#far from complaining but now I have the urge to see every show live to experience every song

[nicoscheer]

01 Sep '23

Budweiser Stage

Toronto, ON, Canada

Uhm that clip of sculptures Jesus on a speed boat help me

Also “im staying in my canoe and calling it a writing tool” while rowing with his guitar

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For the tears

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[secretagentsociety]

yandere demon king X reader

I really like the idea of a demon king all powerful and all feared by everyone,shows no mercy to anyone but when it involves you he will melt like butter

Yandere demon king who pretended to be a normal farmer boy,conveniently his farm was the one farthest away from all civilization

Yandere demon king who took one look at you and decides your soul will be his,every inch of you will be his

Yandere demon king who had to really restrain his strength or he might ended up injuring you his lovely fiancé

after months of playing pretend living normally by the country side,you one day came home with very very sad news

the demon king has put a curse upon the prince,and you've been nominated to be the sacrificial lamb meant to ward away luck, you'd came home from the town hall crying your eyes out complaining to kaziel as his eyes slowly became dark

yandere demon king who'd soothes you slowly coping you to sleep,he made sure to hug you tightly as you bawled your eyes out,his beautiful little treasure his pretty soul his future spouse

Yandere demon king who softly whispered word of affirmation and confessed his love to you every night as if his life depends on it,stood Infront of a dead body who'd been brutally murdered

it'll be so sad for him to have to leave you behind,it took his subordinates alot of convincing for him to go back to the demon realm,even then the elders had to threaten your safety and he can't have that

he'd came up with a reason giving you a cute little plush toy of him "don't be scared to call my name if you ever need me okay?" He said Caressing your face

yandere demon king who'd be absolutely touch starved after he came home back to you, he'd be very clingy you barely had any room to move around with how much he clings onto you

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

at night two demons from the demon realm sneaked inside your shared home they wondered why they have been given the job of assasinating a human,a weak human no less for devilssake!their the top assassins!

"you two must've gotten lost" they suddenly heard from behind, turning around they were met with the piercing eyes of their king "YOUR MAJEST-"

"shut up,do you wish to awoken my beloved?!" Kaziel asked,the two assassins quickly quieted down but trembling nonetheless

"now then" a faint glow appeared on kaziels eyes

in the mean while you're sleeping soundly muttering something in the line of foods and mother's

at the break of dawn the shadow guards placed by kaziel around your house all had a twisted look on their face seeing the faith of the two assassins their ruly is truly a cold blooded man

How you didn't see it goes beyond them,but this isn't so bad either,by far the easiest job they've done considering you rarely walk around often opting to read books or let your frustration out on some poor burning woods

slowly you opened your eyes to see a bloody man standing Infront of you....is that?..."kaziel?" You asked eyes still heavy with sleep

"shhh go back to sleep my love" he whispered kissing your forehead suddenly you felt the sudden urge to fall back asleep,well there's no reason to fight the feeling you gladly accepted the sleep with open arms

"six,ten" kaziel called out

two shadow guard appeared behind him kneeling "yes master" they said in unison

"clean this mess for me" he said wiping his hand off with some handkerchiefs before rejoining you in bed

[brownbitchshit]

You all can't possibly want two immortal predators to have a wholesome marriage especially when they are always at odds against each other and have completely different principles and morality.

You all can't possibly think Lestat who took advantage of Louis's vulnerability and grief and pain after his brother's death and convinced him to live a life he would hate. You can't possibly be okay for Lestat to turn Louis into a vampire and now suddenly be shocked and enraged to see Lestat as an abusive partner.

Lestat was a manipulator and abuser (albeit an emotional one) from the begining. And the fight scene in ep5 seemed less of a domestic abuse than a predatory abuse. They both are vampires, they fought, Lestat overcome him.. Lestat and Louis loves the idea of each other but not each other.

People who are complaining about the series not following the book are forgetting few things

1. The book omitted and implied a lot of things that the show is showing. For example Louis and Lestat being lovers. So it is well within their rights to show the dark sides of their toxic relationship more vividly than it was in the book.

2. You can't complain about the series deviating from the source material while wanting an eternal love story. IWTV book was not about a love story. It was about the hunger, the loneliness, the need for companionship, the predatory and the void of living forever. And so far the series is showing it beautifully, first by showing Lestat yearning for a companion and turning Louis. Then Louis trying to resist his predatory hunger and urges and often failing and then regretting. Louis latching on to his human life and trying to have a family by turning Claudia. Claudia wanting to be a normal girl who can love a boy, have a family etc. So it's not just about Lestat and Louis being in a wholesome relationship. It's much much more than that. And their very vampire nature makes each and every dynamic between these three toxic and abusive..

3. The most important part about the book was that Louis was an unreliable narrator. Even in the series Daniel called him out for changing his narrative on Lestat on two occasions. The explanation is simple, Louis is trying to draw Lestat out and for that he is saying anything and everything. So things can or cannot be exaggerated. Also he said he won't let Claudia to be exploited so maybe he could be lying as well to justify their next actions.

Regardless.....I personally loved e5. The intensity and the stakes were really high. I wanted a gory, horrible, toxic gothic romance between two vampires and it's just that. Gothic romances are supposed to be problematic... There's not a single Gothic romance that portrays a relationship worth wanting in real life or a relationship that is ideal neither the people in it. So there wont be an eternal wholesome love story between Louis and Lestat. Even if they are endgame, they will be hella problematic.

[lyney-s-bitch]

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS WITH CHILDE.

YOU ARE A GENIUS.

also I do not know what this is just take it lmao

————————————————————————

Childe/Tartaglia as fwb (implied nsfw)

• he is like, THE perfect candidate for a fwb relationship, it just makes so much sense

• he’s a busy guy that can‘t afford getting too attached to anyone or anything, his job as Fatui Harbinger neither grants him the time nor the safety for that

• the two of you got along right off the bat, you quite literally running into him in the streets of Liyue

• you had piqued his interest, for you hadn’t stuttered or even blushed after bumping into him

• you had merely looked him dead in the eye with a curious look as you politely apologized for your carelessness

• truth be told, you had bumped into him on purpose, and you knew that he knew that too

• he‘s a handsome and charming guy, one that had caught your eyes over the past few days you’d seen him do business around town, and you hadn’t been able to fight off the urge to get to know him

• he had noticed your silent gaze on him, locking eyes with you every now and then, contemplating whether to go and talk to you

• but he never did, he had been very busy recently and hadn’t quite gotten the time to dally around, so he’d opted for merely enjoying your attention for the time being

• but he certainly wasn’t complaining that you had been the first one to finally make a move, if anything it had just made you even more interesting

• "Oh I would indeed call it careless to strike up a conversation with me, little girlie" he chuckles mockingly, "Especially since you must be very well aware of my occupation by now, no?"

• you scoffed lightly at his remark "Indeed I am. It’s not like you’ve been doing anything to try and hide it, rich boy"

• "Hahaha that’s true. So what might a pretty lady such as yourself possibly want with a bad guy like me? Looking for a sugar daddy, maybe?"

• Hah, far from it

• you did not care for his money one bit

• something about him had merely piqued your interest, and you surely weren’t against having some fun with a good-looking guy such as him

• and after some more banter and him eventually inviting you to a drink, fun you had

• after spending that first night with him, you had "the talk" about how neither of you was looking for a relationship, but you told him you’d enjoyed yourself a lot with him and he in turn let you know that "it would indeed be a shame if this had been the last time"

• so you agreed to meet up in front of Liuli Pavilion two days from now after he’s finished a job of his

• ofc you showed up, but not right in front of the building - it would be way too embarrassing for you to tell the staff you were waiting for someone and him ultimately ending up not coming

• so you kept an eye out for the tall ginger from a short distance, and your tense body slumped slightly after he still hadn’t made an appearance half an hour past the agreed time

• "Hey girlie" a familiar voice mused right next to your ear and made you flinch

• "Thought I‘d ghosted you, sunshine? *sigh* Just how lowly do you think of me?"

• you had to admit, part of you had indeed expected just that, and yes, you might have been just a bit disappointed at the thought of it

• but in reply you just lightly nudged his shoulder with your fist and commented "I was not too far off, seeing as punctuality obviously is no virtue of yours, ill-mannered northerner"

• he pretended to have taken a hit right to the heart, accompanied by a dramatic hiss "Ouchhh, that hurt. Then will you allow me to make it up to you, milady?" "I might consider it over a glass of wine"

• the relationship between the two of you is lighthearted and teasing, both just enjoying each other’s company and making flirty remarks whenever you got the chance

• it was genuinely fun to hang out and talk with him, the lively conversations that never ran dry being a nice distraction from your strenuous daily life

• and after a particularly stressful day of work, you could always just let yourself sink into his bed and count on him to spoil you to bits

• and so could he

• he’s very vocal and assertive in general, and he’s no different in the bedroom

• additionally, neither of you have any qualms telling the other what you like and what you don’t, you‘re not in a relationship after all

• you couldn’t care less for his reputation or occupation, the only thing that mattered to you was how he was around you and how he treated you

• and it would be more than a stretch to claim he was anything short of a gentleman

• a big dick for sure, but nothing you couldn’t handle (both literally and metaphorically LMFAO)

• it‘s only a matter of time until at least one of you would catch feelings and things would become complicated and probably painful

• but for now, things were easy and uncomplicated, so this is definitely a bridge you intend to cross once you get there, not a second sooner

[captaincryolicious]

✧ two make a team

02. get your mind off him!

✧ scaramouche x gn!reader pokémon au series

✧ summary: you've hated each other for as long as you can remember, and you want nothing to do with the male you despise so much. but then you suddenly have to work together to achieve the goal you both chase. can you put the rivalry aside and make it happen? or will the hatred you share get the best of you?

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     “...and then he had the nerve to show up and interrupt my peaceful evening,” you seethed, balling your hands into fists in your lap. There was nothing relaxed about your current position, as you were seated uncomfortably on the very edge of a chair in Collei’s living room. 

You were at your best friend’s house, and your mood had been sour for nearly the entire day ever since your encounter with Kunikuzushi yesterday evening. The poor Collei had to deal with your complaints all day long, but all she did was listen to your curses patiently and look at you sympathetically every now and then. She knew everything about the rivalry between you and the male, down to every small detail. 

     “He’s just so… ugh,” you complained, throwing your hands in the air in frustration. “I don’t know why I always run into him. It’s as if I’ve been cursed ever since I was little or something.” 

     “Hearthome City isn't that big of a town, you’re kinda bound to run into each other,” Collei pointed out, calling over her shoulder from the kitchen, where she was working on some homemade pokémon snacks. 

     “Couldn’t he have lived in freaking Snowpoint City?” you sighed, finally leaning back into your seat for your position finally got uncomfortable to deal with. “Or even better, make him move far away from the Sinnoh region. Take his ass all the way to Alola or whatever. I just don’t want him here.” 

Your voice got louder as you kept talking, and just thinking of the male got you all worked-up again. Your best friend made a face at you, but you completely missed it, too immersed in your little domain of hatred and frustration. Collei pursed her lips, never quite sure what to do with your small outbursts. She completely understood why you couldn’t stand the guy, for she did not quite like him either, but they didn’t downright share a rivalry so the entire concept of hatred was hard to grasp for the girl. Yet she never really commented on it, never urged you to try to get along because she had no reason to. She simply let you ramble on and on about Kunikuzushi either until you were done or until she had enough. The latter didn’t happen too often, but today was surprisingly a day as such. 

     “Y/N, can you give this to your pokémon?” she asked when merely a moment of silence between your angry rants emerged. “I want to see if they like it.” 

She presented you with a small bowl that contained something brown and mushy. You gave the substance a doubtful look; it didn’t look too tasteful, neither for you nor for a pokémon. Still, you hesitantly took the bowl from her hands and placed it on the coffee table. 

     “Why don’t you let your pokémon try it?” you asked, though you could already guess the answer.

     “They kinda refuse to test my creations at this point,” Collei explained with a small sigh, and for a moment you could perfectly imagine her Leafeon and Skiddo making a disgusted face at yet another failed attempt to make her own recipe for a pokémon snack. You weren’t sure if you could do that to your own pokémon, but your hand flew to your belt anyway. 

It was Collei’s dream to create her very own snack line for pokémon, and she spent hours a week in the kitchen simply to achieve that goal. She had been trying for a couple of months already, but so far all her attempts had led to failure. Yet, she didn’t give up, and who were you not to support her in her journey? You were fully confident that she would make it. Some day, at least. 

In a flash of red, you took out Lycanroc from his pokéball. Out of all your pokémon, he was the least picky eater and he basically ate anything that was remotely edible. The wolf pokémon looked at you excitedly, wagging his tail as you gently patted his head before taking the bowl from the coffee table.

     “Hey buddy, wanna try this?” you cooed, placing it on the floor in front of him. 

He sniffed a few times, and you had to stifle a laugh when the furry wolf didn’t look all too confident in taking a bite. He doubtfully looked at you, as if he were saying, do I really have to eat this? You felt a bit bad for your loyal pokémon, who nearly cringed when he took a bite. He bravely gulped down half of the bowl’s content before he stopped. Both you and Collei looked at him expectantly, and your friend heaved out a small sigh when the canine pokémon shook his head. 

     “Again,” she groaned, crumpling the failed recipe in her hands. 

     “One day you’ll succeed,” you assured her with an encouraging smile. “Don’t give up, Collei.” 

Lycanroc looked like he was about to throw up any minute now, and you quickly transferred him back into his pokéball where he could recover from his… interesting meal. You lightly patted the smooth surface of your pokéball as you put it back on your belt, as a way to apologize to the brave wolf. 

     “Maybe we can use the remains of this snack to poison Kunikuzushi,” you muttered darkly, eyeing the bowl on the floor. Various master plans started to move around in your mind, mostly revolving around how you could get your rival to eat the mushy substance. He was a lot of things, but being dumb wasn’t one of them. You’d probably have to force-feed it to him and–

     “Y/N, you really need to get your mind off him,” Collei stated firmly. “He’s all you ever talk about at this point. Almost as if you have a thing for him, or something like that.” 

You snorted, though it lacked any form of humor. You? Have a thing for Kunikuzushi? You wouldn’t, absolutely never, not even when the end of the world was near, not even when you two were the last people on Earth. If you had a choice, you’d steer clear of him completely, but it was as Collei had said earlier; Hearthome City wasn't a massive town and you were bound to run into each other. What a curse. You strongly hated his guts, so why was she suddenly talking about having a thing for him? That was pure nonsense. 

     “Don’t give me that look,” the girl said sternly. “You know very well that you are lowkey obsessed with the guy. Love him or hate him, it’s both an obsession and the line between those is thin.” 

You laughed, again humorlessly. What was she implying here? It made no sense to you in the slightest and you gave her a perplexed look. You didn’t like what she was saying, because there was absolutely no truth in those words. You weren’t obsessed with him, what did she mean by that? All you ever did was try to avoid him, to get him out of your mind and pretend he didn’t exist. Although you were more than ready to dropkick his pathetic ass all the way across the Earth, as long as he landed far, far away from you. Okay, maybe she was right about one thing. You talked about him a lot, but you simply had to complain about him or you’d go crazy. But yeah, his name fell off your lips quite often, you had to admit that. 

     “I have an idea to distract you a little, I think,” Collei mused, her purple eyes lighting up. “Let’s go outside, Y/N!” 

A bit confused about her sudden change of demeanor, you got ready and followed her outside onto the streets of Hearthome City. It was quite warm outside, with the sun shining brightly high up in the sky. Tonight would make another peaceful night, and you were hoping for one that wouldn’t be rudely interrupted by your rival. 

Collei dragged you over the pavement excitedly, and judging from the direction she was going and the corners she rounded, you guessed that she was leading you towards the city’s local gym. 

     “This came to my attention a few days ago, but I completely forgot to ask you,” she told you, her mood suddenly bright and elated. Whatever it was that she was talking about, it clearly sparked her enthusiasm. 

You had to admit, your curiosity rose quickly, and by now you were nearly running over the sidewalk as you went to Collei’s destination. It proved to be the gym indeed, and to your surprise there was a small crowd gathered around the entrance. Was there some kind of event going on? You hadn’t heard of such a thing, but maybe your best friend had. The two of you joined the small gathering of people, and your eyes were pulled towards some tall billboards that surrounded the building.

Hearthome Duo Pokémon Tournament, sign up now! they said.  

So there really was an event going on, huh? You skimmed over the additional information that told you about the ins and outs of the event. Apparently, the meaning of this event was that trainers from all over the Sinnoh region signed up in duos – with friends or family, for example – and battled their way up the ranks until the two best duos would face each other in the grand finale. It surprised you that Hearthome City would host such an event, but you couldn’t help the smile that crossed your features. Hell yeah, now you were talking! 

     “Want to sign up together?” Collei asked. “It seems fun.” 

     “You don’t even have to ask,” you grinned. 

It seemed to take ages for the crowd to dissolve a little, and you waited impatiently until it was finally your turn to sign up. You took a pen, writing down your name next to Collei’s neatly. You could already feel a hint of adrenaline pumping through your veins upon the mere thought of the tournament. You loved pokémon battles, and it had been ages since you last battled in a real competition. Now was your chance to prove your worth, to see how good you and your pokémon actually were.  

But then a mop of violet hair caught your eyes, and your heartbeat froze over for a moment when you realized that Kunikuzushi was standing next to you. He too was writing his name on a different piece of paper, next to the name that belonged to the only guy you ever saw him get along with, Aether. 

As if fate was really cruel, you found each other’s gaze, and the glare in your eyes hardened. 

     “What are you doing here?” you both asked at the same time, your voices almost growling. 

     “Don’t tell me you also signed up for the tournament–” you brought out.

     “Why else would I be here, dumbass?” Kunikuzushi sneered. 

Wasn’t that great? This entire tournament was Collei’s idea to get your mind off him, but now you probably had to fight him at some point. Of course that would work in your favor since you always beat him – though you weren’t sure what Aether and Collei would contribute to the fight, a factor you definitely had to calculate – but you weren’t at all pleased that he could be there. Wasn’t there a single thing you could do without having him interfere? On the other hand, you weren’t really that surprised to find him there. You mentally planted your hand against your face; you should’ve seen this one coming. Was it too late to cross your name out? 

     “Let’s go, Y/N,” Collei urged, tugging on your arm. 

You followed your best friend with aversion, but not without sending another resentful glare in your rival’s direction. He, too, glared back at you as Aether pulled him away from the scene. All eyes were on you, and you could hear the quiet whispers among the crowd. Of course the entire town knew about the rivalry between you and Kunikuzushi, and now you were opponents in an official tournament. Now that was quite a happening. You two just made this tournament a whole lot more interesting. One of you would proceed further up the ranks than the other, which definitely wouldn’t do well to the rivalry you already had. 

This situation just got a little more complicated, and Collei’s plan to get him off your mind had backfired – miserably so. Now the male only had more reasons to linger on your mind perpetually. 

Great. 

✧  taglist (send in an ask to be added/removed)

@nao-cchi @kunikame @anqxlluv @elysiasbae @yumirisan @sakiimeo @shizunxie @theglowfly @g0re-h0und @snowfinches @d-a-r-k-s-w-a-n @frzenhans

[grigori77]

2023 in TV - My Top 10 Shows

10.  THE MANDALORIAN (Season 3)

The fortunes of post-George Lucas Star Wars have really fluctuated over this past decade, for almost every blissful high there has been an excruciating low to tip the balance back on its axis … thank the gods, then, for the consistent success of Lucasfilm’s biggest success story since they were bought by Disney, their streaming service’s epic and expansive series following the (mis)adventures of Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (the legendary Pedro Pascal) and his adopted ward, the impossibly adorable Force-sensitive baby Grogu.  The show’s gone through some major shake-ups as it’s expanded its outlook in the SW universe beyond just Din’s own experiences to take in the larger canon, and some purists have complained that it’s starting to lose its identity because of this, but as long as Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni continue to present a finished product of this consistently high standard it’ll remain EMINENTLY worthy of our time.  I for one actually really LOVED the greater prominence of Katee Sackhoff’s Mandalorian royal scion Bo-Katan Kryze throughout this third season as her rise to prominence makes her almost as much of a key character now as Din himself, and given how this season delivers what feels like a comfortable close to the original Mando’s story, I think this does a really beautiful job of setting up how the series could most smoothly continue in the future.  So long as it remains as exciting, inventive, emotionally rewarding and downright GORGEOUS as it has been, I’ll keep watching.

