#it is usually a bit of what have i gotten myself into here followed by *shrugs* fuck it

[moonstruckme]

Thanks for being patient with me! This is edited on about four hours of sleep so apologies for any errors <3

part 1 │ part 2 │ part 3 │ part 4 │part 5 │ part 6 │ part 7 │ part 8 │ part 9 │ part 10 │ part 11 │ part 12 │ part 13

roommate!James x shy!reader ♡ 1.6k words

Water sizzles on the stove. You reach over to turn down the heat, your side heating from its proximity to the boiling water, before spinning back around to keep speed-chopping onion. This is a result of poor planning. 

It’s possible that some of your nerves could be reinterpreted as excitement. Giddiness, even. You’re finally—finally—doing something to try and repay all the kindness James shows you. You’ve felt like such a mooch, eating his cooking and stealing his time with his friends, but last week had been too much for you to take. He’d discovered the stomach bug you were weathering, and James had completely devoted the next two days of his life to making sure you were looked after. 

Your fever had gotten so out of hand he’d very nearly followed through on his favorite threat (going into your phone while you’re sleeping and phoning your mum), and though you’d done your best to downplay it at the time there are admittedly gaps in your memory wherein you think you were simply too out of it to know what was going on. It’s not a very comforting thought when you’re harboring a humiliating crush on your roommate; you may well have been just as talkative as James always is, you don’t know. At least he hasn’t said anything. 

He had, thankfully, managed to avoid catching it. You’re not sure how he managed what no one on your shift at work did, but you assume it has something to do with all that kale he eats. Which is why you’re doing your best to make the thank-you meal you’re making him as healthy as might suit his standards. 

You hear his key in the door, and a little frisson goes up your spine. 

“You’re early,” you accuse as he walks in. 

“Since when do you know when my training ends?” James asks. You sound like you’re sniping at one another, but as usual the joviality in his tone is unmissable. 

The sounds of his entrance are familiar, perhaps more ingrained in your mind than they ought to be. Keys jingling as he hangs them on the hook, shoes toed off and left by the mat, heavy footsteps headed for wherever you are in the apartment. 

When he finds you in the kitchen, you both speak at once. 

“What happened to your shoulder?” 

“You know how to cook?” 

“Hurt it at training,” James answers, shrugging with the shoulder that doesn’t have an ice pack held to it. He’s probably too nice for it to occur to him to withhold his answer until you’ve given yours, as had been your first thought. “What are you making?” 

“How did you hurt it?” Worry pries at your tone. Your hands have stilled on the cutting board. 

“We had a scrimmage, and I got shoulder-barged.” He gives you a smile, a shadow of the real thing, but gentler. Reassuring. “It’s not bad.” 

You frown. “I don’t know what that means.” 

“Didn’t expect you to, love.” 

“Why do you need to ice it if it’s not bad?” 

There’s a look in James’ eyes that’s wavering between smugness and softness. You balk at the sight of it. “I need to be a bit careful with it,” he hedges, “but it’ll be good by morning. Now, you’ve distracted me. Do you mean to tell me you’ve known how to cook this entire time?” 

“Yes,” you concede with a laugh. “I’ve always said I cook for myself when you’re not around.” 

“And here you are, doing it right before my eyes.” James leans on the counter with his good arm. He looks immensely entertained. “I’m honored.” 

“This isn’t just for me,” you say, looking down to resume chopping onion as your face warms slightly. “It’s for—” Another remonstrative hiss from the stove, and you whip around, moving the pot off the hot part entirely. You’re a bit relieved for the excuse to face away from him. “It’s for both of us. Also, I just want to provide a disclaimer right now that I never said I was good at cooking, only that I knew how.” 

James’ laugh rumbles behind you, just as you knew it would. He’s too easy. You can practically feel the force of his smile hitting your back, like the sunshine brought inside. 

“Here,” he says, taking a couple of steps toward you, “let me help.” 

“No!” You whirl again, stopping him before he can actually enter the kitchen. “No way. James, I’m trying to do something nice.” 

“And it is very nice,” he says, earnest. “It just seems like you could use a hand.” 

“I’ve got it,” you insist. Your hands are up to ward him off, but you put them at your sides when you realize how close they’re hovering to his chest. “It doesn't count as doing something for you if you do it yourself. Anyway, you’re incapacitated.” 

“I’m…” James looks confused, but then he glances down to his icing shoulder. “Oh, come on. I’m hardly immobilized.” 

“For all intents and purposes, you are.” You do your best to infuse your voice with conviction. You’ve found that’s usually the way with James. If you show any hesitation, he’ll turn on the charm and have you eating out of his hand before you know what’s happened. You herd him away from the kitchen. “Go sit down. Dinner will be ready soon.” 

You can’t help but be aware of him as you finish up, knowing he has to hear the sizzling when you accidentally spill things onto the stove or the one mumbled curse you’re not quick enough to bite back. All evidence that you’re not nearly as practiced a cook as James. You can practically feel his grin from a room over. Still, when it's done you’re fairly proud of yourself. 

James is beaming as he accepts his bowl. He hikes his knees up so you can pass between the couch and the coffee table, making a show of sniffing the steam rising from the food. 

“Is this risotto?” he asks, waiting for your little nod before his mouth drops open in astonishment. “You are so sneaky! I didn’t know you could cook at all, let alone fancy shit like this.” 

“It’s not that hard to make.” You look down at your fork as you raise it to your lips, blowing. 

“Sure it is! Loads of people have a hard time with it.” 

“Do you?” 

James grins, caught. You feel your own smile tugging at your lips as you take a bite.

He follows suit, forking a bit of the risotto and blowing to cool it before taking it in his mouth. His eyes dip closed, head lolling back, and he moans. 

“Oh my god, this is good. I’m never cooking again, now that I know you can do this.” 

You take another bite to avoid a response. You’re fairly sure the heat from your face could power the apartment for a month. 

James makes a few more over-the-top compliments of your culinary skills, which you deflect as best you can. As always, you eat mostly silently while he chatters, but when you look over your attention gets snagged on his shoulder. 

He’s only using the one hand to eat, bowl resting in his lap while you hold yours up closer to your face. His ice pack sits beside him now that he can’t hold it on anymore. You catch yourself gnawing on the inside of your lip. 

“Does it hurt?” you ask. 

James looks over, following your gaze. “Yeah,” he admits. “Nothing I’m not used to, though.” 

You feel your eyebrows pinch. “You get hurt often?” 

He smiles bemusedly. “It’s rugby, love. Getting a bit roughed up is part of the deal.” 

This doesn’t sit right with you. Though you hadn’t pondered it much before, you realize you’ve sort of been thinking of James, with his muscles and constant smiles and easygoing manner, as somewhat invincible. He seems like such a source of light in the world, it hadn’t occurred to you that anything bad could happen to him. You don’t like the idea of him being hurt. In any capacity. 

You realize this is likely playing out on your face when you notice James watching you. His eyes are soft. “As much as I would love to milk this for attention and maybe a sponge bath,” he says, setting his fork in his bowl, “it’s really not that bad. See?” 

He pulls down the sleeve of his shirt, and the effort to placate you is wasted. You take in a quiet, horrified gasp at the deeply colored bruise on James’ shoulder. One of your hands raises as if to touch it. It hovers in the space between you. 

“That’s not that bad?” you look at James in alarm. “It looks broken.” 

“It’s not,” he laughs. It’s a bit awkward, as close to self-conscious as you’ve ever seen him. “Trust me, I’ve had a couple broken bones in my time. It’s only bruised, and the muscle’s a bit strained.” 

The muscle, you’re noticing now, is quite substantial. Your focus is on the bruise, but the shoulder beneath it is eye-catching as well, hefty and taut-looking, presumably from the strain. That, or James is flexing. 

You raise your gaze quickly to his. Brown eyes tinged with smugness. 

“You’re worried about me.” His lips stretch into a grin. Not your favorite one in his arsenal. “Aw, sweetheart, I love you too.” 

You direct your attention back to your food, face hotter than hot. “I have justification for worry,” you say, the teasing tone you were going for undercut by the unintentional softness of your voice. “You’re voluntarily participating in a sport that seems like it’s trying to kill you.” 

James takes a self-satisfied bite of his risotto. “I don’t know, I was pretty worried when you fainted in my arms last week.” 

You side-eye him suspiciously. “I didn’t actually do that.” 

“Guess you’ll never know.” 

[princessbrunette]

you knew you shouldn’t be doing this. it was embarrassing. you were like a drunk cat mewling on toxicex!johnb’s patio instead of going home and dealing with your feelings like a big girl.

you’d been on a date. kind of. well not really — he stood you up. you were all dressed up too, ready to rub it all in john b’s face that you were moving on. you’d planned it to a T — snap a little picture for your story that would make it clear you’re on a date, or maybe subtly bring it up in conversation next time you saw your ex. all that scheming and plotting, just to end up in tears on his patio.

you were actually planning on leaving. you thought maybe coming to the chateau would ground you enough to remind you of why you were broken up in the first place. however, you’d let one pathetic mewl out just a bit too loudly and out came john b, staring in confusion at you perched on his patio with your head in your hands. he clears his throat.

“hey. uh… you can’t be out here… okay? skeeters.” you think he’s going to shoo you away, give you something else to cry about — but as he speaks you feel his coarse hand wrap around your arm, gently hauling you to your feet. “c’mon. inside. there ya go.” he purses his lips, following you in before walking past you.

“so what’s it gonna be today? hm?” he deadpans in the warm, croony voice that would usually make you wanna melt right into his arms.

having gotten yourself into quite the state, you violently wipe your snot and tears away with the back of your wrist, shaking your head as you suck in a wobbly breath. “i can’t!” is all you manage to squeak out and he sighs.

“look, i wanna help you, because crazily enough i do still very much care about you — but i can’t help you if you don’t tell me. not a mind reader.” he shrugs, hoping the casual attitude would coax it out of you as he wanders over to the kitchen to fetch you a glass of water. you follow him like a lost puppy, and when the glass is full he holds it to your lips. the physical contact calms you enough to behave in a more subdued manner.

“i got stood up.” you croak, defeated. john b places the glass down on the side before staring at you for a moment.

“is that it?”

“what do you mean is that it— it hurt my feelings, god you’re such a jerk john b—” this only inspired a fresh batch of tears as you turn away, heading to leave but he stops you — hands on your shoulders, resisting an eye roll.

“i was literally just asking. take a breath. let’s go and sit down and talk about it.”

for whatever reason, you end up beside him on his bed. you truly couldn’t believe yourself, one little thing goes wrong and you’re immediately off to go and snitch to your ex boyfriend.

“can i ask… why you came here? like… did you want me to beat this guy up or—”

“—no—”

“‘cause look, sure he’s a douchebag but he could have his reasons you know? i don’t know if i wanna —”

“thats not why i’m here!” you silence him, visibly upset and he quietens— leaning back against the headboard in silence as he waits for an explanation. “i was gonna leave.” you speak after a pause, fiddling with the familiar bed sheets you’d seen one too many times. “i guess i just… i needed to ground myself. this is a familiar place. i just wanted the comfort for a moment and then i was gonna go home.”

“the chateau is like,” he holds out a hand in gesture. “way… way out of your way home. so… that can’t be why. just saying.”

you don’t know what to say. you truly don’t, so you choose to stay silent, glancing up at him through your lashes all pouty and sorry for yourself. he tilts his head to the side, eyes softening.

“you wanted me to fuck you about it. didn’t you?” he rasps just as softly, but the question makes your heartrate spike.

“what?”

he presses his lips together, shaking his head in disapproval of the whole situation. “so you came here… after you got stood up, dressed all cute, just to sit on my patio? ‘that what this is?”

“well— i don’t know—”

“you wanted me to fuck you and make it better. no, it is — okay, that’s what you always want.” he fixes the cap on his head before holding his hands up in defence, avoiding your eyes as he literally argues with himself. “look— we talked about this. it just can’t happen anymore. it’s not good for you, and it’s not good for me, and i can promise it’s not gonna fix any of your wounds.”

“okay! that’s fine! i never said i wanted you to fuck me, john b. just came up with that yourself!” you huff, crossing your arms sulkily.

“good!” he shakes his head, eyes wide and brows raised as he stares at you. you hold his gaze for a moment before staring at your own hands again. so what did you want?

you feel john b soften, a gentle sigh leaving him as he continues to gaze at you. a minute or so passes of this pensive silence before he speaks. “come here.” its kind, warm, like he used to be and he opens his arms to you sympathetically. you don’t miss the opportunity to hug him, bask in his heat and comfort. he was just being there for you, comforting you after you got stood up after all.

you sit like that for a moment, his arms around you — and when he pulls back, he looks at you different. you stare back, and soon — you’re kissing.

a kiss turns to tongues rolling over eachother languidly soon enough, and like clockwork — you feel him tug at the waistband of your skirt.

“take this off, yeah?” he mutters against your lips, and though you know you should walk away, you simply don’t have the strength.

[poohsources]

🐝  *  ―  𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒.   (  random assortment of sentences that can but don’t have to be used for muses meeting each other for the first time. feel free to adjust to better fit your muses.  )

❛  i know we only just met but i already feel like i’ve known you my whole life.  ❜ ❛  umm, is this seat taken ?  ❜ ❛  don’t be alarmed now but there’s someone following you. pretend you know me and come with me. i’ll get you somewhere safe.  ❜ ❛  my friends ditched me here and now i could really use a ride home.  ❜ ❛  i don’t think we’ve met yet but you looked like you needed someone to talk to.  ❜ ❛  can you please pretend to be my boyfriend / girlfriend for a moment so my ex will leave me alone ?   ❜ ❛  are you always this straightforward with strangers ?  ❜ ❛  here, i noticed you lost this earlier.  ❜ ❛  i’m sorry, i must’ve mistaken you for somebody else.  ❜ ❛  so, what brings you here today ?  ❜ ❛  hi, my name is [name]. it’s nice meeting you.  ❜ ❛  you’re cute. how about i buy you a drink ?  ❜ ❛  can’t you watch where you are going ?!  ❜ ❛  i just moved into the apartment next to you, so i guess we’re gonna be neighbors now.  ❜ ❛  oh god, you’re [name], aren’t you ?  ❜ ❛  here, let me help you.  ❜ ❛  is there a reasons you’re here on your own ?  ❜ ❛  apparently we’re going to be working on this together now.  ❜ ❛  you look like you could use a hand with that.  ❜ ❛  what do people around here do to have some fun ?  ❜ ❛  looks like this will take a while, huh ?  ❜ ❛  oh god. please tell me you haven’t just heard me talk to myself.  ❜ ❛  excuse me, i think i’m lost.  ❜ ❛  i just wanted to say that i really like your outfit.  ❜ ❛  do you come here often ?  ❜ ❛  do you mind if i join you for a bit ?  ❜ ❛  you looked lonely so i got you a drink.  ❜ ❛  i don’t think we’ve met, i’m [name].  ❜ ❛  what the hell just happened there ?  ❜ ❛  have you seen this anywhere ? i must’ve lost it.  ❜ ❛  can i please use your phone ? i have to call someone to get me out of here.  ❜ ❛  seems like we’re gonna be spending a lot of time together.  ❜ ❛  come with me, and don’t ask any questions. it’s urgent.  ❜ ❛  i heard strange noises coming from your apartment and just wanted to make sure everything is alright.  ❜ ❛  i have a spare ticket, you wanna come in with me ?  ❜ ❛  you don’t know me but will you be my date for tonight ?  ❜ ❛  we’ve got some time to kill so why don’t you tell me a little about yourself ?  ❜ ❛  i don’t usually just walk up to strangers but my friends set me up to it.  ❜ ❛  i think our orders may have gotten mixed up.  ❜ ❛  do i have something on my face or why do you keep looking at me like that ?  ❜

[ghoulie-67-baby]

Rule breaker- Wizarding world.

Summary: You tried to be a good girl, but a certain Sirius Black makes you break rules.

Warnings: Domxsub dynamics, pet names, SMUT (were not pissing around), Edging (without permission I guess), manipulation, subspace, crying, cum play, using sub as ‘cum dump’, lying, punishment, cum eating, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, slight blackout,

Pairing: Wolfstar x fem!reader.

Word count: 6,290.

The walk to class was never an easy one. Hogwarts was filled with magic and mischievous ghosts and moving staircases but today this wasn't my issue with getting to classes on time. I had 7 minutes to get to my lesson and I knew if I didn't want to get into trouble with Remus and Sirius then I needed to haul ass, despite my tired legs.

Sighing heavily, I began to climb another staircase, noticing it had not long moved and so wouldn't for a while, and trudging down the corridor with a yawn as my body fought to rouse from its sleep. Despite me having a lie-in, I was still drowsy but I put that down to not getting up until 20 minutes before my class, barely leaving myself enough time to get ready. If Sirius and Remus didn't have an early class then I would have gotten woken but I liked to push my luck when they weren't there. It meant nobody was there to see me break the rules but that was my little secret.

I was almost to the end of the corridor where my first lesson was when a smirking Sirius walked out of an empty room, as if he was waiting for me, with a smug look on his face, blocking my path.

"Well, well, well what have we here?" The grin never left his face as he leaned against the wall on his shoulder and crossed his arms. I smiled sweetly up at him, hoping he didn't point out my sleepy eyes and ruffled looks.

"Morning Pads, how was your first lesson?" Hopefully diverting the attention to him would take his attention from my lie-in.

"It wasn't so bad, I think the most important question is how was your late start Poppet?" I froze and bit my lip, I knew there wasn't any point in denying it unless I wanted to get into any further trouble.

"I didn't mean to get up late, Moony usually has time to wake me but he couldn't this morning." I watched as he nodded his head in faux agreement almost as if he was mocking me before smiling sweetly and moving to kiss my head.

"Well, I have something that could wake you up," His lips ghosted over my temple as he rubbed his hands up and down my arms. I knew by now I was late to my class and the thought of Remus' disappointment made my stomach turn slightly. At the same time, I didn't want to disappoint Sirius, after all, they were both my Doms and so I had to abide by both sets of rules. It was almost as if he could read my mind because he smiled down at me and grabbed my hand, pulling me gently behind him and into the empty room.

