#i think at the top of the list of people id trust with my wallet is like. lwj.

[waitineedaname]

wei wuxian is one of those characters where I do believe he's at his core a good person with good intentions, but I absolutely would not trust him with my wallet

[leverage-ot3]

notable moments from The Homecoming Job

leverage 1.02

Dr. LeRoque: Pardon me, Mr. uh?

Nate: Oh, uh, Nathan Ford. You’re Dr. LeRoque?

Dr. LeRoque: Can I talk to you outside?

Perry: Doc, he’s cool, I found him on the internet.

Dr. LeRoque: Yes, that never goes badly. (to Nate) With me.

Nate: Uh… I’ll be in touch.

(Perry hands him the flash drive and Nate follows the doctor out of the room)

okay but big mood “I found him on the Internet” “that never goes badly”

but also,,, bruh we NEED to know how their clients found them,,, like ??? H O W

- - - - -

Dr. LeRoque: You can’t just come in here and get his hopes up!

Nate: I’m just here to provide options.

Dr. LeRoque: There are no options.

Nate: The Veteran’s hospital …

Dr. LeRoque: Is 400 miles away and has a five month waiting list. Everybody in that rehab room is a reservist. When reservists get out they get sent home no matter where home is or how far it is from the treatment they need. Nobody thought this through. We’re not a rich hospital, I cashed in every favor I had to take care of these kids for as long as I could but I have to go back in there and tell Perry we can’t treat him anymore. I have to do that. Run your scam on somebody with money.

Nate: It’s not a scam. I’m here to help.

Dr. LeRoque: People don’t just show up to help. That’s not the way the world works.

leverage really called out the us government’s negligence and neglect for veterans in episode TWO and we stan them so hard for it

leverage said “go big or go home” from the VERY beginning

- - - - -

[Audition Room]

Sophie: Why? Why? I can’t live like this anymore. With the lies and the filth. No. Help me. I want to be clean. I want to be clean.

(two directors watching are overwhelmed by just how awful Sophie is)

Rogers: Yeah, you understand this is a soap commercial, right?

Sophie: Uh huh. When I thought about Peggy I came up with this idea that the dirt was really this giant metaphor, for sin.

(Sophie’s cell rings, she glances at her purse)

Rogers: You should take that. No, no you should take that.

Sophie: Oh. (answers phone) Hello? When? (hangs up) Peggy killed her first husband.

Rogers: Thank you

I literally scream every time I LOVE SOPHIE S O MUCH WHAT THE FUCK

- - - - -

[Parking Lot]

(one man is laying on the hood of a car and another falls on top of him. Eliot turns away from the car as the last man pulls a gun on him. They stare at each other for a moment, then a phone rings)

Eliot: That you or me?

(man seems unsure as the phone continues to ring)

Eliot: Could be important. Does your mama have your number?

(man looks down and Eliot grabs the gun, punching the man in the neck. The man goes down, choking. Eliot unloads the gun and tosses it away before pulling out his phone and answering it)

Eliot: Yeah? Nothing, why?

“nothing”? I’m-

- - - - -

(guard walks by a painting hanging in a museum gallery. He looks away for a moment, and when he looks back a rope is dangling where the painting had been. A cell phone rings)

Parker: Parker. Shh. No, I wasn’t shushing you.

I love her, your honor

- - - - -

(Parker, Eliot and Sophie come around the corner and head down the hall)

Parker: From the first job?

Eliot: Yeah.

Parker: I put all that money in a Swiss bank account.

Eliot: Millions of dollars and you didn’t buy anything?

Parker: I don’t like stuff, I like money.

Sophie: I bought a little retirement home, an island.

Eliot: Nice.

Sophie: In Dubai. And Tokyo.

Parker: What about you?

(they reach the door which has a small envelope with Sophie’s name written on it. Sophie takes it off the door and opens it)

Eliot: Yeah, I’m not about to tell two known thieves what I did with a multi-million dollar payout.

Sophie: Don’t you trust us?

(Eliot doesn’t answer.)

- - - - -

Hardison: This is our new cover story. Welcome to Leverage Consulting and Associates, founded in 1913 by the great Harland Leverage the Third.

(Hardison points to a painting on the wall of an older man that greatly resembles Nate)

Sophie: I’m sorry. Nate is going to kill you.

Eliot: Did you paint that?

Hardison: I’m gifted.

Eliot: That’s weird

HARLAND LEVERAGE THE THIRD

- - - - -

Hardison: Now Leverage Consulting Inc. is squeaky clean, all corporate taxes on record as being paid for the last ninety years. (He gives them each a cell and a folder) All your identities as partners, your payroll taxes are paid, you guys have pension plans and dental, those are employment records, case files and company newsletters.

(the group walks the halls of the Leverage offices as they discuss the files)

Parker: In 1998 I won the sack race at the 4th of July picnic. Cool.

Hardison: Now these, these are your offices. Now you can bring something like a photo, you know what, a plant! I’m a big supporter of dandelions.

hardison goes hardcore when coming up with backstories

- - - - -

(Hardison opens doors to a conference room that holds a long table with many chairs around it. One wall is dedicated to large TV screens)

Sophie: Nice.

Eliot: My man.

Hardison: Long version or the short version?

Sophie: Short.

Eliot: Short version.

Parker: Shortest.

(Hardison hits a remote the TV screens illustrate his explanation)

Hardison: Photo and video forensics programs, back doors into every electronic banking system in the world, running heuristic data crawls all over the news sites to find our clients, oh also!

Parker: This is the short version?

Hardison: Facial recognition database tied into CIA, NSA and the FBI. But, the real pièce de résistance (changes screens to sports games) DirectTV HD Total Sports Package. NFL, NBA and I threw in a little bit of hockey ‘cause I know you people like that.

Eliot: Hockey.

hardison nests SO HARD

like, bring in all the highest tech into your cozy new office you designed for you and your fellow adopted criminals? heck yeah

- - - - -

Nate: Our client is the cameraman. Corporal Robert Perry. He says that the Castleman contractors spooked and started firing.

Eliot: 5.56 NATO rounds mixed in with some 9 mils from the sub-machine guns. Insurgents would have used AK-47s with 7.62 ammo. It has more of a... (hits the back of his hand to his palm) crack. Contractors shot 'em up all right.

Parker: You ID’d the weapon from the gunshot sound?

Eliot: It has a very distinctive sound

D I S T I N C T I V E

- - - - -

Nate: Yes, and lobbyists in every office in Washington, DC. The problem with a cover-up is all the paperwork it takes to keep the lies straight.

Hardison: Internal emails, memos.

Nate: Exactly.

- - - - -

[Roof]

[Hardison and Parker are wearing black and connected to repelling gear)

Hardison: I gotta go back to the office I just remembered something.

Parker (adjusting Hardison’s harness): What?

Hardison: I just remembered gravity and the squishiness of all my manly bits.

Parker: I designed this rig myself. The line is carbon fiber. Five point harness. Weight support here, here, and here. Auto-breaking resistance on the main pulley back here.

Hardison: Okay cool, so it’s tested?

Parker: Not yet.

Hardison: Not yet? When the hell was you gonna test it?

(Parker pushes Hardison off the roof. She smiles, he screams)

Parker: Big baby.

(she jumps after him. Hardison screams until he stops upside down. Parker lowers herself to his side)

Hardison: Seriously? Seriously

hardison’s first time rappelling decidedly Did Not Go Well

- - - - -

Sophie: My company’s focused on meeting senators, but I’m thinking congressmen.

DuFort: You know the great thing about congressmen? Fifty, a hundred grand well spent will get one elected, but then once they’re in the incumbency rate is over 95 percent so you can get an average 18, 20 years’ use out of one of them. In these uncertain times buying a United States congressman is one of the best investments a corporation can make.

[DuFort’s Office]

Hardison: Oh I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. I’m a professional criminal and I find that disturbing

they’re going at america’s THROAT in this one and I love it. thank you john rogers

- - - - -

(while DuFort is distracted Sophie pulls out his wallet and removes the RFID card with her teeth. DuFort takes off his coat to look at the stain)

I am but a simple gay and this was Hot™

- - - - -

the phones hardison gave the team have six main buttons: internet, text, files, to-do, id scan, and mail

- - - - -

Nate: Parker, what’s the status of the voicelock?

[DuFort’s Office]

Parker: Uh, I’ve been sampling DuFort’s speech but I still need a few more sounds.

[Private Party]

Nate: How many?

[DuFort’s Office]

Parker: Well I only need the sounds puh, tuh, oo, ah, eh, oh, ah, ke, a, ef.

[Private Party]

Nate: Ah, only those. Eliot.

(Eliot walks by carrying two trays of appetizers)

Eliot: I’m on it. Pardon. (approaches Sophie and DuFort) Hello.

Sophie: Ooh. Mmm.

Eliot: (to DuFort) Appetizer, sir?

DuFort: Sure, what do you got?

Eliot: I’ve got the pâté d’escargot avec bière d'Argentine and (looks at second tray and grimaces) what looks like old duck, kind of greasy.

DuFort: I guess I’ll have the first one.

Eliot: Of course.

(Eliot offers him the second tray and Dufort looks at him expectantly)

DuFort: Well? May I have some?

Eliot: The greasy duck?

Sophie: Oh, no, no, no, I wouldn’t have the greasy duck.

Eliot: No I wouldn’t suggest it.

DuFort: No, the other one.

(Eliot pretends confusion)

DuFort: The the pâté d’escargot with the bière d'Argentine!

Eliot: Excellent choice sir (gives DuFort the first tray).

DuFort: (takes food) Who is this clown?

[DuFort’s Office]

Parker: Pretty good. Got most of them. Okay, now all I need is ef, uh and kuh.

[Private Party]

(DuFort spits out the appetizer he has taken)

DuFort: This is shrimp!

Eliot: Very good then. (walks away)

DuFort: It’s shrimp you stupid F----!

[DuFort’s Office]

Parker: Oh, there they are. Really loud too

parker being so competent and knowledgeable about voice activation codes? amazing. iconic.

and the whole scene with eliot and the food? hilarious.

also there already another meta post about this but this scene shows just how SMART eliot is,,, like coming up with that on spot??? don’t get me wrong, hardison is “the smartest man [any of them know]” but damn

- - - - -

continuing list of non-weapon objects eliot uses as weapons:

an IV stand

+ bonus

nate: the defibrillator/AED

- - - - -

Perry: Mr. Ford!

(Perry pushes a defibrillator towards Nate, who grabs the paddles. The first man runs toward Eliot with a knife, but Eliot grabs his arm and pushes him toward Nate)

Nate: Hello.

(Nate hits the man in the chest with the defibrillator paddles and he flies backward, unconscious)

eliot looking Impressed™ at nate for that

- - - - -

Eliot: Play time’s over Nate, it’s only a matter of time before they come after us. The tall one, the way he used a knife, ex-Marine, probably Force Recon.

Hardison: You ID’d a guy off his knife-fighting style?

Eliot: It’s a very distinctive style.

two distinctives in one episode

- - - - -

Hardison: I didn’t sign up for any of this. What I did before, nobody got hurt.

Sophie: I stole paintings for a living.

Parker: I never hurt anybody.

Eliot: I actually hurt people, so…

LMFAO eliot but also- notice that sophie never said that she never hurt people, she just said she stole paintings for a living

- - - - -

Sophie: Nate, if anything had happened to this kid--

Nate: You know you guys called on me. You remember? You begged me to run the crew, agreed to play by my rules. Now walk out if you have a problem with that. Walk out any day if you have a problem with that. It’s simple.

(everyone looks hesitant)

Eliot: We finish this one.

Parker: Just one

PSH like any of y’all believe that

- - - - -

Hardison: How do we hit ‘em?

Sophie: Congressman Jenkins, he’s our in. Looked me straight in the eye and told me he’d never even heard of the shooting.

Parker: So?

Sophie: Looked me in the eye? When men are telling me the truth they’re not looking me in the eye. A man only ever looks a woman in the eye when he’s making the effort to lie to her.

Eliot: ...Well you can’t argue with that.

Hardison: Noted and filed

LMFAO

- - - - -

Nate: All right, Jenkins is DuFort’s pet congressman, let’s see if we can get him to bite. The best way to get two people to reveal a secret, get ‘em to turn on each other.

- - - - -

Sophie: You should look out for the signs congressman. Missed phone calls, no more little favors.

Jenkins: Those are the same signs that your wife is cheating on you.

Sophie: That’s right.

Jenkins: What am I supposed to do when that happens?

Sophie (hands him her card): Play the field

- - - - -

Hardison: Congressman Jenkins is very careful. No direct bribes but he’s renovating his house and so far he’s received over $600,000 worth of work for a little over fifty grand.

(Hardison brings up pictures of Jenkins’ house on the screens)

Eliot: Castleman owns the contracting company, huh?

Hardison: I mean, he’s going through like three shell companies but yeah. And this man loves his house. Just check out his web browsing habits.

(Hardison changes the image to a website for wood panels)

Hardison: Look here, see the man spent three weeks picking out the perfect mahogany wood panels. This site is like wood porn.

Eliot: Is his house finished?

Hardison: Not even close.

Eliot: Can I borrow your phone?

Hardison takes out his phone, dials for Eliot and hands it to him.

Eliot (on phone): Hello? Yes, I’d like to cancel delivery on some mahogany wood paneling. Please.

(Hardison tries to help, Eliot walks away)

Eliot: The Jenkins house. Yeah, you know what, do me a favor man, just go ahead and cancel the whole order. Yes sir.

(Eliot leaves the room as Nate enters with a bowl of popcorn and two beers)

Nate: What’s he doing?

Hardison: Yanking the congressman’s chain

I love chaotic (pre)boyfriends

plus at one point it high hey looked like they were holding hands

and eliot’s SMILE at hardison ,,, you soft man, you never stood a chance

- - - - -

Hardison: A woo--whoa, whoa! A wood-- a wooden box?

Nate: A wooden box.

Hardison: Wood? Well, we can put a man on the moon but all our laws go into a wooden box.

- - - - -

Hardison: I mean, break a law, everybody’s done that, my mama’s done that but steal a law. Oh, she’s gonna be a legend baby.

(on screen, C-SPAN news shows the Senate floor where Parker is walking to “The Hopper”. She waves at the camera and puts the fake bill into box.

Parker: The eagle has landed.

Nate: It’s in!

Hardison: Uhn! Go ahead girl! Sexyness! Unh. Rrrnnn.

Nate: Might want to ease up on that a little bit.

Hardison: Just saying.

Nate: Yeah.

Hardison: Between me and you. Between me and you.

Nate: Never leaves the room.

adorable “the eagle has landed” parker + already-gone-for-her hardison ,,, I love it here

- - - - -

(also, again I am reminded that there is a 250 text block limit so imma have to make a part two and apparently this is my life now)

[fleckcmscott]

The Falls

Summary: Arthur and Y/N reach Gotham City Hall. Two weeks later, they share a taste of newly-wedded bliss.

Warnings: Swearing, Adult situations

Words: 5,953

A/N: This request came from @jokerownsmysoul​. I'm grateful for it - it was a real challenge. I can't wait for more! I also need to extend a hearty thanks to @sweet-nothings04​ for her support. I've been going through a rough period, which is why my output has slowed. She encouraged me, listened to and helped me work through my doubts, and gave me great feedback. Also, send love to @howdylilflower​ for reading through this, sharing her thoughts, and pointing out my obvious errors!

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask. Requests for Arthur and WWH are open!

Gotham City Hall was, to put it briefly, imposing. Statues of former mayors and city founders stood on either side of its massive staircase. The Corinthian capitals of the portico's columns rose three stories above the entrance. The glass and copper doors, made heavy by their vertical, iron security bars, provided a sense of elite exclusion, regardless of it being a municipal building.

As Y/N and Arthur dashed up the marble steps, their buoyant laughter filling the air, none of that mattered. All that pomp and circumstance was immaterial compared to the leap they were about to make. The leap she hadn't expected that morning but had craved for months. The leap into wedlock and all the dedication, trust, and responsibility that went with it.

The Office of Licensure and Registration was far busier than she'd assumed - it was set to close in half an hour. Two clerks worked the winding line of people dealing with the unremarkableness of bureaucracy. A woman complained about the cost to renew a dog license. ("But he's only a mutt!") At the window, a man was being told he needed to head down the hall and to the left. One guy was muttering to himself about what he was going to have for dinner once he was "out of this hellhole." The atmosphere, admittedly, was not ideal.

However, the love of her life standing beside her, clutching her hand a tad too hard, made it perfect. She examined Arthur's profile as he stared ahead. The joy and relief hadn't left his visage after she'd accepted his proposal. Pensiveness hid in the flare of his nostrils, though. In the repeated clench of his jaw. In the quiet bounce of one knee.

She pursed her lips. Taking off up the street and demanding to be married straight away had been pushy. Under no circumstance did she want him to feel pressured, especially not when it came to this. But, she considered, it was natural to be anxious. And he'd appeared ecstatic, too, nearly yanking her onto his lap on the bench at Lemmars Park.

Tucking back the stray, chestnut strand by his temple, she murmured, "I'm the happiest woman on earth right now." She gently loosened her fingers from his grip and hugged his slim waist. With a bashful duck of his chin and quick puff, his arm went across her shoulders. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes told her his tight-lipped smile was sincere. That he needed this as much as she did. That he'd be all right.

The clerk, whose nametag read "Kyle," was polite and indifferent. Leaning on the counter, they hastily retrieved their IDs from her purse and Arthur's wallet. She rattled off her social security number from memory, while he had to find his card. After paying a fifteen-dollar fee, a slew of typing, and Y/N promising to provide a copy of her divorce papers, Kyle handed them a fountain pen and beige piece of parchment.

Floral borders decorated the edges, an art deco design out of the twenties. The title "Marriage License" leapt out, printed in a font belonging to a carnival barker's wagon. Their names, cities of birth, and birthdays were listed. A final paragraph stated the following: "The undersigned are both of sound mind, are consenting adults, and willingly commit to the bonds of matrimony." They merely had to sign on the respective "bride" and "groom" lines to make it official.

Y/N bent to sign the paper without delay. Not wanting to smudge the ink, she forced her hand to go slower than usual. Arthur grazed her knuckles as she passed him the pen. Only a couple seconds went by, then he jotted his name, a scraggly "A. Fleck." She heard his breath catch as the clerk notarized the document.

The paper needed to be mailed to central office for processing, Kyle explained (which Y/N already knew). A photocopy was made so she could change her name. The official marriage certificate could be picked up in approximately three weeks. To her surprise, he said, "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Fleck" before closing the window's shade.

And that was it. They were husband and wife in less time than it took to register a new car.

Exhilaration fluttered in her abdomen. Pumped its way from her heart to the tips of her toes as they strolled arm-in-arm towards the closest subway station. Y/N suggested they grab a bite to eat to celebrate, maybe go to Kao Wah. But Arthur stated he wasn't hungry. "I'd like to be home. With my- with my wife." He averted his gaze as he said the last words, the tip of his tongue darting to his top lip as if to the savor their flavor.

Given how much he'd learned about traditions from old movies, she'd suspected he'd try to carry her over the threshold. She was grateful he didn't. Instead, he pressed her into the coats and jackets hanging on the wall. Kissed her with his entire body. "I need to make love to you," he uttered into her neck. The softness of the euphemism was strikingly different from his urgency as he unbuttoned her blouse. He'd have likely taken her in the entranceway if she hadn't led him to the bedroom.

The intensity with which he fucked her into the mattress hadn't been experienced since he'd shown up at her apartment drenched, lost, and unable to fully accept she loved him. But this moment was distinct. Although the lines of his face were taut, his eyes were filled with ardor. He entwined their fingers, crushed her to him, drove her hand into the pillow. "Say you're mine," he implored, the jerks of his pelvis deep and uneven. "Please. Say you're all mine."

It wasn't like her to give herself to someone. To allow that person to own her. She'd tried that before; it hadn't been good for either of them. Yet, she'd pledged her fidelity to Arthur barely two hours ago. She knew what his request meant. He didn't want to change or dominate her. He simply needed to hear her answer. To know he was no longer alone in the world and wouldn't be for the rest of his life, even if he doubted.

Caressing the expanse of his back and his distended shoulder, she responded. "Of course, I'm yours, Arthur." The tip of his nose met hers, and she savored the smile he pressed against her cheek. "Of course, I'm yours."

She absentmindedly played with his hair. Holding him to her breasts, she went over everything she had to do the following day. Having a plan calmed her, aided her in thinking straight. And the list she was making was a pleasure because everything on it involved him. "I have to call the landlord to add you to the lease. Go to the DMV to get my name changed. Add you to my insurance at work. Oh, we need to combine our bank accounts, too." She peeked at the top of his head. "I have a feeling I'll remember to write 'Mrs. Fleck' easier than '1983' when the new year arrives."

The emerging rigidness of Arthur's frame and the burps that suddenly left him alerted her to his tumult. He pushed himself off her, swung his legs over the side of the bed as guffaws ripped their way from his throat. She scurried behind him to see his palm hover above his ribs as he covered his mouth with the other.

It had been weeks since his condition had flared up around her. Even longer since he'd tried and failed to hide it. Acceptance of his affliction was a concept that was sometimes hard for him to accept; her kindness and love couldn't erase thirty-five years of distress. But he had gotten better at believing it and she was proud of him. Not wanting any of his progress to be lost (especially not on their wedding night), she helped him through it, as usual. Kissed his bicep. Reminded him to take deep, even breaths. Blessedly, the attack didn't last long.

He was wringing his hands, the shaking of his head almost imperceptible. "What if I-" He spoke lowly, fear emitted with every syllable. "What if I wake up in Arkham? Or taking care of Penny again?" Y/N continued to listen as she searched for the best reply. "I never thought I'd have what I wanted." A humorless chuckle as he swiped his nose. "I don't want it to go away."

She wondered if what he was saying was due to trepidation or illnesses. Then she realized the differentiation was irrelevant. What mattered was soothing him. Letting him know it was all right. And real. Slowly, she knelt on the floor in front of him. "I'm not going anywhere," she confirmed, cupping his weathered cheeks. "I adore you." Smiling, she claimed his lips. "I'm your wife."

His toothy grin caused her pulse to skip, and he drew her to his chest. "I'm your husband."

"There's no one else I'd rather be married to."

Laying on the mattress, he closed his eyes. She stroked his lean pectorals, delighting in his resulting sighs. Once the tension in his sinews seemed to ebb, once he looked relaxed, he made a thoughtful sound. "Are we gonna have a honeymoon?"

~~~~~

For as long as he could remember, Arthur had ridden buses. They were usually crowded, stuffed full of humanity. A cushioned, plastic seat was free about a third of the time. Apart from the engine, the rides were fairly quiet. Everyone wanted to get to their destinations instead of conversing. He'd gathered that from observing them. From trying to figure out how to make a connection.

The tour bus he was currently on felt like the pinnacle of luxury, with its padded, fabric chairs and tinted windows. A newer adventure movie played on the tiny television built into the ceiling, its volume so low he could make out only half the dialogue. There was a bathroom (a bathroom!) in the rear, cleaner than any public one around the city. Passengers were few. A young couple sat across the aisle, playfully teasing each other. Sights like that had sparked melancholy in the past. Now the corner of his mouth quirked.

He'd yearned to get out of the city. To go somewhere warm, beautiful, and calm. To have space but not loneliness, which was readily available at home. The postcards he'd kept in his locker at work and on his refrigerator had been a feeble attempt to keep the hope of leaving alive. A co-worker had asked about them once. Arthur, seeking to cover-up his vulnerability in a room full of tough guys, had mumbled a quick, "They're just pictures."

California's distance from Gotham had made it a promised land. He would have liked to walk its shores. They had to be cleaner than those of the city. Meet the people there. They were likely kinder due to the sunniness of the state's weather.

He'd lain on his worn sofa or written in his journal, particularly on chilly nights, fantasizing about playing ukulele on the beach with a pretty Hawaiian girl. The light shining off her tan skin, a contrast to his own pallor. The sway of her hips while she danced the hula would match the rhythm of his novice strumming. After a shallow dip in the ocean, they'd make love in the sand. The sun would be setting to their left. A campfire would burn bright on the right. It would have been great.

But the woman currently dozing on his shoulder made the reality he was experiencing finer.

It had been difficult for him to admit his disappointment upon learning Y/N hadn't thought of a honeymoon. The notion had been unimportant to her, as unimportant as having a wedding. When they'd married two weeks ago, she'd said, in her usual, casual manner, "You're my husband and I'm your wife and that's fine." He'd believed he'd gotten her meaning - that frills and fusses were unnecessary, so long as they were partners. But his chest had ached all the same. He'd awaited the opportunity to let out the old romantic in him for years. Those frills and fusses were crucial to him.

The brochure for Niagara Falls had been one of many in the travel agency's window. Its bright blues and greens had caught his eye when he'd passed by on the way home from therapy. He'd heard of the tourist spot on television. Weekend trips were awarded as prizes on game shows. A magician may have gone over them in a barrel. It was supposed to be the honeymoon capital of the world. And it was only four hours from home. He'd figured it would be easy to sell her on the idea.

He'd shown her the pamphlet as soon as she walked through the door, prattling with anticipation as she slipped off her heels. "There's a Skywheel. We've been on the Ferris wheel as Amusement Mile but this one's taller." He'd pointed at a picture while taking her coat. "There are a lot of restaurants. And a town we can walk in..."

Trailing off, he'd lifted one shoulder. "I know you've done all this before. A honeymoon, I mean." His brows pinched. "But not with me. I just want-" The interruption of Y/N's lips had stilled him, the twine of her fingers in his hair switching the racing of his brain to the pounding of his heart. Once they'd parted, the affection in her eyes reassured him.

"That's wonderful suggestion," she'd said. "We'll call a hotline for motel recommendations after dinner. I'm sure I can wrangle a free Friday from Phil." Her eyelashes had fluttered against his neck and she'd snorted. "You should have seen his face when I changed my name. And told him you'd be joining me on every business trip."

The memory made him feel fuzzy in spots he hadn't known existed until she'd seeped into them.

It was early evening, cold, and raining when they arrived. Y/N held her pop-up umbrella over them as he retrieved their shared suitcase. Thank goodness the stroll from the bus depot and to their lodgings was short. Only shallow splashes got on their pants during their scurry up the sidewalk.

Arthur had chosen the Honeymoon City Hotel for a few reasons. The ad had promised a view of the falls from every room, which he'd thought charming. A special newlywed's suite had been offered, Jacuzzi, cable television, and free breakfast included. And the place's corny name. Its silliness had touched the part of him that had bought a rose when he'd had no clue what he was doing, having dinner at a woman's apartment like a regular man. The part that compelled him to impulsively grab her hand while they stirred pots on the stove. The part that could, every so often, envision a brighter future for himself because he had her.

The motel, however, stated there was a problem. The room had been double-booked, a mistake blamed on a new employee having forgotten to note their reservation. The other guests had checked in earlier and couldn't be moved.

Having had a plethora of first days, Arthur understood what it was like to be new on the job. But he was still irritated. He asked where they were supposed to stay, then muttered to himself. He didn't want to be upset on their special weekend. Graciously, Y/N patted his arm and stepped in. He self-soothed with nicotine and noted how, in her kind but direct style, she negotiated a stay in one of the business suites and a ten percent refund. The front desk person told them their bag would be in their room.

They were also given a coupon for the nearby revolving restaurant. He'd been intrigued by the mention of it in his brochure, but he'd assumed it was too expensive. It was just beyond the Canadian border in Skyfall Tower. Because of the discount and no passports being needed, they decided to catch a cab and go.

Though Arthur usually didn't eat a lot, they opted for the buffet. He'd thought it a better value, and it would allow him to try new dishes without worrying he'd be stuck with something he didn't like. The novelty of the made-to-order stir-fry felt opulent. And it was fun adding broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms, but no water chestnuts because their texture was bizarre. Y/N appeared to enjoy the chicken Kiev and quiche, going back for a second helping of the latter.

Gazing out at the panorama provided by the windows surrounding them, Arthur titled his head. Droplets ran down the pane of glass, obscuring the view. The multi-color illumination of the falls were hazy from the rain. The plaque at the entrance had stated they were fifty-five stories up. In Gotham, he'd never been worth enough to go above the tenth floor. He wondered how fast they were spinning. He couldn't feel the momentum, but their position had changed slightly during dinner.

In his peripheral vision, Y/N was licking the rest of her chocolate mousse off a spoon. Nonchalantly, as if she didn't know the effect it would have on him. "This was almost worth the mistake the motel made," she said. But she winced as she straightened, put her palm on her stomach. "I'm not going to be able to move for the rest of the night."

Rolling his eyes and giving a half-smirk, he stood and guided her out of her seat. "You just need to walk a little." He slipped her jacket around her back. "Come on."

