#etc etc and it kept moving around and was so sharp i didn’t even have the strength to open my eyes or walk around. and i think it was making

[pepprs]

ok i survived yom kippur. but it took every single scrap of strength in my body and i’m not completely better yet

[revasserium]

can i have one were zoro realises she does things bc of truama (like doesnt speak much etc)

hold me (still)

opla!zoro; 6,680 words; slow!!!!burn, fem!reader, ex-assassin!reader, straw hat!reader, general tragic backstory/trauma, fluff, hurt/comfort, bit of angst, emotionally constipated zoro, communication? what's that?, nami playing therapist bc she's the only one with 1 iota of emotional intelligence

summary: sometimes, stillness is a virtue, and others -- a tragedy. or, in which the straw hats pick up a new member and zoro is equally intrigued and weirded out by you.

a/n: well. you guys asked for slow burn and... the burn is so slow u gotta squint to see the smoke yall. but trust. the burn does get there! pls be patient!! and i tried to combine 2 dif reqs in this one fic :)

You are of the quiet sort. Just a shadow dancing in the periphery of their vision, and when they first met you, you’d told them it was your superpower, a soft, still smile slipping across your lips. Luffy had bought into it immediately, and the invitation was out his mouth before anyone could stop him.

“Come with us!”

“Oh…” your lips pressed into a thin line of consideration.

Zoro’s fingers itched towards his swords because something about you makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But something else — something uncomfortable and strange, something very much like curiosity — seizes his chest and twists his stomach. Strange, he thinks, too strange.

“C’mon! It’ll be fun!”

And then, you’d smiled wider, and nodded, and that had been that.

It’s been three months since then, and you are still of the quiet sort, though it had receded a bit with time. What with Sanji’s gentle flirting and Usopp’s not-so-gentle stories and Nami’s bright, dry-humored companionship, you’d begun to “open up a bit”, so Luffy observed.

Zoro, for his part, has kept his distance. Because sometimes he still catches you at the bow of the ship, staring out across the midnight waters, still as a stone-carved statue. Still as a wooden beam — stiller, even.

“What’s with that?” he asks one day, strolling up to Nami as she traces a fine line over a new map she’s working on.

“Hm?” is her very eloquent response.

Zoro ticks his tongue against his teeth and casts his eyes about the ship, finding them drawn to the shape of you, up at the bow again, reading in the shade of the tangerine trees. Nothing moves except for the wind as it whisps through your hair and the slow scanning of your eyes as it skates across the page.

“New girl,” Zoro says, crossing his arms as Nami finally looks up at him and then off towards you.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Zoro lets out a puff of breath, unfolding his arms to glare at Nami. He finds her grinning a lopsided grin as she clicks shut her compass and puts down her pen. She leans a hip on the barrel she’d been drawing on and folds her own arms.

“Oh, you like her.”

“I’m weirded out by her. ‘S not the same thing,” Zoro snaps, but when he tries to leave, Nami blocks him with an arm and pins him with a sharp, leveling look.

“No, no, no — we’re gonna work this through.”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

“Uh-uh, you still owe me after that round of drinks the other night — remember when you bet you could drink more than me?”

Zoro narrows his eyes, “I did drink more than you.”

Nami’s grin is gleeful, “No, you didn’t. You had to be dragged back to your room after clogging up the toilet. Or do I need to show you the evidence —”

“Alright — fuck, fine. But really? This is what you’re gonna waste your favor on? You could’ve asked me to —” Zoro gestures around vaguely, “clean the bilge or something.”

Nami shrugs, looking almost too pleased, “Nope! This is what I wanna use my favor for. And, really, you think a bit of bilge water is gonna gross me out? C’mon.”

Zoro heaves a sigh and leans back against the main mast, closing his eyes.

“Fine then. Go.”

Nami sits back on the edge of the barrel.

“No, you go. Admit that you like the new girl.”

“I don’t.” He doesn’t open his eyes.

“I’ve seen you staring at her. We’ve all seen you staring at her.”

“What, that a crime now?”

Nami fights the urge to roll her eyes, “No, but I’ve never seen you try so hard to avoid someone before.”

Zoro lets out a bark of laughter, hard and mirthless, “Yeah, so that must mean I like her.”

Nami cocks her head, “It means you feel something towards her. And I’d suggest you figure it out.”

“And how’d you propose I do that?”

Nami once again waves in your direction, “Go. Talk. To her.”

Zoro lets out another breath, eyes scanning across the ship, anywhere but towards where you’re still sitting and reading, finger flipping a page in a perfect, smooth, singular motion.

And Zoro’s not blind. Blunt though he may be at times and careless as he is about most material things, he can still appreciate beauty when he sees it. And you — there’s no denying that you’re beautiful. Your strange stillness aside, when you do move, it’s with a dancer’s lissome grace, fluid lines, not a single movement wasted. When you smile, it seems to light you up from the inside, and your words, though soft, carries the well-worn weight of river stones, glittering beneath the clear, spring stream of your voice.

There’s a sharpness in your eyes, a straightness to your spine, a way of carrying yourself as if you’re afraid that one wrong move might shatter you and the entire world around you.

Sometimes when he sees you, he wonders at the hands that had sculpted you this way. He wonders at your life before they’d picked you up in Loguetown, when you’d oh-so-silently slipped up the execution platform and helped Luffy down, all the while staying free of Smoker’s watchful gaze.

The few times he’s seen you fight, he can’t help wondering if you’ve eaten some kind of devil fruit as well. No human could be so fast as that. Or be so quiet. But then again, he’d fought Kuro, and they’d seen stranger things. Still, he marvels at the way you flicker in and out of sight, slipping around the edges of battle like a dark, haunting thing, and men would drop like flies beneath your quick, quiet hands. With nary a sound or shout before their eyes roll back and their breathing is no more.

On the instances when Sanji had asked about your past, your eyes had gone misty and dark, unfocused. You’d gone still, freezing for so long that Usopp would cough just to fill the silence. And then slowly, ever so slowly, you’d turn back towards them with a small, sad smile and say:

“There’s… not much to talk about. I grew up somewhere far away, where if you didn’t keep quiet and still, bad things would happen to you. And then when those bad things happened, if you weren’t quick — the quickest of all, you’d die.”

Bad things, huh? Zoro thinks as he makes his way towards you, a hand resting on the hilt of his swords. He comes to a stop next to you and leans against one of the white planters, casually peering over your shoulder at the book in your hands.

For a long moment, neither of you move. Then, Zoro clears his throat and forces himself to speak.

“Is it good?”

It takes you a second, but eventually, you turn towards him.

“The book? Yeah, I suppose.”

“Not exactly a glowing review.”

You laugh, a soft, breathy little thing as you look back down at the page.

“It's about a girl who falls into an enchanted sleep, and a prince who wakes her up with a kiss.”

“Must’ve been one hell of a kiss.”

“Yes, and one hell of a prince.”

Zoro finds himself chuckling, his shoulders loosening as he takes another breath.

“And then what?” he asks.

“And then… he asks her to marry him.”

You run your fingers along the page, smoothing your palm over the ink and parchment. Zoro watches you, wondering, always wondering.

“What’s she say?” and it’s then that he notices his own voice, hushed and low, barely a whisper.

You look back up at him and smile a smile a sphynx would have been proud of.

“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten there yet.”

Zoro takes a breath, and the breath tastes distinctly different than all the breaths he’d taken before it. As if the world takes the breath with him, and some fundamental truth had shifted on the exhale.

The moment breaks, as moments are wont to do, when Sanji calls out for lunch and Zoro jerks out of his almost-reverie. You slowly close your book and rise to your feet, turning back to smile at him.

“C’mon, it’s lunchtime.”

Zoro nods and follows you into the kitchen, where Luffy and Usopp are already digging in, and Nami is pouring herself a drink. She spots the pair of you and catches Zoro’s eyes. A grin ticks at the edge of her lips but before she can say anything, you’re accosted by Sanji sweeping into a deep, flourishing bow, and ushering you towards the table, where he’d set your place in a manner fit for a princess.

“Where’s my setup?” Zoro asks as he drops into the seat next to you, cocking an eyebrow. Sanji shoots him an unimpressed look.

“I’m surprised you can use a fork and knife, moss-head. Just be grateful and eat up.”

Zoro scoffs but digs in nonetheless.

When next they dock, it’s on a rare, peaceful island — an island of light and books and learning, where the air smells of salt and ink and drying parchment, of unwritten words and untold stories. But it smells of a stillness too, and Zoro knows without having to ask that you’d like it here.

And you do.

He’s never seen you smile so much, never seen you so vibrant and full of life. You chat and laugh and read with a voracious hunger, and he finds himself drawn to this new, warm, moving side of you. He finds himself, more often than not, by your side, even when neither of you speak. And he basks in the comfort of the quiet that permeates the air when it’s just the two of you — him hanging in the hammock on deck, you reading by his side.

But now, there’s the soft tapping of your foot, the shuffle of pages when you flip forward to see what’s coming next, and of course the ever-present shush of the ocean as it washes against the Merry’s side.

The Log Pose needs two weeks to properly calibrate to the next island, so they’ve got time to kill.

On the fifth night, over dinner and drinks, Luffy asks the question that everyone’s been thinking since the day they’d all met you —

“So. Why’re you so still all the time? Not that it’s weird or anything — well, actually — it kind of is, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m just asking cause I'm curious!”

You look up from your half-finished wine but Zoro feels it happening, like the hush of a fan blade slicing through air, the gasp before a porcelain vase tips over and shatters. You stop. You stare. You’re frozen in every sense of the word. And he’s known you for long enough to know that you only go still as a reflex, only reach for it as a shield. Against what? He doesn’t quite know.

“It’s… something of a long story,” you say, your voice low and hoarse.

Luffy grins, smacking his lips as he sucks the meat off a chicken leg, “We’ve got tons of time! Right?” he looks around as if for validation, but everyone’s eyes are caught on you and your unnatural stillness.

Zoro shifts slightly in the seat next to you, opening his stance and turning towards you.

“Could do with a good story.”

Your eyes flash in his direction and he offers you the barest hint of a smile.

You relax, ever so slightly, drifting back in your seat, your glass cupped in the palms of your hands. And then, you begin to speak, your voice smooth and lilting, your words washing over them like the faint lull of the tides.

“When I was three, my father sold me for a barrel of beer.”

A dull clack echoes around the room and everyone turns to see Sanji hurriedly righting the thick stein he’s knocked over. Thankfully, it’d been empty.

“Sorry — I just — what?” he sounds furious but Usopp lays a hand across his arm and shakes his head.

You take a deep breath and continue, your voice oddly emotionless as you say, “The man who bought me took me to an island. It was… a dark place. A quiet place. I only learned its name after I escaped — an island called Elysium.”

Nami gasps before clapping her hands over her mouth.

“I’ve just — I’ve heard of that place before, but I thought… I thought it was just a made-up place.”

Luffy swallows hard, frowning, “What’s it like?”

Nami’s eyes flicker between you and Luffy, “Supposedly… it’s the home island for… for the most feared group of assassins in all the seas combined.”

Usopp’s eyebrows jerk up, “The most feared?”

A faint smile seeps across your lips like blood.

“Yes. The Shadows that Live.”

Everyone turns to look at you. Luffy picks up another drumstick.

“Whoa… cool name!”

Zoro hums, “I’ve heard of them before — but mostly, it was just an old wive’s tale about… shadow assassins who hunt in the dark. Mercenaries for hire. But… no one’s ever seen one before.”

“Because… once you see one, you’ll never live to tell the tale,” you say, your eyes now downcast and fixed on the glass in your hands.

“Then…” Usopp’s voice is soft, “What about… you?”

“I… I ran away.”

Silence greets you. But after a moment, Luffy spits out a bit of bone and uses it to pick at the space between his teeth, his eyes round.

“Wow! You must be pretty good to run away from an island full of shadow assassins!”

You almost laugh, his boundless trust hitting you like a punch to the stomach.

“So…” Sanji lets out a puff of silvery smoke, “the staying still thing… that’s just part of your training, yeah?”

You nod, “Something like that.”

Someday, you think, you’ll tell them about the hellscape that was Elysium island, of the long echoing halls, dark and still and silent. Of the mechanical beasts that hunted by sound and movement alone. Someday, you’ll let them know about the poisoned pomegranate seeds that they feed all the “recruits” to keep them hazy, of how you’d kept six of them suspended in your mouth and spat them all out when you’d finally made it far enough from the island to allow yourself to breathe.

“And… are these shadow assassins gonna come after us?” Nami asks, her voice careful and light.

You purse your lips, “I… I don’t know.”

Nami sighs, but a moment later, she moves to refill her drink with a slight shrug, “Well, just one more enemy to add to our growing list. Soon, we’re gonna have to post a sign-up sheet.”

At this, everyone laughs, and the tension snaps like a wounded spring.

Luffy burps loudly, patting his stomach, “I’m not worried — I mean, if you were able to run away from them once, that means you’re stronger than them, right?”

You pause, your hand hovering over the wine bottle. Zoro gently reaches over and refills your glass for you. You shift back into movement, casting him a small smile and taking a sip. The wine is cool and tangy as it hits the back of your throat. You breathe, and the world keeps spinning.

“I… I’m not sure — I’ve never fought… any of… them… before.”

“Guess we’ll find out if they try to come for you then — but you’ve got us now!” Luffy says, reaching for an apple and chomping into it, “ — Sho… you duon gotta wourry —” he licks his lips as he takes another huge bite before tossing the core towards the waste bin, “We’ve got your back!”

Nami makes a disgusted face, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, ugh.”

Sanji chuckles, tapping out his cigarette, “Yeah Luffy, mind your manners.” But his voice is full of laughter and you find yourself relaxing into the sway of the night, the swing of conversation. Beside you, Zoro refills his own glass and leans over to clink it against yours.

You turn, but he only raises his glass before taking a sip.

You mirror his movement, cradling the cup to your chest when you finish.

Later, he finds you by the tangerine trees, ghosting your fingers over their lush green leaves, dark enough to look black in the evening light.

“Hey.”

You turn, “Hi.”

Zoro sighs and looks out over the darkened waves, the moonlight refracted into a million shattered bits of sky.

“Luffy’s right, y’know.”

“What about?” you ask, joining him by the railings. The night air is cool and crisp. Behind you both, the island oozes with lamplight and laughter. Even from here, you can hear the joy, the peace that permeates the air here. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, you think, to stay here forever.

“If they come for you,” Zoro says, “we’ll have your back.”

You let out a small chuckle, looking down at your hands, “I know.”

“So,” he turns towards you, his earrings glinting in beneath the scimitar moon, “you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

You lick your lips, and instinctively, you reach for the stillness. All the days and weeks and months with the people around you have softened you, and for that, you know you should be thankful. Still, old habits die hard, and you have to clench your fists and dig your nails into your own palms to keep from freezing completely.

You take a shivering breath and force it out again.

“Fear’s a hard habit to break.”

At this, Zoro grunts, though it sounds something like consent. The moment stretches, long and soft and taffy-sweet.

He turns back towards the sea, “Yeah,” he says, and then —

“But we can take it slow.”

You swallow hard, passed the broken shards of forgotten words lodged in your throat (you find that they all somehow taste like thank you), and you nod. Warmth tickles your cheeks and you wonder why he’s said we instead of you — and later, lying in your bed at night, staring at the moon-slatted ceiling, you wonder if he was really talking about fear or if it was something else entirely.

You don’t get a lick of sleep that night.

The next few days pass in a light, repetitive blur. You and Zoro are sent on a few short shopping trips in the city, and you’re glad for something to do that involves movement. Shocking how quickly the body adapts once the weight it’d been holding on to is lifted.

You are still quiet, and he, the same; but the silence has shifted around you, and whereas before it’d been solid and steady, it’s now thrumming and charged with some unspoken energy.

Neither of you are blind to it; nor, it seems, is the rest of the crew.

Sanji’s taken to openly teasing Zoro about being with you all the time, complaining loudly that he can’t get a word in edgewise because Zoro refuses to leave you alone. Nami keeps on trying to drag you out for “girl's day” shopping trips, hinting at all the cute clothes you could get and how “green really suits your skin tone, y’know?”

Luffy and Usopp for their part, both just grin whenever they see you together — Luffy stoked at the fact that you seem more happy and talkative, Usopp gleeful at the way Zoro always seems so much softer when he’s next to you.

You’ve taken to watching him when he trains, sitting in the shade of the tangerine trees, a cold drink in your hand as Zoro runs through his katas. You content yourself with watching him flow through the movements, one and then another, and then another after that. He contents himself with your presence, knowing that you’re here, feeling your eyes as they skate down the length of his back or the width of his shoulders.

It’s a peaceful sort of companionship, even if it is living on borrowed time.

When you all wave the little island goodbye, it’s with heavy hearts and tearful smiles. It had treated you well, and you think you’d miss it. But adventure is as adventure does — it calls, beckoning to those with wandering hearts to listen.

The first week back at sea is a strange one, full of a ringing nostalgia. As if you’re simultaneously coming home and leaving one at the same time. Everyone is a bit quiet, except for Luffy, of course, who literally bounces off the freshly waxed planks, humming to himself as he sits on top of the great ram’s figurehead.

“Is he ever still?” you ask one day, sometime in the second week.

To which Zoro makes a sound between a scoff and a laugh, “You’ve been here a while. What’d you think?”

You sigh softly and tear your eyes away from the bright, shivering ball of energy that is your captain towards the far horizon. A sliver of uncertainty twines through you and your breath slows. Zoro glances at you, now long since attuned to your subtle shifts in movement and stillness. He narrows his eyes.

“What is it?”

You shake yourself back into the moment, forcing a smile.

“Nothing. I think…” your words fade as the feeling twists in you again, knife-sharp and stinging. You clear your throat and reach up to brush away a strand of hair. Skin grazes skin as Zoro’s hand meets yours in the same gesture and you both freeze — hands held up, his finger caught against the bend of your cheekbone, your fingers curling over his.

Time slows, slackens around the pair of you, and the moment stays, suspended in space — garnet dark and perfect.

Neither of you dare to breathe. It’s then that you realize how close Zoro is — close enough for you to see the entire ocean reflected in his eyes: big and dark and so endless it nearly unmoors you. Close enough for you to feel the warmth of his skin; his body, emanating heat. You’d often wondered, in the long hours of watching him train, at the glistening copper of his skin and the light-kissed quality, if the sun himself favored Zoro as well.

Like this, it’s easy to believe that beneath his skin, there pulsed something like sunlight.

“Look! It’s an island! It’s an island!”

And just like that, the moment shatters. Time slips back into motion and you pull away from each other, breathless, with warm cheeks and thundering hearts, feeling somehow lightning-touched and static-ridden.

You take half a step back, reaching up to press a hand to your mouth as if to stop something from tumbling through. But what? You can’t really say.

Zoro tips back as well, whipping around to help Usopp and Sanji with the sails as Luffy continues to holler, waving his hat. On the horizon, you see it looming — the silhouette of an island. You lower your palm from your lips to your heart and wonder what kind of island it will be.

Deserted — seems to be the answer when you all make landfall. The island is quiet, but the occasional chirp and cricket staves off your nerves as you all wander cautiously about the beach, squinting into the dense forest that seems to encompass the whole of the island.

“Looks like a good place to camp for the night!” Luffy says, grinning as he plops down on the sand.

Sanji nods, dusting off his hands, “We’ll need some wood for a fire, but I reckon I can whip up some grilled fish from the fresh catch.”

You wrap your arms around yourself and look around, glancing back at the darkening horizon.

“Something the matter?” Zoro’s voice is soft as he helps you carry some of the camping supplies from the ship.

“No… yes… I —” you look up at him, pursing your lips, “I don’t know. I’ve just… this island is…”

Zoro looks around, his dark eyes scanning the thick swath of forest just beyond the beach, “Too quiet?”

You let out a tiny laugh, “Yeah, something like that.”

He nods, “Don’t worry, I’m — we’re here.”

And he leaves it at that, hoisting a stack of wood over his shoulders and going to help Nami with the fire. You watch him with a smile, wondering what on earth you’d done to deserve this level of caring, this magnitude of kindness. Soon, dinner is had and drinks are shared and laughter is spilled like so many silver coins over the white sand beach. The lull of the evening takes over you all, and before long, Luffy and Usopp are slumped over each other, snoring loudly.

You stare into the depths of the fire and try to tamp down the growing dread festering inside your bones. All those years of holding still, of breathing and listening and feeling — you shake yourself — no, not all stillness is a bad thing. Not all silences are made the same.

“You’re doing it again,” Zoro’s voice almost makes you jump. Instead, you turn, finding him next to you as he nurses a half-drunk bottle of wine in his hands. He doesn’t look at you, but there’s a loose grin hinged across his lips.

“Sorry,” you say, ducking your head, feeling a now familiar heat creep into your cheeks that has nothing to do with the dwindling bonfire.

“Don’t be,” Zoro takes another drink, “But I told you… you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“I know… and I’ve said before —”

“Fear’s a hard habit to break,” Zoro echoes back at you, finally glancing over and catching your eye.

You breathe out, looking down at your own hands, “Yeah… but I’m trying.”

You both fall silent, and for a while, the only sounds are the crackle of the dying flames, the shush of the ocean waves, and the occasional snores from the rest of your crew. It’s late — later than you realized.

“Do you… want me to grab a book for you?”

You smile, “No, I don’t think it’s bright enough.”

“I could restoke the fire.”

“No, it’s — it’s okay.”

“Alright.”

A bird coos the distance.

“Why don’t you tell me a story?” you ask, turning to look at Zoro proper, shifting till your body is facing him.

In the faint light, you can see the edge of his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

“You’re asking the wrong guy — you should wait till the Great Captain Usopp’s awake.”

“Yeah, but I want to hear one from you.”

Zoro sighs, his eyes fixed on the last of the flickering flames. He takes another swig of wine before he starts to speak, his voice low and a bit stilted, but he pushes on. He tells you about his childhood, the village he’d trained in, the doujou in the middle of the wood, his friend who he’d never beat — not even once.

He tells you about he early mornings and the late nights, and how the world had seemed large enough to conquer.

“… And then… there came a morning when she didn’t show up… and sensei came and told me that there’d been an accident.”

His voice almost breaks then, and your eyes catch on the shining white hilt of the Wadou Ichimonji — his thumb pressing against the guard, running along it’s hard metal edge.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Zoro shrugs, “Don’t be.”

You nod, “Still.”

Zoro slates you a lopsided smirk, “So. Now you know my tragic backstory too.”

You laugh, leaning back to cast your eyes up towards the sky, “And you know mine — it’s almost like we’re friends or something.”

Zoro lets out a long breath, “Yeah… or something.”

