#i like to think their like freshly retired in this drawing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mendeshoney · 1 year

Text

take me back to eden (part 2/2)

Summary: Andrei’s retired, Assistant GM of the Carolina Hurricanes, and a little lonely, so he decides to be a little like Edward Lewis.

Part One.

Pairing: andrei svechnikov x f!reader

Part 2 Word Count: 22,150

Warnings: nine year age gap, older man x younger woman, basically “pretty woman” with andrei, love at first sight(Ish), he falls first, she falls too, he falls harder, sugar daddy vibes, angst, fluff, smut, penetration, finish inside, unprotected sex

December

You two decided you can’t possibly wait until it gets closer to Christmas to celebrate together, so you celebrate ahead of time, wanting to spend as much time together before you leave to go visit your family and he leaves to visit his family.

He takes you out to dinner and a movie, something lowkey and relaxed before you both head home to exchange gifts before bed.

You’re waiting in his living room after you showered together, relaxed in cotton shorts and an old Hurricanes shirt of his, wet hair freshly brushed (by him, of course, how could he not?) and smelling like the honey and almond lotion you put on your body before bed. You’ve even got those little under eye patches on your face, and he doesn’t think there’s a single thing you could wear that would make him believe you were anything but drop dead gorgeous.

He’s going first, so he grabs your gift from a hidden spot in his office before trailing back out into the living room, sitting on the ground in front of the couch in his sweatpants, his naked torso resting back against it. The gift box in his hands feels simultaneously like it’s too much and not enough all at once.

You grin excitedly, holding your hands out and he places the box carefully in your palms. “Can I open it now?”

“Of course you can,” he laughs, and you let out a small squeal, carefully peeling away the wrapping that definitely did not take him twenty minutes to figure out, eyes gauging your reaction as the wrapping falls away and you lift the lid off of the box.

He got you a brand new sketchpad to draw in, one bigger than the current journal you have, along with pencils, charcoal, and colored pencils, and a tote to keep and carry them all in. It felt…so simple, buying them for you, he wasn’t sure it was enough.

But then you’re putting the gift box aside and launching yourself at him from your spot on the carpet, tackling him to the plush material and peppering kisses all over his face as you whisper “Spasibo” over and over into his skin.

He’s laughing like a maniac by the time you both sit back up, and you frame his face with your hands, eyes wet with happy tears. “Thank you, Andrei. It’s the best gift I’ve ever received.”

“You’re welcome, malyshka. I’m happy you like it.”

The kilowatt smile that spreads across your face is worth it, and you bend to kiss the tip of his nose. “I love it. Now you have to open your present.”

“You are my present, almaznyy,” he says quietly, thumb rubbing the remaining happy tears off of your face. “The only present I’ve been selfish enough to give myself. I don’t need anything else. I don’t want anything else.”

You smile softly, shaking your head. “Too bad, we agreed on getting each other one gift. This is mine to you and you have to open it.”

Before he can protest, you’re scrambling up and off of him and running off to…somewhere in his house. He thinks it’s the sunroom? But then you’re running back into the living room, and you’ve got a box and an envelope in your hands, and you’re placing them in front of him very carefully.

He narrows his eyes at you playfully, but you just stick your tongue out at him. Andrei scoffs, “That’s cute, almaznyy. Get it out of your system now.”

“Will you just open it, Andrei?” You practically whine, and he laughs.

“Which one first, the envelope or the box?”

You glance at both before you point to the box, and then he’s removing the wrapping, carefully opening the lid and lifting the tissue paper.

When he dips his hands inside, he feels something ceramic, and then he’s lifting it out of the box.

It’s a white bowl with a circular lid, and on the lid is an extremely accurate, hand-painted Carolina Hurricanes logo. Both sides of the jar have your perfect cursive on them, the word “sakhar” on both sides in Cyrillic script.

Sugar.

He laughs out loud, and your smile widens, a soft and breathy laugh leaving your lips.

“Very cute, malyshka, I love it.” He says, leaning over to give you a kiss, but you press a finger to his lips, shaking your head.

“Nuh uh, open the envelope next, and then you can kiss me if you still love it.”

He obeys, gently setting the sugar bowl between his legs before opening the envelope and pulling out a voucher.

It’s for a place called “The Spinning Wheel” in Raleigh, a pottery making and pottery painting studio. The voucher indicates a reserved time for a couple of days from now, in the evening for a “Wine and Wheel” event, and then a pending time for a second session called “Wine and Design.”

He’s quiet for a moment, soaking it in. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees you fiddling with your hands, and you clear your throat, clearly anxious about his reaction. “I uh…that’s where I painted the sugar bowl for you. The owner of the studio is someone I met through Eden. She opened it when she left, and told me about these events. Usually they’re sold out, since a lot of couples tend to do it, but she managed to save us a spot. I checked your game schedule, and you’re free that night, so I thought…well,” you laugh, a nervous sound. “I thought it might be fun? To do it before we leave for the holidays.”

He doesn’t say anything at first, too stunned at what he’s holding in his hands, and then words are spewing from his mouth, far too fast for him to process. “Are you asking me on a date?”

Now it’s your turn to be quiet, but it only lasts for a few seconds before you burst out laughing, not in a mocking way, but in a delighted way. He knows your delighted laughs anywhere, and it brings him comfort.

“I guess I am,” you admit, and his heart pounds uncontrollably in his chest.

You’re asking him on a date.

A date!

You’re the one planning to spend time with him, and you’re basically asking him on a date.

He feels nothing like the thirty two year old man he is and instead like he’s a teenager all over again. It’s absolutely perfect, and not just because he gets to go on a date with you, but also because he knows how much you love art, and he just wants to do anything that's going to make you happy and make you think of him.

He carefully moves his gifts aside, careful not to knock over the bowl or ruin the voucher, and then he’s grabbing you by your ankle, dragging you over to him and into his lap, hands descending into your wet hair and pulling you down for a kiss.

You relax into him, hands resting on his shoulders and opening up for him the way he loves, allowing him to ease the kiss into the right side of filthy, one of his hands escaping from your tresses to band around your back so he can turn you both, laying you on the carpet.

Your lips form into a small smile that he continues to kiss, and then you’re giggling, and he laughs, pulling back a little. “What is it?”

“If I knew you were going to kiss me this much I would’ve hung mistletoe.” You tease.

Andrei shakes his head, “I don’t need to use a silly plant as an excuse to kiss you, I’ll do it anyway. As many times as I want.”

“Sounds good to me.” You say, but when he bends his head to kiss you, you stop him again, pressing a finger to his lips.

He groans in frustration, pretending to nip at your finger before resting his forehead against yours. “What is it?”

“You didn’t give me an answer.” You whisper, and when he raises a brow in confusion, you smile shyly. “If you’d go on a date with me.”

He groans, a happy one, pressing his lower half into yours. “Almaznyy, the answer is always going to be yes. If it’s not, I want you to start planning my funeral, got it?”

You burst out in laughter, and Andrei swallows your happy noises as he kisses you, feeling like a believer in Christmas miracles for the first time in his life.

A few nights later, you’re at The Spinning Wheel, both of you sitting on your own stools with a pottery wheel in front of you. There’s a side table on either side of him just like there is for everyone else, one side holding a glass of wine and a plate of tea sandwiches, and the other side holding a bowl of water and a couple of supplies for people to use to shape or trim their pieces.

There’d been a quick demonstration by Hallie, your former co-worker at Eden and current owner of the shop, showing everyone how to center the clay and then eventually morph it into either a vase, a pot, a bowl, or a plate, and everyone had also been shown how to make a lid if needed. It all looked so easy, yet Andrei felt a bit like he was a baby again - learning to skate for the first time and falling on his ass every third step.

You however, of course, had been doing great, and after his third attempt at trying to center his clay and failing, he sits up with a frustrated noise, dipping his hands in the bowl of water before wiping it on the towel resting on his thigh. He reaches for his wine glass, content to just drink and watch you enjoy yourself.

It’s like watching a good player step onto the ice for the first time. The way you expertly move and maneuver yourself and the clay, similar to the way a good player glides across the ice, handling the puck like it’s an extension of themselves.

He doesn’t know how long he watches you for. His eyes skate over your hair gathered in a ponytail, stray strands falling out and framing your face, watches the way your brows pinch together in concentration and how your lip gets trapped between your teeth when you’re focusing particularly hard. He observes you, sipping on his wine until you’re sitting up from where you hunched over the wheel, wiping your forehead carefully with the back of your wrist, and then you’re glancing at him with a small smile.

Andrei returns your smile, gesturing to your mini hexagonal vase. “Nice job, malyshka.”

“Thank you,” you beam at him, then look at his wheel, and back up to his face. “Are you taking a break?”

He shakes his head. “Giving up for now, I can’t center it.”

You scoff a little, like you don’t believe for a second there isn’t a thing he can’t do, abandoning your wheel and instructing him to put his wine glass down, ordering him to switch places so that you’re both sitting on opposite sides of his wheel, but now your foot is in control of the pedal. You grab the clay from the board and size it down to match the little vase on your wheel, slapping it to the center once it’s kneaded enough.

He gathers a little bit of water on the sponge like Hallie told them to, squeezing it onto the mound before tossing it back into the bowl and putting his hands on the clay. You place your hands atop his, beginning to guide him through the motions.

“Press tight, like this,” you say, and Andrei obeys, welcoming the guiding pressure of your hands on his as he sneaks glances at you.

“You’re good at this,” he notes.

“My brother’s the sculptor, really.” You respond, voice soft in the loud room, moving his hands to squeeze at the clay a little more, bringing it upwards. “He taught me about pottery, even bought me my first pottery wheel. I liked it, for a time, but drawing always felt more natural to me.”

“How long did you do it for?” He asks, watching as you bring your thumbs to the center of the clay, slowly forming a hole

“Pottery? Maybe five years.”

He nods absently, pinching the sides of the clay with you. “Why’d you stop?”

One of your shoulders lifts in a shrug. “I lost the joy in it when my brother started acting more like a teacher and less like a brother about it, so I just stuck to drawing.”

He nods, then swallows. Hesitates. “You’re not close?”

“Not so much,” you admit. “He’s still my brother and I’ll always love him, but we lead different lives. Can you grab that wood rib?”

Andrei frowns in his head because he wants to ask more about your family. You already said you weren’t missed by anyone back home, and still seemed reluctant to head back for Christmas. A strained relationship with your brother explains some things, but not everything, and he wants to know everything he can about you.

About his almaznyy.

Still, he follows your lead and drops the subject, doing as you ask, grabbing the wood rib as you shut off the wheel, then placing your hand on his. Together, you shape his small vase into a similar fashion to yours, and then grab the wire cutter to separate both your vases from the board, placing them on a little stand for them to be fired on.

After that, Andrei’s content to continue watching as you make little matching lids, poking holes in them and presenting them to him with a shy smile. “They can be salt and pepper shakers,” you say, “to match your sugar bowl.”

And who is he to ever say no to anything you suggest? To deny planting more parts of you, of the two of you, in his house?

A week later, you both head back to The Spinning Wheel to paint your salt and pepper shakers.

You insist on the fact that they don’t have to look perfect, and though Andrei disagrees, he lets you persuade him into blindly choosing random colors to paint the shakers with, and the two of you sit for another hour and a half painting them.

Another week and a half later, when you’ve gone back to Manhattan and he’s getting set to head out to San Jose, he goes back to The Spinning Wheel and picks up your matching salt and pepper shakers.

To anyone else, they probably look hideous - a mishmash of turquoise, yellow, pink, and green, but to him, they look so cute and silly, and he takes them straight home, where they quickly become the most out of place things in his completely lavish, state of the art kitchen, right next to his new sugar bowl.

January

He wakes up to his two year old niece, Mila, jumping on his chest, babbling her demands that her uncle wake up and entertain her.

“Mila,” her mother calls from the doorway. “That’s enough honey, let’s let Uncle Andrei get ready and then he can spend some time with you okay?”

Andrei brings Mila close to his chest and presses a kiss to her temple, before lifting to hand her off to Sara.

“Mama’s made breakfast,” Sara says as she leaves. “It’s ready when you are.”

“Thanks,” he calls after his sister in law, before she shuts the door to the guest room behind her and Andrei falls back against the pillows.

He’s been here at Evgeny’s house for about a week now, enjoying some much needed time with his family celebrating the New Year and Russian Christmas. Not that he doesn’t miss being with you, but he hadn’t realized in the whirlwind of being swept up in your orbit that he had kept in touch with his family, but hadn’t really paid attention.

Evgeny and his mom still regularly sent him photos of Mila, his two year old niece, and Luka, his three month old nephew, but he didn’t realize how big they’d gotten since he’d last seen them, so it was nice being able to just be with them before they got too old to care or think he was still the cool uncle.

He grabs his phone on the bedside table, answering some emails and responding to meeting requests for when he’s back in Raleigh next week. The team has been doing so well over the last couple of months, making his days pretty even keel, and with the All Star Game approaching next month, things are probably going to start picking up again, especially as the team makes a push for the postseason.

The second he reaches the bottom of his inbox, he’s texting you, asking if you’re up and if he can call or FaceTime with you.

You answer by FaceTiming him first, and he smiles wide, swiping the green button and feeling peace settle in his bones when your face lights up his screen.

“Privet krasavitsa,” he says, voice still raspy from sleep. Hi beautiful.

You blink, laughing a little. “I’m sorry, did you need a second to wake up?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’ve been up for a bit.” You nod, and he takes note of the plain white walls of your room. “You with your family?”

“No,” you say, a strange tone in your voice. “I’m at my apartment.”

“Oh,” he says, a small crease forming between his brows. “Everything okay?”

You flash him a half smile. “Yeah, better now. What about you? How are things going with you and your family?”

“Good,” he says, settling back against his pillows a little more. “It’s been good to see them again.”

“That’s good, I’m happy you’re having a good time.”

“Wish I could’ve brought you, almaznyy,” he murmurs, thumb rubbing over the screen, pretending he’s caressing your cheeks. “I miss you.”

You smile softly at him, eyes alight with fondness. “I miss you too, Andrei.”

“After this,” he starts, feeling a little hesitant. “Would you want to come back to Raleigh with me? You don’t have to, obviously, if you’re busy.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “No Andrei, I’m not busy. I’d love to go back.”

“Good,” he says, releasing a relieved breath. “I liked having you there.”

“I like being there,” you agree. “With you.”

“I’ll be back next week on Wednesday.”

“Then I’ll be there Thursday.”

“It’s a date, almaznyy,” he says quietly. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

You smile softly at him, shaking your head. “I won’t.”

The day after you come back to him, Andrei has to go into the office at PNC Arena, but he ends up being able to head home early. He picks up lunch for the both of you on the way from your favorite bistro, along with roses, and pints of your favorite ice cream and all of your favorite toppings.

When he pulls into the driveway and heads inside, he toes off his shoes, surprised to find that the house is quiet, and he goes about putting the ice cream away, setting your lunch on the counter, and resting your roses in a vase.

He listens for you, but when he doesn’t hear the shower running, or any sign of movement from the living room or dining room, he sighs happily to himself a little, knowing he’s probably going to have to play your little game of hide and seek. He sheds his blazer, resting it on the counter before starting on his little diamond hunt.

The usual spots you’re in come up empty. You’re not in the kitchen or else he would’ve seen you as soon as he got home. You’re not in his office, the living room, the sunroom, or relaxing out back on the patio. He knows you wouldn’t be in any of the guest rooms, because he’s made it clear you have no business in there since you’re not a ‘guest.’

You fought him a little on that, because technically you are a guest, but all it took was him threatening to put your name next to his on the deed to the house and a few kisses to get you to see it his way.

He makes his way down to the basement instead, and pauses in the small living space to decide which way you could have gone. He doesn’t hear any noise in the entertainment room to his left, so he opens the door to his right that leads to his home gym, and immediately stops in his tracks, eyes fixed to your body and his entire attention and focus on you.

You’re laying on one of the yoga mats, your headphones in and doing what looks like yoga in front of the mirrors along the wall.

A smirk on his face, Andrei crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the doorway, content to just watch you through the mirror. You’re in a sports bra and tighter than should be legal bike shorts, and you’ve got your eyes closed as you listen to music and work through the movements.

You’re currently in a low forward lounge, your forearms resting on the mat as your head hangs a little bit. It makes your ass look amazing, and all he can think of doing is heading over, pushing you down on all fours, tearing those shorts off of your body, and taking you in front of the mirror till you beg for more.

Actually, that’s exactly what he’s going to do. He’s just biding his time now, waiting for an opening to touch you.

His brows raise a little in anticipation as he tilts his head, watching as you switch legs effortlessly, lunging on your other side. When you bring your extended leg back in, and move into a bridge position, then downward dog, his pants tent at the view of your full ass staring at him, and he loosens his tie a little, unbuttoning his sleeves and rolling them up his arms until they rest at his elbows.

You press backward, extending your legs a little, and your head hangs, eyes still shut as you mouth along to the music in your headphones, and then for a second, he thinks he can hear the song change, and when it does, your eyes open slowly, and then you’re looking at him from your spot upside down.

He smiles when you blink in surprise, your body faltering a little, but still staying put, and then you’re smiling, letting out a nervous laugh.

“Hi,” you mutter out, reaching one hand up to remove your headphones and put them to the side.

“Hi almaznyy,” he practically purrs, openly checking you out.

You move slowly until you're kneeling again, sitting up as you look at Andrei in the mirror with your hands on your thighs. “What are you doing home so early?”

Home. He loves how that word sounds on your lips.

“Got out early, so I thought I’d surprise you. I even bought us lunch.”

“Oh,” you say with a smile, “Well, let me just clean up and shower and I’ll-”

“No no,” he’s quick to interrupt, finally moving from his resting spot against the doorway and entering the home gym. “I think you’re gonna stay there for a little bit longer.”

You hold eye contact with him in the mirror as he comes up behind you, tilting your head at him curiously. “Am I?”

“If you want your presents, then yes.” He says firmly, getting onto the mat and settling on his knees behind you. He wraps his arm around you from behind, his hand coming to rest at the base of your throat. You both watch as his hands gently stroke at the skin there before trailing to where the strap of your sports bra rests against your shoulder.

“What kind of presents?” You ask, your breathing starting to deepen, chest rising and falling as he continues to touch you, running his fingers across your collarbone.

“The kind you like.” He says, “The sweet kind.”

You pout a little at him in the mirror. “That could be anything.”

He leans down, pressing his lips gently to the shell of your ear. “Then I guess you’ll just have to trust me then, won’t you?”

Slowly, he brings both of his hands to the middle of your back and presses down gently, murmuring “On all fours, almaznyy.”

You obey, moving forward until you’re resting on your forearms, shins to the ground and ass high in the air.

Andrei tries to maintain a modicum of decorum and works very hard not to drool at the beautiful heart shape of your ass.

“Krasivyy,” he murmurs. Beautiful.

He grabs at the waistband of your bike shorts, pulling them down your legs slowly like he’s unwrapping the perfect gift, pulling them off and carefully folding them before placing them beside him on the floor. He helps you out of your sports bra next, careful to fold that too before placing it atop your shorts and lowering you back down on all fours.

He palms your ass cheeks in his hands, spreading them until your pussy opens up to him like a rose, and all he sees is sweet, shiny pink staring back at him.

“Andrei-” you call out, but you’re cut off when he buries his face into your core from behind, a loud cry leaving your mouth instead.

He licks you for a little while, content to just taste you for his own pleasure. It’s noisy and messy, and he can tell when you start to squirm that you’ve had enough of his teasing. You push back into his face, searching for more friction, more of his mouth on you in the places he knows you need, but he squeezes your flesh tighter in his hands, keeping you where you are so he can devour you until his heart’s content.

It’s only when you start to shake in his hands, your breathing coming out in little whines, that he feels his heart twist a little bit, and he pauses to speak against your skin.

“Do you want to come?”

He meets your eyes in the mirror, watches as you blink slowly, blissed out and yearning, and you nod, your lower lip captured between your teeth.

Andrei rises up on his knees then, removing his tie and he wags his finger at you in the mirror, beckoning you to sit up.

You do, rising up and allowing Andrei to maneuver you until your hands are behind your back, wrists crossed over one another at the base of your spine. He secures his tie around your wrist, making sure it’s not too tight that it digs into your skin, but that it’s still tight enough for you to move your arms a little in case you get uncomfortable.

Slowly, he helps lower you down until your cheek presses against the mat, and then he’s unbuttoning his dress shirt, removing his belt, and unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. He pushes them down to his thighs, followed by his boxer briefs, and he hisses a little when his cock springs free and hits his belly, feeling far too sensitive.

He locks eyes with you from your place on the mat, watches you watch him as he strokes his cock a couple of times before running the head between your wet folds. You whine a little when the head of his cock catches on your entrance a couple of times, then the third time it happens, he finally pushes in, watching in amazement as his cock disappears inch by inch until he’s fully seated inside of you.

Your mouth is open on a silent cry, back arching and pressing into him, almost like you’re trying to get him deeper.

Andrei’s never taken you like this before. He much prefers looking at you the whole time, enjoys watching you and taking in all of your facial expressions, the way your body moves and responds to him.

There are perks to this though.

Like the fact that as he pulls his hips back and pushes back in, he can watch you take him over and over again, completely fascinated by the way you grip him. Or the fact that when he starts to fuck you in earnest, your hands start to squirm, so used to reaching up and tugging on his hair or leaving scratches down his back, his chest, his abdomen. He gives you one of his hands to hold onto, the other remaining secure on your waist so he can pull you back onto his cock and keep things to the pace he’s setting.

He also really likes the fact that you keep your cheek pressed to the mat, making sure he can see every single expression on your face as he drives into you over and over, getting you closer and closer to your orgasm that it makes him pump his hips to fuck you deeper, just a little harder, and loves how your thighs smack together against his with the change of pace.

You cry out his name, and then your eyes are screwing shut, bottom lip trembling, and Andrei squeezes your hand in his, pulls you onto his cock over and over as more whines spill from your lips.

“Come for me, almaznyy,” he says, leaning over you to whisper in your ear. “Come for me while I fuck you in front of this mirror.”

Your eyes fly open then, head turning a little to meet his gaze in the mirror, and he watches you, watches for that blissful expression to cross your face at the same time that your pussy clenches down on his cock, so impossibly tight, and then you’re whole body is shaking under him, a silent cry leaving your lips as your orgasm floods through you.

It’s so beautiful, such a gorgeous thing to watch, that he’s coming inside of you, body going rigid as he pumps his come deep inside, feeling you clench pulse against him as he does.

As your orgasms subside, Andrei carefully removes the tie from around your wrists, watching as your arms fall limply to your sides. He gently rests over you, gathering his thighs close to yours as he rolls you both onto your sides, careful to keep himself inside of you as he goes.

He reaches up, brushing your hair away from your neck to press a kiss there, murmuring “My almaznyy.”

You hum, completely content in his arms, pressing your body further back against his. “Does that mean I get my presents?”

Andrei barks out a laugh, wrapping his arms around you to keep you close. “Like I could ever say no to you after that.

Later that night, you’re sitting on the barstools in front of his massive kitchen island, eating the ice cream Andrei bought straight from the tub.

You grab the can of whipped cream beside you and dollop a little on both of your tubs, grabbing the caramel drizzle next and swirling it around. He smiles, tacking on a “Spasibo almaznyy” before he digs back in.

“What does it mean?” You ask him after a beat, and Andrei’s too caught up in watching the way you lick your ice cream off of your spoon to register what you’re asking. You laugh when you notice what he’s looking at, and nudge him a little with your shoulder. “Hey!”

He blinks, snapping out of his daze. “Huh?”

“What does it mean?” You ask again, and his brow furrows.

“What does what mean?” He says, taking a lick of his ice cream, and feeling satisfied when your eyes track his mouth.

But you don’t get caught up in it the way he does. “What you always call me, ‘almaznyy,’ what does it mean?”

He laughs, tilting his head. “You haven’t Googled it yet?”

You shrug, “I would have, but I’d rather hear it from you. What does it mean?”

“It’s a nickname,” he explains, which is technically half true. It’s his nickname for you.

“What does the nickname mean?” You push, bending your head a little to steal a lick at his ice cream. He feigns upset for a split second before he’s smiling at you again.

Even when he’s trying to be fake mad, he just can’t do it.

Belatedly, he wonders if this is what it will be like if you two ever do fight, if he’ll just take one look at you and the anger dissipates from his body.

He has a feeling that’s probably what will happen.

He can’t seem to say no to you, can’t seem to feel the need to deny you anything.

“Andrei,” you pout.

His thumb rubs at your bottom lip. “It means ‘diamond,’ malyshka.”

Your mouth drops open in a soft ‘O’ and Andrei feels his skin heat. “Where’d you get that from?”

Andrei shrugs, gathering another spoonful of his ice cream but feeding it to you instead. “It just seemed fitting, I guess.”

After taking a moment to swallow the chocolate off his spoon, you raise a curious brow at him from your barstool. He waits for you to say something else, but you don’t, instead digging back into your tub, and the two of you continue to finish your ice cream, exchanging dollops of whipped cream and caramel sauce.

A thought pops into his head to prop you up on the kitchen island and put the whipped cream and caramel to good use, but he restrains himself.

He feels it then, the normal electric tension between the both of you feels…different now. It feels both like something more, and then it also feels like…like there’s a newly growing space between you. It’s small still, but not small enough for him to ignore.

Andrei thinks it has something to do with your time at home over the holidays, but he’s a little too afraid to ask. He can’t seem to get more than a few sentences out of you about your personal life, or the part of your life involving your family, and he doesn’t want to disturb the peace you’ve both managed to settle into now that you’re back together.

Belatedly, after you’ve both showered the day away and he takes you against the tiled wall of his shower, pressing ‘almaznyy’ to your skin between heated kisses and strokes, he lays in bed, with your naked body wrapped up in his arms, and he hopes whatever he’s feeling is just his imagination.

February

With the All Star Game going on in Denver the weekend of Valentine’s Day, Andrei suggests taking you away for the bye week in the schedule. He doesn’t use Eden’s services to book a single thing, paying for the trip himself.

He flies you both out to Malibu for the week, booking a beach house on AirBnB with a view of the Pacific coast. You spend the first day settling in, buying a little bit of groceries to make some meals at your AirBnB instead of eating out all the time. Andrei would gladly drop whatever amount of cash it took to feed you at any restaurant of your choosing without complaint, but he also enjoys cooking together with you, so he realistically doesn’t mind either way.

The second day you spent going around Malibu playing tourists, and on the third day, which is Valentine’s Day, Andrei surprises you by taking you on a date to LACMA.

You’re wearing this pretty white dress, your hair falling around you softly, and all he can seem to do is watch you when you stop to look at each and every piece that interests you.

There’s something about the way you seem to immerse yourself in the art, how you manage to focus on the things he can’t see, like it’s a secret between you and the piece in front of you, and Andrei’s content not knowing. He’s happier to just be in your orbit, to observe you and enjoy the way you turn back to him with a happy smile, reaching for his hand and towing him toward the next piece you want to look at or into the next exhibit hall.

You’re currently looking at a Grecian style bust, the sunlight creeping in through the vast windows behind it, casting a heavenly glow on you and illuminating your silhouette under your white dress.

He can see it then - you’re not wearing a bra, and the lace of your underwear calls to him like a beacon.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever stop craving you in every way imaginable.

As you back away a little from the statue, Andrei approaches you from behind, and your body presses against his. He smiles as he wraps his arms around you, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” You ask, looking at the bust.

“Extremely,” he murmurs, eyes on you.

You turn in his arms then, chuckling softly when you notice where his eyes are, and you rise up on your toes, pressing a kiss to his lips. “You’re not even looking at the art, Andrei.”

“I am,” he insists, and when you go to back away, Andrei’s arms wrap around you and keep you close. A small gasp escapes as he pulls you against him, and then backs the two of you against the wall in a tucked away corridor, hidden from the main exhibit. “The art is all I’m looking at, almaznyy.”

He reaches beneath your dress, finding where the fabric rests at the juncture of your thighs, pulling it to the side and running his finger through your wet folds. You gasp again when he brings his finger up to your clit, circling it a little, before his finger’s dipping back down and sinking into you to the knuckle.

He moves his finger in and out slowly, watching the way your face shifts into that blissful expression he’s come to adore so much, and his free hand comes to rest on your waist, guiding you to follow his hand, to take what you need. “It’s okay, you can take it, I want you to.”

“Andrei,” you breathe out, trying to keep your voice down as your hips move in time with his hand, “What about the rest of the museum?”

“Fuck the museum,” He murmurs, lips brushing against your temple as he pumps his fingers in and out of you. “You’re the most important work of art in here, almaznyy.”

Now that you know what your pet name means, your eyes twinkle in delight at him, tilting your head to the side to willingly provide him access to your skin, and Andrei doesn’t wait any further, pressing his lips to your neck and gathering the bottom of your dress, pulling it over your ass to rest around your waist.

“Take me out,” he demands.

Your eyes widen a little, pupils blown out. “Here?”

“Here.” He confirms with a nod. “Now. Take me out, malyshka. Don’t make me ask you again.”

Fumbling, your hands shake a little as you unbutton his jeans and lower his zipper, and Andrei lifts one of your legs up, tucking his forearm under your hamstring and opening you up to him.

