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#i would put up with that blue filter forever if they wanted to stay there
lovecolibri · 2 years
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SaL anon here bestie, having enjoyed your morning salt. Tragically I'd call this one of the best episodes this season, thanks the Kyle, as always, setting everyone straight and focusing on what matters (who do you think is the heart of the show again writers?). Looking forward to more of your salty thoughts later, but as usual I'm here to provide RNM bullshit: science edition. So first off any well researched science points the episode might have had (it had none) are automatically null and void
due to Liz bringing back the cursed phrase "the science". I look forward to never having to hear that again when the show ends. Next, in the Liz and Max scene with the pods she mentions "Hawkins radiation" and "Lagrange multipliers" which are in fact real things. Sadly they have absolutely nothing to do with Liz's current resurrection research unless her plan was to detect and throw the dead frog into a black hole to bring it back to life (probably a plot the writers considered). Here's the thing writers, being a scientist doesn't grant you mystical in depth knowledge if every field in science. Liz is not an expert in general relativity because she has a degree in biochemistry (and after the "ionized proton" remark I have serious concerns about the chemistry part of that). Finally, the second Liz and Shivani talk. *me seeing the chemical structures on the whiteboard* "NO! BAD WRITERS!! You can't have an carbon partially unbonded like that!!" *me, all of 0.5 seconds later looking at Liz's tablet while hysterically laughing* "What the actual fuck is THAT!!" There so much wrong in those notes it would take minimum 10 asks to cover. Who's in charge of the science props of this show?  Please writers, put any freshman student taking chem 101 in charge and offer to buy them a pizza. They will do a better job in the time it takes them to eat it. As an aside, Liz and Shivani vaping poorly CGIed alien mist made me laugh. Enjoy my friend!!
Hi bestie! Sorry this took me so long to get to, but that reviewer wasn’t lying when she called this an energy vampire of a season and I just haven’t been able to bring myself to deal this week. I agree that out of this mess of a season, this has been one of the best episodes so far and it really is down to Kyle being back, dropping truth bombs on Max, snuggling into that hug with Isobel while deftly turning Michael’s comments aside and keeping Isobel’s confidence about what happened with them (not that Max and Michael won’t figure it out, but Kyle is so good at not being *totally* obvious unlike Michael who cannot hide his 🥺 face about Alex like, ever), and being THEE captain of the Malex ship and Michael’s cheerleader and refusing to let anyone give up on Alex. 100% the heart of this show.
I can’t wait for this show to be over if only so I never have to hear “The Science” ever again. Even Jeanine’s brilliance can’t save that line. At least she mentioned so real science things, but I’m with you on being confused on why she didn’t throw out some science babble from her related field, though I suppose the answer is “the mist made her brilliant about everything”. Though I thought it was implied it helped “free your thinking” to come up with out of the box ideas, not “implanted knowledge you never had directly into your brain” but it’s not like the writers know or care about how anything on this show, including the passage of time, how long it takes to get places, or how friendships work so 🤷🏻‍♀️
Honestly, I’m seriously doubting they bothered to hire a scientist consultant at all, but you’d think that googling terms and pictures of chemical structures would lead to them being at least a little right sometimes. But that’s also like saying that with the set up of a major main character like Alex being kidnapped they’d have to stumble on an emotional beat at some point, even accidentally, and it’s starting to feel purposeful that they haven’t. Was someone on the writing staff dumped by a scientist at some point and all this stuff is done purposefully wrong out of spite? Because BOY does this season feel like a lot of spite-writing for pretty much every character. Except for m*ria who supposedly ends the series getting “everything”, so we have that to look forward to 🙄
I can’t decide which is worse, another episode without a Malex reunion, or a Malex reunion directed by someone who called people’s genuine triggers about consent “noise” that they needed to shut up about. Fingers crossed whatever the reunion is and whenever we get it, that it’s entirely free of m*ria mentions, that  Vlamis and Tyler’s work to make it worth it comes through and isn’t trimmed down in editing, and that if it has to be in that god-awful blue filter, it’s at least not at the dead of night since the scene at the end of 4x10 was partially visible. 
Three more episodes until these characters do not belong to that joke of a writers room anymore.  
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sweet-villain · 2 years
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I'll Be Missing You~ B.H 
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Summary: Your mourning Billy still, visiting his grave and catching him up on things. One surprise leads you in tears but there is something else too.
Angst
m-rae23~ palomam18~eddiesprincess86~gloomybrieyxb ~hqtetsurou
You didn't plan to fall in love with Billy Hargrove, you tried and tired and tried to stay away from him. As much to Steve request too, it just happened. Billy set his eyes on you from the moment he stepped into Hawkins High School. He would smirk at your ball of energy. how sweet you were and how everyone always had something to say about you.
You broke through Billy's walls, he learned to trust you and he let you in. He let you see what Neil does to him, he tells you about his mother and he tells you one day he wants to leave Hawkins, go to California. He promised to take you with him, he promised to teach you how to surf and he promised to love you forever.
Those promises torn you apart when you watched the day he was taken away from you. You screamed as you watched him stand up the Mind Flyer. You ran to him when he collapsed, his blue glossy irises locked with yours. Max rushed to your side as she kneel down next to Billy.
" I'll take care of her. I promise" you take his hand in yours bringing it up to your lips.
" I'm sorry" he says. You watch as the light left his eyes, you let out a scream hugging his body. You wanted him back. You wanted to trade places with him. You lost the love of your life that day.
You remember it like it was yesterday and it still hurts, no one but you and Max mourned him. She wrote him a letter encouraging you that you should write him one too, after everything that has been going on.
You did. You wrote him a letter as it laid in your drawer for a bit.
You slowly walked up to his grave reading his grave stone. He never really liked being called William, you only called him that when he was in trouble or you were really mad at him.
You sit besides his grave with the letter in your hands but you put it into your pocket thinking it's best to just to talk to him, to the grave. That, maybe, just maybe it would help.
But your hands fall onto your stomach as you glance down at it then back at the grave.
" Hi Billy, it's me. Yeah, Y/N. You know, the love of your life as you would tell me. It's been so long since I've last seen you, I miss you so much. I've been doing the best I can for myself, I mean Steve comes in and checks in on me from time to time. He brings me groceries and tells me he'd patch things up with you if he could, for my sake. He knew how much I loved you.. I still love you. He watches how much I cry and he stays sometimes, just to hold me. Max is all grown up, I'm keeping my promises and looking after her. At first she blamed me for your death, she said I belonged in your place and it torn me apart because I thought of her as family. She is my family, Billy. You were my family, you were my everything, you were my light, yeah you had your moments, and I had mine but we promised each other that we would leave. We would be happy together" you licked your lips feeling the tears running down your cheeks as you took a deep breath in.
" Robin, you know Steve's friend. She's nice, super talkative and she has no filter whatsoever. I feel like you'd would of liked her, the other kids are doing good too" you sighed, shaking your head looking up at the sky.
" Fuck!" you grabbed a hold of your hair and tugged as more tears escaped your eye.
" God Billy, who am I kidding? I almost lost Max, I promised to look after her and I almost broke it. I saw the fear in her eyes and I didn't help her, I was selfish and I hurt her. But she's okay now, she knows I'm there for her. The gang is back to fighting new monsters yet again, a new monster called Vecna. God, I wish you were here right now. I miss you, I need you" you reached out to trace his full name with your fingers, sniffling.
" I'm scare Billy. I try to be strong for the kids, for Steve, for Max, for everyone but I can't do it.. I can't." You glance down at the ground, the grass as you brush the tears away with your hands, " I can't keep doing life with out you, Billy.. We can't"
You look at your belly, it was visible that you were pregnant.
" You would of made a great father, yeah Billy. We're going to be parents, I'm going to be a mom.." a hand clasped over your mouth as sobs leave.
Suddenly there was wind that blew your hair and made the leaves rattle around you.
" Y/N, baby" you heard. Your ears couldn't believe the voice you were hearing. The voice spoke again and when you looked up, just behind the grave it looked like a visible figure of your boyfriend staring down at you with tears in his eyes.
" B-Billy?" you asked. He smiled, nodding his head.
Your hand tries to reach out to touch him, but your fingers go through and you tries again but the same thing happens. You stand up from the ground to grab his arm but you can't. You aren't able to touch him.
" I need you" you tell him. He nods as his eyes drop down to your stomach. " You're pregnant" he says, he's shocked but he's happy at the same time. You can see it.
" Yes" your hands go to your stomach as you rubbed it.
"Baby" he calls out to you. You look up at him, he is in the same tank top and jeans that he died in but there is no harm to him, he looks like your Billy.
" Thank you for being the love of my life, for loving me, for taking care of me. Please look after Max, she really needs you. I know you're trying, tell Steve to keep you close too. He's alright. I know you want to be strong, but it's okay to ask for help. They all need you just like I needed you" tears ran down your cheeks.
" I want to feel you. I want to kiss you. Please.." Billy nods, as he sniffles. " I wan that too, baby. But I don't know how" his hand reaches out to brush away the tears that keep falling but he can't because he's not able to touch you.
That breaks your heart as you look at him. His hand goes down to your stomach.
" I'm going to make sure our little nugget will be okay. You'll be okay, baby. You're strong, you're my little warrior" You let out a chuckle.
" I will always love you, Billy Hargrove"
" I always will love you too, Y/N L/N." He leans down as he brushes his lips against your forehead, but you don't feel it and when you open your eyes, he's gone.
You have tears streaming down your cheeks, with a small smile on your lips as you hold your pregnant belly knowing that Billy was going to watch over you both.
You turn to walk back to walk to your car but not before turning around to look at his grave one more time. You blew a kiss to the grave promises him you'd come back within the next month.
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magic-hcs · 2 years
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✨✨A Snippet with Sky!✨✨
Warnings: angst, mentions of death, mentions of genocide, guilt, mentions to resets.
✨Eyes Cast To The Sky✨
A glow of sky blue cast upon the golden colored tiles of the hall. Rays of light filter through the yellow windows, painting everything in a hue of a beautiful deep orange. It mocks him with the truth of all he failed. The quiet is deafening, a force of weight pushing down upon his shoulder forcing him to bend. Magic rushes through his non-existent ears, whispering condemning words of his failure. Of his weakness. Every breath is too difficult to take. Mixed with particles of dust.
“IT HAD BEEN A BEAUTIFUL DAY, THE FLOWERS HAD BEEN BLOOMING, THE BIRDS HAD BEEN SINGING THEIR LAST SONG…”
He had been naive. He had been foolish to assume they wanted to be friends again this run. They had been a stranger with the clothes and face of his previous friend. A foe who didn’t bother keeping up the ruse yet he fell for it anyways.
His judgement had been clouded.
They had been a stranger the moment they stepped out onto the snow. Acting so cold and annoyed at everything they once had enjoyed. He had brushed it off as them not feeling well. Grey stained their pants and he turned a blind eye. His unwillingness to see the reality for what it really was brought everything to its miserable end. His friend was no more but he didn’t want to see it.
And then the first cloud of dust fell onto the snow.
He refused. It couldn’t be. It must have been an accident. This had not been the reality he wanted so he refused to admit. In denial he hoped that if he believed enough they would stop this path and change…that if he gave them chance after chance they would finally see the right path one day. And that they would grasp his hand with two eager hands of their own and change for the better…
He had been putting faith in an illusion that was tearing at the seams with every pile of dust that filled the underground…
He’s who let it all happen. And now here he stands at the end of the golden halls of Judgement. Staring right in the face of the manifestation of all his sins. Who was really being judged here?
“IT ALL WITHERED INTO A STATE OF DECAY UNDERNEATH YOUR DUST STAINED FEET…”
It had shook him to the core. Seeing his brother’s priced hoodie trampled into the muddy snow. Stained with dust that had not yet flown away with the wind…It was all he had left of him…all that he had left and the nightmares of how his end could have happened. The brother that once had looked up to him is gone…and he failed him…
The sins are crawling on whose back now?
“DOESN’T IT FEEL HEAVY? THE WEIGHT OF WHAT YOU’VE DONE PRESSING DOWN ON YOUR SHOULDERS?”
It feels heavy to him. The burdens press into him so heavily that it’s bringing him to his knees as he speaks. How they are still standing after all they’ve done, he shall never be able to phantom. The only justice he’ll be able to provide for those he’s failed is to make this last stand a living hell.
“IT DOESN’T MATTER. I WON’T STAY STILL ANY LONGER, MERCY WON’T BE GIVEN TO A DIRTY BROTHER KILLER…”
The sky blue light flares and his last stand is made. But who is he punishing really? It was an eternity of repeats, each attack stronger and more manic then the last. Yet as hours pass he doesn’t let up, doesn’t tire, as if this stand was meant to last forever. Eyes dark except for that single sky blue light filled with not rage but grief. One mistake was all it would take to end this hell of condemnation. One single misstep to add to the weight of burdens he had already carried on his back.
The weight of the mistakes, of the broken hopes and dreams, of the sins became all too much to bear. It brought him to his knees, it was one slash across the neck to end it all. One hit it took to fall. Like a gash all too familiar to his daily nightmares. Phalanges gingerly touch at his dusting neck. The blue scarf barely holds it together. An ice cold weight coils itself around his soul and squeezes, telling him this is the end.
Tears trailing down his cheeks, one last desperate sob tearing past his teeth. Words unintelligible, pleading for it to not end like this, to live despite having given up the will after all he cared about having been ripped away due to his negligence to act…
But it’s all in vain…
Casting his gaze to the sky one last time…to the gold painted walls and the orange glowing windows inside this hall. His last breath teared violently from him as everything he was and used to be turned to dust.
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tortricidae · 2 years
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Tepple Showing
The trip to the museum had been a bust.
Cheese Melt and Wrench still had to finish all the other affairs while they were staying in Stonewing. Portal trips were notoriously expensive and difficult to set up. The mages who ran the whole operation were adamant about not allowing the common rabble to open portals whenever they wanted, as the magic it took was tenuous and not easily fixed if things went awry.
The denizens of Uto might have had a very loose grip on what counted as order for their city, but if Stonewing fell out of the sky, there were not enough Gravents and Dramasks to save all the landbound. And, quite frankly, nobody wanted to deal with that at all.
Cheese Melt had been off color since the two of them had returned from the other realm. Wrench could understand why, but he hated how drab Cheese Melt could look when he was shaken. The typical deep purples and bright yellows and oranges, while not completely different, had lost their luster. It was almost like a grey filter had been put over him, and Wrench felt less of a magical presence around him.
He wasn’t always great with words, either. His clan had taught him about survival and action, and Cheese Melt liked words when it came to comfort. Wrench did not know how to tell him that everything was going to be okay without sounding a bit on edge, especially because he had been on edge as well, just in a different way. A nugget of fear that they would have been trapped forever. In something akin to the banishment that Cheese Melt always talked about.
However, one thing Wrench was not, was stupid. He’d seen all the signs about some Tepple Showing that was going on in a (thankfully) different part of Stonewing. It would be a quick jump over to a different outer ring and the two of them would be where the bulk of the event was.
And it is just as Wrench expects! Pure chaos. The thing that he knows about Tepples is that they love to get into trouble. And he remembers a fair few wild flocks that roosted around where his clan set up for the rainy season. They got into the fruit stores mostly, and he learned then that the best way to teach them to be good was to give them their own portion.
Cheese Melt is withdrawn during the whole thing. It’s hard for him to show the same interest even though Wrench can see that there are glimmers of intrigue in his eyes. His tail twitches a little bit when he sees something he likes, and the clusters across his belly swivel to look at many different things.
“I thought this would help,” Wrench says. He still doesn’t want to get too physical when he has to wear his big coat and matching hat. But Cheese Melt doesn’t want to be touched either so it works out.
Cheese Melt does his best to smile. “It’s working.”
That’s all Wrench needs to hear.
Not long after the two of them arrive, there is cacophonous noise. CCCats, Crooks, and Gravents of all shapes and size scatter as the sound of cages crashing and break fills the air. Colorful Tepple are everywhere, bounding around and gliding between the tallest of the Crooks, who writhe in panic as something small hooks into them.
Fur flies, feathers, fall, scales shed. The organizers are trying their best to keep everyone calm, but Tepple start chewing on the cords and the mass is at a loss for words. Cheese Melt tenses to run, an instinct he’s never felt before but Wrench just barely stops him.
A particular vibrant black and white Tepple with royal blue speckles across its wing membranes lands on Wrench, scrambling up his coat to jump from his shoulders. He manages to wrangle the thing, and when he’s got it secured, the riley thing curls its tail around his forearm and chitters playfully.
Cheese Melt, taken aback, moves away, but Wrench once again stops him.
“You want to know a story about these little things, Melt?”
Cheese Melt nods as the Tepple sticks its tongue out and catches the tip Cheese Melt’s nose.
“Tepples used to be the lords of the jungle. But a wily spider came along and took their crowns. The biggest Tepple of them all tried to stop the spider thief, but his tongue was too short. Ashamed and no longer the lord of the jungle, the former leader instructed all the Tepples from then on to practice catching spiders. Their tongues got longer and longer, but the spider their was long gone.” Wrench pauses for dramatic effect, Cheese Melt hanging onto his every word. “And if you get licked by a Tepple, you’ll have bad luck unless you get surprised.”
Cheese Melt gasps. “Bad luck?”
Wrench nods as a breathless CCCat comes to get their precious pet, who crawled all over Wrench and Cheese Melt before leaping to their owner. Cheese Melt laughs, tickled by the little claws in his coat.
Wrench motions for Cheese Melt to stoop low. “And I know just the thing.”
Cheese Melt leans down, angling his ears for the secret, ready to get rid of his bad luck. In a swift motion, Wrench grabs Cheese Melt and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Cheese Melt’s whole face grows hot, and his magic flares up around him.
“You!”
“There,” Wrench says, dusting his hands off. “No more bad luck.”
A dozen more Tepples befall them.
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neochan · 3 years
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GENRE | smut, idolverse!
WARNINGS | smut
WC | 2.6k +
A.N | this is a repost of my older work. i hope you enjoy it <3
You could still hear the unintelligible screaming of thousands of fans as the boys filtered off the stage and into the greenroom. Another successful concert in the long string of tour stops. You couldn’t even remember what state you were in because the days of traveling, unpacking, setting up, and doing it all again the next day ran together.
The boys were dripping sweat, immediately grabbing bottles of water and towels to wipe themselves off. They had worked harder than normal today since during one of the sets the microphone cut out and they had to perform acapella. Someone was getting fired for that.
Taeyong flopped onto the leather couch dominating the center of the room, water in one hand, phone in the other. “People are already uploading photos.” He outstretches his arm so the others could view the pictures pulled up on his screen.
“Johnny you look ridiculous,” you point out, laughing as a fan had caught Johnny in the act of wildly waving his light stick.
“I was having a good time, okay?” He chuckles and walks into the dressing rooms to change out of his stage outfit. Half of the group filtered out to change and half stayed to peruse through the gifts left by venue staff and play on their phones until told otherwise.
You were wondering where Hyuck was when you heard his voice from the hallway. He saunters in and gives you a kiss on the cheek, “Enjoy the show?” His golden skin was tainted pink, hair matted to his forehead by the sweat that was trickling down the side of his face. He grabbed his shirt and lifted it to swipe at his face, revealing his cute tummy. You had to resist the urge to poke it.
“I enjoyed hearing thousands of pretty fans scream your name” You give him a smirk knowing that he hates when you downplay your relationship.
He nudges you with his shoulder, “You know I meant the songs,” his doe eyes look into yours, his long lashes brushing against his cheek when he blinked “Besides, you know I love you and only you.”
Mark began to nervously giggle in the corner while Doyoung made fake gagging noises from the vanity he sat at. “Oh, shut up.” You say, throwing empty water bottles at the two, “And hurry up I wanna go swimming before it gets too late.”
The ride home was peaceful once the swarms of fans cleared a path for the bus. Per the managers request you slouched down in your seat so know one could see you through the window. It didn’t make much sense because the windows were tinted, but Haechan had to argue for his life to allow them to let you tag along on the tour, so you didn’t question them. Once you were on the road, you sat back up and snuggled close to Haechans side. He rested his hand on your thigh, absentmindedly stroking you with his thumb. His head leaned back against the seat, eyes closed, listening to music. It was so loud you could almost make out the words but you didn’t say anything – you let him stay in his post concert utopia for the whole trip.
The hotel was about an hour away from the venue so that no one would find them, and they’d be closer to their next destination. It was nicer than the others because it actually had a pool. You and Haechan made an agreement to go swimming after the concert, and you couldn’t wait. The staff also rented more rooms, so instead of four people to a bed, it was just you and Haechan.
After checking in everyone filtered off to their rooms leaving the both of you to freely do whatever you wanted - within reason of course. You both got changed, your gaze admiring the hard lines of Haechans back. “Don’t stare.” He blushed, wrapping a towel around his upper body.
You pulled on your bikini which made Haechan go silent. You specifically picked this one because it brought out your skin tone well, and cupped your features beautifully. “Now who’s staring?”
It never failed. The butterfly feeling you got in the pit of your stomach when Haechan watched you with loving eyes. You wrapped a towel around your waist, allowing Haechans eyes to roam the tops of your breasts, peeking out from the almost too small bathing suit.
His cheeks turned pink once he noticed he was caught, “Let’s go”.
The hallways were quiet since it was almost midnight, so you wordlessly made your way down the stairs and out into the night air. It had grown considerably cooler than when guys first arrived that morning, but the sky made up for it. Pretty stars pricked the vast expanse of dark blue and black infinity. You could see the moon peaking out from behind a single cloud, casting a shadowed glow on Haechans honey skin.
The gate was closed when you walked up to it so you stopped to read, “Aw man, the pool closed an hour ago,” You set your lips in a pout, “no wonder the lights weren’t on.”
“Hey it’s okay, no lights, no cameras, they probably wont even notice we’re here if we keep quiet.” He moves closer to you, eyebrows raised expectant for an answer.
You hesitated wondering if you really could pull it off, after all you’d been looking forward to this for the whole day, “I don’t wanna get in trouble..”
“You said you wanted to swim and I’m going to make sure that happens,” He gets down on one knee, “step on my leg, I'm gonna help you jump the fence.”
He boots you over, and grabs your arms to help lower you on the other side, but his hand slips and his nails dig into your shoulder. “Ow, fuck.” You wince rubbing the spot he scratched.
“Sorry, sorry” He says giggling, jumping the fence with such quietness and ease that it looked unreal. “Come on, dare you to do a canon ball!?”
He ran ahead throwing his towel on one of the pool chairs and jumping in the water. You cringe away from the loud slap his body hitting the water made. You walk slowly to the chair, deeply inhaling the addictive chlorine scent.
He finally stands up waist deep in the water and pushes his hair back. The blue water reflected against him, making his skin sparkle. “Come into the water y/n” he splashed some water into your general direction, but not enough to touch you.
“Okay, Okay.” You drop the towel and slip into the water. It was cold. Really cold. You gasp and recoil away, but not fast enough, because Haechan has wrapped his arms around you and started carrying you towards the deep end. You struggle a bit in his grip but his arms provide an iron cage that you can’t get out of. “Haechan let me go!”
He presses a warm kiss to the back on your neck but doesn’t comply with your wishes, instead making a curve and bringing you towards the underwater benches. He fixes his hold on you so that now he’s carrying you bridal style. You stare up at him, water droplets falling off his chin. His eyes were already red from the chlorine and you hoped that it cleared up by tomorrow nights concert. His plush lips sat in a pout, strong jaw set. He was so very pretty; and all yours. You smiled to yourself, deciding to keep that image locked away in your memory forever.
Once he gets to the benches he sets you down and glides in beside you. “You know It’s colder than I thought it was going to be.” He lifts a hand and sheepishly rubs the back of heck, “and you look way hotter in that bikini than I thought you would.”
“I don’t know if that’s supposed to be a dig or a compliment.” You scoot closer to him so that your thighs were pressed against each other. Finding his hand underwater, you intertwine your fingers with his own.
“A compliment babe.” He chuckles and slouches in the water so that only his head sat above it. You both sit there for a moment until it becomes too cold to sit still.
“Well I’m going to put it to use and go swim.” You push off from the cement and paddle around. The only way to stay slightly warm was to keep moving. Haechan watched you, eyes crinkled in a smile, bottom lip caught between his teeth. It was fun to watch you play in the water but the bathing suit was making him think of other things you two could be doing.
And that was how it stayed. Haechan watching while you performed for him.
A while had passed, the calm exterior of the pool getting to you, making you drowsy. The cold blue water washed over your hands while you gently skimmed the surface, making your way over to where Haechan was. You hummed a short tune under your breath, trying to keep yourself distracted. it was close to one in the morning now, but Haechan still sat on the bench, slightly shivering from the brisk air, hands gripping his thighs under the water while his mind wandered far away from the present.
“Watcha thinkin’ about” you ask, moving closer to him, hoping to catch some lingering body warmth.
“Fucking you ,” he moved off the seat and dove under the surface, only leaving small ripples in his wake. You stand there for a second wonder how he could be so blunt, so forward in his desires; he was never like this.
He swam a single circle around your body before popping up in front of you, giving you a mini heart attack. He pushes you back against the tiled walls, “I’ve spent the last hour thinking about fucking you. Thinking about how pretty you’d sound.” His head dips down to kiss along your collarbone, and your hands grab the back of neck, holding him there while his tongue sucked bruises into your tender skin. His hands grazed the bare skin of your arms, giving you goosebumps.
He moaned into the side of your neck, biting and sucking away, wanting you to yearn for him like he did for you. He lifted his head so that his mouth hung over yours, his small puffs of breath fanning over your face while he tests the waters. “Can I kiss you?”
Without giving him an answer you pull him closer by the roots of his hair. His kissing was messy and sweet, and while your tongues moved together, his hips began rubbing circles against you, trying to gain some friction in the cool water. Small heavy breaths were the only sound you could hear, aside from the occasional splash as Haechan moved restlessly.
Your hand wandered down his chest and below the surface to where you could feel him straining against his shorts. You began to stroke him over the fabric, his hips pushing against your touch. He broke the kiss to watch as you peeled down the elastic from his hips, his cock freed from the restricting material of his swim shorts. You watched him twitch slightly as the cold water met his length.
“You can’t make any noise.” You place a single finger against his lips.
“No promises.” He whispers, a devilish smirk breaking way on his face. His hands caress you thighs, pushing your bottoms to the side. The cold water hit you, making you gasp and push into Haechan who just whimpers against your touch.
He tried to stay quiet, only soft grunts between gritted teeth and muffled moans as his hips pushed into your own. The water created resistance but it just enhanced how good he was feeling. He hurriedly grabs at your legs, pulling them up so that they sat around his waist. Your back dragged up the tiled walls, scraping your tender skin, but you could only focus on Haechans cock thrusting deeply in and out of you. He stared longingly into your eyes, filling you up completely, wanting to savor the way they fluttered in the back of your head.
