#i haven’t known peace since we got this photo

[unsolved-duvall]

still stuck in my eddie munson brainrot era <3

[ungovernable]

i (an adam parrish girl) haven’t known peace since hugh laughton scott dropped this set of photos. the closest we got to seeing god.

[theringers]

friends with benefits - charles leclerc

summary: type A planner best friend lives with no thoughts head empty best friend and they decide to start sleeping together

request: 37 , 70, 78 w charles😃

prompts: 37) “Please? I'll be good, I promise!" 70) “we’re just…friends.” “friends don’t do this type of shit!” 78) “Not to make things weird, but I thought about you when I came last night.”

a/n: charles, head empty no thoughts just his hot roommate and his inability to keep things to himself

warnings: nsfw, 18+, angst kinda, friends to fuck buddies, oral sex

“Could you uhhhhh do me a favor?” You asked Charles. The fuzzy blanket was draped over both of you and he was about to press play on the movie.

His eyes rolled. “What do you need, my love?” He asked in a sarcastic tone.

“Can you maybe make some popcorn?” You tried to slow your words down a bit, for some reason thinking he would be more inclined to say yes if you asked like that.

He exhaled loudly. “Fine.” He tossed the blanket over to you so he could get up off the couch. “But only because now you’ve got that thought in my mind and I want it.”

“If doing things for yourself instead of me makes you feel better, that’s okay with me.” You smiled. This was a typical weeknight for the two of you.

You were a self proclaimed movie critic. Charles just got stuck with a self proclaimed movie critic as a roommate, but it made for some entertaining nights.

The two of you met in high school and immediately formed a bond. Everything between you two was easygoing and laid back, which he loved. He was never a huge people person or party type and neither were you.

You found peace in each other’s silent company and eventually realized you had more in common than you first thought. That following summer, you did practically everything together. Charles had a couple girlfriends here and there and you had a couple boyfriends as well, but it didn’t really matter. Nothing ever stuck.

College rolled around and you weren’t sure what to do. You wanted to stay in Monaco close to your family, but you just couldn’t live at home anymore. Lucky for you, Charles offered to let you move into his spare bedroom until you could make a decision. It had been years and you were still in that spare bedroom. The thought of moving out and doing something different hadn’t crossed your mind since the day you moved in.

“Do you want butter or no butter?” He asked from the kitchen, hands full of popcorn bags.

“Come on is that even a question?”

“Right. Butter. Lots of it.” He threw the bag into the microwave and it started to pop.

He came back with a bowl full of steaming popcorn and handed it to you.

“Be careful it’s,” he looked at you to see your mouth wide open and steam coming out, “hot.”

“Almost hotter than you,” you said once you caught your breath.

He rolled his eyes and fake laughed. “Hilarious, y/n.”

“I’m being serious.”

“C’mon, we’ve talked about this.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I think you’re hot,” you said. Every time this was brought up, he got so flustered. Which was why you continued to joke around with him and flirt with him. He would never act on it.

“Y/n…. I’m gonna go to bed if you keep this up.” He was annoyed.

“I’m sorry. Please stay? I’ll be good, I promise.” You batted your eyelashes at him.

“Fine, but you gotta stop,” he said, pulling your legs onto his lap so you could lounge more comfortably.

A rom-com was playing on the TV and the sound of munching on popcorn was filling the room.

A long distance relationship played out on the screen. Lots of phone calls, lots of phone sex, lots of jerking off to each other’s photos. You shifted in your seat, trying to seem casual and not uncomfortable.

“Not to make things weird, but I thought about you when I came last night.” You stopped shifting and looked at Charles.

“So much for ‘we’ve talked about this’.” You held up air quotes. “Care to elaborate?” He was known for saying out of pocket things. Sometimes you weren’t sure if he fully thought things through before he said them.

“I mean, not really. The movie just reminded me of it.”

You couldn’t think of a response quick enough so he continued to talk. “You always say whatever’s on your mind so I thought I might try it out.”

“You don’t do that enough already?”

“I’m trying to be more honest.”

You laughed and rolled your eyes at him. “I applaud you for that. But you can’t just leave me hanging like this.”

“Don’t hate me, that’s all I’m going to say.” His hand rubbed up and down your shins that were resting on his lap.

“I could never hate you, Charles.”

“Last night when you took a shower, you left the bathroom door wide open. I was just walking back to my room from the kitchen, I didn’t mean to-”

You laughed and interrupted him. “Charles, it’s okay. That’s my fault.”

“I just glanced, I promise. But I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind. And my cock was still really hard after a while.”

“You knew I was awake, you should have come to my room,” you said. It sounded good in theory but if you were being honest with yourself, you wouldn’t know what to do if he showed up at your bedroom door with a boner.

“We’re just friends though. Friends don’t do that type of shit.” He took a deep breath and looked off in the distance. Anything to avoid eye contact.

“Says who?” He looked at you and tilted his head in confusion. “A lot of friends do that type of shit. There’s even a word for it.”

“Have you thought about this before?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t… Charles, we’re two young twenty somethings that live together. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about what it would be like if we were sleeping together.”

“I don’t mean this in a bad way but I honestly didn’t think about it until I saw you.”

“Maybe it’s just the hopeless romantic in me.” You had thought about what a perfect storyline it would make for you two to sleep together but never the reality of actually getting into bed with him. Now that made you nervous.

“More like the horny romantic”

“Very funny…” You tossed a piece of popcorn at him and he swatted it away.

“So, are we doing this thing?” He turned his attention from the TV to you.

“Tell me you didn’t just actually ask me that question.” He was blunt and never beat around the bush.

“I did, and I would like an answer, please.” You wanted to smack that stupid smile off of his face for how he was making you feel.

“What’s this thing?” He needed to spell it out.

“Are you,” he pointed to you, “going to let me,” his finger moved to himself, “inside of you?”

You burst out laughing. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty. We need to set some ground rules for this.”

“Rules?” He didn’t look like he was a fan of rules. And as his roommate, you knew he wasn’t a fan of them. Just ask the groceries you’ve gone shopping for two months in a row.

“Our friendship, our cohabitation, you know. I’m not just going to let you go willy nilly on me without making sure you aren’t going to leave me friendless or homeless after.” Nothing could be done with you unless it was carefully planned. All possible outcomes had to be thought through.

“I would never leave you friendless or homeless.”

“Even if I was the worst person at sex, in the world, ever?”

“I highly doubt you’re the worst, but even if you were.”

“You’d still fuck me, even if everyone in the entire world was better than me. Damn I’m lucky.”

“Here’s a rule for you. You need to tell me how it feels. I’ll fuck you however you want to be fucked so you better tell me when something feels good.” Charles said.

“I can do that. If you like something I do, tell me. If you don’t, tell me.” You talked a big game but telling Charles how he made you feel sexually made your spine tingle, and you weren’t sure if it was anxiety or desire.

“I doubt there’s anything you can do to my body that I won’t like.” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. He was a guy after all.

“You wanna bet?” You asked, lunging at him jokingly.

“Sure, I’d like to see you try.”

“I guess I will, then.” You just needed time to plan it first.

He stood up and held out his hand for you to take. “Now that we’ve talked about it, I can’t get it off my mind.”

“You want to do this, right now?” Panic set in. This was too sudden.

“Right now,” he said, confidently. “If, that’s what you want, of course.”

“Okay.” You followed him into the hallway, bypassing your bedroom and ending up in his.

You took a few shy steps around, like you’d never been in there before. “Do you want to get on top or do you want me to?”

“Y/n…” He needed you to just relax and let go.

“Right, right, let’s just do it.” You took a step forward and he grabbed your face in his hands. Your lips moved with his, feeling soft and warm. There was only so much in your life you could plan. This was never part of it.

He slowly guided you to his bed and gently pushed you backwards. His shirt slid over his head and you admired his body, looking at him in a different light. He never took his shirt off around you with sexual intentions but this was new. And fun.

You smiled at him, both of you acknowledging what you were about to do. It made you explode inside thinking about how much you were enjoying this, letting someone else take control and letting go. You shouldn’t be enjoying this, you thought. Snap out of it.

“Before we start, is there anything you really don’t like?” He asked, reaching for the button of your denim shorts. You nodded side to side, giving him permission to pull the shorts down your legs.

He immediately pulled your thong aside and slipped a finger between your folds. He smiled feeling the wetness. “Thinking about us fucking is turning you on, isn’t it?”

“Don’t embarrass me,” you shot him a look and he understood.

“I’m not embarrassing you. It’s sexy.” He kneeled between your legs on the floor.

“Well, keep it to yourself,” you said.

“Why would I keep it to myself when I have physical proof that thinking about us is turning you on?” One of his fingers easily slid inside of you and your hips shifted as you rolled your eyes at him. “Is this okay?” He asked, concerned by your movements.

“Yes,” you said, unsure of what else to say. You didn’t want to give him any more ammo to make fun of you. You told each other everything but this was one side of you he never saw, and you didn’t think he ever would. Vulnerability at its finest, but you agreed to this.

His finger moved in and out of you and the sounds of your wet pussy made you want to cover your face and hide. He added a second and slowly curled his fingers up to hit your g-spot. A soft moan escaped your lips despite the fact that you were trying hard to keep them to yourself.

“Tell me how it feels.” He said.

“It feels,” you took a moment to breathe in, “so good.” He used his other hand to play with your clit, causing you more pleasure. You were looking at the ceiling, finding it hard to acknowledge that Charles was the one making you feel like this. If you squeezed your eyes shut hard enough, maybe this wouldn’t be something you needed to worry about.

A euphoric feeling began to build in your stomach, your legs slowly going numb in the best way possible. You continued to try and hold in your moans but when you hit your climax, everything was uncontrollable. Your body jerked and moans fell as you rode out your high.

You opened your eyes to see Charles pulling his fingers out and smiling. He made you feel that way and while you lay half naked on his bed post-orgasm, it was starting to feel okay. How much more vulnerable could you get with him than this?

He stood up and pulled his sweatpants off, his hard cock springing out of his cotton boxers. Your jaw dropped and you couldn’t help but stare as he stroked himself, preparing for you. He noticed, but ignored it, granting your request of not embarrassing you. The look he shot you was enough to know that he was aware of your stares.

“I’m only gonna say it one more time,” he said, leaning on top of you with his hands on either side of your head. “You need to tell me how it feels, or I’m going to start talking really dirty with you.”

You laughed, feeling more relaxed than before. “I almost want to keep quiet on purpose just to see that.”

He dipped his head in disappointment. “Not funny.”

“I think I’m pretty funny.”

“You are, but I want to make you feel good. I’d rather know then instead of you telling me I sucked after.”

“Okay, okay,” you obliged. He nodded and positioned himself at your entrance, slowly pushing himself inside of you.

You had to adjust to his size - his dick was nothing like his fingers. He didn’t give you much time before he started moving and you didn’t even care. He felt so good inside of you and seeing his body on top of you was putting you at ease rather than stressing you out, like you had expected it to.

His head rested in the crook of your neck, giving you perfect access to his ear. Almost like he did it on purpose, to make you more comfortable. You didn’t have to look at him in the eyes and admit how good he was making you feel. “Your dick feels so good,” you whispered in his ear and he grunted in response.

“You’re so tight, fuck,” he said into your ear, slightly nibbling on the lobe.

His hips moved rhythmically while you lifted your feet onto his back to change the angle. You couldn’t help but let more moans slip out at the feeling. “I think I’m gonna cum,” you said, quietly.

“Let go,” he said followed by a few expletives. His pelvis ground into you, creating a sensation on your clit you’ve never experienced.

You felt your second orgasm of the night build up as he continued to fuck you, keeping the same pace. You held your hands on his back and let moans fall to his ear making sure he knew how good you felt.

He pulled out of you and your body felt like deadweight. You were glued to the bed and couldn’t find the energy to get up. “How was that?” He asked. Of course he couldn’t give you a second to recover before opening his mouth.

“Great,” you smiled, propping yourself up on your elbows. “Did you finish?” You sure hadn’t felt him cum inside of you and you don’t think he wore a condominium either.

“No, but I just wanted to make sure you felt good.” He picked his sweatpants up off the floor and went to put his boxers back on before you stopped him.

“Unacceptable. I’m not going to let you jerk off thinking about me two nights in a row. Especially not after I was just naked in your bed.” Your post-orgasm confidence was showing when you dropped to your knees in front of him and took his still hard cock in your hand.

Slick juices still covered it, making it easier for you once you took him in your mouth. He was bigger than you expected, so you started swirling your tongue around the tip while your hand worked at the rest of him. “Shit,” you could hear him say.

You slowly took more of him, hollowing out your cheeks in response to his moans. His hand found the back of your head but rested there, not wanting to pressure you for more but he couldn’t resist once you fit almost all of him in your mouth.

The sounds he made caused butterflies in your stomach knowing that you were the sole reason for those sounds. His grip got tighter on you and he started to thrust into you when you felt a warm liquid shoot down your throat.

His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he grunted while you took every last drop. You stood up and took a step back, swiping your finger over your bottom lip.

He looked at you with the same eyes you looked at him after he finished fucking you. “So, uh,” he said. “Where do we go from here?”

You nervously looked around the room. “Should we finish the movie?”

“Great idea.”

You both put your clothes back on and sat back on the couch. “Let’s talk about that.” He never knew when to shut up, but sometimes it was for the better.

“What about it?”

“Did you like it? Should we do it again? Do you want to move out?” You laughed at his last question.

“It was really good,” you said, your thoughts wandering to just a few moments ago. You wouldn’t mind having him on top of you again. “We might as well.”

“Just one more thing,” he said. “Don’t fall in love with me.” He smiled and let out a giggle. You weren’t sure if he was being serious or not, but you laughed along too.

[prettydove]

photos of love - j.potter - part two

a/n: i am not a fan of this part. i apologize sincerely.

warnings: nothing!

breathing in the fresh air, you let the peaceful moment under the sun, and quiet nature soak in. you haven’t had a serene moment to yourself in a while. you adore your friends to the moon and back, but sometimes you just needed time alone. and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

you were comfortable. feet stretched out with your head pulled back as your forearms held your weight. if you were to have been laying down, students passing by would think you were asleep. opening your eyes and quickly shutting them from the brightness of the sun, you slowly opened them again with your left hand shielding the sun away. surrounding you were small and big, fluffy dandelions.

picking one from the ground, you fully sat up. you closed your eyes again and made a wish. pulling the dandelion close to your lips, you then blew. reopening your eyes, you watched each pappus float away with the wind. it was poetic—correction, it was romantic.

“what ya’ wish for?” it scared you, the voice came out of nowhere. unfortunately ruining your peace. “nothing that concerns you, james,” you scowl. james didn’t take it personal, instead, he smiled knowingly. you two were in love, you could never hate him. 

after the night under the tree, you wore the string on your finger everywhere. you only ever took it off when taking a shower or going swimming. james came around a lot more and your bond became even more unbreakable. it took till fourth year for him to ask you out. but nevertheless, you were glad that he did.

taking a good look at him, you noticed that he seemed nervous. james is never nervous, so seeing him be made you worried. james then decided to make his way to you. when you were in arms reach, he held out his hands, cautiously waiting for you to take them. you took his grip and noticed two things.

his palms are sweaty, that is understandable. he seems to be nervous, that causes sweaty hands. the second thing you had noticed is that he had chills. it’s a warm day, why would he have chills? it is possible that it could be that when you went to take his hands, your fingers brushed james’s left forearm.

james helped you up and dropped your right hand. he began to talk just after he started to fidget with your fingers.

“i’ma need ya’ to bare with me, m’kay? no interruptions, please. bun, since i’ve known you, we were always told that we were gonna get married. and after the first time i’ve heard it, i managed to sneak ya’ outside and propose to ya’ under the old tree. luckily for me, you said yes and wore my string everywhere.”

he took a moment and breathed in and out, meeting your eyes.

“well, i want to change the old proposal string because i want to give you something more promising. i think you’ll like this more. hopefully anyway.”

slowly, he got down on one knee all while keeping your left hand in his hold. his right hand reached to his pocket. a sense of deja vu hit you, this is all so similar. a box was removed from his jeans and he opened it, his hand left yours for a moment to do so, but he quickly took it back after he was done. it was a ring.

“i can’t imagine a world away from ya.’ will you marry me?”

your words almost came out in jumbles, “yes, jamie.”

smiling, he placed the ring perfectly on your ring finger. thankfully it was on the correct hand this time.

a couple feet away, remus held a polaroid. he snapped a picture of james proposing. another pic to enter the picture book.

· ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ꕥ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈

taglist:

@lilyevanswhore

[starbuckie]

𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭

challenge: jade’s birthday challenge by @spaceodditybarnes

prompt: till forever falls apart - ashe and FINNEAS

pairing: chris beck x reader

words: 4.1k words

warnings: SMUT 18+ (unprotected sex, oral f-receiving), breakup sex, angst, more angst, toxic relationship

summary: chris and y/n let themselves fall into each other for one more night before the security of their romance breaks for good.

a/n: HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADE!! i can’t believe that you’re TWENTY FREAKING TWO already. i haven’t known you for more than a year still, but in this short amount of time we’ve been friends i’ve come to learn all about you and the amazing person you are. i love you so incredibly much, and i’m sorry about the angst in advance <3

main masterlist || sebastian stan characters masterlist

“This is it, right?” 

There was no reason for Chris to answer Y/N’s question. Their relationship had been teetering on a tightrope for a while, and it was both of their faults. Neither of them was able to save it after the multitude of fights they had had. 

Y/N cradled her legs in between her arms, trying to calm the nerves rattling around inside of her. The fallout had been nearly three months in the making. She wouldn’t be able to name where it started, he would make up some bullshit about when it did, but that was all part of the problem. Her forgetfulness, his short, on-edge temper, they had been there since the beginning of their honeymoon relationship, just lingering and popping up in their most heated moments that they were unable to pinpoint where the problem actually was. They had stayed so ignorant of the problems that it had managed to sneak up on them at their most vulnerable. 

Chris sat across the living room from Y/N, chest heaving on the navy blue couch with inaudible breaths. She took his silence to look around their apartment. She didn’t even know what was to become of it once they broke up. The quaint, unfurnished apartment held two months' memories of screaming and tear-soaked wood floors. There were notches on the door of the bathroom from Chris’ harsh slamming, and leftover shards of glass in the kitchen sink from where Y/N’s hands had shaken too much and dropped a dish or two after they had gotten too far into it. Their family commented on the little flaws in their apartment, never even stopping to wonder how they had gotten there. If they thought that was bad, they should’ve seen Chris’ old apartment.

That one had been much worse.

He was the one to break the eerie quietude first, his words slicing a knife through the tense air. “I don’t think we need to talk about all the apartment stuff tonight. We can settle this… civilly tomorrow.” His eyes flitted to the sparse momentos of their romance. They’d barely been able to furnish the shared apartment without fighting, and even after three months’ rent, they hadn’t put up more than the television set, two sitting places, and a framed photo from when they attended Amy’s wedding together. “We’ve got time until the next down payment is due, and we can sort it all out by then without it being weird. We both agree that this is what is needed, and it’s not like we don’t love each other. We’re doing this because we love each other.”

Even he wasn’t sure what the hell he was saying or why he was saying it, and they both could easily tell. 

Y/N shook her head confusedly, wiping her wet cheeks with the sleeve of the cashmere sweater she wore. “I just don’t understand, Chris, we fought, we made up, and we had these periods of peace in between, and throughout all those moments we managed to stay together because we love each other, right? Just like you said. So if we still love each other, then why can’t we try one more time-”

“Because I respect you too much to subject you to my anger any longer.” It was a truth he had brought himself to many nights before. The feeling of guilt and disgust that pooled in his gut after every argument had festered into a raging monster, relentlessly pounding at his insides. It seemed that the only way to tame it was by letting her go, anything else would have just been cruel. But that’s what he was after all, wasn’t it?

He let his anger rule out at his teammates on the Ares III mission when they couldn’t save Mark. That got him a cold shoulder for a hell of a long time. He lost Beth, the woman he thought was the love of his life because he didn’t know how to accommodate her emotions or how to respect her boundaries. Even his own sister had told him he was a robot when it came to other people, a “lifeless being” who was incapable of emoting properly. 

But when Y/N came into his life, he felt like he was on cloud nine. She wasn’t like any other people in his life. It was all too easy for her to creep her way into his veins, to mend his heartbreak with piss-worthy jokes and a smile brighter than any star he’d ever seen. She was patient. Almost too patient, and he had been so distracted by her endless love that he didn’t even notice that he fell back into his old patterns. 

So, yes, it would be cruel to take advantage of her love any longer. 

“Y/N, honey,” he kneeled in front of her loveseat, feeling his tearing heart stress at the seams while he removed her hands from hiding her teary face. “You’ve gotta stop crying, baby, it’s hurting me too much.”

“Then maybe-” she hiccupped and tried to save face with a deadly glare, “you shouldn’t break my heart in the first place.”

He never meant to. He meant to take her out to San Francisco as she’d always wanted to, to drop on one knee with a ring in his hand and ask to be hers for the rest of their lives on the Golden Gate Bridge. He’d already picked out names for their kids- God knew both of them had non-stop baby fever with the way they used to fuck. There was a retirement home out in Maui that he meant to move in with her in. Until death did them part, he’d planned on giving her everything and more. 

“I know,” Chris admitted. “I’m sorry, honey.”

The air was acrid and Y/N found that with each passing moment she wanted to sprint out of the living room, out of the apartment building, and into the middle of the road. It wasn’t that she wanted to die, but the feeling of needles poking at every millimeter of her heart and letting her love bleed out was too painful. Bile rose in her throat, it had been lingering there since the beginning of the entire conversation and if one of them didn’t leave soon she was going to go green. Yet, no matter how much she just wanted to get the hell away from Chris, she couldn’t.

He seemed to make the decision for her, holding his tears back with a sigh and running his left hand through his fluffy chestnut hair. His knit sweater was soaked with his own sadness, and he knew that the tears sinking into his pores would remain scars from the hurt caused by Y/N’s shaking form. 

His eyes glanced to the entrance of the apartment, wearily eyeing his computer bag on the hanger next to the door. “I guess I’ll just, um, get going. We’ll talk tomorrow, or whenever is fine with me-”

“Can you stay the night?” She whispered. If she’d been any quieter he wouldn’t have heard her, but it was like Chris’ ears were straining for another reason to stay despite the fact that every second he was near her splintered his heart even further. Her words shocked him just a bit and as much as he wanted to stay with her, hold on to her ankle and beg her to try one more time as she suggested, he had to harden his resolve. It would just hurt them more in the end.

But then Y/N stood, grasping his hand and pulling her close to him, and he could feel his walls crumbling down for her. Her scent, a vanilla-marshmallow dream, wafted into his nose, and just like that he was pulled into her allure once again. 

“We… we can’t do this, Y/N,” he protested weakly. There was no use. 

“Just one more night,” she pressed her forehead to his letting the feeling of her lips ghosting over his throw her into memories of their better times. “I just wanna feel you one more time.”

He knew he could never turn her down when he was so vulnerable.

They were messy, nearly sucking the soul out of each other through their attached lips as they fumbled to the one-bedroom in the apartment. The moon shone through the outward-facing glass wall, an expansive stretch of redwood trees shadowing the ground at ten o’clock. That was the only thing that kept either of them in the crappy Hartford apartment- the view while they fucked was too good to give up. That, and the fact that their old places were trashed from their fights. 

The light illuminated the messy sheets- courtesy of their argument first thing in the morning- and soon after he pushed her back onto the edge of the bed, Y/N was too. The slopes of her body shone in the moon, highlighting the parts of herself that only he was able to love, dips and marks that he fantasized about constantly. He kneeled by her legs, placing gentle kisses up her left ankle to the inside of her thigh just as he always did. 

Chris was thankful that she was wearing a pair of shorts- anything more difficult and his shaking hands wouldn’t be able to take off her clothes- and Y/N assisted him by removing her sweater and her sports bra, the one with purple and pink polka dots that he used to make fun of her for. His lips teased the sensitive part of her thighs, dragging his tongue across the skin and nipping at it when she sighed. Slowly, he slid one of his hands up her leg, cupping the apex of thighs so slightly that Y/N bucked her hips into it for more friction.

“Chris, please,” she whined, “I need more, fuck, please give me more.”

He reached his available hand to the back of her neck, bringing her nose against his as he whispered against her lips. “I’m gonna take care of you, honey, don’t I always?”

Chris took pity on her neediness, biting back a groan when his fingers came into contact with her slick-coated lips. When she had gotten that wet, he wasn’t sure, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to complain about it either. His thumb dragged from her entrance to her clit, circling around the bundle of nerves with slow, sensual circles and reveling in her whines. When he finally pushed his forefinger past her slit she pressed their mouths together so he could swallow her moans. 

Her walls clenched around the digit and Chris could feel his cock throb in his pants at the feeling, adding another one in. He knew she could take it well. “Does that feel good, honey?” She nodded, smiling against his lips and he couldn’t help but do the same despite the heavy feeling on his chest. “Yeah, I always know how to make you feel good, don’t I, stardust? You’re always so tight for me, just squeezing the hell out of my fingers.”

He added another finger into her cunt and repositioned himself between her legs, lowering his lips to her core. His tongue darted out to tease her clit, and soon enough he sucked the little bud into his mouth while bringing his free hand up to fondle her tits. Y/N sighed at the sensation of his rough palms on her sensitive nipples. There was no better feeling than his skin right on hers and she had to stop herself from remembering that this would be the last time. 

“Chris, shit, baby, ‘m so close,” she groaned. His fingers continued to curl up into her cunt, just stretching her despite the many times they had been there. Her hips moved into tandem with his movements, and he grinned with each bump of his nose to her mound, feeling her walls clamp down on his digits. 

Y/N was climbing the ropes of pleasure, her chest rising and falling in the freezing air as she tried to focus on the tightening coil in her tummy. Chris’ hand greedily grabbed at her breast, his lips curling into a smirk against her pussy for a millisecond before suddenly pulling his fingers out. 

She could feel her wetness seep out of her hole, leaving her with an emptiness that made her whine. She fixed Chris with a frowned pout and hoped her embarrassingly fucked out eyes pleaded with him to fill her up again clearly enough. 

He simply just acknowledged her upset expression and surged up to meet her intoxicating mouth again. His sweater dragged against her raw skin, and when the material caught her clit there was no holding back the loud moan that rose out of her lips and past his. She groaned at the taste of her arousal on his tongue but pulled away immediately when she remembered how he’d taken his fingers away from her. “Why’d you stop?”

“‘Cause I’m gonna come in my fucking pants if I’m not inside you soon, and neither of us has the patience for that mess.” She shrugged in agreement, not wasting any more time on words as she fumbled with the strings of his sweatpants.

It was different from how they normally had sex. In light of their recent events, they’d been doing nothing but fucking, as Y/N so graciously said it, but tonight neither of them wanted to finish in less than seven minutes. Sure, they knew how to play each other like a fiddle, Chris knew all the spots his cock hit just right and Y/N knew how to suck on the area just below and to the left of the juncture of his neck, but they wanted- no, they needed this memory to last. There was an unspoken conversation between them as she swatted Chris’ hand away from reaching for the bedside table that held the little aluminum packages. She needed to feel every part of him. 

His eyes caught hers one more time as the head of his cock dragged through her folds lightly, and he burned the image of her wide eyes, brimming with tears and love. His heart clenched at the reminder that he’d never find that kind of love in anyone else’s eyes again. Grabbing both of her hands with his, he pinned her arms by her head and pushed into her with a groan.

His hips thrusted into her slowly, truly letting both of them feel the drag of his cock against her walls. They hadn’t been this sensual, this feeling in more than half a year. Y/N felt every vein push against her and his low grunts sent floods of arousal gushing around his cock. 

“You’re taking me so well, honey, did you know that? Swear ‘m never gonna find anyone tight as you,” Chris groaned. One of his hands released hers and flew to her face, brushing the tears that ran astray down her cheeks. “Hey, hey, look at me, look at me, stardust.” Y/N’s eyes opened blearily and met his pretty blue eyes, his pools of swirling ocean waters like the deepest night skies…  and she felt the urge to cry all over again as his tip kissed her cervix over and over again. “Please don’t forget that I love you so much.”

She struggled to hold her tears back, but they kept rolling down her face, one after the other. “I wouldn’t wanna spend my life loving anyone else other than you, Chris, I love you so fucking much.”

