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#haven’t done an imagine in a while admittedly because i’m busy and a little out of ideas (but i have 20 drafts?? so)
vellichorsdesire · 18 days
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f/o who doesn’t usually receive compliments and finally gets one from you and their brain just. malfunctions on the spot and doubts your words… voice going a little shaky (asking ‘…really?’) and the redness on their face showing their embarrassment to be on the receiving end so suddenly. eventually they learn that this will happen way more often with how much you do care for them, though they don’t think they’ll ever get used to it…
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laundrybiscuits · 5 months
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Found myself reading some old Inception fic and felt the urge to poke at an AU idea—I know ST fandom skews a little young, so I genuinely don’t know how many people will even get this. If there are Inception primers out there, I haven’t bothered to find them, so…you’re on your own, kids. 
“Absolutely not. I do my own forges.” Eddie sweeps the file off the table and directly into the trashcan; admittedly, it’s not the most mature thing he’s ever done, but Henderson’s getting on his last goddamned nerve. 
The little twerp has the fucking audacity to roll his eyes and groan, like Eddie’s the one being unreasonable. “I know this guy, don’t be a dick. He can do it. Don’t you wanna focus on your super special architect stuff?”
“What you and every other dumbass dilettante drowser don’t seem to grasp is that my architecture is alive, and I breathe life into it via my meticulously crafted characters. I create richly textured worlds, Henderson, and I populate them myself. That’s why I’m the best in the fucking business: because I understand that the people and the setting are one and the same, and I can handle both.”
“Eddie.” Henderson crouches to grab the file out of the trash, and smacks it back down on the table. “I’m running this team, and I’m saying I don’t want anything like what happened in Munich to ever happen again. Okay?”
“Low blow, kid,” snaps Eddie. “Munich wasn’t on me.” 
“I know, jeez. I just…” Henderson takes a second to tap the loose sheets in the file back into place, then stands there with his lips pressed together like he’s keeping something in. After a moment, he just says, “This isn’t going to be Munich. Because Steve’s going to be here.”
———
It’s not Munich. It’s not Munich at all. It is the furthest fucking thing from Munich possible. 
Eddie’s never had a job go that smoothly—and it’s not down to Henderson’s obsessive prep, because it should’ve been a slippery one. The kind of job that twisted partway through into something frustratingly unexpected, forcing them to improvise and take whatever half-win they could squeeze out of the mark’s subconscious while dodging completely unexpected security. 
Instead, it’s so incredibly not-Munich that the client gives them a fucking bonus, and when was the last time that happened? The bonus is generous enough that Eddie’s share can cover a whole new safehouse in Melbourne, which should have been great news, something to celebrate, except for the absolutely unholy amount of smugness now radiating from Henderson.
Eddie avoids the I-told-you-so conversation as long as he can, but he can’t run forever.
“I told you so,” says Henderson, flopping unceremoniously into the dark wooden chair next to Eddie.
“This is a library, dude. Keep your fuckin’ voice down,” says Eddie, without much hope. He’d heard Henderson was supposed to be meeting up with Sinclair in Lima this week; so much for that intel.
Henderson waves a dismissive hand, gesturing vaguely at the domed skylight high overhead. “It’s not like a library library. It’s basically a museum.”
“The goddamn State Library of Victoria is absolutely one hundred percent a library library, genius. See all the books? But also, do you think people go around yelling in museums?”
“Maybe they should! What we should be focusing on now, though, is that I was right about Steve, and I think it’s important for our working relationship that you acknowledge I was right.”
“I don’t have to acknowledge shit,” says Eddie, slumping down and ignoring the glares they’re starting to get from everyone in the atrium. “Anyone ever tell you you’re an egomaniac, kid? I don’t even get why you’re so hot on the guy, anyway. He’s like—the least imaginative forger I’ve ever met.”
It comes out a little harsher than he’d meant it. It’s just that forgers, as a people, tend to be easily swept into flights of fancy.
Eddie’s always sort of thought it was a requirement of the profession: when he’s inhabiting a character, part of his mind is always working to generate the little details that make them feel like a whole person. Their secret fears and even more secret hopes. How they deal with boredom or anger, what their gut reactions are. The small gaps between how they see themselves and how others see them. That’s where Eddie thrives, and he thinks that if he were less hooked on the magic of spinning up entire worlds for marks to wander through, he might forge full-time, just for the thrill of riding that uncertainty. It’s how he was taught, but clearly, Steve learned something different.
What Steve does isn’t really classical forging—not in the way Eddie thinks about it, usually. Steve just…walks into a situation, says some stuff, maybe gives the mark a smile all warm and private like a whispered secret. And then the mark folds. It’s maddening how easy Steve makes it look. Oh, he’ll pull on the right costumes and tweak his physicality a little, but it’s always still just Steve underneath. 
Maybe that’s the trick. Eddie’s forges work because he crafts lavishly detailed lies; Steve’s forges work because there’s some kind of real, solid honesty at the core. 
“I’m going to ignore the hurtful thing you just said because I know you hate to admit it when I’m right and you’re wrong,” Henderson informs him. “You really gotta work on that. More importantly, I’ve got a lead on a new job, and Steve already said yes.”
It’s not like Eddie needs the money. Henderson’s a nightmare to work with. And there’s the, y’know. The Steve Harrington of it all. Eddie has a million reasons to say no.
“Yeah, whatever,” he says instead. “When do we start?”
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wannabe-fic-writer · 3 years
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Moment In Time
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader
Summary: Just when you've gotten out, you’re given a reason to come back.
Warnings: Mild Language
Chapter 5
* * * * * * *
“You and Fury seem to forget that I’m retired pretty easily.” You say, eyes focused on your surroundings instead of the man talking to you.
A nice breeze flows past, followed by another crowd of passersby. The street is busy as always at this time of day but you always appreciate the hustle and bustle of the city. Something about it appealed to you. 
New York has always been busy, for as long as you can remember. Admittedly, with the lack of advanced technology in your time, people spent a lot more time talking to each other in passing than they now spend on their phones.
“No one’s forgotten, except maybe you,” Tony says and you turn to refocus your attention on him.“ Or did you forget that it was you who copped a ride with Fury to Sokovia.”
Of course you didn’t forget that. That mission had been more dangerous and life threatening than any one you’d previously been on. 
The man hums and nods, a soft chuckle leaves his lips,“ unless of course you weren’t there for the team.” 
“What?” Your eyebrows pinch together,“ what’re you talking about?” 
“I’m talkin about you and Romanoff.” He leans forward, pushing his coffee cup away a little.“ Clint told me about that little moment you two had before the city fell. What’d you do? Spring to action when you realized Natasha was in danger?”
Your eyes roll but you avoid answering his question. Cause that is actually what you did. On top of being generally concerned with the safety of your friends, your main focus was Natasha. You’d never admit it, out loud, but you know that’s what happened. And you know why you did, even if you won’t admit it at all. 
“Awe, don’t want me exposing your crush on Nat?” He further teases and your nose turns up at him.
“Think I liked you better when you were running around in pjs and building robots and stuff.” He makes an offended face and you smile sarcastically at it.“ If I agree to train the Maximoff kids will you not mention these supposed feelings for Natasha that you assume I have.”
For a moment he looks at you, then nods.“ You’ve got yourself a deal Y/ln. Also,” he pushes his chair back and stands up,“ you’re just training the girl. Rogers apparently has some special plan for Speedy.” Picking up his cup, he claps his hand on your shoulder with extra force, and walks away.
Just as you’re about to slouch into your seat to stay an extra few minutes he calls out for you to come with him and you resist the urge to groan. Sighing softly, you finish your tea and get up. 
As you expected Tony takes you to the tower. His choice of music blasts through the sports car and you can’t help but chuckle. Since he was thirteen he’d been obsessed with classic rock. You have no idea what the first song he heard was but whatever it was it hooked him to the genre.
Through the loud music he explains everything you’ll have to go over with Wanda and mentions that he’s getting a facility together upstate that will become the new Avengers HQ, but that move is going to take some time so the tower is still “home” as of now. You nod along, knowing that if not for your enhanced abilities you wouldn’t be able to hear him correctly.
By the time Tony pulls into the private parking garage, whipping into his spot and turning the car off, you completely understand what role you’re about to play in terms of training Wanda.
“What? Eager to get to work?” He asks after you’ve practically sprinted out of the car. 
“More like eager to get out before my ears start bleeding.” You tell him, glancing over your shoulder at him to stick your tongue out playfully. You don’t have to keep looking at him to know he rolled his eyes. 
The familiarity of the building makes it easy to navigate. Pretty much leaving Tony in the dust, you walk through the lobby to the elevators. Taking them up to the training floor. 
Your plan hadn’t been to see anyone just yet. Mainly coming here to form some sort of plan as far as training the Maximoff girl goes. Only for her to be the person you run into once having stepped into the training room.
She’s across the room, fingers running over the edges of a treadmill as her eyes look through the large floor to ceiling window. You imagine she’s taking in the sight the tower provides of New York. 
“Beautiful isn’t it?” You ask, effectively grabbing the young woman’s attention. She turns her head to face you, eyebrows pinching together as she’s not familiar with you, only having seen you just before you hugged Natasha in Sokovia. 
“It is.” She replies shortly and you chuckle at it, stepping further into the room. 
Giving her a soft smile you introduce yourself,“ I’m Y/n,” you move over to the weight benches,“ Stark asked me to come in and help you adjust.”
Her eyes narrow and that draws your attention to the fact that her eyes are green.“ Are you an Avenger? Because I haven’t seen you around here.”
“I am not. I’m supposed to be retired but no one seems to give a damn so here I am.” Spreading your arms a little to emphasize your current location.
For whatever reason your words make her giggle and you smile at that, happy to have broken the ice at least a little. 
“So how’re you going to help me adjust Y/n?” Her inquisitive gaze follows her moving closer to you.
“Not sure. What do you need help adjusting to?” Your head tilts and your eyebrow quirks.“ The training regiment? Your new chaotic teammates? Living in New York?” 
“Is all of the above an option?” She asks, and although you know she’s serious you still hear the teasing in her tone. 
With a quiet laugh you nod,“ all of the above is an option.” You let her know.“ Um, I’m not sure of all the details with the move upstate but how about I show you around the tower and we can go over the basics of your training and such?” You decide to pose it as a question in case she doesn’t want to.
“That would be nice actually.” She smiles and you notice that it’s truly genuine. So with a smile in return, you motion for her to follow you out of the room. 
With her being on this floor, you assume she’s seen it all. Not that there’s much to see. It’s the training floor so there’s nothing but gyms and a locker room. Getting in the elevator, you press the number for one of the floors dedicated to just hanging out.
Not liking the silence of the elevators, Wanda breaks it with a question.“ So why didn’t you join the Avengers?” 
“Um,” you take a deep breath and release it as a sigh,“ I’d already done the whole superhero thing before. The Avengers came in and I was no longer needed.”
“Oh really?” She asks and her tone of voice makes you chuckle, then nod.“ And what made you want to be a superhero?”
The elevator stops and the doors slide open.“ I saw what they could do. The difference superheroes make in people's lives.”
Picking up on the shift in your energy, Wanda frowns, ignoring the very expensive looking stuff in the room.“ What happened?” She asked carefully, as if she were trying not to trigger something. 
“I-” you sigh softly, contemplating whether to actually tell her or not. Looking into her eyes you see past the general curiosity and what you find pushes you to tell her. 
So you both get comfortable on one of the couches in the room and you open up to her.“ I was taken by HYDRA when I was fairly young. And it’s not like the guards and scientists were interested in anything other than making me the perfect weapon. So when they started to experiment on me I was already in a horrible state physically. My health was on a steady decline and none of their experiments worked, it actually made me fatally ill. And with no further use of me, they’d left me there to die.” 
Wanda listens intently, eyes misting with tears at the information of your mistreatment.“ But you didn’t.”
“No I didn’t,” you both laugh softly at that.“ The, at the time soon to be, founders of SHIELD were working with the US military to shut down HYDRA after World War II and they found the facility I was being held in. While they saved everyone who was being held captive there, I was in the worst shape. Seeing that I was on the verge of death, they made a decision to administer the super soldier serum to me to save my life.”
Wanda’s eyebrows raise and you have to admit that her expression is amusing.“ You’re a super soldier from World War II?” You nod.“ How old would that make you?” 
“I’m 90. And I wasn’t in the war. I was born before the war. When it started I was 16 and already in a HYDRA base.”
She looks down and bites her bottom lip. You know she has another question on the tip of her tongue. And with her background, having volunteered to be experimented on by HYDRA, you know she’ll have a lot more questions after that.
So with a deep breath, you ask what’s on her mind and tuck in for a long conversation.
* * * 
After a long day at SHIELD, going over papers to further induct the twins into the Avengers, Natasha finally gets back to the tower. She ignores all the SHIELD agents rushing in and out of the lobby and goes straight for the elevators. 
Mentally, she admits that after the headache that is going into SHIELD, the sound of your laugh as soon as she gets on the main floor is refreshing. A small smile forms on her face and she makes her way towards the kitchen where she hears your voice.
While she knows you’re friends with the rest of her team, she can’t help but wonder if you came here to see her.
That thought falls short the instant she reaches the kitchen doorway. She quickly finds that the source of your laugh is the same young woman she’d just been recruiting onto her team. 
In fact, laughter comes from you and Wanda as you cook together. The aroma smells incredible but she can’t help but to remember that this is the very same thing the two of you had done on multiple occasions. 
“Nat, hey, when’d you get here?” 
Your voice pulls Natasha from her thoughts and she almost smiles again. Almost. 
“A few minutes ago.” She decides to take a step closer, which puts her right in the doorway.“ What’re you two making?”
“Um,” your eyebrows pinch together and you look at Wanda.
“Paprikash.” She answers with a quiet giggle and a shake of her head. 
You smile at her then look back up at Natasha,“ we’re making Paprikash.”
The redhead hums, debating with herself on whether she should stay or not. An indescribable feeling nagged in the back of her mind, growing more persistent as she looks at you and Wanda happily interacting with one another. It gradually chips away at her excitement to spend time with you and she hates it.
With a huff she says,“ I’ll leave you two to it.”
She turns on her heel and walks away, effectively dodging the blue blur that is Pietro running into the kitchen, heading back to the elevator. With her floor practically empty due to the move, she wasn’t eager to go up but it seemed more relaxing than watching someone else make you laugh and smile how she did. 
Just as the elevator doors have started to close you slip through, narrowly missing getting your arm caught between the doors, and stand directly in front of her. Your eyes scan her form, up to her face and lingering there. She watches as you take her in, your eyes finally meeting. 
In a soft voice, one that practically melts her heart, you ask,“ are you okay?” She can’t say she expected you to ask that, plus the equally as soft look in your eyes, she grasps for an answer. One that isn’t ‘I didn’t like seeing you so happy with someone else’.
“Just tired. It’s been a long day and my floor isn’t exactly relaxation friendly right now.” She excuses. 
Nodding along, you smile a little at her,“ think I could help with that if you’d let me.” And there’s no way she’s saying no.
That’s how, a little over thirty minutes later, she finds herself following you into your apartment building with takeout bags and beer in hand. 
You hadn’t explained the plan until you were picking up the food. Telling her that a change of scenery might be exactly what she needs. Her trying to relax and unwind at the Tower was equivalent to a lawyer trying to relax at their firm.“ You can’t destress from work at work.” You reasoned. 
Unlocking your door, you gently push it open and hold it for Natasha. She wasn’t sure what to expect of your apartment, but what she finds definitely isn’t it.
Walking into your apartment makes her a little confused. It’s like stepping into a time vault that housed a number of different eras all at once. While things like your appliances and a few tables or paintings were modern or at least from the last decade, your couch, chairs, and even your cabinets look dated.
It was as if you furnished your home without a single clue of what you actually knew you wanted to present. But it’s you. Natasha finds that it almost perfectly embodies the person she’s come to know you to be. 
Since the moment she met you it was clear you were equally as present as you were stuck in the past. Your friendships with Tony and Steve showed that in an ironic way. With Tony the majority of your conversations or bonding was over the future, things he was planning, building, or tinkering with that would change the future. While with Steve you focused on the way things used to be in the era you grew up and were raised in.
“Nice place.” She finally says, moving her eyes from the kitchen to you.“ Very, you.”
The look you give her makes a small giggle leave her lips. You seemed so proud of her first comment and then the second one made you frown, as if you couldn’t tell if you should take it as an insult or a compliment. 
“Don’t think too hard Y/ln, your ears are starting to smoke.” She says jokingly, patting your cheek without giving it any thought. Her turning away makes her miss the way you flush at her inconsequential touch. 
At your invitation, she makes herself at home, finding a spot on the couch and starting to unpack the food. You join her shortly after with plates and forks, turning the tv on and going to a channel you both enjoy watching. 
“How you feelin about the move?” You ask, picking up your plate and leaning back against the couch. Even though the tv is on, Natasha can’t help but notice that all your attention seems to be on her. 
While she is definitely used to the attention, men and women alike focusing solely on her because of her looks, your attention is different. She knows it would be unreasonable of her to think you aren’t paying attention to her for her looks because well, when she gives you attention the first thing she looks at is your looks. You’re incredibly attractive, especially to the redhead. But it was more than that. 
On both ends, yourself and Natasha saw the physical beauty, but you looked beyond that. You saw the beauty of each other’s personalities. 
You’re lighthearted, you have an outlook on life that she finds intriguing, and not just because you’re decades older than her, it was how you maintained a fairly optimistic view on things despite the cards you’d been dealt in the past. On top of that you’re honest and caring, especially to the people you consider friends and family.
As far as she goes, you see her in, almost, the same way she sees you. She’s honest. Shows her care in a way that you find adorable, mainly because it’s so nonchalant. Her will to keep going, to endure the many trials she’s been through. Her strength never fails to amaze you. Not to mention the absolute admiration you have for her in regards to her clearing her ledger. Especially since being an Avenger means so much more to her than just that. 
That thought alone sends a rumbling of butterflies in her stomach and she hates how childish it feels but loves it all the same. 
“Um,” she looks down, letting her hair curtain between you two to hide the blush that rises.“ I can’t say I feel any particular way about it.”
When she feels your fingers ghost over her cheek, she has half a mind to grab your hand and break it, but it’s you and she’s been secretly craving your touch. In the softest gesture she’d ever been on the end of, you brush her hair back. Your fingers lightly run over her cheek and temple as you hook her hair behind her ear. 
She looks over to see you drop your head slightly to catch her eye, a little smile on your face.“ It is okay if you aren’t all that happy to be leaving. The tower has been your home for the last few years. An attachment or even familiarity with it is understandable.” 
“I-” she sighs, just barely tilts her head closer to your touch, then lifts her head.“ I’ve never had a home Y/ln.” She knows you can hear the hurt in her words, cause admittedly she didn’t hide it like she usually would. She doesn’t feel the need to with you.
You go quiet for a moment and Natasha wonders if maybe she should’ve kept her somber comment to herself. The instant she considers walling herself off again, you speak.“ Well then maybe,”
She raises an eyebrow at you.“ Maybe what?”
“Maybe this could be your home.” You swallow, nerves manifesting in the way you play with your food.“ I know you’ve only just been here today but, everyone deserves a safe haven. Somewhere they can escape from the rest of the world. Everyone deserves a home.” You finally look back into her eyes,“ especially you Nat.”
You didn’t know but in that moment you got to her in a way no one else ever had. You didn’t tear her walls down. Instead, as if understanding the very reason the walls had been put up in the first place, you built a door to her heart and soul. And only you hold the key to it.
She’s hit with the weight of her feelings for you, feelings she’d never had for anyone before. As terrifying as she finds it, she can’t help but think that if there’s anyone who she could trust to be gentle with these feelings it’s you.
* * * * * * *
Taglist: @owloftheshadows @natasha-danvers @blackxwidowsxwife @yumusak-yastik @b-5by5 @fayhar @lostandsearching @iliketozoneout @thewidowsghost @ecruzsalaz
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yyxgin · 3 years
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7 days (lee minho)
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pairing: lee minho x gn reader genre: fluff, best friends to lovers au, college au word count: 3.7 k  warnings: swearing, mention of alcohol in like one sentence listen to: 7 days - nct dream requested by: anon
synopsis: you confess your love to your best friend for a whole week before he finally takes it seriously.
THINGS YOU SAID MASTERLIST 28) things you said in the dark
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MONDAY
Lee Minho is your best friend. Now, Lee Felix would disagree and say you’re in love with him, and your roommate might be right, but you’ll never actually admit it to him. You managed to hide your feelings for the older boy for far too long now and you’re not just going to lose your streak for nothing, right? 
Wrong.
Well, it’s not your fault that you have to break the little promise you gave to yourself. It’s all on Lee Felix and his pathetic bet. You should have known better than to make bets with a short Australian boy, but you guess even your brain has its dark moments and this was surely one of them.
“I bet you’ll forget to take out the things from the dishwasher before I come back from my afternoon class,” he prompts to say while putting on his shoes in the hall, glaring at you after a small argument you two had over who is the dirtier one in your apartment (it’s obviously Felix. He just can’t stand the truth). 
“Oh yeah? What are we betting on, then?” you mock him, pouting in annoyance. 
“If I come back and the dishwasher is still full, you’ll have to confess to Minho. No excuses.” he spits at you, putting on his coat and taking his backpack from the floor, looking like an angry cat. 
You snort at his comment. “As if,” you roll your eyes, “okay, deal. And if I don’t forget and you lose this bet, you’ll have to clean for the whole year alone. I’m not helping in the slightest.” you bark at him, watching him open the door and snickering at your proposal.
“Right. Okay,” he nods his head, getting out of your shared apartment, “deal.”
Now, this was a huge deal for you. It was important for you to win this bet, because, well, you hate cleaning. And on top of that, you can’t just confess to your best friend out of the blue, right? That would be horrible. Everyone would have thought you paid much attention to your task and that you actually did what you had to do-- take the dishes out of the dishwasher for once. It was easy!
Well… you see… Friends were on the TV. 
Isn’t that enough of a reasoning for you forgetting? No? 
Okay, right, maybe you do have a memory of a goldfish. But it’s totally not your fault that the episode that was running was just your favorite and Felix’s afternoon class wasn’t as long as you thought it was going to be!
Needless to say, Felix came home to a full dishwasher and a shit-eating grin on his face announcing his victory, bringing you back to your senses.
“Oh no..” you curse under your breath, fear in your eyes.
“Do it. Now,” he orders, “call him. I can’t believe you actually forgot.” he shakes his head, laughing to himself, “oh, well, I did think you would, but something inside of me still had a little bit of hope.” he shrugs, watching you nervously sweat under his gaze.
“I can’t!” 
“It was a bet, you little bitch! Do it now or I’m telling him!” he yells, motioning to your phone and glaring at you for the thousandth time that day, making you take it with shaky fingers and a deep sigh coming out of your mouth, dialing your best friend’s number, because truth be told, maybe you do fear your roommate just a little bit. He is short, but full of angst and rage for this world and you didn’t want to be the victim of that.
“Hello?” Minho asks, making you tremble even more with the reality hitting you.
“M-Minho?” you call into the phone, biting on your nails as you put your phone on speaker so Felix can watch you do the biggest mistake of your short life.
“Yeah?” he asks nonchalantly, making your heart skip a beat.
“I love you.” you deadpan, hearing the other side of the line get silent. It’s not an outcome you predicted, but it’s not the one you would like to hear either. 
After a while, there’s a short snicker coming out of the speaker followed by a teasing question that makes you instantly roll your eyes. “Who doesn’t?”
And you chose this as your object of interest? You huff, instantly getting irritated as all of your nerves leave your body. “I love you, Minho.”
“Did you drink?” he asks, “I mean, I know it’s only like 4pm or something, but with you and Felix living together, you never know…”
“No, I didn’t drink anything. I’m completely sober-” you prompt to say, getting cut off by your best friend again, his voice coming out in a rushed statement.
“Okay, I have a class in like 5 minutes and I haven’t gone out of my apartment yet, so please don’t get wasted and I’ll see you soon, bye!” and with that, he gives you no time to answer as he ends the call, leaving you sitting shocked in your living room with a silent phone in your hand and a moment to take in.
“So... I guess it went good?” you mumble, raising your eyebrows at your roommate that just shakes his head at you.
“You’re gonna try tomorrow again. I’m not letting you go before he takes your confession seriously.” 
“Felix-”
“No excuses.” he glares.
You had to clean out the dishwasher that afternoon anyway.
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TUESDAY
You decide to follow your promise you gave to Felix, because in your words, mamma ain’t raise no bitch, and you also, admittedly, can’t stop thinking about the words you said to him ever since you got them out of your mouth. There was a sense of relief overflowing your body after your confession that tells you that maybe, this wasn’t such a bad idea as you first thought it was. 
You confess to your best friend on the second day of the week again. It’s tuesday and you two meet in a coffee shop, talking about how your week was. You two were quite busy with school and classes, so it was hard for you two to talk, but you quickly caught up and your conversations were still as comfortable as ever, as if nothing happened and you didn’t just spill out your heart to him the day before.
You think that maybe, he even forgot. Who knows? Lee Minho was quite the individual.
Once the barista calls for his name and he comes to take his order, you watch him with a look you only imagine can resonate the textbook version of heart eyes. It’s hard for you to look anywhere else-- you have eyes only for him. It’s quite silly, you think. You managed to fall for him even though all he’s ever done was tease you and laugh at you.
Well… that’s not all. And you know that. To a stranger, it might seem like your relationship is strictly like two siblings. You two tease each other more than you actually have serious talks, but that doesn’t mean Minho isn’t a good listener that always offers you the most honest advice. His humour is also the only thing that could get you through your hard days sometimes and for that, you’re forever thankful.
So once you step outside of the coffee shop and walk side by side on the sidewalk, you decide to go for it again. Because what could go wrong, right?
“Minho, I love you.” you say, voice much more steadier than yesterday, watching him react.
But exactly in the moment you do so, the cup of coffee in his hands slips out of his grasp and falls to the ground, making him wince and scowl, because truth be told, his only love is and always has been the americano now spilled all over the concrete.
“A terrible decision, really.” he mutters, taking the empty cup from the ground and throwing it out to the bin, sighing to himself.
You offer to share your coffee with him. He teases you for drinking latte.
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WEDNESDAY
Wednesdays are the hardest for your best friend. You know this, because you know him too well. You know his schedule by heart and you also know when he’s having a hard time-- you are his best friend, after all. You can see it on him even in the slightest change in his eyes.
You visit him at his apartment on Wednesday with some takeout in your hand, knowing he doesn’t have the time and energy to cook on this particular day. 
His classes start in the early morning and they end in the late afternoon-- leaving him exhausted, only to be going to his dance classes in the evening. They always tire him out even more. It breaks your heart to see him getting home with dark circles under his eyes and fair skin, but you can’t really do anything about it-- it’s his schedule, after all. All you can do for him is be there with takeout in your hand, waiting on his bright yellow sofa (you were strongly against this color, but he just didn’t care about your opinion. Or he bought it just for the exact same reason, who knows) until he comes home, ready to hear him complain about his day.
And he does exactly that-- he comes home a few minutes after you sneaked into his apartment with the spare key he nonchalantly gave you once when you hung out, falling down face-first onto the sofa with an exaggerated sigh, screaming into the cushions.
“Hard day?” you ask, voice soft and considerate.
He answers you with a hum before he sits up again, coming closer to where you’re sitting on the sofa, taking the takeout from the bag sitting at the coffee table and sitting on the floor in front of you, right between your legs. You don’t know why he does that, but it’s become a tradition at this point-- he sits at the floor, even though he has plenty of space on the sofa to sit on, and you sit right behind him, legs on either side of his body, nudging him with your heels when you feel like teasing him.
“Thanks for coming,” he mumbles, getting the chopsticks and munching on his food, chewing out loud-- a sign that it tastes good and you made a good choice on picking his dinner today.
“It’s not a big deal, I always come over anyways,” you answer, smiling down at him.
He only nods at you, but you see his composure shift in the way he aimlessly stares at the wall-- he doesn’t feel good. It’s not only the exhaustion today. There must be something else going on. 
“Are you okay?” you ask, bringing him out of his thoughts.
“Yeah,” he nods, continuing to eat, “it’s just… I feel so useless today.” he shrugs, snickering to himself.
“Why?” you simply state.
“We’re learning this new choreography and I just can’t get it right…” he mumbles, not once meeting your eye as he explains what’s on his mind. Minho doesn’t say a lot, but somehow, you always entirely know how he feels.
You sigh, shifting a little in your seat so you’re closer to the boy sitting on the floor, tenderly bringing your fingers into his hair. You brush it away from his forehead, playing with it, as you quietly speak up, wanting to heal your best friend’s heavy heart.
“It’s just a bad day, Minho. It will be okay, I promise. You just have to rest, okay?” you mumble, continuing to play with his hair. “You’ll get the dancing right in no time. So don’t worry about that, yeah?”
“Hmm,” he hums in a mix of pleasure and acknowledgement, closing his eyes momentarily before he puts the empty box of takeout on the coffee table and leans back into your touch, “fine. Wanna sleep over and watch a movie?” 
You shake your head in disbelief at how quickly his mood changes, giggling. “Okay.”
“Okay,” he nods, but doesn’t move from your touch. You watch him from up close, tracing the sculpted features of his face, admiring his beauty, when you decide to say the three words again, nonchalantly and randomly, as always.
“I love you, Minho.”
“Thanks.”
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THURSDAY
You wake up to the sunlight aggressively shining into your eyes, scowling a little and cursing at Lee Minho under your breath, because he is the only person you know that doesn’t close their blinds before going to sleep. You thank the gods for not having a morning class today, trying to force yourself to go back to sleep, when you hear loud cursing from the kitchen, prompting you to hurriedly stand up and rush to the room, watching a disaster happen right in front of your eyes.
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-” you hear, seeing something set to flames on the stove-- you think it’s eggs, by the carton placed on the kitchen counter, but you really can’t recognise the object when it’s coal black and burning.
“What’s going on?” you nervously ask, watching the scene unfold.
“A fire.” your best friend says, making you laugh.
You just shake your head at him, taking a seat at his kitchen table, not even rushing to help. Watching him struggle is much more fun anyway, and you know he’ll figure it out eventually-- he’s an engineering student. He’s smart.
“Are you not going to help?” he glares at you, putting the pan under the sink, flashing water on the hot surface. 
“Not really, no,” you shake your head in innocence, seeing how the hot oil reacts with water in a small explosion, almost burning your best friend’s fingers off as he quickly lets go of the object and curses loudly again, taking a step back.
“How did this all even happen?” you ask, watching him sigh and take out another pan, cracking an egg on top of it and letting it cook.
“I was looking for Dori and forgot I had eggs on the stove…” he scratches the back of his head, laughing a little at himself.
“Right. Yeah. Why didn’t I think of that? I’m such an idiot,” you propose, laughing with him. It’s such a Minho thing to do, you don’t even feel surprised anymore.
Minho then finishes cooking the eggs, serving them to you on a small, white plate, acting like a chef as he takes a seat on the chair opposite of yours, eating his own creation as well.
“Is it good?” he asks, watching you fierclessly nod at him with big eyes and full mouth.
“It’s amazing. I was starving, really, so these eggs really hit different right now,” you mumble out, “Thanks Minho, I love you.”
It slips out casually now. It’s been four days and your best friend doesn’t seem to notice the change in your behaviour, but you don’t really even care at this point. Maybe it’s easier for you this way, after all.
Minho just hysterically laughs at you like a maniac this time, not even finding words to say back as he finishes the breakfast he made with so much struggle, and maybe even the tiniest bit of care. 
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FRIDAY
The cars behind the window blur into themselves as you drive down the street, sitting on the passenger seat of your best friend’s car. You smile fondly at him when he shortly glances at you from his place, driving with ease down the neighbourhood you live in, the raindrops angrily falling at the surface of the car making it hard for the two of you to even listen to music on your drive home.
“Thanks for driving me home, you’re a lifesaver,” you say when you’re near your apartment complex.
“Well, I have to take care of you since you’re too stupid to get driver’s licence,” he shrugs, grining.
“I’m not stupid!”
“You failed the test twice!”
“I was stressed!” you argue, laughing at him. 
He shakes his head at you, parking in front of your building, waiting for you to get out with your things and run into your apartment. You don’t forget your ritual, though, looking him in the eye before you leave, muttering the cursed eight letters again before saying goodbye.
“I love you.”
“Why?” he asks, eyebrows furrowed. There’s a hint of amusement hitting his features, but confusion is a feeling overpowering on his face when he speaks to you.
“What do you mean, why?” you shake your head.
“Why do you keep saying that?” 
“Because it’s true?” you answer, sounding more like a question, though, watching his expression change into even more confused one.
“But like… why?”
“That’s a stupid question.” you scoff. You feel your palms sweating, trying to nonchalantly wipe them on your pants, the stress finally falling on your shoulders when you’re being questioned.
“It’s not. Answer me.” he insists, pouting at you like a little child in the store when their parents don't want to buy them something.
“Because you’re my best friend? I don’t know,” you sigh, hurriedly taking your backpack from the floor, opening the door wide to escape the conversation, “bye!”
You run into your apartment, breathing heavily as you take off your shoes and reach the living room, seeing your roommate laying sprawled out on the sofa in his usual manner. This is a situation for a short australian man to cope with, if you’ve ever seen one.
“Felix, I think I fucked up.”
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SATURDAY
After a long, long conversation with Felix about your feelings and how you think you ruined it all, you think your mood couldn’t be worse. You feel like you either completely missed your chance by telling Minho you love him only because he’s your best friend, or you messed it all up and made your friendship awkward by saying so and he finally caught on to what your words really mean.
You walk around the apartment like a stressed-out shell without a soul, chewing on your bottom lip at all times, when you hear the bell on your door ring, throwing you out of your thoughts as you run to see who’s there bugging you in the late hours of the evening.
“What are you doing here so late?” you ask Minho, caught off-guard.
“I was bored,” he shrugs, looking down to his feet. You want the ground to swallow you whole. It’s suddenly hard to stand there in front of him-- it only deepens how embarrassed and frustrated you feel.
“Do you wanna go out for a walk?” he asks, raising his eyebrows up at you in question.
“Sure,” you shrug, following him outside.
You walk by his side, feeling your hands slightly brush against each other from time to time, making you shudder with the unexpected contact. You’ve never felt more nervous than now-- and you took your driving test twice, so that really tells you something.
“Why are you so quiet? Did something happen?” he asks, slightly nudging you with his elbow.
“What? No,” you shake your head, “everything’s fine.” you smile.
“Are you sure? I know I can be a dick sometimes, but you know I’m always here for you,” he says, gazing into your face with such fondness it actually comforts you.
“Yeah, I know,” you nod, “thanks.” you sigh. 
A few more steps later, though, the sentence slips out of your mouth again, and you don’t even try to fight it as you let it go. It feels natural to say it now. You’re getting used to it, yet, the feeling he makes you feel always somehow shifts-- but still stays the same as well.
“I love you.”
A nervous laugh is all he gives you, hugging you to his side with his arm, keeping you close to shield you from the cold.
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SUNDAY
And when the clock passes midnight and Minho’s still sitting in your room, you feel like somehow, you two have never been closer. You managed to confess to him every day for the past week and he’s still by your side. It’s a change to your relationship, but you don’t feel like it’s causing you trouble anymore.
You sit in silence, just enjoying each other’s presence. You don’t have a clue why he didn’t want to leave yet, but you don’t mind him staying. He brings your soul another kind of comfort-- like the morning by the sea, just listening to the waves hitting the shore, the distant chirping of birds lulling you back to sleep.
His hands rest on your calves, your legs thrown over his lap as he sits up on your bed, his back pressed against the wall. You lay there, watching him in the moonlight. You had to turn the lights off, because Felix’s room is right opposite yours and the landlord didn’t let you change the door, meaning you both had an old, white door with a big glass window in the middle of it, letting the lights shine right to the other’s room at night. 
He tickles you in the spark of the moment, making you laugh quietly. You don’t want to wake Felix up, or else he’ll get mad at you, and once again, you don’t play with a short australian boy, or you’ll get burned-- you know that by now.
“Stop it!” you whisper-shout at him, sitting up and moving away from him.
He chases you on the bed, though, his fingers laying everywhere on your body, lightly tickling the skin of your stomach when his hands slip under your pyjama shirt. You push them away, squeeking with the coldness of his fingertips, tears threatening to fall from your eyes at the force of your laugh. 
He stops, falling down to the bed next to you, heavy breathing being the only thing heard in the quiet room. His hand slowly makes its way to your thigh, resting there delicately. You curse at the butterflies rising in your stomach-- you want to shout at them to go away, but hell, is it a good feeling. It’s like you’re torturing yourself, but it’s a sweet torture. You wouldn’t change it in the slightest.
And so then and there, after confessing to him for six days straight, you decide to try again, with as much sincerity as you can, because suddenly, there’s something inside of you telling you that this time, it might actually work.
“I love you.”
And perhaps, you’re not wrong, because with the shuffling of the sheets, he turns his body to yours, facing you. He stares into your eyes, smiling softly at your face, the action looking angelic sitting on his features. 
“I love you too,” he confesses in the dark. 
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retrievablememories · 3 years
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gravity | taemin (m)
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title: gravity pairing: taemin x gn reader genre: angst, smut, fwb request: Hi! Slipping another request for your growing request list 😅. If you're down to write it -- can we have a Taemin fic about someone he can't help being drawn back to every time he's in their city. Idk if you know the song 'Gravity' by Brent Faiyaz but, 100% that kind of vibe. 100% down for it to be smutty word count: 3.4k warnings: long-distance angstiness, oral sex (including face fucking), mirror sex, dirty talk, unprotected sex (do not 🙅🏿‍♀️🙅🏿‍♀️), creampie, hand on the throat but no choking, fuckboy taemin? a/n: Taemin’s gone off to the service and left me with an infant to raise by myself so here’s a fic i guess 😢😢😢😢😢😢 i made the reader gender neutral because the requester used “their” pronouns/didn’t specify gender, but anon if you want something different you can let me know recommended songs: gravity + brent faiyaz | strings + taemin | everytime + ariana grande
i’d get you what you want, but you want me alone
His name and picture appear on your phone one evening without forewarning, and despite yourself, it makes your breath catch. You count the beats in your head before allowing yourself to pick up the call, not wanting to seem more eager than necessary. You would’ve picked it up halfway before the first ring finished, if you were a little less shameless.
It feels like every nerve in your body has come online from a deep sleep when he speaks your name.
“How have you been doing?” he asks, his voice a casual lilt.
“I’m fine. Life is...life. I’m doing okay. What about you?”
“Busy,” he says, which you expected. He always is. “There’s never not something to do.” There’s hesitation in Taemin’s voice when he speaks again—maybe something akin to longing—and the syllables of his words drag out longer than they need to. “You know, I’m back in town. Just on some business, but...”
You pause, and even though you’ve physically hesitated, your heart begins leaping like it’s trying to escape your chest. “You are?”
“Yes, I won’t be here for very long, but…” His voice trails off like there’s a silent part within that he expects you to fill in. Indeed, you’ve both been doing this long enough to know how that sentence ends.
“But you want to see me,” you finish for him. You smirk at that, knowing him probably better than he knows himself. A surge of discontent stirs in your chest, though, which you are unable to fully tune out.
Taemin makes a noise like he’s stretching out, and you imagine him lying back on his bed. He’s likely already been put up in a hotel, the same one he always stays at when he comes to your city. “Good guess.” He laughs sneakily, like you’ve just spilled something no one was supposed to know, and you snort. “Did you miss me? We haven’t met in so long.”
You sigh, feeling like you’re walking into a trap. Taemin’s need for affection, especially fully vocalized affection, has always seemed a bit like a setup, even if he wasn’t entirely aware of it. A way to expose your growing feelings for him without you even realizing what you’d done. “I think you know the answer to that one. Clearly, I don’t need to ask if you’ve missed me.”
He laughs. For a moment you wish you were on FaceTime instead, so you could see the smile stretching itself out on his pretty, plush lips.
“I always end up missing you...everything about you, like the faces you make when I’m between your thighs, or how you always get so tight around me…” His voice is lower now, more breathy, a promise and a tease all at the same time.
You swallow nervously at those words, blood already rushing to your lower body. “Tae…”
Taemin moans softly in answer to you calling his name, and it makes you die a little on the inside. “I can’t wait to come inside you, mark you as mine again.” Before you can think to respond to that, he says, “...But we should save all that for when we see each other, hm?” And he giggles again. If you were not so infatuated with him, you might reach through the phone to strangle him.
“God, Taemin...you wear me out.”
“Don’t I always?”
Later that week, Taemin shows up at your place with his overnight bag in tow, just as you’d expected. And food.
“Oh, you brought sustenance,” you say, raising your eyebrows at the bag of food in his hands.
“Yes, duh. Although you like to claim otherwise, I’m not such a pervert that I don’t know how to wine and dine you before getting what I want.” You roll your eyes at that, letting him come past the threshold.
“Okay, Tae. Whatever you say.” You pinch a strand of his black-and-white hair, and it slips from your fingers as he walks past you. “Nice weave. Whose idea was it this time?”
Taemin cuts his eyes at you. “You should be thanking me for giving you something to pull on.”
You cover your mouth to hide your laughter, shaking your head. “Ah, Lee Taemin. Such a gracious lover.”
Before you can even think about getting to the main event, you both spend a few hours just catching up on things, eating the food he’d brought, and acting way too much like a couple for your sanity. You wonder if he feels the same way about this behavior deep down, but you aren’t going to venture down that road by asking him. Not yet.
After you are done eating, it doesn’t take long to fall into bed and into the same pattern you’ve established with each other. Taemin has pulled his hair back into a small ponytail at the back of his head, because he thinks you’ll find it hotter—always such a glutton for your attention—and you are exasperated because he’s right. Taemin reads the sudden interest in your gaze, and his lips curve in a knowing and devious smile before pulling you into his grasp.
“I was wanting this for so damn long,” he says to you with his lips against your neck. He corners you in the hallway, his body pressing against your own as he plants one hand on your lower back and brings your hips close enough that even a single breath couldn’t get between you.
“You say that every time,” you sigh, tilting your head and allowing him more space to brush his lips over your skin.
“Because it’s true.” You don’t know how you eventually get to your bedroom, because Taemin seems intent on peeling all your clothes off in the middle of the hallway. Your shirt is missing and your pants are already unbuttoned by the time you reach the bed, and Taemin’s own shirt is lying in the doorway of your room. The peony tattoo on his hip is almost fully displayed now, blooming darkly against his skin and disappearing partway beneath the waistband of his skinny jeans.
Taemin climbs onto the bed to join you and kisses you deeply, your chests pressed together and his hips rocking fluidly against your own, his growing erection pressing deliciously into you and making you arch your hips into him. You spend so long simply kissing that you feel like an overexcited college student making out with your crush for the first time again, and you distantly wonder why he’s spending more time on this than he usually would.
Eventually, he parts from your lips and makes it his personal mission to kiss every inch of your body he can, making his way from your neck to the top of your jeans.
He kisses you through your underwear before sliding it off you, taking his time with this movement, and puts his silky wet mouth on you. You tremble underneath him as his tongue sweeps over you, and you dip your hands down into that hair—which is admittedly just as fun to pull on as he’d predicted. 
The strands become fully unleashed from their former neat little ponytail by the time Taemin has you coming and spilling over his tongue and fingers. When he finishes, he pulls back from you—licking his lips all the while—and runs a hand through the loose hair, pretending to sigh in annoyance and casting a look to the abandoned hair tie on the floor.
“Ah, babe...you never appreciate my hard work.”
“Taemin...shut up.”
Despite his complaint, he doesn’t bother with tying it back up again. After he’s peeled his pants and underwear off with your help, he gets onto the bed and kneels above you, legs balanced on either side of your shoulders. You put your tongue out for him to slide his length across, but he only teases you for a few moments by tapping the tip against your tongue. Nothing but a sticky trail of precum is left between his tip and your tongue; you try to beg him for more with your eyes alone. Taemin meets your pleading gaze with his own wicked eyes, but he only smiles vaguely and keeps up his teasing game, rubbing the head of his dick across your lips and smearing his precum over your mouth like gloss.
Finally, he decides he’s done with denying you and feeds his dick to you inch by inch. He gives a rough moan when he pulls out and pushes back in, savoring the way your mouth tightens around him. 
Taemin places his hands on the bed and slowly thrusts his hips, fucking your mouth like he often likes to do, his thighs flexing with the motions. He does this until sweat beads on his forehead, sliding his member between your lips and reveling in the dirty wet sounds it creates, and he laughs when he sees your hand clumsily slide further down between your legs. 
“Does having your throat fucked turn you on this much?” he murmurs. “Can’t even help yourself ‘cause you’re in love with my dick. Shameless.” You cannot respond to his mocking, but his words make you even more aroused than before. Despite Taemin’s teasing of you, his own face and neck are flushing with heat, and his cock throbs as the familiar sensation of nearing the edge creeps up on him. With much reluctance, he pulls himself out of your mouth, leaving strings of your spit clinging to his shaft. 
“Thank you for getting me nice and wet, baby.” He shuffles himself further down your body, kissing you on the lips once before settling himself between your legs and pulling your thighs around his slim hips. His cock nudges wet and hard against your inner thigh, and you gasp when he pushes into you, the stretch pleasant after so long of being empty of him.
Taemin wastes no time with rocking into you, setting a smooth rhythm that both of you are intimately familiar with. Taemin keeps one hand on your hip while the other holds your face, his thumb edging into your mouth. You curve your lips around this thumb, scraping your teeth against it and lapping your tongue across it just like you do on his dick. You take great pleasure in the way he twitches inside you, his grip on your waist tightening and his thrusts coming a bit faster.
He looks at you with burning eyes as he circles his hips into you. Pieces of his hair stick to his neck from the sweat, and his plump lips part with the marvel of having you spread out beneath him. He replaces his thumb with his lips yet again, dipping his tongue into your mouth and biting your bottom lip until it threatens to bleed.
Liquid heat radiates through your lower body as Taemin’s shaft keeps dragging in and out of you, and your legs weaken around his waist as you get closer to reaching your end. Before you can be pushed to the top of that shining zenith of pleasure, though, Taemin abruptly pulls out of you.
“No,” you whine breathlessly. That is the only sound your vocal chords can currently push out, though you’d like to throw a slew of curse words at him. He only smiles at your soft complaint and lowers his head for a second to kiss your kneebone, a fleeting but tender touch.
Without forewarning, Taemin shifts you over on the bed so you’re both positioned in front of the full-length mirror leaning against your wall. Pulling your head back, he brings your face up so you can see the both of you reflected in the mirror—Taemin’s hand coaxingly pressing your back into an arch, his hair hanging damp over his shoulders. Then he pushes back into you, sliding to the hilt in one easy motion, and you almost bite your lip before realizing it’s still hurting from Taemin’s insistent biting.
To your own eyes you already look exhausted, all fucked out and simply taking Taemin’s thrusts as he gives them. Taemin’s had the right idea, though, because you can’t take your eyes away from the vision of him behind you. You watch as all his muscles flex while he pushes into you, his eyes hotly meeting yours in the mirror, and his lips twitch up into a grin.
“What a beautiful sight,” he sighs, and he’s barely even breathless even with all the sweat decorating his skin. Exactly what fucking a professional dancer will get you—nothing but stamina and hips.
You grip the sheets as you stare back at Taemin as he fucks you, feeling a little exposed but ultimately captivated by it. The hand that was in your hair slides lower and around to your collarbone, coming to rest at the base of your throat. Taemin keeps his hand there to feel your throat jump underneath his fingers as you swallow harshly and gasp in response to his thrusts.
Taemin gives a shuddering groan when you tighten more around him, and he pushes forward a little deeper, the tip of his cock hitting your spot just right. Your head drops momentarily as you cry out, and you think your knees might turn to jelly beneath you. “Oh, yes. There? There.” Taemin murmurs this all in quick succession as he adjusts himself to find that perfect angle again and keeps rutting into it, one hand tight on your hip and the other still at your throat—now coming up to cup your chin and pull your face back up towards the mirror.
“Min,” escapes from your lips, though it’s a choppy sound. If you wanted to say anything else, you wouldn’t even be able to.
“Poor baby, you can’t even form words. Is it that fucking good? Tell me.” Taemin entices you to meet his gaze in the mirror again, squeezing his hand on your jaw and pressing his thumb against your lips like he’ll slip it back in once more. It takes you a moment of heavy breaths and clumsy not-quite-coherent sounds to respond.
“G-good,” you mutter against his hand. “Fuck me, oh my God—”
You come around Taemin with a small shout. He gives you a bit of reprieve and lets you hang your head back down—because right now your whole body feels like it wants to collapse with the muscle-weakening wave of pleasure that’s overtaken you. More little clipped sounds and pleas leap from your throat as Taemin fucks you through it, dangerously close to losing himself, too.
He keels over you with a gasping moan when he comes, his dick throbbing inside you while he spills so much cum that some of it drips back out. His heated breaths spread across your skin as he leans over you, bracing his arms on either side of your body and thrusting his hips just a little more to ride out the last of his climax.
Finally, you allow your body to slump forward, and Taemin slides out of you as you do, causing another messy trail of his cum to drip from you. His hand glides over your back, and he makes a noise that you could only describe as fully satisfied. “My favorite view.”
You and Taemin lie next to each other, your right arm nudging his left, his fingers playing over the back of your hand and making it tickle from the gentle touches. When the pillowtalk starts fading, you decide to bring up the one thing that’s been wearing on your mind since Taemin first called.
“Taemin...are we going to do this every time you pop into the city for a few days? A week?” You ask this quietly while Taemin traces long, winding lines over your forearm.
The motion of his fingers stop, and he looks carefully at the side of your face as you lie next to him. “Do you not like our little meetings anymore?” His tone is joking, but there’s an air of sadness to it not far behind.
“I didn’t say all that, but…” You pause. “We only ever get a few moments together. A day or two. Stealing hours to spend together, working on borrowed time...it’s not my idea of the perfect...arrangement.” You hesitate before saying arrangement, unsure how to describe this odd, magnetic connection you both have without making it deeper than it really is. A stiff silence hangs in the air, waiting to be broken by either of you.
Because you’re not sure—no, you definitely know that what you and Taemin have can’t really be called a relationship. What do you have?
“You’re always gone because of your work, and...that’s fine, I know how hard you work and you like always having something to do, but…” You want to say something like, I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to be away from you all the damn time. Those words have too much weight of responsibility behind them, however. They have the power to change things in a way you aren’t sure you want them to change—or that you’re still too afraid of.
“...And you miss me? More than just the sex, I mean.” Taemin’s voice is still a touch playful, though that quality is quickly dwindling away. His eyes fill with some emotion that’s more thoughtful and more saddened than just a few minutes ago. He is not quite ready for this conversation to turn to a depressing note, but he figures there’s no avoiding it this time.
“You always ask questions you already have answers to, Taemin.”
Taemin sighs. “I know it must be unfair to you...but I can’t stay away from you.” He hesitates, and the space between his eyebrows creases. “I think about you a lot more than I maybe should. I like your conversation and your company...even all the ridiculous jokes you make. But...”
You grit your teeth, clenching your fingers together and listening to Taemin’s words. “‘But…’? What are you trying to say?”
“I don’t want to keep you waiting around for me,” he answers softly. “If we were together, you’d always just be waiting for the next time to see me.”
“I already do that,” you grumble, feeling irritated and misunderstood.
“But—if we...it would be different—”
“You’d feel worse about leaving your partner behind rather than someone you just fuck, I guess?”
Taemin lets out a heavy breath and closes his eyes. “Don’t make me sound like such an asshole.”
“I haven’t made you sound like anything, or made you do anything,” you say bitterly, keeping your eyes on the ceiling as you speak. “It’s you, after all, who always feels the need to tell me when you’re back in town. I don’t ask after you, Taemin.” Because I would only ever ask for something you can’t seem to give me.
“So I’ll ask again. Do you not want to do this anymore?”
This man is possibly too dense for your nerves to withstand. And even though it would probably be better for you to say yes, to end this for your own good—and his own, even if he doesn’t realize it just yet—you don’t want this to stop. Being needed by him, even for something as simple as sex and as complicated as emotions that neither of you quite know how to confront, is something you don’t want to give up. Even if it gives you very little in return.
“That’s the wrong question to ask.” You sit up, letting the sheets pool around your waist. Taemin follows you, pressing his chest to your back as he slides his arms around your stomach, and you lower your head, wishing you weren’t so vulnerable to his advances. Taemin presses his mouth to your shoulder in an apologetic touch, and the feel of his lips makes something fall apart inside you.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs. Sorry I can’t be there for you like you want me to be, maybe. You don’t know what he’s apologizing for, and you don’t care to ask at the moment.
You turn to face him. “Just stop. I don’t want to think about it anymore.” Then you push him back onto the bed, straddling him with both legs on either side of his waist. “Just. Stop. Talking.”
And so Taemin wordlessly lets you reignite the flame, working yourselves up into a mishmash of hands and mouths and bodies again, leaving so many words unsaid between the two of you.
with breathless lips, you paint my name with sorrow countless times this night
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elentiyawhitethorn · 3 years
Note
feysand blind date
Loving Every Second of It
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Fluff//3010 words
Feyre wasn’t sure what she was expecting tonight.
Lucien had set her up on a blind date with a friend of a friend and there was no way it wasn’t going to end miserably. Maybe Feyre would say something stupid and he would think she was weird. Maybe he would decide she wasn’t pretty enough or her clothes weren’t nice or she was just boring. Maybe some other woman who was everything she would never be would catch his eye. Maybe—
“I really hope you’re not still imagining ways this will end poorly.”
Feyre frowned. “Seriously, Lu, this is a bad idea.”
Lucien elbowed her. “You said, and I quote, “I’m done being a lonely spinster who’s too busy regretting my life choices to get laid.” Therefore I, as the good friend I am, decided to get you a date. And consequently, laid. So stop being a bitch. If it doesn’t end well, at least you put yourself out there, right?”
She sighed. “If it doesn’t end well, I will have to endure the long-lasting humiliation and despair for the rest of my life. That’s not something I’m inclined to want.”
“The only reason I’m still here listening to your self-pity is because I know if I leave you’ll chicken out.”
“And because I’m your best friend?”
“Yeah, that too.”
Feyre scowled and crossed her arms. “You don’t say that very convincingly.”
Lucien just smiled and gave Feyre a peck on the cheek. “You’ll have a good time tonight. Just be yourself.”
“But what if he doesn’t like myself?”
“He will. Azriel has good taste in people, as evidenced by the fact that he’s dating me,” Lucien stated matter-of-factly.
Feyre rolled her eyes but allowed a small smile to cross her features. Azriel had only started dated Feyre’s best friend a couple weeks ago, and she’d met the man a handful of times. It was his friend, Rhys, she thought he’d said, that she would be going on a date with tonight.
“It’s time to go,” Lu told her.
Feyre blinked. “Already?”
“Yes, don’t pretend you haven’t been counting the seconds. You’re such a bullshitter.”
A mournful sigh was all she gave Lucien before heading to the door. They had agreed to meet at the restaurant, a fancy, but also homey, little place downtown.
“Wait.”
Feyre almost growled out loud. If Lucien kept distracting her, she was going to lose her nerve.
“I’m driving you to the restaurant.”
Feyre spun around. “What do you mean you’re driving me? I was about to walk out the door.”
Lucien crossed his arms. “Yes, but that still leaves you with dozens of opportunities to turn back around. I won’t risk it.”
Feyre narrowed her eyes, but reluctantly allowed him to take her. The drive was unpleasant—Feyre would never admit it to him, but Lucien had been right. Had she had the option, she would have turned around by the time they pulled up at the restaurant. Feyre’s hands were clenched into fists to keep them from shaking.
She tried to think when she had become so nervous about dates. It probably had something to do with Tamlin. Tamlin was a bastard who had ridiculed and scorned Feyre subtly enough during their relationship that Feyre had begun to think of herself as worthless, entirely unaware it was his fault. She’d dumped his sorry ass after she caught him in Feyre’s own fucking bed with Ianthe, a “friend.”
Yes, that was definitely the cause of Feyre’s anxiety. She was never excessively social or flirty, but she had at least been cool and collected, as many guys noticed. Or they used to, anyway. Now she was scared to go on a single gods-damn date.
“Are you going to get out of the car, or are we going to sit here all night?” Lucien’s dry voice cut into her thoughts.
Feyre glared at him, not deigning to give a response other than a raised finger (try and guess which one) and getting out. She closed the door and turned around, checking her phone for the time before turning it on silent. It was only a few minutes before six-thirty, so he may or may not be there already.
Taking a moment—and making sure Lucien had already driven off—Feyre smoothed out her dress apprehensively. She was wearing a plain blue dress suited for a special occasion, but still simple enough not to be too flashy. Had she misjudged what to wear? Should she have with something more stylish? Or maybe more revealing, showing off more of her legs or breasts?
And her makeup—was it too plain? Should she have chosen better earrings? Should she be wearing more jewelry? Were her flats too drab?
Feyre almost wished Lucien had stayed to make sure she made it in the restaurant. Steeling herself for the inevitable letdown that tonight would be, Feyre went inside.
Before she had a chance to look around, she nearly ran into a man waiting at the entrance.
“Oh, you’re pretty.”
The man raised an eyebrow.
Feyre blinked. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” She was blushing and cursing herself for her lack of a filter.
Although, who could blame her? The man was dark-skinned, violet-eyed, and muscled, with dark, tousled hair and strong cheekbones. He was wearing an insanely hot dress shirt with the sleeves—the fucking sleeves—rolled up, revealing tattooed forearms. Pretty was a bit of an understatement.
The man was grinning now. The bastard probably had a lot of women telling him he was pretty. Feyre kicked herself internally.
“Well, if it makes it better, I think you’re pretty too.”
Feyre’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “Um, thanks. I should… I have a date… with um…” She trailed off, the man smirking all the while. And then she thought of something.
“You’re Rhys, aren’t you? I mean sure, there are plenty of other people here who could be Rhys, but I have the worst luck, and telling my date he’s pretty totally qualifies as bad luck. Fuck, I thought we’d at least make it to the table before I scared you away. Oh shit, I’m just making it worse now, aren’t I?”
Rhys, or the random guy Feyre was assuming to be Rhys, smiled. Not condescendingly or rudely in any way, just more of an amused expression. “I am Rhys. Which I think makes you Feyre?”
Feyre nodded sullenly.
“It takes more than a beautiful woman complimenting me to scare me away, don’t worry. Why don’t we sit down?”
Feyre’s face was crimson, she was sure of it. She hadn’t expected a compliment from him after that little incident. She tried to think of what Lucien would say right now. Don’t worry, it’ll be a fun story to tell your kids. Okay, not helping.
Trying to turn off her brain, admittedly without much success, Feyre nodded once more and let Rhys lead her over to a table by the window. It was mostly dark outside, so the choice of seating only allowed to give them some privacy as opposed to being in the middle of the room. Probably not a conscious choice on Rhys’ choice, but Feyre quite liked it.
He also pulled the chair out for Feyre to sit. What a gentleman.
Feyre awkwardly fumbled with the menu, trying not to stare at Rhys’ beautiful face.
“Have you been here before, Feyre?” So much for that.
She looked up. “No, I haven’t.”
“I’ve been a couple times. Of course you can get whatever you like, but I would recommend the braised pork. It was delicious.”
Feyre bit her lip. “It sounds good.”
The waiter came over just then and Rhys asked for the braised pork for himself, then Feyre said to make it two orders.
He left, and the pair was left in silence once more. “So, Rhys,” Feyre said, making an effort not to be entirely silent. “Tell me about yourself.”
He smiled. “I work as an architect. I like reading, sightseeing, and talking to interesting ladies. How about you?”
Feyre snorted. “I’m an artist. I like, well, painting I guess. And jogging. And talking to handsome men, I suppose I should say.”
Rhys full-on grinned. “Tell me about your work. Is it just paint, or other types of art?”
Feyre answered his question, and then a few more. She tried not to talk too much, not wanting to take over the conversation, but Rhys showed such a genuine interest in her passion that Feyre could help opening up. By the time the food arrived, he knew her style, her favorite colors to use, her methods of gaining inspiration, and her opinions on some classic pieces that Rhys seemed to know more than the average person about.
Then the waiter interrupted with their meal. Once everything was served and Feyre had already dug into the pork, which was even more delectable then Rhys had let on, he asked another question.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you decide to try out a blind date?”
Feyre finished chewing, using the time to think about how to answer his question properly. “I ended a bad relationship a few months ago, and I’ve been a bit lacking in confidence since then. I guess I’m just sick of spending my weekends alone. What about you?”
“I’ve been searching for a relationship for a while. I’m interested in the idea of spending my future with someone, so when Azriel suggested a date with you, I jumped at the chance.” Rhys seemed to reconsider his words. “Not that I would be spending my future with you, necessarily.” He paused. “I mean—”
“No, I get it,” Feyre cut in, not wanting to hear any more of this. “I’m not the type of person you want to be in a serious relationship with.” She had known all along. Rhys was charming and handsome and smart and funny and there was no reason he would want to spend his life with her of all people.
Rhys’ eyes widened. “No, not at all!” he exclaimed. “That came out wrong. I was only trying to take it back so as not to pressure you. I didn’t know how much you’d be okay with hearing me tell you how interested I was in you after saying I’m looking for a relationship.”
Feyre blinked, surprised to find that it hadn’t been a dismissal. Surprised at more than that. “Oh.”
Rhys smiled, the first signs of nervousness shining through his calm demeanor. “I like you, Feyre. We’ve only been talking for fifteen minutes, and already I like you. And I’m not getting too ahead of myself by claiming you’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Not nearly this soon; hell, I just met you. But I do think you should know what I’m looking for so we can end this before it goes too far. If you’re not ready for something like that, I mean.”
Feyre was stunned. Rhys not only liked her, but enough to tell her something like that?
“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead, but I like you too,” she replied. And she meant it. Rhys was really nice, and very intriguing. She hadn’t considered what she wanted past a date. After all, she had been positive he would diss her by the end of it. But Feyre sure as hell wanted something with this man.
Rhys almost seemed surprised. “I’m not asking for commitment or anything like that. Certainly not on the first date. But maybe you can think over that later, and we can finish dinner now?”
Feyre smiled, still processing his words. “Okay.”
They dug in. There was less conversation than before, both because Feyre was too busy letting out content groans at the taste of the food and from the lingering awkwardness. But they did start talking more toward the end, Feyre snorting into her hand as she heard the end of some ridiculous story Rhys was telling her. By the time the waiter came over and let them know the restaurant was closing now, they’d returned to an animated conversation.
From everything to Rhys’ work as an architect to gossip about Azriel and Lucien to current events and old movies and bad jokes, it had crossed the discussion. Rhys was an exceptional conversationalist.
Rhys pulled out a wallet, but Feyre said, “We can split it.”
He glanced over. “I’ve got it, darling. Consider it my treat.”
Trying to suppress a shiver at the new nickname, Feyre said, “Really, I can help out.”
“Persistent, aren’t you? Maybe I’ll let you buy me coffee next time.”
Feyre knew he was teasing; there was no doubt he would refuse to let her pay next time. He seemed like the kind of guy to insist. Still, Feyre was more than satisfied with hearing that there would be a next time.
Disappointed with the fact they had to leave, but definitely pleased with how the date had gone, Feyre stood. Rhys walked Feyre out in silence, the latter surprised to find how long they’d been chatting. The restaurant was almost empty.
Feyre pulled her phone out of her purse.
“No ride, darling?” Rhys had raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“No, my friend dropped me off. He was worried I would flee if he didn’t actually bring me here himself.”
Rhys grinned. “Would you have fled?”
“Probably,” Feyre admitted.
“Let me drive you home. No expectations,” he added hastily at Feyre’s expression. “Just so you don’t have to wait out here. It’s getting cold.”
“Alright,” she agreed, very appreciative.
She’d sent Lucien a text and he had shot back a message letting her know he would be on the way. Feyre swiftly sent another text.
nvm rhys is dropping me off
Then she followed Rhys over to his car, laughing when he opened the door for her with a bow. Feyre wished she was the one driving; it would have been easier to keep her eyes off of him if she had something to focus on.
“Am I really that pretty?” So he’d noticed.
Feyre scowled. “Shut up.”
Rhys chuckled and glanced over, then turned his eyes back to the road. “I had a really nice time tonight, Feyre.”
“Me too,” she said.
The only words passed between them after that were directions on how to find Feyre’s apartment, fairly close to the restaurant. They were a street over when Feyre pulled a scrap of a receipt out of her purse, as well as a pen—Lucien often made fun of her having everything in her purse, but it was useful—and wrote down her number. They parked and Rhys looked over.
“So you don’t have to contact me through Lucien next time,” she clarified, handing him the paper.
Rhys smiled and put the paper in his pocket.
“Thank you for the ride, Rhys.”
He frowned mockingly. “What kind of person do you think I am, darling? Didn’t you know the good guys walk their dates to the door?”
Feyre laughed and mumbled something, getting out. Rhys stepped out of the car as well. But Feyre was starting to get nervous that Rhys was expecting something from her. Tamlin always had, after all.
They reached Feyre’s door and she stopped. But before she could say goodnight, Rhys seemed to realize why she was so anxious. He was too observant for his own good.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, Feyre. I didn’t walk you here because I required anything of you.”
She flushed. “It’s not that I thought you would, exactly, I guess it just… been a while since I’ve met a nice guy.”
Rhys looked very sympathetic. “I understand. And for you, Feyre, I couldn’t care less if you wanted to drag me in your apartment and have your way with me now or wait a year to so much as kiss me. You’re worth it.”
There was no way Feyre’s face at all resembled a normal color. Or her ears. Or her neck. Gods, she was positively reeling.
“Really?”
“I had fun with you,” was all Rhys said.
Feyre barely noticed herself leaning closer. “Maybe a goodnight kiss wouldn’t be so bad.”
Rhys’ lips twitched and he assessed the sincerity of the statement. He leaned in slowly, giving Feyre every chance to back away, before planting his lips softly on hers.
Feyre melted into the kiss, obsessed with the soft feel of his mouth. It only last a few seconds, and Rhys’ touch remained featherlight. He pulled back, grinning.
“Goodnight, Feyre.”
She leaned against the wall for support. She was probably swooning. “Goodnight.”
One last smirk was all she got before he turned and walked down the hall.
Making it into her apartment, Feyre tried to process what had happened.
She’d met the man and made a fool of herself. Still, he had been nice and showed an interest in her. Then he had said he desired a serious relationship with someone, and she was a good candidate. There had been some more startled deer-like behavior on her part and some more suaveness from him. Then he had been super gentlemanly about not expecting her to sleep with him.
Basically, he was all Feyre could have wished for—and then some.
Feyre groaned loudly, throwing one of her flats at the wall. Then the other. She wasn’t sure why she was angry. Probably just because she’d been so ridiculous tonight. Or maybe it was the pent-up up hormones.
Feyre glanced at her phone, saw about a dozen messages from Lucien telling her to have fun and “be safe.” She threw her phone on the couch and grumbled about what a nosy little asshole her best friend was.
Then she slumped to the floor.
Feyre was going to spend the rest of her life mooning over Rhys and making a fool of herself, she already knew it. And she was going to love every second of it.
Oh, she was screwed.
———
Tag List:
@aelin-bitch-queen // @feysand-loml // @infernoqueen19 // @live-the-fangirl-life // @midsizewitch // @sleeping-and-books // @story-scribbler // @thebonecarver
112 notes · View notes
writethelifeyouwant · 3 years
Text
Red
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Summary: Y/N has been having an infuriating dry spell in the love department lately, thanks to lockdown, and her roommate Jensen is getting fed up with her attitude. So, he lets her in on a little secret…
Pairing: Danneel x Reader Rating: 18+ Tags: female masturbation, talk of male masturbation, phone sex, dirty talk, praise kink, light degradation, lockdown was hard on singletons but great for phone sex operators Word Count: 4.5k Created for: @anyfandomgoesbingo - Sex Hotline AU | @spnkinkbingo - Tribbing
A/N: Requested by @danneelsmain - hope this lived up to your expectations babe! I haven't written Danneel before but I really enjoyed writing this ❤️
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“Yes... yes... yesyesyes–”
“Hey, Y/N!” Bang, bang, bang! “Hurry up in there will ya? I’m dyin’ here,” Jensen jiggled the doorknob to no avail, and Y/N was incredibly thankful she’d remembered to lock it this time.
I’m dying here, Y/N thought to herself, pulling the shower head from between her legs with a frustrated huff, the water swirling down the drain carrying the fading vestiges of her almost-orgasm with it. She had been so close. Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Just a minute!” she shouted, frustration tipping over into anger. The knob on the faucet was twisted to the ‘off’ position with unnecessary violence, and the shower curtain was attached at one less ring than it had been half an hour ago when it was yanked open to settle against the back wall of the tub.
Bang! Ban–
“Seriously, Jensen?!” Y/N barely had the towel secured around herself before she threw open the door, hastily ducking to avoid Jensen’s knock-in-progress.
“Thank fuck.” Jensen danced around Y/N and shoved the door shut, sending Y/N slipping across the tiles on her still-wet feet and locking her on the other side. The clearly audible hiss of Jensen relieving himself leaked through the door and Y/N growled in frustration, aiming a kick at the door before stomping down the hallway to her room.
He couldn’t have waited ten more seconds…
It had been bad enough that lockdown got them all stuck at home with no possibility of one night stands, or follow-up booty calls to keep her sex drive in check, but now Y/N was having an even bigger problem. She hadn’t been able to get herself over the finish line for at least two weeks, and she had no earthly idea as to why. Y/N was beginning to think that regular orgasms were part of the reason that she was usually nice to be around, because right now she felt like she was one bad joke away from stabbing somebody.
And that someone was likely to be Jensen.
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Tucked up into the corner of the couch was Y/N’s standard position these days. She wasn’t sure what was playing on the TV, something as mindless as she felt right now.
“Budge up.” Jensen hit her feet and flopped back gracelessly on top of them without giving her the chance to move them.
“Ow, asshole!” A pillow whipped through the air and collided squarely with the side of Jensen’s face.
“What is your problem lately?”
“You, clearly,” Y/N snapped, pulling her knees into her chest defensively. Jensen raised a single eyebrow, giving her a pointed look. “No, it’s not you,” Y/N admitted, letting some of her aggression seep out of her frame with her words. “Sorry.”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing, it’s fine.”
There was a stiff silence between them, Jensen waiting for Y/N to break and answer his question and Y/N knowing that she didn’t want to talk about this with Jensen but not seeing a way out of the conversation. Jensen had an irritating habit of getting her to open up about things she never planned on telling people – like the fact that she was gay. And now he was about to hear far more about her sex life than she ever wanted to share with someone of the male species.
“I’m, um,” her cheeks were on fire as she glanced up to see Jensen looking back at her with concerned curiosity. “I’m… having a problem,” she finished lamely.
“Okay…”
“I can’t… Do you ever–” Y/N choked on the words every time they tried to bubble through. “So… um, it’s– it’s been a while.” She saw comprehension flash over Jensen’s freckled face a moment later.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“You know PornHub has a whole section for lesbian shit, right?” Another pillow hits him in the face. “Okay, okay, ow,” Jensen rubs his jaw in exaggeration. “But seriously, it’s been a while for everyone. You just gotta take business into your own hands.”
“You don’t think I’ve been doing that?” Y/N hissed, unconsciously checking around them as if someone else was in their apartment who might overhear.
“Well then what’s the problem?”
“I haven’t like,” Y/N made a variety of nonsequitous hand motions that had no bearing on the word ‘orgasm’ but Jensen seemed to get the message.
“How long?” he cringed.
“Like, almost three weeks? And it’s not like I haven’t been trying like, everything, I just… can’t,” she shrugged helplessly. “Has this kind of thing ever happened to you? Is there something like, physically wrong with me?”
“No, no, I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with you,” Jensen rushed to reassure her, patting her leg awkwardly. “This kind of thing happens all the time.”
“So it’s happened to you too?” Hope shone from Y/N’s face that maybe she wasn’t doomed to a life empty of sexual pleasure.
“Well… no, not exactly.” Y/N’s shoulders drooped, hopes slashed.
“How are you staying so sane?” Y/N accused. “You used to be with a different girl every few days before all of this.”
“Hey! I was not,” Jensen was mock offended but Y/N could tell he was also a little proud. “And I’ve, uh… I’ve got my sources,” his eyes twinkled mischievously as he answered her question.
“Jensen Ross Ackles, have you been sneaking out behind my back!”
“No,” he rolled his eyes, “nothing like that.” Jensen pulled out his phone and started scrolling through the screen as Y/N watched.
“Jen, if you’re trying to show me porn, I’m good. Don’t need to see what you get off to,” Y/N shuddered at the thought. A text beeped on her phone a second later, Jensen’s name popping up on the screen.
“That’s my source,” he explains and she opens the message to see a 1-800 number, next to the word Red.
“Red?”
“Red.” Jensen confirmed with a wicked grin, nodding sagely.
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Y/N could not believe she was about to do this. She looked down at the number on her phone screen, ready to dial as soon as she pressed the little green button. Jensen’s assurances echoed in her head. Best phone sex I’ve ever had… she actually gets off with you, she’s not just faking it… sounds so hot, and her body is killer in her profile pic. Admittedly, the picture he’d shown her had been really fucking sexy. A slender girl in small red panties and unfairly pretty breasts cradled in a satin bra covered in little hearts, dark red hair pinned up around her face in a vintage style.
Before she could talk herself out of it again, Y/N pressed dial and held the phone up to her ear. It rang a few times before connecting to an automated menu, and Y/N was secretly relieved she wouldn’t have to ask an operator if she could speak to ‘Red’.
Thank you for calling the Sugar Lips Hotline. Please enter your card details to continue.
Jensen had warned her about this part, so she had her card sitting out of her wallet on the desk in front of her.
If you know who you are trying to reach, please press one. If you would like to be assigned a random operator, please press two.
Y/N shakily pressed the number one, and then put the phone on speaker while she was at it.
If you would like to speak with Candy, press one, followed by the pound key. If you would like to speak with Kitty, press two, followed by the pound key. If you would like to speak with Lance…
Y/N wondered if she would still have the confidence to go through with this by the time the robotic voice mentioned ‘Red’.
If you would like to speak with Red, press thirteen, followed by the pound key.
The moment of truth. Y/N entered the number 13 and then pressed the pound key. The line began to ring again.
“Hi there,” a temptingly soft voice slipped through the receiver of the phone sitting on the desk in front of her.
“Hi-i,” Y/N’s voice was jarring in comparison, breaking on the first word she uttered.
“Oh, so I’ve got a pretty little girl on the line today, huh?” Y/N didn’t know how to answer so she didn’t, hands frozen in a death grip on the sleeves of her too big sweatshirt. “What’s your name, baby?”
“Y/N,” she whispered back, suddenly scared that Jensen would be able to hear every word being said in her room. Quickly digging into her pockets she pulled out her headphones and plugged them into her cell. Why hadn’t she done that earlier?
“That’s such a pretty name, baby,” the woman cooed, and now her voice was right against Y/N’s ears; it felt like she was in the room, whispering against her skin. “I’m Red.”
“That’s what I should call you?” Y/N managed to keep the tremor out of her words this time.
“Unless you want to call me something else? I can be whoever you want me to be baby girl. Mommy, ma’am, mistress…” Y/N’s heart thundered against her ribs. She realised that she had no idea what she wanted from this – she just knew she was desperate. “Or maybe you want to be in charge? I could be your baby, your good little girl.” Y/N wished she could see Red right now, watch what she looked like as she purred all these promises down the line, teasing and tempting.
“Is,” Y/N gulped, “is there anyone you want me to be?”
“Nuh-uh,” she tutted, and Y/N could imagine her shaking her head, red curls flying by her cheeks. “This is all about you Y/N. I’m here to make you feel good.”
Y/N felt a lick of heat curl in the base of her stomach, twisting itself around her intestines.
“Yeah, I could use that,” she laughed nervously, figuring she should be honest if she wanted this to work out well. And she really needed it to.
“Oh, have you been feeling a little pent up baby?” Red’s voice echoed in Y/N’s ears. The small vibrations coming out of her earbuds were enough to start sending a pulsing sensation down the side of her neck, worming its way under her skin and into her veins. Christ, it had been too long.
“You have no idea.”
“Well, I betcha we can fix that. Are you somewhere comfortable sweetie?”
“I could get on the bed?” Y/N offered, wondering why she hadn’t started there in the first place, rather than at her desk.
“That sounds like a great idea,” Red purred seductively. “Why don’t you stretch out on the bed, get yourself nice and cozy. Maybe prop a pillow up next to you and think about me snuggling you in real close. Wish I could be there to put my hands all over your body.”
Y/N was thankful she was already sitting on her bed by the time Red finished painting her little scene because if she’d been walking, she’s pretty sure her knees would have given out.
“Fuck, it’s been so long since I felt another girl’s hands on me.” She tried not to be embarrassed at how whimpery her voice had gone. If this went well it was about to get a whole lot worse anyways.
“I want to touch every inch of you,” Red breathed heavily. “Run my fingers through your hair, over your neck, down your back. Would I find a bra there to unhook, baby?”
“Yeah,” Y/N sighed, arching her shoulders and feeling the band scratch taught around her ribs, pushing her breast up towards her chin.
“Why don’t you take that off for me?”
“Okay,” Y/N felt her voice shake as much as her hands as she reached behind her back to unclasp her bra, breathing deeply when the pressure of the garment disappeared.
“Bet that felt good, didn’t it baby?” Red laughed knowingly.
“Yeah,” Y/N agreed, loosening up a little at the acknowledgement of a shared experience, something all girls could relate to. She pulled her arms through the straps beneath her sweatshirt and shimmying the discarded bra out the bottom before pushing her arms back through her sleeves. The peaks of her nipples tightened as they caught on the pills of fleece that now sat against her chest.
“What else are you wearing?”
Suddenly embarrassed she hadn’t thought to put on anything sexy in preparation for this call, Y/N didn’t manage more than an “um…” before Red laughed, a warm sound that melted into her like chocolate against your tongue.
“Why don’t I tell you what I’m wearing?”
“Yeah,” Y/N nodded before she remembered that Red couldn’t see her. “Bet it’s something really sexy,” she attempted to flirt, cringing at how awkward she sounded.
“Well that depends,” Red mused. “Do you like lace?”
“Yeah,” Y/N breathed. She loved seeing girls in lace lingerie; the way the delicate weave of the pattern offered small tastes of the skin it covered, the way you could feel someone’s warmth seeping through such a thin fabric so easily, the way it felt to have someone touch you or suck you through such a meagre sheet of modesty…
“What about stockings?” Red voice broke through Y/N’s train of thought, pulling her back to the vaguely out of body experience she was having.
“Love them,” Y/N answered quietly, trying to pitch her voice the way Red was, low and alluring.
“Well, that’s a shame,” she sighed dramatically. “Because I’m not wearing anything at all right now, sorry to disappoint.” Y/N couldn’t see her but she would bet anything Red was wearing a big pout right now. She wondered what her lips looked like. In her head she pictured soft and pillowy.
“You are such a tease,” Y/N laughed, hoping to disguise the pang of arousal that had shot through her a moment before.
“Yeah, but you like it, don’t you baby?”
“Yeah, I really do,” Y/N found herself admitting unconsciously.
“Are you gonna keep teasing me, or are you gonna get naked too baby girl?”
A throb of desire fluttered between Y/N’s legs, her pussy clenching, and when she squirmed back into her pillow a little she felt the lace fabric of her own panties sliding a little more between her thighs. Her arousal had started to soak out of her and into the material.
“You want me naked?” Y/N’s words scratched their way out of her throat, trying to pull her confidence along with them.
“Oh god, please baby,” Red moaned loudly, but it didn’t sound fake. It was like Jensen had told her, it sounded like she was really enjoying this, and like she was actually getting off on what was happening between them right now. “Want to feel your skin against mine.”
“I want that too, baby,” Y/N’s hasty breaths shook her words. She stripped out of her underwear and shoved her phone and headphones down the front of her sweatshirt so she could shimmy it over her head without disconnecting the earbuds. She didn’t want to miss anything.
“God, if I was there I would kiss all over you. Bet you taste amazing,” Red sighed, and Y/N could hear something shifting over the phone, like fabric moving around.
“Are you on your bed too?” Y/N asked.
“Yep, all spread out for you baby girl.”
“Are you touching yourself?” Y/N’s confidence was starting to build as she heard how much Red sounded like she’s into this, and she couldn’t deny she was turned on too. She felt wetter than she’d been in weeks, and when her fingers drifted down over her stomach its muscles twitched in anticipation of where she was about to touch.
“Where do you want me to touch?” Y/N let her eyes slide closed, and she could imagine Red batting her lashes as she asked - where do you want me to touch? - She pictured the girl she’d seen in the photo poised over her, legs straddling Y/N’s hips as Red ran her hands over her own body, fingers trailing over her throat, fondling her breasts, twisting around the pink flesh at the tips of each, lingering on the soft of her stomach before dipping lower.
“I want you to touch between your legs and tell me how wet you are,” Y/N said between deep breaths, trying to keep her voice even.
“I’m already so wet for you, baby,” Red gasped, and Y/N hoped it was a reaction to her fingers slipping inside her pussy.
“If you were here with me, what would you do right now?”
“I’d make you watch me fuck myself on my fingers.” Holy shit, Y/N couldn’t help the moan that bled through her lips, and she heard Red chuckle. “Yeah, you like the sound of that baby?”
“Mm-hmm,” Y/N whimpered, her own fingers finally making their way between her legs and sliding easily through the slick she found there.
“I’d straddle myself right over your face, so you could see my fingers fucking my pussy, feel me dripping on you.”
“Oh, fuck.”
“And then, when my fingers are nice and soaked, you’re gonna suck them clean like a good little girl, aren’t you sweetheart?” Red’s monologue was absolutely wrecking Y/N, she wanted everything the woman on the end of the line was describing so badly. “Want you to do it to yourself, since I can’t be there to do it for you. Can you get those fingers nice and wet for me baby?”
“Fuck, yeah, okay.” Y/N pushed two fingers inside her pussy, clenching around them wantonly. She must have let out some kind of noise because Red giggled again before she continued talking.
“That’s it, fuck yourself for me baby girl, until I can do it for you.” And fucking hell, the thought of Red actually with her, touching her, fucking her… “Your fingers nice and dirty now?”
“Mm-hmm,” Y/N squeaked, pressing against her g-spot to get herself even wetter.
“Good girl,” Red hummed. “Now suck them clean for me, Y/N. Want you to taste just how sweet you are. God, wish I could taste you too,” she moaned, her breath hitching.
Y/N obeyed Red’s instructions, sucking her fingers into her mouth and twirling her tongue around them, curling it across the dips and whorls of her fingertips. She groaned around the digits in her mouth, trying to make it audible that she was doing as she was told.
“Good girl,” Red cooed again, obviously hearing Y/N’s sucking. “Good filthy girl. You’re so dirty aren’t you baby, bet you’re dripping onto the sheets right now you’re so horny.”
“Oh my god,” Y/N felt her whole body clenching as she pushed her hand back between her legs, toying with her clit and sending fresh jolts of desire to her core. “Fuck, I’m touching myself again. Couldn’t help it, you’re so hot baby.”
“I want you to touch yourself sweetie. Want you to make yourself feel so good.”
“I want you to feel good too,” Y/N whimpered, maybe stupidly, but she remembered Jensen saying that Red got off with him and she wanted the same thing. She wanted to know that Red wanted her, that Red found her sexy. She didn’t want to be in this alone.
“Oh, I am feeling so good baby girl,” Red assured Y/N, her voice brimming with sincerity and whimpers to back it up. “Fucking myself so good, pretending it’s your fingers inside me.”
“Fuck, that’s so hot,” Y/N couldn’t come up with anything more eloquent than that. The more she played with herself the foggier her brain got.
“What are you imaging right now?”
“Thinking about you, you on top of me.”
“You want me on top, huh? Want me to hold you down a little, baby?”
“Mm, yeah,” Y/N sighed, slipping two fingers from her free hand down to her entrance and pushing them inside, keeping her other hand on her clit, rolling it between her fingers. “You could hold me down, grind yourself against me. Use me to get yourself off.” Y/N’s breathing was ragged now, and the fingers inside her pussy sought out her g-spot again, starting to focus their efforts a little more concertedly on the spongy bundle of nerves.
“Oh sweetie, that’s so hot, fuck,” Red moaned heavily, her breath catching on her curse. “I’d grind against you so good. Rub our pussies together, all slick and hot, grind my clit against yours nice and hard. Fuck, touch your clit for me baby.”
“I am,” Y/N gasped, drawing fast little circles over the nub between her legs. “Fuck, want all that so bad. Think you could come like that? Just from rubbing your pussy on me, getting me all wet and dirty?”
“Fuck yes, love rubbing my pussy on yours, love grinding our clits together. I could tease you so good. Go nice and slow, wonder how long you’d last before you start begging me to let you cum.”
“I’m close,” Y/N whimpered, surprised at how true it was. She hadn’t gotten so close to cumming this quickly in ages.
“Already baby? You naughty little girl,” Red groaned, and the sound of bed springs crackled through Y/N’s earbuds too. Y/N pictured Red arching off the bed, fucking her hips into her fingers. “You want to cum for me baby?”
“Fuck, yes, yes please,” Y/N begged, feeling the muscles in her thighs and stomach starting to constrict, heat singing through her veins.
“Not yet baby, keep fucking yourself.” Y/N let out a pathetic whine in protest. “You can do that for me, can’t you sweetie. Fuck yourself on those pretty little fingers for me?”
“Yeah, yeah I am.”
“Good girl, I’m so fucking close baby.”
“Fuck, please, want you to cum. Want you to cum with me.” Y/N’s eyes squeezed tight as small pinpricks of light started to burst in the darkness of her vision.
“Gonna cum for you, baby girl,” Red cried, voice high and tight. “Fuck, I’m gonna squirt, I can feel it. Gonna squirt all over your pussy, fucking soak you.”
“Oh my god,” Y/N felt like she might actually start crying, she needed to cum so badly. She was so so so close.
“Rub that little clitty, pretend it’s me rubbing up against you. All hot and wet,” her voice was breaking, her words short and breathless, and Y/N could tell Red was as close as she was. “Gonna cum all over you. Fuck, gonna squirt so hard bet I could actually cum inside you.”
“Holy fuck!” Y/N’s hips snapped into the air, searching for the imaginary body she wished was there. It was becoming hard to hear through the intense buzzing in her ears. Every nerve in her body was pulled taut, ready to snap.
“Cum for me Y/N, c’mon baby, you can do it, want you to cum for me like the good little girl you are baby, c’mon.”
Y/N was sobbing, wrist pistoning her fingers in and out of herself faster than she ever remembered being able to move, and she felt the walls of her pussy clamping down, trying to keep the pressure inside where it wanted it. And then she couldn’t take it anymore. Everything froze. She might have screamed, but to be honest she couldn’t be too sure, because she couldn’t hear anything except the white light that had flooded the dark space behind her eyelids.
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Lockdown became much more bearable after that day. Though Y/N did have to try really hard to not think about the fact that she and Jensen were kind of fucking the same girl. In a way. It was weird. But if she ignored that part, then her ‘dates’ with Red were perfect. She was finally able to release all the tension, sexual and otherwise, that this whole mess had building up in her system constantly. And eventually, the world started to open back up and things started to get just a little bit easier.
Y/N wondered what she would do when lockdown was well and truly over. When the bars and clubs opened up again, would she and Jensen go out and try to hook up like they always had before? Would everything just go back to normal? Would she still want to call Red if she was getting actual sex with a real girl, and not just her hand or a bit of silicone? Yes. The answer was most definitely yes, Y/N had to admit to herself. Even though it was just phone sex, it was still some of the best sex she’d ever had.
Well, Red is a professional, she thought to herself wryly as she spooned some froth onto the top of the cappuccino she was making. The coffee shop she worked at had reopened last week, finally.
“Y/N! Can you jump on register while I take my break?” Michelle called from the end of the counter.
“Sure thing,” Y/N smiled and wiped her hands off on her apron, making her way behind the other baristas to the cash register. She briefly glanced at the line of people waiting to order – a couple of college kids carrying some scary looking textbooks, a portly man scratching his bald patch, a pretty girl with shiny hair and awesome winged liner. Y/N blushed as she caught the eye of the girl, and immediately looked back at her tablet, typing in her register code.
“Hi there, what can I get you?” Y/N’s customer service voice was alarmingly cheery, and the two college guys blinked, startled, clearly still unused to interacting with humans again – Y/N knew the feeling, cringing internally. She made a note to dial the pep back a little.
“Hey, what can I get you?” It was the pretty girl at the front of the line now.
“Um, I’ll have a caramel latte, please,” she answered with a bright smile, red lips stretching across shockingly white teeth.
“Size?” Y/N asked, tapping the order into her tablet.
“How big can you make it?” the girl giggled, and Y/N looked up, something tugging at the back of her mind.
“Um, large?” Y/N answered absentmindedly, trying to figure out what was bugging her so much. The girl just nodded, politely accepting the fact that Y/N had skated over her joke. “Can I get a name for the order?” She grabbed the large sized cup and uncapped the marker, hand poised over the white cardboard, ready to write.
“Oh, sure. It’s Danneel.”
“Danielle?” Y/N asked, her mind still wandering.
“No, Dan– you know what, it’s a weird name. Just go with Red.”
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barzzal · 4 years
Text
who’s the girl, barzy?
summary: mat gets caught up and preyed by the press as he does a post-game exclusive with the boys.
↳ pairing: mathew barzal x you
↳ warnings: boyfriend barzy getting all smitten
↳ genre: fluff, established relationship
↳ length: imagine; 1.4k
↳ masterlist: the barn
note: omg my first barzal fic i hope y’all would like it. pls do let me know what you think so i could get better!! also, thank you @matbaerzal for answering my ask before and for being so nice! i rly appreciate it :)) hope you like !
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It wasn’t until after the game that a couple of sport analysts cornered the boys in the locker room, eager to get a piece from them about the heated game they just had with the Flyers.
The questions were all being thrown at Jordan and Tito for a few minutes before it went sideways when Mat excused himself to answer a call from you.
You were already heading your way out the lounge when you called him. You didn’t want to disturb anything now that you know how stressed he gets whenever he’s in a match. He zones out pretty hard that’s why you tend to keep your distance and respect him by cheering him outside the rink. 
You love it anyway, maybe a little more than you actually love him. Fine, that was a little too much, but that’s how it is. To see Mat grace the rink and be the person he was meant to, it was, indeed, everything you could ever ask for him. 
“So, Mat, we’ve been hearing a lot of rumors going around outside the boy’s locker room.”
His teammates begin to laugh. Evidently teasing the now smitten Barzal, whose cheeks are much reddened that it usually was. 
The two of you have gone out for only a few months and you both haven’t made it official. Not that it was important but Mat did like the idea of your name attached to his. 
He ran his hand through his pitch black hair as he let out a nervous laugh. “I suppose those are the good kind?” 
“Shouldn’t you be the one answering that?” The reporter asks again. 
“We might’ve seen you with a certain someone strolling around Manhattan days before the big game.” 
Tito taps Mathew’s shoulder, nudging him on his side like two teenage boys getting all giddy by the mere thought of a girl agreeing to go with them for the snow ball. 
“They know it, barzy.” Tito teases further, earning a scoff from Mat. 
“Shut up.” He says, stifling what he truly feels. 
“Come on, Mat. You can tell them.” Jordan says, adding up to the banter going around the room. 
Mathew can’t help but smile as he thinks of you waiting for him outside. He wanted to wrap the interview as quickly as possible but if it means that he gets to finally talk about you publicly, enough for the whole world to see; letting a few minutes of his time would be pretty much worthier compared to the number of tedious interviews he’s already done since he started playing. 
“Well, er- her name’s y/n.” Mat starts with a warm smile spread on his lips.
“And she’s really amazing. I mean— I can’t even put it into words but she’s really special to me.” 
Tito fakes a cough, chiding a comment underneath. “Caller. Call her.” 
The reporters were quick to notice what Tito had said so they were immediately caught up on that bit of information. After all, they’re all up whatever Mathew has going on. So, the mere thought of Mathew Barzal dating? That’s big news.
“Was she the one who called earlier?” They ask to confirm.
To which Mat only nods as an answer. 
“Why don’t you call her, Maty?” Jordan teases, using the name you frequently call him when you’re left alone in the room. Unfortunately, on one of those times, Jordan was nosy enough to catch the two of you in deep of each other’s presence, calling each other by their respective pet names. 
The others began to cheer and join in the banter upon seeing Barzal hide his undeniable shyness from the camera. 
“See? We’ve finally got a lover boy!” Tito rolls his eyes, mocking his best friend’s predicament.
“What’s the real score though? You know you’re gonna answer it anyway.” 
Truth be told, you and Mat have never discussed anything that’ll lead to this question. The answer of who you both were in each other’s lives in particular. Mat is special to you, yes. It obviously goes the same for him as well but Mat, despite being a man whose calculations have been as precise as every goal he had done, couldn’t bring himself to ask you who he really was in your life.
‘“We haven’t talked about that part.” He shortly says, scratching on his eyebrow to mask his growing uneasiness. 
“You can talk to her now.” Jordan suggests.
“That’s… interesting.” Tito arches a brow and throws his arm over Mat’s shoulder. 
“You’d go on about this forever, huh?” Mat shakes his head. Admittedly wanting to do it himself despite all the teasing his mates were throwing at him since a while ago. 
𖥸
With crossed legs and a hand on your chin, you were in no doubt beginning to grow bored of waiting for Mathew. People were walking past you already for about half an hour when you noticed that Mathew and the boys were being interviewed on the screen. You took your airpods off and decided to tune in.  
The boys were laughing at Mathew who was now busy typing on his phone, all smiles as he glanced between it and the people watching him. 
When your phone starts to ring and you see Mat’s caller ID flash on the screen, you assume that he wasn’t typing and doing some silly dare the boys talked him into doing. But why was he calling you when he was still in an interview anyway?
Wait, was that what this is about?
You were hesitant to pick up the call as there were a few people in the lounge but you did it anyway. You just have to hope that Mat knew what he was doing because if he’s ever going to play you like how he messes with his teammates, he’s definitely gonna hear an earful.
“Hi.” You quietly greet him, cautious people might begin looking towards where you’re seated. 
“Hey.” Mat greets you back at the other end. You see his wide smile upon hearing you answer.
“Where are you right now?” He starts to ask. Knees jumping up and down, letting you know that he was starting to grow anxious. 
“Uh- just, just outside. You know, where I’m usually at after the game.” You nervously laugh, afraid that by telling him where you actually are in front of everyone watching would only cost you attention you most certainly were not ready for. 
“Alright, I just wanted to ask you something.” He starts, a smile still evident on his lips. 
“Couldn’t it wait ‘til after your interview?” 
“Well, It can. But I don’t think I’d have enough courage to ask. You know how nervous I get around you.” He chuckles. The sound you most absolutely love. 
“M’kay then, what is it?”
You see him share one last look with the boys before he clears his throat as he finally asks you the one thing he’s been dying to know ever since you two had gone much exclusive. 
“Beau’s been dying to know—” Mat jokes when Tito cuts him off, “That’s not me, y/n! It’s all him!” 
You suppress a laugh whilst watching them clash on screen. The sight wasn’t new to you so you’d figure it wouldn’t harm to join the friendly banter going on live from the boy’s locker room. 
“Why Beau? He already knows.” You bite your lower lip trying to remain calm and easy as you watch him act like a 15-year-old boy getting a girlfriend for the first time. 
Mat’s eyes widened upon hearing what you said on speaker. Tito, however, despite having that conversation with you, only shrugged and acted like he didn’t know what you were talking about. 
Jordan leans on the phone and says, “Just ask her, maty.”
You were quick to bury your face in your palm. Jordan continues to goof off and taunt the young lad. 
Mathew rolls his eyes, which was unfortunately caught on cam, as he shifts his angle a little to the left to give himself the privacy that’s been long gone the moment he agreed on calling you live. 
“What am I? I mean… are we—” 
“Are we, you know?” 
Mathew massages his nape, exasperated after realizing the mistake he had done not thinking things through just in case you were going to say no. Nonetheless, just like what he does for a living, he decides to just shoot for it and hope he’d get the goal he’s gonna be known for for a while.
“Let’s date. Like for real. What do you think?” He asks. Cheers loud and clear on the set. 
“I thought you’d never ask, Barzy.”
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palmett-hoes · 3 years
Note
I like your meta and I got to thinking about all the stuff in these books that requires the suspension of disbelief to roll with and tbh the biggest thing Nora ever asked us to overlook is Riko's entire schtick. Tell me who in real life looks at a short, West Virginia college freshman, even the ones who are good athletes, and says 'oh yeah they are definitely the authority on who should be thought of as the best players in the league, the tattoos are normal, he's normal' Like !??? Hello???
yea i personally have a lot of questions about the moriyamas as they’re presented to us in canon. i think they’re a very confusing detail, and also a not-exceptionally well-considered one on account of the unfortunate racial implications
personal take: the moriyamas should have been russian bratva instead of japanese yakuza. it would change absolutely nothing about the story, but would fix a dozen small details that i’ve been leaping through flaming hoops to justify watsonianly in how i flesh out the extended universe
nora is VERY much a character writer, not a world-builder. her characters are SO nuanced and life-like, but her world-building often feels random, disjointed, and unaddressed
that being said though, i don’t think riko’s schtick is really one of these details
calling riko just a “short, West Virginia college freshman” is very uncharitable to exactly what he is. riko is a celebrity, the ward of a celebrity, and he’s been in the media eye since he was born. it would be accurate to compare him (and kevin) to people like blue ivy carter and north west kardashian, children of a-list, instantly-recognizable celebrities who got added to their guardians’ brand as children. blue ivy is nine-years-old and has already won a grammy
(i don’t want to imply that either the knowles-carter or the kardashian-west family, or any other celebrity i might mention here are abusive like the moriyama family. while there are plenty of concerns about the psychology of child stars, i’m not talking about their personal lives or the way these children are being raised, because that’s none of my business. i’m talking about them from the perspective of their media visibility and the legitimacy that gives them with the public)
journalists LOVE celebrity kids. every argument and wardrobe choice is headline news in a-list houses, and why some celebrities (like famously michael jackson) have to go to such extreme measures to give their kids even a modicum of privacy, because they're hounded by reporters and photographers every time they step outside.
tetsuji, however, took much more of the joe jackson approach and turned his nephew and ward into a public brand and set them loose on the media circuit as soon as he was able
you have to think about exy as a global movement, one with two distinct figureheads at the helm. it came out of nowhere and completely reshaped the world of sports in an extremely short amount of time. think of kayleigh and tetsuji as being like mark zuckerberg or steve jobs: innovators and figureheads
and even if they’re “just” sports celebrities, they’re sports celebrities on a tier with people like babe ruth, michael phelps, tom brady, serena williams, usain bolt, lance armstrong, the rock, muhammed ali, john cena. people whose sports celebrity is SO great their names enter the mainsteam. that’s the MINIMUM level of fame and influence they have
it's no stretch of the imagination for me to think that the Princes of Exy brand was inextricable with the rapid growth and popularity of the sport. kevin and riko were mascots, ambassadors, and symbols, not just for the ravens but for exy itself. the sport viewed as coming of age alongside them
even if it seems ridiculous to us from outside their universe, inside it people have been hearing about the Perfect Court for over ten years. it’s something their sportscasters and news anchors talk about. you’ve heard it on every early-morning and late-night talk show. it’s a tagline on the covers of magazines and up on billboards. every little league kid who picks up an exy racket dreams that they’ll be the next pick and wear that three or four on their jersey
riko and kevin may have been two of the most famous children in the world
and with celebrity comes extensive forgiveness of... “eccentricity.” remember when jared leto started a cult and everyone just,,, let that happen? gwyneth paltrow’s new age wellness pseudoscience brand? tom cruise is literally a scientologist? even if it’s absolutely ridiculous, it’s okay if a celebrity does it
in-universe, riko isn’t just a “good athlete,” he’s a house-hold name with a consistent vision, every tool at his disposal to get it done, a massive platform of people listening to his every word, and the mainstream media spreading it for free
some tattoos at 16? that’s nothing. ESPECIALLY if they’d been drawing them on for years before
once you think about these things in the context of things that are familiar to us, rather than strange and random and contextless the way they (admittedly) come across in canon, riko starts to make a little more sense
also, while i think it could have been pushed more, i think that nora actually did a pretty decent job of conveying this idea of Celebrity as a theme in the books. there are a lot of very consistent references to kevin and riko’s fame and influence. however, because of how much of an unreliable narrator with such a narrow scope of interest neil is, it’s a detail that can slide past you especially if you haven’t read the books in a while and you mostly engage in the fandom. fandoms tend to be character driven, not theme driven, so a lot of the recurring themes and imagery of a work tend to get lost over time
however i try to keep in touch with the canon. the last time i fully read the books was less than a year ago (and i’ve been in the fandom for like,, 5 years?) and i fact check it often for posts, meta, and fic beta-ing. at some point i’d really like to do a series of scene breakdowns and literary analysis of the lesser-acknowledged themes bc ideas like Celebrities In The Public vs Private are interestingly approached and i think we’re missing out a bit by only talking about them from a character-first perspective
i think one thing i would LOVE about getting some kind of visual-media adaptation of aftg (animated series or visual novel preferred) would be all the passive worldbuilding we could get that neil declines to describe to us. things like billboards and magazine covers and t-shirts and commercials for exy and the Princes of Exy in particular. i really think it would push so much more dimension and context into the story for us to really SEE these things
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kopikokun · 3 years
Text
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Snack Run with a Snack༄ j.jh
↳ On your usual movie night with the members, they assign you sudden snack collecting duty. You’re a little peeved, but at least Jaehyun offers to tag along. Unfortunately for you, things really aren’t going in your favour tonight.
pairing: idol!jaehyun x camera operator!reader (feat. johnny, jungwoo & doyoung)
genre: fluff, comedy, co-workers to lovers
warning(s): expletives
word count: 3526 words
☽༓・*˚⁺‧͙ 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: crush (souly had) ✧ mango love (shawn wasabi, satica) ✧ make you feel pretty (lovelytheband)
Request 39: Jaehyun x Staff!Reader during movie night where she’s an extrovert and is close to all of the members.
← BACK TO NAVI.
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— 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝.
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Your fortnightly movie nights are always something you anticipate eagerly, no matter how frequent or repetitive they may be. It’s always nice being able to take a breather from the grievous monotony of your daily schedule to just kick back and—essentially—do nothing. You know the rest of the members cherish these ephemeral moments too, because despite all odds, they’ll valiantly try to show up and join you, or at the very least make an appearance. Once, Ten had even barged in, still with his extensions intact.
    To be fair, you’re not any better. When you heard that Jaehyun was participating the other day, you had dropped all other priorities just to come over. Safe to say, your roommate was not pleased seeing the state of the abandoned living room.
    Your vision sweeps the perimeter of the room. Usually, it’s packed to full capacity, but there are only four others here besides you today.
    “The glasses.” Doyoung purses his lips, planting his stare on a startled Jungwoo. “Where are the glasses? I thought I told you to get them?”
    Jungwoo smacks a hand to his mouth, the sound of skin against skin so loud that you wince on his behalf. “It totally slipped my mind. Honest to God. I got sidetracked.” He clasps your—an innocent bystander’s—shoulder with such force that you physically jolt forward. Jungwoo flashes you his signature million dollar smile.“Hey, could you be a dear and help me out? I still haven’t decided what movie we should watch tonight.”
    “Yeah, sure.” You grimace, already turning on your heel, mumbling, “You didn’t have to hit me.”
    “Thanks!” he calls after you. “And sorry!”
    His voice cuts through the hurried chattering between Jaehyun and Johnny which comes into earshot as you step into the kitchen. Their mouths move at the speed of bullet trains and Jaehyun’s hands flutter around his pensive face frantically. Maybe it’s the rose-tinted lenses, but the sight endears you. The slightest of chuckles escapes your lips at his delirium.
    Their bodies seize, their zealous conversation slipping into a steady silence.
    “What’s wrong?” you smirk. “Were you guys talking about me?”
    “No,” Jaehyun snaps, so quickly that it almost prickles. “Why would we be talking about you?”
    “Ouch,” you pout, masquerading the sting with a frivolous cadence . “How mean.”
    “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” he says. “What are you doing here? I thought you were, uh, clearing the table?” There’s a nervous edge to Jaehyun’s voice which insinuates that he knows something you don’t.
    “I was, but then Jungwoo asked me to get the glasses in his stead since he’s too busy fussing over which movie we should watch.”
    Johnny laughs. “I should go help him out then, or he’ll be stuck on the selection page for ages.” He pats Jaehyun’s back as he leaves. “Don’t make a fool of yourself.”
    You toss an inquisitive glance at Jaehyun. He turns away, cheeks blooming with colour.
    Admittedly, you’re more than intrigued by what Jaehyun had been so ardently conversing about. A small part of you whispers the possibility of it being you, and your heart soars. Now you’re the one getting sidetracked. Of course, you are. This is one of the rare moments you and Jaehyun have shared alone. Although you see him almost daily, there’s always someone closeby; a fellow staff or member of the group. And while you’d consider yourself someone who thrives in social situations, there’s nothing more you desire than a few seconds in solitude with the charming man.
   You swing the plywood cupboard door open, extinguishing your idle delusions, the handle cool in your grasp. Three shelves greet your vision; each stuffed full with either miscellaneous tableware or seldom used kitchen utensils. You spot the mug you gave Mark for his birthday collecting dust in the corner and scoff bitterly. And he said it’s his ‘favourite mug’.
    Your face screws in bewilderment. Usually, the glasses are graciously arranged on the bottom shelf; easily accessible for the people who are less gifted in the height department (namely you). Strangely, today they are at the very top, shoved deep inside, so far in that you’d think that it had been done with malicious intent. If they were in the middle, perhaps you could’ve reached them with a little extra effort, but given their current position, even on your tiptoes you wouldn’t even come close. The tips of your fingers barely graze the bottom portion of the glass. You huff.
    “Do you need help?”
    Your head swivels to see a clearly humoured Jaehyun, his eyebrow arched.
   “Yeah, someone’s kept the glasses on the top shelf,” you grumble, tenaciously continuing to reach for them despite knowing that you and your height—or rather, lack of it—have been bested. “Must’ve been Johnny. The tall-ass.”
    “You’re probably right. It wouldn’t be his first time either.” You groan in exertion. “Hold on, let me help.”
    “Thanks, Jae—”
    Your eyes widen and your stature stiffens. Just the smell of his aftershave is enough to knock you out.
    Jaehyun’s chest presses against your back firmly. His hot breath tickles your neck; the fine hairs stand on end. His right arm, hugged in the most breathtaking way by a black sweatshirt, reaches forward while his left is planted on the counter in front of you, caging you in. You’ve done your fair share of ogling at Jaehyun’s more than ravishing physique before, but only from afar. At this proximity however, you can individually trace every vein on his forearm. They’re like roots branching across the ample muscle. God, you’re making it very apparent that you’re staring.
    While probably not the most proficient, you don’t dispute this method of reaching for glasses. You’re sure Jaehyun knows there are better ways to do this too.
    Stunned, you all but stare in what you can only describe as awe at Jaehyun’s side-profile. Sharp lines accentuated by peculiarly delicate features, you can’t help but imagine how it would feel like running your fingers over the curves of his cheekbones, the arch of his nose and the dip of his cupid’s bow.
    Jaehyun’s gaze latches onto yours, his arm still hanging above your head. You swallow dryly before licking your lips. Jaehyun’s jaw clenches, the movement guiding his eyes to them. The counter is digging into your hip.
    “I got the glasses,” he breathes, your vicinity means you can practically taste the mint on his tongue.
    “Thanks,” you mumble.
    Neither of you move farther or closer to each other.
    Jaehyun places the glasses beside you. “I should probably go set up the projector now.”
    “Yeah, you should.” No, don’t.
    He nods curtly, prods the inside his cheek with his tongue and shuffles out of the kitchen. You lean on the counter, recomposing yourself. Your heart pounds in your ribcage. Jaehyun’s lingering aftershave muddles any chance of a coherent thought.
    What was that?
    Sure, over the past week or two, you and Jaehyun have made your ever augmenting attraction to one another remarkably tangible, but neither of you had acted upon it. Until now.
    Dazed, you almost forget to do what you had initially come in here for. You have to literally turn a 180 to retrieve the five glasses which sit innocuously on the countertop; they lay witness to your sins.
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    “So, how’d it go?”
    “Did you do it?”
    “Well, technically no, but—”
    The four men are huddled together in the middle of the living room, each with equally suspicious expressions carved into their faces. Jaehyun’s back is turned to you as he’s hunched over, almost like he’s sharing some petty gossip.
    You set the glasses down on the communal dining table, shift your weight on one leg and perch your hands on your hips like a disgruntled teacher waiting for her class to fall silent. Doyoung is first to sense your presence, nudging Johnny and jutting his chin towards you.
    You can’t suppress the snort that courses through you when—simultaneously—all four of them disperse. It looks almost rehearsed.
    “Why are you guys acting so weird today?”
   Johnny sputters, Jungwoo chokes on presumably his own spit, Doyoung makes a sound which resembles more of a wheeze than a cough, and Jaehyun’s body goes completely rigid.
    “We’re not acting weird,” scoffs Johnny.
    You’re unconvinced. Just the way the whole room was immediately shrouded in a thick cloud of tension at your question was very telling.
    “Yes, you ar—”
    “Alright then,” Jaehyun clasps both of his hands together like a middle-aged man in the midst of a conference, “the movie! Jungwoo, what did you pick this week?”
    Jungwoo hammers a fist to his heaving chest. “I picked Jojo Rabbit.”
    “Oh, Minji noona watched it the other day. She told me it was so good she cried,” Johnny says. “And she rarely—if ever—cries over movies, or anything, really.”
    “Why didn’t she and the others come over today? They’re always here for movie night.” By the others, you’re referring to the rest of the staff who are usually present. Being more or less the same age, the members naturally gravitated towards the rest of you; your closeness in years meant that you could easily relate to one another. You’d consider yourself a decently convivial person as well, which was probably another fundamental factor.
    Once again, a restless fog congests the room. You seem to have struck another nerve.
    Jungwoo tightens his grip on the remote. “They were… busy.”
    His spontaneous lie is deplorable at best, but you let it slide.
    You assume they think your conjectures have diffused because they seem to share a relieved glance; Jaehyun casts an appreciative smile to the bunch. He clears his throat. You don’t miss the mental exchange between him and Johnny, who grins wittingly.
    “How about the snacks?”
    All eyes are on you.
    Your eyebrows cinch. “What?”
    “The snacks,” Jungwoo reiterates. “You’re on snack duty.”
    The way he says it makes it sound like you were aware of this. “No, I’m not.”
    “Yeah, we told you in the groupchat,” Doyoung says. Jungwoo seems to be restraining a smile.
    “No, you in fact, did not.” Scorned by this blatant accusation, you begin fishing your phone from your front pocket to show the others that none of you had come to that agreement.
    Jaehyun’s hand coils around your wrist, halting your movements. “I’ll come.”
    “I’m sorry?”
    “I’ll come along with you to get the snacks,” his grip loosens, “if you want me to.”
    “Oh.” Your arm falls limp to your side. You study Jaehyun’s earnest gaze. “Sure.”
    It’s painfully palpable that the rest of the group were expecting this; their lips curling with a smirk of gaiety.
    “Great, I’ll go grab some cash.”
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You really should have thought twice about letting Jaehyun tag along.
    “You should’ve stayed at home.”
    “I wanted to come.”
    You’re reasonably terrified, both for you and Jaehyun’s sake. Getting recognised out in public is an all too plausible scenario, and you really do not have the resolve or strength to fend off a horde of fans right now.
    “Relax, it’s like 11pm. Nobody’s going to be just walking out here. At least, not anybody sober.”
    While he makes a valid point, you’re still skittish. “Alright, but keep your head down.”
    “How will I see where I’m going?”
    Collecting your wits, you reach for his hand to tug him forward. “I’ll lead the way.”
    Though Jaehyun is more than capable of staying grounded in his spot, you drag him along with relative ease, like a lifeless rag doll.
    “I… was just kidding.”
    Not looking back, you say, “Does that mean you want me to let go of your hand?”
    Brazenly, Jaehyun intertwines his fingers with yours, strengthening his palm’s embrace. A jolt of exaltation zips up your spine.
    “No, don’t.”
    The remainder of the brisk walk to the convenience store is spent in exhilarating quietude, one that conveys a hundred messages. Not once does Jaehyun’s hold of your hand weaken.
    The intimacy of the store welcomes you wholeheartedly. From its single constantly flickering bulb, that one cooler door with the rickety handle, and to the out-of-order slushie machine, you could peruse this store with your eyes closed. Being NCT’s camera operator first and designated snack buyer second, you’ve been in here more times than anyone should ever have to be in a lifetime.
    It’s not the most popular store on the block. Their selection is limited, their interior outdated, but in your humble opinion, they are leagues ahead of any other store out there. Plus, it’s usually vacant, meaning minor risk of being spotted. Other than you, Jaehyun and the single weary employee, there’s only one other person in here, a tattered hood draped over their head. While they’re sketchy in a certain sense, you’re confident that they don’t pose a threat to you or Jaehyun’s safety.
    “I’ll go get the crisps and you get the chocolates,” you declare, standing on your tiptoes.
    “Chocolates? We’re getting chocolates? We already have some in the fridge.”
    “Okay, then I’m getting chocolates.”
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Another reason you love this place to bits is because of its prices. Everything is outrageously cheap. The first time you had visited, wet behind the ears, soul bursting with vigour yet pockets embarrassingly empty, you almost cried. You had one of the best dinners of your early adult life in this very store. Sure, it was just a truckload of processed, packaged food, but here’s the thing: it was a truckload. And when you’re as financially stable as a thumbtack balancing on the tip of its point, a truckload of food is a blessing bestowed by the Gods.
    So, safe to say, you and Jaehyun definitely got your money’s worth.
    In fact, in the time the two of you expended scouring the aisles for tid-bits, a forlorn cloud had consumed the sky. It had started raining. Lightly at first, but the drizzle had swiftly transitioned into a furious storm.
    Thunder claps in the distance, the sound so tumultuous it shakes the tiles of the store floor, the vibrations so intense they reach the tip of your head.
    “Do you have enough money for an umbrella?” you ask.
    “Even with an umbrella, I think it’d be too dangerous for us to go out there,” Jaehyun says, and as if to illustrate his point, another bolt of lightning strikes the Earth. The convenience store trembles. “And no, I don’t have enough money for an umbrella.” From the tone of Jaehyun’s voice, his delight is hidden by the pretense that he too is upset by this development.
    “Then I guess we’ll have to call one of the guys to pick us up.”
    Jaehyun’s expression immediately turns sour. “I mean, yeah… I guess we could.”
    Under normal circumstances, you would have been pouncing at the opportunity to spend some quality one-on-one time with Jaehyun, alas, three other undoubtedly starving men are waiting for your return.
    A long, dull white counter, meant for customers to sit and eat at faces the heavy gloom outside. Droplets of rain cling to the glass like fluorescent crystals embedded to cave caverns, before slipping down in a wavering trickle, racing each other to the bottom. You take a seat on one of the plastic stools and Jaehyun takes the one beside you, dropping the bag of snacks to the floor.
    “Hello?” Johnny’s sonorous voice greets through your speakers.
    Jaehyun stares at you, anguished. To his right, the hooded stranger from earlier slips into the third stool, leaning forward and shelving their chin on a palm. They stare outside the window.
    “Hey, Johnny. We got the snacks, but Jaehyun and I have a separate problem.”
    “I know. It’s pouring.”
    “Exactly,” you nod. Jaehyun looks like he’s about to crumble into a heap of anxiety. “Can you pick us up? We don’t have enough cash to hail a taxi.”
    There’s a commotion on the other side of the line; hushed discussion and rustling of fabric. You can’t pick up a lot, only the words, “Yeah.” and “So, that’s what we’ll say?”
    “Sorry,” Johnny finally says, after much delay. “I can’t.”
    “What do you mean you can’t?”
    Beside you, Jaehyun visibly perks.
    “Car’s being repaired,” he replies languidly. “Mark popped a tyre while learning to drive the other day.”
    You groan. “You’re joking.”
    “Dead serious.”
    “God, the car just had to be out today of all days.”
    “Sorry, it can’t be helped,” Johnny sighs, a twinge of mischief to his voice. “The matter’s out of my hands.”
    “It’s fine. We’ll just… wait it out or something.”
    “We’ll try and see if any of the others can swing by and pick you guys up, so just stay put for now.”
    “Alright thanks, Johnny. Sorry about tonight.”
    “Nah, it’s fine,” he says. “Have fun with Jae.”
    The call ends with a click before you can probe Johnny further.
    “No go?” Jaehyun chirps.
    You shake your head. “No, though you don’t seem bummed out about it.”
    “Yeah,” he shrugs. “It’s not often I can spend some time alone with you anyway. In a way, I’m glad.” You bite the flesh of your cheek, face turning hot. Jaehyun turns in his seat, reaching down for the plastic bag. “And, we have snacks to—”
    His eyebrows furrow.
    “Jae?” His adam’s apple bobs in his throat. “The snacks?”
    “They’re… gone.”
    “What?”
    “I put them right here beside me, but they’re gone! I swear I—”
    The bell above the door chimes as the mysterious figure—the one who had been sat beside Jaehyun mere seconds ago—dashes out, with, lo and behold, a very familiar plastic bag dangling in their grasp.
    You point a finger towards them. “They stole our snacks!”
    Jaehyun’s head whips around to gawk at the culprit who has already made their way out of the store, head-first into Mother Nature’s wrath. He leaps out of his seat, hell-bent on chasing the person down, practically foaming at the mouth. “Motherfucker—”
    This time, you’re the one who grips his wrist. “Jaehyun, wait. It’s not worth it.”
    “They just stole all of our snacks! Am I supposed to just watch them get away with them?” he seethes. If not for his genuinely fuming expression, you would’ve laughed at the absurdity of the situation.
    “They already had a head-start, Jae. I doubt you’ll be able to chase them down. And what if someone sees you? How are we supposed to explain why Jung Jaehyun of NCT was sprinting in the rain after a stranger with a bag of snacks?”
    His shoulders sag. “But… our snacks… and your chocolate! What about your chocolate?”
    “It’s fine. I didn’t even get the version I liked. They were all out of the original ones.”
    Jaehyun slumps back into his seat, defeated. “Should we call the police?”
    You snicker. “And tell them our snacks got stolen? They’d laugh in our faces.”
    “I hate that you’re right. I wish they’d treat snack theft with the same severity of other crimes,” he jests, despite still being obviously disheartened. “Hope whoever that was gets struck by lightning and fucking sizzles out there.” He cards a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.”
    “It wasn’t your fault, Jae. I mean, who the hell steals snacks anyway?”
    “No, not that. Well, I am sorry about that but what I meant was... I screwed this up.”
    “Screwed what up?”
    “You know how everyone was acting really strangely today?”
    “You guys weren’t being very secretive about it.”
    He huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, well, it was because they were helping me get us alone.”
    Jaehyun’s confession is like the final piece of a puzzle; the final thread to connect all the dots together. “So that explains why everyone collectively decided to not show up today, and why the glasses were on the top shelf, and why you guys said I was on snack duty when I clearly wasn’t! And I bet the car isn’t even busted too!”
    He nods, a wry smile etched onto his lips. “The glasses weren’t actually a part of the plan, but in the end, they were in my favour, so I’m not pissed about it.” You flush as the memory floods you. “They did all of that, and yet I still blew it.”
    “Who said you blew it?” you say. Jaehyun lifts his head to look at you. “We’re alone right now, aren’t we?”
    He swipes his tongue over his teeth. “Well, yeah, I suppose we are.”
    “So, just tell me you like me already.”
    Jaehyun jerks back in his seat. “You knew?”
    “Of course I knew,” you grin, “because, I like you too.”
    His face breaks out into the widest smile possible; one that stretches his lips so much that it must ache. “You do?”
    “Yes, I do,” you giggle. “Even though you got our snacks stolen.”
    By the time you two make it back to the dorm, clothes dripping rainwater onto the carpet, lips swollen from stolen kisses, and smiles teeming with euphoria, the rest of the street is already dark. Johnny, Jungwoo and Doyoung greet you with knowing smiles and playful comments.
    “Look, I’m super happy for you guys and stuff but,” Jungwoo gestures to your empty hands, “where the hell are the snacks?”
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gallavictorious · 3 years
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Could you share more thoughts about the intro and the possibility of aftercare?
Hello, nonnie! I like you! XD
Starting off with why this whole moment reeks of aftercare potential: consider the way that Ian's entire focus is on Mickey, watching him – watching over him – with that small, fond smile on his face, while Mickey is, unusually, not paying Ian any real attention, but is seemingly slightly lost in content (un)thought instead, like he's happy but maybe a little bit out of it? (Hello, subspace.) And then Ian's immediate and rather aggressive reaction when We, The Intruder appears; he gets up to physcially chase us out and close the door (protective much, dom top daddy?) while Mickey remains quiet on the bed, uncharacteristically passive. What other possibility is there but aftercare?
… yeah, okay, I'm sure there are ways to read this scene that does not involve Ian taking care of Mickey while Mickey's coming down from a scene, but I'm personally not really seeing it, you know? Terribly limited imagination, me. 😏
Anyway. While the canonicity of the intros is... well, isn't... I think there's quite a bit of potential in blithely ignoring that to instead try to determine exactly when this moment – that absolutely did happen! – takes place. Just makes for some interesting possbilities, you know?
See, we know that they're in their new place and that they haven't switched the air mattress for Ian's old one yet; that gives us only a very few nights to play with. (Bear with me, I'm halfway sure it's worth sorting this out.)
The morning of 11x11 has very strong first morning in a new flat vibes (with Ian wanting to check out the amenities and Mickey wanting to sort out the practical shit) and given Mickey's general unhappiness with moving, I just don't see them getting up to that sort of stuff on the eve they moved in. Then all of 11x11 takes place during one single day and the last we see of Ian and Mickey then is them getting handsy in their old room. Prior to 11x12 I rather thought they'd spend that night at the Gallagher house, but Mickey noting that they came there to get some of Ian's stuff when Ian has the gall to protest him stealing Debbie's potato masher in 11x12 suggests they arrived there in the morning for that express purpose and thus can be assumed to have spent the night (their second on the West Side) in their own apartment. Considering that they pick up Ian's old mattress and the intro happens with them on the air mattress, I'd argue that we can confidently place that sweet scene either on the night between 11x11 or, possibly, on the night after the anniversary party. (Because they'd want to install the proper mattress as quickly as possibly, sure, but if they don't go home between picking it up and the party I doubt they'll be in the right state to get it up and into their bedroom once they finally stagger home that night.)
Of these two options, I'm leaning towards the former, i.e. the night following them making up and agreeing to stay on the West Side. (After the party I see them being very eager and a bit drunk and not really interested in anything advanced – which would admittedly explain why they might, say, forget their keys in the lock and leave the door open, allowing a concerned neighbor to wander into their apartment. Anyway, I imagine a lot of highly enthusiastic but not necessarily very imaginative sex that night.)
And it's just rather easy to picture it right after 11x11, you know? They're in their old room, kissing and kissing; Mickey has shifted to straddle Ian's thighs. After a little while Ian pulls back, just a little.
”Wanna take this back to our place?” he says and Mickey might have asked if they have to do it right now when things were just about to get real interesting, but he sees the hopeful look on Ian's face so he just smiles: ”Sure.”
So they drive back – home – and maybe they don't say all that much to each other on the way? Things are not tense, not anymore, not at all, but there's something between then; something almost shy, maybe; expectant. As they park the car and move up the stairs Mickey can feel Ian sneaking glance after glance at him and the moment they're through the door, Ian grabs hold of his shoulder and pushes him against the wall, kissing him, kissing him, and pouring all of himself and all of his love for Mickey into that kiss.
Mickey smiles widely into it, the way he often does. He has his hands on Ian's arms and after a while he tries to push back, going for that old back and forth they so often engage in, but Ian doesn't budge at all. He holds Mickey in place, gaze steady and sure and intent as he pulls back just slightly to look at his husband.
Mickey raises one eyebrow, because, oh, okay, it's like that, huh? A particular and familiar shiver runs through his body, anticipation mingling with glee and raw desire. Bring it the fuck on.
Ian brings it the fuck on. Maybe there are restraints and long, slow, deliberate but very loving teasing. Maybe there's dirty words and commands and endearments murmured while pale fingers twists sharply in dark hair. Maybe they have fun playing barbarian and put upon husband putting him in his place. Either way, Ian's entire focus is on Mickey and all the things that make Mickey feel good. It's a very particular sort of makeup sex, perhaps, but that's what it is, really. Or... maybe it's less Ian trying to make amends and more him assuring Mickey, in the language they've both always understood perfectly, that Mickey is seen and known and loved for all that he is, and that he'll always be centre of Ian's world. No need to change; no need to hide.
Once they're (un)done, Ian helps Mickey to his feet. (I believe it's @whatwouldmickeydo who noted that they can't well get up to anything very energetic at all on that unreliable air mattress [and who also wrote a fic I think might interest you, nonnie!], so they've probably been getting busy elsewhere? In the kitchen maybe, where there are convenient counters. Not like they're unused to fucking in places other than the bedroom, so they make do.) Holds him steady against his chest with one arm while he pours him a glass of water with the other. Runs his hand down Mickey's naked back while he drinks.
”You good?” Ian asks once the glass is empty, but Mickey just grunts something intellligble and buries his face in Ian's shoulder. Not incapable of speech, you see; just utterly uninterested in it at the moment.
Ian smiles, privately, fondly, and presses a soft kiss to his husband's damp hair before helping him into their bedroom (after grabbing a convenient chocolate bar for when Mickey starts coming back to himself). Wipes them both down; brings out two pairs of clean boxers; guides Mickey down onto the mattress, never once breaking physical contact.
If there are marks that need seeing to, they are seen to. There are words of reassurance and praise and love. There are little pecks pressed to Mickey's swollen and slack lips, gentle fingers brushing over his face, a blanket pulled up to cover them both. Ian puts his arm across Mickey's chest in half an embrace and smiles as Mickey's hand shifts to rest on it. They lie there, Mickey still floating on feeling so very safe and sore and cherished, and Ian watching him like he's the only person that matters in the whole world; the only person that exists.
(At least until Mickey blinks a few times and stretches his neck from side to side, giving Ian a very much present look as he notes something along the lines of damn gallagher, couldn't you have pulled this shit last night, I'd've been out like a fucking candle and Ian snorts and retorts that he's not out like a fucking candle now so shut up and have some chocolate asshole ❤️)
Those are some of my thoughts, nonnie. Thank you for asking. <3
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featherymalignancy · 4 years
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PART TWO — The Eyes of Texas: A Rowaelin Origin Story 🏐 🍺 ♥️ 
  Long before Cash and Nesta, there was Rowan and Aelin.
Rowan Whitethorn—a Navel academy graduate and recently discharged second lieutenant from the United States Navy—takes a break from studying of the police academy exam in Los Angeles to fly back to his native Hawaii and compete in a twos volleyball tournament with his ex, one of the best sand players on the amateur circuit.
Beyond Remy’s devious machinations to win Rowan back, the biggest impediment to victory is the so-called Ashryver twins, a pair of cousins from Miami with a reputation of their own. Rowan can’t help but admire the gorgeous and sharp-tongued Aelin Galathynius, who’s more than ready to give Remy a run for her money—both on the court and in the race for Rowan’s affection.
This takes place in the same AU-verse as my Nessian story In Vino Veritas, about four years before. 
This a two-shot, you can find  PART I here.
The Eyes of Texas, PART TWO
By midnight, Rowan knew he was in deep shit.
They’d migrated to another bar by that time, Aelin practically in his lap as they traded stories about college and their friends. Rowan found himself caught between despair and delight as he listened to Aelin speak, unsure if he should be reveling in the attention from a woman of her caliber, or fretting that it couldn’t last.
It wasn’t just that Aelin was beautiful, though he was admittedly so mesmerized by those blue eyes and that dazzling smile that he had to actively avoid staring.
She was funny, too.
And not “when a sexy woman makes a joke you feel oddly compelled to laugh” type of funny, either.
She was fucking hilarious.
She’d had him in stitches earlier with a story about getting the business-end of her grandmother’s chancla after she’d gone to Easter mass with blue teeth from her candy basket, and he’d hardly stopped laughing since.
Rowan had always been a somewhat serious person—even more so after Lyria’s death—but Aelin made him feel...younger. Lighter. And he might have felt guilty for that, except he’d had the oddest sensation throughout the evening that Lyria was there, laughing alongside him.
And—as if gorgeous and hysterical weren’t enough—Aelin was also incredibly bright. Despite the rigors of her volleyball schedule, she was a neuroscience and psychology double major, with plans to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist when she graduated.
It was an answer that Rowan hadn’t expected when he’d asked what she was studying, but somehow it suited her. The ambition, the focus—it explained in part why she was such an incredible athlete. Rowan knew better than anyone that it took more that height and muscles to be a success in the sport, and even among the juggernauts who’d completed in the tournament, Aelin had been in a class of her own.
She’d grown oddly bashful when he’d pressed her about her volleyball career, at which point she admitted she’d held off med school applications to accept a place on the AVP tour.
“They’ve offered you a spot?” Rowan’d asked.
Aelin’s cheeks had gone slightly pink.
“They called after the tournament,” she’d said. “A scout was there to watch me play.”
“Aelin, that’s incredible.”
At this Aelin’s smile had relaxed into something sensuous that had made Rowan’s stomach tighten.
“Couldn’t have done it without, guapo. ”
Now as Ro sat twirling the tail of Aelin’s braid around a tattooed finger, he tried to remind himself that he needed to shut all these bright and shiny feelings down. Aelin had been a danger to the comfortable numbness Rowan had been living in since the moment she stepped onto the sand of that volleyball court. Now, having heard her laugh and flirt and speak Spanish, she’d become lethal.
He told himself that if he was smart, he’d kiss her cheek right now and tell her goodnight. It would probably take him several days to extract her from pleasant place she’d settled under his skin, but he could stop the bleeding now. If he was smart, he most definitely would not sleep with her.
But apparently he wasn’t smart, because when she’d slyly tugged him to his feet and coaxed him into one of the private closets marked “For Staff Only”, he didn’t stop her.
He also didn’t stop her when she kissed him, tongue sliding effortlessly into his mouth and she hands tracked under his shirt.
It was a bad idea to want Aelin Ashryvver-Galathynius the way Ro did, but he found as her hands continued their exploration that he didn’t care. Even if he could only have her for one night, he would make it enough.
“Your body is insane,” Aelin breathed, tracing the ridges of his abs in a way that made him shudder.
He couldn’t help the self-satisfied smirk which tugged at his mouth as he kissed her again.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
At this Aelin paused to laugh, eyes sparkling with wicked delight.
“Was that a big dick comment?” She said. “I knew you had it in you, Whitethorn.”
Rowan debated going for the obvious joke about having ‘it’ in her soon before quickly deciding against it. He was tipsy; it didn’t mean he had to be a jackass, too.
“Let’s go, you little troublemaker,” Ro said, reaching for the door which led from the closet to the secluded hallway.
Aelin’s answering grin was staggering in its seductive force. She casually leaned against the door, blocking his exit as she pulled him towards her by the beltloops.
“Why, are you afraid of getting caught?”
He grabbed the hand that was attempting to slip into his pants, pinning it over her head and bowing into her so she could feel how hard he already was.
“No. But the kind of sex I want, you can’t give me here.”
This seemed to stun her into aroused silence, and he reveled in the victory of rendering Aelin Galathynius speechless. However, she recovered quickly, leaning in to nip his lip.
“Fair warning: I’m not easily impressed.”
Her wrists still caught in his grip, he bent to whisper in her ear, grinding a little against her as he did so.
“So you say, but I’m going to guess you’ve only ever been with boys, Aelin. You may not realize it, but I don’t think you have any idea how good sex can actually be.”
Her legs went slightly weak at that, and he slid his knee between her thighs to keep her upright.
“And you’re going to show me?” She asked.
All the things he wanted to do to her flashed in his mind, and Rowan had to fend off a groan as he hardened further. Much more of this and they would end up doing it in this closet.
“I am,” he replied simply.
Aelin’s answering laugh was husky.
“How are you the same guy who didn’t have the cojones to ask for my number this afternoon?”
He recognized the gesture for what it was: an attempt to gain back the upper hand in their continued tug-of-war for dominance.
Turned on by her bravura, he let her, adding with a shrug, “I guess I’m more of a ‘lady in the streets’ type.”
Still, unwilling to cede to her completely he shifted his thigh where it was still nestled between her legs. She moaned a little, moving against him almost involuntarily to get the friction she needed.
Despite the desire for privacy enough to make Aelin scream herself hoarse, Ro found the idea of her rubbing one out on him too hot to resist. Rotating his knee, he pushed up until she was practically riding his thigh.
Aelin’s nails dug into his forearm as the seam of her shorts hit the exact right spot. He increased the pressure, and she moaned again, the sound growing more fractured as he snapped open one her overall straps and squeezed her firm breast over the lace. God, her tits were perfect.
“Stop or I’m going to come,” she said, teeth gritted.
Rowan didn’t bother to fend off a self-satisfied smile.
“You’re this easy to set off, Galathynius?” He laughed softly. “God, the things I’m gonna fucking to do to you.”
“I thought you said we weren’t going to bang here.”
“We aren’t,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have an orgasm.”
“You seriously want my first one with you to be while I’m fully clothed?”
He glanced up to meet her overcome blue eyes.
“I just want to show you how many different ways I have to make you scream, Aelin.”
Taking a fistful of the denim jumper, he tugged up roughly until the fabric was splitting her. Even though all her clothes he could see what a gorgeous little pussy she had. The realization he’d soon be inside of her made Ro’s cock ache.
“Fuck,” Aelin said, hips canting forward as he used the back-and-forth friction to drag her closer to release. “This is not how I imagined things going when I brought you in here.”
Rowan kissed her neck.
“Better or worse?”
“Better,” she said. “So much better. Mierda .”
Her body tightened then relaxed slightly against him, and were he inside of her, he knew she’d be clenching around him right now.
“You have a gorgeous come face,” he told her honestly.
“I bet you do, too.”
He couldn’t fight a grin.
“Would you like to find out?”
“Yes please. ”
He pressed forward to kiss her again, their tongues tangling as he breathed, “let’s get out of here.”
Needing no further prompting, Aelin reached behind her to twist open the door before slipping out, Rowan behind her.
Taking his hand, she tugged him towards the exit, her phone already out with a map pulled up.
“Where are we headed?” He asked. “I might be able to help.”
Aelin’s answering smile was cryptic.
“It’s not far. The app is saying a 17-minute walk. Hang on.”
With this she dialed  a number before bringing the phone to her ear. Whoever she was calling—one of her cousins, Ro suspected—picked up on the second ring, and she began giving orders in rapid Spanish. After a minute she hung up, flashing Ro a simpering smile as she batted her lashes.
“Shall we?”
Rowan couldn’t fight a laugh.
“Did you just kick your cousins out of the room?”
“Suite,” she said with a growing smirk. “But who’s counting?”
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said. “We could have made it work.”
Her gaze heated, burning hot enough that Ro felt his cock stirring again. He watched as her fingers nimbly went to one of the long braids hanging over her shoulder, deftly undoing the plait.
“We don’t need an audience for all the filthy things I want you to do to me.”
He groaned.
“You’re killing me.”
She smiled, working the other braid free and giving her curtain of blonde hair a shake. Christ, he wanted to run his hands though it, then bunch in it his hands while he fucked that pretty little mouth.
She smirked as if she knew what he was thinking, even biting her lip a little in suggestion.
“Something wrong?” She said.
He only laughed.
“Completely the opposite.”
She smiled, tugging him down the street for ten blocks or so before making a left and heading towards a glittering glass building.
The Ritz Carlton.
Rowan let out a low whistle as they entered the marble lobby.
“You keeping secrets, Galathynius?”
She bit her lip.
“My dad is...not poor.”
“Define ‘not poor’.”
“He owns twenty-three luxury hotels in Miami?”
Rowan’s throat felt a bit scratchy.
“You’re a millionaire.”
Her grin was sheepish and slightly guilty.
“Kinda?”
He must have looked confused.
“I mean, yeah, with a b.”
Holy shit, her family were billionaires.
She studied him for a moment when he stopped walking, trying to take it all in. He wasn’t usually one to be embarrassed about money or his upbringing, but she was stupid rich. He suddenly felt out of his depth.
“This is why I didn’t tell you,” she said quietly. “It makes people see me differently.”
At this he glanced up, reading the sadness and loneliness in her eyes.
“It doesn’t change anything,” he found himself saying.
Dating a girl that rich, especially as a cop in Vice Squad—that could be complicated. But that’s not what this was; after tonight, Ro would likely never see her again. Besides, she’d made an effort not to make it a big deal, and hadn’t thrown money around to impress him even when she easily could have. If she could set it aside for the evening, so could he.
Also, he really wanted to fuck her. She was a girl begging for pleasure, and he wanted to be able to show her things she hadn’t experienced even in her wildest fantasies.
Aelin seemed to read the acceptance in his eyes because she tugged him towards the elevator, punching 36 before pushing him against the wall to kiss him.  Sliding his hands down her thighs, he hoisted her easily into his arm, crushing her against him.
When the door opened he didn’t bother putting her down, simply breathed against her mouth, “where?”
She gestured to the left and he headed towards the single door at the end of the hall. Producing a key from her back pocket, she slid to her feet before unlocking the door and ushering him inside.
Ro told himself not to gawk as they stepped farther into the palatial space, but it was impossible.
The lavishly-appointed suite was furnished with a living room, full kitchen, bedroom, and formal dining area, floor-to-ceiling window along the far wall looking out onto the Pacific Ocean.
There was a bottle of expensive Cuban rum and several glasses sitting on the marble island, half-smoked Monte Cristo cigars resting in a nearby tray. The Ashryvvers, it seemed, were no strangers to the finer things in life.
“Do you want a drink?” Aelin asked, trailing a hand down his back and observing him as he took in their surroundings.
He turned to her to say yes, but when he caught sight of the heat in her gaze he changed him mind.
“Later,” he said, walking her backwards into the wall closest to the bedroom.
“Thank god,” she said as he threaded a hand through hers to pull her arm above her head. “I don’t think I could bear to wait.”
Rowan chuckled, teeth grazing her ear as he said, “Does that mean you’re going to be a good girl and do as I say?”
Her blue eyes snapped to him, blazing with defiance.
“What makes you think I’m that type of girl?”
“In your everyday life, you like to be in control?”
“Yes.”
Rowan nodded.
“That’s why.”
“I don’t follow.”
“You’re used to responsibility and keeping all the plates spinning, but I bet deep down, you fantasize about being able to let go; you just don’t know how.”
She scoffed, through the sound turned to a breathy exhale as he kissed her neck.
“And what makes you think that I’ll be able to let go with you, a total stranger?”
He pulled back, kissing her softly on the lips.
“Because I am going to make you feel so good and so safe, you won’t have a choice. Do you trust me, Aelin?”
“I have no real reason to,” she hedged. “We just met.”
“But...” he said onto the sensitive skin of her throat.
She paused, muscles in her neck gorgeously taut as he tugged her earlobe with his teeth.
“Díos ayúdame,” she choked out. “Yes, I do.”
“Good girl,” he praised. “Let’s get you naked.”
Throwing the overall strap he’d previously unbuckled over her shoulder, he unsnapped the other. He knelt as he coaxed the whole garment down her hips, pausing to lave her tattoo.  He resisted the urge to venture between her legs, enjoying the way she bucked her hips towards the heat of his mouth as it pressed against her low belly.
“Patience,” he said, nipping the sensitive skin.
She settled slightly at that, and Ro ran his hands up her torso with with deliberate slowness, palms skating effortlessly under her lacy bralette and tugging it off in a single, fluid gesture.
He glanced down at her and groaned.
“Fucking Christ.”
Her breasts were flawlessly round and dark enough to suggest she spend a decent amount of time tanning topless, her tight nipples framed by matching diamond studs. He ran a finger over the jewelry, laughing at her shudder of pleasure.
“Are you crazy, Galathynius? You’re a D1 athlete!”
She chuckled.
“I tape them up to play. Why, you don’t like?”
He glanced up to meet her gaze.
“I didn’t say that.”
The truth was they suited her: elegant femininity edged in wildness.
“You approve then.”
He reached down to tease her, brushing a knuckle against her left nipple until it pebbled.
“They’re gorgeous.”
Aelin preened a bit at that.
“Tits this nice deserved a little something extra,” she said with a smirk.
Rowan was inclined to agree.
“These real diamonds, princess?”
“They were a gift from Aedion.”
At this Rowan stiffened, unable to smother the discomfort the idea inspired. Aelin only laughed, catching his face in her hands and kissing him lightly on the lips.
“I’m playing with you, tonto. Obviously he and Galen don’t know about these or they’d hit the roof. Besides,” she said, pert nose wrinkling slightly. “We don’t share things like that with each other. We’re close but...not that close.”
Rowan couldn’t hold back a relieved laugh, which only made Aelin’s grin widen.
“You should have seen the look on your face, though.”
“You’re trouble,” he told her.
“You love it,” she shot back, leaning in so her breasts brushed his chest.
Yeah he fucking did.
Crushing her into another kiss, her massaged her breasts, palms scraping her nipples. When they’d grown hard from his machinations he bent to taste them, loving the feel of her fingers as they wound into his hair and tugged.
“Take off your clothes already,” she said, breathless. “I want to know if your dick is as big as it feels.”
He grabbed her wrist and guided it between his legs.
“See for yourself.”
Deft as a snake, she had a hand down the front of boxer briefs, stroking him twice with a firm grip.
He planted a hand on the wall beside her head, breathing through his nose as he bowed into her wicked touch.
“What are you thinking about?” She asked as she unbuckled his belt and pushed his chinos off his carved waist until they hung low on his hips.
“You.”
“What about me?”
He bent to kiss her deeply again. God, he wasn’t sure he’d ever been this turned on.
“About what you’d look like on your knees with my cock in your mouth.”
She gave a sensuous chuckle.
“Dream on, querido. ”
He only grinned in response.
“No one likes a liar, Galathynius.”
“What reason would I have to ever suck you off?”
“The same reason you’d let me tie you up: you want to know what it’s like to let someone else be in control.”
“I never said I wanted to be tied up,” she said, voice turning to a groan as he pushed her underwear aside to dip two fingers inside of her.
“You didn’t have to,” he said, holding up his fingers so they glistened in the moonlight pouring in from the open balcony doors. “You’re soaked.”
She didn’t respond, merely leaned forward to licked the offending digits clean in a way that told him that not only did she want to suck his dick, she was going to be excellent at it.
He hardened at the thought, even as he forced a calming breath. If this was his only chance with her, he intended to savor every second.
He wanted tears— actual tears—of pleasure from her. He wanted to hear her beg. And not just some breathy “ please, more ” bullshit, either. He wanted to her to plead—for him, for release, for anything and everything he was willing to give her.
He wanted all of it and more, but to have it, he needed to be patient with her. It meant going slow, and sending her off the edge several times before he ever slipped inside of her.
Gently collaring her throat, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before easing her off the wall and into the waiting bedroom.
“You are so beautiful,” he told her.
She smirked, eyes flashing.
“Bet you say that to all the girls you fuck.”
“I’ve never fucked a woman as beautiful as you.”
It was out before he could stop it, and he had to fend off the the twinge of guilt it produced. Still, he couldn’t regret saying it, because it was true; Aelin was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.
Aelin, seeming abashed by this declaration, responding by coaxing Rowan’s buttoned shirt open and over his shoulders. Chest to bare chest, her next kiss was soft and drugging.
“You’re...not ugly, either,” she said at last.
“Not ugly?” He repeated with a laugh.
“You’re...” she trailed off as he kissed her neck.
“I’m...?”
“Gorgeous,” she said finally. “But I think you already knew that.”
“Maybe, but it hits different from you.”
Aelin seemed pleased by that, and she rewarded him by dipping her hand into his unbuckled pants again and fisting him.
“I was also right; you’re enormous.”
Grabbing her wrist, he pinned it to the wall and put his hand between her legs instead.
“And I bet you’re tight,” he said, drawing lazy circles with his thumb that had her back arching.
“Are we going to fit?” She teased, but he could hear the concern underneath that she couldn’t quite hide.
The idea that some douchebag had pushed into her before she was totally ready—it made Rowan’s skin prickle in irritation.
He caught her jaw.
“After I’m done playing with you, Aelin, you’re going to be so wet that you’ll feel like my cock was made to fit inside you.”
She moaned.
“If you’re half as good as sex as you are dirty talk, I think this might be the best night of my life.”
Rowan was counting on it. What he hadn’t counted on was the fact it was shaping up to be one of the best nights of his as well. And not just because of the sex, though Rowan couldn’t deal with that right now.
“I bet you taste good too,” he said, grinding against her and living for her answering moan. “Don’t you?”
“I’ve never had any complaints,” she said, and he tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy at the thought of another guy’s mouth on her.
Her pussy was his, at least for tonight. He intended to make sure she never forgot how it felt to have him between her thighs.
Kneeling at her feet, he peeled her thong down her lean legs. He let his eyes drag up slowly, taking his time admiring the muscles in her quads before his gaze settled between her legs.
She was already wet, her thighs glistening with arousal. He imagined what they would look like dripping with his come instead. The idea had masculine satisfaction thrumming through him, even knowing it was a fantasy he couldn’t indulge. He wouldn’t put her in a vulnerable position by not wearing a condom.  Pressing a mockingly chaste kiss on her low belly, he rose to his feet.
“Get on the bed,” he said, guiding her hips towards the waiting mattress.
“Get naked first,” she countered, tracing the band of his Adonis belt before tugging him towards her by the waistband of his Calvin Klein boxer briefs.
He didn’t stop her as she skated her hands down the back to squeeze his ass before pushing them off his hips.
His dick was already rock hard, and it pressed between them. She leaned up to kiss him again before sinking down to sit on the bed. The movement bought her eye-level with his erection, and gripping him in a fist, she put her mouth on him.
He swore as she laved his length, cock twitching as she traced a ridge of vein with her  tongue. Threading a gentle hand into her hair, he took a step back, coaxing her off the bed and onto her knees. When she looked up at him, blue eyes overcome with want, he had to fight the urge to come right then.
Despite her earlier declarations, Aelin sucked him off like both of their lives depended on it, and Rowan could only hang on and enjoy the ride as her tongue worked miracles on his shaft and her hands found every pleasure point he craved.
He swore again as she massaged his stones before kneading the sensitive swath of skin behind them. As her touch grew more deliberate, he debated telling her she could push inside him before deciding it wasn’t exactly fodder for a one-night stand.
However, when her fingers trailed back to brush the tight ring of muscle, he couldn’t fight a groan.
“Yes?” She asked, keeping her touch light.
“Go ahead,” he said, breathless.
He didn’t think he’d never been so close to losing it as he was the moment she used her own wetness to coat her fingers before carefully teasing two inside of him.
His tattooed hand tightened in her hair, but he forced himself to otherwise remain still, to let her set the pace.
“Fuck, Aelin.”
Crooking her fingers to hit that perfect internal spot, she put her mouth on him again. Between her fingers and her tongue, he only lasted ten more strokes before he came hard .
Holy shit.
Rowan was no stranger to anything they’d just done, but he was fairly sure that was the best blowjob he’d ever had.
“As good as your imagined?” Aelin said with a smirk.
“Better,” Rowan said. “Way better. My turn.”
Picking her up, he tossed her on the bed before grabbing her ankle and dragging her towards him so her legs hung off the edge.
Wasting no time, he broke her legs apart and put his mouth right where he knew she needed him, sucking hard. However, he didn’t stay there for long, ignoring her attempts to manuever his mouth into position as he teased her.
“Rowan,” she choked. “You’re killing me.”
In answer he swirled his tongue around her bundle of nerves before alighting elsewhere.
“Rowan,” Aelin said.
He sucked on her this time, loving how she rocked her hips up to fuck his face. Still, he didn’t linger long enough for her release to find her.
“I’m going to kill—“
He glanced up at her, pressing a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the crease of her hip as she watched him.
“Beg me, Aelin,” he told her. “Beg me and I’ll give you an orgasm to make you cry.”
He laced her once, and she bucked.
“I don’t beg,” she said, even as he felt her contract once against his tongue.
The idea was turning her on.
“You haven’t begged before,” he corrected. “It doesn’t mean you won’t for me.”
At this he slid a finger inside of her, finding the right spot and applying pressure.
“Oh god,” she breathed. “More.”
Rowan pulled the finger out in response.
Aelin paused, heaving slightly as she considered before breathing, “Please, Ro.”
“Please what?”
“Please, give me what I want. I’m...begging you.”
Rowan slid two fingers inside of her, grinning.
“Really, this is your begging? Pathetic.”
“Harder.”
“Harder?”
He increased his speed, knowing she was right on the edge of where she needed to be. Still, he didn’t cross that line.
“Fuck,” Aelin said, voice almost a whine. “Rowan, I’m right there—just make me come.”
“If I do, will you beg me for my cock next?”
“I will give you anything you want,” she said. “Just...” she exhaled again. “Please.”
He bowed his head between her legs again, pumping his fingers as he tongued the spot he knew would set her off.
Driven the brink by all his edging, her climax seemed to shudder through her, muscles in her stomach flexing as she contracted against his mouth. He was careful to keep his touch feather-light as the orgasm crested and ebbed, knowing her body was too sensitive to be properly played with yet.
“Oh god,” she breathed, body still trembling slightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever had an orgasm that strong before. What did you do to me, Whitethorn?”
He crawled up to meet her, hands sinking into the mattress on either side of her head before he kissed her.
“Showed you what you’ve been missing, apparently.”
She arched her hips up to meet his, the contact making him harden again.
“Aelin,” he breathed, using both palms to scrape her sweaty hair from her face.
“Kiss me,” she said softly, gaze so sincere he had to close his eyes to avoid being overcome.
He did as she asked, keeping his touch gentle in an effort to to convey what he couldn’t bear to voice out loud: that this was more than just meaningless sex.
“I want you inside of me,” she said.
He rotated his hips against hers, cock brushing against her in a way that made her cry out softly.
“I need to grab a condom,” he said into her ear. “Don’t move.”
“And what if I do?”
He bent to kiss her deeply.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
Rowan smiled, rising from the bed to grab a condom from his wallet before crossing to the window. He deftly unknotted the silk tie which had been used to hold back the curtains and holding it up for her to see.
Aelin expelled a noise of pleasure so finely edged it was almost a whine. Slowly, deliberately, she raised her arms above her head in invitation, eyes hooded as she watched him approach.
Sliding over her, he slipped the length of silk around her wrists before synching it to the  headboard.
Aelin tugged I’m experimentation.
“Too tight?”
“No,” she said.
Rowan gently collared her throat as he bent to kiss her.
“Good girl.”
Rowan drew a finger down Aelin’s torso, circling her tight nipples before tracing her navel and venturing between her legs.
“I’m going to have to make this count,” he said, sliding two fingers into her again even as he held up the condom. “I only have one of these.”
“I have some in my suitcase,” she said. “Lucky for you, I think they’re magnums. Dream big, and all that.”
He grinned, making her laugh.
“Never hurts to be prepared,” she said.
“No it most certainly doesn’t,” he agreed, putting his mouth on her again.
She bucked off the bed and he used his hands to keep her hips pinned as she twisted against her restraints.
“If only I had a spreader bar,” he told her. “I would really have you at my mercy.”
“I’m at your mercy now,” she said. “Take me.”
That, Rowan could not resist.
Quickening the pace of his fingers, he concentrated on her clit until she shattered again. Only when she’d settled back on to the bed, legs quaking slightly, did he tear open the wrapper of the condom, sheathing himself with a practiced hand.
“You’re probably going to be extra tight from the orgasms,” he told her. “So I’m going to go slow at first.”
She nodded, and he kissed her again before grabbing his shaft and sliding a few inches into her.
“Tight” had perhaps been an understatement. The pressure of her was mind-numbing, spine-tingling bliss. Still, he forced himself to pause and take in her expression.
Her brows were synched, breath ragged. He bent to kiss the tightened corners of her eyes before brushing his lips to hers.
“Talk to me, gorgeous,” he breathed. “How are you doing?”
“You’re—big,” she said, voice still tense. “I’m just trying to adjust.”
“Relax,” he coached, petting a hand down the tense muscles in her stomach. “Breathe, Aelin.”
At this she let out a shuddering exhale, even mewing a little as he reached down to play with her.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” he said, working her with the pad of his thumb. “Let me in.”
With that the some of the tenseness in her body loosened, and she moaned. He pushed in farther, kissing her deeply until she was forced to take another calming exhale.
When he shifted her hips and pulled her the rest of the way onto his shaft, she melted. He couldn’t hold back his groan of pleasure as he sank in effortlessly to the hilt, his stones brushing her soft ass.
“Fuck,” she said. “Why does that feel so good?”
He rose onto his knees, tilting her hips up on the process. She groaned.
“Because I bet no one’s hit this spot with you before,” he said.
Rearing back slightly, he thrust into her with delicious intent.
She bit her lip.
“Yours is deep,” he said.
Her answering laugh was husky.
“Are you trying to suggest you’re the biggest dick I’ve ever had?”
He smirked, unable to deny the smug masculine satisfaction that slithered through him at the thought.
“You said it, not me.”
He pulled back and thrust into her a second time. At this she squirmed a little, eyes firmly shut again.
“Yes, Aelin?” He said, repeating the gesture a third time.
She wiggled, trying to get more friction.
“Yes,” she said. “Oh god, yes.”
With that he increased his pace, loving the obscene sound their bodies made as they came together. Christ, had it ever felt this good?
He rode her hard but tried to maintain a pace that wouldn’t cause her an unpleasant amount of friction. From her moans, he was doing a better than alright job.
Rowan drank her in as she writhed beneath him, her body covered in a glistening sheen of sweat, her small breasts bouncing with the force of his thrusts.
When he reached a hand between her legs to play with her again, she swore, tightening around him.
“I’m so close.”
“Say my name," he said, left hand wrapping around the headboard for better leverage as he drove into her with increased force. “I want to hear you say my name when you come, Aelin.”
She surged forward, tongue tangled with his in a desperate kiss.
"Ro," she breathed. “Rowan.”
Rowan had to fend off a strangled moan at the reverence in her voice.
When he'd made the demand, he'd imagined her screaming it the way other women had, like it was a triumph that needed to be heralded. But hearing it whispered, as if it were a secret meant only for him, had been so much more powerful.
He instantly knew why: because this was so much more than mindless sex.
He felt the exact moment she came apart around him, loving the pressure as she squeezed him in a vice. Deftly he untied her bound hands, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck as he kissed her.
He couldn’t hold back the pleasured groan which escaped as he found his own climax, hips nestled to hers as he drove in deep a final time.
God, what he wouldn’t give to come inside this girl for real. It was a selfish thought, but one Ro couldn’t immediately shake. He didn’t often think about babies of his own, but something about Aelin Galathynius made him want to have a million.
He shook his head slightly, desperate to rid himself of the notion of having children with a woman he’d just met. He kissed her instead, using the feeling of her lips against him to ground him more fully into reality.
When he felt he’d mastered himself, he pulled back to meet Aelin’s eye, mildly horrified to find that hers were glassy. Despite his earlier declaration about wanting to have her in tears, actually seeing them in her eyes had his heart dropping out of his chest.
“Oh god, you’re crying,” he blurted, quickly pulling out of her and touching her cheek. “Aelin, why are you crying?”
At this she snorted, the sound halfway between a laugh and a sob.
“Because that so intense I almost don’t know what to do with myself,” she admitted. “And when I get overwhelmed I always end up crying.”
He frowned, brushing her petal-soft cheek again.
“Good overwhelmed or bad?”
“Good,” she said. “Definitely good. That was just so—“ she blew out a shaky inhale, another tear slipping from the corner of her eye. “I came so hard I think my brain just stalled for a second.”
He couldn’t help but grin, even as he gently brushed the moisture from her cheek.
“I don’t think I’ve ever broken someone’s brain before,” he said. “Should I take that as a compliment?”
She laughed, the sound easier this time.
“Don’t be annoying,” she said. “You know how good you are.”
“What can I say? You inspire greatness in me, Galathynius.”
He bent to gently kiss her, his finger drawing a an ever-tightening circle around one erect nipple. Her back arched slightly at his featherlight touch, goosebumps breaking out across her small breasts.
“You are so gorgeously responsive,” he told her, bending to tug the opposite nipple with his teeth. “It’s like your whole body is a hot spot. It makes it impossible to stop touching you. I could seriously play with you all night.”
“It’s not usually like this,” Aelin admitted after a beat, threading her hand into his hair. When she spoke again, her tone was softer, more candid. “Most the time I’m too in my head, and it makes it hard to get turned on enough to let go.”
“What made tonight different?” Rowan asked, brushing the hair out her face.
He was fairly sure he already knew, but he needed to hear her say it, to take ownership of the feeling.
“I feel safe with you,” she said. “I don’t know why—you’re basically still a stranger—but I do.”
Rowan smiled, kissing her more deeply this time.
“I told you that you’d let go for me,” he breathed against her lips. “How did it feel, gorgeous?”
“Incredible,” she said, shifting her hips in search of friction as he settled more fully on top of her again. “I didn’t want it to end.”
Deftly, Rowan peeled off the condom and threw it into the trash.
“Who said it had to?” He asked grabbing her hips and rotating so he was on his back, Aelin nestled in his lap. “That was just round one.”
In response, She reached for his shaft to begin getting him hard, but he caught her wrist instead.
“It’s a marathon, Galathynius, not sprint,” he said, flipping her hand in his so he could kiss her palm. “And your body’s not ready for me to be inside you again yet.”
Aelin seemed a bit flustered at that, which left Rowan feeling torn. On the one hand, he hating thinking he’d embarrassed her or made her uncomfortable. On the other, the idea that he has the ability to make swaggering, sensuous Aelin Ashryvver-Galathynius bashful filled him with deep-seated satisfaction.
Seeming to read the intention in his gaze, she bent to kiss him, whispering, “you don’t have to.”
He pushed her back gently so he could look into her face.
“Don’t have to what?”
“Go down on me again. I know most guys don’t like to do it again once they’ve—“
“That’s amateur hour,” Rowan said, tone sharper than he’d meant it to be. “Whichever pin-headed prick told you that is a loser.”
She laughed, relaxing a little. At seeing this, Rowan settled more fully on his back, hands braced on her hips.
“Come here,” he said, voice rough with desire.
He was rewarded with a pretty blush.
“I’ve never...done it like that,” she admitted.
He smirked.
“Then I’m about to give you an important lesson in pleasure. Come here.”
Rising onto her knees, Aelin rose over Rowan until she was mere inches from his face.
“I feel like I’m going to suffocate you!” She said with a sheepish laugh.
“Then I’ll die the luckiest man on earth,” he said, gripping her ass. “Hold onto the headboard.”
She did, and he lifted his head just enough that the tip of his tongue brushed the most sensitive part of her.
Her whole body tightened in pleasure.
“Do that again,” she said, sounding more her confident self now.
“No,” he told her. “This position is about you being in control.  I don’t give you pleasure; you take it.”
When she still didn’t move, he added, “this should be no problem for an imperious little thing like you.”
He knew goading her would do the trick, and after a moment she relaxed her hips, body sinking down to meet his waiting mouth. He couldn’t stifle a groan as she rocked her hips against him in experimentation. Seeing Aelin in is position, vulnerable but in control, was hotter than her could have possibly imagined.
Rowan flicked his tongue against her and she swore.
“That feels good,” she breathed, rocking forward against his mouth again. “Really good.”
His hands on the back of her thighs, he urged her hips forward, grazing her with his teeth before sucking hard.
This proved to be her unleashing.
Using the headboard for leverage, she began swishing her lips in a rhythmic motion, panting softly through her teeth as she worked herself up to climax.
He kneaded the soft flesh of her backside while she rocked against him, trying not to imagine what it would be like to slide his cock into her tight little ass. He had no idea if she was into that sort of thing nor any desire to pressure her into finding out, but the way she rocked back into his hands—as if urging them to explore—was enough to make him curious.
Hands on her waist, he tilted her pelvis towards him slightly, waiting to see how she’d react. In response she scooted higher on his body, her knees practically touching to the headboard. In this new position, there was no part of her he couldn’t access, and when she leaned forward, the invitation was clear.
Using his hands to open her legs more fully for him, he brushed his mouth against an intimate spot that—judging by her deep moan—no one had even touched before. When he repeated the gesture and she didn’t tense or pull away, he split legs even wider and circled the tight ring of muscle at the back with his tongue.
“Fuck,” she said, voice devolving into a string of slurred Spanish. “Rowan.”
Rowan worked her in broader strokes, his free hand coming up to play with her clit. When he slipped a finger inside of her he could tell she was getting close. Not wanting to claim the victory of her orgasm with only his fingers, he pulled her hips down so his tongue could replace his hand.
Far bolder now that she’d been when they’d started, Aelin followed his lead. Her fingers twined in his hair as she rocked against him hard, and Rowan was happy enough to sit back and watch as she took her pleasure like he’d instructed.
Between the rimjob and the edging, Aelin’s orgasm—when it hit—seemed to last a blissful eternity. She was trembling slightly as she collapsed beside him, eyes still closed.
“That was the hottest thing I think I’ve ever seen,” he said.
He gently cupped between her legs, careful not to apply too much pressure when she was still so sensitive.
“You’re telling me that?” she said with a laugh. “I’ve done it that to other people, obviously, but I’ve never let anyone—“ she broke off with another laugh. “Apparently I’ve been missing out.”
Rowan smirked, if only to hide the twinging realization that after tonight, it would someone else making her feel good, not him.
“I hope I didn’t set an impossible standard,” he said dryly.
“Maybe not yet,” she said, eyes blazing with want. “But you’re well in your way, and the night is still young.”
She let her azure gaze snake down his body with exaggerated slowness. By the time it reached his cock, he was granite-hard.
“Where are the rest of the condoms?” he asked.
If he wasn’t inside of her in the next minute, he might actually lose his mind.
“Bathroom,” she said, rising to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
Rowan didn’t have time for that. He rose from the bed to follow her into the lavish en-suite. Normally he might of gawked a little at the opulence—the marble countertops, the sunken tub—but his entire focus was on Aelin. The best he could do was shift the lens to the things in her periphery. Everything else was a blur.
She was just straightening—foil packet in hand—as he entered, and he didn’t even give her a chance speak before her grabbed her around the waist, spinning her so his chest was pressed into her back.
Taking the condom, he ripped open the package and slid it on with one hand while his other moved between her legs to ensure she was ready for him.
“How do you feel?” He asked. “Do you need me to—“
“Whitethorn, if I was any wetter I’d be Nile. Get inside me already.”
It was all the permission Rowan needed. Hand on her back, he coaxed her to bend, using his legs to push hers wider as he did. She yelped softly as her bare breasts made contact with the cold marble, and he ran a hand over the curve of her hip to settle her before sliding to the hilt in single stroke.
It felt better, even, than it had the first time. She clenched around the intrusion of him even as she moaned, and he only managed to wait a beat before grabbing her hips and setting a blistering pace.
He glanced in the mirror and their gazes caught in the reflection, her desire molten.
Wanting more, he coaxed her up until her torso lifted from the counter.
Yes, he thought with greedy satisfaction. This.
This was what he wanted. Her firm tits bouncing with each hard thrust, her hips rocking back and forth, and her eyes squeezed shut in pleasure.
Gently collaring her throat with his hand, he whispered in her ear.
“Touch yourself for me.”
She did, canting her hips forward for increased friction as she moaned.
As she increased the speed with her hand, Rowan increased his, fucking her hard through her orgasm as she tightened around him.
She collapsed against the counter as he pulled her hips flush to his for one final thrust before coming undone.
She wobbled when he stepped back to pull off the condom, and he deftly caught her around the waist before she melted to the floor like a newborn fawn.
“Easy,” he said, coaxing her into his arms.
She laid her head on his shoulder.
“I think your dick has mystical powers,” she said. “Because that was insane.”
Rowan chuckled, carrying her to the bed and laying her down.
“There’s a Harry Potter joke in there somewhere,” he said, brushing some hair off her sweaty cheek as her eyelids drooped. “I’m just too lazy to find it.”
“Harry Potter references,” she said, already half-asleep. “Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?”
She was out before he could even respond, but he did anyway, lips to her temple as he whispered, “I wish I could.”
XX
Ro woke up at sunrise the next morning, Aelin still fast asleep beside him. Not quite in his arms, but still close enough that he could feel her warmth. Christ, she smelled incredible. Like lemon and coconut.
He propped his head on a chin, admiring the way the dawn light set her skin and hair to glowing. She looked like a fallen star.
Rowan’s heart ached a bit as he studied her, trying to memorize every detail, knowing that their time together was quickly running out. Originally, he’d only planned to stay the night, promising himself that as soon as the dark was gone, he would be, too.
In the light of day, he knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Perhaps it was only asking for more trouble, but Rowan wanted to stay at least for the morning.
He could bring her coffee from that shop Cash loved; if Ro remembered correctly, it wasn’t far from here. He could go get it while she was still sleeping, and make her breakfast when she woke up.
He wouldn’t stay all day, he promised himself, just long enough that she knew she wasn’t some meaningless screw he’d fucked and then chucked. Surely she deserved that much, at least.
Unable to resist, he ran a hand down the silky mane of her hair, slightly tangled from their numerous romps the night before, before rising from the bed as quietly and creeping towards the bedroom door. He found his boxers briefs and shorts easily enough. He just needed to find his—
“Leaving so soon?”
He turned to find Aelin sitting up in the bed, that signature smirk painted on her pouty mouth. She hadn’t bothered to pull up the sheet to cover herself, and her breasts were fully visible, the studs in them winking in the crepuscular light pouring in from the window.
“Only to get some coffee,” he said, loving the way the tension which had limned her muscles disappeared. She’d been displeased with the idea of him leaving, even if she hadn’t wanted to show it.
Her next smile was far easier.
“I have coffee here,” she said.
“Not like this you don’t,” he said with a grin. “There is no coffee on earth better than the beans for the Kona Mountains.”
Her expression grew feline.
“You dare say such things to a Cuban?” She said. “If Galen were here, he’d have you tarred and feathered.”
Rowan recalled the coffee he’d had on a trip to Havana during the short period travel when from the US to Cuba had been permitted. She wasn’t wrong; it had been fucking delicious. Still, he wasn’t going to give up that easy.
“That’s more like espresso; not the same as having a full mug with you while you watch the sun rise.”
“The sun’s already risen,” Aelin said with a smile. “And coffee should be strong and decadent, and that’s what a cortadito is. You can keep your vat of hot bean water; a little is all you need. Just enough to whet the appetite.”
Rowan couldn’t help but grin.
“Awfully set in your ways for a person who’s so young.”
“I’m only five years younger than you,” Aelin pointed out. “And I didn’t hear any complaints from you last night.”
“That’s because I have none,” Rowan admitted. “You’re—“
He broke off, not wanting to embarass himself with verbose declarations now that they were both stone sober.
“I’m—“ Aelin prompted, standing from the bed. She was still naked as they day she was born, and it was an effort not to admire her.
“You know what you are,” Rowan said.
“I do,” Aelin agreed, slinking forward and draping her arms over Rowan’s shoulders. “But it hits different coming from you.”
It was the same thing he’d told her the night before, and he decided to indulge her the way she had him.
“You’re perfect,” he said, his hand slipping around her bare waist to tug her into him.
He kissed her softly, and he could feel her answering smile against his lips.
“Yes, I am,” she said, and he couldn’t help it.
He laughed, lifting her off her feet and heading towards the bed with her still in his arms. When he was close enough he tossed her onto the wrinkled nest of sheets and pillows before crawling over her.
“What am I going to do with you, Galathynius?”
She laughed as he playfully nuzzled her neck.
“Feed me? I’m starving after your thorough ravishing last night.”
“I think I can do that,” he said, bending to kiss her.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to get up right away. Instead he rolled onto his side so he was facing her, trying not to preen as she traced a whorl of his tattoo.
“We never talked about these last night,” she said, her featherlight touch making goosebumps appear on his skin.   “They’re...Hawaiian?”
“Māori,” Rowan said. “I grew up on Maui, but my family is originally from farming town near Auckland.”
Aelin’s eyes glittered with interest.
“Have you even been there?”
“To New Zealand?” Rowan shrugged. “We used to go every few years while my grandparents were still alive. At the time it seemed boring. Now I’m glad we got the opportunity.”
Aelin nodded, still tracing his tattoos. She’d moved from his shoulder to his chest, fingers trailing closer and closer to his heart. To—
“And this one?” Aelin said. “It doesn’t look Māori.”
Rowan’s throat ached a bit as she ran the tips of her fingers over the letters at the very center of the massive design, directly above his heart.
Λυρία
“It’s Greek,” he explained.
She glanced up at him, gaze full of emotion as she said quietly, “It looks like a name.”
He nodded, throat growing tight.
“Lyria.”
Aelin didn’t push for clarification, but after a beat Rowan found himself speaking anyway.
“She’s my—she was my—“
When he broke off, Aelin only nodded.
“What happened?”
“Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It was stage four by the time they caught it. She was gone within six months of her diagnosis.”
Aelin reached up to gently cup Rowan’s cheek.
“I’m so sorry, Rowan.”
He’d had people apologize to him a thousand times for Lyria’s untimely death, but something in Aelin’s tone was different. It was sympathetic but also...understanding, somehow.
“Have you ever lost someone you thought would be in your life forever?”
Aelin considered this before flipping her wrist and extending  it. There, inked in neat script, were three small letters Rowan hadn’t noticed before.
S-a-m
“We were high school sweethearts and went to UT together,” she explained. “My sophomore year we lived in an apartment together in West Campus, but we’d started to talk about moving after there had been a series of unsolved rapes in the neighborhood. We were on the first floor and Sam was worried about me being there when he was on the road for baseball season. The night I finally agreed we could start looking for another place, there was a break-in.”
She paused, brows furrowed as she continued to study the tattoo.
“The guy had a gun, and told Sam that if he cooperated it would be over quickly and neither of us would get hurt. But Sam refused, and he fought the guy off while I called the cops. He got shot while they were struggling with the gun, and by the time the paramedics got there it was too late.”
“Aelin, I...” Rowan paused, not wanting to saying the wrong thing. “That must have been awful. I’m so sorry.”
Aelin nodded, rubbing the tattoo with her thumb.
“Me too,” she said. “I miss him a lot.”
That, Rowan certainly understood. There wasn’t a day that went by that Rowan didn’t miss Lyria.
“Did they ever catch the perp?”
“Yeah, the guy’s gloves came off in the struggle and he ended up leaving prints. Cairn Macgory. Turned out he was a law student, top honors, no criminal record. The only reason they had his fingerprints was because of his application to take the bar. He was going to be a family law attorney. He already had a job lined up after school.”
“I hope he rots in hell,” Rowan said honestly, hating the haunted look that had crept into Aelin’s eyes.
“He’s honestly just lucky the cops got to him first,” she said. “My dad was ready to have him black-bagged back to Cuba and cut into little pieces.”
“I’m sort of sorry he didn’t,” Rowan admitted, and this—unexpectedly—made Aelin laugh.
“Aren’t you a cop? I thought you’d be all gung-ho for law and order.”
“Even cops can want revenge.”
Some of Aelin’s mirth faded at this, and she looked up to study him. It was an odd feeling to be so exposed, but Rowan found he didn’t mind it coming from Aelin. After a moment she relented, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder.
“Sorry, that was sort of heavy for a one-night stand.”
Rowan strung an arm around her sturdy shoulders as he ignored the twinge in his gut.
A one-night stand.
He’d never stayed the morning with his previous one-night stands, and he’d certainly never told any of them about Lyria, so how could that be what this was?
Before he could damn the consequences and ask Aelin about it, she slipped from his embrace, grinning at him over a shoulder.
“Can I make you a cortadito, or have I scared you off?”
He grabbed her hand to pull her back.
“I’ll have coffee,” he told her rising onto his knees and she sank back onto the bed half-way. “And after that I’ll take you to breakfast.”
“You’re friends won’t be missing you?
Rowan traced her hipbones with this thumbs, everything he’d done to her the previous evening flooding back.
“They’re adults,” he said breezily, leaning forward to kiss the soft skin between her breasts. “They’ll be fine.”
Aelin drove a hand into his hair, her grip light and playful.
“You phones been blowing up for 20 minutes,” she pointed out.
“That’s just Cash being nosy.”
“He’s not dating anyone?”
“Not that I know of,” Rowan admitted setting back onto the bed and tugging her casually into his lap. “But Cash has always been full of secrets; it’s part of his charm.”
“What about the other two?” She asked. “The gorgeous one and the grouch.”
“Fenrys is more a serial dater,” Rowan said. “Mostly because his taste in men is garbage. He always falls for the haole fuckboys  then cries when they turn out to be assholes.”
“Haole?” Aelin said.
“Non-Polynesians, technically,” Rowan explained. “But most of the time Hawaiians just use it to mean—“
“Gringos,” Aelin said, grinning. “They do love to make trouble, don’t they?”
Rowan had to laugh at this.
“Fen would certainly say so.”
Aelin nodded, laughing as well.
“So that just leaves—”
“Lorcan,” Rowan said. “His bark is worse than his bite.”
“Aedion said he played him in Volleyfest last year in Miami. Why didn’t y’all compete in the men’s division together?”
Rowan rubbed the back of his neck.
“It’s...complicated.”
“I assume this has to do with your ex?”
“She invited me to play in with her. Lor wasn’t even supposed to be here this weekend. He decided to surprise me last minute.”
“So there is a gooey center underneath the scowl!” Aelin said.
“To be honest, I think Lor is probably the most sensitive and caring of all four of us. He just—isn’t good at emoting. He’s also a fastidious believer in ‘boys night’, though I think that’s just because he’s not good at chatting women up.”
“Bet he wasn’t too thrilled with me last night then, huh?”
“He’ll get over it. And he still pulls like crazy, even with his terrible flirting. Usually women take one look at him and decide they don’t even care if he can talk at all.”
Aelin laughed.
“I figured as much,” she said, rising from the bed again. “I have a lot of follow-up questions, but I need a shower before we go. Care to join me?”
She was already halfway to the open bathroom door when Rowan found his feet again, and wasting no time, he quickly swept her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way.
After they spent forty-fives minutes fooling around in the shower and another hour having sex against nearly every available surface in the suite, breakfast—inevitably—turned to lunch.
After lunch, they’d joined a pick-up “king of the beach” doubles tournament some of the previous day’s competitors had set up. They’d made such a good team that it was nearly evening by the time they lost a match and were finally bumped off the champion court.
Starving from the exertion, they’d gone back to the suite to shower before leaving again to go to dinner. Dinner had turned into cocktails on the beach, which had turned into beers  drinks at Bar 35 then tequila shots at Smith & Kings. The evening that followed was a blur of pleasure, as was the following morning, which they spend in bed together, naked and sweaty.
At every turn Rowan told himself he needed to leave, need to start distancing himself from Aelin so he could start trying to forget her. However, he’d known from the start that it had been a fools errand.
There was no forgetting a girl like Aelin Ashryvver-Galathynius. Her vivacity, her humor, her raw sexual charisma—Rowan had never met anyone like her, and he doubted he ever would again.
So how the fuck was he supposed to just let her go? It was a thought that plagued him all the way to the airport on the afternoon Aelin was due to fly back to the mainland. He’d agreed to accompany her for a last drink before her flight departed, wanting to wring every last second he could out of the weekend.
It was—he knew—only delaying the inevitable by continually putting off their goodbyes, but Ro couldn’t help it. Aelin was like the sun—vibrant and essential—and Rowan had found himself in her orbit.
Harsh realities aside, it was a painfully lovely place to be.
Ro definitely felt a shift in the vibe as he paid their tab and they headed towards the security gate. Things had gone from easy and playful to quiet and subdued, Aelin’s usual flair dimming as she continually adjusted the bag on her shoulder.
Rowan searched and searched for the words he would say to her when they were finally forced to part. They’d never even exchanged numbers; perhaps he could ask for hers and offer to call her if he was ever in Austin?
It seems so stilted and formal after everything they’d shared this weekend. He’d been inside of her, for Christ’s sake. In fact, they’d had so much sex that they’d had to buy more condoms. And she’d fallen asleep in his arms last night, and stayed there until they’d woken up this morning. That was worth more than some vague promise to “look her up” if he even came to Texas.
Still, Ro was burning daylight and he knew it. The security gate was visible now, and though they’d both seemed to slow their pace in an effort to delay the inevitable, it was approaching just the same. Finally they reached the short queue where agents were checking boarding passes and travelers were taking off their shoes and belts.
Aelin was busy on her phone as they slowed to a stop, almost as if she were avoiding looking at him.
“My cousins are already at the gate,” she said by way of explanation. “They said boarding is starting in twenty minutes.”
Rowan glanced at the security line then his watch.
“You’ve got time; things seem to be moving pretty fast.”
Aelin looked over at the line as well. Finally she dragged her azure eyes back to him, the sheer force of her gaze enough to stun him stupid. She paused, as if waiting for him to speak. He had nothing, though.
“Well,” she said finally, a small, tense smile playing around her lips.  “I would offer to shake your hand and say ‘it was nice to meet you’, but given the fact we’ve seen each other naked, I think I’ll spare us both the indignity.”
Rowan forced a laugh, even as a pit began forming in his stomach. Shit, should he give her a hug, offer to give her—
“Goodbye, Rowan,” she said, leaning up to brush a kiss just to the right of his mouth. “It’s been—“ she clearly her throat, glancing away for a second. “I had an amazing weekend.”
“Congratulations again,” he found himself saying. “For making the AVP tour. You deserve it.”
Jesus Fucking Christ, was that really the best he could do? Maybe Fen was right, and he was destined to die alone.
Aelin’s grin didn’t quite meet her eyes.
“Like I said, I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Happy to help,” he forced out. “Have a safe flight, Aelin.”
She smiled, the solemnity in her eyes now limning her face as well.
“I put my number in your phone,” she said, beginning to walk backwards towards the TSA podium. “Call me if you’re ever in Austin.”
With that she turned, and Rowan’s heart was suddenly in his throat, beating two hundred times a minute.
His mind whirred with all the reasons he had to simply let her leave—she still in college, they lived thousands of miles apart, he was a cop in Vice Squad and she was a fucking billionaire—a perceived conflict of interest even if it wasn’t a real one. There was no way it could ever work. It was hopeless, fraught with problems, doomed to fail—
He could hear his pulse pounding in his ears as he continued to spiral, thoughts growing so jumbled that he could hardly make sense of them anymore. Then a single, cogent thread emerged through the cacaphony and chaos, spooling him back to sanity.
A voice.
“Anóitos,” it teased, the tone soft and airy. “What are you doing? Don’t just stand there!”
Fuck , he missed that voice.
It had been three years since he’d lost Lyria. Three years since he’d heard her laugh, or sing, or speak Greek.
Three long, terrible years since he’d heard her speak at all.
But even after all this time, her voice was crystal clear in his head. He often felt it was her absence—more than her memory—that he’d been left with when she’d died. In that moment, though, it almost felt as if Lyria were standing beside him.
“Go, Ro. I’ll be here.”
Rowan felt a warmth tingle through him, and as he blinked back to reality, Lyria’s voice seemed to fade. But where he’d been buzzing with doubt a moment before, Rowan felt himself suddenly brimming with clarity.
If there was anything he’d learned from Lyria’s sickness, it was that life was simply too short to waste.
Lyria had died with her would-be engagement ring still in tucked away in Ro’s dresser drawer. He hated himself for the cowardice, but when she got sick he couldn’t bring herself to ask her to marry him. He’d wanted to believe that if he put off giving her the ring it might somehow serve as a talisman to keep her from leaving him. It hadn’t though, and instead she’d died never getting to be his wife.
It was a mistake he couldn’t afford to make a second time. It was improbable that he and Aelin would get married, but he felt he owed them both the opportunity to find out.
His mind was made up; fuck, he was really doing this.
“Aelin!”
She turned, watching with bemusement as he jogged toward her.
“What—“ she began, but he cut her off.
“I don’t want this to be over,” he blurted.
Aelin sagged a bit, a genuine smile splitting her face.
“Oh thank God,” she said.
Setting down her bag, she started towards him and they met halfway. Rowan cradled her face in his hands and he bent to kiss her. She fisted the fabric of his T-shirt at the hips as the kiss intensified.
“So what does this mean?” Aelin said, slightly breathless as she pulled away. “I’ve never done this before.”
Rare for her to admit she wasn’t perfect at something.
“We’ll have to figure it out as we go,” Rowan said. “My detective’s exam is in two weeks, and then I get a week off. I can come to Austin then?”
She nodded.
“Are we...” Aelin paused, biting her lip. “I mean, do you want to be...”
“Be what?”
“Exclusive?”
“Yes!”
It was out before he could stop it, so he quickly amended, “but only if you—“
“Yes,” she said, smile easier now. “I want that.”
“And are we...using labels?”
She smirked.
“Three days in and you’re already trying to wife me up?”
Now it was Rowan’s turn to flush.
“Okay, no labels—“
“I didn’t say that,” Aelin said quickly. “I just don’t want to jinx a good thing by moving too fast. What if you get back to LA and realize you accidentally got a girlfriend you don’t want? You did drink a lot of tequila this weekend.”
“Never,” he said gently, taking her cheeks in his hands. “Doubt that I want you, Aelin Ashryvver-Galathynius. And I’m fine to wait, if that’s what you want.”
“But...”
He felt his lips tugging again.
“But it’s doesn’t feel soon, not to me.”
“So....labels?” she said.
“Labels,” he agreed.
She grinned, kissing him again.
“In that case, your girlfriend has to go or she’s going to miss her flight and turn into your live-in girlfriend.”
“Honestly, your boyfriend wouldn’t mind.”
Aelin scrunched her nose, even as she laughed a bit.
“We agree the third person thing is creepy, right?”
“Yes, thank you God,” Rowan said, laughing with her.
“Dame un beso,” Aelin said, grabbing the collar of his shirt in an effort to tug his lips closer to hers. “Or I really am going to miss this flight.”
Knowing his time was short, Rowan made the kiss count, teasing Aelin with his lips and tongue until she was slightly breathless.
“See you in three weeks,” he said, pulling away.
He set the bag Aelin had abandoned on her shoulder and kissed her quickly again.
“And text me when you get on the plane so I know you’ve made it.”
She grinned, kissing him a final time before jogging off towards security once again.
“Oh and just fair warning,” she said, spinning on a heel to grin at him as she joined the short line. “My cousins are not going to like this. Might want to sleep with one eye open for a while.”
“You tell me this now?”
“Te veo pronto, querido,” she said in response, kissing her hand in farewell before showing the TSA agent her boarding pass and disappearing into the concourse.
He waited several minutes before pulling out his phone to text her. As he did, his phone chirped to signal an incoming text.
Did I mention I also stole your number and put it in my phone? 😈 💋
Troublemaker, he wrote back. Did you make it?
Yes. Wish you were here to join the Mile High Club with me.
Before Rowan could even formulate a response to that, his phone chimed again, this time from a number he didn’t know.
This is Aedion Ashryvver, it said. Treat her right or I’ll break both your kneecaps.
His phone went off a third time, the new text also from an unknown number.
Not just your kneecaps, either.
Galen Ashryvver, if Ro had to guess.
Ignoring Aelin’s cousins, he replied to her instead, saying simply, Seems like good news travels fast
The grey ellipsis pulsed for a moment as Aelin typed.
Aedion said it was their price for letting us stay in the suite alone all weekend. Taking off now. Talk to you soon ✌️ ✈️
Then it was worth it, Rowan sent back. Have a safe flight. Call me when you get stateside.
Aelin sent back a heart, and Rowan had to fight down an annoyingly girlish fluttering in his stomach as he dialed a new number and put the phone to his ear.
It only rang twice before the line clicked.
“He lives!” Cash said in greeting. “Welcome back from the island  of puss—“
“Very funny,” Rowan interjected. “Where are you?”
“Hideaway. Where are you, honeymoon chapel in Vegas?”
Rowan rolled his eyes.
“Ha-ha.”
Cash scoffed.
“Ha-ha, that’s all I get? You’ve been gone for two days, brother! I want details.”
“I’ll tell you everything when I get there.”
“Just give me a quick teaser: do you have a girlfriend now?”
Rowan growled, making Cash laugh.
“I told you!” He said to someone on his end, presumably Lor or Fen.
“You’re seriously dating her?” Lor demanded a second later. “Like full-blown ‘exclusively-fucking, using-labels’ dating her?”
“Full-blown.”
“I KNEW IT!” Cash called, just as Lor growled, “fuck me, man.”
“You owe me a drink,” Lorcan told Rowan. “I just lost 200 bucks because of you.”
“I’ll buy you a shot of house tequila,” Rowan said, unable to keep in a smile. “Final offer.”
“Hurry up,” was Lorcan’s only response. “Before Kahukore explodes from the anticipation.”
“Getting my popcorn as we speak!” Cash called from the background, and with that Rowan hung up.
A short Uber ride later, Rowan strolled into the Hideaway Inn, his friends wolf-whistling as he approached.
Cash was on his feet first, grabbing Rowan by the shoulders an inspecting him head-to-toe.
“What are you doing?” Rowan said, playfully pushing out of Cash’s grip.
“Just taking you in,” Cash said with a disarming smile. “It feels like it’s been an age since we last saw you!”
Rowan rolled his eyes, and Fen added, “Pretty dark circles you’ve got there, lover boy. Galathynius keep you up all night?”
“I am not answering that,” Rowan said. “Or any questions about what she’s like in bed.”
“Why?” Cash cooed. “Because she’s your girlfriend?”
“You’re both clowns,” Rowan said.
“You’re the one dating a teenager,” Lor said. “So who’s the clown now?”
“She’s 21,” Rowan said. “And green isn’t a good color on your, Salvaterre, so just relax.”
Lorcan smirked.
“Jealous? Of you dating a Amazonian she-devil? I don’t think so.”
“That is exactly what a jealous person would say,” Fen pointed out. “Chin up, Lor, your time will come.”
Lorcan only snarled in response.
“What do we think Salvaterre’s  eventual lady love going to be like?” Cash chimed in. “Betting line’s officially open, gents.”
“Tiny,” Rowan and Fen both said at the same time.
“Fifty bucks says he ends up marrying a girl under 5’4,” Fen added.
“Grow up,” Lor said with an eye roll, though Ro had known him long enough to tell he wasn’t actually bothered by the conversation.
“Make me,” Fen said.
Lor jerked his head the pool table in the back corner.
“I beat you, you owe me fifty bucks and you shut your cakehole.”
“And if I win?” Fen said.
“You won’t, so it doesn’t matter. Let’s do this.”
Lor shot Rowan a quick, conspiratorial nod, and Ro realized Lor had done it on purpose, to give Rowan and Cash a chance to talk.
It was one of the things that Ro loved about Lorcan Salvaterre. He was perceptive in seeing what people needed, and not jealous or petty. Somehow, he’d seemed to sense Rowan’s need to talk to Cash alone, even if Ro himself hadn’t realized it until just now.
He gave Lor a grateful smile, and Lor turned to clap Fen on the back, leading him towards the billiards table in the back.
“So,” Cash said, flagging the bartender down and ordered two beers and two shots of whiskey. “Tell me everything.”
He clicked his glass to Rowan’s in salute and they both tipped the shots back. Rowan winced a bit at the taste before running a hand through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts.
He ran Cash quickly through the weekend’s events, skipping over the more X-rated content and ending with his and Aelin’s agreement at the airport.
“Damn,” Cash said when Rowan had finished. “Are you sure this girl isn’t a witch? Because she has you under a spell.”
Rowan laughed.
“She’s—” he began, breaking off with a sheepish laugh. “I really like her, man.”
“You’re smitten,” Cash said with a grin. “Look at you!”
Rowan opened his mouth to deny it before shrugging.
“Being with her feels different somehow. It isn’t just that she’s gorgeous or funny or smart, even though she’s all of those things. It’s more than that.”
Cash considered this, but he didn’t tease the way Ro feared he might. Instead he simply asked, “what of you mean?”
Rowan blew out a breath.
“There’s just something about her that’s almost... familiar . Like I’ve been looking for her my whole life, even without knowing it. I know that sounds crazy, but...”
Rowan shrugged again, tracing the rim of his glass.
“She’s just special.”
Cash’s smiled, a softer thing than his fiendish grin from before.
“I’ve never seen you like this, brother.” He paused, his expression growing more reverent as he added in a softer voice, “Not in a long time, at least.”
They were quiet a moment as they both silently recalled the memories that hung unspoken between them. Cash had been the first important person in his life that Rowan had introduced Lyria to, and over the years, Cash was the one who’d come to know Lyria the best; he’d been her friend in his own right.
He couldn’t see it at the time, but when Ro finally emerged from his own grief over Lyria’s death, it was realize that Cash had been grieving as well; he’d simply put his aside to focus on helping Rowan heal instead. 
It was hard to describe what that sacrifice had meant to Ro; the nice thing about a friendship as deep as theirs was that Rowan didn’t have to explain his gratitude for Cash to understand it. It was implicit in every conversation they ever had about Lyria, even this one.
“You want to know the weirdest part?” Rowan said finally. “When I was watching Aelin walk away, it felt like, I don’t know, like Lyria was there with me. Like she was telling me ‘go get her’.”
Cash smiled, his expression one of admiration tinged in sadness.
“She wanted you to be happy, Ro.”
Rowan nodded, throat tight as he looked into his glass.
“I still miss her, every day. Part of me worries that if things with Aelin ever got serious, I might start missing her less.”
Cash’s answering shrug was sympathetic.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I don’t want to forget her,” Rowan said, marveling that he could admit that fear out loud.
“You won’t,” Cash assured him. “Ever. But you’re allowed to move on, brother; that’s what she wanted for you.”
There was something in his tone, an assurity and a promise, that had Rowan’s mouth going dry. He glanced up to meet Cash’s gaze.
“She told you that?”
Cash nodded once.
“The last time I saw her. She made me promise to look out for you, and to make sure you ended up with the right girl. And honestly?” He said, a smile beginning to grow on his face. “I think you might have just met her. I can’t let you mess that up by overthinking things, for Lyria’s sake as much for your and Aelin’s.”
Rowan felt his lips tugging up.
“You’re going to like her,” he said, and Cash grinned.
“Latin girl who can kick your ass in sports? I love her already.”
Rowan laughed.
“I’m going to Austin after my exam, but she’s planning on coming to LA sometime after that. If you’re free, you could fly out, I have airline miles—“
“I’d love to,” Cash interjected, clapping Ro in the back. “But I’m going to be out of commission for the next few months. I promise I’ll meet her properly soon, though. She seems cool as hell.”
Not to be put off by the diversion regarding Aelin, Rowan frowned, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized his friend’s expression. Cash’s answering smile was cryptic and slightly wild. It was then Ro remembered what Cash had told him when he’d first gotten into town days ago.
“Fuck,” he said, running a hand through his silver hair. “I feel like such a dick, you said you had news. I totally forgot, I’m sorry.”
Cash laughed, the sound easy and unburdened.
“You just met the women you’re probably going to marry. I’ll give you a pass.”
Rowan thought to object to the notion he was going to marry Aelin after only three days together, but something told him not to.
“Well tell me now,” Rowan said instead.
His friend’s cryptic smile returned, mischief sparkling in his hazel eyes.
“The only thing worse than having too many secrets,” Cash always said. “Is having none at all.”
Ro had a feeling Cash was about to drop a big one on him right now.
“I’m moving to London.”
“Wait?” Rowan demanded. “Seriously?”
Cash grinned.
“Seriously.”
“Just for a change of pace?”
“Partly,” Cash said with a shrug. “But mostly to be a Master Sommelier.”
Now that, Rowan had not expected. He struggled to pick his jaw off the floor enough to speak.
“Like a wine expert?” He said, stunned. “I thought you didn’t like wine! You always ripped on your uncle for opening Merchant of Vino!”
Cash laughed.
“That’s because it’s a stupid name and Dev’s a hapless businessman.“
Rowan still couldn’t fully master his shock, though it was quickly being subsumed by an overwhelming pride.
“This is amazing, man,” he said, clasping Cash’s shoulder. “When did you decide to do this?”
Cash’s smile had grown slightly sheepish.
“When I first sat for the Level One Sommelier exam three years ago?”
“Three years?” Rowan repeated. “You’ve been sitting on this for three fucking years? Why didn’t you say anything? Every time I asked about your job you brushed me off!”
Cash rubbed the back of his neck.
“I didn’t want to tell you in case it—didn’t pan out.”
“Seems like it’s panning out just fine!” Rowan said with a laugh.
“It’s going alright,” Cash agreed with a laugh. “Considering I passed the theory portion of the Master Sommelier exam. I just have to complete the tasting and I’ll be one of 229 Masters Somms in the world.”
“Jesus Christ,” Rowan blurted. “That’s incredible. How does London fit into all this?”
“If I said the name Sadeghi, would that mean anything to you?”
“Persian billionaires or something?”
Cash nodded.
“The old man is from originally from Tehran, but the family has been in England for ages; they’re real estate royalty in the UK. Sadeghi put his son in charge opening a new hotel and restaurant in London, and I’m going to be the wine manager. Make the lists, relationship build with vineyards, that kind of thing. They’ve already hired a Michelin Star chef from Marrakech, so it’s...a pretty big deal. It’s also a good way to for me to grow my network while I study for the exam. I don’t want to be stuck in the restaurant business forever.”
“Cash,” Rowan said, grinning. “That’s amazing.”
Cash smiled.
“Maybe you and Aelin can come visit once I get settled,” Cash said in deflection, clearly at his limit for discussing himself. “You know, Aelin your girlfriend.”
Rowan had to laugh.
He had a girlfriend.
And—Jesus Christ—Cash was moving to England. It was almost too much good news for a single day.
“I’m happy for you,” he told his friend, giving his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “And you deserve this. You’re going to crush it”
“I hope so,” Cash said. “The pass rate for the tasting portion of the exam is 32%.”
“You’re the smartest person I know,” Rowan said. “So that number means nothing.”
Cash grinned.
“You flirting with me, Whitethorn?”
“If you’re going to be friends with billionaires, you need to learn how to start taking compliments,” Rowan said with a chuckle.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Cash said, and Rowan could see the unsaid words shining in his friend’s hazel eyes. “Another drink?”
Cash turned to slip off the stool he’d been perched on, by Rowan caught his arm.
“Cash.”
Cash turned back, expression somewhat bemused. Rowan felt a lump beginning to form in his throat, but he pushed on regardless.
“It’ll be you, you know that right?”
“Be me?” Cash repeated, confused.
“When I get married—whoever I get married to—you’ll be my best man. I couldn’t have it any other way.”
Cash smiled, eyes sparkling. He considered this for a moment before pulling Rowan into a hug, one which Rowan gratefully accepted.
“Love you, brother.”
There were very few people Rowan considered worthy of this type of familial affection, but Cash was certainly one of them.
“I’m not drunk enough for this kind of thing,” Cash said, pulling away. “I’m going to get us another drink.”
Rowan’s phone buzzed with an incoming call just as Cash was sauntering away. He was surprised to find it was Aelin, and concern sluiced through him as he answered the call.
Before he could ask if she was okay, Aelin said, “Stupid flight attendant has been holding out on me. She waited until just now to tell me I could make calls on WiFi.”
Rowan felt amusement tugging at his lips.
“Should I be concerned that you’re calling from altitude? Nothing’s wrong, is there?”
Rowan could practically hear Aelin’s grin through the phone.
“No,” she said breezily “But I realized I never told you about the Cinnabon I had on my way to the gate. I figured I should call and tell you now lest I forget.”
“Oh yeah?” Rowan said.
He couldn’t help it; he was all-out smiling now.
“It was life-changing,” Aelin said.
Rowan glanced up to find Cash joining Fen and Lor at the pool table with a conspiratorial wink. When he mouthed ‘sorry’ and made to rise, Cash waved him off with a smile.
“In that case,” Rowan said, settling back on his stool. “Tell me everything.”
THE END
If you liked this story and want more Rowaelin, check out my Nessian fic In Vino Veritas, set in the same modern au-verse about four years later. If you want a sneak peak at how Lorcan’s romance check out the teaser for F*cking Lawyers, set within the In Vino timeline. ♥️ 
TAGLIST:  @tswaney17 @katexrenee @mightymorphingayagenda @nalgenewhore @superspiritfestival @mis-lil-red @pilesofriles @whitewashedasiangiril @http-itsrebecca @starkovsnesta @thebitchupstairs @sometimesimthatbitch @islareads @faerie-queen-fireheart @queen-of-glass @sleeping-and-books @enpointe10 @justgiu12 @thesurielships @keshavomit @stardelia @awesomelena555 @alyx801 @carbconnoisseur @ladywitchling @thewayshedreamed @annedub @cityofchelsea16 @spyofthenightcourt @empress-ofbloodshed @morrigays @theminorfallandthemajorlift @belamoonbeam @moonstoneriver77 @wesupremeginger @scrawlandspirits @garnet-29 @b00kworm @cursebreaker29 @jesstargaryenqueen @feyrethedarklady @officialasianbitch @cridhe-teine @sassyhobbits @musicmaam @januarystears @tottenhamboys20 @shyvioletcat @ifinallygavein @maybekindasortaace
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hekatekun · 3 years
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The metanarrative’s grand narrative: Osomatsu-san’s characterization throughout the franchise
The growing cynicism throughout the entire Osomatsu-san franchise shows itself in season 3 with more prominence than anything prior. I think that’s pretty common amongst any “long-running” gag comedy - replacing a plot with spiteful commentary that’s admittedly pretty hit or miss at times. However, it invariably creates a negative but pretty funny character growth, and I love the way the show (I’m including the movie too as “canon” material considering season 3 has referenced it way too many times for me to disregard) has set up this metanarrative across seasons. Long post ahead.
Obviously, Osomatsu-san is self-aware and has a casual relationship with itself. No linear plot (though S3 seems to be trying it out and I’ve enjoyed it - I love that they’re willing to experiment), rather a collection of unrelated skits; and so it points out its own metanarrative because of this “lack of consequences.” With comedy comes impermancy and Ososan AND -kun will always bounce back from that week’s insanity. From the Oxford Dictionary, a metanarrative is “a narrative account that experiments with or explores the idea of storytelling, often by drawing attention to its own artificiality.” Basically: a story about stories.
On top of this, is what I’m calling the “grand narrative,” which is often used interchangeably with metanarrative, but here I’m making a distinction to make it less confusing. Of course, Ososan is a story about stories, but with that comes a story it’s not directly telling, which is where most of the (little) character development is taking place. This is what I’m going to call the grand narrative of a show whose premise is being a meta-aware comedy. I’ll admit I’m by no means an expert on these subjects, but storytelling methods are something I enjoy trying to analyze. As a media format, Ososan really utilizes the fact that it’s a tv show.
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Right off the bat S1E1 makes it clear what to expect: Nothing. Not a damn thing. But, the show had already been cleared for this first season, so it has to be produced. This same episode’s preview is done by Osomatsu, which I’m just gonna quote instead screenshot because there’s too many.
“...we plan on properly starting the anime the next episode.” “...you ended up with an extra minute, so you need me to do something to fill it?! Actually, is this anime going to be okay with episode one being like this? I’m getting worried about how the rest of this is going to be...” “There, I used up a minute! [EPISODE ENDS]”
Episode one is not only batshit referential, but downright mocking the state of anime in 2015. Which, truthfully, I don’t have much to comment on in that regard, as I’m not an avid anime fan. However, it does this under the premise of being indecisive about what kind of anime they wanted the Osokun reboot to be. 
They’ll do just about anything to stay popular and relevant considering that is, quite literally, all they have going for them as characters in the series and just being characters in general. They may be pieces of shit, but they’re likeable pieces of shit. The dynamics they’ve built upon to be entertaining is encouraged, and they’re basically just roleplaying different skits and fucking around.
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All the AUs! All the skits! They’re just playing! They’re just fuckin’ around!! They couldn’t come up with any interesting plot nor could they “graduate” from being anime protagonists and join the real world, so they just fuck around and make a gag anime!
Even if we follow both as the audience, the show makes a difference between the what’s them in their “normal life” (crazy begets crazy, no?) and what’s their “show.” But, really, that’s just one way to look at it, as they don’t really follow any rules as a show. I could say the Joshimatsus are separate characters from the sextuplets, and it’d be a “correct” interpretation. It doesn’t really matter - I’m choosing to examine it all as being the six of them just running around and playing, because being entertaining and having fun is all they know as characters. Besides, having it blended together beyond recognition reinforces how it prioritizes entertaining us, the audience, above logic. Storytelling doesn’t need to make absolute spatial-temporal sense for it to be enjoyable to fans.
In any case, that mentality really seems to be what pushes their character development negative, as they look to reinforce habits and rituals despite them being really detrimental for them in the long run. They know they’re popular characters as is, and with really everyone from staff to fans encouraging this behavior further, so they see no point in fixing what isn’t really broken.
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I found this 4 year old article from Manga.Tokyo discussing the Ososan phenomenon in Japan because while the craze died off pretty quickly in American anime circles (which deserves a whole other post), Japanese fans went fuckin’ nuts.
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This portion caught my attention, as it makes sense that entitled and enabled asshole children would grow up to be entitled and enabled asshole adults. The article also goes on to compare them to idols (even beyond the F6 spoof) and that they are rooted in being comfort characters above all else. 
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It’s worth a read, especially because Japanese fan response is what drives majority of the content post-S1, and, inevitably, ties into their character development. 
They know that they’re Characters, particularly Protagonists. You know what happens to protagonists? Everything works out. Just about every single story created has stuff working out for protagonists. In fact, we have a whole genre made that separates stories with bad tragic endings from our Normal Stories. Ososan is a comedy, not a tragedy, so surely there’s gonna be some payoff somewhere along the road, especially as the seasons and other content are still being pumped out. To a self-aware, entitled, enabled protagonist, assuming everything is just gonna work out for you isn’t that far off from your narrative truth.
However, Ososan is a gag anime, and a lot of gag content (like 4koma mangas) is dropped for other projects before any emotional cathartic ending is provided for characters and fans alike. So, three seasons and a movie later, nothing has happened. It’s a great idol cash cow with a Family Guy filter, and the characters (and writers) don’t even bother to hide it anymore. And I know I’m being hypocritical concerning my definition of “canon material” but I think this portion from one of the drama cds “Choroplex” basically summarizes my point:
CHOROMATSU: Wait, don’t make this into a gag! You don’t even care about becoming employed, right? KARAMATSU: There’s no way that could happen... CHOROMATSU: What kind of future are you imagining? Is it nothing but this? [HUGE PAUSE BEFORE THEY MOVE ONTO SOMETHING ELSE]
They’re parodies of themselves and are running out of ideas. Stagnation and decay is normal, if not unavoidable, at this point in time for them. They’re just 20 somethings who’ve hit a wall but they’re too scared and insecure to bring about permanent positive change. It’s easier for them to fall back into normal patterns and joke off the rest.
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They have an antagonistic relationship with expectations. They can’t handle a single iota of expectations, or responsibilities. They’ve never needed to worry before, so why bother now? Once the biggest hits on the block, now they’re just guppies in the ocean, and there’s nothing they believe themselves to be able to accomplish to keep up with this big brave new world. This is epitomized in S3E15, where old man Osomatsu tells a bastardized version of the Tortoise and the Hare, blatantly projecting his feelings onto it. Again, too many screenshots so let me pull more quotes (bolding for my own reference):
“The place that the tortoise thought was the goal was not actually the goal. His journey down the road of life still continued on. The tortoise was quite tired, but he continued running anyway.” “No one actually knew who was in front anymore. There are too many people above you.” “After the tortoise found out how society worked, he thought, ‘So this is the difference in talent? No amount of hard work is going to fix this. All right. I’m done competing with others.’”
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S3 has left more questionable endings than its counterparts. The last 2 skits I referenced don’t even a gag to them, and the marriage skit doesn’t play music for the entire second half of S3E5. There’s more involved too. I haven’t even brought up the rice ball twins becoming actual entertainers in their universe, or how they introduced this whole AI subplot only to reject it because All Six Of Them aren’t interested in expanding their little corner of the world. Here’s a transcript of the ending preview from S3E1:
“Hey, hey, Osomatsu here. I thought we were saved from being replaced, but I guess we get new characters next week. Man, we’re busy. New encounters, changing surroundings... We’re NEETs to begin with because all that is a pain. I guess a lot can happen after three seasons. [EPISODE ENDS]”
The sextuplets’ mindsets are extremely self-centered, which is also an environmental thing (the parents don’t even really care that they’re NEETs, for one) and an understanding of what they ought to be (epic successful protagonists). They also have a very black and white mentality, all or nothing. They’re extremely sheltered, and once they realized where they stood in society at large, they just gave up. To them the world is divided between winners and losers, and somehow, “inexplicably,” they found themselves to have fallen from grace. But they’re protagonists, that has to count for something! Everything’s gonna end up okay, right? Well... what this show has told them: No, not at all. They are consistently compared and warned of Iyami, and are perfectly aware of this fact, and have come to internalize it as a truth rather than a reversible self-fulfilling prophecy.
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Too many screencaps, taken from the S3S5 marriage discussion:
JYUSHIMATSU: I wonder if we’re gonna get married someday, too. CHOROMATSU: Well, I mean... probably? I’m not exactly sure, but... TODOMATSU: What? You’re gonna get married, Choromatsu-niisan? CHOROMATSU: Huh? Well, yeah... someday.
Surprise! They have commitment issues! The same group that couldn’t commit to a fucking plot! Though their personality issues have several factors involved, I can’t overlook the theater motifs abound. Life’s a stage, and they’re performing entirely unscripted and it shows.
Do I think all of this is 100% intentional on the writers’ part? No, probably not. There’s also an extra layer here regarding contemporary Japanese commentary that I’m not familiar with, so I just ended up focusing on the characters. I can’t be in the writers’ heads, but whatever decisions are being made by executives regarding censorship and “compliance” are reflected in these character changes that result in being significantly more bitter and defeatist.
In the all or nothing, winner-take-all mentality, the only way to save face at this point, in their minds, is to own up to it - act like it’s what they wanted all along. And, hey, it’s funny to watch, right?
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“Why is Osomatsu all my examples”, you might be asking. Well, he’s the damn blueprint for it all. The leader of the bunch, the first personality to grab your attention, has had all his issues projected and ricocheted in their echo chamber.
Ultimately, my point here is that you could think their “canon characterizations” (though canon means nothing in a show like this) as being intertwined with the nature of their self-aware existence. They’ve shown you all their tricks, the smoke and mirrors are getting boring, and they’re stalling long enough the story seems to be moving on without them - in spite of them. And when something genuinely threatens their way of life, they don’t know how to respond.
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You can play it all straight, of course. Remove the meta jokes and all the same plot points can be hit, but, as a slapstick comedy, it’s able to easily add this additional layer in that I appreciate. I’ve said it in my last post and I’ll probably say it in more, but with comedy comes sincerity - the caveat of all the cartoon violence is that, on some level somewhere, this is how they really feel.
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angeli-marco-writes · 4 years
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Steve Rogers - Promise
A/N - So, this is my first marvel imagine? I haven’t watched all the films yet, I’m halfway through and watching them all in chronological order, but I couldn’t resist because I love Steve Rogers. So much. Once I’ve finished watching, I'll probably realise a shit tonne of mistakes in this, but please don’t judge. Apologies for any typos and incorrect information. GIF credits to owner.
Warnings - angst, smut so 18+ please; fingering, unprotected sex (don’t do it), borderline ‘captain’ kink, 5k.
Summary - you’re an admin worker in stark tower, an average working girl except for one thing, you have a superior memory, one that has aided you many a time. But when you’re leading Cap on a mission and it gets cut off, is it because of your memory, or are you just letting your crush on Steve cloud any reasonable thinking?
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YOU LOVE YOUR JOB, there’s no denying it. You’re young, a Brit in America, just working to help with your future, but after how well it’s been going recently? You don’t think you’ll want to leave. 
You’re an admin at Stark Tower. Not that one is really needed with all of Tony’s tech, and the fact that everyone is more than capable of sorting themselves out, it’s just fun to be around. Not only do you complete all the stenography and spreadsheets that don’t necessarily have to do with anyone specific, but you also do many of the more artistic plans and are everyone’s personal therapist. You probably don’t help your own cause - leaving your door propped open with a book to let anyone drift in and out of their own accord at any given time, unless you’re properly working, and then they know to find you in your office. Yes, your very own office.
Recently, with you becoming more and more familiar with the workings of all the residents, growing more knowledgeable of their work lives, picking up the lingo and everyone’s gladness at your perfect, imperturbable memory, you’re slowly being given more tasks. This could be anything from mission reassignment to looking through months old footage, but you’ve been helping out over the system on a couple of missions. You really feel like one of the team even though you know you’re far from it. Sleeping in the tower helps, as well as being welcomed by everyone every meal time that you sit together, especially the way they test your memory trick and always seem completely amazed at how you remember the most obscure details. Anything from the exact positioning of a birth mark on someone that Natasha took down the first week you began working, to the precise measurement of metal that Tony needed to complete a new project, to the freckle on Steve’s bare ass that one time he had to use your shower-
That escalated quickly. 
Currently, you’re in your office, daydreaming and completely wistfully thinking. You have no trouble remembering every conversation you and Steve have ever had, not that many admittedly, but he’s always been so kind to you. He was the first one to truly make you feel part of the team, welcoming you with a hug before holding you at arms length and brushing a crease from the arm of your blouse. You’re not really sure if he’d seen anyone dress that way, since all the girls he was around were always in their kick ass clothes, gym shorts or comfies, so you wandering around day in day out and wearing frilly Victorian-era blouses paired with short, tight pencil skirts and Louboutin stilettos may have been a shock to his system. It wasn’t with any agenda in mind that you did this, merely a mix of modesty and business woman style. Every word Cap has ever said flies through your mind, the impeccable memory of the way his exquisite nylon suit clings to him in all the right places... 
Steve is the only guy you’ve fancied for a while, the only person you’ve ever really gone for emotionally, and all of that is because he’s such a cute human being; so genuine, so upbeat around you, so supportive, and his smile. Goddamn his smile. He’s just too cute for life, which is also why you should really be concentrating, considering you’re supposed to be monitoring his mission. 
“Y/N, are you there? I think somethings happening, someone’s here that we didn’t know about, where do I go?”
His usually soft voice is frantic, and you can tell he’s a little scared, since this was supposed to be a simple solo mission, in and out, but now you’re having to recite an escape route. 
“Turn left at the end of that corridor, half way down there’s a grate on the wall. Pull it off, climb inside.” You tell him as calmly as you can, but even your heart is beating out of your chest, breathing laboured and a slight sweat forming on your forehead. 
“I’m in, sweetheart. What next?” Not the right time for your heart to flutter at his words, especially not the time to imagine the way his raspy morning voice would curl around those very same Few words...
“Follow the route, it’ll bring you out in a downstairs kitchen area that was empty last time I checked, I’ll look again...” you trail off, clicking off the one screen with the dot of his whereabouts to check the surveillance, and he seems to be safe. 
You hear his breathing calm down as he crawls through the ventilation system, but even as you flick through every camera that you’ve been able to access in the building he’s in and the surrounding area, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary apart from a couple of unconscious, probably dead blokes scattered across stone floors.
“I’m in the kitchen, but there’s no doors in here, no way out.” He says. 
Fuck.
Your heart sinks to your feet.
“Yes there is Steve, it’s on the north wall beside a faux, oversized spice rack. It has a silver handle and it’s an oak door, exactly like my bedroom door.”
He pauses, his heart rate thrumming heavily, “sweetheart there’s no door here, there’s no spice rack, just old built in cabinets and flat walls. You must have misremembered.”
“Shut the fuck op Steve, I’m doing what I can,”
Your usual eloquence is out the window along with all of your chill, sounding mildly like a road man as you frantically tap between the screens. He’s right though, his only way out is to climb back in the vent and hope to god, well, or Thor, that no one finds him there, but that may be too late.
“Try the cold tap on the sink, I don’t know exactly what was said but I distinctly remember someone talking about it. Stay calm for me Cap, please.” You want to beg for him to be ok, to come back in one piece, because this isn’t a normal mission, you’re emotionally attached. 
He takes a deep breath and walks over to the tap, but as soon as he touches it, all surveillance is cut off, your computer goes black, and you can’t even hear his breathing anymore. 
“Steve? Cap, come back to me, can you hear me? Steve?” With each call of his name to which he doesn’t respond, you grow more frantic. The lights are still on so you know that it’s not the mains, but you’re not educated with circuits, so you do what you can to reboot your computer, only for it to show up with your bland screen of spreadsheets, sans anything about the mission or Steve.
Your hands start shaking, lip quivering and mind overwhelmed with stress. It’s over, you’ve lost Steve, fucked up the mission, you’ll be out of a job, and the worst part? You broke a promise. 
“Promise you’ll keep me safe out there Y/N?” Steve asked, his cute little smile twinkling in his eyes and making your whole body go giddy.
“I promise, but you have to promise that you’ll come back in one piece.”
“That I can do, for you.” He murmured, wrapping his arms around your body and placing a kiss to your hairline. 
You haven’t been at the compound long enough to know whether this is normal for Steve, or for anyone, or if he’s just a natural flirt. Whatever it is, you feel too guilty to face him again if he even comes back alive. 
Slowly, soft sobs start to escape your lips without you noticing, tears slipping down your cheeks and dampening the neck of your blouse. You can’t help the guilt that overtakes you, the fear that you can’t even reason, and that’s when you hear a soft knock on your door.
“Can I come in?”
It’s Natasha. You nod gently as she takes a seat in the corner of your room, throwing her feet up on your coffee table so nonchalantly that it’s almost not a challenge of authority. 
“What’s up? Didn’t you have to radio for Cap?” Once again you nod, hastily wiping the tears from your face and smoothing your skirt out. “So, why are you crying?”
You like Natasha, of course you do, but you have normal people emotions and a little more conscience, unable to stand the thought of anyone even getting a papercut on your watch. 
“He went off, the computers crashed, and it’s all my fault.” You say, standing up and moving to shut your office door, locking it for safekeeping, because if Bucky finds out then you’re dead. 
Natasha grabs a lollipop from your sweet bowl and sticks it in her mouth, swirling her tongue around it, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think she’s flirting. She’s not, that’s just Natasha. “Care to elaborate?”
You take a sharp breath, “someone was there that we didn’t calculate, I had to get him through the ventilation system to an abandoned kitchen that I KNOW had a door, my memory doesn’t glitch, so in the time it took for Steve to get through the vents, someone must’ve closed off the door, but I’m not sure how. Then he just went when he touched the only possible thing that could be an escape route. Fuck, what if he’s dead?”
You feel tears bubbling up in your eyes again, blinking harshly to keep them away. 
