#dear god i hope it's cropped high enough

[the-dixon-effect]

Sticks and Stones

A/N: dear fic writers, consider this a public service announcement. DO NOT schedule a week of fic writing that coincides with a camping trip, it is hell!!!!

era: season 3-4, prison era

summary: Y/N suffers from chronic pain in her feet, but hates to feel vulnerable around others so constantly overworks herself. perhaps a certain archer could be the right kind of medicine... | requested from this ask by @justalexheree :) guys i really did my research for this one so i hope you enjoy ^.^

pairing: Daryl Dixon x f!reader

words: 1.4k

warnings: mentions of chronic foot pain ig?? lil' time jump

It must be late by now, you thought. You were hesitant to look up to check the position of the sun for fear of getting distracted. You were crouched down, working out in the allotment around the front of the prison. The farm was a brilliant idea, you decided, despite the high amount of labour that was necessary to feed the residents of the prison-turned-camp. God knows you needed the food. Perhaps if the members of your community were aware of your condition, you wouldn't be forced to work out here all day, practically sweating your skin off in the Georgia sun. It didn't matter anyway, 'cause you couldn't let that happen.

So here you were, digging up soil and planting seeds 'til the sun disappeared behind the trees. It was somewhat enjoyable, you convinced yourself, of course you had your thoughts and daydreams to entertain yourself, and back in your old life you would have never found yourself spending so much time outdoors. Even so, a mundane office job might have arguably been a little better for your body. You constantly found yourself having to distract yourself from the persistent ache in your feet, maybe some company would do you good, you thought.

"Hey, we're all eatin' inside, ya can prolly finish up now," you heard the familiar voice of the crossbow-wielding man from several metres away. You knew you needed to stop, but there was still work to be done. If only there was enough food in the first place, then maybe you would let yourself resign to the dining area. Save it for those who needed it, you thought.

"Alright, I'll be inside in a second," That was a lie. It's not like the rest of the group would notice your absence, you figured. You better just stay out here a little longer, making sure the crops were tended to until it was dark. Then maybe you'd get some rest. For now, you didn't need to eat. Truthfully, your feet were killing you and it felt like you could keel over at any second. Get over yourself, you said, over and over in your mind, these people need feeding.

You remembered the look the archer gave you when he called you inside, observing how you were the only person left out in the field. You turned to check if he had left and, to your surprise, he was still stood watching, hands buried in his pockets as he looked straight ahead and met your eyes.

"C'mon," he shouted across the distance between the two of you. You couldn't really say no to him, except he left you wondering why he was so eager for you to join him. You put down your equipment and split from whatever idle job you had yourself occupied with. Something you did appreciate about the humble farmer's life was the reasonable tan you had acquired, which was on display in your little denim shorts as you jogged up to meet him. A part of you wished Daryl would notice.

"Ya' alrigh'? Yer limpin'," he asked, meanwhile you were contemplating on the fact that this might be the most words you'd ever heard the archer speak, to your face anyway. Your lack of association with the man didn't stop you from admiring from afar, though.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Been a long day."

"I bet," he replied, walking side-by-side with you up to the building entrance. You thought it was sweet how he paid attention to you and noticed something like that. Maybe one day you'd open up about your condition, when it felt right.

3 MONTHS LATER

You looked around the room, searching for Daryl's eyes. Today, more than ever, you needed to be with him. After months of breaking down his thick walls, it was safe to say that he'd become one of the most important people in your life. Your feet were hurting like hell today, and the only thing that would make you feel better right now was his presence.

He'd been out on a solo run, which you'd begged Rick to let you join him, ultimately to your disappointment. So you spent your day as you always did, out in the pasture, tending to the crops. After a while you headed back inside in hopes of finding Daryl, perched at one of the rusty tables, waiting for you. To your dismay, you couldn't find him anywhere.

You approached Rick with a worried look shaping your features, "Where's Daryl? Is he back yet?" you asked, your voice laced with concern. "Nah, he's not back yet," sensing your anxiety, he placed a gentle hand on your shoulder and spoke, "Y/N, he's gonna be fine. Anyway, he's scheduled to be back in... about an hour."

So you waited. And waited. It felt like the longest 60 minutes of your life, busying yourself in your cell by reading a book that Carol recommended, not absorbing a single word. By the time you decided that there was nothing else you could do to distract yourself, you headed downstairs and made idle chatter with one of the prison newcomers, Karen.

"I hear your boyfriend Daryl's coming back from a run today," she said.

"Oh, no, he's not my boyfriend," you said with a slight giggle.

"Oh, right! Gosh, it's just that you two are so close, I just figured- you know what, nevermind, ignore me," she said with a chuckle.

You smiled and looked at the floor, and tried to silence your anxious thoughts about whether something might have happened to him, if he's hurt, or anything. At this, the double-doors swung open and in walked the man you'd been waiting for for the last 48 hours. You approached him, suppressing the relief and excitement you felt just from seeing him walk through those doors. His eyes lit up at your welcoming smile, and maybe, just maybe, he would be inclined to embrace you right here if the prison foyer wasn't so crowded.

For now, he had other things on his mind that he needed to clear with you. Just like you, he spent the last 48 hours worrying more about your safety than he did his own. He regretted not being able to stay with you, or at least bring you along with him. He was the only person who knew about your condition and how badly you were affected by it, which meant he felt an immense responsibility to take care of you and offer you acts of service. Not to mention, you were also the only person who Daryl felt totally comfortable around, comfortable enough to share some of his childhood trauma and emotion with. You liked to think the two of you had a special bond, but despite your healthy friendship, you couldn't help wanting more. Either way, all he wanted right now was to be with you and to not have to deal with anyone else in this damn place.

Maggie shot you a mischievous look from across the room as you tugged on the archer's sleeve. You rolled you eyes at her following Daryl up the steel staircase and entered his cell. You sat down next to him on the mattress and he copied you by rolling his head back against the cool brick wall. You sighed in contentment, still in somewhat pain in your feet.

"So, how'd it go?" you asked, turning to face him.

"Was fine. Are ya' alrigh'?" you noticed how he changed the subject, sensing his concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just a little relentless, you know," you felt a little guilt for immediately beginning to talk about yourself, even when you knew you needed his comfort. His closeness was good enough for you.

"Mm, I know. Ya' gotta stop overworkin' yerself, ya know," he drawled. His pretty eyes were staring deeply at you now.

"Uh-huh. It's just, it's kind of relentless, you know. Like nothing I do makes it better. There's no distraction that works," it felt undeniably good to talk to someone about it, someone who understands. Someone who doesn't subject you to the same stereotypes or think that you're making it up. He wrapped an arm around you and you instinctively rested your head in the crook of his neck. He smelled delicious, like the outdoors, mixed with the distinct notes of Marlboro cigarettes and stormy weather. This was a pretty good distraction, you thought.

"Hey, I'll always make a run into some pharmacy to get ya yer meds, or anythin' like tha'," he spoke softly with his lips resting on the top of your head, occasionally brushing against your silky hair. "Jus' tell me what ya' need." It was this. You needed this.

“I just need you.”

[casperleghosty]

Daycare SAGAU start idea

(This Idea is now living rent free in my grey mass I call a brain, do what ever u want from this intro fanfic idk might make more, but since its 1AM here i need my sleep, see ya later :P)

  It was a sunny day in Tyvat, the land of the world's largest rpg, which for some reason decided to suck you in so you could live the rest of your now immortal life surrounded by your so-called acolytes, showering you with affection and adoration to no end.

  Not that you mind being a Gen Z teen; just being on the verge of adulthood sounded difficult enough, but now? You get to have tea with Diluc and Zhongli, who are both great company; play pranks with Itto and Venti when you don't want to attend those boring asses meetings all day since they want the so-called blessed knowledge from their grace; eat and cook with Xiangling; and more! 

  At this moment you were attending to one of those meetings at the time, but this one was different because the ones that bore you like a math book where your teacher just keeps repeating the same shite over and over are for the high-ups, let's say, such as leaders, or sometimes, when times are tough, even the archons attend to help you out. 

  But this one?

  It was a public one in which the townsfolk of the nation you are visiting come together so you can help them out, be it with little fights over who did this or that or plans to expand or better the city or village so they could live better and have a more promising next generation, it was a great opportunity for the people to be in the same place as their beloved golden sun, in the most beautiful garden of their great palace, where their god generously let them in to enjoy the scene of the wonderful smell of the vast collection of flowers and calm scenery while they wait for their turn to present their struggles to their grace.

   "Next please." One of your ladies in waiting said this while another poured some tea into your cup for you to sip on; it was a hot day, and they didn't want you to go thirsty while attending to your duties outside. 

   "Good morning, dear one blessed by the sky above, I hope you could help this servant of yours in need of thy help," said a woman dressed in a green gown with floral designs. The woman said she clasped her hands together and looked at the foot of your chair, not daring to glance at her creator without consent.

   "Good morning to you too, my child. What can I help you with, dear one?"

   "My liege, please hear mine and my village's sorrows; we've been having crop problems and are afraid we won't be able to feed ourselves; please, dear grace from above, lend us some of your merciful tears above our land, and help these servants grow and prosper in the ground you've given us." She pleaded

   You were about to respond softly when you felt a tug on your slippery robes and saw a child no older than a five-year-old. Said child looked up and said, "Please help us, mama is worried so much, now mama doesn't smile like she used to." 

   Silence

   Everything came to a halt as the mother of said child tried not to shake in so much fear; how could she have been so careless, allowing her child to come so close to you, have the audacity to even touch you, or speak to you so casually? 

   "Please forgive me for abusing your sacred boundaries our grace!" She exclaimed, "I'll take any punishment you see fit to give me for my carelessness!"

   Glancing at the child and at the mother, seeing the adult so scared for no reason made you giggle, confusing the guests and your servers alike. I mean, getting punished for a cute little kid like this, what in the world was in the heads of these people?

   Piking up the child from beneath their arms, you let the little girl sit on your lap, bob your legs up and down, making a rocking motion, the child laughing, which made your heart melt. I mean, how could you not? The kids' cheeks were so fat you just wanted to squish them!

   "So your mama is all worried she can't smile much, huh?" You asked, "We need to make her smile a lot now, don’t we?" You said, making the child's eyes light up with joy, "Can you make mama happy again?" and "Sure you can, here." You said grabbing a bit of the water that had been heated up from the tea your maids were making, making it float and evaporate into a fluffy white cloud, and giving said cloud to the child, "This is a magic cloud; it will make your mama and everyone happy for a very long time, sweetpea," you said, placing the child down and nudging her back to her mother.

   Said child hugged you, saying "thank you" into your body, making it sound a bit muffled before running to her mother's arms. "Look, mama, the cloud is so soft and fluffy!" her child said with a huge smile on her face.

   "Thank you so much, dearly beloved! Oh, thy heavens' grace are so kind!" the woman exclaimed, bowing down with tears in her eyes, and then the mother and child returned, bringing the day of this meeting to an end.

   It was a good day. There wasn't much to solve besides that problem with almost no rain in that woman's village, and after a while of replaying the moment of the child in your arms, it made you think, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to have a playground in that garden? If there were any parents that had to take their children with them for those meetings , they are bound to get bored, so why not? 

   And so next morning you told your servants to build a playground for the children, one in each of the palaces you own across all of Teyvat, so that if you were visiting other nations, the kids would have endless fun no matter where they were from!

   Plus, it could be a good distraction from all the formalities because, let's be honest, these people sometimes don’t know how to relax around you.

[dragonmuse]

Was rereading the series (again) and got to wondering: did Stede and Eddy ever talk to Pearl the engineering student Stede met at the strip club about a new trap door?

(hello June 2022! I hope you still care at least a little about this answer, if not I hope it still serves for a spot of amusement for everyone else. This takes place roughly a month after Eddy and Stede's wedding.)

“Are you sure you don’t need another flash light?” Stede was asking the hole in the stage. 

“No, I’m good!” A voice trailed up. “In fact, I think...” 

There was a heavy ‘bang’. 

“Are you all right?” Stede wrung his hands. 

“Yep! That was just everything falling into place. Hold on, let me tag your mattress here back over...” 

“Do we have a ghost?” Eddy laughed, posting up against the stage. She had been reconciling receipts in Stede’s...well their office now. This sounded far more fun. 

“I’ll introduce you momentarily, dear girl,” Stede was peering down worriedly despite assurances. 

A head popped up out of the hole. She was a striking woman, very pointed chin and high cheekbones. Her hair was cropped short, bleached blond, a pretty contrast to skin the same shade as Eddy’s.  

“It’s locked in place. Do you have a sandbag or something we can test it with?” 

“We have a bag of rice around somewhere,” Eddy put in. “From Roach’s risotto class. One of those real big ones.” 

“That should do it.” A hand with a meticulous manicure and a grease stain reached out to her. “I’m Augusta. You must be Eddy.” 

“I am,” she leaned forward to shake her hand. “You’re the performer that Stede connected with at his bachelor party?” 

“I’ll say,” she laughed. “I was doing some of my best work and he was all ‘I own a club just like this, do you like working here?’  One of the chattiest clients I’ve ever had. Then he showed me a photo of you like three times.” 

“Did he?” Eddy laughed, glancing at Stede, who didn’t look the slightest bit embarrassed. 

“You were on my mind,” he just said blandly. “In any case, should we test her work?” 

“Sure, I’ll get the rice.” 

It was fun to watch the bag disappear into the darkness and the door no longer made a horrible noise when it swung open, so really it was a win all the way around.  

“Good workmanship,” Eddy decreed.  “What do you know about pulley systems?” 

“Enough to get by,” she grinned. 

The fix to the stubborn left curtain only took a few minutes and she did it on the spot. Stede went into the back to write a check for her and Eddy got her a glass of water. 

“Thanks,” Augusta took it with a sly smile. “So that’s going well? You and him?” 

“Has been,” Eddy agreed. “Did you think it wasn’t?” 

“He was really cute, that’s all,” she took a sip of water. “But you know, sometimes that kind of thing is kind of one sided. You see all sorts of things sometimes.” 

“It’s not,” Eddy shrugged. “I love the hell out of that man. No idea why they even took him to a strip club, not really his scene, but he seemed to have a good time.” 

“Well he was until he fell asleep under Zeus. He was pissed,” she giggled. 

“...who is Zeus and why have I not heard this before?” 

Augusta left a few minutes later, check in hand, business card left behind for potential future work. 

Eddy turned on her husband with bright eyes. 

“What?” Stede asked warily. 

“I heard the funniest thing just now. About a god and a man who does not seem to respect them.” 

“Oh no,” Stede groaned. “I thought when you didn’t see the Instagram picture, I’d been spared.” 

“There’s a photo?” Eddy lit up even more, delighted by the prospect. 

“Oluwande took it. It apparently got a number of likes and comments,” Stede flushed. “I’d had a lot to drink, dear girl, and it had been a long night.” 

“Show me,” Eddy demanded. “Right now, I need proof.” 

“You’re a monster,” Stede scolded, but he was already taking out his phone. 

The photo was priceless, Stede’s head back, totally knocked out while a very annoyed looking stripper stared down at him incredulously.  

“You’re amazing,” Eddy wheezed. “Oh fuck, I love you so much. You were almost murdered, weren’t you?” 

“I did tip him,” Stede snorted. “Once I roused.” 

“I think the problem is that you weren ‘roused, golden boy.” 

“Well it’s not my fault he wasn’t very good at his job!” 

Eddy’s laughter rang out to the rooftop and eventually Stede even joined her. Later, at home, she found the post again and left a like and a comment. 

‘Great wedding gift. 10/10.’

[modern-decadence]

staying up late and accidentally thirsting up a nakey Akechi, oh yeah this is the life

[5-falsehoods-phonated]

Soulmate September

Series Summary- a collection of one shots exploring different ships and au concepts. The list I created and am following can be found here.

Day One: Sparks Fly

Summary: Virgil goes deeper into the forest than he’s ventured before in the hopes of gathering more food. He finds more than he bargained for when a fairy claiming to be the prince of the forest begins to follow him.

Warnings: food mention. If there’s more please let me know!

Ships: Prinxiety (Virgil x Roman)

Prompt: Feel a spark when you touch your soulmate

WC: 3959

AO3

Tugging his long, dark cloak impatiently away from a jagged branch, Virgil skid down the steep embankment swearing the entire way. He didn’t often venture this far into the woods but he was getting just desperate enough to find gatherable ingredients he had decided to risk it. Honestly as long as he kept his eyes straight ahead and avoided the beckoning twinkles of light between the trees he should be fine. Thankfully this time of year the river was reduced to a large creek at best, making crossing to the other side where he was certain to find berries and mushrooms aplenty quite easy. It was only a matter of keeping his balance on the slimy rocks that normally made up the river bed, a skill he had mastered before he had even been entrusted as a gatherer.

Hiking his pants up to just below his knees he carefully adjusted his pack to be more balanced and draped the bottom of his cloak over his arm for good measure. The last thing he needed was to be scolded for dripping mud all over the floors again when he returned to the kitchens. Absentmindedly rubbing the stinging memory from the back of his head he hopped to the first rock, breath hissing between his teeth as the cold water rushed over his heated skin. With another breath he was perched on the second rock and then the third, toes gripping the moss in a mostly unneeded measure for stability. Wiggling a bit so his pack would recenter he eyed his next target, muscles tensing in preparation for the bigger leap.

“What are you doing?”

Squawking in alarm, Virgil tipped back dangerously, arms pinwheeling as his feet lost their purchase and let him fall backwards into the creek. Taking a brief moment to thank the gods he hadn’t landed on a rock he sat up quickly, sputtering as water ran down his face and soaked his shirt more than it already was. His cloak dragged behind him as he tried to get up, aiding only in him slipping back again with an unceremonial splash.

“Oh my dear I didn’t mean to frighten you!” There was more mirth than malice in the voice but that didn’t stop Virgil from flinching away from the strange hand that reached towards him. It retreated as he shoved sopping hair from his eyes and squinted against the sun to try and see what idiot made it a habit to scare people when they were jumping on wet stones. His breath caught when a face finally came into focus, sunlight forming a halo around the most beautiful person Virgil had ever seen.

His brightness was almost blinding, with shining red curls looking like spun gold in the light. Sharp features complemented kind brown eyes and tanned skin flecked with earth. Like Virgil he was barefoot, but instead of wearing sturdy pants and shirt to protect himself from the woods, autumn-red pants flowed just below his knees with an equally flowy white shirt tucked into them and unbuttoned to the chest. Despite the darkness of his skin he seemed to radiate his own gentle light that somehow made the sun look dull by comparison, making Virgil idly wonder if this was what seeing a god was like.

“Prince actually, but you do know how to inflate the ego.” The man chuckled.

Face burning with the realization that he had not only said that outloud but he had also been sitting in the water gaping like a stunned fish for entirely too long. Mumbling low curses under his breath he once again struggled to his feet while waving away the other’s outstretched hand impatiently. A fairy prince coming to pester someone with zero assets or connections- the fae were worse pranksters than they had the reputation for. Sighing, he decided to wade the rest of the way through the creek since he was already soaked, leaving the stranger behind in hopes he would stay there.

“So you never did answer.” No such luck apparently. “You do realize what part of the forest you’re in right?”

Virgil gritted his teeth. “I don’t wish to consort with your kind fae. I’ll only be in here for a little while.”

“My kind?” Virgil winced as he detected insult in his tone. “My kind are the reason your kind feel safe enough to traipse wherever you please regardless of obvious territorial lines!”

Virgil glanced at him quickly as he began scrambling up the incline of the bank. “Territorial lines?”

The man drew himself up proudly, keeping pace with Virgil as he effortlessly stepped his way up the embankment rather than crawling. “This part of the forest is mine, a long way from the edge of the river by your route. I could turn you into dandelion fluff for trespassing here.”

Virgil raised an unimpressed brow as he searched around for his next handhold. “Mhm, I’m sure you could.”

Smirking as the other man stomped his foot impatiently he made it up and over to the other side, slinging his pack around to see how damaged the things he had already gathered were from his earlier fall. Shoulders sinking as he surveyed the smashed contents he shot a glare at the stranger, who was currently standing on tiptoes with his arms crossed trying to see inside the bag.

“Humans used to grovel at our feet, what happened to that? Also is it custom to smash ingredients well before they’re cooked? I’m not caught up with the latest human affairs. Terribly dull, most of them.”

Gritting his teeth Virgil dumped the berries and mushrooms he had collected onto the forest floor, water that had seeped in from the top sloshing out as well and coming out like a weird, thick juice for all the mush everything had turned into. “They only smashed because I fell- something I never do unless someone decides it's a good idea to startle someone who’s trying to balance.”

The man looked unimpressed. “Why were you coming over this way anyway? There should be plenty of the things you were collecting on the other side of the river...and much closer to the nearest village too might I add.”

“Fall makes the pickings slimmer the closer to the village you are. Other people gather, animals eat what ‘s left, sparcer trees means more sun means things ripen and fall faster. I was trying my luck further in.”

“And you came alone?”

“None of your business.” Virgil hauled up the pack and stood. “I’m a tracker so I’m the one that usually gets sent out.”

“Oh really? Must be an expert to come out this late.”

“Sure.” Grunting, Virgil stepped over a rotting log and began pushing his way through bushes.

The man snorted. “Expert tracker- when I could hear you tromping through here from across the forest.” 

“Your words not mine. And stop following me, I’m only here to gather ingredients.”

They continued on in silence for a while, the fae following behind him near silently as he kept an eye out for anything edible. The crops had been plentiful this year but berries, nuts and mushrooms weren’t something locally grown, so gatherers routinely went into the forest to search for them to dry for the winter. Fast protein was always welcome in the harsher months when tracking fresh meat became a dangerous chore.

The forest was quiet here, nearly serene if it wasn’t for the fae still following him no matter how harsh a path he took- not that he was having much luck finding easier ones. He imagined he could easily get lost here if he wasn’t careful so he kept an eye on the direction of the shadows and any landmarks he spotted so he couldn’t get turned around. Fair folk were rarely hostile towards travelers as long as you met them on their level and stated your intentions clearly. Most of the time a certain level of sass while only answering them when they were curious served Virgil just fine. Of course, they didn’t normally follow him either but he remained unconcerned so long as the forest didn’t turn hostile. He didn’t think he’d succeeded in pissing the other off that much...hopefully.

It was some time later when Virgil found his cloak snared on a branch as he was struggling to get over a particularly high log. Crawling under it hadn’t been an option so now he was stuck straddling the thing awkwardly with the cloak snagging in one direction and his pants in the other. Blowing out a frustrated breath he startled as the fae appeared a foot from his face, brown eyes searching his green ones as he struggled not to fall backwards for a second time.

“What are you tracking anyway?”

“What?” 

“You’re a tracker, so what are you tracking?”

Virgil resumed trying to lift himself enough to get his other leg over without ripping his pants. “Nothing at the moment. Not that, again, it’s any of your business.”

The fae glanced at the dirt under his nails and hummed thoughtfully. “Mushrooms is it?”

Groaning, Virgil sat back down and instead reached behind him to try and tug his cloak free. “Partly.”

Trying and failing to get his cloak untangled he stumbled as his feet found solid ground after dangling for the better part of ten minutes, nearly overbalancing for the third time that day as the fabric went limp in his stranglehold. Looking up he saw the spot on the river bank he had climbed over not ten minutes before with a significantly lighter pack. Confused, he slung it around and peeked inside only to see it nearly overflowing with varieties of mushrooms he had never seen mixed with the more common ones he had found before. Opening his mouth to speak he quickly shut it as a light breeze carried faint laughter through the trees.

“Feel free to thank me later.” A faint voice called.

Looking down again, he carefully closed the pack and looked up at the sky. It was barely encroaching late afternoon...would anyone believe he had gathered these that quickly? Deciding to just say he had gotten turned around and found a good spot if anyone asked he started hiking his way back as slowly as he could. He’d have to find something to offer as thanks when he came back.

-----

“You’re back.”

Virgil shuffled around a low shrub between the trees awkwardly. “Mhm.”

“Do you need more mushrooms?” The fae crouched on a low branch, balancing on his tip toes as he watched Virgil struggle through the underbrush. 

“They asked me to come back- ow!” Stumbling away from the bush he knelt down to tear away some thorns sticking out of his pants. “Since I was so successful yesterday they asked me to come back to find more. Among other things.”

“They?”

“People from the kitchens.” He started off in a slightly different direction, seeing sunlight a little ways away and hoping for a clearing.

“What else do you need?”

“A variety of things to dry for the winter. Nothing to concern yourself with. I won’t invade your forest for too long.”

“A shame. My forest is beautiful but I’ve found I enjoy looking at you more.”

Virgil stopped in his tracks as he tried to process the comment. Was this a trick? Some weird fae flirting technique to get his guard down so he gave away his soul? Which reminded him-

“Not because of that comment, but for helping me the other day.” He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a smooth skipping stone, the surface a perfect, uniform pale gray. He knew fairies rarely had use for human materials but things like this could be enchanted or used for entertainment- the more pleasing to the eye the better. “Here. And...thank you.”

The man’s eyes lit up at the sight of the stone, taking it carefully and running his fingers gently over the smooth surface. “For me?”

“Don’t expect it again, I don’t expect anything more from you.” Hoping that would settle it, Virgil continued on in the direction of the clearing. Fae were always tricky to get involved with and with the fall harvests approaching, continuing to speak with one claiming to be a prince wasn’t something he would allow himself to get involved with- at most for the sake of the village and at the very least for his own sanity.

“A pity really.” The fae called from behind him. “I could help you find whatever you need.”

Gritting his teeth, Virgil resisted. “I don’t need any help.”

“Right, expert tracker and all that.” He startled as his pest of a companion appeared in front of him waving a hand dismissively. “This is my forest and I can bend it however it suits me at the moment. Right now it suits me to help you, why won’t you let me?”

“I don’t want to owe you anything. Owing things is a risky business- especially with fae. No offense.”

The fae sniffed indignantly, putting a hand  dramatically over his heart. “No offense indeed! I suppose this wound was here before you arrived, it’s fine really.”

Virgil glanced over as the other man draped a hand over his eyes and leaned back slightly, sighing loud and deliberate and trying to disguise the fact he was peeking at his human companion from under his arm. Virgil couldn’t help it- he barked out a laugh he managed to quickly catch with a hand slapped over his mouth. Watching as a wide grin took over the fae’s features he realized he was too late and the damage had been done. He stalked over and jabbed the air in front of Virgil with a perfectly manicured finger. 

“You like my company!”

Blinking, Virgil lowered his hand. “Absolutely not!”

“You do! You find me amusing! Dare I say charming!”

Snorting, Virgil readjusted his pack. “Uh-huh. Nothing like a raving lunatic spouting he’s royalty to get the giggle juice flowing.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I believe fae will say anything to strike whatever emotion they want in a human. Whether it be fear or awe, the end goal is always to lead someone astray.”

Glancing over he startled when he saw the other man actually looked a bit hurt at his words, head down and eyes flicking to the side with a tight draw to the lips. A trick...obviously. But one that had him reconsidering his choice of words.

“Look I-”

The fae held up a hand. “It’s okay! I’ll prove it to you! You need mushrooms and berries and the like right?”

“Uh- yeah?” Virgil watched as the fae stepped forward and furrowed his brow in concentration. Bringing his arms up towards the clearing he swung his arms out and up before slouching tiredly. 

Virgil squinted against the sunlight shining overhead, looking around in wonder. They were in a large clearing absolutely teeming with enough plantlife to fill his pack ten times over. Dappled shade dominated at least half of the clearing as the sun shone through the bright trees at an angle. Soft grass soothed his aching feet that had previously been treading on nothing but snapping sticks and long-dead leaves. It was beautiful- and  glancing over at his companion as bright gold shot through his hair and the sudden calming warmth relaxed him- Virgil could tell he was in his element. 