Chris processed her words and studied the gentle features of her face, ingraining each piece of her in his mind so he never forgot. The slope of her nose, the corners of her eyes welling with salty tears, the little crease between her eyebrows as she puffed little breaths of air out of her parted lips. He wished that her ankles would dig a bit deeper into his lower thighs, to leave purplish dark bruises to remember her by. 

“Baby, baby, can you-” she panted, “can you go faster?”

“No,” he sharply grunted. When she fixed him with her signature pout and bratty bedroom eyes, he leaned down to shove his tongue between her parted lips. It was easier than telling her that he wanted it to last. 

His fingers gripped onto her skin with a fond harshness, just enough that light indents of his nails were left across her cheekbones. Y/N whined into his mouth with each thrust into her silky heat, her hands moving to her tits to pull and pinch at her nipples. Her fingers felt burning hot against the peaked buds, sending jolts of pleasure straight to her cunt with each slow roll between her pointer finger and thumb. 

“Lemme do that for you, honey.” Chris pulled out of her, eliciting a whimper from both of them, dropping his feet to the ground and pulling her body to the edge of the bed along with him. He threw her legs around his waist again, feeling her knees pinching his skin and he took his cock in hand, watching their mixed arousal glisten in the moonlight. He guided the head of his cock towards her pussy again, the puffy lips inviting precome to leak from his slit.

Fuck.

He pressed into her hole slowly and he loved how Y/N’s eyes widened at the intrusion. The image of his cock entering her pussy was addicting, pulling out with her juices covering it before slamming home into her wet heat again. 

He allowed his thrusts to quicken, knowing full well he too wouldn’t be lasting much longer with his hands on her tits and her tight cunt squeezing down on him. Blood rushed through his ears as he grew closer to his release, moans and groans blending into a symphony that edged into a crescendo as he pulled out and spilled creamy ropes of come onto her chest. Y/N moaned at the feeling of the warm liquid covering her skin, her half-lidded gaze meeting the sight of it spread across her tits. 

His cock softened in his hand after a few short seconds and he let go of it with a small whimper, focusing on the woman in front of him, her pussy twitching and begging to come.

“Don’t worry, baby, I didn’t forget about you.” Chris ran his fingers through the thick come on her chest, using the wetness to circle her clit and slide into her cunt. He flicked his thumb over the highly sensitive bud and Y/N’s voice nearly raised an octave as her chanting, praising how good his fingers felt inside her, grew louder and louder. Her pussy clamped down on his fingers again as her coil snapped so quickly and suddenly, a wash of warmth and serenity following behind.

A blissed-out smile took over her lips as her back relaxed into the mattress and Chris’ fingers coaxed her through her orgasm, continuing to curl up into her walls with a fervent speed. She was too drunk on the feeling of ecstasy that she didn’t notice when he removed his digits from her hole, sucking her juices off with a low, feral groan. “So fucking sweet.”

When she met his eyes with a confused but dazed grin, he just gripped the back of her neck and leaned in to kiss her. There seemed to be some unspoken message in his kiss, clear enough in the way he moved his chapped lips against hers. The last one, it said, I promise. He was the one to pull away from the addicting kiss, the only things keeping them connected, a string of saliva and equally broken hearts.

It was unnaturally silent as Chris pulled on his briefs and sweatpants and walked stoically out of the room to grab a washcloth. Y/N laid still on the bed, not wanting the come to drip down her ribcage and onto the sheets below her. It wasn’t even like the sheets weren’t dirty, but somehow having any reminder of that night staining her sheets was nearly as bad as being fatally stabbed with a knife. Her thoughts ran wild as she stared at the ceiling and held back her tears with small hiccups. She had been the one to ask him to stay and she was the one with his come covering her chest, and the realization of her desperation disgusted herself. What would become of her after Chris left for good was beyond her knowledge.

Finally entering the room and breaking her train of thoughts was Chris, a warm, wet towel in his hand and a faint smile on his face. He was strangely caring in cleaning her up, softly dragging the fabric across her dirty skin and kissing her forehead when she was clean. He handed her her clothes, fastening the clasps of her bra and rubbing her back soothingly, and once again she was wondering where this version of him had been hibernating for the past few months, and once again, she felt a sliver of hope that they’d be able to try again. 

But when he left the room to throw the towel in the wash, the emptiness she felt reminded her just why they couldn’t. Because she’d be subject to his anger, to his unjust pickiness about everything from his food to the temperature of the apartment, and remembered how she had just stood there and taken it all like a docile lamb, placing the blame on anything but him. Their relationship had been a toxic timebomb, and somewhere between their first meeting and that night there was love, but it was all gone. Washed down the drain after the flood of tears, the tenderness of their relationship just felt raw and she shivered at the thought.

Chris entered the room with a soft knock as she shoved her shorts back up her legs and fell back with a soft sigh. He looked nervous as he approached her spread-out form, nearly tentative as he fiddled with his fingers and stared at her with warm eyes. She’d nearly missed how shy looked on him. “It’s a bit late,” he stated. She turned over on the bed to face him, pulling the covers over her shoulders and humming in agreement. “Should I go? I know you wanted me to stay the night, but I’m not sure if it was just the sex or-”

“Get in, Beck, not like we’ve never done this before.” He seemed eager to jump into bed as she raised the sheets towards him, filling her loneliness with warmth and comfort that she knew. Her eyes fluttered shut as she turned to the window  but she could feel his eyes staring at the back of her head like a hawk, just itching to hold her one last time. Of course, she relented. “You can touch me, Chris, you just fucked me for God’s sake.”

Instantly, his hands reached out to grab around her waist, pulling her back flush to his bare chest. Y/N sunk into the warmth of him, ignoring the voices screaming at her stupidity. It’s going to make it harder, she reprimanded, you’re doing yourself no favors here.

But she could let Chris hold her for one more night. She could ignore the way her body shook with his arms wrapped around her body and how his breath fanned across the back of her head comfortingly for what she knew would be the last time. Her fractured heart could remain in shambles at the pit of her chest because, in the end, she knew she’d do it all again for him. No matter what he threw at her, whatever he dangled in front of her face, she’d take it and more because she loved him far too much to say no.

Chris always said he loved the stars. In fact, he loved them so much that Y/N grew to love them too. With him, the stars, the misty planets, and the beautiful universe all belonged to her. Nothing had ever shined brighter. So it was funny to her, as she looked out at the sky, to notice how all the stars seemed dimmer and how she had never felt farther away from his orbit than she did in his arms.

[junghelioseok]

clandestine. | 03

↳ forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest.

◇ jungkook x reader ◇ smut | fluff | brother’s best friend!au ��� 9.2k [3/6]

notes: this will likely be my last update of this fic until the new year, because i have two (2!!!) other fics that i’m planning to post in december, including another jungoo one, so! please look forward to those, and enjoy this chapter in the meantime! 

warnings: jk’s massive noona kink: a recurring yet warranted warning, me absolutely fucking up everything about korea’s geography probably, semi-public? fingering???, jungkook....... shall we say, rocks the boat, there is one (1) dick pic but no one’s complaining

⇢ 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 

Monday - 11:27am

Kim Taehyung added you to the group: the great escape!!!!!! 🏝🚗💨

[11:27am] Taehyung: let’s gooooooooooo!!

[11:27am] Jisoo: ???

[11:28am] Lisa: go where?

[11:28am] Taehyung: parks lake house this weekend! we’re going on vacation!

[11:28am] You: hold up tae, we haven’t even asked our parents if we can have the house yet

[11:29am] Chimchim: oh yeah lmao

[11:29am] Chimchim: u wanna go ask noona??

[11:29am] You: nope

[11:30am] Chimchim: ugh, fine

[11:30am] Chimchim: u big baby

[11: 31am] You: 🙄

[11: 37am] Chimchim: they said yes!

[11:38am] Taehyung: LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[11:38am] Minho: sweet 👍

[11:38am] Taemin: tight

[11:39am] Jungkook: dope

[11:40AM] Jisoo: you’re all idiots 🙄

Tuesday - 2:34pm

[2:34pm] Chimchim: i’ve secured the van

[2:34pm] Chimchim: for the trip i mean

[2:35pm] Taehyung: noice

[2:35pm] You: 10 people aren’t gonna fit in mom’s van, chim

[2:37pm] Jungkook: i can drive too

[2:37pm] Chimchim: 👍👍

[2:37pm] Chimchim: see? nothing to worry about

[2:38pm] Jungkook: yeah noona, nothing to worry about. nothing at all.

Wednesday - 9:49pm

[9:49pm] Taehyung: oh my god we need FOOD

[9:49pm] Lisa: you’re just realizing that now?

[9:50pm] Taehyung: shut up

[9:50pm] Taehyung: i have a cooler

[9:51pm] Lisa: and ice?

[9:51pm] Taehyung: ………… i will buy some ice

[9:52pm] You: there’s a grocery store on the way up that we always used to go to, we can stock up there

[9:52pm] Taehyung: 👍

[9:54pm] You: you also better remember to bring your own towels. and more than one change of clothing

[9:54pm] Taehyung: 👍👍

[9:55pm] Chimchim: yes, mom

///

The day of the trip finds you standing in the foyer, rifling through your purse to make sure you have all the essentials. Off in the distance, you can hear Jimin sprinting around frantically, catching the briefest glimpse of his ruffled blond hair before he disappears again into the depths of the house.

“Chim, I swear to god. Why didn’t you pack earlier?”

“I did!” your brother whines, poking his head out from the living room where his suitcase is lying wide open, belongings scattered in every direction. “It’s just that—oh, fuck. Do you have my toothbrush?”

“Why would I have your toothbrush?” you deadpan.

He ignores you, and not two seconds later, he lets out an excited shout. “Never mind! I found it!”

You sigh and rub your temples. The trip hasn’t even begun, yet you’re already feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on. “I’m going outside,” you call to your brother, who grunts in acknowledgement. Opening up the front door, you drag your suitcase out onto the sun-drenched porch, relishing the welcome breeze that caresses your cheeks and whispers through your hair.

The rare moment of peace is broken almost immediately by the rumble of a starting engine—the sound shuddery and wavering before it finally evens out into a steady, mechanical purr. It’s coming from nearby, and your gaze immediately travels to the neighboring driveway where a beat-up sedan sits, torn between exasperation and amusement when you see Jungkook waving at you from the driver’s seat.

“I’m coming to pick you up!” he calls through the open window, and you hold back your laughter as he reverses out of his driveway, rolls ten feet down the street, and pulls into yours.

“Was that really necessary?” you ask once he’s parked.

“Of course it was,” he replies, hopping out to grab your suitcase. You watch as he pops the trunk and loads it inside, and blanch when you realize what that means.

“Wait a second. Am I riding with you?”

Some emotion flashes across his face, but he wipes it away before you can identify it. “Would that be so terrible?”

It’s been one week since Taehyung’s party, and Jisoo’s warning still rings loud and clear in your brain. Still, you feign nonchalance and tamp down the uptick in your heart rate, offering him a shrug. “Just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”

He grunts. An awkward silence settles over you as he adjusts your suitcase in the trunk beside his, and you distract yourself by fiddling with your purse strap until he slams the lid closed.

“So…” you start after a few seconds. “Are we picking anyone else up?”

“Yugyeom,” Jungkook replies, opening up the driver’s side door and climbing in. Hesitantly, you make your way over to the other side of the car, wondering if there’s any way you can avoid sitting in the passenger seat without looking like a total weirdo.

“Oh! Jungkook’s here already?” Jimin exits the house at last, lugging his suitcase and a smaller backpack. He shoves both into the backseat of your mother’s van before coming over, frowning when he sees you hovering near the trunk. “Why are you just standing there?”

You make a face at him. “We’re waiting for you, dumbass. Who’s riding with you?”

“Tae, Minho, and Taemin,” your brother replies. “Didn’t you see the group chat this morning?”

“I muted it days ago,” you admit. “You guys were annoying as hell.” Then another thought strikes you, your brain belatedly registering the names Jimin listed. “Wait, what about the girls? Aren’t they coming?”

Your brother rolls his eyes. “Jisoo’s working as a camp counselor this summer, and Lisa has other vacation plans. Maybe if you hadn’t muted the chat, you’d have known that.”

He has a point, though you aren’t about to admit that. You’re also wise enough not to inquire about the third member of the trio, remembering Jisoo’s revelation at the party. It’s no surprise that Chaeyoung isn’t joining you for the weekend—you’d want to avoid extended periods of time with your ex-boyfriend too. At the thought, your gaze reluctantly flits back over to the ex in question, who raises an expectant brow when he catches your eye.

“Ready?” he calls out the open window.

No, you want to say. But Jimin has already clambered into the van and slammed the door shut, and Jungkook’s car is blocking the van in the driveway so you suck in a deep breath and slide into the passenger seat beside your dark-haired neighbor.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Jungkook nods and throws the car into reverse. One hand splays across the wheel while the other comes up to rest on the back of your seat, and your breath hitches when he cranes around to check his blind spots, his face suddenly too close for comfort.

He’s playing with you, you tell yourself firmly, leaning back until your back’s pressed against the door and you can safely breathe again. Chaeyoung. Think about what he did to Chaeyoung.

“Hey, I made a roadtrip mix,” Jungkook pipes up all of a sudden. He grabs his phone from where it’s resting on the dashboard, tapping at the screen until the first strains of a melody filter through the car speakers. “It should last us the whole way.”

You perk up when you recognize the tune. “Oh! I love this song.”

Jungkook watches out of the corner of his eye as you bob your head to the beat, before smiling down at his lap. “Yeah. I know.”

///

Yugyeom lives on the other side of town, in a sprawling, winding neighborhood that sends your brain—and your phone’s GPS—into a complete and total tailspin. “Wait, wait—hang on. I think you missed a turn. You must have.”

Jungkook’s face crumples in confusion as he slows the car to a crawl, drawing a few irritated honks from the cars behind you. “There weren’t any streets back there, though.”

“Are you sure?” you ask, twisting in your seat to get a better look. “The directions said to take a right in… oh, fuck, hang on. We’re not even on a digitized road anymore, apparently.”

Jungkook heaves a sigh, but when you glance up at him, he’s wearing a grin. “Come on, Noona. You’re supposed to be my navigator. I’m depending on you.”

“I only know how to get us to the lake house, not Yugyeom’s,” you sniff defensively. “This is way beyond my pay grade.”

Jungkook chortles and reaches out, extending an open palm. “Can I see your phone for a sec?” You nod, handing it over, and he clicks his tongue as he turns it upside-down—rotating it a full three hundred and sixty degrees before returning it. “We might be lost,” he declares.

“Gee, you don’t say.”

He chuckles again. Picking up his own phone, he swipes a thumb across the screen before handing the unlocked device over. “Here, call Yugyeom. Put him on speaker, yeah?”

You hum in acknowledgement and scroll down in his contacts until you find the other boy’s name, clicking it open. A photo fills the screen as it rings—clearly a group photo from the way it’s cropped, zoomed in on Yugyeom and the ridiculous face he’s making.

“Is this from graduation?” you ask curiously.

Jungkook blinks and tears his gaze away from the windshield. “Huh?”

“Yugyeom’s contact photo,” you clarify, tilting the phone screen so he can see. “He’s got robes on.”

“Oh.” He looks away again, cheeks flushing. “Yeah. It’s lame, I know.”

You shake your head. “Don’t say that. I think it’s nice.”

Jungkook doesn’t get a chance to respond, but it’s impossible to miss the grin that crinkles his face and settles there. There’s a staticky hum as the line connects, and then Yugyeom’s voice is filling the vehicle, sounding as if he’s just rolled out of bed.

“Whaddaya want?”

“We can’t find your fucking house, man,” Jungkook says bluntly, turning onto a street that you’ve driven down at least three times by this point. “Where do you live?”

On the other end of the line, Yugyeom sighs. “Okay, okay. What street are you guys on?”

That gives Jungkook pause. “Uhh, Cedar Street? Oak Avenue? It has a tree name.”

“Neither of those streets exist, dude.”

“Birch Boulevard!” you exclaim. “We’re on Birch Boulevard. I saw the sign a while back.”

“Ah, okay. You’re close, then. Do you see a sign for Linden Lane?”

You glance around until you alight on a signpost. “Yeah.”

“Turn right onto it. Then take the first left, go past the cul-de-sac, and another left. Do not pass Go, and do not collect two-hundred dollars. I’m the fifth house on the right.”

He ends the call before you can ask him to repeat the directions, and you send Jungkook a helpless look. “Did you get all of that?”

“Besides the overused Monopoly joke?” Jungkook asks.. “Yeah, I got it. Right, left, left. Fifth house. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to get there.”

And true to his word, you arrive at the house three minutes later. Yugyeom is standing on the front step with rumpled hair and a duffel bag at his feet, and you snort when he throws open the car door and flops across the entirety of the backseat.

“Rough morning?”

“Stayed up late packing,” he says by way of explanation, his eyes already beginning to drift shut. Jungkook immediately turns the music up, and you giggle when Yugyeom shoots upright at the bassline that’s now shaking the entire vehicle. “I’m up, I’m up! Jeez, man.”

Jungkook just sends him an innocent grin in the rearview mirror. You turn the volume back down to a reasonable level as Yugyeom directs Jungkook onto the best route to take out of the neighborhood, and it isn’t long before you’re merging onto the highway that leads toward the coast.

You’re just beginning to get comfortable, staring out the window at the passing cityscape, when your leg vibrates with an incoming text notification. Glancing down, you see that Jungkook’s phone has slipped between your thigh and the seat, the screen lit with a new message.

[10:21am] Minho: gonna be at the store in 10

“Minho says they’ll be at the grocery store in ten minutes,” you relay to your companions. “We have a little longer to go. Probably another half hour or so.”

“We wouldn’t be so far behind if Yugyeom didn’t live in a fucking labyrinth,” Jungkook remarks, but a glance at the young man in the backseat reveals that he’s drifted off despite your earlier stunt. Rolling his eyes, he turns to you. “Can you text him back, Noona?”

You nod and hold out his phone so he can unlock it with his thumb. “Hey,” you say once you’ve hit send on the message. “Do you have a contact photo for me?”

Jungkook stiffens slightly, his gaze skittering between you and the road. “Oh. Uh, yeah, I guess I do. But it’s nothing, really. It’s kinda lame. But you… you can look at it if you want.”

Curiosity piqued, you scroll down until you find your name, tapping on the image beside it. The photo is from several years ago, during a family trip to the lake house with the Jeons. You are no older than fifteen, your arm slung around a fourteen-year-old Jungkook as the two of you stand knee-deep in the lake, wearing swimsuits and bright smiles. In the background, you can just barely make out a blurry Jimin mid-splash.

“I remember this,” you murmur, zooming in on your smiling faces. “That was a fun summer.”

“Junghyun was grumpy the whole time,” Jungkook recalls with a laugh. “But we had a good time, didn’t we? We practically lived in the lake that entire week.”

“Or that old canoe.” You grin, taking one last look at the photo before locking his phone and handing it back to him. “Remember? We’d always row out too far, and our parents would scream for us to come back before we fell in and drowned.”

Jungkook snickers. “As if I’d ever let you drown. I’m a great swimmer.”

“Are you saying I’m not?”

He backpedals immediately, realizing his mistake. “Hey, don’t twist my words. I said nothing of the sort.”

“That’s what I thought.” Giggling, you turn to look out the window, propping your chin in your palm as you watch the scenery flash past. “And I want that photo, by the way. Send it to me?”

“As soon as we get to the store,” Jungkook promises. “Speaking of which, we’re getting close. Keep an eye out for the exit for me?”

“Deal.”

///

Jimin and the others are waiting in the parking lot when you arrive, perched on and around the van as they watch Jungkook expertly maneuver the car into a neighboring parking space. “Took you long enough,” your brother says once the engine is cut, hopping off the hood and landing lightly on both feet.

“We’re here now, aren’t we?” you snark as you join the others hovering near the grocery store entrance. Jimin makes a face at you, and you stick your tongue out in response. After a quick huddle—wherein you form a very haphazard game plan—everyone disperses. Jimin grabs a shopping cart and heads inside with Taehyung and Minho, the latter of whom is trying to clamber his way into the cart to hitch a ride.

Sighing, you grab a shopping cart of your own and scan the interior of the store for the produce section. They’ve rearranged the aisles since you were last here, but you quickly find what you’re looking for and begin picking your way over when Jungkook materializes at your side.

“So, what are you thinking for food?” he asks, nudging you away so he can push the cart in your stead.

You allow him to take over, gesturing toward your destination. “I know my brother,” you tell him dryly. “He’s going to buy meat and completely forget about everything else. And I don’t trust any of you to buy a single fruit or vegetable.”

“I like fruit and vegetables,” Jungkook defends.

“You like everything,” you correct, flashing him a teasing grin before leading him into the produce section.

Grocery shopping with Jungkook turns out to be surprisingly pleasant—comfortable, even. He proves adept at finding the ripest fruits and greenest vegetables, and when you ask him to find some apples, he trots off immediately and returns with a handful of sweet potatoes in addition to your requested fruit.

You raise an eyebrow. “What are you planning to do with those?”

Jungkook feigns offense, slapping a hand to his heart. “That’s cold, Noona. Don’t you think I can cook?”

“I’ve never seen you cook in my life,” you respond. “How am I supposed to know if you can or not?”

“I can,” he promises. “And I’ll prove it too, if you let me.”

You get the feeling he’s not just talking about cooking anymore, but he doesn’t give you a chance to answer. Dropping the apples and potatoes into the cart, he flashes you a crooked little smile before turning toward a display of cabbages, leaving you to wonder at what exactly is going through his head.

///

It’s nearly one in the afternoon when you arrive at your family’s lake house. The last stretch of the drive takes you through the forest along a winding, narrow road, but Jungkook is a capable driver and you know the way well enough to warn him about any upcoming hairpin turns. Piling out of the car, the three of you make quick work of putting the food safely into the refrigerator. By the time you’re finished, Jimin and the others have arrived as well, lugging their belongings inside and setting them inside the entryway.

“So who’s sleeping where?” Taehyung asks, glancing around the house. It’s modestly sized, with a living area on one side and a combined dining room and kitchen on the other. Three bedrooms and a bathroom branch off of the hallway between them, ending in a back door that leads out to the lake. Through the window, you can see the water glimmering in the sunlight, hazy and golden.

“We’ll have to share,” Jimin says. “ If Noona takes one room, that leaves two bedrooms and the pullout couch for the rest of us.”

Jungkook tilts his head. “Rock, paper, scissors?” he suggests, drawing a chorus of groans.

“I always lose!” Jimin complains. “And Taemin cheats!”

“Do not!”

Laughing at the indignant expression on your brother’s face, you decide to leave them to it and head to your bedroom with your luggage in tow. The room is just as you remember it, with a bed tucked against one wall and a dresser on the opposite. There are three doors in total—one that you just entered through, and another that opens into a small closet. The third leads to a bathroom—shared with the bedroom on the other side of the wall that usually belongs to Jimin. Vaguely, you wonder who will be sleeping there tonight, before setting your suitcase on the bed and unzipping it.

“Fuck!”

You jump at the sudden shout, poking your head out into the hallway to see what’s causing all the commotion. Yugyeom is kneeling on the floor with his head down, a crestfallen Taemin standing beside him. Meanwhile, Taehyung and Minho look supremely pleased with themselves, and you see why when they grab their bags and practically skip to the master bedroom across the hall, collapsing onto the king-sized bed.

“Have fun on the couch, losers!” Jimin singsongs, grabbing Jungkook by the wrist and dragging him into their newly won bedroom on your side of the hallway. “Lake in fifteen minutes, so get changed! Last one there’s in charge of dinner!”

The door slams shut behind him, and you roll your eyes before turning back to your opened suitcase and pulling out a book. There’s a perfectly shaded spot beneath one of the trees along the water, and you fully intend to capitalize on the last few hours of daylight before the sun begins to set.

Minho is the only one outside when you exit the house, standing on the dock in a pair of green swim trunks. He waves at you cheerily before cannonballing into the lake, and you squeak as the resulting splash sends water splattering across the front of your shirt.

“Sorry!” he calls when he resurfaces, shaking his hair out like a wet dog.

You wave off his apology with a laugh, settling down onto the soft grass at the base of your chosen tree and opening up your book. The other boys trickle out of the house one by one, but you barely notice. It isn’t until a triumphant shout pierces the air that you finally glance up to see what’s causing all the commotion, your gaze immediately landing on Taehyung standing on the back steps of the house.

“Trust me,” he says, unbothered by his apparent tardiness. “You don’t want me to make dinner.”

Minho pulls a face and straightens up from where he’d been floating on his back. “You know, he kinda has a point there.”

Murmurs of agreement all around. Taehyung gives Jimin a smug smile, who scowls from where he’s sitting at the end of the dock, his bare feet dangling over the edge. “So what now? Do we have to play rock, paper, scissors again?”

“Nah, I’ll do it.”

Every head whips around to face Jungkook, yours included. He’s standing a short ways from where you’re sitting—his approach so quiet that you hadn’t even heard him arrive. The last time you checked, he’d been diving off the dock with Minho and Yugyeom, water pooling in his collarbones and dripping down the ridges of his taut abdomen each time he resurfaced.

Not that you’d been looking, of course.

“Really?” Jimin looks aghast at his best friend’s declaration. “You can cook?”

Jungkook scoffs in disbelief and plops down beside you, leaning back against the tree trunk. “Why does everyone in your family seem surprised by that?” he asks, his lip jutting out in a petulant frown. “Do I seem like someone who can���t cook?”

“Yes,” you tell him honestly, marking your page and letting the book fall shut. “Don’t take it personally, though. Men only learn how to cook in college when they have to start fending for themselves. And sometimes, not even then.”

The noise that leaves Jungkook’s mouth can best be described as disgruntled, but he doesn’t press any further. Instead, he peers over your shoulder to get a look at the cover of your book, mouthing the title to himself before glancing at you. “Haven’t I seen you reading this before?”

“Probably,” you admit. “It’s an old favorite.”

He hums, slouching back against the tree again, and when you look over, you see that both his eyes have fallen shut. With his mouth parted and his dark lashes resting on his cheeks, he looks years younger than he is—and so much more like the Jungkook you used to know.

“Tired?” you whisper.

“Long drive,” Jungkook whispers back, his head already beginning to loll. “Lemme sleep, Noona.”

Smiling to yourself, you return to your book and leave him to rest.

///

“So, what are you even planning to make?” Jimin asks, swinging his legs. He’s seated atop the kitchen counter, taking up the majority of what precious little space there is to begin with, and Jungkook sighs deeply as he’s forced to dodge around him yet again to peer into the refrigerator.

“You’ll see.”

“I don’t think you even know yet,” Taemin pipes up from the doorway. The other boys are in the living room playing Mario Kart, but Taemin and Jimin have selflessly pulled themselves away from the game to help their friend in the kitchen—or so they say. As far as you’re concerned, they’ve been nothing but a nuisance thus far, but you don’t voice that particular thought aloud.

“Ramen doesn’t count as making dinner,” Jimin points out snidely when Jungkook pauses too long next to the box of ramen packs. “Anyone can boil water. And you don’t get to add an egg and call it fancy, like you usually do.”

“My ramen is delicious, excuse you,” Jungkook retorts, pointing a spatula at him. “And that’s not even what I’m making, so fuck off.”

Jimin shrugs, but shuts his mouth nonetheless. You take the opportunity to throw some pork belly at him, the meat wrapped neatly in paper and tied off with twine. “Here,” you tell him. “You could at least make yourself useful and start grilling the meat.”

“Okay, mom,” your brother grumbles under his breath, hopping off the counter. He and Taemin head out to the back porch where the grill sits, and you join Jungkook at the stove where he’s staring thoughtfully at an empty pan.

“Try twisting the dial. I’ve heard that helps.”

Jungkook snaps out of his daze and turns to you. “Huh?”

“The stove. It won’t light itself, you know.”

Chuckling, Jungkook twists the dial as instructed, adding a drizzle of oil to the pan. As it heats up, he turns and selects a knife from the cutlery drawer. The sweet potatoes he’d insisted on purchasing are already washed and peeled, and you watch as he begins to slice them, your gaze automatically flitting down to his exposed forearms, his muscles flexing with every movement.

“Hey, Noona? Can you do me a favor?”

You blink, tearing your gaze from the branching veins lining his arms. “What?”

Jungkook, thankfully, doesn’t seem to notice your distracted state. “Can you put the rice in the microwave?” he asks, and you can’t help but giggle.

