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bvidzsoo · 3 months ago

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Every time I see you...chapter 1 ↰

...my throbbing heart rate spikes up

Author: bvidzsoo

Pairing: Song Mingi x female reader

☆ Warning: none ☆ Word count: 5.3k ☆ Rating: sfw ☆ Genre: slice of life, established situationship, post university setting, fluff ☆ Summary: There was nothing exclusive between the two of you, but somehow you didn't mind being in Mingi's arms, in his presence. A day spent well gets rewarded by a movie night with the person you're the most fond of.

☆ Visuals ☆

M.list

A/N: And so, the first chapter is here! It's a slow ease into their relationship, it will pick up as we proceed, I promise. I hope you find it intriguing, let me know what you thought of this part, I'm curious to hear your opinions! I think this is very different from what I usually write, but soft!Mingi is so dear to me that I sob anytime I write for this series LMAO. The Mingi from this story is canon Mingi, and you can't convince me otherwise lol. Next chapter coming next week around this time! ^^ Check out the vision board I made for this story, as well as Giselle's Dopamine song! Taglist is open for the story! Enjoy! ^^ divider

Taglist: @spicxbnny @hongjoongspoetry

🎧 𝘭 𝒹𝜎𝑛’𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝛼 𝓂𝛼𝑛, 𝒿𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝛼𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝜎𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 / Ⴘ𝑒𝛼ℎ, 𝑦𝜎𝑢 ℓ𝜎𝜎𝑘 𝑠𝜎 𝑔𝜎𝜎𝒹 𝑠𝑡𝛼𝑛𝒹𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑒𝘹𝑡 𝑡𝜎 𝓂𝑒 / 𝛮𝑒𝘹𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝘭 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝐷𝜎𝑝𝛼𝓂𝑖𝑛𝑒 / 𝘊𝛼𝑛’𝑡 ℓ𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝜎𝑢 𝑐ℓ𝜎𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝜎 𝓂𝑒 🎧

The scent of ground coffee was potent as the grinder disturbed the otherwise serene atmosphere of the modest coffee shop, located in the heart of the city, right under a publishing company. Thus, it was famous among bookworms, office workers, or high school students who loved to skip their last class of the day, the school was located just a bit further up on the street. I loved this area because it was always busy, littered with people and various shops on both sides of the boulevard, housing hidden gems and other popular hot spots like the Moon & Stars Coffee Ground coffee shop that Mingi worked at part-time. His back was turned to me as he worked the coffee grinder, his exposed biceps bulging as he screwed the top of the lid back shut, finally stopping the grinder. Silence fell upon the coffee shop once again, giving way to the quiet jazz music playing through the speakers. Mingi had the opening shift today, the shop wasn’t opened yet, but I had a few privileges by being his friend, so, I was allowed in as long as I helped with dusting the tables off and changing the flowers which were withering away in the small, cute, orange vases placed on top of each round table.

The coffee shop was an explosion of colours, the walls painted a deep green with low-hanging retro chandeliers that gave the place a moody vibe even during the day. Plants weren’t scarce either, giving the air inside a much-needed refresh from the polluted air coming from the outside. Abstract paintings hung on the wall from artists even I didn’t know, and the counter I was leaning against was a deep maroon, sturdy and able to withhold a few splashes of the drinks placed atop it. A few delicacies were displayed in the window to my left, most of them were still being baked in the kitchen located straight behind the counter, and I picked at the leaf of the small plant absentmindedly as Mingi’s silver rings collided against the shaker he used to combine different coffee grounds. The sun was just rising on the horizon, coating the inside of the coffee shop in an orange hue, a single sunray falling onto Mingi’s dark brown hair, making it appear lighter than it was. I continued watching him in silence, my eyes still heavy from having woken up not even an hour ago.

The world was still quiet outside, but those who started their jobs early or had to travel longer were out and about, all quiet and not bothering each other as they walked down the sidewalks. The coffee shop had half an hour before it would open, and by that time I would be gone, headed to the store I worked at. We were lucky that our workplaces were relatively close to each other, if we were in a hurry, we could make the walk last roughly ten minutes. The thought of having Mingi just around the corner was comforting for some reason, perhaps knowing that if I texted him that I needed him for something, he’d come running around the corner brought a sense of security with itself. I was used to having Mingi by my side, ready to drop everything if I needed his help or assistance with something. He was a good friend, dependable and trustworthy, loyal beyond what could be considered healthy. I smiled as Mingi lightly swayed his hips to the music, the dark green apron tied around his waist accentuating the tininess of it. The sweet scent of salted caramel made saliva gather in my mouth, and I knew Mingi’s intention before he had even turned around.

“You haven’t dozed off, sleepyhead?” He asked with a chuckle, his voice quiet and a deep rumble in his chest. It had always been like that, gravely with a rasp to it, yet warm in tone and used with gentleness. Mingi wasn’t the type of person to shout, perhaps if he got too excited his voice would raise a few octaves as he was carried away by his exhilaration, always eager to share it with someone as his eyes sparkled like the stars on a clear stary night.

“Not yet,” I answered, chin resting in my palm as Mingi leaned his hip against the counter, searching for the right lid for the cup he held, “It would be a bit difficult while standing up, I’m not like you.”

That made Mingi chuckle as he threw me an amused glance, his heavy and sharp eyes friendly as they crinkled at the ends. He found the right lid for the cup and placed it on top of it, pressing down thrice to make sure he had placed it on correctly. Then, he slowly pushed the warm container towards me and I smiled, accepting the coffee wordlessly. Our fingers brushed together and I felt a rush of warm tingle through my hand, making my smile widen as did Mingi’s, his eyes becoming smaller with the action.

“Thank you,” I muttered as I raised the sweet coffee to my lips, taking a cautious sip since it was still hot. Mingi hummed, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and his taut chest muscles pulled at the form-fitting white tee he wore. It was warm inside the coffee shop, but I wondered how his exposed arms weren’t covered in goosebumps yet. My cardigan was warm, yet I didn’t look forward to when I’d have to step outside into the crisp morning air once again. Mingi’s necklaces were nicely layered, his outfit simple but put together with a good eye for fashion, “Did you forget your glasses at home once again?”

Mingi’s eyebrows slightly furrowed and he reached up with a hand to touch the bridge of his tall nose, having to check physically that his glasses were missing or not. I shook my head with amusement as I took a small sip of the salted caramel-infused drink, “Seems like you are the sleepyhead.”

“No, it’s here,” Mingi argued, leaning down and reaching forward, arm getting lost in the counter as he felt around for his glasses. His thick eyebrows furrowed, and from his position, they framed his eyes, making his already sharp features sharpen even more. He liked wearing his hair brushed back and out of his eyes lately, the length not quite ready to require a cut, but annoying enough to make Mingi complain about it every once in a while, “See?”

He stood up straight, his height almost intimidating as he leaned forward, shaking the glasses in front of my face before he wore it, the rim thick, boxy, and black. The shape suited his face and softened the intimidating features he was born with, making him look cute. I reached forward, hip digging into the counter, to push the glasses further up on his nose because he had a habit of looking above the glasses instead of through like he was supposed to. Mingi pouted at the action but leaned into my touch, his plush lips jutted out reminding me of our adolescent days when he was nothing but a sulky boy, hating his round-rimmed glasses and always complaining about his school uniform, which didn’t fit him because it was a hand me down. It had taken a few years of maturing for Mingi’s muscles to grow out, strengthened by Pilates, his guilty pleasure as he liked saying. The few classes I accompanied him had me convinced that Pilates was invented for those who craved to have their muscles burning for days, a sort of masochism that I found no joy in.

“You should wear it more often,” I noted, raising an eyebrow as Mingi playfully rolled his eyes, “before your eyesight worsens, of course.”

“Right,” He mock-saluted, leaning just a bit over the counter to be closer to my face, “You’re starting to sound more like my mother each day, Y/N, it’s a bit freaky.”

I chuckled and rolled my eyes, reaching out to flick his forehead, but he knew me too well and dodged my inoffensive attack in time. But before I could retract my arm, he grabbed my wrist with his large hand and brought it down to the counter, gently keeping it in place as his larger hand caged mine against the surface. It was a small effort to make physical contact and I didn’t hate it, I rather enjoyed the small moments of intimacy we could share freely when it was just the two of us. Mingi was an affectionate person, he didn’t shy away when he needed a hug or just a little bit of support, arms wide open and eyes soft as he batted his long eyelashes at you. I hummed and basked in the peace that enveloped us around, something we both enjoyed on quieter days. There was no need for loudness or boisterous behaviour, we already knew who the other was, and there was no need to show off anything.

“Let me play the role of a concerned mother for a bit longer, then,” Mingi snorted, glancing at the clock on the wall to make sure he didn’t keep the coffee shop closed for longer than the program said, “Did you start your research on your final coursework?”

Mingi liked to stay ahead of his assignment deadlines, but sometimes laziness got to him like to any other person. But he hated having to hurry and half-ass his work so that rarely happened. Unless he was loaded with coursework, his assignments would be handed in weeks before their deadline.

“Yes and no,” Mingi sighed, his soft fingertips gently tracing my skin, “I’m supposed to meet with my coordinator this week so that we agree on a subject, I have too many ideas to choose from and I know he’s not fond of research that goes past the twentieth century.”

I nodded, taking a larger sip of my coffee, I could already feel it rejuvenate me, the sleep was gone from my eyes and my body felt less sluggish. It’s a wonder I even managed to get out of bed today, “And let me guess, you want something that deals with the nineteenth century, huh?”

“You know me too well,” Mingi chuckled with a shake of his head, taking his hand off mine as he reached out, swiping his thumb over the corner of my mouth. I looked down at my cup of coffee and ignored the skip of my heartbeat, my cheeks feeling a bit warmer than before, “Maybe I’ll manage to convince him, who knows…what about your day? Do you have a lot of work to do?”

“Not that much, we got three commissions this weekend for five pieces, I’m hoping to get the larger necklace done today,” I answered, glancing at the clock on the wall, and realised I’d have to leave in five minutes if I wanted to make it to the store before it opened.

“You’re always quick, I’m not worried about it.” Mingi winked with a bit of a struggle and I smiled, humming because I knew he was right. I had been making jewellery for a long time now, I was becoming faster and faster at crafting lately, it was rather a blessing since we could have plenty of orders coming in on busier days.

“I’m going to go now,” I said as I grabbed my bag off the floor, throwing it around my shoulder as Mingi nodded, grabbing the keys to come and unlock the entrance door for me, “Are you coming over tonight?”

“Yeah, want me to bring anything?” Mingi asked as he came around the counter and linked our pinkies together while we walked to the door. I quickly did a mental check if I had everything we’d need for our movie night, then remembered that I was out of popcorn…the most important snack of the night.

“Buy some butter-flavoured popcorn, I forgot to grab some yesterday.” Mingi nodded as he unlocked the door, playfully tugging on my pinkie when I went to open it. I glanced back with raised eyebrows and he shrugged, looking down to the floor like a kicked puppy. I chuckled and squeezed his pinkie back, pulling my hand away as I finally pushed the door open, “Don’t pout, I’ll see you later, yeah?”

Mingi hummed as he came to the door and leaned against it as I exited, giving me a small smile, “See you, have an easy day.”

“You too, Mingi.” I waved before turning around to head down the street, which was slowly filling up with cars and people as the city awoke, the sun higher in the sky. I could feel Mingi’s eyes on the back of my head, and I didn’t have to turn around to know he’d stay in the doorway, watching me until I crossed the crosswalk and turned the corner, disappearing from sight. The thought of having someone who cared for my safety and looked out for me wasn’t too bad, but I thrived on my independence and wouldn’t have struggled if Mingi wasn’t so sweet to look out for me. Even so, the lingering warmth in my chest due to his attentiveness wasn’t too disheartening.

By noon, the city had fully awoken and was bustling with restless people going on about their day. The jewellery store I worked at was on a side street, so, we were away from the rambunctious traffic and the impatient drivers that honked their car’s horns at the smallest inconvenience. That didn’t mean, however, that our store was one filled with quiet and calm, it was quite the opposite if our clients proved to be teenage girls looking for beaded friendship bracelets, or colourful rings with gemstones of which attributes they didn’t know about so they asked me or my boss, who was a lovely lady in the forties. She had untameable ginger hair and fiery red lips, her earrings always colourful hoops and her outfit the colours of the rainbow. She was full of energy and life, filling the shop with her radiance much like the sun filled our hearts on a cold winter day. I loved working with her, she saw beauty in everything and offered anyone a chance when they felt useless or good for nothing.

Her store, much like herself, mirrored the same brightness its owner carried. The walls were a light orange with yellowy rays painted on the opposite wall to the entrance, mimicking the warm sun beaming down on Earth through the clouds. Wooden shelves were set up across from the front desk, framing the walls with quirky designs that held the handmade jewellery we worked on day, and sometimes even at night. The floorboards were a rusty copper, and much to everyone’s surprise upon a first encounter with the store, a gorgeous Persian carpet was laid down with intricate design that just brought the aesthetic of the whole place together. The back room was small and hidden behind a beaded curtain right behind my back, offering a perfect escapade when the day was getting too long and the customers were too demanding. Incense always burned, coating the store in a woody scent that felt refreshing but sometimes nauseating if my boss left it on for too long, the ceiling fan thankfully dispersed the strong scent evenly.

The store wasn’t huge, but it felt inviting even upon one glance, and our customers felt cared for whenever they entered and we listened to their requests closely. Having landed this job was just as random as me deciding one day that I wanted to attend a Fine Arts course, focusing more on crafts and clay making. The few vases I had designed were displayed on the higher shelves where it was harder to reach and accidentally break them, my boss was more than happy to sell those too in her store. We both contributed with a little something of ours to the store and that’s why it worked out so nicely, just two fundamentally different people who enjoyed the same arts were brought together to attempt to make something beautiful and long-lasting.

I was tying the knot to the custom-made bracelet one of the teenagers had asked for when her friend walked up to the front desk, eyebrows furrowed and phone in her hand. She held two crystals in her palm, looking at them sceptically.

“Which one is the rose quartz?” She asked, her voice loud and a little rough as she let the crystals fall onto the glass counter. I glanced down at them and pointed at the clearer one on the left.

“That’s a clear quartz, the other one,” My burgundy nail pointed at the pinkish crystal, “is the rose quartz. Which one are you looking for?”

“Rose quartz,” She answered quickly, pushing at the rose quartz with narrowed eyes, “Is it true that it attracts love? Will I find a boyfriend if I wear it all the time?”

“Depends, are you a Taurus or Libra?” I asked as I leaned back in my chair, my boss was on her break and, meanwhile, she knew more about crystals, I had learned this and that from her throughout the years I’ve worked here.

“Not really…” The girl muttered as she shared a look with her friend, who had taken the bracelet I made for her to try it on. The strings I used were yellow and brown, a nice combination of colours, personally not my favourite, but it worked well with her complexion and it was also what she had asked for.

“Well, I heard it’s better if you have Venus in your chart if you want to wear a rose quartz,” I hummed, looking up at the ceiling in thought before I shrugged, “Rose quartz is good for emotional healing too, not just attracting love. But if you think it will help, you could try it out…”

“Do you believe it works?” The girl asked, her eyes just slightly widening. I chuckled, deciding to be honest with her.

“No, but that’s just me. Maybe it’ll work for you.” The girl just nodded, looking at her friend for another opinion. She just shrugged and told the girl to do whatever she wished. Their third friend walked up to the counter and told them that she wouldn’t buy anything today, so they could head out if everyone was ready to leave.

“I’ll buy it.” The girl said as she placed the crystal on the counter and I nodded, grabbing a small plastic wrap for her to store it in until she got home. I scanned the items and told the two girls the price of their purchase, watching them with amusement as they left the store in a hurry, words leaving their mouths in a hurry before they were even out of the store. I settled back into my chair and grabbed my bottle of water to take a gulp, my fingers aching just slightly from the various jewellery I had managed to make until now. The shop was rather busy today and my boss was excited as she whirled around, helping customers out with choosing items for themselves or as gifts.

My phone pinged before I could reach for it, and Mingi’s name lit up my screen as I unlocked it. I tapped on our messaging app and opened our conversation, gasping quietly when I was presented with a picture of a black and white spotted cat, emerald eyes staring curiously into the camera, head tilted to the side in wonder. Its ears were pointed backwards and I could practically hear Mingi cue at it. He loved kittens more than anything and had always wished to buy one, but he thought he was too busy right now to care for another little life besides his.

Mingi: Look how cute she is!! I’ve been feeding her for two weeks now, I’m 100% sure she knows who I am. I’ve named her Genie, isn’t she just so adorable? Me: Man, she really is adorable! I wish she was around when I’m at the shop, pet her in my place too! Genie because she grants wishes?

Mingi: Not more adorable than me, right?? I bet she’d love you too…but I’m her favourite, I just know it. I wanted to name her Greenie at first, but that felt weird. Genie, however, isn’t too bad. No reason for why I gave her that name, though… Me: I think she might be more adorable than you, Mingi… Wait until she meets me, you won’t be her favourite anymore, mister… Your mind sometimes is a mystical place, Mingi, I wonder what goes on inside of it

Mingi: Well, right now I’d like to be in your arms sitting on the couch or something… Something like…being the little spoon because I fall asleep faster when you wrap yourself around me… That’s what I’m thinking about right now instead of making sure I don’t burn the next batch of apple pies, do you want me to put some aside for tonight? Me: You are so cheesy, Mingi, anyone else would block you… I knew you liked being the little spoon, now I even have receipts of it, hah! I had muffins yesterday, so no thank you! Now stop texting and focus on your work, man. Mingi: Right, see you later, woman. Muawh

I chuckled and shook my head, setting my phone to the side with a smile on my face as I opened the new email we had gotten while I was texting Mingi. Seems like the week just started and we’d barely have any time to breathe between all these commissions.

My living room was covered in darkness aside from the flashing lights of the TV, the movie playing at an acceptable volume to not disturb the neighbours or deafen us. The blanket was fluffy and draped over our legs, mine pulled underneath me while Mingi’s were propped up on the coffee table. His legs were long enough to reach it if stretched out, and I might have envied him for that for a long time. Our hands were intertwined underneath the blanket and placed on Mingi’s thigh, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing against my knuckle every once in a while. Our shoulders brushed together and I would shift around from time to time, to try and keep my ass from going sore. Mingi, on the other hand, had no issue keeping his initial posture for hours on end. The blackout curtains were drawn together to offer us privacy since I only lived on the second floor, and the butter-flavoured popcorn Mingi had brought had been long eaten.

We had been watching the movie in silence for over an hour now with the occasional commentary coming from Mingi about how cool Captain America was. No matter how many times we’ve seen this movie, it never got old or boring. Perhaps it was Chris Evans’ face that made the viewing more pleasurable, alongside Scarlett Johanson, but we were both pretty hooked on the plot despite knowing what came next. There were small easter eggs that we hadn’t noticed before, so there was always something new that one of us accidentally discovered during our rewatches. I felt warm all cosied up next to Mingi, a bit even sleepy as his familiar cologne eased my tense muscles after the long day I’d had. My wrists were sore from all the crafting at the store today, I had even brought home a bracelet that I had to finish for tomorrow. I was too tired to work on it now, but I could thankfully get it done in the morning in thirty minutes.

As if Mingi had read my thoughts, he grabbed my wrist with both hands and slowly started rubbing it, creating heat and gently massaging the tense muscles of my hand. I smiled and playfully grabbed at his fingers, making him chuckle under his breath as the Winter Soldier appeared on the screen for the first time, the car the characters had been using now nothing but a mess of scrapes. I could see Mingi angle his body towards mine from my peripheral, and he licked his plump lips before he cleared his throat.

“I’ve been thinking…” He started quietly, his forehead slightly creasing as his eyes bled into the side of my head. I turned my head away from the TV, familiar with the scene already. The light lit up Mingi’s face, his glasses creating a tiny shadow over his face as I raised my eyebrows at him to prompt him to continue, “So, we’ve both been working hard, and I could use a vacation before my last exams come up. I know I should be studying, but at this point, I feel like I could recite any textbook you hand me, I really need a break. You’ve also been working a lot, and you didn’t take vacation off last year, so…”

I hummed, curious as to where this was headed, “So?”

“Let’s get away for a few days, I’ve been looking for a nice little cabin somewhere in the mountains. Not too far though, I know you don’t like long car rides.” Mingi grabbed my other hand and started massaging that one too, making me sigh in contentment as my hands now tingled with warmth, the tenseness gone from them.

“Just the two of us?” I raised an eyebrow, the idea actually sounded appealing. I could use a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“Yeah, just us.” Mingi nodded, smiling a little as I contemplated his offer for a second. I would have to visit my mother before we left, and I’d have to let my boss know in time, but other than that, it sounded like a plan to me.

“Sure, I’d love that.” I smiled and Mingi’s eyes lit up, fingers intertwining with mine as he squeezed our hands together. I chuckled at his excitement and let my eyes run over his face, taking in the softness in his eyes and the curve of his gorgeous mouth. Something in my gut coiled as my hands continued tingling with electricity, and I licked my lips as I leaned forward, eyes set on Mingi’s parted lips. He mirrored my actions and leaned forward, closing the distance between us confidently. His lips were warm as always and faintly tasted like the marshmallows he kept stuffing himself with not even half an hour ago, another guilty pleasure he seemed to have. This one, however, I could understand and even support.