~~~~~

Y/N tried to stifle her laughter at Arthur's bewilderment. The room was...not what either of them had anticipated. (And a reminder why she was dubious about motels that had silly names.) Saying it left something to be desired was being generous.

Brown wood grain paneling, too dark to be considered cozy, was on the walls. Two twin beds, about three feet apart, were on the right. She chose the one closest to the windows, and it creaked and groaned as she sat on it. ("I hope the walls are thicker than they look.") Dim lamps with avocado green shades were on the nightstands in the middle. A thirty-two-inch television sat on the bureau across from the footboards. The room's saving grace was a fireplace in the back corner.

He popped his head into the bathroom, stated the shower was smaller than theirs, and grumbled that there was no whirlpool bath. She did not mourn that loss. The couple of times she'd used one, the pumps and jets had been loud and distracting. Besides. They were bound to test one out eventually.

Arthur made his way to the acrylic curtains and opened them. "I see...a parking lot." He shoved his hands in the pockets of his tan jacket and sighed. "This wasn't what I pictured."

She knew he'd blame himself because he'd picked the place, which was ridiculous. They'd both agreed to it. Disappointment and guilt on their honeymoon? That wouldn't do. "Vacations never go as planned. That's why you return home more drained than when you left." Reaching behind her, she flipped on the radio. Searched for and found a station playing upbeat music. Kept the volume at a level where the notes of "The Hustle" were barely audible but could still cheer. She stood and flipped back the covers. "Well, the sheets are clean. Help me push these together."

Chuckling, he brought the lamps she'd unplugged to the nearby desk, then moved the nightstands out of the way. There were four or so inches between the mattresses when the bed frames met, but they'd make the most if it. The ease with which he'd moved his bed against hers impressed her, prompted her to squeeze her thighs together.

While Arthur stuck his head out the window for a smoke, Y/N got to work. She dug out the sparkling wine she'd packed (not champagne, which he found too sour) and unwrapped the plastic cups by the ice bucket. After screwing off the top and pouring them both a serving, she stripped to her bra and panties, a lacy dark green set she'd bought for the trip. Then she tip-toed to him. "Mr. Fleck, would you do me the honor of starting the hearth?"

He flicked his cigarette, stood, and turned to her. The desire and love in his intent stare as it roamed up her body, and the softening of his features made her blush. She looked at the brown carpet demurely. "I only packed lace."

The raging flames were half a yard away, a yellow and orange glow illuminating them both. She traced his spine to the beads of sweat gathering in the small of his back. They'd begun mere minutes ago, but she was already light-headed. Not only from the satisfaction of him repeatedly filling her, the joy of joining with him entirely. But also from the blazing heat.

She focused on the drop perspiration rolling down his forehead to his nose, then felt it fall onto her neck. "Arthu-" The last letter was stolen by his lips, the tip of his tongue teasing hers. She broke off, gasping. "Can we take a break?"

Blinking at her, he stopped, the crease between his eyebrows deepening. "A break?"

Gently, she pushed at his hips and nodded. "I feel like I'm going to melt. And not in the good way."

He left the grip of her body carefully and went to the knob next to the fireplace. "I think it's on a timer." She watched his grimace as he attempted to turn it counterclockwise. "It won't budge."

Y/N scooted away from the fire, rolled onto her side, and grabbed her mostly full cup. "We'll have to wait it out." He pouted at her and she laughed. "Hey, waiting will make the quenching sweeter." Taking a sip, she beamed up at him. "I don't think I told you how I got to Gotham."

There was a pause before he swiped back his damp locks. "What do you mean? It was your old job." He stretched to lie beside her, propped on his forearm.

"That's true but there's more to it." Entwining their calves, she draped an arm over his hip so she could caress the modest curve of his rear. "I used to get groceries every Tuesday in Missouri - the shop was further out, so I couldn't go and get a couple of ingredients, like you and I do." She turned onto her back, surveyed the off-white popcorn ceiling. "It would be empty. Lines were short. New stock would have come in.

"I always bought three newspapers for the help wanted section: the Daily Planet, the Toronto Star, and the Gotham Journal. One week I had to work late and go on a Thursday, and the store was out of the Journal." She giggled and shook her head. "I was so annoyed. I'd avoided the Gotham Globe because it looked like a trashy tabloid. But I settled."

The skim of his fingertips across her belly was a series of tender, repeated lines. Her gaze flicked to his, her smile breaking her face wide open. "That's where I found the ad for Shaw and Associates." She brought his knuckles to her mouth. "That annoyance is what got me my job. Allowed me to move to Gotham." She grasped his chin, ran her thumb along his deepening dimple. "What led me to you." Arching a brow, she gave a little shrug. "It's almost enough to make me believe there's a reason for everything. Not quite. But almost."

The concentration in the lines of his forehead told Y/N he was trying to find the right way to express himself. He gave it a go. "You're my reason."

She winced. It was a conversation they'd often had. While she appreciated what he said, held every word in her heart, he tended to aggrandize her and not give himself proper credit for how well he was doing. For going to treatment, for trying different medications. For being honest. She was still finding the kindest, most effective ways to correct those notions. To emphasize they were equals, through and through. "Arthur, I can't be your only reason."

"That's not what I meant." He rubbed the side of his face. Sitting up, he hugged his legs to his chest and his eyelids fluttered shut. "I don't hate myself as much as I used to. Not every day."

He fidgeted with the carpet. Y/N put her palm on his foot, traced the tendons of his ankle. Tried to help bolster him to confide whatever he wanted. "My mother would say she was the one who knew my purpose. That she didn't mind my laugh, because I was happy all the time." Scoffing, he took Y/N's proffered cup. "If she told me I wasn't funny or I did something wrong-" He swallowed hard and finished her wine.

She got it. Penny, along with his experiences in and perceptions of Gotham, had hammered into him that he was hard to love. An egregious, groundless lie. The pain underlying what he'd disclosed settled in her stomach, a dull ache for what he'd lived through. She was about to speak when he wiggled his toe to stroke her wrist. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable."

"Psh." She sat to hug him across his back at the waist. "I've never been uncomfortable around you. Not once." He leaned into her as she kissed his temple. The reflection of the hearth in his light green eyes was beautiful, flecks of brown and hazel shining. Gladness lurked in them, undeterred by their earnest exchange. She tousled his curls, ran her nails over his scalp until a pleasured moan escaped him. "Don't ever apologize for telling me how you feel."

A prolonged but companionable silence, then. As the fire died down, she lay on the floor. Pulled him to follow her until his wiry frame covered her. "I hate to break it to you, but you're not that weird."

Enfolding their fingers, he squinted at her. "I'm not?"

"Sorry to let you down." She wrapped her legs about his middle, squeezed him tight as he opened her lips with his. "Loving you is one of the easiest things I've ever done," she purred. She kissed his face in a line, then whispered in his ear. "Planning to proposition a man on the third date was never a habit of mine."

"Hm." At the weight of him hardening against her thigh, she gripped his shoulders and arched towards him. "Did you always flirt with men in the grocery store?"

The mild pinch to his bottom was instantaneous.

~~~~~

After procuring two apples, bananas, and donuts from the breakfast buffet and bringing them to their suite, Arthur decided to journal. He'd been awake since four. There was only so much smoking, staring at the walls, and trying to go back to sleep he could do. So as not to disturb Y/N, he went to the bathroom and sat on the closed toilet, notebook on his lap.

The pen flowed freely and he snickered. It always felt good when jokes came easily. "My mother wud say (change voice here) 'mariage isn't for everyone.' But I found the one person who wanted to marry me. Sorry, mom. It's funny." "I have a wife. It's great to have one special person to steel the blankets from."

Tears pricked a couple punchlines later. He wiped at them with a square of tissue paper. "Today I feel good," he jotted. "I think it's because I like being maried. I'm so proud of myself for sticking with Y/N. The worst days are better. I used to wunder how long I could live with noone caring about me. But I don't half to anymore. I hope I never do again."

A yawn beckoned him and he padded through the doorway to peak towards the beds. Y/N was opening the drapes, just enough to let a strip of sunlight illuminate the room. She was pretty, barefoot, her nightdress ending mid-thigh as the rays framed her silhouette. He sidled up behind her. "What do you call two spiders that just got married?"

Turning, she tapped her chin, apparently giving it a good, long think. "Mr. and Mrs. Arachnid?"

Even if she was wrong, he appreciated her effort. "Newly-webs." Giggling, she hugged him around the neck, stretched slightly to kiss him. "I was on a roll this morning. Maybe I can make them part of my act."

She clambered into the bed beneath the covers and patted the narrow space next to her. It was a tight fit, but he climbed in eagerly, anyway. As he brought her half on top of him, she said she'd looked at the TV schedule and found a movie to start the day. One starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. The film was new to him, though he'd heard of it. He enjoyed the unexpected love story between two people from completely different backgrounds. Nibbling on a chocolate donut, he wondered if Y/N saw the parallels. If that was why she'd chosen it.

When they finally got dressed and headed out, they discovered the Skywheel Arthur had been looking forward to was closed for the season. It appeared they'd gotten married too late in the year for a lot to be open. There was a wax museum and an arcade in the nearby town. Neither appealed to him. But as they wandered the streets, they found the Houdini Magic Shop.

The manner in which she was browsing the props and instruction cards made it was obvious Y/N was out of her element. The only clown performance she'd seen in years had been his. But she was sweet and enthusiastic, and pointed out items she thought might be of interest. He was polite when he declined them. In the end, Arthur picked out a color changing blossom and a never-ending scarf. Although it was a store for performers, he found pens Y/N could use for work. He presented them to her with a flourish, and she promised she'd use them daily.

They stopped by a nearby souvenir shop. It was small, about half the size of their living room. He bought a few postcards to go with the ones on his vanity. She chose three, scrawled "We're hitched!" on them, and mailed them to Patricia, Mabel, and Penny. There was a photographer's booth, too, and he convinced her to have their photo taken. The cardboard frame he chose had "We're honeymooning at Niagara!" emblazoned at the top in bright blue letters. It wasn't her taste. Not at all. But she claimed to like it, stating simply, "At least you're gorgeous."

And now, after a quick lunch of sandwiches and soup at a nearby cafe, they stood on the observation deck overlooking the falls.

Beyond city parks, Arthur hadn't seen a lot of nature. Though he appreciated the majesty of the place, he wasn't mesmerized by it. Not really. The height intimidated him. There had been periods in his life during which he would have gladly flung himself into the depths. Not to die. Just to make everything stop. Smiling slowly, squeezing the hand of the woman next to him, he was grateful not to feel that now.

He swiveled to study her. She was peering through coin-operated binoculars, a contented look on her face. She offered him a turn but he declined, already having the best view. He ran his thumb over the gold band on her left hand and shut his eyes.

He'd heard a song once. The lyrics had said he would be nobody until somebody loved him, and until he found somebody to love. It was plain the love the person sang about wasn't the one he'd felt for Penny. He'd thought half the equation might have been enough. But he hadn't felt much improvement when he'd fallen for his neighbor. He'd grown to hate it, going so far as to hawk the LP, despite liking the other tracks on it. He'd known he'd always be a nobody - he didn't need a tune to rub it in.

Nothing in this world, not even its natural wonders, would ever compare to the beauty of Y/N understanding him for who he was. Of her choosing to care for him even after seeing him. Of him finally having the ability to demonstrate the love he'd always wished was buried somewhere inside him.

Of her confirming his existence.

Her hand going to her forehead caught his attention. He tightened his grip on her, blinked away his musings. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just a little vertigo. I'll be fine." Resting on the metal railing, she let out a long exhale. "It's too bad we have to head home tomorrow. This is miles better than my first honeymoon."

A burn came across his cheeks. "Oh?"

"My monthly started the second day. My ex's entrance exam for law school was reschedule, so we cut it short." Their gazes met, her irises glittering. "And you weren't there." Her eyelids fluttered and she cleared her throat. "It helps that I'm with a man who won't tire of my tenacity."

That wasn't a word he knew, but he figured it out from the context. It was strange that anyone would be put off by Y/N's strength of character. Her courage had been what had saved him on the subway. He'd found it odd, at first. He'd met so few people with any hint of it. Hoyt had shown his fortitude by yelling. Randall had talked him into shitty jobs and lied.

Didn't she know her strength supported his own? That her confidence, both in him and herself, made it easier for him to function? Lent him an inkling of what it was like to matter?

He palmed her side, took her hand in his, and leaned forward to whisper, "If you close your eyes, you can pretend we're alone." Flights of fancy were harder for her, he knew. He was pleased when she acquiesced. Kissed her browbone and pushed the bridge of his nose to it. Humming softly, he did his best to imitate one of their favorite songs. He didn't lead her in a dance, but a gentle sway from side to side.

Chest on the verge of bursting, he longed to accurately convey the emotions rushing through his core. Such positive experiences still felt new. He chose to use the phrases he would want bestowed upon himself. "I love you because of your...tenacity." Shrugging, he pressed his lips together. "You were always so nice to me. I think you're the best thing I've ever seen. I don't want you to change, Y/N."

The delicate caress of her fingertips on his neck made him shiver. "Should I nag you to quit smoking when I'm ninety? And you're pushing me around Gotham in my wheelchair?"

"Yes," he laughed, nodding swiftly at the idea of them being together for fifty years. That would be heaven. "And that I need new socks." He smoothed his hand down her back until she was flush against him. "And to take my medication." Palming her hip, he grinned down at her. "And to make love, if you still want me then."

She giggled, fisting the front of his jacket. "Definitely." On her tiptoes, her lips seized his. "I'll never stop wanting you." Groaning, he grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely, knowing he'd lose himself in her as soon as they returned to their room.

~~~~~

Van McCoy - The Hustle

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[athenaquinn]

Strong Hand || Frank & Athena

TIMING: Present  LOCATION: Soul on the Rocks  PARTIES: @frankmulloy and @athenaquinn SUMMARY: A fae and a hunter walk into a bar... and then there’s Hughie.

Frank heard the reactions, born from her entrance alone, before he even saw her. Now that he looked up it was clear from his usual view from the bar that within the dim-lit picture that spanned out in front of him, something did not belong. A head of long yellow hair, to be specific. One, she was young. Two, she looked much too clean, too put together, to properly belong in the typical crowd that Soul attracted. Of course, that wasn’t to say that they didn’t take a liking to her. Frank watched as quiet fascination graduated to bold introductions; offers to buy her a drink, or bum her a smoke. Creepy-Joe remained stationary in his usual corner, watching but doing little else otherwise. Nothing offensive enough to warrant intervention so Frank returned his attention to the tasks at hand, cleaning and filling drink orders, all while keeping his attention outward for anything unseemly--or at least, by Soul’s standards. He didn’t notice how long time had passed or how long the girl had been sitting at the bar before she had flagged his attention. She was close enough for him to get a good look at her now and his suspicions were confirmed: much too young. Frank threw his towel over his shoulder, the usual distance of 6 feet maintained, “you got an ID for that order?”

She wasn’t stupid. Athena knew full-well that Soul on the Rocks was not her crowd. She’d lived in town all her life - which was certainly long enough and knew that of all the places to sneak into, that was usually the last on her list. The Bullet was where she preferred, and even though many of the people there had known her since she was a child they were alright with turning a blind eye and letting her order a proper drink. Sometimes, at least. However, she also knew that she was stubborn and that meant taking her fake ID and borrowing a leather jacket from one of the girls in her sorority and driving over to the bar. Part of her regretted the decision the second she opened the door and she felt all eyes on her - and though she loved attention, this was not exactly in the way that she typically preferred. Especially since most people in the bar were well-over the age of twenty-one and even over twenty-five or six. However, Athena was not one to back down from any challenge and so she tossed her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at the offers to drink or smoke. “You know smoking kills you, right?” She bit back at one man. Before she could register his response, she felt her body tense up. Fae. There was a fae here and she couldn’t pinpoint exactly who the fae was just yet because there were far too many people backed into the bar. Taking in a deep breath, she made her way over to the counter. There was only one man behind the bar and she felt her skin crawl. Which meant he had to be the fae. Or at the very least she was in closer proximity to whoever the fae was. She pressed her palms against her thighs for a moment, grounding herself before she responded. “I do.” She flashed him a smile. Athena found that she regretted choosing a thin layer of lipgloss over the darker lipstick that Julia had offered her. She knew that she looked young, but usually a little flirting with a bartender made them forget that. Not yet willing to hand over her ID, she twirled her hair around her fingertips and leaned onto the countertop. Her skin was crawling, but she wasn’t going to give in. She was stronger than that. “I am admittedly newly twenty-one. Well, newly as in a few months ago.” She could feel the eyes of some of the other patrons on her. “Do you really need to see my ID? What’s the harm in a little trust?”

Frank recognised the lip-glossed smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes but if you tried hard enough you might be able to convince yourself that it did, artful twirling of her finger around her hair, the honey sweet tone that coated every word that came out of her mouth. Jake would have melted. Perhaps Frank would have too had he been younger, known less about what he was, what he could do. Before he had his good nature beaten out of him, not that there was any evidence on his skin as proof to the claim. The proof was ingrained in muscle memory and instinct, which manifested outwardly in carefully trained behaviour; like keeping his distance, and his hands, to himself—along with drinking himself into stupor in the hopes that it might dull the effect of any…influence that might have slipped past his guard. Which happened a lot more often than he liked to admit.

As she smiled up at him and Frank…well, his face was smoothed of any emotion to assume one of patient indifference. He was older now...and he wasn’t Jake. “Sure you are.” His arms were crossed over his chest, his finger tapping patiently against his side. While he might have let slide the little game she thought she was playing if they were at the Perfect Pint, the fact was, they weren’t. While it was of no fault of her own, Frank was also not oblivious to the eyes she attracted. “Look at where you are kid, you think this the sort of place that breeds trust?” He had half a mind to send her home now, though experience warned that- that was a sure road to a bad ending, one way or another. Then again, what did it matter? She wasn’t his responsibility, what the fuck did he care? He shouldn’t care about Ariana either but alas—he did care, and he cared now. Fuck. “Look, if you ain’t got an ID, I’m gonna send you home. Next time get a fake one or something.”

She noticed him watching her. Not that it was hard, being in such close proximity, but she felt uncomfortable regardless. Uncomfortable but necessary. Athena knew that she couldn’t very well kill this fae in the middle of a bar - though if there were a bar to do it, Soul on the Rocks seemed like just the place. Unfortunately, as unresponsive as he was to her hair-twirling, a man just down the bar was not - and he had to be at least in his late thirties. Athena rolled her eyes, adjusting her position - learning her arms further onto the bar, chin resting in the palm of her hand. She knew that she was attractive, and although the last thing she wanted was for a fae to be attracted to her (though how wonderful of an advantage would that be - what a way to get them all alone), if it got her something she needed, she could deal with it. It only further proved that she was good at masking her identity.

“I am.” She said, voice even. Her eyes narrowed at the kid remark, “well, I don't know, but can’t you just trust anyone?” Athena fought away the urge to smirk, instead letting her eyes grow wide. She was good enough at people watching to fake naïvety when the situation called for it. To fall into who she might have been if she and her brother shared more personality traits. “I do have an ID.” She slid it out of her wallet, handing it over to him. Joan Parrish, it read - not a total lie, though far from her real name - after all, she couldn’t have her parents getting in trouble, as they were upstanding members of the community. “Told you.” She tapped her nails on the countertop. “So, do I get a drink for free? I heard that sometimes if you’re lucky, that happens. I’ve already been offered that from other people here!” She could feel the cold iron of one of her knives against her hip, but she couldn’t use it. Not now. She could consider this a recon mission of some sort.

Frank answered her question with silence and a pointed look, his brows raised, as if the answer to the question seemed obvious enough that it needed no response. The word trusting and Frank could not be further opposites, anyone who knew him knew this, and even those who didn’t learned very quickly. He waited, watched, for the younger woman to produce her ID. When she does, he doesn’t take it from her hand, but waits until she puts it on the bar top. Joan Parrish. It was her face on the small card, and the date of birth proved that she was of age—if one was in the habit of trusting everything they read. Frank was not. Even if it didn’t, he seldom poured any great effort into inspecting anyone’s IDs, it was just a matter of doing his due diligence. Still doubtful of its authenticity, he returned the ID anyway (returning it to the bar top before stepping away for her retrieval). Her apparent confidence prompted an amused grin to crack over his lips, a chuckle building first in the depth of his chest which then formed the beginning of his words, “that might have worked on Jake kiddo, but I ain’t Jake. So I guess that means you ain’t so lucky tonight. Think about what you can afford and then get back to me, yeah?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth, a particularly eager patron broke through the throng and claimed an empty seat at the bar. He’ll pay for whatever the little lady wants, he said and he smiled and he turned that smile to her, and then Frank wasn’t smiling anymore. “Fuck off Jerry,” the word sliced through the noise and he said them without hesitation. “If you think she’s gonna go anywhere with you, you’ve got another thing coming, so walk on.” The man—Jerry’s mouth opened as the beginning of a retort was forming, Frank turned his gaze on him again, and wisely, he thought better of it and slinked off. Frank’s height and general aloofness afforded him an influence that was untouched by any sort of supernatural advantage, this served him tremendously in a place like Soul, while it didn’t help him back any friends he’s convinced himself that he liked that just fine. He turned back to the younger woman, Joan Parrish, a little apologetic, he did just rob her of a free drink. “I mean, do whatever the fuck you want. You can call him back if you really want that drink, he’ll be more than happy to come back if he thinks he’s got a shot.”

Athena watched the man inspect her ID. The rumors that she’d heard about Soul on The Rocks tended to imply that she wouldn’t be asked for her ID, but considering she’d accidentally walked into a place of employment of a fae, she figured that luck was not especially on her side tonight. “I don’t know who Jake is,” she responded, giving a shrug. “This is my first time here.” First and last, probably. Though she wanted to find out more about the man - find out as much as she could. Even though she knew her parents would frown upon her being in the bar, if she could learn more about the fae, then perhaps all would be forgiven. That was, if they ever even found out what she was up to. She hid very little from them, which meant that they very rarely suspected that she did anything but what exactly she told them.

However, as another man came over and began offering to buy her a drink, looking her up and down, she twisted her lips into something of a half-frown. Even if he wasn’t way older than her, he was entirely not her type. This might have been a mistake, Athena was starting to realize. Continuing to realize, if she were more willing to be honest with herself. If nothing else, the dim lighting and completely not her style music were signs that she probably shouldn’t have even bothered coming.  He was defending her? The thought practically made Athena’s blood boil. She didn’t need defending, particularly not from a fae, but a small part of her figured that in any other scenario, she would be at least a bit grateful. It just had to be a fae, didn’t it? “Are you kidding me?” She practically spat. “No way ever. I do in fact have a solid head on my shoulders, and that means I don’t go off with strange men.” She was always deeply fascinated at how unaware fae could be when it came to who she was. Not that it was something she’d ever dare complain about, but it amused her all the same. “I think I’d like a hard cider though, and I can pay.”

“Clearly.” He said, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, closed lipped and crooked, but still with its soft edge. Despite what his appearance, and his general demeanour even, might suggest, Frank was never very good at playing condescending or deceitful. Everything about him was always painfully honest. He was private, and liked his privacy, but was always truthful. Some might suggest the latter was the unfortunate side effect of his supernatural inheritance, but that was all Frank. While anyone’s introduction to Soul was a source of amusement, especially someone inexperienced with the bar’s particular crowd, a quiet wariness always hummed beneath the surface, ready to spring to action at a moment’s notice. “Ah—yeah, don’t worry about Jake. If you’re lucky you won’t have to know him.”

The cute coy-school-girl routine dropped for a moment, and the little tiger showed her teeth. A consequence of instinct and character rather than anything so superficial. People were always infinitely more interesting than the mask they put on for others. He wasn’t sure if she thought her little flirting game would work on him—and then he wondered whether he should be more concerned if he gave her an impression that it would—but if she failed to catch his attention before, she’s certainly got it now. “Kudos to you kid. You might actually survive this shit hole.” He said as he reached for the glass and began filling it with the question. Of course it’s a fucking cider. Soul wasn’t exactly known for its extensive cider collection, most opted for any option that got them the most drunk at the lowest cost. Cider was not exactly the bar’s drink of choice. “Your hard cider, Joan Parrish.” With the practice of one who’s done it a hundred times before, Frank slid the cider across the bar, the glass coming to stop at her hand with a gentle tap. His distance rule strictly obeyed. Ducking his head into the kitchen, Frank called to one of the workers there, one hand already in his jacket pocket to produce a little white box of cigarettes as he called for someone to get their ass out here while he takes his fucking smoke break. To Joan, he said, “you can pay Hughie for that cider, Joan Parrish.” To Hughie, he said, “Joan Parrish still needs to pay for her cider,” and added in a hushed tone, “and do me a favour, keep the creeps away from her please?” And then he was out the back door, a lone cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

“Not that obvious, mister.” Athena wanted to bristle. Did, internally at least. If he was so damn keen on calling her kid then she’d fire right back. That was all she could do, right now. She wondered for a moment if there were any hunters in the bar. “Why, is he so much more boring than you are?” There was a giggle that followed her words, one that was likely too light and airy - more carefree than she usually found herself. One that drew a few more eyes as she finally resorted to covering her lips with a hand, refocusing back on the man. Apparently, acting overly calm and eager could do something of a wonder to stop her skin from completely crawling, though a certain part of her wanted to pull at it, just as she did whenever there were fae around, and particularly the ones who looked human.

“Trust me, I’m good at surviving a whole lot of things.” He seemed clueless enough to what she really was that she doubted that he’d take that remark as anything beyond a perhaps overly-confident co-ed, and that worked just fine for her. She wasn’t afraid to bite back if some creep thought they had half a chance with her. Athena had to admit she was a bit impressed the bar had a cider - though she knew it was a decently popular drink, this bar seemed far more the type of place to just have mediocre beer - though she supposed the same could be said about any number of the frat parties she went to. She caught the glass easily, curiosity piqued at the fact that he was staying away from her, potentially from any possible contact. She filed that away in her mind for later examination, for later when she was away from the bar that was practically buzzing. With a certain energy that she found herself equally repulsed and intrigued by. Incredibly unlike the life she was usually a part of, and for a moment she found herself feeling naïve - at least to a certain level. I wonder if that’s what my brother feels like all the time, Athena pondered for a moment before looking back over to the man, who was now leaving. “You’ll be back, won’t you?” She called out, before focusing on whoever else the fae had sent to babysit her. “How much do I owe you?” She asked Hughie, looking him up and down before pulling out her wallet and pulling out a twenty. “This should be enough, right? When’s my friend coming back over? Can’t believe he left right in the middle of our conversation.” A small pout formed on her lips. “So, Hughie? Name or nickname?” She took a sip of her drink, not quite focusing on him, but instead on the direction where the other man had gone, as if daring him to come back.