There’s a tightness to his voice that makes your skin tingle and it takes everything you have not to look over at him, to try and see if he’s looking at you, watching you the way you’d imagined him to be. You fancy you can feel his gaze on your face, but you close your eyes instead.

You let yourself fall into the warm haze of sleep, and for a while you drift there, your mind sifting through shards of memories and slivers of sound, casting them against the backs of your eyelids as you slowly slide into the darkness of dreams.

You wake up to a gasping stillness — the silence pressing in on your eardrums like thumbs, the darkness around you so complete it’s almost a solid thing. You freeze, your breath hissing to a halt inside you. Then distantly, ever so distantly, you hear the sounds of battle — metal clashing against metal, the hard thud of boots against flesh. You shake your head and reach up to clap your hands over your ears and only then do your senses return to you, snapping back as if you’d been abruptly shunted back into your earthly body.

“Gum Gum — Pistol!”

“Seize her!”

You whip into movement, fast as a flash, dashing away, hoping against hope that it would draw your attackers far enough from your crewmates.

“No one… ever… leaves us…”

The voice is serpentine and susurrus, sinking into your skin like sharpened teeth, but before it can reach you, it’s cut short by a bright flash of silver.

You gasp, whirling around, reaching for the nearest pulse, instinct taking over as you sink your fingers into muscle and flesh. The rush of blood thrumming beneath your fingertips comes too easy, even as a familiar scent accosts you. A moment later, your hands are being pinned above you, and thick, rough bark is digging into your wrists as Zoro stands before you, a sword in one hand, the other holding you still.

His eyes are a little wild and a lot worried. There’s a ring of red rawness around his neck, thin trickles of blood trailing along his jugular, disappearing into the wide scoop neck of his shirt.

“Hey, look at me.”

You nearly whimper, struggling against him, fear still coursing through you like a drug but Zoro is strong enough to keep you held. Behind him, you can see the rest of the crew fending off several shadowy figures, Usopp waving a torch, screaming at the top of his lungs, Luffy whooping as he whacks another figure with his fist.

“Z-Zoro?”

“Yeah, it’s me — eyes up here.”

You swallow in a breath, and then another, and you feel the bright thrum of urgency leave you as your body slowly falls slack. And then you’re slipping, and he’s looping an arm around you to keep you upright.

“Th-they’re here — they —”

“They’re gone — we got rid of them — hey.”

Zoro takes you by the shoulders and gives you a gentle shake. Finally, your eyes catch on his and your gaze holds. You see yourself reflected in them, stark and terrified, but alive — somehow alive.

“They’re gone,” he says, his voice soft and low by your ear, his arm still wrapped around your middle. Shivers wrack your body as you bury your face in his shoulder. He smells of steel and skin and the metallic tang of blood. It’s then that you remember — the wounds on the sides of his neck. The marks in the shape of your hands —

You jerk back and feel a sticky wetness against your cheek.

“Zoro, I hurt you!”

At this, he scoffs, pulling back far enough to flash you a look.

“This is nothing. C’mon.”

He offers you a hand, and after a second you take it, letting him pull you to your feet. Wordlessly, he presses his palm to the small of your back, his arm extended to keep you steady as you both make your way back towards camp.

“Phew! That was a workout!” Luffy is saying just as you both reach the outskirts of the now-darkened bonfire. Sanji is pulling out a cigarette, striking a match, and first lighting the end before tossing it into the remains of the firewood, fanning it up into a slow flame.

Nami and Usopp both look a bit shaken, but none worse for the wear.

They all pivot to look at you.

You go still against Zoro’s side, uncertainty flooding through you. Faintly, you feel Zoro’s fingers as they press into the bend of your waist, solid and steady.

Then, Usopp coughs, “C’mon y’all — the Shadows that Live? Psh! More like — the Shadows that Fled, am I right? Yeah? Didya see the way I sent ‘em runnin’ with my brand new fire-powered explosion rounds?”

Nami chuckles and Sanji follows suit, shaking his head and letting out a thin wisp of smoke. Luffy’s grins at you, pumping a fist in the air, clapping his right shoulder.

“See? Told you we’d have your back! We are your crew, after all!”

Weakness seeps into your limbs as you nod, hot pin-pricks of tears itching at your lower lashes. You lower your head and rub at your eyes before looking back up again with a smile. Sanji grimaces as he looks over Zoro.

“Got something on your neck, mate.”

Zoro glares but you glance over and feel your stomach twist with guilt.

“Sorry… I can clean that up for you. They’re not deep but they do need to be bandaged up.”

Zoro wipes down his sword before sheathing it and motioning towards the ship. Behind you, you can hear Nami yawning and saying something about catching up on some more sleep and Sanji reassuring her about having the last watch anyway.

The kitchen is still dark, but the dusty dawn sweeps against the far horizon and neither of you bother to turn the lights on. You carefully set the first aid kit on the kitchen counter and collect the supplies as Zoro leans back against the edge and folds his arms. You work in near silence, reaching up to first wipe the thin threads of drying blood before tending to the tiny, crescent-shaped puncture wounds.

You press an alcohol-soaked cotton ball against one of them and feel Zoro wince.

“Sorry.”

“I’m fine.”

You bite your lips, “If this had been a bit deeper or a few inches over —”

“But it wasn’t. So it’s fine.”

You don’t look up at him but you can feel his eyes on you. Your movements are fluid and sure; you’d clearly done this before.

“Hey, look at me.”

You freeze, eyes slowly gliding up the planes and divots of his neck, slipping up the line of his jaw, so sharp it might’ve been turned on a diamond cutter’s lathe. Your breath hitches as you finally meet his eyes, and there’s a dark, knowing glint behind them that makes your stomach flip.

“I’m fine.”

And for the second time in a handful of hours, you’re caught by the realization of your closeness — only a breath of space between you. There’s a crimp at the corner of his mouth that looks dangerously like a smile and then you’re tipping forward, a thumb reaching up to trace the line of his bottom lip once —

The movement acts like a trigger, and suddenly, he is leaning in and the breath of space disappears.

For all your life of stillness, you thought you’d learned to appreciate the depths and widths of movement. But nothing could’ve prepared you for this — for the push and pull of lips on lips, for the force and friction of skin against skin. For the gasp and hiss, for the breath and kiss.

For the feeling of his large palm as it settles along the swallow’s-nest bend of your neck, the way his thumb runs along your jaw like tracing the guard of his beloved sword, tilting your mouth towards him. For the way your heart might flutter like a tiny, caged bird, or the way you might feel his heart thumping like a fist from his chest to yours.

For the way his voice rolls over your name like a ship at sea; for the way it would shake your body from your bones and leave you more liquid than solid in his arms. For how you never used to think your story would be a love story, but then you realize that every story is a love story if caught in the right moment, in the right light.

And here, breaking apart from Zoro, with a thick, stolen streak of lemon-yellow sunlight leaking in from the kitchen window — that’s exactly what it feels like.

“Oh,” is all you have the strength to say.

Zoro, in all his solid brilliance and quiet audacity, laughs.

You taste the smile on your own lips before you realize you’re smiling. But when you try to bury your face in his neck, he winces slightly as you brush his still-fresh wounds.

“Crap, I forgot about these.”

Zoro chuckles as you hurry to press a few small bandages to the wounds.

“It’s okay. So did I.”

You finish dressing his wounds in silence, though this silence is markedly different from every other silence that had ever existed between you. There’s ease and tension, both, and when you’re finally finished, Zoro takes both your hands in his.

“So…” you say, unsure suddenly of where to look.

Zoro’s laugh is just as soft, just as uncertain.

“So.”

You try to look out the window, but by now, the dawning sun is so bright that it temporarily blinds you and you jerk back. Zoro smiles, reaching up to run his thumbs along your closed eyelids before dropping them to hook around your wrists again.

“Do you… wanna talk about it?” he asks, quiet as always.

You purse your lips and let your lashes flutter open. You find him watching you. Heat crests up your shoulders and into your cheeks, and suddenly, the exhaustion of the night before saps at your limbs. You sigh.

“Right now? Not really.”

“Yeah, neither do I,” he says, sounding as relieved as you feel.

You bite your lips and cast your gaze shyly across his face, your bird-wing heartbeat still flapping in your chest. You fight the urge to go still, to reach for that shield that has always protected you before. Faintly, you feel Zoro’s thumbs tracing circles along the insides of your wrists.

“Can I ask for something else, though?”

“What is it?”

You reach up a finger, nudging one of his golden earrings. You don’t miss the way he shivers, or the way his breath quickens in his chest.

“Kiss me again.”

Zoro grins, tugging you towards him, leaning into the curve of your palm as he does.

And does.

And does again.

reqs are: temporarily closed

but feedback is much loved and appreciated!!!

[reds-writings]

jealousy, jealousy!

(pairing: rust cohle x fem!reader)

a/n: hello! welcome to my first bout of writing! feedback is greatly appreciated and i hope you enjoy! there isn't much rust content on here so i figured i'd create it myself lmao

warnings: cursing, steamy scenes but nothing too crazy, sorta sexism, marty hart being himself, rust being pigheaded, mentions of sex, etc etc let me know if i missed anything (minors just don't bother interacting regardless thank you!)

word count: around 5.8k

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Never did you think that sitting in the passenger’s seat of Rustin Cohle’s red Ford pickup could have you seething as it did now. This wasn’t at all how your night was supposed to go and the culprit of said unsavory evening was sitting right next to you, cigarette pinched between tense fingers and eyes set hard on the dark highway ahead. The stubborn bastard had made no move to turn on the radio to save you both from the borderline unbearable silence. All you had was the humid Louisiana air from his rolled-down window flowing into the truck’s cabin and you couldn’t quite find it in you to be grateful for the fact he seemed to have kept in mind you detested the smell of that sour burning tobacco. 

Just who the hell does he think he is?

The question that repeated itself a mile a minute in your Coors-addled brain as it fought to catch up with all that just occurred not even a mere hour prior. Rust, as you already well knew, did not bother himself much when it came to others unless it strictly involved the endless trials of his work. That was the line he drew on a daily basis. Nothing could be clearer than the fact that Rust had little to no capacity for getting truly personal with most who existed in his orbit.

It was something you dealt with a bit better than the likes of your other partner Marty day in and day out at the CID. Though he may be one mystery wrapped in a more or less fucked up enigma, Rust’s way of functioning stayed relatively consistent. You didn’t dig often given that he wasn’t up and ready to offer much in the first place. He was sharp and strong-minded. Possessing most qualities that make well for a good investigative partner. Lines didn’t get muddled. It was how you preferred it. Up until recently, that is.

You didn’t have much nerve or will to go down that route right about now. 

Earlier in the day…

Your fingers were cramping at the end of typing the last dregs of the day’s reports. This recent case was starting to weigh heavier and heavier as an influx of countlessly cryptic details revealed themselves with each milestone of the investigative process. Something about this being darkly occultish as it was made it all the more daunting. There was a sense of underlying dread that this was something bigger than all of you. A sentiment you found yourself sharing with at least one of your partners: Rust. Marty on the other hand was still on the fence, not totally in the business of believing this was more than just some twisted piece of shit who had nothing better to do with his time. You wish you had half the mind to reduce it down to something so simple.

Strange things were not that of an irregular occurrence around these parts. Though said strange things didn’t have the habit of making it to the limelight as the Dora Lange case had. This wasn’t the type of case where one could be fine with just leaving it at work and picking it back up when they returned the next day as normal. Its disturbing details twisted themselves into every fiber of your daily life since that poor girl was found posed in Erath. It was better to eat, sleep, and breathe this case so that it may be solved all the more quickly. 

A world with one less monster like the one capable of committing a murder such as this is was a world where you could maybe sleep a little more soundly. 

Rolling your shoulders back, you twisted your aching neck side to side, resounding with an aching series of pops. God, I need a drink. You thought to yourself as you leaned back into the roller chair at your desk. The clock on your floor’s wall read 6:02. With all the work on your part done you figured you could slip out with much complaint. Stiffly rising from your spot, you started to pack away any necessary belongings into your well-loved messenger bag. Marty glanced up from his notes with a small quirk of his brow, “You headin’ out?”

Throwing your hair up to save yourself from the impending humidity from outside you replied, “Yeah. Need to wash the day off me and go grab a drink or somethin’. Bein’ out talkin’ to them church folk in the heat nearly all afternoon then witnessin’ Rust make that one boy shit himself was enough for the day.” 

Marty snorted to himself at that while Rust made no move to acknowledge your statement from his spot as he analyzed his comically large ledger. The blonde sipped his evening coffee as you finished gathering your things, “Don’t get too crazy tonight now. Lots to do in the days to follow I reckon the more this case stays befuddlin’ as is.”

You scoffed lightly, “I don’t doubt that. I’ll probably just head to that Blue Gator joint off the highway. Grab a few beers. Maybe a dance should one be willin’. Need’ta let loose is all.” 

“I’m sure any fella would be delighted to spin the night away with the likes of you, darlin’. Leave it at just dancin’ will ya?” Marty snickered a bit as you scowled and flipped him off idly. You notice in your peripheral Rust go still with a pen in hand but he didn’t make any move to look up or participate in the conversation. 

Continuing, you fix Marty with a half-hard look, “I’m sure you have your extracurricular activities beyond the job so it ain’t a sin to have my own. Anways, this is hardly an appropriate conversation to have betwixt coworkers, Martin. Keep your nose outta it.” 

Marty let out a surprised guffaw and placed an offended hand over his heart. Rust still hadn’t moved an inch from his position. When you let your gaze drift over towards the silent half of the duo you were met with that cold blue stare of his. The mere instance of contact left you feeling funnier than you’d prefer as of late. Things were starting to blossom into something a little different between you two after the few months of being in each other’s presence. He had been starting to open up in a manner he hadn’t bothered to when he first transferred to the CID here in Louisana. His presence had been quiet but no less intimidating, leaving you and Marty at a loss of what to do to prompt him out of his self-imposed shell.

Now, as this new case unfolded it seemed to trigger a sudden release of the deepest tidbits of his…intense opinions and values that went on within the inner workings of his mind. Marty often found himself wishing that Rust never bothered to open his mouth at all. Anything coming from the brooding Texan seemed to offend Hart on some deeper level one way or another.

For you, while it was not all that pleasant to constantly hear how fucked up we as a collective were and how life had little to no meaning, were intrigued nonetheless. You believed that Rust was just as human as everyone else despite him pushing himself as far away from that narrative as possible. He was just broken in a way that couldn’t ever be truly reversed. So while his infinitely dismal ramblings left you feeling more defeated about life than anything else at times, you couldn’t find it in you to really hold it against him. 

When it came to your dynamic, he seemed to have more of an unspoken respect for you than most of your colleagues did within the department. It wasn’t some radical declaration made by him that clued you in on the matter. He mostly just treated you the same as everyone else. Not inherently negative nor too positively outgoing where others could accuse him of giving you some form of special treatment. He listened to you and took your input into genuine consideration which was more than you could ask for when it came to working alongside any of your other male counterparts. However, there were these little instances within the recent weeks that had your mind (and heart) taking another route when it came to how Rust Cohle just might regard you. 

First, it started with fresh coffee materializing on your desk by the time you’d be strolling in at morning time. Two sugars with one cream and always in your favorite green mug ordained with hand-painted daisies. Very specific and not at all a detail that Marty ever bothered himself with remembering about you in the time you’d known each other. Not that you ever really cared. No one else here would ever think to offer you a damn thing unless it was maybe the lovely receptionist up at the front.

It wasn’t until one night you had forgotten your keys at your desk and made your way back inside the assumingly empty department only to find the Rust Cohle with sleeves pushed up to his elbows in the small office kitchen cleaning your daisy mug that you’d left haphazardly in the sink before leaving. You watched in silent awe as he had set it gently aside after drying it for what you assumed was for the next morning where he’d be the one who dutifully made your memorized coffee order in secret before your arrival. To him, the act was probably meaningless. 

To you, the simple scene made your heart squeeze in a way you didn’t think was possible. 

Next, it occurred when he started offering you rides to and fro after your car suffered a nasty rear-ending thus needing to have it sit in the shop for the time being. At first, it was a little nerve-wracking to be in close proximity without Marty present to break any drawn-out silences but after a while you’d found yourself in a rhythm you could call your own. Sometimes you’d talk, sometimes you’d sit and listen to whatever old country cassettes he had stowed away in his glove compartment. It was never dull to you. 

Each car ride had you piecing together factoids that unfurled into the evergrowing idea that was your new(ish) partner. You still found yourself sharing more about your own life than he did more often than not but you were okay with that. Even if he wasn’t the most reactive of men, you knew he held on to every word. Anything he decided to sparingly share had you doing the same with a reverence you weren’t sure you carried for anyone else.  

After getting your car back and no longer needing his chauffeur services a silent agreement had followed. Neither party was completely ready to let go of the pleasant thirty-three minutes permitted to be spent together outside of work. It was decided that he’d drive you home on nights you happened to leave late, deeming it too dangerous to be traveling home at odd hours in the night although you had already been doing so plenty before he manifested into your life.

Eventually, he even found himself at your house one day after having determined that your porch steps needed fixing…or that your gutters should be cleared…or that the lawn was looking a little too overgrown than what was acceptable. Small acts where you felt that maybe he wanted to be in your presence a bit longer than normally desired when it came to his usual limits of socialization.

Seeing him working around your property with that sweat-soiled wife beater of his and those lithe, god-given arms made that squeeze in your heart reach new heights and your tongue feel like lead. Who knew such pictures of domesticity could have this intense of a hold over you? You usually prided yourself in not being so easily affected by men. Though it wasn’t necessarily news that Rust was his own brand of a striking handsome that stood out against most men you’d come across. The sweet tea you’d supply for the dreadful heat when he’d carry out his projects ended up being more for your own benefit than his.

You caught yourself feeling greedy for more of his presence as he made himself an increasingly present fixture in your life. Which realistically…couldn’t lead to any sort of good. 

Bringing yourself back to now, his gaze held an emotion you couldn’t quite place. Hell, most times it was hard enough to know exactly what he was thinking unless he outright declared it. Maybe it was disapproval? Judgement? It wasn’t likely that he wanted to hear about your potential escapades. You probably wouldn’t want to hear of his either (not that he ever does speak of it if he even engages in that sort of activity) but you’d be coming from a different place on that matter. He returns to the pages of his ledger after deciding to break the staring spell, “I don’t see what sorta grand company could be found at an establishment such as the Green Gator.”

 His tone came out a bit too passive for your liking. Bordering the ugly lines of judgy which was something that rubbed you wrong entirely, “It’s the Blue Gator-”

“Oh hush up, Mr. High and Mighty. Not every man is as intellectually driven as you find yourself. Most men want fun and ain’t gonna pass it up when it’s in front of em’. They don’t need nearly as much as you do to get their rocks off.” Marty angles himself towards Rust in his chair, already willing to bat for you in his more than unhelpful way. 

Rust just scoffed and shook his head slightly, “Wouldn’t expect a thing from anyone in this vast shithole…buncha ignorant shitheels with no sense of fuckin’…” He muttered the rest of his ramblings detailing the severe lack of intelligence that the people of Louisiana seemed to hold while bringing his attention back to his ledger. 

His shoulders were set in a harder line than usual. Marty got a kick out of it all, reducing Rust’s distaste to not being able to participate in normalcy like anybody else in the world could.    

On your end, it struck a nerve that he clearly found your plans more than dissatisfactory. It left an unpleasant taste in your mouth to be on the potential receiving end of Rust’s ruthless judgments.

“You forget him, y/n. You have yourself a good ol’ time with whatever strappin’ young man of your choosing should he be lucky. Don’t let grumpy guss piss on your parade.” 

You find yourself grimacing at how much focus on you and the prospect of potentially getting laid has been put. You look back to Rust but he seemed to be no longer interested in your presence, back in his own world and on the case. Patting Marty on the shoulder you finally make your way to head out, “G’night. I’d love it if we never brought any of this up again. Page me if anythin’ comes up.” 

“Y’got it, darlin’. You stay safe.” Marty points at you a bit more seriously and you nod in slight exasperation with a soft ‘got it’ before officially leaving. Rust hadn’t said another word which left you feeling all sorts of confused. Relieved he didn’t further insult your plans for a night out? Disappointed he didn’t put up much of a fight when it came to you maybe trying to avoid any of your current problems with the company of another man? You don’t know what you expected but you did know that you needed to get it together and just let this shit go even for just one night. 

And what a night it would be indeed. 

Night at the Blue Gator…

The night was proving to be a bit more than uneventful. Perhaps uneventful was just about the only thing your mind could handle at the given moment with everything else going on. The lingering feeling of Rust’s disapproval had also left you more affected than desired. With a few Coors in your system, you find your gaze a little hazy as it passes around the kitschy establishment.

Some George Strait song filters through the bar on top of the active chatter of the patrons taking up a surprising amount of space for a Wednesday night. The cute little black dress you managed to find in your closet and squeeze into was becoming less than ideal as you found yourself hearing the siren call of just calling it quits and crawling into bed back home. Clean sheets and reruns of something like The Golden Girls…absolute fucking heaven right about now. 

Briefly pressing your perspiring bottle to your forehead, you soon enough were roped into a dance as some lively Brooks and Dunne tune came on. The fella who managed to drag you on the dancefloor was decent enough. A bit short and plenty bald… with maybe a tad too eager of hands for your tastes that left you feeling a bit removed from the experience as a few more songs went on. You weaseled yourself out of the crowd after ‘promising’ baldy (named Rex or Tex but who’s to really care) you’d make your return after grabbing a refreshment. 

Making your way to the bar your legs come to a sudden halt at the sight of a familiar figure slouched on a stool. After your brief shock shifted into a brewing irritation, your feet found themselves mobile again as you sidle next to Rust and order yourself another drink. He put out his cigarette as soon as you were near his side but made no motion to speak so you find yourself shooting first.

“For a place you couldn’t bother gettin’ the name right of you can color me surprised to see you here.”

“A man ain’t allowed to drink after work?” Is his flat reply. 

You put your hands up in mock defense, “No need for my permission. Just didn’t think you’d grace the simpletons ‘round here when you can have a drink for free and in peace in the comforts of your own home.” 

Rust didn’t have anything to say to that, instead lifting his own drink to his lips, “That man sure had a grip on ya. Doesn’t seem the type you’d to give the time of day to. Less’ you’re that compelled to blow off steam.” 

The thinly veiled nonchalance of his insult didn’t go past you. Instead, it caused you to bristle only in the way you could when you had a few drinks in you, a bit more sensitive and a helluva lot more confrontational. Who was he to judge how you spend your time? Let alone who the hell you spend it with? You set your new drink down with more force than necessary and felt your face starting to get hot. 

“I can dance with just about anybody.”

“That’s been made clear.”

“And why in god’s name do you care exactly just who it is I dance with?”