“Did you just use magic in front of me?” He honestly hadn’t thought the fae would go that far to prove a point.

“Watch regular fair folk top that for ability.” the fae mumbled under his breath. Speaking up, he flashed a bright smile and punched a hand lightly onto his hip. “Of course! Got the point across didn’t it? Never seen a fairy bend a forest before?”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never seen a fairy perform any magic before. Usually they keep that to themselves. Honestly none of the good neighbors have paid me any mind before whether I was in their territory or not.”

“Oh.” The fae sputtered uselessly for a moment, fluttering his head to his hair to fidget with the curls. “Well, clearly that’s their loss. Berries, was it?”

Face burning, Virgil nodded mutely and made his way over to a far tree that looked like it promised chestnuts in the higher branches. He never figured having company, however forced upon him it was, would be so nice. 

Later, when Virgil’s pack was practically bursting at the seams, he reluctantly turned towards home. The afternoon had been wonderful, gathering enough to make the people in the village happy while listening to the other man as he sang almost like he didn’t realize he was doing it. Rich, low tones filled the clearing with a bright melody that Virgil didn't recognize but found himself humming along to- much to his companions utter delight. 

It had surprised him when he began singing popular festival songs after that, thinking that fair folk never bothered much with humans and therefore wouldn’t know many traditional tunes. But when Virgil had started softly singing along, offering a wry grin when the other man had started excitedly bouncing on his toes from having a singing partner he couldn’t bring himself to care. Eventually both of them had started getting louder and louder, swaying along to an invisible beat as they had continued collecting what was needed. Another reason Virgil was reluctant to return to the village for fear their noise had reached ears he’d rather not explain himself to. He found it strange that he felt drawn to stay, stranger still that he didn’t immediately think it was some trick on his companions' part. He just- enjoyed his company and wished he could come into the forest to actually visit rather than just his job. Pressing his lips together he turned around, smiling faintly and gesturing to his back.

“You really didn’t have to help, or keep helping. But thank you again-”

“Roman!” The fairy blurted at his slight pause.

Smirking, Virgil cocked his head to one side. “Aren’t I supposed to give you my name first?”

Roman shuffled slightly. “Yes well, seems a shame that if you were to think of me you’d have no name to give the thoughts.”

“Bold of you to assume I think of you after leaving the woods.”

“How could you not?” Striking a bold pose he sniffed indignantly. “It’d be an insult really, wounding me so deeply.”

Chuckling Virgil turned and started walking away. “I’ll be sure to bring bandages next time.”

“It’s a date, Doom and Gloom!”

“That a promise, Sir Sing-a-lot?”

“If my serenades are what brings you back I shall renounce my princehood and become a siren.”

“Your voice is certainly deadly enough, leads to something prettier though.” 

The forest was silent for a moment, before Virgil began walking as quickly as possible without stabbing his feet to the edge of the woods. Why had he said that? Did he mean that? Of course he meant it but why on the gods green earth had he said it? Could he even come back now? Chest tight with nervous anxiety and head swimming he didn't look back as he dashed out of the trees.

Though if he had he would have seen Roman standing stock still, face a mask of shock but slowly splitting into a flustered smile below rapidly reddening cheeks.

-----

When Virgil stepped into the creek the following day, it was without his pack. Early evening sunlight drifted through the trees as a slight breeze ruffled the cloak around his shoulders. Pushing his dark hair away from his eyes he surveyed the banks for any sign of Roman, deflating a bit when he saw none. It was stupid to think he could get away with saying something so forthright without reaping anything but negative consequences. It was just as well he supposed, consorting with fair folk never led to anything good after all. He had just- hoped this would be different.

Fair folk and humans rarely mixed well, platonic or not, and once he found his soulmate he was doubtful they would enjoy the thought of fraternizing so casually with one of the good neighbors- especially one as powerful as Roman appeared to be. If he knew anything of the fae it was that one didn't just casually bend an entire forest to their will with so little effort by themselves. Sighing, he turned to leave, feet missing the wispy grass of the clearing as they crunched through dead leaves.

“Going so soon?” Whirling around he was met with a charming smile, Roman balancing on a rock in the middle of the creek with a hip thrust out cockily.

“I thought- I didn’t think you’d come back around.”

“If you were trying to get me to leave, your methods are wanting my friend.” Roman squinted at him curiously. “No pack today?”

Virgil shuffled a bit before answering. “I- just wanted to see you.”

Blinking in surprise, Roman smiled warmly. “What an honor it is that our wants should align. Care to join me?”

Face burning, Virgil was quick to hop to the first rock, finding his balance easily. Keeping his head down he stepped from rock to slippery rock, finally getting close to where he assumed Roman would be. Looking up however, he didn’t expect to be quite as close as he had gotten, vision suddenly filled with deep brown eyes surrounded by flaming red curls. Yelping he tipped backwards, arms reaching forward in a desperate attempt to not repeat their first meeting even as he prepared to go home soaking once again.

To his surprise, the riverbed never rose to meet him, instead finding himself surrounded by the scent of wildflowers and moss in the most comforting embrace he’d ever been in. Virgil tilted his face up when he heard Roman gasp in wonder, his own eyes widening in disbelief as he leaned back to take in their surroundings. Colorful sparks seemed to catch the evening sunset as they bounced off and around them, falling like stars imbued with the colors of the sky and sizzling as they hit the water only to be immediately replaced by ten more. 

Leaning back but still catching each other’s arms they watched as the sparks continued to fly around them in a frenzied shower, dimming the already fading sun itself in their wake. Virgil watched as the light caught itself in Roman’s eyes, flecking the brown with golds and brilliant reds and deep purples. Seeing his face literally light up in amazement and wonder, Virgil couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle, then tilting his head back and laughing out loud.

“What- why are you laughing?” Receiving no answer, Roman grinned uncertainly. “Do I have something on my face?”

Shaking his head, Virgil stifled another bout of laughter to answer. “I’ve never seen the sparks of soulmates before. Are they supposed to be this dramatic or is it just because of you?”

Smile turning more genuine and laughing himself, Roman let go of his arms and instead wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted, twirling them around with a sure step even as the water splashed around his feet. Setting him down gently, he rested his forehead against Virgil and held him as close as he could. 

“Maybe both- knowing me, probably more of the latter. Do you really mind?”

The sparks were dying down as the sky darkened and yet to Virgil his companion still stood bright enough that he feared nothing the darkness could threaten him with. Leaning impossibly closer he touched Roman’s nose to his  own and smiled softly.

“Absolutely not.”

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[inseongsfoxybae]

Breeding kink with SF9

Pairing: Member + Female Reader; established relationship

Genre: Pure Smut with a pinch of Fluff

Warnings: Consensual unprotected sex, dom! member, some dirty talk, a little overstimulation, mentions of oral (female receiving), cockwarming [and aftercare, 'cuz we know how sweet our boys are]

Requested: Hi! If you’re taking requests, can I please have a breeding kink with sf9?

Author's message: Hello, dear anon! It took some time, but your request it's finally here. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to send in new requests later 😊 Thank you ❤

P,S: As english is not my mother language, it may contain misspelled. Also, sorry if there’s any other mistakes :)

Youngbin

You were in the kitchen preparing breakfast while a sleepy Youngbin observed you sitting on the small table of your shared home. Well, maybe Youngbin wasn't that sleepy anymore, staring at your back as you moved to and fro over the kitchen.

He loved watching you walking around, focused on anything you were doing, the way your lips smile up a little and humm a happy song, the way your eyes perk up when something is done and, mainly, the way your curves stand out in your clothes.

He loves you and that's enough to make him breathless, and the thought of you carrying his kids one day turns him on desperately. He got up of his seat and approached you, hugging you from behind as he cradled his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling deep your scent. "You smell so good, baby", he murmured against your soft skin causing you to shiver. "Yeah? You like it?", you asked trying to held your gasps when he started to kiss your sweet spots. "I love it. But you know what else I love most?", now his hands were under your shirt, drawing slow patterns there. "What?", your voice was getting shaky. "Your body... naked... on our bed... now", he whispered in your ear between kisses on your shoulders.

He pulled you even deeper into his body, so that now you could feel his hard member poking your butt. "Let's skip breakfast today, baby. Making love to you can't wait any longer", he said turning you around in his arms and lifting you by your ass, your legs unconsciously wrapping around his waist as your mouths crashed together in a lustful kiss.

Youngbin dragged your bodies to your bedroom, plopping you on bed and immediately taking off both of your clothes. He leaned in on top of you again kissing you hungrily, his shaft grinding against your folds causing you to moan deliciously into his mouth.

Suddenly, a warning came to your mind and you broke the kiss. "Binnie...", you looked at him. "Yes, baby. What's wrong?", he stopped his movements and slowly took some strands of hair off your face. "I'm not on my pills right now", you carefuly said to him. "I know, love. But I'm willing to take the risk if you want this too", Youngbin softly answered. "But you know the consequences... Are you sure?". "I'm sure. I want to make love to you, want to cum inside you and want you to carry my children", he kissed you again, tenderly this time. "Are you really okay with that?", he asked one last time looking into your eyes. "Yes", you stared at him lovely and you both smiled.

Youngbin returned to his ministrations on your body as your hands palmed him to make his member harder. Once you both were prepared, he entered you little by little, thrusting slowly till he was full deep into you. Sex with Youngbin was always spectacular, and even now after so many years together and even after you got married, it was still amazing.

But it was different this time. He has never been so careful and so affectionate to you this way. His thrusts were deep but slow and somehow tender, he found your sweet spots immediately and just followed his steady rhythm, both of your moans were as soft and full on love as your pace.

At some point, your legs started to shake and his length twitched inside you as your climaxes were close. With a few more thrusts on the right spots, both of you came in a powerful orgasm, his white seeds painting your walls, filling you up perfectly.

You two were breathless and sweaty, but a silly smile lighted up your tired faces. Youngbin pulled you on top of him, embracing you tenderly, leaving small kisses on your lips, forehead and temples. "Do you think it worked?", he wondered. "Hhhhmmm... maybe", you replied and you both laughed. You know it didn't matter and you weren't worried nor in a hurry. You just cared about feeling and loving each other in every ways possible. And you wanted to stay together as much as you live.

Inseong

You were teasing your boyfriend all day, walking around only on your panties and some cropped top and making positions that were driving him crazy.

It was around sunset when you both lay down on the couch to watch a movie, Inseong laying on top of you, his head resting on your chest, hands loosely around your sides. You stayed calm for a while, till you feel him squirming uncomfortable and his heartbeat increasing. "Baby, what's wrong?", you asked him, his face now buried between your breasts. "Nothing", he growled against your skin, sliding one of his hands to your belly and caressing softly there, before going down to the hem of your panties.

He moved a little and you realized his bulge against your thigh. "What's our little friend doing here, huh?", you teased him again, but this time he couldn't control himself and started to grind on you. "I want you, bae. I want to fill you with my seed right here, right now", he panted while his slender fingers started their work on your already wet core.

His mouth explored your now exposed boobs, imagining how big they'd become because of him. You arched your back with the growing pleasure, your hands tugged on his hair while little moans sliped out your mouth. "In-seong", you panted begging for his lips on yours, as he obeyed. His kisses were heated but tender, while he slided your soaked panties down your hips and cradled himself between your legs.

Your hands succeeded in taking off his boxers too and he didn't waste time to positionate his hard length on your entrance, filling you up to the brim slowly. You both moaned at the feeling as he immediately started to move in and out of you, holding you tight between his arms.

His movements were fast and deep and the thought of filling your pussy with his semen was pushing him over the edge. Both of your moans filled the room and your breaths were heavy when you felt him twitching inside you. "Cum for me, baby", you whispered on his ear. "I can take it... Let's do this... together", he growled breathless.

Now, his member found your g-spot and you felt your high approaching as well. "Inseong, I'm gonna...", you couldn't finish your sentence. "Me too, babe", he said right away, pulling you even closer and hitting you even deeper. With some more thrusts, your orgasm washed over you and the extra pression on his member sent him off too.

He slowed his thrusts till a halt while peppering your sweaty neck with sweet kisses, moving up to your jawline and cheeks and forehead, making you giggle as you ran your hands along his back. "Are you keeping me inside?", his eyes were bright and sweet. "I'll do my best", you chuckled and reached for his cheek. 

Inseong laughed and slipped out of you, changing positions to lay both of you on your sides. Then, he pulled you closer and you buried your face on his neck, leaving small pecks there. "I love you, Seongie", you mumbled against his skin. "I love you too, my love", he lifted your head to kiss you tenderly, slowly sliding his tongue into your mouth and lacing with yours, his right hand running through your back, caressing your waist and landing on your low stomach. "And I want you to carry my babies some day", he whispered against your lips and you kissed him again smiling. " I will", you said softly and snuggled closer to his chest. You spent the rest of the night curling up on each other till fell asleep right there on the couch.

Jaeyoon

You and Jaeyoon were cuddling on bed in the morning, right after you woke up, while talking about your relationship and plans for the future. “Baby, do you remember our first date?”, you wondered tracing the defined muscles of his arms. “Of course I do. I was so nervous that I arrived at the cinema two hours”, he chuckled running his hands through your back. “And you finally got there, you were so stunning that my heart almost stopped”, he continued and both of you burst into laughter. “Don’t be so dramatic”, you teased. “No, that’s true. Luckily, I could manage it throughout the date or you would be a widow before we even started dating”, you two laughed again. “Well, thanks God you survived”, you replied and pulled him for a quick kiss.

Jaeyoon brought you even closer to his body, pulling one of his legs over his hip and sliding one of his hands under your nightgown as you only observed him with attentive eyes. “Love…”, he called out for you. “Hm, Jaengjji”. “Do you remember our first time? When you asked me to sleepover because you were afraid of the storm and we ended having sex?”, he met your eyes. “Yeah…”, you blushed slightly. “...I was very nervous and didn’t know what to do”, a small laugh left your mouth. 

“Are you still nervous with that?”, his eyes scanned your face searching for any kind of clue. “No”, you murmured. “Do you trust me?", he insisted. “Of course I do, baby! Why are you asking this?”, your hand reached for his cheek. “I wanna go further with you, Y/N”, he carefully replied. “What do you mean?””, now it’s your turn to scan his face. “Let’s do this without a condom”, he whispered, holding you tighter. Your eyes widened in surprised and you couldn’t speak. “I want to fuck you completely raw, want you to feel me fullest, want to complete your pulsant pussy with my cum", he growled on your ear, his hand traveling down your stomach and stopping in the little space between your legs. 

Your whole body shivered under his touches and at his words, and you can feel your core aching in a suddenly growing desire, your breath choking in your throat. “You want it?”, you breathlessly managed to say some seconds later. “I’ve wanted this since the beginning, but I was afraid you didn’t trust me enough to do this. But now I can’t handle the desire anymore”, his voice was now deep and hoarse in your ear and his hand started to rub your clothed folds. You gasped at the burning feeling and some low moans struggled to escape from your mouth. “Then do it”, you panted against his hot neck. 

Jaeyoon lay you on your back and immediately plucked your nightgown out your body and ripped your lacy panties, leaving you completely naked under him. He hurried to take off his clothes too and you finally paid attention to his full hard member that was hiding mere seconds ago. His skillful fingers touched you a little more to better lubrification and, once you were completely worked up, he penetrated your dripping core, filling you up in one go, both of your moans echoing through the room. 

Jaeyoon’s length made its work into your whole, pressing the right spots, while his thumb did the same with your throbbing clit, making your vision blurry and the knot in your lower stomach tighten. Your clenching walls were testing the gates of his own release, his member and legs starting to shake slightly against you. “Babe…”, he called out with a clenched jaw. “I’m on birth control. Cum inside me”, you struggled to say between your moans. 

The next thing you felt was his warm seed being poured into you on a powerful flush, filling all your pussy while your release broke as well. You breathed heavily as he stayed still inside you a little more, his soft lips kissing your forehead, his hands slowly massaging the curves of your breasts. “It was amazing, my love”, he smiled sweetly at you. “Jaeyoon...”, you whispered, “...since now… we don’t use condoms anymore”, you smiled back at him and he chuckled. “Okay…”, he murmured before taking your lips on his for a tender kiss. 

“Shower?”, you suggested and he nodded. “Maybe we can have another round there”, he winked at you and you roll your eyes, but of course you wouldn’t say no to him. Jaeyoon took you in his arms and dragged you to the bathroom where you had some more fun.

Dawon

It was late at night and you and your boyfriend were at the gym doing your regular routine of workouts. You noticed he was clingier than usual, his hands always somewhere in your body, but you tried to ignore it and continued to do your exercises. 

On the other hand, Dawon watched your sharp movements with a dark-hazed look, his eyes striping and devouring your body, the discomfort between his legs growing harder with every second. When you tilted your butt up to complete an exercise, he couldn’t bear this anymore - he grabbed your hips and dragged you out the gym to the nearest locker room. 

“Dawon, what are you doing?”, you squealed when he pressed you against the door, feeling his hard bulge against your inner thigh. “Yah, we’re on the company. We can’t do that here!”, you exclaimed as he attaching his mouth to your neck. “I can’t wait, Y/N. Take off your clothes now”, he murmured on your hot skin. “Lee Sanghyuk!”. “I must fill you up right now or I’ll freak out”, his teeth now finding the sweet spot behind your ear. 

“Sanghyuk… what if someone find us?”, you panted giving in his assaults on your body. “There’s no one else here at this hour. Don’t worry, the place is ours tonight”, Dawon assured you, no wasting more time to take off your shirt and top in one go. His strong hands violently squeezing your breasts while you rubbed your ass on his shaft, your back arching with such a pleasure, your arousal soaking your panties quickly. 

Dawon moved away a little to undress himself as you slid your shorts and wet panties down your trembling legs. Once you both were completely naked, he pulled you back into his body and penetrated you from behind mercilessly, causing you to scream out his name. “C'mon, babe. Scream my name. Let all the ghosts in this building know you’re fucking mine. Let them know how perfectly I fill you and how good you take my cum”, he growled slamming hard against your swollen pussy, reaching all the right spots inside you. 

You started to clench around him, making him moan as loud as you. “Bend down”, he commanded and you held on the wall to not lose your balance, your head almost crashing the concret with his powerful thrusts behind you. You were a moaning mess and your legs were shaking like crazy, his grip on your waist stronger to keep you steady for him as his member twitched desperately inside you.

The thirsty desire to pour his seeds into you pushed him over the edge and he came hard, coursing loud, and slowed down his thrusts, but moved his hands to your clit to help you chasing your high as well. With some violent circles on your bunch of nerves, your climax washed over you and you collapsed in his arms. 

Dawon slipped out of you and sat down on the floor, positioning you between his legs, your back resting on his broad chest. He cradled his face in the crook of your neck and kissed there tenderly, embracing you tightly as you waited to catch your breaths again. “Was I too rough?”, he asked sweetly hided on you neck. “No… I like when you are like this to me”, you weakly said and both of you laughed. 

“Can you walk?”, he whispered while kissing your shoulder. “I don’t think so”, you chuckled and turned your face to kiss him softly. “Let’s go, I’ll carry you”, he mumbled against your lips when you broke the kiss. You nodded and he carefully took you bridal style to the bathroom to clean you up. After that, you went home to cuddle till sleep.

Rowoon

Rowoon was so busy lately filming his new drama and missed you so much, that he couldn't wait to come back home and spend some quality time with you. He'd film a bed scene that afternoon and as soon as he saw the scenario, his mind was automatically redirected to the thought of your naked figure spread out in that bed.

He excused a little to try to calm down his hardening member, but his head seemed to be unable to take this dirty desire off him. Rowoon slipped his hand to his now full hard length and palmed himself in the bathroom, trying not to make much noise. However, the thought of your swollen pussy taking all his cum was making him lose control.

After some minutes, he left the bathroom sweaty, breathless and a little pale saying he was not feeling well, so he could go home and "take some rest". He was dismissed and hurried home, sending a message for you. I'm going home. Wait for me in our bed. Naked. When you read his message, you chuckled and immediately understood you'd be ruined that afternoon. But you were willing to tease him a little before he could touch you.

So you took a quick shower and put on his favorite lingerie. Then, you walked to the kitchen and strategically positioned yourself on the table. When he entered your shared apartment, there were you spread out for him on the corner of your table, the red lacy lingerie he loved molding into your curves. His look darkened at this view and he could feel his member getting hard again under his pants.

"Wow, jagi! That's not what I demanded, but I think fucking you in the kitchen is even hotter", he growled approaching you and settling himself in the middle of your parted legs, his mouth hungrily chasing yours. You moaned deliciously when he bit your bottom lip and his slender fingers found their way under your panties, abusing your clit mercilessly. "So wet", he murmured against your lips. "Only for you, babe", you whispered sensually while your mischievous hands unbuttoned his pants and put it down his legs, his brief going along.

Rowoon did the same with your bra and his shirt and ripped your thin panties angrily. He pushed you on the table, so now you were laying on it, and entered you in no time. "Seokwoo!!!", you screamed his name as he growled yours between clenched teeth. His thrusts were long, deep and fast inside you, making your eyes roll to the back of your head, while your nipples were pinched roughly by his large hands.

The stimulation was too much for you and you could feel the knot in your stomach tighten and your walls clenched around him. "Kwoo, I'm gonna cum", you scream between moans. "Not yet, babygirl. Not before me", he commanded, and tears started to gather in your eyes. "Please...", you beg him. "...I-I can't hold it any longer", your high-pitched cries fill the room. Rowoon's legs started to shake and you could tell he was close as well.

His moans now followed yours as his thrusts got sloppy. "I'm gonna fill you up, baby. Cum for me now", he grunted and released his seeds into you at the same time your waters washed over him, both your bodies spasming hard with post orgasm.

Rowoon collapsed on top of you and embraced your worn out body, trailing small kisses on your jawline and face. "Why did you come home early today?", you mumbled after recovering your breath, running your small hands through his soft hair. "I miss you, Y/N. So bad", he whispered and kissed you tenderly. "Awnt… I miss you too", you replied against his lips. "Also, sex is even better when we miss each other", you playful said and he chuckled. "Sex with you is always amazing, baby", he confessed and pecked your forehead as you smiled.

"C'mon, I'll run a warm bath for us", he took you in his arms and carried you to the bathroom, where you enjoy a relaxing bath cradled in each other's arms.

Zuho

As Zuho was spending a lot of time in his studio working on new songs, you decided to surprise him with a visit bringing along his favorite snacks and some beers. It was almost midnight when you arrived in the company and headed straight to the floor where his studio is, a muffled sound filling the hallway.

You knocked his door and opened it, only to see him with fixed eyes on the screen, headphones on and a low melody slipping through the speakers. You silently approached his chair and sneaked your arms around his broad shoulders, a little surprised "oh?" escaping his mouth.

"Hi, my love!", you happily exclaimed while he turned his chair to greet you. "What's my baby doing here?", he wondered with a tired sweet smile, pulling you to his lap. "I'm here to please my boyfriend with his favorite snacks and drink", you leaned in to kiss his soft lips. "Hhhhmmm… I'm very happy to see you here", Zuho mumbled against your lips and kissed you again.

You got off his lap to get some food and beers for the two of you. You ate and drank while talking about your day and the news songs he was preparing. "Actually, Y/N. I have something to show you", he said and pulled you to sit between his legs. Zuho handed you his phones and played a sexy melody on his computer. When the song stopped, you looked at him with a amazed expression. "That's so great, Ju! I loved it!", you excitedly told him. "Good, 'cuz I did it thinking about you", he held you closer and tighter.

"Really?", you were emotive. "Really", he kissed the back of your neck. "To work on this song, I thought about all our moments together, about our naked bodies dancing on the bed, about your moans, about you taking all of me", he whispered in your ear, his hands pulling your dress up and caressing your inner thighs. You let out a soft moan when you felt his bulge behind you and his mouth moving to attack the sweet spots in your neck.

"Baby...", he called you. A moan was all you could say. "... I want you so bad all day long…", he bit a good portion of your neck, leaving a purple bruise there as you moaned again. "... wanna hear you scream my name while I make you see stars…", now his hands pushing your panties to the side and rubbing your clit. "... wanna cum all inside you, filling you up to the brim with my white seed", his fingers teasing your dripping hole as your legs started to shake with pleasure.

"I-I want you…", you struggled to say. "As your service, ma'am", he sensually spoke before licking your cheeks. Zuho pulled his full-hard member out of his joggers and entered you slowly - he kept both of you dressed just in case someone appears in his studio - you bit your lips to try not to make much noise. "No, babygirl. I want you to scream. Let them know how good I fuck you in this chair", Zuho growled in your ear as his thrusts got stronger and faster. He abused your clit again and you couldn't hold your moans and cries anymore, legs shaking desperately between Zuho's.

He pulled you onto his lap and lifted your parted legs to rest them on his board, deepening the angle of his thrusts inside you, causing you both to moan louder each other's name and cursings. His hands continued their assault on your clit and you felt your climax coming. "Ju… I'm coming", you screamed at the top of your lungs. "Cum for me, baby", he screamed back and your orgasm hit you like a truck, Zuho following right along, painting your walls in white.

"Wow", you panted when you calmed down from your high with a naughty smile. "Wow… I needed this", Zuho replied back and you laughed. He turned you to face him and cradled your head in his hands. "Thank you, baby", he murmured with a large grin. You returned the smile and crossed your arms around his neck pulling him closer. "What about we go home now and cuddle in our bed?", you wondered. "That's all I need".

Yoo Taeyang

It was after midnight when you heard your apartment door open and your tired boyfriend come in. As soon as Taeyang saw you waiting for him on the couch, his lips immediately tugged up in a bright smile. “Baby! You’re finally home!”, you exclaimed calling him to join you as he took off his jacket and sweaty shirt. “How was your day?”, you asked sweetly as he lay with you on the couch, pulling you closer. “Exhausting…”, he mumbled against the soft skin of your neck, “... but it’s so much better now”, you smiled at his words and placed a slow kiss at his temple.

“Have you eaten?”, you wondered. “Yeah, but I’m still hungry”, Taeyang replied niping gently your shoulder as you chuckled. “Go shower while I prepare something for you to eat”, you said to him. “Nooo…”, he whined tightening his arms around you. “Do you want to eat first?”. “Nooo…”. “So, what do you want, Tae?”, you ran your hands through his hair. “I want you to shower with me”, he mumbled. “Okay, let’s go”, you laughed at his manners. At your words, he quickly got up and took you in his arms, dragging you to the bathroom.

Once there, both of you shed your remaining clothes and step into the shower cabin, where Taeyang pulled you into his body and kissed you hungrily, his hands roaming through your body desperately, making you gasp into his mouth. "So that's why you wanted me to join you, right?", you teased him when you broke the kiss and he only gave you a cocky smirk as response. "I've wanted you all day", he mumbled against your neck again, biting slightly. "Well, now you have me", you replied and he quickly lifted you by your hips, your legs didn't waste time to wrap around his waist.

Taeyang pressed your back against the cold wall while he roughly attacked your front, his member harder and your pussy wetter with every second. He knew exactly what spots made your weak without even touching you below your waist and he was skillful to tease them effortlessly. With a few more kisses, sucks and licks, and you were a moaning mess between him and the cold wall as the warm water from the shower turned everything even hotter and sexier.

"Take me, Tae. I'm ready", you managed to say breathing heavily, and he wasted no more time to positionate himself in your entrance and pushed inside you harshly, what made your squeals echoed through the bathroom. Taeyang took all of you right there, his thrusts were fast, deep, mercilessly, the wet sounds of two bodies slamming against each other filling the whole place, moans and cries loudly slipping from both of your mouths.

The feeling of you two together light this was so warm, intimate and full of passion as you felt your head get light and your vision blurred. You loved Taeyang more than anything and you couldn't imagine yourself without him anymore. Of course, the same was true for him: he loved everything about you - your eyes, your smile, your voice, the way your little hands fits his, the passion you two share for dance and, obviously, your body and the sensation of filling you up every time you have sex.

