#he’s um. sometimes just downs food for the sake of chatting. came by that from the troll he got the weird jaws from lol

[trollbreak]

Ok ok, ig I'll leave u alone now. *comes out and puts a fish I just caught recently in there* For ur troubles :)

[His mouth rests open another moment after you put the fish into place, before he swallows it. And blinks at you.]

“You don’t have to leave, if you don’t want! I enjoy the company.”

[And a little smile! If he had a tail, you imagine it would be wagging.]

[sugar-petals]

Group Sex With SuperM

SUMMARY: creating a group chat is all it takes.

↳ A/N. yep, we’re going there. 

words. 14k

WARNINGS ⚠️ friends to lovers hc, porn with plot, idol au, sex w/ all members individually and together, dom/sub dynamics, corruption kink, sexting, blowjobs & cunnilingus, gaping, graphic, pegging, bondage, light foot fetish, sex toys, spitroasting (m receiving), brat taming, dick riding, protected sex, doggystyle, cuddling aftercare

curious about an eightsome are we

understood

how’s the state of things then?

last september you decided to open an entire group chat just for planning your juicy sexual activities together

and oh lord is it active

and full of ideas

and explicit videos

and emojis

and excitement

yesterday taemin sent a clip of lusciously covering himself in champagne foam for you

wearing close to nothing

in fact just a piece of gauze, a snake-shaped necklace, and probably a bit of perfume

oh boy

watching that was an out-of-body experience for sure

the entire chat basically imploded with reactions

but hey hey

not so fast

we need to go through everything from the start

to see how all these utterly historic events happened to unfold

so where did all that come from?

first off 

befriending super m outside work (eating together, fooling around, bingwatching stuff, you know)

...means there’s no point nor chance in having a permanent favorite with a group like this

every member truly is the creme de la creme

super m is the package of the entire packages

they are so legendary you can bias each member for one day of the week 

and never run out of that pure bliss

in fact 

you all agreed to do exactly that on a regular basis to get to know each other casually

it just naturally happened

seven days seven members that’s just logical

you can’t always hang out together in full attendance so you split up your times and set specific days

you change that routine very often depending on your individual moods

but it usually goes like this because you want to develop closer bonds with them one-on-one

so this is how it ends up

mondays you work out with xuxi. oh, that sexy smiley man. his body is the ultimate bomb. is there something better than doing sit-ups next to him? anybody’s sports motivation would go through the roof. and if there’s someone you call to share a pile of food with? it’s just gotta be him. being with yukhei is self-care.

tuesdays, you visit ten to check out his latest dance moves. and: to have a huge cuddle session with the cats. sometimes, you watch whatever series you’re in the mood for. it’s always a time to slow down and mend your sore muscles from monday anyway. you think ten is so interesting and talented, and super pretty, truly one of a kind.

on wednesdays jongin and you often end up on long midnight walks with the dogs or you both look after his cute nieces. meeting up at the river han is a staple, you get ice cream and snacks. you adore kai because he’s a sweetheart and steadfast person, and admittedly... so damn hot, holy hell. being with him makes you feel great.

thursday is baekhyun day and full of cheeriness as you’d expect. long hours of gaming, cheeky skinship, banter, and pizza eating await you at his apartment. you adore this mochi for his everything, he makes you laugh uncontrollably so much. sometimes, you also comfort him when he doesn’t feel good about himself or exhausted from practice. he will sing anything you want, baekhyun is like your personal 24/7 radio station.

fridays it’s time for the studio. mark is crafting his most fire bars and loves to have you around there. you inspire him a lot. he’s just completely astounding and the sweetest to you. friday most people would go clubbing, but super m just has to meet up in the studio. no paparazzi, and the music is obviously danceable. i’m telling you: this mob can jop, duh.

saturday is for handsome taeyong who loves coming to your home. cooking, organizing, doing the laundry, and browsing youtube together is the best thing. taeyong is the shyest goodest boy and a great listener. he gives great advice and is the epitome of respectful. you just vibe very well together.

sunday you dedicate to taemin. you watch artsy films, experiment with outfits, and he plays the piano for you so expertly. man, you are lucky. he’s like a fairy to you, and a connoisseur, a mythical figure almost. since he’s a newly-found cat dad, you easily fill your day playing with the most interesting kitten that is lee kkoong. sometimes, you even meet shinee members dropping by.

so yes this is what paradise looks like

and they all love to engage with you in their own way and you develop favorite ways to spend time, they put so much effort into this

it goes without saying that you all realize how hard you’re crushing as the weeks pass

like can you imagine

all the hormones i swear

you’ve already been joking to them that you have seven boyfriends some months ago

well the prophecy is fulfilled faster than you can blink

when you meet up as eight for a movie night at baekhyun’s, the atmosphere feels pretty frisky

because lucas is sending you ten thousand glances and certainly nobody misses that

if this guy is laughing at your every word i mean

meanwhile taeyong is having a nervous meltdown at your every comment about the movie, it’s ridiculous, he’s smitten as fuck, he looks at you like you’re an actual goddess

mark keeps on making glimmering eyes at you as well, and he asks you if you want popcorn every two minutes

baekhyun is all curled up close to your lap and not even watching the movie because his face is almost nuzzled into your sweater for fuck’s sake

taemin has spent the entire preperation in complete frenzy making sure there are scented candles everywhere and the snacks are exquisite and costly. mother taemresa? at full throttle. he even used his own damn credit card.

meanwhile kai suffers from his fidgety legs, constant hair fixing and even more inability to concentrate on the movie 

because damn, he knows he wants your attention. he literally came around with the tightest shirt he owns so there’s that. you can see every little muscle doing its thing when he does as much as breathe. kai is now well aware he came to impress. it won’t take him a lot to realize he wants to be even closer to you than doing midnight walks.

ten is so firmly snuggled up next to you, he might as well be your cat himself. if ten starts acting like a clingy feline instead of being in roast mode, you know he’s lovestruck i’m telling ya

needless to say

the mood in the room is hard to ignore

hell there are romance candles everywhere all those hecking rose fumes are to blame

surprise surprise all the members try to sit as close as possibly to you the more the movie progresses

even abandoning the couch and seats to sit on the ground in front of you instead

“you want popcorn?”

“like some more popcorn?”

“here, have my popcorn!“

“more popcorn?”

“hey do you want popcorn?”

from all sides, constantly

the m in super m stands for making sure you have popcorn

you never run out

like when the leading lady is pulling out a cigarette in those old hollywood flicks and at least twenty guys are scurrying to offer a lighter

i’m exaggerating but

nobody even knows what kind of movie they’re watching tonight though

the elephant in the room is trumpeting too loud to understand the dialogue

you’re surrounded by seven big ole hotties who have fallen for you

it was inevitable

it’s more than clear to everyone that they all like you and you couldn’t be any more fluttered yourself

let the hunger games begin

i’m jopping i mean i’m joking

this is not the wwe

it’s pretty clear to the boys that if they fight you’re gonna be so unhappy and your quality time together is ruined

you adore them all, and they’d be regretful about hurting their own bonds 

and anyway

if it came down to it and the bad blood was really escalating um...

...ten would destroy all of the competition

there’s no denying

by the simple virtue of his badassery and winning disease

quickly reducing all his opponents to a pile of dust so fine-grained, the great freddie mercury himself would resurrect to sing the soundtrack in the background and pump his fist

imagine that. superm actually being gladiators i mean wasn’t that the entire jopping mv

baekhyun would try to pull the leader authority card and use his hapkido martial arts skill but ten would obliterate him anyway so

even if taemin put on a dark robe and drew a salt circle to summon a million snakes from hell, ten would win the fight to a fault

but that’s too apocalyptic and outside of that thought experiment the boys are actually kinda shy so... let’s scratch that

there are seven days of the week with good reason 

you ease the uncertainty and tension by saying you’d truly fail as a tv bachelorette

everyone understands that deciding would be impossible and cheating is shit

why give someone a rose and break 6 hearts when you can hand out a whole damn bouquet

it’s more stylish my friend

and for what reason would ten want to face off against taemin and his army of snakes in the first place. they’re ten’s greatest inspiration

nor does kai have any tighter shirts 

he already ran out, he brought his A game from the get-go

on top of that the popcorn is empty there’s no more to offer

so you remain with the idea to just keep your daily routine

xuxi monday, ten tuesday and so on

keeps everything in order

it’s fair

plus it doesn’t mess with their schedules

usually unless a big award show is coming up but that can be re-planned in advance as well

you know... things can develop in their own timing with each member

it’d be awkward to expect everyone to be on the same stage at once

baekhyun is comfortable with all kinds of back hugs while taeyong and taemin are still completely flustered and turn all wobbly at just a greeting wave

you know what i mean

it’s already clear everyone loves you very differently 

some members are more straightforward, others take it slow, it’s just a normal thing

that’s when the group chat is born

it’s still very sfw 

compared to how explicit it’ll be in the future ahem

and everyone is overcautious with writing something except baekhyun, the eternal extrovert

for now you keep each other updated on how it’s all going with trivial details

earlier you just had individual chats and baekhyun arranged the group meetings since he knows the schedule best

now it’s all in one spot so that works

everyone’s curiosity is quenched at least a little bit

and they see each other anyway and put their heads together

baekhyun will be the most open about how far your skinship slowly develops followed by lucas and kai who oggle each other in their usual tom and jerry manner

which you have an eye on

you tell the members something very important for when they’re envious

or feel the need to one-up or catch up

it’s the sign to get closer to you and that they’re ready for taking another step. that’s literally what jealousy is all about

that advice helps them out a lot actually

kai takes that to heart in particular because he knows he’s prone and feels bad about it

and they also learn from ten who carries a quiet happiness with confidence that doesn’t need comparison, but he can also talk very honestly about how he’s standing with you to the point

ten knows how it’s done

as expected of such a competent man

like he’s kissed your hands very lightly but he doesn’t feel the need to show it off all day

and he also leads by example together with taemin and taeyong how one can give compliments even when not being involved in something 

“you’re looking adorable together“ as taemin would often say about you hanging out with kai or baekhyun

a lot of praise culture is developing in the group chat

you like to see it 

and now for the other elephant in the room

as for who will ask you to sleep with him first

(and mind you at this point they’re all walking around with condoms in their backpacks and jackets)

believe it or not

after the finishing touches on his latest mixtape (oh yes), and those tracks have you feeling some kind of way oh shit, mark gathers all his courage

yes it’s mark lee 

literally he steps into the blaze of bravery of jongin when he first put on a crop top

and gets out a little “can we... some time... you know...” after you’re having some pretzel sticks together and awkwardly sitting around

oh what's gonna happen next huh?

you say you’ve been thinking about it a lot

that he has a great body doesn’t go unseen

and tell him how you imagine it with him

long story short you’ll have your first quickie in the sound booth that night

cutting straight to the chase

him steadily penetrating you from behind, you leaning closely with your back to his chest

just standing and enjoying the rhythm

that dick. is amazing.

oh god, mark lee

long, curved, smooth, a classic

meanwhile your fave rapper is definitely going through it

his arms tell you everything

that’s an embrace for the books

he’s hugging you like his life depends on it

you can just take in how he’s been showering twice today this guy is clean as fuck he smells so good

getting off from shampoo and fabric softener is not what you expected but it definitely makes you clench

you both know he’s not gonna last for more than six minutes and that’s ok

that’s a lot of long-held frustration released into that condom

and a lot of passion put into how he puts his guitar fingers to work on your clit afterwards

jimi ‘lee’ hendrix has arrived

oh yeah mark, you fucking treat, fuck it up

that way you won’t last long either since you guide his finger tips to your favorite spot and the motherfucker completely goes for it

“like this, like, um?”

and he goes off with the wrist

oh shit

it’s all kept so short and simple and you’re on the oldest mustard-colored studio couch that ever existed but mark lee is mark fucking lee nothing can obstruct his quality

like this guy has some serious skills with the angles

that orgasm is gonna get some moans you didn’t know you were capable of out of you

never wasting time, that guy is he

mark definitely fucks like he raps. fast and good

you cool down together looking each other in the eyes, forehead to forehead, for like fifteen minutes, and you give each other little chaste kisses all over your faces and he melts every time

your little rendezvous was definitely so needed 

you ask if you can bring some vibes to play around with and a watermelon next time

you don’t have to ask twice

mark is so damn happy

and the timing was right

straightforward and spontaneous. that definitely works well with mark

no complaints, you go home feeling comfortably refreshed. you’ve told him he could tell the others or wait to do it, this is up to his comfort because he is shy

neither happens

after just one glance at him the next day while the group is doing a photoshoot

baekhyun already knows mark slept with you 

he just knows

and makes a loud “ohh wow, you did it” noise

ten takes two only glances to understand what’s going on too

mark nods and the whole group is highstrung for the entire day

like a hive of bees oh yes

kai is massively proud of raising mark so well but also really surprised

unlike taemin who calmly advised mark on many things in advance

guess where mark’s fingering skills originate from

he took some secret pointers from the king 

taeyong is shook at his rap buddy’s singleminded grit to just spontaneously ask you

while baekhyun...

is keeping it together repeating the anti-jealousy mantra you gave him in his mind

“jealousy means to get closer jealousy means to get closer jealousy means to get closer jealousy means to get closer....“

it makes him realize oh god he really wants to be inside of you badly as well

you ain’t dumb, you see his change of tone from cute to sexy in the group chat even if he might not notice

baekhyun is trying extra hard to make you react to him

he posts so many cute selfies with kissy faces

needless to say taeyong’s time slot gets postponed to next thursday while you visit baekhyun this evening

it works for taeyong because he still needs to think some things through

the news overwhelmed him a little and he is shy about meeting up but that’s not a problem for you

and it’s better to get together with your mochi sooner because you both know there’s a lot of banging to do

like seriously

your mood tells you that candy’s on the menu today

oh yeah. it’s time to be all over your clingy lil’ honey bunny 

there’s not much endless wooing involved it goes to the point very fast after you arrive at his home

you just wanna stop pretending and fuck like animals and see his brain melt from it

remember how baekhyun once said he doesn’t fancy nice girls

that’s what he meant by that

mattress earthquake

he wants you fully riled up with arousal and addicted to touching and grabbing him

yeah baekhyun gets off on your desire

that’s not hard to accomplish when he makes big puppy eyes and puts his tongue on your neck

with that gomez addams shit... kissing up your arm and then popping off as soon as he gets there

congrats morticia

here is a man who can handle ya

he’s being so slobbery and moany about it that it knocks the breath out of you 

that shit is so good

baekhyun is not just a pro at giving head my friend it’s also giving neck

and unlike mark, may god have mercy on you, baekhyun keeps on going and going and kissing and kissing and he wants to lick up all of you so bad 

we know how needy and stamina-heavy this fella is

baekhyun is super m’s most insatiable member by fucking far

he’s like just give it to me and you’re like ok here we go

this guy is burning up oh god

that’s an evening of ten thousand positions, fearless cumplay, and a lot of face-sitting

super m’s most unleashed tongue right here

thank god you worked on your fitness with xuxi otherwise you couldn’t do this

he’s moaning in some harmonic scales or something it’s a whole concert

baekhyun is fully at it with you in every room of his flat with his whole neck and underarms looking mighty veiny

yeah he even carries you around to make it short and simple he’s one impatient bun

he can lift up sehun bridal style so no worries

mochi is smol and thin but he won’t drop you i promise

he’s fueled by horny boyfriend hormones and wants to give you the greatest night of all nights

and hit all the amazing spots

baekhyun aims to make your pussy lips throb and fall completely in love with him

and the bridge of his nose if you get what i’m saying

he’s also versatile in his clothing choices

if you say keep your nerdy glasses on, oh yeah they stay on

just a little challenge to see if you can ride him hard enough to see them fall off

and that dick is not some extra long lasso mark lee calibre

so he can really bend it more and thrust with ease at many angles

talking about mark

he regrets not asking you earlier but you tell baekhyun that this way was much better because you unceremoniously skipped to the fucking instead of messing around

if it wasn’t for mark’s courage to break the ice even with a choppy sentence 

you’d still be awkwardly looking each other in the eyes while munching pizza

all hail mark lee nervous legend

this way, baekhyun goes all out with fewer restraint and the burden of being first with making the impression that comes with it

we all know he’s too self-conscious for his own mochi good so that’s a better way to start out

this way baekhyun will have sex with you until he’s passed out on his bed

knocking him out like that might as well become your favorite hobby

even minutes after your tongue still feels like it’s knotted together with his honestly, the muscle memory is kicking in

and this must be the most dick thrusts you’ve ever gotten in one night

baekhyun really wants to be all inside you, make you feel him

if the condom broke at least his baby will be easy to identify from day one

it’ll come out and belt a perfect G#5

he gave it all my god you stopped counting the times you came your pussy is just dripping wet it feels crazy

and his voice has become all raspy i—

that was baekhyun’s hardest vocal run yet i swear

the contraception shelf in the convenience store next to his house is close to empty

but there’s no need to buy more

what you two perverts have been up to is enough for comfortably going through 10 years of celibacy

baekhyun is content and sleeps like a baby

you hold your bun for like two hours afterwards and never want to let him go

you are as wobbly as taeyong after getting a head pat from you

and the most well-kissed girl in this city tonight

both sets of lips

what a smoochy boyfriend

you even get the chance to jerk baekhyun off in his half-sleep after he wakes up and asks you to put your hand in his pants

guess who opens his mouth very wide to lick his own semen off your fingers with some really obscene noises

it’s his royal nastiness byun baekhyun 

who sucks your tiddies to drift back into sleep again

with his hands in your pants

god bless this man

the group chat is sending 👀 emojis all the way throughout the night

your boys know love is in the air

they’re loosening up the timing is right again

you send cute smiling emojis 

a bunch of “ahs” and “ohs” come through via voicemail

and lucas even writes: “so who’s next? 😳”

damn

you reply boldly: “the one asking that”

the group chat becomes a buzzing beehive again

from which you extract that kai is also very interested while ten, taeyong and taemin prefer waiting a little more

but this time you don’t switch time slots since you’ll meet xuxi on monday already 

kai wants to set up something nice and prepare the catering and whatnot (alright you rich man)

so it’s gonna be wednesday as usual with him

so far so good that’s the plan

sunday being taemin day, you get together to read and paint and listen to music

you feel like just doing some sensual kissing with him and taemin is very down

yeah baby he is the kissing king, taemin is hot stuff, he knows exactly what he’s doing, those lips are the pillows at the gates of heaven

losing your mind is a staple when you do that with him

just making out on the couch surrounded by the nicest arrangement of pot plants you’ve ever seen while it rains completely relaxes you and the serotonin is off the charts

he holds you so gently and tastes so good

what is it, rose water or something like that

he even put on his coziest sweater so you’ll love leaning against him

TL;DR taemin is the biggest fucking romantic in the history of SM

that was so seductive you’ll be dreaming about it

applause for lee taemin please

perfect contrasting programme: just hours later

yeah here it goes now

monday starts with xuxi stripping more than he usually does 

at the makeshift gym in his room while he’s on the treadmill

with his hair freshly dyed the most himbo shade of blonde ever

and yeah that’s blonde with an e because yukhei is too sexy to be called a blond. what an ugly word to look at

he’s a blondé

so that’s nice

he’s so dtf you just skip the workout 

time for lubed condoms.

i don’t have to tell you that you literally jump on him 

or that you’ll be dealing with super m’s singlemost biggest equipment

he doesn’t even have to drive it home an inch by himself you’re already riding him

he can’t handle all that gear in the first place

because how do you even develop a technique with such an unrealistic dick

hell how do you even exist like that

so it’s clear who’s taking the lead

all he has to do is work that body but it sort of happens on its own

himbo autopilot

you are going hard and chaotic on this man

xuxi doesn’t even know what hit him

he’s so vocal and excited 

you fuck him while he holds you up, get down on several gym benches, have him bend you forward at the bathroom sink... 

...and you attend business in ten’s room on a desk and window sill

because it’s the most silent there and doesn’t disturb xiaojun’s beauty sleep

ten has discreetly ushered you there and preoccupies himself in the kitchen with the cats

he knows how the game is played

either floor ‘em all or always watch out for others

MVP

but you are secretly wondering what ten is plotting because he has some serious self-control and observation skills

given how tidy his room is... whatever his plans are you can look forward to it

xuxi is definitely suffering from your heavy duty cock destruction in the meantime while being in heaven at the same time

that dick is worn out and dripping 

so much bouncing is even gonna make the biggest boy lose it

milking that orgasm out of him is gonna be so gratifying yum

the deep and defeated moans, my god he really surrenders to the pleasure

wow that was almost as to-the-point as studio sex with mark

no idle talk in nct huh

you clean each other all exhausted and then gobble up three bowls of noodles each

then sleep for two hours in each other’s arms

then do a second round because this guy is really getting you going and yukhei wants to live this monday to the fullest

like this man gives you previously unknown levels of energy

must be the blonde hair. it does sexy things when yukhei is twitching

this time it’s a dick blowing festival

oh yeah

the type where you’re so sloppy with your head bops, he doesn’t even know where to put his hands and needs to think emergency thoughts

oh yeah big dicks make for some nice slurpy noises that sound really plump you know what i mean

he’s gonna realize very soon you do this shit for your own entertainment

and get all kinds of squeaks and faces out of him

only little pauses help him keep up the stamina so he asks you to pull off for a bit every two minutes or so

he has to look elsewhere and distract his mind with thinking about washing the dishes

girl... your tongue has this man sweating major bullets

you’re big on the corruption kink are you

once again 

xuxi is gonna be so shaken and pass the fuck out from cumming

and he thought he was a horny guy

his soul must have left his body and that scalp is probably dead

but bleaching was worth it (he looks like a sleeping angel now)

not to mention banging all over the wayv dorm

ten got a preview of what’s expecting him

not that he doesn’t know he reads you well

lucas promises to return the oral favor next monday and finally collapses entirely in the living room wearing only boxers

nothing new for wayv, great sight for you

not a single workout routine has exhausted xuxi this much

he needs 10 hours of sleep to reboot

“she’s so wild 😲😂😍” is gonna be what he’ll summarize it as in the group chat later

first big boy taken down

the second one follows

wednesday is right around the corner 

oh yes

kai definitely goes off with the preparation you are not ready for this spectacle

he redecorated his entire kitchen and bathroom to perfection with flowers, lanterns, dim light, petals, expensive fabrics draped from the ceiling, and there’s a great view on night time seoul

you can tell he’s best friends with taemin

i mean they’re the greatest entertainers of their time of course their taste is great

always going the extra mile

the black, sheer shirt with a deep cleavage that kai put on is nothing short of a treat

is that a lace choker he’s wearing

and his hair is pushed back lord have mercy

you get pretty weak in the knees at that

the catering leaves nothing to be desired either. a full 3-course sicily-style italian meal with 100% organic ingredients and beautiful basil and thyme garnishings

to set the mood afterwards jongin does what he does best

don’t tell me you didn’t see this one coming

just a chair for you, some music, and him

is this like a whole damn private concert?

he has prepared an entire setlist to thrill you with selected styles of dance

even a rendition of salsa, swing, and tango argentino

i’m telling you...

if kim jongin moves his body for you like that you’ll be fucking hooked and honored and not believe your eyes

what a feast

prepare for a serious case of dropped jaw

and jongin being an absolute daredevil dancing incrementally close to your chair

he incorporates all these little moments of skinship

where he strokes your hair, your jaw, or takes your hands

while at the same time he’s completely destroying it on the dancefloor

with those scorching hips and how he works it on the carpet right in front of you

you’re about to fucking melt

what a time to be alive

the sheer shirt’s buttons are holding onto dear life as do his pants

kai’s movements are becoming extremely ecstatic

what a fucking lapdance 2.0

men have clearly evolved otherwise this wouldn’t be happening

kai dances like a king on a stage but jongin? is god-like when he dances with just one person as the audience

shiit

and because he’s very nervous

he work particularly hard to ace it

in his mind he’s already underneath you judging by how he’s moving

...you can definitely fancy a luscious private concert each wednesday

and for designated activities in the bathroom

he even made a whole 5-hour playlist of the finest songs

so he can make you grind on top of him

don’t tell me kai isn’t the master of courting

king of effort

i don’t have to tell you that this is gonna be the most sensual night you’ve ever had

kai will get to know your body very, very well

those hips never stop do they

the fact that thursday is baekhyun day right after this?

wow aren’t you exhausted

the orgasms just seamlessly continue huh

everything goes on like that 

friday you have a toy-filled, passionate evening at the studio with mark who’s doing the most 

let’s say mark just has good ‘vibes’ indeed

this almost gets as messy as your first time with lucas

have fun cleaning up that couch, canada

what a sex marathon

if you don’t have your period

there’s always a lot of action going on 

or actually. you do catch a break for the weekend

saturday you bake delicious, pistacio and pecan-crusted sticky buns with taeyong 

who also shows you the new fledgelings that have hatched in his apartment

so adorable

sunday you endlessly make out with taemin in the sheets who has of course heard of jongin putting on a show

so he dances for you as well and even does the hands-tied criminal choreo in an especially luscious rendition (aka extra heavy breathing and grinding on the floor, and doing splits that almost rip his pants)

oh yes my love

nothing really happens afterwards you just have dinner completely flustered

if lee taemin dances, sex becomes redundant and doesn’t compare anymore

but really now

the slow burn is unbearable with him for fuck’s sake

taemin knows how to work up the seduction bit by bit

you basically masturbate all evening after returning to your house

god. what to do with this guy

on monday you ravage yukhei’s dick and get all that head 

xuxi is a chaotic fella but he keeps his promises

plus you get the best full-body massage of your life

and for the first time pull out your phone to basically livestream yourself riding him

so the whole chat can watch for five minutes

yep. you learned that courage thing from mark lee

the camera work is obviously subpar but the video definitely has maximum effect

kai and baekhyun stream their reaction right alongside your broadcast

“woah woah oh my god oh my god!!”

everyone’s freaking out, everyone stops whatever they’re doing, everyone is glued to their screens, they love your body moving

you’re having a blast 

especially when you stream another round an hour later and lucas holds the camera now

his arm is perfect for that by the way

strong and stable and high up in the air

so you can do your thing on that fat dick with a bonus of the sexiest xuxi moans ever

that deep but soft tone... yukhei really got a perfect groaning voice huh

after getting steamy for almost ten minutes, you get some great close-ups of your pussy after having yukhei pull out mid-romp

because that gape is for the gods

don’t kid yourself with a dick like that inside you’ll be opening a little wider

it looks and feels even better with lucas tracing his long fingers inside of it

with the closeup zooming in even more while he’s putting his thumb on your clit 

mmh that’s good stuff

six very shaky boys are sitting in front of their phones right now being able to look um very deeply inside of you

baekhyun is basically frozen to a statue on the reaction stream and salivates nonstop it’s just running down his neck at this point

his wettest dreams are right in front of him

stretched out pussy all juicy and swollen? baekhyun’s lifeblood. he’s seeing god 

he turns up the brightness of his phone to maximum so he can see every little detail 

remember. this guy loves to be inside of you so obsessively he wants to pay rent to live in there

so he’s appreciating an HD view of his favorite place, really deep and really pulsing and really soaked

yukhei has slathered you in lube and really pushed apart your muscles very gently, no abrasion, you relaxed so nicely around him

it’s feeling good as fuck

kai who’s watching right next to baekhyun just stares with big eyes

every injury he ever got while dancing is suddenly healed 

he’s a new man his spine has put itself together his legs are reborn

taeyong almost falls off his chair when he tunes in

he’s that bewildered

he just types a big WOW and a wall of blushing emojis

the explicit songs he’s been listening to and whatever he’s been rapping about recently are nothing in comparison to this

finally someone climbed up to taeyong’s level of nastiness

and he thought he’d never find someone on eye level

secretly he loves the nice view but he won’t admit how much

meanwhile he will rewatch this over and over for the whole week at least five times a day

and then there’s taemin

| adorable 😊🤗🎀 6v6

| can you put the camera a bit closer again 👉👈

| and turn on the flash if that’s ok 😳

| ah thank you 💟

i don’t know what taemin has seen or heard or experienced in his life and what made him this way but damn he loves that graphic shit

turning on the flash makes even yukhei’s jaw drop and rub your clit even faster

he’s damn proud he could make your pussy open up to him this way as he should be 

cuz he’s really been improving his Big Cock Techniques (BCT)

mark doesn’t write anything but he’s online and streaming so yeah he’s jerking off

with two hands

baekhyun is typing how much he loves the wet sounds and how great the fingering action is

and he’s damn right. telepathy 

that’s your favorite pervert right there yeehaw

in the meantime yukhei’s brain is empty he’s just smiling bright and enjoying the moment and the attention and your body

ten is basically next door because this is the fucking wayv dorm 

you can hear him choke on his coffee and whisper ‘oh my fucking god, oh shit’ to himself

the phone almost topples into the sheets while lucas is putting all those rubs and circles into your clit but the audio is already telling the boys to watch very closely anyway because here it comes

taeyong is probably falling apart by now given how he’s posting a couple fragmented sentences that you try to decipher on yukhei’s phone

until you get close and take up filming yourself again 

so yukhei can make a video with his own phone as well

yep that’s two cameras on you by now not just one

xuxi’s been such a steadfast babe 

and he gets to see the fruits of his work. for one, just how much of an imprint he left with his cock inside you 

and second how hard he can make you cum now

those big fingers are magic on you

taemin gets all the closeups he ever needed from your camera because you hit the zoom even more

yukhei starts kissing you twice

not as carefully as he often would

it’s the really wet and passionate version this time

he films your lower faces as good as he can

those big fucking lips 

they never fail to make you get the hots

they’re really made to do all this are they

his tongue nips into you with extra saliva on board

you suck it into your own mouth and mix it with yours, and gather some more

and slip your tongue above his in return

yukhei makes sure you can hear him swallowing all that warm runny spit and moans into your mouth

guess who just blew one big juicy load into the condom

and he’s not even inside of you

jesus christ yukhei

looks like french kissing is his orgasm button 

you start sucking on his tongue when it slides back between your lips and you make them really tight and puckering

the noise is so delicious

yukhei shoots the rest of his semen into the condom

you go even harder on him, the kiss gets really deep

kai and baekhyun are literally jumping up and down on their beds by now

taemin and mark are sending star-eyed emojis

ten is definitely beating the meat next door

yukhei’s hand is massaging incessantly between your legs

he makes you feel. so. good.

when he retreats from the kiss you’re ready

you can hardly keep the phone stable in your palm

yukhei also points his camera back at your pussy again

and makes sure to catch every contraction

you know an orgasm is good when you’re going all “oh... ohh...”

even taeyong goes online to stream his reaction because you cum so beautifully

he’s actually crying and can’t close his mouth he can’t believe what he’s seeing

your pussy lips are so sloppy and stretched apart and twitching and you make sure the camera catches every bit

it takes almost half a minute until your muscles calm

you tell yukhei to clean it up with those plump lips of his

baekhyun and taemin are violently agreeing with thousands of “YESS EAT UP!!!” and “yes!! 😊♥︎🌹” text bubbles in the chat

your guys are so cute do you realize that

in order to have both hands free, lucas ends his video, puts his phone aside, and is already licking you up like a whole bowl of whipped cream

you keep on streaming on your own phone and brush the hair out of his face

the best part is catching yukhei’s tongue winding between your lips and then spoiling your pussy with big kisses very very slowly as not to overstimulate you

he’s such a fast learner he’s doing it really well

once you’re satisfied and cool off, you stroke the back of his neck and his favorite boyfriend duties are officially on pause

so he can go to pull off the condom and clean himself up, and get ready for bed after a quick mini snack

while you blow kisses into the camera, flirt with all your babes while they flirt back and even bow to you

and film your pussy all swollen and licked up but slowly closing a little bit again, ever so slightly

ten sends two little black hearts and a little “that was the most amazing thing i’ve ever seen thank you 😽”

you make sure taemin gets an extra close view of your clit and taeyong is making high-pitched squealing noises in his reaction video stream

mark goes like “yea that’s the spot!”

kai has joined baekhyun with the mouth and saliva action, they’re both licking their lips all over the place and make lewd lusty faces

they’re literally sucking and eyefucking your pussy through the camera bitch they want it so goddamn bad

oh to have their mouths on you right now to come down from your high and chill

you tell everyone how much you miss them and how badly you want them to be here

and how you want to feel all of them all over, on your skin and inside you

the chat is full of yearning and horny crying emojis now

yukhei helps you clean up the rest while you text how it felt with mark and baekhyun because they wanna know more

you talk about how yukhei’s girth is always rubbing that one spot inside and his breathing changes when it does

and you say you really loved their reactions

the members promise to be careful and discrete when they re-watch the stream and ten also says that if you don’t want it to stay in the chat some day you should never hesitate to delete it

you say no problem boys you should know me inside out, just remember to use head-phones when yukhei starts slurping at the 01:27 min mark

taeyong and mark are losing it at your puns

then you have a glass of water taller than yukhei’s dick and basically dance to the bathroom

lucas talks to the boys with his big ole smile in his pyjamas while you’re busy

oh god he is so shy

but very very blissed out. it really takes only two things to make this man happy. big plates, twitchy pussy.

a truly simple man. you like that

kai is definitely evolving from his teasing yukhei agenda in the meantime

he is sending thumbs up emojis instead of raised eyebrow ones

you lay down in xuxi’s big embrace and say goodnight to your boys

yukhei buries his nose in your hair, and kisses you on the forehead so innocently, taeyong melts in his little video square on screen

taemin is a big fan as well

he’s living true to his “explicit shit and romance” life motto isn’t he

you ask if everyone was enjoying themselves

big positive reactions all over the chat

you coo how you adore them all so much and want more of things like this where everyone is involved

eight people are going to bed very happy today

yukhei waves and baekhyun goes offline as well, as does taeyong who’s beaming

end stream

it was a masterpiece

that mark needs to recover from the very most, his entire bed is full of used tissues

and basically

over the next few hours the chat is losing their minds over and over again

everyone can’t stop gushing and telling you what their favorite part was

kai says how turned on you were was making him hard all night

ten enjoyed the wild kissing part and how wet everything was

naughty boy taemin keeps on talking about how — i quote — your insides are the best ever!! while sending flower emojis

your stream has unleashed a gigaton of sexual energy

and that basically goes on and on

until tuesday arrives

oof 

today’s the day

you know that ten is up to something 

except the little hearts and kiss comment

he hasn’t written much in the chat

oh shit oh shit what is he planning

he truly is a pisces

you know that some epic stuff is about to go down since the cats are with yangyang 

and — what

there’s a large canvas in his room with a piece of cloth to cover it

lord have mercy

he’s bringing the big guns

ten will even hold a little speech on how he got inspiration two weeks ago

only to proceed to unveil the art very shyly

it’s an elaborate pencil drawing standing about as tall as him

immaculately sketched in a realistic way

have a guess what he’s been drawing

exactly right it’s an erotic depiction of you

laying on your back, thighs spread, head thrown back

and to make it mysterious you see more of the legs rather than the crotch area

so whatever or who is giving you pleasure is entirely up to you to imagine to your liking

it’s more about how the person he drew feels lust rather than the onlooker. he drew this for your own enjoyment

he did that very cleverly and classily 

this canvas will be your utmost treasure and get such an intimate spot in your home

it doesn’t take very long until you’re mounting him and get those hips moving in a circle

ten is just full of surprises

you ask if you can photograph the drawing and upload it to the chat

ten is like ohhh!

but why not, now that he thinks about it. he secretly likes praise and visibility for his drawings so much

the post is definitely a success 

lots of exclamation marks and reaction memes for three hours straight

but who would’ve thought otherwise

ten is just massively talented, always on point

and hits the right nerve with his line of work

as your pussy can attest

yukhei is gonna tease in the chat that he heard you in the dorm and that it sounded mega hot wink wink wink

ten writes:

| my tongue hurts 

| let’s do it again next week

| i feel inspired to draw more as well

the chat explodes with hype for another two hours

multiple members come up with their own artistic takes on you

on wednesday kai presents a feral dance he choreographed for the whole morning. showing a representation of what you are to him and what he feels for you

very beautiful

on thursday baekhyun gifts you a deliberately humorous doodle titled mochi mama in the style of i dunno, probably picasso on crack

you have not seen anything like it

it’s gonna make you laugh in sad hours for many days to come

talk about come

baekhyun will have his hands busy in and on you all night

he wants to feel mama mochi and please you and make you smile

try not to climax challenge: failed several times

on friday mark blasts a song he wrote about you as soon as you put your hand bag down in the studio

100% of the lyrics are about how sexy and charming and special you are to him and how infatuated he is and how much he thinks about you all the time and how much you knock him off his feet, and how he has the biggest hots for you, jesus christ

that mark lee canada flow wants to make you fucking nut right then and there

the fandom just got his lit mixtape and he’s already working on another one i guess he sure has enough nsfw inspiration for it

all the more reasons to cum hard on his dick tonight

and make sweet love to that sexy body because mark lee isn’t the only one with the hots

then comes saturday

taeyong day

the tension is rising

you’re at his place

the sweet boo comes to put some chirping fledgelings into a towel on your lap as usual

there’s a big crispy lasagna baking in the oven, dripping with cheese and sauce with the most full-bodied herbal mix ever

damn tasty 

gordon ramsay would rate this particularly well on twitter

honestly man

we all know gordon ramsey would like taeyong’s dishes

the evening passes as it always does

so he didn’t jump on the bandwagon that’s interesting

it’s almost as if the stream didn’t happen or anything

just as you expected

taeyong doing his own thing and being just very consistent makes him so sexy and desirable to you it’s hard to explain

you just like his style of going about things you know

he’s very receptive to your impulses

you figure it’s up to you to make some steps

so when he opens the fridge to pull out a self-made, perfectly swirly vanilla-chocolate vortex pudding that’s just at the right temperature, you can’t help but hit on him like the world is ending 

but as you learned from taeyong’s example: your way

you ask him to open his mouth and maneuver spoon after spoon of pudding into it for him to deliciously savor it

giving him compliments on always making your day along with that

that bowl is empty very fast my loves

and taeyong very happy

oh yeah he was enjoying that

with his eyes closed

oh fuck

the sexual tension could rip the air in half like a mark verse

you decide to sit down on his lap all nonchalant and finish your own pudding... more than suggestively

taeyong is basically holding his breath at this point he’s a puddle

you tell him he can put his hands on your waist if he wants to

no answer needed his fingers are already on their way

you can hear how his heart is approaching a techno music BPM

at this point all you can do anymore is lean in to whisper if he likes to go to the bedroom with you

he can keep the apron on

taeyong tastes deliciously of pudding aye

you roll around in the sheets kissing so heavily

this is pure indulging you just feel how you’re sleeping with a chef

who happens to have the veiniest dick of all time

you’re definitely filled up well

sliding up and down on him deliciously for twenty minutes

really slowly and hugging each other tightly

and saying romantic things

that’s the good life

by the end of the evening the group chat gets a picture of taeyong’s world class lasagna 

and a ‘very random’ shaky picture of your hand in his hair

which baekhyun instantly comments as:

“now tyong knows how great you taste as well 🤓����🤗“

yukhei agrees wholeheartedly and ten starts making baby don’t stop puns

kai is totally in love with the quality food 

baekhyun voices his interest in making more pictures of that kind with you. you know, hand in the hair, no big deal

kai says hurry up with it hyung, all the hair dye makes you balder every minute

baekhyun reprises his doodling and now draws a couple

it’s mama mochi with byun baldhyun

“this will be the next selca“

glorious

you’re having a damn good time

but later you feel something is going on

the whole week passes and taeyong seems to be brooding

next saturday he has a hard time expressing himself when he comes to your home 

you ask if he’s not comfortable having more sex or if he struggles with the relationship setup

taeyong says it’s not that but can’t explain any further

you go on a whim and ask if it’s a confession he has on his mind

bingo

“taeyong... if you think i’ll judge you for something. remember we’re only doing this since a couple weeks. it’s hard to know how the person really reacts if you don’t know each other inside out“

he is still hesitant

you ask him if it’s something taboo

“yeah...”

you thought so. taeyong is the least basic person you know along with taemin

guess why these two are saved for last my dear readers

you tell him that how he’s in his own lane is what you appreciate him for in the first place, it’s why you’re here with him, you love your duckling chef so much

if he wants a different kind of sex that’s perfectly him

he looks relieved and understood hearing that

and confesses that yeah... he wants to go a little kinkier with you

now you know why taeyong was acting with so much restraint

and put all of his feelings and sensuality into food pretty much

in fact the kinky sex has already started whether you noticed or not

indirectly. as in, the dynamic

truth is he wants to be a service sub

oh yeah lemme introduce you to some new things

service subs like to really cater to their dominants and fulfill their every wish not just in bed, but around the house as well

and there’s even more to it as you will soon discover talking to him about it

an apron is only the start

in case you have been living under a rock

taeyong’s duality is nuts 

he’s a completely shy mega pervert

it’s not a secret that this guy wants hardcore bdsm torture sex

you letting all that aggression loose on him for fucking sport

and being cold to him

with a bit of soft domme action as the perfect balance 

yep 

he wants you to take him out and take care of him at the same time

he’s perfectly aware he’s among the freakier and more deprived members

even ten is just casually freaky and just open for a lot of things. taeyong is deliberate

and pretty deep in the femdom community as far as his browser history is concerned

we all know assertive partners are his thing

but he’s afraid he’ll get you into something that’s a lot of responsibility

you say mister i’m familiar with your interests 

my dear you never made them hard to guess

you tell him it’s no problem for you to give it to him raw

you’ll be doing disgusting things to him that sexy face will straight up drown 

did you know?

our dear boy taeyong loves it when you spit in his mouth and do virgin roleplay

if he asks you to break him don’t be surprised

he wants to release control completely

he goes by all the rules

and i guarantee. when he comes along your dominatrix mood is gonna skyrocket he just brings that shit out in people

his mere naked body is just... how not to go nuts on him how he wants it

long story short tied up taeyong head to toe ends up immortalized as a vertical photograph

the group chat is overwhelming your notifs with wide-eyed emojis and all caps

amping up the game a little more each day are we

without even trying. hell, this just happened

where this is going is gonna be fun

sunday goes down with you grinding yourself all over taemin but you’re both clothed

you grab the back of his neck to lean in for kisses over and over and over

yes kisses are key

if not the favorite thing he does

let this sink in. if taemin overwhelms a little kitty with a hundred thousand smooches, just how kissy is this guy gonna be 

and have fun teasing his erection through his pants

lee taemin a squirmy mess? hell yeah

in classic fashion he will spend the most time of the evening on his knees getting slapped around in several blindfolds, harnesses, and wrist ties

his fantasy finally came true

i repeat what taemin has been dreaming of is reality

thank god for taeyong having you second guess his private tastes. otherwise you would not be on your dom grind now

taemin even goes as far as ordering lingerie for your encounters — to wear himself because he’s taemin

satin and silk blouses he already has in his wardrobe so there’s no shortage

i don’t have to tell you that you can spend hours grinding on his cock in a room full of candles while taemin is in head-to-toe bondage

that’s his idea of a good time and hell you are really treated to perfect eye candy, taemin’s hotness will bring your pleasure to a new level

the group chat will definitely love your photography taken from your sessions

taemin is just an utter no-compromise kinda man to make kinky love with. everything is planned he’s never settling for less than a perfect evening

where both of you really experience the ultimate satisfaction from treating your bodies to the best of clothes and toys and scenarios

give me an amen for taemin being your sunday guy because this legend of a man is your personal church

and his discography is the bible

and cum play is the baptizing my friend

so yeah huh

every day you can look forward to. monday to sunday

and not a day goes by without someone in the chat reminiscing the steamy video you did with lucas

you end up repeating what you wished that day

for everyone to be with you

so you could feel all of them 

and you say maybe it’s time to arrange something 

you’ve gotten to know each of them personally and intimately by now

and integrated them into your personal life

hell when you wake up the first thing you see is ten’s drawing across your bed

or baekhyun’s funny mama mochi art on your phone background

and you start your day literally selecting from a pile of taeyong’s freshly washed and ironed clothing stacks in your wardrobe

sitting at your breakfast table with a bouquet of flowers that kai and jongin brought you

eating food you bought together with lucas

listening to music that mark made especially for you

they’re all in your life together so it’s the right time to make some heated love together

the chat is all down you don’t even have to ask any further

baekhyun volunteers to go about his leader duty to organize the best possible venue and best possible date

cause with superm things do go 100

he asks what kind of atmosphere you have in mind

you say hard and nasty and kinky

which will definitely make the chat interested

and baekhyun was about to rent a huge modern art penthouse in gangnam

you say no need to go that expensive. you just need a large bed, no paparazzi, and an area where you can be loud. sculptures you could care less about

you have yukhei on your team, so that’s a living sculpture already 

it needs a safe haven essentially, with a dark and lusty atmosphere would be so nice

ten steps in saying he has the exact spot you’re looking for 

he has a friend who runs a declining night club in the suburbs, with some pretty attractive and grungy backrooms with plenty of space to fuck

yeah a club is exactly what you’re looking for that’s a good idea

it’s closed on monday so baekhyun and ten arrange a rental just then

of course way in the evening

with the guarantee of nobody else around

baekhyun knows how this rigged game rolls he says they need the club to perform a dance practice, overnight stay, and shooting a music video

which is only a half-lie

not “hey we are super m planning an orgy wanna invite dispatch and tell lee soo man”

regardless ten’s friend is pretty chill and indifferent anyways

and baekhyun’s money is doing the talk

you’ll be guaranteed to be left by yourself

monday evening it is. 

you already have a whole bunch of fantasies to let loose on your boys

and put it all in the chat

yo it’s called brainstorming and it sure has brain in it

you discuss

and it goes down next week 

you encouraged the members to wear what they feel best in, no dress code, no comparison thinking. you want to meet them like you got to know them, each in their favorite expression

taeyong dons a mass onslaught of fetish gear underneath a trench coat, including a fancy collar, lots of hairspray

and latex gloves. shit he’s a freak

baekhyun puts on the coziest clothes he finds and his smol sneakers but they are secretly expensive, his hair is curly and big, he put on a nice scent

kai can’t help but go black suit and lace underneath, you know him

bleach blonde yukhei gets out the tight white tee and smug jeans

creative genius ten goes all out designing his own fashion (!) with paint, he puts on sexy af glasses and goes for his signature ‘cleavage down to the belly’ look underneath a bomber jacket

mark goes for a casual suit but make it swag, with a sleeveless top underneath, yeah those mark arms go crazy 

taemin — picks his most dazzling silver outfit that looks like a rendition of mermaid scales, pointed shoes, princely hair, famous i’m so fabulous

and it’s already starting out sexy in the car before you even arrive 

because this is all gonna be glorious from the first second to the last

baekhyun and kai will do the driving

you have not one but two classy and sexy chauffeurs you hear me

yeah in their shiny black german cars with those sleek comfortable seats

baekhyun, taeyong, ten and lucas are a team

and then you get kai, mark, and taemin, including your group luggage because such a trip needs a lot of things to pack trust me

you’re with team kai on the way to the club and with team baekhyun the way back 

it’s already lit and steamy on your way there

nothing better than getting in the mood held by the greek god arms of none other than lee taemin with mark lee assisting

you’re entirely wrapped up in kissing taemin so passionately, his tongue melts into your mouth like the finest chocolate

thinking about how you were making out last week gets you going even more

as does feeling up his bulge, ugh taemin is so sensual

mark sitting on your other side being eager to attend to your thighs, your waist, your back, your hands, your hair, your stomach

yep

yukhei has been telling him about the wonders of a whole-body massage since you like it so much

mark gets his hands all over you to provide a sexy caress and wow he’s doing it well, giving everything the perfect kind of attention, always asking if you want more of this or more of that

mark loves everything about you and he knows how to make your anticipation become even more intense by dedicating time to all areas generously

you feel like he’s worshipping you head to toe

it’s the way to get turned on

mark has great soft hands and knows your best spots by now

that’s exactly why it was a good idea to sleep with the members individually at first

you could figure it all out in detail and each member could show their style of doing things, and you could teach them

mark has become an expert in skinship

while he’s kissing into your neck whispering revering things to you nobody else would understand

they’re intimate, spicy details from your studio lessons

with a romantic twist even because mark is giving you his entire arsenal, the entire palette

“i’ve been thinking about you so often...”

with jongin driving carefully and taking the lesser frequented roads 

kai is really keeping it together

the maknae backseat party is faithfully photographed by mark who sends it to the other team after taemin and you select the best shots, giggling

your favorite is a bird’s view of your cleavage with taemin kissing right between your breasts, slightly below the sternum

his hair is softly splayed over the area

taeyong and ten reply with heart eyes in the chat

on you go kissing and touching

taemin is so gentle with you and easily accepts your wild licks and bites, leans his head back so you have perfect access to his neck

by the time you arrive at the club’s back entrance, he’s marked up and his lips are mighty used

ruined neck, ruined mouth

taemin’s favorite two accessories to walk into a club with 

including a hard-on

with mark and kai strutting right after, chewing mints

...both getting hard themselves because mark loves your body and jongin has very good ears when it comes to picking up things that happen in the back of his car

and this bitch got a raging libido, so

the best part is everything is prepared

the other team already parked their car there earlier

ten had the keys to every needed lock, showed everyone around, and then baekhyun went into organization overdrive

this is the first time he didn’t clown around to distract from work since debut

if baekhyun ever means serious business... wow

your best boy taeyong has located the perfect backroom that’s shaded inside and neon-lit from the outside

the window’s aren’t particularly low-sitting so that’s a privacy plus

there’s a huge white extra oversized bed with some more great furniture and a sofa landscape

he desinfected everything to a T

and pulled out every utensil you might need from a large black bag

he walked in like he just commited a bank robbery but in reality there’s cutesy pink rope in the bag

oh well

classic taeyong

yukhei sorted and handed out the condoms plus water bottles for everyone

he’s the expert for the basics don’t come at him he’s doing a great job

after you reminding everyone of the safeword 

taemin sits down with you on the bed and you keep kissing

keeping up the flow right there

//

you beckon your lil’ adorable mochi who’s been dying for skinship

baekhyun is so turned on he wastes no time joining

still fully clothed while the other members are about to undress

you actually like baekhyun huddling up against you in his oversized hoodie it’s cute

so hey, change in plans

everyone ditches the protocol and climbs on the bed only without their shoes 

lot of ties and belts to pull them closer to you

you bring all of them together on the bed now

the feeling of having everyone around you is so electrifying, you have to distance from taemin’s seductive lips not to get some kind of adrenaline overdose

jesus this guy is trying to soak your pants like baekhyun forgot to turn off the shower

you get to enjoy five minutes of relaxed massaging from all sides to cool everything down a little

baekhyun and yukhei alternate with kissing you

yum

big plush lips plus a horny tongue

that’s a good combination

kai is definitely setting the pace of how to massage you, and how to move the body while doing so, and what expressions to make 

instead of sitting there awkwardly staring into space

remember? master of courting — that’s kim jongin

even baekhyun follows his example a bit

you’re entering cloud 9 from that whole-body massage

you can tell they’re all dancers. there’s rhythm involved

having the seven of them attend to you at the same time just hits different

that are 14 hands

70 fingers

all in sync with kai’s physical ideas, carefully yet purposefully kneading and stroking 

kai also helps everyone find a good area and makes sure everyone stays away from any precarious or sexy zones

because you’d probably get off from that in the matter of a blink

to be honest you’re already feeling heated you can’t help it

but that’s a good sign you’re definitely feeling this 

and there’s not a single limp dick in this room at this point already

baekhyun being the best people reader all over again manages a seamless transition to some water drinking

so everyone is ready to go

you wish you could do everything at once but decide to get a load of some slow body rolls against you because hell yeah

courting expert kai is sure to oblige, dance god taemin joins right in, and ten completes the holy trinity and hell does he go off

photographer mark on duty again. this moment has to be captured

baekhyun does his mood management magic and encourages ten and taemin to let out their little sounds more

kai he doesn’t have to tell

nor you because you’re already moaning

shit these guys are just too good

these bodies are machines

again bless your xuxi workout sessions

you wouldn’t keep up otherwise

you curse them because your pussy feels creamy way too early

switching to grinding on their bulges is not a better idea because it’s making you even hornier but anyway it’s your favorite activity

yukhei takes time and some effort to get fully hard so that’s a grateful job now

because you can gather yourself

you resort to using your cleavage to stop turning yourself on completely

and then your hands to palm his pants because that’s even more inconspicuous

group sex with superm? hardest early orgasm avoidance challenge EVER

is there some kind of legally accessible viagra for women

there’s no way you could turn yourself off help

you either get the first orgasm out of the way or keep it together to have some suspense in here and see the boys work hard

the decision is clear

time to bring out the toys that taeyong assembled on a table

baekhyun, taemin taeyong and ten are in the down to get tied up in various ways

lucas and kai get blindfolded and get a sexy task from you

slowly humping the mattress just for your viewing pleasure

topless for that matter

no need to ask twice there they go

photographer mark stays free and flexible. it’s always good to have someone outside bondage just in case with such a big group

anyway so you will be busy for sure

the rest of the boys strip down to only their briefs and get a good dose of spanking

ten is definitely moaning the loudest there

taeyong ends up with tied wrists in a prayer position and has his fun getting slapped around by you 

until he’s breathless and smiling to himself with his tongue hanging out

someone got his daily meal of smacking

taemin highly approves 

nobody’s surprised

baekhyun gets a quick and simple upper body rope harness that’s very easy to grip him by

and just to tease him you add some nipple pinches

result: loud baekhyun noises

cute as hell

so that’s how he’s been training himself to reach all those high notes

interesting

taemin, completely naked, has his hands and ankles tied, looking so beautiful all helpless and his cock itching for stimulation

and because taemin’s strange ‘artistic’ kidnapping fantasies that he never stops talking about cannot be ignored he gets a mouth gag for good measure

you know you just roll with their ideas

he’s a simple man that’s all he needs

you decide to put a bigger bondage piece on ten who ends up in a hogtie aka his new favorite place to be in

if there’s one guy who’s flexible like that it’s him

let’s see for how long he can take it

ten likes a challenge

you tell mark exactly what kind of pictures you want of your tied darlings and he’s well-engaged with that task

baekhyun is clinging to you a lot in the meantime

he gets kisses on the mouth 

and your open ear 

because you can tell there’s something on his mind

or rather

his ass is telling him something after you activated it with spanks huh

what does baekhyun want?

baekhyun wants the strap

and the strap he shall get

his time has come

this time the safeword won’t do so tapping yukhei’s thigh is the deal

taeyong’s kinky tool collection has a nice and thick equipment to offer, jet black black straps, jet black dildo, like it’s some kind of secret agent gear

it takes a lot of lube to get it into baekhyun’s tight and tiny ass but what’s new 

he’s not the gaping expert 

and way too busy laughing at the members’ reaction faces so his damn asshole is contracting god dammit

what a brat

next time he gets a toy for prep

only when you grab him by the harness and get into a rhythm, baekhyun throws it back

good boy

kai and xuxi are allowed to take off their blindfolds now because you have a task for them

taeyong’s toy collection features one extra long double-ended dildo, transparent and neither too slim nor too wide

if baekhyun doesn’t have that thing inside his throat i don’t know who

this shit is made for him

and you can tell he’s salivating for that

you tell yukhei to use those big hands to keep baekhyun’s head steady

and oh wonder, his long fingers enclose it perfectly

kai gets to go hard on baekhyun and fulfill his lifetime fantasy that he has had for over a decade now and jerks off to every night:

baekhyun not talking

so while baekhyun’s ass is getting properly stuffed

so is his mouth

kai has no qualms squeezing the toy into baekhyun’s throat a little more roughly

those are some pretty intense choking noises

mark steadily hits the snapshot button

some people go to pound town

baekhyun goes to silicon valley

kai is not afraid to push that thing as far as it can physically go

you’re pleased with how he’s doing it

and with baekhyun’s blowjob abilities anyway

is there a better throat in this industry? probably not 

he’s pretty surprised himself with how much he can take it

that poor ass is getting more than it can handle in the meantime, baekhyun is throbbing and whining

little did you know his prostate is so sensitive and makes his dick leak

such a shame you fully exploit that

you tell yukhei to have baekhyun move his head on his own to get into the rhythm

and get taeyong over to suck on the other end of the toy because oh yeah

let me just say these two are amazing

god bless sm entertainment 

not for any executive decisions

but for their uncanny ability to attract and assemble all the subs

lee taeyong giving head like the rent is due is a sight you need in your life

like everything, he does it roughly and properly

baekhyun is barely even sucking anymore just straight up gagging and seeing stars

because uh-oh here comes a big fat prostate orgasm

mark is clever enough to hit record on his phone

and capture a shaking baekhyun travelling through a whole bunch of universes, at least in his mind 

because that’s how strong his climax is

all he can say is thank you mama mochi and recover from this on his back

kai is satisfied with the result as well because baekhyun managed to not say anything for fifteen minutes

kai never had this much silence in his life

taeyong is still not done sucking the toy off and you let him

never step between a man and his favorite dildo

lucas takes up the task of untying ten who wants to share the other end that’s free now

and mark hands over the camera to kai who films just that

which also means mark is in the mood for you

about time to get some dick

and have taemin watch right next to you

being able to delight in mark’s wonderful technique

doggystyle

which ends up in kai joining 

which causes yukhei to join

and baekhyun to film 

the three are literally queueing while waiting for their turn

you tell them when to pull out and let the other member have you

until mark is riddled with so much suspension, the fifth thrust on his turn ends up in an unexpected hard climax

“oh my god oh my god!“

obviously kai will let loose now and cum as well, accompanied by really breathy groans

yukhei takes his time to make you moan which gives both taeyong and taemin a good show and an untouched orgasm

eventually you get to hear lucas growling his soul out

and kai bickering to pull out already

because it’s time for buffet

after getting rid of his condom, mark has been untying the very resilient ten who’s been in prawn bondage for like half an hour and five minutes now

respect

he and baekhyun team up to eat you out

yeah prepare for a dream team

while mark and kai chill on the other side of the bed

lucas on the other hand still doesn’t have enough and ends up licking your legs with his cock firmly palmed in those big hands

baekhyun and ten are doing the most meanwhile, lapping you up all sloppy

the job of the cameraman goes to a wild taemin who’s undone his safety hook 

he can’t stand this shit anymore he has to join the action instead of lying around in ropes

jeez the guy has the fun of his life playing with filters

silently giggling to himself

until kai finds out that taemin has been putting cat ears on ten and cowboy hats on lucas

kai confiscates the phone from naughty taem and decides to take up that task himself

so taemin can eat you out himself now

alright there are three heads bumping each other between your legs now

and yukhei close-by, currently nibbling at your outer thighs

can you imagine how crowded and crammed that is

you tell mark to get taeyong out of his ties as well

if you’re gonna cum he has to join the party as well

and he will not hesitate my friend

taeyong’s kinky tongue (which can make all kinds of completely unprecedented moves and slurping noises) riles up the other three to put all their effort into this

you order baekhyun and ten to line you left and right of your hips, fingering you from there

and let both taeyong and taemin get you to the point with their tongues at the same time

it’s a busy day innit

the reason is that baekhyun and ten didn’t come but you plan to change that with some dual handjob

baekhyun lets out some pretty hoarse panting noises

(yeah jongin destroyed him with that toy in his mouth for real)

once your hands grip onto their erections, almost automatically baekhyun’s fingers start going crazy on your clit and ten goes mad with his thumb right next to it

yeah he’s kept his rings on this is gonna be a sexy sight

mark and kai retire from their pillows to join at your request

mark kissing you, jongin sucking on your breasts

from this point on things are pretty much just a daze

two tongues two hands? oh shit

four people are trying to make you cum what did you expect

and three other people are licking you all over

yukhei doesn’t even care at this point he’s just straight up kissing your feet

ten is silently groaning it out, he’s pouring his seed into the condom with little twitches in the hip and shoulders

taeyong’s tongue is gonna finish you off, taemin’s lips will make you feel so good, your legs will be a shaking mess in yukhei’s hands

how to even describe this

it’s an explosion of heat and contractions

you’re going fucking crazy from all that head and tongue action god damn

mark definitely has to swallow a lot of your moans all over the place

and taeyong

also swallows

what a god-loving man

your pussy is leaking enough to feed baekhyun as well

who still strokes himself off while he’s cleaning you up with his mouth, oh boy he really developed a lot of stamina

you have your fun telling him to stop jerking himself off

so his orgasm ends up being ruined

those always mess him up

always a nice sight to have him shaking and whining and gasping

you have to roll over at some point before getting overstimulated

phew that takes quite a couple of deliberate breaths

now you have seven hot guys with sopping wet mouths on your hands, looking at you exhausted and infatuated

that’s super m for you

yukhei, man for the basics he is, hands out towels

you really gotta say he’s kept a clear head in all of this except maybe the sudden foot fetish reveal

of course taeyong towels himself down the most he’s basically covered himself with anything he could get his hands on

that face is dripping like his saturday evening lasagnas 

you help clean mark who kinda lost his mind and heart while kissing you, he needs your care a little more now

baekhyun soon snaps back into organization mode and has the brilliant idea to unpack xuxi’s and jongin’s luggage

to have everyone wearing their gigantic hoodies and sweaters

it’s warm in the room anyway but this feels so much cozier

after going to the bathroom

a ball of cuddly guys is snuggled up all aroud you faster than you can think

mark and taeyong are already sleeping they really knocked themselves out

champs

kai finds the completely forgotten phone somewhere in the sheets and turns off what seems to be a 50 minutes video

that’s gonna be fun to watch some time

baekhyun nuzzles himself to sleep against your sweater, right between your breasts

“mochi mama thank...” are his last words before he drifts off to pineapple pizza land or whatever dreamscape is in his head

probably something much dirtier but anyway

lucas and kai steal kisses from you and go off to sort out the room

jesus christ they still have the energy

taeyong’s nasty lil’ toy collection gets cleaned and reassembled, the ropes get coiled up, the towels wander into a washing machine in the other room

whose steady bumping lulls the rest of you to sleep

while taemin, epitome of taste he is, plays his best of hits on low volume with his phone

dozing off between seven guys while “heaven” is playing? 

best thing ever

the rest is history. you’re surrounded by sleepy cuddly sweater men

you actually sleep for a couple hours

dawntime you wake up cozied and sandwiched between yukhei’s tiddies and jongin’s back

which is the most protected, snug place on earth

even a nuclear superweapon couldn’t explode past that spot

they’re fast asleep

giant baby and teddy bear

safeguarding you in unison

ain’t they adorable

baekhyun is awake silently doing pilates, smiling cutely at you when he sees you’re awake, and he gets a big load of kisses i’m telling you

miraculously everything is tidy and smells fresh, and there’s a light soup in the air...

... lee taeyong got up at 6:30.

he was a whirlwind

the group gets to enjoy a 3-course classic korean breakfast 

because taeyong found the club kitchen

what kind of godly entity is this man

how did he do all of this

the club is the cleanest it’s ever been

taking care of 24 people is probably so difficult, this is actually easy to him

you depart in a good mood because damn that soup was restaurant quality and baekhyun had the idea to give you morning head to which everyone joined in

good thing the club has showers

baekhyun is still horny as hell and you want that D(elight) any time of the day 

so you fuck for a bunch of minutes in his car after dropping off the team and they giving you playful winks

you park the car behind xiumin’s house because that’s the most calm place to be

people are sleeping on xiumnin so hard, no paparazzi are around, ever

baekhyun settles there with you smiling

he didn’t sing “get you alone” with no reason

baekhyun needs that one-on-one time with you to ground himself and love you all over again big time

plus you are dying to cum bouncing on him on the driver’s seat 

while he is desperately gripping the steering wheel to have something solid to hold onto

yeah baekhyun is always ready to lose it for ya

it’s literally such a good spot to fuck

he’s strapped in all underneath you and you can see him squirm and get heart eyes from up close

you also love how your thighs meet the fabric of his pants

baekhyun’s tiny lap is already worth a huge nut you love grinding on him

those shapely thighs

with his cock peaking out from underneath his sweater

what his morning head tongue can do, his dick can do twice with ease so time for round two today

glad you have your bag with some utensils

you’re generous with lube on the condom

in fact you love spilling it over his pants a little

it looks like you’ve been squirting on him that’s why

baekhyun is down for your pervy imaginations

and gets even harder

not bad lil’ guy

time to make him moan with the grip of your walls

mochi breathes pretty hard because damn... more dick destruction

you love burying your hands in his sweater at the shoulders and just fucking ride

his hair gets messy, his bedroom gaze is so intense

his ass still hurts from yesterday but it seems to turn him own judging by the high-pitched groans and his begs for you to bounce on him harder

no problem his dick is just made to be ridden

if this wasn’t a high-tech car from the future with carbon and whatnot anybody could hear baekhyun’s um ‘vocals’ from the outside

this is so much fun oh my god

baekhyun releases with his eyes shut and teeth pressed together, his nose is all scrunched up

jesus this one got to him

he drives you to his home with his fingers shaking a little on the steering wheel

literally tapping like they do in his microphone on stage

yep this shook him up

and insatiable byun is now satisfied byun

nothing better than knowing you ruined your cupcake boyfriend in the best of ways

back at his apartment and after some extra carbo hydrate heavy food, as a pre-nap treat you grind on his thighs and his ass because why not

and gyrate him to sleep with his arms and legs stretched in all directions

both of you are still in disbelief that all of this happened

legend has it you’re dreaming of more group sex ideas that night

the next day taemin sends the champagne video to celebrate your first time together

which brings us back to the start

and that’s how it all happened

now you know

congrats on being a lucky girl

related: super m as subs

FINAL NOTE. ah shit i love this dynamic, thank you for reading 🎊

© 2017-2021 submissive-bangtan. all rights reserved. no reposts or translations allowed. all depictions fictional.

[monellabella]

Here’s pt.1 1/2 (sort of) of “Fight or Flight”!! You can read pt.1 here . Enjoy!

Fight or Flight

Fred Weasley x Fem!reader

Warnings: cursing, food mention, injury/ injury mentions

Taglist (Just send me an ask to be added or removed) : @krasivayadarling @amourtentiaa @plant-flwrs @pineapplesandpinas @wonderfilworld @fictionalwhores

Something's gotten into you You don't really look at me the way you used to And I'm hoping it ain't true Every single rumor that I've heard of you say

You were off with someone that I don't know Calling other people on your telephone Kinda wish I didn't know

Since first year, Fred was always pulling pranks on y/n, but she refused to retaliate because then she felt like she’d just be a hypocrite, as she was always complaining about how stupid and immature Fred and George’s pranks were.

But by fourth year, after Fred had pulled a prank on y/n that ended with her being thrown into the black lake in the middle of JANUARY, she couldn’t take it anymore, and it was Game. On. 

Y/n started out with the classic colored shampoo prank- Fred’s hair was turned a ghastly shade of yellow for over a week. 

Fred got her back by transfiguring every one of her quills and pens into worms. 

The pranks kept getting more and more outrageous as they kept trying to outdo each other.

While George and y/n’s friends initially helped them out and kept them in check, it got to the point where there was nothing ANYONE could say or do that would stop them- including the teachers.

They couldn’t care less about the myriad of detentions they’d each get whenever they were caught- in fact, they actually started COMPETING to see who could get the most by the end of the week.

This turned into them seeing who could get into the most trouble without getting expelled.

By April, this had led to a prank war between them that got SO bad, Dumbledore himself had to intervene and make them put a stop to it when one of the pranks resulted in a number of student getting injured- I’m talking broken noses, twisted ankles, chipped teeth, a black eye or two, and one poor kid even broke his wrist.

Needless to say, they both felt terrible.

They were brought to Dumbledore’s office and threatened with expulsion if they didn’t sort this out.

So right then and there, they agreed to a truce- promising to stay as far away from each other as possible, lest one of their arguments leads to other people getting injured.

They each received a month’s detention and were made to personally apologize to every person they’d landed in the hospital wing- not that either of them minded.

As promised, they also started ignoring each other entirely.

It was hard at first- y/n still thought he was a complete asshole and she wanted to remind him every chance she got- but she knew she was on incredibly thin ice with Dumbledore and was already threatened with expulsion, so she held her tongue.

For Fred, it was equally difficult. When him and George purposely made their potion explode, causing the entire dungeon to be filled with a thick, violet smoke and subsequently evacuated, he was so used to y/n chewing him he’d already thought of a response that was sure to get her riled up.

But then he was reminded of their truce.

While waiting for Snape to come and take away god-knows how many points from Gryffindor and give him and George detention, he saw her standing by the wall, arms crossed, not even bothering to look his way. She was chatting with Alicia as they waited with the rest of the crowd to be let back into the classroom to collect their things. 

They would always complain about each other. Y/n was always more than happy to remind Fred that he was brainless fuck after every stupid comment or irritating remark. 

Fred could write a ten-page essay on how much of a nagging cunt y/n could be sometimes. 

There was no question- they hated each other. They didn’t “miss” talking to each other. And the fact that they hadn’t spoken in nearly two weeks was NOT the reason they’d both been acting strange:

“Hey, y/n,” said Alicia. Y/n’s head jerked up, “Hm?” “Are you alright?” Alicia asked, “You’ve been picking at your food for the past 20 minutes, you’ve hardly eaten anything.”

“Oh, um,” y/n sat up and cleared her throat, “sorry. I just sort of spaced-out I guess.” she looked back down at her plate and carelessly pushed the food around. Angelina and Alicia shared a look.

“Y/n…” Angelina began, “Are you sure-”

“Ange, I’m fine, okay?” y/n interrupted, “I’m just tired.” Angelina and Alicia looked at each other again. Y/n noticed it and felt a surge of anger start to bubble up in her chest.

Y/n’s jaw clenched, and she forcefully dropped her fork down over her plate. The resulting clatter grabbed the attention of a few students nearby. She pushed herself away from the table and stood up.“I��m going to bed.” She announced.

As she started walking quickly out of the Great Hall, Angelina and Alicia started getting out of their seats, “Y/n, wait!” Angelina called out after her.

But y/n just sped up, “Good-night!” she called out, lifting her arm up and giving a sarcastic little wave before dropping it down and exiting the Great Hall in a huff. 

Fred was no better- he seemed angrier and more easily frustrated these days, and the dark circles starting to form under his eyes were a clear indicator of his recent lack of proper sleep. He was more quiet nowadays, which was extremely odd indeed. He’d constantly space out, and sometimes he’d catch himself staring at y/n in class, both of them quickly dropping their gaze any time their eyes met. Most noticeably though, was that all this had started to affect his Quidditch abilities.

“Oi, Fred, s’everything alright, mate?” George asked after practice one day.

“Yeah, everything’s fine, why?” he replied flatly.

“I dunno, mate, you just seem really distracted. You hardly ever miss a bludger but lately…” George trailed off. Fred sighed exasperatedly, “Look, I just have a lot on my mind lately, okay? For fucks’ sake there’s still some sort of bloody monster loose in the castle! a-and all this bollocks about me nearly getting expelled, I just-” he sighed in defeat.

“Well, d’you want to talk about it? Might help.” George suggested.

“It’s fine, mate. I just need some time alone.” Fred answered, lugging his broom over his shoulder and walking past the locker room as he made a bee-line for the castle. 

Fred and y/n were enemies- it was a known fact. So then why was this sudden separation taking such a toll on them? The fact that they had an excuse not to interact anymore was a good thing…right? 

About a month or so after the incident had passed, and y/n FINALLY had her free time back after serving all her detentions, y/n often found herself on the Quidditch pitch. She was hoping to join the team the coming year, and she wanted to get in as much practice as she could.

Late one afternoon after practicing with Angelina and Alicia, y/n decided to stay on the pitch after they left. She said she wanted to work on some new strategies, but really she just wanted some time alone.

While she was hanging on her broom by her knees, hovering a few feet above the ground, a voice called out “Nice trick.” She was so startled that she slipped off and landed headfirst in the sand.

“Oh shit,” the voice said as they rushed over to her, “Oh my god, I-I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to startle you like that. Are you okay?”

She was ready to start screaming at whoever it was that made her nearly break her neck, but when she came face to face with Cedric Diggory, a look of genuine concern in his eyes, her rage seemed to subside a bit. A bit.

“Um,” she said, sitting up slowly, “Yeah. Yeah, no, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Do you need to go to the hospital wing?”

“No, no it’s okay.” Y/n replied. She turned her neck slightly and winced. “Um, actually, could you bring me an ice pack? There should be some in the locker room.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. Er, I’ll be right back.” and with that, Cedric practically sprinted across the field. Y/n smirked, and couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at his fervor- but it was short lived as she felt another pain at the back of her head.

“Ow,” she mumbled. She gingerly placing her hand at the sight, where a small bump was beginning to form.

Luckily, Cedric had just come back with several ice packs.

“Thanks.” She said shyly. “You sure you’re okay?” He asked. “Yeah I’m fine, just a bit of a bruise probably.” Y/n replied, holding the ice pack to the back of her head. “Well, I’ll stay with you just in case.” He said.

“I appreciate it.” Y/n said chuckling slightly. Cedric slowly lowered himself onto the ground and sat next to her.

“So, um, just curious,” Cedric began, “where’d you learn to do that little trick on the broom?” Y/n laughed, and she began to explain where she’d learnt her unusual talent. 

Long story short, they ended up talking until it was pitch black out and they were both shivering from the cold night air. Cedric walked her back to her dorm, using the excuse that he just wanted to make sure she didn’t have a concussion, though they both knew she was perfectly fine. 

They walked as slowly as humanly possible across the grounds. When they got to y/n’s dorm, their conversation ended, and they both stood there awkwardly as each of them tried to come up with something to say.

Y/n was still holding the ice pack, which had long since melted, and was now slowly dripping onto the floor.

“I should probably get back to my dorm.” Cedric said, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck while attempting to avoid y/n’s gaze.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, of course,” she stammered, “yeah, no, don’t let me keep you.” 

Cedric chuckled. He suddenly seemed to remember something and he looked back up at y/n. “Oh! Um, mind if I take a look at your head one more time?” He asked. “Just to be sure there’s nothing there.” He added quickly.

“Oh! uhh...yeah!” she said slowly, “Yeah, sure.” Y/n turned around so her back was facing him.

She then felt him gently pushing her hair to either side, his fingertips brushing over the back of her neck. She felt a shiver run down her spine, and she knew that goosebumps had risen up where his hand had been, though she prayed he didn’t notice.

“Where was it again?” He asked. “Oh, um,” y/n brought her hand up to where the injury had been, “ ‘round here somewhere, I think.”

Cedric placed his hand diagonally over hers, their fingertips at the same spot. “Here?” He asked softly. y/n felt heat rushing to her cheeks.

“uM,” her voice had gone up about five octaves. She coughed and corrected herself, “um, yeah. About there.”

Cedric chuckled lightly, and she felt his breath fan over the back of her neck. She quickly brought her hand back to her side as Cedric inspected the injury. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke up.

“Well,” he paused, “I don’t see a bump or anything- maybe a bit red where you fell, but other than that, I’d say it’s fine.” Cedric took his hand away, then carefully reached over and pulled y/n’s hair back into place.

Y/n gave a sharp inhale and cleared her throat, “Well, um, thanks.” She said. Y/n turned around and looked up at him, “for, um,” she gestured towards the back of her head, “y’know, making sure I was okay and all.”

Cedric cleared his throat and blinked a few times,“Um- yeah! yeah, of course. No problem.” He said, a blush creeping up over his cheeks. 

Y/n looked down and smiled to herself. “I’ll see you around then, yeah?” She asked.

“Yeah, definitely.” He replied.

“Okay, yeah, cool.” Y/n said, her brow slightly furrowed. “G’night, then.” She added. Her face relaxed as she glanced back up at him, trying to subdue her grin. “Goodnight.” Cedric replied. He nodded to himself then flashed her a soft smile as he turned on his heel and walked away with his hands in his pockets. Y/n bit her lip and grinned as she watched him walk away. 

She felt her heart beating a little faster than normal, but she didn’t mind one bit. Feeling like her head was stuffed with candy floss, she turned to the portrait of the fat lady and gave her the password; still grinning softly as she walked through the portrait hole and into the empty common room.

[ghostlywritten]

If Only I Had Stayed In The Shadows - Chapter Three

James Potter x OC

Words: 3,1k

Prologue  Chapter One  Chapter Two

"What's going on between you and Potter these days?" Marlene asked as we sat at breakfast together.

"Nothing?" I asked back, not missing how Lily's eyes snapped towards me.

"It's not nothing," Marlene pressed, "You've been spending an awful lot of time together."

"So? Is it that weird that a boy wants to spend time with me?"

"Um, yes." 

I gave her look at her blunt reply. "Well, it's true! You hardly ever have a boy paying so much attention to you. It's interesting." I tried to pretend that her words didn't sting. "Besides, it's Potter! He is in love with Lily."

