lower abdomen, please?" The doctor frowned. "Why? She's been shot in the shoulder, not in the stomach and-" "Just do it!" Loki cut him off; almost screaming at the man. "Alright, alright, I'll do it. Calm down, man." He went to grab a little device and held it over your stomach. Looking down at the miniature display, and not expecting to find something, Bruce's eyes suddenly widened. He lifted his head, gazing with surprise and a little shocked at the god. "Loki, that... There's... Y/N, she... She's-" "Pregnant, yes." Loki finished his sentence. "That's why I asked you to check. Is the baby alright?" Bruce blinked, and nodded. "Y-Yes, I... As far as I can tell, y-yes." "Oh thank the Norns," the god breathed out relieved. He took your hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, all the while he leaned down to pepper your stomach with little kisses. "Our baby is okay, my love... They are alright - and you'll be too, I promise," Loki sobbed into the fabric of your dress; holding on to you.

As for Bruce, he clearly needed a moment to grasp this. "How far along is she? How... How long do you know?" Loki turned his head to Bruce and smiled through his tears. "About ten weeks. She told me a month ago, right after she found out. Well, Ella told me, but yes..." Bruce couldn't help but smile as well. He was, of course, happy for you and Loki. "Well, in that case... Congratulations." "Thank you. I'm honestly a bit surprised that Romanoff didn't tell you anything." The doctor's eyes widened. "Natasha knew?!" Loki nodded. "She was the only one who knew. She was with Y/N when she found out." Banner nodded, "Makes sense." before he went to land the Quinjet. "Let's get her help - as fast as possible."

"Mr. Laufeyson, Sir." A doctor ripped him out of his thoughts. Loki literally jumped to his feet, looking at the young man with anticipation and hope. "How is she?" "She's alright according to the circumstances." The god let out a deep, relieved breath he didn't know he was holding. "Oh Norns… Thank you." "She was lucky that the bullet went through and we didn't have to operate." "Is the baby alright?" Not that Loki didn't trust Bruce, but he'd rather have it checked twice - and besides, Loki had to tell the doctors that you were pregnant anyways. "Yes. The baby is safe and sound." He took a deep breath, nodding. "Can I go to her?" "Of course."

While the doctors looked after you and patched the wound up, Loki sat on a chair in front of the wooden door in the white, empty hallway, waiting. Bruce had returned to Tony and Pepper.

Fear and worry were still very present in the god's head, but also guilt. He felt utterly guilty. Guilty of taking you with him on this damn event. Guilty of not accompanying you to the toilets - as stupid as it might sound. Guilty of not having been able to protect you - and his baby. It weighed him down. And nevertheless... He couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't change the past. It happened; and the most important thing now was that you were going to be alright.

No ten minutes later, Loki was sitting by your bedside; your hand in his and patiently waiting for you to wake up. To his sheer relief, he didn't have to wait long. Your eyes fluttered open; blinking; needing to adjust to the bright light. "L-" Loki was it you wanted to say, but your throat felt dry, causing you to not even get his name out. Your husband reacted immediately, of course and reached for the glass of water on your bedside table; gently helping you to drink. "T-Thank you." "Of course, my love." Then you looked around. "Loki, where... Where am I?" "In the hospital." You blinked, before you started to smile. "I survived this?" Loki couldn't help but chuckle softly. "For sure! Do you think I'd let the most important being in my life die?" You smiled even wider, shaking your head. "See?" Loki smiled as well, squeezing your hand. "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" You shook your head. "No, but... I feel utterly tired." Apparently were the pain killers working just fine yet. "Good, that's good. But you should rest then. Give yourself and our child time to overcome this accident." Your eyes widened on an instant at Loki's words; free hand flying to clutch your stomach (It was luckily not your hurt arm). "Oh my g-gosh, the baby! Are they alright?!" You panicked for a moment, but Loki was quick to reassure you. He placed his free hand on yours. "Don't worry, darling. They are completely fine." "T-Thank god."

Loki's expression changed suddenly; the guilty feeling returning. "My love, I am so sorry. This all is my fault. I promised to protect you... And I failed. I-I wasn't there when you needed me and-" You shook your head, interrupting him. "Let me stop you right there, babe." Intertwining your hand with his, you looked him deeply in his stunning blue eyes. "This is absolutely not your fault. I am the one to blame for this. Not you. I chose to accompany you. I chose to go alone to the bathroom. It was me, not you. You did your absolute best and protected me the best you could." Loki blinked. "But-" "Ah.Ah. No but's. Please... Don't blame yourself."

Your husband took a deep breath; running a hand through his luscious curls. "I... I could've lost you, Y/N. And our child. Ella could've lost her mother." "I know... But you didn't. Ella didn't. I'm here. I'm alive. The baby is alive. We are both okay - and we will make this. My shoulder's going to heal." Despite your words, there was still hesitation in his eyes. So, you tugged gently at his hand, "C'mere." encouraging him to lean down. He did what you asked him to, and leaned down. You didn't hesitate; pulled him instantly in a kiss. It was so loving and intense; almost taking Loki's breath away. "Stop. Blaming. Yourself," you mumbled in between kisses. Loki couldn't help but smirk; brushing your nose with his. "Only if you keep on kissing me." "Pfft," you laughed and shook your head, but kept on kissing him.

Once Loki assured himself, that you were, indeed alright - according to the circumstances, he decided to take a trip home and tell Ella and his parents what had happened. He had to. So, he stayed with you the whole day, night and even the next day, before he left on the following morning; travelling to Asgard.

"My, my, what do we have here? Is this a tea party? And I am not invited?" Loki asked; approaching them. Ella's head snapped, of course, immediately into his direction after hearing her father's voice. "Daddy!" She squeaked out excitedly and scrambled to stand up. Loki knew what was about to come, so he squatted down and opened his arms. Ella came running and threw herself into Loki's awaiting embrace. He swiped her off her feet and lifted the girl up; hugging her tightly. Ella giggled; both her little arms tangling around his neck. "Ah, my little princess... I missed you." "I missed you too, daddy." Loki kissed her cheek, before letting her down again.

"Welcome back, prince Loki." Heimdall greeted him with a bow of his head. Loki gave him a nod. "Heimdall." "Bear my best recovery wishes for her - and congratulations." The prince smiled. "Thank you. I shall do that."

On a horse, the god made his way to the palace. "Greetings, my prince." The guards welcomed him and let him inside, of course, where he asked for his daughter and parents. Loki got told, that Ella was with his mother in the royal gardens and the Allfather caught up in a court meeting with the royal advisors of the king from Svartalfheim. So, Loki went to the gardens. He could already see his princess and mother from afar. They were sitting on a soft blanket, which laid underneath a cherry tree, in order to shield them from the sun. Both of them had tea cups in their hands and he could swear that he also saw two big slices of cake. Loki couldn't help the smile, which spread over his lips at the scene in front of him - and when he heard Ella's sweet laughter, it only widened.

Frigga just watched with a smile on her face. She loved seeing her son being a father. "Mother," Loki greeted her; kissing her cheek as well. "Hello, son. You're back early." At her words, the god got taken back in time; remembering what had happened. "I know. I'll explain. But first..." He turned back to Ella, tickling her. Again, she bursted into fits of giggles. "I'd like to have a biiiig slice of cake. It looks so very delicious. Princess, would you go to the kitchen and ask Bjørn, if he would be so nice and give me a slice?" "O-Okay, daddy," Ella panted; still giggling and trying to recover from her dad's tickle attack. "You're a treasure, thank you." Ella smiled, then hopped away. The skirts of her pink summer dress billowing in the wind; raven curls, which just reached her shoulders, bobbing.

"I have the feeling you want to tell me something without my grandchild listening..." Frigga noted. She wasn't stupid. Loki nodded, "I do, mother." and swallowed. "I... Have good news and bad news." Loki pondered about with which news to start, but then decided on the good news. His parents didn't know yet that they were going to be grandparents - again. Perhaps this was the time to tell them. Well, at least Frigga. He'd come around the next few days to tell his father as well. Actually, Loki wanted to do this with you, but... The current circumstances didn't allow it. Hopefully you wouldn't be mad at him...

"The good news is; Y/N is... Well, she's pregnant again."

For the second time, Frigga's eyes widened - but this time out of shock. "Oh by the Norns! How is she?! Did it affect your child?" "She's alright - according to the circumstances. The bullet went through, so they didn't need to operate. She lost a lot of blood, but we made it in time to the hospital. Luckily, it didn't affect the child. They are safe and sound, steadily growing in their mother's womb." A relieved breath left the Allmother's lips. "Indeed... That's why I am back earlier. I'll take Ella with me now and tell her. Y/N's dying to see her baby again," he stated with a small chuckle. Frigga nodded. "Of course, my son." Just in that moment, they noticed Ella returning - carrying a plate with a big slice of cake on top. "Please greet her and wish her all the best. And tell us if she's getting better!" Loki took his mother's hand and squeezed it. "I will do that, for sure."

Frigga's eyes widened. "Pregnant?" The god nodded with a smile; almost unable to hold back the tears. "Yes, mother. We're having another baby." The queen gasped; hand flying to cover her mouth. She tried to hold back the tears again. "Oh Loki..." She more or less sobbed, before lunching forwards to hug him. "That's wonderful, son. I'm so delighted and happy for you and Y/N." Loki hugged her even tighter. "Me too. I'm honestly a little surprised that Ella didn't tell you. Well, we told her to not do it, but... You know how excited, small children are... We wouldn't have been mad at her if it had slipped past her lips, but well..." Frigga just giggled. "It would've been a great way to find out as well." "Oh definitely!" Loki chuckled; pausing. "I, uh, wish to tell father as well. I'm coming back in the next few days as soon as he has got more time." His mother smiled, "My lips shall be sealed then." but it dropped quite quickly again. "I'm a little afraid of the bad news now..."

"Well..." Loki started; thoughts returning to the accident once more. "We, um, we were on that charity event and... And there was an attack." He fumbled with his fingers. "I swore to protect Y/N and couldn't in that very moment. She's... She's been shot in the shoulder and is in the hospital now."

After Loki had eaten the delicious cake and spent a bit of quality time with his mother and daughter; he decided to return to you, taking Ella with him. They both bid their goodbyes and off they went through the Bifrost; only to land in a hospital - much to Ella's confusion...

"Uhh, daddy? Why are we in a hospital?" The little girl looked around; seemed quite a bit frightened. "Where's... Where's mommy?" Loki's heart felt already heavy; having to tell his child what had happened. He took a deep breath and squatted down in front of Ella, to be on eye-level with her, and took her smaller hands in his. "You know we were away to attend an Avengers thingy?" She nodded; getting visibly more nervous and angsty. "Unfortunately, we've got attacked by some really bad guys and... Mommy got hurt - but she's okay, sweetheart! She has a wound that needs to heal, but she will be perfectly fine!" Loki immediately went to calm her down, since her eyes started to get watery; tears running down her cheeks promptly. "M-Mommy's hurt? What happened?" The god swallowed. "A man tried to shoot mommy and hit her shoulder," Loki explained; gently wiping the little girl's tears away with his thumbs.

"Can… Can I see mommy?" "Of course, princess. That's why we're here." He smiled softly; looking down at his daughter, who resembled him so much. "Come here." Loki then just scooped her up in his arms; hugging her and carrying her to the room you were in. He didn't care that Ella got heavier so slowly; being not a toddler anymore. She held onto her dad, burying her face in his neck and hair. It had been clearly a shook for the little girl to learn that her mother was hurt in a hospital...

Loki gently knocked on your door and waited patiently for an answer. "Come in!" You were awake. Loki freed one hand and opened the door; stepping inside. Your eyes immediately lit up, when you saw your husband and daughter. You were so happy to see Ella. You had missed her - a lot. When you saw that Loki was carrying her, you knew exactly what was going on...

"Princess, hey," you greeted Ella softly, after your husband had carried her over to your bed. She was still clinging to her dad, but when she felt your touch on her back and especially heard your voice, her head snapped to face you. Her cheeks were reddened - just like her eyes, in which were still tears glistening. It definitely teared at your heartstrings. "Oh no, sweetie... Come here." You opened your arm (the one which wasn't hurt) for her. Loki immediately let her down and she didn't hesitate even a second; ran into your arm as quickly as possible. Sure, Ella had to overcome the obstacle which was the hospital bed; but that didn't stop her.

"Mommy," she sobbed; clinging now to you. She may have been already a big girl, but in moments like this, she was still just a child - which was more than alright. "Don't cry, baby. I'm ok." You stroked her hair in a reassuring manner and pressed soft, little kisses to the crown of her head. Exchanging a look with your husband, you could tell that it hurt him as well; seeing his daughter sad and crying. It always did.

Once you managed to calm her down, you were in for a long round of cuddles. Ella laid in your arm, cuddled against your side. At some point she had just slept in. Perhaps from the exciting vacation she's been on. Perhaps from the shock. Anyways, you were just glad she had calmed down - and so was Loki, who sat beside your bed on a chair. His oceanic blue eyes watching over you and his princess. He still had to tell you that his mother knew now about the little wonder growing within you, but that was a story for another time.

#the baby fever au #loki x reader #loki laufeyson #loki x female reader #loki x you #tom hiddleston x reader #loki x y/n #loki fanfiction #loki fluff #loki #loki laufeyson x reader #loki angst

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beardedjoel · 1 year

Text

closer | part seven

joel x f!reader. non-apocalypse au

series masterlist | main masterlist | ao3

chapter summary: joel invites you over for a very unforgettable night together. 8k words.

chapter warnings: 18+ MDNI, age difference (joel is 42 and reader is 25), soft!dom joel, joel being domestic and cute, unprotected piv, creampie, rough sex, spanking, oral (f receiving), dirty talk, praise kink

You walk into your parents’ kitchen with headphones on, completely in your own world, just coming in to get coffee that you know they’ll have brewed by now. You’re mouthing the words to the song in your ears, even moving your body a bit with the rhythm as you open the door and walk in. You don’t see your parents anywhere but you shrug, heading to the coffee pot and pouring a mug full. You’re practically putting on your own performance at this point, getting that good feeling when your shuffle seems to know exactly what songs you need to hear as you start to move your hips a little, getting into it.

You turn and quickly freeze, seeing Joel and your parents standing near the entrance to the kitchen that leads to the rest of the house. Your mouth remains hanging open where it was about to belt out a long note and your eyes immediately hit the floor, but not before you notice Joel holding back the biggest grin. You pull the headphones out of your ears and put on your best polite smile, remembering that your parents aren’t supposed to know just how well you know Joel. You clear your throat, mumbling out a small apology - you don’t think you need to apologize for them walking in on your little show, but you find yourself saying it anyways.

“You remember Joel from next door,” your dad says somewhat awkwardly to try to diffuse the embarrassing tension in the room, and you press your lips together and nod maybe a bit too enthusiastically. Acting natural right now doesn’t feel like your strong suit, but you’re going to try your hardest - it isn’t easy when they’ve just surprised you like this. You are definitely about to tear into him later for not texting you beforehand with a heads up.

“Yeah, of course. Couldn’t forget how helpful you were the other week,” you keep up the smile, feeling like your face is about to crack any second.

“Nice to see ya again,” Joel says with a slight, polite nod, and damn, you’re impressed by how believable he is right now.

“You too,” you say, then look at your parents. “What’s uh, going on?”

“Well, Joel here was so kind and helpful, we wanted him to take a look at the grout in the bathrooms, just to let us know what he thinks. I felt like it needed work when we bought the place, and Joel here has offered to have his crew help us fix it up, isn’t that just so sweet?” Your mom beams at you, and you almost choke a little on your coffee at hearing Joel is about to be that much closer with your parents.

“Oh, wow,” you try to exclaim despite the absolute anxiety tearing through you right now. “That’s awesome. Very, uh, neighborly.”

“No problem at all,” Joel says, turning towards your parents again with a kind smile.

“Oh, honey, would you show him your bathroom too? I know that apartment is a newer addition, but it looked kind of like a rush job to me,” your mom says, and her inner perfectionist is showing big time. You at least have a chance to be alone with Joel for a moment and break this act you’re putting on.

“Sure thing, we’ll be right back,” you say, leading Joel out the door and around to the staircase. The second you’re climbing the stairs, you turn back and look at him wide eyed, and he stifles a laugh.

“Not. Funny,” you grunt out, opening the door. The moment it’s closed behind you, Joel grabs the sides of your head, crushing his lips against yours. You moan a little, immediately grabbing at his waist, wrapping your arms around him and sliding your hand under his shirt and up his back. His lips part and his tongue traces along your lips, begging for entry into your mouth. You return the motion, scrambling your hands all over each other as you make out like two teenagers. You’re against the door now, your need for Joel growing by the second, and you wonder how long you could be gone before it’s suspicious.

“Fuck,” he breathes out, pulling his mouth off of yours. “Come over tonight,” he blurts out. Joel’s forehead is leaning against yours now, his eyes closed.

“Okay. Usual time?”

“Dinner time, 6:30,” Joel says. He breathes for a few moments, unable to tear his forehead from yours. “Wish I could do everything I wanna do to you right now, but we’ll have to wait, won’t we?”

You whimper a little at his response as he pulls further away, heading towards the bathroom. You highly consider jumping him and pulling him down onto your bed, saying screw it to this time constraint and getting him all to yourself for as long as you need. Instead, you lean in the doorway of the bathroom with your arms crossed, watching him work as he inspects various aspects of the tiles and fixtures in there.

“Don’t tell me you’re poutin’” Joel says, glancing over at you.

“No, I just…” You rub a hand down your cheek, feeling a bit stressed out. “I just can’t wait for later,” you say, trying not to sound like the whiny, clingy girl you feel like, thinking that’s likely the last thing Joel’s looking for. He finishes his inspection, walking over to you and kissing you lightly, barely a brush against your lips.

“It’ll be worth the wait, baby, I promise you. Trust me, I’d rather stay cooped up in here with you all day.” You crack a smile - it’s like his words have a lifting effect, hearing that he wants to do the same exact thing you’d thought of moments ago.

“We aren’t done talking about the fact that you just showed up here without warning me, by the way,” you tell him as the two of you make your way back to where your parents are waiting for you.

“Oh, you’re tellin’ me. We are definitely divin’ into that little concert of yours,” Joel says, and you simply scowl and push him on the arm, feeling the embarrassment of the memory hitting you hard.

After talking to your parents, the agreement is that Joel is going to work on your bathroom as well, maybe bring some of his crew in to get it all done quicker. They’re going to work out the logistics of it later, he says, and all you can think about is the fact that he’s going to be in this house for days doing the work, maybe even during times when nobody else is home. You decide maybe it won’t be such a bad thing after all, and you have to stop yourself from grinning like an idiot during the conversation as the realization hits you. In fact, this could work out perfectly, you think - an easy excuse to spend plenty of time around Joel without seeming too obsessive and scaring him the hell away from you.

That evening you knock on the door, despite Joel telling you that you should just start walking in if he’s invited you, but it feels too presumptuous to you at this stage of things, so you settle on continuing to knock. Joel answers the door, opting to not say anything about it, and welcomes you with a grin. You take a step inside and as Joel is closing the door behind you he leans in, capturing your mouth in a long, deep kiss. You melt immediately at the warmth of his lips on yours, and the way he’s brought his arms around your waist as he kisses you.

“Hi there, darlin’” he says, pulling back.

“Hi.” You smile back, and wrap your arms around his neck and lean back in. You kiss him a little more urgently, already feeling the familiar anticipation creeping in that happens whenever you even think about Joel. He gives right into it for a few moments, backing you into the wall right next to the door, pressing his body close.

“Wait,” he says, moving back a bit. “Not right now, or else everything will burn.” It’s like as soon as he says it, the smell immediately hits your nose - you’d been too distracted by him taking up every one of your senses when you walked in to notice that it smells incredible in here. You slide off your shoes, following Joel back to the kitchen with curious eyes peering around. He immediately heads over to the stove, where you see a pan full of bright vegetables cooking, along with a pot of boiling water. There are ingredients all over the surrounding counters, along with the cutting board and dishes he’s been making throughout the cooking process.

“What’s all this?” you ask timidly, approaching closer to the stove, unable to hide the huge smile that’s on your face.

Joel gives the pan a stir and then turns back to you. “What’d I say? Told you I would, so I’m makin’ you dinner, baby,” he replies, and you have to press you upturned lips together in an effort to not squeal in excitement. Not that you necessarily doubted him, but you genuinely thought that was just something people might say and never follow through on.

You let out a small chuckle. “Joel… that’s so… sweet,” you say, feeling somewhat speechless. You approach closer to the stove and look at what he’s doing, but he shoos you away playfully. You reach to move some of the dishes to the sink, and the second Joel notices he stops you.

“Hey, none of that. You go sit over there,” he demands, gesturing over to the kitchen table. You sigh in defeat, but you can’t stop smiling as you sit down, watching Joel pull out a wine glass and set it on the counter.

“You like white wine?” he asks, and you must look surprised, because he adds, “I drink wine too, y’know.”

“I can see that,” you giggle a little, “And yeah, white wine is good with me.” Joel takes your confirmation as a signal to pour you a glass and bring it over.

“How was your day? Other than terrorizing me at my parents’ house?” you ask him as he heads back over to the stove, working to drain the pasta. He laughs, then shakes his head.

“Listen, they approached me, and how could I say no? They’re sweet people.”

You roll your eyes before taking a sip out of your glass. You decide that Joel surprisingly has good taste in wine. “Yes, they are, unfortunately.” You ponder for a few moments before bringing up what you’re thinking. “So, you’re going to be over there quite a bit? For how long?”

“Depends how many people I’m able to spare for the job.”

“Wait, are you, like, in charge at your work?” You crinkle your brow, a little smirk spreading on your face.

“Er, yeah. Tommy and I, we run the contracting company.”

“Oh, shit. That’s so cool, I had no idea.” You really feel like you’re beaming with pride for him being so accomplished, really having his shit together. Meanwhile, you feel the complete opposite these days.

“Thought you only wanted to be around me ‘cause I’m such a big shot, owning my own business and all that.” He looks over his shoulder at you with a wry grin.

“Oh that’s definitely it, yeah.”

“Damn,” Joel quips. “I will be around quite a bit at your parents’ place though, so we’ll have to make it work if you don’t want them to know about… well, us. We’d be officially sneakin’ around.”

“I kind of thought we already were,” you admit with a little smirk.

“Guess that’s true. You’re alright with that?” He stops working on the meal and leans back against the counter, facing you.

“I just assumed… that you didn’t really want people to know we’re messing around. Since it’s just… casual, right?” You say the words awkwardly, realizing that you two hadn’t really talked about this yet, and you have been making a whole lot of assumptions this entire time. You try to fight the little sad twinge that pops up inside of you when you admit about it just being casual, because you’re beginning to worry that for you, it isn’t. You could really see yourself falling much deeper into the way you feel about Joel, and it’s scaring you.

“Yeah, right,” Joel replies after a thoughtful moment. “Just casual. We both like each other, and spendin’ time together, and doin’ other stuff together,” he smirks, and you chuckle a little.

“We do like that other stuff,” you joke, trying to lighten your own internal mood. “So yeah, I guess I’d prefer if my parents don’t know right now, I don’t want to make them feel weird about having you in the house, or something. I don’t know.” You quickly run your hands over your face, feeling the stress of the situation mounting.

“Hey, don’t stress, baby, we’ll figure it out. We can just keep it quiet, then.” He turns back to the stove, trying to finish up the meal. You let him focus on cooking while you’re lost in thought. To be honest, you know logically you should be keeping this relationship quiet for everyone’s comfort, but part of you wants to run outside and scream to the whole world about how obsessed you are with this man. You sigh, downing some more of the wine, and feel yourself wanting to just enjoy this night with Joel instead of focusing on all this other shit.

A few minutes later he’s placing a plate of salad and pasta in front of you. Your eyes go wide at the beautiful, delicious presentation - you’d definitely been right about Joel being a good cook, you think as your nose picks up the scent coming from your plate.

“Wow, Joel,” you exclaim as he sits down across from you with his own plates of food. “What is all of this? Pasta primavera?”

He smiles and nods. “Sure is, I always see you eating those vegetables with dips and hummus and stuff in your yard, so… I figured you might…” he trails off, rubbing his neck. Your mouth hangs open a little, unable to believe that he was this thoughtful with the meal he chose to make. It made the butterflies you already felt around him intensify at the thought that he’d wanted to please you that much with this.

“That’s so thoughtful, Joel,” you say incredulously. “I love this dish, actually, so spot on.” You look up at him with a small, shy glance and then back down to your plate.

“I’m glad, darlin’,” he replies. “Okay, well dig in,” he says, looking expectantly at you, and you realize that maybe for the first time since you’ve met him, he actually seems a bit nervous about something. You’re very tempted to poke fun at him about it, but you decide against taking the opportunity, forking the salad and taking a bite.

“Shit, that’s good,” you call out quickly, covering your mouth as you chew. “That dressing…”

“Er, I made it,” Joel says more quietly than normal before taking a bite of his own.

“You’re not serious. And you tried to act like you’re not a good cook!” you playfully scold him, continuing to dig into the meal. Joel watches you eat with a pleased, satisfied look on his face - this is clearly something he loves doing to take care of people in his life. When you’ve eaten every bite of your meal and downed your wine, Joel refills your glass once, and you sit back a little in your chair and soften your eyes looking in Joel’s direction.

“Thank you,” you say. “I don’t think someone has cooked me anything like this before. A guy, I mean.”

“You’re welcome baby, was all worth it to see that pretty smile on your face,” he says, and your face gets hot from a combination of his words and the alcohol warming your insides. You end up talking for a while longer, Joel’s gaze steadily changing throughout the interaction, until he looks at you with that look, the one you’re beginning to learn very well.

“Want to come upstairs with me?” he finally drawls, the look in his eyes deepening.

You nod, feeling a little breathless already at the insinuation. He stands up and silently takes your hand, leading you to the stairs.

Joel’s bedroom is very much what you expected based on the rest of his house. He walks in and turns on a side lamp, illuminating the room just enough for you to look around a bit easier. There is a blue comforter on the bed, a few pillows, dark wood dressers and night tables, and nature themed photos on the walls.

Joel wraps his arms around you and pulls you close, humming a low groaning sound in your ear. “Been wantin’ this…” he murmurs, and you instantly know what he’s talking about. Your heart pounds a little faster now, knowing you’re finally getting what you’ve wanted too. It doesn’t stop a nervous flutter from your stomach though, knowing just how big he is and what’s about to happen. You lean into him and close your eyes, breathing in his scent as his hands ghost across your back, sending you shuddering a little.

“Me too…” you reply, tilting your head up to kiss him. He takes the cue and captures your mouth with his, his tongue sliding over yours as he kisses and bites lightly on your lip.

“You just impressed me with your cooking to try and seduce me, huh?” you murmur quietly in between kisses.

“Well, did it work?” He arches a brow, looking down at you.

You give him an unimpressed look before kissing him again. “Obviously.”

“Somethin’ tells me I didn’t need to cook all of that to get you up here,” he replies.

“Shut up,” you tease. “You’re not wrong.”

“Cause see… I know exactly what to do to make you go crazy, baby. Wouldn’t have needed to do much…” he pushes into you now, forcing you to take a few steps back, until you feel a wall near the doorway behind you. He’s right, you’re already completely losing your mind at this simple interaction, his form towering over you, dominating you. “All I need to do is ask you to be a good girl and fuck me, and you’d do it.”

Your heart pounds in your chest, and you feel the dull ache of desire beginning to ignite inside of your core. You haven’t said anything, and Joel is looking at you expectantly. “Isn't that right?” he says, his eyes going darker as he scans your face.

You nod. “Yes.” you manage to breathe out. “Let me be good for you baby, please.” Your body arches towards him, the aching spreading in between your legs and you feel yourself starting to get wet. Joel’s head tilts down and his lips meet your neck, kissing lightly, sending you arching even further into him with a soft moan escaping your lips. The kisses trail down your neck and to your shoulder, where one of his fingers moves under the strap of your dress, pulling it gently down your shoulder where it falls easily. He traces his fingers lightly and teasingly there, planting a kiss on the same spot as his fingers brush down your chest to the top curve of your breast. He brings his head back up and looks at you, that glazed look of desire in his eyes as he watches you react to his fingers brushing over your already hard nipple before dipping back down and kissing your neck again. You inhale sharply, fluttering your eyes closed and leaning your head back against the wall.

Joel grabs your chin, then brings his mouth up to yours, capturing your lips in a ravenous kiss. You’re already a delirious mess for him, returning the kisses with equal passion. His hands are roaming quickly, one tracing down your back while the other squeezes your tits, groaning at the feel of your body underneath his fingers. You reach with slightly trembling hands in between your bodies and start to hastily un-do the buttons on his shirt. He moves his arms so he can shrug the shirt off of him, and you both stop for a moment while you take in his topless body in front of you, dragging your fingers down his chest.