Our bodies leaned closer as I raised my free hand to hold his jaw, tilting his head slightly back so that our lips pressed together a bit firmer. Kissing him always brought a wave of excitement, an electrifying spark running up my spine as our lips moved languidly, taking their time since there was no reason to hurry. He was sweet and gentle even with his kisses, always allowing me to set the pace as his teeth nipped at my bottom lip, his long nose digging into my cheek. Mingi wasn’t a messy kisser but he had never shied away from a little saliva, and there was nothing he loved more than tracing his tongue against mine, sucking on it to deepen the kiss even more as he brought me halfway into his lap. Our hands parted as I grabbed his shoulder and swiped my tongue against his, a content sigh catching in the back of Mingi’s throat as his hand pressed into the small of my back, warm and burning through the fabric of my thin blouse. I could never get tired of his lips, sometimes kissing Mingi was so disorienting that we’d lose track of time, our lips almost as if glued to each other.

Inhaling through my mouth, I let Mingi press small kisses to my chin and mouth, muttering something I couldn’t understand before I captured his lips again, adding just a bit more passion into it as I felt a suffocating emotion build in my chest, heavy and demanding as if having Mingi like this wasn’t good enough. I had always craved more despite having everything I could ask from him, it seemed that I hadn’t been fully satiated just yet. It was a peculiar feeling, but I couldn’t ignore the fire and knot in my stomach anymore as he lapped at my tongue, his fingers gently holding my jaw as if he was afraid I’d slip away. Tonight was a slow evening, I was content with being in his arms, content in wrapping myself in a cocoon of safety that helped me forget the hardships the day had brought with itself. Pulling apart, I pressed a chaste kiss against his swollen lips and cradled his cheek, feeling how warm it was. Before I could completely pull back and sit back next to him, Mingi grabbed my arm as he readjusted himself on my spacious couch, opening his legs up so that I could sit between them. I climbed over his leg and settled down, adjusting the blanket around us so that it would keep his legs warm too as Mingi’s arms wrapped around my torso, nose nuzzling into my nape as he exhaled loudly.

“Do you think Natasha and Steve should’ve ended up together?” He asked quietly, mumbling it into my skin, and I laughed, looking back at the TV.

“I think they were too different for it to work out, and Steve was still in love with Peggie,” I answered truthfully, watching Chris Evans lean against the doorframe in nothing but a muscle white tee, a few bruises here and there, jeans, and a white towel to clean his hands in.

“I think Natasha would’ve been able to show him a new world, I wanted them together.” I didn’t have to look to know that Mingi was pouting, I could hear it in his voice.

“You say that every time we watch this movie.”

“Right, my thoughts won’t change on a random afternoon.”

I chuckled as silence fell upon us once again, wrapped around in the blanket and Mingi’s warmth, with his arms around my body, I felt the safest. It was a weird feeling that never developed into something I could completely understand, but there was something about Mingi’s presence that made me feel at ease, like the earth outside us would keep on turning around its axis and we wouldn’t miss out on anything because here, in each other’s arms, we had everything we needed. It was something I had never felt with anyone else, not even with my ex-boyfriend I thought I would end up marrying. There was something so gentle about the silence between Mingi and me, the understanding without spoken words, the warmth of a simple caress, the reminder that we were there for each other by the simplest things only made my chest tighten as the TV screen blurred, making me wonder whether I had gotten teary-eyed or just extremely sleepy.

Here in Mingi’s arms, in a dark living room lit up by the movie that we were watching for the nth time, I wondered if I could ever again trust that love existed, trust that there was indeed a person that was yours, meant to be with you without hurting you. I wondered if Mingi ever thought about it, if he wondered where his person was. Perhaps he didn’t care about such things and that’s why he wasted his days away by my side, smiling from ear to ear with glimmering eyes full of hope and something I could never truly understand. I grinned when I felt his feet rub against mine playfully, it was his way of letting me know that he wasn’t so lost in the movie that he wasn’t aware of me anymore. I sighed and relaxed into Mingi’s body, letting the doubtful thoughts and feelings simmer in a deep cavern of my heart for the rest of the evening.

>> next chapter

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kaznejis · 2 years ago

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Public affair- Bucky Barnes x Reader

The Avengers PR department designs the perfect fake relationship for you- the key to instant fame and high ratings. Except, you’re already in a relationship with Bucky.

Word Count: 8.2k / Read it on AO3! / Part 2!

Enjoy!

“You’re joking- tell me she’s joking right?” you laughed, turning in the padded desk chair you had been ushered into upon entering the meeting room to stare at Nick Fury- the man only stared back at you, nonchalant as ever.

“No, Miss L/N, we aren’t joking,” he rose, striding towards the refreshments table to pour himself a fresh coffee, “We find that this initiative will be … beneficial towards our engagement and how the public perceive the Avengers.”

The young, public representations co-ordinator that had informed you of the plan nodded then, shuffling a stack of folders and clicking her heels under the table; a mixture of excitement and optimism, “Miss, this project will see a significant rise in traction towards the Avengers, I mean, come on- you’re young and hot; everyone either wants to be you, be with you or see you in a beautiful, public relationship. Seeing as though the first two are impossible; this is the only option.”

“Okay,” you nodded, twirling a pen before aiming it at the woman, “Did you, may perhaps, forget the part where I’m in a relationship already?”

The woman sighed then, her lips thinning; the plump redness of her lipstick almost disappearing as stress lines creased her face. Trailing a finger down the edge of her folders, she spoke slowly- as if coaxing a rabid dog, “You see- Mr Barnes isn’t exactly, you know, the kind of person for a project like this–”

“Seriously? Isn’t a public display of affection what this is all about?”

“No, Y/N- this is about public ratings. The public will not bide well with you having any form of a relationship with someone like … Mr Barnes; it would be career suicide for me and everyone in the PR department.”

You nodded, humming and scrunching your eyebrows together as if about to say something inquisitive until your face dropped entirely, “Yeah, okay. I’m leaving.”

Nick stopped you before you could leave your seat, raising a hand and rendering you seated with the simple gesture, “Just hear her out, Miss L/N.”

“Fury- you’re telling me you approve of this? You recruited us to be superheroes; not influencers.”

Nick turned then, placing his mug of coffee down and retreating back towards the table before sitting directly across from you; a pensive look on his face, “I’m sorry Y/N, but our ratings have dropped significantly recently. If people don’t support us, they won’t want us to save them. Just hear Sophia out.”

Scoffing, you turned in your seat to glare at ‘Sophia’ who only continued to click her heels beneath the table, perhaps it had been nerves after all. “The plan is to have you appear in a few high profile locations with our high profile representative,” she reached for a remote and activated the projector before you, pictures of your ‘selection’ appeared, “So- don’t worry we have preliminarily selected your choice for you-”

“I don’t even get a choice?” you spat, leaning towards the woman in your chair; nothing but shock prevalent in your features, “So you’re shipping me off to just about anyone you can find?”

“He is not just anyone!” Sophia snapped, her curled blonde hair bobbing back and forth as she seemed genuinely offended, “We have specially selected the perfect man for you; he’s military and is the first to gain three medals of honour. He’s a similar age and he is extremely respected within the public right now as he recently donated a lot of money to a selection of charities. It’s perfect!” She sat back in her chair as if overlooking an art piece, hands clasped together.

Fury sighed, thumbing at his brow, “I’m sorry Y/N- but you’re arguably our most favoured female avenger- the public love you.” Raising his hands, he turned towards the projector where a recent video of you coaxing a herd of school children away from a fire began to play- your grip on their shoulders protective as you led each one away to safety. “You’re a positive influence towards our younger audiences and we all know that teen audiences love a good romance.”

“You know, Fury,” you spoke slowly, lifting your feet to rest them on top of the table- much to Sophia’s chagrin, “Prostitution is illegal in the United States Of America.”

“Y/N-”

“Oh my Goodness!”

“Y/N, don’t be ridiculous,” Nick composed himself, straightening his blazer and huffing at you, “It’s just a few dinners, picnics- whatever you kids like to do. You don’t even have to meet with him behind closed doors. It is strictly professional.”

Shaking your head, you huffed- lowering your feet from the table and sitting back in your chair, “And what about Bucky? Hm? What will he think of this?”

Fury opened his mouth to speak, though before he could, Sophia butted in; her voice urgent but smug, “Actually, Mr Barnes did agree to it. He was completely happy for you to do so.”

“You’re lying.” You snapped, your voice stone-cold; disgusted at the woman before you who was willing to pamper with your relationship. You and Bucky had endured too much for the lower departments of Stark Tower to have any form of a say in your relationship- too much hardship, trauma and healing as you had fought both figurative and literal battles together. Despair swirled in your gut as you realised that others didn’t see Bucky the same way you did- seeing him only for the past that he had no say in and the contractual record that created a constant, trawling paper trail behind him. Every step he took was slowed by the consequential weight of his past. They didn’t see the same Bucky that made you breakfast in the morning or cuddled into your back at night. The same Bucky that woke up sweating, crying, screaming more nights than not, the same one that had fervently torn the hair from his head as the slightest change in position reminded him of the grease and decay that had once tainted his sight. They would never understand the complexity of Bucky Barnes and the beautiful flaws that etched beneath the tinge of his skin.

Sophia’s mouth twisted in visibly faked sympathy, her lipstick now dyeing the edges of her lips red with an abrasive smudge. “Luckily, I predicted you would act like this, so I ensured to get his signature as solid proof for you. I don’t see any reason as to why you couldn’t be involved in this so you just need to scroll down and sign the next box.” She turned the screen before you and low and behold- Bucky’s signature lay before you in his individual bold scrawl. Tony had recently introduced a new system in order to avoid fraud and increase confidentiality- everything in Stark tower is accessed through fingerprints. Nothing unwanted can get in and nothing important could get out without sufficient clearance. Bucky was the only person that could have input the specific signature- the system making it impossible to replicate. Unease tinged in your throat then, if Bucky had truly agreed to this, then surely it would be for the best? If anyone were to understand the feeling of rage and disapproval within the public eye, it was Bucky.

“Did he … say anything when he agreed?”

She smiled, the creases not quite reaching her eyes as they squinted, “He said that it was a great idea and he showed his full support for you. He said, and I quote, that he will willingly watch from the sidelines. What a great boyfriend, huh?”

You nodded, your attempts to hide the upset twist of your lips a failure as you scanned your fingerprint against the screen- Sophia’s face practically alive with glee as she confirmed its existence. As you shook hands with her, confirming a later meeting date- you failed to notice the lack of input from Nick.

For hours you stewed over Bucky’s easy acceptance of the project- how he had essentially signed you away to be with another man in public whilst he watched in private. You had only recently discussed the potentiality of going public with your relationship- the irony of the conversation involving the detail of it being as simple as a few high profile sightings, a bit of PDA here and there.

Maybe he hadn’t been as comfortable as he had seemed, you pondered as you leant against the kitchen counter that night- alone in the large, dark room as you had been unable to sleep. Slipping away from Bucky’s arms had been an easy task as he had collapsed into bed after a particularly exhausting day of sparring with Sam and Steve as according to his usual training program. Whilst he had enjoyed time with his friends; entirely unaffected by this plan surrounding your image- the bomb had been dropped straight into your lap.

“Doll, is that you?” A gruff voice sounded from the hallway, the sound of bare feet against tile sounded as Bucky entered the kitchen- dressed in only a white, threadbare shirt and chequered boxers. He frowned upon seeing you, lowering the hand that had been scrubbing his eye as he spotted something in your features, “Why are you out here so late?”

“Just thirsty,” you smiled shallowly, offering him your glass of water as he neared you; curling an arm around your waist and trailing figures of eight upon your back.

“Come back to bed with me? I gotta’ get my Doll time in before I leave for that mission in the morning.”

Nodding, you smiled- cuddling into the warmth of his chest. He had been assigned to the take down of a suspected hydra base out in Mexico, He’d be gone for a week at most. You suspected that was why he had so easily agreed to the contract- its duration was only for as long as popularity surrounding the matter prevailed; which would also be a week at the most.

Before you could respond, he pulled you away from his chest; his head tilted as he furrowed his eyebrows at you, “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m-”

“Y/N, be honest with me.”

You crumpled, your teeth clinging to your lips as you stared up at his concerned features, “The project that PR made you sign for- do you … do you really approve?”

Bucky shrugged, nodding as he rubbed at your shoulders, “Of course. It would be great to be seen out like that. The people love you Y/N. I mean, it could arguably be the perfect test run for revealing our relationship to the public, you know, see how they react to this and then we can continue from there.”

You felt your stomach fall as he spoke- the remnants of betrayal shook you as the residual sense of understanding that was always directed towards Bucky attempted to outweigh it. Rational thought prevailed as you tried, begged, wished to understand exactly why he had approved of this. Bucky had previously leaned into the role of the stereotypical ‘protective boyfriend’- a constant hand on your back, ever-watchful eyes, stares across crowded rooms. This was entirely out of his character. “Really?” your voice was weak, almost betraying you to the reveal of your inner turmoil.

Bucky smiled, rubbing at your back and leaning forward to place a kiss behind your ear, his lips tracing the sensitive skin there, “Of course.” He stared down at you, curling a metal finger around a loose strand of hair and moving to tuck it behind your ear, “let’s go to bed Doll, it’s late.”

“Buck, can we talk about this again in the morning?”

“Sure.” Bucky shrugged, amusement combined with confusion graced his features as he led you back towards your shared bedroom- the dual shuffle of barefeet the only prevalent sound within the silent hallway. However, your mind spoke a different tune- insecurities and doubts swarming your mind like hawks to their prey. The usual warmth of Bucky felt cold, unfamiliar- everything felt wrong.

But if Bucky trusted the judgement of something, you would always follow it compliantly.

The conversation never managed to take place the following morning, the pillow beside you was vacant by the time you woke up. Only a note detailing the early set off for the mission left in Bucky’s wake. The note, written in his familiar scrawl, detailed his love for you- you could only think about the way in which that same writing had signed you off to be seen on the arm of another man. Your morning consisted of moping, ignoring your scheduled appointments and moping some more. It was only when Friday presented you with a particularly urgent announcement that you were able to leave your reprieve.

“Miss Y/N- Sophia has requested your presence in the meeting room to discuss your upcoming appearances.” You scoffed as you pulled on just about any pieces of somewhat matching clothing you could find- not too bothered about your look as you were staying only in the confines of Stark Tower.

“Perfect!” Sophia squealed as you walked in; a blonde, muscular man stood beside her at the head of the meeting room- wearing casual clothing suspiciously similar to yours, “Y/N, it’s perfect- I didn’t even give you a dress code and you already knew!”

Shaking your head, you entered the room; your features visibly failed to hide your confusion, “Sorry?”

“Sorry, how rude of me!” Sophia turned towards the man beside her, stepping behind him and presenting him to you by the shoulders. The man gave you a sideways smirk; his mouth slightly lopsided due to the extent of his sharp jaw, “Y/N meet John Walker- your new boyfriend!” Clapping as she completed the sentence, Sophia was practically jumping on the spot as she grinned at the two of you. Just to appease her, you shook John’s hand- smiling somewhat-warmly at him.

“Sophia- he’s not my ‘new boyfriend’ we have gone over this- strictly professional.”

“Of course, of course,” she rounded the table and lowered herself into a seat, opening a folder as the two of you sat at each seat beside her, “So, a couple of details for you both. You will begin with a simple coffee date, hence the casual clothing, stir up a little bit of talk and then a few dinners to follow. Now, to the best part, drumroll please!” Both you and John continued to stare at her, “Finally, to end the contract, you will attend the high profile Stark annual charity gala together.”

“Sorry, what?” You froze- the gala was held every year; an opportunity for Tony to flaunt his extravagant wealth under the guise of donating large sums of money to a number of causes. Most importantly, Bucky would be at this gala- the two were not supposed to cross. “Sophia, Bucky’s going to be at that gala, I can’t possibly-”

“Have you forgotten Y/N?” Her voice cold and sardonic, the sound of it grating and rendering you silent, “Mr Barnes approved of all of this.”

Nodding, you frowned, lowering your guard as the harsh reminder struck you, “Of course, but- he couldn’t have possibly agreed to this, I mean, it’s been agreed that we were going to go together- why would he go back on that?”

“I don’t know, Y/N,” Sophia shrugged her shoulders in mock confusion, appearing to be pondering on your question, “Maybe he just saw the benefits of this. There’s always other charity galas that you can attend later.”

“Sure… of course.”

“Thank you,” you watched as Sophia flipped the page of her folder, “If you feel like continuing this agreement past the gala we can- but, I see it as a great end point. Once all is done, we will simply release a statement adding it all up to rumours or just fate. Outlets will be having the time of their lives over the next week. Me and my team will give a few strategically placed source reviews throughout the period- give the story at least a bit of credibility and all,” Sophia stood suddenly then, her curls shaking at the momentum, “I was thinking we could begin now?”

Defeated, you agreed without fight; finding yourself being escorted to the ground floor with John following simple instructions- get coffee and look like you’re having fun. It wasn’t the most difficult task- you enjoyed a cup of coffee and John was a fairly nice guy.

“Hey, don’t worry about this too much- I got a girl back home myself.”

“Really?” You smiled, pleased that your pain wasn’t entirely one-sided, “So- did she agree easily too or-”

John laughed then, a smirk forming as his teeth glinted in the New York sunlight; he carried an ever-present feeling of arrogance within himself, “God, no. She kicked up a fight- it was only when they offered us the money that we agreed to this.”

Pausing, you plastered a fake smile and laughed heartily as you sensed the presence of a phone camera flashing behind you- you had been spotted. “Sorry, John, what money?” You grabbed his arm as you spoke, framing the image of the average, romantic-fueled coffee date.

“You don’t-” he turned away from the camera, looking you sincerely in the eye, “You don’t know? You shook your head, “Oh- well, I wasn’t too convinced by the whole fame thing, no offence, so I only agreed to do this if they paid me.”

Continuing your pretence, you just smiled- stroking his arm in order to appease the cameras as well as ease the swirling in your gut- had Bucky really so easily agreed to have you pawned off, simply to appease the opinion of the public? Bucky had never cared for them- not once throughout your time together had he cared about the whispers and the glares and the threats- he had ignored them, steering you away from the bustle of New York and opted to take you into the quieter streets of Brooklyn where he had grown up. The rare diners and stores that had survived since his childhood long ago had become your second home- mid-morning breakfasts and late night, nightmare-fueled outings alike. Luckily, your PR outing had not taken place in those same spots; it would’ve tarnished your relationship with those memories. Laughter and love replaced by fabricated and stilted conversation with a man you had only met that morning. Those days with Bucky had been between the two of you, nothing would ever replicate that. As you stood in the streets of New York, your hand on the arm of an unfamiliar man and the flashes of cameras whirring around you- you realised that whatever reason Bucky had, whatever had convinced him to accept this, you would wholeheartedly understand.

The story was on the front page within a number of hours, a large picture of you plastering on that fake laugh as you stroked John’s arm was relayed across the paper’s online forum- the article as sensationalised and pretentious as it could be.

NEW COUPLE ALERT

Everyone’s favourite Avenger, Y/N L/N, was spotted on the cutest coffee date in New York today, with our favourite military hero John Walker, no less! For those who are unaware of this wonderful hunk of a man, he is the first to gain three medals of honour; everyone commend him for his bravery in defending our country! Sources close to the couple confirm that this relationship is new though it has been building up for a long time with the two deciding to go public this very morning. We congratulate the couple and wish them the best.

There was no going back from this, the documentation of your supposed ‘date’ was now public- part of you hoped that Bucky would see it, feel some twinge of jealousy, regret, whatever emotions came with signing you up so willingly for something like this. Though the other part of you, the part that loved him wholeheartedly; hoped that he wouldn’t see it, hoped that this was all some big misunderstanding that could be left behind; a stupid mistake of the past.

As you stared down at the article, thumbing the screen as you stared down at the photo of yourself in the streets of New York- smile wide, eyes bright, that hand clasped around his arm- a myriad of heels sounded down the hallway.

“Y/N? Are you here?” it was Wanda, you had no doubt that Vision would be following close behind; ready to give some annoyingly insightful advice pulled from some dark corner of a forum. Beckoning her inside, you watched as she entered the room; her face held a number of emotions: stricken, confused, angry. Her left hand held her phone- the article open on your very own could be seen in glimpses as she began to wave her arms frantically. “What- what is going on Y/N? Do you need us to get rid of this? Vision can wipe it from the internet in a matter of seconds- yep- I’ll get him to track down all traces of this photo and remove it. I mean, the audacity of the public to even post things like this; Nat had a similar thing with her assistant and we got rid of that one don’t you-”

“It’s real, Wanda.”

Screeches could practically be heard as Wanda halted in her tracks, behind her Vision too paused suddenly; seemingly phasing back to reality as he halted the tracking within his database. “What do you mean? ‘It’s real’?”

“It’s not a fake, that was this morning.” Your voice was defeated, eyes casted downwards as you refused to meet the eyes of your friend.

“Y/N is correct,” Vision spoke, refusing to meet your eyes as he turned to nod at Wanda, “The photo is real.”

“Y/N …” Wanda spoke slowly, her eyes swarming with confusion as she looked between the two of you, “What? I thought- what about Bucky?”

“It’s a scheme set up by the PR department to ‘improve our image’,” you acted out finger quotes sarcastically, “be seen with a nice guy on a few outings and the public opinion of the Avengers soars.”

“How-” Wanda was angry now, her hands clenching as she moved to sit beside you, a comforting hand on your shoulder, “Why would you agree to this, Y/N?”

“It sounded like it would be beneficial, you know, I love helping people and if this is what’s necessary then I’m willing- it’s all strictly professional and Bucky knows-”

“Bucky consented to this?!”