9.  THE GREAT (Season 3)

Hulu’s opulent black comedy satire from Aussie playwright and screenwriter Tony MacNamara (The Favourite, Poor Things) recounting the youthful rise to power of the mighty world-renowned Russian monarch Catherine the Great (albeit very loosely) has been a very enjoyable TV distraction these past few years, particularly once things starting really going to shit, and this latest (seemingly LAST) season is no exception. Elle Fanning continues to excel in what’s become the best role she’s had to date as Catherine, still effervescently self-confident despite her growing exasperation with her ongoing struggle to bring her adopted home of Tsarist Russia into Enlightenment and away from the far more base urges that have held it in their grip for so long.  This is made all the more difficult by her persistently complicated and tempestuous love-hate-love-hate-love-murder-murder-stabby-stabby relationship with her husband Peter III (the always brilliant Nicholas Hoult), who’s FINALLY trying to learn to better himself for the sake of his own deep love (and throbbing carnal obsession) for his wife and the mother of his adorable infant son Paul.  Fresh difficulties arise to baffle the lovers at every turn, from dastardly courtly machinations to civil unrest and an EXTREMELY ill-advised “accidental” war with Sweden, and it doesn’t help that their various friends and advisors – including Phoebe Fox’ spiky Marial Brezhnev, Peter’s complicated aunt, the Empress Elizabeth (the delightfully ODD Belinda Bromilow), and, of course, Adam Godley’s spectacularly perverted Russian Orthodox Archbishop “Archie” Samsa – largely seem to be in it for themselves.  It’s anarchically brilliant as ever, every episode proving more chaotically unpredictable, gleefully off-the-wall and endearingly, downright FILTHILY hilarious than the last – it’s a rare thing indeed to get a comedy show that’s THIS fiendishly ingenious, making it a consistent must-watch.  Unfortunately, the story has finally reached its (admittedly wise) conclusion, but I’d love to see Fanning revisit Russia’s greatest ruler sometime in the future …

8.  AHSOKA

It was one of my greatest pleasures from the second season of The Mandalorian to get to see the live action (re)introduction of Anakin Skywalker’s wayward padawan Ahsoka Tano, now grown up and truly come into her own despite years spent in self-imposed exile after the Galactic Jedi pogroms and the subsequent collapse of the Empire.  Seeing her return (however briefly) in the ultimately disappointing Book of Boba Fett was one of that show’s saving graces, so it seemed to only be a matter of time before she got her own series on Disney+, and gods knew I was one of the most hopeful.  Thankfully, the wait has not been in vain – this is BY FAR the best piece of Star Wars-based TV I’ve had the pleasure of indulging in this year, Dave Filoni not only allowing us to spend plenty more time with our girl but also getting to see a resolution to the open ending of the very enjoyable Rebels series as we see some of her key Rebellion-era comrades return as well.  Rosario Dawson has really grown into the title role now, bringing fresh nuance and complexity to a character who was already SO INTERESTING, and the new additions here are very welcome ones, particularly Natasha Liu Bordizzo (The Society) as my very favourite Mandalorian, Sabine Wren, who’s become Ahsoka’s very reluctant apprentice after showing some small aptitude with the Force, as well as the late Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno (The Spy Who Dumped Me) as mercenary former Jedi Baylan Skoll and his vicious apprentice Shin Hatti, who are working to bring the infamous Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn (the legendary Lars Mikkelsen, finally getting to portray his chillingly masterful villain in live action) back to the Galaxy Far, Far Away.  This is a rich, evocative and epic adventure story that takes this well-trod universe to intriguing and exotic new worlds as it opens the saga out to intriguing new possibilities, and while this was conceived as a limited series I’m personally holding out real hope for more moving forward … and I KNOW I ain’t alone …

7.  GOOD OMENS 2

Neil Gaiman’s adaptation of his own much beloved collaborative novel with the legendary late fantasy author Sir Terry Pratchett was such a perfect piece of television that it was a no-brainer for Amazon Prime to greenlight more, making it most fortuitous that the two writers had already made impressive progress planning further adventures for the wayward divine duo of the angel Aziraphael (Michael Sheen) and the devil Crowley (David Tennant), so he already had a starting point for more.  Ultimately this is less THAT specific story than a bridge between the main story from the novel which formed the first season and the next saga, but that doesn’t make this any less worthwhile an experience, Gaiman again proving he’s one of the very best writers OUT THERE by presenting us with another exquisitely crafted sextet of hour-long episodes of gleefully comic theology-themed speculative fantasy which does a beautiful job of expanding the universe and offering rich and rewarding new character arcs for our two favourite gay angels.  Giving away much of any of the plot would do the brilliantly twisty story an injustice, suffice to say that the arrival of a VERY NAKED amnesiac archangel Michael (the wonderfully game Jon Hamm in a MUCH more expanded role this time round) on the doorstep of Azirapahael’s book shop sets another potentially cataclysmic true-existential crisis into gear which will have massive repercussions for our reluctant heroes moving forward into the inevitable third season.  Nice to see that Amazon have ALREADY asked Gaiman to bring the series to a satisfactory close, then.

6.  THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA (Season 2)

More rightly renewed genius from Amazon Prime, this time with the second season of the animated adaptation of the first campaign of Critical Role’s TTRPG live-play webcast series, still undeniable essential viewing for both fans of professional Dungeon Master Matt Mercer and his friend’s online antics and just those who enjoy their fantasy adventures a bit more irreverent and adult.  Given that the second major arc of the campaign was already a doozy, I knew ahead of time we were moving into what was sure to become an even more potent stretch of the saga than we got in the already impressive first season, and the deeply-committed folk behind it have NOT disappointed with this follow-up.  The stakes have been raised CONSIDERABLY as the fantastical land of Tal’dorei falls under the brutal sway of the Chroma Conclave, a collective of tyrannical dragons bent on bloody conquest, so it’s up to the dysfunctional adventuring party of Vox Machina to save the day.  Oh dear … this is JUST as much fun as the first season, with plenty more thrilling action, side-splitting satirical comedy (thank you AGAIN Sam Riegel for the gift of pure, unadulterated R-rated JOY that is the gnomish bard Scanlan Shorthalt) and inspired creative invention, but once again proceedings are tempered with plenty of powerful emotional heft and heartfelt LOVE for the characters these players created and remain STRONGLY connected to so many years later.  Since Amazon wisely made the decision to commission the THIRD season WELL in advance of the second’s release we already know there’s more coming, and given where I already know this story is headed I can’t help getting REAL excited for its future …

5.  THE LAST OF US

Okay, here we go, finally time for the proper ORIGINAL STUFF … yeah, it’s been a particularly great year for new IPs on the small screen, meaning that my Top Five all get to be completely fresh and “original” properties instead of continuations or spinoffs from existing series.  One of the most deservedly long-awaited, well-received and rightly ACCLAIMED new shows to emerge in 2023 was HBO’s highly anticipated adaptation of the much beloved post-apocalyptic zombie survival horror video game series from Naughty Dog, and their wise move to team the games’ original creator Neil Druckmann with Craig Mazin, the man behind the now legendary Chernobyl miniseries, has paid off SPECTACULARLY here, since this is one of the very best TV series I’ve come across in a good long while, a work of breathless brilliance and soul-destroying POWER which just left me SPEECHLESS at the end of SEVERAL episodes in its all-too-brief run back in the New Year.  Pedro Pascal may be The Mandalorian, but I think he's found his TRUE greatest role EVER here in Joel Miller, the world-weary survivor of a particularly nasty zombie apocalypse who lost EVERYTHING in the collapse, only to be given an opportunity twenty years later to make a difference when he’s charged with taking Ellie (Game of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey), a wilfully tough teenage girl who’s IMMUNE to the cordyceps fungal infection that brought down the world, across the American hellscape in the hope that she can help with the creation of a cure.  Given that Joel lost his own daughter in the initial outbreak they naturally start to bond, their burgeoning connection creating a powerful driving throughline at the heart of the series as it goes from bad to worse to TRULY FUCKED and beyond … this is everything The Walking Dead always tried to be but never QUITE managed to become, a brutally challenging but infinitely rewarding tale of hope, love and compassion in the face of Armageddon, and since there’s still a second game to adapt and plenty of potential for expansion besides, I for one CANNOT WAIT for the second season’s arrival in 2025 …

4.  SCAVENGERS REIGN

It’s also been another really great year for ANIMATION, particularly grown-up fare, and this brand new series for Max was EASILY the year’s most unusual and effortlessly ORIGINAL piece of work, in some ways frequently becoming downright DISTURBING, but often with a stark, challenging BEAUTY to even its most TWISTED creations.  Relative newcomers Joseph Bennett and Charles Hueffner have taken their original short film and expended it into a sci-fi story of rare vision and endless invention, following a scattered collection of desperate survivors from a colony ship crashed on a miraculous but deeply hostile alien world fighting to reach what’s left of their ship in order to have a fighting chance of building a new life, maybe even ESCAPE if at all possible.  They’re an interesting and rewardingly well-rounded collection of characters, each of their disparate storylines providing equally fascinating arcs across the series as they encounter weird, wonderful, unfathomable and sometimes downright TERRIFYING alien phenomenon building up to a thrilling and suspenseful climax which gives the season a strong conclusion while laying ground for possible future development.  The animation from Titmouse (The Legend of Vox Machina, Pantheon) is FIRST RATE and refreshingly unique, with the design-work frequently reaching OFF-THE-CHART levels of artistic creativity, while the writing proves impressively robust too, creating realistic character arcs and compelling stories that keep the viewer invested to the end.  Given how the ultimate climax, I wouldn’t be sad if this really WAS all we got, but I hope this gets picked up for more, it’s DEFINITELY worth signing up for a longer haul ...

3.  ONE PIECE

Another year with Netflix DOMINATING the small screen with their Original Programming then, although I’ll admit when they were putting THIS together I was, like a whole lot of people, extremely pessimistic of its chances.  If there’s ONE THING I’ve learned over the years as a fan of the genre, it is EXCEEDINGLY RARE for Western adaptations of manga and anime to work, PARTICULARLY in live action – like many, I STILL ain’t gotten over the HORROR of what Netflix themselves did to my beloved Cowboy Bebop … thankfully, somebody in creative control was paying attention to that, because FOR ONCE, this is one of those infinitely rare occasions where it’s actually WORKS, and VERY WELL INDEED.  Thankfully, the original creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, was brought onboard as creative consultant by showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda (Lie To Me), and they CLEARLY listened to him because this is EVERY INCH a madcap, sprawling classic anime comedy adventure show brought to vivid life in live action – I’ll be honest, I never actually got into the manga or anime myself, there’s just WAY too much of it for me to even know where to begin or really want to commit to it, but I’ve watched plenty of other shows like this, and I’ve learned the ropes well enough to know they got it VERY RIGHT here.  It’s a fantastically rich world for their creatives and an incredibly game cast to play in too – obviously, the beating, thriving HEART of the series is, rightly, Iñaki Godoy (The Imperfects) as Monkey D. Luffy, the irrepressibly UPBEAT wannabe pirate who wants to find the legendary treasure of the title and become truly the new King of the Pirates, although like many I’m sure I definitely fell hardest for Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), a roguish master swordsman who wields THREE BLADES, and Sanji (Gassed Up’s Taz Skylar), a talented cook and unapologetic ladies’ man who’s also a powerful martial artist who fights exclusively with his FEET.  The whole crew that Luffy brings together are a sweet, lovable bunch, while the bizarre assortment of freakish pirates, criminals and marines they encounter are uniformly bizarre and thoroughly memorable, while the show is a masterclass in controlled anarchy, well-written character work and the perfect balance of riotous comedy and stirring pathos.  The end result was definitely the year’s most effortlessly ENJOYABLE TV show, and one I’m definitely in for the long run with.  Good thing Netflix have already greenlit season 2 …

2.  THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

Mike Flanagan really has become one of Netflix’ most powerful secret weapons, each one of his original series proving to be an undeniable MASTERPIECE of inventive writing and ingenious direction coupled with sheer, heart-wrecking FEELS.  Such is the case with his latest offering, an admittedly BALLSY take on the collective works of Edgar Allan Poe, all filtered through a modern-day reimagining of one of his most famous stories, although this is definitely something a little different from Flanagan.  This time, instead of focusing on a family of dysfunctional but ultimately decent people who love each other deep down, the Usher clan are, almost to a man, some of the most DESPICABLE excuses for human beings you’d probably never wish to really encounter in your life.  The head of the family, Roderick (another magnificent turn from the great Bruce Greenwood, alongside Midnight Mass’ equally excellent Zach Gilford as his younger self), is a morally bankrupt born salesman who seized control of the massive pharmaceutical conglomerate of Fortunato with the help of his even more viciously sociopathic genius twin sister Madeline (Mary McDonnell and Willa Fitzgerald), and his equally precocious offspring are, collectively AND individually, just as unpleasant as him – the only ray of light is his granddaughter Lenore (Doctor Sleep’s Kyliegh Curran), the only Usher with compassion, decency and a truly gentle heart.  Unfortunately their empire is built on lies, murder and a dark, demonic bargain made with an unknowable angel of death, Verna (Carla Gugino), who’s finally come to collect on the debt, and she plans on taking THE WHOLE FAMILY as payment.  This is the most PURE piece of horror that Flanagan has made to date, his usual restraint largely absent as he lets rip in a series of brutally ironic and fiendishly twisted murderous reckonings that sees each member of the family meet the worst fates you could possible imagine, while the true monstrous depths of how this all came to be are slowly revealed in typically non-linear narrative fashion.  In the end, while The Haunting of Hill House remains Flanagan’s finest hour on the small screen, this may be his finest work for Netflix since, and it’s definitely the darkest and most cathartically MONSTROUS work he’s produced to date.  I really do hope he lets his dark side out to play again before too long …

1.  BLUE EYE SAMURAI

While we champ at the bit for the long-awaited second season of Arcane, Netflix have thrown us a fresh bone to chew on in the meantime with this truly INCREDIBLE new adult animated series from screenwriter Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049), who co-showruns here with his wife Amber Noizumi and animation storyboarder-turned-director Jane Wu (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse).  To be honest, this show could have been PRECISION CRAFTED expressly to appeal directly to ME, this is SO MANY THINGS I love all in one package – it’s a gorgeously animated, super-violent action thrill series telling the story of Mizu (Man Seeking Woman’s Maya Erskine), a half-white, half-Japanese woman who has to hide both her heritage AND her gender as she wanders Edo period Japan as a lethal ronin samurai in search of the unknown white man who fathered her so she can murder him for making her a monster in the eyes of the country she was born in.  Thankfully there are only FOUR of them in Japan at this time, and her current target is Irish gunrunner Abijah Fowler (a fantastically oily vocal performance from Kenneth Brannagh, who gets to use the accent he originally grew up with), a brutally subtle hulk of a man who’s got his own far-reaching plans for the conquest of the very country he’s a dirty little secret in … Mizu is an INCREDIBLE creation, a fierce warrior with truly astounding talent with a blade matched only by her ice cold determination to mete out her vengeance by ANY MEANS NECESSARY, and I am ABSOLUTELY BESOTTED with her, I swear.  Fowler, meanwhile, is one of the very best and most well-written, super complex villains I have come across in a good long time, while he’s just another one of a whole RAFT of fully fleshed out and compelling characters which also includes Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever) as arrogant but principled samurai Taigen and Heroes’ Masi Oka, who frequently STEALS THE SHOW as Ringo, a portly sushi chef born without hands who becomes Mizu’s incredibly unlikely protégé through sheer force of will and an unendingly sunny disposition.  The action sequences are some of the best the year’s offered up, captured in a fascinating mixture of 3D flare with a distinctive mock hand-painted 2D finish which makes for some very distinctive animation that obviously owes a whole lot to the influence of Arcane, paying off equally well in the distinctive character designs and gorgeous watercolour-styled panoramic vistas.  Most of all, this is some of THE MOST SKILLFUL writing I came across in all of 2023, even putting some of the year’s most impressive BIG SCREEN offerings to shame with its ingenious plotting, peerless character development and handling of intriguing, powerful themes of gender and sexual identity, body positivity and systemic racism which are just as potent today as they were in the historical period they represent.  This is IMPORTANT television then, but most of all it’s just DAMN FINE WORK, and I cannot wait for the now greenlit second season to arrive …

Honourable mentions:

Our Flag Means Death (season 2, HBO Max), Sweet Tooth (season 2, Netflix), Loki (season 2, Disney+), Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix), Foundation (season 2, Apple TV+), Star Trek: Stange New Worlds (season 2, Paramount+), Shadow & Bone (season 2, Netflix), Chainsaw Man (Crunchyroll), The Witcher (season 3, Netflix), The Wheel of Time (season 2, Amazon Prime Video)

[rainbowrocketquotes]

🃏 Guzma?

There are 4 of these in the inbox from different people, y'all really like your Guzma

Giovanni

Guzma invented malicious compliance to this guy. Giovanni had never even heard of the idea until someone explained that was what he was doing. Other than the fact that Guzma doesn't enjoy being bossed around, Guzma doesn't really mind Giovanni. He doesn't spend enough time around him to form an opinion.

Maxie

FIGHTING THE URGE TO PUT THE GAYEST SHIT HERE DIRTSHIPPING NATION RISE

They're pretty good friends. They both have this problem where they need to ask questions until they fully understand something which tends to go with the thing they also have where they will just continue talking until they've said all they can say about something. This is the only "intellectual conversation" he gets, because Cyrus doesn't want to bore him with astrophysics, and he lives for it.

Archie

Guzma thinks Archie is intense, and that's coming from him. When these two get together, it's too chaotic, so everyone works against it. Usually they get into trouble and end up having to call Maxie to bail them out. He also admires Archie's dedication and love for Pokémon.

Cyrus

As I said on Cyrus's they're close friends. Cyrus is Guzma's impulse control and Guzma is Cyrus's introvert control. He thinks Cyrus needs therapy and has tried several ways to get him to go, but it never sticks, so he just does the therapist stuff himself. (He's not good at it.)

Ghetsis

Guzma's reaction every time he hears anything about Ghetsis is instantly "Oh what the fuck is the old man doing now". He's gotta hand it to him, that level of batshit insane has to be hard to achieve. He sees him as the weird rich uncle that shows up to all of the family events fashionably late with the most insane story of what happened to make him late.

Colress

Like Ghetsis, Guzma sees Colress as a weird uncle. He trusts him about as far as he can throw him (Which, admittedly, is fairly far, because Guzma's pretty strong, and Colress is pretty light, but still.) But, Colress is the master enabler, and pretty much lets Guzma do whatever he wants (within fucked up reason) so he can't complain about that.

Lysandre

He finds Lysandre kind of rude. He doesn't really go out of his way to talk to or hang out with him, but will make the effort to include him if he's nearby. He thinks Lysandre is full of himself, but definitely thinks he's brave for speaking his terrible opinions aloud in a group full of people who aren't afraid to kill you if you annoy them.

Lusamine

He doesn't like her very much, obviously. Ideally, he'd kidnap her kids and move across the globe so that they had a better life. Realistically, he shows up at random times to give Gladion and Lillie decent life lessons and morally questionable skills. He sees her more as like a roadblock, like your ex wife who took the kids and then moved to Montana on a no contact order she had filed by the lawyer she's having an affair with.

[voraciousvore]

Big Corp Inc. (25/43)

***This chapter contains non-consensual sexual contact!***

Chapter 25: Sexual Harassment

Mr. Hardon, when he didn’t see Candy for half the day, was worried she had finally quit. He had been holding his urges back all this time to prevent such a result, so he was relieved to find Candy returned to her rightful post. He wasn’t so pleased to witness Martin with her again, though. He felt that same disquieting possessiveness he had experienced earlier, especially with how obvious their infatuation was for each other. He hated the feeling. His stony heart wasn’t accustomed to whatever this emotion was, and he didn’t like it. 

He hesitated before getting up out of his chair and stalking over. He kept far back enough that his shadow didn’t give him away. He watched the little human as she started up her computer and got to work. As she typed, he noticed she was limping and seemed to be struggling to walk on her ankle. He figured this injury must be linked to her absence. So, she wasn’t about to quit. He smirked. He stepped forward and plucked Candy up off the desk from behind. Predictably, she cried out and squirmed between his thick fingers. 

“So, you finally decided to show up,” the Giant boomed. 

“I can explain!” Candy exclaimed, eyes wide. “I got trapped in the vending machine!” 

“You… what?” Mr. Hardon took a second to process this odd statement before busting out a laugh. “That’s hilarious!” 

“It wasn’t funny!” Candy protested with a scowl. Her facial expression, so severe on her cute little face, only made the Giant guffaw harder. Candy was frustrated by his lack of empathy, but she had to admit the whole thing was farcical. 

“Of course, you’ll have to make up your lost time with some overtime,” the boss said casually.  

Candy went white as a sheet. “No... please, Mr. Hardon, have mercy! I’ve already had such a bad day!” 

“Too bad,” he replied, his evil grin growing wider. “You brought this upon yourself, you know. You can’t just show up to work whenever you feel like it. You have to be on time, just like everybody else.” He chuckled again. “Stuck in a vending machine... how the hell did you manage that?” he muttered, more to himself than to Candy, as he returned her to the desk and wandered back into his office. 