“You have entirely too much clothing on, darlin’,” he drawls, watching your eyes eagerly take his body in. In reply, you pull your dress off over your head and discard it on the floor, leaving only a pair of panties on you now. You watch Joel’s eyes change quickly, and his hands grab under your ass and begin lifting you up, and you instinctively wrap your arms around his neck to hold yourself close as your feet leave the ground. Your legs fling around his hips and wrap tightly around him as he pushes himself in between your legs, completely closing the gap between you two. You’re pushed against the wall, Joel’s strong arms holding you up as he kisses you.

Joel carries you the few steps to his bed and lays you down, immediately covering your body with his as he crawls on top of you. Your legs are still wrapped around him tightly, not giving him any space as you breath heavily, anticipation and nerves building steadily inside of you. You can feel Joel’s cock pressing through his jeans onto your bare leg, and you desperately want it, are beginning to feel a need for it to be inside of you. Joel has begun to steadily kiss his way around your chest, stopping at one of your nipples and swirling his tongue around it. You grit your teeth, bucking your hips into him.

“Joel…” you moan out, reaching your hands down to his belt, fiddling with it while trying to maintain any sense of composure as he steadily works his mouth alternately on both of your nipples. Your cunt is becoming more of a needy, aching thing with every passing second, and you press your hips into nothing, just Joel’s jeans in the way of what you really want. His belt is free and you hastily unzip his pants and reach in, fisting his cock in your hand. Both of you make a relieved groan at feeling one step closer to what you wanted. Joel grunts into your skin as you lightly trace your hand around his shaft, working your way up to the head.

“Always so impatient, baby,” Joel says, his voice coming out slow and down an octave, clearly feeling the pleasure you’re trying to give him with your touch.

“You already know how crazy I feel about your cock,” you reply with a smirk as Joel shoots his gaze up to your face, his expression changing rapidly to the devilish one you’ve seen before. It appears that talking about his cock like that seems to do something for him just like his praises do for you.

“Yeah, sweet girl?” he asks, grinding his hips down a little into your touch, “You think about this cock all day, huh?”

You nod slowly. “Wanting you inside of me, fucking me to pieces, fucking me until I can barely walk. Or move. Or think,” you run your other hand across his shoulder and down his arm, sending goosebumps across Joel’s skin. Joel growls low, pressing himself harder into you. You don’t know why he’s torturing himself like this when he could already be buried deep in your mouth or cunt right now - he knows that’s the only thing you’re eager for, after all.

“I’m sure we can accomplish all of those things tonight, darlin’,” he says, leaning in for a whisper of a kiss on your lips that leaves you wanting more. Just the thought of it has your skin on fire, your core twisting with burning anticipation. You can feel the way your panties are wet with that same anticipation, and you’re practically about to beg for Joel to take them off and see just what he’s doing to you. As if he could read your mind, Joel shifts his body and hooks his thumbs on the sides of your underwear, pulling them down your legs.

“Christ,” he murmurs to himself, seeing the thick line of wetness in your panties, practically dripping from your pussy at this point. “Never gets old, baby,” he says, glancing up at you for a moment. You shy away a little under his stare and the fact that you’re laying bare before him. He tosses the panties somewhere nearby on the floor and feasts his eyes between your legs before quickly diving in to feast with his mouth, as well. It’s unexpected, and you gasp at the sudden feeling of his tongue swiping through you, trying to lick up every bit of wet desire for him down there.

“Tastes so fucking good,” he says, pulling his mouth off of you before he reaches down to start taking his jeans off, and you feel your internal excitement rising as you see him just in his briefs now, a navy blue pair. You lean forward to play with the waistband of his underwear, teasingly sliding your finger along it and giving him begging eyes.

“I know what you want…” he smirks.

“Then give it to me,” you try demanding. He simply tuts and shakes his head, deciding to pull of his briefs, and finally, fucking finally, Joel is naked. You take a deep breath as you look him over as he crawls back over top of you, seeing his cock looking so intimidating and hard. You suddenly feel an anxious trembling taking over your body again - sure, you’ve had 3 of his fingers fit in there, and those are large, but… this? It’s safe to say that despite how badly you want him to fuck you, you’ve been a bit skeptical about how it’s going to feel at first, or even fit. Joel seems to notice you getting in your head, because he reaches up to your face and looks into your eyes.

“Hey, what’s goin’ on?” he asks softly.

You bite your lip, feeling so ridiculous. “I don’t know if it’s dumb, I’ve been literally dying for this moment but I’m just nervous, about… you know…” and you glance down towards his cock. Joel chuckles a little, but not in a way that he’s laughing at you, more like he finds you endearing the way you’re completely naked and still saying “you know” to reference having sex with him.

“Baby,” he coos, stroking your cheek. “Nothin’ to worry about, okay? You say the word and I’ll stop at any time.”

You smile tightly and nod, feeling a bit more ready than you were. Joel crawls off of you and reaches over to a bedside drawer, pulling out a condom and putting it on. You weirdly find yourself frowning at it, despite the appreciation for him trying to be safe and considerate, you’d kind of hoped to feel all of him today. One thing at a time, you remind yourself.

You try to embolden yourself a little bit, wrapping your legs back around him and settling your hips in a better position underneath him. Joel’s legs are now in between your legs, his cock resting close to your entrance. You almost whine at the feeling of it, just the head feeling so big against your folds. Your body responds before you can even think, sending your hips forward a bit into him, and Joel takes that as a cue to push his own hips forward as well. The head of his cock pushes in and you gasp a little - at the way it feels and surprise that it isn’t quite as uncomfortable as you’d expected. You moan softly, fingers running down Joel’s back, and you decide to push your hips up a little more, pulling him a bit deeper. Joel groans in pleasure, pressing his lips together for a moment to compose himself.

“Perfect fucking pussy,” he breathes out each word slowly as he slides in further, and you gasp softly again, but don’t stop him. You’re starting to wonder what you were so worried about, but then you realize how full you feel and he isn’t even all the way in yet. You give Joel a cheeky smile and guide him down into you with your legs that still are wrapped around him. You let out a breathy chuckle at the feeling of him sliding in as far as your body will let him.

“My god,” you murmur, blinking a few times as you adjust to it. Joel strokes the side of your head, smoothing your hair, giving you a sweet smile and eyes that are glazed over with the heat of the moment.

“That’s it,” he says softly, “My good girl.” You beam at him now, adjusting your hips a little, and it elicits a slightly shaky breath out of Joel at the feeling of him shifting inside of you. He can’t help it, he starts moving, gentle thrusts partially in and out of you. Everything he’s done to you and with you has been beyond your imagination, but this… there are no words, you think.

“F-fuck,” you stammer out quietly as he moves a little quicker, sliding his cock in and out of you. It definitely feels like a stretch on you, but in the best way, you’ve never felt so fucking full before like this and it’s making you feel insane with the pleasure of it. “Need you faster,” you say quietly, completely overcome.

“Insatiable,” he teases, one of his favorite ones for you, with a smug grin. But he gives you what you’re asking for, upping the pace of himself inside of you. You moan, feeling him touching that perfect spot deep inside of you, lightly now, but your anticipation for him to slam against it is sending an excited nervousness into your belly. Your legs around him anchor you as you lift your hips up to meet him with each thrust, your breathing shaky.

“Don’t forget, you’re s’posed to not be able to walk after this, remember?” Joel says with a grin. You don’t get a chance to reply, because he’s decided to try and make that a reality right now as he pushes hard into your cunt, leaving you breathless. He begins thrusting rhythmically much faster into you, his hands grasping into your hips tightly, digging into your ass and squeezing. He pulls you close to him, his body right against yours as he buries his head down next to your neck.

“This tight little pussy…. so perfect, sweet girl,” he groans into your ear, showering you with kisses along your neck before looking right into your eyes. “It’s all mine…” he says quietly, and the heat behind his stare almost makes you shy away. You nod, and let out a breathy “yes,” barely able to speak with the way his cock is pushing deep inside of you with every movement of his.

“Tell me,” he says, his stare not letting up.

“It’s all yours, this pussy is all yours, Joel,” you cry out, and your words are his fuel as his hips roll slightly with every push now, his breathing heavy.

“That’s fucking right.” Joel’s pace doesn’t let up, and uses one hand to play with your tits and the other reaches down to your clit, rubbing circles. You’re completely submerged in just him, every part of your mind focused on the places you can feel him pleasuring you, and it’s overwhelming. Your whole body shakes a bit, trying to adjust to all of these sensations at once, and it’s building up to a climax quicker than you realized as the familiar tingling sensation grows inside of you.

“Fuck, just like that,” you cry out, praying he doesn’t let up - your climax is right there, you’re barreling towards it, just one more perfect touch and -

It hits you suddenly, Joel’s cock pressing right where you need him, and your insides burst with the fiery, tingling sensation you crave from him. Your hips buck forward, and you moan long and low, his name spilling from your lips in between each one. Your hips are spasming, pushing you into him, and he grunts, keeping up with the pace of what you need to ride out your climax. You slowly stop shuddering, relaxing back for a moment with quick breaths. You open your eyes and catch Joel smiling down at you, still slowly moving his cock inside of you. It feels good, soothing almost, on your sensitive cunt.

“We’re far from done here.” His voice goes down low again as his hips pick up the pace a little bit. You can’t really speak yet to reply, so you nod a little with heavy lidded eyes, willing to give him whatever it is that he wants.

Keeping himself inside of you, Joel picks you up by the hips, flipping you so that he’s underneath you now, and your legs straddle him while you sink down onto his cock. He groans at the new angle and depth he’s getting right now, and you have to say, it’s doing something for you too. Despite you being on top, Joel still takes all the control, grabbing your hips tightly as he practically lifts you up and slams you down onto his cock. You bounce on your legs a little, helping him along, but he’s the one setting the pace. You rake your hands down his chest before bending forward, settling onto him so that your face is in the crook of his neck. Your breath tickling there seems to urge him along, and he bends his legs up a little to support your ass as he continues to move your body for you, quickening the pace. The way you’re positioned, you’re getting just enough movement on your clit from your bodies touching that you can feel another climax building up quickly. You moan, feeling the depth of Joel’s cock inside of you as he pulls you all the way down onto him in hard, eager, movements.

“Yeah,” he grunts, “Good girl, such a good girl. Come on this cock again, baby,” Joel demands, and you know that he can feel how close you are again. You can’t help but roll your hips a little each time he brings you down onto him, until you’re crazed, trying to pull yourself down more quickly than he is.

“Yes, fuck, right there, Joel,” you cry out, and holy fuck it’s amazing. Another bursting of tension rushes through you, and your body is tight against Joel’s, pushing your hips into him quickly and desperately like your life depends on it. Your moans cover over the loud slapping of flesh, echoing through the room until Joel starts whispering praises in your ear.

“Mmm,” he groans, “That’s it, comin’ so good for me, sweetheart.” His words feel incredible as you soak them in during all of this, your body shuddering on top of him as you can feel the ridiculous size of him pumping into you. In this dazed moment of passion, you want to do good, only good, for him, you want to worship him and let him fuck you any way he wants, anywhere, any time. You don’t think you could deny anything to someone that feels this amazing as you clench around them.

“God, Joel, I’d do anything to be good for you,” you whine out, almost unintentionally, coming down from your climax. You can’t even regret it when you feel this intoxicated by him right now.

“Oh, baby, you already are.” He strokes your hair, brushing sweaty strands off your face, and you pull your head off of his shoulder and stare at him with glassy eyes. It takes everything in Joel not to come right there with the way it feels to be looking at that expression while his cock still rests inside of you. “So good for me,” he reiterates, looking at you with amazement.

“Anything…” you murmur, blinking slowly, unsure even what you’re trying to convey. All you know is you’re moving your hips again slowly, wanting him to feel the pleasure you’d just received. Joel’s breath hitches a little, and he lets out a few whispered moans. You watch his face closely, and suddenly his expression hardens, as if he’s made up his mind on something.

“Get on your hands and knees,” he commands, and you blink for a moment, trying to come out of the post-orgasm daze you’d been in to slide off of him and move as he’s directing you. He sits up once you’re off of his lap, and he quickly helps you redirect your body, grabbing you by the hips as you try to plant your hands on the bed and stick your ass up further for him. You breathe heavily, anticipating what he’s going to do next.

What you don’t expect is for him to smack your ass hard, but once he does it, a rushing feeling goes through you. He had said he was going to smack your ass on that first night, and now he was holding to it.

“That’s for all the times you were teasin’ me, girl,” his raspy voice chokes out before slapping both of his palms onto your ass cheeks and gripping them. “Said this was a perfect fucking ass.” He lets go, and you whine a little, not sure where this urge for him to continue doing it came from, but like many experiences with Joel, you seem to be learning a lot about yourself.

“You think…” you breathe out as you glance over your shoulder at him, “Just the one smack will do?” Joel laughs deviously in reply, leaning his body over top of yours and getting close to your ear. You can feel his cock brush against you, so hard and throbbing that you feel yourself get wet at the mere touch of it on your leg.

“Does my good girl want to be punished? Is that it?” he says, a darker grit to his voice coming through, and you nod furiously, looking at him with a begging stare. He can barely contain himself, grunting as he moves back, pressing his hips flush with your ass. One hand pushes down on the middle of your back, pressing the front half of you into the mattress, leaving your ass lifted up off the bed. Joel positions himself quickly, a frantic energy to him as he slides his cock between your legs, coating himself in your wetness. Then he plunges in with no mercy, giving all of himself at once, his entire length slamming into your cunt. You yelp at the sensation, but the sound is covered completely by a loud smack on your ass, then another.

You moan as your pussy stretches to take him all over again, and at this angle it’s absolutely devastating. Joel’s hand is still holding you down, and you’re only able to stay right here, taking exactly what he gives to you as he moves his cock into you as deep as he can go, over and over. He smacks your ass again, and it’s starting to sting more, but you find it’s urging you on, and you fucking like it. Despite Joel’s hold on you, you’re able to slide your hand off of the mattress and reach up to start rubbing your aching clit.

Joel’s hand moves from your back, reaches around you, and covers your own, stopping the movement on your clit for a moment before he wraps his hand around yours and begins directing the motions, putting himself in charge of your pleasure once again. The added pressure of his hand on your clit is already close to pushing you over the edge and you find that you find you physically can’t stop making noise, whimpering and moaning for your climax that’s so close within reach now.

Joel’s other hand soothingly rubs your stinging ass cheek, and you find your hips pushing back into it, wishing he’d smack it again. When he does, a louder groan slips out of your mouth and you feel the beginning of another orgasm rolling through you. Joel’s hand continues to move your finger frantically over your clit, and your hips buck into it as Joel keeps up the pace of his thrusting hips into you. It’s all so much, too much, and you’re crying out for him as the sensation sweeps your entire body and your muscles go tense and rigid with the pure pleasure of it all.

“F-fu-uck,” you manage to push out of your throat, barely able to get anything out that isn’t a scream for Joel. His breathing is quick, erratic, now and he plunges deep into you at the tail end of your orgasm.

“Gonna come baby, right in that pussy,” he groans out. “Tell me again, that it’s mine.”

“It’s all yours, Joel. My tight little cunt is all for you,” you sigh, feeling him tense as his cock drives all the way in once more

“Yeah, that’s right, baby,” he moans out, one of his hands holding tight onto your ass while he bucks his hips a few times as he comes. Your breathing quickens slightly again feeling him pump into you, knowing that you were able to undo him like that. He stays as he is, still inside of you, collapsing onto your back a little bit.

“Jesus,” he breathes out, relaxing a little bit. “You feel so fucking good, my sweet girl.”

You completely relax down onto the bed, and Joel turns onto his side and tucks you into him, still refusing to pull out of you. He moves the now sticky hair off of your neck and plants light kisses there as he spoons you. You moan quietly into it, feeling the prickle of his stubble on your sensitive skin there and the way his still heavy breaths hit you. After a few more moments, Joel scoots his hips back, finally pulling out of you, and it’s such a difference in feeling you find that your mouth opens in shock for a second. You also unsurprisingly find that you miss the feeling already, desperate for more now that you’ve had this taste of it.

You lay there, completely still and practically stunned speechless as Joel slides out of bed and over to the bathroom attached to his bedroom to take off the condom. He returns moments later, laying back down next to you and observing your expression. He reaches over and pulls you back to him, nestling you into his side as you put your head on his shoulder.

“How’re you feeling, hm?” he says, nudging you a little.

“I feel…” you say quietly, taking a deep breath in and thinking of any word to describe this indescribable feeling you’re having right now. “Wow,” you finish with the out breath, and Joel laughs, his chest rumbling your tangled bodies.

“Wasn’t too much, right?” he asks, sounding genuinely concerned for you.

“What? No,” you say quickly, moving your eyes to his face. “That was everything.”

“Everything, huh?” he teases you, pulling you in a little tighter.

“Everything,” you respond, staring intently at him.

“It was really somethin’, I’ll give ya that. Can’t believe just how good you are to me, baby,” he says, nuzzling his head down onto yours a bit and then kissing your forehead.

“You make it easy, you know.” You feel a little shy at how mushy you feel like you’re being right now, and it’s hard to meet his eyeline suddenly.

“Oh yeah? How’s that, darlin’?”

“You’re good to me first,” you say, smiling up at him. “Makes me want to do anything you want or need, to keep you happy.”

“Baby, you have no idea how well you’re keepin’ me happy,” he replies, with a big squeeze of your entire body, and you giggle, then laugh even harder when his hands brush a little on a ticklish spot on your side. You squirm, but Joel flips himself onto you, pinning you down before slowly tracing a finger over the spot he’d tickled moments earlier. You squeal, writhing under him.

“Stop!” you gasp, continuing to laugh and fight his grip.

He catches your mouth in a kiss, immediately sliding his tongue against your bottom lip, then dancing it into your mouth to meet yours. You return the motions, pulling back slightly after to nip at his lip before diving in for more. Joel pulls away reluctantly, looking down at you like he could do this for hours. You instantly go a little red at the way his eyes are lit up and fixed on you laying naked underneath him. Despite the way he’s starting to turn you on all over again, you can already feel the aching soreness in between your legs that you know is going to stay there throughout tomorrow, and you decide against going another round with him.

“It’s fair to say I think walking will be difficult right now, so we accomplished that” you blurt out, your way of saying you two should probably call it for the night. He rolls off of you with a satisfied smirk, settling down next to you on the bed. You readjust, catching the time on Joel’s bedside clock in the process, and tense up, realizing how late it’s getting. You start moving, standing off the bed and searching the floor for your underwear as you gather your dress in your arms.

“What’re you doin’?” Joel asks with a concerned expression, propping his head up a little off the pillows.

“I- I was going to head out, I saw it’s getting kind of late.” You twist your mouth to the side and bite your lip nervously, fiddling with the fabric in your hands. You feel so exposed right now, standing completely naked and feeling too awkward and shy to just ask to spend the night, even though it’s what you really want.

“You don’t have to do all that, darlin’,” he replies, rubbing the sheets where you’d just been laying. “Come back to bed.” Your eyes widen, and you feel yourself tense with excitement at what he’s implying.

“Can I -“ you start, and Joel nods with a kind half smile.

“I wanna wake up next to you tomorrow, sweet girl,” he says, and your heart leaps a little. You press your lips together to repress some of your smile, not wanting to give away just how happy what he said made you. You drop your clothes and slowly crawl back into the bed. Joel reaches for the bedside lamp to turn it off, plunging you two into darkness aside from the moonlight streaming in. He pulls the sheet up over you both, then his body is up against yours again, seemingly unable to stop holding you close.

You’re exhausted, but you want nothing more than to stay in this moment with him. “When’re we seeing each other again?” you murmur out sleepily.

“My god, you insatiable girl,” Joel chuckles heartily. “Tomorrow mornin’.”

“After that,” you whine.

“Very soon, baby. No use worrying about it now.” He takes a look at your heavy eyes, blinking slowly in an attempt to stay awake. “Get some sleep, darlin’,” he says, continuing to hold you.

You agree with an affirming noise, letting your eyes close, but you feel like you can’t shake the worry he’s telling you not to have. You feel like all of this is too good to be true, that any moment will be your last with him. You’re starting to have more and more of a hard time separating the physical and mental aspects of this thing you’ve jumped into with Joel, and it’s gnawing at you as you try to fall asleep. You said earlier in the night that things were casual, but had you really meant it? And what the hell would it mean going forward if you hadn’t?

#i loooove them so much #i need joel to smack my ass when is it my turn????#fic: closer #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller smut #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x you #the last of us fanfiction #tlou fanfiction #pedro pascal character fanfiction #pedro pascal x reader

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epicstuckyficrecs · 1 year

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Epic Stucky Fic Rec | February, March & April 2023

I'm alive! 😅 I started making a fic rec for February and March in the beginning of April and then I completely forgot about it... and then by the time I remembered, April was almost done so I figured I'd wait 😆

Should I make a new banner? yes. Will I? Maybe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Complete

💙 Additional Information series by notlucy/ @notlucy (Modern AU, Coworkers, Sugard Daddy/Daddy Kink, BDSM | Explicit)

Proprietary Information (85K): Okay, so Bucky Barnes has a crush on Steve Rogers. The guy's gorgeous, talented and, oh yeah, the Chief Design Officer of the biggest tech company in the world. In other words: he's so far out of Bucky's league that he might as well be in a different stratosphere.

Preoccupations (6K): Steve doesn't usually pay much attention to the new hires. But there's something about this kid.

Brooklyn's on Fire (4K): Steve's turning thirty-seven and he really only wants one thing for his birthday.

Gimme Danger (6K): Bucky doesn't have time to explore his exhibitionist kink. He's very busy. He asks Steve about it anyway.

Remember You Well (in the Chelsea Hotel) (5K): Steve can't quite believe he has Bucky back. It seems too good to be true after the hell he endured while missing him. The universe, however, is full of surprises.

Close Call (6K): Bucky and Steve make it through two weeks of living together before the inevitable "first fight" of cohabitation. They (mostly) handle it like adults. And the makeup sex is killer, in Bucky's not-so-humble opinion.

To Sir, With Love (10K): Steve recognizes that his jealousy over Bucky's infatuation with one of his professors isn't rational, but that doesn't make it any less real. And, hey, if you can't beat them, join them, right? Besides, he's always wanted a tweed jacket.

Mergers and Acquisitions (41K): Steve and Bucky are going to the chapel, and they’re going to get married. Meanwhile, Peggy and Natasha…

💙 a day in the life by powerfulowl (StuckyFlangst) / @stuckyflangst (Post-Endgame Fix-It, Time Travel, Groundhog Day | 20K | Explicit): Steve Rogers wakes up on Tuesday October 30 1956, and doesn't seem to remember his life that well. Why does every day feel so familiar? And why does he keep getting visited by tall, dark, handsome men who remind him of Bucky?

The Day After, the Aftermath, or Whatever It Is That Feels Like a Hangover, Christmas, and His Birthday All at the Same Time by buckybarnesdeservestobehappy (hutchabelle)/ @buckybarnesdeservestobehappy (Modern AU | 1K | Mature): Bucky wakes the day after his thirtieth birthday with a hangover, a hardon, and a beautiful man sharing his bed.

Tell Me I Can Have It All by HaniTrash/ @hanitrash (Stucky in Wakanda | 1K | Explicit): Steve is tired of Bucky trying to push him away after he comes out of cryo in Wakanda. Rehashing the same argument brings up some new information that Bucky can't ignore, and makes him second-guess his decision to keep Steve at arm's length.

I'd Fuck Me by fandomfluffandfuck/ @fandomfluffandfuck (Evanstan, PWP | 6K | Explicit): When unexpectedly given a unique hotel room while on a Marvel press tour, Chris Evans ends up spending his evening alone, yet still making the most of his room... (Part 1 of Fuck This)

I'd Fuck You by fandomfluffandfuck/ @fandomfluffandfuck (Evanstan RPF | 8K | Explicit): Armed with nudes that contain enough raw sexual energy to cause nuclear explosions, Chris decides it's time to fucking blow Sebastian's mind... (Part 2 of Fuck This)

Captain Orgy 69 @ gmail.com by Gfawkes/ @gfawkesphoenixchokingonashes (Evanstan RPF, Friends to Lovers | 12K | Explicit): Or, Chris and Sebastian finally star in that rom-com they've been talking about.

My Heart Belongs to Captain Rogers by lavenderbucky (Canon | 3K | General): Steve wakes up late for his run, wears one of Bucky's shirts in public and goes slightly viral on Twitter. You know. Just an average day in his life.

5 Times Bucky Styled His Hair + 1 Time Steve Did It For Him by lavenderbucky (Post-WS | 8K | Teen): Steve is so happy to have Bucky back. His best friend is a little different to how he was in the 40s, but in some ways he's the exact same. But even if Bucky is his favourite person in the world, and even if Steve thinks his hair is really, really pretty, Steve's feelings for him are completely platonic. Right? Or: a love story, told through Bucky's hair.

WIP

💙 This is (not) a Ghost Story [COMIC] by PottersPink/ @potterspink (Post-WS | 11/31 | General): Steve moves into a haunted house. Well — everyone else is convinced it’s haunted, anyways.

Countermoves by cable-knit-sweater (cable_knit_sweater) (Evanstan RPF, CATFA | 11K | Explicit): Sebastian knows about Chris Evans, has to take his shot when he sees him. Chris doesn’t have a clue who Sebastian is, aside from being a pretty guy he meets in a club. The attraction is instant, and Sebastian takes Chris home, with a little detour or two. Chris thinks it’s just a one-night stand he’ll be thinking about for a long time, cursing himself for not getting the guy’s number. Until a couple of months later, he has the first table read for Captain America: The First Avenger, and he meets him again.

💙 Whip Crack by Quarra/ @quarra (Canon Divergent, Tentacle Monster Steve | 15/? | 119K | Explicit): Tentacle Monster Steve is captured by Hydra. They send in the Winter Soldier with a bull whip to break him, but as far as Steve’s concerned the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen walked in to his cell and started waving a sexy black tentacle at him. It’s love at first sight.

💙 hey now, you’re an all star (get your game on, go play) by buckyismybicycle/ @buckyismybicycle (NHL Hockey AU | 20/? | 63K | Explicit): Boston Bruins trade notorious party animal/human disaster Bucky Barnes to the Dallas Stars, and captain Steve Rogers is not impressed when Fury puts him on babysitting duties. But, as he gets to know Bucky - really gets to know Bucky - he wonders if maybe the media has got it all wrong - very, very wrong.

Re-Read

💙 Latte Art and Slow Dancing in the Dark by deadonarrival (Modern AU with powers, Daddy kink | 89K | Explicit): Bucky is a somewhat well-adjusted former army sniper that got his shoulder blown out. He took his discharge and went home to finish school. His best friends and roommates (Nat & Clint) are CIA agents and tip him off that their local Sbux is hiring. He gets a job there and meets none other than the hottest guy on earth. So how does one get a date in the most top secret government location in the US? What happens when that guy is more than just a hot dorito and wants to give Bucky everything he wants?

Now! That’s What I Call 90’s Slow Jams by deadonarrival (Modern AU | 11K | Mature): Steve goes home for the wedding of Becca Barnes and while he’s there he runs into his old crush. Her brother. Except now they are both hot as shit. Oh no whatever will happen.

Brooklyn by togina/ @toli-a (Post-WS | 8,7K | Teen): "Captain America, what’s your stance on gay marriage?“ Everyone knows that, by now. Everyone but Bucky.

#stucky #stucky fanfic #stucky fic #stucky fanfiction #stucky fic rec #weekly recap #evanstan

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solarmidnight · 9 months

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Chreon Fic Rec List!

As promised, here is my Chreon fic rec list. Please leave a comment and kudos to show these authors some love!

If you are a fanfic author and find your fic on this list and you'd like it removed, please message me and I will remove it immediately.

Please make sure to read the tags for each fic for warnings/triggers.

Be My Remedy by tirsynni (8K)

When Leon agrees to do a favor for Chris, he should have expected everything to go to hell. At least this time he isn't alone when the mission is done.

Persona Non Grata by Yuu_chi (26k)

A no strings attached arrangement with the love of your life seems like a good idea right up until you realize he's in love with somebody else.

you don't fare well without me by realpoutydadsurvives (23k)

Leon shuddered a breath out of his frozen lungs and asked numbly, “Why do you hate me?” There was a quiet more invasive than the deadly silence of the world beyond the walls protecting them and Leon hated himself for being so stupid— stupid fucking Kennedy saying shit he wasn’t supposed to say— fumbling for a way to cover up his fuck up, when Chris’s low voice broke the silence, saying, “I don’t hate you, Leon. I never have.” “Liar,” Leon accused softly into the darkness of their warm refuge. “You’re a f-fucking liar.”

fate changed (we keep loving as if the story isn't over yet) by fonulyn (note: past relationship Piers/Leon) (34k)

In hindsight, Leon knew the second he opened the door and saw Chris standing there, dressed in his service uniform, mouth pinched to a grim line and unable to meet Leon’s gaze straight. There was only one logical reason for it, only one way to explain why he was standing there like he would rather be anywhere else, and Leon almost slammed the door right in his face. “Leon, I…” Chris started, suddenly forgetting every single word he’d prepared. “Piers. He…” he trailed off, and risked a glance at Leon, who was standing there like a statue. It was like he wasn’t even breathing, with the way he was staring at Chris. “He saved my life. He saved Sherry. And he saved Jake. Hell, he probably saved the whole world, but he—” “Don’t.” - Or the one wherein no one really knows how to handle their grief, but somehow life goes on anyway.