“Mr Barnes did,” Vision spoke, moving to console Wanda with a hand on her back as she began to seethe, “His signature was activated within the database in regards to this contract. It’s all real.”

“Y/N, something isn’t right here,” Wanda’s fists were clenching, her chest stuttering as she stared at you- worry ever-prevalent within her eyes as she watched you, “Bucky would never agree to something like that, I mean- do you remember when you were taken on that mission in monaco? You were gone for three days and the entire time he was inconsolable; stopping at nothing to get you back. There’s no way that same man would agree to something like this for you.”

You could only stare back at her, your lips twisting and stomach clenching as you smiled uneasily, “Well, it’s all been agreed to now. No going back.”

“Okay, well promise me you’ll be careful? God knows the type of people Tony hired for this place.”

You laughed, smiling and nodding at Wanda as you vowed to take care, “Wait- one last thing,” Wanda stopped at the door, the ends of her cardigan twirling as she turned to face you, “I have a dinner set tomorrow night- help me pick an outfit?”

The following day passed all too quickly- the picture had taken the internet by storm; thousands of trending posts, tags and conversations were now revolving around you. People were obsessed at the slightest semblance of a stereotypical romance; the slightest touch, the loving glances, the feeling of believing like you’re the only people to exist in a room. It was funny, really, the fact that what these people wished to be true was just present within the form of a different man. You hadn’t heard from Bucky since his departure, since the release of the picture- it was no different to a usual mission, he would be occupied and undercover, unable to respond to anyone’s messages let alone your own. Though, the feeling still stung- you craved for something- anger, resentment even the slightest show of concern. It almost seemed like he didn’t care.

You thought over this as you sat perched on your bed, watching as Wanda practically tore through your bedroom, waiting to be bustled into the bathroom once again with a handful of clothes.

“I know it’s not real- but if you have hundreds of cameras on you, you need to at least look your best. We can’t have you prancing around anyone’s feed not looking your best.” She threw yet another dress onto the floor behind her, “You never know, Bucky might even see a picture and realise what he’s missing out on.”

You snorted, “Sure, Mhm- he’ll definitely be taking time out of his highly confidential mission to send me a message about a picture of me on social media- something that happens every single day.”

You were wrong, so wrong.

You had been sitting, legs poised and a smile prominent on your face- the ideal image of a romantic dinner date present to the cameras flashing outside. Your chin had been placed on your palm- the image of a doting date listening intently to the fascinating words of the man before them; when your phone began to buzz incessantly.

“I’m so sorry John,” he waved you off, giving you permission to escape to the bathroom to check your phone. Your departure had been strategic: an innocent smile, a flick of the hair and a beeline straight to the bathroom. You had no doubt that the cameras had captured each moment perfectly- ready to coin the escape up to a different, highly-dramatic story. Your heart stuttered as you looked down at the phone screen upon entering the safety of the bathroom stall, “Buck” glared back at you- the ringing continued almost as soon as it had stopped. As if he was clicking the button over and over again, waiting for you to answer. Swearing, you moved to click the accept button- fear causing your legs to shake and teeth to chatter as you wondered why he was calling so obsessively- had something gone wrong on the mission? However, just as you were about to hit accept, a bustle of girls entered the bathroom- each one talking excitedly about how they had seen your date, witnessed the new budding relationship for themselves.

Your finger instead took a different route, moving to decline the call. Bucky’s calls stopped, obviously halted by the confirmation that you were unable to speak through the tune of the calls rejection. The silence allowed you to turn to your voicemails- selecting one of many that Bucky had sent you since his tirade of calls began.

“Please Doll, I am begging you, please pick up. I’m sitting here in some dead-end bar and suddenly I’m seeing your face on the TV with some… military hunk, what is going on? Darling, seriously, are you okay? I can come home immediately and we can talk this over please just pick up and tell me-”

“It’s me again, Doll, what did I do? Did I do something to upset you? I’m so so sorry that I left so abruptly I just didn’t want to wake you- I’ll be back within the next two days, please just tell me what’s going on. The last time I saw you, you were completely fine. Please just answer me.”

Lowering the phone, you stared blankly at the door of the cubicle before you; the endless chatter of the girls beginning to die down as they exited the bathroom. Why did Bucky sound so confused? Rubbing at your forehead, you scrunched your hands over your face- entirely confused as to what was going on. Bucky had willingly signed you away to hang off of the arm of John- he did not get to fuss and act confused now that it was actually happening. He had scanned that fingerprint and signed off your fate.

With a wave of rage rushing your way, tongue in cheek, you tapped over to the messenger app before selecting Bucky’s contact.

You: This is entirely your own doing. You turned off the phone before a reply could be received, shoving it to the bottom of your handbag and straightening out your clothes, before returning to your date and the ever watchful eyes of the public. John grinned at you as you returned, raising his drink as you sat back in your seat.

“I say we keep this going for another twenty minutes or so,” He spoke in a low tone, his finger trailing a drop of condensation running the length of his glass, “I’m assuming that was your man blowing up the phone, my girl is doing the same to me.” Smiling shallowly, you nodded- the fact that the only relative similarity between the two of you was the fact that neither of you wanted to be there was laughable- the background behind Sophia’s opinion that the two of you would be the perfect match was entirely a mystery.

“Well, we at least need to give them something to obsess over as we leave.” You smirked, masking it with a sip from your own glass- the volume of flashes had increased significantly since your return from the bathroom.

“Like?”

“Just follow my lead.”

Upon your joint departure, you took John’s hand in your own; your grip loose in respect for him but clasped enough to seem genuine. You plastered on a grin, seemingly mid-laugh as you were escorted from the restaurant and into the barrage of cameras- the flashing immediately increased in your appearance; a cacophony of shouts and questions immediately sounding behind them. The signature camera for a popular news network sat only a few paces from you; you wondered if this moment would be aired directly to the television Bucky had been watching only minutes ago. Just as you were about to climb into your respective car, you turned and planted a chaste but firm kiss to John’s cheek; causing the crowd to practically go wild- frantic and erratic with the physical confirmation of the public relationship of an Avenger.

As the car door closed, your smile dropped instantly; the facade wearing away instantly in the solitude of blackout windows. Sighing, you turned to Sophia who sat waiting in the seat ahead of you; practically grinning from ear-to-ear.

“I mean, I knew this was going to be a success- but this is insane.” Her phone lay active in her hand, as if she’d been dealing with a constant influx of phone calls, just as you had. “You should congratulate yourself, Y/N, you are amazing.”

“I guess being in an actual relationship helps, knowing what to do and all,” you glared at her in the central mirror, kicking off your heels and rubbing at the ridiculous lipstick you wore, “Which has been pretty much tarnished due to this little project of yours, thanks a lot.”

Sophia shrugged, continuing to smile owlishly at you; frenzied excitement in her eyes, “Well- I was actually thinking that we could continue-”

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Why- are you serious? Let alone my own relationship, John is in one too. This needs to end, you’ve got your ratings and you’ve got your money, that was the whole purpose of this.”

Sophia could only grit her teeth, opting to stew in silence at your rejection; her greed prevalent in her lack of response. Just as the car drew close to the entrance of the compound, Sophia gasped; the sound sudden and jolting.

“What?” You snapped upon composing yourself, watching as she turned her phone screen towards you. A newly posted news article was displayed before you.

A Love Triangle Arises?

Onlookers from Mexico report the LIVE reaction of James Barnes, formally the infamous Winter Soldier, regarding the situation with Y/N L/N’s new relationship. Attached is Barnes’ live reaction as he is seen to destroy a television, stated to have displayed our latest obsession- the kiss shared between Y/N and her new love, John Walker. Insiders to the Avengers have previously corroborated rumours detailing a supposed relationship between Barnes and L/N- though with recent news, we thought that it was entirely untrue. Is there some unspoken tension left behind between Y/N and James? Which couple do you prefer?

“Show me the video of me and John.” You ordered, watching as Sophia frantically switched tabs and pulled up the video. Despite only kissing John on the cheek, the video had been tailored to be from an angle that suggested otherwise; the car door disguising the two of you as your movement suggested that a kiss had been shared. “No, no, no.” You chanted, clicking back over to the article regarding Bucky and selecting the attached video. The video was blurry, possibly filmed by the bartender as they cowered behind the bar, watching as Bucky tore the screen from its hinges and tore it apart with his metal arm- his face red with anguish and eyes watery with distress.

“What is going on Sophia?” You turned to her as she began to exit the car, pausing in place, “You said that he agreed to all of this- why- why is he blowing up my phone and seeming so distressed about it all? I don’t understand.” Sophia gave no reply, instead disappearing into the late night darkness of the tower despite your calls. Before you could make chase, Steve entered the garage- a concerned crease to his brow, a hand instantly met your shoulder as he reached you.

“Y/N are you okay?” He stared down at you, his gaze urgent but sincere, “I’ve had Buck blowing up my phone all night and then I’ve seen all of these news articles- What is going on?”

The comforting timbre to his voice made you crack, collapsing into his arms instantly as you sobbed- the tirade of emotions you had felt over the previous days finally reaching a head as you were faced with the sincerity of Captain America. His arms wrapped around you protectively as you shook into his arms, blubbering and sobbing about the whole situation. How it had gone too far, how you didn’t know what to do, how you wanted to make it stop.

“Y/N, I think Wanda was right,” Steve nodded, rubbing your back and turning to lead you into a more comfortable space, “Something about this doesn’t seem right, I mean, I can’t even exaggerate when I say that Bucky’s been blowing up my phone all night- he was crying his heart out Y/N, begging me to find out what is going on with you. I’ve not heard him like that since Monaco.”

“Then … why was his signature in the contract- he allowed all of this.”

“I can’t say exactly what’s happened but, I don’t think he was as willing as it seems.”

“His signature was there, Steve. Bold and Real.”

“I know, I know.” Steve sighed, stroking his chin with his hand as he stood before you, “This just isn’t Buck, Y/N. I know you’re feeling betrayed right now but I know you know this- something isn’t right.”

Nodding, you considered the doubts that had lingered since the beginning- the questions, the worries. You trusted Bucky wholeheartedly- that aforementioned part of you that loved Bucky wholeheartedly had known that something, somewhere was amiss. “I just have to get through this charity gala,” you nodded, fidgeting with the hem of your dress; a skimpy thing Wanda had picked out for you, “I signed a contract- I have to do it. Then I will speak to Bucky.”

“He’ll be back by then. Get through that and then talk to him, as soon as you can.”

The following days leading up to the gala were spent back in your previous reprieve- waiting, waiting, waiting for the gala; waiting for Bucky to return. Every fibre of your soul yearned for him, missed him. Craved the touch of his calloused hands and the scent that could apply only to him found at the base of his neck. You missed his private smiles and his soft eyes- the way he makes you feel when his thumb draws constellations onto the blush of your cheeks or the nape of your neck. You missed his anger, his sadness, his happiness and his love. You missed his everything.

No fake relationship could ever replicate that feeling.

“Y/N, please stand still.” Sophia snapped on the night of the gala, stylists bustled around you as they fidgeted with your hair and tightened the ties of your dress. Steve had surveyed at the side of the room, his dressing being immediately before yours, smirking as his own had only taken mere minutes.

“I wish you ladies would fuss this much over me,” Steve smirked from the side of the room, very obviously bored out of his mind and ready for the night to end already.

“You don’t need it Captain,” one of the stylists giggled, to which you scoffed- much to Steve’s amusement. Once you were ready, and finally left to stand upright on your own, Steve led you towards the entrance of the gala- where you were due to meet John.

“Please just talk to him, Y/N,” Steve smiled sadly as you fixed his tie, waiting for John’s arrival, “He’s going crazy- calling and texting me constantly. An old man like me can’t deal with all this.”

You laughed at that, slapping Steve on the chest as he was ever-endearing, “I will, don’t worry,” your expression turned sombre as you turned to survey the growing crowd, wondering if Bucky had arrived yet. As you scanned the crowd, John entered your eye line; the usual smirk plastered on his face complimented by a deep blue suit; matching your gown perfectly. But, he wasn’t Bucky. He would never be Bucky. You had to keep this facade up for just a few more hours before you could collapse into Bucky’s arms, resolve everything, go back to how things had been before his departure. Before pen graced paper and your signatures came into existence on that ridiculous contract.

Offering you an arm, John led you towards the main hall; it felt like all eyes turned to you when you entered- the fresh, new, heartthrob ‘couple’. Mere acquaintances of the Avengers attempted to snidely snap a photo of the two of you and others, with a tad more respect to their name, simply eyed the two of you; humming to each other about how the tabloids had been correct. You spotted Wanda and Vision through the swarms of onlookers before you, dragging John by the arm towards them.

Wanda squealed at the sight of you, her face scrunching and copper curls bobbing in excitement, “You look beautiful, oh Vision doesn’t she look beautiful!”

“Thank you, you look beautiful too Wanda,” You beckoned her into a hug, squeezing your closest friend tight as the two of you rocked together, “Last night of this mess.” You whispered, snickering gleefully.

Wanda pulled back, looking left and right before speaking, “Have you seen him?”

Shaking your head no, you gave her a sad smile, “Have you?”

“No. But … I have seen Sam, who was on the mission with him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s sulking in a corner somewhere around here.”

Vision piped up from beside Wanda, “That is correct, Mr Barnes was spotted on security cameras just seconds ago. I can direct you to his whereabouts?”

“No, no,” You waved your hands in the air frantically, shaking your head to the same tune, “I need to finish this off first,” You gestured to John, who had been lingering on the sidelines throughout the conversation, “Put this whole thing out of its misery.”

John stepped forward then, curling a hand around your shoulder- as careless and loose as ever, “I was hoping we could finish this off soon actually, promised the Mrs I’d be home within the hour,” He stepped back and offered you a hand, “Care for a quick dance?”

Shrugging, you accepted his hand; for once grinning at him sincerely. This dance would finally mark the end of your wretched assignment, “One dance won’t hurt anyone.”

The two of you laughed as he twirled you around the dance floor- so overjoyed at the semblance of freedom from each other; soon to no longer be tied down by the ropes and binds of your arrangement. A particular spin left you winded; clutching your chest and snorting out a laugh as you recovered.

And that’s when your eyes landed on him.

Bucky stood leaning against the bar, nursing a glass of something dark, something heavy. A drink that could infiltrate even the speed of his super soldier blood. His stubble was prominent and the dark bruises marring his eyes only accentuated that. Clenched fists could be seen exiting the sleeves of his black suit- simple, sleek, neat. Obscenely attractive. Steve stood beside him, probably attempting to keep up a somewhat coherent conversation, distracting him from what he was looking at.

You realised that his gaze had not once left you. His eyes were dark, heady, angry- his irises almost black with the obvious rage that existed within him at the sight of you with John. Grip harsh, jaw tight, breaths leaving his chest shuffled and hitched. He was furious.

The second realisation that you came to, was that something was seriously wrong.

“Y/N, Y/N? Are you okay?” John questioned beside you, stealing your gaze away from Bucky’s- his gaze seeming genuinely concerned at your sudden shift in demeanour.

“I- Um-” You stuttered, your heart threatening to beat out of your chest as you gripped his shoulders urgently, the pulse hammering in your throat like a sounding siren, “We need to end this now John, you can go. Please go.” The urgency in your eyes seemingly sent the message well enough; the threat of the former Winter Soldier all too present within his mind. Watching John’s hasty retreat, you prepared yourself to turn- to make eye contact with Bucky again. To see those dark, hooded eyes. To force yourself not to run straight into his arms.

Not appropriate right now.

Slowly, you turned your head- making direct eye contact with Bucky once again. His eyes were downturned- insistent, obsessive, begging you to provide him with some clarity. He stood stoically in place as you advanced towards him, staring determinedly at your figure and only offering Steve a grunt as he granted him a goodbye, giving up on the one-sided conversation and nodding to you as he departed, his eyes saying ‘good luck’. Keeping your chin high, you stopped beside Bucky- ordering yourself a drink at the bar and simply turning to stare at him once you were done. He stared forward resolutely, though the constant flare of his nostrils gave him away entirely.

Upon the arrival of your drink, you drank a considerable amount before turning to him, liquid courage and all, “What the hell is goin’ on Buck?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Doll,” Bucky ground his teeth, the ministrations dancing within his jaw as he still refused to meet your gaze, “I go away on a mission and the next thing I know I’m seeing you gallivanting around New York on the arm of another man.” He took a long drought from his glass, finishing the drink and slamming it down onto the counter behind him, “Nobody will tell me what is happening and now one moment I’m watching you have the time of your life on the dancefloor and the next you come to me once your little boy-toy has scurried away.”

“Bucky. Seriously? You signed the contract to allow-”

“See, this is what everyone is telling me,” Bucky turned to face you then, his mouth curling downwards and his eyes filled with anguish, “But no one is able to tell me what it is exactly that I signed- when did I sign on to this Y/N?”

“Are you kidding me?” Your tone heavy with the weight of anger and betrayal as you spat the words, Bucky’s mask of anger faltering slightly as he heard your voice, “Your signature was there- bold and animated- on that contract, Bucky.” You shook your head, mouth drooping as you spoke, sadness now present within your features, “You signed me away Bucky, you did this to me.”

“Please, Doll.” Bucky was begging now, his eyes curved and teary as he clasped your shoulders, “Please tell me what you are talking because I seriously have no idea.”

“How-” You suddenly realised that a number of inquisitive eyes had turned towards the two of you, Bucky’s hands on your shoulders- your own in mid-air reaching towards his. “We can’t do this here Buck.” At that, you dragged him from the room; the two of you entered the hallway in silence before making a number of twists and turns- ensuring shelter from the public’s ever watchful eyes. “How do you not know Buck- like I said your signature was there.” Your voice was quieter, calmer, more meagre now as you practically pleaded with the man before you.

He was pleading right back, his metal hand moving to cup your cheek- the warmth of its plates familiar and a comforting presence. “Okay, Doll- let’s start from the beginning, untangle all of this mess. I signed a contact last week which would agree that we’d be seen together at the gala. You know, I- I’ve been feeling like I’m ready to go public with you and I was told that it wouldn’t be much, just a dance and a few photo opportunities. I don’t- I understand if that upset you, I’m sorry if I was too eager and I … completely understand why you’ve decided to do this I just, I wish you could’ve done it to my face? Why did you leave me to find out like-”

Bucky’s speech was stopped by your instant attack as you pressed your lips to his, your hands gripping his stubbled cheeks like a lifeline as you pressed kiss after kiss to his mouth, attempting to drown in his taste as you sobbed against him, “I’m so sorry.” You chanted continuously as you kissed, pressing yourself as close to him as possible, “This isn’t your fault, you did nothing wrong, Buck.” Your words were halted by erratic sobs as your scenario finally reached a state of clarity, he reached to wipe the tears from your cheeks instantly; the pads of his fingers picking up the broken shards and piecing them back together perfectly, back where they belonged.

“I don’t under-”

“No, no Bucky. It’s okay.” You pulled away from him, shaking your head and breathing, grinning at him widely, “I- god this is ridiculous, I swear I am going to destroy her. I- well, PR told me that you had signed a contract agreeing for me to engage in a fake public relationship, I mean I saw your signature and instantly assumed the worst of you, I am so sorry Bucky- and I just went along with it because I trust you and what you said in the kitchen only supported that. But then everything happened and I was just so so confused about it all and you weren’t here and I just wanted to see you again-”

Bucky halted your tirade then, placing his own mouth against yours as you resumed your previous feverish kissing; clinging onto him as he intertwined his fingers into the long curls of your hair, the straps of your dress, the span of your hips. Eventually, he pulled back, wholly gripping his face in yours as his toothy grin glistened down at you- his face the perfect display of relief and adoration. “It’s okay,” he smiled, nodding as his eyes remained teary, your own face a mirror image of his, “We’re going to be okay.” He stroked your hair and placed a kiss to your forehead, rocking you and shushing you tentatively as you continued to cry into the comfort of his chest. “Let’s get you into bed and out of this gorgeous dress, yeah?” He mumbled, toying with the straps of your dress as he stared adoringly down at you, “I’ve not had my Doll-time in forever.”

Giggling, you slapped him on the chest, clasping his offered hand and allowing him to lead you down the hallway- towards the comfort of tousled sheets and intertwined legs; secret touches in the darkness of night and the relief that would settle between you as the string was no longer pulled taut.

Part 2- ‘Public Display’

#misunderstandings trope will be torn from my cold dead hands #bucky barnes x reader #bucky #bucky fanfic #wanda maximoff #MCU fanfiction #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #mcu

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wheelsgoroundincircles · 10 months ago

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1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge: Unleashing the Power of Muscle

1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge

In 1962, a new era of muscle cars emerged, radiating brilliance and power. Chrysler led the way with their groundbreaking Max Wedge lineup, introducing the world to the fusion of unitized-body construction and the high-performance ram-tuned dual-carbureted 413 CI engine. Among these legends was the Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge, a remarkable vehicle that holds a significant place in automotive history.

1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge

The First Super Stock Max Wedge with Manual Transmission According to the esteemed Chrysler Registry and the meticulous documentation by Darrell Davis, this specific Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge holds a groundbreaking distinction—it was the first Super Stock model equipped with a manual transmission. The car’s odometer displays a mere 6,593 miles and has undergone a meticulous restoration process to return it to its original specifications. Notably, the engine has been upgraded, boasting a dyno-proven power output exceeding 500 HP.