Mister. Frank noted a hint of derision that was lent to the word, a childish retort that was probably meant to rebel against the label he had given her. It was precisely something a kid would do, and it prompted a faint smile to curve at the edge of his lips. Then she giggled, and it was an uncommon enough sound that it attracted even more curious glances, thirsting for the pretty young flesh that had so generously presented herself to them at the bar. This time however, the boldness stopped at the glances; no one seemed particularly interested in following in Jerry’s misguided footsteps, or at least as long as Frank was still working the bar. So business went on as usual, at least for now. “Nothing stopping you from finding different company,” he raised his eyebrow in a kind of challenge, leaned forward just slightly, while still keeping respect to his six feet rule, “let’s just say, you giggle enough times and you can probably get as many free drinks as you want outta him.” That alone, Frank thought, spoke volumes about his particular…character. There was a reason Frank and Jake didn’t get along. Although Frank’s insistence that he was a slimey asshole (usually to his face) probably burned any bridges they had for reconciliation, which suited him just fine.

“Are you now?” There was something about Joan Parrish that Frank had come to enjoy—almost endear. Or the very least, found to be a source of light amusement. A certain battle-hardened naivety about her that appealed. No normal person was so quick to declare that they have survived things, and it spoke to something that she did. An unknown history that Frank was not privy to, and was still debating on whether he cared enough to want to be. Or maybe she was just a kid who said things she didn’t mean. Either way, that was a little note he tucked away, to be revisited later. She was drawn to him, for whatever reason, that much was obvious, or she wouldn’t have called out to him. He was suddenly very self-conscious of his abilities, one that seemed to operate of its own volition, sometimes even without him knowing. He spared a glance back at her but didn’t answer, and found himself that much more eager to get out and get himself back together. “He’ll be back,” Hughie answered for him, “he takes a lot of those…his smoke breaks. But he works harder than anyone here, and closes up after everyone and throws the assholes out, so the boss lets him.” He was not as tall as Frank, and was a skinny looking thing that could have a few years over Joan, but was definitely younger than Frank. Not a fae, but charming enough to be, certainly a lot more forthcoming than Frank was. He took the money from her and busies himself with getting her change, “plenty, thanks—and no, Frank hasn’t got any friends. I don’t know if you’ve met the man but he doesn’t exactly scream friendly. And god forbid he comes within a mile of you, literally. The day that man actually hands you a drink, will be the day hell freezes over. Oh, name’s Hugh, but everyone calls me Hughie which I think sounds a lot more…” His eyes look between the girl and the door, and then he laughs, “that son of a bitch. A little old for you isn’t he?”

She could feel the eyes on her and she shrugged it off. Even if they tried something, and something about the fae behind the bar seemed to be keeping them away, but even if they tried something Athena had no qualms dealing with them on her own terms. If anyone asked, it was easy enough to say that she’d trained at her mother’s gym - or rather, Linda Quinn’s, since she wasn’t Athena, not right now. Soon enough she wouldn’t need the fake, but it was working overtime to her advantage right now. Both for getting her into the bar and for keeping her proper identity secret from the fae behind the bar - though her face would remain the same - but if it came to that - when it inevitably did, unless someone else got to it first - it wouldn’t matter. “Mm,” she murmured, glancing over her shoulder before she refocused back on him, watching as he leaned just slightly closer to her. “Well, he seems like a skeevy kind of guy, then, though I appreciate the tip.” Her lips curved up into a smirk. “Good to know how to get free drinks if I feel a need for it.” She adjusted the jacket, a sudden chill rolling through her body, though she couldn’t tell if it was due to someone opening the door or the continued presence of a fae so very close to her.

“I am.” She replied. He didn’t reply much beyond that, didn’t ask probing questions that could have so easily come along with it. That sometimes did, if she happened to off-handedly mention it to anyone else. Which she usually didn’t, or followed it up with how tiring being pre-med was - which wasn’t a total lie. It just wasn’t as tricky to figure out as some of the creatures she’d studied. Studied and dealt with, though Athena didn’t find any of that too difficult in the end, either. She gave a small huff at his utter lack of response, but allowed herself to refocus on Hughie who was, thankfully, not fae. She let her gaze flick up and down, taking him in, letting a smile settle on her lips once again. “Well, hard work should be rewarded.” Athena had half a mind to follow him outside, because then they would be all alone - but it was too obvious, too easy to point to her, and besides, Hughie seemed certainly more willing to talk to her. She pocketed the change, not looking back behind her again - any of the other creeps in the bar were at least maintaining their distance, whatever else they were doing mattered little to her. Inconsequential, in the end. “Well,” she began, biting her lip in false shyness once again, “his tricks are something.” He didn’t like to touch people. Her mind was spinning, narrowing down to what he might be. Of course, there was always the chance of being an overly-cautious fae, but she also knew there were certain ones for whom touch played a role. “Hughie’s a nice nickname. I -” she couldn’t fight back another laugh of her own, still light and carefree, at his next remark. “Oh him?” Tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth, she weighed her options. “I mean, I guess? He seems to care so much though, and what’s not appealing about that? He is old though. Well, comparatively speaking.” She permitted her gaze to focus on the door for a few moments more - a few moments beyond what might have been typical, before refocusing on Hughie. “Nice of you to stick around and keep me company though, I do appreciate that.”

A light blush coloured his cheeks, but he never shied away from flattery. Hughie blossomed under praise and kind words, a stark contrast to his co-worker who bristled at them, and guarded himself against them with a defensive word or cold silence. A sure way to sever any ties before it had even a chance to form. That was Frank. Hughie threw his head back and laughed, and if the word honest could be attributed to any laugh, it would be his. There was nothing derisive or sarcastic, not even a waver that might suggest jealousy. “Trust me Joan, you would not be the first, or the last person, to think that—or the first or the last to try. That is if you’re into the whole tall, quiet, mysterious and stupidly good looking types.” A stroke of luck with his god-given genes, some might say. Though ‘lucky’ was not the word Frank would use, and despite being raised Catholic, Frank didn’t believe in God. “Although to his credit, I think he does care, like genuinely. He looks out for people, he breaks up fights—well, I say ‘break up fights’, but he mostly just gets his ass handed to him. And then he goes and pays for their cab so they can get home. I mean Frank can be an ass, but it’s hard to hate the guy.” Hughie noted once more her wandering gaze back to the door, for a split second too long, and a hint of pity was found in the smile that now shaped his lips. “He is old—comparatively speaking. Although I should probably also tell you that he hasn’t shown any interest in anyone. Not once, not as long as I’ve worked with him anyway.” When her focus shifted back to Hughie, he was all mush in her hands. His grin was all teeth, both stupidly sincere and shamelessly pleased. “I think you’re real sweet, Joan. I mean it’s not exactly saying much considering the types we get in here, but you’re a lot nicer to look at for sure.”

Hughie wasn’t the only one to think so. The bold gazes found new courage in Frank’s absence, and more of them were suddenly very keen for a drink at the bar, and their generosity extended to the young woman that was already there. “Come on man, she’s minding her business, leave her alone.” His warnings and protests were silent to ears that considered rejection a challenge. Hughie was kind, and to those whose language was aggression and violence, his kindness was taken as harmless. Frank was not harmless, and his return was marked with a brusque, “fuck off Jerry,” as he grabbed a towel from under the bar and threw it over his shoulder: smoke break was over. “I’ll call a fucking cab next, I won’t ask again.” Hughie, visibly relaxed by Frank’s return, dipped his head to whisper something conspiratorial to Joan, a barely concealed laugh colouring his every word, “calling them a cab is Frank’s way of a threat.” Frank, who’d heard the hushed exchange, did not find it equally amusing. “Fuck off Hughie.” If you knew him just enough, which Hughie did, you could hear a ‘thanks’ in there.

There was something certainly satisfying about knowing that she could get a reaction out of the other bartender. Athena settled into a comfortable smile again, letting her hair fall over her shoulders as her fingertips tapped against the cider glass. “Try?” She said, tilting her head. She supposed it was comforting - to a degree - that her recon was easily dismissed as a childish crush. She wondered about Hughie - wondered if he felt secondary to the other man - the one who was, apparently stupidly good looking. “Maybe I am, who knows, really?” She let one finger tract the divots on the counter stop, making eye contact with Hughie as she did so. Though she had no interest of a romantic sort in either of the bartenders, a little extra attention to the one that was quite possibly ignored for favor of a fae who could trick and manipulate those around time couldn’t hurt. Besides, there was something incredibly endearing about him. Hard to hate unless you know what he is. She shrugged. “He seems real noble, huh? Besides, I’m not that young, but I understand your point. It’s all comparative, hmm?” Hughie turned back to her and he had a similar look on his face to many of the freshman boys who she sometimes saw around campus. “I think I might be terribly offended if you thought I wasn’t nicer to look at.”

She made a face at the other men who had decided that now was the time to return to the bar. Well, the rumors about this place certainly hadn’t been exaggerated. It was sweet that Hughie was doing his best to fend them off, though Athena had half a mind to turn around and deck one of them herself. Particularly that Jerry character. Turned out that she didn’t have to, given that she felt her skin crawl again before she saw him, and watched Jerry slink away, another laugh - though a bit more biting this time - escaped her lips. She turned to Hughie, running her tongue over her teeth and raising an eyebrow at his words. “Well, hey, at least it means the general public doesn’t have to deal with them.” Athena settled back, offering a shrug. “He’s just helping me, and since his name isn’t Jake I figured it’s safe, isn’t it?” She winked at Hughie before taking another sip of her cider. “You know cigarettes can kill you, right?” A repeated remark that she’d given to one of the patrons, earlier. This time however, there was a hint of amusement that would suggest a certain playfulness. Not that I’d mind, even if you have kept these creeps away. “Will you drink with me, at least?” Her gaze flickered over to Hughie. “Either of you.”

Hughie answered her with a pursed lip and a pensive expression. He didn’t just wear his heart on his sleeve, Hughie was all heart. He had enough heart in him to give to every pretty smile and every kind word he received, and he gifted them freely and in earnest. And he needn’t bribe anyone with promises of free drinks to convince them he was charming, he just was. Perhaps it was this charm or his naivety or a combination of both that had endeared him to Frank. With the knowledge of the world that existed beneath Hughie’s mundane one and the creatures that lived within it (creatures like him), the latter had warned him of his habit, though Hughie never took much notice of it. That was just Frank being Frank, he thought and Frank’s warning had been abandoned long before Joan smiled at him. “Noble is a strong word. I mean, the guy’s still an asshole.” He grinned, and did not mind saying it aloud considering how often he’d said it to Frank’s face. Frank just grunted, which means it must be true. And it was. “Don’t be. You look very nice.”

His hand operated entirely on its own accord as Frank made drinks that he’s done a hundred times before, for patrons he’s seen just as frequently. He was still technically on the clock, and Joan wasn’t the only one at the bar. Even as his hands worked, his mind was elsewhere, he spared a glance, and an ear, at the two as they laughed to themselves (“Ew—yeah, Jake is his own brand of asshole. Definitely do not get free drinks from him,” Hughie chimed). He recognised instantly that wretched hand of envy as she grabbed his inside and twisted it, giving rise to the ugly feeling. He envied their distance, the literal closeness as Hughie lent over the bar to reach her ear. He envied that they can joke and Hughie could be charming and pleasant and have his company be enjoyed and know with complete certainty that the reciprocated amiability was a result of him, because what else could it be? The simple, magnificent, connection between two people. Truth was, Frank was all heart too, he was just always too afraid to use it. For good reason. He answered her words with a raised brow, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth; this was not the first time he’s heard this. Judging by her tone, it was not the first time she’s said it. “It can try,” he said, and it was casual enough to be taken as a joke, though the downward turn of Hughie’s lips showed that only Frank thought it was funny. That was because Hughie didn’t know that cancers don’t kill Gancanaghs, though Frank certainly smoked enough to test that theory. “I don’t drink on the job.” Frank said, just as Hughie answered, “yeah, sure!” He turned to Frank, eyes silently begged for permission, and Frank hadn’t the heart to say no. Oh what the fuck. “You are paying for every fucking glass Hughie.” As if the kid had the tolerance to go for more than a couple of pints. “No one hears of this, or you’ll hear from me.”

“Eh, still seems noble to me.” Athena grinned. “I mean, I don’t think it’s best if I say anything about the second part, because he’s been nothing but more than civil to me.” She could comment, if she wished, about the fact that he wasn’t human, that his niceties could easily be a front to whoever he really was - but perhaps that was another discussion for another time. If she ever got Hughie alone, to poke and wonder just what he knew, though she knew that she’d have to be delicate in her questioning, given how entirely oblivious the vast majority of the town was. It meant she’d have to find some way to see him again that didn’t involve coming to a creepy bar that smelled far too much of tobacco. “Well, if you say so, I’ll acquiesce, I suppose I do look good and a compliment from you is better than the others out there.”

Athena kept her gaze trained halfway on Frank even as Hughie whispered in her ear. If he was one of the species that she figured he might be, she had half a mind to say that she was safe, that he couldn’t harm her. But instead she bit her lip, gaze torn between the two of them. “I’ve got no plans to get any drinks or talk with Jake, don’t you worry - but it is sweet of you to look out for me.” It was part of a game, because people usually based their opinions on how someone looked, and she knew that she didn’t exactly look tough. She let her grin turn open-mouthed, running her tongue along the bottoms of her teeth. “Well, it can, and I could tell you about the damage it does to your insides, but maybe that’s not proper bartop conversation, hmm?” Raising an eyebrow, she shrugged at Frank’s refusal to drink. She hadn’t expected either of them to agree, but she supposed that she ought to not have been very surprised when Hughie was jumping to agree. He reminded her a bit of a puppy dog, in a way that she did admittedly find a bit charming. Maybe the factor of comparison played a role, too - what with being compared with a literal fae and a much of thirty and forty-somethings who remained far too eager to steal glances at her, though a good number of them were at least somewhat ignoring her now that she was focused in on the two bartenders.  Athena took another careful sip of her cider, the playful and somewhat coy grin from earlier returned. “What will you be drinking first, Hughie?” she giggled. “Will Frank at least talk with us? I know I can provide better and more enlightened conversation than, well…” she waved her hand behind her. “Them.” She let her lips form into a pout. “Please?” Even if batting her eyes proved mostly fruitless on the fae, it didn’t hurt. Provide him with the sense that she was anything but a threat.

Hughie’s smile was wide, positively brimming with a lightness that did not belong in Soul. He’d tangled himself in the vines of Joan’s apparent loveliness and seemed to be in no rush to get himself out. Such was the romanticism of youth. Frank looked at the world through the cracks of the rose coloured lens, and it warned him to keep his distance; so he does. Hughie was too trusting, incredibly so. His smile said that he would throw himself to the wolves to ‘look out’ for the young woman sitting next to him, and Frank knew that he would sooner be ripped to shreds before he got a chance to save anybody, and if Hughie knew what was good for him, he would already be on his way back into the kitchen. “Thanks doc but I know what it can do,” to most humans anyway. “Don’t mean I’m gonna stop doing it.” Hughie turned to Joan, a resigned look on his face, and simply shook his head, “don’t bother. I’ve already tried. Many, many, times.”

Before Hughie could give an order, a pint of beer had travelled the length of the bar and stopped at his hand. He took a tender sip at first—nobody came to Soul to sample their most favourite drinks and the beer that Frank handed (or more accurately, slid across the careful distance of 6 feet) to him was far from his, but it was pleasant enough that the sip became a mouthful. “House lager,” he said, and after another mouthful, added, “it’s alright.” Frank, who was not attached enough to anything, much less the drinks at his least favourite bar, was not offended enough to give a reaction and continued fussing over some glasses for some more drink orders. Joan Parrish was a picture that resembled everything exquisite and delightful about youth. She was all play, with her pout shaped mouth and batted lashes, and the glimmer of something more secret behind pretty blue eyes. It charmed both the Hughie’s and the Jerry’s of the world. It might have endeared itself to Frank too had he let it, but true to form, he remained distant and detached, and answered with a simple: “Hughie can keep you company. He loves to talk, the trick is to get him to shut up…” Hughie launched into his objection at Frank’s accusation, but the latter’s attention was already lost. He was looking past them and out toward the middle of the bar, where the root of a brawl was beginning to take shape in the form of loudly traded words that graduated into a shoving match. “Fuck me.” He muttered under his breath. Frank doesn’t miss a beat, and tossed the towel aside as he carved a path out into the storm. The first fist of the night was thrown, and it cracked across Frank’s jaw with enough force to knock his head to one side. In fairness, the target was not Frank but the man behind him whom the bartender had pulled out of the fist’s trajectory at the last possible moment. Hughie winced, but didn't move from his seat. This was not his first fight at Soul, or the first time he’s seen Frank take a punch. He calmly reached over the bar, found Frank’s phone (punched in his passcode) and dialed a number. “I guess I’ll be calling the cab then.”

“Well, can’t say I didn’t warn you then,” Athena shrugged. She held a certain sort of delight with how much Hughie was smiling. It was almost enough to distract from the fact that there was a fae in this bar who was helping her and who she couldn’t kill. Almost. “Well, it’s good he has someone like you.” She didn’t laugh this time, but instead let her smile do all the talking. It drew less attention she found, and that was for the best, at least here. She was good at keeping secrets, keeping herself toned down when need be, though she did prefer to be more the center of attention usually.

Either these two did truly know one another in a way similar to how Athena knew Amanda, or Frank was just good at guessing orders or wanted Hughie to shut up. She couldn’t quite pinpoint it, which was a bit of a source of frustration for her, but she had gotten better about dealing with her frustrations as she’d grown up. This wasn’t some chess game when she was little, when she’d get terribly annoyed every time her brother took too long choosing the next move when they were playing chess. How she’d once gone through nearly an entire box of colored pencils in kindergarten, snapping each one as she tried to color in a picture all while sensing that one of her classmates was fae, but when the feeling was still new and entirely consuming so much so that she couldn’t pinpoint it. Regardless, Hughie had his drink now and Athena didn’t drink beer, but she had half a mind to reach out and ask if she could try some. Perhaps she would, soon, but not yet. “The cider’s great, if you want to try that.” She replied instead, unable to help herself. “I don’t have any germs, I like to keep myself clean as possible.” She glanced back over to Frank, watched as he meticulously cleaned the glasses (though, Athena had to wonder, would the clientele here really care if one was a bit smudged with a questionably cloudy mark?). If this was to be counted as recon, and she had to count it that way - and learning any sort of habit was beneficial in the long run. “Well, I love to listen, so it works out just fine.” Except before she could do more listening of the man near her, she heard a fist collide with someone’s jaw and then Frank was moving over and apparently what Hughie had said was true, because he was trying to break the fight apart and Athena sat with quiet fascination, though outwardly she shifted her expression into one of concern. “I guess you will.” She said, turning back over to Hughie. Palms pressed against her thighs, she let her eyes grow wide. “Can I help you?” Tongue held between her teeth, she blinked just how she knew she was supposed to whenever something terrible was going on. “We can get drinks another time.” That much permitted a shift to a teasing smile. “I just - is Frank going to be okay?”

Frank doesn’t swing but sidestepped every throw hurled at him. For one as tall as he was he moved with remarkable grace, although it was probably very easy to look graceful when one knew what he was doing and the other two were flinging their fists around in desperate, drunken, Hail Mary attempts at hitting something…anything. To their credit some of those blind throws landed, others merely clipped him, though neither had enough force to do any real damage. Which was just as well. He has yet to have a conversation about broken bones that healed overnight that did not end terribly at worst, and very awkwardly at best. “Oh don’t worry he’ll be fine.” Or he was until one of those Hail Mary throws saw Frank’s cheek at the end of a fist. He stumbled, but recovered quickly enough before the second Hail Mary found him. “Yeah…He’ll be fine.” Said Hughie, more to himself now. “Walk it off Frankie! That’s a lad!”

It was a battle against time at this point; more energy was required to throw a punch than to avoid it, and they always tired themselves out in the end. It was a sort of dance they’d watched him do enough times that one would think they would eventually catch on. Alas, anger made for poor decision making and with intoxication at its right hand the outcome was a predictable one, although they always seemed very surprised when Frank outlasted them. And he always did. This time, he caught one by the scruff of his shirt, and the other by the arm (his hand on the sleeve of the other’s jacket), which Frank had pinned up against his back as he pushed them both forward toward the door. Moans and groans and a chorus of general dissatisfaction ushered them out; the fight was over though not many were very happy about that. Hughie who was watching the unravelling of the events very closely, Frank’s phone still held up to his ear, let out a breath of relief as he finished the last of his instructions into the receiver. “Yeah, for two people…separately. If that’s okay?…okay? Okay. Thank you.” Frank was already out of the bar at this point, he’d just caught a glimpse of him throwing the two (barely) fighters to separate ends of the curb as the door closed behind him. Hughie pocketed the phone and turned to Joan with an offer of a small apologetic smile. He’d wanted to impress her with a pleasant time, in a hopeful bid to get her to come back so he might see her again. He had liked her, and you don’t find girls like Joan Parrish in places like Soul on the Rocks. Although after what had just happened, he decided that it might just be as well. “I’m sorry, I have to go make sure he’s okay.” He had half a mind to tell Joan to stay put. The last thing Hughie wanted was to put her in the company of two men who, only moments ago, seemed bent on tearing each other, and Frank, apart—although the alternative to that option offered him little comfort. “Do you want to come with?”

Even Athena had to wince at the fight breaking out in front of her. She was used to training, used to fights designed for the purpose of bettering oneself and not for the purpose of trying to - well, she didn’t even know what the fight had started about. Only that it now involved two drunk men and a fae who she watched more carefully - that part held in certain fascination, watching his movements and the way he held himself. Just in case, she reminded herself. It was always important to understand how others worked - their bodies and minds. Particularly people like Frank. She glanced back over to Hughie, who seemed incredibly willing to cheer on his - friend? - Athena was not quite sure, but his eagerness continued to be fascinating to observe.

She bit her lip as the other men in the bar groaned as the two drunks were ushered out. This place really was something else, though Athena found that she did not entirely regret coming, if only because she had now discovered a fae who she had never found before. There was always the chance that she would have run into him elsewhere in town, but here she got the chance to be not herself and that permitted her a certain level of power. Though she very much doubted that he thought of her as vulnerable entirely (she could read his facial expressions well enough to know otherwise), he certainly had no idea what she was properly capable of, given an opportunity. She let her gaze shift back to Hughie. She almost felt bad for how much her lips turned to pouting around him, how much of a thrill she got out of his reactions - though at the same time she wasn’t entirely opposed to them either. She listened as he ordered cars for whoever was out there, drew designs in the water that had fallen from the condensation on her cider glass, both their drinks now long forgotten. “Don’t be sorry.” She let her gaze fall to him again, all softness and caring. Besides, she’d lost track of Frank as well - though she presumed he was outside with the drunks. “Yes. Yes, I would like that very much.” She hopped off of the stool and wrapped her jacket around herself. “That is, if you’ll have me, of course.”

Frank turned at the sound of the bar’s aged hinges groaning, a sharp word taking shape on the tip of his tongue, poised to command any over-zealous spectator that followed them out to take their sorry behind right back in. Alas the words never became more than a thought long forgotten as a mop brown-curly head emerged from the bar, a smaller blonde one following close behind. Frank’s surprise was not for Hughie, whom he’d already expected to come check on him, as he usually does, but was reserved for Joan Parrish. She was apparently not the little flower that shrank from a fight but rather a woman of firmer constitution that followed it out. Perhaps she was neither of these things, and was simply another over-eager spectator with the difference of a pretty face and a more expensive outfit. Although the way she regarded them, regarded him, Frank suspected that it was the former—either way, there was more to Joan Parrish than a pretty smile and a cute glass of cider, and he filed this little piece of information away. Maybe he would see her again, maybe he won’t, either way it didn’t hurt to know. Not that it made any great difference to Hughie of course, who perhaps did not realise the same caution Frank did, or he did and simply didn’t care. Even with Frank minding the two drunks, Hughie kept himself firmly fixed between them and her. “Your phone Frankie.” Hughie took a step forward, the phone in hand, but Frank stopped him and gestured to him to throw it over instead. Unknown to Hughie, he was edging much too close to Frank’s 6 feet, but he didn't question it (although the prospect of closing the distance between himself and the two violent drunks could have something to do with it) and did as he was asked. “And don’t call me Frankie.”

“Cab should be here soon,” Hughie casted an apprehensive eye on the two shadows that sat at opposite ends on the curb, Frank standing firmly between them. “You look…good.” You could practically hear the wince that seeped from Hughie’s face and into his words. The street lamp did him little favours on his split lip, and the dark purplish shadow that sat prominently against his cheekbone. Alas, Frank wasn’t looking at Hughie but rather past him, at the woman that had not said a word in this entire exchange. She didn’t look afraid but rather fascinated, and so was Frank. “Sorry about that ugliness back there.” He said. Hughie, as if realising that Joan was still behind him, a new development as far as Frank was concerned considering he hadn’t lifted his gaze from her since it found her, said rather sheepishly, “oh, yeah. I didn’t want her to be left alone with that lot back in there so I thought—” Frank didn’t give him the chance to explain, and went on as if he had not said anything at all. “Are you leaving too?”

She could feel Frank’s eyes on her, but it did little to bother her, to knock her off balance. Athena wasn’t so easily moved, even if he could practically see his mind working, as if trying to figure out who she was. Even if she never returned to Soul on The Rocks, she fully intended to run into him again, either purposefully or on accident. There was far too much that she was curious about, so much so that her curiosity seemed to have alleviated the chills under her skin. Which was something else she filed away - if she turned everything into work for the sake of curiosity whenever she could, then perhaps she could more easily work to stop feeling on edge every time she came near anything fae-related. She focused her attention back on the matter at hand, watching Hughie as he gave Frank back his phone, and she watched to see how much he would react to being so close. She had half a mind to try it a bit herself - and perhaps she would have, but the two now rather dejected but still fairly drunk men were not something she wanted to deal with.

She continued to watch the exchange between the two of them until she felt Frank’s eyes on her again. “I mean, I guess I should’ve expected that.” She shrugged, eyes growing just slightly plaintive. Athena realized then that perhaps Hughie had been a bit too focused on the phone return to notice her. Or remember that she was there, and she offered him a smile that said thank you for caring, or at least, she hoped that it did. “He was just trying to look out for me, I think.” Pursed lips and a shrug followed that. “I might be leaving.” She let her gaze focus back on Hughie. “Unless I was given reason to stay - but I think that given the experience with the patrons,” she looked back at the door, “given all that - you two have been real kind to me,” she forced a blush onto her cheeks as she looked between them, “maybe it’s best if I do go.” She pulled out her own phone. “Though,” she turned to face Hughie, “if you wanted to hang out without creeps hitting on me and without your boss having to break up bar fights, I’d be down.” She looked back over to Frank, “you should probably get some ice for that to reduce the swelling, though you took that better than I imagine most would’ve.”

“I’m not his boss.”

“He’s not my boss.”

Their words were said at the same time. Hughie, because he liked Frank too well to ever think to form an association between him and their actual boss. Frank, because—simply, he didn’t care to be anyone’s boss. His aversion to telling people what to do could be credited as a consequence of his supernatural abilities. It was also just as likely that it was just Frank being Frank, or maybe a combination of both. He watched as Hughie positively lit up at her invitation, his heart pumping a light dusting of pink to colour his cheek. “Yeah? I mean—yeah, yes! Of course!” He quickly wiped his hands on his jeans, and with visible effort to keep it from trembling, proceeded to put his number into her phone. “Christ…” Frank’s eyes turned heavenward, desperate to look at anything else that might spare him from further witnessing Hughie’s love-sick bumbling routine. He caught Joan’s eyes, and her remark prompted his hand to absently nurse the sore on his cheek. “I’ll live,” he said and tried not to think about the pain that was emanating beneath.

