#it feels like things are reverting—all one step forward and many steps back

[kingworm]

not to sound dramatic but i went through the protest signs i’ve made and got so tired realising how i’m going to be reusing them and making more indefinitely

[gasolinerainbowpuddles]

𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚢𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚖 · · · · 𝚅𝙸𝙸𝙸. 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 ║ ⓒⓗⓐⓟⓣⓔⓡⓔⓓ

𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚢𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚖 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 || 𝚗 𝚊 𝚟 𝚒 𝚐 𝚊 𝚝 𝚒 𝚘 𝚗 || 𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 | PAIRING(s): Joel Miller x fem!OC/reader

| RATING: explicit material | 18+ | CHAPTER CONTENT: POV switching, existential crisis about relationships and self-worth, insecurities, relationship growing pains, one step forward two steps back type shit | WORD COUNT: 10.6k

| CHAPTER SUMMARY: Who needs enemies when you've got inner demons?

“Oh fuck,” you choke.

“Yeah?” Joel pants, pressing the fronts of your thighs even deeper against your chest as he drives into you. “Right there? That where you need it?”

“Right there! Right there! Keep going keep going keep—”

Sweat drips from the tip of his nose onto your shimmering skin, drenched from the almost hour long session you’ve had. You’ve lost count of how many times you’ve come already. He manages to draw them out of you repeatedly, even when you feel boneless and floaty and like you couldn’t possibly produce another climax if you wanted to. You have no idea how he hasn’t come yet or how he manages this sort of stamina. It has to be powered through sheer will alone. 

“Give it to me,” he commands in a near growl that ignites something in your spine and has your body obliging within seconds. He finally joins you with his own bliss, letting out a ragged moan as you feel the kick of his cock against your quivering walls. His motions finally begin to slow, and you both hiss at the heightened sensitivity of him easing out of your warmth.

You blink lazily as you watch him deftly unsheath his softening length from the condom, tie it off, and toss it into the trash. He sinks into the space next to you in bed with a little wince and groan that you immediately clock.

“You okay?” The euphoric fog quickly dissipates as you hone in to him.

He gives a dismissive wave at your fretting and instead tries to pull you against his sticky, warm frame. “S’nothin’,” he insists.

“But you made a face, and—”

“Just mighta tweaked my back a little there at that last bit,” he admits a little sheepishly. 

Well, maybe his stamina and force were impressive for his age, but there were still things that showed it. The age difference between you wasn’t something often discussed, but you’d gleaned from comments here and there that Joel seemed a bit more bothered by it than you did. It frankly wasn’t an issue for you in the slightest, and any opportunity to reinforce that to him was one you’d make good on.

So, you reverted to what you and Joel had always shared: a sense of humor.

“Wow, dicked me down so hard you injured yourself. Now that’s commitment,” you joke. 

He chuckles lightly at your toothless teasing and rubs an open hand along your hip. Encouraged by his reception to your ribbing, you double down. 

“Here I was thinking ‘blow their back out’ meant something else, but what do I know,” you titter. 

He laughs earnestly at that and pretend pinches your thigh. “Always got jokes after but never during. Never got jokes when you’re too busy tryna take this dick,” he poses with an arched brow, stilly cocky somehow even with a pinched back.

“Yeah, you got me there,” you giggle. You snuggle closer and let out a deep breath. “How about you lay on your belly. I can rub your back a little bit as a thank you and a sorry all rolled into one, okay?”

“Ugh, I think I’d prefer bein’ heckled over bein’ pitied,” he protests. 

He rolls over like you asked, but the sentiment of his veiled remark lingers: you wanting to take care of him must somehow be rooted in feeling sorry for him. It’s as untrue as it is unkind, and you want to squash every last hint of it.

“I’ve got some catching up to do, you know,” you challenge. “The least I can do is return the favor every now and then.”

He makes a questioning, muffled sound into the bedding.

“I was kinda thinking that it’s just what we did these days – looked out for each other. Besides, I think a back rub after making me come 500 times is the least I can do.” 

You don’t point out all the countless ways he’s stepped up for you, often without even knowing just how much it mattered in the moment. He laughs again and finally relaxes into the sheets. It feels like a victory over his doubtful mind, and you get to work kneading deep strokes into the taut muscles in his lower back. He sighs at the palliating sweep of your hands, and, after a few moments pass in silence, you realize he’s fallen asleep. You smile to yourself and keep massaging.

Kenzie: i turned down the double phoenix acct Kenzie: they offered it to me but i didnt want it Kenzie: not worth it Kenzie: not worth losing a friend over :( Kenzie: plz text if ur ever ready Kenzie: bc i rly want to talk

You push out a long, sharp lungful of air and lock your phone. Kenzie may be a lot of things, but nobody could ever accuse her of being half-hearted. You can’t recall a time when anyone has pursued reconciliation with you to this degree, and, although it might be colored by wishful thinking, it seems like she is genuinely remorseful. The fact that you also have your own misdeeds to address makes the idea of responding to her all the more compelling.

There was no way around your rotten conduct that night. You’d left a partially drunk Kenzie with two fully unsafe men, and it was wrong. She’d let you down immensely – had left you feeling betrayed and upset on top of everything Logan had done to you – but it was no excuse for how you’d acted so far out of your own character. The blame wasn’t squarely on anyone’s shoulders in the situation, and it made the entire ordeal a giant, confusing mess.

You sigh again, maybe a little too loudly, because Joel peeks a head out of his office and calls your name.

“Everything okay?”

“Um….”

Tell him. 

Tell him tell him tell him.

Tell him!

“You got a minute?” You know his calendar is clear for the rest of the afternoon, but it still felt impolite to assume you could just waltz in there whenever you wanted.

“C’mon.” He jerks his head towards the door and summons you to step inside. “What’s wrong?” he probes the second he closes the door behind you.

“I... need your advice,” you hedge.

He motions for you to proceed, and you take a deep breath before starting. “Okay, you remember my friend? The one I used to work at the grocery store with? The one from New Year’s Eve who sent you all those pictures of me?”

He nods along to your questions and flushes slightly at the mention of the pictures, one of which he’d set as his home screen almost immediately only to get caught the next day by your curious eye. “Yeah, Carrie? Er… Kiley?”

“Kenzie,” you gently correct with a short lived smirk. “Yeah, so, I was thinking about– I dunno, I guess meeting up with her? Talking stuff through?”

You’ve never told him everything that happened that night, and it leaves him at a disadvantage to understanding the nuance and extent of your falling out. You’d thought about just being upfront about the whole thing, sure,  but any time you’d get near discussing it, you always talked yourself out of it. 

Joel looks thoughtful, considering your words and all your unspoken tells, before responding. “What made you consider talkin’ it out?”

You aren’t really sure how to answer that one. “I dunno. She just keeps texting me, and… I dunno. I think she means it when she says she’s sorry. And I have stuff I should apologize for, too. I guess maybe we both need to speak our piece to clear the air or whatever, and I dunno from there to be honest. It’s just… complicated.”

“So, is meeting up to talk what you want to do or what you feel like you should do?”

There he went again with those laser focused questions that cut through all the bullshit. He was getting better and better at that, and truthfully it made you a bit nervous, like he could see right through you.

“I think I want to, actually. As much as it makes me nervous thinking about it. Confronting it all or whatever. And, I just– I really miss talking to her, you know?”

“Well, if you think it could help you decide a path forward one way or the other, then I think it might be worthwhile to set it up,” he reasons.

It sounded so simple how he put it. Was it really that simple? Or was it just Joel bringing that quiet confidence to a situation and letting some of it rub off on you? Either way, it felt good to finally have someone to discuss these kinds of things with. It didn’t feel like such a massive dilemma with him helping you weigh the pros and cons. 

With nothing more than one short conversation, Joel had you feeling worlds better about the situation than you had in months. The inherent comfort he brought was a slippery slope, one that had your foothold wavering on the determination to keep things to yourself. The urge to divulge more and more, to unpack all the things that weighed you down, grew each time his steady, gentle sense of calm cradled you.

Bringing him onboard with the Kenzie situation was a small step forward in your effort to open up to him, but it felt like you might’ve finally turned a corner.

It’s a relief to find the coffee shop isn’t too crowded. You aren’t sure how this reunion is going to pan out, and you don’t much care for an audience to the possible spectacle of it all. The paper to-go cup – your chosen alternative to the ceramic mug in case things went south – glides against your fingertips as you nervously rotate it back and forth. The rapidly cooling brown sugar caramel latte slips across your tongue and down your throat quite effortlessly despite the nerves wracking your body as you await Kenzie’s arrival.

The bell above the door peals to signal a new customer. Kenzie drifts through the frame and pauses at the front counter, surveying the cafe for you. You pop a hand into the air to get her attention, and eventually her line of sight pans your direction. She straightens up when she spots you, but it’s not the confident posture she normally assumes. She is noticeably nervous as she heads your way.

You stand to greet her out of habit, bumbling halfway through when you realize a hug might not be welcome – or even what you want – and you awkwardly settle back into your seat just as she reaches the section. She doesn’t hesitate at your awkward body language, instead just plopping into the chair across from you and sitting quietly for longer than you’ve ever witnessed. Her gaze alternates between the tabletop and the large window several booths away. She shakes her head, sighs loud and long, and finally meets your eye.

“Can I go first?” she asks, sounding a bit on edge. Grateful that you don’t have to figure out how to start this conversation, you motion for her to speak.

“I know I’ve said it a million times in texts — and I’m sorry for blowing up your phone – but I want you to understand that I am, like, actually sorry. I really am sorry.”

“Yeah, I gathered as much,” you yield. “I don’t think you’re the type to keep saying it if you didn’t mean it.”

“No, totally,” she affirms. “I wouldn’t be trying so hard if I didn’t mean it. I wouldn’t be trying to– I don’t know– I wouldn’t put so much effort into something I didn’t care about.”

“It’s– I can see that. I know it’s…”

“Listen, I can’t take it back, which fucking sucks, but it’s true. As much as I wish I could go back to that stupid event and make different choices, I’m stuck with the ones I made. I acted like a terrible friend, and I understand 100% why you were upset. You had every right to be upset with me.”

Her eyes close for a moment, arms firmly crossed against her chest, before she continues.

“The next morning I woke up and couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror. I didn’t know who the fuck was looking back at me because I didn’t know that person. I didn’t know I was somebody who would act that way in that situation. I’m, like, I-I pride myself on being this ‘girl’s girl’ or whatever, but then I went and—”

She stops abruptly and waves a hand in the air before tucking it quickly back into her elbow.

“—and I’m fucking rambling right now. Ugh. I don’t know why I didn’t step up and be the friend you needed, but I do know that every fucking day since I have kicked myself for it. I acted like my whole entire life was on the line or something, like defending you was going to cost me my entire future career, and it was so, so stupid. No job is worth that. No opportunity or whatever is worth risking….”

Her lips press together in a tight line, and she looks off to the window again. “It wasn’t worth losing you as a friend,” she finishes somberly.

You allow yourself the passing moments to digest everything she shared, also affording her a moment to collect herself. Seeing the unshed tears shimmering in her eyes almost has you forgiving her right then and there, but this was a necessary sort of pain. The circumstances deserved to be acknowledged by you both in your own way, no matter how uncomfortable or upsetting it was.

“It’s really nice to hear you say that, Kenzie. I– That night, I just… it hurt so fucking bad. I didn’t expect it, and I think that’s what made it hurt worse.”

She turns to you again, hastily blinking tears away, and nods. “I get it, babe. I do. I really do. I didn’t even know I could be the kind of person I was that night, and it has been so fucking eye opening for me. It peeled back a layer, and I saw a side to myself that was so ugly. I’m glad I know it’s there now because I can– I don’t have to let it make my decisions for me, you know? But it’s– The cost of losing you has just been…”

She swallows hard and tips her head back, trying in earnest to not cry in the middle of the coffee shop. “Shit,” she sniffs and squeezes her hands together on the tabletop.

You’re reaching over and grasping her hand in yours before your brain has entirely caught up with your decision to give this friendship another try. “Hey, I need to apologize, too,” you say quietly.

“What?” she balks.

“No, Kenzie, I do. I might’ve had a bad encounter with Logan, but I left you with him and Charlie all by yourself. You wanna talk about the morning after and wondering what kind of person you are? I felt so much guilt for leaving you after knowing what I’d just gone through with Logan. You could’ve been hurt so bad, and I left you there to fend for yourself,” you huff with obvious disdain for yourself.

“Nothing happened,” she assures you. “I left pretty soon after you did, and they were both at the bar taking more shots.  I wasn’t even there for more than, like, 20 minutes after yo–”

“That’s not the point,” you interrupt. “The point is: I left you in a bad situation because I was upset. I could’ve been upset with you and made sure you left the unsafe situation, too. It wasn’t an either or choice.”

“I guess,” she sniffles and shrugs. “I probably would’ve done the same thing, so it’s not like either of us is perfect.”

“No,” you agree with a strained exhale of a laugh, “we’re not.”

She shoots you a small, watery smile, and you feel the tension dissipating in real time. “Can we… Do you think we could try again? To be friends?”

It hurts your heart to hear the uncertainty and vulnerability in her voice. “Yeah, I think so. I definitely think so.”

She wraps you into a hug and squeezes way too tight before settling back into her chair and demanding you catch her up on your life. You smile into your drink, knowing full well how much you’re going to savor her reaction when you tell her about you and Joel.

You hold your tongue from all the anxiety ridden thoughts that threaten to spill over when Joel finishes zipping up the medium size duffle bag full of basic workwear and little in between. You want to go with him. You don’t want to be away from him. You hadn’t realized how comforting it’s been knowing that he lives a few streets away from you and that he’s there. It’s all a bit delusional and unrealistic, but it’s where you’ve landed more often than not as of late.

Keep it simple. Keep it neutral. Don’t be needy. Don’t be clingy. You keep repeating it to yourself like a self-help mantra, but it does little to make you feel any less self-disparaging about the pathetic mindset you’ve somehow let wholly encapsulate you. You’d spent your entire life without Joel Miller and had taken on anything that came your way. Now suddenly you’re acting like a little lost puppy at the first inkling of being away from him for a few days.

You had always known yourself as the strong fortress, ready to shield yourself and Calum from whatever you could, but these days it felt like the foundation of that tower was crumbling from the ground up. Every genuine connection and slip of warmth and kindness and sincerity from Joel was another stone falling away from your intricately, expertly fortified mental stronghold.

It was terrifying, and you couldn’t make it stop. 

Sometimes you’d even been surprised when simply being with Joel made you want it to crumble. But you didn’t know that person. You didn’t know the version of yourself who’s not afraid to come down from the high defense and unlock the door at the base. You didn’t know the version of yourself who wants to pull that heavy door and have Joel pushing from the other side just so he can get in sooner. So you can let him in sooner.

But most of the time, you’re at your post in the tallest peak of that tower. Ever the vigilant sentinel for hurt and destruction because there’s never not been a time where ruination hadn’t been lurking on the horizon. A watchful eye for the anger and violence and malice disguised as love, a Trojan Horse meant to deceive and destroy you from the inside out should you ever let your guard slip.

All the while berating yourself for being too clingy despite keeping anyone and everyone at arm’s length. A devilish whisper in your mind echoing that you’d end up driving Joel away if you didn’t maintain the buffer that made you more palatable. Ensuring you were lacking any of that pesky complexity that made people nervous. Because being with you wasn’t easy. Because someone getting to know you was never going to be easy. Because you were work. Your existence meant effort for everyone around you – and a lot of it. Because you’re a burden. Because you’d always been those things and didn’t know how to be anything else.

Because the effort required would never be worth the reward of truly knowing you.

“How many days did you say?” you ask again for the millionth time. He answers graciously, of course, and makes no mention of how he’s already told you.

“I dunno. Three, probably. Hopefully. Don’t wanna miss much here and definitely don’t wanna sleep on that back killer sofa of theirs multiple nights in a row, but I don’t wanna leave her and Ben to take it up with that asshole landlord of theirs, either. So, hopefully three? Gonna leave Wednesday afternoon as soon as I finish up with the Williams Project permits.”

Three days to address the damaged cabinets in Sarah and Ben’s apartment kitchen. Their landlord had discovered their blunder before she and Ben could get it sorted, and now he was apparently trying to charge them an exorbitant amount to have a “professional assess the damage and make the necessary repairs.” Luckily for Sarah and unfortunately for her money grubbing landlord, Joel was a licensed contractor, and repairing a few kitchen cabinets was light work in his world. They lived far enough away that a day trip wasn’t feasible, so Joel allotted a day on each side of a solid workday for traveling there and back.

“I guess that’s not that long,” you muse with a sullen frown. For a fleeting moment you think about how he didn’t even care that Sarah had messed something up in the apartment. He wasn’t angry with her about it, and he didn’t even seem to mind that he was now having to take time off work and make travel plans to help fix her mistake. It was a given that he’d do that for her. The thought of it makes your throat tight and your eyes hot. Keep it simple.

“Hey, don’t be like that,” he tuts. He strides over to where you’re slumped against the headboard watching him pack and sidles up next to you. “I already told you not to worry about makin’ it up to the office. You have the house key and you got what you need set up here. Whatever else can wait until I get back.”

“I know that,” you huff. “But you won’t be here.”

Keep it neutral.

“No, I won’t,” he concedes softly. He runs a warm palm up your thigh, and you shiver at the simultaneous electric and calming surge it sends through your body. “But, you just hole yourself up here, and I’ll make it up to you when I get back, alright?”

“But I don’t sleep good now unless–” You cut yourself short and flick aimlessly at his bedspread. 

Don’t be needy.

You know you’re being sulky about his very short trip away from you, but you can’t snap out of it. All those thoughtful texts and sweet goodnight calls had built upon themselves to the point that it wasn’t even just a habit anymore – you were pretty much dependent on those interactions from Joel every night if you wanted anything close to a peaceful night’s rest. Your brain felt jetlagged and erratic without the soothing and settling check-ins from Joel, and god did it feel so easy and good to just keep doing it. He was so easy to rely on.

You see him most days of the week, and even still the couple of days you’re physically away from him feel strange and empty. Those Monday morning kisses and hugs are mandatory for your nervous system to regulate itself and flatten into a smooth, rolling wavelength. It was the sort of instant salve you’d always longed for but never thought would be true. Now here you are feeling tangled and all sharp edges without his presence and immediately set right when he’s there again.

The altered brain chemistry he’d caused felt permanent at this point, and it was frightening to know you couldn’t change that. There would never be a time again in your life where you’d be okay without him.

Don’t be clingy.

You lift your gaze when Joel hasn’t responded yet, and you study the odd look of contemplation on his features. He senses the weight of your stare and turns to you again.

“What if you could stay here while I’m gone? Would that make it easier on you?”

“Joel, I’m just being—”

Stupid. Demanding. Ridiculous. You don’t get to pick which demeaning label to slap on yourself because Joel moves right past it.

“Tell your old man that we’ve got an out of town conference, and the guy that was supposed to help keep us organized had to pull out last minute. Say it was offered to you next, and you wanna make a good impression so you said yes. Be ‘outta town’ while I’m at Sarah’s. Stay here.”

What you wouldn’t give to sleep in his bed and have the scent of him lingering on the sheets to help the days pass quicker. But life was never easy like that, not in your experience at least. It couldn’t ever be that simple.

“I dunno, Joel…”

“No, listen,” he says with more emphasis now, propping himself up across your middle so you have to lean back into the headboard to make enough space for him. “A commute that’s just a walk down the stairs? Got whatever you need in my kitchen, and I can order you somethin’ if it isn’t. You can take up the whole couch every night and watch whatever you want. The whole house to yourself. Walk around naked if ya want.”

His grin widens when you laugh and roll your eyes. You aren’t sure why he seems so urgent about it all the sudden, but it convinces you to at least consider trying to pull it off. It would be nice to feel closer to him while he’s gone…

“I guess it couldn’t hurt to try,” you admit and try to hide that burning ember of hope in your voice.

For some reason it felt like you needed to manage expectations – yours or Joel’s, it depended on the day – just in case this all went awry. As if curtailing and containing the explosion of feelings pouring out between you two would somehow make it all hurt less should this not work out. But it was painful to think like that, and you were sick and tired of living in pain and fear and doubt.

“There’s my girl,” he beams, and you feel on cloud nine when he acts like this over you. Like it’s some big favor you’re doing for him by taking over his house and using up his resources while he’s gone.

“Yeah yeah, no promises. Still have to run it by my dad,” you remind him pointedly. “Anyway, you need to finish packing so we have time to fuck.”

“Oh, is that right? Got me a little to-do list with your name at the bottom, huh?” His arms snake around your body in a way that is most definitely not the type of movement that’s going to lead to packing, so you give him a playful push to finish his task.

“Alright, I’ll hurry up.” He stands and rifles through the empty outer pocket of his bag. “Hand me that extra charger on the nightstand, will ya?”

“Sure,” you reply and shimmy over to the flat surface where no extra charger is to be found. You glance down at the floor to make sure it hadn’t been knocked off at some point, but there’s nothing there either. You lean forward and slide the small drawer open to look just as Joel makes a strange noise that you think is meant to halt you in your search, which is puzzling up until it’s not. 

There’s no charger in sight, but there is Kenzie’s dress and tights crudely shoved to the back like an afterthought. Your bra is a little further back as well, but your panties from that night sit front and center in the immediate opening of the drawer. Unlike the rest of the garments, they look like they’ve been taken out and put back several times over, and you have a pretty good idea why.

“Joel Miller,” you gasp with an amused, scandalized grin. “What exactly are these doing right next to your bed, all tucked away in here?”

You’re certain if you held a hand close enough to Joel’s cheeks right now you’d be able to feel the heat rolling off them in waves. His mouth opens and closes dumbly while he stands there speechless. Getting caught red handed looked pretty damn good on him.

“It’s not what it— I didn’t — I’m not a pervert,” he sputters. “It was just a coupla times, I swear.”

“Oh, you’re not a pervert, Joel,” you contend with a honeyed, low voice as you crawl on the bed towards him. “You’re a deviant.”

His shoulders relax a bit when you start to giggle furiously, clearly amused at discovering his little secret. “Quit it,” he appeals weakly. “S’embarrassing.”

“It’s only embarrassing,” you amend, quickly standing and wiggling out of your jeans, “if the thought of you masturbating to my used panties like some dirty little secret wasn’t so hot.”

His pupils swell as he watches you tug your panties off and put your jeans back on. His gaze follows your hand as you unzip his duffle bag and drop them right on top of all his items before zipping it back up.

“So from one deviant to another, those are on the house,” you say and pat the duffle bag where the brand new used panties rest inside. “You know, for all your travel needs.”

You give him a playful wink and plant a little kiss on the tip of his nose.

“Nothin’ but trouble,” he huffs in a laugh. 

All the worry about whether or not your dad would buy the story of heading out of town last minute for a work convention was pointless because he barely even listened as you stuttered through the lines. You hadn’t been that bad at lying in a long time, and you think it might be that you wanted this so badly. You got to see Joel almost every day of the week in person and through video calls on top of that, and the idea of him suddenly being gone even when you knew he’d be back made you feel jittery.

The universe finally took pity on you, it seems, because your dad was so wrapped up in winning over Denise’s family that he didn’t even seem to care that you’ll be “out of town.” One less thing for him to manage, you suppose. You wonder if having an empty house was preferable in the event Denise or her family wanted to stop by or have a nice dinner. If you were out of town, he wouldn’t have to decide whether or not he should acknowledge your existence to them.

Regardless, once this effort of making a good impression passes, you’re sure he’ll double back to you and start something over you up and leaving. As if you could control things like last minute business trips, even if it was all made up anyway. It never mattered if something was literally impossible to control. It would still be your fault somehow.

But for now it meant enough wiggle room to get out of the house for a few days. It meant freedom to exist in Joel’s space while he was away. It meant a calm, quiet, and serene night – every night. You felt like you could cry from relief.

The day had finally come to head out to Sarah and Ben’s. It’s not been more than a few hours since he kissed you goodbye, and he already misses you like crazy. He’d anticipated it, of course, but not so soon. Not like a little lovesick schmuck, glum and pitiful without their special companion. At least he didn’t have to worry about you staying in your own house while he was gone. Your dad bought whatever line you fed him about traveling for work, and Joel’s chest relaxed the moment you told him. You staying in his house with his things around you was the closest he could get to keeping an eye on you in person.

He’s just under 30 minutes out from Sarah and Ben’s when a text notification from you pops up. He needs to stop for something to snack on anyway, so he pulls off the highway and into the closest convenience store parking lot. He swipes on his phone until your text thread fills his screen, and his eyes bug out at what’s staring back at him. 

You’re propped up in his home office chair with your legs spread wide and knees hooked over the edge of the armrests on either side. You’re wearing one of his t-shirts and nothing else. One hand is lifting the hem of his shirt up just above your mound, and the other has fingers dancing close to your bare pussy. He doesn’t even think twice before clicking it open and zooming in, groaning a little at what he wants to imagine is a little wetness spreading between your folds. It takes him a solid 5 minutes of staring to realize you’d texted a caption with the picture.

You: a benefit of wfh → no bra no pants and no panties 🤭 You: miss you ❤️this shirt smells like you the most so I decided to wear it

“Fucking christ,” he mutters under his breath.

He doesn’t know where this emboldened version of you came from, but he always knew something was trapped under the surface of all your guarded demeanor. Now it’s like a switch has been flipped, and he’s grateful to see you so open if not a bit of a handful. He likes to think he can keep up with you, but you keep knocking him on his ass with this sweet, sexy confidence you’ve had as of late.

Joel: Holy shit I stop for gas and see this? 🤯 Joel: You look so fucking good wearing my shirt. Joel: Both of us just might have to have a work from home day if that’s the dress code. 🥵

You: wanted you to know I was thinking about you You: and maybe give you a reason to think about me too Joel audibly laughs at that. The notion is entirely ridiculous that you aren’t constantly in his thoughts, that he isn’t incessantly thinking about how to spend more time with you.

Joel: I’m always thinking about you!

Joel: But now I’m thinking about you while I’m in the middle of a parking lot trying to decide if I can do anything about this hardon you gave me. Lol. 😵

You: show me

Joel adjusts in his seat and fiddles with the angles for a minute or so before finally settling on a straight down shot of his hand palming the tent in his jeans. He sends the picture and waits.

You: looks good, baby You: want it right here

His cock jumps when he sees the accompanying picture of your pussy close up, being spread by your pointer and middle finger in a wide V. It’s definitely wetter than in the first picture. He doesn’t even need to zoom to see it. By the time he’s saved your photos to his camera roll, another text from you has come through. His cock and heart both jump this time when he sees it’s a video file. He taps the play icon and hunches over the screen, already fully absorbed in whatever you’ve sent.

The video starts on a closeup of your mouth with your middle finger bobbing in and out. You spit more saliva onto it when you remove it, and you let it make a long, slimy trail that connects from your fingertip to your tongue. You guide the camera down to your pussy and press your wet finger against your clit. Joel turns up the volume and rewinds the clip about 4 seconds just so he can hear any noise you make when you finally touch yourself.

It’s the smallest little dreamy sigh, and it makes his erection borderline painful. He has to take it out of his pants when he realizes the slow, deliberate motions you’re making on your clit are spelling out his name, almost like a little game between the two of you at this point. He peers around the lot and breathes a sigh of relief that it’s not too busy. There’s no occupied vehicles nearby, but that doesn’t guarantee someone won’t be walking to one of the empty cars around his truck, either. He considers digging into his bag for a half second after the worn panties you’d tucked inside, but he decides against it. He was already in enough trouble as it was keeping himself poised.

Joel: Can you send one of you putting a finger in there for me, sweet girl? Joel: Miss that sweet pussy already. Joel: Had to take my dick out it was pressing on my zipper so bad.

You: not as much as she misses you ;( You: sorry about the zipper You: hope this helps ❤️

The next video you send makes him grip the base of his cock to keep it from making an explosive mess everywhere. He grabs up some napkins and spits into his hand before tapping the play button and stroking himself. He can’t quite tell what you’ve got the phone propped on, but you’re on the ground with your ass in the air and a hand reached around from below you to slowly pump two fingers in and out of yourself. He can see your asshole pucker whenever you hit a spot that feels really good, and then his brain is thinking about if you’d ever want to try that with him.

“Yeah, just like that,” he whispers to no one as he tries to discreetly jack off. “Stretch it for me, sweetheart.”

He’s already blowing his load about six strokes in, the divine song of your whimpers and moans making it happen quickly. He’s panting, eyes darting around to ensure no one has seen him, and he doesn’t come down

before you’re locking eyes with the screen with a little smile and stopping the recording. He cleans himself up with the dry, rough napkins he’d thankfully had stashed in the console and sends a reply.

Joel: Literally just jacked off in the middle of a parking lot because of you. Joel: You make me crazy. Joel: 😰🍆✊💦😵‍💫🛻

You: feelings mutual, baby 🥰 You: just came really hard thinking about you

He hopes to god that what you’re saying is true and that you feel as strongly for him as he does for you because he doesn’t know if he could take it if the opposite were true. He saves the video to his phone for later, thinking of an opportunity to watch it again with the panties you’d tucked into his bag, all crammed against his nostrils and mouth. He feels like a dirty old man, and it makes him laugh to himself knowing how much you’d love that.

Joel made it back in record time and without having to even push the speed limit that much. It did little to quell his antsy mood, though, still eager to get back to you. Even Sarah had taken note of his distractedness and at one point even made the comment “who are you smiling at?” when she’d caught him grinning at his phone like an idiot over a dinner selfie with a cheesy little pun you’d sent him. He’d done a poor job of shrugging off her needling, and thankfully she dropped it after a little while. It didn’t stop her from making another comment about getting back home to “take care of things” and looking triumphant when he’d confirmed her suspicions by doing a piss poor job of hiding how flustered it made him.

He throws the truck into park and slings his bag over his shoulder, bounding up the front steps and wiggling the key into the lock as fast as he can without scratching the plate. You hadn’t replied to his text from an hour ago about how he’d be home soon, and it made him all the more anxious to see you. The house is quiet and dark even though it’s not far past five o’clock. He calls out, but there’s no response. He checks the living room, the home office, the guest bedroom. He finally finds you in his bedroom.

You’re curled into a little ball with his bedding twisting around your limbs. Your breaths are small and even, and you look so serene it makes his chest hurt. You look perfect here in his space. It could be your space, too. Maybe. One day. He doesn’t bother analyzing and correcting the clamorous, insistent draw to keep you closer to him and more often. He wonders if you’d ever move in with him. It’s all tricky, of course, because of the age difference and because of the work relationship and for a million other reasons that are never enough to make him slow down. It’s too much too fast, but he can’t find it in himself to care.

He wants you close. He wants to take care of you and keep you safe and make you feel happy and loved. He wants to cook for you and spend lazy afternoons together watching movies. He wants you to pick a paint color for the downstairs bathroom. He wants you to choose decor items to put all around the house so you mark your claim here. He wants your clothes sitting in the washer so he has to move them over to the dryer before he can start a load of his own. He wants to pull down two coffee cups every morning instead of one. Hell, he’d even shop around for that nasty caramel flavor syrup you love so much that it makes him gag from the sweetness. He’d learn just how you like your caramel coffee and make it for you every morning.

He wants your shoes to pile up by the front door because you kick them off the second you get home. He wants to argue with you over what to set the thermostat at, only to give in to whatever you want it to be. He wants to have a Saturday morning routine where he teaches you to drive until you feel confident enough to take the test. He wants you to bug him about landscape ideas you have for the backyard. Bug him to the point that he’ll spend hours breaking his back over, all to find it was worth it in the end when you’re sat together on the deck out back on warm summer nights as you watch fireflies. 

He wants to take you to a botanical garden so he can learn your favorite flowers and get you bouquets of them frequently. He bets you’d be so good at the corn mazes they set up during the fall festivals around town, and you could ride the ferris wheel afterward. He wants you to rope him into some random community center adult class about pottery or watercolor and tell him what a nice job he’s done even though yours will look way better. He wants to make a fuss about getting a real tree for Christmas because you like the smell. You probably won’t remember to water it, but he’ll remember to water it. Because you want it and because you like it, so he’ll remember. Because he’d do anything to make you happy and to make you his.

You stir at the recognition of someone else being in the room. He snuggles into the bed beside you immediately and warms at how even through a sleep drenched brain you place who he is. You sling two sluggish arms around him to draw him snug against you. You say his name in a little surprised, breathy whine that makes him chuckle and grin.

“Hi, sweet girl,” he murmurs quietly into your ear. “You takin’ a little nap?”

“Got my period and got super tired,” you mumble back. “Aw, Pluck,” he coos. He turns you to your side and presses a warm palm against your lower abdomen, working it in gentle, firm circles. You sigh at the welcomed ease to your achy middle. He would never wish for you to feel unwell, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to being able to take care of you the rest of the night. The best part of it was that you were finally letting him take care of you. Trusting him with it. And he’ll be damned if he wasn’t going to rise to the occasion.

“I think Rachel is working today. She usually works Fridays,” Kenzie explains as she holds the door to the Electric Pony Sex and Erotica Shoppe. 

“You seem pretty well acquainted,” you snort.

“Ugh, this place saved my life,” she declares with such sincerity you know she really believes it. “Dry spell for months. Would’ve gone insane - like, clinically - without their help and recs.”

“Fair enough,” you concede. 

The dull pink neon glow gives the blacked out entrance lobby a friendlier feel. There’s a perky looking woman with a sparkly nose ring flicking through a Muscle Bear Monthly magazine at a plastic window that reminds you of a bank teller.  Her eyes lift to you and Kenzie before lighting up in recognition.

“Kenz! Hey, girly pops!” She motions you both over and waves off Kenzie’s ID. “You’re fine. Need to see your friend’s, though.”

You dig your state ID card out of your backpack and slide it under the opening toward her. She scoots it back to you and buzzes you into the main area. Your eyes dart every which way as you take in a whole slew of products. You weren’t a prude by any means, but being surrounded by so many toys and accessories and outfits and performance enhancers felt a little bit intimidating. It was a lot different than looking at a few things online and inevitably closing out of tabs when you were reminded of the fact that you had little to no privacy in your own home and therefore could never justify getting anything for yourself.

“So, what’re you lookin’ for? Anything in particular or just browsing?” Rachel asks, mostly to Kenzie.

“I’m actually still good from my last haul, but my friend needs a few things.”

You jump in before she can blow your spot up completely about why you’d made this trip. “Yeah, I just, um, sort of wanted to step my game up a little, I think.”

“Oh, perfect. We get that a lot, so we can definit–”

Kenzie cuts Rachel short and adds, “Her boyfriend is older and more experienced and has a nice dick, so she wants to match his energy a little bit. Right now she basically just needs help with riding dick and giving blowjobs.”

“Kenzie!” you hiss.

“What?! You do! You said you still can’t really fit him that far into your mouth!”

“Okay, I think we can figure something out,” Rachel laughs in an easy sort of way that makes you feel a touch less embarrassed after Kenzie’s disclosure.

You grumble under your breath and follow Rachel’s lead to a large wall of toys. Kenzie has the sense to look a little chastised and trails behind. You’re staring down row after row of dildos and plugs, and you try to ignore your nerves and remind yourself of why you came here. You’d only just begun your physical relationship with Joel, but this being your first of that kind with a male partner had you noticeably lacking apprise of anything beyond basic technique. Neither of you were dissatisfied with anything, but you couldn’t shake the blow to your self-confidence that came with having such a competent partner.

“So, let’s just start with the basics, okay?” Rachel begins. “Have y’all been together for a while or is this something newer?”

“Newer. Like, brand new, sort of. In a lot of ways.”

“Okay, that’s fine. Just asking to see if this is a learning a new partner situation or trying out new stuff to spice things up type situation,” she explains. “Okay, so. Kenz mentioned some oral stuff and positioning techniques. Is that where you’re looking to get into or were you thinking a different direction?”

“Um, no. I guess… Yeah, just…” you stumble.

“Listen, we’re super chill here and just wanna make sure everybody leaves and has a good time when they get back home, okay? So no pressure and definitely don’t feel embarrassed.”

You weren’t sure how to explain that you weren’t really embarrassed, per se. You’d just never had this sort of chatty girlfriends dynamic where you talk about your sex life and your love life and all the nitty gritty in between. You’d always been the listener, and now being the talker was different.

“No, I’m good. I just, you know, I’m new with guys for a partner. So it’s just kind of, like, I’m figuring it out as I go along, and I’m not always sure what to even ask,” you admit.

“Well, luckily for you, guys for the most part are pretty simple in my experience,” she says encouragingly with an amused grin. “The main thing is just being into it, you know? Whatever it is that you’re doing, if you seem like you’re having a good time and he’s turning you on and ‘ooohhh oh my god’ you love his cock and all that, nine times out of ten they’ll be happy.”

“Well I’m definitely into it, so that’s not a problem. Like, very into it. He’s, um, he’s really good in bed.”

“You said he’s older and probably got more experience, right?”

“Yeah, definitely. He’s not complaining or anything. I just– this is just me wanting to…”

“Show him you’ve got a top tier pussy that he’ll want to lock down?” she offers.

“Yeah, something like that,” you exhale in a laugh.

“Okay, got it. I think first thing is we gotta see what we’re working with. Certain things just don’t work as well with, like, if a dick has a strong curve to it or if it’s on the bigger side. So take a look at the wall over here and try to find something similar to his size and shape.”

Kenzie instantly perks up at this and is practically glued to your side as you peruse the offerings. After a few minutes you find one that is pretty close to Joel except for slightly more of a curve. Kenzie’s mouth is theatrically agape as you pull it off the shelf and hand it to Rachel, who raises her eyebrows and purses her lips.

“Well damn. Good for you, honey.”

The following half hour is crammed with more information about how to be on top, what sort of lingerie would be cute but still comfortable, throat training, and everything in between. Like two best friends helping you prep for the biggest exam of your life, Kenzie and Rachel work in tandem to personalize and curate your education.

It was about the point where you were supposed to be mimicking a hip motion while straddled atop Kenzie for practice that you started to feel more overwhelmed than ever. After promising you were going to practice reverse cowgirl on a pillow in the mirror, they let you take a break from the symposium. 

“Okay, so the outfit pieces and throat training sequence kit bring you to…” Rachel trails off as she punches a few keys on the register. “$212.53.”

You choke back the panic of spending money on yourself and pull out some bills from your secret stash. It would be worth it in the end. You knew that. At a price like that, it had to be, right? With your new collection of things you’d have to figure out where to hide, you and Kenzie bid Rachel an excited goodbye and head out.

Joel was most definitely trying to get you to tell him where you went shopping and what you bought. His fabricated reason for closing up an hour early so he could “check something at his house before dropping you off” didn’t make any sense. He was clearly chomping at the bit for you to tell him. It’s like he somehow knew the contents within were for him. Never one to indulge – especially on yourself – your purchase had him hovering around like a moth to a flame trying to catch a glimpse.  

“You never said where y’all went,” he mentions casually as he pointlessly arranges and rearranges the dishes in his kitchen cupboard.

“Oh, nowhere, really. Just a few places Kenzie wanted to browse,” you supply with feigned disinterest that Joel doesn’t buy for a second.

“Mhhmm. Awfully bright pink bag with a flirty lookin’ pony on it. Can’t imagine what sorta store that was,” he hums with a little amused grin. “Find anything for yourself?”

“A few things, maybe,” you admit with a coy smile.

“And am I ever gonna get to see those few things?”

“Maybe if you’re really, really nice,” you tease.

“Right,” he snorts. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

You giggle and aimlessly flip pieces of mail on the counter. “So, um, speaking of Kenzie, I never got to thank you for helping me with that. Giving me advice and the push I needed to meet up with her so we could try to work things out.”

“No big deal. Just wanna help you.” He shrugs it off, but you sense there’s more he wants to say. Suddenly turning serious again, he says, “I’m here for that kinda stuff, you know? If you need me. ‘Cause I need you to understand that. Whatever you wanna talk about or just have somebody listen to you think out loud. Whatever it is. I’m here for you.”

“I know. I’m not really the best at sharing stuff,” you admit. “It’s just… hard.”

He nods and leaves his pretend task of straightening dishes to settle next to you and circle your hand in his own. “I get that. Sometimes, though, it’s– you gotta– you don’t hafta drown in it, you know? If there’s somebody offerin’ a hand to pull you out….”

You aren’t so sure you’re still talking about sharing milder problems like rocky friendships. You play dumb and keep the conversation away from his unspoken insinuation.

“I know. I just like to try to handle my own problems, you know?” you offer up weakly. “I feel like if you can’t solve your own problems then you’re just putting the strain on everybody around you. And besides, me and Kenzie ended up having a good conversation that day. Neither of us even cried in the middle of the coffee place, so that’s a win,” you chuckle nervously.

“So, I mean– I never really got all the info on that, I don’t think. What was the main issue that was causin’ a problem?”

His gaze is steady. He knows this is the most direct he’s ever been in asking about your private life. He knows whether or not you choose to answer might just determine if your attempts to be more open with him are going to hold up or if you’re going to shrink back into yourself and push him away.

Tell him. 

Tell him tell him tell him.

Tell him!

“I.. don’t … I’m worried it might upset you,” you answer truthfully. You knew he’d be unsettled by Logan’s inappropriate advances at that New Year’s Eve event. Joel looks surprised at the disclosure, like he hadn’t ever considered it would be something that would involve him somehow.

“I’m not gonna be upset with you,” he assures you.

If only you could explain that’s only the half of it. Even him just being “upset at the situation” would probably be enough to spark all your nerves alight and reduce you to a neurotic, frazzled mess. But he was always so calm and collected. He never seemed ruffled no matter what you threw at him. Maybe you could tell him what really happened. Maybe this could be the soft launch into finally revealing the truth about your dad.

So, you give him a rough setup about Kenzie’s college degree almost being completed, how she landed this internship that could mean really great things once she graduates, and how New Year’s Eve was supposed to be her big foray into taking on a client on her own with the company. You don’t sugarcoat the first impressions of Logan and Charlie, and a knowing look catches in his eye. He understands where this story is headed.

Your heart hammers as you recall the unreciprocated flirtation on the dancefloor that was followed by Logan stalking you to the bathroom and putting his hands on you. Joel’s jaw muscles flicker as his indignation builds, and you have to remind yourself repeatedly that reaction is not directed towards nor intended for you.

You finally manage to finish recounting the terrible night, but you don’t feel any weight lifted now that the truth is out there. Joel looks confused and angered. You thought he might’ve felt happy to know the truth finally. If anything, he seems more agitated than ever.

“Have you seen him since? Does she still talk to them? Work with them?”

“No, she dropped the account. She doesn’t see them, and I haven’t seen either of them since.”

He sits in silence for a moment, turning over all the new information in his mind and reframing his past knowledge. Then–

“So.. when you… that night when we.. was that just….”

“No, no,” you object. “It wasn’t just some reaction to all that. I-I really had feelings for you already. You really made me feel… you made me feel better. Safer. I felt safe with you.”

“Not safe enough to tell me what had happened,” he points out a bit glumly.

“Joel, don’t be like that,” you beg.

“No, I just wish I’d been more– I dunno, I wish you could’ve seen me as somebody to trust with that. I wish I’d been that for you when you needed it, and I wasn’t. I let you down.”

“It was just a lot that happened really fast, Joel. I hadn’t even– I’d barely had time to process any of it. It wasn’t because you aren’t trustworthy. I’m telling you now, right?”

“Yeah, you’re tellin’ me about this…..” He trails off and shakes his head before leveling you with a hard stare. “But all it makes me think is what else you’ve got under wraps because I haven’t done enough to make you feel like you can trust me.”

The hairs on your neck feel prickly at the sudden change in tone. He’s dancing right on the edge of what you’d been avoiding the most the entire time you’ve known him. Your mouth opens and closes a few times without result other than your tongue feeling like sandpaper.

“Like how come you can’t tell me why you really went to the office on Christmas Day,” he says flatly.

You swallow hard and shake your head, your chest heating to a million degrees.

“Or why your dad is so weird with all these rules and say so over your bank account.”

“He’s always been like that,” you argue. It’s not lost on Joel that you didn’t actually address anything with that statement.

“Yeah? He always been gettin’ into fistfights with Calum, too? That just how he’s always been?” he levels at you.

Your spine draws up and straightens your entire body at the unambiguous remark. “I’m not getting into all this right now, Joel.”

He huffs an unamused laugh and pushes himself from the counter, hands on hips as his head drops and shakes side to side in disbelief. He looks back at you with a look you’ve never seen from him before: disappointment. “You can’t even tell me what Calum’s deal is?” he lobs. “Just fuckin’ shows up and goes through your stuff without you knowin’, and next thing I know you’re loaded up in the car with him? Just off to god knows where? And I’m not allowed to ask or anything. I gotta just act like that’s normal and I’m fine with it.”

All nerves siphon directly into prickly anger at the mention of your brother’s role in all this. “That’s none of your fucking business,” you snip.

“Yeah? And what if I wanted it to be my business, huh? What then?”

“Then I’d say you needed to take a step back and get a grip.”

“Unbelievable,” he grumbles. He paces the floor a few times before approaching you again. “So, is that what our relationship is gonna be like? You just get to hide stuff from me and leave me worried about you? And I don’t get to ask any questions or have any say in it?”

“I’m not some fuckin’ project for you to work on and fix, Joel,” you snap. “And what you feel about the boundaries I have aren’t any of my business at the end of the day.”

“So that’s it? You just get to have all these rules and all these walls up, and I just gotta take it or leave it? Pick up the pieces only when you let me and not when you need me?”

“Need you? What exactly is it about me that makes you think I need saving so bad, Joel? Huh? What, because I’ve got a–a more difficult home life or whatever? A bad family dynamic? A mom that didn’t give two shits about us and walked right out without a second glance back?” you fume. “In case you weren’t aware, I’ve been handling whatever comes my way my entire life just fine. I don’t need you and your weird fucking savior complex making things into something they’re not.”

“Wow,” he scoffs. “Savior complex? S’that what you call bein’ worried sick over somebody you care about and wanting to help them? You ever think about that? That maybe people are just tryna be helpful?”

“Who says I need help? Who says I need anything or anybody? Who says I need you?” You regret it the moment you say it as you watch Joel’s face crumple for a split second before he straightens it out again.

“Yeah, you don’t need me or anybody else, huh? You just got it all figured out.”

The air is heavy as you draw in tighter breaths. Joel stomps out of the room before circling back into the kitchen with glossy eyes.

“Dammit, why do you gotta do this shit?” he huffs. “Why can’t you just let me be there for you? I want to. I want to be there for you.”

“I don’t need your or anyone else’s help, alright? I’ve done fine on my own my entire life, and I’m not interested in feeding men’s egos anymore.”

His lips purse tight like they’re catching words between his teeth before they can become cutting projectile that would only make this conversation more hurtful than it has already devolved to. A muscle near his earlobe twitches, and then his face smooths out like a long wave washing along the shore, smoothing out the gritted sand to a flattened pane once more.

“If that’s how you feel, I know better than trying to change your mind,” he rebuts calmly and coolly. 

Despite the neutral mask he wears, the halo of a wounded heart wraps around every syllable, and your heart plummets. You did that. You made him sound that way. You made him feel that way. It’s all happened so fast that you can’t quite figure out how to undo it, how to go back those few precious seconds and stop yourself from lashing out. 

“I’m going home,” you whisper.

You snatch up your things and hurry out the door, ignoring the call of Joel’s voice begging you to let him drive you so you get there safely. That insidious voice inside your head bitterly reminds you there's no point in getting home safely when your home isn’t safe.

tagging

@r3dheadedwitch @windsweptarmadillo @survivingandenduring @bizarrelove-triangle @sunandmuun

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@ellenmunn @confusedpuffin @lavema @zooty-and-fruity @reneerocks3617

@fishingforpike @pastelnap @pastelpinkflowerlife @docharleythegeekqueen @janaispunk

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@joelmillersblog @joeldjarinff @littleficreccs @joelscowgirl @elli3williams

@indiegirlunited @lyuir @gay4magnetobutfanfiction @ficrecreblo @gossipgirl-03

[limbuscompanysituations]

How would the sinners react to the reader (who presumably they care about to some degree or another) distorting? I think there's a lot of potential in a reader distorting and the conflict that would bring (especially if the sinners are close to them) and there's almost none of it so...

God these became so long

Faust: She would like to study the phenomenon of distortion, but not like this. Not when the one she cares so much about is involved. Her mind is racing to find the right questions that would lead to answers relevant to this problem. She doesn't want to consider killing them, but she knows very well how these things tend to go. Her team works hunting distortions, after all. Still, there is a chance, a remote possibility that she can revert this. She's a scientist who sticks to hard data, but this time she has to put her faith on something much more abstract: hope.

Yi Sang: He wishes he could have perceived the circumstances that have led to this. He knows an individual does not distort under normal circumstances. He knows a distorted individual is one who was often pushed to the brink of their sanity by an immeasurable amount of suffering. He feels impotent in the face of his dearest's pain, because if he had been a better person, he could have prevented this. It takes all the other sinners' help to make him realize he can still stop them, and that there is a chance to revert the distortion. He needs all the support to actually face them in combat.

Don Quixote: She's shaken and unsure of what to do because she's used to seeing distortions as foes. She heard all the scientific explanations to this occurrence, but in her mind she simplifies it so she can do her job competently. Now she has to come to face the fact that behind every distortion is a person who is dear to someone else. The world is not so black and white with heroes and monsters. The one that takes a monstrous form this time is none other than a person; a human she deeply cares for. She is uncharacteristically serious and sober, and leans on the smarter sinners to solve this issue.

Meursault: He knows it can be reversed and that's the first thing his mind goes to when it happens. He's compartmentalizing it so bad he can't feel his own body. It's do or die, and he doesn't want the latter to be happening to anybody here. If they can undo this, he can begin to unravel the reason for their distortion, but for now he can only think one step ahead. He needs to bring them back, no matter what it takes. Failure is not an option here.

Ryoshu: The trembling of her hand is almost imperceptible as she listens to the explanations the big brained sinners give her. She knows she will have to face them in battle sooner or later, but for the first time in a while her muse fails her. She doesn't want to lift her arm, she doesn't want to use her knowledge of murder to take them down. Ultimately, she doesn't want to cut down the monster her beloved has become. There's no art in taking the life of a distorted creature, no soul in a brainless abomination. She wants them back. She will have them back.

Ishmael: Not only has she read the manuals about this phenomenon, she has also seen it happen many times before. More than that, she knows it's reversible. She's holding onto hope that she knows them well enough to talk them out of it. She raises her shield and mace, gritting her teeth and bracing her heart and mind for what she has to do. If they are to have a chance, she has to strike them down. She doesn't want to do it, but she also doesn't want to see any of the others do it either. She must be the one to neutralize the threat.

Heathcliff: He knows that behind a distorted monster there is a human being going through unimaginable suffering and grief. He's been there, he knows better than any other sinner what goes in a distorted person's head. He's the most hopeful about it, even if he's not looking forward to taking them down in combat. Heathcliff doesn't want to hurt the one he cares about, but he knows it is a necessary part of the process. He won't fail them, no matter what.

Outis: She's dealt with this before many, many times. Her team's the most competent at handling distortions. Of course, they're a bumbling bundle of fools, but still the company trusts them with these missions for a reason. Still, for all the outer confidence she tries to show while she requests permission to order the sinners around, her voice wavers. Her hand trembles when she has to raise her weapon, and the sound of breaking glass when the others take on their ids make her jumpy and tense. Will it really be fine? Are they really enough? As another identity begins to override her mind, she cannot help but ask herself: is she making the right choice?

Hong Lu: His heart is taken by unspeakable sadness, he can barely bring himself to say a word. He's seen distorted people before, and to them it always seemed like the manifestation of nightmares. To him, a distortion is always a physical manifestation of one's nightmares, and he can't help but look up at them and wonder: is this what haunts them in the darkest, coldest nights? Of course they cannot answer him, they're lost to their own grief. Whether they are capable of words, it's impossible to say unless they are confronted. Regardless of the answer, what he knows is that this event will forever haunt his nightmares from now on. He relies on his comrades to help bring them back, but he feels too helpless to lead the charge. He numbs his heart to the task ahead and waits for Dante's orders patiently.

Rodion: She feels cold, like it's the coldest winter night. She's sure it's only herself though. She cracks a joke about how the weather changed, and tries to smile but everybody knows how hard she's faking it. She's shaken, and among all the low blows life has given her, this is the one that bends her spirit near its breaking point. She tries to keep her smile up, in spite of the deep pain she feels in her chest. She knows if she isn't careful, she'll be the next to distort here. For a moment she wonders if that wouldn't be the preferrable route. After all, then they both could be together again as monsters.

Sinclair: This can't be real, right? This must be a mirror dungeon or something. His mind is being tested, that's all. It is definitely not real. Because after all the suffering he had to face through his journey in hell, why's it that he has to go through this too? Has he not gone through enough punishment to pay for his sins? No. No, maybe not. The mistakes of his frivolous, youthful, immature mind are yet to be paid for, and this is why he has to witness a person so dear to him distort. Deep inside he can't help but feel a deep anger and hatred towards life and this unfair world he finds himself in. He will save them, no matter the cost. He will save them, and FUCK YOU WORLD YOU WON'T TAKE THIS FROM ME. YOU WON'T TAKE ANYBODY ELSE FROM ME. DON'T FUCK WITH ME!

Gregor: Of course some shit like this had to happen eventually. He sort of saw the signs of a greater darkness hiding in their heart before, but he could never... bring it up. He knows that somehow, he's half responsible for their pain. If he was a better man, he would have stopped it in time, but now he has to see them become something else; something out of control. He trusts the others to come up with a solution that could bring the person he treasures so much back, but he's resigned himself to observing and following orders. The best he can do here is let others take over for him. He could never do anything right on his own. He's sorry, deeply so, but knows that his sorrow won't change a thing.

[cranetreegang]

Unbreakable - Ominis and Sebastian (Mentions of FemReader)

WARNINGS:

Spoilers For the Quest - In The Shadow of Time and mentions of death

Summary: After the events in the catacombs, Ominis knows there's only one way to ensure Sebastian can never repeat his mistake.

Word Count: ~1,500 words

Read my other Ominis Fics Here

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Ominis paces back and forth in the Undercroft as he awaits for Sebastian to arrive. He hates waiting. With nothing to occupy it, his mind tends to latch onto his more pressing thoughts and he replays what he’s about to say like a broken record. But, he’s not about to back down. He knows this is the only way for the both of them to move forward, or to part from one another once and for all - to put an end to this limbo they’re both fettered in.

The gate shutters open - freezing Ominis in place for a moment - and he turns towards the approaching footsteps.

“Ominis.” Sebastian’s hopeful voice sends a pang of agony through Ominis. They haven’t spoken since he convinced Anne to not turn in Sebastian. He’s conflicted - part of him is overjoyed to hear his friend but another, larger, part of him wants to yell and scream at him. To bang his fists against Sebastian’s chest and tell him what a fool he’s been.

“You wanted to speak to me?” Sebastian sounds optimistic - like nothing has happened. Ominis nearly wants to slip into that fantasy, but he refrains. It will do neither of them good.

“I do.” Ominis steps towards Sebastian. “I won’t spare you any niceties nor courtesies, and I’ll go straight to the point. I’m having a difficult time of this. Of you.”

“Oh.”

He can hear Sebastian deflate. He’s never heard him - his strong-headed, bigger than life friend - sound so feeble and small. 

“You wish to mend our friendship and to revert back to how things were. But, that can never be.” Ominis’ lip curls, “It was more than just Solomon you killed that day, Sebastian. It was everything we have built as well. My trust. My faith. Destroyed! By your hands. You know this.” Ominis states - his body trembling.

“Is that what you’ve called me down here for? To lecture me?” Sebastian steps towards Ominis. “Well, go ahead. Have at it. I deserve it. I deserve whatever you wish to say to me.” 

Ominis takes a deep breath, “I only wish to ask you something.” 

“Anything.” He replies with no hesitation and in a near pleading tone. It’s hard for Ominis to snuff the sparks igniting his hope that maybe, just maybe, his friend - his brother - still remained.

“Did you mean your promise? When you said you wouldn’t partake in the Dark Arts ever again, did you mean it?” Ominis questions, his face stern and his foggy gaze aiming towards Sebastian.

Sebastian grimaces, but gives a sure nod, “I did. And I do mean it.” 

“Then prove it.” Ominis holds out his arm. “Swear it.”

The air in the room shifts. It’s like a heavy blanket dropped over the two of them and Ominis can feel Sebastian staring at him - and his outstretched arm. He hears his stuttering, heavy breaths through the still silence.

“Ominis, what are you asking?” Sebastian whispers.

Ominis holds his head high and he directs his narrowed eyes towards Sebastian’s voice, “You’ve hurt so many people, Sebastian. In this selfish quest of yours, you’ve ruined all of us. Solomon. Yourself. Anne. Our dear friend. Me!” His voice cracks and he shakes his head to dispel the hurt and anguish that roars within him. “The devastation you’ve wrought, can never be undone. It has, and will forever, taint all of us.” 

“This was never selfish!” Sebastian hisses. “I only did those things for-,”

“She never asked you to!” Ominis roars, silencing Sebastian. “Not once has she asked you to plunge yourself into the darkness which now eats away at your heart. She’s only needed you, Sebastian. That’s all Anne has ever wanted. Is you, to be by her side - her brother supporting her. Instead, you have all but pushed yourself as far away from her as possible. I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to be close to her again. You’ve all but killed her with what you’ve done.”

Ominis hears Sebastian’s sharp breath and he can smell the faint salt of tears from his silent cries. Ominis closes his eyes and calms himself.

“And I know you. Better than you know yourself. You’ll always be tempted. So, this is the only way. You know this.” Ominis shoves his outstretched arm towards Sebastian again.

Sebastian lets out an audible gasp, “You wish to make an Unbreakable Vow?” 

Ominis’ nod is stiff and firm - leaving no room for questions, “I do. If you wish to remain in our lives, and to be our friend, our brother, again - then you will do this. You will make the vow to never, ever entertain the Dark Arts again. Or it will be the last thing you do.” 

There’s a long silence and Ominis waits with bated breath for Sebastian’s choice. To have his most dreaded question - that he’s feared the answer to - answered, sends his heart thrashing against his ribs. A pressure slithers around his throat and squeezes tighter and tighter the longer the silence drags on.

Sebastian grabs Ominis’ arm in a strong grasp, “Very well. If this is what it will take. Then so be it.”

Ominis lets out a heavy breath then he aims his wand between their arms and begins the incantation. Tight, thin cords wrap around their joined arms and hands. It sears into his flesh - right past his clothes. They both tighten their grip onto the other’s forearms.

“Do you, Sebastian, swear to never intentionally partake, or indulge, in the Dark Arts again? Not even for Anne.” 

Sebastian audibly swallows, “I swear.” 

“Do you swear to never cast another Unforgivable Curse? Not even if your life, or someone else’s life, depended on it.” 

“I swear. I will never use the Dark Arts again.” Sebastian replies with a surness that rekindles Ominis’ hope for him.

Ominis lets out a relieved breath - the spell sealing his promise - and their arms fall back to their sides.

Sebastian steps away as he flexes his hand, “What does this mean? For us?” 

Ominis closes his eyes, “It means; it’s the start of something new.” 

Ominis smiles, and Sebastian does the same.

“Thank you, Ominis.” Sebastian murmurs in a shaky voice. “For not giving up on me.”

Ominis has a sad smile and it twists his eyes to create a somber expression, “You never gave up on me. You never give up on anyone. It’s a trait I admire most in you - even now.” 

Ominis steps towards Sebastian and places a strong hand on his shoulder, “I won’t let you suffer through this alone, Sebastian. We’re all here for you. We can all find a way to help Anne. You just have to trust, and believe, in that. Have faith that we will find a way.”

Sebastian puts his hand over Ominis’ and gives it a squeeze, “You sound just like our friend.”

Ominis grins with a slight laugh, “I suppose her optimism is quite infectious.” 

Sebastian chuckles, “I think so.” He pauses with a frown, “Will you tell her what we’ve done?”

Ominis shakes his head - releasing his grasp on Sebastian, “No. This is between us.”

Sebastian nods, “Then between us, this shall remain.” He lowers his gaze, “I know this won’t completely fix everything. And I won’t stop trying to earn back your trust and your forgiveness. But, it does feel good to know you aren’t completely out of my life.” 

Sebastian grabs both of Ominis’ shoulders, “You’re my brother, Ominis. You’re important to me. I know I haven’t treated you like it, and I will do everything I can from now on to make up for it. Because I do love you. And I hate this is what it took to make me realize it.”

Ominis almost can’t believe the sincerity in Sebastian’s words. He can’t recall there ever being a time when Sebastian was truly this heartfelt and earnest. The nagging voice in his head whispers to him that this is just Sebastian manipulating him once more. The burning threads of their vow still sting his skin and it’s enough to silence the doubt.

“The bond we share is far deeper than that of blood.” Ominis says. “You are my brother too, Sebastian. In every sense of the word. And I love you as well. With that, I will do my best to begin to forgive you. The road ahead will be difficult. But, I believe you’ll manage. I still believe in you, Sebastian.”

Sebastian has a small smile and lets out a slight cough, “Well, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll take my leave before we spill our hearts further.” He takes a step away from Ominis towards the exit.

Ominis laughs, “Perish the thought.” He heads towards the exit with Sebastian, “It should be dinner by now. And I can't think of a better way to begin our new friendship, than with a hearty meal.” 

“Sounds like a wonderful idea.” Sebastian grins and follows after Ominis.

Ominis knows they can never regain what they once had. But, he believes, with all his heart, something else will bloom in its place. And for him, that’s enough.

--------------------

AN: I am aware that the MC is only mentioned here, but this will be an important piece for later. Got some big plans... big plans >:)

Honestly, this was really the only way I could see ominis and sebastian ever realistically being friends again. without the looming worry of seb doing the dark arts, that's the only way omi could ever try to heal their relationship together and to start to trust seb again. and for seb to make the big leap with this vow, just proves to omi that seb does want to change. but that's just my thoughts on that (i mean obvi that's my thoughts about it as i wrote a whole freaking piece about it idk why im even typing this out rn)

also the breaking bread/sharing a meal bit was probs on the nose, but eh whatever

As always, feedback is always welcomed, dm's always opened, and i love all of you semi-equally <3

[shiorimia]

My thoughts on the Good Omens S2 ending:

I see a lot of fans pointing fingers at either Crowley or Aziraphale, claiming one side is in the wrong while ignoring the impact this situation has on BOTH of them.

For me, it felt like Crowley was desperate to keep things the way they were, because they were happy. Even with all the shenanigans they dealt with, Crowley still cherished his time with Aziraphale and feared it all ending. Aziraphale suddenly going back to heaven as a supreme archangel...to Crowley, it probably felt like they took 5 steps forward over the process of 6000 years, and then 500 steps back. All in one day.

The fact that he tried so hard to get Aziraphale to understand that things aren’t just black-and-white like heaven claims they are, only for Aziraphale to rush back to them after all those years...it must hurt a lot, like going right back to square one.

Given, well...EVERYTHING about Crowley, Aziraphale suddenly asking him to go back to heaven with him so they can be angels together just feels like a slap in the face. Aziraphale is still desperately hoping that things will magically come together without strife...he doesn’t truly understand the depth of what he is asking of Crowley, because he is DESPERATE to stay with the demon...but he can't give up heaven just yet.

He doesn’t fully understand yet that heaven is just as bad as hell. Crowley has absolutely no interest in becoming an angel again after falling, and on top of that...Crowley knows that the minute he steps a foot in heaven, he’ll be killed or enslaved. Aziraphale hasn’t thought about any of this, because he just wants to be able to have both of the things he loves at once: Heaven, and being with Crowley.

A sadly impossible wish.

Aziraphale saying “I forgive you” after Crowley kissed him...I have SO MANY THOUGHTS on this. Crowley desperately revealed his love for Aziraphale by kissing him fiercely, not holding back. He did this because he truly did not want Aziraphale to leave him, and revealing his hidden feelings was his last resort.

Aziraphale’s infamous “I forgive you” response insinuates that Crowley is IN THE WRONG for having romantic feelings for Aziraphale. It reads as “I forgive you for loving me”, which is absolutely heart shattering for Crowley. Not only is he about to lose the angel that he’s loved for 6000 years, but said angel just treated his love like an unsightly mistake to be fixed.

A lot of ppl have pointed out that it seems like Aziraphale was actually going to say "I love you"...before he choked up and reverted back to what he felt he was SUPPOSED to say, as an angel to a demon.

I’m not mad at either of them. They are put in a truly dire situation where they are forced to take sides...heaven and hell just DONT want them to be happy. Their emotional, desperate reactions MAKE SENSE. They crave what they can’t have, and its killing them.

All I can think of is how truly miserable Aziraphale is going to be once he gets back in heaven and slowly starts realizing that the things Crowley pointed out to him were all true. And on Crowley's end, the demon is probably going to ANGST over their last meeting, ANGST over his rejected feelings, and ANGST over the nonstop "I forgive you"s echoing in his head.

They really need to make up, especially on Aziraphale's end. Lord knows how badly his response will tank Crowley’s already nonexistent self-esteem.

[of-many-fandomss]

Happy New Years!! Hoping we can start 2023 off with a Tangerine x reader 🤞 I was think maybe something along the lines of reader is Ladybug’s step daughter and is rlly close with him and considers him her real father and her and Tangerine start going out and trying to hide it from their respective family members bc they both think it would hurt their family and that’s all they have. Personally I feel like Lemon wouldn’t mind the relationship all that much and would catch on fairly quickly considering how good he is at reading ppl but reader and Ladybug might have some issues when they talk about it so maybe a little angst but nothing soul destroying tho!

She stepped closer to the man she’d known and loved for so many years. “You know I don’t like other people’s opinions or perceptions of me.” She began. “I’m aware” Ladybug agreed.

“you however are the closest and only thing I’ve ever had to a father. So I’m asking you, father to daughter, are you okay with this? Me and him?”

Happy New Years to you too!! (this was a bit longer than I meant it to be)

—————

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” You asked, nervously playing with your fingers as you glanced out the window.

Tangerine turned his head to face you as he set the car to park, “We have to tell them at some point, love.” He reminded you.

“But does it have to be now?” Your leg was bouncing up and down anxiously by then.

He sighed lightly, gently grabbing onto your hand and placing a kiss on top of it, effectively stopping your leg from moving, “We don’t have to tell them right now if you don’t want, love,” He told you sincerely, eyes searching yours, “We can wait until you’re ready.”

You sighed because that, that right there, was the reason you couldn’t put off telling your families about this anymore. He was always so sweet and always put your wants and needs before his own. Because you loved him with all your heart and the two of you shouldn’t have to hide it.

“No,” You tried to make your voice sound determined, “No, you’re right, we have to do this.”

Pride shown through his eyes as he leant forward and placed a kiss on your forehead, “That’s my girl,” He whispered affectionately.

With that, he quickly got out and rushed over to open your door before offering you a hand to get out and the two of you made your way into the restaurant.

You had told your stepfather, Ladybug, to meet you there just like Tangerine had told his brother, Lemon, to meet him there. The plan was that you would tell the two of them at the same time about your relationship. Doing it in a public place was just in case your father reverted back to his old ways and was less than calm about the whole ordeal.

As you both entered, neither Ladybug or Lemon noticed your presence at first, both of them too busy warily eyeing each other from across the restaurant, no doubt wondering what coincidence had compelled the other assassin to be there at the same time as them.

You gave Tangerines hand one last squeeze before dropping it, deciding it was better not to front as a couple until you were actually able to explain it yourself.

“Dad!” You called, flagging him down.

Both his and Lemons eyes snapped over to the two of you in sync, eyebrows furrowing and raising respectively.

You and Tangerine went and sat down side by side in a nearby booth, waiting until both of your family members had joined you, reluctantly sitting side by side.

“Kid?” Ladybug asked, looking between you and the man in confusion, “What’s going on?”

“Tan?” Lemon asked at the same time, raising an eyebrow towards his brother, “Is this about a job?”

Your step father threw his head back with a groan, “Don’t tell me we have to work with these idiots!”

Tangerine swiftly kicked Lemon under the table to stop him from tackling Ladybug for the comment before he cleared his throat, “No, s’actually about something else.”

“Oh?” Ladybug asked.

“Oh,” Lemon breathed out at the same time, realization sparking in his eyes as he looked back and forth between the two of you, he had always been good at reading people.

All of your heads snapped over to the man and he nodded once in understanding, a small smile growing on his face.

Tangerine let out a barely audible sigh of relief and you squeezed his hand under the table, both of you more than grateful for his brothers acceptance.

“What’s going on?” Your father asked, becoming more confused and worried by the moment.

You cleared your throat this time, “Do you think you could give us a minute?” You asked gently, to which they both nodded and quickly swept away to a table a few feet away.

“Dad,” You spoke, “Tangerine and I are dating.”

You held your breath as a pregnant silence followed your words and he blinked at you once. Twice.

“What?” He finally asked, as if he hadn’t- or didn’t want to have- heard you.

“We’ve been going out for a few months now, and we thought it was time we told you and Lemon.” You admitted, nervously eyeing his face for any indication of a reaction.

“You-and him?” He stuttered out, eyes going wide at the realization, “But- you can’t- why-“

“Dad,” You effectively cut off his rambling and sighed lightly, “You know I don’t normally care about others opinions about me.”

“I’m aware.” Was all he was able to say.

You reached across the table and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly, “But you are the closest thing I have ever had to a father and even though I love Tangerine with my whole heart, I don’t know if I could keep seeing him if you didn’t approve of this because I love you too much. So I’m asking you father to daughter, are you okay with this? Me and him?”

It was silent for a moment, and in that time, you began to worry that he would react the way he used to react to sudden and unexpected news. Recklessly.

“Are you happy?” He finally asked softly, shocking you.

You nodded slightly, tears beginning to pool in your eyes, “I’m so happy,” You answered honestly.

“Then of course I approve of it.” He finally squeezed your hand back, “I approve of anything and anyone that makes you happy, no matter what.”

You quickly jumped up with a small sob, pulling him in for a tight hug, “Thank you, dad. That means the world to me.”

He tightened his hold of you, “And you mean the world to me, kid.” He whispered back.

When you both pulled away, you turned towards Lemon and Tangerines table, who both scrambled to sit straight up as if they hadn’t just been leaning in to listen in on your conversation.

“You do anything to hurt her,” Ladybug warned, eyes boring into Tangerines as he kept an arm around your shoulders, “And you’ll wish you were never born.”

[maximuums]

It was no secret a Beast had infiltrated the gala. But they were hidden; a mask in plain sight. Self Modification was a hell of a skill, being able to change a Spirit Origin like it was putty. Judgement molded it into a perfect little disguise, but there were eyes on them from the start.

The Beast could feel the inferior one's gaze boring into their back at almost all times. They had to admit, to have such a look was moderately vexing. But no matter, Judgement would take care of them soon.

It was late into the night, where the beautiful midnight sky was lulling many of the partygoers to sleep. Some lingered in the ballroom, but besides those spare few, things were quiet. A perfect time to cause the chaos that Beast desperately craved. Once they were certain they were alone, Beast morphed to their true form: a beautiful angel, hellbent on destruction of all life. They also let their Beastly Spirit Origin shine for just a moment; their minder would be here soon, no doubt.

And right they were. Rounding a corner, the suspect came across the Beast in all their glory. The violet shock of hair made Judgement raise an eyebrow, but a chilling smile remained on their face.

"Lancelot du Lac…" They said with a sonorous voice. Everything about them was beautiful, except for the deep seated black that was their soul. "How amusing. I was just on my way to kill your mother."

Lancelot, like an unhinged dog, snarled and readied a blade. Judgement's smile grew, and they let their Mystic Eyes activate. Where Lancelot was about to launch an all out assault, the Mystic Eyes froze him to the spot.

With a lackadaisical flutter of their many wings, the Beast floated closer. As their proximity increased, the Berserker went into a frenzy. Still, he could not move. Judgement was hovering before him, their malicious eyes glowing in the dark of the hall. They rested their hand on his cheek, and had Lancelot not been paralyzed, he would have tried to bite the angel's hand off.

"Child of man, raised by fae." Judgement began, running a clawed finger along Lancelot's chin. "I know the perfect place for you, man who forsakes humanity."

"The Realm of the Dead is where you belong."

With a flash of movement, Judgement quickly withdrew his hand from Lancelot. A beat of silence, then, Lancelot's head rolled forward, falling pitifully to the ground below. His body quickly followed, gravity pulling it down. The Berserker faded into golden dust.

Not a speck of blood on them, Judgement reverted back to their gala attire, wiping their hand on the front of their clothes. They gracefully stepped over the pool of blood on the floor, before finding a room to retire in for the evening.

[goldenworldsabound]

For Rufus: 👠 and 💪?

Essay Asks thank :D

👠 Describe your ship starting with the phrase " In a way, every romance is a Cinderella story."

In a way, every romance is a Cinderella story. You can spend years shuffled to the side, trying to get through every day while being mistreated by the people around you.

And then suddenly your prince appears and whisks you off your feet, in a way that does read exactly like a bad romance novel.

In my case, I made the mistake of criticizing Scarlet for taking credit for my work, which led to becoming Cinderella in the first place. She was the ugly step mom, and the manager and coworkers I worked with were the stepsisters.

I didn't know it, but my prince was already looking after me then. Rufus transferred me to a new department, so I guess that made my new manager my fairy godmother? ...close enough.

And then...Rufus became President, and that was when I got my happy ending with the Prince. Sure, we went through a lot after that too, but that's just part of love and relationships, probably. Okay, maybe not dealing directly with an impending planet-destroying crisis for most people but, well...every relationship is unique, right?

💪 Describe a theme or other element of the original source material that you feel is strengthened or reinforced by the presence of your ship.

UGH ff7 has so many incredible themes. One that I think is particularly apropos is life, and the inevitability of pain and loss, and the way that we can grow and heal and move forward from it, and more generally how it changes us.

Rufus has gone through a lot, but we don't see most of his journey. I hc that the loss of his mother was a wound he never really succeeded in addressing, as well as the absence of a visible love from his father. And how could he, without a safe space, a safe person, to discuss those things with? Aura provides those things for him. He didn't even know he needed them. He brought Aura into his life out of selfish desire to a large degree. And yet that turned out to be what he needed to be able to begin his own healing. Especially after the end of FF7 main game. Even in canon he does come to his own realizations about the part Shinra played - but I think that comes even easier with Aura there.

I think there's also something to be said for Aura. Aura has loss at many stages in their life - Scarlet takes the credit for their scientific achievements, and as a result through various means they end up shunted to the side doing fairly meaningless work. They lose friends during the sector 7 plate collapse, which is a grief they don't really get to fully process because suddenly so much is happening (Rufus becomes President and promotes them and asks them out fduhafkdsa). Seeing their grief makes Rufus consider things in a different light - a little less selfishly, starting to realize the impact Shinra's actions have.

But all of those Aura handles with a certain level of resignation and acceptance. They are immutable and cannot be changed, even as they are painful.

But then we come to Rufus being kidnapped prior to AC. And that is what has a lasting, obvious change on Aura. They become more than willing to get their hands dirty, to shed all of their morals, in order to rescue Rufus. And once they find him, these things do not revert. Rufus and the Turks can see the change in them, and Rufus finds it does not sit well with him - while he appreciates the love inherent in the actions they took and were willing to take, it isn't what he wanted for them. But for Aura, becoming willing to do dirty their hands and centering Rufus in their life, is how they end up coping with this. And that can't be changed, no matter how much Rufus wants them to go back to letting him (and the Turks) do all the dirty work. Grief leaves a mark, even once time has passed.

Ahhhh I wouldn't mind exploring some of the other themes too but this is probably good for now.

[im-in-vin-ci-ble]

Hello~ Can I request a Mark x fem reader who’s a lot like starfire and is very Powerful close to omni man and is also an alien princess but she lives on earth and they go to the same school and she’s also a solo hero who one day sees invincible fighting off a tough villain with the teenteam but is losing so she steps in to help and he recognizes her and starts getting all nervous since he has a crush on her and then after that they introduce themselves get to know each other and eventually work they’re way up to mark confessing and she says yes :3

(If possible can it be a slow burn im a sucker for slow burn tropes and stuff 😤)

A/N: I gotchu, this bout to be a lil long 😮‍💨 making the fem!reader a little more human, figured since she’s in an actual school for humans she’d need to adapt to the humor/culture so she doesn’t get suspicious

Pairing: Mark Grayson x Fem!Reader

Rating: M, some swearing and gross monster guts

Warnings: N/A

Summary: Mark is finally joined in battle by an alien princess who has caught his attention. Turns out she goes to the same high school, and if he can throw around 150-pound monsters across the street, surely he can confess his true feelings to a girl... right?

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!" Rex Splode yelled as he wobbled up off the ground. "We've been on this thing for hours and it only has one damn cut!"

"Calm down Rex," Atom Eve said from behind, "You're gonna get even more tired from yelling."

The two watched as Dupli-Kate attempted to distract the scaly kaiju, replicating herself second after second to give space for Invincible to hit the monster by surprise. The kaiju's screech echoed throughout the city and shook the foundations of the surrounding buildings, forcing Rex, Atom Eve and Robot to move aside and save however many civilians they could.

"Invincible," Dupli-Kate shouted, "I can't keep up much longer!"

A sonic boom overcame the surrounding noise and Invincible appeared from the clouds. Dropping in at maximum speed, the young superhero balled his hand into a fist and took a deep breath. A loud battle cry escaped his mouth but it was cut short as the kaiju's heavy arm slapped him away just in time, throwing him through destroyed buildings until he landed on the pavement.

Out of breath, dizzy, and in a serious amount of pain, Invincible laid on the broken road for a second to regain his strength. The wind softly blew down on him as he focused his sight on a contrail leading towards him, and he watched as a girl in purple land right next to him.

She bent down and held him upright, "Invincible, are you okay?"

"Mmhmm," Invincible croaked with a defeated smile, "Totally fine."

His sight reverted back to normal and the first face he saw shocked him alive. It was her. They never talked in school and he was almost sure she didn't know his real name, but here she was, basically cradling him in her arms and calling him Invincible.

So she knows who I am. At least with the suit.

"Come on, that kaiju is about to be destroy the entire city," she said, helping him get back on his feet and flying away to the seemingly unbeatable figure.

He huffed, "Stay cool, Mark. She's here to help," and he followed suit.

This marked the first time he really interacted with the new superhero; he'd only ever see her on TV or read about how she saved people on the newspaper. He'd be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive — as do most guys his age — but watching her blast the kaiju with the green bursts of energy from her hands made her only even more appealing.

Invincible regrouped with the rest of the Teen Team. "I don't know what else we can do to this thing," Atom Eve admitted.

"I do," the girl spoke up. "Distract it as best as you can but stay far away from the stomach. When I tell you to take cover, make a run for it."

Robot replied, "That seems highly dangerous."

"Let's do it," Invincible quickly replied in a high-pitched voice.

Everyone looked over at him, surprised at the sudden change in his voice and just how fast he reacted in agreement. 

"Uh, it's a good plan," he nodded, causing the girl to shoot a warm smile his way. "I definitely think we should do it... if all of you... uh, think, we should."

Exhausted and out of options, the rest of the group followed her orders and took different corners of the monster. Dupli-Kate handled one leg, Rex Splode handled the other, Robot and Atom Eve took the arms, and Invincible went back to the head. The kaiju struggled to keep its focus on just one of the heroes, and while it remained preoccupied, the girl absorbed all the energy she could muster and flew straight for the stomach.

"Take cover, now!"

Invincible and the Teen Team moved away and they watched as the flying hero's eyes opened in a bright shade of neon green, both her arms extended out as a large ball of green formed around her hands. The rays exploded right through the kaiju and it shrieked in pain as she briefly disappeared into the stomach. The kaiju lost balance and slowly fell forward as the girl, her eyes still green, appeared on the other side and harshly fell down on the ground.

The kaiju landed on the street with a loud boom and the group ran towards the girl who was now covered in parts of the kaiju's digestive system.

"Okay, that's kinda gross," Rex Splode commented, to which Dupli-Kate quickly responded, "Shut up."

Invincible dropped down on his knees and wiped the blood and guts off her face. Subtly admiring her facial features up close, he couldn't believe (and almost felt stupid) that he never recognized her despite the fact that he almost saw her everyday.

The girl groaned in agony softly shook her head, her eyes fluttering open to the sight of Invincible's dark hair, goggles and yellow mask.

"Hey, hey," he whispered, "Are you alright?"

She sat up and hissed at her injuries, holding her head with her bloody hand. "Mmhmm," she gently nodded with a half smile, her eye one still shut. "Totally fine."

---

Mark had a hard time focusing on school. His body ached from yesterday's injuries and he suffered a few bruises from literally tearing through buildings. He made his way to his locker and rested his head on the metal door, dreading the fact that he still has an entire afternoon of classes to go. Closing his eyes in hopes to quickly recharge, his moment of peace was disrupted when a shoulder rammed into his chest and several books landed right on his toe.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," a voice exclaimed.

Mark's head snapped up at the sound of the voice. It's her. He momentarily froze and watched the girl bend down to pick up her things, and when he finally regained movement a split second later, he also bent down to help her out. He kept quiet as he tried to think of the coolest possible response to make her think that he was actually the coolest guy in school, but all he could think of was how heavenly and badass she looked yesterday.

"Thanks," she said as he handed her the book. "I hope your foot doesn't bruise."

They both stood up and he shot her a nervous smile. "T-totally fine," he replied, clearing his throat afterwards.

She crossed her brows at his response and nodded, and a look of suspicion replaced her worried demeanor.

"I'm Mark, by the way," he cleared his throat again and reached out his hand, "Grayson."

"Mark... Grayson, huh?" she responded, scanning his face as her suspicion grew. Her eyes finally landed on the hand that was waiting, and she took one last look into his eyes before deciding to shake it. "I'm Y/N," she introduced herself with a skeptical smile, feeling his sweaty palm wrapped around hers. "I'll see you around, Mark Grayson."

She walked away and Mark's eyes followed her trail as far as he could see. He quickly pulled out his phone to send a text to Eve, who was actually watching their interaction a few classrooms down.

"Mark," Eve called out as she moved towards him. “So I’m assuming...”

"You knew?” he asked her in disbelief. “Why didn't you tell me Y/N was a superhero? I just introduced myself to her as Mark Grayson and I'm almost positive she knows I'm Invincible."

"First off, it's not my secret tell," she answered with a shrug. "Second, you guys didn’t trade secrets or whatever?”

Mark shook his head in a panic, "No, but I'm guessing she also knows that I know her secret the same way I know she knows my secret." He rested his forehead on the locker door once again and groaned, "Ugh, I'm so into her, it isn't even funny. And this whole superhero thing just made it even more awkward."

Eve laughed, "Look, I'm not going to force her to tell you if she isn't up for it, but if you want, I can ask her to hang out with us later. Maybe — emphasis on maybe — my presence will make her comfortable enough to admit who she is."

"Okay, okay," he sighed, turning around to rest the back of his head. "My insides are dying."

"After the kaiju yesterday, be thankful you don't mean that in a literal sense."

---

Where in the hell is Eve?

Mark pulled out his phone for the third time in 10 minutes. Still no call or response from Eve to his text. He was getting evidently nervous; his palms were sweaty again and it felt like someone turned up the heat in Burger Mart. His left leg jerked up and down in anxiety as he stared at his phone, looking at the seconds on the clock icon tick by. If he were left alone with Y/N, he'd have no idea what to say. What does she like? Should I bring up the kaiju yesterday and praise Invincible? No, she'll just think I'm full of myself.

"Hey Mark."

He jolted and saw Y/N standing by the corner of the booth. "Hi!" he replied in that irritatingly high-pitched voice. Mark's heart began to race and the thoughts in his head ran wild. "Um... Have a seat. Sorry Eve isn't here yet, she actually hasn't answered my calls or my messages. Teenage girls, huh? What can you do?"

She crossed her brows again and chuckled, "That's fine, we can wait for Eve. But I think I'm more concerned about you."

"What do you mean?"

Y/N chuckled again, "You seem... nervous.”

He faked an obnoxiously loud laugh, “Me? Nervous?”

She watched him from across the table in silence, waiting for him to regain his composure.

When Mark couldn’t hear Y/N laughing with him, he finally shut up and shook his head. “Yeah, I am nervous, sorry,” he admitted, shutting his eyes tight. 

She giggled, “Totally fine.”

Hearing her say those two words calmed his racing heartbeat. A smile crept on his face and she reciprocated, their eyes locking for a few seconds before both their phones buzzed.

“Oh, I just got a text from Eve,” Mark said. 

“Me too.” She opened the message and began to read it out loud, “Sorry, can’t make it tonight. Something came up.”

“Have fun, you two,” he followed, his voice faltering. He placed his phone, screen down this time, back on the table and sighed, “Sorry, guess you’re stuck with me. That is, if you do want to stay and... hang out, and stuff.”

"Why wouldn’t I?” she replied, her warm smile easing Mark back into a relaxed state. “It’s nice to have a friend who...” she trailed off, “understands.”

“Understands what?” he asked.

“This thing people like us call life,” she answered. “You know, it took me a long time to acclimate here. I didn’t think I ever would, then I met friends who made this place feel like home. And home is a feeling I hadn’t felt in a really long time.”

Mark rested his elbows on the table and leaned in closer, “Well, I’m always here. You know, a-as a friend... or an acquaintance, even. I don’t, I don’t want to push it.”

Y/N giggled again, “You’re a funny man, Mark Grayson. This planet is lucky to have someone like you.” She reached out and held his hand, “And I’m even luckier to have you as a friend, or an acquaintance.” 

He felt the heat rush to his face and he could swear his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. The afternoon flew by in a hurry as they engaged in lengthy conversations, fatty fast food, and childhood stories. While Mark was open to sharing every tiny detail — down to the color of the bleachers at the park where he played little league — Y/N kept hers pretty vague, leaving out descriptions of family members and even the places where these stories happened. 

Mark’s phone buzzed again, but the vibrating pattern indicated it was a phone call. He turned the screen over and saw the unknown number; it was time to suit up.

“Shit, I’m sorry Y/N, but I need to go,” he said in a rush. “I have a... uh, an emergency.”

You couldn’t have thought of anything more specific?

“It’s cool. Um, don’t worry about it,” she said, shaking her head with her eyes glued to the vibrating phone. 

Mark’s one leg was already out the booth before he decided to finally just go for it. Sitting back down with his now quiet phone in his hands, he took a deep breath.

“Y/N, I think you’re really cool. Can I maybe, like, call you sometime, or something?”

Her lips formed into smile that extended to her eyes, and it was enough for Mark to melt a little. “Of course. Yeah, sure,” she replied in excitement and typed down her number on his phone. She handed it back, “Now you know how to reach me if you’re getting your ass whooped again.”

His mouth fell open as his shaky hands grabbed his phone. “Wait—”

She smoothly slid out of the booth, “See you later, Invincible,” she winked, “Don’t get killed today.”

---

Luckily for Mark, no one got killed today. Maybe a few wounds here and there, but nothing painful enough that will land him in the GDA hospital. After spending an hour in the shower, he finally managed to lie down on his bed and rest his body. He sank into the mattress and closed his eyes, taking in the seconds of undisturbed peace that have become rare moments since he got his powers. 

As he replayed the events of today’s fights in his head, his mind drifted off to the hours he spent with Y/N. He pulled out his phone and mustered the courage to press the dial button, and the repeating sound of the ringing was making his pulse race. 

“Hello?”

“Oh good, you didn’t die today.”

Mark chuckled and sandwiched his hand between his head and the pillow. “It wasn’t that bad today, just took a few hits,” he explained. “So listen, Y/N, I was wondering, uh—”

She cut him off, “What are you doing right now?”

“What?”

“What are you doing right now?” she repeated.

“Um, nothing, just getting some rest” he sat up and looked around. “Why?”

“If you’re not too tired, do you maybe...”

Mark smiled, “Maybe...?”

“I don’t know, sneak out? My roof is pretty comfortable.”

Silently fist pumping, he fully stood up and nodded, “Text me the address.”

Just as quietly as he exited his room via the window, he softly landed on Y/N’s roof. Swiftly flying up and greeting him, she took the place next to him and crossed her legs. 

“You’re right, your roof is pretty comfortable,” Mark said.

She chuckled at his remark then noticed a gash by his right temple. Her brows furrowed in worry, “You have a wound,” she said, making sure not to touch it.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, softly holding her hand and placing it back down with his. “Totally fine.”

Those words brought her some sense of comfort as her eyes softened, causing her to unconsciously squeeze his hand. Mark’s eyes widened and he looked down at their tangled fingers, frozen for a moment.

“Is this... okay with you?” he asked.

She nodded. “Wanna lie down? Since my roof is so comfortable?” she asked with a smirk.

“Sure,” Mark chuckled, removing his hand from her’s and stretching his arm out as they lied down. Y/N rested her head on his shoulder, keeping her eyes up at the stars.

“Hey Mark?”

“Yeah?”

A moment of silence.

“Thank you for coming.”

He looked down at her as she met his eyes, “You’re welcome.” 

The two shared a smile, and Mark took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

It’s now or never, Mark. Now or never.

“Watching you kick ass yesterday was... really a sight to see,” he began. “You’re powerful and strong, but more importantly, brave. And you’re so fucking beautiful and kind and smart and...” Mark trailed off, sighing, “I never thought I would be in this position — with you next to me in a very comfortable rooftop under the stars.”

“Mark...”

“And I really like you. Like, really, really like you.”

“Mark.”

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, but I just wanted to let you know. It’s important that you know—”

“Mark,” she cut him off. “I like you too. A lot.”

He breathed a sigh of relief and covered his eyes with his free hand. “Oh thank god. Thank god!” he exclaimed.

Y/N shushed him, “You’re gonna wake up the neighborhood, Invincible.”

“Sorry,” he giggled quietly, “I got excited.”

She laughed and faced her body towards him. They locked eyes again, and Mark didn’t know if it was gravity or just the adrenaline that pushed him, but he finally leaned down and met her lips. Static ran through his body as he deepened the kiss, and he felt an excitement that was even more exhilarating than the first time he flew.

She pulled away and Mark ran his hand through her hair, resting his hand on her cheek. “How was that?” he asked.

She smiled gently and placed her hand over his, “Totally fine.”

[jungshookz]

skate a little piece of my heart; jjk

➺ pairing; jeon jungkook x reader

➺ genre; rollerskatinginstructor!jungkook!! sfw!! fluff!! honk honk humour!! jungkook is a very handsome instructor and y/n can’t tell if that’s a bad thing or a good thing

➺ wordcount; 6.3k

➺ summary; your two left feet and complete lack of balance isn’t the only thing that’s making you weak in the knees this valentine’s day. 

➺ what to expect; “rollerskating is already hard enough as it is, and now i have to do it in front of him?!” 

➺ currently spinning on the record player; how deep is your love; bee gees

                                     »»————-　💫  ————-««

“this is so dumb.”

“safety is never dumb, y/n!” taehyung raps his knuckles against the top of your helmet and you scowl before swatting his hand away, “now, where are your kneepads?”

you let out a groan before tilting your head back slowly, your eyes widening in slight panic at the surprisingly hefty weight of the helmet

your arms flail for a second and you immediately reach up to grip both sides of the helmet before forcing your head back up

jesus

you nearly snapped your own neck there

of course, snapping your own neck would mean not being able to skate because you’d technically be dead… so maybe that’s not such a bad idea after all…

(by the way, it’s concerning how many times you’ve considered literal death just to get out of doing something.)

“are you going to lift your leg for me or do i have to do everything for you?”

you look down to see taehyung down on the ground in front of you holding one of the knee pads and you frown lightly before lifting your leg and placing your sock-clad foot on his knee

“please tell me this is the last of the safety gear…” you whine, “tae, i literally look so dorky right now- no one else is wearing helmets or knee and elbow pads!” you gesture to seokjin and namjoon who are busy putting on their skates over on the other bench before scoffing lightly and crossing your arms 

if namjoon (arguably the klutziest one out of this group of people) isn’t even wearing a helmet, then what does that say about you??

you’ve seen him trip over nothing and scrape both his knees so why are you the only one wearing all of this junk?!

“i took you ice-skating over christmas and you fell flat on your ass more times than i could count, and you insisted that you didn’t need any safety equipment even though it was alarmingly clear that you did. i basically spent two hours making sure you didn’t die-” taehyung looks up at you with a raised brow, “do you want to fall and split your skull open in front of everyone?”

“if it means not having to gear up in all this dorkware- then, yes. i would love to have my brains splat across the rink in front of everyone. in fact, that would probably be less embarrassing-” you grumble, flinching slightly as taehyung suddenly yanks hard to tighten up your laces, “i’m an adult, taehyung! grown-ups don’t need to wear all of this!” 

“grown-ups don’t throw tantrums either, but here you are…” taehyung mutters under his breath, putting your foot down before giving your knee a slap, “perfect! we’re good to go!”

“yeah, yeah…” you reach under to scratch at your elbow only to feel your nails scrape against the smooth surface of the plastic protection shell and you resist the urge to rip it off out of frustration

taehyung decided that it’d be a great idea to bring everyone to a rollerskating rink for valentine’s day this year instead of… letting people go out to intimate dinners and celebrate on their own… because, quote, ‘i just want all of us to spend more time together, and what better day to do that then on valentine’s day?? …ooh, we should call it pal-entine’s day. ha! get it?? because we’re all pals-’

(he was dumped recently, so everyone’s kind of letting him run the ship for now. …basically, no one can say no to taehyung unless they want to see him burst into tears. he’s still in a very delicate state.)

but, honestly… a rollerskating rink!

out of all the places to go to!

you already have two left feet, so forcing said left feet into shoes with wheels is a horrible idea

“i think it’d be best if i just sat back and watched you guys!” you try for the umpteenth time to get taehyung to let you off the hook, “plus, they sell chilli dogs here and they actually smell really good and i kind of want to order one for myself even though it might end in me having to get my stomach pumped-” you gesture back towards the refreshments counter and taehyung shakes his head before sticking his hand out for you

“there’s plenty of time for you to scarf down a rubbery hotdog later- now, c’mon-”

“i don’t even know how to skate!”

“that’s fine, you’ll learn! it’ll be like riding a bicycle except you are the bicycle-”

“you know, i’m just going to be complaining the whole time, and it’s going to ruin your time here. honestly, tae, why am i here??”

“because i’m not emotionally stable enough to spend valentine’s day alone yet and i need to surround myself with as many people as possible otherwise i’m going to be alone with my thoughts and i’m going to spiral!” taehyung’s voice cracks as he snaps at you and you immediately press your lips together and avert your gaze, trying to ignore the weird glances the two of you are getting from the strangers around you

…

“okay, well-” you push yourself up off the bench before wobbling slightly and reaching over to grab onto taehyung’s arm for stability, “i don’t know about you, but i’m most certainly ready to tear up that rink!”

“perfect!” taehyung chirps, quickly reverting back to his ‘everything is fine and i’m definitely not dying on the inside’ state, “and don’t worry. rollerskating is much easier than ice-skating, so there’s less of a chance of you potentially embarrassing yourself here-” taehyung gives your hand a pat as the two of you shuffle your way towards the entrance gate, “trust me, you’ll get the hang of it as soon as you start!”

“you saw me on ice…” you snort, your knees already wobbling as you take your first step into the rink, “i really don’t think i’m going to be any better on wood-”

“well, lucky for you…” taehyung lets go of you and you immediately cling to the railing in panic, “i went ahead i hired an instructor for you!”

you frown as you pull one hand away and rub your fingers together 

god, why are the railings so sticky-

“you- woah, hold on a second-” you look up and over at taehyung with wide eyes when you finally catch on to what he just said, “i’m sorry, you did what?”

“what? i can’t stay by your side and watch you all night.” he shrugs, placing his hands on his hips as he stands in front of you, “we were moving so slowly on the ice that i was sure it was starting to melt underneath our skates-”

“you just told me you don’t want to be alone and now you’re handing me off to someone else instead of spending time with me??” you frown, manoeuvring your stance so that both your hands are gripping onto the railing behind your bum, “why force me to skate if you’re not doing it with me?”

“i mean, i obviously want to spend time with you, but i also don’t want to be skating, like, one mile an hour-” taehyung snorts, “i’m forcing you to skate so that one day, we can skate together without me having to worry about you slipping and sliding all over the place like a baby giraffe!”

“well, why can’t you teach me instead of paying for someone else to do it?”

a brief moment of silence passes as taehyung rolls over to get you to release your iron grip from the bars

“…because teaching you how to skate instead of actually spending time skating sounded really boring-” he mutters quickly, your eyes widening as you turn to look at him

“wha-”

“also-” he cuts you off, placing his hands on your hips from behind as he starts to roll you forwards slowly (though, you haven’t noticed this yet because you’re still focused on the fact that he didn’t want to teach you - you’re a great student!!), “there was a girl who kept smiling at me when i was strapping you up in all your gear, and i need to find out if i still have game or not-”

“this sounds more like you’re trying to fill the empty void inside of you with meaningless sex, which, by the way, isn’t a very healthy coping mechanism-” 

“i will fill this empty void inside of me in whichever way i want, thank you very much-” taehyung snorts, shaking his head, “plus, it’s too late to back out because the policy states that they don’t take refunds and he’s already here-”

“wait, what??” you immediately look back to the front, the fact that you are being rolled towards someone now sinking into your brain, “who- oh my god, stop rolling me-!”

taehyung’s fingers dig into your hips as he comes to a sudden halt, “what??”

“spin me around.” 

taehyung blinks before slowly turning you around so that you’re facing him and you pray to god that you don’t look like some kind of rotating rotisserie chicken right now  

you open your mouth to speak when you finally see taehyung’s face again but he continues to spin you slowly so that you end up in the same position you were in a second ago

...

“for god’s sake, taehyung- spin me around so i’m looking at you, you moron-”

“ohh, okay, i thought you just wanted to spin you around for fun-”

“why would i want you to spin me around for f- okay, that’s not important right now-” you shake your head, “i just want to say that the only reason why i’m doing this is because you kind of sprung this on me last minute and i don’t want to inconvenience anyone, but just know that you now owe me big time- now, spin me back around and wheel me to whoever i’m going to be stuck with for the next couple of hours.”

“noted!” taehyung chirps as he rolls you back so you’re facing the front, “he’s right over there by the other entrance- the guy in the yellow-” your eyes flit around until they land on the guy in the yellow and you immediately feel your heart starting to beat a little harder in your chest at the sight of the guy in the yellow, “his name’s jungkook, he has a shining five-star rating, he’s a wonderful teacher according to all the parents whose kids he’s taught- i’m pretty sure you’re his oldest student so don’t embarrass yourself-”

you feel your mouth go dry when jungkook reaches down to adjust the bottom of his tied button-up shirt before opening the sides of it a little more to show off his chest

he reaches up to twirl a loose tendril of hair around his finger before gently pushing it back and running his hand through his hair, poking his tongue against the inside of his cheek briefly 

oh no

oh, no

he’s attractive

he’s very, very attractive

“tae.” you keep a polite smile on your face as you slink your right arm behind you to attempt to blindly punch him in the gut, “why didn’t you tell me that the instructor was cute?”

“oh, i’m sorry.” taehyung responds sarcastically, “i didn’t think attractiveness was an important factor when considering an instructor.”

“well, it is when the instructor looks like that-” you feel your cheeks warm when jungkook smiles brightly at the two of you before waving enthusiastically, “rollerskating is already hard enough as it is, and now i have to do it in front of him?!”

“i don’t know what there is to freak out about. the guy’s handsome- so what?” taehyung waves back at jungkook before giving your hips a playful squeeze, “if anything, you should see this as a bonus - you get some eye-candy while you learn!”

“okay, well, don’t make me sound pervy-”

“not to mention, he’s your age! so it’ll be like you’re just hanging out with a friend-”

“a friend?! taehyung, i’m wearing overalls, my hair is in pigtails, and all this protective gear that you shoved me in makes me look like an eight year old-!” you gasp when you feel yourself suddenly bump into something hard and taehyung quickly loops his arm around your waist to keep you from toppling over

it’s a second later that you realize the something hard that you bumped into was jungkook’s obviously broad chest, so obviously this rollerskating lesson is already off to a fantastic start 

“woah, you got it?” jungkook holds both his hands out in case you fall over and you let out a nervous chuckle before reaching up to push your helmet up slightly

“i’m fine!” your voice cracks and you clear your throat quickly, “…hello.”

“hi! it’s nice to meet you- y/n, right?” jungkook sticks his hand out for you to shake and you smile nervously before reaching out to take it, “my name’s jungkook! i’m super excited for today. we’re going to have a lot of fun together.”

you don’t know if it’s just because he’s clearly one of those fun and overly friendly! instructors or if he’s just naturally bubbly but he’s talking to you like you’re a child

(you probably could’ve ditched the pigtails today.) 

“okay, i’m going to go off now so let me just hand y/n over to you-” taehyung arm slips from your waist before he gently rolls you towards jungkook, “you two have fun!”

your hands immediately slap down on the railings right as you feel yourself about you slip and you let out a breath of relief

that was a close call

“we will!” jungkook smiles, waving at taehyung as he skates off, “you enjoy yourself out there!”

you watch helplessly as taehyung skates away, jungkook turning back to look at you with a (very handsome) smile

you feel your heart skip a beat once again and you immediately curse in your head 

…you’re screwed.

                                    »»————-　💫  ————-««

“because of the balance and control required, it’ll take a little bit of getting used to- but once you get the hang out it, rollerskating is super fun!” jungkook reaches out so you can take his hand, “do you wanna let go of the bar for me?”

there are a lot of things you’d like to do for jungkook but letting go of the railing and potentially falling in front of him is most definitely not one of them

“you know, i think i’m good!” you chuckle, your knuckles practically going white at how tightly you’re gripping onto the railing, “why don’t you just keep talking while i… you know, get used to the feeling of just standing while wearing skates?”

“okay, if that’s what you’re comfortable with, that’s what we can do. let’s see… ah!” jungkook perks up, clapping his hands together before gesturing down to his own feet, “so, you’re gonna wanna keep your feet shoulder-width apart. can you do that for me?”

you look down at your feet, not at all surprised to see that they’re practically glued to each other

okay

shoulder-width apart

you can do that, right?

you lift your right foot up slowly before quickly moving it farther away from your left foot, your skate skidding slightly against the floor as you stomp down

goD these skates are clunky

you’ll never understand how people find this activity genuinely enjoyable

“see? not so bad, right? now, i’m really going to need you to let go of the bar for me so that we can move onto the next step- i swear i won’t let you fall if you take my hand.”

your eyes flicker down to his outstretched hand and you twist your lips uncertainly, “you promise?”

jungkook places his hand over his heart, “i promise.”

you lift one hand off the rail and quickly take jungkook’s hand, pausing for a second to make sure that everything feels okay before quickly lifting the other hand off the rail

you practically slap your hand down on jungkook’s other palm and let out a breath of relief as soon as he grips it tightly, and you look back in concern when jungkook starts to pull you away from the railing

“there you go! see?” jungkook smiles brightly, giving your hands a squeeze to get you to focus on him instead of the bars, “not so bad, right?” 

“yeah, i guess so…” you puff out, feeling your heart starting to pound harder not onLY because the safety of the railings have been taken away from you but also because jungkook’s hands are… very soft.,,. and very warm,.,. and very pretty.,., and all-in-all very nice

“okay, step two. so, this next part is going to make you feel a little silly, but we have to walk like ducks because it just makes the process of walking easier. you kind of have to point your toes outwards- yeah, just like that! and don’t forget to squat a little-” jungkook hums, leaning over a little so he can look to see if your stance is okay, “perfect! we’re just going to keep practicing until you get used to walking...”  

“you know, taehyung actually took me ice-skating over the holidays and i fell, like… ten times.” you snort, keeping your eyes on your skates as you take one small step after another, “i thought rollerskating would be easier but i feel like there are more rules to worry about…”

“oh my god, don’t even worry about it-“ jungkook snorts, shaking his head, “i’m an awful ice-skater. you’d think it’d come naturally to me because i can rollerskate- plus, i don’t see the fun in ice-skating! i know it’d never happen but i’m always paranoid that the skates are going to slice-”

“-the ice open and you’re going to fall through and plunge into the icy water?”

“exactly! see, you get it.” jungkook grins, leaning down a little to check your posture again, “you know, you’re a complete natural. i don’t know why you were so nervous to begin with!”

you snort in response and resist the urge to tell him that his face was one of the major things that contributed to your nerves 

“ooh, and you know what else i hate about ice-skating?” jungkook gasps, “that if i fall and get my hands on the ground, someone’s going to skate over them and amputate all of my fingers.”

you immediately burst into giggles and he gawks playfully

“are you laughing at a genuine fear of mine, y/n?? i didn’t take you to be someone who could be so cruel…”

“no, i’m not laughing at you!” you smile softly and you can’t help but note how warm and comforting his presence is, “i’m just- i said that exact same thing to taehyung when we were ice-skating and he said i was being ridiculous, so it’s nice to know that someone shares the same opinions on ice-skating as i do.” you instinctively squeeze jungkook’s hands when you feel the wheels roll out from underneath you a little and you end up jerking forward a little 

“woah-! you’re okay- i’ve got you…” jungkook rubs his thumbs over your knuckles reassuringly as he waits for you to regain your balance and start walking again, “i told you i wouldn’t let you fall, remember?”

“yeah…” you smile shyly, feeling your cheeks heat up a little

you don’t feel as nervous anymore

no wonder jungkook has a five-star rating as an instructor

he’s great!

“also, you do realise we’ve walked, like, an entire round around the rink, right?”

“what? we have?” you pause, looking up from your skates for the first time in ten minutes 

you’re almost at the spot you were at right when you first started

woah

wow!!

you didn’t even realize!!

that’s so cool!!

you walked an entire round without falling (a lot of almost-falling, but you’ll take it)!!!

“i mean, i don’t know about you, but i feel like we can move on to gliding now…” jungkook whistles lowly, “you’re a very fast learner so i’m not worried.”

“gliding is…” you lean over a little when you notice taehyung having a blast at the other side of the rink with his new companion, the two of them skating side by side

she laughs at something he says before playfully swatting at his arm

it’s just good to see him smiling and not crying for once 

one of the things that you love most about taehying is that he’s so in tune with his emotions, but when his ex (he forbade you from saying her name) broke up with him, he cried so much that you were pretty sure he had completely dehydrated himself 

so it’s nice that he seems to be enjoying himself! 

“so, gliding is-” jungkook steps over to get right into your line of vision and you quickly look back at him with an attentive smile, “basically turning your steps into smoooooth strokes. instead of dropping your foot straight down, you’re going to be pushing it forward and out. it’s kind of hard to explain gliding… you kinda just have to let momentum carry you forward and do its thing, you know? it’s literally just a one foot after the other situation.”

“well, if you can glide backwards, i’m sure i can figure out how to do it normally.” you point out, jungkook snorting in response

“trust me, you’ll be able to pick it up quickly. remember that when you’re gliding on one foot to keep your other slightly hovering above ground so it doesn’t interfere-” jungkook stops himself when he notices your brows knitting together (you seem to do this a lot when you’re focusing too hard on something), “ah, you know- i find that it’s easier to glide when you’re not actually focused on the gliding!” he chirps, giving your hands a reassuring squeeze, “if it helps, you can keep your eyes on me instead of staring down at your skates.”

hAh

if anything, staring directly at jungkook is going to throw you off your game compared to keeping your eyes glued on the ground

“okay, i will... try not to focus on the gliding while simultaneously focus on the gliding.” your tongue instinctively pokes out slightly in concentration as you push forward with one foot, being sure to keep your other a little above ground just like jungkook said 

you quickly switch to the other foot when you feel your right foot slowly starting to lose momentum, pushing off with your left instead and lengthening your stride so you can skate a little further 

hey

look at that! 

not bad!! 

“look at you go, superstar!” jungkook cheers encouragingly, grinning from ear to ear as he watches you gliding flawlessly, “you were born for this!” 

“you know, you may have a point- woAh-” your skates roll out a little from under you and you lurch forward, jungkook quickly sliding his grip from your hands to underneath your elbows to keep you from falling, “...yeah, so i spoke too soon.” you huff, blowing a strand of hair away from your face as you glance up at jungkook, still bent over at a ninety degree angle

“it’s my bad, i think i may have blown up your ego with all my compliments-” the sides of his eyes crinkle as he laughs, “all good?” 

you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and feel a piece of your soul float out from your body when you realise you basically look like a little old woman clutching onto one of those rolling walkers

wow

the possibility of jungkook being interested in you was low to begin with, but now it’s probably been squashed entirely

“uh, yes!” you clear your throat as you force yourself to stand up stick-straight, your knees clacking together for a second before you get back into position, “all good! i’m all good. we’re good.” 

oh boy 

if it makes you feel any better… it can’t get any worse than this, right?

“i-” you jolt when the music suddenly clicks off and is replaced by the shrill ringing of microphone feedback

“youch.” jungkook winces, raising his shoulder slightly and tilting his head down towards it so he can try to cover up one of his ears 

your brows furrow in confusion as you look up towards the speakers, unsure of if there’s just a technical difficulty or if something important is happening, “what’s going o-”

“sorry for the interruption, skaters! we just wanted to cut in and wish every single one of you a happy valentine’s day...” 

a large disco ball lowers from the ceiling as the lights begin to dim, the room suddenly engulfed in a warm pink glow as visions of glinting sparkles and hearts reflect from the disco ball onto the wooden floors along with the velvety walls

oh, god

seriously?!

you look up towards the speakers and resist the urge to curse and shake your fist at them like an angry old man

haven’t the people here considered that there might be single people in the rink?! 

…on valentine’s day…??

yeah that doesn’t make much sense

“grab your lover and glide along the floor as we play you some romantic tunes on this romantic evening… also, to the owner of a baby blue mercedes-benz convertible- i repeat, a baby blue mercedez-benz convertible... your car is parked in a tow-away zone. that’s all!”

the bee gees’ how deep is your love starts to play and you quickly pull your hands away from jungkook’s, your face flushing in embarrassment at the sudden change in atmosphere

you wobble slightly as soon as you pull away and immediately stick both your arms out in a poor attempt to keep balanced

okay

all you have to do is glide your way towards the exit so that you’re not just awkwardly standing in the middle of the ring while lovey-dovey couples skate around you

it’s only then that you realise that jungkook is facing away from you and seemingly looking for someone

you tap him on the shoulder and he turns to glance at you, “yes?”

“who... who are you looking for?” you frown, leaning over to peer over him so you can see what he’s seeing

“hm? oh, i was just looking for your boyfriend…” he trails off, continuing to look around the rink, “the two of you probably want to skate together right now and you’ll get to show off your brand new gliding skills, which is exciting-”

“boyfri- are you talking about taehyung?” you snort, quirking a brow in amusement, “he’s… oh my god, he’s definitely not my boyfriend. i’m only here for emotional support because he just got out of a relationship- we don’t have to get into it- the point is, he’s not my boyfriend. i don’t, uh, i’m not in a relationship at the moment. i’m… very single.”

why are you still talking?!

you clear your throat as you look for the nearest exit gate

“oh!” jungkook blinks before turning back around to face you, “in that case-“ your eyes widen in surprise when he sticks his hand out for you to take, “shall we?”

you blink down at his outstretched hand cluelessly before suddenly realizing what it is he’s asking

“oh, i-” you snort, immediately shaking your head, “no, you don’t have to do that…”

“what do you mean?” jungkook frowns, tilting his head curiously, “you don’t want to skate with me? after all we’ve been through?? y/n, you’re breaking my heart here!” he jokes, clutching at his chest before pouting (quite cutely) at you 

“n-no!” you laugh lightly, shaking your head, “i mean, of course i’d love to skate with- i-it’s very nice of you to offer, and i know you’re obviously being paid and stuff but you don’t… ah, you don’t have to force yourself to skate with me if you don’t want to...” you mutter, reaching up to scratch the back of your neck, “like, i’m sure taehyung’s already planning to give you an extra big tip for basically babysitting me all night so you don’t have to force yourself to do anything extra-”

“no, i wanna skate with you!” jungkook interrupts, skating over so that he’s standing next to you instead, “plus, it’ll be good practice, right?”

“well, i-” you don’t get a chance to respond before jungkook’s suddenly slipping an arm around your waist and holding onto one of your hands for extra support, “i don’t know, i suppose i’m just not used to gliding without holding both of your hands so i’m just worried i’m going to make both of us fall somehow which would be mortifying-”

“that’s alright, i can hold both your hands if you feel safer that way,” jungkook chuckles, his arm sliding away from your waist so he can swivel around and stand in front of you again, “after all, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry!” he takes your hands gently as he starts to skate backwards, his thumbs rubbing the tops of your knuckles comfortingly

-‘cause we’re living in a world of fools... breaking us down... when they all should let us be... we belong to you and me...

how deep is your love continues to echo all around you and even though you feel a little awkward skating around with your instructor to a very romantic song, you have to admit that this was a great choice of song for valentine’s day 

it’s a timeless classic! 

“so, you, um…” jungkook clears his throat after a minute or two of comfortable silence, turning back for a second to glance over his shoulder and make sure he’s not about to crash into anyone, “what kind of things do you like doing?”

and it’s me you need to show... how deep is your love?

“rollerskating. is it not obvious?” you joke, looking up at him and reminding yourself that you should make more of an effort to look at him and noT constantly at the ground, “um, i don’t know! that’s kind of a broad question, i guess. i like... i like... i like painting-! i mean, i’m not good at it, but it’s a pretty relaxing hobby...” 

“painting is nice!” jungkook nods slowly in agreement before perking up slightly, “say, have you ever been to a pottery studio?” 

“you know, i actually haven’t!” you shake your head before staring past jungkook’s shoulder in thought, “i should go to one... it sounds like a lot of fun! do you...” you cough quietly and avert your gaze slightly, “do you go there often with your... uh, significant other?” 

“me? oh, i’m not in a relationship.” jungkook chuckles before giving you a shrug, “none of my co-workers wanted to take the valentine’s day shift because they actually have someone to spend valentine’s day with, so... that’s why i’m here!”

“oh! so, you’re…” you trail off before pressing your lips together and giving him a firm nod, “i see.”

so you’re both single?

interesting

very interesting 

you can’t help but wonder if he’s looking to change that  

“i-”

“incoming!”

you don’t even get a chance to turn around to see what’s going on when suddenly someone’s basHING into you from behind and making you lose your balance

and the next thing you know you’re stumbling forwards and poor jungkook’s reflexes aren’t fast enough because-

“oh-!” you land on top of jungkook with your legs on either side of him, your knee pads clacking loudly against the ground, “oh, shit-” 

“sorry! my bad!” taehyung glides past you with a sheepish smile before not-so-subtly gesturing to the girl he’s got on his arm and giving you an obnoxious wink and a thumbs up as a way to let you know he’s definitely getting boned tonight

you want nothing more than to rip your skates off right now so you can chase after him and bash his head in 

you turn to look down at jungkook, immediately raising your hands up off his (broad, broad) chest as your entire face flushes bright red, “i am- i am so sorry- are you okay?? is your head okay?? i can- i can give you my helmet!” you wince, reaching up to unbuckle your helmet before hastily taking it off and tossing it aside

“don’t sweat it, i’m completely fine-” jungkook laughs lightly before shaking his head, propping himself up onto his elbows and blowing a curled strand of hair away from his eyes with a puff, “my head’s fine! luckily i didn’t hit it on the ground or anything like that, but my ass-”

“oh, god. i’m so sorry- here, i’ll-” you attempt to get up off the ground only for the wheels on your skates to roll out from under you and for your knee to smack against the ground again, jungkook grunting as you bounce on him a little harder than intended, “oh, jesus christ-”

great

there’s no way you’re going to be able to get up because of these stupid skates and now your very cute instructor is a hostage in between your thighs!

“this is so humiliating, i am... so, so sorry- i’m definitely forcing taehyung to give you a generous tip after all of this is over-” you laugh uncomfortably, your hands about to place themselves on jungkook’s chest again before you quickly move them so that they’re on either side of his head instead

of course, this position isn’t any better because now you’re just staring down at his face directly 

little white hearts from the disco ball float over his face and though you know this is hardly the right time, your heart can’t help but go badumpbadump at the reminder of how pretty jungkook is 

“okay, wait, what if i-” he suddenly sits straight up and your eyes immediately cross at the close proximity of your faces, “hi.”

you don’t know if it’s even possible but you feel your face get even redder and you find that you’re unable to look away from jungkook 

he has very sweet-looking eyes 

they’re a very nice shade of brown 

“i- uh, hello.” you clear your throat quietly, pressing your hands as close to your own chest as possible so that you’re not touching jungkook, “hi.” 

the last thing you want is for him to accuse you of groping him

but maybe it’d be a good thing to get a lifetime ban from the rollerskating rink

then taehyung will never be able to force you to skate again!

“we should take your skates off so that we’re not stuck like this all night.” you twitch when you feel jungkook’s hand slide down the side of your calf before reaching the top of your skates, “do you think you can undo your other one for me?”

“ah- yes. yes, i can do that.” you turn away so you can look back at your skate, reaching down and ripping the velcro strap before hurrying to undo the laces

you feel jungkook fumble at your skate, yanking the tie loose before trying to help you wiggle your foot out of it, “okay, just pull your foot out-”

“yeah, lemme just-” you have to shuffle forwards in order for jungkook to pull the skate off of you and your nose crinkles when you realize you’ve just gone ahead and fully pressed your chest to jungkook’s 

wonderful

just wonderful 

(for the record, he smells really good... but you’re pretty sure you sound like a creep right now, so maybe you should go ahead and scrap that thought.) 

“what happened to not letting me fall?” you joke lightly as you get up off the ground, hoping to ease the tension a little from whatever all of that was, “are you sure you’re okay? i didn’t break anything?” 

“i promise you i’m totally fine-” jungkook gets back up onto his feet and bends down to pick up your skates before popping up to look at you with a grin, “and it only happened because i was distracted!” he pauses for a brief moment before tilting his head, his smile softening, “can you blame me? you’re very pretty.”

oh

you weren’t expecting him to say that

“oh, that’s- ha… that’s very nice of you.” you reach up to scratch the back of your neck before letting out a nervous chuckle, “you are… also… quite… visually appealing.”

quite visually appealing  

why are you speaking like an alien trying to convince everyone that they aren’t an alien?!

“so, there’s still about half an hour left of your lesson left, but i feel like you’ve had enough of skating for now.” jungkook changes the subject quickly and you can’t help but notice that his ears are starting to get red, “we can just sit on the bench and rest... or do you... uh, do you maybe want to share a chilli dog with me?” he asks quietly, and for the first time since meeting him he’s the one who looks away from you first 

“...you know, i think that might be the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.” you giggle, reaching over to loop your arm through his when he sticks it out for you, “i would love to share a chilli dog with you.” 

“not to flex or anything, but i do get the employee discount…” jungkook clicks his tongue, reaching up to pop open his collar obnoxiously before turning to give you a wide grin, “and if that doesn’t impress you, i don’t know what will.”

🎙️help me help you make your wishes come true (send me a request!)

✨why don’t you explore the rest of the library while you’re here?

💫or perhaps you want something shorter to read?

🌟or something even shorter?

[foli-vora]

more than words - pt.1

A/N: I’ve had this in my head for forever and a half so it feels good to finally sort my thoughts and random notes out. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: The one person who you thought would be happy for you finally getting with someone decent was your best friend. After all, he had set you both up. Who would’ve thought he’d be the reason it all falls apart?

Pairing: best friend!Benny Miller/f!reader, Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales/f!reader

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: alcohol consumption, swearing, mentions of sexual acts/sexual refences (no smut yet but it’s coming so this is strictly 18+)

pt.2 / pt.3 / pt.4 / pt.5 / pt.6

+++

Wednesday nights were pizza nights. A rule established in the early stages of your friendship with Benjamin Miller – a loud mouth, golden hearted ex-spec ops mess of a human being. A chance meeting one stormy day on the freeway, led to something you weren’t expecting – a friendship, and a solid one at that.

“– she damn near tried to suck the life out of me!”

“Jesus Ben, there are kids a table over.”

“So? They shouldn’t be eavesdroppin’ on conversations that don’t concern them.” He grins lopsidedly at your scowl of disapproval, ripping off a mouthful of pizza and humming as he chews it, head swaying to the faint music playing behind the bar. “You’re payin’, by the way.”

You snort quietly, “Don’t I always?”

He recoils, blinking in playful surprise. “Excuse you? I paid last…” he trails off, eyes rolling to the wall as he thinks but a frown soon pinches his brows. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I love you and I appreciate you.”

You laugh quietly, shaking your head as you signal for another round. “Anyways, reverting to our previous topic before you got carried away with your blowjob story.”

He makes a noise, snapping his fingers as he tries to rush chewing and swallowing his mouthful. “So,” he starts, “I’ve got a friend…”

You groan immediately, letting your head lull back. “Ben –”

This wasn’t anything new. Benny took it as his own personal mission to fix you up with anyone he thought could give you a good time and treat you well. Friends, colleagues, Hell – even his brother at one point. Will was lovely, by all means, but not your type. Both you and Will had agreed you were not a match in the slightest early in the evening, enjoyed a night of beer and pool, and then went your separate ways.

Although, now that you thought about it, Ben hadn’t mentioned setting you up with anyone for a long while. Not since before his mysterious trip.

You still didn’t know anything about it, other than he and some old work friends went on an apparent ‘vacation’. It was more than that – you knew it, and he knew you knew it, but you didn’t push the topic. Instead of interrogating him, forcing question after question on him, you let it go, sensing it was something he really didn’t want to talk about.

He had returned from that trip a few months ago, heavy with exhaustion and usually bright eyes dull and weary. You tucked him into your bed, and left him. He slept for hours. It wasn’t until much later that evening that you crept in to see how he was doing, and found him thrashing silently in the sheets, sweaty and incoherently mumbling, face pinched and puckered in pain. You didn’t wake him. Instead, you knelt beside the bed, softly stroking along his forehead until his erratic movements and breathing calmed. You didn’t bring it up.

“I know, I know,” he threw his hands up in defence with a small grin, “but I think you’ll like this one.”

“That’s what you always say.”

“No, I mean it this time. He’s a real good guy – one of my closest. I think you guys would really hit it off. I haven’t tried to set you up before because he was with the chick but she upped and left him alone with the baby and –”

“Sorry, what?”

“What?”

“He has a baby? Like a… like a child?”

Benny frowns defensively, “You’ve always said you want kids!”

“It’s still a huge commitment, Ben.”

“Jesus, I’m not walking you down the aisle! Just meet him and see where it goes. If it ends in some good sex, you say ‘thank you Ben’ and we move on. And if it ends in something more, you guys take it slow and buy me wings as a thank you.” He shrugs, looking thoroughly impressed with himself, and reaches for his beer, polishing it off in one swig.

“And what if it ends in bad sex?” You challenge, crossing your arms on the table and leaning forward to eye him critically.

He scoffs, “Woman please. I know my brothers. You’ll be in good hands.”

You take a moment to thank the waitress as she stops at your table with your beers. She lingers just a little on passing Ben his, an act he didn’t miss as he shoots her a wink and a honeyed, thanks sugar. She smiles, cheeks flooding with colour before she turns and waltzes off towards other customers, swinging her hips as she goes.

You’re expressionless when he finally turns back to you, “Sugar?”

“Shut your mouth.”

Façade cracking, a snicker falls past your lip and you chuckle. “Alright,” you concede, “you’ve got my interest. What’s his name?”

“Fish.”

… what?

“Come again?”

“Francisco – we call him Fish. Catfish, actually.”

“Your age?”

“Bit older.”

You sigh deeply, rolling your head on your shoulders in thought. You were curious, no doubt about it. Despite never being able to make anything last long-term out of the list of men Benny had set you up with, none of them were bad guys. They were all kind, funny and incredibly respectful. One great thing about Benjamin Miller was that he had an impeccable taste in character.

“I don’t know, Ben –”

He slips his phone from his pocket and swipes away at his screen before wordlessly handing you the device. It was a photo, taken from one of Benny’s many weekend trips into the wilderness. Your eyes are dragged from the incredible background of snow peaked mountains and lush green forests to the man standing beside Benny, tucked under his arm. Average build and height, a well-loved trucker cap hiding dark hair. Warm brown eyes, crinkled from a large dimpled grin between dark patched facial hair.

Benny, seeing the sudden spark of interest, grins around his beer bottle. “So, I’ll slip him your number?”

You tighten your jaw and hand his phone back, sniffing impassively as you reach for your beer. “If it means you’ll leave me alone, then fine.” You mutter coolly, ignoring his quiet chuckle.

+

“Wait, wait – you have a best friend and it’s not one of us? I’m cut, Benny. Cut real deep.” Santiago Garcia was curious, to say the least. For years, he had known the youngest Miller and he had never mentioned anyone beyond their little circle or their families. “She cute?”

Benny huffs a chuckle, leaning across the pool table and lining up the final ball. “Hell yeah, she’s cute.”

“Where you been hiding her?”

“She moved away – only came back late last year.”

Santi hums, “Ironhead – she cute?”

Will half smiles, dragging his attention away from the pool table to shrug. “She’s alright.”

His bait works. Benny snaps it up – hook, line and sinker. He stands abruptly from his shot, cue just skimming the white ball, and points an angry finger in his brother’s direction, “I won’t take that shit. She’s a damn angel and you know it.”

Will chuckles to himself before returning his attention to Santi. “Yeah, she’s cute. Show ‘em.”

Benny briefly steps away from the pool table, opens his phone and brings up your Instagram profile, throwing it to Pope and letting him scroll through your feed.

“How come you’ve met her and we haven’t?” Pope aims his question at the older Miller brother, currently bent over the table and pocketing the black ball.

He half shrugs, straightening. “He set us up. It didn’t work out.”

Santi’s face puckers into a teasing glower, and he pouts at the younger Miller. “So, what? You set everyone else up and just leave me to die alone? What’s that about, Benjamin?”

Benny holds his arms out in obvious exaggeration, gesturing deliberately to himself. “You’ve got me.”

Frankie quietly sips his beer and watches in fond amusement, content to stay in the background and away from the bickering. Like Santi, his interest had been piqued but he was somewhat nervous about the situation. He already had feelings of apprehension returning to the dating scene after the shit show of a year he’d had, and those feelings tripled when it came to potentially dating someone close to one of his longest friends. He hadn’t dated in years. He was rusty. What if he disappointed you and Benny ended up kicking his ass? It could get messy real quick.

“I don’t know, man.” He finally pipes up, crossing his arms comfortably across his torso and reclining in the bar stool after peaking over Santi’s shoulder and at the screen he was lazily scrolling through. Ha. Way out of his league. “This kinda shit never works.”

“You sayin’ she’s not good enough for you?”

Frankie shakes his head, rolling his eyes. “You know I’m not.”

“Sounds like you are.”

“Quite the opposite.”

“I’ll take his spot. Give me her number.” Santi holds a hold out, clicking his fingers impatiently when Benny merely rolls his eyes. Pope grins, settling back into his seat and elbowing Frankie softly. “I think you should go for it, man. She seems great, and you need to get back out there.”

“I can’t, I’ve got Mena –”

“And Mena’s got her tío. Go for it. You’re just looking for excuses – no seas cobarde.”

Frankie chews on his lip as he gives it a bit of thought, wondering what’s the worst possible case scenario that could come from it. A busted lip? His self-image in ruins? Scared off from dating for the rest of his life? All things he could live with.

“… alright.”

Immediately, Benny perks up from setting the pool table with a large grin. “Yeah?”

Fish sighs, long and drawn out as Pope playfully pokes his side. “Yeah. Give me her number, I’ll message her now.” Before he freaks and changes his mind.

Maybe he was just thinking too much. What’s the worst that could happen?

+

Tags: @anu-simps​

[sunshineseung]

Paperwork // Hyunjin

🍄 | genre: smut (18+ only) ☁️ | pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x female!reader 🌿 | wc: 5.1k 🌸 | includes: switch-dom!hyunjin, switch-sub!reader, oral (both receiving), PIV riding, pet names, begging, kinda goofy at first, cum swallowing, “sir”, a lil bit more but not too much

☀️ | synopsis: You’ve been working at this office for five painstakingly long years, but despite your best efforts, you never get a raise or promotion. When the CEO retires, his son takes his place, and seeing as you’re around the same age as his son, this could be your chance to get ahead. 

🌊 | If you want to skip to the smut, look for the [🔥] because there’s a lot of set up for this one, but I know some people just want to get off lol.

He has finally stepped down. After 60 long, long years, the CEO of the company you work at has retired, as if he didn’t have enough money to retire 30 years ago.

The amount of times you’ve been told off by that man is practically uncountable. It felt like at one point you were going into his office every week to ask for any sort of promotion, raise, or even kudos, but every time, he turned up his nose and shooed you away like some kind of stray cat. You’ve worked too long and too hard to not be given proper treatment. Despite everything, you stay at the company, knowing no where else in the city will pay nearly as well.

The company now belongs to his oldest son, Hyunjin. He’s never worked in this office, yet the old man still thought it would be appropriate for him to run the entire company (supervised by a few HRs, of course). Hyunjin looked like a complete fool trying to command the floors of burnt out office workers just trying to pay next month’s rent and put food on their tables, not that he would know what it’s like to work for anything. The first job he’s ever had and it’s the CEO of a multi-million dollar enterprise, who would have thought?

This is your chance. He’s right around your age, give or take a few months, and he seems marginally more friendly than his father. If you were ever going to climb the corporate ladder to finally move out of your studio apartment, it was right now.

Wearing the tightest, shortest skirt you own with the perfect button up to match, you step into his office after scheduling a meeting with his temporary secretary. When you sit down in the chair across from him, he just sighs and waits for you to speak your piece so he can get back to his grueling job of signing documents that he never reads.

“Good morning, sir. I was just coming up here to compliment you on how well you’ve been running the place since your father stepped down. It seems like company morale is at an all time high, and I can’t imagine thanking anyone other than you.”

“So you want a promotion, right?” He scoffs, grabbing a pen to click repeatedly as you struggle coming up with a response. You weren’t expecting him to be so quick on his feet considering he would stutter over every word talking at meetings. “I assume you didn’t come in here just to kiss my ass.”

“Alright, you caught me, but can I at least make my case?” He looks up from the pen to wordlessly incite you to keep talking. “I’ve been working here since I got out of college. This is really my dream, and it would mean the world to me if I could get farther, work harder, and, if you’re feeling so inclined, get a bit of a paycheck raise.”

“Well, you caught me on the right day, miss...”

“L/n. But you can call me Y/n if you want.”

“Y/n.” Hyunjin puts the pen down and leans on his desk, elbows propping himself up. “If you’re up for the task, I am looking for a new secretary.”

“As I’ve heard.” The rumor has been going around that his father left his secretary for Hyunjin, but all they’ve been doing if fighting, so they had to bring in a temporary one, the one you spoke with, to hold him off until Hyunjin finds a secretary he likes. “Not to be rude, but wouldn’t you rather have a male secretary like your father had?”

“No, no. I know what I want.” He runs his hand through his black hair, slipping out the ponytail that was holding the long strands out of his face. “I want you to be my secretary. No one else.”

He drags his fingers through a stack of papers on his desk, stopping at a five page contract booklet. He slides you the papers and the pen he was just fiddling with.

“If you really want this promotion, you’ll sign on that dotted line right now.”

🖊⌚️🗄🗞🪙📞

Working for Hyunjin wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. Once he warms up to you, he’s actually really sweet. If you mess up his coffee or misscedule a meeting, he doesn’t fire you immediately, but rather just assures you that it’s okay and you’ll do better next time, a total 180 from what you saw that first time in his office. After a few weeks, you’re a dream to work with, and the job is a lot less stressful than you had assumed.

Hyunjin, on the other hand, was beyond stressed. Meeting after meeting, signature after signature, decision after decision: it was all too much. The only time he smiled was when you brought him coffee in the morning, or when he’d hear your voice through the phone. He always looked forward to seeing you, even if it was only for a brief minute. You were really the only thing keeping his sanity together.

“Here’s your coffee, sir.” You put the cup on his desk as he reads a random document. He thanks you, as usual, and takes a quick sip before immediately regretting his decision when he felt his tongue begin to burn. You quick go to his mini-fridge and pass him a water bottle, standing back as he gulps half of it down to relieve at least some of the pain. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for it to get that hot!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! Don’t worry about it.” He sits back in his chair and slowly turns to you, meeting your eyes in a light-hearted stare. He laughs before finally speaking again. “You’re holding this company together, you know that?”

You laugh right with him, rolling your eyes at his statement. “Oh please, I just forward emails all day.”

“No, I mean it.” He holds his hands out and grabs yours, interlocking your hands in a soft grip. You could easily move back, but you don’t want to. “Without you, I’d be losing my mind.”

“Aw, you’re too kind.” You stand in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say next. The silence isn’t awkward by any means, but you can’t help but wonder why you’re holding the hands of your boss. “You’re doing very well, though. You have some big shoes to fill, and I feel like you’re doing the best you can.”

“Of course you’d say that. You work for me.” Hyunjin lets go of your hands and leans back in his chair again, crossing one of his legs over the other and lazily putting his hands behind his head, lounging back. “Y/n, can I say something crazy?”

“Say whatever’s on your mind, sir. I’m all ears.”

“Ugh, drop the formalities. Just call me Hyunjin, okay?” You nod, letting him continue with his speech. “I really appreciate you, Y/n, and it’s no secret that my family is loaded, so I want to ask if you’d come live with me downtown.”

“W-what?” Your eyes practically bulge out of your head. Living with your boss sounds absolutely insane, but any chance to get out of your shitty apartment is promising. This is the opportunity of a life time, no doubt, but is it worth taking? “Sir, I...”

“For fuck’s sake, call me Hyunjin.” You’ve never heard him curse before. “Listen, I live in a penthouse on the top story of a high-security luxury apartment complex. I’m all alone in a five bedroom apartment with a full view of the town. Going home alone every night is wearing on me, and it would mean a lot to have someone else there, even just to talk to.”

“I need time to think.” You look anywhere but his eyes as he leans forward and looks up at you from his chair.

“Take your time and think it over. I’ll give you until the end of the day.” Hyunjin turns back to his desk and looks at the paper he was reading before he burnt his tongue. “Go back to your office for now, but right after your shift, I want you here.”

“Yes, s-... okay, Hyunjin.”

🖊⌚️🗄🗞🪙📞

Everyone is gone except you, finalizing one last email before heading up to Hyunjin’s office. An office with no workers is eerie to say the least, and as you take the elevator up to Hyunjin’s office, you can’t help but notice how nervous you feel inside.

This is the right decision. As difficult as it might be, you’re going to say no to his offer. It’s extremely unprofessional to have any sort of out-of-work relationship with your boss. Thinking back to the outfit you wore when you took the promotion, it’s no wonder you assume you’ve made Hyunjin think you want this. Your apartment may be shitty, but at least it’s yours. Living with Hyunjin would cause too many problems in your life, and the last thing you need right now is problems.

He was waiting for you. With his head in his hands as you walk through the door, he darts his attention to you as you sit across from him. While it was certainly a familiar sight by now, he was just glad you didn’t run away from him after such an intense morning.

“Hyunjin, I just want to-”

“Stop.” He holds his hand up, pausing you mid-sentence. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I’m just stressed, and I’m not thinking clearly. I shouldn’t have offered you to live with me. That’s not who I am, nor is that something I should have sprung on you like that.” He reverts back to his former position with his head in his hands, staring down at his desk. “I just... I’m so lonely.”

You feel for him, you really do. He’s been thrown into this situation obviously not by choice, and he knows absolutely no one he’s working with other than you. With a stressful job and no one to turn to, it was clear why he was acting so rashly.

You pull his hands away from his head, holding them in yours like you did this morning. Rubbing your thumb over the back of his hand, you give him a gentle smile as he meets your eyes. The bags under his eyes are present, and his tiredness is visible. He looks so worn out to you. You really do feel bad.

“I’m not asking you to move in, but would you like to come back to my penthouse? Just for tonight?” He returns a smile to you, lowering his gaze blankly. “We can have a few drinks and talk. I just need someone with me right now.”

“Only if you’re paying for the taxi.” You two laugh together, appreciating each other’s presence.

“I’ll have my chauffeur drive us back to my place, and afterwards, he can drive you home.”

🖊⌚️🗄🗞🪙📞

Saying that Hyunjin’s apartment was massive would be an understatement. You felt like you walked into a penthouse from a dystopian future with shiny metal counter tops and black leather furniture. It didn’t look lived in, but to be fair, there was only one man living there. You felt cold even though it was room-temperature. 

“Follow me, doll.” Hyunjin takes your hand and leads you to the living room to sit on his L-shaped couch. If his pet name didn’t throw you off, you very well would have just walked there without his assistance, but you didn’t know how to react after being called ‘doll’ by your boss. “Want anything to drink? Wine? Vodka?”

“I’ll take wine, thank you.”

“Red or white?”

“Red.”

Hyunjin pours you both a glass and meets you back on the couch, lounging next to you, letting the soft silence fall over the room as you each take a sip of the expensive booze. As you drink a bit more, Hyunjin’s eyes are glued to you, and you start to break a sweat as the temperature in the room seems to rise. He’s just... staring at you. You feel uneasy, but this alcohol should help calm your nerves, right?

Hyunjin easily notices that you’re starting to slip into deeper thought, so he carefully puts his hand on your knee to bring you back into the moment. His gesture isn’t charged in anyway, but you still jolt at his touch. You dart your eyes towards his while looking like a deer in headlights. 

“Are you alright?” Hyunjin slides his hand up and down your leg only from your knee to mid-thigh. With his other hand, he puts his glass of wine on the coffee table in front of you so he can totally focus on your needs. Even though you hesitantly nod, he isn’t convinced in the slightest. “You want to know why I invited you here?”

“Sure, Hyunjin. Why did you invite me here?” The more he rambles on, the less you have to talk, so you gladly let him fill the silence. 

“Well, to put it simply, I’m interested in you.” You tilt your head in confusion. Was this a confession? “You’re a very intriguing person to me. When you walked into my office for the first time, you suffocated me with your aura. You truly do command a room, you know? That’s probably why you’ve gotten so far in your career.” His chuckle is awkward, and you don’t respond in any way to help his nerves. “You’re a woman that knows what she wants, and I admire that, especially since I don’t even know what I want.”

“How don’t you know what you want?” Your confidence was slowly coming back, although you weren’t sure if it was from the alcohol or your want to pick at Hyunjin’s brain. “You have everything anyone could ever want! Look at where you live!” You gesture to the room around you. The modern art-deco custom paintings, the abstract sculptures, the fake plants that looked too fake to even be considered plant-like. It was a dream, especially for those that lived in the city. “You have the perfect house and the job position people can only dream of.”

“I don’t want this, Y/n.” He stands from the couch, walking over to the wall of glass that separates the living room from the balcony. “This house means nothing. This job position means nothing.” He can’t face you, fearful that you’ll see how weak he is. “I want someone. I want you.”

Silence. You stare down at your legs, unable to even process what Hyunjin just said. Your thumbs rub against each other, fiddling so you can focus on anything else. Hyunjin sighs loudly and turns around, walking back over so he can tower over you. His shadow consumes you, shrouding your figure in slight darkness. A hand slips under your chin, pulling your face up to see him. His eyes sparkle when he looks at you as if he’s enamored by your existence. 

“What do I have to do?” Hyunjin ponders, leaning in closer to you. The scent of his cologne clogs your senses, and all you can think about is Hwang Hyunjin. “What do I have to do to have you?”

Your hand goes to his chest, grabbing his tie. You pull him into you, crashing your lips against his in a heated kiss. Hyunjin puts all of his emotion into this kiss, promising himself that he’ll show his love through his actions. 

Pulling away, you both catch your breath and enjoy the brief silence. For once, it isn’t awkward; the silence is welcomed. 

“Hyunjin,” you twirl his tie between your fingers, “if you want me, then prove it.” 

[🔥]

Hyunjin takes your hand in his, pulling you off the couch. He drags you up to his bedroom without saying a word, assuming you know what’s about to happen. His sheets are all black, neatly made without a stain in sight. Hyunjin sits on the edge of the bed, tapping on his lap to invite you to take a seat. 

You straddle him, feeling heated the second your thighs come in contact with his. It feels unreal, but you want this now more than ever. You didn’t drink even an entire glass of wine, so you can’t blame this decision on any ounce of alcohol. 

“Are you sure about this, sweetheart?” He wraps his long arms around your waist, pulling you into him so your body is pressed against his. “I need to hear you say you want this.”

“Yes, Hyunjin. I’m sure I want this.” You shoot him a smile that never fails to make his heart melt, and he can’t help but kiss you again, his lips perfectly fitting against yours. When you open your mouth to allow his tongue to slip in, he feels like he has reached nirvana. Hyunjin was been wanting this for so god damn long; he could bust in his pants just thinking about it. 

His mouth moves from your lips to your jawline, not leaving any hickeys because he knows you have work tomorrow. His kisses along your jaw and neck make you moan quietly, and your hands slip behind his head into his hair. You curl your fingers into his hair, pulling it ever so slightly. He grunts against your neck, sucking harder than before, accidentally leaving a red mark. 

He pulls off of your throat, breathing heavily, looking into your half-lidded eyes. Your hands rest on the back of his neck, holding him close to you. Hyunjin smiles lightly and pecks your cheek, making you both giggle from his cute gesture. 

“I know I told you not to call me sir, but... maybe just for tonight, you can call me that.” Oh, he’s like that? You kiss him for a moment before pushing him back, his body falling against the sheets. Your body hovers over his, and you roam your hands over his chest and abs, feeling him from over his shirt.

“Alright, sir.” You smile innocently, leaning down, kissing his neck to test his dominance. He doesn’t fuss at this. He accepts your kisses, throwing his head back to give you better access to kiss his neck. Your hands roam all over his body, paying special attention to his chest, or more specifically, his nipples. He groans quietly, biting his lips as your fingers rolls over his nipples. “Oh, you like this?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Sit up. Let me take your shirt off.” He laughs at your commands as he raises his body from the bed and unbuttons the top of his shirt before you step in and unbutton the rest. The slow reveal of his torso his haunting, causing your eyes to dart every which way across his body. He really looks like a Greek god. “This is what you’ve been hiding from me?” 

“Oh please, I’ve been wanting to fuck you since I first laid eyes on you, doll.” There it was again. That damn pet name. He really was going to be the death of you, so you might as well enjoy this. “I’ve had dreams of bending you over my desk and fucking you during work, but that wouldn’t be very appropriate, would it?” 

You gulp out of nervousness, unsure of where to go from here. You were in control for the moment, but now that Hyunjin was letting his emotions out, you keep getting flustered, wishing he would take the reigns over this situation. 

“Aw, is my little doll getting shy?” He brushes his hand across your hot cheek, making you stutter out nonsense. “You’re so cute, baby. I could flip you over and ruin you right now, but we should take our time, right?” 

You nod, tracing your hands on his chest again. Your thumb and pointer finger grip his nipples and twist, causing him to arch his back and fall against the bed once again. He’s putty in your hands again, so you up the ante by pressing your heat against his painfully large bulge in his tight work pants, teasing him just enough to make him weak. The sounds he’s making can only be described as sinful, and you love every minute of it.

You dive your head down to his chest, sucking hickeys into his defined pecs. Your tongue around his nipples makes him keen from pleasure, his hands petting your back up and down. When you lean up to look at all the marks you’ve made, he’s desperately trying to catch his breath. 

“I was supposed to be showing you how much I like you, not the other way around!” He giggles through deep breaths, running his hands down the sides of your body. “Lay back, baby. Let me take care of you, alright?”

You shrug in agreement, dramatically throwing your body back on the mattress for Hyunjin to pin you down under his lean figure. His gaze eats you alive, skimming over your skin like he was about to devour you. 

“You’re absolutely stunning, baby.” He kisses you on the lips, short and sweet, before unbuttoning your dress shirt and revealing your bra, feeling your tits over the fabric. His hands perfectly cup your tits, moving your bra down to play with your hardened nipples. You arch your back into his touch, relaxing and letting him worship your chest. He’s a master with his hands, making you moan and whine just enough for him to get even harder under his tight pants. “Can I take your bra off?”

“Of course, sir. Take it all off for me, alright?” You wink up at him, stirring a fire in his heart. He wants to take you, all of you, inciting him to rapidly strip you of your shirt and bra, tossing them to the side. His lips attach to one of your nipples while his hand goes to the other, playing with the bud between his fingers. His other hand snakes down your body and unbuttons your pants, sneaking down to play with your cunt over your panties. His middle finger pushes your panties into your pussy, saturating them with your wetness. “Please finger me, Hyunjin.”

“Oh, needy already?” He leans up from your chest, sitting between your spread legs as he unbuttons his own pants and pulls them down enough to see his bulge under his tight boxers. He looked so big, bigger than you’ve ever taken. Your cunt becomes drentched in a second of you imagining his cock going inside you. “Staring isn’t polite, you know?”

“S-sorry, sir.” He pulls your pants down your legs, leaving your panties to be the only thing covering you. His hands hug your hips, pulling you right up to him. You feel his bulge against your cunt, making you bite your lip.

One of Hyunjin’s big hands comes down to your cunt, a finger hooking around the bottom of your panties to move them to the side, allowing him to check out your sopping heat. His fingers feather through your folds, circling your needy hole just to tease you. He smiles as you whine and buck your hips up, physically begging him to fuck you dumb.

“My baby’s pussy looks so pretty. I can’t possibly fuck her before I get a taste.” You watch Hyunjin as he scoots down the bed and leans down to be eye-level with your cunt. He licks his lips before diving in, sucking on your clit and running his tongue through your pussy. One arm hooks around your leg while his other comes up to play with your pussy, his fingers teasing your hole before sliding in just enough to make you whine for more. “You’re so sweet, princess.”

“T-Thank you, sir.” You throw your head back when he bends his fingers inside you, curling into your g-spot. Hyunjin hums as you moan loudly, hinting to Hyunjin that you’re close. “C-cum, sir. Need to cum.”

“Aw, my baby’s ready to cum?” Hyunjin teases, going right back to sucking on your clit and mercilessly fingering your tight hole with two fingers. His tongue flicking over your clit is making you so close, your legs shaking as he continues to assault your cunt. “Cum on my fingers, babe.”

Your legs violently shake as you reach your orgasm, all your nerves on edge as waves of pleasure drown your brain. You moan Hyunjin’s name over and over, holding his hair in an iron grip. As you come down, his mouth slowly detaches from your pussy, fully lapping up all your juices.

“Open your mouth.” With your eyes still closed, you open your mouth wide open and let your tongue out, letting Hyunjin do whatever he wants to your mouth. His wet fingers dip into your mouth, pressing against your tongue to make you taste your cunt. You suck lightly on his fingers, tasting yourself before he slips his hand out of your mouth, separating his spit-coated fingers to admire your hard work. “Good girl.”

Your eyes goes back down, staring at the outline of his cock in his boxers. He notices your stare, pulling his waistband down to reveal his long, thick cock, leaking with precum, ready to be stuffed inside you. “W-wanna feel you inside me~”

“Aw, but baby, I’ve fucked you dumb just from my fingers. You think you can handle my cock?” He presses the tip of his cock against your hole, pushing it in just enough to make you whine loudly. He smiles, seeing how fucked out you are so easily. He leans down to your ear, holding your hips in his hands. “Do you really want it?”

His voice is so deep and quiet that it makes you shiver, biting your lips before you can even speak. You breath for a moment to collect yourself. “Yes, sir. I want it.”

“Alright, baby.” Hyunjin gives you a peck on your lips before laying next to you, putting his hands behind his head. You look over at him puzzled, still collecting your breath. “Ride me.”

Hyunjin takes a condom out of his nightstand while you whine and breath more, trying to bring back any feeling to your legs. You regain your strength as he rolls the comdom onto his thick shaft.

You huff and sit up, wobbling before getting balanced on the soft bed. You finally pull off your panties before straddling him. Hyunjin throws his head back as you start to jerk his cock, feeling him twitch in your palm. With your free hand, you pull his pants down more to let you comfortably straddle his hips. As you lower yourself into him, you both groan loudly, you from the stretch and him from the tightness.

Hyunjin’s hands hold tightly onto your waist as you fully lower onto him, halting your movements to allow your cunt to adjust to his size. He bites his lip and stares at your face, admiring your beauty despite your messy hair and sweaty forehead. You slowly raise your hips, gripping Hyunjin’s cock with your cunt as you lower back down.

“You’re so tight, baby- fuck.” Hyunjin’s groans are loud as hell, echoing through the bedroom as you ride him, establishing a slow pace. You feel so full, his tip reaching deep inside you, and you love it. The stretch doesn’t bother you anymore, speeding up slightly. He watches your tits bounce on your chest, teasing him with their perky nipples and forming hickeys.

“Is sir close?” You feel him switch inside you at your question, his eyes squeezing shut as he nods and whines. His grip on your waist looses before his hands fall next to his head. You lean down and pin his wrists to the bed with your hands. Having your tits right in his face makes it even harder to keep his cool.

Suddenly, Hyunjin’s hips buck into you, fucking up into your tight cunt while you force yourself to stay still so he can let out his energy... and your legs were getting tired. He hits your spot with every thrust, desperately fucking you so he can release into the condom. You feel him inside you, his cum ballooning the tip of the condom, making you moan as he whines, saying your name like a mantra. He looks so hot under you, you can’t help but lean down and kiss his pretty, plump lips while he sits inside you.

“I thought I could last longer.” Hyunjin wipes the sweat from his brow as he pulls out of you, pulling off the condom, tying it, and tossing it towards his trash can. “You really know how to break me.”

He doesn’t realize that you’re still on top of him, moving down the bed to take his cock into your mouth. He winces when your hot tongue hits the tip of his cock. You lick up his shaft before taking him into your mouth, testing your gag reflex as you take him down your throat, your nose hitting his pelvis. His hands find home in your hair, pulling tightly as you bob your head on his member.

He’s totally speechless, his brain empty as you suck his cock like a pro. Your tongue feels like heaven on Earth, quickly making him fully hard again and bringing him close to another orgasm. He’s never been over stimulated like this before, whining like a cat in heat as he watches his cock disappear down your throat. You stare up at him, keeping eye contact even if he doesn’t look at you.

He twitches in your mouth, his cock spawning against your tongue as you increase the pace. He bites his lip harsh enough to draw blood as he cums again, your head raising so only the tip is in your mouth while one hand jerks his cock, milking him dry. His vision is fuzzy, mind even foggier. He can’t believe you just did that without a word.

You swallow his cum, wiping the drool off of your chin as you hop up and lay next to him, nuzzling into his chest. He puts an arm around you while you two cuddle in silence.

“You’re really good at that, Y/n.” He huffs, smiling as he looks down at you who’s drifting off to sleep. “Are you gonna sleep over?”

“I was hoping I could. And who knows? Maybe we can fuck in the morning before going to work.”

“Fuck, work.” Hyunjin sighs loudly before groaning from the reminder of all of his stress. “This won’t change our relationship ship at the office, will it?”

“Not publicly, no, but if you ever need to releive some stress during the day, just invite me up to your office and I’d be happy to help you, sir.” You both laugh, finally at ease in each other’s arms. As you drift to sleep, you can’t help but be excited for the proceeding weeks at your work.

This is exactly the raise you needed.

[internalsealpanic]

Sealing the Deal part 2

Summary:  Dick has a perfectly reasonable idea.

a/n: There will probably be more parts to this since you people gave me so many ideas but for now here is some soft smut. Did I finish this just in time for the end of mermay? Yes.

warning: Attempt at soft smut

Main Masterlist

Part 1

"Let's get married."

 It takes around a minute for you to even register the fact that Dick had even said anything at all and another to parse out the meaning behind his words. You look up from the piece you've been slaving over for hours while Dick dozed on your lap. 

 "Let's get married." He repeats earnestly. 

 You narrow your eyes at him. You... clearly missed at least 2 diatribes and 40% of this conversation. "Uh Dickie, my love, did I miss the part where you divorced me or did I sleep through it like I did when Wally was preaching about raw fish?" You set your tools down and pull his pelt more tightly around you, feeling oddly protective of it. 

 Seeing you wrapped up in his pelt never failed to make Dick's chest flutter; unfortunately, he had to focus on the matter at hand. "As I was saying, we're married but not in the human way. "

 "Ah- Yeah, I see that but.. that seems entirely unnecessary." 

 "There's no harm in it." Dick says, looking at you with big hopeful eyes. No matter whether it’s his liquid seal eyes or his bright baby blues, you’re still a sucker. 

 He is definitely up to something. Dick always uses that look when he really wants something and you can already feel yourself falling for it. Who thought giving this man the cutest face in the world was a good idea? Who?! You sigh. Spousal homicide is a bad idea, you tell yourself. 

 "You're so lucky you're terribly cute," you huff, "you're also lucky that there's a ferry coming tomorrow."

 You mentally calculate how much time the whole trip would take but you know all that arithmetic is useless when you hazard a look at your husband.  Dick beams, dimples appear at the corners of his mouth, and makes the happiest little noises.

  You lean over the railing, watching the sea and feeling the wind comb through your hair. A pair of arms wraps around you making you squeak. 

 Dick buries his face in your hair and he sweeps you into his arms. "How's the most beautiful creature in the world?"

 "Dunno Dick, how are you?" You smile.

 Dick sniffles. "You're not allowed to be this cute."

 "Hypocrite." You laugh wrapping your arms around him. 

 He nudges his face against yours. 

 "Are you liking your first boat ride?"

 "I could still swim faster." Dick hums.

 You roll your eyes. "Sadly for us, I can't."

 "It's ok," he says, brushing his lips against the shell of your ear," it just means you can't escape me on this boat."

 "Pfffft!"

 "You're saying that now but look who I have in my hold." He chuckles, lips brushing against your neck.

 "We're in public you dork!" You squeal.

 "And?"

 You sigh."You just like embarrassing me."

 "Yup. Just ask Jaso- What's that?!" Dick says pointing to a statue on the shore. It was tall and proud with hair cascading down like a waterfall with a visage as hard as the rock it's carved on. You narrow your eyes trying to recall what the local told your father when you were younger.

 "Oh, it's... It's a sea goddess I believe or maybe a selkie." You shrug at Dick who looks at it in awe. You supposed this is the first time he's seen a statue that big.

 "I thought you said the people on the mainland didn't believe in selkies?"

 "Er... ok, so there are mainlanders who are more inland where I come from and there's people near the sea. No, there are more divisions than that but- Ok, so the place where I came from the sea wasn't as important but here it is so they probably have more folk tales."

 "I guess that makes sense," Dick says burying his face in your hair. "Did you have any folk tales?"

 "Some but it was mostly cautionary about maidens being stolen away."

 "Guess you didn't listen to them, huh?" he says, "did they say anything about stealing hearts?" Dick winks one of those winks that only he could make cute. 

 You huff into your scarf.  "More about eating them, I think."

 "I can do that if you want." He smirks cheekily.

You pat his cheek, trying to be as irritatingly condescending as possible.  "You're still not scary."

 Dick takes your hand in his and brings it closer to his lips. He pretends to bite at your fingers, his sharp canines dragging along the skin and nipping at the joints.  "It’s because I love you so much."

 Dick alternates between gawking at perfectly common sights like large cargo ships and flocks of sheep on the cliff and teasing the life out of you for the rest of the ferry ride. 

 You are the tiniest bit mortified that several passengers have seen your husband drag his teeth over your skin and toss you in the air for the fun of it. Dick was horrible at keeping a low profile. Not that acting reserved would have mattered anyway given how everyone's eyes were always drawn to him. 

 You can't blame them, his laughter is infectious and his smile was enough to make the gloomy morning look like a bright summer afternoon.  You really really don't blame them for gawking but you just wish they wouldn't.

Not even fifteen minutes onshore and you're reminded why you only ever went into town with your father. Being meek by nature, you're often the target for unruly sailors. It never got too bad, not enough for you to call the cops at least. You would be lying if you wish it wasn't such a common occurrence to have some random guy shove his hand down your back pocket and squeezes your ass. 

 You jump, nearly dropping the little map of shops your father had drawn for you a while ago. A man passes behind you snickering quietly and yeah, knocking his teeth in would be amazing.

 "Hey buddy, do you mind apologizing?" Dick asks, his voice dangerously pleasant. 

 There's a gnawing sense of foreboding forming in your stomach. It squirms in your gut until you grab Dick's sleeve. "Dick," you hiss, "it's not worth it."

 You'd looked at the man and sadly, it really wasn't worth getting Dick's face punched in on his first visit to the mainland. You don't think anything worth getting Dick hurt.

 The men turn back to your and the dread in your stomach solidifies. Even your dad was never dumb enough to piss off sailors especially ones built like I train would be dented when hitting them. 

 "I don't see the problem, pretty boy," the man spits like he'd said the word fungus, "The lass doesn't have a problem with it, do you?" He leers at you. It makes your skin crawl.  He steps closer, invading your space, and places a hand on your shoulder. "This lassy here and I go waaaay back." He says, sliding his hand down your arm. You have absolutely no doubt that this man is sloshed because you have never seen him before in your life. You are pretty plain, so that makes sense but yeah, this is the first time you've seen his mug.

 "A lass like you shouldn't be dressing like that if you know what's good for you."You open your mouth to protest but only manage to tighten your grip on Dick's sleeve.

 There's a split second between Dick flickering his eyes to you and the satisfying sound of a fist making contact with a jaw. The man falls to the ground narrowly avoiding smashing his head into the cobblestones.

 "Get up and apologize to her." Dick growls, teeth bared.  He pushes forward. You're about as stunned as the man on the ground. Dick's poised for a fight and you have no doubt he'll have no problem getting into a row. You need to stop Dick from doing anything stupid. You wrap your arms around his waist, squeezing your eyes shut.  You bury your face into his coat.  You want to tell him that it's fine, that you're used to things like this, that you don't want him to get hurt. This whole thing isn't worth him getting hurt. You're not worth him getting hurt.  But the only thing you can manage is a weak "It's not worth it."

 Dick squeezes your hand. You're trembling and Dick feels awful for scaring you but he doesn't stop glaring at the man. He guesses he's made his point loud and clear. He softens a fraction, maneuvering you to his side and wrapping an arm around you. There's still a snarl caught in the back of his throat but contrary to popular belief, Dick isn't hot-headed enough to ignore you. All he wants to do now is get you to safety. 

 You squeeze him with your arms, your face still scrunched as if bracing for impact. "Let's go shopping for those rings, yeah?"

 Dick sighs with an indulgent smile. "Ok, honey."  He kisses the crown of your head. "I love you, I’m sorry."

 "Don’t be sorry," you say, snuggling tighter into him. "You know I only want you and--” That wasn’t even the point. You are really bad at this. “--and you really should be more careful. What if you got hurt?"

 "Did you miss that killer right hook? He sure didn't."

 A small smile shapes your lips. "Moron."

 "Still love me though." He says, bringing your knuckle to his lips.

 You shake your head. "It's unfortunate really."

 "You know the more time I spend here the less I believe the fact that you didn't know what selkies were," Dick says holding up another seal necklace.

 You look at him, wince at the bruise blooming on his knuckle but continue. "My dad and I went into town twice a year and they were only ever day trips." You say, setting down a cheap shot glass with a blubbering seal. It wasn't strictly a lie. It was more of a guesstimate. You look away from him and mumble a "I thought they were called Setties."

 Dick snorts loudly and you have a heart attack thinking he reverted back to his seal form. "Setties?" He snorts again and you think he's gonna suck in all the dust from the store. 

 "Yes, Setties." You repeat grumpily, "I was 7. Cut me some slack!"

 "When have I ever cut you some slack?"

 "Never."

 "Mhm, exactly."

 "Why do I love you again?" 

 "Because I'm the cutest person, you know?" 

 "I dunno, Dickie." You drawl, picking up a couple of little seal stuffed toys. They were cute with their round faces and distended bodies. Their black eyes didn't quite do justice to your favorite trouble maker but they're close enough in huggableness."These little guys could give you a run for your money."

 Dick makes an affronted squawk. You hold them to Dick's face for inspection and ask: "Should we buy the black one or the white one?" Truly, a matter of life and death. 

 Dick scrunches his face in thought. "The black one obviously."

 "But the white one looks cute too." You whine. 

 Dick gives you a grumpy pout. You ignore him.  "Why don’t we get both?"

 Dick crosses his arms. "Why-"

 "Yanno... A pair like us..." You say, pulling them closer to your chest and looking up at him hopefully. 

 Dick looks at you wearily. "How could I argue against such a solid argument?"  Dick says, tousling your already windswept locks.

 "What do you think I’d look like as a seal?" You ask absently as you exit the store. You'd managed to drive the price down with a little haggling and a bit of distraction from Dick.

 "Beautiful."

 You grin at him.  "Again buttering me up won't make me buy you more sweets."

 "I can think of other things to eat." Dick says, his pink tongue darting over his lips as he looks at you. 

 You swallow, mouth feeling dry. Dick is horrible to you today.

The old antique shop was dustier than you remembered. Part of you suspects that the particles sprinkled on all the shelves is in fact just the old owner's cremated remains but you don't really wanna find out if it's true.

 You comb through the shelves, feeling like a pirate in search of treasure. The expensive rings with their big rind stones were stowed away on a shelf behind the shopkeeper but everyone one knows that if you want the good stuff you have to search for it yourself. 

 Dick seems to be happy looking through all the strange knickknacks, so you carry on. 

 You nearly squeal with glee when you find a ring. It was a band of silver carved into the shape of a seal curling in on itself as it slumbers. You smile holding it close to your chest.  "Give me your finger." 

 "That... is a very strange way to put it."

 "Just give me your hand." You say holding out your own.  Dick, still incredulous, puts his hand in yours. You bite back a smile as you put the ring on his ring finger. Your lips stretch even as you dig your teeth in. It was a good fit. You're embarrassed to say you were bouncing on your heel with excitement.The silver looks lovely against his tanned skin. 

 Dick inspects it.  "And you said subtlety wasn't my element."

 "It really isn't," you say, smiling down at his hand. "But I never did say it was mine either." You could easily find another ring if he doesn't like it but you're quietly hoping he does. You try not to watch his face, not read too deeply into his expressions. 

 "I like it. Let's try to find a matching one."

Much to your amusement, you did find something but it's.... You snort as you put it on. 

 "It kind of matches." Dick says wearily. 

 "It's a fish." You laugh.

 "Um... it's a pretty silver fish."

 "Absolutely ravishing, huh?"

 "Exactly like my wife." Dick says, nipping at your ear. 

 Your ear burns and you cover it hastily.  

 "Let's just go pay for them." You say, shoving at him lightly.

 "So you do like it?" He asks, peaking through your fingers. 

 "Yes, you dork. Now, stop being cute." You say, shoving him again. 

 "Never." He chuckles.

"Is this the statue from the harbor?" Dick asks, poking at the little replica on the shopkeep's counter. 

 "Aye lad, the natives worshiped the sea before we came along. Kooky fellows but they knew a thing or two about the sea. They even talked about the selkie. Those blood-thirsty women folk of the sea. "

 Dick scrunches his nose. You press the heel of your palm to your lips holding back a laugh.

 "Well, I’ve heard some different of stories." Dick says, leaning into the counter, his eyes shining mischievously. 

 The old shopkeep leans in, looking around. "Like what?"

 Dick leans in a bit more, his voice hushed and conspiratorial.  "I hear they try to trap fair maidens into marriage to bear children for them."

 Dick winks unabashedly. You flush. "What?!"

 "C'mon lad," the shopkeeper snorted like a walrus, "we all know that all selkies are women folk."

 "That’s the thing," Dick says, resting his hands on his intertwined fingers. He grins. "I’ve been out at sea a while, my whole family has aaaaand," he drawls in his other voice. The shopkeep looks entranced.  "We've heard of different tales." 

 "Do tell."

 "My family have heard tales of male selkies, those who seek women to carry on the selkie way." Dick pushes off the counter, spinning around on his heel theatrically. "We heard of old lore when they used to kidnap unsuspecting women by the sea shore." You vaguely recall this version but it seemed like ages ago.  "But now," he says, stepping closer to you. "Now, they are much more persuasive." Dick winks at you and you resist the urge to elbow him.

 "I also heard they're quite persistent." You say, leaning against him. 

 "Quite." Dick says a little too fondly. 

 "Hnnn, never heard that one." The shopkeep says tilting his head. "Do you have anymore?"

 "Oh, I have a ton of seafaring stories if you'd like. I’ve heard stories about the Cthulhu."

 "Cthulhu?"

 "The great horror of the deep."

 "The only horror here is the lack of treasure chests." The shopkeep huffs. You would be inclined to agree if Tim and Damian weren't so good at finding them.

 "Oh this is no tall-tale my friend," Dick says, wrapping an arm around the man's shoulders, "we heard that he awakes once every 10 years to roam the deep seas. Why do you think boats go missing with no trace?"

 Monsoons, you think.

 "Like that submarine last summer!" 

 Dick nods sagely "Exactly."

 You want to slap your palm against your forehead. There is no way he can believe that hokey, right? ... You are literally married to a selkie. Do you really have any room for skepticism? You sigh. You suppose not. 

"The sea is a mysterious maiden just like those sires. A tricky bunch, slippery and smart not like mermaids."

 "Have you ever heard one?!" The shopkeep nearly folds over the counter.

 "Once when I’d been at sea for 4 months, I heard the most beautiful song in my life, kind of like a mirage but it was a misty night at sea."

 The shopkeeper gasps. 

 You blink. This is news to you.

 "Luckily, my father pulled me from the towboat before I set off towards it."  You try to imagine it and somehow it's funnier than the idea of Dick being bloodthirsty.

 Dick regails Bruce's spat with a sea witch and Alfred's horrifying tale with a kraken. Even you were enthralled by all his tales. Having the shopkeep thoroughly wrapped around his finger. He leans in close again. "Sorry, I got so lost. How much were these rings again?"

 The man blinks as if resurfacing from a trance. "A sea-loving man like you? You can keep it for five coffers."

 You gape at him, eyes blown wide.  That’s less than what you pay for bread. 

 The man turns to you. "Lass, you better keep an eye on him. This one belongs to the sea."

 He's... not wrong. 

 "You really are too kind," Dick says handing the money over. 

 "Anytime lad. Feel free to come back with more of your stories!" He calls out as you two walk out the door.

“Since when were you a sailor?” You ask, nudging your shoulder against his.

 “Since Jay told me stories.” He answers, nudging back. 

 “So they were all made up?” You ask, shaking his arm.

 Dick hums noncommittally.

  You frown at him. “C’mon fess up, pup.” 

 “Not *all* of them. I just spiced up the truth, that’s all.”

 “The sirens?”

Dick freezes. 

“Wait, are sirens real?” You gape, pounding your hand on his chest. 

 “Well, kinda.”

 “Kinda?!”

 Dick walks ahead of you trying to avoid your question. He does the mature thing and plugs his ears with his fingers. You continue to pester him all the way down the street. 

 The scent from the bakery wafted in the air calling to both of you as you two continue to bicker. Your stomachs cry out in a chorus. You look at your watch. You knew you'd forgotten something. 

 "I'll get us something to eat," Dick says, clearly staring at the cupcakes. Getting cupcakes wouldn't hurt. It would be better than getting an actual wedding cake. 

 You shake your head. "I might sit for a bit." You say handing him your purse and wrenching the bags from his grip. He huffs but doesn't complain. 

 You park yourself on a bench just outside the bakery. Going to town is just as exhausting as you remember it being. You lull your head back, looking to the sky. What are the odds that it's safe to just doze off here on the bench? Probably pretty low.

 Dick watches you from a window, snickering. You were so cute when you're nodding off.  He should probably ask if they sell coffee too because you look like you're going to need the entire pot.

 He lets a woman go in front of him because Alfred taught him manners and not because he was delighted to see you nearly fold into your shopping bags. You startle and yelp then straighten up. Great seas, you're so cute.

 "Hey handsome, can I get a name?"

 Dick turns to the woman with an amicable smile. "Oh, the name's Dick."

"I'm ..." Dick is barely paying attention when he sees you take out one of the rings you'd bought with a stupidly happy smile on your face as you try it on. You look up at your hand and Dick can't help the twitch of his mouth. 

 You wave to him, feeling his eyes on you. He waves back with a thousand-watt smile. 

 There's a hand sprawled on his chest. "I've never seen you here before." The woman purrs. Dick steps back, feeling a bit uncomfortable. 

 "I'm from out of town-"

 "That explains it." She says, batting her eyes. 

 Dick's not too concerned, not when you've just disappeared from his sight. Dick's about to run outside when he feels a familiar pair of arms wrap around his waist. 

 "My husband and I are just here for a day trip to run some errands." You huff glaring at the woman.

 Dick wraps an arm around you, chuckling at the priceless expression on your face. 

 "Dickie, did you want to introduce me?" You ask sweetly.

 "Sorry, I didn't quite catch your name." Dick says, feeling genuinely bad because he really wasn't paying attention.  In his defense, you were distracting him. 

 "I'm Mia."

 "I'm (Y/n)." You say trying not to puff your cheeks. You clearly just want the woman to go away.

 Dick wants to pinch you for being so cute. The disgustingly sweet aura you two radiate was enough to make the woman go away. Much to your relief and Dick's amusement.  Dick lets himself sink into your embrace.

 Dick pinches your cheek as you get the bread from the counter. You swat his hand away with a loaf of slightly stale bread you were gonna rework later. "What?!"

 "Nothing, you're just so damn cute, honey." Dick laughs, pinching your cheek again.

 "Says the dork who punched someone." You say, pecking him on the lips. 

 Dick rolls his eyes. "He totally deserved it." 

 "Sure, sure."

 Ok, he did.

 Dick pecks your lips. "Let's go find you a bouquet and a minister so you can keep that ring on."

 You flush not noticing that you haven't taken the ring off. Dick looks down at you like he's the luckiest man in the world.

“Will it still make you happy?” Dick asks, fidgeting in front of the courthouse. 

 You raise a brow at him prompting him to elaborate. 

 “Getting married without a proper ceremony, I mean.”

 Ah. You clutch the bouquet of cornflowers to your chest, twining your finger with his. “As long as I have you it’ll be perfect.”

 Dick sniffles. “Stop saying things like that.”

 “You started~”

 Dick presses his forehead against your, letting out a low trill. “I can’t wait to sign on the paper and make you my wife. Officially.”

 You nudge your nose against his. “I can’t wait either.”

The minister looks between the two of you suspiciously, probably looking for signs of which one of you suggested eloping. “You may now say your vows.” 

 Dick takes out a crumpled sheet of paper with yellowing edges. In a cool crisp voice, he begins to speak:

 “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

 The wind rises in your chest, tears welling up in your eyes. You try to keep yourself together.

 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hope, always perseveres.”

 You cup your hand over your mouth, your father’s words coming to life through Dick’s voice.  

 “Love never fails.”

 Dick reaches out to you, wiping the tears running down your face. You don’t know if Dick knows how much that meant to you but you’re endlessly thankful. 

 You feel flush. You’re not really sure you could follow that up. God, you really should have prepared more. You take a deep breath and will yourself not to turn tail and run. 

 Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as a seal upon your arm;

for love is strong as death,

passion fierce as the grave.

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

a raging flame.

Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can floods drown it.

If one offered for love

all the wealth of one’s house,

it would be utterly scorned.

 Dick looks at you, fondness curving his lips. You smile back at him sheepishly. 

The minister clears his throat. “You may now kiss the bride.”

 Dick picks you up and spins you around then brings you close to kiss you. You giggle at his theatrics. In the corner of your vision, you could see the minister just looking extremely tired. 

 “Give me the bouquet.”

 You don’t mainly because you have a policy of making people explain things before you do anything and also because you were hoping to throw the bouquet yourself. 

 Dick tilts his head. “Uh, give me two.” He pauses. “Please?” “Will you promise me this won’t curse anyone?”

 “Just because my dad’s girlfriend is a sea witch does not mean I curse people.”

 “And you feel absolutely no need to unpack that, huh?”

 “Sweetie, pleeeeeease.” He gives you the big eyes and you silently wonder how selkie divorce works. 

 You hand him two flowers. He pinches off the stems and says: “Hold out your hands.”

 “Can I at least know what kind of ungodly ritual my husband is suckering me into?” You huff as he puts one of the cornflowers in your palms. 

 “It’s more superstition really. My mom used to say that if you tell a flower about your love for someone and let the sea carry it away, then your love will be able to weather storms.”

 You want to tell him that based on the stories the sea had nothing to do with the ferocity of his parent’s love  but when you look back into the glitter of nostalgia in his eyes you know that there is nothing for it. 

 You hold the cornflower close, whispering promises to it, an endless litany of devotions that you hope only the sea will hear. Dick beside you does much the same with regular pauses and additions to his. When you’re both finished, you let the flowers fall harmlessly into the water and watch them, despite all odds, drift together in the ocean.  

  Dick nuzzles you into the floor. You lay flat on his pelt as Dick hovers over you. He kisses you, nipping at your bottom lip. You hum and slide your hands up his back and part your lips to give him access. Dick pulls away, dragging his lips down your face. His teeth graze on the skin of your neck. Feeling ticklish, you giggle. He smiles pressing another wet kiss to your skin before pulling back. You whine already missing the close contact. 

 "I think we forgot something." Dick says, gently grasping your wrist and kissing it. 

 You furrow your brow. You play with his hair as you try to think. "Pretty sure we did everything," you mumble. You shiver when you feel Dick's teeth catch on your pulse, his luminescent eyes staring at you intently. "I'm telling you, sweetheart, you're forgetting something."

 You groan. It would be easier to think if Dick's lips weren't on your skin. "We've gotten the rings, thrown the rice, and hit Wally in the head with the bouquet..." You bite back a squeak when Dick sucks a hickey onto your wrist. 

 "Getting warmer, darling."

 You flush. You try to control your breathing but your skin feels so hot against his. You and Dick have met with a minister and he's also carried you over the threshold... All that's left is...

 You can feel Dick's hand slide up your shirt, his hand warm against your chilly skin. "Consummation." You whisper, swallowing thickly. 

 Dick's eyes are bright and mischievous in the firelight.  "Bingo." He lets go of your wrist and lowers himself to press a hungry kiss on your lips; it was all tongue and teeth as his hips move against yours. He pinches your nipples between his fingers drawing out a gasp from you. Dick takes this chance to deepen the kiss. He groans into the kiss when you tug at his hair.You moan against him, wrapping your legs around his waist trying to pull him closer.  Your movements are clumsy, speaking to your inexperience. Dick is going to take his time with you. 

 Dick kisses your nose and pulls away. He can’t resist. Dick drags the shirt slowly over his body. He hears your breath hitch and a vain sort of pride fuels Dick’s ego. It was one thing for other people to tell him he was pretty. It was an entirely different thing to have you look at him with so much awe and reverence. That look in your eyes always makes his skin prickle with delight. 

 You trace the shape of his muscles with your fingers, your mouth parted slightly as you drink in the sight of him. Dick is no less awe-inspiring than the first time you saw him. You marvel over the scars crisscrossing his chest and arms. None of the imperfections on his skin ever managed to dull his beauty. Unfairly, they only enhanced it and took your breath away every time you noticed a new detail about him. Your hand drifts down to the V of his abs; the tough makes him tremble as it dips closer to the hem of his pants. Dick takes in a sharp breath before kissing you again. It was partly because he could never get enough of your lips and partially to get your attention.  

 “Honey, I want to see you too.” He whispers into your lips. 

 Your body locks up at his words and a heat spreads across your chest, your neck, and up to your ears. Your mouth feels so dry all of a sudden and your feet turn into blocks of ice. What if Dick finds you repulsive? What if he sees you naked and he can’t stand what he sees? Will he leave or will he smile through it all the while gritting his teeth through it? You’re not pretty, not the way Dick is and you certainly can’t measure up to the other Selkies you’ve met. How the flying fuck were you supposed to compte with Babs or Kori? You seriously consider running away and hiding in your room until you feel Dick’s teeth graze against the column of your neck. 

 “Please.” He breathes and his voice is so thick with want that it’s enough for you to forget the desire to melt into the baseboards even for just a moment. You don’t want him to be disappointed, to know that he’s traded down. You’re scared. You don’t want to be but you’re fucking terrified.

 “It’s ok,” he whispers. “I know you’re nervous.” He kisses your forehead. Dick knows he needs to be patient. He’s waited to feel all of you for this long. He’s willing just to wait a bit more if it means you’re comfortable. 

 You close your eyes, grabbing the hem of your shirt. Dick kisses your eyelid. He bites his lip, resisting the urge to sink his teeth into your flesh. It’s so supple and hot against his. Instead, he busies himself by helping you out of your bra but his fingers are clumsy with his brain too full of your skin. You giggle as you both fumble for the clasps. 

     Dick wastes no time peppering your chest with kisses once you’re completely bare. “So pretty.” Dick purrs against your chest. He nuzzles into the valley of your breasts as he feels your breaths even out. Sliding his hands up and down your sides reverently, he makes certain that you know just how beautiful you are with every bite, every kiss, and every touch.

 His attention goes to your breasts. You arch your back as Dick begins rolling your nipples between his teeth. He savors all the little gasps and mewls you make. "Dick." You sigh out his name happily. Dick groans, hips gyrating against yours. "Dick." You repeat, tugging at his hair. You rock your hips in time with his.

 Your voice is driving him insane. The way his name rolls off your tongue like silk fries his nerves. All he wants to do is make you scream it over and over while he takes care of you and lets you know just how good you feel against him. 

 "That's it baby, let me make you feel good."Dick says, giving your nipple one last lick before taking care of the other. "I wanna make you feel so good, sweetheart."

 The husky quality of his voice makes you shiver. Your fingers travel down his back, fingernails lightly scraping against his skin. He trembles against your as you slide your hand down his chest and down his pants. Your fingertips brush against the head of his member. You wrap your hand around his cock, teasing his head with your thumb. Your thumb is wet with his precum as Dick pants softly into your skin. Dick can't help but move against your hand.

 "Sweetheart," he grunts, " I can't... I-"

 Dick grasps your wrist, pressing a kiss to it before pulling it over your head. You whine. Dick's breaths tickle your ear as he tries to steady them. He kisses your cheek and nibbles on your ear. Dick grabs your other arm and pins it down next to the other, pinning both hands with one hand.  You squirm underneath him, trying to break his hold.

 "Let me take care of you." He says, trying to level his voice but you're making it so hard. 

 You drag your leg up his calf. Dick brushes his lips down your neck, sucking a hickey into every available surface of your skin on the way down your hips and murmuring ‘I love you’ as he does.  

 "Dick, please." You moan.

 "Sweetheart," Dick says, biting the soft flesh of your hip.

 You wriggle in his grip causing the hand wound around them to tighten. Dick watches you intently as he bites another hickey into the flesh or your hip. You gasp out his name and Dick can feel his cock twitch. He needs more. 

 “Shhhh, I know, Honey. Shhhhhh.” Dick says, kissing along the hem of your pants before his teeth catch on the fabric. Dick tugs the button free and pulls the zipper down with his teeth. You think your heart stops.  Every little thing he does drives you up the wall.  He hooks his fingers to the top of your pants and pulls them down slowly. You can feel the fabric drag against your skin as Dick presses I love yous up your leg. 

 Dick bites lightly at your ankle as he tosses your pants over his shoulder. Dick licks his lips, they’re plush and glossy from the saliva. He’s looking at you with so much love and adoration that you feel yourself melt. You’re suddenly painfully aware of your nakedness. You snap your legs shut shyly, withdrawing your ankle from his hold.  You curl in on yourself, muttering an apology.

 He shakes his head, chuckling softly. Dick pushes the hair out of your face. He presses his forehead against yours, kissing you softly and running his hands up and down your sides. Your legs slowly open to let his body closer to yours. You just want to feel his skin against yours. 

 "I love how your body reacts to me, honey." Dick winks. 

 You wrap your arms around him, your muscles relaxing a fraction. He can feel the ring on your finger dig into the back of his neck. You are his and he is yours. Dick trills at the thought. You laugh, the vibrations from his lips tickling you. 

 "I love you. You know that, don't you?" Dick asks, nibbling your lip.

 "The whole world knows," you snort, "especially after that fiasco at the town square."

 "I had to protect my wifey's honor." He says with a cheeky smile that takes over his face.

 "Somehow, I feel like knocking his teeth in was a bit much." You say, pulling him into another kiss because... well, your husband is awfully adorable even if he is a disaster.

 "Only seems fair," he says, his hand travelling down your body, kissing your clavicle, "he was being rude to my wife." Dick's fingers dip between your soaking folds. You were dripping just for him. Dick would be lying if he said that didn't inflate his ego. With his fingers curled inside you as he drags them in and out, you arch into him. You thread your finger through his hair and pull. 

 "Dickie, I want you," you whisper, rubbing your knee against his crotch. "I want you so much."

 Dick ruts against your leg, breath ragged and desperate. Dick's body is so sensitive to your touch; it's ridiculous.

 "I want you too." He manages barely above a whisper. 

 "Then fuck me, " you look away from his, biting your lip, "please?"

 "Honey," he groans. God, why did you have to say it like that? "You're going to make me cum." 

 "Isn't that the point?" You ask, your nails dragging on his back as you try and fuck yourself on his fingers. 

 What did Dick do to deserve you?

 "It is," he says, taking his hand out of your folds. "But not before I can make you cum first." He licks his fingers in front of you never breaking eye contact as he does. 

 You cover your face and squeak because damn it Dick you can't just- Who does that?!

 Dick hastily shimmies out of his pants, his cock springing free. You hear a pap as his cock slap against the toned muscles of his stomach. You squeak, peaking through your fingers, the slap ringing sinfully in your mind. Dick lets out an amused breath as he hovers over you. Stroking his length, he smears the precum along your inner thigh, whispering how much you turn him on and how he can't get enough of you. 

 "Sweetheart, I want you to look at me while I fuck you." He grunts and the air in your lungs evaporate. You think you'll follow suit in a few seconds. "Sweetheart, don't make me beg you."He says into your neck.

 Dick, you're not helping, you think to yourself but the saccharine way he always says your pet names has you giving into the request. Dick is smiling down at you and your heart melts. He kisses you deeply. You wrap your limbs around him, your heels digging into the small of his back and your fingers tangled in his locks as he slowly enters you. 

 He moans into your lips and you moan into his. There's a burning stretch inside you that has you begging for more. He bottoms out and your walls flutter around his cock trying to accommodate his girth.  A shiver travels up his spine feeling your velvet walls trying to milk his cock. Dick pulls away from the kiss to whisper: "I love you." 

 "I love you too, hubby. Please move."

 "Aye aye, wifey." He says slowly, pulling his length out. You can feel the long drag of his cock against your walls. You mewl for a lack of anything intelligent to say.

 The sound is enough to egg him on. He pushes in and out of you in long strokes, enjoying how your body rocks against his chasing your own pleasure. You pepper kisses to his chest and leave your own marks. Dick would be embarrassed by the lewd noises he makes as you do so but he's too caught up in you to really care. He doesn't even care if the whole world can hear him right now, all he cares about is that you're his and that you're loving this as much as he is. 

 "Baby, you feel so good. Your pussy was made for me. Ah!" Dick says, his hips stuttering when he feels you clench at those words. He kisses your shoulder. He loves the way his name falls from your lips as if it's the only thing you know how to say. "That's it baby. You're so pretty moaning and gasping and begging for my cock."

 All Dick can focus on is the sound of your skin slapping against his. You kiss up his neck, nibbling at his Adam's apple as he swallows. "Dickie, I want more."

  Dick's mind comes crashing to a halt. 

 "Dick, please. I want to feel you more. Please, go faster." You say, voice husky with want. It makes Dick feel like his body has turned to gelatin. 

 He kisses your forehead, a blush spreading across his skin. "Sweetheart, I can't."

 "Please Dick." You breathe, pouting at him. 

 Fuck, you can't look this cute while begging him to fuck you... twice. That's just not fair. 

 "Sweetheart, if I go any faster, I'm going to cum." The embarrassment is hard to hide.

 You drag your nails across his back and lick a stripe up his neck." Dick, I want you to fill me up. Dick, please, I'm so close." You beg, teeth catching on his collarbone, looking at him with watery eyes. 

 Dick is a sucker and he can never say no to a pretty face. He kisses one of your eyelids before slamming his hips into yours. His balls slap against your skin as he thrusts in and out with wild abandon. He thrusts deeper at an angle that was sure to hit your g spot every time. 

 You sing his name sweetly as you pull him closer. Your nipples rub against his chest as you bounce on his cock. Your walls constrict around him making it harder to pull out every time. All he wants to do is to stay inside you and revel in your warmth but he wants to bring you over the edge and fuck you stupid. He rolls your clit between his fingers as you whimper into his neck. 

 You both cum crying each other's name. Dick kisses you as he fucks you through your orgasm, painting your walls with his hot seed. 

 Dick rests his weight on top of you as he pulls out with some of his seed painting your inner thigh. "I love you." He pants. 

 "I love you too, you heavy lug." You grouse, trying to push him off of you.

 Dick has mercy on you and rolls you two over with you resting on top of him, perfect for cuddling you.

 Dick whispers "I love you" and other praises every time he opens his mouth and you return the sentiment by kissing a different part of his face.

 After a few moments of basking in the afterglow, Dick flushes seeing just how many hickeys he's left you and he flushes even harder seeing his own chest marked up. 

 "Sorry about that," He says kissing one of the marks. "I just can't help myself-" Kiss "-You look so pretty covered in love bites-" Kiss "-Sweetheart, you gotta stop sounding cute. I'll get hard again- Fuck." 

 Your hand wraps around his shaft, fingers brushing against his skin experimentally. "But I want you." You say bluntly. 

 Dick is going to combust. "I want you to. I've wanted you like this for so long."

 You stop. Your thumb brushes against the tip of his already leaking cock.  Your lips curl into a smile. "Is that why you were so adamant on getting married?" You snicker, booping his nose with yours. 

 "No, yes, maybe... partially." He stammers out. 

 You snort. "You know that wasn't necessary for us to..." The flush creeps back on your lips. You somehow have the audacity to look shy while still stroking his shaft. Dick is going to burst. 

 "I didn't want you to miss out on it," Dick says steadying his breath, feeling himself get harder as he talks or attempts to, "I wanted you to experience it since you told me you dreamt about it as a kid."

 You stop and Dick bucks to urge you to keep going.

 "You remembered that?" You ask, the expression on your face is complicated. 

 Dick sits up, brushing a finger against your cheek. "Of course, I did."

 "Dork." You sniffle, kissing his cheek. 

 "Only for you," He laughs but it's cut off by the movement of your hand. "Sweetheart, are you trying to kill me?" He gasps, biting into his knuckle. 

 "I'm only thanking you for being so sweet." You tease, spreading your mixed juices all over his cock. "and I just love my hubby that's all."

 ____________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading!!!!!!

Tag list:  @batarella​, @anothertimdrakestan, @lucy-roo, @multifandomgirl-us, @idkmanicantenglish , @birdy-bat-writes​,  @boosyboo9206, @americasmarauders , @l-inkage, @arestorationofbalance , @cloudie-skay, @wunderstell   @hyp-oh-critical @glorified-red @ marshmallow12435 @vvipgot7be​ @jadedhillon

[blu-joons]

Picking Him Up When He Discharges ~ Choi Minho

Your heart beat quicker than it ever had done before as security led you out of the car, across the car park to where the main gates of the marine’s compound was. From beyond the wall, you could see several of the marines walking forwards as you stood around many other families.

It was a walk that you’d taken several times before on your numerous trips to visit Minho whilst he was enlisted in the military, but at last, your final trip had arrived. The trip you’d waited for, that would allow you to take him home and back to you.

You’d barely slept the night before, unable to believe that after a long eighteen months it would be the final night that you’d be spending in bed alone. Every little thing you did that morning reminded you that it would be the last time you’d do those things alone, knowing tomorrow you’d wake with Minho right by your side.

The number of days had already been extended after he accepted to not take his final leave and help train others. You were hardly surprised when he let you know a couple of weeks would be added to his stay, the time was nothing compared to how long you’d already waited. As you stood in the gravel waiting for his arrival, no part of what was happening really felt real for you just yet.

After waiting for a few minutes, the group of marines came close enough that you could recognise a few faces. At the back, you could see Minho, standing much taller than a few of the others. His eyes were darting around in search of you, letting go of a chuckle when he finally found you, stood with two security guards just behind you.

As the gates were opened, his feet took off, racing over to you, dropping his bag and wrapping his arms tightly around your waist, twirling you around in the air.

“Congratulations,” you whispered into his ear, pressing a kiss against his cheek before he placed you back down, untangling his arms from around you and taking a step back.

You watched on with a proud smile as he stood back and saluted for the last time, letting you, and his fellow marines around him that he’d finally been given the order of discharge.

“I missed you,” he smiled as soon as he’d finished, quickly reverting from the dedicated marine he was, to the soft boyfriend he’d been waiting to be for so long.”

Your hands cupped his cheeks gently, feeling how different the definition was, spotting for yourself how much stronger he had gotten. “I missed you too, I can’t believe your coming home.”

“I can’t wait,” he chuckled, “I’ve waited so long for this moment.”

“Me too,” you mused, taking a hold of his hand, “there’s a car waiting for us, I think we might want to be quick before too much attention comes our way.”

Minho picked up his bag instantly, pulling you across to the car to keep you safe. As soon as he was seated, he relaxed back, untying the laces of his heavy boots, taking his hat off the top of his head, placing it on top of yours instead.

“It’s so big,” you laughed, having to place your hand on top of it to stop it from falling off. “How do I look? Reckon I could pass off as a marine myself one day?”

“Beautiful as ever,” Minho complimented, eyes studying you closely. “I might just have to keep that hat for you, never know when it might come in use.”

Your hand slapped against his chest as his arm moved around your waist, pulling you against his chest tightly. The two of you had always been reserved with your affection whilst Minho was in the barracks, but now, no eyes were watching, and he was determined to make the most of it.

“I’ve been dreaming of coming home for so long, and yet now that it’s happening, it doesn’t quite feel real,” Minho whispered down to you, “I feel as if the car is going to turn back around in a moment and take me straight back.”

Your head shook as a light giggle escaped, “I promise, you’re on your way home this time.”

“I can’t wait to see everyone, family, the boys,” he spoke, trailing off at the end, “it’s been well over a year since I’ve seen most of them after so many years together too.”

Your eyes glanced up at him as best as they could, “don’t worry, they’re doing great. They’ve all been stopping by since they discharged to check in on me.”

“I knew I could always rely on them, although they love to joke, I know that they all care a lot about you deep down Y/N.”

“They’ve been the best replacements,” you teased, “but I’m happy I’ve got the real thing now.”

Joining the military and everything that came with it was never something that phased Minho, he was almost built for life in the marines. The only thing that worried him, before and during his enlistment, was leaving you. A small part of him was sad to leave the compound, but seeing you far outweighed any lingering thoughts of staying.

“I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed tonight,” he continued to comment, “get a good bath, clean myself up properly, and just be able to relax too.”

Your smile grew, having prepared several of Minho’s favourites at your place for when he got home already that morning. You were determined to make his first few minutes back at home special and help him transition back into normal life.

“I don’t think you’ll get much rest, your mum messaged this morning and said she’d pop round, she seemed pretty desperate to see you.”

“I’ll give her a ring when we get home,” Minho mumbled, resting his head on top of yours, “I just fancy spending some time with you tonight instead.”

You couldn’t hide the smile that grew on your face, “in that case you might want to give the boys a text too, they seemed pretty keen to come and see you too.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we have time alone tonight.”

Your head nodded as your hand settled against his abs, feeling the thick material of the jacket that he wore. A giggle escaped as you recalled the very first time you saw Minho in his marines uniform, and how terrified you were of what was to come.

“I can’t believe enlistment is over, and now we have the rest of our lives together,” he whispered.

A small hum came from you, “sometimes your enlistment felt like it was never going to be over, I thought you’d were never come home.”

You couldn’t deny that you’d had your moments of doubt and concern, the fear that came with not knowing what Minho was doing day in day out was sometimes overwhelming. He knew it was hard on you too, however helpless he was.

Whilst it was time that you’d never get back, it was time that he was determined to make up for. He couldn’t hide his relief that enlistment was over, however much he enjoyed himself, he knew it was time to head home.

As his eyes looked down at you, noticing how close you were to falling asleep, he was sure that this was the place that he wanted to be.

“We’ll be home soon,” he whispered down to you.

“I’m already home now that I’m back with you.”

---

Masterlist

[dancingthesambaa]

The Madrigal Obstacle

Diego de León is a simple boy with simple needs. He likes to help out around his community, he likes to build all types of things, he likes his Pandebono extra cheesy, and he certainly likes Mirabel Madrigal.

Unfortunately, that last thing is what caught the attention of the Madrigals Family.

Four times where the Madrigals had a talk with him and One time where a Madrigal actually had a talk with him

Continuation of Mirabel Unique Gifts

Cousins

Diego was having a weird day.

He doesn’t know why, but he swears that he could feel eyes pierce down on him as he walks through town, but when he looked back, all he could see were Toucans, Ferrets and a stray Capybara.

“Am I going crazy?”

“Hey Diego!” He jumped up in fright at the surprised voice, but he was at ease when he saw it was just Mirabel's pretty little face. “You okay?”

“Hey Mira, no nothing is wrong, I just had a weird feeling.”

“Hmm, maybe it’s just your imagination,” she giggled, which threw the elder teen for a loop.

“…right. So, how have you been? I know you were working on those new pants with the vine embroidered in it,” he knew that this was supposed to be a birthday gift for her eldest sister. She kept gushing to him over her ideas of vines all sprouting out into different colored plants with unique appearances, he could easily see the sparkle in her eye the longer she went on and boy did he want her to keep going.

“Oh same old same old, let’s talk about you. What do you plan to do in the future?”

“You know me, you already heard my goals all laid out,” he casually stated as he slowly came to a realization.

“Right, I almost forgot, what I mean to say is how do you plan on dealing with disasters that might happen if one may occur?”

“I should ask you, you're the one who's keeping a sharp eye, hell I've seen you save Cruz from falling off the roof. Can you tell me how you did that again, it was so cool,” Diego grinned at the slight panic in her eyes.

“Maybe another time. How about the Madrigals? Who do you think is the best one?”

“I mean obviously you, you're basically the coolest, it certainly is not Camillo,” he chuckled at the slight twitch.

“What do you mean by that?” She thinly said.

“You know how they play tricks on everyone, their nasally little voice at times, how their hair frizzes out at awkward times,” he grinned as Mirabel gets more and more irritated.

“What else?” She hissed out.

“And their acting-” he was cut off by an enraged teen.

“What about my acting!” She shouted out.

“Nothing, but I saw through it,” he joked at the surprised look on the false Mirabel’s face.

“Whaaat? What do you mean?” The fake tried to dismiss it, but he felt his head get forcibly pushed down.

“The jig is up Millo, he found out, which I have to admit is a bit impressive,” said Dolores, taking her hand off her head and looking at Diego with a grin. She has to admit not many can see through her little sibling’s disguise, even when she has times where she can’t.

“Anyone else I would probably never know, but you made a mistake when Mirabel didn’t begin to talk all about her sewing. She would have gushed on and on about the new designs she thought up of,” he grinned as Camillo reverted to their original self.

“You tricked me!” They hissed out with a slight glare.

“Says the one who tried to trick me first,” he shot back.

“Impressive,” they reluctantly said.

“Really cool,” he jumped up once more and saw Antonio suddenly appear on top of the Jaguar. “Not many can see through Cam's disguise!”

“Why thank you Tonio,” he ruffled the little boy's hair, before facing the older teen and young adult. “So, should I ask why you shapeshift into Mirabel, or were you just trying to prank me?”

“We just wanted to have a little chat with you,” the eldest said as she stepped forward with a teasing grin as she said, “I had a certain little thing about you liking my little cousin.”

Diego's face still had a pleasant smile, but he was cursing in his mind profusely. He keeps forgetting that there's someone in this village that can hear every last thing. “Of course I like her, she’s my friend.”

“Oh is that all,” they drawled as they began to circle him. “Just a friend.”

“Yesss?”

“But you like like Mira!” Antonio happily perked up. “And that means you really like her!”

“As in, you have a crush on her,” Dolores had a little smirk of success when she noticed him stiffening.

“Don’t get me wrong, she's an amazing, beautiful, and wonderful friend who is just filled with kindness and joy, but that’s all she is. A friend,” he smiled as if he didn’t reveal his feelings.

None of them believe it.

“You know she listens to the music box you gave her every night?” The eldest sister said with her arms crossed.

“She does!” He swiveled his head to her as a large smile bloomed on his face.

“Just a friend, huh,” said Camillo with their brow raised.

“She is,” he affirmed a little more firmly, but now avoiding eye contact.

“But you said all those nice things about her?” The youngest Madrigal said.

“Well-”

“And you hang out with her a lot.”

“That’s because-”

“And you even gave her your hat to borrow when Mama was especially happy that day and you had the same expression Lolo makes when she and Mariano watch each other when the other thinks no one is looking.”

“I do?” Dolores curiously asked, but then the second bit processed through her brain and she had a sappy smile on her face. “He does?”

“All the time,” Camillo nodded, before facing the older teen once more. “Look let’s cut to the chase, you like Mirabel and for some reason she likes you. Frankly, I think she’s too good for you, but I know since we were children that she has no taste.”

Dolores slapped them upside the head.

“OW! You can’t slap me when I’m right!”

“What’s there trying to get is that, be kind to Mirabel okay. She may not be naive in the way of life, but she is still naive when it comes to romance, so go easy. A woman's heart is only so sturdy,” Dolores smiles kindly at him.

“I will,” he nodded because at this point he understood his heart was out and wide open.

“Good, because I will know if you don’t,” she happily stated.

“And if I find out you did, you better learn how to keep one eye open when you sleep,” Camillo threatened as they suddenly transformed into Diego’s grandmother with too wide of a smile. “Because you will never know who's tucking you in.”

“I promise,” he had to hold back a smile at their attempts to be scary.

“Do you pinky promise?” Antonio said with a held out pinky.

“I pinky promise,” he locked his pinky and the two shook on it. “And if I do, accidentally, hurt her. You’ll be the first to know.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll know before you because I have eyes and ears everywhere,” the small boy smiled as he motioned towards all the animals, from the birds in the sky to the Jaguar he was sitting on. “My friends will let me know and if you do, Freckles will take a big bite out of you!”

“Whose Freckles?” Diego asked with a bit more trepidation.

“His/My Jaguar,” Dolores, Camillo, and Antonio said simultaneously.

“Ah,” was all he said.

“Freckles likes Mira a lot, she gives him the best belly rubs, so he would love to take a bite out of you if you make Mira cry,” he stated as Freckles growled in agreement.

“Of course,” he slowly nodded his head.

“Don’t make Mira cry,” Antonio bluntly said.

“I won’t,” Diego shook his head.

“Good!” And with that, he and the rest of the animals began to walk off as he waved goodbye. “See you later Diego!”

“Better get back to the Casita, I still need to know how Julian will win the heart of the heartbroken Mateo,” Camillo commented as they too followed. Dolores got them hooked onto Bruno telenosa and now they can’t stop, the plot is truly riveting.

“Better get used to our antics, you know our family,” Dolores patted him on the shoulder.

“Since I was born,” he chuckled.

“Hopefully the rest will go as peacefully as ours,” was the women's final parting words before catching up with the rest.

“The rest?” He muttered to himself before spinning around with wide eyes. “What do you mean ‘the rest?’”

He got nothing as she merely gave him a mischievous grin and turned to her younger siblings and stated. “They're gonna eat him alive.”

“Yes, they are!”

“Yup!”

2. Parents, Aunt, and Uncles

“And there we go,” Diego wiped sweat off his brow as he stood back to see the finished barn. “It took a bit, but at least the donkeys shouldn’t be able to get out of this during the night. Now morning is a whole other problem that is not my problem,” he joked as he collected his tools. Maybe if he had time, he could swing by the tailor shop and see if she needs any help. He may not be good with sewing, but he will happily help her out, besides it is always fun to hang out with her. Especially when she starts to spazz out when her favorite thread is available, she starts to go on about what she could do next and even sometimes, accidentally, grab onto his arm as she does it then-

“Nice job on the barn,” he immediately jumped out of his thoughts as saw Felix walking over and complimenting him.

“It’s nothing really, just a little fix-up was needed,” he modestly said as he made sure his face wasn’t red.

“Well it’s still a fine job,” the older man said.

“Thank you, are you bringing those over to the market?” He asked as he noticed the basket filled with tomatoes.

“Those are for me,” a voice said as Julieta and Augustine walked toward them, the woman continued. “I was thinking of making some Arepas today.”

“Ooo that sounds absolutely delicious,” Pepa said as she and Bruno appeared from the fields.

“How did you make her angry this time?” Julieta sighed as she knew the two together were a trouble that already happened.

“I told her the Earth is flat,” Bruno happily stated.

“It is not flat,” she hissed, making thunder rumble.

“Of I know it isn’t, but man did those crops get watered,” he cheekily added. He always found it a little fun to tease his sister, even when he was younger. He may not be as mischievous as he was when he was younger, but it hadn’t entirely gone away.

“I swear one day, I will drown you in rain,” she rolled her eyes but smiled as she felt her twin shoulder bump her.

“But you won’t~” He will admit that he has sorely missed his twins. Even if he could see them, being with them and talking to them really made him understand that there is nothing better than the real thing.

“Of course you would say that,” Julieta sighed with a slight smile. It was good to see her other two twins getting along again.

Diego was watching the whole thing with an amused smile that he didn’t notice eyes staring at him until he met Augustin and took a step forward with his hand outstretched. “Um hello, it’s nice to meet you I’m-”

“Diego, I know,” the father's eyes narrow.

“Ah,” he put his hand down, he thinks he knows where this is going.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” he stood at full height, which only barely met his, as he marched up to the tall sixteen year old. “Mirabel is my youngest daughter and I am her father, therefore it is my job to make sure no one harms a hair on her head.”

“Which we don’t think you will, you seem like such a nice boy,” Felix butted in.

“Not a single Madrigal will ever tolerate it, not even if they are a close friend-”

“Which we know the two of you are quite close.”

“Or boyfriend,” he emphasized.

“Such a romance is touching.”

“No one is the exception.”

“Which we don’t think you will ever do,” Felix finished off.

“Do you understand,” Augustin said as he look the startled teen dead in the eye.

“Yes sir,” he nodded.

“Are your husbands doing a good cop, bad cop routine?” Bruno leaned over to whisper to his twins.

“That’s Felix for you,” Pepa smiled at her husband.

“Augustin,” the healer shook her head in mirth as the two women walked over to their husband that was surrounding the teen. “I think that’s enough of that.”

“But Mi Duclee,” he whined as he was gently, but forcibly, backed away from Diego by his wife.

“I think the boy understands.”

“Such threatening words,” Pepa teased and kissed her husband on the lips.

“Couldn’t be too hard on him,” he joked back. He had to admit that it was fun playing good cop.

“Next time leave it to the professionals.”

“You good there,” Diego slightly jumped when he felt Bruno’s hand on his shoulder. “I think they gave you a bit of a fright.”

“It’s fine,” he tried to wave off the elder man's concern. “They're just concerned about their daughter and niece, it’s perfectly fine.”

“I’m glad you said that, it’s gonna make this next part a little less awkward,” he clapped his shoulder as he stood in front of him.

“What next part?” He jumped in fright as thunder boomed as the area around them was surrounded in pitch darkness with the only light source coming from the flashes of lightning and glowing green eyes staring him down.

“I know all and I see all,” Bruno ominously said as the clouds rolled around them, “I might not be the villain in the story, but I can be a monster in yours if you dare try to harm Mirabel Madrigal.”

Diego could only freeze in fright as he continued to stare at the man.

“Everyone's future may be a butterfly, always fluttering in different directions, but yours will be squashed like a bug it is if you dare to hurt her, do I make myself clear.”

“Yes sir,” he lowly said.

“Great!” Then everything vanished in a flash as the sun returned and a smiling Bruno was in front of him. “Sorry for that little scare, but I just had to make sure.” He could never do something like that to his family, oh no he truly can’t force himself to be a villain to them, but to anyone else outside of it. Well, all bets are off, after all, if he could read the future to one of Pepa's ex-boyfriends with a smile on his face after he dumped her for not liking the rain then he will absolutely do it for Mirabel. She deserves every good thing under the sun after all she tried and done for this family and he will make sure that will happen.

“Like I said,” Pepa said with a smirk as she dusted off the dirt on her dress. “Leave it to the professionals.”

“Beautiful,” Felix clapped his hands and his wife gave a mock curtsy.

“That was beautiful,” Augustin compliment Bruno's acting skills.

“You gotta teach me how to do that,” Felix said as he wrapped his arm around his brother-in-law's neck.

“Well it starts with body positioning,” he began as the two began to talk.

“They can be a bit much,” Julieta chuckled as she went over to the boy with a Pandebono in hand.

“Oh I wasn’t hurt,” but that didn’t matter as he was still given the bread.

“I know you weren’t, but food is always good for the soul,” she gently told him. “And besides, it’s nice to meet such a kind and reliable young man like yourself that cares for my daughter. Don’t try to deny it-” she stopped him before he could open his mouth. “I’m a mother and I know the look. You two are in love and you might not say it out loud, but I know you said it in here,” she tapped her head.

Diego said nothing, but the blush on his face told her everything.

The mother couldn’t stop the fond smile, “I may not have future sight like my brother, but I can see the both of you will be quite close, whether it’s friends or something else.” She gave him one last look before ushering the rest of the family back to the town.

Diego just watched them leave them as soon as they were out of sight he collapsed to the ground.

“Mirabel truly has some frightening family,” he breathed out as he looked up to the sun, but couldn’t help the smile and pushed his hat further down his face and took a bite out of his bread. “It’s nice to see how much they care for her.”

“Honestly I’m shocked Julie didn’t try to threaten him,” Bruno said as they walked through the town, Pepa nodded her head as well.

“Mi Dulce would never do that,” Augustin tried to defend his wife.

“Oh no I would,” Julieta bluntly said with a smile on her face.

“Really? Then why didn’t you join me,” he slightly whined as Felix tried to hold back his snort.

“That’s because I know our two eldest will take care of that for me,” she sweetly told him.

That made everyone laugh at what was to come.

3. Sisters (+ 1 Honorary Brother)

“There’s nothing better than a nap under the tree,” Diego sighed as he stretched out his limbs after a hard day of work. He stared up at the cloudy sky and couldn’t help, but thought that it could be better if Mirabel was beside him. Whenever he would take a nap, she would usually lean next to him and silently work on one of her sewing projects or just softly hum as she stopped to point out the interesting clouds. It was such a quiet and mundane routine that of course, he enjoys every little moment with her.

“You said it,” Diego raised his brow at the sight of Mariano coming up to him.

“Hey Mariano,” he slowly said as the man came up to his tree. He knows the man because he was his senior when Mariano was still in school. He sometimes would help out his classmates with homework, but he never really had a one on one talk with him.

“Hello Diego,” he smiled and sat right down next to the teen.

Diego blinked as he watched the older man lean against the tree and just stay silent. Minutes had passed and the man still hadn’t said a word, just still leaned back against the tree with a smile on his face.

“Okay I’ll bite, what do you want,” Diego bluntly said, Mariano wasn’t an adult, or at least not in his eyes, so he really wasn’t as careful as to how to speak to him.

“I am so glad you asked!” He popped up and put a hand on his chest. “Now I know the journey is quite ferocious with obstacles in your way whether it be an outside force or simply with yourself, traps laid about in the most unusual places, and even the sea of passion may question your own desire at your darkest of times. It may seem unbearable and grueling, believe me that I had my own ups and downs, but it will all be worth it when you embrace your beautiful goal.”

“…what are you talking about?” Diego questioned the sanity of the man.

“Why your love for Mirabel,” he laughed obviously.

“I am not about to talk about this,” he hissed out as he pinched his nose.

“Ah but we are, for you see I see Mira as my dear little sister and my heart will truly ache if her heart was broken.”

“So this is your threat warning,” he amusedly said. Everyone in the village knew Mariano may have strength only second to Luisa, but he is a pure softy at heart. He once cried when he stepped on a worm by accident, but he was a bit confused when he started to shake his hands.

“No no no, not me, I am weak of heart for something like that, but them,” he pointed to the left of him, and Diego's heart stopped as he saw Luisa and Isabella Madrigal slowly walk towards them with stone faces. “You should be very much frightened of them.”

Diego gulped.

“Hello Diego de León,” Isabella cooly said once both sisters reached the still teen. “I’ve heard that you’ve taken an interest in my little sister,” she cut straight through.

“Y-yes,” he didn’t dare think about lying, especially not when he was suddenly hanging upside down by a vine.

“Mirabel maybe my annoying little sister, but I’ll be damned if anyone outside of my family harms a single hair on her head. Do you want to know the last person who tried that?” Isabella mused as she let another vine make its until it stopped in front of his eyes and from the tip of it bloomed a beautiful blood red rose adorned with many thorns. “To this day, he still cannot sit properly without wincing.”

“Neither can he look at a rock the same way,” Luisa narrowed her eyes as she placed a hand on the tree he was previously on and slowly began to bend the tree. Not to the point that it snapped, but just enough to hear the audible groan it made as it freaked under her strength. “Apparently he’s one of those people whose two faced depending on the person's worth, are you like that?”

“No! I am not like that!” He shook his head violently.

“Good then we won’t have any problems,” she smiled and when the vines put him back down on the ground she gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. “Better keep your word.”

“Keep all of what I said in mind,” then with a flick of her hair she walked off, but not before pausing. “Oh and come to dinner next week.”

“Was that an offer or-”

“Come to dinner next week.”

“Will do,” he saluted and the two girls walked off.

“See you at dinner next week,” Mariano patted his back and walked off as well.

Diego kept still for a few moments before blowing out a breath of air and gently knocking his head on the tree. “What have I gotten myself into,” he groaned, but shook it off and walked back home. “But I’ll be damned if I don’t do this, for Mirabel I will. Now it's time to beg Abuela to teach me how to make Torta De Tres Leche because there is no one way I’m arriving empty handed.”

4. Abuela ( +1 Sentient Home )

Diego nervously shuffled the packed cake in hand as he walked closer to the door of the house.

“Okay. Okay, you can do this, it is just dinner. Everything will be just fine, we will just have dinner like normal people, eat, talk, then leave. Everything will be fine and absolutely nothing will go wrong.”

It was at that moment did he fumble over his feet and only by the grace of the pavement literally rising up to catch his fall did he not drop the cake.

“Right, magic house,” he said as he was slowly put back on his feet. “Thank you, Casita? Right? I know that’s what Mirabel calls you.”

He got the window flapping open, so he’ll take that as a confirmation.

“Awesome, you're awesome, everything awesome and I realized I just jinxed myself and this is gonna go bad isn’t it,” he exhaled a long stream of breath.

The welcoming mat sprung up and patted him on the back in comfort.

“Thank you for the support,” he patted the back of the rug and stepped to the front door, which did put a smile on his face at the image of Mirabel smiling happily as she’s surrounded by family. “Let’s do this,” then he knocked on the door.

It took a few moments before the door swung open and relaxed when he saw Mirabel's real face.

“Hey!” She said surprised as she ruffled down her skirt that was adorned with paint splatters and tucking a stray curl behind her ear, “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was invited for dinner.”

“What?” She deadpanned.

“Yeah I got some cake, made it myself,” he presented his Leche cake. He never thought cake could be so hard to make, but he was proven wrong again and again. He will never underestimate the power of cake.

“What?”

“I get the feeling that you didn’t know about this,” he drawled out. “Isabella invited me.”

“She did what?!” She thinly shrieked before taking a deep breath and putting an almost fake smile on her face. “Can you give me a moment?”

“Take your time,” he smiled.

“Thank you,” then she shut the door and the next thing he heard was a scream.

“ISABELLA!”

After that, a few more thinly veiled shrieks were heard until finally the talks died down and a few moments later the door was swung back open with Mirabel looking a bit more presentable. “Come in.”

“So, didn’t get informed,” he said with a slight grin on his face as he stepped through and began to walk to the kitchen.

“Not in the slightest,” she said between her teeth.

“Welp, at least we can be awkward together,” Diego chuckled.

Mirabel gave a puff of amusement as the tension slowly relaxed from her body. They eventually made it to the Dining Room where Dolores and Mariano were sitting, the older man gave the elder teen a wave.

“Glad you can make it,” he said with a smile on his face.

“You knew about this,” Mirabel's eyes narrowed.

“Yes I did,” he chuckled as she glared harder at him. “We’ll just look on the bright side, at least this time you don’t have to worry about any disasters that may destroy the magic again.” The town got the story, but he got the full story from his sweet hummingbird, though he did have to ask. “Right?”

“Hopefully no, if so it’s not on me this time,” she eventually said, though both of them and Diego turned towards Dolores.

“No secret disasters to worry about, just a normal family dinner,” she reassured them.

“Have you met us?”

“I have and you all are incredible, especially you, my beautiful rainbow,” Mariano romantically said.

“Aww, my sweet bear,” she cooed back as the two began to go into their own little world.

“And now we lost them,” Mira sighed at the two.

“At least they’re not teasing us,” he joked.

“You said it, hey do you want me to take that from you?” She pointed to the cake.

“No it’s fine I’m just waiting to give it to-”

“Diego de León, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Alma's voice inadvertently cut him off as she and the rest of the family made their way into the room with the food.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well ma’am,” he gave a slow nod at her before presenting that cake. “I made cake if anyone wants a piece.”

“I’m sure we would,” she eventually smiled at him and took the cake from his hands, “now please sit down, let’s have dinner.”

And the dinner…didn’t go so badly, there were a few teasing comments and the ominous staring thrown in his direction, but all in all, it was a pretty good dinner.

“I have to give props where it’s due, this cake is delicious!” Camillo complimented the older teen as she took a bite out of the cake.

“You're telling me,” said Luisa as well, even Isabella couldn’t help but clean her plate off as well.

“Well I’m glad everyone liked it, I know my Abuela would have my ears if it wasn’t perfect,” Diego joked, which earned a few laughs out of many.

“Better ears than the nose, my mama would twist it whenever I happen to get into too much mischief,” Alma chuckled as she gracefully stood up and held out her hand. “Would you mind taking this old lady to the backyard?”

Diego exchanged a glance with Mirabel, who looked equally as shocked, before standing up and following her. “Yeah, Umm of course.”

As they left Mirabel went to stand up but was stopped by a vine wrapping around her body, she shot a glare at her eldest sister that was causally sipping her drink. “Isabella!”

“Now now, he’ll have to face the final boss eventually,” Camillo cackled, but wince when she felt her ears pulled.

“Don’t call your Abuela a final boss,” Pepa pinched her ears.

“That’s tame of what you used to call her,” Julieta couldn’t help but say, earning a snort of laughter from Bruno and a gust of wind in her direction.

“Hush you two,” she sends both her twins a small glare that ends up cracking at their shared amusement.

“Don’t worry Mira, I’m sure it will be fine,” Antonio patted her on the leg when he took over Diego’s seat.

“I hope so,” she muttered and settled in the vines.

In the backyard, the stars were out and shining brightly alongside the crescent moon, the warm breeze gently whispered through the grass and mismatched flowers, and the silence between Diego de León and Alma Madrigal was stagnant.

Diego continued to walk next to the elder woman, but he couldn’t help but glance over to her from time to time and wonder when she would say something. He was starting to get anxious after the seven minute mark had passed and they were still trailing around the backyard, which he didn’t even think could be so big.

“I made many mistakes in my life,” he was startled by her first words. “Putting salt in my mother tea instead of sugar, breaking my arm after trying to hop from one tree to the next, accidentally giving my husband a black eye after he ran into my elbow, not running fast enough, I have made many mistakes, but do you know my biggest one?”

He shook his head.

“My biggest mistake is unknowingly harming my family, that is something I can never forgive myself, not even after they forgive me. The pain I brought them can never be forgiven and the only thing I can do is to make sure that never happens again, whether it comes from my hands or anyone else’s. So tell me, why should I let you be with my youngest granddaughter.” Because they might not be dating now, but it will soon be inevitable with how close the two are.

Diego let the question sink in before he breathed out a puff of air before motioning over towards the bench. “Would you mind sitting for this, it might take a while.”

Alma gave him an amused smile and indulged him as the two sat down on the stone bench.

“Has Mirabel ever told you about the first time I met her?” He asked.

“She did mention the two of you meeting when during the beginning construction on the Casita,” she said.

“That’s when we first talked, but not when I first saw her,” Alma’s brow raised in interest as she motioned for Diego to continue. “I can’t remember the day, but I remember when I first saw her, she was hauling a basket full of sewing materials, and trailing behind her were some of the town's children. And even though they kept talking to her, pulling on her skirt, and accidentally spilling her entire basket, she never once lost her smile. The first thing that popped in my head was ‘Wow, she must have the patience of a saint to deal with those spawns from below.”

Alma couldn’t give a short laugh at the description.

“But the second thing was, ‘She must be very kind,’ and from that moment on, whether I knew it or not, I always had an eye on her. She could have been just passing me by going to the bakery to grab a pastry, but I can’t help but watch her. When I finally got the nerve to talk to her it was like the blinds had been fully unveiled and it was wonderful. I knew she was patient and kind, but I didn’t know she could be so stubborn, so intuitive, mischievous, and daring. I didn’t know she could play so many instruments until I saw her go from one to the other in such a fluent manner, I didn’t know she knows so much about infrastructure until she was keeping up with me on construction, I didn’t know how much I love the way her eyes sparkle in pure delight as she talks about Antonio new scarf or Bruno new ruana, I didn’t know she had only one cute dimple on her cheek until she was laughing over a joke I made,” he let a gentle smile envelop his face the longer he spoke about her.

“It seems that you have learned quite a bit,” Alma hummed.

“There are still so many things that I don’t know about her and I want to know them all, whether it be big or small, I just want to be with her,” Diego finished and looked up to the stars as if Alma couldn’t see him.

“You truly care for her, don’t you,” she gingerly smiled:

“With my whole heart,” he admitted.

“Good, keep it that way, after all, you never know when it’s too late,” she patted his shoulder and went to stand up.

“Let me help-” he quickly stood up, but got a raised hand instead.

“I may be an old lady, but my bones haven’t withered just yet. You’ll learn that soon enough with our family.”

“You're not o-wait what?” He backtracked as he saw her retreating back to the home.

“You’ll learn soon enough,” she cheerily said and once more a little softly to the Casita, “I believe we should prepare for another member for our family.”

The chimes jingle in agreement.

Diego just stared as he watched the Matriarch walk away as the implications washed over him.

5. (+1) Mirabel

“You okay?” He was startled out of his thoughts by a sweet voice and met with brown eyes that resembled an everlasting hearth.

He felt himself warm up once more in her concern and smiled. “Yeah I’m fine, just thinking about some stuff and looking at the stars,” he pointed up as he realized now that he was sitting down on the bench.

“Yeah, they really are,” she nodded as sat beside him. “How did you like the family? Wasn't too crazy for you? Hope they didn’t scare you off.”

“You know surprisingly, it’s Bruno and Antonio that scares me the most,” he couldn’t help but think back to those two instances.

“Those two,” she held back a grin, “they’re literally the least scary. They’re sweet as a bowlful of sugar and as soft as a marshmallow.”

“Say that to the Capybara and glowing green eyes,” he muttered but brushed it off. “But other than that your family is just the right amount of crazy, just like you,” he nudged her shoulder.

“Are you calling me crazy?” She playfully narrowed her eyes.

“Maybeee.”

She snorted, “well if I’m crazy then you're insane for putting up with me.”

“Well that is a risk I'm willing to take,” the teen put a fist to his chest as if he was taking on a dire responsibility.

Mirabel rolled her eyes with a smile as a thought occurred to her. “So what were you and Abuela talking about anyways?

“Oh nothing much, but I think I got your Abuela approval.”

“Approval? For what?” Mirabel curiously asked.

“Oh nothing nothing really,” he nervously chuckled. He didn’t know if he was quite ready to admit that yet.

“Come on, tell me~” she singsong as she moved closer to him. “You can trust me.”

“I know I can, but I don’t know if I should say it now,” he muttered.

“Now I’m really curious,” she sighed and scooted away a little. “But if you can’t say it then don’t, just know I’m here if you ever want to talk.”

“I know you are, it’s why I fell in love with you in the first place,” he chuckled, but sucked in a sharp breath as he realized what he just said.

“What?” Mirabel's eyes widened at the implications as she wasn’t the only one as inside the house a certain Madrigal spat out her water in pure disbelief and ignored the concerned and disgusted questions thrown at her, Dolores was purely focused on this moment alone.

“Of all things to say,” Diego hissed to himself. “My own mouth betrayed me.”

“Diego?”

He could hear himself wince at Mirabel's cautious tone. “Yesss?” He asked as if he didn’t blurt out a full fledged confession.

“Did-did you say you love me,” her eyes tried to find his own, but Diego was still looking straight up at the sky.

“…maybe,” he cringed at his squeaky voice as he kept his eyes to the stars. Maybe if he was lucky enough, some aliens would see him and take him away from this disaster.

“So it wasn’t a slip of a tongue,” she hopefully asked as she slowly scooted closer to him.

“And by chance, if I said it wasn’t?”

“Then I would have said I liked you too.”

“Wait what?!” He snapped his head down and his face turned scarlet as he realized just how close both of them were. “R-really?”

“Mmhmm,” she nodded with a slight grin as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I have for a couple of months.”

“For almost two years,” he blurted out, unable to believe this was happening.

“Really?” Her eyes widen, “Why?!”

“Are you joking? Have you seen yourself?! You are the kindest, loving, stubbornest person I know and you keep your head up high no matter what comes your way!” Diego began to passionately say, as he continued with fire in his eyes. “I have seen you help even the most irritable of people, give a hand to anyone no matter how difficult it may be, seen you endure words others may say about you, and never falter. You can make others change whether you realize it or not, hell I once got into a fight over what some jackass said about you a few weeks back, and yet the other week I saw him lash out against someone else who tried to insult you. Why the change of heart? He said it was because he realized that there was more to you!”

“Are you talking about Ricardo?” She remembered sitting down with a larger fellow after he looked like he was going through a rough time. “All I did was talk to him.”

“Exactly! All you had to do was talk to him and change his view because of just your words! And you say that as if it’s no big deal!”

“Because it isn’t,” she tried to downplay it, but Diego wasn’t having any of that.

“No, it's incredible! That’s incredible! You're incredible! A lot of people look up to your family for their gifts and how it can them, but I look up to you because I see you do so much as just a regular person, and you’re so fucking amazing!”

“You are too!” Mirabel blurted out as she began to ramble. “You're one of the few people who don’t try to use me to get to know my family on the first introduction nor did you ever look down on me! I never had to work my ass off to impress you, because for some reason you still stood by me!”

“I actually first met you when you dropped your basket of sewing equipment,” he had to admit.

“You saw me be clumsy and decided I was still impressive,” she was thrown for a loop as he nodded his head. “And you say I’m kind, you said you love me even when you first saw me when I trip over my own two feet! You are kind and dependable! I’ve seen you with those kids! You may call them little beasts, but I have yet to see you refuse them when they really need help!”

“Have you met them,” Diego chuckled as he moved closer.

“I have! And you're also so patient! Whenever I go on my rants, you have never once tried to interrupt me or stop me! You let me go on and on and you actually listen, you are so kind for listening. I know I can be annoying, especially when it comes to my rants.”

“Have you seen the way your eyes light up when you talk about it? It’s so fucking beautiful,” at the back of his head he wondered when their hands clasped together.

“Have you met yourself when you dance! Your smile is gorgeous when you lose yourself in the music!”

Diego opened his mouth to say another, but stopped when he realized just how close they were to each other. Mirabel also realized this too as her eyes slightly widened, but neither side moved an inch.

“Can,” he inaudible gulped as his eyes locked onto hers, “can I kiss you?”

“Yeah,” she softly said then in the next moment their lips touched the other.

It was soft, clumsy as two awkward teens were, but it was still beautiful.

Then they parted, but never separated as both of them opened their eyes when they realized it was closed and as if a conductor was conducting them, gently bumped their foreheads together.

“I love you,” Diego whispered.

“I love you too,” Mirabel said back.

Diego couldn’t stop his smile as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, but Mirabel wasn’t complaining as she too held on just as tight.

Nothing could ruin this moment.

“Yes!” Or so they thought as the two of them were startled as they heard a scream.

“What the-” Diego gripped a bit tighter on Mirabel on reflex as he tried to figure out where the danger was.

“Who was-that was Dolores,” Mirabel's eyes twitched when she realized that her cousin heard everything.

“…you think she can keep a secret a little while longer,” he cautiously asked once he realized what happened.

“WHAT?!” Came the screams of many family members and they soon heard a storm of footsteps rapidly approaching.

“Not a chance,” she deadpans, “I hope you got to know the home of the Family Madrigal, because you are now a part of the Madrigal.”

“Well I heard it was fantastical and magical,” he wrapped an arm around her as they got ready for the onslaught.

“Whoever said that was a big fat liar,” she grinned as she braced for impact as the sound of a stampede got closer.

“I don’t know, I heard they were pretty honest, kind, and very cute and I’m always a sucker for cute faces,” Diego said as he gave her a peck on the cheek.

“I guess it won’t be so bad,” Mirabel giggle as she relaxed into his hold.

“MIRABEL!”

“DIEGO!”

“I take it back, this is going to be terrible,” Mirabel had to hold back a groan as she saw her family’s eager faces coming towards them. She then gave a shocked Diego a resigned smile at his dumbfounded face. “Welcome to the Family Madrigal, you can never escape.”

It was a beat before Diego threw his head back and laughed heartily with his entire being. As the questions streamed in with the ruffles of head and eager hugs he had to admit.

He’s proud to be a part of the Family Madrigal.

[lorei-writes]

Revert

Comte de Saint-Germain x MC Fluff

Ahh, yes, yes, rock! I really like rock music, so I’m always happy when it appears!

Written for: Song Event Request: @krys-loves-otome Prompt: “All I Ask Of You”, cover by Jonathan Young & Malinda K Reese

Content Warnings: mention of biting (?)

–––––––

Fire buzzed in the fireplace, pleasant heat radiating from its tiled sides and warding off any cold that dared sneak from outside. Freezing winds raging past the window, thick snow fell from the skies, the sun having been tucked in, hidden safely below the duvet of grey clouds. The winter was unusually cold that year, brought from far north, or well, truly anywhere the upset Parisians could view as a potential culprit behind their sorry state. She, however, did not seem to care of it in the slightest, her nightgown not even pretending to shelter her from any chills. Her lips curled into a gentle smile, she stepped forward, her feet sinking into the soft carpet, her hand on the armchair nearly startling the man sitting in it. “Lost in thoughts? Again?” she asked, standing in front of him, his golden eyes clearing, careful to inspect her form. “It appears you’re readier for this than I am,” he laughed quietly, the woman straddling his lap, one of the strips holding her garment in place twitching over her shoulder and threatening to slide down its length. “We talked about it and I do understand the consequences… It all will be well,” she whispered soothingly, her arms reaching to hold onto his shirt and draw her closer, her Comte returning the embrace without seemingly as much as a single thought, his fingers tracing soothing circles over her back. “Eternity…” “… is not a thing humans can fully comprehend,” she finished the sentence for him, glancing up from her spot – and for the first time, although it surely was just one of those many first attempts, he took note of the fresh wrinkles lingering at the corners of her eyes, and silver hairs he was sure were not there yesterday. Comte de Saint-Germain swallowed thickly. The woman straightened her back, his lips brushing against the skin below her ear. “I shall be as gentle as possible,” he promised, a kiss administered to just above her pulse. “It is fine. I trust you.” Her fingers tangled into his hair. “It may feel odd at first.” “I will complain to you afterwards if I deem it necessary…” she trailed off, something of him changing. “I will see you as soon as you’re awake.”

His fangs pierced her.

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