#he also notes that the fruit smells very sweet when approaching it for the first time while playing as him

[fifty-ten]

pikmin 3 facts: alph is allergic to mangos and avacados (and a bunch of plant life)

[the-angriestpineapple]

Love and War (Miruko x Fem Reader)

Rating: Explicit

Characters: Usagiyama  Rumi / Miruko

Inspiration: My SECOND piece for the Citrus Dome Discord server’s Gods AU collab. It’s a bonus! Written mostly for my partner and Peach, because they love her. Masterlist is here.

Prompt: Worship has always been a part of your daily routine. Each season you place the fruits of your labor at the altar. Every day you pray. It’s human nature, seeking answers from the Gods.

But you never expected one to answer…

Word Count: ~4.6k

You yell out a war cry as your sword falls, the metal making a harsh clang against the shield of your opponent. You’re in the middle of a war, and fighting for your life. Most of your fellow warriors have been killed and there is a scant few still remaining on the field. The enemy forces have been whittled down as well, but there’s definitely more of them than are of you. These were forces of a man who was trying to take over any country he could, and you were defending the smaller villages in the area since they couldn’t defend themselves. You had prayed to your goddess that morning, a goddess of strategy and war, and all you could do was hope that she would not allow you to fail. You hear a cry of pain to your left, a voice that you know. It’s one of your friends, a man you’ve known since childhood, and you make the mistake of looking toward the source. You see your friend fall, but then feel a searing pain in your side as well. The momentary lapse of concentration may have just cost you your life. You see the man you’d been fighting run off toward another of your comrades as you sink to the ground. Your vision goes black at the rims and you feel your sword fall from your hand before your eyes shut and you hit the ground hard. Your mouth makes one word as you lose consciousness.

Miruko.

You feel yourself coming to consciousness, your mind flashing through your death. You’re in Tartarus, you’re on the beach, waiting to take the ferry to the underworld. You’re dead. Your goddess didn’t hear you. With a heavy heart you open your eyes, thinking about how many of your friends you would be making the journey with, only to find yourself in your temple of worship. You stare up at the statue of Miruko feeling absolutely dumbfounded. How did you get here? How did you survive? “Good, you’re awake!” The unfamiliar tone draws your attention, and you look up to see an absolutely gorgeous woman walking toward you. Your eyes widen as you look her over. Dusky skin. Flowing white hair with two silken ponytails atop her head. Strong arms and thighs revealed by the cut of her tunic. Cocky smile on her face. You were staring at your goddess, at the patron of this temple. You were staring at Miruko. She grins wider at your expression and lets out a sharp bark of a laugh. “You’re confused, I can tell. That’s fair. I can explain. First, no, you aren’t dead. You were supposed to be, but I can’t let my favored devotee die just yet. You will eventually, obviously, being mortal and all. But the underworld can’t have you yet.” She shrugs, reaching for a peach on the offering table under her statue and taking a large bite out of it. She says it so casually, as if she doesn’t care what the god of the underworld thinks. That she just does what she wants. “I’m… not dead? But what of the battle? What happened to the villages? What-” You cut off, wincing in pain as you try to sit up. Your side suddenly felt as though it was on fire. Miruko quirks a brow, placing the half-eaten peach on the table and walking over to you. She tips your face up to hers with fingers that you feel could easily snap bones and gives an almost feral smile. “The villages are safe. None can hope to stand against me on the field of battle.” There’s a wild edge to her tone that chills you to the core and you nod. Like you would disagree with her, especially to her face. Especially with that wildness in her eyes.

“T-thank you.” She stares at you with that feral grin for a few moments longer before it falls into a softer smile. “It felt right to step in. And besides,” She drops your chin, rolling her shoulders. “It’s been ages since I had a good fight.”

She’s as terrifying as she is alluring, that’s for sure. You look down, wanting to avoid her piercing gaze, and realize that you’re wearing nothing but a bandage around your chest. Your eyes widen and you pull the blanket up to try and protect at least a little bit of modesty. This apparently strikes Miruko as amusing, since she starts laughing. Your face colors in embarrassment as she wipes at her eyes. “Come now, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” She gestures to her own very filled out feminine form. She isn’t wrong, but it doesn’t make you any less self conscious. She smirks a little and looks back to the fruit bowl, plucking out a few figs. It’s a good thing you offer her fruit, she seems to like it. But then she brings the figs over to you, and holds them out. Wanting you to take them. “I can’t have those,” you gasp immediately. “They’re for-” You cut off, and Miruko raises a brow and smirks. They’re for her. And she can distribute her offering as she sees fit, right? Gods, if the High Priestess could see you right now she would have a stroke. Your shaky hand rises and your fingertips brush her palm as you take the figs from her hand. “There you go. Good girl. You need to eat to get better. I’m not exactly a healer, after all.” She turns from you to retrieve her peach and you’re relieved she didn’t see the shudder that went through you at the praise. This was so strange. Most of your life you prayed to this goddess. You joined her order when you were scarcely out of childhood. You trained to be a warrior, vowed to protect those who needed you, just like she does. And just as you thought she had turned from you, here you were. In her presence. With her feeding you her offering fruit. “Why…?”

Miruko quirks a brow as she looks back at you, peach halfway to her mouth. “Why? Well, I can’t be the goddess of everything. I may have called in a favor with Hawks to make sure you weren’t gonna die on me anyway, despite my interference.” Hawks, the god of healing. Also medicine, archery, music, and poetry. The goddess leans on the table and brings the peach to her mouth, but pauses. “Ya know, Hawks is a bit of an overachiever now that I think about it.” She takes her bite and chews thoughtfully, looking up at her own statue.

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Her eyes dart back to you, and you flinch. You never realized that her eyes were red. All the depictions you’ve seen of her have been in stone, and it makes her even more intimidating. “I meant, um, why save me?”

Miruko stares at you and takes another bite of her peach, not blinking as she chews. It’s a few agonizing moments of silence, but then she gives a half smile. “Because I wanted to. Haven’t you ever been taught not to question the gods?” Your eyes widen, thinking you just offended her, but she chuckles. “I’m kidding, calm down. You’re gonna need to relax if I’m gonna be here making sure you heal. Now, eat those figs and get some rest. Hawks said you’re gonna sleep a lot at first.” You look back down at the fruit in your hands and slowly lift one to your mouth. Of course the goddess was given the best of the crop, so the figs were almost unbearably sweet. You eat all three, and she gives one approving nod before pushing off the table. “Good, now sleep.” You weren’t sure if you could, with your literal patron goddess in front of you. But once you slowly laid back down and closed your eyes sleep easily claimed you.

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

When you woke again you felt much more rested, and this time when you cautiously sat up there was no stabbing pain. You feel your side and find that it doesn’t hurt at all, which surprises you. You’d been dealt a mortal blow, surely it couldn’t just be gone. But it seemed to be. Along with your bandages, apparently. You were now wearing a simple tunic instead. You glance around the room looking for a sign of Miruko, but you don’t see her. Maybe she was gone. Maybe she saved you at that was all she wanted. You slowly slide from the bed, wanting to look around but not wanting to injure yourself in case you aren’t as healed as you seem to be. You seem to be okay though, and you feel confident enough to look around. This room is the main offering room in the temple, with the huge statue of Miruko dominating the center. Gone are the fruit offerings from the table, and in their place looks to be something covered by a linen cloth. Curiosity gets the best of you. You walk over to the cloth and slowly pull it away. Under it is a small loaf of bread, olives, more figs, and a bowl of soup. Along with the food is a note.

ΦΑΕ αυτο. Eat this.

You know it’s been left for you, and it smells amazing. You don’t waste time picking up the bowl and drinking a third of it down. You can practically feel your energy going up with each swallow. The bowl goes back to the altar, and you grab the bread next. You suddenly feel ravenous, like you haven’t eaten for days. You rip hunks off the bread and swipe it through the broth of the soup. It tastes fresh baked, and the grain compliments the spices of the soup perfectly. You aren’t quite back to normal yet but you feel like you’re getting there. You’re sharp enough to hear footprints coming up behind you though. You turn, not entirely sure who you’re going to see. The High Priestess? Maybe Miruko came back? You definitely don’t expect to see a man with messy blonde hair approaching you, and your body is shifting into a defensive position without even thinking about it. He holds his hands out, eyes widening. “Whoa whoa whoa, little warrior, I come in peace. I’m just here to check on you. You’ve been sleeping for a while.” You don’t shift out of your pose, eyes narrowing. The man drops his hands and smirks. “Miruko always has the most suspicious followers. Fine.” Large red wings unfurl from his back, and he presses off the stone with his foot. He rises in the air and hovers a foot or so off the ground. Only now do you rise from your pose, eyes widening. “That’s more like it. Hawks, god of medicine, archery, music, poetry, and luckily for you and Miruko… healing.” He sweeps into a bow in midair, and you can’t help but smile a little. He’s pretty charming, though you would imagine that a god of music and poetry would be. He sinks gracefully back down to the ground and folds his wings back. “Ah, a smile! That’s better. So, songbird, I see you’ve eaten. Good. You’ve been asleep for nearly two days straight.” He shuffles closer to you and leans forward, getting very in your space. You can’t help but pull back, which makes him grin. “Your skin is a better color. Less pale. Eyes are responsive.” He holds a hand out and presses it to your forehead before you can move. “No fever, so I doubt there’s an infection. There’s just one problem left.” His face falls, seriousness taking it over. A problem? You bite your lip, wondering what was wrong, but then Hawks breaks out into a grin again. “A cutie like you is stuck in this temple with Miruko.” “You want your wings tied together, you overgrown pigeon?”

You both jump as the goddess strides into view, that feral grin back on her face. Hawks straightens and flings his arms wide as she approaches. “Miruko! There’s my favorite war goddess. I was just checking on your disciple here. Seems fit as a fiddle. Of course, I treated her, so obviously she would be.” He preens a little, pleased with himself. Miruko rolls her eyes and shoves him.

“Yeah yeah. You’re miraculous. Now if she’s no longer about to head to Shouta, please vacate my temple before I physically kick you out of it.” There’s a tone to her voice that sends a shiver down your spine, but Hawks just looks gleeful. “Of course. Just let me know if you need my services for anything else-ow! Fine, I’m going!” He’s scowling and rubbing his arm where Miruko punched him. He gets the last laugh in though, turning and snatching your hand up to kiss it before disappearing in a cloud of feathers and laughter as the war goddess swings again. “I’ll get that mouthy feather duster when I get back to Olympus,” she grumbles, then turns to you. “Are you alright?” She steps in closer, red eyes glancing over your form. You nod, unaware of the fact that you’re holding your breath at how close she is. “Good. Now that you can move well enough, finish eating. Then we’re going to spar.” She turns and walks away from you as your eyes widen. You were going to spar with the goddess of war and strategy. That didn’t sound like something you’d be able to easily win. But at the same time, the challenge was enticing. And you would get to see her in action. But first, the rest of the food.

You turn back to the altar, picking up a few olives to pop into your mouth. You don’t want to rush eating because you know that if you do that, it’ll make you feel sick. But… you’re pretty excited to be sparring your goddess. You tear off another hunk of bread to dunk into the soup, and just as you shove it into your mouth you hear Miruko behind you. “Here. Water.” She hands you a cup, and you gratefully accept it with a murmured ‘thank you’. You’re very thirsty, and the water in the cup tastes pure and clean. You greedily drink all of it down, and when you come back up Miruko is giving you a half smirk. “I’ll get you more.” She plucks the cup from your hands, her fingertips brushing yours as she takes it and turns away. You blush slightly at the subtle touches, not entirely sure why.

You choose to not dwell on that uncertainty though. If you’re going to spar Miruko and hope to hold your own against her you need to be focused on that. So you spend the remainder of your meal with your eyes closed, taking deep, controlled breaths. Eating slowly. Balancing, preparing yourself for a battle. Normally you would also be praying to Miruko, but that didn’t seem like an appropriate thing to do if you were about to fight her.

Once you’re calm enough and feel as centered as possible, you open your eyes. Miruko had replaced the cup at some point and you grab it. This time you sip, looking around you at the temple. The bed you’d been on was shoved to the far side of the room against the wall, and Miruko was standing in the empty space. Waiting for you.

It was time to try your luck against your deity.

You place the cup back on the altar and step over to her, sliding down in the defensive position you had taken when Hawks arrived. Her neutral face curls back up into that feral grin that you’re now accustomed to and she slips down as well, hands arching into claws. Arms and legs spread wide. It’s intimidating, but you refuse to show it.

“I’ve watched you for a long time, I’m looking forward to this.” Her grin widens and she’s moving, pushing off on her foot to launch herself at you. She’s too fast for you to be able to avoid her and you shift so she doesn’t hit you head on. You grab her side as she slams into you and pull, trying to make her be off balance. Miruko just gives a manic cackle and manages to land and put all her weight on one foot and tangle the other leg between yours. She crooks her leg quickly to trap you, your eyes widening at the pressure of the single leg lock she put you in.

Holy fuck, she’s powerful.

Obviously she’s powerful, but there’s something completely different about seeing the latent muscles in her form and fighting her. Gods, she must be breathtaking on the battlefield. You’re almost sad that you were unconscious when she took down your enemy. But now wasn’t the time to swoon, you were in the middle of a fight. You had to get out of the lock.

You twist yourself, able to wrench your leg out from hers. Though you have an inkling that she let you do that. The wildness in her eyes is back, pupils dilated to the point where there’s barely a red ring. Miruko lets out another laugh as you launch yourself at her. It’s like a dance, this fight. She’s allowing you to feel her out as an opponent since she knows exactly how you fight. You have a solid lock around her waist but she grabs yours in return and flips you up, the back of your thighs landing on her shoulders. She grins wider up at you from between your legs and your heart skips a beat, but then she throws you off of her. You land hard and roll but pop right back up, a little shaken.

You’re circling each other again, and now it’s her turn to charge you. You’re more ready this time though, and you shift and grab her arm. You pivot, your hip checking into her and you’re able to throw her over your shoulder. Her face fades to surprise for a second and then she’s behind you. You’re too slow to turn, and her foot strikes out in a wide arc. Miruko easily sweeps your feet out from under you and you land on your back, the breath knocked out of your lungs. Then her face fills your vision, she grabs your wrists and slams them above your head. You can feel her strong legs pinning your lower half. You’re both breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight. She increases the pressure on your wrists and your breath hitches. She pauses, her red eyes studying your face, and then she leans in and crashes her lips to yours.

Your mind shuts down for a second before you’re kissing her back. That’s what the feelings were when she brushed your skin. You were attracted to her, and obviously she was to you as well. She saved you, plucked you right out of your descent to the underworld. You couldn’t move even if you wanted to, you were entirely at Miruko’s mercy. And gods… this was exactly where you wanted to be.

The goddess finally lets up on your wrists in favor of cupping your face, which allows your hands to come down and rest on her hips. She’s solid muscle, you could tell that when she was fighting you but now that your hands were sliding over her form it was like caressing smooth, warm marble. Unyielding. Unstoppable. A small groan escapes your lips to be lost in her mouth, and she increases the pressure of her kiss.

She pulls back with no warning, a smirk on her face. “I’ve won,” she says with a smug note in her voice. “Are you ready for my reward?” If it’s anything like that kiss she just claimed, then you definitely were. She rolls her body to gracefully rise from the floor once you agree. You start to rise, getting ready to stand as well. Just as you gain your feet you find them swept out from under you again. You hit the floor hard, but then you freeze when you feel a foot on your neck.

“I didn’t say you could get up,” Miruko practically purrs. “Now, I’ll ask again. Are you ready?” “Yes,” you breathe, looking up at her with wide eyes and parted lips. You wanted anything she would let you do. With her foot still on your neck she peels her thigh slit tunic dress off of her body and drops it to the side. She’s nothing short of magnificent, and you forget to breathe for a few moments while you’re staring at her.

She smirks at you and removes her foot from your neck. Then she pivots, her muscular back toward you before gracefully stepping over you to straddle your chest. You watch as she lowers herself, and as she moves closer she reveals the beautiful pink of her sex, already glistening. Miruko settles herself hovering just over your face and braces her hands on her thighs. She looks back at you, smug smile still tugging at her lips. “Well?” You don’t need to be told twice. You wrap your hands over her solid thighs and pull her down to your face, immediately licking with a flat, wide tongue. She inhales sharply at the contact. You let your tongue drag down to circle her clit, which earns a soft gasp from Miruko. She tastes sweet, and the way she gasps when your tongue drags up and down her slit is intoxicating. But the noise she makes when you wrap your lips around her clit drives a spike of heat right to your core. “You’re so talented with that tongue. What a good girl,” Miruko get out between her pants, “I think you deserve a reward.” Your fingers dig into her thighs as you realize what she means when she slides your tunic up your thighs. You watch the muscles in her back flex as she leans forward, strong arms pushing your thighs apart. Your body is coils tightly in anticipation as she starts kissing along your thighs and up to the apex, but then kisses back down. She’s teasing you. It’s making it all the more exciting, but you need the relief. You wrap your lips around her clit again to suck in an attempt to get her to give you more. And you get what you want. She groans, her hips rolling, and circles her tongue around your clit as well. Miruko dips down, her tongue tracing your entrance, and she groans. “Mm, you taste so sweet. Even better than that peach you gave me as an offering. Maybe that’ll be what I call you,” her voice has a hint of amusement to it, but it makes you visibly squirm. She notices. “You like that? My peach?” Miruko leans back in, her tongue slowly dragging up and down your clit. You make a noise that you hope is taken as an affirmative because you can’t bring yourself to pull your mouth from her sex. Her hips are rolling down into your mouth and yours up into hers, stifled moans the only sound echoing in the room. But your voice kicks up an octave as you feel her fingers rub at your entrance and slip inside you. She chuckles at your reaction as she crooks her fingers up, easily finding the spongy spot that makes your eyes roll back in your head. It makes you work her over more vigorously and her smugness over the reaction she pulled from you melts away. Her choked moans get louder and louder, encouraging you to go at her harder. Pull her thighs harder. It’s getting more difficult to breathe, but it’s so worth it when she finally tenses as she hits her orgasm. You keep licking as she comes down from her high, but whine when her fingers slip out of you and she rises. You hadn’t had your own orgasm but you weren’t about to complain to her about it. Just as you’re about to rise to your feet Miruko surprises you by reaching down and pulling you up as if you weigh nothing. She’s yanking you into her body and crashing her mouth to yours in a heated kiss. Miruko only breaks the kiss when she quickly pulls your tunic from your body and throws it off to the side. “You’re delicious all over, it seems,” she murmurs into your kiss-swollen lips. You have no opportunity to answer, her hands seizing your waist. She lifts you off the ground and easily walks you to the smooth stone wall, lifting you high enough that your thighs can rest on her shoulders. Her arms lock your thighs in place to keep you there. Your eyes are wide at the show of strength, and you are very aware that her face is now at a perfect height for her to devour you. And she does. Her red eyes lock with yours for a moment before she is diving back in. Your head falls back at her skilled mouth, hips almost immediately rolling into her. You’re surprised as you feel one of the hands holding you up vanish from your thigh and easily slides into your wet heat again. Miruko’s fingers immediately curl up and press into the spot that makes you cry out. You can’t help it as your hands grasp for something to hold on to. Fists wrapped around her twin ponytails, allowing you to anchor youself. “Look at me,” she rasps out, and it takes all of your remaining senses to comprehend and comply. “Cum for me, Peach.” Then she flicks her tongue on your clit before sucking it into your mouth as she presses up with her fingers again. And the tight thread in you snaps, and you completely fall apart around her. Miruko keeps licking and crooking her fingers as you ride through your climax, red eyes still trained on your face as you try desperately to catch your breath. Without you really noticing your thighs are slipped from her shoulders and you’re gently lowered to the floor. She catches her lips with yours again but this time the kiss is soft, tender, and she pulls you into an embrace that has your head tucked under her chin.

Miruko doesn’t move for a moment, and you wonder if she feels as bone-tired as you do. But then she’s once again sweeping you up in her arms as if you weigh nothing. You marvel over her strength for what feels like the hundredth time as she brings you over to the bed you’d healed in. Only this time when she places you in the bed, she crawls right in after you. You lie there, both naked and turned toward each other with the blanket pulled up just enough to cover both of your forms. She’s gently running fingertips up and down your side, and now you can fully understand why she broke rules to save you.

“Ah, now I understand why you’re a disciple of this temple!”

Both of you jump, and Miruko’s eyes narrow to slits as she looks at a grinning Hawks floating in front of her statue. “Way to go Miruko.” He winks at her, then looks at you with a wide grin. “Songbird, how is she? I bet she’s bossy-” He cuts off with a yelp as a nude Miruko flings herself from the bed to attack him. Hawks immediately vanishes, disappearing again in a cloud of feathers. Miruko stops short, then snaps her fingers and her tunic dress flows down her form like water.

“I’ll be right back,” she says with steel in her voice, “I have a chicken to fry.” She vanishes too, and you lean back into the bed with an incredulous laugh. Who would have thought this would be the outcome of becoming a disciple of the goddess of war.

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE, MORE BLOOD Vol.12 Mukami Ruki [Track 2]

Original title: 濡れる

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, More Blood Vol. 12 Mukami Ruki [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Takahiro Sakurai

Translator’s note: This Ruki is on another level, damn. I feel like he is even worse than MB Ruki and that is before the boys got toned down. The scene with the watering hose gave me war flashbacks to Laito’s Do-S CD and that is not a good thing. > < It reminds me of Shuu’s MMB CD, which I also didn’t really enjoy so I guess I’m too much of a sofie lol. I honestly don’t blame the MC for turning back time to get herself out of the sticky situation. 

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5 + Epilogue

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 2: Soaked

*Ding・Dongー Ding・Dong*

*Pshhhhh*

Ruki walks up to you.

“So this is where you’ve been.”

You turn your head towards him.

“Why are you watering the plants? The school’s inner courtyard isn’t your responsibility, is it? I don’t understand why you would go out of your way to look after it. Although, I can pretty much guess grasp the situation even without asking. I assume somebody asked and you were unable to refuse.”

You nod.

“I’m disappointed. So that is actually the case, huh? Seems like you do not quite understand who you belong to yet. If you were fully aware of who your master is, you would surely prioritize something else over taking orders from a teacher, no? I believe I told you to come to the library during break time?”

You admit you forgot. 

“Seems like I was wrong to blindly assume you actually have the mental capacity to remember. Although weren’t you the one who initially brought it up? You wanted to look for resources to finish your assignment. I was so kind to offer my help, yet you forgot about our promise and went to water the plants instead...Seems like you think rather lightly of me. Perhaps I have been a little too lenient with you as of late. I suppose I shall have to strictly guide you back to the right path.”

You start to panic.

*Rustle rustle*

“...Oi! Don’t be so shaken up! Watch what you’re doing! The hose isーーArgh!”

*PSSHHHH*

You quickly turn off the water.

“Haah...Now explain to me with your own words what you just did.”

You say sorry. 

“I never asked you to apologize. Tell me what you did.”

You explain.

“Haah...So you do know. Exactly. You pointed the hose in your hands at me, spraying me with water as a result. Me, your Master. I never expected I would have the livestock I tamed actually turn the tables on me like that. You were only pretending to be obedient, but deep down you were waiting for the right moment to strike me down, weren’t you?”

You try to defend yourself.

“Hooh? You claim that it was just an unfortunate accident? In that case, you know what to do next, no? ...You made a blunder towards your Master. It is only obvious you would receive a punishment accordingly. I shall let you choose the type of penalty at least. Whipping, burning at the stake, water torture (1)...take your pick.”

You shake your head. 

“I just told you to choose, did I not? You really do not know your place. ーー Ugh.”

Ruki grabs hold of the hose.

*Pshhh*

“In that case, I shall choose. You need to experience your blunder first-hand, it seems. I am sure that if I drum it directly into your body, even a slow-learner such as yourself will finally learn their lesson.”

*Pshhh*

You try and run away but suddenly fall.

*Thud*

“What’s wrong? Did your legs give in from the surprise?”

*Rustle rustle*

*Pshhh*

“Why don’t you stay down like that and crawl across the ground to get away? Although your attempts at escape won’t make me miss my aim...”

You try and get up but fail.

“You look absolutely pathetic...Your uniform is covered in dirt.”

Ruki walks closer.

“Guess I have no other choice. I will rinse it off.”

*PSHHHHH*

“Did I not tell you to keep your mouth closed? Isn’t it obvious that water will end up in your mouth if you scream? You’ll only make it harder on yourself by choking.”

*PSHHHHH*

“...Hah. You can no longer move, huh?”

He looks down on you.

“I assume the cold water helped you snap to your senses? Do you recognize your own blunder now?”

You nod. 

“I see. I am glad the disciplining has been effective.”

He kneels down in front of you.

“How miserable. The water is weighing down your drenched locks, and your skirt’s sticking to your skin. Why don’t you return to the classroom looking like that? You might just get the other students to show you some pity.”

You shake your head, telling him you can’t go back soaking wet.

“Why won’t you return? By your logic, I wouldn’t be able to return to the classroom looking like this either. Properly explain to me why exactly you refuse to go back.”

You explain. 

“What a ridiculous reason. Even if your shirt has become transluscent, I doubt anyone would bat an eye at that lackluster body of yours.”

You frown.

“If you refuse to return regardless, I suppose you have no other choice but to stay here until it dries.

He looks at you.

”There’s a cold wind today. If you stay here like that, you will surely freeze. ...Aah, your lips have already turned blue. Your body can’t stop shivering either, right? It’s only a matter of time till your fingertips will go numb as well.”

You frown.

“You seem determined. Why don’t you take off your blazer at least? Right now, I’m the only one who can see you.”

You unbutton your blazer.

*Rustle rustle*

“You’re rather obedient. However, your complexion is still pale. If you were to stay in the wind like this, you will catch a cold sooner or later. ...If you end up bedridden, I will be burdened with taking care of you. Come here, I shall provide you with the necessariy warmth to ensure your body does not cool down.”

You ask Ruki what he will do.

“Do you really need to ask? I shall give you my fangs ーー is what I mean!”

He tugs onto your arm.

*Rustle*

“What’s wrong? I’m sure it doesn’t feel very pleasant on top of your drenched shirt. Do you dislike being carressed through your clothes?”

You agree.

“It is simply unreasonable you would scrunch up your face when your Master is showing you his affection. However...Seeing you furrow your brows as you endure it is not bad at all.”

*Rustle*

“Furthermore...Seems like it did a fine job at heating up your blood...This sweet scent like a ripened fruit...You can’t blame me for assuming you are just waiting to be devoured.”

*Rustle*

“You’ve realized this yourself as well, no? That the blood flowing through your veins is boiling...It’s so easy to tell around here...”

*Rustle*

“Try and focus on the touch of my fingers...This thick vein starting from the side of your neck, down to your collarbone...It’s throbbing loudly, isn’t it? Almost abnormally so.”

You moan softly. 

“What’s wrong? Your breathing has become ragged. I did not think you’d go in heat just from being carressed by my fingers. I might have gone a little too easy on you after all. Or perhaps we could say...this is actually the result of your taming?”