Chris by Any Other Name by leftid (30k)

“Christopher Adam Redfield,” the rookie said, admonishingly. “You clean up your mess this instant.” “Who?” was Chris’ reply. ———————— Leon Scott Kennedy takes pity on Christopher ‘No-Middle-Name’ Redfield, and spends the next several years they know each other trying to find one. Technically it’s a series of 26 drabbles spanning from RE1 to RE8. A small line of plot managed to sneak into this episodic series.

Cocksucker by r3zuri (note: also features Krauser/Leon) (12k)

When Leon is ten, he tells his parents that girls are gross and he’s never getting married. They tell him he’ll change his mind when he’s older.

Collide by NovelNormandy (8k)

“Oops,” Chris says and Leon huffs a surprised laugh, now using his grip on Chris’s arm and the back of his neck to help hold his weight. “Sorry.” Leon shrugs, looking back at him. “It’s from IKEA.” “So what do I owe you, like 38 bucks?” Leon adjusts his hold on Chris, wrapping his legs firmly around the other man’s hips. “Can think of another way you can get me back.”

Welcome Back by nanaa127 (5k)

After an extended mission, Leon unexpectedly shows up at a conference Chris is attending. Chris is happy to see him. Very, very happy.

New Rookie by leonsknife (6K)

There's a new rookie at the R.P.D. and he's caught Chris' attention.

who am i after tasting you? by chthonicheart (38K)

“I fear the entire floor might have heard us last night,” Chris starts. Leon’s ears start ringing. What? “Yeah, I know. The server told me to tell you he gives us his ‘sincerest congratulations.’” “Christ,” Leon mutters, mostly to himself. “If only this complimentary breakfast came with complimentary mimosas.”

One Tomorrow at a Time by Requiem (37K)

During the fight with Arias, Leon gets infected and turns into a B.O.W. Chris is not giving up on him that easily.

as i drown in irresistible love by FireandLightning (5K)

It's a late night at the BSAA offices when Chris receives a text from Leon containing a photo of Leon himself next to... Chris can get very, very jealous of people flirting with Leon sometimes. Leon knows just how to turn that jealousy to his advantage, especially for when he wants to get literally demolished and punished suitably by Chris Redfield.

#resident evil #chreon #leon kennedy #chris redfield #chris x leon #chreon recs #fic recs

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anthemofgvf · 1 year

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Endless Summer: Josh Kiszka x Reader Fanfiction

Part Four

description: you and sammy have been best friends since you were kids, and being around his family was the norm your entire life. when invited to a trip to their family lake house during the summer, you find yourself spending more time with his brother than your best friend. and, one thing has been clear your entire friendship: brothers are off limits.

warnings for this series: alcohol and marijuana usage, explicit content (18+, minors dni), angst, swearing

word count: 8k+

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Walking down the steps of the cabin, your legs grew sorer with each step. It wasn't unbearable pain, thankfully, but you were just satisfied that the day would be filled with relaxation.

You ran your hand through your hair, scratching at your scalp with a light yawn and fixed your eyes around the quiet morning atmosphere of the living room. It was around 9 AM; your were eyes a bit foggy from just getting up for the day. But you were quick to notice that Josh's bedroom door was open.

Your feet hit the cool wooden floors as you made your way over to his bedroom. You figured he wouldn't mind if you entered unannounced, but you chose to click your knuckles against the door anyways to notify him you were coming in.

"Josh?" You called for him, waiting for a response but not receiving one.

Your mind flicked between the idea of walking into his room or just going back upstairs. So, you scanned the living room once more before deciding to steal a guilty peak into his room and entering.

His bed was neatly made to your surprise, with his room tidy and cleaned. It surprised you that he had kept his room in a perfect condition, considering his chaotic personality. It was too quick of judgement for you to think that. Hell, it wasn't appropriate for you to be in his room while he wasn't in there.

Your eyes walked around the room, noticing a few family photos, along with some of his personal belongings on his dresser: his sunglasses, his wallet, a mala bead necklace, and his infamous camera.

The camera grabbed your attention, so you decided with another look at the empty room to pick it up and examine it. You weren't sure how old it was since it wasn't digital, so film had to be developed for it. You recognized it because he had brought it on almost every excursion, and you were excited to see all of the photos that would be produced by it.

"Searching through my things?" Josh entered the room, and you quickly fumbled with the camera and dropped it onto the dresser.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I, uh, noticed your door was open and came to see if you were up." Your eyes sprang around the room. But, with the frantic looking you did, your eyes caught the sight of his neutral-toned briefs that were similar to his skin tone.

His lips curled into a smile once he noticed you peaking at his briefs quickly. Your eyes widened and cheeks beginning to flush with your lips pressed together and turning from his gaze. But he just strode over to you, placing his hand onto the counter and leaning onto it with his other hand rested at his hip.

"I would've made myself a bit more decent if I knew you were saying hello. I'm sorry." He shrugged with a quick smile, staring at your adverted eyes.

"No, I should be. I shouldn't have snuck into your room." You huffed a laugh. "You doing anything today?"

He sighed, searching through his drawers and finding a pair of elastic brown shorts. "Not sure. Haven't thought about it much. What about you?"

"Promised Sam the other day we'd do something before we went hiking yesterday. Legs aren't killing me surprisingly, so, we'll probably go out."

"Sounds like fun." He said with a grunt and tying his shorts. "You have a good time out with Sam last night?"

"Yeah. We just sat by the lake and talked," you flashed him a smile, "I still feel bad about ditching you last night."

"Don't! It's alright, really. What, are you thinking about ditching me tonight, too?"

"Wasn't planning on it." You shook your head.

"Good," he patted your shoulder, "I'm looking forward to it."

He left you in his room, and you figured it was a nonverbal cue to follow him out. He had already made his way to the kitchen and grabbing an apple, taking a bite out of it and joining you on the couch.

Within a few minutes, Jake had woken up and joined you two in the living room. He made small talk with you both, not saying much. He was never much of a talker in the morning, unlike his twin, who never seemed to not be able to stop talking. But you never had a problem with it, in fact you liked the different dynamic. Although you knew how much Jake could talk once he warmed up to someone.

And then Sam was next and final in line to waking up, entering the downstairs with a cheerful greeting and talking over the day's plans with you at the dining room table. He had asked if you wanted to go downtown and go to the antique shops that lined the quiet streets, and you gratefully accepted the offer. Jake chimed in and said he'd like to join, and you both didn't mind the extra company.

You had asked Josh if he wanted to come along, but he insisted on letting you three go and take his Jeep, trusting the keys with Sammy and saying he was going to stay in for a bit. Despite your wishes that he would've decided on going with you guys, you knew he preferred to have some time to himself and spend the day alone doing whatever he pleased without a set schedule.

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You three walked into the antique store, filled with racks of clothing and a few other items such as accessories and trinkets in glass cases. A soft melody played on the radio throughout the store, and it was comforting to listen to as you all began browsing.

You searched through the racks of second-hand clothing, flipping through multiple shirts and vests that were in pristine condition despite them being older than they appeared.

Sam followed you around the store for a bit, picking out shirts he thought you'd like and showing you the options.

"Having a good time so far?" He hung up a plaid shirt that he showed you, to which you shook your head with a smile.

"You seem to be asking me this question a lot. Do you think I'm not?" You looked up to him with a puzzled expression.

"Well, I just like to make sure." He shrugged with a coy smile as he walked backwards whilst you searched through the jackets. "It's nice to do something a bit different compared to what we've been doing. Was getting tired of the usual routine."

"Agreed. My legs have been killing me from all the hiking we've been doing." You admitted with a quiet laugh, making your way over to the shirts and tank tops as he followed closely behind.

"Eh, it hasn't been too bad."

"Liar. You dragged your feet up that last trail we did!" You pointed at him with wide eyes.

He shot his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright, you caught me." He put his hands down to his sides with a light chuckle. "Was surprised you didn't have one of us carry you up the trail."

"Josh told me the same thing! Jesus, what is with you boys and thinking I'm out of shape?" You shook your head and watched his face falter into a blank expression.

"We do a lot more traveling than you do." He tapped your back as he left you at the rack and made his way to the fur and leather coats.

Jake came to your side, sporting a rounded black hat and a smirk planted on his face.

"Think this might be my new look. What do you think?" He placed his hands on his hips, spinning his body on his heels and showing off the brown leather vest he had found, along with the hat.

You giggled at the sight, looking at him only for a moment before continuing your search through the articles of clothing. "I think it suits you, if you're going for a more distinguished look."

"Nothing wrong with trying to look proper." He chuckled and took off the hat. His hand ran through the roots of his hair after placing the hat on a nearby rack and finding a hanger to place the vest on.

He stayed at your side, watching as you reached the end of the rack and decided to travel to the next side.

You reacknowledged his presence. "Bored already?"

"Nah, just wanted to see what you find. I've got a pretty good collection of clothes at home, anyways." He gave you a shrug.

"Surprised Josh didn't join us. He loves this kind of stuff, right?" You flicked your eyes at him.

"Yeah, but he’s started to just stay back more whenever we go out. I think he’s sick of us already."

"I'd expect Sam to be that way instead of Josh," you pulled a pink lace tank-top out with floral patterns, "but I'll take your word for it."

You turned the hanger in your hand, examining the shirt before placing it back. You looked at Jake again, who had a knowing smirk on his face. You could only assume that he was thinking about how you mentioned Josh more than Sam, but you tried to ignore the intimidating look to keep your face from growing hot. So, you just left him to search through the accessories that sat at the beginning of the store.

"You seem to be spending more time with Josh this time around." He leaned on the glass counter as you picked through a few necklaces that hung on a plastic cylinder.

"I've been spending the same time with him as I have with all of you." You were quick to defend yourself with a shy smile.

"I mean when he goes up to your room every night." His smile only widened a bit after he saw your smile falter. It was as if he caught onto whatever was going on between you and Josh, despite there being nothing there.

"Stalking me and your brother?" You held in your hands a turquoise-beaded necklace.

"No, just notice him leave every night and hear a door upstairs close. And I know for a fact he's not paying Sam a visit every night." He mentioned to you he liked the necklace, then meeting your eyes with a cocked brow. "You're lucky Sam is a heavy sleeper. The guy can sleep through everything."

You clutched the necklace in your palms and made your way to the collection of vintage earrings. "Well, there's nothing going on, so Sam has nothing to worry about. If there was, you'd be able to pry it out of Josh."

He nodded with a huffed laugh and became busy with the collection of necklaces you were once examining before. "Yeah, Josh tells me everything. Sam's a bit of a secret keeper, though," he shrugged, "but I was just bringing it up because I know how Sam feels about the whole thing. He's always been protective over you."

"Could be because he thinks of me like a sister. Gets annoying when I try to have a conversation with one of you and he's just death staring me." You laughed, to which Jake matched. "He was just picking on me for my legs being sore from all the hiking."

"It seems like he's gotten better with it over time. Comes with growing up, I guess. And, if it makes you feel any better, I was the one who ultimately decided that would be our last hike of the trip." He set down a silver-chain necklace, then left you to roam on your own.

You watched him walk off, looking around the store for your friend and being unable to do so. So, you just kept to yourself, and picked through everything you could get your hands on. You caught yourself thinking whether Josh would like something you picked out, or if we would grab it himself. Especially when you found black mala beads, with a red tinsel hanging in the middle of the ensemble. You ended up grabbing it, along with your turquoise necklace, and went on your search for Sammy.

Sammy had picked out two patterned long sleeves, both from some time between the 70's, and you were surprised by the choices. He modeled them for you, nonetheless, and you all three decided to check out and head to another shop nearby.

"Are you sure the shirts I picked out aren't ugly?" He lifted the plastic bag in his hands and waved it in your face.

"I'm positive, Sam. Should've seen what Jake was showing me, earlier. Now, that was ugly."

Jake placed his hand on his heart as if your words hurt him physically. "You said you liked it!"

"Well, I didn't want to be mean." You giggled at his reaction.

"But you choose to be mean now? Starting to regret joining you guys." He dragged out his words with sarcasm. You just hit his shoulder with the back of your hand and made your way into the second store.

You three roamed through a few more stores after that, choosing to just appreciate what the stores held and hold onto your wallets for the rest of the day. It was nice to be downtown after staying in practically the middle of nowhere for some time, especially with the two of them. It gave you a chance to bond with Jake, which was appreciated since you two have never been as close. He resembled his brother a lot more than you remembered, and it was a nice touch to his personality that you admired.

Once the afternoon was coming to a close end, you all decided on grabbing some food for you three and Josh and head back to the lake house, hopping into Josh's Jeep and taking the long way back. The weather was cooler, the sun giving your burnt skin a rest for the remainder of the day and leaving you with a soft breeze every now and then as an apology. All you could do on the drive was breathe in the fresh air and reminisce on the scent you attached to home. You didn't care that your hair was slapping your neck with the wind; it was kind of comforting.

Upon arrival, you were the first to enter the house and noticed Josh was laid on his back on the couch, a book resting open on his clothed chest with his head rolled onto his shoulder. His breathing steady and the book rising and falling which each inhale and exhale, his eyes resting shut peacefully. His fro of hair straying in different directions. His most vulnerable state was one you didn’t want to shake, so you just chose to gawk there at him for a moment. You didn't quite see the book he was reading, because you just chose to watch with your back rested on the wall that enclosed the living room.

Jake entered next, carrying the plastic bag that held the products you bought from the first store and a brown bag with food inside. He absentmindedly set everything on the island in the kitchen before noticing you lost in thought. You seemed to have forgotten you were staring admirably at Josh, and Jake came over to see what had your attention.

He walked quietly next to you and saw what caught your eye, standing next to you with folded arms.

"Should we wake him?" You looked over to him and spoke in a whisper.

"Yeah, I got it." He said with a sigh. He crept over to Josh, kneeling down to meet the level of his brother and shaking him a few times. Unstirred by his motions, only groaning by the touch, Jake leaned into his brother's ear and whispered something incoherent to you, then shaking him once more. You had never seen him be so warm to his brother, and the sight itself made your heart melt.

Josh turned into Jake's face, eyes fluttering open as the book on his chest dropped to the ground loudly. The proximity shocked him, eyes widening and pushing his brother away from him. The motion caused Jake to fall back onto his behind, stifling a laugh.

"What time is it?" He groaned, bringing his eyes to the back of his hand.

"Around 4. Have a good nap, princess?" He chuckled as he watched Josh unravel from his sleep.

"Shut up," he groaned, sitting up and facing his brother, "is everyone else back?"

Jake looked towards you, and Josh followed his eyes. Sam had just entered the room, bringing in the rest of the bags and setting them next to where Jake had left his own and your belongings.

"Have a good trip?" Josh looked to you with a soft smile.

"Yeah. You would've loved the stores we went to. Seems like you just wanted an excuse to sleep, though."

"He's either up until 2 AM or going to sleep at 8." Sam chimed in while unpacking the sandwiches he bought.

"And tonight, I choose to stay up until 2 AM, thank you very much." He looked back to Sam, then met your eyes. Jake had watched the small exchange between you two and chose to ignore it to go join his younger brother in the kitchen. It seemed as though he was watching you guys more intently than usual, and that was something you started to pick up on.

Josh stood up with his hands stretched to the air, his shirt rising just above his belly button, then running his hands through his hair with a shake as he made his way over to you.

"What'd you guys get?" He pointed over to the array of bags.

"For food, we found a deli and decided to grab that to go. And as for shopping, I just got two new necklaces. Sam got a few shirts, and I don't think Jake got anything."

"Jake doesn't shop much, so I'm not surprised," he laughed, "let me see what you got."

You brought him over to your white plastic bag as Sam and Jake sat at the dining table, eating and chatting amongst themselves while you rummaged through your bag and pulled out your necklaces.

You first showed him the turquoise one you first picked out, and he held his hand out to examine it closer.

He admired it with a soft smile. "I like this. It'd look great on you." He set it back into your hands and waited for the next one.

"Thank you," you smiled as you pulled out the mala beads, "these just reminded me of you."

Your words had his smile rising to his eyes as you pulled out the necklace and handing it to him. His eyes lit up with awe, turning the beads in his hands and stroking the tassel at the end with his fingers. Even though these kinds of necklaces were a signature look for him, he felt appreciated that you thought of him and remembered that he loved mala beads.

He lifted his eyes up to you. "This is beautiful! God, where did you find this?"

"In the first antique shop we went to. I figured you'd like it, so I bought it for you." You threw the plastic bag away and watched his head violently shake.

"No, no, I can't take this. How much did this cost you?" His face contorted with confusion and wonder.

"Like $40. Was worth it, though." You smiled at him and nodded to the necklace. "I want you to have it."

"I can't accept this." He lent his hand towards you, and you just pushed it towards his chest, closing his fingers into the necklace and resting your hand on top of his fist.

"I insist, Josh. It's not my style, anyways."

"Let me at least pay you back." His head tilted to the side, his voice slightly lightened.

"No, you don't have to do that. Just the fact that you like it is payback enough." You gave him a satisfied smile and grabbed your sandwich to join the other two at the table.

Sam had finished the sandwich he got, crumpling the paper in his hands and joining you guys at the table after throwing it away. Josh had sat in front of you, already wearing the necklace, and eating with a wide grin on his face.

Sam leaned towards you and motioned his hand towards Josh. "Isn't that the necklace you bought?"

"Yeah, but he liked it so much, I just chose to give it to him." You looked at him with a shrug.

"He's got hundreds of those, y'know?" He furrowed his brows.

"It's fine, Sam. It's just a stupid necklace. Are you jealous I didn't buy you something?"

He shook his head slowly and folded his arms, hands pressing flat under his armpits. "Shouldn't have wasted your money. We could've bought that stuff for you instead."

You were relieved with the idea that he wasn't upset about you giving it to him, rather that it was a money issue. His demeanor was a bit tense, but you just chose to shrug it off. You weren’t caught off guard when you sensed the jealousy, even though he was trying his best to mask it. You felt like it was a regrettable decision; it would've been better to give Josh the necklace later in the night when you two were one on one, but then again, you decided to stop caring. It was just a simple gesture, and it wasn't like you hadn't boughten them gifts before.

Even though guilt punched at your gut, you just continued to eat in silence, making small talk with the rest of the group and finishing your meal slowly. You just focused on how Sam sat there, eyes fixated on nothing in particular. He was closed off. You thought about giving him the necklace you bought for yourself, but you figured he'd know it was a pity gift, so you decided against it.

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As if the fire couldn't die down any sooner, you just bounced your leg on the ground as you watched the smoke rise, embers of ash falling every now and then off the side of the pit and warming your bodies with its flames.

Sam seemed to go back to normal after he sat next to you, joking about something that happened on your guys' trip and saying he enjoyed the time you three spent together. You let yourself feel relieved that he chose to just let it go, mainly because there was nothing to be upset about.

Jake left his guitar inside the lake house and chose relaxation for the night. Him and Josh were caught up in some sort of conversation, while you just watched the fire burn at the cardboard and wood thrown into the pit.

"Something on your mind?" Sam tapped his fingers on your own that laid flat on the arm of the chair.

You whipped your head over to him with a questioned hum.

"I don't think you've blinked for at least a minute," slight concern rested on his face, "was just wondering if you were alright."

You pressed your lips together. "Oh, just a bit tired, that's all. Nothing really to do or say out here."

"Yeah, it's more just to help wind down and get out of the house more." He shrugged. "We can ditch them, y'know?"

"I feel glued to this chair." You groaned and threw your head back into the back of the chair.

"You're lame." He said with a grunt as he stood up, tapping your shoulder and walking off without another word and his bottle raised to his lips.

Your eyes followed him disappear into the lake house, then back to resting on the fire that struggled to stay alive. You noticed Josh's eyes on you from your peripheral, so you tried to catch them, but ended up watching his eyes avert away as he raised his beer bottle to his lips. You laughed to yourself, noticing that Jake had a wide smirk plastered on his face with a shake of his head.

"What's so funny?" You sat up from your chair with folded arms.

"Nothing you should worry about." Jake shrugged, looking over at his brother before choosing to stand from his chair. "See you two tomorrow."

You cocked your brow at Josh. His eyes followed his brother, then fell to his hands. He fiddled with his fingers, clicking his teeth and bouncing his leg. He was frantic, a bit more than usual.

You decided to push yourself out of your chair and stand in front of Josh. His leg stopped bouncing, and his eyes lifted to yours with a light smile.

"You gonna tell me what you and Jake were talking about?" You let her head tilt to the side.

He examined your face for a moment. His mouth parted slightly, exhaling a laugh and looking away from you for only a second.

"Oh, just him being immature. Nothing important." He stood from his chair.

You only let yourself take one step back to allow him room to stand, but that didn't decrease the proximity between you two. You felt your heart thumping against your chest and allowing itself to be heard in your ears. Your eyes fell to his parted lips, quickly shooting them back to his eyes that lingered on your own mouth. Your mind was sent into a daze, any thought possible bombarding your brain with what to do next. How to move.

You swallowed hard, taking another look at his lips that you noticed were plumper than you thought and a shade of rouge pink. "Still want to go to the beach?"

"Yeah, yeah, let me just grab my keys." He nodded, placing his hand on your shoulder and left you stood in front of the plastic chair he sat at, with your mind still trying to comprehend the small moment you convinced yourself was an intimate one.

You decided to wait by the Jeep, replaying every detail you were able to examine of his face. You could call yourself crazy for obsessing over the way his face was sculpted, but you couldn't find it in you to care. During most of this trip, you didn't let yourself remember every part of him that your mind decided was good to memorize. Like the way he entered a room, or the way his hips lightly swayed when he walked. Or the way his tongue would peak out from his pressed lips when he was in thought. Or even how his eyebrows twisted and contorted when he spoke, especially when he spoke or told some witted joke that made himself laugh. His slight dimples that poked out with a smile followed by light wrinkles forming around his toothy grin. All these things you remembered, but all of it weren't things you'd allow yourself to forget. You didn't want to forget any of it at all, despite knowing how Sam would feel if he could read your mind.

Josh came outside, bouncing the keys in his hands and hopped into the Jeep without saying a word to you. You let yourself get into the passenger seat and watched out the open window as you drove away from the lake house.

It felt fun to risk doing something that you know Sam wouldn't appreciate, or, in a way something you shouldn't have been doing. You didn't necessarily care that you were going out with Josh, since you two were just friends, but something felt different than it did when you and him were driving off to a secluded area. It was as if the air had shifted and decided to fill your body with nervousness, but in a good, excited way. It had your fingers tapping on the window's armrest, and your eyes flicking at the scenery that passed you and Josh by on the drive. You and him didn't say anything to each other, but rather let the wind speak for the both of you.

It didn't seem like a far drive. You figured it was because your mind was just caught wandering about everything and nothing, all at once. So, when the car bumped over the grains of sand that lined the beach, your eyes immediately shot to Josh. His smile was light as he kept his hands tight on the steering wheel, parking his car close to where the waters kissed the sand. He immediately hopped out, jogging over to your side and opening the door for you with his palm opened wide to you.

"Josh, I didn't-."

"We're not going swimming, don't worry," he chuckled, "just get out of the car."

You placed your hand in his as you hopped out, keeping your hand enveloped in his when he led you to the front of the Jeep. He removed his hand from yours and hopped onto the hood. You followed right after him, bringing your knees to your chest as you watched the current smoothly rise to the shoreline with a light crash, then softly recede back.

"Oh, I brought gifts." He exclaimed, digging into his pocket and setting down a lighter between you two, and a rolled-up cigarette packed with marijuana.

"Weed, huh?" You looked down at the joint, then back to him as he gave you a proud nod.

"Been saving this for a special occasion." He picked it up between his pointer finger and thumb. "You don't have to smoke, if you don't want to."

"No, no, it's fine. I haven't indulged in a while, so maybe this is a good time to do it again." You smiled at him widely.

You watched his lips wrap around the end of the joint and lit it with his black lighter, inhaling sharply and pulling it from his lips. He held his hand in front of you with the joint as he exhaled the smoke and titled his head back with shut eyes.

You twisted it in your fingers for a moment and pulled it to your lips, taking a small inhale and exhaling with a hard cough. You quickly passed the joint back to him as you covered your mouth with your forearm and shaking your head.

"You smoke weed often?" You said with a strained voice.

"Not as often as I used to, but yeah. We all drink more than we smoke when we're on tour, but I know Sam smokes a lot more than we all do nowadays." He nodded, taking another drag of the joint.

"Guess that's another thing that changed while you've guys have been gone." You shrugged and decided one more hit wouldn't kill you.

His eyes lingered on you as you exhaled the smoke and handed it back to him. You could feel your mind overtaking your body and nerves with relaxation. Your limbs felt heavy, and you recognized the quick change to be the drug finally hitting you.

"Noticed you put on the necklace. I really do like it on you." His hand motioned to the turquoise beads that hung over your white tank top.

"Figured if you were wearing yours, maybe I should put mine on." You spoke. Silence roamed between you two, but only for a short fraction of time.

"So, you had a good time with Jake and Sam today?" He sprawled his hands on the hood of the Jeep, with the joint resting between the inner of his pointer and middle fingers.

"Yeah, I did. Was nice to talk to Jake. Don't talk with him a lot, so it was nice." You looked over to him with a smile. "Feel a bit bad I didn't tell Sam about this."

He looked at you with a confused expression, pressing his lips together and exhaling a quiet laugh.

"You shouldn't. He's not the boss of you. You're your own person, you know." He extended his hand to you as he spoke, then rested it onto the hood as he lifted the joint to his lips.

"You told Jake we were going out, didn't you?"

"Can't keep anything from him. Besides, I don't want Sam getting upset with either of us for no reason, so Jake is just gonna make up some excuse for us if Sam asks him where we're at."

You pressed your lips together and scoffed. You let your eyes fall to the ocean as you just laughed. Laughed because your body didn't let you feel upset.

"It's funny that we've got to sneak around like this. Can't be friends with you because Sam thinks there's something going on. You know, Jake said something today to me about how we're lucky that Sam doesn't notice that you come into my room every night."

"He knows I come see you after everyone goes to sleep?" He chuckled, shaking his head as he inhaled another hit of his blunt.

"Yeah, surprised you didn't tell him since you seem to share everything with him," you laughed along with him, "I told him he was a stalker."

His laughter grew as he pinched the bridge of his nose, finishing the rolled-up cigarette and flicking it into the sand. "Jake's an interesting man."

You let the laughter die down and tune into the sound of the ocean crashing. It made your body feel heavier than it already had felt. You had forgotten how peaceful the drug was, and how it had you on a euphoric high that you were glad to feel once again.

You felt his hooded eyes on you, and you let your head turn and meet them with a downturned smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" You huffed a laugh.

He inhaled deeply, whilst exhaling his words. "Can I tell you something?"

"Shoot."

"I'm glad we've been able to hang out a lot. I don't think I've enjoyed myself with someone with as much as I've had with you." He gave you a light smile.

Although his words were cheesy, it had your heart sinking in your chest and residing in the pit of your stomach. Your emotions had seemingly heightened more, and you didn't care that the muscles of your face hurt from your cheeks flushing red. Blame it on the marijuana for letting yourself look at him the way you always do in secret.

"The feeling is mutual," you nodded with a smile, "I mean, we haven't been able to hang out as much with you guys being on tour all the time and Sam always getting in the way. It's nice that things are different this time around."

He hummed in agreement. "Was a bit funny to see him blow up at the lake, though."

"Yeah, I still don't even know what that was all about. Stupid to be upset over riding in the same fucking kayak as you." You laughed, raising your hands into the air.

"It's because he knows that I had a thing for you." He stated blankly, as if this piece of information was something you already knew.

Your eyes widened at his words, with your brain picking at each part of the sentence. I. Had. A thing. For you. You couldn't help your jaw unhinge when he said that to you. All he did was laugh at your expression, but you felt yourself fully sober up. The familiar feeling of your body tingling, heart pounding against your chest and trying to leap out to graze his own, you going without blinking because you were in such a state of astonishment. What were you supposed to say to that? How were you supposed to feel about that?

You didn't know what part was more interesting to you: the fact that he had a thing for you, or that he had a thing for you. When was the point in time where his thoughts matched yours? Did your mind completely obliviate you to how he felt when he did have feelings for you? Or did they never just go away? It was as if he just wanted to see how you would react, as if this was some sort of joke. But he just let you relish in the new information, and let it fully consume your mind with countless thoughts and memories that were meshing together and unable to give you a coherent thought.

The only word that you were able to form and sound from your mouth was, "What?"