"Well, it's not like we are being romantic in any way," I mumbled into my croissant (except for wishful thinking), "We are just friends."

"All of a sudden?"

"It just came about. What about it?" I said with an eyeroll.

"I'm just saying it's weird," Marlene muttered, "Not only has Potter started hanging around you all the time he has also stopped pursuing Lily. After all these years!" She leaned forward to whisper, "What if he is going to try asking you out from now on?" I almost choked on my coffee, coughing heavily.

"Honestly Marlene, your imagination is shocking sometimes," I said with a raspy voice. Marlene huffed, leaning back as she turned her attention back to her food, "Say what you want, I think my theory is not that off."

I just rolled my eyes. Lily stayed surprisingly quiet.

After dinner, I strolled through the halls with another bag of sweets ready in my hands as I thought over how to convince Madam Pomfrey with more than just repeatedly saying 'please'.

Knocking at the big wooden door, I opened to reveal the Hospital Wing surprisingly empty. "Wow, this must be the first time you don't have to tend to a student for once," I made myself known as I walked in leisurely, swinging the bag of sweets in my hands pointedly.

"Miss Grant, I do not have time for you. Please leave right now," Madam Pomfrey immediately cut off any attempt from my side.

"But you don't have any-"

"I'm really serious, Miss Grant," she said sternly, "I do not have the patience for your nonsense. Leave!"

I gave her an almost hurt – or rather scared – look when I noticed the curtains drawn around a bed in the far corner of the room. 'Huh, isn't so empty after all.' "Now!" I swiftly followed her orders.

Walking back towards the Common Room with a sullen glare at everyone passing by I was surprised to not see James waiting at the fireplace this time. I was even more surprised at the amount of disappointment I felt at the realisation. Sighing heavily, I plopped down on an armchair, deciding that I should wait for him for once, dropping the bag of sweets on the small table.

I stared at the fire for a long time, slowly curling myself into the soft leather as a yawn escaped me, thoughts mindlessly passing through my head and before I knew it, my eyes had drifted close.

I woke up to the feeling of something warm being draped over me, my lids fluttering back open after what felt like only a minute but was definitely longer according to the dimmed fireplace. I glanced around with drowsy eyes until a figure knelt down in front of me, revealing the one person I had been waiting for.

"Hey Grant," the messy-haired boy whispered gently.

"Hey James," I muttered back, snuggling further into the blanket, "What time is it?"

"Well past midnight," he replied, pushing a strand of hair back that had fallen over my face at my shuffling, "You drooled all over the leather."

"Did not," I denied, wiping the corner of my mouth and he chuckled quietly, "Where have you been anyway?"

"Just out and about with the lads. You know, causing trouble," he said with grin before his gaze softened, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I hadn't expected you to wait this long."

"I wouldn't have if I hadn't fallen asleep," I retorted and he smirked, "Sure." I blushed. I really would have left. At some point. For sure. Clearing my throat, I changed the topic, "Where are the others then? And what have you done this time?"

"Padfoot and Wormtail are already up…Moony, too," he added hastily and I briefly wondered why he seemed nervous when my gaze flickered over to the window.

The moon appeared from behind a cloud, a stark contrast to the black sky. It seemed to have been full last night and descending into the darkness once more; Before it would ascend into a full moon again next month...

The scales fell from my eyes. "…And for what we did, you will just have to wait and see…Grant?" James cut himself off when I sat up, wide awake.

"Of course," I whispered, finally understanding why Madam Pomfrey denied any internships since First Year.

It was because of Remus being a werewolf.

.

.

.

If I were to guess, I would say a lot of peeps in our year knew about it or at least suspected that something was off with the sandy-haired boy.

Oh, don't act so surprised, I'm not dumb. Even if I hadn't spent much time before with James or the rest of the Marauders before, we were in the same year for Merlin's sake! We had all the classes together and I had Quidditch practice with two members of the infamous group. You think it wouldn't be suspicious at some point how Remus kept getting sick every month like a lady having her period, looking like he got back from war each time like – I repeat – a lady having her period and the Marauders pampering him with chocolate the whole time?

Not to mention, how James would always give us one week off from any practice every month, which was more than out of his normal behaviour. It had brought up my suspicions in the first place around a year ago.

I confirmed it with one night in at the Hospital Wing during a full moon night, overhearing their conversation consisting of 'bad transformation' and 'Wolfsbane Potion'.

"What of course? Hello? Grant? I'm right in front of you and you are ignoring me?" James flicked my forehead.

"James," I exclaimed before I deflated slightly, wondering whether it would be a good idea to tell him I knew. He was deeply protective of his friends and hiding this kind of a secret for Remus must be huge for him.

"Yes?" he pressed, "What is it?"

"Eh…nothing," I said quickly, forcing out a huge and fake yawn, "I have to sleep. Good night!"

"Good night…," he called after me slowly as I raced upstairs, the blanket dropped on his head.

Now that I knew what held the school's matron back from taking anyone in I would surely get the internship if I told her I knew about Remus' secret already. I settled down in my bed with a giddy feeling that didn't have to do with James for once, finally having found a bright light in the dark tunnel.

My wide smile faded slightly though at the thought of the werewolf that was probably at the Hospital Wing right now. Would they ban him from school if they found out that I – and probably others – knew? I was sure, at least Lily would be aware of it being one of the smartest of our year. Not to mention she was a Prefect along with Remus.

I felt conflicted. Should I tell and risk him having to leave the school if Dumbledore deemed it too dangerous that too many knew? I could only imagine the amounts of owls flying into his office with Howler's of concerned parents voicing out their protests of a werewolf staying among their children if they were to find out, no matter how sweet of a person Remus was. I couldn't imagine the Headmaster would actually want to kick him out but I also doubted he would be able to fend off the many complaints in this case. Especially since he had kept it a secret for so many years.

Sighing heavily, I watched the bright light in the dark tunnel fade into nothingness.

The next morning came too soon and with it the pounding headache I woke up to. I refused to get out of bed for half an hour until Lily and Marlene all but dragged me off the bed with my blanket.

Trudging after the two chatting nuisances towards the Great Hall, I cheered up slightly at the prospect of food. But upon hearing the noise volume inside the big room, I wish I had just stayed in bed once again, feeling the loud clatter and talking painfully pierce into my temples. "Ughh," I growled, naturally settling down beside James as the girls sat on my other side, wary of my mood.

"What's up, Grant?" James greeted me cheerfully. I grumbled through the cinnamon roll in my mouth, "Hfsgr alfit ni dhahrt withd tjwis."

He nodded, placing a hand on my shoulder in understanding, "I'm sorry but what?"

I sighed, looking away from him only to face the sole reason I didn't manage to sleep last night, looking as bad as I felt. No, scratch that. He looked worse, a deep-set tiredness visible in his usual bright blue eyes.

"Oi. I don't bother her. My presence is a gift to her," James boasted, causing his and my friends to roll their eyes, "Right, Grant?"

Guilt swapped over me like a wave. Here I was, moody about not being able to appease my parents with an internship I wasn't even sure I wanted when Remus had probably been through a painful night... "Did James bother you again?" the sweet boy asked with quiet amusement, "Don't worry, you will get used to it." I felt ashamed at how he tried to cheer me up when it should be the other way around.

'Merlin, I would suck as a Healer. Better face that sooner than later.'

"Sure, you are the light of my life," I said indifferently, now feeling even worse than before as I looked at the chuckling boy in front of me. 'I really shouldn't complain.' Fishing out the reserved chocolate bar from my robes I handed it towards him as "prepayment for the notes of the upcoming classes".

The lessons came, saw, conquered and soon enough the sun began to set. I was going to do the routinely visit to Madam Pomfrey when I realised I wouldn't need to do that anymore. Sighing, I almost mourned the money I had spent on all the sweets for the matron and how much was still left for her. 'Meh, might as well end the tradition properly,' I thought to myself but decided to just leave the small bag at the door of the Hospital Wing, not bothering to bother her this time.

"You are back early," James announced my arrival loudly as I walked in through the portrait hole, interrupting his talk with Sirius at the fireplace, "How did it go this time?" he asked as he shooed his friend away. The black-haired heartthrob of the school muttered something under his breath before he left with a 'Night, Grant' accompanied with a cheesy smile.

"You didn't have to send him away," I pointed out as I plopped down next to him.

"It's fine, he was just pestering me," James said dismissively, "Has Pomfrey agreed this time?"

"No," I replied shortly, leaning back against the sofa.

"Don't worry, she will at some point."

"No, she won't...," I trailed off, looking away from his brown eyes, "I will stop asking."

"What? Why?" James asked surprised.

I shrugged, "I'm just tired of her saying no all the time."

"Sure, it can be tiring but you can't give up!" James exclaimed and I glanced at him, wondering why he would keep encouraging this if the future of one of his best friends could be at stake here. "Look, I can assure you it will be worth all the rejections once you get what you've always wanted."

"Ah," I hummed, understanding, "you mean Lily."

"Yes."

"But...haven't you given up?"

James blanched, "W-what?"

I raised an eyebrow, "I'm just wondering. You've stopped asking her out."

"Right...I..have given up on her," the boy said, clearing his throat. Wow. He actually said it. It was one thing assuming he would give up on his proclaimed love of the life and another to actually hear him say it.

"How come?" I inquired quietly.

James bit his lip. "I'm just tired of her saying no all the time," he repeated my words almost mechanically.

I laughed. "Then why are you telling me not to give up?"

"Because you haven't tried hard enough."

"Excuse me? Honeydukes?" I protested, indignantly.

"Yeah, yeah, it's a good start," James agreed with an eyeroll, "But you could change your tactic."

"How?"

"Help her when she needs it," he said, "You say she is always busy when you go there. Just start helping her out with small things and she might recognise what she is missing."

I pondered on his words, seeing no wrong in it. Once again, he surprised with how intelligent he could be if he wanted to.

But nonetheless- I sighed, "I will see what I can do."

"Good," James nodded, satisfied.

I looked at him pensively, "When did you realise it?"

"Hm?" he looked at me, "Realise what?"

"That you want to give up on Lily?"

"I do not want to-," he cut himself off, biting his lip, "I did not want to give up."

"But you've realised that you have tried hard enough now?" I asked and his eyes flickered away, nodding slowly.

"Yes...," he said, "I have tried enough."

I looked into the fire, leaning the side of my head against the couch and keeping silent as he sat beside me, deep in thought.

"I mean...it's been so many years," he interrupted the serene quietness around us softly and I peeked at him through the corner of my eyes, "Three years. And she hasn't budged once. Why?" he ran a hand through his hair and I noticed he always did that when he was frustrated.

"I did tell you once that you should get to know her more," I told him, "Be civil."

"I have been civil!" he said hotly, "I haven't asked her out for over a month, kept our interactions polite with nothing more than a hello and bye. Do you know how hard that was?" My eyes widened at his sudden outburst and he caught himself, biting his lip, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...you know."

"Hey, it's all good. We're friends now, right?" I reassured him, patting his back, "You can let it all out. I'm a good secret keeper."

James looked back at me and a tiny smile graced his lips. I tried not to stare at his handsome face for too long.

"Thank you, Cecily."

"You must have kept it all in for a while now," I mused, watching him rub his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess...," he trailed off as he leant back and for once I could catch a glimpse of tiredness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. His lids fluttered close and his tense shoulders slackened. My breath got caught in my throat when I noticed he was starting to relax around me, his guard down when I hadn't even realised it was up.

What it revealed would be something I wouldn't have ever thought about him: a small, vulnerable boy, his heart hurting just as much as anyone else's, who would get rejected by their crush. Probably more so since he would hear it multiple times a day. If any boy I had ever dared to ask out - which wouldn't ever happen because I'm not that much of a Gryffindor - and he would say no to me, I would probably crawl into my bed with a bag of sweets from Honeydukes for at least two weeks. Or until the bag was empty.

I slapped my hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump with a yelp, "What the hell, woman?"

"You are not going to give up, James Potter," I announced gravely, "If you want Lily to become your girlfriend then you are going to do more than try hard enough."

"I have-"

"I'm talking about more than being civil or throwing fireworks around people's eyebrows."

James rolled his eyes, "I told you it wasn't on purpose! Padfoot is lying!"

"Whatever," I dismissed him before turning sirius, "You can feel down about it. But you shouldn't ever give up on something you truly want." James sighed heavily. "You have to at least know that you've really tried everything. And I mean, everything. All is fair in Love and War."

The messy-haired boy stared at me, his glasses shining slightly from the flickering light of the fire that also started reflecting in his eyes, slowly but steadily, "You're right. I won't give up."

"Good," I nodded satisfied.

"As long as you don't, either."

"Hm?"

"You are not going to give up on that internship," James stated, solemnly holding up his little finger, "Pinky promise." Looking from his serious face to his pinky finger, I couldn't help burst, my laughter echoing through the empty Common Room. "OI! Don't laugh at me!" James huffed, still holding his hand up, "This is important."

"I know," I said through my giggles, "It just looked funny to me."

"Oh, I look funny to you?" James said, amusement glinting in his eyes before he suddenly reached for my waist, fast as the Seeker he was, and I protested loudly when he started tickling me, "I will show you funny!"

"James! Stop! No!" I yelped, laughing involuntarily as he kept his tirade up until I was left breathless with laughter, "Please, stop!"

"Alright, alright," James chuckled, his face beaming at my own flushed one as I tried to catch my breath, accutely aware of how close he still was to me. His smile faded slightly as we stared at each other. "Now let's try again," he said more quietly, holding up his pinky once more. I giggled slightly but hooked my own around his, feeling slightly bad that I was going to give him an empty promise. "We won't give up. And whoever does, owes the other one wish." Gulping slightly, I nodded in agreement, wondering what he would wish for since I had already given up.

And I knew he never would.

Chapter Four

[sydneyshipsstuff]

so uh last night at like 4 am i couldnt sleep, decided to walk my dog, and came up with this bad boy. It’s a rough draft, though. um @professional-benaddict read it and told me to post it, so whatever rafni says goes. 

-Little! Peter with like everyone lmao (platonically), but main pairing is Tony x Peter. everyone is 18+ and Littles are known. but yeah, I call this “uncanonically Canon AU” because it follows canon character tropes (except Peter).

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

so i LOVE the doctor trope w stephen and tony to death, like probably a lil too much, but hear me out

--canon tony and the avengers with not canon (aka powerless) little peter

--im thinking how they met is before peter became classified as a little, he was smart smart. so, he still gets the internship, but a real one this time.

--hes hanging out with the other interns when he feels himself regress. he freaks and goes to hide in a bathroom or something

--he runs into (probably pepper??) someone and they help him get out of the tower because he's obviously very vulnerable

--they (pepper?) take him to the hospital to get tested and find out hes a high care little. once they find out peter freaks out because omg he cant work like this

--(pepper?) assures him that they will figure it our, but with no CG, and just for plot sake, he also is living alone at this point so they dont feel comfortable sending him home, so he stays overnight, at least, in the hospital

--(pepper?) goes to talk to tony himself about this since hes the one who chose and hired the interns. tony isnt quite sure what to do because peter is one of the best in their group

--(pepper?) suggests that he go have a one on one talk with peter and see what the boy wants to do with his future, and also meet with the doctors to see what they think is best for his future

--now, tony has met peter a few times, and the kid is pretty cool, but he never really cared about him (harsh, but canon tony is pretty reserved so yuh) so, when he goes into the hospital room to talk with him, hes mentally preparing to never see peter again

--but, when he walks in, he sees peter sat on a cot carefully coloring in an avengers coloring book, and his entire aura is different and /adorable/

--as if he wasnt already kinda done for, when peter notices he's there, he looks up, eyes blown wide and a kid-like face on full of awe

--he sits on the end of the bed and they simply stare at each other before peter finally gets the courage to ask why tony is there, stuttering through it like an adorable mess

--tony freaks out, because as good as peter is, he planned on letting peter down, but now that hes here, all he wants is to see the boy.

--instead he smooths his nervousness and easily asks about how the boy is doing. he asks if peter has a CG, and predicably, peter just sadly shakes his head

--anyways i dont really know how this part would be worded, and it probably wouldnt happen in just one day, but eventually tony asks peter if he wants tony to take care of him

--peter is a cutie and accepts, again dont really have this part planned out, im akward when it comes to writing about the adopting of a little

--he goes with tony and since he lives in the tower, he also gets the avengers as glorified CGs. now this is the part i LOVE

***added part by Rafni:

"I’d imagine that Peter would just be kept in the hospital, like he doesn’t need any meds nor saline so he doesn’t even have a drip nor is he hooked up to any monitors. He is just there in the hospital pyjamas colouring and waiting for someone to take care of him🥺👀"

And since there’s no medical concerns (anymore) the nurses would have more time to just chat with Peter and make sure he is like mentally taken care of 🌸🌸

---

tony stark- he's obviously the main man and does all the main caring. hes the one who sleeps with peter and makes sure he gets food, and plans the days. he also sometimes will hand make little gadgets (safe ofc) to occupy peter. he gets peter little engineering/inventing kits and will hold back any groans he has as peter hits his leg with a plastic hammer and screwdriver. he also is the one who is ALWAYS there, when he cries, when he's happy, when he's sad.

thor- he lets peter play with his hair, and even lets the boy snuggle, and sometimes even chew on, mjolnir (because of course peter would be worthy)

steve rogers- he lets peter look at and hold the shield. one day he finds the boy curled like a cat dosing on the inside of it

natasha- she speaks in russian to him, and when he goes outside to the park, shes there making sure no one disturbs him

wanda+sam (i had an idea for them when i originally thought of this, but i cant remember it now :/)

bucky- he lets peter also mess with his hair, although more rare than thor, but he does let peter suck on his metal fingers when hes really small, and will scratch peters scalp with it, the metal scratching much better than normal skin. also if he ever gets a fever, the cold of the arm feels amazing on his forehead

bruce- not strictly canon since hes more sciency than doctor, but i imagine bruce is the one who does checkups and takes care of the meds when peter is sick

stephen- he doesnt do it often, plus he's not at the tower much, but hell do little harmless "magic" tricks to excite Peter and when peter gets grumpy, stephen will give him a little stress spell thing to calm peter down

peter quill- i imagine hes the one who is down to do lots of fun stuff, but is also the most reckless towards the actions suited towards littles, getting a lot of scolding from tony. also, he has great taste in music, so when peter has bursts of energy, he'll bounce around the room dancing to old 80s music

rocket- hes the closest peters ever gonna get to a pet, and with lots of bribing from tony, rocket /occasionally/ lets peter pet him and feed him "treats", sometimes peter will ask rocket to do a trick like jump or spin, but rocket with always decline...at first. peters trademark pouts do the trick because either rocket will concede and hurt his pride, or tony will see and threaten rocket into making his little boy happy. its always worth it to see the happy little squirms and claps

gamora- she's the resident story teller. when its bedtime, she'll share her cool space stories, leaving out the gory/scarier aspects. it always does the trick as hes out in minutes. sometimes hell catch her and peter q engaging in loving activities (ie kissing, hugging, whatever), and he'll just giggle away, and as embarrassed as gamora gets, not being an openly affectionate person, she might just go to the extreme to hear the cute giggles out of the little boy

clint- hes pretty chill with peter. he also likes to play games with the boy, playing things like peek-a-boo when he's super small, or playing darts when he feels older. tony isnt /too/ happy about it, but its better than quill so he doesnt say anything.

pepper is there too because i love the idea of tony working away somewhere and pepper calling peter in, handing him a few sheets of paper, sometimes actual documents, sometimes just scratch paper to entertaim the boy, before asking peter to deliver them to tony. she always has a smile when peter eagerly nods with his whole body before running to the office to give tony the papers. it almost always ends with peter in his lap, but it /always/ ends in tony praising him, saying something along the lines of 'theres my little helper boy. look at you'

---

--on any particular day peter wakes up aged up, he doesn't even miss his old internship because this life is so much better, although on these days tony actually lets him help with some safer stuff in the lab with him

--also, they are still the avengers and still have to save the universe. tony leaves him in the care of Happy or Pepper, trusting them both to handle him. sometimes, it ends in disaster. sometimes, they are lucky enough to find happy laying on the couch, with a drooling little boy soaking his suit

--no matter how things end up, it never gets old being able to come home and cuddle up with the reason tony wants to save the universe.

--its no surprise peter is able to help the man just as much as tony helps him. tony stops locking himself up so late at night so he can put peter to bed and cuddle up. he stops drinking when he's stressed, instead finding his boy and reading a story to him. his hookups end, he wants to be there for peter all the time. he gets more work done, the added bonus of having a pretty little boy in his lap helping keep his mind on track.

--tony still has his canon issues, but having peter there makes everything a little more manageable. and when he eventually gets too old to be ironman, its okay, because his universe is lying in bed, a red pacifier in his mouth, and a family of superheroes softly arguing about who the boy loves most

--and despite tony being a narcissist, he knows this is not that, when he thinks that without a doubt he is peters favorite. after all, peter helped him see the good inside the bad

---

so uh yeah thats all i had to say. maybe in the future it will become an actual thing, idk. i still have so many projects im working on first. feel free to add whatever you want to it though !!

[meltwonu]

s n a k e     |     e y e s     [chapter 2]

pairing; snakehybrid!woozi x female!reader

this chapter’s notes; seokmin is a quokka hybrid in this and i know and if you dont know, quokkas actually spit out their food and eat it again but for the sake of seokmin not being gross in this, he doesn’t do that ok kjdhfks and also for those who dont know snakes smell by using their tongue so…. Very mild touching in this one( masturbation at the end hehe oops)!! I’ve also kinda changed some stuff around, not a big deal, but made it so it’d make more sense in this au!! hehe thank u for taking interest in snakehybrid!woozi 🥺💕

chapters; 1 - 2 - x - x - x

It’s a warm Sunday morning when Jihoon lugs his keyboard out into the sunroom. Mingyu’s already waiting there with the new hybrid at the adoption home, Seokmin. The smiley quokka-hybrid sleeps in the bedroom next to the snake hybrid and has a saccharine voice much like Jihoon himself. And despite Jihoon’s timid nature, he quite likes the company of the two younger hybrids.

“Hey Jihoon-hyung over here!”

There’s a clang when the keyboard accidentally taps the door frame to the sunroom and Jihoon has to pause to check for any scratches on the gift Seungcheol gave him.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, hold on. I need to plug it in.”

Jihoon shrugs off his jacket, tossing it into a corner while he goes to set up the keyboard by the other two lounging in the sun.

“I was wondering if we could try working on that song from last time, hyung?” Seokmin’s head tilts cutely to the side as he makes space for Jihoon on the floor. “Um, sure. I can try to remember how to play it.”  Seokmin and Jihoon work together to craft a song while Mingyu watches in awe, scrambling to find the camera Seungcheol gave him so that he can snap some pictures of the two.

The three hybrids lounge in the sunroom for a few hours, basking in the warmth as they sing together, urging Mingyu to take part in it as well.

“You have a great singing voice, Mingyu! You should show it off sometimes too!!” The husky hybrid blushes, tail wagging furiously behind him. “Oh my god, shut up you’re embarrassing me!” Jihoon snickers as Seokmin and Mingyu really get into it, his fingers dancing delicately over the keys.

“Alright, time for lunch!”

The sudden voice breaks them out of their little tussle; eyes traveling to the figure standing in the doorway with a cart filled with food. “Seungcheol-hyung brought food!!” By nature, it’s Mingyu who gets up first, barreling into Seungcheol. He sheepishly apologizes, helping Seungcheol distribute the food between the three hybrids.

“Okay, I want you guys to enjoy your lunch because we have a special visitor afterwards! She’s actually a friend of mine and she’s kind of been wanting to adopt a hybrid so I asked her to come by. I know it’s really last minute but I figured she’d just come meet you guys. How’s that sound?”

“Yay, new people!” Seokmin replies cheerily with a mouth full of salad. Mingyu nods, he liked meeting new people, especially if they were friends of Seungcheol. Jihoon on the other hand feels his appetite leave him almost immediately. He hated it when people came to tour the adoption home. He knew the three of them weren’t the only occupants of Seungcheol’s adoption home but he still disliked the inevitable stares and questions he got.

“Um, yeah, that’d be...great.”

Jihoon tries to finish his food for the sake of not being hungry later but he can barely get it all down before  Jeonghan pops his head into the room. “Hey ‘Cheol, your friend is here.” The two leave together, leaving the three hybrids alone once again.

“Hey, do you think hyung’s friend is gonna adopt anyone?” Seokmin stretches out onto the floor by the piano, Mingyu in tow. “Dunno, but hyung said that she was looking to adopt so maybe?” The two delve into mindless chatter as Jihoon sits alone with his thoughts. He was thankful most of the time that they didn’t have many visitors because all it brought him was unneeded stress.

There’s a knock on the door, Mingyu yelling “come in!” from his place on the floor before a female laugh can be heard, Seungcheol’s voice accompanying it.

“And these are the three muskateers. Come say hi, everyone!” They all get up from their positions, each of them introducing themselves to you as Jihoon lags behind. “This shy one is Jihoon, he’s a snake hybrid.” Jihoon’s lips press into a firm line as he stares off to the side; mildly uninterested and a little bit anxious.

“Oh, interesting, a snake hybrid!”

Jihoon mentally grimaces. Usually when people came hoping to adopt, there were two typical reactions they had towards him. The first one was confusion; mainly because Jihoon didn’t have any physical features that a snake hybrid normally had. The second one was usually fascination with him being a snake hybrid. Jihoon almost preferred the former because it usually meant he’d stay at the adoption home and wouldn’t have to  do or change anything. The latter typically meant he’d potentially get adopted and whoever his owner was would find out he was too much maintenance for a hybrid that didn’t even look like one.

“If you don’t mind, do you think we can have a little chat together?” Your voice breaks him out of his thoughts as he finally looks you in the eye for the first time since you’d walked in. He’s hesitant, shooting Seungcheol a quick glance. “Um, Jihoon’s a little shy…”

“Oh, that’s okay then! I completely unders---”

“It’s fine. We can… talk.”

Jihoon’s palms feel clammy and his throat feels dry when Seungcheol escorts the other two hybrids out of the sunroom so that you can talk to him properly. The air feels awkward and somewhat tense when he turns his back towards you; settling down in front of the keyboard still placed on the floor.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to come off as harsh but what do you want? I’m sure Seungcheol told you about me or my history so...” You twiddle your thumbs, walking over to the windowsill to lean up against it as you watch him run his fingers along the keys.

“What do you mean?”

“You probably have a ton of questions right? Why don’t I have any hybrid features? Why do I look like a normal human? Do I have any weird appendages? How many times people have returned me here?” The room is quiet; only the sounds of the birds outside chirping filling in the awkward air.

“Not really. I didn’t come here looking to adopt a hybrid for the sake of their appearance or their rarity, I guess. I just… I don’t know, I guess I wanted a companion. I work at home a lot since I’m a writer and it gets lonely. Thought someone could keep me company. Or maybe someone wanted company.” Jihoon lets your words sink in, his fingers trembling as he presses down on a random key.

“Oh.”

A few days passed since meeting Jihoon and he had carefully agreed to you adopting him. The two of you had talked a little bit longer; Jihoon feeling more at ease with you than most of the people he’d met in the past. Seokmin had been sad that his new friend was leaving and Mingyu had been wary about the entire thing. But Jihoon had soothed them both; telling them that they’d probably see him soon anyway.

Seungcheol drives him to your apartment, Jihoon’s things in boxes in the trunk as he sits nervously in the front seat.

“Jihoon, I know you’re… this is a lot. It’s okay to feel anxious and nervous and.. I mean with everything in the past, I--”

“I know. You don’t have to feel sorry for me. It feels bad. Just… don’t be surprised when you see me back at the adoption place in like a week, okay?” He chuckles sadly, eyes focused on the scenery outside the window. Seungcheol sighs, hands gripping the wheel.

There’s three knocks on the door before you’re rushing to open it, vacuum still buzzing in the background as you all but rip the door open.

“Hey!” You shoot both the males a smile, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “Sorry I was in the middle of cleaning but come in!” You give them space to enter, Jihoon toeing off his shoes and setting them by yours at the entrance as he balances his prized keyboard in his arms. Seungcheol sets one of the boxes of Jihoon’s things down on the dinner table, wiping the sweat off his brow.

“Sadly the elevator was broken so we had to take the stairs. Who would’ve thought carrying one box of things up the stairs would be the death of me. Can I have some water?” Jihoon snorts, taking in the features of his new home as he sets the keyboard down by the sofa.

“‘Cheol, you’ve got the stamina of a 90 year old man.”

“Hey, it’s not easy being old okay!” You pass him a glass of water, trapezing around the vacuum cord to turn it off. “I wanted to be done cleaning up before you got here, Jihoon. Sorry, I’m a little slow, I’m used to it just being me here and just living in my filth I guess.” He shrugs, “S’okay, Mingyu usually leaves a mess around the place anyway. Guess you can say I’m used to living in filth.” Seungcheol sputters, wiping the water off of his chin. You can’t help but laugh, patting Seungcheol on the shoulder as you gesture Jihoon further into your place.

“Let me show you around!”

Seungcheol decides to get more of Jihoon’s stuff out of his car as Jihoon walks behind you cautiously down the hallway, only stopping when you get to the door at the end of the hall. “Um, This place has three bedrooms and mine is on the opposite side but I wasn’t sure if you’d want the room that was next to mine or if you wanted space? I’m using the other room as a workspace right now, so you can put your stuff in here for now while you get used to the place… And then if you change your mind, we can switch some stuff around!” Giving him a small smile, you tug the door open, letting him enter first and for once, Jihoon is shocked. The room is much larger than any room he’s ever had and he takes notice of all the fancy heaters and humidifiers already placed around the room.

“Wow…”

“Sorry, is it, like, too much? ‘Cheol said you had some heaters and stuff in your old room but I thought I’d get you some new ones… Kind of like a housewarming gift?”

“This is… nice. It’s, um, very kind of you.” He can feel a soft blush wash over his skin as he tugs his sleeves down over his hands. “I… like it a lot. Thank you.”

When Seungcheol finally leaves after bringing up all of Jihoon’s things, it’s finally time for the two of you to settle in. 

Jihoon’s safety net is gone and the reality of being in a new space has his anxiety spiking back up tenfold. “Hey, Jihoon?”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you or anything but I thought we’d order out for dinner if that’s okay? I’d usually cook but I think we’ve both had a long day. What do you think?”

“O-okay…” You can basically feel the nervousness radiating off of him as he awkwardly stands in the middle of the living room. “Jihoon, do you want to, um, I mean, you don’t have to stay out here if you don’t want to? You’re free to roam around if you’d like.” He shuffles closer to the sofa, biting his lip as he stares out the window.

“It’s… okay, I should m-maybe, um, spend some time with you? If that’s okay?” By now, his past owners would send him off to his shoebox of a room, only calling him out when it was necessary. Usually, he’d immediately plug in his keyboard by now, tuning out everything until he was just focused on composing something until he was needed.

Instead, he inches closer to the sofa, sitting down on the plush material as you put the last bit of cleaning supplies away and plop down onto the other side. “Hey, Jihoon? Can I be honest with you for a second?” He turns to you, nodding curiously. “I’m gonna be real, I did some research on snake hybrids but I couldn’t find much… I’m kind of inexperienced with the whole hybrid thing and even more uneducated when it comes to snake hybrids so… is there anything I should know? Like, snakes smell with their tongue, right? So, is it the same for you? Sorry if that’s offensive or something!” You watch the blonde haired male lick his lips, his leg bouncing slightly.

“Um, technically that’s correct. But snake hybrids still can use their human noses, it’s just… more intense when we use our tongues. Uh…” A blush settles on his cheeks, his mind no doubt going in a different direction than he intended. “Just, yeah, m-more intense, that’s all. Some foods might be more off-putting for us because of that. And, to be fair, I don’t… have many features that most snake hybrids have anyway. It’s just my surroundings and I guess some of my mannerisms? I basically exist normally other than that.”

You nod appreciatively; glad that Jihoon was willing to open up to you, even if it was only a little at a time. It would take a lot of getting used to on your part and his, but he seemed okay for now, albeit still timid. “I just want you to know that even though I adopted you as a hybrid, I don’t want you to think that I think less of you. I think of us as equals!” You turn to him smiling; ecstatic when he turns to face you as well.

“You have the freedom to do whatever you want here as long as it’s not destroying stuff, I guess. And if you need anything, you’re more than welcome to ask me! I’m home a lot since I’m a writer but I do have to pop into my editor’s office every now and then. But if you want to go out and eat or… um, I dunno, maybe go for a walk in the park? I’m always down to go!” Now it’s your turn to blush as he watches you, his fingers interlocked in his lap as he sits there quietly processing what you’ve said.

“I… thank you, you’re a lot kinder than any of my previous owners.”

Jihoon is on cloud nine when you tell him that he can pick what dinner he wants to have, eyes scanning over all the options on the food delivery app on your phone.

“I mean, as long as you don’t run up a $100 bill on food, you can pick whatever you want!” He chuckles quietly, clicking on various items and adding it to the cart. “Thank you for letting me pick dinner.”

“Yeah, it’s no problem! It’s your first night here, I want you to feel comfortable. This also reminds me that I need to get you a phone, just in case and also so you don’t get bored.”

The pretty flush doesn’t leave Jihoon’s face the rest of the night, even as the two of you sit at the dinner table eating the fried chicken and soda combination Jihoon picked out. The cute snake hybrid apparently had an obsession with the sweet drink, downing cups of it as you took mental notes to buy some for him later. And for the first time, you see him genuinely smile as he eats, cute lips curving up as he polishes off the rest of the food.

A crumb sits at the corner of his lips, and by instinct you lean over, thumb already next to his mouth before you can even stop yourself. There’s a pause, Jihoon’s eyes wide as you swipe at the crumb, ready to settle back into your seat when Jihoon’s hand comes up, wrapping around your wrist and holding you there.

“I, oops, I should’ve just told you there was a crumb! Sorry!”

You laugh awkwardly, hoping he doesn’t accidentally snap your wrist because you just invaded his personal space. Instead, you watch as he brings your hand closer to his mouth, pink tongue peeking out as he swipes at your thumb. You try to not question it, convincing yourself it might just be a snake thing, so you let him do whatever it is he’s doing as he begins to nose at your palm. It feels ticklish; your hand wanting to close at the feeling, but you can’t deny the way your body heats up on instinct, the innocent gesture riling up your thoughts about the snake hybrid for some reason. There was no denying how handsome he was; blonde hair falling into his sharp eyes and a lean but slightly muscular form.

Trying to shake off your thoughts, your eyes flit to the hand currently wrapped around your wrist and you can’t help but admire how delicate and pretty his hands were. Again, your mind conjures up situations that you probably shouldn’t be thinking about right now and you really hope Jihoon can’t tell.

When he decides he’s done, he lets go of your wrist, quietly taking a sip of his drink before setting it down on the tabletop again. “Um, sorry. I don’t… I just wanted to, um, s-smell you? I guess, um, snake thing, probably. Just wanted to get to know my, uh, owner.” You nod at his explanation, settling back into your seat as you try to push out all the inappropriate thoughts you just had.

“You’re very warm.”

That night when you split off for bed, you wish him a good night's rest; making sure the snake hybrid has everything he needs before you make a beeline for your bedroom, hastily locking the door behind you as you get ready for bed.  There really was no denying how attractive Jihoon was, but damn, he had literally just moved in today and your mind and heart were already racing. You try to think of everything but Jihoon when you slip under your covers for bed and hope that you can get a good night’s rest yourself.

But you feel bad. Really really bad. You’re almost certain satan has a special seat in hell for people like you. 

But you can’t help the way your hands roam all over your body as you lay under the bed sheets, fingers deep inside your pussy as you imagine them to be Jihoon’s instead. It was questionably an innocent gesture earlier, but your mind can’t help but conjure images of his tongue all over your skin and his delicate fingers fucking you nice and hard. The contrast of his colder skin on your warm skin has your toes curling imagining him playing with your nipples and wrapped around your throat. Damn, you think, I really need to get laid soon or this’ll get bad.

You’re almost certain your lip is bleeding from how hard you’re trying to keep your moans in when you cum around your fingers; the image of a particular snake hybrid dancing behind your eyelids even when the bliss starts to ebb away.

Muttering curses underneath your breath, you get up, wiping your wet fingers onto your shirt as you tug it off and throw it into the hamper, sliding off your wet panties and chucking them in as well. Sighing, you really hope Jihoon’s sense of smell isn’t as strong as other hybrids as you step into your closet to get a change of clothes.

Realization hits you like a brick when the back of your head slams against the pillow once you lay back down.

This was going to be harder than you expected.

