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starsinthesky5 · 23 hours

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you belong with me III || joe burrow x reader

description: when date night ends with something more than just a goodnight kiss ;)

a/n: first off, can we talk about how delicious joe looks when he wears this specific jersey. it’s literally causing me to spiral. i can't. he’s so fine

anyway, welcome to part 3! yall have shown this little mini series so much love and it’s given me some great inspo to write a little more! i really love writing these fics <3 this turned out to be a lot longer then what I thought off which might explain why i struggled to finish it lol

warnings: language, smut

word count: 11.6 k

part 1 part 2

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December 29th

You and Joe have been dating for a few weeks now, and things couldn’t be going more perfectly for you both. Ever since your confession on Joe’s birthday, you both had been more attached at the hip than usual, but neither of you was complaining. Nothing really changed in the way you were acting around each other, everything pretty much stayed the same--other than the constant kissing & extra flirty conversations--which was another indication that you were already acting like a couple long before you made it official.

“Joeeee, come back over here I’m cold,” you whined as you looked up from the couch, watching Joe as he warmed up a bowl of popcorn.

“Just a sec, Baby,” he said as he pulled out two cans of Sprite from your fridge.

Baby. You blushed at the pet name, which was becoming increasingly common for you two. If you had told your freshman year Ohio State self that her best friend, Joe Burrow, would be in her apartment warming up a bowl of popcorn for them to watch the latest episode of ‘Love Island’ together, and was calling her Baby, she would for sure punch you in the face for lying. But the sweetest part was, you wouldn’t be lying because it was reality.

A few moments later, he walked over with the snacks, placing them on your coffee table and plopping down on the couch next to you.

“I can’t believe you have me watching trashy reality TV,” he laughs as he wraps his arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his chest.

“Honestly, me either,” you giggle, kissing his neck. “But I love hearing your commentary,”.

He lets out a chuckle and says, “Thanks, but I mean, these people are wildin’. If you’re actually looking for love, you would never go on a dating show because that shit will never end right,”.

“Oh for sure,” you nod, grabbing some popcorn.

“Like what happened to being a genuine friend? These girls just steal each other’s man like it’s nothing and the guys are absolute airheads and go along with it,” Joe expresses, taking it a little too seriously.

“Calm down, Joe,” you giggle. “Remember, we watch for the entertainment value not for the ethics,” you say as you rub his arm.

He lets out a sigh and then grabs a handful of popcorn, stuffing his face with the buttery snack. “I just think these people really don’t know real love when they see it,”.

“Luckily, we aren’t them,” you smile, grabbing his hand and pressing a soft kiss to the back of his palm.

“Ohhh yeah,” he says, moving his other arm around your leg, gently sliding his hand up and down your calf. “I have real love and I am never letting go of it,”.

“You better not,” you tease, moving your head up and pressing a few kisses to his lips, tasting the buttery popcorn on them.

“We still good for tomorrow night?” he asks, referring to the little date night he had planned at his house.

“Mhm, I can’t wait to see what you have planned,” you say as you grab some more popcorn.

“I think you’ll love it,” he smirks, pressing soft kisses all over your forehead. He had decorated his backyard with fairy lights, making sure to hang them all around his patio set up so that there was no darkness in sight. He had bought your favorite flowers and decorated his backyard with them, got his chef to prepare all your favorite foods, and even got you a little gift.

He had his jeweler custom make you a ring that had your birthstones in an alternating pattern all around the ring with diamonds in between each stone. The ring was kind of like a promise ring, but mostly something that he got for you to show that you were it for him. Even though it was way too early to think about that, Joe could envision spending the rest of his life with you. So it was kind of like a mini engagement ring, just without the whole marriage detail, for now.

“What should I wear? Something laid back orrrr..” you ask.

“Wear what you want to wear,” he smirks. “You look Sexy and Beautiful in everything,”.

A blush rises on your cheeks and you feel your belly filling with butterflies again. It was amazing to hear him say those things about you. He already made you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, but his endless compliments just made everything better.

“God, it feels so great to finally be able to say that to you,” he adds, throwing his head back against the pillow.

“You’re so cute,” you laugh, moving your legs so that you are now sitting in his lap, pressing kisses all over his face. His hands run across your thighs, then eventually move up to your waist. His fingers softly scratch against the fabric of your shirt, and then make their way inside so that you can feel them against your bare skin.

“But seriously, what should I wear?” you ask.

“Hmm, maybe that lacy black dress you wore to your sister’s engagement party,” he sighs, his hands now sliding higher up your body.

“Why that particular dress?” you smirk, knowing exactly why he wanted you to wear that dress. You took him to her engagement party as your plus 1 and his reaction when he saw you in the dress for the first time should have been a dead giveaway about how he felt about you.

“Because,” he says, his fingers teasing the band of your bra, increasing the tension around you. “The first time I saw you in that dress is still burned into my mind and I would love a repeat of it,”. You feel his fingers slide into the cup of your bra, giving your breast a soft squeeze.

“Oh really?” you smirk, moving both your hands to each of his shoulders. “What did you think when you first saw me in the dress?”.

“Other than that you looked heavenly,” he starts off, causing you to blush again. “Like I wanted to kiss my way up your arm,” he says, removing his hands from underneath your shirt, then moving his lips to your arm and doing what he was saying. You closed your eyes and let out a few short breaths as you felt him pressing wet kisses along your arm.

“Then, I wanted to leave a few pretty purple marks around your neck so that people could see you were mine,” he says, moving to your neck and sucking on the soft skin.

“Joe,” you breathe out, a warm feeling now replacing the butterflies in your belly. You move your hand into his hair, pulling at the strands and relishing his touch.

“And then, I wanted to rip the dress off your perfect body and show you how much I loved you,” he says, moving up from your neck and meeting your eyes.

“Damn, I didn’t think you felt so..” you trail off, trying to find the right word.

“Horny?” he says, causing a laugh to leave your lips.

“I was gonna say passionate but horny works too,” you finish. “Who knew Joey B could have such impure thoughts about his so-called bestie,” you tease.

“That’s just 1 occasion out of a million others in which I felt like ripping your clothes off,” he whispered in your ear, sending shivers down your body.

You felt like you were about to pass out from the heat rising up your body because of your boyfriend’s alluring words & thoughts. Who knew that Joe could ever be capable of thinking that way about you? And who knew he was capable of making you feel like this? You wanted nothing more than to rip off his clothes right now and have your way with him.

“I could list even more occasions in which I wanted to rip that Jersey off your body and take you for a spin after every game,” you wink.

“Oh yeah?” he smirks. “Why didn’t you do anything about it then?” he says while rubbing your ass.

“Hmm, maybe because you were spoken for at the time and I didn’t want to be the other woman,” you joke, moving his bangs out of his eyes.

“Please, if you gave me ‘fuck me’ eyes for even a second, I wouldn’t have hesitated to make you the woman,” he said.

“I feel like I’m committing a crime saying all these things to you,” you blink, feeling like you were doing something forbidden by acting like this with Joe.

“Oh me too. If our Ohio State selves walked in through the door right now, they would probably be traumatized for the rest of their lives,” Joe chuckles, your eyes wandering to his perfectly soft pink lips that you had been obsessed with for the past few weeks. With Joe, you were acting like you were a teenage girl who had just gotten her first boyfriend, all of the childish yet insatiable feelings were rising to the surface.

“Then they would for sure be missing out,” you mumble as you push yourself closer to his body, capturing his lips in a messy kiss, taking him by surprise. His hands grip your waist as he pulls you even closer, your crotch right on top of his, and a feeling of hardness underneath you that makes you pull away from the kiss.

You meet his eyes which are now dark with lust, “Joe I-,”.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he soothes as he rubs your thigh to comfort you. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to,”.

“I know it’s a lot even though we’re like, adults now” he laughs, softening the air around you.

“Could you be any more perfect,�� you whisper out loud.

“Hm?” he questions.

“You didn’t even know what I was going to say,” you mumble as you start pressing kisses on his jaw, trailing down to his neck as you can feel him move around underneath you, trying to find pleasure in just sitting there. You pull your head back up and meet his eyes again, “I was going to say that I need you,”.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” you say as you kiss his right cheek. “Positively,” you say as you kiss his left cheek. “Sure,” you say as you press a big kiss on his lips, hearing Joe let out a soft groan into the kiss and feeling him melt into you as you suck on his bottom lip.

Your kisses became more urgent and needy as Joe’s hands wandered down to your ass and then back up to your waist. His grip on you tightens, prompting you to moan into the kiss. He gets up from the couch, still holding you while you were attacking his lips, and walks you both over to your bedroom.

He kicks your door shut as you pull away from the kiss to look at him for a few seconds. You press your forehead against his and whisper, “I love you,” with the biggest smile on your face.

“I love you even more,” he replies, softly placing you down on your bed before climbing on top of you; you open up your legs to accommodate his large body before going back to kissing him.

He moves down to your neck, kissing and sucking on the skin as you start to realize what was happening. Yeah, you were insinuating that you wanted to go there but that was purely coming from your heart. Now, your brain was awake.

You were about to have sex with Joe.

Yes, you had been dating for a few weeks now and this was bound to happen considering how you two couldn’t keep your hands off of each other, but it was actually happening for real this time and you were freaking out. But it wasn’t like you were afraid; you knew he would be the most gentle and considerate person ever. You were feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. What if he didn’t like it? What if it wasn’t as good as what he might have been used to with other girls?

Other girls. The thought of other girls being in this position with your boyfriend made you want to rip your eyelashes out. Was he feeling the same way about you though? The same feeling of bitterness at the thought of you being like this with other guys?

Oh, the things you would do to just get your brain to turn off for a few hours. You were pulled out of your trance, letting out a moan as Joe had seemingly just found your sweet spot.

“There it is,” he smiled as he continued to nip and suck at the skin, surely leaving a purple spot there like he wanted to. His left hand gripped your jaw, pushing your head to the side to expose the skin of your neck a little more.

“Fuck,” you whimpered at the increased pressure on your neck and the gush of wetness pooling your core.

He began to slip his fingers into your sweatpants, but before he could get too far, a blaring & piercing sound filled your bedroom. You looked down and saw the noise was coming from Joe’s pocket, probably from his phone. Then you looked over to the clock on your nightstand, the time reading 7:30, which made you let out an internal sigh of relief.

But why were you relieved? You wanted this to happen.

“Joe,” you say, trying to get his attention but he was still spending time on your neck. “It’s time to go, Baby,”.

“Mmm, I can be late by an hour,” he mumbles, kissing up your neck and to your jaw.

“Uhhh,” you say as you place your hands around his head and move it back up to your view. “You have practice tomorrow morning and we both know how cranky you get when you don’t get enough sleep during the season. And it’s December football so you cannot miss a single practice,”.

“But–,” he starts to say.

“I know, I know,” you giggle. “But I’ll make it up to you soon, I swear,” you say, sealing your promise with a kiss.

He stares into your eyes for a few seconds before sighing, “Fine,”.

“But I expect to be compensated for this sooner rather than later,” he says as he moves off of you, reaching out to help you off the bed.

“Trust me, you will,” you say as you move your messy hair out of your face. You walk over to your vanity to grab a hairclip while Joe fixes his clothes and some other things. You look into the mirror, a shriek leaving your lips as you examine your neck.

Joe flips his head around to you, “What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Joseph Lee!” you yell. “My neck!”.

He walks over and leans his head to look at your neck, laughing at what you were screaming about. “I told you. Pretty purple marks to show people you’re mine,” he winks before opening up your bedroom door, leaving you speechless at your mirror. Seeing this side of Joe for the first time was so weird for you since for years the relationship between you two had just barely grazed over the zone you were in now, so all this was unexplored.

Even though it was strange and new, you loved every single part of it. He was making you feel things that no other guy could make you feel; feelings that had yet to be brought out, but now were because of him.

A few minutes later, you help Joe gather his things before walking him to your apartment door. His hands wrap around your waist as yours loop around his neck, holding each other in a hug for a few moments.

“I don’t want to go,” he mumbles against your head.

“Hey, I’ll see you tomorrow night at least,” you say, rubbing the nape of his neck.

“Mmm, I just wish we could always be near each other. 9 years of waiting plus not being able to wake up to your pretty face and kiss you goodnight every day is killing me,” he sighs.

“I told you that my lease is up in 2 months,” you say, meeting his eyes.

“2 months is so long,” he pouts. Joe had casually asked you a week ago what your thoughts were about living together at his house. He said that you both had already gotten comfy around each other since you have known each other for so long, so living together wouldn’t be so bad, but he also didn’t want to move things along too fast if you weren’t ready. You quickly shut down that thought and told him that you’d been waiting for nearly a decade, so you were definitely not rushing into anything. So naturally, you said yes. The thought of living with him felt like a dream, and now you were a step away from it being a reality.

“They’ll pass by faster than you think,” you smile, pressing a kiss to his lips to make him feel better.

“They better,” he says, returning your kiss with two more kisses. His lips were always so soft and felt like clouds against yours. There were so many times you didn’t want to stop kissing him because it felt like heaven and as if you were floating.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Okay?” You say, pressing your head against his chest and going back to the hug.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied, pressing another kiss to your head.

“I love you,” you say, moving your head up to press a kiss to his chin.

“Babe, I’m not gonna leave if you keep kissing me,” he laughed.

You move your head out from his chest again and say, “If you don’t leave, we’re going to be doing a lot more than just kissing and I do not feel like having the entire team on my ass for making you skip practice,”.

“Fair enough,” he sighs as he lets go of you. “I love you,” he says back, pressing a final kiss to your lips before opening up the door and exiting your apartment.

“Good night,” he says softly as his eyes twinkle in the light of the hallway.

“Night, Joey,” you smile back, slowly closing the door as the smile on your face stays. You turn around and press your back to the door as that feeling of giddiness, caused by Joe, remains in your body.

The Next Day

You finish applying the last bit of your lipgloss before grabbing your car keys and heading for your door. You took one final glance in the entryway mirror, making sure that everything was perfect.

You were wearing the dress Joe had wanted you to wear which hugged your body in all the right places, especially around your breasts. You had the tennis bracelet he gave you on your left wrist and a small diamond chain around your neck, which still had purple marks around it that you didn’t bother to hide. You also grabbed a black cardigan to wear on top of the dress since it was pretty chilly out tonight. The red lipgloss you had put on pulled the whole look together, and you looked hot. You smiled at your appearance and sent Joe a text telling him you were on your way before grabbing your purse and heading out the door.