1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge

Unleashing the Power of the 413 CI V-8 Engine The 1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge was powered by the formidable 413 CI V-8 engine. This was the first iteration of Chrysler’s renowned ram induction system, featuring a cross-ram intake manifold meticulously designed to optimize engine efficiency. The engine’s performance was further enhanced by the utilization of cast-iron header-style manifolds, which were rarely preserved but featured in this exceptional vehicle. Dale Reed of California refreshed the engine around 300 miles ago, ensuring its optimal performance. The correct Carter AFB carburetors reside beneath dual black air cleaners, accentuated by carefully placed decals.

1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge

A Unique Manual Transmission Experience One of the distinctive aspects of this Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge is its manual transmission. Unlike its automatic counterparts, this car delivers a unique driving experience through its floor-mounted shifter, allowing the driver to truly feel the power at their fingertips. Paired with a full aftermarket exhaust equipped with cutouts and the robust 8 ¾ Chrysler differential, this Max Wedge offers an exhilarating ride for those who crave the thrill of the open road.

1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge

Captivating Style and Authenticity The exterior of this Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge embodies the spirit of the era. Finished in captivating light blue paint, it exudes a timeless charm. The interior features a complementary blue cloth-and-vinyl combination, while the white-and-blue two-tone trim adds an elegant touch. The front and rear bench seats provide comfort, and the radio delete plate pays homage to the car’s performance-focused nature. Notably, it features a knee-knocker S-W column-mounted tachometer and a beautifully presented trio of rubber pedals. The car’s attention to detail is evident throughout, with the inclusion of circa-1962 chrome fonts, single-lens tail lamps, and OEM steel wheels adorned with poverty-type hubcaps.

1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge

Provenance and Documentation Accompanying this Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge is a wealth of provenance and documentation that adds to its allure. It includes the original OEM IBM punch card and build sheet, which serve as a testament to its authenticity. Additionally, the window sticker provides insight into its original specifications, while the dyno sheet confirms its impressive horsepower rating. Vintage photos capture the car’s early years when it was part of a famous drag car collection, showcasing its illustrious past.

1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge

Conclusion The 1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge stands as a testament to the golden age of muscle cars. With its groundbreaking manual transmission configuration, powerful 413 CI V-8 engine, and captivating style, it represents the pinnacle of Mopar’s storied performance heritage. Meticulously restored to its original glory, this Max Wedge allows enthusiasts to experience a bygone era’s raw power and timeless charm.

FAQs: How many miles does the 1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge have? The odometer of the 1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge reads 6,593 miles. Who documented the Chrysler Registry for this particular car? The meticulous documentation of the Chrysler Registry for this car was done by Darrell Davis. Has the engine of the 1962 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge been upgraded? Yes, the engine of this Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge has been upgraded to a dyno-proven 500-plus HP. What is the significance of the 413 CI V-8 engine in this car? The 413 CI V-8 engine in this car was the first to receive Chrysler’s shortened version of ram induction, known as the cross-ram intake. It maximizes engine efficiency and pairs it with rarely preserved cast-iron header-style manifolds. What documentation and provenance come with this Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge? This Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge comes with various documentation, including the OEM IBM punch card, build sheet, window sticker, dyno sheet confirming horsepower rating, and vintage photos of its early years as part of a famous drag car collection.

#Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge #Plymouth Savoy #plymouth #Max Wedge #car #cars #muscle car #american muscle #mopar #moparperformance #moparnation #moparworld

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glittermutt · 2 years ago

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mutt's guide to using dsr on ts4, with pictures!!!

ok so, dsr is a thing available for nvidia gpus that allows you to take veeery high resolution screenshots of games without much trouble, like this

it's an alternative to srwe, as it plays nicer with a lot of reshade shaders and is just, generally more nice to use! let me teach you how to use it - full tutorial with pictures for every step under the cut (im sorry its too long without the cut)

step 1: right click your desktop and open the nvidia control panel

step 2: go here (adjust desktop size and position)

step 3: make sure your settings are set as follows! this is important

step 4: now, go here (change resolution)

step 5: under change resolution, click on this button (highlighted with a red square)

step 6: in the windows that appears, make sure that "enable resolutions not exposed by display" is ticked! this is very important! (again, highlighted in red - it should look like this)

step 7: now, click on "create custom resolution"

step 8: this is where you set your desired resolution, and where i get a bit rambly; so, in my opinion, there is ZERO reason to go above normal 4K for TS4, as it's generally not a really high-poly game and it has rather simple graphics. you can fuck around a lot here, but if you don't feel like it, here are my settings - this will give you 4K screenshots. NOTE: THE REFRESH RATE DOESN'T NEED TO BE 75! SET IT TO WHATEVER THE REFRESH RATE OF YOUR MONITOR IS!

step 9: now, click on test

step 10: let the thing load, and after it's done, a window like this should pop up.. but yknow, in your language. click on "yes" (or accept or ok!! idk mine's in russian; basically, the button highlighted here!)

step 11: click "ok" in the window that pops up! like this! afterwards, close the nvidia panel

step 12: open the sims 4 and go into game options, then into graphics

step 13: set your "display type" as "fullscreen", like this

step 14: under "resolution", select whatever resolution you setup earlier; in my case it's 4K, so if you used the same resolution, your settings should look like this

step 15: click on apply changes!

AND UR DONEE!! WAHOOIEE!! now, take your screenshot using reshade, and then go back into sims settings and set it back to what you usually play at, then apply changes!

every time you need to take an HD screenshot, simply open game settings and use your custom resolution! that's it, have fun :3

#sims 4 tutorial #ts4 tutorial #sims 4 screenshots #ts4 screenshots #sims 4 screenshot tutorial #ts4 screenshot tutorial #sims 4 hotsampling #ts4 hotsampling #srwe #nvidia #dsr #tutorials

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felassan · 8 months ago

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard settings details - Display and Graphics

This post is under a cut due to length.

This information comes directly from the game.

DA:TV menu 'pages': Display, Graphics, Audio, Controls, Gameplay, Interface, Accessibility, Other.

For some of the settings, additional detail on a specific one (the one that was selected at that particular point during the video, e.g. "Window Mode" was set to "Full Screen") is given after the general explanation/definition of the setting itself. These are in italics at the end of an entry.

DISPLAY

Display Mode

Active Monitor: Select the monitor for game display. Window Mode: Switches between full screen, windowed, and borderless windowed modes. You can press ALT+ENTER at any time to switch between full screen and windowed modes. In full screen mode, the game will play on the entire screen. Screen Resolution: Changes the game's display resolution. The game's level of on-screen detail is determined by the number of pixels it contains. Higher resolution increases the number of pixels displayed, which will result in a clearer image. This comes with a potential cost to performance. Refresh Rate: Sets how often your display will refresh game visuals. A higher refresh rate means a smoother picture, depending on your computer's hardware. Frame Rate Limit: Sets the maximum framerate for the game. VSync: Synchronizes the game's framerate with the display's refresh rate to prevent screen tearing.

Calibration

Brightness: Adjusts the intensity of the game's visuals. Makes all visuals lighter or darker. Contrast: Adjusting the contrast will change the difference in color and light between the brightest and darkest parts of the screen. Enable HDR: HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode provides enhanced color and contrast ranges. This option can only be enabled on supported displays. HDR must also be enabled in your operating system. Use the HDR Calibration option below to adjust. HDR Calibration: Launches the HDR calibration tool which adjusts the HDR settings to best match your display. The maximum brightness level should generally be adjusted to match what your HDR display will support. Measured in nits. This is only available when Enable HDR is turned on.

Upscaling

Unsample Method: Improve performance and visuals by rendering the game at a smaller resolution, then "upsampling" to a larger resolution for display. The pixels that make up the difference between the two resolutions are generated using advanced algorithms. Unsample Quality: Select the desired quality level for the upsampling method selected. DLSS Frame Generation: DLSS Frame Generation can generate additional frames that boost your overall frame rate. In order to use Frame Generation, you must have an NVIDIA RTX 40-series graphics card. NVIDIA Reflex: NVIDIA Reflex is a technology that helps reduce input latency while playing the game. In order to take advantage of NVIDIA Reflex's feature, you must have a supported NVIDIA graphics card. Anti-Aliasing: Anti-Aliasing smooths out pixels along the edge of objects that can look sharp or jagged in certain situations. Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) uses information from current and past frames to address aliasing issues. The high setting uses a large range of frames and will result in a higher quality anti-aliasing effect, but with a higher performance cost.

Resolution Scaling

Render Scale: Controls the resolution the game is rendered at relative to your display resolution. Settings below 100% may decrease visual fidelity, but can improve performance. Settings above 100% may increase visual fidelity, but can negatively impact performance. Dynamic Resolution Scaling: Automatically lowers the game's resolution in real-time to maintain the target frame rate. Target Frames Per Second: Determines the target frame rate for dynamic resolution scaling. Minimum Resolution Scale: Determines how low the resolution can be scaled when Dynamic Resolution Scaling is active.

GRAPHICS

Graphics Preset

Graphics Preset: Graphics presets are predefined configurations that simultaneously adjust multiple graphics settings to achieve a balance between visuals and performance. Restart required for setting change. Maximizes visual fidelity by setting most graphics options to their highest values. Recommended for the Ultra hardware specification tier.

Textures

Texture Quality: Selects the level of detail and resolution for textures applied to objects in the game. Higher settings will result in more detailed textures, potentially at the cost of performance. Restart required for setting change. CPU - Moderate. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Major. Texture Filtering: Adjusts the appearance of textures at varied angles and distances. Higher settings will increase texture quality, though potentially at the cost of performance. CPU - Minor. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Minor.

Light and Shadow

Lighting Quality: Adjusts the appearance of shadows, reflections, and light-scattering. Higher settings increase the visual fidelity of light effects. CPU - Minor. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Major. Contact Shadow: Contact Shadows improves the appearance of shadows when objects are close to one another. It fills gaps between objects and shadows that can occur with static lighting. CPU - Minor. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Minor. Ambient Occlusion: Ambient Occlusion is a technique to simulate soft shadows where objects are close together or where surfaces meet. This makes the scene look more realistic. Disabled when Ray-traced Ambient Occlusion is enabled. CPU - Minor. GPU - Major. VRAM - Minor. Disables Ambient Occlusion. This potentially increases performance at the cost of visual fidelity. Screen Space Reflections: Screen Space Reflections simulate reflections of objects and light on visible surfaces. Enabling this will result in high-quality reflections. Disabled when Ray-traced Reflections are enabled. CPU - Minor. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Moderate. Volumetric Lighting: Adjusts the appearance of volumetric lighting effects. This simulates how light interacts with atmospheric elements like fog, smoke, dust, and clouds. Higher settings increase the quality of these types of elements. CPU - Minor. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Minor. Sky Quality: Adjusts the appearance of the sky, clouds, and celestial bodies like the sun and moon. CPU - Minor. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Minor.

Ray Tracing

Ray-traced Reflections: Enables the use of Ray-Tracing to simulate realistic reflections of objects and light on reflective surfaces. This is a more advanced technique and requires specialized Ray Tracing compatible hardware. CPU - Major. GPU - Major. VRAM - Moderate. In selective mode, the game will only enable Ray-traced Reflections in specific areas that can best take advantage of the feature. Ray-traced Ambient Occlusion: Enables the use of Ray Tracing to simulate soft shadows where objects are close together or where surfaces meet. This makes the scene look more realistic. This is a more advanced technique and requires specialized Ray Tracing compatible hardware. CPU - Major. GPU - Major. VRAM - Moderate. Ray-Traced Ambient Occlusion is always on. Ultra Ray Tracing: Enables the highest level of ray tracing effects, which provide better quality visuals at the cost of performance. This setting is available on the Ultra and Custom graphics presets and is only recommended for high-end graphics cards.

Geometry

Level Of Detail: Adjusts the distance at which objects are visible and the level of detail as they get father away from the camera. Higher settings increase the visual quality of objects at distance. Restart required for setting change. CPU - Major. GPU - Major. VRAM - Moderate. Strand Hair: Strand hair simulates the appearance and movement of individual strands of hair. Enabling this will result in more realistic and natural-looking hair. CPU - Major. GPU - Major. VRAM - Moderate. Terrain Quality: Terrain is the natural landscape and ground surfaces. Higher settings will increase the detail and overall quality. CPU - Moderate. GPU - Major. VRAM - Moderate. Terrain Decoration Quality: Adjusts the appearance and detail of terrain elements like rocks, vegetation, and other environmental objects. Higher settings will increase the quality and density of the terrain elements. CPU - Moderate. GPU - Major. VRAM - Moderate. Visual Effects Quality: Adjusts the quality and detail of visual effects throughout the game. This includes particle effects, decals, and screen effects. Higher settings will result in higher quality effects. CPU - Minor. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Moderate.

Camera Effects

Depth of Field: The Depth of Field effect causes some elements of the scene to be in focus, and others to be out of focus. This effect is generally only used in cutscenes and conversations. CPU - Minor. GPU - Minor. VRAM - Minor. Depth of Field is only enabled in cinematic sequences. Vignette: The vignette creates a subtle darkening of the image towards the edges of the screen during cinematics and gameplay. This is generally used to enhance the atmosphere of scenes. CPU - Minor. GPU - Minor. VRAM - Minor. Motion Blur: Motion Blur slightly blurs fast-moving objects. This helps make motion appear smoother and more natural. CPU - Minor. GPU - Minor. VRAM - Minor. Post Processing Quality: Adjusts the overall quality of the post process effects above like depth of field, bloom and motion blur. Higher settings will result in higher quality effects. CPU - Minor. GPU - Moderate. VRAM - Minor. Field of View: Adjusts the field of view, which changes how much of the game world is visible during gameplay. A higher field of view allows you to see more of the game world. CPU - Major. GPU - Major. VRAM - Moderate.

[source]

#dragon age: the veilguard #dragon age the veilguard spoilers #dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost #if you're thinking #fel. why did u type this out #sometimes i search my own blog for info or the answers to things and it will only show up if its written as text :D

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blissfulstarsfics · 8 months ago

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Black and White Chapter 7

Read on AO3

Chapter Rating: E

Pairing: A!A X Female Tav (Non-abusive fic.)

Summary: Tav mulls over her night with Astarion, what it means. Meanwhile, he prepares to host another of his grand parties.

Tags: Astarion hosts an orgy. PIV, anal sex, cunnilingus, fellatio

The sun began rising over the horizon, bathing the master bedroom in a soft glow. Tav stirred under the sheets, a bit disoriented upon waking in unfamiliar surroundings. The ascendant rested peacefully next to her. There was no trace of last night’s nightmare on his relaxed and tranquil visage. Wanting to let him trance undisturbed, Tav thought it best to return to her room, but a strong grip pulled her back.

“Where do you think you’re going, darling?” he groggily asked. His eyes displayed a new possessiveness to them that sent a chill down her spine.

“I was going to go back to my room.” A meek reply. Astarion’s mouth curved into a commanding smile as he held her tight.

“You’ll get up when I say you can get up,” he kissed her brow, “and right now you’re not going anywhere.”

It was futile to struggle against him. Not only was his might far superior to hers, but her own body sought to undermine her interests. Nestled against him, feeling his skin on hers, she contemplated if all those nights she allowed him to feed on her gave him a measure of control over her. If it did, she wasn’t minding it.

Tav watched over Astarion as he fell back into his reverie for a few more hours. It amused her at how this apex predator could look so dovish and serene in his slumber. Finally, his eyes fluttered awake when the sun rose high enough to shine its light menacingly onto his face. He sat up, groaning bitterly.

“I suppose we should start the day.” He smiled half-heartedly. Tav had wanted to talk with him, but she knew he was needed elsewhere. Most of the preparations should be finished, but there were always last minute flubs that inevitably happened. He would need to take care of those.

The walk back to her chamber felt different than usual. She felt a myriad of emotions, some good, some bad. What did last night mean? What happens next? Tibbi was already in the room, setting up the wash basin and humming a cheery tune. The spawn was practically skipping from one corner to the next whilst performing her duties.

“Someone’s in a good mood.” Tav crossed her arms, smiling lightheartedly. Tibbi jovially nodded.

“The master gave us permission to enjoy ourselves tonight and I intend to enjoy myself fully!” The maid’s titter took her by surprise. Knowing Astarion, there may be ulterior motives for allowing his spawn to be present. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for him to use them to gather intelligence on his guests.

At the same time, she was considering if this was dangerous. So many red eyed and fanged individuals could raise suspicions. More importantly, Tav never thought Tibbi, the woman who was afraid of her own shadow, to be the type to so boldly attend this type of party.

She sat Tav in front of the vanity to brush her hair, wearing a bright grin. The bard stared blankly at her reflection, as well as the disembodied brush going through her hair. Her plan for the day was to learn the guest list, put faces to names, but she was far too distracted. Last night was, as he would say, an awful lot of fun. Too much fun, perhaps. Now she was left with a painful yearning to be left screaming as he has his way with her.

Servants brought in the bath just as Tav’s hair was finished being secured in a bun. Watching the tub fill with steaming water made her melancholy, knowing she would soon be washing his scent away.

~~~~~

Chairs were covered, the ballroom floor was cushioned, refreshments were being prepared, and oils were being gathered. Astarion nodded in satisfaction during his inspection. He prided himself on being a gracious host, one who left no guest disappointed. Tonight would be no exception.

Right as he was about to check that the back rooms were locked (hospitable he may be, that didn’t permit attendees to snoop), a courier arrived with a rectangular velvet box. He traipsed over to the lad, who was being generously tipped by Matteo, and took the package. A quick look inside confirmed he had received what he ordered.

Astarion headed straight for Tav’s room. He knocked on the door and let himself in. She was about to step out of the bath and into an outstretched towel being held by her maid. The women were taken aback at the ascendant’s brashness; coming into a lady’s room with barely any warning. After he set the box down, he took the towel from Tibbi and dismissed her.

“My lord, your timing is,” Tav trailed off, trying to find the right words.

“Perfect? Yes, I know.” Astarion sensuously ran the cotton fabric over her body, over her breasts, the curve of her buttocks, between her thighs. Once she was sufficiently dry, he let the towel drop to the floor. “Sit,” he instructed, pointing to the vanity. Raising an eyebrow, she complied, curiosity piqued.

He opened the box and revealed a masterfully crafted choker of three rows of diamonds set in white gold. The gems sparkled as he placed it on her neck, the clasp making a tiny clink as it fastened. Tav raised a hand to touch the piece, mouth agape.

“Astarion, it’s beautiful! Thank you! What shall I wear with it tonight?” She moved her neck about to catch the jewels in the light.draw

“I think what you’re wearing right now is perfect, but that might draw unwanted attention.” Whether her receiving attention was unwanted for him or her, he did not say. He stared at the two of them in the mirror. Gods, he loved how they looked together! “You should wear red, darling.”

“Red it is,” she agreed. Later, she would wear red. For now, her robe would do. Astarion sat on the bed across from her and leaned forward with a stern look. There was another reason for his sudden visit; he needed to iron out certain details.

“Tav, I need to tell you my new background. For all my ranting about not knowing your past, I failed to mention my fabricated history. The official story is that Cazador Szarr died unexpectedly in the skirmish with the Absolute without heir. His next of kin was an occasionally seen nephew,” he pointed to himself, “from a distant elvish town who permanently moved to the Gate to continue his work. Poor, poor Uncle Cazador. I’m still in mourning,” he giggled.

“Poor Uncle indeed. So, no one looked into your story? Into Cazador’s family history? Do they know you helped save the city?” Tav rolled her hand, beckoning more information from him. Astarion got up in a huff and moved next to her.

“Please, darling. It was little effort to have documents forged to corroborate everything. As for your other question, they know. I was in the city for a visit when I was abducted by the cult.” Astarion thrusted his chin, his nose stuck in the air.

“I must say, I’m impressed,” she nodded, “For once you remembered that details matter.” Her mocking smile wiped the conceit off his face.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.”

“Anyway, does this make me the dear friend you made along the way?” She shifted in the chair, one arm draped over the back with her weight resting on one hip.

“Precisely,” he bowed. Astarion stared at the seated woman, wondering if she knew what that pose was doing to him. The panels of her robe had peeled back, exposing the sides of her impeccable breasts.

Grinning wolfishly, he spun the chair toward him. Tav made no effort to deter him when he tore the robe open and massaged her thighs. Her warm crevice didn’t seem quite ready for him.

That would need to change.

Astarion knelt down, threw her legs onto his shoulders, then buried his face between her legs. A few short licks and she was already flowing down his chin, begging for him not to stop, pleading to the gods.

Luckily for her, he was feeling generous. Assenting to her request, he flicked the tip of her clit with his tongue, sending her squirming under his grasp. Try as she may, she wasn’t getting away from him. She ran her hands through his hair, shuddering from his touch until she arched her back in climax. Astarion mildly bit her inner thigh, losing himself in the titillating flavor of her blood commingled with the scent of her arousal.

“Tell me, pet, do you want me to fuck you?” he growled in short breaths, freeing his cock from the confines of his trousers. Tav’s lips coiled upward. She slid off the chair to straddle him, but he wouldn’t let her have him just yet. Oh no. She would have to be polite.

“Ah, ah, ah. I asked you a question. You need to answer. Or will I have to teach you some manners?” Of course, manners weren’t the only thing he was going to teach her. The ascendant poked and prodded her opening with his tip, encouraging her to give in to his demands.

“I want you to fuck me, my lord.” Hearing her say it like that sent a shiver through him. He pulled her onto him, moaning as every inch of him was devoured by her cleft. Astarion gripped her hips, rocking them in unison with his. It didn’t take long for her to move in sync with him. She was catching on quickly, his little lust filled pupil.

“Good,” he quickened their pace when she tightened around him, “now come for your lord.” Astarion wanted to hear it again; the sound she made when she pulsated all around his erection. Her whole body reacted to him. He held her steady on his lap until she finally obeyed his command. Such a sweet, sweet sound she made. He decided to reward her compliance with his seed inside her hot, dripping cavity.

Amidst the heavy breathing and dizzying rush of dopamine, Tav managed to quip, “I’ll need another bath.” That, he couldn’t deny. He certainly made a mess of her, covered her in sweat, hair disheveled, his seed spilling from her. It made him protective, greedy.

“Tav,” he stroked her face, “Tonight, I want you to lock yourself in here.” Astarion was beyond caring about being a hypocrite. She was his and he did not want to share. “Oh?” she tilted her head, “Is everything all right?”

“I won’t have anyone see you like this,” he traced his hand over her body, “No one,” he held her tight, “You’re mine. Now, swear to me. Swear you’ll retreat here before events get going.”

“You have my word, I’ll stay safe.” Tav sealed her promise with a kiss.