[reeny-chan]

Sneak Peek at “The Last Hero of Eternia” Chapter 5

I’ve still got a bit of work to do on Chapter 5, but I wanted to share a sneak peak with you all. Hope you enjoy!

~~~~~

“Hey, Catra,” Entrapta said. “Mind going to the engine room and helping Hordak? He hasn’t been feeling too well after the attack. I think he could really use some help, but I’m too busy here.”

Catra stared at her for a moment. Help Hordak? She’d been avoiding him for the past several months. Things hadn’t ended well between them, before Horde Prime’s arrival. 

“Catra?” Entrapta said.

“Uh, sure,” Catra said. “Yeah.” She glanced one more time at Adora, who had again taken to staring off to space, and then left the cockpit.

The walk through the corridor was quiet. The thrumming of the engine grew more pronounced as she continued aft. The floor, while still smooth, metallic, and cool under her soles, vibrated more significantly as she continued on. Near the engine room she crossed the smaller room, to her right, where she’d stayed the first time she’d been on this ship. After Adora and the others had rescued her from Horde Prime. It was that room where she had started, finally, to heal. It was that room where, for the first time in years, she and Adora had spent the night together, sleeping in the same bed.

Despite all the anger she’d felt, how betrayed she’d felt for so long over Adora abandoning their home, abandoning her - it was the first time in years she had actually felt some contentment.

When she refitted the ship, Entrapta had repurposed the room into equipment and tooling storage, and opened the wall between it and the engine room next door. She’d been a bit disappointed to find that out, even though a much more comfortable, if much cozier, room had been built for her and Adora to share, partitioned from the large dormitory located closer to the fore of the ship.

She continued past the room, and the memories it contained, to the engine room. The door opened, and inside she could see Hordak sitting at a control panel. It was a very unusual sight for her. She had never before seen Hordak sitting when he worked. Only when he had been on his throne. His back was to her.

“Um, hi,” she said. He did not look up. “Uh, Entrapta says you need some help?”

He stopped what he was doing and turned his head slightly to the side. She couldn’t see his eyes.

“The second fusible link in the thrust matrix has failed and needs replaced.”

“O - okay,” she said. “And...um...where-?”

“Other end of the room, on the wall. Three cylinders. One of them isn’t glowing. Twist it to remove it, and get a replacement from the storage room.”

“Yeah, okay, on it.”  She headed to the far end of the room, and just as he’d described, there were three cylinders, the diameter and length of each about the same as her torso, with metal caps on the end and a transparent glass-like material in the center. The two on the outside were glowing yellow, but the one in the middle was blinking, as if it were attempting to illuminate but failing.

She reached up, took hold of it with both hands, and attempted to twist it to the right. It wouldn’t budge. She tried a little harder, her hands squeaking against the transparent material, but it didn’t move.

“Other direction,” came Hordak’s voice, a growl that projected over the deep thrumming of the ship’s engine.

Right, she thought, rolling her eyes. You seem waaaay too busy to do this yourself. She took hold of it again and tried twisting it to the left. At first it didn’t move, but then she felt something click. It then turned easily - and almost immediately slipped out of its mounting. She caught it before it could fall, surprise at just how heavy it was. “G-got it,” she said. She set it gently down on the floor, wedging it next to some pipes so it wouldn’t roll away. She walked back toward Hordak. “And, um, where’s-?”

“That way,” Hordak said, pointing at the wall just past where he was seated. 

“Yeah.” She walked past him, opened the door to the storage room, and remembered that this was the room she’d been reminiscing about just a few minutes ago. It smelled differently than she remembered - like chemicals, and metal. None of the scent of her or Adora remained, not that it was surprising.

“Fusible link,” she muttered. “Where would Entrapta hide you?”

Of course, nothing was labeled. She assumed Entrapta had some kind of system of organization that made sense to her, much like her castle at Dryl, where to anyone else it was practically indecipherable.

It took her a good twenty minutes before she finally opened the correct cabinet and found two of the cylinders, standing upright, on an upper shelf. Of course. She looked around for something to stand on, found a white, metallic cube, and pushed it in front of the cabinet. She stood on it, reached up and grabbed one of the two cylinders, pulled the cylinder to her chest, and hugged it tightly as she could while she tried to step back down without breaking an ankle or her neck.

Back in the Engineering room she crossed behind a still-sitting and still-ignoring-her Hordak, made her way to the far end of the room, and gingerly set the cylinder in place of the old one. She had to twist and wiggle it several times until she found the proper orientation for it to slide into place. She twisted it to the right, and after a quarter-turn felt it click into place. It immediately lit up yellow, matching the two cylinders to either side almost perfectly.

“That’s done,” Catra said, rubbing her hands together as she returned to Hordak. 

He did not look at her when he spoke. “Are you simply going to leave the failed cylinder on the floor like so much garbage?”

“I - guess not?” Catra said. “Uh, where-?”

“Reclamation room,” Hordak said. “Other side of the corridor.”

She grimaced at the creature whom she had once served, and twice betrayed, before heading back to retrieve the dead cylinder. As she carried it out of the room she wondered why Hordak couldn’t be bothered to do this physical work. He had his exo suit, which she knew gave him incredible physical strength. Or was he just intentionally being an ass?

Not that she could blame him for that, of course, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.

The room that was apparently the “Reclamation room” was mostly empty, with just a few containers holding what looked like broken components, stripped bolts, and at least one small pile of tiny food wrappers. She hauled the cylinder to the corner, laid it down, and left the room. 

She started heading back to the engine room but stopped. Hordak was already on her nerves. She hadn’t been a fan of him joining them on their “road trip”, and even though that wasn’t what this was, it had so far proven to be every bit as awkward as she’d expected it to be.

She shook her head and sighed. “Be the bigger person,” her therapist had said. “It can be hard, sometimes feeling like the hardest thing you’ve ever done, but it will be worth it in the end.”

Then, of course, she remembered something else. She’d made a goal to herself to make amends with everyone she’d hurt. And while Hordak had done plenty of hurting to her, she had also hurt him. If she was serious about healing, about being a better person, she needed to do it completely.

Sighing, she opened the engine room door and walked up to Hordak.

“I have nothing else for you to do,” Hordak said, still not looking away from the holographic display in front of him. After a hesitation, “Thank you...for replacing the fusible link.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Catra said. She hovered there a moment, took a deep breath, and said, “Listen, Hordak…”

“I am far too busy to ‘chat’,” he said. “Yeah, I get that, but...I just gotta say something, then I’ll leave you alone. I - I’m sorry. For...a lot of things. For betraying you. For...what I did to Entrapta. For lying to you. I was-”

“I don’t need your apologies,” Hordak interrupted. He turned toward her, giving her what she could best describe as a sidelong glance with one of his red, glowing, pupil-less eyes. “Nor have I any desire for them. What’s done is done, and dwelling on it is pointless.”

That statement gave her a little hope...that is, until the next one dashed it.

“You proved to be disloyal, disrespectful, and an opportunist with no regard for your duties or your obligations. You lusted for power - my power, and then Horde Prime’s power, and only by the grace of your…friends’... actions were you protected from the consequences of that.”

His chair turned so he was facing her fully. “I tolerate your presence for Entrapta’s sake. For the sake of She-Ra, who saved my life when she could simply have obliterated me when she obliterated Horde Prime. But do not mistake my tolerance for acceptance. Or forgiveness.” He turned back to his display. “Now leave me be.”

Catra stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Of course, she’d known this could be a possibility. Her therapist had warned her it could be a possibility. But now, having just lived through it, after having put so much work into getting better, into being better…

She turned on a heel and left the engine room without a word. Her feet slapped a steady beat on the deck as she practically marched toward the front of the ship. When she reached the door to her and Adora’s cabin, though, she stopped. She turned to stare at it. The door was blank, with no markings, just like every other door on the ship. When they’d first talked about taking this ship on their “road trip”, she’d imagined herself scratching caricatures of herself and Adora into it, much like those she’d scratched into their old bunk back when they were cadets in the Horde. A caricature she’d destroyed out of anger when Adora first abandoned the Horde...abandoned Catra…

Part of her had hoped they would find it somewhere in the rubble of the old Horde headquarters when she and Adora had been leading the cleanup there. Unsurprisingly, it was either long gone, or someone else had scooped it up with all the rest of the debris and sent it to be recycled.

Whatever happened to that, she had Adora again. For the moment, though, that just didn’t give her the comfort she wanted it to. She opened the door and stood before the bed inside as the door hissed shut behind her. The room was spartan; only a bed and the trunk they’d hastily packed were there. The blank wall opposite the door could be made transparent so they could see outside the ship, but now it was solid, smooth, dreary gray. 

They would have probably taken more time to decorate the room before they went on their actual “road trip”. Decorated with what, she wasn’t sure, but anything would be better than the drab gray, featureless walls that right now echoed what she was feeling inside.

She sat down on the bed, legs curled up to her chest. She buried her face in her knees and, after all the hardships of the past few days, finally let herself break down and cry.

[theydontknowaboutusimagines]

The Set Up - Harry Styles One Shot (Part 6)

Part 1    Part 2    Part 3     Part 4   Part 5  

**

The 10th anniversary issue of The Mixtape was now on newsstands and the response from your loyal readers as been amazing. Everyone was taking to social media talking about it and adding their favorite memories. Things in the office were a bit slower now, but there was still plenty of work to do. Booking artists for interviews and covers, pitching article ideas, and new themed issues. 

Your relationship was still in the honeymoon phase, but you knew at some point soon that would most likely fade away. Especially since he was starting tour in less than a week. You two still had yet to have a conversation about what it would entail in regards to your relationship. Would there be rules or expectations for one another? Would there be days that go where you two wouldn’t speak? How would you handle a disagreement? 

There was so much unknown information that you were a little worried. You had already wrote down every single tour date in your calendar, trying to match up with your own schedule so that you could fly out for a week at a time. You also made sure to note any of his off weeks, so that you didn’t overbook yourself for when he was home. 

Mentally, you are prepared to work as hard and as much as you could while he was gone, so that you were able to take off when you needed it. Of course, you knew that you couldn’t work yourself to death, but the motivation was there. You were at the office, going through a hoard of emails when your boyfriend poked his head in the office, holding two cups of coffee and a muffin. 

“Hey,” You smiled getting up from your desk. “What are doing here?” 

“Just thought I’d pop in and see my girl,” he smiled. “And bring her a little something.” 

“I was just about to grab a refill, so thank you,” you smiled taking one of the cups from him. 

“I figured,” he smiled putting his hand on your waist. 

You smiled giving him a quick kiss, “So, what’s on your agenda today?” 

“I’m having lunch with my sister,” he said leaning against your desk. 

“Oh, that’ll be fun,” you said sipping your coffee.

“Yeah, I try to spend a little bit more time with her before tour, since it’ll be a while till I’m able to see her,” he said. “She doesn’t come out on tour much anymore.” 

“Hm, that’s nice,” you smiled. “I remember her taking about it being weird for her, not always getting to talk or see you.” 

He nodded, “Sometimes the time differences get in the way or our schedules. We at least will text here and there. In fact, sometimes we talk more while I’m tour than when I’m not,” he laughed. 

You nodded, “Interesting.” 

“Hey, but don’t worry,” he said. “That won’t happen with us. Don’t tell Gem, but I’d much rather talk to you, over her,” he winked. 

You laughed, “I will definitely not tell her that or she’ll kick your ass.” 

“That she would,” he laughed. “Oh, there is another reason, I stopped by because I talked to my Mum this morning and she wants me to come stay with her for a few days. I usually do that as well before tour, sometimes she comes here and stays with me or Gem, others I go up there. She also wanted me to invite you.” 

“Oh, I’d love to go,” you smiled. “But only if you want me to go. I don’t want to impose on a mother son time.” 

“You won’t be, besides I feel like she’d be happier spending time with you than me,” he laughed. 

“Just let me know the dates and I’ll make sure everything’s good to go here,” you said. 

“Will do,” he smiled. “Oh, one more thing and I’ll let you get back to work.” 

“Yes?” You giggled. 

“Stay over tonight?” He asked. “I missed having my favorite breakfast this morning.” 

You looked at him confusion on your face, causing him to laugh, “You, baby,” he smirked. 

“Behave!” You laughed. 

“It’s true though,” he said. “I have to get it while I can before I have to go without it.” 

“Well, when you put it that way,” you smirked wrapping your arms around his shoulder, “I’ll be at your place as soon as I’m finished here.. and who says we have to wait until breakfast.” 

“I love the way you think,” he smirked pressing his lips against yours.

**

Harry left your office and headed straight to where he was meeting his sister. His mind was already thinking what would be taking place that nigh once you arrived at his home and he knew he needed to put that on the back burner before lunch with his sister. So, instead he thought about how your face at looked when he mentioned the tour and lack of communication with his family. 

Looking back, he probably shouldn’t have said what he did because while you were trying to hide it he could tell it bothered you. He really need to talk to you about what to expect on tour, but every tour was different, every relationship was different. To be fair, he hadn’t had many experiences with relationships on tour and they all obviously didn’t end well. In the past, he either didn’t have a super serious relationship with someone while on tour or he just didn’t even bother. 

That was mostly the younger side of him, still getting used to both the new found limelight and hectic schedule both on and off tour. But he really wanted this relationship to work with you. Going into it, he knew it was mostly a bad idea to pursue anything knowing he was leaving in a few months time, but he couldn’t help it. There was a undeniable connection he felt with you, even if in the beginning he tried to deny it. He could have at easily said he didn’t want it to become serious until he came back, but that wasn’t fair to you or to him. 

While he knew he should discuss the tour with you, he was going to keep it to himself a little bit longer. Yes, it was like the pot calling the kettle black because he had been upset with you not telling him about The Mixtape party, but this was different. He was afraid if he told you everything that could go wrong or how hard it could be, that you would freak out and end it before it even began. 

However, would that actually be for the best? Would laying it all out there in the beginning, letting you make the choice of sticking it out or walking away, help prevent him from getting his heartbroken yet again? Sure, it would fucking suck, losing you now, but at least it would be before he had fallen head over heels in love with you. 

Which, honestly, wouldn’t be too long now. It was crazy to think that way, he knew it. You two were still in the honeymoon phase, so it was mostly infatuation still, but he could honestly say he never felt what he was feeling with anyone else. Even people he dated long term. Maybe it was because you knew his family or maybe it was because you two were “made” for each other. 

He didn’t necessarily believe in love at first sight or soulmates, but he did believe that there was someone who fit in your missing piece. Someone who made you feel complete, who standing next to him for years to come, and he could see you as that person. Now, that his mind was a little more clearer he headed into the restaurant grabbing a table for two. 

“You’re late,” Harry smirked when his sister finally arrived. 

“By two bloody minutes,” she rolled her eyes. “I can count on both hands and  foot how many times you’ve been late.” 

“I believe that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” he said. 

“Except it’s not,” she laughed. 

“Anyway, I ordered us drinks,” he said. 

“Drinks, or drinks,” she smirked. 

“The former,” he said. “No one needs you drunk at eleven am.” 

She rolled her eyes shaking her head, “Now, let’s get down business.” 

“Let me guess, you’re going to grill me about Y/N this entire time, right?” He sighed dramatically. 

“Yeah, I am,” she said. “Neither of you have given me any information! I know you two are seeing each other and you were all lovey fucking dovey at The Mixtape party the other night, so just fucking tell me already.” 

“Tell you what?” He smirked. “That we’re fucking?” 

“Ew! What? No, I do not need to know that,” she said. “If it was Y/N and anyone else, I’d be all for the details, but not when it’s with my baby brother.” 

He laughed shaking his head, “Um, so does this mean she’s talked to you about details of her sexual past before?” 

“Yeah, I’m not going there,” she said. 

“What? It’s a question. I’m not asking for details. I’d rather not know them, actually,” he said. “I just want to know if you two did talk about that before...” 

“Yes, I mean it’s not like we sit down and have a formal tea and chat about it, but it’s been mentioned before usually when drinks involved,” she said. 

“Hmpf,” he mumbled. 

“Don’t be doing that,” she said. 

“Doing what?” He asked all innocently. 

“Getting jealous over past relationships,” she said. “It’s not like she’s the only person you’ve shagged either, yet you don’t see her trying to get information.” 

“Whatever. I’m not getting jealous, one, and two, I’m not asking for information, I was just asking a simple question,” he said. 

“Yeah, and denial is just a big fat river in Egypt,” she rolled her eyes. 

“No, by The Nile River is,” he smirked. 

“For fuck’s sake, just answer my previous question,” she groaned. “Are you and Y/N together yet?” 

“If you’re asking whether she’s my girlfriend, then yes, the answer is yes,” he said. 

“Yes! I fucking knew it,” she smirked. “When you two get married, please be sure to thank me. I take cash, checks, gift cards.” 

He rolled his eyes, “Shouldn’t you just be happy that both your best friend and brother are happy?” 

“Oh, I am. Extremely happy, but I can also be ecstatic that once again I was right,” she smirked. 

Harry laughed taking a bite of his just delivered food. 

“So, tour,” Gemma said after a bit. “How are you feeling about that?” 

“Excited, nervous, the usual feelings,” he said. 

“How Y/N’s feeling about the tour?” she asked. 

“Um, I don’t really know her exact feelings,” he said. “We’ve not talked about it.” 

Gemma sighed looking at him, “You leave next week.” 

“I know, I know,” he sighed. “It just hasn’t really come up.” 

“Because you haven’t brought it up,” Gemma said. “You need to talk to her about it, ASAP.” 

“Why are you so adamant about this?” Harry asked. “Did she say something?” 

“Look, I’m not going to get in between the two of you, I promised her I wouldn’t, but I will say this,” she said. “Just talk to her, please. Reassure her that things will be okay and that you two will work things out if they don't.” 

“Is she worried it’s not going to work out?” He asked. “Gem, you can’t just tell me this shit half ass, please tell me.” 

“Fuck me,” she groaned. “Before the two of you became official, she was a little hesitant on some things when it came to do the tour. She didn’t know how you felt about getting in or having a relationship on tour. She also may have asked about your other relationships and I might have told her there weren’t many to begin with and that the ones that were, there were problems.” 

“Bloody hell, Gemma, why would you tell her that?” He sighed. 

“Because it’s the truth, which she should have heard for you,” she pointed out. “So, that’s why I’m telling you to just sit down and have an honest conversation with her.” 

He sighed sitting back in his seat, “Yeah, I’ll talk to her.” 

**

Harry stared at the food in the skillet as it cooked, his mind wandering off to his talk with his sister. Ever since he left lunch with her, his mind raced with all sorts of thoughts. What if you were second guessing being with him and his fear of you walking out was bound to happen? He also wondered what else you talked to his sister about. He knew she would never break your trust, even if she slightly did during lunch, but if it was anything bigger, he knew she would never spill. 

He understood why and he would never intentionally ask or invade your privacy like that, but it still didn’t make the possibilities of conversations lead his mind. He heard the buzzer at the gate, signaling that you had arrived. He had given you the guest code, so you were able to get in, but it still alerted him when someone had arrived. He was thankful for that in that moment because it gave him time to try and clear his mind and put on a front that everything was okay until he had to bring up the topic of conversation. 

The doorbell rang, “It’s open!” He shouted from the kitchen. 

 A few seconds later, the front door opens and he could instantly smell your perfume. He smiled a bit knowing you were there, but deep down there was a feeling in his gut. 

“Hey, baby,” you smiled walking into the kitchen. “Dinner is smelling amazing.” 

“Thank you,” he smiled. “It should be ready in a bit.” 

You smiled wrapping your arms around his waist and given him a kiss, “Hm, how was lunch with Gem?” 

“Well, our conversation was centered around you,” he said. 

“Ah, so I take you finally told her we’re together?” You asked. 

“I did,” he said. “She told me we better thank her if we ever get married,” he laughed. 

“She would,” you laughed. 

“How was the rest of your day?” He asked. “Everything good at the office?” 

“Well, everyone was certainly in good moods thanks to the hoards of coffee, bagels, and muffins, my boyfriend dropped off today,” you laughed. 

“Happy everyone enjoyed it,” he smiled. 

You kissed his cheek, “Do you need any help?” 

“No, I’m good,” he said. 

“Okay, then I’m going to go freshen up and change, I’ve had enough of these tight ass for the day,” you laughed. 

He smirked, “Your ass definitely looks good in them though.” 

You laughed, “I’ll be right back.” 

He nodded giving you one more kiss before letting you go and head into the bedroom. He sighed, taking a deep breath before putting the food onto plates and taking it over to the table. Less than five minutes went by when you returned wearing leggings and an old concert t-shirt. 

“Just in time,” you smiled sitting down. 

“Want some wine?” He asked. 

“Actually, I think I’m just going to have some water,” you said. 

He nodded bringing over a glass of water before joining you at the table. 

Dinner was usually quiet only the sounds of forks clinging and glasses being placed on the table. You could tell something was off and you wondered what had happened between this morning and now. The only thing would be his lunch with Gemma and with him saying they talked about you. 

“You know despite Gemma’s previous warning, you aren’t that terrible of a cook,” you smirked looking over at him. 

He playfully glared at you with a laugh, but you could tell it was forced. When both of you were finished, you took your plate into the kitchen, “I’ll clean up,” you smiled. 

“You don’t-” he said. 

“No, I don’t, but I want to,” you smiled. “Then I’ll meet you over on the couch.” 

“Okay,” he nodded. 

After you finished cleaning up the kitchen, you poured yourself a glass of wine before going over to the couch where Harry was sitting. 

“So, you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” You asked turning to face him. 

“What do you mean?” He asked sipping his wine. 

“You know what I mean,” you said. “You’re acting different, standoffish a little. You barely said anything during dinner and now you won’t even look at me. Did I do something?” 

He sighed putting the glass of wine on the coffee table, “I want you to be honest with me, did you think about not pursing a relationship with because of me going on tour?” 

“Gemma?” you sighed. 

“Don’t-Don’t be upset with her, she didn’t really say those exact words, but I sort of got the feeling that’s where she was going,” he said. 

You sighed, “I didn’t say those exact words either,” you said. “We had this conversation before we even got together. It was while you were New York, she asked me how things were going and if I saw us going somewhere. I told her, I didn’t know because I didn’t know if you even wanted it to go somewhere because you would be going on tour.” 

“Why would you think that?” He asked. 

“I don’t know, I don’t know how that works,” you said. “I mean, maybe you don’t like having to worry about having someone back at home, having to make time to call them or something...” 

“What do you mean not worry about having someone back at home?” He asked. “What do you think I fuck around or something?” 

“What? No, I don’t-” you said. 

“Then what?” He said. “It makes no fucking sense on why you would think I would’t want a girlfriend just because I’m going on tour.” 

“Well, in case you forgot, you said it yourself just this morning, that you even have a hard time staying in touch with your family,” you said. “So, it does make sense that I would think you wouldn’t want another person to add to that list.” 

“Touring is part of my life, Y/N,” he said. “If I thought that way, then I’d never have a girlfriend, or ever get married unless I quit that part of my life and I don’t ever see myself doing that. Not until I’m dead or people stop coming to my shows, which ever happens first.” 

“We had just met, Harry, we had only been on one date and had a few phone conversations,” you said. “How was I supposed to know any of that? I didn’t even know what was going to come of us anyway.” 

“Oh, so you didn’t think we’d get together? Why?” He asked.

“Damnit, Harry,” you sighed. “Did you? Listen to yourself, this conversation with Gemma happened months ago. And for the record, you’re worried about that conversation, yet you’ve done nothing in the present to set my mind at ease about you going on tour and what that means for us.” 

“What are you worried about?” He asked. “Why are you freaking out about it?” 

“Because my boyfriend is about to leave for months on end and I don’t know how often I’ll get to see him or talk to him,” you said. “And that maybe, just maybe, since I won’t be around, he’ll forget about me and all of this will have been for nothing.” 

“How can you think that?” He asked. “I don’t know what you’ve experienced before in your past relationships, but I’m not some sort of fucking out of sight, out of mind person. If I’m with you, you’re all I’m thinking about. I don’t care if it’ll be two days or two fucking months since seeing or speaking with you, I will still be thinking about you.” 

��You say that now,” you said. “But you don’t know how you’ll feel two months from now.” 

He shook his head, “If anyone should be worried about it’s me,” he said. “How do I know that you won’t be the one looking for something else with me gone, huh? You could easily meet someone here, who would sweep you off your feet, someone who could be at your beck and call all the fucking time and not thousands of miles away. So, if there should be anyone worried about being in  relationship while I’m tour, it’s me.” 

“Oh, so now you think I’m going to be the one who fucks around on you?” You asked.

Harry didn’t say anything, but his silence said enough. 

“Wow,” you laughed darkly. “Never once did I think you would actually cheat on me because I trust you, but apparently you don’t trust me. So, you know what, I’m just going to leave and go back to my flat, while you figure you own shit out, but just know, I refuse to be with someone who doesn’t trust me.” 

Harry sighed, not saying anything, as your grabbed your bag to leave. You paused at the door, hoping he would say something, but he didn’t, so you walked away. 

And he let you. 

**

The next morning you were pissed, beyond pissed, so you got up first thing to head into the gym. Your trainer was there waiting for you with a punching bag and your gloves. You had waited up most of the night, wondering if Harry would call you to talk things over, but not even a single text message was sent your way. 

“Rough night?” He asked while he taped up your hand and wrist. 

“Didn’t get much sleep,” you sighed. 

“So, that’s why I received a text at two in the morning,” he laughed. 

“Yep, thought I might need to punch some shit around,” you said. 

“That’s what I’m here for,” he smirked. “Just don’t mess up the money maker.” 

“I’d never,” you joked. “On purpose, at least.” 

Over an hour later, you were drenched with sweat and your muscles were on fire. 

“Bloody hell, who pissed you off,” he said shaking his head. 

You sighed chugging down some water, ignoring his question. 

“Let me guess, boy troubles?” He asked. 

“How’d you know?” You said sitting next to him, wiping your face down with a towel. 

“I’ve had my share of ‘em,” he laughed. 

“I bet,” you laughed. 

“So, want to share?” He asked. 

“Let’s just say we’re experiencing our first fight,” you said. 

“Ah, the honeymoon phase is over,” he said. 

“I wouldn’t say completely over, just paused at the moment,” you said. 

“Well, punching the shit out of a bag and my hands, will help a bit,” he said. “But you know what actually will help.” 

“Sitting around a campfire and talking our shit out?” You scoffed. 

“Yes,” he laughed. “And then makeup sex, lots and lots of makeup sex.” 

“I take it you’ve had a fair share of that, too,” you smirked. 

“Yep,” he grinned. 

“I better get going,” you said. “I need to shower, change, and get to the office.” 

“And call the boyfriend,” he asked.

“At some point,” you said. 

**

Harry knew he fucked up as soon as you saw you walking out of the door. He knew he should have went after you, brought you back inside, and talked all that shit through. But he didn’t. He knew he should have called you, even texted you, to make sure you got home okay, but he didn’t. He tossed and turned in his bed all night. Your perfume still lingered in the air. 

Once the sun lit through his bedroom room, he decided to just get out of bed. He put on some jogger pants, his trainers, and a hoodie before making his way into the kitchen to make himself some coffee. He looked at his phone wondering if you had sent him anything, but there was nothing. Not that he blamed you. 

He needed to make this right, if there was ever a chance the two of you to come out of this still together. But first, he needed to clear his mind and to do that he needed to run. He put on some music, grabbed his keys, and headed out. Usually, he just ran a few times throughout his neighborhood, staying close, but that day he ended up running further and further away until he was standing outside of your office building. 

It wasn’t entirely too far from his house, but further than he had run one way before. He saw you from the other side of the street, walking up the street, and into the building. He fought the urge to walk over to you for two reasons. He knew talking about last night at your job was not good for either one of you and two because he really wished he could kiss you and make it better. 

After realizing he wasn’t going to actually do anything there, he decided to turn around and head back to his house. When he arrived back, he was dripping with sweat, after downing an entire glass and a half of water, he headed up to take a shower. He leaned his hands against the wall as he let the water rush over him. His mind wander to you and the situation again. 

He still didn’t know how to make this right, but he knew someone who could help him figure it out. 

By that afternoon, Harry had driven to his mother’s house, a few days earlier than planned. He hadn’t told her much, just that he wanted to be there a few days ahead of time. When she had mentioned you, he simply said it was because you couldn’t get off work, which technically wasn’t a lie. 

When he arrived, he brought his bags into his room, before meeting his mother in the backyard for some snacks. Harry grabbed some cookies to nibble on while his mother looked over at him. 

“What happened?” she said. 

“What? Can’t a loving son come and visit his mother without there being anything wrong?” He asked

“Normally, yes,” she said. “But you can’t hide anything from me. I can see it in your eyes that something’s up. Did something happen between you and Y/N?” 

He sighed, “We had our first fight last night.” 

“I can’t say that I didn’t see that coming,” she sighed. 

“Oh, but you and Gemma were just so sure we’re meant to be,” he rolled his eyes. 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said. “I meant that the honeymoon, fairy tale love phase doesn’t last forever. All relationships have shit they go though, it’s what makes them grow. You don’t have to tell me what happened in detail if you don’t want to, but I will say the one way this works out for you two is if you talk through it. The way you handle a fight or an argument is what will make or break your relationship.” 

“So, you’re saying coming up here was a mistake?” He asked. 

“No, I’m not,” she said. “What I am saying, is you should call Gemma and have her bring Y/N up, so you two can talk it out.” 

He sighed nodding. 

“Now, do it,” she said. 

“Yes, Mum,” he said. 

**

Everything happened so fast, you don’t even remember how you got in the car and was on your way up to Anne’s house. All you remember is Gemma calling and telling you to back a bag. Gemma could be very scary and persuasive when she wanted something. You figured it had to with what was going o between you and Harry and while you thought it should stay between the two of you, you knew she wouldn’t know anything about it unless Harry had told her. 

At least he was talking to someone about it. What you didn’t see coming was that she was driving you up to Anne’s house, which Anne knew something was up. You didn’t know how this would work between you and Harry if you needed other people to help you work out your shit, especially when it was your first fight. During the drive, neither your or Gemma really said anything. 

It felt awkward, but you really didn’t know what to say. You couldn’t exactly blame Gemma for what happened, but part of it was a little bit her fault. When you arrived at Anne’s house, you felt nervous, not sure what you were walking into. Either you would be able to work things out and move on, or things would be over before they even really started. And you knew you wouldn’t be able to handle the latter, especially when your only way back home was either with Gemma or Harry. 

Harry’s legs bounced up and down in anticipation as he waited for you to arrive. He wasn’t even sure how it happened, but Gemma was able to get you to come with her. He wasn’t sure how this was going to go or how you would respond to having to sort everything out at his mother’s house. God, he felt like a stupid, immature child, running to his mother’s house. 

What if you thought the same way, but surely if you did, you wouldn’t have agreed to come. He heard a car pulling up in the driveway and he knew it was you. Anne had already said she and Gemma would leave for a few hours, so that you two could work this through without an audience. He just hoped that things would get worked out. 

The backdoor opened and he turned around seeing you standing there.  

“Hey,” he whispered. 

“Hi,” you whispered back. 

“Um, do you want to have a seat? Want some water or something?” He asked. 

You shook your head, “I want to know why I’m here.” 

“Because you and I both know we need to talk about what happened last night,” he said. 

“And we couldn't have done that in London?” You said. “Or last night? You know instead of just letting me walk out, you had to drive up here and then have your sister bring me up here? What the fuck, Harry!” 

“I know! I know, okay, I fucked up,” he said. “Both last night and doing all this, but I just... I needed some time to think and I came up here to see my Mum, since I was already coming up soon anyway. We talked a bit and then I asked Gem if she could get you up here because I figured you wouldn’t come on your own.” 

“That’s pretty fucked up you know,” you snapped. “And the fact that you could talk to other people about last night, but not me, how do you think that makes me feel especially after you accused me of being the one to fuck up the relationship.” 

“I didn’t fucking say that!” He snapped back. 

“Yeah, well maybe not in those words exactly, but the imply was fucking there,” you said. 

“For fuck’s sake, I’m trying to make this better between us,” he shouted. 

“Well, shit isn’t going to get better unless we actually talk shit through!” You shouted. 

“Fine! Fine, if we’re going to talk, can we just stop yelling for five damn minutes!” He sighed. 

“Fine,” you said. 

“Good,” he responded. 

Both of you stood there trying to calm down for a bit. Harry ran his hand through his hair before looking back over at you. 

“Look, I’m sorry,” he said. “for everything, I know that’s not going to make everything go away, but-” 

“It’s a start,” you sighed. 

“I know,” he nodded. 

“Did you really mean it?” You asked. “Do you really think I would just forget about you and find someone else?” 

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” he sighed. 

You sighed walking closer to him placing your hand on his shoulder. The closer you got, you could see the hurt, worry, and tears in his eyes. 

“I like you,” you whispered. “A lot.. hell, more than I’ve probably liked anyone, this fast before. When I’m with you, I’m happy. You make me laugh, you make me smile, you make me feel stupid butterflies in my stomach. There is no one else that could ever make me feel like that and even if there was, I wouldn’t want them. I only want you.” 

“You say that now,” he whispered. 

“Yeah, I do,” you said. “And I’m going to say that tomorrow and the next day and probably in the next two months and beyond that. Neither of us know what’s going to happen the future, that’s why we have to trust one another and communicate with each other, we’ll be set.” 

He put his hands on your face, looking into your eyes, “I know I overreacted, but I just... the thought of losing you scares the shit out of me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone and I don’t want to lose how I feel whenever I’m around you or think about you.” 

“You’re not going to lose me,” you whispered. “Not unless you keep saying stupid shit,” you laughed a bit. 

He laughed a smile tugging at his lips before placing his forehead against yours, “And you’re not going to lose me, either. I’m not going to forget about you, I could never,” he whispered. 

“Well, I am pretty rememberable,” you smirked. 

He laughed, “A little bit, yeah.” 

“I think we both know it’s more than a little bit,” you smirked. 

“Does this mean we’re okay?” He whispered pushing hair away from your face. 

“It means we’re going to be okay,” you whispered. “I can’t just get over it and I don’t expect you to either, but this is a start that we need to get over it.” 

He nodded, “I’m sorry I made you come up here... If you want to go back to London, I’ll pay for you to go back.” 

“No, it’s okay,” you said. “I don’t mind staying unless you don’t want me too.” 

“I want you to stay,” he smiled. 

You nodded, “So, um... Gem said her and your mum were leaving for a few hours,” you said. 

“Yeah, Mum wanted to give us space to talk it out,” he said. 

“Well, we’ve only used about an hour and half for this conversation... so I’d assume they won’t be back for at least another hour or so, right?” You smirked. 

“I’d assume you’re right,” he said. “Where are you going with this?” He laughed. 

“Why don’t you take me up to the bedroom and find out,” you smirked. 

“Are you sure?” He asked. “We don’t-” 

“Oh, well, I mean... if you’re not hungry, we can just sit on the couch, watch netflix or something,” you said innocently. 

“Fuck that,” he laughed picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder. 

“What are you doing?” You laughed holding onto his shirt. “I could have walked.” 

“Just getting you used to this mode of transportation ,” he smirked. “Because you won’t be able to walk by the time we’re finished.” 

“That a promise?” You smirked. 

“Oh, I always keep my promises, babe,” he said. 

And with that you both went up to his the bedroom, where he fact, kept his promise, which would eventually make for an awkward family dinner later that night. 

**

Sooo... I’m thinking the next part will be the set up for him going on tour and then maybe having a second serious of them dealing with being on tour together... what do y’all think? 

[fantranslatorbychoice]

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi Volume 6 Chapter 2- The Village Hidden in Hyakumemomiji** Part 1

T/N: OK Kakuriyo Fam-fans, how are you all doing? Did the last chapter surprise you? Anyways, I wasn't surprised, Odanna-sama always takes Aoi out on a food trip date (dang it, when's my turn lololol even I am tired of eating just white rice at times T_T) so yeah, I guess autumn fruits sound good.

Anways, I sorta started doing a speed run of this chapter because I got too-excited with the date, and I tried letting out this translation as fast as I can, and hopefully by the end of the chapter you'll see why I wanted to speed run this mofo lololol

As always, I mostly didn’t translate a lot of the names of the ayakashi/youkai, as well as the proper nouns because uhm... They’re basically nouns. It’s like how some translated manga are done. Plus it irks me sometimes when everything just gets transliterated, it kills off the vibe. But that’s just me. Links to references at the end of the post.

Also if you like this translation, you can share the link, reblog, but for pete’s sake DO NOT REPOST ELSEWHERE. I worked hard to finish this thing, it’s not like I just Google-translated this whole sh**..

If you need refreshers on what happened, @kakuriyo-translations​ already had the previous translations. I’ll place a tiny index in this post somewhere, to make that easy. I’m just contributing to this fandom. Also, as previously mentioned in my other post, the 2 seasons of the anime cover volumes 1-5, so if you need a review just rewatch them all. Volume 6 starts here.