"Don't worry Y/N, it's not rule-breaking because you're following my rules." I relaxed a bit more and let my arms wrap around him as he kissed my neck before meeting his lips in a rough kiss. It didn't take long for him to have me perched on the edge of the table, he stood between my parted legs and my hands tangled in his hair as I panted harshly. His hands expertly lifted me from my perch before slipping my underwear off, letting them drop to the floor before grinning down at me. Well at least he got one thing right: I really was wide awake now.

My head hung back, eyes closed and mouth open in a silent moan as he pushed into me with a groan as he bottomed out, stretching me out nicely. For a moment he was still and I looked up at him, admiring his mess of hair as his eyes sparkled with a mischievous smirk. Before long, his stillness turned to short thrusts as he tried to restrain himself before becoming rough and harsh which he knew I loved. The classroom was filled with groans as he chased after his high, using me like I was there for his pleasure only which made whimpers escape me alongside muffled moans as he covered my mouth with his hand to quieten me. My hips bucked in time with his as I gripped his shoulders for support, pulling at his shirt as I got closer to the edge. With a moan, Sirius pushed into me as far as he could before I felt hot thick ropes of his cum coat my insides, almost pushing me over the edge.

Just before I could get my release, he removed himself from me, leaving me a panting and shaking mess that could barely stand up as he moved away to straighten out his uniform. Tears collected in my eyes as I watched him in shock and annoyance. The sparkle never left his eyes as he grinned back at me, straightening his tie.

"Next time don't break the rules and you can cum, you bad girl. Remus is going to be so disappointed in his good little girl when I tell him what you've done. See ya later Poppet." With a wave and a mocking smile, he disappeared out the door and to his next lesson. I tried to shout after him but he ignored me as he ran to his next class.

Now two rules had been broken. I had been late for my class and let Sirius use me without Remus being there or giving permission. Usually, that had to be discussed between the three of us or agreed upon by Remus but this time I knew I would definitely be in trouble, especially if Sirius was to tell Remus it was my idea.

The decision to skip classes was a quick one and so I pulled my underwear back up, ignoring Sirius' cum that slowly seeped out of me, and sped back to our dorm without a word to anyone. Once I reached the common room, I ran upstairs to Remus and Sirius' room and threw myself on the Lycanthrope's bed with a huff. Usually, girls weren't allowed in the boy's dorm, and vice versa, but of course the marauders had found a way around it.

The rest of my morning was spent with me sulking in Remus' bed, trying to read my books but distracted by the need to cum and also by the thought of punishment from my Dom. I had swaddled myself in one of Remus' jumpers, leaving my skirt on and curling under the covers. The day dragged by and if anyone had noticed I hadn't turned up to any class then they mustn't have said anything because no visitors came up, which I was grateful for. As dinner passed, my stomach growled at me but I ignored it as a sick twisted feeling grew. I felt so incredibly guilty and though it was Sirius who had the idea, I shouldn't have agreed because Remus wasn't there too. I knew better than this and now I wasn't a good girl anymore. At least I didn't break a third rule by touching myself without permission even though I was desperate to.

The afternoon was filled with me slipping in and out of subspace, crying to myself and napping because I was exhausted from crying. I was so caught up in my emotions that I forgot Remus finished before Sirius who had an extra class after him. My eyes were still blurred by the tears that tracked down my cheeks when the bedroom door opened and I held in a breath, glad that my face was hidden away from whoever it was by Remus' pillow and my body covered in his blankets. I stiffened as a hand rested against my covered ankle but I soon relaxed when the familiar scent of pine wood and chocolate clouded my senses. Though the intruder had been identified as my Dom, I still kept my face hidden, not wanting to face him right now as guilt wracked me.

"Hey bunny, how come you weren't in lessons?" His voice was so soft and sweet just as it always was when he knew I was having a bad day but today I didn't deserve for him to be nice. "Is everything okay?" I couldn't answer him so I nodded silently. "Bun, Look at me." His voice was slightly harder, knowing he needed to be firm so I'd listen. Reluctantly, I turned onto my other side so he could see my face and raised my eyes to meet his, knowing they were red and puffy. His face flashed with concern and he raised a hand to caress my cheek but I stopped him, shaking my head.

"What happened Bunny?" Remus was far from stupid and wouldn't stop until he got to the bottom of this mess. "Did someone hurt you?"

"No," My voice came out as a whisper. "I'm just a bad girl Remmy, I'm sorry." I got a look of confusion as I curled my legs towards my chest.

"No, you could never be a bad girl f'me Y/N, you're my good girl. What makes you think you're a bad girl?" I bit back a whimper and sighed knowing I had to tell him. Obviously, Sirius hadn't told him so now was my chance to tell him what truly happened.

"I broke two rules. Nearly broke three Remmy." His back straightened slightly as I spoke but he didn't speak, instead he allowed me the chance to explain my wrongdoings. "I got out of bed really late 'n' nearly missed my lesson but when I was making my way to my class Sirius stopped me in the corridor, I would've been on time if he hadn't. I told him I was going to be late because I knew it would be better to tell the truth but I wasn't fully awake yet so he said he could wake me up and pulled me into one of the empty rooms." I sniffled as he nodded for me to continue. "Siri said it would be okay because I was following his rules and being good to him so I wouldn't get in trouble with you but when he was finished he didn't let me cum and left me in the room on my own after telling me I was a bad girl and you were gunna be disappointed with me. I ran straight back up here and haven't been to any lessons. I didn't want him to lie to you about it." By the time I was finished, he looked angry and I sat on the bed with fresh tears on my cheeks, sniffling like a baby.

"Oh Bunny, you poor thing." He crooned, running his hand over my hair and wiping away one of my tears. "So Sirius lied to you about it being okay and then didn't let you finish. Is that why you're so upset? Because you want to cum?"

"Kind of, yes but because I was bad as well, I didn't mean to be bad, he said I was being good f'him." I shifted uncomfortably against the blanket which didn't go unnoticed.

"You're not bad, Sirius is the one that's bad Bunny and I'll be dealing with him later." His eyes travelled down to my curled-up legs. "Did he clean you up after at least?" I shook my head no as he gently pulled down the covers. I let my legs part as he moved my underwear to one side and sighed in frustration at our boyfriend. "Why haven't you cleaned his cum away Bun?"

"I didn't wanna break another rule so I left it," I admitted, blushing as he watched Sirius' cum leak from me. Remus shook his head and moved back to his sitting position before smiling at me softly.

"You're not a bad girl, you know you should get up earlier but if Sirius hadn't stopped you and done this then you would have been on time for the lesson which I would've let slide. As for what happened, That's his fault and he will be punished accordingly so don't worry, you didn't break the rules. I'm very proud that you didn't want to break another rule but you can still clean yourself up Love, we wouldn't class that as rule-breaking."

"Thank you for not being angry Remmy." I smiled, feeling a little better about the day now that he knew what had happened. With a sigh I sat up and shuffled into Remus' lap to cuddle him, knowing now he wasn't angry at me at all. His warm arms wrapped around me gently and I nuzzled into his chest, getting as close as physically possible, feeling a little better now I knew he wasn't angry with me.

"Let's get you cleaned up Love and then I can help you out." I nodded and climbed out of his lap and walked into the bathroom, whining when I felt something warm drip through my underwear and down my thigh. The lycanthrope chuckled as I watched it slip down my leg and began to strip off my clothes, leaving them in a pile on the bathroom floor as he got me some fresh underwear and one of his cardigans. He knew I hated wearing my clothes because his and Siri's were always more comfortable.

I waited in the bathroom for him to come back, shifting from one foot to the other as my hands stayed clasped in front of me, not wanting to be tempted into rule-breaking. As he walked back in, he smiled at me and kissed my head before stripping my underwear off and leaning me over the bathroom counter gently. I gasped as the cold surface met my chest and closed my eyes, holding in a whimper as he brushed his fingers over my hip gently, seeing the new bruises that had formed from Sirius' hands. I didn't mind the bruises, I actually loved having them, made me feel like I belonged. Seconds later, I jolted out of my thoughts as he started to clean me up, tutting to himself, being as gentle as always with me. A small moan slipped through my lips as he finished cleaning me, forgetting how sensitive and needy I was at the moment.

"Sorry Bun, "He pressed a kiss to my shoulder before sliding my feet into the underwear and pulling them up as I stood up from the counter. The wool of the cardigan glided across my skin as I melted into the fabric, encased in the Wolf's scent, and snuggled into his chest as I was buried in his arms. "That better now love?" I nodded against his chest and hummed happily before kissing his cheek gently.

"Thank you, Remmy." He gave me another squeeze before walking back into the room with me and patting his lap as he sat on the bed, against the headboard. I grinned and climbed onto the bed, settling myself so I was straddling him with my legs on either side of his hips. His hands looked huge against my thighs and I traced the scars on them with a small smile.

"Feeling better now little one?" His eyes were warm and kind as always. I nodded as his thumb rubbed against my skin, feeling a little more settled but still itching for some sort of contact. "Still feeling needy huh? Have you eaten yet Bunny?" I dropped my eyes from his and glanced at his hands shyly whilst shaking my head slowly. "Well, you need to eat a little something before anything happens because I don't want you getting ill." I nodded softly and clambered off his lap as he nipped down to the common room to make a sandwich. After he had brought it up and settled on the bed with me, I nibbled at it in little bits, glad to have the encouragement of my dom, not wanting to eat after the day I'd had but doing it because I knew he was right. Once I had finished half, I looked at Moony and he nodded in understanding, taking the plate and placing it on the bedside table, he knew I couldn't eat it all at the moment.

Minutes passed, and I let my food settle and had a drink of water before I started to feel fidgety and needy again. I pressed my face into the Lycanthrope's neck as I whined at him, hoping it would catch his attention. He chuckled but pulled my face to him, letting our lips connect into a gentle kiss. Instantly, I melted with a small sigh as my chest fell so it was pressing against his comfortably, soothed by the feeling of his thumb rubbing my skin gently. I whimpered quietly as I felt his bulge start to grow beneath me and tried as hard as I could to keep my hips still. Large hands slid from my thighs to my waist and started to move my hips slowly, silently allowing me to grind against him as my head started to cloud.

Warmth spread through my body as the anxiety and frustration I had from earlier melted away in lust for my Dom. The feeling of his rough hands against my hips mixed with the bulge beneath me had my back arching as I sped up the pace a little.

"Ah ah Bunny, you've had a very overwhelming and emotional day," He cut himself off with a low groan, grip tightening on my hips. "You need to take this slow or you'll drop and we know how bad you get when that happens don't we?" I knew the question was rhetorical so I slowed myself down back to the original speed before wrapping my arms around his neck loosely. His warmth soothed me until a chuckle began to rumble in his chest which caught my attention. "Bun, I can feel how wet you are right now and I've barely touched you. I can smell you too, you smell delicious." His voice lowered considerably when he said it and I hid my face in his throat as the blood flushed my already warm cheeks. "Awww my shy girl, don't have to be shy f'me Bun, let me see your pretty little face." I lifted my head to find him smiling at me lovingly and pulling open the buttons of the cardigan, exposing my bare chest to him. Warm lips met my collarbone as he kept my hips moving slowly but kissed any skin he could get to. I let my head fall back and my mouth open in a sigh of relief as his mouth made its way down to my nipples, which had hardened when the cool air of the dorm met them. I wrapped my fingers into his hair and pulled his head from my chest gently.

"Remmy, I really really need you," I pressed my forehead against his, pressing my core against him harder. "Please, want you to do whatever you want with me. Make me do anything to you, use my mouth or my body, anything." I truly was desperate for anything he was willing to give me, I was on the verge of tears.

"Bun, I'm not gonna use you, Sirius did that and you ended up in this state so I'm gonna help you and give you what you need and want. This is about you baby." His hands manoeuvred me as he spoke, placing me against the pillows carefully as my breath caught in my throat. "Now, what's my name little one?"

"Daddy, you're my Daddy." I didn't have the energy or patience to be bratty about it so I gave him the right answer the first time.

"Good girl, now let Daddy take these off," He tugged at the waistband of my underwear and I lifted my hips so he could slip them off. "Let me see my pretty girl." I let my legs spread and watched as he grinned and licked his lips as if he was hungry. "Atta girl." A gentle thumb rubbed patterns on my skin as he knelt on the bed, level with my throbbing heat. "Bunny's all wet f'me huh? D'you think I should help out?" I nodded furiously and bit my lip to hold in a whine at the teasing.

He chuckled darkly and slid his hands under my parted legs to hold them apart with strong hands before peppering kisses over the skin of my thighs, working closer and closer as he went. When the kisses reached where I wanted him most, he continued but avoided touching my clit. I whimpered as his grip tightened and he finally pressed his mouth to me, letting his tongue rub around my bundle of nerves. If it wasn't for his hands holding me down then I knew my hips would be pushing against his mouth as hard as I could. It didn't take long for him to get the idea of what I needed as his tongue finally met my clit, tracing circles into it. My legs tensed as a gasp escaped me, my eyes squeezing shut as a flash of long-awaited pleasure ran through me. I lifted my head and looked down at him, eyes meeting my Dom's as they sparkled.

"Daddy, please, need more." I felt breathless as he gave me just what I asked for, moving one of his hands to rub circles into my clit as his tongue thrust inside me with a groan. It didn't take long for the feeling to begin bubbling in my abdomen as he sped up, knowing by the way my body reacted that I wouldn't be able to last much longer. My breath got heavier as I moaned and gasped through the feeling, reaching my peak as he nipped at my clit. The world seemed to drown out as a much-needed feeling washed over me and I came, moaning and thrashing as he held me down and carried me through it.

"Shh shh, it's okay Bunny," He crooned, slowing his motions down before coming to a stop and pressing kisses to my trembling thighs. "That's daddy's good girl." The pet name made me feel warm and fuzzy as I drifted down from my peak, opening my eyes to find his amber eyes staring back at me. He licked his lips before running his hand over his mouth with a grin. "You really are delicious Bun."

I smiled and pulled him down towards me for a kiss, hands bunching into his jumper as his lips met mine. I pulled at it, letting him sit up to pull off the jumper and shirt so I could touch his bare chest, grinning at how warm he was. My fingers traced over his scars nonchalantly as they always did and he smiled down at me. I loved the feeling of the scars, they were a big turn-on for me, and him letting me touch them meant he trusted me, especially in such an intimate moment.

"Let's get you stretched out and I'll give you everything you want little one," I nodded softly and bit my lip as two of his fingers worked inside me, giving me enough to sigh in pleasure and relief but not satisfy me completely. "Good girl Bunny." The praise made the flush on my chest travel to my cheeks and a hazy smile made its way to my face.

"I wouldn't be doing that if I were you Moony," My moans were cut off by Sirius as he spoke up from the doorway. My eyes widened as I heard his voice and Remmy's thumb rubbed my hip to comfort me as he turned to meet Sirius' gaze. I could hear the smirk in his voice as he caught us.

"And why's that Pads?" His tone stayed neutral so he didn't tip the other male off that he knew what had happened. "She's my good girl and good girls deserve to feel good." The darker-haired male scoffed at the words, chuckling darkly as Remus rubbed his free hand on my thigh gently.

"Well, your good girl happens to be a rule breaker and apparently a liar Remus or didn't she tell you what she did?" Remus smiled down at me, hidden from Siri's gaze.

"Oh you mean about how she got up late and didn't go to a single lesson." Sirius nodded but gestured for him to continue to say there was more than just that. "And perhaps you mean about how she was taken into a side room with someone who just used her as a cumdump," My core clenched around his fingers at the words, "leaving her hurting and needy so she spent the day up here suffering and upset and so far in subspace that she thought cleaning herself up would be rule-breaking." Sirius' smug grin dropped as soon as he realised Remus knew and I couldn't help the slight smile on my face. "Or maybe you mean the part where you tricked her into thinking it wasn't rule-breaking because she was doing as you said, could possibly even be the part where you said you'd lie to me and say it was her idea." I knew Remus was unhappy and disappointed with his other sub by this point but his fingers didn't stop moving inside me, letting me feel him inside me as I let out soft whimpers and moans that broke through the tension. I almost cried out as the lycanthrope pulled his fingers out of me so he could stand, stalking toward Padfoot, but I swallowed it down because I was his good girl and didn't want to interrupt.

"Moony, I didn't mean for her to get hurt or upset." He began, "I saw her on the way to class and I couldn't help myself she was just so beautiful." My body flushed more at the unexpected compliment. "I just wanted to get a release is all." Remus shook his head in annoyance as he cornered the smaller boy with a dark grin.

"I don't care, you still did it even when you knew it wasn't allowed. And didn't you think that maybe Y/N wanted a release too rather than being used and left pent up with your cum still inside her for the day?" My body shivered at his words, my pussy clenched around the air. "Because that's how I found her. Crying on my pillow with your cum dribbling out of her. She missed out Pads, big time and now because of what you did you're gunna miss out too." As he spoke, Remmy pulled Sirius by the wrist over to one of the chairs and used wordless magic to bind him to it but not before removing his clothes with a spell.

"Moons, I didn't mean to, please don't make me sit here and -"

"I'm sorry, I didn't recall saying you had a choice or that you could speak did I?" His eyes glared into Siri's as he straightened himself out and began to strip off himself entirely. My mouth watered as he got entirely naked and I sat up slightly so I could watch the way his muscles shifted under his freckled skin. "I'm going to make her feel so good and you're going to watch and think about what you did and how you can make it up to her. And if she's not entirely satisfied then you'll have to do whatever she wants. Is that understood?" His voice was harsh and clipped as he walked back over to the bed, nodding in satisfaction when the tied-up boy agreed.

"Can I please have you now Daddy?" I begged, pulling his shoulders down as he came to kneel on the bed between my legs.

"Of course, you can Bunny." I smiled as he pulled me into a kiss, his tongue mingling with my own so the taste of my cum transferred into my mouth, leaving me moaning. My breath hitched in anticipation as Remus positioned himself at my entrance, using my cum as lubrication to push into my tight, throbbing heat. My grip on his shoulders tightened as he pushed into me as far as he could. A loud groan filled the room as the tip of his cock came to a stop against my cervix, unable to go any further; I never could fully fit him. Sirius' desperate moans faded into the background as my body jolted with short, sharp thrusts. I let my eyes meet his tear-filled grey ones as my own watered with pleasure and relief giving him an idea of what he could've had if only he'd played fair.

"Please Rem, it hurts," Siri whined as he tried to wiggle in his bands, hissing as the red, leaking tip of his cock rubbed against his stomach at the movement, eyes fluttering away from my face.