~~~~~

Eight o’clock came and it was time for the vampire lord and his…Tav didn’t know what to call herself, to receive their visitors. She descended the stairs in a red and silver gown, wearing the gifted choker. Her lips slightly parted when she saw Astarion awaiting her at the bottom in a matching doublet that he left unbuttoned his naval. That’s why he wanted her to wear red.

One by one people poured into the foyer. This was the first time in decades that Tav had played host to a soiree. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She spent the better part of the afternoon refreshing her memory on protocols while getting ready.

“Soldier!” Karlach was grinning from ear to ear. Neither of them were sure if she would actually come. Either way, they wouldn’t have been surprised. Tav looked to Astarion, who genuinely seemed pleased that she showed up.

“Ah, my fiery friend. Or should I say ‘not so fiery’ friend,” he laughed, “I do hope you enjoy yourself tonight.”

"Listen, Fangs, I spent ten years unable to touch people and I intend to make up for that,” she jabbed his shoulder, “I’ll have most these fuckers worn out before midnight!” She rubbed her hands together, eagerly.

As they went back and forth, Tav observed the stream of people flowing in, particularly the female attendees. She had no doubt that the majority of them had been conquested by Astarion; that much didn’t surprise her. What did make her heart sink was the fact that the women bore similar features to her. Same hair color, same skin tone, same body type. Was she one of Astarion’s many? The thought crushed her.

“Is that so? Don’t be too-” Astarion trailed off. He cocked his head, looking in the direction of the doorway. Tav snapped out of her thoughts, put her feelings under lock and key, then glanced over to see Lord and Lady Foxworth with Mariana Nightshade.

She leaned over and whispered, “Why did you invite them ?”

“It’s best to keep one’s enemies close, darling. I plan on uncovering the most delicious dirt on him however I can. What I don’t understand is why his wife is here. She’s never attended in the past.” The woman looked uneasy. It was clear she would rather be anywhere than this den of debauchery. Even Astarion seemed uncomfortable.

“Let me handle her,” she patted his arm.

He gave an approving bow, “Thank you.”

Guests were ushered into the ballroom, Karlach practically skipped inside, and just before she followed her husband inside, Analee was pulled away by Tav. The poorly masked awkwardness dissolved into relief when she saw her new acquaintance had come to her rescue.

“Miss Tav!” She gripped the bard's hands tightly, “Oh, I hope I’m not keeping you.” While Analee was outwardly being polite, her face vociferated, “Help me!” Tav squeezed her hands gently. Inside the ballroom incense had been lit. Smoke and scent billowed over the disrobing crowd, drifting into the hallway.

“Worry not. I’m not much for, well, this,” Tav waved her hand at the ballroom, “and if I’m judging correctly, neither are you.” The bluntness of her statement made Analee’s mouth quiver. She shook her head, dabbing tears from her eyes.

“Carlo wanted me to come and watch. To watch him-” The wafting smoke caused her to start coughing uncontrollably. Tav put an arm around her, quickly guiding her to the courtyard.

The night was dry and pleasant. Much easier on the lungs. Tav sat the lady on a stone bench to catch her breath, while she grabbed nearby refreshments.

“This wretched cough!” Analee’s disposition began returning to its sunny nature, “A few tendays ago I was fine and now my lungs just don’t want to fill with air.”

“You said Lord Foxworth wanted you to sit there and watch him romp from person to person? Why would he be so cruel?” Tav may have felt a kindred spirit in Analee, and a sincere desire to help this woman, but she couldn’t deny an opportunity to get that “delicious dirt” Astarion wanted.

“Well, I may have made him angry,” she shrugged, “I’m sure you know that he and Lord Astarion are in a bidding war and he’s upset that I don’t support his ideas for the Lower City,” Analee became quite serious, “It’s just wrong! Building housing units in order to drain the pockets of the less fortunate? It’s immoral and unsustainable! He’s lost his sense of noblesse oblige.”

Something about this was key, Tav was sure of it. It may have been that her disapproval stirred basic ire in her husband, causing him to lash out in a power play, as many did, but her intuition told her there was more to this.

Anyway, dear, I’m fine now,” Analee grimaced, “I’m sure you have better things to do than sit and listen to me ramble about my woes.”

“Nonsense,” Tav puffed up, uncorking a bottle of wine, “Lord Astarion wishes for all attendees to be jubilant and if you ‘rambling about your woes’ increases your mood, then we shall do just that. You aren’t getting rid of me whether you like it or not.”

“He’s lucky to have you.” The lady smiled thoughtfully, “I haven’t known Lord Astarion for long, him being new to the Gate and all, and I know you even less, but he is different around you than he is with those other women.” Tav closed her eyes, remembering the similarities between her and the other ladies.