Sweet relief took the form of two cab cars as they pulled up against the curb, one after the other. Frank took the first of the drunks by the arm and stuffed him into the back of one cab, deposited some cash into the driver’s window and did the same for the second offender. He tapped his hand against the roof of the cab and the last car pulled away. Just like that, the night came to a sudden stillness and all seemed quiet once more. Alas, silence was a delicate glass and in the hands of drunken idiots, it could do little else but break. In the case of Soul on the Rocks, it quite literally shattered as the sound of glass breaking could be heard from inside the bar. A reminder to both Frank and Hughie that they were still on the clock. Dutifully and without a word, Frank stepped away from the curb and headed for the bar. For a brief moment, he met Joan’s eyes, and he didn’t falter but came to a deliberate halt in front (but still distanced) of her. “Don’t take this the wrong way Joan Parrish, but I really hope I don’t see you here again.” He said and ducked back into the bar, the door creaked open, bleeding sound into the night, and then closed behind him, and then quiet. This time it was Hughie who broke it, and he did so with a grin that he turned to Joan, “I think he likes you.”

[sushigirlali]

If You Don't Love Me, Lie To My Face - Part I (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Epilogue 

Summary: Grifter!Rey helps U.S. Senator Leia Organa's son, Ben Solo, out of a jam when a couple of muggers invade her turf. Afterward, she debates robbing the rich American herself, but can she protect her heart while stealing his?

Pairing: Rey + Ben Solo | Finn + Poe Dameron

Rating: E

Continuity: Modern AU

A/N: For the first time ever, I’ve actually written most of the story before I started posting! I think it will be way less stressful since I don’t have to “keep up” with updates. New chapters will be posted each Friday. Enjoy!

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

If You Don't Love Me, Lie To My Face - Part I

By: sushigirlali

——————

Kennington, London

——————

There are moments in life that make you question everything that came before. A look from a stranger, an incident at your job, a terrible movie... things Rey Niima was usually able to push past without pause, but tonight, she was finding it extremely difficult to ignore the feeling that her life was about to change forever.

"Hey, give us your wallet!" A pair of brawlers had cornered a man at the mouth of a nearby alley, drawing Rey's attention as soon as she stepped out the back door of her favorite pub, The Black Prince.

"Excuse me?" the would-be victim responded indignantly. His voice was deep with an American lilt, his stature intimidating.

Did these fools really think they could steal from a man like that? But then, not all criminals were as intelligent as her.

"You heard me! I want your wallet!"

Rey hung back from the potentially violent situation unfolding before her, sizing up the assailants. Their outfits were all black, including the ski masks covering their faces, but she couldn't see any identifying marks or gang affiliations. "Must be lone wolves," she thought.

There was something familiar about the tall one doing the talking, but she couldn't place them. It probably didn't matter, though, because the redwood with the nice accent looked like he could take the both of them with one hand tied behind his broad back.

Still, for some reason, she was finding it hard to walk the other way. Definitely not because the man was the most striking person she had ever seen. No, it had to be due to the fact that these bums were causing a ruckus on her turf. At least, that's what she kept telling herself, frozen to the spot as she was.

"Listen, I just got done volunteering at a shelter all day and just want to get home. Please allow me to leave unmolested."

"Volunteering at a shelter?" she muttered under her breath. "Well, fuck. But it's not your business, don't get involved." Rey was turning around to go back inside the pub when the sound of a gun cocking drew her up short.

"Don't make me repeat myself again, pretty boy."

"Whoa, hey, there's no need for that!"

"Then empty your pockets! Now!"

"No," he said crossly. "Put that thing away before somebody gets hurt."

"Dammit," Rey groaned, retrieving the silver baton clipped to her belt. Sometimes, she really hated having a conscience; in her line of work, it was a real liability.

"Hey, get your hands off me!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," she growled, resolutely stalking toward the turbulent scene. "Oi! You lot!"

The big guy and his sidekick paused to look in her direction. "What?" the leader said in a surprisingly feminine voice.

"Not a guy," Rey mused. "Based on your absolutely abominable bullying technique, I don't think you're getting that guy's wallet any time this century, so why don't you just leave him alone and move along."

"Excuse me?" the woman said threateningly.

"I'm sorry, did I stutter?"

"You move along, little mouse, this doesn't concern you!" the shorter guy spat.

"You do know who's neighborhood this is, don't you?" Rey said tauntingly.

"Yeah?" the first one said dismissively. "So what."

"So, knock it off! We don't need the fuzz coming down here because some hooligans are roughing up a foreigner."

"Hooligans?! And who the fuck are you?"

"Me?" Rey sneered, flicking the baton out to the side so that it extended into a long poll. "I'm no one."

"Phas," the skinny guy said nervously, obviously recognizing her at last, "we should go."

Rey had never been so proud of her reputation as a grifter who was just as likely to steal an expensive piece of art from the peerage in an elaborate heist as kick a thug's ass in the street.

"But the boss—"

"He'll understand."

"But—"

"Phas!"

"Fine. But don't think this is over!" the woman yelled before running off with her companion.

"Well," the American said slowly, "that was an experience I never wish to repeat again." He smiled at her. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

"You're welcome," Rey replied gruffly, still riding high on adrenaline. "Do you always walk around by yourself at night in a city not your own?"

"Do you always save unsuspecting passersby from thieves?" he retorted.

Her phone went off, but she didn't answer it. Up close, the man was even more attractive than she had initially thought. "Suit looks expensive, too… and is that a Breitling?" Perhaps it was her lucky night after all. "Only if they're handsome," she said smoothly.

"Oh, uh…" he flushed at her compliment.

"Hmm… not the reaction I expected." It was kind of refreshing, though. "Sorry, I—ugh, one sec," she said as her cell went off again. "My brother," she explained, checking the caller ID. "I have to take this or he'll just keep phoning until I pick up."

The man shrugged, "No problem, I'll just wait over here." He stepped up onto the curb and walked a few paces away.

Rey nodded and lifted the phone to her ear. "What?" she said shortly.

"Who's the stiff?" Finn asked without preamble.

"Nobody."

"Right," he huffed. "Are you working him?"

"Undecided, stop pushing."

"Whatever you say, Rey. Just be careful."

"I will. Where are you anyway?" she said, humored by his tough older sibling act.

"Hanging outside the pub, just around the corner. Why? You need me?" Finn teased.

"No, I'll catch you later. Don't wait up." She ended the conversation before he could respond and stuffed the phone into her back pocket. "Sorry about that, uh…?"

"Ben," the stranger supplied, moving closer again. "Ben Solo."

"I'm Rey," she said, holding out a hand.

Ben's lips quirked and he gave her a firm handshake, his huge hand dwarfing hers. Rey felt a shiver run up her spine at the brief contact, but she shook it off.

"So, what's that for?" he indicated the weapon still in her hand. "Joining the circus?"

"No," she grinned, "it's a bo staff. I use it for self defense."

"And the defense of others," he said warmly.

"On occasion." She folded the bo staff back into a baton before reattaching it to her belt.

"Can I get you a drink?" he nodded toward the pub. "To say thank you?"

"I was actually on my way home before I… bumped into you."

"I could… walk you home? If you want." He didn't sound desperate, but it was a near thing.

"I'm not from around here," she said evasively. She couldn't really bring him back to her base of operations, which was only a few blocks down the street, but she didn't want to stop talking to him either. "What a dilemma."

"No? Where are you from then?"

"Nowhere."

"Okay… Well, I promise I'm not a pervert or a serial killer or anything," he said earnestly, "so you can come back to my hotel with me if you want. It's late and I'd hate for anything to happen to you."

She crossed her arms. "Because I'm a woman?"

"Hey, I'm 6'3" and double your weight and I almost got jumped like ten minutes ago," he reminded her. "It can happen to anyone."

"Fair enough," she allowed, lowering her defenses. "Still…"

"I can call my security detail if you want verification that I'm not a psycho," he offered. "I'd just like the opportunity to get to know the woman who saved my hide."

Rey's interest sharpened. "That's sweet, but uh… security detail?"

"Yeah," he said nonchalantly. "My mother is a U.S. Senator. I'm in town on her behalf. She was supposed to come herself, but her re-election campaign is heating up and she couldn't spare the time."

"You disapprove," she said perceptively.

Ben's dark brows shot up. "Yeah, actually. You a mind reader, Rey from nowhere?"

"Something like that," she smirked. "I prefer the term grifter."

"Grifter?" he said curiously. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"Oh, you know," Rey winked for effect, assuming the privileged American was about to run in the opposite direction, "I swindle rich people out of their valuables by preying on their weaknesses. Basically, I'm a professional bad guy."

Ben looked hopelessly confused by her explanation. "But you just helped me."

"Well, sometimes I like to help out the little guy." Rey looked him over. "Little big guys too."

"Like Robin Hood?" he said, disarming her with a crooked smile.

"What? I wouldn't say I'm—I'm a hero or anything," she stuttered.

"Well, you're my hero," he said smoothly, holding out a hand. "That's my driver pulling up over there, in the black Jag. Join me? Please?"

"I… okay," she agreed, placing her hand in his, "but just for a little while." This time, she couldn't ignore the shiver.

——————

Alarm bells should be going off in her head, but Rey felt perfectly comfortable with her new companion. It was odd, considering her trust issues, but Ben didn't seem to be only interested in her looks. And she knew she looked good tonight, her dark leather leggings were basically painted on and her lacy bra was visible through a mostly sheer black tank top. Add on her subtle smoky makeup and half-up hair style that emphasized her cheek bones and...

"Rey?"

She loved the way he said her name, almost like a caress. "Yes?"

"Are you hungry? I haven't had dinner yet."

"Oh, sure," she said, never one to give up a free meal. Though she did kinda wish something else was on the menu… "What is wrong with you? You just met the man! Note to self: masturbate more."

"Chinese okay?"

Her mouth watered. "Perfect."

"What do you like?"

"Besides you?" she said without thinking. "Uh, I mean—anything, really. Noodles, if they have them."

Ben let her comment pass, but he was beaming. "I like noodles too. Maybe some kind of chicken? Orange?"

"Excellent," she seconded.

"You're easy," he said, but then caught himself, looking horrified. "I mean to order food for, not—"

"It's okay," she laughed, patting his thigh. "I know what you meant."

"Sorry, I haven't done this in a long time," he said sheepishly, catching her hand before she could remove it.

"This?"

"Gone on a date."

"Oh." Was this a date? Rey couldn't remember the last time she had been on one. Pretty much anytime she'd been alone with a man not her brother in the past ten years it was because she intended to rob them.

"Not that this has to be a date," he said quickly, releasing her hand. "Sorry, I keep saying stupid things."

Dammit, but he was cute. "You don't have to keep apologizing," she replied lightly. "Let's just have dinner and talk and see where that takes us." Maybe the night would lead to some fun extracurricular activities, maybe not, but at least she'd be able to case his place. Based on what she knew so far, the guy definitely came from old money. "Just keep reminding yourself that he's potentially a mark, not a boyfriend, Rey."

"Sure," he smiled, looking relieved. "Hey, Poe?" he said to the driver. "Can you pick up some food after dropping us at the hotel? We're starving."

——————

Ben fumbled a little opening the door, but quickly recovered and ushered Rey inside with a gallant sweep of his arm. The hotel was nice, but not extravagant, something she found odd for the son of a U.S. Senator. Then again, he had apparently been helping out at a shelter all day, so maybe he really was as down to earth as he seemed.

"The bathroom is through there if you need it," he pointed toward the bedroom.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Okay, I'm just going to grab a quick shower. Poe should be back within the hour, so make yourself at home."

"Can I join you?" she was tempted to say. "Sure, I'll just watch the telly."

Ben nodded and left the room. A few seconds later, Rey heard the water start. Flipping on the TV, she left it on the cartoon channel before having a look around.

There weren't any expensive electronics or pieces of art in plain sight, so Rey could only assume that anything valuable would be in his room. "Oh, well, nothing gained, nothing lost. Better update Finn, though."

Yanking her cell out, Rey sent a quick text to her brother with Ben's name, the hotel's address, and a couple sentences about the modest state of his living room. He answered her almost immediately, sounding concerned.

Finn: Are you sure about this bloke? If you're not there to rob him, I assume that means you're interested in something else?

Rey: Yes? Maybe? I don't know. We just met, but…

Finn: At least text me later, okay? So I don't have to worry

Rey: I will. Love you 3

Finn: Love you too, peanut

Finn: ...check the room safe if you get a chance. Those types of hotels always have them and you never know what might be inside ;)

Rolling her eyes, but knowing he was right, Rey listened for a moment. It sounded like Ben was still in the shower, so she took the opportunity to pop into the bedroom and search his closet. A standard issue hotel safe was at the back, surrounded by some very nice black suits.

It wouldn't have been hard to crack the safe if she had her gear, but her heart wouldn't have been in it even if she did. She didn't want to rob Ben Solo, which was a first. Still, she did appreciate a challenge...

"Did you need something?"

Rey whipped around to see her host in nothing but a low slung white towel. "No, I—uh…"

"Would you like something to change into?" he inquired kindly.

Unable to respond with his magnificent chest and long thighs on display, Rey just shook her head in the negative. His brow creased and she felt like a kid who had been caught snooping for Christmas presents. "Shit, shit, shit, I've totally blown it!" Backtracking to the living room, she wasn't surprised when he followed. "What should I do? Oh, god, I don't want him to think…"

"Rey, what you said earlier… about being a… what did you call it? A grifter? Are you—mmph!" he started, unable to complete his thought as Rey impulsively reached up to kiss him.

But instead of pushing her away and demanding an answer, Ben threaded his fingers through her hair and dragged her closer. Taking his response as permission, Rey wrapped her arms around his waist, gripping his bare back as the kiss went on and on.

Somehow, they ended up next to the couch. Rey pushed Ben into a sitting position and climbed onto his lap, rubbing her clothed core against the tent in his towel. "Rey," he whispered, lips trailing down to her neck, "Rey, I want you."

"Yes," she responded as he reached for her waistband. Coming up on her knees, she growled when he yanked her leggings and underwear down her hips with one forceful tug. Things were getting out of control, going too far too fast, but she didn't care; she wanted him too. "Help me," she demanded, legs trapped by the constricting garments.

"I've got you," he huffed, reaching behind her to unzip her black combat boots and pull her pants the rest of the way off.

Meanwhile, Rey tore her top and bralette over her head before going to work on the towel barely covering his lap. "Wow!" she blew out a breath, zeroing in on his ardent erection when it was uncovered. He was big, maybe bigger than anyone she'd ever been with. Would he fit?

"Fuck," Ben sighed, sitting back to stare at her body, "you're beautiful, Rey."

Feeling weirdly shy about the sincerity in his sinful voice, Rey kissed him again in lieu of a response, reaching between them to spread herself for entry.

"Wait," he said, gasping for air, "what about protection?"

"Implant," she mumbled, rubbing her slit against the tip of his penis. "I'm clean, are you?"

"Yeah, I haven't—oh, god—uh, done it in a while."

"Good." She felt strangely possessive of him, this man she had just met. It pleased her that he didn't sleep around. "Fuck me, then. Raw."

Ben slammed his mouth down on hers again, positioning his dick with one hand and gripping her left buttock with the other. But he didn't ram himself home, instead he teased her hole, sliding only a fraction of the way in before retreating. He did it over and over, mimicking the action with his tongue until she was incoherent with desire, squirming, imploring him to fill her…

And then he was, and she found that he fit very well inside her indeed. His thick cock seemed to be made for her, hitting all the right spots and ones she hadn't even known existed until now. "Ben!" she cried, furiously pumping her hips in time with his thrusts. "This is—you're—"

"I feel it too!" he returned, palming her breast and teasing her erect nipple. "From the first moment I saw you, I—"

She licked his mouth, begging for entrance, not wanting to hear his sweet words even as they made her heart soar. He opened for her, but was obviously frustrated that she had cut off his declaration. Before she knew it, the hand squeezing her ass drew back and lightly smacked against her butt-cheek.

"Oh!" Rey jolted at the slight sting, but it wasn't in pain. On the contrary, she requested, "Again! Ben, do that again, please! I'm—"

Knock, knock.

"Oh, shit, Poe's at the—"

"Don't you fucking dare, Ben Solo," she growled, bouncing up and down on him with renewed vigor. But the driver started knocking harder, likely because of the guttural sounds erupting from Ben's throat. "Come on, man, can't you tell we're busy?!"

"But—shit!" Ben hauled her against him, no longer playing, just looking for relief before his friend broke the door down.

Rey found his soft grunts and swears endearing, so she took pity on him and increased her pace even further. "Come for me, Ben," she instructed, grinding down on him with all her might. "Come now and then we can eat. Or you can eat me, whichever you prefer."

The dirty talk seemed to work, because in the next minute, Ben was biting down on her shoulder, shaking with the force of his orgasm. Not far behind, Rey led his hand to her swollen nub, needing just a hair more stimulation to tip over the edge. Almost instantly, his trembling touch sent her into climax. Still vaguely aware of what's-his-name banging on the hotel room door, she pressed her mouth to Ben's pectoral to muffle her cries and came for what felt like ages…

"That—was—amazing," Ben panted, hugging her so tightly she thought she might pop. "The—best—I've—ever—had!"

"Me—too," she couldn't help but admit.

Loosening his hold, Ben cupped her cheeks and kissed her softly. "Thank you."

"Ah—you're welcome," she said, smiling like an idiot. Before she could lean in again, Poe resumed making his presence known.

"Ben? Are you okay? Answer me! Did that woman kill you? Your mother will be so pissed if you're dead." He hit the door again. "Either answer me in the next ten seconds or I'm going to get security!"

"I'm fine, great, alive, whatever!" Ben called back loudly. "And annoyed," he said to Rey. "Go into the bedroom for a minute while I get rid of him."

"Okay," she agreed, gingerly getting up. They both groaned when he slipped out of her, which Rey found gratifying. "Can I use the shower now?"

"Sure, there are towels under the sink. My sleep shirts are in the top drawer of the dresser," he offered.

"He wants me to spend the night?" she mused, feeling giddy and terrified all at once. "Alright," she said aloud, picking up her clothes and disappearing into the bedroom she'd been casing earlier, "call out if you need backup."

"Will do," he chuckled, "will do."

——————

Ten minutes later, Rey emerged from the bathroom feeling fresh and back in control. Picking a long sleeve shirt out of Ben's dresser at random, she pulled it over her naked body before toweling off her wet hair. The black cotton was as soft as it was big, but Rey didn't mind; it smelled like Ben.

Catching her reflection in the floor length mirror by the closet, she was amused to see that the garment fell to her knees like a sack, giving her already slender body exactly zero shape. "Oh, well, it's not like I plan on wearing it lon—"

A disturbance in the living room suddenly diverted her reverie. Sneaking to the door, she carefully cracked it and peaked out.

"You can't just keep her here!" Poe nearly shouted at Ben.

"Keep your fucking voice down," he snarled back. "You're not my boss or my mother and you can't tell me what to do. I'm a grown ass man!"

"Maybe so, but you're acting like a teenager! You can't just sleep with some chick you picked up off the side of the road when Leia is counting on you to—"

"I told you," Ben said through gritted teeth, "she saved my ass and I wanted to get to know her. I didn't hire her for the fucking night!"

"Could have fooled me," Poe scoffed. "For all you know, she could have been in on the attack and—"

"Get out!" Ben ordered, clearly at his wit's end. "I'll call you when you're needed again, if you are."

"Are you firing me?!"

"Not yet," Ben said grimly, marching to the door and flinging it open. "Just go before I forget that you're my best friend and say something I regret."

"Fine," Poe said, storming out of the apartment. "Let me know when you come to your senses!"

Ben slammed the door shut, then turned around and leaned on it. Scurrying back into the bathroom before he caught her eavesdropping, she started combing her hair, attempting to look natural in case he came in after her. When he didn't, she tried not to feel disappointed.

Leaving her damp hair hanging loose around her shoulders, Rey found him sitting at the dining table in his towel with several brown paper bags in front of him. He looked lost in thought and she hoped he hadn't taken Poe's opinion about her motives to heart. "Wotcher, Ben?" she asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?" he said, looking up at her. "Sorry, I was just...uh…" The arrested look on his face made her toes curl. "Wow, you look amazing."

"This old thing?" she joked, sidling up next to him. "I borrowed it from a mate."

"He has good taste," he said, opening his arms.

"I certainly think so," she said coyly, moving to sit sideways on his lap. Rey curled one arm around his neck and placed the other one on his chest. "Are you still hungry?"

"For food?" he choked, holding her so that she wouldn't slide off.

"Food," she nodded, leaning her forehead against his, "and other things."

One of Ben's large hands inserted itself between her thighs. "These kinds of things?" he murmured. "I think we can—fuck!" he bit his lip as he discovered that she wasn't wearing anything underneath his shirt.

"We can certainly fuck," she teased, "but—oh!" Rey gasped as he stood with her in his strong arms. "Ben? What are you…?"

Before she could get the words out, he'd pushed their dinner out of the way and laid her down on the table. Placing the backs of her knees in the crook of each arm, Ben pulled her forward until her butt was on the edge of the table and her pussy was level with his mouth.

"Having dinner," he said in the most ridiculously sexy tone of voice she'd ever heard, flipping his nightshirt up so that she was bare from the waist down.

"Oh, god!" she whimpered as he lowered his head. "Ben, you don't really have to—ah!" Gripping the back of his head as he started to lick her folds, Rey shuddered every time his long nose bumped against her clit.

"Enjoying yourself?" he said a little arrogantly. "Is this why you came home with me? Cause you wanted me to make you feel good?"

Considering how very well he was treating her, and the uncertainty on his face, she decided to play along. "Yes, Ben, I wanted you the second I saw you!"

He smiled slightly, then resumed tasting her. "So, does that mean you want to come?"

"That would be lovely," she sighed, enjoying the pressure of his wide mouth.

His mouth quirked at that. "Never heard sex described that way before."

"Then you're doing it with the wrong people."

"Oh?" his gaze turned hot. "And how many people have you been doing it with?"

"Not many," she said hurriedly, "and not in a long time."

"Good girl," he said silkily. "So, if I were to put my fingers inside you, would your cunt feel… full?"

"Yes!" she panted, so wet she was dripping onto the table now.

"Let's see then."

Arching her back as he slid two fingers inside her body, Rey realized that she had never really known sexual satisfaction until tonight. She was twenty-five and still basically knew nothing about sex and relationships. "Huh."

Ben stopped moving, lifting his dark head to look at her. "Rey? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said dreamily. "I guess I've just never felt this way before."

He held her eyes for an extended moment, amber striking against hazel. "Yeah, me too." And then he was fingering her again, sucking and teasing her slick opening until she was crying out his name in ecstasy.

Afterward, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them. Needless to say, they skipped dinner that night.

——————

Rey grunted as she felt Ben leave the bed the next morning. He had been her heater since the sheets and pillows were strewn about the room. "Come back," she said hoarsely, throat worn from use. "I'm cold."

"Just a moment," he laughed, opening the bedroom door to fetch something from the living room. "Your cell has been going off for an hour straight."

"My cell?" she yawned. Then, "Oh, no." She sat bolt upright. "Wait! Don't—"

"Rey?" Ben called in disbelief. "Who the fuck is Finn?"

——————

A/N: I love Kingsman and always think about Rey being a punk with a heart of gold like Eggsy. I didn't include the spy angle, but I was able to visit The Black Prince, where scenes were filled for the movie, a couple years ago and have fond memories. Anyway, reviews are appreciated! <3 

[kmelanin]

Permanent Ink \ 2 // kth

a/n: Im now on spring break!!! Well it technically starts on march 4th and ends the 10th, but anywayssss that means more updates. This is a little shorter than the first part, but id call this a filler! I hope you enjoy!

I RECOMMEND LISTENING TO THE SONGS I SAY IN THE STORY FOR FULL EFFECT!

Main Masterlist~

( Permanent Ink ) masterlist~

WARNING- um sensual dancing

word count: 3k+

__________________________________

Taehyung unlocks his front door and enters his apartment. It was the smallest thing he has ever lived in. But he didn't mind it at all, in fact, he loved it. It was easy to clean, and it was only him, so he didn't feel as alone. He went into the bathroom, wanting to take a shower and go to bed.

As he was towel drying his hair, he quickly pulled on some underwear and some sweats. He went to his fridge for some water and he sits down on his bed so he could roll up a joint before he went to bed.

As he finished licking the paper, there was a quick knock at the door. Taehyung sighed and set his rolling tray down next to him and get up. He looks down at himself noticing that he was shirtless. But at this point he could care less. He wents to the door and opens it up. When he sees who it was, his face dropped even more than it already was.

“Sinsi? Why are you here?” He asks, his voice was laced with irritation. She rolls her eyes at his attitude and pushes her way inside.

“You could at least try to sound excited to see me.” She says setting her purse down on the bed.

“How can I, when you literally annoy the hell out of me.” He says shutting his door and finds his spot on the bed again.

“Shut up.” She frowns and sits down next to him.

“Like I said, why are you here?” He grabs his lighter and sparks the joint up.

“Why do I always come here?” She says in a duh tone and looks around his home. “I mean come on, I wouldn't come to this shoe box for anything.” She stands up and starts to take her jacket off. Taehyung just laughs at her sass, more like scoff and smile at the same time.

“I like you better when I've fucked you speechless.” He mutters and hits the joint. “Speaking of fucking you, how’s the fiance?” He asks sarcastically. He always mentions him when she comes around. After all she left Taehyung for him. BoGum.

After her family found out that she was dating a ‘poor artist that lives on the street’, they made her choose. Taehyung or to continue to be supported. Which meant to continue to spend her parents money. She come to Taehyung one day, he thought she chose him. But instead she was there to say that, even though she loved him, she can't give it up.

But that was two years ago. It was a year ago when she was forced to marry Bogum. She came running to Taehyung, not wanting to marry him. Next thing they knew, it was morning and they were both naked. The next day she found out that if she and Bogum got married then she will be the co-owner of a high end fashion line. She then knew she couldn't leave Bogum. In fact she fell in love with him, but she was still stuck on Taehyung's dick.

“He thinks I'm at the shop right now. I have a hour.” She says. Taehyung nods taking another hit and then putting the joint out.

“Alright, lets go.” He says standing up. She comes right up to him trying to connect their lips. But he tenses up and doges it.

“You know I only kiss the girl I love.” He whispers, a frown settling on his face.

“I miss your kisses Tae.” Sinsi pouts and tries again, but Taehyung just shoves her down making her laugh as he crawls on top.

Your launch was a success. You've never thought about what the outcome would really be like other than a total fail. You didn't think that two hours into the clothing drop everything would be sold out. Only so much was made, but you of course had more coming. It was only available online, but you soon hoped to have your own stores.

Rowan was currently working on planning a party for you. It was going to be tonight, and instead of thinking about what you will be wearing, you were focused on inviting Taehyung. You go to his instagram page and click on the number options. You knew that it was to make a appointment, but you were lowkey desperate. You couldn't get him out of your mind, and it was your mission to at least kiss him.

“Vante’s Tat Shop, How many I help you today?” A deep voice enters your ear. Your heart started beating really fast when you recognize who it was.

“Taehyung?” You ask, really hoping it was him.

“Um yea, do we have a appointment?” He says confused.