"That's a real shame Pads," The wolf growled sarcastically, gritting his teeth as I clenched around him, pulling him close to me. "Now you know how my Bunny felt." My walls fluttered as his thrusts sped up and I climbed towards my peak much quicker than I'd have liked. It didn't take long for him to find a specific spot along my velvet walls which made me see stars as a loud and almost pornographic moan ripped from my throat, making me gush around my Dom as I toppled over my peak and through my high. The way I tightened around him, had him moaning loudly and stuttering hips came to a stop as he buried as far into me as he could, thick ribbons of his cum coating my insides generously as he buried his face in my neck, biting down to leave his mark. He stifled his moans as they vibrated against my neck.

I raked my fingers through his hair as my vision came back into focus and listened to the sounds of his panting and last few moans. His head lifted slowly, letting his eyes fall on mine, before dipping to kiss me sweetly.

"Any better Bunny?"

"Much better, thank you, Daddy." I giggled as he pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose before pulling out slowly, hushing me as I whined at the feeling and overstimulation.

"D'you think we should let him help?" I hummed in thought for a moment before nodding up at him. "Okay Pads, you follow my every word or you go back on the chair." His curly hair bounced as he nodded vigorously. "You're going to kneel in between her legs and eat every last bit of my cum out of her, swallow it all, and then maybe I'll let you get some stimulation on you're selfish, needy cock." With a snap of his fingers, the binds fell away from the marauder's body and disappeared, allowing the boy to scramble over to the bed and straight to where Remmy said.

I worked through the sensitivity as his tongue began to lap at my pussy, ignoring how it quivered at the feeling. Large hands snaked around my thighs as he held my legs open for him so he could feast to his heart's content. I whined, feeling cum begin to slide out of me and down towards the bed sheets. Before it could get any further, Sirius' tongue licked a stripe from my ass upwards to catch it and swallow it down just as he'd been told to. Keening at the feeling, he buried his face into my pussy, suckling and slurping at me as my fingers curled into his hair and the bedsheets, loving how his fingers dug into my thighs. Small tears began to drip down my cheeks as the strength of my pleasure shook my thighs around his head. The sounds of his moans as he ate me out made my stomach clench in pleasure and anticipation and I found myself fighting to hold back the third orgasm of the day.

"Daddy," I gasped. "M'close again." A smile donned my Dom's face as he reached down to brush the hair from my face. My voice was barely a whisper as sobs of pleasure began to rack my body.

"Go ahead baby, cum on Padfoot's tongue."And with that, I let my body release what I'd been holding back, gasping my way through it. Though it was an amazing feeling, this was different from the others, more soothing because of the sensitivity and stimulation, leaving me feeling warm and fuzzy, like I was drifting. "That's it, good girl." His voice kept me grounded as I shuddered through the feeling, not being able to stop my trembling legs as he lapped at me, slower now. The subspace I had been suffering in earlier melted into a gentle and calm one that I had needed.

"Can't do anymore Daddy," I whimpered, fingers tightening in Sirius' curls as I tried to pull him away from my throbbing heat. "No more mouth, Daddy, tell 'im please." Remus chuckled and nodded at my request.

"Alright Pads, enough now." On cue, the mouth against me retracted and he came into view above me, a small grin but apologetic eyes as he hovered over me. He leaned down to kiss me softly and I reciprocated, enjoying his soft lips on my own. "Okay Bunny, One last time and then you can rest okay? I know we have you worked up but this will be last because he's been good and listened to me." I didn't have the strength to argue with him as my other Dom positioned my legs around his waist before pressing into me slowly. My back arched at the feeling, eyes rolling back and mouth open in a silent moan whilst the tears were wiped from my cheeks. His head fell into the crook of my neck as he thrust against me, having lost all of his composure from his punishment and eating what was left over from it. My eyes squeezed shut, my fingers scrambled against his back as he sped up, not being able to hold back as long as he'd like, my nails making crescent dents in his soft skin.

"Come on Poppet," He growled into my ear, with me whining in response. "One more, just one." His thrusts began to lose their rhythm as I clenched around him, eyes flowing with tears. "Cum for me Poppet." The way he moaned in my ear sent me over my final peak and I couldn't tell if the moan was loud or silent with how strong the feeling surged through me. I heaved for air as it was knocked out of my lungs, gripping onto whatever I could to try and stop the feeling of falling. It took what felt like a good while for me to come back to my senses.

"That's it Bunny, You're okay." The first feeling I could isolate was the way my legs trembled, aching from their spread position though there was nobody in between them anymore. My own broken breaths sounded in my ears as my heart thumped against my ribs. Gentle hands held my hair back from my face as my eyes fluttered behind their lids.

"Come on Poppet, come back to us." Sirius seemed to beg as he whispered to me, a large hand wiping the tears from my face as I came back down. I whined at the feeling of more cum slipping out of me and groaned as my eyes batted open and painfully lifted my aching legs to curl them to my side to stop the pain of being spread too long. "There she is." His grin looked relieved as he glanced down at me. The bed shifted beside me as Remus got up and returned from the bathroom with a warm, damp washcloth. My legs snapped shut around his hand as he started to clean up the mess that was left behind, hissing at the over-sensitive feeling that shocked my body.

"Now Bunny," The lycanthrope warned. "You have to let me clean you up. Can't leave you in this mess." Too exhausted to fight, I let him part my legs one more time and swipe, dab and clean away Sirius' cum and my own. All the while, I cried out in discomfort and slight pain but tried to focus on Sirius' gentle hand rubbing my stomach. It didn't take long for Remmy to finish his task but by the time he was stopping I weakly kicked his hands away, whimpering and welling up with more tears.

"No more, ouch Remmy, stop," I begged through tears, their faces blurring as Remus came to sit at the top of the bed with us. "Can't do it, hurts Rem, all done," I mumbled tiredly, making no sense but soothed by the covers that were pulled up over my body and the two boys that cuddled me and caressed my body sweetly whilst I floated.

"All done Bunny don't worry." A shivering exhale deflated my body, letting me relax bonelessly against the bed.

"Poppet," Sirius whispered, a hand running through my hair as my eyes met his own. "I'm sorry for what I did sweet girl, I won't ever hurt you like that again I swear. I'm sorry." I smiled softly at him and nodded, pulling him down for a gentle kiss to let him know he was forgiven.

"I think it's time you got some rest now though Bunny, Your body is exhausted and your head is too fuzzy so you need to sleep it off." Before Moony had finished talking, I was already drifting off. I finally fell asleep to the two protecting me and holding me to them like I was a prized possession.

[bluecollarmcandtf]

Cash Slave, reporting in...

Good morning, master. State Trooper Hernandez reporting!

I hope you're doing well since the last time we saw each other. Again, I can't apologize enough for pulling you over on the highway. I had no idea you were such an amazing hypnotist. Thank you again for letting me get off easy and only making me taze myself twice! I was paralyzed in that muddy ditch for awhile, but you could've given me a helluva worse punishment!

Your instructions aren't negotiable, so I made sure to snap a photo before I started my shift today. As you suggested, I've been eating a box of donuts every morning, and I've packed on a hefty 30 lbs since I've started. My wife has complained, but I know you want me to look more like a cliche of law enforcement!

I'll stop by your house to drop off my paycheck tonight after work. I won't forget to pick up some pizza for you and your friends on the way: extra sausage, just like you said!

See you tonight, master!

Hello sir.

It's been a week since you came into my shop, and I've followed everything you said. I didn't agree with it at first, but you convinced me with that little pendant.

You were right! I really am beneath powerful men like you. Filthy blue-collar workers aren't worthy to lick the dirt off your shoes. You were right to point that out, and you were right to tell me to embrace it. When the world looks at me, they shouldn't see a man. They should see a grease monkey at the bottom of society.

That's why I haven't showered or changed in seven days. My BO is uncomfortable to work in, but I know it's just a reminder of what I am. I used to be proud of my job. Ha! I used to look down on suits like you, but I'm nothing in comparison; just a tool at your disposal.

Anyways, I cleaned and waxed your old car as fast as I could. I know I lent you my convertible, but you're welcome to keep it. I put a lot of sweat and blood in fixing her up, but like you said, fancy cars are meant for you to drive and me to maintain.

Stop back in my garage anytime. White-collar men like you get free service here! It's not the place of any lowly laborer to get in the way of what you want.

Thank you again, sir.

Hello boss.

Just started another long day of window washing! It's another hot one, but I'll keep my head down and sweat through it like usual.

I've gotta say, it's days like this that make me miss the comforts of my old corporate desk job. I'd kill for some AC right now, but I remember how much you made me realize I hated that career. Like you said, I'm much better suited to a life of mindless cleaning.

It turns out you're the real one with a knack for business strategy because all of your advice has been genius! The income is dependent on the hours I put in, and since I'm working for half the price of all competitors, I've gotten a monopoly on the market! I've fully booked all seven days for the next five or so weeks, so I'll be washing windows non-stop!

The business is already booming! I've been billing customers to your bank account, so you should already see all the profit in there!

Later today, I'll make a note of the minimum I need to replenish the cleaning supplies I'm running through. I'd also be grateful if you loaned me a bit for personal use, but it's understandable if you can't spare any! We agreed that I wasn't working for a salary, and I'm fine with that! I've been sleeping in the company van the last few weeks and it's more than good enough for me!

Don't worry, boss. I'll get back to work!

Tell my wife hello for me, master!

Working on a rig has been isolating. The job is brutal, the days are long, and every night I head back to our bunks covered in oil. I thought I'd at least get to bond with the other guys, but most of us are too tired to do anything but eat and sleep after our shift.

The only thing that's getting me through it is thinking about you. I know I also have a girl at home, but you were the one that gave my life purpose. I was never going to make money as an actor, and you helped me see that! You were the one that convinced me to go for this ridiculous job in the middle of the ocean, and now I'm making a ton of money!

You deserve it all.

I wouldn't have seen any of this cash if I hadn't stuck around after your stage hypnosis show. I still remember the wild look in your eyes when you came up with this idea for me. I also remember that hungry look you had when you saw my wife. It was impossible to say no.

Oh, and thanks for keeping my wife company while I'm gone. A man like you deserves her attention more than I do. Like you said, I doubt I was pleasing her to begin with. The only thing I'm good for is earning money, and I hope you're enjoying it because it sure isn't easy to earn!

I gotta get back, but I wanted to let you know that I signed up for another six months like you suggested. It's lonely, but I'm happy to do it, master!

Son, or should I still call you 'sir'?

I'm not sure if I your new title applies through text as well? Being your dad and your servant can be a bit confusing, but I don't mean disrespect you! Just let me know.

My workout is done and I'm headed back to your house. I signed the deed over to you this morning, so you officially own it now! Like usual, I'll clean the place from top to bottom. I've got all the mops and cleaning supplies in my van and ready to go. Since it's Friday, I'll start on the weekly yard work; mowing, weeding, etc... I don't want to bore you with the details, but it'll take the majority of the day to keep your place in tip top shape!

As I understand it, you are having friends over tonight, so I'll prepare a three course meal for eight. I ironed my apron this morning so I should look like a more presentable waiter than last night when I served your food!

As always, please let me know if there's any other way I can be of service today or tonight.

I'll be awaiting your return, sir.

Hey little bro,

I just finished my workout at the gym with dad. We're both hitting PRs and we're really starting to see some results! Still can't believe you hypnotized his dumb ass to think he's your butler! That man looks so stupid changing from gym clothes into a bowtie and gloves. He's constantly calling you 'sir' too, even when you're not around.

He's such an idiot.

Anyways, I'm all dressed and ready for my new job. You were totally right. I'm going to be so much happier as a clown instead of a wrestler. I'm about to head out to my first gig; a ten year old's birthday party. I think he's the kid of someone I used to compete with. It might be a little awkward, but it won't affect my routine. I've got an afternoon of pies in the face and self-deprecating humor ahead of me.

I made sure to tell the guy who hired me that I'm willing to stay after and clean up. Kids make a huge mess after all. I just hope he won't be too weird about me being a clown at his son's party. We may have been rivals in the past, but that was back when I wrestled. Now I'm just a joke for hire. He's technically my boss for the day, so I'll have to get used to taking orders from him.

Wish me luck, bro. I'll give you the money after the dad dismisses me. Let's hope I make a good clown!

[undertheorangetree]

Lessons

Summary- After a incident on the streets of King's Landing, Aemond must ensure that his wife knows how to defend herself.

Warnings- MDNI 18+ NSFW. Female Reader. Shoddy self defence advice. Choking. Dry humping. Wrestling as foreplay. Cunnilingus. Biting. Mildly feral sex.

Author's Note- I don’t really have anything to say for myself with this one other than that’s my favourite gif of him. As always, full story is on AO3 link beloow :)

divider created by firefly-graphics

She had never been the object of Aemond Targaryen's ire. The closest she has ever gotten is a cold glare after too sharp a word, a slow, calming sigh followed by a very measured warning. She had seen it before, of course. When a match in the training yard goes a hair too far, when a lord had made some unseemly comment about his sister, even when a servant had accidentally knocked a plate from the table on a particularly bad day and let it shatter on the floor. She knew her husband had a bad temper but still, she has never fallen victim to it. He was careful with that around her and she had been quite sure she never would. That is, until today.

Aemond had stormed into the Grand Maester's surgery like a bear prepared to savage a hunter, eye wild and fists clenched. He had forced the door open so aggressively that she and the maester both flinched, the sound like a crash of thunder over the previously quiet room. He did nothing but stand here for a moment after he entered, taking very heavy breaths as he glared at them both, before finally managing to grind out a question, the words grating together like steel on steel.

"What happened?"

Though it is a question it does not sound like one. It is more demand than request, leaving no room for refusal.

Maester Orwyle has more composure than she does. As she stares at Aemond in poorly contained shock, Orwyle answers. "Little more than a few bumps and bruises, my prince. Nothing you need worry about."

Aemond's eye immediately flicks back to her, his impatience growing as he waits for her to fill in the blanks. She sighs wearily.

"I am fine. We ventured a little too close to Flea Bottom and a few men decided to get too familiar. Nothing happened."

"Nothing happened? Where was your guard?"

"I held them back at first. I thought I could defuse the situation myself. It seemed only a little bit of tension and I did not see the use in troubling them. I had it in hand."

"You are the trouble they are meant to attend to. And you did not have it in hand, look at your arm."

Begrudgingly, she looks down at her arm. The maester had been right in his assessment of bumps and bruises, the black and blue ring around her wrist an indication of it, but she thinks her ego is the thing that has been hurt most of it. She had made it a habit to venture into the city to aid the poor. Usually with Helaena, but she had made an exception today as her good sister was too far along in her pregnancy to manage walking about on stones all day. The smallfolk were usually kind to her but of course she usually did not go into Flea Bottom. She spent her time in the more lucrative parts of the city, buying alms and spending time with orphans and widowed mothers and the like. Those who would be more receptive to her company and well wishes- and the handfuls of coin she had a tendency to give away.

However, it seemed as though that rumour had made its way into the streets of Flea Bottom, as when they arrived at the border between it and the Street of the Sisters, a small group of men had been waiting. They had approached civilly enough, more akin to beggars than thieves, and she had encouraged Ser Arryk to sheathe his sword when she had heard the sound of metal scraping the scabbard. They only wish to talk, she had assured him, and who am I to deny them that? At first, it had only been that. A simple conversation between herself and the men. But then the largest of them had grown impatient and lunged forward to grab her and it had all fallen apart from there. She had come away from it mostly unscathed- which is more than she could say for the man who had grabbed her. A bruised wrist from his hand, a sore arm from Ser Arryk's when he had dragged her away, a small cut on her brow, and a bruise on her hip from when she had fallen. She had considered herself rather lucky at the end of it, but it is clear Aemond did not share her opinion on the matter.

"It was only a small altercation and I am fine."

"A small altercation that should not have happened at all."

She sighs tiredly before turning to face the maester. He takes the pause in conversation as his cue to flee, once again assuring them that her injuries are minor before taking his leave. The door closes heavily behind him and then they are alone. That fact seems to do little to calm him, his face still looking like a storm, feet planted stubbornly in place next to the door.

She suppresses the urge to sigh again. "A handful of bruises and a tiny cut are not worth upsetting yourself over."

He scoffs. "You forget just how you received them then."

She stands then, making her way toward him. He remains petulant, though she thinks she can see him beginning to soften a hair when she grabs hold of his arms. He looks at her for only a moment before his eye travels upward, all but glaring at the gash now adorning her hairline. His hand comes up to her forehead, running his thumb along the wound.

"I don't like the idea of you going into the city if this is how they intend on treating you."

She tuts. "The actions of a few do not represent the many."

That manages to pull something that almost looks like a smile from him. "A philosopher now, are you?"

"You are not the only one with access to the Red Keep's library." Her grip on him tightens, shaking him lightly, but the half smile disappears when he looks down at her bruised wrist again. This time she does nothing to hide her sigh. "Nothing happened, my love."

"Nor will it again."

He presses a kiss to her forehead, careful to avoid the wound but a bit too rough to be considered sweet, before pulling the door behind them open and guiding her outside.

Read the rest here

[azzifudd]

court-side

paige bueckers x azzi fudd

summary: "damn, why she over here cheesin' at her phone like that"

rated: teen

~550 words

disclaimer: as always, many made up events. here's a little thing that i forced myself to write as a little gift for yall before i go on a short trip, hope yall enjoy

“Paige, get in here!” 

Paige ducks her head bashfully, but she goes to join the picture like Sue says. The photographer directs her to kneel at the front. Megan is next to her with Sue behind her and Diana and Stewie beside her with their wives. 

They pose for a few photos together, all the UConn women at the Wasserman party before everyone else floods in. 

Paige feels so much gratitude in that moment, to be so accepted in such an amazing group of women. 

She approaches the photographer after, asking to be sent the photos when they’re ready. 

The second they come in, she sends them through to Azzi. 

“Wish you were here. Miss you so much. 💗” 

//

Paige is having a nice night when the text comes in. 

She’d come to Phoenix alone, but luckily the UConn family was expansive and the WNBA community so welcoming. She hadn’t needed to worry about not having company for a single moment. But that didn’t mean she didn’t still wish Azzi was here with her. It didn’t help that most of her friends had their partners with them.

So when Azzi texts that her flight into Phoenix had been canceled, Paige is hit with such a wave of sadness that Liv stops what she’s doing to ask her if she’s okay. 