“Why?” you tease. “Are you still scared?”

“Of course not,” he retorts, but you don’t miss the wary look that flashes across his face when you plop the rice inside and go to punch in the cook time.

The remainder of the cooking goes smoothly. Jimin and Taemin return with the grilled meat, and Jungkook rebuffs your offer to set the table, leaving his position at the stove to lay plates and utensils down on the table himself. “I’m just about done, anyway,” he tells you, gesturing at the plate of glazed sweet potatoes on the counter. “Sit down and relax, Noona.”

“Fine,” you relent, taking a seat. Jimin takes the chair beside you, and Taemin plops down on his other side. Jungkook sits down just to your left once he’s finished laying out the food, and for a brief, insane moment, you almost think that he’s going to repeat what he’d done at his graduation dinner. But the dark-haired young man remains on his best behavior, keeping his hands to himself under the table, and you aren’t sure whether you’re grateful or disappointed.

The meal flies by in a flurry of laughter and conversation. Jungkook discovers that his glazed sweet potatoes have adhered to the plate, and sends everyone into hysterics when he promptly starts spinning it around like a steering wheel.

It’s a good night. And at the end of it, you go to bed warm and content, with a belly full of food and a smile on your face.

///

You awaken to the sound of chirping songbirds and gentle waves lapping at the shore the next morning, thoroughly rejuvenated after an undisturbed night’s sleep. Stretching your arms overhead, you yawn and bask in the comfort of your bed for a few more moments before getting up and heading to the bathroom, thankful that you don’t have to fight anyone for sink occupancy. The toilet seat is even down, which comes as a welcome surprise, all things considered.

Before long, you are back in your bedroom, rifling through the contents of your suitcase. Belatedly, you realize that you’ve packed only one swimsuit—and a bikini, at that. Cheeks warming, you pull the two pieces out, holding them up against your body. Has it always been this small? You don’t remember. All you know is that Jungkook has two fully functional eyes, and there’s no way that he won’t be looking at every inch of skin you choose to expose.

In the end, you settle on wearing the bikini beneath a flowy, floral kimono-style robe, tied at the waist to form a makeshift dress. The ensemble reaches just past your knees and is sheer enough to still show skin, but you no longer feel as self-conscious going out into the view of your companions and that’s a victory as far as you’re concerned. Checking your reflection one last time, you adjust your sash before opening the bedroom door and heading down the hall for some breakfast.

Unsurprisingly, the kitchen is empty when you walk in, tiptoeing past a still slumbering Taemin and Yugyeom on the pullout couch. You savor the quiet as you start up the old coffeemaker, pulling a mug from the cabinet and rinsing it out to get rid of any lingering dust. The weather app on your phone promises that it’ll be a clear, cloudless day, and a glance out the window confirms it. Silently, you debate whether or not to crack a window.

Your musings are interrupted by the arrival of Taehyung, his brown hair sticking up at all angles. Blearily, he trundles to the fridge and grabs the orange juice, seemingly two seconds away from chugging it straight from the carton before you clear your throat and push a clean glass toward him. You think you hear him mumble a thank you.

As the morning wears on, the others slowly begin to trickle in. Breakfast is a disorganized affair that leaves bread crumbs all over the counter, and nearly causes a fight when everyone seems to want their eggs cooked a different way.

“Look, if you wanted your egg soft-boiled, you should’ve made it yourself!” Jimin grouches to Taehyung, the t-shirt over his head muffling his words. Everyone else is already in the water, splashing about, but you’re seated on the end of the dock with your brother and Taehyung, who looks thoroughly unfazed behind his tinted sunglasses.

“Maybe if I knew how to soft boil an egg, I would have.”

“Google exists,” Jimin says, finally freeing himself from the shirt and tossing it aside.

Taehyung nods sagely. “Exactly. So why didn’t you use it?”

Jimin is beginning to look positively murderous, so when Minho swims over and taps your submerged ankle, you are beyond grateful for the distraction. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Are you gonna swim, or are you gonna sit onshore the whole time?” Minho asks, raking his wet bangs out of his eyes. “The water’s not even cold, so get in here.”

Pointedly, you wiggle your toes. “Feels pretty cold to me.”

“Okay, fine. It’s cold.” Minho grins. “But you get used to it.”

You sigh at his easy admission. “All men do is lie. How am I supposed to believe you?”

He raises a brow. “Do I need to pull you in and dunk you under?”

“I will kick you if you even try,” you tell him, standing up and shrugging off your robe. An audible hush falls as the gauzy material pools around your ankles—Jungkook stops wrestling with Yugyeom and trying to dunk him underwater, and Taemin pauses mid-splash, his hair drenched and dripping.

It’s Minho who breaks the silence first, letting loose a low whistle of appreciation. “Damn, {Name}.”

Jimin grabs a shoe from the pile on the dock and chucks it at him, hard. “Dude, that’s my fucking sister!”

“Ow! What the fuck, man, that’s my shoe!”

“Quit ogling my sister!”

“I’m not!” Minho yells, just as Jimin chucks the other shoe and hits him square in the mouth. “Okay, I’m not anymore. Sorry, okay?”

Once he’s sufficiently sure that Jimin is done attacking him, Minho turns to you. “I’m sorry,” he says sincerely. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. You know that, right?”

“I know,” you reassure him. “Honestly, it was kinda good for my self-esteem. And I don’t need you defending my honor, or whatever it is you think you’re doing,” you add, glancing over at your disgruntled brother.

“Men are pigs,” Jimin sniffs. “I won’t apologize.”

You ruffle his hair good-naturedly. “I know, Chim. You’re right.” Then your smile turns mischievous. “I won’t apologize for what I’m about to do, either.”

And then you grab him by the arm and drag him into the lake, the cold water submerging you in an instant and stealing the breath out of your lungs. You’re both gasping by the time you resurface, blinking water out of your eyes, and you squeal when Jimin takes the opportunity to splash you again.

Hours pass—the sun rising higher overhead. Around noon, Taehyung disappears inside the house and returns with an assortment of snacks and sandwich fixings, ushering everyone over for an impromptu lunch on the dock. You dip your feet into the water as you munch on a bag of chips, and Jungkook plops down beside you with a juice box in one hand and a ham sandwich in the other.

“Wanna go for a ride in the canoe after lunch?” he asks, jabbing a thumb back in the direction of the house. “I found it in the garage.”

You laugh. “Really? I thought for sure we got rid of that thing. Are you sure it hasn’t sprung a leak?”

Jungkook’s face crinkles into a grin. “Guess we’ll have to wait and see, huh?”

You grin back and raise your cup, the lemonade inside swishing around. “I’ll hang on to this, just in case I need to start bailing water out.”

Lunchtime winds down gradually. Jungkook polishes off his sandwich and trots off to fetch the canoe, waving off your offers to help before disappearing around the corner of the house. You watch him return a few minutes later from your seat on the end of the dock, resting your weight back on your hands and swirling your pruney toes in the water. He’s stripped off the loose white tee he’d donned during lunch, his golden skin cast in shadow by the canoe perched across his bare shoulders, and your gaze trails from his bulging biceps down to the ridges of his abdomen. The muscles flex with every step he takes, and you hastily take another sip of lemonade in an effort to combat the sudden dryness in your throat.

With a grunt, Jungkook comes to a stop at your elbow, heaving the boat into the water. The impact sends ripples across the lake and the butterflies in your belly into a frenzy, and you nearly fall off the dock when Jungkook touches your shoulder gently.

“Ready to go, Noona?”

You nod, not quite trusting yourself to speak. Jungkook holds the boat steady with one hand while offering you the other, and you gratefully grasp it as you step off the dock. The canoe rocks dangerously when Jungkook clambers in after you, but quickly steadies when he picks up an oar and jabs at the dock to push off into the lake. The glimmering expanse of blue water stretches before you, and you relax as you let your fingers dangle off the side of the boat, watching ripples form beneath your fingertips.

“I can help row,” you say after a few moments, casting a glance over at Jungkook. He’s settled into a rhythm now, the veins and tendons in his arm flexing with each movement, and you’re suddenly very aware of how close he’s sitting.

“You—” Jungkook says, fixing you with a playful stare, “—just enjoy the ride, yeah?”

Shaking your head, you smile and turn back around to admire the view. Sunlight reflects off the rippling water, lending a golden iridescence to the glittering blue depths. In the distance, the opposite shoreline rises up, crowned with rocky outcrops and majestic dark green pines.

With a start, you realize how far away you’ve gotten from the other boys. The shouts and laughter from the house are quickly fading into the background, and you nervously turn to look at Jungkook as he rows you even further.

“God, my dad would freak if he saw us right now,” you remark, trying to diffuse the sudden tension that’s settled. “I mean, we don’t even have life jackets. He’d lose his mind.”

Jungkook hums. He stops rowing, his hands stilling on the oars, and you’re just about to ask him what’s wrong when a warm hand glides up your thigh.

“You think you could maybe stop talking about your dad, princess?” Then he smirks. “Unless you’re into the whole daddy kink thing, because I’d be down to explore that at some point if you want—“

“Jungkook!” you hiss, scandalized.

“Yes?” the young man in question hums, his face the picture of innocence. It’s hard to muster up your vocabulary when he’s looking up at you with those wide doe eyes, but you somehow manage to prevail over your malfunctioning brain.

“We’re in public!” you whisper, glancing back at the shore where your brother and his friends have started an impromptu game of water polo.

Jungkook smirks crookedly at you. “Guess you better not scream too loud, then.”

And then, before you can open your mouth to protest—before you can even try to call his bluff—he’s slipped his hand into your bikini bottoms and found his way to your clit. Your entire body spasms when he presses into it experimentally, and the resulting snicker that escapes him is nothing short of infuriating.

“Careful,” he coos, laying his free hand on your thigh, his thumb rubbing nonsensical circles into the soft skin. “Don’t wanna rock the boat, now.”

Then he returns his attention to your clit, pinching the nub just to watch you jolt in his grasp and soothing you with a gentle kiss to the knee afterward. Your skin warms beneath the plush of his lips, and the pleased smile that curves them is all the warning you get before he sheathes a single finger in your clenching core. “Jungkook—” you gasp, shoving uselessly at his bare shoulders, but you can’t keep the edge of desire out of your voice. You can’t hide the growing wetness between your legs either—wetness that he most certainly feels as he slips another finger inside, pumping into you with ease.

“God, look at you,” he murmurs, his eyes trained on the way you clench around him. “So pretty like this. So pretty, getting fucked by my fingers. I could do this all day.”

“We—we don’t have all day,” you whisper. The last syllable dissolves into a moan as Jungkook eases a third finger into your cunt, and you scrabble to ground yourself when he picks up his leisurely pace. One hand settles on the edge of the boat, your fingernails digging into the wood, while the other finds Jungkook’s bicep. His arm flexes beneath your grip with each snap of his wrist, and you keen when he crooks his fingers just right and sends stars skittering across your vision.

He knows that you’re getting close. You can tell from the growing furrow between his brows and the hard set of his jaw, and you can tell that he won’t stop until he gets you off. Concentration etches across his face, and you gasp when his thumb finds your clit again.

“Oh, fuck, Jungkook—”

“That’s it,” he rasps, digging deeper and thumbing roughly across your bundle of nerves. “Cum for me.”

And you do. With one final flick of his wrist, Jungkook sends you hurtling over the edge that he’s so effortlessly built, a cresting wave of pleasure overtaking your body and spreading through your veins. Your leg kicks out instinctively, rocking the canoe dangerously in the water, but Jungkook catches you by the ankle with his free hand and presses a kiss to the inside of your thigh. He shifts his weight until you’re steadied once more, and only then does he ease his fingers out of you, raising them to his mouth to lick them clean.

“Think we can sneak away so I can fuck you properly?” he asks.

Your cheeks heat up at the lewd display, warming even more when his words register in your muddled brain. “Oh my god, Jungkook.”

“That’s exactly what you’ll be saying when I really get my hands on you,” Jungkook agrees. Flashing you a mischievous grin, he drops his hand over the edge of the boat, letting the turquoise water wash away any lingering fluids. “What do you think? The backseat of my car isn’t half bad…”

“I will literally push you into this lake,” you tell him, trying and failing to hide a disbelieving laugh. “Why are you such a perv?”

“You like it,” Jungkook defends immediately. “‘Sides,” he adds, casting a wary glance at the shore where Jimin and the others are still fully engrossed in their game, “I wanna kiss you while I fuck you. It’s not as good like this.”

At that, something dangerously close to affection blooms in your belly, winding its curious tendrils around your heart. Swallowing the feeling down, you pick up one of the oars instead, handing it over to him before hefting the other. “Come on,” you murmur. “They’re gonna get suspicious if we’re gone too long.”

Jungkook hums. “Yeah. Probably.”

And then he raises the oar you just handed him, lifting it until the paddle covers both of your faces, and boldly plants a firm kiss on your mouth.

“I’ll row us back,” he declares casually when he pulls away, as if he hasn’t just stolen all the oxygen from your lungs. As if your lips aren’t burning where he’s kissed you, your cheeks hot beneath his gentle exhalations. As if you aren’t positively thrumming with the desire to pull him back in, and maybe take him up on his offer to fuck you in the backseat of his beat-up sedan.

“Yeah,” you say instead, your voice hoarse. “Let’s go.”

///

What few remaining hours of daylight you have, you decide to spend inside. Jungkook gets roped into the water polo match as soon as the two of you return to shore, and you take the opportunity to slip into the house and clean yourself up. Safely locked away in the bathroom, you strip off your damp bikini bottoms and toss them in the sink. The top follows, and you give both a quick wash, doing your best to ignore the remaining slick from your orgasm that stubbornly coats the material.

Once everything is washed and hanging up to dry, you step into the shower. Warm water soaks your hair and slides down your back, and you tilt your head back to let the spray wash your worries away, relishing in the rare moment of peace and quiet.

By the time you’ve toweled off and gotten dressed, you can hear the boys beginning to traipse back into the house. From what you can make out, they’re making dinner plans, and you poke your head out curiously when Jimin mentions you by name.

“What are you saying about me?” you ask, narrowing your eyes accusingly at your brother.

Jimin whirls around, his cherubic face a perfect picture of innocence. “Nothing! I was just talking about your fried rice and how good it is…”

“You’re trying to get me to make you dinner,” you sigh. “I knew it.”

“No, we’ll help!” your brother promises. “I swear, as soon as I get out of the shower, I’ll chop all the vegetables.”

“Sure you will,” you snort, brushing past him and heading for the kitchen.

Much to your surprise, the kitchen is already occupied when you arrive. Jungkook and Yugyeom are at the counter—the former poised with a knife at the ready, about to slice into an onion. The latter is digging through the cabinets, and both turn at the sound of your footsteps.

“Hey,” Yugyeom says. “You probably know where the bottle opener is, right?”

You nod. “Left of the sink, second drawer down.” Then you turn your attention to Jungkook, peering curiously over his shoulder. “What’s the onion for?”

“Dinner,” he replies, flashing you a crooked little smile. “We’re making fried rice, aren’t we?”

Your heart skips a beat in your chest and races to catch up, thumping erratically against your ribcage. It’s hard to ignore the warmth blossoming in your belly—near impossible to ignore the butterflies that have made a home there—but you somehow manage to school your expression into something passably neutral and busy yourself with the other vegetables on the counter. “I see Jimin got to you, too. Is the other cutting board clean?”

Jungkook nods, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the dish rack. “Washed it last night, yeah. It’s all yours, Noona.”

You hum and skirt around Yugyeom to grab the clean board and another knife. Chopping vegetables goes a lot faster with two people, and Yugyeom does his part by cracking open two bottles of beer and plunking one down next to each of you before opening a third for himself. “Hydrate,” he orders, and you roll your eyes before picking it up and taking a sip.

It doesn’t take long to finish making dinner. As promised, Jimin joins you as soon as he’s out of the shower, plucking the knife out of your hand and nudging you aside so he can finish cutting the vegetables. You fire up the stove and drizzle some oil into a pan, and smile when Taehyung brings you the container of leftover rice and a large serving bowl.

“You know what we should do?” Minho asks as you’re all sitting down to eat. Yugyeom’s opened more beers, and Jimin’s brought out the wine as well. Jungkook is spooning out fried rice for everyone, and you accept the bowl he hands you with a murmur of thanks before looking at Minho expectantly.

“What should we do?”

“Go to the beach,” he replies, tilting the remainder of his beer back into his mouth. “It’s only an hour away, isn’t it?”

“Closer to half an hour without traffic,” Jimin corrects. “But, yeah, we should go. That would be fun.”

By the time dinner is finished, you’ve finalized plans to drive down to the beach in the morning. “Remember, we’re leaving at ten,” you tell Jimin, elbowing him in the ribs. “That means you have to wake up before ten.”

“I know!” your brother whines, rubbing the spot where you elbowed him with a grimace. “Jeez, Noona. I’m good at waking up. It’s Jungkook and Tae you have to worry about.”

“Says the punk who takes hour-long showers,” you snark. “What are you gonna do when you have to pay your own water bills, huh?”

“Shower at your place,” he replies smugly. “You can’t turn me away. I’m your brother.”

“Please, that’s exactly why I can turn you away, you little mooch.”

“You love me!”

“Really? You wanna test that theory?”

The remainder of the evening passes in a blur of booze and board games, unearthed from the closet in the hall. Despite your collective agreement to go to bed early, it’s past midnight when you finally bid everyone goodnight and crawl underneath your covers. Shutting your eyes, you will your brain to settle and your limbs to relax, and you’re on the verge of drifting off when your phone suddenly buzzes. Lazily, you roll over and snatch the device off the nightstand, taking in the late hour before your eyes flit down to the new notification and go wide.

[1:02am] Jungkook: IMG_497

You freeze, thumb hovering just above the message. Even when your screen goes dark again, you can’t erase the sight of his name lighting up your phone, the attachment sitting there like a taunt. You shouldn’t open it. You can’t open it.

But curiosity gnaws at your belly, fraying the edges of your resolve. Slowly, you wake the screen, watching as Jungkook’s name fills it once more. You hesitate, bottom lip finding its way between your teeth.

And then your phone buzzes again, several times in quick succession.

[1:04am] Jungkook: i miss you, noona

[1:04am] Jungkook: miss your pretty face

[1:04am] Jungkook: miss how tight your pussy felt around my fingers

You drop the device as if scorched. It takes several moments to gather your wits again, but when you do, pick up your phone, clicking on his name and scrolling up to the attachment. In the darkness of your bedroom, you watch with bated breath as it downloads.

“Fuck.”

The expletive slips past your lips, unbidden, but you can’t help it. Jungkook stares out at you from the photograph illuminating your screen, his eyes hooded and his lips curled into a devious smirk. He’s in the shared bathroom between your bedrooms, and even though it’s dark inside, the flash of his camera is just enough to illuminate the distinctive palm tree patterned shower curtain behind him.

But, you aren’t focused on that.

No, your focus is zeroed in on the foreground of the photo, where you can perfectly make out the head of Jungkook’s cock, sticky and leaking copiously from between his fingers.

“Fuck,” you repeat, louder this time.

And as if reading your mind, another text flashes onto your screen.

[1:07am] Jungkook: wish your pretty little pussy was stretched around my cock right now, princess

You aren’t sure what possesses you to send the response you do, but your thumbs are moving before the more rational side of your brain can catch up and stop you.

[1:07am] You: why don’t you come over and make it happen then?

You’ve only just hit send when the bathroom door swings open, revealing Jungkook standing there in nothing but sweatpants. His face is illuminated in the stark white light shining from his screen, his eyes dark and his smirk even darker. Every movement drips with intent, from the way his lips quirk upward to the way he saunters over to join you on your bed, dropping his phone somewhere amongst the rumpled sheets. The room goes dark.

And then…

“Hey, princess.”

His lips are at your ear, hot breath caressing your cheeks and sending shivers down the length of your spine. The mattress dips beneath his weight as he joins you, a hand finding your bare thigh before sliding up to grasp your hip. Only an oversized t-shirt and a thin pair of cotton panties shield you from his roving fingers, and you can tell from the pleased curve of his mouth that he isn’t going to let either stand in his way. One hand slips beneath the hem of your shirt, dancing along your ribcage, and you let out a breathy gasp when he trails up and skims along the soft skin just below the swell of your breasts.

“Been thinking about you all night, you know,” Jungkook whispers, pushing up your shirt and peppering kisses along every inch of newly revealed flesh. “Been thinking about how pretty you looked, cumming around my fingers, and how much prettier you’d look cumming around my cock.”

Your shirt is long forgotten by this point, tugged overhead and thrown carelessly over his shoulder. Jungkook hauls you closer, slotting himself between your spread legs, and you shiver when he presses the pad of his thumb against your clothed clit, the material uncomfortably damp as it clings to your folds.

“Jungkook—” His name escapes you in an airy whisper. “Please.”

Even in the darkness, you can see the satisfied, self-assured tilt of his lips. “Such a good girl for me,” he croons, leaning down to press a kiss to your waiting mouth. His free hand comes up to cup your cheek while the other remains between your legs, and you gasp sharply when he digs his thumb a little harder against your clit, circling the sensitive bud.

Jungkook seizes upon the opportunity to slip his tongue past your lips, licking into your mouth with unrestrained ardor. Your panties are peeled away, the cottony material disappearing right alongside the pressure of his thumb, and the inadvertent whine that escapes you has him chuckling darkly in his throat.

“What is it, princess?” Jungkook rasps, his voice dipping several pitches. “You have to tell me what you want, remember?”

You clutch at his wrist weakly, tugging it back between your legs until he finally indulges you and resumes his lazy revolutions around your clit. “Want you,” you whisper. “Want you inside me.”

Jungkook lets out a pleased hum, rewarding you with a single finger that he slips into your sopping entrance, your juices aiding the smooth glide as he curls it up in search of the spot that’ll have you seeing stars. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“No, it wasn’t,” you agree shakily. “But it looks like you are, so why don’t you let me help you out?”

Jungkook chuckles softly, his lips ghosting across the swell of your cheek. “Oh, yeah? And how exactly do you plan on helping me?”

Slowly, you reach down, letting your fingers graze the sizable bulge in his sweatpants. “You said it yourself, didn’t you? Me, stretched around your cock?”

A low groan escapes him when you give him a firm stroke, your fingers barely meeting around his length. “On your back,” he commands hoarsely, nudging you backward until you’re nestled into your pillows. Freeing his erection from the confines of his sweatpants, he settles comfortably between your spread legs, the mattress groaning in protest at the shift in weight.

“Wait,” you whisper, grabbing his wrist. “Did you hear that?”

His face scrunches in confusion. “Hear what?” he asks, as if he’s never heard that particular string of words before. “Are you sure it wasn’t just—”

He stops mid-sentence, and you both hear it again—the unmistakable creaking of bedsprings from next door. “Shit!” you hiss, scrambling back on the mattress until you’re nearly pressed against the headboard. “Oh, god. That’s Jimin. He’s going to kill you if he finds you in here—”

On the other side of the wall, the door to the shared bathroom opens, the light flickering on and illuminating the crack beneath your door. You hear your brother cursing sleepily under his breath as the toilet lid clatters open, and nearly shove Jungkook off the bed in your haste to get him out of your room.

“You have to go,” you whisper frantically, herding him toward the door that leads out into the hall.

Jungkook hurriedly pulls his pants back over his hips, and you can practically see him willing his erection to go away. “What am I supposed to say if he asks?”

“I don’t know! Pretend you were going for a glass of water or something!”

With a final push, you shove him out of your bedroom, leaning against the door with a relieved sigh when it clicks shut behind him. You hear Jungkook shuffle off just as Jimin flushes, and cast a prayer up to any deities that may exist as you listen to him wash his hands. And it seems your prayers are answered, as quiet descends over the house once more. Off in the distance, you think you hear Minho snoring.

Letting out another sigh, you return to bed, crawling beneath the covers and getting comfortable. And when sleep finally takes you, you dream of Jeon Jungkook.

[samwilsonsbabymama]

A Change of Scenery: A Surprise

Pairing: Dad!Angel Reyes x Mom Black!Reader (but anyone can read)

Summary: Y/n spends time with a friend as she deals with Angel being on a long run handling club business. When Angel returns, Y/n has a surprise for him, but he has one for Y/n as well.

Warnings: 18+, fluff, smut, cockwarming, 

Word Count: < 3,300

A/N: Here’s part 4! I’m blown away with the response to this fic! Thank you all for showing me so much love, you don’t know how much I appreciate it! Big thanks to @my-rosegold-soul​ for being such a big help and for being an all around amazing person 💖☀️💖

✨I don’t give anyone permission to copy/translate/repost/rewrite my work. Minors, DNI at all. ✨ 

While Angel and Coco were preparing for their run in a few days, you, Coco’s girlfriend, Alexandra, and the kids went out to lunch. You always had a great time when you hung out with Alex. She was exactly like Coco in every way and being around her always made you feel better. She had a light about her that filled a room when she walked in, and everyone loved her. 

The two of you spent a lot of time together when Angel and Coco were away on longer runs, and this one was no exception. As you waited for your food to come, you planned out what you were going to do while the boys were gone. 

Alex ordered mimosas for both of you, and she eyed you curiously when you chose to drink water instead.

“So, is there something you want to tell me?” Alex asked as she sipped her drink.

You raised your eyebrow in question and smiled when she pointed to your untouched drink. You glanced at your two kids before you reached into your purse and pulled out the envelope.

“I found out yesterday,” you said as you pulled out the ultrasound photos. “I haven’t told Angel yet because I want to do something cute to tell him. It sucks that he has to leave in a few days.”

Alex bounced in her seat as she looked at the photos.

“Wait a minute,” she gasped. “Y/n, why are there two arrows?”

Your face lit up at the question. “Because,” you glanced towards Imani and AJ to make sure they weren’t listening, “I’m pregnant with twins!”

Alex squealed at the news, “I’m so excited for you! Angel is going to flip the fuck out!”

“Shhh, Alex!” you chastised, but you laughed along with her.

“We have to find the perfect way to tell Angel!” Alex said. You could already see the wheels turning in her mind.

You smiled at her excitement, and you couldn’t wait to see what the two of you came up with.

After the four of you ate, AJ and Imani begged to go see Letty. It had been a few weeks since she last babysat and they missed her. Alex gave in and the two young children kissed you goodbye before climbing into Alex’s car.

Angel was home when you got back and when he realized the kids weren’t with you, he was all over you. Since he was going to be gone for around three weeks, he wanted to make sure you didn’t miss him too much. This wasn’t the first run he’d gone on during your relationship, but it was going to be the longest one so far, and you felt as if he were apologizing for leaving for so long. 

Moments after you walked through the door, Angel had you pinned beneath him as he thrust slowly into you. Your eyes were screwed shut as he whispered sweet words into your ear. Angel had teased that you couldn’t stay quiet while he was inside of you, and you were trying your hardest to keep quiet, but he was making it so damn hard. 

You felt him everywhere as he talked you through your orgasm. He swallowed your cries as you came around him and his thrusts never slowed. You wrapped your legs tighter around him as you came in an attempt to pull him in deeper.

Angel pulled out of you and flipped you onto your stomach before sliding back in. His fingers dug into your waist as he continued to fuck you. Your pants were getting louder by the second as Angel split you open. A sharp slap landed on your ass before Angel laid his full weight on top of you.

“Shhhh, mi dulce, you gotta be quiet,” he said into your ear. His body covered yours as he fucked you and he made you feel small. His fingers laced with yours as he continued to rock into you. 

“Angel, please,” you whispered.

“Please what, Y/n?” he teased.

“Please, please, please,” you didn’t know what you were begging for, but you knew that Angel would give it to you.

“You feel amazing, Y/n,” Angel praised. “You’re gonna feel me for days after this.”

You nodded and clenched around him.

“This is the one, Y/n, I know it is,” he said. His hips moved faster and your whines filled the air. 

Angel thrust into you harder and faster as he chased his high. You came around him once again, the tightness of your walls sending him hurtling into his release. His hips stuttered as he released his load into you. You both groaned at the feeling of him finishing inside of you. You felt him slip out of you, and you groaned at the loss. 

You closed your eyes in content and sighed. Just as you were slipping into a peaceful slumber, Angel shook you awake.

You grumbled as he continued to gently shake you.

“Lemme sleep, Angel,” you grumbled again.

“I will, just…” he paused.

You peeked your eyes open and looked at him. “Hmm?”