“Don't remember ever givin' the implication that I quite cared.” Calculated blue flitted over you as if bored. But you knew better.

“I’m sorry, did you just come here to make me out to be some desperate whore for drinkin’ and dancin’ when I’m a grown-” That got his expression to fall with something closely resembling alarm. 

“That ain’t-”

“Last I checked I can do whatever I so fuckin’ please. Do not go insertin’ yourself in the aspects of my life in which you are not fuckin’ concerned. Some of us are lonely and tired and can’t take comfort in stupid murder manuals or severe stretches of solitude. Call it my shitty programmin’ but that’s just how it is for most people. If I wanna drink and let a greaseball feel me up then that’s entirely up to me! Shit, it might be dumber than hell but it’s not like I’m gonna sit and wait around for you to make a move! That’s if you even feel a speck of the way I’m startin’ to towards you. Knowin’ you you’ve probably noticed and just like to see me embarrassed or somethin’.”

 Everything was coming out like one big bout of word vomit. There was an even deeper change in Rust’s demeanor but you were too tipsy and too angry to pay much notice. The burning behind your eyes grew stronger as you threw up a finger to jab at his shoulder,

“It is not up to you to judge people for the shit they do that you deem is beneath you every chance you get. You’re not perfect yourself and I know you know it. But thanks anyway for making me feel like a fuckin’  stupid loser-” Your heated rant was interrupted by a fat mitt of a hand making its way around your waist. 

“This fella botherin’ you, honey?” The hot whiskey-riddled breath of Tex or Lex or whoever the fuck immediately made your nose wrinkle in disgust. Your patience had run its due course for the night as you roughly shoved him off you,

“Oh come off it, Dex-”

“It’s Rex.”

“I don’t care no more I’m leavin’.” You threw a couple bills on the bar’s surface before making your move past both the offending men. Rex had different ideas and made the choice of gripping your arm tightly without much remorse despite your loud protest. 

“You still owe me a dance, bitch. Where d’ya think you’re goin-”

“You best get your hands off her, boy.” Rust’s glare was off-putting even to you. Rex was either too stupid or too drunk to really care as he attempted to yank you back towards him. With your heart racing, all you could think to do was take your heel-adorned food and stomp on his booted one hard. The short bastard yelped as he let you go, giving you the room to skirt past him far enough just in time for Rust to take him by the collar and send him reeling with a swift punch.   

Rex surprisingly regained momentum and took his chance to get a lick back at Rust but his opponent was already plenty steps ahead of him. Rust took Rex’s fist, twisting it behind the shithead’s back, and slammed his head into the bar countertop with a sick thud. A commotion had well enough formed by now and it was your obvious cue to start hustling your way out. Rust spit on the man who now had made a home on the sticky floorboards before turning to you. Your chest was heaving as you made way to open your mouth but he wouldn’t hear it as he grabbed your arm and started leading you out. 

The bar doors slammed open and the persistently thick air of the South drove you further into rage. You yanked your arm a few times until finally freeing yourself from his clutches. He didn’t stop to acknowledge you, instead making his way toward his truck as if expecting you to faithfully trail behind.

“Where exactly do you get off?!” You demanded, struggling to keep up in your heels which then had you electing to nearly fall over yourself trying to rip them off.

No answer.

“I’m talkin’ to you! What the hell is wrong with you?” Your feet were finally free on the warm pavement of the parking lot. You still received no reply.

“RUSTIN.” Your throat nearly felt raw at the volume of your hollering. He stopped at his truck’s passenger door and opened it. The blood in your veins thrummed while your head and heart felt like they were going to burst out of their respective places. 

“Get in the truck.”

“Absolutely not.” 

“You’re drunk-”

“You ain't one to talk. Don’t think I ain’t seen those bottles of cough syrup in your car or them pill bottles you got! I’ll make it just fine-"

“Y/n.” His low baritone left no room for argument, nor did his hard stare. You felt like a petulant child staring back at him with your arms crossed. 

Your will to break was unshakeable but you had the inclination that if you pushed him hard enough he’d have you in that passenger seat even if you came kicking and screaming. Huffing out a harsh breath you half stomped your way over and climbed in. Grabbing the handle for yourself you slammed the door before he had the chance to close it for you. You felt a lick of petty satisfaction when you saw his shoulders drop and a hand come up to squeeze the back of his neck. It wasn’t often you could catch Rust off-guard, let alone see him visibly exasperated.

After a moment or two, he rounded his way to the driver’s side and got inside with noticeably less ruckus than you did. He lit a cigarette as he pulled out of the parking lot, but not before rolling down the window in consideration of you. Bastard. 

“My car better find its way back into my damn driveway come morning.” 

He remained silent for the rest of the way.

Back to the present…

Pulling up to your house, the truck hadn’t even made a complete stop before you unbuckled and hastily hopped on out. You only stumbled a bit as the old Ford squeaked behind you in what was probably the harsh fashion in which Rust must’ve slammed on his brakes at your sudden escape. You heard the truck get thrown into park and a heavy slam of a door shutting as you quickened your pace up the pathway to your front porch. Your heaving breaths were drowned out by the frogs and nearby cicadas that created their own little symphony on your property. You knew Rust was following you but you naively hoped you’d make it up to shut the door in his face just in time. 

'Fuck, I forgot my shoes.’ Was your narrow thought as you fumbled for your key ring in the endless depths of your purse. Rust’s footsteps grew closer causing you to whip around and shove him back with a clumsy force much to his surprise. 

“Don’t you come followin’ me! I’ve had just about enough of you!”

“Listen-”

“No you listen! Never have I been more embarrassed than you’ve made me tonight. Never have I felt more stupid and small all because you decided today was the day I’d be on the shit end of your scathing criticisms! You can fuck right off with that mess. I’m goin’ to bed.” You turned to start your trek before he spoke up again,

“My intentions were not to come by and make you feel stupid.”

A near-jarring laugh clawed its way from your system, “Oh, so that’s your twisted way of makin’ a girl feel cared for. Is that it?” 

He let out a frustrated sound, “What’d you mean by startin’ to feel a certain way towards me. Back at the bar.”

Your heart nearly dropped out of your ass just then. Did you really blab on about that somewhere in the middle of your tirade? God, you could just about go feed yourself to the gators right now. Work would no doubt be complete hell after this nightmare of an outing.

“Take it how you want it. I know with you being as perceptive as you are it shouldn’t come as a mystery what I might feel. You do plenty towards me that’s had me foolishly thinkin’ there could be a one in a million chance of somethin’ but no dice. So what I want to know is why did you follow me out. Why did you come all this way to ruin my night.” 

The silence was biting as he offered up no explanation. He seemed to be trying to figure out that answer himself. Instead of the petty satisfaction you felt from seeing him at a loss earlier, he seemed well and truly bothered now which left a sinking feeling in your gut. The thought of the immovable force in front of you being this bothered when it came to matters involving you just made you all the more disoriented. There was only one other plausible explanation as to why he went through all this trouble to insert himself into the mix. 

You could almost fall to your knees laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of your creeping realization. It couldn’t be. There was just no way. But given the miserable look of Rust’s obvious inner battle on what he should decide to say to you had you gawking. 

The man was jealous. Rustin Cohle, feeler of nothing and believer of none, was jealous. A fit of giggles made their way out of you before you could help it. It might’ve been in poor taste during the seriousness of the moment between you both but you couldn’t stop. Rust seemed all the more distressed as if he’d been caught red-handed. Stripped bare in front of you despite no real accusation of his behavior being made quite yet. 

“If I knew any better I’d say you were plain jealous, Rust. Can’t say I see you bein’ capable of actin’ so irrationally. I thought entertainin’ such primal notions was too beneath you. Especially should it involve lil ol’ me.”

But he was indeed more than susceptible to all the irrational factors of his so-called programming when it came to you. You were beautiful. Mind, body, and soul. Your presence brought things to the surface he didn’t believe he could ever have the experience of feeling again. It scared him shitless. Having to face what was making his old tired heart beat into a lively rhythm again after convincing himself things of that nature were abysmally futile. Even as you stood in front of him now, with eyes and hair looking something fiercely wild, feet bare and dirtied from your lack of shoes in that high-cut black ensemble you had on. He absolutely knew that he couldn’t bring himself to deny what his programming was demanding of him when it came to the unknowing hold you had over him. Flexing his shaking fingers as if to render them steady he took a slow approach to you. 

This was a moment where you had neither the sense nor the imagination to anticipate what he’d do next. It was as if your heart had forgotten how to keep itself beating. This was the closest you had found yourself in his proximity. Being able to see every fine detail of the tragically beautiful man in front of you could have left you speechless for the rest of your days.

A large, calloused hand came to cup your jaw then the other followed. Both nearly took up the entire sides of your face, and their warmth made you feel as if you were on fire. His grip was firm… more so intenful if you were to put a name to it. Eyes searched each other in the most tortuously bated moment you’d ever found yourself being victim to. If you were to move an inch or look away the spell might be broken forever and you think you might just collapse if that were to happen. When had you gotten this dramatic?

Kiss me. God, kiss me. Just kiss me. You thought over and over as if willing it into his mind. Then, as if he heard you through some unspoken link, he did. 

It was like being let in on one big universal secret that couldn’t be fathomed by most. Never had you thought a kiss could wield as much power as Rust’s did. For being such a hard and withdrawn individual, the feeling of his slightly chapped lips on your plush ones felt nothing short of soul-bearing and endlessly warm. Trailing your hands up his broad chest, the quick pitter-pattering of his heart didn’t go past you. Drawing your palms up further you reach to lace deft fingers into the sandy waves that you’d secretly been aching to touch for a while now. His breath faltered as you pulled back for a brief moment. It wasn’t long before the invisible magnet between you both had you returning for more. 

The kiss turned more intense, bodies pressing and molding into each other as if you could become one entity. His tongue traced the seams of your lips and you had no qualms with letting him invade your senses further. The need for air was becoming harder to ignore but no force on earth could rip you away. The desire for him was something you’d not felt for another person in you’re not sure how long. If not ever. His breath held traces of the Lonestar he’d been cradling and the cigarette he’d deeply pulled on the way here and it had you absolutely hooked as it curled into your mouth. You didn’t know how long the pair of you stood on your porch necking like a bunch of desperate teenagers but by the time he pulled away you felt dizzy at the sight of his flushed complexion and swollen lips. Possessiveness gripped your being at the thought of being able to have such an effect on him. You. No one else. 

Rust’s grip loosened on your heated face as he planted one last sweet kiss on you before stepping away entirely. It was a shock that you had any remaining strength to keep yourself upright. His expression seemed a bit more relaxed, a bit too casual for what just transpired. There was a brief pause. 

“Don’t go out dancin’ anymore.” 

With that, he turned and made his slow descent back to his truck. Snapping out of your daze once the words sunk into the crevices of your Rust-drunk brain you quirked a brow, 

 “If that’s your odd way of layin’ claim on me I think I’m gonna need to ask for a more straightforward redo, mister.” 

You saw his shoulders shake slightly in amusement as the night found itself ending on a more playful albeit confusing note, “G’night, y/n.”

“I’m bein’ serious, Rust. You can’t just kiss a girl like that then waltz on out. I have questions.” You pointed.    

 “I’ll see ya tomorrow.” The cowboy gave a slight wave and then got into his truck. Oh, you could wipe that subtly growing smirk right off his stupid face. His dry sense of humor made its presence known at what you thought was the most inopportune of times. You stood there watching his truck disappear into the night, the ghost of him sticking to you like molasses. Your fingertips graced your buzzing lips and you could’ve started giggling again like some schoolgirl. How ridiculous indeed. 

You were so not letting any of this go when you got into work tomorrow.

[heehoonieluvs]

The locker rooms

Basketball captain Heeseung x reader

Slight angst, fluff, smut

The way that the members are depicted in this story has nothing to do with how they really are or how I feel they are. It is all solely for the storyline so please bear that in mind 🫶

Summary: Heeseung was the captain of the school’s basketball team. Everyone loved him and girls were desperate to get with him. But his eyes were only on you, his precious girlfriend

Warnings: MDNI, cursing, pet names, jealousy, locker room sex, oral (f & m receiving), fingering, unprotected sex, squirting, choking, exhibition (please let me know if I need to add any more 🤍)

F/N = female name

Series masterlist

Masterlist

Your boyfriend Heeseung was the man that every woman dreamed about. He was quite literally perfection and he was aware. When he started his rise to become the MVP of the basketball team, girls would constantly throw themselves at him and he was happy to entertain them for his own needs before leaving them right after. He gained a reputation of sleeping with whoever caught his eye for the night and moving onto the next one the day after. Heeseung knew that he was the shit and he used it to his advantage.

But his games came to an end once his eyes fell on you and they haven’t faltered since. He was in his 2nd year when you had caught his eye and he thought you had just moved. Turns out you were attending the same university the whole time but never bumped into him since you actually went to lectures and didn’t have any interests in sports.

Of course you were aware of the notorious player in your year but you didn’t have any sort of curiosity to find out more. You were here for education and to hang out with your close friends, not get into any entanglements with a boy who ran through girls like a marathon.

Heeseung first saw you when he was by his locker and accidentally bumped into your tiny figure as he turned around. The force caused you to fall back and drop your books which scattered everywhere. He apologised when he pulled you up carefully and picked up your belongings on the floor. But as you two locked eyes, it was like the world around him stopped. His pulse was racing from the way you looked up at him with round puppy eyes and a slight pout from the pain you were feeling on your backside.

Before he could say anything, you quickly thanked him and raced to your lecture with bright red cheeks of embarrassment.

From that day on, Heeseung was determined to get to know you. He even started to turn up to lectures just to get a glimpse of you. However, you mentioned multiple times that you weren’t interested, even when your friends teased you about taming the playboy of the campus.

He followed you around like a lost puppy, asking questions about your interests like your favourite foods or songs etc. You weren’t heartless though so you kept up the conversations with him and it was nice. You just turned down all of his chances of flirting with you and it did not help that his fangirls were constantly glaring at you during these interactions.

His adorable chasing lasted for about 4 months before he gathered the courage to ask you out on a date. The offer was an ice cream date which you could not turn down, and the night ended with him showing you his basketball skills in an open court.

The two of you had the court to yourselves and he showed you how to shoot a ball before “challenging” you to a 1:1

At the end of your date, he walked you home and asked you out on a second date with a kiss on the forehead and the rest is history.

Fast forward to now, a year later and you two are the most adored couple of the campus. No one would’ve thought that Heeseung would be able to settle during his uni days but seeing how he was around you, no one would’ve thought that he was the same person as a year ago.

Obviously he still had the odd few fangirls that were convinced he would leave you for them but his sharp tongue was quick to shut him down. You’d tell him about the hurtful things some girls would say to you since it was healthy for you to be open about your problems with him and vice versa. And every time someone would try to bring you down, he would tell you just how much you meant to him and that he would sort out the people that ruined your day. Whatever he did was very effective though since they didn’t bother you again and walked past the two of you with their heads down.

Another thing that came as a shock was how clingy he was to you. He’d always find a way to be close to you and there was always an excuse behind every form of skin ship shown. You weren’t complaining though, his bambi eyes were way too irresistible to say no to

For the last 2 weeks, Heeseung had been training hard for the next basketball match against the uni’s biggest rival. If you thought Heeseung was bad before he met you… there’s nothing that could prepare you for the captain of the opposing team, Chad (literally the only name I could think of that worked)

You were a gorgeous girl and Heeseung wanted to keep you hidden from everyone. But he needed you to be there for him as his good luck charm, so he was in a dilemma of flaunting you as his beautiful girlfriend in front of everyone, or keeping you safe from Chad. Either way, he wasn’t gonna let him get to his head and focused on practice with the goal of meeting you after and making out with you for the rest of the day

You were already waiting for him outside of the changing rooms as Heeseung emerged with his damp hair dripping everywhere. Just like your usual routine, you grabbed the towel on his shoulder and dried his hair. After you did it for him one time after a tiring practice, he’d purposely leave his hair dripping wet after practice so you could do it for him. He loved how delicate you were with him. And he could also take the time to admire your beautiful concentrated face up close

He had a soft smile on his face as he watched you struggle to reach him. You pulled him down by the shoulders so that you no longer had to tip toe. As his hair got more dry, he gently grabbed onto your hands to stop your movements and give you a sweet kiss. He had been waiting all day for this kiss and nothing was going to stop him. Not even the rowdy group of boys that filtered out of the changing room, teasing him for the sweet PDA.

“How was my baby’s day today?” He mumbled against your lips

“It was kind of stressful. We got assigned another project but the lecturer still hasn’t given us feedback on the one we just submitted. So I have no idea how I’m supposed to improve when no critiques have been given” you pouted

“My poor baby. You work so hard and I’m so proud of you. How about we get some ice cream on the way to mine? Just as a treat for my smart princess” his thumb stroked your cheek as he rubbed your noses together

“I’d love that bambi”

Time skip

You were walking from your third lecture with your friends and decided to grab some food from the café. Two of them wanted to put their bags in their locker, so you and your other friend carried on to get a table first.

As you turned a corner, you both saw Heeseung leaning on a brick wall looking fine as hell. But he was accompanied by F/N aka the biggest homewrecker of the campus. Her hobby was to steal taken men and ruin relationships for the fun of it. She had always taken an interest in your boyfriend but no matter how many times he’d rejected her advances, she’d always come back as desperate as ever

It was like you were heaven sent when Heeseung saw you walking towards them. His once annoyed face was replaced by the sweetest smile at the sight of you and it melted your heart every time.

“My pretty, you’re here! I’m sorry I kept you waiting bubba” he embraced you and started giving you pecks, completely ignoring the existence of F/N who was staring daggers in your direction

“Um hellooo? I was talking to Heeseung thank you” she interrupted

Your friend quickly spoke up “Piss off F/N, he doesn’t want anything to do with you”

“And who the hell are you?” F/N spoke to your friend with a look of disgust “As I was saying Heeseung, we should hang out again like old times, we used to have so much fun before you started hanging with her. I know you miss the things we did together. I can even show you if you need reminding” she made eye contact with you as she said the last sentence

Heeseung grabbed your waist almost as to hint that you should go. But F/N picked up on the look of confusion on your face so she carried on

“Oh you didn’t know? Heeseung and I constantly slept with each other before you guys got together. Even whilst you started talking. It’s a shame though, we really did have some good times together. Especially after his basketball games”

“Shut the fuck up F/N” Heeseung gritted out. His heart broke as he felt you shrink into yourself

“Why are you being so secretive about it Heeseung? Do you not want your precious girlfriend to know about you slipping into my bed during the times that you were trying to woo her?” She taunted

“No F/N we didn’t do shit so stop lying”

“Why would I lie though? She deserves to know. I thought you guys never kept secrets because it’s “healthy for the relationship”” she quoted with her fingers

“Stop being so desperate F/N. I would’ve thought that after the amount of times I’ve told you that I’m not interested in you that you’d take the hint and leave us the fuck alone” with that he interlocked your hands and took you away from the scene and your friend followed behind

As he took you out of the building, your friend said that she’d give you two some privacy and left to get a table for some food

When she left, Heeseung instantly brought you in for a massive bear hug and started kissing and nuzzling the crown of your head.

“Are you ok baby? Please don’t listen to her” he mumbled into your hair. He was panicking at the thought of you believing the shit F/N had to say

“I’m not bothered about what you had with her before we started dating. But tell me though Heeseung, did you still sleep with her while we were talking to each other?”

“I swear to you princess that nothing happened after started talking to you. I do admit that F/N did try it with me at Jay’s party but I pushed her away the whole night. I would never play you like that. Please believe me” he started to tear up and you brushed his cheeks

“Oh bambi don’t cry. I completely trust you okay? As long as you are honest with me, I can’t ask for more”

“Thank you baby. Let me take you out for some food instead yea? I wanna forget what just happened and only focus on you”

“Ok let’s go! Can we get a McDonald’s?” You bounced enthusiastically, making his chuckle at your excitement

“Of course we can puppy”

At the basketball game the next day

You had just found your seats with you friends after giving your boyfriend his much needed “good luck kisses”. The game hadn’t even started but your knees were already bouncing from the nerves. Of course you knew your uni’s team would win but you were also aware of how Heeseung wasn’t exactly fond of Chad, who he was currently having a stare off with

The two of them stood face to face, Heeseung looked with a blank stare whilst Chad had a smirk on his

“Is that your girl with your jersey? Doesn’t she look so divine? I’d love to get a taste of her once you decide that you’re bored of her” he taunted right in Heeseung’s face

Heeseung knew that he was just saying it to get a reaction and hopefully get him benched, so he decided to keep his cool and wait to fuck him up during the game.

The game started and Heeseung was no doubt in the zone. Chad’s comments had fired up his adrenaline. Both teams were doing extremely well and it made you even more nervous to the point of needing to throw up

When it got to half time, Heeseung went to grab a drink and looked around the crowd. You waved at him to grab his attention and when he saw you looking all adorable, he smiled and threw you a wink. Seeing his jersey displaying that you belonged to him caused a bit of a stir in his shorts but he had to get his focus back on the game before he’d decide to take you away and fuck you into oblivion.

“Fucking hell Heeseung’s so fucking hot. Oh the things I’ll do to him after this. Oh, hi Y/N” you and your friends hear from the row behind

It was so obvious who the voice belonged to so you decided to just keep your eyes forward. However your friends turned around in disgust to see a smug F/N giggling with her minions.

“Get a life F/N. You act like he wants you anywhere near him” one of them spat

F/N just rolled her eyes and said “Yea right. Before you little friend decided to brainwash him into getting in a relationship with her, he would be all over me after each game. And I’ll prove that he’s still the same”

Your friends also noticed how F/N had also been wearing Heeseung’s number on her jersey, except hers was clearly a shitty knock off. Either way, she was glad to flaunt it off as if she was his golden girl. They were absolutely outraged and one of them snapped

“You’re absolutely disgusting F/N. Do you have no self respect? Not only do you harass Y/N and Heeseung but you speak about him like he’s some kind of meat. You’re never gonna get in between them because they actually love each other and don’t give a shit about you. You go on about Heeseung apparently being all over you before he was in a relationship but lets face it, he only went back to you because he knows you’re easy. Stop embarrassing yourself and move on”

You weren’t a fan of the commotion surrounding you but at the same time, you were so grateful for your friends. They weren’t the type to take shit from people and they were most certainly not gonna let that bitch upset you

F/N and her little gang were left absolutely speechless and her face turned red in embarrassment as the people around her started to whisper and laugh at her. With a scoff, she got up and left, leaving behind her friends who didn’t know what to say or do

“Are you alright Y/N? We’re sorry that we embarrassed you like that. I just can’t stand her upsetting you like that”

“I’m absolutely fine you guys. Thank you for sticking up for me, I don’t know what I’d do without you” you grabbed their hands and gave them a squeeze

Maybe it was the fact that the gloomy cloud had finally left the court but the game ended with a win for your uni. You were absolutely ecstatic when Heeseung shot the final 3 pointer before the buzzer went off. Your boyfriend grabbed the trophy and was carried in the air by his team and it made you smile so wide seeing how happy he was.