"You wonder why Sam started getting a bit more aggressive when it came to you and I hanging out. Or, why Jake laughs at us because he knows how I felt," he chuckled to himself, "can't believe you never knew." He kept his eyes on you and continued watching your lips trying to utter a sound.

"You never-you," you stuttered out, "you liked me? This isn't some joke, is-."

"No, no I'm being honest. Maybe it's the drugs that gave me the confidence to tell you how I felt. Figured it would come up sooner or later. Helps explain to you why Sam has been kind of childish recently." He gave you a weak shrug.

Felt, not feel. Felt. You realized you had missed your chance, as if you were given one anyways. Sam didn't cross your mind for a second. All you could think about was how there was a point in time that Josh liked you. You felt like you were granted a boost of energy, although your head began to pound with too many combining thoughts and forming a light headache. Josh didn't tell you because of Sam. Josh didn't tell you because he figured you'd choose your best friend over him. Didn't matter if you had feelings for him or not, he just saved himself the heartbreak he thought he was bound to undergo.

"Why didn't you tell me how you felt?" Your mouth continued to hang open with your eyes nearly poking out from their sockets.

"Why do you think?" He laughed at you. He didn't need to answer your question. You knew the answer: Sam.

This wasn't enough. You needed closure. That would finally set your fantasies of a possible relationship with Josh at bay and finally relieve you of thinking that you two could work it out somehow.

"Do you," you began hesitantly with a shaky voice, "do you still feel that way about me?"

His eyes lowered down to his lap, and he pressed his lips together tightly. With his tongue grazing over his bottom lip to help open his mouth, he just looked away from you for a moment before returning his eyes to yours.

"I've said too much," he swallowed, "I don't think I should've told you in the first place. I'm sorry."

So, all he could say was sorry and that he shouldn't have told you? What were you supposed to do with the lingering idea that he shut the conversation down because he still liked you? You expected closure from this. You expected him to give you the slightest bit of information to give you a straight-forward answer. But he was unable to do so.

You cocked your head to the side with your mouth finally deciding to shut. All you could do was scoff at how easily he pulled away from being vulnerable. He didn't want to hurt you, and continuing with how he felt would've made you feel as such. He ruined a perfectly good night with his feelings, and it riddled him with embarrassment. Not embarrassed of his feelings, but embarrassed that he brought up something that didn't need to be spoken out loud. A second ago he believed that it would come up in the future, but now, he figured that it wouldn't ever be talked about.

"Think you should take me back, then." You muttered, hopping off the hood of the Jeep and sitting in the passenger seat. He came into the car a few moments later and drove from the beach back to the lake house.

Just like on the way there, you two didn't speak to each other. Except this time, the air had turned to make you feel uncomfortable. You were left with this information and unsure of what to do with it. You couldn't just talk to Sam about it and ask for his advice, and you frankly couldn't go to anyone about this. You had never told anyone how you felt about Josh, mainly because of fear your secret would somehow reach Sam. Now all you could do was feel angry at yourself for not noticing Josh's mood change towards you when he liked you, and frustrated that Sam steered Josh away from you.

You let yourself out of the car silently upon arriving back to the lake house, dragging your feet up the driveway and quietly opening the door. You didn't acknowledge whether Josh had followed you in or not, but the wooden floorboards creaking behind you told you that he followed you until they grew lighter and only your footsteps were heard.

You just continued to the stairs, stepping onto the first step until Josh said, "I do."

You haltered your movements, shooting your head up towards the stairs and then turning your body towards him slowly.

"What?"

"You asked me if I still had feelings for you. I do." His eyes averted from yours only for a moment before he looked up and saw your face soften.

You took cautious steps towards where he stood in the living room. It was as if he was waiting for you to meet him when you were ready, and he didn't move a single muscle to let you grow nearer to him.

"You do?" You whispered to him. Your eyes rested into a mixture of awe and shock. You were unable to pick how you felt.

"Yeah, yeah I do." He ran his hand to the back of his neck.

Any anger towards him swept away from your mind. You were filled with content and a hint of excitement. By the looks of his face, by the way he stood, by the way he spoke, he was serious. And that only made you more eager to meet him in the living room.

He didn’t tear his eyes from you as you moved closer to him, closing the proximity between you two as your hand raised hesitantly to his cheek, the other following shortly after to cup his face into your palms. His fingers wrapped around your wrist, the other hand finding your cheek and holding contact with your eyes. Neither of you wanted to look anywhere else, or blink away the moment that unfolded in front of you two.

"God, Josh," you laughed, resting your forehead onto his own and letting your eyes fall shut. "I have felt the same way about you for such a long time. I just didn't know how to tell you, or when to."

"Because of Sam." He pulled away from you slightly just enough to see the entirety of your face.

All you could do was nod. He didn't need a verbal response to acknowledge his suspicions. His reasoning for not telling you was the same as yours. So, you two just stood there and breathed in each other's air and lost yourself in each other's eyes. You both were too shy to make another move and unsure if it was right.

"I think why I didn't tell you was because I was too scared to. Didn't matter to me how you felt, because I knew in the end Sam would fuck it all up, and I didn't want to risk losing you." He cupped your cheeks as he spoke to you. "If things were different, I would've told you sooner."

"So why tell me now?"

"I just, I don't know. Figured we could forget about everything for a moment and just let things take its course. Figure out how to tell Sam and all of that shit later." He rubbed your burning cheek with his thumb. "I wanted you to know because I just thought that maybe we could work things out, despite how my brother feels. You can't control who you are attracted to, so why should it matter what he thinks, y'know?"

He had the same thoughts as you. Thinking that you two could work it out and just leave Sam out of it. After all, you were your own person, and Sam didn't control you. There was no guilt in your body when you told Josh how you felt, and no guilt in your body for wanting to kiss him. When were you going to get this chance again? You knew they would be leaving after the summer ended, and you begged the Earth to give you more time. But there wasn't enough. You just had to live in the present and ignore what the future withheld.

"Sam doesn't get to pick who I fall for." You shook your head and laughed to yourself that you were finally letting yourself make your own decisions and be your own person. Forgetting how he felt about you two, because the underlying reason for his actions and his emotions was because he knew that there was a chance you two would end up together, and he feared he would lose you to his brother. You weren't going to let him stand in the way of you and your feelings any longer, and finally give in to what your heart craved most.

Josh tilted his head to the side lightly, gazing at your parted lips before flicking his eyes to you as a silent ask to kiss you.

"Are you sure you want to do this, y/n?"

"Why would I not be okay with this?" You released a small, airy laugh.

"Because I don't want to take a step back after this and forget it happened. We can figure out how to tell Sam later, but I just want to know that you're okay with the fact that we have to be secretive about this for a little while."

"Josh, I really don't care how Sam feels right now, at least not anymore. I've been waiting too fucking long for this to happen, and I'm not going to miss my chance of doing something that I know I won't regret." You pulled your bottom lip into your teeth and watched his lips rest into a soft smile of acceptance that you were okay with everything.

You leaned into his motions to give into the dream you've wanted so desperately to occur, fluttering your eyes shut and letting yourself be surprised with the feeling of his lips on yours.

And once his plush lips finally melted with yours, you couldn't describe the emotion you felt. You sharply inhaled, letting your throat bubble out a quiet whimper of thankfulness. It was as close to true euphoria anything could be, fireworks booming in your head with excitement as a cheer that after all these years, after all the nights you stayed awake thinking about Josh, after all the time you thought he would never like you, he was finally kissing you with intent.

The taste of his mouth on yours was as addictive as a drug. It was a cliché thought, but you didn't care what you thought at this point. All you were focused on were the motions of his lips with yours, his soft breathing, and the way his hands sunk into your skin like they were meant to be there.

You felt the hand that wrapped around your wrist unravel and fall to your waist, bringing you closer to his body as his lips stayed connected onto yours. You just kept your hands on the soft skin of his cheeks to remind your palms and fingertips that his lips were on yours, opening and closing his mouth in a slow pattern to match your motions. You even let yourself take a quick peak at his face, eyes shut and brows furrowed with passion, before you let your eyes rest and just soak in the moment a little longer.

He pulled away from your lips and let his change in breathing be heard to you. He placed his hand on top of yours that rested onto his cheek, pulling it into his palm and holding it at his side. You had never felt as connected to someone as you did in this moment, and you never wanted to break away from it. Quite frankly, you weren't sure what to do or say with what had just happened. Things were now completely different between you two, and you both had acknowledged that. It was just a bit more real after the significant event that had just happened.

You finally looked at him, his lips resting into a soft smile as he admired your face with the caress of his empty hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" He whispered to you, eyes peaking at your lips once more.

You nodded with a hum and pressed your lips onto his delicately before pulling yourself away from his touch, although you never wanted to leave it in the first place. You two just gave each other one more smile before turning your backs on one another and parting ways for the night.

You entered your room quietly, pressing your back against the closed door and covering your mouth as you let out an excited laugh. You were still in disbelief that this all wasn't a dream. You even considered pinching yourself to remind you that this was not some sort of twisted fantasy, but reality.

You had tried to fall asleep, tossing and turning in your bed with the aching feeling of missing his touch. Although it had been a matter of minutes since he kissed you, you couldn't get enough. You had fully let your feelings consume you and had forgotten that Sam would not be thrilled about this news. But you couldn't find it in yourself to care, and let it be a problem of tomorrow as you finally found yourself comfortable in your sheets that yours and Josh's relationship was changed to the better, and where you've wanted it to be for so many years.

⊱ ━━━━.⋅ εïз ⋅.━━━━ ⊰

a/n: hi! if you’ve read this far, i just want to give you a quick thank you for following/keeping up with this series! i adore it so much:) this marks the halfway point, so it’s a p big milestone. with this release, i plan on having at least eight parts, if not, nine. hopefully by part 7 i’ll have it figured out, and i’ll update you guys on the future and end of this series. alright, that’s all. love you, reader. 🫶🏻

taglist: @gvfleetwood @sacredjake @aureatopia @myeyehurtz @alexiagx @objectsinspvce @unhappycylinder @spinthehemmo @carbonwritingthroughtime @thecoldwind @ageofsophgvf @fakeplastiqtree @thepritchardscale @gvfpal @light-myluv @raviolilegs @jordierama @alwayskiszka

-part five-

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stemwriter · 9 months

Text

Pursuit of Knowledge - Chapter 4

Summary:

[Y/N] continues Act II of Mondstadt, finds out the worst thing about not having the ability to control time at will, and, along with Kaeya, takes a well deserved rest. What's something else that happens in Act II?

That's right! The Diluc trial run. Still, even that should be "normal", right?

Completion of story recommended: Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises (Sumeru Act V), Shenanigans and Sweet Wine (Kaeya hangout)

Also on Ao3 under StemWriter!

Word count: ~8k

You were part of the story now, weren’t you? No matter if the world your avatar was in was made from earth and sky or 1’s and 0’s, you were influencing it regardless. At this point, it’d probably be best to just go with the flow, but you had been thinking about what major event you would want to change, and you really hoped everything would stick to the script long enough to enable you to do that. Even if it meant you would end up upsetting people by hiding things from them.

The four of you hung around in the tavern for a bit just thinking, until Venti finally said to you, “Ah, [Y/N], it should be getting close to time now. Shall we get going?”

You looked at your phone to see the time. It was about 15 minutes past 6pm. It was time. “Oh- right, yeah, we should!”

“You two have somewhere to be? Since Kaeya and I have nothing more to talk about up here, I suppose I can go do other things. If you need me, I’ll be working the bar for a while.” Diluc said, crossing his arms.

“Everyone’s leaving already? Well then, I’ll be taking my leave as well.” Kaeya said, heading towards the stairwell.

He hung around for a second, seemingly expecting someone to say something, then left.

“Come on [Y/N], let’s go! Our prize is waiting for us!” Venti tried to make it sound like you weren’t about to try to steal a divine artifact, and become wanted criminals.

Oh right, you were going to see Diluc again after this! You should probably give him a little hint on what’s going to happen.

“Alright, we’re going to go now.” You walked up to Diluc, and began whispering. “Hey Diluc,” He looked at you. “I promise it wasn’t us, it was the Fatui.”

He looked at you in confusion.

“You’ll get that later. Anyway, bye~” Your tone sounded a lot like Venti’s at the end there. You sighed internally when you thought about that.

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“Alright fortune-teller, what’s going to happen?” Venti asked, eager to get a response from you. For some reason, it almost seemed like he already knew, and was just asking you to see what you’d say.

“Well… We’re not going to get arrested, I can tell you that. At least, not if we do this right.” You didn’t want to tell him it wouldn’t work.

“Is that all you can tell me?” He whined. “Fine, let’s go in.” He pouted after saying that. “But you have to tell me more later! I want to see how much you know!”

You went back in the Cathedral with him, making sure to be quiet. He stayed behind while you snuck your way to the Holy Lyre. You made sure to be very careful there, assuming the guards were actual people, and not the dumbest A.I. you’ve ever seen in any modern game. You looked at their movements on your way in, and they… still seemed robotic. Were they still AI? They can’t be, right? You looked at the face of one of the guards, and while his face had a few more polygons than the NPC’s you saw in the regular game, he had a blank stare as he paced back and forth. That’s… something to think about later. You kept going through the basement, avoiding being seen.

During your attempt at burglary, you remembered your soundboard. You hadn’t used that in a bit, and you knew a good moment to use it again is coming up. You got that ready as you made your way through.

As you entered the room with the lyre, an Electro Cicin Mage steals it, and teleports out. Wow! What a surprise! Thankfully, you just got teleported out of the building too, because you weren’t sure you could go back through the basement without getting caught.

“We’re busted! Run!” You and Paimon said at the same time.

Venti looked a bit confused for a second before leaving with you to the tavern. You made sure your soundboard was ready.

*Benny Hill theme*

The goofy music was fitting, considering the wind tunnel things you assumed he made threw you into the huge statue in the middle of the plaza, as well as the roofs of several buildings. Your grand escape wasn’t very graceful, but you made it safely. As you busted into the tavern, Venti gave you a weird look.

Next thing you knew, you were talking with Diluc again. Right before you headed upstairs, you decided to remind him of what you’d said earlier about the Fatui. In the version you remembered, he trusted the Traveler enough to not turn them in, but you still wanted to make sure he didn’t turn you in here. You listened as two Knights rushed in.

“Ah, Master Diluc. Have you seen two thieves around?”

“...What happened?”

“Haven't you heard, Master Diluc? Two thieves were trying to steal the Holy Lyre!”

“Oh? How odd… any ideas on who the culprits could be? Fatui, perhaps?” He remembered. Yes!

“We don’t know, Master Diluc. One appeared young, was dark-haired, and dressed in a teal green, and the other was… blond. We’re putting up wanted posters now.”

You still didn’t know how they got so much from Venti and yet couldn’t describe Aether as anything else as “blond”.

“I believe they headed that way.” Diluc said, pointing out the door.

You went downstairs to talk to him, Venti running ahead of you. Diluc already seemed tired of Venti’s attitude, assuming he stole something. Not the Holy Lyre der Himmel, but a bottle of alcohol.

You forgot the Traveler and Paimon hadn’t met Diluc yet. Sure, you have, but they weren’t you. Thankfully, Diluc understood enough to where a quick “Ooohhh, right, they haven’t met you yet!” was enough to get the point across. He continued as you remembered, sneaking in an expected bash at the Knights at the end.

Diluc really didn’t like the Knights, huh? You understood that he felt that way because of trauma and stuff, but you wished he had a more… positive attitude about things like that. There weren’t any therapists in Teyvat, were there? Oh! New idea! Become the therapist. Were you qualified? Probably not. But at this point, anyone for these people to talk to would help. You sat back and listened to Venti’s stunning performance again, this time without the fancy cutscene to go with it. Diluc looked awe-struck, probably the same way you did when you first heard it.

You agreed to meet after midnight, when the tavern was closed. Great! Another six hours to wait! …That rhymed, didn’t it.

“Alright, I don’t really have anything to do, so I’ll probably just eat something and take a nap. Bye, see you later!” You said to them, leaving the tavern. You found a corner to log off, and left your bedroom to go “take care” of yourself.

Your eyes hurt a bit from looking at the screen for so long, and your stomach growled with hunger. You’d been online for a good 7 hours, and you only now realized just how much you needed a break. Well, time flies fast when you’re having fun! ‘Was all of that really fun though?’ You asked yourself, before immediately pushing that thought out of your mind to go eat a whole family-sized bag of potato chips. Self care!

You snacked before… gracefully falling asleep, yeah, that, on your couch for a nap that would end up lasting way longer than you anticipated.

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As it turns out, falling asleep on an uncomfortable couch after binging on junk food isn't the best for the human body. You woke up on the floor, nauseous, and somehow even more tired than when you fell asleep, and you decided to go in the bathroom just in case. You checked the time on your phone, and it was already close to midnight. Thankfully, the nauseousness went away and you didn’t have to get worried about getting sick at the worst time possible. You washed your face, and headed to your bedroom to meet the others in the tavern.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before [Y/N] had left with Venti, they said something that Diluc had no clue what it meant until those Knights came running in, looking for the thief who stole the Holy Lyre. He had chosen to believe [Y/N] when they said they could basically see the future, and this only proved it more.

The question was no longer if they were telling the truth or not. It was how to proceed. He had some time to spare while they waited until the tavern closed. He needed to investigate this on his own. “It was the Fatui”, [Y/N] said. If that was so, then he should start where all the Fatui in the city seem to stay. He headed to the Goth Grand Hotel, preparing for a search for answers.

He hadn’t seen Kaeya at all. He was normally still out and about at this time. Did he actually wrap things up at a decent hour? Or was he up to something?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Kaeya left the third floor of the tavern, he was hit with a wave of exhaustion. He was planning to stay in the tavern for a bit, and possibly wait for [Y/N] and Venti to do whatever they needed to, but he desperately needed rest. He left the tavern, beginning to walk to his room in the Favonius Headquarters. Wait, couldn’t he use the waypoint there? [Y/N] had taught him how earlier that day.

It was at the highest point, wasn’t it? He just needed to visualize the area, imagine himself there. Just feel it, and…

And there he was. He almost fainted from the sensation paired with his exhaustion, but he made it. He glided down to the door on the roof, and entered the building. It had been a long day, hadn’t it? He entered his room, took off the bits of armor he was wearing, and promptly passed out on his bed.

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

He woke up in the middle of the night for seemingly no reason. Everything told him that he wasn’t supposed to be up right now, but he didn’t feel like he could fall back asleep. He sat up, and realized how bad he felt. He was drenched in sweat, his hair was a mess, and his eyepatch had shifted, making his right eye visible. He quickly adjusted it. There wasn’t anyone else in the room, right? …Of course there wasn’t.

After a quick shower, he changed into a clean uniform, minus most of the accessories. It wasn’t worth the time to put all of that on for the little he was planning to do. He figured he wouldn’t need it, since he could easily hold his own in a fight, should he get in one, but he decided to bring his Vision with him.

He left the building, being careful not to make too much noise, and realized he had no destination in mind. Had the tavern closed yet? Ah, it probably had, it’s not worth it. Is it? Again, something told him to just forget stopping by, but it wouldn’t hurt to check, right? He planned to stop by the tavern to see if it was open, and if it was, to get a drink before leaving the city. After that? You know what they say in Mondstadt:

“Let the wind lead.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Venti couldn’t believe Master Diluc wouldn’t serve him any more alcohol, especially when he was going to be in the tavern, in a room filled with wine barrels for so long. He was alone now, so maybe he could sneak just one more sip without him noticing… But that wouldn’t prove he was trustworthy now, would it? And besides, he wasn’t that addicted to it to where he couldn’t go a few hours without it. For now, he just started to come up with his latest ballad to pass the time.

Or at least he was going to, but he just couldn’t stop thinking about [Y/N]. From the very beginning, they knew who he really was. At first he thought it was because they recognized his voice from when he helped them battle Dvalin, but they supposedly have knowledge of future events. He was wondering how much they knew, but they wouldn’t tell him much at all. It seemed like a weird way to phrase it, and they acted like they knew a lot more detail than he did, but if they really were telling the truth, were they too, aware of the s-

Venti heard Diluc open the door to the room on the third floor. He immediately looked around at the wine barrels, making sure they weren’t touched. Good thing he didn’t try anything!

“Ah, Master Diluc, you’re back! Any news on the Holy Lyre?” Venti perked up. He already knew the answer to that, but he wanted to get the conversation started.

“It’s not where I thought it may be, in the Goth Grand Hotel, but I… persuaded some Fatui members to tell me where it is.” He adjusted his left glove.

“Well then, are we only waiting for [Y/N] and the tavern to close now?” Venti asked.

“That, and I was thinking of contacting one more person to help us. I know it’s late, but hopefully she’ll understand…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diluc stopped by the tavern to close up and check on Venti, and quickly set out again to find some others who could help. It was getting close to time, but he should be able to get someone. Hopefully Jean wouldn’t be too preoccupied with her work…

He opened the door to leave the tavern, and saw Kaeya walking away. Had he not gone to rest? Kaeya turned around after hearing the door open, and looked at Diluc with that same smug expression as always.

“Diluc, you’re still here? And here I’d thought everyone left already… I came for a drink, but I won’t bother you if you’ve already closed up.” He started to turn back around to leave.

“Hold on. I haven’t put everything away, you can come in for a bit if you’d like.” He could help right? Even though Diluc didn’t exactly get along with him very well anymore, he couldn’t deny that he got things done when he needed to.

“Oh, where’s this hospitality coming from? Do you need something from me, is that what this is?"

“I think you’d be useful to us here. I’ll discuss it with you more inside.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diluc said he was going to contact people to help them, but Venti didn’t expect him to be back with help this soon.

He heard two sets of footsteps coming up the stairs, and then there were three in the room. The help he had found was Kaeya, who sounded almost… shy, like he didn’t feel like he should be there. When questioned about it, he got a little nervous and insisted it was just insomnia. From the looks of it, he thought he could cover up his emotions with clean clothes and perfume. Venti played along with him, changing the subject to what they were going to do next.

“So Diluc, where exactly did you say the Holy Lyre was?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You turned on your console, opened the program, and watched the celestial pathway for a while. It had been sitting there for quite a bit now, huh?

Verifying file integrity…

Why was that taking so long?

Almost as soon as you noticed it, it went back to its normal speed, and the doors appeared. It probably wasn’t anything to worry about, but it scared you at first. You thought your game finally realized something was wrong, and was just going to either fix itself, and sever your connection to this Teyvat, or ban your account.

If you remembered correctly, Venti, Diluc, and Jean should be waiting for you inside Angel’s Share. You knew Jean couldn’t hear you, but you wondered if she would notice your avatar’s robotic movements. Apparently, she didn’t back in the Knights headquarters, but who knows? Maybe she just wasn’t paying much attention.

You walked in to an empty tavern, but after a few seconds, Venti jumped down from the second floor, landing right in front of you. He looked around, and you made Aether jump a couple of times.

“The mysterious [Y/N] has finally returned! Ready to go? Master Diluc can tell you where we need to go. Or, perhaps you already know?” He said, smiling.

He wasn’t going to stop bringing that up until you told him every little detail, was he?

You sighed, and said “Yes, I know. It’s near Springvale, isn’t it?”

You had basically just woken up, so your voice didn’t sound the best, but you hoped he wouldn’t notice. Diluc came down the stairs, followed by… Kaeya? Did he come instead of Jean? That wouldn’t drastically change anything, right? Wait, was that why it took so long to load? Because the story had changed? This wouldn’t drastically change anything yet, right? No. It can’t. Not yet.

Diluc looked at your avatar, and answered, “You’re right about the location. If we’re all ready to head off, we should get going.”

Venti turned to you, you, not your avatar, and questioned, “Everything alright, [Y/N]? Is there something bothering you?” Did you sound nervous when you answered him?

“Yeah, I just took a nap, and… I didn’t exactly sleep well. But that shouldn’t matter too much, let’s go.”

You briefly explained to Venti and Diluc how you were able to teleport, and that they should be able to do it too, and then you all were at Springvale in the blink of an eye. Venti acted like it was nothing new to him, while Diluc was… fascinated, to say the least. Kaeya had to explain to him that yes, that feeling of having your soul torn from your body was normal for this.

Diluc had quite a bit to say about it.

“Those waypoints are all over Teyvat… If the wrong people learned how to use them…” He looked in the direction of the hideout. “That could spell catastrophe worldwide.”

At one point, you had noticed Kaeya had a different shirt on. Or was it the same one, just with less of the flamboyant stuff on top of it? It was nice seeing people in different outfits, instead of the exact same clothing 24/7.

As you all stood at the entrance, you thought about what was in this domain. This was the one where you had to ask a bunch of different Fatui agents where the key to a door was, right? …And it was the one with the Diluc trial, wasn’t it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Add another thing to the list of [Y/N]’s powers… Not only could they possess others at will, and suddenly make people stronger, and tell the future, but they could teleport anywhere in Teyvat they wanted to. And apparently, anyone could do that last thing. Diluc was surprised no one else had found out about this, and frankly, he was glad. There was also something else he didn’t know about yet. The other two kept looking at a spot a little above and behind [Y/N]’s avatar when they were talking to them. It felt like something was there, but he couldn’t see anything. He doubted it was a secret, since chances are, they wouldn’t be doing it in front of him if it was, but he hadn’t had a chance to ask anyone about it yet.

He was about to go in the hideout with everyone when [Y/N] gasped, and said they needed to tell him something.

“Hey,” they began. “I know I probably should have told you this earlier, but remember what my system did with Kaeya that one time? Or, I guess technically two times, but whatever- Just, that thing where it forces someone into my team?” They sounded very tired saying that. He knew they had just woken up, but he felt they were also just… annoyed by that happening.

“Yes. It happened less than a day ago. …Why are you bringing this up now?”

“So- I- Look, there’s nothing I can do about it, at least, not now. Maybe I can eventually figure out how to fix this, but-”

He sighed. "...I’m about to be forced into your control, aren’t I? You don’t have to tip-toe around it, I guessed that as soon as you brought it up. If you can’t do anything about it, do you at least know how long this is going to take?”

He trusted them, right? As far as he was aware, they hadn’t lied to him yet, and they were warning him beforehand. Still, it felt like he barely knew them. Should he trust them with his body? Did he even have a choice?

“Give me a bit, and I can check, but it shouldn’t be more than 10 minutes.”

“You make it sound like you can check any little detail with the snap of your fingers.”

This was a very specific event of the future they were talking about, but it would just take them a minute to check it? They’d done it before with that letter, but he had no clue how. Either that meant they were a very talented hydromancer, or they were getting their information from some other power or source.

“Oh, uh, I kind of can, except I have to do a little more than just snap my fingers. I type the thing I want into a device, I find the media I want, and then I have it. Sometimes it’s pretty hard to find said media, but I can pretty much find anything you could ever think of. Aaaand here’s the thing I was looking for! One more second…”

“You have a device that allows you to view information on anything you want? I guess that sounds about right if your world also has the technology to see the future of other worlds… I’m sure you already know of this, but we have something called astrology that allows people to see the future using the stars. Does your technology take advantage of that?”

“I’ll tell you more about the device later, but no, the technology my world has doesn’t use that. Astrology does exist here, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work the same as it does in Teyvat. People in my world use it to give people ideas of what may be yet to come in their lives, but here in Teyvat it’s like astrologers can see fate itself. …Anyway, I think we’re getting off track here. Going off of what I’ve seen, it’s going to take a little over 10 minutes, give or take. It might be a little longer because I’ll be focusing more on your safety than getting through it, or it might be a little shorter because I have others to help me now. Are you fine with that?”

So it’s not astrology… What is it, then? …Whatever. They’re right, they’re going off track. 10 minutes shouldn’t be too bad, especially with others watching over him to make sure [Y/N] doesn’t do anything harmful. It’s not like he had a choice, anyway.

“That’s… fine. Just try to get it over with quickly. It’s fine if I get a few scratches, just don’t kill me.”

“Alright, I guess we’re ready to head in. I’ll check to see if the guards in there can hear me. If not, great, but if so, I’m… gonna need to rethink things.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…How were you going to explain to them what a phone is, and what the internet does? That’s a question for another time, but it still made you think.

You’d let Diluc know what was about to happen to him, and you just needed to tell everyone your plan, at least for this first part.

“One more thing, as soon as we go in, there’s going to be a rotating bridge with those cylinder torches or whatever they’re called on one side, and a clear path on the other. Once the bridge flips to the clear side, there should be just enough time to get all the way to the other side if we run like hell.”

Venti thought for a second before responding with, “Wouldn’t it be better for me to just… make a wind current at the start? Then no one has to worry about spinning bridges and torches at all~”

Oh. Right. You had others to help you. He could make a wind current and you could just. Skip over it.

“...Yeah, that might be better. I guess I’m so used to having to rely on my own skillset here that I don’t realize others can help. Also, I’m probably just... tired. Anyway, after that first room, there’s a… door with a guard who acts like he’s about to piss his pants, but after that, there’s a big room with a bunch of smaller rooms inside and we’re going to have to find a key to move on. My question here is, should we split up or stay together while we search?”