These thoughts passed through his mind as flashes and almost made him lose control over his release. "Baby, can I cum inside?", he asked some thrusts later, when he couldn't hold it anymore. "Please, cum", you moaned holding desperately against his shoulder. You had barely closed your mouth and his cum filled your pussy completely, the hot feeling making your orgasm hit you as well.

Your limbs lose all their strength and your worn out body collapsed on Taeyang's, one of his arms supporting the weight of you two on the wall as he was exhausted too. "Oh my God, Y/N! I love you so much!", he exclaimed when he was able to breath again. "I love you too, Tae! More than anything", you smiled and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek and then on his lips.

"Are you okay?", he whispered against your forehead. "Yes", you whispered back wrapping your arms around his shoulders. You both smiled and started to dance slowly under the hot water, glued bodies, touching foreheads. You finished showering this way and moved to your bed, where you had a lazy make out session.

Hwiyoung

You loved sunday afternoons, when you could just spend the whole day beside your cute boyfriend. That day, you both were listening to his songs on SoundCloud, sharing earphones, laying on your soft rug. When “Ex” stopped playing, you took his phones and looked at him. “Who broke your heart like that?”, you asked him with sad eyes. Hwiyoung gave you a sweet gummy smile and cupped your face. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Because I have you now and I know you’ll never wreck me”, he said softly, pecking your lips.

“Never”, you smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, and another and another, and everything changed to a make out sesh in the middle of your living room. His songs were now long forgotten, your phones and earphones tossed to the side, while his hot deep kisses were heating the two of you up. Hwiyoung’s body moved to the top of yours, pinning you between his arms as he legs tried to occupy their space in the between your legs. As he leaned in closer, you could feel his bulge against your thigh, a little gasp escaping your parted lips.

“Are you on pills, right?”, his deep voice inquired. “Yes”, you breathless replied. “Great, ‘cuz I’m cuming inside today”, his mouthed headed to hungrilly attack your neck, leaving a trail of dark bruises all over your skin. He managed to take off your clothes off without you to notice and when you realized, the two of you were completely naked and Hwiyoung was going down on you, his skillful tongue playing with your clit and teasing your entrance.

When he brought his face to yours again, his lips were glowing with your wetness and he left you taste yourself in his mouth as his hard member rubbed your folds. You arched your back in pleasure and he used this opportunity to entered you, thrusting slowly till fulfilling you. Once he was inside, girl, you were done. His thrusts were powerful and deep and his hands roamed all over your body - boobs, waist, hips and ass.

How much he loved fucking you like this, espontaneously and raw, making you feel all his veins and throbs, being able to filling you with his seeds. His fetishes made his pace increase and your bodies were slamming hard against each other, your pussy getting sore with such powerful strokes, your lungs begging for air and your throat testing its limits with your loud moans. You realized you wouldn’t last much longer and scream his name when he hit a particular sweet spot inside you.

“Hwiyoung, I’m close”, you warned him and he increased his pace even faster. “Me too, babe”, he moaned between clenched teeth. “Hwi… I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna…”, and your orgasm hit you like a bullet train as you screamed out loud, legs spasming desperately while Hwiyoung reached his high too, cumming all inside you.

He was supporting himself on his elbows to not crash you, your faces just inches away from each other, pantings fanning on your fronts. "I want to have you like this forever", he murmured very close to your lips when his breath has stabilized. "I'm yours forever, my love", you whispered and closed the distance between you with a soft kiss.

Hwiyoung pulled out of you and got up, helping you to stand on your feet too. Then, he took you bridal style and dragged you to bathroom to take a shower together, where you shared a few more touches and kisses. Both of you wished all your sunday afternoons were like that from now on.

Chani

You were still sleeping when you felt a little cold under your covers and snuggled closer to your boyfriend who was soundly sleepy spooning you. However, you pushed him in the wrong place (yeah, that place!) that made him immediately wake up creeped out with the suddenly stimulation. 

Chani loosened his grip around you and tried to move away to avoid more friction and not to wake you. But, even so, you felt the absence of his body against yours and chased his warmth over the bed. "Baby…", you whined still sleepy, "... where are you?". "I'm right here, just found a more comfortable position to sleep", he lied hoping you gave up snuggling him. He glanced at your body and the view of your curved back and beautiful ass made his member hardening even more as he held out a gasp.  

"Shut up and come here. I'm cold", you called him reaching out to catch him with your arm. You grabbed his hand and pulled him closer again, but his hips and legs didn't come along with his torso. "Chani!!!", you sulked and opened your eyes, now fully awake. "Leave me alone, Y/N?", he exclaimed back, trying to run away from you. "Why are you being like this?", you inquired and turned to him. "I have a hard on, okay?", he squealed half anger, half shy. 

"Oh!". “Oh? You are the only one to blame!”, he spoke with a lil pout. “Me?”, you were really confused. “Yeah, you were grinding against me in your sleep”. “Shit! Sorry, I just wanted to snuggle closer to you ‘cuz I was cold”, you were now getting closer to him again. “But you know…”, your slender fingers running over his clothed chest, “I can take care of this problem”, you locked your eyes with his as your hand moved to the hem of his boxers, watching a devilish smirk appearing on his face. “Of course you can. Turn around. Now”, he said with a dark tone.

You complied and turned, feeling his scaldant body spooning yours once again, but this time not in a innocent way. Chani positioned one of his legs between yours and his hands slowly contorned the curves of your hips and waist, lifting up your nightgown on the way, till slide them to your core. His ministrations were gently at the beginning, causing you to let out soft moans; but when your hips unconsciously started to grind on him again, Chani pushed your panties to the side and attacked your clit, making you moan loud this time. 

When you were completely wet and ready for him, Chani undressed the two of you and slipped his hard length in your hole, completing you perfectly. He pulled your leg over his hips as he ruthlessly thrusted you, immediately finding your g-spot while one of his hands took care of your clit, the other massaging your hard nipples and his mouth kissed and nibbled your sensitive neck. 

The overstimulation was too much for you and you already could feel your orgasm forming in your our stomach. Chani was approaching his high as well, his member twitching inside you as he moaned low in the crook of your neck, his hands desperately holding your belly. With some more thrusts and no warning, he released his strong jets into your abused pussy, you following right along with powerful spasms taking control over your body. 

Chani continued inside you till he was sure you were taking all of his cum, both of you quiet, breathless and sweaty. When he finally slipped out of you, he turned you to face him and kissed you passionately, tightened his arms around your waist as you ran your hands through his hair. “I think your problem is solved now, hm?”, you asked when you parted for air. “Yeah, I think so”, he replied and you both burst out laughing. 

He moved one of his hands to cup your cheek. “Thank you for this”, he whispered staring deeply at you. You just smiled at him - sweetly, fondly, lovely. “Y/N”, he murmured very close to your lips, foreheads touching. “Hm?”. “You’re the best thing that ever happened in my life”, his eyes now closed and your breaths shared. “And you’re mine, Chani-ya”, you whispered back and kissed him again. And you cuddled together till fell asleep again.

---------------------------------------

[bleachluna]

Letters

Ended up skipping day 2 of @hitsukarinweek as I had no ideas for it but here’s my fic for day 3! Also on AO3

Dear Toshiro,

Can you please explain to me how the hell Soul Society managed to copy mobile phones from humans, and even put hollow tracking technology in them, but didn't make them able to send stuff across realms? I know you explained that SS phones in soul society can only contact those in soul society, and when they're here in the human world they can only contact those here, but I only realised how ridiculously stupid that is until after you left. What if there's an emergency and you need to contact someone across realms for whatever reason? Surely you need to get this fixed, I cannot believe if I want to talk to you I'm stuck writing letters like it's the 1800s. I'm even writing more formally than I expected, apparently letter writing brings it out of me and I absolutely hate it. You've gotta fix it. Not to mention I'm not a fan of leaving letters for Urahara to pass on for me, I'm not totally convinced he won't read them.

Anyway, it's been a couple of months since I saw you last. That's probably a good thing, that a captain hasn't been needed here, but I'll admit I wonder about you sometimes, I hope everything is ok on your end! I don't know what it was about turning sixteen but all of a sudden all of this stuff about trying to figure out careers is on me constantly. Yuzu figured out years ago that she wanted to go into healthcare, she took to it way back when we were kids. She was originally planning to go into nursing but her grades have improved a lot recently, she might be a doctor instead, but she's also thinking about midwifery. So there's stuff she's gotta figure out for sure, but at least she knows what area she wants to go into? I don't even have that. I mean how do you figure out what to do with the rest of your life when you're sixteen? I haven't even figured myself out yet. How did you decide to become a shinigami?

Other than that though things are ok. School is a little stressful because grades suddenly feel so much more important, but the work's manageable at least. Hollow level seems to be stable at the minute too which is great, one less thing to worry about! And Urahara improved his reiatsu blocking bracelet thing, I've had this one for almost four months and it hasn't broken so even less chance of getting eaten! Always a plus. But anyway, I hope things are good on your end as well, and that you aren't buried up to your ears in paperwork. Let me know if you ever have any plans to pop up in the human world!

Best Wishes,

Karin

P.S. - I sent this on the 22nd of June, let me know when this gets to you/when you send yours, I wanna know what sort of delivery time we're looking at here.

- - - - -

Dear Karin,

I don't even remotely have the skills or know-how to fix something like that, that's what the Research & Development Team is for. I agree it's a little daft that our mobile phones can't send things across realms, but I'm sure said team knows this and is likely working on it, as you said, it would be unfortunate in an emergency situation. Plus I know Urahara can be a little eccentric, but do you really think he'd read the letters? I'm sure it's fine.

It is a good thing I've not been needed, the last thing Karakura needs is more trouble and destruction. Have they managed to rebuild that major bridge you were talking about yet? Everything is alright here, or at least in my division anyway. I've been kept busy recently, a set of students graduated from the academy last month so I've had 18 new recruits to introduce to squad 10. As for the careers stuff, I honestly assumed from the work you did here and there for the clinic that you were interested in healthcare as well, I take it that's not actually the case then? Do you at least have rough ideas of the sort of thing you'd want to go into? I'm not sure I'll be much help in that respect, I can't wrap my head around half of the jobs that seem to exist in the human world. In some ways I had it easier, the choice was out of my hands. My reiatsu was getting stronger and Hyorinmaru came to me before I even knew what was happening, I needed to go to the academy to make sure my reiatsu didn't become dangerous, therefore I became a shinigami. I never had to wonder what to do with myself in terms of employment.

I'm glad to hear things are going well with you, I'm certainly glad to hear you don't have to worry as much about the bracelet breaking. Is your reiatsu still increasing? If it's stabilising that might be part of why this new bracelet is managing better. I know you're not particularly interested in getting involved with shinigami stuff, which frankly I agree with, but if your reiatsu is still increasing I do think it's worth training you to hide it properly. I am unfortunately always at least a little buried in paperwork, particularly recently with the new recruits, but it's manageable. I don't think I'll be in the human world soon, but I will let you know if I plan to.

Best Wishes,

Toshiro

P.S. - I got your letter on the 2nd of July, I should be handing this letter over to be sent on the 4th, schedule permitting.

- - - - -

Dear Toshiro,

Well I hope you make sure that the research team are working on it, because this really is ridiculous. And you're kidding right? I trust Urahara about as far as I can throw him, which is probably all of three feet.

The bridge is still being rebuilt, but I think they're in the last stages now thank god. All the diversions needed really messed with the traffic, maybe I can finally stop leaving the house half an hour earlier just to get to my soccer club. It's supposed to be twenty minutes max by bus and it's been taking easily twice that. Let me know if you find out which shinigami it was that released their zanpakuto on that bridge, I have some choice words for them.

An entire class of students graduated and you only got 18 newbies at the tenth? Was it a small class or is that the normal kind of numbers you see? I assumed there's like, thousands and thousands of shinigami, is there less than I thought? Is that why I only ever see you and Rukia besides the dude who's currently stationed here? And I don't know about going into healthcare, that's my whole problem! I don't know what I want. Healthcare is fine but I don't feel like it's my life purpose to go into it either so yeah, I don't know. Healthcare would be alright, sports would be cool maybe? But I don't think there's a whole lot of sports careers outside of professional (which is definitely not happening) or teaching, and I'm not convinced I'm the teacher type. I just don't seem to have this strong urge to go in a particular direction like Yuzu does. But wow, I didn't know that, you basically HAD to train to be a shinigami? I didn't know that was a thing that could happen, that your reiatsu can go that far on its own. That kind of sucks though doesn't it? That you had no choice? I hope you enjoy being a shinigami at least.

To be honest I think my reiatsu probably is still going up. I don't think it's as quick as it was before, it's settled a little bit, probably because there hasn't been much danger around recently, but I do think it's still inching up. Is that a huge issue? Obviously it became a huge issue with you so now I'm kinda nervous. I'm not gonna get kidnapped into the shinigami am I? I can train to hide my reiatsu without actually becoming a shinigami right? Frankly I trust you more on this than Urahara. And you better let me know in advance if you can, Yuzu says she wants to make you those dumplings you liked again.

Best Wishes,

Karin

P.S. - I got excited at first thinking that sending these took less than two weeks, that didn't seem that bad considering we're sending them via Urahara whenever someone comes through realms, but then your letter took almost a month to come, it arrived on the 27th :( I'm handing this letter over on the 28th.

- - - - -

Dear Karin,

The Research & Development Team is not under my command, they belong to the twelfth, I cannot make sure that they're working on it, but I shall ask at the next opportunity I get. I think you're selling yourself short, I'm sure you could get at least five feet, but I do see your point, I can't say I fully trust him either, not on an individual basis anyway. I trust him to want the best for everybody, and to work towards that, but I don't think he pays attention to what that means for the individuals in the situation. More of a 'the end justifies the means' sort of person from what I've heard. And I'm afraid I have no idea who it was who damaged the bridge, but given they were fighting a powerful hollow at the time I imagine it was the correct course of action. Better on the bridge than in the middle of town.

I get the impression there is less shinigami than you think. Most squads have just over two hundred or so members, so 18 new recruits is actually a pretty good year. As for why you only really see me or Vice-Captain Kuchiki, it's a combination of needing a strong enough shinigami to deal with the sort of problems that crop up in Karakura, while also needing said shinigami to have a vague clue on how to navigate the human world. Vice-Captain Kuchiki presumably has rather extensive knowledge having lived in the human world for months, and I've been known to visit for years so they know I'm alright with being there as well. I think it's alright to not have an idea of a 'life's purpose' when you're in your second year of high school. Maybe just pick something for now as a sort of in-between while you continue working out what it is you want? Sometimes a job is just a job after all. You could always try a career in sports and see how it goes if it interests you now, and switch later on? I'm sure you'll figure something out. I'll admit I was definitely reluctant to train as a shinigami at first, it was never something I wanted originally, so it was hard to deal with to begin with I suppose, but I don't mind it these days. It's stressful, but at least I'm doing something where I'm trying to keep people safe, that suits me well enough.

Unfortunately yes, in my case my reiatsu continuously going up was an issue, but I don't think it's as serious with you. Firstly, you've not got a zanpakuto knocking on your subconscious as far as I know (the telltale giveaway is weird dreams where someone/something is trying to talk to you and tell you it's name, in case you were worried about that), and the people around you aren't vulnerable. You're unlikely to cause issues with your reiatsu because everyone around you has some degree of spiritual power already. As for the other questions, I certainly hope you won't be kidnapped into the shinigami, and I don't think your brother or even Urahara would let that happen, but it's possible you'll get Soul Society's attention if it keeps going unchecked. Of course with Urahara keeping on eye on it and keeping the reiatsu blocking bracelet on you, I'd argue that it's largely taken care of and shouldn't get other shinigami on you. There isn't much shinigami training you can do without becoming a shinigami, but you can learn to withdraw and hide your reiatsu even as a human so don't worry about that. I would say to ask your brother but he's never been very good at controlling his, Urahara is your other option, or possibly Vice-Captain Kuchiki if she's around. Or if those don't work out and your reiatsu gets to a point where you're truly worried about it let me know, I'll train you in it myself if it comes to it. Also, I appreciate the thought but your sister doesn't need to go to trouble like that for me.

Best Wishes,

Toshiro

P.S. - I got your letter on the 17th of August. I think it's safe to say they take anywhere from over a week to just under a month to arrive each time.

- - - - -

Dear Toshiro,

Let me know what the research team says! If they say they're not working on it please heavily suggest that they do, and if they say they are working on it, please ask how long they think it'll take them. Just think how much easier communicating would be if we could just call each other. The end justifies the means is EXACTLY Urahara's vibe, which is exactly why I don't really trust him. So yeah, it wouldn't even remotely surprise me if he's been reading these the entire time, better to assume the worst and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around. I suppose you have a point about the bridge being a better location than in the middle of a bunch of people, I'll put up with inconvenient travel times over unnecessary death.

Only a little over two hundred per squad? There is less than I thought! That's way less than your average university over here, that's crazy! 18 newbies is good in that case, your squad must be pretty popular. And no wonder I only really ever see you or Rukia, you guys clearly need to work on getting more people up to the speed with the human world or you're gonna end up over-worked! I guess I could just go for sports now and switch later? I don't know, you kinda get it into your head that you've gotta figure out what you want and stick to it, but I guess there's nothing actually stopping me from changing paths later. Once school goes back in I'm gonna get a meeting and talk to the careers lady, see what she says. I'm glad you're alright with being a shinigami now, hopefully it isn't stressful too much of the time.

Well, I'll take your word for it, you know more than me on this but I'm still kinda wary. You're right that there's no zanpakto trying to get my attention so far at least so that's something. If I do get kidnapped by the shinigami I'm trusting you to break me back out, but yeah that is kind of the whole point of the bracelet, that it blocks off my reiatsu from others so hollows can't find me so easily (and shinigami apparently, yeesh) so hopefully this won't actually be an issue. I don't really want to ask Urahara to train me but I will if I have to I guess. Asking Rukia's a good idea though! I'll ask whenever she next pops up, she seems like she'd be good at that sort of thing, maybe that'll solve this whole situation. Or you know, you, if you happen to come sooner, whoever comes to the human world next I guess! I'd feel better knowing that I myself could do the thing the bracelet's doing. Although I do have a question, how do you do it in your sleep? Or is it not possible and you're just vulnerable a third of the time? That seems unfortunate. Also you're kidding right? Cooking is the primary way my sister shows her care and affection, if she wants to cook for you there's no stopping her so you can at least give us notice so we can get ingredients and stuff.

Best Wishes,

Karin

- - - - -

Dear Karin,

I will let you know what the research team says as soon as it actually comes up. I can see your point, I suppose it is better to plan for the worst and be pleasantly surprised otherwise. Good to see you have your priorities in order, is the bridge finally finished though?

I remember being surprised by the size of your high school, I assume universities are even bigger? Must be an administrative nightmare to keep track of all those students, I feel like I can have a hard enough time with the 226 members I have. Squad 10 was surprisingly popular this year, the only other squads who had numbers like that were the sixth and the eleventh, both of which always have high numbers. We did have 'human world' classes at the academy at one point, but they ended up being scrapped a decade or so ago, any information learned was rendered almost completely obsolete within a few years, meaning the stuff the students learned was more or less useless by the time they were actually getting stationed in the human world. These days we just give a brief information pack about the human world before they leave, currently being updated semi-regularly by Vice-Captain Kuchiki. Meeting with a staff member whose job it is to deal with career pathways certainly sounds like a good idea, I hope it goes well if it hasn't already taken place.

Once again, I certainly hope Soul Society would try such a thing, it would be incredibly stupid considering I don't think your brother, who damn near took on the whole of Soul Society and pretty much came out on top, would ever let you get kidnapped in the first place. And I'm fairly sure me, a captain, breaking out someone Soul Society captured is probably considered treason of some kind, but I can promise I'll be in your corner one way or another. Not to mention, I don't think most shinigami would be prepared for you anyway, most are too used to sword combat, I don't think the average shinigami would handle your hand to hand very well. I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about. As for hiding your reiatsu in your sleep, generally speaking you just practice it enough that it becomes second nature, most shinigami do it subconsciously after a while, including in sleep, although nightmares and the like can interfere a little bit. Your sister has met me what, three times? She feels strongly enough to cook for me? It really is unnecessary although I'm sure the thought is kind. I did say I'd give you notice if I came to the human world though, our sensors are showing an increase in hollow activity in Karakura recently. We're currently just monitoring, we're holding off for now as it might be temporary, but if it gets worse I'm coming to monitor the situation properly and to make sure no incidents happen with the hollow increase. Judging from the current rate, if it keeps going as is I'll probably be there in two weeks or so. With any luck this letter will arrive before I do but if not, I'll make sure to meet up with you somewhere.

Best Wishes,

Toshiro

- - - - -

Dear Toshiro,

Your letter got here super quick, less than a week after I sent mine! Looks like there's increased shinigami activity to match the hollow activity, which boy, you're not kidding that its increased. My reiatsu's jumped up again and I couldn't tell you if it was a response to all the hollows around, or that the hollows arrived because of me. I really hope it's the former. Hopefully you'll be here soon! I think I could do with the training sooner rather than later and if I'm being honest I'd feel safer. But anyway, in response to your letter:

The bridge is actually finished! Just in time for the increased hollows to fuck it up again I'm sure! Most universities are like 10,000 to 30,000 easy, and I think some are bigger than that? So yeah, only two hundred or so shinigami per squad is insane to me. I'm pretty sure the universities have whole administrative teams just for the purpose, does your squad have an admin person at all or is it just you? When I first found out about the shinigami I didn't think I'd sit here wondering about the bureaucracy of it all but here I am. Oh wow I would've loved to sit in one of those human world classes, would've been hilarious I bet. At least you give newly stationed people something, I imagine the culture shock must be a bit much, I'm sure Rukia's information is very accurate given how much time she's spent here. And the careers meeting is actually in two days, I kinda nervous about it to be honest, but hopefully it'll be helpful.

Well I suppose when you put it that way Soul Society kidnapping me would very much be poking the bear huh? I'm extremely saddened to hear that you wouldn't commit treason for me though, what kind of friendship is this??? But I suppose I'll take comfort in you being 'in my corner one way or another', whatever that means. Does it mean in the event of soul society kidnapping me and forcing me to be a shinigami you'd immediately put me in your squad? That's the vibe I'm getting. But that's good to know about the hand to hand combat and the reiatsu withdrawing while still asleep, I'll bear those both in mind. As for your potential visit, given hollows seem to be popping up left right and centre I'm assuming you're probably coming in a week or so, I'll look out for your arrival! I get the impression this letter isn't going to get to you before you arrive in the human world but just in case it does I'll let you know, Yuzu added the dumpling ingredients onto her shopping list. That means you've gotta be at our house for at least one dinner! Consider it repayment for the training I'm gonna demand from you.

Hope you get here safe,

Karin

[wendimydarling]

Title: Sucker

Summary: Henry gives the reader a present for her birthday.

Pairing: Henry x 1st Person Reader

Word Count: 2489

Warnings: All the things. ALL. THE. THINGS.

A/N: So this is Song Drabble Request #8! Dedicated to @luclittlepond​, as today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, dear! I hope you love it! (thanks to @littlefreya​ and @agniavateira​ for Beta’ing, this one was a BEAR)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Henry had bought me the outfit I wore to go along with my birthday request, and while I felt slightly shy, I also had never felt more exotic and seductive in my life. The soft lace of the black and lavender teddy was gentle on my skin and the colors complimented my skin tone. It wasn’t a corset, but it was built with enough support that it smoothed against my curves in all the right places. Combined with stockings, garters, and a beautiful new pair of heels, the entire outfit was quite appealing.

Leaning over the counter, I adjusted the gentle curls that framed my face and applied some dark lipstick, the finishing touch to the look. Grabbing the riding crop from the counter, threads of nervous anticipation wove its way through my belly and I grinned at my reflection in the mirror. I knew what waited for me on the other side of the door. 

I entered the bedroom, taking in the sight before me. There Henry was, naked and on his knees, all trussed up like a present just for me. Before I went to get ready I’d tied him up, but that was an hour ago. His wrists were cuffed to his ankles behind him and his chest jutted out proudly, every rise and fall visible in this position. I smirked at the collar I’d placed him in and a small strand of drool dripped from the ball gag he had in his mouth, but it was his eyes that caught my attention. 

His eyes burned dark, anger and lust setting off a flame that licked the kerosene of arousal in my loins. I ignored it. This side of me didn’t come out often, and typically Henry was far too dominating to let me have my way, so I was going to use every moment of tonight to satisfy the siren within. I let my eyes travel downward, where he was already rock hard and leaking. His body betrayed him; he wanted this, as much as he would never admit it. He might feel slightly humiliated at his predicament, but Henry loved me so much that he was willing to do anything I wanted if it made me happy. And tonight, that made him my pet. 

I walked over to him, circling him once and brushing the tip of the crop against the skin of his back. He shuddered, his eyes closing briefly at the contact as I came to squat in front of him, legs spread wide so that he could smell my desire. 

“Look at you, such a good boy for holding still all this time,” I praised him, running my fingers through his hair before tugging on it to make him look at me. He growled around the gag and stared at my face, the fire in his eyes flaring hotter. I smacked his cheek before grabbing his collar roughly, yanking him forward into the position I wanted.

“Don’t. Growl. At me,” I stated firmly. Henry shifted under my grasp and I could see it in his eyes, the internal war battling within. His dominance was fighting tooth and nail to escape and throw me over his lap but Henry stood his ground. I knew he wanted to please me; it is my birthday, after all. I grinned wickedly and licked the corner of his mouth.

“Good boy.”

I stood and walked to the dresser, grabbing the leather leash that was waiting for me. I purposefully manipulated it in a way that would make it clink so Henry could hear it, relishing the subtle shift in the sinews of his back as the noise registered in his mind. My ass in view as I clipped the leash to his collar and unhooked his wrists and ankles, Henry rested his hands on his knees, waiting for my instructions.

“Hands and knees, Cavill,” I ordered, striding to the bed. I felt the tug of the leash behind me and looked back over my shoulder. Henry was still planted on his knees, glaring at me with the most terrifying of faces. At least, it would be terrifying if his mouth wasn’t stretched wide by the gag.

 I match his glare, stepping back over to him and grasping his curls in order to shove him into a crawling position. I smacked his ass once with the crop and he hissed, his hands fisting on the hard floor. His body was buzzing, sending out an electric current of anger and desire so loud I could touch it. I grasped the sharp leather of the leash and cruelly pulled upward, shortening the lead and forcing his head upright.

“Heel, pet,” I commanded, high on my dominance over him. I once again marched over to the bed, this time with Henry in tow. Watching him crawl for me, the way his shoulder blades crested through his skin like waves in a stormy ocean, the way the muscles in his arms strained against the weight of his body; he looked like a feral wolf that could devour me, and yet tonight, tonight I was his alpha.

“Up on the bed, there’s a good boy.” 

The feel of the crop sliding over his skin was enough to get Henry to obey and I loosened the leash, allowing him to position himself on all fours on the mattress. I bit my lip, absorbing the sight of his well-shaped ass hovering in the air, connected to thighs thicker than tree trunks. This man, this creature of the gods was mine. I brought the crop down on his ass again, just to hear him grunt in displeasure. Never in my life had I felt more powerful than I did in this moment.

My fingertips slipped from his spine over his ass and Henry shivered, bucking into my hand as I cupped his balls. 

“Aww, does my boy want pets?” I teased, massaging gently. Henry panted and nodded, pressing his touch-starved genitals further back into my hand as he rested on his elbows. I smiled, dropping the crop and stroking the air around his hardened member with my hand, not quite touching him as I continued to play with his balls. Henry groaned, dropping his forehead onto his tightened fists. 