“You love the way I fill you up huh?” He groans into your ear, a hand falling forward to grip the cement ledge of the pool.
You couldn’t respond without fear of moaning so you nod your head wildly. He began to bite and suck at your collarbone, pushing you closer to the edge. Looking down he sees your nipples, erect, poking through the wet fabric of your bathing suit. His eyes grow wide, hips stuttering into you. Fuck you were hot.
“Haechannie, I think I’m going to come.” You squeezed your eyes shut trying to focus on the feeling coiling in your stomach.
“Not yet.” He growls, hands moving to pin your wrists against the cement ledge, “Hold it princess, I know you can.” The water began to slosh around faster as Haechan thrusted harder into you. The sound was so loud its no wonder you didn’t hear the keys jangling against the hip of the guard making his way towards you two.
“Hey!,” he shouts running towards you, “The pool is closed! Get out! Are you two-” He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as you and Haechan spring up out of fear and take off. It was easy to push yourself up onto the pool deck. The guard made the mistake of following you two and leaving the gate unattended. You and Haechan ran out, giggling, making your way back into the hotel. You didn’t stop until you got into the room and slammed the door behind you.
With your heart hammering in your chest you lean against the dark cherry wood . “Holy fuck we could’ve gotten in serious trouble.” You gasp out, clutching a hand against your wet bathing suit top.
“Babe we’ll be gone by morning, no one is gonna know.” Haechan paces in front of you trying to catch his breath. His shorts hung dangerously low on his hips, it was miracle he got them up in time.
“We’re so banned from this hotel.” A knock on the door makes you jump away from it, the worst of punishment's filling your mind. What were they going to do? They couldn’t arrest you, could they?
Haechan walks forward and turns the knob slowly, revealing a sleepy Doyoung. His oversized t-shirt hung off one shoulder showing off his gaunt collarbone. He was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“What do you want Doie?” you ask softly.
“How was getting chased by the guard?” he gives a sleepy chuckle, still half in his dreams.
“How did you-,” A look of realization hits Haechan, “You reported us?” He whined, pushing Doyoungs bare shoulder so that he stumbled back.
“Sound travels over water dumbasses and you guys were loud, I was trying to sleep!” Protesting, he pushes Haechans wet shoulder back.
“Well, now we’re going to be twice as loud.” Haechan slams the door in Doyoungs face and grabs you, throwing you on the bed. You give a squeal, and hear Doyoungs fist hit the door.
“I swear I’ll make a noise complaint.” He sounded more irritated than sleepy now.
“Go ahead, you’re just mad I’m getting laid and you aren't.” You playfully slap Haechans arm, but he nips at your hand. The other side of the door grows silent, Doyoung either going to report you two, or going back to his room defeated.
“Shall we pick up where we left off princess?”
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godlygreta · 3 years
Text
i never stopped loving you | j. kiszka
title | i never stopped loving you
summary | jake and y/n have known each other since grade school, they’ve been neighbors forever. a bit of romance ensues, but ends fairly quickly when complications arise while the boys are touring. a trip home from college ends in a slightly drunk confession.
warnings | some mature themes (bit of sex, but not explicitly), swearing, slight angst
word count | 2.5k+
author’s note | hi! this is the first thing i’ve written for any of the boys, so i hope you enjoy. i’ve written for other bands before, so writing isn’t new to me, but writing for greta is.
“I never stopped loving you.”
It slipped out. It didn’t mean to come out. Jake didn’t necessarily want it to come out. They say drunk words are sober thoughts, right? At the same time, who trusts the words of a drunk person? Usually it’s just brushed off as babbling, but Y/N couldn’t ignore what Jake said. Especially because she couldn’t blame it on not hearing him. There was no music playing outside the bar. The music was faint enough that anything Jake had said was heard.
High school was rough for Y/N with hormones mixed in with academics, horny teenage boys at every turn. Y/N wasn’t even interested in dating, not due to the fact that nobody was necessarily interested in her, but because she was too focused on her studies to even give a damn. School dances were a nice break from academics. There was a shift, though, when one boy in particular would start to really pay attention to her.
Jake Kiszka was charismatic in every sense of the word. Him and his twin brother, Josh, were always the two sweetest, yet most famous troublemakers in all of Frankenmuth High School. It got even worse when their younger brother, Sam, ended up in high school with them as a freshman. Jake had girls wrapped around his finger from the moment he had gotten a haircut. His hair was a lot shorter than before and barely even touched his forehead. Y/N didn’t really give a damn. To her, he was still Jake Kiszka, neighbor.
Their parents were friends and always hungout on the weekends. Y/N’s family had a cabin on the lake which they always vacationed at and occasionally would bring Jake’s family with. One particular summer, they stayed there for a week between the summer of sophomore and junior year. The summer’s were always hot, but this week in particular was hotter than the other summer’s before. “It feels like the Devil’s asshole out here.”
“I know, Mary, but that’s the exact reason we chose to come here this week. The kids can swim in the lake, it’s a lot cooler in the water than on the grass.” Y/N’s dad spoke, returning the conversation from her mother. He gave her a quick kiss on the side of the head and returned to unpacking the car. Y/N and the boys had already gone into the house and picked their rooms. The boys shared one, and Y/N got one of the spare bedrooms. 
Dinner was made as soon as everyone was settled in. Everyone sat around the dining table, laughing and eating as they did almost every weekend. “You excited for Junior year, Y/N?”
“Yeah, I’m sort of nervous about taking the SAT and ACT. I’ve been studying when I’m not working at the shop.” She picked at some asparagus on her plate as she answered Mrs. Kiszka’s  question. Jake and Josh weren’t entirely ecstatic about it, it didn’t really matter to either of them. Music was their passion and that was never going to change.
Smores after dinner was a tradition that started when they were all really little, barely old enough to eat them. The fire was lit by Mr. Kiszka and Mr. Y/L/N. Jake, Sam and Josh had always played music while the rest of them made their smores. Y/N always made extras for the boys for when they were done playing music. Whenever they had no idea what to play, Y/N always knew the answer. Running out of songs to play, though, was a rarity in itself. The Kiszka’s knew so much about their sound, nothing was in their way of playing songs that fit it. However, every once in a blue moon they would ask their friend what she would like to hear. “C’mon now. You should know I’m a sucker for The Beatles.”
Y/N could recognize the sound of Blackbird the second it started playing. She had only listened to it eight million times that summer. She hummed lightly along as they played. Everyone clapped as soon as their song was over, the boys immediately delving into their smores. Y/N had finally taken a seat next to Josh when she was finished making their smores for them. Once their parents had gone inside, though, Y/N and the twins dipped into their parents' cooler of beer.
Neither of the sets of parents cared, they knew their kids would be safe and unharmed if they drank at the cabin. Jokes were told and stories of the past school year were discussed, as well as the future. A topic so vast for high schoolers. “I still can’t decide between a lawyer and an art teacher.”
“You’ve always been great at arguing,” Josh joked, “Practically got fuckin’ Lindsey McNeil out of that suspension.”
“It wasn’t fair. All she did was stand up for herself and what she believed in, plus that teacher is fucking creepy and everyone knows it.” Everybody laughed, the beer in everyone’s hands was getting a little warmer with every minute that passed by. Everyone filtered out one by one. Sam went in first, followed by Ronnie (she was slightly upset about coming, having made other plans with friends for the hot weather), and then Josh followed, leaving behind Jake and Y/N.
“Did you want to go inside yet or stay out here for a bit longer?” The silence beforehand hadn’t been awkward for the pair. “Cause I was thinking of going swimming for a bit.”
“I’ll join you, we haven’t swam yet today.”
The sand leading into the lake was met with a bit of rocks. It was picturesque under the moonlight. The pair discarded their clothing, leaving their underwear and got into the water. The coolness of the water sent goosebumps along her skin, leaving no piece without some. Jake followed in behind her, coming up next to her before completely dipping under the water. He popped back up and shook his head.
“You know,” Y/N started, “I think you’d look really good with longer hair.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. You should grow it out.” She swiped his hair out of the way and giggled a bit. “You’ll still never be prettier than I am.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, darling.”
The rest of the summer followed with light flirting and spending lots of time together. Junior year came around and nothing changed a bit. Prom was spent with the Kiszka family, Josh driving the three of you, as well as Josh’s date. The dance was lame, the songs were overplayed pop music, which Y/N secretly had a bit of a soft spot for. She would never tell that to Jake, though.
The pair ended up back at Y/N’s house, giggling all the way up to her room. He went into the bathroom to take his suit off, using one of Y/N’s hangers to make sure it wouldn’t wrinkle. However, Y/N was still having issues. She couldn’t manage to undo the zipper by herself, waiting for Jake to come back into the room to do it for her. He came back in, saw her still in her dress. “Need my help?”
“My zipper -- I can’t reach it.”
“I can do it,” he whispered, knowing Y/N’s parents were asleep. His hands were warm against her back, undoing her zipper slowly. The moonlight coming in from the window felt like that hot summer night at the cabin. He slid the straps down her shoulders, his mouth slightly agape. How could someone look so beautiful and delicate at the same time?
She turned around, her body facing Jake’s. He stuttered, telling her he could leave and he was honestly about to. Until he felt her hand grab his wrist. “Don’t go.”
He nodded his head, helping her get the rest of the way out of her dress. She stepped closer to him and put her hands on his chest. She could feel how fast his heart was beating. She had a hard time meeting his gaze, nervous of him not feeling the same way she had been. “You looked really good tonight.”
“Me? Everybody was staring at you the whole time, Y/N,” he spoke, one hand finding their way to her waist, the other pulling on her chin to force eye contact. “You looked absolutely breathtaking.”
There was a split second where both of them second guessed themselves. But it was over when Y/N pressed her lips lightly against Jake’s. It was such a feathery light touch, it almost felt like she wasn’t even kissing him. She pulled away slowly, her eyes closed, not really knowing what to do next. She didn’t have to figure it out though, Jake’s lips returned to hers with more pressure.
His hands had found their rightful place on her back, bringing her closer to him. Hers found their way into his hair. It felt so natural - the need for each other grew stronger with each passing minute. His mouth never wanted to leave hers, it felt as though her lips were coated in fucking drugs the way they were so addicting. He couldn’t get enough. “Do you want to..?”
“Yes, please.” It came out so needy - desperate. Y/N didn’t even care about how that presented itself to Jake. She just wanted to be even closer to him than she already was. And she got to be right where she wanted to be.
Her bed was more comfy than Jake had previously remembered. Or maybe that was because they were here under different circumstances, not just studying algebra because Jake wasn’t quite getting it. All he knew was that he wasn’t ever going to forget it. He wanted this moment to replay forever and ever. Not because he was just some horny teenager, but because holy fuck, this had just been some random thought - a daydream, almost. But this was real. This was happening.
A tangled mess they were when climaxing. “I love you,” came out as barely above a whisper. It took Y/N a half of a second to register what he was really saying before it finally hit her. She didn’t feel as if she had to say it back, if anything, he should realize that she loved him too.
“I could honestly stay here forever and stare at you until the end of time.”
“So do it. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
They didn’t though. And it wasn’t that simple. Complications arose after that night. Everything got messy and trying to tie in a relationship while the band was traveling and on the road became increasingly difficult, especially when Y/N went to college.
She came home to Frankenmuth while she was off for the summer. Her mother and father missed her a great deal and the first weekend home was spent in the Kiszka’s backyard, the boys excluded. It was weird to be at their house and not see them littered around anywhere. Ronnie was full of stories though, telling Y/N about previous times the boys have come home from touring and the memories they brought back with him.
It was painful to hear, but she was so incredibly proud of everything they had accomplished and done. Every once in a while, Y/N had checked up on their band's Instagram account. When she was really nervous — having a hard time not worrying about them — she texted Josh or Danny. Neither of them were ever going to say anything to Jake or mention it to Sam.
The two families decided to get together and have dinner at a local bar. The boys were still away, they weren’t scheduled to come back to Michigan for at least another month and a half. Ronnie and Y/N spent most of their time talking about future plans for the upcoming weeks while their parents discuss their weekend plans — what to have for dinner and who’s house to have dinner at. Time had passed quickly and before they knew it, it was 10pm.
The parents had left, leaving Ronnie and Y/N at the bar by themselves. At least, that was until the boys walked in.
Ronnie smiled widely, hugging her brothers but then proceeding to punch them for surprising her and not just telling her. Josh and Danny hugged Y/N first, Sam leading after. Jake didn’t hug Y/N. It stung a bit. It made sense though. The last time they talked — it ended in an argument which was the resulting cause of their breakup.
A few drinks were downed, a couple shots thrown in there as well. Y/N figured it was time to throw the towel in. She couldn’t handle the awkward glances and forced conversation on their part. She grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and put it on as she said goodbye to everyone. “Boys, lovely to see you again. I’m sure I’ll see you this weekend.”
She wasn’t going to. She was gonna avoid them at all costs. Come up with a lie — say she had the flu or something. Her mother would believe her either way, as well as understand where she was coming from with her avoidance. Her mother was there for her while she cried her eyes out.
She didn’t notice when Jake had followed her out. She didn’t notice him calling her name. The only thing she could notice was the tears falling down her cheeks, wiping them as soon as she felt them.
“I never stopped loving you.”
It slipped out. It didn’t mean to come out. Jake didn’t necessarily want it to come out. They say drunk words are sober thoughts, right? At the same time, who trusts the words of a drunk person? Usually it’s just brushed off as babbling, but Y/N couldn’t ignore what Jake said. Especially because she couldn’t blame it on not hearing him. There was no music playing outside the bar. The music was faint enough that anything Jake had said was heard.
“When we broke up,” he started. “I was a wreck. I was immature. It could’ve worked out - it would’ve worked out if I wasn’t such a child about everything.”
“Jake —“
“No, Y/N, I need to say this now. I’m a little drunk so I actually have the balls to say everything I want to. It was stupid to break up over something as menial as distance. The things I feel for you are so intense it scares the fuck out of me. I was so afraid of being gone all the time. You deserved someone who could be there to help you study for midterms. I was always in another state and sometimes another country. I wasn’t… there to be able to help you through anything. Everything’s different now, though.”
She sighed, not entirely sure on what to do with the information that was thrown at her. She was sober enough to remember the conversation tomorrow, but not nearly drunk enough to be able to deal with it tonight. “Do you wanna just come home with me? Talk about this tomorrow morning when we’re both sober.”
“Yeah, I’d like that a lot.”
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Who Did What Now (Chapter 3: Epilogue)
And here you'll find the actual pieces of writing that I wanted to use when I began this fic. Thank you for your time.
Chapter 1: Questions / Chapter 2: Answers / Epilogue
AO3 Link in the reblog
“So…” Sanji said, handing Zoro the last plate.
Zoro grunted in response, accepting the plate and drying it.
“The others know now,” he continued.
“Well, that was the plan, wasn’t it?” Zoro finished drying his plate, placing it on the stack of identical ones beside him. Sanji opened the right cabinet and Zoro slid the stack into place, as always.
“Yeah,” Sanji admitted, “It’s been a long time coming, too.”
“Mmm,” Zoro agreed. Lowering his arms from lifting the plates, he encircled Sanji from behind, the other fitting perfectly in his hold.
“Didn’t you get enough from all that PDA earlier?” Sanji teased, settling against his chest anyway.
“God,” Zoro said, nuzzling into the crook of Sanji’s neck, “That was the most embarrassing thing I think I’ve ever done. We are never doing that again.”
Sanji laughed at him, scratching a hand through green hair, “Even more embarrassing than asking me to marry you?”
--
“There you are! Holy shit, what happened to you? Is that a bear?”
Sunlight filtered through the canopy, turning yellow hair golden in the dappled light. A Cigarette sat tantalizingly between soft lips, and his face was gently flushed from the heat of the day.
He reached out a perfect, sacred hand and wiped a trail of blood off his cheek. The hand stayed there, moving his face left and right to inspect him.
He’d found him. Again. As he always did. No matter how lost he was, Sanji would always come and find him.
Zoro wanted him to do that forever. Knowing Sanji, he would, if only he asked.
The words left him before he even thought them, his heart speaking instead.
“Marry me.”
--
“Way worse than that,” Zoro answered.
“Oh?” Sanji said, “Then how about picking the island? Saying we should actually follow through?”
--
Trees colored pink and white with blossoms danced along the hills, small pokes of bright green baby leaves complementing them on brown branches.
Strong, scarred arms wrap around a waist from behind, holding the other preciously, secretly.
“Let’s do it here,” he said, smiling into sun-warmed blonde hair.
“Yeah,” was the soft reply, “Let’s do it here.”
--
“That was easy,” Zoro dismissed, squeezing him tighter.
Sanji laughed in his arms and Zoro relished the sound. “Let go of me,” Sanji smiled, wriggling, “I want to finally go sit down.”
Zoro sighed but let Sanji escape, only to smile softly when Sanji caught a now free hand in his, dragging him along, too.
“Oh, what about when you started going the wrong way to the hill?”
--
“Come on,” a hand in his, calloused but differently, marks earned perfecting the art of creation rather than destruction, “No getting lost this time.”
A red velvet case sat heavy in his pocket, yet the weight was no burden. It was heavy only from the potential it held inside. The anticipation of entropy made him giddy to his bones.
“I’m never lost,” he retorts, lying through his teeth. He’s always lost these days. Lost in blue eyes, in tender touches, in soft words, in moments where it’s just them and the rest of the world falls away.
--
“I knew where I was going.”
“Uh-huh,” Sanji said, falling onto the couch and dragging Zoro with him. Zoro automatically wrapped his arms around the other, sitting back until his head rested on the couch’s armrest and Sanji rested nestled against his chest. He ran a hand up and down Sanji’s back, soothing the muscles of his hard-working cook.
Sanji made a content little noise, stirring butterflies in Zoro’s stomach, which was stupid because they did this nearly every night, yet it seemed it never got old. Sanji reached for his pocket, pulling out his usual cigarette, but Zoro put his hand over his to stop him.
Sanji looked up with a questioning brow. “You already had six just washing dishes,” Zoro explained, gesturing with his head over to the sink. An ashtray sat beside it, filled with butts and dark ash.
“Oh, did I?” Sanji frowned, putting his pack away.
“Maybe I’m not the only one embarrassed,” Zoro teased, nuzzling playfully by his ear.
“Oh please” Sanji denied, “Sure it was… certainly something. But it really wasn’t that bad, was it?”
Zoro sighed, continuing his ministrations, “Honestly? It went over better than I thought. Even when Nami looked like she wanted our heads on pikes.”
Sanji shivered in his arms. Their whole arrangement had never been about pulling one over on everyone or anything like that; they just wanted their privacy. Still, Zoro couldn’t fault them for being a little angry with them, and he knew how having either of the girls’ ire directed at him made Sanji feel (in-short, not great).
“I’ll cook her a feast of treats to apologize!” Sanji declared, determination in his voice. Zoro could see the clockwork in his brain ticking, recipes and decoration ideas already thrumming through his head. He smiled at him fondly.
“I don’t think she’s really mad anymore,” he assured him, remembering her soft smile before she’d slipped out of the galley. “And,” he added, “If she is, she won’t be much longer.”
Sanji looked up at him, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “What are you up to?”
“Jeez,” Zoro said, giving Sanji and incredulous look, “It’s nothing bad, I swear. Give me some credit.”
Sanji didn’t let up on his suspicion, though, and Zoro rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna ask her to be my best man. Maid of honor? I don’t know, whichever, both.”
“Oh,” Sanji said, blinking at him. Then, he smiled, turning back into Zoro’s chest to hide it. “I think she’ll like that,” he said. Zoro hummed in response.
A moment of gentle silence passed. Zoro just soaked in the content feeling of holding Sanji close. They got so few moments truly alone. Even now, like this, in the back of their minds they were watching the doorways with haki, waiting for someone searching for a midnight snack or glass of water to wander their way. Though, Zoro supposed that he didn’t have to roll off the couch and hide underneath or rush to lock himself in the pantry or slip out to the upper deck via the ladder anymore. Maybe they should have told everyone sooner. Ah, but the idea of keeping Sanji and the things he did all to himself was very attractive, and hiding had its own thrill to it, too.
As Zoro lazily considered these things, Sanji began to fuss in his arms. At first, it was just a light tapping rhythm of his finger. Soon, though, he was playing with a button on his shirt, then worrying the hem of Zoro’s sleeve, then tugging, just a bit, at the ends of his bangs. Finally, Zoro had enough of it. “Cook…” he said testily, though he followed it with a small kiss to blonde hair.
Sanji sighed, digging his face in further to Zoro’s chest. Zoro gave him a moment, knowing a number of ways to get whatever was bothering him out if he didn’t fess up willingly.
“So, uh,” Sanji said, most likely well aware of all of Zoro’s ways, “You’re really okay with, you know, doing it again?”
“Doing what?” Zoro said, frowning down at him, “The wedding? I’ve said as much before, haven’t I?”
“Well, yeah,” Sanji said, shrugging and lifting himself enough to look at Zoro’s face, “But now it’s all a lot more real. Everyone knows now, so we can start, like, actually planning, and stuff.”
Sanji had trailed off at the end of his sentence, looking away, but Zoro brought his hand to Sanji’s chin and made him turn to look at him once more. Zoro looked in those blue eyes with all the calm resolution and sincerity he felt, “I would do anything to get to marry you again.”
Sanji looked owlishly up at him. He blinked. He blinked again. Small patches of red blossomed in his cheeks. The patches grew, engulfing his pale skin, until his whole face was red, blush reaching to the tips of his ears and bleeding down to his chest, and he just kept getting redder. Zoro smirked.
“Holy shit, shut the fuck up, you asshole!” Sanji sputtered, sitting up to choke Zoro around the neck, but not actually squeezing. He looked furious except for his eyes which were full of glee.
“Get off me, crap-cook!” Zoro protested, laughing, lightly attempting to dislodge him but really just using it as an excuse to caress his wrists.
“No way! I have to kill you before you kill me first pulling crap like that!” he was laughing too, his façade easily broken.
“If it’s a fight you want…” Zoro said, switching tactics. He relinquished his wrists to put a hand in Sanji’s hair, pulling him forward suddenly enough to catch him off-guard, and crashing their lips together.
Sanji hummed into the messy kiss, hands releasing their mock hold so that one could rest on his collarbone and the other could thumb circles at his cheek.
They parted, breaths hot and mingling, for just a moment before meeting again, softer this time. The gentle press of Sanji’s soft lips against his was nothing but pure heaven. It was all he could ever want and more, and it was all freely given by a man who loved him.
They parted once more, and Zoro looked up at his beautiful husband, the overhead lighting of the galley giving him a halo that was well deserved. Sanji gave him a smile that Zoro would kill a thousand men for.
He knew he was being uncharacteristically goopy – even within their private moments, this was a bit much – but he just couldn’t help it; an evening of reliving memories had dredged up so much fondness, his heart was simply overflowing with the syrupy feeling. On top of that, he was simply too emotionally drained to put up his usual front, especially when Sanji would only see right through it anyway.
Sanji looked down at him equally as goopily, so he felt no shame in this allowance.
“Why do you ask, though? About the wedding?” Zoro said, furrowing his brow as he brought them back to their previous point. “It was your idea in the first place. Do you not want to anymore?”
Sanji rolled his eyes at him. “Of course I do, dummy,” he said, which was a little uncalled for when all Zoro was doing was showing he cared, “I just need to make sure you are. It’s a whole lot of doing stuff in public, you know? You’d have to say your vows again, out loud, in front of everyone.”
--
“I, Roronoa Zoro,” he swallowed thickly. He’d rehearsed these lines in his head a thousand times over but saying them with his voice was something else entirely.
A soft squeeze of their joined hands brought his attention back. Blue eyes full of sincerity met his. Right. He could do this. For him, he could do anything.
“I give you my whole heart to have and to hold, and promise to do so with your heart if you will let me,” he felt the enormity of his own words. He reveled, rather than drowned, in it. He slipped the chain bearing his ring over golden hair.
“Forever.”
--
Zoro’s face grew warm at just the thought. It really would be embarrassing to announce in front of everyone he knew how he felt. And yet, a possessive part of him didn’t mind it one little bit. In fact, that part of him wanted to tell every single passerby on any street of any island, “Yes, this is mine, he let me be his, all mine and no one else’s, just for me, forever.”
“You have to say yours too,” he says in lieu of revealing such desires.
“That’s true,” Sanji said, looking contemplative for a moment. Then, a smirk came to his face. “You gonna cry again when I do?” he teased.
--
“I, Blackleg Sanji,” he stops, tears welling up in his eyes. His smile doesn’t falter for even a second.
A blessed hand reached up, whipping wetness away from his own eye. It rests there on his cheek, warm and gentle. A sniffle and a shaky breath, and then he continues.
“Promise to care for you always, and to let you care for me in return. To be each other’s forever.”
--
“I only cried because you did!” Zoro protested, now even redder.
“Uh-huh,” Sanji slyly smiled, unconvinced.
Zoro huffed at him. The hands that were resting on the small of Sanji’s back wrapped further around the other’s lithe frame, trapping him to Zoro’s chest. His captive secured, Zoro gave him a punishment he deserved and tickled him mercilessly.
“Hey! Hahaha! You algae-heehee-brain!” Sanji scowled between giggles, wriggling in his hold.
Zoro didn’t let up, smile maniacal as he enjoyed Sanji’s struggle.
“Stop it!” Sanji yelled, laughing harder. He thrashed, trying to get away from those fingers, and ended up sending his body weight towards the open side of the couch. Zoro continued to refuse to relinquish his grip, so the pair was sent over the edge, Zoro just barely fitting a hand behind Sanji’s head as they met the floor hard.
Sanji’s breath was knocked out of him once as he landed and once again as Zoro landed on top of him. Zoro sat up on his elbows and looked down at him. Sanji looked up at him. A beat passed. They broke into laughter, dissolving into a pile of giggles and mirth.
--
Their captain, who found them, who brought them here, who they’ll follow to the ends of the earth, stands before them, smiling.
“I now pronounce you,” he says, reading from a card, “Mr. and Mr. Roronoa!”
--
Zoro’s insides felt impossibly light, watching Sanji’s flushed face as his thousand-sun smile shined at him. He meant what he said: he’d do anything to marry this man again and again and again and again. As many times as he would have him.
--
The sunset burns red across the sky, their shadows becoming long and merging into one.
He reaches a hand into blond hair and dips him, unable to control himself.
Soft lips press against his, the kiss lovingly marred by their inability to stop smiling.
He was now tied to this man’s side forever.
He would have it no other way.
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wormysquirmee · 2 years
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I totally forgot about day one of fluffbruary, so here’s my work for day two! I apologize for it being so short!! <3
Based on the song ‘Hoshinoaida’ by Centimillimental.