Diluc was the first to chime in this time. “Normally I’d suggest we split up, but under these circumstances, it’d be better to stick together in case something goes wrong.”

“Alright.” You said. “We’ve been standing here for a while, I think it’s finally time to go in.”

Diluc adjusted his gloves, and you all went in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again, Kaeya gets to witness [Y/N]’s powers of possession; except now, he isn’t the one experiencing it.

After everyone entered the hideout, Aether had vanished, and Diluc, now wearing a Fatui mask, stood in his place. Something about this whole situation seemed… familiar, for some reason. Nothing like this had happened before, right? …It’s probably just déjà vu.

“Come on, let’s just get this over with.” [Y/N] said, nudging Diluc forward.

Now, Diluc had the same slightly-inhuman movement Aether had when [Y/N] was using him as their “avatar”. He was somewhat used to seeing it on Aether, but it was strange seeing Diluc move like that. When he was under their control, he could only move his eyes, and now, he couldn’t even see Diluc’s, as they were covered by the mask.

Venti did as he said he would, and made a fairly large wind current to carry everyone over. He made it look incredibly easy. If it wasn’t for him hearing other Anemo Vision bearers talking about their experiences, he would have thought that was something anyone could do.

At first he thought [Y/N] had been hiding something from him, but he had a feeling they weren’t. Something was certainly… different about Venti. He couldn’t merely be just a wandering bard. Until Kaeya found out who he truly was, he figured he would stay on guard around him.

Diluc- No, [Y/N] walked into a small opening, thinking there might be something in the room it led into. There was a chest inside, guarded by 3 small Electro Slimes. They made quick work of them, unsurprisingly, but they weren’t paying attention to the fight, instead focused on something else.

They left the room and headed to a large door guarded by a very nervous-looking Agent, just as [Y/N] said. They went up alone to talk to him, and switched avatars to the Traveler, who was also wearing a Fatui mask. The Agent did not seem to notice the change.

“No, NO! Don’t eat me! Ah? You’re… You’re human? The entire floor’s defenses… have been broken. I thought it was the Abyss Order attacking…”

[Y/N] said “Hey,” testing whether or not he could hear them. No response at all. They chuckled a bit, and he could swear Aether said something, though he couldn’t hear anything.

“AH- No, do- We hi- The place- I don’t kn-”

“This guy-”

“Y-you- One of the Ele- Signora-”

The Agent pointed his sword at them in both fear and anger, still shaking, still not noticing the person he was speaking to change forms in front of him. So to get the key, they have to venture further in, also just like [Y/N] sai- Wait a minute, did he actually hear that guy say any of that? He definitely heard him say the floor’s defenses were broken… and then [Y/N] checked if he could hear them… and then they laughed for some reason… and then about 5 seconds later, the conversation was over. Something must have happened; there’s no way he could have said that much in that little time. He looked at where the man was again, only to see that… he was gone.

Kaeya turned to [Y/N], who now seemed nervous, and simply asked, “... Did you notice anything unusual there, by chance?”

“...Shit, you did notice. Uhhh, so remember when you first met Aether and you didn’t know his name until I told you because you didn’t hear it even though you knew what was said? I might have done the thing that does that again.”

Which was what, exactly? They hadn’t explained it yet, but now wasn’t the time to get an explanation from them, so he reluctantly decided to move on from that.

They opened the door and though he couldn’t see her, Paimon decided now was the time to ask questions.

“Did he say Signora? What a strange name…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaeya had described to Diluc what it felt like, and although it did feel exactly as he described, he definitely wasn’t used to it. He felt something watching him that he didn’t feel before, but when he looked in its direction, there was nothing there. He didn’t think much of it, as Kaeya had mentioned something like this to him. It was likely where [Y/N] was looking at Teyvat from.

[Y/N] talked to a guard, and for that conversation, he was thrown out of his body, now watching the Traveler from a similar position [Y/N] was. Was this how they saw the world? Strange, but again, exactly what Kaeya described.

Other than that, Diluc didn’t notice anything off with the conversation, but Kaeya apparently did. Diluc wasn’t the type of person to miss things, so he knew something weird was happening when [Y/N] responded to him in a way that practically confirmed something was off. He made a note to himself to ask them about that after this was over with.

He didn’t understand how that fairy thing- Paimon, was talking. Where was she?

“Number 8 of The Eleven. Goes by the name Signora. The fact the Fatui can run amok across the seven nations like they do is entirely because of The Eleven.”

That was his voice talking. Was that what he sounded like? …Whatever, it was just another thing Kaeya had told him about. He had been surprisingly reliable so far, but he still wondered if there was something important he was leaving out.

They entered a large hall, with a large door at the opposite end and two rooms on each side. There was a mechanism in the center that needed a key, and it presumably opened the large door. …If [Y/N]’s system hadn’t taken control of him, everyone could search one room on their own. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, so it was better they stayed together.

They first searched what seemed to be a storage room. No one was there, so they searched every nook and cranny without interruption. At least, until a few Pyro Slimes came out of nowhere, which his abilities couldn’t provide much help with. Sure, if everything was normal, he could use just his sword instead of his Vision, but…

Kaeya and Venti made quick work of the slimes, since Venti could make a massive wind vortex to suck all the slimes in. No key to be found in there. They moved on to the next room, which stood a single guard. He seemed to stop paying attention to anyone other than the Traveler once he started talking to him. The Traveler tried to convince the guy he was part of some alliance and wanted to “borrow” the Holy Lyre, but he obviously didn’t believe it, especially not when he offered a single apple in exchange for it.

A Cicin Mage appeared, and they fought. His Pyro abilities would actually do something here, but [Y/N] still wouldn’t engage in fear they would hurt him too, with how Pyro and Electro interact. It ticked him off a bit. Fight. He told them before they all went in, it was fine if he got a few scratches, just fight, don’t just run around like a headless chicken. Did this have anything to do with them being a pacifist? She’s already attacking you, just defend yourself. Fight. It’s an easy opponent, he could easily take care of her if he could just- fight.

His body stopped for a second, then pulled out a sword he’d only seen in legend, sending off a fiery phoenix at her, setting the blade ablaze. Was he back in control?

[Y/N] screamed, before going completely silent. Diluc heard something fall to the ground with a clatter, and could feel someone watching him in fear. Was that the point Kaeya and Venti were looking at?

He still couldn’t do much. He was only able to mimic the same few repetitive motions, and even those were incredibly difficult. Every movement felt like breaking out of chains. But still, he pushed. How was he able to do this? Kaeya couldn’t escape it after hours, but he could do this after minutes? The mage was defeated, and [Y/N] finally spoke up again.

“I didn’t do any of that. …Diluc?”

He tried to move more freely, but he couldn’t do anything except that same moveset. How did he even do that? He looked around, trying to get the attention of someone, but he realized he was wearing a mask. He had no way to communicate with anyone.

“I… I don’t know, maybe my controller just glitched? Let’s just keep going.”

…There goes any hope of being able to break out of it. He shouldn’t have thought it was that easy. Still, how was he able to control himself at all, even if it was just for a few moments?

They checked the last room that was downstairs, which had a chest with a few Cicins around it. Just like the other enemies here, they weren’t an issue at all. Thankfully, the key was in the chest, and the group managed to open the door. [Y/N] said there was one more fight, and then they could get the Holy Lyre, and this whole thing would be over.

“Hey, you wanna know the guy's name?” [Y/N] asked. They sounded more and more tired by the minute.

“You know his name?” Kaeya scoffed. “If you know that much, you might as well tell us what he says to us.”

He was acting as if he didn’t believe they really could see such things, but he obviously believed it. He was just saying this to squeeze more information out of them, wasn’t he?

“Oh my god, fine, but I’m not going to be able to do stuff like this all the time. First of all, his name is, I hope I’m saying this right, Zamenhoff…? And as soon as we go in there, he says- wait should I do the voice? I’m doing the voice. ‘Where did you rats scurry out from… Signora is not going to tolerate this kind of interference in our affairs. So I'll be the one to take care of you - save her the trouble of having to deal with you herself.’ …I’m sorry. I think I need to go back to sleep.”

That was probably the least professional telling of the future he’s ever heard, but as they walked into the last room, it turned out to be accurate, just as everything else they’ve said has been. They were audibly exhausted, and he could only think of one time they’ve taken something completely seriously. Should he have let them take control of him? It hadn’t gone too horribly yet, and it was almost over, but he started to get a little nervous.

They entered the fight, and once again, he tried to perform those repetitive moves. [Y/N] was actually fighting this time, but he wanted to contribute something as well. They didn’t seem to notice anything was off this time. The Agent was defeated, and finally, he was fully in control of his own body again. He immediately let out a large sigh.

“Signora is going to end you. The songs bards sing of your demise will be so terrifying - the people of Mondstadt will never sleep again for the nightmares they give them.” Said the Agent, now escaping. [Y/N] mocked him while he was saying it, speaking at the same time as him, but in a far more dramatic tone.

They mocked Paimon too, even trying to match her high-pitched voice. He will admit he found it a bit funny, but he kept a straight face, unlike the other two, who couldn’t help but chuckle. She shot them a look before vanishing again.

“You alright?” [Y/N] asked him.

“Well, I’m not dead, so that’s something.” That… definitely could have gone better.

“So… Back to the tavern now, right? Wait, Venti, aren’t you still wanted?”

“Ahh… That may be a problem… But can’t we just teleport back?” Venti sheepishly said.

“We can only teleport to waypoints, at least as far as I know, and the nearest waypoint is right next to the plaza with all of the shops. I know it’s literally the middle of the night, but I don’t think we can be sure there won’t be anyone out. I don’t want someone seeing people appear out of nowhere.” [Y/N] had a point. Doing that when someone was near may have consequences.

“So I suppose we’re walking, then? I’ll walk ahead, and make sure any Knights patrolling at this time are… looking the other way.” Kaeya said, already going ahead of everyone else.

No one said a word for a bit. Venti had a slightly worried expression on his face, as if he was hoping whatever plan he had would work. [Y/N]’s avatar had that same expressionless face as always, which was… creepy, sometimes, but they seemed like they weren’t paying attention to anything now. Normally Diluc wasn’t one to break the silence, but he had something to say now.

“That wasn’t an issue with your controller earlier, [Y/N].”

“...Hmm?” They replied. They sounded… completely out of it. “So you did that? How?”

“I don’t know. I hope you don’t take any offense to this, but your… pacifism doesn’t exactly suit the way I do things, so, I broke out of it, in a way. I wasn’t able to fully break it, but I managed to do something.”

“So the solution to breaking out of it… is to just break out of it. Wow…!” They sarcastically said, before walking their avatar into a tree.

“I don’t mean for it to sound like that. I’m guessing I had enough willpower to resist your system a little. Again, not all the way, but I think I was able to at least do what you could.”

“That’s so weird… I think I’m gonna have to set aside some time to take a closer look at my system and figure out what’s up sometime.” They yawned. “But definitely not tonight…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…God, you were tired. What the hell had happened in that domain? Somehow Diluc had managed to fight against your system, and do a bit on his own. How? No clue, but it was a nice surprise.

You remembered that quest on that far-away island that you couldn’t finish the first day. After this, maybe you could beg Venti to take you there so you could finally finish it. There was still about… what? An hour and a half? before you were able to continue it. Yeah, never mind, screw that. There was no way you’d be able to stay awake that much longer. That nap just made you more tired. Guess that quest’ll stay unfinished…

The four of you finally got back to the tavern. Thankfully, Kaeya managed to keep any Knights from seeing you. You pulled up the Wiki again, and found your way to the page on the part of the quest you were at.

Sure, Kaeya was there instead of Jean, but everyone else’s lines were still the same. It looked like things would be on the right track. You repeated everyone’s lines as they said them, but only vocalizing Paimon’s, while just mouthing Diluc and Venti’s to not weird them out too much.

“From now on, you’ll be known as-” Oh, this part, where Paimon gives him a nickname and refuses to call him by his actual name ever again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tone-deaf bard!” said Paimon and [Y/N] simultaneously. The bard didn’t seem too bothered by his new nickname.

So not only could [Y/N] could just pull up a word-for-word script of the “story” they knew whenever they wanted, but said story was accurate, also down to the word? That’s… concerning.

It had been a very long day… Kaeya hoped he could finally get some sleep. Everyone bid their farewells after agreeing to continue in the morning, and he left. Venti was still wanted, right? That may cause some problems. He made a mental note to tell Jean that the Holy Lyre was in safe hands first thing in the morning.

Again, he teleported to the Knights Headquarters, but now, he remembered why they didn’t teleport back to the tavern. Was anyone watching? He looked around, and could see no one. As for the last time he did this… He didn’t check, did he? …Whatever, it should be fine. He made his way to his dorm, and, now feeling he had enough energy to do so, actually did his nighttime routine rather than just passing out. He stayed awake for quite a while, making notes and pacing around before he finally felt tired enough to be able to sleep through the night.

Those thoughts of [Y/N]’s “story” continued as he drifted to sleep.

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

“But I shall not bow to the will of fate. I am no pawn in heaven's plan.”

…Here he was, acting in a play, as a character destined for tragedy. Seemed familiar. His character was supposed to simply accept it, yet “he” had decided to improv a section on defying fate.

Despite this being “improv”, it was obvious all of this, scripted parts included, was supposed to reflect his own story. He’d noticed the similarities when he first heard of the story, though he didn’t fully remember when that was, but it seemed even more accurate now, looking at it from a different view.

The truth was, the improv was no less scripted than the rest of the play, nor anything else he’d experienced for that matter. This “play” began much before this street performance.

Even though it felt as if it had been years, he still remembered the beginning as clear as day.

When the Traveler first appeared in Mondstadt, he was unable to clearly remember anything prior to when they arrived. Hell, other than the most major events in his life, he couldn’t remember anything at all, and even those major events were fuzzy. He knew his interests, and his relationships with people, but it was like he had some strange form of amnesia. He’d wanted to tell someone about what he was going through, but every time he got a chance, he would black out, and wake up somewhere completely different.

To him, it hadn’t even been that long since he’d first noticed, but already, days had gone by. He “woke up” again outside of Good Hunter, in the middle of a conversation with the Traveler about something he couldn’t recall thinking about. It had been days. The periods of time he was being knocked out for were getting longer. He had to say something as soon as possible, but he found he couldn’t control what he was saying.

He quickly realized that he was bound to some sort of script. Sure, “fate” served as a loose script, but this was word for word. He wondered whether this was happening to anyone else, but had no way to check, since he was either stuck to this script or unconscious.

It would sometimes be months at a time now he would be unconscious, almost like slipping into a coma. The Traveler was there with him wherever he was, so he assumed they must have something to do with it, but he hoped they didn’t know they did. Maybe then he could still tolerate them.

Over time, it seemed like the writer started to tease him more and more. It started with a few jokes from “him” hinting at it being some kind of story, and now it was a whole play.

He was an actor, playing a character, playing a character destined for tragedy. The only difference between this play and his experiences was that in reality, he was given no choice on whether to take the role.

This little improv session with Prince Qubad made the audience think he refused to accept the fate he was given, that he rejected it entirely, but the story still ended in the same way it was written.

As he looked at it now, he was no different from Prince Qubad in this story. Or at least, “Kaeya” wasn’t. He knew how Qubad’s story was similar to his, yes, but this improv session added something to it.

There were two layers to the scripting. One was fate itself. Destiny. Most people knew about this, and it could be seen fairly easily, only needing the help of some magic. This already seemed like enough restriction, as it was supposedly extremely difficult to change, but there was even more on top of that, at least for him.

It looked like in the future, “he” would have to make a very important decision, and end up choosing a secret third option. While this would be rejecting his fate in terms of what the people of Teyvat consider it to be, he would still be following the narrative this second, stricter script had for him.

…Oh, the irony. Just like the play, the character is written to refuse fate. Sure, the original script may not have included that, just as “his” original fate does not include what he’s likely to do.

He’d been wondering whether he should keep trying to break out of this. Obviously, doing so would grant him back autonomy, but it would also be following the whole “defying fate” path set for him by whatever scripted this. Either way, he was still playing right into its hands.

“Perhaps there's an inept god out there deciding everyone's fates... much like the Akademiya student drafting Darbil's scripts. Yep, "inept" is a good word for it. Honestly, it might even be a little too civil to describe a god who turns fathers against their sons and is bent on endless warmongering... don't you think?”

Either somehow, he had managed to change the script slightly with his thoughts, or the writers were mocking him.

…It was the latter, wasn’t it? “He” continued on about how someone doesn’t have to follow the script if they don’t like it, like it was just that easy. He’d made up his mind. He had to get out of this, no matter if that was what the writers wanted.

The conversation was coming to an end now, he could feel it. The Traveler was about to leave, and from what he knew about their journey, they likely wouldn’t be seeing him again any time soon. Any second now, the Traveler would disappear, and he would be knocked out for gods know how long. Couldn’t they just stay a little longer…?

#sagau #genshin sentience au #genshin fanfic #ao3 #pursuit of knowledge

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ironstrange1991 · 1 year

Text

Forbidden (Part 5)

Pairing: Doctor!Strange x Fem!Reader

Synopsis: Stark throws a party to celebrate the mission's return and Y/n decides it's time to tell Stephen the truth.

Word Count: 8k

Warnings: Descriptions of one single sexual act (almost nothing)

A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to post this chapter, but I always have the feeling that when it comes to this series I'm writing more for myself than anyone else. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. The ending is a bit silly, but I couldn't help it and I actually found it funny.

SERIES MASTERLIST

"Take Romanoff to the medical wing" Stark ordered as soon as they set foot in the Tower "Bruce, go with her. Let me know if there are any changes".

Bruce accompanied Barton and Steve who were carrying Romanoff on a makeshift stretcher. They disappeared into the elevator.

"Is she going to be okay?" Stark asked turning around and facing Stephen. Stephen nodded "The injuries are serious, but as far as I could examine there was no neurological damage. With proper care she should be fine, but I doubt she'll be back to work anytime soon."

Tony sighed heavily putting a hand to his face and then looked around "For a moment I thought I would never come home."

Thor patted him on the shoulder "Good job, Stark."

"If you'll excuse me I'm going to take a shower and sleep for three nights straight" Sam said waving to Stephen "See you around, Doctor."

Stephen just shook his head. He was supposed to go back to the Sanctum, but he was still standing there waiting to see you. During all that unbearable mission he could only think of you. How he wanted to come home and see you smiling at him.

"If it's not to much to ask, Doctor, I need to get back to New Asgard." Thor said and then turned to Stark, "Keep me posted on Romanoff's recovery."

"So you have a computer now?" Stephen asked wryly.

Thor smirked "Better than that, I have a phone in my house."

Stephen rolled his eyes "Yeah, right. Super modern." He moved his fingers opening a portal "Have a nice day."

Thor walked through the portal and then looked back, "Don't forget to invite me to the party, Stark."

Tony nodded and the portal closed. He patted Stephen on the chest "You did really well there, you know, with all that magic. It was quite useful."

Stephen rolled his eyes "You didn't do too badly either."

Tony grinned "See, I said we make a good team. The mechanic and the magician" Tony said pretending to write in the air.

"We both know we're neither of those things." Stephen answered dryly and Tony glared at him and was ready to respond with something intelligent when Y/n turned the corner and ran towards them. Stephen's heart sped up when her eyes focused on him and for a millisecond he thought she would hug him, but then she hugged Stark who squeezed her in his arms lifting her off the ground.

Stephen swallowed thickly. There was something in his chest that he wasn't quite sure what it was, but it wasn't pleasant.

"You're here" Your voice sounded choked with the tears you were trying to hold back, but tears were streaming down your face as you cupped Stark's face turning it to one side and then the other "Are you okay? Tell me you're okay! " You grabbed his arms and kept looking to check for injuries.

"I'm fine, darling." And then you broke down in a desperate cry and Tony went back to hug you now stroking your hair and shushing you "I'm sorry, I tried to communicate with you..."

Jealousy. Stephen was feeling jealous. For some reason he wondered if for a moment you had missed him, or if you had worried that he might get hurt too, but you only had eyes for Stark and it was unreasonable to bother with that, but he was bothered.

He cleared his throat to remind you he was still there and then spoke in a voice more husky than he'd expected, "Well, I need to go back to the Sanctum. Call me for updates on Romanoff, Stark."

You stepped away from Stark wiping the tears with your hands "Doctor Strange... I'm sorry, I... Are you okay? America was so worried! She called me every day asking about you."

Stephen smiled. Apparently next to Stark he was Doctor Strange to you and not just Stephen. Interesting. "I'm fine. Thanks for keeping an eye on her while I was gone."

You nodded "I didn't really do much. She stayed most of the time at Kamar Taj. Wong was keeping her almost like a prisoner." You gave him a shy smile which made his heart jump in his chest. Stephen chuckled "Poor thing. Anyway, I need to go now."

You nodded and then frowned "Where's Nat?" It was Stark who replied "She got hurt… badly."

Stephen saw the horror in your face. "Where is she?"

"She's with Banner in the medical wing, there's a whole team of doctors taking care of her and besides, the doctor here said she's going to be fine, so it's bad, but no need to worry."

You exhaled heavily and then addressed him "Did you examine her?"

Stephen nodded "As far as I could with the few resources I had. She will be fine now."

You nodded "It was good to see you Doctor Strange." Stephen shook his head and opened a portal to the Sanctum.

"I'll keep you posted, Doctor." Stark said.

"Good." Stephen replied crossing the portal.

"You're coming to the party, aren't you?"

You glared at Tony "Party?"

Tony nodded "A victory like that deserves to be celebrated with a big party."

You looked at Stephen anxiously for his answer and he gave you his best smirk. "I wouldn't miss a Stark party." And just as he knew you would, you blushed and gave him that open smile he was dying to see again.

...

Natasha had two surgeries that afternoon. One to stop the internal bleeding in her abdomen and one to place two titanium screws in her knee. The doctors ran tests to check that everything was fine with her head, but just like Stephen said, everything was fine. When she finally went to one of the rooms in the Tower's medical wing you made a point of staying by her side until she woke up which didn't happen until 2am.

"Fuck...that hurts." It was the first thing she said. You got up immediately. She glared at you then smiled "Good to see you, Crazy."

You smiled back "Welcome back."

"Uh hm. Water... I need water."

You helped her drink from the cup and then gently hugged her "I missed you, Nat. Then you came back and scared me to death. Two surgeries!"

She gave a small laugh and then groaned in pain "You know I'm dramatic. Why go through one surgery when I can go through two. Besides, guys love it when women are in danger. I bet Bruce was here all day ."

You chuckled "You're right. He barely left your side."

She smiled "See, I'm always right."

You sat down on the bed next to her "Tony said things were really bad out there."

You watched Nat's face darken with some traumatizing memory and you rushed to say "We don't need to talk about this if you don't want to. There's so much I want to talk to you about."

She stared at you for a long moment and then smirked "Tell me it's not about Doctor Strange."

You looked at her slightly offended "Of course not. Do you really think I spent these three weeks thinking about him?"

She sighed "It is about Doctor Strange. Okay, spit it out. I hope there's something new this time, because honestly, it's getting pathetic, Y/n"

You looked at her slightly offended, but decided to let it go "He said he likes me."

Her eyes widened and you continued "And he took me to lunch the day you left for the mission."

Nat opened her mouth to speak a few times and then closed it again.

"I know you think he's too old for me, but I don't care, Nat."

"What about Tony? He cares."

You did not answer.

She sighed "Look, Strange is a nice guy. A bit arrogant, but he's a nice guy and if you like him I'll support you. But, Y/n, proceed with caution, please. Remember, he is more than twice your age, maybe you two want different things from each other and I don't want you to get hurt and I won't answer for my actions if that happens."

You nodded holding her hand "You're like the sister I never had, you know that, don't you?"

She nodded "I will always support you no matter what you do. Just don't kill anyone."

"Why not? You're the person I would call and ask for help to hide the body."

Nat giggled and then grimaced placing her hand on her abdomen. "Fuck, Y/n, I can't laugh right now, it hurts."

"Sorry" You squeezed her hand "Just... support me on this Nat. I really like him."

She sighed "Trust me, I know."

You stayed there with Nat four hours. You couldn't leave her alone. You talked about anything and everything that had nothing to do with the mission. Apparently, whatever had happened, it wasn't something Natasha wanted to think about.

It the sun was rising when you were interrupted by a knock on the door and Yelena came in "Hey, Y/n. I came to see if Nat... Hi, you're awake finally."

She approached and you took the opportunity to say goodbye "Well, I will leave you with Yelena, Nat. Need to try to get some sleep."

She smiled. “See you.”

"How are you feeling?" You heard Yelena ask before leaving and closing the door behind you.

...

HOW IS ROMANOFF?

You stared at the phone's screen for a minute trying to make your mind understand that the message was really from Stephen. It had been two weeks since they had returned from the mission and Natasha was progressing very well although she had to use crutches which she was hating.

You finally managed to type an answer that was actually another question.

MAY I KNOW HOW YOU GOT MY NUMBER?

You bit your bottom lip waiting for him to respond.

I KIDNAPPED AMERICA'S PHONE AND MEMORIZED IT.

You couldn't tell exactly what expressions you were making as you stared at your phone, but something about your face caught Natasha and Yelena's attention. The three of you were in the lounge on the Tower's hosting floor talking and basically killing time as you watched Tony and Pepper argue over who to invite to the party Tony was keen to throw even though Nat was still recovering.

He went back to typing.

SO, HOW IS SHE?

You typed a quick reply trying to hide your excitement as Tony and Pepper approached.

SHE'S FINE, SHE'S RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF ME, ACTUALLY.

"Romanoff looks great, look at her!" You heard Tony saying and Pepper replied "I think we should wait another week or two."

Tony crossed his arms "It's a victory party, if we wait too long we'll be off on another mission."

Nat tsked "Speak for yourself, I'm off the radar for new missions for the next three months at least."

I MISS YOU.

You smiled from ear to ear feeling your face heat up.

YOU KNOW YOU CAN INVITE ME TO DINNER ANYTIME.

"Y/n, I'm talking to you. I need your help here!" You heard Tony saying and reluctantly looked up from your phone.

"Yeah, of course. You're right" You mumbled turning your attention to Stephen's answer.

YES I KNOW. WOULD YOU LIKE THAT?

You were about to answer when Tony stopped in front of you "May I know who you are talking to? Who is more important than me?"

Nat and Yelena started to giggle and Tony glared at both of them and then you "Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

Pepper stared at you for a long moment and then changed the subject "Okay Tony you want to have the party let's have the party. Is that okay, Nat?"

Nat shook her head "Are you really going to make me wear a dress with this horrible thing on my leg?"

Tony chuckled "You look great either way Romanoff, plus I'm sure Bruce doesn't mind."

You weren't paying enough attention to know what Nat replied. Your face was hot and you were still processing Stephen's messages. Was he really flirting with you?

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?"

You waited for his answer that came right away.

YOUR GODFATHER PROMISED ME A PARTY. I WAS WAITING TO SEE YOU THERE.

You turned your attention to Tony "So when's the party?"

He stared at Pepper waiting for an answer.

Pepper sighed "If I can organize everything it will be this Saturday."

You couldn't contain the wide smile that took over your face.

LOOKS LIKE I'LL SEE YOU SATURDAY THEN.

He quickly typed a reply.

EXCELLENT. I HAVE TO GO NOW, SWEETHEART. DUTY IS CALLING.

The pet name. That pet name never failed to draw a breath out of you.

SEE YOU, DOCTOR

You closed your cell phone screen and threw it on the couch next to you. Tony and Pepper had walked away still working out the details of the party and Nat and Yelena were staring at you curiously.

"So..." Nat finally asked.

You grinned "I need to buy a dress. A really, really gorgeous dress."

Yelena smiled “I think I can help you with that."

...

You were standing there looking in the mirror and wondering if the dress you chose wasn't a little too much. It was a strapless red dress with a heart cutout at the neckline. It was short and flared with a black bow cinching the waist. That dress combined with your hair tied in a ponytail, a diamond necklace and your tattoos seemed too much.

You sighed hearing the cell phone vibrate and walked away from the mirror. Anyway, now it was too late to choose another dress.

You read the message on your cell phone, it was from America.

WE ARE LATE. WE HAVE JUST ARRIVED FROM KAMAR TAJ AND STEPHEN LOOKS LIKE HE IS GETTING READY FOR A WEDDING. BUT WE WILL BE THERE SOON.

You smiled from ear to ear. You couldn't wait to see him. You responded with a smiley emoji and then nodded to yourself as if trying to encourage yourself and then went downstairs.

The hall was full, the music was loud. There were people there that you had no idea who they were. Some must have been Stark Industries shareholders, others were probably magazine columnists, journalists, in short, everyone Tony liked to invite to stay on the covers of magazines.

You walked between the tables getting too many stares which made you question again if you hadn't gone too far with the choice of your dress. Fortunately, you bumped into Thor, the first known face, who hugged you tight, taking all your worries out of your head.

"Hey, it's good to see you. You look beautiful!"