When they put him back down, you ran down the steps and met him at the barricade where he was waiting with open arm. He picked you up with ease and lifted you over the barricade to wrap your legs around his waist. You grabbed his face and kissed him hard to show how proud you were. If it wasn’t for his teammates cheering at you, the two of you would’ve carried on making out right there.

As he kept you held in his arms, he pressed your foreheads together and stared at your swollen lips

“Do you wanna take a shower with me?” He said cheekily

And obviously you said yes who wouldn’t

In the changing rooms

Heeseung was currently sucking bruises onto your neck and collar bone whilst pinning you to the changing room lockers. You legs were wrapped around his waist again and if gave him the perfect angle to grind into you.

“You’re gonna have to keep it down my pretty girl if you don’t want to get caught. Or maybe that’s what you want? I’ll gladly fuck you in the middle of the court with an audience if it meant that everyone knows you’re mine and I’m yours.”

He carefully placed you down and lifted your (his) jersey to put his hands down your shorts. His fingers ran down your pussy to dip into your soaking hole. You let out a moan as he took his wet fingers and circled your clit with them.

“Oh yes moan for me pretty baby. Moan for daddy. That’s a good baby” he cooed into your open mouth. Your breath fanning his face as he started to finger you vigorously.

“God you’re so fucking wet baby. I can hear your delicious juices squirting around my fingers”

His fingers curled up to hit your g spot and you were convinced that your shorts were completely soaked at this point. You brought you hand to the front of his basketball shorts and started to stroke his painful hard on at the same speed as his fingers inside you

As you rubbed each other off, he demanded you to open your mouth and stick your tongue out. When you did, he instantly stuck his out and licked up your tongue. His mouth wrapped around it and sucked it into his mouth. Both of your hands sped up as he bobbed his mouth on your tongue and the feeling made you moan even louder than before.

As your tongues were fighting for dominance, he pulled down his shorts as well as yours before he carried on fingering you. His pulsing dick felt so warm as your wrapped your tiny hand around it and started pumping.

When you got to the top, you brought your thumb to his leaking tip, circling the slit. That caused him to let go of your tongue and growl out

“Fuck yes baby. Get on your knees, daddy needs to fuck your throat.”

You quickly kneeled down and started to lick his massive length from the bottom, all the way to the tip and dipping your tongue to gather his delicious precum. He couldn’t control his moaning as you carried on licking him and sucking on his tip.

Without any warning, you took his entire length into your throat, deepthroating his entire cock. Heeseung’s knees buckled and he leaned forward onto the lockers which pushed him further into your warm throat. The pleasure was so extreme and he couldn’t get enough of it. He made the mistake of looking down and seeing you look up at him with watery puppy eyes. God those eyes. So round and full of faux innocence which was a complete contrast to the vulgar act you were performing on him.

You were addicted to hearing his moans and wanted to hear more. So you started to finger yourself and let his dick fall out of your mouth. He was about to whine from the loss of your warmth but instead he choked on a moan as you sucked his heavy balls into your mouth. You stuck your tongue out to run over the underside of them and sucked them both back in. His balls felt so good in your mouth and you wanted him to feel even more pleasure so you brought your other hand up to jerk him off. Hearing the gorgeous sounds fall out of his mouth from the pleasure your were giving him made you speed up the fingers that you pumped into yourself.

Your moans vibrated on his full balls which resulted in him gripping onto your roots

“Oh suck my balls harder puppy. Good girl. Suck your favourite lolly” he grabbed your cheeks and grinded onto your face “Is sucking daddy’s balls making you feel horny pretty baby? You soaking them tiny fingers that could never stretch you as well as daddy’s?”

You started to rub your clit and went back to lick up his length before taking him deep in your throat again

“I’m gonna cum puppy. Daddy’s gonna shoot his cum down your pretty throat. Be a good girl and swallow everything daddy gives you” he moaned out. His hips would not slow down as his thighs started shaking. And with that, he let out the most monstrous growl as his hot cum sprayed into your warm cavern. Being the good puppy you were, you swallowed every drop, not wanting any of the liquid gold to go to waste.

He slipped his dick out of your mouth and bent down to kiss you harshly, not giving a shit that he could taste his cum mixed with your saliva. He then took your hand that you used to finger yourself and spread them right in front of your face. As he stared into your eyes, he took the digits into his mouth to suck off your essence. When the taste landed on his tongue, you watched as his eyes rolled back at your sweet taste. His tongue licked at the base where your pointer and middle finger were connected and flicked his tongue the same way he would between your legs. He then leaned towards you so that you could both lick at each other’s tongues whilst sharing the taste of your juices.

He couldn’t wait any longer so he picked you up and hooked his legs over his broad shoulders. Your pussy was right in front of him as you adjusted your balance in the air. You trusted that he wouldn’t drop you but you quickly grabbed onto the top of the lockers to steady yourself.

Heeseung just needed to take a bit of time to admire your soaking pussy. He could see you clench from the cold breeze, which just hypnotised him to just ravish you

Instantly, he licked up your juices and sucked at your dripping opening. He started to motorboat your pussy which covered his entire face in your wetness, and he could not care less about the mess. He slurped and moaned loudly at your taste like you were his favourite meal (which you were).

“Daddy suck on my clit. Please!” you whined out

“Such good manners baby”

And with that he took your clit into his mouth and sucked as hard as he could. You screamed from the feeling and his moans intensified it. From the way his eyes were rolling back and his loud moans, you’d think he was the one getting off right now (and he definitely was). You couldn’t stop your hips as you grabbed his hair with your right hand and humped his face. If it wasn’t for your boyfriend’s strength, you were sure you would’ve lost your balance as your left arm on top of the lockers was trying hard to keep you up. He used his strength to slightly bounce you up and down his tongue

“Finger yourself for daddy. Be my good puppy. That’s right”

You started off by rubbing your clit as his tongue circled your hole and then you brought your fingers to pump into yourself right in front of his face.

If there was one thing that Heeseung would want to watch for the rest of his life, it would be you right now. He could hear and see your juices squirting up close, as well as your beautiful face scrunched up in pleasure as you got yourself off. His tongue met your fingers as they pumped into your hole and he caught every drop into his mouth. He could see you clench even more around your tiny digits which told him that you were close to cumming

“Are you gonna cum my princess. You gonna squirt in my face. Do it baby. Squirt all over me”

You were at the point of screaming as you curled your fingers into your g spot and pumped fast seeing his tongue hanging out, ready for your cum. The feeling in your stomach was similar feeling of needing to pee and you weren’t gonna stop.

“Fuck I’m gonna cum. Oh fuck DADDY YES”

You quickly started to rub your clit and a shower of your juices sprayed all over him

“Fuck yes baby squirt your juices. So fucking sexy” he moaned as your juices drowned him

If that wasn’t enough, his mouth returned to your pussy, drinking everything up as you carried on rubbing yourself. It seemed like your squirt was never ending as he slurped everything up. He carried on helping you to ride out your orgasm and took his time to lick all of your pussy before carefully lowering you.

He grabbed you and sat down on the bench in front of the lockers with you sat in his lap. He was careful to not touch your clit as it was extremely sensitive. The two of you shared sweet kisses as he rocked you side to side. In between kisses, he told you how much he loved you, how beautiful you were, how well you did for him, you name it. His words made you feel like a goddess and he made sure that you knew your worth.

“*kiss* Such a good baby *kiss* You did so well for me puppy *kiss* daddy’s so proud of you *kiss* I love you so much *kiss* you deserve the world *kiss*”

His sweet words made you feel so overwhelmed with love. You could barely respond as you were still twitching from your orgasm. But as you caught your breath, you pulled him into a deep kiss.

Heeseung moaned into your kiss, feeling himself get even harder than he was before. What you didn’t know was that you squirting in his face almost made him cum untouched and that was something that never happened to him before. Only you had the ability to make him feel so much pleasure without even touching his cock.

“I need to fuck you baby. Can I? Will you let me fuck you?” He moaned desperately into the kiss

“Yes fuck me daddy”

He wasted no time before carrying you to the bench in the middle of the changing room and slipping his whole cock inside you. He lost all self control as your wetness encaged his entire dick. So he started to pound into you like a dog in heat. His mouth hung wide open and a slight bit of drool slipped out the corner. He was completely drunk on your pussy and there was nothing that would stop him from fucking into you so deep.

The two of you were quite literally screaming from pleasure when he brought his left leg onto the bench and started drilling into you deeper. Now, the both of you had drool seeping out of your mouths and your eyes were rolled back

You could feel his hand come up to wrap around your throat and he pressed down slightly. It wasn’t enough to cut off any oxygen but it most definitely heightened your pleasure.

From outside, F/N was wondering in the corridor. She was waiting to find Heeseung and finally get her hands on him. Your friends want to humiliate her in the crowd? She was gonna get you back by seducing you boyfriend and getting in his pants. Her pacing came to a halt as she heard squeaking and moaning coming from the boy’s changing room. She wasn’t going to act like she’s never been in there before because she actually went there more than she went to lectures.

When she entered the changing room she was met with what could only be described as a live porn show. Heeseung was pounding fast and deep into you with his hand wrapped around your throat. You had your head thrown back and eyes rolled as the two of you screamed in pleasure. At the sound out her gasping, you and Heeseung looked in the direction of the sound.

When you both made eye contact with F/N, Heeseung smiled before giving you a kiss

“Should we give our visitor a nice show princess?”

At that, he hooked your legs around his waist and brought both of his knees onto the bench. He pressed down on you as he started to fuck into you even hard than before (if that was possible). Your moans mixed together and the skin slapping almost made you forget that F/N was watching this all happening.

She didn’t say anything as she ran out of the locker room with tears and snot streaming down her face.

“That’s what you get for being a bitch to my girl” Heeseung shouted at her before the door slammed shut.

Your eyes widened and you let out a small laugh at him

“She deserves it though. Trying to mess with us and making you upset. Did she say something to you during the game? I saw her behind you and when she left, you looked a bit upset baby” his hips carried on moving but it was a lot steadier than before. His eyes searched for yours as his thumb stroked the high point of your cheekbone.

“It was nothing she hadn’t already said before but her comments still hurt. The way she was talking about the things you guys used to do made me feel a bit shit I can’t lie. I know none of this is your fault since this was all before me, but her constant reminders cloud my mind with thoughts that you two have history together and I hate it” you eyes welled with tears as you confessed you feelings

You closed your eyes as he leaned down to press tiny kisses to each of your eye lids. He let out a sigh before speaking lowly

“Oh baby I wish you had told me that she was taunting you so much. As for me and F/N’s past, I wouldn’t exactly call it history as there was nothing behind it. I can understand that whatever I say can’t just wash out whatever she had told you, but I will replace those thoughts with the most amazing memories of the two of us. Don’t fill your pretty mind with her pathetic words okay?” His voice was so soft and sweet, a complete contrast to how he spoke to F/N earlier and it made you feel so warm inside how he changed to a cute little bambi around you.

His sweet words almost made you forget that he was still stuffing you completely but he suddenly thrusted deep into your g spot. You let out a squeal from surprise and he chuckled your reaction with the most loving smile.

Not even a second later, his face turned lustful again and he started fucking you forcefully.

“I’m gonna fuck you again and again till you can’t scream anything but my name puppy. You won’t be able to think about anything but how amazing I make you feel from my cock”

The two of you fucked like rabbits without a care in the world about someone else walking in

You were both getting closer to cumming and he brought his face closer to you. Your open mouths let out moans into each other as you held gazes. His eyes expressed so much passion and love for you and you returned the same energy back to him

“Fuck! Cum with me baby. Let me feel you squeeze my dick. Milk me with your perfect pussy. I’m all yours baby and you’re mine. Oh fuck!”

You both moaned deafeningly as your orgasms washed over you. His warm seed filled you up and his hips stilled from the intensity. No doubt, anyone walking past would’ve heard everything and taken the hint to leave instantly. As you both calmed down, you shared more sweet kisses

“You did so good baby. How are you feeling? *kiss*”

“I feel so good bambi. You make me feel so good. Thank you baby. I love you so much” you panted

“I love you too puppy. So much more than you’ll ever know” he nuzzled your nose before leaning down for a cuddle

“How about we go for another round whilst we clean up in the shower and then we can head back to mine for a takeaway?” He offered with the cutest smile

“I’d love that bambi. Dinner’s on me though, you need a treat to celebrate your big win”

“Nonsense. I’m not letting my princess pay. You can reward me by sitting on my face tonight”

“Bambi!”

Author’s note: I’m not gonna lie I was completely flustered whilst writing this fic 🥵 but basketball Hee is just so hot 😩

I hope you enjoyed this post! I do apologise that it’s quite rushed though 😭

Thank you for taking the time to read my work and please look forward to more in the future 🩵

[kaylas-world-0]

HERE YOU GUYS CAN HAVE THIS 200 FOLLOWERS SPECIAL LIKE I PROMISED! It’s too short for my liking but yeahhh… And I may not have finished the ending. I leave it to you my dear readers how it ends~

A/N: You can think of this as an AU, not from the series.

Pairs: (I never mentioned much but you can think this story as) Bullfrog x Reader x Ramon

1K words

I’m not giving you guys any summery but warnings instead to make it a bit more mysterious here: Huge angst, blood, dead bodies, death, description of dying, etc.

Taglist: @blorbostation @eateableworm

Btw does anyone want to be in the tag list?

You had cleared out everyone in this section of the secret unit, a small mistake had gotten you noticed, there was nothing else to do, thankfully you both were successful nevertheless. “I guess we can finally move on, huh?” You panted and sighed in relief. Ramon nodded in agreement, "Let's go get the documents and get the fuck out of here." You laughed tiredly at this, “Yes, I'm dying to get home. This job was one of a hell, the most tiring and annoying thing I've ever participated in. I wonder what Bullfrog is doing on his side?” Your eyes spotted a movement among the bloody bodies, a wounded guard raising his gun and aiming at Ramon about to shoot, your eyes widened in fear, he was supposed to be dead.

You gasped, “Ramon watch out!” Realizing the danger, you acted without thinking and pushed Ramon out of the man’s sight. A huge bullet explosion echoed through the building, you couldn’t make a sound or had any control over your weak limbs, your eyes blurred in pain, it all followed by the sound of your name being shouted and more bullets. You found yourself on the ground, all you knew was that it hurt so much and that you were having trouble breathing. When Ramon turned you towards him you saw the pain in his face. You choked, “R-Ramon—“ you could taste the blood in your mouth.

“It’s okay, It’s okay, I got you. Y-You’ll be fine!” That was a big lie, you could see it in his teary eyes. He saw the hole on your back, the bullet pierced through your back, reached to your lungs and then came out from your chest. He used pressure on your chest and kept repeating the same things, “You’ll be okay. I promise.” Your breathing was quick and sharp, your chest hurted a lot, you weren't able to get enough air into your system. “Ramon—“ You gasped, “I-I don’t want to die.” You choked out, your tears streaming down from your cheeks as you gripped his hand in your panic. Ramon shook his head quickly, “I won’t let you die I promise!” You both knew there wasn’t a way out for you this time. Even knowing this he continues lying for you and you continue believing in him. Your breathing become shallow and it was more and more difficult for you to properly have fresh air, you were suffocating. And when you come to the point of barely breathing, you squeezed his hand with the last strength you had. “Ramon I—“ He stared at you, waiting for a continue, wanting to hear what you need to say but you said nothing else, he saw the last breath leaving your lips, saw the lively glint in your eyes vanishing, felt your hand going limp, you laid motionless on the ground, your blood covering the grounds, your blood on his hands, the metallic smell all around him. He wanted to protest, yell, make chaos out of this unfair station but… he only sat there and stared at his hands, silent tears leaving him.

Bullfrog spun around, restless. He was getting more worried that they were not showing up. This shouldn’t have taken this much of their time… right? He halted to a stop. His lips curving into a smile when he spotted Ramon. He sprinted at him but slowly came down to a stop, his smile quickly vanishing. His eyes quickly searched around, he turned and looked… but there was no trace of you anywhere.

He holds himself back, his hands clenching. He cleared his throat to inform Ramon that he was there. Ramon only stopped, didn’t lift his head, didn’t look at him, didn’t even give him a little glance. This made him panic even more. He tried to calm his restless mind as he opened his mouth, “Ramon… Where…?” He stopped himself when Ramon finally looked at him, he felt something died in his chest when he saw his expression. A choked sob escaped his throat, his hands shaking. He somehow knew it even before he showed up, he was praying to everything that this is just him being just worried.

“Ramon…” He started again, “Where are they?” He whispered, this time trying to be a bit more brave. Ramon shakily stepped back and glanced at where he came from. He didn’t even pick up the documents. It didn’t meant anything anymore. He just left… after killing everyone in it.

Bullfrog glanced at where he was looking at but they were too far away to even see the facility, but he knew what that meant, his eyes widened and without a second thought, he was gone, sprinting towards the same direction he come from. Ramon clenched his hands, looking after him. He didn’t want to go back but he couldn't bear the thought of losing someone again, so he quickly went after him. Nothing left from that place but ruins.

Bullfrog grunted in tears as he lifted a heavy stone and threw it aside, and frantically continued digging through the concrete pieces, his hands bleeding from all that excavation. Ramon didn’t look nor dared to help him out in his desperation. He already knew what was under it. But he was also confused about something, it's been hours since...

“Merde.” He hissed and grabbed the last big piece, using one last force, he lifted it up with a frustrated yell and threw it aside. He found… nothing. Once again, his attems and efforts come out empty. Where are you?

He dropped down on his knees, defeated and exhausted. He didn’t even know if he wanted to see your wrecked self under all the concrete. But he did wish to find you and at least bring you to a place where you could rest in peace. “No… Non, s'il vous plaît, non. Pourquoi ça devait être toi? Tu avais beaucoup à vivre. Nous avions beaucoup de choses à partager. S'il vous plaît, n'y allez pas ! Ne nous quitte pas. S'il vous plaît, ne le faites pas…” He rambled to himself as he slammed his hand on the ground, causing the wound to become even worse but he didn’t care. His shoulders shook as he sobbed silently.

“Where are you?” Ramon mumbled. He wasn’t sure anymore. The only thing he thought was certain was your death.

[admiringlove]

exes.

synopsis. hq boys bringing up their exes during an argument.

genre. headcanons; angst to fluff.

characters. sakusa kiyoomi, kuroo tetsurō, oikawa tōru.

warnings. swearing, crying, etc.

author’s note. i contemplated publishing this, it’s been sitting in my drafts for a month :/

navigation. main menu, hq menu.

— SAKUSA KIYOOMI.

sakusa was a very private person. so, dating him came with the fact that he had boundaries. and his career wasn’t easy on you either, because he preferred to keep your relationship private. 

you weren’t the type of person to argue with that. in fact, even you preferred it this way. it would be way easier if the two of you were hidden away from the crazy fans and the invasive media. so you went along with it. you’ve known kiyoomi since college; you’ve adjusted to his mannerisms, his quirks, his ups and downs—everything, really. he couldn’t be more grateful to you. 

but everything came crippling down when you thought that it had been too long since the two of you started going out. that maybe, just maybe, you and kiyoomi could still lead a private life if he just announced to his fans that he has a significant other—just mentioning it, or posting a story on his instagram or any other social media. the first time you had brought it up, he’d dismissed it lightly. you’d tried again and again, but he just wouldn’t budge. 

just like today. but something was off about today as well. you hadn’t exactly had a good day at work, and neither had he. but you approached the argument either way, even though you probably shouldn’t have. 

“we’re happy, aren’t we?” he asks in a taunting way, “why do we need to tell the whole world we’re together if we’re content.”

“omi,” you take in a sharp breath, “we have been together for eight months. eight. that’s more than half a year.”

“yeah, so?” he raises an eyebrow, shrugging. you hate the way he’s so dismissive whenever the two of you come to a disagreement. while you’re usually level-headed, you tended to have a complete change in personality when you were arguing with someone. just like today. 

“do you- oh my god, kiyoomi!” you huff, “i’ve been nothing but patient for the past seven months, but this is a limit that you’re crossing. i thought that after so much time you would be comfortable but no-”

“this is getting annoying,” he sighs, “why are you acting out like this? everything was fine until last month.”

“because,” you grit your teeth, “i don’t wanna be some secret fling anymore. if you can’t take responsibility then i don’t want to be a part of whatever this is.”

“you do realize you’re behaving just like nami, right? that nagging pain in my ass who kept telling me to make our relationship official even though we dated for only two months. 

“w-what?”

“what else do you think?” he taunts. you can tell he’s lost his cool but the things he’s saying pricks at your heart. it hurts. it hurts so much that you don’t know how tears start flowing down from your eyes. sakusa isn’t looking at you, he’s pouring himself a glass of water in the open kitchen while you look at his back in disbelief from the living room. you wipe at your cheeks and when your boyfriend finally turns around is when he realizes how badly he’s screwed up.

“[y/n]-”

“save it, you jerk,” you spat, “go find another pain in the ass to sleep next to tonight, i’m going over to atsumu’s.”

sakusa’s eyes widen in fear, he keeps the half-empty glass on the counter haphazardly, following after you like a lost puppy until you slam the door on his face. he flinches, breathing unevenly and irrational thoughts racing in his brain. 

“i’m sorry,” he says, leaning his forehead against the white door, “that was a jerk move.”

he hears shuffling on the inside—it felt like you were sliding your back down on the door. he heard a few sniffs, and guilt ate away at him. he didn’t mean to hurt you at all, but the words came out on their own. maybe it had been the swarm of fans outside the gym today because of hinata’s birthday that ticked him off. or the fact that one of his tires punctured on the way back home from work. he doesn’t know why all of this happened, but he wants to go back to how the two of you would be in the bathroom applying lotions and creams to your faces before going to bed. you would make jokes saying that kiyoomi looks like a ghost and he would say that you don’t look too different either. sometimes he’d poke your waist before leaving the bathroom just to see how you’d react. sometimes he’d kiss the top of your head and immediately make a yucky expression because some of the lotion got onto his lips and made his whole mouth taste like bitter, soapy flowers. 

he doesn’t get a reply from you. but he still stands there, waiting for you to open the door or give him an earful. 

and after around fifteen minutes, you do come back out. but with a bag filled with some essentials, and a mask covering your face. sakusa’s eyes perk up, “where are you going?”

“move,” you seethe, “i’m going to atsumu’s for the night.”