“Just come keep me warm,” he mumbled.

That got your attention. You moved as fast as you could and climbed on top of him. Angel chuckled and his arms moved to pull you close. Angel slowly pushed himself into you, aware of your sore body. Once he was fully inside of you, you rested your head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. Between Angel’s roaming hands and the sound of his heartbeat, you were lulled to sleep in no time.

During the weeks that Angel was gone, you spent time with Alex. She’d come up with a great idea of sending Angel on a scavenger hunt and announcing your pregnancy at the clubhouse. And a few days before the boys were due to come back, Alex spent the day at your house helping you get ready.

“I found these shirts for Imani and AJ that say ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Big Sister’ on them,” Alex said as she pulled out her phone to show you the pictures. 

“I like those,” you chewed on your lip.

Alex sensed your mood change and looked up. “What’s wrong, mama?” she moved closer to you and pulled you into a hug.

“What if this is too much for Angel?” you began to cry. “What if we moved too fast and this pushes him away from me?”

Alex held you in her arms as you cried. She rocked you side to side and let you get all of your worries out. When you stopped crying, she pulled back and looked into your eyes.

“Angel is not going to leave you, Y/n,” she said. “From all the time I’ve known him, he has been his happiest with you. I don’t even remember him being this happy with AJ’s mother all those years ago.”

You sniffed and wiped your eyes and gave Alex a watery smile. “Thank you, Alex.” you sniffed again.

“How long have you been feeling like this?” she asked as she pulled you into her side.

You shrugged, “A few days, it’s been really hard without Angel this time.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Alex rubbed your back, “I’m going to come and stay with you until Angel gets back. I’m sure Letty will enjoy some time to herself.”

You both laughed at the thought because you knew for a fact that Letty would jump at the chance of being in the house alone.

You looked at the clock and perked up a bit.

“I’m going to tell Imani and AJ today,” you started looking for your keys so that you could pick them up from daycare.

“Want me to come with you?” Alex asked.

You shook your head, “No, you don’t have to. I’ll take them out for ice cream and maybe to a movie. Ya know, butter them up a bit, soften the blow.”

Alex chuckled, “You know how sweet my niece and nephew are; they’re gonna be the best big brother and sister in the world.” 

You nodded in agreement. “Yeah, those two are pretty sweet.”

After you promised to call Alex when you were on your way home with the kids, you made your way to the daycare.

Your heart melted when Imani and AJ ran up to you when they saw you.

“Mommy!” they cried in unison. They both told you about their day at the same time, often finishing each other’s sentences.

You drove straight to their favorite ice cream shop and they cheered when you parked. You helped them both out of the car and ordered their favorite ice cream while they found a place to sit.

You sat in silence for a few moments while they ate.

“So, I have something to tell you two,” you were a little nervous but you needed to get this out. “AJ, you’re going to be a big brother, and Imani, you’re going to be a big sister.”

“But I’m already a big brother,” AJ responded with a confused look on his face.

“You’re going to be a big brother again, and Imani is going to be a big sister for the first time,” you clarified. Even though they were the same age, Imani and AJ thought it was important to remind everyone that AJ was older than Imani… even though it was by a couple of months.

Imani’s face lit up when what you said registered.

“I’m going to be a big SISTER!” she yelled and bounced in her seat, a bright smile gracing her face.

“Wait! Are you buying a baby!” AJ exclaimed, his excitement matching Imani’s.

You couldn’t help but laugh at what AJ said, you were ecstatic that they were happy about the new additions.

“Well, no, I’m not buying a baby,” you clarified. “There’s a baby in my belly… well actually two babies in my belly.”

Imani shrieked, “Two babies! Mommy has two babies in her belly!”

You were thankful that the shop was empty as you tried to quiet Imani down but AJ joined in with her.

“Imani, do you know what this means?” he questioned and gently shook his sister, and she shook her head. “This means that I get a baby, and you get a baby! We both get our own baby!”

The excitement that the two of them had filled your heart with love. You knew that if they reacted this way, then Angel’s happiness would be even greater.

On your way home, you called Alex to let her know that she could head over to your house. When she arrived, Imani and AJ practically tackled her to the ground.

“Did you know that mommy is having a baby?” AJ screamed when Alex walked through the door.

“And she’s having a baby for me too!” Imani interjected as she climbed onto Alex’s lap.

Hearing their excited words reminded you that this needed to stay a secret for a few days. You and Alex exchanged a look before you sat across from them.

“Imani, AJ, we need to talk.”

When they saw the serious look on your face, they quieted and gave you their full attention.

“I know you are excited about the news,” you began, and you reached out to take their hands in yours. “But we need to keep it a secret because Daddy doesn’t know yet.”

“Why not?” AJ asked.

Your shoulders dropped. “I haven’t had a chance to tell him, but we’re going to tell him when he comes home in a few days.”

“Your secret is safe with me, mommy,” AJ zipped his lips and locked them and Imani nodded and mimicked him and they both stuck the ‘key’ in their pockets.

The next few days flew past thanks to having Alex in the house with you. When Angel texted you that he would be home in an hour, you two set your plan in motion. Alex left to go do her part and you got yourself and the kids dressed and ready to leave. Before you left, you placed the first clue on the bed for Angel to find.

You made your way to your hiding spot outside of the clubhouse when Angel called you.

“Mi dulce, where are you?” Angel’s voice rumbled through the phone.

“Did you see my letter?” you asked, completely ignoring his question.

“I did, but I thought I’d be able to come home and spend the next few hours between your-”

“You’re on speakerphone, Angel!” you yelled as you drowned out the end of his sentence.

Angel chuckled, “I keep forgetting. Hi AJ and Imani, I hope you were good for mommy while I was gone.”

“Always, Daddy!” Imani yelled.

“Did you find the card, Daddy? You gotta come find us!” AJ yelled.

“Yes you do, Angel,” you added. “The clock is ticking, Mr. Reyes.”

“I’m reading it now,” he paused as he read the words on the paper. “Okay, I’m heading to the kitchen to look in the fridge.”

“I’m not going to stay on the phone with you though, your last clue will lead you to me,” you said.

Angel grumbled, “How many clues are there?” he was on clue #2 and searching for the third.

“There’s only ten.”

“Only ten?” he repeated sarcastically.

“Yup, now, I’m going to let you finish-”

“I’m trying to finish inside of you, but-”

“Angel,” you snapped, “speakerphone. As I was saying, I’m going to let you finish, and when you’re done, you can come find us.”

“Hmmm, Coco just texted me saying that you’re sitting across the street from the clubhouse.”

“Angel, please do the scavenger hunt,” you pouted.

“Anything for you, mi amor,” Angel replied before the two of you said your goodbyes and hung up the phone. 

Since everyone knew that you were at the clubhouse, you pulled in and parked near the door. Before you got out, you made sure that your jacket was zipped as well as the kids’ jackets.

“Now remember, keep your jackets zipped until I tell you to take them off,” you reminded the kids.

Part of Alex’s job was to get Felipe and EZ to the clubhouse before Angel got there, and by the looks of the parking lot, she had succeeded. You also knew that since Angel knew where you were, he would not finish the scavenger hunt, so you had about 5 minutes to get ready. 

The moment you went inside, Imani and AJ took off looking for their tios, leaving you by yourself, so you headed over to the bar.

“So are you gonna tell me why Alex practically dragged me out of bed saying that I needed to be here?” came EZ’s voice from behind you.

“You’re gonna have to wait to find out,” you shrugged before giving him a hug and spotting Felipe making his way over with a smile.

“Mija, how are you?” Felipe asked when EZ released you from his hold. “What’s this all about? Where’s Angel?”

As if he had heard his name, the sound of his bike filled your ears and you smiled. You called out to Imani and AJ and had them stand next to you in the middle of the clubhouse.

Angel’s eyes landed on you the moment he walked in and he took calculated steps to get to you.

“What’s all this for, mama?” he asked after giving you a kiss.

“AJ and Imani have something to show you,” you smiled, giving the kids the ‘okay’ to unzip their jackets.

Angel kneeled down to get a better look at their shirts, his eyes flipped between the two for a few moments before his eyes filled with tears.

“Do you like our shirts, daddy?” Imani asked as they stood in front of him.

“I love them, princess,” he said, his voice cracking a bit. “You’re finally going to be a big sister, huh? And AJ’s gonna be a big brother again?” he hugged the two bouncing kids and his shoulders shook as he cried.

When he pulled back, he wiped his eyes before you took a step closer to him. You threaded your fingers in his hair as he placed a kiss on your belly. You two cried together for a few seconds before he spoke again.

“So you’re pregnant?” he asked, his fingers gently grazed your belly as you nodded. “I bet it happened right before I left, I knew that was the one,” he replied with a cocky grin.

You shook your head. “Actually, it happened before that. Way before that,” you replied. “I umm, I might have known before you left.” You chewed your lip as you waited for his response.

“Before I left? And you didn’t tell me?” he pouted.

“I wanted to do something cute,” you rolled your eyes at him.

“You’re lucky that I love you, Y/n,” Angel said with a chuckle.

“Oh! Do you want to see my shirt?” you beamed at him, and when he nodded, you took a step back. You slowly removed your jacket and revealed your shirt to him allowing him to read it. You held your breath as you waited for his reaction.

“Twincess? I don’t-” he gave you a confused look before it clicked. “Wait, so, you’re telling me that I knocked you up twice? I got you pregnant twice!” he shouted before pulling you back to him.

You laughed as everyone cheered around you and Angel. You looked back down at him and smiled, “Why are you still down on your knees, Angel?”

“You make me so very happy, Y/n,” Angel said as he grasped your hand and placed a kiss on your knuckles. “I never thought, I’d find a love like this. Not only do you love me, but you love my son as if he were your own.”

You opened your mouth to speak, but Angel shook his head and continued talking.

“You and Imani are a blessing, and I can’t remember what my life was without you,” Angel smiled as he watched you wipe your eyes. “I was planning on doing this at home and then spending the next few hours between these thighs after you said 'yes’.” He chucked when you playfully rolled your eyes. “But it looks like we’re going to do it here.”

“I’m not having sex with you here again, Angel,” you grumbled when everyone laughed.

“What do you mean ‘again’?” Coco yelled from across the room.

You felt your face get hot as you were filled with embarrassment, but Angel only laughed. “Hey, mind your business,” he chastised Coco before turning back to you and shuffling so that he was on one knee.

“Y/n,” he held your gaze and pulled out a little black box from his pocket. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re who I’ve been waiting for, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you make me the happiest man on Earth by becoming my wife?”

Tears are falling freely from your eyes now as you stared into his eyes. You couldn’t see yourself with anyone other than Angel. Your hand shook as you nodded your head.

“Yes, I will marry you, Angel.”

As soon as he had the ring on your finger, he cupped your face and kissed you like never before.

Part Five

A/N 2: If you ‘liked’ it, please reblog or leave a comment/reply even if it’s only an emoji.

[guerilla935]

My Favorite Fishing in Video Games Where Fishing is Not Core Game Play

A really awesome surprise for me is always to boot up a game that is full of action and suspense to be introduced to a fishing side activity. I have toiled away at fishing in games for hundreds of hours at least. It has gotten so bad in some instances that my friends have asked me why I haven’t just taken the plunge into real fishing. It’s definitely because that is a lot of work and in real life I don’t catch a fish every 30 seconds. They have also wondered why I don’t just play a fishing simulator like Planet Fishing (Shout out to Planet Fishing that’s a great game). And that’s where I have to think for a while. Fishing while you have better things to do like save the world is very special. You aren’t fishing because it’s the objective of the game or because that’s why you are there, you are fishing because it’s fun and maybe you need a break to swing a fishing rod instead of a sword. And then you can stop, and get back to fighting or whatever the rest of the game entails. Below are games that have fishing in them for mostly no reason at all. I have shamelessly spent way to long with my bait in these waters and absolutely loved every second of it and I hope that you (the reader) can find a lot of relaxation in these waters as well.

Pokemon Series

Since the very first Pokemon game there has been fishing. You get the old rod from some guy and then you are free to fish up as many goldfishes that you want hoping that one of them will grow up to be a 21 foot tall dragon. Pokemon has combined their fishing with their main game play and makes you at least start a battle with the fish you drag onto shore. Now fishing in Pokemon is pretty subpar mainly because a single Pokemon game hasn’t really been known to have more than a handful of Pokemon that you can fish for. Also if you are looking for a strong water type Pokemon you could do a lot better than fishing for it. Typically a Pokemon player will fish about 5-10 times total. And although fishing for Pokemon isn’t all that great it has been in every game for over 20 years and that is pretty impressive. It’s a small detail that makes the world of Pokemon feel like a real world of wild creatures.

Sonic Adventure DX

In Sonic Adventure DX you are given the choice to play as a lot of different characters, one of which is named Big the Cat. Most of the characters are combat characters that rely on speed and attacks to get through levels, some even wielding rocket launchers and extremely oversized hammers. However when you start the story of Big the Cat you are thrown in a completely opposite direction. Big the Cat is a giant purple cat who lives in the jungle with his best friend Froggy. Froggy accidentally swallows one of the most powerful objects in the Sonic universe and Big the Cat must chase him all over the world trying to fish him out of where he is hiding so that he can eject the Chaos Emerald out of him and they can return to their life in the jungle. The fishing mechanics in this game actually are really good and this is probably because Sega had just put out a series of mildly successful Bass fishing games before releasing this game. Either way its absolutely hilarious that Big the Cat gets to defeat Chaos 6 right before Super Sonic has his showdown with Chaos Perfect.

Final Fantasy XV

In Final Fantasy XV you play as Noctis and his favorite hobby is fishing. When I first played this game I sped through it and never fished once and reached the end of the game never indulging Noctis in his hobby. When I replayed Final Fantasy XV I fished for 50 hours and then ejected the disc from my console. The fishing in Final Fantasy XV is surprisingly deep with a lot of the vendors supporting what you could call a fishing road trip. In the game it is extremely dangerous to be out at night so I would plan day trips to lakes to maximize the amount of fishing I would get to do. I would prepare days in advance to make sure I could afford the trip and that I had enough supplies to both protect myself at the lake and have enough supplies to last the whole day. Final Fantasy XV really is a game about getting really distracted and fishing is probably its best distraction. My days on the lake were the perfect balance of peaceful and rewarding, this game offers an awesome reward of well planned trips and a good haul of fish.

Final Fantasy XIV Online

Final Fantasy XIV is the only game I have ever played where the fishing played exactly like its combat. When you are fighting enemies in a dungeon in FFXIV you are constantly adding buffs, landing hits, using consumables, and managing resource bars. When you are fishing in FFXIV you are constantly adding buffs, landing hits, using consumables, and managing resource bars. Note you are doing so at a much more leisurely and less life threatening pace but you are still doing it. I never maxed out the fisher class but I got it into the expansion content which was a really long and relaxing experience. Yet another Final Fantasy title where the real meat of the game is in getting distracted. When you fish you also sell on a player market that fluctuates based on market price just like real fish. You get the relaxing fishing side of the game and also an aggressive economic number crunching side as well. I spent way too long with a real pen and paper deciding how much I should sell for on any particular day and bossing around my two cat girl employees.The MMO aspect of the game adds so much to what you would expect to be a very solitary experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Have you ever gone fishing for hours to receive an empty bottle? That is exactly what kick started my addiction to fishing in Twilight Princess. An empty bottle in Twilight Princess means another way to heal yourself, another way to add oil to a lantern, another way to carry useless water around. The only way to get the 4th bottle in the game is to go to a dedicated fishing spot and fish until you pulled it out of the pond. The actual fishing is pretty weird, it involves motion controls which I still am not entirely sure what they do or how to properly use them but it is really fun to hold the pole in gyroscope and set the lure in the water waiting for fish to come get a nibble. Although the physics with the water make it difficult to see if you have actually gotten a bite or not it still is enjoyable the other 85% of the time it works.

Stardew Valley

So this one is at the top of every other “fishing in games” list and there is a big reason for that. It’s really good. I think in my first Stardew Valley farm I gave up farming entirely and fished all day every day and stopped to buy food to replenish my energy and go back at it. I really didn’t care about getting rich or making enough money to expand the farm or get to know everyone I actually spent about 50 hours just fishing. The fishing takes some skill and a pretty keen eye but the random jerks of the fish and the rhythm of the game play are so fun to try to master. It’s a part of Stardew Valley that I felt like I was continuously improving on as time went on and it was really fun. I mean I don’t recommend it because you’ll end up moderately poor but it was really fun.

Fantasy Life

Fantasy Life offers you 12 potential jobs, you could be a brilliant blacksmith or a devious potions maker, a lumberjack or a knight, a hunter or a seamstress. However your inner dad is calling and you decide you want to play through a fantasy RPG as a fisherman, hell yeah. the story is relatively short so you can quickly unlock a lot of locales to fish at and there is a manageable economy system that lets you deal in fish in advantageous ways. You can even pick up cooking on the side and make fancy dinners and sell the fish for higher you can do that as well. Fantasy Life is like a clever mix between Animal Crossing and Final Fantasy XIV and it kind of succeeds and falls short of it. The fishing also takes a good amount of skill and rhythmic approach to master so it doesn’t get boring almost at all until you have cleared the game.

Maple Story 2

Maple Story 2 is one of the most expressive and cutest games that I have ever played. And the fishing is no different, its all about style. The fishing in Maple Story 2 is monotonous and can get old but you do it for the chibi clout. Because much like the rest of the game you can look however you want and do whatever you want and sometimes you just feel like kicking back and throwing lure in the water at the beach. I never got super into the fishing in this game but it won me over with its adorable design and stylish atmosphere.

Animal Crossing Series

Of course I had to include the most popular game right now. Animal Crossing has become something of a connection between people when we can’t leave the house. A thing we all have in common on social media and with our friends. My first experience with Animal Crossing really starts with New Horizons and I was completely blown away. The fishing isn’t super complex or difficult but the range of what you can pull out of the water and what you can do with it is absolutely breathtaking. For a game about cartoon people living with humanoid cartoon animals the fish looking photo realistic. And the museum where they can be kept is stunning. The museum looks like it was designed to capture the feel of being in a museum and matches the design of all the great real life aquariums and observatories. Although it is a bit frustrating when your rod breaks it is easy enough to make one (or worst case buy one) to get your bait back in the water.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Tell me I’m wrong, you can’t. Isabelle getting added to Smash brought a very powerful fishing move that isn’t practical all the time but is really funny. Wouldn’t recommend this game if you are looking to relax and fish but I do recommend hooking your friend with a fish hook and send them flying off screen if you had to.

Minecraft

I have a very special role in Minecraft when I join a friends server. A role that I assign to myself. While everyone is off getting awesome swords, spelunking for diamonds, and exploring the infinite landscape, I build a small wooden shack and I set up a farm with an irrigation canal and start fishing. A steady supply of food is necessary and while I’m hanging out with my friends in a server I’m happy to be the one to provide it. The fishing in this game is probably the slowest of all the ones on this list but is the most useful. just throwing the fish in the oven creates food that can help keep you and your companions alive for a long time. I think I definitely have my limits with Minecraft fishing and I couldn’t do it for hours on end it is rewarding to set up shop and find a nice place to settle down for a few hours to fish.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

This is the only Tactical RPG in this post. Fire Emblem: Three Houses has sections between combat where you can go and talk to your students and do other activities. We aren’t here to discuss other activities though we are here for the fishing. The fishing allows you to catch fish for some reason that I’m sure is good but never intrigued me enough to learn. All I know about the fishing in Fire Emblem: Three Houses is that it’s fun. I started to bust through combat just so that I could get back to fishing. The funniest part about this one is that the fish has a health bar. Pressing the A button at the exact moment finds a way to become easier and still find ways to mess you up. Either way, I’m not that interested in tactical RPGs but I heard there was fishing in this game so I had to play it and it was worth it.

Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

In Jak & Daxter, Daxter gets turned into a small animal by dark eco while exploring a dangerous island off the shore of his home with his best friend Jak. To get back to the island to investigate, the pair have to borrow a boat owned by a fisherman who is troubled by an invasive species of poisonous eel that is ruining his haul. He asks Jak to catch fish for him without catching any eels. This fishing mini game can only be done once but it is going to either be something you think is very unique or a huge waste of time. All I’ll say is that the sound that the fish makes when it goes into the net is absolutely a reward in itself it is so satisfying. But anyways, more intense than some other options here but get it done so you can get back to absorbing eco powers and jumping on stuff.

Shovel Knight

Shovel Knight is a 2D action platformer but you can also fish. And you fish for the best kind of fish, money. You can get some other stuff too like health pickups and magic replenishers but we know what you want. You see that little glint and you pop out the fishing rod and pull out those money bags. If you are devoted enough you can even get a surprise from the Troupple King (long live his highness) if you fish out the right stuff. I don’t even know if I fished all that much when I played Shovel Knight but it’s hilarious that you can.

NieR: Automata

I did not play a lot of NieR and that’s because I was fishing. I don’t know why all I did was fish but you throw your little robot in the pond and you lean on a magical stool so honestly it was good enough for me.

Club Penguin

If you know then you know. In hind sight there really wasn’t a whole lot to do in Club Penguin but this mini game really messed me up. You basically get to move up and down, catching fish and avoiding trash and other hazards. Basically trying to do this and catch as much fish as possible to avoid having to ask your parents for real money to pay for snacks to feed a virtual ball of fluff with eyeballs. I don’t really remember how challenging it really was but I remember getting decently high scores to about like 100 fish per round so I guess it was pretty easy if I could do that at age 10.

Rune Factory 4

I’m gonna be very honest about this one and say that the fishing in Rune Factory 4 is basically just Animal Crossing fishing but more anime. The fish react to the pole the same, the fish almost look the same, and the buttons to respond are the same. What makes this one special is where you can take it. You can fish in the little moat in town, in the lake, in a dungeon full of monsters, in a lake that is eternally the season fall, anywhere. You are constricted by the boundaries of Stardew Valley and that is how much energy you have and how much time you have in the day. It’s still fun to fish but I wish that they had used their fun fantasy setting to give the ability to fish up some cool made up fish instead of strictly things that exist in real life.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Ok, diving, fishing, same thing. Diving in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is just fishing with your whole body. It works a lot in the same way as Pokemon where you fish up monsters to fight and get the rewards from them. It is a completely optional activity however if you decide to undertake the grind of scavenging in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 then you will never hurt for money ever again. It makes my wonder why Rex stopped being a salvager to do odd jobs because this was PROFITABLE. The main incentive is that there are spots that spawn a certain enemy that drop cores. Cores are like gacha or loot boxes that contain new anime girl partners that deal huge damage in fights. They even have their own side quests and story lines. I spent maybe 30 hours grinding before giving up on this game and while it does become tiresome I really enjoyed the random rewards of possibly getting a new companion or a really cool weapon.

It’s been tossed around that every great RPG has fishing in it. I won’t argue that point but a lot of great RPGs certainly do have fishing in them. Everyone needs a break sometimes and fishing is the perfect activity to remind us to stop and take that break. Even games can get long and without these distractions it might be so much harder to complete these harrowing tasks. Don’t forget to take breaks and just enjoy the sound of the water every once in a while because there’s no rush playing video games.

Honorable Mentions:

Kingdom Hearts: Sora fishing with his bare hands on Destiny Island

Persona 4: Weird aqueduct fishing

Persona 5: Marina fishing life

Sea of Thieves: A pirates life for me

[mammonshuman92]

- Watched - Pt.4

(Mammon x GN!MC)

** TW: swearing, kidnapping, religion, abuse, blood, death (if I missed any I do apologize!)

He smiled wickedly as he turned around, going back to the table he’d been at earlier and picked up the same knife he’d held to you when he kidnapped you. The only other weapons you could see on the table were a baton and a taser. There was also a thick book you could only assume was a bible and a large jar of water. The most concerning however, was the gas can, thick work gloves, and what looked a lot like a body bag.

“This may call for a more extensive purification.”

-

Your heartbeat quickened, breathing becoming slightly erratic. Your eyes widened at the scene laid out before you, but you tried your best to hold your resolve. 

Whatever he plans to do, even if this is where your time on this Earth comes to an end, you didn’t plan to give him the satisfaction of conforming to his insane, backwoods ideologies. For your most beloved demons, and the love of your life, you were ready to fight until the bitter end.

After leaving the coffee shop, Mammon made his way back to your house to come up with a plan. As he rushed back, he got a brilliant idea and immediately made a phone call. 

Given their status and connections, he was sure that at least a few of his brothers would be able to dig up info on this Alex dude and the ATA, however he couldn’t risk any of them finding out what was going on, for fear it’d get back to Lucifer, so he had to be extremely careful.

“Ugh, what do you want, Mammon? I’m in the middle of a raid right now.”

Levi seemed like the least likely to get too curious and ask questions, especially since Mammon was the one asking. No way would Levi want to end up being part of one of his usual schemes. And since he rarely comes out of his room or socializes with others, Levi was definitely the best one for the job. 

“I need a favor.” Mammon could hear the slight clacking sound of Levi’s controller in the background.

“Nope. No way. Your “favors” always end badly; for everyone involved. Goodbye.” He declined immediately, wanting to hang up and get back to his raid.

“Wait, Levi! It’s real important!” The second born begged. Levi could hear the desperation; the emotion in his brothers voice. His interest was piqued now, along with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

“What is it?” He asked with a sigh, casting his controller aside.

“I need ya to dig into a group called the ATA.”

“ATA?”

“Yeah, it’s the “Anti Treaty Association”, they’re in the human world. And see if ya can find anythin’ on a guy named Alex who might be associated with ‘em.”

“Anti Treaty..? As in the peace treaty? Mammon, what did you-”

“I’ll explain everythin’ later, okay? Just.. please, Levi? I need ya to look into it.” The level of sheer desperation in Mammon’s voice was concerning, but he didn’t push the issue.

“Okay, okay. Hang on..” 

The sound of Levi’s fingers rapidly clicking across his keyboard flooded Mammon’s ears for the next few minutes.

“Okay, so the group was founded not long after the Devildom exchange program was formally announced. They started small but grew in number quickly; looks like mostly religious extremists. They hold protests at any event involving relations between our world and the human world. Let’s see..” Levi  went quiet for a few seconds as he scanned his monitor.

“It looks like some of the members have a clean record, aside from a couple parking tickets, but there are a few bad apples. Most of the charges consist of harassment, disorderly conduct and destruction of property, all of the incidents taking place at protests. All of them were first time offenders, and have stayed out of trouble since then.”

“Anythin’ about an Alex?”

“Hmm, nope. Do you have a last name maybe? Or literally any other info? I can’t do much with just a first name, especially a common one.”

“Umm, he drives a really old car and he works at a take out place as a delivery driver.” Mammon proceeded to give him the name of the restaurant.

Levi began tapping away on his keyboard again, scanning all the social medias and websites associated with the group and the take out place, looking for anything related to the clues Mammon gave him. Without much to go on, he wasn’t very hopeful and began to lose courage, then he finally got something.

“I got a hit on a few social media accounts related to the ATA. I was able to find some pictures with a crappy older model car in them that were taken at some of their protests a few months back, one of the pictures had a shot of the license plate. After doing a quick search of public record, the car came back as registered to a John A. Smith, who actually died a few years back..” 

Mammon sighed, feeling dejected. That information was all he had, and it may not have even been enough to be helpful.

“Wait..” Levi suddenly said, pulling Mammon from his thoughts.

“His obituary says he had one child; a son named John Smith Jr. I can’t find him on social media under that name, but if we assume the middle initial “A” stands for say, Alexander, then I may have something. I found an Alex Smith, and it’s honestly gotta be him. He’s a member of the official ATA group page, and several others like it. His profile picture has a crappy looking car in it, granted it’s mostly cropped out, but it looks a lot like the one I ran the license plate number on. I’m confident that this is your guy.”

Mammon felt like he could breathe a little easier. Another piece of the puzzle had, hopefully, come together.

“Where do I find him?”

“Not sure. His last location was near the middle of nowhere, but it hasn’t pinged anything for quite some time. I’ll send you the coordinates.”

“Thanks, Levi. I owe ya big time.”

“Yeah. Uh, Mammon? I know you said you’d tell me later, but is everything alright? You’ve never asked me to do something like this before. It kinda feels like you’re looking for someone..”

He waited for his brother to stutter out some kind of excuse to explain it away like he always did when he got himself into some kind of trouble, but he didn’t. Which only made more red flags pop up for Levi.

“If anyone asks, especially Lucifer, this never happened and ya haven’t heard from me, okay?”

“Yeah. Okay, Mammon..”

He didn’t like the feeling he had, the gut instinct and the hair that stood up on the back of his neck that told him something was seriously wrong.

After he hung up with his brother, he decided to dig a little deeper. He traced Mammon’s phone and found him at a location nearby the restaurant he’d had him research. His awful, suspicious feeling was confirmed when his brother’s location came back as one in the human world. A little extra digging of public land records and it pinged as your house. His heart sank as he thought about the urgency and desperation in his brother’s voice. 

He traced your phone, but it just showed the same location as Mammon. But, if you were there, why would he be so frantic? His stomach churned when he realized that there were only a few things that would cause Mammon such distress, and seeing as how he was apparently in the human world, at your house, desperate to find some random dude, it couldn’t be good. Whatever was going on definitely involved you. That thought alone made him sick to his stomach.

“I hope I’m wrong. Please be okay, MC.”

-

*bzzz* *bzzz*

Mammon opened the new text message from Levi, which contained the coordinates to Alex’s last known location.

“MC has gotta be somewhere near this location. If not, maybe I’ll be able to pick up their trail.” 

He was pacing around the living room, going over possible plans for his next move. Thankfully it would be dark soon and there was also a pretty big storm rolling in, which would provide the perfect cover for him to scout from the skies. Heavy wind and rain would make it nearly impossible to pick up your scent though.

He went into your bedroom to retrieve something of yours that would be heavy with your scent, like your favorite jacket or maybe a pillowcase. As he looked around the room, he spotted a strip of pictures shoved in the frame of the mirror on your dresser. A warm smile spread across his face.

It was of the two of you, not too long after you’d officially started dating. He remembered that particular day very well. You’d decided to walk the cobblestone streets of the Devildom, much like you often did together, but this was different. There wasn’t anymore of that “trying to pretend neither one of you had feelings for the other” junk. It was just..real. You were actually his. He reminisced about how warm your hand felt in his, the way his stomach erupted in butterflies when you looked at him with pure excitement after you’d stumbled upon the photo booth. The way you threw yourself at him, locking your lips onto his for the last picture; the shade of red your cheeks turned when you pulled apart.

That day was one of his favorite memories of you. You were so happy and full of life; looking at him with such excitement and love.

The haunting reality came creeping back in on him, sending his beautiful trip down memory lane, spiraling into despair. There he stood, alone in your bedroom, while you were gone. Taken, by some psychopath. His whole world, snatched right from underneath him as he sat down the hall.

The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. How could he? He should’ve been there. He shouldn’t have let you answer the door. He should’ve done something, anything. 

“I knew somethin’ didn’t feel right, and I should’ve listened to what my gut was tryin’ to tell me. This is all my fault..” He ran his finger over the pictures on the mirror, letting a few tears escape before aggressively wiping them away. 

“I will find ya, MC. And I promise that I’ll make ya safe again, I swear it.”

He felt a sudden vibration in the floor followed quickly by a deep rumble from outside.

The storm’s comin’. It’s time to move.

He grabbed the shirt you had worn the day before from the hamper and quickly smelled it to make sure your scent was strong enough. From the way it made his heart twist in agony, he was sure it would do just fine.

He shifted into demon form and headed straight for the door. With the approaching storm, it was dark enough now that he could fly and remain unseen. Since he was by himself and up against the unknown, having the element of surprise would come in handy.

“When I find that piece of shit, he’ll understand why I hold the rank of the second strongest of the Avatars.” He growled into the dark of the night as he stepped out onto the front porch.

With that, he shot up into the night sky, stealthy and silent.

-

“Extensive purification? Is that what the body bag is for?” You asked audaciously.

Naturally, you were scared. This mad man kidnapped you at your own damn house in broad daylight and drug you to what you could only assume was the middle of nowhere to tie you up and torture you. So yeah, you were pretty fucking wigged out to say the least.

But, did that mean you would back down? Let him know you were scared so he had the extra control over you? Make him feel like he was winning?

Absolutely not. You’d never give him the satisfaction. On the inside you were shaking, writhing in terror; begging for Mammon to come and save you. But on the outside? You were taking none of his shit, and playing zero games. If you were going to die here, you planned on going out as uncooperative as you could. Fuck him.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that.” He turned around to face you from where he’d been at his make shift work table, with the taser in his hand. He closed the gap between you, keeping his eyes locked on yours, and leaned down until he was just inches from your face. “The night is still young though.”

“Then why not just kill me now? Get it over with.”

“I want to cleanse you; save your soul.” He said, as if you were crazy for not grasping that concept.

“But why? Why are you so worried about my soul? You prodded.

“Because you have chosen to lay with demons and abandon your humanity.”

“And? Who I choose to love and spend time with isn’t yours, or anyone else’s business.” You snapped back.

“You see, that’s where you’re wrong. Your part in all this; the exchange program, being close with a bunch of high ranking demons; you as a human are committing the highest level of treason by aiding in the progression of uniting the realms. You are opening the door for corruption, chaos and sin to pollute our world.”

You laughed lightly in disbelief.

“When has our world ever been free of any of those things? Do you honestly think the Celestial Realm would be part of the treaty if He wasn’t on board with it? Stop blaming others because you’re close minded. Your blatant hatred for others is your fault, your sin. No one else’s.”

His face turned red and his expression changed into one of anger at the mention of Him. He stormed off toward the work table.

“And by the way, none of this-” You wiggled your fingers around as best as you could in an attempt to gesture around you, “is free of sin. Pretty sure He would frown upon this. Maybe even more so than my relationship with his sons.” You couldn’t help but smirk at your own jab.

He turned back to face you, bible in hand and quickly walked back to where you were hanging, and knelt down into your face again.

“It’s time to begin.” He said with sick, sadistic smile on his face; ignoring what you’d said.

With one quick movement, he lifted you off the giant hook your hand restraints hung from; letting go of you when you were a few feet from the ground, slightly knocking the wind out of you. Although you were being a little mouthy, you still felt pretty weak from being trapped inside that trunk. Not to mention that your shoulders were killing you from being suspended for so long.

He pulled you across the concrete floor by the hand restraint, stopping once he reached the stock tank. He opened up his bible and laid it on a little table near the side of the tank. He picked you up easily and climbed into the water. Even with as hot as it is, the water was frigid. It was only about four feet deep, but being restrained and unable to move freely, you would easily drown if Alex didn’t keep hold of you.

He stood at your side, facing you with his hands firmly grasping your arms right below your shoulders. He started reciting scripture from memory, glancing back at the open bible a few times for reference. He began to repeatedly dunk your head below the surface of the icy water. He recited the same passages over and over again, making it easier for you to figure out when to hold your breath. Although, a few times he seemed to hold you under a little too long, leaving you gasping for air when you returned to the surface.

When the never-ending baptizing finally did come to an end, he plucked from the water and returned you back to where you had been suspended. You were shivering uncontrollably and your head was pounding. No doubt from lack of oxygen after having to hold your breath, then gasp for air more times than you could possibly count. The added weight of your dripping wet clothes added to the searing pain in your shoulders.

He went over to the work table and grabbed the big jar of water you’d seen earlier. He dipped his fingers in it and flicked it at you whole reciting scripture. You assumed that it was holy water.

As you listened to him drone on and on, you found it hard to stay conscious. You haven’t really felt right since getting out of that scorching trunk; you most likely had heat exhaustion.

“Does being saved from eternal damnation bore you?”

“No, just you.” You replied weakly, looking up at him and trying to muster a smirk.

“Is that so?” He challenged.

He abruptly turned around and went back to the work table, returning a moment later sporting the thick work gloves you’d seen earlier, carrying the taser in his hand.

“Then I suppose we need to take it up a notch.”

-

Mammon went straight to the coordinates Levi sent him, but found nothing except dirt roads and cow pastures. Even from an aerial point of view there wasn’t much to see. After circling the area several times, he landed atop a tree in a densely wooded area. Although it was pretty dark out here in the middle of nowhere, far from civilization, he still couldn’t risk being seen as Alex could be watching; waiting for him to come for you.

“Where are ya, MC?” He quietly asked aloud, eyes continuing to scan the darkness that enveloped his surroundings.

With every passing minute his heart grew heavier, his chest tighter. It felt as if he couldn’t breathe properly. As cliche as it sounded, you were his literal heart; his entire world. 

Before you came to the Devildom, he thought he had it all figured out. Stealing and gambling, partying every night, spending money like there was no tomorrow, making shady deals with witches. He was living what he considered the luxurious life of a high roller and he couldn’t get enough of it.

Then you came along, and he was forced to be your guardian or sorts and look after you. It was such a pain. You made it harder for him to give Lucifer the slip so he could go on gambling binges and live up to his title. But, being the weak, magic-less human you were, you needed constant protection.

It didn’t take long before being your protector became something more than what he was ordered to do. He needed to be the one to watch over you, the poor helpless human. His human. As soon as he got a taste of what it felt like to be around you, he couldn’t get enough. He was hooked. 

Your smile and the sound of your laughter, the face you make when you’re concentrating or how you pooch your lips out when you’re getting irritated. The never ending kindness you showed him, especially when he was less than friendly at first. Even during those early days, just simply being near you brought him a sense of peace and warmth. The energy you radiated was intoxicating. Before he realized what was happening, he was a lost cause; completely wrapped around your finger.

If someone were to have told him he’d end up completely smitten with a human, he would’ve called them crazy. The Great Mammon would never waste his precious time on something that didn’t involve Grimm and how to obtain and/or spend it, much less a human. Smitten is precisely what he was though, to say the least. Not that it bothered him in the slightest.

He’s been around for thousands of years, and never once has his heart beat the way it does now. He’d always known love because of his siblings, and even the great loss of a loved one when Lilith died. While he would move mountains and do anything for his family, and even lay his life down for them, the way he felt about you was completely different. He would do all those things for you as well, and so much more. You knew him on a different level, a way no one else ever had in all his existence. 

Relationships were never really his thing. Sure, he’d had plenty of flings, but most of them only cared about what they could get out of being with the Avatar of Greed, not that it really bothered him. He pretty much only got involved with people when the bitter loneliness became too much to bear. Love isn’t typically something that happens for demons, not that he was looking for it anyway. But, sometimes it was nice to have someone to hold, to feel the warmth of another. Even if he didn’t remember their name. Not that they, or he for that matter, really cared.

Which is why he was so perplexed by the feelings you stirred up inside him. He was one of the strongest rulers of the underworld, who could probably have any succubus he wanted, so why was he becoming increasingly enthralled by you? A completely ordinary human. Or so he thought, anyway. No ordinary human would’ve been able to knock him off his feet the way you had. You were special. You made him feel.

You were kind, warm, headstrong and funny. You’d even put your own life in danger to save those who were much stronger than you, like that time with Beel and Luke in the underground tomb; not because you thought you would win the fight, but because it was the right thing to do. He’d never witnessed such bravery, such selflessness in a human. Especially not when it came to protecting a demon, someone who would be deemed unworthy of such an act simply because of what he was. This once weak, irrelevant human, was now one of the people he respected most. You’re undying love and kindness for others was one of the infinite things that made him fall for you.

He clutched your shirt tightly in his hand, bringing it up to his face and burying his nose into the fabric. He breathed in your scent, filling his lungs as much as he could. He needed to keep the smell fresh in his mind, in hopes of picking up your trail. Tears began to prick his eyes. All the memories of you were nearly too much to handle. He couldn’t lose you. He wouldn’t.

He had no idea what this freak had planned, but he knew it couldn’t be good. The clock was ticking. The more time that passed, the harder it would be to find you. He looked out into the night again, hoping to see anything that might point him in your direction, but there was nothing. The only sounds came from the cows in all the pastures around the area, and a very faint humming noise off in the distance. He couldn’t see any signs of the car or any other clues, but he refused to give up.

“Alright, MC. C’mon, talk to me. Where are ya?” He said, getting ready to take to the skies once more to scan the area. Then it hit him, sending a shiver down his spine. He whipped his head to the right, and breathed in deeply.

MC!!

He took another long breath in, to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. It was definitely your scent. It was very faint, and muddled with something else, iron maybe? But there was no doubt it was yours. Like a shot, he flew in the direction your scent was coming from. The incoming storm was making it hard to stay on the trail, but he was not going to lose it now. He was almost there. Almost to you. There’s no way he was backing down.

A minute or so later he could see the faint glow of a light in the distance. It looked like it was coming from a barn or something. Your scent was getting stronger and stronger as he closed in on the building.

That’s gotta be it!

He landed on top of the building with a thud; coming in a little faster than he intended thanks to the increasing intensity of the storm. He paused a moment, waiting to see if his brilliant entrance had caused any kind of movement. When he didn’t hear anything, he moved to the edge of the roof to have a look around. There was a lot of overgrowth around most of the building, and some spots in the roof seemed to give a little. If he wasn’t careful he might end up crashing through the ceiling. It wasn’t a barn, but more like a warehouse or something.

He walked the perimeter of the roof, looking over the side for any kind of clues. There was nothing out front, and the sides of the building were all overgrown with vines and other greenery. He peaked over the side of the roof near the back of the building and tensed. He could see the car that matched the description of Alex’s, hidden underneath loose foliage in what looked like a poor attempt to conceal it. 

I knew it He thought, his heart beginning to race.

He remembered seeing an industrial ventilation fan on the side of the building before he landed, and quietly rushed over to it, crouching down slightly on the maintenance access platform. 

By now, the storm was raging full force. The rain was coming down in sheets, the thunder booming as lightning lit up the night sky. The fan was pretty rusted but thanks to the thunder, he was able to crack open the slats slightly without being heard. The sight he was met with made his blood boil, prompting him to let out a guttural animalistic growl that rumbled deep in his chest. The iron smell mixed with your scent he’d smelled earlier, was blood. 

Anger like he’d never felt before burned deep inside his very being worse than the raging storm around him, truly making his demon side come out. He never had any intentions of letting this psycho walk away from this, but now it was going to be a lot less humane. The witch’s words came rushing back to him.

‘Bring me the heart of a mammal, not of our world, that thrives on malice and sadism. If you cannot fulfill your end of the deal, I will place a curse on you until the ends of eternity that will make everything of value you come in contact with turn to ash.’

Mammon smiled viciously. Looks like he’d be able to fulfill his end of the bargain with the witch after all.

-

The “cleansing” quickly shifted from that of something considered somewhat normal, to something very far from it. Nothing about it could be considered holy anymore.

“Are you going to denounce your demonic pacts and sinful ways and conform?”

You lifted your head weakly to glare at him, “Never.” You snarled between staggered breaths. His face twisted in anger.

Blow after blow landed on your weak, fragile body. You spit out yet another mouthful of blood, the wet sounds echoing in the large room as it splattered onto the floor. Needless to say, you were in pretty bad shape.

Blood ran down your face from a laceration on your brow bone. Your lip was busted pretty bad and you had at least a few cuts inside your mouth from your teeth puncturing the skin on your cheeks and lips. You assumed you had some ribs that were at least cracked seeing as it had become pretty painful to breathe. All the spots he tased you in burned like fire, no doubt blistering up badly. He’d held it in the same spot for so long that you could smell your own hair and flesh burning.

There wasn’t much you could do in the way of fighting back, but you sure tried like hell in the beginning. But now you were way too weak, barely even able to scream out in pain. You’d already come to terms with the fact that you probably wouldn’t make it out of here. The reality of never seeing Mammon again swarmed you, tearing away the last bit of resolve you had left. You forced yourself to remember all the time you’d spent with him, making sure he was the only thing you thought of as you began to slowly depart from this world.

You would forever be grateful for the time you had with him and all the amazing memories you were able to make. Movie nights, staying up too late talking and laughing, trying and failing to hide from Lucifer after pranking him.

The way his too big of a hand completely engulfed yours, the way he looked at you when you were both all dressed up for some fancy party at the Demon Lord’s castle and how much he tried to hide his face so you couldn’t see his blush while he held you close on the dance floor.

Sneaking into each other’s beds when one of you had a nightmare, the way his body felt against yours when he cuddled you; his warmth and smell. The way he tried to hide his enormous smile and pink cheeks when you’d gush like a groupie over his newest spread in a magazine.

The time he was a flustered, stuttering mess for three entire days in the beginning of your relationship, unable to hear your name or see you without turning various shades of red because every time he did, flashbacks of loving you for the first time just days before came rushing back to him.

Those intimate moments were your favorite, for more reasons than the obvious. You got to see him in a different light. He was still his usual goofy, lighthearted, prankster self, but he was so much more than that too. He was so sweet it could make your teeth rot. He was gentle, slow. You could feel the love leave him, his heart pouring over into yours. There were always stars in his eyes; pure adoration. Something you could never quite grasp; how someone who had seen the literal heavens could look at a normal human like you in such a way; with such breathtaking awe.

You always felt like you didn’t deserve to be loved by someone as amazing as Mammon, but you would always be eternally thankful. In such a short time he’d brought so much happiness and light to your life. As happy as those memories were, you wished more than anything that you’d get the chance to make more, but sadly it didn’t look that way.

As Alex was coming in to land another blow, a loud thump could be heard from above you; his fist stopped in the air a few feet from your face.

“What was that?” He questioned to himself quietly. He stayed silent for a moment as he listened for more noise, but there was nothing. “Must’ve been thunder.” He shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to you, pulling the taser from his pocket.

“It really is a shame that you refuse to comply.” He said as he jabbed it into your ribs, causing you to use what little fire was left in you to cry out in pain. “You really were a fine specimen, until you wasted yourself on demons.” Another jab of the taser, this time on your thigh.

You choked out a weak, raspy laugh. “And I’d do it again, a million times over you sadistic, psychotic freak.” You spat, voice breaking. He reared his hand back to hit you, but was interrupted by another loud noise, this time near the entrance. 

He turned toward the sound and decided to check it out this time, picking the knife up from the table on his way. He was only gone for a few minutes, but you were grateful for the break. As much as you didn’t want to give up, your body just couldn’t take much more.

He slithered back through the entrance, soaked from the down pouring rain and complaining about hearing things.

“If you didn’t have a guilty conscience, you wouldn’t be so paranoid.” You said between several pained breaths. Your voice was small and frail, but you still managed to lace some venom in your words. He snarled, storming toward you and sticking the knife under your chin, lifting your head up to look at him. You used what energy you had left to glare at him.

“It’s too bad really, that even in your darkest moments, your last moments, what’s-his-name wasn’t here to save you.” He snickered, tracing the knife from your chin to your jugular, applying just enough pressure along the way to coax out a small line of blood.

“That’d be The Great Mammon to you, human.”

Alex whipped around toward the entrance at the sudden voice, the color draining from his face as a look of sheer terror washed over him.

“M-Mammon?” You choked out, a massive lump forming in your throat. You looked around Alex, the most beautiful yet terrifying thing coming into your field of vision.

It really was him.

Seeing him in demon form was nothing new to you by now. However, the look on his face was something you’d definitely never seen before. It almost looked as if there was an aura around him; a definite shift in atmosphere at his presence. His natural sin was Greed, but right now he embodied Wrath. 

It was so easy for you to forget that he really was a demon, as you’d never seen him in such a state before. The sight of him now; raw, malevolent power seeping from him, the low guttural growl, emitting such a heavy, nightmarish presence. He was scary. Even to you.

“MC..” There was pain in his voice; his face distorting in agony when he looked at you.

He charged forward, only making it a few steps before Alex swooped in. He got behind you, reaching around and keeping the knife at your throat; Mammon froze.

“Not another step.” Alex warned. “I have no qualms with spilling the blood of a traitorous demon whore that turned their back on the human race.”

Mammon stared at him blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter. It wasn’t his normal, happy laugh. It was dark, and oozed ill intent. He turned his attention to you once more, his expression softening just enough to not utterly terrify you.

“MC, do you trust me?”

“Since my first day in the Devildom.” You smiled fragilely, noticing the way his mouth briefly tugged up at the corner when your words reached him. He locked his eyes on Alex once again, dark expression returning.

“Close your eyes. No matter what you hear, don’t open them.” He instructed as he slightly crouched, getting into an attack stance; you nodded in agreement, doing as he said.

You could hear Alex huff behind you. “I will slit their throat, or did you hear what I said you filthy, abomina-”

He was silenced mid sentence by a sudden impact that jostled you slightly where you hung. You could hear gasping breaths and Mammon’s same sadistic laughter as earlier, followed by several ear splitting cracks and tearing sounds as Alex screamed out in pain; wet, squelching noises and heavy thuds rang through the room as several things hit the floor. It went on like this for several minutes, until the screams finally ceased.

You pretty well knew just by the sounds, that you were finally free; that psycho would never be able to hurt you again. 

Moments later, you were lifted off the large hook and being cradled gently in arms that you knew all too well. Mammon sank to the floor, his wings wrapping around you protectively, shielding you from the gore you didn’t need to see.

“MC..” He whispered, tears running down his cheeks as his eyes scanned over your frail, broken body.

As much as you wanted to savor the moment of finally being safe, once again in the arms of your demon, the reunion would have to wait. You had been through so much and your body couldn’t take any more. You began to fade in and out of consciousness, no longer able to hold on.

“MC..? MC! Stay with me! Please, please hold on just a little longer.” He begged, his voice cracking as he patted his hand against your cheek gently. You tired to put a hand on his cheek to soothe him, but your arm fell limp halfway to his face as you lost the fight to stay awake. You heard him yell your name a few times as you drifted, his voice fading away slowly.

-

What is that infernal noise?

You had suddenly become hyper aware of an out-of-the-ordinary noise somewhere close by. An alarm clock perhaps? No, it was more of a beeping sound than a shrill ringing.

You lazily opened your eyes, immediately regretting it and squinting them shut because of a blinding white light that was shining in your face. You blinked several times as you tried to adjust.

As you scanned the room slowly, it started to look as if you were in one of the rooms in the Demon Lord’s castle, but it appeared to be set up as a hospital room of sorts. The blinding light was coming from one of the big lights they use at the dentist office. You soon discovered that the beeping noise you’d been hearing was actually one of several monitors you were hooked up to. 

Everything started to fall into place and make sense, memories coming back of the events that brought you here. The monitor closest to you started to sound an alarm, indicating your heart rate had picked up and your blood pressure was rising. Seconds later the door flew open, a figure rushing into the room.

“MC.” He said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Barbatos moved to your bedside and silenced the alarms, opting to check your vitals himself.

“How do you feel?” He asked, pressing his index and middle fingers to the underside of your wrist, checking your heart rate.

“Fine, I guess?”

“You guess?” He repeated, taking a small light from his pocket and shining it in your eyes, checking the dilation of your pupils.

If you remembered correctly, which you’re very sure you did, your injuries were extensive. There’s no way you could forget that level of pain. You felt tired, kind of groggy from sleep, but there was no pain.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“About three days.”

Three days?! You thought to yourself, a little shocked.

That’s still not nearly enough time for your wounds to heal. You must have looked as confused as you felt, prompting and explanation from Barbatos.

“Your injuries were rather extensive, so Mammon brought you here after rescuing you. Lord Diavolo had the best doctors in the Devildom tend to you with magic. Although they healed you perfectly, you weren’t showing any signs of waking up just yet, so we decided to keep you here to monitor your condition.” You nodded along in understanding as he spoke.

He placed the light back in his pocket and moved away from the bed. “I shall notify Lord Diavolo and the others that you have awakened. Please excuse me.” He said as he bowed, then left the room.

You sat up in the bed and criss crossed your legs, careful not pull out your IV or tangle any of the wires to the other monitors. You let out a long, heavy sigh. Before you could be consumed by your thoughts of all the memories of the last few days, the door to your room flung open once more. This time, it was the one person you wanted to see most.

“MC!” He shouted, voice cracking with emotion. Mammon crossed the room in an instant and sat in front of you on the bed.

“Are you okay? Do ya feel any pain?” He asked frantically, his eyes scanning your face then darting to the monitors, hands hovering over you as if he wanted to help but was unsure how. You grabbed his hand, intertwining your fingers in his. It seemed to calm him a little.

“I’m okay.” You assured him. Although you’d been put through the wringer, you felt so at peace. Not only were you in the safest place in the entire Devildom, but the one thing that threatened your peace of mind, was now no longer a problem.

“I-I uh, I was scared.. that I was too late. That ya weren’t gonna wake up, that I’d...that I’d lost ya..” He confessed, voice catching in his throat as tears fell from his eyes. He carefully scooped you up and held you in his lap, holding you as close as he was able to with all the wires and such. You sat up a little and snaked your arms around his neck, pressing your lips firmly to his.

While you were held captive, you had been so sure that you’d never get a moment like this with Mammon ever again. You were happy beyond words to be back in his embrace once again with his lips on yours. Smelling his wonderful scent, and feeling his warmth on your skin.

After a few minutes of your lips moving in synchronization, he broke the kiss, and pulled back to look you in the eye. A serious expression washing over his face. “MC, I’m sorry I didn’t-”

You held up your hand to stop him, “No, Mammon. You’re not going to blame yourself. I won’t let you. Everything that happened was his fault, not yours or anyone else’s. He was sick in the head, with a twisted ideology.”

He nodded, “I know, I know. It’s just..” He shook his head as he tried to choke back more tears that threatened to spill. You knew exactly what was running through his mind.

“Mammon, there is no one else in the three realms I’d rather trust with my protection, than you. As a matter of fact, there’s no else that can even compare to you in my eyes. As I already said, none of this, none of it, is your fault and I’ve never once thought it was. I love you, Mammon and there’s no one else I’d rather entrust my life with, or spend it with for that matter.” You placed your hand on his cheek and smiled at him, tears now streaking your cheeks. He leaned into your touch, his hand resting lightly on top of yours for a moment before pulling your hand away and placing several light kisses on your palm. 

Barbatos returned soon after, with a doctor in tow. Once they unhooked you from all the monitors and removed your IV, Mammon took you back to the House of Lamentation where everyone was awaiting your return.

It felt so good to be back. The HOL was technically your second home, but nowhere has ever felt more like home than here in the Devildom, surrounded by all your favorite people. And thanks to Lord Diavolo extending your stay until further notice, you were on cloud nine.

Although all your physical wounds were gone, the mental ones were sure to stick around for awhile. You expected as much though, having gone though quite a traumatic experience. Although, it made it a little easier knowing that Alex would never again be an issue.

It was clear that his soul wouldn’t be fit for the Celestial Realm, and you had fears of him being reincarnated in the Devildom and finding you once again. But, Mammon quickly laid those fears to rest, informing you of what he’d done that night after getting you safely to the Demon Lord’s castle.

He said he preformed some kind of ritual that ensured Alex wouldn’t be reincarnated anywhere; his soul having been wiped from the worlds. As if he’d never existed. He also mentioned something about Alex helping him to fulfill his end of a bargain with a witch. He didn’t really go into detail about the whole thing, but assured you that everything would be fine, so you didn’t push the issue. He’s a high ranking demon, after all. This surely isn’t his first rodeo. You were just ready to start the healing process and put an end to this awful chapter in life.

And with Mammon by your side; loving you, protecting you, helping you heal; you couldn’t think of a better way to begin such a beautiful new chapter.

~ fin ~

[demon-slayage]

The first time you and Cove Holden get into an argument is when you’re in college

-femme reader

-high affectionate Cove, long term dating

-post step 3

-some mild angst but mostly fluff

-hi I haven’t written anything in years and this just popped out at me. Sorry it can get a little specific I based the sorority stuff on some of my own experiences so it does come from a femme perspective as well as my own experiences in the game w a high affectionate sporty Cove.

-hope you enjoy!

————————-

You opted to go to a university on the opposite side of the state. You generally didn’t come home to visit all that often just because your schedules didn’t always line up that way but you and Cove made it work. He knew this would happen and you tried to make a point of visiting at least once a month. However, you had joined a sorority because you wanted to make more friends. You could tell your longtime boyfriend was a little wary since your high school and friend group was never into partying like Greek life was known for.

Once you made it into the sorority in late fall you were finally able to attend one of these said ragers that Cove was worried about. You partook in some underage drinking and sent your boyfriend a couple of Snapchats of you hanging out with some sisters who he’s seen before as well as some unknown frat brothers. He simply told you to be safe, have a good time, and call him if you needed him. Knowing full well he’d drop everything to come get you if needed. Even though your drive/flight was hours away. You told him you loved him and not to worry.