*Rustle*

“Well then, how does your body feel? Your expression has become rather feverish...If you already have warmed up, I suppose you no longer need my fangs, huh?”

You protest.

“Heh. Look at those greedy eyes. There is no way you could endure this much teasing.”

*Rustle*

“In return for showing me that pleading expression, I shall give it to you today. ...The thing you wish for.”

Ruki bites you.

*Sluuuurp*

“Mmh...Mm...”

*Gulp*

“Haah... Nothing like the fangs you have been eagerly anticipating, huh? This is the fastest way to tame someone who is weak to the pleasure such as yourself.”

You ask if this was ‘taming’ all along. 

“Did you not realize? You truly believed that I would save you from the cold out of pure kindness? Simply spraying you with water barely counts as a punishment. This is where the true pentalty starts. I am sure that your heated body will greedily crave for the pain. However, I will toy with you through weak stimulations only, depriving you from what you truly want. The pain and pleasure from fangs piercing through your skin...With those feelings already deeply rooted in your body, it counts as pure torture to you. Then once you’ve suffered, I shall give you what you want. You’ve heard about ‘carrot and stick’ (2) at least, no? It’s the very basics of any taming procedure.”

*Rustle*

“Today I shall take my time to teach you thoroughly.”

*Smooch*

"You seem to be having a hard time. What a lovely expression. I’m sure the coldness from being sprayed by water has long faded by now? Just let yourself be played with by the stimuli I give you...”

You suddenly start rummaging through your pockets.

*Rustle rustle*

“...Ah? What are you doing...? A little late to start looking for a handkerchief now, don’t you think?”

*Rustle rustle*

“No...Don’t tell me, you...! Do you have the hourglass inside your uniform!?”

*Cling*

*Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock*

ーーー

...

*Ding・Dongー Ding・Dong*

*Pshhhhh*

Ruki walks up to you.

“So this is where you’ve been.”

You turn your head towards him.

“What’s wrong? Why are you so surprised?”

You turn off the hose.

“Huh? Weren’t you watering the plants? Oh well. I shall praise you for ceasing your actions as soon as you saw your Master approach. However, there should be something you have forgotten. I doubt you will be able to rememeber with that empty brain of yours though.”

You bring up the promise.

“Oh? So you do remember. Then you should have just hurried to the library. We’re heading there straight away after you’ve finished watering the plants. I am willing to sacrifice some time to help you with your assignment, so do not dawdle.”

He suddenly stops in his tracks.

“...Huh? Did something happen? The scent of your blood has gotten sweeter. Almost as if...”

He runs his fingers across your skin. 

“...I sucked your blood just now.”

You flinch.

“I don’t smell another Vampire. Which means...Haah...You were getting all worked up on your own while watering the plants, huh? How shameless. However, I do not intend to give you my fangs. That is your punishment for keeping me waiting. Enjoy squirming over there until you’ve finished your assignment. Well then, let’s go.”

Ruki grabs your arm.

*Rustle*

“That strong of a reaction just from grabbing your arm? There’s something wrong with you today. Could it be...?”

You look up at him.

“Heh. No...I suppose I’m simply overthinking things.”

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes 

(1) 水責め or ‘mizu-zeme’ is a torture method in which the victim is forced to consume large quantities of water in a short period of time. 

(2) A common training method for animals in which you alternate between reward and punishment. In Japanese, it is called 飴と鞭 or ‘ame to muchi’ which means ‘candy and whip’. 

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Buzz, Buzz—Buzz, Buzz {One-Shot}***

Chris Evans x Reader

Warning: Cursing, Tease, NSFW, SMUT

Words: 4.5k

Note: I love vibrating panties by the way. Great idea! This was too much fun to write. I hope you enjoy it!!!