“Uh no actually. This is YN.” You say, “ I was wondering if you wanted to come to my party tonight. I just recently dropped a clothing line, and it did really good, so we are throwing a celebration.” You say quickly. You cross your fingers hoping he would say yes.

“Where is it?” He asks after a slight pause.

“The club two doors down from your shop. I rented it out for the night. I just posted something about it, so it should be like a normal night at the club.” You say over explaining, you were so nervous. You had mixed feelings about this whole situation. You hated the nervous feeling he gave you. You wanted to never talk to him again but yet marry the man.

“Are there free drinks?” He asks after you were done. Actually it wasn't, it was still the bars price.

“For you, sure.” You say. You quickly put the phone on speaker and text Rowan to put him on the list of VIP, which include free drinks. You then take him off and continue speaking.

“I just put you on the VIP list. Come if you want. I'm sure there will be weed as well.” You say. Your heart was beating in your ears. But you felt relief when he spoke.

“I guess it will be a surprise.” He says then he hangs up. To say you were worried was a understatement. But you take a deep breath and focus on getting ready, because you didn't want to focus on him the whole night, just for him not to show up.

You look at the time and see that you have three hours until you had to arrive. You then wondered if he knew what time it started. But then again his shop was only a few doors down, i'm sure he will know.

You quickly got into the shower and you washed your body and brushed your teeth. You got out and put your lotion on. You put on a all black bra and underwear set. Then you braid in some weave to your hair, creating two long braids. You then did your makeup, and put on your outfit.

After you finished getting ready. You take some picture in your full body mirror and you make sure they were cute before posting it to instagram. After you did, you got a text from your driver that he was out front. You quickly put some sneakers on since you were going to a club and you grab your phone and wallet and then you left.

You met up with Rowan at the back entrance. You were immediately taken to the VIP section, it looked over the whole club, giving your perfect view of the DJ, and whoever was performing.

You walked over to the balcony, watching as everyone was dancing to the music, drunk out of their mind. The DJ, did his thing, and started talking.

“And, the amazing YN YLN. Let's give her a loud cheer, congratulating her on her success!” The DJ yells and points up to you causing the crowd to erupt in cheerings, and going even crazier when they seen you. You couldn't really see everyone, but you could tell some of them have some of your clothes on. You wave back down with a huge smile on your face.

You go back into the VIP area and people one by one came up to you, congratulating you and wanting to take pictures. Most likely to post later.

“YN.” Rowan runs over to you. You quickly hug her since this was the first time seeing her tonight.

“Hey, this party is awesome, I'm happy you could get it together in such a short time.” You say looking around. She smiles.

“Yes, I know right. When i mentioned your name to the club owner, they were excited because the knew you would bring customers. There's a huge line outside still.” She says pointing towards the normal club area.

“Are you serious? It's literally packed though.” You say shocked. She laughs.

“Exactly! But anyways, they need you out there.” She says grabbing you hand and pulling you along.

You were so confused until the security guard opened the door and you seen Taehyung standing there with a irritated look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” You look between the security guard that was letting people in and Taehyung.

“I understand that Mr. Kim is on the VIP list, but his other two friends are not.” The guard says. You look back and see Soobin from the shop and other girl behind Taehyung.

“Hi YN! I'm Sinsi, i'm Taes friend.” Her hand slipping into Taehyung's didn't go unnoticed. “I'm a really big fan of yours. When Tae said he was invited to your party, I just had to come.” Her voice was filled with excitement, but you couldn't help but to cringe.

“You just had to, huh?” You ask raising a eyebrow. She looked confused. But Taehyung quickly pulled you to the side.

“Hey, she's just wanting to have a good time. I didn't think it would be a problem.” He shrugs.

“What do you mean not a problem? Do you not see the line outside of the door? The club is packed Taehyung. The VIP are my close friends and the people I work with. A place where we can enjoy ourselves, and walk around without worrying about bumping into someone we don't know. I don't know this girl. That's the problem.” You say crossing your arms.

“You barely know me.” He explains. He was getting more and more annoyed, he should’ve known not to bring Sinsi, but then again he doesn't understand the problem of one person.

“That's different, and you know that. I literally trusted you to put a tattoo of your choice on my body.” You sighed. You weren’t going to get anywhere with him acting like this. “I can get her into the actual club and she can get free drinks.” You turn to walk away, not wanting to ruin any actual chance you had with him with your loud mouth. But he grabs your arm again and pulls you back. He itched his neck and sighed once again.

“Fine, Ill tell her she can't come.” He says and walks away back to his friends. You roll your eyes and watch as Sinsi pulls Taehyung away with Soobin behind.

“Hey Soobin!” Rowan yells out. He stops and looks back. She waves him over and he smiles slightly telling Taehyung something and running up to us.

“Yes?” “Tonight, you are mine!” She giggles and she pulls him inside.

You eventually had few drinks, not really drunk, but buzzed enough to want to dance. It seemed like everyone around you had someone else. Rowan had Soobin, they were now dancing together. Your other friends had their boyfriends or just found someone period.

But you, you sat in a booth, with a glass of brown liquid. You couldn't stop thinking about Taehyung. You wished he was ugly so you wouldn't think of him. But since Sinsi couldn't come in, he wouldn't either. You weren't used to not getting someone you wanted, so now you really wanted him. He clearly knew you wanted him, and he hasn’t completely rejected you, which gave you a little hope.

“Come on, why are you sitting here upset. Let’s dance.” A voice says, your head shoots up to see a good friend.

“Where’s your boyfriend Jinnie.” You smile at him. Kim Seokjin and his boyfriend Kim Namjoon where wonderful makeup artists. They both have worked with you a couple of times.

“He’s at the bar getting us drinks. He told me to come over to get you up and dancing until someone wants to take over. You look distracted, when you shouldn’t be. Come on!” He grabs your hand and pulls you over to where the crowd of dancing bodies were. Right now, the song that was playing was quite a hype one. You both went over and started dancing. You were laughing at how Jin was dancing, it didn't match the beat at all.  You could feel the alcohol race through your body making it easier to let loose with him.

You heard another song slowly turn on as the one before slowly turned off. Jin laughs it off and he leans into you.

“Stay calm, everything will be okay.” He whispers into your ear then he backs away. You were confused to what he was talking about, until hands came up and around your waist. Your heart started to beat so fast and your hands came up to the strangers. You tried to turn around to see who it was, but his hands turned you back around. You looked down at his hands and you noticed how big and beautiful they were. You know everyone who is in the VIP area, so it wouldn't be a complete stranger, so why not just dance along.

You noticed that the song was Thirsty by Taemin. So you smirked knowing that you were going to torture whoever was behind you. Your hips started moving, you leaned your body into theirs more. They moved their hips more into yours, letting the friction increase. His right hand started getting higher and higher on your body, not bothering to just trail, but to feel every inch until he was reached your neck. You raised your right hand up and wrapped it around his neck. He wrapped his hand around your neck as his other hand pushed your lower abdomen into him as his hip came up and moved against your. He had you caged in, moving your body along with his. His hand around your neck squeezed as he got closer and closer to the side of your head. His hand helped move your head to the side, letting his lips graze your neck. You felt goosebumps raise on the back of your neck.

His left hand wrapped around your whole waist, pulling you closer. As he did, your pushed your ass harder on his, making him tense up a little. He surprises you by biting down on you neck, closer to the meeting of your collar bone. You continue swaying your hips, and pushing your butt into him. His hand tightens even more around your neck, but not actually choking you. You couldn't help but let out a slight moan, near his ear.

Suddenly his hands move and he spins you around, you look up to see who it was. Your breath caught in your throat when you see Taehyung looking down at you. His eyes were low and darker, the horrible lighting in the club not helping much.

He pulls you back into his grasp, the song going hard as it reaches the peak. Your hands wrap around his neck. You bite your lip not sure of what to say or what to think. His eye twitches a little and he looks at if he wanted to say something. But instead he leans in, tucking his head into your neck, making you sway against him. His warmth was all around you, making your body hot. His hands grabbed and kneaded at you, you hoped it meant he never wanted to let go.

You looked down a little and noticed how easily and open his neck was. You didn't know if it was the alcohol running in your body or the heat that is making you extra hot and bothered. Maybe you should’ve thought about it beforehand, but you didn't, you couldn't let this opportunity go.

Your lips latched onto his skin, the spot right between his collarbone and neck. Right where he bite you at. You sucked and nibbled at his skin, only slightly. You felt his hands tighten on your body and you could’ve sworn that you heard a little groan. But before you could confirm it, he yanked himself away.

“Congrats on your line.” He mutters and walks away, leaving you with swollen lips and confused.

Taehyung walked away from you, wanting to go to the bathroom. As soon as he was approaching the door he was pulled back and pushed against the wall.

“Yah!” Jin stood across from Taehyung with his arms crossed and a deep frown settling in his face. Taehyung rolled his eyes, already knowing what was happening.

The other day, after you left, he remembered that Seokjin, his older step brother has worked with you before. He texted him mentioning how you were interested in him. Of course he knew.

He was so used to girls throwing themselves at him, so even though you were quite subtle than most girls, he could still tell.

When you called him, inviting him to your party, Jin was standing right in front of him. Jin of course knew about it from Rowan, so when he found out that you invited Taehyung yourself, he knew that he was going to make Taehyung go. Jin wanted him to tell you congrats himself, to make you happy. He didn't expect you both to be so close.

“What? I said congratulations.” Taehyung sighs and leans against the wall.

“And when was that, when your hand was around her neck, or when you were giving each other hickies?” Jin was surprised that Taehyung even got that close to you, he's only ever had one girlfriend, to whom he was close to. But Jin stopped counted his bodies after it hit ten.

Seokjin was there for Taehyung when Sinsi family found out about how poor they both grew up. He was there when they forced them to break up, he was there when she chose money over him. He was there through everything. So when he was so close to you, someone who wasn't afraid to drop 100k a day, he was nervous. He doesn't want Taehyung to get hurt again. But then again, Jin knew you. He knew you wanted nothing but relationships and that you weren't really into hooking up unless you knew it was going to lead somewhere. He wasn't really sure how Taehyung's closed off personality will clash with your careless and free one. He isn't afraid to admit that he was afraid.

The crazy thing is that Taehyung was afraid. The whole time he was close to you, dancing with you, his heart was beating like crazy. When he hands first came around your waist and he molded himself into you, when he turned you around, when your lips touched his skin...his heart went faster, and faster. But it was when your lips touched and his skin turned into flames was when he was ticked off.

The last time lips made his skin feel the slightest bit hot was with Sinsi. So when he felt like he was standing next to a active hot volcano, just when your lips touched, it triggered him. It closed everything down. He wanted to get away. He didn't get far though, clearly.

“After.” Taehyung says, his smirk that was sitting on his face didn't help Jin much. In fact it worried him.

“Don't mess with her. You treat the girls you hook up with like trash.” Jin says seriously. Taehyung just rolled his eyes. When Seokjin spoke ‘seriously’ to him it always annoyed him. Because that's when he knows he can’t cross him, and that's just Taehyung being his respectful self, to his family.

“Why would I hook up with her, she's not my type.” Taehyung was already bored with this conversation. Only because he knew he messed up by saying that.

“OooOooOohHhhHhh.” Jins faces changed from serious to surprised and in disbelief. He was bent over laughing his ass off as Taehyung stood there, his cheeks burning a little. He put his head down as a couple of people passed by to go to the bathroom, Jin had no problem with laughing still as they passed for a more dramatic effect.

“I remember when we traveled to Europe-” Jin started to say as he calmed down, but Taehyung instantly cut him off by raising his hands up, making Jin start to laugh again. “You seen this women there. It was like you fell in love!” Jin continued.

“Shushh!” Taehyung was trying to cover his mouth up, but Jin was too fast.

“She turned you down and you tried to find her everyday until it was time to leave. You told me she was you dream girl!” Jin couldn't stop. He loved fucking with him.

“Yea?! What's your point?” Taehyung gives up and backs off.

“The point is, that women has the exact same skin tone as YN, the same body type as her. You are attracted to her, don't lie.”

“Okay? Sure i'm attracted to her, but she's a spoiled daddy's girl, and I can't deal with that.” Taehyung was getting irritated again. Now that he actually admitted it, it was weird. He felt weird, and he hated that you already made him feel like this.

“Sure her dad spoils her, but I know her dad. I had to go through him most of the time I've worked with her. He's only that way until someone comes by and takes over.” Seokjin was now leaning against the wall across from Tae.

“I still don't see what you are getting at, I can't spoil her.” Taehyung scoffs.

“Money wise maybe not. But you can spoil her in many other ways. She's not the person to show off her money, she just lives her life. I believe that her personality would be the exact same if she didn't have all of her money, her taste would just be cheaper.”

“So what are you trying to say? You want me to marry her or something?” Taehyung says standing up straight and sticking his hands in his pocket.

“No, I'm just saying that Yn isn't a bad girl. I can tell she likes you, so don't be so rough on her. Try to give her a chance? It will never hurt. You need a girl to make you soft again, I hate this hard ass Tae.” Jin jokes around chuckling making Taehyung roll his eyes once again.

“Whatever.”

___________

Don’t forget to REBLOG or HEART if you enjoyed when you read! 

[sheerioasteroidpanda]

Couple’s Holiday, Getting Dicked Good and Monster Girls

Uhh so as usually, when I’m most stressed I write and lately I’ve been reallyyyyyyyyy feeling some Ed Sheeran story so I wrote this. It’s just short and silly and yeah. Just blah. I know I haven’t written anything for tumblr in a while and my AO3 is kind of dead but its cause I let a snide comment get to me plus I’ve been super busy with finishing up college so. Anyways enough rambling. Here’s my first Ed fan fic in a long time. And yes, I used my name cause I’m lazy and selfish and needy for Ed. 

"Babe?"

"YEAH?" amanda shouted from her position on the couch, which was currently upside down, legs on the head rest and head on the foot rest.

"Why are you yelling?" Ed asked not looking up from his phone as he entered the condo he had rented for the holidays. 

"Oh sorry, thought you were farther away. All the blood is rushing in my ears and it's kinda hard to hear."

"What the hell are you doing?" Ed asked finally looking up to see his girlfriend sitting the complete wrong way with her head nearly touching the floor.

"I dunno, what are youuu doing?" Amanda grinned back. They had been staying at a luxury condo in Colorado Springs for the past 2 weeks and she was getting antsy. While it was supposed to be a holiday vacation, Ed had gotten together with a few music buddies and of course, being Ed, had worked the whole 2 weeks. She didn't mind, she loved seeing him happy and working but still… antsy.

"Wanna go to a party tonight?" Ed checked his phone again as it dinged.

"Hmmmmm what kinda party? We takin party hard party? Rave party? Club party? Pub/dive bar party? You gotta fill a girl in here, ginger boy" amanda rolled over so she was sprawled on the long couch laying on her stomach, her feet kicking in the air.

"Oh I'll fill a girl alright!" Ed wiggled his eyebrows and quickly pocketed his phone so his hands were free to grab Amanda's sides and tickle her. "Fill her right up with my ginger cock is what i’ll do!"

"Edward!" Amanda squealed and wiggled trying to get away. Or maybe get closer, it could be hard to tell sometimes. "You're so lewd!" 

"Aye but you love it" ed said as he nuzzled his nose against her cheek, his body now laying fully on top of hers.

"Nah, i love you" amanda said while pushing her hips up to rub against his groin.

Ed nearly growled at the friction. "Babe before we start, do you want to go out tonight? It'll be club and my friends will be there" ed explained as he trailed kisses behind her ear and down her neck.

"Oh" amanda said softly trying to focus. "Which friends?"

"Hmm?" Ed mumbled while he rested back on his hunches and started to push up Amanda's top.

"Ed which friends are going to be there tonight?" Amanda asked a little more firmly.

"Uh, I don't know, probably Dillion and JB and Dia and…" ed listed off a few others.

Amanda felt her heart sploot a little, these were definitely not her types of people. "Uh, why don't you just go. I know you'll have a lot more fun without me to be your ball and chain" saying a little more cheerfully than necessary.

"You don't want to go? Is it cause of Justin? You know he's grown up now. Just like I did." Ed says seriously, all future sexy times are thrown out the window.

Sighing amanda scooted out from under ed so she could sit properly. "I know ed but i just don't enjoy his company not to mention a few others you mentioned would be there. You know that's not my scene anyways. Id just be awkward and distract you from having a good time. Go have fun with your friends. Seeing them is just as important as seeing me or seeing family."

"Dear god I love you" ed said, cupping Amanda's cheek and giving her a sweet and light kiss. "What about you, love? What will you do if i go out?"

Amanda laughed loudly "darlin i have a bottle of wine in the fridge, internet connection and my kindle app. I promise ill be fine for a few hours." It was amanda's turn to give ed a peck on the lips. "Go. Have fun. I'll be here enjoying me time."

"God i fucking love you!" Ed said excitedly as he jumped up after kissing her again and grabbing his jacket and ran towards the door.

"Wait!" Amanda shouted just as he was about to close the door. Ed poked his head back in with a question. 

"Phone?" A nod. 

"Wallet?" Another nod. 

"Keys?" Amanda asked with a raised eyebrow as she looked from him to the coffee table in front of her with his keys sitting on it.

"Have I mentioned you are the most wonderful woman ever to exist?" Ed said as he sheepishly came back inside and grabbed his keys.

"Hmm ill be sure to let your mom know you said as such" amanda grinned wickedly.

Ed gasped "you wouldn't"

"I will if you don't leave right now. You're gonna miss all the fun." 

Ed rushed out the door with a final, ‘love you!’ and left Amanda on her own once again. Sighing to herself, she allowed herself to pout at being left alone once again but only for a moment. She truly meant what she said about wanting him to see his friends. And it wasn’t that she didn’t not  like some of his friends, she just knew she wouldn’t enjoy herself. If she wasn’t enjoying herself, she didn’t want to distract Ed with her problems. 

But honestly, did he have to leave her all hot and bothered? Just rude. Thinking about ways to fix her problem she slammed her fist in her other hand. “I’ll need my laptop and that bottle for sure” Amanda giggled. If Ed is going to have a good night, so was she. 

----

“Dude? And she just let you go?” Justin looked at Ed in disbelieve. “Sounds fake but okay” he muttered as he sipped his drink. 

“Well I think it’s nice” Dillion said. “You two are so good for each other, she has totally got your back.” 

Dia snorted, “That or she’s fucking someone else.” 

“What the fuck?” Ed slurred a little. “She wouldn’t do that to me. If she wanted me to stay in, she would have told me. Besides, she loves my dick. Why would she look for another” Ed said smugly. 

Dia eyed Ed up and down while sassing her head. “Who said she’s looking for some dick?”

“She is pan” Justin chimed in unhelpfully. 

“Let Ed be. Y’all should learn to trust your partners. That’s why y’all can’t stay in a relationship while our boy Ed here is in a 3 year relationship with a lovely girl.” Dillion praised with red cheeks. 

“I don’t know about that. You have seemed to be avoiding her lately” Justin muttered, glancing at Ed before looking away just as quick. 

“No I’m not!” Ed said a little louder than he had meant to. He was more drunk than he thought. 

“Ed, you two have been here for nearly 2 weeks on a ‘couples holiday’ and all you’ve done is work. Amanda hasn’t even been coming with you cause me and her don’t mix well” Justin pointed out. “If I gave up seeing my family and friends for the holidays to go on take a trip with my boyfriend to a luxury condo resort only to be left almost daily cause said boyfriend is working, I’d be a little irritated myself.”

Ed sat with a large pout while he picked at the label on his beer. “I always ask before I leave and she has asked for me to stay a few times and we’ve gone out and skied and went ‘round her old hometown. Even went to that coffee shop she remembered as a little girl.” 

Even Dillion started to look doubtful. “I don’t know Ed. I don’t think Amanda should have to ask  you to stay when you’re on a couples holiday.” 

“I know my girl,” Ed stated again louder than he meant to, setting his beer bottle down a little too hard on the table. “If she had a problem with me going out, she would have said so. She isn’t seeing anybody else and she isn’t sleeping with anyone either.”

Dia raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Sure Teddy, but I know females and that girl is totally feeling ignored and pushed aside.” Dia stood and winked at the whole table, “I’m going to dance, see you boys later.”

The 3 men sat in silence for a moment before Justin spoke up. “Okay, I can see what Amanda was saying about not being sure about her.”

“You talked?” Ed looked shocked at his friend. 

“Hmm?” Justin looked to Ed after watching the girl he was currently talking to start 2 guys eyeing her like meet. “Uh yeah. We don’t click well but we’re civil enough, jesus Ed. It was on the 3rd day you two showed up and I came to pick you up to record. You were still in the shower and I waited and we talked a bit. 

“Amanda seemed a little more off than usual with me so I asked. She confessed that Dia made her uncomfortable and didn’t think she was a good match, before back-peddling and saying she didn’t mean to intrude on my private life and apologized. And... “ Justin stopped and looked a little embarrassed. His red cheeks from drinking didn’t help hide his guilty look. 

 “What?” Ed asked irritated for some reason. 

“And she said she was sorry for not being able to get along with me. That she knew we were really good friends and didn’t want to ruin that but she wasn’t going to change herself to please you. Then she hoped she was wrong about her feelings for Dia and wished me luck.” Justin looked away, too embarrassed to look Ed in the eye. “I gotta say man, I got a little jealous of you right at that moment.”

“See Ed, there’s nothing to worry about. Just relax and enjoy yourself.” Dillion said with a pat on Ed’s back. 

Ed squinted at Justin, taking in his words. He had a sudden swell of unbelievable pride in his girl but the ear worm had gotten to his brain already and now he couldn’t stop thinking about Amanda being in bed with another man. Or woman. Oh god, or both. Ed stood up abruptly, almost knocking his chair over. “I have to go!”

“Wait, Ed maybe you should sober up a bit first” Dillion looked worried. 

“I’m fine” Ed grumped and marched out of the bar. They weren’t that far from the condo complex and the cold air would sober him up just fine. 

After walking the 10 minutes back to their room, Ed’s head had cleared and realized how stupid he was being. Ed smiled to himself as he unlocked the door and shook his head at how silly he was and what a great girl he had. 

Until he heard a long, wonton moan. 

Ed froze and could literally feel his heart break. His shoulders slumped and let his coat and keys fall to the floor. He dragged his feet but couldn’t stop his movements towards the bedroom where he was hearing more moans and obvious sounds of sex.

He raised his hand to open the door when he stopped again. There was another moan but listening again, he realized it wasn’t Amanda’s moan. And then another voice groaned and then… someone speaking Japanese? 

Then to top it all off, he heard Amanda snort and laugh out loud. 

Now he was mad and confused so he peeked inside to find Amanda sitting on the bed, cross legged and in one of his nightshirts and a pair of boy short panties. She was sipping wine from a plastic bright green wine glass and was watching something on her laptop. 

Again Amanda being Amanda, she was positioned oddly so her back was actually towards the door and Ed could see what was playing on the laptop. 

“Oh my god! Are you watching tentacle pron?” Ed shouted as he stepped inside fully. 

Amanda screamed and jumped, spilling her wine all over herself and the bed. Ignoring that, she slammed the laptop screen down so fast, Ed barely saw her hand move. “What are you doing here back so soon!?” Amanda shrieked. 

“I, well, uh. That doesn’t matter right now, were you watching tentacle porn?” Ed asked again trying not to laugh. 

“You were supposed to be gone the whole night! And you left me horny! And you weren’t supposed to be home so soon!” Amanda rambled, blushing so much her neck was turning red too. 

 “I didn’t know you were into that” Ed said smirking. 

“Shut up, ginger boy!” Amanda shouted as she stood up off the bed but now standing she didn’t know what to do with herself. “I just. The thing is. You see it started. I mean, I discovered it when I was in high school. I mean, why am I explaining myself? Why were you skulking about trying to scare me?”

It was Ed’s turn to look embarrassed. “If I explain my embarrassing story of the night, will you tell me about your kink I never knew about?”

Amanda crossed her arms and looked away with puffed cheeks. “I’ll think about it after you explain yourself.”

“Okay well, I was a little drunk when it was brought up how I was ‘allowed’ to go out without you and then the guys were saying how great that was that you were cool with it but then Dia had to say something about you maybe looking to find some dick somewhere else and then Justin pointed out I’ve been working almost this whole holiday and I’ve been a rubbish boyfriend. So in my drunken stupor I thought I’d come back to find you and dick you down so good, you’d never even think of another man but then I came through the door and heard moans and sex and panicked and felt my heart break and followed the sound and then found you looking so beauiful in my shirt and those panties on that lushous ass of your’s and you watchin porn after I left you alone, I just… My brain stopped working.”

Amanda stared at him with a raised eyebrow and a doubtful look on her face as she listened to him ramble. Though once she heard that Dia had started spewing her poison, she wasn’t surprised to learn that a seed of doubt was planted. “Wait you’re telling me that brain of yours works sometimes?”

“It’s up for debate to be honest, love” Ed smiled sheepishly.  

“And you were gonna ‘dick me down so good’ huh?” Amanda said as she still kept her arms crossed but now jetting her hip out as well, sass surfacing in defense of the embarrassment of being caught. 

“Okay so maybe my brain isn’t working at all tonight” Ed said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Not the most romantic thing I’ve said.”

“Ironic sense you know, Ed Sheeran and all” Amanda smirked and nudged her chin in his direction. 

“Are you seriously gonna keep sassing me when I caught you watching tentacle anime porn?” Ed said exasperated.

“Are you seriously gonna keep bringing up the hentai?” Amanda sighed.

“Oh it has an actual name? Please tell, love, why haven’t I learned about this private enjoyment before?” Ed said, slipping into to his low baritone and stepped up to cupped Amanda’s warm cheek. 

“Cause I haven’t needed to watch porn in a while and plus it’s just sort of a once in a blue moon type thing” Amanda confessed, blushing straight to the tips of her hair. “Plus it wasn’t tentacles…”

“Oh? Please correct me than?” Ed smirked, loving the way her whole body was warm. 

“It was monster girls and aliens” Amanda whispered. “I like the succubuses” Amanda muttered as she placed her face against his chest.    

“That. Is. So. Cute” Ed laughed as he hugged Amanda. He lowered his head so he whispered in her ear, “Would you like to watch it together?”

“Well…” Amanda snuggled her face more into Ed’s chest. “I spilled my wine of the bed.”

“Wanna do it on the couch?” Ed asked simply.

“Edward!” Amanda pulled back and slapped her hand against his chest. “You’re so lewd.”

“That wasn’t a no” Ed wiggled his eyebrows. 

“You’re right, it wasn’t” Amanda giggled back.

[kendrixtermina]

Disclaimer For Potential Partners (f/m/x)

Writing this down as much to gather my thoughts and go into this with clear priorities as for possible future reference. 

My mother always told me that if you wanted everyone to like you, you’d have to be a 50 dollar bill. I have come to accept that I’m more like licorice. Some people aren’t gonna like me but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t others who would appreciate me. 

I’d rather you run away screaming NOW than in three years when we’re both invested so Let’s get all this out of the way:

I’m bisexual. Yes, I’ve dated dudes in the past. I’ve had a brief online flirt with an agender person and do think androgynous ppl are hot which I suppose would make me pan in some ppl’s books, at this point the choice in label is purely aesthetic. I’m looking for a female partner right now because I’ve always had a slight preference for girls anyways but a sufficiently compatible non-female would not be refused. 