“Such a good boy, taking what Momma gives you.”

Henry growled again at that so I pulled my hands away, climbing above him to grasp his hair and hook my hand in his elbow. I knocked him off balance, shoving his head into the pillow. 

“What did I say about growling, pet,” I hissed menacingly in his ear before biting it roughly. Henry inhaled sharply and his entire body trembled in anger as he exhaled. I could tell he was fighting every urge not to flip me over and fuck me in punishment for my sins. Go ahead babe, make my night. 

Sure enough, his instincts took over and Henry flipped me. Suddenly I was underneath him, and his hand was on my throat. I stared up at him, clicking my tongue in disapproval and stroking the ball in his mouth with my finger tips.

“You think it’s going to be that easy, Cavill?” I purred, “You think you’ve won and this is over now that you’re on top?”

Henry’s eyes were daggers, his chest heaving as he fought his dominant nature. He released my throat and went back to his position on all fours while I reprimanded his behavior.

“Wild pets must be taught control. And you, pet, are not allowed to attack your master.”

I slid through his legs, grabbing his hips and positioning my mouth below his dripping erection. I looked up at him, seeing that Henry’s eyes followed me, still dark, still angry. I grinned wickedly and tempted the beast inside of him further; the danger was half the fun.

“I want you to watch me, and hold absolutely still,” I ordered Henry, relishing the way he nodded his head in submission. My gaze returned to the task before me and I engulfed his cock slowly, torturously, wetting one agonizing inch at a time. The way he moaned was music to my ears. I could feel his tremors beneath my lips and my hands as he struggled to hold still, once again fighting his body’s natural instinct to fuck my mouth. He was still watching me, I knew, so I put on a show.

I teased him eagerly, licking around his head and sucking on his shaft. Soft kisses and firm swallows kept him on the edge; I heard the shift in his gasps, the muffled groans of a man denied release. I was drunk on the sound, proud of him for staying motionless as I taught him a lesson. As I worked though, I found myself aching for him to take over. I missed Henry dominating me, and eventually decided I’d had enough fun. 

With a loud pop, I released his member and grasped his forearms with my hands to pull myself back up to his head. My hands carded through his curls, caressing his face as I grabbed the collar and drew him down for kisses. The fact that he couldn’t kiss me in return only added fuel to his fire.

“You wanna fuck me, pet?” I asked, delighting in the throaty whine he gave as he nodded. 

“Then give me my real birthday present.”

I reached around him to unbuckle the gag. Putting it directly in my mouth, I barely had time to buckle it back up before Henry was manhandling me onto his lap, his hand rough around my jaw and my arms twisted behind me.

“You bloody minx,” he growls, and this time I welcomed the heat that pooled in my belly at his tone. He flipped me over, my turn to be on my hands and knees. Henry’s hands were rough, kneading my skin as he slapped my ass twice, but it felt so damn good. I love having his hands on me. 

“You think,” he stated, administering a painful sting between each phrase, “You can treat me like that, and get away with it, simply because, it’s your birthday?”

I mewled as his hands reached to grope my breasts, his length pressed deliciously against my sex. This was what I wanted, for him to fuck me. He knew it too, but the wolf was so far past patience that he had no desire to play with his food. Henry made quick work of the restraints still on his body, and soon my neck was collared, my wrists cuffed behind me, and my pretty new lingerie ripped to shreds. 

I howled at him around the gag, upset that he’d destroyed the lace, but my cry was cut off as Henry wrapped his hand with the leash and tugged. His fingers found my folds as he wrapped a strong arm around me, and his teeth were sharp on my neck.

“I’ll buy you another one,” he whispered before bending me over abruptly, lining up and entering me in one swift motion. The sudden fury with which he began to thrust was heaven on earth, and I was so aroused from playing with him that I was on the edge in an instant, ready to fall over. Just as I was about to reach that peak I heard his stern voice behind me.

“Don’t you dare fucking come.”

I grunted out my shocked disapproval, the edge surging all around me as I was suddenly forced to fight it off. I was so close I could taste it, but in his fervent desire to have me this was the only card Henry still had left to play. I battled my body, fought that urge with everything I had as he pounded me into oblivion. His hands grasped my arms and my collar, holding me in the exact position that he wanted as he chased his release. He was so controlled, even in his reckless abandon. He wouldn’t come until he decided I had suffered enough.

My cries turned into gasps, my eyes shut tightly as I was forced into submission. My body was raked over the coals of Henry’s rage, pleasure so desperate to escape that it was making its way through my cells. My nerves felt the slightest friction, every brush and swell of his cock as he took what he wanted from me. He was close, and I only needed to hold on for just a little bit longer.

Henry’s pace changed and his breath shifted; I was dragged by my hair until I was flush against his chest. His mouth marked me and his fingers dug into my soft skin, his words in my ear fanning the flames that were licking my insides as he continued to thrust into me.

“You wanna come, babygirl?”

I nodded as best I could and whimpered, just as desperate as he at this point.

“You wanna come around my cock? You want to feel my hot seed dripping from that sweet little cunt of yours as your body spasms around me?”

I keened around the gag, attempting to lean forward but Henry’s fingers in my hair kept me in place against his sturdy frame. He spoke softly, authoritatively, nipping at the supple flesh of my lobe.

“Come for me, sweetheart.”

Relief and pleasure flooded my chest as I was finally allowed to fall over the edge. I catapulted myself off that cliff, taking Henry with me as we fell into bliss together. His groans pushed me further and further until nothing but euphoric black filled my mind, the feel of Henry’s release coating my womb a comforting warmth to the tantalizing darkness. He unhooked the cuffs and we both slumped to the bed, covered in sweat, panting heavily, and grinning at each other as we came down. 

Henry brushed my hair off my face, leaning over to kiss me softly as his hands worked to remove the leather from my flushed skin. His lips left a trail of warmth as he caressed those places rubbed raw by the stiff fabric, ghosting over my spine as he came to hover above me. He pressed me into the mattress with his heavy weight, my favorite form of grounding. His fingers laced with mine and his legs hooked around my knees, and I felt so centered and safe underneath him.

Henry nuzzled kisses into my neck and I closed my eyes, humming at his touch and his voice, unable to wipe the smile off of my face as I neared the inviting arms of sleep. Before it claimed me I managed to look up at him through the corner of my eye.

“I love you,” I whispered, closing my eyes once more as I succumbed to the comforting night.

“I love you too, my dear,” he whispered tenderly, rolling us onto our sides. 

“Happy birthday.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[lovely-ateez]

Next Door Neighbor~

ꕥPosted: 7/16/20

ꕥGenre: Fluff, Smut

ꕥPairing: Fem!Reader x San

ꕥWord Count: ~1k

ꕥWarnings: Oral (m&f recieving), praising, unprotected sex, fingering, language

ꕥA/N: Apparently this has fluff too bc I guess I can’t solely write smut lol whoops

God San was hot. Watching him just did something to me. Watching him fix his roof, shirtless, made my head spin. The way his muscles moved and his sweat dripped down his chest had me practicing drooling. And dammit I was gonna get some.

I couldn’t count the amount of times I had touched myself to the thought of him. Or the numerous wet dreams I woke up from involving him. I wanted him bad. I needed him.

Slipping on my torn high-waisted shorts and sheer body-con crop top, my thoughts were all on him. I wore my cutest purple lacy lingerie set underneath knowing that was his favorite color. San told me that perhaps a year ago when I first moved into the neighborhood. I was wearing a purple dress then, and he certainly noticed. I remember the slight blush on his cheeks after I made some flirty remark then walked away. Leaving him wanting more.

Every time I was near him there was sexual tension. I knew he felt it too because of the tent in his jeans I’d see.

Putting on a pair of cat-eye sunglasses and grabbing two large cups of lemonade, I made my way outside. Walking across the street I got a closer look at him and my breath hitched. San was faced away from me, muscles glistening with sweat.

Fuck. I thought. Keep your composure. All in good time.

“Hey San?” I called out, watching him turn around, “You’re gonna get heat stroke out here. Wanna lemonade?”

“Sure! Thanks, I’ll be right down.”

I watched him as he climbed down the ladder and walked over to me.

I handed one of the cups of lemonade to him, taking a drink from my own cup.

He gave me an innocent dimpled smile and my mind started to race. You don’t fool me. I’ve seen the way you look at me. You’re not as innocent as you lead on.

“So what are you doing out here, y/n?”

I removed my sunglasses before I spoke, tucking them in the back pocket of my shorts.

“Actually I saw this pretty hot guy working on his roof and thought I might offer him a drink.”

San grinned, “Damn. Man sounds like a stunner.”

“Oh he is.”

He raised an eyebrow and gave me a playful look. My eyes unintentionally trailed down to his abs. They weren’t incredibly prominent but damn they were there. San gently grabbed my chin and raised my head up to look him in the eyes.

“Like what you see, doll?”

I could feel my panties getting wet but did my best to ignore the feeling.

“I do,” I grabbed the hand he placed on my chin and ran it down the side of my body. I watched his pupils dilate and I leaned in close, “Do you?”

Not a second later he spun me around and pinned me to the wall of his house, dropping his lemonade. I was still holding my cup, his hands on either side of my head.

“What’s your game, babe? Trying to make me come undone? Is that it?”

My hand trailed down to where his jeans hugged his hips. I saw a small tent in his jeans and began to slowly make circles there. His groans turned me on more than I had expected, but I continued.

“And what if it is? It sure seems like it’s working.”

San groaned again, leaning in close to whisper, “Are you sure you want this? Want me?”

I answered his question by putting my free hand on his cheek and kissing him for dear life. His hands ran through my hair then trailed down to my waist.

“Up we go!” He said as he tossed me over his shoulder, carrying me into his house.

“Saaannn put me down! I dropped my lemonade!” I said through giggles.

“Well that’s too bad but I’m not putting you down until I say so.”

San plopped me down on his bed, looking at me for a moment before smiling, “You literally have no idea how long and how bad I have wanted this.”

He kissed my lips and quickly removed my shirt followed by my shorts.

I saw his eyes widen when he saw my lingerie. He ran his fingers over the straps of my bra, admiring it. Then he went straight to kissing my neck, leaving me a moaning mess.

“You sneaky bastard. You remembered I liked purple and you got this just for me. You came over to my house practically begging for sex. I could refuse you right now and send you back home.”

He ran his fingers along my clothed clit and I moaned louder than I intended. “Leave you high and dry - well, maybe not dry - and you’d have to resort to getting yourself off without me. But you’d be thinking about me the entire time, wouldn’t you?” I shivered at the thought, silently hoping he would let me stay.

I had enough teasing so I flipped him over. Now San was laying with his back on the bed, arms propping himself up slightly. He raised his eyebrows and gave me a cocky smile.

“Too much, sweetheart?”

Without responding I unbuckled his belt as quickly as I could, throwing it across the room, then I ripped his jeans off, doing the same.

“My...someone’s eager.”

“Oh shut up San. I know you want it, too. Don’t think I don’t notice how you look at me when I walk away. Or how you undress me with your eyes when you think I’m not looking. I could refuse you all the same.”

I took my time kissing his neck, down his chest, then further to the edge of his boxers, removing them. I looked up to see San’s darkened eyes and felt my panties soak.

“Let me take care of you, San.”

He leaned his head back as I slowly took him in my mouth. His groans were heaven to my ears. Just to know that I made him feel good made me wet.

As I sped up he bucked his hips into my mouth.

“I’m sorry babe I’m trying not to hurt you and I hope I’m not. It just...feels - fuck - feels really good.”

I moaned around him and he gently pulled me off of him, laying me back on the bed.

“I shouldn’t cum before the lady does, that’s just bad manners.”

I didn’t have the time to respond as he slipped my panties off and stuck two fingers inside me. He began to thrust in and out while using his other hand to pin my hands above my head. Of course, he just had to give me a killer smile.

I had been with a few men before and sex was good with them but San was so clearly different. Just with his fingers alone I was getting off quicker than I ever had before. I assume partly because of how bad I wanted him, but mostly because he was so good at it.

“You’re really good at this, you know?” I said in between harsh breaths and moans.

San gave me a deep chuckle.

“I’ve been told that once or twice.”

In no time I reached my first orgasm of the night, cumming hard around his fingers. San pulled out his fingers and placed them in his mouth.

“You’re sweet. Have you been eating pineapple by any chance?”

I laughed and pulled him close to me.

“I want you to fuck me, Choi San. Make it as rough as you want, I don’t care. I just want you.”

“You should know by now I don’t want to hurt you.”

“At this point, I really don’t care.”

I took off my bra and watched as his eyes travel down my chest.

“If you insist, kitten.”

Fuck. That got me. That nickname always made me wet but I couldn’t begin to tell you why. Not like I cared why, especially at the moment.

“Oh? You like that name? Guess I’ll have to use it more often,” San growled.

“Please, San.”

At my words he entered me, stretching me out and making my hands grasp his back, my nails probably leaving marks. He hissed in response and leaned close to me, whispering in my ear.

“Not too harsh, kitten. You wouldn’t want to be punished, would you?”

San snapped his hips, thrusting into me. I cried out as he continued, leaving me breathless. I looked at the sweat that was forming on his forehead, his eyes closed in concentration. I loved this, everything about it. I did my best to memorize everything. I didn’t want it to end.

“San, I’m close.”

“Me too, kitten.”

San moved his fingers down to my clit, making tiny circles.

“Cum for me, kitten”

I moaned loudly as I came, tightening around San. With a few more thrusts, he came. The deep groans that left his mouth sounded like heaven. He pulled out of me and laid there, looking at me.

“Listen, I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want that to be a one time thing. If you want, I’d love to take you on a date.”

I laughed at his shy smile. And grabbed his face softly.

“I’d like that.”

[deascheck]

Family is More than Blood

Summary: The reader and Winchester brothers bond as the brothers try to help the reader realize family is more than blood when a hunt goes wrong.

Pairings: none

Word Count: 4439

Warnings: angst, description of physical pain, death and fluff <33 !!!

A/N: Also, this is my absolute first SPN fic I ever wrote and am now getting around to posting it. I’ve fleshed it out and edited it since then, but still. Not bad for a first attempt at writing SPN, I think! Thank you to the wonderful @winchest09 for beta'ing once again!!

Well.. At least my day could not possibly get any worse, you thought. After getting a rip from your parents for choosing to stay with the Winchesters, all you felt like doing was curling up in bed with a bottle of whiskey and drinking away your newest painful memory. Correction, you didn’t get a rip. You had just been disowned. You frowned as you thought about your parents. I don’t need Mom or Dad… They don’t understand the life I want to live. How long has it been since they supported me? You rolled your eyes as they filled up with tears.

You’d been with the Winchester brothers for four months now, grabbing any case you could get your hands on. You weren’t sure how they viewed you, given the short time you’d been together, but you were confident in how you viewed them; badasses.

They had first run into you on a case, interrupting your attempt to fight a vengeful spirit on your own. To this day you argued that you would have won the fight. Whenever you said it though, Dean just scoffed and Sam would muss your hair with a small smile.

As you thought about the adventures you’d had with the brothers, trying hard to keep your mind off your parents, you heard a knock on your door.

Quickly, you wiped your eyes to make sure they were dry, and then answered in a strong voice, “Come in!” You bet yourself it would be Sam, since Dean tended to just barge in. Sure enough, Sam poked his head in. “Y/N? Hey, we’re about to sit and eat dinner. You coming?”

Sighing, you nodded and got up. As much as you loved the Winchesters, you didn’t feel like bringing them into your family drama quite yet. It seemed best to keep up appearances. Wandering into the kitchen, the smell of hamburgers hit your nose. You smiled, remembering that Dean had made it a rule: Hamburgers every Friday night if and when the three of you were at the bunker.

Dean grinned at you as you sat down, happy with having a night off. You gave him your best smile back, hoping he didn’t notice you were off rhythm tonight.

“Hey Y/N! Haven’t seen you all afternoon. You been hiding?” Dean looked at you inquisitively as he took a massive bite of his burger, rolling his eyes in ecstasy.

You gave a small chuckle. “I think I’m allowed to hide from you two terrors every once in a while with what I put up with from you.”

As Dean’s chest swelled with indignity, you winked quickly at Sam. When Dean was happy, it was easy to tease him.

Sam gave you a quick smile back, though he seemed a little distracted.

Crap. He can tell. He’s studying me! Do better, Y/N. Get the banter going! Your inner panic began. Sam had always been able to pick up on how you were feeling, no matter how well you hid it. Even from day one, he had read you like a book.

You spent the rest of dinner working on making the two of them laugh, embracing the warmth their laughter brought you. You knew you’d have to hold on tight to this happy feeling once you were on your own for the night. The nighttime was always when any unhappiness you were harboring hit you the hardest.

As you stood up and started clearing the table, you missed a non-verbal exchange between the brothers.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah, Dean?”

“We’re gonna to head to the bar in town.”

You didn’t pause in your cleaning as you rolled your eyes. “Good for you.”

“No, we’re ALL going, ya moron. Stop cleaning and get ready! We leave in 10!”

Turning around from the sink, you narrowed your eyes as you studied him. “Why? I’ve got dinner to clean up and a good book waiting in my room.”

This time, it was Sam who answered with a big grin. “Why? Cause it’s high time you learn how to compete with us at pool. And you’re gonna need more alcohol than we have to deal with Dean’s cockiness.” He laughed at Dean as he walked around the table to grab your shoulders and guide you out the kitchen door.

“Sammmmm,” you complain. “I don’t want to have to do the dishes later! You’ve seen the mess Dean makes when he cooks!”

Sam bent down to put his mouth close to your ear. “I have seen the messes he makes. But I’ve also seen you hide when you’re hurting. So we’re going out to give you some fun memories to battle your bad ones with.”

Your eyes filled with tears at his thoughtfulness. You stopped resisting him and turned around to give him a giant hug. Being significantly shorter than him, if you wanted a comfort hug, you had to jump and wrap your arms around his neck. Sam caught you and wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you tight as your feet dangled off the ground several inches. You buried your face into the crook of his neck, squeezing your arms gently to let him know that you appreciated what he was doing. Sam’s arms squeezed back.

After a couple minutes like that, he lifted his cheek from your head and started to walk, straddling a bit to avoid hitting your legs as he walked. You laughed and started to struggle. “You big teddy bear – put me down! I can walk!”

As Sam laughed too, you could feel it rumble deep in his chest. He said, “So? I need my workout for the day! I’ll carry you to your room, m’lady.”

Appeased, you stopped struggling until what he said hit you. Indignant, you exclaimed, “Workout? I’m a workout to you? I am NOT that heavy!” Sam laughed at your outrage and then grunted as your struggling resumed.

“Ok! Ok! I’ll put you down. But only if you promise to be ready in a couple minutes!” Sam looked at you, more solemn now. “We’re serious about giving you some good memories, Y/N. You are a part of our family, and we want you to be as happy as you can be in the life we live.”

As Sam put you down, you gave him a quick peck on his cheek as a thank you, and ran into your room. It wasn’t hard to decide what to wear since you had all of two non flannel/jean outfits. Grabbing your white, high-waisted short shorts, you pulled them on as you ran into your bathroom, rummaging through the mess of clothing, make-up, and toiletries on your counter. Your fingers found your eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss, and you immediately separated them by placing them on a tshirt as you pulled your crop top on. It was one of your favorite tops, and you loved to wear it when you got the chance. But you’d been so busy with the Winchesters, you hadn’t gotten to dress up since before you became a hunter.

Despite the lack of practice, you dolled up quite nicely within 10 minutes. You fluffed your hair as you walked to your door, hoping that you looked ok. Opening your door, you yelled for Sam and Dean, “Guys! I’m ready, let’s go!”

You walked down the hall towards the garage, suddenly impatient. You opened the garage door and saw that the boys weren’t there yet. You gasped. I actually beat them? How on earth did I beat two men in getting ready for a night out? Smiling smugly, you leaned against Baby, crossing your ankles and your arms as you waited. This was a day for the history books.

Sam and Dean walked through the door in button down shirts and jeans. You huffed softly, wishing they’d change it up occasionally. Talking quietly, they didn’t see you until they got close to the car. Glancing forward, Dean spotted you first and stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw hanging slightly. Sam, in the middle of a sentence, stopped when he saw Dean fall back. Confused, he looked around and saw you leaning against the car. His eyebrows go up slightly and his eyes roamed down and up your body slowly. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, yet flattered, you flipped your hair as you opened the rear passenger door.

Sending a quick look in their direction, you teased, “If you boys don’t hurry up, the bar is going to be closed by the time we even get out of this garage.”

They quickly shook out of their stupor and climbed in the car. Clearly they had not seen you dressed up enough. Dean started Baby up and the three of you headed out.

The drive to the bar was not very long, and before you knew it, Dean was pulling into a parking spot. You got out, and headed inside with the brothers. As you walked in, you noticed they each flanked you. You realized they were feeling protective, and you couldn’t help but loop your arms through theirs in a burst of rare affection for the two of them. Looking up, you caught them exchanging happy smiles over your head. This was going to be a fun night, you thought to yourself.

The three of you reached the bar, and while you and Sam sat down, Dean ordered three whiskeys. One thing that you knew the boys liked about you was that you could drink like they did. The bartender brought you your drinks, and you all took a big gulp from your glasses, wincing slightly at the burn that trailed down your throats.

“Ok, Y/N.” Dean looked at you seriously as he put his glass down. “This is the plan. We’re going to get drunk, and then I’m going to teach you how to play pool with the big boys. Because you, my dear, are sadly lacking in your pool skills.” He smiled a big smile, letting you know he was teasing.

You leaned in, and said right in his face, “Challenge accepted, Winchester. Bring it on!” You laughed at the surprised look on his face and turned to Sam. Raising your glass, you gave him a nod and a wink and downed the rest of your drink.

As the three of you ordered another round, you noticed something caught in the napkin dispenser. You moved closer to inspect it, and as you did, your face paled. It was a hex bag. Pulling a napkin out of the dispenser, you used it to grab the bag and bring it to you. You turned around and sat down again, wishing to God you hadn’t seen anything. All you wanted was to get wasted and make some good memories with Sam and Dean to counter the awful ones of your parents. But you were never one to back down from a hunt. And maybe you’d get to release some pent up emotions by beating up this damn witch.

Sam noticed the napkin in your hand and asked, “Hey Y/N, what’s in the napkin?”

You groaned and pulled it below the counter before you opened it up. Their eyes widened as they saw you reveal a hex bag. Sighing, you said, “Boys, we have a witch in our territory. We’ve got work to do.”

Dean hung his head and sighed. “Why tonight?” he asked, frustrated. “This stupid witch couldn’t have waited for us to get ONE NIGHT off?” He grabbed his second drink and downed it in three gulps. He growled, “Let’s go finish this mother fucker.”

You slid off your seat and headed to the door when your head started spinning. Unable to stay upright, you crashed into Sam, who caught you. “Y/N? Y/N what’s going on? What’s wrong?” His concerned eyes swam above you as you tried to focus on what he was saying.

“Sam.. ‘M so dizzy.. Why…” You left it at that, feeling more than dizzy. Your stomach turned, and you turned your head just in time as you vomited violently all over the floor. You felt fear threaten to overwhelm you as you saw blood on the floor.

Dean grabbed your head when you finished and shook you gently to get your attention. “Y/N! You gotta talk to us! What’s wrong?” His deep voice was slightly husky with his urgency.

You met his eyes and moaned, “So dizzy.. and my stomach!” You clutched your stomach as pain shot through it, draining you.

Sam’s arms tightened around you as you went limp, the strength quickly leaving your body. He hoisted you up bridal style and said to Dean, “Dude, what happened to the hex bag?”

Dean’s eyes widened in understanding, and he quickly checked your pockets. As he patted through them, he apologetically said, “Sorry Y/N, I promise you I’m not trying to feel you up.” Dean found it and tucked the hex bag into his shirt’s front pocket, handling it with a bandana, before heading for the car. Sam was hot on his heels with you in his arms.

When they reached Baby, Dean helped Sam get you into the back seat before they opened up the hex bag. They mumbled in confusion as they realized it must have been made for you. Its location originally seemed a coincidence. But the fact that once you held the hex bag and then got sick solidified their theory. The witch knew you and wanted you to suffer.

Dean worked on destroying the bag while Sam patted a wet rag along your face, trying to help the best he can. Your eyelids fluttered weakly as you turned your head to look at him. The bag may have been gone, but you were still weak from whatever the bag inflicted on you. As you felt the rag on your face, your feverish thought process picked up. This isn’t over… If I’m sick, Sam and Dean are distracted. It would have been too easy to just destroy the hex bag. Trap... Y/N, get your act together and warn them! You forced your eyes fully open and looked at Sam. He met your eyes in surprise, seeing a fear and determination in yours. You forced yourself to put full sentences together, and say, “Sam. This is too easy. It’s a trap- you two need to arm up. I think the witch is here.” As you finished, you heard two thumps. Sam leaned back and looked towards the sound.

“Dean! Y/N, Dean’s down!” As the reality of your situation fully set in, your adrenaline started to kick in.

Good to know that I can practically be on my deathbed and my adrenaline will bring me back, you thought wryly. You stayed low and slid out of the car, carefully watching the surrounding lot. Sam grabbed Dean and pulled him over to you. He had a lump on his head, but his pulse was steady. What the hell? How did he get knocked out? Friggin witch must be here…

Sam motioned for you to lie down and roll under the car. You rolled under the car and waited a few seconds, knowing the witch must be close. As you got ready to emerge from the other side, you heard an angry, rough, female voice utter three words in latin, and then you heard another two thuds.

Shit. She must have gotten Sam. What the hell does she want? Is she one of those psychos that plays with her victims before she kills them? Your stomach turned uncomfortably as your imagination ran away with you, disgusting images flashing before your eyes. Yo. Dude. Gotta focus, you told yourself. Sam and Dean need me.. With that thought you rolled out and sprang to your feet, ready to fight.

For the first time in your short hunting career, you were grateful that you had faced so many witches. Being a quick learner, you knew a spell or two yourself. As you located the witch, you yelled, “Obmutesce!”

Roughly, you knew you were removing her ability to speak. You saw her work her mouth in surprise and frustration, and you grinned. The spell worked. Grabbing a knife and a gun from your bag in the back seat, you faced her. As she tried to get around the spell, you took a second to study her. She had dark brown hair, dark eyes, and a long, albeit pretty face. She was a little taller than you, and clearly had some class. Her wardrobe just screamed ‘snobby rich girl’.

As the two of you locked eyes, hers went black. Immediately your mind went into panic mode. She’s a demon witch? A witch demon? I’m screwed! Sam and Dean need to wake up! Shit!

Your face remained hard and confident as you called out, “Ya know, you may be the spawn of hell, but without the ability to speak, there’s really jack shit you can do to me without having to fight me.” You forced yourself to give a big predatory grin that you learned from Dean. “And well, I’ve got two weapons here that will kill you.” You hold up the gun and the knife tauntingly. Thankfully, you’d stolen the demon killing knife from Dean after the last hunt, and had stuck it in your bag- intending to be the one to kill the next demon the three of you faced.

The witch raised a hand, looking smug, and flicked her wrist. Your weapons yanked out of your hands and went flying. Your jaw went slack. Ok, she’s a demon who isn’t afraid to use her demon powers. Bluffing, failed. Plan B. Attack? You grimaced as you realized you’d have to charge her. This is one fight I’m probably going to be feeling for a week... You groaned mentally and went to attack her.

If it was a fight she wanted, it was a fight she’d get. Thanks to your parents, you’d always been able to defend yourself. You knew aikido, karate, and boxing. You’d beaten both Sam and Dean in several training fights.