“So what if he is? You’re smart, you’re panicking, so you’ve obviously done everything. It sounds harsh but you can’t get too attached. Just listen out and he’ll come back of his own accord, but if he doesn’t then we’ll have to deal with that later.” She says, grasping a hand around your shoulder before  stepping over the threshold to the main compound, leaving you alone with your thoughts. 
Maybe she thought tough love would work, but she has a point. You’ve done everything you can, so now it’s just a waiting game.
You keep an ear piece on you but shut your office for the night, heading out to the bar to pour yourself a more than healthy sized glass of wine. You unbutton your shirt a little and slide down the wall to your favourite reading spot, in one far corner, you set up some cushions and bedding. You’re the only one that uses it, but you could swear that you’ve seen Steve eyeing it up before. So you sit, tears streaming down your cheeks and leaving you with mascara-stained tear tracks, the first few buttons of your shirt recklessly undone, and your heels flung elsewhere. You bring the bottle over with your glass, and you pick up a book to keep you distracted. 
You’re not sure how long you sit there, guilt slowly building, occasionally calling Steve’s name to check if he’s come back on the system, but there’s nothing. Nothing until the lift doors open, and out walks a very bloody Cap with his suit half on and a skin tight white t-shirt clinging to his upper body.
The tears don’t stop falling from your eyes, but you close your book anyway. You would stand up, run to hug him, but your legs can’t hold you up, so you stay seated, all your words caught in your throat as Steve edges further across the common area towards you. 
He offers you a shy smile, virtually collapsing into the carpet only metres from you. Slowly his head lifts, hair falling into his eyes, and he holds his arms out. 
“Oh god Steve,” it’s him. Really him. You feared he’d be a hologram or something, your eyes deceiving you from their soreness post crying. But he’s here, you can tell from the overly memorised display of veins in his bicep when he offers you his arm. 
“It’s me,” he nods, edging a little further towards you as you crawl closer and settle into his grip. 
Your tears flow freely, dampening his shirt. Neither of you says a word, he just grips you closer to him, cuddling your legs into his lap to soothe you.
After a while, Steve fidgets, and you find your eyes dry. 
You angle your head upwards, your well kept chignon completely haywire. Steve’s face is covered in bruises and dried blood, but his eyes don’t look at all worried. 
“What happened?” You whisper, words vibrating through his chest. 
“The tap was a trick, or maybe I twisted the wrong one, but all the lights went out and I was shocked, I had to attack a few guys but I made it out, albeit bruised.” He swallows, running a shy finger over the curves of your face. “Were you worried about me?”
You nod, clutching him close. He chuckles and draws circles on your back through your shirt, just his soft touch more comforting than anything else. 
“I’m fine, sweetheart, is my nose broken though?”
You look at his nose, softly smoothing over a hell of a bruise, before placing a gentle kiss to the bridge. 
“No, trust me. In British comps, fights happen daily, and my ex was in with a bad crowd, always in fights. I had to deal with all kinds of injuries, and your nose is not broken. Be grateful because it hurts to sort it out.”
He laughs and brings you in.
“You deserve so much better than someone like that. I was worried about you when I was out there you know...” he says.
A strange conversation transition, but who are you to judge. 
“I was so scared, I thought you’d died,” ah shit, here come the tears again, “Natasha told me to just wait it out like I wasn’t completely emotionally attached to you. Bloody hell, Steve, I’d be responsible if you died.”
He cooes sweet reassurances in your ear, wrapping his arms entirely around your torso while the join between his neck and shoulder becomes your sanctuary.
“I’m emotionally attached to you too if that helps,” he whispers in your ear, so quietly that he hopes you didn’t hear, instantly regretting it. But with the soft kiss you place on the sweet spot just below his ear, he brings up all his courage to angle his head just right, capturing your lips in his in the sweetest of kisses. 
You gasp into the kiss, your reaction giving Steve means to believe you didn’t like it, instantly pulling away and dropping his hands from around your body.
“I-I’m sorry, you’re upset and I took advantage of that, and I haven’t really been with anyone since, well...”
“Shut up and kiss me, Steve.” You command, cutting off his rambling, your hand cupping his cheek. 
His hands slowly make their way around your body, fumbling for the bottom of your blouse and subsequently unable to find where your shirt ends and your skirt starts. You giggle a little into the kiss, taking the opportunity to deepen the kiss by delving his tongue into your mouth. You place your hands over his and guide them to your chest. For a second, he seems confused, his lips halting their massaging movements on your own, until he finds the open buttons at the top of your blouse. He pulls his lips away for a moment, breath mingling together in the air. His smells of strawberries, you note. He glances at you for reassurance, something which you eagerly give, so he begins. His hands slowly work their way over your chest, fingers fiddling with your buttons as you wait patiently, completely submissive for Steve to do whatever he wants to you. 
He pushes the material from your shoulders, and you untuck the back of it from your skirt, allowing it to fall to the floor, revealing your bra. Though now you see Steve eyeing it up, you realise it’s not really a bra at all, rather two triangles of flimsy fabric with some bands and strings attached, one of your only bras that doesn’t show through a sheer blouse. The way his eyes are boggling at your tits though, you guess he likes it. 
An unwitting blush creeps up your neck and cheeks, suddenly feeling cold under his scrutiny.
“You can touch them if you want,” you chuckle lightly, fearing that you’ll sound like an inexperienced teenager if you say more. 
Steve blushes as crimson as you, his large hands leaping at the opportunity to feel you. You throw your head back in pleasure as his cold thumb rubs over your nipples, making them hard to the touch, and the rest of his hands get to work massaging and kneading your boobs, pulling down the fabric to softly kiss your bare skin. 
Although he hasn’t done this in a while, well, a lifetime, he still knows how to do it realllly well. 
Your hands fly to his heart, keeping him there, his lips switching between your breasts until you grow a little more needy, grinding down on his bulge. 
“You wanna do this?” He asks, voice a little hoarse but still silky. 
“Yes, Steve. Fuck, just take me.”
“Language,” he chides jokingly, but despite that, he agrees. 
Clearly he doesn’t need to be asked twice, because he has you flipped beneath him with your back on your cushions in your reading corner, his lips attaching your neck. 
You fumble with the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head between kisses and suckles to a sensitive spot on your neck. He’s carved like a Greek god, abs toned to perfection, his tanned skin rippling with any given movement. He feels so soft too, skin tender beneath your fingers, trailing them gently across his back and torso to simply feel him. The contrary of gentle skin and solid muscles is one that makes your mouth water with desire, bringing Cap’s lips back to your own, palms pressed firmly against his back. You go in deep this time, licking his mouth and devouring his taste. To your surprise, he kisses you back with even more fervour, so passionate that you lose track of any thought swirling in your mind. 
“Suit off, now.” You call breathlessly, watching on as Steve clumsily tries to peel off his trousers by using the sleeve of his suit. He’s moving so recklessly that with an abrupt movement he’ll snag the fabric, ripping the suit that makes him look heaven sent. 
“Here,” you giggle, offering a hand out which he gladly takes, letting you shimmy the tough material down his legs, only blocked by his clunky boots which he kicks off at the same time as the suit, haphazardly leaving them wherever they fall in the lounge. “Fuck.” Is all you can choke out. The serum worked on everything. Even with his briefs still on, you can see his cock twitching within its confines.
“You’re wearing too many clothes now,” he faux scolds, leaping atop you again, kissing your collarbone as his hands work their way down your body. 
First he unhooks your bra properly, throwing it off and you both hear it land on the glass coffee table from the way your clasp knocks the glass. Next he moves onto your skirt, unzipping it, your hips raising of their own accord to accommodate his actions, slipping it off alongside your tights, revealing your bare legs to him for the first time. He doesn’t care about any of the natural marks that grace your skin, merely that you’re sitting in just your panties and only for him. 
“God you’re so beautiful,” he says.
He runs his palms over your thighs, just feeling your skin beneath his. His touch is soothing, as is his presence, allowing you to feel open towards him. You tilt your legs a little more open, revealing to him the small wet latch that graces your not-so-sexy work underwear. 
“All for me?” Steve asks, eyes innocent and doe like. 
If he’s really this sweet and naive then you’re gonna fucking ruin him. Sweet Jesus what you wouldn’t do to that man, starting with your incredibly well hidden Captain kink, though it may not be hidden much longer.
He brings a finger up to your core, pushing your panties to the side to run a finger up and down your slit. He audibly moans while collecting your slick from between your folds, fingers rough in contrast to the part of his body that you’re gripping onto, though you’re not sure quite where from your eyes fluttering closed. 
“Ready?”
You nod, bracing yourself as he rips your panties off and pushes one finger inside you. He feels brilliant, his fingers so much longer and better than your own, already bringing you jolts of pleasure from its presence. 
He draws it out before pumping back in again, continuing his movements. Your forehead falls against his bare shoulder, small gasps of pleasure escaping your open mouth.
“More,” you pant, ready to feel more of his intoxicating ministrations. 
He nods obligingly, slowly adding a second finger, continuing his gentle assault on your pussy. God, it’s been so long since you’ve had sex, just his two fingers pumping in and out of you brings you more pleasure than you’d care to admit. 
“S-stop,” 
He looks up at you, immediately withdrawing his fingers, covered in your juices and glistening in the moonlight. You flush far too deeply at such a simple thing. 
“I need to feel you already, please.”
You sensually drag your finger all over his bare chest, hearing his breath hitch in his throat. He nods vigorously, hair falling in his line of vision, but scrambles to be on top of you properly, hands either side of your head on your array of cushions and his legs steady, trapping you completely beneath him. 
“Are you sure? I don’t wanna take advantage of you, y/n. You’re so beautiful and perfect and I want your first time with me to be something you’ll remember forever.” He says sweetly, but despite his kind words, you can’t help but chuckle for a solid few seconds before he realises what he’s said. 
“Ok, but are you sure you wanna do it here rather than my room? Yours is out of the option, everyone will assume you’re dead if your book isn’t there anymore...” 
once more you chuckle, as does he, bringing your hand up to cup his jaw. 
“I’m sure, Steve, now get inside me before I change my mind and wake Bucky up,” you quip. 
He knows you’re joking but gets to work anyway, swiftly getting rid of his brokers and ungracefully kicking them off as you watch him. He may be hot but even Loki’s magic may not be able to make him elegant. 
As soon as he’s back in his previous position and you see is dick slapping against his stomach, hard and already a little red, you can’t help but gape. His too-tight boxers didn’t do him justice because now you’re worried he won’t even fit. 
He sees your worried face and panics, “We can go back if you want, we don’t have to do this.”
“I want this Steve, shitting hell-“
“Language,” he chides, interrupting you, allowing you to cock your eyebrows at him, a look to say ‘is this really the time?’
“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life, just go slow because you’re huge.” You finish, smiling at his dorky smile and flushed cheeks. 
Of all the things he could blush at, he chooses a compliment. Such a dork, you think to yourself, unable to stop the contagious smile creeping onto your face.
“I’ll be careful with you, I promise.”
And that he is. 
“Oh, and call me captain.”
That’s something you knew he’d have a kink for, making you smirk a little too. 
He runs the head of his cock through your folds to father a little lubrication before pushing in, very slightly and very gently. He bends his arms and kisses all over your face with the new leverage, feather light kisses of pure affection before you give him a breathy whisper, resembling of a ‘more’, so he pushes in a bit more again, repeating the process until he’s buried to the hilt inside your aching core, clenching around him without Steve even needing to do anything. 
“Can I start moving?” He asks, awkwardly shifting his weight above you, but you nod vigorously, kissing him urgently as his lips begin to move. 
He starts off slow, gradual thrusts, ensuring that he finds every weak spot inside or you, making your toes curl already and your legs knot around his waist, his tongue still dancing with yours. 
He increases his pace after a while, bucking into you faster, making you moan out his name and clutch onto his wonderfully broad shoulders.
You pull your lips away for a moment, “more Captain,” you ask, nothing more than a breathy sound, but Steve obliges. 
He breaks the kiss as he begins snapping his hips into yours with fervour and purpose. His balls are hitting your bare ass, his cock stuffed inside you and making the most delectable sounds from how wet you are, all for Steve. He looks down, tearing his gaze away from your pretty little face with your die eyes and parted lips, only to watch as he sinks into you again and again, blurring the lines of where he ends and you begin.
“Steve, Captain, please, talk to me,” 
Your words come out as a strangled cry, a beg mixing with his moan at the name, oxygen lessening as your eyes flutter shut, too engrossed in the pleasure to even care that your voice has gone up in pitch while his has gone down. 
“You’re such a tease, walking around in that tight skirt all day, those long legs always crossed. All I want is to pull them apart and go down on you, under your desk, in the kitchen, just anywhere that I can have you for my own.” 
His voice is low, raspy and needy as he trails his tongue along your collarbone filthily, forcing your eyes open with some unearthly force he must possess simply so that he can meet your gaze as he bites your nipples, his cock continually hitting that sweet spot inside you. 
“It’s not just that though,” he continues, resuming his dirty talk between caresses of his lips all over you, “you’re so perfect. So stunning, so intelligent, the reason I wake up every day just for the hope that one of these days I’d be able to kiss you.”
his hips halt just for a moment, long enough to unwrap your legs from his back and throw them over his shoulders, lust filled eyes boring into your own with an uncharacteristically devilish smirk. 
He kisses you again, fleeting but passionate before he nibbles your earlobe and purrs,
“And now I get to have you at my mercy, and believe me, that desk fantasy is gonna come true every day.”
With that sentiment, he starts ploughing into you even more ferociously than before, making you scream his name, a lot of murmured ‘Captain!’s and curses mingling with the cries. 
The new angle hits spots you forgot even existed. Your nails take his back, tugging in and clinging on for mercy, the burn of your legs in such a contorted position only adding to your pleasure.
“Fuck, I’m gonna come,” you shout breathlessly, chest heaving, your boobs moving up and down of their own accord and Steve is unable to take his eyes off them.
You feel the coil ready to spring in your stomach, a climax that’s been steadily building since he first kissed you. 
“Tell me what you’re gonna do with me tomorrow, and then you can come.”
His words are something forbidden, coaxing you off the edge, daring you to hit that wave of pleasure. Just the thought of your past daydreams make your walls clench around him. 
“I’ll wake you up by sucking your magnificent cock, then I’ll ride you harder than anyone has ever before, and then I’ll ride your face before we have intermittent sex in my office, at least twice.”
You don’t even know what you’re saying, your imagination running winks with the thought of Steve having you in his lap in your desk chair, pressed up against the glass of your office for everyone to see as he fucks you senseless. You’re insatiable. The thought of his dick twitching in your mouth is too much to handle, especially as he brings his thumb down and presses on your clit, moaning unintelligibly at your apparently sexy words, and you feel it. 
Your orgasm crashes over you so hard that you feel it on your bones, thrashing around beneath Steve, screaming out his name as he dudes your high out only seconds before coming too, his muffled cries of your name drowned out as he bites onto the juncture of your neck, bruising it and rendering you unable to wear anything other than polo necks for a good few days. The pleasure he’s given you is unrivalled, and you can’t waist for more.
His body collapses onto yours inelegantly, wrapping you unto his body warmth in your cosy little corner, both forgetting that you’re completely naked in the common area after having rather loud sex. 
“Was that good?” Steve asks sheepishly, fingers running through your tangled hair.
“Yes, incredible. And for you?”
He thinks for a moment before answering, “exquisite, sweetheart.”
Your heart glows a little at his sleepy voice. You run your thumb over the bump of his nose and the blood residue still on his face, but you think you may like Steve a little roughed up. You stay close to each other, breathing together and sharing kisses in the night time, so absorbed in your own bubble that you don’t hear someone come in.
“The fuck is this, Steve?”
Fuck, Bucky. 
“Couldn’t you have been a little better at aiming your clothes? We’re all glad you’re finally together, but loud and untidy as well as sex in the common area? Come on.”
You can hear the humour in his words, but they do hold some sincerity, making you blush and chuckle. Next thing you know, your bra is being thrown at the pair of you, landing in Steve’s messed up hair.
“Thanks buck...” you say with a meek giggle, kissing Steve and removing your bra from his face.
“Round two? My room?” He suggests, eyebrows wiggling. 
“Promise you’ll let me clean you up first?!” You insist, kissing his shoulder and beaming at him. 
“Promise.”
507 notes · View notes
thegreenwolf · 4 years
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(This post was originally posted on my blog at https://thegreenwolf.com/its-okay-to-not-hustle/)
There’s this meme going around Facebook right now, saying “If you don’t come out of this quarantine with a new skill, your side hustle started, or more knowledge, you never lacked time. You lacked discipline.” Thankfully multiple people have already skewered it, but it continues to be shared around by the sort of person who is trying to one-up everyone else, or who’s just plain clueless–or, for that matter, just trying to guilt you into buying whatever they’re selling.
Now, there’s not a damned thing wrong with self-promotion. That’s how indie artists, authors, and other self-employed folks get the word out. You have to be able to talk good talk in order to get people’s attention. But leading with this meme? Guilting people for not leaping from sudden unemployment straight into the thick of the ever-shifting gig economy? That ain’t gonna fly, Brocephus.
You Have Good Reasons to Slack
Excuse me while I dust off my counseling psych degree a sec, here. *ahem* We are in a very sensitive, turbulent time right now. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in a century in the Western world. We are in a hugely traumatizing situation here. Not just for the financial losses, but the fact that COVID-19 has killed thousands of people and left many more with permanent lung damage. We still haven’t gotten a handle yet on exactly how contagious this thing is, how long you’re contagious for, or whether you’re immune once you’ve had it, assuming you survive. We don’t have adequate testing, emergency rooms estimate that for every positive test there are 10-20 people out there infected and untested, and everyone with a cough is suddenly Schroedinger’s COVID case. Governments worldwide are slow to react in spite of the rising death toll. People have had friends and family die horribly from this thing in a short period of time. Even people who didn’t already have issues with anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses are feeling stressed, strained and scared–and, yes, traumatized. This image is guilt-tripping people who are actively being traumatized.
So we’re already starting with a populace that is dealing with this collective trauma, as well as whatever personal trauma each individual is experiencing. Not always easy to seize the day when you’re going through that. And I can think of a few other reasons that might further complicate this whole “Just get a side gig!” thing:
–They’re a parent who suddenly has all their kids at home, all the time, demanding time and attention and food, AND they still have to work eight hours a day from home, or maybe even more if their S.O. is unemployed/sick/etc. By the way, if someone trots out Isaac Newton or William Shakespeare or some other historical guy who managed to do epic things during a pandemic, remember that they usually had wives or servants to do all the laundry and cooking and cleaning and (if applicable) childcare for them.
–They’re disabled or chronically ill, and don’t have the ability/energy/etc. to just go and make something happen, just like that. Imagine if you just randomly got the fatigue from a really bad flu, and you never knew whether it was going to last a day or a month. And if you tried exerting yourself when you were feeling better, chances are you’d slip back into fatigue-land. That’s what a lot of my chronically ill/etc. friends have to deal with, to say nothing of issues with accessibility of resources for starting a side gig.
–They don’t have any money for the supplies needed to start a side hustle, or the supplies have been hoarded by hobbyists preparing for a Pandemic Staycation.
–They don’t have the skills for something that just requires what they already have (like, for example, writing on a laptop you already happen to own). Often these skills are things that can’t be perfected in a few weeks at home, but may take years to develop before they’re really marketable–like, for example, the skill to make a decent living on side hustles.
–They have anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions that make it hard to function even in the best of times, but even moreso in this…well…mess. Even people who were mentally healthy before are going to be developing diagnosable anxiety and depression disorders before all’s said and done. And speaking from personal experience, those of us who look successful on the outside can still be internally hamstrung by these conditions at times.
–Plus there’s the fact that we’re not supposed to, you know, leave our homes, which narrows down the field of potential side gigs by a lot.
Even doing something less financially-wrought like learning a new skill or subject takes time, energy, and sometimes money, any or all of which may be scarce for the reasons above and more.
Comparison is the Thief of Joy
I am saying all of this as someone who is arguably an expert on the side gig. I have spent the past eight and a half years 100% self-employed (and a lot longer doing it part-time) as an author and artist, able to cover all my bills and expenses, and for a time I was the primary breadwinner of a multi-person household. I have like ten different things I was doing for a living before this all hit, a pretty diverse set of streams of income, even if most of them just up and evaporated in the past few weeks. And while I’m definitely a hell of a lot leaner now than I was a month ago, I still have my head above water for the moment. So I think I know side gigs.
I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m overall healthy. I have a dog who is a lot less demanding of my time than kids would be. I have my own space where I can focus more or less without interruption. More importantly, I have the skills, the knowhow, the drive and the personality to go out and seek new opportunities. And I’m used to fluctuations in income, though admittedly this one’s unprecedented. Don’t gauge yourself by where I am now. I’ve spent twenty-two years building up my art business, my first book came out in 2006, and I’ve had a series of really good opportunities come my way that I had the privilege to be able to make the most of. I am not your measuring stick, so don’t say “Well, if she can do it why can’t I? I must suck!”
If you’re feeling crappy because you aren’t hopping to it and carpeing the diem and getting everything done, here’s what I have to say to you: Look, you just had your world turned upside-down. Job loss, scarce commodities, sudden lack of outside childcare, restricted movement and inability to be around much of your support system, and did I mention a pandemic is happening, too? Any single one of those things would be difficult for just about anyone to deal with, never mind all at once. And I don’t even know what all else has already been going on in your life–unstable or unsafe living situation, other health issues, breakups and other losses, interpersonal conflicts. You know, normal life stuff.
You’re Not Lazy, or Screwing Up, or (Gods Forbid) Undisciplined
It is totally okay if all you’re doing right now is surviving. It’s okay if you feel like you’re drowning, overwhelmed by all that’s happening both on a global level and more personally. It’s okay if all you can manage right now is to get out of bed and stumble through each day a moment at a time, struggling with a tidal wave of emotions. It’s okay if you’re just trying to keep your kids busy, dealing with a crowded home every single day, or trying to keep COVID-19 at bay. It’s okay if, instead of firing up DuoLingo or opening an Etsy shop, you spend your evenings vegging to Netflix or reading a book or playing hours and hours of Animal Crossing.
Not every moment in your life has to be about being productive even in the best of circumstances, and that goes exponentially so right now. Be patient with yourself, and be kind. You may be one of those folks who literally has to spend all their time scrabbling to try to cover the bills or get some leeway from bill collectors, and you have to dedicate your waking time hunting for resources just to try to get through this week. Believe me, I feel for you, I have a lot of friends in that situation right now, and I hope all of you can find some relief and assistance.
May I suggest something? If you have the energy for something more than the bare essentials of getting by, put that energy toward self-care, whatever you can manage under the circumstances. You can use it to recuperate, to rebuild your emotional and physical resilience. That way if things get rough again in the future, you have more internal reserves to build on. If your usual methods don’t work or aren’t accessible due to lockdown, ask others what they’re doing to keep themselves grounded in this trying time.
Just because you have more time doesn’t mean you don’t have to throw yourself right into something productive! Don’t feel pressured to just go-go-go the moment you have a little freedom to move. If you do decide you want to try a side gig, or a new skill, or learn all about some specialized topic of interest, go for it! If you have the energy and attention and opportunity to pursue something new, it can be a great coping skill during this traumatic time. Just don’t pressure yourself; keep it fun.
One last thing: I want you to save the image I have at the top of this post. And then if you see someone post that meme, saying “Come on, you lazy bums, get up and make that side gig happen! Learn new stuff! Do all the things! No excuses!” you pull out this version, and you look at the edits, you remember that it’s okay to be where you are, and you get back to doing things at your own pace no matter what someone else says. (I find visualizing stapling a printout of the edited version to the offender’s forehead to also be therapeutic, but that may just be me.)
Hang in there, okay? It’s going to be a rough time, but you’re not alone, and what you’re feeling right now is shared by so many people. So just let yourself be where you are in this moment, and we’ll see what hope tomorrow brings. And remember that whatever you’re capable of in this moment: it’s enough.
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lumilasi · 3 years
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I saw this in my feed and since I was pretty bored and FINALLY free from the said boredom, figured I could do this one. I generally enjoy question based tags, especially if they relate to art/writing/fandom/are some general things about favorite colors, music, foods, things about your home country etc.
(basically, you can tag me in stuff similar to listed above things and I’ll probably do them if I see them/have time lmao)
Fic Writer Questions!
How many works do you have on AO3? 
44 total. I used to have more but I’ve deleted an old Bleach one I knew I’d never continue to write, and two bnha ones for the same reason (those two were also at the very beginning stages so nobody missed a lot anyway)
What's your total AO3 wordcount? 
4 269 068......wow. It’s even MORE than I even imagined. Over 4 million words. 
....Someone take my writing tools away from me lmao
How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?
 Three. I started with MCU, moved on to Bleach and now I’ve done most ofr BNHA
What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 
Crossroads - 3069 
Family Secrets - 3015 
Reanimate - 1534 
The neighbor - 809 
Espada and Fraccion - 782
.....Admittedly this list surprised me. Not the first three but the last two. The fifth is an one shot for Bleach that I wrote AGES ago. I also for some reason expected this list to match the bookmark list more lmao
Do you respond to comments, why or why not?
I always try to respond to every comment I get, but often times when it’s just one word or a heart emoji I don’t really know what to say, so I might not reply to those. I do appreciate every comment I get, and read every single one, even if I don’t respond
What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending? 
I don’t do angst endings typically, but Family Secrets is probs the most obvious choice, given what happens at the end. 
- and its not even the real end, because I couldn’t help myself and made two more stories for the AU that was like “hey! this character I made you all love so much actually DIDN’T die, he just had unfinished business back home” lmao
Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you've ever written? 
Rarely, typically they’re between my own fics (the story that crosses the paths of Crossroads and Family Secrets AU’s, literally titled Crossover, creative name I know OTL I was out of ideas) 
Or between me and other people’s fics. Currently there’s two, both with Crossroads: one with Theteapotofdoom’s fic Something Good, and another with leontheneon’s fic Here with you. Both stories are basically a two part series that is non canon to actual Crossroads. The first story is finished, second one has two chapters left...that...I uh...struggle to write it seems OTL
(not tagging either person into this because Tea is very busy IRL right now so I don’t want to bother her, and Leon hasn’t been around in ages, IDK if they even use tumblr anymore)
Have you ever received hate on a fic? 
Not really no? I can only remember one time with somebody kind of demanding me to completely rewrite one fic in the past. It wasn’t really hate, more just...kinda unreasonable in my eyes? This was years ago by now.
While I did understand their side and the particular struggle they had (once they actually explained it, the first comment at the time came off pretty rude and demanding), I still feel them wanting me to re-write an entire multi-chapter fic just for them is a bit unreasonable, like said.
Like it wasn’t just couple of grammatical errors that was their issue, we’re talking weeks and even months long process of completely reworking multi-chapter story, because the grammar wasn’t tip top perfect. (I’m not a native speaker so there’s bound to be some mistakes; pointing out small occasional things is one thing - asking me to rewrite an entire multi-chapter story is another)
You can imagine that is not exactly high on my priorities list with IRL responsibilities and being more focused on the actual content of what I write, the ongoing stories I’m updating. This fic isn’t even finished yet either, so...yeah. Like after they explained their side of the story I was a bit more understanding, but its still....a bit ridiculous and unreasonable in my eyes to ask somebody to do such a massive overhaul when the story isn’t even finished yet?? Like maybe once its done and I have time I can go and edit it, but not when I haven’t even finished it lmao
Do you write smut? If so what kind?
Nah. I don’t care about smut a whole lot personally. I much more enjoy writing emotional scenes, character interactions and mystery. Plot over porn basically lmao 
Have you ever had a fic stolen? 
I don’t...do people actually do this? It feels like such a weird and pointless thing to do. It’s fanfic. stuff you write for fun and for free, for people to read for free. I’d also imagine its pretty easy to get caught given AO3 shows when you first posted your story. 
Have you ever had a fic translated?
 Yes, a couple of times. In Russian and I think other one was Chinese?
Have you ever co-written a fic before? 
Writing the crossovers was kinda that? Like I asked feedback from Tea and Leon on how to write them. there was also actually third crossover story that was supposed to happen (only I wasn’t going to be the one to write it) but this project has been shelved as the other person had to drop majority of online activity due to some IRL health related things. (I’m just glad they recently contacted me to inform they were doing better)
What’s your all time favorite ship? 
Right now it’s..probably pretty obvious its Shigadabi, but I can never really say any ship is my all time fave, as it always changes depending on the fandom lmao. 
I guess my favorite character x proper sleep/emotional stability/happiness will always be the OTP
What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
Oof. I always try to finish every single one, and if I absolutely know I won’t, I tend to just delete them. Thankfully I’ve only done it thrice. Which I guess is still a lot, but compared to how much I write, in context not really? 
What are your writing strengths?
From what I’ve gathered of feedback, its typically emotional moments/character dialogue and interaction/character arcs and so. Mystery plots too. Or maybe that last one is just me lmao
What are your writing weakness?
Personally, while I tend to get positive feedback on both, sometimes I feel like I struggle to choose a good pacing for a fic, and fight scenes are always a pain. Namely, I might struggle with making the pace too long-winded and slow sometimes. Ironically, my IRL update pacing is probs a bit too fast in turn. (To add another layer of irony, I got an update ready for Unravel that I’ll post after making this tag)
Also writing shorter stories. I’ve been trying to write one-shots more (like the Spinaraki series thing) to kinda try and get myself to pack up my stories better and not let them always spiral out of control haha
What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
I did try to do that once with a fic I deleted, I had a native speaker help me with the canadian french bits. This person is no longer active on tumblr, and I deleted that fic because I realized I’d never finish it. 
Technically tho, as a non-native English speaker, EVERY word is in other language to me lmao. I could only add Finnish as an extra one easily, and it rarely makes sense to do so anyway.
What was the first fandom you ever wrote for? 
MCU. It’s what I originally made my AO3 for, as I felt brave enough to post things. I also can’t remember writing fandom related stuff before that, it was typically more oc related. Writing fics has helped me learn a lot about world-building, character consistency and all that stuff, without having to make everything from scratch (tho I do enjoy doing that as well of course). I feel like my original work writing has improved too thanks to my fic writing shenanigans in a way lmao. Tho that might just be me, IDK
What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? 
Oooof. This changes a lot depending on the time. I can never really pick just one either: my current favorites are Stringmaster, The neighbor and Family Secrets
Stringmaster because I love building the Steampunk AU, and Tomura’s relationship with Dabi and his Sensei, The neighbor because I personally think the romance build up in that one is probably one of the best I’ve done so far (the character dialogue in that is among my favorites I’ve written as well) and FS, because it taught me a lot about character building through writing a character like Hisashi.
 Plus I just really like Hisashi. 
And baby Izuku and little Tenko are super adorable. 
And Inko is the best mum.
 Also the fact the whole story is so ironic in a sense its still kinda funny to me. 
The only writer I know that might be around rn is @nightlilly0110 soo...I guess I’ll tag them if they want to do this! Anybody who’s a writer can snatch this too of course ;)
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