But knowing Cove thats all he did over the weekend. Then the week after you had to deal with midterms so you were even busier and had less time to chat with your boyfriend as you were busy studying in the library with your friends and sisters. But regardless of that fall break was coming up and you had planned your visit to see Cove after midterms.

You made sure to text Cove to tell him you weren’t going to be as available but you knew he’d be a little sad but understanding knowing how clingy he was. However being in this situation you didn’t have time to focus on that.

Friday rolled around and you’d opted to fly home instead of taking the 5 hour drive. You’d planned it to be a surprise getting there earlier instead of the usual time. You had your moms pick you up from the airport and they smothered you with hugs and kisses once they saw you walk out of the gate.

You told them about how the semester was going and told them about your organization and they were just happy you were home. They took you family condo and you immediately got dressed to surprise your-probably-worried-you-hadn’t texted-him-for-a-bit-boyfriend. You sent him a text you saying were leaving in the morning which was normal but you’d always sent a follow up once you took a stop in your usual road trip.

You made your way to the tropical place restaurant where he worked and had even stopped by a local candy shop to pick up some fudge for him.

You swung the door open with a jingle and you’d somehow caught Cove conveniently at the host podium but unfortunately the moment he saw you he started immediately choking on the water he was drinking. His boss rushed over to check on him and noticed you and started laughing.

They said “Oh Cove, ever the smooth one. Why don’t you go take a long lunch since your partner is back.” They patted him on the back as he was still hacking pretty hard but you could see tears forming his eyes. You were unsure whether they were from being excited to see you or because he was in pain from choking.

You quickly pulled your dying boyfriend outside and let him finish recovering. After clearing his throat a few times he brought you into a big hug. And kissed your face all over.

“I didn’t expect you back so early!”

“I know I flew instead of driving since I wanted to see you so bad since I have more time! Fall break doesn’t end til Wednesday so you’re stuck with me until then.”

He puts a hand to his heart and says “oh what shall I do with you for that long.” He says it with a sly look in his eyes. But you also notice a bit of sadness in his voice but choose not to comment on it. You will later but not when he has to eventually go to back to work.

“So, do you want to eat here or find somewhere else to go. I guess I have a longer lunch but I don’t want to push it.”

You both opt for eating at his workplace but sitting outside around back away from the customers. You quickly fall into your normal conversations and you tell him about the midterms and your initiation into your sorority, telling him for the first time you have a secret he can’t know. He tries to get you to spill jokingly but you won’t budge. You also sense his sadness rising but again you won’t push until you’re in private.

Eventually your hour comes to a close and you tell him you’ll see him at his apartment later. You wave the spare key he gave you when he moved in and start your 15 minute trek back to your home to grab your belongings which you had left with your moms before they dropped you off to see him.

You ran inside and gave them a quick hug, popped over to Mr. Holden’s house to let him know you were back, who was just as shocked and then made your trek to Cove’s one bedroom apartment.

His complex was actually rather close to your family homes, he now had his independence but was still close enough to pop in on both families. You’d appreciated it since you’d stay at both places when you were in town and if Elizabeth was in town you got to stay with Cove. Though there was still a room available it was mostly just a weak excuse but your families never minded.

You opened up the door and inhaled and felt at peace. The citrusy-ocean scent you were used to hit you and made you tear up slightly. You walked your bag to Coves bedroom and then grabbed your entertainment of choice and headed into the living room to wait for him to get back. Since he was working a morning shift you expected him home in about an hour.

While you waited you remembered the fudge bought for him and made sure to grab it and display it on his coffee table.

Like clockwork when the clock struck 3, your tired boyfriend walked inside. All of the exhaustion on his face completely melted away at the sight of you and in two steps, thankful to his long legs he was holding you in his arms. Very enthusiastic for someone who’d already greeted you.

“You just saw me though!”

“I know but I didn’t get to do this earlier” he brought his lips to yours and the world stood still and all felt at peace. After a few moments you broke apart and you motioned to the fudge on the table.

“I bought some of your favorite to surprise you!”

You saw tears start to form in his eyes and then tears started to form in yours and you both hugged each other again before settling in a tangled pile of limbs on the couch.

However you were still aware of the subtle sadness he was giving off and decided now was the best time to bring it up.

“Hey.”

You looked at him with worry and he immediately went wide eyed.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“No, you tell me? I could tell you weren’t all there today when I saw you at the restaurant.”

“Oh,” he sighed. “Yeah. I’m sorry. It’s nothing.”

You looked at him and he immediately broke.

“No you’re right, sorry I don’t know why I sometimes do that still, you can read me like an open book.” He pulled you closer.

“I guess I was just feeling a little insecure.”

You were surprised. The Cove Holden. Insecure? You both trusted each other with the utmost care and neither of you had ever done anything warranting an insecurity to rise but you let him continue speaking.

“You looked like you were having so much fun in those photos, but seeing you with all those guys i didn’t know kind of got to me. And then you were busy the whole week, which I know you couldn’t help. But we couldn’t even talk about it and it just weighed on me.”

Oh Cove. You put a hand up to your mouth and tears started to form in your eyes. You pushed your face into his chest then looked up at him. He looked back at you with a deep intense love.

“I’m sorry I didn’t even think about that! Those guys joined their organization around the same time as me so we’d been getting to know each other and since it was the first time we got to drink I wasn’t even really conscious of what was happening! They’re just some good friends.”

At that he seemed to stiffen.

“What do you mean not conscious? You didn’t drink that much you blacked out?”

You were not actually a drinker at all and felt a little stung by his assumption. You weren’t even allowed to drink your entire new member process until you got initiated into the organization either so that was a first and you knew you didn’t pass your limits either.

“No Cove. I didn’t. I was fine, i didn’t mean it that way. I meant that those guys had just become part of my routine. Not that I had blacked out.” Your tone came out a little more hostile than you meant.

He looked away and cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I know you’re responsible.”

He looked at you and picked up your hand and started massaging it.

“It’s just with alcohol, I worry about it since we never really drank in high school. You’re free to do that of course! You’re free to do whatever you want I just was worried since I’m not able to be there if anything bad did happen.”

Oh. He was right. It’s not like if you did get sick he’d be right there to be able to hold your hair back. Of course he was concerned. You were living different lives right now and it worried him that he couldn’t be a part of some of your firsts.

“Cove, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about that. You’re always on my mind that it kind of felt like you’d be able to instantly come to my aid if I needed but you are actually 5 hours away and 3 if you fly.” You smiled sadly at him.

He pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“I trust you I really do, you know that but I’ve been realizing it’s hard for me at times watching you live this different life than me after we spent 10 years doing the same thing. I’ve never felt that insecurity before. In the back of my head I worry you’ll get bored of your boyfriend from your small hometown and want to move on to different things.”

You sighed at that, but not with any malice.

“Cove James Holden. You know you are the only one for me. Like you said, I’ve been with you for 10 years! You’re not getting rid of me that easily! And I’d never get bored of you!”

That elicited a chuckle and you pressed your lips to his cheek and then his lips.

Once you pulled apart he stayed looking at you with a soft gaze.

“I want you to have fun, have the whole college experience. I know you won’t always have time to talk to me. Thank you for sticking with me and riding out these insecurities I feel. You are my person and I know I’m yours.”

“Exactly! You are my absolute person.” You replied happily. Poking him in the chest.

“I love you,” he said as he pressed another kiss to your forehead.

“I love you two Cove Holden. Forever and always.”

——

Bonus:

You then spent the rest of the evening cooking dinner, catching up, and eventually having the nicest, deepest sleep you’re had in a while being back in the arms of your boyfriend. He had taken the weekend off so you didn’t even need to worry about waking up early in the morning.

When the sun peaked through the blinds you smiled up at the sleeping beauty who’d encased you protectively in his arms all night knowing someday you’d be doing this every day for the rest of your lives.

[crowdedimagines]

Leaked - Harry Styles

2.8k :) 

“Y/n?” His voice rings out a soft echo. The only noise in my room tonight. I simply answered so the incessant buzzing on my nightstand would finally cease. If only I had checked the contact, I wouldn’t be sitting up straight in bed, staring into the black of my room.

“Hello?” I answer back after a long enough pause for both of us to know that I have just woken up and I wasn’t fully aware of what I was answering.

“I’m sorry to wake you. I forgot what time it is there right now.” I can hear some shuffling on his end, it sounds like he’s getting up and walking around. He must be in London right now, not in his home only a ten minute drive from mine in Malibu. I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees, letting my comforter drop from my shoulders.

“What’s wrong Harry?” I ask, cutting to the chase. The slight nervous edge in his voice tells me that something is most definitely wrong. I can’t just sit in silence waiting for the world to stop, I need him to spit it out. Spit out whatever made him call me after nearly a year of no longer being together.

“I had a leak. Someone hacked my phone.”

I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was far from it. I let out a sigh, he’s okay. At least physically. I can feel a slight weight lift off my chest, but it’s far from light still.

“Okay?” I prompt for him to continue.

“It’s pictures of you, Y/n.”

And to think I was worried about him. His words make my ears ring for a few seconds. An eerie pitch fills the void between us, neither of us knowing the words to help this situation.

“Which pictures?”

I switch Harry to speaker and open twitter, ignoring the mass texts that are coming in right now. My manager and my publicist ranting on our group chat but the messages fade into the background as soon as my eyes cross the trending page.

“Um-”

#Y/n’sleaked

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” My hands start shaking as I look over the images shared with the entire world. Not even just one, multiple over the time we shared a relationship.

A picture I sent him on tour, standing in our mirror with not a thread of clothing. Bare as the day I was born. I remember taking this picture as a tease right before he had to take the stage at Madison Square Garden. Now more people than can fit in Madison Square Garden have seen that picture.

Next, is a picture of me in a rather compromising position on my knees looking up at him. It’s not hard to tell what was happening or about to happen. Harry took this one, It was already a hot night for us, and somehow him pulling out his phone snapping a quick picture made it even hotter. Now I need to worry about my family ever seeing this.

Finally, the most modest of the group, a picture of me in simple dark red lingerie thrown on the bed by Harry. Once again, a picture that Harry had snapped himself. I had just come home from tour and he answered our door and I dropped everything I had, including the clothes I had been wearing. He chased me up to our room, he finally caught me in our room and literally threw me on the bed. He pulled out his phone claiming he wanted to remember the sheer joy he was feeling in that moment. Now it’s bringing me dread.

Tweet after tweet sharing the same group of photos.

Harry doesn’t say a single word, knowing that I’ve seen exactly what he was trying to break down to me.

“Oh my god.” I shutter, refreshing as the tweets come in by the hundreds.

“Y/n I-”

I hang up before he can utter another word. I can’t speak with him right now, knowing exactly who’s to blame for putting me out there like that. We broke up nearly a year ago, if he had simply deleted the photos once the relationship was over, maybe we wouldn’t be here.

I read the thread of messages between Jordan my manager and Paula my publicist. Both are trying to diffuse the situation. I wonder how they found out, did they get a call at two in the morning from Jeff?

I simply reply that in the morning to meet at my house to get everything sorted out, there’s no point in stressing over what we can’t change and losing sleep over it. They both agree to be at my house bright and early at seven.

I put my phone back down and pull myself under the covers. At least for a few more hours this can’t be real. A few more hours I can hide under the covers and pretend that this isn’t happening.

I put coffee on, knowing that the girls will be here any moment, hopefully with a plan in hand on how we can diffuse the situation.

“Good morning.” Paula smiles cheerily followed by Jordan who just has a tight smile.

“Please tell me there’s something we can do.” I sit down on my touch, letting my hands warm on the mug.

“Yes, we-kind of!” Paula gushes.

I look to Jordan for a clear answer. Paula has always been a little nuttier, I love her to death, but right now I need serious and I need a plan. I need cold and honest.

“I talked with Jeff for a while last night and we both agree that we think it’s best for us to meet up together to discuss a course of action in person. We have a flight in an hour.”

“So you’re telling me that my nudes leak from his phone and now I have to hop on a plane to go see him?” My jaw must reach the floor by now.

“It’ll be better to get this all sorted out with both teams together. We have the same common goal here, we just want to make this look a little better.”

“Easy for you to say when it’s not your body trending on Twitter.”

“I wasn’t the one sending them.” She raises her brow, she’s told me a dozen times to never put myself in a position like this. That there can’t be any leaks when you don’t take anything private.

I climb upstairs to my room and grab a bag to start packing. I throw on a cute sweat suit and find a pair of dark tinted sunglasses. If anything, the airport is the last place I should be right now. The paparazzi are worse than they’ve ever been, even with Harry, I’ve never been bombarded like this. They throw question after question to me, hoping to get the first scoop on me the morning after it leaked. While it’s still hot and trending with every news outlet.

“Jesus.” Paula mutters, “Still got all your fingers and toes?”

I smile finally, “I’m fine, thank you.”

The flight is peaceful, thankfully. Jordan types a mile a minute on her laptop next to me. Surely, trying to work out a plan and get as many pictures taken down as possible. Not that it matters now, it’s out in the world forever now.

A sleek black car picks us up and drives the familiar route to Harry’s London home. We pull into the driveway and it knocks the air out of my lungs as soon as my feet hit the ground. There’s several cars that don’t belong to Harry, which means it’s a full house today.

I let Jordan walk in first, letting myself weakly trail behind. I haven’t seen Harry since the break up. Maybe once at an award show, but it was far away and we didn’t exchange words. I definitely didn’t think I would be stepping into his house again.

“Jordan.” Jeff greets, getting up from the dining table where it looks like people have set up camp. A whole crew of people making calls, scouring Twitter, and god knows what else.

“Hi, Jeff.” She smiles.

I look around a little, trying not to be obvious. The house looks the same, Hardly a single thing out of place in over a year. Not that I expect it too, I never fully lived here outside of a few weeks at a time. It’s not like our shared Malibu home that we sold in the break up. This place was always predominantly his.

Speaking of Harry, finally he looks up from his phone, he had been biting at his cuticles probably worrying, panicking. He tucks his phone in his back pocket and walks over to the rest of us. Paula instantly pulls him down for a hug, she always loved him.

“Harry!” She sighs.

He lets out a soft laugh and bends down to hug her short stature. We make eye contact a few times, but never say anything.

“I wish this was under different circumstances.” Paula whispers, even though we still all catch it.

“No hug? Harry teases Jordan. They were never close but at least he’s attempting to lighten the mood. Harry is probably the last person on this planet that she wants to hug.

“I’m not your biggest fan right now.” Jordan sighs, her steel cold gaze returns. I bite back a smirk over how protective she can be sometimes.

“Y/n, I-” Harry starts, finally turning his full attention to me.

“Y/n!” A louder voice cuts him off, I glance over his shoulder to see Gemma getting up from the couch in the living room, Anne close behind.

“Oh my god, I’ve missed you!” She pulls me in for a hug, her arms pulling me in tight, as if to make up for the months of nearly no contact.

“I’ve missed you too, Gem.” I tighten my grip around her.

Anne appears in my line of vision now, smiling softly. I release my grip on Gemma and she does the same, Anne taking her place.

“You’ll get through this, darling.” She whispers softly as she rubs her hand up and down my back. Her words bring tears to my eyes. I’ve tried to not let myself be sad about this. I’ve only felt anger, but hugging Anne has opened the floodgates. “You’re strong.”

“I need to freshen up.” I clear my throat, Anne pulls back and smiles.

No one says a word as I excuse myself to the closest guest bathroom. I wash my face with cold water and take a few deep breaths trying to prepare myself somewhat for what I have to go out there and face. I open the door and notice Harry leaning against the wall across from the door.

“Hi.” He picks his head up, no longer staring at the ground.”

“Hi.” I say back.

“Y/n I am so sorry. I had no clue any of this would happen. If I had known-”

“Why did you keep the pictures Harry?” I ask, I want answers not apologies. He’s still Harry and I know he’s feeling so much guilt right now.

“I don’t really know.” He shrugs, “I wasn’t being pervy with them, wasn’t keeping them for any indecent reason. They were just another memory that I didn’t want to lose. I didn’t delete any of the pictures.”

I can’t think of a response which is fine because Jeff calls for both of us to join them. We sit down at the table along with a few unfamiliar faces. As soon as we do they dive into the details, talking about how somehow Harry’s iCloud was hacked and that meant they had access to all photos.

“Well why are my pictures the only ones out there? It’s his phone that got hacked!” I yell.

“We don’t know.” Jordan answers, “We don’t know what else they got either. If they have more that they’re waiting to sell.”

“Fuck’s sake.” Harry mutters, rubbing over his eyes.

“Well Harry, got anything else I should worry about? Or any other girls you should warn?” I turn to look at him, a flash of red creeps up his neck and hangs around on his cheeks. It was a low blow, but it slips out before I can stop it.

“There’s no one else.” Harry answers, “And for other pictures I don’t know to be completely honest.

“Well, it might help for us to get an idea of what else could be out there. We should try and get an idea of what else the two of you have.” Jeff's words make me look to Anne, now it’s my turn to blush but she isn’t phased by any of it so far.

“Well it could be worse.” A man from Harry’s team states as he shuts his lap top, leaning in to join the conversation.

“How so?” Gemma prompts crossing her arms over her chest.

“Any publicity is good-”

“Don’t you fucking dare finish that sentence.” I cut off the man before he can continue. “You can’t talk. You can’t say any publicity is good publicity. Not until your body is trending on Twitter. Not until everyone with social media has seen your body, talked about it, and used it. Not until you have to call your parents and tell them you’re sorry and to stay away from phones for a while. Not until your body is no longer your body.”

The chair loudly scrapes against the floor as I stand up. I can’t sit here at the table and listen to them talk about it like it’s not as huge as it is. Because to them this is work, to me it’s my real life. I make my way towards the back porch. It’s always been one of my favorite spots. It’s got the best view of the garden.

I trust Jordan for decisions on this. She knows me well enough after all of these years together. They’ll run anything else past me, but I don’t need to be in there while they attempt damage control.

I sit down on the outdoor couch and pull my legs up to my chest. It’s peaceful for a few minutes and I just let myself bask in it. I could probably fall asleep if I tried, jet lag and all. It’s soft, but still loud enough for me to hear the door open. I turn to see Harry just standing there, trying not to invade my bubble while still giving me my space.

“C’mon.” I nod to the spot beside me. There’s no point in being mad anymore. What’s done is done. I will always love Harry more than the drama.

He shuffles over and takes a seat. A slow fog rolls in as it slowly gets darker.

“Do you ever miss it?” His voice quiet and steady. I don’t have to ask to know he’s talking about our relationship.

“Harry, we dated for three years, of course I’m going to miss that. Now what’s got you all sentimental? See those pictures and remember how good of a lay I am?” I tease bumping his shoulder with mine, with a smirk. He lets out an airy laugh, easing the tension.

“No, even before these past few days.” He finally looks over at me, tearing his eyes away from the yard, “I always miss you.”

“Harry.” I sigh. “We both agreed. We were both touring, we never even saw each other. And when we weren’t we were stuck in the studio. Different studios I might add.”

“Isn’t rarely seeing each other better than never?”

His question hangs in the air, both of us leaving it unanswered.

“I don’t know, Harry.” I answer after several minutes. The sun dips below the horizon, and my head dips down to his shoulder. “I don’t know.”

I don’t know how long we sit like that. The sun is gone now, and the breeze actually feels cold, but Harry’s arm is heavy and warm around my shoulder.

The door suddenly opens causing both of our heads to perk up. It’s Gemma with the smallest smile on her face.

“They’re asking for you guys in there.”

“Ready, love?” Harry stands, holding out a hand to pull me up with him.

“Well it’s now or never.”

part two? let me know what you guys think

[coriel-muroz]

Huntsville Revived #324

While Skye’s standing invitation was for all the newly-arrived Aliens, it was Barish who came over the most frequently.

“Is everyone else settling in all right?” Aaricia asked him, “They are welcome here too, you know.”

“They know. They are still uncertain. Like all of this might be snatched away any moment.” Barish, too feared that, and by the expression on Aaricia’s face, he could tell that the thought had crossed her mind regarding her own situation more than once.

“My brother, Matthew Hunt, he’s the Law in Huntsville Region. And Mayor Hogan has just granted all Aliens in Huntsville the right to vote. Which means your people can help keep her in power so she can continue to do right by us.” Aaricia would never forget what it meant to be an Alien, both the good and the bad.

“Am I looking old, Lysander?” Skye asked, feeling more annoyed by it then she wanted to be.

“You’re an elder. You look wise and important.” He narrowed his eyes, “You haven’t fretted about your looks in a long time. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I just celebrated my birthday, that’s all.”

Lysander didn’t quite believe her.

“What tips do you have for a fellow whose just crash-landed in your backyard?” Barish asked Lysander with just enough of a smile to sell the joke.

“What kinds of tips are you looking for?” Lysander left an opening for whatever Barish was hinting at. 

“Well, take that photo over there. That’s Skye and a Human, right? Is he Astra’s father?”

“No. Astra’s father is a piece of shit who hates us. Skye thought...well, he wasn’t who she thought he was. He was pretty horrified when she got pregnant, since it’s so uncommon. And then there were triplets.”

“She’s their birth mother? But the guy, who’s he? A boyfriend?” Barish was understandably confused. The Alien women he had known chose Alien partners or no partners at all.

“Daniel was the love of her life. He died, an illness. He loved her, and her children.” Lysander didn’t mention that his illness had been used against them, an implication that loving an Alien brought a healthy young man down.

But Barish seemed to have other thoughts on his mind.

“Does it matter if old Sixam existed or exists? Finding a new Sixam makes more sense anyway,” Apollo tried to reason with the older Aliens at the table.

Skye and Aaricia could well take his point, but they didn’t want to. They had never had real hope of finding Sixam, but Astra and Apollo believed they could find a peaceful new planet perfect for habitation? 

“Apollo, you and Astra can talk about this later.” Aaricia’s tone ensured that they changed topics of conversation.

While Astra didn’t put much effort towards her own hygiene or appearance (note that she is still in her pajamas), she was very cleanly. She would wash up the dishes unprompted after every meal.

If asked, she would say “Death by flies is an ugly way to go.” Most people did not ask her more than once.

“Oof” Aricia moaned as she caught Lysander in a hug. She could catch him, but just barely. “You want to get out of here?”

“Yeah, let’s head out. Thanks for dinner, Skye!”

“Are you coming, Apollo?” Aaricia asked.

“No, I want to stay and hang out with Astra.”

So Aaricia and Lysander said their good byes  and were on their way.

“Is everyone starting to get settled in?” Skye asked. She knew, as the leader of her community, that Barish’s frequent visits were due to his being the leader of his. She didn’t let herself consider other options.

Barish considered the question. “We’re definitely set up in the apartment until we figure out next steps.” The eight who had come were currently all under one roof, but compared to their previous home, it felt quite comfortable. “The children seem fine, they can adjust so fast. The teens, I think they really want to believe they can trust this. Sisko too. I worry about Ronan.”

“He doesn’t trust Humans, I noticed,” Skye said, “And I can understand that, generally. He does trust you though.”

“His partner died giving birth. The baby died too. They refused any medical aid. I did what I could, but I’m a scientist, not a doctor. It’s been 3 years, but some things don’t heal.”

“I understand that you were the one who gave birth to your triplets? That you were able to conceive?” Barish hoped it wasn’t too impolite to ask.

“Yes, I did. And I lived, as did they, although I lost my uterus.” She didn’t mind sharing with this man who clearly understood how complicated it was for Aliens to give birth, but also how normal it was for it to be hard.

“It’s no wonder you are the leader here, you are absolutely incredible.”

Barish took Skye’s hand. His hand was gentle, hesitant. She could have pulled away if she had wanted to. But she did not want to.

Barish made her feel important in a way she had not in a long time. Important as a woman to a man who had desires. Important as an individual. That what she did could transform the universe for one other person and for herself, when she was so used to acting for a collective.

It felt good.

[silv3rswirls]

Daisy

Pairing: Park Jimin/Reader

Summary: It seemed simple enough. The two of you loved each other so you should be together, but fate keeps you apart. With one last trip with you, Jimin is determined to change things. 

Warnings: Angst, fluff at times, cheating, emotional cheating, allusions to abusive relationships, mentions of smut (no actual smut scenes), heartbreak, toxic relationships, sad ending

Word Count: 4.6k

Music recs: Even If It’s a Lie | Leave Your Lover | Cover Me in Roses | love u | How Could I Have Known

The silence between the two of you was thick as you watched Jimin from the corner of your eye. While he was humming quietly along with the music, you were sitting with a fit of dread and nerves weighing heavy on your stomach. You feel like you could vomit any moment and prayed it didn’t happen. You would rather not spill your guts in Jimin’s car, especially after he had been kind enough to plan all of this for the both of you.

You knew why you were so nervous. You just couldn’t admit your reasons to yourself, because if you did you feared your stance as a bad person would be solidified. Mingling around with guilt and dread felt better than actually facing the truth of what was happening. Jimin had given up his vacation time, planned a getaway for you, paid the expenses despite your protests, and even picked up with a pretty arrangement of flowers waiting for you. Yet, he was not your boyfriend. In fact, your boyfriend was still at home in Seoul, sitting pretty and under the impression you were on a girl’s trip, not sitting up with one of your best-kept secrets.

You had never meant for Jimin to become a secret, you had never even intended to befriend him, but fate had wiggled the idol into your life with force. Maybe life had intended you to break up with your boyfriend when it brought Jimin along, but obviously, that didn’t pan out well. Jimin and you had remained strict friends for a while, talking on and off, hanging out now and again when he had time. He knew you had a boyfriend and you knew he didn’t have time for a relationship, so it should have been so easy. Yet, one night through the pain of fighting with your boyfriend and a haze of alcohol, you had crossed the line with Jimin. 

Since that night you harbored strong, overpowering guilt for what happened, yet you found yourself unable to step away from Jimin. Jimin knew he was the other man, but he never seemed to mind. Never said anything, never threw a fit, and sure he got jealous from time to time, he seemed okay with it. After that night you and Jimin never took things to a sexual level again, in fact, you hardly even kissed one another. Most nights you would simply curl up in each other’s arms, talking through sleepiness and stress. Jimin seemed relaxed when he was with you, at peace. While you felt the warmth of his love and attention rather than the bored stares of your boyfriend. 

It wasn’t that your boyfriend was bad. He wasn’t, he was good- he was okay. You told yourself you loved him, forgave him for every argument and snide comment he made towards you. Jimin didn’t feel the same about him. He found the man rude and uncaring towards you, thought he was mean and didn’t deserve you. He knew first hand of it. Some nights you would come to him in tears, crying your heart out over how he treated you, or over the argument’s where he just yelled and yelled at you. How you felt so unloved and gross because of him and what he would say. It broke Jimin’s heart when your nights were spent like that. He would wrap you in his arms delicately with soothing whispers of how pretty you were and how much he loved you, that your boyfriend didn’t matter.

One night, after an especially emotional moment you had laid there with him, looking outside at the night sky and watching the blur of lights glow in the dark. Jimin, at your side as always, comforting you with soft nuzzles and caresses, brought up the idea of going somewhere together to get away. He was going to be on a short break before returning to prepare for their newest tour. He would be gone for a long time and he wanted to spend the weekend with you.

That’s why you found yourself here with him, stomach full of butterflies and nerves as you retreat into a more rural area, staying in a lake house with all the privacy you could want, as well as all the peace and fun the both of you needed. 

“Y/n, are you alright? You haven’t said much since I picked you up.”

You fiddled with the flowers laying in your lap, the crinkle of paper replying to him as you tried to muster up your words. “I’m just nervous Jimin.” You whispered, “what if he finds out I’m not with my friends?”

Jimin’s lips pursed as you mentioned your concern. “He won’t Y/n, and if he does, I’ll make sure he leaves you alone.”

“But-”

“Try to forget about him, this is our weekend, right?” You nodded, resorting to looking down at the bundle of daisies in your lap. “Do you like them? They’re cute, just like you.”

“Thank you” you breathed, “I feel bad. I didn’t get you anything.” 

Jimin smiled, “you don’t have to get me anything, I’m just happy you’re here.”

The rest of your drive you felt a little better, but the guilt of running away with Jimin still sat in the back of your mind. 