“i can’t let you do that,” he says, shaking his head and trying to cup your cheeks. you take a step back from him, and his heart breaks. he tries to look into your eyes but you’re looking everywhere but at his own.

“well excuse me if i don’t wanna be a pain in someone’s ass,” you mock, “now, move.”

“i didn’t mean it,” he cries. his eyes are red, and he looks miserable. you roll your eyes, even though you want to believe him, “omi, i’ve known you for five years. you say shit you mean when you’re angry.”

“i wasn’t angry,” he reasons, “i’ve had a bad day, and i know that doesn’t excuse anything but you’re not like her. i’m so sorry. you didn’t deserve it. i don’t deserve you.”

“look, kiyoomi,” you sigh, “figure it out, okay? i don’t wanna be treated like crap. i’m leaving for now, but i’ll come back later.”

“[y/n]-”

“no, omi,” you say, walking away from him, “i said, figure it out. i’ll be back tomorrow night. until then, sort your thoughts out. okay?”

you turn, walking towards the door and opening it. you glanced back one last time to say goodbye when you catch a glimpse of his face.

“please don’t leave me,” he whispers, his voice barely audible. your eyes soften, “i’m not leaving you, dummy. i’m just goin’ over to atsumu’s to cool off for the night. i’ll be back tomorrow. till then, just. reflect, or something.”

“o-oh. um, okay. uh, can i ask you a question before you leave?”

you nod, humming as you grip your bag tightly. his voice is quiet, “are we gonna be okay?”

“i don’t know, omi. i don’t know. but we can try.”

— KUROO TETSURŌ.

kuroo was always sophisticated. you appreciated that about him. in fact, it's what drew you to him more. he was so ambitious in college; he could go on about volleyball for hours. it would be like that on your dates at first. you, him, a muffled movie, blankets and random talks about your futures together.

but when your futures are what drift you apart, can you really blame each other? you weren't college kids anymore—the pipedreams you shared weren't real, life caught on and jobs became hectic. schedules didn't fit with one another anymore. you grew up, and so did he.

and that might've taken a turn for the worse. the complete opposite of what you had imagined it would be.

"tetsurō," you say, losing your patience by the second, "i'm only asking for you to make time. you work overtime way more than you need to and it's honestly affecting our relationship-"

"does your job not affect our relationship?" he asks cockily, raising an eyebrow. you scoff, "you know i gave up that promotion so we could spend more time together. why can't you put in some effort too? it's not like i'm asking for much!"

"i'm only working overtime for us, [y/n]. where the hell do you think all the money goes? it's savings. for us. i work for us. what, am i just not supposed to do that anymore?"

"i didn't say that," you pause, "make time for me, tetsurō. that's all i'm asking from you."

he grumbles, running a hand through his gelled hair. and then, he says something under his breath that you thought would've never come out of his mouth.

"nari wasn't like this at all. tch."

you blink, tilting your head to make sure you heard him correctly. he's taking his coat off and hanging it in the rack. he doesn't see the way your eyes fill to the brim with tears as you whisper, "what?"

he pauses abruptly, turning around, "love, i didn't mean-"

"your ex didn't give up her promotion for you because she was fucking her boss behind your back," you grit your teeth, "if you want me to do that too, all you had to do was just say so."

kuroo stops in his tracks. mouth opening and closing like a goldish’s. he looks shocked at the sudden change in your attitude, but he knows it was deserved. you run up the stairs, locking yourself in your shared bedroom as your fiancé paces around the apartment in worry.

he fucked up. and that too, terribly. it took him a long while to move on from his first love—and who was the one who helped him throughout the process of him returning home drunk off his ass or needed soothing? you. you, his best friend, his roommate (at least, that's all you were back then), and someone who was irrevocably in love with him but never uttered a word.

it took him a long time to convince you that he was over his ex, and that he'd realized he was in love with you all along. college kids might've been all you were, but you were intelligent enough to know that he was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. his corny chemistry jokes, your clumsy habits, him being better at sports and you being better at video games, him knowing how exactly to make your coffee in the mornings, you knowing just what he needed whenever he was sick. you two just clicked. there was nothing complicated about it, really.

he was the one who proposed to you. and now, it seemed like he was the one who was breaking your relationship into pieces. kuroo cursed, taking his shoes off and racing up the stairs. just then, you stepped out with a bag.

"i'm going over to kenma's," you mutter, "leave me alone for now."

he shakes his head, "no."

you raise an eyebrow at him. your somewhat calm composure scares him, but he continues, "i can't let you leave. i need to fix this."

"you can't just ‘fix this’, tetsurō," you say, trying to walk down the stairs. but he grabs your arm, "i'm sorry. none of that should've been said."

"but you said it anyway, didn't you?" you retort, "what, you want a fortune cookie for apologizing?"

"[y/n]-"

"go back to your so-called nari if you miss her," you snarl, "i'm done."

"no," he cries, "we aren't done. stop."

you continue walking towards the front door, and he grabs your bag. you tsk, trying to take his hand off. but his grip is too strong.

"stop walking away and listen, will you?" he says. his voice is barely a whisper. your eyes cloud with anger, "i've been trying to talk to you for the past hour. but all you've done is demean my feelings for the entire time, and you even had the audacity to compare me to your ex. do you know how hard it was for me to date you in the beginning?"

"i-i do," he sighs, "please, just listen to me. i'm sorry. reminding you of my ex was uncalled for. i won't do that ever again. it was an honest mistake, i swear."

"tetsurō," your voice cracks, "do you even know just how much you hurt me tonight?"

and he sees it. you break down. you stop acting like everything is okay, and your eyes finally let out tears in front of him. you had probably already cried in the bedroom as you packed your overnight bag, but here you were, sobbing as you tightly held onto his dress shirt, hands forming fists. his eyes soften, and he cradles your cheek with his hand, "i know saying 'sorry' isn't gonna be enough. but i really am sorry. i love you, and i can't lose you because i was an idiot and said shit i didn't mean."

he looks up, a few tears of his own falling from his eyes, "i'm sorry. please, just-"

you place your head on his chest, your forehead making contact with his clothed skin. he looks down, abruptly stopping as his hands reach the back of your head, caressing your hair. your cries are quieter than before, tuning down to mere sniffs, "you hurt me, tetsurō."

"i know," he says, nodding, "i shouldn't have said any of that."

"do you," you pause, as if to wonder if you should really say it out loud. to save yourself of the pain, maybe. but you keep going, "do you still think about her?"

kuroo cups your cheeks, forcing you to look into his eyes, "i'm gonna be honest with you. i found some old high school photos on my laptop today. it's the only reason i even thought of her."

you whimper against him. god, how he hates seeing you like this. he kisses the top of your head before reassuring you, "you don't have to worry about me thinking about anyone who's not you. i can assure you that literally everyone around me knows how much i love you."

you almost roll your eyes. he lets out a sad chuckle before continuing, "no, really. kenma gets annoyed by how much i talk about you sometimes. so do some of my co-workers. i was gonna ask you to come to the expo with me, and they were all going to complain about me to you."

a giggle escapes your lips as some tears fall. kuroo presses a kiss to your nose before whispering, "you don't know how much i love you. the words simply aren't enough. and i hate myself for making you think any less."

"tetsu," you let out a sound before wrapping your arms around him. he laughs, wiping a stray drop away from the corner of his eyes. kuroo lets out a strangled sigh, "you don't know how much it means to me that you're calling me that again."

"tetsu," you say again. he looks down to see you peering up at him, "i love you. please don't say anything dumb like that ever again."

"if i do, i give you full permission to throw concentrated hydrochloric acid into my eyes."

— OIKAWA TŌRU.

you were embarrassed by your fiancé today. again.

oikawa tōru was your high-school sweetheart. he was your first love, your everything. his smile made your heart skip a beat, his touch made you forget about the rest of the world, hs gaze made you think all your problems were tiny compared to your love.

until he had to leave, that is. that was probably one of the most strenuous parts of your relationship—life, maybe. he loved you too much to make you feel the pain of his absence, and you loved him too much to let him go without you. so what did you do? you applied to universities in argentina for your courses.

and you got in. the day you broke the news to him through a surprise party with your friends by your side, you saw him be the happiest boy on earth. his eyes went from the dullest brown to being as bright as the sun. his smile returned, and you embarked on a journey. together.

years flew by. you grew older, more mature and responsible. you had some ups and downs—one really bad argument happened back in college where the two of you took some time off and thought about everything you wanted from life. but then he showed up outside your friend's apartment(where you were staying then). it was raining heavily that night, his hair was slopping wet and sticking to his face. he was with someone during your time off, and he realized that everything that he wanted in life was you.

because it was you, who understood him. you, who supported his dreams. you, who he was so irrevocably in love with that he compared everyone else to you. the three-month break meant nothing. the words he had said during the argument meant nothing. he was yours; he was always going to be yours. ever since he met you at the park as a child trying to chase his toy car, he was yours. remember that time when the two of you had your first kiss while star gazing on the roof of your home? yeah, he still blushes while thinking about it.

you were bitter at first—that he'd gone to someone else after the two of you had taken a break. but with time, you understood that too. he couldn't ask for more.

but today irked you. the past two months irked you. you were grown-ups now. you had responsibilities. just as how oikawa was your responsibility, you were his. so why is it that, in the past two months, oikawa tōru stood you up on every single date the two of you had meticulously planned to fit into both of your schedules? all six of them.

"tōru," your voice is stern, "what part of 'you stood me up' don't you understand? even after i spent a week trying to plan tonight out? i get that your career is important but you spending extra hours at the gym practicing isn't work. it's you being stubborn."

"if i'm stubborn then you're a hypocrite," he retorts, "you pin the blame on me all the time. do you not remember how you kept postponing because of your dumb endless meetings? when i was the one that was free? when it wasn't volleyball season?"

"those dumb meetings are why i earn so much more than last year," you're firm as you pour yourself a glass of wine, "you're being childish, tōru. do you know how embarrassing it was for me? at the same restaurant where you've been abandoning me for the past few months? it's been six times where i've had dinner alone."

"oh, so i'm being childish?" he asks, in a mocking tone. his voice gradually getting louder, "i was at work, [y/n]. i had to work. because i have a game next week. what part of that is so complicated for you to understand?"

"what part of 'we planned this beforehand because you have a game next week and won't be free then' is not understandable for you?" you retort, sipping from your glass as you walk toward the living room. the hardwood floors feel nice against your feet, and just as you're about to sit down on the couch, you hear something you never thought you would.

"tch. yuri wasn't like this at all when i was with her."

the glass of wine in your hand almost falls, but you get a hold of your grip in time. the mature argument you thought you were having isn't 'mature' anymore. oh no, it's much more. you place the glass on the coffee table before looking at him with fury.

"excuse me?" your voice is much ruder than before, "the girl you pity fucked? the girl you were with for the three months when we weren't together? the girl you fucked, pretending that it was me? really, tōru?"

he flinches at your sudden change in tone. his lips are pressed in a straight line as he finally looks at you. your eyebrows knitted together in confusion and betrayal, your eyes covered with rage—but oikawa knows that there are tears behind the clouded anger, ready to spill at any given moment. you were an open book to him, but right now, you were building walls between the two of you that he wasn't sure he could break.

"i-i didn't mean that-"

"oh yeah?" you taunt, stepping a little closer, "what would you do if i went back to the one-night-stand i had when we took a break, huh? what then? do you want me to tell you he was better than you?"

he winces at the words. gosh, he doesn't remember the last time you lost your cool in this way. the last time you two had an argument as serious as this, was in college. both of you were childish back then. but now? you were the one who was trying to stay calm and talk it out, whilst he acted like a total buffoon.

"you know what?" you voice cracks, "screw this. screw you. i'm going over to a friend's. fuck whoever you want."

your footsteps are like pins pricking into his heart when you walk up the stairs of your home. the slam of your shared bedroom door makes him flinch, and his eyes close. when they open, he sees your degree hung up on the living room shelf where his trophies and medals sit.

fuck.

he remembers how he'd warned you that argentina would be nothing like japan. back when the two of you were just kids. back when you left your country and came here, just because he would be alongside you. 

he still remembers the day you’d shown him your acceptance letter. you moved halfway across the world for him. you didn’t even bother applying to japanese schools because of him. you learned a whole another language for him. and what did he do in return? he told you that the two-and-a-half month fling he had was better than you. 

he curses himself as he runs up the staircase. when he opens the door to your bedroom, he finally sees you. sitting at the edge of your side of the bed, clutching a bag as small sobs escape your lips. your ring sits prettily on the nightstand, staring back at him in horror. the ring that was always on you, that you never took off, was sitting somewhere that wasn’t your finger. 

he walks up to you slowly. taking in a sharp breath, he kneels down in front of you. he takes your hand in  his, rubbing his thumb against your skin. you choke back a sob as you ask, “what do you want now?”

“i’m sorry,” he voice is soft, “whatever i said down there was uncalled for. i was acting like a child. you shouldn’t have had to go through that. i’m pretty sure that one-night-stand you had would treat you better than how i’m doing at the moment.”

you chuckle before mumbling, “all i wanted was to spend time with you. we even planned it together because i didn’t wanna bother you with the upcoming season.”

god, how he wishes iwa-chan was here right now so he could get a beating. this is probably the first time he wanted to get beaten up by his best friend willingly.

“i know. i’m sorry. i love you, and i think i just,” he pauses, as if thinking of what to say. or confirming in his mind that it’s the right thing to tell you, “i think i said what i said because you weren’t agreeing with me. i got so used to you doing things for me that i took you for granted. and you didn’t deserve any of that. you deserve someone way better than me. hell, you studied your ass off in high-school so you could come to a whole new country just because of me. you did so much for me. i guess... i guess that got to my head a little. you love me so, so much and i’m so grateful. but [y/n], i proposed to you because i don’t think i can even breathe properly without you by my side. so call me selfish, but i still want you to stay. please don’t leave me because i was an arrogant idiot who said things he didn’t really mean.”

“i’m not going to leave you, tōru,” you murmur, “i’m not going anywhere just because we had a stupid argument. we’re both adults.”

“do you um,” he’s scared of completing his sentence because you might say yes, “still need to go over to your friend’s house? i can drop you if you’d like. i don’t want you driving while you’re feeling so low.”

“no, no,” you wipe away your stray tears with your other hand, still holding onto oikawa. you pause, pondering if you really want to say the words you’re thinking, “tōru?”

he hums. 

“please don’t say anything like that ever again,” you look at your lap instead of his honey-brown eyes, “i don’t know what i’d do if you did.”

he understands what you mean. he gets it. he knows that you will leave if he repeats his mistake. because as complacent as you were, you still had a lot of respect for yourself.

“i promise.”

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[deathmetalunicorn1]

so i uhhh, i am absolutely obsessed with Hades and i thought about him on his teenage years, falling in love with a gothic-styled goddess of his age, in which he tries to court her and convince his brothers to let him court her even though they are a bit overprotective of him, but warm up to her in the end and starts asking her questions all the time like when are they going to get married and have kids etc, and Hades and reader just stand like 🕴️ so yeah, that. Bonus if Hades and reader met over a goth metal song that they both like 🖤🖤

-Hades remembers the day he first saw you; you were like… you were like the moon in his night sky, illuminating everything around him.

-He chose not to remember the first interaction the two of you had, as he heard you listening to the song that he adored as well. As he sought out the music, he found you sitting on the edge of a fountain in his domain, surrounded by bushes of red roses, draped in such stunning clothes that he couldn’t tear his eyes away from you.

-As you sang along, your hand twirled softly and Hades’ eyes went wide, seeing the roses turning black. He approached and you turned, hearing the footsteps, and to him, you were moving in slow motion, you looked like an angel of darkness, you dark eye makeup accentuating your sharp eyes, your lips covered in dark lipstick, and you smiled at him, “Hey.”

-Hades hadn’t been paying attention and went headfirst into the fountain.

-You pulled him out, grabbing him by his belt as he sputtered as you were trying hard not to laugh at him as he turned, seeing you there and you cracked a grin, “Never had someone fall for me- I like it!”

-Hades refused to tell his brothers of his first meeting with you, refusing to tell them that he had taken a swim, and you kept quiet, but you would tease him relentlessly for it.

-You were funny, witty, sarcastic, but also elegant, graceful, and you commanded respect from those around you- you were a goddess and you expected all, including other gods, to respect you, and if they didn’t, you had no issues putting them in their place and demanding it.

-Poseidon was the only one of his brothers to learn this harsh lesson, as he originally thought you weren’t good enough for his big brother, you wrapped your black rose vines around him, turning him into a rose bush and grew the thorns to point at his neck and eyes.

-Hades was initially startled, seeing how fast you reacted to his brother’s words, but it’s when Poseidon spoke out from the rose bushes, “Ooh- I like you.” You let him go.

-Zeus loved teasing Hades, thinking he was whipped, Hades didn’t mind, but when Zeus tried to hit on you, you held your hand up to your eyes as you watched Cerberus chase him around as he was begging for forgiveness.

-Adamas liked you, he was the only one of the three who instantly liked you, he liked your vibe, and he knew that you were dangerous, as he had seen you before, putting others in their place for disrespecting you. He found it respectable- how you commanded respect, and you were a good fit with his big brother.

-You and Hades were the definition of a power couple, both of you with your dark vibes, dry humor, and commanding auras, it was a match made in… well Valhalla!

-You loved Hades, he treated you with respect, would defend you, and despite being powerful, he would treat you like a delicate flower without insulting you. He welcomed your dark vibe, even though he grew out of it into something a bit more regal, you were his black rose, his everything.

[spookychick78]

OG Michael Myers One Shot

Okay so hear me out. Michael Myers X Vampire but make it sexy.

Warnings: SMUT 18+, knife play, blood play, choking, biting, rough sex etc.

Word Count: 3,536

Something seemed off in his home that night. He stood in the foyer, knife in hand as he listened. There was no audible sound to give away the other presence that had hidden itself there, no shaky breath, no heartbeat. Yet, in the silence he knew he wasn't alone. He could feel it. His eyes moved up the stairs as he tilted his head. Though their stealth thus far was impressive, whoever it was couldn't hide forever. This was his home and he knew it better than any trespasser could hope to. Nowhere they chose to hide would keep them safe for long if he decided to come looking, but Michael wasn't one to play games. Unless of course, they were his own. He made the rules, especially here. He would wait, he could be patient. They'd reveal themselves sooner or later be it out of desperation, false sense of security, or just plain boredom. He wouldn't give them a choice. He would make them come to him. Yeah, he would win this game. After all, he always did.

Just as a contented smirk started to pull at his hidden lips, movement came from the shadows beside him. He slowly turned his head to see a woman step out of the darkness. She had an arrogance about her he didn't quite understand. The knife in his hand nor the mask on his face did little to scare away the cocky smile that spread across her face as she studied him.

"Hello Michael," she said softly.

He narrowed his eyes at her under his mask. The air about her suggested she thought she had the upper hand. How silly. He lunged forward and his hand went for her throat, but she caught his fist in her palm before he even had the chance to unravel his fingers. He strained against her, waiting for her arm to break from the pressure he applied, but she stayed unmoving. His strength didn't seem to phase her, she was as still as ever.

"So eager to end our game already?" She asked calmly as her hand gripped tighter around his own, "I thought you liked to play."

He wouldn't give in. He gritted his teeth to hold back the pained groan that threatened to escape his lips, anymore pressure and he was sure she would break bones. Still, he held firm in his stance and pushed back against her. He wasn't unaware of the ice cold feel of her skin either, it left quite a sting. She let out a quiet laugh at his unmatched determination. She knew this would be fun.

"I've been watching you, Michael," she whispered as she craned her neck up to get a glimpse of his eyes through that pale mask, "for quite some time."

Her gaze was so fixed on his eyes it almost made him uncomfortable. No one had ever dared look as long as she was, that is if they ever got close enough. Her wanton curiosity both infuriated and intrigued him at the same time. What knowledge had she gained whilst watching him and more importantly, why had she been watching him? She could tell he was growing curious, which was exactly what she wanted. She let her grip loosen and he took his opportunity to force her across the room into the wall. She had decided to let him win a little, she knew him well enough to know it was something he needed to keep his interest. She felt the tip of his knife at her naval, almost begging to break skin, but he kept it from entering. His other hand gripped her throat dangerously tight, but it mattered not. He could squeeze harder if he wanted to, she had no use for breath.

"Don't be shy," she said as her hands rested over his tight grip on the knife's handle, "do it."

He felt her force the knife forward slowly. Her skin tore around it's sharp tip as she granted it entry. He didn't like that she had taken such control over the situation so he took it back and swiftly. He plunged his knife into her as deep as it could go and what should have been a cry of agony sounded like an expression of pleasure. He tilted his head as he watched her smile when he twisted the blade within her.

"We're not so different, you and I," she started calmly as though the knife in her had no effect, "death means nothing to us and yet, it is the very nature of our existence."

He was growing incredibly frustrated at her elaborate way of aligning herself with him. He pulled his knife out only to plunge it back in again, harder this time. That only seemed to make her laugh.

"You don't seem to understand," she said before she quickly ripped the knife from his hand, "we are not meant to die."

His hand around her throat tightened enough to break bones, but not hers. She grabbed his wrist and without words, requested he release his grip. Naturally, he denied her so she resorted to force. He couldn't fathom that she had the strength to, but she was able to pry his hand from her neck and easily.

"You like death, Michael?" She asked as she brought the blade to her throat, "Then let me introduce her to you."

She dragged the knife sideways slowly along her skin and her blood turned the parts of her visible to him red. For the first time in his life, Michael watched in disbelief. Her throat was open before him and yet she was somehow still alive, looking back at him with a smile. What blew his mind further was that he could tell it wasn't that it didn't hurt her, it did and she liked it. She returned the knife that was now coated in her blood to him.

"You see, we are the same. Only your heart still beats, whereas mine," she said as she took his hand and placed it over her heart.

There was nothing. No unsteady beat to relish in, no quickened breath, just cold skin underneath his palm.

"You defy death in a different way, but we are both death's deliverers," she said as she brought his hand up to her open mouth.

Michael watched with unbridled curiosity as her gums retracted and her incisors grew exponentially. She kept her mouth agape and invited him to explore, just as he had hoped she would. He let his fingers brush over each of them, admiring just how sharp they really were. Just before he pulled away, he cut himself on one. She hummed with pleasure as she tasted his blood on her tongue. He noticed her eyes had changed, they now had an eerie orange glow. His favorite color. She was somehow paler than before, almost ghostly. He could really admire those fangs now that she was smiling again at his taste. She made quite a pretty picture with all that blood still dripping down her. The embodiment of death. Michael didn't realize he was capable of feeling desire, but something about that animalistic hunger in her eyes that his own blood had awakened made him want to explore her further, test her limits. She had no need for a weapon, her own body was that in of itself. He was beyond fascinated, which pleased her. She had him right where she wanted him.

"I've watched you kill and be killed. I've watched you die over and over and yet, your heart keeps beating, your blood keeps pumping. You hunger as I do. I kill to survive, but you," she flashed that eerie smile again as she let out a low laugh, "you don't need blood to live, you simply want it. Well, I want to understand you, Michael, but more than anything, I want to taste an immortal. I want to taste you."

She still held his hand in hers and he could tell the blood that steadily dripped from his finger was driving her to madness. He saw control within his grasp again and he wasn't going to let it go. He pulled his hand away from her and dismay began to spread over her face until he brought it back to her mouth. He ran his finger over her lips, coating them in his blood. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth with her teeth and her eyes rolled back as she tasted him again. Her hands went up to hold his once more and he allowed her to.

"May I?" She asked softly.

He gave her nothing, but his silence was her green light. She dragged her tongue from his palm to the tip of his index finger, leaving no trace of blood behind. She then took it in her mouth. He felt her open the wound further with one of her teeth before she began to drink. He watched her body relax entirely once she tasted him again, more than before. He tasted different, just as she had expected, sweeter. The small amount he had allotted her satisfied her more than any other she had tasted before. Each drop was bliss and he could see it all over her. That pull he felt was strange, but euphoric all at once. It made him feel light, almost weightless. It gave him a rush unlike any other he had felt before and he let his head fall back as the feeling washed over him. Her eyes flickered open to see his neck was exposed to her. It was becoming incredibly difficult to control her hunger, he simply tasted too good. Then again, she wasn't sure she had to control herself. After all, that was why she sought him out. There was no risk of him dying. He was an endless supply of bliss for her, she just needed him to want her as much as she wanted him.

He could feel her growing needier as she sucked harder than before. He looked back down at her and saw she was watching him. Those orange eyes were filled with lust as they stayed glued to his neck. He smirked behind his mask before he pulled his finger away from her. She hissed at the sudden emptiness he left behind and her brow furrowed. He quickly grabbed her by the throat and pushed her back against the wall. It was his turn to explore her.

She laughed again, "You can't break me, Michael."

He pressed his body against hers with enough force to probably crush any normal being. She was so cold, he could feel her icy skin through his boiler suit, but it brought relief to his increasingly raised body heat. She was bringing sensations to the surface he had never felt before and he knew she was more than aware. She could feel it.

"Is that what you want?" She whispered up at him, "would you like to break me, Michael?"

He responded by squeezing her throat as tight as he could. He wanted to more than she knew and he could tell he wasn't alone in his desire. It felt fitting that he would give himself to death, or perhaps it was death who would give herself to him. The thought was enough to make his breath falter. He wanted those teeth in him again and he wanted her against the wall where she belonged with her cold legs wrapped around him.

"Then break me," she said in an almost hypnotizing tone.

With his other hand he ripped his mask off so he could press his lips to hers. It was almost like kissing stone. She was so cold and firm. Unbreakable. If he was going to have a lover, she would have to be, because Michael knew nothing of self control. At least not when it came to killing, he could only imagine sex would be no different. She didn't ask for his self control, she didn't need it. She was perfectly matched to him, made for him. He wasn't quite sure how such a thing had landed in his grasp, but he wasn't about to let it slip. She was his now, whether she had asked to be or not. She was his to do with just as he pleased. She may have been physically unbreakable, but Michael would find other ways to break her, it was what he was good at and she would love every second of it. One thing was already very much in his control. She had given him that leash to hold without even realizing it.

He felt her clamoring to pull his boiler suit back as her lips wandered from his own and down to his neck. He knew what she was doing, he could feel those sharp teeth grazing his exposed skin and he allowed her to continue until he felt her self control slip. Just before she could sink into him he shoved her back against the wall to remind her that his blood was his to give when, and only when, he chose to. He was in control and he had every intention to make her beg. That was her leash and he held that power in his hands as he always did. She lunged forward again and he only pushed her back harder, so hard the wooden walls of the Myers' house behind her broke. She didn't even flinch, instead she smiled in amusement. It only added to his enthusiasm about the situation. He freed his arms from his boiler suit and promptly tore her blood soaked dress from her body. He watched, amused as she took care of the rest of her clothing. Her body was unlike any other he had seen. Flawless, in his eyes and probably anyone else's if they saw. Though, other eyes were no longer a concern, he would be her only admirer. He noticed the stab wound he had dealt her was missing as if it had never happened. She really would be his plaything.

Once she had discarded the last of the cloth covering her, she was on him again. Her lips met his with more force than before. She was intent on showing him just how strong she really was and he was intent on finding out. He felt her nip at his bottom lip as she kissed him and heard her moan when the smallest bit of blood met her tongue. He lifted her up so she could wrap her now bare legs around him and once he was sure she wouldn't fall, he tangled his fingers in her hair. He yanked her head back so her neck was exposed to him this time. He let his lips brush over her icy skin, then his teeth. He was gentle at first as he peppered kisses along her jugular, then he began to experiment. He nipped at her and relished in those pained hisses she let out, though he knew she liked it. If she liked his blade cutting her skin, surely she would enjoy his teeth just the same and he wanted to taste her just as she had him. He bit down and her blood quickly spilled for him. Once he'd had a taste, he pulled back so he could admire the way it poured over her pale skin and the way his bite mark disappeared just so he could leave another in it's place. Despite his tight grip on her hair, she forced her head back down so she could look at him once more. Though it was dark she could make out some of his features. He had dark, curly brown hair, a strong jaw and very serious brows atop dark eyes, but despite his intensity, he had an almost angelic appearance in the shadows. Though, she knew he was no angel. She saw that well enough in his eyes. She saw what he wanted to do to her and it made her body tremble with anticipation. She felt his hands gripping her bare waist so tightly it would have torn mortal flesh. He didn't want to wait any longer, he wanted to claim her as his own, body and, if she had one, soul. She slid her legs down and once her feet found the floor below her, she pushed him to the ground. The floorboards bent around him from the force and he went to push himself up, but before he could she was on top of him. He knew that smirk on her face was because she knew this wasn't how things were going to go, at least not for long. He grabbed hold of her thighs and stopped her from taking him. She could do as she pleased other than that. That was something he would give to her when he felt she deserved it. She met his lips again, sloppily this time as she kissed down his body and let her nails drag on his skin above her head as she got lower and lower. He stifled the groans that we're building within him as he felt her cold lips press against the lowest possible part of his naval. She was careful not to give him what he wanted, that was her leash to hold, at least that's what she thought. As if he'd read her mind, he put a stop to that right away. He wasn't one to be teased. He sat up and grabbed her by her throat to put her on the ground. He not only loved that he could hear the sound of the house being utterly destroyed each time he threw her, but that she could take it. He pinned her underneath him where she belonged and threw her legs around his waist so he could align himself with her. He didn't waste another second to drive himself into her. He felt her nails dig into his back as he took what he wanted. He was surprised to find it came naturally to him, he knew exactly what he wanted to do and how he was going to do it. His hand returned to her throat to bring her up to him so she could take what she wanted. He needed her to now, he wanted that rush from before combined with the feeling of how tight she was around him. He wanted her to drink from him and as much as she wanted. He knew she understood, he watched her tongue glide over her sharp fangs before she latched onto his neck. That rush washed over him instantly and he picked up his pace while he held her head in place. He was unable to control the moans that fell from his lips as she drank from him and deeply. She was glad he held her in place because she could barely hold herself up. Each time he pushed into her he hit a spot that made her head spin. He may have been inexperienced, but he was bringing her closer and closer to her climax with every move he made. Her fingers reached down in desperation, she was almost there, she just needed friction on that other sweet spot he had yet to discover. He caught her hand and quickly replaced it with his own, but allowed her to show him what she wanted. He caught on fast and soon enough she could barely focus on drinking him anymore. Though he tasted so good, what he was doing to her was somehow even better. She unlatched her teeth from him and her head fell back as her orgasm washed over her. He watched her face contort in an almost pained expression as her body grew tighter around him. Though he wanted her to continue feeding off of him, watching her face was equally as intoxicating. Watching what he was doing to her, what he was making her feel, it was enough to send him spiraling. Pleasure more intense than any he had ever felt took over, but he didn't stop. She held onto him tight enough to draw blood with her finger nails as he spilled into her. He buried his face in her neck as he rode out his orgasm, letting himself be more vocal than he ever had been in all his life. The sound of him falling apart brought her to the edge once again, which only made him continue. He felt her go limp in his arms as her body reveled in the pleasure he had brought her once again. He removed his face from her neck to look at her. She had her eyes closed and her neck was still craned back as she whispered his name to herself. He wondered if maybe that was all she could take, if maybe he had found her breaking point after all. He started to slow his pace, which only made a smile spread across her face again.

"Did you think we were finished?" She asked cockily.

When she lifted her head to meet his gaze, he smirked. He hadn't broken her yet, so he'd just have to keep trying.

[roxxie-spirt]

Wyverns + the Divines

ALRIGHT ITS GONNA BE A BIG POST !! I did some visuals just so yall can have some eye candy~ anywho let’s get to it!

Wyverns are very magical / powerful beings , they’re also very, very, intelligent. They have cultures councils dialects etc and so when they went to discover the new realm they were trusting after discovering realm traveling via portals they couldn’t wait to greet the beings of this realm. Sadly their welcome wasn’t ideal, humans , werewolves, Witches, mei’fewa almost every being in the overrealm didn’t welcome the Wyverns with open arms. Which made the great Wyvern hunt era began which is actually before the Divine era! Wyverns weren’t outcasted by everyone of course , elves as well as some small groups of warlocks were opened to the Wyverns and wanted to be close to them! Wyverns decided to create a spell for other beings to be able to speak to them ( just cause I didn’t like that only the descendants of the divine were the only able to ) I do like the fact that Wyverns can reborn after a long period of time! So I am keeping that in, but there’s a way to interrupt that reborn process with strong magicks ..

Now let’s get into the divine warriors or the Wyvern hunters. Believe or not Esmund was the one who started to Trend of hunting the Wyverns within the group, at first Esmund fought of the Wyvern out of protecting Enki and Kul’zak. Then the thrill of it was something he hadn’t felt before.. Now Esmund and the rest were all in their mid teens to say the least ,t hem hunting down Wyverns were all for sport and for the prices Wyverns went for. During the Wyvern hunting era it was very difficult to actually uphold an actual body of a Wyvern since their bodies would disappear out of thin air it seems. So if you were able to capture a Wyvern and harvest their scales, feathers, bodily liquids ( any . Yes. Any ) , or more they went for top dollar. ( fun fact: Kul’zak as a gift for his friends actually made armor out of the scales of the Wyvern and for the ladies he gifted them feathered Woven dresses which would actually be the cloth Aphmau wakes in when she’s awoken in mcdS1) Anyways , yes the Group would trap, hunt, and profit out of this practice. Irene and Enki out of the group were magically gifted, out of the name of well research Enki and Irene wanted to see what exactly they can use the Wyverns in the sake of their magical properties. While prodding a Wyvern for blood , Irene had the urge to just… sip.. and she did just that , suddenly she felt a sharp rush in her body she felt stronger she felt like her abilities were heightened. Enki kept note of that. Esmund helped the two in their researched by collecting more and more Wyverns . Yeah uhh this isn’t exactly the story the divine warriors told anyone but it’s the truth. Over the span of a few years , they done it. They discovered how to create relics or at least a prototype of one, Shad was the first to test it out. It definitely worked he was stronger faster and he even began to use magic which he had none of before then. Now how they made the relic or the prototype wasn’t an easy task , Enki practically drained an adult Wyvern till it just died on its own. Irene and Enki do eventually figure out how to contain the soul of the Wyvern, in doing so as punishment by nature Irene and Enki ( I might make it all the warriors but I need some inspiration)bear a mark of their shame. To others these are holy divine marks told by the winners but to Wyvern kind they know the truth, Irene and her descendants will bear the darkened marks formed on her body and Enki bearing the horns and tail of a demon. As for the others they don’t need to worry about generational shame from the Wyverns but they still hold powerful relics. I’ll probably talk about the relics in another post but for now let me continue. When the hunters/divines turned into their 20s they wanted to turn their life around.. at least move on from the hunting of Wyverns and into helping the world, after Irene and Enki got punished they decided erm maybe that wasn’t the best move 🙄. So they released the Wyverns they captured on the condition they will never speak ill in their name ever or else. Which is why a chunk of history is kinda muddy of course some spoke of their story which is how the ‘ rumor ‘ of the divine warriors not being so divine… happened but how did Irene and Enki make some of the Wyverns trust them? It was purely of gaslighting that oh! We didn’t steal these Wyverns souls.. they gave it to us! As an offering of friendship. Shad managed to convince the councils of some Wyverns that what he preached was truth and gifted them their own relics (made out of a different material not Wyverns ). That’s all for the divine warrior portion for now …((I will make a post about the warriors in the future they aren’t JUST assholes dw))

OK LAST POINT!! Which is mainly Laurance n garroths connection to Wyverns :3 this one might be shorter than the previous one. How ungrth and Laurance met is a fairly simple one, ungrth as he did his patrol on guarding his kin. He heard a small cry in the distance of the forest, for ungrth it sounded like a hatchling and so he went out to find the source and he saw a small little 4 year old Laurance lost in the woods separated from his family ( bio ) who at the time didn’t know were gone. Ungrth was hesitant, he knew how humans were he know how cruel how selfish they were. After all he was there during the great hunting era. As he attempted to fly off , Laurance cried louder and louder. Something about his cry’s broke ungrth heart , he told himself this one time he’ll help a worthless human. He landed and walked over to the small boy who was curled up , when Laurance heard the sounds of leaves he darted his head up seeing a huge wyvern overhead. Laurances green eyes stabbed back into ungrth green eyes. In that moment ungrth forgotten his hatred for humanity, seeing a young man’s eyes as green as his suddenly just melted the heart of this wise wyvern. Laurance wasn’t afraid and ran to the Wyvern crying for ungrth. Ungrth couldn’t talk to him unless he said the spell, without hesitation he did . Ever since Laurance and ungrth were family. Ungrth eventually found out about Laurances bioparents passing and he was actually going to let Laurance into his clan but of course it was prohibited and ungrth gladly turned his back on his kin to be with the human he loved . He eventually found Laurance a great family to be with. I LOVE UNGRTH AND LAURANCES FOUND FAMILY RELATIONSHIP OK 😭( the Zvhals and ungrth are tight no worries.

Now for Garroth! So the romeaves actually never gave up Wyvern hunting. In honor of Edmund their ancestor! Garte fought a Wyvern and now it was for the oldest Garroth(age 14) to fight one as well, but Garroth hated this practice. He’s done his research on Wyverns due to Zianna wanting her sons to be educated and thought this was something for the dark ages to do but Garte demanded for Garroth to go out and slay a Wyvern. Garroth with his tail tucked between his legs shamefully went out to find a Wyvern. Hell in this day n age it’s fucking rare to find a Wyvern, Garroth was tempted just to take the tail of a bearded dragon . It’s been days since he went out he was actually going to do his plan B if he couldn’t find a damn Wyvern until.. he heard crash in the woods. Garroth went to find the cause and it was.. a small Wyvern , it was Raven , he was injured badly and arrow throw his wing . It had a cross ok it was one of his kingdoms ( Plot twist Zane(10) did it he was gonna prove that he was better than Garroth but anyways he couldn’t find the body so womp womp ) Garroth saw Raven hell this was his chance he can just mercy kill this Wyvern.. but it didn’t need mercy it just needed medical help. Garroth went up to Raven his sword out , Raven was going not back down from a fight but.. Garroth couldn’t do it he just couldn’t he fell to his knees crying. Fuck Raven was confused, Garroth told him he wasn’t going to hurt Raven but that’s crocodile tears to Raven. It took hours for Garroth to gain ravens trust, and I’m not saying like 2-4 I mean like 6-9 hours of just talking to Raven even though Garroth knew he wouldn’t hear anything back from Raven since he knew of the contract that Raven would need to do in order to speak. Raven after hearing this, huge 14 yr old finally submitted and allowed Garroth to help him. Raven gave Garroth some of his feathers and scales to show his father so Garroth wouldn’t be shunned by his father out of some form of empathy. Now Raven didn’t give Garroth the ability to speak to him until season2 when he came back from the Irene dimension. Either way Raven trusted Garroth from now on helping him send messages when asked as a thanks.

[prettygreenpills]

hi! is it possible to request a smutty larissa fic that includes somno, shapeshifting, overstimulation, breeding kink, and whatever suits your creative style, and sorry if it this is or isnt super specific :)

Wake up honey - Larissa Weems

warnings: somnophilia!, shapeshifting, overstimulation, breeding kink, soft!dom Larissa, Larissa x fem!reader, shy reader, shy Larissa, etc.

Guys, this is my first time writing somno. I’ve read some of it, but sorry if this isn’t how you imagined it-

“Mhm- Issa-“ you moaned out, arching in your back as Larissa slid inside of you with her whole length.

“Fuck-“ Larissa moaned and she had her eyes closed. You took her by her arms which she was leaning on and you were too sleepy to open your eyes. The feeling of Larissa inside of you was something what you would accept every single time she would offer it to you. Taking a sharp breath, something made you open your eyes. It was Larissa’s hand on your throat.

“I-Issa-“ you moaned loudly and opened your legs for her even more. Larissa pushed her hips lower and went deeper inside of you, making you grab the sheets. “Oh fuck- please-“

Larissa started rhythmically moving her hips. You were just laying there since you were so sleepy. Turning around onto your stomach, you brought your knee to your breast from the side, with Larissa still inside of you.

“Fuck darling,” she breathed out and you closed your eyes. Feeling her hands on your bum, you pushed it up a little, what made Larissa groan.

She was pounding into you and you were moaning onto your pillow. Biting on the sheets, your eyes rolled back into your scalp and you were too numb to move.

Larissa took your hands and put them behind your lower back. She was holding them there with one of her hands, with the other one, she was stroking your ass.

“Oh Larissa- oh!” You whined out when she became faster. You were a mess. Your hair falling into your face, your breathing so fast, the covers under you moving.

Larissa wasn’t talking anymore, or you couldn’t hear her. She was moving her hips and her hand wandered down between your legs, from the front. Her delicate fingers sat on your needy clit which was literally begging for her attention and when she laid her fingers on your clit, a jolt of pleasure hit your whole body.

“Fuck-“ you breathed out and moved your butt up. Or Larissa did. She was sliding inside of you and out of you in the right rhythm and your mouth fell open. You didn’t say anything, not a single word.

Larissa was fucking you into the bed. Rhythmically, deep and fast. You were clenching around her tightly, feeling a little ball of nerves creating in your stomach. It tickled, made you feel butterflies and sending ants to your feet.

When you felt yourself doing something like clenching around her hardly, you opened your mouth. Your eyes were closed and you didn’t even need to open them to see what was happening.

“Cum baby. Cum for me,” you heard Larissa and you whined. You were so close, so so close to your orgasm and you didn’t want to hold it back. And Larissa knew that as well. She kept fucking you and she wanted you to reach your own orgasm just as much as you wanted to.

“Issa- oh fuck!” You moaned loudly and rested your muscles. Your body fell into the bed.

“Come on baby- again-“ Larissa breathed out and you whined loudly. You didn’t have to do anything, you weren’t even doing anything, Larissa was the one who took care of you. She was holding you just like she needed and she was pounding deep into you.

“Larissa- fuck- please-“ you moaned out loudly and squeezed your eyes shut. Her huge cock was brushing your walls and it felt so good even if it was wrong. You didn’t stop her, you couldn’t stop her. Larissa became rough and wild, there was no point in telling her.

“Yes baby! Yes- fuck you look so cute- oh my god, you’re doing so well for me-“ Larissa was moaning and you just swallowed hardly. It felt weird. Your throat was dry and it was uncomfortable to swallow. Trying not to focus on it, you went back to the woman which was behind you and her cock.

“La-rissa-“ your moan got cut in half. The blonde shapeshifter kept making herself and you feel good.

“Just a little more baby, just a little more. I-I need to cum-“ you heard her moans and the end of her sentence was like from far away. “Fuck baby- fuck-“

Leaving you in confusion, you weren’t sure about what was happening or if it was just a dream. Starting to feel your body, you were surprised when you felt her inside of you. Thinking that your mind was only messing with you, you tried to not think about it at all and when Larissa burried her nails into your soft skin, you knew that it was happening in real life.

“Fuck baby!”

“Larissa!” You screamed and your eyes shot open. You were so confused at what was happening and you didn’t know where were you, when you felt something inside of you, your eyes grew wide and you were breathing through your orgasm which was really happening.

“Oh god-” Larissa groaned and she pushed her hips against yours. When she stopped, you clenched around her so tightly and you fell into the covers, sleepier than ever.

Larissa slid out of you and she laid next to you. Brushing your back, she smiled tiredly and when you looked at her, you were confused.

“What happened?”

“I am sorry darling. I couldn’t help, you are so cute when you sleep…”

“Did you- did you fuck me while I was sleeping?” You asked with a smirk on your lips and Larissa went red in her face.

“I-“

“You’re so cute when you’re needy,” you laughed softly and brushed Larissa’s cheek. Larissa smiled shyly and moved against your hand.

“I couldn’t help.”

“Yeah I figured,” you chuckled and looked down onto the covers. “Oh god-“

“You enjoyed it too love.”

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

[kaylaz-world-00]

A/N: It’s too short for my liking but yeahhh… And I may not have finished the ending. I leave it to you my dear readers how it ends~

A/N: You can think of this as an AU, not from the series.

Pairs: (I never mentioned much but you can think this story as) Bullfrog x Reader x Ramon

1K words

I’m not giving you guys any summery but warnings instead to make it a bit more mysterious here: Huge angst, blood, dead bodies, death, description of dying, etc.

Taglist: @blorbostation @eateableworm @livelaughluvvfaithyy @darkchanx @astoraa @shiroisotto64

You had cleared out everyone in this section of the secret unit, a small mistake had gotten you noticed, there was nothing else to do, thankfully you both were successful nevertheless. “I guess we can finally move on, huh?” You panted and sighed in relief. Ramon nodded in agreement, "Let's go get the documents and get the fuck out of here." You laughed tiredly at this, “Yes, I'm dying to get home. This job was one of a hell, the most tiring and annoying thing I've ever participated in. I wonder what Bullfrog is doing on his side?” Your eyes spotted a movement among the bloody bodies, a wounded guard raising his gun and aiming at Ramon about to shoot, your eyes widened in fear, he was supposed to be dead.

You gasped, “Ramon watch out!” Realizing the danger, you acted without thinking and pushed Ramon out of the man’s sight. A huge bullet explosion echoed through the building, you couldn’t make a sound or had any control over your weak limbs, your eyes blurred in pain, it all followed by the sound of your name being shouted and more bullets. You found yourself on the ground, all you knew was that it hurt so much and that you were having trouble breathing. When Ramon turned you towards him you saw the pain in his face. You choked, “R-Ramon—“ you could taste the blood in your mouth.

“It’s okay, It’s okay, I got you. Y-You’ll be fine!” That was a big lie, you could see it in his teary eyes. He saw the hole on your back, the bullet pierced through your back, reached to your lungs and then came out from your chest. He used pressure on your chest and kept repeating the same things, “You’ll be okay. I promise.” Your breathing was quick and sharp, your chest hurted a lot, you weren't able to get enough air into your system. “Ramon—“ You gasped, “I-I don’t want to die.” You choked out, your tears streaming down from your cheeks as you gripped his hand in your panic. Ramon shook his head quickly, “I won’t let you die I promise!” You both knew there wasn’t a way out for you this time. Even knowing this he continues lying for you and you continue believing in him. Your breathing become shallow and it was more and more difficult for you to properly have fresh air, you were suffocating. And when you come to the point of barely breathing, you squeezed his hand with the last strength you had. “Ramon I—“ He stared at you, waiting for a continue, wanting to hear what you need to say but you said nothing else, he saw the last breath leaving your lips, saw the lively glint in your eyes vanishing, felt your hand going limp, you laid motionless on the ground, your blood covering the grounds, your blood on his hands, the metallic smell all around him. He wanted to protest, yell, make chaos out of this unfair station but… he only sat there and stared at his hands, silent tears leaving him.

Bullfrog spun around, restless. He was getting more worried that they were not showing up. This shouldn’t have taken this much of their time… right? He halted to a stop. His lips curving into a smile when he spotted Ramon. He sprinted at him but slowly came down to a stop, his smile quickly vanishing. His eyes quickly searched around, he turned and looked… but there was no trace of you anywhere.

He holds himself back, his hands clenching. He cleared his throat to inform Ramon that he was there. Ramon only stopped, didn’t lift his head, didn’t look at him, didn’t even give him a little glance. This made him panic even more. He tried to calm his restless mind as he opened his mouth, “Ramon… Where…?” He stopped himself when Ramon finally looked at him, he felt something died in his chest when he saw his expression. A choked sob escaped his throat, his hands shaking. He somehow knew it even before he showed up, he was praying to everything that this is just him being just worried.

“Ramon…” He started again, “Where are they?” He whispered, this time trying to be a bit more brave. Ramon shakily stepped back and glanced at where he came from. He didn’t even pick up the documents. It didn’t meant anything anymore. He just left… after killing everyone in it.

Bullfrog glanced at where he was looking at but they were too far away to even see the facility, but he knew what that meant, his eyes widened and without a second thought, he was gone, sprinting towards the same direction he come from. Ramon clenched his hands, looking after him. He didn’t want to go back but he couldn't bear the thought of losing someone again, so he quickly went after him. Nothing left from that place but ruins.

Bullfrog grunted in tears as he lifted a heavy stone and threw it aside, and frantically continued digging through the concrete pieces, his hands bleeding from all that excavation. Ramon didn’t look nor dared to help him out in his desperation. He already knew what was under it. But he was also confused about something, it's been hours since...

“Merde.” He hissed and grabbed the last big piece, using one last force, he lifted it up with a frustrated yell and threw it aside. He found… nothing. Once again, his attems and efforts come out empty. Where are you?

He dropped down on his knees, defeated and exhausted. He didn’t even know if he wanted to see your wrecked self under all the concrete. But he did wish to find you and at least bring you to a place where you could rest in peace. “No… Non, s'il vous plaît, non. Pourquoi ça devait être toi? Tu avais beaucoup à vivre. Nous avions beaucoup de choses à partager. S'il vous plaît, n'y allez pas ! Ne nous quitte pas. S'il vous plaît, ne le faites pas…” He rambled to himself as he slammed his hand on the ground, causing the wound to become even worse but he didn’t care. His shoulders shook as he sobbed silently.

“Where are you?” Ramon mumbled. He wasn’t sure anymore. The only thing he thought was certain was your death.

[lix-ables]

°꒰ drunk on you ─── b.chan. ꒱

pairing. chan x f.reader.

[minors dni, smut includes f rec (cunnilingus + fingering), oral fixation, sub chan (sir be vv cocky at the end), degradation (chan gets called a brat, dumb, needy and pathetic), panty smelling, etc]

synopsis. where your boyfriend offers begs to eat you out.

word count. 1743. masterlist

note. so that one ask made me wanna write pussy drunk chan,, and this is just stuck in my head, im in my delulu hours for sub chan hhhh,, this is part 1/2. enjoy lovvies ‹3

“open wider, that’s a good boy.” a whimper leaves chan’s throat as he closes his lips around your thumb, while your other hand plays with the top button of his dress shirt. letting your hand trail his now exposed collar bone, before resting your palm at the spot just above where you could feel his heartbeat. “so pretty for me, aren’t you?”

chan lets his tongue twirl around your finger, his eyes staring up at you as he moves his hand from his sides to touch you. a small slap to his arm makes his tongue stop moving, his lips removing themselves from your thumb with a small pop. “i asked you a question, baby. are you or are you not being pretty for me right now?” your words make him nod almost immediately, his fingers reaching to curl themselves around your wrist in hopes of getting your thumb back in his mouth. he needed it, still does, especially now.

the way you were sitting on his lap, in nothing but the new baby blue lingerie set you got for his birthday, the way your fingers now rested on his shoulder, your nails could dig into his skin if you wanted to, and chan would let that happen, with how needy he was currently being. he could feel his dick getting tighter in his sweats, and you grinding your almost bare cunt directly on it wasn’t helping at all. his eyes kept shifting to the way you moved against him, his eyes watching how your tits are now pressed up against his chest, and he could feel it against his skin, like he wasn’t wearing a shirt. he wished so bad he was shirtless. oh just to feel that rough material rub against his pecs as you teased him even more.

another slap to his thigh got him focused on you again. a sigh left your lips when you finally got him to look at you. “dreaming are we? didn’t i just ask you something? you’re deciding to be such a brat today, channie.”

those words got him shaking his head, letting his mouth fall wide open, a reply ready at his throat but refusing to leave it. “too dumb to speak, hm? how about you just nod yes or no, can we do that?” a single nod from the boy under you gets you smirking as you watch his expressions when you shift and adjust yourself on his lap. a sharp intake of breath from him gets you smiling at how desperate he was being. “you’re going to have to use your words as well, okay? or i’m not giving you anything. i’m going to leave you here and play with myself if you don’t specify, yeah?”

a small hum from him gives you a sign to continue, so you slip your hand into his shirt, your fingers travelling upward only to hear a grunt leave him. “what is it? and don’t forget to use your words, baby.”

“wanna touch -”

“touch what? didn’t i tell you to use your fucking words? it would honestly upset me if i had to leave you here, all needy, all by yourself,” you whisper to chan, fingers working to remove another button on his shirt. “you, please,” he lets out, and its almost like a mumble. a slow movement of your hips against him makes chan whimper, his hands that lay by his sides moving slowly, but carefully. instead of reaching for you like you expected him to, he curls his fingers into fists to stop himself from touching you.

“such a good boy, holding yourself back from touching me. you really want to listen don’t you?”

“just want you to continue touching me please,” chan replies, and you notice how he was still having his hands in fists. “just a minute ago, you asked to touch me. now you want me to touch you? you’re going to have to decide on just one, channie. i’m not giving you both.”

a frustrated whine makes you get off his lap, leaving him to stare at you, confused and very evidently needy. “c’mere,” you call for him, watching him stumble just a single step forward to where you were standing. “already weak, hm?” chan shamelessly nods, admitting he was weak for you, and looks at your face as you let your eyes fall at his boner. “need your shirt off, baby. surely you’re not weak enough for that simple thing, right?”

instead of replying, chan’s fingers work on removing the rest of his buttons on his shirt, his eyes fixed on you. you make your way to the couch where you previously were, leaving chan with a puzzled look on his face, before calling him to stand in front of you. “on your knees, love. if you behave, i’ll let you fuck me, okay?”

getting on his knees as he watches you spread your legs, enough for him to have a small peek at the design on your panties, along with a small damp stain at the centre, the sight itself making him groan out loud. “can i please -” “what, channie? eat me out, or just touch?”

“wanna eat you out, please. want to make you feel so good,” chan mutters, letting his head hang low, before you lean forward to tilt his chin up so he’s looking at you. “look at you being so polite while pleading to eat me out. how badly do you want to make me feel good?”

“so bad. want to taste you on my tongue, please. need to.”

now, until today you didn’t realise how bad chan’s oral fixation was. sure enough, previously he’s always wanted to have his mouth on your body, or always leaving kisses to your face. you remember when he first asked you if he could suck on your fingers, but he was shy about it. until you saw agreed and watched him twirl his tongue around your index finger, watched him have his lips wrapped around it, and watched him whine, letting the vibrations hit all the way down to your pussy, getting you wet almost immediately. any other day it was him wanting to suck on your nipples, wanting to mark them up, wanting to watch certain places on your skin darken up and become a deep shade of purple or red.

“i love how excited you are, baby,” you chuckle at him, seeing him smile at your words. “hands at the back, i don’t want to see your hands coming to touch me. or you won’t get to taste me at all.” with his hands behind his back, chan watches you with his brown eyes, as you shift your panties to the side, your fingers making their way to touch your inner thighs, your fingers trailing up to your clit, rubbing small circles to it, but before continuing, you let your fingers hook themselves at the waistband of the panties, removing it slowly, your eyes still looking at chan, and by now, you know he’s already lost his mind watching you tease him with your actions.

“c’mere, channie. hold on to these for me, okay?” you crumple the panties in your fist, giving it to chan, who’s hand grabbed them quickly, his fist holding them tightly, not wanting to let them go anytime soon. “such a pathetic baby, doesn’t it seem too filthy? always wanting to have your mouth on me?” you ask him as your fingers guide his face to your cunt, letting his nose nuzzle your clit a little, the small touch making your head press against the couch. “always begging to have more, always begging.”

chan hums in reply, opening his mouth to let his tongue lick a single stripe of wetness that formed, a groan leaving his throat as he inches closer to the couch, almost as though he was pressed up against your body and the couch, making sure there was no gap between you and his body.

he feels your leg lift up, and rest on his shoulder, your fingers tugging on his hair as your felt his nose press up against your clit way more than earlier - if anything was heaven, it was chan’s tongue, flat against your pussy, while his lips kept sucking on it. “hmmm, don’t tease baby. remember what i said… fuck, just like that -” you pant, grinding your hips against his face, making chan grip onto your panties tighter, feeling his nails dig into his palm, drawing cresents to his skin.

he loved it when you moved your hips into his face, or when your hips bucked into his hand when he fingered you. just thinking about the time you came on his face, and when he licked you dry, got him shy when it came to his mind once again.

“i love seeing you get so flustered. it’s cute -” you manage, fingers tightening and tangling into his hair a little more, a broken moan leaving your lips. you felt your mouth dry up every time you took a breath, feeling yourself get closer to your high, but you pushed chan away, making him whine in protest.

“no, channie. not now. maybe if you fucked me good, i’ll come around your pretty dick hm?”

“you really like teasing me, don’t you?” chan whispers, leaning his head to rest it on your thigh, bringing his fingers to curl around your leg and squeeze it. he presses a kiss to your skin as he watches your fingers move to rub small but fast patterns to your clit. “since you’re not finishing what you start, i might as well do it myself,” you huff. chan smiles, bringing your panties up to his nose, smelling it before he catches it between his teeth, holding it there, while his other hand moves to rest on your pussy, letting his middle finger slip into your cunt, a grunt leaving him when he feels your walls tighten around his finger.

“is this how tight you’re going to be around my cock?” chan asks, pumping his fingers in and out of you, while you rub faster around your clit, nodding at his question. “okay, that’s enough sweetheart. it’s my turn to take okay, yeah?” he whispers, pulling his finger out of you, bringing it to his lips, before tasting you, sucking it clean, and taking those same fingers to wrap around your wrist to stop your movements.

“my turn to play, okay?”

🖇️ taglist — @hwajin @starlostseungmin  @chrisbahng @niinjo @chvnnie @lixhues @joonszn @janvibutbetter @cherryhanji @blueberry-chan @dnadoublefelixx @ethereallino @stuckwithaphobiaa @chewryy @bangchanbabygirlx @meowminhosblog @zizis-world12 @aimeexx @whatudowhennooneseesyou @seobinniesshi @nightlychans @americanokisses @katieraven @h0neydewmoon @hwan-g

[sweetfirebird]

We Could Be Heroes (or Cousins)

Tonight's charity prompt fill is for Raye, who donated to Streets Kitchen Solidarity and asked for a minific about Ian, "anything where he's outdoors with anyone."

Content tags: Ian feels. Spoilers for His Mossy Boy.

All characters here belong to me etc.   

We Could Be Heroes (or Cousins)

Ian had only just arrived home after work when he turned to face north and frowned. Martin would have said something about his “Spider senses,” a reference Ian understood enough to roll his eyes at but not enough to argue over. Though Martin was trying to get him into comics, insisting that if Ian was going to have a secret identity, he should learn the lore.

Although then Martin had stared into the distance for a moment before mumbling something about how he’d end up “fridged.” Which was a reference Ian didn’t get even a little, but when he’d tried dropping it into conversation, Schmitty had grimaced, so Ian resolved to look it up whenever he had the chance when he remembered and Martin wasn’t around.

Martin wasn’t around at the moment, but Ian was currently more interested in the presence in his territory.

Which… all of the land, including the whole Preserve was his territory, in a sense. But Ian was concerned with the land in his name on all legal documents, land that butted up next to the state park, which meant lost or nosy hikers crossed over into it all the time.

This was different, however. Not Martin Dyer passed out beneath his tree different, but remarkable enough to have Ian leaving the house without doing much more than removing his badge and gun and dropping them in the kitchen. Martin would make a face if he found them there later, but hopefully Ian wouldn’t be out long.

He moved toward the disturbance in a straight line, growing as large as he could in his clothes without ruining them, wanting to cover the distance quickly.

The trees were not alarmed. No fleeing deer crossed his path. But the birds were singing and the wind whispered of something. Not in words. Never in words. Hints and teases, excitement without the smug pleasure that had heralded Martin’s arrival into Ian’s world. Not He’s here. Something new.

It’s time.

Ian didn’t hear as wolves did. It wasn’t a heartbeat that made him stop, it was the awareness of how close he was to the state park and then Zarrin’s gentle, husky voice addressing one of the trees.

“My, aren’t you handsome?”

Ian waited until he was his usual size and form to continue forward.

Zarrin Xu stood several yards ahead, one hand resting lightly—not lightly—on a redwood only a few hundred years old. A baby, in redwood terms. Zarrin leaned in, lips moving in a whisper that Ian couldn’t hear but he knew what was said anyway. Mine.

Zarrin wasn’t wrong. He just also wasn’t entirely right. Though the tree didn’t mind, either way.

“There you are,” Zarrin called out as Ian drew closer, as though they didn’t see each other nearly every day, even if only in passing.

“Zarrin,” Ian answered carefully, then realized Zarrin was keeping to that side of the redwood because he was staying on the border of the state park. He must have entered Ian’s territory just a step or two to get Ian’s attention and then returned to that spot to wait.

He’d knocked. Joe must have told him to do that.

Ian crossed his arms. “Bit far from the mansion, aren’t you?”

Zarrin rolled one wrist in a vague gesture. “I like a walk sometimes. Especially now. Is this why you walk so much?”

“Who says I walk?” Ian asked it but knew the answer: Martin. Azar would have kept it to herself, more because that was her habit with things that she thought her parents would dislike. Martin would have spoken of it because he was Martin, open and soft and warm.

Zarrin gave Ian a knowing glance that was surprisingly sharp. “They don’t speak, but I can hear them,” he said instead of bringing Martin into this moment. “Do they speak to you?”

Ian shrugged. “Not in words.”

Zarrin straightened, impossibly tiny next to that redwood and barely reaching Ian’s shoulder. “Are they talking about me? Are they… happy?”

The insecurity in his voice was starkly evident. Ian heaved a sigh and tried looking away, but even if the trees didn’t chide him, Joe or Martin would have. “Happy is not an emotion for trees. But they aren’t unhappy.”

Zarrin blinked his wide eyes at him, looking pleading and youthful until that look suddenly hardened. Zarrin’s chin came up. “I can’t help you care for them if you don’t tell me, Ian Forrester.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” Ian responded childishly, but uncrossed his arms. “Is that why you came here?”

“You won’t speak in the coffee shop.” Zarrin paused, then tucked his hands into his coat pockets. “Perhaps understandably, with humans near. And you avoid the mansion. And you don’t invite me here.” Briefly, Zarrin stuck out his lower lip in a pout. “Only Zazzie.”

“Azar needs space away from the mansion,” and her stubborn treasure. Ian pressed on when he could see Zarrin forming an objection. “You don’t need my permission to be here, or an invitation for that matter. I couldn’t stop you.”

“Couldn’t you?” Zarrin said shrewdly. “I wonder.”

Ian’s heart began to pound. He crossed his arms again. “What is that supposed to mean? Don’t tell me you’ve decided I’m a superhero the way Martin has.”

The smooth question was a mistake.

Zarrin perked up to give Ian a sly grin. “Martin might have more reason to think admiringly of you than I do, it’s true.”

Ian sighed loudly with annoyance, as though he couldn’t feel the shiver in the wind.

Zarrin might have felt it too. He studied Ian for a moment, his grin falling, then said, “I looked up more about you, you know. Or, creatures that might be like you. And had our antiques restorer stay out of Alfie’s things so I could go through them.”

The shiver touched Ian’s skin. He never felt the cold, but he did now. “And?” he asked as evenly as he could.

“You are not dragon, Ian Forrester. But you are, like the trees that speak but do not use words, also not not a dragon. Alfie was given an egg, wasn’t he? An egg with a child that he raised. Dìzhèn wanted Everlasting protected and was most thorough about it. And…” Zarrin briefly looked uncomfortable “an egg is often a gift of a great love, not always possible between a dragon and someone other. Even for the powerful.”

Ian let his heart pound and didn’t try to calm it.

“You don’t want to speak of those things,” Zarrin continued after a while, in a mournful voice he had no call to use. “Joe said you might not.”

“Joe knows.” Ian said it flatly. Of course Joe knew. If Zarrin did, Joe did. “Look, we… I was raised not to speak with others.”

“But I’m not others.” Zarrin was still mournful. “I’m… perhaps a cousin, and we’re supposed to work together.”

“I know,” Ian spoke through gritted teeth, then forced a breath in and out. “I know that,” he said, marginally calmer. “I just… am not used to it. But, like I said, I can’t stop you.”

Zarrin leaned toward Ian as though Ian was a redwood who needed whispering to. “Dragonfire did not slow you much, Ian Forrester. There is enough of us in your blood to make you a threat. It’s no wonder the rest of the family chose to pretend Alfie had only been a secretary. They couldn’t ignore his presence entirely, not with this, not with her still so strong, but they could do their best to cloud the truth. Your magic,” he gentled his voice when Ian tensed again, “hid you even from Bernard’s senses. Could I stop you? Perhaps, now that all this has responded to me. But am I meant to? I don’t think so. And would I want to?” Hurt entered Zarrin’s liquid eyes. “No. I thought us friends, and if not friends, cousins.”

“Cousins?” Ian’s brain finally caught up with that word, bringing him back a step. “I don’t have… I’ve never…”

“I’ve met injured wolves less skittish than you,” Zarrin observed, no pleasure in the statement.

“It’s not your job to take care of me,” Ian insisted, feeling his chest tighten like how Martin described a panic attack. That… that wasn’t good. It couldn’t be.

“Oh, Ian.” Zarrin shook his head. “I don’t know how to do this, either. It’s scary, isn’t it? Bernard says… well he would say many things, but he’s just as scared as we are right now. You don’t… you don’t look well.” His hands emerged from the pockets, grasping the air nervously. “Can I come in? Please? I can take you home or call Martin for you.”

Ian was distantly embarrassed by the longing to hear Martin’s voice that went through him when Zarrin said the name. He could hardly say he didn’t need help now. Zarrin, with whatever it was dragons felt, knew he wanted Martin.

“Martin is allowed here,” Ian said finally, breathing hard. “They welcomed him here.”

Zarrin nodded to accept that. “And me?”

The ground would rise up to meet him if it could. Zarrin might know that. Or might not understand what the feeling was. He was new to this and had no one to teach him anything.

A neat trick they’d pulled, Dìzhèn and Alfie.

Ian put his head down and thought of Martin and his comics and his excited talk of crossover events and unexpected team-ups. He thought Marie, the injured wolf Zarrin had found, and her books.

He wasn’t a superhero, but he could read more than just the creaking of tree branches and the sighs of the wind.

“They want you here,” Ian admitted. But that wasn’t really what Zarrin was asking. “I… don’t want you here,” he answered honestly and hated that Zarrin flinched. “But I could. Maybe. I just…” Did superheroes feel fear? He thought Martin would say they did. “It won’t be easy for me.”

Ian took another breath, closing his eyes to listen for another moment before opening them again to meet Zarrin’s intent stare. “Martin will be home soon. He’s making soup, if you’d like some.”

Zarrin practically wriggled with excitement as he stepped over a line only the two of them could feel.

[pettyrevenge-base]

Treat Your Employee Like Crap? OK, I'll Hire Her...

My bookkeeper reminded me of this now that she's retiring, I'd forgot how she came to work for us... She's been our 'Mother Hen' and office fixture so long I forgot...

Close to 25 years ago, I was estimating and quoting a metal working job, factory expansion job, about 100 miles from my home/shop.

The owner was berating a fairly young bookkeeper about how a computer glitch was her fault, and using completely inappropriate language.

When we went to the job site, he explained how she 'ONLY' had a local collage degree in bookkeeping & business, and if he didn't keep her on the back foot she would want a raise & benefits, and mentioned she had to keep the job because she was a single mother.

We cut steel, installed it, so I saw this girl cry, work through lunch, be the last one to leave her department, etc.

I talked it over with my then girlfriend (now wife) about poaching this trained girl since we desperately needed a resident bookkeeper/comptroller... Like needed one 5 years ago... But if I did it would burn bridges with a customer.

Don't think I did anything that wasn't goal oriented for me/my business, we had SERIOUS issues with taxes/compliance at the time...

My girlfriend went to the job site with me, sit with this girl (young lady) and slipped her a business card not knowing if she would want to move from a city to the country... Etc.

She had worked there 5 years, got no raises or benefits in 5 years, desperately wanted another job, but knew the boss/owner would kill her job reference since she saw him do it before.