Hey, from the first time I met you. I’m lost in space. What you see is through a filter…
Of the night sky.
What you’d never expect would be somebody who’s obsessed with fighting and just being an overall obnoxious person, to fall in love with the complete opposite.
Tanjirou runs through the forest, his hand in Inosuke’s. He can’t help but think to himself.
‘It’s so dazzling, to take your hand. I’ll take you to the dark..’
They soon come crashing to the ground, their figures fumbling on top of eachother as the scenery erupts in echoed laughter. Tanjirou sits up, his eyes catching Inosuke’s.
He admired the way his eyes glimmered in the dark. His eyes were as bright as the stars.
Inosuke suddenly grabs his arms and pounces on top of him as he laughs giddily. Tanjirou wraps his arms around him and rolls him over so that he’s on top of him. He leans down and catches his lips in a quick chaste kiss. Inosuke feels stunned for a moment as Tanjirou looks up at him with that look—of admiration.
He can’t handle it. It’s too much. This feeling…
What is this feeling?
It’s like he wants to stay with him forever.
Please, don’t divert!
Let’s go find the ending.
He’s never felt this way, the way Tanjirou’s lips are shaped. He wants to kiss them forever.
Wait there! Through the stars…i’m going to see you right now. To protect your dear pain.
He starts to cry. His eyes burned from this new feeling. Tanjirou crawls off of him and lays down on his back, his hand in Inosuke’s. He points at all of the stars and shows him each constellation, while Inosuke points out each and every bug surrounding them. He points out the noise of the crickets, to the bright illuminated fireflies flying around them.
Tanjirou squeezes his hand lovingly, grabbing Inosuke’s attention as he was in a trance while talking about his favorite wild critter.
Inosuke looks at him, tilting his head. He traces his scar with his eyes, each sharp line and curve entrancing him, but what really put him into a spell would be his eyes. His bright burgundy eyes piercing into his body. He can’t move.
A few seconds later Tanjirou stands up and holds out his hand, waiting for Inosuke to grab it. He does and Tanjirou smiles at him. He starts to walk around, exploring the night sky and all of the wonders in it. He picks up the pace and starts to run down the hill, looking back at Inosuke and giggling. Inosuke smiles back and throws his head back, closing his eyes and feeling the cold breeze through his hair. He suddenly stops running and stares at Tanjirou, his hair’s now a mess, and it’s all in his face.
Tanjirou blushes shyly and shakes his head. He sits down with Inosuke and runs his hands through the blue silky strands. Inosuke is so crazy, but somehow his hair stays perfectly soft. He’ll never know how he does it. How he’s so perfect. His heart can’t handle it. He’s too beautiful. He always wonders to himself how he was so blessed to be able to meet such an amazing person—like him. He closes his eyes and listens to the crickets chirp in the night.
He suddenly feels something hit his lap. Inosuke fell asleep. He looks down at him and strokes his head, feeling each strand in his calloused fingers. He’ll never know how lucky he truly is, will he? Inosuke is perfect in Tanjirou’s eyes.
Nothing will ever change that.
So please wait!
While burning life..
I’ll go see you again and again.
I can’t even breathe.
I’m in love with you.
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sunflowersoldat · 3 years
Text
Man Out of Time Pt. 5
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Warnings: bit of angst, pretty tame actually.
Pairing: Steve x reader
Word Count:~ 1800
Summary: Your little slice of heaven wouldn't last long, this is the chance they have all been waiting for, will a pair of pretty blue eyes drag you into the fray again?
Steve Rogers Masterlist
Main Masterlist
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You were out riding late that night needing the cool night air to calm you down, it was just you, Clyde and Fenris, just like any other night. You stared up at the sky and wondered how the other parts of the universe were handling Thanos’ snap, were they thriving? Or were they suffering like Earth was.
You were snapped out of your thoughts when you rode up to the drive and saw a car parked outside your gate; empty. You hightailed it to the house, pulling your gun from your leg holster, you walked around to the back door, lifting your finger to your lips signaling Fenris to stay quiet. The house was dark with only the light of the moon filtering in through the windows to guide you, but you knew your way around, even in the dark. You rounded the corner into the living room, where a figure stood alone, you pointed the gun at their back, the glow of the moon outside outlining their massive frame,
“Put your hands where I can see them, don’t try anything, or you won’t be leaving here on your own two feet.”
The figure raised their hands slowly, turning around, it happened too fast, the figure turned all the way towards you and disarmed you. You knew those moves and knew there was only one person who could pull them off on you.
“What the fuck is up with you and sneaking into my houses!? Do you have a death wish?!”
The figure chuckled, “Steven Grant Rogers I’m serious I could have shot you, super soldier serum or not, a shot through the heart would kill…”
You were cut off when his lips met yours, full of need. For a moment you let yourself get lost in the kiss,
“Oh, wow should I go? Let you both have the place to yourselves?”
You ripped your lips from Steve’s as the living room light flickered on, you turned to the voice, placing your hand to your forehead,
“Nat?! What are you both doing here? How did you even find me?” Nat smirked at you,
“You didn’t think you could hide this little slice of heaven forever, did you?” she raised her brow, you scoffed,
“Wouldn’t have been like this if you guys had just listened. You made your choice I made mine.”
Nat pursed her lips, “Thanks for the help on that mission by the way, oh wait.”
You clenched your fist and made a move towards her, but Steve grabbed your arm stopping you in your tracks,
“Nat. We didn’t come here for that.” Steve scolded You tore your arm way almost losing balance,
“Why the hell are you here?! And how the fuck did you find me?!”
Steve raised his hands in surrender, “Tony. Tony told us.”
You groaned and turned into the kitchen, Steve followed behind and placed your pistol onto the counter.
“That lousy son of a bitch.” You shook your head,
“We figured it out Y/N.”
You turned to Steve, “Excuse me?” your brows knitting together,
“Well actually Scott and Tony figured it out. We can save everyone.”
Nat stepped in, “But for this to work we need everyone onboard.”
You laughed darkly, “Of course.”
“Y/N…” Steve reached for you, but you pulled back again,
“We are really going to go through this fight again, I wanted out, that is the whole reason I left!”
You were so pissed now, “Tony sent us to get you Y/N we are sure this is the only chance we will get; we have to-”
Steve was cut off as your hand connected with his cheek, you were fuming now, he turned back to you shocked that you had just slapped him.
“How dare you! Tony has a family, you pulled him back into this!? I understand grieving and trying for a year or two, but it has been 5 years Steven enough is enough!! I miss them too, believe me, but this has to stop.”
Still stunned from you slapping him, Steve turned to Nat, and nodded his head towards the door, she rolled her eyes, as she walked out the front door slamming it with a huff. Steve placed his hands on the counter.
“Y/N…” he whispered, looking at you.
His face red from where you slapped him, but there was such sadness in his eyes, you heart lurched, you hated seeing him like this, but you couldn’t go through all of this again, “We can’t go wrong this time. I promise this is the last time. Please and if it doesn’t work, I’ll give it up.”
Your expression softened as you placed your hand on his cheek,
“I’m sorry…” you whispered rubbing your thumb across the angry red patch, “What if you don’t make it back?” your eyes now stinging with tears, he placed his hand over yours on his cheek,
“Then at least I tried.”
You shook your head, “You have given the world more of you than it deserves Steven. What about those you care about you? What happens to them when you don’t come back…” what happens to me, the words clinging to the air around you, never leaving your mouth, but he knew what you meant. He closed his eyes and sighed.
“I am going to fix this sweetheart, I have to…”
“But at what cost?” you walked away from him and towards your room, putting your gun in its proper place, “You can see yourself out.” You walked into your room, closing the door you texted Tony:
Y/N: Traitor
TS: Aww come on kiddo it couldn’t have been that bad right?
Y/N: Is this an actual chance Tony?
Y/N: Be completely honest.
Y/N: Just answer Y or N.
TS: Y
You sighed throwing your phone onto the bed. Here we go again.~
You arrived at the compound early the next morning, Tony met you at the main door, and led you through to the hangar where they were keeping said Quantum ‘Time Machine’.
“Jesus Tony you weren’t lying.” You raised a brow in his direction. Tony chuckled and looked at you,
“I don’t usually lie…” he smiled slightly, “We actually have a chance kid.”
You side-eyed him “Do you actually believe that?”
Tony sighed, “I have to.”
You looked to the floor slowly nodding. If anyone could actually figure out the science of time travel leave it to Tony. You heard the hangar door close behind you, both you and Tony turn around, Steve and Natasha were walking towards you, but Steve is looking at the ground shaking his head at Natasha who is walking backwards,
“Steve don’t beat yourself up, she made her own decision, you can’t help that. She is lucky to wake up this morning after how she acted, I wanted to kick her ass.”
You laughed to yourself, “You know you can still try Romanoff; I’ll even tie one hand behind my back to give you a better chance.”
Crossing your arms you smirked at her, as she lost her balance whirling around to face you. Steve’s head snapped up, eyes brightening once they landed on you. Tony chuckled next to you nudging you with his elbow,
“Play nice.” He whispered, then raising his voice so the others could hear, “It’s nice of the both of you to finally join us, I was just filling Y/N in on our plan of action for tomorrow.”
Steve and Nat finally reached you and Tony, “Glad you changed your mind.” Steve said quietly a small smile playing at his lips.
“Glad I didn’t have to kick your ass.” Nat snapped with a wink, linking her arm with Tony’s “Come on Tony lets go see how the others are doing with the test runs.”
You rolled your eyes and turned back to Steve, taking him in, he was wearing a grey long sleeve Henley, that hugged all his muscles in all the right places, and a pair of light wash jeans that did everything for his ass. Steve watched Nat and Tony walk away as Nat turned her head and winked. Steve furrowed his brow together,
“Tomorrow?! Wait why not now?” You reached for his arm as he walked past you, barely missing him, fuck, you needed to talk. You turned to follow,
“Steve.” You whispered.
No response, you walked quickly trying to catch up before he made it to the team,
“Steve!” you whispered louder, still no response, you huffed trying to catch him before he met up with the rest of the team. You opened your mouth the hiss at him again, but it was too late you were in the same room with the rest of the team.
“Tony why don’t we do it now? We have waited long enough; we have everything planned. This can’t go wrong.” Steve stated sternly.
You turned your head at him, trying to understand why he was suddenly in such a rush. Tony shrugged and looked around at the team,
“I am fine with that, is that okay with everyone else? Are you all ready?”
Everyone around you started to nod, with a few quietly saying yes.
“Um I’m sorry, what exactly am I supposed to be doing? What team am I on?” you piped up, giving a nervous glance around the room.
Both Tony and Steve turned to you, “You will be with us.” Tony states with a shrug, “we need you to hack into the cameras up at Stark Tower when Loki attacked. Both Loki’s Scepter and the Tesseract are there at that point in time. We just need you to keep us off the cameras, that’s all.”
You took a deep breath, “Okay then, let’s do it.”
You were so nervous, you prayed everything would workout. Nat handed you a suit and you followed Steve down the hall to go change. You inhaled sharply, grabbing him by the arm,
“Look Steve, we need to talk. I know I shouldn’t have left, the way I did, but this whole process, I can’t keep going through it over and over. I meant what I told you back in Wakanda…”
Steve shook his head and cut you off placing his hand on your cheek. “Don’t worry about it Sweetheart, we can talk about it when we get back. Let’s focus on making sure everyone makes it back in one piece. Okay?”
He helped you suit up as you nodded your head. “You promise we can work this out?” you whisper, he touched your cheek again nodding, grabbing your hand and leading you to the ‘time machine’.
You stepped into the circle next to Steve and Tony.
“Ready?” Tony asked everyone, “go in, get out, don’t get caught, we will meet back here, stones in hand, and bring everyone back.”
Everyone nodded. “On three.” Steve started the countdown,
“See you in a minute.” Nat said with a wink.
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lubdubsworld · 3 years
Text
Insatiable ( Jungkook x Oc ) Chapter 4
Pairing : Jeon Jungkook x OC
Rating 18+
Genre : Vampire Au!!!! , DILF! Jungkook ! Bodyguard AU! Babysitter OC!   Age difference!!! 
Chapter 1   Chapter 2  Chapter 3
Chapter 4
“Dearest, I am  appalled. “ My father said apologetically. “ Jungkook told me what happened at the dinner and I’m beginning to rethink this whole idea. These pups need to be on a leash , if they cannot control themselves to this extent.” 
I was curled up on the couch next to my dad, his fingers gently stroking my hair while he stared at the screen in front of us. It carried all the accounts of the mansion for the week and the numbers made my head swim . So I ignored it, eating the freshly baked macarons that  cook had sent up from the kitchen. 
My father occasionally consulted from a bunch of files spread out on the table in front of him and I shuddered again when I thought about Mingyu. 
“He was an awful choice father. I should have just told you to set things up with Yugyeom.” I grimaced. 
My father nodded at once.
“Of course dearest, I’ll talk to him myself and see if he’s free this weekend. Will that work for you?”
“thank you father.” I said brightly, curling up next to him.
For a few minutes, we both stayed quiet, him humming as he leafed through the files, me munching on a few ripe tangerine pieces. 
“What do you think of Jungkook?” My father said suddenly, making me cough. 
I swallowed, throat dry.
My father felt me stiffen against him and he chuckled. 
“Don’t panic, love. I am way too old not to recognize heartache when I see it. Especially in my own daughter. Your display at the breakfast table yesterday was quite unlike you and I realized, it’s not just a silly infatuation anymore, is it  ? ” He rubbed the back of his fingers on my cheek, soothing and gentle. 
I didn’t reply. 
“I think he’s a good...man.” I finished.
“Ahhh...” My father chuckled. “  Man.  Here I am , trying to foist you off on boys who’ve barely popped their fangs for the first time .... when it is obvious that what you need is someone reliable and in control. Therein lies the appeal, does it not, dearest? ” 
I flushed red, scrambling to sit up , and clutching the fabric of my skirt in a death grip. 
“It’s... it’s stupid. I’ll get over it.” I choked out. 
My father hummed. 
“Have you told him how you feel?” He asked gently and I stared at him.
“You’re not mad.?” I whispered.
My father chuckled.
“Why would I be mad?  I’ve known him for five whole centuries. He’s a fine, upstanding man. Jungkook is fair and strong. He is more than capable of taking care of you and the best part, you would be able to live here forever. I would be lucky to have him as my son in law.” He said firmly. 
I felt my body go lax in disbelief. 
“Somi .. Somi said...That you wouldn’t approve. Because he isn’t from a strong clan. ”
“Somi worries too much about what the others in our clan may say.  Especially your uncle. He’s coming back soon remember? “ My father grimaced. 
I felt a shiver run through me. 
“Uncle Jaebum? He’s coming back?” I whispered, terrified. 
My father hummed, kissing the side of my head.
“Yes he is, love. But don’t worry. I’ll handle him. Your uncle still believes that lineage plays some role in how a vampire turns out but couldn’t be more wrong. i mean , young Mr. Mingyu has single handedly proven  that theory wrong , hasn’t he?” My father shook his head, laughing, “  So tell me, has Jungkook agreed to court you?” 
I groaned. 
“He has categorically stated that he doesn’t want to court me.” I said softly.
My father laughed at that.
“That must’ve been a novel experience for you.” 
I pouted. 
“Father!” I whined. 
“Alright, alright ...dearest. I won’t tease. Did he say why? ” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. 
“Because I’m too young? Possibly.... He said something about carrying too much baggage and not wanting to ruin my life.” 
My father made a noise of impatience.
“The boy is an overthinker. He’s always been that way. He doesn’t look that way but he cares deeply about hurting others. It’s possible he’s only trying to protect you. Albeit in a very misguided way. “
“ Perhaps. But, whatever the reason, he’s not willing to court me. So, no. i don’t think he wants to be your son in law. I wish I could change his mind. ” I muttered, snuggling closer into him. 
“Ah, you know I can’t change his mind for you, don’t you flower? That’s your job...”
I sighed. 
“I know...” 
“If Jungkook does choose to court you. You will have my blessing. I will give you a wedding that will make the world watch in awe. “ He said firmly. 
i laughed. 
“Really? You made Somi marry Jimin in the barn on the estate.” I grinned. 
“Well, Don’t tell your brothers and sisters but you are my favorite after all. “ He whispered conspiratorially and I grinned. 
It was funny because I knew he wasn’t even lying. 
After my mother had left the clan, my father had taken on the role with enthusiasm. Unlike the head of clans all over the world, my father was approachable , friendly and deeply involved in his children’s lives. And he had always adored me. 
“And even if Jungkook doesn’t realize how amazing you are, remember that there are plenty of good men out there. I want you to be happy, dearest. I will not settle for anything less than your complete happiness. “ My father said fiercely and I hugged him closer. 
I loved this man too damn much. 
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“ You’re so good at what you do, Sera .” Lee Minhyuk gave me a seductive smile as he watched me wrestle his one year old daughter into her booties with one hand while i kept the other wrapped around her to stop her from toppling backwards on the small seat. 
 How about you stop flirting and help me dress your daughter , you asshole, I thought angrily, grunting from the effort of crouching for long periods of time. 
When the fluffy blue fur boots were finally on, I gave little Cherin’s squishy thighs a soft squeeze, pressing a kiss to her perfect cheeks. 
“Good bye cherry berry...” I sang softly, waving gently as she hugged her father’s legs before being scooped up into his arms. 
“So, are you free this friday? We could get something to eat?” Minhyuk gave me a wink. 
His wife was out of town. 
I offered a polite smile in return. 
“I’m going to have to pass on that. I don’t date parents, Minhyuk ssi.” I bowed my head lightly. 
Minhyuk looked annoyed but his gaze flitted to the 6′3″ man behind me, and he didn’t push the subject, merely bowing before leaving. 
Behind me Jungkook cleared his throat. 
I turned and he gave me a slow, lazy smirk. 
“You don’t date parents? Does that mean we’re not on for tonight anymore?” His eyes danced with mirth, mischief glinting in the black orbs. 
I flushed red. 
“Stop it, “ i hissed peering over his shoulder to make sure none of the other workers in the daycare had heard him. 
Jungkook smiled a little at the panic in my face. 
“But then , it isn’t really a date is it? You only want my body.” He sighed deeply in faux disappointment. 
I gave him an impish smile.
“It is the best thing you have on offer....” I shrugged. 
He laughed.
“Fair enough. Did you tell your dad about Mingyu? ” He asked as the workers began to leave one by one. Joowon had left with some of the other kids earlier, Jimin and Somi having promised to take the kids in the clan out for icecream. 
I picked up the stray blocks, dropping them into the huge laundry basket repurposed as a toy bag. i got on my hands and knees to peer under the huge wooden dresser in the corner, looking for stray blocks or toys and picking a few. 
 My back screamed in protest and i wondered if I was going to spend the rest of eternity with an achy back. I was just too young to be feeling this old. 
Was Park Jimin onto something with the whole yoga and stretching and exercise and healthy eating ? Should I stop binge eating french fries and possibly start eating salads? 
I sighed, straightening up and twisting my torso a bit only to find Jungkook with his gaze leveled very obviously  on my ass. 
So much so he didn’t even notice I was looking at him. 
I cleared my throat and his gaze left my butt, meeting mine with an absolutely unrepentant look on his face. 
“What?” He shrugged. “ I’m just seeing what I’m going to be working with tonight .” 
I felt my face flame, hating the way an absolutely ridiculous smile was threatening to make its way onto my face. I turned away quickly, crawling on all fours to the next dresser and peering under it too. 
once all the toys were put away and I’d double checked the to do list on the board , We finally closed the day care down for the night. It was just  little past six and I stood by the door, watching while he carefully checked all the side gates and the backyard. 
Slipping the key into my backpack , I began the walk back to the mansion and he fell into step next to me. 
“You didn’t answer my question....” He said softly and I blinked.
“Oh?” I couldn’t remember. 
“ Did you tell your father what happened with Mingyu?”
“Did you?” I retorted. and he shrugged. 
“I had to give a complete play by play report. Your father was incredibly upset.” 
I chuckled. 
“He’s very protective of me..” I shrugged.
Jungkook went tellingly quiet.
I felt foreboding rise inside me. Jungkook inhaled sharply, obviously staring to say something but i cut him off quickly. 
“He likes you!!” I blurted out quickly. “ I mean..he approves of you... Told me he wouldn’t mind you being his son in law.” 
My lack of filter was going to get me  killed  one of these days. 
Jungkook however seemed more amused than annoyed. 
“Well, considering the kind of candidates in the race, I can see why he would prefer me. “ He laughed. 
I frowned. There was something smug in his tone that irked me. He shouldn’t get to be smug about something like that when he didn’t even want to be with me in the first place. 
“They’re not all clowns. Yugyeom is a great guy.” I said sharply.
Jungkook’s eyebrow shot up.
“Is it so?”
I nodded, honest. 
“He’s older... almost two centuries old now and he’s a good friend.” 
“Two centuries? How on earth did he become your friend?” 
“He was one of my tutors during college. So I kind of had a crush on him.... It was all exciting .... You know, teacher and student .....forbidden love and all that “ I smiled. 
Jungkook gave me a cheeky smile. 
“Ahh...ever sucked his dick off under the desk? Or dreamed of it at least? ” He asked casually and I choked.
“ What? “ 
“Why do you look so shocked? isn’t that the most common of fantasies?“
I glared at him .
“No... I did not. That’s indecent.” 
He stopped walking. 
I walked a few steps ahead and paused, turning to stare at him. 
“What?” I demanded. 
“Sera , what the actual fuck do you think we’re going to be doing tonight?” He asked thoughtfully. 
I spluttered . 
“I... Its different. I was too young back then. Of course I know what you’re going to do tonight.” I said impatiently, turning around to keep going. 
But his hand shot out, gripping my arm and pulling me to him. I crashed into his chest, gripping the fabric to steady myself. 
“For someone who was so eager to have me show her the ‘ ropes’ , you’re quite intent on running from me, anytime i bring it up.” He whispered. 
i stared resolutely at his chest, refusing to meet his eyes. It wasn’t that I was shy per se. But just looking at his face made me lose my braincells. 
“I’m not running away. I just....” Don’t want to read too much into your flirting. Your teasing. Your interest in me. I have to keep my heart safe and I can’t do that with you offering me all of your attention....
“Don’t be nervous, alright? I’ll take good care of you.” He smiled softly. 
 God, I hated this man. 
I could feel heat pool in my belly, spreading all over my body and the urge to throw myself into his arms was so overwhelming.
“I know you will. “ I said softly, finally looking up at him, pressing my palm to his face. “ You’re a good man. A kind man. I knew the minute I saw you that you’d take good care of me. ” 
The words seemed to affect him and he bit his lips, grabbing my wrist and pulling my hand away from his face.  
“We should go.” He said shortly, pushing away from me and walking away briskly. 
“Who’s the one running now, Jeon Jungkook?!!!” I yelled after him and he flipped me off without turning around. 
Laughing, I ran to catch up with him again. 
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At 10.55 , I stood outside Jungkook’s room, nervous but eager.
 It wasn’t even the prospect of sex, I thought giddily. Just the idea of spending time with him, of listening to him talk, of having him at touching distance .....it was so intoxicating. 
I knocked lightly. 
Jungkook opened the door , a smile on his face and it was jarring, how young he looked like this. 
He was clearly fresh out of the shower. Hair wet and and still dripping a little, he was dressed in a grey hoodie, the sleeves rolled up to show his veiny forearms and grey sweatpants, hands tucked into his pockets as he shook his hair out of his eyes. 
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It was a futile action and all it really did was send water droplets flying all around. 
I blinked against the unexpected spray, water clinging to my lashes and my cheeks. 
“Hey!! “ I protested. “ Are you a puppy? Use a towel like the rest of the world.” I mumbled. 
He laughed. 
“Come in, princess.” He grabbed my wrist, tugging gently and I stepped into his room, looking around eagerly. 
He closed the door behind us and I heard him pull the dead bolt into place before turning the key as well.
No interruptions then.....
Good. 
“Your room is actually bigger than mine.” I frowned, noting the big four poster bed, complete with a white curtained canopy. I let my gaze fall to the clean white sheets and my mind flashed back to the beautiful Helena, sprawled on the bed in nothing but her underwear. 
I swallowed the bitter jealousy that threatened. 
Hands wrapped around my waist from behind and he hugged me close, the warmth of his chest heavy and amazing on my body. I jumped a little when i felt the gentle press of his lips on the curve of my neck. 
“You sure about this? We don’t have to do anything at all tonight. We can kiss a little, watch a movie and sleep. But you’re a big girl so I’m gonna let you call the shots.” He lightly grabbed a huge chunk of my hair, lifting it out of the way before kissing the back of my neck. 
“Uh...” I stared straight ahead, already half aroused. “I want....to feel good.” 
He laughed against my skin, his hold around me tightening. 
“That can be arranged.” He said hotly, teeth nipping  at my skin before he gently turned me around in his arms. 
I looked up at him, drinking in his gorgeous face and he hummed, eyes narrowed as though in deep thought. 
“Bed?” He prompted and it was ridiculous, how one word could turn me on that bad. I nodded, making to move but he surprised me, crouching and grabbing the back of my thighs, pulling me up so easily, that I shrieked. I wrapped my thighs around his waist, more by instinct than intent and he laughed at the look on my face. 
“This always gets the ladies going.” He winked and I flushed. 
“Show off...” I muttered, lightly punching his shoulders and he shrugged.
“I don’t hit the gym five times a week to  not  show off darling.” he drawled, walking over to the bed and tossing me on the mattress. I bounced off the surface, squawking in surprise and I scrambled to sit up but he was already grabbing the hem of his hoodie and tossing it off. 
I’d never seen him shirtless but before I could fully appreciate the view, he was climbing on the bed. He grabbed my ankles, tugging me away from the head board and I landed on my back with an oof. 
“Ow. You’re being entirely too careless with me. “ I protested. 
He crawled forward on his knees, closer and closer till he was throwing one leg over my body, straddling my waist. 
“Thought you wanted to be put in your place.” He reminded me and I grinned up at him. 
“I think I’m right where I want to be. Under you.” I said honestly and he nodded.
“It’s where you belong.” He whispered, taking me entirely by surprise .
 My heart began pounding a familiar ache, a familiar pang. I knew it was an illusion. He didn’t for a second believe I belonged here but it was hard not to believe him, when he was hovering over me , looking like a fallen angel. 
God, don’t get emotionally invested. He doesn’t actually mean it, you fool. 
“Kiss me.” I held my arms up and he lowered himself carefully, keeping his weight off me as he kissed me, soft and gentle. I let my fingers tangle in the damp ebony locks, tugging gently as he angled himself better, tongue begging entrance. 