P27 "A date with Odanna-sama, huh..." Yesterday's rice cooking events felt like a daze, and I felt that fairly it hasn't sunk in yet, and waking up early just made me realize it. The lovely chirping of the little birds just annoyingly grated my ears. The distinct skin-chilling coldness of autumn is also piercing my body. Incidentally, I'm also a bit nervous. "It's.... It's not a big deal, it's not unusual that I'm going on a date with Odanna-sama. Yeah." We went to Youto and ate offal hotpot, we ate chicken tempura in Gintengai, and in the port of the Southern lands we ate donburi with pickled toppings... No matter how many times Odanna-sama and I went out, why am I nervous after all this time? This is weird. Could it be that I'm going down with an illness? Firstly, I opened the shutters of the veranda, to breathe in the early morning air... "Aoi! Let's go now!" P28 "What the.. It's early! Odanna-sama you're early!" The busy bee that uneasily goes here and there and everywhere and has no free time Odanna-sama has already come here. It seemed that he cut across the inner garden towards the veranda. If so, he must have beavered to get here with incredible flexibility. But I'm still wearing my pajamas! "Speaking of, Odanna-sama.. Are you going out looking like that?" Odanna-sama changed his appearance into a younger one, like what he looked liked before, as a fish monger, and his kimono wasn't spectacular, he just looked like a commoner. "That was fast. The face I usually have in Tenjin-ya is too recognizable. What's more, Aoi is the only one that found me out, now this date isn't fun anymore." "I... I'm sure..." Although, if it's through this appearance I felt a bit nervous too. At any rate, this handsome Odanna-sama may be handsome, but the nobleman aura isn't here. Even Orio-ya's Young Mistress Nene only said that he looked reliable-ish. "But Odanna-sama, in spite of this, even this is way too early for Ayakashi! I haven't even prepared anything yet." "I'll wait for you here while you get ready." "You're not busy? Odanna-sama has some free time?" P29 "It's because it's been a very long time since I had a whole day free. Even though Byakuya has been nagging me to get some break already, I just feel that I mustn't. I may have worked too much during the matter with Orio-ya. That dude Raijuu. It seemed that he used some people from the capitol. One way or another, it smells like that all over." "Smells like that.. All over?" What does that mean? The matter in Orio-ya, the circumstance that accompanied the Southern lands, the ceremony that no one spoke of and secretly kept in the back-burner. The sea that lies in between Tokoyo and Kakuriyo wherein every 100 years an Ayakashi called Umibouzu arrives, a peculiar Ayakashi that is received and welcomed. In that ceremony, Raijuu made a disturbance and I got hindered, but borrowing everyone's strength and cooking the Sea Jewel Appetizers while bearing all that, we were able to entertain and serve the Umibouzu. I know that Odanna-sama worked hard for me, but there were many things that I don't know, could there be more things hidden? That Raijuu, I wonder if he's doing anything else right now? "Hey, Aoi, don't go absent-mindedly prepare when getting ready. Would you want to go out in your sleepwear?" When he said that, him egging me on, I went inside the room to prep up... "No, but what should I wear?" In front of me is the kimono that Odanna-sama gave me, but it's too elegant and it won't fit fruit picking. P30 There's also the blue kimono that I used back in Orio-ya, but it's too summery. "Hm?" I opened the wooden cabinet, and I became aware that there was a kimono that I haven't seen before. It was solidly very autumn, a deep red kimono, and a soft mustard yellow obi. It was laid on top of it. It looks of good quality, but it looks light and simple to wear, it's going to be easy to move in it. "Please use this on your date with Odanna-sama. Matsu, Take, Ume." The letter on it... It's the three Nopperabou sisters usual business! "I'm thankful but.. why is there a feeling of eagerness?" I closed the sliding doors of the veranda and changed clothes. From beyond the sliding doors's side, I could hear Odanna-sama chatting with the palm-top Kappa Chibi, who just came back from taking a morning bath. "Ah.. Ogre-shaaan is heeeere" "Isn't taking a bath in autumn chilly, Chibi?" "Ish not really that coooold. In Utsushiyo, the raging wavesh were mush coldeeeer. Ish eashier in heeere." "Aren't you strong... That can only be expected from Aoi's disciple..." "Yeahhh but my beak ishhh chattering... Ish very very coooold..." P31 "Come here. The ogre-fire will warm you up." It seemed that the seemingly calm and composed but eventually got cold Chibi was warmed up by Odanna-sama's ogre-fire. Somewhat somehow, after changing clothes I attached the flower bud kanzashi in my hair. "The petals have opened up considerably now..." I talked to the petals. Gah, I don't know if talking to the petals is a good thing... My impatience doesn't wane, with regards to the flower has blooming. I wanted to see the flowers open up into a round wheel, but the petals will scatter if it does. "Aoi-shaaaan! I am hungryyyy..." Chibi flungs the sliding door open and enters the room. And speaking of, I haven't made breakfast yet. "Say, Odanna-sama, you want to eat breakfast? We have a lot of cold rice left, we can make some onigiri. We can eat while we're walking." "Aoi's hand-rolled meals? Yes, that sounds good." I have just finished changing clothes, but I already wore my apron and went to the kitchen and made onigiri. I mixed the plum and Hijiki seaweed into the onigiri, and packed a lot of the salmon flakes into the onigiri wrapped in nori. There were also eggs left, so I made them into rolled omelette. P32 There's no dashi, no onions, just plain omelette. I added salt and sugar, and some mayonnaise as a faint flavoring. I cut cucumbers and pickled daikon and skewered them with toothpicks, and added these to the sides. The simple onigiri bento box is now done. I wanted to make some with more variety, but I can't make Odanna-sama wait. Today we're going with "simple is best." I stuffed everything in a box, wrapped it in cloth and brought it out with me. "I'm sorry Odanna-sama. Did you wait long?" Odanna-sama was lying down in the veranda and smoking his pipe, while listening to Chibi's stories about playing in the pond. It was about a crawfish, then about a pond skater. Whatever it was about, it's fine. "Nooo, it's not bad to wait for the new wife as she readies herself. Teehee." "Then what are you so happy about?" Odanna-sama stood up, said "Alright, let's go!" and held out his hand. I bewilderedly took his hand, and got supported as I wore my geta sandals. Along with the kimono I'm still not used to, I felt anxious of tumbling down. "Ahhh... Aoi-shaaan and Ogre-shaaaan, where are you goiiiiing? Take me along tooooo." "Well, that sounded miserly..." Even though he was always playing alone, Chibi always wants to be taken along. P33 "When you want to come with, you can come, Chibi. You'll be eating your favorite grapes." "Grapeshhh..." Chibi jumped from the veranda and onto my back. I realized that he was climbing my back as he went "Heave, ho, heave ho." "Say, Odanna-sama, are we going in the airship again?" "Ah, yes. But this time, we're not boarding one with the Tenjin-ya's crest because we'll be hiding, so we'll use the smaller ships. This time the fruit orchard Hyakumeyama, which lies in the connecting lands of the north and northeast will be our destination. The place has farms and is quiet, and you can go pick and harvest fruits at ease and in all diligence." In a bit as we went off, Odanna-sama brought me to the place where the ship was set in anchor. In that place, the Young Master Ginji-san and the Chief Accountant Byakuya-san were there, and it seems that they were going to see us off. Byakuya is a Hakutaku Ayakashi, and is Tenjin-ya's REAL Second Leader. On one hand where he's holding a fan, looked like he was tapping it on the other hand, and he seems to be in a bad mood. "Odanna-sama, don't go too far for your rest and relaxation at nightfall, it's quite perilous. That dummy Raijuu seems to be somehow releasing his stench from the capitol. Do you understand?" "Byakuya, don't be nervous. I know and I'm already serious about it." "If so, then that's nice. You too, Aoi-kun." P34 "Y.. Yes!" I unconsciously replied to Byakuya when he called my name, and it flew out of my head. "Yugao's income this month is very good, and for that I salute you. Nonetheless, you must not lose focus, try to learn to understand that when you go out, then come back here. Keep in mind that, and while at it, don't trouble Odanna-sama." "Y.. Yes!" I unconsciously bowed. It's better to listen to Byakuya-san's words. "Hey hey Byakuya. It's a rare rest and relaxation day. Don't make Aoi think about work." "Oh, don't worry Odanna-sama. I was just telling her what I intend to do." "Oh, I see." Odanna-sama looked at the clear autumn sky. "Aoi-san, be careful outside, whatever you will be doing. Odanna-sama, leave Tenjin-ya's care to me in your stead." Ginji-san was grinning and side-smiling. He seems to be his usual and formal self. "Ginji, please take care of business. Byakuya, if there's anything contact me." "Yes, I know, Odanna-sama." P35 Ginji-san and Byakuya-san, the two higher-ups in the management team bowed their heads deeply, and as we boarded the airships they sent us off. As the airship was rising into the clear sky, we bathed in the afternoon sunlight on the ship's wooden deck. The sunlight was warm, despite the cold breeze. It was a really good atmosphere. "Ahhh. Odanna-sama, the weather's good. It's great that it's clear." "Yes. That said, let's eat breakfast, Aoi." "That was hasty, Odanna-sama..." Sitting on the ship's deck's benches, we immediately opened the onigiri bento boxes. While in that great mood, the arranged onigiri tastes good. This was yesterday's scattered rice, and yet adding salt in this onigiri changed its taste. More than anything, eating this outside was a good idea. "The omelette is also good. It's simple, but it suits the onigiri." "You think so? A lot of various things are always added and used, but this time I only added a few seasonings. Because the cassowary's egg is wonderful, the onigiri which has a lot of stuff is already good. But because I added mayonnaise to the egg as a subtle flavor, just adding salt makes it mellow, doesn't it?" I was talking about a lot of things, and Odanna-sama was just enjoying his food and smiling. "Teehee. Surely it's because it's  hand made by Aoi. It's warm and feels like home." That Odanna-sama that day, he was very friendly and easy to talk to. P36 That person's impression has definitely changed. No, he did not change, he was probably like that as an ogre since the very beginning. I only noticed that he was such, whenever we met, and talked about heavy things. "But really, I thought that it was better if I made more in variety..." Also, instantly,because the opportunities are rare, I thought that if I'm going to do it, I should concentrate on making various bento kinds. Basically, for Odanna-sama I haven't made any food by hand. No, when it comes to those times, I have made more for the other employees than for Odanna-sama. "Don't worry about it. Just do what you usually cook. In those times, aren't the food that you didn't think about much also taste good? It's because in 10 minutes, they’re already delicious." "The food that I.. didn't think much about?" Probably because lately, the food and drinks that I served were continuously served everyday. Before coming to Kakuriyo, Grandpa and I only cooked for ourselves, home-cooked meals. When I came here, it changed because I served food for the Ayakashi. Even though I felt nervous here and there, my skills improved as I kept doing it, and in that time I was able to learn how to cook freely. Because of that, I was able to feed myself and my family.. "Aoi-shaaan, cucumber..." "Oh, sorry Chibi, here you go.." P37 I handed him over the sliced cucumber and pickles stuck on the toothpicks. Then Chibi held those in both hands, and like in a daze started munching and crunching on them. Even though I was nervous early in the morning, I felt comfortable and carefree right now. The evidences are because of me bringing the onigiri and the bento boxes without thinking much.

"Welcome, Tenjin-ya's Odanna-sama. Yugao's Aoi-dono." The smiling face of the owner who greeted us at the entrance of the fruit orchard looks familiar. Once, previously, we met at Gintengai... Could it be.. It's Rokusuke-san, the Rokurokubi. Even in Yugao, we use the fruits from Rokusuke-san's business Mizumakinouen. "Hello, Rokusuke-san." "Aoi-dono, thank you very much for always patronizing our Mizumakinouen's fruits." "Rokusuke-dono, thank you for taking care of us. I am just a commoner today, because we are doing these in secret. You don't have to be so humble." "I understand, Odanna-sama. Today we're only open for half a day, so I think there will be less visitors. Uhm.. Oh, you can see the momiji autumn leaves on the side of the mountain over there." Rokusuke-san stretched his neck towards the mountain to check, and as he moved towards a tree trunk he showed to us the place. P38 "Alright then, please come this way." We finally went inside the fruit orchard. The first portion of the fruit orchard that we went into, was the grape vineyard. "Woooow!" A canopy above our heads hanging like ivy, these drooping, purple grapes look like drops of water seemingly about to burst. They look so fresh, the colors make them look like jewels. The viney canopy allows the autumn sunlight to pierce through, and the gentle air space is filled with a mysterious life force. "This is awesome, Odanna-sama! The grapes are just so impecable!" "The size of each of these grapes are Kakuriyo's biggest and sweetest, the variety is called Daishisui. Lately, Rokusuke-san says that this seedless variety has been selling very well in the market." "For sure.. In Utsushiyo too, I've seen some seedless grapes, I wonder if the skin in these ones are edible too." "The skin isn't edible. But they're easy to peel. Let's go pick some." "Really, they look like Concord grapes, I was thinking of making some grape tarts, I wonder if they're suitable..." The grapes with seeds are really good when used, but how can these seedless grapes be said to be easier to eat, as well as easier to be used for cooking?** T/N. Yeah, I mean, the seedy ones get easier made into jams due to having more pectin, so I agree with you Aoi, I don't know any other use for seedless grapes other than turning them into raisins. The seedy grapes are, in my opinion tastier, juicer, and have more uses. But that's just my opinion lol P39 The grape's main tree is not that tall, and I could easily have fun gathering them. The farm's assistants gave me scissors, and I started to trim the bunches off the trees. These were profoundly heavy, and I was having so much fun gathering them. Store-bought grapes had nothing on these ones. After picking a lot of grapes, I couldn't resist eating one. I was shocked. "Uwahhh! It's very sweet! Odanna-sama, the grapes are very sweet, they're so delicious!" "You tried them right away?" Immediately after I ate one, the fruit's peel was a tad hard-textured, but the grape just burst in my mouth and the juice's rich taste surprised me, it wasn't that sour but the sweetness levels were high. These grapes were picked at ambient temperature, but the taste and texture were still straight up enjoyable. This is a really good product. "Aoi-shaaaan, I want to slurp some grapesh tooooo." "OK, I'll get it." Chibi got hold of a bunch of grapes and hung on one. He went with a grape, and deftly using his beak started peeling off one portion of it, before slurping up and sucking on the juice and munching on it. Chibi holding onto a grape is somehow cute. P40 "Next up are apples. We're going to go buy some to bring home as give-aways for everyone back in Tenjin-ya." "Apples, huh. There are many preservation methods for them, they store up for long time, and many varieties of recipes can be made with them. I want to buy lots for myself too." Hauling the baskets that Rokusuke-san entrusted to us, we went further away to pick some apples. The apple orchards were further inside the premises, away from the grape orchards. The trees were a bit taller than Odanna-sama. All around the trees’ silhouettes, these bore a lot of fruits. "Uwah, they're really very red!" Those apples look so lovely and so tasty. The red color was so deep, and I love the smooth, round shape. Those hanging on the tree look so gorgeous, but I couldn't help but be very interested as to how these will taste. I trimmed one off with scissors, scrubbed the freshy-picked apple's skin and wiped it, and bit into it with haste. While chewing it, the juice's sweetness and sourness spread across my mouth as well as it's strong fragrance. The fruit was crisp and made crunching sounds, as the liquid lightly pulls away. Truly, this were what's called apples. "Are they sweet, Aoi?" "Yes! The insides are sweet, there's hints of sourness, but the flavor is very deep. For sure, this are of Mizumakinouen's best quality. Oh, Odanna-sama, those apples look like they're of a different variety, let's go there, let's go over there!" P41 "Calm down, Aoi..." Odanna-sama accompanied me going here and there. There were so many varieties of apples in the orchard, each one's taste and sweetness were a bit different, and we ended up trying everything. "Hey look, Odanna-sama. Up there on the mountain a bit, there are also more apple trees!" I discovered that on that different place, the were other growing apple trees. Just about all of the trees in the orchard were basically grown in a detached and open portion of a plateau, but  when the adjoined mountain is climbed up a little, trees with seemingly fresh apples can be seen. The pink mixed with the saturated red color makes those apples shine brightly. "That's a variety of mountain apples." "Is that different from normal apples?" "Mountain apples are a bit more sour, and the fruits are hard. Up until now, those fruits are entirely inedible, but just sometime ago, Mizumakinouen has started to sell liquor made out of mountain apples. It's still an unknown product but previously, Rokusuke-san brought a bottle to Tenjin-ya, and we tasted some out yesterday. Ginji and I tried it out as we welcomed some guests." "Speaking of that, both of you were tipsy yesterday..." P42 "It's not exactly that much, but it's easy to get drunk." "Whh-at?" Mountain apple liquor. I'm interested but... I have not so good memories about liquors. Sometime ago, I had a very bad experience with the Tengu's secret sake. That has traumatized me until now, and I have never drank and liquor from then on. "Ahaha, your face stiffened. For sure, after drinking that liquor and getting drunk, you'll feel it for two days after drinking, and the next day when you wake up your mood will be better.. On the night before this rest day I drank just one cup, and I felt like my health got better. Mizumakinouen's brand-new product is something that you'll buy again and again." "Odanna-sama, you don't just merely "drink and try it out." "Ginji also likes it, I'll buy some for him as a souvenir." Just saying that, Odanna-sama just floods with elegance. I went up to where the mountain apples were, just to check. The fruits were larger than I thought. I tried biting on it, it was more sour than sweet, and the flesh was harder. "This isn't just for liquors, this can also be used for jams too." When this is boiled down with sugar, the sourness won't easily disappear, and that's a good thing. Even though the small basket on my back was already full, I tossed the mountain apples into the large basket on Odanna-sama's back. P43 Nevertheless... "Odanna-sama, the commoner's look you have now, you really come off as a plebeian. You really look good with that apple basket, you know." "You're starting to tell me that about me looking like a commoner, Aoi?" Even though I said, that, Odanna-sama seems to be ecstatic. "Let's leave this orchard in a bit. Our baskets are already full." "Ehhh? Let's stay for ten more minutes..." In a corner of the fruit orchard, it seems like there's a small hut that has a fire and is making some jam, and Odanna-sama and I started heading over there. Inside Odanna-sama's basket, in front of me, Chibi was scampering about and I could see Chibi playing with some apples. While inside the large pile of apples, he seems to be playing inside a maze. "Chibi, don't play with the apples too much." "OK, I geeet it. I'm a very shmart Ayakashiiiiii, I won't treat theeeshe appleshhh harshhhlyyyy." However, while Chibi was squirming about, an apple rolled and fell off the basket. "Awww, I made one faaallll ouuuuuut." Chibi popped his face out of the basket, and seemingly unashamed of his wreckless behavior stared at the falling apple, while I chased the apple in a panic. P44 That red apple, I was going to use that for jam. I don't want to waste even one! "What the..." The apple instantly vanished. I didn't notice that there was a large hole hidden by the grass, in front of the place where the apple rolled off to. My geta got stuck and snagged back by a tree root, and I fell head-first into the hole were the apple fell off before! "Gyaaaaahhhhhh---" "Aoi?!!" The apples on my back all rolled down and got scattered. This emergency seemed comical but without a doubt is devastating. Everywhere I bumped into hurts. "Aoi-- Aoi--!" "Ohhhh daaarn, thisshh ishhh baaaaad..." As Odanna-sama was calling my name out, it started to sound farther and farther away because of Chibi's insensitive words. Roll.. Roll.. All of the apples loaded in my back started rolling out easily like a conveyor belt as I looked on. P45 "Owwww" On the place where I landed, I was surrounded by a precipice inside the mountain, and all around was a wide place that was full of fluffy fallen leaves. The top of the hole was high, and above the gaps in between the trees, I could only see a bit of the sky. I went and looked around my surroundings, but I couldn't find the hole that I fell from. "Ohh, a red dragonfly!" But in that place, in all of that stillness, there were momiji, fallen autumn leaves. There was a small spring, where the fallen leaves were floating and coloring the water with. Countless red dragonflies were darting over the spring. Red, orange, brown, yellow. Heavily piled and packed and stacked on top of one another in many layers, the fallen leaves superbly look like a carpet. It looked somewhat like a lovely, autumn forest. Looking at these momiji, I consciously remembered an old memory related to grandpa. "Wai.... Odanna-sama... Odanna-sama, ODANNA-SAMA!!!" This is not a time to be a dummy. I loudly called for Odanna-sama, but my voice only echoes and rebounds back into the precipice's walls. It seemed that Odanna-sama is already far away. "Don't tell me.. I've gotten lost in the fruit orchard..." No matter how frequently I got lost in Kakuriyo, I always didn't feel like I was in distress, didn't I...? P46 "Gah, I shouldn't think too much of this..." For the time being, I'll just wait for help to arrive, while I pick up all of the scattered apples around me. All of the apples were fine. Even if some got bruised, there's no problem with eating them. But then that time, I felt like there were scratching sounds behind me, and I was shocked when I turned my head around. "Wh... Who are you?" From inside the forest, with masks that were as red as apples, and bodies each covered in a straw raincoat, a crowd appeared. They surrounded me, and it seemed like they're coming in from everywhere. "It's a human... A human girl.." Whispering in hushed voices, they signalled each other through the eye holes in their masks. Because the wall of the precipice was behind me, I couldn't move at all. "Wh..What is this.. Wait a minute..." The dubious beings started moving smoothly towards me. Could it be that, they're going to feed on me? But within the populace wearing a straw raincoat, a strange branch was pulled out, and they lighted it up, and towards me wafted a smoke that smelled bittersweet, it was an unfamiliar smell. P47 In a moment before I realized it, I have lost consciousness.

I had a dream. It was an old memory, with momiji and apples. In reality, back then I went with grandpa once, to his old residence. I was still an lementary school student then, and for sure it was autumn. I was sure that grandpa visited the Buddhist altar of his deceased mother, we went to this large residence in the outskirts of Tokyo, and I accompanied him. It has been a long time since he visited their family home, and he probably felt a lot of nostalgia. That home reminded me particularly of autumn season, and it seemed that grandpa had so much deep-seated emotions. "Ah, I see.. When autumn comes, this home seemingly turns into an AKIAKANE." "Grandpa, what's an akiakane?" "That's a red dragonfly, Aoi." It seemed like grandpa cut himself off from whoever was living in that home. He particularly didn't mention the place he came from, and it seems that through this I couldn't get to know him better. After a very long time, for such a reason he had no choice but to meet with his mother. P48 However, if I was going to meet my great-grandma, I couldn't instantly do it when she was still alive. Even when that person died, grandpa didn't come to her funeral, and even after that he couldn't bring it upon himself to visit even secretly. The house that we went to was the first and last time that I did, but to be honest, from how I remembered it, it was a really large residence.** Grandpa was such a monk... "I apologize, I had no way to find out, you were already at the verge of death. As expected, the role of head of the household was difficult..." "Nay, mother's death.. Seemed to be from my curse. I am truly sorry about that. You were killed by someone who didn't want to die... A strong person..." "Being someone like the lady of the house, even at your time of death, Shirou made you worry. Let us hurry now to her Buddhist shrine**." A man in the prime of his life, grandpa brought himself into the house's inner room, and in front of us we saw an imposing Buddhist shrine. A curse...? Grandpa's words were spoken in a low and hushed voice, and that time I thought that what I was continuously listening to was mysterious. But then I remembered something, it seemed that there was a deep meaning to it. T/N: At this point, it's easy to see why Shirou was living as a reckless man, he was probably raised in a stiff household, mostly because he was a member of the main family, with his mother as the house head. So he had to conduct his manners most of the time, probably. He loosened up when he got a chance to get away from the house. He was also probably bailed out a lot, which is why he at times becomes happy-go-lucky, or leaves others to clean up his messes. Think of a chaebol's son (son of a rich person lol) being bailed out a lot, and ends up not being able to clean up his messes. Buddhist shrines are tiny cabinet-like altars that contain the photo of the deceased, and they're usually opened up on death anniversaries or new years or whenever there's a day of the dead celebration something, like hungry ghost fest or something. Offerings can be placed in front of the cabinet, along with candles and incense sticks. Again, as this implies that Shirou came from a prominent family, his mother's shrine altar is probably huge AF. P49 "Aoi, come meet your great-grandmother. Mother, this is my granddaughter, Aoi." In front of the large Buddhist shrine, I was introduced to the dead. So many apples with a lovely color were offered, and as a child that left a strong impression on me. The incense stick's fragrance, within the swaying smoke rising up... The red color that was projected looked lovely. I didn't understand how to pay respects to someone that I didn't know. But the blurred vision of grandpa's side profile, up until now I didn't see it, it was a person who was suffering in loneliness... I could only remember it now. "Aoi, wait here for a bit..." After that, grandpa talked to two of his male relatives, and on the tatami floor of the residence, I waited for him. There was a garden connected to the veranda, and red dragonflies were flying in and out, dartingly through the window. I wondered why I was there alone...As I was sitting on the veranda, looking at the evening sky's madder red color, I started to ponder. Everywhere I go my heart always feels wrenched as I always felt that I was an outsider, but staying here in this residence, it didn't feel bad. It's easy for this old house to draw in Ayakashi, but I couldn't feel anything evil. Being guarded somehow, I could remember that place had a sense of calm and peace. P50 I didn't think that there would be anyone visiting or encroaching the confines of that place. "Are you.. A human?" Suddenly, there was someone at the gate. Before I realized it, a young boy was standing beside me. The boy seemed to have orange hair**, I thought that he was a humanoid Ayakashi, and my body stiffened. He's not a human-ish Ayakashi... At best, he is a lower-grade elementary school student. A child. But as I stared at the child in front of me, looking deeper at his essence, his eyes were not those of a child's. "I'm... A human too." I answered with a low voice, and as that child's face remained the same, he nodded over a serving tray that he was carrying. Sliced apples were arranged on a glass plate, and there was a glass of milk on the tray too. "Mommy told me to bring these to you." I humbly took these, and the kid frettedly ran away as if he was escaping. At that moment, he really did acted somewhat like a child. While running, what seemed like a mother's scolding voice called out "Akane, stop running!" T/N: It's not an ayakashi, it's zappy boi Zenitsu wahahaha I have zero regrets and yeah I know Zappy boi had brown hair before getting struck by lightning. But seriously, it seemed that based on the stuff here, Shirou's family can see Ayakashi, as Zappy boi Akane and Aoi can see them, like he did. Honestly, the color-name puns are just too much lololol P51 That kid, his name was Akane. It was the sky's color, and was the name of the red dragonflies. The skin of the sliced apples were made into bunnies** and they looked cute, and I could feel the love of the mother living in that house. Could the child also have eaten this everyday, I wonder. Using the fork beside the apples, I stuck this on the apples and ate them from behind. "Oh, they're sweet." Also, they were cold. These were cooled inside the refrigerator, and the coldness felt good on my throat. Somehow, while drinking the milk and eating the apples, it became a memory I longed for. A child. Yes, a child who had no idea how autumn feels like. I couldn't have it anymore. But whenever I see apples and momiji, I remember that meeting that only happened once.

Boom, boom..... When I woke up, within that pitch blackness was an old banquet hall inside a grotto. T/N: Bunny apples are fun to make and fun to eat, try them out. I think I saw some in Kaicho wa Maid-sama once, but that was ages ago lol P52 A large alter was built, a while ago, in front of me. All around it were countless food offerings. Countless candle flames were lit, flowers and fruits and a pig's head**, deer horns and other stuff were arranged there as offerings too. "Wh... What is this?" In front of me, the drummers were also dancing, they seem to be holding and continuing a ceremony, and these were the mysterious Ayakashi with monkey masks. "Miko-sama" "You have awakened." They were all whispering in a low voice. Miko-sama? "Uhm... Are you.. worshipping me?" Having no idea what was happening, I asked them in a courageous voice. But the gathered Ayakashi that were wearing a straw raincoat and monkey masks, why did they all went "yes, milady, yes milady" and turned around? "Human girl, you are the Kaku-zaru** village's priestess." "You shall save us from calamity..." These Ayakashi called Kaku-zaru, for a while have been worshipping me. I don't feel anymore danger, but this situation has gone nuts. T/N: They got hold of Inosuke's boar head lolol I still have zero regrets Nihongo fun fact, when forming compound words, the first syllable of the second word gets a tenten, which looks like a quotation mark. For example, the word HIDARIGAWA (left side) is made up of 2 words: hidari=left, and kawa=side, and because the syllable KA becomes GA when you add a tenten, KAWA becomes GAWA. Another example, the word for three thousand, SANZEN, is made up of san=three and sen=thousand, but because SA becomes ZA when you add a tenten, SEN becomes ZEN. Which is why I made it KAKUZARU here, there's no furigana in the text so I just assumed that this rule works. I could have just made it into Kakuriyo Monkey but then where's the fun in that lol. I'll probably put shit like this here, so that by the end of however much chapters my body can upload here, we've all learned some tiny Nihongo bits. I'ma gonna drag you all with me bwahahahahaahaa! P53 "Uhm.. I came from a fruit orchard along a mountain. I would want to go back now..." The monkey masks suddenly stared up. The masks had a strong impact on me, and I unconsciously gulped. This has a different atmosphere, compared to when I'm with the usual Ayakashi I have met. In a way, this unexplored region seemed to house a tribe. "You're a Miko." "No, I'm not a Miko, because I'm just a human." I flatly refused them, but they started to gather as they were whispering. "Miko-sama, with our offerings, we are requesting of you. This is our sacrifice..." "Uhm.. Sacrifice?" After saying that, is seemed that they didn't listen. Nevertheless, when they pulled out a rope I was shocked, they were pulling along a handsome, black-haired guy with a long piece of rope... "What the... They tied up Odanna-sama like a slave!" In front of me, surely without a doubt, they have brought along Tenjin-ya's Odanna-sama, the younger version. That appearance doesn't give off his aura of being Tenjin-ya's master, after all, they don't know who it was. B-b-b-b-but, isn't that disrespectful? If the people in Tenjin-ya saw this they'll bring upon a wrath of a sea of fire! P54 Speaking of Odanna-sama, he was restlessly looking around, and once when he found me on the bluish altar, he smiled at me childishly. As expected from someone so composed. It's better to be cheerful. "Miko-sama, we found this person loitering around outside the village." "Please have your way with this sacrifice. We can boil, then roast, then eat him." No no no, a human girl can't eat Ayakashi! "Then quickly untie him! That person is a distinctly emiment man!" "Yes, milady--" While the Kaku-zaru were being told what to do, they unfastened Odanna-sama's ropes. "Hmmmmph. Could it be that when you saw me tied up, you were surprised?" "You don't have a face that looked surprised. Might you have been enjoying yourself? Speaking of, how did you got captured so easily?" "I was looking for you, and I ended up in the Kaku-zaru's village. I thought it was easier to get caught as an adult in order to get in. As a result, I got here. When I met you here, everything went OK." "So it's OK to meet Odanna-sama here.." When the Kaku-zaru saw Odanna-sama and I, they started to talk in hushed voices. They were an eerie bunch. Why on earth did they bring me here, what do they plan to do? "Oh dear..." P55 Odanna-sama hit his hand on his waist, and it transformed as he dispelled it. Normally, people would be surprised and exclaim "It's Tenjin-ya's master!", but, here, the Kaku-zaru  only shook their heads questioningly. What the.. They only kept silent and didn't say anything, so Odanna-sama only cleared his throat with an "ahem". "Aoi, this place is the heart of Hyakumeyama. I knew that inside this mountain, there is a hidden village of the Kaku-zaru, but this is the first time I've taken a visit. At any rate, the Kaku-zaru's village is in the territory of the Northern Lands." "Whaaaa-t. So.. We're already in the Northern Lands?" "Now that you mentioned it, yes. But the North-eastern lands were supposed to have a boundary..." Upon hearing loud drumming sounds again, Odanna-sama stared at the ceremony that the Kaku-zaru were performing in front of the large altar. "These Kaku-zaru were from an old era, wherein they were taken here by a Miko, a human priestess, which is now forbidden. Each time a human girl comes here, she becomes a replacement for the Miko, and she becomes worshipped by them." "So in this case, I was kidnapped to become worshipped here?" "But, well, this curiosity is rather odd. No matter how many human girls they worship, if it's against their will, being taken here feels like a punishment. But for this, I wonder what their probable reasons were for moving and leaving the village..." At the same time, the drumming sounds suddenly stopped. The door of the old tomb opened, and an old Kaku-zaru came in. P56 "The respectable elder... Has come!" That person has the longest straw raincoat in the bunch, and somewhat wears a necklace made out of bones, as well as having a mask of an old sleepy monkey. While walking with a cane, he was supported by a Kaku-zaru who was near the offerings, and sat in front of the altar where I was. "Miko-sama, we are the humble descendants in this village. For today, we beseech you." Everyone went "Yes, milady--", and bowed deeply once again. What the heck is going on.. "Uhm.. Respectable elder? What is all this For a while now, you've been saying stuff about worshipping, why on earth is that?" "Brigands from the far north has come to our village, and has looted and plundered." "Bandits?" Odanna-sama and I looked at each other's faces. He suddenly seemed to remember something instantly, and he placed his hand on his chin as he narrowed his eyes. "Bandits came from the far north.. Could it be that, they're the Ozuma gang?" "Odanna-sama, you know of them?" "Yes. They came from the Great Glacial Mountain Range of the Far North, and I've heard stories that in nearly every mountain here and there they were wreaking havoc and violence. But unexpectedly, you're asking for help from the North-eastern lands connected to the mountain of Hyakumeyama?" Aa a Hachiyo of the North-eastern lands, might he have not noticed of their situation? His facial expression suddenly became grave. P57 "Say, what on earth did the bandits do to this village?" After I tried asking, each of the Kaku-zaru started groaning in low voices. It was a bone-chilling sound and it pierced through my body. "We already have become the Ozuma-gang's minions." "Hm, in what way?" "The Ozuma-gang are bandits composed of about 20 individuals that move around. Each one has a jurisdiction over one mountain, as well as a minion that goes in each of the mountains, and like the other mountains we have become under one group that only keeps on increasing." The respectable elder has started to retell the story emotionally. "The day when those brigands came to this village,they broke through everything and pillaged, they violently wounded our villagers. We have no means or ways to retaliate so we just surrendered, and we became under the control of those thugs. After that, those brigands started to enter this village's stronghold, and every night they celebrated in our banquet hall. They just ate all of the village's food in reckless abandon, drank our liquor dry, and became even more violent when drunk. Half of the food we were saving in this village has already been eaten. At this rate we will not even last until winter." "Oh, I see. To summarize, you have been deeply troubled by it." Because of that, they have explained why they have abducted me, and why they were asking help from the gods. "Miko-sama. Please, we beg of you, save us---" The other Kaku-zaru who were also bowing down and worshipping me, also beseeched and prayed. Even though they show signs of just imitating what they think what a god must do, the surrounding atmosphere of desperation made me want to help them, but regarding that, I am just a normal human girl who has no means to easily resolve the issue. P58 "Respectable elder, have you gotten in touch with the Hachiyo of the North?" From here, Odanna-sama asked the question with a commanding voice. The respectable elder raised his face, stared unblinkingly at Odanna-sama's majestic pose. "Oh my.. You, are you not Tenjin-ya's Master?" "Indeed, I am. Finally, you have taken notice of me." "This is a bit too bad, isn't it, Odanna-sama?" After having his fun hiding, then finally being found out, Odanna-sama's face got a bit bored and sullen. But the respectable elder took off his mask, and bowed his head deeply. His monkey face seemed to have remained the same, but there were deeply-etched wrinkles on it, which definitely showed his very old age. The other Kaku-zaru didn't seem to be fazed with Odanna-sama. This was as otherworldy, remotely and as detached to the outside world as it can get. "Please give us your permission, Odanna-sama!" "Oh, do not worry, it's fine. However, the North's Hachiyo.. Can he not do it?" "Yes. We have not received any help from the North's Hachiyo. That is out of the question right now, as the Hachiyo has turned a blind eye on the arrival and movements of the brigands." P59 "I knew it..." "What, how can you say that, Odanna-sama?" I couldn't follow how the conversations flowed. During such times, when called for, a Hachiyo doesn't comply with the wishes of the people of the land? It seems to be like that here, in the Northern Lands. While placing his hand on his jaw, Odanna-sama explained to me the situation. "Apparently, the Northern Lands have a problem in their hands. The other name for this land is called "The Land of Glaciers", and is Kakuriyo's largest land area, and in this land there is a historical giant ice castle. But because the nature of this place is harshly cold, it is undoubtedly the most difficult to live alongside that harshness. The current Hachiyo holds a strong influence as a distinguished Ayakashi, and has been able to create stability within the boundaries of the Northern Lands.. But after countless years, that Hachiyo has succumbed to an illness." Really-- Prior to this, the Southern lands were deeply concerned with handling a unique problem, but even here in the Northern lands they also had problems. "Well,now that the entirety of the land is in chaos, from now on we must strike back at the bandits that have been having their ways in expanding their territories in the mountains here and there. But the Ozuma-gang.. They're an especially powerful bunch. Nonetheless, since I came from the North-eastern Lands which I have control over, I think we can apply some mugwort and moxybust them out." Odanna-sama said all of those standing tall and with a suave look. As if holding on to those words, the Kaku-zaru's elder who was previously losing hope suddenly, and with fire opened his eyes. "We cannot call upon the North's Hachiyo anymore. But can we impose upon the master of Tenjin-ya, along with the Miko-sama? P60 Please, for the sake of our village, make those bandits leave us!" "Ohh. But you kidnapped my new wife who fell inside a hole, isn't that request a bit selfish? And what's more, you also restrained my hands." It's not like that, that was pretty much my own fault, and it's why Odanna-sama's behavior was incomprehensible. "It's a rare chance that we got to enjoy apple-picking, but you have interrupted our date, Aoi and I. If Aoi hated me because of what I did, what then? Hm?" "Odanna-sama, right now you're being too selfish and holding grudges. Moreover, at this point I can't hate you..." "Really, Aoi? If that's the case, do you like me?" "Nah, I don't know." I replied a considerably appropriate answer to Odanna-sama, who was brimming with expectations. With such a frank answer, Odanna-sama felt dejected and with a disheartened look hunched his back and sat alongside the already sitting Kaku-zaru. Well, that was indeed depressing... "Well then, where is the Ozuma-gang right now?" Odanna-sama continued the conversation with a blank face. "They were in a nearby mountain territory yesterday, and tonight they announced that they will be coming here, to eat and feast in the banquet hall." P61 I caught a glimpse of Odanna-sama agreeing and nodding. "Aoi, what do you think we must do?" "Ehh? Me?" Him seeking for my opinion was very unusual. I thought for a bit, and answered in all honesty. "These people, I think it's a pity that the food they have now won't last until after winter.." "Hahaha, as expected of you, you were worried more about their food. Even though my companion was kidnapped to be worshipped, you were still the same, your nature of involving yourself with Ayakashi and their food still came out." "Even if I fell and rolled down a hole and everywhere hurts, I don't think I'm in any other kind of danger." "What the.. You got hurt?! Let me look at you to see if you got bruised--" "Odanna-sama, this isn't the time to talk like that--" This time my words were taken as a harsh reply by Odanna-sama, and despite the conversation getting derailed due to inappropriateness, I returned it to its original traction. Seeing the situation as such, the Kaku-zaru seemed to be perplexed. "Ahem, Well, I am also a Hachiryo. This may be the Northern Lands' problem, but I wouldn't know if the bandits may have brazenly invaded the North-eastern Lands. As such, repelling them from here is my job. I have a deep consideration of Aoi's heart, but I can lend you my hand." P62 "Ohhhhhh.." Hearing Odanna-sama's words, everyone seemed to have more hope, and they raised their voices with relief. "A normal ogre would always back out and retreat, but now you have become Kakuriyo's dark hero!" "My soon-to-be wife wouldn't like that." "You've said that already, why are saying that again?" "There are two chairs for two people on that altar, it somehow vaguely seems to be for a king and queen." "Well, that seems to be a fun situation, isn't it Odanna-sama?" Odanna-sama's reception may have been weird and without familiarity, but I think they were sincere. But... "Alright then. Since you said so, Aoi go back to Tenjin-ya." "Whaaat?" All of a sudden, Odanna-sama commanded me to return! Even though he said "I have consideration for Aoi”! "Wh-- Why? I wanted to help in any way too--" "That's out of the question. Those bandits are armed, and a despicable bunch. Having a human girl's body, you'll be in danger, and that is terrifying--" "So that being the case, Odanna-sama is not in danger?" "What's that? Are you.. Worrying for me?" P63 As Odanna-sama was peeking at my face, his face immediately showed a naughty smile. "I'm an ogre. I am different from the weak Aoi. This time your cooking skills can't resolve it." "Th... That I can understand.." Surely, I wonder if I can't get any stronger. Until now it was different, and I wondered if there's a possibility that I can fight with arms? But.. "But, I was thinking of helping up with the cooking back at the banquet hall..." "Again, when it comes to that you're still planning to cook..." Odanna-sama looked at me with a puzzled look, and I prepared myself. "But.. Ah, I see, there's more, if we add sleeping drugs to their food, when they get sleepy won't it be easier to beat them?" "What?" Hearing a mediocre yet dangerous suggestion, Odanna-sama got startled. Even the Kaku-zaru got shocked and couldn't move. As expected, the tactic was such a cliche. 'What the.. What is this atmosphere? I know it's too common. It's a joke." "No, it was so you, Aoi. I guess, you being Shirou's granddaughter, you thought of that." "You guess?" P64 "No, Aoi you had suffered and fought in so many battlefields that you have become resourcefull all around, that's a housewife!" "What the.. You don't have to follow me around against your own will, Odanna-sama--" I realized that this was much like Grandpa's style, and I saw that I have come so far. "However, this isn't exactly classical, so I don't think that it's diabolical. Yes. The mountain apples that we picked, and when we use the Hyakumeyama momiji branch, we can probably make it good." Despite my cliched suggestion, Odanna-sama seemed to have openly agreed to it. He tapped on my shoulder with his hand, and his face turned into an evil ogre. "Aoi, you can definitely depend on your special skills."