The minute you got close, she snapped her fingers and you found yourself flying through the air, crashing onto a car’s windshield a few yards away. Ahhh...That one hurt. Freaking bitch. Who does she think she is? You growled at her, “What? Afraid you can’t take me in a fair fight? Is that why you’re hiding behind your stupid demon powers?” You approached her again, taking your eyes off her for a split second to check on Sam and Dean. They were both still and unmoving.

That made you even angrier, and you attacked again. This time the witch let you get even closer before she waved her hand and sent you flying again. You contacted a car’s driver door, the impact jarring every bone in your body. You prayed to yourself, Come on Sam, come on Dean... I don’t know how to exorcise her! Wake up! I’m only going to be able to take this for so long... Even just two hits in and you could feel your body giving. You were sure you have a couple cracked ribs, and maybe a mild concussion. Cars were hard, unforgiving objects.

As you walked towards the witch again, warily, you noticed Dean stirring. Perfect. Time to help wake him up. Throwing caution to the wind, you charged her at top speed and full volume, knowing you wouldn’t get even close at that rate. Sure enough, she grinned maniacally as you got closer, before sending you off through the air once again. This time, you get knocked against a light post.

As you hit the post, and then the ground, you felt a searing pain in your knee and your shoulder. Eyes welling, you looked down and saw your kneecap was not at the front of your knee. Despite the rising urgency of the situation, you couldn’t help but think how gross it was. You couldn’t look at the disfigured limb without feeling weak and began to taste bile in your throat. Your shoulder was just about in the same situation. You could feel it out of its socket.

Looking up, you saw the witch making her way to you. As you watched her approach, you wished you could talk to her and find out why she had such an interest in you. Despite your pain-addled brain going haywire, you managed to organize your thoughts enough to try to identify your attacker. Do I know her? We haven’t faced her before.. or she’d be dead. Is it the demon that knows me? Which demon is it?

You started getting desperate, realizing you were completely helpless against a freaking demon. She stopped in front of you and crouched down to your level, staring at you closely. Your voice filled with pain, you ask, “Who are you? What do you want with us?”

As you asked, you heard the sound of flesh being torn, and you saw the demon-killing knife protrude from her chest. You looked up in shock, and you saw Dean pulling his knife from the witch’s body. His hard battle face changed into one of deep concern as he looked at you.

“Y/N! Man, you are messed up... What hurts?”

You responded softly, trying hard not to cry. “My shoulder and knee... I think they’re dislocated. My ribs feel cracked, and my head hurts like nobody’s business.” You looked at him helplessly.

Dean’s face battled between sympathy for you and anger at the witch. His sympathy won, and he said, “Here, let’s get you up.” He wrapped his arm around your waist and helped haul you to your feet, mindful of your dislocated knee and shoulder.

Now that Dean was awake and here, and the witch/demon/enemy was dead, you started going into shock. You began to tremble, and Dean saw you starting to deteriorate. He quickly said, “Oh no you don’t,” and slapped your face gently. “We still have some work to do, sweetheart. Don’t worry, Sammy and I will take care of you.”

Startled into calm, you look at him. The words started tumbling out of your mouth, “Dean, it was a witch possessed by a demon. I didn’t know who she was, and I muted her, so I couldn’t find out after that. She never let me get close. She just kept tossing me around like she was freaking Goliath, and oh my God, Dean, I hurt so bad...” At this point you couldn’t handle it, and the tears started to cascade down your cheeks, leaving you breathless as you lost control.

Dean brought you as close to his chest as he could without hurting you, and shushed you softly. “Shhh, Y/N it’s ok.. Shh. You did great, kid. You did great. The bitch is dead now- there’s nothing to worry about. Hey, you’re ok. Shh...”

He held you for several minutes, allowing you to cry your stress, fear, pain, and anger out. As you finished, despite the massive amount of pain you were in, you relished the moment of getting to snuggle with Dean; it happened so rarely that you’d take it, regardless of the circumstance.

Once you had quieted down, Dean helped you over to where Sam was, who was slowly waking up. He sat up slowly and put his hand to his head, groaning softly. As he looked around, he saw you and Dean. Immediately he was on his feet and hovering anxiously when you told him not to touch your right side. Dean helped you perch on the side of Baby’s backseat while you discussed how best to get you home.

Sam looked at you guiltily and said, “Y/N, I can put your shoulder and knee back into place, but it’s gonna hurt a lot. And you’ll probably be in even more pain once they’re back. Do you want to do this now?”

You looked at him wearily, with your tear-stained face. “Sam, I’m in more pain than I’ve been in my life, quite honestly. So since my pain record has been set tonight, it doesn’t matter to me how high it gets as long as I can get fixed quickly.”

Dean stepped in at this point, and explained, “Y/N, he’s just asking because we can take you to a hospital and have them do it while you’re on pain meds. You’ll be a lot more comfortable, but they might not let you go home tonight. If we do it, it’ll be a helluva lot more uncomfortable, but you’ll be home, and we can take care of you there.”

You attempted a smile. “It’s a no-brainer, boys... Help me out. And take me home? Please?”

Needless to say, your level of pain went from overwhelming to excruciating when they reset your knee and shoulder. But you were grateful the boys could get you right again. Dean was driving and Sam was helping prop you up in a comfortable position in the back seat.

You reflected as you were lulled into a half-asleep state. Ha... And here I was thinking today couldn’t get any worse. My parents disowned me, I don’t get to get drunk because I got attacked by a demon-witch, and then I’m almost killed because I can’t protect myself, Sam, or Dean. What a fantastic fucking day.

Sam’s voice brought you to a more conscious state. “Y/N? Hey, sweetheart. Sorry, I know you’re falling asleep. I just wanted to tell you I know you’re probably beating yourself up, and you’re probably thinking about how much today sucked. Which,” he paused to smile briefly, “would be fair. However, I want you to know that you were incredibly brave today. Not many new hunters would be willing to face such an intimidating challenge alone.” He bent his head around sideways to look at you and see what you were thinking about. “Seriously, Y/N. Dean and I are proud to call you our sister and fellow hunter. Family is more than just blood.”

You smiled up at him as you felt sleep starting to take over you. “Sam, there’s no one I would rather have as my brothers. Thank you for taking me in. I love you guys.”

You continue thinking as you fight sleep. The bunker, living with my boys, that’s my home. They’re my family. Sam and Dean are the only two who matter in my life. I choose my family...

Sam smoothed your hair gently as you nodded off. “It’s us who are grateful, Y/N. You are the sister we never had.”

[gabby297]

Saudade - Chapter 2

|| Prologue || ||Chapter 1 ||

Summary: "Saudade" - A nostalgic longing for a person or thing that was loved once, but is now lost.

Helmut Zemo's life was forever changed when the Avengers picked his country as a personal playground to fight their own creations. He would never regain the pieces of his life where he was a husband and a father of two. But the existence of new Super Soldiers might just bring him closer to that life he once had than he ever thought was possible. Madripoor holds secrets that even Baron Zemo does not know about.

Word Count: 10k

Helmut followed in some sort of a daze, not focusing on the turns that they took as they made their way to Selby's office, barely seeing the money that was piled up on the tables and the armed men that stood guard on seemingly every corner. No, his mind was miles away, trying to comprehend what he heard mere minutes ago.

"What the hell, man?" Sam hissed right by his ear as he overtook James. "You almost blew us."

"Apologies." Was all that he could muster up to say, looking straight ahead. What else could he really say? That for the briefest moment he thought he heard Nic's voice? That if he shut down the logical side of his brain even for a second, he would admit that's how he'd imagine she would sound like now? That he, not even seeing a woman's face fully, picked her as an example of how his girl would look like? Maybe being locked up for few years with nothing but books and solidarity brought him closer to insanity than he liked to admit.

Helmut barely heard Le Petit Homme by Edith Piaf playing over the speakers as they finally approached Selby's office. The woman in front of them turned back. Her brown eyes landed on him for the briefest second and knocked the air out of his lungs once again. Was this a trick of some sort? Power Broker trying to get under his skin, render him useless? Helmut doubted that he would care enough to go to such lengths, but there had to be an explanation. Sure, he knew that theoretically there were around seven people in the world who could look similar to Nic, but his gut instinct was sending him red signals. That this was too much of a coincidence for him to cross paths with a lookalike, in Madripoor of all places, the one time that he was looking for information himself. No, something was wrong here. He couldn't get distracted, couldn't let some lowlife distract him with the face of the dead. He spent most of his life trusting his instinct. The one time that he didn't, he spent days digging through the rocks of a collapsed building.

The woman took a couple of steps behind him, attacking his nose with a sharp, earthy scent that had just a tiniest floral undertone, and stopped in front of Sam. She invaded his space, leaving no distance between them. Helmut followed her actions with his eyes, noticing that James straightened up and he shook his head lightly in a warning. There were too many eyes watching them. She reached for Sam's neck and Helmut was nearly certain that James would lash out. He could tell by the way that he was clenching the prosthetic arm, that the man was considering it. Whatever they thought she'd do, they didn't expect for her to simply unbutton the top button and straighten his collar.

"Are you really going to make me wait for my own guests, Nic?" Selby's sweet voice almost made him jump up in surprise. He clenched his hands in the pockets of the coat, wrapping his fingers around the hard handle of the ka-bar knife he still had in his possession from the army days. A coincidence. Nicoletta, or any similar version of it, was simply a popular name. It wasn't his Nic. Definitely not the girl he buried years ago. Just one big, fat coincidence. He was even prepared to entertain the idea of it being a futile attempt by someone to distract him. In his mind, he knew that. He only needed to convince his heart that hadn't stopped racing from the moment she spoke.

"Of course not." Her voice rang out, making him inhale sharply. She ran her fingers through the suit jacket and with a smirk moved in front again. Right. There was no time for mistakes.

Nic moved out of the way, allowing Helmut to cast his eyes on Selby. She had her back turned to them, sitting comfortably on one of the couches. A power move. She was not threatened by their presence. Not that he could blame her, there were four security guards in the room alone, all holding assault rifles. No doubt more were ready to barge in at a second's notice.

"You should know, Baron. People don't just come into my bar and make demands." Selby said as she tapped her fingers against the couch. Helmut gave her a tight-lipped smile and a small nod as he moved to sit down in front of her. Two of the men stood by the wall beside them while James and Sam moved in to stand on either end of the couches.

"Not a demand. An offer." He elaborated, getting comfortable on the couch. He crossed his legs, his foot landing on the edge of the short table that was in front of him. He noticed a couple of bags lying on the table with a clear powder and a Grand Power K100 semi-automatic pistol within a hand's reach, positioned in a way that she could easily grab it. It was a cat and mouse game. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Nic walked over to the table behind Selby's couch and turned her back on them.

"A lot has changed since you were here last." She took a glance at James before turning back to him. "By the way, I thought you were rotting away in a German prison. How did you escape?"

A lot of things might have changed during the years, but he could tell that she did not. All sweet and smiles, hoping that he would fall into the false sense of security that she loved to provide. That he'd spill his secrets or slip up and give a reason for her to doubt his intentions for the visit.

"People like us always find a way, don't we?" Helmut dodged her question raising his hands in a shrug. The more that he could get away with leading her in circles, the better. "I'm sure you've already figured out what I'm here for."

His smile faltered ever so slightly as Nic came back in the view, moving past James to sit down on the couch. She had taken off her mask. He blinked twice to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks with him. Sure he had moments during his imprisonment, in the dead of night where he had nothing but his own mind to keep him company. Moments where he could almost imagine Ivana's soft touch against his face and see his children in a flash between one moment and the next. If he concentrated enough, he could've heard their voices. But this was different. This was too real to be a figment of his imagination, no matter how vivid it could be. Whoever she was, she looked identical to his Nic.

He bit inside his cheek, irritating his mouth even more as Nic planted herself beside Selby and mimicked her pose. It was so much harder to keep his composure when she was right in front of him, watching his every move with those same shade of brown eyes that Ivana had.

With her sitting opposite of him, he had a chance to take a closer look at her. The chopped off blonde hair barely reached her shoulders. Unlike the majority of the people in the bar, she did not wear makeup or attire suitable for such a place. Instead, she wore a pair of jeans, a high collared crop top, and a rust-colored leather jacket with a hood.

Swallowing he looked back at Selby, determined to keep his attention to her. He was after the information that she had, he needed to concentrate on that. Not on the hypotheticals.

"So many people with offers and deals these days." She grinned, moving her hand to rest on Nic's shoulder. "Like this one. Promised to look over the bar for a good sum and yet did nothing but drink while your friend had fun trashing it. I feel cheated really."

"The agreement was for me to look over the bar. Not to fight for it. There's a difference…I think." Nic deadpanned but didn't move to get the hand off her. Helmut could feel her gaze burning holes in his skin. He readjusted his pose ever so slightly, hoping to get rid of the feeling entirely if he moved a couple of muscles. It didn't work.

"Funny thing aren't you." Selby chuckled and leaned to grab one of the small packets off the table. "Be a dear and make yourself useful. Our friends in Azimut are offering a share for B163.9. I think they're blowing smoke up my eyes but I was in a good mood that day. Tell me what you think."

Helmut clenched his jaw and shared a glance with James. The longer they stayed, the more difficult it would become to maintain their cover. The opening snap of the bag brought everyone's attention back to Nic. She shifted in her seat, pulling a key out of her pocket.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she would do next. Helmut cleared his throat and picked different points of interest to look at around the office. He resisted the urge to shift more in his seat or start tapping his fingers. Whatever the young woman was, his stomach rebelled at the thought of watching her snort the powder. Her appearance alone was too close for him to clearly draw the line and separate the two girls. It didn't matter that his Nic would never reach the age this woman in front of him was, would never end up in a sleazy office in Madripoor, snorting God knows what. It didn't stop his blood from freezing in place and a massive pit forming in his stomach.

Helmut settled on looking at Selby instead. He had to concentrate on her or else he wasn't sure if he could keep the content of his stomach in place. It was too similar, too close to home for his mind not to start messing with him with the 'what if' scenarios.

The ride home was dead silent. Helmut was sure that if he clenched the wheel any harder, the leather surrounding it would rip and break. The bright beam-lights of Ivana 's Range Rover Evoque lit up the road in front of him as he sped through the empty streets. He was grateful that there was no other cars around as he wasn't completely sure that he wouldn't murder someone on the spot given the chance.

"Daddy?" Nic pulled his attention from the countless racing thoughts in his head.

"Hmm?" He frowned and tilted his head towards her, not taking his eyes off the road. He needed to concentrate on something else.

"Are you mad?"

"No." Sometimes you had to lie to your children to protect them. He was quite familiar with that concept. Certain matters were best kept hidden. Truths of what his job really entailed, the rumors of human experimentation in outside city facilities, reasons why their country was always on a brink of war or governmental collapse. So what was a small lie about how he felt compared to the never-ending list of half-truths and outright lies he told?

"Are you sure?"

"Don't close your eyes. You'll only make yourself dizzy." He changed the subject instead. He cast a glance at her curled up on the seat and with a sigh, placed his hand on her shoulder. He squeezed it in a warning. The last thing he needed was her freaking out if she started to feel sick.

Helmut had only needed to take one glance at her and instinctively know that it wasn 't just alcohol running through her system. He didn't need proper lighting to know her pupils were still blown out of proportion or look at the way she grounded her jaw to confirm his suspicion.

"I feel sick."

"I bet you do," He muttered under his breath, too low for her to hear. Nonetheless, he pressed down gently on the brakes bringing the car to a smooth stop. "Let's get you some air."

Nic clumsily reached for the door handle and pulled it hard enough that it slipped from her grip and made a loud noise sliding back in place. It took her few tries to actually pry the doors open.

Hearing the door shut, he closed his eyes and leaned further into his seat. Dragging his hand over his face did very little to help him relax the tension that slipped into his bones ever since he answered her call. He could already feel the beginning of a migraine forming.

Helmut sighed deeply and unclipped his seatbelt. He couldn 't let her leave his eyesight for too long. Who the hell knew what she could think of doing in the drug-induced mind. Clearly, there wasn't much thinking involved that got her in this state in the first place. He had to swallow the urge to demand for answers that she most likely would not be able to think of. 'Later', he had to remind himself. They needed to get home first.

Helmut walked around the car from the back and found her sitting on the gravel with knees pulled to her chest. Even with his jacket over whatever it was that she was wearing, she was barely covered. He had no doubt that the gravel that dug into her skin would be painful tomorrow. God, that was never how he wanted to see her.

Slowly crouching down, he put his hand on her shoulder again, feeling it shake under his touch. He brought his other hand into her hair, and stroked it lightly, in an attempt to calm her down. Of course, she ended up freaking herself out. That was what tended to happen when you didn 't think your actions through. Hearing her breath hitch, he forced any emotion he might have felt to leave his voice and moved in closer, dropping down to one of his knees. The gravel was a bitch.

"You're fine. Look at me," He moved his hands to cup her face, tapping her cheek lightly to keep her attention on him for long enough to calm down. "You're okay. Don't work yourself up. It will pass."

She gripped his shirt and lurched herself into his chest, almost knocking him backward. Grunting lightly, he wrapped his arms around her shaking form and let her destroy his shirt with makeup, tears, and snot.

"Come on, mom is waiting for us at home." He encouraged her softly and kissed the side of her head. "I'm sure she has some tea ready for us. That sound good?"

He felt her nod against him and waited a couple of moments before pulling away.

Getting her inside and not waking the entire house was another feat. It seemed that she was hellbent on being as loud as humanly possible. Even with him supporting most of her weight, she found ways to almost trip or knock something off.

"Hey," Ivana greeted them as she stepped from the kitchen into the hall. Her eyes widened at the sight of them. "Whoa."

"Mom!" Nic half screamed into his ear, making him wince in pain.

"Nic!" He hissed in warning. He was this close to snapping entirely. "Carl is asleep, don't be loud."

She turned and looked at him with a wobbly lip and eyes sparkling with tears. Helmut swallowed, feeling the pang of guilt pass him. No, he had no reason to feel guilty. But just because he knew something logically didn 't mean that her expression didn't pierce through his heart.

"Here, I'll put her to bed," Ivana interrupted approaching them and wrapping one of Nic's arms around her shoulder, taking some of the weight off him. "You take a breath."

"I'm fine." He bit out harsher than he meant. Taking a breath in, he glanced at them. "Give a shout if you need help."

It took him longer than a moment to actually let go fully and let Ivana take over. Rubbing his neck, he walked up the stairs to their shared bedroom and dug through the drawers of his bedside table until he found a half-full packet of cigarette carton with a lighter shoved inside.

He took it and walked out into the balcony, leaving the door half-open behind him. He closed his eyes as he brought the bud to his lips and inhaled the smoke deeply into his lungs. Only then could he feel his shoulders releasing some of the tension that he carried. He eventually reopened his eyes, not really looking at anything.

"You're smoking." Helmut eventually heard Ivana behind him but didn't turn to her. At least she didn't sound annoyed.

"Yeah," He mumbled as she joined him and leaned against the railing. "I'll take a shower before I come back to bed."

"I'll let it pass for tonight." She looked him up and down and slightly arched her eyebrow. "Although, do make sure you throw that shirt into a wash. I don't even want to know what's on it."

Helmut could tell she was trying to lighten up his mood but he wasn't sure it was possible at that minute. There were too many emotions swirling under the surface. He wasn't a stranger to saying something in a heat of a moment and then regretting it as soon as it came out of his mouth. Half of their early arguments as a new couple consisted of that. So he kept his mouth shut until he got himself under control. Ivana understood his needs, sometimes more than he did himself, and let him brood in his own misery until he finished his first cigarette and tossed it away.

He sighed deeply and finally turned his head to look at her. She stood beside him in a rich blue, silk dressing gown and some fluffy slippers. For a moment he wondered if it wasn't too cold to stand on a balcony in the middle of the night. A twinge of guilt passed through him. He didn't want his own restlessness to make her cold.

"Am I away from home that often? Going through abandoned bunkers, this. Is this some sort of cry for help or attention? What else don't I know? She secretly dating a fifty-year-old man too?" He pondered, the words rolling off his tongue the moment he opened his mouth. Perhaps he opened his mouth too soon. He stretched out his arm, going for the carton that he threw to the side but she blocked it and took his hand in her own instead.

"She messed up." Ivana agreed quietly, rubbing her fingers against his knuckles.

"She's fifteen, lied where she was, drank and got high off her rockets. I think it constitutes more than just a mess up." He barked out. Fuck. He needed another cigarette.

Untangling his hand free of her hold, this time she didn't stop him as he reached for the carton and pulled out another cigarette before lighting it up again. After a couple of moments of silence, he swapped hands and extended his left for her to hold again. He needed something to ground him.

"I'm not disagreeing with you, love." She reminded him, lacing their fingers together. "But she did call you when she felt unsafe. That counts for something."

"So what? We should congratulate her on making a single sane decision in the mess that she created herself?"

"No one is saying that, Helmut. But maybe you are being a bit too harsh," Ivana said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. He leaned further against the turning in their balcony, exhaling harshly the smoke out of his chest, causing his throat to burn. "She is a teenager after all. They are not exactly known for making the best choices."

"I'm not too hard on her. If anything, I'm clearly not hard enough on her. Hell if I called my father after pulling these kinds of stunts he would have skinned me alive for disrespecting the family name."

"I'd rather have our daughter mess up and know she can call us than her hiding out god knows where out of fear." She chastised him, her tone hardening. It snapped him out of his tirade long enough to realize the implications of what he said.

"My apologies," He lowered his head in shame at even the notion of it. "It wasn't what I intended to say."

"I have been by your side long enough to know what you mean and don't mean. I know you're angry."

"Of course I'm angry. You didn't see her in that dingy bathroom with skimpy clothes, eyes blown wide. It wasn't just some weed she smoked, that's for sure. Besides where did she even pick up such clothes?" Even talking about it made his skin crawl with dread. He brought the cigarette to his mouth yet again, needing the calm. Chain-smoking was a habit that he picked up years ago all the way back when he was just a private, and needed nicotine in stressful situations. This definitely constituted a stressful situation.

Ivana didn't respond, just kept rubbing his shoulder. Her lack of anger was starting to get under his skin. Almost made him feel like he was in the wrong. He wasn't, not this time.

"Why aren't you angry?" He finally asked.

"Of course I'm angry Helmut, I'm furious. But right now, Nic is in bed and you need me more."

Her words, spoken with such gentleness, forced him to turn to her and really look at her. Here she was, in the middle of the night, listening to his ramblings and quietening down all his inner turmoils. What would he ever do without her? There was no way in hell he ever deserved her.

He clenched his jaw a couple of times as he tried to find the words to somehow justify his behavior. To justify the tornado of rage and absolute fear that swirled inside him. In the end, he settled on:

"A girl died a week ago, overdosing on shit like this."

"I know."

"All I can imagine is that being her," He sighed, rubbing his eyes until he saw stars. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get it out of his head. It was like the idea itself tried to choke the life out of him. "Of getting a call like that in the middle of the night. Instead of the one we got tonight. I can't. I really can't."

Ivana sighed and wrapped her arms around him, stepping on her tippy toes to land her chin on his shoulder. "We won't. You know we won't. She made a mistake and she is sorry about it. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Together."

Helmut felt her fingers slowly run through his hair, easing some pressure off his chest. Not enough to let it go entirely, but just enough for him to feel like he could go back inside.

"Well, she's a sad drunk just like you. That's for sure." His attempt to finally lighten the mood felt flat even to his own ears. Nevertheless, she chuckled and slapped his chest lightly in a warning.

"Watch yourself. One more comment and I'll have you sleeping on the couch." She smiled and turned to go back inside but he tugged her back into his hold before she had a chance.

"I love you." He told her, meaning every word. He loved her, truly. He doubted that he would ever find enough words to express just how much he adored her.

"And I love you. Now come on, let's go back to bed. You can be mad at her tomorrow." She took his hand and pulled him back inside their room.

"You go ahead, I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"You better." She pointed a finger at him. "And seriously, lose the shirt. Preferably into the trash. It's disgusting."

For once he didn't disagree with her opinion on clothes. He doubted he would ever be able to get the stains and the stench out of the material.

"Nothing special for the price. I'd go for the Stironium that Joy offers. Basically the same thing but cheaper. " Nic's voice snapped him back to reality. Swallowing, he spared a glance at her, half expecting her to look drugged up. He didn't delude himself, knowing where he was. Narcotics in Madripoor hit a completely different level. It was more like a ticking Russian Roulette. You were considered lucky if you were alive by the morning.

To his surprise, the woman didn't even look dazed let alone under the influence. That was…an interesting piece of information to know.

"I knew it," Selby sighed and nodded to one of the men who promptly left the office. Her attention returned to him. "What was your offer again?"

"Tell us what you know about the Super-Soldier serum." Helmut proposed and stood up. He circled behind James, touching him just enough to show that he was the one in control. As expected, James did not move or wince as he trailed his hands down his face. "And I give you him, along with the code words to control him, of course. He will do anything you want."

"Now that's the Zemo I remember." Selby gleamed at the prospect of his offer. Helmut nodded, pleased. "I'm glad I decided not to kill you immediately. Yeah, you were right to come to me. Arrogant, but right."

With his job of selling the bait complete, he returned to his seat. He nodded in thanks as Nic moved her legs out of his way.

"The Super-Soldier Serum is here in Madripoor. You're looking at one example right in front of you." Selby confirmed his speculation and pointed at Nic lazily.

Helmut struggled briefly to keep his face straight. The woman in front of him did not look like a Super Soldier, if anything she looked very much like a regular person. Well, as normal as a person could be when they looked older version of someone else. But human. Nothing like the ones that he killed in Siberia.

Besides, Selby looked eager when he offered up James. Why would she want him if she already had a Super Soldier working for her? He supposed James was pretty handsome for a man but he doubted that she would be interested in him that way. The Selby he knew was always interested in finding use out of a situation or a person, not to take a personal interest.

Too many things weren't adding up.

"Doctor Nigel is the man you want to thank or condemn," Selby released a dramatic sigh, cocking her head to the side. "Depending on what side of this you're on."

"She's your pet?" Helmut asked curiously. He had so many questions about this Nic, but couldn't ask any of them without giving himself away.

"In a way. Power Broker's toy. Such a pretty thing, lethal too if you can afford her." The way she said, with such glee, made a shiver go down his back. She cast her eyes at Sam. "you know all about that don't you, Smiling Tiger?"

"Don't need to tell me." Sam mustered up all could in sounding confident for which Helmut was thankful. But Selby didn't seem to want to let up.

"You're taller than I'd heard."

"It's the shoes." Nic intervened and loosely crossed her arms, kicking up her foot against his couch. If he didn't know better he would say that it was a subtle attempt to lock him in his place. Was she playing something? He couldn't figure out her angle. Not yet, anyway.

"You had plenty of business with him didn't you?" Selby raised her eyebrow at Nic who merely nodded. "Can you confirm it's him?"

Helmut stiffened up, slowly moving his hand closer to his pockets, ready for a fight. He wondered if he would be able to grab the gun off the table quicker than Selby. Any moment now, their cover would be blown. He doubted the security would hesitate in shooting them. Nic stood up and slowly walked over from the couch to Sam. She circled around him like a cheetah ready to play with her food before devouring it.

She walked right up to Sam until there was almost no space between them and looked up. Helmut was ready to pray to the God he had long abandoned if it kept Sam from blowing their cover by stepping back. They were so close to knowing what they needed, it would be nice if they could leave this place without being shoved inside a body bag. He watched with a bated breath as she tilted her head and clicked her tongue.

"Oh, it's him."

Helmut was not expecting that. He looked up to James who also wore a similar expression of surprise. She was covering for them? Why? He doubted she really believed Sam to be Conrad Mack, she gave them more than enough indication that she suspected at least something.

"Good." Selby flashed her teeth as she turned to Helmut. "Had to ask. Too many fakes running around ever since the Blip."

Yeah, like the one sitting right in front of him who just lied about the identity of the Smiling Tiger.