The second his cock is free from its restraints, he’s thrusting his hips forward, notching at your entrance and using his free hand to cradle your face in his hands. “This is okay, right?”

You nod, swallowing a lump in your throat. “Be quick.”

He pushes the rest of the way in, burying himself to the hilt and crowding in closer, pressing your body back against the wall. He fucks you in quick, deep, and brutal strokes. It’s the least romantic he’s ever been with you thus far, the most careless, and he’d think to be concerned about it if it weren’t for your fingernails digging into his shoulders from where you’re holding on to him for dear life.

Heavy breathing is all that can be heard between the two of you, and he tracks the way you’re biting down on your lower lip, trying to stifle your moans, and he buries his face in your neck, sucking bruises into your skin and inhaling the sweet smell of your perfume, his thumb rubbing in soothing motions on your cheek.

“Close,” you whisper, digging your nails in, and he tilts his hips in a way that angles your hips up a little more, and then he’s pressing in a little further, and your back arches off the wall. “Yes, please!” You cry into his ear.

Andrei drives into you in a frenzied pace, eyes on your face and watches your eyes glaze over, can hear the stutter in your breath, and he’s moving his hand from your cheek to cover your mouth when you finally squeeze down on him, body seizing against his and his own body locks up, the orgasm nearly buckling his knees, but he keeps steady, doesn’t move a single inch as he fills you up and your body’s shaking comes to a cresting halt.

He takes a couple of seconds, letting you calm down and catch your breath before he’s carefully pulling out of you and pulling your underwear back in place, pressing kisses to your forehead as he sets you down on both your feet and helps you rearrange your clothes. He tucks himself back into his pants and lets you fuss over making sure he’s put back together as well.

Once the lust filled haze finally clears from his mind, he leads you out of the hidden corridor and back in view of the floor to ceiling windows, feeling the awe return when the sunlight immediately casts the heavenly glow back on you.

“Show me more,” he says to you softly, tilting his chin towards the next exhibit hall.

With a smile, you take his hand, then take him to look at more paintings.

Later that night, after you’ve had dinner, dessert, and more dessert in the shower, you lay on his chest and he wraps one arm around you, the other folded behind his head as he stares at the ceiling.

It occurred to him as the two of you were in the show that it’s already been six months, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to this - having you here, sharing his time with you, being intimate with you - and his mind runs rampant.

There’s so many things he knows about you, but still so many he doesn’t. There’s uncharted territory in his map of you, and he wants to amend that.

Immediately.

So he takes a deep breath, steeling himself, and throws caution to the wind.

“I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but…” His voice trails off, running his fingertips gently over your naked spine. “How many clients do you have?”

He doesn’t know if it’s the wine from dinner, or the fact that he gave you three orgasms back to back in the shower and completely wore him out, but you actually answer him, and it takes him by surprise. “In the past, when I was working for Eden to get through school, I had a total of five clients the entire time. Two were short term, one for about nine months and the other for a year. The other three I saw on and off again pretty regularly over the four years.”

“Some of them saw you when you were eighteen?” Andrei asks, concern etching his brow and lacing through his voice.

You snort a little, lips brushing against his chest as you speak. “They weren’t…it wasn’t like that. They try to match the ages up correctly, or as correctly as possible. And we can say yes or no if they bring them to us and we don’t feel comfortable.”

“Well that’s a relief,” he mutters.

Your fingers drum on his chest as you continue. “The first client I started with at eighteen had just turned twenty one. He was some trust fund baby, but shy. Needed a date to his ex’s wedding to make her jealous. They’re married now, actually, her marriage to the other dude lasted all of a year. But she had my client in her wedding party, and he needed to play the long game for a little to make it seem like he’d moved on.”

“That was nice of you,” Andrei replies, genuine. “Very kind.”

“It was what he paid me to do,” You say with a shrug, then he can feel you smile. “They asked me to be at their wedding, once they got their shit together. It was kind of nice.”

He nods, then swallows past the lump in his throat. “And the others?”

“I met the guy I was seeing for a year when I was nineteen, a couple of months after I finished the job with my first client. It was a lowkey thing, he just needed a friend really. He was going through a bit of an identity crisis. Once I told him we could just…be friends, and that he didn’t have to pay me anymore, we stayed in touch.”

“Oh,” Andrei says. He’s not jealous. Not suddenly suspicious of this unnamed guy who-

“He’s my brother-in-law now.”

It’s silent for a moment, and then Andrei laughs, jostling you on his chest, and then you both end up laughing, you throw an arm over your eyes as you giggle, and he turns on his side, wrapping you up in his arms and pulling you closer. “I’m sorry,” he says between laughs. “I just-”

You nod, nose brushing against his chest as you do. “I know, it’s okay.”

He scoots down the bed a little so he can nuzzle his face into your neck. “I just want you all to myself,” he murmurs into your skin, punctuating his statement with a soft kiss.

“You have me,” you assure him, combing your fingers through his hair. “I’m right here.”

He nips at your neck. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” you nod. “I meant what I said.”

Your statements hang in the air, and he sighs. “What about the others? The ones you saw off and on?”

“Two of them were twenty three, and the third was twenty five. They were businessmen from London, young tycoons, and they were trying to expand their business to America. They mostly just invited me out to different charity events, galas, functions, you name it. It was convenient that the three of them were best friends, so they often coordinated who's date I was and when and where, and most people who knew them knew that they liked to share. But they didn’t, not with me anyway, in the sexual sense. I just played arm candy and hung out with them until they eventually were able to acquire the merger that they needed.”

Andrei hums. “They still in your life too?”

You nod. “They were, for a bit. They actually gave me the normal job I told you about after I graduated. Once they opened their office in Manhattan, they hired me as an assistant to one of them, and I’d see the other two every now and again, but we didn’t interact much other than the occasional check in. They all sent me a Christmas card, though. It had a check for ten grand in it.”

A surprised noise leaves his throat. “That’s generous.”

You laugh a little. “I’m pretty sure it was a ploy to try to get me to come back and work for them, but I just put it in my savings.” He hums, and then you go quiet, pushing him a little.

Andrei raises a brow. “What is it?”

“I don’t know if they tell you this, when they send you my blood panel results. But at Eden, it’s a rule that if you sleep with your clients, you have to report it, and then we have to tell our clients so they’re aware.”

He doesn’t know if he likes where this is going, and he ignores the green flame of jealousy sparking in his body so he can say “Okay.”

“I’m not sleeping with anyone else, Andrei.” You tell him. “And I’ve never been with anyone else. You’re the first and only client I’ve ever had sex with, the only one I’ve felt comfortable with, the only one I’ve had a connection with, the only one I’ve felt safe with.”

And that…well that fucking turns him on.

All the way on, like…rock hard again in seconds.

But even more, it unlocks something within him that has his entire world screeching to a halt.

You might not be all the way in, but he is. Especially now.

He’s in love with you.

He is undoubtedly head over heels in love with you and -

His movements are lightning quick as he tackles you, pulling you on top of him so he can kiss you fucking senseless.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that you knew exactly what you were doing to him by admitting something so…so….so fucking svyashchennyy.

Sacred.

After a minute, you giggle, and press smaller kisses to his lips, and then his jaw and neck as you climb off of him, resuming your spot beside him. “Alright alright alright, your turn.” You say, drawing circles with your fingertips on his chest. “Tell me something about you.”

He pauses for a second, trying to pull up something, anything, something interesting to tell you, and he starts to worry when too many things pop up at once, but then he zeroes in on the bracelet on your wrist, the one attached to the hand that’s touching him, and he smiles a little.

Gently, his fingers circle that wrist before capturing your hand in his, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. “I guess you could say I have a pretty obvious love language, or two, maybe. Acts of service and gift giving. It’s mainly because I didn’t have…well…anything, growing up, really. It was tough, back home. So the second I signed my first professional contract here in the states, I bought my mom a car. I got her all the gifts I’d always wanted to get her, and I still do it. I guess…I know what it’s like not to have anything, feeling like even the smallest of things isn’t enough to express how I feel, so I try my best to do it all the time. Like with this.”

He runs his finger over the bracelet. The one you haven’t taken off once since he put it on you, the one he feels signifies that you’re his, even if you’re not.

“I felt…appreciative. Before we even met, I was appreciative that you chose to agree to meet with me. I just wanted to get you something that said thank you, that I felt lucky.”

Your brow furrows, and he can see there’s words in your eyes, things you want to say, but instead, you cup his face in your hands, and pull him closer to you, capturing his mouth in a gentle kiss.

“I’m the lucky one, Andrei.” You whisper between kisses. “Your heart is worth its weight in gold, never let anyone tell you otherwise.”

His heart beats in his chest and he surges forward, rolling you onto your back as your kisses turn slow, sensual, and then he’s settling between your legs and slipping inside of you, making you come on his cock and his mouth over and over again until you’re both absolutely exhausted, and the night turns black outside the windows.

As you finally drift off to sleep in his arms, he belatedly realizes that while he got to talk to you about your past clients, he still didn’t know how many clients you have now, and there’s still a few gaps in his knowledge about you that he feels are more like gaping holes.

Selfishly, he doesn’t want you to have anyone else, no one other than himself, and he makes a note as he drifts off to sleep to fix it when you both get back to Raleigh.

The following week, when Andrei arrives at his office in the morning, he dials the number always listed at the bottom of the emails from Eden, and after speaking to a receptionist, waits a few moments before a woman’s voice comes to the phone.

“Hello, Mr. Svechnikov, this is Ava Price, CEO and founder of Eden. How may I assist you?”

Andrei drums his fingers on his desk. “I’m calling to ask you about my…um, my companion,” he says, trying to sound as professional as possible.

“Of course sir, is there a problem?” Ava asks, a touch of concern in her voice.

“Not necessarily. I just wanted to inquire about her employment contract with you.”

There’s a pause, and then Ava clears her throat a little. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Svechnikov, has your companion mentioned that there’s something wrong with her employment contract? As you know, all of our companions are employed with us voluntarily, and they may come and go as they please.”

“I know,” he insists, trying not to sound pushy. “I wanted to ask…to ask if you could tell me why she came back? She had mentioned that she left for a little, and then came back because she wanted something else. Is it money? Is she in debt? Is she in trouble?”

Another long pause greets Andrei’s ears, and his nerves start to twist and flutter uncomfortably in his belly.

“I’m afraid that’s your companion’s business. Listen, Andrei, I’ll be frank with you. Even if I was at liberty to discuss something like that, I don’t know that I would, given that it seems evident to me that your companion clearly has yet to tell you her actual name. That tells me that you may not be as close as you think you are. So I’ll ask this, why exactly are you inquiring about her employment contract?”

Andrei gathers the courage he had the other night, when you were wrapped in his arms and he swore to himself that if he tried hard enough, he could make this real. Could make the two of you real. “If it’s about money,” he begins carefully. “I want to pay for it. Whatever the amount, I’ll pay if it means you release her.”

“You want to buy her out?” Ava asks, incredulous. “That’s not necessary. As I said before, all of our companions work for Eden voluntarily. As generous and heroic as your interests are, there is nothing to ‘release’ your companion from. She is free to leave on her own volition, whenever that may be.”

Andrei blows air out of his nose. “I understand.”

“If I may, Mr. Svechnikov, I’ll do both of us a favor and pretend this conversation never happened, but perhaps it would be best for you to bring up your concerns with your companion directly.”

March

Andrei glances at himself in the full length mirror of his walk in closet, adjusting and readjusting his suit.

Tonight’s the Cane’s Bash, the organization’s renamed Casino Night, and it also happens to be his birthday.

You’d arrived in Raleigh this morning after having to return to Manhattan briefly for what you told Andrei was “personal business,” and he tried his best to not make assumptions or draw unnecessary conclusions about what that “personal business” might actually be.

Not that he thinks you’d lie to him, but there’s still gaps, things he doesn’t know, and after his phone call with Ava, he seems to be dwelling on that more and more lately.

You’re in his bathroom getting ready, and he can hear you humming along to the music playing from your phone on a low volume. If he leans back a little, he can see you in the mirror, finishing up with curling your hair and dressed in a baby pink silk robe, the black dress you’re wearing tonight hanging on the back of the bathroom door.

“Almost ready, almaznyy?” He calls out, stepping out of the closet and into his bedroom. He heads toward the nightstand on his side of the bed, grabbing for his watch.

“Yes malysh,” you call out, the music in the bathroom cutting out. “I just have to slip on my dress.”

“Your heels are by the front door,” he reminds you, fastening his Rolex onto his wrist.

“Yes dear,” you call back, voice teasing.

He chuckles to himself, shaking his head.

Gaps and his phone call with Ava aside, he feels happy that things still feel completely natural with you, and it’s so easy for him to slip into this domestic role. There’s a part of his brain that wants to pretend this is just a regular old date night for the two of you, and he’s getting ready to take you to dinner just because.

If he allows himself to get lost in his imagination, he can picture that this is something he’d prefer to do weekly with you - taking you on a date just because, coming home and telling you to get ready, surprising you with dinner and a movie or taking you somewhere fancy. He’d be proud to show you off, proud to take you around with a rock on your finger that screams “she’s mine.”

But he can do this for now…right?

When you finally step out of the bathroom in your black dress, your hair curled and smile wide, almost as if you’re asking him “What do you think?” his entire world narrows down to just you.

And now…now he feels like he has to tell you.

He wants to own up to his call with Ava, and wants to confess to you that he wants this to be more than what it is.

“You look beautiful,” he says, holding his hand out to you.

You go to him easily, allowing yourself to be swept up into his arms and accepting the kiss he presses to your hair.

“Okay, let me just get my bag and we can go,” you start, going to pull away, but Andrei pulls you closer instead, bending his head for a kiss, which you grant him easily.

He puts his all into it, holding you tightly against him, kissing you like this might just be the last time, just in case you don’t like what he has to say, in case you get angry with him for going behind your back to talk to Ava.

When he pulls away, he swallows. “Almaznyy, I-”

“Andrei,” you cut him off suddenly, taking a step back and out of his immediate space. “There’s something I have to tell you and it’s kind of important.”

Andrei tilts his head, a little surprised. “What is it?”

“I went back to Manhattan to try to find you the perfect birthday gift,” you confess, eyes on your feet as you speak slowly, almost like you’re trying to make sure you’re choosing the right words to explain yourself. “But in the end, nothing I looked at or found made sense or seemed like the right thing to give you. So in the end, I thought of something, and it’s not much at all, and probably a really lame gift. I mean, I hope it’s something you want? Or like. But I didn’t know if you…well, here.” You turn, going into the nightstand on your side of the bed and pulling out a wrapped, rectangular box with a little bow on it, then turn back and extend it to him.

Andrei smiles, accepting the gift and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He undoes the wrapping carefully, taking the lid off of the box and removing the tissue paper to reveal a carefully bound book.

He opens it with gentle fingers, and when he sees the first page, his breath is almost stolen from him.

It’s a drawing.

Your drawing.

Of him.

He recognizes the setting almost immediately. It’s of him, sitting on that bench in front of The Met, the coffee cups in his hands as he waits for you. He’s looking off to the side, searching, and Andrei can feel his mouth drop open.

“But…how…” His voice trails off in disbelief, looking up at you.

You’re blushing, a shy expression on your face. “I was watching you,” you admit. “I was sitting down a little bit away from the museum, waiting to see you, and then I saw you sit down, and I just…I sketched you, really quickly. It’s not the best, but I just thought…”

You take a deep breath, glancing down at your bare feet. “I thought that I missed you, and maybe if I drew you, then I wouldn’t miss you as much after you left.”

“You have dozens of pictures of us, almaznyy.” He points out kindly.

“It’s not the same,” you start to say, but then Andrei flips to the next page, and your words die on your lips as Andrei takes in the second sketch of him.

This one is of him in a suit, sitting with his knees on his elbows and a serious look on his face, hands clasped under his chin. He recognizes it immediately, and laughs a little. “Is this from the game? At the Garden?”

You nod. “You came up on the jumbotron a couple of times during the third period, when the score was still close. So I sketched you then too.”

Andrei can’t speak, can barely breathe at what he’s looking at.

He’d wondered about the sketches in your journal. Had thought about what you’d drawn over a dozen times, had thought about all the possibilities of what you’d sketched when you sat in the corner of his office and in your spare time.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think you were drawing him.

As he flips through the rest of the book, there are at least a dozen more on the small A5 paper, of him bent over his laptop at his home office desk, on the phone and writing something down, on the phone and facing the window in his office, looking outside.

There are others too, intimate ones he didn’t think you were around for. Of him standing at the counter, sweatpants hung low on his hips, torso naked, his reading glasses on as he brewed a fresh pot of coffee for you after a particularly long night of fucking.

He remembers it well - being surprised that he’d woken up before you did, surprised that he didn’t have to embark on his usual scavenger hunt to find you each morning, even though it’s one of his favorite unofficial games with you.

There’s another of him sleeping on his back, one arm bent behind his head, the other cast out and left open atop your pillow on your side of the bed. The sheets are gathered low across his hips, and he doesn’t think he’s ever seen himself look so at peace.

“These are beautiful, almaznyy,” he murmurs quietly, and he thumbs over to the next drawing of him, one where he’s in the closet getting dressed, his back facing you, your view probably from your side of the bed.

It’s then that his eyes catch on something in the bottom right corner, and he brushes his finger over it.

It’s a signature.

Yours.

When he sees it, he flips back through toward the beginning, putting a pause on looking through the rest of the sketches for now, and finds the signature in the same spot on nearly every page.

Andrei lifts his head and finds you staring at your feet, a worried look on your face.

“Almaznyy?” He calls. “What’s…what’s on the bottom of the pages?”

Your mouth opens, then closes again, and you take a deep breath, eyes still on the ground for a second longer before you’re looking up at him with an expression that reads determination, hope, and just a little bit of fear.

Then you say a name.

And nothing else.

But then it clicks.

It’s your name.

You just told him your name.

And before he can even fully process it, he’s repeating it, the letters and syllables sounding and feeling perfect on his lips. He says it to himself a couple of times, then whispers it into the air between you, and when you hear it, you smile a little.

Fuck the gaps.

Fuck Ava.

Fuck all the nonsensical shit that isn’t just him and you, and this, and ‘us.’

The next thing he knows, he’s carefully setting the journal to the side, shooting up from his sitting position and surging forward, pressing you against the door and seizing your lips in a blistering kiss that steals the breath from his lungs.

It’s the best birthday present he thinks he’s ever received, and temporarily, he manages to forget about Ava, forget about the gaps, and just focus on you.

He introduces you to nearly everyone, using every opportunity he has to say your name out loud now that he’s earned the privilege of knowing it.

Now that he knows a little about your background, it explains how comfortable you are in environments like this, how you manage to be friendly to all of these people around you and make them like you when they only just met you.

It fills him with pride in a selfish way, and he can feel himself walking a little taller, can feel his ego inflating every time someone mentions to him how wonderful you are and how lucky he is.

I know, he wants to say. She’s a diamond isn’t she?

When you make your way back to him after someone’s wife pulled you aside for a brief chat, he wastes no time in draping his arm around your waist and all but hauling you to his side, pressing a kiss to your temple, murmuring your name against your skin. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, you look handsome tonight.” You return, resting your hand atop the possessive grip he has on your waist.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see another couple approaching, and gets ready to put on his best Assistant General Manager face, when he hears you squeal, and then someone else squeals, and you’re out of his arms and a couple of steps away from him in a second.

He turns his head to where you’re hugging a young woman with long black hair, and she’s squeezing you back particularly hard as the two of you speak to one another in a stream of rushed but happy noises he can only assume are words.

Eli’s standing not far off to the side of the brunette, watching her and you with a curious brow, and all at once, Andrei’s stomach bottoms out.

The brunette…she couldn’t be from Eden…could she?

When the two of you part, your hands on one another arms and keeping you slightly embraced, there’s a bright smile on the other woman’s face as she listens to something you say, her eyes casting over to Andrei for a brief moment. The next thing he knows, you’re excitedly leading her over to him, and Eli follows behind, the curious look still on his face.

“Malysh,” you say, smiling brightly at him. “This is Charlotte, one of my oldest friends. Lottie, this is Andrei, my boyfriend.”

Charlotte.

He remembers.

The one who introduced you to Eden.

Great. So she’s definitely Eli’s date.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he says. He sticks out his hand with a smile, shaking Charlotte’s hand politely before taking a step towards you, allowing you to rest against him.

Eli approaches from Charlotte’s other side and wraps a hand around her waist, leaning into her side. “Small world,” he says, glancing quickly at Andrei. It makes his back teeth clench.

Charlotte introduces you to Eli, who shakes your hand, and from a few feet away, Andrei can clock Olly and Mason watching the four of you with interest, abandoning the blackjack table they’d been hovering over and beginning to wander toward you.

He goes to pull you back to him, to pull you away and bring you anywhere else, but then Olly and Mason approach, and they’re asking Charlotte about you, and then you get pulled into a conversation.

It’s fine, realistically, he knows that. And he’s content to just sit back and watch you, drinking from the beer he’s been nursing for the last half an hour.

He’s so tuned in to you that he doesn’t notice Olly approaching him from the side until he’s resting a hand on his shoulder, and Andrei turns, brows furrowing. Olly gestures with his head toward the doors leading to the hallway, and he nods, following Olly out and down the hall to a quieter, more secluded spot.

“Something on your mind, Huntington?” Andrei asks, leaning against the wall and folding his arms.

Olly frowns slightly, stepping forward and speaking lowly. “I know.”

Andrei can feel his heart thump uncomfortably hard in his chest. “Know what?”

“I know about your girlfriend,” Olly says, gesturing his head back toward the way they came. “I know she’s from Eden.”

Silence engulfs the hallway, and any explanation Andrei may have had completely vanishes.

Olly’s the one who breaks it, resting a hand on Andrei’s shoulder. “I promise I won’t tell a soul. Neither will Mason or Eli, we all swore.”

“They know?” Andrei chokes out.

“They guessed when Charlotte spotted your girl from across the room. I was the only one who knew. You used my name as a reference on the site. They sent me a voucher for a thousand dollars for it.”

Andrei feels like he could punch himself in the face.

He completely forgot he’d even done that in the first place. So much had happened in the last six months, he’d almost managed to forget what brought you to him.

“I swear I won’t tell, Drei.” Olly repeats, squeezing his shoulder. “I won’t and they won’t. Your secret is safe with us.”

“Thank you,” is all Andrei can say. He’s still in shock, he thinks, still caught up in why he’s suddenly so bothered by all of this, and then it hits him.

His conversation with Ava.

He’d been so caught up in his present from you that he’d forgotten to tell you about his phone call with Ava.

And how he’d planned to ask you to leave Eden and be with him. Actually be with him.

Olly nods before leaving Andrei alone in the hall, and he takes a few minutes to try to collect himself.

This is neither the time nor the place, but he makes a promise to himself to bring it up with you once the two of you get home tonight.

After a few minutes, he makes his way back out to the Bash, and spots you almost immediately with Charlotte and two other men who aren’t anyone on the team or from the organization, and certainly not anyone he recognizes. You’re tucked away from a majority of the party for the most part, and there’s no one around, but Andrei doesn’t like what he’s seeing at all.

You’re arguing with one of the men, the other trying to remain between you both to stop your heated verbal disagreement, and Charlotte is trying to pull you away.

There’s a fierce look on your face, a hard set to your jaw that Andrei’s never seen before, and you’re spewing a slew of what Andrei hopes are venomous words at whoever decided tonight was the night to piss you off.

As he approaches, he remains slightly out of sight of the four of you, and when your heated conversation makes its way to his ears, his stomach begins to twist again, and he isn’t sure if he can handle it this time.

“Admit it! This is about your inheritance!” The man you’re arguing with spits.

“This is not about my inheritance. As far as I’m concerned, the terms are bullshit and I don’t want it.”

“Then why are you here? With Andrei Svechnikov of all people?!” The man demands, and your face hardens.

“He’s my boyfriend, and you don’t get to say his name if you’re going to be a fucking asshole.”

“Maybe you two could stop this and have this conversation at a more apt time?” The other man asks, and Charlotte nods.

“I agree,” she says, then turns to you, saying your name softly. “Let’s go find Andrei.”

“What are you even doing here?” You demand, ignoring both Charlotte and her ally in trying to calm you down.

The man’s face hardens. “I’m here because Sam’s company is a sponsor for the Hurricanes. The company got invitations to the Bash, and they sent Sam as a representative.”

You scoff. “You expect me to believe that a national company sent a representative from their Manhattan office as opposed to an office based here in Raleigh? Or closer?”

The man, Sam, steps closer to you then. “The Manhattan office is the closest. It’s not that big of a deal, I swear.”

“Well then I suggest you support your husband and his company, and leave Andrei alone.” You spit, turning to follow Charlotte back to the Bash, until the other man speaks again.

“I would, except I’d hate to miss out on the opportunity to tell Andrie that my sister’s a gold-digging whore.”

The silence that follows his statement is heavy, charged, and dangling on the precipice of an all out brawl.

Fitting, that if there was a fight, they’re in PNC Arena, so it isn’t like there isn’t blood on these floors already.

Andrei’s included.

But then the words settle into Andrei’s veins and twist their way around his heart like barbed wire, squeezing painfully.

Sister.

Gold-digging whore.

This man you’ve been arguing with is your brother. And if Sam is his husband, then that means…

Sam’s also your former client. The one you helped through his identity crisis.

And of course if he married your brother, then your brother has to know you’re working for Eden, which explains his hostility.

Your brother thinks that you’re here as an employee, that his little sister is toting around here as a prostitute.

Which…as much as Andrei doesn’t want to admit it, is pretty much what is happening.

And moreover, your brother thinks you being here and working for Eden is…some ploy at an inheritance?

He’s so lost it’s ridiculous.

Andrei doesn’t understand, but he also doesn’t want to hear anything else, especially if your brother intends on hurting you like this.

Before he can convince his brain to make his feet move, you’re whipping around so fast and lunging at your brother.

Andrei’s feet kick in then, but thankfully Charlotte catches you around your waist, pulling you back as Sam gets between you and your brother.

“Joshua,” Sam hisses.

Ah. Joshua.

So now Andrei’s potential brother-in-law had a name.

Potential being the key word, because if he continued to speak to you like that, or god forbid, made you cry, Andrei would punch his lights out here and now and Joshua would not be invited to the wedding.

Andrei finally makes it to your group, grabbing you from Charlotte and parking you directly behind him.

“I think you need to walk away,” Andrei says to Joshua. His voice is deadly calm, and he’s sure his face looks pretty similar. He’s had a long career to fine tune it, and it’s worked for him pretty well a time or two. He towers over your brother by about six inches, so it would be a fair fight, if your brother did know how to fight, but Andrei really doesn’t want to fuck up his potential brother-in-law the first time they meet.

“She’s got you fooled.” Your brother spits, fighting against his husband’s hold. “Whatever spell she’s got you under? Break it yourself. She’s not worth it.”

“Wrong.” Andrei says, stepping forward, looking Joshua dead in his eyes. “She’s worth everything.”

“Even if it means she uses you for an inheritance she can’t have unless she lures some poor sucker into her trap?” Joshua spits.

Andrei’s blood boils, and his hands curl into his fists at his sides.

Maybe you’d forgive him for one punch. Just the one. Right?

Sam shoves at him, pointing in the opposite direction and saying “Joshua. Walk.”

“You’re such a little bitch.” Charlotte says from where she’s comforting you from behind Andrei.

“Listen to your husband and walk away.” Andrei says. It’s his last warning, but Joshua doesn’t need to know that.

“Or what?” Joshua challenges, shoving against Sam’s hands from where they’re pushing at his chest.

“Or we’ll make you.”

The five of you turn your heads to see Olly, Mason, and Eli standing off to the side, and Andrei recognizes the look on their faces all too well. He’s seen it enough when he played with Olly and Mason, and seen it on all three of them nearly a dozen times so far this season.

They’re ready for a line brawl if they’re needed.

Joshua seems to do the wise thing for once and weigh his odds, which don’t bode well for him anymore. Finally, he decides to listen to his husband, and Sam ushers him away quickly, but not before sending a very sorry look to you, Charlotte, and to Andrei.

Andrei turns to you, finding you locked in Charlotte’s embrace and vibrating with anger. Olly, Mason, and Eli get closer, Eli resting a comforting hand on Charlotte’s shoulder and Mason and Olly coming to Andrei’s side.

“You guys okay?” Mason asks, casting worried looks between Andrei and you.

Andrei nods, patting Mason and Olly on the back. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Need us to kick that guy out?” Eli asks, gesturing towards where Sam and Joshua disappeared.

“Almaznyy?” Andrei asks, and you cast a glance at him, the expression on your face nearly breaking his heart. “Do you want them to leave?”

You let out a heavy sigh, but shake your head. “Leave them. He’ll keep his distance now.”

“He’d better.” Olly scoffs. “Don’t worry, if he tries anything else, we’ll be there.”

“Thank you,” you murmur.

After a couple of minutes of reassurance, Andrei sends the four of them away, then finally turns to you, a frown on his face.

He’s quiet for a second, trying to figure out where to start, and he doesn’t plan on it being “What was he talking about?”

Your eyes flick up to Andrei and your nostrils flare. “He just likes instigating, that’s all.”

“I can see that,” he agrees. “But what did he mean? About an inheritance?”

The gears in his head start to turn, and as much as he doesn’t want to admit it…it makes a little bit of sense.

It explains why you’ve never divulged as to what you would get out of you being with him. It wasn’t like you were always with Eden, and this was a normal gig for you - you’d made that clear on the first night. Yes, your heart was pure and you genuinely seemed to want to help him, to enjoy being with him, but…

But if it had all been for show…

You didn’t want his money, you said that much too. It would make sense if you didn’t want it because you were bound to have your own.

But none of that could be true…could it?

“There is no inheritance.” You tell Andrei, unwavering. “None that I stand to gain.”

He’s quiet for another moment, brain running a mile a minute.

Between his phone call with Ava, who refused to divulge anything, and then his conversation with Olly, and now your brother showing up, he’s not exactly had the best few weeks.

But this…this isn’t making anything better.

His silence stretches for too long, he realizes belatedly, because when he doesn’t say anything, you take a small step back from him, and he feels it. Feels it like the first crack in the pavement.

“You don’t believe me,” you say with realization, voice hushed and a little pained.

Andrei feels his gut twist uncomfortably. “I want to,” he says softly, “but you’ve never told me what was in this for you.”

“I did,” you insist. “I’ve said it. You just haven’t listened.”

Your words ring in his ears, but he doesn’t understand. He works to find something, anything to say to you, to try to…patch up whatever is happening, but nothing comes out. And with more of his silence, he can see you start to shut down in front of his eyes, putting up walls that have never been there in the entirety of your relationship.

“Let’s…let’s just go back to the event.” He offers, “Get some drinks, get some food in you, okay? I think I’m just in shock, that's all.”

You don’t believe him, and he can tell by the way you walk ahead of him, not waiting for him to follow.

You’ve never done that before.

Andrei follows after you, joining you from where you’ve found Charlotte and Eli again, Olly and Mason hanging around. When he gets closer, Olly rests a comforting hand on his back, and Andrei welcomes it, uses it like an emotional crutch and tries to put his best Assistant General Manager face on.

He wraps an arm around your waist that you don’t lean into like usual, and instead of the bright and bubbly person you’d been at the beginning of the night, now you’re just the right amount of nice and kind to the people who come up to you.

The little group of four hovers around the two of you protectively, and Andrei sees Sam making it a point to keep a wide berth between Andrei and Joshua.

You don’t make any conversation with Andrei, answering his questions only with a shake of your head for ‘no,’ or a small nod for ‘yes,’ and the longer it goes on, the more Andrei can’t take it.

Even from the beginning, he’d never experienced such distance between the two of you, and now, the very same night you gave him your name and he was prepared to lay his heart on the line, he’s starting to lose his grip on the best possible thing that’s ever happened to him.

He needs to get you home, and now.

Just when Andrei’s getting ready to excuse the two of you from the current group you’re speaking to, Skyler approaches, along with a couple of Andrei’s former teammates you met earlier in the night.

Sebastian, Marty, Martinook, and Jarvy seem a little liquored up and happy, and Sebastian pats Andrei on the back as the others hover around Charlotte and her three shadows.

They start talking about the current season, and then it eases into a conversation about the “glory days,” and that is definitely Andrei’s que to get you the fuck home.

He is not listening to this conversation.

But then, because the universe hates him, and he always seems to move too slow, he gets dragged into it.

“Right, Svechy?” Marty asks, and whatever was said, Martinook seems to agree with it.

“Of course he could!” Jarvy says. “Are you kidding? He could lace up and play tomorrow.”

Andrei winces internally.

Der'mo. Shit. This cannot be happening.

“Nah, he’s better using that brain for the front office, right Andrei?” Sebastian asks, ruffling Andrei’s hair.

Andrei scoffs, annoyed, and he can see you staring at him from beside him.

Dvoynoy trakh. Double fuck.

“What do you mean?” Charlotte asks, seemingly on your behalf, her eyebrows furrowed as she glances around.

Eli must be able to sense the rising discomfort, because he wraps an arm around Charlotte’s waist to lead her away, and Mason and Olly look ready to jump in again.

“I have post-concussion syndrome. That's why I had to retire early.” He blurts out, figuring it’s better that it comes from him than from the others.

They don’t know what they’re doing, not really, and they’re not trying to be cruel.

“Oh,” Charlotte says. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Andrei says, and he can feel you. He can feel your eyes staring into the side of his head and can feel you beginning to inch away from him.

“He found out after we won the cup last year,” Skyler adds. “He had to make the decision in the off season when he should’ve been celebrating. But we made sure we celebrated a little bit, didn’t we?”

Andrei smiles, a weak laugh leaving his chest.

It’s partly mortifying that he’s being singled out like this, albeit unintentionally, and also wholly embarrassing because he doesn’t want you to think less of him, or pity him the way everyone else had for a while.

The conversation goes on about the epic parties that had occurred last summer, and it eventually teeters out, but not quick enough.

However, this time, you’re the one who’s helping to usher him home, to get him out of the venue and say his goodbyes. You don’t say goodbye to Sam or Joshua, but you do say goodbye to Charlotte and Eli, and Olly and Mason as well, thanking them for being helpful earlier.

Once the two of you are in the car and on the way home though, Andrei’s waiting for it, waiting for you to make a comment about the injury, but it never comes.

You turn to him just as he turns the car off in his driveway, reaching across the console and resting your hand atop his on the steering wheel, and he steels himself, not really wanting to get into this conversation right now, and-

“Are you okay, Andrei?”

He blinks, head swiveling toward you. “Me?”

You nod, a pout to your lips as you frown. “Yeah, you. Are you alright? I can’t imagine people talking about you like you’re not there is fun for you.”

“I…” he’s dumbfounded. “I…I guess not, no.”

“I’m sorry they did that to you,” you say, squeezing his hand.

He blinks again. “You’re not…mad?”

You tilt your head, bewildered. “Mad? Why would I be mad?”

“I didn’t tell you,” he says, fumbling through his words as his hand joined with yours falls to his lap. “About the injury.”

“Andrei,” you say carefully. “I Googled you, remember? I already knew about the injury.”

Akh blya. Oh shit. He’d almost forgotten that too.

“Oh yeah,” he mutters. “You did.”

“C’mon,” you say, gesturing your head toward his house. “Let’s go inside. We have a lot to talk about.” You squeeze his hand before climbing out of the car, and he follows you, leading you into the house before shutting and locking the door behind him.

As you’re taking off your heels, and it settles in his bones that the two of you are finally alone, the heavy weight of the evening feels like too much to bear for a second longer, and the words pour out of him all at once.

“Olly knows.” Andrei says. “About us. That you’re from Eden.”

You pause, putting your heels on the floor, looking at Andrei with a confused expression. “I mean, I figured as much. I thought Charlotte would have told him.”

“No,” Andrei admits. “He knows because of me.”

“You told him?” You question, slightly surprised.

“Not exactly.” He says, and takes a breath. “I found out about Eden through him. Well, through Olly, Mason, and Eli. When I signed up, I used Olly’s name as a reference to expedite the registration process. I didn’t know it would notify him that I did.”

You nod, following along, but it’s clear you’re still unsure as to where this is going. “Okay.”

“He’s technically not supposed to know. No one is.”

The silence that ensues drives him crazy, starts an uncomfortable throb under his skull, and you’re just staring at him, shell shocked, and all you can say is “Oh.”

He plows forward, needing this off his chest. “After I made my decision, things just…sucked. It seemed like once I said I was stepping away, everyone else moved forward and I stayed behind. Sure, they gave me the Assistant GM job almost right away, but it didn’t…it didn’t help. I guess I felt lonely, and abandoned. That’s…that’s why I looked into Eden, to stop it all.”

“I…” you begin, and he can see your brain trying to work to understand what’s happening. “I don’t know that I get it, Andrei.”

If everything was coming out, if he was coming clean, he had to do it now.

“My brother brought up how I was by myself, all the time, and then I heard Olly and Mason talking about it with Eli, so I said fuck it and signed up. I just wanted to feel less lonely, less alone. I kept seeing my friends moving forward while I felt stuck, and I didn’t want that anymore.”

He takes a deep breath. “Everyone around me was getting married, having babies, and I had nothing because I didn’t have time for anything else. My whole life changed in the blink of an eye. I thought I had years left of my career, and then I didn’t, and I had nothing. I wanted someone who could give me something, someone who could fit into my schedule and just…give me anything. It didn’t matter who it was, I just needed someone.”

Your breath is stolen from you in a whoosh, the room going dead silent, and then Andrei realizes his mistake.

It didn’t matter who it was, I just needed someone.

Someone. He said. Someone, meaning anyone.

Not you.

Even after he told you anyone else wouldn’t have been good enough.

He sees it, the moment his words sink into your skin, and he curses himself. “That’s not - I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No,” you say, quiet as a mouse. “I understand.”

Andrei’s heart sinks. “Almaznyy-” he starts, and then you wince.

You wince.

Fuck.

He’s about to lose you. He knows, and he can’t seem to derail this train fast enough.

Your name falls from his lips in a plea, and you shake your head, wrapping your arms around your middle protectively. “It’s alright, really. Clearly we both haven’t been honest about our motives. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s not yours either,” he insists, taking a step toward you, reaching for you.

You take a step back almost immediately, and Andrei freezes in his path, hand falling limply to his sides. “I think,” you start to say, voice shaking. “I think I need to go back to Manhattan, Andrei.”

“Okay,” he acquiesces, hands fisting at his sides. He can’t really leave Raleigh, not right now, but if it means being with you and making sure that this, that the two of you are okay, he’ll do it, he’d do anything for you. “Okay, just let me pack and we-”

“Alone,” you clarify. “I need to go back alone. I think - I think we need some time to just…let things cool down. I think we need some space.”

He swallows the puck sized lump in his throat. “Okay.”

You turn away, heading to the bedroom to pack. He stands there, frozen to his spot with his heart at his feet, tongue twisted.

He doesn’t know what to do. He’s never been good at this part - what to do after fighting with a girl he cares about. He isn’t sure whether he’s supposed to run after you and beg you to stay, or just…stay here and do nothing, even though he wants to do anything but nothing.

In the end, it’s all he can do. Just stand there and wonder how this night started off with such relief - him being ready to tell you he was in love with you, you completely derailing his plan by finally telling him your name - and ended in such a fucking mess.

A car pulls up outside, the headlights bouncing off the walls through the front windows, and then you come out of his room, duffel bag and suitcase in tow. You don’t say anything to him as you approach, just rise up to kiss his cheek, and then you’re out the door, taking his battered soul with you.

READER’S INTERLUDE

“Are you sure about this?” Ava asks. “You agreed to the booking for this weekend already. That will be your last one?”

You’re sitting across from her in her office in the Manhattan skyscraper that houses Eden’s offices, and you’ve never felt more sure about something in your life.

You have to do this.

You have to quit Eden.

In your email inbox, you’ve got an email waiting from Felix, Chris, and Morgan, waiting for the greenlight from you so they can rehire you and move you to London to work in their main office.

It’s a stark contrast from where you were six months ago.

When you’d gotten the email from Eden all those months ago that you had a potential assignment, you jumped on it immediately, wanting to get this whole scheme over with.

You’d loved working for Eden back in school, loved the girls you met, loved working for Ava, appreciated the agency and power Eden gifted its employees.

It wasn’t typical sex work, and that had been made clear to you from the jump. While your clients may need the services Eden provides, it was completely up to Eden and the companions they employed as to whether or not those clients received those services, and even if you did decide to cave, everything could be stopped the second you said you were done.

Joining Eden hadn’t been the plan. When you’d gotten into college, you’d been determined to make your way through the rest of your life on your own and leave your ridiculous family behind.

Your mom being a renowned painter and your brother being a popular sculptor had been the only thing interesting about you nearly your entire life. Your father had been an award winning and incredibly successful photographer and photojournalist before he passed from cancer when you were twelve and your brother was fifteen, and all the love your family seemed to have for one another died with him.

Before the fallout, you’d grown up in an obnoxious, aristocratic, and wealthy world, being fortunate enough to attend the best schools and never felt the need to want for anything. All of the so-called ‘friends’ you’d had growing up never failed to use your family’s wealth against you, claiming you never had any real problems since you had money.

But all the money in the world couldn’t buy you sanity, couldn’t buy you happiness, or peace of mind.

You’d cut yourself away from your family when you got into college. You had to pay your own way through since they made it clear that they didn’t want you going to college in the first place, not understanding the point when you could do what they did - hone your talent in drawing and make a living.

That was exactly why you had to leave. You needed out, needed to do things on your own terms and at your own pace and in your own way.

The last thing you’d done before going no contact with your mother and brother was attending a charity gala in your father’s memory, where your mother and brother had donated several pieces of theirs to raise money for cancer.

That was where you’d run into Charlotte.

Lottie had been a year older than you and was someone you’d known since high school. She was already going into her sophomore year at the college you were heading to in the fall, and was one of the rare people in your life who was nice to you, never cared about your family or your family’s money, and was the closest thing to a friend you had.

She asked you about how you were doing, about your college plans, and how things were going with your family. You’d poured your heart out to her, and in turn, she gave you a solution.

Eden.

You’d applied through her, and began work after your fall semester midterms concluded, and the rest was history. You’d planned to be in Eden for as long as it took you to graduate, and when you did graduate and ended up working for your last clients, Felix, Chris, and Morgan, that was it.

Until your brother, Joshua, had reached out and told you that he and your mother had conveniently forgotten to mention that your father had left you an inheritance, and that in order to gain access to your inheritance, you needed to meet with your family’s lawyer to review the terms and conditions.

The terms and conditions being a letter that in no uncertain terms said that in order to come into your inheritance, you had to fall in love and be with someone, on the path to marriage.

“We taught you everything but how to love - to give love, to receive love, to be in love - and for that my darling daughter, I am sorry. Should you fall in love with the right man, should you find you want to spend the rest of your lives together, the inheritance will be yours, and I want you to take that money and build a life for yourself and the love of your life. Build a life full of love, the life your mother, brother, and I, failed to give you.”

You scoffed at the note, disbelieving, until your family’s lawyer insisted that the terms were albeit colonial, but legal, and that your father was extremely serious, and well…

The only way you saw any of that being even remotely possible was by going back to Eden, and you originally only did it so you could find someone interesting enough, play the long game to meet the stupid terms of your inheritance, take the money, and never have to speak to your family again.

Even if it meant using your clients in a way they didn’t realize, a way they couldn’t consent to.

You’d faked being a happy daughter and sister for most of your life - you could surely fake being in love, right?

Wrong.

Because when that potential assignment had come your way, you hadn’t expected Andrei.

His name had rung a bell in your head, so you took to Google to do a little research before making any decisions. You’d found out that he was thirty two, recently retired from the National Hockey League due to a career ending injury that had surfaced during his final - and successful - cup run, and hired as the Assistant General Manager for the same team he’d just left earlier that summer. It was a huge undertaking, and it was clear to you that his life had become incredibly busy within the last several months.

Thanks to Eden, you also had access to his background check, which dug a little deeper into his life and revealed to you a little about his life before his career took off. His upbringing was a stark contrast to your own. He had grown up in poverty with his brother and parents, his parents who sacrificed everything so he and his brother could live their dreams, who helped him move to another country so he could be everything he’d ever wanted.

From that moment, you knew he had a heart of gold. Knew that this man, this kind of man, deserved better, deserved a wife and kids and someone with a better direction of life than your own.

But selfishly, you’d also wanted to be the one to give that to him.

So you’d said yes, took him on as your client, and vowed to keep moving forward.

When you arrived at the Premiere Suite that first night, you’d already known he was handsome, knew the sound of his voice from watching a few of his interviews, had practiced what little Russian you knew at the time just in case he felt more comfortable speaking in his native tongue.

What you didn’t know was how disarming he could be from that very first second. How with just one look in your direction, you suddenly felt catapulted into his orbit and tethered to a man you’d semi-known, but had only just met.

It didn’t help that you were the type of person to believe in signs, either.

From the fact that the second you’d looked him up you felt willing to be his companion, to the nerves that had blossomed in your stomach on the elevator ride up, to the way he’d attached you to him with one look, the electricity you felt between you as you passed him and wandered into the suite, and then, to the photograph on the wall.

The one he’d caught you staring at.

The one your late father had taken, that was now hanging up in the Premiere Suite of The Mark Hotel.

It was one of his favorites - a photograph he’d taken of a patch of flowers in bloom in Central Park, a shadow of two people who had just gotten married sharing their first kiss as husband and wife casted onto the grass beside the flower patch.

When you wandered into the living room, it was the first thing that had caught your eye, and you could almost hear your father quoting a line from his favorite poem to you. “Until at last, they enter the same door, and suddenly, they meet.”

Fate.

The word had echoed in your head until Andrei pulled your attention away from the photograph, and then the word sealed itself into a protected cage in your heart.

It couldn’t be possible, could it?

You weren’t sure, especially because the second you started to get to know him, you absolutely knew you would never, under any circumstances, tell him why you were working for Eden, and you would absolutely never, under any circumstances, use him to gain access to your inheritance.

He didn’t deserve it, and you didn’t have the heart to drag him into your mess.

He was so charming and sincere, thoughtful and kind, respectful and generous, and surprised you completely with the roses and the bracelet. When he had asked you what was in this for you, telling him you needed something more was half the truth, and though it felt wrong to give him anything but the whole truth, what choice did you have?

To tell him you’d been in it for money, albeit not his, but then decided not to be in it for money because he what…charmed you immediately?

Yeah, like that was believable.

It wasn’t his fault. He’d given you several opportunities to tell him about it, but you turned them all down because you felt that deciding against going for your inheritance and just choosing to be with him anyway would be enough.

You knew it wouldn’t be, so you kept your mouth shut.

Regardless of whether or not Andrei seemed like the type of person who wouldn’t mind your motives, you knew it was a secret you weren’t going to share, because it would never apply to him.

And it was still one you couldn’t share. Especially not now, not now that you actually had feelings for him.

“You can tell me you know,” Andrei had told you the night you first slept together. “You can tell me anything.”

You smiled, nodded and said “I know,” but beneath the surface, you knew you couldn’t.

There’s a part of you, a part that’s still healing, that hears that, hears it when people say “you can tell me anything” and know that they believe themselves to be telling you the truth.

But deep down, you know that telling them is only half the battle. Because once you do tell them, once the truth is out there, it doesn’t prevent them from lashing out or prevent you from facing the brunt of their emotions. It was a vicious cycle.

You could never control how other people felt or reacted, but you could control the thing that could cause those feelings and reactions.

And that ‘thing’ was you.

So when Andrei said “You can tell me anything,” you knew you wouldn’t be saying a word.

Because how could you? You’d gotten to know Andrei. You’d learned more about him than anyone else outside of his family ever did, he’d said as much to you.

And from the very second he opened that door to the Premiere Suite at the Mark Hotel, you’d been interested in him. He gave you roses, gave you the bracelet you never took off, took you on the kind of first dates he deserved to save for someone better, someone who wasn’t you, a twenty three year old escort who had come back to her escorting job with nefarious intentions, and who definitely had a crush on her client.

He let you into his space - brought you to see what he was like at work, invited you to his bed, his house, let you into his mind, into his life, opened himself to you and all at once, and you just knew.

You were falling in love with Andrei Svechnikov, and it was completely selfish.

You’d given him those drawings, a piece of yourself you’d locked away for so long, wrapping them and gifting them to him like an offering of your heart. Then to seal the deal, you’d given him your name, finally, stupidly thinking that it would maybe drop a hint to him that yeah, you liked him more than he originally assumed, and in turn, he just about broke your heart.

You already said screw it to your inheritance, but you couldn’t allow yourself anything further than…whatever it is you were. He didn’t believe you anyway, when you tried to tell him there wasn’t anything in this for you, no ulterior motives, but what did it matter anymore? How would it ever be worth it to have if you were in love, and had love, but you didn’t have Andrei?

Especially when Andrei never said he wanted love.

He admitted it to you himself - he sought out Eden because he wanted company. He wanted someone to make him feel less lonely, less alone. He had been envious of his friends who moved on with their lives, built themselves a home with a spouse and children and things to look forward to. He wanted someone to warm his bed, to fill in certain gaps in his life, make him feel whole and full on the days he felt particularly empty.

Someone.

Anyone.

Not you.

And even though you didn’t know the whole of it, on that very first day you had promised you could give him company - whatever it looked like. In the process, you indulged yourself in his presence, soaked up every bit of himself he offered you, tucked those bits away in a delicate box and stored it within the safety of your heart.

If it hadn’t been for Joshua, your idiot fucking brother, it might have been a better night.

But he can’t take all the blame.

You haven't been honest. Andrei may have led you on, given you false hope, but maybe it was your fault for believing there had been a chance in the first place. Perhaps, it was what you deserved for lying, for making promises you couldn’t keep, at least, not in the end.

You promised you could give him what he wanted, but that was before you realized that he didn’t want you, not actually you.

He wanted this, what you could give him, but not you.

And now, you weren’t even sure he’d want this anymore, because this, this was bad.

Here you were.

In love with your client.

In love with Andrei.

And there’s no way he could ever feel the same.

The way he told you no one was supposed to know about the circumstances of your relationship stung. In all the time you’d worked for Eden, you’d never been made to feel ashamed of what you did, but in that moment, even if Andrei didn’t mean it, the tiniest bit of shame sparked into your veins and set everything ablaze.

So now, sitting across from your boss’ desk with a shattered heart, you look at Ava, and finally answer her question.

“I’m sure.” You say firmly. “After this weekend, I’m done. I quit.”

April

A month.

Andrei hasn’t seen or heard from you in a month and his heart breaks a little more with each passing day.

Charlotte must have heard from you that things had gone south and told Eli, who probably told Mason and Olly what had happened, because they’d been giving him the same pitiful or sympathetic glances all week.

If any of them sent him another one, he was going to tell their Coach to bench them for the next three games.

He finally reaches his breaking point when Olly gives him a sympathetic pat on the back as he passes him in the hall at their practice facility, and Andrei knows he can’t take another day of it.

The second he gets home, he sends an email to those who need to know that he’ll be taking the upcoming weekend off of work for a family emergency, and logs into Eden, booking the Premiere Suite at the Mark Hotel.

It’s a shot in the dark, but that’s all he’s got.

He texts you immediately after booking the suite, his hands shaking the whole time.

Andrei: I know we agreed to give each other some space, but I just want to talk about what happened. It would mean a lot if you would be there this weekend

He doesn’t get a response from you at all, and heads to Manhattan with a growing pit in his stomach.

It isn’t until he’s waiting in the hotel room for an hour that he starts to worry that you won’t show, but then there’s a knock on the door, and he’s rushing for it, throwing it open and breathing a sigh of relief when he sees it’s you.

Memories hit him like a freight train.

He didn’t think that when he first opened the door to find you standing there that he’d feel so much joy.

Now, anxiety seeps into his veins, and he swallows past a lump in his throat.

“Hi,” he murmurs.

“Hi,” you mutter back, and Andrei steps aside to invite you in. He takes notice as you take off your shoes by the door and then pass him that you’re empty handed, and hopes your bags are with the front desk like normal. His eyes scan over your body, cataloging. You’re wearing black jeans and a thin white sweater, and your bracelet is still on your wrist, so he takes it as a good sign.

Before you make it to the couch, you turn around, retrieving a folded piece of paper from your back pocket and handing it to Andrei.

He raises a brow, hesitant as he takes it. “What is this, almaznyy?”

“Read it,” you instruct, voice quiet, and Andrei frowns, but does as you ask.

When he opens it up, the first line that he sees is “Last Will and Testament,” and his eyes fly to your face. He’s sure the confusion is written all over his face, but you gesture back toward the page, and he frowns, continuing to read.

He doesn’t exactly understand all of the legal terms, but he gets the gist. He gets to the portion of the page that’s handwritten, and his heart beats harder in his chest.

Andrei looks up at you and where you’ve settled on the couch, elbows on your knees and your head resting in your hand as you stare back at him. He’s completely bewildered, and the only thing he can think to ask you is “Is this even legal?”

“Unfortunately.” You say, tone void of any emotion.

He hates it.

You breathe through your nose, still looking uneasy. “I…the reason I didn’t say anything to you about it is because I didn’t want you to look at me differently. Because of my parents and their work as artists, my brother and I grew up in a fairly wealthy household. It was the complete opposite of what you had, Andrei, and I didn't want that to change your perception of me. I didn't want you to think that I'd always been this spoiled brat, because that was never the case. I can't deny the opportunities and privileges that were given to me, but the person I am now, the person that you met and got to know? That's who I've always been.”

Taking a deep breath, you plow forward. “When my dad passed away, he left me that inheritance. He left it, and I thought it would help me be rid of my brother and my mother once and for all.”

“And you…” he recalls how fierce you’d been against your brother, and it starts to make sense - how upset you got, how crestfallen you were that night when Andrei had questioned you about it. “You don’t want it?”

“I’ve never lied to you Andrei, and I’m not going to start now. I did want it, at one point. But that changed in an instant. I knew I didn’t want it anymore and that I wasn’t going to fight for it when I…” you voice trails off, and your eyes trail to the photograph on the wall, the one you stared at when you first met.

“You what?” He presses.

Your mouth closes, and you shake your head. “I don’t want it. Bottom line. I just…I wanted you to know. I wanted to make that clear. That when I told you there wasn’t anything in this for me, that I meant it.”

“I believe you.” He swears, and it’s true. Over the last month, he’s had plenty of time to think about it, and you’d never given him any indication of deception. He felt upset at being left out of the loop, sure, but he never felt like you played him, never felt like you were leading him on.

If anything, you let him take the lead, let him call the shots, and just follow along. You kept your promise and held up your end of the bargain.

“I don’t think you deceived me,” he continues. “I was upset, and confused, but I don’t think you lied, and I’m not angry with you. I promise.”

After a second, all he gets from you is a nod. He waits for a second, waits for you to say something, maybe say more, but instead, you look at him, and stuff your hands in the back pocket of your jeans.

“Then why’d you bring me here, Andrei?” You inquire, your body suddenly going tense.

“I wanted to explain,” he says. “What I told you that night, what I said? It wasn’t completely true.”

You shift your weight, clearly feeling uneasy. “What wasn’t true?”

He sighs, then gathers a deep breath. “I’d been feeling lonely, yes, and I signed up for Eden because I was looking for company, and I figured it would be a good idea. But, I was also ready to call the whole thing off until I opened the door and saw you. When I saw you for the first time, almaznyy,” he says, swallowing past the lump in his throat, “I knew it was going to work.”

“Knew what was going to work?” You ask, voice barely above a whisper.

It hurts, the way you’re trying to make yourself small around him, and he hates it. “This. Us.”

“Us?” You echo.

“Our…” he searches for the right word for a second. “Our arrangement,” is what he comes up with, but the way your face falls tells him that was definitely not the right word to choose.

“This was a mistake,” you whisper eventually, so quietly he almost didn’t hear it at first.

But he does.

The anger stretches across his face, and your mouth drops into a frown. “I’m sorry,” you murmur, and then you’re turning on your heels, every line in your body telling him that you’re about to walk out of his life.

He calls your name, halting you in your tracks on your way to the door. “I ‘m trying to tell you that I want you, can’t you see that?” He exclaims, running his hand through his hair. He’s so frustrated right now he feels like he could pull his hair right out of his skull.

You shake your head, lip trembling as the tears that have been pooling in your eyes finally fall, and it breaks his heart. “No, no you don’t, Andrei. No one wants me.”

“I do!”

“You don’t!” You cry, voice breaking. “You hired me. You hired me to fill a void, and now you’re confusing it for love, but it’s not love, Andrei. What you’re feeling? You just like the way me giving you what you paid for makes you feel.”

It stings.

Hearing it said that way stings so much in his heart he feels like he might crumble, but he persists.

“Maybe I do,” Andrei says with a nod. “Maybe you’re right. But you can’t stand there and tell me that you don’t like the way that I make you feel either.”

Your face crumbles. “You know I do, Andrei. But you don’t feel what I feel, not really.”

“What do you feel, almaznyy?” He all but begs, rushing forward and taking your hands in his.

“I love you, Andrei!” You exclaim, voice cracking. Your breath hiccups, and his heart feels so full in his chest, it’s like he’s drowning in your confession. “I’ve fallen for you. I broke the rules, broke our contract, and I can’t even find it in myself to care because I love you.”

He murmurs your name, and it sounds so soft, so delicate between his lips that he can see the way it nearly makes you crumble, and Andrei doesn’t hesitate to pull you closer. “I love you too, almaznyy. I swear it, I do. God, I’ve felt it since the moment I opened the door and saw you standing there that first night. You didn’t even say anything! I just looked at you and I knew, I knew there wasn’t ever going to be anyone else for me. Ever.”

There’s a moment in your expression where he sees it, the happiness, the relief, but then it’s just replaced with more sadness, and he can feel his heart beginning to deflate, splintering at the seams.

“But you can’t prove that, can you?” You say with a shaky breath.

“It’s real,” he pleads. “It’s real. This? Us? This is all the proof we need, it’s all I have, almaznyy. You’re all I have.”

You shake your head. “You didn’t even know it was going to be me. It could have been anyone.”

“That may be true, but ‘anyone’ isn’t good enough for me, you are.” Andrei insists. “If anyone but you walked through that door, I wouldn’t have gone through with any of it. I wouldn’t have let them in the damn room, let alone give them roses or a bracelet like that. Because they weren’t meant for them, it was meant for you. You and you alone.”

“Andrei,” you murmur, shaking your head again.

He cups your face in his hands, staring right into your eyes. “Eto sud'ba,” He whispers. It’s fate. “Fate. Destiny. Meant to be, almaznyy. That’s us. I would go to the ends of the earth for you. I practically have!”

Your brows furrow. “What do you mean?” You ask, sniffling.

He groans in frustration at himself, but knows he can’t avoid telling you about this, so he lays it all out on the line. “I called Eden. I talked to Ava Price and I all but begged her to let you out of your contract. I didn’t know the reason you went back at the time, so I offered to buy you out of it. Pay whatever amount it was you were trying to save up for so that you wouldn’t have to see any other clients anymore. So I could try to…court you, I guess. Svidaniye.”

Realization crosses your features. “Date me?”

He knew you were fucking taking lessons, you little sneak.

“Yes, date you, almaznyy. I just wanted you to myself. I know it’s selfish, and I know it was wrong. It crossed boundaries, invaded your privacy, and I’m sorry. But I just wanted you so bad. I was falling for you, and I was willing to do anything to have you for myself.”

“You…you spoke to Ava?”

“Da, almaznyy.” He nods, “I called her the morning after our night in Malibu, the second I got back to work. She told me I couldn’t do it, that you had to make the choice yourself.”

“You called her to…try to get her to fire me?”

“I did,” he admits. “I did it and I’m sorry.”

“Andrei, I quit Eden.”

He blinks, stunned into silence and so rocked by the revelation that he takes a small step back, his hands dropping to your arms. “You…what?”

“I quit two days ago. I…I quit because I didn’t want Eden to be the only reason that I was still in your life. I quit because I didn’t think it was me that you needed. I thought it was what Eden could provide. I quit because…because I realized that I love you. That I’m in love with you, and I needed to know for myself that you wanted me for me.”

“I do, malyshka, I do.” He swears, taking your hands again and stepping into your space. “I want you so badly, I could go insane with it.”

“It’s just been you, Andrei,” you say, pushing the words out with a breath of relief. “It’s only been you for me, too.”

He yanks you into him, wrapping his arms around you and kissing you like it’s the last time.

Except he knows it’s not the last time, not now. Not like this.

His heart is pounding so loudly in his ears that it takes him a second to realize you’re murmuring something, words forming against his lips as he kisses you, and he realizes you’re saying “only you” over and over again, speaking the words against his mouth like you’re praying to the heavens.

“I know malyshka, I know,” he says back, pressing the prayer into your lips.

But you shake your head, pushing on his shoulders a bit to put some space between the two of you. You look up at him, shaking your head again. “No Andrei, I mean. It’s only ever been you. You’ve been the only client I’ve had since I got back to Eden.”

He blinks, cock pulsing at your admission, heart going into overdrive. “Me?”

You nod, cupping his face with your hands now. “My one. My only. My last. Moy vozlyublennyy.”

His vision blurs as tears begin to gather in his eyes.

My beloved. You called him my beloved.

He’s gathering you in his arms in a split second, crushing his lips to yours and moaning in relief, practically running his hands all over you, trying to engrave you into his touch, his soul.

Ona moya, he thinks. She’s mine, she’s mine, she’s mine.

Andrei pulls away, looking into your eyes. He figures he probably looks like a fucking crazy person, gazing at you in both awe and disbelief. “Ty moya,” He proclaims aloud. “Ty moya, moya almaznyy.”

You’re mine. You’re mine, my diamond.

You smile up at him, tears making your eyes sparkle. “Da, ya tvoy, Andrei, ya vsegda byl tvoim.”

Yes, I am yours, Andrei, I have always been yours.

He growls, bending to nip at your bottom lip. “You have been taking lessons, moy malen'kiy kotenok,” he accuses, my little kitten, then bends and hauls your legs around his waist, promptly turning around and heading straight for the bedroom.

“Of course I have,” you say, like it’s obvious, and really, it should have been. “I know five languages, Andrei, and it’s part of my job to learn new ones. Russian’s been hard, but it’s been worth it for you.”

He clenches his teeth, trying to restrain himself from hugging you and squeezing you so hard that you’d probably bruise, and he drops you down to the bed. Andrei climbs over you, bending his head, nipping at your neck and going straight for your jeans.

You help him, tearing off your sweater and your bra as he peels your jeans and socks off of you, and he’s about to go straight for your thong and rip it to shred when -

That’s when he sees it.

It’s small, hidden behind the waistline of your thong, but the second he pulls the band down to confirm what he’s seeing, it’s staring him in the face.

A diamond.

It’s no bigger than the size of a quarter, but it’s there. It’s a diamond. You got a tattoo of a diamond.

And suddenly he can’t breathe.

All the air whooshes out of him in a stuttering breath, and his hand hovers over the skin, too shocked to do anything else.

“You can touch it.” He hears you mutter, “It’s healed.”

“How?” The question comes out in a rasp. “When?”

“I got it before the Canes Bash,” you admit. “I planned on showing it to you that night, but then, well, you remember what happened.”

He swallows, fingers gently brushing over the small tattoo, and his body is suddenly caught between wanting to fuck you so hard you can’t walk, making love to you till you can’t speak, or wanting to cry at how loved he feels, just based on the small pattern of ink alone.

He swears to himself when the morning comes, he’s going to get a matching one. He’d never thought he’d get a tattoo, didn’t bother getting one any of the times he won the Cup, and certainly never thought of getting a matching tattoo, but for you? He’d tattoo your name anywhere you wanted if you asked him to, so what did it matter if a diamond blessed his skin?

Too moved to speak, he bends his head, pressing a gentle kiss to the diamond, and then he’s moving to scoot lower on the bed, until you stop him.

He glances up at you, curious, and you’re shaking your head. “None of that,” you say, your voice all breathy. “It’s been a month, Andrei. I need you now.”

“Okay,” he says, coming up for one last kiss. He makes it sweet, whispering your name and a string of praises as he quickly takes off his shirt, then tears off his jeans and boxers. He swipes a finger through your fold and finds you soaked already, so he rubs the head of his cock along your pussy until it’s coated in your arousal, and then he’s sinking in, balls deep and crowding in close.

He withdraws his hips a couple of inches and then pushes back in, watching your face.

You’re watching him too, and you reach up, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him down, capturing him in a whirlwind of a loving kiss. His eyes flutter shut, eyelashes brushing against your cheek as he tilts his head, slotting his mouth over your so he can slip his tongue inside of your mouth.

You both stay locked like that, making out as Andrei fucks you slow and deep, your legs locked around his waist as you wind your hips to meet each of his thrusts.

“Missed you,” he murmurs against your lips. “Missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” you reply, one of your hands trailing into the hair at the nape of his neck, “never leaving you again.”

“Damn right you’re not,” he says, nipping at your bottom lip. “I’ll tie you to the bed before I ever let you walk out on me again.”

“Delay chto khochesh',” you say. Do whatever you want.

“You’re going to regret saying that to me,” he swears, punctuating his statement with a deep thrust.

“I won’t,” you swear. “I don’t regret anything about you.”

He can’t have you saying things like that, not when he’s buried inside you and too in love with you for his brain to function properly. He decides all he can do is keep kissing you, keep fucking you, and when your orgasm finally washes over, he follows suit, coming inside of you and whispering “I love you” over and over against your mouth.

“I love you too,” you swear once you’ve both calmed down. “From the very first day.”

“You’re the best decision I ever made, almaznyy.” He says, burying his face in your neck. “I don’t regret a single thing.”

“Neither do I, Andrei. Neither do I.”

ONE YEAR LATER

Andrei glances around the living area of the Premiere Suite.

He didn’t think he’d ever be here again after the last time. Thought when he shut the door behind him, that would be it.

Until tonight.

He’s not as nervous as before, and when he glances around the room, checking that the white roses he bought are in the vase, the champagne is in its ice bucket with two glasses at the ready, he feels comforted by the familiarity.

He doesn’t bother checking his phone, doesn’t bother pacing or fretting. He just waits, scrolling on his phone until there’s three soft knocks on the door.

With a smile, he places his phone on the coffee table and heads toward the door, opening it only for his smile to get wider.

You’re there in a white mini dress and matching white heels, your silver bracelet on your wrist where it belongs, and you’re wearing matching earrings and jewelry on your hand.

“Ty Andrei Svechnikov?” You ask, and his heart flutters.

A loud laugh leaves him, but he nods. “Da, ya Andrei.” Yes, I’m Andrei.

“Ideal'nyy!” you say, a bright smile stretching across your face. “Ya tvoy novyy pomoshchnik.”

Perfect! I’m your new assistant.

His brow furrows playfully as he steps aside, letting you into the suite and shutting the door. “I didn’t realize I was getting a new assistant.”

You turn to him, hair flowing around you as you do. “Well, with your recent marriage, it appears your former assistant was no longer suited to help you with your needs.”

“And that’s where you come in, I assume?” He asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

You nod, turning back toward the living room and grabbing the champagne bottle. As you go about opening it and pouring each of you a glass, you say “Exactly. I’ll be taking care of you going forward.”

When you spin around and hand him his glass, you both toast quickly, clinking your glasses together and taking a sip. “I see, and when do you officially start?”

“The second I walked in the door.” You respond, that cheshire smile of yours he loves so much creeping up your face.

“Oh?” He inquires, openly eyeing you up and down. A flash of excitement crosses your face as you watch him set the champagne down on the table, stalking forward playfully.

You take a step back with a hesitant nod, heading toward the bedroom.

The very place he took you for the first time.

The place he plans to take you for the first time as his wife.

“Idi syuda, zhena,” he orders, crooking his finger to beckon you to him. Come here, wife.

That cheshire smile is the last thing he sees before you’re whipping around and running toward the bedroom, and Andrei can only smile as he chases after you, his beautiful wife, the glittering of his wedding ring shining in the light of the suite as he goes.

#andrei svechnikov #andrei svechnikov x reader #carolina hurricanes #mendeshoney masterlist

233 notes · View notes

claudemblems · 2 years

Text

Things You Do That Warm Their Hearts | AOT Headcanons

Characters: Levi, Armin, Eren, and Jean

Notes: I want to hug and squish all of them and pat them on the head and tuck them in and give them a kiss

Levi - When You Bring Him Tea

Levi is a man of action rather than words. Through kind gestures, he showcases his love and care. But he doesn't know how much you appreciate the little things he does he does for you until you return the favor.

It's subtle at first.

You brew yourself a pot of tea, but you make enough so that he can drink some as well.

He's hard at work in his office, eyes glued to the endless stack of papers in front of him, when he's interrupted by you gently placing a cup in front of him. Just by the scent, he can tell that you've made his favorite.

The sun has set and most of the cadets have retired to their beds, but you still approach Levi with some calming herbal tea, sweetlt kissing him goodnight before you head off to sleep.

Now you ready a warm cup of tea for him whenever he crosses your mind. At times, Levi almost swears that you can read his thoughts. He'll only have to wonder for a moment if he should refill his empty cup when you walk into the room, offering him a freshly-made tea catered exactly to his liking.

You always wear a warm smile as you present the hot tea to him. Perhaps your happiness is simply infectious, but he finds himself smiling at you in return. He notes the fluttering of his heart when it's just him alone with his thoughts, and he considers the possibility that maybe he's just falling in love even more.

The thought brings a smile to his lips as he quietly sips his tea. It's then that Levi decides that he should bring you tea more often. He's curious to know what kind of expression you'll give him when he repays your kindness in full.

Armin - When You Read His Favorite Books

When you'd first expressed interest in the books he read, Armin couldn't contain his excitement. The thought of you wanting to participate in his hobbies, no matter how insignificant they might be, makes his heart swell.

Once he's finished a book, he hands it off to you, a slip of paper tucked securely inside the pages. And at the end of every week, you return his belonging along with your "review" of the contents.

He settles down for bed, eager to read what you've written for him. Your notes are filled with exclamations and drawings, as if words were not enough to express your every thought. Armin can't help but smile fondly, his thumb gently brushing over the inked letters.

He stores all of your notes in a small tin container inside his dresser, safe from the outside world. They're his precious kept secrets, only allowed to be seen by himself and you.

Because they're not just thoughts about a novel, but also love letters, messages too precious to be viewed by someone else.

Some of them have faint impressions of your lipstick you'd pressed against the parchment. Others have lines taken from the book reimagined as a poem created especially for him.

Icy glaciers found only in the Arctic...eyes so brilliant and blue...only then can one truly understand the beauty of nature...this is the world's most scenic view.

No, the prettiest sight in the world, Armin thinks, his racing heart shot through with cupid's arrow, must be you.

Eren - When You Ask If He's Okay

The burden of liberating the whole of humanity has been placed on his shoulders, and it can be too much to bear, especially for someone so young. Eren wonders sometimes if the Scouts forget that he's practically still a child. All they seem to see when they look at him is a weapon of war.

But when the ground beneath him begins to crumble, you give him a firm foundation to lean on.

You are always there to ask how he's faring, offering him your shoulder or a listening ear. You remind him that he's merely human and that it's not his responsibility to solve the world's problems, especially not on his own.

That's what you're here for: to endure life, side by side, until the very end.

A gentle squeeze from your hand calms his troubled mind, and it's then that he vows that one day he will be the one taking care of you. The love and concern that you give him now will be returned to you tenfold.

With you beside him, he has nothing to fear.

Jean - When You Know He Needs Comfort

Was it really true that some couples can read each other's minds after so much time spent together? Jean had never considered this to be true in the slightest - all until he met you.

Not a single word has to pass through his lips for you to understand when he needs you. Wordlessly, you intertwine your fingers with his, offering him a warm smile that prompts him to open his heart. The relief that washes over him after getting everything out feels like a drop of water in the desert, refreshing and soothing to his soul.

When the world has beaten him down and left him bruised, your arms are always waiting for him to run into. Your presence alone is a safe haven to him, a place that he dares to call home.

You are his comfort, his warmth, his starlight gleaming in the expansive night sky. You are his beacon of hope in the midst of the chaos. You are his assurance when all hope seems lost. You are everything he could ever wish for.

As long as your light is there to guide him, he will always find his way back to you.

#aot #aot x reader #levi x reader #armin x reader #eren x reader #jean x reader #levi ackerman #armin arlert #eren yeager #jean kirstein

43 notes · View notes

snaill-dragon · 2 years

Text

Mermaid day 30, a peaceful warrior merfolk….

Tomorrow is the last day… I already have what I’m gonna do planned. But also wow! Feels too soon.

#my art #artwork #mermaid #merfolk #warrior #scars tw #digital art #lineless art #i love this dude btw #they’re fun and cute #and also battle warn #i like to think their like freshly retired in this drawing #and so happy to finally spend their days in peace #mermay

7 notes · View notes

aboutzatanna · 2 years

Text

Meet Zachary Zatara! Zatanna’s Cousin

I’ve covered Zatanna’s mother, father and now to complete my series of posts on the pairing, lets look at Zachary Zatara.

Zachary is a magician just like Zatanna, making her one of the few female heroes with a male side kick. He was also a member of the Teen Titans during Geoff Johns run which the YJ show draws heavily from.

I’ve included a recommended reading guide for him at the very end of the post including some lesser known, obscure stories so do check that out if you’re interested in wanting to read more about him.

The inspiration for Zachary goes back to writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross Kingdom Come OGN. KC was seminal back in the day and had a huge influence on the DCU both positive and negative.

A big part of KC were the children of various superheroes and super villains whom Superman, freshly out of retirement, recruits into his new super powered army in order to fix a world ravaged by out of control anti heroes like Magog.

One of them was John Zatara, the son of Zatanna and Constantine (the latter of whom was walled off from the rest of the DCU at the time). It’s not known what happened to Zatanna and Constantine in the KC timeline, Zatara being their kid was only revealed in the back of the Absolute edition of Kingdom Come.

Zatara barely had a speaking role in the OGN, here is a couple of scenes where he shows up in:

He also showed up as a supporting character in ‘Kingdom Come: The Offspring’ one shot by Mark Waid and Frank Quietly which focused on Plastic Man’s son Earnie a.k..a ‘Offspring’ where it was mentioned that he was dating Avia, the daughter of Scott Free and Big Barda.

Also note that all of his dialogue was written backwards throughout the whole comic even during normal every day conversations:

He also appeared as a background character in The Kingdom Special as one of the many heroes trying to protect Superman and Wonder Woman’s kid from Magog.

Given these minor appearances it’s really hard to get a feel of Zatara’s personality here. One gets the impression that Avia is the assertive one in their relationship whilst Zatara is the passive one. And...this is just my speculation here, but I think KC Zatara might be autistic or at least, on the spectrum.

After KC’s monumental success, DC began incorporating elements from KC into it’s main universe, and just to give you an idea of how immense and influential KC is and continues to be:

(feel free to skip past these bullet points if you’re not interested in KC’s influence)

- Maxine Hunkel, Magog, Jai and Iris West first appeared in KC then later in the main DCU.

-The concept of a Blue Beetle who wore mecha armor ended up becoming Jaime Reyes.

-It also popularized the idea of Bruce and Talia having a son. The idea originated from ‘Son of the Demon’ where we first see their infant child given up for adoption. Then in KC we see him grown up and named ‘Ibn Al Xuffasch’ and later incorporated into the comics in the form of Damian Wayne. Xuffasch also had a romance with Nightstar (Dick and Kory’s kid) much to Dick’s chagrin.

-Alan Scott’s GL armor was introduced in KC that later appeared in the main universe.

-WW’s golden eagle armor which has appeared in both the main universe and in WW84, her being the one Trinity member being willing to kill in the series which also directly paved the way for Rucka’s Sacrifice arc in which she killed Maxwell Lord. Granted she killed once during Perez’s run but the context of how it happened in Sacrifice directly pertains to KC. This lead to the false perception of Diana being a blood thirsty warrior and her thus her characterization in early Nu52 era.

-KC Superman even showed up in the main universe and even talking to Diana about how the main universe was turning similar to his.

-The concept of Diana being exiled from Themyscira. In KC universe she was exiled because of her failure to change Man’s World. In JLU, 2017 Wonder Woman and Bloodlines DTV movie, her being exiled would be incorporated into her origin story instead (not for the better, if you ask me). In the Golden Age, Post Crisis and Rebirth versions, she left voluntarily with the blessings of her mother and sisters and was later able to reunite with them.

-Even the core concept of the Infinite Crisis event of older heroes trying to impose a nostalgic outdated view of heroism on a world they deemed too dark and cynical was clearly inspired by KC.

-JLU’s Cadmus arc and the paranoia about Superman turning the JL into a super powered army, the fight with Captain Marvel on the show, things turning out for the worst despite Superman’s best intentions and Batman disproving of Superman sentencing criminals to the Phantom Zone felt like they were directly drawn from KC.

-CW’s version of Crisis on Infinite Earths where Brandon Routh’s Superman had a costume similar to KC Superman and even has elements of his backstory like Lois, Perry and his co workers being killed by a gas attack from the Joker.

-Even CBR exists because of KC since the site started off as a fansite for Kingdom Come before turning into a forum and later a comic book news site. So yeah, good and bad influences on the DCU all round.

1/3 Zachary Meets Infinity Inc & Black Adam

Anyway, back to Zachary Zatara, he first debuted in Teen Titans Vol 3 #34 and was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniels. Although his first published appearance was in Teen Titans, his first chronological appearance would have been in 52; a weekly series which covered the gap year in which Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were inactive and other heroes were filling in for them.

Zachary showed up in 52 #21 as part of the Teen Titans team investigating the new Infinity Inc (a group of kids given super powers by Luthor).

Note that’s not Big Barda. That’s Little Barda. A New God who takes after Barda and clearly based off of Avia.

Zach gets off on the wrong foot with one of the Infinity Inc members:

Later, in the issue, one of the Infinity Inc members was killed in battle (thanks to Luthor’s machinations) and Zach and Little Barda are seen at the funeral:

Note that Zach is associated with Raven.

Later in 52 #32 Zachary is among the crowds of young heroes gathered to fight Black Adam (he’s right next to the Superboy statues palm):

Among them is also a young, costumed Eddie Bloomberg aka Kid Devil whom we will see will be an important character for Zachary:

In World War III #3 we get a small glimpse of Zachary fighting Black Adam as well as Raven reacting to him getting hurt (these two always had a connection):

And finally in the 52 #50 we see Zachary working with Zatanna and several other mages attempting to stop the rampaging Black Adam with the help of Billy Batson:

Zatanna and Zachary don’t share any dialogue with each other in the issue but it’s cool to see them working together as well as seeing Zatanna and Billy effectively leading the magical side of the DCU and I love that it’s Billy who figured out how to defeat Black Adam.

2/3 Zachary & Eddie + The Teen Titans

Zachary would make single panel appearances in Teen Titans #34-38, they were from bits and pieces from Cyborg’s recordings from when he was in a coma. The ‘present’ day of these issues were set the year after the events of 52 Zach complains about Raven’s powers affecting him and we also get hints of his personality:

So Raven has gone missing and in between fighting super villains, the Titans go on search for her which leads them to meet Zachary.

Zachary finally gets the spotlight in Teen Titans #39 in which we are also introduced to his assistant, Bunny and he and the Titans don’t really get along:

We also learn from Cyborg that his powers were only awakened recently after the events of Days of Vengeance (long story short; Spectre went crazy, Nabu died, magic died and was reborn):

Zachary is kind of snobbish, arrogant and rude but they are also a way for him to hide his insecurities and fears.

As you can see he also has history with Kid Devil/Eddie Bloomberg and we finally learn about their history and Zachary’s role in Eddie’s transformation from the kid in the suit you saw in 52 to the humanoid devil in present day in Teen Titans #42.

So, Eddie is a huge of Blue Devil aka Dan Cassidy and idolizes him much to the latter’s chagrin , this leads to him wanting to get powers just like BD. One day he gets a strange mystical candle from a stranger which he takes to Zachary for consultation:

So despite Zach’s warning, Eddie goes through with the deal and to no one’s surprise, his trust in Blue Devil is in fact broken, when Eddie learns that Blue Devil was indirectly responsible for his Aunt’s death. (Long story short: Neron promised him a way to return to being BD if Daniel blew up a power plant, the latter did but the feed back ended up killing Eddie’s aunt who was miles away. Dan Cassidy kept it a secret until Eddie confronted him about it).

So yeah, Eddie is pretty much damned now but Zach tries to console him the best way he can, in Teen Titans #56:

This era of Teen Titans was heavily dependent on making the Titans into a Junior Justice League. Along with Zachary, this run also introduced Miss Martian and reinvented Superboy/Connor from a fun loving Booster Gold style glory hound to the angsty black t-shirt wearing Superboy we know today and Cassie Sandsmark from the tomboyish fangirl to the cheerleader archetype. Instead of a stand alone squad the Titans were now tutored by older heroes, at least initially. Suffice to say, this run had a huge influence on the Young Justice show.

As for the run itself, I wasn’t a fan of how Robin, Wonder Girl and the Wonder Twins were written. Especially under Sean McKeever post Infinite Crisis (though tbf he faced a lot of editorial hurdles) but the Eddie/Zachary stuff was a highlight for me personally.

Side note, Teen Titans #52 also gave us a peek at a possible future version of Zachary, you can tell he is evil because he has a goatee:

Zach also showed up in Tim Drake’s Robin series (Robin vol 2 #166) to help him out with some bad guys:

There are so many dark haired caucasian costumed guys around, especially in Gotham that even the villains get confused.

There are some interesting parallels between Zachary and Donna Troy. They’re both the side kicks of female heroes, both of them debuted in a title that didn’t star said female hero and they operated independently for a while before actually getting to interacting with their female mentor.

Despite Zachary being a ‘part time’ Titan, he would show up in the 6 issue Terror Titans mini in which the Titans took on Clock King who was running a meta human fight ring. Zachary and the Titans were captured and mind controlled to participate in the tournament and somehow Zach lost to Terra in a straight up fight:

(I call bull shit, maybe he threw the fight)

Also Zach being emotional about Kid Devil is what got him caught in the first place:

Meanwhile, in the main Teen Titans Eddie has managed to beat his curse and returned to normal human form.

Then in the follow up in Teen Titans #69, he harshly turned down Wonder Girl’s offer for Zach and other teens held prisoner by the Clock King to train with the Titans.

His next appearance in the Titans would be part of a back up title called Coven of Three which ran from Teen Titans #84-87. The series starred Zachary Zatara, Traci 13 and Black Alice in which the Demon’s Three trapped them in a world that brought their deepest desires to life. All of it as part of a gambit to escape their imprisonment and threaten the world again.

The series begins by showing Zach in the least flattering light as possible:

Then drops this reveal on us when Zach’s dream world is shown:

Yes, he had a girlfriend with unborn twins who died untimely deaths. How old is this kid anyway? Was it a teen pregnancy? Does Zatanna know? This is one of the many plot threads that could have been addressed in the Zatanna ongoing were it not for it’s untimely cancellation and the 52 reboot.

Traci 13′s dream is a world where she is worshiped as a Goddess and Black Alice’s dream was a world where her parents were alive and they had a normal family unit. Of the three, she was the most reluctant to give up her wish. It made things more complicated because undoing the spell required the consent of all three individuals. Zachary and Traci have relatively normal, stable lives to return to, Alice doesn’t.

We also got this interesting scene showing the difference between a book worm mage and someone who has natural abilities but never studied actual theory:

Zach also brings up Eddie again and he gets a moment with Kate (his dead gf) before helping Traci undo the spell:

The three managed to undo the spell and even agree to become teammates:

But there is a twist at the end where we learn that oops, even though they ‘won’, it was all still a ruse on the Demon’s parts as they’re still playing right into the demon’s hands:

The ending also flips our view of the character. Zachary, whom in the beginning was kind of a jerk, ends up with the most sympathetic motivation of wanting to use magic to bring back his dead girlfriend and unborn child. Black Alice ends up more or less at the same spot she started in. Meanwhile, it looks like Traci 13 is on the path of actually bringing her dreams of being a goddess to reality as she keeps one of the magical items used to trap the Demons Three for herself.

On the YJ cartoon, I wasn’t a fan of Mary being the corrupted one for various reasons. But given Traci’s characterization here, I would have rather she had been the one corrupted by power.

It’s a neat twist and I’m disappointed that there hasn’t been any follow up to it. Especially the part about Zach’s dead girlfriend. Zatanna and Diana need to have a talk about their respective side kicks going through all sorts of trauma in stories without either of them getting involved.

NGL, I still find weird that the Young Justice show, which draws heavily from Geoff Johns era of Titans decided to deage Zatanna and put her on Dick’s team instead of using Zachary, who was already associated with the Titans. Plus it’s rare for a female hero to have a male side kick. But then, if Zatanna was with the adults on YJ, we’ll probably see even less of her.

2/3 Zachary & Superman: World of New Krypton Era

Sometime after his first appearance in Teen Titans, Zachary later showed up in Superman #680 in which Superman fought the mythological Atlas and was getting his ass beat. Supes realized that he needed help so he went to a magic show Zatanna was meant to headline but instead met Zachary there and the two got off to a rough start:

I’ve mentioned this story in another post but lets cut to the chase; Supes is a little abrasive here but lets cut him some slack, the Man of Steel was forced to leave his dog to fight his battles for him.

After getting a super charge from Zachary, Supes managed to beat Atlas but he wanted everyone to credit Krypto instead.

Zachary would have a minor role during the ‘World of New Krypton’ era of Superman comics. This was imo, the most interesting era of Superman comics which was kicked off when Superman rescued the shrunken bottled city of Kandor and restored it to full size on.......earth. So now the inhabitants on earth are neighbors with a thousands of Kryptonians and not all of them are as nice as Superman.

This event was like a tide for the Superman books and supporting cast, I can’t think of another era (besides maybe Death of Superman) that elevated supporting characters like Supergirl, Guardian, Dr Light/Kimiyo Hoshi, Captain Atom while also reviving Silver Age characters like Mon-El, Flamebird and Nightwing/Chris Kent (hey, remember him? he was the proto Jon Kent).

Zachary and Zatanna appeared in Action Comics #873 along with the ‘Sentinel of Magic’ where they cast a spell to ward off a group of hostile Kryptonians and we also get a peek of Zatanna mentoring Zachary:

The Zatara’s and the Marvel Family should team up more, imo. Plus it’s cool to see them doing combos and this is a great follow up from their appearance in 52. Their team work is better here and they’re doing combos now.

In Superman #690, Zachary is meeting one of his stage hands who has something important to tell him when they are suddenly interrupted by Parasite:

Mark Merlin is an old Golden Age character, the writer, James Robinson (who also wrote Starman) is a huge fan of Golden Age characters.

I’m normally not a fan of jerkass protagonists but Zachary is a little different. His arrogance and aloofness serves as a mask to hide his insecurities and cowardiance. Plus you know Zee would whoop his ass if he really crossed the line.

In a sudden twist though, we learn in Superman #692 that the man Zachary was talking to was not Mark Merlin, but Mirabai; a sorceress who agreed to become an ally for General Sam Lane in his anti-Kryptonian war in exchange for him loaning her a brainwashed Captain Atom so she can rule her realm (called the Sorcerers World) with an iron fist.

Zachary appeared in the Captain Atom back up series in Action Comics that ran from Action Comics #879-889. Zachary appeared in #887-889 as an unwitting slave to MIrabai. He doesn’t really get to do much here, the story is centered on Captain Atom who has managed to break out of the Mirabai’s mind control and joined the rebels to help them over throw Mirabai.

He succeeds only to find out that one of his ally’s was actually the wizard Mordru (I’ve mentioned him before in relation to Dr Fate) in disguise who quickly banished Zachary back to the mortal world:

But he is friendly with Captain Atom, telling him that the latter could come back to his realm at any time.

This issue also came with preview pages for Zatanna’s solo series by Paul Dini and Stephane Roux which is where we meet Zachary next:

Side note: Mirabai would make a good foe for Zachary and by extension Zatanna (’nobody enslaves my cousin!’).

3/3 Zachary & Zatanna

Finally, when Zatanna’s own ongoing was launched in 2010, we finally got to see what their relationship was like.

Zachary showed up in Zatanna #04-06 written by Paul Dini and we finally get a little backstory on them including this flashback showing a teenage Zatanna teaching a young Zachary:

Zatanna promises to show up for Zachary’ next show but fails because an evil casino owner who made a deal with a literal demon hypnotizes her to marry him so he can sell her soul in exchange for immortality.

Zachary is at first, pissed when Zatanna doesn’t show up...

but ends up helping her escape from the evil casino owner while also bickering like siblings:

The issue walks a fine line between not rendering Zatanna a damsel in distress, giving her agency in saving herself while also allowing Zachary to contribute to the story.

At the end, she finally does manage to make it to one of his performances:

He showed up next in Zatanna #14 written by Adam Beechen which starts out with Zatanna chewing him out for screwing up a joint performance:

Zach, predictably doesn’t listen and ends up getting into trouble which his cousin had to bail him out of:

Part of what makes the Zatanna/Zachary dynamic so fun is that both Zatanna and her father are often portrayed as heroic and selfless (even if they have some morally gray moments at times) but Zach is more self absorbed and arrogant which forces Zatanna to be more up front in dealing with her side kick. It also gives Zach a character arc; his hubris is a cover for his cowrdiance and insecruities thus his story arc is one about overcoming them to become a better person.

They also worked together during the Reign In Hell event which is set sometime before Zatanna’s series, I’m posting this here because I found Zach’s impudence here to be hilarious:

You know you done fucked up when even Jason Blood is horrified.

Post Nu52, Zachary disappeared but he did show up in Raven: Daughter of Darkenss, a 12 issue limited series by Marv Wolfman as part of the Nightforce:

I haven’t read it yet and it’s the kind of thing that deserves it’s own separate post anyway.

Finally, in 2021, a Suicide Squad book was among the titles in DC’s Round Roubin (basically, vote for whichever title you want to read the most otherwise it won’t see the light of day) with Zachary on the roster. The title never made it past the rounds and was never published but we did get some preview pages, Zach screwed up royally and has to work with the Squad to make up for it:

Thank god this was never published, all I can imagine is Zatanna downing a whole bottle of alcohol and screaming after hearing this.

That’s about it for his major appearances to this date. Now for some FAQ’s before wrapping this up and also check out the Recommended Reading List at the very bottom:

Who Are His Parents?

Zachary’s parents have never appeared on panel and has never been mentioned. Sure, in Earth-22 Kingdom Come universe, ‘John Zatara’ is the son of Zatanna and John Constantine but as you can see there are differences between ‘John Zatara’ and the ‘Zachary Zatara’ here.

Zatanna having an adult son either in the Pre Nu52 universe or the Rebirth timeline doesn’t make much sense timeline wise unless you go down the path of convoluted retcons involving aged up magical babies and false memories ala Pre Crisis Dinah Laurel Lance. You also have to consider the flashbacks showing teen Zatanna training kid Zachary, how they interact like cousins/siblings instead of mother/son and they refer to each other as cousins even when they are by themselves. .

That said, there is no indication in Giovanni’s backstory of him having any siblings either but not enough to completely rule out the possibility either. It’s possible that he had an estranged brother or Giovanni himself became distant from his own family or he had an uncle and Zachary is his cousin first removed.

Also, this is just my opinion, but I can’t really see Zatanna as a mom. Even with characters like I like seeing her dating (whether it’s Blue Devil, Joshua, Batman, sometimes Dick Grayson). I can see Wonder Woman, Mera, Big Barda and Catwoman being mothers but never got that vibe from Zee. Sure she’s great with kids but I never got the ‘mom’ vibe from her character. She always struck me as a Helen Mirren type who would remain childless but fulfilled even into her old age.

I have a few guesses as to who his parents could be in the pre Nu52 timeline:

-Fulcanelli. A minor character that appeared in Fate #10 (click here for more). Zatanna initially introduces him as a friend of her fathers. He’s an alchemist who is burdened with the cost of magic. At the climax of the issue, right before he is turned into a gold statue, Zatanna calls him uncle while in turn he calls her niece. Whether it was just an affectionate term, like she thought of him as an uncle despite not being related or if they were actually blood related was never clarified. Plus Zatanna has referred to people she isn’t blood related to as uncles or aunts, like the time she called Rose Psychic her Aunt during Reign In Hell.

But suppose Fulcanelli and Zatara’s were blood related, Zachary’s father being an alchemist could explain why his power doesn’t work on anything organic.

-Giovanni himself.

Which would make Zatanna and Zachary into siblings as well which also fits their banter in the comic books. My theory in this case is that they share the same father but different mothers. Giovanni has been associated with multiple women, both romantically and non romantically; Madame Xanadu, Charity from Starman and Tigress. He was smitten by Madame Xanadu and outright said he wanted to make babies with her but the latter turned him down since she was aware of his future. Their relationship never moved beyond friends with benefits but it would be interesting if she ever did take up on his offer after Sindella’s first death.

The other option would be Tigress; the classic enemy-to-lovers trope. Tigress was a thief and a normal human who was Zatara’s main nemesis and sometimes-ally during the Golden Age. There are no stories where their relationship turned romantic but imagine if it did at some point but for whatever reason it didn’t work out, they divorced and Tigress had custody of Zachary. The flashback of teen Zatanna training a young Zachary could have taken place during brief visitations. It also fits Zachary’s stated origin that his powers were only awakened after the events of Days of Vengeance, especially if one or both of his parents are human. It also explains Zatanna telling Flash that she doesn’t have a family in JLA: Crisis of Conscience, technically she wasn’t lying as this scenario involves Tigress separating herself from the Zataras. But then Zach got his powers and started following in his father’s footsteps and the two started to bond again. It also contextualizes Zachary’s ego; he is trying to reject his mother’s villainous roots and trying to embrace his father’s heroic side.

Still, this is just what my speculation.

Who knows what Johns, Robinson and Dini had actually planned though. Maybe they were intending for him to be Zatanna and Constantine’s son and had a convoluted explanation involving wizards and genies and time travel involved.

Is Zachary Queer?

Zach has never been confirmed to be queer but I noticed that he does have a queer fanbase and his close friendship with Kid Devil aka Eddie Bloomberg can be interpreted as such. They just have that vibe to them. He also does have a relationship with Bunny, his stage assistant but that could just mean he is either bi sexual or polysexual. Folks are free to interpret him however they like.

I’m supportive of the head canon that Zachary is queer and him being in a relationship with Eddie totally works.

I hope Zachary returns one day. He would be perfect for JLD and I love his dynamic with Zee and an appearance there is long over due.

Litnu txen emit!

Recommended Reading

-52: #21, #50 (also World War III #3)

-Teen Titans Vol 3: #34-38, #39, #42, #52, #69 (after Terror Titans)

-Terror Titans #1-6

-Robin Vol 2 #166

-Teen Titans #83-87. Coven of Three back up with Zachary, Traci 13 and Black Alice.

-Superman #680, #683 (which is followed up in Action Comics #873), #687

-Superman #690 followed by #692 and the rest of the story is picked up in Action Comics #887-889 Captain Atom back up.

-Zatanna #4-6 and #14.

-Raven: Daughter of Darkness #1-12

If there is anything you would like me to add or remove, let me know.

174 notes · View notes

uraharashopslut · 3 years

Text

"Daddy" - Byakuya Kuchiki smut

18+

Prompt: Byakuya overhears a squad member refer to him as daddy.

His feet padded softly through the grass. Squad members chatted with one another all around him, but his eyes remained on the horizon. Until he saw her. She was standing in the corner of the Squad Six garden with her friend Tamiko Nakamura, dark hair swaying in the breeze in long tendrils behind her. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a smile as she laughed.

His heart fluttered softly, frustratingly. Since Hisana's passing, his heart stirred for no one, and he'd concluded it would never stir again. That was, until she joined his squad. She'd risen quickly through the ranks, now holding the Third seat. Her effortless strength caught his attention, and her air of dignity kept it. There was an elegance in the way she carried herself.

"She was destined to be a noble," Byakuya thought to himself as his path neared her presence.

"You could help fulfil her destiny," Senbonzakura whispered in his head.

He shook his head at the thought. He'd pressured the Kuchiki clan enough by marrying a commoner, something he'd sworn to never do again, but who said anything about marriage?

He shifted his focus to the horizon again as he neared her. The darkest thoughts in his mind could never be brought to light, especially to her. Better to redirect himself until the feelings were subdued.

"There's just something about him," he heard her say.

"What do you mean?" Tamiko asked.

"He's just," she sighed. "Okay fine, I'll just say it, but you can't make fun of me."

Tamiko laughed. Byakuya's eyes may have been on the sky, but his attention was directed at the girls' conversation.

"Just say it!" Tamiko prodded.

"Okay, um, Kuchiki-taicho is just such a daddy."

His heart skipped a beat. He'd never heard such a phrase before.

"That's definitely not what I thought you were about to say," Tamiko snickered.

"Don't make fun of me!"

Confused, Byakuya flash-stepped into his office. Daddy? What did she mean by that? His heart betrayed his cool by rapidly increasing it's tempo.

"A term of endearment, perhaps?" Senbonzakura offered.

"Not likely. The squad members typically fear me," Byakuya reasoned with his zanpakuto.

"If you don't ask, you'll never know."

"Whom would I ask, Senbonzakura?" he questioned.

"Who would know?"

His mind raced. Who could he ask? Who could be trusted?

Rukia.

He flash-stepped to the Thirteenth Squad's barracks and into Ukitake's office.

"Kuchiki-taicho, what a surprise! What can I do for you? Shall I brew some tea?" Ukitake asked, raising from his chair.

"I have no need for tea at this moment, Juushiro. Where is Rukia?"

"Your sister is in her quarters, Kuchiki-san."

"Thank you," he replied, disappearing in a flash.

His feet touched down lightly as he made his way to his sister's living quarters.

"Imouto {Japanese for "little sister"}, may I enter? I have a matter that requires your knowledge," he called out from behind her door.

The door slid open.

"Nii-sama, come in," Rukia replied, stepping to the side. "What can I help you with?"

"You're familiar with the idioms of the current generation, are you not?"

"Yes, what do you want to know?" Rukia asked, pouring a cup of freshly brewed tea. She handed the cup to Byakuya before pouring a glass for herself.

Rukia sat cross-legged on the ground and gestured for Byakuya to do the same. She took a sip as her brother sat.

"What does the term 'daddy' refer to?"

Rukia spat her tea upon hearing Byakuya's question. Her eyes widened.

"Nii-sama!"

"What is it? Is it an offensive word?"

Rukia contained her amusement. "Definitely not, but, I am curious, what was the context?"

Byakuya shifted uncomfortably. "I overheard a member of my squad, when conversing with a friend, refer to me as 'daddy'. What is it's meaning?"

Rukia crossed her arms. "I'm not sure I should divulge. You were eavesdropping!"

"Nonsense. I was doing no such thing. I simply overheard as I was walking past to my office," he replied smugly.

"Are you certain you want to know?"

"Why won't you tell me? Does it have a bad connotation?" he pressed.

"Not exactly, although you might find it dishonorable."

"Dishonorable? What is it's meaning? Disrespect will not be tolerated within my squad."

Rukia chuckled to herself. "Nii-sama, people often refer to men they have sexual interest in as 'daddy' in a reference to the man's dominant nature."

Byakuya's eyes widened and his back stiffened. He felt his face warm despite maintaining it's usual pale color. "I see."

"I asked if you wanted to know. I didn't want to tell you," Rukia said, standing and grabbing her brother's empty cup.

"Indeed." Byakuya rose to his feet. "I appreciate the information you have shared with me. If you'll excuse me."

With that, he flash-stepped to the Squad Six gardens. His heart beat loudly in his chest as he breathed in the summer air, filling his lungs. All of the squad members had retired to their living quarters for the evening. Byakuya's feet grazed the wooden paneling of the barrack floors as he flash-stepped to Ayame's private quarters.

"Satō-san. May I speak with you?"

The paper door slid open, revealing the dark-haired, ethereal girl.

"Kuchiki-taicho, what an honor, do come in." Ayame bowed deeply in respect.

Byakuya made quick work of closing the door, drawing his katana and pulling Ayame back against his chest, his blade pressed to her throat.

"You understand I could shred you to pieces with one command of my blade, do you not?" Byakuya said, his voice hushed and intimidating.

"Yes, Kuchiki-taicho," the girl replied.

"Why then have you dared to dishonor my name in the presence of Nakamura-san?" he questioned, strengthening his grip on the girl.

"I would never dare, Kuchiki-sama."

"I was walking the perimeter of the squad garden today and the wind carried your conversation with Tamiko to my ears."

Ayame's cheeks flushed crimson as she squirmed against his restraint. The tinge of pink on her cheeks reminded Byakuya of a cherry blossom in the spring. His fingers begged the caress the soft skin but he resisted.

"My apologies, Kuchiki-taicho, I can explain," Ayame started.

"There is no need. Do not waste my time." Byakuya released the girl, who stepped away, turning to face him.

"Kuchiki-taicho, what can I do to make amends?" the girl asked, making dignified direct eye contact with her captain.

Her audacity caused Byakuya's mind to flood with the salacious thoughts he'd worked to keep at bay. He took a step towards her, his presence towering over hers.

"I can overpower you in many ways beyond my zanpakuto's abilities, Satō-san."

"I deeply apologize, Kuchiki-taicho," Ayame responded, lowering her eyes to the ground in respect.

"Disrespect from a subordinate towards their captain must be dealt with swiftly, do you understand?" Byakuya continued, his eyes darkened with lustful desires. He used one hand to grab Ayame's wrist and pull her close to him, and the other to raise her chin so she had no other option but to look him in the face.

Ayame's pupils dilated when she locked eyes with the man standing above her, his face inches from hers. "I think I'm starting to understand, Taicho."

"Good. Now repeat how you described me to Nakamura-san."

Byakuya felt Ayame's heart race as he gripped her wrist between them.

"I told Tamiko-san that you were 'such a daddy'," Ayame said, her voice dropping to a whisper at the end.

Unsatisfied, Byakuya gripped her chin and raised her face even closer to his.

"What did you call me?"

"Daddy," Ayame said matter-of-factly, her confidence pushing through the layers of shame, embarrassment, and now, arousal within her.

Byakuya closed the distance between their lips, releasing her chin from his grasp and running his hand along her jaw to the small of her neck, his thumb resting gently on her throat. Ayame warmed into the kiss and ran her free hand up Byakuya's clothed chest. Taking her cue, Byakuya slid his tongue masterfully against the crease of their lips, begging for entrance to go deeper. Butterflies danced in the hollow of his stomach for the first time in decades. He released her wrist and put his hand on her waist, pulling her body closer into his chest. Ayame broke away for air, bewildered and bewitched.

"Kuchiki-taicho," she started.

Byakuya refused to let her finish her thought. He placed both hands firmly on her hips and guided her back against a wooden support beam in her room, showering kisses along the length of her neck. A soft whimper escaped her lips as his mouth connected with the most sensitive part of her neck. He sucked ever so slightly, eliciting another moan of satisfaction.

Ayame's hands found the front of his robes and pulled both sides apart, revealing her captain's firm chest, chiseled from a century of training. Byakuya's heart raced as her hands explored his bare skin. He pressed his body against hers.

Their lips connected again. This kiss was different from the first. This kiss was hungry and demanding. Ayame brought her teeth down on Byakuya's lower lip, tugging gently. Unable to control himself, he grabbed her thighs, hoisting her up and pinning her against the beam. Ayame wrapped her legs around his waist.

Byakuya gripped her waist with his arms as Ayame rolled her hips against his pelvis. She brought her hands up to his hair, tugging it free from the hair pieces that usually adorned his head, indicating his nobility. Ayame pulled away from the kiss, admiring the way the raven-black strands fell like silk around his face.

Byakuya took the opportunity to carry the girl to her futon, laying her down. He knelt between her legs and untied the belt holding her robes together. His lips started at her collarbones, adorning them with kisses, then worked his way down her chest, between her breasts. As his kisses trailed lower, he opened the front of her robe further until she was completely exposed. He kissed from her ribs down to her navel before lifting his head, admiring the figure of the woman beneath him.

"Exquisite," he remarked outloud, trailing his fingertip below her belly button.

Ayame's cheeks twinged pink at his comment. "Taicho, I," she started.

"Call me by my name," Byakuya interrupted, kissing the inside of her thigh.

"Byakuya," Ayame continued. "I don't know what to say."

Byakuya slid his hands up her shins and down her smooth thighs, lowering himself. He positioned his face between her legs and looked up at her.

"Then don't say anything at all."

He planted a kiss to the left of her folds, then to the right, his lips lightly grazing over her core as he switched sides. He traced his tongue around her center, avoiding the throbbing bundle of nerves crying for his attention.

Ayame whimpered as he teased her, her legs threatening to close around his neck with the slightest provocation. Byakuya looked up from between her legs and locked eyes with her. He slowly brushed his tonge in a circle around her aching bud, watching as her neck arched in pleasure. He licked deeper and deeper with every flick of his tongue, each gesture masterfully intentional.

Byakuya pulled her legs over his shoulders and lifted her hips so she was at his eye level. Her body twitched and squirmed as he continued to play with his tongue. He positioned his lips over the bud, sucking ever so slightly.

"B-Byakuya, don't stop, I'm so close," Ayame whimpered, tangling her hands in his hair, gripping the black strands tightly.

Byakuya buried his face deeper, maininting eye contact with the girl. His tongue moved along the slick folds of her inner lips then drummed against her clit. Ayame's eyes rolled back into her head as his worship between her shaking legs reached its peak. A breathy moan escaped her lips as her hips bucked forward, grinding against Byakuya's face.

"Oh, Byakuya," she sighed, riding out her high.

Byakuya lapped up the sweet juices of her body before fully untying his disheveled robe. The fabric draped loosely around his figure and displayed his statuesque build. Ayame sat up, admiring his body. She ran her hands slowly up his abdomen and chest. She moved to her knees and pushed him down to the futon, straddling his lap.

His hair clung to the beads of sweat on his brow. Ayame traced the edges of his abs before pushing his robe to the side, revealing his fully erect member. Looking up at him, she closed her mouth around the tip, sucking. Byakuya let his head roll back. Ayame dragged her tongue up the underside of his shaft, causing his legs to spasm slightly. She pulled his full length into her mouth. A moan escaped Byakuya's stoic mouth as she started to bob her head up and down. Ayame used one hand to rub the base of his cock in time with the movement of her mouth. Byakuya placed a strong hand on her head, gripping her hair.

Ayame continued to pleasure her captian, feeling his member twitch in her mouth. Byakuya pulled her up to his face and kissed her ravenously. He flipped them over so he was on top, placing one hand to the left of her head. He lined himself up with her still-soaked entrance.

"Byakuya, are you sure this okay? You're a noble. I'm sure there will be people who object," Ayame asked.

"I've disappointed their expectations before. Do you object?" Byakuya asked, teasing her entrance with the tip of cock.

"Not at all."

With her permission, Byakuya pushed himself into her. Her walls welcomed him, pulling him deeper.

"Is that alright, Ayame-chan?"

"Yes, Taicho," Ayame breathed, adjusting to his girth.

"Not Taicho."

"Byakuya."

"Also not Byakuya," he said, pulling out slowly.

Ayame's cheeks flushed darker. "Yes, daddy," she said cautiously.

"Good girl," Byakuya praised as he plunged into her again, deeper than before.

Ayame threw her head back with a gasp. Byakuya began thrusting his hips forward repetitively, hitting deeper and deeper with every stroke. He put his other hand on the right side of her head, caging her in.

Ayame's inner walls sucked and pulled at his length, beckoning him further inside. The slap of skin and the smell of pheromones filled the air as Byakuya grew more frantic with his ministrations. The rigid tip of his cock dragged across her spot with every thrust. Byakuya leaned back and hiked one of Ayame's legs over his shoulder, offering a different angle. Her hips rolled, legs shaking, the knot in her stomach threatening to unwind.

"Call me that name again," Byakuya breathed.

He brought his thumb down between her legs and brushed agasint the bundle of nerves. Ayame's back arched off the futon as fireworks erupted inside of her.

"Oh, daddy, that feels so good!" she moaned as her insides contracted, pulling Byakuya's release closer. He dropped her leg and positioned himself above her again, leaving passionate kisses along her neck. His breathing turned shaky as he neared his own release, milked by her core.

Ayame whimpered with each thrust his body gave. With a final heave, ecstasy ripped through his body. He moaned, muffling the sound in the curve of her neck. His back expanded with each haggard breath.

"Next time, don't wait fifty years before touching a woman," Senbonzakura said.

Byakuya shoved the thoughts of his zanpakuto to the side and removed his captain's haori, gingerly wiping the girl clean. He laid on the futon beside her as he regained his breath.

Ayame propped herself up with one elbow. "For the record, Taicho, this is exactly what I meant when I said you were 'such a daddy'."

Byakuya smirked at the girl. "I know."

#byakuya kuchiki #kuchiki byakuya #bleach fanfiction #bleach smut #byakuya x oc #daddy byakuya

225 notes · View notes

sourholland · 4 years

Text

A Royal Convenience || Tom Holland

| Series Masterlist |

Part Two

AN → You might all be wondering where I’ve been, I honestly just needed a bit of a break for my mental health! I’m sorry, I’ve missed taking to you all <3

Summary → When an alliance is made between England and France, you are sent away to marry the crown prince and heir to the British throne. Except both you and Prince Thomas despise each other at all odds, subjected to the hand of the monarchy and unable to stand each other.

Pairing(s) → Prince!Tom x Princess!Reader

Warnings → None

Word Count → 2.0k

“Could one of you run off and find out if my son is planning on gracing us all with his attendance.” Nicola’s voice was assertive, dripping with irritation at the Prince’s tardiness.

A man holding a closed box with an assortment of rings stood off to the side of the drawing-room. He was stiff, awkward even, in the presence of not only the Queen, but the Princess and future Queen of England. His eyes were trained on the freshly polished floors, clutching the velvet.

Behind you stood your newly introduced ladies in waiting, there were three: Lady Eloise, Lady Charlotte, and Lady Andrea. They were very young, pretty, and had very clearly come from aristocratic backgrounds. Each of them held a title, meaning they’d soon enough marry. You’d planned on meeting them for tea, but Queen Nicola figured it would be better to bring them in before you chose an engagement ring.

“Apologies, mum,” Tom came through the double doors, his hair skewed and his shirt disheveled. He bowed, taking a spot beside his mother and averting his eyes from you.

“Thomas, wonderful of you to join us,” she drawled. “Do begin, sir,” she said, motioning towards the man.

He opened the box a bit shakily, dozens of diamonds gleaming. They ranged from color to carrots of gold, each holding a different and more interesting background. You couldn’t help but to reach out and pick up one with a deep sapphire.

“That was once worn by the late Queen Elizabeth l,” he droned on, continuing to tell you about the long history of where the ring had come from and what it signified.

“What do you think, Thomas,” Nicola asked. She was practically beaming at each ring you slid onto your finger. Like no matter which one you chose, none would be the wrong choice.

“It is not I that will have to wear the dreadful thing,” he replied shortly. “Therefore, I should not be the person deciding which one she chooses, though I wish you’d quicken the pace a bit.”

“Since you’ve made it clear that you have no intention on weighing in on the decision, I ask you kindly, Prince Tom, to please refrain from commenting,” you quipped. He took a step back irritably, pulling at the collar of his undershirt.

You reached into the box once more, pulling out a large European cut diamond ring. The several diamonds displayed at the golden band left you lifting your hand, staring at your ring finger absentmindedly. It was classic, yet had too many diamonds to be considered simple. A royal staple, much like the tiara you’d eventually choose to wear on your wedding day.

“This one,” you said. “This is the one.”

The Queen drifted towards you, biting back excitement as she assessed the ring. It was clearly too large and would need to be sized, yet still had the same effect. She held it up as you had done, clutching your hand and motioning towards your ladies to come and look.

“That’s absolutely darling,” Charlotte mused.

“It’s stunning,” Andrea agreed.

The Prince soon enough took his leave, slipping out of the room before Nicola could notice his absence. She looked disappointed when she looked over and was met with an empty space where he’d just stood.

“He’ll come around soon enough,” she said, this was less reassuring to you and seemed more comforting for herself.

“Do tell me about yourself, Andrea,” you murmured on, arm in arm as you both perused the large gardens.

“Well there’s not much to know, miss,” she replied swiftly.

“Please, I wish you’d call me Y/N in private company,” you laughed a bit. “I’ve never had much of a thing for titles.”

“Her Majesty would simply chastise me.”

There were blooming flowers and the grass was slowly becoming more and more green. The air was a bit brisk, the cloak draped along your shoulders thinner than you’d like. The soft breeze felt nice, though. Andrea was simple looking, pulled back brown hair and a heart-shaped face. She explained that she was one of three girls, the third daughter of an earl.

“I must admit, I do wish we’d have met under different circumstances,” you mused, plucking a lily from the shrubs.

“I’m not sure what you mean, miss,” she looked over at you a bit sideways.

“I just mean—well under the circumstance that I wasn’t being pawned off on the Prince.”

You fumbled at your skirts for a moment, pressing at the fabrics of your afternoon dress. It was ivory, beautiful, really. Though, much different from anything you’d have worn in France.

“I’m sure His Royal Highness will be as pleased as everyone else once you are both wed.”

“That’s hard to believe,” you chuckled. “He has hardly said a word to me since I arrived in London.”

She looked nervous, like she was afraid to say the wrong thing. Her cheeks flushed lightly, the glint in her eyes a bit brighter. Andrea just looked over to you and gave a soft smile, as if to say everything would be alright.

“Do you think that Prince Thomas is handsome?” You asked, curious of her opinion. You watched her cheeks redden, an awkward laugh escaping her lips.

“That is not for me to judge, miss,” she answered almost immediately.

“No—but, I just want your opinion, do you think he is handsome?” You asked once again.

She hesitated for a moment, “yes, I think the Prince is certainly very handsome.”

You thought for a moment, of his brown hair that had been swept back and so carelessly skewed about earlier in the morning. The way his freckles scattered lightly across his nose like a constellation, you’d only known this from when he’d pulled you in so closely the night before. He wore his signet ring proudly, this amongst what looked like another ring with a crest on it.

“Yes, I suppose he is quite handsome. Though, if I’ve learned anything, it is that looks count for almost nothing when you’re forced to spend everyday with a person.”

The quiet clattering of silverware sounded throughout the large room, beside you sat Prince Tom. Down the table were the two older princes, assuming the youngest, Prince Patrick, was still too young. At the head of the table was King Dominic, at his right was Queen Nicola. Occupying the rest of the table was an assortment of dukes and duchesses, earls and ladies.

It had been too late to join everyone for dinner the night before, so tonight was the first time you’d been in everyone’s company. The room was large, grand even, gold trim and deep royal red walls filled with paintings dating back centuries. Candles burned while you ate, attempting to steal a glance at the Prince while he spoke with his brother Harry.

It had taken you weeks studying the British monarchy to completely grasp their political and traditional protocol. You had to learn who to curtsy to and who not to, and then in what order, how to determine the sovereign and whether or not to address someone with a title or not to.

“Tell us, Y/N, how are you finding England?” The Queen chimed, staring at you from her seat across the table.

“Well, ma’am—I haven’t seen much of it, I do hope to see more. It is far different from France, though.”

A quiet murmur spread across the table, “I’ve always found the French quite curious,” a duchess, whom you could not recall the name of, said lowly.

“Curiously dreadful,” Tom laughed to himself in a whisper you were sure only you could hear.

“I’m sorry?” You turned towards him, the sound of your cutlery against the plate louder than you’d liked. “I thought you said something, sir.”

The King looked up at you, the scornful way in which you looked at Tom, seething at his teasing words. You felt the heat in your face spread when you noticed an almost surprised look from a majority of the long and stretching table.

The rest of dinner you kept quiet, avoiding the looks from the prince at your side. He seemed quite bothered, you put your head down and braced yourself once the King stood. Once the King finished his meal, everyone else was finished as well. He stood soundly, the paleness of his skin off-putting, the deep purple crescents underneath his eyes prominent in the candlelight.

You stood with everyone else, retiring to your chambers in a fleeting moment once it was appropriate to get away. The long, narrow halls were ages older than you, the artwork clearly showing that. You recognized past monarchs, the kings and queens of the years earlier. The twists and turns reminded you of a labyrinth, easy to get lost in.

Once you reached the double doors to your chambers, you pulled at them quickly, shutting them behind you soundly and sinking against the wall. The room was still filled with burning candles, the servant at your vanity looking at you curiously.

She curtsied quickly, motioning you off of the floor in a maternal way. You said nothing, letting her help you slip out of the evening gown and undo the tight lacing of your corset. You breathed deeply as she slipped the white nightgown over your head and took down the silver pins from your hair.

“Are you alright, miss?” She asked, the look on her face a bit concerned.

“Yes, just tired,” you excused. “I can put myself to sleep, thank you.”

“Are you sure, miss? I really do not mind,” she trailed off as you waved her away laughing stiffly.

“I am sure, thank you, Anne.”

You stared at yourself in the mirror, brushing through your hair as you sat. Anne had long left, the doors shut tightly and the guards posted at them for the night, however, you turned quickly at the sound of them creeping open.

“How thick in the head must you be?”

Prince Thomas.

“You should not be in here,” you warned. “It’s bad enough to be caught alone in the daytime without a chaperone, but at night—in my bedroom!” Your tone was sharp, your arms wrapping around yourself. His eyes scanned your bare ankles, the curve of your legs underneath the thin material.

“You need not be concerned about your virtue, not after what you decided to pull at dinner tonight, before mother and father! I mean seriously, it’s like you enjoy humiliating yourself in front of the whole family!”

His cheeks were flushed in anger, his eyes fixed on you. You hair was undone, your eyes stuck on him. The silence was deafening, the space between the both of you closing when you stood up and marched over to him.

“I have been here a day. A day! And you cannot allow me the luxury of my own chambers, parading in here like you were not the one who provoked me!” You rammed a finger into his chest, gaze not faltering as you looked up at him.

“I told mother, I told father. You are nothing but a child, a little girl with no clue what she’s getting herself into,” you flinched at his voice.

“I will be your wife—”

“You will be the Queen of England!” He shouted, “the way you acted tonight was not that of a queen, but an eighteen year old girl in way over her head.”

He grabbed the hand that had jabbed into his chest, skewing it to the side. “Do not forget yourself, Y/N. I can promise you this, if you cannot at least act like you have any idea what you’re doing, this engagement is off. I will not tarnish the name of my country, nor title or reputation for a French princess that I had no desire to wed in the first place.”

taglist- @justapurrcat @witchyartemis @keithseabrook27 @clara-licht @dummiesshort @username2002 @imaginationisgrowth @nova-sup3r @jeyramarie @the-avengers-assembling @veryholland

#tom holland imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland imagines #prince!tom #prince!tom x reader #peter parker imagines #peter parker x reader #tom holland

446 notes · View notes

makeste · 4 years

Text

BnHA Chapter 294: A Half-Assed Escape

Previously on BnHA: Mirio was all “SURPRISE I’M BACK THANKS TO OUR RESIDENT SEVEN-YEAR-OLD WHO RECENTLY EARNED HER BACHELOR’S OF BEING A TOTAL BADASS.” Kacchan was all, “you know what, Dabi’s been trending long enough, time to remind the fandom what a real G looks like,” and he blasted his little bleeding body back into the fray and was all “FROM HERE ON OUT CALL ME DYNAMIGHT!!” Mirio was all, “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... oh, you’re serious,” and Kacchan was all “!!”, and so that’s the story of how my son got murdered twice in one day. Meanwhile in the Todoroki Drama Zone, Deku was all “STOP MURDERING MY FRIEND” and Dabi was all “THAT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS” and fandom had a whole big debate about Whether Or Not Dabi Trying To Murder Deku’s Friends And Mentors Is Any Of Deku’s Business, which went exactly how you think it went. Anyway, so then Deku yelled at Dabi, and Endeavor was all moved by his manly words and randomly went to go uppercut Machia in the chin. And, seeing as how the Momoserum finally chose that exact moment to kick in, Machia is now down for the count.

Today on BnHA: The Miriosquad handles the Nearly High End Noumus, freeing up Jeanist to jasphyxiate (okay that one doesn’t really work so well) the rest of the League. Compress is all “TIME FOR THIS MILD-MANNERED SIDE CHARACTER VILLAIN TO SHINE”, except that by “shine” what he actually means is “use his quirk to punch a literal hole right through his own ass to free himself.” The rest of the chapter is basically just a back and forth between him and Jeanist, with Jeanist trying to recapture him, and Compress repeatedly thwarting him by chopping more holes out of himself because HE’S FRESH OUT OF FUCKS, AND THE ONES AT THE STORE ARE ALL SOLD OUT, MOTHERFUCKERS. Anyway, so with Compress basically dying and all, Horikoshi is all “you know what that means”, and delivers a freshly-baked villain flashback revealing that Compress is a descendant of Harima Ouji, a.k.a. the Peerless Thief, a.k.a. some famous guy whom Gentle mentioned this one time for like two seconds back in the day. The chapter ends with Compress finally demasking himself and dumping Tomura back onto the ground, a.k.a. The Worst Possible Place For Tomura To Be. ( •﹏•)

WHY IS CRUST HERE YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD

-- OH WAIT, SHIT. OH

AIZAWAAAA you’re alive and receiving medical help thank GOD. HOW MANY EYES DO YOU HAVE. AND MIRKO!! HOW MANY LIMBS DO YOU HAVE, OMG

so is this Aizawa dreaming about Crust’s final moments, then?? jesus. with All Due Respect to Crust’s memory, does Aizawa not already have enough misplaced guilt on his conscience as it is?? “nope, we’re gonna keep piling it on. that’s all he is now. three limbs, an indeterminate number of eyes, sexy hair, and Guilt” well shit

motherfucker y’all really out here placing an oxygen mask on Gran Torino’s corpse. fucking shounen characters. each one comes with a lifetime warranty

DAMN YOU HORIKOSHI WHY DO YOU KEEP SHOWING THESE CLOSE-UPS OF HAWKS’S UNCONSCIOUS FACE ALL WHUMPED OUT AND EXHAUSTED. HOW MUCH MORE OF THIS ARE WE GOING TO GET. ARE YOU PLANNING ON KILLING ME WITH THE UPCOMING CONVALESCENCE ARC, BECAUSE IF SO, AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO TELL ME AHEAD OF TIME SO I CAN MAKE A WILL

for a moment I considered going back and checking my previous recaps to count how many times I’ve already made a joke about Dabi’s fire incinerating Hawks’s wings but not touching so much as a hair on his five o’clock shadow, so that I could calculate whether or not I could possibly get away with making that same joke one more time. but then I realized I could just do it in this kind of roundabout way I’m doing right now instead. so there you have it

FFFFFFFMT LADY AND MIDNIGHT NOOOOO

PLEASE BE ALIVE. PLEASE RESPECT THE SIGN ON THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. THE ONE THAT SAYS “NO LADY CHARACTERS ALLOWED TO DIE”, WITH THE FINE PRINT AT THE BOTTOM “AT LEAST NOT UNTIL HORIKOSHI GIVES US LIKE TWENTY-SIX MORE OF THEM FIRST IF THAT’S THE WAY HE WANTS TO PLAY IT.” IT’S A GOOD SIGN, PLEASE RESPECT ITS WISHES!!

so anyway though, Jeanist is giving a speech about how god knows how many people all worked together to bring Machia down. and now RHA is getting in on those fabric puns too, I see. “A SINGLE STRAND MAY BE THIN BUT TOGETHER THEY FORM A STRONG ROPE” oh so you think you guys are funny eh? I’m a frayed knot

MEANWHILE EXCUSE ME BUT WHY ARE YOU FUCKING CRYING BLOOD, HOLY SHIT

fffffff. so much for him taking over as the Number One once all this is over. so let’s just recap real quick, because Horikoshi has long since made it clear that one of his plot goals for this arc is to wipe out every single member of the Billboard Top Ten. so how we doin?

Endeavor - was just figuratively eviscerated in front of the entire nation by his homicidal zombiepunk son. also burnt half to death and possibly down a lung. will almost certainly be forced to retire after this one way or the other

Hawks - lying prettily in a medical tent. wings status: gone. hair status: still perfect

Jeanist - WELL I THOUGHT HE WAS FINE BUT APPARENTLY HE’S OUT HERE DYING, JESUS CHRIST

Edgeshot - MIA, last seen fighting Re-Destro. I really want him to have kicked RD’s ass because fuck that guy, but realistically they probably fought to a draw at best

Mirko - alive but in critical condition and missing something like 1.5 limbs

Crust - dead, currently haunting Aizawa’s traumatized dreams. now he’s gonna be triggered the rest of his life by people giving him the thumbs up, THANKS A LOT

Kamui Woods - was set on fire which is His Weakness. thoughts and prayers

Wash - last seen floating hospital patients to safety as Tomura’s wave of decay descended towards him. probably dead ffff

Old Man Samurai - haven’t seen this fucker in a hot minute, who even knows where he’s wandered off to

Ryuukyuu - currently being treated for her wounds, looked pretty bad off. but it’s hard to tell how hurt she is since most of the injuries were acquired in her transformed state. SHE BETTER GET WELL SOON

anyways, so yeah. so much for the top ten. guess that’s another reason Horikoshi brought Mirio back now, huh

so there’s a big panel of everyone fighting the Noumu while Machia lies there all “blurgh.” good riddance my dude. it took like twenty chapters and a hundred people to stop this guy so I really fucking hope he stays down. you’ve had your fun

anyway so Jeanist is sending another steel thread towards Dabi! and he’s all “just a bit more!!” fklklj this is gonna go real well isn’t it

meanwhile Mirio’s fighting a Nearly High End with all of these weird rock formations jutting out of its skin. go on and kick his ass then, Mirio

“each of these guys is probably just as strong as the Noumu from Kyuushuu” hold on I thought Ujiko or Tomura or someone said that wasn’t the case? not that Mirio would know I suppose. anyways let’s just hope he’s wrong cuz if not these kids are probably screwed

kLSDKFHLSKHGLKLK OH MY GODDDD

IIDA FUCKING TENYA YOU’RE A PEACH. THINKS THE NAME IS OUTRAGEOUS, CHECK. USES IT ANYWAY, CHECK. “JUST BECAUSE I DON’T UNDERSTAND DOESN’T MEAN I CAN’T BE SUPPORTIVE.” WHAT A CLASS ACT

AND KACCHAN IS RESPONDING WITH AS MUCH DIGNITY AS HE CAN MUSTER

WOW, SON. IT’S ALMOST AS THOUGH YOU HAVE A HOLE IN YOUR TORSO, OR SOMETHING!! although listen up, real talk, the fact that Kacchan of all people can’t muster the energy to yell at someone questioning his ability to kick ass is HIGHKEY troubling and we may be in need of an intervention here soon :/

now Jeanist is finally turning his attention to the League! was... was it not already on the League. omg

ACTUAL SCREAMING AHHHHHH FUCK FUCKLK LK AHHLKHKFFFF

hey so um. what the actual fucked up hell. my soul left my body. imagine if you saw the reflection of this panel on your bedroom window. you would never sleep again

OKAY RHA TRANSLATORS ARE YOU HAVING YOURSELF A LAUGH AGAIN

THIS CANNOT BE WHAT HE’S ACTUALLY SAYING RIGHT. BUT IT’S RIGHT IN THAT UNCANNY VALLEY OF NOT BEING QUITE SURE, THOUGH... (　ﾟдﾟ)

(ETA: just a next-day clarification here, apparently my sleep-deprived ADHD word-skipping brain completely skipped right over the “a” in that last panel, so what I read was, “and Shigaraki’s limp noodle.” so yeah, the moral of this story is always read the speech bubble carefully before you start making running jokes throughout the rest of your post, folks.)

oh wow he’s really freaking out lmao

to be fair though, I’d argue that Dabi has gotten pre-tty close at this point :’) thrilled for him, really I am

but anyway, well then figure something out you big dramatic robot-armed fiend. didn’t you just say you could touch your own ass? can you not just Compress yourself to break free?? does it not work on you? or would you be stuck afterwards lol

(ETA: I was picturing him compressing his entire body at once, not just chunks of it. ghhhlkh.)

holy shit Jeanist. are you stupidly trying to cut off their air, or are you going for more of a sleeper hold (jleeper hold??) thing instead. the latter would be way smarter and faster and probably safer as well just saying

but unless Spinner is just being super dramatic, it sure looks like he’s fucking strangling them djslkjlk. this will certainly cement his popularity among the villain stans. good thing you’re not running for office any time soon bud

anyway so I have no idea what these guys are trying to do now. what is this

do you even have till the count of 5 at this rate. I mean

OH MY GOODNESS

HE’S REALLY FUCKING DOING IT!! HE’S COMPRESSING HIS BUTT!! OMFG. TOMURA HIDE YOUR NOODLE!!!

WHAT THE FUCK

DID YOU COMPRESS A PIECE OF YOUR OWN ASS. FUCKING WHAT. PUT THIS MAN’S PICTURE IN THE DICTIONARY NEXT TO THE WORD “LOYALTY”, HOLY CRAP

HOLY SHIT COMPRESS

“HOLY SHIT DID THAT GUY JUST PUNCH A HOLE THROUGH HIS OWN ASS IN ORDER TO SAVE HIS VILLAIN PALS. FUCK IT, HE DESERVES TO ESCAPE”

jeez, talk about... A HALF-ASSED ESCAPE ATTEMPT :D :D :D hahaha. but real talk though, Horikoshi has clearly never tried to leap twelve feet straight up in the air multiple times in succession with only half his glutes though. everyone, I regret to inform you that this panel right here on the left may be slightly unrealistic

also where the hell is he going to go?? did you pack a jetpack away in one of those little marbles sir. and what about Dabi?? and Skeptic too, I guess, but we don’t really care about Skeptic

(ETA: at this point I had to stop reading for about two hours because I had to go out and take care of something; that’s also why this is being posted later than usual lol. anyways so where were we.)

oh my lord

the existence of a translator’s note here implies that the earlier line about Compress being able to reach Tomura’s junk was not, in fact, ad-libbed. hmm. hmmmmmmmm

anyway so now he’s grabbing Compress again because OF COURSE HE IS, so now we’re right back to square one! except now Tomura and Spinner are secured inside of little marbles, and presumably Compress is the only one who can release them

oh nevermind he’s just maiming himself again instead, SHEESH

Skeptic a man is dying please have some goddamn respect

so, uh. is he gonna die, though??

I really can’t tell wtf is going on here, this is the most confusing the art has been in a while. Horikoshi put all of his spoons into that creepyass close-up panel earlier, that bastard

OMG WHAT ARE YOU SERIOUS

DON’T FUCKING TELL ME THE “COMPRESS IS RELATED TO THIS THIEF GUY FROM OLDEN TIMES” THEORY IS ACTUALLY TRUE WHAAAAAAT. OH SHIT

so apparently Harima was a Robin Hood type guy who stole from... heroes?? wtf. are heroes the 1% in this scenario. y’all didn’t have any Fortune 500 CEOs to steal from?

THAT’S THE BLOOD THAT FLOWS THROUGH YOU, OH SHIT. and in a related oh shit, the fact that we are getting a Compress flashback now of all times doesn’t bode super well for him. ffff

MEANWHILE THE TODOROKIS ARE STILL TODOROKI-ING

listen here boy if you touch one freaking hair on Shouto’s candy cane head I swear to god --

WHAT DID I FUCKING SAY!!!

SHOUTO NOOOOOO. WTF YOU’RE LITERALLY THE ONE GUY WHOSE WEAKNESS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FIRE. DABI YOU SHIT, YOU BETTER WATCH YOURSELF!! I’M PRINTING OUT A COPY OF THAT COMPRESS PANEL!!! KEEP AN EYE OUT ON THAT BEDROOM WINDOW YOU PUNK!!!

SO NOW POOR SHOUTO IS UNCONSCIOUS AND FALLING!! SOMEONE SAVE HIM!! WHO CATCHES THE CATCHER

COMPRESS LITERALLY HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE RIGHT NOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING

PLEASE DON’T CALL TOMURA LEADER OF THE “PLF” YOU KNOW I CAN’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY WHEN YOU DO THAT. ARE YOU DYING. ARE YOU JUST A FUCKING HEAD NOW WTF

(ETA: “masks are removable, makeste” you know what it’s been a long day okay lmao. or I suppose Compress is really the one who is lmao.)

GASPPPPPP

okay. okay. looooool okay then

WHY WERE YOU COVERING THIS SEXY MOP OF HAIR UNDER THAT HOOD YOU TOOL. IT WOULD HAVE LOOKED SO GOOD WITH THE TOP HAT. I’M SO MAD AT YOU RIGHT NOW

as if it wasn’t enough for him to demask himself, he also had to get all shirtless and then do this weird attempt at a sexypose too huh

hard to say exactly how much of his torso is currently missing, but safe to say that’s proooooooobably not good. :///// fuck

on the other hand, Kacchan also has a torso hole and he’s still flying around like he just drank a dozen red bulls, so

this man lost his ass and he’s still out here monologuing like it’s the last two minutes of The Prestige. one might say he is monologuing his ass off

so he let Spinner and Tomura free, but is Dabi still trapped in his marble?? wasn’t he all on fire and stuff?? hopefully he can still turn off his quirk in there because if not that’s a pretty fucked up way to die. somewhere out there Snatch’s ghost is all “YEAH I’LL SAY.” oh how the turntables

last but not least, sooooooo. Tomura. back on the ground. that’s. um. ...shiiiiiiiit

#bnha 294 #mr. compress #...and actually that's pretty much it lol #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha #sorry this is up later than usual (and mostly unedited as well)#just one of those days

601 notes · View notes

chloe-writes · 3 years

Note

Retirement headcanons for the vets

AOT Headcanons for when the veterans retire

— Life after chapter 139, during the technological advancement of Paradis.

• Hange

- Starts making chain mail and puts it in their fellow veterans' mailboxes. Chain mail cointains: "Pass this to 5 people or you will die in your sleep tonight. Eren ignored it and he is now dead."

- Is trying to convince Erwin to get his eyebrows waxed.

- Onyankopon taught them how to use a telephone. They have been calling the vets non-stop just to say 'hello' then drops the call.

- Takes photographs of the most random things, like weeds by the side of the road.

- Tries baking for Moblit's birthday but ends up burning the cake. Tells Moblit that they 'intentionally' burnt it for nutritional purposes.

- Proofreads and edits the book Erwin is writing.

- Owns a pet grasshopper.

• Erwin

- Makes a book about his life in the military.

- Uses the typewriter with one hands.

- Owns a business with Levi. A library-tea shop.

- Lives in a cottage in the quieter areas of Paradis.

- Manages his garden with the help of Moblit. He also has a particular favorite flower in his garden.

- Doesn't shave his 5 o'clock shadow. A regular from his library-tea shop told him he looked better with it, and Erwin agrees.

- Checks the newspaper every morning.

• Miche

- Adopts stray dogs.

- Walks about 12 dogs at a time every morning, causing people to stare at him because the dogs always make a scene.

- Changes his look for a difference. He shaves his little mustache but instantly regrets it.

- Visits the library-tea shop regularly. He orders tea, grabs a book and pretends to read it. He just wants to look mysteriously knowledgeable and cool to the other customers.

- Goes fishing often.

• Moblit

- Becomes an artist after the war. Draws potraits of the little kids in Historia's orphanage and gives it to them.

- Willingly helps Erwin with his garden.

- Assists Niccolo in the kitchen because he wants to be a chef too.

- Lives in a flat/apartment above a bakery because he loves the smell of freshly baked bread in the morning.

• Levi

- Despite being grown adults, Levi adopts the 104th and makes them work in his library tea-shop with Erwin.

- Acts annoyed when Hange speed pushes his wheelchair, but actually secretly enjoys it.

- Took a street kitten in. The kitten was grumpier than Levi himself.

- Learns how to knit.

- Made mittens for the vets, but delayed giving it because he was too shy. He didn't want them to think he'd grown soft.

- Ignored Hange's chain letter. But he couldn't sleep that night because he was genuinely scared that he would actually die.

A/N: I find Hange with the chain mail so canon!

[ Masterlist ]

140 notes · View notes

aubreyprc · 3 years

Text

hardwired to be with you

inspired by one of my hotchniss head canons (which i might share, one day) which took a very unexpected turn which lead me and @eprcntiss crying at four am :) evelyn prentiss hotchner we love you we would die for you and we would kill for you in fact you can never do anything wrong in our eyes<3

ao3

They probably would have slept through the whole day if it wasn’t for the sudden loud crash of something, coming from the kitchen, echoing around the house causing them both to jump from their slumber. Even after being retired for three years, the constant state of vigilance, even in sleep, is one that never really fades.

“What the hell-“ Hotch mutters, already getting out of bed, tempted to grab the glock he hasn’t even looked at in three years, from the safe under the wardrobe.

“Babe,” Emily says, her voice groggy and full of sleep. She reaches out for him, gently grasping her fingers in some of his as he looks at her, “It’s nothing.” She tells him and he frowns, looking back at their door. “It’s Jack.” She tells him and he squints his eyes at her, a playful look in them and she laughs, pulling him into the bed. “Eve wanted to make you breakfast.” She smiles, his laugh full of just complete joy as he lays back next to her, resting his arm across her body as she faces his.

“Evie,” He says with a smirk, it’s a name only he calls her, he can’t help but laugh as Emily rolls her eyes. “Is two, the only think she’s knows about breakfast is how to throw it across the kitchen.”

“Which is why Jack so kindly offered to help her.” She smiles, a growing grin on her face as she rolls into his arms, resting her chin on his chest.

“Happy birthday,” she whispers, running a finger across his cheek before kissing him softly, smiling as he runs a hand under her shirt. “What are you doing?” She asks as she pulls away, he grins at her innocently, tracing a finger across her bare back.

“Nothing...” He says, moving to catch her lips in his again, she feels him start to roll them over and places a hand into his chest, a happy smile on her face as she looks at him. It’s a smile he doesn’t think he’ll ever get over seeing.

“I’m afraid you’re out of look mister,” she says, holding back a laugh as he pouts, doing her best to ignore the way his fingers trace across her skin. “Eve’s up.”

“Evie, is making breakfast.” He grins and Emily just laughs, rolling out of his arms. Aaron huffs as she flops onto her back, smiling at him as she twists onto her side.

“Jack is making breakfast,” She chuckles, “And your daughter has a habit of running in here unannounced.” She raises an eyebrow at him, watching with a smile as he laughs, “I give it ten minutes until that door bursts open.”

“Ten minutes is all we need...” He teases, laying on his side to face her and pull her to him, capturing her lips in his own.

She laughs as she allows herself to be pressed into him, wrapping her leg over his body.

However the moment ends when the sound of small, but fast, feet speed across the landing. Laughing as she pulls away, she cups his face, pressing another chaste kiss onto his lips just as the door opens with force, the little girl running to her mother’s side and climbing over her. Emily grunts as she helps move her daughter into the middle of the bed, the child grins at her, a grin that matches her fathers, a grin that makes her heart melt. Running a soft hand over her daughters forehead and into her hair, pushing it from her face, Emily smiles down at her baby.

“Good morning.” Emily smiles, looking across at Aaron as he stares down at their daughter with such adoration that her chest swells.

The little girl turns to her father, cupping his face with her small hands (an action she absolutely learnt from watching her mother do it) and smiles.

“Happy birthday, Daddy!” She says happily, tapping his cheeks.

“Thank you, Evie” He says softly, pressing a kiss into the palm that’s on his cheek.

“Made you breakfast,” she smiles, “Jack said to come and get you.”

“I guess we better go then.” He says, her laugh melting his heart as she jumps up, standing in the middle of their bed.

“Now.” She says in a tone that is so Emily, Hotch can’t help but bark in laughter. Emily raises an eyebrow at their daughter and the girl pouts her lips looking at her mother, muttering a little sorry as she hops down, “Come on!” She groans as her parents get out of bed slowly, Emily grabbing her robe while Hotch walks slowly towards the child, scooping her in the air with ease as she screams in laughter, resting safety on his hips. She lands a flat palm at the back of his neck as she turns to face Emily.

“You spoil her,” She says to her husband with the roll of her eyes and he shrugs.

“Look at her,” he says, it’s his excuse every time. Emily hums in reply as she moves past them and out of the door, smiling to herself as the two whisper behind her.

“I can hear you.” She teases as they walk down the stairs and they silent, before their daughter lets out a giggle.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, she leaps from Hotch’s arms and runs to the kitchen, a shout for Jack as she does.

“I fear our Daughter may think she’s in charge.” Hotch jokes as he wraps two arms around Emily’s waist and pulls her into his chest, her head tilted too look at him.

“Who’s fault is that?” She asks with a raised eyebrow. He frowns playfully, more than painfully aware it’s his fault.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He smiles, bending down to kiss her once again.

“Gross,” Jack complains as he walks in the room and the pair laugh, turning to face him, “Come on,” He says, already turning to head back into the kitchen

“I made you this, Daddy.” Evie says, passing him a card full of glitter, stickers and drawings. There’s a huge smile on her face as she climbs onto his legs, resting her back against his chest as he holds the card, she pokes her tongue out at Jack as he playfully glares at her, he goes to speak before his eyes move to Emily, and he closes his mouth, her brows raised at him.

“Eve started it,” He mutters, just like a freshly thirteen year old would, while he picks at the last of his breakfast. “I-”

“Eve is two,” She says, trying to hold back a smile as the teenager just huffs, “You’re thirteen. Be the bigger person.”

“I love it, thank you.” Hotch says softly, pressing a kiss into her head as she smiles, giggling as he ruffles her hair.

“Emily,” Jack whispers while Hotch listens to Eve go through her card. “Can I the gift?” He smirks, Emily laughs, nodding her head.

“What gift?” He eyes the two suspiciously, watching as Jack heads into the living room he turns back to his wife. “What have you done?” He asks, looking at her smirk with a grin of his own.

“Here,” Jack smiles, passing his dad a wrapped box. “open it.”

“You two got this together?” He asks with a lace of playful worry, Jack nods, grinning at him and Hotch sighs. “God I hate to think what this going to be.”

Jack laughs as he takes a seat next to Emily, looking at her while he grins, far too happy with himself.

“It wasn’t my idea.” He says then as Hotch opens the gift and Emily laughs.

“You little-”She starts, but close her mouth, pointing at him with a finger lifted off her coffee cup.

They turn to face Hotch as he sighs with a laugh, shaking his head as he looks at the box.

“You think you’re funny?” He asks Emily, who nods her head with a smile.

“I know I am.” She teases, winking at him as he glares at her.

“What is it?” Evie asks from her dads lap, her hands reaching out for the box.

Hotch eyes Emily again before he shakes his head, looking back down at the gift.

An inflatable zimmer frame? Really?

“I hate you.” He smiles as he watches Emily rise from the table, her laughter tugs at his heart, one of his favourite sounds.

He looks towards his son, “And you? You were in on this?”

“It’s funny, no?” He teases, standing, “Happy birthday Dad.” He says, “The frame should come in handy with all the standing you’ll be doing today.”

His words cause Emily to scream with laughter from the other room, Evie breaking into a fit of giggles at the sound while Hotch just shakes his head, holding back a grin as his son chuckles to himself.

“Eve, sweetie come on,” Emily calls from door, the girl jumps from her dads lap and heads towards her mother, “Go and pick out something you want to wear I’ll be there in a second, okay?” She runs a hand through her daughters hair as the girl nods, before sprinting out of the room and up the stairs, already shouting her brothers name.

Emily heads over to Aaron, wrapping her arms Aaron his shoulder as he sits at the table, staring at the box, she rests her cheek against his temple, her arms around his shoulders.

“Happy fiftieth,” She smiles, “Do you like your gift?” She jokes, laughing as he rolls his eyes, resting his hand on her wrist.

“You’re not funny.”

“Yes I am.” Emily says, before kissing his cheek and standing up, “Come on, they’ll all be here soon.”

Running a hand through her hair as she exits her bedroom, Emily walks out into the hall, towards her daughters room, smiling as she watches Aaron braid their daughters hair.

“Look Mommy!” Eve shouts, “I’m wearing a dress!”

“I know,” She smiles, “You look very pretty.”

Eve smiles, kicking her legs as they swing off her bed. Hotch taps her back in a cue that her hair is finished and she jumps down, almost crashing into her Mother’s arms as she holds hers up. Emily bends down with a sigh, lifting her up and resting the girl on her hips.

“You, little miss, need to get your shoes on.” Emily tells her, “And you need to get dressed.” She says to Aaron, his two girls turning to face him as he stands.

“Mommy will you help me with my shoes?” Eve asks, resting her head on her shoulder. Emily smiles softly, running a gentle hand over her arm.

“Of course, which ones?” She asks and the girl points to a pair of shoes in the corner which Aaron turns to grab on his way out, handing them to his wife before he catches her lips in a kiss, the feel of her smile against his lips enough to make his heart flutter even all these years later.

“Gross,” Eve says, copying her older brother and the two adults laugh, separating and looking towards their baby. “Jack said you’re not allowed to kiss.” She reminds them.

“We’re sorry,” Emily smiles, holding back her laughter as Aaron looks to the floor as he bites his lip. “Let’s go and get your shoes on okay?”

“And you,” She says, turning around to Aaron as she walks off, “Get dressed. Unless of course you want all our friends to you see you in your very sexy pyjamas.” She teases, looking him up and down as he stands there in a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants.

“Oh my god,” Jack groans as he walks out of his room, “I swear you two get worse with age.”

Emily stares at him with an agape mouth, a sharp laugh of her tongue while Aaron chuckles, walking into the master bedroom.

“You mister, are on thin ice with me this morning.” She jokes, pushing him lightly as he moves past her, the teenage boy laughs to himself as he walks down the stairs.

“Are Derek and Spencer coming today?” Jack asks as the three of them head into the living room. “We haven’t seen them since we moved here.”

“They are.” Emily smiles, dropping Eve on the couch and pulling her small feet to the floor, before bending down. Jack hands her one of the small shoes and she smiles.

“Cool.” He says, a small smile growing on his face at the thought of seeing his Uncles again. Emily looks at him with a smile, catching sight of his little grin and her heart melts. He looks at her, shy and quiet as his cheeks turn at shade of pink as she catches his excitement, “I’m going to blow up Dad’s zimmer frame.” He tells her, pointing behind his shoulder, Emily nods, watching him go with a smile before turning back to her daughter when she taps her hand gently.

“Who are Rick and Spencer?” Eve asks, looking at her mother with eyes that match her own.

“Derek, sweetie.” She corrects gently, “and they’re mine and Daddy’s friends.”

“Like Uncle Will and Aunt JJ?” She asks softly, wrapping her finger around one of her braids, “And Aunt Penny to?”

“Yeah,” Emily smiles, “They’re friends with them as well.”

“How come they’ve never been here before?”

“Well,” Emily starts, tapping her feet as she finishes putting her shoes on, “They’ve been busy.” Emily tells her, “But they’re very excited to meet you.” She smiles and the girl looks down with a smile of her own, giggling.

“Derek took over from Dad right? As Unit Chief?” Jack asks as he heads back into the living room with the blown up inflatable.

“Yeah,” Emily says, before looking at Jack and laughing at the sight of him carrying the blown up zimmer frame. “Oh my god.” She laughs, standing up. “He’s going to kill you.

“This was your gift!” He laughs, placing it next to the fireplace. The sound of Hotch coming down the stairs makes them look at each other and she laughs once again.

“Oh no,” She laughs, “This is all you I’m afraid.”

“That’s cruel.” He tells her, watching her grab Eve and lifting her to the ground, pulling down her dress and stroking her braids.

“What is that.” Hotch asks as he stops at the door, staring at the new item next to the fire place.

Emily rolls her lips, holding back her grin, swallowing her laugh as she looks at him innocently.

“Happy birthday?” Jack says with a smile. Aaron glares at him and the boy’s smile drops, “Again, this was Emily’s idea.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She lies, heading out of the room and towards the kitchen, Aaron grabs her arm gently and stops her.

“A zimmer frame, huh?” He asks and she looks at him, grinning as he smirks at her.

“You are getting old.” She tells him, shrugging her shoulders.

“Rude,” He tells her, she laughs as she heads back off towards the kitchen. Evie comes to his side then, lacing her hand around two of his fingers as he looks down. “Your mother is a rude woman, Evie.” He tells her, the two year old laughs as she looks up at him.

There’s a honk of a car outside the house then, and Evie’s face lights up as she jumps in the air. It’s a honk she’s familiar with.

There are three taps on the door before it opens, the sound of a rowdy boy echoing into the living room.

“Is that JJ?” Emily asks as she walks back into the living room.

“Uncle Will!” Evie screams as she runs towards the front door, the accent they’ve come to adore hits their ears as he lifts up the happy child.

“Hey Darlin’” Will says, resting the child on his hip and she hugs him. “Pretty dress.” He smiles, placing his hand in his sons head as they walk through the house, turning behind him to smile at his wife who’s staring with such affection his smile brightens.

“Aunt JJ!” Evie smiles over Will’s shoulder, her hand resting on his back.

“Hi, baby.” She smiles, her eight month old in her arms, “You look pretty.”

Eve smiles, before turning away at the sound of her mother’s voice as she greats Henry and Will.

“I see my child has got a hold of you.” She smiles, raising an eyebrow at her daughter.

“Doesn’t she always?” He smirks, more than happy to have the two year old in his arms. He and JJ have been in love with her since the moment she was born, their goddaughter, and it makes their hearts swell that she loves them just the same.

Henry be-lines for Jack, the eleven year old more than happy to have his company and Emily watches as Jack greets him with a smile, offering him a controller for the game.

“Where’s the birthday boy?” JJ teases as she looks around for Aaron, “Is that a zimmer frame?” She laughs and all eyes turn to it.

Emily laughs, “Jack’s idea.” She lies and JJ just hums, smirking at her friend.

“I’m sure.” She says, “Because you would never, right?” JJ jokes, looking back to the inflatable.

“She’d never what?” Hotch says as he enters the room, wrapping an arm around Emily’s waist as she appears next to her. The woman lifts her head to look at him, a cheeky grin on her face as she does. Hotch glares at her before he follows JJ’s eyes and he laughs. “Oh, no. She would. And she did.”

“I thought so.” JJ laughs, “It is pretty funny.” She says, scrunching her nose as she looks at her old boss turned close friend.

“See,” Emily laughs, “I’m funny.”

“Don’t get any ideas,” Will jokes to JJ and the blonde woman turns to her husband, “If I wake up to an inflatable zimmer frame I will not be pleased.” The man smirks.

“Noted.” JJ laughs, turning back to face the other man, “Happy birthday, Hotch.” She smiles, “Henry made you a card,” She says, looking behind them to find the two boys engulfed in their game. “I’m sure you’ll get it at some point.” She jokes, sighing at the boys.

The adults laugh, following the Hotchner’s through the house and into the large garden, Will placing Eve on the floor, before they watch her run ahead of them and onto her play area in the garden, climbing the small steps of the slide.

“She becomes more feral every time we see her.” JJ says as they watch the girl scream and run around the garden, making her own fun with a large smile. The epitome of a happy child.

“It’s the Prentiss gene.” Hotch jokes as he passes Will a beer from the fridge, the man taking it with a nod of thanks.

“I don’t doubt that.” JJ laughs, earning a scoff from Emily as she passes the blonde a glass of wine, smiling softly as the baby in her arm fuses.

“Shall I go and put him down?” Will asks his wife, who nods, passing over their son gently.

“I’m okay to put him in the old crib? It’s still in the office right?” Will asks the couple, who nod.

“Of course, I’ll grab the baby monitors.” Hotch says, following the man through the house.

JJ watched as Emily smiles, eyes on Hotch as he walks away.

“It’s nice seeing you happy.” JJ says with a smile. Emily turns to face her, smiling herself. “I know Reid and Morgan are excited to meet Eve.”

“I still can’t believe they’ve never met her.” Emily says, sipping on her wine. “I always forget how far we moved until I remember the travel back for their wedding.” She huffs with a laugh.

“You do live in the middle of nowhere.” JJ agrees with a laugh, “As soon as I can bare to retire, this is totally where we’re moving.” She tells her, looking around the large garden, embracing the lack of city noise.

“The BAU still has you in chains, huh?” Emily jokes.

“Unfortunately,” JJ chuckles, “Although after everything that happened last year..” She sighs, shaking her head, “And after having Micheal, I think maybe the change will be coming sooner rather than later.”

“Well,” Emily starts, “I can’t speak for Aaron, but, for me? I couldn’t have imagined staying after finding out I was pregnant. Moving out here was the best decision I ever made.” She smiles, “The lack of serial killers is life changing.” She jokes, laughing with her friend.

“Look who I found roaming the streets,” Aaron jokes as he heads into the garden, and just as Emily goes to greet the guest, Eve beats her to it

“Aunt Penny!” She screams, running towards the woman.

“Oh my sweet girl.” Penelope coo’s as she picks the small girl up, wrapping her in her arms. “I have missed you.”

Eve giggles as Penelope holds her close, breathing in the small girl.

“My friends you make the most precious children.” Penelope tells Aaron and Emily. “When will you make more for me to cuddle?”

Emily barks a laugh as Hotch chuckles, taking a seat as he shakes his head.

Penelope lands Eve on the floor with a small cry, watching as she runs back into the grass.

“Please make more.” She says as she walks over to Emily, embracing her friend. “For me?”

“Not a chance,” Emily tells her, “She is absolutely insane.” And points to her Daughter as she screams as she hangs on the monkey bars.

“She is perfect.” Penelope gushes, “A perfect angel and I want more of them.”

“You’ll be waiting a long time.” Emily tells her, handing her a glass of wine as she pouts.

“Am I at the right house?” Morgan jokes as he walks through the garden, his hand laced with Reid’s as the tall man hangs behind him, almost shy.

“I don’t know, I guess it depends who you’re looking for.” Emily plays along, tilting her head as she smiles at him.

“Well,” He sighs, “I’m looking for a stoic man and an emotionally unavailable woman, but it seems i’ve walked into a house of domestic bliss.” He jokes as he walks towards her, dropping Reid’s hand as he greets the others, Morgan’s eyes only looking for Emily, he’ll greet everyone else later.

“Hello, princess.” He says, pulling her into him tightly, “It’s been far too long.”

“I saw you six months ago.. you know, when you got married?”

“Six months is a long time, princess.” He tells her, “You didn’t miss me?” He pouts, pulling away and looking at her, a playful frown on his face.

“I guess so.” She teases, falling back into his arms with a laugh. “I still can’t believe you’ve never been here.”

“I’ve never met this precious girl of yours either, where is she?” He asks as they pull away slowly.

“She would be the feral toddler on the monkey bars.” She says, pointing with her head in the direction of her child’s happy shouts.

“My god, she’s your twin.” He tells her with a huge grin, watching as a small girl runs around the garden with jet black hair, braided tightly, and dark eyes just like her mother’s.

“I’ve been told.” She smiles.

“She’s enchanting isn’t she.” Penelope says as she comes to Morgan’s side.

“She is.” He nods, unable to take his eyes off the happy child. “She’s so...happy.”

Emily turns away, holding back her tears of joy as she walks towards Reid as he chats with Aaron, JJ and Will.

“Hi,” Reid says, rushing to embrace her, “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you to.” She smiles, rubbing his back before pulling away, “Your husband is already obsessed with my child, it seems.” She smiles and Reid looks over, a glint of pure happiness in his eyes as he does.

“He’s been talking about meeting her all week.” He says with a smile, turning back to her, “I think he might steal her if you leave him alone with her.”

“He can take her.” Emily jokes, earning a laugh from the adults.

“I very much object to that.” Hotch says with a smile as he lifts the beer to his lips.

“Well you would,” Emily says, playfully rolling her eyes, “You’re her favourite.”

Hotch smirks, shrugging his shoulders. “Do you want to meet her?” He asks Reid, who looks at him, before shyly nodding. Hotch smiles at his small nod, before turning and walking towards his daughter.

“Don’t be so nervous,” JJ smiles and Reid turns to her, “Kids love you.”

“This is Emily’s daughter...” He says, “I doubt she’s anything like other kids.” He teases and Emily laughs.

“You’re right, as always.” She nods, “She’s feral.” She adds as they all walk over towards the garden, Reid heading over to Morgan as he watches Hotch take Eve’s hand as walk her over.

“She’s an angel.” Penelope tells them as they slide in next to her around the table.

“For you, maybe.” Emily grins.

Hotch takes Evie’s hand softly and walks them over to the two men, stopping as they stand in front of them. Eve hides behind his legs, her head poking over the side of his left one as she looks at the new men.

“Sweetie, this is Derek and Spencer,” He says, looking down at his daughter as she grabs his fingers in her hand, “Can you say hello?”

“Hi.” Eve says shyly, hugging an arm around her Dads leg as her other hand has a grip on his fingers.

Derek smiles at her, bending down to her level as she comes out from behind Hotch, standing next to him.

“Hi, pretty girl.” Derek smiles, gently introducing himself. “I’m Derek.”

“I’m Eve.” She says softly, looking to the floor before she looks at him, a soft smile on her face as the new man grins at her. “Are you daddy’s friend?”

“I am,” He nods, “Mommy’s friend too.”

“Who is the tall man?” She whispers to him, looking at the man stood behind him and Derek laughs.

“That’s Spencer,” He whispers, “He’s shy.” He tells her and she looks back at him, “Will you say hello for me?”

Eve looks at him, before looking up at her dad. When he nods, running a hand over her head she slowly walks towards him, looking up at him.

“Hi.” She says, her full voice strong and very much her mother’s tone. “I’m Eve.”

“Spencer.” He smiles, waving awkwardly.

“Do you want to see a frog I found?” She asks, and his eyes to wide.

“I do.” He says, his smile bigger now. “Did you know that frogs-“

“Reid.” Hotch stops him with a tap on his shoulder. “She’s two. Go and see the frog.”

Reid nods, following the little girl. His heart melts as she takes his hand, and as Morgan watches them, he can’t help but think how much he wants one as well.

“Our daughter is obsessed with Spencer.” Aaron says as he sits next to Emily, throwing an arm over her leg as he does.

“I told you,” JJ laughs, “Kids love him for some reason.”

“The Reid effect.” Penelope says, bringing the wine to her lips as the group laugh.

Emily finds Reid on the steps, sighing as she takes a seat next to him she grabs his hand.

“You okay?” She asks, he nods, his eyes watching Morgan, Eve on his hips as she points to things around the garden.

“Just thinking.” He smiles, turning to face her. “What?” He asks, as he finds her looking at him with a grin.

“Do you want one?” Emily asks him, pointing towards her daughter. His cheeks go red as he looks down.

“I know Derek does.” He tells her, “But, I don’t know. What if I’m just like my father?”

“Spence...” She says softly, “You are nothing like him, I promise.” She tells him. “You’ll be a great Dad.”

“You think?” He asks with a shy smile, looking at her. Emily squeezes his hand.

“I know.” She tells him.

“I’m happy for you, Em.” He tells her, “Look at this.” He says, regarding her home, her family, her life. “You did it.”

She laughs, a smile beaming from her lips.

“You have the family you deserve.” He says to her, “I couldn’t be happier for you.”

“Thank you.” She says, tears glassing over her eyes.

Emily moves rest her head on his shoulder as they turn to watch Morgan and Eve at the end of the garden. She can hear Hotch and Will laughing at something in the distance, just on the table behind her. She can hear Jack and Henry chatting in the kitchen, their voices filled with joy.

Later that night, after they’ve said goodbye to their friends, Emily watches as Aaron carries their sleeping daughter to bed, smiling as Jack passes past her with a smile.

“Goodnight.” He says to her, “Today was fun.”

“It was,” She smiles, running a hand through his hair before kissing the top of his head. “Goodnight.”

She watches from the door frame as Aaron places a soft kiss on their daughters head, before turning off her lights.

“Hi,” He smiles, wrapping her in his arms in the doorway. “Busy day, huh.”

“Very.” She says, her whole body feeling the effects of it.

“I love you.” He smiles, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

“I love you, too.” She replies, kissing him once again before he pats her back and heads to the master bedroom.

Emily turns to her daughter then, watching the rise and fall of her chest before she closes the floor.

Once in bed, she rolls into her husbands arms and sighs contently, closing her eyes as his arms wrap around her.

“Sleep.” He whispers softly to her, something he does every night as she lays with him, something that started just after they did, after Doyle and Paris, after nightmares and insomnia. It just stuck. It’s something she has to hear now, before even thinking about getting any rest. “I love you.” He tells her again.

“I love you.” She mumbles, already half asleep in his arms.

They did it, she thinks as sleep steals her.

She did it.

She found her happiness.

fin

#evelyn prentiss hotchner <3 i love you #hotchniss fic #hotchniss #i always forget about dave :/ so sorry rossi stans </3 #will <3 the truest king of the show #emily prentiss #aaron hotchner #moreid #spencer reid #derek morgan #willifer #bau family fic #criminal minds fic #domestic hotchniss #if you ever hate on evie i will come for you actually she’s innocent #my fics

89 notes · View notes

zeldan7 · 3 years

Text

Forever (Solomon x GN! Reader)

So I, er, I decided to write a nice little piece of angst based on Solomon's new UR+ animation o.O

Pairing: Solomon x GN! Reader

Warnings: Death, Blood, Mental Anguish

Word Count: 1668

During your short time in the Devildom you’d managed to become really close with your fellow students. Especially Solomon. In fact, you spent most of your time with him, much to the demon brothers’ dismay. You’d actually developed a bit of a crush on the sorcerer, not that you’d ever tell him.

One Wednesday, after your classes, Solomon invited you to Purgatory Hall for a movie night with him, Simeon, and Luke. After sending a quick text to the demon brothers chat to let them know, you followed Solomon back. You couldn’t help but notice how his hand kept brushing against yours. You thought it was most likely an accident at first, but after the eighth time you grew suspicious. Making a split-second decision, you gently intertwined your fingers with his. Nothing changed in his calm demeanour, but he now had an adorable smile plastered on his face as he gripped your hand tighter.

You remained that way all the way back to Purgatory Hall, only separating to let Solomon open the door. As soon as it shut behind you, he took up your hand again, grinning at you. You gazed up into his agate eyes, feeling a fluttering in your chest. Judging by Solomon’s facial expression, he felt it, too.

“Y/N…”

“Oh, Solomon, you’re back!” Simeon cried, suddenly appearing in the doorway. “Hello, Y/N!”

Surprisingly, Solomon kept your hand in his as he turned to face the angel. “Hey, Simeon. Y/N’s here for a movie night with us.”

Simeon looked between the two of you, then down at your clasped hands. “Unfortunately, Luke and I are quite busy tonight, so we’ll be unable to attend.”

The corner of Solomon’s mouth twitched up in a smirk. “That’s a shame, we’ll have to have another some time.”

Simeon simply shot him a knowing smile before leaving the two of you alone once more.

“Shall we?” Solomon asked, leading the way to his room.

He’d obviously been expecting you to accept his invitation, since his room was already prepared for a movie night. A small string of fairy lights hung over the headboard, and his bed was entirely covered in pillows and cushions of varying shapes and sizes. For the first time since you’d met him, Solomon looked sheepish.

“I… I was hoping you’d say yes.”

In response, you launched yourself on to the bed, burying yourself in the cushions. Solomon chuckled, climbing in next to you.

You stayed up until the early hours of the morning watching movies and chatting until you felt your eyes growing heavy. Without thinking, you placed your head on Solomon’s shoulder. You just had time to feel his arm wrap around you and his lips press against your head before you fell asleep, and he wasn’t far behind you.

It had been a week since your night with Solomon, and by now everyone knew you were a couple. It was rare for you to return to the House of Lamentation without your lover, but you’d promised the brothers you’d spend some time with just them. After an evening filled with card games and fun, you retired to your room. Or that was your intention, at least. As you ascended the stairs you heard a voice calling out for help. Quickly, you sprinted upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.

You were surprised to find a heavy-looking door sealing off an attic room.

“Please – you have to help me get out!” The black and white-haired man stared at you; eyes full of desperation.

“Of course!” You cried, placing your hands on the door, searching for a handle. Before you could even begin, there was a blinding light. When you opened your eyes, the door was gone, and you were inside the room with the man.

“Thank you so much – uh, I didn’t catch your name?” He was clearly excited to be free, and you wondered how long he’d been stuck there.

You gave him a friendly smile. “I’m Y/N, the human exchange student!”

His face crinkled up in disgust before he lunged at you, lifting you up by the throat and cutting off your air.

“Humans killed my sister.” He growled.

You tried to fight him off, but he was far too strong. The last thing you saw was his sick, twisted grin before everything went black.

“Solomon?”

“Yes?” It was strange for one of the demon brothers to phone him. Stranger still for it to be Lucifer, sounding panicked no less.

“There’s been… an incident.”

“Lucifer, it’s not like you to struggle with words, is everyone alright?”

“No, I-“ Lucifer sighed. “Solomon, I need you at the House of Lamentation. Now.”

“Of course, I was hoping to drop by to see Y/N, anyway.”

Lucifer made a strangled sound before the line went dead.

“Belphegor…” Solomon growled, throwing himself at the demon only to be stopped by Lucifer. The brothers were shocked; Solomon was always so calm, they’d never seen him lose it. Especially not like this. Suddenly, the sorcerer stills, and Lucifer sees fit to set him free. Fists balled at his sides, Solomon took a deep breath, glaring daggers at the Avatar of Sloth. The ground started shaking, and the brothers all shared a look of alarm. Pictures began to fly off the walls as Solomon closed his eyes, clenching his fists hard enough to draw blood. The whole house was groaning and shuddering, and yet it was taking no damage. That was, until Solomon’s eyes snapped open, focussing on the demon before him. Cracks appeared in the floor around his feet, and panicked flashed across his face.

“Solomon!” Asmo shouted, but he wasn’t listening. Rage flowed through him, enough even to rival Satan on one of his bad days. Just as the floor looked like it would swallow Belphegor whole, something solid slammed into Solomon, knocking him to the floor and breaking his concentration.

“Beelzebub, what do you think you’re doing?!” Solomon yelled, the house’s shaking coming to an abrupt halt.

“He’s my brother.” Beel said, solemnly.

“He killed Y/N!” Solomon’s anger was beginning to subside, replaced by a sorrow so intense his chest ached. He’d never experienced anything quite like this in all his years.

“Beel,” Lucifer finally spoke. “Get Belphie out of here.”

Solomon knelt next to you, bent over and crying. Hands sprawled out over you, he tried spell after spell hoping one might bring you back. Over and over, he repeated different incantations until he finally collapsed from exhaustion. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see a pair of blue eyes full of concern.

“They’re gone, ya know. It hurts, it hurts so bad, and it ain’t fair, but they wouldn’t want ya torturin’ yourself like this.”

Mammon’s words touched the sorcerer, and he forced a small smile in response, accepting his hug.

It was too much for Solomon to handle. He’d faced loss before, of course (you didn’t get to be thousands of years old without losing loved ones) but none had hurt like this. Everyone had finally left after the ceremony, and it was just you and him now. The smell of freshly dug soil assaulted his nostrils, and it took all his strength to not retch. Rain pelted his back, drenching his clothes, but he didn’t care. What he did care about was you. You couldn’t be gone, it didn’t make sense. What if you were still alive? What if you’d been buried while still breathing?! Vain hope won out over rationality. He started digging through the mud with nothing but his bare hands. The rain made it clumpy, but he was determined. He dug and dug until his fingers were bleeding, and yet he had barely made any progress. Shouting up at the Heavens, he collapsed into the small indent he had made. He knew it was too late. He knew you were gone.

One Year Later

“Hey, Y/N,” Solomon kneeled next to your grave, clutching on to a small bouquet of flowers. “I saw these today, and I thought of you. I know irises are – were… your favourite. I never got to bring you any when you were still here, so…”

He carefully arranged the flowers in the centre of your headstone as tears started to spill over his eyelids.

“I hope wherever you are is as charming as your smile.” He had no idea where you were; he’d spent the last year searching both the Devildom and the Celestial Realm with no luck.

“Belphegor claims he’s sorry, but… I’ve been unable to tolerate his presence for more than a few moments. I’m sorry, too, Y/N. I should have been there. Perhaps you’d – you’d still be here…” He trailed off as a sudden sob choked him. Solomon didn’t cry often, and yet he’d shed more tears in the last year than he had in his whole life. You’d left a huge hole, and you’d taken a part of him with you when you left.

“Y/N, I’d like to think I’ll see you again, but I have my doubts.”

He’d been increasingly reckless since you’d passed, attempting untested magic, wandering the Devildom alone at night, even heading into a Reaper’s Cave. He’d always been fond of his immortality, but he was finally seeing it for what it was: a curse.

“Maybe I’ll find you one day… my love. I regret that I never got the chance to tell you how I feel; it’s something I’ll regret for as long as I live.”

Solomon took a deep breath, beginning to tremble.

“I love you, Y/N. I always will – that won’t ever change, no matter how much time may pass. Each day without you feels unbearable. I’d give anything to see your smile just one more time. I miss you more and more with each day that goes by. I’m so sorry I couldn’t – I couldn’t save you…”

He turned his gaze skyward, just in time to feel raindrops mix with his salty tears.

“I love you so much, Y/N. Forever.”

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me!#obey-me #shall we date solomon #solomon x mc #solomon x reader #obey me solomon #gn!reader #solomon x gn!reader

71 notes · View notes

haztory · 4 years

Text

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

--erwin smith x reader; fluff, domestic, not canon compliant farmer erwin, there’s a mentioning of injuries but not enough to be considered graphic! (erwin lives!)

a.n: this is my attempt at swinging back into the ways of writing after a long, long, long hiatus! i wrote this in thirty minutes as just an exercise, but felt it was cohesive enough to post. its vague, abstract, and definitely not a magnum opus, but its something. this is more of an erwin story than an x reader one, but i hope you all enjoy regardless!

this was titled after a song on the pride and prejudice ost of the same name. highly recommend you give it a listen

anything for my sweet boy erwin ♡

(w.c: 1686)

At the initial prospect of it, retirement was somewhat akin to shooting oneself in the foot for a man like Erwin. It was condescending, debilitating, almost an insult were he any lesser than a reasonable man.

The word was floated around numerous times after the loss of his arm, spoken with a gentleness and, dare he say, a trepidation they believed must be adopted when speaking to the freshly injured man. For fear of upsetting him or for fear of making the situation real, he’s not quite sure. It was mentioned, nonetheless. In passing, directly, through implication; Everyone seemed to think that Erwin was less of a man and more of a liability because of his lost arm, and that retiring from the Scout Regiment would be the best option for everyone.

That was something he took offense to.

His physical abilities may be considerably limited now, yes, but he still holds inherent value to the cause he’s dedicated his life to. Still has goals, still has dreams, still has ideas that must be discussed and implemented if the fate of humanity is to even think about surviving beyond the next few days.

Erwin still had some fight in him, and he still had things to offer. Things that retirement would take away from him.

The word settled like a thick tar on his tongue and left a bitter aftertaste, one he couldn’t bear to swallow down. So he didn’t. He spit the word back out, removing it from his mouth and sternly asking others to rid themselves of it too. They followed his order, albeit begrudgingly, but the conversation ended then and there. Not permanently, unfortunately. No amount of power, Erwin imagines, could ever snuff out the growing fear his missing appendage has instilled in his soldiers. That even the most untouchable, unshakeable of leaders could be tainted by this cruel world.

He knows it's on everyone's mind, no matter how many times he can try to assuage the fears, for if the exchanged uneasy glances between his eccentric Section Commander and trusted Captain were anything to go by, then the fear his cadets must feel must be traumatizing. The looks they pass to one another when they think he isn’t looking.

Erwin lost an arm, not his intuition. It seems he’s the only one who knows that.

But they let it go. They all do, for now at least. They reluctantly put a pin at his assertion that he would continue his work, regardless of injury, and quickly filed this topic as one they would return to at a later date. Appease him now to make him more receptive to the future. They let him continue to work himself dry, let him continue with physical missions like he wasn’t missing a trusted appendage, and entertained his reckless and drastic thoughts to a certain extent.

When he lands himself back in the infirmary, this time with a serious rupture to the side of his stomach from flying debris, and a number of broken bones that will surely cause permanent hindrance to his mobility, the topic is brought back up again. Only this time, it’s non-negotiable. His near death was the final straw in forcing Erwin Smith into retirement.

∵

He hates it.

Hates how quiet his home is, hates how unexciting his routine is, hates not being able to know.

But he finds that making coffee is still manageable with one arm. The sun still shines as brightly inside the walls as it does outside. The birds still chirp excitedly in the morning and the wind still blows gently in the afternoon.

He hates retirement, but it’s manageable.

It gets better after a while, the presence of a neighbor making his nights substantially more interesting with the dinner she brings over.

∵

The house is quiet once again, only the distant chirps of the birds filling the empty space. It's familiar, but he finds it unsettling this time around. A feeling of anticipation creeping into his stomach, waiting for the other shoe to drop at any moment.

It doesn’t happen.

With a slight furrow in his brow and after a long analyzing gaze outside the window above the kitchen sink, Erwin makes his way towards the front door, granting him access to the front porch of the house. Settled away from the city, the land his house is built on stretches for miles; Fields of green spread out before him and littered with tall, blooming and swaying trees. The chickens squawk and run around before him and the horses huff their snorts of boredom. There’s activity in the Smith residence, but it’s not the kind he’s looking for.

There’s something missing.

Bringing his left arm up to his mouth, he curls his fingers below his tongue, blowing out a loud and sharp whistle that has all movement still for a brief moment on his farm. All attention piqued on him, the animals and the trees alike waited for Erwin’s response.

They wait, and they wait, and they wait. But still, nothing.

The crease between Erwin’s brows dips further. A brief flash of worry settles in his shoulders. He pulls his fingers into his mouth again, blowing a whistle that lasts for a few seconds longer this time. His eyes stay trained on the hill before him, hoping to see something. Anything.

He waits a minute before the restlessness takes over and he takes his steps down the stairs of the porch, his boots crunching against the crisp grass still wet from the morning dew. He approaches the top of the hill, the one that lays level with the foundation of his house, before surveying the land further below. He looks left and right, then left again and then right again, eyes peeled for that familiar flash of grey.

Where in the world could that damn dog have gone?

The dog is usually fast enough to return before he even needs to whistle a second time, never straying too far from the property for her to not hear Erwin’s call. But this time is different. She’s gone and isn’t returning to him and that can only mean one thing.

Trouble.

He begins his trek down the hill, the morning still early enough to not have him sweating on this irregular stroll of his, but he can feel the temperature slowly rising through the air. The wind serves as his only semblance of comfort as it continues its mission of cooling the exposed skin of his forearm and neck.

He must be walking for at least five minutes before he sees it. The scraggly grey hair of a dog's bottom, her top half hidden behind a large oak tree but her tail wagging ferociously. A small smile graces Erwin’s face subconsciously, the slowly building apprehension dissipating in an instant at seeing the vivacious mutt.

Or at least at seeing her bottom half.

He approaches the tree slowly, the noises of enjoyment and panting from the dog becoming louder as he draws nearer. But there’s another sound too that fills the air. A sound much sweeter and delicate, one that he’s heard a thousand times over the years, and yet, Erwin swears it's one he can never get tired of.

It’s a breath of fresh air, an instant drug in his veins, and the reason behind the swelling of his heart. His smile grows wider than he could have possibly imagined.

He gets close enough and the dog finally notices him, bounding over to him in an instant with a greeting bark and a perk in her step. He pats her head, a silent gratefulness at having found her finally and understanding why she refused to meet his calls. Why she continued to stay at the spot behind the oak tree a five minute walk away from her home.

He finally gets near the tree, peering around its large trunk to the spot the dog previously occupied and can’t help but laugh in surprise.

Sitting in the space between the bulging roots are his two girls, one aged six and the other three, huddled close together as they coo and giggle over an object resting between the two’s feet. Their backs are turned towards their father, too preoccupied with whatever was settled between them to even notice the beloved dog’s disappearance from her original spot and its replacement with their father.

His years of training to fight titans kicks in, his steps as quiet as can be as he gets closer to the girls to get a look at what they were currently fawning over.

A baby bird. Brown in color and more than comfortable between the two children.

“What are you two doing?”

His voice sends a jolt of shock through them, the two girls jumping in the air at the sudden disruption and whipping their faces around to look at the intruder. The fear quickly melts off of their round faces when they realize who it is.

“Daddy!” The two girls yell unanimously, unbridled joy filtering their features and Erwin briefly sees the beautiful face of their mother in them. The youngest in particular.

The eldest managed to take most of his features, much to his wife’s pleasure, retaining his aquiline nose, the vibrant blue of his eyes, and his own oval face shape, but her hair is a delightful mix between his and his wife’s. And while she looks the most like him, she acts the most like her mother; Joyous and giggly and a passionate ball of rays.

Now, his youngest, while looking almost entirely like a carbon copy of her mother, was in fact a replica of his own personality. Quiet, curious, diplomatic. A balance to her impulsive sister, a shining grey crater of peace in the sky.

His sun and moon. His reasons for orbit. The loves of his life.

∵

And as he walks his two girls back across the field to their home, their mother’s figure on the horizon and an excited chatter between them as they recount the tales of their morning in helping the baby bird, a single thought enters Erwin’s mind.

Retirement isn’t so bad.

#erwin smith x reader #erwin x reader #aot x reader #attack on titan x reader #erwin smith #fluff #my writing #baby boy erwin deserves the world #i just want him to be happy

105 notes · View notes

thewildomega · 3 years

Text

Star in the Sand Ch.24

Going to pull his love back into his arms his felt nothing but the bed and his eyes snapped open, his breath catching in his throat. Seeing that she truly was no longer beside him he quickly tossed the blanket back and stood. Scanning the room he hurried to the bathroom but didn't see her there. Where was she? WHERE WAS SHE?! Noticing the bedroom door cracked he started moving through the house quietly, listening for any threat. As he got down the hall though and into the living room he heard a soft voice.

"...if I could turn back the time I'd make it all right...something within your eyes said it could be the last night...."

He knew that voice, the only voice to ever make his knees feel weak. Rounding the corner just as quiet he stood and watched with a small grin on his face as he saw her. She was standing by the counter in the dark, only the light of the moon coming in through the window lighting the room. She wore only his dress shirt that she had been wearing before bed and he felt his lip lift more when he noticed her swaying hips as, the faint noise and the glow from her phone telling him she was listening to her music. When he had produced the thing on the ship she had let out an actual squeal of joy, telling him how much she missed her music.

"...Just wanna be wanna bewitch you in the moon light. Just wanna bewitch you all night..."

She sung without knowing he was there, her small bare feet tapping on the tile floor. He knew what song that was, it was one he quite enjoyed. Getting an idea he moved towards her. Looking over her shoulder he saw she was making...eggs? In the middle of the night? Had to be pregnancy cravings. Remembering he was on a mission he glanced down to the phone sitting on the counter beside her and grinned as he unplugged her headphones making the music play out loud.

Yelping out of fright you quickly turned and looked up to him. "Are you trying to make me go into labor early?" you scolded. However he only grinned as he took the spatula from you and set it down, turning off the oven. Seeing a small smirk on his face made you furrow your brows, a light grin on your face as he took your hand and pulled you away from the oven some. Not saying anything as he moved your hands into place and slowly began moving and singing along with the music you could only smile. He was dancing with you.

"There a sting in the way you kiss me." he sung in his deep voice. Dancing around the kitchen with both of them only in there pajamas he coudl only grin at the large smile on her face. "Just wanna bewitch you all night."

Giggling as he spun you around and dipped you back you came up and laid your head on his chest "Whoawhoawhoa..." you smiled, closing your eyes as the song ended.

Sighing he continued swaying with her for a few moments, just enjoying this closeness with the woman he had missed so much. Bending down he scooped her up and sat her at the bar while he moved to plate her scrambled eggs. Placing the plate in front of her he saw her give him a smile as he moved to make them both some tea, making her lavender so maybe she will sleep. Taking them both over to the bar with one hand he sat beside her and heard her give him a small thank you. Watching her as she ate he could only sigh in contentment, grinning back at her when she would smile at him.

.....................................

The next few days had went by peacefully, an odd but not unwelcome change to the past half year. Crocodile wouldn't allow you to do anything that he considered work which basically meant everything but laying about. So you spent you time when he was away playing on your phone, looking over books and planning out what you wanted to do with the baby's room. Sitting back against the wall in what would be your almost certain son's room you had your feet crossed under you and the sketch pad opened in your lap. Tapping the pencil on your finger you bit your lip as you glanced at the room and then back down at the paper, sketching out an idea of a mural you wanted to paint on the wall. Hearing footsteps you giggled when you saw the flamboyant man do a twirl out of the corner of your eye.

"For the mama to be." Bentham spoke, bending almost in half with one foot raised into the air as he held out a freshly made smoothie on a tray.

Smiling you looked to your friend and gave him a thank you as you took the drink. Bon had quickly took up making your smoothies in Sanji's place, adding in your vitamins that Chopper had made for you. Going to take a sip he stopped you.

"Ahah... I almost forgot."

Watching as he popped a tiny drink umbrella into your smoothie you giggled and shook your head. "You're too much." you told him as he took his seat beside you on the hardwood floor.

Looking down at the beautiful drawing Bentham smiled. "Oh I like it. I think you should go with that little Croco junior will love it. "

"You think? You don't think it will be too much?"

"Not at all. Plus it goes perfectly with the music box King Neptune gifted you."

"That's what I was going for."

"Besides what could go better for the son of a notorious pirates room than a sea theme?" he chuckled.

"Very true." you smiled, starting to add in the last details. Holding it up you gave it a final look over.

"Say what's that blocked area for then?" he asked when he noticed a part of the picture had a missing rectangle in the left side.

"A door, Croc is having on put in so that way it can be directly connected to our room."

"That's a good idea. It'll make it easier for when you have to get up in the middle of the night to feed him too."

"Yeah." you sighed. "Poor fella is likely to starve." you spoke glancing down to your small breasts. While the rest of your body seemed to be starting to get back to normal you 'girls' hadn't yet got the message it seemed.

"Oh don't say that, they'll perk back up and once you have the little bundle of joy they will fill up with milk real quick."

"I hope so." you said with a sigh. You couldn't help but feel self conscious as you thought on the manner. Ever since you were reunited with your soulmate he had made no move to touch you sexually and you couldn't help but wonder if it was your body, if maybe he didn't find you appealing anymore. Even last night when the both of you had retired to bed for the night you had tired sparking something but after your kisses just started getting deeper he had ended them and stood from the bed, telling you he had forgotten to finalize something on his paperwork. Watching him leave the room you licked your lips and blinked your eyes to keep the tears at bay as you laid back down.

Sensing his friend's sadness he kit his brows and tilted his head, "Y/n... is there something wrong? You know you can confide in me."

Taking a deep breath you grinned and nodded before looking to him, "Thank you, it's nothing just hormones." you said with a roll of your eyes.

Humming he decided to let it go for now, not wanting to upset her. "So what colors are you going to do for the bedding and such?" he asked, deciding to just get her mind off of whatever was bothering her.

............................

There everything was ready for tonight. He had the location ready, a private gazebo on the beach that his men would made sure stayed private. The chiefs had been told what meal to prepare, something she would like but also something that wouldn't harm their child. He even told them to throw together some type of dessert to appease his woman's sweet tooth. Taking the dress he had bought her for this evening to their room he laid it out on the bed, setting the matching shoes and even a new necklace that had caught his attention in the shop. Having already set his clothes aside in one of the other bathrooms so when the time came he coudl change and freshen up he glanced back to the bedroom door. He coudl hear her and Bentham in their son's future room still and let out a breath as he moved to the dresser to grab the hidden velvet box underneath his spare scarfs.

Looking down at the ring he grinned, a warmth spreading through his chest. Tonight was the night, tonight he would ask his star to marry him, to become his wife.

"Y/n absolutely not, get down from there.... Mr. Zero!"

Snapping the box close he pushed it into his pocket and moved to the room next door to see Bentham trying to keep his soon to be fiancé from going another step up the ladder she had somehow gotten into the room without him knowing, where had she even gotten one?

"Oh Bon would you calm down I'm like two feet off the ground..."

"And now you are three. You might fall... no...MR.ZERO!!"

"Stop yelling I'm right here." he growled out to the male before moving over to his woman who was now eye level with him. Seeing her look to him and smile he rose a brow.

Seeing him raise a brow in what you knew was a silent 'what do you think you are doing?' you turned to start drawing out the mural outline on the wall.

Ignorance, that was her play. Giving a small grunt he looked to Bentham and tilted his head.

"See you tomorrow Y/n. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Giggling you continued working, "That doesn't leave much."

"Then you are sure to have a good time." the man laughed as he walked down the hall.

Huffing out he shook his head even though he enjoyed seeing his darling having a friend. Once he heard the front door close he looked back to her and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her draw on the wall. "When I said you had free design control of our child's room I didn't mean you would be the one doing the labor."

"This isn't what I would consider labor, I'm just sketching out the mural."

"And yet you are standing on a ladder, that I don't even know where you got ... while six months pregnant. I can't believe I am going to quote Bentham but, You might fall. I don't want you climbing things."

"Croc, hun I'm fine. I had to jump from like two stories at Punk Hazzard."

"What did that get you, oh yes, a concussion, three bruised ribs, a nice bruise on your face... shall I continue?" Seeing her shake her head he knew what face she was making imminently, nose wrinkled, brows knit together. "Get down."

Hearing how deep and serious his voice was now you sighed and tuned around to look him in the eye. "If I let someone else do it then it's not going to be done right. It's my artwork in our son's room I want to be the one to do it." Seeing his face remain unbudgingly you gave a small whine and wrapped your arms around his neck. "Baby please... I won't have to be on the ladder the whole time just the parts I can't reach..." hearing him grunt you moved your face to his neck and whined again, beginning to pepper his jaw and neck that wasn't covered by his scarf in kisses. When you felt his arm's uncross and move around your body you knew you were winning, only a little more push. "Pleasssse."

Closing his eyes tight he grit his teeth. Damn his pent up sexual frustrations. Her mouth on his neck was quickly making him loose his resolve on the matter. As her body pushed up closer to his he felt his cock twitch in his pants. He wondered if she knew how much control she had over him...hearing her beg him in such a sweet little voice he rolled his eyes behind his lids, oh yes she knew, little minx. Sighing he opened his eyes partially but didn't move away from her, enjoying the feel of her mouth on his skin too much. "You will only be allowed on the ladder when I'm in the room. If I am busy then you will not get on it until I am in here and you will not overwork yourself. Am I clear?"

Wasn't what you were going for but it was better than nothing. Smiling you pulled away to look at him and nodded.

'She has you wrapped around her finger.' Huffing out he pulled her to him, slamming his lips into hers. Tightening his arms around her while still being mindful of their child in her womb he growled lowly when he felt her try to deepen the kiss. He shouldn't, he knew he shouldn't but he wanted it as well. Flicking his tongue out to tease her lips he grinned a little as she quickly parted them, allowing him entrance. Rolling his tongue around her mouth he felt his cock harden more in his pants.

He was quick to dominate the kiss, as always but you didn't care, in fact you welcomed it. Melting more into his huge frame you felt your panties becoming damp, a pressure in your lower abdomen. When he lifted you up with his hook under your ass and his hand on your back you dropped your pencil to the floor.

He wanted her, he wanted her so much his body was moving on instinct alone. Carrying her to their room all the while never breaking from her mouth he moved to lay her on the bed but just before he coudl he opened his eyes slightly and saw the dress he had previously laid out. Freezing he felt his muscles stiffen and sighed. Ending their heated kiss he gave a few more kisses as he tried to regain control.

As he ended the kiss and slowly set you on your feet you couldn't help the ache in your heart as he refused to go any further with you once again. "C...croc did I... am I doing something wrong?"

Hearing how soft her voice was and sensing the sadness in it he closed his eyes for a moment before looking down to her. "No my little star you are doing nothing wrong, you could never do anything wrong. Right now is simply not the time." Seeing her confused and noticing the hurt still lingering in her eyes he kissed her lips and then forehead. Stroking her hair he breathed deeply, reminding himself of everything he had planned tonight. Clearing his throat you stood tall and looked down to her. "How about you go take a shower and get ready, I left something on the bed there for you. Then you meet me in the foyer and we will go have dinner."

You didn't really feel like going anywhere now, your hyperactive hormones making your emotions run haywire.

"I think you will enjoy what I have planned tonight."

Hearing this you breathed in deeply and nodded.

Kissing her head he cupped her cheek, stroking her soft skin with the pad of his thumb.

With one last kiss to the crown of your head he left you to get ready. Glancing to the bed you indeed saw a dress laying there, an elegant midnight blue dress. Noticing the matching shoes and solitaire diamond necklace you grinned a little. Not wanting to disappoint you moved to the bathroom to get ready for your apparent date.

................................

Standing in the foyer he turned when he sensed his darling behind him. When he saw her he felt his breath hitch in his throat and a smile come over his face. Smiling down at his soulmate he looked over her form. The dress that he saw hanging in the window at the store early this morning fit her perfectly, giving him glimpses of her soft skin and shaping her rounding belly. Running his hands down her bare arms he took her hands while he looked into her eyes. "You look beautiful, as always."

Blushing you gave him a look over, seeing he was wearing a tie tonight as well as a full suit. He looked incredible and you grinned as walked over to him, placing your hands on his chest. "If Caiman inherits your looks then I sure do feel bad for all the girls hearts he is likely to break." Seeing him blink and then noticing his cheeks getting a little color you smiled. The black suit fit his bulging form perfectly, making his shoulders look wider if it were even possible. His tie the same color as your dress showing you how much he had planned this out. Then again Crocodile always dressed to impress.

Clearing his throat he pulled away to completely take her in. Seeing her the new necklace he felt pride fill him at how lovely it matched with the star ear rings he had bought her all those months ago. He couldn't wait to add a ring to her collection of jewelry. She had left her hair down but had curled it a little more. Overall she looked stunning. Taking a deep breath he placed his hand on her back and opened the door for her. Walking with her down the street the two of them just talked about this and that, he pointed out different places on the island. Getting close to their destination he turned and blocked her view, "Close your eyes." he said and saw her look to him in suspicion before she obeyed and closed her eyes. Grinning he leaned down and kissed her lips, "Keep them closed." he told her in a deep, low voice. Carefully leading her down the path he was happy he had decided to get her flats. Getting to the secluded area he looked back to make sure everything was perfect before he pulled her slowly into the middle of the Gazebo.

You could hear the soft sound of waves in the background and the gentle breeze making you guess the two of you were close to the sea. His hand rubbed your hip and a little over your belly while his hook was placed on the other side, holding you in place. You coudl feel the warmth of his body on your back and smell his cologne. Feeling his breath on your neck you had to hold back the shiver that ran up your spine.

"Open your eyes."

Doing as your soulmate said you let out a small gasp when you saw where you were. Under a softly lantern lit Gazebo sat a stone table with a beautiful meal and two chairs on either side for the both of you to sit on. Around the area were blossoming pink and white flowers, giving you privacy and making the scene even more breathtaking. Feeling him still standing behind you, you moved to look back at him. "You did all of this? Croc this is amazing, it's beautiful." you spoke with a soft smile, looking up into his silver eyes. "Pirate, businessman, fashion designer, event planner. You're just a jack of all trades aren't you."

Chuckling at her flattery he leaned his head down to place a kiss on her bare shoulder and run his hand and hook along her hips. Running his nose up the curve of her neck and breathing in her scent he sighed. When her hand cupped his cheek and she tilted her head to catch his lips he slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. Moving his lips against hers he felt his member twitch, his arousal from earlier coming back and swallowed hard before pulling away. Kissing the tip of her nose he sighed and moved his hand back to her hip to walk her to the table. "Let's eat before it get's cold."

...................

Chuckling and shaking his head as she told him about how she had helped Luffy send Big mom a bomb he took a swallow of his drink. "She isn't going to be happy when she gets it."

"I hope it blows up in her fat face." you grunted, shoving your spoon into the tart before placing a piece on your tongue. "Should have sent a note with it.... from your granddaughter, may you rot in hell."

Huffing he set down his glass. He knew she despised her family, even though she had always wanted one. She would never say it but he knew it hurt her that she would never have the family she had always craved as a little girl. But he would do anything and everything in his power to give her their own family. Seeing her finish off her dessert he stood and moved over to stand by her. "Walk with me?" he asked as he held out his hand for her to take. Pulling her up as soon as her small hand took his he moved his hand to her back, feeling her skin under his fingers where the dress had a cutout.

Walking beside him down the stone path that led to the beach you grinned up softly at the star filled sky.

Seeing her looking up he stared at her shinning eyes and smiled, starlight. "How are your injuries?" he asked, breaking the comfortable silence as they walked down towards the sea.

Turning you smiled up at him, "Better, that salve Chopper makes works wonders."

"Good. You are taking the vitamins he made you as well."

"Yes. Nasty things."

"Foul tasting or no I want you to take them like you are supposed to." Hearing her grumble he got to the area he had had picked out earlier this week and spun her around so she was standing before him. Looking down into her blue eyes he lifted his hand to cup her face, stroking his thumb over her cheek. "You will take them so that you and our child will be healthy. I want nothing more than for you to be as well as possible."

Grinning you leaned into his touch and looked up at him. Blinking you knit your brows a bit when you noticed him just starring at you. There was a strange look on his face, one you so rarely saw, nervousness. "Croc... is something wrong?"

He had just been thinking of how much she meant to him, of how heartbroken he had been when she was taken from him. Licking his lips he cleared his throat a bit. He had been so sure he would never get this moment again and he wasn't going to mess it up. "I Never thought I would experience love. I gave up looking for my soulmate, assumed I didn't have one. My whole life I have always felt like there was something missing. I did everything I coudl to make that feeling go away, even tried to take over a whole country." he told her and heard her giggle lightly. "As it turns out though it wasn't a something I was missing but a someone, my other half, my soulmate. A much as I hate to admit it I screwed it up in the beginning, I pushed you away and I hurt you. For some reason though you forgave me, like you do every time I mess up, every time I fail you." He couldn't help but look down to the ground for a moment as he admitted his wrongs but quickly swallowed and looked back up to her. "I know I'm not an easy person to love, I know I make it difficult and I want to thank you for never giving up on me." His heart was hammering so hard against his ribcage he was sure it would soon burst from his chest. "You make me feel complete, you make me happy, happier than I can ever remember feeling. You are so loving and caring, beautiful and kind." he smiled and saw her blushing. "Truly if I was to stand here and list everything there was that I love about you we would be here until the sun rose above the horizon." Staring into her eyes he licked his dry lips as he pulled the velvet box from his pocket and moved to one knee. "I promise to care for you, protect you until the end of my days. You have and will forever be the only woman I ever love. I will provide for you and you will never want for anything. My only request of you is that you do me the honor of becoming my wife and I your husband."

You felt your breath hitch in your throat as you listened to his kind words and then saw him drop to one knee. Sucking in a shaky breath you looked down to see he did in fact have a ring pulled out between the both of you. Snapping your eyes back up you saw him looking at you in pure adoration. "Y...you want to marry me? you asked in a whisper, not believing you ears. Your eyes were already filling with tears as you looked into his own eyes that were even with yours.

"Nothing would make me happier my little star." Seeing her nod and the tears fall from her eyes he rose a brow, wanting to hear it himself.

"Yes." you choked out.

Smiling he had the ring on her finger and his arms wrapped around her in a heartbeat, pressing his lips to hers in a deep kiss.

He was quick to deepen the kiss and you felt your arousal coming back full force. Kneading your fingers into the hair at the base of his skull you grinned and pulled away enough to look up into his eyes, "What do you say we go back home and celebrate?"

Smirking he scooped her up into his arms and felt her mouth move back to his as he made the walk home, this time taking the shortcut. Locking the front door clothes hit the floor all the way down the hall towards their bedroom. Securing that door as well he removed his hook, holding her with his forearm while he dropped the heavy prosthetic to the chair. Feeling her hands quickly unbuttoning his shirt he growled as her hands rubbed over his bare skin. Shuffling out of his jacket and shirt he dropped them to the floor, the price of the clothing not even crossing his mind. Her dress had already been pulled off her shoulders to reveal her breasts and it took him only a moment to set her down to drop the satin fabric to the floor before he had her back in his arms.

Moving to the bed he crawled onto it all the while holding her to him. When he got close enough to the middle of the bed he lowered them down and held himself up on his left forearm while his hand went to work groping the soft flesh of her breast. Pushing his clothed sex into hers he heard her whimper and grinned before his mouth moved down to her neck. Leaving his mark on her neck and over her collarbone he felt her hands rubbing over his back.

Deep groans and growls were leaving his throat as he licked at your skin, soothing the pain from his teeth. When his love bites moved down to your sensitive breasts you gasped and heard him let out low hum, his lower half pushing his member into your core hard enough to make you mewl in need. There was no doubt your panties were soaked, dampening his pants as well. God how long had it been, over half a year. Before you were taken it wasn't uncommon for you and Croc to have sex at least twice a week. When he moved his hand between you both, having to arch his back to make room around your baby bump to unbuckle his belt and pants. Biting your lip when he took your nipple into his mouth you felt him suck once and just about came undone right then.

Hearing her moan he smirked around her nipple, "You sure are sensitive here little star." he growled into her lower breast. He had heard how sensitive pregnant women's breast were but never did he imagine he would enjoy it so much. Giving her other nipple the same treatment he felt her nails dig into back making him growl and roll his now freed member into her panty covered sex. He was so hard it was painful, he needed her so desperately but he wanted to drag this out, to enjoy their first time together in so long. Kissing her belly he continued moving south to the top of her panties, nipping the lace with his teeth. Sitting back on the balls of his feet he gently pulled her panties down her legs. She kept her legs closed and her knees pulled up as he looked down at her body basked in the moonlight coming in through the curtains.

Seeing him looking over your naked body but not saying anything made you feel self conscious. Although you had been eating better now you knew your body was not what he remembered. Licking your lips you swallowed hard, Adverting your eyes from his ever serious face as more negative thoughts filled your head. Subconsciously moving your arms to cover yourself you curled up and moved to get up from the bed when a strong hand grabbed your hip and pinned you back down.

He had been admiring the beautiful body that he had only snapped out of his thoughts when she went to curl away and he snapped his eyes to her face to see the apprehension in her eyes. "No." he spoke quickly when he saw her go to hide away. "You are so beautiful darling." he assured in a low, gentle voice, leaning down to kiss her temple and massaging her hip and thigh. Leaning back to look back down her body and seeing her try to cover her belly with her arm he grabbed her wrist and held it down beside her. "This body is giving me a child, something I never thought I would want or have until that night. I wouldn't trade you for anyone in this world or any other for that matter." he said, placing a kiss to her swollen belly.

Blinking back tears as your worries were pushed away you pulled at his arm until he leaned back over you, meeting your lips in a tender kiss. "I love you Croc." you said, cupping his face in your hands.

"Not as much as I do you." he grinned softly. Kissing he he slowly pressed the tip of his tongue to her lower lip and felt as she granted him access. Kicking his pants, socks and shoes off the bed while their tongues danced along with one another he lowered his body to hers. He could have sighed at feeling their skin on one another's again. He felt pride fill his chest as he moved his fingers up her slit. Pressing his index finger into her he felt her shudder and grinned into the kiss. He was careful as he began working his finger in and out of her, preparing her for him. Bentham had told him what had almost happened to her in Impale down. He had been enraged to find out that his starlight had been moments away from being raped by those men before Bentham had shown up and he was sure that that had been why he had heard her call out for him. Oh how his heart ached to know that what might have happened to her and he wouldn't have been able to help her. It was one reason why he had shoved back any desire he had for her, not wanting to push her into something until he knew she was absolutely ready but feeling how wet she was now he knew she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

Adding another finger he rubbed small circles over her clit with his thumb. She was whimpering softly now, her hands gripping his shoulder and bicep. When he felt her flutter around his fingers he gave one final curl before pulling away, he wanted to feel her come undone around him. Running his cock up and down her slit to coat it in her slick he situated himself between her legs. Lining up his painfully hard cock with her entrance he moved his only hand to grab her own and lace their fingers together. Then slowly he entered her.

Being filled you both broke away from each other's mouth to let out noises of pleasure. Your own being a long, soft moan while his deep groan vibrated along your chest. It was slightly painful, the stretch reminding you of your first time together as your body readjusted to your soulmate's. Feeling his head drop to your shoulder and his teeth scrape against the thin skin of your neck as he pushed in to the hilt you shuddered, your hand that wasn't holding his gripping him for dear life. You wouldn't be surprised to find marks on his back tomorrow.

He trembled in need as he waited for her to adjust to his girth, every muscle in his body as tight as a bow string. Placing hard kisses and bites to her neck and shoulder he tried to keep from fucking her like he so badly wanted to. She needed this time, she was so tight around him, her body unfamiliar to his cock after so long. Groaning he pulled out just a little to thrust back in and let go of her hand to grip the bedding beside her head hard enough to turn his knuckles white. Doing it again he heard her let out a moan and growled, gritting his teeth.

As soon as he started moving you felt your body cling to him, your lips kissing his hard shoulder. You could feel his muscles tightening beneath your palms, his hips rolling expertly into yours. It was no time at all before you felt that coil in your belly growing tight, ready to snap at any moment.

Clenching his teeth he grunt and groaned, wanting to last longer, wanting them to savor their first time together in so long but his climax was coming in fast. She just felt so perfect around. Licking along her jaw he heard her whimper, felt her clench around him. Seems they both were in need of release. Kissing back up to her mouth he pushed his lips to hers and moved his hand down to grip her thigh, pulling it to lay over his hip. "Mmmmm." he hummed into her mouth, being allowed deeper. Angling his thrusts to hit her sweet spot he gave a low moan of his own. Quickly moving his hand back to hold hers by her head he rolled his tongue around her mouth. With one last hard thrust they were both crying out in bliss. His whole body went stiff, holding her tightly under him as he pumped her full of his seed.

You could feel his cock twitching inside of you before the warmth of his cum filled you up. Coming back down from your own high you slowly laid your head back onto the pillows and felt him kiss your forehead once before he was gently easing out of you, your body flinching as your still slightly spasming sex clung to him. Being pulled to his chest once he had moved to lay beside you, you laid your head on over his heart and listened to it slowly go back to it's normal rhythm.

They stayed there with their eyes closed for a while, him stroking her belly when a thought crossed his mind. "Are you alright? Was I too rough?" he asked in a low, deep voice.

Forcing your tired eyes open you grinned and craned your neck to kiss his jaw. ""I'm perfect, you were amazing." Giggling a little when you saw him smirk as you added to his ego you kissed his chest. Stretching you moved to get up from bed when a strong hand caught your wrist in a gentle grip.

"Where are you going?" he asked softly, stroking her arm with his thumb.

"To go clean up." you said with a grin but then saw that mischievous look in his silver eyes, one of his brows raising.

"Who said we were done?" he questioned and saw her blush. Leaning up he grabbed the inside of her knee and pulled her back across the bed to him, time to make up for lost time. Leaning down to kiss her binding mark he felt her fingers rub through his hair.

#Sir Crocodile #one piece crocodile #crocodile fanfiction #crocodile x reader #one piece #One Piece Fanfiction #one piece crocodile x reader #crocodile x ofc

38 notes · View notes