You smiled looking up to actually look at his face "You too"

He grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you towards the table where he was sitting with Steve, Sam and Bruce. "This girl..." Thor said pointing at you and the three of them stared at you "She would be a queen in Asgard."

You stared blankly at Thor and then he took a sip from his cup and went back to saying "Singing is important to the Asgardians."

Sam nodded "Will you sing for us tonight Y/n?"

You shook your head "Not really."

Bruce disagreed "Tony rented a karaoke machine, he intends to get everyone singing tonight."

You chuckled "I'm going to love to hear you boys singing."

Steve chuckled shyly and then took a good look at you "Looking really pretty Y/n, expecting someone?"

You felt your face get hot. Was it that obvious?

"Are your friends from the band coming? Mike, that's the guy's name, right?" Sam asked "He seems to like you."

You shook your head feeling the air leave your lungs slowly. "I didn't actually invite them. No work tonight, just fun."

"And what kind of fun are we talking about?" Sharon asked approaching with Maria Hill right behind her. The two had apparently only left to fetch their drinks from the bar. Sharon sat next to Steve and you watched as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Such an intimate gesture in front of everyone. You wondered if it would ever be possible for you and Stephen to have that kind of intimacy. That is, of course, if he was really interested. You couldn’t really tell.

"So what were you talking about?" Maria asked sipping her drink and you shrugged "Thor was complimenting my singing skills"

"She's amazing" Thor said again and Hill agreed "Your show at the last party was amazing, Y/n. I'm addicted to your songs." Hill completed.

"I'm following you on Spotify" Sharon said "And I want to go to one of your shows. Steve knows that, I'm trying to convince him to take me."

Steve chuckled "Loud music and night clubs aren't really my style, but we'll definitely go."

You grinned "Well, let's set a date then."

...

You were extremely bored and couldn't stop looking at the time on your cell phone display.

You were sitting at the table with Pepper, Tony, Rhodes, Happy and Fury listening to them talk about the mission and about a new mission that Fury wanted Tony and Steve to lead, this one apparently would be on Russian territory and Fury was really disappointed because Natasha would not be able to go with them.

You kept scanning the room with your eyes looking for Stephen and Pepper seemed to sense your uneasiness because she couldn't take her eyes off you.

You had been surprised to see Fury at Tony's party, he never attended social events, but then you understood. He was there on a mission of his own, ready to deliver new work to those he considered to be the leaders of the Avengers.

After a while you could see that Pepper was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, but you weren’t paying attention to what they were saying because your eyes were fixed on the entrance of the hall, waiting to see Stephen who at that time should have already arrived. Deep down you feared that something had happened and he wouldn't come anymore.

"I thought Ms. Y/l/n would eventually become an Avenger as well, but it looks like she chose a more glamorous side of life." Fury said trying to get your attention.

You smiled at the old man "Unfortunately I don't have super powers, Director Fury, and I'm also too clumsy to fight like Nat or Agent Hill. If you saw me working out you'd be embarrassed"

He let out a rare chuckle, "Well, I'm sure you'd do well in one of your godfather's suits. Mrs. Potts wears hers on special occasions."

Pepper shook her head as she sipped from her cup, "It was a one time thing, Fury, and I swear I won't do it again."

"There is a prototype armor for Y/n, I'm still working on it." Tony said proudly.

You chuckled "I've already told Tony he doesn't have to bother because I'm not going to use it. I prefer my books and my music. Someone need to be ordinary in this family."

Tony shook his head "There's nothing ordinary about you darling, you're amazing" He put his arm around your shoulders and placed a small kiss on your cheek and only then did he really seem to look at you "That boy Mike, he's coming by tonight?"

You shook your head, feeling your face heat up when you realized that he made an association between your dress and a possible love interest.

"I didn't invite the band." You admitted.

"Why didn't you invite them? Mike seems like a nice kid, I think he likes you."

You were about to answer when you saw Stephen and America entering the hall and suddenly the words disappeared from your mind.

America looked beautiful in a cute pink dress, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, but your attention was riveted on the sorcerer dressed in one of the many Armani suits he owned.

"Y/n?" Tony was still waiting for your answer and you had to reluctantly look away from Stephen.

"Tony, Mike and I have nothing to do with each other."

"You needed to see the answer she gave the boy when he asked her out." Happy told laughing and you stared at him, glaring daggers.

"He's too young. And too stupid." You defended yourself.

"He must be what? 25 years old? Not that much younger." Rhodes said, deciding to intrude on the conversation. That was actually the problem with practically being raised in that Tower, all the Avengers felt that they were somehow responsible for you and therefore couldn’t mind their own business."

"I think I like older men." You said feeling a little brave, your eyes went back to looking for Stephen in the hall finding him standing next to Steve's table talking and as he rarely did laughing.

"You're too young to say something like that." Tony said scolding you "Besides, Mike is older than you, he likes the same things you like..."

You sighed in frustration "You forgot I just mentioned he's stupid."

"Y/n, you're exaggerating. The boy is hardworking. He studies, works in the band..."

"Tony, it's never going to happen, okay? Can we change the subject now?" You said looking back at Stephen from a distance and feeling Pepper's eyes fixed on you. When you dared to look at her, she was looking in the same direction as you, brow furrowed with concern, but you couldn't care less and as soon as you watched Stephen heading alone to the bar you stood up "If you'll excuse me."

...

Stephen scanned the crowded room with his eyes looking for you as soon as he and America set foot there. It didn't take long for him to see you sitting at the table with Stark, Rhodes, Pepper, Happy and director Fury. Stark had an arm around your shoulder.

"Tony's parties are always so amazing." America said envisioned with all the extravagance that Stephen was already used to, but which for her was incredible.

"Are we calling him Tony yet?" He asked staring at her with an arched eyebrow.

She just stuck her tongue out at him.

"Hey Doctor, come over here." Came Thor's booming voice.

The two walked to a table further away on the left side of the room where Rogers, Carter, Wilson, Hill, Thor and Banner were.

"Nice to see you, doctor" Steve greeted him.

"How is Romanoff?" He asked and it was Banner who answered. "She's much better." Stephen couldn't help but notice the tone of relief in the man's voice. If it wasn't clear to Natasha, it was clear enough to everybody else that Bruce was in love with her.

"She's not too happy about the idea of using crutches, but she should be down soon." Sharon Carter completed.

"What about you, little girl, how is life in a new universe?" Hill asked and America grinned.

"It's great. I like it here, all the differences are fascinating and Kamar Taj is so cool. It would be even cooler if Wong and Stephen weren't so bossy."

Everyone at the table laughed and Stephen confined himself to a smile, his eyes back on the table where you were. God, you were beautiful. Actually beautiful was an understatement. You wore a red dress that he couldn't see well from that distance, but your hair was tied back in a ponytail which was different from what Stephen was used to. He loved your air, but this way it was possible to see more of your beautiful face...

"Strange...?"

Stephen turned his attention to Steve who had asked a question to which Stephen paid no attention. "I'm sorry, can you say that again?"

America had sat down next to Maria Hill and the two had engaged in a conversation about how in one of the universes she had visited, people were made of ink.

"I asked how it feels to take a trip to another universe."

Stephen chuckled dryly "Not a good experience."

"He threw up." America said and Thor laughed exaggeratedly. "You humans are so fragile."

Stephen shook his head "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get something to drink."

He walked towards the bar and asked for a shot of whiskey which he drank in one gulp and asked for another right after.

There was an internal struggle in Stephen ever since he had lunch with you before the mission. He was trying to convince himself that he shouldn't continue this flirtation, that it would inevitably lead to trouble once Stark realized what was happening. But on the other hand, he was tempted to take it further and find out how far you would go.

He downed his whiskey in one gulp and asked for a third. Double, no ice.

That afternoon you had challenged him by asking if he was aware that despite being Tony Stark's goddaughter, you were a legal adult and he was very much aware of that, he just didn't know what to do with it, how to proceed.

He wanted you, that was as clear to him as day, but the consequences seemed too grave.

He was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice that you had approached.

"You look lonely. Need some company, doctor?"

He smiled and turned to look at you and his heart skiped a beat. Holy fuck, you looked beyond beautiful, you looked indecently sexy in that red dress. It was definitely too short in Stephen's eyes. He caught himself wondering how Stark let you walk around dressed like that.

The color suited you, not to mention it highlighted your tattoos. Stephen never liked tattoos, but on you he did. There were so many. Spread across your arms, your legs. One he was particularly fond of was a chest piece. A bluebird trapped in a cage trying to escape. He wondered if that was how you saw yourself.

"Stephen... you're staring." You said and then addressed the bartender. "A martini for me, please. And another whiskey for the doctor."

"I'm sorry... I got distracted by all this" He said gesturing to you. You blushed looking down at your dress.

"Is it too much? I thought you might like it." You said accepting the drink and taking a long gulp.

"Your whiskey, sir." Stephen accepted and turned his attention to you.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. It was meant to be a compliment. You look beautiful, Y/n."

You smiled charmingly at him. "I got it right then. It's hard to know what you like, Stephen."

He had to convince himself that he heard you right. You were really saying that you dressed like that for him. If that didn't answer his doubts about your true intentions, he couldn't say what would.

"Red suits you. It highlights your eyes, your hair and your tattoos."

You shook your head vehemently "I thought so. You look very handsome too, Stephen. As much as I love to see you in your robes, I have to say, you look much better in Armani. Almost irresistible."

He chuckled taking a long drink of his whiskey and feeling the alcohol starting to kick in.

"I didn't get a chance to say how happy I am that you're okay. I was so worried." You said looking away from him. Somehow you could flirt with him naturally, but you couldn't look him in the eye and tell him you liked him enough to be concerned when he went on a mission.

"I thought about you, Y/n, the whole time I was there." He admitted. "I knew I needed to go back because I needed to see you again. It was all I could think about."

You smiled, your cheeks turning pink. "You say these things, but you still haven't asked me out to dinner."

He smirked finishing his whiskey and too impatiently, filled the glass with a wave of his fingers. He looked around subtly "Is this what you want?"

"Well, Doctor, I'm more interested at the moment in knowing what you want. You are a mystery to me."

He touched your hand that was on the top of the counter "Would it be too obvious if we left here and went somewhere quieter?"

You looked at him in surprise, but nodded in agreement "Not if I go first."

He nodded as he watched you walk away. God, that dress was doing things to him. He drank the rest of the whiskey, put the glass on the counter and walked out after you. He should have thought that in fact it was pretty obvious to anyone who could eventually be paying attention to the two of you, but he couldn't care less at that point. Maybe it was the alcohol that had made him so reckless.

You took the elevator and went up to the tower's hosting floor. Tony Stark could be irritating, but Stephen couldn't deny that he was extremely generous. There lived most of the Avengers who made the team their family. Those who didn't live there, lived in the compound in the country side of the city.

Stephen watched you turn on the lights and flop down on the huge sofa in the center of the room.

"Much better, don't you think?" You asked kicking off the extremely high heels you were wearing and putting your feet up on the sofa, making yourself comfortable. You could still hear the music coming from the lower floor.

"Yes. I used to like parties, but that was a long time ago." He said putting both hands in his pockets. He continued to stand, resisting the urge to sit down next to you.

"But you've been coming to Tony's parties a lot recently, for someone who doesn't like parties it's a little contradictory."

He smirked knowing full well what you were suggesting. He knew you wanted to hear him say it. He walked slowly towards the black grand piano that stood beside the panoramic window. The view of the city lights from that height was truly breathtaking. "You know damn well why I've been coming to your godfather’s parties." He said sitting down on the stool in front of the piano.

"I don't know anything, Stephen. And I'm getting tired of not knowing."

He nodded opening the lid and touching the piano keys gently. "I used to play the piano before the accident. I could still play if I wanted to, but I don't see much truth in having to use magic to do anything at all."

Stephen could hide it from himself all he wanted, but he could never really come to terms with the damage of his hands and how it completely changed his life. He was still ashamed of the scars, for that reason he used to keep his hands in his pockets when he was around you. And also because he could control himself better that way when all he wanted was to touch you.

"I would love to hear you play. What would you play for me?" You rested your cheek adorably on your hand watching him as if he were the most important thing in the world to you and Stephen felt his heart racing in his chest.

"Love is blindness" He replied without putting much thought into it. Maybe it was because he had been listening to that song on repeat for a few days now because it made him think of you.

"Jack White's song?" You asked sounding surprised. He shook his head closing the piano again and getting up "U2's song. Bono wrote it in 1990 and it was released in 1991 on the Achtung Baby album. Jack White covered it at the request of The Edge in 2011".

You looked surprised "I didn't know that. I always thought it was Jack White’s song."

"There's a lot you don't know, apparently." He said teasing you. He sat down on the sofa, careful to keep a safe distance, but as soon as he sat down, you crawled closer to him.

"I love knowing about these things and you seem to like U2."

He smiled "A lot. You don't like them?"

You grimaced "Not much. But to be fair, I never stopped to listen to their music. Only One, With or Without you and Beautiful Day."

Stephen rolled his eyes exaggeratedly "You have no idea what you're missing." He reached out to touch your hand that laid lazily on your thigh. "Promise me you'll listen carefully and then tell me what you think."

"Recommend me a song, then. It can't be Love is blindness because I already know that one."

Stephen smirked "Let's stick to the same album at least. I want you to listen to Ultraviolet and think of me while you do it, because I think of you when I'm listening to it."

You bit your lower lip "Anything for you, doctor."

...

You turned your hand over and Stephen laced his fingers through yours. You were surprised by his boldness, but you were totally determined to play along to see how far he would go. More than that, maybe you'd give him a little push. You had promised MJ and yourself that this would be the night you finally told him how you felt. The timing couldn't be more perfect.

Suddenly the air seemed thicker, your heart was pounding and you could hear it pounding in your ears.

"Stephen..."

He threatened to pull his hand away from yours, but you wrapped your other hand above his to keep it there.

"There's something I need to tell you. It's been a long time, I should have said it already."

He stared at you with those blue eyes waiting for what you had to say and the words just seemed to slip out of your head. Everything you had rehearsed tirelessly in front of the mirror while wearing that ridiculous dress just disappeared.

"Y/n..."

You shushed him "Please, let me talk. You can do whatever you want after, you can laugh, you can walk away, but first let me say it."

"Why would I laugh?"

You bit the inside of your cheek.

"Stephen I'm in love with you. If I haven't made it too obvious yet, I'm saying it now. I was always in love with you, even before the blip. I was too young to understand how problematic that was and then you disappeared for five years, but I never stopped thinking about you. The day you came back was the happiest of my life and I promised myself that having you around would be enough, but it's not enough."

You sighed heavily "I'm tired of this fruitless flirting, I want more than this and I think you want it too. It's not possible that I got it all wrong, I'm not that stupid..."

"You didn't get it wrong" He comfirmed.

You exhaled heavily only then realizing you were holding your breath. You kept your head down because you couldn't look at him. Your cheeks were on fire.

He touched your face, cupping your cheek and making you look at him.

"I thought I made it clear that I have feelings for you the night I saved you at the night club, young lady."

You shook your head negatively. "You said you liked me, then the other day you said you liked me as a friend..."

"I already explained myself about that. America and Wong were there and I was scared, Y/n." He tried to reason. "Do you understand how complicated this is? I'm more than twice your age and your godfather is the fucking Tony Stark."

You shook your head "I know, but I don't care. I'm an adult, I can make my own choices, Stephen."

He stroked your cheek with his thumb. "I know. That's why I'm here."

That was going better than you thought. Wasn't? At least he hadn't laughed, and it didn't look like he was going to walk away.

"So?" You asked impatiently.

He sighed taking one of your hands that held his and brought it to his lips. He kissed your hand lingeringly and then placed it on his face and leaned towards it closing his eyes for a second and sighing. You could have sworn you would melt right there, it was obscenely sweet.

"I have an idea or two, but I want to hear you say it first." He said staring at you with a cocky smile in his face.

You pulled your hand away and hugged your knees "I just said so."

"Say it again. If I'm going to pick this fight with all the Avengers, I want to make sure I heard what you said correctly."

You bit your bottom lip and sighed heavily turning around and dragging yourself impossibly close to him. Then you held both of his hands and looked into his eyes "I'm in love with you Doctor Strange. I always have been." You rolled your eyes "Is it good now? Was it dramatic enough?"

He gave a small giggle "Dramatic? Yes. But not quite enough yet." He brought his hand to the back of your neck and pulled you close until your lips were brushing against each other.

"I've wanted to do this for so long, sweetheart." He whispered and then he kissed you. Just a touch of lips. Soft and sweet. He pulled away analyzing your reaction. "Now is enough." he whispered.

But you weren't sure if that was enough. Not when you've waited so long for this. "No. Do it again, but like you mean it this time."

He gave you a cocky smile and then went back to kiss you and as soon as you parted your lips for him, his tongue entered your mouth dominating yours, deepening the kiss that had the sinful taste of whiskey. You moaned softly surrendering to the kiss and wrapped your arms around his shoulders. His hand went down to your back pulling you closer to him, your breasts brushing his chest and you felt like your whole body was on fire. Everything seemed like a dream, one of your many fantasies of before going to sleep.

...

It was certain that Stephen had completely lost his judgment. Little did he realize that you were literally in the living room of the Avengers Tower and that anyone could walk in there and catch you kissing. At that moment anything other than you didn't seem to matter to him.

He'd waited for this for so long, convinced it would never happen, yet here you were and Stephen could feel his body responding to you and manifesting itself in a prominent erection that the suit pants he was wearing could do little to disguise.

You were the one who broke the kiss first to breathe, but Stephen wasn't ready to take his lips off you. He ran them down your chin and down your neck. You smelled so good. Whatever perfume you were wearing, it was Stephen's favorite scent now. He felt your hand gripping his hair, the other going down his chest and if he hadn't drunk a little too much maybe he would have noticed how quickly your first kiss was becoming too heated, but in the drunken state he was in, all he could think of was that he wanted you.

He wanted to know the way you tasted, the noises you would make when he finally took you. How you would moan his name while he was going down on you.

He bit lightly on your earlobe and watched as your skin prickled at the touch of his goatee.

"Stephen..."

God, the sound of his name coming out of your mouth was extremely arousing. He was so hard. It suddenly seemed like a good idea for him to show you what you were doing to him. He grabbed your hand from his chest and brought it down to his hip as he took your lips again in a hungry kiss. But as soon as he had you touching his bulge, you flinched and pushed him away slightly, breaking the kiss and clearing your throat looking extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry..." You got up going to the small bar in the far corner of the room. Stephen watched you prepare a glass of martini. He shook his head trying to get his thoughts straight. He knew your first kiss had turned out to be more heated than he'd expected, but he was confused by your reaction.

He got up and walked over to the bar "Did I do something you didn't like?" He asked holding your hand and making you look at him.

You shook your head negatively. "It's okay. It just seemed a little too much for one night. I'm sorry, I'm being silly." You took a long drink of your martini.

Stephen sighed "No need to apologize. I... I went a little too far. It's just that you have this effect on me and I've wanted this for so long."

You smiled, but your cheeks were bright red, as if somehow what he was saying was completely absurd. Maybe if his brain hadn't been enveloped in a cloud of alcohol, or if all the blood in his head hadn't gone down to his cock, he would have understood.

Before you could respond, you were interrupted by the sound of the elevator and Thor and America came out. "The girl was worried because the doctor had disappeared" Thor informed smiling and although Stephen was scared by the possibility of him understanding what was happening, it was soon clear that the Asgardian had not noticed anything, America on the other hand stared at Stephen and then at you and gave him a wink.

"Well, I'll leave you to him then." Thor said turning around and America followed him.

"On second thought, I just needed to know he was okay, we can get back to the party now."

The two took the elevator back and Stephen chuckled. "How is it possible that a 14 year old girl can outsmart an Asgardian god?"

You allowed yourself a small giggle "Thor is a sweetheart, but intelligence is not his forte." You took your glass and went back to sit on the sofa and Stephen watched you for a moment, still unsure.

"Sit with me, Stephen. I'm sorry I spoiled the mood."

He approached and sat next to you.

"You didn't. I overdid it and scared you."

You smiled shyly "I wouldn't exactly say I was scared. Surprised would be more accurate. And you don't need to apologize."

He touched your face "You're so beautiful. I don't know how I could contain myself for so long when all I wanted was to have you in my arms."

You placed your hand over his. "What now? What do we do now?"

He sighed thinking for a second. "What do you want to do?"

"Right now? I just want to be here with you, but I know we've been here long enough for everyone to notice we have disappeared. Not to mention Thor will tell everyone who asks that he saw us here, so we should probably head downstairs. But that's not what I'm talking about."

He sighed "Maybe... maybe we should keep this just between us for a while until I figure out the best time to talk to Stark..."

You bit your bottom lip, but you didn't say anything. And he knew that didn't please you.

"What is it?"

"It's just..." You held his hand in yours playing with his fingers and Stephen couldn't help but notice how small your hands were compared to his. That thought made his cock throb inside his pants and he mentally scolded himself.

"I don't want to hide it. I want to hold your hand, I want to cuddle with you in the living room. I want what everyone else has."

He smirked, finding it all too sweet, but maintained his stance as he suggested, "I know. We might get there eventually, sweetheart, but I'm talking about self-preservation here. I need to think of a way to convince Stark that this isn't wrong, which I'm sure will be very difficult. Plus, you know it's not just Tony. All the Avengers adore you and I'm going to get in trouble with all of them."

You sighed "Not all of them." You said it softly and Stephen didn't know if you really wanted him to hear it. "Nat knows. Yelena too."

Stephen exhaled heavily "Who else?"

"Peter and MJ."

"What exactly do they know?"

You looked at him shyly "That I'm in love with you and that I think you like me too. They approve."

Stephen snorted incredulously "I find it hard to believe Romanoff would approve this, sweetheart."

"She does. She told me. She just asked me to proceed with caution, but she said she would support me. Yelena is super cool about that too and Peter and MJ are on our side."

Stephen smiled sighing "America knows it all. She insisted I tell you how I felt. As you can imagine, she approves it, but I'm afraid the approval of three teenagers isn't enough to convince your godfather."

You chuckled "Peter and MJ are not teenagers anymore, and Nat and Yelena will be on our side too."

He smirked taking one of your hands and kissing it gently and then pulling you to his lips, but this time he tried to contain himself. He kissed you deeply, passionately, but made a Herculean effort to keep his hands to himself. However, your fingers entwined in his hair and with that you managed to pull a moan from the bottom of his throat.

"Now, that's not very smart."

Stephen pulled away from you instinctively when he heard Romanoff's voice. When he turned towards the direction the voice was coming from he saw her standing next to the elevator. Yelena beside her helping her walk.

"You realize that anyone can show up at any moment, right?" Yelena asked.

"Especially Tony" Natasha completed.

You started to giggle and Stephen stared at you in disbelief. "She's right, Y/n"

"Yeah, I usually am. I suggest you two head down to the party before anyone notices you're gone."

That said, the two entered the elevator and Natasha shoot him an angry look.

"Are you sure she's on our side?" Stephen asked chuckling nervously.

You grabbed him by the tie "Yes she is. Now give me one more kiss before we go, magic man."

And he obeyed. There was nothing he wanted more than to kiss you. Well, maybe there were a thing or two.

...

The night became considerably more tolerable now that you and Stephen had sorted things out. Well, not everything, but at least you could tell there was something between you and not just that flirting you could never be sure if it was real or something in your head. It was safe to say that you spent the rest of the evening wrapped in a kind of cloud of enthusiasm and there were, however ridiculous that definition was, butterflies in your stomach every time you and Stephen exchanged glances, some not so discreetly.

When most of the people had gone and only your friends were left, Tony did the favor of turning on the damn karaoke machine making everyone laugh every time someone was challenged to sing a song. However you couldn't complain, you were enjoying the show.

"Hey, Doctor, your turn" Wilson shouted after finishing a painful version of Streets of Philadelphia. You glared at Stephen who shook his head vehemently "No, thanks."

Sam looked around "Who's coming now? Come on guys, I just humiliated myself here, I'll feel better if you guys do the same."

"I've already humiliated myself enough" Pepper answered. She just finished singing It's all coming back to me now."

Stephen looked at you smiling. You were sitting at a table next to Nat and Yelena. To your surprise, he pointed at you "Why don't you make Y/n sing for us." He suggested and Wilson denied "No, come on. She won't help, she will only humiliate me even more."

You shook your head "I'm off today. Only you guys sing."

Tony climbed on the small stage taking the microphone from Sam's hand "The doctor is right. Come here, darling, show those scumbags how it's done."

Everyone started to press you and you threw an angry look at Stephen who was laughing. You got up going towards the stage "What shall I sing?"

Tony faced the small audience of Avengers "What do you guys think? Do we choose for her or let her choose?"

"Choose for her" Hill said.

"Let her choose" Stephen said staring at you "I'm curious to know what she will choose."

"You choose it, baby. Friday can find any song you want."

You stared at him blankly for a moment "Did you hack the karaoke machine?"

"What's the fun in only having 50 songs to choose from?" He asked defending himself and handing the microphone in your hand. He came down on stage and sat next to Pepper.

You thought for a second "Friday, play Cherry by Lana Del Rey."

Reblog please! Leave a comment if you liked it. Interact! I will love to read all of your comments and opinions. It inspires me to keep writing ;)

DOCTOR STRANGE MASTERLIST

MAIN MASTERLIST

Tag list: @doctorstrangelovemusic-blog @rachelessfreedom-world @a-tong @ppatricia34me @strangesgirls @dreamxonxx @benaddictcumberpatch @iamsherlocked1479 @evelyn-kingsley @veryladyqueen @notglucose @wickedscribbles @agathassscribbles @rmoonstoner @fanartka @katehawke @nicoletk @azu21 @captaincarmel416 @harlekin6 @singhfae @coffedraven @withalittlehoney

@dontmindme262 @dementeddoll @yourmajesty13 @strangeions @bloodyflowerrr @insanelyobsessedwithdilfs @sherlocksgirl91 @dragonqueen89 @newtsniffles @cute-angi @whiskeyho @sherlux @xourownsidee @kakashibabe02 @hobimysolecito @geeky-politics-46 @lykaonimagines @d0ct0rstrangewife @classickook @iobsessoverfictionalmen @bobateadaydreams @aphroditesdilemma

@thealleydog @anadlockfan @pinkthick

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deanstead · 2 years

Text

Murder Next Door || Part 3

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader

Requested: no

Summary: When one of Jay’s neighbours is found dead, both he and Y/N find themselves right smack in the middle of what could turn out to be a very dangerous situation.

Word Count: 3,321

Tags/Warnings: canon-typical mentions of murder, blood, idiots-in-love

A/N: A lot happens in this part but I decided not to drag it out and finish it up here! This was really meant to be a one-shot but I got carried away and wrote like 8k+ words so I just split it into three parts. Hope you guys have enjoyed this! Floored by the positive response to this!!! Hit me up and let me know what you think!

MINI SERIES MASTERLIST || JAY HALSTEAD MASTERLIST

Part 2

The timing of everything was hell, especially since they were right smack in the middle of a murder case. A murder case that you found yourself in the middle of. But even so, this silver lining was kind of a bright silver lining, so much so that you could almost forget about the looming threat.

Jay smiled at you as he put on his jacket.

“If anything happens, you call me.” Jay nagged.

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “I’ll be fine, Jay.”

He opened his mouth again but you stopped him. “I won’t open the door for anyone but you, Will or Intelligence.”

Jay smiled. “Glad to know you were paying attention.”

You didn’t answer, but you couldn’t anyway as Jay gave you a kiss. “I’ll call.”

Jay left the house in a considerably better mood than all the other days put together, and with a newfound determination that he was gonna find this guy no matter what he had to do to smoke him out.

Jay didn't even have time to take off his jacket at the district before he and Hailey were on the move based off of the new information they had - they’d tracked the burner phones back down to the stores and although there were some CCTV images, they weren’t enough for facial recognition. Despite that, one of the store owners remembered that the guy who had come in to get one of the burner phones on the list had used a credit card for a different purchase.

Jay glanced at Hailey, rapping on the door.

“Hi, Ms. Austin? We're looking for your father, Freddie Austin? We’d like to talk to him.” Jay said, raising his badge that rested around his neck.

The young lady who opened the door frowned. “What’s this about?”

Hailey spoke this time, with a smile. “We found some charges on his credit card that we’d like to find out more about. We just need his help, and probably yours.”

The woman frowned but stepped back to let the both of them in, anyway.

Freddie Austin was seated in a wheelchair, looking like it would take a toll on him just to leave the house, much less visit different stores to buy several burner phones.

Jay didn't say anything, Hailey naturally taking lead in the questioning. “So we tracked the purchase of several burner phones to a credit card in your father’s name. Can you take a look at this?”

Hailey handed over the slip to Freddie’s daughter and her eyes moved swiftly over the page before she nodded. “Yeah, I was going to cancel it but then I ended up using it for his daily expenses, groceries and stuff you know? I pay the bills anyway, so it’s still an active card. But I don’t even know where to buy a burner phone, there must be some mistake.”