Because ppl have gotten this wrong in the past: Preference is about how likely you are to notice that someone is hot in the first place like in the early stages. It doesn’t mean my attachment to those dudes was any less “real” (or the other way around!) I just flat out don’t care whats in your pants there are other things to be picky about

From since I was young, the message I got from music, books etc is that it’s pretty bad to say “I love you” unless you truly mean it. So I don’t say “I love you” until I’m 100% sure I can do that it good conscience. It seems that it takes me a bit longer to be sure than most people, but it’s not like I’ve conducted statistics on this

I’m not vegan/vegetarian and I’m never going to be vegan/vegetarian

I’m not a pet person 

I’m not a sporty person and I’m never going to be a sporty person

Go through my stuff, spy on me in any way or ask me to tell you where I am at all times and its over

I’m an antiprohibitionist and don’t think there’s anything morally wrong with taking recreational substances. Conversely, I’m not interested in that sort of thing as a full-on lifestyle either. 

I try to keep an open mind and try everything once but im probably not gonna reorganize my life around new age woo-woo. 

So far my folks have liked most my partners, but if our social circles don’t get along I’m comfortable with leaving them separate. 

I believe in judging people as individuals first. I don’t wanna hear no paranoid shit about “the muslims” or other stereotypical carricatures but if you’re gonna be “europeans that europeans this” as if im not in the room its not gonna work. 

Don’t be fooled by the foreign-sounding surname im a potato through and through. No exotic fanservice to be had here. 

Barring unforseen dictatorships, I don’t want to move out of Europe. I like it here. Its full of frustrating dumbasses but so is the rest of the world.  Yay for cheese and consumer protection laws! I would consider moving closer to the shore though. 

It’s fine if you don’t speak German but you should not hate or dislike it.  English is a plus because me, my friends and my family are into internet culture

I haven’t spoken to my father in five years. No, you’re not going to patch this up. You don’t have to ignore him too if you’re not comfortable but you’ll have to respect my choice instead of playing family therapist or throwing platitudes about forgiveness at me. 

Im not counting and it depends on your definition but Ive fucked at least 15-20 people, which according to statistics is above average? Always used rubber unless it was long-term and exclusive tho. That might bother some ppl. 

That said it has been my conclusion that fucking does nothing that a beer can’t do and that the real quality stuff is what you could already do as a grade schooler when you still thought of all the grownup stuff as mystical. Having ice cream together, exploring new places, having contemplative conversations in the rain, telling each other your fantasies? That’s The Stuff. 

Hence while I wouldn’t turn down some fuckage along the way what im looking for at this point is someone to share life and grow old with, like there doesn’t need to be the expectation of further strings but the end goal RN is to find One That Sparks Joy(TM) that will get precedence

I’m not big on material gifts or the ritual part of dating if thats important to you I might not be the ideal candidate, but if its not thats probably good for your wallet

I’m a strong introvert. Sometimes I go weeks without talking to anyone other than my boss or maybe texting my relatives. If you’re very introverted or work alot this might be an advantage. Of course if I love you I will try my best to match up to your attention needs but if you need your partner to text you 15 times every day to feel good I might just not be your cup of tea

That doesn’t mean im not interested in going on or doing new experiences. I very much hope to do that together with you just not 5 days a week - if you can’t give new things wholehearted tries things might get uncomfortable

I like spicy food and all sort of asian cousine, but if you can’t stand the sight of cheese, asparagus and sausage it’s not gonna work either. I can obviously put less chili in your portion. 

I tend to talk fast and I find it hard to stop it even if I try, if that bothers you look elsewhere

I cannot stand forced optimism OR over-the top misanthropy or snobbishness. I will gush about things, but I like my dark edgy content and I stand by it. It is an advantage if you like talking about art. If you don’t like morbid humor that might be a problem

No diet talk

No perfectionism

No passive aggressive ppl or ppl that are uncomfortable with direct confrontation. That won’t work, we’d just set each other off even without meaning to and it would just be sad. If Im doing something wrong don’t expect me to notice by magic, tell me to my face so I can fix it. Don’t be hostile out of nowhere and don’t beat around the bush. 

im not religious or spiritual. I don’t mind if you are but if you want to have kids and bring them up strongly-immersed in some Abrahamic faith im not sure if this is the right adress

No anti-intellectualism (no snobbery, elitism or smartassery either - as a wise pig once said, “Knowledge is a horizon to strive for, not a prize to hold in your hand” It begins with realizing what you don’t know)

Indifferent about monogamy, but I wouldn’t say that I’m the sort of person who needs non-monogamy either.  If you want to we can do it (write me out some list of where you draw the lines so there’s no misunderstandings) but if you don’t it’s no biggie. I don’t care if you fuck 10 other people - for me, respect, honor and loyalty are to do with other things, like, don’t make fun of me and don’t expect me to change because one (1) person said I’m weird or whatever.

Don’t give me diseases tho. I’ll take precautions to extend the same courtesy to you.  

Potential character flaws: I can be a tad sensitive, disorganized and defensive sometimes, not gonna sugarcoat it. I have no filter and curse like a sailor. Also I have zero social skills and sometimes I come across as either angry or unemotional when its really the opposite. I find that just as confusing and contradictory as that sounds, I have like zero sense of how I come off. I try to be aware of all of these and do right to everyone to the best of my ability but if you’re sensitive about any of these point someone else might be a better fit 

2 kids max. I’m not sure I’ll have ANY at this point, and most certainly not in the next 5 years. IF we decide to have some later I volunteer to carry them though, I probably have good genes, my mom popped out 4 babies in 6 years with nary a complication. Besides I’d rather it was me dealing with the gross pregnancy stuff than someone I love

My favorite bedroom stuff is fingers-in-front-cavity and butt stuff. Mild sleepsex fetish but nothing super pronounced. What I don’t like or just am not very good at is top/bottom play. 

So far most my partners have had somewhat stronger sex drive than me but Id argue that I very much have one and ive never refused unless I was in physical pain, severely sleep-deprived or working on some important work-related thing that was due the next day. 

It’s important - and science backs me up on this - that you can freely talk to each other in n open, natural and relaxed manner

If you think im weird just do us both the favor and stay away don’t come at me with the attitude that you’re gonna mold me to your desires - even just writing this comes off kinda touchy but im saying this because some people out there really don’t get it. Like my natural tendency is to be open, courious and realistic,  but some people see that as free real estate and then it falls to me to be the reasonable one and End The Madness and im tired of that.

Like I want to be able to give love and pour out all my inner romantic shit without having to be afraid of being fucked over I want to be able to trust you with my inner harley quinn as well as my inner phantom of the opera 

UGH that sounded a bit tryhard didn’t it? But its the best description i could come up with

Must remember to translate this into mordor speak later

[yourkeeperoftherunners]

Avec Nocturne Epilogue Pt. 1

Plot: We work at the same club and share a lot in common. Because we got off on the wrong foot, I’ve been trying to make it up to you. While walking you to the subway station, I see you hugging another guy. We’re just co-workers but it kind of bothers me. Why is that?

Rating: PG-13 (Language, Flirting, Implied voyeurism/sexual content, etc.)

Characters: DJ!Chanyeol x Kit OC, feat. OT12 and guest appearance by Exchange Student!Kim Namjoon/RM and Bi-curious Fan!Jimin

Notes: This is a spin-off (no pun intended!) series of Unwind written by @xiubaek13 and @oh-beyond. (Written with their blessing – thank you!) I own nothing except for my own OC and the content written here. (I recommend reading Unwind first to get a better understanding of the story’s universe.) I do not claim to be an expert in DJ-ing. Banner created by me. Absolutely no reposting anywhere else as your own! This is set months after the original spin-off series.

Ch. 7 | Epilogue Part 2 NSFW

“How’d it go with that VIP experience?” Chanyeol asked as Kit heaved her messenger bag onto her shoulder.

Kit scrunched her nose up and made an amused face as she pointed to the doorway. Chanyeol took the hint and both headed outside of the club, walking a few steps away before talking again.

“Honestly kind of awkward,” Kit admitted as she wrapped her fingers around her bag. “Granted, I was outside the door spinning for Luhan and his lady friend but I felt really weird having to listen to them. Girl’s a loud moaner and I almost thought they were going to break something in there. Not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”

Chanyeol smirked as he nudged her playfully. “Aw noona’s all shy.”

“Please, I don’t give a damn about people having sex but I don’t wanna be present in a way,” she defended. “Too many bad memories of inconsiderate roommates hooking up in our shared room without giving me a heads up. Very awkward for everyone.”

“It happened a lot?”

“College man,” she sighed rolling her eyes. “God I don’t miss that! Classes were fine, professors were decent, but the dorm experience – hell no.” She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “Listen you don’t have to keep walking me to the station.”

Chanyeol shrugged as he stuck his hands into his pockets. “Well it’s late and I’d feel better knowing you got on safely. Trust me, okay?”

“I appreciate it, but I’m good – my brother had me learn self defense and he insisted I sport steel-toed Docs. No one wants to mess with me if I mention them,” Kit replied with a smirk. She dug around for her subway pass and checked her watch as she approached the station. “Well it should be here any minute. Thanks again.”

Chanyeol nodded and allowed a smile to cross his lips. He watched as the train breezed into the station, stopping before Kit. The doors slid open and Kit stepped through them, glancing over her shoulder at him. She raised a hand while gripping a nearby rail for support, nodding at Chanyeol with a smile.

“Wait!” a male voice yelled.

Chanyeol blinked as a tall young man zipped past him at neck-breaking speed, barely making it through the doors before they closed.

The guy hunched over, clutching his side and Kit tore her gaze from her co-worker to focus on the young man who just entered. The young man straightened up, one hand shakily pushing his dark framed glasses up on his nose. The eyes behind them trailed up to hers and blinked.

“Kit? Kit Adler?” the guy murmured as he gripped the rail near hers.

“Nam?” she asked, staring back in disbelief.

The male smiled widely as he wrapped her in a tight hug, almost losing his balance as the subway lurched forward.

“Careful Captain Chaos,” she joked as she hugged him back, trying to keep both of them steady.

Chanyeol froze as he caught the brief exchange before the subway zoomed out of the station. What just happened? Who was that guy?

“You’re finally on my home turf! Oh man I can’t believe it’s you!” Namjoon blurted out as they exited the subway. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I had to get a new phone for this trip and it didn’t save my old contacts list on my SIM,” Kit admitted as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “How’s the work on your masters going?”

“Awesome. Well, it’s fucking stressful and I’m this close to tearing my hair out, but yeah I love it! The professors have been dope and I’m actually gonna graduate early!” Namjoon crowed, eyes shining. “You studying abroad or working?”

“Uh kinda working,” Kit replied as she jogged up the steps. “My brother’s friend is doing his service and needed a temporary tenant so he said I ought to do some family hunting too while I’m here. Didn’t find much though – just the nurse who delivered me and a basic description of what happened that day. Work-wise, I’m doing DJ-ing at a club.”

“Oh? Which club?” Namjoon asked as he hoisted his backpack higher on his shoulders.

Kit bit her lip as she sucked in a deep breath. “Er...it’s called EXO? I swear I’m just mixing tracks – nothing’s coming off!”

“Was gonna say,” Namjoon replied with an amused look. “But they actually hire women there? I thought that was kind of a ladies club.”

“Um...I’m the only girl on staff,” she replied with a wince. “They didn’t have a backup DJ so I got hired temporarily then permanently after a weekend shift. I switch off with their main one every other day. It’s...interesting. Um the group’s decent but the customers are crazy – they pay well so it’s something.”

Namjoon nodded as he pressed the crosswalk button, crossing his arms over his chest. He was silent for a few moments and turned to face Kit with a thoughtful look.

“Hey, is that the place where some guy named Kai dances?” he asked.

“You know him?”

“Uh not me, but I have a friend who won’t shut up about him,” Namjoon replied with a shake of his head. “He talked about going to watch Kai but none of our mutual friends wanna go to the club. But now that you’ve mentioned that you work there, maybe I’ll have to volunteer myself as his wingman so I can see you in action.”

“You don’t have to,” Kit said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Hey, I wanna support you,” he said, looking her in the eye. “What days do you work?”

Kit chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to recall her schedule off the top of her head. “Tomorrow and Friday I’m in the booth. Saturday I’m on standby for a private VIP spinning session. Sunday I’m probably handling another VIP or off – need to double check that.”

The crosswalk changed and Namjoon pointed to the opposite side as he walked across, Kit following behind a few steps.

“I’ll check with my friend but I’m thinking it’s gonna be Friday. My last final is tomorrow but not sure about his schedule,” Namjoon replied.

“Noona I missed you!” Sehun whined when Kit passed the bar. He put his dishcloth down and walked over to hug her.

“I was gone for two days,” she laughed as she hugged him back. “A day off and then awkwardly playing musical third wheel to Luhan. I’m sure Chan took fine care of the music here while I was away.”

“Chanyeol-ah did fine but Tao was Tao – he took two nice ladies away from the bar when I was chatting with them,” he complained. “One of them said she wanted to buy another drink from me if I gave her a kiss and then Tao came up and whispered in her ear. She left without buying another drink!”

“Sehunnie, there are other women out there,” Kit sighed as she patted his shoulder. “As for Tao, what else is new? He’ll probably avoid us knowing I’m here for two days then probably handling VIP again.” She checked her watch before excusing herself to set up for tonight’s session.

“Oh um hello gentlemen, how can I help you tonight?” Chen asked as the pair walked up to the desk.

The younger boy fished out his ID and allowed a cheeky grin to cross his lips. “I’m here to watch Kai dance – he is here tonight, right?”

“Oh um yes! Yes he is,” Chen replied as he cross-checked the young man’s ID. He glanced over at Namjoon who produced his, passing it over to Chen.

The taller boy shot Chen a sheepish grin as he pointed to the younger boy. “I’m his wingman tonight. Slash I’m here to support my friend Kit.”

Chen’s eyes lit up as he passed back the IDs to the respective parties. “Oh Kit-noona? Yes she’s one of our DJ’s here – how do you know her?”

“University,” Namjoon replied with a wistful smile. “Met at a party – here I am this clueless transfer student who almost downed one of the worst drinks ever that would probably put me in bed for days and she warned me before I took a sip. Turns out both of us were dragged there by friends, so we ditched and she introduced me to the addictive chain called In-N-Out. It’s a burger place where she’s from by the way.”

Chen nodded as he gestured to the main dance and stage area. “Through those doors. Kai will be performing tonight but not sure if he’ll be first or a little later in the evening. We do have a bar and Kit will be in the DJ booth spinning. Enjoy yourselves.”

“Should I just get water? Or I don’t know maybe I could stand to loosen up a little?” Jimin worried.

“Ji breathe man!” Namjoon said with a shake of his head. “He’s just a dancer – you don’t have to go home with the guy! Tell you what, I’ll buy the first round of drinks, okay? We earned it after this hell week we’ve been through.”

Jimin relaxed his shoulders and nodded as they headed for the bar, grabbing stools to sit on. Sehun looked over his shoulder from restocking the liquors and told them he’d be with them in a minute. Namjoon yanked his wallet out of his pocket before sitting on the neighboring stool, arms straight ahead on the table.

Once Sehun confirmed that he had a full bar, he turned around and addressed the young men seated at his counter. “Good evening, what can I get for you?”

Namjoon turned to Jimin and prompted him for his drink order. Jimin hummed as he craned his neck, trying to see what was available. While the younger male was deciding, Namjoon pointed to a bottle of Hite and Sehun cracked open the container, pouring the contents into a cold glass.

“Soju,” Jimin announced as the beer was passed over to Namjoon. “Three shots of it.”

Namjoon nodded in agreement and slipped a few won from his wallet to pay the tab. Sehun filled three shot glasses with soju and placed them before Jimin, accepting the won from Namjoon with a polite bow.

“Change?”

“Nah man keep it, thanks,” Namjoon replied as he raised his glass. “Cheers Ji – another hellish semester behind us! And also to you getting to ogle over your heartthrob dancer’s ass tonight.”

“Oh come on Nam, shut up!!” Jimin groaned as he quickly downed a shot. His face flushed and he looked around to see who overheard.

Sehun snickered at the exchange and tilted his head. “You guys are here for someone?”

Namjoon jabbed a thumb at Jimin and revealed that the younger boy was here for Kai. “This guy’s got a crush on him and won’t stop going on about his body rolls or how smooth his transitions –”

“I hate you!” Jimin growled as he wiped his mouth after finishing the second shot. His cheeks were slowly starting to flush pink and he rubbed the back of his neck.

“You’re here for someone too?” Sehun prompted Namjoon as he wiped the counter.

“The master of the mixes over there!” Namjoon replied with a grin as he pointed his glass over at the DJ booth. “I’m proud of her – she used to play around with song combos all the time when no one was looking but she’d never share them! I tricked her into posting a few on SoundCloud and boom! Now she’s spinning for real!” He shook his head and smiled fondly before taking a long sip from his glass.

Jimin nearly stumbled off his seat when he saw the lights change on the stage and he blinked as a single light focused on Kai, who was standing in the center. He fumbled with the third shot and swallowed the contents before hastily ditching his stool at the bar to sit closer. Namjoon snickered as he watched his friend shyly move closer to the stage, eyes never leaving Kai.

“Well Kit-noona is in there,” Sehun mused as he pointed to the booth. “You can probably say hi after Kai’s dance. Can I get you or your friend anything else?”

Namjoon shook his head and thanked Sehun before drinking more beer, watching Jimin drool over the older male slipping off his blouse on stage. He rose from his stool and wandered over to the booth, lingering outside the door.

Kit spotted him from the corner of her eye and smiled warmly as she used a free hand to open the door, motioning for Namjoon to join her.

“Is that your friend?” she asked as she glanced over at the flushed faced Jimin.

“Yup, that loser has been eying Kai ever since someone showed him a video of the guy dancing,” Namjoon sighed as he shook his head. “Surprised how calm you are compared to the clients who are throwing their Won left and right.”

“You forget that looks aren’t everything in my book,” Kit reminded him with an amused look. “They’re a perk but I’d prefer chemistry first. Albeit I’ve had my fair share of my co-workers hitting on me.”

Namjoon tilted his head and gestured to Kai with his glass. Kit shook her head no and Namjoon jabbed a thumb at the bar. He received a slight side-to-side nod and he hummed with a knowing grin.

“There’s a few more dancers,” she replied. “Lay, he’ll be on in a bit and two of the private dancers Baekhyun and Suho. Unless your friend’s into them too, you’ll probably miss them tonight.”

“What about the guy at the front?”

“Who Chen? Nah, we’re just friends,” Kit replied. “Oh you thought he was into me because of the whole ‘noona’ deal, didn’t you?”

“He sure perked up when I mentioned your name,” Namjoon remarked. “You can’t blame me for asking – it’s not uncommon for co-workers to find potential mates through working together.”

“Very funny Namjoon,” Kit deadpanned with a pointed look. “Look, just because I spin in a strip club doesn’t mean one of my co-workers wants to bang me.”

“Chanyeol, you’re off today,” Chen informed the tall DJ when the latter approached the desk.

Chanyeol waved it away and murmured he wanted to check for the start of next week. “Luhan-hyung never made it clear who was playing for Tuesday’s gig versus the club so I wanted to...?”

Chen shrugged as he looked through the calendar, clicking on Chanyeol’s name in the scheduling program. “Ah you’re doing the VIP and Kit’s here per her normal schedule. Any other days you want me to double check?”

Chanyeol shook his head and murmured that he wanted to stop by to say hi quick. The schedule questions were just an excuse for him to stop in – he actually was hoping to ask Kit if she knew the young man who almost missed the subway last night.

It was late last night and I’d feel better knowing that she wasn’t harassed by a drunk, he told himself. He stepped through the doors and frowned when he saw another person standing beside Kit in the box.

“Ah hyung, I thought you were off today,” Sehun remarked when he spotted Chanyeol.

“Who’s that?” Chanyeol asked as he nodded over at the blonde next to Kit, who was pushing his glasses up.

“Oh he’s noona’s friend,” Sehun murmured. “Or well, I think they’re friends – he’s known her for a while. He’s responsible for getting her to do DJ-ing for real.”

Chanyeol tilted his head, brows knit as he watched the blonde point to a guy in the front, who was staring up at Kai with a dazed look. Kai had winked in the young man‘s direction and Kit seemed to be holding back a laugh when her blonde companion made a joke about it. The blonde had his hair styled in an uppercut and was pushing his glasses up on his nose.

Noona’s boyfriend? he thought as he watched them.

“Oh Ji looks like he’s died and gone to heaven!” Namjoon hooted as he doubled over laughing. His glass tipped forward and suddenly Hite beer had spilled over the front of Kit’s shirt and shorts.

“Shit! I’m so sorry Kit!” Namjoon blurted out when he realized what happened. He scanned the turn tables and machinery to make sure he hadn’t spilled anything on them and Kit followed suit before confirming that everything else in the booth was fine.

“I’ll get a towel, okay?” Namjoon said as he headed back toward the bar, trying to move quickly without spilling his beer again. While he was making his way over, Chanyeol made a beeline for the booth, pulling his jacket and flannel shirt off as he approached.

Kit removed her headphones and jumped slightly when she saw Chanyeol in the doorway. “Hey Slim Shady, thought you were off today.”

Chanyeol placed his flannel shirt in her hand and pointed with the other in the direction of the bathrooms. “Had to check my schedule for next week. Go change into that okay?”

“Chan it’s fine.”

Chanyeol shook his head and leaned closer, lips grazing her ear. “You shouldn’t be playing in wet clothes, not in this weather. Please go change?”

Kit sighed as she quickly checked her playlist, confirming that she had enough playing before slipping out of the booth with Chanyeol’s flannel in hand. Namjoon rushed to her side with the towel and bowed, offering several apologies. Sehun busied himself with drying Namjoon’s empty glass, watching as the scene unfolded before his eyes: Kit trying to reassure Namjoon that it was fine while dabbing excess beer with the towel, the latter saying sorry repeatedly with a flushed face, and Chanyeol watching the pair with a slightly bitter glint in his eyes.

“Nam it’s fine! It happens okay? Oh, I think your friend’s recovered – you might wanna go talk to him,” Kit said before excusing herself.

“Hyung, are you jealous?” Sehun asked Chanyeol.

Chanyeol blinked at the question and snorted. “Sehun it’s not a K-Drama – you’re being ridiculous! I just thought noona should change out of those clothes.”

Sehun nodded with an amused look as he placed the glass with the others. “Sure, you know best.” He bit back a smile as he replaced the soju with the other liquors. “Not sure why you’re still hanging around,” he murmured to himself with a shake of his head.

Namjoon and Jimin had headed up to the front after the incident, while Chanyeol lingered between the booth and the bar to ensure music was still playing.

After minute, Kit emerged sporting Chanyeol’s flannel as a shirt dress and her clothes folded in her hand. Because Chanyeol had longer arms, she was forced to roll up the sleeves a few times to uncover her hands. She tossed back the towel to Sehun and thanked him as she headed to the booth, Chanyeol following behind.

“Thanks Chan,” Kit said as she stuffed her clothes into her bag. “Looks like I’ll be doing laundry when I get home.”

Chanyeol nodded as he placed a hand on her shoulder, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face.

“You’re almost done, right?” he asked.

“Yes, in 15 minutes,” she sighed as she put her headphones around her neck.

“I’ll drive you home.”

“Chan, it’s fine – I’ll take the subway and you can walk me to the station like you’ve done before,” she replied.

He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t want you riding it this late at night, not while wearing just my shirt. Plus it’s getting colder out.” He watched as Kit tried to protest but he softened his stance and tilted his head. “Please noona?”

Kit sighed as she played with her headphones for a few moments. “Fine.”

“I’ll change quick when we get there so you can take your shirt home,” Kit promised as Chanyeol neared her apartment.

“It’s fine noona,” he said with a shrug.

“I might as well hand it back now – I might not see you until next week, you know ‘cause of scheduling,” she said. She pointed out the visitor lot and Chan picked a spot to park in.

Her keys were in hand as she took the stairs and Chanyeol kept his eyes averted so he wouldn’t catch a glimpse. Kit unlocked the door and pushed it open, holding the door for Chan. He thanked her before stepping through it and glanced around curiously.

“I didn’t decorate or do much – it’s mostly stuff my brother’s friend did to the place,” Kit explained as she hung the keys on the hook by the door. She began untying her boots and kicked them off at the front entrance, Chanyeol following suit by removing his sneakers.

Kit fished her beer-soaked clothes out of her bag and made a beeline for the washer and dryer stacked on top of each other, which was set into the wall. She turned things inside out and tossed in stain remover plus a laundry pod, before shutting the door and programing it for the wash cycle. Chanyeol stood behind her, watching as she did this.

“I’ll change quick – hey, you okay?” Kit froze when she felt the taller boy wrap his arms around her, pulling her close to his body.

“I don’t want this shirt back,” he murmured. “I...like it on you. You look...ah...um, cute in it.”

“Th-thanks?” she said her face feeling warm. “What’s with the compliments and the rides and...?”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“Huh? Who – Namjoon? Oh Chan he’s an old friend from college!,” Kit laughed with a shake of her head. “We’re like brother and sister – he is such a klutz and I usually have to be there to save his ass. Trust me, first time we met, he almost drank the spiked punch and would have been sick for a couple of days!”

Chanyeol lifted his head and leaned it on Kit’s shoulder, eyes wide. “What? You mean he’s –”

“What, did someone say we were dating?” Kit shook her head and laughed lightly.

Chanyeol reddened and mumbled that it looked like the other man had been interested. “I misread it – ah I’m sorry noona!”

“Chan, no need to be jealous,” Kit murmured as she patted his head. “No boyfriend right now. ...So does that mean you like me?”

Chanyeol swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut, the blush coloring his cheeks.

“Ah um,” he stammered, “ah...I found your SoundCloud page. But, but this was before the VIP event. Chen said I should listen and give you a chance.”

“Did Suho make you jealous too?”

“Noona I like Suho-hyung, he’s talented but very, very flirty,” Chanyeol admitted. “I can’t...explain it, but when he met you that day...”

Kit turned her head and allowed a faint smile to cross her lips. She twisted her body and hugged him, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

“Pinch me...it has to be a dream,” Chan mumbled as he shook his head.

She cupped his cheeks in her hands and tugged him down for a real kiss. His eyes flew open in surprise but soon closed as he twisted his body to hold her in his arms.

“Noona, after we put our differences aside, I thought we were just going to be friends,” Chanyeol admitted as he slowly broke off the kiss. “But it was...hard to see Suho flirt with you, your friend standing so close in the booth-”

“So I grew on you?” she teased. “I’ll be honest, first time we met before you started yelling in my face, I thought ‘Damn he’s tall and hey, that hair’s cool’. Never thought we’d be here now.” She smiled as she released his face and quickly checked her watch. “Did you already eat dinner? ‘Cause if not, I was gonna order takeout somewhere and eat while waiting for my stuff to finish.”

Chanyeol perked up at the mention of food and shook his head, murmuring that he only ate a light snack before coming over to the club. Kit beckoned for him to follow her to the kitchen and dug around in a drawer for some menus. She passed over a few and prompted him to pick one to order from.

“I’ll pay noona,” he said once he selected what he wanted.

“Aww Chan, it’s cool - I’m the one inviting you to stay so -”

Chanyeol shook his head and smiled widely, flashing his teeth. “Ah but noona, a guy should pay on the first date. Also it’s my way of saying I’m sorry for being so jealous earlier.”

“Tchik! Tchik!”

“You should take it,” Chanyeol replied as he met her eyes.

“No you got there first Chan, it’s yours,” Kit insisted as she withdrew her chopsticks.

Chanyeol studied the remaining piece of fried chicken and plucked off half of the meat with his chopsticks. He pushed the rest of the piece toward Kit with a smug grin. “We’ll split it.”

“Oh fine,” she sighed with a small smile, pulling it towards her. “I probably shouldn’t be eating it.”