Candy stared at his colossal back as he left, her heart palpitating so fast she felt like she was going to have a heart attack. She was terrified; she suspected she was in imminent danger. She didn’t know what Mr. Hardon had in store for her at the end of the day, but she knew it was nothing good. She prayed he wouldn’t try to devour her alive again. Once was more than enough. Candy got back to work, dreading every minute that brought her closer to the end of the day. She thought about running away, or sneaking out before the end of the day, but she’d still have to come back the next day, and then she’d be in even more hot water. She had nowhere else to go, since she lived in the office now. Although, thankfully, nobody else was aware of her unusual choice of habitation. 

Normally, when she watched every minute on the clock, the day would drag on. Since she was hoping the time would move slower, though, the day rocketed by with extraordinary rapidity. Mr. Hardon was counting down the minutes as well, slobbering with anticipation, his loins aflame with lust. He was having trouble restraining himself. In fact, he didn’t even wait until the day was officially over before he couldn’t stand waiting anymore. He hopped out of his seat and galloped over to Candy’s cubicle. Without any preamble, he snatched her up in his fist, concealing her entirely inside his hand so her screams were muffled, and snuck her into his office. He shut the door behind him and opened his hand enough for Candy to stick her head out. 

“What are you doing?” Candy complained fearfully, cowering in his hand. “The day isn’t over yet!” 

“I can’t wait any longer,” Mr. Hardon confessed with a sinister leer. Candy went quiet as the sight of his gargantuan, frightening visage, uncomfortably close, chilled her blood. His large pale eyes were wild with filthy desire, mentally undressing her as they roved over her body. She felt very self-conscious of how exposed she was, with her revealing clothing. She tried to pull her short skirt down over her thighs and covered her plump cleavage with her other arm. Mr. Hardon flopped his Giant body down into his chair and dropped Candy down on his lap. She tried to run away, but he roughly grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her back, forcing her onto his crotch. Candy froze up with fear when she realized what his intentions were. Apparently, he wasn’t planning to eat her this time, but she felt terribly ill imagining what he was going to do to her instead. 

“Please don’t...” Candy begged, starting to tear up. Mr. Hardon pressed her down firmly on his groin, so that she was straddling with her legs the gigantic lump barely contained in his pants, and started rubbing her up and down against it. She could feel his pulse even through the fabric as his package bulged beneath her. His breathing became heavier and he pushed her down harder, rubbing her body against his faster now. 

“Ah!” Candy cried out in pain as his grip tightened and his weight pressed down on her. “You’re hurting me!” He let up, and for a moment Candy had hope that he was actually going to stop. Her chest seized up with panic, however, when instead he began to unbuckle his pants with his free hand, slapping her in the back with his belt as he loosened it. He lifted her slightly in his hand as he unzipped his fly underneath her, showing off his underwear. “No...” she moaned. 

Just as Candy thought she was going to be tortured, Mr. Hardon’s corded work phone rang. “Confound it! Right now?” he cursed, dropping Candy into his lap again. She tried to scurry off, but he brought her back with his fingers and loosely held her in place on top of his crotch. He fumbled to view the caller ID on the phone screen. “Fuck. It’s the CEO. And I’m still on the clock.” Grumbling under his breath, he answered the phone. “Hello?” The tone of his voice changed to a more obsequious pitch. 

Candy’s brain was frantically scheming as he loudly chatted with the CEO. She couldn’t run, but her arms and legs were free to move. What could she do? Mr. Hardon laughed heartily and stroked her absently with his fingers as he held her. “Yes sir.” A pause. “Absolutely. I can have those ready for you by the end of the week.” She looked down at her shoes, with their long stiletto heels. Carefully, so as not to draw attention to herself, she raised her legs up, bending her knees. She would only have one shot, and she needed as much force as she could muster. She looked up nervously at the Giant towering over her. He was going to be furious with her, but she couldn’t see any other way out. 

She slammed both her spiky heels right into his manhood, kicking hard as a mule. The reaction was immediate. Mr. Hardon bellowed in agony, his whole body convulsing, and his hand gripped his meat, releasing Candy. She sprinted away across his lap and slid down his pant leg to his shoe. Once she was down to the floor, she ran. A jolt shot up her ankle, causing her to fall, but she jumped back up and continued to run, ignoring the sharp pain. She ran like her life depended on it. 

Mr. Hardon recovered quickly, but he was still on the phone with the CEO, tethered by the cord to his desk, so he couldn’t just hang up. He tried his best to explain to the boss why he had suddenly screamed like a maniac, without telling him he was about to sexually assault one of his subordinates and had been kicked in the dick. Candy used this time to slide under the door and escape his office. By now, the workday was over and Giants were walking out. 

Candy halted in her tracks, horrified to see that Ronny was striding towards her. She was doomed. She had escaped one monster only to cross the path of another. In the open hallway, she was clearly visible, with nowhere to hide. Ronny spotted her and stopped. He seemed to have some sort of internal conflict as he debated what to do. Candy made a move to sprint away, but her ankle failed her again and she dropped to her knees. Ronny remembered how she laughed at him earlier when his chips got stuck in the vending machine, and he experienced a surge of hot wrath. The Giant crouched down, looming over her with dark menace. 

“No... Ronny, please... don’t hurt me...” Candy pleaded, out of breath. She knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun him. His Giant arms extended much farther and faster than she could run. He’d catch her in a second. She tried to get up, but he shoved her back down with a simple push of his finger and pinned her to the floor. Candy trembled. Mr. Hardon was truly horrible, but Ronny always found creative ways to torment her, often to the point where he nearly killed her. 

“What should I do with you this time...?” he mumbled, thinking. His eyes gleamed with a sadistic idea. Candy whined with terror. His hand overshadowed her, filling her vision, as he moved to grab her. She cringed, anticipating the worst. 

“Ronny! What are you doing?” a bass voice yelled above him. Ronny retracted his hand as if stung and grimaced. He jerked himself to his feet and rushed off to avoid a confrontation. Candy looked up warily, and was relieved to see Martin towering over her, his stormy eyes shooting lightning bolts as he glared after Ronny. He squatted his enormous mass down to check on her. 

“Martin! There’s no time! Hide me!” Candy cried out. Martin was puzzled, but he could hear the urgency in her voice. He swept her up in his hand and without a moment to lose placed her in the breast pocket of his shirt, underneath his suit jacket. As he righted himself into a standing position, Mr. Hardon swung open the door to his office and leapt out with energy. He had finally managed to end his call with the CEO without being rude and was in a rush to find his prey. He knew, with how small she was, she couldn’t have gone far. 

“Caaaandy! Where are you?” he taunted, checking her cubicle. “I know you’re here!” His voice had an sharp edge to it that terrified Candy, with the knowledge of how furious he must be after what she did. Martin felt her freeze up as her tiny form pressed against his pectoral. Her heart was thrumming like the wings of a hummingbird, so strikingly different from his own massive, steady heartbeat. Mr. Hardon glanced up from his search at Martin. “Hey, have you seen Candy?” 

Martin thought fast on his feet. “No, I was just coming over here to talk to her, but I thought I saw Ronny picking something up off the ground before he walked off.” Mr. Hardon frowned and hurried off, hoping to catch up with Ronny before he disappeared, presumably with Candy. He was in too much of a rush to question Martin’s story. To avoid the other Giants, Martin opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator. 

Martin exited out into the stairwell, which was insulated from the third floor by a door and was in a separate section all its own. Since the area was deserted, he deemed it safe to pull Candy out of his pocket. “What was that all about, Candy? Are you alright?” 

“Thanks to you, I’m safe,” Candy announced, relieved. “I don’t really want to go into details, but let’s just say I was in a difficult pinch. Thanks for saving me, yet again.” She beamed up at him gratefully, and Martin felt his pulse quicken. He started to descend the stairs, cognizant that his Giant lumbering footsteps might jostle Candy in his hand. He held her securely with both hands so she would be more comfortable. 

He thought about asking her out on another date, to make up for the last one that was a total disaster, but he had an odd bout of shyness that blocked him from speaking. He felt nervous. He still had a nagging fear that he was responsible for putting her in danger, or that he would accidentally harm her with his immense size. Such a sentiment shrouded his heart and filled him with melancholy.  

Even as he ruminated over this line of reasoning, though, he recognized that these last two incidents that had both occurred today punched holes in his logic. She had been in trouble whether he was there or not. In fact, if he hadn’t been there to help her, something terrible would have happened to her. She would’ve remained trapped in the vending machine, or Ronny would have tortured her. Maybe she did need him after all. Even so, he didn’t like the idea of her being in constant distress. 

He stepped outside into the cool air with a sigh. Candy shivered from the cold wind, so he drew his hand in around her for warmth. He checked to make sure Mr. Hardon and Ronny were nowhere in sight before walking over to the human railway station and squatting down next to it. “Here you go,” he said to Candy, lowering his hand to the pavement. 

Candy wasn’t sure how to proceed. She had no home to go to, and she didn’t want to admit to Martin she was living in the office and needed to be taken back upstairs. She gazed up at him with a longing look. “I-I don’t want to go,” she confessed, gripping his thumb with her arms. 

Martin raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected this development, but he certainly wasn’t displeased by it. “Um... you want to spend the rest of the day with me instead?” Candy nodded. 

Chapter 26

Chapter 1

[finnuf]

{  * vague silhouettes  }

even with the amount finn has changed through the years, one thing stays the same: finn loves fighting. maybe he can credit it to growing up in a country constantly at war, or maybe, no matter where he was born, he would have the overwhelming urge to show off his swordplay. he fought for his life in etlia when he was young, then fought for his life in the arenas in podakko after he fled. now, despite most of the continent being thrust into war, matters are not so dire for finn. not yet, anyway.

but there are still fighting contests at the lotus festival this year, and finn would not be himself if he didn't participate at least a little. just one fight, he told asher, and then, once he won, just one more, then i'm on a winning streak, i can't quit now. once he passed a certain threshold, he wanted to see who could best him; if anyone could.

it took a while, actually. several of his challengers failed, until finally, a warrior with muscles insinuating he could snap finn like a twig approached. finn didn't let that intimidate him. after all, the sword is about far more than raw strength. if anything, speed is more important, and finn likes to think he excels in that area.

it was a tough fight, but in the end, finn, already mildly beaten and bruised from a dozen fights prior, was defeated. he still collected a decent amount of gold from his winstreak, so he couldn't complain much.

there are tents not far from the festival's fighting ring, specifically set up for healers to tend to any wounds received in the friendly battles. finn doesn't feel too bad, but he figures it's probably best to get a heal spell, if only so he isn't too sore on the night of the campus's anniversary.

what he doesn't expect to see is a familiar face. he pauses outside the tent at the sight of her. park valora. it seems they keep running into each other, year after year, sweet childhood interactions turned sour thanks to their families ending up on opposite sides of the same war. her father is one of gleerium's most storied generals, after all. finn wonders if he ever thinks about having etlia to thank for that; if he feels sorry to the people that died to earn him that title.

finn's people that died. when he was younger, yet old enough to understand the realities of war, that's all he ever thought of when he saw valora. spoiled little girl, living all peaceful and pretty in her fancy home in the gleerian capital, oblivious to the corpses the lucinier priests failed to bring back to life every single day; the amount of grief caused by her father's hand. she didn't know. she didn't care enough to know. maybe that was the worst part. they fought and went from friends to enemies, and did she ever once pause to really think of the suffering of the etlian people? finn doesn't know.

he still doesn't know, but he doesn't feel the animosity in his heart for her that he once did. it's not a fondness, either, exactly; it's...nothing. not quite apathy, but...neutrality, maybe. it's almost like looking at a stranger, but he doesn't know how. is he really so different now, that after their years of history, he feels so little when he sees her?

he doesn't know that either. it's an odd sensation, but he nods his head to her in greeting. "valora," he says her name, too, then sits down beside her, already seasoned in priests healing him thanks to all of the fights he's been in the past two years, and even before, the trouble he got into as a child.

"nothing serious. just bruises, really, but i want to be able to dance on the final night of the festival without suffering, so," he smiles crookedly. he doesn't know what to say to her. he doesn't know if he should ask her how her father is faring in the war against ganggyn with sincerity or if he should tell her he hopes he dies at the ganggyn's general dani.

he kind of just wants it to be over. he wants to know what peace is like. when etlia fell, and the war of the states was finished, he felt more upheaval in himself than ever before. now, maybe, something in him has settled, but misu and andreas fight against one another, and his people, once again, are caught in the crossfire. he has no choice but to keep fighting.

but who would i be if i wasn't fighting? he looks at valora, still not saying a word to her. who would we be without war? he wonders if they would be better.

– @ufvalora

[neoheros]

scissors in between your fingers as you comb through atsumu’s hair, still a bit fluttery that he trusted you enough to cut his hair for him, but still a tad nervous that you might mess up.

he sits on a kitchen stool with a white towel covering his shoulders, your scissors in your hands as you make one snip after the other, and you do you best to not seem as nervous as you actually feel.

“not too much.” atsumu tells you, excitedly sitting still on the small seat.

and you smile, “i know.”

a few steps away osamu frowns, a separate towel on his shoulders as he patiently waits, eyeing you and his brother as he vividly watches you be so careful with him.

“me next.” osamu chimes, reminding you that he’s also there waiting to have his hair cut.

and you nod, “i know.”

“don’t rush!” atsumu frowns, shooting his brother an annoyed look before scoffing, “samu can wait.”

osamu rolls his eyes, and atsumu scoffs harder, trying not to move so much under your touch, but spiteful enough to cross his arms.

you sigh, used to their antics, “i know.”

growing up with the miya twins only spelled two things for you — their annoyingly fierce loyalties and the fact that you’re involved in every decision they make.

you’re basically a third to them now, and as much as you’d want to complain, there’s nothing really to complain about.

being their best friend — osamu and atsumu’s — means they protect you, and it’s a silent bond they share; the fact that to them, you will always come first.

you continue adjusting the scissors as you cut atsumu’s hair, careful not to cut so much but mindful that not to cut too little.

you smile, “you guys ever heard of a barber?”

and osamu walks to your side, leaning on the wall as he watches you, and he gives you a smile, the one he has reserved for you, and he laughs, “i like the way you do my hair better.”

“you like it enough to pay me?” you look at him, raising a brow.

and he grins, “i like the way it’s free.”

osamu is nicer to you — he’s always been the one to walk you home when atsumu stayed behind, he’d always have an extra bento box prepared for you and there’d always be an excuse as to why.

you’d tell him your forgot your jacket and he’d call you an idiot while giving you his. you’d tell him you were feeling sick and thirty minutes later he’s at your door with food and medicine and the insistent urge to take care of you.

osamu — quiet and observant — has always had a soft spot to show you he likes you.

“focus on my hair please.” atsumu pulls your attention back to him, his hand on your wrist as he lightly tugs.

you laugh, “so demanding.”

and osamu rolls his eyes, “try living with him”

and your shoulders rise, “i think i do.”

atsumu — far different from his brother — is fierce with his affections. he’s blunt and stoic, not once hesitating to call people out when they make you upset.

you tell him someone’s bothering you, the next day he makes them apologize. you forget your umbrella at home, he insists you take his because he doesn’t mind walking in the rain (he minds but he minds it more if you get sick). you call him at three am, he’ll stumble out of bed — drowsy and tired — just to listen to you talk about the one weird dream you had of him.

atsumu knows he isn’t the most affectionate person in the world, but when he walks you out the door and tells you “see you tomorrow,” he never fails to give you a kiss on the cheek.

“next we can do yer hair!” atsumu chimes, grinning as he pushes off the chair to see his new hair cut.

osamu nods, grinning with his brother, “he’s right.”

you rolls your eyes, nervously taking a step back, and you shake your head, “that’s not going to happen.”

osamu takes the seat atsumu just stood up from, his hand taking yours and he places it carefully on the side of his face.

he tells you, “my turn.”

and you smile, “i know.”

osamu knows how much atsumu likes you and that’s because he likes you just as much.

and atsumu knows how osamu stares at you, because that’s the way he stares at you too.

but you’re fair game.

a gray area, and atsumu knows, just as well as osamu, that no matter what they feel for you, or who feel for you more, they couldn’t risk the chance that you might not even like them back.

so atsumu looks at you — the way osamu does — so full of wonder and curiosity of what it would be like to be at the receiving end of your affections, and he hopes that you choose, and he hopes that you choose him.

[jade-parcels]

Heya! Can you write nsfw hc for osial and azhdaha? I'm mostly wondering abt first times with their s/o and what they like/what they do thank u!

;) ignore any errors, I wrote this in one sitting and posted without rereading :)

- NOTSFW!! Minors don’t interact with this post! -

————————————

Azhdaha:

Azhdaha is definitely more primal. He’s a gentle giant of course but with all the growling, grunting, clumsy pawing, biting…yeah, he’s a dragon alright

Azhdaha fully devoted himself to Rex Lapis centuries ago and followed him around like a puppy. Now that he is called ‘Zhongli’ and has retired from archon duties…Azhdaha has devoted himself to you. He’d do anything you asked. He’ll take you roughly from behind, fingers digging into your skin hard enough to leave long lasting bruises. Or…He’ll fully submit to you, allowing you to do whatever you please with his body

Azhdaha is soooo sensitive to your touch, he’d do anything to have your warm hands trailing over his skin, your pretty fingers wrapped around his throbbing cock oh archons-

When Azhdaha in his submissive mindset, he will truly obey your every command. He’ll lay back as you torture his weeping cock with featherlight touches and kisses, sobbing as you tell him not to come undone until you give him permission

As long as he gets to sink himself into your tight hole or into your welcoming mouth, he’s happy, he doesn’t care how it happens because whenever he gets to have sex with you, he’ll always treasure that time with you

He does enjoy being rough too though, don’t get me wrong. He adores the sight of you on all fours for him, begging him to fill you up. Once you start begging like that…You’re In for a long, wild night with without breaks 0-0

For your first time together he refuses to be rough with you, he’s gentle, murmuring sweet compliments against your skin as he litters your neck and cheeks with kisses. Though the sweet mood is kinda ruined when he thrusts up into you for the first time and you feel how far he’s stretching you…ouch…but…not a bad ouch…

Keep in mind…He’s like 6’5…huge, muscular…And he’s got a fat cock, he’s got length, girth and veins 0-0

He is the king of aftercare, very clingy but very kind. He’ll change the sheets, get you washed up and in new, clean pajamas. Then you’re in for the cuddle of your life! You’re wrapped up in those strong arms, face smothered into his tits chest…ah…What a nice life to live

Osial:

Osial is very good at controlling his urges but when he’s horny he’ll let you know

It doesn’t matter where you are, he’ll lean over to whisper obscenities in your ear, keeping a straight face the whole time. He thinks it’s cute when you get flustered

He tends to take things slow just cause 1. He’s a tease 2. He’s old fashioned

He takes good care of his clothes, he folds them when he takes them off, yours too. At least you get an opportunity to admire his beautiful markings that lifted his arms, chest and back. Then he’ll run his cool hands all over you, rubbing your nipped between his fingers with one hand, teasing your hole with the other. All while telling you how stunning you are, a sight for only him to see

Again, Osial is a bit old fashioned. He wants you on your back, looking up at him while he fucks you slowly….He doesn’t have much experience, he didn’t get with people the way other archons did. So he knows one position that he likes very much. You’re gonna have to show him some new stuff-

The first time you ride him, he’s so surprised by this new sensation that he comes very quick..and he’s fairly embarrassed. But you guys are sharing firsts together, it’s kinda sweet!!-

Show him how to eat you out PLEASE he has a forked tongue for a reason!! He’s a quick learner ;) yank on his pretty long hair, boss him around, clench your thighs around his head, he’ll love every second of it and may decide to surprise you this way some time…In the morning before work maybe ;)

There are days where he gets frustrated, maybe by Zhongli’s incessant rambling, Azhdaha’s loud laughter or clients coming to him to complain about merchandise they purchased weeks ago. He’s all pent up now and needs a way to release this tension so of course he goes to his favorite place besides the beach: the bath tub. He’ll simmer in his anger until you get home, then he practically demands you get in the tub with him

The water is his domain, he controls it effortlessly. He can shape it into a ball, a sword, a ring…Anything. He can restrain you with just water or pleasure you with sensory play. When he’s upset though, he won’t be playing nice. He’ll leave you shaky and gasping for breath between orgasms, water sloshing out onto the bathroom floor as his ruthless thrusting sends you up and down, small waves crashing down over your shoulders and the edge of the wooden tub

He isn’t super nice with the aftercare. He does what needs to be done, wraps an arm around your waist and passes out. Of course he loves you, he’s just tired and wants to sleep. He fucked you real good and then cleaned you up…What more did you want lmao

[shiningstarr15]

I watched the “South Park Post-Covid” event last night!!

And holy shit do I have a lot to talk about!

SPOILERS AHEAD‼️🚫

…

…

…

Alright, here we go!

HOLY SHIT THIS EVENT WAS INSANE!! Not just for the mere aspect that we got to see the kids all grown up in the future (which that in itself was fucking mind blowing) but the story they made for it..