Jay leaned forward this time. “Is there anyone else who has access to his card?”

There was a pause before she answered. “Yes… I brought in a caretaker recently. You know, one of those nurses that help with the elderly? Mainly for the times that I have to be at work.”

Jay nodded. “We need his information.”

On the way back now.

You sent the message to Jay, slipping your phone back into your pocket and glancing up at the darkening sky.

The meeting wasn’t supposed to have taken this long. In other words, you’d completely underestimated the time it would take, completely forgetting your editor was going to be there.

You pulled your jacket around you, quickening your footsteps just so you could make it out of the cold. Based on Jay’s last text, you figured he’d probably be home before you.

The rustling of bushes behind you made you turn just a little.

You’d been feeling like you had eyes on you for the most part of the day but you’d chalked it down to being a little paranoid in the daytime. But you weren’t sure you wanted to take any chances especially since it was getting dark.

It was the sound of footsteps next, shuffling footsteps which matched your speed, no matter if you went faster or slowed down. Now, you really were a little freaked.

You could feel your heart pounding against your chest and you wouldn’t be surprised if people on the street could hear it. Not that there was anyone around to confirm your theory.

You took one last glance behind you, barely registering the man behind you, his face hidden from view with a black cap, a mask over the bottom half of his face, his hands stuffed inside his pockets.

You turned back around quickly, glancing up to zero in on Jay’s building, mentally running your mind through what would happen if you started running.

Then you heard him start moving quicker.

You had no more time to think.

Slinging your bag across your shoulders more securely, you took off at a run, pumping your legs as hard as you could while reaching into your coat pocket for your bag so you could speed dial Jay’s number.

Focus, Y/N.

You weren’t sure if your call had connected but you took the steps up to the main door twice at a time, your fingers fumbling across the keypad that unlocked the door, panic really setting in when there was a beep indicating you’d keyed in the wrong code.

“Fuck.” You muttered, hearing the footsteps behind you sound like they were catching up with you.

You didn’t waste time, keying in the numbers again, hearing the door finally unlock with a click. You made it through, kicking the door closed with your foot and taking off towards the staircase, barely hearing the lock click behind you.

Even that didn’t stop you, as you reminded yourself that the last time someone had come in dressed as a police officer, you hadn’t beeped anyone in. Maybe he really had the code to the building, so you weren’t going to take any chances.

You stumbled up the stairs, hearing someone behind you, although you no longer knew if you were imagining it but you were too afraid to take a look.

You winced as you tripped, the impact of your knee hitting the floor buzzing through you but you scrambled back up to your feet and moved. The door to Jay’s corridor was right there and you pushed your way through it, colliding straight into someone, yelping in surprise.

“Y/N?”

Not anyone, your someone.

“Jay… someone…”

“What…” Jay glanced up behind you, noticing just a shadow that turned tail.

“Hey!” Jay yelled.

He looked down at you. “Get in the apartment now.”

You didn’t have the strength to argue. As Jay headed for the staircase, following whoever had been right behind you, you made the last lap to Jay’s apartment, closing the door behind you before you finally sank to the ground.

Jay put in a call to Voight while he was still on the street, glancing up and down.

“He put someone on her. I’m going to kill him.” Jay growled into the phone.

Adam and Kim had brought Freddie Austin’s caretaker in and he’d been in the interrogation room when Jay had left to check in on you. Voight assured Jay that they were handling it before Jay hung up.

But when Jay got back upstairs and opened the door quietly, you were out of sight.

“Y/N?” Jay called, stepping further into his apartment.

He was greeted by a moment of silence before he heard your voice. “Jay?”

You crawled out from behind the kitchen counter and Jay exhaled in relief, nodding. “Yeah it’s just me. It’s okay.”

Finally feeling like you could breathe again, you got up unsteadily as Jay met you halfway, enveloping you into his arms.

As you felt his arms go around you, your knees gave way along with the dip in your adrenaline but Jay pressed you against him securely. “Alright, come here.” Jay whispered.

Jay led you gently to the couch, before you even realized you were already crying, the leftover adrenaline pouring out of you.

Jay didn’t say anything, just held you tightly against him, one hand protectively resting on the back of your neck.

When you felt all cried out, you angled your head upwards to look at Jay, who glanced down at you. Despite everything, you felt this warmth as you lay there, huddled into Jay’s side. “Sorry.” You whispered.

Jay’s eyebrows met in the middle again. “What are you apologizing for?”

You bit the inside of your cheek and he tapped your cheek. “Stop that.”

“What are you thinking?”

You smiled back at him. “Thank god I’m in love with my best friend and that he loves me too.”

Jay stroked your cheek with this thumb gently, giving you a soft smile in return.

That night, Jay took out some of the frozen lasagnas just so you didn’t have to hear anyone knock the door and barely left your side, even going so far as to tuck you in that night.

As he got up, you reached out impulsively, catching a few of his fingers.

Jay turned to look at you but you didn’t say anything.

“Shall I stay?” Jay asked quietly.

Your eyes flicked up to his. “Can you?”

Jay smiled. “Always.”

So he climbed into bed with you, fitting himself right behind you so that you’d drift off to sleep, encircled by his arms and his warmth.

“Alright, we got a name.” Adam said, just as Jay walked in.

Afraid to get charged for anything more than petty larceny, the caregiver had finally spilled to Adam and Kevin, revealing that he’d indeed been the one to purchase the burner phones but he’d passed them on to someone he knew.

Jay took the document from Adam, scanning it closely, as Kevin quickly typed.

“Jay, I think this is it.” Kevin said, angling his screen towards Jay so he could get a better look.

Arthur Marsh.

“There’s one dropped complaint of stalking, that’s why the DNA didn’t turn up anything in the system but…” Kevin glanced up at Voight, prompting Jay to turn to look at their Sergeant too.

“Get the LKA and gear up.”

Kevin glanced back at Jay, who nodded.

“Chicago PD!” Kevin yelled, raising the battering ram and hitting it against the door, as it flew open.

Jay headed in first, Hailey right behind him, as the rest moved through the house.

Shouts of “Clear!” resounded through the house one by one from each member of the team, before Kim's voice called for their attention.

“Guys! You need to see this.”

Jay frowned, looking around the empty house once more before he headed to one of the rooms towards the back where Kim was.

“What do you…” He trailed off as his eyes took in the dozens of photos of Abbie littered around - the walls, the table, even near his bed. He could even see the pattern of thought through the photos. Far-off photos from when he’d been admiring her from afar, more close-ups as he got braver and then a photo of her with a guy which ended in rage - her face had been scratched off.

“Jay.” Hailey called, her voice somber.

Jay glanced around, feeling his heart fall to his gut at the stack of photos of you.

“Son of a bitch.” Jay growled. “He’s going after Y/N.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before Jay was out of there, getting into his truck alone and speeding off, not standing around to wait for anyone.

You were supposed to be halfway to Will’s by now but you’d gone a whole block away before you realized that you’d left the stuff for Will behind. You knew exactly where it was, which irritated you even more because you’d put it out to remind yourself and then walked right by it out of the apartment.

So you jogged up the remaining flight of stairs, diverting your mind from the memory of the night before and quickly entered Jay’s apartment.

It was a feeling that you had the moment you entered the apartment. Like something was off. But it was vague, so you just moved to reach over for the bag you’d left on the counter, lifting it and turning back towards the door.

You froze, as you saw him now, standing in front of you. In Jay’s apartment.

You felt the dread fill you, and you took a shaky step backwards. “Who…”

“I think you know.”

That voice sent chills across your body because you remembered it, like it was yesterday.

“Cold night, didn’t wanna have to dig around for my keys”

You stepped backwards, acutely aware it was taking you further into the apartment, but you didn't have much of a choice.

You could see his face clearly now as he stepped towards you, into the pool of moonlight that came in from the windows. Which could only mean he was here to do one thing.

You tightened your hold on the bag for just a second before you flung it at him, the weight of the cans of unopened beer and one bottle of wine hitting him with a thud and causing him to stagger backwards.

Taking that opportunity, you took off, thinking your best bet was to get to either yours or Jay’s room and lock it behind you.

You’d barely taken two steps when you felt him grab you, and you felt a sharp sting slice across your arm. You tried to sidestep him but he was faster, and stronger.

You felt strong hands grab you now, flinging your body against the wall to the side. The impact of your body hitting the wall winded you as you fell to the ground with a thud and you couldn’t catch your breath enough to move quicker.

He stepped up beside you. You smelt the leather off his shoes before you saw it, right in front of your face and you turned your face up to look at him, trying not to show fear.

“I always did like the feisty ones.” He said, dragging his words out, like he was confident he had all the time in the world.

He looked around, before he grabbed the one thing that was within reach that was heavy enough - a box that you knew for a fact was stuffed with case files.

You struggled to get up, the aches in your body protesting as he raised the box above you.

And, like he’d just appeared out of nowhere, Jay stepped in between the two of you, throwing a punch against the perp’s face. A punch that was hard enough to send him staggering, the box falling behind him and the case files scattering around the floor with a crash.

“Y/N, are you hurt?” Jay leaned over you now, his eyes scanning you.

“Jay…”

Jay let out a growl as he saw the slash across your upper arm but he had no more time as he heard the perp scrambling to his feet right behind him.

You saw the glint of silver in the perp's hand now as he charged towards Jay, the knife brandished in the air. You took a sharp inhale of breath, unable to even take your eyes off them now as Jay struggled with him in the middle of his apartment.

Marsh charged at Jay and Jay launched him over his shoulder and onto the ground with a crash, the knife clattering away as you heard the arrival of everyone else.

You exhaled, as you heard Hailey and Kevin arrest Marsh on the spot, your eyes falling on the knife that was just a few inches away from you, the knife that was stained with blood. Much more than there had been.

Jay was next to you in an instant, even though you heard an involuntary groan escape his lips.

“J…Jay?” Your eyes traveled down to the darkening red spot just off to the side of his abdomen, the knife had missed the police vest by inches.

Jay shook his head. “I’m okay. I’m okay, alright?” He reached down to squeeze your hand, but you could tell he was not alright, even before he sank lower to the ground, unable to stop another groan from escaping his lips, his breathing getting just slightly shallower.

“Jay!”

“Can I see him now?” You asked, looking up at Will.

Given the choice, you knew Will would be in the next treatment room checking on Jay as well. But Connor had thrown him out so he was stuck here with you.

Other than a slight concussion, some bruises and the gash across your arm, you were none the worse for wear. But that was only thanks to Jay.

“You heard Maggie. Jay’s fine, he doesn’t even need surgery, alright? Why don’t I go and…”

“Will Halstead.” You warned. “Don’t you dare leave me here.”

Will took one look at the expression on your face and sighed. He knew that there was nothing he could say that would convince you otherwise.

“Fine. But you are sitting in here.” Will pointed to the wheelchair.

You gave him a look.

“If Jay’s awake, I’m the one who is going to get his ass kicked, stab wound or no stab wound.” Will complained. “And now that you guys are dating, he’s going to kick me even harder.”

You pressed your lips together to hide a smile.

“Alright, come on.” Will said, rolling his eyes as he helped you into the wheelchair.

You were finally able to breathe better when you finally lay your eyes on Jay.

“Y/N.” Jay called, propping himself up on his elbow but wincing.

“Jay, slow.” You said gently, not even having the heart to be any harsher as you looked back at him.

Will glanced at his brother. “What did I tell you about being wheeled into the ED?”

Jay looked at Will. “Trust me, I’m about ready to jump out of here. I hate it here.”

You glanced at Will with a smile. “Fat chance. You got stabbed.” You reminded him.

“Will.” Jay pleaded, turning to his older brother.

Will glanced at the both of you, knowing better than to hang around. “I’ll talk to Connor.”

As Will excused himself, Jay glanced back at you. “How badly hurt are you?”

You shook your head. “None the worse for wear.” You assured him.

Jay looked unconvinced. “You’re sitting in a wheelchair.”

“Will said if I don’t walk in here on my own two feet, you’d kick his ass. I’m just being a good friend and saving his ass.” You answered.

Jay let out a chuckle, followed closely by a wince.

“Sorry.” Jay whispered, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

You frowned. “What are you sorry for? You took a knife to the stomach because of me. I thought… I…” Your voice trembled a little.

Jay exhaled slowly before he reached for your hand. “I promised I wouldn’t let him touch you but…”

You just shook your head, pulling yourself up from the chair and perching yourself on his bed before you leaned in to give him a gentle hug, careful to avoid his wound. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

Jay pressed a kiss to your temple before he sat up.

“But we got him, Y/N. And you’ll be okay now.”

You sat closer, reaching out to stroke Jay’s face. “We. We’ll be okay now, Jay.”

Jay smiled. “I love you, Y/N.”

You smiled back at him. “I love you, J.”

Jay just leaned forward, despite the tug in the stitches in his side, and pressed his lips to yours. And with the knowledge that everything would indeed be okay, you smiled at his touch, even before his lips left yours.

THANK YOU FOR READING!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS!!

If you want to support me, buy me a coffee!

Character taglists are open!

#resa.fics #murder next door fic #jay halstead #jay halstead x reader #jay halstead mini series #jay halstead imagine #jay halstead fanfic #chicago pd #jay halstead x you #jay halstead x y/n

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spurious · 1 year

Text

once again, mcshep fic recs

(I don't remember which "even more" we're on and am too lazy to check)

I've been doing a lot of rereading stuff from my bookmarks lately, but here are some I've collected in the past month and a half or so!

Cool Hand Luke by fiercelydreamed | ~1.5k, rated E

Excerpt from an IM conversation earlier today: fiercelydreamed: this is the weirdest shit i have ever googled for a pwp fiercelydreamed: only in sga fandom fiercelydreamed: would you ever google "tens unit voltage," "prosthesis," "chemical composition of semen," and "factorial function" all for a fic under 2000 words

Basically: John loses a hand. Rodney builds him a better one. It works for both of them. Ohhhh this is just good. It's hot, yeah, but it's also just so perfectly right in that shivery way that a good idea can be, where you just know that this is how it would go?

How Many by cathalin | ~700, rated T

Rodney actually does know how many times John's almost died.

I don't generally think to rec fics of this length, but this had me wanting to SCREAM with how perfect it was. The amount of FEELINGS that are packed into this small amount of words, just, holy shit. I'm a sucker for stuff about the way their experiences have changed them, hurt them, made them frightened and desperate and clinging to each other, and this does that so wonderfully and satisfyingly, I loved it.

Top of the List by Helenish | ~2.6k, rated E

Rodney tries hard.

"So I like it a little rough," Sheppard said. "Sometimes."

There's, I think, a nice little sub-genre of McShep which is "Rodney Finds Out Something About John" (my own butterfly tattoo fic being a personal entry into that canon) which I think is just wonderful because of who Rodney is, as a character. He's stubborn and obsessive and analytical, and pretty much canonically fascinated by John, so of course Finding Something Out About John will make him spin his mental gears till he goes nuts with it in wonderful, tension-breaking ways. Along with that, the idea of John liking it rough, wanting to be thrown around or smacked around is, like super hot in that way that I think only fanfic can be hot, where the sexiness comes from the verisimilitude; with the accuracy of the characterization layered on top of these appealing textual descriptions of sex acts. Anyway!!! This is just very good.

Entanglements by Barb G | not rated but I’d give it an M, ~8k

John falls down, and gets rescued. One is worse than the other.

This is very untagged, I actually only found it due to clicking into a remix of it (which was also good), but anyway! Let me just state plainly here that I have a real thing for fics about John and Rodney having to survive torture and/or imprisonment together. Call me a romantic! I love beautiful descriptions of suffering and the unspoken comfort that they can give to each other just by being there, just because of that immense amount of trust that they share. I love John surrendering his body to abuse because he secretly thinks he deserves it, and doing it without a second thought because he thinks it will keep Rodney safe.

Ride Into the Sun by Cesare | ~14k, rated E

John's fantasies do a lot for him: they restore his sense of control, express his defiance, celebrate his victories, and connect him with feelings he can't access other ways. He never thought they'd get him what he wants.

God this is just fucking brilliant, masterful characterization for John. The inner voice is absolutely perfect, and the explanation for his fantasies, the way he’s conceptualized his own desires, his own submission, in a way that gives him back control over the horrible things that happen to him is just…oh it’s amazing, I love it so so much. And the resolution with Rodney is so good, so incredibly satisfying after what has gone on before in the story!! Just amazing. I’ve read this many many times before but every time I reread it I’m floored by how good it is.

#mcshep #fic rec

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jgvfhl · 1 year

Text

The Number Lads Go Snooping

Here we are folks... Sevenset is tasked with keeping Fives entertained while Tup is examined after the tragic and mysterious execution of General Tiplar on Ringo Vinda. Unfortunately for them, and Echo's blood pressure, Sevenset and Fives have strange ideas of what constitutes entertainment. BEHOLD, THE ORDERS ARC BEGINS!!

Words: not quite 8K (longest chapter to date oop) Warnings: Canon typical suspense with canon atypical swearing :) Link to Master List of Chapters on Tumblr Link to the full story on Ao3 Happy reading!

CrispyDomino: hey sevenset, need a favor

RedBoiiiii: o7 reporting for orders

CrispyDomino: Fives is bringing one of our boys to Kamino for a med eval

RedBoiiiii: yikes that’s not fun

CrispyDomino: Yeah, you mind making sure he’s not worrying himself sick over the kid?

RedBoiiiii: I will do my best! When are they arriving?

CrispyDomino: Should get there in a few hours

RedBoiiiii: You got it, buddy! I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything too stupid

DEATH: That’s not particularly promising

RedBoiiiii: oh COME ON

d0nut man: lkdjafkd

Double Trouble: oh my gods XD

CrispyDomino: Don’t worry, Sevens, I have faith in you

RedBoiiiii: THANK you echo

Leafs: We really can’t go ten seconds without something huh?

RedBoiiiii: THE COMMANDER STARTED IT

CrispyDomino: Anyway, thanks Sevens, means a lot

CrispyDomino: I’m on campaign, but feel free to send updates if you want

-scene break-

Sevenset had gotten a message from Fives as soon as he’d touched down, it had appeared. He’d grumbled a little at his batchmate’s mothering, but he’d conceded it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get out of his own head while his friend was in medical. But, first Fives had to be assessed as well, so Sevenset had been left to his own devices for a bit, waiting for Fives to comm him after he was cleared.

He had chosen to use this time to be, as most people called it, a menace. He called it practicing his environmental awareness and stealth skills, although no one else seemed too keen to agree with him. After successfully pranking Colt on the Venator after their last mission, he’d doubled-down on finding some way to get at Alpha-17. A death sentence? Possibly.

But he would be legendary if he pulled it off.

It did leave him with the slight problem of finding where the grumpy captain spent most of his time. He was a very private man, and most of the time he wasn’t in his rooms anyway (which would be great news once Sevenset found them). His search had brought him almost back around to the main medical wing of Kamino. No, not the medical wing for the tubies, or the medical wing for the scientists, or the other medical wing for surgery and … whatever else they did over there. This was mainly for soldiers who came in with injuries too mysterious or serious to treat on the field, so it was undoubtedly where Fives and his friend were now.

His plan so far was based solely on lying, and hoping someone was fooled into giving him Alpha’s room number, or at least which wing he lived in. So far, however, he’d only encountered clone officers who knew better than to talk to him outside of necessity, Kaminoans who really didn’t know what to do with him half the time he approached them, and some of the nattie trainers. He didn’t feel like talking to many of them. They were fine, for the most part, but… eh. Not his thing.

An alarm went off, harsh against his ears without his bucket. He flinched, looking around and waiting for an announcement.

“Security breach. All nonessential personnel report to a safe room for lockdown.”

The round door at the end of the hallway slid open suddenly, making him pivot in that direction. The hall flooded with red emergency lighting. A pantoran woman strode out, followed by the sounds of hustle and bustle a bit too bustling for normal medical procedure.

“This place is about to be locked down,” she told him. “Better get a move on, ARC.”

He fell into step beside her as she walked, seeing no point in sticking around if that was indeed the case. He glanced over her person, trying to remember if he’d seen her around for long. He definitely recognized parts of her armor. She was one of the few Mandos left on Kamino, her armor mostly a deep blue, with pink and yellow clouds rolling along the bottom of her chestplate. Her pink hair was cropped close to her head on the sides and flopped over loosely on top. She was only about as tall as his shoulder, probably approaching forty years old, but this woman had two gold jaig eyes tattooed on her forehead.

There was no messing with her.

“Why?” he asked.

“Undisclosed. Someone’s up to no good in the medical wing.”

The alarm continued to blare.

Sevenset glanced behind him at the closed door. Fives hadn’t contacted him yet… did that mean he was in lockdown without his armor? They had to remove their kit for med evals, so maybe with the security, he hadn’t been able to get his comm back yet. That had to be it. Fives was ARC. He hadn’t survived this long by doing rash things like… whatever this trooper was doing.

“What’s your name, ma’am?” he asked, choosing to collect whatever information he could about this Mando.

She glanced over at him. “Maral Tumun.”

He nodded. “I’m Sevenset. I’ve seen you around once or twice.”

“I would hope so. I’ve been training you lot for ages. I trained some of the command batches up from tykes.”

Oh, had she now? That was worth poking into a little bit. “Which batches?”

Before she had an opportunity to answer, his comm went off. He glanced at the frequency and frowned. He didn’t recognize it. It wasn’t anyone in his squadron, or any of the Numbers. Weird.

“Sorry, I gotta take this,” he mumbled, answering the voice transmission. “This is ARC seven seven seven seven.”

“Hey, Sevens, it’s Fives. Listen–I uh… I might’ve done something.”

Oh no.

He hastily muted the comm, but didn't disconnect it, staring at Trainer Tumun, whose gold eyes had locked on him as soon as she'd heard Fives' name. "Wrong number?" he tried.

Her brow rose. "You often get wrong numbers who know your name?"

"Uh, yeah, all the time. Pretty common name among the newer batches, actually," he rambled on.

"Let me hear him," she said.

"Why? No. Ma'am."

“If you don’t, I am still under obligation to report any incidents related to what that trooper has done in medical to my superiors,” she said. “And I believe you would prefer this knowledge remain out of the Kaminoans’ hands for as long as possible, yes?”

He blinked at her. She was… helping? Was she helping? Obviously, whatever Fives had done, he wanted to know as much as he could before making decisions on how to help. She did have reasonable authority to march him down to one of the commanders or one of the doctors and make him sing, and he did not want to do that.

“You won’t get him in trouble?”

She crossed her arms, her beskar clinking. “Any more trouble, you mean?”

“Yeah…”

She shook her head. “Not yet. I know well enough to hear him out.”

Okay. It was as good as he was gonna get. He unmuted the comm.

“Heyyy…. Fives, sorry about that–”

“What the hell was that?” his friend demanded. “What happened?”

“I ran into a trainer, okay?” he shot back, trying to keep his voice down. “I–she heard you, I had to explain some things–”

“Who? What? I thought you were gonna help, Sevens!”

That hurt. He put a hand on his hip even though Fives couldn’t see him. “I’m trying, okay? This is the first time someone’s commed me after putting a whole wing of medical into lockdown, Fives! That was you, right?”

Trainer Tumun stepped closer. “What happened, trooper?”

“It’s–-there’s—something’s wrong with Tup. Yeah, Nala se was gonna cover up all the data, she switched the cases and everything.”

Sevenset exchanged a quizzical glance with the trainer. “This is the guy you were escorting here?”

“Yeah, yeah, he—kark, I dunno, mate, he got all kinds of messed up on Ringo Vinda.” Fives didn’t sound like himself. Far too agitated to be the collected, quick-witted soldier Sevenset knew. “He… he killed a Jedi, Sevens. And the Kaminoans aren’t doing enough to figure out why. All they want to do is kill him and take him apart afterwards.”

Sevenset sucked in a sharp breath, instinctively glancing up and around for witnesses. Without warning, Trainer Tumun grabbed his arm and pulled them both into a storage room toward the end of the corridor. It was dark, except for the white light from his comm, giving both their faces an eerie glow.

“Explain,” she ordered once they were both inside. At least the alarm was quieter here.

“He lost it! He was—he was—agitated, he was violent, he wasn’t responding to his name at all. He tried takin’ a swipe at General Skywalker too! Tied down to a gurney.”

“So what are you doing, Fives?” Sevenset wanted to know. “Why don’t you have your armor?”

“Armor? Armor—no, no, no, no, armor was too recognizable. Grabbed a plain set. He’ll be fine, barely a concussion—”

“You stole armor?”

“Well, no one’s giving it away, are they?” Fives replied sharply. “I may have… I kind of convinced a droid to perform a medical procedure on Tup, and when Nala Se found out, she freaked out. Said they had to do more extensive testing, still says it might be a virus, or a–a parasite—”

“Extensive testing?” Sevenset asked, his brows furrowing. Initial testing was usually pretty thorough. Why the need to go extensive? “Not the hyper testing, I hope. That will kill him.”

“But I found something!” Fives said. “I found something in his brain with the scan I did, right? But Nala Se said it was nothing, said the machine was calibrated wrong.”

Trainer Tumun tilted her head. “Those machines are never calibrated wrong.”

“Exactly! There was something in his head—maybe not just him, maybe there’s more—”

Sevenset held up a hand. “Okay, hold up, where are you?”

There was a heavy pause. Then, quietly, “Storage room, near the genetics wing.”

Another pause landed. “How? Why?” Sevenset demanded.

“I’m in disguise, aren’t I? They were gonna kriffin’ wipe me, Sevens! Now are you gonna help make sure Tup’s okay, or not?”

Sevenset sucked in a sharp breath almost without thinking. Reconditioning was more of a rumor than anything concrete on Kamino. Hearing his friend say it out loud like that…. Kark. This was worse than he’d thought.

“Yeah, and how am I supposed to keep Tup safe and you out of harm’s way at the same time, huh?”

“I’ll look after Tup,” Trainer Tumun said, cutting into their conversation suddenly.

“What?”

“I am Trainer Maral Tumun,” she said for Fives’ sake. “I don’t trust these Kaminoans when they’re this excited to dispose of a soldier. If they are so keen to find you, then they are keen to cover up what’s happening to Tup. I will find out, and I will make sure he gets to a doctor who knows the value of sentient life.”

There was another long pause as they both took in the information. Finally, Fives said, “Thank you, ma’am.”

“How are you gonna do that?” Sevenset asked. So he was a little skeptical. He had reason to be.

She smiled. “I am of Clan Ves. We do not disappoint.”

“Yeah, that’s great, I was talking more logistics?” he said. “Where are there doctors to treat him? How is he getting off Kamino? How are you even getting him off the medical table?”

Trainer Tumun sniffed, lifting her chin. “I know a guy.”

“It’s not Commander Nero, is it?” Fives asked with much sarcasm.

She looked down at the comm, shifting her stance slightly. “I do not have to answer that.”

“Nero?” Sevenset repeated. “Wait, he’s Commander Sixes’ batcher, right?” He recalled her remark about training command batches. “Holy kark, you trained those grumpy bastards, didn’t you?”

Once again, she lifted her chin and shuffled her feet slightly. “They were my best.”

“They’re kriffing sociopaths, ma’am,” Fives blurted.

“No, they are not, I had them tested.”

Comforting. But not important right now. “Okay, okay, fine,” he said. “You’ll find Tup and use Commander Nero’s infinite source of strings to pull to get him off-world. Fives, I’m gonna find you and make sure you don’t do anything stupid by yourself.”

Trainer Tumun gave him a look. “Not the usual phrasing of that expression.”

“Story of my life, ma’am,” he told her.

“Sounds good. My locator should still be on, Sevenset should be able to track me with that. I’m heading to the Genetic Records Hall.”

He sighed, rubbing his head. “Copy that, I’ll find you.”

“Stay outside until I come out. And thanks… again…”

The comm disconnected, leaving them in almost total darkness. Almost, because of the tiny dots of light on their vambrace controls.

“Okay.”

She nodded. Probably. “Let’s go.”

He followed her out into the hall, selecting the frequency Fives had used to comm him and tracking the corresponding locator signal. He turned this way and that a couple times, never the best at directionality.

“Okay, Genetic Records Hall,” he said. “No clue where that is.”

“I know it,” Tumun nodded. “I’ll need access to a different part of the medical wing, so I’ll send you the coordinates while we walk.” Without leaving room for debate, she turned and began walking, leaving him to catch up at a slight jog.

This was a bad situation, obviously. Sevenset wasn’t that tone-deaf not to realize that. But he also knew the value in taking the opportunities presented to him, and right now, he had direct access to a woman who had known Commander Sixes since he had been able to walk. There was no way in any of the nine hells he was letting this chance pass by without using it to find out something.

“So… Chaos Batch, huh?” he said by way of introduction. “You uh… you made ‘em like that?”

“I trained them,” she replied. “They were already like that.”

He gave a low whistle. “Okay, so Commander Nero has always been two degrees away from being a serial killer?”

“Well, he did try to kill a Kaminoan when he was five standard.”

He gaped at her. “He did what? And he’s alive?”