“He certainly has a type, doesn’t he? It may not be so different,” she sighed. When she opened her eyes, Analee was glaring incredulously at her. Suddenly, she flicked Tav between the eyes.

~~~~~

Revelries were well underway in the ballroom. Skirts and jackets and pants and tops were all strewn about the hardwood floor. Astarion sat on his throne, stroking the hair of a man whose mouth was firmly around his cock. Everyone partaking of the experience seemed to be enjoying themselves, but Karlach was the one who amused him the most. He observed with glee at her handling of a fellow tiefling under her, being ridden into oblivion, and a halfling on her lap. It was heartwarming, in a way. After being denied for so long, she was able to fully unleash herself. Good for her, he thought.

Three of his spawn indulged in his kindness. Tibbi was on her hands and knees, servicing a man in front and in back. The mage, Zeuril, had Mariana pinned down on the satin cushions. As he was rutting her, he briefly looked up at his master, taking Astarion by surprise. The spawn were never permitted to look upon him directly, not unless they discovered something. He slightly raised his hand in acknowledgement.

Astarion clutched the man’s hair as he came down his throat. He wasn’t very good at what he was doing, but it gave the vampire time to assess the situation. So far, everything was in order. All gathered before him were filled with reckless abandon, satiating their most base desires as intended.

Two ladies bounced over to him, each tugging at an arm. They began fighting over who was there first, over who would get to fuck him and who would have to wait.

“Ladies, ladies, no need to fight. There’s enough of me to go around.” He sat them on his lap, a hand in each, relishing in the power he held over them. One finished, then the other. Astarion let them slump into a heap at his feet.

“Only two, Astarion?” Karlach taunted, pointing at her own pile, “You’ll need three more to catch up to me!”

“I didn’t realize we were keeping score. Very well, if it’s a challenge you want, I accept.” He got up and grabbed the nearest willing participant. Leave it to Karlach to add some extra spice into an already hot scene. Astarion bent the man over and plunged into his backside, torrid and raw. A pair of hands groped him from behind.

“I’m next!” Nurah nibbled on his ear as she made her declaration. Astarion finished his current partner and tossed him aside. He laughed in the young woman’s face, pushing her to the floor. Her mouth flopped around in disbelief.

“I no longer have use for cheap imitations. Find someone else.” He could hear Karlach laughing as he stepped over the humiliated girl. Astarion took two more, a man and a woman, and threw them down.

“Only two?” Karlach shouted. This time she had two halflings, one in each arm, with Tibbi. Astarion pointed at his spawn.

“No,” he ordered. Astarion, true to his nature, wasn’t above using trickery to win.

“Cheater!” She stuck her tongue out. Fortunately for her, with her domineering physique, she had become quite sought after. Once Tibbi left, she soon had a replacement. The rest of the evening proceeded in friendly competition, until incense ran out, signaling the end of the evening. True to her word, Karlach had half the guests worn out and just before midnight.

Bodies rose from the now sticky floor, going through the equally wet clothing to figure out which garment belonged to whom. They crawled out of the ballroom, leaving Astarion alone with Karlach. He reclined against the wall, satisfied with the night’s outcome.

“Well, Fangs, I think it was a draw.”

“A draw. Yes, we’ll call it that.” He would never admit defeat.

She tugged at his shirt, “I noticed you kept this on.”

“I don't let just anyone see the infernal contract carved on my back.” He picked up her clothes, “Too many questions and all that.” She took her clothes with a smile. Karlach wasn’t without sympathy. Those scars were a painful reminder of a time when he felt he was at his lowest.

“Guess that makes me one of the privileged few,” she pounded her chest, “Ugh, I’m beat. The walk home won’t be fun.” There was an implication in her comment, one which Astarion picked up on.

“You can stay here tonight, Karlach.”

“Yes!” She jumped for joy. Astarion shook his head, shrugging. Exiting the ballroom, he saw a sight he wasn’t expecting, or wanting, to see. Tav was busy seeing the Foxworths off when she should have been safely locked away. She and Lady Foxworth were cackling like hens as her infuriated husband dragged her away. He came up next to her, waving the final stragglers off.

“You swore to me you would lock yourself in your room. Why are you out here?” Astarion maintained a demeanor that was pleasant to the crowd, but also let her know he was displeased. Tav clasped her hands behind her back and gave him a mollifying smile.

“We were locked in the courtyard. Just the two of us and some wine.”

“As long as you were safe.” This was permissible. She was secure, she was within his reach, and that’s all that mattered. Astarion cupped her face in his hands, admiring her elegance. Tav’s fingers lovingly wove with his as he drew her in for a long, tender kiss.

He yawned loudly, “Tonight was a smashing success, if I do say so myself. We will be having an overnight guest, by the way. Poor Karlach is far too exhausted to make the trip home.”

“Says the one who can barely keep his eyes open. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“Darling, I couldn’t agree more.”

Feel free to reblog, like, or comment. I love interacting with everyone. :)

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matchagator · 2 months ago

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Hustlers Cruisin': Day 2 - Fun in the Sun

During their first day at sea, The girls seek out some fun and entertainment while the boys find themselves far to intrigued by the girls not to make their presence known.

*Every day this week, we will post a new day of the cruise so make sure to check for an update daily!😊*

{Main Pairings:} Jeon Jungkook/Original Female Character, Park Jimin/Original Female Character, Kim Taehyung/Original Female Character(s)

{Rating:} 18+

{Genre:} Alternate Universe - Hustlers/ Con Artists

{Warning} Mild Sexual Content, References to Stealing, Mature Language, Manipulation, Angst, Sexual Harassment, Drowning, Alcohol, Smut, Emotional damage

It was their first day at sea and the girls took the opportunity to enjoy some of the ship's finest amenities. Given there would be no port to explore, Jade went ahead and made a reservation at the Sanctuary, a secluded section of the pool deck reserved for adults who were willing to pay for a moment of peace away from the crowds.

The front section of the ship was a covered dome with large windows, displaying a spectacular view of the ocean ahead various guests lazed about on some of the ship’s luxurious selection of cushioned loungers. The girls had each reserved their own circular daybed with a shaded cover facing the breathtaking view of the seven seas.

Jade wasted no time laying out one of the soft towels as she quickly crawled into the large cocoon-like structure. Her body was draped in a blue patterned bikini, allowing her skin to tan and soak up the luscious vitamins the sun had to offer. Ruby was doing the same, except she already had one of the personal attendants bringing her a watermelon margarita with refreshing fruit skewers from their exclusive menu. Her high-waisted bikini offered the waiters a delicious view of her body as she playfully flirted with the handsome young men, enjoying her freedom endlessly.

Emmy on the other hand was a little less prepared to enjoy her time, her eyes heavy with the exhaustion of another restless night. While the eldest two passed out after countlessly drinking and fully satisfied stomachs from their delicious 5-star cuisine, Emmy ended up staying awake the majority of the night since her section of the suite seemed awfully quiet; something that would’ve comforted her before almost being murdered by a psychopathic lunatic.

“Your mimosa, madamoselle.” Emmy heard a male voice suddenly echo beside her, causing her to flinch as her eyes shifted to find his looming presence. For a moment, she thought she saw Seoho’s familiar features in the waiter’s complexion, however, her paranoia soon settled to reveal a friendly young man, simply doing his job of serving the sanctuary's guests.

Emmy cleared her throat, composing herself despite her heart hammering inside her chest. “Oh, thank you.” She smiled weakly, accepting the drink as she watched the man disappear back toward the bar. She let out a long sigh, feeling the tension in her body disappear as she realized where she was. She glanced over toward the other daybeds, feeling at ease once noticing Jade sunbathing and Ruby indulging in her selection of snacks.

She shook herself of her irrational fears, taking a sip of the citrusy morning beverage as she laid back against the soft cushions. Like the other girls, she was also sporting a bikini for their early afternoon on the pool deck, however, she had a pair of denim shorts and a white button-down overlay to protect her fair skin from the harsh rays of the Caribbean sun.

Emmy placed her mimosa down on the table beside her, pulling her sunglasses down to protect her blue hues from the radiation as she desperately tried to allow herself to relax. Thankfully, the soothing sounds of the waves and the warmth of the tropical breeze lulled her into a peaceful state, allowing her to fall asleep even if only for a little while.

As time passed and the girls utilized their few hours of paid silence, a group of men lurked not too far away, Jimin and Taehyung acting as if they were guests curious about making a reservation in the adult-only section of the ship. Jungkook started his day with a gym session, returning to their suite to change before meeting up with them for an afternoon on the pool deck for the variety of games and drinks occurring.

“What are they doing?” Jimin asked curiously, still completely baffled that of all places to be after their expedition to the North, they’d follow them all the way to the Caribbean.

Taehyung glanced over the menu prices and services as he peered past the entryway to see Ruby lounging about happily. “Nothing, they’re just enjoying a few drinks.”

He turned to face Jimin who seemed puzzled by the revelation. After Jungkook’s reckless stunt back in Montreal and the weight of one of their adversaries almost dying a brutal death, the boys decided a vacation would do the trick. However, the unexpected run-in was reason to believe that the girls were only on the cruise because there was money to be made and this left the boys feeling out of the loop about any opportunities on the ship.

“Hey.” Jungkook’s voice reverberated from behind the two oldest, causing them to glance back at the youngest. Jungkook’s torso was completely bare of clothing, his tattoos displayed proudly as a pair of black swim trunks with white hibiscus decorating the fabric hung off his hips. “What did I miss?”

Jungkook’s eyes completely ignored that of his friends as he eagerly glanced passed them in hopes of seeing Emmy somewhere in the sanctuary. Unfortunately for him, he could only spot Jade and Ruby in their respective daybed, relaxing and enjoying their time. Jade listened to some music in her earbuds, shamelessly lip-syncing along as she tapped her toes to the rhythm.

“There must be someone here they’re following,” Jimin added as his white and black Hawaiian shirt hung open on his torso, blowing in the warm breeze swirling around them. It was then that Jungkook finally peeled his eyes away from the girls, glancing back toward his comrades before noticing their attire. Jimin’s black swim shorts complimented his choice of top, however, Taehyung’s outfit had Jungkook chuckling.

“What the hell are you wearing?” The youngest teased as he and Jimin glanced down to see a pair of uncomfortably short light blue swim trunks decorating Taehyung’s body, the rest of his figure completely exposed except for a chain hanging around his neck.

Jimin coughed back a laugh as he noticed the shimmery fabric, just now realizing how silly he looked. “V…Why are you…?” Before Jimin could finish, Taehyung held his arms out, confidently posing for the other two men.

“This is how you keep your bed warm.” He grinned proudly, showing off the form of his muscles and the bulge slightly visible from his suit. “Women won’t be able to deny all of this.”

Jungkook simply rolled his eyes knowing that on any other occasion, he’d probably join Taehyung in his quest to seduce women. Unfortunately for him, his mind was still reeling at the idea of seeing Emmy again, feeling himself slowly drowning in the reality that she was plaguing his mind. He shook his head, thankful that he hadn’t seen her yet. He knew the moment he would, he’d be ruined for the rest of their vacation. It was better that he stayed clear of them, at least for now.

“I’m gonna get a drink.” Jungkook slapped his hand across Taehyung’s bare back, watching him flinch from the slight sting as Jimin glanced back toward the girls, seeing Ruby and Jade stand to go join who he could only assume was Emmy tucked in one of the daybeds.

“Get me something, I’ll be there soon,” Jimin commented as the two youngest of their trio disappeared back toward the main pools. Jimin tried to eavesdrop on the ladies, quickly realizing it was pointless at his angle. He realized he’d have all day to find them again, especially given they were stuck floating in the middle of the ocean with no way off the boat except for diving off the rails.

As Jimin joined the others, the girls were wrapping up their time in the sanctuary as Jade and Ruby sat atop the cushion of Emmy’s daybed. Jade noticed her peacefully dozed off, glancing up at Ruby as if debating whether she should wake her up or not. The two glanced down at the face of their operations, enjoying how peaceful she looked. It was the first time since Montreal that they had seen her be so relaxed.

Jade gently pressed her hand against Emmy’s arm, shaking her gently as the youngest fluttered her eyes open, the hour nap helping tremendously in boosting her energy. “Hey, sorry.” Emmy stretched as she pressed up on her palms to sit up. “I must have fallen asleep.”

“It’s okay, one more drink and Ruby would’ve probably joined you.” Jade teased, watching Ruby shoot her a threatening glare.

Emmy let a small squeak escape her as she stretched once again, glancing around to see they were still in the private section of the deck. “What should we do next?”

“I wanted to get some drinks by the pool deck.” Ruby beamed, causing Emmy and Jade to glance at each other with a grin.

"Honestly, a drink did sound good right about now," Jade gave into the brawn of their group as she stood up from the daybed. “After, there's a game of bingo downstairs. They use electronic versions of cards now, and I figured it might be an easy hustle.”

Emmy’s eyes widened finally as she pulled her sunglasses up to reveal her blue hues, squinting as she glanced at the two girls she considered as sisters. “I’m in.” She smiled before looking at Ruby. “And if we’re getting drinks, you owe me a blue Hawaiian.”

“Done!” Ruby shot up from her seat, ready to collect her belongings as Emmy let out a chuckle. While she still had moments of unease, the cruise was definitely the right choice to get her mind off of everything that happened.

—

“Ruby, maybe you should slow down.” Jade tried to stop her friend from ordering another drink but was lightly slapped away by a dismissive hand. Jade scoffed, peering at Emmy who was intently watching her drink being made by the bartender. “You too?”

Emmy giggled, refusing to move her gaze away from the brim of her glass. ��We’re on vacation, let her have fun.”

“Well, you’re cleaning up the mess when she pukes,” Jade mentioned before falling into peer pressure and making a decision to join in the indulgence.

Emmy happily accepted her drink, flicking her pupils over the crowd surrounding her before taking a sip. She turned away from the bar as Jade made an order, her gaze moving across the main pool deck. The sun was shining brightly over the oiled bodies of the other cruise guests as they laid out on the lounges and occupied the swimming pool.

“Alright, alright, alright! We’re looking for the sexiest women to participate in our beauty contest! Please make your way to the middle of the deck for us to begin.” A gentleman called through the speakers, suddenly clearing out space in the middle of the deck for women to present themselves as contestants.

Emmy quietly watched as women began gathering in, some more eager than others. Ruby squealed while sipping her drink, the sound muffled by the brim of her glass. “Oh my god, we should do that!” She hollered, pulling away from the alcohol that induced this carefree enthusiasm.

“What?!” Jade nearly yelped as she whipped her head around to Ruby. The brawn of their group would never coherently choose to be part of some pointless spectacle.

“Come on, ladies! Our prize winner gets a steak dinner for two at our premium restaurant.” The MC announced, trying to entice more participants.

Ruby started making her way to the middle of the deck. “We have to, it’s almost too easy.” She stumbled as she turned around when she noticed the others had stayed back by the bar. “Come on!”

Emmy kept her eyes down, swirling her drink in her hand. “I’ll pass.” She was hesitant to have the attention on her, wondering what sort of people were amongst them in the crowd. She bit her lip as a small pit of fear burrowed in her gut.

Jade peered at Emmy, glancing at the open area of the deck and back again as she contemplated. Ruby wasted no time, pulling them both along towards the middle. “We’re getting that steak dinner so finish that drink and let's go!” She snapped.

Jade sighed as she tossed the drink back, swallowing most of the liquid in a couple of gulps before quickly placing the glass on a table. She was startled by Ruby’s determination to participate as Emmy relaxed in the comfort of her friends.

Emmy smiled to herself as she stepped into the group of participants, giddiness in her step. “I could do this with my eyes closed.”

The three gems dispersed amongst the group of women standing in the middle of the deck as the MC started announcing the contest. “Alright, let’s meet our contestants…” He slowly moved across the ladies, having them introduce themselves to the surrounding crowd before they took a small strut down their makeshift runway to show off their looks.

Emmy let a veil drop over her body, adjusting her posture as she accentuated the pop of her hip and the bend in one of her knees. She lifted a finger to twirl through a loose strand of hair hanging by the straps of her bikini just before the MC finally reached her. “How about you?”

Emmy beamed, her teeth blinding in the sunlight as she eagerly answered, “Hi! My name is Jennifer and I’m from California!” Her voice had high-pitched inflections, causing her to have Valley Girl dialect.

She automatically giggled at the generic joke the MC spewed about where she was from before giving her the stage to strut her stuff. With a little skip in her step, Emmy swayed her hips with great exaggeration without looking foolish as she paraded proudly in front of the audience. She twirled on the tips of her toes before kicking up her leg girlishly, looking back over her shoulder with a wink. She ate up the applause as she skipped back to her spot in the line of women like a prancing showdog.

She shared a look with Jade, noticing her side-eye of judgment from the eldest as Emmy played the part that would bring her the most attention. Her persona faltered as Ruby mentioned she lived in Las Vegas and nearly stuttered out her real name, but luckily, she managed to keep to their coordinated names. Ruby had a slight wobble as she walked the runway, but was able to move across the deck looking poise and elegant in her high-waisted bikini.

“Don’t get too close or they’ll spot us,” Jimin warned as Taehyung weaved through the people watching the event transpire. Jungkook followed the womanizer blindly, trying to spot Emmy between the gaps.

Taehyung threw caution to the wind, making sure to settle just behind the contestants and comfortably admiring the backsides displayed before him. Jimin stood on his left while Jungkook was on his right. “We’ve got the best seats in the house.” Taehyung grinned, his eyes devouring every speck of flesh exposed by the thin material of the women’s apparel.

“Alright, let’s start with our first part of the competition: The Bikini Contest!” The MC explained they would narrow the competition down to ten women by letting the audience scream for the contestants they liked best.

Jungkook was naturally pulled to a brunette that was shimmying her shorts down her legs, revealing the rest of her yellow bikini as she twisted her torso for the viewing pleasure of the audience. He caught a glimpse of the side of her face and instantly recognized the mastered grin of Emmy. Her mannerisms were inviting and charismatic compared to her competition. His heart skipped a beat when he faintly made out the giggle escaping her lips when the crowd roared for her to stay in the competition.

The excitement quickly plummeted when he realized Taehyung was obnoxiously hollering and clapping along with the audience. Jungkook glared in his direction, holding the beams of his pupils until his partner realized that he was being stared down. “What? She’s our girl.” Taehyung unapologetically wolf-whistled in Emmy’s direction as the MC decided to keep her in the competition.

Jungkook tightened his jaw as he digested Taehyung’s phrase. Our girl. The bitter memory of finding Taehyung and Emmy in the wine cellar together reared its head, causing dread to pour into his stomach. He shook the thought from his mind, trying to focus on their last interaction after he jumped into the icy water to rescue her. He relaxed as the MC continued down the line and noticed Taehyung was just as obnoxious with the other women.

Jimin chuckled with every shout coming from beside him, his eyes scanning the women before them until he noticed Jade standing toward the end of the line. She kept pacing in place, clearly uncomfortable being in the middle and trying to deal with the jitters as she anticipated the response she would receive when it was her turn. He smirked as she nervously fiddled with her fingertips, finding her timid nature endearing.

The MC finally reached her and Jimin was almost annoyed when Taehyung barked like a dog. Jimin nudged Taehyung's side with his elbow, getting him to calm down in his cheering while the MC judged the sounds coming from the crowd. He bit his lip, contemplating if he should make a vote in her favor or just stay inconspicuous like a fly on the wall. Before he could decide, the MC moved on to the next girl announcing that Jade was still in the running. He laughed when he watched her shoulders slump with relief until she realized she was staying in the competition.

After bringing it down to ten different women, the MC announced they would move into the dance competition of the contest. When they started the music, the women began moving their bodies to the beat. Some were going for a more sensual approach while others gyrated, shaking what their mamas gave them.

“Damn!” Taehyung died and went to heaven as ten of the sexiest women on the ship danced in front of him with a glorious view of their shapely asses. He bit down on his knuckle to keep from reaching out towards the contestants, wishing he could smack the plump flesh.

Jungkook followed Emmy’s hips intently as she slowly rolled her body to the music, bending her knees to drop lower to the ground before slithering back up. She raised her hands above her head, accentuating the curve of her waist as she controlled her hip movements from side to side.

“Oh, she knows what she’s doing.” Taehyung leaned into Jungkook, earning a hand to his face when the youngest member pushed his gaze away from Emmy. The glare in Jungkook’s eye was all he needed to get the message as he moved down the line to see Ruby backing her ass up while hanging her head down, whipping her hair back and forth. He was surprised to see her letting loose when she seemed to be the most frigid of their female adversaries.

Beside Taehyung, Jimin noticed Jade seemed to get lost in the music, moving to the beat and building her confidence with every passing second. The music started to ascend its pace, quickening as it anticipated the iconic bass drop. Jimin watched as Jade shimmied her legs, creating a slight vibration through her limbs and rapidly shaking her backside to match the beat. Once the music hit the pivotal moment, the tempo changed and Jade bent her knees, allowing her body to drop towards the ground.

Jimin’s jaw dropped as she curled half up way, bouncing her ass in the air to the bass. “I knew she was a freak,” Taehyung mentioned, bumping his shoulder against Jimin’s. While the eldest wasn’t thrilled with his friend’s statement, he had to remember this was the same woman who allowed Taehyung to handcuff her and flashed him at the spa.

As the song came to a finish, the girls danced to their heart’s content, completely unaware of the knowing eyes watching the spectacle. When the music faded, the MC moved across the line of women to see who the audience favored, working to eliminate for their next activity. Of course, Taehyung refused to hold back whenever the voting was for one of the gems. Jungkook and Jimin nearly had to smother him when Jade turned toward his boisterous cheering. Luckily, she seemed to skim past them and made it to the next round with a roar from the crowd.

“Alright for our next competition, I need some male volunteers…” Blindly, men in the audience raised their hands without any regard for what they would be doing as volunteers so long as it involved the last few contestants. Taehyung was one of the eager crowd members, however, his partners were quick to exclude him from the activities.

Jungkook pulled his hand down, holding it firmly by his side as he hissed in Taehyung’s ear. “They can’t see you, remember? We’re trying to stay low.” The trio had yet to figure out what brought the women on the ship and decided it was best to stay out of their line of sight. As long as the girls were unaware of their presence, there was nothing stopping them from making a steal.

Taehyung pouted as he watched the MC instruct the men to get down on one knee, creating a circle for the girls to go around. The phase in the competition was musical chairs, however, instead of using proper furniture, the contestants needed to perch themselves on a man’s thigh. Taehyung cursed at the missed opportunity, wishing he could take any volunteer’s place. “I’d let them sit on my face.” He groaned to himself, admiring the figures of the contestants while they circled the male stools.

Jimin and Jungkook actively ignored him as they intently watched the event. The music stopped and the girls clambered quickly to the closest available thigh, forcing their bottoms on a man’s lap before another woman could. Ruby nearly missed, but was able to beat another contestant who was then eliminated. Then the round started again, getting rid of one of the males to make it more challenging the second time.

The music stopped again, this time it was Jade who was eliminated after she was bumped by Ruby from sitting on the man’s thigh. Jungkook noticed Emmy shaking her head at her friend’s behavior while Jade went to the opposite end of the crowd to watch the rest of the competition.

After a couple more rounds, it was down to just three contestants and two volunteers. Ruby and Emmy still managed to stay in the competition, silently communicating about taking the final two spots for a guaranteed win of the contest. However, when the music stopped for the last time, Ruby tripped over her own feet and stumbled from her target’s thigh, allowing the other contestant to win alongside Emmy.

“Hell yeah!” Jungkook couldn’t help but let out a holler when it was announced Emmy would be making it to the final round. Pride seeped from every inch of his body as he drank her in. She was radiant in the sunlight, her charisma beaming from the bubbly persona she created for the audience, but what truly captivated Jungkook was the subtle smirk that curled in the corner of her lips when she didn’t think anyone would notice. She was in her element and Jungkook loved to watch her flourish.

His excitement was quickly doused when Taehyung hugged his shoulders, shaking him out of his daydream. “Look at our girl go!” The tick in his jaw returned with Taehyung’s possession. His hands balled into fists to fight the urge to hold his comrade underwater until he agreed that if Emmy was anyone’s girl, she was his.

“Ladies, you will both have 30 seconds to kiss as many people as possible. I will keep count and announce the winner after you both finish the challenge. Are you ready?” Emmy responded with a shout of enthusiasm, her pupils dancing across the audience as she eyed some men she would run to as soon as it was her turn.

The other contestant was allowed to start first, running quickly to a group of men and pressing kisses to their cheeks as she scrambled quickly with the timer set by the MC. Emmy mentally counted along, thinking of her strategy to win that luxurious steak dinner. She glanced in the opposite direction that her opponent went and analyzed the audience. She was happy to see plenty of unclaimed territory for when it was her turn.

“Three…two…one! Stop!” The turn was over as the contestant pulled away from an older man she grabbed for a kiss in her last few seconds. She triumphantly walked back to the middle to sit beside Emmy as the MC praised her efforts before moving on to address Emmy. “30 seconds…are you ready?”

“Super ready!” The forced dialect squeaked through her vocal cords with the level of enthusiasm in her demeanor. Emmy was ready to win with finesse. The countdown abruptly began and Emmy was off, speeding across the pool deck and grabbing the first man she could see. She steadied herself as she aimed for their cheek, avoiding to catch anything from a random number of strangers.

Moving through the audience, she seamlessly made it near her opponent's count. She hesitated when she stumbled upon a man who seemed vaguely familiar but ignored the intuition screaming at her as she heard the time ticking down. She moved on to the next male and was surprised by the difference in his height to the last, almost completely thrown off when he stole a kiss against her lips.

When she pulled away, the familiarity began to set in when she caught a glimpse of the dark seductive eyes of Taehyung. She faltered when she stepped to the side and met the determined stare of Jungkook, nearly missing her footing as she stumbled into him. It seemed that he was ready for her because, without hesitation, his hands cupped her face and pulled her lips to his.

Emmy registered the countdown was going down to one, trying to pry herself from his lips, but Jungkook refused to let her go, dipping her back so that she relied on his strength to keep her from hitting the ground. His teeth nipped at her lips as he let her lose, his jealousy simmering down since he claimed her publicly.

“Times up! We have a winner!” The loud announcement broke Emmy and Jungkook apart, causing her to realize his kiss jeopardized her chance of winning the contest.

In her moment of defeat, the shock of his presence was overruled by her frustration in losing the prized dinner. Jungkook brought them up, a soft smile on his face as he savored holding the woman of his dreams in his arms until she abrasively pushed him away to stress her concerns with her friends. His jaw dropped while the atmosphere screamed for the winning contestant, watching as Emmy walked away from him, her persona crumbling instantly.

He quickly followed after her, reaching out for her hand. “Just wait a second…” He tried to say over the crowd, pulling her back towards him.

Emmy turned around with a glare still fixed on her features. “Wait for what?” Not only was she upset about the loss, but seeing him again reminded her of what she was running from. She didn’t want to remember him saving her after nearly being killed or that someone out there wanted her dead. She certainly didn’t want to remember that Jungkook drugged her to beat them. She had yet to determine if he was a blessing or a curse.