So we’re living 40+ years into the future. And COVID is still around with new variants. Let me just say that seeing that reality was terrifying. As much as I hope we aren’t still living in a pandemic for the next 40 years (which I doubt we will honestly) Ik that COVID is going to stay. It’s inevitable. We may not be quarantining every year but it will become as common as the flu.

But..seeing that bleak future where the pandemic truly DIDN’T get under control is something that haunts my nightmares.

But also, the satire they did for it was nothing short of genius. In true SP style, they managed to take a serious event that has happened and make light of it. This one being the emergence of the variants.

Everything in the town having the name of Plus or some variation was hilarious. 😂

And the reality of the people that refuse the vaccine for their “personal choice,” although highly satirized, was still portrayed realistic in the sense that they were ruining it for everyone that did. Bc that is exactly what is happening now. Which is the reason we have the need for mandates and boosters now.

Alright, enough of that. Let’s talk about the nitty gritty!

The boys. Oh my fucking Jesus.. first of all, Kenny being the most successful, becoming a millionaire AND still having the urge to save everything and everyone, whether it be the source of the virus or the need to repair his broken friendships, is just a MERE example of why Kenny is the best character in South Park. He really went and lived his best life and died for the sole reason of wanting to get his best friends back together. Like, Kenny is the definition of a martyr. He always tries to save everything and usually succeeds. ALL HAIL KENNY FUCKING MCCORMICK LIKE FORREAL!!! 😄😄😄😛😛😛🤩🤩🤩

As for the rest.. well..

Stan of course ended up becoming an angry drunk. No surprise since we kinda already pre-established he got clinical depression and started drinking at the age of fucking 10 😅 but still, it was hard to see. And also broke my stendy heart seeing them not end up together. (Although the Alexa thing was hilarious) however, I have to say that making it to where he got so angry he burned tegridy farms to the ground and killed his sister in the process was fucking morbid!

Then again, this is the same show that had a kid eat their own parents. So I really shouldn’t be surprised

Not really much to say about Kyle. He just seemed to turn out average. It sucks that he really didn’t stay friends with Stan. They were really close among the group and although their friendship was littered with problems, it’s sad to see that they couldn’t work through them in the end.

But of course, by far the BIGGEST SHOCK out of all was…

THE CARTMAN FAMILY!!

But like, WHY ARE THEY ADORABLE!? His kids are so cute! His son having a clyde frog pacifier.. it’s too much.. but also the fact that.. I believe that he’s genuine. I wasn’t sure at first bc it really seemed like he may be scheming the whole Jewish thing to fuck with Kyle in classic cartman style. But seeing how desperate he was to not want to go back to the past at the risk of losing his family.. that was probably the most wholesome thing I’ve ever seen from him.. of all the kids Cartman was the LAST person I expected to become a family man. But.. I’m not even complaining. I kinda hope that that future sticks for him even when they inevitably return to status quo (and maybe Kyle really can become uncle Kyle bc that too was way too cute 🥺)

Ok. So that’s the main kids grown up. But let me just talk real quick about the side characters.

First of all, WHY TOKEN LOWKEY BE LOOKIN LIKE A SNACK!? He grew up soo nicely and seemed to become quite the gentleman. No surprise since he was always kinda the most normal of the group 🤣

And of course let’s not forget the one part of the episode that not only excited me, but sent me into full elation

CREEK IS STILL TOGETHER AFTER 40 YEARS!!!!!

Of all the couples of the show, these two are the ones I wanted more than anything to stay together! It’s so nice to see that they did. The one thing I do hope happens in the alternate future after they fix everything is that they get married and adopt a child. I really want to see them raise a kid together bc I feel like they’d be amazing dads. But.. that’s a personal preference and just me being extra picky lol

And the next thing that surprised me and sent me into full elation..

THE NECKLACE.. THE NECKLACE… THE NECKLACE!!!!!!

By far one of my favorite relationships in South Park that isn’t shipping is the relationship between Kenny and Karen! 😭 the fact that kenny goes out of his way to protect his sister not just as himself but also as mysterion just warms my heart. When I realized what Karen was wearing here I literally lost my shit.

SHE HAS A MYSTERION NECKLACE!

And not just that, but the mere fact that she was wearing it AT KENNY’S FUNERAL all but confirms that at some point, she found out who mysterion was. And most likely turned that piece of his costume into a necklace. Which is the most precious and emotional thing bc it goes to show that kenny will forever be her “guardian angel” 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

As far as the rest of the special goes, it was insane. Seeing that Stan really went all that time not talking to Randy doesn’t surprise me. Stan was PISSED. I do have to say that Randy losing his entire family and livelihood was pretty depressing. I do hope that that isn’t his or stan’s future. Like at all.

So now we’re left awaiting what the boys will do next. They know now that their friendship meant way more to kenny than they could’ve ever imagined. Although cartman and Kyle stayed in touch with him, it wasn’t enough. He wanted the gang back. They mean everything to him. Now that they know, they can go back in time and fix it.

I’m so excited to see where we go from here. I know we will eventually return back to status quo but getting this little taste of a “what if” with the residents all grown up was very interesting. South Park always manages to keep itself relevant with its comedy, satire, and current events status quo. But also by doing things that surprise the audience and have them wanting more. I pray that South Park continues for a while bc it is truly one the best animations still on the air ❤️

[watchmegetobsessed]

ALL IS FAIR

a/n: woohoo!! finally a harry fic! lol sorry i got very into marvel these past weeks but im finally bringing you some harry content! this one was originally requested by an anon sometime and then we kept talking about it until i actually got around to write it! hopefully you’ll like it and if you do, please like and reblog!

pairing: ceo!Harry x ceo!plussize!reader

warning: sexual content

word count: 16.7k

masterlist

“Stop being such a stuck up dick, it’s your birthday, bro!”

Harry rolls his eyes at his friend who walks into his penthouse as if he owned. Niall Horan was so well-known in Harry’s building that he could have easily walked into any homes in the tower and people would still welcome him warmly. It might have a few things to do with the fact that half of the residents in the Compass Tower are women who are hopelessly in love with either Niall or Harry, hoping for a chance to drag either of them into their bed one day. They have a lot more chance to do that with the Irish bloke than with Mr. Styles. Not that Harry doesn’t find them attractive, but he is not the type to have one night stands, something his friend gives him quite a lot of shit for.

“Would you fuck off for twenty more minutes?” Harry sighs, shooting him a look as he covers the speaker of his phone, in the middle of a call.

“You have ten minutes and we are leaving. I’m not letting you work on the night of your thirtieth birthday!” Niall warns him before walking into the kitchen to roam the always full, neatly stocked fridge.

As much as Niall Horan comes off as an irresponsible cocky child, he is quite the businessman himself as well. As the Lawyer of one third of New York’s most influential people, he surely doesn’t have to worry about making a living, enjoying his luxurious apartment a few streets away from Harry’s place on the Upper East Side. It’s not as expensive and impressive as Harry’s penthouse on the top of the tower his father built in the heart of the posh neighborhood most people only know from TV shows, but he couldn’t complain.

“Another designer refused to sign with us, H. We are running out of options,” Lambert’s voice rings through the phone as Harry turns to the floor to ceiling window, staring out to the city skyline in front of him.

“We have quite a few left, right?” Harry asks clenching his jaw.

“Yeah, but I heard that Cometa is planning on announcing something big next week so I think a lot of them are waiting for that to happen.”

“Do you think it’s another collab? But they just had fucking Chanel have a line sold through them!” Harry growls, his blood boiling at even just the thought.

When it comes to fashion in the virtual world, there are two businesses that totally dominate the industry. In the men’s wear, Twisted is definitely the number one selling place. The idea started off as just a freshman school project that originally wanted to sell tech stuff, but a few years into the project Harry met Lambert who was already a rising star in the fashion industry and they joined forces, creating the most classic yet affordable and user friendly online empire: Twisted. Though Twisted mostly features men’s clothing, they’ve been trying to venture to the field of women’s fashion, but it hasn’t been as easy as they thought it to be. And the reason for that is Cometa.

Cometa was originally a website where anyone could sell their own clothes, make their online wardrobe sale. But eventually the business grew itself out and stepped up a few levels, collaborating with various designers and brands, selling exclusive lines and a highly praised seasonal variety four times a year, earning a well-deserved top spot in the online fashion industry. It’s hard to compete with what Julia Bianchi built up through sweat and blood and Harry Styles has been working on stepping up to be a major competition for Cometa in women’s fashion, with not much luck so far.

To top the cake with a delicious looking cherry, Cometa has been trying to set feet into men’s fashion as well in the recent years, bringing out several lines with some mentionable designers, but they never made it be as big as Twisted. The two businesses have been trying to outdo each other for about a decade now, with not much luck so far and Harry’s patience is running low by now.

“I don’t know what it is, but keep an eye out. I’ll call you on Monday, alright?” Lambert sighs through the line.

“Okay, thank you,” Harry nods, feeling a little defeated.

“And happy birthday, man. Go and celebrate!” he chuckles, making Harry’s lips curl up as well.

“Thanks, have a good weekend,” Harry bids his goodbye before the call ends.

Wandering into the kitchen Harry finds Niall with the thickest ham and cheese sandwich between his hands, sitting at the kitchen island.

“So where exactly are we going tonight?” he asks, grabbing himself a granola bar as he joins the Irish lad on the stool next to him.

“Oh, that’s a surprise,” he grins, mouth full as he chews mercilessly. Harry grimaces, not sure how this is the same man who can convince a judge about basically anything, wearing his designer suits, putting on an intimidating and serious act for his cases.

“I have a switch,” Niall once told him when he asked how he does it. “I just turn it off when I’m off the clock.”

“You know I hate surprises,” Harry informs him matter-of-factly, but Niall doesn’t seem to be bothered by his comment.

“You’re thirty now, no one cares what you hate.”

“Says who?” Harry huffs.

“Me,” he grins, making Harry roll his eyes.

The bass is throbbing, red tinted lights illuminating the exclusive bar in the heart of Manhattan where Niall chose to gather some of Harry’s close friends to celebrate his thirtieth birthday. Sitting in the leather couches at a restricted area at the back of the place, they are hidden enough not to draw too much attention to themselves but still feel like they are part of the party.

“Cheers to three decades of this cocky motherfucker!” Niall beams as their glasses meet in the middle, everyone laughing and wishing Harry a happy birthday before they all chug their drinks.

Harry is not necessarily the type of person to enjoy going out too often, but he admits it’s been a while since the last time he let loose. It feels nice to have the evening to himself, leaving the business behind for just a couple of hours before he returns to his busy everydays.

Though the occasion is Harry’s birthday, Niall is surely enjoying the evening a tad bit more than his friend. After Harry sees him send down three tequilas in a row he realizes it’s not gonna end well if he doesn’t get some water into his system as well. Excusing himself from the group he heads to the bar, pushing his way through the dancing bodies until he finally reaches his destination.

Given how it’s a Friday evening, the place is packed and he waits in the line patiently while the bartender is fixing up the order of a group of girls a few stools down from Harry. Leaning onto the counter Harry runs his gaze over the dancing crowd, tapping his fingers against the surface to the beat, even bopping his head a little when he feels a push from behind him.

“Oh, sorry!” A female voice calls out and as he turns around he spots the owner of it, a young woman, her curvy body wrapped in a tight mini dress that leaves very little to Harry’s imagination as his eyes run up and down her figure. He has never seen a curvy girl as confident as her, she is radiating, drawing every male’s attention to herself like she is feeding off the hungry stares and dirty thoughts birthed by her.

Her eyes meet Harry’s gaze and the sly smirk that tugs on her perfectly shaped lips gives it away that she is not that sorry to be bumping into him.

“No worries,” is all he manages to say, the urge to drop to his knees right then and there stronger than anything he has ever had to fight.

“He won’t notice you,” she tells him and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. “The bartender. If you just stand there like that… he will never come here,” she explains.

“I’m not sure I have what catches his eyes,” he jokes, making her laugh and he swears his stomach drops at the heavenly sound.

“May I?” she arches an eyebrow and Harry nods, letting her step in front of him. He stands tall above her, eyes fixed on her figure as she leans onto the counter, the marble pushing her breasts up just enough to spark the bartender’s fantasies when he glances in her way. She waves at him with a charming smile and a moment later the guy is standing in front of her, ready to please her in any way she desires.

“Three vodka sodas and…” she turns in Harry’s way, her lips slightly parted and his breath hitches in his throat. “What did you want, handsome?”

“Just, uhh—Just two water, please.”

Her eyebrows rise, but she doesn’t comment on it, just adds the two water to her order. The bartender nods and disappears to fix up her drinks. Harry takes a deep breath and sticking his hand out to her he introduces himself.

“I’m Harry, by the way.” She takes his hand, shaking it firmly.

“Y/N. Nice to meet you, Harry. Are you here alone?”

“Um, no. I’m here with a few friends,” he replies nodding towards the back of the place. “Are you here with someone?”

Please don’t say your boyfriend, please!

“A few of my girlfriends,” she smiles, brushing her hair over her shoulder, flaunting a better look at her naked neck and just one glimpse is sending a whirl of dirty thoughts into Harry’s mind. He wonders how soft her skin would feel under his lips, what her moans would sound as he sucks on it, leaving a mark on her, letting every man in the house know that he made her feel good.

“Are you guys celebrating something?” Y/N asks, a knowing smile on her lips as she most definitely saw Harry staring at her.

“Actually, yeah,” he chuckles a little nervously. “It’s my birthday.” Y/N’s eyes brighten up as she beams at him.

“Really? Happy birthday then!”

“Thank you,” he smiles shyly. “Are you guys celebrating something too?”

“Well, I…” she starts, her thoughts wandering off for a second before she continues. “I kind of got promoted,” she explains and Harry smiles down at her warmly.

“Congrats then!”

The bartender returns with the drinks and she is already about to get her card from her little clutch when Harry pulls his card out, handing it over to the guy behind the bar.

“Birthday boys shouldn’t pay for others,” she smirks, but doesn’t try to fight him that hard.

“You can pay me back later,” Harry shrugs with a suggestive smirk on his lips. He doesn’t want to part ways with her, but she is obviously expected to be back with her friends and he needs to get back to Niall as well before he absolutely loses control. Stepping closer to him, Y/N slides a hand up his chest, her palm resting at the base of his neck as she leans to his ear.

“Save me a dance, birthday boy?” she murmurs into his ear, her lips brushing against him for a split second before she steps back, grabs her drinks and winking at him one last time she disappears from the bar. Harry stands there for a few more seconds before the bartender hands him back his card and snatching the waters from the bar he heads back to his friends.

 Luckily, Niall is slowing down a little, The water does him well and Harry finally doesn’t feel like he’ll have to take care of him, dragging him home once the night is over. Sitting by the table Harry is trying to focus on the conversation, but his gaze keeps wandering over to the dance floor, looking for one particular curvy figure in the sea of dancing bodies.

It takes him some time to spot her, but when he does, he is not able to tear his eyes away from her.

She is almost perfectly in the middle with her friends surrounding her, lips and shoulders swaying to the rhythm perfectly. He catches her chug down the last sips of her drink before she disregards the glass and gets back to dancing. Watching her every move intently, Harry feels his lips slightly part at the sight of this angel who is for sure a devil in the sheets. He can’t stop himself fantasizing about what it would feel like to dig his fingers into her thighs, kiss her neck, her cleavage that’s on show now, how her curves would fit into his hands perfectly. He wants to praise this woman, make her feel good and not just because he wants to be selfless and please her, but also because seeing this woman reach her high because of him would be the biggest ego boost for him and he just needs that.

“Go dance with her!” Niall wiggles his eyebrows at him when he catches Harry staring at her.

“What? No, I’m not a dancer,” he shakes his head, shifting his eyes away from the dancing goddess on the dance floor.

“Oh come on, don’t be a pussy!”

“I’m not a pussy, I just—“

“You’re a pussy. I saw her looking in your way as well, she wants your dick!”

“Jesus, Niall!” Harry whines rolling his eyes. He doesn’t like it when he gets so vulgar, but luckily no one heard their conversation. Glancing back in Y/N’s way Harry sees how men are eyeing him, probably building up the courage to go up to her and that has his blood boiling. He needs to be the one to touch her.

Chugging down the rest of his drink he snaps the glass on the table before standing from his seat, ignoring Niall’s cheering as he makes his way into the crowd.

Harry didn’t lie when he said he is not a dancer, he feels uncomfortable, awkward and uncoordinated most of the times he tries to dance, but he is pushing all of those to the back of his mind for now as his eyes are set on one person in the crowd.

When Y/N spots the man approaching her, she can’t push a pleased smile off her lips, slowing her movements down as Harry finally reaches her, leaning closer to her ear so she can hear his voice over the music.

“Here to collect that dance,” he smugly tells her, making her laugh, though the music is too loud to let him hear her. She just nods and turning around she presses herself up against him, her backside fitting his front perfectly. Harry’s hand snake around her waist, his large palm smoothly moving through the silky fabric of her dress as they start moving together.

She is intoxicating, makes Harry feel like he is some kind of horny teenager, like he hasn’t dealt with women before, but in a way, she makes all of his past flings appear to be only girls. Her confidence in her own body is easily one of her best traits, the way she handles herself, moves her body, the look in her eyes, Harry is getting drunk on just watching her and now he is able to touch her as well.

When he feels himself getting hard in his pants, he knows he should be at least a slightly bit embarrassed by himself, but as Y/N turns around in his arms and he sees the pleased smirk on her lips, the feeling vanishes in a heartbeat. She wraps her arms around his neck as she pulls him close, her lips brushing against his lips.

“Enjoying yourself, birthday boy?” she prompts before pressing a kiss to the soft skin under his ear and he can’t hold a growl back. The friction is almost unbearable, as his hands slide lower on her back, stopping on her ass, he knows he won’t be able to control himself any longer. Luckily, he is not the only one having this inner fight.

Snapping around Y/N grabs his hand and starts pulling him through the crowd towards the hallway of the bathrooms. He follows her eagerly, lucky for them, the club doesn’t have restrooms with several stalls, but single bathrooms with a lot more comfort and privacy. Just what they need right now.

They find the third bathroom empty, pushing their way inside and locking the door before Harry pushes her up against it the moment it’s just the two of them, their mouths hungrily meeting in the middle. He almost grunts against her lips, she tastes even better than he imagined and the way her tongue is the first one to come into action has got his mind blown. His hands roam up her body, running up all her curves until they reach her face and he cups it in his palms, pressing his hips against her. She moans against his mouth when his hard cock pokes against her, both of them desperate to take it further.

Tumbling further into the small bathroom, he helps her up to the counter next to the sing, her legs instantly opening for him, her tiny dress rolling up her thighs, revealing her clothed sex. Harry eagerly kisses his way down her neck and chest, her skin feeling so smooth under his lips. His fingers hook under the thin straps of her dress, tugging them down so he can push the dress past her full breasts and thank God she is not wearing a bra underneath!

“Fuck me, you are so hot!” he breathes out, making her chuckle at his reaction.

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” she cockily answers before Harry’s mouth attaches to her nipple, his hand working on her other breasts before he switches.

He quickly gets down on his knees, pushing her underwear to the side before his lips and tongue meet her sensitive clit.

“Oh shit!” she moans, a hand coming to tangle in his hair while she tries to hold herself steady with leaning on the other one behind her. There’s no time for teasing now and they both know that.

She is so lost in the experience, Harry is licking and sucking just the right spots and she tries to close her legs, locking his head between her thighs. His arms come to curl around them, ring clad fingers digging into her flesh and the situation might be a little suffocating for him, but he doesn’t mind it a bit. In fact, if he died this way, he would die a happy man.

She doesn’t let him finish what he started, pulling him up, his lips still glistening from her own juices as she kisses him messily, wiggling herself out of her underwear while he undoes his pants as well.

“Shit, do you have a condom?” he breathes out when his palm wraps around his throbbing cock. She nods, reaching for her clutch she dropped to the counter and digging into it she grabs the package, smacking it against his chest playfully. “Were you planning to do this tonight?” he grins cockily as he rips the package open and starts rolling it down his hard length.

“No, I’m just smart, unlike you,” she retorts, her sass dripping from her tone and it just riles him up even more.

Grabbing her thighs he yanks her to the edge of the counter, a gasp leaving her plump lips as she tries to find her balance quickly.

“Don’t be a brat,” he growl against her lips before kissing her, while he lines himself up with her, the head already pushing in.

“Then fuck me, birthday boy,” she challenges him again and it’s the last straw.

Harry slams into her, both of them moaning at the sensation before he starts thrusting in a fast pace, needing all the friction he can make to get them to finish as soon as possible. Y/N’s head falls back as she holds onto the back of his neck, her other hand on the counter behind her again and Harry glances down, watching her breasts bounce every time he rails into her, slamming his whole length into her every time their hips meet.