“Azzi can’t make it.” 

And she knows it’s a little ridiculous because she just saw her, and she’ll be seeing her again in a few days, but at the moment, she misses Azzi desperately.

“Oh babe, you look so sad I thought something really horrible happened.” Liv laughs a little bit and gives her a side hug.

Paige pouts, leaning into the hug. She usually isn’t this publicly vulnerable, but she’s always felt safe around Liv who has been there for both her and Azzi.

“Bueckers!” Jewell Loyd approaches them, her girlfriend Téa at her side. 

Paige greets them both with hugs. She’d gotten to spend some time with them in Seattle when she visited Nika. 

“Where’s your girl?” Jewell questions playfully. “You talked her up so much the other week I’m excited to meet her.” 

“Her flight just got canceled.” Paige explains with a sigh. 

“Aw, well we’re gonna make sure you have a fun time tonight anyways.” 

And she does mostly, if only because she spends half of the night on her phone.

//

“Paige over here, smilin’ at her phone.” Flau’jae gives a sly look to her followers. She’s broadcasting the final minutes of the All Star game, and Paige had given a quick wave before registering Flau’jae’s quip. 

“Relax!” Paige crows, and both of them throw their heads back, cackling with laughter as they rock back and forth.

Within minutes, she knows the exchange will be all over the internet as people speculate about just who had Paige Bueckers cheesing at her phone. 

Sure enough, her phone begins to buzz with texts in the team group chat. A full on roast seems to be going on, with KK leading the charge, and she laughs at a few of the jokes, before a text comes in from outside the group. 

💗 damn whoever you were texting must be pretty great to have you smiling like that

shes pretty dope. I like her alot 

💗 she likes you a lot too 

[wosoimagines]

Surprises

part 1 of rivals

fifteen year old Jo Knox gets her first call up to the USWNT camp and she makes her first professional rival.

3,744 words

|next part

I sighed as I pushed open the door to the hotel. I was vastly aware that it was highly unusual for someone to be in my position. Especially walking onto a team of such a high calibration.

After all, how many fifteen-year-olds could say that they got the chance to play with the United States Women’s National Team?

Mia Hamm. That’s it. The entire list.

Well.

Before today, at least.

Or, I guess I would actually have to take the field before I could actually be classified as playing with the national team. But just being at a camp with the national team was huge. And to be doing it toward the end of the year before the World Cup?

I wasn’t sure what it meant just yet. It could mean that the coaching staff really liked what they saw in me. Or this could be a test to see how I could handle the pressure. 

And I wasn’t sure which one I would rather it be.

I would have to tackle this just like I did at home. Stay out of everyone else’s way and get my job done. That’s what mattered. If I could prove that I was good at what I could do, who knows? Maybe I would actually have a future with the national team one day.

“Jo! Over here!”

I lifted my head to find a woman smiling at me as she waved. I sent her a small smile of my own as I moved over closer to her.

“Hi,” I softly said once I got close enough.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Jo,” the woman said as she held her hand out to me. I reached out to shake it. “I’m Dawn Scott. I’m the High Performance Coach for the team.”

“I’d introduce myself, but you already know who I am.”

Dawn let out a small laugh as her smile grew a bit wider.

“Come on, they haven’t really gotten far into the meeting yet,” Dawn said as she turned around. I dragged my bag behind me as I started to follow Dawn. “Jill’s excited to have you here. She wouldn’t stop boasting about you to Tom. Between us? Jill was very frustrated that Tom wouldn’t call you up.”

“And now she’s the coach?”

“Interim while the USSF tries to hire a new head coach. She was excited about getting the opportunity to add you to the roster though,” Dawn admitted. I was a bit surprised by that. I knew that I had been watched while I was with the youth teams, but I didn’t realize I had been watched specifically by the person they would trust to lead the team at this time. “It helps that Jill doesn’t mind risking chemistry to try out new and upcoming talent. Let’s face it, you’ve got a lot of talent already and you’re still nowhere near your full potential.”

“Yeah, well, outside of school, soccer is pretty much all I focus on. I mean, we all pretty much have our own thing in my family, mine just happens to be soccer,” I shrugged as we slowed down outside of one of the conference rooms. “With a family like mine? You have to do something to make sure that you stand out.”

“You can leave your bags just inside by the door if you’d like. I’ll have to go and sit on the side with the coaches, but you’ll have to sit with the players,” Dawn explained. That made sense. It would be even weirder if a teenager was sitting with the coaches rather than the other players. “There’s usually a seat in the back that’s open.”

“Thanks.”

Dawn nodded as she gave me one last smile as we both ducked into the room. I wasn’t too surprised when heads turned to stare at me as I left my bags by the door before I sat in the back left row. I tried not to let their stares bother me as I turned my attention to Jill. Jill wasn’t going through anything other than what I expected, just how we were going to have a tight schedule and what she was hoping to get out of this camp.

“One last thing before you can go! I have called up Jo Knox,” Jill announced as she peered over the others to look at me. I nodded as I avoided everyone else’s eyes. “I know some of you might not want to get along with a fifteen-year-old, but please make her feel welcomed. I’ve watched her on the field, and I think she’s got something special. You’re all free to leave. Jo, if you’ll stay behind.”

I waited in my seat as everyone else moved to leave. It wasn’t until most everyone else had left the room that I finally stood up. I moved to the front of the room as Jill was talking to one of the assistant coaches, but she turned her attention to me when I got closer.

“Hi, Jo,” Jill greeted me. I only gave a small nod in acknowledgement. “Look, I don’t want you to focus on being the absolute best right now. I just want you to focus on getting settled in and getting used to the team. Think you can handle that?”

“Yeah, of course, Coach.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Jill said. She held a keycard out to me. I took it before sliding it into my pocket. “You’ll be rooming with Becky Sauerbrunn. Becky will help make sure that you study for school. I know that you have final exams coming up.”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure to study,” I nodded. It was one of the only reasons my parents had let me come to camp anyways. “My parents gave me certain grades to get on my finals anyways if I want to come back to camp during the school year.”

“Just don’t stress out too much between soccer and school. Don’t need your play suffering because you’re too stressed out,” Dawn said from the side. 

I looked over at her before I nodded. I knew that she was right. I really didn’t need to stress too much about everything. 

“You want to know a secret?” Jill asked. I looked back over at her before slightly nodding. “I already plan on calling you back up for the next camp, okay? I know that this is going to be a stressful camp for you with it being so close to the end of the school year and you joining the senior squad. I just wanted to get you into camp so you would have an idea of what it’s like. The only thing that will keep me from calling you up for the next camp is you getting injured. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“All right, all of your gear is in your room. Ryan’s got everything up there for you. We’ll get you into media here in the next couple of days,” Jil said as she looked over at the rest of the staff. I guess they weren’t all coaches after all. “If your gear breaks or wears down, including shin pads or boots, you tell Ryan and he’ll help you get new gear within the same day.”

My eyes landed on the man who sent me a small smile and wave. I guess that was Ryan.

“Okay, cool.”

“I think that’s about all that I have for you. I’ll let you get settled in,” Jill said as she sent me a small smile. “I’m sure the girls are dying to get to know you. They’re probably waiting on the floor to bombard you with questions as we speak.”

I nodded at that before I gathered my bags and headed to the elevators. I didn’t have to wait long for an elevator. Once I was inside the elevator and by myself, I sighed as I watched the numbers climb higher. I wasn’t entirely sure what was waiting for me at the top though. But I definitely didn’t expect for a majority of the players to be standing in front of the elevator doors staring back at me. 

I shuffled off of the elevator but I didn’t try to push past any of the older players.

“Hi,” I said as I rubbed the back of my neck and looked down at my shoes. I really needed to get new shoes. And ones that weren’t hand-me-downs from Deliliah.

“God, you really are just a kid.”

I looked up to meet Megan Rapinoe’s eyes as she finished the statement. I only shrugged my shoulders. It wasn’t like I could change the fact that I was fifteen.

“So, are you any good, kid?”

I could only stare back at Abby. I mean it was Abby Wambach. I slowly nodded as I realized everyone was still looking at me for an answer.

“Well, I mean, I think I am at least,” I said as I rocked back and forth on my heels. “I’ve been playing with people older than me for all of my life.”

“Oh, yeah? How much older?”

“Well, I started playing with my club's U16 team when I was 12 and then I moved up to the U18 team when I was 14.”

“So you’re a prodigy?” Lauren Cheney asked. I only shrugged my shoulders at that.

I wasn’t sure that I would call myself a prodigy. I put in a lot of work into my game, but it did feel like soccer was in my blood. Like I was meant to play this game.

“As if some pipsqueak could get a ball past any goalie worth being on a national team.”

A lot of the players in front of me turned to the voice that came from the back of the group. A few even glared at the person. I could only look anywhere else but at the woman who had made the remark as she narrowed her eyes at me.

“I don’t think you could even get one ball past me.”

A few of the older players started to scold the woman while the others muttered amongst themselves.

“I think the coaches would beg to differ.”

All of the older players went silent as all of their eyes turned back to me. I still refused to make eye contact with any of them or even look at the woman as she pushed her way to the front of the group.

“The opinions of our coaches doesn’t matter if the facts state otherwise.”

“What facts? That I’m fifteen? I’m smaller than you?” I asked as I finally met Hope Solo’s eyes. “Everyone underestimates me. Everyone. And I thrive with the underestimations. And tomorrow, during practice, you’ll underestimate me and you don’t even know what I can do. You have no idea if you should or not. But you’ll do it anyway because of how small I am. Because of my age. And when I get that ball, every single touch will matter. And nothing you do will stop that.”

The two of us only stared at each other as Hope towered over me.

“Hey, break it up!” A new voice called out. Most of the women moved to the side, but Hope didn’t budge and I refused to break eye contact with her now. “I said break it up.”

Hope didn’t move. Not until Christie Rampone put her hand on the keeper’s arm.

“Just don’t be surprised when I crush your dreams tomorrow, kid.”

I watched Hope’s back as she turned and walked away from the group.

“What’s going on here?” Christie asked. I only moved my gaze down to my feet again. I didn’t want the eyes on me. Not like this. Christie’s gaze moved from me to the rest of the team when she realized that I wasn’t going to say anything. “I thought I told you all to back off the kid for now.”

There it was again.

Kid.

That’s all I was to everyone. Just some kid who had no idea what she was getting into.

“The kid’s got balls.”

I didn’t care who had said it as I pushed my way through them all so I could get to my room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hope wants you to take penalties against her,” Jill said as she looked down at me. I had my hands on my knees as I was trying to get my breath back after I had ran the length of the field to get the ball back before taking it back toward my team’s goal myself before I had gotten the assist. “You okay to do that?”

I stayed quiet as I nodded my head. I knew what she was doing. Hope either figured that I would chicken out and refuse to take the penalties or she would be able to stop them.

“No one can stop me,” I said as I stood up to look Jill in the eye. “That’s why you called me up, isn’t it? You saw that no one had an answer on how to stop me at the youth levels.”

“I called you up because you have potential.”

“You don’t have to lie to me,” I said as I looked over where most of the team was. “You can tell them that your decision was based on potential, but don’t lie to me . And now you’re curious to know if Solo can stop me.”

“I’ll admit, I’ve been a bit confused as to why Hope wants to try to humiliate you,” Jill said as she looked over at Hope. “But I did call you up because of the potential. I mean, if you’re already able to play the way you currently are and you’re only fifteen, what can you do in a year after playing with the best women in the world?”

“I want to do the penalties. I want to show them I’m not just some kid who can’t hold their own.”

Jill turned her gaze back to me as she stared at me for a moment. I knew that practice was about to wrap up so it made sense for us to do this now anyways.

“Gather up!” Jill yelled, causing most of the players to turn to where we were standing. “Just know that Hope added an extra stipulation to it.”

Jill tossed me a water bottle as everyone on the team gathered around Jill.

“We’re going to have a penalty shoot out! five shots just like an in game shoot out,” Jill announced. A few of the players groaned. I wasn’t sure if the team had to do something like this a lot or not. “Today’s shoot out will be a little different, though. Solo in goal for all five while Knox shoots them all. Majority wins, just like in a game. If Hope saves 3, outfielders run extra laps. If Jo makes 3, goalies run extra laps.”

I didn’t miss the way some of the older players were muttering to each other about the rules. This was quite unfortunate. If I somehow wasn’t able to make 3 of my penalties then I was really screwed because I knew that the older players would absolutely hate that I hadn’t been able to back up my talk from the previous night and be the reason they had to run extra.

“Line up!”

Everyone else moved to the midfield as Hope headed for the goal. I trailed behind Jill who picked up a ball.

“You really want everyone to hate me, don’t you?”

“I really want to see if you’re as good as you think,” Jill said. She glanced over her shoulder at me. “Score 3 of them and none of them will hate you.”

I sighed as Jill handed me the ball before she moved to talk to Hope. I stopped at the penalty spot before I placed the ball how I wanted it. I eventually moved back when I was sure that I had the ball like I wanted it.

I waited for Jill to finish talking to Hope before she moved to the side. I tried to ignore all of the eyes on my back. It was just a penalty, I didn’t even have to get past any defenders. I waited until Jill blew the whistle.

Then I waited one more moment as I finally picked my spot.

I rushed toward the ball before I put as much power as I could behind the shot. The ball sailed perfectly into the top left corner as Hope had just missed the ball by less than a fingertip. I didn’t miss the cheers behind me. I grinned even as Hope glared at me.

I stopped the ball with my foot when Jill kicked it toward me before I picked the ball up. I placed the ball back like I wanted it before moving back behind the ball. I waited until I heard the whistle. This time I didn’t give Hope any extra seconds as I was rushing forward as soon as I heard the whistle. The ball hit the top left corner again.

This was going well for me. I already had two of the three goals that I needed. And Hope hadn’t been able to stop even one. I took a deep breath as I placed the ball on the penalty spot for a third time.

I gave myself an extra moment again this time, but this one lasted even longer than the first time I had taken an extra moment. I just needed one more in the back of the net. This time the ball fired off of the sidebar before knocking into the goal.

The posts were still rattling as Hope threw a glare at me, but I only smirked and shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t actually care about myself having to run, but I had wanted to prove that I knew what I was doing. And it definitely helped that I had gotten to show off against the Hope Solo in the process.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That was an amazing game,” Julie Foudy said. I grinned at the praise that I was receiving through the headset. “Tell me about it from your perspective.”

“You know, I just wanted to go in and show everyone what I could do,” I shrugged. It was true. I had really just wanted to show what I could do at this level. “I didn’t exactly expect to get a goal coming in so late if I’m honest. But I’m happy to have been able to help the team get the win.”

“And your first cap and goal comes against Canada. That’s got to be an amazing feeling,” Julie said as I nodded. It really had been amazing. “Knowing what our rivalry with Canada is like and having played them before. It’s a great game to get your first cap.”

“Yeah, it was definitely incredible. I don’t think I could have asked for a much better opponent to get my first cap against,” I said. I glanced over my shoulder where I watched as the rest of my team was headed to the locker rooms. “It’s definitely different getting to play in the game rather than just watching it on TV. And if today was any indication of how hard the games against Canada always are, I’m looking forward to future games.”

“Well, do you have any plans when you get home? I mean, you just got your first cap and it’s time for summer break.”

“Uh, not so much as fun plans right off the bat. I have finals to take when I get home,” I admitted. I rubbed the back of my neck at the reminder. “After that, I don’t have many plans other than soccer. Might take a trip to the lake sometime over the summer if I’m lucky. Just have to see what my summer schedule turns out to look like.”

“All right, well, I’ll let you get to the locker room so you can celebrate your first cap with the team.”

I gave the camera one last wave before I pulled the headset off and handed it off to one of the crew members before I headed down the tunnel. I was a bit surprised when I stepped into the locker room only to have water dumped onto my head. I couldn’t help the grin that broke out on my face though as a lot of the older players cheered around me.

“Okay! Okay! Settle down!” Christie called out. She had a ball in her hands as everyone settled down. “We have the game ball for Jo to celebrate her first cap and her first goal which gave us the win over Canada!”

Everyone cheered again as Christie handed me the ball.

“Go ahead and say a few words, kid.”

Everyone went quiet again as I rolled the ball in my hands. I wasn’t even sure what to say.

“I’ve been watching this team ever since I could remember. Some of you, I’ve been looking up to ever since I was a really little kid. Some of you, I’ve only been looking up to you in the most recent years. But it has always been a dream to get to play with this team and it’s been amazing to get my first cap with such an amazing group of women,” I said as I looked around the locker room. “I really can’t wait to get more training time at camps and work with all of you even more. And I guess the last thing is, I’d like you all to sign the ball so I can always remember who was here for my first cap.”

It didn’t take long until I had the ball back in my hands after the team had passed it around to sign it. Now I was standing in probably the only person in the locker room who still had a bone to pick with me. I held the ball out to Hope as she stared at it.

“Come on,” I said as I only pushed the ball further toward her. “It’d be a shame if I didn’t get the whole team to sign the ball. And last time I checked, you’re part of the team.”

Hope rolled her eyes but she took the ball from me before signing it. I grinned once Hope gave me the ball back.

“I still don’t like you that much.”

“You don’t have to. You just have to be my teammate.”

[uranometrias]

my love mine all mine , aaron hotchner

this is incredibly self indulgent. i wrote this for myself, because my cat passed away today && i have no idea how to grieve correctly. but i've always been able to express myself the best through writing, so here i am trying to do so.

basically reader loses her kitten && hotch is there to comfort her while she grieves. reader is a doctor && gets her nails painted. mentions of sleeping in a scarf and braids (but this can apply to any race <3) hotch is pretty flirty. he also had a dog that died when he was younger (idk) ... i'm still getting used to writing him (but he's been rotting my brain) so hotch girlies please be sweet to me, i'm trying.

"Have you decided what you want me to grab on the way?" You feel giddy, eyes beaming vibrantly as you unlock your front door. Aaron was on the other line, he'd been looking forward to spending the evening with you for the past two weeks. Your jobs often sent you in separate directions, with him following cases cross country, and you spending nearly twenty hours a day working at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. The commute was nearly an hour from Quantico, which made it difficult for your schedules to coincide the way you hoped.

Today though was an exception. He'd just gotten back from a case, a successful one, and you'd been lucky enough to finally get two days off. You couldn't contain your excitement when you'd finally managed to get Aaron on the phone, and with Jack staying at Jessica's for another night, it seemed everything was working out in your favor. You still had no idea what you were in the mood to eat, despite having ample time to figure it out. "I dunno." you mutter, and you drop your keys into the basket just to the left of the front door.

"Well honey, you've gotta give me something." Aaron chuckles, and his voices makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. "I'm sure you haven't anything at all today." and it doesn't take a rocket science to know he's absolutely correct. Your stomach grumbles audibly, and you cringe, the sound a dead giveaway of your poor eating habits. "Do you need a bit more time to think about it?" he asks, and you're nodding your head, despite the fact that he can't see you. Your focus is split, eyes darting around your place in search of Piper.

Piper was your five year old tabby, the most special companion that you'd cared for since she was a newborn. Usually she'd be making her way to your front door, nudging her head against your shins, meowing her head off as some form of reprimand for being gone too long. Her absence was unusual, but you'd noticed she'd been sleeping a touch longer in the recent months. You'd taken her to the vet and they'd written off any life threatening illnesses. Perhaps she was jus becoming a lazy cat they had said.

"What'd you eat yesterday?" you ask, and you shrug off your coat next, hanging it in the closet as you slip off your cork-leather clogs. You admire your pedicure, French-tips gleaming back at you as your feet hit the cherry laminate flooring. You imagined that he'd hardly been able to eat well while out on a case, Aaron (and his team) had a horrible habit of neglecting their own health and wellness for the sake of cracking the case. You'd call him out on it, but it'd feel to hypocritical with the way you gave most of your life to the hospital.

"Four cups of coffee." and he sounds sheepish as he replies, he'd been running himself ragged with this last particular case. He couldn't leave the precinct until he was convinced he'd made a dent in the investigation. He could imagine your disappointed pout, but he was doing his best, or at least trying his best. "But, Dave made sure that I got something this morning before we got on the jet." and it's not like he has to explain himself to you, you'd never berate him. He believed it was just a side effect of falling for you.

"Four cups?" you gasp, head already shaking. "You're going to turn into a cup of coffee if you keep up with habits like those." you scold. "You'll have to double your water intake, you could seriously dehydrate yourself that way." you say with a quiet huff. You round the corner of the foyer, heading for the kitchen. "Are you feeling alright?" your tone grows a bit softer, "Four cups means you were really absorbed in the case. Everything okay?" you tread lightly. You weren't quite sure how he felt about you asking about his job.

"As far as endings go, I'd say it was better than most." he replies thoughtfully, clearly unfazed by your desire to probe. That makes you smile a bit, the obviousness of his trust for you. "We minimized the amount of deaths, the unsub was taken into custody... the team worked really hard." he proceeds, and you find yourself grinning. "But, I will do a better job of taking care of myself. You'd be a good nurse, but I can imagine a few better scenarios for you to take care of me."

You smile despite the fact it makes your heart stutter step. You were still getting used to him growing more confident in this way, but you weren't complaining in the slightest. "I'd be a great nurse." you correct him delicately, "I'd enjoy taking care of you in any way though." and you bet he can hear your shyness through the phone. Your relationship with Aaron still felt fairly new, you'd been seeing one another for going on seven months, but you knew you loved him.

Even if you hadn't managed to say it just yet.

"Look at that, another thing we have in common." he exhales, and you want him to hurry up and get to you. You hadn't seen him in so long, and despite the fact you were willing to mount him on sight, you just wanted to enjoy being in the same place for once. "How are you? Did you have a good day?" and you like the way he's so attentive, how he seems to genuinely care about what you had to say.

"It was great." you insist, and you've poured yourself a glass of water, ice tinkling as you scanned the dining room for any sign of Piper. Still nothing, weird. "I went to the bookstore a bit earlier, got a few novels for my book shelf." you list. "I got my nails done, and I got a facial. It was so relaxing I wound up falling asleep on the table." and you chuckle a bit at the memory. "Piper and I went on a drive before lunch, she's so spoiled." you add, but you're still scouring the space.

"Drafted up my budget for the month, my new schedule came in," you exhale tiredly at the thought. "Picked up my scrubs from the dry cleaners, I did a grocery run, and went to see the flower exhibit near the Farmer's Market. I got this really incredible soft-pretzel croissant." you sigh dreamily at the memory. "And now I'm home, and waiting for you." you complete, and you lean forward, arms resting against the countertop. "It was a really nice day. I thought I wouldn't know what to do without work, but I'd nearly forgotten what it feels like to be off."

Aaron's silent, but not because he's disinterested in your ramblings. He finds them endearing, and oftentimes had to remind himself that you, much like Jack, needed verbal response in order to feel heard. "I missed you." and it's not quite what he was aiming to say, but it's what comes out. It's true, it had been a while since he'd seen you in person, and with the way your schedules overlapped, he'd hardly been able to get much conversation out of you apart from quick check-ins in between patients and breaks in BAU cases.

You let out a quiet puff of air, it's not quite a sigh nor an exhale. Your lips curve upwards, and you wonder if there's a record out there for most smiles achieved in a single phone call. "You've got no idea how happy that makes me." you reply, and you inhale deep. "I missed you too, hurry up and get over here." you press, and you replay the sound of his responding laugh over in your mind. You don't think you could be more lovesick, but it's a more than welcomed feeling. "As far as dinner, why don't I just cook something?" you offer with a shrug.

"Do you want to?" and Aaron's got this weird thing about him where he's still getting used to the fact that you want to do certain things for him. You go over it a lot, reminding him that you'd love nothing more than to spoil him as much as he spoils you. He's still a bit hesitant, but you don't mind fighting the good fight until he relented. His hands tighten just slightly on the steering wheel, and his leg jumps as he awaits your response. He knows, or better put, he has an idea of what you'll say. He still wants to hear it either way.

"We take care of each other, mon amour." You coo, and he feels that familiar rush of affection towards you. "It'll be fun." you add, and then you're sighing audibly. "I just really can't wait to see you. I don't want to wait any longer than I need to." you express, and Aaron understands. He'd been restless on the jet, Dave and Emily seemed to zero in on his jitters, he was thankful they had enough couth to keep it to themselves. All he received was a knowing smirk from Rossi as he made a beeline for the tarmac the second the jet landed.

"I'll be there soon." he promises, and you grow giddier. "I-" and he wants to cross the line, mutter three worded phrase that would change everything. He'd been learning to be more bold, to focus on the things he could control, and appreciate those things. "I love you." he doesn't have time to think about the repercussions, because it's out, and there's a strong sense of relief that washes over him. You are surprised, but elated. The excitement his words bring you is hard to diminish.

"I love you too." and it comes out as easy as breathing. Probably because you mean it with all of your heart. "I'll see you soon, Mr. Hotchner." you promise, and he's chuckling at your sudden formality, likely a side effect of your newfound nerves at the huge step you'd both taken in your relationship.

"See you soon." you don't bring the phone from your ear until you hear the faint click of the call ending. You exhale shakily, mind running at a mile a minute as your heart seems to double in size. Still, you find this moment is short lived- mind once again on the eerie silence in your apartment. You place your glass down on the counter, coaster be damned as you make your way past the dining room and towards the living room. Sometimes you'd find Piper curled up on the couch, quiet purrs escaping her as she slept contently.

"Piper!" you coo, surprised when you note that she's nowhere to be found. You know that she wasn't outside, you'd made sure before leaving back out that she was comfortable in the house. You follow the layout of your place, the archway that led from the living room back to the foyer is the route you take, heading towards your bedroom as you continuously call for the cat. "Piper, where are you, pretty girl?" you enter your room, hopeful that you'll find her there.

You spot her little paw peeking out of her hideaway and instantly relax. "Oh Piper, you scared me." you let out a shaky sort of giggle as you fully enter your bedroom, feet brushing over the comforting carpet. You kneel just in front of the hideaway, reaching out to pet her. It takes you a few moments to make peace with the fact that she's not rousing. You swallow thickly, a lump growing in your throat as you wiggle her paw. She doesn't move, just as limp as before.

"Piper?" you feel the way your throat constricts, eyes immediately wanting to brim with tears, as you grow frantic. "Oh, please no-" you exclaim, head shaking as you feel a shudder rack through you. You're gentle as you maneuver around the hideaway, hands looping around her small body as you move to pull her out. She's limp, not even the act of you lifting her up enough to make her move. Your glow feels like it's diminished almost instantly, a dark cloud setting in over your head. It seemed a bit silly, panicked over the loss of a cat.

But she was yours, like a daughter to you in the way you cared for her, and made her apart of your routine. She was special, and despite the reputation cats gained for being standoffish and unable to understand human love, you knew that to be wrong. Piper was sweet, a loving cat that curled up beside you every night and followed you like a second shadow. She'd play games of tag with you, chasing you around your apartment as you squealed and screamed for your life.

"Please, please, no-" you're shedding real tears now, they're slipping down your cheeks in a constant succession. "Piper, please wake up!" it's silly, probably. Rocking back and forth with a dead cat in your hand hoping that sheer adoration will be enough to turn back the hands of time. It's certainly not, and the reality crushes you. The first sob is choked, almost like you're holding yourself back, not letting your feelings take full affect. You hadn't prepared yourself at all.

You didn't know what to do.

You think that's when the first swell of sobs begins. They're more ugly wails than anything else, the loud sound echoing through the space in front of you as your arms lower, Piper's body leaning against you as you continued to let your tears flow freely. Your chest tightens, constricting every couple of seconds like you'd suddenly developed chronic heartburn. The pain is a violent assassin, the air around you feeling tight. You think you may be choking on all that you're feeling.

You hate the part of your brain that was constantly in 'Doctor Mode', the side that reminded you that despite your grief, handling a deceased animal like this was a surefire way to get sick. Her body wouldn't start to decompose for at least another day, but you had no real way of knowing just how long she'd actually been dead. You don't move though, until at least your sobs have waned, you know it's not the end of them, but it's a reprieve just for a moment.

You slowly climb to your feet, still clutching Piper as your eyes whip around your bedroom. Your eyes land on her carrier, and the image makes you want to cry all over again. You shut your eyes, allowing yourself to take in a deep breath. It doesn't help. Still, your feet lead you over to the carrier, where you're gently placing Piper. Her vet was only eight minutes up the street, and maybe your ability to dispose of her so quickly was precisely why this was happening to you.

Guilt was loud, too loud. It almost knocked you to your knees as you imagined Piper's fear whilst you were gone. Was she sick? How long had she been? Why hadn't you noticed? Why did you leave her alone? Why weren't you there? You let her down. You had let her down.

You want to curl into a ball, hide under the blankets and cry until you passed out. But, she deserved better. She deserved to not be lugged around like she was some prop, she needed a proper place to rest. Once her carrier is zipped up, you're picking it up by the handles, using your other hand to swipe at the tears still trying to fall. You take the route you'd walked not ten minutes prior, slipping your shoes back on, and grabbing hold of your keys. Aaron still had another forty minutes or so in his drive, you hoped it went by quickly.

You don't think you ever needed him more than now.

────────────────────────

The sobs returned the second you'd walked past the threshold of your house. You sluggishly made your way back to your bedroom. It felt much lonelier now, the house feeling much too big for just you. You think that makes you cry even harder. You're covering your mouth with your hand, hoping that it would be enough to mask the sound of your bawling. You doubt that it does, but you can't do much else. You don't want to go to sleep, you don't want to do anything.

You begin berating your behavior once more in your head, replaying all the ways you'd been a shitty caretaker even though you know it's a bad idea. Your leg shakes under your comforter, the blanket squished underneath your body as you hid your face beneath the blazing heat of your huge blanket. You don't even realize how long you've spent in this space of self-loathing and bitter tears, until you hear the front door's lock shifting out of place. Aaron was here.

"Y/N, sweetheart?" and you want to run to him more than anything. You can't though, because you don't want him to think you're a failure. So you stay put, and you cry a bit more, sniffles growing more audible as you're forced to choke back angry sobs. It doesn't take long for him to make his way towards where you are, and you don't know what he'll say when he finds you looking a mess. You know your mascara has given you racoon eyes, and in your grief, you'd failed to tie a scarf around your head. Your braids would look messy soon.

"Y/N?" and his voice is so soft, soothing, everything you don't deserve now. Your hand clutches a fistful of your shirt, right where your heart rests. "Are you in here, honey?" and you sniffle, an answer all on its own. You barely hear his footsteps, but you feel it when the bed dips just slightly, and you feel it when he gently pulls at your blanket. When he's pulled it back, he's met with the sight of your tear-streaked cheeks. Your nose was runny and raw, and your lip was quivering. It didn't take a profiler to know that you'd been crying, and he frowns.

"Are you alright?" he questions, and his hand reaches out to brush against your cheek and neck, almost like he was checking your temperature. "You've been crying?" and he examines you subtly for any signs of assault or struggle. "Did something happen?" and he knows he keeps asking questions, but he's getting worried.

"P-" and a sob racks through you, your entire body curling in on itself. Your hand is pressing against your mouth again, and your shoulders shake as you began to cry once more. "Piper she-" and your head shakes, hand clenching and unclenching against your shirt. Aaron's eyes dance around your room, and his eyebrows push inwards. He was worried, but determined to be extremely delicate with you, namely by being patient as you got out what you needed to tell him. "Piper's dead." you finally say, shoulders sagging as you weep.

Aaron's examining your face, which gives you a front row seat of the way his face is eclipsed with compassion. "Oh, honey..." his lips pull downwards into a frown, and you know, of course you know it's awkward. What do you realistically say to a person that loses their cat? It's not like any amount of conversation would bring her back. "I'm so sorry...." and usually it sounds empty when anyone offers condolences, but like with most things, Aaron is an exception. "Are you okay? Can you tell me what happened?" he pleads.

And you know that he knows that you're not okay. It's meant to be a stupid question, the obvious one. But you also know that he's giving you the chance to vent, to articulate everything you feel with no judgement. It makes you want to curl into him, and stay wrapped up in his arms until neither of you had any idea where one ended and the other began. "I just-" you have to take a moment to gather yourself, hiccupping blubbers escaping you. "I came home, and I-" your voice cracks harshly. "She was just gone. I don't-" you shake your head.

"I don't know what happened." you express, and Aaron's sympathetic, and he hates seeing you like this. Every time you cry it makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright. He supposed that came with loving you, an innate desire to protect you, and keep the bad things out. He'd only ever seen you in this state a handful of times, mostly when things went wrong at the hospital and you lost a patient. He had to get to you before you started blaming yourself for something that completely out of your control.

He didn't know much, but he did know your love for Piper, and how deep it ran. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that you'd never do something to put her in harm's way, you'd never do anything to hurt her. And he wants to pull you into his arms and tell you everything will be alright, he wants to be there to anchor you down. To ground you in the midst of all these swimming and overwhelming emotions trying to fight for the upper hand. He wanted to be there for you.

"Is there anything that you need from me?" he asks gently, grief was harsh, it came in ripples and waves. It was gut-punching, it could be loud and then silent. Sneaky and then outright. It was a process, and whether anyone else thought so, if you needed to grieve the life of your pet, you should. Who was he to ever get in the way? He's gently rubbing his thumb over your cheek, your tears splattering as you kept the duvet pulled up to your chin, as you stared him down. He figured you must have been deep in thought.

It takes a moment for you to reply, and he's fine with the silence. You're tears haven't stopped, but they've grown more quiet. Silent tears that pool and trickle down his wrist and onto the blanket. You soon take in a shaky puff of air as you sit up. Aaron's patient as ever, watching as you pull your legs from underneath the blanket, crawling until you were sitting on his lap. There's no sexual undertone to your movements, you don't want to fool around, you just want to be close.

Your head rests against him, eyes closing as his arms envelop you. "Can you just stay with me?" you ask, and he's already nodding his head. You both knew it was an impossible request. At any moment you could get paged, or he could get a call about a new case. The world didn't stop all because you were grieving, but for one second you both could pretend. He could stay right here with you, and you could love him, and not feel so overwhelmed by all your sadness.

"I'm not going anywhere." he mutters, and he's reaching for your hand. His easily dwarfs your own, but it's still just as comfortable, letting your palms press against his own. "I have never lost a cat before-" and he's treading lightly, wanting more than anything to help you and not harm you. "But I did lose a pet when I was younger." he expresses, and your interest is peaked, just slightly.

"What type of pet?" you ask faintly, and you're squeezing his hand in your own. He knows that it's comforting you so he says nothing about the tight pinch of his fingers pressing together.

"He was a golden retriever actually." Aaron replies, "Nothing was particularly wrong with him. He was fed well, taken care of, treated like one of the family..." he proceeds, and you involuntarily hold your breath as you listen. "But one day he just... he just went." Hotch proceeds, "And when you're a little kid that's not in the best environment, a staple like a pet dog is important. Losing him was like losing the only bit of sanity I could cling to. Does that make sense?"

Your head nods, and you squeeze his hand again to show him you care. "And surprisingly enough, I found myself crying over it. Mourning this dog, an animal that was part of the family, but of course, was not my family member." he continues, and his chin rests on the top of your head. "The point is, him being a dog didn't make it hurt any less when he left. It's okay to be upset about Piper, she was important to you, special even." he whispers. "And you did a great job giving her all the love you possibly could." his eyes close then.

"I need you to know that it wasn't your fault. And keeping yourself up with thoughts of 'what ifs'." it's his turn to squeeze your hand this time. "And those moments where you... didn't want to play, or wanted to be left alone are not what she remembered when she passed on." he insists, and he won't take any arguments on the matter. "You gave her five amazing years, and whether science backs it up or not, she knew how much you loved her." he insists. "You might not believe it today, but I hope that you do in time." and he kisses your forehead.

It's butterfly inducing, and makes you cling all the more to him. "You're not by yourself." he adds, and you're glad to know it. You peel back, eyes locking with his, and they're glassy. You hate seeing such a grief-stricken look on his face, at your sake no less. It makes you lean forward and kiss him, in the hopes you'd manage to kiss it away. He kisses back instantly, and you're still sad, you probably will be for a long while, but you don't feel as lonely as you did an hour ago.

"I love you." you mumble the second you've pulled back, and this time there's no phone. His eyes are swirling with so many thoughts and feelings of his own, but you need him to know you mean it, and likely always will. You couldn't imagine anyone else being here with you like this now, nobody else that would care enough to grieve with you. He gives you a half smile, and kisses you once more, a much deeper kiss that makes you lightheaded and dizzy. Of course he had that effect.

"I love you too." and you're happy that he hasn't left you hanging. Your fingers trace his collarbones and cheeks, moving to cup his face with your right hand. You kiss him again, this time just long enough to get the message across. When you pull back, your head is finding it's place back on his chest, and his arms move up and down, rubbing gentle circles against your back, as he cranes his neck to kiss your head. It makes your stomach flutter, but it makes you want to cry too.

He leaves three gentle pecks on the top of your head, moving to kiss your cheek, before he's looping his arms around your waist with a palpable amount of admiration. He plants a sweet kiss on your shoulder, and mimic this action by offering him a kiss of your own. "Thank you." you exhale, and you mean it so wholeheartedly.

"You don't need to thank me, Y/N. We take care of each other, mon amour, remember?" and he recites your earlier words back to you. It makes you cling to him much tighter, tears returning to your lashline as Aaron pulls you even closer to him. "If you need to cry a little bit more, go right ahead. I'm right here." so you do.

Grief was a lot, it could be paralyzing, debilitating, and outright traumatic, but you knew even if it didn't feel that way now, in time you'd be okay. Part of you felt like you had Aaron to thank for that.

[that-basic-simp]

Pinned Down

Star and Stripe X Fem!Reader CW: N/A WC: 1.2k+ A/N: I need more content for Star and Stripe. I fell in love with her ever since her manga debut.

"Yeah. Yes, I know. You don't need to tell me for a third time. Alright, fine! I'll be there soon."

A frustrated sigh came from behind me before the phone was thrown onto the nightstand, falling onto the ground. A low growl followed before a large set of warm arms wrapped around me tightly, almost crushing me.

"C-Cassie," I breathed out.

"Sorry," she loosened her grip, her face being buried into the top of my back.

I placed my hands on top of her larger ones, sighing myself as I felt myself almost drift off back to sleep.

"I've got to go," she said.

"I know."

"I don't want to."

"I don't want you to go either."

"But, duty calls."

"What now?"

"Drills. As usual."

"You're not in the army anymore. You're a fully fledged hero."

"I know, but remember, I was part of the army first," she got up, taking her warmth with her.

It was best that I get up since I had to get to work in a bit. While Cassie was in the shower getting ready, I was making our morning coffee along with toast, since I knew neither of us were able to sit down and eat together, especially Cassie.

The door to the bathroom opened up and she came rushing out, her army uniform haphazardly put on. She had her pants and boots on, but her black tank top was seen and the top half of her uniform wasn't even on. Her hair was slicked back due to it being wet.

"I've gotta run," she said as I handed her a travel cup full of coffee, just how she likes it, and the golden like piece of toast.

"Here, for the road."

"Thanks," she said and leaned towards me, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "I'll see you tonight."

"See you! Be careful, Cassie," I said.

"I'll try, but you know how it is around here," she sighed, opening up the door to our apartment and then closing it. A few seconds passed by and I heard the jangling of keys before the door opened up once more.

"I love you," she said, blowing me a kiss.

"I love you, too," I blew her one back in response.

Once I had gotten finished and ready for work, I drove out to the office building and got into my cubicle. It was a quaint little office, since I had my own room and everything. However, the people I could live without. It was hard keeping our relationship under lock and key. Whenever we were first going out, Cassie had to make sure no one was following her and we'd meet up at places that no one even knew. Of course it wasn't going to be easy with her being America's number one hero. And there would be times where I didn't see her for weeks when we were first dating. It was frustrating, but she'd always make up for it. Either by seeing me for almost a week or planned long dates where it ended up with me staying at her place. She truly was the greatest.

When word got out that we were dating, the entire media went nuts. Every one and their mothers tried to talk to her or me whenever we were out in public. Of course Cassie would always be there to protect me if anyone tried to harm me. With her being that big of a woman, she could easily deck someone and have them out cold on the ground. Not to mention her height was something you don't see every day for a woman. How did I catch her eye? Well, it was more of she caught my eye. Well, more like she caught me. Caught me falling hard and lacking.

My old apartment building was on fire and I was trying to get out. The only way for me to get out was to jump through a window. I was on the fifth floor and there was still a large way for me to go. It was either I get crushed by the building falling in on itself or I take a risk and jump. So I did. And Cassie, or Star and Stripe, caught me. I remember how her strong arms wrapped around me tightly, holding me close to her. She smiled warmly and winked as she landed on the ground. I was forever grateful to her and had tried to meet her several times until she came into my workplace, checking on me to make sure I was alright. It was that day when we became friends and it would be more than that.

I smiled to myself, finding one of the framed photos that sat on my desk. The one by my computer was of us at a dance the army was hosting. It was kind of comical, the photo. Because it was of us together, our foreheads pressed against one another, and Cassie had to lift me up. The other ones were of us and some were just of her. The one that I enjoyed was of me sitting on her shoulders and she was flexing her arms. I was doing the same thing, but my biceps were nothing compared to hers.

The work day had gone and went and before I knew it, I was driving back to our shared apartment. It was more like mine and then she moved in after we celebrated one year of being together. I headed up to our floor and unlocked the door, finding the entire apartment to be lit with only candles. What the?

"Cass?" I asked as I closed the door, slipping my shoes off. "Are you here, babe?"

Nothing. I started to lightly walk around the apartment until I reached our room, entering to find there were more candles. I couldn't see shit. I was about to turn on the light, but someone wrapped their arms around me, lifting me in the air.

"Holy shit!" I turned to find Cassie laughing as she lifted me with ease. "Don't scare me like that, Cass!"

"Sorry, hon," she smiled, setting me down.

"What are you doing here so early? I thought you weren't going to be back until later."

"Well, after I talked to the commander, he said I could go home earlier."

"How did you manage to do it today?"

"If I am remembering correctly," Cassie grabbed one of the candles and walked towards the calendar, illuminating the date.

"Shit!" I smacked my hand against my forehead. "I am so sorry, Cassie. I completely forgot what today was."

"No need to worry," she chuckled, placing the candle down on the desk. "I honestly forgot too until I left this morning."

"Is that why you came back in to say 'I love you'?"

"Yes," she was now in front of me, her hands finding their place on my hips.

"Well, guess we should celebrate," I said, my hand running up her large arm.

"Guess?" she laughed.

"We should celebrate."

"Can I be yours tonight?" she whispered.

"You're always mine," I said. "As long as I am yours."

"Always."

She lifted me up once more and walked over to the bed, pinning me between her and the mattress. I shuddered slightly, never getting used to the fact that I managed to get a woman like her. My right hand slid up her left forearm, over her large bicep, and her broad shoulder. She smirked, knowing how much I loved being pinned down by her.

[ministerlo]

Like Father, Like Son

I'm sitting on the couch, reading a fantasy book I liked, completely absorbed by it. It’s the weekend, and I'm enjoying your time alone at home, as usual.

Suddenly, I hear the front door open. It could only be my mother and… "him". Your mom’s new boyfriend.

I don’t like him at all. He often takes advantage of your mom, and I don’t know why she still keeps him around.

"Hi Mom" I say cheerfully, I adored my mom, she raised me all by herself after dad left us, the only problem with her was that she had gotten with. "Hey punk" Steve, he wore his dumb smirk as he took off his shoes.

"Hi sweetie." mom speaks to you with a smile.

"Where'd you guys go." I say trying to sound as polite as possible to Steve in front of my mother, she didn't need the extra stress of knowing I didn't like her boyfriend.

Mom goes to the kitchen to put down her stuff. Steve, on the other hand, walks towards me, and sits down right next to me. He makes sure to sit so close to me that he’s practically touching me. "We just, walked through the town a bit." he says as he puts his arm around me.

I looked at the time, "Wait, mom don't you have a meeting soon?"

She looked at the time "Omg, I need to run, be good for Steve sweetie" as she rushed off to go to her meeting on time.

As I watched her leave I finally snapped at Steve "Get your hands off me."

"Why would I?" He smirks deviously.

"What do you want?" I asked irraitedly

He laughs, and pulls me closer to him. He’s now holding my shoulder firmly with one hand, almost like he was trapping me down to the couch. "I just want to spend some time with you, that’s all. We never got to have one-on-one chats, you know." He says with a cocky smile.

"Why would I need to spend time with you?" I asked raising my voice.

"Aww don't you want to spend time with your good ol' step dad?" he said grinning from ear to ear

"You're not my dad!" I screamed, you're just a rebound for my mom.

"Ohh, that's gonna change soon." He said under his breath, I could barely hear him, I glared at him for that but my last mistake was looking at his eyes.

"What's wrong with your eyes." I asked head suddenly getting increasingly dizzy.

"Hmm, what?" He said in a teasing tone.

"Your eyes, they're, spirals." At this point I could barely form a coherent sentence my head hurt so much, it felt like a million tiny needles were stabbed into my brain, not only that it felt like a fog was in my head stopping all thoughts from being processed.

He laughs, and looks back at me with his hypnotising eyes. "Yeah, they’re pretty cool aren’t they?" He chuckles as he looks me deep into the eyes, almost like he’s staring down my soul.

"I-I feel weird." Stammering I try to get rid of the fog that was incasing my head.

He continues to stare down into my eyes, still holding me close to him "What do you feel? Explain it to me." He says while chuckling, as if he knows exactly what I feeling but wants me to say it out loud.

"Head's foggy." I could barely hear myself over the hammering over my head.

He chuckles yet again, seeing that I was slowly getting affected by his eyes "Anything else? Do you feel dizzy? Or dumber?"

I couldn't think to refute or shout at him, I could barely speak over the indescribable pain that I was feeling, all of a sudden my body felt like there were weights attached to them. "Dizzy, body feels weird as well"

He smirks, seeing how quickly the effects were taking over "Oh really, come over here." He raises his armpits "maybe this will make you feel better."

I couldn't refute him, my body wanted someone to anchor me and think so I obediently sniffed his armpit, all of a sudden everything felt so pleasurable. As I mindlessly sniffed at his armpits I tried to resist the urge to lap at his armpits.

"That's a good boy, just follow your instincts, don't fight them." He said smirking, he could see the changes that were occurring to me, my hair for starters turned a more dirty blond and messy, he could tell that my face shape was changing, becoming much more angular and chiseled, he also saw that I was growing much more body hair, especially in my armpits.

Since he told me not to fight my urges I decide to start lapping up the sweat, his musky, and manly scent was intoxicating to me. As I continued to obediently lap and sniff my changes were accelerated, my muscles becoming more toned and defined, looking like that of a football star, my feet grew larger, I grew a few inches, both in my dick as well as my height. As the changes progressed I started to produce my own manly and musky sweat, not only that but the musk started to slowly turn me on.

"That's a good boy." Steve told me before he pulled me out of his armpit I whined. "I see, your muscles feel heavy. Your body feels strong, your head hurts and you feel dizzy. Is that right?"

I don't know why but I felt the urge to be obedient rather than defiant to a person I once despised "Yes"

He grabs my chin with his hand, forcing me to look into his eyes even more as his smirk becomes bigger "Can you feel your mind getting empty? Feeling slower than usual? Maybe even a little dumber? Or can you still think fine?"

"I can think, but my memories are emptying out" I obediently answered.

He notices that I told him that my memories are starting to disappear, as he continues to stare at me intently in the eyes as I starting to go dumb "Good, good. Let them fade away. You don’t need them anyway. You’ll be given new ones soon, so why even bother with them? Just drop them. Let them fade away from you mind as you slowly feel your intelligence and free-will go lower and lower…"

I suddenly felt a defiant surge as I struggled "What, are you doing to me"

He chuckles as he takes notice of my slow reaction and confusion. It was cute to him that I was so clueless "You still haven’t figured it out? You’re really that dumb, uh?" He says while he slowly moves his hand up to my head, and begins petting me as if I was a pet.

"I- no dad, wait what?!" I gasped at my accidental slip at calling him dad. "I my memories, you're not my biological dad but are at the same time"

He grins as he sees thatI'm slowly realising what’s happening. He knows I'm getting close to the truth, and he’s enjoying every second of it "That’s right kid, you’re almost there." He says as he continues to pet and caress my hair while staring deep into my eyes

"Are my memories-" before I could finish I was cut off.

He grins from ear to ear as he hears you say that"That’s right, your memories are slowly getting replaced. Soon, you won’t remember anything from before. Nothing. You will fully think I’m your new real dad. And you’ll be my new son."

"Why do I feel so sore dad." my memories were already starting to be replaced and I was already accepting the new ideas that were implanted in my head.

He laughs and looks me up and down "Do you know why your muscles are so sore? It’s because they’ve grown. You’re so much bigger than before, and your muscles are so much stronger and for that strength your intelligence and free-will have been slowly disappearing. You don’t need them, you don’t need to think, just being the good son that I tell you to be."

"Yeah just be a good son, wait- no what about mom!" as I was accepting my new fate I remembered my mom and was able to break free.

He scoffs as I mention my mom "What about her? She’s not here, she’s not important. To you, I’m the most important person, right? You only listen to me, right? Obedience, love and loyalty is the only thing you feel for me. Right?"

"Yeah." I said back in his control.

He grins, seeing how obedient I've become. He loves having control over me. I’ve become so dumb and submissive, it’s so amusing to him "That’s good, kid. You don’t need your mom, you don’t need anything or anyone. My control over you is absolute. You only exist to please and obey me. Isn’t that right?"

As the mindless haze fully set in my cock grew rock hard, all the thoughts slipping from my head, increased my everything, my libido, my strength, my muscles and my pleasure. These thoughts also made it so that I had lost all of my queerness, thinking only traditionally without a single liberal thought. "Yeah I'm your good obedient son." I said as I chuckle dumbly.

He grins and ruffles my hair again. He feels so satisfied that I’ve become so weak-willed and obedient. It’s almost intoxicating to him to have such control over you "That’s a good boy. A good, obedient, dumb son. Exactly the kid I’ve always wanted. So strong and muscular, yet so dumb and easy to control and manipulate. You’ll do anything I say, right?"

"Yes dad." I said.

"Good, let's start replacing your memories then. From now on you're Kyle, my ideal son, you’re the star quarterback. The most popular, well liked, and most muscular guy in school. Everyone looks up to you, and all the girls want to be with you." He stated.

"Now one more thing, you'll do it for me won't you, since you're my good dumb and obedient son." He asked knowing full well that I would say yes.

Just as he expected I nodded.

"That’s good, kid. Now, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to completely, and utterly forget about your mom. Right now."

"Mom?" I asked questioningly.

He grins and looks, satisfied with my reaction "That’s right, I want you to forget about your mom permanently. Never think about her ever again. She’s not important to you anymore. All you should think about is me and obeying me. You only exist to please me, and that’s all you need. Got it?"

As the commands set in I replied "What mom?" completely clueless of my last attachment to my previous life.

He grins widely, the satisfaction of seeing me forget my mom growing more and more "That’s right. Mom? What mom. There is no mom. Just me, right? Your only focus and thought is pleasing me. You’ll forget that you ever had a mom. As far as you’re concerned, I have always been your only parent. You only listen to me, nobody else, right?"

"Of course dad." I was so deep into the commands I only remembered to be his perfect son, dumb, sweaty, muscle-bound, obedient, straight and catholic.

He snaps his fingers as the trance ends looking at me lovingly, enjoying just how much far I've become, from the previous nerd that hated him and didn't even consider him a step-dad to this good, dumb, muscle-bound jock that loved his dad.

"yoh, dad, you coming to my football game this Friday?" I said, completely unaware of the previous tranced state I was in and the past life that I lived out.

"Of course." He said smiling, loving the good son you had become.

As we chatted the door unlocked, revealing to us the lady that was my previous mom.

[edgeray]

One Hell of a Butler Pt. 2

Ball (Arlecchino x Fem! Reader Blurb)

A/N: Wasn't really expecting to write arle content so soon but heck i miss writing and school makes me sad :( i have 4 assessments next week. i hate it here. also for @\megistusdiary and @\servalisms who feed me so well <333 love you guys. anyways, following the same concept as the first part here, this is some time after Reader and Arlecchino has made the contract. What do you guys think about this series? Future edit: It's gonna be a blurb, I say. It'll be less than 1k I say. *Looks at the time.* It's 3AM and the finished product is 2.2k words. Again. How do I do this to myself. I'm not calling this a oneshot though because not my greatest quality. Content Warning: Suggestive. semi-graphic descriptions of violence Series Masterlist

It's funny, really, having a demon as your butler. You could never imagine yourself as the type of person to even consider such a notion, and you certainly were not a believer of the supernatural either. Of course, beliefs change and so do mindsets; after all, your worldview was shattered with one singular event. It is that catalyst that has led you down this path. You used to believe that revenge was just a trope, an exaggerated manifestation of pettiness but as you feel it pump through your blood and inject in its veins, revenge is so very palpable. And with the contract, it's graspable, within your reach. It's like a dessert, waiting to be devoured after the main course. And like a dessert, however, in order to really savor it, one must be patient.

It has led you to this point. To a ball, specifically. The preparations have all been laid out, and you know what you your goal from this event is. The only thing left to do is to prepare the final touches and carry out the plan.

For all your meticulous planning, you don't expect yourself to be hindered before you had even gotten to the event. And defeated by a corset dress of all things. You couldn't extend your arms anymore to reach the strings behind your dress. Of course, you have other dresses, but none were as suitable for this event besides this one; this dress is made especially to carry secret compartments for weapons, a feature that none of your other apparels have.

"Arlecchino," you call out to your butler, and within a moment, the air of the room grew considerably colder, alerting you of the demon's sudden appearance. The abrupt chill invokes a chill down your spine and you let out a breathy exhale as you gazed at the mirror in front of you, and could see your servant's form just behind you, her height towering over you. On her face is the usual subtle smirk when she's with you and her red pupils gleamed just slightly.

"You look beautiful, my Lady," she greets with a low drawl although you knew it was out of politeness than admiration. Her irises burn as you could feel it traverse over your exposed back and you can barely suppress the goosebumps that her gaze provoked.

"I didn't summon you here to ogle me, Arlecchino," you say, maintaining a cool tone despite the warmth that bloomed over your bare skin, pricking your senses. A low rumble comes from the being and she leans forward placing her icy black hands over your naked shoulders, fingertips running across the surface smoothly as it slowly nears your collarbone. Her face nears your left ear, her breath cascading against your earlobe.

"Of course. It was simply an observation, my Lady. But, dare I say, you look simply ravishing." The demon whispers against the shell of your ear, her voice adorning the smallest bit of allure in it, and her hands suddenly grip your shoulders as she emphasizes the last word, then relaxing a moment later. Your inhale hitches but no other reaction is displayed outwardly.

"The strings, Arlecchino," you instruct as a distraction away from the soft flaring of your cheeks.

A brief pause as you observe through the mirror the gleam of mischief in the demon's black pits, and her hands move down your shoulder, only the pads of her fingers brushing ghosting over your shoulder blades and yet it feels like the heat from the contact drips down onto your skin. It's a lagging pace, deliberate and feather light as it finally reaches the farthest down string. Prodding fingers caress against your back as she begins maneuvering the strings masterfully, each graze seemingly lingering as it seems like she takes every opportunity to memorize the texture of you on her fingertips. When her painstaking process draws close to its end, she ties the strings together, making it tight enough to make you groan and arch your back from the sting. When you do, she traces a finger up the curvature of your spine.

"Arlecchino," you chastise with a shuddering breath. Hands find themselves on your hips, clawed fingertips faintly digging into you and you're suddenly pulled to her being, chest meeting against your spine.

"You can't possibly fault me for my behavior when you're far too delectable, can you?" She voices against your nape, cold lips just barely hovering over it while you feel hot air stroke against your hair. You shudder. A small ire wells up inside of you and you break from her grasp easily. 

“You know better than to fool around now of all times,” you huff irritably, before spinning around. “Now, are you dressed yet?” 

Your breathing halts once your eyes scan Arlecchino's body. Donning a midnight black tailcoat alongside matching slim trousers, a white button-collared dress shirt with scarlet ruffled cuffs, and finally, a simple jet black necktie. It is not very different compared to her usual apparels, and yet your sight cannot help but stagger over her. She's devilishly handsome, you begrudgingly admit to yourself, objectively pleasant to your view. You get the sense something is missing from her appearance, however, perhaps a mark of yours on her neck. You bite your tongue in reprimand to suppress any more carnal thoughts and you shift your focus away.

“Is it to your liking, my Lady?” A smug smile graces her kissable lips. 

“It's appropriate enough. You're missing something,” You reply back cooly, and you dig around the nearby drawers for the items you search for. Upon finding them, you find ebony gloves and then promptly fling them at the demon's face. They hit squarely, and slide off her mildly shocked expression with a comical, slow pace. It gives you more satisfaction than it should.  

“There,” you remark with a blank expression but a tone matching her prior pomposity. “I suppose you're presentable as my servant now.” 

You brush past her, comforted by the fact her eyes follow your form with each step. 

—

Upon arrival at the ball, it's nearly overwhelming–chatter fills the room and surrounds you at every angle, suffocating you under the noise of whispered gossip. A suited server comes up to you with a glass of some presumed luxurious beverage, no doubt costing a ludicrous amount. You swivel the untouched drink in your hand as you survey other guests, searching for a particular face in general. Arlecchino should be doing something similar right now, if she hasn't already found her target. 

The person you're looking for is no longer to be found, at least in your approximate vicinity. You grind your teeth together and your hand bunches the fabric of your dress in a fist. An advancing man steps into view and strolls towards you, confidence and snobbery exuding from his walking. 

“Would you like a dance, my Lady?” 

You can't help but cringe at the addressment, the term sounding only right from one particular individuial's tongue. But nonetheless, a cordial smile masks your disgust and you agree to it, letting the man lead you to a slow, and quite frankly, boring waltz. His movements are just flamboyanes to cover up his sloppy movements, and it only makes you wonder how a demon can so masterfully practice an art made by humans. During the dance, you try to fish him out of any useful information, but the daft male is incapable of doing anything besides leering at you. 

You could feel at the back of your neck someone else's stare–one that kindles like the flames of hell. You smirk to yourself. Maybe you can use her gaze, taunt her through this. You lean ever so closer, lurching forward to whisper something in his ear and you let his filthy hands wander your form a bit. 

When you finally part from him, enduring one last, disappointing dance, you say your farewells to him. Not out of respect as a dance partner but because you know his life will end in a few minutes. You only hope she remembers to dispose of the body and clean up the evidence. 

You find that she reappears by your side in less than fifteen minutes. It's cute that she does it when you're not in the vicinity, like you don’t already know what she did. How fortunate for you that you've already isolated yourself to a lone balcony when she finds you. Otherwise, people may accuse the two of you as undignified lovers.  

Shortly afterwards, the two of you return to the main location of the ball, and again, you're in search of a certain man. Arlecchino has yet been successful in finding her target and you wander the dance floor once again, though this time, you decline any dance requests. 

Your gaze follows that of a group of men eyeing something, and you trace for what they're looking at. With great irritance, you discover it's the demon that they’re leching over. Something ugly coils in the pit of your stomach, an ugly sensation filling your being the longer you watch their gaze, like a feeling that what they are coveting after is one of your belongings. 

“Arlecchino,” you softly gruff under your breath. You observe from across the large room that her head perks up immediately, reminiscent of how a dog would when its name is called, and without even looking, she steers through the sea of ball-goers towards your direction. 

When she’s finally in front of you, there's an aggravating, knowing grin that Arlecchino fails to hide. “Yes, my Lady?”  

You reach out to tug her necktie to you like a leash and she compliantly lets you pull her face towards you. 

“If people keep leering at you like that, they'll become an inevitable hindrance,” you lie straight through your teeth, hating the way her eyes crinkle in amusement as she sees right through you. The two of you know you're lying.  

“And what are you going to do about it, my Lady?” You should order her to wipe that complacent sneer off of her face, shouldn't you? 

“This,” you give her neck time a harsh yank and your lips brush against her neck, teeth biting her skin and your tongue lapping at the bite mark. It's a quick, stinging action that makes the demon grunt lowly but she's yet to pull away. She wouldn't dare to, not without your instructions. 

You pull away only after a few moments because it's not a mark made out of passion or affection. It’s a mark made out of desperation, out of possessiveness, to remind those who she belongs to and who can touch her. 

“Don't you dare hide it,” you demand, indignation creeping up your words. You release her, and she simply nods, her gloved fingers dabbing the mark. Walking away, you feel strangely content–what was missing from Arlecchino's appearance is there now. 

You call for her one last time during the ball. When you've led the man you were searching for into a private guest room, and you loosen his lips with the suggestiveness of your actions and the alcohol you slip in his hands. The information that spews out to you is useless, the furthest thing to what you desire even when you’ve pushed yourself far past what you'd like. He simply doesn't have what you want, you frustratingly recognize. You've let this man undress you until you're nearly half-naked for nothing. 

At the moment you acknowledge that this entire venture to this ball was for naught, you kick the disgusting man in the face, hard enough to hear a crunch underneath your heel and in his clutched hands, his broken nose bleeds. You sigh and start redressing yourself, thankful at least you didn't allow him to derobe you any further while he chucks insolent expletives and meaningless threats at you. He dares to reach out his hand for you with your back against him and it is then you mutter her name.

“Arlecchino.”

And like every time, she materializes right where you want her to, in between you and the vermin, blocking you from his sight. 

“Yes, my Lady?” She purrs as the man sputters out in shock, tumbling back.

You don't even look over your shoulder to give a command, instead, opting to fix your hair. “Dispose of him.”

There's no need for you to watch the bloodbath. You're familiar with how she kills now. It lasts no more than a few seconds and when you smell soot, you know she's done. You turn around, the last few embers of his body dissipating in the air. There's no remnants of him anymore, the room is spotless clean, except for the smear of blood on her cheek. 

“Don't you demons know how to clean yourselves?” You chastise with an exasperated click of your tongue and extend your hand, your thumb wiping the crimson droplet from her face and then guiding your thumbpad to her lips. Her tongue darts out, and laps up the last trace of him with a deliberate swipe. 

It ignites a blaze in your chest and your heart drums. 

“Take me home, Arlecchino. We're done here.” 

“Of course, my Lady.” 

[iznyangwoni]

EASY TO LOVE | chapter eleven !

“I would’ve much preferred to have your brother here instead.” God, he’s starting wonderfully. You and your father never had that good of a relationship, he has always liked your older brother more than you, only because he is a man. “But i feel like you’re going to be useful to catch some attention.”

Useful. Of course he’s talking about you as a tool. You know you’re pretty, you did grew as a beautiful woman and that’s probably the only thing he is proud of you for. “Is your dress different from the one i gave you?” You’re surprised he noticed, but its probably nothing good.

“I did alter it a bit.” These are the first words that come out of your mouth after minutes of silence in the car. Your dad takes a better look at your dress, he sighs right after, starting to walk towards the entrance of the huge mansion the gala is taking place at. “What a shame. Such talent wasted in woman. You know this can only be a hobby for you, right?”

“Yes.” You follow behind, your voice monotone, you’ve gotten used to these kind of comments in the twenty years of your life. You hate this, you hate being here, you hate being showed off, you hate having to smile at whoever he introduces you to and not being able to talk freely.

“Mr. Choi! Isnt it delightful to see you?” You turn around as you hear a woman call your father. She is definitely a beautiful, beautiful woman, and she kind of looks familiar, but you cant really tell why.

“Y/n, why dont you introduce yourself to the lovely Mrs Yang?” You smile at the woman in front of you. “Its a pleasure to meet you, i love the dress you’re wearing sweatheart.”

That honestly makes you want to cry. She’s complimenting your dress? The dress you spent a whole night on? “Thank you so much, i actually altered it myself and-“ You stop when your father puts a hand on your back to stop you. You fucked up. The woman looks at you with a smile on her face, then looks at your father.

“I didn’t even know you had a daughter. Where did you hide such a gem?” You bite your inner cheek, your father is not going to like this. A woman thinking good of you? This couldn’t go worse. You’ve heard of Mrs Yang here and there during dinner, and you know he despises her and only sees her company as competition.

Your father laughs at the woman’s words, and pats your back roughly, it may seem innocent from the eyes of someone else but you know all these pats are gonna leave a mark at the end of the night if you keep fucking up like this. “I usually bring my oldest son, he is the real gem of the family, he is now in New York to close a deal. Don’t you have a son too?”

“Oh yes! He’s finally back from the boarding school he went to in Europe. Where is he…” The woman looks around until she smiles, probably finding her son and calling him towards us. “Here he is, Jungwon is a really hardworking young man.” You freeze when you see Jungwon in front of you. Looking at them side by side.. they look identical, no wonder you found the woman familiar.

Jungwon smiles at you and then introduces himself to your father. You’re about to panic, Jungwon is the son of your father’s rival. This couldn’t go worse, you take a deep breath, your mind starts to get foggy, fuck fuck fuck fuck why did this had to happen to you? Jungwon is about to say something to you when suddenly Sunghoon appears, he puts an arm around the younger.

“Jungwon! My friend! Its been so long, should we catch up?” The woman smiles, probably thinking Jungwon has a good friend with him so Sunghoon doesnt think twice before taking him outside. You honestly feel like throwing up, this night couldn’t go worse. Your father pats your back one more time, in the same rough way as before. “Why dont you also catch up with your friends? Mrs Yang and I have some business to talk about.”

You nod and say a polite bye to the woman. You honestly dont know what to do, your head is spinning and your stomach has never hurt more. You look around for Wonyoung, but she is also busy talking with some other parents, you could go to Jay, but if your father saw you with a man it would probably make things even worse.

The best thing to do right now is just go to the bathroom and wait for all of this to end. So you walk outside, deciding that the farthest bathroom is the safest choice. Once out, you notice Sunghoon and Jungwon fighting, they’re still not throwing hands but its obvious they’re mad. You dont want to get too close, but you need to hear in case this turns out badly.

“I told you, you need to leave her alone. You’re just going to bring her more troubles, you don’t know Y/N. You dont know anything about how things work here.” “I dont care about how things work or how you built your fucking spoiled kids empire.” You sigh, thats enough, you dont need to hear more, you just need to be alone for a second.

You keep walking towards the bathroom, knowing damn well that they could see you, but its not like your care anymore. “Yn” you hear Jay call you, but you just shake your head, not wanting to talk with them. “Yn where are you going?” Jungwon takes you by your wrist, but you immediately get off of his grip, the fear of your father seeing this making you panic even more.

“Leave me alone!” You blurt out quite loudly, your legs are definitely shaking by now. “All of you, i need you to leave me alone, dont speak to me, dont get near me, and don’t touch me!” You take another deep breath, walking a few steps back. “Y/n…” “If you want to help just call Wonyoung.”

And that said you finally reach the bathroom, barely being able to breathe. You try to calm yourself down putting water on your wrists and neck. Maybe you really need to just get away from Jungwon. First it was Minji’s threat, now you just found your father despises his mother to death, this couldn’t get worse.

The second you start crying is when Wonyoung opens the door of the bathroom, the panic taking full control of your body as you sit on the floor. Your friend rushes to you. “I fucked up, Wony i fucked up so hard.” “Calm down, calm down yn its fine. Just tell me what happened, okay?” She sits in front of you, taking your hands in hers.

You take deep breaths, wanting this excruciating pain in your chest to finally end. You let the tears fall freely, not caring about your friend seeing you like this. “I think my father is mad at me and… and Jungwon, fuck. Everything surrounding him is so damn wrong i.. i don’t know what to do..”

“You dont have to do anything, Y/n. Right now lets just calm down, mh?” I nod, resting my head on the wall and closing my eyes. I’m glad Wonyoung is here, i’m sure she is the only one who can calm you down so easily. She sits next to you, letting you rest your head on her shoulder.

“And its not like you need Jungwon. I’m sure you’ll know what to do.”

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[lakefu]

The Climb

Summary: Tav and Astarion learn that vampire spawn are supposed to know how to climb walls and ceilings.

Pairing: Astarion x female!Tav

Warnings: Its just fluff, really. Post-game married tavstarion.

Word count: 1.3k

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“Pst… Astarion,” Tav whispers, trying to grab the elf’s attention.

Crimson eyes dart up from behind a large book that's being read across the table.

“Can you uh… uhm…” Tav nervously looks around the room. There’s a lot of people here, some are even glaring at her. Since when did libraries become so popular on a Thursday afternoon?

Tav scoots her chair as close to him as possible and continues to whisper.

“I’m reading about vampires,” she admits, and he turns to look at her with a tilt of his head.

“Oh whatever for darling, you have the real deal right here. I'm sure whatever tome you've plucked from this dreary establishment is nothing but a fairy tail anyways,” he rolls his eyes and laughs, earning a “Shush!” from a nearby reader.

Tav smiles wearily, and makes sure to keep a low tone. “It says that vampire spawn can climb up walls… and ceilings”.

Astarion laughs even louder now and the librarian scolds him from across the room. Tav mouths a “Sorry” over in her direction and she sighs. After an “incident” had gotten the couple banned from the library closest to their house, she wasn't about to get in trouble at the second closest too.

Tav focuses her attention back to Astarion. His eyes are on his book, but they aren't moving. His knuckles seem whiter than usual as they grip the sides of the pages.

“Have you ever… tried to climb up walls?” She asks innocently enough, but his eyes flash up at lightning speed.

“Have you ever tried to climb up walls? No? So why would I?” He hisses, and the librarian stands up from her desk.

Tav jumps up from her seat and grabs Astarion’s hand, encouraging him to follow her.

“Thank you so much, I'll bring this back in a few days!” She gestures at the book in her hands and then back at the librarian, running out the door with lover in tow.

***

Pacing around the bedroom, Astarion keeps his eyes glued to the book and continues muttering under his breath. Tav sits on their bed and watches the vampire’s erratic movements with concern. She feels a bit of regret telling him about the book in the first place, since the last thing she wanted to do was put any new worries into his life.

“Hey, you're probably right… It's probably not real. Just made up for a good story,” she tries to reassure him.

“No,” he states simply, and ceases his pacing. Facing the wall near the bed, his fingers trace the pages of the book for what feels like the hundredth time.

Harmed by Running Water. Check. Forbiddance. Check. Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Check. Spider Climb.… What?

He presses the book closed with such a force that Tav could have sworn she saw a poof of dust fly from the pages.

“Everything else in here is correct. Why would this one thing be a lie?” He sighs and leans over to place the book down on the nightstand. His hands move to massage his temples, never letting his gaze leave the wall ahead of him.

“It’s not like I was given an instruction booklet the moment I was turned, you know. I had to figure everything out for myself,” he spits out, words full of a poison that makes Tav shiver. 

He raises a singular finger and presses it against the wall.

“And clearly… I couldn't even do that properly,” he says softly, dragging his finger down the wall. 

He appears to look straight through the rough surface, clearly lost in a deep, distant thought. 

Tav scooches off the bed and approaches him gently, wrapping her arms around his waist with a careful squeeze. Standing on her tip-toes, she reaches upwards and plants a soft kiss on his porcelain neck. 

“I don't know what to do, love,” Astarion whispers, and leans his head into hers. 

Tav closes her eyes and considers the situation as she feels cold fingers caress her cheek.

“When you hunt… when you feed… you feel a bit feral, don't you?” Tav smiles up at him and studies his confused expression.

“‘Well, ‘a bit’ might be a slight understatement, but yes. And it’s all a matter of control anyways,” he hesitates, and waits for further explanation.

“Yes, exactly!” Tav exclaims, taking a step back and feeling optimism swell back up within her. “You should focus on those types of feelings. Allow your body to tell you what to do. Try to relax, focus, and you’ll do fine!”

Astarion scoffs, but Tav can tell that he is taking what she said to heart. He squints at the wall once more and adjusts his posture.

“I can uh… move the mattress over here if you're worried about falling or something,” Tav jokes, but honestly, she would do it if it made him feel better.

“Oh please- i’m the most dexterous person in this whole town. You know I always land on my feet,” he laughs and makes a grandiose hand gesture in Tav’s general direction.

So, he was feeling better then. Good. 

Tav heads back to her previous perch at the edge of the bed and watches in anticipation of whatever the hells she was about to witness.

Nothing but silence filled the room for a long while. And then, quicker than a blink of an eye, he was simply on the wall.

Tav jumps back, mouth agape, and watches as the vampire continues his ascent up the wall until he is completely upside down on the ceiling. She nearly felt ill at the initial unnatural sight of it all, but in a strange way, it felt all too natural at the same time.

“Gods…” she whispers. “My husband is a spider”.

Astarion let out one of the deepest and most sincere laughs Tav had heard in a long time. He was having the time of his life.

“This is madness, truly!” He shouts from above, scampering about like some sort of creature that would normally not be allowed inside the house. “Tav, do you realize how much we can do with this? Where we can go? Where we could sneak into?” “I'm so proud of you dear, really, and- wait what did you say? We?” She jolts up from the bed and walks over to his point of initial ascent, as if beckoning him to come down and talk. 

“Yes darling, I can carry you on my back, I'm sure of it”. He's crawled off the ceiling by now but is still nearly halfway up the wall. Just enough to meet Tav at eye level, only a bit more upside down than usual.

Tav doesn't know what to make of this proposition. It might be the one of the most unorthodox situations she’s ever heard of, and yet, it's still a bit… romantic? She feels her face run red.

“Do you realize how insane you sound right now?” She questions with eyes widening and shooting up a toothy grin.

Astarion takes one hand off the wall, still managing to maintain a balance, and reaches down to hold Tav’s cheek.

“And when have we ever been sane, my love?” He crawls a few more inches down the wall until he’s in a spot where his lips can reach her own. A sweet and selfless kiss is planted upon her lips, and they enjoy this new position for a few moments before Tav stumbles away. She’s not even the one who’s been upside down and yet she feels more light headed and flush than he does.

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” She exhales, and takes a satisfied step back to look at her curious lover. 

Gods, what is he about to get them into?

[moonstruckme]

Hii!! I have a request if thats okay, its kinda weird tho so if you don't wanna do it thats totaly okay<3

So i have like a really sensitive stomach so if i eat like anything greasy or a lot of one thing i get a really bad tummy ache, especially after supper like i don't throw up or anything im just kinda useless for like 2 hours. So the request is if you could do poly x fem!reader (or one of them, whatever you prefer) and have them comfort her and stuff? Maybe like cuddles and belly rubs? Idk

Thank u for excisting btw, you really make my day everytime you post<3

Thanks sweetheart, hope you like it :)

Remus Lupin x fem!reader ♡ 1.1k words

Remus knocks at your door tentatively. He’d known something was off when you’d left dinner early, vague about why you had to get home but urgent in a way that unnerved him. He’d followed you out of the restaurant, hoping to catch you in the parking lot, but you’d already gotten on your bus. Remus knew you were probably fine, but he couldn’t shake his anxiety about the way you’d left and he’d made his excuses a few minutes later, ignoring the jeering protests of his friends as he set out for your apartment. 

After knocking again, he tries the handle, surprised and a bit alarmed to find the door unlocked. He calls your name as he steps inside hesitantly, wary of startling you if you’ve gone to sleep or have just gotten out of the shower (that’s something he’d like to see under more consensual circumstances). “It’s Remus,” he says into the dark apartment, feeling a bit silly. “Are you here?”

“Rem,” a soft voice comes from the direction of the living room, “what’re you doing here?” 

He moves toward the sound. “I came to check on you. Sorry for just letting myself in, but you left dinner so suddenly and I…oh, sweetheart.”

He finds you on the couch, all curled up with your face pinched in obvious pain.

“Honey, what happened?” he asks, crouching beside you. His hand comes up to pet your hair of its own accord. 

“Nothing, I’m fine,” you say, the strain in your voice belying your words. “I just came home because my stomach was bothering me.” 

Remus feels his brows pinch. “It hurts?” you nod, seeming embarrassed. He can’t imagine why, it’s not like you’ve any control over that sort of thing. “Do you think it was something you ate?” 

You’re looking down at your knees, held tightly to your chest. “I…kind of,” you sigh. “This happens sometimes. Like, when I eat a lot of the same thing, or greasy foods.” 

Remus nods thoughtfully. “So like, when James won’t stop piling fries onto your plate all night, and you feel like you have to eat them?” You look sheepish, and James is going to feel awful when Remus is through with him. He’s going to make damn sure nothing like this ever happens again on his watch. “I’m sorry, lovely,” he says. “Is there anything I can do to help?” 

You hesitate. “I’ve got ibuprofen in the bathroom, but I haven’t wanted to get up. Could you bring it to me?”

Remus squeezes your shoulder lightly, standing. “Of course, sweetheart.”

 He hurries to the bathroom, finding the small bottle of pills under the sink and bringing it back along with a cup of water. He shakes a couple of tablets into his hand, passing them to you, but withholds the water when you reach for it. 

“Sorry.” He really is. “You’ve got to sit up to drink it, don’t want you to choke.” 

You shuffle into an upright position, bracing your back against the couch with your knees still drawn tight to your front, and Remus hands the cup over. You swallow the pills with a light exhale, as if you’re already anticipating the relief they’ll bring. 

“Thanks, Rem.” 

“It’s no problem,” he replies, and he hopes you understand how much he means it. “How long does the pain usually last?” 

You sigh. “A couple hours. I’ll probably just lie here and wait it out, I won’t be able to get to sleep until it stops.” 

Remus tries not to pout at you, his heart aching with sympathy. “If you’d like, we could watch a movie or something,” he suggests, adding quickly. “But if you want me to leave so you can relax, I completely understand, love.” 

You ponder for a second, your face still tight with pain. “No, that sounds nice,” you say after a second. “A distraction could help, and I’ll be more relaxed with you here anyway.” 

Remus has to turn away so you don’t see the full force of his smile, occupying himself with your television. He holds up a movie for you to see, putting it in the VHS player once you approve. You waste no time in snuggling up to him when he sits next to you on the couch, and Remus wraps his arm around you happily, rubbing gently up and down your arm. You all but melt under his touch, softening against his side. 

It’s a few minutes into the movie before he works up the courage to ask. “Do you think it would help,” he says, hoping his voice sounds at least remotely casual, “if I rubbed your stomach for you?”

You look at him in surprise. “Remus, that’s alright. You don’t have to.” 

“I don’t mind,” he says, and he doesn’t. Even though he’s giddy from the feel of you pressed up against him, he’s not offering as some excuse to touch you. He just wants so desperately to help. Seeing you in pain is like a gut punch every time he looks at you, and if there’s anything that can make you more comfortable, he wants to be the one to do it. “Really, I just want you to feel better.” 

“Okay, yeah.” You relax your grip on your knees, letting your thighs fall a few inches from your stomach and making an opening for him. “That’d be nice, thanks.” Remus watches your face, wary of any signs of discomfort as he brings his hand to your midsection. 

“You’ll tell me if I hurt you at all, yeah?”

“I will,” you say. “But you won’t.” 

Remus glows with your surety in him, but he’s still cautious as he draws his hand in small circles, gratified when you sigh. The movie casts blue light across your features, so he can see you a bit better as the crease between your brows evaporates, the tension around your mouth easing. Remus does his best to look like he’s watching the movie, but all his focus is on easing the upset in your abdomen, adjusting his methods any time you react even slightly in the positive or negative. Soon you’re completely molten against his side, blinks slowing as your eyelids start to droop heavily. 

“Did the ibuprofen kick in?” he asks softly. “You look like you’re getting sleepy, dove.” 

“I dunno,” you yawn, laying your cheek on his bicep, “maybe.” 

Remus almost hates to suggest it, but he’s not quite selfish enough to keep himself from asking. “If you want to get to bed, I can go.” 

“No, can you stay?” you yawn again, hugely. Remus tries not to stare, but you look adorable, cheek squished up against his arm and face soft with sleepiness. “Just until the movie’s done, please?”

Remus adjusts you against him, slouching so that you can lay your head on his shoulder without hurting your neck. “Yeah, of course I can stay, lovely.” He resumes rubbing your stomach, dropping a quick kiss on the top of your head. “I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me.”

[captainsophiestark]

Pay No Attention to the Magizoologist

Theseus Scamander x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Requested by anon!

Fandom: Harry Potter

Summary: Y/N and Newt have been friends for a long time, and for almost as long, Y/N has also had a crush on Newt's older brother Theseus. Years and years later, after their Hogwarts days, several run-ins with Grindelwald, the death of Leta Lestrange, and the wedding of Queenie and Jacob, Newt is still subverting Ministry rules in the name of helping his creatures. And, as usual, Y/N is an accomplice in his schemes. So, when Newt goes running out the door with his creatures and Jacob in tow, it falls to Y/N to distract Theseus and keep him from following Newt's trail. And this distraction might just lead to a bigger change than any of them bargained for.

Word Count: 2,439

Category: Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know!"

I looked between Newt and Jacob as they debated, coming off as a little bit more than panicked. They needed to get out of here with Newt's briefcase, without getting held up by the Ministry of Magic. Unfortunately for both of them (and me), Theseus was on his way here as we spoke, and there was no doubt he'd slow down the boys' mission.

"Why is your brother coming after us in the first place?" demanded Jacob.

"Because technically, what we're doing here is illegal. The Ministry of Magic has specific procedures they want me to follow before releasing any of my creatures into their natural habitats, but this time, waiting for their bureaucracy to process things will take too long. My newest rescue won't do well waiting around in captivity for longer than they already have," answered Newt. Jacob looked more stressed than he'd been before.

"Oh great!"

"You two get out of here," I said, jumping into the middle of their argument after watching their back-and-forth for a while. "I'll stay here and slow down Theseus."

They both stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at me, incredulous expressions on their faces. After a few beats of silence, the three of us just looking between one another, Newt spoke up.

"Y/N, are you sure?"

"Yeah, Newt, I'm sure. I can distract him just fine, and you guys need to get out of here. You need Jacob for this a little more than you need me, and I can always meet up with you both later."

Newt stared at me for a few moments, then closed all the distance between us to clasp a hand on my shoulder. He met my eyes with an earnest look, and it made my heart warm to see my best friend like that.

"Thank you, Y/N."

"Of course. Just be safe, the both of you."

Newt nodded, his way of promising, before heading out the door, Jacob with him. I watched them go, and then just like that, I was alone in our little loft hideout.

I'd been best friends with Newt for the majority of my life. Since Hogwarts, in fact. He and I got along like wildfire, and had since our first year together at Hogwarts. I would do anything for him. Theseus and I, on the other hand, were a different story.

I'd had a crush on my best friend's older brother for basically our entire time at Hogwarts. Theseus, on the other hand, had barely noticed me beyond my role as his kid brother's friend, and our relationship had only cooled as I'd spent more time helping Newt and less time fawning over him. In the wake of Leta Lestrange's death, however, Newt and Theseus had gotten close again, and I'd done my best to be there for both of them as well. Theseus and I had gotten to the point of actually being able to call each other friends recently, and I only hoped my decision to distract him today in order to give Newt a clean getaway wouldn't ruin that new step in our relationship.

Oh well. Sometimes, there was no other option but to back your crazy best friend's crazy play, no matter the cost.

I paced around the room for a few minutes, trying to brace myself to see Theseus, but before I was anywhere near ready I heard a loud knock at the door. I couldn't help jumping, but then I did my best to quickly compose myself and went to answer it.

"Theseus!" I said, feigning surprise when I saw the serious face of the Auror before me. He kept trying to lean around me to see inside the little apartment Newt and I had turned into a temporary hideout, and I kept leaning to block him. "What a surprise! It's so good to see you, it's been so long!"

"Y/N, where's my brother?" he demanded, his eyes at last settling on me instead of the space behind me. I fought back a gulp as I forced a smile onto my face instead.

"Newt? Uh... I haven't seen Newt in a while now, actually. I thought he was spending some family time with you?"

Theseus gave me a look that clearly said he wasn't buying any of my nonsense.

"We both know he's not spending time with me. He's been hiding out with you while planning some nonsensical scheme that's going to get both him and his muggle friend into deep trouble. Now tell me where he is."

"What? I mean, uh..."

"Y/N, I'm sorry, but I don't have time for this."

With that, he stepped forward, forcing me to step back or else be run straight into. He pushed into the living room, leaving me standing by the open door behind him, then poked his head into the kitchen in search of Newt.

"Newt! Come out, we need to talk!" he called. He stopped, apparently deciding Newt wasn't in the kitchen, before heading into the living room. I rolled my eyes and closed the front door.

"Please, come right in and make yourself comfortable," I deadpanned. Theseus just shot me a look over his shoulder as he continued to move around my living room. I huffed a sigh, but got dragged back into action as Theseus made his way across the room, getting closer to the back door Newt and Jacob had disappeared out of. If he got there, to the spot they'd left from, odds were significantly higher he'd be able to track them down, especially with a little magical help.

I just needed to buy Newt a little more time. He and Jacob were catching a portkey in twenty minutes, and if Theseus couldn't get to them before that, they'd be in the clear.

"So, uh, the Ministry is still trying to prevent the release of some animals, yeah? That's uh... that's what this whole thing is about?"

"My brother is trying to release dangerous animals into the wild," said Theseus, not halting his search through my living room. I took a few steps closer to him as they spoke. "Keeping them safe in his sanctuary is one thing, but turning them loose on the world is another..."

"I've met all of those animals, none of them seem particularly dangerous to me," I countered, crossing the room all the way to Theseus now. I moved in front of him, standing between him and his search of the top of my fireplace mantle. His eyes landed on me, an exasperated expression on his face.

"Y/N, please. Newt just needs to get a permit, and go through the proper channels. Then he can release whatever animals he wants."

I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "Oh please, you and I both know the Ministry will take ages. Some of those animals will be much better off if they're released now, and not a year from now."

"All the same, I need to do my job and get my brother back. Then maybe I can help him get his permit expedited, but until then, he has to wait. So, if you're done attempting to stall me..."

With that, he turned to start hunting through the rest of my living room, following Newt's trail. I moved after him, hovering over his every step and trying to erase any trace of Newt when I caught it before Theseus.

"Actually, I'm not done stalling you. I think we should talk a little more. Now that we're back to being friendly, you know, I think-"

"Nice try, Y/N, but it's not going to work," said Theseus, a slight smile on his face as he continued to make his way through my living room. "I can talk to you and search for my brother at the same time."

I looked around the room for some sign of inspiration to slow down Theseus, but started to panic as he headed for the door Newt and Jacob had left through. He flung it open and was about to walk out, which meant I had to do something, now.

"Wait!" I cried, rushing across the room towards him. He paused with a sigh and turned back to me, wand in-hand and ready to track Newt and Jacob.

"Y/N, I'm sorry, but I really can't stick around right now. I have a job to do."

"Okay, but just one second. This is important!" I said, slipping into the doorway between him and his target. He leaned forward and into my space, and I couldn't help feeling a little giddy at his proximity. I blame that feeling for clouding my judgment and impacting my next decision.

"What is it, Y/N?" he asked. I panicked, trying to think of something, but I couldn't focus on anything beyond the handsome, wonderful man in front of me and the fact that I could NOT let him through the door. He sighed and took a half step forward, placing his hand gently on my waist to move me aside, and I did the only thing that came to mind.

I grabbed Theseus' shoulders, leaned up, and kissed him full on the mouth.

My brain short circuited all over again as we kissed, and I swear fireworks surrounded us. Then, a moment later, reality set in. I jerked away from Theseus and my hand flew to my mouth, horror sinking in at my actions. I couldn't believe I'd just done that.

"Theseus..." I looked up at him to find him staring blankly off into the space just over my shoulder, looking completely shocked. "Oh my God... I am so, SO sorry!"

Theseus didn't respond, which got rid of any of the remaining fireworks lingering around me. I couldn't believe I'd just done that. Theseus and I had just started to get to a place where we had a good relationship, and I'd probably just destroyed it.

"Theseus, please, I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have done that. I just... I needed to keep you from going after Newt, and... and it was the only thing I could think to do. Oh God." I facepalmed. Then, against the rational part of my brain screaming to let me give it control again, I kept talking. "I- well, I've had a crush on you since we were kids, and we were standing so close together and it's like my mind went blank, and it was the only thing I could think of-"

My ramble finally, mercifully got cut off as Theseus wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back to his side of the doorway before pushing me up against the wall right next to it. Before I could get my brain restarted, he was kissing me, with a level of passion and emotion that I'd only ever dreamed about.

Once I got over my own shock, I wasted no time kissing him back. I tangled my hands in his hair as his grip tightened around my waist, and we stayed like that for a long few moments before finally coming up for air.

We were breathing hard as we met each others' eyes, our faces barley an inch apart. He seemed as shocked as me that we'd actually just done that, and I couldn't help the joyful laugh that bubbled out of me.

"Theseus... what was that?" I asked, a smile steadily growing on my face as I fondly ran my hand through his hair again. He smiled back at me, a slightly sheepish grin on his face even though he looked just as happy as I did.

"I've had feelings for you for a few months now," he breathed. "I didn't know how to tell you, since we'd just gotten back on friendly terms and I didn't want to ruin anything..."

"I've been doing the same thing," I said. We shared disbelieving laughs, and I surveyed Theseus fondly while he looked me up and down with the same care. Theseus leaned in and rested his forehead against mine, the smile still on his face and his voice still a little breathless when he spoke.

"So... I kind of need to go chase my brother now, but... any chance you'd let me take you to dinner tomorrow night?"

I beamed back at him, leaning up to give him a light, soft kiss before responding.

"I'd love that, Theseus."

"Good! Great. Then... it's a date."

"It's a date."

We shared another smile, Theseus still looking a little giddy as he at last stepped away from me and moved towards the door again. The sweet smile turned into more of a smirk as he took one step outside, on his way to follow the path his brother had taken not long ago.

"So... you're not going to try to stop me going after Newt anymore?" he asked, a little of the confident swagger I loved so much back in his tone and body language.

"No," I said with a shrug. "He's gotten far enough away by now that you can't catch him."

Theseus groaned and looked up at the sky, then settled his gaze back on me.

"I hope you're wrong, Y/N. But if you're not... you're buying the first round of drinks as compensation."

"You're on," I replied with a grin of my own. "Have fun on your wild goose chase! Don't let the Ministry people get you down. Newt's doing the right thing."

Theseus just sighed, although he wasn't quite able to keep a fond smile off his face. Whether it was for me, his brother, or the both of us, I wasn't sure.

He gave me one last smile and nod before finally heading all the way out the door, shutting it behind him as he resumed his work. I smiled after him and slowly sank down the wall, my fingers brushing over my lips where Theseus' had just been. It didn't seem quite real to me that the past few minutes had really happened, but I knew for a fact it was real. And that I had a date with Theseus Scamander tomorrow night.

Newt was never going to believe me when I told him the story. Helping him with his crazy shenanigans had never turned out so well.