Meanwhile, Joe was out in his backyard making sure that everything was perfect for his little date night.

He had started a fire at the fire pit, hoping the warmth would find its way over the dining table a few feet away. Pots of flowers he had gotten--pink and white carnations--were scattered around the corners of the deck and his chef had prepared a delicious dinner for you both. Joe had requested that he make chicken potstickers, kung pao chicken with fried rice, spicy garlic noodles, and red velvet cupcakes for dessert. Everything was your favorite, and he made sure that it was flawless. The ring he had gotten made for you was sitting in his pocket, and he couldn’t wait to give it to you.

The fairy lights he hung up a few days ago were still going strong and the entire backyard was now covered by a warm glow, no darkness in sight, just like he had wanted. That’s how Joe felt with you in his life. You were the fairy lights. You filled his world with light, getting rid of all the darkness and emptiness that was there before.

“Shit, need music,” Joe mumbled under his breath as he realized he was forgetting something. He walked back inside the house and grabbed his speaker from the living room, hooking his phone up to it and bringing it back outside. He decided to put on your playlist, smiling as he scrolled through the songs and saw all the new ones you two had added over the last few weeks. Joe had added “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” by Elvin Bishop, “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears, and “Heavenly” by Cigarettes After Sex. You had added “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski, “Margaret” by Lana Del Rey, and “Dress” by Taylor Swift.

Although Joe wasn’t the biggest fan of Taylor Swift’s music--because it wasn’t his particular taste--he had grown fond of her love songs, particularly “Dress”. The song lyrics were just a little too relatable for both of you.

The sound of his doorbell snapped him out of his daze, looking at his messages and realizing you were here. He tapped shuffle, threw his phone onto the couch outside, and ran over to the main door to let you in.

While you were waiting at the door, you pulled out your phone to get another look at yourself, making sure that everything was perfect. Your eyes moved to your cardigan that was covering the dress, the dress that Joe had specially asked you to wear.

You put your phone away and shrugged off the cardigan as it was ruining the vibe you were going for. You looked hot, and the cardigan did not emphasize that. “A little cold didn’t hurt anyone,” you muttered as you heard the door lock click and open.

Joe opened the door, his heart skipping a beat as he laid his eyes on you. You looked absolutely desirable and angelic, and he was definitely feeling a repeat of how he felt when he first saw you in this dress. The same feeling of attraction and need.

“Hey,” you smiled as you straightened out your dress.

“Hey,” he smiled back. “Come in, it’s cold out there,” he says as he stretches his hand out to lead you inside the house.

You place your hand in his as he leads you inside, and then you put your stuff on the kitchen island before turning around to face him again. You watch as his eyes move from your feet to your bare legs, to your hips, to your chest which was covered by black lace from the dress, to your neck that still has purple marks from yesterday, and up to your beautiful face. Although the dress you had on was made for you, it was making him want to rip it off right now. He wanted to skip dinner and get straight to dessert, and he was not talking about the red velvet cupcakes.

“Like what you see?” you giggle as you pull him closer.

“You look fucking incredible, Y/N,” he whispers, his hands sliding across the silk fabric of your dress.

“All for you,” you say before you press a kiss to his lips, but quickly pull away as you smell something delicious.

“What is that?” you say as your eyes light up.

He lets out a soft laugh before grabbing your hand and leading you out to the backyard, “Our Date,”.

“Our date’s outside?” you wonder as he pulls you out the patio door, stopping you at the bottom of the steps. Your mouth falls open as your eyes move up to the lights hanging all around the deck, brightening his usually dark backyard.

“Holy shit,” you whisper as you let go of his hand and walk further onto the deck. Your eyes move to the corners of the deck, noticing pots of your favorite flowers all around. Your eyes then navigate to the lit fire pit and the dining table a few feet away, which had all of your favorite foods on it.

You flip around to face Joe, who is standing on the steps with his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face. “Joe, did you do all this?” you asked him.

“Maaayyybee,” he blushes as he looks at the sky and bounces back and forth on his feet.

You run back over to him and leap into his arms, pulling him in for a big hug as you press kisses on his cheek. “I love you so so so much. This is so perfect,” you beam.

“I’m so glad you like it,” he says as he sways you back and forth. His hand sliding down to your ass, giving it a soft squeeze, sending electricity throughout your body.

“Nobody’s ever done this much for me for a date,” you say as you pull away from the hug, cupping his face with your hands and rubbing his soft skin.

“Well, like I said before. I’m setting the standards in the boyfriend department,” he smiles as he moves his hand around your back and leads you over to the dining table.

“Please, you are the standard,” you laugh as he pulls out your chair for you. Joe helps you settle in your chair before walking over and dragging his chair closer to yours and then sitting in it.

“This food looks beyond amazing,” you say as you look at all the delicious foods as Joe starts to fill your plate.

“You have good taste,” he smiles.

“Oh, I know,” you wink as you take the plate from him. Joe grabs his water, taking a sip to hopefully calm down the impure thoughts he was feeling at the sight of you. “Not just in food though,” you add as you give Joe a loaded look, making him almost choke on his water.

“Oh really? What else do you have good taste in?” he teases as he places his water back down.

“Hmmm, I think I have pretty good taste in NFL Quarterbacks too,” you wink.

“Quarterbacks plural?” he says as he raises his eyebrow.

“Yeah, I think that guy from Kansas is pretty cute too,” you lie as you take a bite of the spicy noodles.

Joe’s face drops as if he just saw a ghost and he feels his heart stop for a second, making you burst out laughing. “Oh my god, you should see your face,” you laugh as you put down your fork and throw your head back, your entire body shaking from his reaction.

“That is not funny,” he says with a straight face.

“Aww, poor baby got a little jelly?” you giggle as you come back forward and grab his hand.

“You don’t have to worry. The only Quarterback I have my eyes on is 6’3, has dirty blonde hair, is from Ohio, plays for the superior Ohio football team, and can plan a killer date night for his girlfriend,” you say as you lean over to kiss his cheek.

“Good, because I heard that QB only has eyes for 1 girl as well,” he smiles.

“Hm, I wonder who she is?” you say as you bat your eyelashes.

“Well from what I heard, she’s suuuper funny, gorgeous, loves trashy reality TV, is a big football girl, and knows exactly how to make a guy fall head over heels in love with her,” he says before taking a bite of the kung pao chicken.

“Did you say that last part because of the song that’s playing right now?” you laugh as you hear the melody of “Head over Heels” in the background.

“Now that’s just a beautiful coincidence because I meant that for real,”.

“Well, I have a good feeling that the girl feels the same way about the Quarterback,” you say as you move your foot to touch his.

“Perfect, I know he’ll be happy to hear that,” he smiles.

A little later, you both are digging into the yummy dinner as you talk about upcoming games, your schedules, and your sister’s wedding.

“So, you’re good to go with me to Kaylee’s wedding in a couple weeks right?” you ask as you shove another spoonful of rice into your mouth.

“Mhm,” Joe nods as he finishes chewing the chicken. “I think I have a few suits I can pick from that can match your dress,”.

“Great, I’ll text her tomorrow,” you say as you finish up the last bit of food on your plate. “They’ll be so excited to see you and you know Kaylee will be on our asses for finally making a move on each other,”.

“Oh I am well aware,” he says as he takes one final bite before grabbing your plates and stacking them up to take inside. “I can only imagine how many people we’ll get bombarded by at the wedding,”.

“Bring some edibles or something. I don’t think I’ll be able to sit through the reception without something to take off the edge,” you say as you reach down to unstrap your heels.

“You got it,” he smiles. “It’s getting pretty cold so why don’t you move over to the day bed by the fire pit and I’ll bring the cupcakes out over there. I’m sure it’s warmer there anyways,” he says as he gets up and starts to clean up the table.

“You don’t want any help?” you ask as you get up from your chair.

“I’m good,” he smiles. “You just sit over there and look pretty like you always do,”.

“I love you,” you yell as make grabby hands towards him and you walk backward to the day bed.

“I love you more,” he echoes as he walks inside.

You hop onto the daybed, feeling the warmth of the fire pit gravitate toward you which was the best feeling since you were pretty cold now, especially since your dress wasn't really helping. You leaned back against the pillows as you looked up at the fairy lights, humming along to the music playing in the background; a smile appeared on your face as you realized the song that was playing.

“Say my name and everything just stops, I don’t want you like a best friend,” you mumble, reciting the song lyrics. “Only bought this dress so you could take it off, take it off–”.

“Oh, I will be,” Joe winks, snapping you out of your daze.

You look back straight and see Joe standing in front of you, holding a plate with 2 red velvet cupcakes.

“Hello, again,” you say as you sit up straight and scooch over to make room for Joe.

“You warm enough?” Joe asks as he settles in next to you, his body warmth making you even more warmer.

“Now that you’re here, absolutely,” you say as you press a kiss on his cheek while you grab a cupcake from the plate. You take a bite of the cupcake, Joe, attentively watching you as you close your eyes and let out a groan because of how good it is.

“Mmmm, that’s the best thing I’ve ever had,” you open your eyes as you wipe your lips with the back of your hand. You look at Joe, who seems to still be staring at you, not saying a single word. He was thinking about how this was his life. How you were his life and he still hadn’t processed that this was real yet. He felt like he was dreaming and he was 1 moment away from waking up and all this being over.

“Hey, you okay?” you ask as you put the cupcake back down on the plate.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he says while running his fingers through his hair.

“You were staring,” you say as you tilt your head to the side, the purple marks on your neck now fully visible because of the light shining on you from above.

“Just thinking,” he says, giving you a reassuring smile.

“Care to let me in?” you ask as you sit on your knees. “Just because we’re a couple doesn’t mean we still can’t talk about how we’re feeling,”.

He lets out a soft laugh before placing his hand on your knee, “It’s nothing bad. Just thinking about us,” he says.

“Oh?” you say as you look up at him.

“Again, nothing bad. I just can’t believe that this is real life and I know that sounds dumb, but it’s true. Having you with me was already the best part of doing what I’m doing, but now having you with me as my girlfriend, as my partner, just feels–,”.

“Unreal?” you interrupt, letting out a laugh when you see Joe shaking his head with a grin on his face.

“Very Unreal,” he says, reaching for something in his pocket.

“I feel the same way. I know it's only been a few weeks, but I already know this is everything I’ve been waiting for,” you grin.

“We’re always on the same page about everything aren’t we?” he says as he pulls out a little box from his pocket.

“My favorite thing about us,” you say as you look down at the box. Before you could ask him what that was, he said something else.

“I just want you to know that you are the most important person in the world to me, and I love you more than words can describe. Everything about you just works for me, it always has and it always will. You light up my life, just like how these lights are lighting up the backyard,” he says as he opens the box. “You’re it for me, Y/N. My best friend, my twin flame, my girlfriend, and the person that I want with me for as long as we’re on this planet. Or any other planet if we end up going to Mars or something in the future,”.

You feel like you’re slowly melting away at his words and then you look down at what was in the box, now feeling tears pool in your eyes. “Sooo, to show you that, I got you a little something,” he says as he takes the ring out of the box.

“Joe, I- I,” you barely say before the tears fall from your eyes. He looks up and notices the tears falling from your eyes, puts the ring down, and starts to wipe your cheeks.

“Hey, why are you crying?” he softly asks.

“Because,” you laugh through the tears. “You’re perfect. Everything about you is fucking perfect,” you say as you stuff your face into his neck.

He wraps his arm around your waist and moves your hair to the side, “I hope that’s a good thing?” he asks.

“It’s a great thing” you giggle before pulling your face out from his neck. “Can I see it?” you ask as you wipe your eyes and nose.

“Duhh,” he smiles as he picks up the ring again. “Both of our birthstones in an alternating pattern, 9 diamonds to represent the 9 years we’ve known each other, and the date we met plus the date we became an official couple engraved on the inside,”.

“How do you think of these things?” you ask as you feel fireworks setting off in your heart at how much detail he put into designing the ring. The ring was gorgeous, and it was definitely a pretty penny. “But this was probably really expensive,” you say.

“We’re not doing that again. You said the same thing when I got you this bracelet,” he says as he touches the tennis bracelet on your wrist. “And what did I say?”.

“In case you forgot, I am a millionaire now, and you never wanna upset a millionaire,” you say, recalling his words from a few years ago.

“Exactly,” he says as he eyes your hands, trying to decide which finger to put it on.

You watch as his eyes dart from one hand to the other, then eventually setting on your right hand, slipping the ring onto your 4th finger.

“Why that finger specifically?” you ask.

“It’s your right hand’s ring finger,” he shrugs.

“Soooo,” you say, expecting more for the reasoning behind it.

“Your left hand’s ring finger is being saved for another ring that I’ll give you later on, so this was the next best thing,” he says so casually. He was talking about your ring finger, the ring finger. He wanted to put that ring on it.

You lean forward and pull him in for a kiss, not needing to say anything else to him because he already knows how you feel. You feel his hands travel down to your waist, gently picking you up and placing you in his lap. His hands travel up and down your sides, and then you feel him pull away from the kiss which makes you let out a little groan.

“Have I told you how Sexy you look tonight?” he says, his lips all glossy from yours.

“Ohh yeah," you nod. "Have I told you how great of a Boyfriend you are?” you ask him as you slide your hands up and down his chest.

“Yeah, a couple of times,” he teases. “But seriously, you look hot. Like incomprehensibly hot,”.

“You still thinking those same thoughts you felt when you first saw me in this dress?” you ask as you move your face closer to his, pressing feather-light kisses on his jaw.

His hands move down to cup your ass and his head shifts so that his mouth was right by your ear, “Those thoughts plus maybe a few more. Why don’t I show you in my room?” he whispers, setting off that warm feeling in your stomach again.

“Sounds perfect,” you say as you kiss around his neck, hoping to leave a purple spot there just like he did for you yesterday.

He holds your waist tightly as he slides off the daybed, your legs wrapping around his as his hands slide to your ass again. You hide your face in his neck as he quickly closes the fire pit and unplugs all the lights before walking back inside.

Once you’re back inside his warm house, you move your head out of his neck and go back to kissing him. You were so lost in his lips that you didn’t even realize you had made it up to his room until you heard him close the door. Your eyes looked to your left towards his bed, stopping at his bookshelf and at the photo of you two that Joe said was his favorite a few weeks ago. You smiled at the thought of how things had changed from then to now, still not quite believing that this was real.

He places you down on his bed before crawling on top of you, the same position as yesterday before you got interrupted by his alarm. You feel his lips travel from your jaw down to your neck again, slightly sucking on the already bruised spots, making you let out a whimper.

“Joe,” you blubbered at the slight sting you felt.

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave your neck alone,” he chuckles as he moves down to your chest. Your chest was lined with the lacy part of the dress, and Joe felt like a kid in a candy store. He started to press kisses along your soft skin, moving one hand to the strap of the dress and pulling it down slowly. You closed your eyes, feeling desire building inside your body with every touch and kiss from Joe. He pulls down the straps of the dress, his eyes widening at the fact that you weren’t wearing a bra and this was his first time seeing you naked.

“No Bra?” he asks as he looks up.

You feel shy all of a sudden and open your eyes, remembering you didn’t put one on since the dress held them pretty well. You move your hands to cover your chest, but Joe stops them before you can.

“You are beautiful, Y/N. No need to hide,” he says as he presses a kiss to your chest again, getting rid of all your shy thoughts. “Absolutely gorgeous,”.

“But, no bra makes it seem like you came over with an agenda tonight,” he laughs as he kisses down to your nipple.

“I told you that you’d be compensated sooner rather than–,” you smile before you feel Joe wrap his lips around your nipple and swirl his tongue around the bud. “Oh my god,” you moan at the contact. His tongue continues to work its magic around your sensitive bud, prompting a few gasps and whimpers to leave your lips as you play with his hair.

“Joe,” you moan as you squirm underneath him, feeling him move from your chest and down your body. He moves down your body, pressing wet open-mouthed kisses along the way as he pulls the dress down with him.

“God, you’re so pretty,” he mumbles as he kisses your stomach. “And your skin is so soft,”.

You smile as you hear him continue to praise you while pleasuring you, making sure that you feel good about yourself in every way possible, physically & internally.

He moves to your arm, “Absolutely stunning,” he says as he presses a kiss to your forearm. He then moves back to your stomach, “Drop dead gorgeous,” he says as he presses a kiss to your hips. “Hottest girl I’ve ever come across,” he says as he presses a kiss to your belly button. “And all mine,” he says as his lips graze over the sensitive spot on your belly close to your heat, feeling a gush of wetness pool at your core.

“Shit,” you moan and pull on his hair as you feel him kiss that spot on your stomach, feeling butterflies flying through your stomach. He was so sweet, even in the most heated moments, and that was another thing you adored about Joe.

“Found another sweet spot I guess,” he chuckles as he presses another kiss to it before moving down to your core. He pulls your dress all the way down your body, now leaving you in nothing but your panties. He looks at you for a few moments, seeing you in your most natural form in front of him, and it makes him feel like he is on cloud 9. The fact that you were so comfortable around him, especially like this, was another reason why he is absolutely obsessed with you. You felt comfortable with him emotionally & physically, and he felt the same with you.

“You good?” He asks before going further.

“I’m great,” you smile as you make grabby hands towards him.

“Tell me if you want to stop,” he says.

“That’ll never happen, but okay,” you smile.

He comes back over you, pushing his lips against yours in a messy kiss that has you both gasping for air and feeling more needy than before. You feel his hand travel down to your thigh, his fingers massaging the plush skin before he pulls away and goes back down to your core.

You feel your brain click, just like it did last night, as you realize what was going to happen. You feel his hands teasing the band of your panties before you feel his lips on your inner thigh. You feel him suck and nip at the skin, definitely leaving another mark.

“You love marking me up don’t you?” You laugh.

“People gotta know that you’re mine,” he says as he sucks on the skin of your inner thigh. The words coming out of his mouth were still new to you. The thought of Joe, your Joe, doing this to you and saying these words to you was something you never thought would be possible.

Before you could say something else, you feel him ghost his fingers over your slit, feeling your wetness seeping out of your panties. “So wet for me,” he chuckles before he pulls down your panties and throws them to the side.

You start to feel those nerves again, so you close your eyes, hoping rid of those thoughts. The cool air of the room hits your core at the same time as you feel Joe’s mouth lick a long stripe from your folds to your clit, sending the first waves of pleasure throughout your body. “Mmm,” you whimper as you throw your head to the side, your fingers twirling the strands of his hair as his mouth starts to go unhinged on your core.

Wet slurping sounds fill the room along with your breaths that are coming out in short gasps. Joe’s mouth was magic, pure magic, and you were mad at yourself for missing out on this for all those years you stayed away.

“Joey, fuck don’t stop,” you shamelessly moan as you push his head closer to your core, feeling him groan into you as he continues to lap at your folds. You could feel his soft scruff rubbing against your lower half, the real feeling of it better than what you had imagined it felt like.

“You taste like heaven,” he says as he presses kisses around your skin before attaching his lips to your sensitive clit, sending intense shocks of pleasure throughout your body.

“Fuck, Joe,” you moan as you start to arch your back, but he gently pushes you back down before moving his hand to cup your breast, his thumb sliding across your nipple while his mouth continues to send you to heaven. “God, you’re so good,” you whined. You were melting under his touch, letting him do whatever he wanted to you, and it felt so right. The way his mouth was worshipping you was sending you into overdrive, his soft lips caressing every part and making you lose all control, but you were trying to keep it together.

He looked up for a few seconds, watching you struggle to hold it together as the sounds coming from your mouth were absolutely unhinged, a juxtaposition to your facial expression. He watched as your free hand was gripping the sheets, your knuckles losing color at the tight grip you had on them. Every time you moaned his name, it felt like everything would just stop, and he loved it.

His hand slides down from your breast to your thigh, gripping the back of it to throw your leg over his shoulder, opening you up even more. You feel his tongue thrust into your core, just as you start to feel your pleasure building up while his thumb was rubbing circles around your clit.

“I’m so close,” you whisper as you open up your eyes and look down at him, feeling incredibly dazed at the sight of him doing what he is doing right now. He moves his lips from your core up to your clit, rhythmically sucking and swirling the bud before you let out another moan.

“Oh my god,” you whine as you feel your pleasure begging to be released. You let go of the sheets, stuffing both your hands into Joe’s hair and grinding against his mouth. The combination of his tongue and your movements push you towards your orgasm as you feel the band in your belly snap hard, seeing stars for the first time in a long time; almost feeling like you had just fallen into a cloud of pink dust and the room had just gotten 10 times brighter, and it was all because of the man in front of you.

“Joe,” you whimper as you throw your head to the side and smile into the pillow, waves of pleasure crashing over you as he continues to lap at your folds, softly rubbing your shaking thighs and milking every last drop of your orgasm. He continued to lap at your folds, a little more delicately than before. Then he moved back up to your face, he watched as you continued to grin into the pillow, soft moans and whimpers still leaving your lips as you came down from your high. A few moments later, you open up your eyes, panting from the aftermath of your orgasm, seeing Joe’s face just inches from yours.

His lips and chin were coated with your wetness, his cheeks were flushed, and his hair was all messy. He wiped his chin with his hand before bringing it to his mouth to clean your wetness off of him.

“How was it?” he pants, praying that you enjoyed it and felt good. He wanted nothing more than to make you, the love of his life, feel good. It’s all he has ever wanted.

“You’re really fucking good at that,” you breathe out before you pull him closer and kiss him again. You could taste yourself on his lips and that made the kiss even more sweeter. Your tongues tangled in each other's mouths as you moved your hands to his back, stuffing them underneath his shirt and tracing his torso with your freshly manicured nails. You pulled his shirt higher, signaling that you wanted it off. He pulled away from your lips for a few seconds and took his shirt off before going back to you, his lips sucking on your top lip, almost biting it at the feeling of your hands finding themselves inside his pants.

Before you got lost in his lips again, you pulled away, leaving him a little breathless and very needy. “Mm, come back,” he whispered as he moved to kiss you again.

“I think you forgot to take something else off too,” you say as hold his face just inches from your mouth while you look down at his pants.

“Damn, straight to it?” He laughed as he got off of you and started to take his pants off.

“We’ve been waiting for way too long for us to not get straight to it,” you say as you watch him take them off. The nerves only get stronger as your brain starts to fully wake up, and the thoughts of last night come right back. You were about to see him fully naked and have sex, and there was a very real possibility that he wouldn’t enjoy it. But at the same time, why wouldn’t he? He loves you, and he made it very clear that you were the one for him; you both wanted this to happen, and you even said it to each other’s faces many times.

“No, No No. Stop it Y/N. He loves you,” you think to yourself, trying to get out of your head again. You watch as he is just left in his boxers, expecting him to pull them down any second, but he just stands there with a straight face.

“Everything alright?” you ask him.

“I don’t have any condoms,” he says as he rubs the back of his neck.

You stay silent for a few seconds, “I’m on the pill,” you tell him, feeling even more nervous at the thought of him fucking you without any barriers.

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna force you into doing something if you don’t feel comfortable,” he asks.

“Joe, I promise you that it’s fine,” you say as you give him a sincere smile.

He nods his head before he pulls down his boxers, your breath hitching as you look down and see him fully bare for the first time. You felt like you were back in high school and hooking up with a guy for the first time since you were feeling all of the same feelings again; excitement, hesitation, desire, and tension.

“Are you still good?” He asks as he moves onto the bed, pumping his cock as he gets in between your legs.

“You’re just so-,”.

“I know,” he laughs. “But I promise, you can handle it,”.

“Oh really? What makes you so sure?” You tease.

“Because I know you and you never back down from a challenge,” he winks.

You let out a soft laugh as you looked down again. Your smile faltered as the thoughts in your head only got louder and now your face was showing it, and he was noticing.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked as he stopped and cupped your face.

“I’m fine,” you sigh.

“Talk to me, Y/N. I know you’re not fine,”.

You let out another sigh, knowing you could never lie to him, “Just nervous I guess,”.

“Am I making you nervous?” He asks as he moves a few strands of hair out of your face.

“No, no. God no. It’s just that I keep thinking you won’t like it, and then I think about the other girls that have been in this position before,” you confess.

He stares deeply into your eyes for a few seconds, his heart dropping at the thought of you feeling like this because you were thinking about other girls.

“You’re crazy if you think I won’t like this. And stop thinking about other girls,” he says. “Look around. You’re the only girl in my bed, you’re the only girl that will be in my bed, and you’re the only girl that gets to have me like this,” he reassures you.

It felt as if your brain had just gotten a soft blanket and pillow, preparing itself to take a nap and finally turn off for the night, and it was because of Joe. He always got you out of your head when you were too far gone and this was just another example of it.

“I love you,” you say as you look into his baby blue eyes, filled with desire for you.

“I love you more than anything in the world. Will you finally let me show you?” He asks as he presses a kiss to your nose.

“Of course,” you say as you press a deep and passion-filled kiss onto his lips.

He pulls away and says, “Let me know if you want to stop, let me know if it hurts, and let me know if it’s too much,”.

“Joe,” you blink.

“What?” he asks.

“I’ve had sex before,” you laugh.

“Okay, but you haven’t had sex with me before,” he says as he raises his brow.

“Fair point,” You giggle.

“Just know that I'm here and that you’re safe,” he says before you start to feel pressure down below, his cock slowly sliding through your drenched folds.

“Okay,” you whimper as you throw your head to the side, feeling a slight sting at the sensation of him stretching you out. A few gasps leave your lips at the fullness you felt, and then a whine when you feel him stop. “Don’t stop,” you said

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he groans as he slides in all the way, feeling your cushiony walls wrap around him for the first time.

“Joe,” you whisper, moving your face so that you are looking into each other's eyes. He starts to thrust into you, setting a slow pace so that you can get used to the feeling. The slow rhythmic pace he set made your toes curl, the feeling of him inside of you was unlike anything you’d ever felt before and you loved it. The way he held you close to him, the sounds leaving his lips, and the feeling of being fucked by him was all too much for you.

Faint sounds of skin hitting skin filled the room as he moved deeper inside of you with each well-placed thrust. He grabbed your leg, cupping the back of your knee and placing it around his waist, opening you up even more for him to go deeper.

“Yeah,” you moan as you feel him moving closer to your G-spot. The new angle allows him to move deeper into you, reaching new territory each time he pushes into you.

“Does it feel good?” He pants as he presses kisses around your jaw.

“Feels fucking amazing,” you say as you open your eyes and move your other leg around his waist. You move your hand into his hair again and push his face closer to yours, soft moans leaving your mouth against his lips before he moves closer and captures your lips in a gentle kiss.

A few seconds later, a well-placed thrust causes you to pull away, his cock grazing your G-spot. “Joe, holy fuck,” you moan as you throw your head back against the pillow. You had him so close to you, but you wanted him closer. His pace was fulfilling, but you wanted more. “Joe,” you moan again as you open your eyes.

“What, Baby?” he breathes out as he continues to thrust into your slick core.

“Fuck me,” you moan. “Fuck me harder, please,”.

He looked into your eyes for a few seconds, smiling at the sight of you begging for more and feeling like this because of him. You felt comfortable with him, and that’s all he wanted. You were the only girl that he wanted like this, and now that he had you, he felt like he was on top of the world.

“I never thought I’d hear you say that, fuck, that’s hot,” he pants as he begins to thrust into you harder. He picked up the pace of his thrusts, the feeling of him pounding into your core with no barriers was too good and neither of you could get enough of it.

“You feel so good,” he moaned at the feeling of his cock pumping into your core. You started to buck your hips against him, matching the pace of his rough thrusts and pushing you both into another realm of satisfaction. The sound of skin hitting skin only got louder, just like the sounds escaping both your mouths. One of his hands traveled to your chest, cupping your breast and teasing your nipple with his thumb.

Hearing Joe like this was sending chills down your body, again thinking about how quickly things changed from innocent to whatever the hell this was between you two. It was pure passion, love, and desire that had built up between you both for years, and it was finally coming out in the best way possible.

“Yeah,” you groan as you move further up the bed, his cock slamming into your cervix with each snap of his hips. You moved your hands to cup his back, helping him move against you as every stroke hit your pleasure point.

“J- Joe,” you struggle to moan, his lips move down to your neck again, but this time nestled against the spot by your ear.

“You. Are. Un. Fucking. Real,” he whispers into your ear, punctuating each word with a rough thrust before dropping his head into the crook of your neck. He felt himself getting lost in your touch, the way you felt around him was unlike anything he had ever felt before with any other girl. The sounds escaping your lips, the smile on your face, the softness of your touch, it was all unreal.

Joe continued to fuck you senseless, your pleasure building inside of you with every thrust. “Right there,” you smile as you feel him find another pleasure point inside of you, your breath coming out in short gasps again as you feel him slam into you harder, making sure he hits that spot just right.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he moaned as he felt your walls start to clench his cock.

“Mmph, I’m close,” you whimper as you press a kiss to his forehead, prompting him to come out of your neck.

“Fuck,” he pants as his thrusts start to become more erratic. He could never get enough of you, the feeling of being balls deep inside of you was something he needed to feel all the time. He’d never felt this good with another girl before, you were something special.

You felt your legs start to burn and a thin layer of sweat formed on your body. He moves one hand to grip your waist, his lips find their way to your mouth again, and his other hand starts to navigate down to your clit. The way he was touching you sent electricity through your veins.

He starts to toy with your clit as his mouth crashes against yours, and a few rough thrusts later, you were clamping down on his cock. “I- I’m cumming,” you moan as you break away from the kiss, digging your head into the pillow again, feeling the band in your stomach tighten.

“I’ve got you,” he says as he presses a kiss to your cheek. Your arms wrapped around his back, drawing him closer to you as you felt the world stop.

“Joe!” you screamed as you felt your orgasm wash over you, your walls clenching his cock in a rhythmic manner making him groan. It felt like a rush of dopamine, a breath of fresh air, and like you were going down a big drop on a rollercoaster. All of which created a feeling of euphoria.

You whimpered and moaned at the feeling of your high; it was a feeling of raw satisfaction. You’d never felt like this with another guy before. Those thoughts and doubts you had were long gone as all you could focus on was the pleasure you were feeling at the man who made it happen. He managed to make you feel like the most extraordinary girl in the world earlier with everything he said to you, and now he just showed you that he meant everything he said.

He was still moving, but not as strongly as he was before. You didn’t feel him reach his high yet, which made you a little nervous, so you were determined to get him there. You opened your eyes, seeing a content smile on his face as he slowly pumped into you.

“Don’t stop,” you said, maybe for the 50th time, your voice raspy from how fucked out you were.

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna push you too much,” he said as he pressed a kiss on your nose.

“Keep going, it’s perfect,” you whispered as you closed your eyes and let go of all your thoughts and feelings, letting him do whatever he wanted. You felt his pace pick back up, feeling him move closer and closer to his release.

“Shit, I’m close,” he moaned as his thrusts became rougher. The soreness down below was setting in, but you didn’t care. All that mattered was that you wanted him to feel good, just like how he made you feel good. A few seconds later, you felt him still inside you and hot spurts of his release coating your walls, just as he gently pressed down onto your body, whispering sweet nothings into your ear as he felt his high. The feeling of him inside you was magical, and something you could never get enough of.

“You’re so good, Y/N. Fuck, I love you,” he whispered into your ear, causing you to grin. You both lay there for a few moments, basking in the afterglow of what had just happened, your breaths steadying out. You thought about how exciting this was, getting to finally do this with Joe. Finally getting to be his girlfriend, finally being able to do what couples did. It was all you had ever wanted.

He moved his face back to your view, seeing your flushed cheeks and messy hair along with the grin on your face. “H- How was it?” he asked as he slowly slid out of you, a hiss leaving your lips at the sensation.

“I don’t think I can even begin to express how much I loved that,” you said as you pulled his face back down to yours, pressing a big kiss to his lips. “Wait, did you like it?” You asked him as you suddenly pulled away.

“Does this answer your question?” He laughs as he moves back down and kisses you like he has never kissed you before in his life. “That was the best. You are amazing,” he said against your lips.

He gets off of you a few moments later, walking into the bathroom to grab a washcloth to clean you up. Then, he walks into his closet and finds a t-shirt for you to slip on, as well as some fresh clothes for him.

“Here,” he says, handing you one of his Bengals t-shirts.

“I hope you know that you’re not getting this back,” you giggle as you sit up and slip the shirt on.

“Fine by me,” he shrugged as he put on shorts and clean boxers before sliding back into the bed.

“I should probably change these sheets,” he realized, starting to get back up but feeling your hand wrap around his arm, pulling him back down.

You toss your leg over him, holding him down to the bed. “Later,” you say as you move closer to his chest, his arm wrapping around your waist.

“Someone’s feeling clingy,” he teased as he kissed your forehead.

“Clingy, glowy, infatuated, in love. Whatever you want to call it,” you smile up at him.

“How are you feeling?” He asked you as he rubbed your belly.

“Like I’ve just had the best sex of my life with the love of my life. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on that,” you shake your head.

“I feel the same way,” he chuckles.

“Thank you for tonight,” you say as you press a kiss to his bare chest. “This was really special,”.

“Don’t thank me,” he says. “You deserve this. Only the best treatment for the girl of my dreams,” he smiles.

“I love you so much that it literally hurts,” you giggle as you hide your face in his chest.

His hand slides up and down your back, his heart bursting at the thought of you both together in this moment. “I loved you then, I love you now, and I’ll love you forever,” he whispered into your ear, making your cheeks turn another shade of crimson. You slide your hand up his chest, softly grazing your fingers over his muscular body and admiring the ring on your finger, having a moment of realization.

“Hey, I just noticed something,” you say as you bring your hand to your face, admiring your ring.

“What?” Joe asks as he looks down at you.

“I know you said there’s 9 diamonds for the 9 years we’ve known each other, but you know what else is 9?” you say as you look up at him, your words laced with love.

“What?” Joe asks, not catching on to what you were saying.

“You, silly,” you say as you pat his chest. “You’re number 9 and the ring has 9 diamonds. I’ll always have you with me even if we’re not always in the same place,” you giggle.

“That’s actually really sweet and wasn’t even on purpose,” he cheeses. “But trust me, we’ll always be in the same place,”.

“Hmm, what about when you have to go to the team hotel the night before games? Or away games since I wouldn’t see you until after the game?”

“I’ll sneak you in. Show up in the mascot’s uniform, and just the uniform,” he winks. “I'm sure you’ll make it up to our floor if you make a good excuse,”

“Oh, I’ll make it up to your floor, I have spy-like reflexes, but I think they’ll realize that there’s a girl in your room once they hear us going at it,” you laugh into his chest.

“Hey, they should appreciate that I’m letting my built-up tension and nerves out in a healthy way,” he shrugged. “Having your star QB all tensed and nervous before a game is a recipe for disaster,”.

“You’re too much,” you blush.

“But you still love me,” he laughed, looking down at you.

You crane your head to his face, meeting his ocean-blue eyes that never fail to send butterflies into your body. “That I do,” you say as you shift your body so that you're on top of him, feeling a wet spot on the bed as you were doing so.

He watches as your face scrunches up, looking a little uncomfortable. “You good?” He asked.

“Hit a wet spot,” you laughed. “There’s a lot of body fluids on me and this bed right now,”.

“Do you want to shower?” He asked as the pads of his fingers massaged the plush skin of your thighs.

“As long as we get to repeat this,” you mumble as you move your face closer to his.

“Already?” He asks as he raises his brow, stunned at your stamina.

“9 years Joey. 9 fucking years,” you laughed.

“Fair enough,” he says as he presses his lips against yours, sliding off the bed with your legs wrapped around his.

“You might need some Advil after this,” he says as he opens the bathroom door. “I have a lot of energy,” he winks.

“I’d be mad if you didn’t,” you smiled against his shoulder, your entire body sizzling with anticipation. This was going to become a regular thing for you both, and that made your heart soar. He was perfect, your relationship was perfect, everything was perfect.

--The End--

#joe burrow #joe burrow fic #joe burrow x reader #joeburrow #joe burrow imagine #nfl imagine

139 notes · View notes

thealexchen · 2 days

Note

thoughts on LIS: Double Exposure?

This is probably gonna be my hottest take in awhile, but: I deeply dislike the idea of an official LiS1 direct sequel game existing. Excluding all my thoughts on the gameplay, story, Max's character, etc. I don't think a game like Double Exposure is necessary.

This isn't a new take either; back in 2020 I made a Reddit post saying I was glad we never got a continuation of Max and Chloe's story, because in order to have a plot, you have to have conflict. And to have conflict means your characters are forced to change or struggle in some way, and I simply wasn't interested in seeing that again. I never even read the comics. As long as Max and Chloe's future existed only in the fanbase's collective imagination and not in an officially licensed game, Pricefield could be as happy as I wanted and I wouldn't have to witness DN or D9's version of canon.

A lot of fans, including myself, are also confused and upset as to where Chloe could be in Double Exposure. Even if Chloe winds up having a surprise role, it would likely be too logistically difficult to write Chloe into one version of the story and not the other. Either way, DE is strongly pointing to Chloe no longer being the deuteragonist. If D9 was going to make a direct sequel with Max and Chloe, I could at least be intrigued by how they might write their dynamic and how they'd use Max's power in new and interesting ways. But instead there's... none of that. Chloe's nowhere to be seen and Max can't time travel anymore.

On a narrative level, Max and Chloe are the heart of the original Life is Strange. They represent the game's central relationship, and their very first interaction (Max saving Chloe's life) kicks off the entire story. Throughout the story, their dynamic advances the plot and mutually motivates their character arcs. You can't have LiS1 without either Max or Chloe; the story simply wouldn't exist without them. Now in DE, they don't even seem to be in each other's lives anymore. It's true, this series is meant to reflect universal feelings and experiences, which could include breakups, but the romantic catharsis of Pricefield as canon soulmates who defied time and space itself to stay together forever is something you can only get from the beauty of fiction. To jab DE's story with a dose of reality and go, "Eh, they grew apart. Shit happens," totally undermines everything the Bae ending stood for.

On a technical level, Max's rewind was an objectively brilliant game mechanic. LiS1 arrived onto the scene after Telltale had paved the way for the resurgence of choice-based, episodic games, but LiS1 totally reinvented the wheel by giving the player the option to go back and weigh each option before continuing, essentially save-scumming in-game. But the right choice was never that easy to determine, and Rewind brilliantly complemented Max's character arc of overcoming her indecision and learning to live with her choices. Not to mention, you could also use Rewind to solve puzzles, instead of the endless fetch quests the later games had. No other LiS game since then has given the player that kind of agency and interactivity. LiS2 had telekinesis, but the player couldn't use it, only Daniel. D9 tried with Backtalk and Empathy, but Max's Rewind was truly the narrative and gameplay jackpot that they haven't been able to recreate since.

So if you take away one half of the central relationship that made the first game so memorable, and the supernatural power/game mechanic that made it so fun to play... why even bring Max back at all? It just feels like D9 threw away their golden opportunity to build upon the major selling points of the first game and are only relying on name recognition of the Life is Strange "brand" and Max Caulfield.

What upsets me most of all about a direct sequel existing is that it proves that Life is Strange, as a series, now stands more for profits than originality. Life is Strange will always be an IP meant to make money for Square, I know that, but back when LiS1 was just a brand new episodic game, it stood out for how different it dared to be. In a landscape saturated with shooters, sexualized female characters, and casual misogyny, LiS1 instead featured a teenage girl in a contemporary setting that took her seriously and made her the hero of her story. Before it was a franchise, LiS wasn't concerned with the bottom dollar; it was a piece of art that just wanted to tell a thoughtful, unique story.

Whether you love it or hate it, Life is Strange 2 was an insanely risky follow-up to Life is Strange that refused to rely on the convenience of a direct sequel because Dontnod stuck to their artistic vision. Meanwhile, all of Deck Nine's games have leaned on the first game's following to generate interest (BtS being a direct prequel, TC bringing back Steph, and Wavelengths expanding on Steph's connection to Chloe, Rachel, and Arcadia Bay). In other words, all of the subsequent LiS games by D9 have played it very, very safe. It's worked like a damn charm because there are still elements I love about each game, but the basic principle is nostalgia-baiting fans. It's just that now, Double Exposure isn't hiding that nostalgia bait at all anymore and prioritizing profits over telling a unique story. It's sad to see that LiS has strayed so far from its risky, daring, original, and unique artistic beginnings.

Before I end, I'll say that I can't be too cynical about it all, nor do I want to be. Because I can't deny how much joy this whole series has brought me, too. LiS was what got me into narrative adventure games and pushed the boundaries of what a video game could be. If nothing else, I am truly thrilled that Hannah Telle got the chance to play Max again. D9's always been great at maintaining relationships with their actors, and the casts of their games always have consistently great chemistry. Getting recognized by Erika Mori on my own blog is still unbelievable and speaks to the amazing community that LiS has built. As you can see, I'm still posting and reblogging stuff about Double Exposure. And while I don't see myself buying or playing this game for myself, I know it'll keep all of us talking for awhile, and I still live for a good discussion.

Thank you for asking! And thank you for reading.

#lis2 #lis #life is strange #life is strange double exposure #life is strange 2 #life is strange before the storm #chloe price #max caulfield #rachel amber #pricefield #my post #answered asks #daraactualtrash #rad mutuals

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artyandink · 3 days

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𝙾𝙻𝙳 𝙵𝙰𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙴𝙳 | bartender!dean winchester

Summary: Dean Winchester needs a job after his little brother left for Stanford, and he’s good at mixing drinks. You happen to work at Harvelle’s Roadhouse, which is the place he chose to work at. He finds a family. He finds a new life. But he also finds you. But you have problems of your own.

A/N - My first reader series, do make sure to comment and/or reblog feedback. Set with S1/2 Dean cause I love our baby boy 😁 and pretend group chats exist on old phones lol

A/N - Sorry guys again, posting’s gotten erratic! But here’s chapter four!

four - cosmopolitan

The sun had begun its slow descent below the horizon, casting long shadows across the road as Sam Winchester drove through the seemingly endless stretch of rural America. The familiar hum of his car’s engine was a comforting constant amidst the turmoil of his thoughts. The message from Dean had been cryptic enough to stir his concern. It had been a while since Sam had seen his brother, and the Roadhouse, a legendary haven for hunters, seemed an unusual place for Dean to spend his time.

Sam had left behind more than just academic life; he had temporarily stepped away from the normalcy he had fought so hard to achieve. The quaint college life, with its predictable routines and its bubble of safety, was a stark contrast to the unpredictable and often dangerous world of hunting that he had grown up in. As the miles slipped by, he found his mind drifting back to those times — the thrill of the hunt, the camaraderie with Dean, and the constant struggle against forces that most people didn’t even know existed.

The Roadhouse itself was something of a legend in hunter circles. He had heard about it from Dean and their father, John Winchester. Run by Ellen Harvelle and her daughter Jo, it was a sanctuary where hunters could find rest, resources, and most importantly, a sense of community. Sam’s curiosity was piqued, and he found himself wondering what had driven Dean to this place. Dean had always been the more steadfast of the two, embracing the hunting life with a fervor that Sam had never fully shared. For him to seek refuge here suggested something deeper was at play.

As Sam pulled up to the Roadhouse, the building’s rustic charm was immediately apparent. It stood proudly against the backdrop of the fading light, its wooden exterior weathered but sturdy. Neon signs flickered in the windows, and the sound of classic rock music wafted through the air. Sam’s heart quickened with a mix of anticipation and anxiety as he parked the car and stepped out.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door, the creak of the hinges announcing his arrival. The interior was dimly lit, filled with the scent of aged wood, spilled beer, and the faint aroma of fried food. A jukebox played softly in the corner, and a few patrons were scattered around, engaged in hushed conversations. Sam’s eyes quickly scanned the room, landing on a familiar figure hunched over the bar. Dean.

Dean Winchester, with his rugged good looks and perpetual aura of confidence, looked strangely out of place in his solitude. His shoulders were slumped, and his usually bright eyes were shadowed with fatigue. Sam felt a pang of concern; it was rare to see his brother so visibly weighed down.

“Dean,” Sam called out, his voice cutting through the ambient noise.

Dean’s head snapped up, his eyes widening in surprise. “Sammy?” He slid off the barstool, a genuine smile spreading across his face as he approached his younger brother. “What are you doing here?”

Sam returned the smile, though he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. “I got your message. Thought I’d come see what’s going on.”

Dean’s expression flickered with confusion. “Message? I didn’t send you a message, Sam.”

Sam frowned, pulling out his phone to show Dean the text he had received. It was brief, but enough to raise his suspicions: Need to talk. Roadhouse.

Dean stared at the screen, his brow furrowing. “I didn’t send this. But since you’re here, it’s good to see you, man.”

Sam couldn’t help but chuckle at Dean’s characteristic nonchalance. “Yeah, it’s good to see you too. But seriously, what’s going on? Why are you here?”

Dean shrugged, his smile fading slightly. “Just needed a break. Figured the Roadhouse was as good a place as any to clear my head.”

Sam didn’t buy it for a second. He knew his brother too well. Dean was evading, deflecting. “Come on, Dean. You don’t take breaks. What’s really going on?”

Dean sighed, glancing around the room before motioning for Sam to follow him to a quieter corner. They settled into a booth, the worn leather seats creaking under their weight. Dean took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the table.

“It’s Dad,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “We had a fight. A bad one.”

Sam’s heart ached for his brother. He knew all too well the strain their father’s relentless drive had put on them both. “What happened?”

Dean ran a hand through his short-cropped hair, frustration evident in every movement. “Same old story. He’s obsessed with finding the demon that killed Mom. And he expects me to be right there with him, every step of the way. I just… I needed some space, you know?”

Sam nodded, understanding all too well. Their father’s obsession had been a constant shadow over their lives, dictating every decision, every move. “I get it, Dean. I really do. But you know you don’t have to carry this burden alone. We’re in this together.”

Dean’s eyes softened, the tension in his posture easing slightly. “Thanks, Sammy. I just… I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like it’s all on me. Keeping us together, keeping Dad from going off the deep end.”

Sam reached across the table, gripping his brother’s shoulder firmly. “We’re family, Dean. We look out for each other. Always.”

Dean gave a small nod, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile. “Yeah, I know. It’s just hard sometimes.”

For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, the bond between them a palpable force. Sam felt a surge of protectiveness towards his older brother. Despite Dean’s tough exterior, he was still just a man carrying the weight of their family’s legacy.

“So,” Dean said, breaking the silence, “how’s life at Stanford? Still planning on marrying that girl of yours?”

The question brought a genuine smile to Sam’s face. “Jess is great. She’s been really supportive, even with all the craziness. And yeah, we’re still planning the wedding.”

Dean’s smile widened, a rare moment of unguarded happiness. “That’s good, man. I’m happy for you. You deserve it.”

Sam’s heart swelled with gratitude. Despite everything, Dean had always been his biggest supporter. “Thanks, Dean. It means a lot coming from you.”

As they caught up on each other’s lives, the Roadhouse continued its quiet hum around them. Ellen Harvelle moved behind the bar with practiced ease, her sharp eyes taking in the brothers’ reunion. She had seen many hunters come and go, each with their own stories, but the Winchesters held a special place in her heart. She knew the weight of their family’s mission and the toll it took on them.

“Hey, Ellen,” Dean called out as she approached their table. “Two beers, please.”

Ellen nodded, her expression softening. “On the house, boys. It’s good to see you two together.”

Sam smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Ellen. We appreciate it.”

As Ellen brought over the beers, she lingered for a moment, her eyes flicking between the brothers. “You boys take care of each other, you hear?”

Dean nodded, raising his bottle in a silent toast. “Always do, Ellen.”

With a final, approving nod, Ellen returned to the bar, leaving the brothers to their conversation. Sam took a sip of his beer, savoring the cold, bitter taste. It had been a long journey, both literally and figuratively, to get here. But as he looked at Dean, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. No matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

“So, what’s the plan?” Sam asked, leaning back in his seat.

Dean’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Well, I was thinking we could have a few, get wasted.”

Sam laughed, shaking his head. “You never change, do you?”

Dean’s grin was infectious. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Sammy.”

For a brief moment, it felt like they were kids again, dreaming of adventures and making plans that defied the expectations of their reality. The Roadhouse, with its walls steeped in history and its patrons seasoned by life’s battles, seemed to embrace them in a cocoon of camaraderie and understanding. Here, amidst the shadows and the flickering lights, they found a sense of normalcy, however fleeting.

The jukebox in the corner switched to a familiar tune, and Dean’s face lit up. “Remember this one?” he asked, tapping his foot to the beat.

Sam chuckled. “Yeah, Dad used to play it all the time on those long drives.”

Dean’s eyes took on a faraway look, as if he were back in the Impala, driving down endless highways with their father at the wheel. “Those were the days, huh?”

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, though his memories of those days were tinged with a longing for something more. “But we’ve got a lot of good days ahead of us too.”

Dean clinked his bottle against Sam’s, a silent agreement passing between them. Whatever the future held, they would face it side by side.

As the evening wore on, the Roadhouse filled with more hunters seeking respite. The conversations grew louder, the laughter more boisterous. Sam and Dean remained in their corner, catching up on lost time and revelling in the simplicity of being together.

When Dean was mid whiskey and mid conversation, you came back from a supply run, swinging the keys to your car on your finger. His attention was immediately caught by your infectious smile, his lips parted as he took you in, the halo he always saw around your head contradicted by the sinful amount of beer he knew was in the shopping bag you carried.

Sam’s eyes followed Dean’s, and his foot tapped his older brother’s with a smirk. “Who’s that?”

Dean snapped out of it, licking his lips and his eyes briefly followed your heavenly, sinful ass in those jeans before contradicting himself. “Who’s who?”

“Yeah, you heard me.” He laughed, shaking his head. “You’re looking at her like she’s God’s gift to men.”

“She’s no one. I mean, she’s someone, but not like that.” Dean swollen, then smirked slightly. “She’s hot.”

“Knew it.”

“Look, can we change the subject? Don’t want anyone sharing my secrets like we’re in Mean Girls.”

Eventually, the topic turned back to their father, and Sam felt compelled to ask, “Do you think Dad’s okay?”

Dean’s expression grew serious. “Honestly, I don’t know. He’s been so focused on finding the damn demon that I think he’s losing sight of everything else. But we’ll figure it out. We always do.”

Sam nodded, though he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. Their father’s obsession had driven a wedge between them more than once, and he feared what might happen if it continued unchecked. But for now, he chose to focus on the present, on the fact that he was here with his brother, and that they had each other’s backs.

As the night deepened, the Roadhouse’s patrons began to thin out. Ellen and Jo moved through the room, tidying up and exchanging friendly banter with the remaining hunters. Sam and Dean finally stood, stretching their legs and preparing to call it a night.

“You got a room here?” Sam asked, following Dean towards the back.

“Nah, I’m hooked up with a friend,” Dean replied. “I’ll see if Ellen’s got one for you.”

Ellen appeared at that moment, as if summoned by their conversation. “Need a room, Sam?”

He nodded gratefully. “If you’ve got one, that would be great.”

“Of course,” she said with a warm smile. “Anything for a Winchester.”

As she handed Sam a key, she added, “You boys get some rest. Tomorrow’s another day.”

Sam and Dean thanked her, then made their way to their respective rooms. As Sam closed the door behind him, he felt a sense of peace settle over him. Despite the uncertainty and the challenges that lay ahead, he knew they would face them together. And that made all the difference.

Lying on the bed, Sam stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting back to Stanford, to Jess, and to the life he had momentarily left behind. He missed her, missed the normalcy of their life together, but he also knew that this was where he needed to be right now. With his brother, navigating the complexities of their family and their shared destiny.

He closed his eyes, the sounds of the Roadhouse fading into the background. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but for now, he allowed himself the luxury of rest. He was home, in a sense, and that was enough.

As the night stretched on, the brothers drifted into a restless sleep, their dreams filled with memories of the past and visions of the future. The Roadhouse stood as a silent witness to their reunion, a testament to the enduring strength of family and the bonds that could never be broken.

The Roadhouse buzzed with the usual hum of conversation and clinking glasses, but in a quieter corner, Ruby and Meg were engrossed in a conversation that had nothing to do with hunting or the supernatural world. Their connection, an unexpected development in the turbulent lives of hunters and demons, had grown stronger over time, becoming a source of intrigue and tension for both.

Ruby, known for her badass demeanor and sharp tongue, was an enigma to many. She exuded confidence and danger, her presence a stark reminder of the dark world they lived in. But beneath the tough exterior was a complexity that few had the opportunity to see. Her interactions with Meg had begun to reveal layers of vulnerability and conflict that she usually kept well hidden.

Meg, on the other hand, was a stark contrast. With her flirtatious and friendly nature, she had a way of making even the most hardened hunter feel at ease. Her playful banter and mischievous glint in her eyes masked a depth of cunning and intelligence that was not to be underestimated. To Ruby, Meg was a puzzle—one that she found herself increasingly drawn to, despite her better judgment.

They sat at a small table, the ambient light casting a warm glow on their faces. Meg’s laughter, a light, musical sound, filled the air as she recounted a humorous story about a hunt before she got to the Roadhouse.

“And then,” Meg said, her eyes sparkling with amusement, “the guy actually thought he could outrun a werewolf in those ridiculous shoes. Can you believe it?”

Ruby smirked, her dark eyes glinting with amusement. “People are idiots.”

“Yeah, but it makes our job more interesting,” Meg replied, leaning back in her chair, her gaze fixed on Ruby. “So, what’s your story, Ruby? Why does a badass like you hang out in a place like this?”

Ruby shrugged, trying to maintain her usual air of indifference. “Maybe I’m here for the company.”

Meg’s lips curved into a teasing smile. “Is that so? And what kind of company are you looking for?”

Ruby felt a flush creep up her neck, caught off guard by Meg’s directness. She wasn’t used to feeling this way—unsure, off balance. “Good company,” she said evasively, taking a sip of her drink.

Meg’s gaze softened, a hint of genuine curiosity replacing her playful facade. “You know, Ruby, you don’t always have to be the tough one. It’s okay to let your guard down sometimes.”

Ruby’s eyes flickered with a mix of emotions—surprise, uncertainty, and something deeper that she couldn’t quite identify. “And what makes you think I have my guard up?”

Meg leaned forward, her expression earnest. “Because I see it. You act like nothing can touch you, but I know there’s more to you than that.”

Ruby’s heart pounded in her chest. This was territory she wasn’t accustomed to navigating. Feelings, emotions—they were dangerous, unpredictable. But something about Meg made her want to take that risk, to explore the unknown.

“You don’t know anything about me,” Ruby said, though her voice lacked its usual bite.

“Maybe not,” Meg conceded. “But I’d like to.”

The sincerity in Meg’s eyes was disarming. Ruby looked away, struggling to keep her composure. She was Ruby, the demon with a mission, the one who always had a plan. Yet here she was, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

“Why?” Ruby asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why do you care?”

Meg’s smile was gentle, devoid of her usual flirtatious edge. “Because I see something in you that’s worth knowing. Something real.”

Ruby’s mind raced, her internal conflict intensifying. She wanted to push Meg away, to protect herself from the potential pain and complications. But a part of her also longed for the connection, for the possibility of something more.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into,” Ruby warned, her eyes darkening with intensity.

Meg’s gaze remained steady, unflinching. “Maybe not. But I’m willing to find out.”

The weight of Meg’s words hung between them, heavy with unspoken possibilities. Ruby felt a surge of emotions—fear, hope, desire—all clashing within her. She had spent so long guarding herself, building walls to keep others out. But Meg was chipping away at those walls, and Ruby wasn’t sure if she wanted to stop her.

Their conversation was interrupted by Jo Harvelle, who approached their table with a knowing look. She had been observing the growing bond between Ruby and Meg with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

“Hey, Ruby, Meg,” Jo greeted, her tone casual but her eyes sharp. “Mind if I join you?”

Ruby glanced at Meg, who gave a slight nod. “Sure, Jo,” Ruby replied, her voice neutral.

Jo pulled up a chair and sat down, her gaze shifting between the two women. “I couldn’t help but notice you two seem to be getting along pretty well.”

Meg grinned. “We’re just having a little chat, Jo. Nothing to worry about.”

Jo raised an eyebrow. “Right. Well, Ruby, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?”

Ruby hesitated, glancing at Meg. “Sure,” she said finally, standing up.

Jo led Ruby to a quieter corner of the Roadhouse, away from prying eyes and ears. She turned to face her, arms crossed. “What’s going on, Ruby?”

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked defensively.

“You know what I mean,” Jo said, her tone serious. “You and Meg. What’s going on there?”

Ruby sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know, Jo. I really don’t.”

Jo’s expression softened slightly. “Look, Ruby, I know you’re tough and all, but feelings are complicated. And they can get messy if not handled properly. Look at Dean and our golden girl, he can barely keep a lid around her.”

The Roadhouse had long emptied of its usual patrons, the last lingering traces of conversation and laughter dissipating into the night. The dimly lit interior was a stark contrast to the darkness that enveloped the world outside. It was after closing time, and only a few stragglers remained, lost in their own thoughts or nursing their drinks in solitude.

You sat at a table in the corner, your mind a whirlwind of emotions. Dean Winchester, the enigmatic hunter with a devil-may-care attitude, had captured your attention from the moment you had met. His rugged charm and unwavering determination had drawn you in, despite the dangers that lurked in his world.

Tonight, however, there was a tension in the air that you couldn’t ignore. Dean’s usual easygoing demeanor was tinged with unease, his eyes darting towards the door with a mixture of anticipation and dread. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding, a gut feeling that something was about to happen.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, the familiar creak of the door signaling an unexpected arrival. You turned to see a figure silhouetted against the dim light of the entrance—a figure you recognized all too well.

John Winchester.

Dean’s father, a man shrouded in mystery and shadow, stood in the doorway, his presence commanding attention. His eyes scanned the room, settling on Dean with a mixture of disappointment and frustration.

“Dean,” John said, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. “We need to talk.”

Dean tensed at the sound of his father’s voice, his shoulders stiffening as he rose from his seat. “Dad,” he said, his tone guarded. “What are you doing here?”

John stepped further into the room, his gaze never leaving Dean’s face. “I came to talk some sense into you, son. You can’t keep running away from your responsibilities.”

Dean’s jaw clenched, his fists balling at his sides. “I’m not running away, Dad. I’m just… taking a break.”

“A break?” John’s voice rose with incredulity. “This isn’t a vacation, Dean. We have a job to do—a duty to our family.”

Dean’s eyes flashed with anger. “I know that, Dad. But I can’t do it anymore. Not like this.”

John took a step forward, his expression hardening. “You think you can just walk away from this life? From everything we’ve fought for?”

Dean squared his shoulders, his gaze unwavering. “I’m not walking away, Dad. I’m choosing to live my own life, on my own terms.”

The tension in the room was palpable, a silent battle of wills playing out between father and son. You watched, your heart pounding in your chest, unsure of what to do. Dean’s infatuation with you had been evident from the start, but you had never imagined it would lead to a confrontation of this magnitude.

As the argument escalated, John’s frustration boiled over. In a sudden burst of anger, he lunged towards Dean, his hands outstretched as if to grab him. Instinctively, you sprang into action, placing yourself between them with a forcefulness you didn’t know you possessed.

“Stop!” you shouted, your voice echoing through the room.

John froze, his eyes narrowing as he regarded you with a mixture of surprise and disdain. “And who the hell are you?”

“I’m someone who’s not going to let you lay a hand on Dean,” you replied, your voice dripping with anger. “He’s had enough of your controlling bullshit, and I’m not going to stand by and watch you bully him into submission.”

Dean’s eyes widened in surprise, his gaze flickering between you and his father. He had never seen you like this—fierce, unyielding, and utterly fearless. In that moment, he felt a surge of gratitude and admiration, mixed with a newfound sense of protectiveness.

John’s expression hardened, his fists clenched at his sides. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. This is between me and my son.”

“No,” you said, stepping closer to John until you were mere inches apart. “This is between you and me. And if you think for one second that you can intimidate me, you’ve got another thing coming.”

The room seemed to hold its breath as the standoff continued, the air thick with tension and uncertainty. You refused to back down, your eyes locked with John’s in a silent battle of wills. But you won, and John turned on his heel, walking straight out without a word.

You now knew why Dean was such a lost soul.

I’d appreciate a like, comment and/or reblog! Make sure to do this for all your favourite writers so they get inspiration!

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allimocha · 3 days

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AlliMocha’s 2024 Fancuries Spotlight Post!

Hi Everyone! It’s Me, Alli! Back at the fancuries and this time with 5… 5 NOMINATIONS???

Ya’ll are amazing, thank you guys so much for nominating me!

Speaking of which, let’s get to those nomminations shall we?

・・・⟢Best Fanseries Concept: Arcades, Racing Games, & Sweets - Sugar Rush! Pretty Cure ⟢・・・

S. U. G. A. R. Jump into your racing car! Sugar Rush, Sugar Rush!

It was one late night when I was bored that the idea to combine one of my favorite disney movies and precure occured in my brain, and I’m glad it did! I knew going in that arcades, and of course, racing had to be the main themes in this fanseries since it’s based on Wreck it Ralph’s Sugar Rush racers. AND Because it is SUGAR Rush, and the game and character’s in this afromentioned game are sweets related, I knew the outfits and names for the cures had to follow suit.

It’s a really fun idea and a great homage to one of my favorite films, and I’m glad you all enjoy it too!

・・・⟢ Favorite Fancure: Vanelope Von Schmitt/Cure Sweets ⟢・・・

Speaking of Sugar Rush! Precure, the main lead is of course, our wisecracking candy princess, Vanelope! Coming up with Vanelope’s design was pretty easy, as, you know, her character already exists. But for Cure Sweets, it was a different story. I struggled with her colors a fair bit, and her outfit too! However, in th end, I think I nailed down a design I’m pretty happy with!

・・・⟢ Best Team Design: Sugar Rush Pretty Cure ⟢・・・

Despite Sugar Rush! Precure just being created, and there only being two cures, I was still nominated for best team design for what I already had! I’m really exicited that people seem to like the designs I’ve already come up with! Despite the plan of there being 5 cures in total, Cure Sweets and Cure Taffy are the only two cures for a while, and so I wanted to make sure that they worked as a duo as well as apart of a bigger team.

・・・⟢ Coolest Cure: Lei Sandiego/Cure Spice ⟢・・・

Ah, Bittersweet X Daydream! Precure. The series in which the first chapter is still being written for about 4 years now. (I’m not even joking, it’s been that long.) And don’t get me started on Cure Sugar’s design timeline.

But for Cure Spice, her design has been the one that’s stayed mostly the same over the years, and I’m proud that this design was nominated for Coolest Cure!

・・・⟢ Excellence in Digital Art ⟢・・・

This one caught me by surprise. I was so estatic to get nominated for this catagory, and so happy people enjoy my art. Bringing my ideas to life and sharing it with the world has always been a dream of mine, so I want to thank everyone who’s at least seen it for being apart of that dream.

Thank you all! And good luck to everyone who was nominated!

Byyieeee~!

#art #black artist #precure #precure fanseries #pretty cure fanseries #magical girl #fancuries red carpet #fancuries 2024 #nominee spotlights 2024 #fancuries

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mactiir · 2 days

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sword misconceptions pt 1: longsword

Post series: shortsword | rapier | buckler | dagger | spear

so as I'm getting back into fantasy lit as a historical fencer, there are a lot of things I am noticing cropping up in swordfights that are inaccurate or flat out wrong. So i wanted to write a post for my fellow writers putting down a few things I've learned in 2.5 years of swinging the actual weapons around!

Disclaimer: i am not an expert. Additionally, many of the historical terms for weapons were not standardized (there was no "one" longsword/rapier/shortsword etc when we're talking about a weapon that existed for hundreds of years across an entire continent) so what I'm discussing under the cut is specific to the late medieval/early Renaissance European two-handed weapon with a simple hilt/crossguard and with a blade length around 3 feet -- what D&D calls the longsword, or in older editions the bastard sword (although if we want to get picky about it, bastard swords should have shorter handles than longswords -- but I wrote this post as a writing reference so names are beside the point. you can call the swords whatever you want in your story, anyway).

Misconception 1: longswords are heavy.

Older editions of D&D had these weapons at 6 pounds, which is about 2x too heavy. 5e has them at 3 pounds, which is exactly right. Your average longsword is between 2 and 4 pounds, and a well-made one will be balanced such that you barely feel it. Pound for pound, they are heavier than almost all one handed weapons (except some rapiers but we'll talk about that later), but between their balance and the fact you wield them in both hands, their weight is likely not going to be a prohibiting factor for most characters. Everyone who can pick up a wooden baseball bat can pick a longsword up and swing it. A weak or out of shape character will struggle for wielding it for lengths of time, though.

Misconception 2: longswords are slow.

You're 1) thinking of a zweihander and 2)zweihanders aren't slow, either, but we'll get to that later. Longswords, wielded properly in both hands, are lightning fast, with a skilled fencer that's opened their opponent's defense often able to land 2-4 hits before a director even registers the first hit and calls "halt". And there are two components to speed: actual velocity, and distance. Longswords are -- well, long. Even if you can't swing it as fast as a little knife, the fact that it's three feet long means you're closing to target much faster compared with a shorter weapon, because you don't have to do as much footwork to get into, or out of, striking range.

Misconception 3: you can wield a longsword in one or both hands.

I mean, you could. But a one-handed wield robs a longsword of a lot of its dexterity, grace, precision, and yes -- power. You want two hands on this thing. Your dominant hand goes closer to the crossguard and it's what generates your power and edge alignment. Your offhand on or near the pommel is where your dexterity and fine steering is. Switching or removing either of these hands feels weird and you are also way more likely to get disarmed just by trying to parry with one hand.

Misconception 4: swordfights are about dodging.

You have two realistic options when someone is swinging a longsword at you: parry or step out of range. You do not duck. You do not jump. You do not sway, roll, or do backbends. All of these things will 1) rob you of necessary structure to riposte, 2) leave you wide open for a renewed attack or remise, and 3) leave your most important tool for not getting hit -- your SWORD -- too far off target to help you. Yes, all of these things look super cool and may fit depending on your style and setting. But if you're going for realism, YOU PARRY.

Misconception 5: you can be fast or strong but not both.

Ok, this is more a pet peeve about martial arts in general but: you cannot be fast without a certain base amount of muscle. You CANNOT. Small people with no muscle are slow. They have to take huge, looping cuts to compensate for their lack of muscle and leave huge openings while they do it. Small people who do well at the sport are often very quick because they have to train the heck out of footwork to outwork bigger opponents, but that only comes with TRAINING. It's not a "small people are automatically dex builds" thing. And while big muscly guys are often slower, they also 1) have less distance to move to close to target, which makes them "faster" even if they are moving a tad slower and 2) they're also often fast as balls, so you can judge virtually nothing about an opponent based on their body type except for their reach. A good, big longsword fencer will often have really fast handwork because most don't do well in longsword fencing without speed.

Let me know if there are any lingering questions I missed! I may think of more later, but I hope this was helpful for now :)

#writing reference #writing #swordfighting #swords #historical fencing #fantasy writing #writing fiction #creative writing #longsword #hema #historical european martial arts #Martial arts reference #Sword reference

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fipindustries · 3 days

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and while we are on the topic of dehumanizing, this reminds me of a shower thought i had the other day regarding harry potter.

yes, this is going to be yet another take about re-examining an element of that blasted series under a much more critical light now that i find the author to be a horrible person, but bear with me.

to my defense, i actually genuenly did thought this back when i was a kid reading these books, way before i knew anything about rowlings opinions on trans people, or indeed about trans people at all!

it always was a little weird to me those moments where dumbledore tries to stomp out of harry any inkling of empathy or mercy he might have towards voldemort.

i can think of three specific instances.

first instance is in book 6 when harry is feeling weary about the idea that he is predestined to kill voldemort because of a prophecy. dumbledore then exclaims something about how of course that harry has to kill voldemort, but not just because the prophecy says so, rather because of all the evil things he did that make him deserving of death. so harry thinks of all the crimes voldemort commited and he feels uplifted by what is descrived as "righteous anger"

the second instance is also in book 6, right after harry learns about the tragic story of voldemort's mom, where he actually feels kind of bad for her and asks why she had to die. to this dumbledore immediatly asks harry, almost incredulously "are you feeling pity for voldemort's mom?". to which harry instantly corrects himself and tries to spin it as somehow her fault for not using her magic to save herself and thus abandoning her baby.

then the third instance is near the end of the final book when they are at king's cross purgatory vision, where harry finds voldemort's mutilated soul, that looks like a wounded baby that was skinned alive and is desperatly crying. harry's first instinct is to want to help him but dumbledore steps in and is like "you should step away from that". when harry asks what is it dubledore is like "ignore the baby harry, he is beyond help". after a while, harry stops feeling sorry for the baby and he starts to find the baby's desperate cries of pain annoying.

so in here we see three instances where dumbledore's advice makes harry more callous towards voldemort.

and to be sure. voldemort is ontollogically evil. he is the devil. as evil as evil gets. kind of the whole point is that this is the uncomplicated fully evil villain against whom all scorn and harm and violence is morally justified.

not saying this is like the worst message ever. having absolute evil that has to be vanquished by any means and against whom is really not worth to waste time considering their humanity is like, normal everyday stuff. this is a children's story so is not aming for moral complexity here. but still, as a kid i was not used to seeing a child hero that was presented with a Hated Enemy that he was fully justified in killing no questions asked. even aang, who is told by every mentor he has to kill ozai, he at least struggles with the question. luke tries to redeem vader at every turn. frodo makes a genuine attempt at being nice to smeagol and lets saruman go after the take back the shire. superman never ever killed. and then comes harry, a child hero from a children's story and the message is "yeah some fuckers just need to fucking die, the end"

#harry potter

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fluffyhare · 1 day

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Short hurt/comfort fic below. Lots of angst and crying, cheer-up tickles, ler!Avery, a ton of teasing, and even some fourth-wall-breaking? Very personal, and a bit weird, but.. it was meant to be cathartic and I do feel better, so I think that's good enough right now. 💙

“Avery… What am I doing here?”

I was seated on an old, green corduroy couch, which I instantly recognized as the first couch I’d ever bought. How he'd managed to get it here – wherever here was – baffled me; it had been years since I donated that ratty thing to Goodwill.

Apart from myself, the couch, Avery, and the armchair he was seated in, everything as far as I could see was white, even the floor. I was reminded of “The Construct” scene from The Matrix.

“You're always here… this is your mind. I merely constructed this space so that we could talk,” he explained.

“Uhm, okay… Suspending my disbelief, for a moment… What do you want to talk about?”

Avery's long legs were crossed, his arms folded over his chest. He did not look happy, but despite his stern expression, I couldn't help but admire him; clad in a lavender button down and khaki pants, he looked as soft and sweet as cotton candy.

“I hear you, you know… all these self deprecating thoughts you have.”

I fidgeted, already getting an inkling of where this was going. I studied the featureless white floor, lips pursed.

Avery continued, “I try not to invade your privacy by listening, but… I live here, and you can be quite loud. Generally, you make me proud by quieting those criticisms… But, sometimes, you indulge thoughts I cannot abide. I think you know what I'm referring to, don't you?”

I didn't meet Avery's gaze.