The heady mint taste of him, sent me into over drive and I wrapped both my legs around his waist, pulling him down. 
I took a second to just take him in.
The scent of his skin against mine, clean and woody, slightly sweaty, but mostly just musky. The smell of a man . The weight of him on my body, the hardness of his arousal evident even through the sweatpants. He pulled back to stare at me, his fingers brushing my cheeks. 
“You have perfect lips for kissing. Lush and plump. Like tiny pillows I can sink my teeth into.” He whispered, catching my lower lip between his teeth and tugging. 
“You have beautiful nipples. I want to lick them some day. .” I breathed, running my thumb on the curve of his cheek bones. 
Jungkook stared at me in complete shock for a second and then  laughed . 
“Thats.... a new one. Jesus. “ he shook his head, almost in disbelief. 
“Sorry.” I flushed and he waved off my apology. 
“You wanted to feel good right? Shall I start?” His eyes twinkled. 
I nodded, way too eagerly and he laughed harder. 
“Okay, let’s get you out of these clothes, princess. “  He grabbed my arm, pulling me up to a sitting position before gently tugging the t shirt off my chest. I wasn’t wearing anything underneath and his breath caught s he stared at my breasts.
He stared at them for a second, swallowing before, glancing at me .
“Beautiful.” He said, voice deep and husky. 
“Thank you .” I said primly. 
He laughed again and shook his head.
“I can’t remember ever laughing so much before sex. This is so weird.” 
“Weird bad?” i asked, nervous.
He shook his head.
“Weird good.” He leaned in, kissing my cheek just as he hooked his thumbs into my shorts, pulling them down easily and leaving me completely naked. “ Weird adorable.” 
I crossed my legs, drawing my knees up at once, feeling devastatingly shy. 
His eyes softened. 
“You want me to turn off the lights? “ He asked gently. 
“Yes please.” I said desperately and he nodded, quickly climbing off the bed and fumbling with the light switches. He left a single light on , near the closet. It left the rest of the room dimly lit. 
“Am I the first one to see you like this?” He asked, rubbing his hands together before climbing onto the bed again. 
“Um... after the age of ten, yes.” I laughed nervously. 
He hummed. 
“You’re gorgeous. Toss me that pillow.” He pointed to the one next to my head and i handed it to him.
“Lie down for me darling.” He smiled. 
I hesitated, closing my eyes tight just because it was overwhelming, seeing him in front of me , shirtless and being naked in front of him. 
I laid back slowly, knees still pulled up and feet on the bed, thighs pressed together. 
My heart was pounding , less from nerves and more from sheer anticipation. I’d waited long enough for this to truly feel nervous or want to back out. 
And the fact that it was with Jungkook... I’d pretty much hit the jackpot in first time experiences. 
Hands on my knees made my eyes fly open and I found myself staring up into his face.
“You okay?” He asked gently. 
i nodded.
“Let me between your legs?” He asked sweetly. 
I felt the blood rush to my face, my legs shaking as I spread my knees and thighs, enough to give him space between them. His fingers closed around my ankle lightly, gentle as he ran his hands up and down my legs. 
“Relax alright. You wanted to feel good and I’m going to make you feel good. The only thing you need to do is... well.. feel.” He smiled, impish bunny teeth bright even in the darkened room. 
I nodded, closing my eyes. 
“Don’t wanna watch?” He teased and I shook my head. My pulse kicked up at the very thought of it. 
Jungkook wasn’t anything like I’d imagined, I thought miserably. He had been attractive as the stoic, serious man who wanted to do the right thing but like this : naught and flirty and charming , he was absolutely devastating and i wasn’t sure i could come out of this unscathed. 
I couldn’t fight the feeling that I was making a huge mistake . that this whole thing was going to end with my heart ripped to shreds....
His lips against my forehead pulled me out of my thoughts and I swallowed. 
“I’m going to touch you.” He said softly and I shuddered when his hands closed over my breasts, gentle but firm, kneading the flesh very slowly, thumbs rubbing back and forth on the nipples till they tightened. 
I bit my lips to stop myself from crying out, the sensation overwhelming and foreign because it was someone else’s fingers and not my own. 
“Hey... “ one soft finger pressed against my lips, parting them gently and i sobbed out loud. “ None of that.... You should be as loud as you want to...how else will I know if I’m getting the job done?” 
“You’re getting it done..” I choked out, shaking all over and his kissed my lips again, quick and hard. 
“So beautiful.” He murmured, lips pressing kisses down my chest and across my breasts.
“Since you wanted to lick my nipple, let me uh...return the favor? In advance ?” He laughed against my skin and I inhaled sharply when he nipped at the fleshy mound. 
His lips closed around my nipples, the suction gentle but his tongue wet and insistent .
I went completely still, my hands flying to his hair and gripping so hard he grunted . My hips lifted off the bed at the sensation, every nerve ending on fire as he kept suckling and licking and god, his teeth...he was using his teeth to bite down on the nub... making me thrash my hips , my body completely overwhelmed . 
He kept his lips over the peak, licking the tip over and over till it was tender and wet and hard . He used his hands to knead the other side, thumb rubbing insistently on the neglected nub and I felt my toes curling into th mattress, my arms drooping to loop around his neck as he began to move his hips as well, grinding down on to my thigh. 
I was going to black out from having my nipple played with, I thought vacantly.
“Probably won’t feel this good for me but I’m glad you like it.” He laughed again and I loved the sound of it. Loved that he seemed to be enjoying this too. And I wanted him to enjoy it. Wanted to make him feel good too.
So I let my hand drop, down to his waist and then to the front of his pants.
He froze over me. 
“Sera-”
“I want to.” I said desperately, knowing what he was going to say.  . “ Please , let me touch you too-”
“Hey hey...shush..”He kissed me again quick and heady. “ Remember what I said? You call the shots.... “ He pressed another kiss to the corner of my lips. “ Want me to take off my sweats?” 
I nodded, “ Yeah.” 
He wiggled out of his pants quickly and i cursed myself for wanting the lights turned off. 
I hesitated, rubbing my palm on his pecs and tracing the muscles down to his tightly packed abs and then hesitating. 
“You can touch.” He said hotly and I swallowed, letting my fingers flutter down between his gloriously thick thighs. His skin was smooth and hard , like silk over steel and I let my fingers go lower, past the light dusting of hair to the thick, rigid length of him , my fingers closing over the hardness of his cock. 
Jungkook jerked forward, head burying into the pillow near my head and he swore.
“Fuck...” He sounded strangled and I laughed , gripping him harder but not a lot because I wasn’t sure how much was too much. .
“I have no idea what I’m doing...” I admitted weakly , loosening my grip a little to stroke up and down over the length of his cock. 
“Fuck.. just the fact that you’re doing it is going to make me cum.” He choked out and I laughed, ridiculously flattered.  
He grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand away.
“Lick it.” He said softly. 
I went still, my brain grinding to a halt.. Lick....??
 My eyes went wide.  
And so did his.
“Your palm.” He choked out. “ Lick your palm not my..... Your palm. It’s too dry.” 
Oh..  oh.
Lick my palm. Not his cock. Right. Got it. 
“Okay...”I drew my hand up and hesitated , unsure . Jungkook watched me like a hawk, eyes trained on my mouth and I bit my lips, cupping my palm and spitting into it, twice for good measure. feeling absolutely filthy.
“Fucking hell.” He breathed as I took my hand down to his cock again, wrapping my hand around it and it did feel better, easier to jerk him off with the lubrication. I moved my hands up and down , with  no rhythm and Jungkook gritted his teeth. 
“Okay... I’m gonna.. “He shivered a little when I tentatively pressed my thumb to the head, surprised to find him wet , on the top. I gathered the moisture around his slit, spreading it all over the head of his cock, using my fingers to rub circles over the crown , fingers tracing the thick vein on the underside. 
 inside me. This is going to be inside me. 
 I felt my thighs shake, my insides clenching, wetness dribbling out of me as I squirmed. 
“Please... Jungkook , I...”
“I got you...” He whispered, grabbing my hand and pulling it away from his cock. 
“hey-” I pouted but he shook his head. 
“If you don’t keep your hands off,  this'll all be over before it even begins,.” He said dryly. 
I closed my eyes again, my nerves picking up. 
“Listen...” He said suddenly and I blinked, staring at him. “ I’m going to get you wet...” Oh, god, “ With my tongue.” 
My entire body went taut. 
“I..”
“It’ll make it easier... trust me. And It’ll feel good. Wasn’t that the goal today? “ He tossed me a wink, squeezing my thighs a bit. He moved back and grabbed the pillow.
“Lift your hips up for me.” He said gently and I raised my butt, jerking when he folded the pillow in half and pushed it under my hips. And the he was crawling backwards, till his face hovered over my belly button.
“Throw your legs over my shoulders....” He said briskly, gripping my thighs , one in each and spreading my legs apart. I did as he asked, the back of my knee resting on the hard muscles of his broad shoulders and i raised my head a bit to peer down at him. 
The sight of jungkook’s gorgeous fucking face between my thighs got seared into my head and I fell back, already overwhelmed. 
He pressed a soft kiss to my thigh, a little nip my skin and then sucked the skin at the juncture of my hip and thigh. He was breathing in suddenly, a loud, shuddering inhale.  His breathing wavered and i felt the sharp pin prick of teeth. 
“Shit..”He pulled back and I jumped a little, watching him struggle. He glanced at me and I saw the flash of white between his lips. He’d dropped fang...and was clearly struggling to get them to retract. 
“You can do it..” I said feverishly. “ Jungkook , you can.... Drink.” 
He shook his head and glanced up at me and the look in his eyes made me startle .... because it looked like he was going to get up, move away , possibly call off this whole thing and no...no that was absolutely not going to happen. 
I was not letting him back out of this. 
He tried to move, but I grabbed his hair, yanking his mouth back to my thigh. 
“Fucking do it...” I snapped angrily and his eyes widened at my tone, “  do it and then fuck me , Jungkook or I swear to God I’ll  -” 
Sharp, sharp pain lanced through my spine as he bit down, fangs piercing my skin with ease and I felt the rush of liquid as it left my body, filling his mouth as he gulped. 
His venom worked its magic, the pain dulling to a throb, a pleasant heady intoxication....meant to make the bleeding out painless, meant to make death pleasant for the prey but for me it was just pleasure.
 Pleasure because he could have his fill and I would still be able to give him more. 
Pleasure because with me, he could indulge himself, as much as he wanted without worrying about the consequences. 
Jungkook groaned against my thighs, his shoulders shaking as he drank and I stroked his hair, petting the dark strands as I fought the slight lightheadedness, knowing that it would pass soon. 
Jungkook sucked deeper and I parted my legs moaning when my head began to spin, and then I felt his fingers touch my center, parting my folds , spreading the wetness all over his fingers before his thumb pressed down on my clit, rubbing insistently. I felt myself dripping all over the sheets, so wet and swollen and throbbing... 
“Oh, god yes... That feels so good, Jungkook .. I...” I gasped  as he slipped one long finger in, deep and without any resistance. The warm wetness in my thigh began spreading and I heard him groan as he sucked harder, drinking me down like i was the finest wine. 
“Another... give me more...please...” 
He moaned, still drinking, still shaking as he pressed another finger in next to the previous one, deeper still, searching and stroking, tracing every ridge inside me, curling just right, and rubbing down on that spot inside me...the one I could never quite reach by myself. 
Jungkook inhaled sharply, his fang sinking in just a little deeper as he latched on tighter and my legs shook as I cried out. 
He hummed, using one hand to rub soothing circles on my thigh, while he rubbed his thumb across my clit , hard and the gentle and then hard again until it throbbed and ached , over and over again and I was sure the little nub was bruised, that I wouldn’t be able to touch it for a while without wincing. 
I was gushing , my arousal so strong that the sheets were soaked, wet and so damp and the sensation of his fingers, thick and deep inside me while his fangs bit down harder, while he fed from me, was just too much...too much. 
I exploded around his fingers , my orgasm so strong that my hips lifted right off the bed, and he fucked me through it, fingers pounding in and out of my wet swollen walls as he pulled away, fangs retracting and I struggled to get on my elbows , to get a look at him.
He looked completely wrecked, fangs still half out, lips red and dripping blood , eyes flashing scarlet and blazing with lust so potent , I felt my insides churn.,,. i stared at him as I clenched over his fingers and he closed his eyes, shoulders shaking as he tried to get his bearings but I grabbed his shoulders, scrabbling to pull him up and closer. 
“Inside!” I choked out as he tried to get up, looking punch drunk and out of it.” Get inside me.”
“Sera... you’re...” He was slurring his words and I cried out in sheer frustration, scrabbling to my knees and pushing him down till he was flat on the bed. 
 “ Please i need it... need your cock inside me Jungkook, fuck...”  I begged, my thighs aching and walls clenching from how desperately I wanted to be filled. I stuck my hand between my legs , gathering as much of my wetness as I could before gripping his cock, coating him in my arousal.
 There was something so filthy about his hard, thick cock covered in my juices that made my mouth water. I wanted to swallow him down, to feel his cock hit the back of my throat but I wanted him inside me too. 
Maybe next time. 
“Please....Please can I sit on your cock?!! “ i choked out, fully gone. Jungkook groaned at my words. 
“Yes.. fuck... Do it.. Come on baby, take what you want from me.” he whispered.  and I scrambled up to straddle his thighs. Gripping the base of his cock, I pressed the tip against my entrance, closing my eyes to brace myself, digging my knees into the mattress for leverage before sinking straight down . 
“Oh, fuck....” I shuddered, my entire body thrumming as he pressed in, the hard length of him cleaving me so easily there was absolutely no pain to even register. It was just new. Different. 
And so so exhilarating. 
I sank all the way down till my ass hit the hardness of his thighs. 
And then I couldn’t move anymore. My body shook with tremors and My hands began trembling. 
“Jungkook...please... I..”
He responded by reaching out and gripping me thighs.
“Look at me baby...!” He said sharply and I stared down at his sweat slicked face. His eyes flashed red for a second and then he tugged me down, till i was lying flat on his chest. His arms came around my waist, anchoring me in place. 
“Gonna give it to you good. Just stay still yeah?” He breathed against my ear as i buried my face in the crook of his neck. And then he was rolling us both over, till I was flat on my back, his hand closing over my thigh, spreading my legs apart as he pistoned straight in. 
We were both too far gone for any semblance of a rhythm and I stopped trying to move, merely wrapping my arms around his neck, clinging on as he fucked into me, so hard that I could feel him in my gut. I felt my hips ache from the sheer force of his thrusts, my thighs cramping from how wide he had me spread and my clit throbbing from the way his cock dragged across it with every thrust. 
Pleasure swelled, again, this time stringer and I stopped fighting to make it happen, sinking back and letting it crash over me , like a wave breaking over the cliffs. 
Jungkook groaned as I exploded around him, my walls clenching around his cock and milking him and he shuddered in my arms, his cock twitching inside me as he came, filling me up . 
I gripped his shoulders, clinging to him as he trembled through the aftershocks. I felt my walls clenching, over and over again and Jungkook gave me a strangled moan.
“Too much...baby.. please stop... “ He begged and I froze, realizing that he was too sensitive and wanted to pull out. 
“sorry...sorry... “ I willed my walls to stop clenching and he made a noise of sheer exhaustion as he pulled out of me. 
I watched as he rolled off me, collapsing on his back, breathing hard. 
I stared up at the ceiling, feeling the wet mess of his cum, drip out of me and onto the sheets. I had the sudden made urge to stick my finger down there , scoop it up and taste it but I tamped it down. 
“Well.” I began.... 
He turned to look at me. 
I turned to him, still trying to catch my breath. 
“I’m not a virgin anymore.” I grinned wide. 
He groaned and ran a finger over his face. 
“Congratulations, Princess.” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author’s Note :  Please i need holy water. 
feedback is love. If you don’t tell me you loved this fic i will not write smut anymore. 
taglist :  
@ladyartemesia        @veronawrites   @alpaca1612     @bonyg    @unseejuice21  @sppvjj     @ggukkieland     @tae-by-tae      @blr1004      @yoongichild    @stussyjeon  @jellybearo​   
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Text
College has stopped kicking my butt enough for me to post another chapter of the the Scattered au fic. this one is meant to be a parallel to last chapter, so you might want to reread that one.
scattered au is by @hermitcraftheadcanons and their community
reading tag list: still just @helleborusangel right now. Send an ask if you want to be added on.
Xisuma pulled himself out of the water, coughing a bit from what had gotten past his filter. He tried to look around only to squint at the light from the surface. He didn’t think he had swum that far up, but for all he knew, he was able to push himself that far to finally escape the warden. So when something suddenly attacked him and didn’t immediately kill him, Xisuma quickly fought back.
While initially swimming, he thought he had felt something though wasn’t sure, but this was much more clear. And slimelike, it seemed, since that’s what it felt like when he attacked it. But the following grunt of pain from the attacker sounded much more human like.
Xisuma did his best to focus on whatever was there, but he was seeing double. He looked back and forth, trying to tell if it was just from the intense lighting change or from there actually being two… things there. And it seemed it was the latter when the things looked at each other.
“Well, that’s probably not good.” The two things spoke in unison, which didn’t help the headache that Xisuma could feel coming on. Still, he was able to focus enough to get a good look at whatever was there and was a slime hybrid of sorts similar to Jevin, though instead of his very clearly blue slime, these two - one? They were more of a sea green. Plus from what Xisuma could guess, they were able to split like a regular slime, something Jevin couldn’t.
“Sorry.” Xisuma spoke up, it finally clicking in his mind that he had likely damaged them enough to make them split. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I thought you were attacking- I mean, maybe you were, but this does seem to be where you’re staying, so I guess I invaded your home a bit.”
“I guess. So, are you from around here?” The slime pair asked, making Xisuma shake his head. “Huh, neither am I… are we… This is the first time I’ve split so-”
Xisuma tilted his head a little. “I guess it is pretty safe here. Have you had any deaths so far?”
“I thought that was going to be my first.”
“So that would explain the lack of death messages as opposed to Gemini or Pearlescent. Do you know either of them?”
“No, sorry, not really.” The slime people answered. “Well, uh, there’s just enough here if you need basic tools, but not much else. I’ve got a pickaxe- crafting table.”
Xisuma looked between the two. “I think both would be nice. I spawned underground and had trouble with getting anything at all.” And before he could say more, the slime people were handing him those two items and a few more.
“You’re on your own for food though. Berries aren’t the most filling, so I’ve been eating them all up. They taste nice though.” And to prove their point, each of the slime people went after a berry, though they went after the same one and ended up fighting over it.
Xisuma nodded and went up to one of the walls. This would be much easier than getting the warden to do all his mining, seeing as how he would now be in control. He started to staircase out of the cave, placing what few torches he had until he found more coal. Technically he didn’t need to, but then something could spawn and head down and attack the slime pair. And Xisuma didn’t want to never return and just leave them there alone forever. So when he finally did get up to the surface, Xisuma went straight back down. “Are you sure you want to- er, what are you doing?”
The slime people looked back over to Xisuma and shrugged. “Trying to fuse back together or something. Why did you come back?”
Xisuma wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but the next thing he really knew, he was going back up towards the surface, his arms full from holding the slime pair, one cradled in each arm. Sure, they said they would be safe alone in the cave, but X couldn’t help the feeling that they wouldn’t be safe so far away. He was pretty sure it was just from his worry about everyone else, and this was just one person he could protect, but Xisuma couldn’t help but wonder if there was something else going on.
.
.
.
Hypno leaned against Etho, who was doing surprisingly well considering their current situation. Both of them were low on hunger, only managing to stay alive from what little they could get from the flowers and grass they picked and ate. Etho somehow managed to find a pig wandering around and killed it for some raw pork, handing it to Hypno to eat. They couldn’t cook it, but Etho was less worried about the hunger the meat would satiate and more about the fact that Hypno wasn’t fully himself.
After the initial shock of finding horns on Hypno’s head, the pair looked him over. Hypno made mention of an ache at the base of his spine, and Etho found a few concerning bumps on Hypno’s upper back. Until they actively looked into it, Hypno hadn’t noticed anything wrong, which led to them checking Etho, and also giving the ninja something to plan for on his next respawns.
Etho was glad they didn’t notice much with him, but with little to do, he explained to Hypno his encounters with Ren, Impulse and Grian. Out of the three, Impulse had seemed the most normal, only having red eyes instead of the golden brown he usually sported. Ren had seemed fine at first, but then in the attack from the creeper, the shifter had killed Etho, acting like an attacked wolf. And then Grian for the most part had been acting like a bird, though near the end…
A moobloom trotted over, pulling Etho out of his thoughts. It nuzzled against Hypno, who happily reciprocated. Still worried about the other hermit and the effects the environment was having on him, Etho forcefully separated the two, needing to attack the animal to make it flee.
“What was that for Etho? It was just being friendly.”
“Right now, we need to be cautious of everything. Especially those cows and all the flowers around here. Because in case you forgot, growing horns like that is not normal. Plus, we could use the food right now.”
Hypno huffed. “We’ll use up more energy trying to kill it than we would get from anything it drops. It’s better to let us willingly help us than-”
Etho suddenly held up a finger to shush Hypno, letting them listen to the breeze. “Do you hear that?”
Hypno listened, only hearing a few moos from the nearby moobloom. “The cows?”
“Well, okay yeah. But it’s more what I’m not hearing.” And then Etho pulled out his communicator. Hypno watched as Etho stared at the screen, mask moving ever so slightly as he mouthed counting up. But nothing was happening. At first, Hypno didn’t get what was so important until he pulled out his own communicator. No death messages were coming in. Specifically none from Impulse.
“Impulse got out.” Hypno said, whispering in disbelief. “Someone must have found him.”
Etho nodded. “Yeah, but the question is who.” And then almost immediately, it was answered.
Zedaph was slain by impulseSV
.
.
.
If there was one thing that was a benefit to respawning in the same place every time, it was the fact that no matter how many times Impulse died, the guardians wouldn’t disappear. Meaning that after a few attempts, he finally killed one of the monsters giving him grief. Just being able to slay one of them felt freeing with all the torment he was currently being put through, but that wasn’t the only benefit.
When the guardian died, it dropped two things, a prismarine shard and some cod. Impulse greedily grabbed at the items, stuffing the shard in his inventory and then stuffing the fish in his mouth. After not eating in so long, the fish seemed like the most heavenly food in the world, though Impulse had other ideas on why that was the case.
Here and there, guardians had completely ignored him. Sometimes he felt like he was getting a full breath of air even though he was still stuck in the water. He hadn’t missed the webbing between his fingers and toes growing each respawn nor the scales that appeared and itched like crazy. Half of Impulse would have preferred drowning forever instead of whatever this was, but his other half realized that it was likely his only way out.
Another respawn left him fumbling for his prismarine shard, using it to dig into the nearby blocks. Along with the claw-like nails he had gained, Impulse was able to break another block, making him smile at first, but then his expression dropped. With the way the temples were constructed, the walls weren’t that thick. Instead of gaining an air pocket, he had just broken into another chamber.
“Impulse.”
In anger, Impulse took the prismarine shard and used it against the next guardian he saw.
“Impulse.”
He started by using it like a knife and jamming it into the eye of the beast, making it flail and spread its spikes.
“Impulse.”
As the world around him seemed to fade into blues and golds, Impulse kept attacking, needing to get his anger out somehow.
“Impulse. Impulse. Impulse.” And then Impulse felt like he was falling, but he still thrashed around, trying to stop whatever it was. Then the next thing he knew, it was like gravity had increased drastically, leaving him pressed against the floor. Something moved and he attacked it, surprised to find it feeling much fluffier than the guardians had been. There was a sound, like someone talking, but why would anyone be talking with him stuck all alone. Etho maybe? Was he back?
As the creature died in his hands, Impulse looked towards the sound. The first thing he noticed was that Etho’s eyes were now both red. Even the sclera were red. He had also dyed his hair blond, and gotten rid of his mask, and well that wasn’t Etho at all. Impulse kicked his legs to try and swim closer, only to finally realize he wasn’t underwater anymore.
The moment Impulse realized he was out of the sea temple, he started taking gulps of air. His lungs had already started breathing it all, but now he was trying to get as much oxygen as he could before he drowned again. A part in the back of his mind told him he couldn’t drown right now, but his mental state wasn’t the best right now.
“Hey Impulse. Calming down now?” Tango was asking, and Impulse looked over, glad to see his friend. He nodded, which got Tango to smile before looking off towards the horizon. Impulse briefly followed Tango’s eyes before his hand moved and he felt the soft wool of the carpets beneath him. It almost felt overwhelming how different it was compared to the past week plus that he had been stuck in the temple. But it was also good, so he wrapped himself up before following Tango’s eyes once more.
“What’s that way?” Impulse spoke, voice feeling unfamiliar from disuse and possibly alterations that matched everything else going on with him.
“Zed. I’m hoping he’ll be able to find us again since I have made a bit of a path.”
Impulse tilted his head before noticing his inventory had many more items. “Did he get killed or something?”
“Yeah, you sort of killed him when we first summoned you in.” Tango explained, and Impulse felt horrified. Him? Kill Zedaph? For a prank or something, sure, that was believable, But this had been from pure bloodlust at the time.
“I killed him? Oh no! I didn’t know! It had been a guardian at first, and then I was falling, and then I was-”
“Hey, calm down.” Tango replied. He took a step toward Impulse, obviously to comfort him, but then Impulse was surprised to see his friend change their mind and step back again. “Zed and I figured something like this might happen. We would have made beds to set our spawn, but we haven’t been collecting wool that much, so at most we would have had just one piece.”
Impulse chucked a little after realizing there were no sheep around. “What? Did Zedaph finally grow his hair out enough?” And he expected Tango to laugh in return, but the frown that appeared didn’t bode well.
“Impulse, do you… realize what you look like?” Tango asked, and then Impulse looked down at his hand and flexed it.
“What’s happened with Zedaph?”
Tango took a few steps to the side and a moment later the nearby leaves of a tree caught fire. “Zed and I have had both of our more animal-esque traits acting up. I’m burning just about any flammable thing that gets close to me and his wool is growing out of control. There’s other stuff too but…”
“But even if you’re not ending up like me, you’re still dealing with your own things.”
“Hey! I’m back! And it looks like Impulse has not killed you!”
.
.
.
Hels cut down a hoglin that was in the way of he and Wels as they travelled the nether. Wels was reluctantly following, his copy being the only reason he was doing so well right now. Well that, and the fact that he was promising some sort of shelter. They went a bit further, and then Wels spotted something that was clearly man made, making him try to run forward for shelter before he was grabbed by Hels. “Don’t run ahead idiot. I just know that you’ll manage to die if you try that and we’ll have to start all over.”
“Well I’m sure I could find a way to survive fine on my own.”