***Loosely Edited/Proofread***

~~~~~~~~~

 “I can’t believe you cooked all of this,” Scott said as he gaped at all the food scattered around your townhouse.

You had gotten a little carried away in the kitchen with all the cooking. You’d made fried coconut shrimp, some potato salad, mac and cheese, and some honey BBQ smothered ribs. That all went with various little finger foods like chili cheese nachos topped with all the fixings, little kabobs, and a fruit salad. Looking at all the food you may have gone overboard considering there was probably only going to be maybe ten people in attendance today to watch the fight.

“I know, I think I went a tab bit overboard.”

 “No, it’s great. It is fight night after all,” Scott said.

 You finished putting out the rest of the décor for the night and making sure your townhouse was company ready.

 “You are quite the little entertainer.”

 Scott helped you straighten the rest of the townhouse which you had neglected in your cooking spree. While you tackled upstairs, Scott tackled downstairs. You had to make sure the bathroom and the bedroom and even the guest bedroom was good. The one thing you hated was when you went to someone’s house and their whole house was not on point. It could have been just something small, but it got to you.

 “Shit, Scott I forgot the cake.”

 “I knew you would. How could you not? I didn’t think you’d be doing all of this.”

 “If I go to get it I won’t have enough time to get ready before everyone gets here.”

 “It’s okay, I’ll get it. Give me the receipt and I’ll go. You get ready,” Scott offered.

 “Thank you, Scott.” You rummaged through your bag until you found the receipt for Scott so he could pick up the cake for fight night. Fight night was never complete with something sweet to end the night.

 Once he was gone you finished tidying up and setting fresh candles out you hopped in the shower. Ten minutes later you were trying to find the right outfit but couldn’t decide what to wear. It was a fight, so you didn’t want to get too crazy, but you also didn’t want to look frumpy. You tried on dresses with wedges and heels, jeans and tanks, jumpsuits, skirts but you could not decide.

 Halfway through your mind jumped to Scott’s brother, Chris. You’d been friends with Scott for about nine months before he introduced you to his brother superstar Chris brown at a party. It was of course an automatic attraction for you. who the hell wouldn’t think Chris Evans was hot? Sometimes when you hung out with Scott he was around, and it became normal after a few months. Every once in a while you’d hang out alone mainly when you were in a group. You’d break off alone and talk or even do things together. You’d come to realize he was a cool guy, really funny and down to earth. You’d gotten comfortable around each other and you couldn’t deny that you were probably developing a crush.

 After nearly fifteen minutes of debate, you decided on an off the shoulder shirt and a pair of jeans that you would pair with some wedges. You thought it was a good combo. When you reached into your drawer for a pair of panties you didn’t think anything about picking the black thong you’d gotten as a naughty birthday gift from your friends. You’d lost the remote months ago so that rendered the vibrating contraption useless. While you were rushing around to make sure you were ready in time you didn’t realize the doorbell rang until you heard pounding at the door. When you opened it, Chris was standing there holding the cake Scott was sent out to get.

 “Hey. I’m sorry I didn’t hear the door.”

 “It’s okay. I come bearing sweets.” You smiled and held open the door so he could come in.

 “You can put it in the kitchen on the counter. Thanks.” You followed behind him looking over his body. His white polo looked so good on him. It fit him just right and accentuated his broad his shoulders were and how trim his waist was. He looked so good. Catching yourself before he caught you checking him out you looked away and tried to compose yourself.

 “What happened to Scott?”

 “He had a few things to do before he made it over here, so he asked me to bring this over.”

 “Thank you.”

 “I feel like I should thank you, it smells amazing in here. I can’t wait to get my hands on all this food,” Chris said as he rubbed his hands together.

 “You’re so silly.” A few moments passed with the two of you smiling at each other before you snapped out of it.

 “Okay, I’m gonna finish setting up, everyone should be here any minute.”

 “Okay, need help?”

 “No, I got it. You chill and get the channel right. I’ll be back.” As you walked past him you thought you heard him whisper “god damn”. Deciding it was your ears playing tricks on you, you continued rushing around.

 While you were rushing around doing God knows what he found the channel the fight was on and got it ready. When he fixed himself a plate and sat on the couch it was then he saw a small black device peeking out from underneath the wall mounted bookcase. He dug it out but before he could investigate further the doorbell rang. He slipped the device in his pocket and answered the door to find a group of smiling faces.

 “Heyyyy!” He smiled and ushered them inside as they all spoke at once. Some were commenting on how good it smelled inside, some on the coming fight, and some just chattering. Before long everyone had settled and situated around the living room.

 “How was this recent trip, Chris?”

 He’d just got back into town from filming a coming show that he was excited about. “It was good. It was mainly last minute reshoots and whatnot. It should be premiering soon.”

 “What’s it called?”

 “Defending Jacob.”

 When you walked out everyone approached you and pulled you in for hugs. You spent the next few moments hugging everyone and having small talk. He couldn’t help but watch you. When he first met you he thought you were beautiful, yeah but he didn’t dwell on it. As the weeks and months passed and he got to know you better thanks to Scott he really liked you and the vibe you gave off. The more he talked to you away from your group of friends, the more he liked.  

After a few months he knew he was in real danger of finding himself in a situation that had the potential to be messy. Normally he wouldn’t have cared but he’d just gotten to a point in his life where he was through making bad decisions that made him into the asshole. If he made a move on you he would be the man he was. So he kept his distance and did everything in his power to keep himself in check.

 His eyes roamed your body and he fully took notice of your outfit. The jeans fit you too well and the top accentuated your soft shoulders and ample cleavage. Just like that he knew it was going to be a long night.

 When everyone got their food and seats the fight started, by that time he’d checked out your ass more than four times and found himself staring at your breasts more times than he could count. He made it a goal to focus on the fight and nothing else. He told himself it didn’t matter that you were beside him and smelled like every flower in the book or the fact that your thigh brushed his every so often. A little after the halfway mark you returned with a beer for him.

 “Thanks.” Your smile was polite and sweet. He dug his hand in his pocket and remembered the small device there. He didn’t know what it was but after fiddling with it he decided it was probably a stress thing. It took him a few minutes to realize the soft rubber spots were buttons. He pressed one down. Almost at the same time, you dropped back onto the couch with an “oh”.

 When he looked at you the look on your face said confusion and shock.

 “Are you okay?” Your head snapped to him and you instantly nodded. The way you did it was weird, but he didn’t think anything of it. He continued to fiddle with the device in his pocket and pressed another button. You whimpered beside him and crossed your legs. When his eyes met you again you gave him a reassuring smile before looking back to the TV and the fight.

 “Wow, that was a great cross,” you stuttered. He tried not to notice on your squirming beside him, crossing and uncrossing your legs but he noticed. You took your beer bottle and raised it to your lips and guzzled it until it was empty. He noticed you squeezing it so tightly the skin around your knuckles was taunt. As he tried to figure out what was going on with you he pressed another button. You released a sigh and sat up with a straight back then placed your empty beer bottle on the table before you with a shaky hand.

 He watched you as you looked around the room as if you were looking for something. He was so busy watching you trying to figure out what was going on that he didn’t think anything of pressing more buttons on the device in no particular order.

 “Oh Jesus Christ. No, no, no.”

 “You okay Y/N?” You pinched your lips and nodded to Scott.

 “Yep, all good. Cake. Does anyone want--cake?” You blew out a breath through your mouth. He watched your chest heave as if you were having trouble breathing. He pressed another button and your eyes closed before you stood. He noticed the shake in your legs when you did though and he was even more inquisitive.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

When you got to the kitchen you were free to panic. The remote wasn’t lost at all. It was somewhere. Either it was in one of the couch seats and someone was unaware they were controlling it and your pleasure. You’d forgotten how these things felt after trying them out that one time. You remembered very well now. Taking a few moments you cut slices of the cake and placed them on plates. After you’d cut the slices Chris’ voice took you by surprise.

 “You okay?”

 “Yeah I’m good. Are you good?” he looked at you as if he were suspicious of something. You’d probably acted weird as shit before.

 “I’m good. Need help?”

 “Uh yeah, thanks.” You and Chris each took a few plates and walked back out to hand them out to each guest. Once your hands were free you leisurely walked around the living room checking behind free cushions and spaces to see if you could find the root of your embarrassing situation.

 “What’re you looking for?”

 “Oh nothing important. I just thought I lost a piece of jewelry earlier. Don’t worry about it,” you lied. You tried to act as normal as possible but it was hard. You didn’t know when the next vibrating surge would come and you could also feel Chris’ eyes on you. the two things were making you more awkward and nervous than usual.

 Soon everyone was on their feet cheering on their chosen fighter. The controlled chaos gave you the opportunity to look in each of the couches but you’d come up empty handed. The only other possibility was that someone had it and was controlling it without knowing just what it was. Now you looked around to each of your friends assessing them trying to figure out who the culprit was. Your eyes met Chris’ from across the room and he stole your breath. The two of you stared at each other for a few moments and you wondered if it was him but his hands were free. Everyone cheered snapping you out od the moment to see the fight was over.

 The vibration began again this time it wasn’t on the low setting, it was a lot stronger.

 “Fuck!” You crossed your legs, pinched your lips and tried to hold back any sounds you were tempted to make. The vibration continued then intensified and you could feel the beginning stirs of the orgasm that wanted freedom.

 You didn’t think you could stop it so you walked to your balcony as smoothly as possible. You turned your back to the French doors and bit your bottom lip trying to stop the moan. It definitely wasn’t working so you grabbed the railing before you and bent over and let the orgasm free with a grunt. Your body was on fire and you already knew it wanted more. The vibration stopped unexpectedly giving you a much needed break. The wetness between your thighs was now distracting. 

After taking a little time to get yourself under control you walked back inside the living room and to the couch and sat beside Chris with a sigh.

 “You’ve been acting weird all night. Are you sure you’re okay?”

 “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just a hot night.” It wasn’t a lie, you were burning up at this point.

 “Uh-huh.” He didn’t sound like he believed you, shit you didn’t believe yourself. Your eye caught the shine of something black Chris was holding, and all the blood drained from you as horror filled you. He was holding the remote you thought you’d lost. It dawned on you at once that he’d had it this entire time and he’d been playing with the buttons inadvertently bringing you to a pretty intense orgasm.

 “Shit,” you whispered to yourself as you tried to act normal.

 Nothing about this was normal. You had to figure out a way to nonchalantly get it back without tipping him off to what it really was. Before you could come up with something the vibrations began again against your already over sensitive clit sending your back crashing back into the couch. The setting was set low, but it was still more than enough to start the stirs of yet another release. Fighting through it you sat up tried not to squirm. When the setting increased you failed miserably. Your hand shot out to grab and squeeze Chris’ thigh. When you looked at him the second your eyes met you knew he knew. Slowly he looked to the black device in his hand and back to you and then his eyebrow arched up.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

No fucking way, he thought. There was no way this was real life. He couldn’t believe events would turn like this. Quickly you yanked your hand back and apologized before looking the opposite direction. He almost laughed out loud. This was too perfect. What he thought was just a useless stress reliever turned out to be a lot more valuable. It was the remote to what he’d now pieced together as your panties. 

The thought of you wearing some sexy contraption that he had control over instantly made him hard. He could have turned it off but he chose not to as he realized your antics on the balcony was probably you being overcome with pleasure. It was then he realized he’d made you come. The old him wanted to resurface so badly so he kept the setting where it was and watched you squirm. God, it was sexy as hell doing this knowing everyone around you was clueless. He watched closely he wanted to see you come this time knowing that he knew just what he was doing. You didn’t utter one word or give one thing away. The only thing he noticed was your body heaving clearly exerted.

 With a smile, he turned off the device and tucked it back into his pocket. He’d give you a break. The rest of the night he tried to forget the power he had, forget the tightness in his pants and ignore how badly he wanted you. After the fight finished everyone stayed for a few hours longer just laughing, dancing and having a good time. You stayed away from him the entire time. If he was close to you, you found a reason to go to the opposite side of the room. It amused him; he’d gotten under your skin. It had him thinking back to every glance you’d shared over the months. Did they mean something more?

 Slowly everyone made their exit leaving Scott his partner and him there to help you clean up. You tried to shoo them out but they each insisted on helping to show appreciation for the hospitality you’d shown. He could tell you hated every minute of it and that made him even more amused. Your cool composure was crumbling and he could see the angst in you bubbling to the surface to reveal just how much he’d affected you.

 By the time you showed them to the door, he still had your remote and he knew you knew it.

“Y/N, this was so much fun. Thank you for hosting it,” Scott said giving you one last hug.

 “No problem, it was fun.”

 “Yeah I had a lot of fun,” he added. You didn’t look at him, but you pinched your lips.

 “All right y’all get home safe.” He walked out the door and down the hall with Scott and his partner with a small satisfied smile on his face.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Five minutes from when you closed the door the doorbell rang. When you opened the door there Chris stood holding the remote between his thumb and pointer fingers. Neither of you spoke, you just stared at each other. Who needed words with everything that had transpired between you? here was a man you’d never slept with but had made you come two times.

 As you reached for the remote Chris yanked his hand back. You continued trying to grab the remote but every move you made he evaded. Soon he was stepping inside.

 “Chris, give it to me.”

 “Why do you want it?”

 “It’s mine.”

 “It’s been mine tonight.” You caught his double meaning and you rushed him in a mad dash attempt to grab the remote from him. Chris evaded you and the two of you danced around the living room, you trying to get what belonged to you and him determined to hold on to it. Chris stumbled backward and fell on the floor and took you with him. The remote fell from his hand to a few feet away. When you realized it you were laying on top of him. Your eyes locked and you realized just how your body was angled on him. You were sitting right over his crotch and you definitely took notice of the thick ridged muscle pressing into you.

 You caught the glint of the remote off to the side a few feet away and slowly looked to him. He must have realized what you saw and the two of you scurried to it. Thanks to his long arms he was the one to grab it. As soon as he did you felt the most intense vibrations, he’d turned it to the highest setting.

 “Fuck!” You shouted out and writhed on him. You bucked your hips against him and picked up the speed dry humping him and rushing to find a release. Your body shook and your eyes rolled to the back of your head. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh—my—god!” You screeched as your body convulsed.

 It felt like you were having the wildest seizure, a seizure that took any control you had of your body. All you wanted was to come and thanks to the vibrations you got your wish. You threw yourself across his chest trying to catch your breath, but it was impossible. Whimpering you writhed some more from the unbearable pleasure. It was too much. Slowly the settings decreased until the vibrations stopped.

 You didn’t know how long you laid there on him but when you lifted your head it felt heavy as if it weighed a ton. Your hands still shook as you pressed them to his chest. When your eyes met the fire, you saw there was something that you were not prepared for. 

“Oh god.” Chris’ eyes dropped to your lips and in seconds your lips crashed together. This kiss was the most intense one you’d ever had. Chris’ tongue delved into your mouth and entangled with yours just as his hand gripped your ass pulling you closer to him and holding you against his hard cock. Both of you moaned together already knowing what you were going to do. There was no way you could stop now. He’d teased you all night and now you wanted something more.

 Chris’ hands came around to the button of your jeans and quickly undid them before he slipped his hands inside the backs to cup your bare ass. You bucked your hips against him brushing your core on his swollen need. The entire time neither of you broke the kiss, instead, it intensified and became even more passionate. Chris’ hands lifted the hem of your shirt and yours were there to pull it off completely. As soon as it was off Chris’ hands were there to unhook your strapless bra to free your breasts. It was only then his lips pulled from yours to latch onto a hardened nipple.

 He greedily went between both nipples sucking, licking and biting them bringing you even more pleasure. You pulled his shirt off of him and clawed his back enjoying the smoothness of his skin. He pulled you down again on his need and the urgency you felt increased. You stood above him and began pulling off your jeans. As you did he busied himself with his own pants. Once you’d kicked them off you moved to pull down the panties, but he stopped you by pulling you to him. Your feet were beside his face just as he pulled you down onto his face connecting his lips with your soaking slit.

 “Oh shit!” Your eyes rolled to the back of your head again, he was not going slow and you were glad for it. Now was not the time. Chris licked and sucked your clit as he slurped you’re your opening sucking all your juices from you. It didn’t take you long to begin bucking against his lips and using them to find your next orgasm. Chris moaned the faster your rode his face and played with your nipples. When you looked down to him the intimacy of the moment pushed you over the edge so much that you lost yourself and smeared your pussy across his mouth and nose.

 Before he made you come again you slinked down his body to his bulging cock and pulled it free. Your first reaction was to lick your lips as the feast before you. wasting not even a second you took him into your mouth. He was bigger than you expected, but you were not going to back down. Slurping against his skin you bobbed your head up and down his shaft a few times before bringing your hands to increase his pleasure.

 “Fuck yeah!” taking a quick glance at him you found his head angled back with his eyes closed and mouth ajar. The lower you dipped the wider his mouth became until he scrunched his face and bit his bottom lip and watched everything you did.

 “Yes, suck this cock. Fuck those lips!” The quicker you bobbed the more your slurped until you didn’t care how sloppy things were getting. Sloppy head was the best head after all.

 Chris grunted loudly before pulling your head off of him.

 “I don’t have anything,” he said.

 “I do.” You reached into the drawer of the coffee table beside you and pulled out a condom. Once you opened it you slid it onto his rock solid cock. Every time you touched him he hissed and sucked in a breath. Once he was fully sheathed he pulled you to him and kissed you again. feeling the tip of him at your opening you slowly slid onto him. Both of you groaned and savored the sensations flowing through you. before you sank down fully Chris pulled your shoulders down fully sinking into your heated core.

 “Holy shit!”

 From the beginning, Chris pumped up into you with purpose, it was the same purpose he’d had all night—to make you come. You moaned and panted trying to catch your breath and take all he gave. He filled you so perfectly and to absolute capacity.

 “Mmm, Y/N, I always knew you’d take this dick so well.”

 Chris flipped you onto your back and held your thighs open and plowed into you never slowing his thrusts. Every connection had you shouting out unable to hold back how much pleasure he was giving you.

 “Your tight little pussy loves this dick. Look how wet you are.”

 Chris changed his angle and slammed into you quicker them before. the new angle had you clenching round him as you felt yet another release wash over you. you gripped him tightly and fug your nails into his shoulder trying to not pass out. Chris looked as if that was the last straw for him because his thrusts became wild and deep. The only sound in the room was the sound of your wetness squelching and your combined moans. You were so wet for him it should have been embarrassing but you weren’t embarrassed at all.

 “God your gonna make me come,” Chris grunted.

 “Come on this pussy right now, tag me up!” You had no idea where that came from. As if on queue Chris pulled out, yanked the condom off and stroked his length at the same time he pressed the button on the remote giving you another intense jolt.

 “Oh fuck, yes, yes. Shit, I’m gonna come.”

 “Come with me,” Chris’ voice was strangled, and his hands moved impossibly fast. Soon he grunted and gasped as he released spurt after spurt of hot come across your pussy, pelvis, and stomach. The third made it all the way to your breast across your nipple and that was when you came again. You arched up onto your legs as if you were a bridge as you rode through the intense pleasure. Chris was the one to turn off the device as he dropped onto his knees to catch his breath. His eyes never left your newly decorated body. You saw the string of come across your nipple and you lifted your breast to your mouth to lick off the trial all the while staring at him. Chris’ jaw dropped as he watched, and as he watched his cock grew again.

 “Mmmm, tastes just like cake.” Chris looked in utter shock and disbelief before he snorted and dropped back onto the floor.

 “Oh god, you’re gonna be the death of me!”

[evandearest]

The Garden of Eden | Part II: Reflection

Pairing: James March x reader (you) |  ~Part: (2/4)~

Summary (Part Two): When memories are all that clouds your vision, how do you begin to break cycles and live in the present? Can you overcome your irrational fear when paradise is only a memory of long ago? Living through hell can make or break you.

Warnings (in this part): Slight PTSD, that’s all I would say.

Word count: 3,586

Notes: I’m so excited to be posting this! This part is quite a bit longer than the last one. I absolutely loved writing it though! Be on the lookout for many metaphors, biblical references, and *reflective* events. This part is complex in many ways, and a lot of things tie into one another. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it!!

Also a side note, if you’d like to be on the tag list for this series just let me know!

Tag List: @etoile-writings @haileyybird @ietss

An odd feeling settled upon you as rays of sunlight blinded your eyes. Something wasn’t right. You couldn’t exactly pin it down, but all you knew was that you felt calm. Calm was not a part of you, as much as you portrayed to others that it was. Spending nearly ten years with a man you didn’t trust could do that to you.

The bed underneath you was soft, the scent in the air surrounding you lavender. You wondered for a moment where you were, your heart jumping as your eyes glanced around you frantically. That’s when you remembered: you were in James’ hotel. James’.

Your nerves lessened when you thought about James, a small smile curling your lips. As soon as you had arrived at the hotel, he insisted that you get a room to yourself to get the best rest possible. He’d even sent his maid to give you a basket of everything lavender to help you sleep: candles, essential oils, soap. He practically spoiled you the minute you arrived. You couldn’t deny how good it felt, though. You felt like a queen.

You sat up in bed, wondering where the man pervading your thoughts was. You glanced at your side table, noticing the vase of white roses immediately. When had those gotten there? The tiny card leaning against the vase caught your attention in particular. You reached for it and opened it. The small note was in James’ neat handwriting, reading:

“Good morning, darling. Gather yourself and meet me in the lounge. I do hope my accommodations suited you. Yours truly, JPM.”

You smiled, your curiosity spiraling at the thought of what he had planned for you. You quickly jumped out of the bed, going to the bathroom to get ready. You noticed immediately of all the things in this bathroom that weren’t normally in hotel bathrooms. There were tons of beauty items for women that most men don’t even know exist. You knew it was James. He was so thoughtful, giving you anything you could possibly need and more. James had taken the time to be sure you had everything. Your heart fluttered at the thought, excitement settling within you. James really did have everything, and now you had James. You knew it was going to take a long while before you were used to this luxurious treatment, but you weren’t complaining. You’d dreamed of living this kind of life since you were merely a child.

Once you had showered, gotten dressed, and did your hair and makeup, you were ready. You smiled at your reflection. James had picked the most fashionable clothing to put in your closet, and you simply loved having a reason to dress up in general. But it wasn’t even about you, in reality. You wanted James to see how much you appreciated everything he was doing, so you were going to make sure that you put all he gave you to use. It was all for James. You were going to spend every second doing as much as you could for him. He had saved you, after all. You couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if James hadn’t arrived when he did. That was the worst argument that you and Robert had ever had.

You scolded yourself for thinking of Robert. You needed to focus on now, on the new life you were beginning. You couldn’t just shake it off, though. You still felt the need to be vigilant, to walk on egg shells. You sighed. You didn’t want to be in a bad mood today, of all days. James needed to see how much you appreciated and cared for him. You took a deep breath. Just focus on now, you told yourself, before taking one last look at your reflection.

When you entered the lobby, you were surprised to be greeted immediately by James’ maid, Miss Evers.

“Right this way, Ms. Y/L/N,” the woman smiled, gesturing with her arm for you to follow. She made her way up the stairs, you following behind curiously. It was as if she was escorting you somewhere. Your questions weren’t left unanswered for long, however, as you found your answer at the top of the stairs.

The entire bar was empty, which seemed odd compared to it’s usually bustling atmosphere. The dining area was decorated to the brim with white roses, all surrounding a table in which had plates full of fruit, pancakes, eggs, and many other breakfast foods. You gasped quietly at the extravagance as your eyes landed on James, who stood in front of it all, hands clasped together politely as he awaited you. He smiled at the sight of you.

“Hello, darling,” he greeted, walking over and offering an arm to you. You stared at him in disbelief for a moment, a wave of déjà vu coursing through you. 

You remember you were so excited. Los Angeles was a gorgeous city in it’s own, and you felt so lucky to have been born in a city in which held so much opportunity. You were merely fourteen; barely old enough to even think for yourself, but you’d always been smart. Your mother had assured you of that since you were born, always putting your education above all else. She’d told you, “One day when all the distractions of young age are gone, you’ll realize why you need to be prepared.” You hadn’t understood why then, but the words had always stuck with you. It was one of the first times that she had trusted you on your own. Most of the time, she had always put her fear for your safety first, but on that day she had given in to your pleas.

She had let you walk to the garden of white roses, three blocks down, by yourself. When you thought about it now, you realized just how defining that moment of your life was, because what happened when you got to that garden had changed your life forever.

White roses had always been your favorite flower, ever since you had first passed that blooming Southern California garden at three years old. The owner was a tiny sweet elder lady, gracious and elegant as ever. She had owned the garden her entire life; it was her pride and joy. She’d always welcomed polite visitors, and if she caught you, she’d tell you all about the flowers, and how special they were. She said that they had brought to her all of the pleasantries that her life held; love, wealth, and even an eternal feeling of youth. That’s why she never picked or sold them, she said; “if you betray the rose, the rose no longer profits you.” Some people said that she was a witch; you just thought she was sweet, maybe a little kooky, but nice nonetheless. You had grown to look up to her.

When you had arrived at the rose garden on that day, however, you were greeted with a new presence foreign to you. The boy stood as still as a statue, his eyes raking over his surroundings. Based upon his height and physical appearance, you had assumed that he was about the same age as you. You watched him as he picked a rose from the bush, bringing it up to his nose to smell. You approached him quietly.

“If Mrs. Smith knew you picked one of her flowers, she’d claim treason,” you said, catching the boy’s attention. He looked at you in bewilderment.

“Where did you come from?” he asked quietly. “I didn’t hear you.”

“I’m sneaky,” you said jokingly with a teasing smile. He blinked, his confusion still evident. “But seriously,” you continued, “you better hope she doesn’t see you. She doesn’t like people who disturb her flowers. In fact, she’d probably curse you.” At that, the boy smirked.

“Is she a witch?” he asked, his eyes sparkling.

“Some people think so,” you replied, walking closer to him. “If you ask me, I think people should listen to her. She’s very intelligent.” You nudged his side, watching him to gouge his reaction. He raised his eyebrows, watching you carefully.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, for one, she’s ancient. That gives her some credits. For another, she grew this garden, and she’s experienced much more than most people. You should hear her stories.” You smiled as you plucked the rose from the boy’s hand and twirled it between your fingers, admiring it.

“She sounds fascinating.”

“She is.” After a moment of silence, you looked up at him, only to catch his eyes. You smiled shyly, tucking your hair behind your ear.

“James March,” the boy said, offering his hand to you.

“Y/F/N Y/L/N,” you introduced yourself in return, smiling up at him.

There was another moment of silence, the both of you just staring at one another. James suddenly took the rose from you again. He pulled a knife from his pocket, your heart stuttering slightly at the sight of it. But James didn’t try to harm you, he simply chopped the stem of the rose off. His hand came up to your face as you smiled nervously at him.

“I think your wrong,” he said, tucking the rose in your hair behind your ear. He stepped back, smiling softly at you. “See? Sometimes even dying flowers can serve a beautiful purpose. It’s a sacrifice. Sacrifices aren’t evil.” You paused, a shy blush forming on your cheeks at his actions.

“I never thought of it that way,” you whispered, reaching up to tuck the rose more firmly behind your ear. You smiled at James, a weird feeling you’d never felt before settling upon you. His simple action and thoughtful words had made you excited in a way you’d never known. It had created a spark; a strong urge inside of you that was almost indescribable. And as you looked in his eyes, you wanted nothing more than to relive that feeling over and over again. You swore you’d never let him go.

Suddenly, you were looking at his face again, but this time much older.

“Darling, are you alright?” James asked, and you blinked quickly, your focus shifting present.

“Yes,” you said, your eyebrows furrowing slightly as you realized just how deep into the memory you had been. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s quite alright, dear,” he said, studying you. “Are you sure you feel pleasant? You were quite far gone, I called your name several times. Did you rest well?”

“Yes, of course,” you said quickly, reaching out to clasp his hand tightly as you smiled reassuringly. “I promise. You just surprised me, is all.” James nodded, seeming fairly convinced, before smiling and gesturing towards the table.

“Alright darling, well why don’t you sit and eat something. A proper meal should do just the trick.” You smiled and nodded back at him, moving to sit in your chair that he pulled out for you. Once you were situated, James moved to sit across from you at the other end of the table.

“I wasn’t sure what you enjoyed most, so I instructed Miss Evers to make several morning dishes,” he said, grinning at you. “I hope it’s suiting for you.”

“Of course,” you said, placing a few items on your plate. A few minutes passed as you ate, your mind drifting back to last night’s events in the silence.

“Are you happy, my love?” James suddenly asked, snapping you out of your thoughts once again.

“Yes,” you replied quickly, smiling at him sincerely, “yes of course!” You could tell from the look of concern still on James’ face that he wasn’t convinced. You sighed, deciding to just be honest with him. “I just... it’s difficult to process how my life just changed.” You paused, watching James closely for a reaction. He stared, waiting for you to elaborate, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. “I’ve been alone for so long, living a horrible, unhappy life. I’m happy now, with you, but I can’t just turn that feeling off, that feeling that this moment is fleeting. It-- it terrifies me...” You trailed off, your mind wondering as you stared at the roses around you. The roses that James decided to decorate your breakfast with. The roses that had ultimately brought you together in the first place. The roses that James kept bringing around for you. Your roses. You turned your attention back to James, your eyes meeting his.

“These flowers, why did you pick them?” you asked him seriously. A look of confusion clouded James’ expression.

“Well,” James started, “I suppose they have some semblance to us, darling... these were the very flowers--”

“Of course, I remember...” you trailed off, thinking of what to say next. “But really, there has to be more to it...” It came out as more of a question than a statement. You just didn’t understand why he was bringing up all of these memories.

“Of course, dear,” James said, sighing. He looked you in the eyes, and you could see the sincerity there. “I knew you wouldn’t recover in a day, a week, a month, even a year...” he paused, his eyes downcast at the tablecloth. “I just hoped that by reminding you of what we can be once again will help you settle. My only wish is to make you happy...” he paused again, his eyes shifting back up to meet yours. This time you were met with certainty. “I want to take us back to that time. To that garden. To when we flourished the most even if the rest of the world was, well...”