End of Chapter 2, Volume 6. Previous - Chapter 1    Next - Chapter 3

Volume 1 Translations by Kakuriyo-translations

Prologue               Chapter 1             Chapter 2       Chapter 3        Chapter 4

I translated Volume 1  Chapter 5 here

References:

Wonderful site for the youkai references

Other stuff I used to do this: Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (you can buy here, I’m not sponsored btw). I was about to buy the older edition but then the newer one came out 2013 so I bought that instead. Worth buying since I was able to find nearly all of the words I needed just by stroke pattern alone.

Merriam-Webster's Japanese-English Dictionary (the red-covered 1996 version is apparently out of print right now). This is what I have been using for a very long time, I bought it when I was still a fetus (yes I am old so what lol), and after so many years, when compared to newer editions, I still prefer this one since its entirety is Japanese-English, the English to Japanese gloss are just 16 pages tops, so you get more Japanese words for your buck. But that’s just my opinion, maybe other people prefer the Jap-En x En-Jap IDEK.

Basic online dictionary, Jisho. Knowledge of verb conjugations  and other words are necessary since not all have entries.

If you can read Japanese, you can buy the whole set in Amazon Japan, they’re shipping worldwide now, I think.

[brucewaynehastoomanykids]

Café Talks

Request from user @ravenfan1242 "Can you write a DamiRae where they grew out of the TT and went seperate ways for whatever reason. Before they had seperated they were in love with each other but his their feelings. Some years later after losing touch they see each other again and it's awkward but it's also a fire of pent up feelings that are still there."

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Growing up is probably one of the hardest things for people to do. Especially when it comes time to let go of the people from that past. The same people you had numerous adventures with, and even grown go call family. Leaving the Titans wasn't as easy as I probably made it seem to be, but how could I have said 'no' to father when he told me I was growing too old to be considered a teen titan. He was right, but it didn't make it any easier.

Imagine my surprise when I had gotten an invitation from Koriand'r to join her and the rest of the ex-titans for a reunion. Which is what lead me to be here in front of the what now seems abandoned Titans Tower. Memories came flooding back to me as soon as I laid my eyes on it, I couldn't help but stare.

"It's odd, isn't it?" Said voice behind me asked. "This is the place we first met. And now here we are, years later."

I knew that voice thought it had been so long it almost seemed like a stranger.

"Hello, Raven." I smiled, turning to face her.

Her appearance hadn't changed a bit. Dark blue heels, and a leather jacket to match, a plain black dress that touched her thighs, and the same necklace she wore the time we were forced to 'mandatory fun.' The only thing that really changed about her is her hair. It no longer touched her shoulders as it had once before, instead, it was cut into a pixie. A sloppy pixie, though. It seemed like she tried to cut it herself. But, it somehow fit her.

Everything fit her, really. She looked very attractive, even if she did mean to be. Someone with her beauty, she most definitely has a boyfriend now. Somehow the thought of that stings... perhaps I'm not quite as over this past crush as I had once thought.

Raven caught up to me as we began walking to the tower together.

"I'm surprised you came," she said, "these sort of things have never really been your thing in the past."

"The ones in the past were never as meaningful as this one," I replied, keeping my eyes on the tower as we stepped inside, "if anything, Raven, I'm surprised to see you here. I had heard you've been on the hunt to find your mother for the past few years."

"Yes," she started sadly, looking towards the ground, "but with no real luck. I know she's alive, I do... but every trail I followed hasn't gotten me anywhere..." her voice perked up again, "so, I figured I needed some sort of relaxation in my life. After all, 'when the world comes crashing down, who's ready to party'?"

I only let out a small huff in response. This was something Raven and I often argued about. I keep hoping one day she comes to accept that Arella is just simply not alive anymore. I can't say I don't understand the pain she was feeling, however. For a while, after my own mother's death, I had tried to make some excuses for why she could still be alive. Of course, she isn't, and I knew that, but it never stopped me. It took me years to fully accept her death, but it seems it's taking Raven longer.

We walked inside the tower to a large cast of lights and people. It was the cleanest I had seen the inside of the tower since I first joined, more likely Koriand'r's doing, and a display of different foods and beverages of everyone's liking on a large table. From the outside of the tower, no one would ever guess such a display be on the inside. Though, maybe that was the intention.

I make my way to the sofa as I watch Raven chat with Koriand'r, Logan, and Reyes. It was... nice to see her smile at them so genuinely. Though part of me knew it was forced, I can live with the hope it's not. Perhaps it was time I helped Raven with her mother, even if I don't fully believe she's alive.

I walked over to Raven again and asked her to come with me so we could talk in private. She gave me a questionable look but agreed. I grabbed her hand and lead her to the back of the room where barely anyone was at.

"I want to help you in the search for your mother." I told her plainly.

Her eyes went from shocked to what seemed to be slight anger in seconds. "Why? You were never there to help me before? In fact, I vaguely recall you saying it was a 'fools mission' not that long before you left us."

I sighed. "Raven you and I both know I had to leave, I was almost eighteen an--"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Her voice grew sad. "I understand why you had to leave, Damian... what I don't understand is why you never contacted us again. You never visited, you didn't call, or text, hell you didn't even write a letter. Nothing. You just... left. And that wasn't fair, you know? We missed you, though you may not believe that... I missed you."

Ouch. There goes another ping to the heart. But she was right, it wasn't fair. Especially since I didn't really have a reason to do so besides the fact that half the time I was too busy to do anything but work with father. Doesn't mean I shouldn't have called in my free time.

She sighed. "You know what? Forget it. This obviously was a bad idea to come..."

She was about to leave before I grabbed her wrist.

"Wait, please," I begged, "you can hate me all you want later but... can I at least buy you a coffee, or maybe a cup of tea tomorrow? For old times sake?" God, I sounded pathetic.

She raised an eyebrow before nodding slightly. "Sure, if you really want to make up for what you did. 1 sound good?"

"Works for me." I smiled in relief as she walked away without another word.

~

I've been waiting for her for about an hour now. I'm starting to think she stood me up. Not that I would really be mad about it, it would certainly be good karma. Though that doesn't stop me from questioning whether I should leave or not.

"You seem like a friendly face, mind if I sit with you?" Raven said, coming up from behind and taking her seat across from me. "Sorry I'm late, I had some errands to run that I completely forgot about. I would have texted you but I don't think I have your number anymore."

"I see." Was all I said.

The waitress came to take our orders. I ordered a simple coffee while Raven ordered hot cocoa.

"Really? Hot chocolate? If my memory serves me, I thought you usually got tea and a small salad here?" I raised a brow.

She giggled. "Hey, chocolate comes from cocoa which is a tree. A tree is a plant. Therefore, chocolate is a salad, and considering I'm getting it in liquid form, it also takes place for the tea."

I rolled my eyes. "Your sarcasm is still intact I see..."

"It's very rare for a personality to change in just a mere four years, Wayne." She smiled slyly.

"Four years is still a long time." I told her matter-of-factly.

"Perhaps... but only if you count the days."

Silence loomed for a while. Our drinks had been delivered, and we drank peacefully. From an outside perspective, one could think we're strangers who just say at the same table. That was until Raven broke the silence.

"So, what exactly did you want to meet?"

I let out a deep sigh and straightened my posture to show that I was serious. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior these past few years. I should have kept in contact when I had the chance to. But, if it matters, you were always on my mind."

She sighed, setting down her cup. "Well, one, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have made you feel guilty, I know how busy Bruce tends to keep you and I should have realized that sooner... and, two, really? You thought about me? I'm... surprised, honestly."

"Why wouldn't I? You were the first person who has ever understood me, and you saved me from growing to be the spoiled brat I used to be in my youth. Not to mention how dark my world was before you have me a new perspective. You made me this way. The person I am today is all thanks to you."

She didn't respond, though her face lit up slightly. She began to run her finger around her now empty mug and was deep in thought. Perhaps to find the right words to say. But her words never came. Instead, a notification on her phone that seemed to startle her.

I chuckled at her jump. "Boyfriend?"

She gave me a look of slight shock before replying. "No, no just a weather notification. I'm actually single, technically. However," she smiled a bit as her cheeks tinted a light shade of pink, her voice lowered, "I do like someone. I have for a long time. And... it's funny. Because for a long time I had thought it was over him."

I raised a brow. "Wait, who?"

"Well, it's you, actually." She replied nervously.

Something inside me swelled. "Well... I might have had feelings for you as well. I think I have for a while."

"Yeah right." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious! I was just a coward to admit them. I remember even once practicing to do so in the mirror but never could do it in real life." I laughed at the memory.

"Now I know you're lying," She playfully jabbed at my shoulder, "come on, Damian! I look like I shouldn't even be standing next to you! You grew to be so... well, handsome. And honestly, I'm a mess. I have been for a while. I don't deserve your affection or--"

I grabbed at her hands and held them lightly. "I've loved you, despite your flaws. I had thought after some time, those feelings would have passed, but it's obvious it will never happen. So, if you want to, um..." I began to grow a bit nervous, "if you want to try something... I promise I'm not gonna leave you. You're never going to search for the answers you need, and suffer for the pain you feel by yourself again, I promise."

She smiled slightly, pulling her hands away from mine. "Damian, that's sweet, but what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm just simply not like everybody else. Between dealing with my father, and longing for my mother, I'm not as put together as I sometimes seem to be. You deserve someone better."

"There isn't anyone better for me than you, Raven... I smiled, "And speaking of your mother, my offer still stands. I still want to help you... and to love you. If you wish me to."

Raven looked down. "It feels like everyone has forgotten my mother even existed. Everyone except me. I've been looking for her all alone for so long..." her eyes lit up as she looked into mine, "but if I'm honest, I'm sick of being alone all the time. Both in my search... and my life. So... yes, Damian. I want you to be with me... and to help me... but, you know that by being with me, you're risking everything, right? I'm not exactly the safest person to be around these days."

I smiled. "It's a risk I'm willing to take... just staying by your side is enough."

She returned my smile as we paid for our drinks and exited the café hand-in-hand. This was definitely the start spectacular. For both of us.

[silverfootstepswrites]

Amaryllis | Chapter 22

<  Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 >

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"Mother?"

"Yes, dear?"

Kushina looked up from her meal with a smile. It faded when she saw how Naruto hadn't eaten much. Just picked at his plate. Pushed the greens together. Lumped the meats into another pile.

"What is it?" she pressed.

Naruto was silent. He glanced at the empty seat at the head of the table. Kushina followed his gaze.

"Your Father is a bit busy tonight," she explained.

"He's been busy for a while."

"Yes, dear. Just… some… small issues."

"Small issues," Naruto repeated. He scraped his fork a little harder.

"Yes. Just… minor ones."

"Like how I'm not allowed to go to the city? Or to go visit my friends? Or even do anything in this castle without someone telling me I can't? Those kinds of issues," Naruto snapped.

Kushina's smile grew tight. She reached across the table. "You need to understand. It's not safe. It's for your own good, Naruto."

He pulled his hand away. Avoided the wounded expression on his mother's face as he said: "I'm not a child, Mother."

Naruto stared down at his food. He considered getting out of his seat. Walking out in the middle of the meal and letting the doors slam behind him.

But he imagined the look on his mother's face if he did.

So he didn't.

He did, however, think of what Sakura would have done. She would have spoken her mind. Flipped a plate if it got someone to listen better.

Instead, Naruto nibbled at his potatoes and avoided his mother's feeble attempts to revive the conversation.

Naruto was thankful that Sir Sai didn't say anything on the walk back from dinner.

When he arrived at his quarters, he turned to face the knight.

"Good night," Naruto said.

And it was then that Sir Sai decided to open his mouth.

"You want to go outside the castle walls so badly, Prince?"

Naruto bit back the retort he had prepared. Instead, he retorted: "So what if I do?"

Sai rubbed the side of his nose. Jabbed a thumb in the direction of the city.

"I know a way you can go see for yourself."

Naruto's eyes widened. Then they narrowed. "And what's that?"

Sai chuckled. "It's fine if you don't want to hear it. Although I'm hurt that you don't have a little more faith in me. After all these years."

Naruto folded his arms across his chest. "Yamato was with me for years. It's only been a couple with you." And then Naruto stared at Sai as he added: "Besides, since when have you cared about what I'm doing?"

Sai held both hands up.

"I'm just making a suggestion because I'm tired of you sighing and moping all day. It's more for my sake than yours."

Naruto frowned. But he nodded for Sai to continue.

"If your mother won't budge, why not speak to your father?"

Naruto made a noise of exasperation.

"He's busy."

"Alright. Then speak to the advisors who are in his ear. That's just as good," Sai replied.

Naruto squinted as he considered this. He turned the idea over in his head. He did see the dour Duke Hyuuga often for his lessons. And he ran into Marquess Shimura at least a few times a week as he moved around Whiteriver Keep.

"That's a stupid idea," Naruto declared. And he retreated into his room, shutting the door in Sai's smug face.

In the morning, Naruto bundled up in his cloak and gloves. It was early in the spring- cold in the mornings and evenings. He didn't say anything when he opened the door to find Sai waiting there. Brushed past him to begin walking down the corridor.

"Your lessons don't start until later," Sai informed him.

"I know."

"You're not allowed to wander around on your own outside."

Naruto whirled around. Fists tight at his sides. "I know that. Keep your mouth shut! And stay back at least 10 steps- No. 20!" he snapped.

Naruto stormed off. Ignoring the sounds of Sai's snickers bouncing off the stone walls.

By the time he arrived at the temple, he was still fuming. Naruto craned his neck as he heard the bells tolling to announce the time. It was 8, according to the number of chimes. He glanced around.

"Wait here," Naruto ordered without looking back. He slipped into the temple, taking care to close the door softly behind him.

Naruto cleared his throat a little as he turned towards the statue of the Goddess. "The nobles of this city are not religious. But they cannot easily oppose the will of the temple without creating more problems for themselves."

When she faced him again, there was a smile on her lips once more. "It won't be a long excursion. But perhaps it will be the reprieve you need, Your Highness."

Naruto exhaled. "You would do that for me?"

Even past the veil covering the top half of her face, Naruto could see how her face softened.

"How can I not offer some hope to one with such wounds on his heart?"

As the high priestess promised, the temple sent a written request to Whiteriver Keep a few days later. The messenger who arrived was even wearing the official robes of the temple.

Naruto wasn't permitted to enter the room, but he did stand outside the door. Ear pressed against the seam. Straining to make out the garbled words as his father, Marquess Shimura, and Duke Hyuuga argued.

When they emerged several minutes later, none of them seemed happy.

Naruto noticed, with a start, that Marquess Shimura was glowering at him. And while the marquess was often less than pleasant, such obvious animosity was unexpected. It was even more disconcerting when he saw the smug look on Duke Hyuuga's face.

Two weeks later, an unmarked carriage arrived at Whiteriver Keep. To Naruto's displeasure, Sai was expected to escort him the entire way. And, of course, Sai was not shy about supplying his usual snide comments. Naruto tried his best to keep a straight face during the short ride to the temple.

"None of this will matter, you know. Feeding the poor doesn't do anything," Sai pointed out.

And Naruto finally turned his stare to Sai.

"It's better than sitting around making stupid comments about everything," snapped Naruto in return.

Just for a moment, Sai looked surprised.

Naruto was glad for the silence. And even more glad when the carriage came to a stop. He opened the door on his own, startling the footman, who had been reaching for the handle.

Although small, the temple had its own guards. Naruto stopped in front of those men in their white armor. They stood up a little straighter.

"Are you going to escort us?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the man replied.

"Good." Naruto then turned to glare at Sai. "Come back with the carriage to pick me up," he ordered.

Sai laughed. "No can do, Prince. I'm under orders to watch over you," he retorted. But as Sai got out of his seat, Naruto glared at the footman.

"Close the door and take Sir Sai back," ordered Naruto.

"Um…" The footman hesitated. Looking from Naruto to Sai.

"Don't be like that. I'm sorry I put you in a bad mood. Okay? Let's move on," grumbled Sai.

"Didn't you hear me? I'm giving an order," Naruto sharpened his voice.

The footman stepped in front of the door, blocking Sai.

"And I'm giving you an order too, Sir Sai. Go back," added Naruto.

Sai stood flabbergasted as the footman slammed the carriage door shut in his face. The coachman snapped his reins and yelled a command. The horses began moving, driving the carriage down the road, back in the direction of Whiteriver Keep.

Naruto stared after the carriage, only feeling now that his hands were shaking. He tried to keep a straight face as he turned and walked up the steps to the temple. The guards on duty pulled the heavy double doors open for him.

He knew Sir Sai would complain to his parents. They would scold him. Maybe even lock him back up in the castle for even longer. But for the moment, the consequences were far away. And all that mattered was how good it had felt to send Sir Sai away. To speak his mind. Naruto could almost imagine the look on Prince Sasuke's face if he told him the story. He would snort. And Sakura would have laughed too, probably.

Those thoughts were pushed to the side when he walked down the aisle of the temple. The high priestess stood waiting for him. The long robes she usually wore were gone. Instead, she wore a plain beige dress under a cloak. Two attendants fussed over her, fixing her skirt and her hair. Their heads turned toward the door.

"It's Prince Naruto, Your Holiness," one of them announced.

Hinata smiled at him. She lowered her arms to her sides.

"I offer the blessings of the Goddess to you," she uttered.

"Hi. You look… great…" Naruto trailed off, turning a little red. But Hinata dipped her head.

"Thank you. I trust my attendants to see to my appearance, but it's reassuring to hear you say so, Your Highness," she replied.

They chatted about nothing much as they walked out to the carriage. It was small and rather plain. Naruto hesitated. And then he offered Hinata his hand to help her enter the carriage. She rewarded him wither another one of her blinding smiles.

The ride from the temple to their destination was longer than Naruto and expected. And bumpier. Hinata was explaining procedures for the almsgiving ceremony, but Naruto couldn't tear his eyes from the window.

Everyone had warned him that the slums were an unpleasant place. From a young age, his tutors had warned him that that was where he would end up if he didn't obey his parents. Rumors of the crime than flooded the infested streets flitted through Whiteriver Keep. Maids would whisper about the criminals who stalked the alleys at all times of the day. Abducted children. Monsters who would do anything for a bit of gold.

What surprised Naruto was that he didn't really see any of the monsters he had been warned about.

Instead, what he saw was children. Slumped in the alleys. Fighting over a scrap of bread. Chasing stray dogs with sticks.

"There are so many children…" Naruto gasped, almost by accident.

"Yes. War orphans. There are too many who didn't see their fathers return from war," Hinata supplied.

"What about their mothers?"

"Working, sometimes. Others cannot raise all of their children, so they abandon the weakest ones," replied Hinata.

"That's awful," Naruto whispered.

"Truly," Hinata agreed, nodding. "It is my prayer that this almsgiving will ease some of their suffering."

The carriage navigated the winding back streets of the slums. The vehicle drew stares wherever it went. It was rare for anyone to be able to afford something like a carriage in this part of the city. And it usually wasn't for good reasons if one did show up here. But as soon as the door opened and they glimpsed the passengers, a gasp rose from the people.

"It's the High Priestess."

"The High Priestess is here!"

The same murmurs of surprise rippled through the people. Traveling down the alleys. Up the streets. Children went running barefoot over the cold cobblestone.

"It's almsgiving!" they shouted.

Naruto clenched his hand on the armrest inside the carriage. He had heard the stories from the people around him. The violence of the people living in the slums. The stories of parents who slaughtered their own children. Killed their neighbors for a scrap of food.

His eyes flickered back to Hinata, who sat quite calmly despite all the noise outside. As the carriage came to a stop, Naruto's shoulders tensed. The footman opened the door and Naruto almost threw his arm across the threshold to stop her from moving. But the easy smile on Hinata's lips made him stop.

"Why, it's Her Holiness! Welcome!" a woman's voice greeted her.

"Thank you for all your help," said Hinata. Naruto poked his head out to watch Hinata descend the steps of the carriage. The footman grasped her left hand to assist her. But holding her other hand was a rugged woman with a baby slung across her chest.

"Of course, Your Holiness. We have the stands all set up. Hope it's all to your liking," the woman replied, beaming. She was missing some teeth, but there was kindness in her expression.

"I've brought along a friend to help. I hope you'll be able to guide him," Hinata then added.

The woman looked back at the carriage. She met Naruto's gaze. And without a moment's hesitation, she beamed at him.

"Looks hale and hearty! Come down here, young man! We can always use an extra pair of hands!" she called, beckoning in great sweeps.

Naruto hesitated. And then he stepped out of the carriage.

They were in a quiet corner of the city. The buildings were clustered close together. They almost looked like crates stacked together. Obviously built in a rush. There were signs posted above some of the doors, usually with drawings or symbols. Some people hung out the windows, staring at the commotion below.

Although there was a lot to look at, the stench was what occupied most of Naruto's attention. It smelled distinctly of feces- a smell Naruto had become used to as he visited the castle's stables. When he looked down at the cobblestone, he began to suspect that the dirty water stuck between the cracks in the stone might not be water after all.

Naruto had little time to focus on these things as they put him to work.

There was a stand arranged where people were given a small sack of grain. The stand beside it distributed loaves of bread to each family. The third stand distributed a tiny pouch of coins to each family. Then Hinata blessed them with a prayer, taking requests and offering words of comfort before sending each person on their way.

Naruto lugged crates of the bread and grain to the stands as stocks ran low. The number of people who flooded the streets to receive from the temple made his jaw drop. Just as it seemed that there were no more people to serve, another flood of grasping hands and bony wrists came staggering down the street.

Many wore clothes that hung in tatters from their shoulders. Some appeared to be drunk, staggering and cursing as they knocked into people. The few who grew too noisy were dragged away by the temple guard. But otherwise, the citizens who stood in line were not the wretched creatures Naruto had expected. In fact, most were downright pleasant. Some even thanked him for his kindness as he walked past with his arms full.

"This will keep us going until Dad can work again."

"The kids won't go to bed hungry tonight."

"Now we can buy that medicine for Gran."

Naruto hefted one of the coin pouches in his hand as he took a break. The meager clink of the money inside sounded like it couldn't have been much. Naruto thought to the piles of gold that sat in the castle treasury. He thought of the mink-lined coat his mother had ordered not many months ago.

"What'd we do without the temple?" one old man sighed, shaking his head.

"If not for Her Holiness, we'd be starving. Those nobles only look at us when it's time to collect taxes," a woman growled, shooting a glare in the direction of Whiteriver Keep. Whose towers and flags were visible even from the heart of the slums.

"That's not true."

Naruto whipped his head around at the sound of Hinata's voice. She offered a a gentle smile to the people who had grumbled.

"The Lord Regent and his wife are the ones who have donated to this almsgiving. Their generosity is what allows the temple to serve you," Hinata corrected them.

"Your Holiness…" A murmur rippled through the crowd as they took in her words.

But rather than feel pride, Naruto began to wonder. He stewed on his thoughts as he continued to work. And even when the donations ran out and the stand was dismantled, Naruto thought long and hard. He wasn't as good as piecing things together as some people, but there was something bothering him about this picture.

And that sense of unease only increased when one of the children tugged on his shirt as he passed. Naruto paused, looking down at the girl.

"Will you come back next time?" she wondered.

"Next time?"

"Next almsgiving! Will you be back then?" she clarified.

Naruto didn't know what to say. He grasped her little hand, watching a little smile appear on her face.

"I'll be back," he promised.

Naruto helped Hinata back into the carriage. He stepped inside and settled across from her. The footman closed the door behind them. As the horses began cantering forward, Naruto found himself staring at Hinata.

"…how often do you do this?" he asked.

"As often as we can. Monthly, when possible."

Naruto frowned. "And the same people come every month?"

"I cannot be sure. But I do recognize many of their voices," answered Hinata.

"Oh."

Naruto couldn't think of any other way to respond. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was bothering him. He wished there was someone he could unpack these things together with. It seemed like everyone had advisors or confidantes around them. All Naruto had was Sai, who was seldom anything more than antagonistic.

It would have been nice, during a moment like this, to write to someone for their input.

Sakura hadn't responded to his last letter. And it was growing more and more discouraging to write when all he received was silence. But as Naruto's eyes found Hinata again, he thought back on her advice. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to try one more time. And even if that ended in the same failure, surely Hinata would be there with some words of comfort.

When they returned to the temple, there was a large carriage waiting for them. It dwarfed the nondescript vehicle they had taken into the slums. Sai sat inside, one arm hanging out the open window. As he spotted Naruto, Sai sneered. Naruto glared right back. That only made Sai laugh, shaking his head as he turned away.

Naruto helped Hinata out the carriage. He made sure that her attendants were there to greet her before he released her hand.

"Prince Naruto?" Hinata was already turning back, hand reaching for him.

"Thank you for today. I need to get going," Naruto said. He bowed.

"Oh… of course. Go in the presence of the goddess, Prince Naruto," Hinata blessed him with a smile. Naruto couldn't even pretend to return the expression before he turned to walk up to the carriage that would take him back to Whiteriver Keep.

As he expected, his parents scolded him for not staying under Sir Sai's watch. It didn't seem to matter to them that he hadn't felt secure under his retainer's watch in years. It didn't matter that the temple's own guards had been with them every step of the way. Duke Hyuuga was even there to supply a remark or two.

"Naruto, it's wonderful that you've shown an interest in these sorts of events, but this poor judgment has shown us that you aren't ready for these sorts of excursions," Minato said. He glanced in Duke Hyuuga's direction. The Duke gave a single nod.

Naruto rolled his tongue against the inside of his cheek. He took a deep breath.

"How am I supposed to be ready if you never let me try?" he grumbled.

Minato arched an eyebrow. "What was that?"

Naruto clenched his hands into fists. He lifted his chin, eyes defiant. "How am I supposed to be ready if you never let me try?" he repeated. "And how am I supposed to learn about people if you never let me meet anyone? Why does everything have to be supervised? Why don't you trust me?"

Minato sputtered. He looked over at Kushina, who was staring at him too. Her arms folded across her chest. They had had this argument many times before. And now Kushina said nothing, waiting for her husband's answer.

Minato rubbed a hand over his face. He heaved a sigh. "Naruto, you don't understand how dangerous it can be."

"What could be so dangerous? There are always people looking to hurt people with money or power," spat Naruto in return.

"I-"

"And since when do people hate our family? What have you done to make them hate us?" Naruto pressed.

Minato blinked. This was so unlike his son. Who was usually all grins and oblivious glee. He had wanted to protect that innocence. To keep that bliss on his boy's face for as long as possible. But the misery that had settled into Naruto's expression made him suddenly look so old.

"I just…" Minato looked down at his hands. At the signet ring that always felt too loose on his fingers. "I just wanted to protect you… There's… there's so much you shouldn't have to worry about, Naruto."

Naruto ripped his cape off his shoulders. The precious furs tumbled to the floor, along with the broken buckle. "What's the point of all of this? What have we been doing for all this time? I'm so tired of everyone telling me not to worry. What am I supposed to be doing if I'm not worrying!"

Naruto stared down at the ground. Feeling the anger rising in the back of his neck, crawling up into the back of his skull.

"You know, don't you? How everyone says I'm just a kid. That I'm dumb. That I don't know anything. Did you raise me like this on purpose? So everyone could laugh at me?"

Naruto could hear his parents calling after him as he stormed out of the room. For a moment, when he heard footsteps chasing after him, he peeked back. Hoping that it might be his mother. Maybe even his father.

His heart sank when he recognized Sir Sai's boots instead.

"Oh. It's just you. Stay-"

"20 steps back. Yes, yes," drawled Sai in return.

Naruto heaved a sigh as he continued down the corridor. His head still throbbing in time to his anger.

As he walked, Naruto decided that he would try to write to Sakura. Just one more time. Because if anything would get through to her, it would be anger. She would know what to do.

Naruto dismissed Sai when he got to his chambers. There were his family's personal guards on this side of the palace who would keep an eye out for him. And Sai departed with little fuss.

That gave Naruto the time to find some clean paper and a pen.

He remembered her warning him once not to reveal too much in letters. There was a chance someone else could read the contents too. So he kept it brief. He summarized his experience with almsgiving. His odd feeling as he worked. His parents' overreaction.

I need your help. I want to know how to do better.

-Naruto

He signed and stamped his ring onto the bottom of the page. He then sealed the envelope with wax as his father had taught him many years ago.

But when he poked his head out of his room to find a servant, there was no one. Just the two guards who normally stood outside his door. They asked him whether he needed anything. Naruto hesitated. Then he shook his head.

Instead, he informed them that he was going for a short walk. And that there was no need for an escort as he would be back shortly.

The aviary was housed in a tower on the eastern side of the castle. Naruto passed a few servants on his way. They always smiled and bowed, skirting to the side. Naruto just smiled in return. It was nice, at least, that they never expected him to say anything important in moments like these.

When he arrived at the aviary, there were no people inside. He paused to try to pet one of the birds. Most of them were pigeons- grey with black and white speckles dotting their wings. The ones that flew to foreign lands were different species. Crows for the Mountain Kingdom. Doves for the Tea Isles.

Naruto liked the doves. They usually accepted his pets the most.

Naruto chose one of the bigger doves. He secured the message to its ankle. And then he slipped a red and gold crest over its head. It was to show that it belonged to a member of the royal family. Hunters would know not to target these birds. And if anyone found the letter, they would know where to send it back.

He lifted the dove onto his arm, scratching it around the beak. The dove cooed and fluttered its wings.

"Please fly carefully. This is an important letter," he whispered to the bird. It cocked its head. When Naruto poked his arm out the window, the dove opened its snowy wings. It took off into the air, dipping a little before it climbed higher in the sky.

Naruto turned away from the window. Hesitated. He turned back to watch the bird. Just to make sure it flew outside the city limits safely.

The windows in the aviary were narrow. They were meant for letting messenger birds in and out, but not much else. Still, Naruto managed to wedge his shoulder into the narrow window enough for him to peek outside. He could still see the white bird soaring above the city. The red and gold emblem glinted in the sunlight.

Naruto wondered what that journey must look like to a bird. It would pass over the dense forests that filled the country. Towards the ocean, where the tea isles floated atop the blue waves.

And then something glinted in the distance. Just as he squinted at it, Naruto heard a horrible screech. The bird plummeted to the ground in a flutter of red-stained feathers.

For a moment, all Naruto could do was stare. A noise rose up his throat, but he cut it short. Suddenly realizing that an arrow couldn't have come from nowhere. Heart hammering against his ribs, Naruto fled from the aviary. His panic making his footsteps clumsy.

He only made it a little ways away before he ducked into a dark corner to vomit. One of the servants found him heaving and coughing, one hand braced against the wall. She called for help. More servants arrived to help him to his feet, murmuring words of comfort as they guided him back to his room.

Naruto was glad no one asked him questions. Glad that they still saw him as a child who only needed to be coddled. He let them baby him and smother him with attention as he tried to sort all his thoughts out in his swirling head.

++++

As the rainy season continued on the Southern Tea Isle, Itachi found it easier and easier to adjust. When dark clouds began to sweep in from the horizon, he knew to duck under the eaves of the nearest building. If there were servants near him, they were always happy to pull him into their hiding spot with them. The servants, he'd found, always knew the ins and outs of the palace best. Some of the older ones scolded him about not wearing a cloak. That the duchess would never let it go if he fell sick under their watch from running around in the rain. And Itachi would nod and smiling, laughing as he listened to the servants chat about their chores and the comings and goings of the island.

As the gentle rain began to sprinkle down that day, Itachi wasn't in the palace. He was in the city, on his way from sending a letter to his younger brother. There were plenty of servants who would deliver it to the messenger's office by the docks. But there was something nice about slipping an extra coin into the messenger's hand and asking him to take care. Those letters always seemed to receive replies a little faster.

He felt a tap on his arm. Chojuro motioned towards a nearby tavern. They hurried across the street to slip into the building.

"Howzit, Prince?" bounced around the room as people noticed him. Itachi smiled in return, shaking his head when they tried to offer him their seats. But as he glanced around, he caught sight of an unexpected face.

"Count Maito?"

The Count rose to his feet, chair legs scraping against the floor. He crossed the room in big strides, laughter booming ahead of him. He reached one hand out. Itachi grasped it. They shook hands as Count Maito patted him on the other arm.

"Look who it is. You look well, Your Highness," Gai exclaimed, as if to announce it to the whole room.

"Thank you, Count Maito. You look energetic as well," answered Itachi. The Count beamed at him. Patting him on the arm again. He gestured to someone behind him, who rose to his feet, lowering his hood.

There stood a man with the same shining black hair as the Count. He bowed from the waist. As proper as could be. When he finally lifted his head, Itachi realized who he was.

"Young Lord Lee. I wondered when I would have the chance to greet you," Itachi said. Count Maito's son grinned.

"It's an honor to finally make your acquaintance, Your Highness. I've heard wonderful things. It's such a pleasure to meet you," Lee boomed with the same energy as his father. Gai, arms folded across his chest, smiled as he watched them exchange niceties. Eyes narrowing just a little.

"Your Highness, if you're not too busy today, I'd like to ask for your help on something," Gai requested.

Itachi's eyes widened. He looked to Lee, who also smiled at him. Itachi nodded.

It didn't take long for the rain to let up. They exited the tavern, despite people's protests to stay for a proper meal. Itachi promised to return another day to a chorus of approval. Gai and Lee exchanged a look behind Itachi's back. And then they froze when they caught Chojuro scrutinizing them.

They mounted horses and moved to the north, in the direction of Count Maito's lands. As they left the bustling city behind, Itachi could see the huge green hills that filled the horizon.

"Are those all tea plants?" asked Itachi, pointing.

"Yes! That's the first flush moon tea. They should be ready for harvest in a week or so," Lee reported. And then he looked to his father, who thumped him on the back several times, grinning.

A mist still hung over the tops of the hills. As if the rain was still clinging to the foliage there. Itachi took a deep breath as he looked around. On all sides of the roads were dense forests, filled with the chattering sounds of animals. Birds shot out of trees in explosions of white and black feathers. The brush rustled as they moved past, curious snouts and eyes poking out past the leaves.

"I haven't had much of a chance to explore this part of the island. It's beautiful. So different from the south shore," Itachi remarked.

"I've wanted to extend an invitation to you, Prince. For quite some time. But with your weak constitution, I was unsure whether you could handle such a trip," confessed Gai in return.

The corner of Itachi's mouth pulled up. Count Maito had been there when they had realized the cause of that "weak constitution". Count Maito had also made it a point to send over the best combat instructors in his employ. Along with health supplements and fresh fruit to ensure a swift recovery.

And to answer the Count's unvoiced question, Itachi said: "I'm glad that I've come to a point in my recovery where I can finally admire your lands, Count Maito."

The paths they followed were winding, but well-maintained. It took a little under two hours until they could see the edges of the Count's estate. It was tiny in comparison to the duchess' palace. There was a larger building in the center of the land, surrounded by smaller buildings. As they passed the fields, the farmers straightened, wiping the sweat from their brows. Some fo them waved in greeting. Others nodded.

As they neared the main building, they passed under an archway. There were bells tied to the top post on a blue ribbon. Itachi craned his neck to stare at them.

"Is there a special meaning to that?" he queried.

Gai and Lee exchanged a look. Gai cleared his throat.

"We recently lost a dear friend… It was simply his time," he explained. And then Gai glanced back at the bells too. "It's been several days, so he's likely moved on. But just in case he needs guidance, those sounds of those bells will lead him down the right path."

Itachi stole one last look at the hanging bells. Watched the way they swayed and knocked against each other in the breeze.

The tour of Count Maito's home didn't take long. It was less of an estate and more like a village of its own. The smaller buildings, Itachi realized, were homes for those who worked and lived on the Count's lands. All over the property, there were people chopping wood and hauling crates filled with spiky pineapples.

More than anything, what caught Itachi's attention was the expression on people's faces. They were sweating. The ones carrying shovels were covered in dirt. But they were smiling. Laughing, even.