When you arrived at the house you were met with a quiet, homey-looking place. Nature buzzing all around you, the sun reflecting off the lake and you even spotted a family of ducks waddling along the shoreline. You go out with your flowers and purse in hand, while Jimin goes to the trunk to pull both your bags out. “Here, you go in and look around while I get our bags” Jimin handed the key off to you before going back to what he was doing. You grabbed his phone from the front seat for him before wandering up to the front door, unlocking it, and stepping in. you slipped your shoes off and left your things on the entree way table, keeping your flowers in hand as you walked right into the living room, finding it open and connected to the kitchen. Simple furniture and decoration took up your view, large windows with their curtains drawn open, pretty art and decor- it looked modern but woodsy. It looked expensive.

“How much was it?” You wondered aloud as you heard Jimin setting some of the groceries you had brought on the counter.

“Don’t worry about that Y/n.”

“I could’ve helped pay as well Jimin.” You frowned, guilt clear on your face. “It isn’t fair since I’m staying too.”

“I wanted to pay, it’s no problem.” He assured you with a sweet smile. “Besides, he would’ve questioned where all that money went, right?”

“Oh…” Your shoulders dropped. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Jimin came up to you, clasping one of your hands in his. “I like taking care of you, so please don’t worry about it and have a good time with me, please?”

You put away the food while Jimin finished bringing your things in, setting them away in the bedroom and joining you as you finished up. It was a bit stuffy in the cabin, so you worked to open some of the windows, enjoying the soft breeze coming in. You found a vase to put your daisies in, not wanting the little flowers to die on you while here. Jimin spent his time unpacking just a little, pulling the essentials out and searching for his camera. Eagerly he came out to find you on the back porch, looking around the stretch of grass that led to the lakeside. You were leaning over the railing squinting through the sunlight as Jimin snuck up to capture a photo. You looked over, a bit caught off guard.

“I want to capture all our memories while here,” he explained with a smile. “Should we make dinner? It’s getting late now.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. It’ll be dark soon, so we can set up the bonfire too.”

You and Jimin opted to just make some Ramyeon since you were both feeling tired from the long drive here. Tomorrow you would make something especially good. You worked on cooking it, while Jimin worked on lighting the fire as the sun began to set. Once the food was done and you moved outside, sitting beside Jimin and watching the fire crackle as you ate and talked. 

“You’ll be gone for a long time.” You mentioned, now leaning into his shoulder as you both finished eating and took to relaxing in the cool night air. 

“Unfortunately” he frowned. “I’m happy to go back on tour, but it’s kind of sad I won’t see you for so long.”

“We’ll keep in touch the best we can” you assured him. You were nervous for Jimin to leave. Lately, it felt like he was your rock. Your boyfriend had been especially nasty the last few months and Jimin was always there to pick you up. You were worried about what could happen while he was gone.

“Maybe one day I can fly you out to see our show.” He thought aloud, “maybe even stay a night or two.”

“I’d like that” you smiled, ignoring the voice in the back of your head telling you it was impossible, that your boyfriend would never let you go. You felt Jimin move around, taking your waist in his arms as he pulled you closer into his chest to cuddle that way. You relaxed easily in his embrace, sighing in content. Your feelings of uncertainty had lessened since actually arriving here, spending the one-on-one time with Jimin without distraction helped. 

But your peace couldn’t last forever as your phone rang and you jumped up to answer it. Jimin tried to keep a tight grip on your waist, not wanting to lose his cuddle buddy as you broke away and answered. “Hey, yeah we got here a few hours ago.” Jimin turned his nose bitterly, you were talking to him. “Yeah, it’s just us girls, no guys in sight” you tried to laugh, but the anxiousness in your voice left it feeling awkward. “We’re just eating now...mhm. I’ll call you tomorrow morning.” Jimin sat up, hanging on for the moment you would hang up so he could get back to you with his affection, but he felt himself fall as you said, “I love you too.”

The phone call ended and Jimin was left staring at you with tight lips. You set your phone down and look at him, gnawing on your cheek nervously. “Do you mean it when you tell him you love him?” He asks quietly.

“He loves me…”

“That's not what I asked.” Jimin huffed, “he doesn’t love you.”

“He does-”

“Not the way I love you.” Jimin declared, “He wouldn’t belittle you if he loved you, he’d be kind and gentle, he’d treat you like the most important person in the world- like I do.”

“He means it when he says it.” You lie to yourself.

When it’s time to go to bed you help clean up while Jimin takes care of the fire. Your chest feels heavy as you do so because Jimin remains silent for the most part. 

Jimin wanted to sleep with you, curled at your side, but you tell him to wait until tomorrow night. He looks like a hurt puppy as you tell him, but he respects your wish and heads for the bedroom upstairs. You lay in bed that night, unable to sleep with the thoughts running through your head.

You woke up the next morning determined to put the discomfort of last night behind you, not wanting to spoil the next two days you had with Jimin. You hopped out of bed, took a quick shower, and threw something light and casual on. The living room and kitchen were empty as you stepped out of your room, smiling at the rays of morning sunshine casting in through the windows. With the house deathly silent, you assumed Jimin was still in bed, which you didn’t mind. It gave you time to think about what you would do together today. Jimin had already blocked off some of your time to go exploring around the area, walk along the water and take in the quiet scenery. You were excited about that as well, but you had a whole day ahead of you. Tomorrow you would stay the day as well, leaving later in the evening to get home during the night. Today was your only full day and you wanted every moment spent with Jimin to count. 

So you made up some breakfast for the two of you, planning to pull Jimin out of bed when you were finished. You set the table up and pulled the vase of daisies over for decoration. Smiling to yourself you headed upstairs, knocking on Jimin’s door a few times before peeking in. “Jimin?” You called from the doorway, stepping into the dark room and moving to peel the curtains open. “Jimin, you should get up, I made us breakfast.” You called sweetly, gently tapping him a few times. Jimin merely hummed and rolled over as he struggled to open his eyes fully.

“Y/n?” He asked, voice heavy with sleep.

“Yup, it’s me” you laughed, “come on, you don’t want to waste the day sleeping, do you?” Jimin’s breath caught in his throat as he felt you pat his head and pushing his hair away from his face. His gaze though still tired, fell on you and his heart skipped a beat as his brain reminded him of the trip he was on with you. Waking up to your sweet voice and comforting touch sent butterflies down his spine and he couldn’t help but smile. 

Jimin got up and took a few minutes to get ready. He awed dramatically at the breakfast you had made, thanking you as he dug in. you ate as well, your mood souring when you remembered you hadn’t called your boyfriend as he told you. Your leg bounced with anxiety as you thought about running to get your phone, but the sound of Jimin’s little giggles and small talk kept you in place. 

By the time you and Jimin were ready to clean up and start the day, you had forgotten all about your phone and your boyfriend.

At first, you and Jimin lazied around a bit. Playing a few games and talking until Jimin finally grew impatient and pulled you to go for a walk. He held your hand as you followed one of the trails, watching the trees tremble as a warm breeze blew in. It was past noon, still sunny out and as quiet as usual; the only noise being the soft rustle of nature and twigs crunching under your shoes. It was pretty out, peaceful compared to the city. You wished you could have this kind of escape more often. 

Jimin leads the way through the forest trail, eventually leading you out and towards the lakeside. The sand is soft under your shoes as you look for things in the sand together. As promised Jimin had brought his camera, wasting no time snapping all the photo opportunities he saw. You walked the shoreline hand in hand, watching the water lull back and forth as the sun’s reflection twinkled through it. Birds chipped and sang and ducks swam along without a care. For the first time since arriving you felt like you truly didn’t have a care in the world. It was just you and Jimin here, enjoying the beautiful world hand and hand. 

You weren’t sure how long you were out there, it must’ve been hours as you watched the sun begin to set and a trail of pretty pastels painted the sky. The two of you were sitting on one of the docks, your arm wrapped around Jimin’s as you leaned against one another. 

“Y/n,” Jimin asked, voice quiet as he tore his eyes away from the sunset. You hummed in response, picking your head up to look at him. “You know that I love you right?”

“Of course.” You smiled, “I love you.” Jimin gave a nod, his eyebrows knit together as he seemed to be thinking deeply. “Is something wrong?”

“I wanna kiss you” he stated, thought a bit apprehensively. You hadn’t shared a kiss in so long, not since that night you crossed the line for the first time. Jimin had learned to be okay with it but being here with you, alone without the constant buzz of idol life and the fear your boyfriend installed in you, Jimin felt the need to kiss you. He loved you unashamed, and he wanted you to love him the same way.

He expected you to turn away with rejection, too scared to cross the line even just a little, but you surprised him. You leaned in to press your lips to his, leaving him with a sweet, quick kiss. Jimin was quiet, his eyes searching yours for felt like a lifetime before his hand cupped the side of your face. You leaned into his warm touch and he guided you back to his lips for a kiss brimmed with love and passion, adoration almost radiating from him. When you parted again you let him wrap his arms around you, your cheek pressing into his chest as he held you. With butterflies in both of your stomachs, you headed back as the night grew closer, hand in hand in comfortable silence.

That night Jimin stayed with you. Tucked warmly under the covers with his arm holding you tight as if he was afraid you would leave. You talked a little, less than usual but you didn’t mind. You were comfortable being with him. At some point, you shared more kisses, soft ones that eventually turned to needy, passion-filled ones. Hands wandered apprehensively on the other, ready to jump away if one of you objected and Jimin expected you to; but you didn’t. You flushed under his light touches and gentle gaze. His hands caressed you with care and for the first time in what felt like months, you felt loved. You couldn’t recall the last time your boyfriend had treated you with such care and love. Jimin was paying attention to you, kissing you like he meant it. It wasn’t selfish and cold, it wasn’t empty. You didn’t feel used, you felt good. Beautiful and cared for, loved as Jimin’s body pressed flush with yours. And when it was over he didn’t leave you, he pressed gentle kisses to your body and held you through the night.

The next morning felt like a dream when you woke in his hold. His face nuzzled into your neck and his arms warm and protective around your waist. You smiled, relaxing for a few more minutes before trying to wiggle free. Jimin hummed, pulling you closer. “Jimin” you muttered, “I wanna shower.”

Jimin huffed, pulling you down to place a quick kiss on your shoulder before letting you free. You disappeared, leaving Jimin to roll over and try to get comfortable again, only to be woken back up when the phone on the bedside table rang. Assuming it was one of the guys or maybe his manager calling to check in on him he blindly reached for the phone, answering with a lazy hello. The line was silent for a moment before a man’s voice asked where you were.

Jimin, still under the haze of sleep answered. “She’s in the shower.”

He didn’t catch on that it hadn’t been his phone he answered until the line hung up and he dropped it to lay back down. His mind nagged him, none of the members knew about you, let alone your name, so who had asked for you? In fact, whose voice had that even been?

Jimin realizes his mistakes when the text starts to roll in, your boyfriend sends message after message. Asking who the guy was and why he had your phone, asking where you were, telling you to come home, calling you names as he accused you of cheating on him, threatening you if you didn’t answer him. Jimin’s face grew hot as he skimmed them, but guilt immediately took over his emotions as he thought about what he would tell you. 

“Y/n I’m sorry.”

You had just stepped into the room, dressed and in the process of finding your hairbrush. “About last night?” You asked, worry heavy in your voice. Did he regret it?

“No- no I loved last night” he blushed, “but...your boyfriend- he called and I answered.”

His blood ran cold at the look on your face. An expression of pure panic-struck you. “What do you mean you answered? Why would you-”

“It was an accident, I thought it was my phone.”

“Oh my god” you breathed, “he knows, he has to know.” Jimin scurried out of bed, coming to your aid as tears began to flush your face. “Jimin- Jimin how could you, he’s going to kill me.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Jimin repeated, panic in his voice as well.

“No, it’s not!” You shouted, “you don’t understand-”

“It will be okay! I’ll make sure, he won’t hurt you- he won’t come near you!”

“Jimin-”

“You’ll come home with me instead, you can stay with me. He won’t find you, I won’t let him.”

“N-no, I can’t. He’ll just be angrier- things will be worse. I have to go home, apologize- make it better” your mind worked frantically, unable to keep to a straight line of thought.

“You can’t Y/n! He doesn’t love you, I do! I’ll make sure he doesn’t-”

“Please, I can’t Jimin. I can’t hear this right now.”

“But-”

“Please, I need to leave.” Your voice cracked as you searched for your phone, the tears finally falling. Jimin paused, his heart constricted as he watched you fall apart before him. “I’m sorry...just...please.” Jimin didn’t answer, instead of pulling you into his embrace with glossy eyes. You sobbed into his shoulder, while he quietly shed his own tears. He didn’t want to leave, he wanted to stay here with you where he could have you to himself, where you were safe and happy.

But he knew he couldn’t.

When you finally settled down you both packed in silence. Almost robotically you collected your clothes and belongings alongside Jimin. The text and calls from your boyfriend never stopped, but you tried to ignore them. You just wanted to go home.

The drive was deathly silent. Sometimes tears would streak down one of your faces or Jimin would whisper that he was sorry and he loved you. You sat, head aching and fear eating your alive as the city grew closer and closer. Your flowers were in your lap, the daisies still in pretty bloom as they swayed, trapped in the vase. 

When the car stopped outside of your place, Jimin struggled to let you out of the car. He watched, worry sick in his eyes as you took your bag and rounded the car to his side. You stood, unsure of what to say as you clutched the flowers tightly. The time you spent with him, despite being cut short, had been amazing. The best of your life, should you tell him that?

“Y/n” Jimin whispered, “please, don’t leave me.” 

“I won’t.”

Jimin’s lip trembled because he felt like that was a lie.

“I love you, things will be okay” you tried to smile, but your eyes were brimming with tears. 

“Can I kiss you? One more time?” 

“I’m sorry.”

You weren’t exactly sure what you were sorry for. For leaving early? For not kissing him or because you hadn’t been able to go home with him? Were you sorry for ever meeting Jimin, pulling him into something so ugly?

Were you sorry because you loved him?

Jimin didn’t hear from you again. He waited for your message, assuming you would take a few days or maybe weeks to let things calm down before coming to him, but you never did. He tried texting, but couldn’t get an answer. He tried to forget it as the tour approached and he prepared to leave with the rest of Bangtan, who had no clue what had been happening with him the past year or so. They picked up on his changed behavior though. He seemed different, sad even. Despite asking what was wrong, Jimin never gave them an answer. The weeks past and Jimin worked to pull himself together as the date to leave came closer and closer, but still, he couldn’t completely erase the memory of you.

He loved you so much still. He worried for you, contemplated going to your place just to make sure you were alright, but he knew better. At night, curled under his covers and missing your embrace he thought of what could have been with you. How things would be if you had met under different circumstances, or if you had been able to leave that horrid man. He thinks about your smile and it makes him smile, he looks back on the photos taken that weekend often, a warm feeling in his chest as he thinks about holding you, kissing you, just being able to love you. 

He takes to keeping a small vase of daisies in his room, something to brighten the place up. Something to remind him of you.

The morning they were set to head to the airport, Jimin finished double-checking his bags, Taehyung, long done with his packing, sat with him on the bed musing about the part excitement and part dread he felt for this tour. Jimin hummed along mindlessly.

“Oh? When did you get that tattoo?”

“Hm?” Jimin looks up before checking his forearm. “Oh, that.”

“Yeah, what is it? A daisy?” Taehyung squinted, trying to get a better look at the small piece of art. “Why a daisy?”

Jimin shrugged, “makes me happy when I see it.”

A year passes and Jimin learns to forget you, or he tries to. Some days he can’t stop thinking about it, while others he goes on as usual. But he still loves you deep down. 

Jimin hummed as he scrolled through his phone, waiting beside Hoseok for their coffee order to be called, trying to block out the chatter of the people around him. But a familiar voice hits his ear and causes his face to twist in confusion. He looks around, eyes scanning the place before landing on a small table pressed against the window. His throat runs dry at the sight of you sitting alone, patiently waiting. His heart thumps fast and he almost begins to make his way to you when he notices the man coming to join you with two cups of coffee. His breath hitches, so your boyfriend was still with you?

Call him selfish, but Jimin had hoped way back when that they had left you after the cheating was revealed. He imagined that they had left you to come running into his arms instead.

You don’t look very happy not like you were when with him.

Jimin thinks about going up to you but knows he shouldn’t and he feels the urge to cry. 

You were still so pretty in his eyes, despite how sad and worn down you appeared to be.

“Jimin?” Hoseok calls him, snapping the younger out of his thoughts as he rests a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” Hoseok’s face was twisted in confusion and concern due to the stray tears that had fallen down his friend’s cheek.

Quickly Jimin wiped them away and turned away from you. “I’m fine” he musters a smile, “just getting in my head I guess.” He mutters, trying to keep himself from sparing one last glance at you as he and Hoseok get their drinks.

It hurt, but Jimin left the small café, not looking back at you once despite the yearning pain in his heart.

[missmonsters2]

Between the Lines || IX

PAIRING: Steve Rogers & Fem!Reader (Platonic) / Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader / Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader / Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader x Wanda Maximoff

Summary: Vampire AU. Life has changed drastically since the 1600s. Things are always on the move, and you’ve been very careful to not get on SHIELDs radar. Living on the down-low owning a café, you’re content to live out a quiet existence. That is until the Avengers enter your life.

[Set after the New York Invasion, in CAWS, and goes up to AoU. Canon divergent after.]

Warnings: This series will contain smut(**), poly-relationship, and dark themes.

Note: Everyone last chapter: “I’m ready for Wanda to fucking ruin me.” LMAO SAME. 

PART I || PART II || PART III || PART IV || PART V || PART VI || PART VII || PART VIII

PART IX of XX

Count: 4782

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Antique.

That was the best way Natasha could describe your place. You had more warm colors for your walls and older styled furniture that made her feel like she was transcending time. 

They had just gotten back from visiting Allison, who was beyond ecstatic to see you and Natasha. Her mother seemed to be all better now, and no longer needed the extra care for Allison. The babysitter you had recommended last time seemed to be working just fine for them when her mother needed to pull extra shifts, but you still promised to visit Allison when you could.

"Your place is nice," Natasha smiles softly, and you turn your head around to smile back at her as you grab a cup from the cupboard. 

"Really? David says I have the taste of an old person. To my defense, I am old," you snort. 

Natasha chuckles, "I like it."

She feels a little excited because it looks like you're making coffee for her, and it feels like it's been such a long time since Natasha has had your coffee.

"Even though I've lived so long and have adapted, this style makes me feel more at home," you softly explain, and Natasha's eyes turn tender.

You finish brewing Natasha her coffee and bring it over to her. She takes a sip, sighing with bliss.

Grinning at her, you're about to say something else when your phone buzzes in your pocket. Pulling it out, you check to see that it's from David.

"We've got to head out," You tell the redhead. "David's got a lead for us."

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Your search didn't yield much more than what David could find, which was annoying. Luckily, you didn't end up having to use your gift and instead used compulsion to find information. 

Natasha trailed along, watching you work but also making herself useful when she could. 

Within two hours, you felt like you already found out what you could before heading back to shower and head off to the Stark tower again. 

When you get there, you already see David talking with Steve and Maria.

"Fatalities?" You could hear Steve ask. 

"Only when engaged," David says as he catches your eye when you enter the room. "Mostly guys left in a fugue state going on about old memories, worst fears, and something too fast to see."

"Maximoffs," Maria mutters, and you're curious about Wanda's powers. They seemed similar to Tatyana's, but you want to confirm if Wanda's powers had only come from the scepter. 

"That makes sense that he would seek them out. They have something in common," Steve said as he saw you approaching. "Find anything?" 

"No more than you did, apparently," you shrugged.

"Well," David says as he's looking at his tablet. "Nothing in common anymore." He flips the tablet and a picture of Strucker's dead body and the word 'PEACE' written in blood on the wall next to him.

"Lovely," Maria huffs. 

You see Clint on the phone just a couple feet from you, and Steve notices him too. 

"So, you're not coming home tonight even though you explicitly said you would," you here a feminine voice on the phone. 

"That's a negative," Clint says.

"This better be your last one for a while, I don't care what your boss says," you hear the woman respond. In the background, you could also hear two kids screaming, 'Is that dad? Can I talk to dad! Dad!'

"I answer to you," Clint responds almost dutifully. 

"...If you miss the birth of our child...I'll kill you..."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Barton," Steve interrupts, "We might have something."

"Gotta go," Clint says quickly before he hangs up and turns to face you all.

"Who was that?" Steve asks.

"Girlfriend," Clint's eyes travel to you and David because it was obvious he knew you had heard him.

Steve doesn't pay it any mind as he leads everyone back into the room. You and David lag behind because Clint is walking beside the two of you.

"Listen--"

"It's none of our business, Clint," you cut him off with a wave. "We didn't hear a thing."

Clint sighs and gives you a smile of thanks.

"Although, you should be more careful if you're trying to keep them a secret," David says as he tapped away on his tablet.

He then holds up his tablet to you and Clint, a photo dated two years ago of Clint and his family on a ride at Disneyland.

"This you?"

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You've known as a vampire, it's impossible to get headaches, but it doesn't stop you from feeling like you have one.

Everyone is getting ready to get out onto the Quinjet to take off to the next location to find Ulysses Klaue as you'll be likely to find Ultron and the twins there. 

There isn't much for you to ever prepare for, so you laze around in the kitchen before Natasha strolls in, the first to finish.

"Hey, you," she smiles, and you walk over to her.

"Hey, yourself," you smile as you inspect her suit. "Got everything?"

"Hopefully," Natasha shrugs.

You know you'll most likely meet Wanda soon, and something inside you tells you it'll bring chaos. 

Nothing ever truly feels like it's over, but you have Natasha. 

You look at her with slow eyes.

Sometimes it feels wrong to be this happy with Natasha, to allow yourself that kind of privilege. But there are no words you could use to describe what Natasha is to you and how you crave her. 

Natasha peers through her lashes, catching the look in your eyes. She walks backward, pulling you with her until she hits the counter before she hops herself up onto it. Pulling you closer by the collar of your shirt, you end up between her legs, your hands automatically around her waist while hers are around your neck.

"When you have that look on your face, it makes me want to just...eat you," Natasha licks her lip, and you can't help but laugh lightly as she traces her thumb over your bottom lip. 

"You know how funny that sounds, right?" You smile.

Natasha merely smirks as she lowers her head to press her lips against yours in a soft kiss.

She tastes like remnants of peach candy, and you hum into her mouth. Licking her bottom lip, you hold her hips tighter.

Good.

She smells good.

Like vanilla and dry leaves. 

You bite her bottom lip gently, appreciating the way she moans lightly. It seems to excite her more as her heart pounds in her chest. You pull away, lowering your head as the tip of your nose drags against her side of her neck. 

You inhale as Natasha holds your neck a little tighter.

You could hear it, smell, the blood rushing through Natasha's veins.

It would be so easy.

Natasha would be delicious, you just know it. Her blood hits every part of your sensories, and she would feel so good.

Your teeth drag lightly where your tongue had been.

'You can't.'

The voice and words ring in your head loud and clear. 

Immediately, you pull away, almost panting as you do. 

Natasha calls your name, but you shake your head.

"I just need a moment," you tell her, taking in a deep breath.

You haven't felt this way in so long, you felt like a child experiencing bloodlust again. 

It had been so easy throughout the years to control it, knowing the consequences if you did it.

Yet, having Natasha tested every limit you had again. 

You never thought you would ever experiencing wanting to drink from someone again. 

"I'm sorry," Natasha says hesitantly. She had been so caught up in the moment, and you felt so good. 

For a moment...she...she wanted you to bite her.

You clear your throat as your head clears again.

"Don't apologize," you give her a tight smile, "I should have better control."

Natasha is about to say something else when you help her down from the counter.

"C'mon," you say as you pull her along, "we should head to the Quinjet."

And Natasha's words die on her tongue. 

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"Don't compare me with Stark! He's a sickness!"

You all come in time just as Ultron has sliced off Klaue's arm as he rants about Tony. 

"Ahh, junior," Tony appears with Thor and Steve behind him. "You're gonna break your old man's heart."

"If I have to," Ultron tilts his head.

"Daddy issues, am I right?" You lean over to David to say, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"He's not a villain without one," David says back.

You hear a laugh disguised as a cough from Pietro. He smirks at you, and you give him a slight quirk of your lip back. 

But then your eyes travel next to him.

It hits you in the gut. 

A million flashbacks happen to you, and you feel like someone just knocked all the air out of your body, and you're breathless. It's like you're going through a spiral of vertigo until you look her in the eyes.

She looks like her. 

You were prepared to see the similarities, but this was more than you had expected. 

But you knew it was not Tatyana.

You blinked, eyes focusing on Wanda. 

She was staring at you too, but she didn't seem sure of what to make of it.

"You two can still walk away from this," Steve's voice interrupts the two of you.

"Oh, we will," Wanda rips her gaze from you, tilting her head as she smirks sardonically at Steve.

"I know you've suffered," Steve acknowledges, and for a second, you see rage flash through Wanda's eyes because while Steve knows, he doesn't truly know what they've been through.

Ultron lets out a groan of disgust. "Captain America," he says with a certain tone to his voice. "God's righteous man, pretending you could live without a war."

"I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but..." Ultron tilts his head, looking at Steve.

Thor tries to urge Ultron to keep the peace, but Ultron obviously declines.

"What's the vibranium for?" Tony asks.

Ultron looks as giddy as he can. "I'm glad you asked since I wanted to take this time to reveal my evil plan!"

Suddenly, Iron Legion Bots break through the glass and start attacking. 

You and David have split up, he's taken off after Pietro and you to find Wanda. 

Taking out Klaue's men along the way, you keep walking in the direction you could hear her in. 

Her footsteps were rather light, and she had a distinct smell of cinnamon and orange blossoms. 

"Thor! Status!" Steve yelled into the earpiece.

"The girl tried to warp my mind. Take special care, I doubt a human could keep her at bay. Fortunately, I am mighty," Thor trailed off.

You knew immediately what was happening. 

"Nat," you called worriedly.

"I'm fine," she reassures you. 

"David?" You called next.

"Still good," he grumbles. "Fast little bastard."

"Wait," David calls. "She's got Natasha and Steve in a hallucination."

You're about to turn around immediately to go back to Natasha, but David stops you.

"Don't," he warns. "Nat's still okay, just caught up in whatever she's seeing. If you want to put an end to it, catch the girl."

You grit your teeth but huff in agreement. 

You stand along the empty hallway, breaking the wrist of a man who tries to charge at you. Flinging him over the railing, he lands on sacks of dirt and groans. 

It seems you don't have to go to Wanda because you hear those light footsteps behind you, creeping up.

She stands behind you, unknowing you can hear her heart beating as she raises her hand, tendrils forming at her fingers.

You turn around abruptly, grabbing her wrist. Faced with Wanda's shock widened eyes, you quirk your lip at her. 

"Cute," you tell her, "but it won't work on me."

"And why is that?" Wanda asks accent heavy in her voice that sounds so familiar to you.

"To control--compel, me to what you want, your will has to be stronger than mine," you tell her, pulling her closer by her wrist to show that even as close as she was, she couldn't use her mind control on you. "So? Do you still think you can play your little mind games on me?"

Maybe you had tugged too hard, but now Wanda was too close. Her eyes staring into yours as if she was searching for something. Lips slightly parted, you could feel her breath on you. 

"Why?" Wanda murmurs as she tilts her head slightly at you.

"Why what?" You return.

"Why do you stare at me like that?" Wanda gets closer.

You should pull away. Disarm her, and go secure Pietro to finish the mission. 

But it feels like there's an electric pulse in the air that seems to keep you rooted.

"Stare at you like what?" You husk.

Wanda licks her lips, drawings your eyes. "Stare at me like you want to save me."

"You're helping a homicidal robotic manic who wants to destroy the world," you quirk your brow at her. "I think that warrants needing to be saved or at least some sense beaten into you."

"He will save the world by putting an end of the Avengers," Wanda hisses. She draws forth the red wisps again in her other hand, holding it close to you. "Perhaps I can't 'play my little mind games' with you. But power is power."

Immediately, you feel Wanda's power surround your body before she uses it to force you through the window. You find yourself staring at the sky, blinking as you fall. 

You swiftly turn around, positioning yourself upright as you land on the ground, creating a good-sized crater. There's a momentary crack in your ankles from the pressure and height you fell from, but as quick as it happens, it heals. 

You look up, shards of glass falling around you, and you sigh.

It seems your suspicions were correct, that Wanda's powers were genuine. The feel of it was too raw and similar to Tatyana's.

And that made things complicated. 

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"Hey, hey, look at me," you coo as you hold Natasha's face in your hands, turning her to look at you. Her eyes are unfocused, and honestly, it's a little challenging to get her to actually look at you. 