“That’s when he was transferred to the Chaos Batch,” she answered easily. “And also when he was tested for sociopathy. He just has a very rigid view of right and wrong, and a penchant for finding the simplest solution to his problems. But his emotional depth is perfectly normal.”

Sevenset could only nod. So the weird vibes he’d gotten from Commander Nero were well deserved. Granted, he’d never felt actively threatened by the man. He just had understood that if Nero had wanted it, Sevenset would have been dead faster than he could say his own name.

“Uh…huh,” he answered. “And Commander Sixes… has he always been that prickly? Grumpy, as some would say.”

She shook her head. “No, Bacara’s the one they call Grumpy. Sixes was… well. Geonosis One changed a lot of your older brothers. He’s a sweetheart to his core.”

A what? A sweetheart? The guy in all-black armor whose callsign was Death was a sweetheart? Sevenset’s mind reeled.

“Not that he’d ever admit it,” Tumun continued as they turned the corner to the neighboring corridor. “They’re all stubborn as hell, but they had determination and ingenuity like I’d never seen in a squad of cadets before. Bacara once stayed up all night putting together what he called a ‘flawless battle strategy’ for the four of them, and it was. He took into account each of their strengths and weaknesses, and they absolutely demolished the squad they were facing the next day.”

“No kidding,” he said. Small wonder the Marines were some of the most efficient soldiers in the GAR. With a commander like that… well.

“But they also invented Knife Monopoly while drunk for the first time,” she mused, a fond smile on her face. “And Sixes and Nero once shot each other during a concocted ‘duel,’ and they both have scars from it.” She shook her head. “Even genetic manipulation can’t stop teenagers from being teenagers.”

Sevenset was honestly approaching speechlessness. All that came out in reply to those world-shattering revelations was, “Oh.” His mind felt like a speeder without altitude stabilizers.

“We’re here,” Tumun said, stopping near an arched door back into the medical wing. She raised her vambrace, tapping a message. “These are the coordinates to the Genetics Hall. It’s near the incubation wings. I’ll go find Tup.”

“Got it,” he nodded, his brain struggling a little to recover from the previous conversation.

“What is Tup’s designation?” she asked.

“Uh…” He commed Fives.

“Are you here?”

“Starting there now. What’s Tup’s designation?”

“CT fifty-three eighty-five.”

Tumun nodded. “I’ll go find him. I promise,” she added, pressing a closed fist across her chest. A Mandalorian salute.

He nodded back, then took off at a jog toward where he knew the incubators were. He didn’t know what kind of time frame Fives was on, but he had to assume it wasn’t a long one. He offered passing excuses and thank yous as he dodged around doctors and troopers in the hallways, but honestly, Colt had made him run enough laps through the city that even if someone asked him what he was doing, he’d just say tell them that. No one would even blink.

Ten minutes. It took him almost ten minutes to get there. Something closer to seven, probably, but still. It felt too long. When the door was in sight, he opened his comm again.

“Fives, I’m near the main doors, what’s your status?”

“This shit just gets worse and worse, I’m telling you–” he replied angrily.

The door opened, making Sevenset look up hopefully. But no. Kaminoans were filing out of the room. Quietly, seemingly unbothered, but… no. Too quickly. Too orderly.

“Buddy, they know you’re in there,” he said, keeping his voice down.

“Yeah, I see it.”

Well. Sevenset was nothing if not recklessly impulsive at his core. “I’m coming with you,” he said, disconnecting the comm before Fives could argue, then darting towards the door.

The Kaminoans didn’t stop him. They moved out of his way, if anything. As he passed the threshold, he heard more hurried footsteps approaching from the opposite corridor from which he’d come.

“Time go, pal!” he called, now out-right sprinting to Fives. Force, he looked weird in shiny armor.

“You’re a kriffing moron, Sevens!” he shouted, following an AZ medical droid towards… oh, an emergency hatch in the ceiling. Smart.

“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know,” he shot back.

“There!” someone shouted behind them. Then stun rings began blazing past them as they ran.

Maker’s sake, they really wanted this guy! Sevenset would have been impressed, if he weren’t running away from them too. He practically flung himself up the yellow rungs of the ladder behind Fives, pulling himself into the emergency hatch after him and stepping back so the AZ could weld it shut.

Then he turned to Fives.

“Okay, so you’re in a stupendous amount of shit.”

“You didn’t have to follow me!” he shot back.

“Too bad! You’re my friend, and I have reckless tendencies,” he replied, tossing his hands in the air.

“I do not meant to interrupt,” said the droid, holding up one of its metal fingers, “but we have research to finish.”

“Finish?” Fives repeated, looking at it. “You didn’t get everything you needed?”

“Hey, I’ve an idea,” Sevenset cut in. “How about we walk and talk, yeah? Where the hell are you going?”

“What information do you still need, AZ?” Fives asked the droid.

“Well,” the droid began, sounding, as many droids did, way too calm for the amount of pressure riding on the current situation, “we know it is an organic chip, created and implanted into clone Tup’s brain.”

Sevenset put his hands on his hips and looked at Fives.

“We found a thing in Tup’s brain, it’s not from the original genetic material from Prime, so someone had to put it there,” he supplied.

“What I am not sure of,” AZ went on, turning his body around and rummaging in his storage compartment, “is at what stage of development the chip is implanted, and its purpose.”

“And we don’t know if it’s in my brain too,” Fives added, which made Sevenset’s gaze snap back to him.

“Excuse me?” Fives had reason to believe that whatever made Tup execute a Jedi General was also in his head?

The droid spoke up, now holding a glass slide containing something suspiciously flesh-colored. “Your scans did not indicate—”

“Neither did Tup’s, until we looked deeper,” Fives insisted. “If they missed it in Tup, they can miss it in me. We have to check.”

A horrible thought came unbidden to Sevenset’s mind. If this thing was in Fives and Tup… then it could be in his head too, right?

“And if it is?” he heard himself ask.

His friend looked at him.

“If it is in your head too?”

“Then he takes it out,” Fives said firmly, tilting his bucket towards AZ.

The droid rose in the air slightly, his visual receptors shining a bit brighter in shock. “That is a dangerous surgery. When I removed clone Tup’s chip, his overall health greatly worsened.”

“I’ll risk it.”

“Hey–wait, what?” Sevenset held up his hands. “‘Greatly worsened?’ What does that mean?”

“He’s still alive,” Fives said, then turned back to AZ. “Are you gonna help, or not?”

“We will need to return to a medical facility,” the droid said, drifting slightly towards Sevenset, intending to pass him.

“Fives, mate,” he said, stepping in front of the droid. “This is a lot. Are you sure you’re—”

Fives stepped over the round hole in the floor where the hatch was. “Tup is one of my best friends. He’s hurting because someone put this thing in his head. Maybe they put this thing into all of our heads. Now, the Kaminoans know something they’re not willing to let me find out.”

“And that might be a good thing,” Sevenset argued. “Listen, I’m not one to trust the long-necks, but we’re not scientists, Fives.”

“This thing made Tup kill a Jedi!” his friend exclaimed. “You want that? You wanna wake up one day a prisoner in your own head, watching your body hunt down General Ti and shoot her?”

“Don’t do that,” he told him, his voice dropping to a dark pitch.

“It’s the truth,” Fives told him. “I need to know how far this goes. You should too.”

Truthfully, Sevenset was curious. Inherently so, some would say. But he wasn’t an idiot, like the others would also say. What Fives was doing was dangerous. A medical procedure like brain surgery wasn’t without risk, even when performed by a droid designed like AZ. But something nagged at the back of his mind, like a child very softly tugging at a parent’s clothing for attention. He couldn’t ignore it forever.

The truth was, Fives wasn’t an idiot either. Hell, he was one of the most caring brothers he’d met, and that included himself.

He sighed, rubbing his face roughly. “Gods, Echo’s gonna kill me for helping you.”

“Yeah.” His friend’s voice sounded hollow at the mention of his batchmate. Probably not the kindest thing Sevenset could have brought up. “AZ, lead the way,” he said.

The droid whirred as he rose higher up the ladder, and Sevenset let Fives follow him before bringing up the rear. They climbed about three levels before the droid cut left. They followed doggedly, turning a few times before dropping back down two more levels. Finally, AZ paused, hovering over a hatch.

“Is this it?” Fives asked, squatting down.

The droid appeared to nod. “Yes. This is a hatch to the D-wing of the medical building. As of now, I can detect no noise on the other side of this hatch.”

Fives hesitated briefly, then took a breath, handing off his stolen blaster to Sevenset so he could hop down to open the hatch. He twisted the yellow wheel slowly, trying to minimize the noise. When it was finally open, he let it down as slowly as he could, and Sevenset reached out to grab the back of his utility belt to steady him as he leaned down.

“All clear,” he reported. He sat back up, then lowered himself down.

AZ followed him, and Sevenset tossed down the blaster so he could have his hands free to follow them. AZ let them into one of the medical examination rooms. It all went so smoothly, Sevenset found himself momentarily baffled. Wouldn’t the Kamino Guard have troopers posted at every emergency tunnel entrance in the whole medical wing? Weird.

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” Fives said, removing his helmet and setting both it and his blaster on a tray beside the bed. Bed was a generous term. Table was better. He lifted himself onto it.

“And you’re sure this is the thing to do?” he asked again. He already knew the answer, he just couldn’t help it.

“It’s just gonna be a scan and maybe some surgery.”

“Yeah, it’s the maybe I’m worried about, Fives,” he said, watching AZ pull up the scanning machine and begin to program it.

“Knowing what I know now about these chips,” the droid said, poking buttons on the touchscreen, “I do not need to scan at the atomic level. Due to the inorganic compounds present in these chips, a molecular examination should suffice.”

“Is that good?” Sevenset asked as Fives lay down.

“A molecular scan does not put as much strain on the subject.”

He nodded vaguely. So it was good.

AZ brought the ring-shaped scanner around to position it around Fives’ head. “Please remain still and do not speak during the examination,” he said, sounding routine. “Close your eyes and keep them closed until told to open them.”

Fives did as instructed, and Sevenset stood at the foot of the table to watch. AZ tapped a button to begin the examination, and the ring-shaped machine whirred into action, a slow green-ish blue light beginning to travel around the inner circumference.

The exam was probably pretty short, considering the number of actions AZ completed during the time, but the seconds felt like they were moving like drying mud to Sevenset. The droid hovered next to a screen on the side of the room, where a diagram or image of Fives’ brain was slowly developing. After what was probably a minute or so, a red dot appeared on the screen.

AZ hummed a short note of… what, surprise? Acknowledgement? Droids… so hard to parse. Then he flew back over to the scanning device and tapped a few buttons to power it down. When the interior light had fully faded out, he moved the device away.

“You may open your eyes,” he said cheerfully.

Fives blinked his eyes open slowly, looking groggy all of a sudden. Sevenset moved to his side.

“You alright, mate?” he asked, holding out a hand.

“Bit of a headache,” Fives admitted. “But it’s fading.” He took his hand and hauled himself up into a sitting position. Sevenset eyed him carefully. “What’s the word, AZ?”

“By ‘the word,’ I assume you mean the results of the scan?”

“Yes.”

“They are identical to clone Tup,” the droid chirped, moving to the side so Fives and Sevenset could see the screen. “The same tumor appears in the same location in your brain.”

“Sithspit,” Fives hissed, rubbing his head. “Can you take it out?”

“Of course.”

“Then do it,” he said, resuming his previous position on the table.

As AZ began preparing, Sevenset’s comm went off, so he stepped away to answer it. It was Trainer Tumun.

“I have Tup secure,” she reported. “Someone is in transit to collect him and get him to safety.”

He looked up to Fives, who had turned his head to listen. “Hear that?”

Fives nodded, a brief wave of relief washing over his features before he settled back to let AZ begin.

Sevenset turned away. He was fine with blood, but he had no desire to see the inside of Fives’ skull. “Thank you, ma’am. We know the one-eighteenth can be trusted with this.”

There was a pause, since Tumun hadn’t known of their affiliations with Nero’s battalion. But, time was waning, and she must have thought better than to waste any by starting down that winding path. “If I can, I’ll let you know when they have him secure.”

“Much appreciated, ma’am.”

“Hopefully, the ruckus I caused can help you and Fives get the information you need.”

He nodded. “Absolutely. We’re working on it.”

“I wish you the best. Good hunting, ARCs.”

The comm disconnected. He could still hear AZ working, so he kept his attention firmly on the set of window controls below the oval window separating this room from the next. Currently, it was opaque, but the buttons underneath could turn it transparent or translucent if so desired. He was impressed by his own ability to not mess with them.

Mainly because his mind was too busy reeling over the information he’d learned in such a short time.

Somehow, both Fives and Tup had little semi-organic chips in their brains that had been implanted by… someone, who knew whom that had been, and that was uncomfortable enough. But Tup’s had looked… sick. He’d lost his mind, almost as literally as a sentient being could, and that alone sent chills down his spine. If more clones had these chips… then way more of them than just Tup were capable of outright murdering Jedi.

Or anyone.

“The operation is complete.”

He jolted. How much time had passed? He hadn’t checked the time before. Shit. How long had they stayed in one place? That was dangerous. Fives was waking up. AZ held a second glass compartment, examining the contents.

“Well?” he asked, walking over to put hands on Fives to remind himself he was okay.

“This is new,” AZ said. “The chip removed from clone trooper Tup was severely degraded in function and structure, but this one is entirely healthy.”

Fives groaned quietly, his hand rising to his head, only to bump into the metal device still implanted there. His hair had been shorn around it, making for a rather unsightly haircut. Maybe he could pass it off as a fade if he shaved the other side to match?

“Okay, so… Tup was an accident?” he said. “He didn’t mean it. He was sick.”

“That is the most likely scenario,” AZ replied, his body rotating around so he could place Fives’ chip in his storage compartment with Tup’s.

“What are the chances this thing’s in my head too?” Sevenset dared to ask.

“Given you are from the same generation of clones,” the droid said, tapping his fingers together with something resembling nervousness, “the chances are not exactly… low.”

He’d already suspected as much. Judging by the look on Fives’ face, he felt the same. Nice of him to not share it until Sevenset was ready. Alright, well, if he was ever going to have brain surgery, having it on his own terms seemed like a great time for it.

Holding out a hand to Fives again, he helped him off the table, giving a look that asked if he was alright, and receiving a nod in return. “Might as well mark brain surgery off my bucket list,” he said, hoisting himself onto the table.

“You haven’t been scanned,” Fives said, gesturing to the machine. “You don’t know if you even have this thing.”

Sevenset rolled his eyes, desperate to cover up the anxiety rising in his system. “Yeah, I think we all kinda know it’s gonna be there. Better to just save myself the headache, right? We’ve been here too long as it is.”

Fives couldn’t argue with the last point. The longer they stayed in one place, the more likely it was someone would find them. They needed to move, and if this got it done faster, then so be it. His friend looked a little helpless for a split second before nodding and stepping back.

“Are you sure?” AZ asked. “Without a scan, I will have to estimate where the cells are located—”

“And you’re a smart droid,” Sevenset cut in, lying back on the table. “You’ll do fine. It’s probably exactly where Fives’ was. We are clones, after all, right?”

After a second or two of processing, the droid nodded. “Very well.” He flew over to a barely visible cabinet underneath the display screens at the back wall, and retrieved what supplies he would need. Normally, they would have been laid out, but he’d used them on Fives already. He held up a large syringe which Sevenset was not thrilled about. “This will not hurt—”

“Yes, it will,” Fives cut him off.

“It will only hurt a bit,” the droid corrected, and Sevenset braced himself.

It did hurt. Quite a bit, actually, like injecting fire under the skin of his neck. But, after only a few seconds, the pain had faded, and the rest of the world faded out as well.

-scene break-

He woke up to his comm blinking at him, telling him a new message had arrived. As he had suspected, AZ held a sample identical to the one that had come out of Fives' head. Holy Force. Once AZ gave him the all-clear, he opened his comm, scanning it quickly as he and Fives readied themselves for whatever came next. There wasn't time to process what had just happened.

“Where are we going next?” he asked,his eyes fixed on the thing AZ had taken out of his head. Gross. It made his skin crawl like an itchy sweater he couldn’t take off.

“The incubation rooms,” AZ answered, flying over to the door. “We must find out how many clones have these implanted chips, and when they are implanted into your cell structure.”

Sevenset nodded. “Alright. Let’s visit some tubies.” He paused to open his comm. “Uh… I take it we’re keeping our activities unknown to your batcher?” he asked.

“Please,” Fives said, looking terribly guilty.

He started typing a reply as they hurried out of the room.

CrispyDomino: Rex says he’s on his way back, how’s Fives?

RedBoiiiii: peachy!

CrispyDomino: oh good

CrispyDomino: do you know how Tup’s doing?

RedBoiiiii: uhh more tests?

d0nut man: aw that’s too bad :(

d0nut man: might it have anything to do with the 118th’s unplanned visit to Kamino right now?

CrispyDomino: What.

RedBoiiii: I’m sure it’s nothing Zero

Double Trouble: guys he just used capitalization correctly…

RedBoiiii: dosido i do no t need this right now

DEATH: And where is Fives in this conversation?

RedBoiiiii: he doesnt have his comm

RedBoiiiii: they had to clear him had to get his kit off

CrispyDomino: Do you know he’s okay?

RedBoiiiii: like i said, peachy

d0nut man: uh yeah, i wasn’t joking about an unplanned stop in the Kamino system.

d0nut man: what are we doing here

DEATH: I have a terrible feeling about this

DressedtotheNines: Please don’t say that, every time Kenobi says that, bad stuff happens

Leafs: Wait, Echo left Sevenset in charge of Fives?

CrispyDomino: Yes

Loopy: wait why

CrispyDomino: Bc I assume he got to ARC trooper SOMEHOW

RedBoiiiii: look hes’ fine!!! I’m still with him!!

DEATH: Nero’s hiding something. The 118th is definitely going to Kamino for crimes.

CrispyDomino: CRIMES???

d0nut man: oooohh yay I hope it’s kidnapping :)

d0nut man: that’s my favorite crime

d0nut man: been in a high crimes and misdemeanors kinda mood lately

Leafs: I have so many questions I do not want answers for.

CrispyDomino: Okay okay, since I’m about to go into another firefight

CrispyDomino: I am choosing to believe the crimes and my batcher are unrelated.

RedBoiiiii: good choice

Double Trouble: they are so related

Loopy: yeah, definitely

Submarine: Hey… probably a bad time to ask, but is anyone else going on leave soon?

d0nut man: well we were suPPOSED TO

Loopy: not official leave, just stopping by 000 for a restock n stuff, but yeah

Leafs: I do have leave soon, yes

DressedtotheNines: Yeah, we’re here already, set for a couple weeks

DEATH: Get some noodles. I’m sure Mira and Saleha will be overjoyed to see you.

RedBoiiiii: aw that’s actually sweet!

DEATH: They haven’t met you yet, don’t get your hopes up.

RedBoiiiii: :/

RedBoiiiii: Hey sir

RedBoiiiii: Is it true you and cmdr bacara invented Knife Monopoly when drunk the first time?

Double Trouble: THEY DID WHAT NOW???

Submarine: Oh is that why so many Novas play that game?

Leafs: Wait it’s an actual game?? With knives??

Loopy: it better have knives, i’ll be disappointed if it doesn’t

CrispyDomino: Sevenset you are supposed to be watching my brother

CrispyDomino: not tempting Death himself

DressedtotheNines: I … I’m not sure what to think

d0nut man: I think Seven’s about to vanish under mysterious circumstances

Submarine: Yes, it does involve knives. I’ve never played though.

DEATH: Echo, I have it on good authority that the kid you sent to Kamino is in good hands

CrispyDomino: WHOSE AUTHORITY

DEATH: My old trainer

RedBoiiiii: she didn’t mention anything else…?

DEATH: She told me everything.

DEATH: But for now, all these laser brains need to know is it is being handled.

CrispyDomino: There’s an EVERYTHING???

RedBoiiiii: an Everything that is fine, yes!

-scene break-

All of them.

Every single clone.

Sevenset looked from the glowing green lights on the display screen to the tower of growth tubes before them.

All of them had these things in their heads, waiting for activation. Activation for what? AZ hadn’t been able to figure out what these bioengineered things could be used for. The only data point they had was Tup, and he had been whisked off somewhere by Trainer Tumun. Hopefully.

“So that means…” Fives said, pulling off his helmet, “we’re all part of this. Whatever reason these things exist, it… it affects all of us.”

“It would appear so, yes.” Even AZ looked as surprised as he could.

The sudden sound of a door hissing as it slid open made them all spin around, Fives automatically raising his blaster.

Kark.

It was Nala Se, one of the head doctors on Kamino, and a distinctly unpleasant person. She approached with raised hands.

“Stay where you are,” Fives told her sharply. Sevenset wanted to edge closer to him, just in case he did something really stupid, but he didn’t move.

“Why are you doing this?” the doctor asked.

“Take a guess,” he shot back before Fives could. “You thought you could cover up putting bioengineered hardware into our brains, and no one would notice? No one would get curious?”

The doctor ignored or otherwise dismissed the blatant threat Fives posed, and continued to approach them with her hands visible. “Curious about what?” she asked peaceably.

Sevenset moved to the side, revealing the display screen and gesturing at it. “This?” he demanded. Fives flanked the doctor and corralled her towards the screen. “What is it?”

“That is a structural inhibitor chip,” she explained, her voice never changing. It always freaked him out that Kaminoans had little to no inflection. Like somehow, their scientific findings had placed them above emotions. “It is supposed to prevent you from being aggressive,” she went on, looking over her shoulder at Fives, who still had a blaster on her. “Like your source, Jango Fett.”

Sevenset laughed. Dry and cynical. “Less aggressive?” he said. “I’m sorry, have you met some of the Alphas? And who thinks of putting an inhibitor on aggression in soldiers, eh?”

“Jedi Master Sypho Dias instructed us to introduce these structures during the growth cycle,” Nala Se replied evenly.

Fives blinked, casting a glance at Sevenset. “The Jedi did this?”

“No way.” Sevenset shook his head. “If the Jedi wanted this done—if they were the ones to blueprint this thing—then why did General Ti have no idea about it? She’s been here for ages.”

Nala Se’s enormous eyes narrowed. “I do not pretend to know the workings of the Jedi.”

“The Jedi wouldn’t do this,” he repeated, pointing to the tower of tubies next to them.

“It is not uncommon to put inhibitors in clones.”

AZ had spun his body around and dug out Tup’s chip. “I have analyzed clone Tup’s inhibitor chip. Apparently, it has failed.”

“Until this point,” Nala Se said, glaring at Fives, “there has never been a problem.”

“Well, I specialize in making my own problems,” Sevenset told her, taking a step toward her.

“And you’ve got a big one right now,” Fives growled, nudging the nose of his blaster into the small of the doctor’s back for emphasis.

Sevenset saw the door open this time, allowing General Ti and a few Kamino Guards into the room. Fives darted around Nala Se, keeping her between them and the new threats.

“Don’t move!” one of the guards ordered as they ran.

They came to a stop upon realizing the doctor was between them and their targets. General Ti ignited her lightsaber. “Drop your weapon,” she demanded.

“Did you know about this?” Fives replied, jerking his head to indicate the display screen. “The inhibitor chips the Jedi ordered them to put in our brains?”

She surveyed them, calculating. “I have no recollection of any one of my Order informing me of such things. Do you have evidence?”

AZ whirred forward, still holding Tup’s chip. “Right here,” he said. “This is the chip taken from clone trooper Tup. As you can see, it appears blackened and rotten. This sickness caused the malfunction.”

“But what caused the sickness?” the Jedi wanted to know.

“We don’t know,” Sevenset admitted.

“It doesn’t matter!” Fives argued. “What matters is it happened. And it could happen again. More clones could turn against their Jedi, or their brothers. The entire Republic Army could be compromised if someone figured out a way to activate these chips on purpose!”

That was something Sevenset had not considered yet. It hadn’t occurred to him that these chips might have a purpose outside of… well, they didn’t know yet. What if there was a manual activation? Or a secret code?

“There is no proof of any of this!” Nala Se interjected, finally showing some of the frustration she must have been feeling for a while. “This is an isolated incident. Besides, when you removed Tup’s chip, his health deteriorated immensely.”

Rude.

“We’re fine, aren’t we?” Fives said, raising an eyebrow at her.

“What does that matter?”

“We removed our chips as well,” Sevenset said, pointing to the bandage over the incision on his skull.

AZ held up the chips. “Here they are, very healthy.”

“Then you are both threats and should be considered dangerous,” Nala Se said sharply. “Master Jedi, they should be terminated immediately.”

“I am not a piece of kriffing hardware!” Fives exclaimed, and Sevenset had to agree with him on his anger.

“We’re ARC troopers,” he added. “We’ve laid our lives on the line for the Republic countless times, and you want to terminate us because we found out about your chips?”

“Because you have removed your chips,” Nala Se hissed at him. “And technically, you are both property of the Kaminoan government.”

Sevenset blinked, honestly shocked. He knew the Kaminoans weren’t to be trusted, nor did they place any real value in a trooper’s life, but to hear it like that? To actually be labeled property? He’d have gotten no better on Nal Hutta. Or Zyggeria! Were these chips… they couldn’t be slave chips, could they?

“Correction.” General Ti’s strong voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. She extinguished her blade and lowered the hilt to her side. “Technically, they are ‘property’ of the Republic.”

“They are a danger to themselves and to others,” Nala Se argued, her small head swaying on her long neck as she struggled to remain civilized. “They must be terminated.”

“Oh, for Maker’s sake,” Sevenset spat. “Just say killed. It’s what you mean, right? You wanna kill us? Don’t hide behind words as long as your neck.”

“I believe,” said General Ti, cutting off the doctor’s reply, “their fates are for me to decide.” She lifted her chin. “Fives, you are coming with me to Coruscant. Sevenset will accompany him. You will tell your story to the Chancellor.”

The Chancellor? He was going to see the Chancellor himself? Not an aide, not Mas Amedda, but the actual, real-live Chancellor, who got his robe unravelled by Commander Thire that one time?

Nala Se finally moved, harshly pushing away the blaster Fives had been holding half-heartedly at her chest. “Master Jedi—”

“Sounds great, when do we leave?” Sevenset interrupted, hurrying to get ahead of her.

He could feel Nala Se’s enormous grey eyes boring into the back of his head.

“The chancellor wanted all the data on Tup, correct?” General Ti continued, a confident light in her eyes as she typed something into her comm unit. “We’re sending the data, Tup’s tumor, and the two other samples, and Fives and Sevenset will go with them.”

The Kaminoan doctor drew herself up to her full, impressive height. “Then I am going with them.”

Oh, please no. Sevenset had exactly zero desire to spend several hours in hyperspace with her anywhere near him. He saw Fives felt similarly, and he turned his gaze to the general, hoping to communicate just how much he didn’t want this to happen.

But her hands must have been tied. She narrowed her eyes slightly, but agreed. “As you wish, Doctor.”

The door opened yet again, admitting a small team of Kamino Guards bearing two stretchers between them. Sevenset watched Fives sit down on one before doing the same on the other.

“Thank you, General,” Fives said as the Jedi began to turn away. “For believing us.”

“It’s not a matter of belief, Fives,” she told him, her face impassible. “It is simply the right thing to do.”

…Jedi.

In watching her leave, Sevenset was caught off guard by one of the guards approaching him with a syringe in his hand. He instantly shied away from it, holding a hand up. “Whoa, hold on. What is that?” He looked over to Fives, seeing him rub his neck as another guard walked away from him.

“A weak sedative.”

“I don’t want a sedative,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s weaker than a day-old porg.”

“It’s preventative.”

“Against?” he asked, a little flummoxed. “What, you think I’m gonna jump up and escape? Escape where?”

“It’s not my call,” the guard replied, sounding a little apologetic.

He glanced up at Nala Se, whose back was to him as she followed the general out of the room. Probably standard procedure. Probably. He still didn’t want it.

“Don’t give it to me, or I will jump up and do something about it,” he said, then lay back on the stretcher. “Now get going.”

The guard looked confused, standing there without purpose. But eventually, the guard manning the stretcher just shook his head and turned him toward the doors. Good. His method of wasting people’s time until they gave him what he wanted was still effective. Now… on to Coruscant.

What will happen on Coruscant?? What will the chancellor do?? Will Nala Se finally hit her head on a doorframe?? All that and MORE next month ;) Unless I can't help myself and I post it for the Number Lads 1 year anniversary this month In addition: Maral Tumun is another OC by my friend 23-bears and me. I drew her during OC-tober last year, here.

@23-bears @theultimatesandwich @mercurydancer @persimminwrites @beskarmermaid @darth-void @rndmpeep

#i write things sometimes #star wars fanfic #the clone wars #tcw fanfic #clone trooper ocs #star wars ocs #pantoran oc #mandalorian oc #arc trooper sevenset #arc trooper fives #clone trooper tup #nala se #shaak ti #kaminoans #number lads #numbers gang

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