“Hell. The rest of the world was hell,” you finished for him, your eyes teary at his sweet sentiment. James, however, faltered slightly at your words. You paused, taking note of the way he cringed at the mention of hell, before you reached to grab his hand, squeezing it tightly, lovingly. “Thank you James.” Your voice held so much emotion, and at that, James stood before walking over to you and pulling you out of your chair and into his embrace.

“Darling,” James whispered into your hair. You hummed in response, burying your face into his chest, breathing in his manly scent. You clasped onto him tightly. “Whatever may happen, I promise I will never let you slip from my grasp ever again... you shall never be afraid again. I would give everything away just for your happiness. You inform me and I will have it done for you, whatever you may need.” It was a firm promise, and you knew he meant it. James didn’t make empty promises. Your chest felt as if it might explode with love and adoration for this man. He really did want to give you the world. He really was your heaven... your God.

-♥-

After you had finished breakfast, James had insisted that he take you on a tour of the Cortez, and you weren’t going to turn him down. It was his pride and joy, and regardless, it was the most gorgeous place you had ever stepped foot into. You were nearly finished, with only two more floors to explore, when James started acting strange.

“James, what’s wrong?” you asked, placing your hand on his arm. He grimaced before looking at you nervously.

“Well, you see...” he trailed off for a moment, his voice hesitant. You began to get concerned. “These floors are still under slight renovation...” You giggled at his words.

“James,” you said sweetly, “it’s okay, I’m not afraid of a little dirt.”

“Well, no, that’s-”

“I’m serious,” you interrupted, giggling once again. The elevator dinged as you reached your destination. You smiled before taking his hand and leading him out. He sighed, still looking standoffish.

James had been telling the truth; there was a particular section of the hallway in which there was a wall being built, but it was small. You didn’t understand what he was so nervous about.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out through the hallway, causing both you and James to flinch in surprise. There was a sound of commotion and James quickly walked towards the scene; you following closely behind him.

“What’s the issue?” James demanded someone standing at the back of the gathering crowd of men. There was a sound of someone groaning in pain. You stood at a distance away, more interested in the small white rose twirling between your fingers.

“One of the construction workers collapsed, sir,” the man informed him. At this point you’d lost interest, zoning in on the pretty rose in your hands. James barked a few orders at the men, but you weren’t really paying attention.

You looked up as James returned to you.

“I apologize for the interruption,” James said, obviously irritated.

“What’s the problem?” you asked, confused.

He paused, looking at you softly, “I thought that may have worried you.”

“Men get hurt all the time,” you said passively.

“Of course...” James trailed off, looking slightly confused, which made you confused. What did you do? Were you supposed to be worried? You brushed it off, smiling at him expectantly.

“Ready to continue with the tour?” you asked him, turning your back on him. You began walking back down the hall, glancing behind to see James following you. You rounded the corner, only to run into someone unexpectedly.

You stumbled backwards, nearly tripping. Luckily James stabled you before you hit the ground. You looked up, your eyes landing on a beautiful blonde woman. You paused, studying her, before a realization dawned upon you. You’d seen this woman before.

You remember her distinctly, for she was the person who had ultimately made you lose all hope. James’ wife, Elizabeth. You’d seen her all that time ago when you had first tried to escape your husband. She’s the woman that had made you believe James didn’t love you anymore.

When James had come back for you, you’d assumed that his relationship with her had failed. So why was she here?

“Why, hello,” the woman said, glancing between you and James, a weird grin on her face. She looked at James. “And who might this lovely lady be?”

You turned to look at James, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. James’ jaw was clenched as he stared at Elizabeth, and right there and then you knew he didn’t like her.

“It’s okay, James,” she purred, her smirk never leaving. “I’m not offended. We both knew it was never going to work.” She turned to you. “You must be Y/N. I’m Countess Elizabeth.” She offered a hand to you, and you took it gracefully. James was disturbingly quiet beside you. You decided to take the ropes.

“Yes, that’s correct,” you replied smoothly.

“What’s all the commotion down the hall?” Elizabeth asked curiously. You could tell that she had some kind of ulterior motive, otherwise she would have moved on.

“Nothing important,” you replied nonchalantly. It was the truth. You didn’t feel the need to be competitive with this woman anymore; you knew who James stood by, and you trusted him. You turned to him, intertwining your arms together. “James here was just giving me a tour. I hope you don’t mind?” You smiled politely at Elizabeth. She paused, her expression one of slight surprise. It seemed to be a strange look on her.

“Of course not,” she said through tight lips. “You two have fun.” You smiled at her kindly once more, before you and James continued on, arm in arm.

Once in private in the elevator, James turned to you.

“I have to say,” James said, smiling at you, “you handled that well. You do know that Elizabeth was... shall I say, challenging you?”

“I know,” you said, smiling at him reassuringly. “But that’s the thing: she was the one challenging me. Obviously she thought she had something to fight for. I know what’s mine.” James expression morphed into one of surprise, and then pride.

“Of course you do, dear,” he said, smiling down at you. He leaned in, his lips meeting yours in a passionate kiss. The kiss was loving and at the same time slightly rough. You loved how James could make you feel like this; so powerful. After a heated moment, he pulled away.

“Darling, despite your present confidence in the matter,” he began, “I’d like you to know that regardless of Elizabeth and I’s history, she will never compare to your glamour. You truly are a revelation like no other.”

You smiled once more at his words, thinking back to that day in the garden once more, and to your mother’s words. The feeling you had now was a reflection of the feeling you had then. He’d always made you feel so incredibly self-assured. You felt like no matter what happened to you and James, nothing could break you at this point and time. And your mother had been right: gaining the knowledge was important.

Now that you’d ate the fruit of the garden and survived hell, what could possibly stop you?

You felt invincible, so long as he was by your side. You no longer feared the past or the future; you were completely centered present, all cycles broken. And it had took James less than a day to make you feel this way. Your excitement soared as you thought about your future with James. You knew that so long as you had him, you were unstoppable together. You were gods.

You didn’t need the garden, after all. Paradise lost stood no match to you, because with James, you could survive anything.

---

Series Masterlist: The Garden of Eden Series

Main Masterlist

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating (Old) Vito Corleone

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

(This repeats a few things from the young Vito headcanons but I rewrote them so they’re not completely the same. Hope you enjoy!)

- For the sake of these headcanons, let’s say that him and Carmela split sometime in the 1930′s; amicably, of course. 

- You’d heard of and saw Vito far before you met him. Growing up, you were told plenty of stories about his generosity and kindness, as well as his ruthlessness. Every now and again your friends would point him out on the streets, whispering in your ear about who he was and the things they’d heard about him. 

- Even as a teenager, you found him handsome in a way no one else in your life was though you kept your attraction to him a secret, not wanting to hear the teasing you’d inevitably get from your friends; who were only interested in the boys your age. 

- You finally met Vito for the first time after you began working at a small pet shop. By then you were a young woman, far more mature and with more life and dating experience; though you hadn’t had much luck with boys your age. 

- The older man had come into the shop when you were first starting out. His presence completely caught you off guard; never in your life would you have imagined The Godfather as a pet owner, let alone a kitten owner which you could assume from his purchases.

- You really had to work to keep your composure as he made his way over to the front counter. You were working alongside the owner, who greeted the man warmly as he approached. 

- The two of them talked for a little while before Vito’s eyes fell on you. The owner introduced you to him, explaining that you were a new hire as the man greeted you with a small, friendly smile. Your boss and The Don exchanged a few more words; some about you, as he paid for his things

- As he was leaving, he gave you a final smile, telling you it was nice to meet you. Your heart skipped a beat and you quickly realized that your childhood crush had not faded nearly as much as you’d hoped it had. 

- You’d soon come to realize that The Don’s visits to the pet shop were a weekly thing, he’d always buy a small supply of what he needed instead of buying in bulk like most of your customers. You assumed he liked the atmosphere of the pet shop or that he enjoyed doing something normal in the midst of his crazy routine. 

- After your training process ended, the owner of the shop began to leave you in charge every now and again. You mainly just worked the cash register while he did something in the back of the shop but occasionally he’d leave you all alone while he went out to run some errands or when he came down with something. This was when you were able to talk to and get to know Vito. 

- It started as small conversations while you rang him up then the two of you began to talk more and more. He’d tell you stories, ask about your life, tell jokes, etc. You began to consider him a friend, someone you always enjoyed seeing whenever he came in. 

- Then one week he didnt show up. His absence worried you so when your boss received a call from the man, informing you that he was sick and asking if he could drop off some supplies for him, you were fairly relieved.

- Your boss would have done it himself but he was busy with business matters, he asked if you’d be willing before informing the man that you’d be there in a little while. So after your usual shift, you took the mans usual purchases and written down address in hand, and made your way over to his gorgeous home.

- Once you saw the state he was in, you insisted on providing him with some kind of help. He found your worry and eagerness both amusing and heartwarming.

- He thanked you before welcoming you to sit beside him on one of his many armchairs, telling you that your company and conversation would be enough help.

- You aren’t sure how exactly the subject of relationships had come up but it had. He’d asked you whether you were seeing someone, saying something along the lines of “a beautiful young lady like yourself should be beating men off with sticks” which made you laugh.

- You told him you were single and that you hadn’t had many boyfriends before, pausing before telling him that you were pretty sure you just couldn’t stand men your age.

- He gave you a smile, nodding thoughtfully before asking if you’d ever been with someone older. The question had just a hint of a suggestion to it which was not missed on you though you figured it was just your mind jumping to hopeful conclusions.

- You answered with a teasing “apparently not old enough”, sending him a smile before asking if you could make him something to eat, seeing as it was just around a normal dinner time. He agreed as long as you’d join him.

- So there you were, sitting with the man you’d fawned over for years, eating soup and making pleasant conversation. That was when he finally asked you the question you’d always longed to hear.

“Y/n. I may not be exactly what you’re looking for but I know that I enjoy your company and I think you enjoy mine. I was hoping that you would join me for a proper dinner once I’m well again.”

- The excitement with which you agreed assured him that you were genuinely interested in him. He smiled back at you and the two of you finished dinner before happily saying goodbye.

- He took you out a few days later. The two of you went to a nice family owned Italian restaurant which he may or may not have bought out for the night. Time flew by while you were with him and you felt disappointed when you had to finally call it a night. You obviously agreed when he asked if he’d be seeing you again sometime.

- You had your first kiss a week into your relationship. The two of you had been sat in his backyard when you went in to get the two of you drinks. When you returned and handed him a cup, he gently took your hand and pulled you towards him, pressing his lips to yours. You smiled into the kiss and pecked his lips after you both pulled away from each other.

- You may not have the most conventional relationship but it’s safe to say that you’re truly happy together.

- He tends to save his affection for when your alone, deeming it only proper to refrain from such things in public. He does lighten up over the years as pda grows more and more acceptable. 

- Getting to hear the different stories from his youth, the things he liked to do, the music he listened to, etc. You think it’s sweet to watch and listen to him reminisce, not to mention interested. 

- Fresh flowers on your bedside every morning. 

- This man smells so good all of the time. You don’t know what it is but you love it. 

- Hand kisses. 

- Getting coffee together.

- He likes to rest his hand on your knee whenever you’re sitting beside him.

- Relaxing in his backyard with him. He’s quite fond of the sun and sitting in it with you is one of his favorite pastimes.

- Wine is practically a staple in your lives. Wine-tasting dates, wine with your meals, wine as decoration; the fermented fruit is relentless.

- You’re constantly plucking cat hair from his clothes.

- Stroking/rubbing each others backs when you’re standing beside one another. 

- He’s grown fond of brushing your hair for you; there’s just something so soothing about it. It also allows him to have an extra quiet moment with you which is mainly what he enjoys about it. 

- Lots of pecks on the lips. 

- Sitting on his lap or on the arm of his chair. 

- Gardening together. You have matching sunhats and gloves. 

- Making notes for him and helping to arrange his calendar. You’ll occasionally have to remind him that he has to meet with someone or go to some party. 

- Even so, he tries to keep you out of as much of the family business as possible, not wanting you to be put in danger or get scared off. 

- You’re going to have to keep track of a lot of names and faces. Between his friends, coworkers, and family; there’s enough people to fill an entire town. 

- He’s a busy man so there’s going to be days where you hardly see him. He likes hearing that you missed him, it warms his heart even though he doesn’t like the idea of you being less than happy.

- You’re always amazed by how people act with him and just how much he controls the city. For someone who acts so kind and humble, its hard to imagine him doing some of the things you’re told he’s done.

- He tends to just smile and brush off all your compliments. Anytime you mention his appearance, he’ll joke about being “just an old man” and telling you that he should be the one giving compliments. 

- Since he’s older than you by quite a few years, he’s more insecure and prone to getting jealous than his younger counterpart or if you were his age. You’re a beautiful young girl with the world at your fingertips, what are you doing with him? You may like older men but wouldn’t you like someone closer to your age? 

- Whenever he’s feeling that way, he’ll keep it to himself, not wanting to betray his usual professional demeanor. When you’re finally alone together, you can always tell that something’s wrong and will assure him that you love him very much which always seems to fix things. 

- He’s not a huge cuddler but he does enjoy having you close beside him. When you do cuddle you’ll usually just lay your head on his shoulder or chest while he wraps his arms around you. 

- Sicilian pet names. He’s also quite fond of “angel” and nicknames that mean something to the both of you. 

- Your safety is one of the most important things to him so he wants you to tell him whenever something happens or if you have a sick feeling about something. He has bodyguards for you on call at all times. 

- He can’t help but love when you worry for him; it’s just a reminder that you truly love him. 

- Catching him watching you a lot. Whenever you ask “what”, he wraps his arms around you and asks how he got so lucky. 

- Quiet days spent by each other’s side.

- Have you ever been to Italy? No? Well that just won’t do! He’d insist on bringing you one day and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

- You get spoiled even though you constantly tell him that he really doesn’t have to which only makes him want to spoil you more. It’s not that you don’t appreciate it all, you just don’t want him to think you’re only in it for the money though you assume he’s a good enough people reader to see that for himself. 

- He always makes sure that you feel valued and important, not just some woman he keeps around to act as a pretty face. 

- Vito cherishes companionship; he doesn’t enjoy being alone. It doesn’t matter what you do so long as you do it together. 

- He likes to eat with you as much as he can. Having dinner together is commonplace in your relationship. 

- Big family get-together’s. 

- It’s going to take a little while for his children to warm up to you for obvious reasons. Just stick it out; once they see how much you genuinely care for him, they’ll welcome you with open arms and give their blessings. 

- Comforting hugs during rough times. 

- The two of you never fight. Vito; in general, does not lose his temper very often, he prides himself on that. If there’s an issue, you’ll resolve it like adults through an actual conversation or it will stay unresolved. He doesn’t have time for childish behavior so if you want to quarrel, take it somewhere else. 

- He tells you he loves you often. It’s important to him that you know he does and that you feel like he does. 

- Once again; Vito is a very traditional man so marriage is a must. He’ll most likely propose to you after a year or so of dating.

[crayonwriting]

08 - Why, Why Did I Ever Let You Go

Summary: Maiko just wanted her good ol’ dad to walk her down the aisle. So, she invited the three men from your past in hopes of meeting him. The only problem was, which one of them is it?

Pairings: Oikawa Tooru x Reader, Bokuto Koutarou x Reader, Kuroo Tetsurou x Reader

Disclaimer: This is based on the movie directed by Phyllida Loyd and written by Catherine Johnson which is inspired by the music of the pop group ABBA.

catch up here!

After a few hours of bustling about, you were finally able to set up the tables and a few decorations. You were currently untangling a long cord of fairy lights to test out in the evening. Just as you were about to unravel a small knot, Bokuto appeared out of the blue. You clutched at your chest slightly trying to calm your heart.

"Bokuto."

He chuckled. "Whatever happened to just 'Koutarou'?" 

"What are you still doing here?" You returned your attention to the task at hand. The knot that you were trying to unravel earlier seemed to have tangled itself again. With Bokuto's presence nearby, it became difficult to continue. You dropped the fairy lights back in its box, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Here, let me help you with that." Bokuto knelt down on the other side of the box, picking up the knot you were working on. He unconsciously let his tongue peek out of his lips as he concentrated on his work. You took this time to admire him.

Bokuto, like Oikawa, has matured over the years. He seemed to retain his strong physique and his hair was the same length and colour as you remembered. He seemed much calmer than before. He used to shout obnoxiously whenever he wanted to. 

"All done." He said with a proud smile. He noticed the way you were looking at him, which made his heart skip a small beat. He coughed into his hand, snapping you out of your small daydream. 

"So, Y/N, would you like to go on a walk?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He scolded himself for acting like a teenager. But he couldn't help feeling like he is especially when it came to you.

"Why do you want to take a walk with me, Bokuto?"

"Can you please just call me Koutarou again?" He looked straight into your eyes. "And I just wanted to catch up with you. I also want to show you something. Please Y/N-chan." He jutted his bottom lip outward, doing his best attempt at a pout. Unfortunately for you, just like with Olkawa, it worked.

***

You and Bokuto took a small stroll around the village. He conversed with some of the locals, especially the elderly women. They were all fond of Bokuto and seeing him interact with them reminded you of his obaasan, Meiko.

That woman helped you stand on your feet when you found yourself broken and useless when Kuroo had left you. She saw you bumming about on the mainland and had asked what you were doing. You just gave her a vacant stare, proceeding to cry after. She tsked at the state you were in. She then invited you inside the small bar that she owned and made you drink a glass of water. Too numb to form a coherent response, you just did what she said robotically.

After finally explaining to her what had happened, she offered you a job in her bar. With nothing else to do, you agreed. You worked as a waitress and a bartender and then after a few weeks, when her son had dropped by the bar to perform with his band, you became a singer for the bar. Everyone was mesmerized by your voice and you enjoyed singing in front of the crowd—it reminded you of all the good times you had with Yoshiko and Rika.

“Thank you for the fruit!” Bokuto bowed in respect before returning to your side. He took a bite of the apple he had bought from a stall and handed the plastic bag to you. “Do you want some, Y/N?”

You shook your head. “It’s okay, Bokuto.” He grimaced at you still refusing to call him by his first name. “So, you said you wanted to show me something?” This seemed to lift his mood and he then proceeded to lead you to the docks. When you neared the end, you gaped at the beautiful vessel in front of you painted in a clean white color accented by an amazing wood brown. He stretched his arms out wide as he made jazz hands towards the boat.

"Ta-da! Meet my beautiful princess!" Bokuto put his hands on his waist and looked at his boat like a proud father. "My pride and joy." He looked at you, still gaping. "So? What do you think?"

"When you said you had a boat, I didn't think it was this kind of boat! I thought you were referring to, I don’t know, a tugboat or something."

He laughed at your comment. "Now why would I get a tugboat? That’s interesting, though.” His expression then softened a little as he looked at you.  “Remember when I told you I wanted to travel the world? What better way to do it then by sailing?” You nodded at the memory, remembering it very clearly. 

You've been spending every day then with Bokuto ever since he arrived. He helped out at the bar and has been nothing but sweet and fun to be around with. In that short amount of time together, you had told him about staying and living on the island and he had told you about his dream of travelling the world.

Bokuto also voiced his concern about the rising prices of flights. So, you suggested, albeit jokingly, that he buy a boat which could serve as his accommodation—besides transport—to cut off expenses. He considered the thought and he did just that, a few years later.

“You told me to buy a boat and I did. Best thing to come to my life.” Besides you, he wanted to add.

“It was a joke!”

“Yeah, well,” he shrugged, “Can’t give this back now, can I? And besides, I don’t regret one thing.” That includes you.

“Do you join races as well, like you once told me you would?” 

“Hell yeah! I just won one recently. I mean, not to brag.” He puffed out his chest in pride which only made you laugh.

“Let’s take her out for a spin!’ He gently grabbed your wrist and pulled you towards the boat. 

“Eh? But I have to prepare the villa and—”

“Just to that small part of the island over there,” he pointed to the distance, “And I’ll sail you right back. I promise.”

The sun was still high up in the sky, casting its bright rays upon the island. The whole place was bright and beautiful—the aquamarine of the sea, the green leaves of the trees, the faint smell of salt in the air—you could’ve sworn you were living in a postcard or something.

And in the midst of the beauty of Kalokairi, stood in the middle was Bokuto who already had a foot on the small ladder of his boat with his palm open towards you. His golden eyes were gleaming and his smile made something bubble in you that felt warm—almost as warm as the sun’s rays.

You took his hand in yours.

***

"This is amazing!" You held unto the sides of the boat as it seamlessly glided along the waves. Bokuto smiled at your amazed state from his position on the wheel. 

Soft music played on his phone in his pocket as he continued to watch you. It seemed like you were in some type of cheesy music video, with the way your hair was flowing in the wind and the orange glow of the sunset seemed to accentuate your features.

Not able to help himself, he gradually slowed the boat down and anchored it in the middle of the sea but still fairly close to the shore. You eyed him curiously as he approached you. 

“What are you planning?” You raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

“Nothing, nothing.” He pulled out his phone and changed the song that was currently playing. When the first few notes had played you immediately groaned and slapped a palm to your face. Of course he would pick that song.

"This is my favorite jam!" Bokuto started snapping his fingers and moved his hips to the beat. You covered your face in embarrassment for him. He did the exact same thing all those many years ago. 

You were working a night at the bar when the band wanted you to perform a song. This was the song that was chosen that night and Bokuto had sung—and danced—with you. You didn't feel embarrassed then but being reminded of it right now, you realized that it's one of the silliest things you've ever done. 

"C'mon Y/N-chan, dance with me!" He grabbed your wrists and swayed you from side to side. He tentatively pulled you closer to him but you didn't notice. Bokuto circled his hips comically making you laugh. “Aww, you danced that night away like there was no tomorrow! Don't be shy, it's just me." He eyed you with a soft look and smile. Bokuto always had the easiest and contagious smile you knew of. You found yourself relaxing a little bit in his hold before you experimentally shimmied your shoulders.

"Now, that's the spirit!" Bokuto moved with you and soon enough you were dancing, albeit ridiculously, and belting to the song's chorus. 

The song was only almost five minutes long but it felt like a lifetime to Bokuto. He spent the first two convincing you to dance with him and the other three minutes to actual dance with you. His heart thumped erratically against his chest in both excitement and nervousness. 

The way your shoulders would brush against his or when you pressed your back against his chest to recreate that one dance move that night, all of these may mean nothing to you but to him it felt like electricity. 

The song had ended with you and Bokuto chest to chest. You were slightly out of breath because of the slight adrenaline but after realizing the almost non-existent distance between your faces, you suddenly found it hard to breathe.  Both of you remained quiet, only staring into each other's eyes. Bokuto pulled you in just a tad bit closer.

"Koutarou." You watched his eyes flicker for a moment. Finally hearing his first name tumble out of your mouth made his eyes widen for a moment. You gave him a small smile which you hoped conveyed everything you wanted to say. You searched his eyes and you could see the wheels turning in his head. You giggled softly at the way his eyebrows were slanted as he was deep in thought. You pressed your thumbs against them lightly, smoothing them out.

"I need to get back now." You said. 

Not this soon, please. He pleaded inside his head. He looked at you for any signs of hesitation, maybe, but you were determined. Bokuto smiled, a tight-lipped smile before nodding once and going back to his position behind the wheel.

The sun had just set on the horizon when you arrived back. The walk back up the docks was quiet but comfortable. Spending the past hour with Bokuto made you think of what might have been—just like what you thought of when you were with Oikawa earlier. What if it was Bokuto who you ended up with? Would it always be like this, afternoon sailing with some dancing and karaoke? Would he even have his beat in the first place? You shook your head  at your silly daydreams. 

Just when you neared the end of the docks, you turned to him and stated that you can walk back on your own, emphasizing as well how you knew the island like the back of your hand.

"Thank you for sailing me around on your boat. It was also nice catching up with you." You didn't know what possessed you to do so, but you wrapped your arms around him, pressing your cheek on his shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Koutarou. I'm glad you're still chasing your dreams." You tried pulling away but Bokuto pulled you back to him, placing a hand at the back of your head and one on your back.

"I'm proud of you too, Y/N-chan."

The hug only lasted for a few more seconds before you finally pulled away. You took a few steps back, waving goodbye. Before you were out of reach, he took your hand and kissed the back of it. You flushed lightly and just nodded and walked away.

Bokuto sighed to himself, kicking at the ground. If only he'd return to Kalokairi after that visit with his aunt then maybe, things would've been different between you two.

tags: @yikes-buddy​ / @ushi-please​ / @melodiamore​ / @akaashi-todorki​ / @honeymoneyy​ / @minty-mangos-world​ / @ochabby​ / @paettonissahotcheeto / @chrisrue15​ / @cottage-babe2​ / @tsukkx​ / @yashinosakura​ / @coconut-dreamz​ / @roseestuosity​ / @youstydiaa​ / @shiningstar-byulxx​ / @mkkhaikyuu​ / @waywardtrashfam​ / @otaku-fangirlse​ / @juni-multifandom / @voids-universe​ / @chimsblogg / @1-800-imagine​ / @awkward-bard​ / 

a/n: eight part, yay! y’all might’ve have noticed how bo’s chapter is longer than oikawa’s. and fluffier too. my explanation’s kinda long, so i just might do that when this series is over. but hey, if you get it then yay! 

the song reader-chan and bo danced to should’ve been ‘Why Did It Have to Be Me?’ like in MM2, but the song I had in mind was ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ by Whitney Houston.

same warnings as before. this isn’t proof read. i’m sorry. point out any errors or confusing parts to me! my inbox is always open.

only 2 chapters left! i don’t want to say goodbye yet!

[imagineclaireandjamie]

Shielded. Chapter Four

Happy Sunday all, back to the usually scheduling this week. I hope you enjoy the next week of lockdown with Jamie and Claire <3 Mod MBD.

Anonymous said to imagineclaireandjamie: 

It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it. [Seneca]

CHAPTER FOUR: WEEK TWO - Home and Away.

As Monday rolled around again, the weekend having passed by in a blur, Claire sat at the breakfast table with a fresh cup of coffee in her hands. Having ventured down during the day on both Saturday and Sunday, she had hoped to bump into Jamie and pass on her thanks to his generosity but he had been out before sunrise each day and she had been asleep before he’d returned home.

Resolute, however, she chose to spend her day downstairs and hopefully get something on for dinner before he came back so she could at least start the week off right.

Fate, however, wasn’t on her side. By 10pm, with the lasagne tucked away, wrapped in foil, in the fridge, she covered her mouth with a yawn and pulled herself up the stairs to bed.

The crash and smashing of a glass bought her out of her sleep as the clock beside her bed clicked over to 3am. Pulling herself from beneath the sheets, she crept downstairs, eager not to scare him as she approached the kitchen.

“Couldn’t sleep?” She asked, knowing full well he had only just returned home.

He was stood by the sink, cold lasagna on the countertop and his mucky boots still on his feet. With the fork held to his mouth, he smiled as he took another bite of the pasta, chewed and then shook his head. “I havena ever been the best sleeper but it’s lambing season, aye? One of them got into bother and I couldna leave her until I knew she was safe.”

“And she made it?”

“Aye. I was luckier tonight than I was at the weekend.”

“Oh, dear...that doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s the job, I’m afraid. If I didna lose at least a handful a year I’d be shocked.”

It was the first real (and longest) conversation they’d had since she’d arrived and she was suddenly grateful for the company. He was calm, grounded and relaxed in the way a lot of city dwellers weren’t. She could tell in the slump of his shoulders that it didn’t matter how long and awkward his day was, how messy or how little sleep he had gotten the night before, he was still weightless almost, free of the constraint modern living brought to most.

“I wanted to say thank you,” she broke in, remembering the reason she’d half-blindly stumbled down in the middle of the night, “you’ve been so amazing - to get me materials for a garden, that’s...above and beyond the call of duty.”

“Ach,” shaking his head, he finished the last of his supper, balled the tin foil up and placed it in the bin, “dinna fash yersel’ about that. It’s no’ a problem.”

He was embarrassed, she could tell. Abashed, his accent had become incredibly thick and almost impossible to understand. But it was quiet enough here that there was no background noise to blot out his sentence and luckily she didn’t have to ask him to repeat himself.

“Well, nonetheless,” ignoring the slight reddening of his cheeks she continued, “I am very grateful to you. For everything.”

With nothing more to say between them, she waved, smiled and backed off, feeling strangely pleased with herself for breaking the silence between them. Hopefully, she thought as she climbed the stairs back to her room, there would be some evenings in the future when they could eat together and she could show her appreciation by making him something warm and fresh.

-- --

By mid-week, she had yet to see Jamie again. His work was intense, and yet, despite that, he had still managed to begin construction of her tiny garden.

In her haste she had forgotten that she wasn’t allowed outside the house and, as she’d watched the greenhouse foundations being laid, she had become almost inconsolable about the fact that she probably wouldn’t get the chance to tend to any of the produce grown in it.

She knew, however, that safety was more important than new hobbies and she chose, instead, to make detailed lists of the daily needs of each of the seeds and plants Jamie had procured for her.

She started with the tomatoes and grapes, which needed to be contained within the glass walls in order to collect enough light and heat to survive. She noted water levels, soil PH and balance and daily rituals which would need to be abided by in order for the best crop to be formed. It filled most of her days and when the sun went down, she’d swap her notepad for the computer as she researched all the differences she might see in her fruit and veg determined all by the way they were treated as they grew.

Though she had never been an artist, she started to search for youtube videos on how botanical art could be created. Having no coloured pencil crayons or watercolours, she stuck to pencil sketches and began to leave more post-it’s, this time with future predictions on what the garden might produce for the household.

Once again Jamie enjoyed coming home. There had only been a few days lapse in her communications but when he didn’t see her for days, it was the one thing he could rely on to buoy his spirits.

They were different, in so many ways, but on a subconscious level, he pondered to himself at night as he held the drawing of some rare cabbage in his hands, Jamie felt as if they had very many similar quirks. He’d been pleased that his idea to leave her be for as long as she needed had been a success and was grateful she felt at home enough to reform her life around his. Her asking for the garden made him realise how easy it might be for someone else to fit into his own life without causing him much grief.

It was only a small thing, but to him it had made a huge difference. Having lived alone for so long, he had almost forgotten how malleable people could be. Though, he thought as he rifled around in the fridge for more pre-made meals, he had probably just gotten lucky with Claire.

The thought also occurred to him that she had been inadvertently raised more suited to this life than her old one, but he didn’t know enough about her to advance on the notion.