“Hey, no talking about your figure – I like it,” Chanyeol warned. “Besides, I like that your body...” He put his chopsticks down and gestured his hands in swishing motions to mimic an hourglass shape.

Kit looked up from eating the final piece and smiled faintly. “So you were checking me out,” she teased.

“Uh um, well...I guess I was,” he sighed with a guilty grin. He took a sip from his can and wiped his mouth with a napkin, before checking his watch. “Wae, how is it so late?!”

Kit put her chopsticks down and wiped her mouth. “You shouldn’t be driving this late, especially after a beer,” she warned. “Look, this might seem a bit forward, but you um...I have an extra futon here and you are welcome to use it.”

“You’re sure?” Chanyeol asked.

“Positive,” Kit confirmed before excusing herself to move her clothes to the dryer.

“You can crash now Chan – I’ll be up for a few more minutes waiting for the dryer,” Kit said after she laid out the spare futon and blankets.

Chanyeol blinked and shook his head as he sat down on the futon. “No I’ll stay up – it’s no trouble. Besides, I don’t have to go in early tomorrow.” He pulled out his phone and scowled when he saw the battery was low. “Aish, do you um –”

“Here,” Kit said as she passed over her charger. She pointed to a nearby outlet and Chan thanked her as he plugged it in before connecting his phone to the other end. The screen flashed that he had missed messages on KakaoTalk from Sehun and Baekhyun.

viviismylife: You took noona home?

energizerbyun: What’s this about noona going home with you? energizerbyun: Sehun said something about an old friend showing up? Is that noona’s secret boyfriend we don’t know about?

Chanyeol rolled his eyes at the messages and snorted. Honestly these two needed to stop meddling and acting like this was a real life K-Drama.

“Sehunnie message you too?” Kit called out.

“Wha?” Chanyeol jumped, staring in the direction of the washer and dryer.

“Just got a message from him asking if I got home safely or if he needs to talk to you afterwards,” Kit continued. “Don’t worry, I’ll answer him.”

Chanyeol grumbled under his breath about Sehun as he typed back to Baekhyun.

dj_pcy: Her friend spilled beer on her so I gave her my shirt and took her home. It’s getting cold out and she shouldn’t ride the subway at night in just my shirt. dj_pcy: That guy’s not her boyfriend.

Shortly after Chanyeol sent his replies, Sehun sent over two more messages.

viviismylife: Ok, you’re off the hook. viviismylife: noona said you got her home safely. Sorry hyung.

“All right, dryer’s finally done – you can crash now,” Kit announced as she closed the door. She folded her clothes and carried them to the dresser, placing them in their respective piles before closing the drawer. She undid the top few buttons on Chanyeol’s shirt and unhooked her bra, slipping the straps off and placing the garment in a top drawer. She refastened the buttons and yawned as she made her way to the living room to bid Chanyeol good night.

“Sleep well Chan,” she said with a small wave before heading for her bedroom.

Chanyeol sat up and put his phone face down on the ground. “He-hey noona?”

Kit shuffled back to the living room and looked back at him. “Yes?”

“Ah...um, well this is hard to um, ask, but um,” Chanyeol stammered. “May I um, move the futon to your room? Maybe, hold your hand?”

“Afraid of the dark?” Kit teased.

Chanyeol raised a brow and shook his head. “Ah no, I want to be closer to noona, because I like her.”

“Yes,” she replied with a smile. She held a hand out for his pillow and he passed it over. He picked up the futon and blankets, following Kit to the bedroom and placing them to the right of her bed.

Kit placed his pillow at the top of the futon and scrambled onto her bed, one hand pulling back the covers. She burrowed underneath them and leaned over, hand lingering by the lamp as she waited for Chanyeol to get settled. Chan made himself comfortable and extended his hand out, waiting for her to take it.

Her smaller hand slipped into his and he smiled, admiring the size difference. He closed his fingers around it and pressed his lips to the top of her hand.

“You’re a little cheesy Chan,” she laughed before flicking the lights off.

“Call me a hopeless romantic.”

“It’s endearing and, I like that about you.”

[tech-latest-blog]

Today we are living in the world of modernization, the world of technology, where we can’t anything imagine anything without technology. Everyone is familiar with online payments and UPI services, here we are with Top 4 Best UPI apps. Since our Banking Systems are digitalized everything seems so easy and reliable, you can transfer money to anyone in seconds without going to the bank and waiting in a long queue. With mobile banking money transfer become so easy and fast. Everything is happening so fast, immense changes are happening just in an eye blink and so our banking systems are digitalized too.

We all are dependent too much on online banking systems because they provide us an amazingly simple, easy to use, user-friendly UI. We all want comfort, and I don’t think there is anything more comfortable, convenient, and easy than mobile banking. All of us use the various net-banking techniques, we choose various methods to transfer money, but UPI is best among all. Most of the people use a single UPI app or two-three, but they don’t know which service best and which UPI app is more reliable and secure. So, here we are with the top 4 best UPI apps that can be used for safe and quick money transfer.

Top 4 Best UPI Apps in 2020

In this article, we will discuss everything about the top 4 best UPI apps in 2020. Before discussing the best UPI apps, let us understand UPI service clearly, we should what is UPI service and its feature.

What is UPI?

UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is an instant money transferring platform developed by NPCI (National Corporations of India). It is a mobile application, used for instant real-time fund transferring between two banks. The money will be directly debited from the sender’s account and instantly credited to the recipient’s account. You can transfer money immediately by using VPA (Virtual payment address) associated with your UPI ID and linked to your bank account. The complete process is automatized, fast, reliable, and most importantly safe.

Features of UPI apps

UPI apps have some general features and we should know about them, some of them are

Digital Wallet: Digital Wallet is a UPI service that provides convenience to add money into your wallet through which you can finish online transactions.

Ease in Money transferring: UPI services provide us ease in transferring money in seconds. You can send and receive money to and from bank accounts, respectively.

Bill Splitting: With the new UPI service, you can split the money equally without any hassle of counting and billing. let suppose you went for dinner with your friends, so you can easily split the money and pay your piece without being dissatisfied.

Instant Real-Time Based service: For UPI it doesn’t matter whether it is day or night you can transfer money on a real-time basis, anytime anywhere.

Bill Payment and Mobile Recharge: You can complete your Mobile recharges and pay bills (e.g. Electricity bill, Water bill, subscription to any premium service, etc) in a few seconds.

Single app for Multiple Banks: A single UPI app can be used for multiple banks, i.e. if you have multiple bank accounts so you can add all accounts into a single UPI app, don’t worry about installing and using different apps for different bank accounts.

Easy to use and a clean user interface.

Free: Till now all the UPI services are free throughout the country (India). You don’t have to pay for using UPI service, and your bank can’t deduct money for this.

Prerequisite to Apps

Before using UPI apps, you should have basic prerequisite knowledge, some points are discussed below

The first and basic requirement is that you should have a bank account, and the bank should be in the NPCI supported bank list.

A mobile number associated with your bank account.

The bank account should be active for the net banking facility and it should have a debit card too.

The phone number which is associated with the bank account its SIM card should be present on the phone and the SIM card should be activated.

The provided phone number should have sufficient balance to send and receive the message.

Most important a decent smartphone with a stable internet connection.

List of Top 4 Best UPI Apps

So, coming to the main topic and telling you about top 4 best UPI apps in 2020, let’s have a look in the following list

[Note: All these applications are not listed priority wise, each application is best at their own pace, and all are equal from my point of view, these four UPI apps are best among other UPI services and we are directly or indirectly affiliated to any one of them]

PhonePe

PhonePe is another largest payment app used throughout the country. Initially, it was designed and developed for Bangalore based UPI service and later Flipkart integrated with Phone Pe and make it India’s first payment service to be integrated with an e-commerce site. No doubt on the reliability and safety of PhonePe as it holds 54% of total market share. PhonePe is powered by Yes bank and all the responsibility is of Yes bank for carrying UPI service throughout the country with Phone Pe.

Features:

Make instant payments from sending money to recharges and bills.

One app with all services.

It offers multiple Payment modes like BHIM UPI enabled bank account, PhonePe wallet, Debit card, credit card, etc.

Earn great reward, get amazing cashback after paying with PhonePe.

Available in 10+ Indian languages, so you can use the app in your language.

Download it from Here

PhonePe – UPI Payments, Recharges & Money Transfer (Free, Google Play) →

‎PhonePe – India’s Payments App (Free, App Store) →

BHIM

BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money), this app is government-based UPI application, developed and maintained by NPCI. It is the most preferable app among the top 4 best UPI apps It sports a very interactive user interface, that’s the reason people are attracted to it. BHIM being one of the most secure and reliable UPI applications for money transferring, as it is a government-owned application another big reason to trust it.

Features:

Transfer money with a single click.

It comprises of a clear and interactive interface with minimum and useful icons in the background.

It is linked with various banking services including BHIM SBI pay, BHIM Axis pay, etc.

You can Split bills, set reminders for the important payments at free of cost.

As it is a government-owned application, it is much more secure and reliable than any other payment service.

Download it from Here

BHIM – MAKING INDIA CASHLESS (Free, Google Play) →

‎BHIM – Making India Cashless (Free, App Store) →

Google Pay

Google Pay the most secure online payment service developed by tech giant Google, Inc. and formerly it is known as Tez. It is the best, easy to use, and highly secured payment application. You can make quick transactions within few clicks, the app also provides fascinating deals and offers, to earn cashback. You can earn some reward after referring it to friends and family. You can make each kind of a transaction with the help of Google Pay, or GPay, or Tez. Initially, it was integrated only with four banks but after coming into the UPI service list, all the banks available at BHIM UPI are integrated with GPay.

Features:

India’s most secure UPI application, each time you enter the application it will ask for a PIN, and it will also ask for security PIN before making any transaction.

Available in multiple Indian languages.

It is not any wallet; all the transactions are done directly through the bank.

Numerous rewards are available on making different transactions or referring the app to other people.

Support for in-app payments and have various partnered merchants.

Download it from Here

Google Pay: Pay with your phone and send cash (To be announced, Google Play) →

‎Google Pay (Free, App Store) →

Paytm Mobile

Paytm is India’s leading payment gateway that provides payment service throughout the country. We can say Paytm is the first mobile application that launched the concept of online payments in India. But now, it is integrated with several other services too, however, still, it is the most premium and largest using online payment method in India. Its effective and useful features drive its audience craze toward it.

Features:

One of the Best UPI apps that offers cashback on making transactions using it.

It is the first and trustworthy application, people will prefer using Paytm over any other UPI service.

You can easily request a physical Paytm card from the Paytm Payments Bank.

Easy to use UI, transactions can be made in seconds with simple steps.

You can invest in mutual funds or you can convert your money into gold.

Download it from Here

Paytm – BHIM UPI, Money Transfer & Mobile Recharge (Free+, Google Play) →

‎Paytm- Payments & Bank Account (Free, App Store) →

Wrapping Up

As we have tried to choose the best among all and here, we have discussed the top 4 best UPI apps for android and iOS. All these listed applications are exceptionally reliable and highly secure. However, every application has its own advantages and disadvantages, we cannot fully depend on anything. But trust me if you will make any transactions using any one of the above-mentioned apps, you will always be satisfied with their service and with their super simple and interactive user interface.

Read More

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The post Top 4 Best UPI Apps for Reliable Money Transfer appeared first on TechLatest.

via TechLatest

[lebilliam]

111 questions with @imaginationisendless3

001: What is your biggest dream? uhhh. that depends on how you define dream. im gonna go ahead and say that the dream is to be able to wake up and go to the airport and just travel all around and come back home to the same old home at the end of the day

002: What is the bravest thing you've ever done? this q is quite a doozy. i really dont keep track of this kind of stuff

003: Is it hard for you to show your feelings? hell ye

004: What is your dream job? What was your dream job when you were little? when i was little i thought looking at space and being an astronaut would be really cool but now its just being able to travel

005: What is your favorite sound? mechanical keyboard clicking hands down

006: Would you rather be in front of the camera or behind it? wait this q seems familiar but im gonna say in front

007: What do you notice first when you meet a new person? (Both in real and on the internet): what kind of memes they like

008: Is there anybody you *fully* trust?: sure theres a list

009: Do you like / love someone? If yes, who?: there was this cute girl once but i never mustered the courage to really talk to her rip 

010: Have you ever received / sent hate? How do you deal with it?: i flame brian and logan all the time but i dont think that constitutes hate mail. tbh i dont recall an instance of being perturbed by excessive hate

011: What are you going to spend money on next?: food in martinique (or maybe some chacos here)

012: What are three things you never leave your house without?: phone, wallet, jacket

013: What is your favorite place?: ive had a lot of favorite places over the last few years but now that im being asked i cant recall any of them. all my favorite places have this one thing that i dont like about them and thats why i have so many

014: Do you sing and/or dance in front of people? nah not earnestly

015: Have you ever cheated on a test?: have YOU? i say i want to cheat on tests all the time bc itd be so easy but im just too lazy to enact a foolproof cheat strategy

016: What is your current desktop background?: last time it was a bunch of functional groups for Ochem, but now its specific reagents and pathways!

017: How would you describe yourself in 3 words? indecisive, unpredictable, decisive (i thnk)

018: What does make you happy?: honestly?? knowing im appreciated

019: What time were you born? uhh i dont know off the top of my head atm but i can check

020: Do you give second chances? Why? why the fuck NOT? well i say that but all the second chances ive given have been disappointments. trying to find someone to surprise me i guess? xd

021: Name your biggest turn ons and turn offs: serious turn offs are lacking empathy for the struggles of others (i say stop being poor ironically, but there are people who really dont get it which is scary to me). turn ons? Jacinda asked me this and my answer still hasnt changed-- the neck. i ALWAYS go for the jugular

022: When was the last time you hugged someone?: hmmmmm probably last month or so?

023: What is your favorite food? GOD dang it i know i say a lot of things are my favorite but now i cant think of anything. something im always down for is KFC though

024: Do you save money or spend it right away? FUCK i try to save it but money just has a way of leaving my hands

025: Do you have any tattoos? If yes, what are their meanings? If no, would you get any?: id love to get tattoos. sleeves and all those seem really neat but also i know im just rash with decisions like that sometimes

026: Name five things you find beautiful: ooo hair in sunlight, pure moments of unadulterated laughter, crafts that people work on, technology, and mechanical keyboards

027: What is your favorite clothing style? (Both in you and others): lately ive been joking about the CLOUT a lot with champion and supreme branded stuff but its ironic. tbh i like buttonups with nice colors.

028: How do you cheer yourself up? i slid into this girl’s dms with this very question and then i linked her a minecraft song parody so i guess minecraft song parodies and stupid things

029: Do you show affection in public?: i would IF I COULD

030: What is one thing you are looking forward to?: martinique, being refreshed enough to actually care about school bc this last semester was a shitshow

031: Have you ever been to other countries? If yes, where?: france, spain, italy, canada, (japan when i was uber young), vietnam, fircrest

032: What was the last lie you told and why? ill start on this at 2pm. i was still in bed at 2

033: Who are the people you can always turn to? mo, lo

034: Have you ever done drugs? If not, would you ever try them?: it sounds like itd be a cool experience but im also scared all of those horror stories where the drugs were laced with other stuff that turns you into a 4 year old

035: What is your favorite word? i think about the word obsequious a lot but i think my favorite word has to go to discord

036: Do you consider yourself a romantic? sure why not

037: What are 3 objects that are *very* important to you and why?: notes section in my phone ( i write a lot of my thoughts and weird dreams in there), my laptop ( i use it literally every single day), my dice ( bc dnd has been uber helpful to me and its a great pastime)  

038: Have you ever met someone famous? If so, who?: nope! not special

039: What would you like to change, mentally and physically, about yourself? id like to start working out but i say that all the time. id like to be more dedicated to school stuff but honestly its whatever. idk jsut trying to be more confident in myself and smiling more

040: Have you ever won a contest/competition? What for? i won a smash tournament once and i got fourth or third in another one but that was a long time ago

041: What is one illegal thing you would do if there were no consequences? steal, armed robbery. 

042: Who are your favorite fictional characters? borutos dad seems kind of cool, they should make an anime about him or something

043: Do you ever wish you were somebody else? yea i wish i was me but better

044: What is your favorite store to shop at? FUEGO and the runway fashion exchange and idk some other cool store but it doesnt come to mind

045: Do you want to have children one day? How many? How would you name them?: i think about it. having children would be cool but also NOT having kids would be cool

046: How do you cope with stress? How do you vent your anger? i say reee unironically but then it makes me feel better 

047: What do you want for your birthday? honestly? lots of money but idk a new set of dice would be nice ore maybe a new computer

048: Have you ever had an imaginary friend? yea probably

049: Have you ever said "I love you" even though you didn't mean it? in the times ive said it i feel like i have meant it but you can never be too sure

050: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you? starting to write down all your feelings and stuff that happens

051: Do you have any regrets? If yes, what do you regret the most? not taking the opportunity to go to high school/ college early / skipping grades / trying harder on admissions tests

052: Do you find tattoos and/or piercings attractive? theyre pretty neat imo i like them

053: Do you want to get married? What are your views on marriage? marriage is such an old concept but also it seems kind of cool

054: Who are you most comfortable around? tbh its been myself for the last few weeks 

055: What are you wearing right now? What do you wear to bed? i am wearing shorts. i try not to wear too much when i sleep bc i overheat but if i have someone else in bed with me ill wear a thin shirt and shorts

056: When is your birthday? feb 26!

057: What is love to you? love is being able to send memes to each other and being able to go from 2 blobs watching videos to a fancy date and 

058: Are you a jealous person? i can be jealous if i dont trust whatever is happening

059: Would you rather go to a party or stay at home? hmm tbh id probably party if my friends were there or if not id stay at home 

060: How many relationships have you had? quite a few

061: Are you a positive person? sure, i guess ;)

062: What kind of people do you feel attracted to? smart people who are smart but also dumb and cute

063: What is the longest time you've stayed awake? oooowee i think 21 hours or so?

064: Have you ever been told "I don't want to lose you"? yep! proceeded to then lose me!

065: What is your favorite genre when it comes to movies? action comedy

066: Do you collect anything? memories and dust and trinkets

067: In your opinion, what is your best quality? i can make you laugh

068: Have you ever changed for someone?yep! it happens and its sad but it happens

069: What is your idea of a perfect date? a date is the entire day, starting out with waking up next to the person, eating breakfast together, maybe do some errands / work out, netflix and chill, chill, go out for a nice dinner and night out, come back, netflix and chill, chill, go to bed.

070: Are you shy or outgoing? i would love to say im outgoing but idk!

071: In your opinion, what is the secret for a great relationship? surprises everywhere

072: Are you the kind of person who breaks rules? hm im sure i did at some point. maybe i still do?

073: Is it hard for you to trust people? yea it can get a lil hard

074: What does your dream house look like? fat front yard, lots of plants, lots of green grass

075: Do you feel attracted to people your age, younger or older? hmm im at the ripe age of 19 where options younger than me are a lil sketch. idk according to the historia older people have been quality

076: How much have you changed over the past year? a LOT boii

077: Longest friendship you've ever had? hmm about 6 or 7 or 8 years

078: Do you have pets? If not, what animal would you like to have? no pets, id love dogs

079: Are you left or right handed? ambidextrous

080: What talent do you wish you’d been born with? perfect pitch would help a lot with what i like to do

081: Where do you get motivation and inspiration? minecraft parody songs, also seeing professionals doing what they do

082: Do you know how to swim? If yes, when did you learn? yea, i learned when i was in bellingham and then i learned more when i was in kent

083: You are given one wish: What do you wish for? i wish for 100 million dollars with no inflation, no taxes, no debts, no one filing a lawsuit or slandering my name (this is all a part of getting the 100 mil. ive thought about getting money a lot)

084: Do you like to give / receive flowers? What is your favorite flower? i like giving flowers bc i feel like if i receive them,  i dont know what to do. its now ur problem if i get you flowers

085: Would you rather travel to a cold forest or a warm beach? warm beach if its not in the early morning when the sun rises, otherwise, forest

086: What is one thing you can't forgive, that can destroy a friendship or relationship beyond repair? if u kill me i dont think i could get over that

087: What is the last thing you purchased? corsair mouse

088: Have you ever broken someone's heart? Ever gotten your heart broken? yep and yep

089: Have you ever cheated on someone? Ever been cheated on? no and yes

090: Do you believe in soulmates? uhhh its possible. theres 8 billion people on this planet, what are the odds that soulmates DOnt exist

091: Is there anybody you would do absolutely *anything* for? If yes, who? hmmmm not anything, but id do a fair bit for my friends

092: Share three facts about your life.: i like to eat, make friends, and travel/experience other cultures

093: Do you believe in love at first sight? i do, but most of the time it isnt reciprocated ;p

094: Would you date someone who smokes / drinks / does drugs / has a mental illness? yea, i dont see why that would stop me from dating them

095: You are given 15 minutes of fame: What would you do? ask for money

096: How is your dream partner like? shes funny, makes me laugh, smells good, etc

097: Would you rather commit to one person or have several relationships? id rather have several relationships so i know exactly what im looking for in a person.

098: What are some of your hobbies? league, hearthstone, watching people play league and hearthstone, french, etc

099: What kind of person do you want to be? i want to be the cool old person when im old

100: What did you have for breakfast? i had some vietnamese cuisine

101: What is your Top 3 favorite shows? What was your Top 3 favorite shows when you were a kid? the office is something i enjoy, mythbusters, uh scooby doo? idk 

102: What are three places you *really* would like to visit one day? hmmm maybe the trevi fountain, il duomo, totally la sagrada familia 

103: What was your last meal? What was your last beverage? breakfast, water

104: Who is the last person you had a deep conversation with? hmm probably anastasia

105: What is one thing that made you smile today? thinking about martinique

106: Do you like taking photos? If yes, what do you photograph the most?i love taking photos, but i never have subjects so i dont really take photos too often

107: Has anyone ever written a poem or a song dedicated to you? Have you? FHCk man i wish. wait there was a 100 things i like about you and i think about it all the time. i actually have written poems and stuff but tis been a  long time and i dont think my creative juices are back from that yet (but trust me, it was straight fire)

108: Do you remember your dreams? If yes, what was the last dream you remember about?: i remember almost all of my dreams because i always tell someone about them and idk talking helps me remember things 

109: If you could go back in the past, would you change anything? If yes, what? i would start learning things so much earlier and stick with theme

110: If you were given 3 million dollars, what would you do with them? invest 2 mill in the bank, get that monthly interest coming back in the mail, use that mill to pay off all my and my friends debts, live life the way i wished i could when i was little

111: What are a few facts about you that not many people know of? i like learning languages but its not profitable in this day and age i feel

'111 Questions': by Ira V. Simon (priveting)

[caffeineivore]

Mojito

Senshi/shitennou (specifically A/Z this time), AU Angst, Crime, Drinks. Written a few years back for ficathon. PG-13.

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

“Every life has one true love snapshot.” - Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven

***

It’s not much of a bar, really. There are no pool tables, no jukeboxes playing twangy country songs about love gone wrong. There are no dance or karaoke stages, no busty shot girls, not even four full walls. The sign overhead is in simple block letters, not a hint of neon lighting to be seen. The Crossroads is an unobtrusive little oasis in the midst of O’Hare’s busy terminals, and Zavier, though he meets and serves people from all walks of life, keeps himself separate from them-- a polite arms’ length at all times. He doesn’t doubt that they all have fascinating histories and tales to tell, but it’s better and safer this way.

He’s just cashing out a harried-looking businessman whose death grip on his iPad wasn’t ever relinquished, even for a second, through the course of two Sazerac’s, when she walks in.

Zavier’s first impression of her is understated class. Quietly expensive sapphire studs in her ears. A slim silver wrist-watch. Her carry-on luggage matches her purse precisely, though neither are emblazoned with flashy hardware or designer labels. A slim figure in a dark blue cashmere coat. Black hair. A heart-shaped face that is all sad blue eyes. Nervous hands with sensibly short nails.

Ten years ago, she would have meant not much more to him than one picked pocket or brandished switchblade away from quick cash.

Now, something about her catches his attention.

“I’d like a glass of Sancerre, please,” she tells him as she takes a seat at the bar. “Or just-- I don’t know-- whatever dry white wine you have available.”

She looks young-- early twenties, perhaps a few years younger than himself-- but that’s not the only reason he quirks a smile and asks for ID. The driver’s license shows her name to be Anderson, Amy M.,with an address in one of the ritzy towers on North Lake Shore Drive, aged twenty-two as of September 10th. She looks up into his face and he swears that he can feel the faint scar-- the location of a former teardrop tattoo and a souvenir of the fateful knife-fight eight years back that had landed him in prison-- on his left cheekbone throbbing.

Instead, he focuses on her, cocks his head to the side. “You don’t seem so sure of what you want.”

“Well, I’m not too much for the party scene, I’m afraid,” Amy M. Anderson murmurs, fiddles with the leather handle of her purse. “I’ve had wine on a few formal occasions, and I know that I like white better than red. I wouldn’t know what to order otherwise, you see? And... this sounds so terrible, but I think I just need a little... boost, if you will. To get on the plane.”

“I’ll make you something nice,” he tells her gently. “You’re usually one who knows what you want, I think. But this-- as you say-- this isn’t quite your scene.” He picks up a clean highball glass and some lime, some mint leaves. Something about her cool, fresh beauty suits a drink with a bit more class, takes a bit more skill, than a typical, ordinary fruity concoction. Many bartenders dislike making mojitos-- there is such a delicate balance when muddling mint and limes to release their essence without damaging them-- they take too much time and effort. The drink he slides across the bar a few moments later sparkles, brilliantly green mint leaves and lime wedges in perfect suspension in the iced soda and rum. She takes a cautious sip, then smiles faintly up into his equally green eyes.

“It’s good,” Amy M. Anderson says as she takes another sip. “You’re good at this. How did you guess? You must have a lot of experience working in bars.”

Zavier chuffs out a soft, self-deprecating laugh. “Not exactly. That is a long, boring story. Not good for a busy airport. Where are you headed?”

“Baltimore,” she answers, taking another sip of her drink. “I’m in my first year of medical school there, at Hopkins.” Another sad, sweet smile. “My plane’s running a bit late due to the weather, but that’s not really why I came here for a-- what is this drink called, by the way?”

“Mojito,” Zavier answers. Medical school in Baltimore. A North Side address. For all they might be residents of the same city, it’s a completely different world. And yet he has the oddest feeling that if she knew, she’d never judge him. Nonetheless, he has never been so grateful that the job requires long sleeves. “It’s made with rum and mint, mainly. And medical school is hard. I don’t think it’s unusual to be nervous.”

“It’s not the courseload,” Amy murmurs, staring down into the glass. “I have never been fazed by hard work, or difficult material. It’s just... not quite what I expected. None of my friends are going to school there. I’m okay with being alone, most of the time, but...” A sigh softer than a snowflake landing on a windowsill, “I never expected medical students to be so-- so arrogant, so elitist. We’re supposed to be the best of the best, studying at the top school to learn how to do good work and save lives. Instead, some of them will actually go out of their way to sabotage each other to make themselves look better. One girl in one of my classes had all of her notes for a whole term shredded.”

The cutthroat mentality, unfortunately, is one that Zavier knows all too well. In the mean streets of the South Side, it had been a way to stay safe-- attack before you are attacked, gain equally mean and untrustworthy peers for the protection of numbers. In prison, it had been a way to buck the system, to gain the respect of other inmates. Being hard often meant the difference between survival and destruction-- hitting first meant you were left alone. Any act of disrespect or defiance demanded retribution, and the cycle could be never-ending.