And when they spotted the Count, their laughter swelled. Arms opened wide, they greeted him warmly. In return, Gai grasped their hands, grinning and easing into their conversations as if he had been there from the start.

As Itachi watched, Gai went around to speak with several different groups. He lingered in one group, his smile fading. Forehead creasing as he exchanged words with people who appeared to be farmers.

Lee hesitated. He grimaced in apology to Itachi before he dismounted his horse to join his father. As they explained the situation to him, Lee's face also darkened. When Itachi left his horse as well, no one seemed to mind his presence. A few of the farmers took a step back to widen the circle for him to join.

"No can, Chief. No moa hands for the harvest. It's not enough with just us," one of the farmers insisted.

Gai sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We'll have to make do this season. By the time we hire migrant workers and bring them here, it will be too late anyway."

"The weather's been too warm, Chief. The tea leaves are growing early. They'll taste bad if we don't pluck fast enough," one of the men pleaded.

Gai rubbed his forehead harder. Scowling now.

"I'll ask Count Hatake if he can spare some people. And I'll send out word. Maybe there are some idle hands in Plumeria," Gai decided. The farmers grumbled among themselves, nodding and sighing. They weren't completely satisfied, but it was better than nothing.

"But there are more laborers right here on the island."

Heads turned toward Itachi.

"What do you mean?" one of the farmers asked. The man beside him elbowed him, muttering about watching his tone. But Itachi didn't mind.

"When is the next silk harvest?" questioned Itachi in return.

The farmers glanced around at each other. One of them shook his head. "Not for a few more weeks."

"Well, then, the dyers are probably waiting for work right now. Why not ask them to help with the tea- just on a temporary basis? I'm sure they would like the extra pay."

A murmur rippled through the gathered farmers. They exchanged looks, whispering back and forth as they debated the idea.

"They wouldn't know what to do."

"They can learn while they work. You learned on the job too, brother."

"Can they handle this sort of labor?"

"I've seen those women carry tons of bolts. They're strong."

One of the farmers turned to Itachi and smiled. "I think might work. Good thinking," he commended. Itachi smiled, nodding in turn.

The conversation turned towards more pleasant things. Itachi was obviously a foreigner. But when they realized that he was the Duchess' guest of honor, their eyes bulged. They apologized for their rudeness, laughing even harder when Itachi responded with kindness.

Gai's hand found Lee's shoulder.

"That prince is…" Gai mused.

"Smart," Lee finished the thought for him.

They watched as Itachi gestured toward the bracelet one of the farmers wore. He nodded every once in a while as he listened to the explanation of what the beads symbolized. And then the farmer was the one nodding after he pointed to the silver necklace Itachi wore and Itachi explained its significance in turn.

Itachi sent word to Sami that he would be spending the night at Count Maito's residence. The Count set the place of honor for him. They drank wine and traded stories about their homes long into the night.

Gai had a way of laughing from his stomach until his whole body shook. When he smiled, there was no sharpness to it. And he was happy to share about himself in their conversations.

Gai had lost his wife many years ago. He had raised his son with the help of the many people who lived in his territory. And though Lee was a little clumsy, he was just as kind as his father.

The Maito family, Itachi learned, was descended from the last chiefs of the island. Many people had protested when these indigenous people had been gifted a noble title. But the king at the time had ignored all criticism. And the Maito family had served the ducal family for many generations.

As the moon rose high in the sky, Gai raised his cup, signaling for more wine. He leaned back on one hand with a sigh. Then he cast Itachi a sidelong glance.

"How have things been in the palace?" Gai queried.

Itachi knew exactly what he was asking about.

It had been a little over a week since blood spilled in Lady Kurenai's residence. Lady Kurenai had returned to Sami. Sasori, who was normally close to his mother, now refused to leave her side.

"Things have been quiet. The Admiral is still investigating the details of the incident," Itachi replied.

He left out that while Lady Kurenai seemed to be handling things well, Lady Ino was still shaken. Lady Kurenai invited her to share breakfast each day. The servants took extra care to prepare the meals Lady Ino liked best. Day by day, color seemed to be returning to her face. But sometimes she would stare down at her hands. As if she could still see the blood on them. And no one knew what to say in those moments to comfort her.

"Of course this would happen when Her Grace isn't here," grumbled Gai, glancing in to his cup. His expression brightened when a servant appeared with a carafe of wine.

Holding his cup up, Gai then said: "Speaking of which, Her Grace is keeping us busy even when she's not home. Have you had a chance to visit the construction yet?"

Itachi shook his head.

Word had arrived from the Arids that Sakura would need housing for about 5000 soldiers. Sasori had nearly pulled his hair out when he had received the news. After some complaining, he had put together a team of the island's most skilled carpenters to begin planning. Proposals to clear land on the Southern Tea Isle had been shot down fairly quickly. Instead, they had turned their attention to a smaller isle that sat a little further south of Plumeria. It could be reached by a short boat ride. It was too small to house a full city on its own. But it was a good size to begin building barracks for a small army.

"Not yet. I thought I might be a hindrance," Itachi confessed.

Gai considered things. He shrugged. "You may be right," Gai agreed. But then he tilted his head to one side. "Or you may be wrong. There's only one way to find out."

Beaming, Gai held his cup out to Itachi. Itachi stared at it. Then at his own cup. When Gai gave a little nod, Itachi held his cup out. Gai clinked it against his, smiling even wider.

"You're alright, Your Highness," Gai declared before he took a swig of his drink.

And as Count Maito and Prince Itachi drank their wine together, Kisame plopped down in a creaky wooden chair.

"Busy?" he asked.

Zabuza grunted. "Just finishing supper." He rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth.

"Weird seeing you apart from the kid," observed Kisame, his eyes narrowing.

Zabuza sniffed. He stuffed the rest of his bread into his mouth. Shoveled the last dregs of stew in after the bread.

"You're an idiot," Zabuza declared.

Kisame grinned. Cheek in his hand, he leaned his elbow on the table.

It was crowded in The Sailor's Rest. The rain had pushed people indoors where they found a hot meal and a tankard of something that would get them drunk. By now, people knew not to take this table- the one where the mercenaries always sat. That didn't stop them from chatting and singing loudly all around them as more alcohol flowed into their tankards.

Kisame glanced around the room. So did Zabuza. No one was paying attention to their conversation.

Still, Zabuza's eyes narrowed as he spoke in a softer voice. "Are you seriously telling me that you don't see the resemblance?" he demanded.

Kisame's expression didn't shift as he responded: "Nah, I see it. Doesn't mean shit though."

Zabuza glared. "This is what I mean. You're an idiot. Anyone could see it. And you know what that means," he snapped.

Kisame rolled his eyes. He waved a hand around. "So what? If you're right, what are you going to do about it?"

Zabuza met his eyes. His hand tightened into a fist. And then it relaxed.

"What do you want?" Zabuza demanded.

Kisame jerked his head in the direction of the door.

"Little Lady Ino is out for a stroll. Keep an eye on her for me, will you?" Kisame mimed a cutting motion with two of his fingers.

And Zabuza scowled, like he was prepared to complain. But then, sighing, he nodded.

Zabuza generally disliked everyone. And he was the first person to complain that he hadn't signed onto this mercenary band to babysit some spoiled little noble. But Ino's kindness to Haku, as well as her overall cheerfulness made it difficult for even Zabuza to fully hate her.

"She doing alright?" he asked.

Kisame rolled his eyes. "Do you think she'd be alright?"

Zabuza scoffed. And then he shrugged one shoulder. "Guess not… for a kid like her… probably tough," he then conceded.

Since the day of the incident at Lady Kurenai's residence, Ino had grown quiet.

Her laughter no longer ran out in the halls of Sami. She didn't play card games at the taverns near the port. Nor did she roam the markets with a handful of coins to argue with the merchants with words and hand gestures whenever the words weren't enough.

Ino was just quiet now.

And though Lady Kurenai made an effort to comfort her, her words meant little.

A man was dead because of her.

It didn't matter that he had frightened her. Or that he might have hurt her if she hadn't done something.

He was dead. She wasn't. Nothing could change that.

No one blamed her. The servants were kind as always. Kinder, actually. They piled extra cookies on her plate at tea time. They made sure to fill her room with more flowers.

Lady Kurenai insisted on eating breakfast with her. And she invited Sasori to join as often as he could. Their conversations were light-hearted and simple. Just noise to fill the silences between cutlery clinking against the plates. Ino appreciated their efforts at normalcy. And hated it at the same time.

That everyone expected her to eventually become alright. As if she hadn't done something wretched.

She liked sitting with Kisame. Who didn't ask silly questions or try to fill the quiet with nervous conversation. He would nod at her and then go back to sharpening his knife or writing his letter. He never asked her why she was there or whether she needed something. It was nice to not have to answer such questions.

The other place where Ino had found solace during all of this was the tailor's shop located in the market.

When Ino slipped into the tailor's shop that afternoon, the rain had begun to pepper down on the island in earnest. She could hear the tap of the water against the tiled roof as she closed the door behind her. The bells on the latch jangled together.

The lanterns around the room were lit. And the shutters on the windows were wide open to let in the grey light from outside. But as Ino looked around the workshop, she couldn't the tailor himself. She lowered the hood of her cloak with both hands.

"Be just a minute," a voice called from above.

Ino turned around, tilting her head back. Finally, she spotted him sitting on top of the ladder angled against one of the shelves. A scrap of fabric lay in his lap as he dug through the bolts crammed into one of the spaces. When he glanced down at her, Deidara nodded.

Ino pushed the beaded curtain aside, walking into the back room without asking. Past the curtain was a modest little kitchen with a stove and a wooden table. Logs crackled in the flames that warmed the stove. Ino waved her hand over it once, just to feel the warmth. Two brown, rock-like objects sat on the counter. She had learned some time ago that it was called taro by the locals. It tingled the inside of her mouth, but the flavor itself was sweet. Next to the taro sat a couple fruits, along with an oblong loaf of bread.

"Are you hungry?"

Ino turned to find Deidara in the doorway, pushing the curtain to one side. Under his other arm was a bundle of fabric, shimmery and light brown.

Ino shook her head.

Deidara frowned. He stepped into the kitchen. Moved past her to pick up a kettle. He shook it, heard the water sloshing around inside, and placed it on the stove.

Ino looked around the room as he began pulling out cups and his old, faded teapot. She settled on one of the creaky chairs at the table. Her eyes drifted shut as she listened to the rattle of tea leaves as he measure them out.

They drank their tea in silence. It was moon tea- floral and a little smoky.

And then, it was time for Deidara to go back to work.

Patterns made of paper sat stacked on his workbench. He laid them on top of the fabric, cutting out the shapes and matching them up at the edges. He pinned and gathered, tucking and folding with such ease that it was as if he could do all this with his eyes closed.

When the shapes began to come together, he pinned them onto a mannequin. And with fluid motions, he draped the fabric over the lifeless doll. Like a choreographed dance, he measured and cut. Scissors singing as he sliced through the fabric. Needle dipping in and out until, with a tug, he brought the thread together.

"How do you know this will fit her?" Ino wondered. She sat in the corner, leaning against the edge of the workbench. Just out of the way, but close enough to see.

"I remember," answered Deidara.

"But how?" Ino insisted.

Deidara glanced up at her. Smiled just a little as he plucked a pin from the corner of his mouth.

"Of course I remember," was all he said.

Ino started when, a while later, Deidara held his hand out without looking at her. She blinked at his hand. And when it gave an insistent little shake, she stared around the tabletop.

Her eyes fell on a pair of black scissors. She placed them in his waiting hand. And Deidara grunted before he used it to trim an uneven edge off what looked like a sleeve.

Ino loved it here. Loved wandering around staring at all the different types of fabrics and threads. She marveled at how there were dozens of spools of black thread. And then marveled more when Deidara scoffed and insisted that each of the shades was different.

What was even more incredible was how confidently Deidara orchestrated each garment. All the pieces came together into one dress or one blouse. And as Ino watched him ironing his latest creation, she couldn't help but let out a little sigh. There was something magical about all the attention that went into each work of his.

She felt a twinge of envy at how he smiled at each of his works. When he turned his gaze to her, found her staring, she felt a rush of embarrassment. He stared at her. And then pointed to a spot by her arm.

Ino looked down. She handed him the pincushion. Marveling at the length of his fingers as they moved.

"You should eat something," Deidara suddenly said.

He glanced up at her through thick, gold eyelashes. A pin was clamped between his lips. He plucked it from his mouth and stuck it into the fabric. Eyes returning to his work.

"Let me finish this. We'll go eat after. I know a good spot."

Ino looked down at the fabric. She focused on a stray piece of thread.

"Okay," she answered.

All that answered was the snip of scissors.

++++

Sakura lifted her head as she heard doors opening and closing somewhere in the distance. It didn't take long for footsteps to clack down the hallway. Meno hurried up to her, huffing and puffing.

"General… it's-"

Meno didn't even get to finish her thought. Sakura was already on her feet. She pulled at her robes as they caught on the arm of the chair. Azra and Esma rushed to help her. And then their soft-slippered feet trailed after Sakura as she crossed the courtyard. The double doors slammed open as she pushed her way through them.

Sakura stopped short as she saw Shijima sitting on the floor. Just inside the doors that led into the northern wing of the palace.

"Consort Hoki!" the twins gasped. They ran, falling to their knees on either side of Shijima.

Sakura crouched in front of Shijima. She reached out, hand smoothing over Shijima's cheek. Her fingers came away wet with tears.

"Talk to me," Sakura said.

The only thing that answered was Shijima's whimper. She sucked in a shuddering breath before she burst into silent tears that shook her shoulders. Azra and Esma's eyes welled up. They threw their arms around Shijima.

It was much later. After Shijima had collected herself. And after she had a cup of tea that she was able to speak at all.

"I found…" Shijima hesitated. Shifted her hands on her cup. "I found maggots in my wardrobe… All over the dresses… in my new shoes… I…" Shijima turned a little green.

"Enough. I understand," Sakura interrupted her before Shijima could make herself sick.

Sakura stared hard at Shijima, tapping her finger against the arm of her chair.

Over the last few weeks, Shijima had made some progress with matters of the harem. With some well-placed bribes, she had managed to turn some of the servants onto her side. She had also managed to recruit one of the lower-level concubines to spy for her. But in exchange, the remaining concubines had turned even more vicious to Shijima. They took every opportunity to sabotage her. Some had run to Prince Baki with accusations that ranged from laughable to treasonous. Prince Baki was no fool, however, and he was quick to quash these little plots.

Sakura watched Shijima sniffle. Esma produced a handkerchief and handed it to the consort.

Sakura sighed.

She needed to leave soon if they were going to make it to the next city.

But it didn't feel right to abandon Shijima in this hopeless state. And it made her stomach churn as she watched Shijima fight so hard against people who were so determined to see her wither into nothing.

It was impossible to see Shijima and to not think of her own past. Enrolled in a military academy where the teachers and students alike thought a girl would be a hindrance. The nobles circling her like vultures over a dying body. And the silent tears Sakura held until she had a moment of solitude. Terrified that someone would see and strike in that moment of weakness.

"Maybe I can't do this. Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut," Shijima lamented before blowing her nose.

Sakura felt something in her snap.

Everyone turned to look at her as Sakura got out of her seat. She disappeared into the back room. Temari glanced around at her siblings. She followed after Sakura.

Sakura returned several minutes later with a piece of green fabric clenched in her hand. She tossed it into Shijima's lap.

"Is it true that Concubine Deba is violent?" Sakura queried.

Looks of confusion flickered around the room. It was Meno that replied.

"Sometimes, General."

"And is she ever violent with people's property?" Sakura then inquired.

"Often, General," Azra confirmed. "Once Prince Baki had a dress made for another concubine. Concubine Deba was so jealous that she had it torn to shreds and burned."

"I tire of this woman. The next time Concubine Deba is out for one of her walks, wear that and cross paths with her," Sakura ordered. Shijima looked down at the green fabric in her lap. She ran her hands over the simple stitching. And then she nodded.

Once Shijima had calmed herself a little more, Sakura had Suigetsu and the twins escort the consort back to her quarters.

"What does that green thing have to do with your plan, Lady Sakura?" questioned Kankuro.

"It's bait," answered Sakura. "I will have Concubine Deba declawed. It will take much too long for Shijima to dismantle the hierarchy otherwise."

"If this goes poorly, it will be quite the mess. And if it goes well, it will still be a mess," Gaara pointed out.

"Well, if we fail, we'll simply bring Shijima with us. She can marry into our family. Or perhaps she could marry Lieutenant Colonel Hyuuga. He would treat her well," Sakura suggested.

"Or Countess Inuzuka's son. I like him," added Temari, looking a little smug. When Kankuro met her eyes, her secretive smile only widened.

Over the next few days, Sakura instructed the servants to keep a close eye on Concubine Deba's schedule. They noticed that the concubine liked to walk from the harem, located in the southern wing of the palace, to Prince Baki's garden in the eastern wing. She would take the same path each day after afternoon tea, when the worst heat of the day had already passed. Her entourage was usually with her, fawning and simpering as they moved.

The plan would be for Concubine Deba to lash out at Shijima. And then a servant would run to Sakura. Sakura would witness the abuse and see how Concubine Deba had damaged the clothing that she had lent Shijima. The potential ramifications of souring relations with the Haruno family would likely force Baki to punish Concubine Deba. And even if it wasn't a permanent sentence, it would buy Shijima enough time to make some changes to the dynamic of the harem.

Shijima was understandably nervous. She nibbled on her meals and tried to smile over tea. But when Sakura searched her eyes, she was unworried. Because underneath the fear, there was desperation.

Shijima would not fail.

A few days later, Meno ran with her skirts in her hands, nearly stumbling as she burst into the room.

"General! Please! It's Consort Shijima!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Meno. Calm yourself. You knew this would happen," Sakura chastised her. With a sigh, she got to her feet. She rubbed a hand through her hair.

But Meno's panic didn't seem to ease as Sakura motioned for her outer robe and her slippers. She fluttered about, wringing her hands.

"Please hurry, General. It's… rather urgent," Meno pressed.

It was unlike gentle Meno to be so insistent about anything. Sakura knew this. She paused to stare at Meno as Azra helped her into her robe.

"What are you saying?"

"Concubine Deba beat one of the servants quite badly. She's in a fierce temper today. I fear for Consort Hoki's safety," Meno whispered, her hands trembling now.

"General! You aren't finished dressing!" Azra yelped as Sakura swept past her.

++++

Shijima stood in front of Deba, her hands clenched at her sides. A servant cowered behind Shijima's skirts, blood trickling from both her nostrils.

"Stand aside, girl. Clearly this wench needs to be disciplined," Deba ordered. She held an ornate fan in front of her mouth, gilded and feathery.

Shijima extended an arm to shield the servant.

"How dare you touch one of my people? She only spoke the truth," snapped Shijima in return.

Deba's eyes narrowed above her fan.

"How dare I?" Deba repeated. Some of the other concubines tittered. They leaned in towards each other, hissing comments that traveled like the sounds of many snakes tangled together.

"That's right. She only said that you should stand aside and greet me in the corridor, Concubine Deba. Tell me where in that statement lies even a hint of falsehood," insisted Shijima. 

She flinched a little as Deba took a step forward. The giggles rose in pitch as they sensed Shijima's fear. Shijima gave a nervous look back at the servant, then faced Deba again. She trembled, but she stood her ground.

"You can try to intimidate me, but between the two of us, only one is Prince Baki's legal wife," Shijima stated.

Deba's fan drooped. She wasn't smiling. She took another step toward Shijima, tossing her fan to the side. It clattered against the hard floor. She lunged forward, grabbing Shijima's face.

"Let's fix that ugly little mouth of yours, once and for all," Deba snarled. Shijima shrieked as Deba's long nails dug into her skin. And then Deba grabbed her hair with her other hand, pulling at the painstaking braids and curls that must have taken hours to arrange in the morning.

The servant girl screamed. She threw herself at them, trying to pull Deba away from Shijima. Deba's elbow caught her in the jaw, sending her sprawling.

"I'll tear up that face. We'll see if His Highness wants to ever look at you ever again. Know your place, you filthy little insect!"

++++

A few days ago, Sakura and Shijima had visited the public baths together. Sakura leaned back on her palm, head resting on her shoulder. Temari lounged on her back behind them, her eyes closed and a warm towel draped over her face.

Shijima peeked at Sakura. Looked away. Peeked again.

"Which one are you looking at?" asked Sakura. She opened her eyes to smile. Shijima gave a sheepish look in response.

"I know I'm being rude. But…the big one on your back. What happened?"

Sakura's eyes closed again. "Ah. That one. I stopped an assassin from killing my cousin."

Temari let out a sigh.

Smiling, Sakura reached back to squeeze Temari's shoulder. "From the other side of my family. Not this one," Sakura then clarified. Temari grumbled something that sounded satisfied. It was likely something rude about the Namikaze family. But Sakura was fine with that. it would be lost in all the clamor and conversation that echoed around the room.

"Although, now that I think about it, perhaps that assassin meant for me to shield my cousin," added Sakura, laughing a little now.

"It's not funny, Lady Sakura," Temari said. And this time, she sat up, towel sliding down on her face and landing on her lap.

"What are you talking about? It's hilarious," Sakura insisted with a flap of her hand. And then her smile sharpened. "It's hilarious how once I am able, I'll find out who sent that assassin. And all the other ones. And I'll make sure to tear their flesh from their bones and bleed them dry."

Shijima looked down. She rubbed her hand over her ankle. "That's a frightening thing to imagine," she remarked. And then she considered it. "Although…"

"Although?" Sakura repeated.

Shijima looked at her. "I wonder what they've done to make someone like you so angry. You're so kind, General."

"You don't know that."

Shijima shook her head. "You are. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met," she insisted.

Sakura stared at Shijima for a while. Sighing, she placed a hand on Shijima's arm.

"Listen to me, little bird. I am not kind. Not without reason. You must know that everything people like us do must be calculated," Sakura warned. When Shijima's wide eyes fell on her again, Sakura smiled.

"Always remember this. Women like us must never act on our emotions. We must always remain in control. And we must be patient," Sakura warned. She waited until Shijima nodded at her. And then her expression warmed.

"Good girl."

++++

"Look. Over there."

"It's the General."

The whispers traveled among the servants and the concubines.

Heads turned to glimpse Sakura rushing down the corridor towards them. Her hair was in a loose mess. The robes hadn't been fastened, billowing behind her instead. Sakura gathered the fabric in her hands, pulling the edges against her chest to keep them in place. And while she wasn't quite running, there was urgency to her steps as she moved. Meno hurried after her.

Some of the concubines cast nervous glances at Concubine Deba, who hadn't noticed. She was too busy raining slaps down on Consort Hoki. And all Shijima could do was wrap her arms around her head to try to shield herself from the worst of the blows. She cried out as Deba's foot connected with her stomach.

Finally, one of the concubines took a nervous step forward, her fan angled to cover her mouth.

"Concubine Deba. Look."

Deba finally turned her attention to the new arrival. And so did Shijima.

Shijima managed to croak one word through her tears:

"Abla."

Older sister.

Deba's red mouth twisted in a sneer. But she didn't get a chance to make some sort of snide mark.

Because Sakura didn't come to a stop in front of her to rebuke her first.

She marched straight up to Concubine Deba and grabbed her by the hair. Tangled her fingers into the dark strands. She pulled hard, listening to the concubine's shriek of pain. Sakura ignored Concubine Deba clawing at her wrists. Instead, she gave another sharp tug. Concubine Deba screamed again.

"Oh. It appears that I've caught a rather large rat," remarked Sakura.

++++

<  Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 >

[jisungsmochi]

rich girl reader x caterer mark

(this sounds odd but idk how else to describe it HAHAHA)

your parents wanted to throw an extravagant party to celebrate your brother getting into college. yes. not a birthday party, or an engagement, but a college admission party. your family had too much money for your their own good and often wasted it on materialistic and highly expensive items. you couldn’t say you were any different. you weren’t unhappy with your living conditions and exorbitant lifestyle but you were unhappy with the way your parents often tossed you aside with their money. everytime you came home from school, visibly upset due to stress, your parents would just transfer money into your account, for ‘retail therapy’. everytime you racked up the bill at an expensive restaurants with your friends, your parents would cover the costs. it was a never ending cycle, that you wanted to stop at times.

you were sitting by the pool as the catering staff for your brother’s party had arrived to organise their set up. you watched as they all were trying to appease to your parent’s requests. you felt bad for them, that they had to change their usual ways of business in order to please your parents. you ignored most of the commotion, continuing to read the book you were trying to finish.

you were interrupted when a boy with fluffy black hair approached you, blocking the sunlight. you raised your head from your book,

‘may i help you?’ you asked, it coming out more rude than you intended.

‘ah yeah, do you live here? i can’t find the owners and i have some decorations but i’m not sure where they’re supposed to go’ he explained, running his hands through his hair, clearly tired from all the moving he has already done.

‘oh um yeah i’m their daughter, i’m sure you can just leave them here in the yard, and wait for them to come back. i’m sorry i’m not much help’ you have him a small smile before completely closing your book.

‘thankyou!’ he nodded before walking away. you watched as he and some of the other workers were unloading the items. you felt bad that they had to do such hard work on such a hot day. you ran inside, grabbing as many water bottles as you could, whilst asking your maid to cut up some fruit for the workers. she nodded at you as you headed back outside, only to be met with the boy from earlier, he was now sitting on the chair next to yours.

he looked up at you, smiling as he saw your hands full of bottles,

‘here let me help!’ he made his way towards you before placing the bottles all over the nearest table.

‘i got them for all you guys, and my maid is cutting some fruit, you all deserve a treat for your hard work’ you offered as he kindly took the water bottle you held in your hands and took a sip.

‘you’re pretty laid back compared to your parents, no offence’ he looked back at you, his comment made you chuckle.

‘i get that a lot actually’ you smiled before taking a seat next to him.

‘so this is your life? sitting by the pool and reading?’ he started, causing you to feel slightly embarrassed.

‘i mean, i guess so! i don’t really leave the house, we pretty much have everything here. my parents throw all these parties just for the sake of it, kinda takes away the whole, having fun part’ you ranted as he listened carefully, watching as your hands fidgeted with your words.

‘well i’m kinda thankful for this party, my parent’s business hasn’t been doing so well, and this party will help us out alot’ he commented as you looked back at him. his eyes sparkled in glee, you knew he was truly thankful.

‘i’m sorry to leave all of a sudden but there’s more stuff to set up.’ he slowly got up, not wanting to leave just yet.

‘oh it’s okay, can i get your number? you know, incase my family needs anything else’ you blurted, watching as he turned back to you, surprised at your words.

‘y-yeah sure’ he grabbed your phone from your hands and tapped away.

‘i’m mark, by the way’ he smirked, returning your phone. you felt a slight blush arise on your cheeks,

‘oh and i’m y/n! well uh i’ll see you later mark’ you waved before making your way back inside. he shook his head in amusement as he chuckled, he found you completely adorable. more than what meets the eye, that’s for sure.

you had only really called mark once, when you overheard your father being stressed about the desserts being served.

mark picked up almost instantly,

‘oh hey, y/n! what’s up?’ he spoke into the phone as you sat against your bedroom door, eavesdropping on the situation.

‘my dad is kinda stressed about what desserts you guys are serving, and i’m just calling so i can finally get him to relax’ you explained, hearing shuffling on his side.

‘ahh yes hold on a moment, i’m going to find the list my dad gave me! i’ll send a photo so you can show your dad’ mark quickly snapped a photo, texting it to you immediately.

‘thankyou so much! i’ll see you on saturday!’ you cheered as you hung up and went to dissolve your dad’s worries. you were thankful that mark was able to help you straight away, you couldn’t wait for saturday.

//

the party was in full swing, the caterers were efficiently serving the food as well as preparing for dessert. your brother was socialising with his friends, before he saw you and asked to talk.

‘hey sis’ he caught up to you, as you sat against the bar.

‘yes jeno?’ you sighed. even though you were both close, it was clear that he was your parent’s favourite. he was the classic jock, good grades, had a girlfriend, and just got into one of the best colleges, without my parent’s having to bribe them. he always made you feel inferior, unintentionally.

‘enjoying your night?’ he asked, sitting on the stool next to you.

‘could be better’ you shrugged as you took a sip from your drink.

‘yeah well how about you talk to that caterer guy? he seems to be checking you out’ jeno smirked, nudging your side as your eyes went to find mark. he was serving drinks to your aunts and uncles when he caught you looking and gave you a wave. you returned it before turning back to jeno.

‘not a chance, he’s just friendly’ you pushed aside, finishing your drink.

‘whatever you say, don’t get too wasted, otherwise mum and dad will kill you’ he wanted before heading off to talk to more of his friends.

as the night went on, you kicked yourself for not talking to mark. he was so busy, constantly walking around, you just wanted to catch him on a break. you found yourself back at the bar, ready for another drink.

‘hey, y/n’ you watched as mark shot you his adorable smile, as you sat yourself across from him.

‘your parents really know how to throw a party’ he commented, mixing a few drinks together before pouring the mixture into a glass.

‘yeah, i’m gonna predict that in another hour, the guests will all leave and it will be left to the staff to clean up’ you have him a solemn look, as he slowly nodded.

‘you look like you need a drink’ he tried to lift to mood, handing you the glass.

‘you’re not gonna like poison me? right?’ you joked.

‘of course not, just try it!!’ he rolled his eyes, waiting for your reaction.

‘not bad, not bad’ you complimented before continuing to take small sips.

mark smiled to himself, wiping down the surface of the bar table. you debated whether or not asking him this,

‘do you want to get out of here? i know you’re working and it would be unprofessional to just leave like this but i really wanted to talk to y-‘ you were cut off by his abrupt laughter.

‘y/n, i was finished over an hour ago, i just stuck around because well, i was hoping you would come and talk to me’ he shyly admitted, avoiding your gaze.

you were surprised at his response, perking yourself up before taking your hand in his and dragging him away from the bar.

you led him to this secluded part of your backyard that your parents neglected a few years back. you ended up making it your own little sanctuary where you could just read or just have time away from the craziness of your family.

mark seated himself on some cushions you placed on the grass under a small teepee structure.

‘this is kinda cute’ he mumbled, as your cheeks flushed red.

‘thanks, decorated it myself’ you smiled, sitting next to him.

there was a short silence, mark looked over at you, unsure of what to say.

‘do you ever wonder, what life would be like, if you weren’t....’ he started.

‘rich?’ you finished, he was shocked that you already knew what he was asking.

‘yes i do’ you continued. ‘i wonder what it’s like not going to a private school where my parents pay excessive funds to the school for me to be a part of clubs and teams that i really don’t enjoy being in. i wonder what it’s like, making a mess in my own room and not having to call my maid to come clean it for me when i really just want to it myself. this sounds like such a ‘rich girl problems’ type rant but sometimes it’s not always about the glitz and glamour for me’ you shrugged, looking over at mark who had that sparkle in his eyes as you spoke.

‘you’re really not like all of them. i mean, i know we’ve had like two solid conversations but it seems like you’ve missed out on a lot. i kind of want to show you my world for a day’ mark offered, as you enthusiastically nodded.

‘would you really? i would love that!’ you smiled widely as he slightly giggled at your reaction,

‘you’re really cute when you get excited’ he mumbled. your face was completely red at this point.

‘t-thanks’

‘i’ll come by tomorrow, we can get into my old ass car and just drive around, i’ll show you my school and my friends and maybe one day you can do the same with me!’ mark had a way of making you feel normal. he made you feel like, your feelings were valid. you adored him. so so much.

you nodded at his words before placing a quick peck on his cheek.

‘thankyou for understanding me’

‘anytime’ he replied as you both chatted about random things for the rest of the night.

mark lee was unlike anyone you had ever met. so empathic, so understanding, so wise yet so goofy. but he made you feel normal, and that’s what you wanted to feel all along.

// 

would anyone like a part 2?? just curious hehe

[fireboltposts]

Love In Disguise (Part 3)

Here are the previous parts as well. Hope you like them. :)

Insert your name wherever you see a ____.

___'s POV

That evening I ended up going to the Astronomy Tower again just to clear my head. I hated how I liked Sirius. I should not like him. I should focus on my studies,my OWLs are just a few months away but here I was feeling upset and annoyed over a guy. Ugh Sirius Black I hate you so much.

You know you love him,my mind taunted.

It was then that I felt something soft rubbing against my ankles. I looked down to see ... oh it's the dog. I loved him so much.

Come to think of it,where did this dog come from ? These two months that I've spent time playing,patting,feeding this big shaggy black dog,I never really wondered whose dog was this. Where did he come from ?

I bent down and caressed his soft fur and kissed him. He wagged his tail adorably. Oh I loved him so much.

"Oh boy I don't have any food with me today honey. I'm sorry. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts".

I didn't know why but I would talk to him as if he was a friend who would clearly understand what I was saying. Sometimes I really felt as if he could understand me. Hell he even came in my dreams. One night I dreamt that i was in the astronomy tower and he suddenly changed to a man. But I couldn't see the man's face.Of course I didn't care much as in dreams anything crazy can happen. But still I had this dream twice now. Does it mean anything ? Hah probably not. Just my subconscious mind playing tricks on me.

The next day was Friday. Hogsmeade weekend was the next day. I loved going to Hogsmeade. Especially Honeydukes Sweet Shop,Zonko's Joke Shop and The Three Broonsticks were my favourite Hogsmeade attractions.

That evening as I was going up to the Astronomy Tower,I heard someone calling me.

I turned around to see Cedric Connors,a popular sixth year Ravenclaw hurrying towards me. He was a hot topic among the girls. With azure eyes,a sharp jawline,a very nice body with jet black hair,this guy was quite the looker. His smile was equally attractive. I can't believe such a handsome guy was approaching me. But,for what ?

"Hey hi ____".

"H-hi Cedric. What are you doing here ?". I hope I wasn't blushing too madly.

"I uh". Now it was him who was blushing. God,he looked cute.

"Look ___ I just wanted to ask if ... maybe you would like to go for a walk across the Black Lake ?",he smiled sheepishly,scratching the back of his head.

Oh God this senior was adorable. If I hadn't already had a massive crush on Sirius,I'd have one on him.

Ugh ___ stop thinking about Sirius. A handsome guy is asking you out for God's sake.

"Walk ?".

"Uh yeah. Um it's ok if you don't want to .. I mean".

"Ah no. Sure I will".

"Great then I'll see you after 10 minutes ?"

"Sure.", I smiled at him. He smiled back. Wow that smile.

"I'll wait for you here".

*********

Cedric Connors turned out to be a really nice guy. He was intelligent,funny,charming and friendly. I really had a good time with him.

"Um ___. Can I ask you something ?",he asked as we came back and stood near the Gryffindor tower.

"Sure".

"Will you uh ... would you like to ... maybe go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow ?".

"Oh yes I'd love to Cedric".

"Great. So I'll see you at 4pm tomorrow ?"

"You bet",I smiled back.

He leant down and kissed my cheek. Oh God now I was definitely a tomato.

"Bye ___. See you tomorrow".

"Bye Cedric".

He turned around to leave when James and Remus were entering the common room.

"Got a new boyfriend __ ?",James smirked.

"Dude no. We were just talking".

"Ah huh. Then why did he kiss you on the cheek ? Ah you like him".

"Shut up Potter". He smirked back.

"Bowtruckle" I said the password and hurried up to my dormitory. I needed to see what to wear tomorrow now that I had a date. Was it a date really ?

********

That Friday evening Sirius was disappointed. He had waited for ___ to turn up,this time in his human form. He wanted to confess his feelings finally now that suddenly he was feeling courageous. He didn't know where his courage came from but he wanted it get it out of his chest.

But ___ hadn't turned up like the other days. He felt frustrated. Why today of all the days when he wanted to confess ? Why today ? What else had her attention that evening ?

He went back to the Gryffindor Common Room to find James,Remus and Peter in one corner chatting away. ___ was nowhere to be seen in the crowded Common Room.

Sirius let out a deep sigh. He walked over to where his friends were sitting.

"Hey Padfoot",smirked James.

Sirius gave a small smile.

"What's wrong Padfoot ? It's really rare to see you like this,so disappointed and downcast. Letter from home ? Merlin's beard,what does that woman --?"

"No no it's not that. It's ... just something else".

"It's ___ isn't it ?",asked Remus,looking very concerned.

Sirius ran his tongue on the insides of his cheek and let out a sigh.

"I saw her with that Ravenclaw prefect this evening. He walked her till here and kissed her on the cheek. They're probably going to -- ".

Something flickered in Sirius' eyes. He nodded.

"Uh lads .. I'm going to bed. I'm so tired today",he said pretending to yawn.

"Uh ok,Padfoot. Goodnight",James frowned.

Sirius went up to his dormitory and laid down in his bed. He tossed and turned around until sleep finally consumed him in the early hours of dawn.

**********

___ was nervous as hell the next day. She fussed over every little thing. What to wear,need any potion for her face or not. "Just be yourself. Cedric likes you it's seems. And as for clothes you're good. Just wear whatever you usually. You don't want to look like you're trying to hard now would you ?"

"Uh no".

"Then ? Be yourself. Good luck ___".

Cedric was waiting for her near the Great Hall. He gave a captivating smile that made her heart flutter.

The Hogsmeade date was so much fun. They went to the Zonko's Joke Shop. Cedric was surprised to see ___ but so many pranking items.

"You thought I was some good girl ?",she laughed.

They had been to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. The place was filled with couples,mostly from Hogwarts. Cedric and ___ turned heads as they walked in hand in hand.

___ was not shocked to see Sirius with another girl. Sirius never went on dates. But this time he was with a pretty brunette from Hufflepuff. ____'s heart beat faster. It was Cedric who brought her back to reality from her trance.

Cedric and ___ spent time talking about their childhood,families,interests. Hell ___ genuinely laughed at his jokes,they were that good. She even forgot to be jealous of the brunette sitting with Sirius some four tables away.

***********

The sight of ____ and that I infuriating Ravenclaw tore at Sirius' heartstrings. How he longed to be the one sitting and laughing with ____. And Merlin's beard,were his jokes not funny ? ____ never laughed so heartily at the jokes he cracked. He wanted to go back to the school. But he was a gentleman. He wouldn't leave a girl alone if he brought her on a date,even if it was his first time. And the girl Chrissy or Casey whatever her name was knew the terms. He wasn't looking for any commitment unless it was with ____ but he did not tell her that of course. As soon the girl finished her food,he made some excuse about not feeling well (she believed it because Sirius hardly touched his food at all),paid for the food and headed back to Hogwarts with her. He had had enough.

***********

A/N : Hope y'all liked it. It's shorter than usual. But should the ending be for Team Sirius or Team Cedric ? I kind of have both endings figured out. Thank you for reading.