"The Power Broker had him working on the serum, but… things didn't go as planned."

"Is Nagel still in Madripoor?"

"Oh. The bread crumbs you can have for free, but the bakery is gonna cost you." Selby teased him, raising up. "And before you get all cute, don't think you can find Nagel without me."

Helmut pursed his lips. She was right, people like him loved to hide out in the dark, work off-grid in their own little dungeons. He despised the Frankenstein wannabes, too deluded in their own ideals to see the lines that shouldn't be crossed.

Selby just about passed by Sam when a sudden buzzing noise brought the office to a standstill. It appeared that everyone held in their breath as the vibration rang out again. All eyes turned to Sam who dug into his jacket to retrieve his phone.

Fuck. Fuck. Did he seriously not turn off his phone? Helmut looked away exasperated and his eyes landed on Nic just in time to see her stiffened in her seat and clench her jaw. If Sam blew their cover and Selby realized that she covered for them, for whatever reason, she'd be just in as much hot water as they would.

In conclusion, this was very bad for all of them.

"Answer it. On speaker." Selby ordered as the phone continued to vibrate in Sam's hand. James moved behind Selby as the guards stepped up closer to Sam. Helmut glanced around the place, looking for any possible exit routes or what they could use to defend themselves. If they were ever going to get out of here alive, he was going to feed him nothing but expired food, that was for sure. Did he really need to spell it out for them every little precaution when going into a bad place? What kind of moron didn't turn off his ring tone when going undercover?

"Hello?" Sam answered.

"Hey, um, we need to talk about this situation. It's been drivin' me nuts."

"What situation exactly are you talkin' about?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nic move to the center of the couch as she watched the interaction.

"Are you high? You know what situation, it's the only situation me and you have."

Their eyes met as Nic reached for the gun on the table while everyone's attention was focused on Sam and put it in the inside pocket of her jacket before leaning back. She continued to watch him with a cold gaze as she ran her hand through the right side of her face and settled her fingers over her mouth.

He barely heard it. Perhaps he even imagined it happening at all. Maybe she simply coughed. But at that moment, he was certain that she uttered 'grasshopper' in Sokovian.

The call, Sam, Selby; they all became muted. Mere background noise as his whole body froze up on the spot. There was ringing in his ears. Or was it his own heartbeat that was banging against his eardrums? He wasn't sure. A sudden chill swept through him as if a cold wind cut through his skin. The word was not meant for him. He most likely was not even meant to hear it in the first place.

His brain screamed at him to snap out of it. To get himself back in order before he was riddled with bullets. But even blinking felt like an impossible feat. How was he meant to pay attention to what was going on around him? A fleeting, treasonous, thought crossed his mind. Did it even matter if he ended up with a bullet in his head before he had a chance to fight back? No. He still had a job to do. He needed to finish it before he gave in any temptation.

"If that was the case, then why'd they dog you out, Big Time?"

It felt like forever when he finally zoned back into his surroundings. Right. Sam was about to blow their cover. This woman in front of him was or at least knew Sokovian while looking like his daughter. James did what he did best, and stared at Sam.

Wait. Who was she talking to? Was she wired? Who the hell was on the other end?

Helmut tilted his head ever so slightly as Selby walked behind him. From experience, he did not enjoy someone standing behind when he was not in control of the room. Even now, it made his skin crawl with dread. She was circling them like they were the prey.

"Yeah, you damn right I'm Big Time. You'll see when I have that banker killed."

"Cass! What'd I tell you about the Cheerios?" Helmut inhaled sharply. They were done. "I don't have time for this! Sam, I'm sorry. I'll call you back."

The pressure in the air dropped. Selby raised her eyebrow, surprised.

"Sam? Who's Sam?"

"Now." Nic hissed out at the same time as Selby shouted "Kill them!"

Nic ripped the pistol out of her jacket and jumped up. She aimed and pulled the trigger. The sound of that first bullet leaving the chamber pierced through his eardrums. Multiple shots followed, as well as a window shattering into millions of shards. A man in the very back of the office dropped with dead weight.

The second's hesitation, the shock of surprise that passed through the guards, gave just enough time for Sam and James to overpower them. Helmut leaped from his seat as they fought for the weapons, there was no moment to waste.

Nic jumped over the corner of the couch to the table. Slapping the mask over her face she pulled the table apart. By the time that everyone was either knocked out or dead, she had thrown a backpack over her shoulders and secured it over her chest.

James pointed the gun as the doors to the office opened.

"Whoa." A woman with glasses entered the office. It took her one look inside to raise her hands up in surrender. "Wait I-"

"Nothing personal, it's just business." Nic responded and pulled the trigger before James could.

"They're gonna pin this on us," Sam informed them as he looked at Helmut. As if he didn't know that himself.

"We have a real problem now," He sighed thinking of what they could do. Maybe if they managed to sneak out unnoticed, they'd have just enough time to hide out and eventually get out of Low Town. It was their best chance. "so leave your weapons and follow my lead."

"We have roughly two minutes before every single mercenary gets an alert for a bounty. She was on the no kill list." Nic briefed them as she walked over to them with a phone in hand.

"Two minutes?" Helmut couldn't help but smirk. "A lot can be done in two minutes."

=====

By the time they made it to the streets and turned a corner, Nic's phone chimed up.

"We are about to have a lot of company," Nic called out and held up her phone. It had two notifications:

Messenger | now.

'Selby dead. B1k BOUNTY for her killers.'

Veron | now.

'58324 Ridge Tow. 7 minutes.'

Helmut would have loved to ask about the second message if they weren't about to become biggest practice targets to about every single lowlife in the city.

"What's the plan now?" James bit out as they marched down the street. More and more phones chimed up. Eyes followed their every move.

"Follow me and you might stand a chance," Nic replied, pulling a hood over her head.

"How do we know you're not just going to shoot us? You just said Selby was on the no-kill list and you shot her."

"Oh, you don't. But I am your only hope of staying alive."

"This is not good," Helmut warned, he could see the bystanders arming themselves. They had no choice but to place their trust in her.

The street light went out underneath them and a man pointed a gun at them. Shots rang out behind them.

"Through here," Nic shouted, ducking from the fire. She took a sharp turn behind a parked van that Helmut barely managed not to miss. They sprinted through a small alleyway in between the buildings.

"Why are you helping us?" He called out as they passed yet another turn, barely keeping up with her.

"An interested party is paying a lot of money to keep you alive." She responded and slowed down ever so slightly. As if she noticed that he couldn't keep up with a Super-Soldier speed. She frowned looking behind him. "Are your friends able to follow any basic instructions?"

Helmut looked back as well. Sam and James were nowhere to be seen.

"Not particularly." He sighed, shrugging. "Who is this interested party?"

She did not reply to him. Instead, she tapped her right ear as she held the pistol and slowly walked over to the end of the alleyway.

"We have a problem." She snapped into what he assumed was an earpiece.

"Oh?"

"Forty seconds."

Wordlessly she passed her gun to him and pulled out a blade that he could not recognize in the dim light. She moved out of the alleyway into the open. He followed suit with the gun raised but had no time to see where she ran off to.

Helmut aimed at whoever stood in front of him just as Sam and James cut the corner and appeared into the view. The goon dropped dead before he could pull the trigger. Startled, he squinted to see where the shot came from.

He turned at the sound of motorbikes approaching them. Another shot rang out, right as Nic popped out and dragged the goon off the bike to the floor. He did not rise again.

"You seem to have a guardian angel." Helmut broke the silence, surprised, as he walked up to them.

"Well, this is too perfect. Drop it, Zemo." A voice behind him made him jump and turn around. With the gun in his face, he had no choice but to bend down and slowly put the gun on the floor.

"Sharon?" James faltered, recognizing her. He knew her. A friend?

"You cost me everything." The woman, Sharon, growled at him with the gun still pointed to him. Helmut cocked his eyebrow. Did he? He could not recall ever meeting her before. He raised his hands in surrender and took a step back.

"Sharon, wait." Sam interjected, stepping closer to him. "Someone recreated the Super-Soldier serum and Zemo had a lead."

He was defending him? How sweet. Helmut would have made a witty comment if his life wasn't hanging by a thread. He turned his head to see Nic walking up to them from behind. The knife that she carried had spots of blood on it.

Helmut swallowed nervously. The woman in front of him clearly held a grudge against him and the woman behind him, well he had not the slightest idea what she wanted. Who was to say that they weren't about to end his existence at a moment's notice.

"That explains why you guys are here. And Selby's dead." She gave a pointed look at Nic who just shrugged.

"In my defense, this one did not think to turn off his phone."

"So what are you doing here?" Sam asked, changing the attention away from himself. Helmut wondered if he was embarrassed that he forgot to do such a basic task. He hoped that he was.

"I stole Steve's shield, remember? I also took the wings for your ass, so that you could save him from him. I didn't have the Avengers to back me up. So I'm off the grid in Madripoor." Oh. So that's why she didn't like him. Even though it was hardly his fault.

"Don't blow smoke. I was on the run, too."

"Was. Is. Big difference. I don't speak to my family anymore. I can't. My own father doesn't know where I am."

Helmut looked around uncomfortably. He didn't particularly care about their reunion. Especially when they were still out on the open and could be spotted at any moment.

"Listen… Sharon, we need your help." James said, causing the woman to chuckle.

"Please." He added for the good measure.

Sharon sighed and looked behind them where Nic stood around.

"You alright?"

"Never been better," Nic called out. Even with his back turned to her, he could tell she was smirking.

"This isn't over. I have a place in High Town. You'll be safe there for a while."

Helmut shared a look with Sam and James and nodded. Getting a ride to High Town would be safer for them than navigating their way back to the safe house themselves. The bounty on their heads would not go away anytime soon.

"I'll follow by." Nic nodded to them and walked over to the motorbikes that sat empty. Kicking one of the bodies out of her way, she turned on the engine.

Helmut intended to trail behind them but Sam grabbed his shoulder and roughly moved him to the front, preventing him from seeing Nic take off. He still had so many questions and about zero answers when it came to her. Not knowing something was not his style.

The ride from Low Town was just as quiet but more relaxing than their last one. He imagined that having company that did not try to kill them at any chance they got helped.

Glancing at the side mirror, he saw that a single motorbike was close, trailing behind them.

"Your friend," Helmut opened his mouth, hoping to get even a grain of information. "Nic. Who-"

"Shut up, Zemo." Sam snarled from the back as he leaned into the seat's headrest and closed his eyes.

Helmut raised an eyebrow watching him through the rear mirror. At first, he assumed that the hostility was from the adrenaline of having a whole town trying to feed them bullets. But enough time passed for them to settle down and take a breath in. So there had to be another reason for the snappiness.

Helmut racked his brain through the day's events that would result in such behavior. He had to admit a lot did occur in the space of the twenty-four hours.

Oh?

Perhaps his intuition was correct and there was something going on between these two men. It would definitely explain the constant staring at each other. If he was right, he could imagine that Sam did not take lightly at the prospect of him trying to sell off James. Not that he actually wanted or planned to do it. He had hoped it would not come to that point anyway. James was much more useful to have around than not.

====

Their car pulled in front of a gated building that was surrounded by guards. Helmut had to admit, he was impressed. Not many people would be able to afford such a place, especially in High Town. He followed closely behind Sharon as they walked inside.

The inside was as over the top and sleek as he imagined it would be. They passed through numerous paintings that he had no doubt were the real copies and other artifacts. So she was a hustler then.

"Looks like breaking all those laws is treating you well." Sam chuckled looking around.

"I thought if I had to hustle, might as well enjoy the life of a real hustler. You know how much I'll get for a real Monet?" Sharon explained, leading them further in.

"Also it helps that a lot of high-paying idiots do not realize the real value of art and are willing to overpay," Nic added passing them all.

"Deactivate your hustle mode. You sell fake Monets."

"No. She means real." Helmut interjected, having some experience with places like these. Ivana had picked Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 by Marcel Duchamp to hang in their living room by the fireplace. "This gallery is specialized in stolen artwork. Monet. Van Gogh. Classics."

"It's true. You know, half the artwork in museums like the Louvre is fake. Real stuff sits in places like this." Even James reaffirmed their point.

"Okay, guys, I see what you're doing. You're more worldly than good old Sam." Sam rolled his eyes and proceeded to Google it.

"Yeah. What's Google say?" James asked sarcastically.

"No shit."

Helmut glanced at them. They fell behind, referring to bicker with each other than to follow them. Definitely had to be fucking.

"Come on. You guys need to change. I'm hosting clients in an hour." Sharon sighed exasperated.

====

Helmut helped himself to the open bar while James and Sam tried to pick what to wear for the evening. There was no way he would exchange the comfort of his own clothes to whatever Sharon had in stock. He already looked the part anyway. It was one of the many advantages of having a good taste in fashion.

Nic apparently had a similar idea as she threw the backpack by James and joined him at the bar. Wordlessly, Helmut passed her a glass and proceeded to pour himself a good amount of scotch. He would need a lot of it if he even wanted to begin to untangle the mess. Ignoring her existence seemed to be the easier option at the moment.

"Much better." Sharon made a comment as she passed Sam who kept changing his mind on what shirt to wear. His indecisiveness started to grate on Helmut's nerves. Even he didn't take this long to choose a shirt and he was called a fashion diva on numerous occasions.

Sharon sat down beside James and took the bag on her lap. She unzipped it and looked up at Nic with a grin.

"You think you can push it?"

"I know I can." Nic replied smugly and rose the glass to her mouth.

"Hold up," Sam interrupted turning to them with a simple turtle neck in his arms. Helmut crinkled his nose. Really? All this time for a plain turtleneck? "What exactly do you do? Cause you are sending mixed messages with the killing and saving our asses."

"I do whatever you can afford me to do." Nic grinned and looked him up and down as if to make a point. Helmut cringed at the suggestive tone of her voice. It made him uncomfortable to even think of what it could entail. Whether she did look like his daughter or not, it felt wrong. He doubted she was much older than twenty. Practically a kid.

Sam cleared his throat uncomfortably, getting a similar image as he did.

"So what?" He asked Sharon, putting the shirt over his head. "You have a lot of people that need to be murdered on your list?"

"Oh, no." Sharon chuckled. "We're friends. I just buy her out whenever I can to mostly chill. Her being able to sell crap to others on the side are just an added bonus."

"Who is the Power Broker now?" Helmut asked as he held the glass in his hands. He doubted it was the same person from when he dealt with him. People in places like Madripoor usually did not reach pension age.

"Depend on which division you want to talk to." Sharon shrugged. "It's not a single entity anymore but more like a big umbrella organization. Even then, you don't really know who you speak to. Suppose it's easier to hold on to power that way."

"You seem like you know a lot about how this place operates. What's going on, Sharon? You don't ever wanna come back home?" Sam frowned, sitting down on the couch opposite of her.

"They'll lock me up if I step foot back in the States. Madripoor doesn't allow extradition." Sharon sighed, standing up and walking over to another table to pick something up. Helmut watched her, noticing that she did not sit in one place for too long. Interesting. He wondered for a second if perhaps she had some form of ADHD or if it was just her body language betraying discomfort.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't call, but after The Blip and the chaos, I just…"

"Look, you know the whole hero thing is a joke, right? The way you gave up that shield, deep down, you must know it's all hypocrisy."

"He knows. And not so deep down." Helmut commented, bringing everyone's attention to him. He raised his glass in fake salute.

"By the way, how is the new Cap?"

"He sounds annoying." Nic interjected. She raised her eyebrow as he looked up at her. "What? It's Madripoor, not a cave. We do keep up with international news."

"Don't get me started." James grumbled, turning his head away.

"Please." Sharon scoffed, settling down beside James again. "You buy into all that stars and stripes bullshit. Before you were his pet psychopath, you were Mr. America! Cap's best friend."

Well, that was offensive. To both him and James.

"Wow. She's kind of awful now." James bit out dryly.

"You get used to it." Nic retorted as she poured herself another drink.

"Karli Morgenthau and at least seven others have taken the serum." Sam spoke, playing with his collar. Either the scotch was really good or the day was getting to him, but if Sam kept messing with his attire one more time he wasn't sure he will be able to control himself enough not to strangle him.

Perhaps he was still annoyed at Sam for not turning off his phone.

"You guys really should steer clear of all of this for your own safety."

"We know it's a risk, but we won't leave until we find the one who cracked the code."

"We got a name. Wilfred Nagel." James added.

Sharon shared a look with Nic before rising once again.

"Nagel works for the Power Broker."

Helmut moved out of her way the moment he saw her walk in his direction. He glanced at the empty seat by a glass table and chose to sit there. It was close enough that he could still see them. The only downside was that Nic was directly in his sight now. With no imminent danger to his life, it was harder to concentrate on other matters and not let his mind run miles away. The longer he looked at her, the more exhausted he felt. Weariness seeped into his bones. He focused on the glass in his hands, running his fingertips through the golden strip.

"We need your help, Sharon. I can get your name cleared."

"You haggling with my life?"

"Not like that."

Helmut frowned. He didn't particularly care for their conversation. Or whether Sharon cleared her name. He was itching to get out, preferably as far away from Nic as possible. Maybe he could drink himself stupid until he forgot ever meeting her. Or until he started to believe that it was just his mind playing tricks on him and he simply slapped Nic's face over someone who shared her name.

That was going to take a lot of alcohol. It had been years since the last time that he got so drunk he passed out. Ironically, alcohol never made him forget, if anything it made the noise in his head so much louder.

He stopped paying attention to their conversation. It became a background noise as he zoned out. Even the glass that he kept staring at blurred away.

"I don't buy that. You pretending like you can clear my name."

"Okay, maybe it is hypocrisy. Maybe you're right. What happened to you. But I'm willing to try if you are. They cleared the bionic staring machine, and he killed almost everybody he's met."

"I heard that."

"I don't trust charity."

A pair of boots in his vision snapped him back. He blinked and looked up to see Nic standing in front of him.

"Sorry. Kind of need that." She pointed at the chest that was on the table.

"Of course." He gave her a polite smile and moved his chair to the side so she could grab it.

He gulped as the perfume hit his senses again. It felt weird. Wrong. His Nic always stole Ivana's perfumes that had some sweet combination of coconut, vanilla and touch of floral notes. She had a habit of spraying just a touch too much.

This was too harsh of a scent on her.

Not her. A stranger. Nic was dead. He should not compare how this woman smelled to how she used to. He had no business judging.

His eyes followed her as she walked off with the chest in her arm as if it weighed nothing and stopped by the stairs.

Sharon put her drink down with thud and straightened up.

"Well, I sell to some pretty connected people. Lay low, blend in, enjoy the party. Try to stay outta trouble. I'll see what I can find."

"Trouble." Helmut blurted out sarcastically and shrugged. He watched as the two women climbed up the stairs and left his sight.

"She means you." Sam gave him a pointed look.

"Why is she mad at me again?" Helmut asked as he got up and moved back to the yellow couches. Sam sat down beside James with a drink in hand. They had some time to kill before the party began.

"You don't remember?" Sam scoffed into his drink.

"Sam, if I tried to remember every single person that I may or may not have inconvenienced directly or indirectly, it would be a very long list and we'd spend a long time sitting around."

"Can't believe I'm saying this again. But it's not the time for arguments." James groaned out and let his head fall onto the back of the couch, almost like the idea itself was paining him.

"Alright. But I swear to God if you even move out of our sight for one second. I will send your ass right back to jail before you can make some stupid remark."

"I have no intention of inconveniencing you that much." Helmut smirked. "But be my guest and enjoy the party, I'm simply going to observe some individuals. No tricks."

"No. See, if we are doing this," Sam protested pointing to the three of them. "We need to know that you are not going to stab us in the back the first chance you get. So you gotta be honest with us, and tell us what the hell you're playing at."

"I told you before, I'm here to end the Super Soldiers serum. Nothing more, nothing less." Seeing the doubt on their faces, Helmut sighed in defeat. "And also figure out who the hell the woman your friend hanging out with is."

"You suspect she isn't just Sharon's friend." James guessed, crossing his arms as he stared at him.

Helmut threw back the glass, swallowing the last of it's contents. With the familiar burn that went down his throat, he pulled out his phone from the inside of his jacket and unlocked it. It didn't take long to search up his personal ICloud storage and enter the password. His phone lit up with multiple folders of pictures and documents that he had on his old phone. He clicked on the 'Pictures' folder, somewhat grateful that the contents of it were grouped by dates and had random strings of letters for its names instead of the actual pictures itself. It wasn't something he could deal with today.'Or ever' his mind supplied ever so helpfully.

He didn't need to scroll far to find the pictures dated back to February 2015. Mainly because he stopped taking pictures past May 2015.

In that February, he managed to pull enough strings with his Lieutenant General to get a couple of weeks off at the same time that Nic and Carl had holidays off school. Ivana wanted to go to Switzerland for the ski season while he wanted to go somewhere warm. After a few days of deliberation, they settled on and ended up flying out to Barbados for couple of days.

Helmut hesitated. It had been years since he saw their faces. Dread settled in his gut as he pressed to open the pictures. He did not give himself enough time to look at the pictures. Just tiniest of flashes as he scrolled through the few landscape shots before he found a picture where Nic was in it.

"This was my daughter, Nic," He told them, raising his phone away from himself and for them to see. "Looks familiar?"

Ivana had her arms wrapped around Nic's shoulders while Nic made a face at the camera. In the picture, Nic was with a mess of brown, wet curls that dropped down her back. She was younger, scrawnier, still with some baby fat in her cheeks but it was impossible not to see the similarities between the girl in the picture and the woman that they just met today. Apart from the haircut and the years, they were identical.

"Oh shit." Sam swore, zooming into the picture.

"Any chance it is her?" James asked looking up from the phone to him.

"I buried what was left of her years ago James. Collapsed buildings and flying ruble do not leave much behind." Helmut clenched his jaw. "But I am pretty certain that it is impossible."

"So either it's the biggest coincidence in the world that we met someone with exactly the same looks and name or either someone is behind this." Sam concluded passing the phone back to him.

"My thoughts exactly." He pocketed the phone back. "I simply wish to find whoever thought this was a funny joke and have a chat with them."

James and Sam shared a look. They did not believe a word of that.

"Alright," James sighed. "We'll see what we can find out before we leave this place."

====

Thank you so much for all the notes. I'm so glad you liked the previous chapters and hope you'll enjoy this too :) xx

[jasonbehrs]

let me be your guarantee

by airauralintensity (aka me, jasonbehrs!)

"You could stand to be a bit more selfish, you know."

"You could stand to be a bit more courteous in general, so I guess we both have things we need to work on."

fandom: kpop, super junior characters: ryeowook, kyuhyun ship: kyuwook genre: friendship, romance themes: genderbent, rule 63, high school, a day in the life, fluff (arguable) word count: 5.2k

read it below or on ffnet, wattpad, aff, or (new!) ao3

A/N (8.27.2021): I have no heterosexual explanation for the effects Ryeowook and Kyuhyun in drag have on me (or my creative process, evidently).

Rating for mildly suggestive language and graphic depictions of geometry. Title comes from Poster Girl by the Backstreet Boys. Cover art made by me. Thanks to Amy for the beta! (Even though you're already so over high school, haha.)

Uploading this as part of kyuwook month on twitter! I actually was gonna publish it wayyy back on July 21, but I waited so I could participate in ryeonamickyuo's #kyuwooksaturdays event on twitter lol. #marketing

~~~

A soothing chime alarm wakes Ryeowook up before dawn. She lets herself stretch in bed, enjoying the warm comfort of her blankets for a moment longer before getting up for a shower. She changes into the outfit she had prepared the night before: a sparkly white sweater and a pink skirt fluffed with tulle, and she painstakingly dries and curls her long lavender hair just the way she likes it before applying some light makeup. After scrutinising her appearance for another minute, she decides to add a small braid to her hair for fun.

With ease and minimal noise, Ryeowook flits through the kitchen to make enough breakfast for her and her parents. She's feeling like sweet potatoes and tofu this morning. She leaves her parents' portions in the oven to stay warm before serving herself, and she mentally checks through yesterday's to-do list to make sure she's all set for today while she chews.

Her homework is printed and neatly filed in their own plastic sleeves as a sustainable alternative to staples.

The cinnamon rolls she made the night before, with a small batch of gluten-free versions set aside, are individually packed in a tin waiting in the fridge.

After she brushes her teeth and puts on her silver flats, she'll be all ready for the walk to school.

Satisfied with her preparations, Ryeowook hums softly to herself as she washes the dishes after eating. With the sink by the kitchen window, she is able to catch the first rays of sunlight streak across the brightening sky, and she smiles. Today is going to be a good day.

~~~

Today is already a shit day.

The alarm blares once again after snoozing it for the third time just as someone bangs on her door, and the annoying sunlight shining through her bedroom window manages to directly hit her eyes. Kyuhyun frowns into her pillow. She was having an excellent dream about kimchi ramen that is already slipping out of her grasp the more she joins the land of the conscious.

She spares a second to flip the bird in Ahra's direction, knowing full well her older sister won't see it through the closed door, before rummaging through her unruly closet for whatever passes the sniff test. She changes into a pleather bodycon skirt (just long enough to meet the school's dress code, but no longer) and a long-sleeve red crop top in a half-awake daze.

Kyuhyun offhandedly recalls she left her homework in the printer last night. Hopefully she remembers to stuff that in her bag before she leaves.

Not one for morning showers, she simply runs a brush through her silky blonde hair a few times just to get the birds' nests out, wipes the oil off her face, and swipes on a thick cat eye to complete her look.

At the breakfast table, Kyuhyun eats in silence while ignoring the looks her dad gives her, no doubt at her mildly revealing outfit. She gives him a side hug anyway before leaving her dishes in the sink for later. She finishes her morning routine, grabs her keys and homework, and shuts the door behind her when she leaves for school.

~~~

Ryeowook cheerily pushes open the school doors with plenty of time left before the first bell. Instead of her locker, she walks purposefully through the hallways for the principal's office.

"Good morning, Ryeowook!" the matronly receptionist-cum-secretary greets when she sees Ryeowook sweep in.

"Good morning, Mrs. Oh!" Ryeowook chirps. "How has your hypoglycemia been treating you?" she asks as she gathers the paperwork she needs for her homeroom duties.

"Probably better if I remembered to eat breakfast in the mornings," Mrs. Oh responds with good humour, pushing her butterfly-themed sunglasses further up the bridge of her nose.

"I thought you might say that," Ryeowook says while rummaging through her bag. "Here, I made these last night. It's gluten-free, and you can't even tell!" She offers a cinnamon roll from her tin, and she smiles at the way Mrs. Oh lights up at the sight.

"Oh, Ryeowook! You're such a dear!" Mrs. Oh effuses.

Ryeowook bows in acknowledgement and waves goodbye, the papers for homeroom loose in her hand. She finally makes her way to her locker—the inside decorated with magnets, pictures, and a helpful calendar—so that she can get the books she'll need for all her pre-lunch classes.

In the hallways, she is greeted at every turn.

"Hey, Ryeowook! I hope you had a great weekend!" "I did, thanks! Happy Monday!"

"Oh my god, your outfit is completely adorable. It really brings out the lavender of your hair." "Wow, you think? I'll invest in more pink then~"

"Thanks so much for helping with the banner last week! It was a hit at our event; everyone wanted a photo with it." "No problem; I'm so glad to hear that! Like I always say, there's no such thing as too much glitter!"

These microtransactions of joy she gets while walking through the halls energise her like nothing else. She loves being helpful and knowing people care about her enough to say hi. It makes her life as a member of the school's community and as a student leader so fulfilling.

She makes it into homeroom with a minute to spare, sets her stuff at her desk, then places the tin of cinnamon rolls on the teachers' desk for everyone's enjoyment.

The bell rings, and the wattage turns up on her smile. "Good morning!" she calls out, easily cutting through the chatter with her high and bright voice. "There are cinnamon rolls at the front for everyone. Feel free to grab some while I take attendance. The ones swirled in a clockwise pattern are gluten free, so please save them for those with that dietary restriction!"

The typical gratitudes spill out—"Oh my god, these taste amazing." "You're so thoughtful, Ryeowook!" "Please marry me."—and she preens at the praise as she goes down the list in her hand.

It isn't until she gets to a specific name near the top, until she doesn't hear the typical 'Present!' that should follow, that she gives her first frown of the day.

She quickly shakes it off and finishes up, returning to her seat with every intention to rehearse her presentation one more time before the bell ending homeroom rings.

~~~

Kyuhyun steps into school right after the warning bell for first period rings, and she seamlessly joins the throngs of people hustling to their first class.

Well, she would join them, if there were throngs to join. Students stop in their tracks and fall silent as soon as they sense her presence, causing nearby students to quiet in confusion then in understanding such that a bubble of non-motion and non-noise follows her as she walks. The typical morning chatter resumes at a lowered volume from a safe distance of six feet behind her, and she is vain enough to presume at least 40% of those conversations are about her.

The stares go unacknowledged of course. So do the hapless love declarations from desperate freshmen and presumptive date offers from cocky upperclassmen. They might as well have said, "Kyuhyun, I bet you don't have better things to do with your time than stroke my ego and go dutch on an oily dinner at a chain restaurant after school." As if.

While leaving another potential suitor in the dust, a janitor accidentally turns on an industrial fan facing her direction just as she takes off her sunglasses. Coupled with the paused state of her classmates, her languid pace through the hall looks like a slow-motion runway walk that even Naomi Campbell in her prime would envy.

Kyuhyun's locker is empty save for the jacket she just shoved into it, then she goes straight to her first class of the day. She slides into her seat—not all the way in the back; cliche, much?—and, as if on cue, the whispers start.

"Do you think her hair is natural?' "Of course not, look at her eyebrows." "She could be dyeing her eyebrows!"

"I heard she drives to school? I thought only third-years and up were allowed to do that!" "I don't think allowances are all it takes to stop someone like her."

"Cho Kyuhyun in red should be one of the seven deadly sins." "That sin already exists, and it's called 'lust,' bro." "No no no no no. There's lust, and there's Cho Kyuhyun in red."

Strangers referring to you by your full name in some sort of layman's equivalent of a celebrity mononym has such a satisfying, powerful feel to it. Alas, save for a sly smirk, these too are ignored.

The smirk is promptly wiped off her face as soon as the teacher walks in, as if their life's greatest joy is teaching 16 year-olds about Korean peninsular history at 8:30 in the morning, and Kyuhyun already lolls her head back in disinterest.

~~~

Ryeowook snaps her hand up, a lone beacon of preparedness in a sea of bored or anxious faces.

"Thanks for volunteering, Ryeowook! Whenever you're ready." The teacher gestures to the podium with a sweep of their hands, pleased with the student's enthusiasm.

Ryeowook flounces out of her seat to the front of the classroom and loads up her presentation on the laptop hooked up to the projector. "S.E.S. as a Pop Culture Juggernaut" appears on screen in bold letters, and the subtle sounds of rustling fill the classroom as students sit up in interest.

"Good morning, everyone! Today I'm going to present on the seminal idol girl group S.E.S. Through interdisciplinary and anthropological analysis, I will illustrate how the mark they've left on Korean culture at the time of their debut carries ripple effects on the entertainment industry that can be observed to this day."

She takes a moment to look over the surprised and interested faces of her classmates and teacher, then smiles internally. She's going to crush this.

She clicks to the next slide. "S.E.S. is a girl group that debuted in 1997 under SM Entertainment. That may seem like a fairly innocuous sentence on its own; in which case, I'll inform you that they are the first girl group ever debuted in K-pop history…"

When the class learned their Forensics and Communication midterm assignment would be free-form, many of her classmates asked if she'd partner with them for a debate. Their topics were interesting enough. She would have customarily had little problem arguing on the cost-benefit analysis of a college education or the validity of prison sentences served overseas (to name a few).

But she graciously turned them all down. In her heart, she knew she'd simply enjoy it more if she gave a presentation on something more personal… and studies show passion for your work drives results. She expects nothing less than an A+.

Thanks to the confident excitement lacing her voice and a powerpoint that took her two weeks to perfect, she handily grabs the interest and attention of every student in the class, even the ones typically uninterested in idol culture. She winds up leading the class in a discussion on the inherent greater interest the Korean general public reserves for girl groups in contrast to the supersaturated boy band market, and the teacher has to regretfully cut them short to allow for the other midterm assignments that had to be seen that day.

"Thanks again, Ryeowook, for that illuminating and impassioned presentation! Why don't we keep that energy going, hmm? I know it may seem like a tough act to follow, but who's ready to present next?"

Expecting the worst, the teacher is pleasantly surprised when a majority of the class raises their hands to volunteer. The teacher looks over at Ryeowook and sends a quick wink in thanks, and Ryeowook gives a thumbs up in acknowledgement.

~~~

Kyuhyun clicks 'downvote' on a thread in the r/poppunk subreddit. As if Retrieve Me the Skyline has anything on Querying Quinn.

Just then, she senses a presence walk up to her desk. She lifts her eyes up from her phone—hidden behind an obviously strategically upright notebook in a semblance of respect for the teacher—to find said teacher looking at her disapprovingly. She sighs without remorse and puts her cellphone away, not one to fight once she's caught red-handed.

"Thank you, Ms. Cho. Now, as I was saying: Just like how Korean borrows from Chinese and English words, English borrows words from many other cultures. This is part of why their grammar rules are so inconsistent. Therefore, it may be helpful to learn the etymology of certain words to reinforce these rules. For example, 'geese' is the plural form of 'goose' because 'goose' was borrowed from German, and Proto-Germanic grammar does allow for plural forms for their nouns. On the other hand, 'moose' does not pluralise to 'meese' because it was borrowed from an Indigenous American language which did not pluralise their nouns."

Kyuhyun barely has the presence of mind to suppress a groan. If this is supposed to be an English class, why is the teacher talking about German all of a sudden? She isn't gaining any more while paying attention as she was while scrolling on her phone! This is why she doesn't bother. It would take her less time and less effort to simply read the textbook.

Honestly, that's how she usually spends her classes. She's not against learning necessarily—if she has to be here, she might as well—but she is against the fluff shit that most teachers feel the need to sprinkle in to keep people's attention or reinforce learning. If it's not going to be on the national exam at the end of the year, it's just a waste of time.

It doesn't help that Kyuhyun's a whole league above the mouthbreathers in this high school anyway. What other people need several hours of studying to understand sinks in for her after a single lecture. She has the makings to be every teacher's dream student, but she's made it very clear: Don't make her participate in class, and she won't eviscerate their self-esteem in exchange. It's an elegant system with an 87.5% success rate.

As her schedule has it, the only class where it doesn't work is her next one. The phys ed grade is almost entirely predicated on participation; and unfortunately for her, the venn diagram of men who have already had their insecurities abused to the point of desensitisation by their superiors during conscription and men who decide to become high school PE teachers seems to be a circle.

Her solution for this class is admittedly less elegant.

Even as the next period is just about to begin and the halls thin out, Kyuhyun still manages to easily breeze past the bumbling office receptionist trying to prevent her from leaving the grounds during school hours.

(Hey, she's gonna get a 0 for participation whether she's wasting time sitting on the bleachers and bored out of her mind or whether she's going to the mall to grab the new Napping with Nixies album. Might as well do the fun one. Bonus: instead of paying the Korean public school system for the rehydrated prison rations they consider 'food,' she can grab lunch at the foodcourt!)

~~~

Ryeowook spends her lunch period like a jetsetting CEO, the precious few minutes taken up by meetings with various teachers, students, and—today—even an administrator.

"Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with me, Ryeowook."

"Of course, Mr. Park! I'm happy to represent the needs of my class. Let me know if I can help with this initiative again later once it gains more momentum."

"I certainly will. Have a good rest of your day, Ms. Kim," Mr. Park replies warmly, his deep voice and barrel-chested physique radiating authority and paternity.

The administrator walks her out of his office, and they bow to each other at the door. The clock in the hallway tells her there is barely any time to make it to the cafeteria and eat a meal, so she sighs and resignedly walks back to her locker to exchange her books with the ones she'd need for her post-lunch classes.

She remembers there is a vending machine along the way to her next classroom, so she pivots her route slightly so that she can pick up a granola bar and a bottle of water. They'll be easy to finish before class starts.

"You know, you'd have time to eat a real lunch and attend your precious meetings if they just expanded our lunch hour to be an actual hour," a voice says from behind her just as she feeds a paper bill into the machine.

"I don't mind. It means we have more time spent in our classes."

She bends at the knee to retrieve her purchases then gracefully hops back up to twirl on her heel, steadfastly ignoring the other's presence as she continues on her way.

"I think we can definitely stand to spend less time in class. Come on; we already sacrifice the most formative years of our lives confined to these 'hallowed halls,' and they can't even let us digest our meals properly?" her nuisance heckles as Ryeowook is followed.

"I bet the Student Council would love to have an impassioned, opinionated person such as yourself on the panel. If you have ideas for change, you're free to share them with people who are empowered to do something about it," Ryeowook comments mildly, gaze trained forward even as the other pulls up beside her.

"The student council is a mockery of democracy and only serves as a mere figurehead for the students' collective political and bartering power to the school administration, and you know it."

Finally, Ryeowook stops. She squares her shoulders and looks her antagoniser in the eye. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mock an extracurricular about which I'm very passionate to my face, Kyuhyun-ssi."

The taller smirks. "As much as you'd appreciate time to sit and eat lunch with your friends for once?"

They are not alone in the hallway they've entered into. With an almost imperceptible turn of her head, Ryeowook can even see some students eavesdropping on their conversation, eager to hypothesise with their friends what the two most popular girls in school yet for completely opposite reasons are doing talking to each other.

"Hey, isn't that Kim Ryeowook?" "Talking to Cho Kyuhyun?" "Hold up, they know each other?"

If she could hear them, then they could certainly hear her, and that reminder is enough to reign in her annoyance. She allows herself ten seconds to collect her composure.

When she speaks again, her voice is airy and pleasant. "Well, if that's all, I have to go and spend what's left of my lunch period doing something a little more constructive than arguing with someone who'd rather complain than make the best of a situation. If you'll excuse me."

"You should have gotten fig newtons!" Kyuhyun calls as Ryeowook moves around her. Ryeowook counts it as a small blessing that the other does not follow. "They're easier to eat in class! Less noisy."

"You're not allowed to eat food in class," Ryeowook retorts plainly without even turning her head.

She can feel the other's eyes on her as she walks away, but she ignores it as she takes a swig of her water.

(She finishes her bar before crossing the threshold of the classroom, arriving before even the teacher does and finding a half of a sandwich wrap from the deli across the street waiting on her desk.)

~~~

The surface of Kyuhyun's desk is empty save for her arms and elbows organised to support her languid daydreaming. Outside the window, she watches as three red cars pass by.

More so than her other subjects, math just makes sense to her without even trying. There's less up for interpretation, there are consistent and logical rules, and patterns are clearer with numbers.

If she doesn't need to try, then why would she? So she hands in passable attempts at homework, texts throughout lecture, and is generally unresponsive during the class. Ms. Kang would love nothing more than to suspend her for insubordination and churlishness; but Kyuhyun is her best student by far, and they both know it.

"If the altitude of right triangle ABC intersects with the hypotenuse at D, what equation is always true?"

In fact, Kyuhyun would want to skip this class too, but there's just something about its specific learning environment that keeps her attending lesson after lesson.

In her periphery, the student in front of her and one row over hurriedly draws out the question in her notebook to analyse it. She raises her hand in excitement a moment later.

"Yes, Ryeowook?" "AD over AC is equal to AC over BD!"

Kyuhyun suppresses a scoff. The teacher smiles sympathetically, knowing that Ryeowook is doing her best, and says, "Sorry, but no."

Ryeowook pouts. "Aigoooo," she intones as she looks back at her drawing, no doubt trying to understand where she went wrong.

Encouraged by Ryeowook's attempt, more students try their hand at the problem.

"AC over AD equals BD over BC?" "Nope."

"AD over CD equals DB over CD!" "If you bothered to write that down, you'd immediately see why that cannot possibly be the correct answer."

The class lapses into silence, and Ms. Kang begins calling out desperately. "Anyone? Anyone else?" When it was apparent no one else knew the answer, she sighs. "Kyuhyun?"

"AD over AC is equal to CD over BC," she recites boredly, gaze still trained beyond the window. Forget being capable of immediately answering a direct question; if anyone had been observing her during this lesson, they would have thought she wasn't even paying attention at all.

"That is correct," the teacher admits begrudgingly. "Remember class, due to the AA Similarity Postulate…"

Kyuhyun lets the teacher's words drift in one ear and out the other, heeding no further sounds until the bell rings.

The end of the school day is finally upon them.

As much as she looks forward to this point every day, she sits in her chair and lets every other student file out first before packing her things. She's in no rush.

Kyuhyun drops her bookbag off at her locker and wanders the halls aimlessly instead, spending extra time in the art corridor to see the latest student works. The freshmen are working on watercolours, apparently.

After an unfortunate encounter in the bathroom, she beelines for the cafeteria, which happens to be in a completely other building, and runs into the second-to-last person she wants to see right now.

"What are you still doing here, Ms. Cho?" Mr. Park asks with suspicion.

"Just hanging out," she says with a shrug.

"I know you refuse to partake in any of our extracurriculars, but don't you have something better to do than loiter? I'm sure you have homework or some such."

"Maybe if this school started offering a curriculum that actually required me to reinforce what I learned at home, I would."

Mr. Park's eyes narrow in contempt. "Whatever delinquent nonsense you're up to, do it outside of my high school!" he bellows.

Kyuhyun's phone buzzes in her hand just then, and she uses the same hand to offer a sarcastic salute. "Your wish, Mr. Park," she offers in parting before rushing as fast as she can to her locker. She can't wait to get home.

~~~

When her home's doorbell rings its seasonal chime, Ryeowook is several pages deep into her biology packet. She begrudgingly sets down her work and gets up to look out the window.

Her view is exasperating.

"You weren't in homeroom this morning… again," she says in lieu of a greeting, walking back to where she was doing homework in the living room after letting in the guest.

"Babe, don't be like that," the guest whines while she takes off her shoes. "You know that homeroom is a gigantic waste of time. It's just Big Academia's way of—"

"—'Training students to get used to being herded like cattle,' yeah yeah. Tell it to someone who cares."

"Oh? This isn't a suggestion I should take to your precious student council?"

"I don't have time for you right now. I have a whole biology packet to complete before I can start baking," Ryeowook says as she waves said packet in the air for emphasis.

Kyuhyun pouts with her whole face. "Why bother letting me over if you're not even going to pay attention to me!"

Ryeowook sighs and repositions her laptop to rest on the arm of the couch, invitation unspoken. Kyuhyun drops her petulant act immediately and happily trods over to stretch out on the couch and rest her head on her girlfriend's lap. She wiggles in place to get comfortable and pulls out her phone. Ryeowook's typing provides a light, inconsistent soundtrack to her mindless scrolling; and it feels nice.

"How'd your presentation go?" she asks after a while.

"I almost accidentally commandeered the whole period because people were so excited about my topic." Ryeowook tried going for deadpan, but the pride in her voice was unmistakable.

"Well, duh. No one can listen to you talk about something you're interested in and stay indifferent."

"Yeah, it's cool how emotions are infectious," Ryeowook comments offhandedly.

"Sure, but I meant specifically you. You're, like, the most passionate person I know. I bet you had the best topic out of anyone there, anyway."

Ryeowook doesn't reply, but Kyuhyun cranes her neck just enough to watch a grateful and pleased smile cross the other's face.

Satisfied with how awesome of a girlfriend she is, she keeps going. "Did you like the wrap?"

Kyuhyun can somehow feel the change a split-second before she hears it. "It was delicious; thank you; and never do it again," Ryeowook responds with a clipped tone.

Kyuhyun rolls her eyes. "Stop sacrificing your lunch time for things that can be handled over email, and maybe I will."

"I meant skipping class; and don't even try to deny it!" Ryeowook adds as soon as she hears Kyuhyun's sharp intake of breath in preparation for a non-sequitur argument. "I know you. You thought to do it only because you passed by the deli on your way back from wherever truant kids spend their time."

"Napping with Nixies released a new album," Kyuhyun defends.

"And the store would have still had copies for you to buy during the weekend," Ryeowook retorts.

"First day sales are important, Ryeowook!"

"So is your education, Kyuhyun!" Ryeowook parrots back in the same whining tone.

"Spoken like a true cog in Big Academia's machine."

"This sentence probably won't make sense to a self-inflicted lone wolf, but collaboration happens best in person. And I prefer a small lunch anyway." Ryeowook tacks on that last bit like an afterthought. Kyuhyun might have believed her, except she's seen the way Ryeowook packs for picnic dates and knows that statement to be patently untrue.

"You could stand to be a bit more selfish with your time, you know."

"You could stand to be a bit more courteous in general, so I guess we both have things we need to work on," Ryeowook fires back easily.

Kyuhyun strikes the couch with her arms in offense. "I'm plenty courteous! I bought you lunch 'cause I knew you wouldn't have had a real meal otherwise!"

"I meant to people that aren't me!" Ryeowook clarifies exasperatedly.

"Hmph. People that aren't you don't deserve it. It's like Kanye-sunbaenim says: 'Asshole to the world but never to your girl.'"

"… I don't know what's worse: that I'm dating a girl that gets her love advice from Kanye West or the fact that I had to hear the phrase 'Kanye-sunbaenim' with my own two ears."

"Well, what if I told you I also get my life advice from Kimmy K-unnie? That way it counts as women empowerment. Don't you like that kind of stuff?"

Ryeowook finally tears her focus away from her work to eye Kyuhyun incredulously.

Kyuhyun innocently looks up through her eyelashes to meet the other's gaze. "Well if you're not into what I'm posting, don't look."

Mercilessly, Ryeowook shoves Kyuhyun off her lap. "Goodbye," she says as she places her laptop back on her folded legs.

Kyuhyun scrambles up from the floor and looks at the laptop with thinly veiled disdain and jealousy. "Let me back!"

"Not until you're nicer to people."

"I'm nice to people! Today, I heard Yom Syejin gossipping in the bathroom that the only way I could have avoided detention this year is by blowing Mr. Park, and I managed to walk away without dunking her head in the toilet. That seems plenty nice to me."

"Excuse me, Yom Syejin said what?!"

Ah shit, Kyuhyun knew she shouldn't have said anything. This is what she gets for thinking humourous delivery is enough to mask unfortunate content.

"Really, it's not a big deal. I handled it," Kyuhyun maintains.

"I'm sure you did, honey. Come on, help me bake some snickerdoodles," Ryeowook says as she immediately heads into the kitchen.

This would be an excellent idea, except that Kyuhyun can clearly see Ryeowook's biology packet is still unfinished and that Ryeowook's tone of voice sounded disingenuously peppy.

~~~

Ryeowook makes it into homeroom the next day with a minute to spare, sets her stuff at her desk, then places a tin of snickerdoodles on the teachers' desk for everyone's enjoyment.

The bell rings, and the wattage turns up on her smile. "Good morning!" she calls out, easily cutting through the chatter with her high and bright voice. "There are snickerdoodles at the front for everyone. Feel free to grab some while I take attendance. I didn't have time last night to make as many as I wanted to, so I evenly divided the batch into goodie bags for you all! I wrote your names on them too, so please only take one. I'll know if you don't," she faux-threatens with a cute wink.

The typical gratitudes spill out—"You're the best!" "Thanks, Ryeowook!" "Please marry me?"—and she preens at the praise as she goes down the list in her hand.

It isn't until she notices one person in particular eagerly grabbing her designated bag that Ryeowook lets a private smile cross her face.

~~~

from: Kyuhyun-ssi (Geometry) oh my god yom skank-jin just bolted out of my english class like the new galaxy was on sale tf?

from: wookie💜 Maybe if you bothered attending homeroom this morning, you'd have an answer to your crudely-phrased question.

from: Kyuhyun-ssi (Geometry) oh my god what did you do

from: wookie💜 Did you know Syejinnie's favourite cookies are snickerdoodles?

from: Kyuhyun-ssi (Geometry) OH MY GOD WHAT DID YOU DO

from: wookie💜 Bathrooms are for shitting, not shit-talking.

from: Kyuhyun-ssi (Geometry) i am madly in love with you

from: wookie💜 Stop texting me and pay attention in class!

from: wookie💜 And I love you too 💛

~~~

A/N (8.27.2021): Thanks for reading! To prove my thanks, here is fanart that almost made it into the cover photo.

[mellifluoushood]

okay since you said someone (I forget the tag, my apologies!) bought you edibles, I’m assuming you have some sort of experience with them, so would you ever be willing to write about getting high/doing edibles with Calum or better yet Cashton? I love your writing so much! xx

ah yes, @calumscalm bought me edibles because she is a doll and i love nadya

i have experience smoking, but i don’t have any experience with edibles, that’s why nadya decided to order some for me lol. but, i have several fics about getting stoned with calum, but i don’t have any with both calum and ashton. so, here you go my dear! i hope smoking with the both of them will do! if not, send in another request about edibles specifically and i’ll write it after i’ve tried them!

here are the calum fics i was talking about: (thin white lies) and today, i saw the whole world, and it was right in front of me (this contains smut!)

A/N: also, warning, this got a lot smuttier than i intended, but hey uh, here we are. there’s no sex but there’s sexual imagery. 

“Why are we listening to Kid Cudi?” Ashton asks, his nimble fingers taking the joint from his mate’s grasp. Calum rolls his eyes, resting his head on the back of the sofa, looking at the dark, curly haired man with absolute annoyance.

“Because why not?” He scoffs, letting his eyes flutter shut as he listens to the remix she had gotten him hooked on. 

“There’s two types of music you listen to when you’re stoned,” Ashton comments, wrapping his lips around the roach and inhaling. He feels the smooth smoke coat his mouth and throat, dissipating into his bloodstream before he inhales again, bringing the smoke into his lungs. He sits, holding in the breath before exhaling slowly, feeling the warmth of the buzz weaving into his brain and his eyelids. He repeats his motions, each time experimenting with the way he exhales: the first was through his nose, then letting it drift out his mouth and inhaling the smoke through his nose before letting it out again, then through circular rings. She watches with curiosity, surprised that he was able to French inhale.

“You guys and me,” he finishes his thoughts from minutes before. Calum rolls his eyes again,

“You’re telling me smooth rap with a strong beat that hits your chest is not the music to listen to when you’re stoned?” Calum asks. She stands up from the couch, stretching slightly. Ashton uses his free hand to tap his friend’s ass. She whips her head around, narrowing her eyes at him before smiling,

“Cheeky bastard,” her accent is thick and wraps around the words like Ashton’s lips continue to wrap around the joint. She pushes the coffee table in front of the sofa to the side so she can lay on the plush carpet of Calum’s living room. It’s soft to the touch, caressing the skin of her midsection that her crop top and gym shorts didn’t cover. Her eyes are hazy, looking up at the two men on the sofa in front of her. Ashton’s thighs are covered in gym shorts whilst Calum sports grey sweatpants. Both opt to remain shirtless, the heat of the summer seeping through each crack and crevice of Calum’s house.

“You enjoy it,” Ashton muses, taking one last, long toke before passing the woman on the floor the joint. She sits up, aware of their gazes as she takes the first hit off this specific joint. This one was Calum’s, both Ashton and her’s had already made it around the small group. She tilts her head back, basking in the feeling of warmth that hits the back of her head, heating her cheeks and fading her inhibitions. They watch her throat as it bobs around the breath of smoke, bringing it into her lungs. She opens her mouth, not necessarily exhaling, but letting the smoke escape through her parted lips.

“Eh,” the pitch of her voices raises and Ashton can’t help a deep chuckle that escapes his chest. She lays back again, taking another hit off the spliff in between her fingers. Her chest expands and she knows that they’re shamelessly staring at the movement of her breasts.

“Dogs,” she mutters with a small smile on her face. This catches their attention and their eyes land on her’s. Each set of eyes is ringed with red, glazing over as each and every molecule of THC makes a home in their blood cells. She almost laughs at how stereotypically stoned they look, but laughing takes too much effort, and she’s too stoned to give a shit. She sticks the joint in between her lips before mumbling around it, “If I were to take off my shirt and just lay here in my bralette, would you care?”

The men share a look, as if to say to the other, since when would we ever care and shrug their shoulders in response. Her head lulls to the side, looking at them head on, “Good enough for me.” The joint sits on her lips as she fumbles with the bottom of her shirt, pulling the material over her chest and over her shoulders. She’s careful to not bump the lit end and spill ash over herself. She lifts her back and shoulders to rid herself of the shirt and she lays back down, only clad in small shorts and a PINK bralette.

“Why are you lying on the floor?” Calum asks and she rolls her eyes,

“Why aren’t you lying on the floor?” She challenges. Calum shrugs, again, as if it’s the only response he’s capable to giving to other people’s questions. He slides off the couch, joining her and laying on her right side. He admires the soft tickle of the carpet against his sweat licked skin. He turns his head to Ashton,

“Now, you’re the odd one out, again,” he jokes, referencing Ashton’s music comment from earlier. It’s Ashton turn to roll his eyes, before getting up from the couch and occupying her left side. The three of them lay on the floor, height differences between the men and the woman quite humourous. They lay shirtless, skin damp with perspiration as their heads float away. She takes another hit, inhaling into her lungs nearly straight away with another breath. She holds it again for a few seconds before blowing it out. 

“Post Malone?” Ashton nearly groans, his voice a near whine when the music switches.

“Oh my god, mate,” Calum groans in return, “shut up and stop fucking complaining.” Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Ashton mimicking Calum’s mouth movements with a scowl. She just chuckles to herself, inhaling again. The room starts to tilt a little, so she takes another hit and passes it to Calum. Calum grabs it with his right hand, clasping onto her thigh with his left in gratitude. His skin his hot but his rings are ice cold, the platinum freezing marks into her skin, causing the flesh of her thighs to erupt in goosebumps. The heat of her high carries towards her centre as she acknowledges the height of Calum’s hand on her leg. His fingers tickle her inner thigh, barely pressing into the skin. She swallows, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, trying to forget the heat of his touch. She exhales, focusing on the sensations that run through her system.

For a while, the only thing she could smell was the weed, but as Ashton and Calum lay close to her, she can smell their cologne sticking to their skin. Ashton’s cologne is bright, refreshing, contrasting to the heavy smell of the weed. Calum’s cologne seems to mix just right, the smell of cigarettes lingering on his fingers adding to the heaviness and woodsiness of his fragrance. She had laid on the ground, hoping to cool down, but the men’s bodies are almost touching her’s, heating radiating off them like they were on fire. She can feel sweat starting to lick the crevice of her breasts and behind her knees at the sudden increase in body heat. The carpet starts to warm up the longer they lay there, but all of a sudden, she’s too tired to move. 

Her mind begins to float, listening to some ‘Rockstar’ remix that Calum had put on the queue after her remix of Kid Cudi’s ‘Day ‘N Nite’. The beat of the song thumps through her chest, off rhythm with the beat of her own heart. Her heart is racing, both with the high and the proximity of the two men. She swallows, letting her eyes flutter open at their silence. She turns to look at Calum, to see if he was still puffing on his joint, which he was. He looks down at her, his brown eyes hazy, pupils blown. She smiles up at him and he doesn’t hesitate to respond. He brings the joint to his lips again, the bracelet around his wrist moving and twinkling in the dim light. The chain matches the longer one that dangles around his neck, laying on top of his tattoos. Her eyes cast down to the black ink etched into his skin, admiring the way the black contrasts, yet blends with his brown skin. The sun had tinted it even darker, the melanin casting his complexion the true brown it was when it was tanned by the sun, almost like the Australian sun he had grown up with. 

He notices her zoning out and takes the second to tap her inner thigh, she jumps slightly, the sudden pressure dragging her out of her thoughts. She doesn’t bother to apologise, knowing that Calum had seen her admiring him on multiple occasions, and him returning the favour on more than one occasion as well. He hands her the joint, hearing Ashton huff next to her,

“Greedy prick,” Calum mutters as she just laughs, shaking her head and inhaling again. Her gaze turns to Ashton next, who’s already gazing at her. His green eyes are electric, sharply contrasted against the red staining the whites of his eyes. The dark dye of his hair only adds to the contrast, the green and hazel flecks popping. His complexion doesn’t have the same brown undertone to Calum, but he’s tan just the same. Hairs tickle his broad chest, his arms thick as they cross over his chest, in a relaxed manner. He gives her an earth shattering smile, the scruff forming on his cheeks and jaw only emphasising the whiteness of his teeth. 

“No, you just suck at sharing,” Ashton comments, eyes never leaving the woman next to him. If both men were to say they hadn’t at least admired her shape at least once that night, they would’ve been caught in a dead lie. They couldn’t help but notice the curve of her breasts, covered with a lacey patterned bralette. The shade of the fabric went nicely with her skin tone. The black gym shorts she had on left little to the imagination, the curvature and girth of her hips stretching the material. A matching lace print could be seen peeking out the top of her shorts. Her legs looked heavenly, moisturised with lotion and absolutely shining luxuriously under the light. Her hair was splayed out beneath her head, leaving her shoulders and collarbones fully exposed. She hadn’t bothered to take out her hoops before laying down. The light bounces off the reflective metal. Her eyes are the most fucked out of the three of them even though her tolerance was better. When Ashton had gone to pick her up from her apartment, her eyes were already burning with red, glassy to soothe the irritation.

“You done?” She asks, taking one last hit of the joint and passing it to Ashton.

“Hm, not yet.” She feels Calum’s hand trail even further up her thigh and she has to resist coughing out her last toke. She manages to swallow down the cough, keeping the smoke in her lungs and exhaling when she was ready. Ashton’s eyes notice Calum’s hand. He places his own hand on her left thigh and she lets out a shaky breath. Their proximity allows to hear the exhalation over the music still playing from the speaker. 

“Definitely, not yet,” Calum murmurs turning on his side. Ashton repeats his motions, reaching above his head and stubbing out the joint that wasn’t nearly finished, but something had caught his attention instead.

And she didn’t mind one fucking bit.

taglist: @gigglyirwin​  @loveroflrh​​ @ammwritings​​ @calumscalm​​ @dukehoods​ @toofadedtofight​ @babylon-corgis @talkfastromance4 @thesubtweeter

[radicalravioli]

Sin I sin Priest!gerard

I've had my empty life on my mind lately due to moving out so early .

I'm 17 and my parents kicked me out after I finished high school. I bought a lovely apartment in New York to go to the local visual arts college .

My grandparents send me money every month cuz my mom and dad don't want to .

I rolled out of my bed and put on my black skirt(witch should be like 4inches longer but you know)with a off the shoulder black crop top witch I paired with some black converse and eyeliner . Don't want Pete Wentz getting angry today .

I thought about it long and hard after releasing that I'm gonna go to the church to find SOME kind of hope in my depression filled life .

Grabbing my iPod and putting on some fall out boy I headed to the nearest cathedral .

--------:-:--------

I entered the building as the stained glass caught my eye .

I was paying attention to the artwork not even realising what I'm here for , I carried on getting distracted as I almost tripped .

"Hello young lady"a husky voice came from behind me as my eye caught a man in his 30s with inky black hair and dreamy hazel eyes . He had a collar on so I guess this unbelievably hot man is the priest .

Wow

"Hello Father"I tried not to look him directly in the eyes .

He smiled stepping closer to me as he stuck his hand out for me to shake .

I shook his hand as he still kept that smile .

"So what is bothering you my child?"

He asked ignorant to know .

A bille rose in my throat as I stared at him .

"I feel that my life is unbelievably empty , Father . I moved out of my parents house and started my new life but I feel like something is missing"I said .

He stepped a bit closer just enough for him to put his hand on my shoulder.

"Well my child , maybe the presence of your loved ones?" He asked as his black hair fell in front of his face , god he was sexy .

"No, Father I fear that that's not the case"sighing I dropped my head and looked at the floor , he wore black converse too , nice.

He carefully lifted up my face and stared at my eyes .

"I don't know Father , I don't know what to do " I mumbled as his grip on my shoulder tightened .

"Maybe it's just some problem with your urge to commit a sin , my child"he spoke softly .I froze

Sin?

"Witch sin father"I looked desperate for the answer .

He sighed shaking his head .

"The sin of lust"

The fuck ???

Homie if it's the way I dress then it's you who is desperate for pussy .

I'm not desperate for sex am I ?

Yeah I like to wear shit like this some times but that doesn't mean I wanna fuck .

"Father I assure you that I don't have the urge to commit any kind of sin" I tell him as inches closer .

What's wrong w this dude ????

"On your knees my child" his voice became stern as he pushed me to stand in front of him on my knees .

If you were church I'd get on my knees

Yeah thanks Pete .

I blushed madly , considering that if you were on your knees in front of a guy that means that he expects a blow job .

He chuckled as he stared at me from above .

"See my child , you have the urge to commit a sin "

My blood boiled , how dare he fool around with me like this .

"Well Father I'm positive that you are the same , all those years . Alone without anybody , and I'm sure that that hand of yours did get to use , but it's way apart from the real thing is it ?"I sassed as he gulped staring down in disbelief .

"And you know what Father since I'm already on my knees , and not praying I mind as well fix that problem of yours"I pointed at the bulge in his pants .

I started to unzip them reviling his black boxers , he was still in shock . However watching my every move .

I pulled out his shaft and stroked it a couple of times as from his mouth escaped moans .

I took him in and bobbed my head , his hands grabbed my hair as I continued to suck him off .

"Sweet Jesus " he whimpered as he buckled his hips resulting in a gag from me.

Ok ok , yeah he is like 35 and I'm 17 but it was just so tempting .

I moaned against him , as he twitched and his breath escaped his mouth (Gerard Ways many moans and groans ;))

"Stand up dear"said the priest as I stood up in front of him .

He placed his lips on mine as he tucked his still erect cock in his boxers .

His tongue slowly glided against my bottom lip as a gasp escaped my lips .

Our tongues danced as his hands wondered around . He slowly cupped my boob though my bra.

I took off the crop top as he reached to undo my bra , his jaw dropped as my cleavage spilled in front of him .

All those years of being horny and alone .

He took the left one in his mouth as I moaned loudly . He smirked against the sensitive skin and moved up to leave a kiss on my lips .

As he left the part that he'd previously payed attention due to the breeze that hit the exposed skin and dried saliva my nipples hardened and I shivered quietly .

He pressed me against the cool wall of the church causing a mother pleasurable moan to escape my lips.

Lifting up my skirt and pulling my panties aside he shoved two fingers inside of me , pumping them up and down rapidly .

"How's that darling ? Enjoying your lustful sin " he breathed out , I could feel his hot breath on my neck.

"Mmh" I moaned as he clasped a hand over my mouth . "Did I say you could make any noise princess ? I don't think so ". He said as I nodded .

His fingers curled hitting my g spot .

I tried not to moan but it was driving me over the edge .

"So disrespectful aren't we princess" I bit my lip as he removed his fingers , I cried out in the loss of pleasure.

"Now now darling , for this you need to be punished "he softly spoke as he reached over to grab something from a drawer.

He pulled out a red tie , the amusement on his face was apparent . He stepped closer to me "hands above your head "

He said . I did as he pleases and he tied them with the tie .

Then took out his belt , eyeing it for a while after opening his mouth again .

"Count them sugar , maybe it will be less painful that way" crap.

Turning around he lifted my skirt and slowly slipped off my panties . Then pressed me to the cold wall witch made me whimper .

The priest inched closer and took a hand full of my ass before the leather of the belt made contact with the sensitive skin of my behind .

I cried out not only in pain but in pleasure also .

"What did I say ?" His voice was stern and hard , as he turned me around and forced a heated kiss .

He dropped the belt and softly put his hand on my waist .

"I'm sorry I hurt you princess"he softly mumbled as my face softened

"It's ok Father , I like it when you're rough"I purred , slowly leaning into his touch .

He stuffed the crimson panties in his pocket as he lifted me up , carrying me to a room with a large desk in the middle of it .

He placed me on the desk crouching in front of me . I could feel his hot breath on my wet folds as he looked up at me and gave me a sly smirk.

His mouth was placed on me.  I let out a pornographic moan as he flicked his tongue .

I buckled my hips , a chuckle left his pink lips as it send electricity though my body . "So wet for me baby mmh" he mumbled.  His lips still on my cunt.

I became a moaning mess as he toyed with my clit .

"You like that baby ? Hu ? "

He pulled away from my entrance .

"Please...."I whined as he sent me a smirk , his eyes filled with lust .

"Please what princess ? Use that pretty mouth of yours"the nickname was enough to make me orgasm right there and then .

"F-Father , please .....I need you to fill me up " I breathed out , I never used dirty talk even though it turned me on . Believe it or not this is my fist time using it .

He chuckled again , lifting himself up and placing a hand on my cheek . He licked his lips .

"You taste good princess"

His fingers made their way to my skirt as he unzipped it .

"It will be my pleasure to fill your tight little pussy up " I smiled looking at the priest as he slipped my skirt too .

I unzipped his pants once more and took out his still erect cock .

His hands replaced mine as he lined himself up with my entrance .

I buckled my hips again and pushed his tip in me making me moan loudly.

"So dirty princess. What a bad girl you are "he snickered to himself as he filled me up with his length.

Earning moans from both of us he slowly thirsted in and out .

His cock twitched as I buckled my hips more wanting a faster speed .

"Faster Father"

He increased his speed as the room filled with moans and groans coming from both of us .

His thirsts became sloppier as it was visible that he was about to orgasm.

"Princess-fuck-I'm about to" I nuzzled my head in his neck as I exhaled .

"Me too Father " I said as he fastened his speed again.

Our orgasms were in sync as I felt hot liquid fill me up .

I cried out in pleasure as I orgasamed too .

He rode it out as he pulled his cock out of me suddenly feeling empty .

"You are one hell of a woman " he said earning a small chuckle from me.

"And you are one hell of a priest" he grabbed my waist and kissed behind my ear .

"What's your name darling?" He said his breathing heavy .

"Y/n Father ." He then pressed his lips against mine and cupped my cheek .

"I'm Father Way darling but friends call me Gerard and the closer ones call me Gee but the special ones call me daddy"he smirked winking at me .

"Ok Gerard " I smiled kindly as he pecked my lips . "I want to call you mine darling , I want to be able to do this whenever I like "he put a piece of paper in my palm and closed it .

I put my clothes on and he put his gut in his boxers .

Swaying my hips I opened the door to the church.

"Bye Gerard , I'll call you "I said closing the door behind me , just for it to open again. Gerard pinned me to the inside of the wall and whispered .

"Who said you can leave ....at least not without a kiss goodbye." He kissed me again as I finally escaped from his grasp .

"Goodbye princess , I'll see you again ".

With that I headed home .

Hoi boiz , this is a priest gee one so I hope you enjoyed

[im-a-space-gay]

Seeing Shadows Chapter 2

A/N: Pretty sure this is shorter than last chapter, and I’m sorry for that.

Chapter 2- Life Changing

T.W.: Mentions (kinda???) of ghosts, ghosts, staring, embarrassment, anxiety, getting lost, Logan being a little overprotective b-word, let me know if I need to add more!

~~~

Why is this my life, Emile internally groaned, glaring at the map he was given as he tried to find his way to the gym or even somewhere people were. His last class was okay, but after class the teacher asked him to stay back to give him the new-kid-lowdown which she really should’ve given him, y’know, before class. Now, Emile had almost no hope of finding where students ate lunch since there was nobody around to even ask, and this map was as confusing as can be.

“This is fine,” he whispered, trying to calm down the little irritation he felt welling inside him. It’d do him no good if he was angry and it was in his best interests to be in the best mood possible! Emile took a deep breath and let it out slowly, ignoring the chills he suddenly felt. “It’s just a lunch room you need to find! Nothing hard about that!”

The chills around him increased slightly, making him shiver but he ultimately ignored it in favor of finding a single person.

Besides, how hard can it be to find someone?

——

As Emile found out five minutes later, not too hard. 

There was a teen about average height -meaning they were eight or nine inches smaller than him- wearing an incredible amount of black, making Emile suspect they were either an edgy kid or emo. To be more specific, they were wearing fishnets, high-waisted shorts -that’s what Emile thinks they’re called. He’s not entirely sure- a purple crop top sweater and a black beanie over raven black hair. Overall a nice look. They were clicking away on their cell phone, stopping every once in a while to seemingly think before resuming. Maybe a writer? 

Well, they didn’t look like they would mind Emile talking to them for a bit, and maybe they could be Emile’s friend? (Emile harshly shoved away the thought that they seemed like his type)

Here goes nothing, he supposed.

“Um, excuse me?” he hesitantly called, and as the kid looked up from their phone he braced himself for—

Oh. Oh this isn’t what he was preparing himself for at all.

The teen was… wow.

Where Emile thought there would be a constant brutal expression, there instead was a soft, curious yet understanding look. But their eyes, god their eyes were what really took Emile’s breath away. Their right eye was an obsidian black while their left was a pearl white with a smooth gray outline, shining with something otherworldly. Under those eyes was smudged, black eye-shadow that really was doing Emile’s poor heart no good with how it complimented everything that was the teen.

In the back of his mind, he had realized that the kid was staring back, seemingly at a loss for words, which of course made Emile a bit fearful, wondering what they thought of him, the six foot two giant with a beige vest over a button up that had the sleeves rolled up, a sky blue bow-tie and khaki dress pants. Khaki dress pants! He was done for!

They stared at each other for who knows how long before the other kid came out of it with a slight jolt.

“Uh, sorry. What did you need?”

“Huh?” Emile intelligently asked before finally catching up with reality in embarrassment. “Oh! Uh, I just needed to know where everybody eats?”

They smiled softly, putting their phone away.

“Well there’s two places for that. Do you want to go to the gym or the courtyard?”

“Whichever is easiest to find. I’m terrible with directions,” he laughed awkwardly, glad when the teen laughed along. They beckoned for him to follow before turning down a hallway to the left, Emile having to speed walk a bit to catch up.

“My name is Virgil, he/him,” the other kid said after they walked in silence for a bit. When Emile turned to look at him, he found Virgil already smiling at him. He smiled back, feeling more and more comfortable with the dark angel. 

“I’m Emile, he/him.”

“Unique name,” Virgil noted, looking back forward as they took a right. Emile snickered a bit.

“You’re one to talk,” he said, and for a split second thought he said the wrong thing when Virgil looked at him with wide eyes. These concerns were immediately washed away when Virgil giggled, which holy goodness was so cute dear lord someone send help.

“At least I’ve seen other people have the name before,” his giggles died down, the air around them becoming less cold with it. “I have never read or even heard of the name ‘Emile’ before today!”

“Fair enough,” Emile shrugged with a wide smile.

When Virgil laughed again, Emile decided moving to Louisiana wasn’t completely awful.

Epilogue

Logan lagged behind the rest of them as they walked to the courtyard, watching the interactions between Virgil and this Emile with wary eyes and crossed arms. Something about this didn’t seem right to him. Maybe it was because Virgil stared at this boy with stars in his eyes for at least two minutes, maybe it was because of how quick Virgil was to trust him, or maybe it was how Virgil openly laughed- neigh, giggled in front of him.

Yeah, if this wasn’t life changing in the worst way possible, Logan didn’t want to know what was.

Taglist:

@antiredhuman

@sophiexteresa

[spacegirlinorbit]

Fooling You? Series

Fooling You? Chapter 5: Leave it up to boys to ruin plans

Warnings: swearing

Taglist: @treestarrrrrrrr

Fooling You Masterlist 

(All rights to HP universe belong to JK Rowling)

Song:

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Chapter 5: Leave it up to boys to ruin plans

I woke up early this morning after having such a vivid dream I can barely remember now. I looked at my clock on my nightstand saying it was only 7 am. Lily said we are going to leave at 9 so I still had about an hour or so until I needed to get ready. So I quietly tried not to disturb the others as I went to the bathroom and got ready and change into some leggings I had grabbed from the chest and then grabbed a hoodie as well. I slipped them on along with some shoes and left the room. I made sure to grab my wand on the way out and had it sit in my hoodie pocket.

I made my way down the stairs and there was only a couple people in the commons and the head boy and girl of the school posting something on the board wall. 

“Goodmorning! y/n isn't?” The head girl, Michelle, I believe is what her name is asks.

“Yes, Goodmorning.”

“Ah, how are you adjusting?”

“Fine. Say is breakfast ready yet?”

“Oh yes. You know how to get to the Great hall?” She asks and I nod with a smile and bid her goodbye. 

I make my way out of the common rooms and towards the ever changing staircases. Once I missed my stop a couple times I finally hop off and make my way to the Great Hall feeling more hungry than before. I see that there is food spread about the tables like crackers and cheese, fruits, and various breads. 

The plates and cups are all aligned for every student who may come in. Since school doesn't start for another few days, it's pretty scarce in here. I do however notice that a student wearing a red unlined robe sits at the far right table so I make my way over there and take a seat randomly and away from anyone else. I help myself to some grapes, banana, and a buttered croissant. I reach for a cup and it automatically fills orange juice. 

God, I’m going to miss coffee. Maybe I could buy some in Hogsmeade.

I enjoy my breakfast thinking quietly to myself until someone sits across from me. She is an older woman, a professor I assume. She smiles sweetly at me and I try to return the smile back without looking confused. 

“Good Morning. I wanted to personally introduce myself, I am Professor Mcgonagall of Transfiguration and head professor of the gryffindor house. Also the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts.” She explains herself. 

“Wow, quite the title you have. They should just call you queen.” I joke to lighten the mood. Is this normal? Since when did teachers make time for students?

“Oh you flatter me dear. I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything especially personal if you feel uncomfortable going to Dumbledore about it, I am here for you. I unfortunately couldn’t meet with you yesterday, but I at least wanted to make my acquaintance known.”

“Of course. Thank you Professor Mcgonagall.”

“Right, well I’ll excuse myself now. Welcome to Hogwarts.” She smiles and I can truly smile back as she leaves. 

I see more students enter the Great Hall and I finish my OJ and banana and leave the Great Hall to avoid further interaction from anyone who might want to question who the new girl is. I slip out of the Great hall and take my time walking back to the tower taking the long way instead of those confusing staircases. After leaving the Great Hall I reach the viaduct and take a moment looking at the view and breathing in the morning air. I see a couple of owls pass by in the sky most likely delivering letters. I exit the viaduct and back into the school building but now I am faced with two ways to go.

Left or Right? Shit I should've taken the map and there’s someone coming so I can’t use apparition that will look suspicious. I could summon the map. 

“Are you lost?” I hear someone say pulling me from my thoughts. I look up and I see him. Sharp jawline, star like eyes, and cherry lips against his pale skin. Damn he looks fresh out of a portrait. 

I stumble on my words until I finally breathe out, “Yes.” 

He looks me over curiously and then takes a cautious step forward. I remain still, entranced by how handsome he is. “Where do you need to go?”

“Gryffindor tower.” I could've sworn in that moment I heard him mumble ‘shame’. Shame indeed. Shit what am I thinking?! I don’t even know his name. 

“You are going to take a left through there and cross the stone bridge and then head straight and the tower is at the end.” He explains as he extends his arm and the flex of his bicep tighten the loose black button up he has on. I try to breathe as he looks back at me. 

“Thank you um…” 

“Regulus. Regulus Black.” He says with an air about him that makes him stand tall. 

“Thank you Regulus.” 

“Of course, but it’s only fair if in return I get to learn your name.” He says with a smirk.

“Y/n. Y/n Y/l/n.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, y/n.”

“You as well.” and we part ways. I pinch my cheeks to defuse the blush, but I think I only made it worse. I finally get back to the gryffindor tower and head to the room. I walk in the room and it is a mess and the girls are yelling amongst themselves. 

“What’s going on?” I question shutting the door. 

“Oh thank merlin, where were you?” 

“I went out for some breakfast and then I got lost.” I explain by leaving out some details.

“Oh, see, I knew we should have gone out and looked for her.” Marlene says. 

“And we were just about to if you didn’t just show up just now.” Lily explains.

“It’s okay really. I need to get familiar anyways since I'll be here for a while, right.” I state back to them. 

“Right then, well it’s almost 9 so let's get dressed and head to Hogsmeade.” Lily says. I make my way over to the closet and pull out a black turtleneck shirt and some sneakers along with a jean skirt and cropped jean jacket. I get dressed and put my hair in a ponytail and added some chapstick to my lips knowing they were going to get chapped in this weather boarderlining winter. I pulled my mother's necklace from my nightstand drawer and clipped it on. Then grabbed my cross body bag. The others dressed similarly for the weather. A mix of fall and winter. 

Enter Hogsmeade

Once we entered the village, the shops filled with some people passing through making their way from shop to shop. Hogsmeade was a homely village, with pointed top cottages and shops of variety. I can smell something sweet and spicy in the air, it must be the drink everyone has in hand coming out of a place called Madam Puddifoots’ Tea Shop. I hear laughter coming from another end of the street where we walk at another shop called Zonko's Joke Shop. 

“Say Lily won’t you take her to the quill and cauldron shop, maybe Dervish and Banges. Me and Dorcas will head to Gladrags and then meet you guys at Honeydukes.” Marlene says as she shares her idea. 

“Why Honeydukes?” Lily questions. 

“Because she must try butterbeer and I’m starving.” Marlene groans. 

“Here since you’re getting the outfits.” I say pulling out some galleons in a small coin sack. They all look at me incredulously. 

“Well, you didn’t tell us you were loaded.” Marlene exclaims at the bag of gold. 

“I’m not, really.” I say shaking my head. I used mainly american dollars in the U.S. and sometimes wizarding money, but it was easier to transfer american money so that my relation to Grindelwald wasn’t known. 

“Darling, it’s okay. I’m paying for everyone’s clothes today. My treat for bursting in yesterday.”

“You mean all summer.” Lily mumbles. 

“You can say that again.” Dorcas remarks.

“Har Har, Lily fire and I’m hurt D. Spicy this morning aren’t we?” Marlene says sarcastically. 

“Just go!” Lily says and pushes Marlene away. Meanwhile Lily takes me to the quill shop where I can get more ink and paper. I also grab some envelopes hoping Lily doesn’t see it as I purchase them quickly. Then we stop at Ceridwen's Cauldron, where I buy a small silver cauldron and then we make our way to the herbology shop where I gather fluxweed, dittany (that I could easily use as an aphrodisiac), ginger, and valerian. However I couldn’t find moly, a special flower that can allow my body to counteract any enchantments used on me. 

I go up to the counter and purchase my items and ask the lady who is packaging my items,”Do you by chance sell Moly?”

She looked up at me slowly and then looked me over curiously. “What do you want with Moly?”

I challenge her stare, “I’ll need it to reverse the effects of the valerian if something goes wrong.” 

“Hmm, that you will. Best not put yourself in a deep sleep, deary. However the moly will cost extra.” She states. 

“I think I’ll have enough.” I say putting the coin sack of galleons on the counter. She smiles at this and goes to the back to get the package of Moly. 

“3 galleons.” She says with an obvious devious smile. I place the coins on the counter and take my bag of herbs and leave the shop as Lily follows behind saying goodbye to the lady. 

“Everything okay back there?” Lily asks. 

“Yeah. I got everything I need. Should we head to Honeydukes was it?”

“Yes, let’s go.” Lily connects our arms together as we walk the streets to get to a place called Honeydukes. Lily and I are laughing and talking about the shops and the people in the village and what we think they are up to. She stops abruptly and lets go of my arm. I look towards her confusingly. 

“Lily?” I ask trying to see what she’s looking at. 

She turns around abruptly and smiles at me, “I saw a friend in there that I haven’t seen for a while. Do you mind if I go say hi?” 

“No not all. I saw the post office two shops back, I think it’s high time I write a letter to my friends in America.”

“Great. I’ll come find you then, I shouldn’t be long.” She says and rushes into what seems like a pub called, Three Broomsticks Inn.

Marauders 3rd POV

Lily rushes into the pub and quickly and furiously makes her way over to the four boys who all have their heads down knowing what’s coming towards them. 

“WHAT THE HELL are you guys doing here?” She seathed. 

“Lily darling, what a lovely surprise!” James grimaced trying to ease the fire in her. 

“Shut it James!” Lily snaps. “Black what the hell, we told you we could handle ourselves.”

“Aww Lily don’t be like that. We are just here in case.” He whined. 

“Look and listen carefully to the words coming out of my mouth. We are fine. They won’t dare come here. Diagon Alley, for sure, but here never. It’s too crowded with students and teachers from Hogwarts that we would be able to sniff them out. Go! NOW. We are fine and everything is well.”

“Sirius I think we should go.” Remus pipes in and Peter nods in agreement. 

“Right, where is this new bestie of yours?” Sirius pried.

“She’s at the post office. Said something about writing a letter to her friends in America.”

“Oh you can’t be this dull.” Sirius says. Lily gasps in shock and her anger intensifies.

“Padfoot.” James states. 

“Here we go.” Remus says and takes a sip of his tea. 

“What did you just say about me?” Lily presses her hands down on the table leaning towards Sirius. 

“What if she is writing a letter to well you know or maybe someone in connection.” He explains quickly slightly fearing her wrath. 

“You think I didn’t think about that? Dumbledore has someone in there to infiltrate her letters.”

“He does?” James questions. 

“Yes, maybe if you boys paid attention in the meetings you would know that we have put in place a way to intercept any communication she has. Even the letters.” 

“Well damn.” Sirius mutters. 

“Go back to the school boys. The party isn’t going to plan itself.” 

“Will do, mlady.” James says with a big smile on his face and adoration in his eyes. 

“Fuck off, Potter.” She says and walks away from the boys, hiding the small smile on her lips. 

Y/n POV

I go into the post office and head to the counter. A man sits there stamping off envelopes and a woman on the other end is helping someone else out. I also see some elves attending to the mail and owls in their cages. I walk over to the small island made for people to write off their letters. I pull out a paper and ink with my wand but disguise it with a spell to make it look like a quill. 

I write out my letter to look like it was ordinary and directed to my friends back in America. Then I look around to make sure no one sees and blow across the paper with blue fire and I quickly whisper what I want to really say as the paper fills with my words and disappears. I sign it and envelope it to an address that is in America, but will be rerouted to Austria once it goes to transport and the real address will reveal itself. Grindelwald taught me this secret way of communication when I left for america. Taught how to use the blue fire to conceal the truth of things you want hidden. It's undetectable but takes skill and focus. I have been doing it so long it comes easy to me now, yet if anyone knew I would be suspected for dark magic. I put the letter in the post box outside so I won’t have to explain the faraway address. 

“Did you get to write your letter?” Lily says as she approaches me. 

“Yes. I only hope it gets to them safely.” I smile and we take off to honeydukes. 

By the time we get to Honeydukes, it's noon and Marlene gushes to us all the clothes and accessories she bought and how great we are going to look tonight at the party. We all ordered lunch and I got to try butterbeer for the first time. It's like butterscotch candy mostly, its sweet deliciousness coats my tongue and I order another once I'm done. I wonder what kind of treats the party will hold tonight. Maybe I’ll finally meet “the boys” and see the one I ran into this morning.