Jungkook was surprised by her frustration. He knew she hated to lose, but even after everything that happened to them, he didn’t expect her to seem so harsh towards him. His lips parted, wishing to tell her that he was happy to see her and that he loved how she smiled when she seemed carefree, but the words were caught in his throat. Her hostility completely dismantled everything he wanted to say because he feared being vulnerable when she clearly built up her fortress.

Emmy watched him gap like a fish before her features softened to the tender way he wrapped his large hand around her wrist. She glanced down as he held her so gently as if she were delicate porcelain, thinking that even though his presence came with terrible memories, his touch made her feel safe.

His fingers slowly began to slip away and she nearly reached back out to keep him there like her lifeline until she heard the deep, taunting laughter of Taehyung. “Bravo! Bravo!” The lecherous grin across his lips ignited Emmy’s glare as she fixated on the womanizer of the group. Taehyung came up behind Jungkook, propping his arm on the youngest male’s broad shoulder, “You put on quite a performance, Jennifer .”

Jungkook finally released her wrist as he rolled Taehyung off his shoulder, annoyance slapped across his face. He narrowed his eyes back at his partner, but Taehyung was too focused on the beauty before him. Jimin slowly revealed himself, already agitated that their secret was blown and the girls were now aware they were all on the same ship, following the same target.

“I hope you enjoyed that kiss 'cause it’s the last one you’ll ever get from me." Emmy crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the obvious view of her cleavage brought to Taehyung’s attention.

“Oh, we’ve already played this game, sweetheart. I can assure you it won’t be.” Taehyung chuckled.

Jungkook held back his best, but the obvious reference to them sleeping together pushed him past his limit. As he went to argue against Taehyung’s favor, a shrill sound escaped a woman’s lips before he could correct his friend. “What’re you guys doing here?!” Jade stomped her way towards the social circle that developed amongst their groups, pulling Ruby along with her. She narrowed her eyes across every man before her, her eyes sharpened by the time she reached Jimin. “You said there were no more trackers.” She hissed.

Jimin stepped forward, glaring back at her accusation. “We followed the money, not you.”

“What are you talking about? What money?” Jade’s eyebrows furrowed as she titled her side.

Taehyung scoffed “Oh please, don't pretend you’re not targeting some tycoon.”

Ruby sobered up enough to step forward, pressing her finger harshly against his chest, applying pressure repeatedly. “We’re on vacation, asshole, and you’re ruining it.”

A blanket of understanding fell over the group as the guys instantly realized the girls were looking for the same break as them. Reasonably so, since one of their members was targeted by a hitman. The girls could see the recognition across their faces, settling the animosity between the two groups. There was no hustle, no facades. They were both just seeking an escape from their realities and just so happened to stumble upon the same ship.

“So there’s no trackers? You’re not following us?” Jade wondered, hoping to let bygones be bygones for once so both parties could enjoy some downtime.

Jimin instantly shook his head, assuring her that he was sincere when he first told her they would no longer follow them. “We just wanted a vacation too.” It felt strange admitting that the last mission sort of shook them up, but fighting against someone with an axe wasn’t for the faint of heart.

Emmy watched the interaction quietly, guilt pulsing through her veins. Everyone was coping with the incident that was caused by her. Something she did in the past nearly cost her life, but it would have killed them too if Seoho was successful. Her gaze flickered toward Jungkook, flashes of his wet, icy face hovering over her replayed in her head. Her lips pursed together as she imagined the moments before he dragged her from the frozen lake, thinking how he jumped in after her with no way of knowing he would ever reach the surface again.

She bit her lip, returning to the still atmosphere hanging over the two groups. She exhaled between her lips, settling the pit eating away at her. “Well, enjoy your vacation.” She turned to her friends, linking her arm through their own to quickly evade the three men. “Let’s get back to the room.” She desperately needed a long shower to melt away the thoughts haunting her.

As the girls retreated, the boys shared a look. “I guess that means we have a truce?” Jimin offered, determining that the gems were truthful about their intentions on the cruise ship.

“Or an invitation…” Taehyung grinned, mischief dancing behind his eyes.

Both Jimin and Jungkook looked at him with great skepticism as they evaluated the annoyance painted over the women’s features as they addressed their trio. “What makes you think that was an invitation?” Jimin looked at his partner narrowly, scrutinizing his rational thinking.

Taehyung took a step forward to turn himself around fully to face his friends. “She said enjoy our vacation, didn’t she? What could be more fun than sunshine, drinks, and three beautiful babes on our arms?”

Jimin and Jungkook shared a look, silently communicating the plans for the rest of the cruise. Should they allow the girls some distance or should they enjoy the rare opportunity to bond with their adversaries in a hostile free environment? Their serious contemplation was dismantled as they noticed Taehyung eagerly waiting for their response, a large stupid grin on his face. Jimin rolled his eyes, fighting the smirk that wanted to pull at his lips, “Alright, alright, you win.”

Jimin chuckled as Taehyung hollered out in elation, throwing an arm around his shoulder and pulling him into his side. They looked at Jungkook expectantly, cheering when the youngest slipped against Taehyung’s other side. “Let’s have some fun, boys.”

—

“Cheers to the best bitches I know! I love you guys!” Ruby squealed as she raised her third shot for the evening. Jade and Emmy clinked their glass with her own before they all threw their heads back to let the rum slip down their throats. Ruby then let out another shout when she slammed her shot down on the surface of their small marble table.

Emmy giggled as the alcohol swirled in her system while Jade hummed contently to the relaxing edge in her shoulders with every shot. The pair were not nearly as gone as Ruby in her path to an inevitable blackout, but they had a fair share to convince them a night out at the club would be perfectly fine despite their plans for the following morning.

Jade swayed to the vibrations running through the flashing atmosphere, letting her body move to the soothing bass that shook her core. “I wanna dance!” She yelled over the music, leaning closer to the girls in hopes they would join her.

Ruby went to get up but paused when she felt the world around her spin slightly. Instead, she plopped back down in the booth and shook her head. “I’m gonna stay here and order some of the top-shelf shit. Go have fun without me.” She waved her hand at the two girls as she grabbed the drink menu.

Emmy shimmied the cut-up halter covering her torso, gently running over the silver sequins as she turned to Jade. “Let’s go!” She stood up, revealing the matching skirt hanging low on her waist before stepping across the elaborate designer carpet towards the dance floor.

Jade followed after her, pulling down the material of her sleeveless black dress, carefully avoiding the large slit that exposed one of her thighs with a few chains connecting the split fabric. She stumbled a little in her heels but managed to join Emmy on the slick yet dazzling dance floor as the song changed.

Jade reached out for Emmy’s hand, keeping close to each other while they moved to the music. Their senses were buzzed from the alcohol and bass pumping through their veins, their bodies naturally letting loose as they danced together. Jade occasionally spun Emmy with their hands above her head when there was a change in tempo which caused the youngest to giggle when her world continued moving even when they stopped.

As the two women were having the time of their lives, their enemies were entering the lively atmosphere looking ready to kill with their handsome good looks. Jimin led the way through the club, stepping passed other patrons in search of a comfortable place to grab an order of drinks. He fixed the collar of his studded, zip-up jacket hanging open over a white t-shirt as he moved around a pillar funneling from the ceiling to the floor accented by lighting up the columns.

Jungkook was just behind him, keeping his eyes low but vigilant as he hoped to spot his little klepto amongst the crowd. The heat of the atmosphere instantly started crawling up the skin of his neck, causing him to roll up the sleeves of his dark denim button-up that matched the jeans dressing his legs. His eyes still scoped the environment as he followed Jimin to a cozy booth by the bar, imagining he was bound to find one of the gems close by.

Taehyung was barely keeping up with his friends as he drank in all the skin on display underneath the skimpy dresses. He tugged the luxurious silk fabric of his Versace shirt from his torso, fanning himself from the heat sweltering him as he fought himself from losing control.

“Tonight is gonna be fun.” Taehyung grinned, his eyes still stalking the women in the space as he slipped in close to Jungkook’s side. His pupils followed a group of women giggling by, their bodycon dresses hugging tightly against their figures as they swayed their hips with every step in their heels. Taehyung was overwhelmed with options, finding his attention flickering between the variety of beauties sparkling in the club.

Jimin shook his head as Taehyung practically let his tongue hang out of his mouth, drooling over the crowd. He waved a waiter over, easily placing an order for their usuals to get the evening started. Once the waiter was gone, the eldest looked towards the brooding male sitting beside him. “What’s wrong with you?”

Jungkook snapped out of his daze, his mind occupied with the brunette he’d risk his life for. He noticed the analyzing glare of Jimin and adjusted his posture, sinking back into the cushion of their booth. “Nothing, I just need a drink.”

Jungkook became tense as Jimin narrowed his eyes, parting his lips to say something to the younger member, but was interrupted by Taehyung smacking his hand against Jungkook’s shoulder. “No fucking way…” He pointed out at the dance floor towards the section closest to the digital screens that displayed abstract colors that shifted to the music.

The other two men followed the direction of his finger, noticing a woman bouncing around with a sparkling sequin dress, shaking her long brown hair to and fro as she tossed her head around. Jungkook felt his heart flip in his chest when he realized it was Emmy.

“Is that..?” Jimin squinted his eyes, looking just beside the klepto to see Jade rolling her hips, practically twerking down to the ground not too far from her friend.

Taehyung couldn’t hold back his laughter as he intently watched their shapes bend and twist in sexual ways that painted him with fantastic visuals. “Damn…only one missing is…” He quickly scanned their surroundings looking for the fiery goddess he loved to torture. He landed on her wearing a shimmering teal dress that exposed her stomach due to the triangular shape cut from the fabric. She was nursing a tropical drink not too far from their table and seemed completely unaware of their presence. “Bingo.”

Their waiter finally returned with their first round of drinks and Taehyung happily accepted the glass, eager to start his prowl. Once the waiter left the table, he was the first to speak, “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna keep our little gems company.”

He started sliding out of the booth until Jungkook grabbed his hand. “I call dibs on klepto barbie.”

Taehyung was unphased by the serious look his younger partner sent him as he waited for Taehyung’s response. While Taehyung would’ve loved the opportunity to play with Emmy, he could easily seek the affections of the other two. “Sure, I want to expand my collection anyway.” He winked before swiftly making his way around the bar with Ruby’s table set as his target. He imagined that even if he struck out with her, he could always steal Jade away with some sweet words and seductive touches.

Jimin and Jungkook shared a look, silently judging their friend’s skewed mentality toward their female adversaries. “How much you wanna bet he gets slapped?” Jimin smirked.

Jungkook laughed, “Not much of a bet. I guarantee he’s gonna get slapped.”

Jimin tilted his head, swirling the amber liquid in his glass as he looked back at the dance floor. He studied the two women dancing as if no one else was in the club with no regard that they were being watched or that their mobility clearly displayed alcohol was coursing through their veins.

Jungkook also stared out into the ambiance of the club, fixated on one body in particular as he slowly drank from his glass to hide the fact he was watching so intently. He debated approaching her with Jade dancing close by, anticipating that they would chase him off together. He hoped he would get an opportunity to sneak out toward them and get a moment alone with the thief who clutched his heart in her hands.

“Want to divide and conquer?” Jungkook asked Jimin after placing the drink back down on the table. He wondered if his partner would be willing to keep the brains of the trio distracted while he swooped in to steal Emmy’s attention.

The eldest mulled over Jungkook’s proposal, subconsciously biting his lip as he examined the wild mannerisms of Jade as she let loose. Part of him gravitated towards her, wanting to give in to some of the impulses he had during their past encounters, but hesitated when he saw how much the girls seemed to affect his teammates. “I think I’ll just stay here and get some more drinks.”

Jungkook clicked his tongue, realizing that getting to Emmy wouldn’t be so easy without Jimin’s help. He quickly downed the rest of his drink, harshly swallowing the burning liquid as he smacked his lips together. “Well, you have fun with that. I’ll be out there.”

On the dance floor, the song faded out before a new mix started back up. Jade swayed on her feet, suddenly feeling the light sheen of sweat on her skin while she gathered air back into her lungs. She looked to Emmy to see the young brunette still swishing her hips side to side with the beat. “Hey!” She reached out to grab Emmy’s wrist, causing the youngest to look up at the tech specialist. “I’m gonna grab a drink!” She yelled over the music into Emmy’s ear.

“Okay! I’ll stay here!” Emmy pointed down, indicating that she would be in the same spot while Jade maneuvered her way toward the bar.

Emmy felt Jade let go of her wrist and continued to get lost in the music, completely forgetting her worries as she danced to the vocals of Jason Derulo. She listened to the lyrics letting him control the pace of her hips, building the momentum until the tempo changed and she started a slow grind.

She was perfectly content doing her own thing until a hand slipped around her waist, resting across her exposed stomach. She whipped around, startled by the presence invading her space as Seoho flashed in front of her eyes. The glimmer of silver resting on soft flesh caught her attention, allowing her to settle from her rapid spike of fear while sinking into Jungkook’s arms.

The abrupt switch in emotions, churned the alcohol faster through her system which caused her to dive into the rush of dopamine she received when she was being held by Jungkook rather than the man that tried to kill her. “Oh, it’s just you.” She hummed, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing them into a gentle sway despite the fast-paced music in the club.

Jungkook grinned, his cheeks crinkling when he felt her melt into him. His hands held her frame, falling into step with her little dance while savoring the relaxed smile stretched over her features. “Just me?” He laughed, “I’m pretty sure I saved your life, and that’s all you can say?”

Emmy tried to glare at him, but she was too thrilled to have him close, happily thinking of the passionate kiss he gave her on the pool deck. “You made me lose.” She remembered, the disappointment resurfacing since she was so close to enjoying a steak dinner.

“Are you really upset about that?” Jungkook wasn’t taking the pout on her delicious lips seriously as she played with the hair on the nape of his neck.

Emmy tilted her head to the side, nearly making herself dizzy as she contemplated his question. While she mostly got over the loss, it was fun ammunition to use against him and deny him of her affection. “I don’t like to lose.” She acknowledged, deepening her pout and fluttering her eyelashes dramatically.

Jungkook was loving the red hue grazing across her cheeks while she played the victim of a victimless crime. He bit his lip, keeping himself from smothering her lips with his own again. He quickly spun her out and pulled her back in, disabling the adorable pout as she giggled from the sudden movement. Her back was against his chest while his arms wrapped around her, ready to spin her back out again. However, he held her against him, brushing her ear with his lips, “Let me take you to dinner.”

He left no room for question before swinging her around, pressing her front against his, and holding her firmly to his frame. His eyes bore into her own and her mind completely shut down from the moment his voice rumbled through her ear canal. She peered up at him from beneath her eyelashes, lips parted as she flickered between his dark gaze and shining piercing. “Okay.”

Her hands slipped over his shoulders, applying pressure as she lifted up on her toes. She tilted her head to the side, moving slowly towards his face while closing her eyes to seal the date with a kiss. However, she was violently ripped from the warmth of his strong arms holding her to his built frame.

“It’s time to go. I can’t find Ruby.” Jade informed Emmy firmly as she pulled the young brunette off the dance floor and away from Jungkook. The pout returned to Emmy’s lips as she glanced back at the man she owed her life to, wishing she could run back into his arms and let her diluted conscience make some impulsive decisions.

Jimin watched from the booth as Jade pulled Emmy out from the dance floor, traveling towards the exit. He quietly slipped out from the table to follow from afar, wishing to still keep tabs on the girls during the rest of their vacation. As he watched the two women closely, he became more curious when they seemed to be heading in the same direction that the guys were residing. He was glad he was able to tail them without being caught until finally the girls managed to get into their room which just so happened to be the neighboring sky suite.

—

Ruby giggled as soft lips caressed her skin, the environment around her completely dark as she was gently pushed further into the seeming abyss. A deep hum rumbled from the man holding her hips, his fingers kneading at her figure as he explored the shape of her curves. His head hung over her shoulder as he lathered the blades with kisses, sweeping his tongue occasionally in anticipation of the sweetness that was yet to come.

The hands guiding her turned her back towards the man who brought her to his room. She stumbled as her footing twisted around, grabbing onto the man’s biceps for stability as she cackled from her clumsiness. His lips found her own, quickly prodding his tongue for entrance, mingling the rich taste of alcohol wafting from their breath. Ruby happily drank his kiss, allowing him to explore as she savored him like a fine wine.

She gasped when her back knocked into a solid surface, imagining herself pressed against a wall while he caged her in with his tall stature. The impact was an instant switch as she indulged in him, savoring his taste with a pool of warmth pouring into her abdomen. She could feel his large hands grazing up her arms, following the cut up to her neck until he reached behind her head to pull the strings that kept the top half of the dress over her torso.

His nimble agility to remove the garment was flawless as the sequin fabric fell away from her breasts, exposing the sensitive skin to the silk of his shirt. Her moan was devoured by his lips, his hand instantly cupping over her mounds and gently squeezing the pliant flesh. When his mouth left her own, she began to protest until her head smacked against the wall behind her; the warmth of his tongue swirling over her nipple shocking her with a spark of pleasure.

“Fuck me.” She breathed, feeling her torso encased by the presence nipping against her breast before he switched the other.

He chuckled as he worked his magic, giving his attention to the neglected bud as Ruby melted into the wall. After a moment, he moved from her delectable skin with a pop and blew softly on the wet nipple. He was happy when she curled off the wall, pushing her hips towards him as she naturally craved more attention. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you feel good.”

Ruby clawed at his shirt, trying to tear it from his body, but he quickly stood up and stepped away. She heard him softly tut at her in disapproval, “Careful, sweetheart. This is Versace.” She wasn’t sure why but her stomach churned briefly, unaware that her natural instincts were screaming at her; telling her to stop before she made a mistake with the infuriating Taehyung. However, the sensation passed as she waited against the wall, her body screaming for his touch to return. She could hardly hear the rustle of fabric as he unbuttoned the shirt until she heard it get tossed into another part of the room, knocking something over in the distance with a heavy thud. “Shit.”

Ruby heard his voice and bravely stepped forward in the darkness, seeking him out. She collided with his frame as she leaped from the wall, her hands gripping onto any source of stability since she could hardly stand in her heels. “Damn,” She ran her hands over the surface, realizing she was feeling his naked abdomen and toned arms.

His muscles flexed beneath her, cradling her body against his own as he slowly moved them across the room. His deep but gentle hum sedated her as she followed his every step, anxious to see where he was taking them. “Watch your eyes.” He whispered softly, one of his hands leaving her body to assumingly turn on a light. Ruby did not heed the warning and was momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness turning on from a lamp beside them. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

She blinked, adjusting to the light within the room as she tried taking the view of the half-dressed man holding her in his arms. Her vision blurred, finding it hard to focus from the alcohol running through her system. “You too.” She responded, despite having no way to clearly distinguish his appearance from the fuzzy blob she managed to put together.

“Let’s move to the bed.” He began guiding her again, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist as she seemed to stumble more in the light than she did in the dark.

When Ruby hit her knee against the mattress, she let her body flop onto the plush surface. Her hair fanned out around her head as she sunk into the creamy sheets, cool air hitting her naked breasts when her body fell away from his. She groaned when he lifted one of her legs, bending it away from the other as there was a shift in weight at the bottom of the bed. She tilted her vision down to see the blurry figure crawling towards her, making himself comfortable against her thighs.

The room felt like it was spinning, causing her to rest her head back against the mattress. She closed her eyes as she focused on the sensations dancing across her skin. She could feel his hands trace up the muscles of her leg, his thumb digging into her supple skin when he ran up the course of her thighs. She cursed when he slipped beneath the skirt of her dress, the v-shaped cut giving him easy access to the lacy thong she wore and seamlessly pulled off her.

The bed shifted again, feeling her back dip when the mattress sunk to accommodate the weight of Taehyung as he kneeled between her legs. She could hear the clinking sound of metal and peered down to see him fiddling with his belt buckle before she could make out the sound of the zipper. She was hit with another wave of arousal, laying back as her head swirled with the overwhelming sensations clouding her.

She could hear him talking to her, but he was muffled under the buzz spreading through her as the alcohol hit her again. Every time she tried to open her eyes, the ceiling tilted on its own, making her dizzy. His hands came back to her thighs, pushing the material of her dress up to her waist and exposing her moist folds to the cool air. The refreshing feeling was soon gone as he pressed into her, his girthy cock prodding against her thigh when he laid over her body.

Ruby moaned as he cradled the back of her head, lifting her up towards his lips and brushing his nose to her own. “Open your eyes for me. I wanna see how good I make you feel.” His breath swept over her lips, invading her senses as she indulged in the aroma of bourbon.

She cringed when she opened her eyes, unable to adjust to the close proximity. “Just fuck me.” She demanded, pulling him in and fusing their lips together, sipping on the lingering alcohol soaked on his tongue.

Taehyung had no issue obliging her request, eager to conquer another one of their adversaries and gain the privilege of taming the most difficult of the three women. While he appreciated women in many varieties, the sweetest nectar comes from the chase. Much like his partner, Jungkook, he enjoyed a challenge and was willing to work his way through any fortress or obstacle a woman put in front of him. He loved to watch their walls crack and knew the treasure beyond the trials made it that more valuable.

He balanced himself above her, keeping their lips locked as he grabbed the shaft of his dick. He pumped his member quickly, allowing the limb to harden before aligning with the inviting entrance between her legs. The head of his cock sunk between the velvet lips, instantly becoming drenched in her natural lubrication. His body tingled as he pushed in further, her body tensing beneath him the more he penetrated her.

Ruby tossed her head back as he slipped inside her, breaking away from his kiss. She had no time to adjust as he pulled slowly back out before rushing his hips forward again. He slowly set the pace, staring intently at her breasts with every thrust of his dick into her. He salivated when the pert buds bounced in tandem with his pace, the slight swells jiggling erratically.

Her hands crawled into his hair, tangling her fingers through the dark tresses as she enjoyed the way his member dragged against her walls. “Yes,” She hissed, wrapping her legs around him to pull him in deeper. “Harder.” She needed more and needed it now.

“Yeah? You want it harder?” He lifted away a little, pushing her legs back against her chest before surging his hips into her cavern. “Like that?”

Ruby nodded, enjoying the way he hit against her cervix with the new angle. She could hardly speak as her body jostled against the mattress, his hips pummeling against her own. Her ears began ringing as the sound of skin slapping against skin amplified through the room. The tempo was fast and turned her on as she imagined his cock drilling into her quickly.

Beyond the sound of their hips colliding, she could hear the rumble of his voice but was unable to focus on the words spilling from his lips. She moaned in response, drowning out the noise of his heavy panting and incoherent sentences. However, to her building annoyance, he seemed insistent in communicating and the focus on her pleasure was dwindling as she tried to decipher what nonsense he was saying.

“I want you to scream for me, tell everyone how good I’m making you feel.” Sober Ruby would have rolled her eyes and told him to shut the fuck up. In the bedroom, Ruby wasn’t very vocal besides some moaning, and most definitely, not screaming. Drunk Ruby chose to ignore his request and decided that maybe she should try to take control.

She pushed against his chest, slapping the dewy skin as a silent indication to get off. Taehyung hesitated as he slowly pulled away, slipping out from her pussy and watching their precum drip from the tip of his member. He was confused by her actions until she sat up and pushed him down on the bed, keeping her eyes narrowed to avoid getting dizzy again.

He smirked when she crawled into his lap, taking hold of his cock before plunging him back into her. He groaned as her walls wrapped tightly around him, her weight sitting deliciously on his pelvis. He noticed her eyes were closed again as she started lifting herself up and letting her body drop back down onto his. He allowed her to take control, smoothing his hands over the exposed flesh of her thighs with her dress still bunched up around her hips.

Ruby quickly took control of the situation, working on slamming herself down over his cock to get him as deep as possible. She struggled with the nausea, her world swaying with the alcohol still diluting her sense of reality. However, as long as she kept her eyes closed, she could manage to focus on chasing her orgasm and worry about riding him.

Her hands splayed across his abdomen, keeping her steady as she straddled him, cantering her hips to knock the head of his cock repeatedly against her cervix and grind her clit with his pelvis. She yelped when his large hand slapped against her ass, encouraging her to go faster. She was able to pick up the speed with his help as he cupped her ass and used his strength to amplify her movements.

“That’s right, sweetheart. Keep going, make daddy cum.” Ruby nearly lost balance as he bucked his hips up and he used the word daddy. She tried to speak, but his strong thrusts had her struggling to sit upright and instead had her tumbling moans from her lips as protests vibrated in her throat. Even drunk, she did not have a daddy kink.

Her moans only seemed to fuel the dirty talk spewing from his lips and Ruby was slowly finding the drag of his member against her walls painful as she dried up. She peered down at him and slapped what she believed to be his face, hoping it threw him off long enough to change positions. His movements and nonsense stopped all at once, allowing Ruby to seize her moment.

“Shut up.” She groaned, lifting off his hard dick and crawling over his body until she could feel the features of his face brush against her abused pussy. Without any explanation, she smothered her folds against his lips to avoid any more of his dirty talk.

Taehyung happily accepted his fate, reaching up to help grind her down against his defined features and nipping at the smooth skin between her legs. Her thighs surrounded him like a pillow, clouding his senses and overwhelming him with her essence. He was a man starved as he opened his mouth, welcoming the rich dew created by their pleasure.

Ruby felt the dam break as his tongue pushed between her lips, prodding deep into her pussy while her desperately sensitive clit buzzed against the bridge of his nose. Her thighs burned from holding herself up over him, trying to keep from completely sitting on him in case he needed to breathe but he kept pulling her down and drowning himself.

Ruby could feel the rush of the tidal waves reaching the shore as he suckled her juices. She reached down, fumbling to stimulate herself as she tried to push herself over the edge until Taehyung dragged her back down along his lips and ran his tongue across her clit. He flicked the bud repeatedly with his wet muscle, digging one hand beneath her to fuck two of his fingers into her.

Her world turned again when she tossed her head back, riding the sensations of his tongue and fingers as she cried out. She became limp as he continued letting her crash down on him before flipping them over and cleaning her out completely. She panted and twitched as he overstimulated her, drinking up every ounce she had to offer until there was nothing left.

She was so out of it that she didn’t even realize he was using her to get off, rubbing the juices of her pussy from his fingers onto his erection and pumping his cock until he came. He jerked his arousal onto the bed, his face still happily buried between her legs. When he finally pulled away, she sighed in relief and her body melted into the mattress once again as her world stopped spinning.