It wasn’t until late on Thursday when they came face to face together. After another heavy day and late night, Jamie finally toe-ed off his work boots at nearly midnight and made his way, quietly, through to the kitchen.

He had not expected to nearly bump straight into Claire has she dished up what looked like a very tasty stir fry.

“I thought you might be sick of reheating pasta dishes, so I thought I’d try and wait for you this time.”

“Ye didna have to, it’s very late.” He scratched the back of his neck bashfully, even she couldn;t find the truth in his words and she smiled as she placed a fresh bottle of soy sauce in the centre of the table. “But this does smell delicious.”

“It’s taken me a few attempts to hone it, but I’ve been practicing most evenings this week to try and get it perfect, flavour as well as how long I need to cook the veg for.”

“What’s the meat?” He asked, watching as his stomach rumbled audibly.”

“I used the duck, I hope you don’t mind. I used chicken earlier in the week but I couldn’t seem to get it as tender as I wanted it and a few forums online suggested that duck might be a better substitute if I wanted meat with a bit more moisture.”

“Perfect. Use any meat you want from the freeze, for anything. Honestly, I forget most of the time what I’ve got in there.”

Placing several bowls filled with various meats, vegetables and sides, she went back to the sink to wash the remaining stickiness of her hands before beckoning him to start without her. “I had hoped you weren’t saving anything for a special occasion.”

“Ach, I think the virus has put pay to anything like that for a while,” he began, filling his plate with noodles, duck and beansprouts, “my sister - she lives in Canada now - had planned a summer visit, but we’re no’ sure of anything at the moment.”

“Is she the one in the photo,” Claire enquired, taking a mouthful of her own concoction and swallowing back the relief when it tasted nice - a mixture of sweet and savory that wasn’t as overpowering or as dry as it had been earlier on in the day when she’d made the first of the final tests. “The one with brown hair?”

“Aye, she is. Her partner, Ian, got a job out there a few years ago and they emigrated. We talk as often as we can on Skype and FaceTime but it’s become sporadic recently wi’ my erratic work hours. She’s a nurse, ya see, and works odd shift patterns too. But we try and keep in touch at least once a month.”

“Do you miss her?”

“I didna really think about it, we were close....until we werena. Then they moved away and I fell into a new routine.”

He had begun to speak without thinking, filling up the silence with answers to her questions as they ate in between conversation. He had, though, had the forethought to stop before giving too much away. The thought hurt his heart and he had to inhale between a bite of his dinner to gather himself back up. He knew, given time, that he would be alright with sharing his past (as he hoped she would be with hers) but tonight wasn’t the night for revelations.

Sensing his reluctance to continue, she moved on, understanding that she herself wasn’t in a place to open up about her own family life.

“I can imagine Skype is about the only way most are communicating at the moment.” Sighing, she started to collect the empty dishes and load the dishwasher. “I’m quite grateful, actually, that I don’t have anyone to keep in touch with. It’s all...quite scary.”

It was the first time Jamie had consciously thought about the pandemic, being cut off from the outside world had its benefits and he felt relieved that he could separate himself from the constant barrage of news that he supposed others would be exposed to. He realised that both he and Claire were unique now, part of a smaller section of society where being remote was almost a blessing rather than a curse.

“If you ever need to talk, lass,” standing, he helped to clean up the remaining mess from dinner, his hand almost brushing against hers as he wiped the countertop down, breaking only to hover for a second before returning to his job, “ye know where I am. Please dinna think you have nobody...if yer concerned, aye?”

“Thank you Jamie.” Pulling her fleece cardigan across her chest she walked slowly to the kitchen door, pausing for a second in the doorway just to make sure she’d left nothing out to go cold and mouldy overnight. “The same to you. I’m a good listener, I promise, if you ever need to talk, or if you need any help.”

She’d been thinking about his life on the farm for a few days now, watching the rolling hills out of her window, seeing the sheep and cattle on the horizon and -very occasionally- seeing the silhouette of him roaming his land. There was little she could do from indoors, she knew, but there had been chores around the house that she could potentially complete. Putting herself to task, she had learned new basic kitchen skills but only this morning she’d noticed the beginnings of a hole on the seam of his trousers as they dried on the rail in the courtyard and she thought it might be something she could tend to...should he be alright with it.

Leaving with the quiet settling calmly between them, she noted the relaxing of the muscles in his face as he smiled and nodded as she turned and carried herself to bed.

Resting against the faux-marble worktop, Jamie closed his eyes as he waited for the soft slam of her bedroom door before he followed her up. She just might, he thought to himself as he undressed himself, taking a towel from his radiator and making his way to the shower, be better equipped for this life than I am.

[jaskiersvalley]

I just started following you the other day and I just wanted to say I’m in love with your stories! You’re writing is amazing and I’m obsessively reading all of your stuff

Welcome, Nonnie! I hope you enjoy your stay! It makes me so happy you’re enjoying the stories I post up here. Hopefully there’ll be many more for you to read in the coming months. And, to bring you something new, here’s a little something to say thank you for reaching out with such kind words.

Heart’s Home

It wasn’t often that Geralt spent a lot of time thinking about other people beyond what they had to offer him. But there was something that really bugged him about Jaskier. They had been travelling together for years now and there was just some things that didn’t add up. For one, Geralt didn’t know where he was from, a single name of ‘Jaskier’ didn’t give any indication of identity. However, he seemed educated, claimed to have studied at Oxenfurt, had a knack for talking himself into and out of situations, knew how to brawl like any commoner, and his fingers were as light as any commendable petty thief’s. In short, he made for a curious conundrum of contradictions.

There were other things about him that bothered Geralt. Whenever they met up, Jaskier always looked skinnier somehow, already road worn and ready to drop everything in the name of an adventure. He moaned worse than a whore when presented with a bed for the night but didn’t grumble in the slightest when they slept on the hard, cold ground in some woods or other. And as much as Jaskier seemed to love the sound of his voice, not once did he whine or pester when food wasn’t as filling or as frequent as hoped for. Rain, storms, sweltering heat, he bore it all, fussing over his lute not getting ruined even if he never seemed to have the right clothes for the weather. He was adorned in the finest robes which he took meticulous care of. But not once had Geralt seen him in something suitable for travelling. No, Jaskier was always dressed as though he was about to perform in the finest court and nothing less.

Other, smaller things wouldn’t have made Geralt think twice usually, but when it came to Jaskier, he began to pay more attention. Namely, on all his travels, Geralt hadn’t even heard of Countess de Stael. Admittedly, it wasn’t unusual, he didn’t meddle or revel in the affairs of humans but no matter who he asked, she seemed as elusive as a fart in a sieve.

He and Jaskier had been parted for a good month now, Geralt off on a contract too dangerous and boring for a bard to accompany him. So he’d left Jaskier in a tavern and set off early one morning, confident that they would cross paths again soon. Except, they didn’t. Geralt kept taking contracts, traversing the continent as The Path took him. If he added a few twists to it, trying to return to places he’d heard Jaskier sing about, that was nobody’s business.

As it always was, Geralt’s luck changed when he stopped looking for Jaskier. He had shuffled into an inn, hood up to protect against the snow, on his way to Kaer Morhen for the winter. It had set in early and was going to be a bitter one. As luck would have it, the tavern also happened to be the very one Jaskier was singing his heart out at. He looked more gaunt, his doublet was loose on him and Geralt frowned. Obviously the last month hadn’t been kind to Jaskier. It made Geralt think of all the times they’d spent together, coming back after a spell apart. Where he could press kisses to Jaskier’s collarbone and feel his ribs under his skin. It seemed their reunion was going to be akin to those once more. Gentle because Geralt worried about how fragile Jaskier had become without a soft layer of fat to keep him whole.

Quietly, Geralt settled in the darkest corner, content to just watch Jaskier perform. The patrons of the tavern weren’t most forthcoming with their coin even as Jaskier obviously put his whole self into the performance. It was a rarity, to watch Jaskier without the bard knowing Geralt was watching - those times he would add in extra winks or draw attention to the witcher as he sang ‘Toss A Coin’. What was good to note was the empty plate and the tankard by the lute’s case. Obviously Jaskier gotten a good meal in exchange of his performance.

The singing ended, there was a smattering of applause and Jaskier collected a measly load of coins for his efforts. Packing his lute away, he sidled up to the counter and Geralt watched him wave his coin purse, trying to sweet talk his way into something from the innkeeper. However, his efforts were wasted, a firm shake of head had Jaskier glancing towards the door of the inn with a worried frown. One more try but he was quickly refused. Geralt got to watch as Jaskier walked to the door, obviously steeled himself and stepped out into the blizzard without a cloak or anything else.

“What did the bard want?” Geralt asked the barkeeper as he returned his tankard.

“Cheeky sod wanted to pay less than half the going rate for a room. After he’d already gotten a cheap meal and drink in exchange for a place to play.

Curious. Geralt wondered why Jaskier would try such a ploy, he usually wasn’t one to try and cheat his way out of an honest fare. And Geralt knew that the prices of the tavern weren’t eye watering, he’d paid for a room himself. Intrigue got the better of him and, once against pulling his cloak up, Geralt stepped out into the blizzard. It was coming down hard now, no doubt by the morning it would be a white blanket covering the village.

Tracking Jaskier down wasn’t difficult, Geralt could follow the familiar footsteps in the snow and also follow the wafting scent. If he had been one for guessing, he would have thought that Jaskier was walking idly, taking turns at random. So engrossed in his determination to not guess, Geralt almost missed the fact that the trail stopped.

There, on the stoop of a pigsty, a figure was huddled down, obviously trying to stay out of the worst of the snow but a lute propped into the deepest recess left a doublet covered back exposed to the element. Quietly, Geralt approached, stepping over the fence to get to Jaskier. He laid a hand on the thin shoulder.

“Fuck off!” The snarled words were ferocious and met with a dagger pointing at Geralt. “Oh, it’s you!”

The words were so sunny, Jaskier seemingly changing in the blink of an eye to his usual happy self.

“What are you doing here?” Geralt asked, trying to figure out why Jaskier would be huddling on a pigsty’s stoop of all places. As if he had nowhere better to bed down for the night like some vagrant. The notion of that niggled at Geralt but he brushed it aside.

“I was just taking a nap! Been playing to a huge crowd of adoring fans this evening. My walk to my dear Carlita’s home is exhausting so I found a spot to rest before continuing to her stately home.” If Geralt hadn’t been at the inn, he would have even believed Jaskier. However, he’d seen the lacklustre crowd and couldn’t think of a single stately home in the area. Which meant Jaskier was lying to him. But why? Before he could ask, Jaskier was struggling to rise to his feet and making a show of stretching. “But, my darling witcher, if adventure calls, I shall let my beloved Carlita down and join you. It has been too long since we hit the road. Tell me, have you a bed at a tavern for the night?”

Allowing Jaskier to save face for now, Geralt only nodded and led the way back to the tavern they had left. The barkeep gave then a sneering look but didn’t say anything as witcher and bard walked up the stairs to the room they were now going to share. Getting ready for the night, Jaskier kept up a constant stream of chatter, detailing the last month and his great successes. However, Geralt wasn’t paying him much attention. Well, not his words at least. He could see things on Jaskier that were contradicting his great tales of banquets and standing ovations. The doublet he wore was getting a little threadbare, there were a few expertly hidden lines where tears had been mended. There was an air of weariness to Jaskier, as if he hadn’t been sleeping well of late and it compounded the visible weight loss. Even worse, there was no pack, no bag beyond a small satchel he’d deposited on the floor that couldn’t possibly contain more than maybe a single change of clothes which wouldn’t be thick enough to repel the cold of winter.

“I’m going to Kaer Morhen for the winter,” Geralt interrupted. “Where will you go?”

That brought Jaskier up short, his smile was still in place but it looked fragile.

“Are bards not welcome in Kaer Morhen? Am I not to adventure with you?” For the first time, Geralt smelled fear on Jaskier. And, like an intricate lock, all the pieces fell into place, the puzzle now a complete picture.

“You’re homeless.”

The scoff Jaskier sent his way was a worthy attempt at scorn but Geralt could see through it.

“You dare besmirch my good name?” Jaskier rallied, pulling himself up to his full height.

“I dare say the truth.” Because there was no doubt about it. No other explanation fit the evidence so well. They stared at each other, a silent game of waiting for the other to blink until Jaskier deflated.

“So, my plans for the winter weren’t as fruitful as hoped. Don’t suppose you could put in a good word for me at Kaer Morhen? I’ll sing for my keep and do whatever else I can.”

Defeat was not a good look on Jaskier. But before Geralt could promise such things, he needed the truth, from Jaskier himself rather than cobbled together assumptions and guesswork.

Haltingly, it all came out. Jaskier, or rather, Julian Alfred Pankratz, disowned son of the Viscount de Lettenhove ran away at the tender age of 17 to avoid an unfavourable marriage. Cut off from the family fortune, he made his way to Oxenfurt where, out of boredom and for lack of anything else to do, he sneaked into lectures. It was Valdo Marx who caught him and had him thrown out after 4 years of Jaskier doing that. He’d amassed enough knowledge in that time to be able to pass himself as a bard. And he had all the flourish of an Oxenfurt graduate so he told people he’d studied there. Technically, he had but not officially. Not that anyone ever bothered to check.

Jaskier learned the hard way about fighting, haggling, stealing. In order to keep up his appearances of a court bard, his money almost always went on clothes befitting someone of his assumed station. It left very little in the way of clothes to travel in, or a horse to help his journeys.

The Countess de Stael was someone he had made up. It made people see him as more desirable if it sounded like Jaskier was going to return to the court of some noblewoman, the pay was increased to entice him to stay. Meeting Geralt had been a stroke of luck, the witcher capable of feeding two on travels and was always prepared to share a bed for the night. Not that Jaskier was trying to use him, he had tried to pay for his fair share whenever he could. But coin was sparse. The times Geralt left him, Jaskier wandered aimlessly from town to town, trying to earn enough coin to survive. Sometimes, for the winter, a nobelman would take him in and Jaskier could sing and work in the kitchen in exchange for a room.

“No noble wanted you?” Geralt asked, not mincing his words.

“Not this year,” Jaskier admitted and silence stretched between them. They both knew that it was likely Jaskier wouldn’t survive the harsh winter without a benefactor. Crowds were less generous with their coin during winters, saving everything they could in case the cold months stretched out. And Jaskier, without an income, would have slept on the streets, getting ill which meant no playing and no coin. It was a rapid downward spiral that didn’t have a happy ending.

“Kaer Morhen will welcome you, on one condition.” Geralt held up a hand to keep Jaskier’s grateful enthusiasm in check. “You must promise me that you’ll repay their hospitality by keeping me company on The Path.”

It wasn’t payment as such, they both knew it. Geralt was giving Jaskier a permanent source of security. It probably wasn’t much but it was more than he had before.

Graciously nodding, Jaskier smiled as he settled across Geralt’s lap, basking in the heat the witcher exuded.

“I think I can be your barker, it seems like a fair price.” He leaned in for a kiss and, once again, it felt like coming home but for good this time.

[jinkisbelly]

Oranges

Pairing: Onho

Raiting: pg

W/c:1800

Summary: The sweet yet tangy taste of orange has always reminded him of Jinki and the taste of his kisses.

Ao3    AFF

          As Prince the number of expectations about who he had to be and what he had to do, was extensive. Ever since he was a boy he was taught line by line, lesson by lesson, what it meant to be a member of the royal family. As a young boy, it mostly meant language and etiquette classes before shifting to horse riding lessons and strategy as he grew. Minseok would be the next Emperor, but even without that pressure, Minho felt the same judging eyes on himself. He wore from what garments were brought to him by the quartermaster, he made appearances where he was told to, and he smiled for the reporters when he was seen outside of the Castle walls. He behaved like being back at the Castle in all the lavish comfort was where he was meant to be, where he wanted to be even.

               Except, he was living a total lie. Minho would stand on his balcony, staring out over the thick clouds and tall treetops, to the crystal clear blue water of the sea on the horizon, and think of the sweet man he had left behind. He had first met Jinki as a young boy, catching his gaze across the table during one of the many council meetings. Jinki was standing behind his father, just to the right of the Emperor. It was after that he had leaned over to his older brother and asked who he was, finding out he was the son of an ancient family tied to his own, charged with protecting the ancient city of Mugunghwa. As long as there had been a Choi on the throne as Emperor, there had been a Lee in charge of protecting the barrier.

               Jinki was just as well educated as himself, but he had seen more of the world outside of Mugunghwa. He had sailed past the sharp rocks of the far bay, across the water to the ports on the other side. He had driven through the thick forest of citrus trees, until returning weeks later with supplies and food they hadn’t mastered producing just yet. Minho had only ever known Mugunghwa and its surrounding farmland.

             Falling in love with Jinki hadn’t been his intention. It started out simple and innocent enough, two young boys exploring their worlds together. Minho would bring Jinki books from the royal library while the older boy taught him fighting techniques the man of arms refused to do. Jinki would pick an orange from a tree, climbing up to the very top stating they were the best, before handing him half of it. Their first kiss was against one of those same trees, lips sweet and tangy from the fresh fruit, fingers slightly sticky against cheeks and curled in robes. The older they both grew, their responsibilities also did too. Their time together dwindled, no longer were they able to run through the flower fields laughing in the mid-afternoon sun.  Jinki was the eldest son of his family, destined to take over from his Father. Unlike the Emperor, it wasn’t passed down by death.

             Jinki took the mantle on his 25th birthday, letting his father enjoy his golden years with his Wife. That had been almost a year ago, the day marked by falling white and pink flower petals, laying so brightly against Jinki’s dark long hair. While Minho saw more of him inside of the Castle than he ever did before, it was always on official business with the Emperor and High Prince, never for him.

             Minho turned from the large windows, away from the picturesque view, and wrapped his thin robe tighter around himself. He could still smell the soft scent of oranges and vanilla in the room, so vivid he wouldn’t be surprised to turn and see Jinki walking through the door. The robe was made of a rare type of silk from beyond the barrier, a present from the man. Minho had come up from a later dinner with his family and the visiting family of Council member Cho to find it sitting on his bed. He hadn’t needed to read the note to know who it came from. The scent alone as he pulled open the ribbon and box top was more than enough. The gold ring Jinki had given him for his eighteenth birthday swung gently as he turned. In a few steps, he picked up the small card, running his thumb over the slight indents of Jinki’s writing.      ‘Please don’t forget me when you have to become who they want you to be, Babe.’  

             His father wanted him to marry a nice girl, settle down and give him more grandchildren much like his older brother had, but that wasn’t him. Everyone had plans for him, places for him to go, but he couldn’t tell where he was going to go without Jinki. Without him beside him, he just felt lost, a lone sailboat out on sea bobbing wherever the water took him. Missing Jinki felt so terribly wrong. Being away from him for so long ached and the brief letters they exchanged, passing glances, none of it was enough. Jinki believing there was even a slight chance that he would forget him made him want to scream in frustration. It seemed the gossip from the Castle had traveled, and the rumor of his upcoming engagement had reached the barrier.

             Minho was supposed to purpose to Seoyoung in a few hours, finish the elaborate planned courtship he had carried out by word of his father’s advisors, but he couldn’t do it. His hand curled around the card, crumbling it in his fist as he finally made a choice. Jinki was the only person to ever make him whole. Home. He had been away from his home for far too long.

             The afternoon sun was slowly setting on the horizon, beautiful colors exploding over the sky like a painter’s paintbrush, when he sprinted from his rooms. The doors slammed against the walls and opened they remained still as he disappeared around the corner.

 ------

               He gripped the reins of the dark horse as it sprinted from the Palace’s main gates, through the main street. People rushed out of the way, abandoning their carts and stalls to reach safety. Questions that he knew were being asked fell on deaf ears as he continued on his way. The dense population of the center of the city began to dwindle as the bright metal and stone of the buildings shifted to green vegetation and natural rock. Until finally, the faint scent of citrus wafted through the air.

               The main gate leaving out of the barrier was shining bright, marble stone lined with gold, growing larger the quicker he approached. It wasn’t until he crossed the last bridge he noticed the man standing in the middle of it.

               The sun was so golden and warm around him, casting him in such a beautiful silhouette in the archway of the gate. Minho tugged the reins roughly, the horse coming to a stop a few feet from the man. His hair was messed upon his head, strands falling across his forehead. There was a gun strapped to his thigh, the only tight part on his uniform pants. He was only wearing a plain white shirt, showing that he had been off duty. Which didn’t explain what he was doing here.

               Jinki has his hands on his hips as he asks, brows furrowed as he speaks, “I get an urgent phone call from the Palace, stating Prince Minho is speeding through Market and Main street towards the barrier. What are you-”

               He never gets to finish his question before Minho is grabbing him on either side of his face and kissing him roughly. Jinki’s breath hitches, and it’s a long moment before Minho feels his hands rest on the slight curve of his hips. He still tastes of oranges, so tangy and familiar against him. When he pulls away, Jinki’s eyes are slowly opening, lips slightly pink and kept apart. “I choose you.”

               “What?”

               “You. I choose you, Baby.” It almost feels like he can’t breathe as he pants, probably smiling like a lunatic as he moves his hand into Jinki’s hair to cup his head. “I’m so tired of being someone I’m not.”

               “Minho, I-” Jinki’s eyes flutter with a deep breath and there’s so much emotion lingering in their warm depths when they open again. “Could you live a life out here away from the Palace? It’s all you’ve ever known.”

             “Everything in my life has been chosen for me, planned and discussed without me present, except you.” Leaning forward, it’s easy to press a kiss to Jinki’s forehead. “Let me come home. I don’t want to have to miss you anymore.”

              Jinki’s answer comes after his arms come up, wrapping tightly around him. His cheek is squished against Minho’s chest, voice quiet. “Okay. Okay, you’re home.”

 -------

     Many Many moons later…..  

             The moon is bright above them, filtering through the treetops giving the soft grass a gentle glow about it. Jinki lands on at the base of the tree, a fresh orange picked from the top in his hand. With skilled familiarity, the fruit is quickly peeled. Kneeled before him, Jinki holds a piece out, thumb dripping with the juice. Minho grins, taking the fruit and lapping his tongue against the skin of his thumb. The kiss he received after he’s done chewing starts off soft before it turns hungry, but only for a moment. Their noses bump together as Jinki pulls away, a soft laugh rumbling from his chest. “I love you.”

             Ever since he was 15, the taste of an orange made him think of a kiss from Jinki. Now, so many years later, many things had changed. Now the taste reminded him of home, of curling up with Jinki in front of their fireplace, sitting beside him in the truck on the way for supplies, and the slight grin as they boarded a ship to head out across the sea. It used to make him miss Jinki, but he never had the chance to miss him now, not really.

             He didn’t mind it, not really. A kiss is stolen before the sentiment is returned as a whisper against the man’s lips. “I love you too.”

             Every day he woke up not sure what they would have to do. Some days choosing Jinki meant being a farmer, climbing ladders, and picking as many fruits from the trees as he could. Every day was unknown and that exhilarated him. No more were the servants bringing him his clothes for the day or telling him his schedule. Most nights they walked into their small home covered in dirt and dust, filthy from the day's events.

          He wouldn't have it any other way.

[thatsparrow]

(read on ao3)

Lapin wakes up in shadow, beaten and broken badly enough that the air is heavy with the sugar-rich smell of his own blood.

In sweetness—, he thinks. But where is my strength now?

His senses return to him slowly, but when they do, the picture they paint is an un-pretty one: a six-by-eight foot cell of hewn stone, matching sets of cinched iron manacles running between his wrists and ankles to bolts in the wall, the feeling of sticky, half-dried chocolate across an aching stretch of his abdomen. His staff is missing, as are his Primogen robes, but there is a small huddle of pink-and-red peppermint near his feet, something with twitching ears and a curlicue tail and sharp button-black eyes.

"So we're alive, then," Lapin says, gingerly lifting himself into a sitting position while the pig—Priscilla? Praline? No, Preston—shuffles forward and nudges at his hand with a soft, damp nose. "Perhaps the Bulb is capable of kindness after all."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, apostate." Walking up on the other side of the bars is the young Commander Grissini, flanked by two fellow Ceresian guards. He looks battle-weary and bloodstained—though, notably, not with his own; blackberry jam, if Lapin had to guess, judging by the smell of sugared fruit. (Heaven knows he'd never respected them, but Lapin will certainly credit the Tartguard for that particular moment of loyalty.)

"Just a joke, Commander." Lapin's mouth narrows in a tight smile. "I know well that the Bulb has no capacity for kindness or mercy. Has your Pontifex told you that, I wonder? Do you know you serve a hollow god?"

"Silence, heretic," one of the guards hisses. "Keep your false words behind your teeth unless you'd like me to cut them from your tongue."

Lapin lets his smile widen but remains quiet; there's surely pain enough in store for him without inviting more of it himself.

"Easy," Grissini says to the guard. "The Pontifex warned us of the lies he would tell. A rabid dog barks loudest when it feels the chain tightening around its neck."

Lapin exhales—not quite a laugh, but not entirely humorless either. A rabid dog. Well, he's been called worse.

"Something funny, apostate?" A line creases Grissini's brow. "I can't imagine what you might find amusing about your situation."

Notting particularly, but Lapin is hardly about to give them the satisfaction of seeing the knotted weight of his concern instead. He'll two-step so long as he has the illusion of stable footing, however rotted and fragile the foundations might really be.

"Tell me," he says after a moment, "Sir Keradin, in the cathedral—he killed me, did he not?"

"He did."

"And yet given that I am here, alive, I must have been revivified, yes?"

"Obviously," Grissini says with a note of impatience.

Interesting, Lapin thinks. And likely inauspicious. He glances between Grissini and the two guards at his side, then lets his eyes alight on the man at Grissini's left, the one who'd threatened to cut out his tongue. He considers the man, makes a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat. "Would you like to know what I saw in the afterlife?" Lapin says to him. "Would you like to know the true form of your Bulb? How many can say they've been blessed enough to behold it themselves?"

The guard looks between him and Grissini, the sharp, irate lines of his expression bent a little by uncertainty. Then to Lapin, voice notably less assured than before, "I would never be so foolish as to trust your falsehoods."

"Understandable," Lapin muses. "But how can you be sure that I'd lie? Even for a man with such conviction in his faith, aren't you the slightest bit curious of what I have to say?" Lapin raises an eyebrow.

The guard hesitates for a moment. Lapin gestures for him to move closer. Slowly, his face warring between anger and doubt, he crouches down to where Lapin sits.

"Ennio—" Grissini says, warning. Lapin leans towards the bars, lowers his voice for Ennio's ears alone.

"It was luminescent and shining," Lapin whispers. "The most beautiful thing for miles, brighter than any that had come before or would follow. To walk closer demands that you shield your eyes, lest your vision be burned away as punishment for your hubris. But I did approach, and I felt its light and its heat and its power, and then I opened my eyes—just for a moment—and do you know what I saw?"

Ennio tilts his head closer, eyes shut, his forehead pressed against the iron as he listens.

"—Nothing." Ennio recoils as if scalded, mouth twisted in a snarl. Lapin raises his voice as he continues, grinning wide. "All that beauty and all that brightness and nothing beneath it!" He feels fingers at his throat as Ennio's hand shoots through the bars, fisting around his collar and yanking him forward. Sharp, bruising pain blooms across his face as he slams into the metal, splitting his lip and the skin above his eye, snapping something in his nose, reopening a healed-over wound on his temple. Lapin can taste chocolate on his teeth and laughs, loud and reckless. "Congratulations, for your faith is akin to a man praying for salvation at the foot of a fucking boulder—"

"Enough!" Grissini shouts as Ennio starts to move again, shouldering him back from the bars, one hand closing around Ennio's wrist until he gives up his hold on Lapin's collar. Lapin falls back against the wall, still smiling as something begins to swell above his eye, blood pooling along his upper lip and against his gums. Grissini shoves Ennio back against the far wall, forearm up under his chin, and says, "Leave—" he jerks his head at the other guard, "—both of you, until you can learn some composure."

Grissini holds himself in front of Ennio until he relents, then gives a curt nod as he straightens his uniform, adjusts the grip on his spear, and turns to walk back down the hall with his compatriot. Before he goes, he spits on the ground in front of Lapin's cell, muttering something that sounds like filthy fucking heretic.

"Have you always been such a fool?" Grissini asks once they've gone. "Or does being in Comida bring it out in you?"

"I can see very few bright spots from my current vantage, Commander," Lapin says, wiping some of the blood from his nose, his temple, his eyebrow. His smile fades. "Forgive me for having enjoying a moment of levity when the opportunity appeared."

"Your situation can always be made worse." Grissini leans on his spear; it at least seems clean of dried jam or crumbs of shortbread crust. Then again, how much difference does it make that he didn't do any of the killing himself? "I say that not as a threat, but as a reminder. You are only alive because it suits the will of the Pontifex. So long as she believes you are useful, she will take whatever steps necessary to wring out your remaining value."

"If that bloated broccoli bitch thinks I'm helping with anything, then I look forward to enlightening her."

"Bulb above, wake up!" Grissini snaps. "Are you truly so oblivious to the nature of your situation that you need me to spell it out for you? There is no future in which you live to see the outside of this prison. While you are here, the Pontifex will make use of the wide scope of her imagination and the tools at Sir Keradin's disposal until you surrender any and all information you have about House Rocks, your fellow Candians and their political intentions, and the source of your witchcraft." Grissini pauses; Lapin is as weary as he's ever been, his eye nearly swollen closed from the bruising blow of the bars, but he could almost mistake the expression on Grissini's face for something akin to shame. "Undoubtedly the process will be both slow and painful. Once it's done, should you have proved to be compliant and your intelligence reliable, she may be merciful enough to allow you a quick death." He blinks, eyes shifting away from Lapin's stare before meeting it again. "Far likelier, though, that she devises some new punishment to fill your final days, simply for the inconvenience you've caused her thus far."

"You don't seem particularly pleased at that prospect, Commander," Lapin ventures, watching the slight shifts in Grissini's face. "Won't you also be excited to watch the 'false prophet' burn?"

Grissini holds himself carefully still. "I have tremendous respect for the Concorde, for the duties of my station, and for the oaths I have taken to Ceresia and the Emperor," he says after a moment. "That does not mean I take any satisfaction in the outcome awaiting you. From what I witnessed on the Sucrosi Road and in the tournament, as well as in the cathedral, you and your fellow Candians seem a group worth admiring." He exhales, slow. "I am—truly sorry that this is the future we find ourselves in."

"Sorry enough to help me attempt an escape?" Grissini maintains his steady, statue-faced look, and Lapin smiles a little ruefully. "No, I didn't think so. I thank you for your insights, Commander, and for your kind words—however hollow they might be." Grissini winces a little; a cheap barb, but at this particular point, Lapin won't deny himself such pettiness. "Was there anything else? If not, I would ask you to let me enjoy whatever remaining peace and quiet I am permitted."

Grissini works at his jaw, brow still creased. "Save your breath on spellcasting; the cell has been enchanted by the Pontifex herself to prevent any witchcraft. I believe your first—interrogation is scheduled for tomorrow morning, so you should still have some hours to rest." He turns to go, then pauses. "For what it's worth, they haven't been found yet—your king and the princesses, nor Sir Theobald or the Jawbreaker boy. If they've managed to escape Comida, there may still be some hope for them."

And then he's gone.

In the dim light of the cell, Lapin lets out a deep sigh, allowing his face to bear all the weight of the bone-deep exhaustion he's felt since waking; he has no way of seeing his reflection, but he wouldn't be surprised to see new wrinkles dug in around his eyes and bridging his forehead. Heavens, he's so tired. Next to him, Preston makes a soft whuffing noise and clambers half into his lap, circling a few times before settling in a tight peppermint curl, his snout pressed into the crook of Lapin's left elbow.