My wife rented her a little place for cheap, she started with us, and untangled the last 3 years of mess in about 3 months, for the first time ever the monthy reports were on time and the tax paperwork was done on time...

Even managed to talk the IRS/state revenue out of most of the fines/penalties.

She QUICKLY became "My Girl Friday" since she killed problems in minutes that had plagued me for years... (actual education AND experience, along with being sharp as a tack)

She met her husband here, had her wedding lakeside here, they built a house here, had two more kids here, and spent 25 years working here (High-Grand poo-bah of the office! Killer of paperwork dragons!).

She and my wife have become great friends since they both lived 'City' lives at one point and we are all country folks.

Although I kept a professional distance, so I was quite surprised when she broke down in tears at her retirement get-together saying she owed her entire life to us...

Well, no she doesn't, I was more than willing to throw money at the paperwork monsters to get the tax/compliance people off my ass!, She saved the company!

MODEL Employee, Wonderful Wife, Great Mom, and all around good person.

She doesn't 'Owe' us anything, she EARNED everything she worked HARD to get it. It's my good fortune to have been in the right place at the right time, and the right time in her life. I'm sure with her intellegence, willingness to work and learn she would have done well once she got away from that A-hole...

The Revenge.

I knew the customer I poached her from got into all kinds of tax, employee pay, and state/federal regulation problems about 6 months after she left... But I just found out when working with the state/federal tax people she leaked about his shady dealings, when we dealt with labor relations people she leaked about his shady dealings, and so on... She knew EXACTLY where to point the investigators and they didn't disappoint...

I've seen her use the innocent, "My LAST employer did this this way" or "My boss is going to be VERY ANGRY I messed this up" when talking the people out of fines or penalties from back when she didn't even work here! So thinking about it I know how she worked it into conversation without actually 'Snitching'... and they ran off, foaming at the mouth and left us alone... Sly girl! But OUR sly girl!

He lost the company inside of 18 months of her being here, it's still there and producing, just under entirely new owners & managment.

Don't screw with the people cooking your books!

She, by the way, got us through every audit from everybody/agency. Even a super audit from the IRS about 7 years ago and got complemented from the auditors about how organized and efficient she was, and how pleasant she was to work with.

She said it was 'Easy' when we followed the rules (you know, the rules I didn't know about or understand). My eyes bulge at the mention of Taxes & Easy in the same sentence...

Source: reddit.com/r/pettyrevenge

[urmumsdrycooch]

ᗷEᗩT ᗩᖇOᑌᗪ TᕼE ᗷᑌᔕᕼ

Max Caulfield x Reader

Summary: Funeral, distant Max, etc.

Warnings: Mentions of death.

Max and I have always been joined at the hip. We met in my hometown in Seattle and were always close. Even though we went to different schools, we always found time to hang out together. We would go on adventures, take photos, and just have fun together. We were always there for each other, even when things got tough, and our friendship has been unbreakable since.

We'd moved to Arcadia together, though she kept rather quiet about it. I didn't mind so much, as long as I got to finally spend time with her without the boundaries of parents and different schools. Arcadia bay's a small town, but it was the best place to be, considering Max's photography wet dream and my... I'm not too sure, either way it could be found in Blackwell.

Speaking of, the final school year had just resumed after Christmas break and Max was already working on a new project. It was a secret, but I knew it was something she was really excited about. We were both so busy with school and our own projects that we barely had time to talk, let alone hang out.

"Black and white or colour?" Max mutters, eyes focused on the screen in front of her.

"What?" I ask, lifting my head to see what she's working on.

It's a photo she took last week of a doe over at the lighthouse. I smile at the memory, I remember her freezing when she notices the opportunity to snap the photo. I remember her coming to me and basically shaking with all the excitement. Later that evening, I was finishing some homework that was due the next morning and she lay on my bed, staring at the photo for hours.

"Wow, Max." I gasp, clearly not having had a good enough look at the photo to realise its true beauty, "It's really pretty," I stare into her eyes, ", the photo... of course." My face burns up, but Max keeps her focus on the photo she'd been editing the entire lesson. She doesn't respond, which doesn't bother me, I'd not been able to get full sentences out of her the past week. Though, I'd never dare point it out to her.

"Hey Max, I was thinking-" I begin, but am rudely interrupted by the ring of my phone, Max turns her head back to the screen again, knowing I probably wasn't going to finish my sentence. I check the caller ID, it's my dad. We haven't spoken since Christmas, so it'll be nice to catch up, but not exactly during a lesson. Dad always understood I'd be busy with school, so it's rather odd he'd be calling at this time.

"Hey, Dad!" I greet, smiling through the phone.

"Y/n, it's nice to hear your voice." My eyebrows furrow at his low and dragging tone. Something's not right, but I'm not sure what.

"What's up?" I ask, trying to get a read on him. But, clearly, the concerning silence on the other end of the line only added to my raising suspicion.

There's a long pause on the other end of the line, "Y/n, it's about Liam..." My heart sinks as I finally put together all the factors from the phone call. The odd timing, my Father's usual cheerful voice dimmed down to a somber, regretful one, my cousin had been overly thoughtful and somewhat appreciative.

"What do you mean Dad?" I breathe, desperation creeping into my voice. I get up out of my seat, heading towards the art room's brightly coloured door, deathly contrasted to the news I was yet to hear.

"Y/n, I know you knew about his health-" My heart stops as he speaks, "- and I don't want to just put this on you and expect to deal with it. So-"

I cut him off, "Just tell me." Quick and sharp, the words awaited acting as a signature to my unfortunate expectations.

"He passed away earlier today, around 11 to be exact."

Tears sat on the brims of my eyes now on the verge of an outbreak, waves of emotions and feelings part like the red sea as the news sink in. He was gone, gone before he could even get a chance to live. And, as much as I wanted to hold on to some semblance of hope, the bitter truth was clear.

He'd been ill for quite some time, and still more was to come. The doctors called it chronic, our family called it a bump in the road. We've downplayed it for so long, and it's finally reached its encore. But, it's the final curtain call. My mind reeled at the thought of my cousin lying in a hospital bed for weeks, maybe even months, knowing his fate. But, we all chose to look the other way. We were comfortable in our own lives and didn't want to rock the boat.

Liam and I were always hot and cold. We were usually either fighting over some silly competition or coming up with the world's greatest new invention. I remember one time for Halloween all of the first cousins dressed up as the mystery gang from Scooby doo, but there were one too many cousins so two of us had to be Scooby, and that just so happened to be Liam and me. We spent the whole night fighting over who was the better Scooby once we got home, we had 0 sweets to celebrate. Which soon lead to the both of us stealing a bunch out of our other cousins' bags.

It feels like yesterday that all that happened. Times change so quickly that sometimes you don't even notice how much it can flip your world. And now, he's gone. The one person I could always count on in a time of need is no longer here to help me out. It feels like the whole world has collapsed on me.

I sit on the floor, my back against the wall, balling my hands into fists as the tears continue flowing freely. I bury my face in my knees, wishing I could take the pain with him. But, that's not how this works.

Footsteps approach, and I hear the door open before the gentle warmth of a hand rests on my back. I don't have to look up to know it's Max.

"Y/n?" She coos, her hand rubbing circles on my back in soothing circles. "What're you doing out here?"

I shake my head, still trying to come to terms with what's happened. "Come on, let's go." The dark-haired girl helps me up, her cold fingers lacing between mine, while her free hand brushes any hair in my face. The phone call was long forgotten, assuming Dad understood and just hung up.

We make our way back to my dorm, walking in silence as thoughts race through my mind. A message notification rings through the silent air, I go to reach for my phone but am interrupted by Max, flashing me warning eyes. I shrug her off and pick up the phone, it reading:

Dad: The funeral is back home, 7:30 AM on the 27th, lots of love x

I huff and fall back into my bed, letting my hands be a blanket to my face, covering any fear presented on my face. I don't want to go back home. I don't want to see the looks on my parents' faces or the pity in everyone's eyes. I don't want to have to think any more about it.

Balled fists rub at my eyes as if to somehow erase the sadness and pass the mourning. Over the half-hour, Max had been accompanying me, she got the gist of what'd happened. "I can come with you if you want."

"No, it'd only be a bother, considering all that work you've got. I can tell Jefferson's been harder on you recently, don't let my problems-" I mutter quietly, guilty to be declining such a kind gesture.

She takes both my hands, pausing my sentence, "No, I want to. Plus, I know you'd do the same for me." She smiles softly, I don't know what to say, so I just nod

The funeral day soon comes around, I managed fine for the week or two after the news hit, but now it's time to actually face reality. I put on a brave face for Max, but I know the truth. I'm a mess. My eyes keep drifting to my phone, expecting it to ring with another notification telling me to go home. But it doesn't.

I make my way to the back of the church, taking a seat in the last row, Max following shortly behind. I know my parents are here somewhere, but I don't want to see them. They don't deserve my tears, they didn't deserve to lose him like this.

The preacher starts speaking, and I try to focus on what he's saying. But it's all so meaningless. And I'm dreading having to speak to the family later on, it'll only be full of pathetic small talk and to-the-side chats.

The speech shortly ended, and I slowly made my way out, Max following behind. We don't utter a word to each other, just make our way to an old wooden bench that would definitely give you splinters if you touched it bare skin. The rest of the friends and family gathered around the one small garden area outside the church.

I gain the occasional stare that is interrupted once I catch on, eyes full of pity, and words tip-toeing on eggshells in fear it may jab at a sensitive topic.

"I don't feel like I'm helping too much." Max sighs, deflating her shoulders in self-defeat.

I slowly shake my head, "No, you being here is more than enough."

The freckled girl glances down at her twiddling hands, attempting to gather her words, "I'm sorry."

"Please Max, that's all I've had these past few weeks," I chuckle, letting the playful statement drag out, lingering in the air.

"No, not like that. Well, yes of course- no- but, you know." She stutters, then takes a few breaths to clear her mind when she notices my waiting face. "I mean for being a bit distant, and I don't want to blame it on school or pastimes or anything, because really, I should've been making time for you. And I feel that the way I've acted has only added to how you feel." She says, slower this time.

"It's okay, I get it." I offer, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind my ear. "You're at Blackwell to do what you love most, I'm there to... well, to be with you. So, always put what you love first." I smile softly, giving her a gentle hug.

"Thank you," She whispers, burying her face in my shoulder, "But the thing is- um, never mind."

I pull back, a quirked eyebrow planted on my face met with a brightly red-faced Max, "What thing?"

She swallows, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve, "I- I'm just not sure if it's the right time." She admits, her cheeks flushing a light pink.

"Max, come on," I playfully jab her shoulder, ", tell me," I say, trying to keep my voice as gentle as possible.

She nods, but she doesn't meet my eyes, "I know, I'm just- I don't know what to say."

I can feel my eyebrows furrow in confusion, "What is it?" Concern grew for the girl.

"I just want to tell you the full truth," She pauses, "It's just- I've never felt this way before. Around anyone. And I thought maybe if I'm distant it'll go away and I won't ruin what we've had." She admits, her voice breaking. "But it hasn't and I know it won't, and I'm so sorry if this freaks you out, but-"

I wrap my arms around her, almost immediately stopping her sentence, "It doesn't freak me out," I assure her, ", if anything, it relieves me." I slowly admit, the words more or less pouring out of my mouth.

I feel her shake her head, "I don't know, that's a bad or good thing." She giggles.

I pull back to look at her, "I'm not so sure. A good thing..?" I try, scratching the back of my neck. "This is really confusing me, did we just confess feelings to each other by beating around the bush?"

"Why'd you have to ruin it." Max rolls her eyes, leaning in for a tighter hug.

[robinsarm]

After the Bridge has Burned (part 5)

Warnings: Explicit language, mentions of miscarriage, brief implications of depression/suicidal thoughts 

Words: ~2.3k

POV: Élodie

(Small post-edit. Looking back on some of the dialogue, some lines weren’t needed and could be seen as problematic. It wasn’t my intention to portray things that way, so said lines have since been taken out. Sorry for any wrongful portrayals and thank you for reading!)

“Felix got in touch with me a little bit after we all escaped the Entity.”

Even saying that made Élodie react negatively. The Entity was not something she liked to talk about and remembering its existence always sent a wave of nerves down her spine. 

“At that time, Felix didn’t tell me much about what was going on with his life, just that he was back with his family in Germany. He mostly asked how I was doing, if I needed help with anything, etc. I told him no and that I was glad he was okay, then just moved on with my life for the next few months. About five months later, I got a call from his mom asking if I’d be available to fly out to their estate in Germany to help Felix and his girlfriend with their relationship issues.” Élodie using air quotes around the last two words. 

Ace tilted his head, not picking up what she meant by that.

“I didn’t know what was going on either. At the time, I had made the assumption that you two were still together. Not that Felix had gotten back together with his ex. But, I agreed to Ursula and I flew out. When I got here, Felix’s ex was the one who met me at the door. And she was…”

Élodie sat up and held her hands out in front of her stomach, making an arching motion down to her thighs. The moment Ace realized what she was explaining, a disheartened scoff escaped his mouth. He turned away from the camera and sat back in his chair again.

“Hold on. Hold on,” Élodie said, immediately trying to wrangle him back in. “I understand you’re upset but hear me out, it’s not as bad as you think.”

“How isn’t it?” Ace snapped back. 

“You’ll understand, just let me explain.”

Ace sighed again then nodded after a second of silence. 

“So, his ex answers the door and is immediately unfriendly. This girl met me when she and Felix dated the first time, she just didn’t remember me or didn’t care to. She demanded to know who I was and why I was on her porch. Ursula, thank the heavens, came to the rescue and let me in. Felix was happy to see me and catch up, but wasn’t too happy that he had to explain everything that he’d kept from me.”

“Did he even mention me?” Ace asked, disgruntled.

“That was the first thing I asked,” Élodie explained with a sympathetic gaze. “His answer was the reason I believed you two were still okay. He said that he’d explained to you why he needed to stay in Germany and that, while you didn’t take it well, you and him still talked. He said you understood.”

Ace scoffed again. “Fuck no.”

“I know otherwise now,” Élodie said and sighed. “The four months after that was just…hell. Not only were they getting ready for a baby but they were also getting ready for a wedding,” Élodie explained, grimacing at the sentence. 

Ace’s expression remained cold and uncaring. 

“Trust me, I wasn’t happy either, but I still tried to help where I could. Since Felix’s ex was so insistent on things being done her way, I hardly did anything other than keep Felix sane.”

Ace lifted an eyebrow at that, his body however remaining motionless. 

“She…” Élodie searched for the right word for a second, but the only thing coming to mind was; “she was a royal cunt.”

Ace drew back a little, a hint of a smile pulling at his lips for a second. “Élodie,” he playfully chastised. “It’s unbecoming of a woman to use such language.”

“I have no other words to use, Ace,” Élodie shot back, her voice sharp. Realizing that she was being too loud, Élodie got up from the couch, taking her laptop, phone, and wine glass with her back to the kitchen. She didn’t want to be yelling straight up the stairs for either Richter to hear. “She was a fucking bitch to Felix and everyone else that tried to help them. And I’ll get to the part that actually gets me upset.”

“This isn’t you upset?” Ace questioned. 

“This is me getting there,” Élodie said, setting her stuff down and moving towards the fridge for the wine bottle. 

“Anyway,” Élodie continued once she’d returned to her screen, “I’m mostly keeping Felix from losing his mind for four months. Meanwhile his fiancé is blowing a lot of his money on random shit that won’t even work with their wedding theme. Claiming it all as ‘back up,’ in case the first theme doesn’t work.”

“How much did she waste?” Ace asked.

Élodie stopped to think for a moment. She had to remember if US dollars and euros were close monetarily or if she was thinking of something else. “If I’m remembering US currency correctly, then she blew like fifty grand.”  

Ace’s eyes grew wide for a moment before his expression pinched back together in a grimace. “I’m guessing that all of it wasn’t refundable.”

“The fifty grand was the amount that wasn’t. She spent more.” Élodie poured herself another glass and began sipping on it. 

“Damn,” Ace said, shaking his head. “At that point, Felix should have just eloped with her.”

“She tried,” Élodie informed. “Up until she had her baby, the conversation of eloping was a weekly occurrence. It drove Felix crazy because he wasn’t like that. He wanted his family there. But she was adamant that they just elope. ‘Forget the ceremony. Forget the festivities. We’ll just skip straight to the good part.’” Élodie mocked in a high pitched tone then took another sip from her glass. 

“Forgetting other people’s feelings in favor of her seems to be his mo,” Ace commented under his breath. Élodie shot him an apologetic look even though he wasn’t looking at the screen. She continued after a short sigh.

“Like I said, those four months weren’t fun for anyone. Then came the day that her water broke—”

“Do I have to listen to this?” Ace complained sharply.

“Yes, you do,” Élodie snapped back. “I’ll make it quick.”

Ace huffed then prompted her to continue. 

“I missed his first call but received a text from Felix at two in the morning. It was the address to the nearest hospital. I was barely able to register what he meant before I could fall asleep again. I rushed over and met Ursula in the waiting room. For a good six hours, her and I are waiting while a few other family members show up as well. Just a couple cousins that you would adore.”

Ace raised an eyebrow.

“They’re twins who are gambling fanatics,” Élodie commented. “Anyway, six hours goes by and we don’t hear anything new from anyone. But…”

Élodie had to pause for a moment. She’d always hated this part. Remembering that long day always filled her with one part rage and two parts sadness. 

“Eventually, I did notice someone coming down the hallway from the delivery area. I thought they looked familiar but didn’t think anything of it as they passed. But, it was Felix’s cousin that asked, ‘Was that Felix?’ I jumped out of my seat to look and…sure enough!”

“You didn’t recognize him?” Ace questioned.

“Ace,” Élodie paused and dropped her voice. “I have never seen Felix so angry. He looked like a completely different person, so no, I didn’t.”

Ace stared at his screen for a few seconds, his eyes flicking between confused and concerned. He leaned forward out of his chair to rest an arm on the table again. “Angry about what?” he prompted.

Élodie took a moment to steel herself before explaining. “I didn’t find out immediately, because I took off after Felix to make sure he was okay. But, Ursula called me later with an update, saying that…the baby very obviously wasn’t his.”

Ace froze with his eyes focused, unmoving from his screen. His mouth fell open for a moment, like he had something to add, but closed it a second later as his hand came up to cover it. 

“Yeah,” Élodie whispered. 

“Are you kidding?” Ace asked through his hand. "What happened to Felix?"

“I left with Felix and followed him back to his house. He…” Élodie stopped. The emotions bubbling up in her chest constricted her ability to speak. She didn’t want to break down right now—she couldn’t. So, Élodie pressed her lips into a firm line, attempting to trick her body into flip-flopping her emotions and shy away from crying.

“He wasn’t okay,” Élodie admitted, grabbing and downing the rest of her wine. “He was throwing her shit out the windows when I got upstairs. He was so focused on his anger that he didn’t even realize I was there until he physically ran into me.”

Élodie stared away from the screen, eyes focused on a random spot on the island. Her brain wouldn’t allow her to forget that morning. The actual hours of comforting Felix while he sobbed. The collective effort of his entire family emptying the house of anything related to her. 

“What happened to her?” 

Élodie’s eyes snapped back to the screen harboring a glare aggressive enough that Ace felt the need to back away from the desk. 

“That bitch had the audacity to come back to the house. She was screaming at the top of her lungs any and everything she can to have her last word as she’s grabbing her shit off the lawn. I swear—” Élodie cut off with a gruff, her blood now boiling. “I almost fucking killed her, Ace. She had the nerve to blame losing their first kid on Felix.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Ace asked, sounding appalled. 

“I wish I wasn’t. When I heard her say that, I grabbed a fucking fire poker and damn near speared it through her head. Bitch drives too damn fast though and I only got her back tail light.” 

“Holy shit…” Ace mumbled.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, Élodie needing to cool down while Ace tried processing everything he’d just been told. Élodie continued to listen for any footsteps or anything for that matter—she definitely didn’t want to be walked in on currently. 

“She knew it wasn’t his,” Ace said.

“I think she was rolling the dice,” Élodie corrected. “Felix is the only one to really know, but I can do basic pregnancy math. She either got pregnant right as Felix got back or within a couple weeks of them getting back together. My money's on the latter though.”

Ace listened and buried his palms into his eyes as he sat there. “The eloping makes sense then. If they were married and she was wrong, she’d get half of his money, yeah?”

Élodie nodded. “Ursula even told Felix, she didn’t mind if they eloped but his ex would have to sign a prenup if they did.”

Ace huffed out a laugh. “No way she went for that.”

Élodie shook her head. “Didn’t stop her from trying to get Felix to ditch Ursula.”

“What a bitch,” Ace commented quietly. 

Élodie couldn’t agree more. What had happened to Felix’s ex after she left that day Élodie wasn’t sure. She’d heard rumors from Felix’s extended family that they may have spotted her in multiple different countries, but those were all speculations. What Élodie was happy to hear about was that the businesses Felix’s extended family ran all blacklisted that girl. Sure, some were specialized fields, but the Richter family had many friends in many industries. If that girl wanted to stay in Germany, it was going to be one hell of a time to find a job anywhere. 

“That was over a year ago though?” Ace asked. 

“Yeah,” Élodie said. 

“What’s he been doing since then?” 

Élodie took her time to answer. There was only one sentence she could use that would perfectly describe Felix’s life up until that point, she just felt wrong having to say it. 

“Drowning in his misery.”

Ace’s frown deepened upon hearing that, sympathy and worry plaguing him. 

“There was a good month where I didn’t hear him talk outside of business calls. I only officially moved here after his mother started calling and telling me about how worried she was. I rent an apartment about ten minutes away from the house, but there have been days I really worried about knocking on the door. I didn’t know if Felix would even be…”

Élodie trailed off, not wanting to remember that dark part of both of their lives. Ace caught on instantly, a mist clouded his eyes upon hearing that. 

“Really?” Ace whispered.

Élodie nodded. “Just for a little while. He’s doing better, but I can’t say he’s his old self. He’s still drowning in work and liquor, barely getting out of bed some days. I had to force him to take a shower today.”

Élodie briefly considered going on but decided against it. She’d had enough remembering those days and Ace seemed overwhelmed enough just hearing about it. 

“Ace, I’m not asking you to forgive him. But he is currently tearing apart about five years worth of clutter in his office looking for one scrap of paper from two years ago. Apparently it has your number on it.”

“If it’s that old then that number isn’t current,” Ace explained.

“I figured but he’s insistent. He needs to talk to you, Ace.” 

Ace remained quiet, trying to process that as well as this whole conversation. Élodie wanted to convince him more, but before she could think up anything else to say she heard a door upstairs creak open. 

“Élodie!”

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