Taehyung got up from the bed, smirking to himself as he watched her lay across the bed in sedation. He moved across the room to clean up the mess he made, a skip in his step when he could still taste her on his tongue. He wiped himself clean quickly before getting a warm, damp cloth for Ruby.

When he returned to the bed, he was surprised to hear soft snores drifting from her lips. He admired the view, taking in the relaxed features across her face that were usually hardened with agitation. While he knew this moment might be short-lived, he had every intention of milking it and gingerly cleaned her up with the wet cloth to avoid waking the raging beast buried within the beauty.

#bts smut #jeon jungkook #park jimin #bts fanfic #jeon jungkook fanfic #park jimin fanfic #kim taehyung #kim taehyung smut #jeon jungkook smut #park jimin smut

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usafphantom2 · 9 months ago

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B-2 Gets Big Upgrade with New Open Mission Systems Capability

July 18, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber has been upgraded with a new open missions systems (OMS) software capability and other improvements to keep it relevant and credible until it’s succeeded by the B-21 Raider, Northrop Grumman announced. The changes accelerate the rate at which new weapons can be added to the B-2; allow it to accept constant software updates, and adapt it to changing conditions.

“The B-2 program recently achieved a major milestone by providing the bomber with its first fieldable, agile integrated functional capability called Spirit Realm 1 (SR 1),” the company said in a release. It announced the upgrade going operational on July 17, the 35th anniversary of the B-2’s first flight.

SR 1 was developed inside the Spirit Realm software factory codeveloped by the Air Force and Northrop to facilitate software improvements for the B-2. “Open mission systems” means that the aircraft has a non-proprietary software architecture that simplifies software refresh and enhances interoperability with other systems.

“SR 1 provides mission-critical capability upgrades to the communications and weapons systems via an open mission systems architecture, directly enhancing combat capability and allowing the fleet to initiate a new phase of agile software releases,” Northrop said in its release.

The system is intended to deliver problem-free software on the first go—but should they arise, correct software issues much earlier in the process.

The SR 1 was “fully developed inside the B-2 Spirit Realm software factory that was established through a partnership with Air Force Global Strike Command and the B-2 Systems Program Office,” Northrop said.

The Spirit Realm software factory came into being less than two years ago, with four goals: to reduce flight test risk and testing time through high-fidelity ground testing; to capture more data test points through targeted upgrades; to improve the B-2’s functional capabilities through more frequent, automated testing; and to facilitate more capability upgrades to the jet.

The Air Force said B-2 software updates which used to take two years can now be implemented in less than three months.

In addition to B61 or B83 nuclear weapons, the B-2 can carry a large number of precision-guided conventional munitions. However, the Air Force is preparing to introduce a slate of new weapons that will require near-constant target updates and the ability to integrate with USAF’s evolving long-range kill chain. A quicker process for integrating these new weapons with the B-2’s onboard communications, navigation, and sensor systems was needed.

The upgrade also includes improved displays, flight hardware and other enhancements to the B-2’s survivability, Northrop said.

“We are rapidly fielding capabilities with zero software defects through the software factory development ecosystem and further enhancing the B-2 fleet’s mission effectiveness,” said Jerry McBrearty, Northrop’s acting B-2 program manager.

The upgrade makes the B-2 the first legacy nuclear weapons platform “to utilize the Department of Defense’s DevSecOps [development, security, and operations] processes and digital toolsets,” it added.

The software factory approach accelerates adding new and future weapons to the stealth bomber, and thus improve deterrence, said Air Force Col. Frank Marino, senior materiel leader for the B-2.

The B-2 was not designed using digital methods—the way its younger stablemate, the B-21 Raider was—but the SR 1 leverages digital technology “to design, manage, build and test B-2 software more efficiently than ever before,” the company said.

The digital tools can also link with those developed for other legacy systems to accomplish “more rapid testing and fielding and help identify and fix potential risks earlier in the software development process.”

Following two crashes in recent years, the stealthy B-2 fleet comprises 19 aircraft, which are the only penetrating aircraft in the Air Force’s bomber fleet until the first B-21s are declared to have achieved initial operational capability at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. A timeline for IOC has not been disclosed.

The B-2 is a stealthy, long-range, penetrating nuclear and conventional strike bomber. It is based on a flying wing design combining LO with high aerodynamic efficiency. The aircraft’s blended fuselage/wing holds two weapons bays capable of carrying nearly 60,000 lb in various combinations.

Spirit entered combat during Allied Force on March 24, 1999, striking Serbian targets. Production was completed in three blocks, and all aircraft were upgraded to Block 30 standard with AESA radar. Production was limited to 21 aircraft due to cost, and a single B-2 was subsequently lost in a crash at Andersen, Feb. 23, 2008.

Modernization is focused on safeguarding the B-2A’s penetrating strike capability in high-end threat environments and integrating advanced weapons.

The B-2 achieved a major milestone in 2022 with the integration of a Radar Aided Targeting System (RATS), enabling delivery of the modernized B61-12 precision-guided thermonuclear freefall weapon. RATS uses the aircraft’s radar to guide the weapon in GPS-denied conditions, while additional Flex Strike upgrades feed GPS data to weapons prerelease to thwart jamming. A B-2A successfully dropped an inert B61-12 using RATS on June 14, 2022, and successfully employed the longer-range JASSM-ER cruise missile in a test launch last December.

Ongoing upgrades include replacing the primary cockpit displays, the Adaptable Communications Suite (ACS) to provide Link 16-based jam-resistant in-flight retasking, advanced IFF, crash-survivable data recorders, and weapons integration. USAF is also working to enhance the fleet’s maintainability with LO signature improvements to coatings, materials, and radar-absorptive structures such as the radome and engine inlets/exhausts.

Two B-2s were damaged in separate landing accidents at Whiteman on Sept. 14, 2021, and Dec. 10, 2022, the latter prompting an indefinite fleetwide stand-down until May 18, 2023. USAF plans to retire the fleet once the B-21 Raider enters service in sufficient numbers around 2032.

Contractors: Northrop Grumman; Boeing; Vought.

First Flight: July 17, 1989.

Delivered: December 1993-December 1997.

IOC: April 1997, Whiteman AFB, Mo.

Production: 21.

Inventory: 20.

Operator: AFGSC, AFMC, ANG (associate).

Aircraft Location: Edwards AFB, Calif.; Whiteman AFB, Mo.

Active Variant: •B-2A. Production aircraft upgraded to Block 30 standards.

Dimensions: Span 172 ft, length 69 ft, height 17 ft.

Weight: Max T-O 336,500 lb.

Power Plant: Four GE Aviation F118-GE-100 turbofans, each 17,300 lb thrust.

Performance: Speed high subsonic, range 6,900 miles (further with air refueling).

Ceiling: 50,000 ft.

Armament: Nuclear: 16 B61-7, B61-12, B83, or eight B61-11 bombs (on rotary launchers). Conventional: 80 Mk 62 (500-lb) sea mines, 80 Mk 82 (500-lb) bombs, 80 GBU-38 JDAMs, or 34 CBU-87/89 munitions (on rack assemblies); or 16 GBU-31 JDAMs, 16 Mk 84 (2,000-lb) bombs, 16 AGM-154 JSOWs, 16 AGM-158 JASSMs, or eight GBU-28 LGBs.

Accommodation: Two pilots on ACES II zero/zero ejection seats.

#b-2a spirit #usaf #aircraft #aviation

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satoshi-mochida · 2 months ago

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Turok remaster now available for PS5, Xbox Series; all versions updated with new features and improvements - Gematsu

Nightdive Studios has released PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions of the Turok remaster originally released in 2015, the company announced.

Additionally, the remastered release has been updated on all platforms with new features, menu options, bug fixes, and improvements.

Get the full patch notes.

New Features

Optimized renderer for Vulkan and Nintendo Switch.

Support for high refresh rates.

Ported to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

Improved gamepad functionality and vibration support.

Localized Achievements / Trophies.

The Brachiosaurus from a Turok beta rom has been found and recovered. You’ll find these dinos stomping around in the Treetops level.

You can now swap ammo types for the Tek Bow and Shotgun whenever you want, just like Turok 2.

The Run / Walk toggle button has been added from the original game. By moving at walking speeds on the ground, you can get closer to enemies from behind before they notice you.

You can now bind multiple weapons to the same button to cycle between them.

Restored the High Priests homing blue magic attack and the Purlins unused leap smash melee attack.

Restored the Gallery cheat code with the addition of viewing the Bosses and Turok. You can also preview animations on each of the enemies.

-New Menu Options

You can reset menu options to default with the “Reset to Defaults” menu option.

The Input Bindings menus now shows icons instead of text.

Added binds in Action Bindings menu for Changing Ammo Type and Walk Toggle.

Controller Options: Button Prompts (PC), Look Smoothing, SouthPaw (Swap Sticks), Enable Vibration and Intensity, DeadZones.

Gameplay Options: Radial Fog, Player Shadow, Enable Walk Toggle, Enable Change Ammo

Head Bobbing Options: Added strafe and jump bobbing options and you can now adjust the scale of how much the screen is tilted for each bobbing option.

HUD Options: Automap Show Player, Automap Show Compass, Show All Health Stats (Shows health when you have Armor), Show Alt Ammo, Flash Intensity, Shake Intensity, Horizontal Positioning of the HUD.

Graphic Options: Always Show Lens Flares, Antialiasing: SMAA, FXAA, FXAA Fast, Off

Audio Options: Master Volume, Audio Output, Low-Pass Filtering, Enable Underwater Music, Ambient Environment Sounds

Video Options: Switch between Vulkan and Direct3D (PC)

Save file level names are now localized. The most recent save file is marked in green. The date displayed is now in the format yyyy/mm/dd hh::mm::ss.

-Fixes and Improvements

Improvements to the font.

Fixed animated textures skipping the first frame.

Enemies that have been blown up into air are now able to fall off cliffs and float/sink in water.

Fixed the red and orange Attack Robots from having a huge melee hit radius and removed their random explosion effect being spawned during certain animations.

Reduced the frequency enemies will teleport and their animation is updated right away while teleporting in so you won’t see them pop in for a frame at the start of their animation.

Enemies that are waiting to be triggered can no longer be damaged or killed.

Fixes to enemy headtracking.

Simple shadows take into account the fog when they are drawn. Fixed shadows appearing briefly at the start of enemies dropping from the sky. Fixed shadows drawing on top of other shadows.

The Purlins melee attacks no longer play ambient bird sounds.

Enemies no longer stutter in place when they’re in their initial animation and transition to a root motion animation.

Enemies are no longer removed from the map if they can respawn when the player moves far away from them.

Enemy grenades can impact more surface types instead of just disappearing on impact.

Bosses are now affected by the difficulty setting and have a modifier for the damage they receive similar to regular enemies, to match the original version.

Humvee can no longer be knocked back when damaged and will restore its death state animation correctly when respawning in the arena. The Humvee can be knifed again allowing (glitchless) knife only playthroughs. The wheels no longer spin forever when destroyed and certain sound file paths have been fixed with underscores instead of single quotes.

Fixed Longhunter from being damaged during his non fight states.

Restored Campaigners original behavior with the weapons that can damage him and what weapons get removed from the player. Additionally you will now see your weapons get taken from you and destroyed.

Arrows will now fire from the correct player height when crawling.

Restored super arrow shot chance for enemies to drop Mortal Wounds. Also, only enemies that had the “Teleport Avoid Cliffs” spawn flag set could be hit by a super arrow shot. Corrected to be when the “Mortal Wound Impact” flag is set.

Restored Quad-Rocket Launcher original ammo usage to 4 and max ammo to 24. (48 with backpack)

Particle Accelerator / Shockwave weapon can now freeze dead enemies just like the original and also works on beetles, robots, and turrets.

Dealing direct hits to dead enemies from the Tek Bow and Shotgun explosive shells will now blow enemies away.

Exiting water from the side will now re-equip your previous weapon.

Fixed enemy explosive damage only doing a quarter of the damage to the player.

Fixed players height not getting restored when entering and exiting crawl sectors quickly. As well as after certain animations are played.

The player’s eye height is now used instead of the actor’s height to determine if the player is in water.

The player is now kept at the correct water surface height when swimming on top of the water and water friction is now applied correctly to the player’s z velocity.

Explosive damage no longer does very little damage on enemies under certain conditions.

When entering a Spirit World portal your exact position will be used when you come back through the portal.

Fish will now always try to return to their initial height position in the case you lured them up a ramp.

Falling rocks are now hidden until they are activated.

Minor fixes to a few models.

The small and large cell ammo pickup models were swapped and have been fixed.

Extended weapon models for Ultrawide resolutions.

The underwater screen color now blends to the water color and is now displayed even when the “Show HUD” option is off.

Water surfaces are now displayed at the correct height and are no longer incorrectly offset down by 8 units.

Fixed weapon wheel movement.

Fixed issues caused by interrupting map change cinematics.

Improved noclip sector positioning.

Minor fixes to almost all maps.

Fixed the Time Trial map to no longer show the help messages and play sounds.

In the Ancient City, the time it takes for the gate to raise after pushing the short timed button has been increased.

There were 2 enemies and 2 Life Forces in The Treetops level that were placed far below the floor (in the original as well). They are now placed correctly on the platforms above.

When spawning at the Mantis save point you will no longer immediately be asked if you want to save the game.

In the Catacombs, the Mantis pillars and bars around a level key and the chronoscepter piece now animate correctly.

The water in the outside area in The Catacombs level now drains correctly and will not drain again when reentering the level and stepping on the button.

Fixed audio reverb. Spiritual Invincibility no longer has reverb effects. Added reverb effects to the Spirit World levels.

Sprite bleeding for the bullet splash, fire, and waterfall steam sprites has been fixed.

Fixed artifacts around frames for sprite fx005.

The Boss and Air bar textures now look more like the original, with color.

Platforms that are moving upwards or downwards will no longer force Turok to the floor at high speeds which prevented the player from being able to jump during that time.

Fixed issues with actors z position while on platform sectors.

LifeForce pickups are no longer snapped to the floor when they start in water. Fixes the LifeForces in the level 4 water pillar area.

The precise projectile collision option now works correctly.

Projectile collision against sectors that were linked to another sector and had bridge sectors has been fixed.

Projectiles that collide with ceilings will now use the sector’s wall impact instead of their floor impact.

Particle Emitters will continue to be shown even when only partially off screen.

Particle Trails will now create a final segment when they impact an object or expire.

Fixed some effects like the pulse rifle shots not being affected by game speed.

Billboard effects are now set to use no culling.

Particle effects with the bStickOnTarget flag now works correctly. (Chronoscepter and Shockwave weapons will hit actors origin point + half height)

The Particle effects RestrictAim flag now works with the Projectile flag, and the target must be within a 90 degree field of view. This allows you to dodge certain attacks such as the Ancient Warriors blow darts if you’re fast enough to get behind them.

Lots of additional scripting features for modders. (PC)

Turok is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam, GOG, and Humble Store.

#Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #Turok #Nightdive Studios #Atari #FPS #Gematsu

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dystopicjumpsuit · 1 year ago

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Stars Beyond Number - Chapter 21

The Emotion and the Response

Rating: T (rating varies by chapter; mature content will be tagged; regardless of rating, minors DNI)

Pairings: Echo x Riyo Chuchi; Gregor x OFC Cerra Kilian

Wordcount: 2.4k

Warnings and tags: language; blood and injury; a panic attack; sensuality.

Suggested Listening:

Summary: A reunion.

A/N: This story shares continuity with Martyrs and Kings, "Double, Double Boil and Trouble" (part 2 here) and "Do It Again," but all the fics can be read as stand-alones.

Between the emotion and the response falls the Shadow

—T. S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men”

The coordinates Gregor sent dropped Cerra quite literally in the middle of nowhere, parsecs away from the nearest star system, inhabited or otherwise. As the shuttle shifted into realspace, she saw the reason he’d chosen this place. Instead of the black emptiness of space she expected, the Archeon Nebula stretched out before her: a luminous, golden cloud of gas and cosmic dust. It was an incredible view, but that wasn’t why the commando had sent her there.

The electromagnetic radiation of the nebula interfered with long-range communications, including any signals from tracking beacons that she might have missed on the shuttle. Short-range comms would still work if she boosted the signal as high as it would go, but she was invisible to the Empire and everyone else in the galaxy so long as she stayed put.

She navigated away from the hyperspace lane and powered down all systems except life support and comms to avoid detection by passing vessels, then she increased the range and sensitivity of the shuttle’s proximity sensor to maximum. With the tiniest shred of luck, the next ship that arrived would be Gregor, not smugglers, pirates, or worse. Of course, her luck hadn’t been particularly stellar lately.

While she waited, she raided the shuttle’s supply cabinet and was disgusted to find that it didn’t even have a basic medkit. Supply officer on that Venator ought to be busted down to private, she fumed with a disgruntled, unintelligible mutter.

On the plus side, there were a few expired ration bars, which she ate, because she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a meal, and a few bottles of water, which she drank, because she had no idea how long she’d be waiting for Gregor. That karking mudscuffer Yularen had split her lip badly when he hit her, and she winced as she chewed the desiccated rations, hoping that she wouldn’t reopen the wound.

She stripped off the plastoid TK armor and the compression bodysuit and headed to the refresher. The shuttle didn’t have a shower—not even a sonic—but she scrubbed off as much of Daivik’s dried blood as she could in the tiny sink, washing until the red swirls that circled the drain disappeared and the water ran clear.

The familiar harsh, medicinal scent of the soap stung her nose and transported her instantly to her time in the GAR, filling her with an odd sense of nostalgia. She examined the swelling bruise on her shoulder where Daivik had struck her. It hurt like a sonofabitch. She rolled her shoulder gingerly, testing her range of motion. It wasn’t terrible, but she wouldn’t exactly call it great, either. She’d had worse injuries, but that didn’t make her current ones any more fun.

Should’ve killed that scughole before he beat the shit out of me, she mused. I’ll have to remember that next time I get my ass captured.

She sighed and stepped back into the compression suit, and then headed to the cockpit, where she curled up in the pilot’s seat to wait, stretching and shifting in the cramped seat to try to get more comfortable. Her eyes felt gritty and dry. Her body ached. Without the sublight engine running, the only sounds were the quiet hum of the life support system and the faint clangs of the ship itself as it drifted in the emptiness. The displays and buttons of the ship’s navigation panel were barely bright enough to see anything, but nebula cast a faint glow through the viewport, subtly illuminating the cockpit in soft, golden light.

She gazed out the viewport as her eyes grew heavy. There was something strangely comforting about the nebula—knowing that it continued to create new stars even as others flickered and died throughout the galaxy. The darkness hadn’t won. Not yet. There was still light. There was still hope. And even the stars that died continued to shine long after they’d burnt out.

Her head throbbed, and her lids drifted closed, only for a moment. Just a few seconds, really. No more than that. She needed to stay awake while she waited for Gregor. She… She needed…

She slept.

She had no idea how long she’d been out when she jerked awake, startled into consciousness by the blaring proximity alert. She cursed silently as she lunged forward and toggled the switch so the alarm would stop screeching. The comms crackled to life.

“Code tango-two-one-eight. Watchman to Scrapper, I’ve reached the rendezvous coordinates. What’s your status?”

Cerra’s heart lurched at the sound of Gregor’s voice.

“All good here, Watchman,” she replied. “Send me a ping, and I’ll dock with your ship.”

“Copy that. See you soon.”

Within minutes, she docked with the freighter, and before she boarded, she programmed the shuttle’s hyperdrive to overload. She hurried across to the freighter and sealed the hatch, signaling Gregor to release the docking clamps. By the time she made it to the cockpit, they were already at a safe distance from the shuttle, and within seconds, a blinding flash confirmed the shuttle was destroyed.

Gregor sprang out of his seat and rushed toward Cerra. His eyes widened when he saw her bruised, bloodied face, and he pulled her into a crushing embrace. Cerra let out a tiny whimper of pain, and he loosened his grip immediately.

“Are you all right?” he asked, checking her frantically for injuries.

“I’m all right, Gregor,” she said as relief flooded her. She was safe. She was home. “There was no medkit on the shuttle, otherwise I would have taken care of it already.”

He pushed her gently into the copilot’s chair and reached across her to grab the small emergency medkit they kept in the cockpit. He knelt between her knees as he pulled out a tube of bacta, biting down on the finger of his glove and yanking it off with his teeth. As he leaned close to dab the gel on the bruises and lacerations that marred her face, his dark eyes filled with such distress that her heart twisted inside her to see it. His touch was incredibly gentle, and Cerra took a moment to simply enjoy the way his skin felt against her, his fingers were warm and comforting in contrast to the cold bacta.

“Is there more under the suit?” he asked.

She nodded and reached for the autofastener, but Gregor found it first and tugged it down, careful not to pinch her skin as he unzipped the tight-fitting garment. As he slid the pressure suit cautiously down over her shoulders to puddle around her waist, his breath caught when he saw the extent of the bruises that mottled her skin.

“Those fucking bastards,” he growled. “I’ll kill them.”

“Sorry, buddy, I beat you to it,” she said with a pained smile.

He grunted. “As long as they’re dead.”

He smoothed the bacta onto her shoulder with the lightest touches, easing her bra strap out of the way as he worked. The soft, warm glow of the nebula caught on the planes of his face, throwing the angles and lines into stark relief. He knelt so close to her that she could see the rise and fall of his chest with each breath, the subtle pulse in his neck with each heartbeat. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, at once so familiar and so unique, and a memory flashed in her mind: strong arms wrapped securely around her; a thick, solid thigh slotted between her legs; the firm press of a body against her hip as she drifted on the edge of consciousness.

“Gregor?” she whispered, then swallowed thickly.

“Hm?” He raised his eyes to hers inquisitively, and he was so close that she could see the golden flecks in his irises.

“I don’t want to fight any more,” she said. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

His eyes softened. “I know you didn’t.”

He was so, so close. Her gaze drifted down to his mouth, and when she looked back up, he was staring at hers, too. His hand stilled and rested against her shoulder, and she knew he could feel the way her breathing became rapid and shallow. Almost without realizing she was moving, she raised her hand to his face and traced her thumb across the chiseled line of his cheekbone. How had she never noticed how sharp it was? Maker, he was so handsome it almost hurt to look at him, like staring directly into a star. No wonder she’d spent the last several months avoiding looking too closely. She trailed her fingertips along his jawline, feeling the scratch of his stubble, and he leaned imperceptibly closer.

He looked so much like Fives, and yet so different at the same time. When did his face become so incredibly important to her? When had his voice become as vital as the air that she breathed? When had he gone from being her dearest friend to being the one person in the galaxy that she could not imagine living without?

She brushed the pad of her thumb over his lips, and his eyes drifted closed.

“Cerra,” he whispered, and his warm breath washed across her skin, sending prickles of awareness through her body. “Don’t do this.”

She froze, and hurt flashed through her, worse than anything Yularen and his thugs could ever inflict. She withdrew her hand immediately and looked away, unable to meet his eyes. She was such a fool.

“S—sorry,” she stammered. “I shouldn’t have—I’m so sorry.”

Gregor pulled his hand away from her shoulder, and she steeled herself for his rejection, swallowing down the tightness in her throat. But instead of moving away, he cupped her chin softly and turned her head to face him.

“Don’t do it unless you mean it,” he said.

Her eyes darted to his, and she saw the truth there, written plainly as it always had been, if only she hadn’t been too stubborn to read it. Something deep inside her chest snapped, and she pitched forward, closing the short distance between them as their lips collided. Pain lanced through her bruised mouth, but she didn’t care. All she knew was that she couldn’t exist for another second without kissing Gregor. She needed him more than her next breath, more than the blood coursing through her veins, more than life itself.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, sliding her whole body forward in the seat. Her thighs pressed open to accommodate him, and it seemed the most natural thing in the galaxy to wrap her legs around his body. She flattened her hands against his back, then dragged them up his shoulders, up his neck, to caress the velvety shorn hair at the base of his skull, and then further, to tangle her fingers in the longer curls at the crown of his head.

His tongue slid against hers, and he let out a short, urgent sound and clutched her body tightly against himself. He tasted like everything she had ever wanted. His hands roamed across the bare skin of her back, one of them settling low to press her hips closer, and the other gliding up to clasp the back of her neck. He pinned her against his body as his lips moved away from hers and he began to work his way down her jaw and neck.

She dropped her head back, her body lighting with arousal beneath his lovely, talented mouth. The light abrasion of his stubble made a delicious contrast with the soft, gentle warmth of his lips and tongue. He reached a particularly sensitive spot at the base of her throat, and she gasped, unconsciously grinding her hips against him. He rewarded her by sinking his teeth lightly into her skin, raking them across her until she writhed and moaned, clutching his head closely to herself.

The moment felt surreal, as though her brain couldn’t quite process what was happening. She’d spent so long denying the truth that it felt as though her entire universe had been inverted—and yet at the same time, the touch of his lips, the grip of his hands, the press of his body against hers seemed so incredibly right that she could no longer imagine going without them.

“Shit,” he said suddenly, breaking away from her.

“What?” she asked, dazed.

“You’re bleeding.”

Startled, she raised a hand to her chin and was horrified to feel a slick of blood on her skin. “Kriff!”

Gregor extracted a square of gauze from the medkit and pressed it against her lip, holding it gently but firmly in place until the bleeding stopped. While he waited, he dropped tiny, feather-light kisses across her face, over and over, until she began to giggle.

“Stop smiling,” he said sternly, kissing the tip of her nose. “You’re going to make your lip start bleeding again.”

“Then stop being so perfect,” she retorted.

He paused to consider. “Best I can offer is ten percent off.”

“Well, that hardly seems like a bargain at all,” she said.

“Take it or leave it.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her, and she caught her breath.

“I love you,” she blurted.

His eyes widened with shock.

“I mean—” she stammered, panic threading in her voice. “I—I mean—”

She laughed nervously, and then the laughter turned to shallow, gasping breaths as the edges of her vision began to darken and black spots swam before her eyes. Her lungs heaved, but there seemed to be no oxygen in the cockpit. She scrambled backward in her chair, trying to put some distance between herself and Gregor.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey!” Gregor said. “All the way out, come on, Cerra. You know what to do. Breathe all the way out. One, two, three, four, five. Now breathe in through your nose, sweetheart. One, two, three, four, five.”

He held her hands in his warm, reassuring grasp, and as she brought her breathing back under control, she suddenly remembered what he’d told her that awful night at 79’s.

“Easy, love. I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall.”

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A/N: I know nebulae don't cast light like that IRL, but this is Star Wars, where they totally do! If you want to see the nebula in question, check out Rebels Season 3 Episode 18, "Secret Cargo."

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#echo tbb #captain gregor #captain rex #riyo chuchi #oc: cerra kilian #echo x riyo chuchi #gregor x oc #clone trooper nemec #clone trooper fireball #star wars #the bad batch #star wars fanfic #tbb fanfic #stars beyond number #dystopicjumpsuit writes

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