"Alright, but just this once," Lapin says, petting absently at the soft, peach-fuzz stretch of skin between Preston's ears. "And only because this will stay with us." He scratches under Preston's chin, then notices a clump of something sticky dried into the short bristles of Preston's fur, minty-smelling blood congealed around scarred-over skin, ragged wounds that match the barbed edges of Keradin's mace.

"What a bastard." His hands are gentle around the pale pink stretches of new skin. "Who goes after a pig." He murmurs the incantation for a healing spell—both for poor Preston and himself—but true to Grissini's word, nothing happens. Unfortunate; in addition to Preston's wounds, he can feel at least two cracked ribs in his own chest.

"I should give the Pontifex more credit for her counter-charms," Lapin says after a moment. "That, or you've cut your losses and found a new attendant." He smiles wryly. "Likely one who can serve your interests more effectively than from a cell."

He waits, but there's no answer. Were he a hopeful man, he might attribute the silence to the Pontifex's wards, shielding any divine influence from entering the cell as effectively as they've dampened his own spellcasting ability. Far likelier though that he's been abandoned to his fate.

"I suppose it's just you and I now, Preston." He glances down and takes some small comfort in the continued rise-and-fall of Preston's chest. "For the moment, at least. Admittedly, this isn't how I'd envisioned the end of my particular story, but the dice fall where they may. Heaven knows there are worse companions I might have found myself with."

Preston lets out another contented whuff and resettles himself, eyes gently closed.

"I think you have the right idea there," Lapin says, resting his head on the wall behind him, doing his best to ignore the slight crag of stone jutting into his lower back. "If Commander Grissini is to be trusted—and, in this case, I believe he is—then such moments of peace will be few and far between in the days to come."  

Whuff, whuff.

"Yes, I'm glad to hear they're alright, too, though I'd place little faith in our paths crossing again. My apologies—I know I'm not the companion that young Liam was."

Whuff. Whuff, whuff.

"Very well, I shall endeavor to sleep. Perhaps we'll wake in the morning to find a kinder world."

Whuff.

"No, I don't think so either."

As Lapin closes his eyes and counts the measure of his breathing, he works very hard to rein his wayward thoughts back from dark visions of tomorrow, of windowless rooms and tables with built-in restraints and long trays of metal-mouthed implements. Focuses instead on remembering his study in Castle Candy, flickering firelight against the bound spines of his books, sugar-spun windows opening up to a view of the grounds below, the purple-tipped peaks of the Great Stone Candy Mountains to the north.

Breathe.

A forest of ice cream-frosted evergreens instead of Sir Keradin's blade digging for secrets under his skin. Spring afternoons by the banks of the Cola instead of the sickly yellow light of the Pontifex's magic. Powdered motes of pastel dust in the castle library instead of hands tightening around his throat or firebrands pressed against his feet. Home instead of a cell. Safety instead of this aching pit in his stomach.

Breathe, Lapin. It is all you can do for the moment.

When he finally drifts off, the sleep he finds is a fitful one, punctuated by uneasy, sharp-edged dreams. Slowly, though, his mind drifts towards calmer waters, the soothing rhythm of a lazy current, true rest for his worn-down mind. At one point, Preston shifts in his lap, still half-asleep, nosing the air around them curiously. Almost as if he'd caught the faint smell of sugar plums.

[simplyotometrash]

Blackberry Kisses

Victor x MC! Reader

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff and Victor’s abrasive personality (jkjk i love him and would marry him if i couldn’t marry Kiro)

This was literally inspired because I ws in my yard picking and eating blackberries off my bushes asdfghjkl;

It was a surprise vacation. To be honest, most vacations you were whisked away on were not ones you had planned. Victor had a habit of noticing the tiniest of things and deciding to take you away on impromptu vacations, claiming they were because you were interested in locations for shoots or research. You knew it was his way of saying you needed to breathe and relax. As much of a hardass as Victor could be, he loved you greatly and was much softer on the inside than he showed on the outside.

Where had he taken you exactly? A nice farm in the countryside. A farm that grew many fruits, but it was known this time of year for its blackberries. Delicious, juicy blackberries. You had to dig through your brain to try and think of what spurred this trip. You couldn’t remember. Had you said something? It was still nice all the same.

The air had a fresh, sweet smell to it as a gentle breeze blew through.You could hear the buzzing of bees. You’d have to make a note to ask Victor if you could take home a few jars of their fresh honey. Beekeeping was fascinating and you would have to take a ton of notes and photos. Maybe the owners would even let you do a piece on their farm! It would be interesting. Farming and beekeeping were such interesting topics. You wanted to taste everything the farmers would allow. You’d always wanted to make note of the taste differences between local, fresh products and store bought.

“Victor, it’s incredible here!” You adjusted your sunhat as the wind blew through your hair. “It’s so beautiful!”

Victor made a noise of triumph. That cocky ‘harrumph’ you were used to hearing when he wanted to say “I know it is” or “I told you so”. His hand settled on your hip, taking in the view instead of saying what he wanted to say.

“It is quite nice.” That was all he was going to say? Man, you knew your fiance could be stoic but sometimes he really outdid himself.

“Do you think we could take some of their fresh foods and homemade products home with us? I would love to try some things out! Oh and I bet the things that they grow here taste so yummy,” you gushed. Your mouth practically watered at the thought.

A soft smile played upon the CEO’s lips as he watched your glee. “Of course. I already planned to. It’s always best to buy things fresh and in season when you can. They also raise goats and make many products with goat milk. Along with that, they are a no waste farm. Everything gets used. They even make sure to use the wax cappings from the honey they’ve harvested.”

It never ceased to amaze you just how much your fiance knew about all sorts of things. You weren’t dumb, despite what Victor’s nickname for you may suggest. You knew many things of your own. Victor just had so much knowledge of so many different things. He’d be perfect for a game show!

“Ah, Mr. Li, it’s nice to see you again. And you’ve brought a guest with you.” A kindly looking older gentleman came to greet you. One of the oldest farmers you’d seen since you had arrived. “I’m the owner of the Brighton Farm, Alexander Brighton. This farm has been in my family for generations.” 

You shook his hand with a smile. “I’m MC, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Brighton. You have such a beautiful farm. How large is this farm?”

“Ah, you’d like a small tour, then! Wonderful!” That hadn’t been what you’d asked but you wouldn’t refuse. A tour of such a wonderful farm would be hard to resist. “We have nearly 2,000 acres all together. A good percentage of that are multiple pastures for the cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. We have some land for growing vegetables as well. But most the rest that we don’t live on is all one large orchard.”

You and Victor followed Mr. Brighton to a Mule, a small vehicle that he said he used to just get around the farm. There were multiple for people to use to get to different places for working. Most of the people working on the farm were family members or long-term hires. Anyone he hired could live on the property for free as he “had so much land still unused”. 

“I won’t take you too close to the beehives. They’re a bit on the agitated side today, though our bees are typically very gentle. Honey bees are actually very docile you know. But they just had a hive inspection to check for mites and cross comb. Both are a real issue. We don’t inspect our hives too much, that just makes them cranky, but we have to do it every once in a while. Healthy bees are happy bees!” 

---

You were taking vigorous notes in your journal. It was like being in school again. Only this time you were enjoying the subject matter and not bored in a classroom. If you had glanced at Victor more often you would have seen the warm and proud smile that had not left his face even once. Seeing you so in your zone and enjoying things made him happy. All he wanted was for you to be the best you could be and do the best you could. Sometimes that meant being pushy and sounding harsh. Because of his approach, he’d gotten to watch your growth first hand. While he did the pushing, you were growing all on your own. He just kept you going in the right direction and assisted as needed, like with revising your proposals. 

“Mr. Brighton, do you spray your plants with anything,” you asked, tapping your pen against the side of your chin.

“Heavens no. Never! We do not use pesticides on my farm, it’s not healthy for anyone who eats it and certainly not for the pollinators that come to our plants, including our precious bees.”

“Sir, do you think I could do a segment on my show about your farm? Come back and get some footage and do some interviews? I want to show the magic behind what you do and how much care goes into everything here.” There it was. The moment Victor had waited for. You knew he was, judging by how he had asked questions for you when you couldn’t think of anything yourself. 

“Put this place on TV? I don’t see why not! You won’t be allowed to get your crew too close to my bees, mind you, but I don’t mind if you do something on us here. I think the world should see there’s more to farms than cruel factory farming”

He pulled up to rows upon rows of tame blackberry bushes. Many still had red or turning berries upon their vines. There were some with perfectly ripe berries ready to be picked.

“You can pick some berries yourselves. We always encourage people to come out and pick for themselves. We do the same for all of our fruits, though we are more picky with our vegetables.” He handed you and Victor a large bucket. “You’ll pay by weight before you leave. My son will be in the house when you’re ready! You can also buy all sorts of our products while you’re in there. Oh and feel free to eat a few while you’re picking.” He threw a wink your way and waved before driving off. 

He’d given such a long tour of the property. Not all of the pastures, thankfully, but you’d gotten to see pretty much everything. You had many notes and photos. All you’d have to do once you got home would be write up your proposal and share the plans with your staff. Victor clearly endorsed the idea, though he would likely demand you make a proper proposal for the sake of professionalism. 

“Thank you,” you murmured as you began checking blackberries to pick.

Victor picked berries with skill and precision beside you, clearly having done it before. “What for?”

“For bringing me here. You knew I was stumped for a new idea, didn’t you?”

He chuckled a little. “Dummy, I remember the things that you tell me. You said you wanted to do an episode about fresh food and that you weren’t sure how to go about it. I just made some calls.”

You stood on your toes to kiss his cheek. “Now I can make a perfect episode all about this. I have so many ideas.”

“I want a proposal by Friday.”

“You’re cruel!”

Victor huffed and held a blackberry up to your lips. “If you’re so excited about doing an episode about this place, writing up your proposal to give to me shouldn’t be a problem now should it?”

You eyed your fiance for a minute with a pout before pulling the blackberry from his fingers and into your mouth. It burst with a sweet, slightly tangy flavor. It was the tastiest blackberry you’d ever had! Though the sight of Victor’s slightly purple finger tips made it hard not to laugh.

“This is so tasty! You’ve got to try one-”

Victor cut you off with a kiss, his tongue dipping between your lips and into your mouth. You were blushing as he pulled away, a smirk on his face.

“You’re quite right.”

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[aspiring-ginger]

Of All the Stars in the Sky (Jaskier x Reader)

Request:  Yay! So happy your requests are open! I love your wriring. Can you please do something with Jaskier? Maybe reader has been trained with a sword most their life and travels with Geralt and Jaskier. He could write a song about the reader (very original haha) or reader gets hurt and Jaskier worries for them. I don’t know, thank you ♡

Summary: Geralt & the gang are on their way to Vizima when some trouble brews outside of the city gates. Suspicions rise when the reader doesn’t show up to the New Narakort Inn as planned.

Warnings: Strong language, violence. Nothing unusual for the Witcher.

Word count: 5,808

Pairing(s): Jaskier x reader

A/N: Here ya go, anon! I got carried away and couldn’t choose one of the two options, so I just did both. Almost 6k haha. Reader’s gender wasn’t mentioned so I did my best to keep it gender neutral. I took some inspiration from The Witcher 1, as well as the Carnal Sins questline from The Witcher 3. Also thanks to my best friend for helping me write this (she doesn’t have a tumblr or I’d tag), thanks bb!! Some of you wanted to be added to my taglist so I’m going to do it by fandom, character, and series. Please specify which you want to be tagged in or else you’re getting everything lol. So anyone who commented on Forget-Me-Not chap 1 is going to be just for that series, unless you said otherwise. Anyway, I hope y’all enjoy this one! As always requests, comments, and feedback is always appreciated. Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Taglist: @dandelionwitcher​ @thunderdog8​

Masterlist

There was a simple comfort found on the open road. Surrounded by nature untainted by man, nothing but earth and sky around you. Everything raw and untamed just as nature intended.

It was here out in the open where you found yourself currently, head resting on your bunched up cloak propped up on a log, angled up at the sky. Geralt and Jaskier were around somewhere, each tending to his own business. Geralt had been holed up in his tent, most likely replenishing his stock of potions and elixirs after your last hunt.

Geralt had learned quickly that any and all alchemy was to be done privately in his room or tent, away from Jaskier’s prying eyes. You had only been travelling with the odd pair for a few weeks at that point, still unsure of the limits and boundaries you had with the two. You had been sitting with them close to the small campfire Geralt had set up. It was a warm night, the boys both shedding their outer layers and rolling their sleeves to get as much air as possible. You were intrigued by the witcher’s alchemy as you had never seen anything quite like it before. Sure, you’d seen your share of healers’ work but this was something else entirely. Apparently neither had Jaskier, as he was avidly asking questions and inching closer by the minute. It wasn’t long before Jaskier’s relentless inquiries turned to bickering, and whatever unfinished concoction Geralt had been making was spilled. The ground sizzled when splashed, as did the boys’ exposed skin. While you pitied them both for the chemical burns, the rest of the week had been pretty entertaining. Stock full of pouting and theatrics.

You snickered at the memory as you stared up at the night sky. Jaskier’s childish actions that week had really brought the three of you together, and solidified your part in the rag-tag team. You had come to the rescue when ambushed by bandits later in the week. Geralt was unable to defend both himself and the bard given his current injuries, and you had swooped in at the last second deflecting a blade aimed at Jaskier’s throat. After that moment you had decided to stick with the boys for good.

“What are you laughing at? Something funny in the sky?” Jaskier teased, propping himself up against the log next to you.

You hadn’t heard him approach, jumping slightly at his words. He had been washing up at the nearby creek and you weren’t expecting him to be back so soon. The fresh smell of his soap- a mixture of sandalwood, sage, and a sweet fruit, cherry maybe?, hit your nose as he nudged your shoulder with his and laughed.

“No, just remembering something funny,” You smiled.

“Oh? Would you care to share? Geralt’s ‘locked’ himself in his tent so I could use a bit of a pick me up.” He teased, stretching his arms behind his head to mimic your position.

You jokingly hummed in thought, “Remember that time with Geralt’s potions and you managed to burn right through your shirt? What, a year ago now? You demanded extra special care for your 'terrible wounds’ that whole week! I swear I thought Geralt was going to tear your head off.”

“In my defense, that had been one of my favorite shirts from home, which was absolutely flattering by the way, and they really were terrible wounds! I seem to recall you coming to my rescue- my knight in shining armor with her noble steed,” He giggled and dramatically draped a hand over his forehead.

“I’m sure Blueberry just loved carrying your spoiled arse around,” You snorted.

Jaskier scoffed, “Blueberry and I have become great friends since then. She adores me!”

You heard your mare snort as if in response, and the two of you dissolved into a fit of giggles and laughter. You wiped a stray tear from your eye and sighed. You turned your head to look at the bard

“We’re finally headed back to Vizima tomorrow. Are you excited for a real bath and a soft bed?”

“How could I not? One can only travel on the road for so long before needing a well earned refresher. Even the witcher has his limits,” You hummed in agreement. “Besides! I’ll be debuting my newest song. This one will be a hit, I’m sure of it! Even better than the last!”

“Really? Even better than Toss a Coin?” You raised a brow in mock surprise.

“Let’s just say that I have a better inspiration this time around,” He turned to face you as well, throwing a wink in your direction.

You let out a nervous laugh and prayed to Melitele that the darkness around you hid the blush that dusted your cheeks. You cleared your throat and pointed up at the sky, hoping to change the topic.

“Do you ever get lost in the beauty of the stars? We see them every night, yet each time I look up they almost take my breath away. I get dizzy just looking at them all.”

Jaskier let out a low chuckle, “Wonderfully spoken, (y/n). Mind if I use that in a song?”

You rolled your eyes “I’m being serious! I just don’t understand how something so beautiful just goes unnoticed by so many.”

You heard Jaskier hum next to you and you glanced over to see his reaction. His face and body was turned to face you, a small smile gracing his cheeks. Firelight flickered in his bright blue eyes and you were overwhelmed with the scent of him again. Seconds ticked by as you were pulled in by his gaze. You could’ve sworn you saw his eyes dart down to your lips. His face was so close to yours, you just wanted to reach out and brush his still damp hair out of his eyes, pulling his face close so you could-

You awkwardly cleared your throat, sliding yourself away from him before you could do anything foolish you would regret.

“I um, I-I’ll see you in the morning, Jaskier. Goodnight.” You scooped up your cloak and scurried over to your bedroll. Seeing as how you only had two tents between the three of you and you quite enjoyed the weather this time of year, you offered Geralt and Jaskier a tent each. You cursed yourself and you turned away in your blankets, trying to ignore the bard across the camp.

Jaskier sighed and called his goodnights out to you and Geralt as well. He glanced up at the stars with a wistful smile. It would only be one more day, maybe two, before he could finally follow through with his plan. He had connections with the New Narakort Inn where he arranged your group’s stay in the city. Hopefully by then he would have the lyrics finished and ready to perform. His previous attempts at flirting had failed to get your attention, so as a final resort he devised his whole plan to perform his new song to you, as a confession. 

He climbed into his tent, pulling out his notebook and scratching out a few words with a sigh. He made a note to mention your love for the stars, and you technically didn’t say no to his request to quote you earlier. He pulled out his lute and rehearsed the melody of the song, mumbling possible lyrics under his breath. You smiled as you rolled over, Jaskier’s calming chords lulling you to sleep.

You woke as the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the trees above. A light fog had settled in around you, refracting the light around you. It was quite pretty, actually. You sat up and stretched your arms out, then ran a hand down your face when you faltered. Looking down in confusion, you saw an extra blanket pooled in your lap. One sniff and you identified it as Jaskier’s. Since when did he wake up early? You supposed it had gotten a little chilly during the night, but it was spring after all. You wanted to enjoy your time outdoors before the heat would put you in a sour mood.

You sent a nervous glance at the two tents opposite you, pausing to listen if the occupants had woken up yet. Satisfied when you heard silence you pulled Jaskier’s blanket up to your chest and took a deep breath. You couldn’t hide your smile at his sweet gesture and a quiet giggle escaped your lips. You laid back down all giddy, burying your face into his blanket. It wasn’t long before you drifted back to sleep.

Jaskier emerged from his tent later that morning. Geralt had already started packing his things away, giving him a nod in acknowledgement. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out an apple and tossed it at the bard. Jaskier caught it, buffing it against his shirt before taking a bite. He wiped juice off his chin as he walked up to the witcher. Geralt raised an eyebrow at him with an amused smirk. 

“What, is there something on my face? Bad bedhead or something?” Jaskier tutted, placing one hand on his hip.

“Really, Jaskier?” Geralt responded not bothering to elaborate, but inclined his head in your direction.

“Wha-?” He faltered, “What are you talking about, Geralt? It’s too early to decipher your broody minimalism,” He swallowed thickly, fidgeting the apple in his hands.

“Thought your spoiled arse would be cold sleeping without a blanket.” Geralt shrugged, hiding a smirk. He left the bard sputtering to come up with an excuse.

Taking Geralt’s cue that he was done with the conversation for now Jaskier took another bite and sighed. He forgot about the witcher’s heightened senses and would have to be subtler in the future. He was pretty sure Geralt already took him for a fool, but he’d prefer not to fan the flames any more. His head shot up realizing that you could’ve heard their conversation, wincing at his carelessness. His shoulders slumped back down when he saw your still sleeping form. Seems like Geralt didn’t wake you on purpose. Ha ha, very funny.

He quietly padded up to you, careful not to make any sudden movements. You had his blanket snuggled right up against your face, a small smile gracing your features. Jaskier couldn’t help but grin as he felt his heart squeeze at the sight. He gently shook your shoulder and called out your name.

“Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty! We’ve got quite a day ahead of us. Up and at 'em!” You squinted your eyes at Jaskier for disturbing your sleep. He laughed at your pouting and strolled away to pack his things.

You stared forward for a few moments waiting for your brain to fully wake up. Your eyes shot open wide- you still had that damn blanket pulled right up to you- and you quickly shoved it off. You winced and hoped you didn’t look too silly in your sleep. You packed your belongings as well. You certainly didn’t feel like a sleeping beauty as you smoothed your rumpled hair back down.

When you had everything stuffed back into your saddlebags and pack, you went to greet Blueberry with her morning pets. It seemed Jaskier already beat you to it- he was feeding her the remnants of his apple and running his hand through her mane. He muttered praise under his breath as he untangled knots with his fingers. You swallowed and paused to gather your thoughts before coming any closer. If he kept this up any longer you just knew you wouldn’t be able to concentrate with his hands around your waist for gods know how many hours until you arrived in Vizima. 

You slung the bags around Blueberry’s back and gave her a gentle pat, giving Jaskier a curt smile. 

“I don’t feel all that great, so you can go ahead and take the reins today,” At least that way you would be able to hide your face if you were embarrassed. “And that way I’ll have better access to my sword. You know, in case monsters or bandits or something,” You justified. You didn’t know who you were trying to convince more- you or him.

You turned on your heels and briskly walked back to your spot. You felt ashamed that you let yourself get carried away with your thoughts. Stupid girlish thoughts. You sighed as you strapped on your light armor. You were a fool to hope Jaskier was anything more than a friend. You double checked your sword- inspecting the blade before sheathing it at your hip. You restrung your shortbow and slung it over your shoulder, and secured your small quiver at your hip. Bandits often patrolled the roads close to the city. Geralt would hear anyone coming way before you, but you wanted to be prepared.

The ride in was mostly uneventful, you spent most of your time dodging Jaskier’s lute case every time he whipped his head back to say something to you. You hadn’t been fast enough the first time, and he and Geralt would not let it go, relentlessly teasing you for being bested by a damn lute. At first it was funny and you laughed along with them, but after the 8th or so close call it got old fast.

You parted ways with Geralt and Jaskier at the city gates, following your usual routine. You would check the outskirts for work for either Geralt or yourself. You often took on hunting jobs or other contracts that didn’t directly involve monsters, since that was obviously Geralt’s area of expertise. Geralt would check notice boards within the city while Jaskier would secure room and board at the best inn he could find that would let him perform. He would take care of Roach and Blueberry and by the time he was done, you and Geralt would return and discuss your findings. Dividing and conquering was your best strategy to ensure you made the most coin you possibly could. 

As you slid off of Blueberry’s back, Jaskier informed you to meet at the New Narakort Inn. It was unusual for him to be so prepared, but you shrugged it off as perks of being a bard/entertainer. It didn’t take long to find a notice board in the outskirts. Most of the papers posted were generic notices to the public- “be wary of the merchant with the red hair, don’t give yer money to a witch!” Or complaints of missing livestock- completely useless. There were two promising notes, however. One claiming that Old Farmer Ned’s goats were being slaughtered by terrible beasts. You pocketed that one for Geralt. The other asked for a good amount of venison for some nearby butcher. You tore that one off for yourself.

As you perused the board in front of you, you paid no mind to the villagers milling about. You did begin to take notice as a commotion started to your left. 3 burly men dressed in matching rags and similar tattoos surrounded a young elven girl with their weapons drawn. She clutched a covered basket close to her chest and sobbed. One man held up his blade while the other gestured for the woman to hand the goods over. You couldn’t exactly make out what they were saying, but you guessed the elven woman was begging to let her go. An uneasy feeling settled in your stomach as you glanced around to see if anyone else around noticed what was happening. You frowned in disappointment. Men and women rushed past with heads down ignoring the scene, some even cheering on the men and calling out racial slurs. The first man had stepped even closer to the poor girl, his sword held against her neck as the other men jeered. You sighed and rolled your shoulders back. There was no way you could let this happen, not when you could do something about it.

In the blink of an eye your sword collided with the first man’s, pushing it away from the woman. You held an arm out to her and gestured for her to get behind you.

“You know, you shouldn’t take things that don’t belong to you. Apologize to the woman and walk away,” You threatened with a snarl. The girl ran behind you and clutched your sleeve in fear.

The other two men laughed and pointed their swords at you, the first one just rolled his eyes, “And what are you going to do about it, elf lover? You gonna stand up for this nonhuman filth? We deserve that basket. It should be ours. And once we take it, we’ll get to have our way with her. You want that too, you little shit?” He sneered.

You spat at their feet and swung your sword to disarm the man, kicking him in the groin. He crumpled to the ground as the other two stepped forward, swords swinging. You dodged one and parried the other. They circled around you into a flank position. The second man lunged at you. You stepped back and grabbed him, using his momentum to send him crashing into his buddy. The first man stood up and began to reach for his sword. You turned, smacking the butt of your hilt against the back of his head as he bent over. He collapsed back to the ground with a thud. 

The third goon shoved the second off with a grunt and came charging at you, empty handed. His fist smacked right into your chest knocking the air out of your lungs. You hunched over and gasped. The goon saw this as an opening and raised his leg to kick your face in. Your eyes trained on the ground saw his leg lift up, and you took this opportunity to sweep his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground and clawed at your leg. The other man came at you with his sword. Your blades clashed as you shook your leg in an attempt to get rid of the fool at your feet. With a strong kick of your leg, you forced your foot into the man’s face. You heard a sickening crunch and he screamed in pain. With your foot now free, you turned your attention back to the last man standing. You parried blow after blow, the man relentlessly swinging at you. He was quite sloppy, and you quickly found an opening to disarm him as well. You held your blade against his neck, drawing a bit of blood. The man trembled and raised his hands in the air in defeat. 

You spat in his face and shoved him to the ground, “You and your friends can go and fuck right off. Next time you think twice about who you’re robbing.” You drove one more kick into his stomach for good measure. 

The man scrambled to gather the other two thugs and their weapons before scampering off. They called out slurs and insults as they left but you paid them no mind. You bent over to pick up a jar that had fallen out of the woman’s basket. She had just been carrying groceries home. 

You turned around and offered the jar to her with a smile. She stared at you with wide eyes before thanking you profusely. She pulled you into a hug with a sob, choking something out about the kindness of some humans. You awkwardly patted her on the back and placed the jar back into her basket. She started to take out her coin purse insisting on payment but you just held up your hand and shook your head. There was no possible way you could ever take her coin. All you had done was step in to help a woman in need. Just doing what was right. You told the woman this and she responded with another sob. She shook your hand and hurried away with a wave.

You sheathed your sword with a sigh. The villagers avoided your gaze and went out of their way to give you a wide berth. At this point you just desperately wanted a bath, good food and drink, and some quality time spent with your friends. You went and picked up the notice you dropped by the board before you stepped in to help. All you had to do was speak to the butcher to negotiate pay and the amount of meat needed. Then you could finally head into town.

The sun was setting by the time that you made your way past the city gates into the Temple Quarter. It had taken much more time to track down and speak with the butcher, and you hoped that you had enough time for a quick soak before Jaskier’s performance. Even though you’ve heard him play countless times before, you couldn’t miss even a single performance. Seeing him lute in hand playing for so many people was simply put, a breathtaking experience. He was in his element, oozing confidence and charm as he circled the room singing his heart out. Faces in the crowd smiled and cheered along with his songs, clapping and raising their mugs in approval. Every time he would glance back at whatever table you and Geralt had chosen, your heart felt as if it was about to burst. He always looked you in the eye and winked before turning back to the crowd and each time the butterflies in your stomach went crazy. He was so happy and pure and every time without fail, he took that moment to acknowledge you. 

Even just thinking about him made your cheeks flush as you walked through the slums of the city. It was only a few more blocks until the Trade Quarter, where the New Narakort was located. You smiled as you saw the torches of guards posted at the gate over the top of the hill. You were so lost in your thoughts as you approached, that you failed to notice the shadow lurking in an alleyway nearby. It darted out as you walked by and grabbed you. A hand was clamped over your mouth before you could cry out and you were dragged back into the alley. The hand released you and you whipped your head around to identify your attacker. A strong blow to your face left you spitting up blood with a groan.

“Serves you right for helping out that disgusting nonhuman, you piece of filth!” You recognized the voice as one of the thugs from earlier.

You opened your mouth to respond, but instead a strong kick to your core knocked the words right out of you. You took blow after blow, spitting up blood when you got the chance. There were at least the same 3 men from before, but you were so disoriented you couldn’t even tell. They paused every so often to let you catch your breath and try to fight back before kicking you down to the ground again. Kick after kick after kick you struggled on the ground. There was a sharp pain in your right thigh as, what you guessed could only be, a dagger drove straight into your poor leg. You screamed out in agony and suffered another blow to the head. Each attack seemed to be growing in power as you clawed at the ground to try and escape. A sob escaped your lips as you felt the slash of another blade across your back. The men around you cheered and laughed, all taking part of the fun.

“You don’t mess with us, you elf loving whore!” The main attacker cried. With a laugh his final blow to your head had you seeing stars, and the world faded to black.

When you came to, you were alone. the moon was already high in the sky, and you couldn’t make anything out in the alley around you. You groaned in pain as you tried to sit up to assess your wounds. The dagger that was plunged deep into your thigh was still there, stopping most of the bleeding. That was good, but every time you even shifted, you cried out in pain. You had to take it out but you didn’t have any of your supplies on you, you left it all packed on Blueberry. The cut on your back scabbed up, but you probably opened it back up by moving around. Your whole face felt swollen, and you tasted blood. You were sure you looked like absolute shit.

You struggled to stand. Leaning heavily against the wall, you spat out more blood. You shuffled against the brick wall, hands clawing any groove you could grab just to pull yourself forward. You manage a couple of steps before you collapse down the ground. Fuck. You didn’t know how far you could go in the state. You let out a frustrated sob. Would Geralt and Jaskier be able to find you in time? Did they even notice you were gone? Your thoughts were racing as you heaved yourself up once more. You banged your leg against the wall and yelped- your vision going fuzzy for a moment. If you could at least drag yourself out of the alley, maybe there was a chance a guard would find you?

You heard footsteps approach and winced- were those thugs coming back for more? You looked up and saw a silhouette of a man.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help.” You heard a soothing voice call out. You groaned and shifted against the bricks. “I saw what you did earlier, outside of town. You helped one of my kind. I wish to repay this kindness.” He stepped closer and slipped an arm around you, holding you up so your weight wasn’t on your injured leg. 

“Please, save your energy and don’t speak. My name is Palmar, I’m a trained healer. I’ll take you back to my house to patch you up. Do you live here?” You shook your head, “Are you here alone?” You shook your head, “We can send word to your companions once we get you safe. Is that alright?” You nodded. You then lurched forward, Palmar holding you up.