“Sure you could.” Hels said, obviously sarcastic. “And your death messages make that so very believable. Tell me, have you noticed anything odd about your situation, other than being stuck in the nether.”
“Well, chat hasn’t been working right and I can’t regenerate my health.”
“Right… Well, what have you been eating?” Hels asked as they finally reached the door to the helsmit’s base, opening it to let Wels inside.
“Mainly crimson fungi or the rare pork if I can chip enough health away from a hoglin.” Wels answered, linking himself to the respawn anchor sitting inside.
“That fungi is only edible to hoglins you know.” Hels said, closing the door and then crossing his arms.
“Well obviously that’s not the case here.” And then Wels made his point by munching down on a mushroom he still had in his inventory.
Hels pursed his lips before yanking the fungi out of Wels’ hand and then smashing the knight’s head against a nearby wall. “Spit that out right now or I’ll go again until I break your tusks.”
“My what?” Wels asked, reluctantly spitting out the half chewed fungus.
“You’re an idiot. How did you not notice you were growing tusks?”
And Wels didn’t have an answer, just letting his hand go to his mouth and feel what were definitely tusks. “When did-”
“Who knows. My guess is it's something with this world. It’s not like any of us want to be here.”
Wels looked back over to Hels at that comment, a questioning look on his face. “Evil Xisuma approached me a few weeks ago. He was planning to get into the new season before the rest of you so he could keep from getting banned and put some action into play with his brother and a number of the other hermits. I wasn’t as interested in his plan, but having fun on the server on my own seemed like a good idea to me. A few others were planning to join us, but I’m sure they haven’t followed along. So as far as I’m aware, it is only Evil Xisuma and I trapped here with all of you.”
“Well, at the very least neither of us are stuck here alone.” Wels spoke, trying to give a positive spin on things.
“I would have preferred to be alone.” Hels replied. “You’ll use up more of my resources. That being said, my guess is you’re necessary for whatever is going on around here to stop. So until that’s fixed or I learn otherwise, I am reluctantly helping you.”
“Alright, that sounds fine for now. And you said Evil Xisuma is here too, correct? Any clue where he could be?”
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Bdubs stared down at the void below his feet, glad to have stopped moving, though his gut was still getting used to that change. The guy in pink armor next to him was reluctantly patting his back as another wave of nausea hit and he started to dry heave. “Th-Thanks.”
“Whatever. I just know what being stuck in the void is like so I have a little sympathy.”
“Well glad to know I’m not the only one stuck in this situation. Not that that’s a good thing.”
“Right.” The armored person deadpanned, looking down at the void as well.
Bdubs was quiet for a little before looking over to his savior. “So then, I don’t really think I caught your name in all our yelling to heave both of us up here.”
The other person raised an eyebrow at Bdubs, as if to ask if he was serious, then being a little surprised when he was. The person hesitated, looking down, not to the void but more at their lap, then a hand fiddled with their hair before they finally looked back at Bdubs. “Name’s Xannes.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Bdubs!” And he held out a hand, pausing as he noticed the state it was in.
Xannes took the hand carefully and shook it, before helping it back to Bdubs’ side. “Side effect of the void. I’m more protected because of my armor, but you don’t have that.”
“Well now I’m actually upset about not having armor, even if it were pink.”
Xannes looked incredulous at that before putting his hands on his hips. “Hey, this is simply a… lightish red.”
“You mean pink.”
“Lightish. Red.”
“Lightish red is red mixed with white. And what does that give you? Pink. You’ve got pink armor.”
“Alright, so maybe it’s supposed to be pink.” Xannes conceded. “But my color is red, and this isn’t my armor, I’m simply borrowing it. So for anyone else, it would be pink, but as long as I wear it, it’s a lightish red.”
“Whatever you say.”
Xannes sighed and then carefully took Bdubs’ hand again. “Alright, so looking again, this doesn’t quite look as natural as being stuck in the voice can make it. Obviously that’s because none of this is natural. Even though it wouldn’t help me in the long run if it were working, I have tested plenty with my communicator and learned a number of things. First, we are not the only ones in a situation like this.”
“Yeah.” Bdubs agreed. “I already met Scar stuck on one of the islands below.”
“Noted.” Xannes nodded. “Well, others have similar odd spawns. I- Someone named Impulse had been stuck in a guardian temple, a Docm77 has been sent to his death by goats. X-Xisuma has been dealing with a warden.” Xannes started to explain, voice getting quieter at the last example, though Bdubs didn’t notice.
“And the void stuff?”
“If I knew more about what was going on, I could tell you. But as it stands, I can just tell your limbs seem to have a form of void-bite and your eyes are as dark as the void itself.”
Bdubs leaned back a little in shock at the comment. “Wait, really?” And then he was fishing into his shirt before pulling out a knife, Xannes’ eyes widening at the weapon. Bdubs held the blade up, briefly putting it back down to shine it against his shirt before using it as a mirror and then staring into it. Sure enough, his eyes seemed to go on forever into their sockets, pure darkness filling them.
“How many knives do you have?” Xannes asked, tearing Bdubs’ gaze from the weapon.
“Huh? Oh, I’ve got plenty. Want one?” And he pulled out another, only the tiniest bit worried about being stabbed by the unfamiliar person. But instead of stabbing him, Xannes simply threw the knife off the edge, watching it fall down. “What was that for?”
Xannes didn’t really reply, just holding a finger up for Bdubs to wait. Reluctantly, he did, but then got restless as time seemed to drag on. Any time he attempted to talk, he would just get shushed, making it feel even worse. Finally, out of nowhere, the knife suddenly fell past them, making Bdubs jump back enough that he nearly fell off their gateway and into the void, but Xannes grabbed him before that could happen and pulled him back in.
“Well then, it seems like a loop around the void lasts around two and a half minutes.” Xannes stated, shifting to turn his body and move to a different part of the gateway. “I guess it would be less on a second loop after already reaching terminal velocity, but it's good to know. I know something has been flying past here ever so often but I was still sort of stuck on the side of this thing for most of it, then I was dealing with you, so… you get the idea.”
“You telling me everything’s looping up and down like us?” Bdubs asked, looking around the sky, or what passed for it in the end.
“Us and anything non-living. I’ve already seen that there have been three void related deaths by Scar, Etho and TinFoilChef.”
“Well so far I’ve only seen Scar and you.” Bdubs replied. “I guess those other two are stuck around here too.”
“The chef, yes, but I’m not so sure about the other.” And Xannes handed his comm to Bdubs, showing a list of death messages, all belonging to Etho. “I have a function that lets me sort these messages. It’s very handy.” And then he reached off to the side, catching a comm as it fell from the air. “And this would be yours. I’ve seen it here and there… To be honest, it seems like it takes more than two or so minutes. We might need to test more.”
Bdubs swapped their communicators before looking down at the abyss below. “Well, Scar’s somewhere down there, I already found him once. I’m gonna see if I can get to him again and you can do whatever while I’m falling.”
Xannes rubbed his chin and then nodded. “Alright, go ahead. I’ll look out for you. If you respawn, wait a loop for me to catch you because I don’t have omniscient reaction time.”
“Sounds good to me.” Bdubs replied with a smile, then jumped into the void once more, ignoring the fear that came with it.
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Scar rolled around on the end stone, trying to get to sleep. Sure, beds didn’t work in the end, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t sleep. It just wasn’t restful enough to keep phantoms away or set a spawn. Not like he needed to set a spawn three blocks away from his current one.
But right now, there was too much noise. The endermen were slowly losing their cool with Scar and he was also hearing the whispering of the vex. To be honest, that was probably why huge endermen were acting as they were. Void magic didn’t like to work with other magic.
But even with all of that, Scar really wanted to sleep for another reason. The whispers of the vex weren’t the only new thing with him. He had polished the pillar near him as just something to do other than wait around. The end rod in particular he shined until it was just mirror-like enough that he saw his green eyes were now vex blue. From that, he checked himself over a bit more and found that his eyes weren’t the only change. He seemed to be an inch or three shorter and his skin was definitely paler than before. He didn’t have wings again, but he knew it would only be a matter of time.
Scar really didn’t want to use any more help from the vex yet, knowing it would speed things up. He wanted to keep hope out for seeing Bdubs again before doing anything since it could be his last chance before a deal was needed once more. If he could just-
“Convex.” A much clearer whisper spoke, making Scar jump a little. “Are you sure a deal is such a bad thing at this stage in time?”
“Oh no no no no no.” Scar insisted, standing up and waving his hands in refusal. “I’m sure I’ll be better use to my friends if I’m not mostly stuck working with you guys.”
“What if you were not working for us?” The whisper asked, making Scar pause.
“Wait? I’m Convex because I can’t become true vex because of Xisuma and him tainting me and Cub with the void or something. I would think now being stuck in the end would make it worse, not better!”
“You still cannot, that is true. But a new evoker is being trained, one also tainted by the void. And I believe you would want to work with them.”
Scar inhaled sharply at the implication, knowing that it must be a hermit they were referring to. He fumbled in pulling his communicator out and then scrolled through all the death messages before finally seeing what he wanted. Death messages to vindicators and evokers, both about Mumbo. “So clarification on this deal?”
“You will still be considered Convex, but on a higher level than before. Not quite at the level of standard vex however. But during this, you will be linked to the new evoker, and cannot be released unless they themselves will it. And you should not will your release either.”
“Yeah, yeah, if that’s all, sure!” Scar agreed quickly, so excited he didn’t really take the time to think it over. Then suddenly he could feel more magic flowing into him. So much it felt like a red hot iron pressed all over his body, especially at his scars. And then it was gone, and he was left panting on the ground.
He didn’t know how long he had been there, but suddenly his name was shouted and Scar managed to lift his head up. He saw Bdubs rocking down towards him again and suddenly felt stronger again, getting a burst of energy and moving towards the builder. New wings spread from his back and let him fly, keeping him above the void as he grabbed his friend and then slowed them before reaching the abyss below, then slowly dragging them back up.
“Bdubs! Are you okay?!” Scar asked the moment they were both on the endstone, only staying on his feet for a second before his knees buckled beneath him.
“Am I okay? Am I okay?! I’m on the sweet sweet ground again!” And then he kissed the stone beneath him. “What about you? You look… not Scar but sound normal.”
“I can explain more in a bit. There’s an end city just over that way and I want to get something so we can start towards the main island. I’ll see if there’s elytra for you.”
“Oh no. I don’t think I ever want to fly again. If anyone, give it to Xannes.”
“Who?”
“Okay, guess my story first.”
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On the main island, TFC dodged another attack from the dragon. She had been attacking less frequently, which was good and bad in his eyes. No attacking meant less dying, but TFC needed her attacks to even attempt destroying all the crystals. Because there was no way she was dying to fists alone with them still around.
That all being said, TFC had a sneaking suspicion on why exactly that was happening. His prosthetics were built to match his remaining limbs in function, but gradually over the past few respawns, they were becoming off balance. In trying to fix them, TFC realized he was less human than before, claws on his hands and feet, and tenderness at his tailbone and shoulder blades.
TFC was old, that much was true. And because of that, he had seen all sorts of situations. While for the most part the problems of this world were new to TFC, adaptations were not. A number of present day hybrids were a result of that. Heck, mob variants were also sourced from suce and occurrence. So yeah, TFC was not too surprised about seemingly becoming a dragon hybrid.
Thinking it over, in the long run it would likely give him just enough of an upper hand to defeat the dragon, but there was also the concern of how long it would take to get to that point and how far these alterations would go. If this went too far, the world itself could mistake him for a new ender dragon, and even after killing the real one, no portal would form due to his existence.
Well, if that was the case, he would need to figure out what it was that made the existence of the dragon close the portal and see if he could reverse it. Especially since he recalled at least one or two hermits were supposed to be stuck in the end with him. Though that did give him another idea. Maybe he didn’t have to keep fighting if the dragon opened the portal herself.
The next time TFC respawned, he waited, giving her time to rest. When he was sure the dragon was fully healed again, the miner made his way to the podium and waited. The dragon swooped a few times, giving some warning shots, but she didn’t attack TFC directly, and he made no move to attack the crystals. She didn’t look happy, but TFC had plenty of time to wait.
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In a bout of frustration, ink was spilled over the floor, making Mumbo even more frustrated than before. He didn’t understand the need for learning another language just for spells. He was sure that knowing the characters that appeared with enchanting would be enough, but apparently the illagers had their own writing system. At the very least, Mumbo recognized a character or two that Scar or Cub must have had written down, but it still felt like he was learning a new language from scratch.
With ink all over the place, Mumbo paused to work on cleaning everything up. He had ruined nearly all his materials, so now he would have to attempt to get more or find an illager who would assist him in such a task. Paper was easy enough to get, a farm already set up in the mansion, but Mumbo hadn’t automated it yet, so there wasn’t going to be much to reap. And squid ink wasn’t something they just had on hand.
Mumbo reached the farming room and grabbed what sugarcane had grown, taking the reeds over to a crafting table then cutting and pressing them into paper. He only managed to make six pages from all of that and didn’t have the material to bind them into a book.Instead of leaving the room, Mumbo put the paper into a nearby chest and then pulled out his redstone materials.
As Mumbo built, he decided to multitask by using redstone dust to practice some of the characters he needed to learn. He couldn’t remember the normal order of the characters, so he just wrote them at random. He never really focused on the characters, so he didn’t notice when a few in a line started to glow a bit. In fact, he was just pausing his writing to work on fixing a bit of redstone, his head stuck in the contraption.
His hand blindly reached for some string to add as a tripwire, but he was about half a foot to the wrong side of his pile of materials. When Mumbo’s hand started to go further, it was stopped by some thread being placed in his hand. The redstoner said his thanks and then strung it up before pausing and pulling his head out.
Standing nearby was someone Mumbo immediately recognized, not knowing anyone else with a bright red sweater like that. Not caring that he was currently covered in redstone dust, Mumbo jumped at the newcomer and hugged them tightly, so glad to see a familiar face. “Grian! You’re okay! How did you get here? Where are the bots? Are you alright?”
But pulling away again, Mumbo watched as Grian just blinked at him, seeming a little confused. “I think you may be mistaken and confused, my mustachioed friend. I mean, I am okay and I got here because of you, but I’m not sure what you mean by bots and well, you were trying to take to someone named Grian.”
Mumbo furrowed his brows. Looking them over again, he could tell this had to be Grian. His clothes and hair and everything were the same. He couldn’t quite tell about their eyes because they were wearing a mask, but it matched the one he had seen Grian with in the past, a black mark on its face instead of the purple Eflyn expected. The only thing unfamiliar were the wings. Shape and pattern wise, they matched the wings Grian had, but the colors of the feathers were no longer red yellow and blue, but purple grey and black.
“Well then. If you’re not Grian, then who are you?” Mumbo asked, and the person giggled slightly.
“I could have swore you already knew, but I guess not. The name is Xelqua, but don’t go throwing it around to just anyone.” And just hearing it reminded Mumbo. It had been a name Grian had told him before.
“Well, if you don’t want me throwing it around, I’m going to have to call you something.” Mumbo spoke up, Xelqua seeming to agree. “Since I already mistook you for him and he’s not around, how about I call you Grian.”
“Hmm.” Grian thought about it before shaking his head. “Just you and me, you can call me Xelqua. Otherwise just Watcher is fine, okay?”
“But I-” Mumbo started to say, and then there was a clatter, making Mumbo and Grian look over at the door where Eflyn was standing.
“Well. It seems we have another guest then…”
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Joe had paused in his material gathering. It was just going to be for a little bit, but he needed to clear his head. And the best idea he had for that was climbing the tower at spawn the correct way. Sure, he could try climbing from the outside or something, finding a window, but at this point these were definitely Watchers, and Joe was very much aware that they were not to be messed with.
Joe needed to pause on a platform to hold his head, a headache forming. It had been coming and going for a while, but it didn’t feel so bad now, the tower already lit up pretty well. As he waited, his other hand clutched at the wall as best it could, just feeling the texture of the wall, as if to check that it was real. “Guess you really couldn’t have been swayed, now could you?” Joe asked, speaking into the empty air around him. “Well maybe after this mess we can try it again.”
Joe climbed a few more parts of the parkour that acted as steps before nearly falling to a sudden splitting headache. He half considered letting go and trying again, there being enough hay lining the floor below to break his fall, but he had already gotten so far. And maybe if he could get to the top of the tower…
It had been ages ago when Joe had first met a Watcher. From what he could tell, it was even the first Watcher to exist. One that eventually disappeared to time that not even the other Watchers knew what happened. He wasn’t an expert of whatever the Watchers exactly were, but it had been enough that he recognized Grian as one pretty quickly when they first met in season six. Though that was partially from that not being their first meeting.
Yes, Joe had been along for a very long time. Which is why he was not happy with everything going on. But he had a bargaining chip in the form of knowledge, so getting to the top might be the one place to try and use it.
His headache passed and the glow from his eyes faded. Joe pulled himself back onto the platform and then adjusted his glasses. Just a bit more to go until he was at the top.
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Doc woke up in a wood hut, lying in a bed. His back and head hurt, getting worse when he attempted to move to get up. He tried to remember what happened last, but suddenly being knocked unconscious wasn’t the best thing to try and remember. Looking around in a way that didn’t hurt as much, he was able to see a chest as well as something lying on the ground to his right.
Some crackling implied there was also a furnace running nearby. Mixed with that was some slight banging of metal from crafting and the hum of a tune that was familiar to Doc, but he couldn’t quite place it.
Another attempt to sit up left Doc yelp slightly in pain, stopping the humming and crafting sounds, getting replaced with footsteps that came towards him. “Are you awake this time?”
“Grumbot?” Doc asked, vaguely recognizing the robot that appeared in front of him. He only really distinctly knew his larger form, only seeing him and his brother at this size when they were just about to leave their previous world.
“Yeah. looks like you are. We have some bread if you’re hungry.” Grum spoke in a quiet voice that felt so odd compared to how energetic the hermits usually were. That being said, it had been a while since he had seen anyone else, so it might have just been from what others were dealing with. “I also left some of the wheat as wheat if you prefer that.”
“What? Why would I want that? Bread sounds fine.”
“Okay, I wasn’t sure if you were like dad or not.” Grum said before he went over to the chest, giving Doc a moment to think things over.
“Dad as in Grian or Mumbo?”
“Grian.” Grum answered, pulling out some food. “He was with us on the mountain. Everything was getting to him, so he started eating seeds instead of other stuff.”
“Okay. Is he out getting supplies or something?” Doc asked and then Grum’s face shifted to something sadder. “What happened to Grian?”
“I don’t know.” Grum spoke, managing to be quieter than before. “He just disappeared and Jrum and I were stuck alone on the mountain. And then I messed up.” And it took all of Doc’s willpower to not sit up and possibly hurt himself in the process with how sad Grum sounded in that moment.
“Why? What happened?”
“Someone figured out how to send messages in chat by accident. Jrum and I noticed, and we were going to try it out for ourselves, but it didn’t go right. And now Jrum… Jrum didn’t respawn right.”
And with that comment, Doc realized what was on the ground nearby. Jrum’s body was laid out, screen dark and body unmoving. “How long has he been like that?”
“A few days I think. It got really snowy so I couldn’t quite tell. Then I got busy digging through the snow until I found some ice to break.”
“And that must have been the waterfall I took down off the mountain.” Doc said, making Grum look a little sheepish.
“Sorry about hitting you when I fell. I freaked out a bit and then you were there and I couldn’t react in time. I’m sure if it was anyone else, they would have been in worse shape.”
“Why’s that?” Doc asked, though he had an idea based on which side of him ached more.
“Well, your metal parts helped protect you plus I think your thicker skull helped from a concussion.”
“My what?”
“Oh, I thought you…” Grum said, trailing off. “Um, so I think more weird stuff is happening than just being stuck wherever.”
“Yeah, I knew that.” Doc said. “Creeper instincts have been kicking in like crazy.”
“Well, your death messages mentioned goats a lot. It looks like because of that, you’ve started turning into a goat hybrid as well.”
“I’ve what?” Doc asked, incredulously. He ignored the pain from moving when he started feeling himself over, finally finding horns coming from his head. “Oh… huh…”
Grum forced Doc back down to a resting position before feeding him some bread. Here, how about I tell you what I know about, then you can tell me what you know.
“Sounds good to me.”
54 notes · View notes
jadelynlace · 3 years
Text
ink drinker / modern vikings au, Ivar x F!Reader
author’s note: long story short, I wrote this series but used an OFC that I use for most of my longer series. many thanks to @victoria-styles for her suggestion of making it a reader / Y/N story. major plot tweaks as well.
synopsis: Ivar was only meant to be a friend with benefits, but he caught feelings for his older brother’s best friend: you.
pairing: Ivar x Reader
“Not into the million dollar bullshit?” You heard a voice beckon from behind you, stepping forwards with a light to start the cigarette that hung between your Oxford red stained lips.
“Crawling through the depths of hell sounds more pleasant than being here,” You grumbled back through the cloud of grey smoke slipping past your lips. You watched the figure next to you light up his own cigarette, taking note at how his fingers curled around the stick as he laughed with your words. “I’m only here to calm Hvitserk,”
“And he’s not even here,” He said back with a laugh, blue eyes peeking to grab at yours.
“Structure fire across town,” You tell him. “Told him that if he’s so inclined he can bring the truck over here and spray the party with the water,” Ivar laughed at that.
“Fuck, you clean up nice. And I love a woman in uniform,” He teases, smirking as you do too. It went silent for a second between you two, sticks of chemicals on your lips as his eyes did not miss the way your dress hugged at your body, how your stilettos were secured around your ankles. He couldn’t pull his mind back quickly enough before he was imagining them over his shoulders, your lips that curled around the filter and how they might look around his cock. How you were the first person who gave him complete reign over the ink he was going to forever mark your body with.
“Let’s just say I’d rather slice my own tongue off and choke on it than admit to that, actually wearing something other than the blues, and enjoying it,” You groan as the man next to you laughs, a sick snicker coming from his lips and you find yourself smiling too. “But you don’t clean up half bad yourself, Ivar,” You tease back as your eyes catch sight of the roll of his sleeves, how he maneuvers the buttons and pulls the white fabric back to show the first indications of sleeved out arms.
“Where do you want to go?” Ivar asks, taking the cigarette from his mouth to stub.
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t think I fucking stuttered,” He started in challenge. “You said you didn’t want to be here, so where would you like to go?” He asks a quick swipe of his tongue over his lips as he cocks his head to the side awaiting your answer.
“Alright, Ragnarsson, you’re fucking on,” You laugh back, crushing your own stick with the spike of your heel as you follow him.
*
Hvitserk was a man who took most things with a grain of salt, others came with a few shots of whiskey. He had seen the darker side of humanity, and you were right there with him when he did. Your interest in becoming certified for emergency medicine had followed you since your high school graduation, and you were right on the top of the sign up sheet when class enrolled. And you stayed on top when your graduated. Company firings and how it lead to short staffing, moving of some onto better things lead to an opening you leapt on and found yourself paired with a paramedic with blonde hair and a smile that could cause most of the human population to smile back. It did not take long for a friendship to strike up, even outside of the station and the blazing sirens. His humor, his companionship kept you sane, kept the darkness of the horrid calls at bay, you two grew close, quickly.
Even if company policy allowed the romantic attachments between co-workers, you still couldn’t find yourself catching some sort of feeling to Hvitserk. He was a friend, your best, and it was left at that. You trusted him with your life, you’d gladly lay on the stretcher and head into the emergency room as long as he was the paramedic who was treating you.
Sigurd came next in the line of his brothers, an obsession with music, and nothing but the best that world could offer. He had an artistic hand, Hvitserk drove you towards his place of employment for permanent artwork to your liking and that was how you met Ivar. He watched you tip toe through his portfolio, but if Sigurd had talent, then Ivar was a God. You had never seen such movement on skin where he would trace his ink. You didn’t want to pull a design off of the internet and ask Ivar to put in on you, it seemed almost rude, instead you told him where you wanted it, and told him to go crazy. He looked at you in such a way, thinking you were joking. Perhaps too un-educated in the world of tattoos, but you held your ground and he was proud of such a feat.
Work was all too consuming, trying to leave space for time other than the blood pressure cuffs and patient history. You’d spend time out on town with Hvitserk, his brothers soon in tow, a party of their own that they could become. You were shocked Hvitserk hadn’t caught on, that none of them had, how long you had been spreading your legs for Ivar in secret. Petty bantering between the two of you, the others making bets to see whom would kill whom first, but that chatter went towards the foreplay that would follow you two into the bedroom. The most shock you came to realize was how Ivar was always there in the morning—it took a lot of you to convince him to leave, but he always mumbled something about five more minutes just for holding you.
Perhaps it was how your days were spent doused in testosterone, one of the three women of the entire station, entire company, leaving you to be able to handle yourself around men with egos far bigger than the dicks they would carry. That was how you were so seamlessly integrated into the Ragnarsson brother’s, struck up like the sister they never got. That was how Ivar found himself thinking about you far more than a friend with or without benefits would, how tightly you snug around his cock, how you look and sounded when you came for him, how you had pulled more from him than any other woman he had slept with. How you made him feel appreciated and not like a man who needed to navigate himself with his dick to get what women he wanted. How you didn’t toss him to the side after the first fuck. You drove him crazy and he didn’t have the words to admit to it.
“If I hear a grumble from you one more time Ivar, I am going to kick you out of the shop,” Sigurd spoke from his spot at the front desk, thumbing through a magazine of industry products as Ivar hissed a curse at him in reply. “What the fuck is you problem?”
“Y/N,” Ivar answered all too quickly.
“What? She hurt your ego too bad last time we were out? Didn’t stroke it enough to your liking?” Sigurd teased.
“No,” Ivar said. “She didn’t stroke me enough to my liking,” But Ivar said the words far too quickly before he could catch them.
“Are you fucking her?” Sigurd said, sitting up in his chair. “You two are fucking?” He laughed.
“Shut up,” Ivar grumbled, a toss of his pencil flying to grace the space Sigurd was at.
“She cut your dick off? That the issue?” He teased. “Hvitserk’s going to go ape-shit, dude,”
“That’s why we’re not telling him yet, right Sigurd?” Ivar said “Right, Sigurd?” He repeated with an extended finger at his brother.
“How long have you two been fucking—I need to know that, for science, and because I am still in shock. How did you—her? She’s too good for you Ivar, you have to be careful there,”
“Two years,” Ivar remarked and Sigurd nearly fell out of his chair.
“Fuck! You ask her out yet?”
“We’re not talking about this—or telling anyone else, right?” Ivar said again.
“Yes, sir,” Sigurd nodded, a fake salute from his hand as his mind was still scrambled.
“Don’t call me sir,” Ivar snapped.