“Casper? Shall I repeat it?”

I whimpered, my head snapping forward.

“No! No, please don't.”

“Why not? Is it because you don't want your friends to read the absolutely ridiculous thought you had about your art, because you already know what they'd say?”

I tried to resist it, but a warm flush colored my cheeks. I looked away from him, again.

Avery sighed, shook his head, and smiled in exasperation.

“Alright, dewdrop. If you won't talk to me, let's have it out.” He stood, rolling up his sleeves.

“N-No, I just… I can't!” I squeaked, hiding my face in my hands. “I can't talk about it, I just… Nobody understands. I just try so hard, and…” I was starting to choke up. My brow furrowed in frustration – why did he have to put me through this?

“Now, you know that's not true. You think you're the only artist who has ever struggled? Come, now.”

“I’m just so late to the game… And, I should be further along than this. I've been drawing for six months now, and I still can't get proportions right… I still can't draw with depth… I still can't shade… My friends deserve better than what I can make… ”

I felt the couch move beside me, and then two huge arms encircled my body. I leaned weakly into his chest, his skin providing cool relief for my emotional flush. He was as soft as ever.

“Casper… You can't hang your self worth on the opinions of others. I know you love your friends – and, for the record, they obviously love your art – but you can't allow what anyone else thinks to determine whether you continue this journey or not.”

He shifted, crooking a finger under my chin and tilting my head up. Two hot tears streamed down my face as I stared into his clear, gentle eyes.

“I've heard you say these words, yourself: ‘You do not need to create to be worthy of love’. Why don't you believe that, when it's you? Why do you think other people inherently deserve kindness, patience, and love, but that you have to earn it?”

He studied my face as I tried, and failed, to control my sobbing. An answer was shared wordlessly through a series of mental images – we did inhabit the same mind, after all.

“Oh, Casper…” He tugged my trembling body into his huge embrace once again. “I know, I know… It's okay.”

“I'm trying,” I sniffled.

“You’ve come so far, dewdrop… You've wanted this for so long. I've seen the joy that art brings you, and I’ll be damned if I'm going to let you lose one more thing that’s precious to you. Not if I can help it.”

“Avery,” I looked up at him, slowly, a puzzled expression on my tear-stained face, “did you just swear?”

He grinned. “Did I finally get your attention, then?”

I turned my head into his arm, concealing my reaction.

“Ah, ah! Don't you dare hide that smile I just worked so hard for…”

He tried to tilt my head back up, but I turned away swiftly, shifting to face away from him.

I heard a snicker from behind me.

“Wrong move.”

I gasped, leaping from the couch and breaking into a sprint. The boundless white space was so vast, I felt as though I could run forever; like I was a little kid again, energy nigh infinite, chasing a soccer ball on the playground field of my youth.

When was the last time I had run like this?

As my imagination blossomed, the space around me began to transform. Placid white ceiling became sunny sky, painted delicately with rolling cumulus clouds. Soft grass pushed up through the sterile floor until my pounding footsteps became muffled thuds, yellow woodsorrel sprouting like jewels in a sea of green. Warm sunshine told me it was spring, but the breeze whistled cool against my skin, quickly drying the tears from my face and clothes.

I stood no chance of resisting; my weak smile broke into a huge grin, and finally a giggly laugh.

Outrunning Avery, I knew, was a pipe dream… but I'd run for longer than I expected. Did I dare glance backwards…?

No sooner had the thought entered my mind than my ankles were ensnared by an unseen force. I yelped, eyes squeezing closed as I threw my hands out to brace my fall into the grass. I landed in something much softer. I opened my eyes. A beanbag? I rolled over.

Avery was standing over me, grinning with delight. He didn't look even the least bit winded, that cheeky shit. I could see now that my ankles were wrapped in a boa of clouds.

“Well, aren't you proud of yourself,” I quipped, a giggle rendering my sarcasm toothless.

Avery made a gesture with his hand, and I jumped as a large shade tree appeared over us. “Hey! Jesus, warn me first… How did you even do that? How do you keep making things appear like that?” I was only delaying the inevitable. I shuffled my feet, but there was no breaking free from Avery's cloud cuff.

“You can do it, too,” he replied, taking a seat in the grass as he began to unlance my Vans, “you made this entire field appear, just now – not even I can conjure something that big. That's the thing, Casper… You can't help but create, even when you're not trying to. It just pours out of you, which is why it's simply ridiculous that you'd give credence to a thought like ‘giving up on art’. Come on, now. Do you really think you could do that? Do you really think it would be fair to relinquish such a special and integral part of you?”

I looked away, sheepishly. Avery continued.

“I think we need to do some positive affirmations.” He set my shoes aside, and then unceremoniously pulled off each of my socks, stuffing them into my shoes.

“Avery! Can't we talk about this?” I whined. The gentle breeze caressed the soft undersides of my bare feet, causing my toes to twitch. I took a deep breath, trying to keep from blushing.

“I have been trying to talk about this! You are the one who keeps clamming up when I try to get you to come around. I think some gentle persuasion is in order, at this point.” He winked, wiggling his fingers in my direction. My stomach filled with butterflies; there was no stopping my blush, now. I shifted on the beanbag, but Avery's hands clasped my legs, keeping me still.

“Ah, ah! You stay right there. I was kind enough to only bind your ankles, but we'll go for more, if you fight me.”

I sunk back into the beanbag, folding my arms across my chest in a flustered pout. I avoided Avery's gaze.

“Now, then… Let's start with this. I want you to say ‘I am a good artist’.”

“I'm not going to say something I don't believe is true!” I bit, curling my toes in defiance.

“Double nickels on my dime… Very well. Let's see if a little tickling can change your tune, hm?” With that, Avery’s plush fingertips began moving in an undulating ‘come hither’ motion along the soles of my feet.

My face scrunched as I worked to resist it, squirming in the beanbag as I clamped my lips together, my trapped feet wriggling as much as their restraints allowed.

“Oh, Casper, come on. Are you really going to make me be mean? Do I need to break out my worst teases already?”

Avery changed his tactic, abandoning my left foot so that he could hold my right toes back, using his free hand to scribble quickly along the sole.

A surprised squeak turned into a series of titters that leaked from my sealed lips, and I covered my face with my hands.

“Arrgh… A-Avery… C-come ohohohon!”

I gasped as I felt my wrists captured by soft cuffs, which pulled my hands down and placed them neatly in my lap. He really was going to be mean about this!

“Say it, Casper… or else.”

I stole a glance down at him – I might as well, since he wasn't going to let me cover my face, anyway – just to see him smirking challengingly up at me, his face a mask of determination.

“God dahaahahahamn yohohohou!” I cried, my suppressed tittering breaking into a steady stream of helpless giggles.

“Casper! Is that any way to speak to me? Alright, then… You asked for it. Coochie coochie coo~” he teased. “Awww, does someone have ticklish feet? I think they doooo~” Avery swished his hand again, conjuring a pair of ghost hands to hold each set of my toes back, while he tickled and scritched merrily along both of my soles.

I squealed in frustration as I felt my blush immediately spread to my ears. He was really pulling out all the stops for this… How long could I resist, realistically? Perhaps it would be easier to give him an inch… Maybe he'd be satisfied, then? My brain was already growing fuzzy from his teasing.

“Fihine! I'm a goohoohohood artihihist!” I laughed, arching my back as I endured the torturously gentle tickling.

Avery stopped, grinning triumphantly.

“There, now! Was that so hard? Let's move onto the next one!”

“Next one!? Oh, hell no! I am not doing any more of these!”

My eyes widened as, in an instant, Avery was on top of me. He straddled my hips, lifting my restrained wrists over my head and invisibly pinning them there. Then he took my chin in his hand, forcing me to look into his fierce eyes. A chill ran down my spine as I felt his unwavering resolve.

“We're going to do as many as it takes for you to show yourself the same care that you show others. We're going to do these until you believe in yourself and your art. I have to live in your head, and I do not want to live in a place where I have to hear negative things like this said about my fellow. Am I making myself clear?”

I swallowed hard, but somehow, still mustered the nerve to argue.

“Please, Avery…”

“The next thing I want you to say is ‘I am worthy of love and friendship’, and when you say it, I want you to know that it includes when you're not doing things for other people. Not helping them, not creating for them, none of it. You are worthy just on your own, just for being you.”

“I can't…”

Avery lifted his hands to my armpits, hovering mere inches from my short-sleeve t-shirt.

“I know how you feel about being tickled here, and if you don't say it, right now, I'm going to tease you within an inch of your life until you do.” His eyes were ever kind, but they were serious, too.

I whimpered, clicking my teeth together. There was no hiding in this position… All I could do was close my eyes, so I did. Feelings of disappointment, inadequacy, and loneliness washed over me. Could I ever really measure up to those I respected? Me, a person so damaged, and so many years behind? Could I really expect anyone to care about me when I wasn't doing something to make myself useful to them, or to make them happy?

“Casper, look at me.”

I complied, frowning.

“If anyone else asked you these questions, what would you say? Would you really tell someone they're too late to be good at something? Would you look someone in the eye and tell them that they only have worth when they're doing something for you?”

“No…”

“Of course not. You deserve that compassion, too. Now, I want you to prove that you believe that. Say it for me, dewdrop.”

“I… am worthy…”

“Of…?”

“...”

“Come on, you're so close…”

“...”

“I'll make you sing, then. Tickle, tickle, tickle! Coochie coochie coooo~! Awww, poor ticklish boy… Are you ticklish under your arms, right here? Let's see!”

I had no strength left to resist – as Avery lowered his whirling fingertips to my pits, I howled with laughter, my blush flooding all over my face and neck. My hands twisted uselessly in their bonds as I squirmed beneath him, my heart fluttering as he gently tickled over my thin shirt.

“AHAHAHAHhahavery! Plehehehehease NOHOHOT THEHEHEHERE!!”

“I've given you plenty of warnings, I've been patient… now the kid gloves are off. Say it, Casper. Say it!”

“I’M WOHOHORTHY OF LOHOHOVE!”

“And…?” He slipped his fingers into the sleeves of my shirt, gently scribbling my bare underarms.

My stomach did somersaults as I squealed with laughter so forceful, I could barely get the words out.

“AHAHAHAND FRIENDSHIHIHIP!”

“There we gooo~! Ohh, I am so proud…” He finally relented, wrapping his arms around my torso and pulling me into his softness.

My cuffs dissipated, and I instantly wrapped my arms and legs around him, clutching him to me as I buried my face in his shoulder. He stroked my shock of blue hair, comforting me as I caught my breath.

A warmth spread through my chest – while it certainly wasn't a cure-all, I had to admit… I did feel better. Perhaps some of the affirmations really did seep in, at least a bit.

“I won't make you say any more, today… I think you've had enough. But we will be repeating this exercise, if I start hearing all that unkind self-talk again. Clear?”

“Crystal,” I whispered after a moment, leaning my cheek against his cloudy head.

#I didn't edit this at all so apologies for awkward phrasing #i think it goes without saying that this isn't canon #avery nimbus #ler!Avery #fluffylore #tickle fic #cheer up tickles #tickling #tickles

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glassartpeasants · 2 days

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Run Rabbit Run .11

Yandere!Eustass Kidd x F!Reader

Warnings: Angst, depression, pregnancy, mentions of death, very weird pregnancy cravings from reddit

A/N: yeet, have this. Its is very short compared to all the other chapters ive done on this series. I'll add links and shit after i wake up to go to work. (Chopper: small orange) (Nami: regular orange) (Kidd: small red) (Luffy: regular red)

pt.1 pt.2 pt.3 pt.4 pt.5 pt.6 pt.7 pt.8 pt.9 pt.10 pt.11

~~~

It had only been two days since you’ve reunited with the Straw Hats at Sabaody when you got the news. Having the newspaper fall into your hands with those big, bold letters yelling at you felt gut-wrenching. Once more, the worst came true.

‘G-5 Wiped Out By The Kidd Pirates! No Known Survivors!’

‘The Navy group G-5 had sent out a distress call yesterday night, claiming they were under attack. Captain Tashigi sent out the call in a frenzy, saying that the ship was on fire. As she kept the Navy Headquarters on the line, we hear Vice Admiral Smoker tell her to run and hide. Which is the last we hear from him.’

‘Only when it seems Tashigi was discovered is when we know the culprits for the attack. There seemed to be a struggle before we fully hear the Captain of the Kidd Pirates speak through the transponder snail.’

“I know where she is, and no one is going to stand in my way.”

‘Captain Tashigi’s body has not been found.’

Dropping the papers to the ground, the urge to vomit felt overwhelming. Turning to the railing, you hurled up your lunch as everyone began to ask what was wrong.

“(Y/N)! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Nami’s voice did little to pierce through the clouds of thoughts in your head. Looking down, Nami saw the newspaper you had just read. “G-5? This is a navy group what-oh, this is about those two marines we saw in Alabasta!” More of the Straw Hats gather around the paper.

“Ooh! What does it say?” Chopper says as he gets picked up by Robin to see.

“It says…” Nami's voice trails off as her face drops in horror. “That they’ve been killed.” An icy silence falls over the Thousand Sunny.

“What? No way!” Grabbing the paper, you see Luffy’s face drop before going blank. “That red-headed bastard.” Gripping the paper tightly, Luffy almost tears it apart.

“But I don’t understand. Why did he attack G-5?” You let out a shaky exhale as you looked over your shoulder.

“Cause they were the ones who brought me back to Sabaody. I managed to escape Kidd again and floated in a barrel on the ocean for about seven hours before they found me. They didn’t know I was a Straw Hat, but they took care of me. They were the ones to help me in the first trimesters of my pregnancy.” Biting your lip, you grip the railing as your eyes grow glassy. “They knew Kidd was after me, and they still helped me. They taught me to fight and how to use my devil fruit powers. Every night, I begged some higher power that he’d leave them alone or not even find out about them."

You feel a hand on your back. “(Y/N), it’s not your fault. Please don’t blame yourself for something Kidd’s done.” Hiccups slip from your lips as tears stream across your skin and into the ocean water below.

“But now they're dead! They wouldn’t have died if they hadn’t helped me! Why does everyone I care about die?” The familiar tingling feeling covers your body as a similar ZAP ring in your ears.

“Ah!”

You see Nami rip her hand away. “I’m sorry, Nami! I didn’t mean to! God, I can’t do anything without hurting the people I care about!” more sobs fly past your lips as electricity slithers around your body.

Rubber limbs wrap around you as Luffy pulls you into a tight embrace. The lightning that surrounded you did nothing to your captain. “(Y/N). I promise you that I’ll kill that man, and you’ll never have to live in fear again.” The zapping stopped as Luffy hugged you.

“Thank you. Please don't let me go back. I can’t go back.” More arms wrap around you.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be safe with us.” While Robin's words gave you a sense of comfort, it wasn’t much. If Kidd was truly able to wipe out an entire Marine group like it was an ant under his boot, then what would he do to the Straw Hats?

Whether you wanted to accept it or not didn’t matter. Kidd wasn’t far and was coming to grab what he believed was rightfully his.