The journey to Palmar’s small house went by in a blur, the pain in your leg too strong to focus on anything else. When you arrived, he laid you down on a cot in the main room. It was small with only a fireplace, a table, your cot, and a hallway visible. Once you were propped up with pillows, Palmar lit the fireplace and several candles throughout the room to provide light. You finally got a good look at your savior. He was tall and scrawny, dressed in a simple shirt and pants. He looked young, maybe 30 years you guessed. The top of his auburn hair was pulled into a bun while the rest hung down to his shoulder. He caught your gaze and smiled, warm brown eyes filled with warmth.

“I assure you, I have treated many wounds like this. You are in good hands. I told you my name, but I’m afraid I didn’t catch yours,” He strode around the room, gathering various vials and bandages.

“(Y/n). I travelled here with a witcher and a bard- Geralt of Rivia and Jaskier. I was supposed to meet them at the New Narakort.” Your voice was raspy and strained.

“The New Narakort? A fine establishment. I’ve heard their stew is to die for,” He smiled again, undoing the straps of your armor and weapons. “I’m afraid this is going to hurt. Like a bitch,” He chuckled “I’m going to pull the knife out on the count of three, alright? Ready? One, two-” you braced yourself for the pain, crying out as he yanked the dagger out early. Palmar quickly cleaned out the wound. With the knife gone, he helped you strip down to your smalls. He cleaned and dressed the rest of your wounds, muttering words of encouragement as he went. As the pain finally began to lessen, you felt your eyelids droop with exhaustion. Palmar let out a small chuckle.

“It’s alright, my friend. You can rest. I will go fetch your friends while you sleep.” You furrowed your brow at him, not understanding why he was being so kind.

“I don’t understand, why are you helping me?” You forced your eyes open. You didn’t want to fall asleep without knowing the answer. Palmar helped you back into your shirt and lay comfortably on the cot.

“As I said before, I saw what you did for that poor woman outside of town. You stood up to those humans. No other human would’ve stepped in like you did. I am grateful. I was walking home when I saw those awful humans leave the alley and my gut told me to check it before I continued home- and I found you.” You sighed, happy with his answer for now. You couldn’t keep your eyes open any longer so you snuggled closer to the blankets. As Palmar stood to leave he whispered, “My daughter was killed by that very same gang. The one you stood up against. This was the very least I could do to help.” You slipped into a dreamless sleep.

You felt a clammy hand grab yours, and another shake you awake. You opened your eyes to a bright blue pair looking down at you in worry. Jaskier. 

“Oh, thank the gods. Geralt, they’re awake! Oh (y/n), you have no idea how worried I was for you! We waited at the inn and when it got dark and you still hadn’t shown, well Geralt said not to worry, but I just knew something wasn’t right! You’ve never missed any of my performances. I couldn’t let you break your streak, so I waited for you. And waited, and waited. Then this lovely man showed up and- gods! I’m just glad you’re alright,” Jaskier rambled, squeezing your hand tighter and tighter with each word.

“Jaskier, I’m okay.” You squeezed his hand back with a smile. 

“Blueberry is waiting outside. We’ll take you back to the inn.” Geralt said as he gathered your things and carried them outside.

Jaskier said something to Palmar in Elder as he helped you out of bed, which he responded in kind. You made a mental note to ask Jaskier about it later. They exchanged a few more words, and soon they had you out of the door and on Blueberry’s back. Palmar shook your hand one last smile and thanks before you were on your way. Geralt lead Blueberry by the reins while Jaskier walked beside you, his hand coming up to nervously rub you calf. On your uninjured side, of course. 

Your friends slowly lead you through the streets of Vizima, right to the New Narakort. Jaskier helped you inside and to your room while Geralt took care of Blueberry. Jaskier fussed over you, helping you wash your hair and settling you into bed, fluffing every pillow in the process. He bid you goodnight with a squeeze of your hand and blew out the candles, but he hesitated at the door. 

“Jaskier? What’s wrong?” You asked, voice laced with worry.

“You could’ve died. They left you in that alley to die and I could have lost you,” Jaskier choked out.

“Julian. It’s alright. I’m alright. I’m safe now. Don’t worry.” He snapped his head up when you called out his real name.

“(Y/n), I always worry. Every time you go out with Geralt on a hunt, or when you pick up odd jobs around towns. I worry. I’m always going to worry about you, because you’re my friend. Actually- hang on a minute. I’ll be just a moment!” He rushed out the room in a flash. Your heart ached at his words. You’re my friend. Just a friend. A bittersweet smile escaped your lips. It was obvious just how much the bard cared for you, but it still wasn’t enough. You sighed, swallowing back tears and waited for him to come back.

Jaskier was true to his word- he was only gone for two minutes at most. He burst back into the room, out of breath with his lute in hand.

“(Y/n), the reason I couldn’t have you miss my performance is because of my new song. Remember? I’ve finally finished it, and I couldn’t have you miss it, because…” he faltered, hands wringing nervously, “I wrote it for you.” You looked at him in surprise as he held the lute up and began to play. The melody was beautiful. It was somewhat familiar as you had tried to eavesdrop whenever you could in camp, but you had never heard the words before. He sang about a fierce warrior with (h/c) hair shining in the sun as they defeated their foes, their bravery and kindness unmatched. The beauty of their laugh and smile was enough to turn the heads of everyone as they walked into the room. Their love of the stars in the night sky, 'each time I look at them, they take my breath away’. He was quoting you, in a song he wrote for you. No, wrote about you. He wrote this song about you. Tears sprang up in your eyes as you came to this realization. Jaskier’s fingers slipped as he saw your reaction.

“I-it’s horrible isn’t it. I figured. I should’ve waited a bit longer- practiced it more.” He groaned, running his hand down his face. “(Y/n), I’m sorry. Obviously I need to work on this one a bit more but.. you have to understand that you almost died. I wrote this song and you almost died. I had to play it for you before I would lose the chance because… because (y/n). I love you.” His piercing blue eyes were filled with hope as he looked into yours.

“Julian- I love it. It’s beautiful and I love the song and I love you too,” your words were all rushed together- you couldn’t get them out fast enough.

Jaskier launched himself at you, careful of your wounds, and embraced you tight. You breathed in his familiar scent. 

“So since you love me back, does that mean I get to kiss you?” He asked with a smirk, legs straddling your own.

“Oh come here, you,” you laughed. Your hands grasped the sides of his face and pulled him close. You could feel his hot breath against your lips as he hesitated, before he pressed his lips against yours. Your eyelids fluttered shut in content. If this is what it took to finally be with your favorite bard, you’d do it a hundred times over. Now you could finally call Jaskier your own.

[softlyjiminie]

call him | j.j.k [ ii ]

⇢ paring(s): jeon jungkook x reader, park jimin x reader.

⇢ word count: 3.5K.

⇢ rating: 18+, mature.

⇢ genre: angst, smut, fwb!au, college!au.

⇢ summary: jimin is yours, you are jimin’s but what does jungkook make of that?

⇢ warning(s):  please read! heavy smut, cumplay, fingering, oral ( female and male recieving ), light choking, spanking, exhibitionism, master/sir kink, daddy kink, sub!reader, dom!jimin, male mastrubation, breeding kink kind of, marking, heavy degrading, swearing, unprotected sex ( wear protection please. ), ex-friends with benefits.

⇢ author’s note(s): friends! i think its been a month or two since I last posted but ive been getting ready for uni! so ive decided to try and post fanfics at least once or twice a month, anyways here's a long awaited continuation of my first smut, call him. ( update: this fic has been updated and edited as of 2020 )

⇢ parts: ( one ) ( here! ) ( final )

“friends with benefits, huh?” were the first words park jimin had spoken to you after the phone call. you’d taken his number from jungkook’s phone that night and went home almost straight away to call him for real, spending the early hours of friday morning blabbering about everything and nothing. 

jimin had wanted to take you out the very next day, asking you to meet him outside of the campus coffee shop that evening. you’d arrived early of course, spying him working a shift through the window, which made you smile. jimin had always seemed like a quiet, shy boy and working at the coffee shop had suited him well. what you hadn’t expected was that very same, rather soft, looking boy to step out in some tight fitting black skinny jeans and a layered shirt after changing out of his uniform. 

“wha-wha-? huh?” you asked more so to yourself than to him. he smiled, looking down at his feet as he shifted a hand through his rose tinted hair, rocking on his tip toes. 

“your thing with jeon, thought we’d talk it out first before it causes bumps in our relationship, yano?” jimin shrugged, looking you in the eye this time. You must’ve looked quite flustered, since he was smirking at you cheekily.

you nodded a long with him, scuffing your boot as you shoved your sweaty fingers into your pockets to conceal them. “of course, i ended things with him...we’re cool now,” you had hummed as jimin begun to walk with you, at the time you hadn’t known where you were going but that didn’t matter. “it’s just you and i now...i guess?” 

jimin then smirked, throwing his arm around your shoulders. “i guess it is.” 

                                                     “mmph park jimin!” you gasp, fingers curling in his lavender sky locks so hard you swore you could smell the bleach in his roots. he smirks devilishly against your inner thigh, biting a solid seven more hickies either side before delving back into your flower to get a taste of its sweet nectar. he was like a bee, a fool of a creature following the honey duct to its alluring centre, drinking in every sound you made. “jimin!” 

his glinting eyes blink up at you from over your hips, tongue lapping at your precious gem as he did so. “good morning princess, sleep well?” he teases, dancing his fingers along your naked thigh to push them further apart. the man himself had been lying on his stomach between your legs when you woke up and now he was sliding two digits over your hot centre. “so wet...”

“minnie, min...minmin baby, please... i have a lecture soon.” you whine, thrashing about a bit when jimin held your hips down slightly. he only grunts in response, slipping his tongue over your sweet lips before thumbing your clit.

 “how long have we got?” 

“ten minutes to shower, five to dress and if i skip makeup...ah! oh my god you brat, just let me cum!” 

you growl at jimin, who wastes no more time in devouring you fully, on a mission to get you to your high. you cant help but squeal when he the plunges the two fingers past your entrance without warning, mewling as he curls them into a hook shape to stimulate that special spot. his tongue lapped loops around your bundle of nerves in a sloppy cycle and the combined movements make you call out his name as your release crashes over you in record time, after shocks of bliss pooling through your veins. 

“what a perfect start to the day, i don’t think i even need to make breakfast.” jimin hummed, as he helps you up, the remains of your previous orgasm painting his chin. you roll your eyes at him as you stand with shaky legs, but your boyfriend being ever the gentleman guides you to your feet and spanks your ass when you make a move for the bathroom. “perfect view too.” 

“park jimin, you’re insatiable.” you remind him, before slinking off into the shower to quickly prepare yourself for the lectures ahead. the spring haired boy only grins again, having no classes until later. 

“and you love me for it!” 

you flip him the middle finger.

the walk to your lecture is pretty quick despite the quiver in your legs and you believe you can make it within fifteen minutes of starting. your thoughts trickle off into the last six months, in which you had spent with jimin.

after ending things with jungkook, you found yourself falling quickly for the boy with lilac hair, his crescent moon eyes and soft smile effortlessly drawing you in. jimin was sweet and caring, had a tender heart and was everything you could have ever needed. jimin had never pressured you, waited until you were ready for anything (especially being intimate.) and was overall the first boyfriend you’d felt happy with. spending time with jimin made you realise that you didn’t have many friends outside of jungkook, even your ex-roommate didn’t like you that much. your boyfriend had introduced you to his little circle of people, and you’d really grown into yourself.

sliding into the lecture hall, you took your seat midway through the rows, making sure you had a good enough view of the front. you pulled out your computer to start up your notes, noticing the sticky note jimin had left you on its top. 

‘lunch at noon? my treat, my sweet <3’ 

you giggled at the message, tucking it into  your notebook and shoot jimin a quick text to let him know where your class was. it soon started up, causing everyone else to resume their seats and take out their belongings. you looked down, only for a moment to shove your phone into your pocket when a familiar scent filled your nostrils. the smell of fresh leather and a soft fruits, you shifted uncomfortably instantly recognising the person instantly. 

“YN!” a voice to your right called, the owner beaming down at you as they sat. your shoulders relaxed slightly as you met their gaze, offering a smile of your own. 

“morning yoongi, you seem chipper today.” you chuckled as you noted the large coffee the man had gathered along his belongings. whilst yoongi was majoring in sound technology, he had decided to take a semester of psychology to boost his appeal to employers and also have something to fall back on just in case. “what’s in your coffee?” 

he grinned at you, handing you the cup for you to take a sip. you grimaced after with a shake of your head. “vodka.” 

“you’re annoying.” 

yoongi only smiled a gummy smile in response, mischief sparking in his eyes much like his best friend, jimin. the rest of the class passed easily, notes being taken and ideas being shared. although, the end had come to a halt as your professor handed out your midterm assignments. 

a partner project. 

and of course, your partner had to be... “jeon jungkook and YN LN, your assignment is to be based on plasticity and recovery of brain function. i have high expectations of you ms LN.”

you nod sheepishly at your professor, turning to face jungkook shortly after, unsure of how to approach the situation. “we should probably meet up to make arrangements for this.” he mutters when you finally make eye contact, his dark hair is much longer and curlier than you remember as it falls just under his brow bone. his face is fuller which shows he’s been eating well, but there’s a slightly more grown look to him. older. “are you free for lunch?” 

you shake your head. “no, i have plans.” 

“i see,” jungkook nods, catching his bottom lip between his teeth as he eyes you up and down and you shift uncomfortably under his gaze. that was something he always did when he wanted you, and whilst it’d turn you on before, it now made you feel gross and dirty, only jimin had that heated effect on you now. “i’ll text you then?” 

“sure, i can give you my number?” you answer his question with your own, a guilty throb in your chest when a disappointed look crosses his face. 

“i never deleted it.” jungkook sighs, standing abruptly to leave the lecture hall. there was nothing keeping him behind since those who were paired were allowed to go. you bit your lip, flustered at his cold and awkward behaviour. you wondered if he knew about yourself and jimin, he must’ve if neither of you had reached out to one another. truth be told you had blocked jungkook’s number after you began to date jimin, just to make sure the two relationships never overlapped. he’d never texted you though.

you pack up the rest of your things without bothering to wait for yoongi, a tired frown slipping over your face before you catch jimin outside your class room. a bright smile grew on his lips as he noticed you, the friends he had with him turning to face you as well. you couldn’t help but skip into his arms, throwing your own around his neck as he hoisted you up by the waist.

“afternoon, princess.” he smirked against your ear, pressing a kiss to the spot under there. “how was your lecture?” 

you chose to pout, nuzzling into him instead. “terrible, i hated every second of it.” you complained into his skin as he rubbed your back, soothingly. 

jimin frowned as he pulled away from you ever so slightly, taking a quick glance over your features before locking his gaze on you. “and why’s that?” 

you shook your head right as yoongi crawled out from the depths of the lecture hall, a tired and bored expression painted on his face whilst he shrugged his back pack over one shoulder. 

“she’s upset because he got paired with that jungkook kid on her latest psych project, i think he’s in our class for some extra credit.” he answered in a nonchalant tone, moving over to swing his arm around his boyfriend seokjin. that was quite a sight to see, since the blonde male was much shorter than the other. jimin’s other friends; namjoon and taehyung only rolled their eyes at the shorter’s antics.

jimin frowned as he let his lips brush your forehead, holding you close as if you were to slip away. “if he bothers you, baby...” your boyfriend started, a possessive tone flickering in his voice as he held you. “you let me know right away, yeah?” 

you nodded, blinking in his grasp as he lead you off to lunch. “right away.” 

taehyung had chosen a local noodle bar owned by a small old lady and her husband for lunch. it was a little ways from the university campus, but your small group of friends liked to think of it as your smaller hideout. only a handful of students knew about it.

you had shuffled over to the counter to pick up some extra napkins, your boyfriend being a particularly messy eater. the girl behind the counter had actually been the granddaughter of the old couple, who’d come over from the states to connect with her roots. you remained chatting away with her for a while when her gaze shifted over to a customer waiting beside you. 

“i’ll have your order to go out in a moment, sir.” she bid politely with a nod, smiling at the customer as she slid off to the kitchen.

“no worries,” jungkook mumbled, to your surprise. you hadn’t been expecting to find him here, especially with the exclusiveness of this place. “so this is where you came instead of planning for our project.”

you frowned, chewing on your bottom lip as your feet remained rooted in place. the boy had a lazy smirk that would have made your heart flutter if it weren’t for the fact that you were utterly in love with your lavender haired boyfriend tucked away in the bathroom. “are you following me?” you blurted out, not even thinking. you internally cringed as you watched a sour expression fall over the taller boy’s face. another slip up.

“we came here during freshman year,” jungkook furrowed his brows with a quiet voice. “y’know, when we were still friends.”

you flinched, eyes scrunching shut. “jungkook-“ 

he waved a hand as the girl came back with a plastic bag of warm food, the smell instantly telling you it was his favourite spicy noodles. “if you’re here alone, i’d really like to talk about how we can split the project up so we can start it sooner.” 

you blinked, mind reeling at the change of subject and how easily he could mask up his hurt. you shrugged.  

“well actually, im not alone right now but-“

“but she’s with me, her boyfriend, park jimin.” your boyfriend hummed, a hint of hostility in his tone as he wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. jungkook only eyed the latter male up and down with an unimpressed look, but his deep doe eyes only told you how hurt he was. because you’d been best friends up until this point, the last six months being spent in jimin’s arms instead of his. “did you need anything, kook?” 

“no, i was just leaving.” the younger seethed back and glanced down at jimin, being half a head taller. you felt his eyes waver over you as jungkook moved to brush past you. 

jimin growled, seemingly not liking the way that the younger was looking at you, opting the grab him by the wrist, much to your surprise. “watch yourself around my girlfriend, alright jeon? 

the younger nodded, pulling his arm from your boyfriend’s grip before shooting you a glare that sent a slight pang to your heart. as soon as he was gone you felt jimin ease up beside you, his whisky orbs fluttering over your face to check if you were alright.

“you okay baby?” he hummed, standing before you to brush hair back from your face. you nodded in response, pushing the napkins into jimin’s chest with a small frown as he held you. “if he bothers you again, make sure to tell me, i’ll take care of it.” 

you sighed, ignoring the flash of guilt that struck you when looking at jungkook walk away. before all this he had been your best friend, and you’d let him slip away from you. “thank you minnie, i love you.” 

the lavender haired boy kissed your cheeks gently, smiling at you as he pulled away. his brightness distracting you from the hurt in your heart. “and i adore you, baby.” 

the following week you’d arranged to meet up with jungkook in the library, a series of texts and awkward encounters had gotten you there. now you sat alone in your favourite corner, nose buried deep into a book on stem cells for brain recovery. the brightness of the world seemed to disappear as a pair of hands covered your eyes.

“guess who?” jungkook mumbled, his warm breath tickling at the nape of your neck, causing the hairs their to stand on end. your body jolted in response, memories of your earlier times together flashing like light bulbs in your mind. and the dark haired boy seemed to tune in with that, signified with a deep chuckle. 

he slid down into the seat beside you, allowing you to stutter out a greeting as he pulled out his books. a silence settles between you as you start to read more, taking a few notes here and there with scribbles of how to present the information. humming, you turn to jungkook ready to explain an idea, before jumping when you notice how close he is. 

“hey princess,” the boy slurs, his doe eyes sparkling brightly as he looked over at you. you shifted a little away from him, smelling the alcohol from his breath. “you’re so cute.”

you frowned. “jungkook...are you drunk?” 

he blinked with a big smile, leaning over you a bit more and invading your personal space. “needed something to take the edge off before i came here,” the boy mumbled, twirling a finger in your hair “didn’t know if your boyfie with the stick up his ass would be here or not...”

“just get some work done, kook.” you frowned at jungkook, who became increasingly affectionate yet insulting of your boyfriend, the alcohol in his system making him more honest. at some point you’d managed to get him into some work but it wasn’t long until he was bothering you again. 

“YN-ie, you smell so good...” the boy mumbled, throwing his head into the crook of your neck. you felt your body freeze at the closeness, an intimate position that would have once made you flustered to no end. times of heated rendezvous in the backs of study rooms sparking in your mind. jungkook’s lips were inches away from your sweet spot, ghosting along the scopes of your neck with faded familiarity. 

“jungkook...”

“missed having you this close, baby.” 

you held your breath and mentally cursed yourself for letting jungkook get so close, letting your guard down. with a bitten lip, you pried the boy away from your frame, only to be caught off guard when he gripped your wrist and tugged you into him. “kook, you’re drunk...” you tried to reason with him, alarm bells ringing in your head as you tried to tug away from him once again. “please let’s just work yeah?” 

he chuckled, low and deep as he locked his dark eyes with yours and sent a shiver down your spine. “you were always trying to resist me, kitten, bet the only thing holding you back now is your prissy little boyfriend-“

smack.

the sound cracks through the silence of the library and a flurry of shocked gasps followed through with it. holding your hand close to your chest, you looked over at jungkook who stared back at you with equal shock. his own hand cupped his reddened cheek, his mouth slightly agape. 

your bottom lip wobbled as you quickly gathered your things, humiliated at the thought of even hurting jungkook despite what he had said about your boyfriend. blinking away your tears, you stepped back with your bag and shook your head with a whisper. “i’ll finish this in my own...just stay away from me...”

and with that you fled from the scene.

“uh huh, yeah, i think she just got home, alright...later!”

you stumbled through the door of your apartment, exhausted, deciding to march away your tears before you got home to jimin. you watched him approach you as you dumped your belongings onto the table to finish off your project. he wraps his arm around your waist from behind and kisses the back of your neck once near. 

“hey beautiful, project go well?” jimin sighed into your skin as he clung to you, letting you work slightly (but not without kissing that spot near where jungkook had touched you earlier.). you shrugged in response, shivering as you remembered the rest of the day. “seokjin hyung wants to know if you wanna go out tonight, a new bar just opened up and-“ 

you spun quickly in jimin’s arms, praying that he couldn’t read your face like he always did. you’d already had enough gone wrong today. “minnie, i have a quite a bit left to do tonight so could you give me a few hours?” you shrugged his hands off your waist, instantly missing his touch that masked the feel of jungkook’s from earlier. “just, not tonight.” 

your boyfriend frowned, keeping one hand on your waist and the other sifting through his coloured locks. it wasn’t like you to brush him away like that, nor reject a night out with some of your best friends. nonetheless, jimin released you fully and allowed you to slide into your seat and type away. he took a glance over your shoulder to peek at your notes, noticing that not even half the work had been done despite knowing your plans to split the load with your partner. 

he frowned deeper. “what did jungkook do?” your typing paused as an icy chill moved over your body, your boyfriend instantly detecting the change in attitude.

“nothin’.” 

“baby, you know you can’t lie to me.” jimin said sternly, irritation seeping into his tone. you flinched ever so slightly before jimin engulfed you in a soft hug, instantly regretting it. you knew he wasn’t mad at you, but instead what had happened to you. “did that kid hurt you? did he bail on you? did he...touch you?” 

“he was drunk and barely did any work and-“ you whimpered tiredly as jimin held you closer, wanting nothing more to wash jungkook off of you and bask in your boyfriend. “he touched me...and he started insulting you and i-“ you could barely finished, curling into your boyfriend, who only tried to control his angry demeanour. you knew he was pissed and wanted nothing more than to destroy your old friend but all you wanted was for him to take your mind off things. “please just make me forget...” 

you watched with innocent eyes as a dark cloud stormed through jimin, his lips parted as he wet them with his tongue. “what did you say?” 

you felt yourself keen into a submissive stance, falling into the game yourself and jimin played. the slightest of things making him click, ready to move his piece across the board. you let your gaze lock with his, the dullness of submission creeping into your eyes. 

“please make me forget, sir.” 

jimin chuckled lowly, ghosting his finger tips over your supple cheeks and tilting your jaw to make you look up at him. “are you ordering me around, angel?” he hummed, tilting his own head to the side to get a better look at you. “the little attention whore, telling me...what to do? after you let that filthy boy put his hands on you?” 

his words were harsh but spoken with a soft tone and a delicate touch that trickled down to your throat before gripping it lightly and forcing you to stand. jimin backed you into the nearest wall, other hand caging you in. “i’m not your daddy or your jungkook little one, you don’t get to order me around.” 

“yes sir,” you whispered, a small moan starring in the back of your throat. jimin only smirked, releasing your throat as he kissed you lazily. tongues playing togetherness a heated dance. 

excitement tugged at your heartstrings as you bit at his lips, heat pooling between your legs. you wanted nothing more than for jimin to claim you and make you forget everything about jungkook. you only wanted jimin. the man himself let his hot mouth move sloppily from your lips, ascending down your jaw and to your neck. teeth nipping at the sensitive skin where he could show you off as his. 

“i’ll mark you right here, so everyone knows who you belong to, baby.” he hummed, tracing his tongue over each mark before he hauled you over his shoulder and head for your shared bedroom.

placing you down gently, jimin shrugged off his shirt to reveal his toned dancers body from his minor classes, he kissed you once with adoring eyes before kissing a trail down your clothed stomach. “what to do with you, what would help you forget baby?” 

whining as jimin pushed your hips down to stop you from rutting into him. he pushed up your shirt, ghosting his fingertips over your exposed skin. “fingers...hands...” you couldn’t make up your mind as jimin flipped you over, landing on his back with ease. 

“how about face?” he mumbled, pushing your hips over his face to the point where your thighs rested either side of his head. with a tentative touch he pushed your panties to the side, hot tongue drawing a stripe along the length of your heat. wetness gushed from within, causing your boyfriend over moan into your slickness. “your pretty little pussy tastes so good.”

you gripped his hair as your hips moved on their own accord, rutting against jimin’s tongue slipped and slid inside you and over your clit. whining, loudly you pressed your head on the head of your shared bed, loving the feeling of jimin’s hands forcing you forward over his eager mouth. you felt him hesitate at the vibration of your phone from your discarded pants, but your moans urged him on.

“minnie...” you sighed into the air, tossing your head back and ignoring the vibrations again. a harsh slap to your ass, caused you to fall forward on the bed frame. “uh-oh my god!” 

jimin pulled himself from drawing patterns over your clit with his tongue to remind you. “you address me as your fucking master or sir, babygirl, don’t forget your fucking place.” he reprimanded with a pinch to your ass. your phone beeped again. with an impatient growl, jimin yanked your phone from your clothes after pushing you face first over his knees, your head in his lap and your ass in his face. a lazy finger made its way past your entrance with practised ease, your dripping arousal allowing jimin to slide in better. 

you gasped out, breath heavy as he slowly pounded your crying hole with one finger, curling it slightly. like you had been trained to do, you pawed at jimin’s growing erection as you whined. almost begging for permission to touch him. your boyfriend looked down at you with a stoic face as he held your phone with his other hand, dark eyes granting you permission to pull down his clothes and get at his solid length. 

“it’s jungkook.” he stated, adding another finger to the mix, curling and brushing at the spot that made your thighs quiver and essence drip down your legs. “he says he’s sorry, how cute. he wants to make it up to you. wants to see you right now.” jimin’s tone was even and straight, nothing compared to the wobbly whines of ‘please’ and ‘master’. “if only he knew how  beautifully pathetic you looked right now babydoll, drooling over master’s cock.” 

you couldn’t help but whine at the mix of degradation and praise, rolling your hips back into his hand as you  dribbled over his lap, using the slick of your hand to tug at his length. the lavender haired boy chuckled, holding out your phone to unlock before typing away. “maybe he’d like to see...” 

grasping jimin’s, now bare legs, you moaned as he pumped his fingers within your heated core. the simple suggestion had you fluttering around the man’s digits, the thought of jungkook seeing how pathetic you were for jimin and not him. a click of the camera behind you had you pausing, hesitant eyes catching with jimin’s. “you don’t mind if i send him a little something, darling, is that okay?” he asked with a soft tone, returning to your fluffy and bright smiled boyfriend. you only nodded, wiggling your hips as a sign for him to continue. “of course you wouldn’t, dirty girl.” 

instead of granting you such satisfaction, jimin pulled his fingers from your slick heat, smacking them down on your ass cheek heavily as to elicit the long and almost pornographic moan from between your parted lips. “turn around for me doll, i wanna see your pretty face.” jimin mumbled, helping you rotate to sit in his lap once more, bare length brushing up against your overstimulated bundle of nerves. you quivered in your position, letting jimin send off the text to jungkook’s contact. the lavender haired boy set the phone down, locking his dark eyes with yours as he pushed his slick fingers between your lips. “suck.”

you wasted no time cleaning off his fingers, tasting yourself in on your tongue. “tastes good, master.” you simpered, smiling as jimin cooed praises at your work. his other hand traced small patterns down your skin, darting across the small of your back and igniting a fire within. your belly filled with butterflies when jimin pawed at your hips, gently pulling you back and forth against his hardening girth. “feels good too...”

the smirk on your boyfriend’s face had you rutting back against him, jaw running slack as jimin guided you. small gasps escaped his lips as your paces increased, the air between you heating up as your lips met in passionate kisses. tongues swirled as hips moved and lips smacked and moans were made. you couldn’t help but be a little bold as jimin threw his head back, lips trailing down to make your possessive mark on his neck, biting down hard. he was yours and you were ready for him to make you his. 

“we got a text back baby...” jimin moaned as you sucked on his sweet spot, you loved it when he was vocal instead of growling and huffing. he tugged you away slightly, letting you lick over his newfound bruise  to show you the message. 

‘YN..., what’re you doing-?’ 

the text read, but you were too far gone to think of a response an orgasm building up just from rutting against your boyfriend. puffs of air left your lips and jimin chuckled darkly, hinting at you to use your words. “w-what...oh m-what should i say master?” 

thumbing your clit for a second, jimin shifted himself to position his length at your entrance, his cock lubricated with the endless wetness from your heat. whimpering, you eased yourself down onto him with fingers tangled in the wet of his hair from where he had started to sweat. “can i take another picture baby?” jimin mumbled, hands hips settling on your hips as you both adjusted. you only nodded, resting your head on his shoulder to catch your breath. “i need words YN.”

“yes, yes you can.” you agreed  breathlessly, the feeling of being so full sending you into a mindless state. jimin kissed your cheek as he pushed you to sit up, snapping a picture of where your bodies met and sending it off to jungkook.

“good girl.” your boyfriend chuckled, thrusting up into you experimentally, loving how you whines and gripped onto him tighter. 

meanwhile, jungkook could feel himself hardening in the basketball shorts he’d thrown on, the fabric becoming too tight for him to breathe comfortably. his eyes whisked over the text over and over again, thumbs hovering over the keyboard whilst he looked over the image. YN, his YN, back arched perfectly with her mouth open in what would’ve been a soft whimper. he could almost imagine the sound, the feel of her squeezing around his thick length and not his.. not jimin’s. 

‘she’s doing so good for her master, sitting on his cock like a good little slut.’

“fuck.” the boy whispered, carding a hand through his curling locks as he bit his lip. his hand begun to dance down his bare chest to the waistband of his shorts as he thought up a reply. before he knew it, the small dots indicating typing had popped up, a second message coming through.

‘can’t think of a reply? such a shame, i wanted to play daddy.’

the male felt his hips buck up into his hand involuntarily at the pet name, his desire for YN growing at an increasing rate. he wondered if she still felt the same, wet and pulsating around his cock. jungkook moaned slightly, finally allowing himself to lightly fist his length with the precum dripping from its tip. 

clouded by lust he did the unthinkable, only hoping he wasn’t overstepping the boundaries. 

the phone rang loudly as jimin gripped your hips, thrusting up wildly with dark eyes as you matched his pace. mouths wide out open with heavy breaths and the sounds of skin slapping on skin resonating throughout the room. 

you paid no mind whilst jimin’s hand left your hip to fiddle with the device, focusing on the tight knot that was building in your core. you’d buried your face in jimin’s neck not too long ago, enjoying the feeling marking him as yours. your boyfriend tapped your back slightly, signifying for you to lean back and bounce your hips in tune with his. “isn’t she gorgeous?” jimin chuckled, and you faltered.