“Yes ma’am,”
*
You’d never forget the call that came through dispatch a month after you and Ivar had started to screw around more often than fuck buddies would. The address sounded familiar, but Hvitserk was the one who made the connection it was the shop. Ink Drinker was a parlor bathed in black; walls and dark floors that made the rooms look like they never ended. The art displayed belonged to that of Ivar, of Sigurd, of the few others who came and went for their tattoo work. The owner had wooden sculptures of his own to line the spaces, but you had only ever seen the man through his social media.
You feared suddenly something happening to Ivar, or Sigurd, readying yourself for the sight that may hold them there, but it wasn’t them. A patron had passed out to the sight of the needles, sending Ivar to sour his entire mood at the weakness for something he found so simple. His flash of anger changed suddenly when you and his brother showed up, jumping from the rig in full expectance to see either sibling in a bloody mess after fighting to their death.
“I called and specifically asked for Hvitserk Ragnarsson and his partner,” Sigurd teased as the teenager came too, apologizing and still paying Ivar for the appointment he was too scared to cancel.
“I was hoping it would be a trauma call, you finally snapping and kicking Ivar’s ass,” You answered back, smirking at Ivar as he rolled his eyes in distaste. Ivar’s eyes climbed your whole body as you worked, the uniform marking your hierarchy and importance as you took the patient to the hospital. His text message not ten minutes later almost made you head back just to smack him.
“You’re keeping the uniform on next time we fuck.”
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darthkruge · 3 years
Text
Poe Dameron x Reader ~ Take Mine
Summary || On your first mission as Commander of Blue Squadron, you take Poe’s X-wing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go as planned. 
Warnings || Some injuries and a bit of blood? I didn’t go super in detail, though
Words || 2.2k
A/N || This is my first time writing for Poe and I’m so scared and I tried to be accurate and if it’s not I apologize but if I spent another minute staring at this draft I will scream. Special thanks to @poestardust and @buckysbeloved because y’all were both super fucking supportive and without that this might not have been posted! I am now officially adding Poe to the people I write for and while my requests for full fics are closed, I am more than willing to do little blurbs/hc’s or hear any and all of y’alls soft/angsty thoughts for that wonderful Flyboy. My status of requests gives more insight into all of this :)
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You groaned, shaking your head as you racked your brain for a way to get out of this. Your X-wing was supposed to be fixed a week ago, a solid few days before your mission was set to start. But, alas, Red Squadron had a bit of a rough mission coming off Hoth and needed repairs more rapidly than you, so your starfighter was put on the low priority list. 
Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem. You could be patient. Normally. But you had just been promoted to Commander of Blue Squadron and your first mission left in two standard hours. 
You walked through the door of your room, trying to find a solution but continuing to come up empty. 
“Sweetheart?” Your head perked up at Poe’s voice, the concern clear in his words. 
“What happened, why aren’t you with the rest of the Squadron getting ready?” 
“My starfighter isn’t ready.” You said, trying to make sense of the words as they came out.
Poe blinked. “Still?” 
“Yeah, the other repairs are taking longer than usual and it’s not ready and it won’t be ready and I have to lead my team on a supply drop and try to not get everyone killed and I don’t even have my kriffing X-wing!” Your voice shook, the lack of control making you anxious as you paced back and forth through your quarters. 
Poe’s hands found their way to your shoulders, steadying you. “Look at me, okay? Breathe for a second,” Poe gave you a slight smile as you nodded, closing your eyes as you took a deep breath. “Yeah, just like that. It’s gonna be just fine, we’ll figure it out!” 
Now, the panic creeped back into your expression. “How?!” 
Poe thought for a second, mentally grasping at straws before his eyes widened in realization. “Take mine!”
“What?!”
“Take my X-wing! It’s all ready to go and Black Squadron isn’t set to go on our next mission for another two weeks! You’ll be back well before then, it’ll work out just fine!” 
“But- I can’t just take your X-wing, Poe!”
“Yes you can! Come on, I don’t really see what other options you have! Just take it, please? It’ll bring you good luck.” 
You sighed, realizing he was right. “Okay, okay, fine!”
Poe smiled, leaning in to peck you on the lips. “Now, go! You don’t want to be late, do you, Commander?” 
“Oh, no, definitely not, Commander! That would set a horrible example for my team!” You quipped back before leaning in once more. “I love you.” You whispered. 
“I love you too.” He smiled back. “Seriously!” He said with a laugh, “Go!” 
“Going!” You called over your shoulder as you ran to the hanger. 
A week and two days later, that conversation was the only thing on your mind. You were desperately steering your- no, Poe’s- X-wing away from the fleet of First Order ships flying straight for your Squadron. Somehow, they’d learned of your plans for the supply drop and decided to swing by. How thoughtful of them. 
“Okay, everyone. Just hang tight, shoot if you’ve got a clear shot but no one’s trying to be a hero, alright? First priority is getting home safe.” You said through the open channel.
 You smiled as you heard your team voice their approval, ending their messages with a “Commander” here and there. Right now, all you were doing was hoping you were deserving enough of that title to get everyone back in one piece. 
Looking to make sure everyone was in line, you felt your heart drop as you counted the starfighters. Everyone was there, minus one. Where was Snap? Craning your neck, you swore as you saw him caught on the right side, boxed in by two First Order TIE fighters. 
You quickly opened a private communication channel. “Tallie?”
“Yes, Commander L/N?”
“Make sure everyone stays ahead of the TIE fighters, okay? Keep moving forward.”
“Y/N what are you talking about?”
You sighed, consciously working to keep your voice even and calm. “Snap’s stuck and I’m not leaving him. I’ll be fine, just a little bit behind you. Just… get them home.” 
“But-”
“Please.” 
You felt guilty for being short with her, but you had to do it. If you didn’t, she’d know how kriffing terrified you were. 
After waiting a moment, she sighed. “Okay. Be safe, Commander.”
“Same to you.” You replied, shutting off the channel. You forced the tears back in your eyes and refused to let your thoughts dwell any more on your Squadron or that beautiful, dark haired pilot you knew was waiting for you. 
You turned Poe’s X-wing and sent a prayer to the Maker as you made a bee-line for one of the two TIE fighters and fired, shooting one directly. You laughed, almost giddy at how spot-on the hit was. 
“Commander?” Snap’s voice filtered through the communication system. 
“Hang on, I’ve almost got it.” You bit your lip in concentration as you aimed for the second fighter. But right as you pressed fire, so did they. Your eyes widened as you quickly swerved. Luckily, the blast didn’t hit the front of the starfighter, or else you’d be good as dead right now. Unluckily, you gasped in horror as your ship began plummeting, realizing they had hit your engine. 
You turned your head back, praying that this wasn’t in vain. You let out a breath, realizing Snap was now free and the other TIE was demolished, thanks to your aim. If you’re going to go down, at least you brought two First Order fighters with you. 
As your X-wing came closer and closer to the ground, you screwed your eyes shut. Against your will, you remembered that at least your last conversation with him had been a good one. Your heart broke, realizing he’d probably find a way to blame himself for this, forever. That you’d never get married, never have the chance to settle down after the war ends. That you’d never again feel his lips against yours, never again experience the warmth of his arms or the comfort of his embrace. How could life work like this, how could it simply-
Your thoughts were cut off as your starfighter crashed to the ground, leaving you in darkness. 
-------
“What do you mean, their starfighter went down?!”
Leia sighed, subtly but firmly gesturing for everyone else to clear the briefing room. “Blue Squadron’s supply run didn’t go as planned. There were first order TIE fighters waiting for them. I’m not sure of the specifics, just that Commander L/N’s X-wing’s communication systems went out. Snap said Y/N went down saving him and when he rushed back to their crashed X-wing, they were breathing, but unconscious and bleeding.” 
Her eyes softened as she saw Poe’s heartbroken expression. “I’m sorry, Poe. I know you must be feeling helpless right now. But there is no reason to assume the worst, at least not yet.”
Poe swallowed hard, the tears making his throat heavy. “I’m-” His voice broke, the pain evident. “I’m gonna go wait at the hangar bay. They’ll make it home.” 
Leia just nodded, not having the heart to tell him to try to prepare himself for the worst. 
-------
When you woke up, you were in Snap’s X-wing, leaning against the wall in the small space. You groaned when you moved your hand to your head. Yup, you were definitely bleeding. 
“Where are we?” You croaked out. 
Snap’s head shot over to you. “Oh thank the Maker, you’re awake! We’re almost back at the base. Just sit still, okay?”
You nodded, already feeling a bit groggy.
“Y/N?!” 
You gave an annoyed hum in response.
“Come on, Y/N, don’t fall asleep. Hold on a little longer.” 
You nodded, fighting against every instinct you had to stay conscious. 
“Kriff, okay. Talk to me, okay?”
“About what?” Your mouth felt like sandpaper and your head was heavy. Even as you leaned it against the wall, you felt dizzy, like you’d tip over at any second. 
“Dameron. Tell me about Dameron, okay?”
Your lips unconsciously curled into a soft smile. And then your eyes shot open as you tried to physically shake the dizziness from your body. “The X-wing!”
“What?!”
“My, no, his X-wing! Poe’s, his- he’s gonna be so upset, kriff!” 
“What are you going on about?”
“Poe, he let me use his X-wing and it kriffing crashed and-” You trailed off, running a hand through your hair and wincing as the movement aggravated your injured head. 
“Y/N, calm down, okay? He’ll be fine, he’s not gonna care.”
You nodded, eyes filling with guilty tears as Snap finally pulled up to the Resistance Base. Home. As the X-wing opened, Snap helped haul you up as Poe sprinted over to you. 
“Y/N!” He called, hands coming to hold either side of your face. He quickly put one of your arms around his shoulders as his wound around your waist, holding your weight against him.
“I’m sorry, I’m so-” You hiccupped, tears leaking from your eyes. 
“Hey, it’s okay, it’s alright. Let’s just get you back to our room, yeah?” 
You shook your head, placing a hand on his chest to stop him. He looked into your eyes and his concern compounded, no idea why you were so distraught. 
“I crashed your X-wing.” You said, head hung in shame. 
Poe was now just as confused as he was concerned. “I… I know, sweetheart. But you’re safe now, I’ve got you. Just a little more walking and then I can clean you up.” 
“No! I, you don’t understand! Poe, it’s not just scratched up, it’s ruined. We had to leave it, it’s gone and it’s my fault and I’m so, so sorry.”
He just shook his head, still shocked that you thought he was upset about that. “Y/N, I know. But I’m not worried about that, I’m worried about you. Now would you please let me get you back to our room?” 
You nodded but he didn’t miss how the guilt refused to leave your gaze. When you finally got inside, he led you over to the bed and got you to sit down. 
“I’m fine, seriously.” 
Poe quirked his eyebrow. “You’re bleeding from the head.” 
He walked quickly into the refresher, coming back with the medkit you’ve used on him millions of times before. As he worked on disinfecting the cut on your head, you bunched your fingers in the bedsheets, distracting yourself from the pain of the gash. Noticing, he muttered a quick apology, taking a break to stroke his thumb across your cheekbone. Finally, he finished stitching the cut and gently placed a bandage over the area, smoothing out the edges. 
When he looked up, he saw you lost in your own mind. “Come on, baby, talk to me.” 
“You just… you loved that ship and you trusted me with it and you’d had it for so long and I can’t believe I wrecked it.” 
Poe sighed, wishing there was something he could do to convince you that everything was alright. 
“Sweetheart, it’s a kriffing X-wing. Why are you so worked up about it?” His voice was soft and free of judgment. 
“I just feel like I let you down.” 
“Hey,” He said, taking your hands in his. “You did nothing of the sort. I promise, I’m not upset, okay? I’m just glad you made it home to me.” 
You looked up at him. “I’ll always come home to you.” 
You scooted over and gestured to the bed, a silent invitation. Poe smiled at you and took a second to take off his boots and jacket before climbing in beside you. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders, careful not to hit your head while doing so. You leaned into him, your face resting comfortably in the crook of his neck as you breathed in his scent. He pulled back for a second, just to grab the covers and move them so they were all around you and up to your chin, just as you liked. 
Under the blankets, you moved your hand so it was resting on his heart. You liked doing so, feeling the steady beating of it after a long mission. Poe was used to it by now and simply placed one of his hands atop yours, his thumb rubbing up and down. 
“And you know it’s not your fault, right?” He said, breaking the silence 
“Poe, I was literally the one that crashed it.” You reasoned, lifting your head up to look at him. 
“They shot you down as you took out two TIE fighters! No one could have gotten out of that.” 
“But you had so many memories attached to that X-wing-”
“-And we’ll make new ones.” He finished. 
You sighed and nodded, a slow smile creeping onto your face that let Poe know that you at least somewhat believed his words. Inwardly, he cheered, quite proud of himself for getting through to you. Outwardly, he just tucked you further into his embrace and relished in the feeling of you safe, home, and in his arms.
----
tagging people on my permanent taglist + peoples who wanted a tag/might be interested? if i wrongly guessed you’d be interested please feel free to ignore sfklsj!!
@saltybreaddream @buckysbeloved @lolquarth @sodaoverstars @artiza-n @poestardust @beskar-tano @starwarsflowers @sunsetkenobi @90steaology @marvelinsanity @dracowars @collywobbl @dameronology​ @marvel-ousnesss​
also: i added poe to my taglist and if you would like to be added to those tags, the link to join my taglist is in my pinned! if you’ve already joined my taglist, you can just fill it out again in full or just check poe’s name and either way i’ll know because the last question on the form lets me know if you’re new to the taglist or simply editing your previous answer :)
also i sent this fic to the queue because i have never been more scared to post something
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redgillan · 4 years
Text
Under Pastel Skies - 7
Sugar daddy!Bucky Barnes x Reader
Summary: Modern!AU Bucky doesn’t need anyone, especially not a sugar baby. He isn’t that desperate… but she smiles so sweetly and she’s endearingly awkward, and he’s so lonely. She’s an artist, a painter, the type of person who always puts others before herself. Throwing caution to the wind Bucky offers her a place to live, a place where she can finally paint whatever her heart desires. He doesn’t need much in return; a friend, a muse.
Word Count: 6,480
Warnings: none
A/N: This is long overdue, sorry - hopefully it’s worth it. It’s also incredibly long... idek anymore. I want to thank you all for your patience and support. It means a lot to me.
Wannabe sugar daddies, don’t interact with this post.
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You grumbled into your pillow when you heard your phone buzz on the bedside table. Cracking one eye open, you lifted your phone and squinted to read the neon numbers showing on the screen.
7:12 a.m.
You had an email notification, nothing important, but it somehow managed to come through the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature. You knew you wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep so you got up and padded barefoot into the kitchen.  
A smile curled up your lips when you saw the leftovers from your made-up holiday. There were a few cookies and muffins in a plate, a large bowl of cereals, and two dirty milkshake glasses on the counter.
It had been a fun and relaxing couple of days. You ate, talked, played board games, and watched movies in your fanciest loungewear attire. Bucky sought your touch more than usual and it left you a little confused. Every time he touched you, the line between feelings of friendship and feelings of love became blurred.
Bucky was an early riser, always up before you, dressed in his usual khakis and long sleeved Henley shirts with his hair slightly tousled. He looked effortlessly sexy and always had a warm smile for you even though you looked like a hot mess in your mismatched pyjamas, staggering into the kitchen, blindly following the smell of food cooking on the stove.
Today, the kitchen was silent. Bucky was probably still asleep, so you decided to cook breakfast. Maybe, if you were lucky, you’d catch him in his night clothes.
Wasting no time, you made a beeline for the coffee machine. You filled the water tank and measured fresh grounds into the filter, but your task was interrupted when you heard groans coming from somewhere nearby. You soon figured out that the sounds were coming from the living room.
Curious, you silently made your way toward the sound. The shades were up, and you could see the midnight blue sky fading into pastel hues of yellow and pink with the approaching dawn. Under any other circumstances, you would have been completely enraptured by its beauty, but something else caught your attention.
Bucky was standing upside down with his head on a yoga mat. His eyes were closed and his features were set in an expression of serious concentration. You half hid behind the wall and observed him.
You were impressed, his headstand was perfectly vertical and he was doing it without hand support, meaning that he was supporting his entire weight on his neck. He slowly lowered one toe back down, then the other, before he rested his forearm on the mat and lifted his butt toward the ceiling, his body forming a perfect inverted V.
“You’re up already,” he asked, sitting back on his haunches. “I can hear you breathing behind that wall.”
Busted...
You peeked out into the living room and cringed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you but that was sooo impressive.” You walked into the room and perched yourself on the arm of the sofa, facing Bucky who was kneeling at your feet. “How do you do that?”
He chuckled, his cheeks red from exertion and bashfulness. “Practice. Yoga’s good for building strength.”
He looked up at you with a boyish smile, his hair damp with perspiration. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, rolling too close to his eyes and making him squint.
His pants left little to the imagination, the fabric stretched across his powerful thighs, and his sleeveless shirt clung to his drenched chest, outlining his muscles. Your eyes darted to his left shoulder where his stump was visible.
Despite living with him for over two months, you had never seen him in one of those sleeveless shirts before, though you couldn’t blame him since it was the middle of winter and you hadn’t been wearing any either. It was warm inside the apartment but not enough to walk around bare-armed.
“It’s easier to do yoga when the sleeve isn’t slapping me in the face every five seconds,” Bucky said, looking at his stump. “But I can cover it up if you prefer.”
“No! Of course not,” you rushed to say. “I’m sorry. That was really rude.”
“You were just looking, it’s only natural,” he said. “People are curious. Staring... well, staring is different.” His frown smoothed away and he turned to you with a smile. “Are you hungry?”
You smiled down at him. “Starving.”
“I’m gonna hop in the shower real quick, then I’ll start breakfast.”
“Actually, I was about to start cooking before I got distracted.” Bucky looked away, a slight blush covering his cheeks. “But I think we have plenty of food left over from last night.”
“We’re not eating cookies for breakfast,” he said. “We’ll save them for later. Right now we need something healthy.” He grinned as he pushed himself to his feet and ran upstairs. “I’ll be right back.”
You shook your head at his antics and returned to the kitchen to finish making coffee. After all he’d done for you, it was the least you could do. You knew Bucky liked cooking –and he was damn good at it- but sometimes you wondered if this was a fair arrangement.
He had given you a place to stay, money, food to eat, your own artist’s studio, and you had given him... nothing. Admittedly, you knew that your presence calmed him, comforted him. You gave him the emotional support he desperately needed and it was important, but he could also have adopted a pet.
Too tired for coffee or tea, you poured yourself a glass of orange juice, hoping it would wake you up. It worked but your self-deprecating thoughts were still playing havoc in your mind.
You were fixing Bucky’s coffee when he came back downstairs after his shower, and you were pleasantly surprised to find him wearing a clean sleeveless shirt. You met his eyes and found that he was watching you intently. You offered him a smile and leaned back against the kitchen counter.
“Looking good, James.”
He looked down at his feet with a bashful smile as he crossed the room slowly. You observed him in silence while he prepared breakfast for the two of you. It was a simple breakfast bowl with yogurt, granola, fresh fruits and honey but he somehow made it look like a gourmet dish.
“There you go, angel,” he said, setting your bowl in front of you. “What are you going to do today?”
You took a slice of kiwi and dipped in yogurt. “I think I’m going to paint. You?”
Bucky licked his spoon and you stared at it longingly before you quickly averted your eyes. No, you couldn’t be jealous of a goddamn spoon. Catch yourself on.
“I have an idea for a new book,” he said, running his tongue along his teeth to clean them before he spoke again. “I had a meeting with my agent last week. It went well, my old publisher really wants to work with me again. I’m signing my contract this afternoon.”
“Bucky!” you squealed after swallowing your mouthful of yogurt a little too fast. “That’s amazing!”
“Thank you,” he said, staring into nothing with wide eyes. “I’m nervous, scared and excited at the same time. It’s strange, y’know, all these feelings mixed together. It’s a bit overwhelming and I haven’t even started yet.”
“Don’t think too much,” you said. “You’ve done this before, you can do it again.”
“Yeah,” he replied, smiling.
You scraped your spoon around the bowl and licked it clean. “What’s it about? Is it a novel? Can I be in it?”
Bucky chuckled to himself and you figured that every single writer had friends who begged them to appear in their books. You couldn’t help it, the idea of living forever as ink on a page was too tempting.
“It’s not a novel,” he said. “It’s the third instalment of my series. The style is a little hard to explain but this is what I like to say: self-help book meets Bridget Jones’ Diary.”
“I tried to look you up but I couldn’t find anything written by a James Barnes or a Bucky Barnes.” You playfully narrowed your eyes at him. “Are you a fraud? Or are you using a pen name?”
He pretended to think about it. “I’m a fraud.”
“I knew it,” you mock-sighed.
Bucky took your bowl and placed it in the sink along with his. When he started cleaning them, you joined him and took a dish towel.
“I’ll tell you soon,” he spoke after a moment.
“It’s okay, take your time.”
You knew he wasn’t going to tell you what his pen name was, not now at least. His books were a reflection of his struggles, his success, and his fears, and you could understand why he preferred to keep you in the dark for now.
The people who read his books didn’t know him, they were just anonymous faces in a crowd but you were real. You were his friend, his new friend, and your opinion mattered.
“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve published my last book. My agent said that people haven’t forgotten about me but I still have to,” he made air quotes with his fingers, “’show my face’, just to remind everyone that I’m still writing.” He sighed.
“There’s a charity event next month at the museum of Natural History,” he continued. “It’s a huge event, a lot of important people will be there, including some of the most famous gallerists and curators in the country. You’re allowed to say no but,” he paused and turned to look at you, “do you want to come with me?”
You pressed your lips together while you mulled this over. There was no doubt in your mind that it was a great opportunity, one that you would have never had without Bucky, and you knew you had to say yes. But this was your least favourite part of being an artist.
You didn’t know how to sell yourself and you always felt like an arrogant asshat when you spoke about your paintings, even though you had every right to be proud of your work.
You had managed to persuade yourself that this new life would last forever. Eat, laugh, paint, repeat forever. But it wasn’t real. You had to put yourself out there, even if it made you uncomfortable because painting was only half your job.
Something else bothered you. You didn’t want to be the poor, struggling artist who took advantage of a charity event to make herself known. It seemed wrong and hypocritical.
You voiced your concerns to Bucky who looked at you with a pained expression.
“Yes, it’s a fundraiser but I can assure you that everyone at the party will be talking business and exchanging business cards,” he said. “And they’ll compensate with a huge donation to clear their guilty conscience. Is it false philanthropy? Absolutely, and I’m ashamed to say I’m one of them. You’re not taking advantage of a good cause, we are.”
“You’re nothing like them,” you said. “You’re kind and selfless, you’re a good person.”
“I’m not sure that’s true, angel,” he said with a tight smile.
When you opened your mouth to protest, he leaned forward and cupped the back of your head as he pressed a kiss to your forehead, ending the conversation. He had never done that before and you froze, feeling equal parts confused, incredulous and appreciated.
He pulled back and wiped down the sink with the sponge, acting like kissing you so sweetly was something completely normal, like he was unbothered. Meanwhile you just stood there wondering if you would ever be able to breathe normally again.
You pressed your lips together hard and tried to gather your thoughts but your mind was reeling. You were about to leave the room when your eyes landed on a pile of mail on the kitchen counter.
The first letter was a cheesy view of the Tower Bridge, the words ‘Greetings from London’ written in bold cursive letters across the postcard.
You only knew one person who still sent postcards.
Wanda.
“What’s this?” you asked, nodding toward the stack of mail.
Confused, Bucky looked to you then followed your line of sight and saw the mail. “Oh, Natasha dropped these off last night. She wanted to see you but you were already asleep.”
You nodded distractedly while you picked up the postcard. The sight of it filled you with anxiety. Your sister didn’t’ send these postcards often, but every time you received one it reminded you that things were different now. Gone was the happy and supportive family you used to cherish.  
Your breath caught in your throat as you read Wanda’s hastily written words.
I’m coming home.
She was coming home. A wave of nausea ran through you and your breathing came shallow and fast.
“Wow, wow, wow.” You felt Bucky’s hand at our waist, steering you toward a chair, and you realized your legs were giving way under you. “Deep breaths, angel. Look at me. There you go!”
“Sorry,” you said. “See what happens when you don’t let me eat cookies for breakfast?”
Bucky smiled at your poor attempt at humour. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”
You debated telling him but you weren’t sure how to voice your concerns so you handed him the postcard instead. You had told Bucky about Wanda. She had disappeared after Pietro’s death, sending postcards from time to time as proof that she was still alive and well.
“Your sister is coming home.”
“Yeah,” you sighed. “I haven’t seen her for six years. She doesn’t know our mom has Alzheimer, she doesn’t know I sold our old childhood home. She keeps sending those postcards there. I gave the new owners Natasha’s address in case they still receive our mail. They’re very nice.” You let out a humourless laugh. “I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I sold our house, and they could have taken advantage of me but they didn’t. I guess it’s not every day you buy a family house from a 24 year old girl. It probably screams tragic backstory, uh?”
“You did this on your own?”
“Yup.”
Bucky put his hand on your knee and gave you a comforting squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to go through this.”
You looked down at his thumb rubbing soothing circles just above your knee. “Yeah, it wasn’t easy.” You paused, then raised your head to look at him. “Living with you makes my life so much easier. I live in my own little bubble where I don’t have to be an adult. I feel like I can finally breathe. And I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me and all you continue to do.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he replied, shaking his head. “We help each other. We’re good together.”
“Yes, of course,” you said with a smile. “But we both know it’ll have to end one day. It has to, one way or another. I want to be more independent, start my career and support my family. I don’t want to rely on others anymore. I want to rely on myself.”
“But there’s no rush, angel.”
“I know, but nothing’s gonna change if I stay in my little bubble. I have to do things that make me uncomfortable.”
“What are you trying to say exactly?”
“I’ll come with you to the fundraiser.”
Bucky’s eyebrows shot up in surprise but a smile broke across his face. “That’s great! But what about your sister?”
You shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do. She’ll probably go to our old house, realize it’s not ours anymore. If she’s lucky they’ll give her Natasha’s address. I’m sure she’ll have lots of questions but she can’t show up six years later and act like our bond is still intact. I’m not at her beck and call. I’m only responsible for myself and, Bucky, I’m so tired of trying to please everyone. I deserve to live my best life, goddammit.”
“I am so happy to hear you say that,” Bucky said, his smile blinding. “Celebratory cookie?”
“Yes! Two cookies, please,” you replied, out of breath. “I’m slightly freaking out.”
You spent the next couple of weeks planning for the event; painting, taking pictures of your work, posting them on Instagram, searching for gallerists and curators you wanted to work with and cross-checking the attendees.
Despite everything, you couldn’t help but wonder if Wanda was already in New York and if she was looking for you.
“Check this out!” you exclaimed, shoving a business card in Natasha’s face before you pushed past her to get into her apartment. “It’s official, I’m an artist.”
She laughed as she closed the door, her eyes on the card. “Hi, it’s nice to see you, too,” she deadpanned.
“Sorry, hi.”
“Well, looks like you’re all set. When’s the party?”
“Next week,” you replied, taking a seat on you former bed, her sofa. “I’m a little nervous, but also excited. I don’t know, it’s a strange feeling.”
Natasha pinned your business card onto the fridge using a magnet before she opened the refrigerator door and retrieved a bottle of orange juice. She took two glasses from the cupboard and joined you on the sofa.
“But, yeah, I’m ready. I have over two hundred business cards, I know who I want to work with, and I even bought an external battery pack just in case.”
“And what are you going to wear?” Natasha asked before taking a sip of orange juice. You looked at her with wide eyes, panic written all over your face. “You forgot to buy a dress,” she concluded out loud. “Why am I not surprised?”
“With everything going on, I completely forgot I had to... wear clothes.”
“I’m sure James wouldn’t mind seeing you in your birthday suit.” She laughed when you practically shoved her off the sofa. “Come on, I’ll help you look semi-decent.”
You groaned. “I don’t want to go shopping right now. Plus, I blew all my money on business cards.”
“Are you kidding me? It’s freezing outside, I’m not leaving my apartment,” she replied, reaching for her laptop. “You’re going to rent it.”
“Ew,” you made a face.
You remembered the formal wear store where you had rented your prom dress. The place smelled like moth balls and sweat, and the dress had given you a rash. Not a great memory.
“Trust me, I know this is your first but I’m a seasoned veteran. I’ve been to dozens of fundraisers, and I had to wear dozens of designer dresses. Do you even know how much a Saint Laurent evening gown cost? You can’t wear the same dress twice. That’s a big no-no. And it’s not just the dress. You need a clutch, a pair of shoes, jewelry, a coat. You have to rent them.”
“You’re giving me a headache.”
She opened up her web browser and typed in the website address for the dress rental. As she entered your size and budget, it was obvious that she knew her way around the website and you had to admit that it was a lot easier than traditional shopping.
You looked at the collection of dresses, not entirely convinced, when you found it. You instantly knew it was the right one.
You stared longingly at the beautiful wine-red dress, made entirely of velvet. The bodice was cut on the bias, the fabric draping itself elegantly to contour the shape of the model’s upper body. The skirt was long and flowing, and the waist was cinched in with a thin black belt.
You clicked on the second picture and Natasha let out a strangled gasp. The open back was draped at the waist and weighted with a crystal on a golden chain.
The dress gave off 1930s vibes, it was elegant and refined but the back was daring and sexy. It was exactly what you needed. You paired it with a black wool cape, and Natasha offered to let you borrow a pair of shoes, jewellery and a bag.
The dress and coat arrived the next day. The woman who delivered them was kind and polite, she stayed in the kitchen while you tried on the dress. Once you gave the all-clear, she handed you your receipt.
The dress was yours for an entire week.
On the day of the gala, you were a nervous, sweaty mess. Natasha’s clutch was on your nightstand, filled to the brim with business cards. Your hair and makeup were already done. You sat on your bed in your underwear, staring at the dress hanging in your closet.
“I can do this,” you whispered to yourself.
You were adjusting the fabric around your cleavage, making sure everything flowed nicely, when you heard Bucky shouting from the kitchen.
“The car will be there in fifteen minutes.”
You took a deep breath and smoothed your hands down the sides of your dress, the tickling caress of the velvet calming you almost instantly. You reached for the handle, your heart hammering in your chest, and opened the door.
Bucky was standing at the kitchen island, looking down at his phone. He looked up when he heard the sound of your door opening.
“Hey, are you-” The rest of his sentence died on his lips as he froze. He stood there, staring at you, his eyes roaming your body in a manner that could only be called amazement. “You look-” He shook his head as if he couldn’t find the right word.
You looked down at yourself, grinning. After weeks of seeing you in your big woolly jumpers, pyjamas and painting overalls, you could understand why this was a shock. It was one to you as well.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his voice sounding strangled.
“Thank you.” He stood a little straighter when he noticed you were checking him out. He wore a dark blue suit with black lapels, a white shirt and a black velvet bow tie. You matched. “You look like a real heartthrob in that suit.”
He laughed and looked away, embarrassed. It was your favourite look on him; when he couldn’t maintain eye contact and his cheeks were slightly red and his nose crunched up a little.
“You’re wearing your prosthetic,” you said, noticing the stiff arm and fake hand.
“Yeah,” he replied, looking at his left arm. “This thing itches like hell, but I don’t blend well in a crowd when I’m not wearing my prosthetic. These people know me, they’ll be looking for me. Let’s not make it too easy for them.”
He finished his sentence with a wink and your entire body threatened to spontaneously combust. Do people still wink? Apparently. You walked over to him and briefly stroked his arm before you walked past him to the bathroom.
It gave him a great view of your bare back and the little crystal nestled just above the small of your back. You didn’t see his reaction but you heard his sharp intake of breath.
You left the bathroom door open while you rummaged through your makeup bag, relief flowing through you when your fingers brushed against your favourite lipstick.
You straightened up and looked at yourself in the mirror. Bucky was leaning against the bathroom door frame, observing you. You uncapped the lipstick and brought it to your lips, locking eyes with him in the mirror.
“Don’t worry, I’m almost ready.”
“I’m not worried,” Bucky replied with a mischievous smile. “Please, carry on.”
You rolled your eyes at his sudden smug expression, trying to look unbothered, but you could feel his eyes on you and you willed your hands to stop shaking. Today was not the day to look like Miranda Sings.
“What’s it called?” Bucky asked from the threshold, spellbound.
“No idea, the label has faded,” you said, rubbing your lips together to smudge your lipstick. “It has probably expired by now, my mom gave it to me when I was a kid.” You blotted your lips and tossed the balled tissue into the wastebasket. “She called it ‘Carter Red’.”
You dabbed the lipstick on your lips. “When we were kids, we used to watch her apply her lipstick. We thought she was the most sophisticated woman in the world. When she was done, she’d turn to us and ask ‘Who wants red lips?’ Then we’d leave the house in our matching red lips.”
Bucky entered the bathroom and took a seat on the edge of the tub. “Did your brothers wear red lipstick too?” he asked with a grin.
You laughed. “Pietro did. Scott was more into nail polish.”  
“Do you think I can pull it off?”
You turned to him with a wicked grin and waved your lipstick in his direction. He stood when you took a step closer to him. He seemed to enjoy the playful glint dancing in your eyes. You beckoned him closer like some kind of old witch.
“I’m sure you’d look real cute with lipstick all over your face,” you said, taunting him with your tube of lipstick.
Something in his expression changed, darkened, making you feel hot and cold at the same time. His eyes travelled down your face to your lips, then back up to your eyes. “Yeah, I’d really like that,” he spoke so softly you almost missed it.
It was your turn to freeze. You parted your lips to speak but nothing came out, you just blinked hard and stared at him incredulously, waiting for him to explain what that meant. But he never did, and you took a step back.
Did he just...? Did he just try to kiss you? No! No, that’s silly. Why would he want to kiss you? He was just being playful and you simply projected your own desires onto him.
He took a step back too and gave an imperceptible nod. “The car should be here any minute,” he said, smiling. It was a tight smile and you didn’t like it at all. “I’ll let you get ready.”
After he closed the door behind him, you dumped your lipstick back into your makeup bag and took a long look at yourself in the mirror. You looked deflated, miserable. You sighed... the night was off to a great start.
Bucky waited for you while you finished getting ready. You picked up your clutch, slid your feet into a pair of high-heel shoes, and struggled with your cape until Bucky came to your rescue. To your surprise, his smile was genuine again, and it made your heart soar. Maybe you had just misread the situation and he wasn’t upset, offended –or whatever that tight smile was.
The heels were higher than you were used to, but Bucky gave you an arm to hang onto. The sky was already dark when you arrived at the Museum of Natural History. You walked up the stairs and left your coats in the coat-check room before you took a look around the room.
Hundreds of people were milling around the hall, a glass in their hand as they weaved between the jaw-dropping dinosaur skeletons that were on display. You kept your arm linked through Bucky’s and tried not to stare at anyone.  
“Be careful,” Bucky whispered in your ear, making you perk up. “Someone once told me that the exhibits come to life after the sun sets.”
“Remind me to stay away from the Biodiversity Hall,” you chuckled. Then you spotted one of the curators you wanted to work with, you let go of Bucky’s arm and squared your shoulders. “Showtime. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck, angel.”
“God, I’m sweating. Is it noticeable?”
Bucky smiled at you. “No, you look perfect.”
You gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks. I hope I won’t make a fool of myself. I hate small talk.”
As soon as you were gone, someone took your place by Bucky’s side. You grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter and made your way over to the curator. You didn’t drink alcohol but the glass made you look like you were part of their little group.
It went horribly wrong; you stuttered when you said your name and everything went downhill after that. While you were talking, he subtly looked around to see if he could find a more interesting person to talk to, which made you stutter even more. Then as you opened your clutch and fished out a card, several others fell at your feet in slow motion.
Between the dress, the glass and the shoes, it was practically impossible to bend over. The curator left and you stood there alone.
“Let me help you,” one of the waiters said. He gathered up your business cards and handed them to you.
You sheepishly took the cards and shoved them back in your purse. “Thanks. Can you take this? I’m not going to drink it.”
“Would you like something else to drink?” he asked as he took your glass of champagne.
“No, thank you. I... I think I’m going to go find my friend.”
You smiled politely at the young man but he had a strange look on his face. He looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
“I saw you with Mr. Thomas,” he finally said. “I’m not supposed to talk to the guests but can you tell him I love his work.”
“I’m sorry I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Grant Thomas,” the waiter pressed on. “The writer. I saw you two together.” Then he leaned forward and whispered, “He only has one arm.”
Oh...
Grant Thomas was Bucky’s pen name.  
Your face broke out into a huge smile and you started giggling to yourself. The waiter recoiled a bit, confused and a little freaked out. You scanned the room for Bucky.
“Of course, I’ll tell him,” you told the waiter. “He’ll be very pleased to hear it.”
You went in search of Bucky, wobbling around in your high heels, a permanent smile on your face. After walking around for a few minutes, you felt more stable and in control, even going so far as to power walk from room to room.
You found him in the Hall of Ocean Life, entertaining a small group of people. You walked over to him, your heels clicking like typewriter keys. You heard bits and pieces of their conversation as you approached.
“Oh, it’s absolutely lovely,” a woman cooed, a hand over her heart. “Who was your inspiration for your new book, Grant?”
Bucky’s eyes widened slightly when he saw you. You gave him a small wave and he held out his hand in your direction. He introduced you to the group, and while it was strange to hear him say your name, you kept a straight face.
“I’ve looked everywhere for you, Grant,” you told him, emphasizing his pen name. “I should have known I'd find you in good company.”
“Oh, she’s the painter,” the woman said. “Darling, I hope you don’t mind me saying this but-” she extended her arms in your direction “wow!”
The woman next to her looked half amused, half exasperated. “It means you look beautiful in that dress.”
“Oh, she knows what it means, Sylvia.” The ‘oh’ woman swatted Bucky’s fake arm. “Grant, isn’t she gorgeous?”
Bucky looked at you with a fond smile. “Yes, she is.”
“Oh, my heart is about to explode,” the ‘oh’ woman squealed before enthusiastically waving to someone behind Bucky. “Sylvia, darling, take her contact details. We need new blood at the gallery. Please, excuse me, I haven’t seen Michael in ages,” she said, stretching out the last word.
She was gone before you could comprehend what was happening. Her laughter echoed through the room. Oh, I hadn’t seen the back of that dress! Sweet baby Jesus!
You found her whimsical and quite intense but if you had to work for her, you’d probably end up looking like her assistant, Sylvia, who seemed at her wits’ end.
She sighed and opened her leather-bound notebook. There were several business cards attached to the pages with paperclips. You handed her one of your business cards as her boss shouted, Oh, Michael, isn’t this party deliiightful? It was Sylvia’s cue to leave.
“Thank you. We’ll take a look at your work and get back to you as soon as we can. Enjoy your night.”
Sylvia rushed to her boss who was looking around like a lost puppy. When she saw her assistant, a look of relief crossed her face. It was a little over the top but it made you smile.
“So, Grant Thomas,” you said, planting yourself directly in front of Bucky now that you were alone. “Cute name.”
“Agh, I wanted to tell you before the party but...” He shrugged. “How did you figure it out?”
“One of the waiters saw us together. He’s your biggest fan. Said you were talented, humble and devilishly handsome in that suit.”
“The waiter said that?” Bucky asked with a frown as he led you toward an empty corridor.
“I think he has a crush on you.”
“I seem to have that effect on people,” he said, linking his arm through yours.
“So humble.” You entered the Hall of Biodiversity together. “What’s the meaning behind your pen name?”
There was a small pause before he answered. “Grant is Steve’s middle name, Thomas is Sam’s. I wanted to honor them. Steve literally saved my life, and Sam... well, he stood by my side even when we barely knew each other.”
“I’m sure they were touched.”
“Meh,” Bucky said with a grimace. “Steve said it sounded like a fake name, and Sam tried to make me use ‘Thomas Grant’ instead. I think deep down they like it.” He turned his head to look at you. “How did it go with the curator?”
You cringed. “Just to give you an idea, imagine an amateur magician performing at their first show. I was sweating, I stuttered, and I dropped my cards. It was awful.”
He laughed softly. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, I’m not upset. At least he’ll remember me, right?”
You spent the next couple of hours mingling with a bunch of rich people; most of them were incredibly weird, the others were strangely relatable. You were a lot more cool and collected with Bucky by your side. He always had really nice things to say about you or your paintings, and his words rang true, giving you yet another reason to fall for him.
When you reached the planetarium, Bucky took your hand in his, his eyes sparkling with childlike wonder.
You practically had the place to yourselves, everyone else was either in the Grand Gallery or in the Roosevelt Memorial. Since no one was around, you decided to take your shoes off and walk around barefoot.
You lost track of time, listening to Bucky’s stories about the universe as he guided you along the spiralling walkway.  
“We’re just tiny little specks living on a bigger speck, floating around,” he said, gazing up at a model of Jupiter hanging from the ceiling. “Our time here is so limited, our bodies are so fragile.”
“Umm,” you hummed. “At least we’re not at the bottom of the food chain.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that would be a bummer.”
“Do you know who’s at the bottom of the food chain?” you asked. “French fries. I’m starving.”
His laughter rang out, loud and clear, in the silence of the planetarium. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
You headed for the coat-check room, where Bucky left one of his ridiculously generous tips, and stepped outside, shivering from the cold winter night. You looked up at the stars glistening in the dark sky while you walked the short distance to the fast food restaurant.
You ate your fries in silence as you glanced around the restaurant. It was bright and gave off a friendly vibe. There were several other patrons even though it was almost two in the morning, though you and Bucky were the only ones wearing designer clothes.
Your high heels and clutch rested on the booth next to your hip, and Bucky’s bow tie was tied around your wrist. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a tanned, muscular chest and a smattering of dark hair.
Bucky had removed his prosthetic after you’d found a booth. His fake arm rested on the table, scaring the hell out of the waitress when she came to take your order. Bucky apologized profusely, probably mentally adding another twenty to her tip.
You dozed off in the cab, utterly exhausted, your cheek resting against his shoulder. His arm was draped over your shoulders, his thumb sweeping up and down your collarbone. When you remembered that you still had to remove your makeup before going to bed, you let out a whine and nestled closer to him. He rested his head on top of yours, and you closed your eyes, enjoying his closeness.
A few days later, you told Natasha about the party, and she reminded you to be careful, to protect your heart. She wished someone had given her this advice when she’d met Sam.
It had never occurred to you that Natasha might have feelings for Sam, not because he was an awful person. No, it was quite the opposite. He was handsome and funny, always looking for some kind of trouble. She’d mentioned multiple times that he was really good in bed, which honestly didn’t surprise you.
You knew she liked him, but you didn’t know she liked him.
On your way home, you mulled over the things she had told you. About a block away from your apartment, you took your keys out of your pocket and stared at the little angel keychain, wondering if your feelings for Bucky were real. The line between friends and lovers was definitely blurred but you couldn’t cross it. There was too much at stake, you couldn’t risk ruining your friendship.
As you turned the corner into your street, you spotted someone standing outside the building’s front door. You slowed down, dawdled, so you could observe them.
You couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman, though you suspected a man. They were carrying a traveller’s backpack on their shoulders, blocking your view. Whoever it was, they had a fantastic ass.
They pushed the intercom button, waited a few seconds and pushed it again. When the doors remained closed, they turned around to leave and you came face-to-face with a man with long dirty blond hair, a bushy ginger beard and striking baby blue eyes. You immediately recognized him from the photos you’d seen on Bucky’s laptop.
“Oh my God, Steve!” you exclaimed, startling him.
Part 8
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wastelandcth · 3 years
Text
Better Love - cth
part three: the longing
summary: Calum and Maeve get to know one another, in more ways than one. 
author’s notes: I’m nervous about this one. Enjoy!
warnings: mentions of drinking, mentions of food, oh and smut. 
masterlist || request || join my taglist!
part one || part two
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I confessed the longing I was dreaming of Some better love, but there's no better love Beckons above me and there's no better love That ever has loved me, there's no better love
In her dreams, Maeve always saw a future that made her warm. She saw hills of green and trees that swayed with the wind. She'd always go there, sometimes it'd be a few weeks before she'd show back up in her dreamland, but it was always the same place, a house surrounded in green and blue. She'd felt someone's presence, never enough to see them or recognize who they were, but she knew she wasn't alone in her dreams. She felt safe there with the strange presence, felt the warmth of them and the love they had for her. When she was young, she had thought it was her parents, but as time went on and Maeve's dreams stayed the same, she knew it was someone she was yet to meet.
Even now, as she slept, she felt that same warmth enveloping her.
Maeve’s eyes snapped open as she heard a snore behind her. The light from outside had blinded her for a second and she’d let out a groan. Usually, in her dreams, the warmth would leave her as her brain woke her up and her eyes slowly opened. This time, however, the warmth was still there. She felt it in her stomach and all down her spine, the familiar presence of it making her think for a second she was still in her dreams and that she’d wake up any minute to feel it leave her. As the bedroom came into focus, the large window next to her letting in soft daylight, that warmth remained and it wasn’t until she felt an arm around her pulling her closer that she remembered the events of the night her trip changed forever.
“The bridge collapsed?” Calum asked confused and walked over to stand next to her, his bra ahh hitching as he looked out at the stone bridge, “Holy shit.”
“What’re we going to do?” Maeve asked shakily, her eyes staring out in awe, “That’s the only way back. W-we’re stranded here with no power and no way to contact anyone about what’s happened!”
“Maeve, deep breathes,” Calum said as he reached out and slowly placed his hands on the sides of her arms, “Hey, look at me, I promise, it’ll be okay.”
With a deep breath, Maeve relished in the warms of Calum’s touch, leaning into it as she tried to calm her racing mind. He was right, it would be okay, the power would eventually come on once the storm passed, and then they would be able to call someone for help. All they had to do was wait for the storm to pass and then they’d get help.
All Maeve had to do was survive a night with an incredibly handsome art history professor, a looming interview that could change her life, and a storm that seemed to have destruction on its mind. Calum's hands were still on her arms, squeezing them gently as he tried to ground her back into the moment at hand. If it had been any other situation, one in which Calum was more than a stranger and Maeve wasn't stuck in a cabin with him, she would have been flustered. But the view of the bridge outside of the window, looming in the distance as if mocking how her brain felt, kept her unannounced attraction towards the stranger attempting to calm her at bay.
“Okay, I…it’s going to be okay,” she breathed out after taking a couple more deep breathes, “I guess we just unofficially became roommates.”
The next two days had been spent in one another's company. Once the storm had settled and the drizzle had lulled the forest into a peaceful sleep, Calum and Maeve had spent most of the night huddled up in the living room, finding out more and more about one another. They talked about a lot that first night, both of them wanting to be absolutely positive that the other was not a serial killer with extreme patience. But there seemed to be something they were both hiding, a small snippet of the truth that both were too scared to share. It wasn't until the inevitable concept of having to sleep crept closer and closer that they both glanced back at the only bed around for miles.
"I'll take the couch," Calum nodded, "You were here first so it's only fair."
"But you'll be cold," Maeve mumbled, "The fireplace will only give you so much heat before it dies out in the middle of the night and you wake up frozen."
"Another good reason why you should take the bedroom then," Calum chuckled and shook his head, "I don't mind, really."
"We could just share." Maeve said, surprising herself with the forwardness of her voice, "Body heat and all, you know?"
"Are you sure?" Calum asked, his eyebrow raising as he watched the flush on Maeve's cheeks grow.
"Positive, now come on, I'm exhausted."
They'd each picked their side of the bed, opting to stay as far away from the middle of the mattress as they both could. The sound of a drizzle hitting the roof and windows around them made the quietness of the bedroom a little calmer, both of them too aware of the other in bed to really drift off. But eventually, the drizzle lulled them both, into a warm and quiet sleep. A sleep where Maeve felt the warmth from her dreams and Calum felt the ache of his hike. 
The following morning, when both of them woke up in each other’s arms was…awkward to say the least. Calum had woken up first, his arm numb and his brain having trouble catching up to where he was and why he had another body on top of him. The early morning sunlight filtered in through the large window next to the bed, shining a soft light over the entire room. The morning air was still chilly, leaving an ache in Calum’s joints and instinctively making him pull Maeve closer to him. It wasn’t until he heard Maeve stir that he realized exactly what they’d done. As the storm passed, the rain leaving the ground soft and muddy, Maeve and Calum and drifted closer and closer. Acting as the full moon and ocean tide, they ended up in one another’s warmth, starring far apart and gravitating towards each other. 
That morning, they’d both spent time apart, walking around the small property where the bridge had left them isolated from everyone else. Calum had spent most of that day outside, his journal tucked safely in the pocket of his rain jacket, walking through the woods and hoping that the next couple of days before their host, whatever her name was, could find a way for them to get back. The first few days were spent like that, both of them stealing glances at the other while trying to distract themselves from the view of the broken bridge, the view of their separation, and the fact that they were both stuck with one another. Mornings were usually spent in silence, both too afraid to move from one another’s arms, trying not to wake the other up. They were spent looking out the window, watching the trees sway and the colored leaves flicker off the branches and onto the river below. Maeve, who had become used to the warmth of Calum’s body next to hers every morning, had spent mornings pretending to be asleep in the hope that Calum wouldn’t pull away from her and leave her cold. Calum, who knew Maeve had woken up minutes before, spent his mornings hoping that she wouldn’t move out of his arms, his face finding comfort in the crook of her neck. Mornings were quiet and hesitant, soft touches that both of them thought about during the rest of the day, hoping to wake up in one another’s arms once again. The nights were a different story. As the sun lowered into the sky, leaving streaks of gold, pink, orange, and red; Calum and Maeve found themselves huddled together. Sometimes Maeve would read out loud, her book telling the history of the clans that used to call the Highlands their home, and sometimes Calum would put on one of the old records that had been left behind in the cabin. Those were Maeve’s favorite nights, Calum’s too, when the music echoed from the walls and the both of them laid under the shared fur blanket, watching the darkness of the sky from their favorite window. It was when the sun went down and the cold settled in that Maeve and Calum got to really know one another. 
One night, when dinner had been quiet, both too lost in their own heads to really say much. Their conversation changed, from the usual small talk that had been shared during the day, to something more. The world was teasing them both, the candle-lit dinner they shared one of the first either of them had ever had a candle-lit dinner. Calum liked to think he was a romantic at heart, but he couldn't recall a time where he and his fiancé, well ex-fiancé, would've ever had a dinner like this. Maeve hadn't ever had a date with James like this, not that this was considered a date, but theirs had always ended up with cheap takeout and a studying session. This felt different, it felt calm and the quiet surrounding them never turned awkward or tense. It was comforting.
"So, what's your story?" Calum asked softly, "I mean, I know you said you have an interview with the university but...well, what're you running from?"
Maeve tensed at the question, her eyebrows furrowing as she studied the man in front of her and wondered if he truly could read her like that. Had she been that obvious about wanting to escape her crowded city life? Had everyone she'd encountered known she belonged in the countryside where she was born, never to be able to thrive in a bustling city? Or did Calum, who seemed very much like herself, run away to Scotland too.
"I...I guess I just needed to find myself and I thought that Scotland would be that place for me?" Maeve shrugged, her eyes looking down at the glass of whiskey in front of her, "My parents met in Edinburgh, they road tripped around the entire country together, and fell in love here."
She looked back up at Calum, who watched her intently, his eyes focused on her eyes, watching as Maeve tried to look everywhere but his. With a sigh, and another sip of the bitter whiskey that made her blood warm, Maeve continued on with the story. How her small town had been a bore to her but the second she had left she'd missed it like hell. That no matter how much fun she'd found in the big cities she'd traveled to, nothing made her feel like home. How this was supposed to be a way to get rid of the aching feeling in her chest and that maybe she would find something here in Scotland that the rest of the world hadn't shown her yet. She didn't miss the way Calum's shoulders tensed as she explained the situation with James and how she'd never truly felt love for him.
"And what about you? Why did the university professor run away?" Maeve asked quietly, her eyes finally meeting his across the table.
Maeve listened to Calum, listened as he spilled his heart out over a plate of potatoes and roasted veggies. She listened as his hands fidgeted with the loose string on his sweater and bit her lip as she realized just how alike they were. Soon enough, the rainstorm had slowed into a drizzle and the kitchen was cleaned up. It wasn't too long after that Maeve found herself plopping down on the couch next to Calum, pulling the warm fur blanket over both of their laps as the chill of the autumn night settled in around the house. The unwanted guest had forced both Maeve and Calum into warmer clothes, socks and hoodies peeking out over the edges of the blanket as they watched the flicker of the candlelight bounce on the walls.
"I tried, you know? To make myself love her and to make her love me," Calum sighed and shrugged as he took another sip of the whiskey, "I thought that if I proposed to her, our hearts would figure it out and everything would be fixed."
"And did it?" Maeve asked, her soft eyes finding him in the candlelight, "Did she fall in love with you?"
"Deep down, I knew it would never work." he sighed and frowned as he looked down at his fingers that had been playing with a loose thread on the blanket covering them both, "I'm surprised she hadn't left earlier."
"She's a fool," she mumbled, her knee nudging against Calum's causing both of them to lean into the warmth of it, "You're a great guy."
"You've only known me for three days, you can't possibly know that about me," Calum laughed and shook his head, his eyes gazing out the large window, watching the waves in the river splash against the bedrock.
"And from that, I already know that you're a great guy," she chuckled and shrugged, "You made me breakfast even after I made you get more wood late last night. Which by the way, is totally happening again."
"Yeah? You’re coming with me this time, okay?" Calum teased, knowing that there was no way she'd be stepping out after dark to walk to the shed where all the firewood had been stored.
"In your dreams, Hood."
That night, when the candles had been blown out and the fireplace in the bedroom crackled to keep them both warm, Calum had still been awake when Maeve had scooted back against him. Calum had been up for a while, his brain too awake to even think about sleeping, Maeve’s soft breaths keeping him grounded in the bed. He knew it was a mistake, to even consider that his heart raced a little faster when she was near him, but the past couple of days had taught him a lot. He’d never really believed in coincidences, but his mother had always told him that life had a funny way of showing him what he needed, even if it wasn’t what he’d expected. Maeve was like no one Calum had ever met before. She was so intelligent and well-spoken, she somehow always had something to say in response to Calum. She never seemed to get bored of all the reading or even of the random facts Calum would spew out whenever he remembered something. She was new and refreshing, like the air he’d breathe in every morning after he’d made it out of the cottage. 
But Calum was being foolish again, he couldn’t feel anything for the stranger, that’s all she was really, a stranger who’d been booked in the same room as him and now he was stuck with her until someone noticed they’d missed their checkout date. He was stuck feeling his palms sweat whenever she talked with him in that soft voice, the one that gave him goosebumps he was thankful were hidden under his sweaters. He couldn’t have feelings for her because in a few days she’d be in Edinburgh having a life-changing interview and Calum would be on a flight back home, hoping that when his flight landed, he’d stopped regretting walking into the empty house he’d left weeks ago. He’d been so stuck in his brain, trying to stop his feelings for the stranger next to him, that he hadn’t noticed her breath hitting his neck. The soft snores leaving Maeve had made Calum’s thumb on her hip stop it’s up and down stroking, one he hadn’t even noticed he’d been doing, and made him look down at her. 
In the darkness of the room, where the only source of light came from the embers of the fireplace gave him only so much to work with, Maeve looked ethereal. Calum’s chest stopped rising, his eyes wide as he watched the small twitches in her nose and eyes as Maeve dreamt. The curls she’d usually push away when she was asleep were falling down onto her eyes, Calum’s hand coming up to push them behind her ear. Maeve’s eyes fluttered open at the touch, leaving Calum frozen in place with his finger on the warmth of her cheek. 
“Hey,” she whispered, her sleep-induced haze making her lean into the touch, “Is everything okay?”
“Of course,” Calum breathed out, his lungs finally receiving a new life as the oxygen once again rushed into them, “Go back to sleep, I’ve got you.”
Maeve, whose brain was slowly waking up, blushed at his words. Her eyes moved up to meet his in the darkness, the deep brown of his nearly replaced by his pupils which had dilated. In a moment of courage, where Maeve pushed away any of the warnings telling her to not move her head to the side, she cupped the hand that was on her cheek in hers and pressed a kiss onto the palm of it. Her eyes closed again as she felt the hitch in Calum’s breath, feeling him tense for just a second before he practically melted into her touch. They both laid there, staring at one another in the darkness they’d both used for lingering and greedy touches, their breathing matching as they leaned in closer and closer. The wind had picked up outside, whistling against the window panes, as if even nature outside knew the tension between the two bodies that were in the safety of the loneliness of the forest. 
There was a beat of silence, a beat where Calum and Maeve took each other in one last time before their lips connected. In the dark, they found one another, pulling each other closer and closer until Calum could feel the soft noises leaving both him and Maeve against his chest. Her lips were soft, leaving Calum chasing after them for more after she pulled away to catch her breath. He hadn’t waited too long, the electric feeling of her against him back after less than a second. Outside, the window had continued to howl, the forest seemingly cheering for the two as the darkness outside shielded them from the world. The river still flowed beside the house, the water crashing against the large rocks like their lips had moments before. They moved in a flow, much like a river, clothes thrown off and kisses crashing onto unseen skin. 
Calum’s hands were hesitant, almost as if he was afraid to touch Maeve, but the soft sigh that left her when his hand finally squeezed the thigh she’d rested over his hip was all he needed to keep going. His body pushed up against hers, his other arm coming up to push her down onto her back, the soft mattress pulling Maeve in like a hug. From where he was, kneeled at her side, Maeve’s breathless and flushed look made Calum want to wake up from such a cruel dream, his jaw going slack as Maeve’s knees dropped onto the bed and Calum slotted himself between her. Calum’s forehead rested against hers, their noses brushing up against one another in a silent plea for whatever it was they had started to be more, his breathing heavy as he felt her knees tighten around his waist and pull him closer. The friction between them had elicited soft groans from them, their lips once again finding each other in the dark as they found a rhythm, one so delicious Calum was sure he was seeing stars behind his closed eyelids. 
“Please,” Maeve breathed out, her hands running up and down his chest until she grabbed the hem of the shirt and pulled it up his body, throwing it somewhere into the darkness, “Calum.” 
Time slowed in those seconds where all they could focus on was the way their bodies moved together. Maeve was lost in Calum’s kisses, her hand sliding down between them and past the soft hair trailing down onto the boxers he’d been wearing. Calum’s mind was too far gone, his body tensing as he felt Maeve wrap her fingers around him, his hips jerking into the touch as his lips left a trail of kisses down her jaw and neck. Calum’s mind was running with all the things he would do to her, the fear of Maeve somehow knowing all that Calum was imagining overtaking his brain before he felt another wave of pleasure course through him as he felt the flick of Maeve’s wrist on him. Their bodies moved as one, moving through the darkness and racing for that crash that would leave them both seeing nothing but a blinding white behind their eyelids. That crash came eventually, their breathlessness hidden by the howling wind outside. Their bodies fell back onto the mattress as the stones from the very bridge that had forced them together had fallen days before. Through the pants and the mind-numbing pleasure, Maeve and Calum found their way back to one another, soft kisses shared in between whispers which wouldn’t have been distinguished between the sound of the rain falling outside. The droplets hitting the windows as Calum looked down at Maeve, who had been pressing soft kisses onto his chest, tracing over the ink splayed across it. She looked up at him, almost as if to ask what the ink said, the darkness hiding the design of it. 
“In the morning,” Calum whispered, kissing her forehead as he felt the softness of her sink into his touch. 
Both of them listened to the rain outside, wondering if the morning would bring more touches as the midnight had, or if they’d wake up in silence hoping that the other would speak up first. But Calum would explain the ink on his chest in the morning, would tell Maeve the story behind the words tattooed onto his body for the rest of his life. And Maeve would listen as she stroked the tan skin she’d run her fingernails down only hours before, leaving crescent shapes indented into his skin as a reminder that the pleasure and the ache in between her legs hadn’t been a dream. But that would come in the morning, for now, all they could do was doze off as the rain sang for them once more. 
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wayward-mikaelson · 3 years
Text
I Still Want You, I Still Need You--VII. A Chance (NSFW)
Word Count: 4510
About: A few years have passed and you have adjusted to motherhood. Steve and Tony pay you a visit. You and Steve talk about a moment you guys had.
Characters: Okoye, Olivia (OC), Steve, Tony, Pepper (Mentioned), M’Baku (Mentioned), Bucky (Implied Return) 
Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader
Warnings/Tragger Warnings: Language, Sexual Content (Unprotected-Wrap it before you tap it, Oral-F Receiving)
A/N: This part is bit long cause it’s full of details. Also who knew that about Steve?! 
*This contains content meant for the 18 and up crowd. Read at your own discretion 
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Four years came and went.
You fell naturally into motherhood. Olivia was a good baby. She slept well during the night unless she had been teething up a storm. Those days you drank all the coffee you could. There were days you had a hard time but Okoye was there to help out and so did Steve whenever he came by. Steve and you grew closer as he helped you with Olivia. You called him super Uncle. The love and adoration that was always on Steve’s face, made you feel like you can almost move on. But the idea always scared you.
Olivia was a smart kid. She was a Stark to a T. She got her hands on just about anything and would make things. And for an almost four year old, it was extremely impressive. Impressive that Tony would sent little building kits for her and she would get them done in a few days with your help. She had the attitude of a Stark but she had the heart of a Barnes. Just like Steve predicted.
Your daughter’s facial expressions were one hundred percent Bucky’s. The way smiles played on the corner of her little lips down to the way she expressed herself with her eyes. Her long hair remained dark as well as her blue eyes. She was a miniature version of Bucky. Steve even said that each time he came back to visit, Olivia looked more and more like him.
Olivia was the calm to the the storm you had been through.
She kept you from falling apart.
She kept you whole.
But yet, you never moved on from losing Bucky.
You walked into the lab to find Olivia in the same place you had left her. She obsessed over the erector set Tony sent her. Tony loved to spoil his niece, just like you loved to spoil yours. A few months after Tony and Peppers wedding, Pepper had become pregnant and shortly after Olivia was born, so was Morgan. Whenever you went to visit them, which was the only time you left Wakanda, the two girls were inseparable. It killed you and Tony to see them have to part ways.
“What are you building this time, bug?” you asked as you sat next to her. Her dark hair hung around her face. She had always refused to where hair bands unless it was to bed.
“A rower coatter,” Olivia’s face popped through the hair, a huge smile on her face. The smile took your breath away. “Can you picture it to Unca Twony?” She loved it when you sent her completed works to Tony. And Tony loved it too.
“Sure thing,” you leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. “How about this weekend we go see them? I’m sure Morgan and you can find something in Uncle Tony’s workshop.” Olivia’s eyes lit up when you said Morgan and workshop. When the two of you would visit, Tony and you would find the girls in Tony’s workshop. You had to convince him to make a small space for the girls since they were always found there.
You sat down at your work table and began to fumble with the scrap metal in front of you. You made it your mission to get cleaner and better filtered water to the Border Tribe after discovering their wells were either running dry or had harmful bacteria in them. It took you a week and a lot of using that Stark charm to get M’Baku to agree to your aqueduct like creation.
“All I need to do is come up with good design,” you whispered to yourself.
After an hour of fumbling and putting pieces together. You finally came up with the perfect example. Now, all you need to do is email Tony what you need.
After hitting send on your email, you looked up to see Okoye walk into the lab. Over the last few years, the two of you have grown closer and could count on each other. You trusted her with yours and Olivia’s life.
“Okie,” Olivia shouted and ran to the woman. Okoye knelt down and let Olivia jump into her arms. Okoye had grown so fond of Olivia that she would take her out with the other members of the guard to show her what they were doing. Olivia loved it.
“How are you little Tiger?” Okoye kept the little nickname for Olivia from when she was in the womb. She has proven to be just that too.
“Good,” then off Olivia went back to her little work table. A true Stark never fully leaving their work undone.
“I see you got your aqueduct done,” Okoye came over to you. “When will we be able to get this done?”
“As soon as Tony can send me what I need, we will be able to get it up and running.” You pushed back from the table. “How’s the guard doing? Were they able to get the barrels of water out there?”
Since finding out about the water situation, you and Okoye decided it would be best to send water until you figured out what you needed to do. So Tony sent twelve barrels to fill with water, even though you asked for six. Tony somehow knew you would need more. Once a week Okoye and the guard would swap out six for six new ones. It was a good process.
“They did,” Okoye crossed her arms and watched Olivia. “This water should last more than a week. They had two barrels still full.”
“Good, that gives us enough time to get this thing built and get them water,” You stood up and made your way around the table.
“I haven’t seen Steve around these last few weeks,” Okoye gave you a side eye and smirk.
“I may have made our friendship awkward,” you said walking to get water. You slightly cringe at the last conversation the two of you had about a month ago. Since then Steve only called or texted you. Making the conversations brief.
“How could you make it awkward? It’s not like you two slept together…”Okoye’s chuckle died as she saw your face. “You slept with him, didn’t you?”
You pressed your lips into a thin line. Did you regret it? Nope, it was the first time in years you could let yourself just go like that. Was it the right time for something like that? Nope, but you thought it was and the next morning you had to tell Steve that.
“I did and it was great,” you closed your eyes as you remembered that night. “Then when morning came, some switch flipped and I just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t ready.” Your voice began to shake as you remembered the exact moment you knew you weren’t ready to move on.
Okoye reached out and touched your shoulder. “It’s okay. Someday you will. Tiger will need a father figure to look up to. Steve Rogers is that kind of man.”
Okoye was right. Steve was the right kind of man and you knew deep down you should maybe at least give him a chance. “I’ll call him this evening when I’m settled down for the night.” Then you replayed that night in your head.
The tension.
The kiss.
The feeling of his skin on yours.
The warmth of his breath on your bare skin.
***
You sat on the couch mindlessly flipping through a magazine, while you sipped on your beer. You rarely drank so you always wanted to keep it light. Steve was putting Olivia to bed and seemingly, it sounded like it was going well. She normally tries every kind of tactic to stay up later. When a door opened, you looked up to see Steve walking your way.
“Asleep already?” you asked setting the magazine on the coffee table. “You didn’t drug her did you?”
Steve laughed and sat on the couch next to you. He cracked open a beer and took a long drink. “Nope, she just wanted four stories and by the time I got through the third one, she was out.”
You leaned over and rested your head on Steve’s shoulder. You swore you felt his muscles tense for split second. “You are a life saver!”
Steve gave a light chuckle. “Tell me whats new? How’s Tony and them doing?”
“Still won’t talk to you huh?” you leaned away. You saw the hardness in those blue eyes. Tony still held some feelings towards Steve. You tried a few times to get Tony to just move on and forgive him for whatever it was. But Tony was a Stark.
“Nope,” Steve emphasized the P in nope.
“Well, they're doing good, Liv and I are going to see them next weekend,” you poked your finger into Steve’s arm. “You can come, you know? He’s asks about you too.”
Steve leaned forward and folded his hands. “I can’t,” he said not making eye contact. “I have that group i’ve been leading.”
You stood up with a huff and walked to the small kitchen. “You and your fucking excuses Steve Rogers. You and Tony are like freaking teenage girls who had a stupid fight and wont talk to each other.” You turned to see that Steve had gotten up and had his hands on his hips. “I’m just saying,”  you turned to wash the few dishes in the sink. “You guys were the best of friends. You guys hung out almost all the time.”
You didn’t hear Steve come up beside you. You jumped a little but realized he was helping by drying the dishes. “That’s not why I hung out with him. People just assumed that, I just wanted to be closer to you and for the fucking life of me, I couldn’t man up and ask you out.” You rarely ever heard Steve swear. It surprised you each time.
But that wasn’t what made you drop the plate. You looked towards Olivia room and hoped that she didn’t wake up. You were in the clear.
“For years,” Steve continued as he turned to you. You just stood there and stared at the plate in the sink. The water spilling from the faucet, splashing water droplets around the sink. “I watched you with guy after guy. Almost dying in New York and then almost dying in Sokovia. I wouldn’t know what I would have done if you had.” Steve turned you with his hands. You kept your eyes on the ground. “The that day when Bucky went back on ice, that smile you two exchanged, I knew it was too late. I couldn’t be mad. The two you were perfect for each other.”
“Steve…” you stared to say but he shushed you.
“Then you lost Bucky and that literally almost killed.” Steve took his free hand and lifted your face to meet his eyes. They were soft and you saw just about every emotion he was felling. “Seeing you on that building ledge, I didn’t just pull you back for Bucky’s sake. I pulled you back for mine.”
Whatever happened next, it was beyond you. You didn’t know how it happened, but you found yourself closing the gap between you and Steve and pressing your lips firmly to his. His lips were soft and gentle. It was like something took possession of you body. Steve placed both hands on the side of your face and pulled away.
“You’re not kissing me because I told you how felt?” Steve asked resting his forehead on yours.
“I don’t know.” you answered honestly. Your eyes were closed and you were breathing hard. You really weren’t certain why you kissed Steve. He was never more than just a friend. But these last few years he’s been there for you and Olivia. “Just roll with it.”
And Steve did.
Steve pressed his lips back to yours and deepened it. One of his hands slowly makes its way to the back your neck, while the other goes down to you waist. It grips firmly as he backs you into the living room.Your arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Steve’s tongue slid across your bottom one, causing you to groan.
“Not here,” you slightly pulled away. “My room.”
Steve’s hand left your neck and shot down your waist. Without any effort, he picked up. You wrapped your legs around his waist as he wrapped his strong arms around you. Steve started towards your room. You buried your face into his neck and felt his body tense up and him suck in a breath.
Once in the room and the door closed, Steve had your back pressed to the door. His breath was by your ear. Sending chills down your back and making you ache for him between your legs. “I am going to take my time with you,” he whispered in your ear, sending yet another chill down your back.
“Show you me what you got, Captain,” you rolled your hips into his already hard erection. Even thorough your cotton pajama shorts, you could feel his cock straining against his jeans as it twitched.
Steve’s eyes grew dark as he spun the two of you around and dropped you on the bed. He bent down and pulled your bottoms and underwear. He saw how wet you were without even having to look at your underwear.
“Someone’s excited,” he teased as he tossed the clothes to the side.
You pushed up on your elbows and gave him a smirk. “I can say the same about you.”
Steve smirked and rose an eyebrow before pulling you legs and placing them over his shoulder. “Let’s see if you taste better than you look.” Without another word, you watched as Steve dove in. His lips meeting your clit and his tongue shooting right inside you.
With a gasp, you shoot a hand to push his face further. The way he licked, sucked, and flicked his tongue around, had you shaking and breathing hard. You couldn’t stop whimpering his name as you felt yourself quickly getting towards that edged.
“Steve,” you whimpered. Your legs pulled him closer and you could feel him hum against your clit as his tongue fucked you. The vibration of his hum was what sent you over the edge. You cried out and both your hands and legs pushed Steve further, if that were possible, into you. Your body shook as your orgasm rocked through your body. And Steve still ate at you until your back fell onto the bed.
You lifted your head up to see Steve stand up and discard his clothes. When his cock sprung free, it had you drooling and you wanted it all inside of you. Steve made his way between your legs and looked at your shirt, with his bare hands, he ripped the fabric off your body throwing it behind him. Looking into his eyes, you could see the hunger and lust. He dipped down and kissed you, tasting your release on his lips. He gripped your hands in his and placed them above your head.
“I want to hear you say it again,” Steve mumbled against your lips. You felt himself line up with your entrance.
You know what he meant. “Fuck me, Captain.”
With that, Steve slipped inside you effortlessly. A soft moan escaped your lips letting Steve’s tongue shoot into your mouth. Once he was fully inside you, he waited until you were adjusted before he started to move in and out of you slow. You slowly lifted your hips but Steve used a hand to pin them back.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” he hummed as he peppered kisses to your jawline.
“Well,” you wrapped your legs around his waist. “If you don’t do anything about that slow movement, I will have no choice but to take control.”
Steve pulled out all the way and then slammed right back into you. You cried and moaned as he grunted as the pleasurable action was repeated. His cock slid against your wall in the most beautiful way. You arched your back into his chest each time his cock hit your cervix. His pelvic bone rubbed your clit perfectly, making you moaning, whimpering mess under him. The pressure on you hands and hip being pinned, added to the mess you already were in.
Begging him not to stop.
Pleading him to keep going.
Calling him things, you never thought you would call him before.
It all was bringing you closer to the edge.
Soon, Steve’s thrusting slowed but they were still hard and deep. His grunt were deeper, inside his chest. He let go of your hands and hip and wrapped his arms around you. You did the same. You knew you were at the edge and you knew that Steve was close too. You pushed his face up and see could see the love he had in that moment in his eyes. It was all for you.
“Cum for me,” you whispered.
With one hard thrust, Steve spilled right into you and triggered your orgasm. Your bodies shook together and your breaths were still uneven as the both of you came down. Steve pushed himself up and cupped your face with hand. He leaned down and kissed you slowly. There was no hunger behind it. Just love and passion. Then he rolled over and pulled you into his arms before the two of you fell asleep.
In that moment, everything felt right.
Morning came when Steve gently woke you up. He sat on the side of the bed and brushed back some hair. “Hey,” his voice was gentle. “Breakfast is ready and Liv wanted to show you the pancake we made you.”
You sat up and stretched. “What time is it?”
“Eight, you deserved a morning to sleep in. Especially after last night.” Steve leaned in and brushed his lips against yours. “I’ll let you get ready.”
Once you were alone, you slid out of bed and went to the closet. When you turned the light on, your eyes landed on a box that was labeled BUCKY.
***
You were putting things away as you thought about that morning. You had just told Olivia to pick up her space for the day when you turned around and froze. There stood Steve and Tony. Their faces told you that they meant business.
Olivia squealed when she saw the two men and ran towards them. Steve hugged her while he made eye contact with you. Then Olivia jumped into Tony’s arms. He picked her up and he had the biggest smile on his face. She pointed towards her project and mumbled something. Tony’s face just lit up.
“I guess while I’m here, we can get you something else,” He told her as she wiggled out of his arms. “Sorry, dear,” he said as he and Steve approached. “We would have called but what we have to tell you has to be said in person.”
You gulped. Tony’s tone had you wondering what he needed to say. Steve just stood to the side and had his hands on his hips. His eyebrows furrowed. Taking a deep breath you turned to a random guard that was placed there to watch over you guys. “Can you take her to Okoye?”
The woman took Olivia’s hand and walked out with her. You turned to the two men but it was Steve you addressed. “What’s going on?”
“You may want to sit down for this,” Steve said.
You looked to Tony and he nodded. “Okay,” you sat in your chair. “What is it?”
“We may have found a way to bring everyone back.”
You froze. Coolness filled your body and in the wake of it washing over you, goosebumps followed. Your breathing got stuck in  your throat as and you grabbed your water and chugged the rest of it. Your ears were ringing and couldn’t hear what was being said by Steve or Tony.
“Let her breath, Rogers,” Tony’s hand was instantly on your back. “Gosh! We said we would ease her into this. Not dump it on her all at once.”
“How?” you choked out.
“Time travel,” Tony gently said as he sat on your table. “Do you remember Scott Lang? Well he helped me make it possible.”
Then you laughed. You laughed so hard that nearly fell out of your chair. “Time travel?” you asked trying to catch your breath. “You guys are going to go back into time and stop Thanos? What would that mean for us? I wouldn’t get Bucky back. 2018 me would still have Bucky and raise a child with him.”
Tony shushed you with his finger on your mouth. “Slow down, little sister. We are going back to get the stones and bring them to our time. Hoping it’ll work.”
You leaned back in your chair and folded your arms across your chest. You stared at Steve, who couldn’t take his eyes off you. “Do you think this will work?” You asked them both.
“We have to try, right?” Steve responded. “We owe it to those we lost. If not, then we just go on with life.”
You took a deep breath and just stared into space. You thought deeply about what was being said. You could get your husband back. Olivia could have her father. But what happens if this doesn’t work? Then you’re heartbroken all over again. You didn’t have the stomach to have such hope that they were serving to you on a silver plater. But yet, here you were taking it. Because that’s that just who you were.
“Okay,” you stood up. “Then I’m coming with you guys.”
“Nope, thats a huge ass pile of nope,” Tony said standing up too. “You missy, are staying here.”
“I agree,” Steve said.
“You have Olivia to care for,” Tony started to say.
“And you have Morgan,” you pointed out.
“She has two parents,” Tony said taking your shoulders in his hands. “Olivia only has one. For now. And if this were to go sideways and something happens to me, I need you there for Pepper.”
You took another deep breath. Tony was right. “Okay.”
“Perfect,” Tony said letting you go. “Now, I am going to go look for my darling niece and buy her something extravagant.” Tony walked out of the lab leaving you and Steve looking at each other.
The tension in the air was almost suffocating. You knew Steve didn’t want to look at you, he kept darting his eyes away from your each time you looked towards him. It wasn’t that the morning after sleeping with him was bad. There wasn’t even an argument. You just simply told him as you held one of Bucky’s shirts with a few tears in eyes that you couldn’t. That you needed some time.
Well, if this time travel thing works, then there goes the time you needed.
“You know,” you walked over to Steve. “I’m getting the feeling that you are partly on board with this.”
Steve looked down at the ground and then back at you. “What makes you say that?”
You made a face at him. “One, I’ve known you for over a decade. Two, you’re looking at me like you want to throw me on something and have your way with me. But you can’t because you’re best friend, also my husband could be coming back.”
Steve cracked a smile that disappeared just as fast. “It’s just horrible timing on my end. I’m fully on board with this.”
“Good,” you started to leave and turned back to Steve. “If this doesn’t work out, I’ll give us a shot. See where us goes.”
“And if Bucky comes back and he finds out about that night?”
“Then I tell him the truth,” you shrugged your shoulders. “In fact, I will just tell him. He’s been gone for five years. He would have expected me to move on. Now, let’s find my brother before he buys Liv something that’s too big to fit in my apartment.”
***
A few days have went by. Tony had sent the stuff you needed to get water to the Border Tribe. You and some volunteers set to work on getting it all started. It was hard long work that you decided to stay in your old house with Olivia. It made it easier to wake up and get to work and let Olivia play with the other children.
On the fourth day, you were ready to break ground when you noticed a change in the air. The same kind of change five years ago. You shook your head and passed it of as just thinking too much into it. You were too tired, you could barely sleep in that house still. You stayed up most nights as your mind raced with memories. And emotions.
“Let’s take a few hours,” you said to the others as you got up. You could barely concentrate. Today was the day that you brother and friends went on that time travel mission. You couldn’t help but worry about it going wrong. You were waiting for word about if it worked or not.
Olivia ran up to you and jumped into your arms. She nuzzled her face into your neck and you let out a soft sigh. She always knew when you needed hugs the most. She pulled back and took your face in her tiny, little hands. Her clear blue eyes stared deep into yours. She didn’t have to say anything to tell you that everything will be fine no matter what happened.
“I wuv you, Mommy,” she said.
“I love you, too, Tiger,” you gave her little butterfly kisses and set her down. “Can you take her back to the lab? I’m gong to take a few minutes and catch up later.”
“Yes, Missus Barnes,” the guard said taking your daughters hand in theirs.
When you alone you started to stare at the supplies in front of you. You wondered if this was actually enough. You wanted this to work so bad, you almost didn’t hear the snap of a twig behind you. You snapped your head up to listen for it again. Taking a deep breath you shook you head and went back to shuffling through the metal before you.
A twig snapped again.
You picked up a thin, but long piece of metal. “Whoever you are, you may want to think twice about who you sneak up on.”
You spun around, swinging the metal as you went. Something, well more like someone stopped your swing. You froze when you realized who had stopped your swing. A chill ran through your body. You know the color drained from your face. Those blue eyes were just as surprised as you were. They searched yours for some kind of answer.
Your hands fell and so did the metal. You took a step back only to lose your footing. He stepped forwards and grabbed your arms pulling you back towards him.
“Careful there, Doll.”
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