~~~

“(Y/N)? Can I come in?” Nami’s voice cuts through the silence that was suffocating.

“Yeah.” the sound of the door opening and the light entering the room woke you up more. Her footsteps echo throughout the room before you feel a dip at the end of your bed,

“How are you feeling? Any better?”

“No.” You whisper as you curl up more. “The gnawing feeling is only getting worse.”

Sighing, Nami scoots closer to you. “You can tell me if something is bothering you.” She tries to reassure you.

With a shaky breath, you barely tell her the chaos going on in your mind.

“I almost forgot you.”

“What?” She asks, confused.

“There was an incident when I was with Kidd. I hit my head super hard to the point I could’ve died. And the sheer intensity of the hit caused me to have severe amnesia. I didn’t even remember that it was Kidd who attacked my island.” Your voice was soft as you continued. “He told me he saved me. And I believed him. He made himself sound so trustworthy. He fed me lies. Built up a whole relationship for me to believe. And it almost caused me to miss our meet-up. If it wasn’t for someone on the inside who was helping me.”

“Really? Who was it?”

Looking away, you stay quiet for a moment. “I'd rather not talk about it.”

“That’s okay. We don’t have to if you don’t want to.” You nod.

“There's a small, sickening part of me, a part of me that I wish would go away, that misses him.” Gripping the blankets tightly, you grimace. “I know he made up so many lies, but the five months I lost my memory, I remember being so happy.”

“No one is gonna hate you for that (Y/N).” Nami rubs your back.

“It’s been six months. Why can’t I get over it? Why can’t I get over him after all he’s done? Why is my body still cold at night, no matter how many blankets I have? Why do I still have dreams where I love him and want nothing but him?” As your voice grew quieter with each word, guilt continued to eat at you.

“Sometimes our brain works in silly ways, despite how cruel it is. It’s not uncommon for victims like you to experience this. So please don’t think your alone.”

“Even when I’m not thinking about him, I always feel like something's missing. I try so hard to be happy and ignore these feelings, but they eat me up every day. And I hate it. I hate how I can’t go a day without crying.” Your words become shaky as you bite your lip.

“(Y/N)...you have been through so much. No one’s going to hate you for crying. All the tears you shed are justified.”

Letting out a sniffle, you hold your pillow tighter. “I know you're right…so why can’t I accept it? Why do I feel like this? I have so many questions, and it makes my heart heavy—almost all of it unbearable.”

“And yet here you are, alive and pushing through the pain. Even if you don't see it, you're much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Your parents would be proud, even if they're not here to say it.”

“You think so?”

Nami nods. “And the people who hate you for Kidd’s actions don’t deserve your tears. They’ll never know how strong you truly are. Your one of the strongest people I know. Even through hell and high water, you're here.”

You stay silent for a moment. “Do you think I’ll be a good mother?”

“I think you’ll be great.” Hearing Nami’s words, you smiled with tears.

“You're so sweet, and you're all so kind.” Tears slightly slip down your cheeks. “Why am I crying? I’m happy, so why am I crying?” You say through tears.

“Pregnancy’s rough.” Nami chuckles before looking out the window. “I’ll let you get some more sleep, so sleep well, okay?”

“Will do.” You salute with a chuckle of your own.

~~~

“That’s a first.” Robin laughs as she watches you chow down on grilled cheese with pickles in it while dipping it in maple syrup.

“Ew, that looks gross-” A WACK could be heard throughout the dining room as Sanji cut Zoro off.

“Shut up, moss head! She eats what she wants!” While they begin to argue, you can’t help but continue to eat your food, the weird textures satisfying your cravings.

“Is it good?”

“I think so. Why? Wanna try some?” Tearing a part off, you give some to Luffy. You watch as he inhales the piece you handed out to him. The whole table laughed as Luffy gagged.

“Why are you eating that?! It’s like poison!”

“It’s called pregnancy cravings. Many pregnant women have them. It’s very common in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. They do leave closer to the early trimester, but it’s not always the case.” A chuckle leaves your lips as you watch Luffy listen to Chopper's words.

“Wow! What other weird cravings have you had?”

“Well, before I came back to Sunny, I couldn’t get enough of tuna sandwiches with oreos crushed in them.” You answer, slightly embarrassed.

The conversations about your pregnancy cravings could have gone on for hours before you began to have a terrible feeling in your chest. Like something was wrong, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. The seas were clear, and there was no sign of another boat in sight, so why were you feeling this way?

Probably because it’s only been two days since you’ve left G-5, and Kidd had already found them. Which, in turn, means he found you.

Even if the seas were clear now, how long would they be? Whether you’d admit it or not, you knew Kidd was coming. And with him was the blood of the people he’s killed just to get you back to him. All the guilt soon began to flood through you again, but you didn’t want to show the others and ruin the joyful mood around you.

You couldn’t help but be jealous of all your friends around you. They all looked so happy while you silently wallowed in your misery, drowning in your fear of the unknown. You didn't know if when you closed your eyes, you’d open them and see fire surrounding you as Kidd attacked The Sunny or that you’d wake up and see yourself stuck back into the small dark room that Kidd held you captive in.

“(Y/N) are you okay?”

“Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah. Just thinking.” You lie, hoping it’ll be enough.

“If you say so.”

“I promise, Robin, I’m okay. I’m simply thinking about names.” Again, you lie hopefully to put Robin at peace.

“Really?!” Jumping up and down in his seat, Chopper looks at you excitedly. “What are they?!”

While you didn’t have names for the actual baby in your tummy, you had names for the baby you would’ve had with your fiance if they were still alive to this day. “Well, there are (....), (.....), and (....) if they’re a girl, and (.....) or (.....) for a boy.”

“Oh, I like them! Especially the last girl's name.”

“That’s nice to hear. I’m glad.” It was nice to hear how you and your fiance's choices of names were liked. It brought a warm feeling to your chest and helped calm the internal storm inside you—if only a little bit.

~~~

“Princess, where are you?” The sickening sing-song voice of Kidd invades your ears.

‘Oh my god, please no. This can’t be happening.’ Covering your mouth, you hide in the Sunny’s kitchen closet.

“You can’t hide forever. You know I’ll find you.” His voice gets louder as the sound of his boots makes your heart speed up. How did he know you were in the kitchen? Where were the others? How did he even get on the Sunny?

The sound of his boots stopping right in front of the locked door had your blood running cold. There was a sickening silence outside the door, and it made you sick to your stomach.

The bright lights of the kitchen hit your shaking form as Kidd’s shadow soon took over the small hiding spot. You look up in horror and see Kidd’s amber eyes looking down at you. A crazy and sinister smile played against his painted lips.

“There you two are.” With a rough grab, Kidd brings you to your feet and pulls you close. “I’ve been looking for you two for a long time.” The smell of sake and fresh blood invades your nose.

“No, you can come back where you belong by my side. No one here to save you now, princess.”

Your eyes shoot open as you quickly look around, terror filling you as you fear you were no longer on the Thousand Sunny. But thankfully, the sound of a giggling Luffy, Ussop, and Chopper calmed your nerves. Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes and try to go back to sleep.

But as time passed, no amount of counting sheep helped you go back to sleep. All you could think about was the nightmare. It had felt so real. It felt as if his skin had really touched your own. That his presence was really there, even if it was only a dream, you felt dirty. His ‘skin’ touching yours, his hands covered in the blood of hundreds who opposed him. Innocent lives were taken simply because you were no longer trapped in his insanity.

And knowing it ate you alive.

The incident at Halyard Island still plagues you months later. A whole island burned to the ground just like your own. Not to mention the blame they put on you. Even though you know, there was nothing that could have foreseen such a tragedy. It also unfortunately became a reoccurring nightmare. Every time you saw the little boy you had met that day surrounded in flames, calling out to his mom. When you go to try and save him, the flames grow brighter as you're stuck in place. Watching him call out for his mom. The flames would get hotter and hotter as screams of terror echoed around you. Causing you to wake up in a cold sweat.

The nightmare was way more consistent when the incident first happened. But thankfully, it’s not as common as it used to be. Instead of five times a week, it only happened three to four times a month now.

But that didn’t mean all the nightmares stopped together. You had more nightmares than you did nights where you had nothing. Each one leaves you in a cold sweat when you awake from them. Shaking and scanning the room in fear, you were on the Victoria Punk instead of the Thousand Sunny. You had bags under your eyes from the lack of sleep, not including being pregnant. You were even more tired than someone usually would be. At least that's how you felt.

Getting up from your bed, you let out a sigh. Your body hurt, and you just couldn’t wait for the entire pregnancy to be over. No more having to go to the bathroom twenty-four-seven, constant body pains, and nausea. The day couldn’t come fast enough.

KNOCK KNOCK

The sudden sound of knocking makes you more alert. “Hello?! Uh, come in?” As you try to calm down your heart, you see Robin and Chopper enter.

“Oh, Robin! Chopper! How can I help you guys?” You watch as they look at each other in the eyes before looking at you. “Is something wrong?”

“There’s something you need to see.” Holding out her hand, Robin looks towards you. Carefully, you took her hand in yours. A horrible feeling runs through you as soon as you grab her hand. You feel Chopper grab your other hand.

They lead you to the deck where everyone else surrounds a transponder snail. All their faces filled with anger, and clenching their fists as they stare at Luffy, who holds the mic.

“How the hell are you able to call this snail?” Luffy’s voice has you breaking a sweat as you walk down the stairs. You can’t hear the voice on the other line or what they're saying, but it dug a crippling fear in your heart as your mind soared.

“You have a lot of nerve calling my ship and threatening my crew members.” The venom dripping from Luffy’s words has goosebumps on your skin.

“Who is he talking to?” You whisper to Robin. She turns her gaze to you before finally leading you close enough to hear the voice beyond the other line.

“Listen here, you bastard. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll turn around now. Cause the moment I see you, I’m going to kill you for all you’ve done to (Y/N).”

Covering your mouth, you feel lightheaded as you hear his voice.

“I’d like to see you try Straw Hat. I’m going to take (Y/N) back, and the moment I do, I’m going to make you regret stealing from me. Stealing what’s mine.”

“Oh my god.” Your body shakes in its spot.

“She’s not going anywhere with you, Eustass Kidd. I’ll make sure that you’ll never even see her before killing you.”

“Listen here, you little shit, I’m taking her back, and I’ll kill every one of you pathetic Straw Hats. No one, not even the devil, can stop me from taking her back."

You walk over to Luffy, trying to gather confidence before tapping his shoulder. As Luffy turns to you, the look of hatred and rage bubbling in his eyes. “Can I?” As soon as Luffy sees you, his features soften, but not by much.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to.” He whispers to you, yet you nod. There are just so many things you have to ask. Sending a nod in return, Luffy gives you the transponder snail.

“Hello, Kidd.”

“Ah, well, if it isn’t my princess. What a surprise to hear your voice so soon. Thought I’d have to wait just a little longer.” Even if he wasn’t with you, you could practically envision the wide smile on his face.

“How are you able to call us?”

"That doesn’t matter, princess. What matters now is that I found you. After months of looking for you, I finally found you.” The insanity in his voice slipped through the phone, making your chest beat harder.

“Where are you?” I ask as I look around but see nothing. The seas clear as the sun began to set.

“That's not important right now, but I just know you’ll see me soon. And when you do, I’m going to grab you and never let you go.” You're left speechless as you listen to him. “I’ll hold you close and make you watch as I kill off every single Straw Hat before your eyes.”

“You can’t! I won’t let you!” Kidd chuckles from the other side, making a shiver run down your spine.

“Oh, but I will. And when I do, you and our unborn child will be right back where you belong. And you and I both know that you're at a dead end. No more running away from me, princess. I suggest getting ready and packed.” His nonchalant attitude brings you over the edge.

“I won’t be going anywhere! I’m my own person, not an object!” Gripping the snail tight, you yell into the snail. “I won’t let you near my friends or my baby!”

“You know, that’s almost the same thing that Vice Admiral Smoker said before Killer took care of him for me. Went down like a sack of bricks!” Laughter rang through the line, making you ball your hands into fists.

“What did you do to Tashigi? The paper said they never found her body. So what did you do to her?”

“You mean four eyes? Well, that’s actually something I was gonna discuss with you about.” You can practically hear the smirk on his lips. “She’s alive, but her life is in your hands.”

��What? What do you mean?”

“I’ll spare her pathetic life if you come back to me without a fight. But if you don’t, then I’ll kill her.”

“B-Bullshit!” Looking at the snail, you feel a brand new burden on your shoulders. “How do I know you're not lying to me?”

“I thought you might say that, princess.” Scuffling comes from the other side before a door opens and closes. “Oi! Wake up four eyes. You’ve got a person wanting to talk to you.”

A raspy voice answers the phone. “H-Hello?”

“Tashigi?!”

“You're really alive! I thought you were dead!” You cry through the phone. “I’m so happy you're alive!”

“See? I told you she’s alive. And if you come to me like a good girl, she’ll stay that way. But if not, you can say goodbye to Tashigi." His words cause your plan with the Straw Hats to turn upside down. If you don’t come to him willingly, he’ll kill Tashigi, but if you don’t fight back, he’ll kill the Straw Hats. Or hell, he’d try to kill the Straw Hats no matter what you choose. Plus, how are you so sure he’d keep his word? All of it made it feel like your heart and chest would burst.

“Why? Why are you doing this to me?” You clutch your chest as you wait for a response.

“Because people do crazy things when they're in love. And fortunately for you, I am.”

~~~

@rebeccawinters @iggy5055 @dairygrrl @childconnoisseur @menifire1092 @nerdgeekandeverysweet-blog @tremendoushorsepatrolgoth @lovemesomefanfic846 @ryuv1i @carpinchootaku @misoxramen @pinkfoxmusic @mizzhellsingsstuff

#one piece x reader #eustass kid x reader #eustass captain kid x reader

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