You had arrived shortly back into the facility after hearing Clint saying they needed to move. Clint had been trying to shake Natasha out of it, but it wasn't working, and so you stepped in.

"I have no place in the world," Natasha mutters. 

You had a pretty good guess about what she was seeing, and so did Clint.

"How do we get her out? Do we just have to wait?" Clint asked you.

"No," you say, stroking Natasha's cheek, tilting her face up as you look down into her eyes. "We overpower it."

Your pupils explode into liquid pools, swirling as you forced Natasha's to do the same. It would take a little longer, with Natasha not even being lucid. 

"Look at me," you tell her softly. Natasha blinks. "Wherever you are, it's not real."

You start to see flickers of speckles in Natasha's eyes and lick your lips.

"Come back to me," you compel her softly but with a slight bite in your tone. "You have a place in the world. Here, as an Avengers, with Clint and everyone else." The fog is clearing from Natasha's mind, your eyes responding more to yours and your words. 

"With me," you faintly say.

"Come back."

Life comes back to Natasha, her eyes no longer dull as she comes face to face with you. She's got a massive headache and slight nausea.

Natasha swallows as you still hold her face in your hands. She wants to say something, but Tony interrupts. 

"Guys, I could really use some help. Maybe try the lullaby again?"

You look at Natasha, but she's in no shape to try to go against the Hulk.

"The rest of the team is down," Clint responds.

You look around to see David trying to get Steve out of his hallucination. 

"David will handle things here. Get everyone back onto the jet. The twins and Ultron are probably long gone by now. I'm going to help Tony."

You look once more at Natasha, who lifts the corner of her mouth.

"Be careful," she tells you.

"Aren't I always?" Giving her a wink, you take off in a blur.

"Coordinates, Stark," you say into your earpiece. 

"Getting my ass beat right now!" Tony groans.

"Coordinates, Stark, not status. I already know you're getting your ass beat," you smirk.

"Don't be a dick," he mutters, but you're unsure if that was to you or Banner. He tells you where to meet him, but it gets easier to figure out as you get closer, and you can hear glass and building being shattered, and Banner's roars along with civilian screams.

You pick up speed, reaching there as you stand a few feet away, and Tony spots you.

"What's the plan?" Tony asks.

"Get him away from the city. Damage's been done, but we should try to stop him from doing any more," you see Tony struggling to hold him down. His suit is bulked up, and you're sure he prepared this specifically for Banner.

"Where do we bring him?" Tony's punching Banner in the face, trying to get him to 'go to sleep.'

"Few miles from the Quinjet. There should be some open space."

"Alright," Tony says, having no other choice but to trust you.

He gets VERONICA to send in a new Hulkbuster arm, using it to suction in the Hulk's arm as they take to the skies. You start to run in the same direction they're going.

"Alright, what do we do after we get him in the area?" Tony's overworking the jets in his feet while the Hulk struggles to get the upper hand in the air.

"Can you trap him in his spot?"

"I have one extra set electric bars, but he dug a hole in the ground to escape it."

"Just set them in the ground, wide berth and electrodes on."

You enter into a clearing, and Tony drops Banner, breaking the ground as he lands. 

Immediately, giant plates dig into the earth, surrounding Banner as he gets electrified. He screams, arching his back before he turns and snarls at you.

"You gonna try this compulsion thing?" Tony asks through his mask.

"Try being a keyword," you mutter, "I have a feeling he's not going to be receptive towards it."

"Is anyone receptive towards compulsion, really?" Tony grumbles.

"Yeah," you smirk, "humans."

You walk around the perimeter of the plates, and the Hulk turns his body as his eyes follow you.

"You're angry," you acknowledge. "She made you angry."

The Hulk only roars and glares at you, the surrounding area of his eyes were red. 

You lock eyes, pupils expanding as you try to reel him in. 

"But look around you, think if there's anything right now to be angry about," you say to him. His head moves side to side, but you can tell the Hulk is fighting it. "Are you really angry, or did she just tell you you're angry? Who are you outraged at? The civilians who've done nothing to you? Tony? Me?"

You kept circling, keeping your eyes locked on his. 

"Yourself?" You asked, and when the Hulk lets out an enraged yowl, you know you've hit the spot.

"You need to calm down," you lick your lips. "Before you do something that will really make you angry with yourself."

The Hulk is huffing and puffing as he continues to stare at you, and you try to expand the compulsion stronger. 

For a second, you think it's working. The Hulk is shaking his head, stumbling backward.

But as quick as that happens, suddenly he punches himself in the face, knocking himself out of your control before he lets out another bellowing scream. 

He starts running even as the plates send out electric shocks, bombarding through one of them as it breaks. 

"He's too ravaged for me to even try to influence him to calm down," you tell Tony quickly as you take off towards the Hulk.

"I think I got that," Tony has to move out of the way before the Hulk steamrolls him. 

"New plan," you say, running towards Tony.

"What are you--" he starts to say, but you cut him off.

"Throw me onto his back!" You leap, forcing Tony to catch you as he spins around once before whipping you in the direction the Hulk took off in. 

The speed propelled you straight towards him, he didn't even see it coming as he was approaching the Quinjet. Everyone had come outside, hearing his thundering footsteps as he ran in their direction.

You latched onto his back, wrapping your tiny arms the best you could around his neck with crushing force, almost enough to snap his windpipe. 

He chokes, feet digging into the ground as he abruptly stopped. His hand comes up to your arm, and you only have a second before he forces you to release him via breaking your arm. 

You open your mouth, teeth sharp as venom pooled to them before you dug it into his neck. 

He was grumbling at you before, but he was definitely screaming at you now. 

The sound of agonizing wails leaves his mouth as he falls to his knees. You let go of his neck. 

Falling forward, the Hulk writhes in pain, and you could see the venom traveling in his veins as they turned a dark green on his skin. He was crawling as he groaned.

Soon, the venom overtook his system to the point Banner began to change back to a man. He lay there, moaning in pain as Tony came forward along with Clint, who threw a blanket over him.

"What did you do?" Tony asked, and David came out, blurring over to carry Bruce into the Quinjet.

"Forced him to change back," you mutter as you also got onto the Quinjet. 

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David put Banner on a makeshift bed while Clint flew the Quinjet out of the area. 

Bruce was thrusting off the table as he still writhed in pain while everyone else stood around.

"What's happening to him?" Steve asked. He was covered in dirt and grime, and he looked a little defeated.

"The venom is breaking his cells down," you say, eyes drifting to David, who nods, restraining Bruce down.

You could hear more questions being fired, but you didn't answer. You threw the blanket off of Bruce, and everyone could see his veins, dark and poisoned-looking.

Leaning over, you began to bite him various places until the discoloration in his veins began to disappear. The seizing slowed down in Bruce as he came to a restful stop, but beads of sweat ran down his forehead. He was still breathing heavily, and his eyes remained closed.

"He's going to have to sleep that off," you spitting out blood into a nearby bucket, and wiping your mouth. David hands you a bottle of water, which you use to rinse your mouth, spitting it out until your mouth was clear.

Natasha comes up to check on you, putting her hand on your back softly as you try to give her a smile that ends up being more of a grimace.

"What was that?" Tony asked as he inspected his friend.

"I told you," you say as Natasha gives you some gum. "Venom can be used in three ways. That was one of them."

"But what does it do," Tony emphasized.

The mint flavor spread throughout your mouth, and you were thankful for a change in taste. Lately, it's been getting harder to control your thirst.

"When venom is used to harm, it attacks the cells in your body. Specifically, it makes them explode. It's painful as it travels through your veins because it's basically shredding everything in its path as it moves. The more venom you inject, the faster the deterioration goes," you say. 

"Why did you bite him again?" Steve asks. 

"There's only one way to reverse it," you peer over to Bruce's sleeping form. "Only the venom of the vampire who inflicted it can undo it. I injected the healing venom to counteract it. He'll be fine, maybe just a couple scars, and feeling sore for a few days."

"We need to lay low while we can," David interrupts as he looks at his tablet.

"That's a great idea," you hear Maria chime in through the intercoms. "The new is loving you guys. No one else is. There's no official arrest warrant for Banner, but it's up in the air."

"Stark Relief Foundation?" Tony asks.

"Already on scene. How's everyone?" She replies.

"We took a hit, they're shaking it off right now," you mutter.

"Well, stay in stealth mode for now, and don't come back here," Maria warned,  knowing it would be ugly.

"So, run and hide?" Tony seems displeased.

"Until we find Ultron, there are not many options on the table," Maria sighed, disconnecting after that. 

Tony goes over to Clint, slapping his hand on Clint's shoulder. "Need to switch out?"

Clint shakes his head, "Nah, I'm good. If you wanna get some kip, now would be the time, we're still a couple hours out."

You look over to Clint, noticing the dark bags under his eyes, and for the first time, you see how tired he must be.

"A couple hours from where?" Tony asks.

"A safe house," Clint answers, looking at you and David, and you know immediately where he's taking you.

You turn to Natasha, and it seems she knows as well.

Taking the time to sit near the back, you hold your girlfriend in your arms, stroking the side of her arms. Natasha's worn, you can tell by the paleness in her skin, and she's upset. 

You sit in silence for a good chunk of the time. As much as you hate it, the image of Wanda doesn't leave your mind. There was something that brewed deep within you, and you felt haunted. 

It isn't until Natasha decides to speak and breaks your thoughts.

"I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't gotten me out of that hallucination," Natasha says quietly to avoid drawing the attention of the others, but now used with David unintentionally being able to listen.

"I wish I could've been there sooner," you say at the same level of quietness, but Natasha shakes her head. 

"Sometimes," she starts, licking her dry lips, "it's so easy to live every day like that part of my life didn't happen. Even though it's my sole reason to do the things I do. I want to clear my ledger, but it's..."

"It's complicated," you finish for her when she drags.

It's silent for a few minutes as the two of you rest, you lean your head on top of Natasha's, breathing slowly as you try to comfort her.

"I had never thought about wanting kids," Natasha starts quietly again, and you hum softly in the back of your throat to tell her you're listening. 

"I'm not even really sure that I do or not, but then I get reminded that I can't either way."

You hold her bicep tighter, turning your head to press a kiss to her head.

"It's okay to mourn the loss of the choice," you murmur. 

Natasha nudges herself closer to you, inhaling your scent as it eases her. The images don't quite go away. They linger in her mind, a wretched memory of everything she's endured. 

"I suppose it's easier," Natasha mumbles. "It's one less thing to worry about, one less thing that would matter more than a mission. It makes everything easier, even killing."

"Don't do that," you admonish her gently. "While those things can be true, don't make yourself out to be a monster."

Natasha remains quiet, not the kind where she doesn't believe you, but the kind where she doesn't quite have the right words to say for once.

"You act like you don't already have things that would matter more than a mission, things that you don't worry about," you lift your other hand up, using your fingers to tilt her chin until she's facing you. 

Your lips are so close, the warmth vibrating between the two of you. 

"Because you already do, don't you?" You murmur. "Everyone on this ship is your family--I'm your family, just as you are mine."

PART X

[bokutosworld]

tonight | akaashi k.

pairing: akaashi keiji x f!reader

wc: 1.9k words of fluff and love confessions. written in 3rd pov.  

summary: a typical college au where akaashi finally confronts his hidden feelings for his roommate. 

--

it wasn't unusual for akaashi to spend his weekends at the apartment. especially now that he was a college senior, he spent extra time on his studies and internship work. he recently signed up to be a junior editor for a known publishing company, and because of his natural knack for writing, his superior trusted him with more transcripts to review and edit.

usually, he would be holed up in his room, seated on his desk for hours as he read through pages and pages of words. whenever he was in the zone, he had a bad habit to forget eating or drinking water. and if it weren't for his roommate who was always generous enough to check up on him, bug him to take a break, and bring him deliciously-cooked food, he was sure that he would have passed out sooner.

however, tonight was different. final exams in university just ended and all the students apparently made plans to take the night off and head to the bars.

'hey, keiji, are you sure you don't want to come with us,' she plumps down to his bed, swinging her socks-covered feet over the floor. he swivels his chair to look at her and sees that she has dressed up for the evening. and for a minute, he swears that his breath was caught in his chest as takes in her appearance. after being so used to seeing her in hoodies, shirts, and sweatpants in the dorm, he was always struck with her beauty when he saw her prepped in outside clothes.

'i'd love to come with you, y/n,' she lights up at his answer, however, sensing that he was about to follow up his statement with a but, she lowers her head in defeat and raises her hands. 'no, don't say it. you're gonna turn me down again, aren't you?' at this, he smiles, 'i am swamped with deadlines for my internship and i want to finish it as soon as possible.'

she sighs and stands up, making her way to his desk and ruffles his hair. 'alright, just don't forget to eat dinner and text me if you need anything.' with a final nod from his end, she retreats to the living room where she picks up her bag and shouts a goodbye to akaashi. this is going to be another long and lonely night, he thought.

11:51 pm, at club evanescent

the girls were currently having the time of their life, dancing the night away to the tunes played by club's dj. admittedly, y/n has had one too many drinks of alcohol that she feels more confident to sway to the beat and laugh freely with her friends. from time to time, she feels her phone vibrate in her pocket, feeling giddy inside as she knows it's probably her cute roommate checking up on her.

back in the dorm, akaashi has just finished his mountain of work and was currently pacing around his bedroom as he waits for a reply from y/n. whenever she was enjoying a night out, she never failed to send him messages, updating him of her whereabouts, and sometimes even sending photos of whatever she found amusing at that time. he didn't know why, but he always appreciated these texts as it put him at ease. but now, she wasn't texting him, not one mail since she left the dorms and it was putting him on edge.

akaashi lays down on his bed, tossing and turning around for a few times as a voice nags him in his mind. why do you care? it's not like you're her boyfriend. this was an internal debate he's been having for the past year. often, he would rebut himself and say that he's just doing what every other nice and kind roommate would do. it's not like he has actual feelings or anything.

but somehow, somewhere in the constant visits to his room, lingering glances shared in the hallway, and unplanned all-nighters watching studio ghibli movies in the living room, a seed of emotion has been planted in both y/n and akaashi's hearts - only he was oblivious to it or so he forced himself to believe.

'y/n, i dare you to get a guy's number tonight,' her friends laughed in harmony around her, their eyes full of playfulness, teasing her as if she couldn't do it. she snickers, 'what? you think i'm gonna back out from this dare?' immediately, she scans the dimly-lit place, searching for someone who looks friendly enough not to reject her. she pauses and gasps when she thinks she spots a familiar face. her friends don't miss this and look over to where she was staring, 'what's got you looking like a deer caught in headlights? did you see akaashi here?' another fits of giggling erupts from them and she stands astonished.

her friend nini speaks up, 'you don't have to deny it. we know you like him.' in an instant, she is flustered, hands waving around in the air as if to fan the hotness in her cheeks, 'i don't know what you guys are saying.'

'please, y/n. we haven't missed the way you've been looking at your phone all night and grinning when you read his message,' another friend pipes up. 'honestly, we're surprised you guys haven't confessed to each other yet, after living together for so long.'

she thinks it was the alcohol. she blames it on the way she's let herself drink too many vodka on the rocks, because now she was trying to stop her tears from falling as she thinks of her crush on the said boy. her friends became frantic, surprised to see that she was a cryer when drunk. 'i don't know what to do. he's always so busy, and honestly, i admire keiji for being a hard worker but sometimes i wish he would rest and spend time with me, you know,' she was now bawling, almost screaming as she lets out her frustrations about him. her friends found it amusing, if they were being honest.

they all exchange a glance, knowing the fun night has come to an end and that they needed to get their friend home. as they waited for a cab to take to her apartment, she continues her outburst of emotions, 'you know, akaashi's a good cook.' she smiles as she clings to nini, telling her stories about him. 'one time, when i was sick, he made me a porridge, and it was so delicious, i felt my fever go down in an instant.' silly girl, nini thought, look how lovestruck you are.

on the taxi ride home, she calmed down and lay quietly in nini's lap. she was y/n's designated caretaker as they both lived in the same apartment complex. as nini stared idly at the window, she was stroking her friend's hair to bring her comfort. this gesture seemed to put a content smile to her face, but what shocked nini was what y/n muttered, 'that feels nice, keiji.' she couldn't wait to drop her home and tease him.

12:58 am, at the apartment complex

the incessant buzzing of the doorbell seemed to wake akaashi up from his nap. he looks at the time on his desk clock and sees it was almost one in the morning. the ringing continued as he made his way to the door, revealing a sleeping y/n leaning to her friend, who he recognizes as nini for support.

'what's up,' she greets. 'sorry, did we wake you up? your roommate here enjoyed herself too much and drank more than her limit.' akaashi makes a move to hold her by the waist as the two of them bring her to the couch. 'thank you for bringing her home safe. i was getting worried when she wasn't replying to my texts,' akaashi said as he bowed in gratitude to nini.

nini chuckles, 'if you were that worried, you should have just come with us, akaashi.' she reaches out to his shoulder, 'y/n would've liked to have you there.' he looks over her peaceful figure and lets out a subtle smile, 'i'd have liked it too.' and though he thinks he was being discrete with his feelings, nini notices this and takes it as her cue to leave. 'well, i should get going. good night, and good luck with your mutual feelings.'

akaashi hears this and was about to say something when the door shuts close. he tries to wake her up, hoping that she can at least change out of her clothes before dozing off for the night. he shakes her lightly, 'y/n, wake up. you'll have neck pains if you sleep here in the couch.' minutes pass by before she stirs awake, akaashi exhales and helps her sit up. he gives her a glass of warm water to help ease her hangover for tomorrow.

'can you walk to your bedroom,' he asks. still out of consciousness, she looks at him and blinks once, twice. without a word, she raises her arms up like a child and akaashi assists her in standing up. the walk to the room was quiet and he swears he can feels his heart beating at their closeness - with her arms wrapped around his torso, his on her waist as he tries to steady her. he sits her down on the bed and brings a change of clothes from her drawers. 'hey, change into your pajamas for me, will you? i don't want you sleeping uncomfortably.' thankfully, she nods and akaashi quickly makes a beeline to the bathroom to give her privacy and as well get her some mouthwash.

he returns to see her still sitting on the bed, slowly nodding off to sleep. he quickly catches her just before she falls face down on the floor, calling her name sweetly, 'ok, just one more thing before you sleep. can you quickly rinse with this mouthwash?' she nods and lifts her head to let akaashi give her the mouthwash. she rinses for a few minutes before spitting it back in the glass. like a good friend, he doesn't mind it and retreats to the bathroom to dispose it.

when he comes back, she was already lying down, her head resting in a weird position on the pillow. akaashi notices this, and proceeds to tuck her properly to bed. when he wraps the blanket around her, he lets himself adore her for a few minutes, staring at the way her eyelashes fall on her face and how her hair covers her forehead. unconsciously, his hands move to brush away some of the loose hair, moving to caress her cheeks, and he misses the way she opens her eyes and looks at him.

'your eyes are beautiful, akaashi,' she mumbles quietly that he almost misses it if it weren't for the fact that that they were a breath's away from each other. he was so lost in her gaze that it takes him by surprise when she says, 'i think i am in love with you.'

and in that moment, everything finally clicks to akaashi. he finally gets why he would feel warm inside whenever the both of them would cuddle on the couch, he finally gets why he would smile and laugh at the most mundane things that she would do, he finally gets why he would always look forward to her daily reminders for him not to overwork himself, and he finally gets why he felt worried and empty the whole time during this particular night.

he hopes she'd remember this when she wakes up tomorrow morning. but even if she didn't he wouldn't mind repeating it until his feelings were conveyed, 'i'm in love with you too.'

[nocturna-starr]

The Picture

Prompter: @gottacatchghosts

Prompt: Danny/Jazz swap AU: Jazz is the half ghost and Danny is the older sibling. Go wild on your take of how this would all play out

Words: 1811

Notes: Related to THIS fic

“Hey Jazz, can you stand still for a minute? The lighting by you is perfect!”

“Daniel!”

A flash went off. Jazz blinked away the spots. Where had he come from? She would have sworn that it had only been her in the kitchen a few seconds ago. How had he come in so fast, or alternatively, how long had Daniel been watching her? Sometimes Jazz wondered who really was the ghost in their family, him or her?

“That was perfect!” Daniel cheered, “Now I’ll need a couple more photos and then you can go.”

“I thought you wanted to be a painter, Daniel?” Jazz frowned, “Since when did you care about photography?”

“Since I was the first one in all of Amity Park to catch a photo of the ghost girl in action! I discovered that I really do have a natural talent for it.” Daniel gloated as he changed the filters on his camera. Jazz smiled. It had been a long time since she had seen this side of her brother.

“Okaaayyy” She tried to sound like she was doing him a favour. If he knew that she was actually happy for him, then Daniel would never let it go.

“I knew you would agree!” Daniel grinned, “Now I have a bunch a filters that I need to try out! How busy is your day today?”

“Well I was planning to meet spike at the mall…”

“Perfect! I swear these photos are going to make you a star!” Daniel smirked, “Or at least get your name in the history books when these pictures come through.”

xXx

“I’m so sorry I’m late Spike! Daniel is on another stupid project kick.” Jazz huffed as she sat down in the mall’s cafeteria. Her friend looked up from the phone game he was playing. She wondered how long he had been waiting for her. Spike rarely ever tried out mobile games unless he was absolutely bored.

“And he says that he is nothing like his parents. Dude really is clueless to his own tendencies, isn’t he?” Spike laughed, “Maybe it’s a Fenton trait?”

“What do you mean by that?” Jazz asked.

“You still haven’t noticed my- You know what? I’ll let you figure it out.” Spike took a huge gulp from his soda.

“Come on Spike! That’s not fair!” Jazz whined. How could she even begin to guess something if she didn’t have a hint? She wasn’t a genius like her parents or her brother. She couldn’t help it she accidentally overlooked something that she didn’t even know was supposed to be there!

“Nothing is fair in love and war.”

“What do you mean by that?” Jazz wondered. Spike only smirked. He was about to explain (or maybe torment Jazz some more) when he was interrupted by one of Daniel’s friends.

“Hey Jazz! Have you seen Danny?” asked her brother’s not-so-secret admirer, Sam Manson. Jazz sighed. Judging by the new camera hanging from her neck, Sam seemed to be encouraging Daniel’s new endeavor. That meant he would be taking pictures for the next month or so. It was something that Jazz was not looking forward to.

“He’s in the house taking photos of plants. Or he decided he wanted to go on another jungle adventure and went into the ghost zone.” Jazz rolled her eyes. She muttered under her breath, “Then I’ll have to save him again this week…”

“Do you think he’s dumb enough to do that again?” Spike laughed, “Last time he got chased half-way across the zone by Klemper!”

“But he got some awesome pictures!” Sam grinned. She practically skipped away. Jazz giggled at her enthusiasm. She could see what Daniel liked about Sam. Maybe by this summer they would finally get together. Then they wouldn’t have another Ember situation.

“Your brother is going to get eaten by a ghost one day and all his friends are going to care about is that he got a good picture.” Spike snickered, “Man, I feel bad for him.”

Jazz joined into his laughter, “Yeah, but don’t feel too bad for him. You should have seen him when Tucker got attacked by Technus. He managed to get the two of them to stand still long enough for him to take a sketch.”

“And he didn’t snap a photo why?”

“As much as he hates to admit it, Daniel is just like our parents! He wanted to prove a point or something.”

Spike nodded in agreement, “Wanna get some ice cream?”

“You bet I do!”

xXx

The two best friends sauntered in the park, enjoying the beautiful weather and the lack of ghost attacks. It was peaceful times like these that Jazz liked the most. Times where she could just be a regular fifteen-year-old kid.

Of course, peace doesn’t last long in Amity Park.

“Wanna take a selfie?” Spike asked, “It’s been a while since our last!”

Jazz smiled, trying not to feel too guilty. Since becoming Jazz Phantom, she had veered away from cameras. In all of her research, she had discovered that photos tended to… change while in the presence of other ghosts. Yet the photos Daniel had taken of her, always seemed to end well. Maybe she was just being too paranoid?

“Say cheese!” Spike said, sounding way too bright to be considered a goth.

“Cheese!”

Spike took the picture, then went to see the results, “Uh… Jazz?”

He handed over the picture to her trembling. Nervous, Jazz took a look and paled.

Spike looked happier than he has in a long time. She on the other hand… If you showed the picture to anyone else, they would probably think that Spike had gotten a picture with Jazz Phantom herself! Jazz’s eyes were the bright red of her ghost form. Her hair was blue as the ocean. Her clothes looked faded, though if Jazz squinted, she could make out her logo.

All in all, this was a disaster.

“We have to get those photos from Daniel!” Jazz squeaked. She dived into a bush, transforming into her other half. Without a second thought she took to the skies, heading towards her home.

“Guess my plans have been cancelled,” Spike muttered, “Better tell mom not to cancel that trip to my therapist.”

xXx

“Daniel?” Jazz called while entering the house, “Are you here?”

Fentonworks was too quiet… Like her entire family was ready to attack her. She shivered, were they watching her? Jazz was afraid to even consider this. Maybe… maybe… Maybe her parents were out, and Daniel was with his friends?

“I’m up here,” Daniel called from up the stairs.

That didn’t feel like a trap at all.

With the very little courage she had left, Jazz carefully made her way up the stairs. Her yes darted around, waiting to catch the slightest movement. She prayed that her life was not about to fall apart. How could she have been so trusting? Daniel was her brother, but he had also been raised by ghost hunters. What if he warned her that she would have to leave? What if the government was here to take her away? These seconds could be the last of the life she had once known.

“Hey Jazz! The filters worked like a charm!” Daniel called from the top of the stairs.  The ghostly heroine nearly fell down the stairs in surprise.

“Danny?!”

“Oh sorry. Totally didn’t mean to scare you little sis! Sam, Tucker and I have finally come up with a filter that can properly take pictures of anyone. No more red eyes, or blurry pictures! And it’s not going to malfunction around you like all of our other inventions!” Daniel was talking at a mile a minute.

Jazz sighed in relief. He hadn’t mentioned how her picture had looked. Did it mean that her brother had discovered a way to properly photograph half ghosts? She would need to steal a dozen of these camera filters which, knowing her brother, he would have around.

Jazz practically skipped down the stairs, “I was just seeing where everyone was! I’m going to go find Spike again! Tell mom and dad that I’ll be home for dinner!”

“Okay? But don’t you want to hear more?” Daniel asked.

She answered his question by racing out of the door. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate her brother’s efforts. But Daniel could be just like Jack Fenton when explaining how something worked. She supposed she could be the same way when talking about psychology.

xXx

Daniel shook his head and sighed as his sister slammed the door. While he could understand her concerns, it still hurt to be rejected that way. It wasn’t like he could tell her that he knew her secret. She would freak out and try to trick him into thinking he just saw things. Now wasn’t the time for him to get down. He had just invented something revolutionary!

“How did you know that adding ectoranium to the filter would work?” Tucker asked, turning on the hall light, “And why did you have to tell her in the dark?”

“Cause it’s more fun to tell her that way. Who’d think that the ghost girl was afraid of the dark?” Sam answered for him, as she exited his room.

“Honestly, I forgot to turn on the lights.”

His two best friends howled but Daniel frowned. How could he have been so stupid? He’d after to reassure Jazz that everything was okay in a subtle way. Afterall, Jazz had a nasty habit of jumping to conclusions.

“I’m curious too,” Sam began, after she had calmed down a little, “how did you come up with the idea?”

“Ectoranium is the opposite or ectoplasm. I figured that the ectoranium would cancel out the effects that Jazz’s powers had on the camera. Now she can have her picture taken at school or join in family photos without a need for an excuse.” Daniel replied.

“That was very sweet of you Danny.” Sam gushed.

Daniel didn’t reply. Instead he headed back into his room. He put his hand under the mattress and pulled out the photo album he had been working on for the past couple of months. Carefully he placed one of the photos he had taken that day into the album. He flipped the picture over and wrote a note just like he had done to the other pictures.

This is the first photo taken with the new lens. Use the lens to reveal the true door. If the event has not happened, ignore this.

“Dude, the cryptic messages are a little freaky.” Tucker said.

“Call them safeguards, for just in case.” Daniel closed the book and hid it under his mattress again. Once he was done hiding his gift, he turned to his friends and smirked.

“Anyone want to see if we can get a picture of that Box Ghost again?”

“We’re in!”