He watches her finish her drink as he ponders what to say. “You can’t let that get to you,” he finally says, idly wiping down the scant length of the bar. His fingers almost brush hers. “That way lies trouble. I know that many times, it’s easier to be angry than to be peaceful. Stay away from those sorts and protect yourself, but-- know that you’re better. And know that you will make it.” He takes her empty glass and meets her gaze, and smiles-- not the typical customer-service smile-- but as though trying to reassure her that there were still good things in the world-- cool drinks and spotlessly white snowfall and a future where she’ll save lives and he... he’ll perhaps make something of himself. There’s less than a foot between their faces-- he has no right to come any closer. So he straightens and wills himself not to stare at the way the rum brings a flush to her cheeks. “Someday, you’ll save those lives and help all the people whom you’ve always wanted to help. And everything else won’t matter.”

She cocks her head to the side and returns his smile, and he has the feeling he’s seeing something rare and precious as her lips quirk up. “You’re quite wise,” she says softly. “I don’t think you’re much older than I am, but you seem like you know a lot. Met a lot of people, experienced a lot of things.”

“Yes.” He doesn’t elaborate. She wouldn’t be shocked and appalled, he doesn’t think, but it is precisely the trust in those wide blue eyes that has him feeling ashamed of his past. Trust isn’t something often handed to him-- he can count with the fingers on one hand the number of people who’ve truly trusted him in his twenty-four years. And never before had it been so easily, willingly given. “I... I suppose I’m pretty good at reading people.” Not really in the best of ways, though, and he can’t bring himself to admit it to her.

“That’s a skill I wish I had more of,” she laughs softly. “Well, I appreciate the pep talk,” Amy M. Anderson reaches into her tidy purse, slides an American Express across the counter. Her signature belies the stereotype of doctors and their terrible handwriting, and she leaves a generous tip. She puts the card back into her wallet, but proffers a slim hand. “Thank you-- and, oh, I never did catch your name.”

“Zavier. Zavier Reyes.” Despite the winter gloom outside and the chilled glass she’d been holding, her hand is warm and soft in his. On impulse, instead of shaking it, he brings her hand up to his lips for a kiss, and is then charmed at the way her cheeks flush crimson. “Perhaps we’ll meet again.”

“I-- I’d like that,” she draws back and picks up her things. “Thank you, again.” She gets up from her seat, but instead of leaving right away, stands by the stool for a moment and smiles. “I feel a bit better now. Maybe someday I’ll be able to return the favour.”

He doesn’t let that give him any sort of hope, but he meets her gaze and nods. “Have a safe flight, Miss Anderson.”

“Amy.” With that, she makes her way out of the Crossroads, and he watches her until she disappears around a corner. He glances up at the big blue screen which lists all incoming and outgoing domestic flights, notes the estimated time of arrival for the next one out to Baltimore, and temporarily puts it out of his mind as he pulls a Budweiser draft for his next customer.

He doesn’t let himself think about it until he finishes his shift, and makes his way from O’Hare to the South Side on the Blue Line. It’s a long trip on a mostly empty train, and it’s easy for his mind to wander. Amy has no idea that the long sleeves of his shirt conceal old gang tattoos, or that he is on the final year of his probation. When she was probably busy studying for her PSATs, he was getting sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to assault with a deadly weapon after a gang fight gone south as opposed to getting charged with attempted murder. Undoubtedly, she’d spent her senior year of high school interviewing with colleges, while he’d spent a good three months of what would have been his in Administrative Segregation in a prison six hours away from Chicago, angry and defiant and unrepentant, getting into fights and running the illicit tobacco racket on the inside.

It had been an ambush by two older, harder felons armed with homemade shanks which had landed him in the hospital wing for more than a month. He’d woken up to see Warden Shana Maynard sitting in a chair by the cot, looking down at him with inscrutable dark eyes.

“You know, Reyes, there’s only one route for you if you keep doing things the way you’re doing right now.” She doesn’t mince words. “I’ve seen people die in here. They’re oftentimes too young, too healthy, to go when they do. It’s never pretty.” Briskly, she hands him a water cup from the stand next to the cot. His hands are chained to the railing, so she holds it so he can sip through the straw. “You almost did, you know. They stabbed you five times. Twenty-seven stitches total, and one of the cuts missed your heart by an inch. You keep doing this, your luck will run out real quick.”

He can’t hold that searing, intense gaze, and looks away. His eyes land on a book on the stand. Hers follow, and out of the corner of his eye, he can see an enigmatic smile.

“It’s called Terra Nostra-- Our Earth. It’s written by a Mexican author-- I think you’ll like it. Learn something about your world, be proud of your roots. I’m leaving it here with you.” Usually, when dealing with particularly difficult prisoners, there are at least three officers on hand when handcuffs are removed. Perhaps the Warden is foolish, or just very brave. Instead of calling in any COs, she stands, an elegant woman in a dark suit who’d look more at home in a boardroom than anywhere associated with the Illinois Department of Corrections, then reaches over Zavier’s wrist and unlocks them herself. “Think about what you’re doing with the rest of your life, Reyes. You’re not even eighteen yet. Don’t be stupid and throw it all away.”

He ends up cracking the book open out of sheer boredom a few hours later. And then doesn’t set it down until lights-out. During his recovery, almost miraculously, a new book would always appear on the nightstand just as he’d be close to finishing the old one. And when he was moved back to his cell, there was a copy of Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment that had not been there before waiting for him.

By the time that he had been up for parole, he’d managed to get his GED and a good start on college-level courses. It had been the Warden who’d introduced him to Damien Churchill, who would become his parole officer, and then Damien who’d found him a job and a place to live.

Now, Zavier disembarks from the Clark-Lake stop on the Blue Line and transfers to the Orange Line, which will take him the rest of the way home. The Osa-P Jewelry Store in Chinatown is only a few blocks down Cermak from his old haunts, but the area is free of graffiti and drive-by shootings. Nonetheless, he wonders sometimes that Mrs. Oh, his landlady, trusts him not to case the place. It’s one of many small mercies that he’s grateful for but has little right to expect, at least not yet.

The snow falls silently outside as he leaves the station, and a nearby clock chimes the hour. Amy M. Anderson, with her delicate hands and her clear, soft eyes, would be in Baltimore by now. Zavier stuffs his hands into his pockets as he treks the few blocks to his flat, and wistfully thinks of his mother’s injunction-- every Sunday when he visits her-- to find himself a nice girl.

He has no right to think of the lovely, wistful Amy M. Anderson in that way, because she’s making something of herself, and it is bordering on sacrilege for someone so tainted to crave something so pure. Indeed, she’s just one of countless people who pass through the Crossroads in O’Hare. He may never see her again.

The wind picks up, and perhaps it is his imagination, but he can almost catch a whiff of fresh peppermint, cool and bracing, and he straightens and quickens his steps. He may never see her again, but if he does, hopefully it will be in a time and place where he can look into her eyes without shame.

Someday...

[apersonalone]

Do the last half of the asks 🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳

BOI 100: Do I have more girl friends or boy friends? Used to be more girls but it's more guys now I think 101: Who do I get on with better, girls or boys? Both 102: Where was I born? Dewsbury in Yorkshire 103: Sexual orientation? Bi 104: Where do I currently live? Stirling mostly! 105: Last person I texted? You 106: Last time I cried? Today but it was because of a book lmao 107: Guilty pleasure? Ghost adventures & licking crisps 108: Favourite Youtuber? Shane or tana cause I'm trash 109: A photo of myself. I've sent you many today lmao 110: Do I like selfies? Sometimes Ye 111: Favourite game app? Don't have any so idk, pool probably 112: My relationship with my parents? Good! Bit wary a lot of the time but it's good when I'm not staying at mums 113: Favourite accents? RUSSIAN (and American but I'm still gonna pretend to hate it) 114: A place I have not been but wish to visit? Canada 115: Favourite number? 3, 4, 7, 12 & 42 116: Can I juggle? NO it's always annoyed me 117: Am I religious? Kinda a little bit 118: Do I like space? YE119: Do I like the deep ocean? YE 120: Am I much of a daredevil? Nah 121: Am I allergic to anything? Too many things but they're all v small 122: Can I curl my tongue? Yep 123: Can I wiggle my ears? Nope :( 124: Do I like clowns? NO 125: The Beatles or Elvis? Ahhhh they're so different to me but the Beatles for the memories 126: My current project? A book 127: Am I a bad loser? Oh yeah 128: Do I admit when I wrong? Depends if the other person is smug or not lmao129: Forest or beach? Forest 130: Favourite piece of advice? Not sure 131: Am I a good liar? Nah 132: Hogwarts house / Divergent faction / Hunger Games district? Ravenclaw / erudite or amity / not sure one of the fishing ones probs 133: Do I talk to myself? All the fucking timeeeeee134: Am I very social? If I know the people Ye 135: Do I like gossip? Yea if I'm not involved lmao 136: Do I keep a journal/diary? Yep always have 137: Have I ever hopelessly failed a test? Yeah 138: Do I believe in second chances? Yes 139: If I found a wallet full of cash on the ground, what would I do? Fffffft idk id probably hand it in for fear of getting caught or if I saw their face on a card or smth, slightly worried I'd justify it if there was anonymity in it 140: Do I believe people are capable of change? Yeah almost always 141: Have I ever been underweight? When I was very young (like 4 or 5) & as a baby but never drastically 142: Am I ticklish? Yes pls never tickle me I hate it 143: Have I ever been in a submarine? No but I'd LOVE THAT 144: Have I ever been on a plane? Yeeeeee love it145: In a film about my life, who would I cast as myself, friends and family? Oh fuck knows lmao probs Jonah Hill & a bunch of b99 actors lmao 146: Have I ever been overweight? Fuck YE BUDDY 147: Do I have any piercings? just ears 148: Which fictional character do I wish was real? CHEKOV, CHEKOV, CHEKOOOOOOOOV 149: Do I have any tattoos? Nope 150: What is the best decision I have made in life so far? Stirling 151: Do I believe in Karma? Yes 152: Do I wear glasses or contacts? Glasses 153: What was my first car? Don't have oneeee154: Do I want children? Yeah 2+ 155: Who is the most intelligent person I know? Not sure, most people I know are intelligent in different ways 156: My most embarrassing memory? NAH 157: What makes me nostalgic? Broxburn158: Have I ever pulled an all-nighter? Lmao 159: Which do I value more in others, brains or beauty? Brains ig, my version of beauty is a little bit skewed I think based on other people's preferences 160: What colour mostly dominates my wardrobe? Blue 161: Have I ever had a paranormal experience? Yea buddy 162: What do I hate most about myself? Appearance 163: What do I love most about myself? Imagination 164: Do I like adventure? Yes but I'm lazy 165: Do I believe in fate? Yes 166: Favourite animal? Not sure?? Anything fluffy and bigger than me is great 167: Have I ever been on radio? Nope 168: Have I ever been on TV? Yeah 169: How old am I? 19 170: One of my favourite quotes? Can't think of one off the top of my head 171: Do I hold grudges? Yeah but without noticing 172: Do I trust easily? Kinda 173: Have I learnt from my mistakes? Fuck nahhh 174: Best gift I’ve ever received? NZ175: Do I dream? All the time but they're often boring or vaguely symbolic & I don't like either 176: Have I ever had a night terror? Ye 177: Do I remember my dreams, and what is one that comes to mind? Had one once that every object in my house was alive & it was an experience 178: An experience that has made me stronger? Idk I tend not to learn from things until they pop up again & I feel like this is the same, I'm not very good at thinking realistically about current situations 179: If I were immortal, what would I do? Go for it 180: Do I like shopping? Not for clothes but anything else yeah 181: If I could get away with a crime, what would I choose to do? Major corp fraud 182: What does “family” mean to me? Forgiveness 183: What is my spirit animal? Idk snake probs 184: How do I want to be remembered? Empathy 185: If I could master one skill, what would I choose? Writingggg186: What is my greatest failure? Mhm nah187: What is my greatest achievement? Lasting & accepting friendship 188: Love or money? Love 189: Love or career? Mmmm that ones more difficult, if career means success then love, but if it means doing something you enjoy then career ig? 190: If I could time travel, where and when would I want to go? Boringly probs to my grandparents in their youth 191: What makes me the happiest? Plots 192: What is “home” to me? Somewhere you're happy 193: What motivates me? Being stubborn lmao 194: If I could choose my last words, what would they be? I'd be lame and probs quote Star Trek 195: Would I ever want to encounter aliens? HELL FUCKIN YEA 196: A movie that scared me as a child? Spirited away & Saw 197: Something I hated as a child that I like now? Sleeping 198: Zombies or vampires? Uhhh zombies 199: Live in the city or suburbs? Suburbs when I have children but rn the city 200: Dragons or wizards? Dragons 201: A nightmare that has stayed with me? 202: How do I define love? Dk how to describe it but you just know 203: Do I judge a book by its cover? Yeah 204: Have I ever had my heart broken? Yeah 205: Do I like my handwriting? Nope 206: Sweet or savoury? Savoury 207: Worst job I’ve had? Spoons 208: Do I collect anything? Notebooks 209: Item of clothing or jewellery you’ll never see me without? Ankle socks 210: What is on my bucket list? Northern lights 211: How do I handle anger? Poorly, often a lot of things I'm feeling translates to anger and that usually means not speaking & getting upset 212: Was I named after anyone? Some actress for my old middle name, this time no but two James Potter and James T Kirk are both people I'd want to be lmao 213: Do I use sarcasm a lot? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo of course not 214: What TV character am I most like? Foggy nelson 215: What is the weirdest talent I have? I can make my knees look like babies & mum finds it hysterical 216: Favourite fictional character? Chekov, Sulu & Remus don't make me choose

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Pierre Rochard: “Lightning Adoption Will Basically Mirror Bitcoin Adoption”

Pierre Rochard: “Lightning Adoption Will Basically Mirror Bitcoin Adoption”

Lightning is a second-layer solution for the Bitcoin blockchain that addresses the scaling issues surrounding it today.

Similar to Bitcoin, Lightning is an open-source protocol in which anyone can contribute to. Whether it is through programming and developing applications or setting up a node, participation in Lightning is not just accessible. It’s welcomed.

The Lightning community is already vibrant and growing every day. Pierre Rochard is one person who has already cemented his place in the Bitcoin community as a strong advocate for the digital currency, founding the Bitcoin Advisory in 2013. More recently, his work with Lightning has garnered plenty of attention through his suite of Lightning applications. Specifically, Rochard’s Lightning plug-in integration for Microsoft Excel showed the world that Lightning has a place in commonly used applications.

The Lightning plug-in uses neutrino, a sidechain solution whose purpose is to allow for interaction with Bitcoin’s global transaction history without downloading the entire blockchain. Specifically, neutrino was designed to facilitate this on devices with low-power processors, limited storage or bandwidth, and intermittent power — essentially, a good fit for an Excel spreadsheet.

As for the use-case of this application, Rochard has mentioned in the past that it is for “power users” who are highly familiar with the technologies being used and not for the everyday user. Nonetheless, its general purpose is to send Lightning payments from an Excel spreadsheet.

Rochard’s suite of Lightning applications is a testament to the progress being made in developing Bitcoin’s second-layer solution in the first year of its existence. In the following interview with Bitcoin Magazine, Rochard discusses his Lightning plugin as well as the bigger picture of Lightning as it relates to the global adoption of Bitcoin.

In the months since he announced that this plugin can run a full node within the spreadsheet. Rochard has created a node launcher GUI to help people set up a Lightning and Bitcoin node locally for the plugin to connect.

“My initial experimentation with the Excel plugin was that it would have a Lightning node bundled with it and running inside of it, using Neutrino instead of a full node,” said Rochard. But there was a problem with that set-up. Neutrino is not implemented on mainnet, so it can’t be used with real bitcoins yet, meaning that no one would be able to use the Excel plugin with real bitcoins.

Neutrino versus Full Node

Satoshi’s white paper describes a process called “simple payment verification” (SPV). But SPVs have never actually been implemented.

Instead, Rochard explains, the Bitcoin community has settled for “compromises that are SPV-ish.”

Right now, using this compromise process, a wallet will send a list of transaction IDs to a node and query all information relating to those transaction IDs. The trick is that not all of those transaction IDs that the SPV wallet is sending to the node are actually from the SPV wallet. Instead, the list includes a bunch of random information in addition to the actual queries it’s actually interested in. This action is meant to preserve some privacy since the node doesn’t know which piece of information is the specific piece it is looking for. It just knows it’s somewhere in there, hidden in a crowd of other bits of information.

Still, however, Rochard pointed out that few mobile wallets actually implemented this process. “Instead, most of them are basically contacting a trusted server that is just the specific addresses that its interested in and then it receives information back on this. So that provides zero privacy.”

With Neutrino, the full node sends what’s called a “block filter,” which is essentially a short summary of a bitcoin block, to the “light client” and checks if specific transactions or addresses of interest have a match in this filter.

“If they do,” said Rochard, “then we’re going to request the full block and download that and then extract the data from it. So that, essentially, means you have way more privacy because now the full node doesn’t know what specific transactions in that block got your interest because there’s thousands of transactions in a block.”

Of course, Neutrino isn’t as secure as the Bitcoin blockchain itself. Specifically, it doesn’t validate all protocol rules, it just checks the transactions in a specific block. In other words, it doesn’t verify the 21 million bitcoin limit, which opens up doors to compromises on security.

“I would strongly emphasize that there is simply no substitute for running your own full node,” said Rochard. “Really, the Neutrino functionality is kind of a convenience/UX improvement, but it it does compromise on the properties of Bitcoin.” That was the other motivation for this node launcher that Rochard created. He wants the people with the bandwidth capabilities to run a full node to be able to do so.

“I think that we should have the UI for every platform and in every programming language and we should really have as many UIs as possible. As it relates to which ones are going to be most used, that’s an area where I want maximum amount of competition and where really I embrace pluralism and would be against tribalism, which is unusual for me because I’m usually very tribalistic with my Bitcoin maximalism.”

When it comes to the Lightning UI, however, Rochard is far less “tribalistic.”

“I’m an alt-UI, Multi UI proponent, and the reason is that we’re going to want to onboard the full spectrum of users. From people who are using Lightning on their mobile wallet, to the people that are using Lightning in a Chrome extension with Joule to people who are using Lightning in an Excel spreadsheet with my plugin. Wherever the user is most comfortable and wherever it is most practical and simple for them, I want there to be a wallet for them.”

The Future of Lightning: Overcoming Bottlenecks to Adoption

“I think that Lightning’s adoption is going to basically mirror bitcoin’s adoption; and bitcoin’s adoption comes from a very grassroots source. It’s not like a top-down thing,” said Rochard. “We’ve even seen Bitcoin businesses emerge from grassroots users for the most part. Someone becomes a Bitcoin enthusiast [gets] into the ecosystem and then starts a Bitcoin-related service where they see a gap. That’s kind of been the general path.”

Rochard projects that the growth of Lightning will follow a similar path, but first, users will need tools that allow them to work with the protocol.

“You have people who are Bitcoin enthusiasts who are like, ‘Oh, what’s this neat, layer-two, offchain network that people are buzzing about on Twitter? I’m gonna go check that out. Now, I use Windows — I have no technical capabilities and I don’t know how to use a command line, so I can’t get on Lightning today. Oh, Pierre came out with a node launcher. Okay, now I can get on Lightning.’

“And that’s that’s how the process is going to happen. At first it’s going to be ten people, then a hundred people and then a thousand people.”

Adoption Through Infrastructure

Participating in a recent Lightning residency at Chaincode Labs was a pivotal moment for Rochard and turned him from being “cautiously bullish” to a “cult-member, indoctrinated-fanatic” of Lightning.

There, he met a software developer at Bitmex who gave the impression that, while Lightning was on Bitmex’s radar, it wasn’t a priority from a development perspective.

“Now within the next couple of years, they’re going to have a Lightning feature,” Rochard suggested. “That much is clear. So, I think that, you know, it’s not within the next six months but within the next few years, exchanges are going to have Lightning features.

“Now the question is: How useful are these? Because if it’s to deposit $20 worth of bitcoins, that’s not useful for anyone. On top of figuring out how useful this is for exchanges, it’s just too early right now. If we want thousands of dollars being transacted on Lightning in payments, we need to have atomic multipaths worked out among other things.”

Looking ahead, Rochard said that, when it comes to exchanges, Lightning adoption will continue to evolve; users will find themselves using bitcoin on-chain in the meantime. In the future, however, as the capacity of the Lightning Network increases, using Lightning for everyday transactions on exchanges will become automatic.

“In five years, it’s going to the the case that you’re no longer going to be able to use bitcoin at an exchange without using Lightning, but that’s much longer term.”

Original Source https://ift.tt/2rL73Rn

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Pierre Rochard: “Lightning Adoption Will Basically Mirror Bitcoin Adoption”

Pierre Rochard: “Lightning Adoption Will Basically Mirror Bitcoin Adoption”

Lightning is a second-layer solution for the Bitcoin blockchain that addresses the scaling issues surrounding it today.

Similar to Bitcoin, Lightning is an open-source protocol in which anyone can contribute to. Whether it is through programming and developing applications or setting up a node, participation in Lightning is not just accessible. It’s welcomed.

The Lightning community is already vibrant and growing every day. Pierre Rochard is one person who has already cemented his place in the Bitcoin community as a strong advocate for the digital currency, founding the Bitcoin Advisory in 2013. More recently, his work with Lightning has garnered plenty of attention through his suite of Lightning applications. Specifically, Rochard’s Lightning plug-in integration for Microsoft Excel showed the world that Lightning has a place in commonly used applications.

The Lightning plug-in uses neutrino, a sidechain solution whose purpose is to allow for interaction with Bitcoin’s global transaction history without downloading the entire blockchain. Specifically, neutrino was designed to facilitate this on devices with low-power processors, limited storage or bandwidth, and intermittent power — essentially, a good fit for an Excel spreadsheet.

As for the use-case of this application, Rochard has mentioned in the past that it is for “power users” who are highly familiar with the technologies being used and not for the everyday user. Nonetheless, its general purpose is to send Lightning payments from an Excel spreadsheet.

Rochard’s suite of Lightning applications is a testament to the progress being made in developing Bitcoin’s second-layer solution in the first year of its existence. In the following interview with Bitcoin Magazine, Rochard discusses his Lightning plugin as well as the bigger picture of Lightning as it relates to the global adoption of Bitcoin.

In the months since he announced that this plugin can run a full node within the spreadsheet. Rochard has created a node launcher GUI to help people set up a Lightning and Bitcoin node locally for the plugin to connect.

“My initial experimentation with the Excel plugin was that it would have a Lightning node bundled with it and running inside of it, using Neutrino instead of a full node,” said Rochard. But there was a problem with that set-up. Neutrino is not implemented on mainnet, so it can’t be used with real bitcoins yet, meaning that no one would be able to use the Excel plugin with real bitcoins.

Neutrino versus Full Node

Satoshi’s white paper describes a process called “simple payment verification” (SPV). But SPVs have never actually been implemented.

Instead, Rochard explains, the Bitcoin community has settled for “compromises that are SPV-ish.”

Right now, using this compromise process, a wallet will send a list of transaction IDs to a node and query all information relating to those transaction IDs. The trick is that not all of those transaction IDs that the SPV wallet is sending to the node are actually from the SPV wallet. Instead, the list includes a bunch of random information in addition to the actual queries it’s actually interested in. This action is meant to preserve some privacy since the node doesn’t know which piece of information is the specific piece it is looking for. It just knows it’s somewhere in there, hidden in a crowd of other bits of information.

Still, however, Rochard pointed out that few mobile wallets actually implemented this process. “Instead, most of them are basically contacting a trusted server that is just the specific addresses that its interested in and then it receives information back on this. So that provides zero privacy.”

With Neutrino, the full node sends what’s called a “block filter,” which is essentially a short summary of a bitcoin block, to the “light client” and checks if specific transactions or addresses of interest have a match in this filter.

“If they do,” said Rochard, “then we’re going to request the full block and download that and then extract the data from it. So that, essentially, means you have way more privacy because now the full node doesn’t know what specific transactions in that block got your interest because there’s thousands of transactions in a block.”

Of course, Neutrino isn’t as secure as the Bitcoin blockchain itself. Specifically, it doesn’t validate all protocol rules, it just checks the transactions in a specific block. In other words, it doesn’t verify the 21 million bitcoin limit, which opens up doors to compromises on security.

“I would strongly emphasize that there is simply no substitute for running your own full node,” said Rochard. “Really, the Neutrino functionality is kind of a convenience/UX improvement, but it it does compromise on the properties of Bitcoin.” That was the other motivation for this node launcher that Rochard created. He wants the people with the bandwidth capabilities to run a full node to be able to do so.

“I think that we should have the UI for every platform and in every programming language and we should really have as many UIs as possible. As it relates to which ones are going to be most used, that’s an area where I want maximum amount of competition and where really I embrace pluralism and would be against tribalism, which is unusual for me because I’m usually very tribalistic with my Bitcoin maximalism.”

When it comes to the Lightning UI, however, Rochard is far less “tribalistic.”

“I’m an alt-UI, Multi UI proponent, and the reason is that we’re going to want to onboard the full spectrum of users. From people who are using Lightning on their mobile wallet, to the people that are using Lightning in a Chrome extension with Joule to people who are using Lightning in an Excel spreadsheet with my plugin. Wherever the user is most comfortable and wherever it is most practical and simple for them, I want there to be a wallet for them.”

The Future of Lightning: Overcoming Bottlenecks to Adoption

“I think that Lightning’s adoption is going to basically mirror bitcoin’s adoption; and bitcoin’s adoption comes from a very grassroots source. It’s not like a top-down thing,” said Rochard. “We’ve even seen Bitcoin businesses emerge from grassroots users for the most part. Someone becomes a Bitcoin enthusiast [gets] into the ecosystem and then starts a Bitcoin-related service where they see a gap. That’s kind of been the general path.”

Rochard projects that the growth of Lightning will follow a similar path, but first, users will need tools that allow them to work with the protocol.

“You have people who are Bitcoin enthusiasts who are like, ‘Oh, what’s this neat, layer-two, offchain network that people are buzzing about on Twitter? I’m gonna go check that out. Now, I use Windows — I have no technical capabilities and I don’t know how to use a command line, so I can’t get on Lightning today. Oh, Pierre came out with a node launcher. Okay, now I can get on Lightning.’

“And that’s that’s how the process is going to happen. At first it’s going to be ten people, then a hundred people and then a thousand people.”

Adoption Through Infrastructure

Participating in a recent Lightning residency at Chaincode Labs was a pivotal moment for Rochard and turned him from being “cautiously bullish” to a “cult-member, indoctrinated-fanatic” of Lightning.

There, he met a software developer at Bitmex who gave the impression that, while Lightning was on Bitmex’s radar, it wasn’t a priority from a development perspective.

“Now within the next couple of years, they’re going to have a Lightning feature,” Rochard suggested. “That much is clear. So, I think that, you know, it’s not within the next six months but within the next few years, exchanges are going to have Lightning features.

“Now the question is: How useful are these? Because if it’s to deposit $20 worth of bitcoins, that’s not useful for anyone. On top of figuring out how useful this is for exchanges, it’s just too early right now. If we want thousands of dollars being transacted on Lightning in payments, we need to have atomic multipaths worked out among other things.”

Looking ahead, Rochard said that, when it comes to exchanges, Lightning adoption will continue to evolve; users will find themselves using bitcoin on-chain in the meantime. In the future, however, as the capacity of the Lightning Network increases, using Lightning for everyday transactions on exchanges will become automatic.

“In five years, it’s going to the the case that you’re no longer going to be able to use bitcoin at an exchange without using Lightning, but that’s much longer term.”

Original Source https://ift.tt/2rL73Rn