“fuck, she’s so fucking beautiful...” 

you heard jungkook’s voice emanating from the screen, suddenly aware of what was happening. a facetime call. your boyfriend must of sensed your hesitance, shielding your frame from the camera’s view before kissing you sweetly, eyes asking for permission to continue. you nodded your head, it was nothing you couldn’t handle. jimin smiled brightly, slowly bringing the camera back to you as you regained your composition and pace. all you had to do was please him. 

jimin blinked up at you tenderly, grinning at how beautiful his girl was all for him. knowing that jungkook could only watch and never touch what was his. “why don’t you tell daddy thank you, since he praised you so nicely.” 

you heard yourself and jungkook groan slightly in unison and it pleased you to know how much of an affect you still hand on him. it made you feel powerful. “thank you daddy...” you whined as jimin latched onto one of your nipples to give the latter boy a show and you felt your ego inflate when jungkook let out a soft whimper in response. “are you touching yourself daddy?” 

you managed between breathy moans, jimin making a canvas of your chest and neck as his lips smirked against your skin. his girl, ever the tease. 

“yes baby, fuck...all for you.” jungkook moaned at the view, leaning back to show his large hand wrapped around his pulsing cock, the head burning a bright red with excitement. your centre tingled around your boyfriend’s own length at the image, a lewd noise coming from where you both met as more of your slick gushed out. 

“i bet you’d like it if she was the one pleasuring you, kook,” your boyfriend mumbled, handing you the phone so that he popped into view. reminding jungkook of his presence. “her mouth, her hands...her cute little pussy.” 

you moaned with each word, the knot in your stomach becoming tighter and tighter, knowing it would spur both men on. “god, please minnie...more!” 

the lavender haired male growled lowly, spanking your ass twice as he rutted into you fast and hard. “that’s master to you.” 

“spank her again, please.” jungkook demanded over the phone, causing jimin to work himself harder against you, the head of his cock hitting that spot that made you collapse on top of him. his palm smacked down against your left cheek again, and then your right with slightly less force. you slumped against him as he used your throbbing, soaking hole, drooling onto his shoulder as his length drilled into you, almost splitting you into two. “fuck that’s it, what a brainless slut.” 

you whimpered, pulling jimin’s hair and scratching at his back so hard you almost broke skin. you could see on the phone, that you were so desperately holding, that jungkook was nearing his high, his hips stuttering as he drove his girth up into his fist. slick sounds of his wet length poured from the phone as you watched with a salivating mouth. “m-master...kook’s gonna cum...” you barely managed, clinging to jimin for dear life as he took you how he wanted. 

“you gonna cum for her kook? cum all over your hand like a horny teenager just for her?” jimin teased. the younger only nodded, too far gone to even control the grunts and moans of your name. “would you cum on her face? let her clean it off with her tongue like the filthy baby she is?”

“shit, YN...feels so fucking good...wanna cum in your pretty little hole...fuck princess.” the raven haired boy whispered, squeezing his length as if it was you clenching around him. you moaned along with him, just to send him over the edge when jimin suddenly pushed you down onto your back, pulling out of you slightly and grabbing the phone from your grip. 

he gently teased your entrance with the head of his cock, not quite slipping in, and not quite pulling out. he flipped the camera to show jungkook your worn out and frazzled state. messy hair and puffy lips. watery eyes and sweaty skin. to jungkook, you looked absolutely beautiful. just like how you did on the days where he’d spend hours ravishing your body. the days when you were his. 

“you see her, jungkook,” jimin mumbled, gently thrusting into you as you sighed. his pace was much slower than before and from over the phone you could see the softness in his eyes. “you see my beautiful YN, she’s mine and no matter what you do, she’ll always be mine. mine to kiss, mine to love, mine to fuck. her heart? it belongs to me. this pussy?” jimin rolled his hips into yours slowly, allowing you to feel every inch of him, letting him fill you up to the brim and feel him all the way in your fingertips. “mine. and i want you to remember, after this, she’ll always be thinking of me, moaning for me, cumming for me. it’ll be me. not you. remember that.” 

and with that, your boyfriend cut off the video call, throwing the phone elsewhere on the bed as he collapsed on top of you. your let your legs wrap around his waist as he took you deeper, sensual longing thrusts taking you closer and closer to unraveling the knot. “you’re mine baby, always mine.” he grunted, hips snapping against yours as your fingers tangled into his sweaty locks. 

“im always yours, no one else’s minnie.” you gasped back, throwing your head back for him to kiss at your neck sloppily. he continued on, both of you meeting in a messy dance of lips and limbs, jimin never slowing down as his thrusts lost their rhythm. 

he pressed his face further into your neck after kissing you sweetly, fingers trailing between your bodies to thumb at your clit. “i love you so much, YN, please...cum with me.” 

you locked your gaze with him, eyes full of love and adoration. feeling him twitch within your tight walls, you nodded softly, brushing the hair from his eyes. “i love you even more.” 

jimin pressed his lips to yours, tongue swiping at their entrance to dance with your own as the first few spirts of his seed filled you. the tangled mess of knots in your stomach finally unwinded as your sweetness released onto his cock. white flashed behind your eyes and all you could see was him, feel was him and love was him. nothing and no one could compare to the way jimin made you feel, your juices mixing together as jimin gently thrust into you, mumbling nothing but sweet praises as he kissed you over and over. 

you lay tangled together for a moment or so before your boyfriend pulled his softening cock from the mess between your thighs and rolled off of you, you were left without his warm for only a second before he pulled you into his arms to spoon you. 

you blinked at him, lacing your pinkies as you rested in his embrace. “hi.” you smiled. 

“hi baby,” he grinned back, kissing your nose gently. “are you alright? i didn’t hurt you did i? was i okay?” 

you hushed jimin with a squeeze of his pinky, nearing him as close as you could in his already tight hold. you kissed his cheek before taking it into your palm and rubbing it softly, heart swelling at how he leaned into your touch. “you were amazing, more than okay...perfect, you’re always so good to me, jiminie.” you reassured him. “i love you so much.” 

“you’re always perfect for me...” he added, placing a hand over yours as he gazed at you lovingly. “im sorry for bringing jungkook into this i...i don’t know what came over me.” 

you chuckled slightly, pressing a kiss to one of the many bruises that littered his neck. jimin was always shy after sex, and truth be told it was one of the many things you loved about him. he was always tender with you. even when adding jungkook to the mix he made sure that you were okay with it every step of the way, that was why you were so comfortable going through with it. 

“jimin, my love, i didn’t mind at all, you made me feel so good and loved i didn’t even notice him and besides, he won’t tell anyone, especially after you blue-balled him.” you explained with a smile, nuzzling into your boyfriend not a moment later. jimin giggled in response, kissing your hair as he nodded along with you. 

“well i didn’t want him to see how pretty my baby looks when she cums for me!” the boy whined in a childlike manner, pink lips jutting out in a pout as he hid his face in your neck to hide his blush. you only rolled your eyes in response, heart swelling with love for your boy. you stayed cuddling for a while longer before jimin decided to run you both a hot bath to clean up. 

you spent the night giggling away, with stolen kisses and take out food on the couch, not a care in the world and not a doubt in your mind. you loved park jimin, you were in love with him and nothing could change that. 

not even jeon jungkook, you’d hoped. 

[thegoldenreport]

MIND BENT

Pretending to be someone else is easy, especially when you’ve been doing it your whole life. Amber-Eye 098 is an top tier imitation artist from the Southern Moon district, who has almost twelve years of experience under her belt in deceiving the general public for fun.

She recently sat down with Golden Report executives to share one such experience - how she managed to infiltrate Jatty’s Candy Cave and impersonate the titular owner, while remaining undetected for three months.

If the name of “Jatty’s Candy Cave” doesn’t ring a bell for you or stir up a primordial urge to vomit, we highly recommend an appointment with your local re-education services to rectify the issue. But in the mean time, we’ll ask you a very simple question, what’s really in their candy?

Or to put it in a different way...

Are you meant to be seeing the buzzing, glitching, oozing shadow that stands in the corner of your room at all times?

…

AE098: Whenever I approach a new character, I choose to look first at their environment. Their people. You can tell a lot about how a person is supposed to act just by looking at their people.

Jatty’s Candy Cave, for example, is housed in a very elaborate sewer system underneath the inner city of West Logos. Jatty doesn’t voluntarily share this information, but somehow makes sure her customers spread it like the plague. She wants to be known far and wide, yet continues to stay hidden. Chosen isolation perhaps as a method of retaining control? A walking contradiction nonetheless.

Sending several camera flies into the underground system confirmed she didn’t work alone. A personal assistant named Rael followed her every beck and call. Visuals showed him to be a funny little man who changed his aesthetic and vocal inflection on the daily. Though tended to favor anything revolving around a space or astronaut theme. It was a good thing I wasn’t stealing his identity.

Jatty, on the other hand, donned an a-line purple skirt, skin tight black turtle neck, dark green combat boots (which just so happened to be the same shade as her nefarious chemical ingredient, zeroX), and a pair of velvet back gloves that extended her fingers into claws.

Unlike Rael, she wore this suit on the regular and showed no signs of switching it up. Which of course made things ridiculously convenient for my costumes associate. She does such a sublime job at matching garments down to the very fabric and shade. I had nothing but confidence in her work.

I remember spending long evenings in her sewing shop, top floor of the special ops building. Trying on the boots and pacing around the floor. Feeling out the walk of, shall we say...a potential murderer? An ill advised chemistry enthusiast? Mad science extraordinaire? I wouldn’t know for sure until I became her.

Everything is a performance. Everyone has a good side. Everyone loves to act for the camera that isn’t even there. You may be wondering why we even go through the trouble of full body espionage if we already send in a hundred camera flies to wire tap the place. To that I say again, everything is a performance. The name of the game is not just tearing down the curtain, but walking backstage. The one place a camera refuses to go.

Further audiovisual input revealed her voice to be low and musky, like she constantly had to be clearing her throat (of her own toxins, perhaps?). We had vocal modifier pills that could mimic this effect. And her walk was always brisk in comparison to the slower moving factory workers. She was a being in motion, a blur that could not stop for more than a few moments at a time. And it wasn’t just an urgency to it, but a nervousness, a real fear. I was excited to discover more.

In the days leading up to my deployment, special operatives performed what we like to call a body snatch. Methodically extracted in such a way that Jatty would not even think to deny leaving with us. We offered an opportunity, intentionally vague, but sweet enough to seal the deal. Or that’s how it started.

In reality, we slipped a sleeping agent into her water glass, while discussing terms in the late hours of the evening. I’m not entirely sure where they took her, but by that point, I was ready.

MEETINGS

This is the word I would use to describe my first month in character. I remember the night I slipped into her office chair, torn faux leather at a cherry red mahogany desk. I remember the stickiness of said office chair. I remember pouring through her journals, her agenda books, her middle school science books. She was a being on the move, constantly meeting with someone. But for what?

One such meeting that stook out to me was with a blue deer handler, and only in my second week of deployment. I had read about this particular blue deer. And the sweet nectarine like flavor of it’s blood. Our conversation was brief, speaking about his latest harvest for the factory. He had come across a surplus, could give more this month than before. I was immediately suspicious. Could this blood contain the hallucinogenic properties I had heard about?

Unfortunately, the answer was no. Can confirm. I tried it myself.

It was however the main component of almost all their candy’s flavor profile. But I couldn’t have cared less about the flavor.

CHEMICALS

My second month felt the most comfortable. No one had yet raised a suspicious eye towards me, save for a few factory workers who I quickly disposed of, as per my training. I had gotten used to the endless walking. Learning to digest informative material while on the go. Like all those mad scribbles in her middle school science textbook. Keeping all conversations either short or long depending on what the situation called for.

I had internalized every type of candy we made in the Cave. The pipes hissed. The air smelled like swamp water. The work room was a mental prison of blood, sweat, and flickering lights. It was here that I learned the ingredients. That I tasted the fruit for the first time. Although I was pretty good at pretending I had done it many times.

She must have built up a tolerance to the drugs they use if she does this on the regular.

The candy I tried was called Vox. A lime green sucker that slowly turns into goo as it melts in your mouth. The color is deceptive. One might expect it to taste like an apple or even a lime. It tasted like salted butter.

This particular candy among many others contained a key ingredient known as zeroX: an opaque, thick, dark green almost black liquid at room temperature. Meant to be highly addictive. Meant to simulate an adrenaline rush. Meant to make the whole body shiver. The eyes dilate. The palms sweat. You feel like an imposter in your own skin. You believe that the voices on the radio are talking directly to you. The paranoia crawls deep into your brain, filling the space behind your eyes.

But you don’t hallucinate.

Can confirm, as I locked myself in the chief office and rode out it’s side effects on the wave of a panic attack.

SECRETS

In the middle of month 3, we received a mysterious package from a tall man in a black trench coat. My assistant Rael brought it to me at my desk, during one of the few times I had felt comfortable sitting down. He seemed to know exactly what it was. And assumed I also knew.

It was a black box, no seams or openings, no buttons or lights or switches. The only thing of note was a silver etching of an eye marked out with an X. It was a symbol that made me shudder. I had seen it all over the textbook. I had seen it plastered on every police car and above every government building. It’s a symbol you should all know. That was the first secret.

Our own leaders were in on it. Turning a blind eye.

That was the beginning of the crack in my facade. That little pause. That miniscule choke before my answer. I noticed a glimmer of something in Rael’s eyes. Confusion. Doubt. Suspicion. Patrons not trained in this artform might miss a cue like that, but I knew I had to begin my extraction.

A week later, I exposed my taste to zeroC. One of two chemicals they used as zeroX was designated for hard candy and zeroC for soft. Only five percent of their production contained soft candy. They don’t talk about zeroC. They mix it under tables or in dark corners of the room where the light doesn’t touch them. Which leads to the second secret.

The black box was zeroC, ground up like powder to be mixed with the syrup.

I had been reading about this less popular ingredient written upside down between the lines of Jatty’s incredibly weathered textbook. Similar to the effects of LSD or DMT, but extremely more potent and infinitely more long lasting. Made with the same blood of that fantastical blue deer.

I was fearing the inevitable. My weekly tasting of the newest batch. I could not fake it. All the workers lined up to stare at me at I sat before their production table and consumed their poison. There are some things you simply cannot fake before that many eyes.

I felt the sweet juice explode in my mouth as the candy’s skin broke between my teeth. I swallowed with all the confidence of returning to my office to take a shot of my emergency counteractive medicine.

I immediately started to cry. A side effect I was not expecting. The emotion swallowed me as they all stared. Some perplexed. Some, dare I say, satisfied? I stumbled through the hallways. Rael chasing after me with a clipboard. I didn’t turn to look at him. Escaped to my office, shut the door, and locked it. Which brings me to the third and final secret.

I had been fooling no one. They knew.

Sitting behind the cherry stained mahogany desk was the real Jatty, holding the shattered remains of the syringe, which contained my antidote. Ice blue eyes magnified by the chemicals coursing through my body. Her glare pierced through my skull. I don’t know if she escaped, if I was set up, or if my extraction was on short notice. My supervisors have neglected to tell me.

But as I was there with knees buckled and tunnel vision, I saw the black shadow of a hand appear on her shoulder and she whispered.

Don’t forget this. You people have no control.

I blacked out after that. My supervisors came to collect me after some time. I felt their arms wrapped around me as they dragged me out, slipping in and out of consciousness. Unable to process the shocking and also very strange things I was hearing.

Something about not keeping the deal. Something about craving orange juice. Another thing about an early return. And another thing about wombats in space.

I was in recovery for three weeks afterwards while our physicians on hand constructed an antidote. The hallucinations have stopped, but the paranoia is still palpable. They offered me a mind wipe pill, asked me if I wanted to forget.

I told them it was impossible.

[sugar-petals]

:: BTS As Your Vampire Boyfriends

warnings ⚠️ smut, blood mentions, fangs kink

♡ Includes places they gravitate towards and countries they lived in, with their current residence in italics. Imagined in a world where a vampire bite will not convert a human, but rather, where species coexist without interference.

↳ NOTE › fuck yeah, bangtan vamps! some bits are juicier, some fluffier, some funny, some heart-wrenching or romantic. you’re in for a surprise 🤓 enjoy!

⌈ Jimin ⌋ ➝ Urban Vampire. 20 years old. USA, Italy, Sweden. Dresses like your typical haute couture vanguard, complete with bow ties and fishnets. Always has the latest pop culture news from SNS to chat about. Majors in? You guessed it, fashion design. Frequents high-rise apartments of his talkative New Yorker friends, wears huge square shades to fend off sunlight whenever he can. But also just because. The new boutique around the corner? Jimin was the first one to buy that 307$ gleaming Versace choker when it opened. In gold. He might have gotten the $520 guilty pleasure loafers as well. Yes, he does own more shoes than you do. 90 pairs to be exact, it needs a separate closet. He will try on several a night even when you don’t go out and just kiss watching a movie. What on earth is the reason behind all that? It’s to look good for your human eyes only. After all, he can’t see himself in the mirror. If he’s bound to outlive you by fate, he says, at least you’ll get to see him at his very best for the time being. He condenses several of his future lives into the limited one with you. A dazzling outfit can be that diversion and solace. Changing it often makes him feel like living faster, even if he’s headed for immortality. You decided to get a couple wrist tattoo on that last September. Carpe Diem, seize the day.

So there’s a lot to do together. Bucket list after bucket list. But there’s still a routine. Jimin loves destroying his friends at Friday night bowling yet can’t help but let you win every time. No matter how much you provoke him, the guy will aim at the gutters. You actually met at bowling back then. Eleven months ago, at your bff’s b-day party where he was introduced to you as Park, inofficial Prince of Manhattan with a love for sweet blood, orgies, and fiery ladies. The orgies part turned out to be a rumor, but he does say you have sweet blood. Even if it’s bad etiquette among vampires and he knows how much of a vice it is, Jimin loves to subtly show off in front of werewolves and witchers with popular ig accounts about how affluent his vampire family is at underground runway shows. Or sometimes, even fancy dinners where he orders dish after dish for the two of you. His friends suspect it’s all to compensate for how small his canines are since Jimin dearly wishes they were pointier. You’ve assured him that it’s not just better for your neck but also oral sex in general. He’s devilishly good at that. A born lover. Small canines are cute and fashionable anyways, all other talk is bogus. Having a vampire boyfriend remains a special feat and wild ride. But it’s definitely worth it.

⌈ Yoongi ⌋ ➝ Metro Vampire. 27 years old. Japan, Nigeria, South Korea. Dressed in all black, hoodies and stretchy jeans galore. Studied dental sciences in Lagos and has quite some polished teeth himself, but hardly puts them to use nowadays because he’s been getting more Zen about it. Instead, he can’t live without the internet. It distracts him from any urges and thinking about the future, and teaches his inquisitive mind about everything he needs to know about navigating the wide human world beyond the subway. He travels from station to station in Sapporo with a ticket for eternity and the security of less sunlight, always in search for the best Wi-Fi to text you. Even after two years of dating, Yoongi is still fangs over heels in love. And, needless to say, fascinated by the antics of humankind. When you are preoccupied with work at a restaurant in the afternoon, he jobs as a casual broker with contacts to the griffin elites that run the financial market of mystical creatures. 

He frequently jokes that metro vampires are in fact metrosexual. Sometimes visits casinos to kill some time and watch people out of curiosity. His magical ability has caused several power downs in nearby flat complexes — strangely, never the one he is in — but its purpose and origin remain unknown. He’s consulted a supposedly wise street demon about it once but only got a long burp as an answer. Rude. So he travels on and on with the tube. He’s not as much on the go as it always seems, however. Yoongi spends a lot of his time gaming and lounging in your basement. Pretty much naked even if you don’t have sweaty sex at 3 AM. Although, when is it not 3 AM. You’ve developed a little late-night routine there. You bring him coffee, chat, make out, he buzzes you off with your favorite vibrator, you give him slow blowjobs that he records on his phone with shaky hands. Sometimes, with rimming involved, and more action later that night. Yoongi needs to eat pussy to stay on track, otherwise, he falls apart. He’s longing to kiss your breasts all the time and you hold hands when it gets steamy. No biting, he controls himself since he took too much one time. Because he hates planes, Yoongi once crossed the Atlantic in a cargo ship’s high cube not having blood for weeks. After compelling him to suck your whole body off cause dammit I’ve missed your lips, too, vamp guy, you were iron deficient for a month. Yoongi, forever apologetic, has made it a habit to buy you vitamin juice ever since, and orders his blood online.

⌈ Jungkook ⌋ ➝ Forest Vampire. 261 years old. Canada, Bolivia, Ukraine. Dressed in a large flaxen coat and heavy boots. Owns a distant log cabin between scenic, dense firs in the Rocky Mountains. Where most of his day is all about chopping and stacking firewood to take his laser focus off blood cravings and not so random boners. He daydreams of you moaning in just about every hot position possible. Sometimes pleasuring yourself or grinding on his cock. And your fucking scent. It’s what really makes him hard. And tremendously flustered. He could be 261 million years old, it would still catch him off guard to suddenly remember the smell of your sweat and hair. The first time experiencing it, Jungkook shortly blacked out and salivated on the ground for 15 minutes. Human pheromones are just about every forest vampire’s favorite addiction. Out of all BTS members, he is the most sensitive to light or artificial noise and instinct-reliant, so he tries to be cautious. Regardless, always hoping that you fill his mind with your red-hot image. This guy is so whipped — at this point, he can sell a portion of the wood he chops daily and still heat the oven for weeks with the rest.

Nature has everything he desires. Silence, vastness. It’s peaceful. A lot of animals roam the area. It calms his fantasies to some degree. He’s spent many decades in the Amazon rainforest, it’s no surprise. He likes to watch deer and talks to the occasional satyr past midnight. Doesn’t own a lot of money, but knows how to prepare a hearty meal for you when you visit him. That’s what makes JK feel like a million dollars. And once the plate is empty: Time for carnal sex. He can fuck for two hours, one even on a bad day. When he drinks from you, the sheer neck stimulation through sucks alone can make you approach orgasm. With a little help from his fingers on your clit, boy is he gonna blow your mind. This shit will teleport you into alien dimensions. He won’t aim for anything less. Whatever his saliva does, it infuses you with serotonin for two, three days after, and your friends back home know with one glance: Cabin guy did it again. You’ll both be lightheaded and covered in hickeys by the end of your encounters if the weather is particularly indoorsy and you don’t go fishing. He wishes he’d never have to come to a city because of the bustling streets and lack of forest fairies that soothe his mind. But sometimes, buying new clothes is due. You go to a comparatively manageable shopping mall after rush hour where you can’t keep your hands off each other in the dressing rooms. Life with JK won’t ever bore you, that’s guaranteed. The cherry on top: He wields an unregistered type of magic that can manipulate all kinds of water streams — he’s created a little creak beside his cabin and named it after you.  

⌈ Seokjin ⌋ ➝ Cottage Vampire. 311 years old. Switzerland, Morocco, and Mongolia. Dresses all cozy with big sweaters and trench coats. Jin sells self-grown fruit and vegetables at the market downtown on Saturdays and Sundays. With vivid gestures and plenty of small talk topics up his sleeve, he befriends just about any stranger with two minutes spare time to talk about cheese, chocolate, and the notoriously high prices. Jin is among the most popular stall owners because of the many discounts he grants literally anybody. The Swiss way of very neat, organized, and especially neutral living appeals to Jin who has seen far too many messy wars go down since he was turned into a vampire. You didn’t believe it at first: By a British royal named Hamish back in 1708, inheriting him a magical ability to learn languages particularly fast so his Swiss German is perfected to a T. Jin is an utmost textbook rural sweetheart of the village. He takes care of the cottage with you like clockwork. Watering the herbs, painting walls here and there, cleaning the kitchen, always saying hi to the neighbors. Drinking tea on the terrace, with some cheesecake and cream on the fork, watching the cornfields sway in the wind is the good life. Simple, but meaningful.

There are a lot of lively and busy little blackbirds around the house joining you to pick up some crumbs, and Jin turns on the radio to play old-fashioned folk music of whatever Alp orchestra was recorded thirty years ago. The cake is gone all too soon, and the sun sets. You’re happy. Jin is a loyal and moral vampire who has adopted a vegetarian diet ten years ago and didn’t look back once. No cheating! Even if the market sells a lot of tasty ham and sausages. He’s sworn off that. After 311 years, even vampires start to think about their diet. A lot of fellow vamps in the area think he’s one strange guy, but Jin won’t bother. He gets all of his blood from a nearby hospital for a hefty price because he doesn’t want to drink from you all the time no matter how much you ask him. Sex is a better pastime. Chocolate lover Kim got a big dick and decades worth of time developing how to use it. Jin, when he does nibble at you, also has a very pleasant bite that doesn’t leave marks or just about any kind of bruise. He doesn’t want to tell you his secret because apparently, an old and rather nit-picky basilisk told him. Somewhere in a dusty attic of a Marrakesh craft store selling lamps and the most splendid of perfumes, 170 years ago. If he spills the beans, the special trick is dissolved. So... hush. Some things are better left top secret when it comes to basilisk magic.

⌈ Taehyung ⌋ ➝ Museum Vampire. 750 years old. Paris, London, and Sydney. Always dons crisp vintage tuxedos in the muted, heavily tailored style of the 1920s. He’s gotten attached to that era. Unsurprisingly, museum vampires are truly nostalgic creatures. Perhaps, also a bit melancholic at one point. Immortality is a two-edged sword. So, Taehyung clings to everything that endures the times. Statues, rustic vases, coin collections, preserved tunics, temple relics, especially fossils of all kind. His favorite place to roam at night is the museum shop or department for Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities. And indeed, it is the Louvre, what other museum could it be. Taehyung has mastered a convenient invisibility spell at the whooping age of 142 by chance after sneaking around the graveyard of Montmartre, trying to blend in with some friendly ghosts who taught him a trick or two. So the CCTV and guards don’t pick up on him unless he manipulates objects displayed in the exhibitions. 

Which he feels tempted to. But Taehyung prefers to meet you in a snug alley café at dawn. The one where they don’t serve garlic-heavy dishes. You’ve already seen so much of the museum together in the course of a 4-year relationship. And he can’t possibly dick you down in the gallery of Dutch and Italian masters no matter how horny either of you is, mind you. You’d get anemic fast if you’d be sucking and fucking all the time anyways, and Taehyung really isn’t down to take a lot of blood from you. A little, as you always call it, prick’n’lick is what he usually goes for when you have time to meet in your flat. And maybe a deep, warm creampie to top it off because he knows that his semen does some stuff to you that only vampire magic can cause. You’ll be giddy and talk complete nonsense about Dadaism, Kahlo, and Kandinsky for three hours. Pregnant you can’t get since human with human, vampire with vampire is how the math goes. But extremely high, apparently. So, prick’n’lick. Your favorite activity. Talk about oral fixation: Vampire Tae has a strong obsession with strawberry ice cream. And... caressing your body, seriously. He is into some major VDA (Vampiric Displays of Affection). Believes that in your past life, you were the grand dame Mona Lisa herself. And a flapper. He writes poems about that and keeps them in a huge diary in the cellar of the Louvre. Some bittersweet, some sensual, some full of adoration. You treasure your time with him, always. 

⌈ Hoseok ⌋ ➝ Castle Vampire. 1827 years old. UK (Scotland), Greece, China. Dresses exactly the way you think a dapper castle vamp is suited up. Ruffles, tight pants, gloves, large hats with feathers, tons of Italian lace, even slightly heeled shoes with pointed toes. Has been alive when Sparta was still a thing, saw what went down in the uproar of the actual French Revolution in passing, met Marilyn Monroe, almost got on the Titanic as a passenger, but has enjoyed the Rennaissance the most so far so there’s that. He lived in forts, churches, and even a small barn for some parts of his life until deciding to buy himself a fucking hilltop palace where you can live together. Because lavish castles are, ultimately, what appeals to Hoseok the most, and there is definitely enough space for all of your interests ... and sex toys. Anyway. How did all of that begin. So: The two of you met at a medieval exhibit in Perth where they displayed armors and pieces of weaving. Fell for each other, bonded over a kaleidoscope of shared interests, history knowledge in particular. Hoseok enjoys conversations about mythology, he loves that. And binging a lot of shows on Netflix. Gotta bridge the old and the new. Not that he doesn’t own a giant home theatre with perfect sound system. Maybe he just wants to cuddle up with you in bed and sob when another character dies together so the entire castle staff will hear. No worries though, they’re used to it.

Netflix aside: Aristocracy makes him feel at home. The sunshine regularly hosts interspecies balls with flamboyant masquerade themes so everyone can show up how they’re comfortable. That concerns particularly the slightly introverted elves and shapeshifters from downtown. The last huge ball went under the motto ‘The Glamor of Old Hollywood’ and you dressed up as Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire, dancing all night and plundering the buffet. Hell of a good time. National holidays are holy to vampire Hoseok and basically equal date night. Given his high sex drive, there can’t be enough special occasions either way. To ride his thighs, his face, mark each other down forever until the pants are a little too tight at the damn front. The guy gets shaky knees at the smallest sight of a delicious pulsing vein no matter his century-long chance to accustom himself with human necks, so you agreed to go by a schedule — #SuckingSaturdays only — and you wear thick scarves. Which fits the moody UK weather anyways. The Scots really dig Hoseok in case you’ve been wondering. You can bet Hoseok is the star of Scottish twitter. 

⌈ Namjoon ⌋ ➝ Mountain Vampire. 3008 years old. Nepal, Kenya, Peru. You tease him about wearing a long, strangely-always-white cloak and staff because it gives him the semblance of a beardless twen Gandalf. He smokes a pipe, too, but not in your presence anyways. Whatever is in there... seems to elevate him. Literally. Namjoon can levitate. There’s no other way he could use in order to visit you in the first place. A beautiful, abandoned pagoda seated on top of a snowy crest is his makeshift home, inaccessible to everyone but him. Only a secluded place like this is suitable for his ancient kind. To meet you in a warmer and more human-friendly environment, he will elegantly descend from his premises to get together with you in the town located at the base of the mountain. As many nights as possible. Always with a self-made present. Like freshly assembled tea leaves or a little talisman he carved from a piece of wood. Found on one of his long evening walks. He knows what eternity feels like best, that your life is but a glimpse compared to his, so every moment will count. He’ll make it right, no worries. It’s Kim Namjoon, taking care of things. You can always rely on him.

On all levels, he never ceases to surprise. Vampire Joon has surpassed the principles of ingestion, sleep, and a sense of temperature. Hell, even finances. He simply breathes and exists — and most importantly: reads for hours — without any external efforts. Even the Middle Ages didn’t leave a single wrinkle on his face. And he is still the best experienced person to share a bed with. No sexual technique is foreign to him, and post-sex spooning conversations are immensely entertaining. Namjoon has a lot of philosophical thoughts on human-vampire relations and met countless historical figures. He’s also befriended the Yeti at one point, resulting in quite a few hilarious narrations that he will retell on request every time you meet. And he makes them funnier every night. Because Namjoon thinks your laugh is prettier than every sunrise and sunset he’s seen around the world combined, on his every voyage. The most interesting part is: He doesn’t drink any blood even if he has fairly sharp fangs that you often catch yourself staring at for minutes. He still seems more invested in making you cum. With sweet words, brainteasers, and wisdoms spoken into your ears quietly. He’s a walking riddle himself. As expected, who are we kidding. Namjoon, no matter the fleeting centuries he has seen, is a gem and all yours for a lot of nights to come. 

◇ castle: Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers (South-East France, 13th century)