[idolish7rabbitchats]

Yaotome Gaku: Wonderful Octave Rabbit Chat Part 2

Tsumugi: Everyone, thank you for gathering! I was thinking that we could collect requests for Yaotome-san’s “RADIO STATION Twelve Hits!” here.

T: Continuing from Kujou-san’s turn, I’ll manage the chat. Please take care of it!

8: Thx. I’m looking forward to the requests.

Anesagi: Takanashi-san, thanks as always. Everyone, please take care of it.

10000: Us, the managers, will be attending too.

Okazaki: Please take care of me.

T: The requests gathered from everyone will be, like it has been up to this point, decided by a raffle pull in the show. I’m looking forward to what kind of requests will be chosen!

10: So it’s Gaku’s turn huh! I’m looking forward to what kind of requests will be collected.

8: Why are you looking forward to it? (lol)

10: Is it weird?! I’m always with Gaku and Tenn, so I might be exaggerating it, but you are like my family, so I’m interested. 

8: Ryuu...

9: I’m not interested much tho.

3: You are chilly huh, Kujou!

2: Friendly TRIGGER mode was totally severed huh. (lol)

10: But, Tenn was worried about having to decide on a request before this huh! Don’t you wonder what the others have come up with?

1: He was worried that other people could see it huh.

7: Tenn-nii, if you were worried you could’ve consulted with me though!

9: Ryuu, don’t exaggerate. 

100: Tsundere’s dere activated where you can’t see it~!

1000: He’s at a high level huh.

8: Geez, you’re not honest at all huh Tenn.

8: OUUUCH! He stepped on my foot!!!

9: Don’t smirk while Rabbit Chatting. 

9: I just won’t let TRIGGER’s leader do something weird. 

10: Because you worried a lot, maybe you came up with a nice request?

9: Don’t raise the hurdles Ryuu.

T: I’m also curious about the requests everyone thought of seriously..!

T: So then, I’ll ask for the requests now. This time we’ll also start from the youngest, Tamaki-san please!

4: K

4: Who’s Gakkun’s favorite in IDOLiSH7?

7: Ahh! I’m curious about that too!!

2: I definitely want to hear that (lol)

8: No no no, saying that now is embarrassing!

8: I mean, we are this close, there is no favorite and such.

3: What is that, don’t be embarrassed. lol

1: Who’s song you like or who’s dance you are attracted to or something, you would have it a little right.

8: Even if you say that, everyone has different strengths. Is it bad to say everyone?

4: Definitely bad!

5: But, it’s hard to pick one person. People become unit-oshi because they like the unit...

5: Of course they love each of the members but, the songs and atmosphere that they’ve created are special. The concept of being a unit-oshi is one of the goals that fans would reach at one point.

8: Ousaka, that’s deep (lol).

5: S-Sorry! I mean...

6: I only choose Kokona tho?

100: Single-oshi and unit-oshi’s problem is the hardest subject (＞д＜)

8: It’s difficult from the beginning, but I’ll casually think about it. 

4: Not casually, think seriously!!!

T: As the Manager of IDOLiSH7, I’m also curious about Yaotome-san’s favorite!

T: Next, Iori-san please!

1: From me it’s “Please tell me a project you would like to try with IDOLiSH7.”

1: We sometimes have opportunities of having lives and variety projects together. If Yaotome-san has a preference or request, I wanted to hear it. 

8: TRIGGER and IDOLiSH7 together?

1: Yes. But I also don’t mind if it’s just Yaotome-san.

8: If we’ll do it, I want to do it with TRIGGER. We can do anything.

10: That seems fun! How about an air hockey tournament?

9: That’s as expected of Ryuu who likes sports but, didn’t he want to ask about Gaku’s wish?

10: Right lol

1: No, Tsunashi-san’s opinion will also become an important reference.

8: Reference?

2: Meaning you wanted to study about the projects if you will be there right, Ichi?

1: That’s right.

8: When you said that, I realized that shoots don’t dragged on when I’m with Izumi-otouto. I’m always impressed by seeing you nicely adjust the schedule depending on the show’s progress.

1: Thank you. 

1: You don’t get confused even if any unexpected incidents happen during the show. I was also impressed by your courage to get over things without showing confusion.

8: Somehow it’s embarrassing to be praised by Izumi-otouto. (lol) I have to learn from you too.

3: My little brother’s amazing right!

100: I’m jealous over the younger people~! Let Re:vale join in (°ω°)ﾉｼ

1000: Elder people can be useful too.

100: Like a grandma’s recipes☆

1000: Like a walking dictionary in show business?

Anesagi: What are you guys saying while having baby smooth skin.

100: I got praised by Kaoru-chan. (ノ≧∀)/

T: It seems it would become a fun job with everyone huh!

T: Next is the request from Riku-san please! 

7: From me it’s “I want to see Yaotome-san do a comedy skit”!

8: Comedy skit?!

7: Yes! Yaotome-san is always cool and sexy so I can’t imagine you doing something comedic… I thought I wanted to try seeing it!

8: You are asking the most absurd request with excitement.

7: Waah! Was it bad?!

7: Yaotome-san, you’re a frank and funny person so I thought you’d be good at comedy...

7: I’m sorry!

1: Yaotome-san, there is no right of rejection in the request corner.

9: If you are a man, just give your consent.

8: I get it already! 

8: If I pull it, I’ll answer Nanase’s request.

7: Really?! Yay!

7: Thank you. I’m looking forward to it!

5: But, even if you say comedy, there are many kinds of comedy.

T: Certainly..! What kind of comedy Yaotome-san wants to try?

*T: Definitely a cross-talk comedy when you say comedy?

8: If I do it alone, will it be a comic chat? I’m not too good at talking but it seems it would become a good experience so I might want to try it. 

Anesagi: About the subject, I’ll carefully check it beforehand.

2: So it really does have to be checked by the manager huuh.

8: Eating really hot food seems fun. When I see it on TV, I somehow keep watching it.

Anesagi: Rejected!!!!

8: How about a hot bath?

Anesagi: Where do you plan on going…?

T: Yaotome-san’s new field, I’m interested about that as one of his fans!

T: So then, next can we hear a request from Kujou-san?

9: From me it’s “Heal the listeners with nice words.”

9: It’s seems Gaku’s radio might end up with him talking enthusiastically if I leave him, so I thought a refreshing request would be good.

8: Do I talk that much?

9: That’s something you wouldn’t understand about yourself huh.

7: Yaotome-san is nice!

8: THANK YOU!

100: Gaku, you seem happy. \’’(*´∀｀*)/

10: Gaku widely has a manly image so we want a lot of people to also know the gentle, friendly side of him.

10: Right, Tenn?

9: Well yeah.

9: It’s hard for Gaku’s kindness to come across so it’s important to show them intentionally.

8: So you requested it while thinking about that huh...

9: Not for Gaku’s sake, it’s also for TRIGGER’s sake tho.

8: Even so, I’m happy. Thanks!

T: That’s a wonderful request thinking about Gaku-san! I could feel TRIGGER-san’s bond...!

T: Next is Nagi-san please!

6: So finally it’s my turn huh. I thought of an exciting and very fun request.

6: From me it’s “Free talk from the vocabulary on a chosen card”!

8: What do you mean?

6: Here I have a bunch of cards I’ve written on. Yaotome-shi will pick a card and talk from the word written on it.

4: Amaziiing! Somehow it’s like a game!

2: Heeeh, even if you’re picking it yourself you don’t know what vocabulary will show up huh.

5: That’s seems full-scale and fun!

6: I choose special words. All words are amazing and worth talking about.

6: I’ll give you a hint. The first character is “Ko.”

6: Oops, to know more than this, looks forward to pulling the request. :-))))

3: It’s Kokona lol

100: Kokona huh!

10: Kokona-chan huh!

8: That’s too easy to understand.

6: You don’t though? It could be “Kokoyashi” though. [T/N: Kokoyashi means Japanese way to say Coconut]

8: Who wants to hear me talking about coconuts (lol)

6: ♪(´ε`)

T: I’m really interested in what follows the “ko” but we will move on to the next request! lol

T: Next is the request from Sougo-san please!

5: Yes. 

5: Um, about the request, this would be rude to you so, it’s fine only if you could do it so...

2: Somehow you are making long preliminary remarks (lol)

8: If you are that stiff, that makes me nervous (lol)

5: Right, I’m sorry! So then, allow me to suggest...

5: Would you teach me the knack of voice percussion?

8: You wanna know about voice percussion?

5: Yes. The other day, I heard that Mitsuki-san and Tamaki-kun were excited over doing voice percussion with you. 

5: I heard you were really skillful, so I wanted to aim to be the same level as Yaotome-san…!

8: Since you were so nervous I was wondering what you would ask but it’s just that huh. I did that for fun, it’s not like professional tho?

3: No no, Yaotome, it was seriously good though! Like you could master it if you practice it!

8: It was quite nice when the three of us did it huh?

4: With everyone we always just said underwear though.

5: While doing voice percussions ? Why underwear?

6: Tamaki… It’s because you forgot to wear it huh.

4: It’s nooot! If you say underwear underwear, it will turn into something like a voice percussion!

4: [Huffing Pudding Stamp]

2: Aaah, it became popular that one time huh. If you say the tongue twister, it turns into a voice percussion. 

2: Don’t you know the “Hattsuku Pantsu ka Hittsuku Pantsu ka Kuttsuku Pantsu ka Mukatsuku Pantsu ka” one? When you go drinking, there’s a person who does this one right.

1000: Yamato-kun, you participated in a flirty drinking party huh.

8: That’s so flirty (lol)

2: No no, I don’t want to be told that by you guys. Anyways, aren’t all drinking party like this?

10000: It was popular before huh. I’m quite good at it too.

1000: Ban is too flirty.

100: Flirty Ban-san is also handsome! 

7: Iori, let’s try it too!

1: I won’t do it. Do it yourself.

7: Eeeh!!

1: Shut up.

10: Hmmm, it’s difficult huh. I think I’m not good at it… I get stuck at the “Kuttsuku pantsu” part.

9: Ryuu you’re saying it too fast. It’s fine to slow down a little more. 

8: I’ve done it just for fun before this but I’ve gotten a request so I really need to practice huh...

8: I can’t just say pantsu if I pull the request. (lol)

Anesagi: You really hate losing huh.

5: Thank you..! I’m so grateful!

9: Sorry, can we take a quick break?

9: Ryuu bit his tongue so hard while doing the tongue twister.

8: It seems he’s not seriously hurt but his eyes are watering...

8: He’s saying his fine but it seems it hurts so much he can’t Rabbit Chat.

5: Tsunashi-san, I’m sorry! It’s because I did this kind of request that...

9: It’s not Ousaka Sougo’s fault, is what Ryuu said.

9: Probably.

8: His voice is gone so we can’t really understand though.

T: Let’s take a break! Tsunashi-san, even if you’re not hurt, please don’t push yourself too hard. ><

T: I’ll talk to everyone after the time has passed. It’s a short break but please spend it relaxedly.

[the-nagakenny-archives]

New to the Party Pt. 1

(OOC: Here’s the cuddle party story I’ve been meaning to write for a while XD It’s set in the Batman: TAS universe again. It’s turning out to be kind of long, so I decided to break it up in parts, hope no one minds waiting for the next one ;v;)

Samantha Shaw stepped out of the car and sighed as she surveyed her surroundings. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

There was an amused chuckle as her friend Michael got out of the driver’s side door. “Come on, lighten up!” he said cheerfully. “I mean, how often are lowly interns like us going to get invited to a billionaire’s house for a party? Lobster, champagne, foie gras....should be a swinging time!”

“That’s kind of what I’m afraid of,” Samantha said with a frown, holding out her invitation and waving it at him. “Didn’t you read the whole thing? What’s this about a.....’cuddle party’? Sounds kind of suspect if you ask me.”

“Pfft!” Michael snorted and shook his head. “It’s not what you think, I’ve heard of them before. Everyone just lounges around, there’s no funny stuff going on.”

“Hmph.” Samantha put her invitation in her purse, tossing her blonde hair over one shoulder. “Well, nevertheless, I want to leave before it starts getting weird, okay?” 

Michael grinned and sighed with mock indignation. “Yeah, okay. We’ll call it a night when the weirdness starts. Come on, I’m starving.” He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and started walking toward the house.

Samantha hung back a moment, leaning against the car and looking up at the gigantic house belonging to her boss. She could hear people laughing and chatting in the distance---most likely out in back. Michael had already gone inside, probably hunting for the buffet table.

She sighed with resignation. She had never been much of a party person, but these kinds of parties were especially not her thing. She had to wonder why Mr. Huggins had even wanted to invite her; it was like Michael had said, they were both just interns at the office. Then again, Mr. Huggins was always very friendly with everyone, no matter where they were in the office hierarchy. She would often see him inviting people out to lunch, or bringing people coffee, even though he was supposed to be the head honcho. 

With another sigh, she started heading for the backyard where the bulk of conversation could be heard. As she came upon the huge yard, scattered with beautiful gardens of exotic-looking flowers (that she actually was a bit impressed by), she recognized a few people among the milling and mingling crowd, but otherwise they were mostly strangers to her. Fantastic. 

“Invitation, please! No one’s allowed without an invitation!”

She turned toward the lilting, mock-snooty voice and there was Mr. Huggins, dressed in a casual button-down white shirt and black pants, and flashing his brilliant smile at her. It was really weird to see him wearing something other than a business suit. “Just pulling your leg. Good to see you, Samantha,” he said in his normal tones. She felt a blush beginning to warm her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly; it was unreal just how handsome he was, especially up close, with his long beautiful red hair, perfect teeth, and jawline that could cut diamonds. She had once joked with Dorothy, one of the secretaries, that he must have been the result of a government experiment engineered to test the tensile strength of women’s panties; Dorothy had laughed so hard that coffee had shot out of her nose.

“Hello, Mr. Huggins,” she said politely. “Thank you for---”

“Kenny! Please call me Kenny, no need for formalities in these parts.” Kenny’s dark eyes twinkled; she rather liked that aspect about him in particular. She could dryly joke about his handsomeness, but the twinkle in his eyes was genuine, like a part of his soul was always there. She felt herself blushing again and she quickly composed herself. He’s your boss for Pete’s sake, she reminded herself. 

“Right, uh, Kenny. Thanks for inviting me. Michael and I were actually kind of surprised by it. We almost thought it had been some kind of, uh....mistake.” 

“You did?” Kenny had been hunting through an hors d’oeuvres plate for the biggest crab puff, and at this he looked up, blinking in surprise. “How come?”

“Oh, uh, well,” Samantha laughed sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. “You know, we’re interns and all that, so---”

“Ah, but you work just as hard as everyone else does,” Kenny replied matter-of-factly. He found the crab puff he was looking for and snatched it with a satisfied grin. “Actually, you probably work harder than I do. But keep that between us, okay?” He winked at her slyly. 

She found herself trying to stammer something out in reply, but before she could get herself coherent Kenny had sidled over and greeted a group of people hanging around the water fountain near the center of his yard, and they all began chatting and chuckling with each other. Samantha watched them for a moment and allowed herself a half-smile. Then she decided to find some food herself; the various rich, exotic aromas were starting to make her stomach grumble. 

There was a seafood buffet piled high with crab legs, oysters, clams, shrimp and giant succulent lobster tails; there were filet mignons being grilled by the dozens; there were mountains of fresh vegetables and fruit salads. She was disappointed that the only thing available to drink was water---she had anticipated wine and champagne galore---but it was refreshingly cold and pure, and there were huge crystal bowls of it with slices of lemon and lime and pieces of mint. There was even the biggest watermelon she had ever seen in her life, cut into neat and juicy isosceles triangles. 

“Oh my gawd, Samantha?” Dorothy appeared just as Samantha was digging into her ambrosial piece of filet mignon. “Ya made it! How are ya?”

Samantha swallowed the mouth-watering bite she had taken and smiled. “Hey, Dorothy. I’m just dandy, thank you. Hard not to be with this kind of food, huh?”

“Oh my gawd, I know,” Dorothy said enthusiastically. “This is my second time being invited to one of these.”

Samantha raised a curious eyebrow. “Really?” Perhaps she could ask her what went on during the after-party festivities.

“Gawd, he’s so sexy, isn’t he?” Dorothy sighed. She hadn’t heard Samantha’s question; she was busy making goo-goo eyes at Kenny, who seemed to be just surveying the party by himself with a content look on his face, one hand in his pocket and a glass of water in the other. “Sometimes at my desk I just fantasize about what he looks like naked, ya know.”

Samantha spluttered; she had been in the middle of drinking from her glass. “Oh my god, Dorothy, you’re terrible!” she exclaimed in a fit of coughs and laughter. 

“Whaaaat?” Dorothy innocently batted her eyelashes. “Can ya really blame me?”

“Um, yes? He’s our boss. That’s just....wrong.” 

“If it’s wrong, then I don’t wanna be right, honey.” She grinned deviously and leaned closer, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper. “Ya know, sometimes I swear he goes commando under those suit pants of his. If ya look close enough, you can almost see the size of his---”

“Hey ladies! What’s the skinny?” Michael had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, holding a plate piled with lobster. Samantha was secretly relieved by his presence; Dorothy could be fun, but she was best in small doses. 

“What’s it to ya, bean pole?” Dorothy sneered at him playfully. 

“Uh, Dorothy was just saying,” Samantha chimed in, quickly taking the wheel to the conversation, “that she’s been to one of Mr. Huggins’ parties before! So you must know about the cuddling and all that weird stuff, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Dorothy looked uncharacteristically bewildered. “Ya know, it’s the weirdest thing, but it’s all kinda foggy? There was cuddling though, I do remember that.” She sighed heavily, and Samantha thought she detected a hint of longing in it. “It felt so nice---nothin’ like the half-hearted snuggles I get from my dates. Nah, this was....different. It was a special and safe and....all-over feeling, ya know? Like everything in the whole world was gonna be okay.” 

“Wow.” Michael looked intrigued, which made Samantha begin to worry. “You got all that from just a cuddle?”

“Uh-huh.” Dorothy smiled. “Well, anyway, I’ll catch you two later. Kinda want to grab some dessert before it’s all gone.” She gave them a saucy wink and sauntered on her way. 

“Don’t,” Samantha said as Michael barely opened his mouth to speak, “even think about it.” 

“Aw, come on, Sam, lighten up! You mean to tell me after what Dorothy said you’re not the least bit curious?”

“Yes,” Samantha said firmly. It wasn’t true by a longshot, but she didn’t want to discuss it anymore in case she changed her mind. 

Michael gave an exasperated sigh. “Fiiiiine. Hey look, they’re serving chocolate mousse over there, you want me to get you one?” Michael pointed to one of the tables on the large open back patio of the house, where people were grabbing big glass cups of the most delectable and rich chocolate dessert Samantha had ever seen. It even looked like there was candied bacon crumbled on top. 

“Yeah, okay. Just don’t go disappearing on me, it’s getting late.” 

“Roger roger!” Michael saluted her and playfully started marching toward the table. 

---End Part One---

[pug-bitch]

That’s not why I’m going (19)

Big Beaumont

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez

Rating: some foul language, some extremely suggestive, and a VERY steamy scene right at the beginning + another one later on. This is absolutely NOT appropriate for people under 18.

Word count: 4,450 (let me know if the ‘keep reading’ cutoff isn’t working well!)

Notes: This picks up where we left off, with Amara’s POV. I’m sorry this has been in standby for a little bit now and I have not been sustaining the same pace. I do not want the quality of the plot to go down and as it complexifies, I may have to slow down a bit to make sure the plot points are under control :)

*****

‘Oh, Drake!’

Amara loses her grip and waves of pleasure wash over her. Drake is truly good with his mouth, she thinks. She loves how dedicated he is to her pleasure, because she feels the same way about him. Tonight, he made it very clear he wanted to make her come, and got to work right away. She couldn’t get enough of his hands on her hips, his lips on her core, his tongue flicking her clit. Still, now that she climaxed, she needs more of him.

‘Come here,’ she whispers, pulling him on top of her. He had carefully undressed her, but he had kept his jeans on. She’d have to remedy that right away. He moans as her hands unbutton his pants, dangerously close to his hard, throbbing cock. Once she sets it free, she grabs it in the palm of her hand, and flips Drake onto his back. Surprised, he lets out a gasp, and then another one when Amara takes his cock in her mouth. It’s not because she wants to return the favor, no, it’s because she loves the feeling of his dick twitching between her lips, and the taste of his pleasure. She sucks on it relentlessly, drawing multiple sounds from Drake, which would have been muffled had they been at the Capital. But here, at Ramsford, they both felt more comfortable, and even though they would never dream of taking Maxwell up on his offer to just have sex anywhere, they still felt like they could let go a little more.

‘Fuck, Amara,’ Drake pants, ‘I want you now…’

She strokes his balls one last time, and straddles him, eager to take all of him inside her. Drake bucks his hips, and she starts riding him, her lips firmly stuck on his. Drake’s hands roam all over her hips and back, sometimes stopping on her breasts. She rides him slowly at first, wanting to take in all of him, to take her time, but soon enough, Drake’s moans become more urgent, and she feels like he is getting close to orgasm. So, she quickens the pace, until he can’t take it anymore and flips her onto her back once again, fucking her as deep as he can.

Afterwards, they both lie in bed, their legs intertwined, their breaths short.

‘God,’ Amara whispers, ‘I’m so glad you came. Pun intended.’

Drake chuckles. ‘I wouldn’t have wanted to stay in the Capital for anything in the world. Of course I came.’

*****

Madeleine is satisfied with what she’s found on one of them. For now. What she has on the other will cost more, it’s not as simple. She’ll have to contact him and demand more money. Not that she can’t afford it, but she shouldn’t be the one financing, after all. She’s not the only one benefitting from all this sabotage; the person who approached her was also eager to get rid of the others.

In the meantime, some good old-fashioned snooping could work. The Mexican isn’t at the Capital tonight, she’s at Ramsford getting ready for tomorrow’s big event. So, let’s start with her room.

Madeleine opens the door carefully. What if someone had the same idea as her? Well, no, no one did. The room is eerily silent and dark, and Madeleine lights it up with her phone. The woman took basically everything with her, or so it seems. There are a few outfits in the closet. Madeleine goes right for the tag. Most of the dresses are from retail stores, and they are several sizes bigger than Madeleine’s, which makes her smile. Of course, she could see that the woman is not as skinny as she is, but having it confirmed by her outfits was an added bonus.

So much nail polish. How many colors does she need? If there are so many in here now, how many did she have total? Madeleine shakes her head. Truly, she could not relate to this peasant.

The bathroom is almost empty, just a few cosmetics remain, nothing to write home about. Well, this has been disappointing.

The nightstands are her last chance.

Nope, empty. Damn, either this woman is a great packer and she brings everything everywhere, or she truly does not have any more secrets.

Madeleine types up a text.

Tell him I looked everywhere for immediate leverage on A.S., no luck. I have something big, but it will require more time and more money.

She walks back to her room, discreetly, when she sees her phone light up.

Carte blanche.

*****

The next day, Drake, Amara, Maxwell and Hana are seated at the breakfast table. Drake feels rested and excited for the Beaumont Bash. Those events have never felt really courtly and they were one of the few moments when people could really let their hair down and not worry so much about etiquette.

‘Did you end up watching that movie, Max?’ Amara asks.

‘We did, Hana had never seen The Birdcage,’ Maxwell responds.

Hana nods, and shares a knowing smile with Maxwell. ‘It was fun. We also talked a lot, and I told Max what I told you guys the other day.’ She blushes and looks down. ‘I don’t know what I did to deserve friends like you three.’

‘Aww Hana!’ Maxwell yelps as he gets us to wrap her in a bear hug. ‘The real question is, what did WE do to deserve you, honey?’

Amara extends her hand and offers it to Hana. ‘Exactly,’ she says. ‘I’m glad you told Max. I’m happy for you, opening up can only be good.’

While she said that, she looked directly at Drake, which sent shivers down his spine. If anyone had told him, a couple of months ago, that he would open his heart and his past to a near stranger, he would have laughed in their face. But now… ‘They’re right, Hana. I’m happy for you, too.’

Hana wipes away a tear and says, ‘Thank you guys. But I do think I’ll remain discreet for the remainder of the competition. Just you three is good for now. Baby steps.’

They chat for a while and devise plans for the Beaumont Bash, which they have to prep without Bertrand, held back in the Capital. Because of the dire financial situation, they will have to make some of the appetizers themselves, which Drake is thrilled about. Sure, he’s gonna have to make them bite-sized and fancy for court, but making food is always a joy for him. He misses his cabin, where the kitchen truly is the heart of the home. He can’t wait until he can bring Amara there, hopefully sooner rather than later. Does she enjoy cooking? He doesn’t even really know. Sometimes he forgets how little time they have known each other, despite the deep truths they know about one another. It’s ok though, they have time to figure those things out.

As they all walk to the grand ballroom to help the very few staff members set up, Amara grabs Drake’s arm and holds him back. ‘Hey, come here for one second,’ she whispers.

He nods and checks on Hana and Max, who are a few feet ahead, entangled in a very lively conversation of their own. ‘What’s up?’ he whispers back.

‘I’m gonna go look into Bertrand’s study, while everyone is carrying chairs out. Max wouldn’t mind, I’m sure, for the sake of the Savannah case, but...I’d rather keep it discreet, ok? Just in case Bertrand knows more than he lets on.’

Drake nods and lets her go. He’ll manage the others if they asked questions. Drake loved seeing Amara so excited about this. Not just because it meant she was adamant about finding his sister, although of course that was an important point. He also loved how motivated she was about investigating again. It was clear that detective work and criminology were passions of hers, that she gave up when Sergio died. Drake is glad that she is finally letting herself do something she is passionate about, instead of punishing herself. He’s obviously never met Sergio, but if he was anything like Amara, he wouldn’t want his little sister to be miserable on his account.

‘Hey, where’s Amara?’ Max asks, turning around.

Damn, that was fast. These two were really attached at the hip.

‘Um, she got a phone call from the guy from New York, you know, for the bank account info?’

Phew, that was quick thinking. Maxwell nods and says, ‘Ok, that’s great! So, what are we thinking for the decor, guys?’

*****

Amara doesn’t know where to start. Bertrand’s study is just like him: stiff, stressful, well-organized, neat. The walls are all mahogany, and so is the desk. She almost expected one of the chairs to have a vest. Just like the little secret Beaumont baby.

The good thing about him being so organized was that everything would be labelled. So, she’d have to go back to files from about 2 years ago to see if he ever sent her money, or if there was documented correspondence. Easy enough.

Her eyes stop on the massive portrait on the wall. An oil painting of a happy, younger Beaumont family. The patriarch, Barthélémy, was not smiling at all, faithful to Maxwell’s descriptions of him. The mother, Hélène, was very beautiful, all smiles, and Maxwell is very blatantly all her. Teenage Bertrand was wearing, surprise surprise, a vest, but his smile was a little more relaxed than the one he usually had on these days. And of course, little Max was just as adorable as Amara had imagined. Tears fly to her eyes as she studies the portrait, in part because it reminds her of her own incomplete, reconstructed family, which does not look like the old pictures either, which still had both her mom and Sergio. But also, the tears are coming for Maxwell, for all that he has lost. She desperately wants him to reconnect with Bertrand, she wants that for him, for both of them. Maybe this little baby represents hope? Maybe Savannah does too?

Alright, she thinks, let’s get our shit together. She opens the files one by one, no money wired internationally so far. She spends a while looking through bank statements, and catches herself thinking, ‘that’s not what I call broke, but I guess it’s broke for nobility’.

Then, she notices a pattern. Something amiss. Some lump sum, going away every month, in addition to the Savannah fund, carefully hidden by Maxwell.

Maxwell had explained to her how he hides his wiring. He takes out the money on a different pretense every month, with a different denomination, so as to not draw any attention to the fact that it is indeed the same amount. The pretenses are ridiculous, but they are believable for someone who knows Maxwell. Ostrich fund. Peacock fund. Fireworks fund.

What could seem inconspicuous to someone like Maxwell, who doesn’t care about boring jargon? Upkeep funds. A lump sum each month for something different: roof repairs, chimney maintenance, coal supply.

Except that Amara cannot find any receipts to back any of it up. And knowing Bertrand, king of receipts -there is one for a pack of batteries in there-, that would definitely be in the file.

Also, why does everything cost the same amount? Someone is definitely pulling the same crap as Maxwell was for Savannah, and Amara is determined to find out where it’s going.

*****

Olivia adjusts her dress, and puts the thin dagger back in her chignon. She truly enjoys these sexcapades with her bodyguard, but today, her heart wasn’t in it. She had asked him to drive her to Ramsford a little early, and then, when they’d been far enough away from the Capital, she told him to pull over and fucked him while he was still in the driver’s seat.

She needed to get away from Liam. From the entitled bitch he had been for the past couple of months, he had turned into a sad mess, ever since Suarez had told him she wasn’t interested. He’d asked to spend more time with Olivia, especially since Suarez, and Drake, were both in Ramsford already, and Olivia did not like being second choice. She realizes she’s been a tad pathetic, sleeping and making out with a man who was taken with someone else, but she had hoped that maybe, he would come to his senses and acknowledge that she is the right match for him. But now… Now he asked for her specifically last night, and it felt...wrong. She had sex with him, but felt used afterwards. As if he’s using her to either forget Suarez, or pass the time until Suarez changes her mind and accepts him.

But Olivia knows that Amara Suarez has made her choice. She chose Drake Walker, and Olivia can totally see why, although she would rather cut off her own tit than admit it. The two are good together. It warms Olivia’s icy heart to see those two bastards and their blooming love.

So, she slept with Liam anyways, because she can’t say no to him. She’s strong in every single category of life, except when it comes to this damn boy. It’s always been like this, even when they were kids. Whenever he asked her for a favor, she would roll her eyes but she would do it anyway. That’s exactly what happened last night. Except that, when they were 10, the favor was usually something along the lines of giving him her last baklava, or playing with him at a game that bored her.

Last night, the favor hurt her. He has to know how she feels about him, and yet he took advantage of it. She had slept over, although ‘slept’ is a strong word. She’d tossed and turned until dawn came, and then she was gone, before tears could well up in her eyes. She’d gone to her room to pack the essentials, and then she’d called her hot bodyguard Ilya, and the rest was history.

Once arrived at Ramsford, she gives him her bags to put in the hallway, until she’s assigned a room, and she goes to explore and see where the others are. Lo and behold, she catches Amara sneaking out of Bertrand’s study.

‘Well well well, hello Suarez,’ she whispers.

Amara jumps up, visibly surprised. ‘Oh! Holy shit Liv, you scared me.’

‘Did you and Walker christen the tweed desk of Big Beaumont?’

Amara chuckles, ‘Ha! No, and please don’t call him Big Beaumont, it makes me wanna barf.’

‘So what were you doing?’

Amara looks all around her and gets closer to Olivia to whisper, ‘I think I found something about Bertrand.’

*****

Amara had filled Olivia in, and then Drake, sneakily, before they all went to the kitchen to make the appetizers. She had made them both swear not to say anything to Maxwell until she finds out more. She didn’t want to crush his opinion of his big brother, in case it was nothing.

But it didn’t seem like nothing.

She shakes it off and tries to keep it off her mind, just for tonight. After all, she’d never experienced a legendary Beaumont Bash before, and she was determined to have the time of her life.

She turns to Drake, who’s already working hard on some type of baked soufflé. She can’t believe her eyes - her man, the very same man who had been complaining non stop about the tiny bites the court functions had to offer, was baking a tiny appetizer. She opens her mouth to tease him about it, and changes her mind. No, she thinks. That’s not what she should be doing. He’s clearly enjoying something he’s really good at, so why make him feel self-conscious about it? She smiles fondly, watching him shape the little rounds of dough, and fill them with some sort of mushroom deliciousness.

Olivia’s voice pulls her away from the moment. ‘Alright bitches, what can I do?’

Amara glances at her and laughs openly. Olivia is wearing a red bodycon dress, a dagger in her hair in lieu of a barrette, and a very frilly apron with a gnome on it. ‘Jeez Olivia. The apron softens you,’ she teases.

Liv grimaces, ‘That’s all I could find, Suarez. Because you bastards snagged all the good ones.’

Amara looks at her own, which reads ‘Kiss the chef’, and smirks. ‘That’s right. Although I really love the gnome, actually.’

They get to work, and manage to bake and prepare a flurry of small canapés and appetizers. When Drake’s come out of the oven, he looks at them with a satisfied look on his face and says, ‘There we go. Pre-baked. The staff will just have to reheat them a few minutes before the party and we should be golden.’

Amara can’t help herself, she closes the few steps between the two of them and throws her arms around him. She plants a massive kiss on his lips, which he returns gleefully.

Olivia snorts, ‘Ugh Suarez, keep it in your pants. You’re the one wearing the ‘Kiss the chef’ apron, not him.’

Amara looks at Drake, who is giving her the most earnest smile. ‘I just can’t help it, he’s so handsome when he’s baking.’

‘Hm,’ Drake responds, raising one eyebrow, ‘you have a baker kink, good to know…’

‘Guys, you will fuck later,’ Olivia says curtly. ‘Can someone look at my tartines? What the fuck am I doing wrong?’

Amara steps back and looks at Olivia’s canapés. While they are supposed to be simple bread squares topped with a pâté spread and a cornichon, Liv seems to have butchered them, and they look like they have been stabbed by Brienne of Tarth.

‘What...Olivia? What the hell? What kind of knife did you use?’

Olivia’s face reddens. ‘Well, my knife!’

‘The dagger that was in your hair?’

She nods vigorously. ‘I washed it first, obviously. I’m not an animal.’

Amara has to stifle a laugh. ‘Well it sure does look like an animal made those. You’re supposed to use a butter knife, this is delicate!’

They all burst out laughing, while Olivia sulks. ‘This is why we hire help, Maxwell. I don’t know about this shit!’

Drake muffles his laughter by pursing his lips, and says, ‘Hey no worries, I can fix it. Let’s put more pâté on these bitches to hide the massacre.’

*****

They had barely finished preparing the food that it was already time to go get ready. Olivia’s gnome apron was definitely not going to cut it for a Beaumont Bash. Amara had bumped into Bertrand on her way upstairs. He was back, which meant two things. One, she and Drake would have to be discreet. And two, Amara would have to tread lightly when going back to his study to pick up the employee files. She had to go through them to see if the account number corresponds to any of them, before expanding her investigation. She’d thought of confronting him directly, but what if it wasn’t him? She’d instantly expose herself as having snooped, and he wouldn’t trust her anymore.

She put on an olive dress with a full skirt, and a deep neckline, and opted for a partial updo. She was ready to party.

Downstairs, everyone had already arrived, and the music was loud and festive. Maxwell was DJing, as expected, and was also already pounding drinks. Drake had just come out of the kitchen, probably to finish helping the staff with the apps, and was looking especially dashing in a gray shirt and dark blue pants. Amara felt her stomach flutter.

‘Hey Suarez,’ he approaches her with a wide smile. ‘You look beautiful,’ he whispers. ‘Olive green is definitely your color.’

She smiles. ‘You’re extremely handsome in this. You know what I’m thinking?’ He shakes his head and she continues, ‘We haven’t christened any bathrooms here.’

He smiles even harder. ‘I’ll have to take you up on that once everyone is hammered enough not to notice…’

He holds out his hand, gesturing to the dance floor, and she takes it. They both get closer to the crowd and start swaying and dancing to the music. Hana joins them shortly, followed by Penelope, who already seems pretty lit after one drink.

When Amara finishes her drink, she takes her empty glass and Hana’s for a refill. Liam is standing right next to the bar, looking wistful. Oh crap, she thinks. She’s gonna have to talk to him, especially after he’s been so understanding. And she’s gonna have to pretend she never heard what he told Drake when she was in the closet, which is gonna take more than one drink. She pours herself and Hana another glass of champagne, and smiles at Liam. ‘Hello there,’ she says hesitantly.

His face lights up. ‘Hi Amara. It’s so good to see you. How are you doing?’

Damn, it’s even more excruciating than the time she had to serve her ex, Rick, at the bar, and make small talk. ‘Doing great. Ramsford is treating me well. How about you?’

He gives her a sad smile. ‘I’m fine, thank you. I wanted to say, thank you for being honest with me. Not everyone is. I appreciate it.’

She nods uncomfortably. He was being nothing but pleasant, but something about this interaction was making her queasy. Maybe because she was not, indeed, being honest. Maybe because she had left out a huge chunk of information, which would change the way he views his best friend. ‘Thank you for being so understanding,’ she finally responds. ‘Are you enjoying yourself? You should come dance with us.’ She instantly regrets saying this, but at the same time, who was she to exclude him from his own kingdom? Plus, Amara is inherently an inclusive person, who does not want anyone to feel left out.

‘Thank you. I might just do that. I need another drink, though.’ He pours himself another whiskey. Weird, she thinks. He’s usually a wine drinker. ‘And Amara? I’m not saying this to make you uncomfortable, but I just wanted to tell you that you look ravishing tonight. This dress is wonderful.’

She thanks him politely and they both advance to the dancefloor where they get lost in the crowd.

*****

Drake is taking a break from the champagne. He’s not quite used to the bubbles, and they make him dizzy. He looks over to where Amara is standing, dancing with Maxwell, having an amazing time. He hates to break this moment off, but he can’t stop thinking about her, about her touch, her smell, her lips. He approaches the two of them, and joins their dance. Maxwell is almost in a trance, and half of his shirt buttons are undone. Almost time to breakdance, Drake thinks.

He whispers in Amara’s ear, ‘I’m going to the bathroom, babe. Join me in two minutes if you want.’

He wonders whether it was too directive, but judging from the way she smiles from ear to ear, it’s not very hard to see that she’s on board.

He waits for her inside the bathroom, the one farthest away from the ballroom, right by Bertrand’s study. A minute or two later, he recognizes her knock.

She comes in swiftly, biting her lip, and locks the door instantly. ‘God, you’re so handsome,’ she whispers before capturing his lips in a long, deep kiss.

‘You’re driving me fucking crazy in this dress,’ he replies, whispering in her ear as he kisses her neck.

Soon enough, she turns around to face the mirror, and drops her panties to the floor. Drake feels his pants tighten around him. ‘Fuck, Amara…’ He holds her close, still kissing her neck, along her spine. The smell of her hair is intoxicating. What is it exactly, he’s always wondered. Jasmine maybe? To him, it’s simply the smell of Amara. A smell that drives him nuts.

He slips his hand under her skirt, and strokes her bare ass, and with his other hand, caresses her breasts. She moans quietly, and bends over the sink a bit more. He gets the cue. His hand wanders between her legs, where he teases her slit, which is already wet from anticipation and desire. He finds her clit and strokes it, before sliding one finger inside her.

It doesn’t take very long for her to be soaking wet, ready for him. He frees his cock from his pants and boxers, and enters her softly. He knows they’re gonna have to be quick, but he cannot help but savor the moment, and he knows she can’t either. Her soft moans do not lie. He fucks her from behind for a little while, until she turns over and hops on the sink, their position of choice in this type of rushed situation. Thank God for sturdy marble sinks, otherwise they would have been discovered long ago.

He enters her anew, and they both gasp again at the sensation. They’re gonna have to pick up the pace and they know it. Amara wraps her legs around Drake’s waist, drawing him closer and deeper, and he fucks her faster, until waves of pleasure wash over him, and he cannot blame the champagne anymore for his dizziness.

‘That was amazing,’ she whispers, kissing him once more, for the last time until they can be alone again.

*****

Amara had let Drake get out first, since he had left before her, and as she walks into the ballroom, she notices several people staring at their phones in disbelief. She doesn’t have hers, it’s in her room, and Drake doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on either. Oh no, she thinks. They share a brief glance, full of worry and tension. What if someone saw them? They had snuck out multiple times before, sometimes drunk, but maybe not as drunk as they were today. What if they had been less careful than usual?

Amara approaches Maxwell, whose expression has gone from ecstatic to defeated. ‘Max, what’s going on? Why is everyone looking so weird?’

He looks at her, suddenly sobered up. ‘Oh my God Amara, it’s bad.’

He hands her his phone.

In a group text from an unknown number, a picture, sent to basically everyone at court.

A picture of Hana, kissing a blonde woman.

*****

Taglist:

@andy-loves-corgis @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @jovialyouthmusic @alesana45 @drakesensworld @mariahschoices @notoriouscs @thequeenofcronuts @emceesynonymroll @drakewalkerisreal @nikkis1983 @iplaydrake @simsvetements @drakewalkerwhipped @drakewalkerrosenberg @drakeswalkers @drakxwalker @drakelover78 @silviasutton1989

Thank you for your encouragements, everyone! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist :)