#i might.. open comm next month..

[thatgothsamurai]

vegas with his iconic witchy shirt✨⭐🌙☀️✨

[ihatebrainstorm]

Batch 2 of commissions finished! They were all really fun to do :D Thank you again to those who comm'd me! o)-(

(Technically there were 3, but the third isn't a mech thingy so I'd rather just post the mech ones here)

[smokbeast]

I will be closing comms for a week or so to recharge a bit for myself inspiration wise! I do hope that’s okay thank you so much everyone for the kind words and support during the update and change!

[graff-aganda]

Sometime next month I'll probably open comms back up. 😳

[coles-scythe]

SPeaking of my beloved gremlin husband, I am once again simultaneously crying and frothing at the mouth over his mini figure. It's so small and cute and FUCKING EXPENSIVE. I want to own one so bad, but I do not have $80+ USD to drop on it.

[littlebluespoon]

Stuck ~ Octo!König

I got distracted by @frogchiro's wonderful octo!König head cannons and I just had to write a little something where König saw an opportunity and refused to not take it 🤭

Hope you all enjoy 💙

Part 2 - Stuck (Again) Part 3 - Unstuck Part 4 - Stranded

A03 link -

You’d been with the 141 for a few of months now, patching up the hybrids after their missions and even sometimes after they pull some mischief on the base. Before you joined 141 you hadn’t interacted much with hybrids, even in the military most of them were in specialised units suited to their hybrid abilities but getting to work with Price and the others had been an eye opening and fun experience for you. It also forced you to learn about a thousand new skills and tricks as the fox side of Gaz meant you had to catch him to treat him, you learned how to avoid Soap’s wandering tail as you tried to give him stitches and what to say back to Ghost and his growling every time you had to treat him. Luckily none of them required specialist training to be able to treat so you were quite comfortable in your skills. Of course, maybe someone should have insisted on more training for you before you were all sent on the mission with Kortac, it might have caused less problems.

“Contact left!” “Ghost, how copy?” “Shit! Fuck! He’s hit!” “Medic! König’s hit!”

You dart out from where you had taken cover and rush towards Ghost and König. Getting there you see the Colonel on the ground, having been dragged behind cover by Ghost, in a pool of blood,

“König? Can you hear me?” You knew you had to act quickly, putting pressure on the wound and trying to get him to respond as you shook him.

“Don’t..” He mumbles out, ‘Don’t waste… I’ll shift” he whispers out, so quietly that your ear is pressed to his veil just to hear him,

“Then shift!” Screaming in his face as you desperately try to stop the blood, you watch him shake his head,

“Burden, no..” you roll your eyes at the stubborn soldier,

“I can protect you König, just shift so you’ll live!” you emphasise your point by putting as much of your body weight on his wound as possible and that seems to be all it takes.

One minute you’re fighting a six foot ten inch stubborn ass of a man and the next you have an octopus barely bigger than your hand, curled around your wrist. You cant not stare at him, you didn’t even know König was a hybrid. After a few shocked moments you can hear more calls for a medic in your comms so you make a quick decision and shove König down the front of your top, behind the bullet proof vest.

Between the mission going to hell and patching up everyone’s injuries, you’d actually forgotten about König until another Kortac soldier asked you how you’d gotten him to safety. Dumbfounded you took a moment to remember and then you couldn’t stop the blush across your face. Pulling off your vest and reaching into your shirt you get a hand on him and gently tug, and tug, and tug but he goes nowhere. Now everyone’s looking at you in confusion,

“Hehe, hang on,” you say to the Kortac group, “König! Let go” whispering down your shirt at the stubborn man who refuses to move no matter how much you pull at him. Seeing that everyone’s looking at you like you’ve gone insane you decide to take off your shirt and ask for help. Instead all you get are laughs and several photos that perfectly capture how unamused you are and how content König is.

[jedipoodoo]

The Other Woman (Sergeant Hunter x Reader)

Notes: miscommunication Trope, Hunter is a Girl Dad™, single fatherhood is hot, how can you hate Omega?? Tbh this is kinda goofy lol.

"Ah, kriff."

Hunter glanced at the glow of his comm and leaped off the couch, running around your house to grab his jacket and his shoes.

"Hunter?" you paused the holo film as he put his shoe on the wrong foot, and quickly had to change it.

"What's wrong?"

He glanced between you and the glow of the holo screen, with his hands held out as if to placate you.

"I am so sorry, I gotta go, my girl's expecting me."

You blinked once. Twice. Then there was a rushing in your ears as your entire world crumpled around you.

"Your...girl?" you asked, fists digging into the cushions of your couch. You had spent months flirting with Hunter, agonizing over whether of not he might like you back. When he asked you if you'd like a date, your heart soared to the moons and beyond. For reasons beyond you, you had invited him into your house, cooked him dinner, only to crash back down to the ground and find out he had someone else.

Hunter was completely oblivious to your sudden moral panic as he started talking about "his girl".

"She's brilliant, kinder than anyone I've ever met, and smart as a whip."

"Glad she's such a catch," You snapped, getting up and marching over to the door.

Hunter finally recognized the anger, radiating off you in waves.

"Is everything alright?"

You barked a humorless laugh.

"Is everything alright? You tell me, Mr. Dark-and-broody! Being in a relationship with multiple people at the same time may have been simple enough during the war, but not here! Not with me!"

His face fell.

"Oh right! I forgot, they didn't teach you any of that on Kamino." It was a particularly cruel barb, but you didn't care. You wanted Hunter to feel as utterly humiliated as you did right now.

"I... I don't understand..." Hunter mumbled, wringing his jacket in his hands.

"Let me spell it out for you then, Sergeant," You slammed the release on your front door and it hissed open, "Get out. Your girl may be okay with this, but I won't play second fiddle to anyone, not in this kind of relationship."

The only sound was the chittering of the sea crickets, a mournful melody that echoed the crestfallen look on Hunter's face. When he didn't move, you pointed him emphatically out the door. The moment he crossed the threshold, you shut and locked the door.

Then you collapsed into a ball and cried.

Did it amuse the force to play with your love life like this? You'd never had the courage to say yes to a date before. You were the kind of kid that got asked out only for it to turn out to be a joke.

Hunter was different. Hunter was supposed to be different. Everyone in the marketplace would talk him up all the time, from his heroics during the war, to the hard work he put in to help rebuild the island. You couldn't believe your good fortune at last when he asked you out.

Of course it was too good to be true.

You cried, curled up at the edge of the doorway until your spine began to protest. Even with all the energy drained out of you so furiously, you knew your bed would be a much more comfortable place to cry on. And there was still ice cream left in the fridge.

You ended up sleeping in the next morning. You didn't mean to. You woke up with your alarm first, but every part of you was just so sore and you were so exhausted, you just had to close your eyes for a few minutes.

A few minutes turned into a few hours.

It was noon when you finally made it to your noodle stall in the Archium, right next to Pilate's ice cone stand.

"You're late," The older man chuckled good naturedly as you started a fresh batch of pasta, "Your gentleman friend was here early this morning, waiting for you."

You tried not to grimace at the mention of Hunter. Your eyes were still red, but a wide rimmed hat hid that fact from your neighbors.

"Is he still here?"

"No, he left about an hour ago, said something about meeting an Omega."

Ah, so that was her name. You dped the hot water into your drain, not caring that it splashed everywhere.

"Everything alright?" Pilate asked.

"Peachy."

When you refused to elaborate, Pilate stopped pushing. It was lunch hour, so you soon had a line of customers stretching out around the Archium. You plastered on your customer service face and thanked all of them for their patronage, despite the anger that you held in your chest. It was shockingly easy to pretend you were perfectly fine when you had so many emotions bubbling beneath the surface.

For starting your day late, you were making a pretty decent profit. After the first couple of hours, business slowed down, but it would be just as busy during the dinner hour, and you had a few regulars that would pop in for an afternoon snack from time to time.

Lyanna Hazard was one such regular. She skipped up to your stall hand-in-hand with a new friend you hadn't met before.

"Hello girls! How can I help you today?" you asked.

"Four shrimp dumplings, please!" Lyanna placed her pocket money on the counter.

"Coming right up!" You ladled the dumplings from fry pit into two bowls, and set them in front of the girls. As you reached for the chopsticks so that they could eat, Lyanna's friend grabbed one with her bare hand

"It's hot!" she yelped, tossing the dumpling from one hand to the other in surprise.

Lyanna giggled, "That's why you use chopsticks, silly!"

Lyanna demonstrated, and her friend watched her, fascinated. With the dumpling balanced precariously on her chopsticks, she tentativelytook a tiny bite.

"Mmm!" she declared. She ravenously finished her dumplings while you laughed, rolling out pasta dough to make more dumplings.

"It's always a pleasure to see someone enjoy my food," You told her.

"It's amazing! My brother told me you were a good cook, but this is even better than I could've imagined!" she said.

"Oh really, who's your brother?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but the universe answered for her.

"Omega!"

You couldn't help the glare that involuntarily tugged on your face when you heard his voice. You spotted the offender halfway across the Archium, looking around, but to your absolute horror, Lyanna's new friend began to wave him over.

"Over here, Hunter!" She called, one hand cupped around her mouth.

You saw his shoulders relax for a moment, and then tense up again. It was the same spooked, father-in-headlights look that he gave you last night when you kicked him out. You wanted to shrivel up and die.

Lyanna and Omega missed this completely, however, and kept waving at Hunter. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here, but he begrudgingly trudged across the marketplace to your stall.

"Heya kids," He said, not quite looking at you.

"Hunter, you gotta try the dumplings!" Omega said, showing him her empty bowl.

"I have," Hunter said. It was part of the meal you'd made for him the night before. You thought you saw him glance at you, but you couldn't be sure. You were determined to stay angry at him, but those gorgeous brown eyes of his were going to be the death of you.

"Well, I'll see you all around then."

You turned your back on them, going back to the filling for the dumplings. You heard Lyanna talking excitedly to Omega about a few more stalls where they could get more food, and when you heard their voices fade away you assumed that all three of them had left.

There were a few moments of blessed silence, but Hunter cleared his throat, and you jumped in surprise.

"I need to talk to you."

You glared at him.

"I have nothing to say to you." you snapped.

"Then don't say anything but just listen-"

"You're a glutton for punishment, aren't-"

"I don't have another partner!" He said quickly.

You blinked, surprised.

"Omega's my little sister. She's my girl. She's who I had to get back to that night." to prove it, he pulled up his comm, sliding it across the table towards you.

You stared at him, suspicious. But you looked at the screen anyway.

Omega: Hunter, when is your date done?

Hunter: we're finishing a movie, kid.

Omega: I can't fall asleep. And Wrecker doesn't sing the Purrgill song as good as you do :(

Hunter: I told you I'd be gone tonight. I'll come say goodnight when I get back.

Omega: :(

You sighed. Omega was very sweet, and you couldn't imagine trying to say no to her on a daily basis.

"I am... So sorry..." You couldn't look at him, sliding his comm back across the countertop.

Hunter said nothing, but placed a hand over yours, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. That should've been one of the first things I told you.

He sighed, "I guess... I'm just not used to sharing everything, especially with new people."

"You're not obligated to share everything with me, you have a right to your privacy."

"I've been a soldier my entire life, and now, I'm trying to figure out how to be anything but. I was talking with Phee and she gave me an earful about how if I'm trying to date or get close to someone, I gotta make my priorities clear."

Hunter looked over his shoulder at Omega. She and Lyanna were at Pilate's stall now, trying to see how many scoops of flavored ice they could stack in one bowl.

"Omega's a good kid, but she hasn't had much of an opportunity to be one. My brothers and I aren't exactly model parents, but we're trying our best to give her the life she deserves."

You nodded, "That's admirable of you."

If you felt humiliated last night, it was nothing compared to the embarrassment you felt now. You'd insulted Hunter when all he was trying to do was take care of his little sister, which, if you thought about it, made him even more attractive than the tattoo and the eyes already did.

"All this to say, your reaction is completely justified with the information you had, and if you're willing, I'd like to try again."

He held out a hand to you, "Let me take you out on a proper date, to make up for all this."

You felt heat rising in your cheeks, "I should be asking how I can make this up for you," You insisted.

"Nonsense, you cooked and cleaned and everything and I tried to cut it short. Let me sweep you off your feet."

You raised one eyebrow. That sounded almost nothing like what he'd usually say.

He winced, "Yeah, I realized it the moment I said it. Phee told me that's what I should do, though I have no idea how to."

You giggled, "That's okay, I'd like that, though."

Hunter's eyes went wide, and you could almost melt into the cobblestones. "That's a yes? You're saying yes?"

"Yes," You giggled some more, and stepped out of your stall to speak face to face.

"I'd love to be swept off my feet by you, so long as it means you forgive me for being a poodoo-head."

"You are not a poodoo-head." Hunter said, placing his hand on your cheek, "You're a brilliant person, and I'd like to get to know you much better than I do now."

You flushed, from his words or his touch, you weren't sure, but you didn't entirely mind it.

You coughed to clear your throat. "So, Mr. Hunter, when should I plan on you picking me up?"

Hunter glanced at your stall, and back to you, "How soon can you close up shop?"

You grinned. You might have gotten a late start, but he didn't need to know that. He could make up for it in his own way.

"For you, Hunter? Right away."

[kendallroysmethpipe]

🩷💗🩷 YCH COMMS !!! (FOR MOVING FUNDS) 🩷💗🩷

HI EVERYONEEEEE it's me ur beautiful favorite princess Maisy Jewel :3 If u guys didn't know, I'm moving about 1 1/2 hours away within the next month or two ! I'm not going to be able to look for work until I move, so to try to make some money for essentials (gas/furniture/food/etc), I've decided to open some YCH commissions !!!

There's two YCH to choose from :

1 (+ finished example)

2 (+ finished example)

They'll be $20 each ! I'll have 5 slots open at a time so I'm able to keep track of what I'm doing because I'm easily frazzled and have an AWFUL memory 😭

I WILL DRAW :

- Self insert/OC x Canon/OCxOC

- Furries

- if you're a normal, reasonable person, just ask me if you're wondering and the answer will probably be yes LOL

I WONT DRAW:

- Anything that I'm not comfortable with (ex. Something involving Kendall 😐). I'll tell you if your request isn't something I'm comfortable drawing

- This should go without saying but I'm not going to draw anything for pro-shippers

- Complex outfits/designs... If your F/O, S/I, OC, etc. has a complex outfit I might ask you to give me something more simple to draw them in 😓

SLOTS:

1. @cassmeeks

2. @adoredbyalatus

3. @dearly-beeloved

4. @confetticlues

5. OPEN

DM ME TO DISCUSS IF UR INTERESTED !!! 🩷🩷🩷

[minteehell]

Some sketches I made of Keo and Haley (ft. Alex) hehe

Ok I know my posts have been slow lately, BUT. Im still alive, dont worry 🤟 I do have some news regarding this acc and myself:

Im currently overseas! Im studying in Korea, this month and the next are going to be a bit packed & a bit busy so I cant post much. But I promise I will post as many as I can when I have time so dwdw.

Next is I might open comms later next month (or the next) because I need to buy a new tablet for myself! I fortunately got a new pc from one of my seniors, but a tablet is a need because my current tablet is useable, but small.

Third is this account will probably have a mix of Baldurs Gate and Stardew. Yahoo im into bg3 now who could’ve guessed after 4 months of not posting amiright lmao.

I also wanna add that is IM GOING TO THE STARDEW ORCHESTRA IN SEOUL THIS MARCH!! I am happy and I cannot contain it any longer. I need to wear Keo’s outfit frfr.

Lastly…. Uhm.. I wanna make a nsfw acc (probably a patreon of some sort) so… stay tuned hehe (MINORS GO AWAY SHOO FROM THAT ACC!!)

[gotchibam]

Just a heads up, I might open commissions soon since I'll need extra budget for the next month! I know I still have a backlog of ko-fi doodles I need to work on but I'll try my best to do them alongside the comms 😤💪💪💪

[undreaming-fanfiction]

My lovely @henderdads Cass, I unfortunately didn't manage to write a full length fanfiction that you 100% deserve for your birthday, buuuut...I saw that your fav Disney movie is Mulan. What if I gave you a very adjusted Mulan Steddie AU idea with a partial apocalypse, joining the army in place of someone you love, and an incredibly annoying voice in your ear who tells you what to say and do...

Eddie Munson is very much anti-war, thank you. He hates the army, hates the cops, tolerates Chief Hopper because he's cool, but overall authority? Nah, not for him. Eddie would never, ever join something violent and wear camo.

The world doesn't care about his preferences. When interdimensional rifts start popping up left and right and the whole planet is currently battling creatures pouring out of what is called the Upside Down dimension, every family has to send a man to join the war.

Eddie should not be joining anything. After a horrific car crash that nearly cost him his life, half of his torso is nothing but scars, his body is weak from spending months in the hospital, plus his aim is atrocious. But the government said someone needs to go, and his beloved uncle Wayne, the 50-ish man who looks like a nihilist but is secretly all the goodness in the world personified, is gearing up to go and serve his country. That just won't do.

He steals the letter ordering someone from the Munson family to join the Hawkins battlefield and prays that no one will have a chance to check his records. They probably won't, most of the documents for his town got burned to a crisp when a rift opened under the office. And because he knows absolutely nothing about the special Upside Down units he's about to join, he's doing what he knows the best - practicing by roleplaying. He's simulating small talk with "the boys". He's trying cheeky comebacks. And he's incredibly, cringe-inducingly bad at it.

Fortunately for him, or maybe not, he has a guardian angel, except the angel is a 13 year old kid he used to DM for. His name is Dustin and he's ruthless. When he stumbles upon Eddie's "Oh yeah, I used to play the ball in high school. Which ball? Uh...all the ball!", he announces Eddie is useless and gives him a small comm he's developed with his nerdy friends. "Don't worry," he says, "I will guide you through everything."

And Eddie believes it might be a good thing, that it might counterbalance his uncontrollable mouth, at least until the moment that he sees his sergeant, Steve Harrington. The guy is friendly, capable, tough as nails and incredibly, mind-numbingly pretty.

"Say good to meet you, sir!" the voice in his ear whispers.

Eddie opens his mouth to say exactly that. "Wow, aren't you a sight to behold, big boy!" is what ends up leaving it.

Dustin finds out the hard way that the barely functioning gay disaster Eddie Munson is impossible to guide through anything. He picks the lock to the showers after midnight to avoid showing his scars - or if he wanted to be honest, showering very heterosexually next to Steve fucking Harrington, the man who pulled him out of harm's way when Eddie messed up, and then nonchalantly produced a spiked bat and beat the creature preparing to snack on Eddie to a pulp.

"Why did you freeze when Steve was discussing tomorrow's mission?" Dustin hisses at him.

"You're not here, you twerp, you'd freeze too if you saw all that chest hair!"

Many things end up happening during the war of the worlds (cliché, but it works in Eddie's head). Eddie somehow ends up saving Steve's life by backing into a cassette player, turning it on and blasting "Master of Puppets" all over the battlefield, luring the creatures away from Steve's position. He tries to explain that it was an accident, but no one believes him.

Eddie notices that the creatures are invading in certain patterns. When people ask him how come he noticed something no one else did, he just shrugs and says: "it's what I would have done if I was running this as a campaign." He ignores Dustin's excited rambling about how cool the campaign would be and that Eddie definitely has to survive now.

Steve starts respecting him, even enjoying his company. How the hell did that happen. And there's definitely some tension between them, not the angry kind, and Eddie is taking cold showers now. For health reasons, obviously.

And finally, Eddie finds out that even if his aim sucks, he's pretty great with a flamethrower. They become unbeatable as a close range fighter duo with Steve.

Eventually, Eddie's insight combined with some secret government experimentation (they experimented on a kid? If it didn't work out so well, Eddie would have punched them and then set them on fire) end the war. The portals are closed, the remaining creatures gradually eliminated. Steve and Eddie are decorated as heroes and sent home. It's all very quick, very "let's not talk about this whole rift thing possibly being a government fault, nope!", Steve finally finds out about Eddie not being fit to serve and spirals into an absolute meltdown about endangering someone who was never supposed to fight in the first place. Eddie finds himself sitting on a bus home with a medal and a broken heart.

It's only a few days later, after Wayne's crushing hugs, scolding, well hidden tears and Dustin's constant visits, that someone knocks on his and Wayne's trailer door. It's Eddie's former sergeant Steve Harrington, wearing a soft yellow sweater and the cutest shy smile Eddie's ever seen. "Hi. Uh...I know it's difficult to make up for putting you through all that and not verifying your records. But..." he says and shushes Eddie when he tries to accept all the blame and get into a spiral of his own, "...I think a dinner would be a good start to that apology. How does that sound?"

Eddie grins at him and reaches for his hand. "I'd say you've got yourself a date, big boy."

[charlottecbordeaux]

✨JULY COMMISSION WAIT LISTS ARE OPEN!!!!✨

So yeah. All explained in the pictures above-

I have opened my FIRST EVER WAIT LISTS! For next months commissions.

This is probably gonna be the fist and last comms I’ll do for this year so if anyone wants to comm me this might be a good time-

All money will go to my bills and be funds for the next pair of plushies I plan to make and order! This is a goal for this year so it would help if you guys could help ;w;

(Also to those who have commissioned me in the past… Thank you SO SO MUCH!!! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you guys ;w;)

If you have any questions or thoughts feel free to send me a message

[navstuffs]

A terrible encounter

Pairing: Leon Kennedy x GN!Reader, Toji Fushiguro x GN!Reader (past?)

Summary: An encounter with someone from your past brings your feelings over the edge.

Warnings: jealous!leon, toji is YOUR krauser+ada, cursing, violence, smoking, reader's codename is Tiger, older!leon (choose your own)

Author's Notes: hey, everyone! if you thought me mixing ezio auditore with leon, well you are in for a ride :) who would be the best person to make leon jealous other than daddy toji fushiguro? tbh, i almost fried my brain for this fanfic: i have like six different versions for it, took me almost two months to actually finish. but for jealous!leon & toji i would do it all over again. spoiler alert: this is probably not the last time they meet him. enjoy!

my leon's masterlist

Toji Fushiguro is standing on the rooftop of the abandoned medical facility. It is already dark, and he has a lit cigarette in his mouth. It had been precisely twenty-eight minutes since he had arrived, his eyes focused on the place's entrance. Toji's patience is one of the most important qualities and necessary in his field of work.

When he finishes his cigarette, throwing it on the floor and pressing his boot on it, he hears the sound of a car approaching. Just in time, Toji thinks, getting his binoculars to confirm his suspicion.

The first person who sees is a dirty blonde-haired man with a tactical outfit, scanning the place. Toji isn't interested in him, changing the direction of the binoculars, searching. He doesn't take long to find the object of his desire, a smile opening on his lips.

"Long time no see, Tiger," He murmurs to himself when you join the other man.

It is going to be a fun night.

-x-

"You still good?"

Leon's voice comes through the communicator, worried. You and Leon had been investigating the facility for almost one hour. No one had been there since the last outbreak happened. No zombies or B.O.Ws were in sight, which didn't ease your worries. All rooms were empty except for a few decomposing bodies.

As two highly trained agents, you and Leon knew letting your guard down would be stupid. The place is a maze; unfortunately, you separated in a moment of distraction. And instead of meeting in the next corner, you kept going further inside the place.

"I am fine. You should keep your eyes and ears open as well, Leon." 

"I am. I will feel better when we are together."

You can't help but smirk. It had been a couple of months since you two started a relationship; there were no labels yet, but you couldn't help getting attached more each day. It was simply in the small details like Leon remembering your coffee order or favorite candy by your table. You are falling in love again, slowly but much safer than in your previous relationship.  

"Don't you think this place is too calm?" You ask, your voice echoing through the empty corridor.

"Yes. Something isn't right."

"Are you sure they said there might be survivors in this place?"

"That's what it was told. The control room is not even in the location of the map they gave us." 

You keep your gun and flashlight steady in your hands, ready, ears focused. You are relieved both of you had enough herbs and spray, but all you want is to find Leon quick to find out what is wrong with this place.

There is a door at the end of the corridor you are in. You open it, gun in front of you, as your eyes scan the room quick.  Although there is only one light source, no zombies are in sight, which is good. There are multiple small TV screens hanging on the walls, an old computer, a chair, and a table. You sigh, turning your comm.

"I think I find the control room, Leon. Some sort of-hmph!"

You can't finish the sentence, as the feeling of an icy knife blade presses against your ribs. You can hear Leon screaming your name as the comm is turned off and taken away from your ear. You could try to shoot if you are fast enough to turn around and avoid getting stabbed. 

"You seriously think you will be fast enough to shoot me, Tiger?" 

That voice. That damn voice you haven't heard in five years. You gulp, your hands shaking as you take your firearm down, not daring to look behind you. You glance at the dirty screen of the computer in front of you and can barely manage a silhouette of the top of this man's head.

"You disappoint me. What is the first rule I taught you?" You don't answer as the sensation of the knife's blade disappears. "Keep guard. Always."

He is right, you think. When you turn, you kick his side and watch Toji Fushiguro, your ex-mentor, dodge your kick with a fun smile on his face. 

"Too slow."

Before you can point your gun at him, he kicks it down, the knife coming centimeters from your face before you dodge it. Toji, wasting no time, closes the space between you, his free hand reaching to grab your neck, your back hitting the wall. Toji roughly places your hands above your head, and suddenly you can't move him, his face inches from yours.

"Shit," You groan, frustrated. 

"Oh, how much I missed this, Tiger," Toji literally purrs, pressing his body against his. 

For a second, you forget about Leon, flashes of your past relationship with Toji pierce through your mind, and you hate yourself. You hate the way he makes your body feel, the way he makes you act.

You stare into his green eyes, still trying to get free, but Toji doesn't budge. The hand on your neck goes up to your chin, and he makes you stare right back at him. You refuse to look at his green eyes, refuse to fall for that trap again, but Toji whispers your name softly.

"Let them go. Now." 

Leon, you think, relieved. He is here.

Leon has his gun against Toji's head, and you never heard him sound so angry. Toji ponders momentarily before letting you go, keeping his arms up and his eyes focused on you as he steps away.  Leon walks in front of you, covering you with your body. Leon Kennedy is still alert, pointing his firearm at Toji's head. He gives you a quick glance as you catch your breath.

"You good?"

"Yeah."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Leon asks as you catch your breath, his voice cold as ice.

"They know who I am," Toji answers, pointing at you. His stance is relaxed as he crosses his arm. "It's good to see you live and well."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" You growl. It had been more than five years since you had seen the man in front of you, and he hadn't changed a bit. You never told Leon about your 'romantic' involvement with Toji Fushiguro, only that he had trained you.

"You know him?" Leon whispers, surprised.

"Yes. Unfortunately."

Leon looks at the man in front of him: he is tall, an inch smaller than Leon, body-toned, with a black shirt that Leon wonders if he bought in the child section. Every fiber on Leon's body told him this man was extremely dangerous, and Leon knew he couldn't keep his guard down. And worse, Toji keeps looking at you with that smug smile and dirty look. Leon sighs, pulling his firearm down as well, his shoulders still tense. He can't wait to get away from him.

"What are you doing here, Toji? How much did it take for you to get out of Japan this time?"

Toji? Leon knows this name pretty well. Your ex-mentor. Leon remembers your stories: how Toji found you in an island resort in Japan, being the only survivor after four days of the outbreak. Toji took you in, recruited you, and trained you to be the best, like him. Leon knew how bad his training was with Krauser, but the guy before him would give Krauser a good fight. He still had seen results from that training with scars on your body. That's why you bonded so close: you both had traumatic experiences and need some sort of comfort.

It didn't take long for Leon to fall in love with you. 

"Tiger, you haven't changed a bit," Toji chuckles, his green eyes glowing in your direction. You hated him. It had been five years, and you hated how much he made you feel without touching you. Just that intense stare and your body had to obey. 

No, you think to yourself. This was young you. Amateur, naive you. You weren't the same person Toji Fushiguro tricked and lied to. You didn't have to be.

"What are you doing here?" You repeat your question, your voice acid. 

"I need your help with something."

You roll your eyes, giving a humorless laugh. Toji walks away into a dark part of the room, and Leon immediately raises his gun. Toji walks back, a briefcase in his hands. He places it on top of the table, his eyes going back to you.

"What is that?" 

"C'mere, take a look. You were always good with this kind of stuff, anyway."

You analyze Toji before approaching. He could say he knew you better than anyone, but you also could read him. Like when Toji tends to lie, the corner of his lips moves involuntarily. With no sense of threat, you sigh.

"You trust this guy?" Leon asks, his stare never leaving Toji.

"No. But he is probably the best thing we have now," You can see Leon doesn't like this, but he trusts your judgment. Leon sighs, turning his gun down again.

"Just don't let your guard down," Leon whispers, concerned, making Toji open a big grin.

"I won't."

Toji gives two small steps away from you as you approach the table. You can feel Leon's eyes never leaving him, any false movement would prove over for Toji. Your ex-mentor doesn't seem to mind: it is like Leon doesn't even exist in his mind. You open the briefcase, revealing a laptop. You turn it on, and it asks for a password.

"Where did you find this? Does it have to do this with this place? 

"I guess you will see it yourself," Toji answers enigmatically. You sigh, sitting down in the chair.

As you work to crack the password, Leon keeps his eye on Toji. The black-haired man has grabbed a cigarette from his pocket, smoking, and his green eyes are focused on you as if Leon poses no threat to him. As if admiring you.

Leon doesn't like how close he is to you and doesn't like Toji's eyes seem to wander around your body with desire. Leon would strike him if he made any small move that would represent a danger to your safety. Or if he even attempted to touch you.

Leon's hands are shaking, and he holds on his wrists. He has to control himself.

"Found anything interesting in there?" Toji asks after five minutes, and you ignore him, focused. Toji then turns his attention to Leon.

"Are you Tiger's new boy toy?" 

"What if I am?" Toji shrugs as if Leon's defiant answer is fair enough. 

"Wouldn't blame ya." Toji chuckles, taking a drag from the cigarette. 

Your body is tense as you look at Toji, anger in your eyes. That's precisely how Toji liked you before. Angry. Enraged. "You fight better like that," he used to say. That's why he nicknamed you Tiger: you had the same intense gaze of the apex predator during a hunt. The same strength.

You feel a warm hand on your shoulder, and it is Leon giving you a half smile. You thank him with your eyes before going back to work. Silence, except for the click on the keyboard and Toji letting out smoke. You think it shouldn't take much longer when Toji's cell phone starts ringing. You freeze in your chair, recognizing that voice very well. 

Because it is yours, moaning. Begging for more.

Toji lets that play for five seconds, enjoying the view of you and Leon freezing in your spots. He answers, mumbling a few words before turning the call off. You can feel yourself sweating in your clothes, not daring to look once in Leon's direction. You couldn't believe it, but you should know he would never change that damn ringtone. What would Leon think of you now? 

You finally crack the password, and before you can glance at any of the documents, Toji closes the briefcase almost in your fingers.

"Hey, I wasn't done—!"

"I think you saw everything you needed," Toji smirks as if he knows something you don't. "Thank you for that, Tiger. I seriously don't know what I would do without you."

Toji's hand is almost at your cheek when Leon's firm grip stops him, holding onto his wrist. What the fuck is wrong with this man? Leon thinks, his vision going red. Toji isn't touching you again, not as long as he is there. Toji doesn't seem to struggle away from the grip, and Leon wonders if what he really sees are the green eyes softening in your direction. The moment is gone when you get up from the chair to stand near Leon, ready to defend him, and Toji's eyes are back into the malicious glow.

"I like this one, Tiger. Let's hope he can match your fire."

"Loved the ringtone, by the way, I am lucky I get to hear it every night."

"You should see my wallpaper, Kennedy," Toji chuckles, a sinister smile on his lips. 

They stare at each other, scanning. Leon knows it would be a hard fight if needed. Toji is fast and strong, and taking him down would be challenging. Leon feels your hand squeezing his arms, and he lets go of Toji's wrist. 

"You will find some useful information three levels down. Just go back to where you came from and follow the red signs. Just be careful to not get separated again." With that, Toji moves toward the darkness, the cigarette still lit on the table. "We shall see each other around, Tiger."

When he is gone, Leon turns to you, squeezing your hip.

"You good?" Leon asks, his voice worried. You nod, not daring to look at him. "Are you really okay?"

You nod more vehemently, giving Leon a quick smile. You and Toji were a complicated case: he saved you from your first contamination site, you being the only survivor. You two bonded during that travel, and Toji nicknamed you Tiger. He recruited and trained you for years. In the midst of that, you became a couple. He was your first for everything: ignoring the mark he left in your soul was hard. You just wished you had told Leon much sooner.

"Is he your ex-boyfriend?" Leon questions slowly.

"Something like that." 

Something like that? Leon wants to ask more but can see how Toji still affects you. Pain stings in his heart, watching your conflicted and anxious gaze. He sighs because he should understand it very well. Although he and Ada never had anything too serious, it was hard to deny that there wasn't something there before.

You and Toji, on the other side, bonded. There was trust in there, Leon felt in on his bones, feelings, maybe even love. Leon knows you: he notices how you are behaving now, not looking directly at him, your gaze distant. You were thinking about Toji. Jealousy fills Leon's veins and body. He can't let this take over him, over you, so Leon gently holds him onto your chin.

"Hey, I am here. I am here. You are with me now," Leon whispers low, telling more to himself than you. Your gaze finally concentrates on his face. Back to him.

"I am sorry, Leon, I just let him distract me."

"You have nothing to apologize for, okay?" You nod, grateful. 

After Leon makes sure you are okay, he turns around, his expression sour. He isn't very excited to feel Toji's indication, thinking the man had something to do with your sudden separation from him.

Toji Fushiguro is much more dangerous than he expected. Leon feels a sick feeling in his bones, on his body, and a sour taste in his mouth. Leon hopes he never sees Toji again and expects you to feel the same way.

[cabezadeperro]

im back and i got one actually in the spirit of the prompt this time !! reading comprehension !! casablanca w/ fox/fives/echo (or any combination thereof, there are many possibilities contained within that movie)

hiiii! thanks for sending this one, i've been in a writing funk lately and this was just what i needed ❤️

established relationship, fives lives au, 940w.

---

They’re deep enough Fox can’t quite see the sky when he looks up. He approaches the edge of the landing pad and looks down instead—the void looks back. They’re on one of the dead levels, and the chute is dark almost all the way down. Now and then something flickers in the distance: Fox knows better than to use his bucket’s HUD to find out what it is, even if part of him wants to. 

The small Corrie station set up in the abandoned hangar doesn’t exist. The shock troopers on shift aren’t actually there; neither is Fox. They are all ghosts haunting a place that isn’t real, and if Fox was a different man he’d ponder the weight of such an idea, but he isn’t, so he doesn’t. He stands with his hands linked at his back and his head tilted, his men’s quiet conversion filling the empty hangar.

The rumble of the swoop’s engines fills the quiet. Fox blinks and looks away from the flashing lights beneath his feet, his boots quiet on the hangar’s worn tarmac, and looks to his left. He exhales—just the once—before clicking open his comm channel with his men.

“Corporal. Movement half a click westward,” he says. 

A beat, and then: “Understood, sir.”

By the time the bike lands next to Fox, Corporal Fee and Carrie are gone, and Fox is all alone in the hangar with the small freighter.

It also doesn’t exist. Fox can’t quite remember who used to be its owner: it doesn’t matter. It was, and now it doesn’t, it has just become a redacted or corrected line in an unread report.

Fives waits until Echo is off the swoop bike to follow. They’re both wearing civvies, and they both look remarkably comfortable in them. A few months with the 501st, ARC training, a year and a half of intelligence operations in Separatist-controlled worlds. They are younger than Fox by almost a year, but in a way he’s the greener of the three. He might have survived the first battle of Geonosis, but he then was sent to Coruscant, to stand guard in places that don’t exist.

Echo waits by the swoop while Fives comes closer. Fox recognises the stubborn tilt to his chin, and that’s why he doesn’t take off his bucket. He waits, hands linked at his back and heart beating hard in his throat, and when Fives stops in front of him, he doesn’t reach out.

“The ship’s going to Kuat,” Fox tells the two of them. “You should have enough fuel and rations to make it there. Name’s Cant. Everything’s as legit as I could make it, but be careful.”

Whatever happens next is up to them. Fox doubts they’ll be smart about it, but he trusts them—he trusts Echo—to be stupid in clever ways. 

“Come with us,” Fives says then. Fox closes his eyes. He breathes in, breathes out. He pushes through the awful longing in his chest.

“No.” 

Fives presses his lips together. He’s not done. Fox ignores him, looks at Echo over his shoulder—he can’t help it. He’s watching them.

Fox doesn’t actually know him—he didn’t have the time. He was dead, and then he was back on Coruscant, and now he is leaving again. 

He looks better than he did that first morning when he sought out Fox in his office in the Rotunda. He’s filled out, not as pale—the harsh lines around his mouth have softened. His hair is starting to grow out.

“Fox—”

“It’s a two-seater, Fives. Crew of two,” Fox tells him, and he knows it won’t work, but it is how it is. 

Echo approaches them then. He places his flesh hand on Fives’s shoulder and stays there, and says nothing. His eyes are fixed on Fox, and Fox finds he doesn’t like the way Echo looks at him—like he understands. 

Fox steps around and away, shakes off Fives’s hand when it tries to close around his wrist. He needs to return to the surface—he can’t be missed. He’ll drive the swoop to the back of the Corrie barracks and take a transport from there after destroying the transponder.

“Take off your helmet, commander,” Echo says then. 

Fox pauses. He doesn’t want to. He doesn’t have to. He doesn’t care what they think. If he doesn’t take it off they will know he doesn’t want them to see his face; if he does, they’ll—

The click and hiss of the bucket’s seal is too loud in the quiet. Fox blinks at the shadows within the abandoned hangar. The warm, damp atmosphere is a shock, as it is the stink of old tibanna and rotting garbage that seems to fill the whole level. Fox closes his eyes for a beat before turning to look at them, bucket held safely in the crook of his arm. 

He raises an eyebrow at them. Echo’s smiling slight, the gesture quietly smug. At his side, Fives looks quietly heartbroken. 

Fox looks away. He clears his throat. “Well?”

He expects Fives’s kiss: Fox sees him coming, and he closes his eyes and gives in to Fives’s warm hands, to the familiar taste of his skin, salt and GAR-cleanser and clean sweat.

He doesn’t expect Echo’s. He reaches for Fox with his metal hand, the crude prosthesis clacking against Fox’s pauldron, gripping the plasteel with terrible strength, and then Echo’s mouth, his chapped lips against Fox’s.

It’s clumsy and too short. Echo leans away and licks his lips. 

“You’ll have to do better next time,” he says. Fives snorts.

They leave first; Fox waits until Fee gives him the all clear and then follows.

[clone-anon-after-dark]

I’m Sorry (Wolffe x F!Reader)

Word Count: 2068

Warnings: NSFW, minors DNI, fingering, unprotected PiV

A/N: prepare for slightly jealous, but soft Wolffe. Includes aftercare.  There is discussion of a rejection before we get to the smut, but if you’re sensitive to rejection just know that it doesn’t linger and everything works out in the end

Note that there are two versions of this fic.  The m!reader version can be found here.

You finally started dating.  Again? Was it really ‘again’ when Wolffe had insisted you were never really dating in the first place?  You had a good thing going.  You thought.  You’d developed a close friendship that became friends with benefits.  Wolffe made you feel everything you ever wanted to feel with someone.  He drove you wild and you fell in love.  You wanted more and when you told him how you felt, he immediately shut it down.  You thought your feelings were reciprocated, but he insisted they were not. “I value your friendship and I enjoy the fucking and that’s it,” he’d said firmly.  You tried to smile and said you understood, but you walked home with tears rolling down your face and sobbed into your pillow that night and many after.  You still spent time with Wolffe as a friend, but only in the company of others and the physical aspect was totally gone.  He didn’t even offer you hugs anymore and you certainly didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by asking.  Even when all you wanted was a hug and reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

Several months passed and you finally felt like you were more or less back on your feet. You knew you still had feelings for Wolffe, but since that wasn’t going anywhere, you decided to meet other people.  You met Sinker the same way you met Wolffe - through your work contracting with the GAR.  He had a good sense of humor and you liked him.  When he asked you out to dinner, you decided why not? You wanted to have fun and be appreciated for who you were.

He took you to one of your favorite restaurants.  You thought he might take you to 79’s like a lot of clones did, but were happy to have a change of pace.  He was funny and thoughtful. You had a great time and promised you would comm him the next day.  He walked you to your door and gave you a hug and kiss on the cheek.

Unbeknownst to you, Wolffe was watching from across the way.  He finally came to terms with how he felt about you.  Of course he was in love with you, but there was a war going on and what if he died?  He didn’t want to risk hurting you, but in his foolishness he managed to hurt you anyway.  The distance he created between the two of you left a massive void in his heart.  He was more short-tempered and tired than he ever was and he knew it was because he missed you.  Wolffe decided to walk over to your place to apologize and tell you how he really felt.  He didn’t realize you were on a date and stopped to hide around a corner before you noticed him.  He felt his heart race in jealousy when Sinker held you and kissed you.  It wasn’t even a passionate kiss, but he wanted that to be him.  He wanted to be the one to kiss you, walk you through your front door and all the way to the bedroom, strip you naked, and worship your body.  He breathed a sigh of relief when Sinker walked away and left it at that.  

You closed the door and called it a night.  You took your jacket off and smiled to yourself.  You enjoyed your evening, but weren’t sure what else to say about it.  Your heart felt tender, like it had been through too much at once and you didn’t know exactly how to process the idea of being with someone else just yet.  Before you could spare another thought, there was a knock on the door. You knew that knock and opened the door.

“Wolffe?”  You looked at him, emotion welling up in your chest, ready to bubble out.  You were cautious, though.  “Do you need something?”

He took a step inside and reached for your hands. “You,” he said. “I need you.”

You stood tentatively, ready to pull away.  “But you said-”

“I messed up,” he replied quickly.  “I love you.  I’ve loved you since I met you, even though I didn’t know it.  You’re my best friend and I’ve fallen in love with you.”

You wanted to scoff.  Your mouth twitched into a wince of agony while at the same time wanting nothing more than to kiss him and tell him of course nothing had changed.  You looked him up and down, trying not to cry.  You swallowed and replied, “But you said-”

“What I said was stupid.  I was stupid.  I’m sorry and I love you.”

He watched you, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, but pain radiating all over him from the uncertainty.  His eyes started to dart as he tried to think of what else to say.  He looked back at you and after a deep breath asked,  “Can you ever forgive me?”

You walked to him and wrapped him in your arms.  You cupped his cheek and kissed his lips softly, as if you were afraid this wasn’t real, and replied, “I already have.”

Wolffe wasted no time returning the kiss. His tongue moved deliberately, tasting you and dancing between your lips in the most familiar way.  He pulled away, eyes searching yours as he confessed, “I want you.  All of you. In every way.  There’s nothing and no one I want more.”

“Then have me,” you said, taking his hand and walking to the bedroom.

Everything slowed down.  Wolffe had never taken his time like this before.  He wasn’t always in a rush, but tonight he wanted to prove the depth of his feelings.  It already felt like you were both experiencing emotional whiplash and he wanted to make sure this wouldn’t prove to be too much too fast.  He wasn’t just going to fuck you.  He was going to make love to you.

He helped you out of your nice outfit.  He kissed you as your clothes hit the floor.  You helped him out of his clothes in return, slowly kissing a pattern along his collar bones and smiling as he let out a little moan.  His calloused hands ran gently across your breasts causing your nipples to pucker, and down your back, reaching around to grab your ass as he started kissing your neck.  You laid down in bed together, facing each other, and he stopped as he was about to reach for your heated cunt.

“May I,” he asked.  Wolffe had never asked quite like that before.  Sure, you knew each other’s limits, but he hadn’t asked for explicit permission since the beginning.  He didn’t want to take anything for granted anymore.  

“Yes,” you replied, kissing his neck.  You gasped as his fingers gently teased your folds.  He sucked on his own fingers and traced circles over your clit.  You reached for his already hard length and pumped the velvety skin.  Wolffe continued kissing you as he continued to slowly draw pleasure from your body. He smiled as he felt wetness around your entrance and used it to create smooth patterns on and in your pussy with his fingers.

“I missed you,” he said quietly.  “Every day.”

You reassured him between peppered kisses on his face.  No one but you knew how much he loved little kisses.  How much those little bits of love made him smile and made his heart beat faster.  You saved them for times where it was just the two of you.  

Wolffe took his time loving you, helping you rest your leg further up his hip to give him easier access while sucking gently on your neck.  You leaned your head back and inhaled deeply.  Wolffe smelled like campfire and lust and earth and beauty.  He tasted like day old caf and his hands felt like protective tenderness.  His essence was grounding and sent you into orbit at the same time.

You felt your body react a little too fast and you put a hand on his chest to ask him to pause.  He did, still lying chest to chest and looking into your eyes, unable to stop his expression of wonder.  You placed a firm kiss on his lips.

“I want you, Wolffe.”  You started rolling over, knowing his favorite positions.

“Wait,” he said, stopping you.  “Not like that.  I want to see you the whole time.”

You smiled as heat spread throughout your body.  You laid on your back and Wolffe positioned himself above you, grinning when you wrapped your legs around his waist.  He teased your entrance with the tip of his cock.  He entered you slowly, taking his time with shallow thrusts gradually deepening.  You moaned his name, hands grabbing his shoulders.  

He leaned down and nibbled your earlobe, leaving a kiss on it, and whispering, “You feel amazing, my love.  Feels so good to have you like this.”

He rested his face in the crook of your neck.  Feeling his breath on your neck sent tingles throughout your body.  He felt himself get closer and adjusted his angle, doing his best to make you feel good.

“Do you want to touch yourself,” he asked. “Or should I?”

“You, please.”

He grinned again, his low voice responding, “I’ll take care of you.”

He kneeled and adjusted your hips higher, placing a pillow underneath.  His thrusts resumed and you gasped as he rubbed your pulsing clit with tenderness.  

“I want to see you come,” he said, looking down at you melting onto the bed beneath him.  Your body started to coil inside, your legs moving further apart, wanting more room for him to drive in deeper.  You let out a loud moan as he did before looking up to see him entranced by you.  Watching him work made your heart beat faster and you nearly lost the ability to breathe as you came on his cock.

Wolffe smiled, working you through your orgasm and easing off the highly sensitive nub once he knew you were done. He held on to your legs, and buried himself inside you.  He came with a soft grunt and you smiled in satisfaction at the view.

He carefully left your body and laid down next to you.  He rolled over and reached down for the towel you usually kept in a lower drawer for times like these.  Instead the spot was empty.  He looked back at you and you shrugged, replying, “After what happened and what you said, I knew I wouldn’t want to be with anyone.  At least for a while.  So I didn’t bother replacing the towel after I washed it last.”

His expression dropped.  Letting out a deep sigh he leaned into you, nuzzling his nose to your cheek and pulling you in close. 

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I promise I’m here now.  As long as you’ll have me.”  He left a lingering kiss on your cheek and you laid there, happy to be holding each other.

“I love you Wolffe,” you said softly.

His reply came without any hesitation.  “I love you, my wonderful.”

You kissed him and smiled, thinking about all the things you wanted to do with him that you thought would never happen.  “Want to shower? And find that towel and put it back for next time?”

“Yeah,” he answered.  “Yes to all that.”

“And maybe stay?”  You looked at him hopefully, not wanting to ask for too much too soon.

He could see the gears turning and knew what you were worried about.  “I want to stay,” he replied, kissing your temple.  “I don’t want to ever let you go.”

He cleaned you both up, holding you close under the shower water and gently caressing your back.  Sleeping together, really sleeping together in the same bed, felt so right.  You held on to each other, finding comfort in being together.

The next morning, you woke to see Wolffe still sleeping, spooning you with an arm around your chest, holding you close.  You kept your promise to Sinker and sent him a comm message.

“Thank you for the wonderful evening, Sinker.  You should know I’m still in love with Wolffe and it turns out he’s also in love with me.”

You put your comm down and interlaced your fingers with Wolffe’s.  He smiled, just starting to wake up, and inhaled deeply.  It would be the first of many mornings dozing in each other’s arms.

Tagging: @cloneloverrrrr @staycalmandhugaclone

[photmath]

Comme Les Fleurs - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: First Time Jitters

Summary: Left with no other options, Kylian must rehab his newly injured leg at a stranger’s home for the next month and she isn’t at all what he expects. Meanwhile, Aurèle has to deal with easily-irritated and sullen Kylian as she opens her home to him.

Word Count: 6.2k

Warnings: cursing, hospital

Note: Enjoy Kylian being needy!

Kylian hated feeling helpless. He knew he didn’t have many options, either he could run across Aurie’s lawn and hope that her mother was awake, or he could find Aurie’s keys and drive her himself. The last time he was behind the wheel of a car he was seventeen, even then, it was a golf cart. However, he knew her mother was probably the last person Aurie wanted to see at the moment.

He scratches his neck as Bleu lets out another whine. Aurie reaches out for the small trashcan next to her wall and dips her head inside, throwing up from the nausea. The collar of her shirt darkened with sweat as Kylian debated with his options.

He curses quietly to himself, “Where are your keys?”

“They’re downstairs by the door,” she lets out. He stands up, crouching behind Aurie, and then hooks his forearms through her arms. “Ow—ouch!”

“Sorry,” he mutters. “Are you sure this isn’t something else?”

“I’m positive,” Aurie wraps one of her arms around his shoulders while he steadies her upright. “Watch your leg.”

“Maybe this is just a cramp—”

“You’re such a sweet boy,” she coos, which makes him roll his eyes.

Kylian stands on the right side of her, trying his hardest to steady himself as she leans up against him. The two of them concentrate quietly on getting out of Aurie’s bedroom and down the stairs. Aurie is groaning with each step and Kylian chews on his tongue, growing more nervous with the idea of being in a car with Aurie. His mind couldn’t help but to replay images of him driving the car into her house, the wooden panes crumbling around them as Maple and Bleu were stuck inside.

Kylian grabs her keys from the holder, gulping down as he stuffs them into his pocket.

Aurie watches his Adam’s apple bob, “You’re going to do great. Pretend it’s a giant go-kart.”

He shakes his head, “How am I going to back out of this driveway?”

The two of them stop at the passenger door, Aurie immediately gets in and cringes at the throbbing pain going deeper into her stomach. She exasperates, “I’ll walk you through it, now hurry up.”

Kylian rushes to the other end and hops in.

Aurie puts her hand up, “Seat belt.” He nods, looking at her to make sure she has hers on and realizes she doesn’t. He reaches over with haste, pulling the strap and buckling him in. Aurie grins but it’s painful, “Thank you.”

He buckles his and then turns on the car, waiting for Aurie to talk but she’s quivering in pain. “Aurie.”

“Fuck, just give me a minute,” she clutches onto the door handle, shutting her eyes. “Careful with the pedals, it might hurt your calf, so press it gently.”

Kylian looks around, still not comforted with her words. He checks his mirrors but the night sky and the lack of streetlights down her driveway gives him nothing. He looks down at the throttle and puts the car in reverse, letting go of the pedal slowly before accelerating. He immediately slams down on the brake after the car jolts.

“Kylian!”

“Sorry,” he grits. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Aurie, this is really fucking dangerous.”

“You were doing good,” she opens her eyes. Kylian darts his eyes away, not wanting to bear a second of looking at the pain in her eyes. They held a darker and unfamiliar tone to them, it made him uneasy. “The car is going to move because of the rocks, don’t let it scare you. Now turn the wheel as you reverse, it doesn’t matter which way.”

He frets, checking his mirrors again but it’s dark. It annoys him that he can’t see what he’s reversing into but he trusts Aurie’s word for it.

“There isn’t anything back there, I promise,” she says. “It’s all open grass, you’ve seen it. I don’t have a gate or anything.”

Aurie digs her head against the headrest again, muffling the pain through her closed lips, trying to focus on Kylian. He was nervous. There was a wrinkle between his eyebrows as he constantly looked between the mirrors. Only small breaths escaped through his lips and his knuckles were on the verge of turning white.

“Okay, now brake slowly, you don’t have to slam down on the brake at this speed,” Aurie instructs. Kylian follows, now glad that he could drive with the aid of the headlights. “Get it out of reverse and then while still pressing onto the brake, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right until it stops.”

Kylian looks at her, turning the steering wheel swiftly until it halts.

“Good. Now press down on the accelerator and we can go slow. Remember, the car is going to shake.”

Kylian focuses on her strained breathing as he drives down the gravel, not even going more than five kilometers per hour. Aurie was sure he wasn’t pressing down on the pedal, only letting the momentum of the car thrust them forward.

“A little faster won’t kill us, Ky.”

He doesn’t bat an eye at her comment, only continuing at the speed he was going. He had no idea where the street started and there weren’t any markers helping him. “How much longer do I have until I get to the street?”

“At this rate, five hours.”

“Aurie,” he says sternly. “Be serious right now.” She snorts, and then immediately doubles over in pain, pinching at her thigh. Kylian glances at her, pushing her hand away from the spot on her thigh, “Stop that.”

She was trying to do anything to redirect her pain, “I’m sorry, but the road is coming up soon. You’re going to have to press down on the pedal a little harder to make it over the bump.”

He frowns, “You want me to go faster?”

“At least 40.”

“40?” he shrieks, coming to a more gentle stop as they come up to the street. “There’s no way. You’re talking, you can drive.”

“We’re almost there,” Aurie face palms herself. “It’s five minutes! Come on, world champion, you got this.”

Kylian huffs, looking both directions, “To the left?”

“Yes, you can take all the time you need on this turn, there aren’t any cars,” she smiles even though he isn’t looking at her.

“There aren’t any lights. This is such a shithole, how do you drive at night?” He complains, squinting his eyes into the window.

“I can promise you there aren’t any cars over there, you can see the reflective things on the ground. The yellow spots.”

Ah-hah. That made more sense to Kylian the longer he looked at the space. Aurie didn’t want to point out that he already had the high beams on. She presses the emergency lights and Kylian’s eyes bulge down at the arrows flashing on the dash.

“You’re fine,” she points out. One would think he has never been in a car before. The pads of her fingers continued to dig into her hip the longer they stalled. She shuffled around into a different position as Kylian finally started his turn. She stayed quiet throughout it, hoping that it didn’t bring another wave of nausea.

Kylian couldn’t help but to let out a small smile from the excitement of not overestimating his turn and driving them both off the road. Meanwhile, Aurie kept any snarky remark to herself; she didn’t want to boost his ego, but also didn’t want to make him any more nervous than was.

“This is a little better,” he comments. The headlights lit up the rest of the two-way road for some meters, and the pavement was a lot smoother, making the steering wheel easier to control. “Should I go a little faster?”

“If you think you can handle it, I’m okay.”

He bites onto his lip, “You don’t sound okay.” He accelerates a bit more, cringing at the dull ache in his calf.

“Stay under 50.”

He takes a quick glance at her. Her face glistens with more sweat than when he had helped her into the car. “How are you feeling, Aurie?”

“Still the same.”

“Do you need to throw up?”

“Not at the moment, but I have chills.”

“But you’re sweating—a fever?”

“So smart you are,” she smiles. Kylian chuckles for the first time but the two of them are interrupted by a ringing phone.

He groans, “That’s mine. It’s in my pocket.”

Aurie maneuvers herself so that she can grab it from his pocket, fortunately it was on the side where she sat. She mutes the ringing, “It’s your dad.”

Kylian kisses his teeth, “Of course.”

“He’s calling you this late?”

Kylian shrugs, “I don’t know why either.” He had a couple of guesses but he didn’t want to worry Aurie, especially during the state she was in.

“Sorry,” she closes her eyes for a second, “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s okay.” Kylian notices the set of lights in the rearview mirror, “Merde.”

“Stay calm, they can go around if you’re going too slow for them.”

Kylian continues looking forward as the car nears closer. He grew more nervous the closer the car got; them deciding to flick their high beam lights on didn’t help either.

“Ow,” he groans, blinking rapidly.

“Don’t close your eyes, you idiot!”

“I didn’t!”

“Just stay calm.”

“I am!”

Aurie wasn’t the only one sweating during the car ride. He swiped at the sweat on his hairline before turning on his indicator to turn left.

“The other way,” Aurie mutters. Kylian looks down, pushing the knob down from the upright position. “Let that car pass you and then fully stop to turn. No rush.”

Kylian blew out a raspy breath as he slowed down. He watched as the car drove past him and then slowly accelerated into the crowded parking lot. “There’s other cars here.”

“I would hope so,” she says. “Turn right, and go all the way to the front. Take your time.”

Kylian nods, turning the wheel with one hand while he squeezes Aurie’s hand with the other. It was brief, but enough to calm the both of them down for a brief moment. Aurie’s jaw and cheek hurt from clenching her teeth together, and her mouth still tastes of copper from her biting on her lip. She didn’t want Kylian to worry about her while he drove, knowing that he was already in so much stress from driving in the dark for the first time.

The car halts abruptly as he stops in front of the entrance. He sheepishly responds, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, we made it. Put the car in park and I’ll have someone park the car in the front. Come on,” Aurie unbuckles her seatbelt as Kylian makes sure the car is in park before rushing out to the other end. He helps Aurie out as nurses crowd them.

Their voices and movements are quick, stealing Aurie from his grasp and placing her in a wheelchair. They roll her away before he can mutter what’s wrong with her. He sighs, looking back at Aurie’s car and the front doors. She had already disappeared behind the hallway and no one had motioned to drive the car to a spot in the lot.

He sighs, dropping his arms to his sides as he walks back to the driver seat. He gets in and slowly drives the car to the back where there aren’t any cars. It takes him nearly three tries to get the car in between the lines; each time he has to open the door to check how far he was off. He’s already bothered because somehow we triggered the heat although he swore he had not pressed any more buttons that he needed to. He twists the key out of the car with haste, not bothering to check how well he parked the car because he already knows it isn’t perfect. He would have to call his driver to come pick them up in the morning from the hospital because there was no way he was driving Aurie back.

He walks back to the entrance with his head hung low, seldomly looking up until a nurse approaches him. He cringes at her bright yellow scrubs before forcing a smile at her.

“Aurie is asking for you,” she walks ahead of him, motioning for him to follow her.

Kylian hesitates, “Isn’t she supposed to be in surgery or something?”

“She’s about to be in about,” she looks down at her watch, “fifteen minutes. She’s on some meds right now to calm down some of the pain so she might be a little…overexcited.”

He raises his eyebrows and follows her closely as she leads him down the light brown halls. He mutters, “When is she not?”

The nurse laughs, “I see you’ve grown to know Aurie. She’s a great physio, but a horrible patient. Doctors are always the worst.”

Kylian’s steps falter. This was the hospital she worked at whenever she mentioned it, no wonder they didn’t spare a second glance at him when he stood at the entrance looking lost. They were her old coworkers who cared deeply about her, and seeing one of their own in pain must have sent them through a panic.

He stops as they near her room, “She used to work here, right?”

She nods, “Yes.”

“Stefan. She had a patient named Stefan from the Netherlands, what happened to him?”

Her eyebrows furrow, “I’m sorry, but we can’t disclose patient information.”

He grimaces, “Is there any way I could get into contact with him?”

She shakes her head, “I’m sorry, but I’m not at liberty to say.”

He nods defeatedly. He was going to have to search for the boy himself.

“Kylian!” Aurie greets, holding her hands wide as the nurse opens the door for him. She leaves the two of them alone in the room and Kylian gives Aurie a simpering smile. “What’s the face for? Are you not excited to see me?”

“I saw you ten minutes ago,” he responds, scooting one of the chairs to her bedside and sitting down beside her. Her hand drags to his cheek and he swats it away.

She had an IV hooked into her left hand, its wire taped down onto her arm. She looked silly in light blue scrubs, and it only made Kylian smile harder. She chuckles to herself, “I missed you.”

He leans down closer to her, resting his head on his elbow, “Are you on that medicine that is supposed to knock you out in a couple of minutes?”

She nods, her eyes fluttering closed, “Yes, but I still have a couple of more minutes in me I think.”

“I already see you drooling,” he teases.

Her eyes widened, “Don’t play games with me right now, I’m vulnerable and currently wearing paper.”

He snorts, “You look great.”

Her hand finds Kylian’s cheek again, but he doesn’t move it. He lets her caress his cheek as the two of them sit in a moment of silence, comforted with each other’s presence. Her thumb hooks into his dimple, pushing his cheek upward into a lopsided smile. She giggles, “And you’re…really cute.”

Kylian’s cheeks grow warm at her kiddish compliment, “Stop that.” He kisses her hand before he grabs it and clasps his fingers with hers. Her sleepy figure was unfamiliar to him, he wondered for a moment if this is what she was like whenever she fought her sleep. When the exhaustion and delirium had settled in from the activities of the day. He snickers, “You’re a horrible flirt.”

She raises her eyebrows, “Do you want me to say to take off all your clothes instead?”

His jaw drops, “Aurie—”

She laughs, “I’m kidding! We’re in public, have some decorum, Ky.” Kylian’s jaw is still agape while Aurie groans, “Ugh, I feel myself about to fall asleep. You should’ve come earlier so we had more time to talk.”

He feels Aurie’s grip tighten up while she blinks rapidly. He chuckles, and can’t help himself, selfishly kissing her hand, “We’ll have all the time to talk after your surgery.”

She deadpans, “Oh sh—we’re going to have to get Martin to facilitate your treatment for the next few days. I can most likely still do it though, but just in case.”

He nods, “Okay, then we’ll do that. Let me handle it, and stop fighting your sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Thank you.” Her voice is soft but her eyes are telling. It’s more than a simple note of gratitude for him being with her at this moment. It’s her thanking him for driving her when he didn’t want to. Listening to her to spit out her life’s story without judgment. No longer giving her a hard time as they both navigated the cards they were dealt with.

“Of course.”

Her eyes flutter closed and he stands up to press a kiss on top of her forehead. Her lips tug into a small smile as she squeezes his hand harder before dropping it. “See you in a bit, chérie.”

---

Aurie had spent the rest of the night in the hospital even though her surgery lasted about an hour. Kylian used that time to talk with his father and the conversation was anything but lighthearted. He was glad that he was able to wait in the same room Aurie had been in because he used the entirety of it to pace back and forth, arguing and conversing with his father.

His message was short: figure out his summer’s move. Many people were expecting him to leave PSG, but he had one more year under his contract. Offers were being made but they were buried in the depths of the media, bypassing any attention from the public.

And the press had been overly quiet. Kylian had been out of the limelight for the past few weeks and Martin and Galtier’s plan had been working, but it only stayed quiet for so long. Kylian knew it.

In the hospital, the early hours were more quiet, but Kylian watches the activity pick up outside of Aurie’s bedroom. He has been awake for the past two hours, his stomach grumbling from having not eaten in the past hours. As the nurses walked with haste back and forth across the hall, he waited patiently for Aurie to wake up from her sleep. When she first came back from her surgery, she was groggy and barely acknowledged him, too tired to recognize him, and the bright light had forced her to keep her eyes closed. Even as the nurses checked her vital signs, she was dismissive of them and only nodded and shook her head, wanting to go back to sleep.

He wanted to laugh from the corner of the room. It was like watching a teenager throw a fit for waking up too early in the morning. She had curled herself in a ball, her back towards the window and him to shield herself from the light. The thin piece of blanket was draped lazily over her shoulder and once the nurses left, he adjusted it so that it covered her more. She had snuggled into the warmth of his hand pressed against her shoulder, so for the rest of the night, he sat down in the chair beside her bed and laid his head against her bed. He knew his arm was going to hurt when he woke up but he didn’t care.

“What time is it?” Aurie asks, her voice hoarse. Her eyes go big as she hears it.

He chuckles, pouring water from the pitcher of water that he had been drinking from all throughout that morning. “Almost ten.”

She gulps down the water, refilling it herself before Kylian can help her. He sits down on the edge of her bed, “They said we can leave whenever you wake up, I can call for my driver—”

“And wait another hour? You can drive in the daytime, more practice!” she beams, clutching onto her gown as it wants to slide down from becoming untied as she tossed around in her sleep.

Kylian turns away, shaking his head, “No, he’s in town. I called him.”

She swats at his hand and he scowls, “You have to stop waking up people in the dead of the night while they sleep with their families.”

“It’s only for today,” he reasons, texting his driver that they were ready.

Aurie chuckles, “And where is my car?”

“Back at your house.”

“Kylian,” she silences. He laughs as the nurse walks into the room with two trays of food, a special perk as Aurie was once one of them. Kylian picks up his dish and leaves the room to give the two of them privacy.

Despite the significant lack of pain Aurie had, her movements still felt sluggish, like she weighed much more than she did. It was a mix of the anesthesia wearing off and interrupted sleep she had gotten, but it made her feel incredibly hazy. Throughout the car ride back to her home, she leaned her head against Kylian’s rock-solid shoulder. It wasn’t comfortable, but he was warm, and a much better option than the car’s window.

Kylian wasn’t shy to place a kiss on her forehead, one that absolutely sent her mind into a frenzy. Sometimes being around Kylian, she felt like a different person. One that was more open, not worried about someone—in particular, her mother—judging her every move. She was already strong-willed, not caring about others' opinions, but she couldn’t shake off her mother’s eyes no matter how hard she tried. Could anyone ever?

But with Kylian, the walls were never up with him. She felt it immediately. How his presence was not something that she felt intimidated by but instead driven. Driven to do whatever she wanted. To feel whatever she wanted. He was her weak spot, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, he was it. He filled that spot the moment he got up to help with the dishes the first night he was here. The smiles he would send to Simone that only the two of them understood made Aurie’s heart swarm with butterflies.

It made her weak.

Aurie looks up at him, his eyes flickering down towards her as the car rocks against her driveway. They were almost inside but she couldn’t wait. Lifting her body up towards him, she kisses him, a palm fisting his shirt to bring him closer to her. His lips part within it as he laughs from their noses bumping into each other, but kisses her back nonetheless. His hand had stayed clenched around her knee throughout the drive and it was only squeezing her harder now.

They only released when his driver let out an awkward cough, and then they realized the car already stopped. Kylian snickers as he relieves his driver of his duties and goes around the other end of the car to help out Aurie. Bleu comes from the backside of her yard and wags his tail keenly as he sees the pair.

“Hi, Bleu,” Aurie giggles, bending down to massage his fluffy head. Aurie then stands up and sneaks her arm around Kylian’s torso.

“What?” he titters. “Do you need help?”

“I’m helping you.”

He shakes his hand in front of her face, “I can walk just fine.”

Aurie searches for her keys but sees the slight bump in Kylian’s pockets, and then she digs into his pocket without a second thought. His breath hitches as he feels her fingers roam them.

“You know,” she starts. “For someone who has barely started to drive, you did pretty good.”

He can’t comprehend what she’s saying. All his mind is fixed on is the way the keys got stuck in his pocket so now she had to use both of her hands to maneuver them out.

“Jeez,” she mutters, finally looking down to see what the fuss is about.

He’s holding his entire breath in, praying that nothing was out of the ordinary as she pinched at his trousers. The keys finally jingle and she turns to place it inside the lock. Thank god.

“Meet me in the rehab room in about fifteen minutes.”

He furrowed his eyebrows, shutting the door behind him as he entered, “Fifteen? Aurie you need rest.”

She pouts, “I need one cup of coffee and then I’m all yours.”

“I would love that, but I see it in your eyes. They’re heavy and on the verge of sleep.”

She rubs at them, trying her hardest to appear awake in front of him and he only laughs at her poor attempt.

“Real mature.”

“It’s one hour of rehab, either you do it with me right now or we get Martin,” she says and he sighs. “Alright, now come on. We have the night session too, I’ll let you practice headers or something.”

“Do you want to make it a challenge?” He raises his eyebrows.

She crosses her arms, walking in front of him, “Why would I do that?” Her glowing, round eyes looking up at him made his mind swirl. The knuckle of his pointer finger rubs across her cheek, stopping at her ear as his hand spreads to cup her neck. She smiles, sliding her arms around his waist, entranced with the way with his eyes bounced back and forth between hers.

“Winner…” Kylian whispers. His mind halts at the look in Aurie’s eyes. She’s suspicious but intrigued. He hovers his head over hers, their lips merely inches apart.

“I have one,” she pulls back and he frowns. “If you win, you have to come with me to watch Naomi Osaka take on Serena. If you lose, Simone comes with me and you have to wash the dishes for the rest of your stay.”

His jaw drops, “No no, that has too many conditions, you didn’t even want me to go to the tennis match anyway. It’s going to attract everyone’s attention to you and you didn’t want that. Unless—are you changing your mind?”

She shrugs, taking her time to search for the right word, “I—I want you to come to the match with me, but I also feel like I’ll change my mind at the very last minute.”

“You can change your mind, I won’t care if we’re already there and you back out.”

“Stop saying things like that,” she sinks her head against his chest and then peers up at him. His small grin only grows larger.

“I don’t want you to feel obligated, Aurie. I’m excited for this potentially happening, but are you sure you want to go through with this?”

She nods, “No PDA.”

“None,” he sticks out his pinky finger and she grasps it. “You’ve asked me on a date twice now, I’d feel horrible if I lose.”

She chuckles, “I’m already on a losing streak.”

“You are not,” Kylian pulls his waist closer to his body and Aurie has to wrap her arms tighter against him. “I doubt you’ll make it easy on me.”

“I definitely won’t.”

He kisses her cheek and trails his lips down her neck. Aurie uses his arms to keep herself upright because her legs feel like they’re made of goo. His voice vibrates against the skin of her neck as he nips at it, “How about tonight I cook you dinner? Call it a date in your kitchen.”

“I’ll show you where I keep the candles.”

The quiet laugh in her ear is what makes her lose it, she pulls away, “Alright, princess.” She tries to regain herself from her flustered state and Kylian only smirks. “Ten minutes.”

He nods, letting her go to the kitchen and her coffee with haste. She was no longer feeling tired after that encounter, that’s for sure.

She could lose the challenge and make Kylian go with her, but she did have her doubts. Even if they didn’t show PDA, rumors were going to start. He may have made her feel like she was being held without any chains, but this was a different breed. It was the eyes of the public.

What was she doing? She knew his lifestyle would always affect her, but she also felt the need to compel against the threat. She hated being intimidated, and she realized that the only way to get rid of it was to go against it. She’d probably hate every second of it, but she would have done it. She would have ripped off the bandaid. Besides, Kylian was able to maintain a rather private personal life after being in front of the public for years. Everything of hers was already private, the most anyone could find out about her is her previous various locations of employment. She certainly didn’t need to explain her resumé to someone.

---

As promised, Aurie had the challenge set up. There were four bins placed around the spot Kylian had sat on the floor. He was supposed to use the strength he generated from the floor to propel the ball into the bins. They were on different heights. One of them was right in front of him, two on the table above him and the last a distance from him. He didn’t want to stroke his ego, but he was good with aiming his headers.

But so was Aurie, and he could infer that she was too because she would have to be doing the same thing as him.

“The one who misses the least out of twelve wins,” Aurie says. “But you can only score into a bin three times.”

“They should be scored based on difficulty,” he comments.

“Why?” Aurie adjusts the two balls against her hip. She only had four footballs that she could find with enough air in them, so they would have to pause in between every four tosses to retrieve the balls.

Kylian sneers, “It makes more sense.”

“Are you scared?”

He rolls his eyes, “Fine, let’s get on with it.”

Aurie laughs, “No pressure. Are you ready?”

Kylian adjusts his seating, nodding from the floor as Aurie releases the first ball. He heads it towards the taller bins, it falls perfectly into one. She tosses the next and he heads it at the bin in front of him, another solid landing.

Ball after ball and he hadn’t missed one. He goes for the farthest one and it bounces off the rim, “Agh.”

She chuckles, “You got it.”

He makes the next three perfectly, 7-1. Despite the brief pauses, they’re able to make the rhythm flow with constant throws. Kylian lands all the balls in the front three bins and only has the farthest bin to fill. He misses the next one, letting out a loud scream followed with a laugh. 9-2.

“C’mon, put your back into it,” Aurie encourages.

“It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

“It’s physics.”

“It’s what?” Kylian hits the ball with more force and it goes into the bin in spite of his confusion.

Aurie can only shake her head as he hoots in celebration, finishing 10-2.

She retrieves the ball as Kylian stands up, tucking the balls underneath his arms. Aurie settles down in the spot where Kylian was previously at and nods at him to start. She aims towards the farthest bucket, reeling her body towards it and Kylian’s eyes go wide as she makes it.

“No way.”

“Throw the next one.”

He gives her a bad toss on purpose, but she is able to pop the ball up to make it into the bin on one of the tables, sending him a glare. He chuckles, tossing another. She makes the next one in, and the next, and the next.

“Go for the farthest again,” Kylian murmurs.

“Don’t be a sour puss.”

Kylian had given her awful tosses on purpose, catching on that she was better than he thought at this. His toss switched from a little too high, to too low, but she was able to adapt easily. She did it with ease as well, somehow able to still generate enough power to send the ball to the last bin.

She hadn’t missed one.

He frowns, going to go get the balls. Aurie’s chances of winning were growing, and his chance to go to that tennis match were diminishing. He couldn’t tell if Aurie was doing it on purpose, that she could have also possibly changed her mind. However, the more he thought of it, the more he hoped she would. He wanted to keep her away from the public. That she be his little secret. The chances of them finding her were slim. She didn’t live in Paris and from what he was able to observe, she didn’t travel there often. Perhaps public glimpses of them would be seen if she was ever in Paris with him.

And he could live with that.

He throws her a ball from afar, and she misses the bin that’s the closest to her.

“Ahh,” he teases. “You were a defender. That’s why you keep missing the close one.” It was true, she had missed that first bucket twice already. If she had missed another, Kylian would automatically win. Her winning streak was coming to an end.

The last ball depends on her making it into the first bucket and Kylian wears a devious smirk, wanting to fumble it for her, but wanting to see if she’ll make it. It was amusing to him how she kept missing that bin with too much power every time, and it hit the same exact spot. She makes contact with the ball, and it goes sailing past the bin.

“YES!” Kylian chimes and Aurie rolls her eyes, stretching out her arms behind her as she watches Kylian pump his fist in the air. He looks at her and immediately rushes to her, his shoulder nudging her as he folds down beside her. “Simi is going to hate me.”

“No she won’t, she doesn’t know about it. Be careful with your leg,” she groans as she falls back, “and my stomach.”

He gets off of her quickly, “I forgot, I’m sorry about that—”

“I’m not hurt,” she shoves him away, sitting back up. He looks down at her lips, leaning in to kiss her. “Guess what.”

“Hmm,” he gives her another peck.

“You have dinner to cook, and I have a nap to take.”

He sulks, pulling her closer to her chest. His slightly dampened shirt presses up against Aurie and she jokingly gags but concedes to his touch. His head rests on top of hers as his arms are wrapped snugged, “Stay with me.”

“I’ll be on the couch.”

“With me.”

She snickers, “How about you shower first and then we can nap together. Besides, it might be a little too early to start dinner.”

He nods, pressing a chaste kiss at her forehead before he helps bring her to her feet.

---

Aurie had fallen asleep while Kylian was still showering, but she had woken up to the sound of him coming out of the restroom. She had stretched out her arm and held up the blanket for him to come join. They hadn’t unfolded the tucked mattress so they only had the width of the couch to share. Neither of them minded.

Kylian’s arm scooped underneath Aurie and the other wrapped around her. The two of them tangled into each other as if they had done it a million times before.

Aurie let out a whimsical sigh as she traced Kylian’s back, his eyebrows knitting as she pressed her fingers deeper into his muscles. He groaned at the contact, pushing more of his weight onto her.

“Sleep, Aurie.”

“Sorry,” she mumbles. Kylian’s eyes flutter open as he sees her playful smile.

He reels away, “I should’ve known you were up to no good.”

“It’s the coffee and nap mixing together—that ten minute nap felt like hours!”

He rubs his hand over his face. Aurie was full of tricks. Constantly fighting the little voice in her head to sleep or to not sleep and Kylian could only laugh. He rushed through his shower so that he could have more time with her on the couch.

“You look handsome this close.”

“Shh,” he grumbles, tucking his head deeper into the cushion.

Aurie kisses his cheek, watching the curl of his lip go higher with each kiss. Her fingers outline the features of his face as she pulls his head closer to her chest. She kisses his forehead once more before closing her eyes.

“More,” he whines after a moment of silence.

She presses a slow kiss on his nose before Kylian opens his eyes and pushes himself up to kiss her lips. His lips carry more passion than he intends but Aurie doesn’t shy away from him, only wrapping her hands around his head tightly. Kylian’s thigh slots between hers as they shuffle around, wanting to get rid of the blanket. The temperature of their intertwined bodies brought enough body heat as is, and Kylian’s scolding, hot legs from his shower only stung against hers.

He drags his lip down her neck, keeping his hands tight on her waist. Her ragged breaths flood his ears as her lower half curls towards his. He moans at the contact and concentrates on leaving soft kisses on her skin, every so often biting against the skin.

She didn’t want to restrain herself in front of him anymore, but she knew they should probably stop before it continued any further. They were getting too ahead of themselves, but god did Kylian’s lips feel heaven-sent. Her grip loosens against his waist but her legs stay in between his. He pulls away with a foolish grin, kissing her lips and then letting her snuggle up into his chest.

“You drive me insane.”

“You make me feel so much worse, Aurie.”

------

Note: Ooooo we’re going to pretend Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams are currently playing, although both of them are currently on “sabaticals.” Sorry for the delay! Finals weeks are coming up so mmm, another possible delay for chapter 7. We have a date night and tennis match to look forward to next >>>

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