She reaches for one of his hands that’s holding her thigh and she boldly brings it to her core, tapping his fingers to her clit, letting him know that she wants some extra effort. Harry doesn’t say it, but he is blown how she didn’t just do it herself, she made him do it. It’s got to be one of the hottest things he has ever seen.

“Fuck, go harder!” she gasps, wrapping her legs around his waist as he picks the pace up, feeling his orgasm building rapidly with each thrust.

They both are a whimpering, moaning mess, the bass of the music is thumping outside and for a moment, Harry feels like he is finally living his life to the fullest.

“I’m gonna cum!” she breathes out, his name falling from her lips moaning after that and when she pulls him down to kiss him, biting into his bottom lip and tugging it, he loses himself.

He feels himself jerking inside her, still sliding in and out of her as he grunts, releasing himself into the condom. He flicks his fingers on her clit at the same time, creating just enough friction to push her over the edge as well. He is coming off his own high when her walls tighten around his cock, dragging his orgasm out even longer as she basically screams, gasping for air, riding her orgasm out to the last bit.

Leaning down he kisses her again though they are still panting, this time making it a lot less rushed than the time their lips met for the first time. Her legs fall from around his waist and he pulls out, both of them cleaning themselves up in the aftermath of their little session.

“I know this was quite rushed and all that, but can I have your number?” he asks, even feeling a little nervous. She puts her underwear back on, smoothing her dress down as she smiles up at him, cupping his face in her palm.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to skip on that,” she tells him simply, shocking him for sure.

“D-Do you have a boyfriend or something?”

“No,” she shakes her head and now Harry is confused.

“You didn’t enjoy it?” he then asks, trying his best to figure out the reason behind the rejection.

“I did. But it was a one time thing. If it’s supposed to turn into more…” she sighs, grabbing her clutch from the counter. “Then I’ll leave it to fate if we ever meet again,” she shrugs before turning around she just unlocks the door and walks out, leaving Harry stand there in complete and utter shock.

This is definitely a first for him, a woman who doesn’t want to see him again. He is not that egoistic to think that everyone is in love with him, but he never had an encounter similar to this. Not after the most amazing sex ever.

Harry fixes himself up, still not believing she walked out that easily, but there’s not much he can do now. Walking back to his table, he acts like nothing happened and when his eyes scan over the crowd again, he can’t see her anymore.

Harry lets out a tired sigh when Zayn, head of the graphic design department walks into his office with a familiar brown paper bag with the logo of Harry’s favorite Chinese restaurant.

“Has it started already?” Zayn asks, though glancing at the big screen on the wall he can see the stream is still waiting to be started.

“No, I’ve been staring at it for like twenty minutes,” Harry grumbles, pushing himself away from his desk to join Zayn on the couch in front of the screen as he unpacks the food. “What do you think it’s going to be?”

Today is the day of Cometa’s big press conference and no one knows what they are about to announce. It’s been keeping Harry on the edge for the past few days, because whatever it is, it has got to be major. Julia Bianchi is not the type of person to hold press conferences, she is a private person who has managed to keep most of her life behind closed doors. That’s something Harry admires in the woman even though they are competitors in the business. He can relate to wanting to keep her life just for herself, he has been doing the same thing. No public appearances, no lengthy interviews, no photoshoots. He likes to let his work talk for himself and it’s proved to be a successful move so far.

“I don’t know, but I hope they don’t suddenly announce a full graphic makeover right before our update,” Zayn chuckles. He has been working on an entirely new appearance for the website these past weeks and it’s supposed to go live sometime later in the month. A change for Cometa would totally throw their attempt off, making them look like they are just copying Julia’s move.

They eat and wait for the stream to start when the screen finally comes alive. There’s an empty stage shown with just two mic stands in the middle and nothing really happens for a few minutes before clapping is heard from behind the camera and Julia finally walks on the stage.

The woman is a real diva. Wearing a matching pant suit with bold floral print all over it, her short hair is neatly straightened into a bob cut, her red lips smiling lightly as she waves around in the room. Julia has been in the fashion industry for almost three decades now and she surely made a name for herself, sitting front row in every fashion show she attends, her words on any new trend being basically the standard.

Stepping to one of the mics, she clears her throat as the clapping dies down and her calm, gentle voice rings through the speakers.

“Welcome, everyone, thank you for coming, as you might already know I’m Julia Bianchi, head of Cometa, the world’s best online women’s fashion house.”

Harry leans back in his seat, eyes fixed on the woman on the screen as he is patiently waiting to hear what she’s got for the people this time.

“I’ve spent twenty-seven wonderful years in the business, building my own one for the past two decades. I fell in love with fashion as a child and moved to Milan to study designing from the bests. Though designing has always and will always hold a special place in my heart, I saw an opportunity in the early years for a brand that would hold together every other brand in the industry, bringing it to everyone’s home thanks to the rapidly developing technology. Cometa has always been my little baby and I’m proud of everything I achieved as head of such a great company.”

Harry realizes what it’s about before Julia could even say the words herself. The phrasing, the nostalgic tone, it’s all adding up to the obvious: Julia is about to announce her retirement.

“I gave the best years of my life for this company and I regret nothing, but recently I’ve realized that it is time for me to slow down for a little bit and enjoy a life that’s not filled with work anymore, and spend more time with my beloved husband, Fabio and my family who supported me on my long way here. Therefore, I am now announcing it with an aching heart and a lot of excitement as well that I am stepping down from my role as CEO of Cometa. I might be leaving now, but my business will not. So it is a pleasure to introduce you the person who will carry my legacy on, my amazing niece, the absolutely most perfect woman to carry on the work I started, Y/N Y/L/N.”

The moment another woman comes into the picture Harry almost chokes on his own saliva, seeing the same curves he had his fingers dug into last Friday. Y/N smiles and waves around as she steps to the other mic next to her aunt, exchanging a short look with her before turning towards the people in the room and the camera that’s streaming the event.

“Dude, you alright?” Zayn asks, patting Harry’s back a few times as he is still struggling to breathe normally.

He refuses to accept that the woman he fucked in a bathroom on his birthday, the one that made him moan like never before, is the same woman who is going to take over his biggest competitor.

“This has got to be a joke,” he breathes out with teary eyes from all the coughing.

“It is an honor to be here,” Y/N starts speaking as the clapping dies down once again and the two men are staring at the screen. “Just like to be the one to step into the perfectly stylish shoes of my aunt. I hope to live up to not just her and everyone else’s expectations, but also to mine as well. I grew up watching my aunt build up this empire with basically dust so to be the person to take her place is a dream come true. I promise to keep the quality the same and work on improving Cometa to its possible best while being in charge.”

As she finishes talking, questions are thrown in her way, but Harry doesn’t pay attention any longer. Standing up he walks to the window, staring out to the city as he chews on his bottom lip anxiously.

“What the fuck is your problem, H? It wasn’t as bad as we expected, right?” Zayn questions.

“It’s fucking worse!” he snaps turning around. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

“Would you just tell me what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is that… I told you about what… happened on my birthday.”

“The bathroom fuck, oh yeah,” Zayn chuckles with a playful shine in his eyes.

“Well, that woman… the woman I fucked was her.” Zayn stays silent for a moment before he turns towards the screen, eyeing the woman on the stage as she is still answering questions, standing confidently in her tight, black dress and red heels.

“You fucked Julia Bianchi’s niece? And she is now taking over Cometa?” he raises his eyebrows at Harry who just nods, pressing his lips together into a thin line. “And she is also the one who didn’t give you her number?”

“Don’t… bring that up. But yes, it’s her.”

Zayn starts laughing, clearly finding Harry’s misery entertaining, but Harry doesn’t feel like taking it that easy. He wonders if she knew who he was, if she did it on purpose or it was fate’s horrible joke on both of them.

“Ah man, that charity event on Saturday will be one hell of a show then!” Zayn points it out and Harry’s face falls. He totally forgot about the charity event he was invited to, one that would have the biggest names in the fashion industry together in a ball room to raise money for a chosen good cause. It happens every year and it’s a major event, the perfect place to network and also to see your biggest enemies. That means that Harry will see Y/N again in a few short days and if he is being honest… he is not ready to face her, not after the information he learned today. Sighing he steps to the minibar he insisted on having in his office and though he never drinks during the day, he now thinks that now might be an exception. He pours himself some whiskey and before he chugs it down at one go, he lets out a long, tired sigh.

“That’s just my luck…”

Leslie helps you with the zipper of your dress, the silky, red fabric hugging your body like a second skin. She smoothes the wrinkles out while you fix the straps, staring back at yourself in the mirror with judgment. You need to look perfect, this is going to be your first time appearing at an event as CEO of Cometa, your big entrance into the industry, you can’t let anything go wrong.

“You look gorgeous, babe,” Leslie smiles at you, bringing your hair behind your shoulders as her eyes meet yours in the mirror. Leslie might be your assistant, but she is a lot more than that. You’ve been friends for almost a decade and when she lost her job a few years ago you didn’t hesitate to offer her a spot next to you. You wouldn’t be here without her, she doesn’t try to use her privilege of being your friend to not do the work, she is always on top of her game and you’ll always be grateful for her to not make it awkward at all.

“I think you need some diamonds though,” she winks at you, stepping to the table where all kinds of jewelry is sprawled out. She reaches for a simple one, not too much, quite elegant and you nod as she holds it up for you. Walking behind you she brings it around your neck, the diamond brilliantly sitting on your chest now, giving that little extra shine to your outfit.

“You’ll make every man fall in love with you,” she smiles at you and breathing out you nod, hoping to believe that everything will go perfectly.

While you make a few last minute calls she gets dressed as well before the car arrives for the two of you. She is wearing a less daring but still beautiful black dress, her curly hair pinned up into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, her heavily freckled face bright from her happy smile as the two of you make your way to the event.

“I know it’s ridiculous, but I tried to memorize the faces and names from the guest list,” she grins at you, earning an eyeroll.

“Les, I told you, this is not The Devil Wears Prada,” you chuckle softly. She is obsessed with that movie and hasn’t shut up about feeling like she is literally living in it since your aunt has shared her plans with you about your future position last year.

“I know, but it might be impressive if you already knew everyone!”

You have to give that to her, it would earn you a few good points if you knew the names already, you’re just still nervous about the whole thing. So many things could go wrong and you want it to be perfect.

 At first you feel intimidated by all the influential people around you. Everyone here is one of the bests in their own field and you feel like an impostor, but then you remind yourself that you earned your spot. Your aunt wouldn’t have given you the company if she didn’t trust you entirely with it. You worth no less than anyone else in this ball room and that reminds you that… you’re that bitch.

Leslie’s knowledge of names actually comes handy. You love seeing people get shocked when they try to introduce themselves to you, but you already greet them saying their names. It earns you some appreciative looks as you make your way around the room. Everything is going smooth, right until you spot one particular man in the crowd.

You’re in a little circle with a few designers when your gaze falls on Harry who is standing across the room, talking to two men. The champagne almost slips from your hand when you realize it’s him.

“Leslie,” you grab her wrist catching her attention. “Les, who’s the man in the blue Gucci suit?” you ask in a whisper and she follows your gaze, finding the man in talk.

“Oh, that’s Harry Styles, head of Twisted.”

“Fuck,” you mumble under your breath as you quickly excuse yourself from the conversation and head out to the balcony to get some fresh air before you faint right on the spot.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Leslie follows you.

“I messed up,” you squeak as you step outside, the chilly evening air hitting your uncovered skin immediately. “I messed up big time!”

“What? Why? What happened?”

Stepping to the edge, you wrap your hands around the railing, staring out into the void for a moment. Leslie Stands beside you, quite puzzled about your sudden panic.

“Remember the guy I told you about from Friday night?” you ask, keeping your voice down even though there’s no one really around. Leslie nods. “Well… he was the guy.”

Leslie glances back inside and then at you before her eyes widen and lips part in shock.

“You fucked Harry Styles at a club’s bathroom?!” she whisper-yells at you and you feel like a teenager who is getting scolded.

“I didn’t know who he was! And I genuinely think he didn’t know me either, how could he?! But now he is here and… Oh God, this is so bad,” you whine, your head dropping backwards as you let out a frustrated growl.

“Okay, don’t panic. Maybe… maybe he doesn’t remember you.”

“You can’t make me believe he doesn’t remember me after fucking me on a counter,” you tell her giving her a look.

“Alright, alright. Then… you just have to suck it up. It’s not like you can unfuck him,” she shrugs and though you know she is right, you just wish you could leave right now.

You never planned on seeing him again. Your bullshit speech about letting fate decide it was just an excuse to not give him your number. You didn’t want to because you thought he is not the kind of man that would be good for you. From his look you thought that he was either a fuckboy, not willing to commit to anything serious, or the kind of man that seems all nice and respectful at first but then turns out to be a total asshole and you’ve had enough of those in your twenty-eight years.

Soon enough you head back as the auction is about to start. Luckily, your seat is far away from Harry and it seems like he hasn’t noticed you yet. Though you wish to keep it that way, you can feel it coming already.

The auction goes by fast, you buy a new painting that will look amazing in your living room and almost twice as much money is raised through the evening that was the goal. You leave Leslie behind at the table as you go to the bar to get yourself another drink, probably your last one of the evening if you don’t want to end up making a fool out of yourself.

Patiently waiting at the bar you’re already thinking about watching Grey’s Anatomy when you get back and out of this tight dress. You look hot, but it’s not the comfiest look, if you’re being honest. There’s only one more person in front of you when you feel a little tap on your shoulder and turning around your stomach drops when you see the man you’ve been trying to avoid all evening.

“Fancy seeing you here, Y/N,” he nods shortly, his expression is quite blank, but he is definitely not shocked to see you. You tighten your jaw before looking away from him, squinting your eyes a bit.

“You don’t seem surprised,” you point out.

“I was kind of expecting to see you here tonight.”

“So you knew who I was all along?” you snap at him, but he shakes his head.

“Not until the stream this week. I was pretty shocked when you walked on stage.”

Nodding shortly you brush your hair over your shoulder and you catch Harry glimpsing down your body, but decide not to comment on it.

“Did you know who I was?” he then asks, digging his hands into his pockets.

“No, I wouldn’t sleep with my biggest competitor willingly.”

“Just from the abrupt ending I had a feeling that you might have known me.”

“Just because a woman doesn’t throws herself into your arms after a fuck, doesn’t mean she had ulterior motives,” you scoff. “Get off your high horse,” you add before turning back towards the bar so you can order your drink. Unfortunately, Harry doesn’t want the conversation to end just yet. His hand is laid flat on the counter in front of you as he stands on your right, a little too close to your liking. You can smell the expensive cologne on him, the same that hit your nose on Friday as well and suddenly your body is betraying you.

However crazy the situation is, you can’t deny that he gave you one of the best times last Friday. Men you dealt with were more concerned about their own pleasure and most of them didn’t even get you to finish. But Harry made it happen so fast and didn’t even bitch about it when you made him rub your clit. He just obeyed like a grownup man who is willingly take care of his partner. That almost made you change your mind about leaving, but once you came down from cloud nine, you returned to your original plan.

But not as he is standing in front of you and you can smell him, your senses trick you into thinking that you’re in that bathroom again, almost aching for him to touch you the way he did then. He leans closer to your ear as he speaks up again.

“Leave the drink, dance with me,” he tells you as the bartender places your drink in front of you. You debate what to do before grabbing the drink and chugging it down in one go. You’ll need the alcohol if you are about to dance with your enemy.

Harry takes you to the dance floor in the middle of the ball room, one of his hands finds the small of your back while the other takes your hand as the two of you start swaying to the gentle music played by the band.

“Your aunt set my company back in women’s fashion every time I tried to take a step forward. Are you going to do the same?”

“She didn’t do anything to set you back but to build her own company. Not everything is about you.”

“You sound a little naïve, Love. It’s pretty clear you are new in the business.” This statement riles you up big time. How dare he degrade you like that? He knows nothing about you, yet he assumes things that are not at all real.

Smirking to yourself you lean back enough so your gazes can meet. Your hand slides up from his shoulders to the base of his neck so your fingers can gently brush against his skin and you notice the shudder than runs down his spine. He is not the only one having flashbacks from your last encounter.

“Wanna know what I know about business?” you purr, his eyes glued to your red lips as you speak. “I know that… Twisted was one of the last sites to participate in personalized ads on online platforms, failing to reach it’s targeted audience as fast as literally everyone else. I know that your company and my company use the same security system in our server rooms yet I can assure you that it cost me twenty percent less because we waited a month before installing it and got a huge last minute discount because the security company was trying to boost their numbers for their end of year closing. And I also happen to know that you are working on a new design for your website that could easily be outshone if I just did the same before you could do it.”

Harry’s lips part, probably mostly at the last information. He has no idea how you know these stuff, but you have a wide circle of connections in the city, you have an insider at every big companies in the industry without them even knowing. You’ve given countless tips to your aunt through the years, that’s how she managed to stay on top of her games.

Leaning closer your lips almost brush against him and you see how he weakens, he is expecting you to kiss him and he wants it. But you just smile at him, your eyes snapping down to his lips before up to his eyes.

“I will not do the same as my aunt, Harry,” you softly speak, your fingers grazing the back of his neck. “I will do way worse things.”

And with that, you slip out of his arms and walk back to your table, leaving him standing there alone at a complete loss of words.

“What the fuck had gotten into you?” Niall grimaces upon hearing everything he told you on the evening of the charity event. And quite frankly, Harry has no answer to that. He has absolutely no idea what had gotten into him to act like such a dick when you didn’t do anything against him.

The situation just messed with his head, seeing you in that breathtaking dress, mingling with everyone, smiling and laughing, oh how he wished you were laughing on his jokes! But then you seemed so tensed when he came up to you and something just switched in him. He wanted to take dominance, to somehow get out of it on top, but he miserably failed. When you brought up their plans to change the design he completely froze.

“No idea, okay? I just…lost it,” he growls, sinking into the couch. When Niall found out that Harry met the woman from the club again he insisted on coming over with some wine to talk it out, but he was not expecting this kind of story at all.

“Dude, you just put yourself on her radar big time, maybe she wouldn’t have even bothered to compete with you like her aunt did, but you surely changed her mind now.”

“I know, Niall!” Harry growls, not in the mood to be scolded like a little child. “Do you think she’ll change their design before we do?” he peeks at his friend, but Niall just shrugs.

“No idea, but I would try to speed it up before she actually does it.”

 Harry made you into a ticking bomb and you successfully got under his skin about the whole design project so first thing the next morning he went to Zayn to discuss a possible earlier debut for the new designs. Though it would be a close stretch, they agreed that it would go live by the end of the week and that got Harry somehow a little relieved, but in the middle of that he failed to put the right amount of effort into finding designers for their female lines.

When he meets up with Lambert a few days later he is not there to deliver great news. Apparently, three out of the four designers they were negotiating with recently pulled out of their deal and signed a contract with Cometa.

“We have one last designer on the list, but then… we are out of the bigger names,” Lambert sighs as Harry chews on his bottom lip anxiously. He feels like he has fallen into a hole a while ago and instead of climbing out he is just digging it deeper underneath him.

“Okay, do we have an appointment with them?” Harry asks.

“Yeah, I’m meeting her this afternoon.”

“I’m going with you,” he nods before standing from his chair and opening the door he calls out for his assistant. “Rebecca, please clear my schedule for this afternoon, I’ll be out of the office.”

Rebecca nods behind her desk, already starting to make calls about Harry’s meetings and appointments.

It’s obvious he is anxious about the meeting, because if it falls through they are forced to look for less known designers and that won’t bring the change for the company they’ve been seeking for a long time. Arriving to the showroom where the designer is working, Harry is setting his thoughts straight, determined to convince her to sign a contract with them. The two men are let into the building by the nice assistant working at the front desk and she shows the way to the showroom where Kennedy, the designer is waiting for them.

Harry is confident, he trusts his skills to make this happen, but when they walk inside he instantly freezes upon seeing an all too familiar figure standing with Kennedy

A maroon colored pantsuit is hugging your curves, a Hermés handbag hanging from your arm, your hair falling in loose curls. As if you could sense his presence, you peek over your shoulder, a devilish smirk on your lips when you see the shocked expression on Harry’s face.

“What a great surprise!” you beam, selling how happy you are to see him and in a way, you are. You wanted to see his face drop when he realizes you snatched yet another designer from him.

“Oh, Mr. Styles!” Kennedy smiles nicely at him and he finally snaps out of his trance, shaking hands with her and then turning to you, doing the same but in a lot colder manner.

“Y/N, nice to see you again,” he fakes a smile as your hand falls from his palm.

“I could say the same. But I’m heading out now. Great talk, Kennedy. I’ll be waiting for your call,” you wink at the young designer who seems to be thrilled by your words as she walks you to the exit.

“Fucking hell,” Harry mumbles under his breath and Lambert shoots him a look before Kennedy returns.

The three of them take a seat on the couches in the corner of the room and Harry is quick to get down to business, trying his best to make his offer appear more appealing than anything you told her right before their arrival. Kennedy listens intently, even takes notes and then she shows him some examples of what she was thinking about for her next line and Harry is beyond thrilled.

Unfortunately, soon comes the painful part.

“Harry, I’m gonna be honest with you,” Kennedy starts and Harry already knows what she is about to say. “Your offer is very tempting and it would be an honor to design a line for Twisted, but in my situation it would be more beneficial if I collaborated with Cometa. It is nothing against your company, it’s more about my personal path and growth.”

Harry can feel his stomach dropping and he clenches his jaw as he listens to Kennedy’s worth. He understands, of course he understands, she has the right to selfishly look at her own benefits upon signing with a new company, but he wished she would take the risk and chose his company instead of yours.

“I’m keeping the offer open for you still,” he forces a smile on his face. “If you change your mind, Twisted would be more than happy to work with you.”

Kennedy walks the two men out and the fake smile quickly vanishes from Harry’s face upon stepping out of the building.

“What are we going to do now?” Lambert asks, clearly worried about how they’re gonna move forward with their last chance falling.

“If Y/N wants a war, that’s what she’ll get,” Harry growls, revenge burning in the greens of his eyes.

It’s a quiet Friday afternoon, only hours left from the day before you are headed home finally. You’re sitting in your office with Leslie, going over next week’s schedule to make sure everything is set and clear.

It’s been almost an entire month since you stepped into your aunt’s shoes as head of the company and though the start was a little rough, especially with finding out who Harry was, but you feel like you have everything under your control by now. After all, you didn’t learn business for years from the bests for nothing, right?

Harry’s comment on you knowing nothing about the industry made you bitter, because he knows nothing about you and the struggle you went through your life to get to this point. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbow, being Julia’s niece might have been a hugely influencing aspect of you taking over, but you worked your ass off to be the best leader you can and not just ruin everything she built up through her whole life.

Though you didn’t always want to be the one following her, but you like to think that things worked out to your favor and you are where you should be.

“Alright, everything is looking fine,” Leslie smiles at you over her laptop. “I’ll send you the notes from today’s meeting.”

“Thank you. Can you call in with the delivery company about next month’s transactions?” you ask her and she nods, already adding it to her list of tasks for the rest of the day. “Alright. I’ll do the rest of the signings and then we can head out,” you smile at her.

Leslie is grabbing her things from the table when there’s a soft knock on the door. You give your permission and one of the tech support guys walk in with a worried look on his face.

“Miss Y/L/N? I’m afraid we have a problem,” he clears his throat and you can already feel your anxiety crawl up on your spine.

“What is it?” you ask firmly. The guy steps farther inside, fumbling with his fingers as he presents the issue.

“There’s been an attempt to break our software’s security system where we keep our data about the sellings. A-And I’m afraid it wasn’t just an attempt, they succeeded.”

You take a deep breath, glancing over at Leslie for a moment before you follow the man to the tech department to investigate the issue further. You don’t know shit about these stuff, but from what he said you know the trouble is huge and if you don’t solve it as soon as possible, valuable data could leak out to the public. They try to explain you what they are working on as of right now and that there’s not much you can actually help with.

“Make sure to put your extra hours on your attendance sheets and let me know when you are able to restore the system,” you tell them and you earn quite a few thank yous on your way out for actually paying the overtime. Then you turn to the guy that first came to your office. “Do you have any information about who it could have been?”

“We weren’t able to track them back, but whoever it was, they’re surely professionals and they might know the system from the inside.”

“What do you mean from the inside? Someone did it from the company?” you ask, eyebrows knitting together as you fold your arms on your chest.

“No,” he shakes his head. “We would have been able to track that back. I mean that they know the system, maybe they worked somewhere where the same one was used and they could see into it.”

It takes you a few moments before you realize what this really is and it has your blood boiling right away. Nodding shortly you exhale sharply through your nose.

“Thank you, please call me when it’s up and running again, I’ll take care of the rest,” you tell him before turning around you walk away.

When Leslie sees you approaching your office with a head practically turning red she is quick to jump to her feet, following you into the office.

“What’s happening?”

“Harry Styles, that’s what happening,” you snap as you grab your phone, purse and coat before heading out, not wasting another minute.

“What? Where are you going now?”

“To the devil himself,” you growl back and enter the elevator, leaving her alone with her questions.

Sitting in your car on your way to the headquarters of Twisted, you imagine every scenario you want to make happen when you arrive, most of them including hitting the man across his ridiculously handsome yet annoying face. He crossed a line with breaking into your system and stealing valuable data. Though you’re sure he wouldn’t dare to sell or publish it, because he would be in a big legal trouble if he did, he still had a glimpse into your numbers and that’s already an advantage. He is playing dirty and you’re not having any of it.

Arriving you burst through the doors and demand to see him. Though the woman behind the front desk tells you that you can’t see him without an appointment, you still get her to make a call up and naturally, Harry allows you to see him. The fucker might already have been waiting for you to show up. As you stand in the all glass elevator, on your way up to meet him you take a few deep breaths to keep your cool and not snap like a maniac, however it all vanishes when you see him waiting for you with that shit-eating grin on his face when you step out of the elevator.

“You’re lucky I didn’t go straight to the police with your little stunt, you fucker!” you snap, not able to hold back your swearing any longer.

“Do you have any evidence?” he tilts his head to the side and you don’t miss how his gaze runs down your body as you march towards him. You’d find it flattering in another situation, but right now you just want to punch him in the face.

“I’ll show some evidence down your throat, Styles, if you don’t stop messing with my security system,” you growl back, standing so close to him now that you see every tiny freckle and blemish on his face and the way how he clenches his jaw, holding his gaze on yours.

Without a word or invitation, you walk into the room that you suppose is his office and he follows with a soft chuckle.

“Did you hire a hacker just to mess with me?” you throw the question at him as he closes the door so his employees don’t hear everything.

“What if I did?” he shrugs, stepping to the tray on his desk that already has a glass of whiskey on it. He grabs the glass and simply lifts it to his lips, taking a tiny sip from it. “Oh, excuse my manners. Would you like a drink?”

“I’m driving,” you answer shortly. “You crossed a line, Harry,” you warn him.

“What line?” he chuckles, rather entertained by your rage. “After what you pulled with Kennedy, I think I went easy on you.”

“I didn’t pull anything, I just gave her a better offer! It’s not my fault she has better chances with my company!” you snap back, feeling your heartbeat fastening from the anger that’s boiling in your veins.

“You knew I wanted her to design for me, why couldn’t you just let one person out of your endless list? You already have everyone else, she was my last fucking chance!” Harry barks back, clearly having some built up tension in him as well.

“If you didn’t act like an arrogant asshole at the charity gala, I would have happily let you work with her, but then you felt the need to fucking degrade me! That’s why I didn’t let you get away with it!”

Harry opens his mouth to answer, but he quickly closes his mouth, probably knowing well you’re right. He did act shitty towards you that evening and he has no excuse for his behavior. You walk closer until there are just a few feet between the two of you, your eyes glued to his burning green gaze that’s staring back at you, but before you could speak up, he cuts you off.

“Well, you know. All is fair in… war and business,” he shrugs and you honestly barely can stop yourself from laughing at how stupid that just sounded. You can’t miss the twitch in the corner of his mouth as well and you can’t believe how easily he made you break out of your rage.

“Don’t try to make money out of writing slogans,” you huff shaking your head and now he is grinning widely. “Do you have the data?”

“I don’t,” he answers and you narrow your eyes at him.

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not,” he chuckles. “I had it, but I already deleted it. I know it wasn’t ethical so as soon as it was handed to me I deleted it. I didn’t even look into it. I just wanted to scare you.”

“And how do I know your hacker doesn’t have it either?”

“Because he signed a contract that would cost him millions to break and I don’t think a junior in college who is still living in a dorm can afford that,” he points out and now you are somewhat convinced. You stare back at him for a few more seconds before nodding.

“Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours, how does that sound?” you offer generously.

“Where’s the fun in that?” he questions with a smug smirk that makes your arch an eyebrow at him. “What are you doing tomorrow evening?” he then asks and you can’t mask your surprise in front of him.

“That does not concern you, Styles,” you scoff, though it boosts your ego that even through all the hate you’ve been targeting at each other, he still wants you the same way he did at the club that evening. You can’t deny, this rivalry has sparked a few thoughts in you as well, but you are not going to fall into the same mistake you made that evening. You pay him another smirk before turning around and heading towards the door. “Stay out of my way, Styles!” you call back without looking at him, but you just know he is grinning at you, a growing sexual tension thickening the atmosphere in the room.

“Or what?” he smugly questions and you stop at the door, glancing back at him over your shoulder.

“Or… You said it yourself. All is fair in war and business,” you smirk before walking out of the office.

Following your visit to Harry’s office things take a… playful turn in your rivalry. The attempts and competing don’t stop, both of you are on each other’s radar, ruining and messing with each other’s projects and works whenever and wherever it’s possible, but it’s not as hateful as it was at the beginning. If something, it even helps you to always be on your toes and watch out for possible threats, not just from Harry but from everyone else.

Neither of you succeeds in evolving in each other’s field, Cometa keeps thriving in women’s fashion with a quite small variety offered for the gentlemen while Twisted fails to grow out of men’s fashion and venture to the ladies, but somehow it’s not as frustrating as it used to be before.

Harry keeps up his flirty acts and tries to ask you out every time your paths cross each other, but you relentlessly turn him down every time, only fueling him to keep chasing after you more the next time. It’s a thrilling and flattering little game, knowing that even with all the rivalry between the two of you, being the biggest competitors in the business… he still wants you.

New York fashion week rolls around and it’s by far one of your favorite times in the year. You managed to snatch an exclusive deal with YSL to release a special line just for the fashion week and it sold out in the first two hours, now waiting to be restocked in a few days. Cometa is thriving and your aunt has expressed her pride towards the work you’ve been doing at the company, so things are heading the right direction.

You knew Harry would be attending the same shows as you, but it’s fate or just luck that you are seated next to each other at one of the shows, giving you the chance to talk without any of you attempting to corrupt the other this time.

Harry is already sitting in his seat when you arrive wearing a custom made Gucci dress, something that immediately catches his eyes since he is a huge fan of the brand himself.

“Your fashion sense never disappoints, Y/N,” he beams up at you as you take the seat next to him.

“Hope that’s not surprising, Styles,” You smirk at him, taking a glance at his own Gucci outfit, the checkered pants fitting him perfectly while the pussy bow adds some spice to the whole outfit, you have to admit. He looks good, he always does.

“Any plans after the show?” he asks right before the lights go out and the show starts. You leave him without an answer, just let out a soft chuckle as you glue your eyes to the first model who walks the runway.

Once the show is over you head out with Harry by your side, having an actually entertaining discussion about the designs you just saw. He might not be an expert in fashion, but he has developed a good sense through his years.

As you make your way out of the venue you are stopped by an interviewer and Harry remains on your side as the woman asks you a few questions about the show.

“I’ve always wondered, does it bother you that you couldn’t be on the runway yourself? You’ve been sitting front row the past years, but you once had aspirations of being a model yourself, is that right?”

The question makes you tense up and you can feel Harry’s puzzled look on you from the side.

“It’s not like it was my fault for not making it up there,” you sass back, forcing a smile to your face.

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” the woman chuckles and it has your blood boiling, because you know the real meaning behind her words.

It’s your fault you didn’t become a model because you were never thin enough to be one. It was your fault and not the industry’s to hold impossible standards to women who wanted to succeed as a model.

The smile falters from your face and you take a long, judgmental look at the woman in front of you. Because if she is brave enough to talk like that to you, you’re not gonna shy away from bringing her spirits down either.

“Judging from your appearance and attitude you wouldn’t make it either,” you spitefully reply and her smile quickly fades, clearly shocked at your answer. You open your mouth again, ready to continue, but then you feel a hand on the small of your back and you realize Harry is still standing next to you.

“Come on, we have somewhere to be, right?” he smiles kindly as you just simply nod and walk away from the woman before she could offend you again.

Harry senses your tension as the two of you leave the venue but doesn’t try to talk to you and that’s a wise choice from him. As you step out of the building you realize that if you went home now you’d probably get drunk on your own and let that comment get to you more than you should. So instead of doing that you turn to Harry.

“So, what are our plans?” you ask and you don’t miss the small smile on his lips as he stares back at you.

Not in the mood to stay around people at a bar you accept Harry’s invitation to his place, since it’s also close. The contrast between his extravagant penthouse and your cozy but still quite modern townhouse in Park Slope is major, but you didn’t expect anything less from the man.

You’ve managed to calm down since you left the venue, but you’re still quite bitter about the comment the woman made. Harry hasn’t tried to ask you about it, but you can tell he is dying to know more about the situation that’s behind the madness.

He fixes you a drink and you find yourself sinking into his comfortable and probably ridiculously expensive couch in his living room area.

“I used to want to be a model,” you start, breaking the silence that settled between the two of you. “When I was a teen. I was a lot thinner, I was a competitive dancer until I was seventeen, but I had a knee injury, so I had to quit.”

Harry sits on the other end of the couch, listening to you with patience as he sips on his own drink.

“I was never as thin as the other models at the agency I was trying to get into, but I definitely wasn’t overweight. Yet, they labelled me as a plus size model. I was a healthy, strong young girl with a perfectly good body, yet they told me that I was too fat to be a model.”

Glancing at Harry, you can tell that he is surprised at the information he just learned. He is probably picturing you thinner now, going to model castings and if you’re being honest you enjoyed that part. The trouble came when you got rejection after rejection, telling you to lose weight and come back after that.

“I quit my whole plan to be a model and studied fashion and business instead, consciously working my way towards this point. But I never got over how the industry made me feel less of a person because I wasn’t a size zero.”

For a few long moments Harry just stares at you and it’s actually nice that he doesn’t try to make you feel better right away, praising you how you are perfect just the way you are. Because you’re not, but that’s fine because no one is.

“I’ve honestly never seen a more cruel industry than fashion before,” he then speaks up. “I didn’t grow up in it and still don’t really have that much and deep connection with it, but I know how fucked up it is. And it’s nice to see that you know your worth even after everything that happened.”

Your gaze meets his and you’re looking for any sign that gives away that he is just messing with you, but it’s all genuine. You just shoot him a small smile before lifting your drink to your lips. It’s the most intimate moment you’ve shared with him, including the ones you had in that bathroom.

“Okay, now you tell me something about your life,” you prompt, wanting to divert the conversation on him a little bit.

“What do you want to know?” he asks with a soft chuckle.

“Why did you name your brand Twisted?” you ask. The question has been on your mind for a while.

“It’s coming from my mum’s name. Anne Twist.”

Your eyebrows shoot up, you weren’t expecting such a deep and personal reason behind the name, connected to a family member.

“Why her?”

“Why not?” he smirks shrugging his shoulders. “She raised me and my sister up, I wouldn’t be here without her. It was obvious I would make her be part of it in some kind of way.”

“That’s actually very nice. Who knew that you could be something other than an egoistic asshole!” you joke, making him laugh as well.

“Okay, what’s the meaning behind your brand?” he then turns it back around.

“Well, my aunt met her husband when they were very young, maybe eighteen. She fell in love with Fabio on her trip to Italy and being the impulsive and adventurous woman that she is, she stayed for a month there just because of Fabio. He is a very passionate man and he was always ready to bring the stars down for Julia. He always used to tell her that he would even catch a comet for her, if that’s what she wanted. And that was my aunt’s favorite saying from him. Cometa is comet in Italian. It’s her tribute to the love of her life.”

“That’s easily the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Harry hums and you just smile nodding at him. It really is like a fairytale and it’s also one of the reasons why you were so happy to take her place at Cometa. Julia is still just as in love with Fabio as she was at eighteen and she deserves to spend more time with her beloved husband. She earned the time off after all the sacrifices she made for the company and all through them Fabio stayed by her side. It’s their well-earned happy ending now.

“You know a lot about romantic things?” you cock an eyebrow at him, finishing up your drink.

“Actually, I’m a quite romantic guy.”

“Are you now?”

“Yeah, you just never gave me the chance to show it to you.”

“Oh, so now I’m the bad guy?” you chuckle, handing him your glass when he stands from the couch to get you a refill.

“Exactly!” he chuckles holding up your empty glass on his way. “I hope you know you absolutely broke my heart when you didn’t give me your number that night.”

“Oh, you poor little thing,” you chuckle, resting your head in your palm, your elbow on the back of the couch. “I’m not sorry though. You didn’t give out the right vibes.”

“The right vibes?” he huffs as he returns with your drink and now sits a little closer to you. “What vibe did I give you?” “The vibe that told me I shouldn’t mess with you,” you simply answer as you take a sip from your refilled drink.

“You were so keen on hating me even before you knew who I was, I can’t believe you,” he chuckles shaking his head.

“I’m just cautious!” you protest. “I’ve dealt with some problematic men in the past, I can’t let myself walk right into another one that easily.”

“What did they do?”

“Some men just can’t treat women right. Especially confident ones with a body like mine,” you simply shrug.

Men like to think that bigger girls are so terribly insecure about their body that they need the validation of a male to feel good about themselves. But when you’re confident and feel good in your own skin without needing them to praise you, they think that you’re egoistic, so full of yourself and they are quick to try to drag you down. That’s something you can’t tolerate. You don’t need a man to feel good about yourself, you don’t need anyone for that. You know your worth and that’s all that matters.

Harry’s eyes travel down your body, taking his time on your curves and you smile shaking your head as you reach out and cupping his chin you pull his head up so he is looking into your eyes.

“I honestly can’t see what problem anyone could have with your body. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since our bathroom fiasco,” he bluntly comments making you chuckle, even flattered by his words.

“You are such a flirt,” you grin at him and he doesn’t try to protest.

You stay for a couple more drinks and you drop the heavier topics, venturing over to music, fashion and any funny stories that come to your mind. Harry is actually amazing company when you’re not trying to jump at each other’s throat and for a few short hours you forget that he is supposed to be your competitor.

You’re a little tipsy, but you are definitely not drunk, so when Harry offers you to stay the night you turn it down, calling yourself a car since you are not in the right state to drive.

“I’ll come and pick my car up in the morning,” you breathe out as you put your heels back on that came off your feet sometime during the evening, making yourself home in his place.

“I’ll text you the security number to the garage,” he nods, walking you to the elevator.

“Thank you. And… I guess thank you for the evening,” you smile at him, turning to face him. He is standing close, but still takes a step closer, one of his hands finding your waist as he pulls you against his chest. Your palms lie flat on his chest as you try to get yourself to the right mindset to leave now before you regret doing something. Leaning down his nose nudges against your cheek, before he presses a soft kiss under below your ear, a sigh escaping your lips.

“I should go, the car is here,” you breathe out, but don’t move.

“Mm, okay,” he hums, his lips peppering kisses on your jaw and your cheek, as if you didn’t say a word. You want to continue it, not just because of the alcohol but because the sexual tension between the two of you has been growing since that charity gala, but the remainder of your rationality stops you before your lips could meet.

“Bye Harry,” you smile at him softly as you push him away and you walk into the elevator, leaving him hanging. Again.

“Bye Y/N. I’m still going to try to ruin your company!” he calls after you as you turn around to face him, the sliding doors slowly closing between the two of you.

“Same back at you, Styles,” you smirk before the door closes and you are taken down.

Well, that was a lie. Following your evening at his place neither of you really tries to work against the other, leaving each other be without any fuss. It might also have something to do with how you kept in touch after that day. You’ve been texting occasionally, attending some events together, even had a business dinner together with a few other peers from the industry. Things have been quiet and you’ve been feeling content with the current state you’ve managed to reach. Or so you thought.

It was a silent agreement between the two of you. You both put your projects aside that targeted the other’s profile. Harry stopped looking for designers for his women lines and you put your men department to the side as well. There were a lot to work on beside these fields so you felt like you were in peace. Right until Leslie bursts into your office on a casual Tuesday.

“Have you seen this?” she asks, placing a tablet in front of you with an Instagram account open on it.

You want to ask what you’re supposed to look at, but then you realize what it really is. A shiny new account for a new brand that promises to take online shopping to the next level; female and male as well.

“You think it could be…?” you ask, not quite convinced that Harry is behind this.

“Well, the wording is similar to theirs and creating a new brand might be a solution to their gap in women’s fashion,” she points it out, though you don’t want to believe he could have been working on this all along, basically in front of your face.

But it’s a possibility and you have to consider this option before jumping into defending him without any proof.

“Men can’t be trusted,” you grumble under your breath before jumping into work.

What you didn’t know is that an eerily similar situation goes down in Harry’s office as well when Zayn bursts in, showing him the ad he found for the new brand called Farfalla.

Harry immediately digs up everything about the company, though there’s not much other than their new Instagram account and heavy marketing that started just yesterday.

“What is Farfalla even?” he grimaces leaning back in his chair.

“It means butterfly in Italian,” Zayn explains and Harry’s eyes flicker up to him.

“Italian? You think it’s her?”

“It’s possible,” Zayn nods. “Starting a new brand to finally reach men’s fashion is a good idea.”

“She wouldn’t have done this,” Harry shakes his head in disbelief. Could you be working on this all along? Was this your plan from the start? To make him fall for you and forget about business while you built up your new empire to ruin him?

“What if she did?” Zayn prompts and in a way his suspicion is valid, but Harry is having a hard time believing it. You would never play him this dirty, not after how the two of you have grown closer in the past weeks, almost became friends.

“What are you going to do?” Zayn asks him as he pushes himself away from the desk and quite obviously starts getting ready to leave.

“She is not getting away from this,” Harry mumbles under his breath as he grabs his coat and phone before storming out of the office.

It’s past six when Harry gets to Cometa’s building and he is informed that you’ve already went home. He could have just come back in the morning, but he knew he would just stew in his own anger if he didn’t talk to you as soon as possible. So using his charm he gets the woman sitting behind the front desk to share your address with him, saying that he needs to talk to you urgently. That’s how he finds himself heading to Park Slope, slightly surprised you are not living somewhere in the heart of Manhattan.

As the scenery around his changes, skyscrapers turning into brick buildings and townhouses, Harry tries to figure out what he even wants to say to you. Should he just get straight down to business and accuse you? Snap at you? Or should he give you the chance to explain yourself? He can’t really make up his mind, mostly because he still feels like you betrayed him even though he can’t be sure Farfalla is yours.

Parking down at the address he got from the woman, he stares up at the deep red brick townhouse, a simple, black door at the top of the stairs that’s lined with a few potted plants and flowers. This is not what he would have imagined your home like, but now that he is standing on your doormat, he realizes it kind of suits you.

Ringing the bell he hopes that you’re home and not out and about somewhere in the city, but when he hears the familiar sound of heels clicking on the floor he knows you are on the other side. When the front door flings open and you come into his sight, for a split second he forgets why he is here and his anger vanishes. As always, you look amazing, a tight, black dress hugging your curves, the middle part appearing like it’s a corset, emphasizing the dip of your waist. Your hair is let down in loose curls and your feet are bare, but he knows you probably wore heels all day. You must have gotten home not long ago and as your eyes fall on the man at the door, your expression hardens on him.

“You really had the balls to come her, huh?” you cock your head to the side, keeping your eyes on his green ones for a moment before you let him inside.

“Did you think you could get away with it?” he huffs walking into the hallway and stopping as you close the door and turn to him.

“Me? I could say the same! You thought I would just ignore it or what? I proved you a few times that I’m not stupid, Harry,” you retort, folding your arms on your chest as you walk past him, into the kitchen and he follows.

“You surely are not stupid, playing me so dirty behind my back!” Harry spats standing his ground. “Playing all friendly and nice and then make a fool out of me!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” you question narrowing your eyes at him as you lean against the kitchen island’s counter. “If anyone played dirty it’s you! And you have the balls to come here and talk like this to me in my own fucking home?!” you snap, walking closer to him, keeping your deathly glare on him.

“What the fuck did I do?!” he scoffs throwing his hands into the air.

“You created a whole new brand just to fuck with me! Or did you think I wouldn’t find out about it?!”

“Me? You made a new brand! And you didn’t do a great job hiding the fact that it was your work, even the name is Italian, like your current one!”

You stare back at him, tilting your head to the side as you process what he is talking about. All along, the two of you were accusing each other of something neither of you did.

“Harry,” you breathe out, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Farfalla is not my brand.”

“And I’m supposed to believe it?!”

“Well you better be because it’s the fucking truth!”

“Prove it!” he hisses at you, taking a step closer, his face only inches away from yours now.

“Until about twenty seconds ago I thought that it was your new brand, Harry. I thought that you were the one who backstabbed me!” you snap back, standing up for yourself in this giant misunderstanding you fell into, accusing each other without any proof.

Harry stares back at you, his gaze burning into yours as he stands his ground and you can almost see the gears turning in his head as he processes your words.

“So… it’s not yours? You didn’t do it to fuck me up?”

“Of course not!” you breathe out, suddenly quite tired of all the anger that’s been eating you away through the afternoon. “I thought that we had a kind of silent agreement not to mess with each other so I wasn’t planning anything anytime soon. That’s why I got so mad when I thought you did it!”

“I thought the same!” he growls shaking his head. “I thought you did it all to just make me look stupid, that the friendly act was just so I wouldn’t notice a thing and I fell right into your trap.”

“There was no trap,” you simply tell him and you hope he senses the hidden meaning behind your words.

Luckily he does. But for your biggest surprise there’s no snarky comment or smug smirking, he just steps closer and before you could even protest, his hands find your waist and he pulls you against his hard chest, lips hungry attacking yours. He makes you back until you bump against the kitchen island, his hips pressing against yours as he pushes you against the hard surface, his hands wandering on your sides and back, up and down, exploring every curve of your body while his kisses never slow down, your tongues meeting in the middle.

Bringing up a leg you curl it around his hips, your heel digging into his round ass as he leans forward, making you arch your back, leaning onto the counter as his lips move from your lips to your jawline and neck, his fingers digging into your waist and the thigh that’s lifted by his side. He nibbles on the soft skin of your neck, definitely leaving a mark, but you just comb your fingers through his hair, letting yourself get lost in the sensation.

“As much as I would love to fuck you on a counter again, can we take this to a bedroom?” he mumbles as he kisses his way back up to your lips, smirking against them as he captures them again.

You don’t answer, just grab his hand and pull him upstairs with you, right into your bedroom. He is all over you, lips, hands, tongue, pressed up against you as the two of you stumble your way to your king sized bed. Harry’s fingers fidget with the corset on your dress, but he soon realizes it’s a little trickier than he expected, so leaning back he furrows his eyebrows as he glances down at the dress, still trying to figure out how to get you out of it.

“Harry,” you smile at him softly. “It’s faux. There’s a zipper at the back,” you inform him and he sighs in defeat as he kisses you again, his fingers quickly finding the zipper. The dress pools at your feet and you rid him from his jacket and shirt, revealing his inked chest, a sight you’ve been thinking about way too much lately.

By the time the two of you fall to your bed, neither of you are dressed in more than just your underwear. Because both of you like to be in charge, you roll around for a while, trying to get on top of each other but eventually Harry stays up when he starts going down on you, kissing his way through your heated skin. You don’t shy away when his hands snake under your back and easily unclasps your bra, being bare in front of him is not something that makes you feel uncomfortable or insecure. The way he looks at you, the way he makes you feel brings you so much confidence, you have absolutely no problem being nude.

When your bra flies to the floor, Harry leans back a little to admire you lying there, before his lips find their way over the curve of your breasts, down your stomach. Hooking his fingers into the elastic of your panties he tugs them down easily as you lift your hips, your thighs parting as you bare yourself in front of him.

“Don’t be shy about screaming my name,” he smugly tells you before his lips and tongue meet your clit. Your fingers lace through his hair immediately as you gasp out at the sensation, his tongue drawing the whole fucking alphabet to your bundle of nerves. His arms curl around your thighs, ring clad fingers digging into your flesh as he sucks on the sensitive skin.

“Fuck, Harry! Yes!” you moan out, tugging on his locks when he teases his tongue around your hole, your walls tightening around nothing as you are growing desperate to feel something inside of you.

You pull on his hair, signaling him that you want to get it on with, Hands reaching down to get rid of his boxer briefs before you blindly pull out the drawer of your nightstand, grabbing a condom. His lips eagerly meet yours as he wraps his erected cock and though you would love to have a taste of him like he did with you, you just want to feel him inside you.

“Tell me how bad you want it,” he growls against your lips, teasing you with running just the head up and down your slit.

“If you don’t fuck me right now I’m gonna rip your guts out,” you warn him, earning a soft chuckle as he kisses you again, tongue pushing into your mouth as he finally pushes inside you, his long, thick cock filling you up perfectly and it somehow feels even better than the first time.

“Go hard,” you gasp, a hand coming to grab his ass as you push him even further into you. He doesn’t need more, he starts slamming into you, his hips meeting yours roughly with each thrust, his whole length disappearing inside you every time.

He buries his head into the crook of your neck, licking and sucking on the soft skin. You almost think about telling him not to mark you, but it just turns you on even more so you let him do whatever he wants.

“I want to see you on top,” he pants, lifting his head so his gaze could meet yours. You nod, before the two of you turn around and you straddle his hips, guiding him back inside you as you sink down his length. Your hands are sprawled out on his hard chest as you find your balance in the position, Harry’s eyes roaming your body up and down, not able to get enough of how blissful you look, sitting with his cock buried inside of you, enjoying yourself to the fullest. His hands run up your thighs and upper body until they find your breasts, kneading them as you start moving your hips up and down, back and forth. When you moan his name or gasp because his cock reaches that one particular spot inside you, those are the moments he wishes he could capture on camera and watch whenever he wants.

“I want it from back,” you pant as you lean down and kiss him roughly. That’s all he needs, he helps you get off of him before you get on all four, pushing your butt up in the air while Harry kneels behind you, the sight in front of him hardening his cock even more, if that’s possible. His hands grab onto your waist as he pushes inside you, making you both let out a satisfied moan before he starts moving again.

“Fuck, you look so good like this, Y/N. I love your ass,” he growls, giving it a smack that surprises you, but you absolutely love it.

“Harry, go faster!” you whimper, feeling your orgasm nearing as you grip the comforter on the bed, desperate to reach your climax. You’re just about to reach down between your legs to play with your clit when Harry not only picks his pace up but also reaches around you, two of his fingers starting the circling motions on the bundle of nerves, making your legs shake from the pleasure.

“Come on, baby. Cum for me, cum all over my cock,” he growls, railing you from behind without missing a beat.

“Harry!” you scream when he thrusts into you so harshly, your whole body rocking in the motion.

“Come on, angel. Cum for me,” he murmurs and leaning down he wraps his arms around you, bringing you up straight, your back pressing against his sweaty chest, his hands coming to cup your breasts as he keeps thrusting up into you, pushing you over the edge.

You moan and gasp and scream his name as your walls tighten around his length, riding out your bliss and it helps him reach his own high, his hot breath hitting the back of your neck and shoulder, grunting and cursing under his breath as he fills the condom.

As his thrusts come to a halt, he sinks into a sitting position, bringing you with him, you lean against him feeling like jelly as you’re still just trying to catch your breath. Harry peppers your shoulder with small kisses before you muster the energy to break the position and lie down on the bed.

“Towel is in the bathroom,” you tell him knowing that’s what he’ll look for as he stands from the bed and you point at the door that leads to the joined bathroom. Harry nods and pads his way in there, cleaning himself up before he returns with a small damp towel, doing the same for you. He drops it to the floor next to the bed before joining you, cradling you into his arms as you take a breather together.

One hand is on your shoulder, fingers dancing on the naked skin, the other one is holding your thigh that’s across his lap while your head is resting on his chest.

“You really thought I would backstab you like that?” he hums after a while, breaking the comfortable silence.

“You did the same,” you answer, lifting your head, resting your chin on his chest.

“Touché,” he chuckles, before leaning down he kisses you shortly. “So, if neither of us did it, then we have a quite major problem on our hands.”

“I know,” you hum. “That shit looks promising and they can easily ruin both of us.”

Harry stays silent for a little, but you can see the gears turning in his head. When his gaze snaps back at you, you know he has an idea.

“Unless… we join forces.” Your eyebrows arch as you stare back at him. “I know it’s a risky move, but this is the only way to stay on the top.”

“How much you want to be joined?”

“We could start with just one line, the men part designed by someone from me and the women by someone from you. And if it presents well we can just figure out where to go from there. Obviously, the men part would be sold by us and the women by you, but we could join the pages and direct users to each other’s sites in connection with the lines.”

“That could… actually work,” you nod shortly, thinking about the idea. It needs a lot of planning, but it could actually be a big hit if you do it right. “And you’re willing to partner with me?” you ask cheekily as you push yourself up into a sitting position, Harry doing the same.

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m willing to do about anything with you,” he chuckles, making you smile at his playful answer. “I hope you know I’m not talking about just business,” he then adds with a meaningful look.

“You are still so keen on this?” you sigh, tugging your hair behind your ear.

“Do you not like being with me?”

“I do, surprisingly,” you roll your eyes, making him laugh.

“Do you not like having sex with me?”

“I think the answer is pretty obvious to that,” you give him a look as he smirks back at you.

“Yeah, but I want to hear it.”

“I enjoy having sex with you, Harry,” you roll your eyes again, but he just kisses you short but hard before leaning back.

“So then why shouldn’t we date?”

“Because we are competitors?”

“We just agreed that we should join forces. We are partners now.”

“You are running a little ahead, Harry,” you cock an eyebrow at him. “I don’t know, I haven’t been in a relationship in ages. I probably suck at it at this point,” you shrug, but it’s just a lame excuse and you both know that. Leaning closer Harry smirks at you smugly.

“I have something else you can suck.” You smack his chest at his nasty remark, but can’t push a smile back. His hand finds the back of your head as he pulls you in for another kiss. “I want you, Y/N. I really do. You are all I think about even when you are an annoying piece of shit, getting under my skin. I still want you.”

“Wow, so romantic,” you chuckle shaking your head. “What if we can’t get over our differences in the business? That can easily poison any relationship.”

“Then we’ll have a lot of mind-blowing angry and makeup sex. Those are the best. We can put all our frustration into sex, I think that’s just perfect.”

“What are you, a horny teenager? Sex is all you can think about?” you chuckle.

“It is when I’m lying in a bed with you naked. You can’t blame me,” he grins smugly and you want to hate him, you want to hate him so badly, but you can’t. You want him just as much as he wants you.

“So… partners?” he prompts, tilting his head to the side with a sweet smile as he waits for your answer.

“Partners in business and life?”

“Mhm, that’s the plan,” he nods, his smile growing wider with each passing second.

“Alright,” you breathe out. “So… it’s not—All is fair in war and business?” you ask teasingly, using his own words from earlier.

“Just shut up and kiss me,” he laughs, pulling you in for another kiss.

Thank you for reading! Please like/reblog if you enjoyed!

[ddarker-dreams]

Yan Adult Trio “Love” Languages.

Chrollo: 

Chrollo’s way of showing his love is Quality Time. 

Chrollo, by default, keeps himself busy. Traveling to scope out future heists, selling off items that no longer interest him, etc. So even he is somewhat taken aback by the urge to spend lots of uninterrupted time with you. From the three listed here, Chrollo is going to spend the most time with you. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to your discretion. 

While you busy yourself with various things, Chrollo will come into the room and sit near you. It’s become a regular occurrence. He normally reads or drinks tea, stealing glances at you every now and then. You’ll both remain in silence until Chrollo feels like striking up a conversation. 

“What are you working on? You look quite focused, whatever it is. I’m almost jealous of the attention you’re giving it.”

He enjoys partaking in everyday activities with you. When you grow tired of opposing him, it makes for a decent distraction. Cooking together, gardening, even cleaning. Chrollo wasn’t kidding when he said he could make you forget about those pesky negative feelings if you gave him the chance. 

“Let’s do whatever you’d like this evening,” Chrollo offers, having settled into a comfortable routine with you. “Maybe we can even go for a walk later, though that depends on you.” 

It’s a guilty pleasure of his to run his lips over your neck. He’ll look up at you through lidded eyes, fighting back a smile at how your pulse quickens beneath him. Chrollo knew what he was doing when he made your wardrobe mostly off-shoulder tops. It feeds into a strong urge to mark you as his own, an impulse he doesn’t bother repressing. 

Hisoka:

Hisoka’s way of showing his love is Physical Touch. 

This man cannot keep his hands to himself for the life of him. The way your cheeks flush is addicting, he wishes he could frame that sweet expression and keep it all to himself. The cherry on top would be when you try to conceal your embarrassment. It makes him want to play with you even more, unfortunately having the opposite effect than what you intended.

He cherishes sneaking up behind you. Hisoka will wrap his arms around your torso, hot breath fanning against your ear, the scent of vanilla borderline suffocating. He thinks it’s endearing if you squirm in his grasp. When he finally lets you go, you’ll find yourself unable to move away, as he activates Bungee Gum to keep you in place. Then proceeds to mercilessly tease you for staying oh so close to him. 

“Now, now, what’s this? Here I was, thinking you were trying to get away. If you wanted to be this close to me, all you needed to do was ask.” 

Bungee Gum is the second worst thing to happen to you, Hisoka taking first place. He’ll attach your hand to a surface, preventing you from doing whatever you need to do at the time, observing your futile attempts at freeing yourself with amusement. When you’re at peak frustration, he’ll saunter over to offer an out. 

Hisoka bends down to inspect you. A long, manicured fingernail points to his cheekbone, tapping once. “Give me a kiss here and maybe I’ll think about letting you go ♥.” 

When Hisoka barges back into your life after disappearing for a while, he acts like a giant cat. Constantly draping himself over you, refusing to let you focus on tasks when he’s around, generally making a nuisance of himself. Hisoka acts like your residence is his own and you don’t have a say in the matter. 

Illumi: 

Illumi’s way of showing is love is Acts of Service.

Illumi’s not familiar to love as a concept. He’d take a clinical approach to it, feeling almost robotic, looking more for results than anything else. He sees it as a tool to further cement your position in his life rather than an expression of heartfelt adoration. You might get the impression he’s following a list of steps if he’s trying to romance you, giving flowers with a blank expression and offering monotonous compliments. 

The closest thing you’ll ever receive from him would be offers to give you what you want. If Illumi’s already this involved with you, you’re going to be living on Zoldyck grounds, no questions about it. He personally oversees the elements of your life that are most important. Other than basic necessities, he’d be amiable to you asking things of him. 

Illumi can ultimately be tone-deaf when it comes to pleasing you. He’ll casually mention offing a coworker you complained about once, fully expecting your gratitude for taking the time to do so. Should you express your horror at his actions, he’d be confused, wondering why you’re upset about it when you expressed dislike for them. 

“What? They were annoying, weren’t they? You said so yourself. I don’t get why you’re reacting this way.” 

He’s oddly attentive to your needs, which is confusing in its own right. Your emotional distress doesn’t get you far, but if you run out of your favorite snack, it’s treated as a high priority problem. Illumi’s prioritization is mind-boggling. You’ll be physically comfortable and miserable in every other regard. 

Illumi shoots you an optimistic look. “This dessert is one of your favorites, isn’t it? I remembered.”  

[capesandshapes]

Didn't You Know? (Post Reveal/Pre Relationship)

Summary:

Marinette is sick and realizes that Adrien has a secret to tell her.

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

The music was loud.

Far too loud.

But she knew at the same time that she was drunk, far too drunk; so that might have played a part in it. Adrien sitting at the bar with girls surrounding him—draped on his shoulders and with hands on his knees— might have also played a part in it. Because she’s tired, and sick, and lonely; and he’s there like he always is, waiting to take her home, waiting to take care of her because he feels like it’s his duty.

Because he’s Chat Noir and she’s Ladybug, and he promised one day however many years ago that he would always take care of her. Now she has to live with that. Now she has to live with wanting him, but still not fucking saying it.

And just when her night seems like it can’t get worse, some guy dumps a pint of whiskey on the front of her dress and makes to clean it up, his napkin at the ready to blot it like this totally isn’t some pre-planned thing—

“Oof,” a familiar voice says beside her, placing his sweatshirt around her shoulders before she can even protest and pushing the hands away before the man can try to ‘help’. “Thank you for that, but she’s already taken care of, I think I’m gonna take her home.”

And immediately the guy, some big burly man likely in his thirties, is flinging accusations and acting like he knows everything. “And who are you to do that?” Like he wasn’t just trying to do something awful.

“I’m her husband,” Adrien says, flashing a black and green ring while throwing a cheeky smile over his shoulder as he pulled the two edges of his sweatshirt a little bit closer around her. “Happily married,” he mutters, his eyes softening as they landed on hers and he saw her pull the sweatshirt on to really sell the statement. He leaned forward to zip it up, throwing the man another smile, this one verging on a warning as he placed his hand on Marinette’s shoulder.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize,” the man began, blinking as Adrien made to herd her away.

“It’s fine,” Adrien said, his arm around her shoulders and his eyes staying firmly on her. “She’s going home.” In a stage whisper, he added, “you’re sick, aren’t you sweetheart?”

Which was only half because of the other man and half because she actually was sick, and he wanted an answer.

She had been wondering how long she could keep it from him that night, how long she could last dancing with Alya and accepting only water. Now that he knew who she was, Adrien had a way of seeing through all of her other disguises too. Like her telling herself that she wasn’t sick and trying to act like she wasn’t sick.

Even though a small part of her was afraid she might have caught the flu or been suffering from some sign of overwork…

“I’m going to get your coat,” he said, guiding her near the door.

“Are you also going to go and tell more people that we’re married?” She asked wearily, swaying on her feet.

He laughed, leaving a small kiss on her forehead that almost made her cross her eyes. “I tell everyone I’m married; it keeps them from hitting on me and technically I am…” He raised his hand, waggling his eyebrows at her, “married to the job,” he joked. “I’m taken in more ways than one.”

She wished she didn’t laugh, if only because it encouraged that type of thing. As his friend, she shouldn’t have been happy that he was sitting in clubs with his miraculous on his ring finger, turning away girls who could have been something to him. As his friend, she shouldn’t have raised the sleeve of his sweatshirt to her nose as he walked away, smelling the soft cologne that he’s taken to wearing instead of the Agreste branded stuff.

She really sucked at this whole being his friend thing. More so now than ever.

He reappeared with her jacket, her housekeys in his hand. He didn’t, of course, make any moves to replace the sweatshirt around her shoulders, just another addition to the list of many things that would always make her wonder about where she actually stood with him.

Alya always insisted that he liked her and was just waiting for the right time to say anything, but two years had passed since they’d revealed their identities and Marinette had started to doubt that. If it was more than a childhood crush, he would have told her by now.

Then again, she thought as she watched him wait for their taxi, she hadn’t told him.

***********************************

Adrien unlocked her door and hauled her stuff inside, Marinette following closely behind. He reached around her once she was safely inside, closing the door and locking it.

“I’ll stay on the couch tonight in case you need anything,” he informed her. Adrien was often overbearing when she was sick, a trait that he’d picked up from her once she learned that no one was really around to care for him when the boy was sick. It almost became tradition for the man to sleep in her living room whenever she was ill, another reason why she didn’t want him to know.

It was almost painful how much he cared.

That was the problem with the two of them, someday he would get a girlfriend or she would have another boyfriend, and they would tell him how weird this was, that he cared way too much for the young woman and she cared too far beyond reason for him as well. Then it would end.

She didn’t want it to end.

She wanted a thousand different things in her life, like to start her own fashion line and see the world, but she didn’t want Adrien to leave her.

She was in love with Chat Noir. How long? She couldn’t tell you. Before the reveal, probably. Before she knew that he shared those green eyes with the other guy who made her chest feel heavy and her breathing weak.

“You should shower,” Adrien said. “Are you hungry? We didn’t go out to eat this time.”

“I had a microwave meal.”

“You didn’t eat then,” Adrien proclaimed, marching into her kitchen. Ever since he learned how to cook one summer at Nino’s grandparents, he was a storm in the kitchen. He made food for her whenever he could, always watching her closely for her reaction to that first bite. It reminded her of her father in a way, that excitement to watch her experience new things and know that he was responsible.

She sighed, lumbering into the kitchen on exhausted legs and wrapping her arms around his back, burying her face into it and murmuring her thanks. “I love you,” she mumbled, such a common phrase from her that it always just slipped out.

“I love you too,” he stated, his hands wrapping around hers and giving a reassuring squeeze. “You can put on a new one of my sweatshirts when you get out of the shower,” he said, because eventually she had started a whole collection of them without thinking about it.

She nodded, bending over to remove her high heels before traveling further into the apartment. He was already at her feet by the time she’d managed to overcome dizziness and bend over, beginning the process of unbuckling her heels and tossing them aside.

She blinked at him, feeling his soft blond hair brush against her leg and immediately giving into the urge to touch it. Her hand wove through the back of his hair and he pressed a small kiss to her leg as he finished the last shoe, tossing them aside. “There,” he said, smiling up at her.

She really hoped he thought she was red from the fever.

Freed from her shoes, she felt the world blink in and out as she stumbled to her bathroom, turning the shower on cold to combat her fever despite her body’s pleas not to. She practically fell into the shower and she knew that he heard, rushing to the door as quick as possible. “I’m fine,” she called before he could so much as knock, blinking at the mixture of shampoos and soaps before her. When would she finally make room for Adrien to have his own shelf? She shook her head, tempted as always to see if there was some magic in his fifty-dollar shampoo, but settling for her strawberry-scented one instead. Adrien had teased her the last time she’d used anything on his recommendation.

Finally clean, she emerged from the bathroom, walking the short distance in her towel before ending up in her room. “It’s almost done,” Adrien said from the kitchen as she pulled on a pair of joggers and one of his old sweatshirts, pulling her hair into a sad attempt of a bun.

Deeming herself close enough to presentable, she moved back into the kitchen, steadying herself on the wall when he noticed her and his face broke into a smile.

“You didn’t have any chicken stock, so I made leek soup,” he said, gesturing to the bowls, one for her, one for him.

She nodded, grabbing the bowl and moving to the living room, scooting too close into his side when he settled on the couch beside her, flicking on the tv. He threw on the show they’d been watching recently, a bad soap opera about werewolves that had the sets falling apart around them. She let out the softest yawn when the theme music began, sinking further and further into him until he finally finished his food, placing his arm around her.

“When is she finally going to realize that he’s in love with her,” she grumbled. “I mean, they’re dating, aren’t they?”

“I don’t know,” Adrien said, pulling the empty bowl from her lap and pulling her on top of him, the two laying together as the show continued to play. His eyebrows furrowed, concern for the characters showing on his face, “I mean, she has stuff at his place and everything.”

That didn’t mean anything, Marinette had things at Adrien’s place. She had more than one drawer, a whole closet even. “I mean, he said he’s in love with her, right?”

“Yeah,” Adrien agreed. “And they go practically everywhere together, people invite them as a couple.”

“And he sends her all these texts every day of things that she’s into!” Marinette complained. “I don’t know much about love, but that seems like it’s part of it.”

“Mhm,” Adrien agreed, pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth. “Thank you for the recipes the other day, by the way.”

“No problem—” she began, and then stopped, her eyes sliding over to him. He still watched the tv with the same expression, not even giving what he’d done a second thought.

“I think he’s finally about to say it,” Adrien stated with a frown. “It’s taken long enough.”

But Marinette couldn’t focus on the show at all. All she could do was stare at him. “You almost kissed me,” she marveled.

He cast her a questioning look, looking over at her just slightly before turning back to the tv. “Do you want me to fully kiss you, or?”

Marinette straightened, using her forearms to jerk back from him, her eyes wide.

He blinked, turning around to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed. “Marinette?”

“You kissed me,” she repeated, deciding at the corner was good enough and reaching to touch her mouth with her hand almost absentmindedly, tumbling against his chest in the process.

“Yes?” He said, peeling her off him to look him in the eyes. “I mean, that’s what people do when they’re dating—”

Her mouth fell open.

“Marinette..?”

“We’re dating?!” She yelled, her eyes wild.

He immediately flattened against the couch, looking almost as shocked at the statement as she was. “Marinette, I have stuff at your apartment, you have stuff at mine. I cook for you, we have shows. We watched all of Naruto together. You tell me you love me every day, and I say it back.”

“But that’s—We—” She floundered, almost falling off the couch.

Adrien’s hand caught her. “Marinette, be careful, you have a fever—”

“How long?” She asked, slumping into his hand. “We haven’t even kissed—”

“To be fair, we have kissed plenty of times before and I just assumed—”

“How. Long.” She repeated, and she could see the pure terror grow in his eyes.

“Two weeks?” He said, quickly explaining, “I mean, I sent you that long text about how much I liked you and you sent me back that you would be lucky to be my girlfriend, any girl would—”

She gasped, almost falling backward this time before his hands plastered themselves to the small of her back, the young man sitting up beneath her.

“Marinette?!”

“You’re my boyfriend,” she said loudly. “Oh my god, you’re my boyfriend.”

“Is that a bad thing?” He frowned.

“But you tell people that you’re married—”

“As a private joke,” he corrected. “I also tell people that I’m taken, not as a joke.” His hands pulled back from her, his voice almost unsure as he asked, “do you not want to be?”

“Of course, I want to be,” she squeaked. “I mean, that’s like asking someone if they want to be rich, or have a room full of puppies, or cure cancer—”

The corner of his mouth rose in a smirk.

“It’s just that I didn’t know,” she finished. “I haven’t even kissed you. And now I’m sick and I have this boyfriend here to take care of me, and he’s going to sleep on the couch…” Marinette struggled to list everything else wrong.

Adrien didn’t give her a chance.

No, instead he grabbed the side of her face and pulled her down, pressing his lips against hers in a firm, inarguable kiss.

“Well, I don’t have to sleep on the couch…” he said as he pulled away.

[harrylovex]

WORK PARTY

summary: you get drunk at a work party and chris looks after you...

warnings: alcohol consumption, vomit warning!! fluff and chris being a gentleman, kissing, lots and lots of forehead kisses <3

a/n: i got this idea from a little blurb that i read last night, i was gonna do this for harry to change it up a bit, but then i realised that chris has been stuck in my mind alot recently so why not write it about him?? he’s been looking so delicious recently i can’t deal i can’t take it anymore ;)

you were finishing getting ready, applying the last few coats of mascara when the doorbell rang, signalling that your friend had arrived.

she was giving you a lift to a work party.

work parties were your favourite parties.

you got on with your work colleagues really well, it was a bonus that your boss was the same age as the rest of you.

because of the fact that she was also in her early to mid twenties, she was pretty chill, hanging out with everyone in their offices, and not putting too much pressure on anyone.

your boss was the one hosting the work party, so you knew that there would be great food, fun games and lots and lots of alcohol.

it always felt like more of a college party than a work party.

you had started at this new office job a few months prior, you had been so incredibly nervous, shaking a little as you went in for your first day.

your boss had ordered one of the other colleagues to show you around and introduce everyone.

he told you that his name was chris, and he gave you a tour of the place, reassuring you when he saw you shake as you took a cup of coffee from his hand.

ever since then, the two of you had been pretty close, you laughed and joked together and he made work not so boring at all.

he would flirt with you also, making you blush at least three times a day. you weren’t complaining though, he was gorgeous.

everyone teased you two all the time, saying that you both looked cute together and joking about the sexual tension between you two. you would always go bright red, smiling to yourself when you saw Chris wink at you.

truth is, you really liked chris, he was smart, sexy and just all around a great guy. from the way he acted around you, sometimes you thought that he might like you too, but you couldn’t bring yourself to believe it.

you grabbed your keys and bag as you hurried out the door.

“woah y/n! you look amazing!” your friend called out to you.

“thank you.” you blushed, climbing into the passenger side and fastening your seatbelt.

“chris is gonna go crazy when he sees you like this.”you laughed, brushing it off.

“no, seriously, i’ll have to tell him to stop drooling and to keep his dick in his pants!” she started hysterically laughing as she sped up.

you smiled to yourself, secretly hoping that chris would noticed how dressed up you were. you felt pretty.

you arrived at your boss’ house after driving for about ten minutes. walking up the driveway, you found the door unlocked.

you walked in, peering around the living room. no one was there but there was faint noise coming from the garden. you guessed that’s where everyone was.

walking through the french doors, you saw a few colleagues sitting around a huge campfire. it looked stunning. to say that your boss was rich would be an understatement.

your boss came running over, embracing you in a hug.

“y/n! oh my goodness you’re here! the rest of them should be arriving in a bit and then we can get this party started!” laughter rang out throughout the guests.

she pointed you towards the drinks cart, telling you to help yourself.

you greeted the others with smiles, your eyes catching Chris’ as you scanned the benches.

you noticed chris rake his eyes down your body and it made you blush. he smiled at you, motioning with his index and middle finger for you to go over to him.

you did, and were greeted with a hug. he was wearing a black long sleeve shirt with some teal coloured velvet pants.

as you pulled back from the hug, you got a whiff of his cologne, and oh my god he smelt amazing. he looked amazing too. really handsome and warm at the same time.

“hi.” you smiled up at him.

“hey” he replied. “you look gorgeous.”

your smile grew even wider. “thank you, so do you.”

he chuckled, placing the palm of his hand on your lower back as he motioned for you to sit next to him.

you perched yourself next to him on the bench, striking up conversation with chris and the people around you.

“would you like a drink?” chris asked you, taking a swig of his cup.

“sure. what are you drinking?”

“vodka cranberry.”

“um...i’ll have the same.”

chris laughed, getting up from his seat to grab you a drink.

as he did so, one of your girl friends came over.

“hey y/n! you look so pretty!”

“aw, thanks.” you replied, blushing. “so do you.”

she brushed it off, scooching closer to you.

“so...are you finally gonna get it on with sexy mr. chris evans tonight?”

you laughed, motioning for her to keep her voice down.

“come on y/n, you must know that he fancies you, everyones waiting for one of you to make a move.”

“i don’t know...” you replied. “i guess i want to tell him, but i’m shy.”

“listen, just get some alcohol in you and you’ll be fine! honestly, have you seen how he looks at you? he’s totally in love!”

chris appeared then, holding out your drink.

“what are you guys talking about?” he asked.

“oh! um...nothing. just about next weeks plans.” you replied quickly, as your friend walked off, winking at you.

you shook you head, making room for chris so that he could sit back down.

“thanks for the drink.” you took a sip, immediately liking the taste.

“no problem.” chris sat down, even closer to you than earlier, your thighs touching.

as the night went on, it got colder, and everyone got drunker.

you felt dizzy as you slouched against chris, pulling the blanket that your friend had given you over your legs. you looked at the stars as they spun, making you laugh.

you and chris were both very drunk, which meant that you couldn’t keep your hands off of eachother.

he had his arm wrapped around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him every few minutes, if that was even possible.

your legs were draped over chris’ thighs, his hand rubbing circles on your thigh under the blanket, squeezing every now and then at the skin to make sure you were still there. everything felt fuzzy and numb.

you slouched into him further, your head basically in his armpit, relishing in the feeling of his hand on your thigh.

he was chatting to someone on his left, turning his head every few minutes to kiss your forehead.

after a while everyone decided to go inside and get warm.

chris pulled you off of him much to your dismay as he stood up. he pulled you up with him, his hand entwined with yours.

he bent his head a little, making eye contact.

“you okay?” he asked you, sliding your hair behind your ear.

“yeah i’m good, just cold.” you couldn’t help but laugh a little, his face blurry in front of you but you could still make out his piercing blue eyes. “and also very drunk.”

chris laughed, kissing your forehead quickly, his hand holding the side of your head.

you hummed quietly at the feeling of his lips pressing softly on your skin for the tenth time today, your eyes closing.

“what?” he smiled at you.

“nothing.” you mumbled. “that just feels nice, do it again.” you ordered.

“yes ma’am.” chris laughed, pressing his lips to your forehead once more, his lips lingering on your skin for a few seconds.

you and chris managed to find a seat on the sofa, squeezing in beside everyone else. most of your colleagues were dancing in the middle of the room, music blasting through the house. you peered around the room, noticing how everyone was far from sober.

you didn’t feel like dancing, you much prefered being hunched up to chris, and by the sudden movement of his hand resting on your knee, he felt the same way. his hand was warm, and you slowly started to gain some feeling back into your legs.

his fingers rubbed small circles on your kneecap, as you slurred your way through a conversation with a friend.

eventually one of your friends came over, pulling you up to dance. you turned to chris quickly.

“i’ll come find you later.” you said.

“alright love, i’ll be here.”

after dancing for about half an hour, you started to feel sick. maybe the ten vodka cranberries you drank had been a bad idea. you turned to your friend.

“hey, my stomach hurts, i’m gonna sit down for a while.”

she didn’t hear you, too busy dancing.

your stomach churned, signalling that if you didn’t get to the bathroom in the next five minutes, you were going to puke all over the lounge floor.

you spotted chris over in the kitchen, leaning against the sink.

“chris!” you stumbled over to him.

“y/n! hey, what’s wrong? are you all right?”

“no i think i’m gonna be sick. can you take me to the bathroom?”

“of course follow me.”

he grabbed your hand in his, dragging you up the stairs.

he pulled you into the bathroom just in time. you took one step towards the toilet and puked into it. all your drinks from the last few hours getting out of your system.

“oh, y/n...it’s okay just breathe through your nose.” he kneeled beside you.

chris held your hair back as you continuously spewed into the toilet, rubbing circles into your back to calm you down.

you shut your eyes, trying not to focus on what was happening.

after a few minutes, you sat back against chris, panting heavily.

he continued to rub your back slowly, wiping a cold flannel over your face.

you were horrified.

“chris i’m so sorry.” you mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

he just laughed, not seeming bothered at all.

you stood up with his help, laughing a little at the whole situation that had just taken place.

you washed your face with cold water from the tap, brushing your teeth and tongue thoroughly with an unopened toothbrush you had found in a cupboard.

chris stayed with you the whole time, his hand in yours, making sure you didn’t have the urge to throw up again.

you were still drunk, just less so. you kept giggling everytime you looked at chris through the mirror.

“what’s so funny?” he asked, joining in with the laughter.

“i don’t know...”

you made your way downstairs, feeling better.

you were about to make your way into the kitchen to make a drink when chris grabbed your wrist.

“y/n i don’t think it’s a good idea for you to keep drinking, you just threw up all your insides back there.” he laughed but you could tell from his tone that he was being serious.

you pouted and he pulled you closer to him, kissing you on the forehead.

“fine. maybe i should go home then. it is getting kinda late.”

“i’ll take you.” he said without hesitation, pulling you again towards the door. you thought that by throwing up next to him he would be a little distant, but if anything he was even more attentive and caring.

you both waved to everyone quickly. they hardly noticed, their minds clouded with alcohol.

chris had pretty much sobered up completely by now so he offered to drive you home.

you weren’t really listening. all the alcohol and vomiting had made you really sleepy. you leaned into chris as he guided you down the driveway. the cool air making you shiver.

chris rubbed at your shoulders as he slipped off his jacket to give to you.

“thanks chris” you mumbled with your eyes half-closed. “i don’t know what i’d do without you.”

he chuckled, helping you into the passenger seat of his car.

he leaned over you to plug your seatbelt in, and you took this opportunity to lean forward, smelling the top of his head.

“y/n, what are you doing?”

“i’m smelling your hair. it smells nice.”

chris laughed. “what does it smell like then.”

“it smells like chris.” you smiled up at him, poking at his cheek. your own face felt incredibly numb.

“and what does chris smell like?” he asked.

“like fresh bed sheets and warmth.”

chris laughed and kissed you on the forehead again. he seemed to be doing that alot tonight. but you definetly weren’t complaining.

you both drove home in silence. the windows down a little to let fresh air in.

chris hummed as he drove, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding your hand, squeezing it every now and then to make sure you were alright.

you loved when he was attentive like this.

and in that moment, driving along the road feeling dizzy, you decided that you really did see chris as more than a friend.

he was everything you’d ever hoped for in a guy, and more.

once you had parked outside your flat, chris helped you out of the car and up the steps, his arm around your waist the whole time.

you fumbled with your keys, finally getting the door open.

“let’s get you to bed ey? i’ll make sure there’s water and an aspirin for when you wake up. you’re definetly going to need it.”

“oi! i’m not that drunk!”

“whatever you say.” he rolled his eyes, helping you to your bedroom. he disappeared to grab the water and aspirin whilst you got undressed.

you held onto the bed as you got undressed, nearly loosing your balance as you pulled your dress down your legs.

“y/n what was that guys name that I was-“ chris stopped in his tracks, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.

you were standing beside the bed in a small bralette and high-waisted panties.

“what are you doing?” he asked quietly, his face red.

“these are my pyjamas!” you sat down on the bed.

“sure they are...” chris moved towards you.

“creep.” you smirked at him as he laughed.

he came and sat next to you on the edge of the bed, handing you the water.

“thanks.” you mumbled, gulping it down in seconds.

chris took the glass from you when you were done, placing it on your bedside cabinet. he turned to face you, his hand resting on your cheek.

“thanks for looking after me tonight chris, honestly i shouldn’t have drank that many vodka cranberries. i’m sorry.”

he laughed, “stop apologising.” he said. “i’d do anything for my favourite girl.”

you looked up at him, his eyes boring into yours.

the room went silent and you weren’t sure what made you do it, but you leaned over and kissed him.

his lips captured yours, chris groaning a little from the contact.

his lips were incredibly warm, pushing back onto yours as he deepened the kiss.

your hands went up to his hair, whilst his went to your waist. you opened your mouth a little, wanting to feel chris’ tongue against yours.

he noticed, pushing his tongue into your mouth.

after a few minutes, you pulled back, catching your breath.

you waited for chris to say something. his lips swollen and his pupils dilated.

“you have no idea how long i’ve wanted that to happen.”

you giggled, moving to kiss him again.

you kissed for a while longer, your hands moving to take off his shirt. he stopped you.

you pouted as he pulled back.

“what?” you asked him.

“listen y/n, as much as i want to, i can’t have sex with you tonight...you’re drunk.”

you were shocked.

“come on chris...please? i want to i promise.”

he laughed, removing your hands from his lap.

“i know you do love, and so do i...more than anything. but i can’t take advantage of you like this when you’re drunk. if you still want to do it tomorrow..that’s fine.”

you frowned at him as he smiled.

he kissed you once more, making you laugh. you could never stay mad at him.

“fine.” you hugged his torso. “i hate the fact that you’re so nice.”

he laughed loudly, kissing you lovingly on the forehead.