#just realized we finished this over 8 months ago H

[zorionbbq]

here's our part for the castle of cagliostro reanimated collab!!! :^]]

boards, colors, mouth shapes by @kh358days2

designs, animation, post-production by me

[haveamagicalday]

No spoilers review!

Two years ago I stumbled onto the horror game Until Dawn. I read the synopsis of the game and was fascinated with the storyline and the interactive element. I even started to watch a youtube stream of it and when I realized how simple the gameplay was, decided to try it out myself. I loved it! Even though I knew the storyline and the big twists it was still a blast to play so I was super pumped when they announced in March that a spiritual successor was coming out just three months later! Well I just finished the game so here are my thoughts:

The Story: It’s the end of summer camp at Hackett’s Quarry and our camp counselors are getting ready to head out. The owner of the camp, Chris Hackett, is somewhat eager for them to leave but unfortunately a tampered with car engine delays them another day. With a cryptic warning to stay indoors for the night, Mr. H leaves the teens to fend for themselves. Ignoring his warnings they decided to have a last summer hurrah but when the sun goes down, the horror begins! You guide nine different characters through the night and your choices will determine whether they live or die.

Out of the nine counselors I kept five alive, which sounds like a lot but it was still a “bad” ending (more on that later). Actually I was surprised I managed to keep them all alive as long as I did. There is a playable prologue and ten chapters in total. Overall the game lasts about 8-10 hours depending on your actions. 

Overall I really enjoyed it! I’m already excited to give it another shot. But it still had some flaws so let's start with those. 

Cons:

In comparison to Until Dawn, this game was not scary. Now, Until Dawn has a ton of jumpscares. I hate jumpscares but I will admit that they were very effective in creating a lot of tension. At least half, if not more, of the jumpscares in Until Dawn are actually fake out scares so it’s honestly not that bad but there are some really good ones in there that caused me to scream. The Quarry has barely any jumpscares. Which is good! But the gamemakers weren’t able to recapture the tension you felt in Until Dawn in The Quarry without them. There are a ton of ways to make things scary without jumpscares but this game didn’t really try. Because of the lack of jumpscares, I let my guard down pretty early and it never went back up. There were some creepy moments but I never felt scared like I did with Until Dawn.

No big plot twists. Until Dawn has a great twist about 2/3rds of the way through. You think you are playing one type of horror game but then the twist comes and it turns out there is a whole other genre of horror that is happening. The Quarry didn’t have this. There are plenty of reveals and little twists as the story goes on but nowhere near the same magnitude as Until Dawn. 

This is a nitpicky one but the game was too dark? Like, visually dark. I couldn’t see shit! I don’t know if I just needed to adjust the settings on my tv or what but a lot of areas were really dark and even when your character had a flashlight, it really didn’t illuminate anything for you

The “epilogue”. After the game ends in Until Dawn we get clips of our surviving characters being interviewed by the police. It’s not much of a follow up but it’s more than what we get here. Instead we get a podcast over the credits with two annoying hosts. They go over all of the clues and evidence you find over the game and piece together a story. The story is the game we just played. It’s literally just a rehash of everything we already know. And it goes on for 20 minutes! Longer I’m assuming if you collected more evidence than I did. I sat through it because I was hoping for an end credit scene (like Until Dawn) and there was none. I was mad lol

I felt that there was a lot more that could have been fleshed out. There are three different clue storylines that you can collect clues for. They are Camp History, Hackett History and The Sideshow History. The sideshow history is probably what excited me the most. Unfortunately because of some of the characters that died in my gameplay, I never got a conclusion to it. It was never really brought up by anybody. Well, I looked up the game after finishing it and learned that if I had kept certain characters alive, I would have not only gotten a conclusion to that storyline but there would have been a whole other final showdown. However, even learning all this, I was still disappointed that there wasn’t more to the sideshow storyline. I think there was so much potential for that to be creepy, maybe even take over the main storyline like Until Dawn with its two different stories and create a whole new experience. And while I like the idea that your choices might lead to you not discovering all the secrets of the summer camp, I don’t want to have to go through another 10 hours of gameplay to maybe get all my questions answered. I’m still going to though.

I wanted more! I wanted more story, more twists, more tension, just overall more! Until Dawn also had its faults and while this game improved on some of them, I still was left wanting more.

So now let’s talk about the good!

Pros

The characters. The characters were fun and distinct! I hated some and loved others. It was a strong cast of characters for this game.

The gameplay. I’ve seen some complain that they dumbed it down but for someone who’s video game playing rangers from the Sims to Super Paper Mario, I appreciated that this one had easier gameplay. Now, the gameplay in Until Dawn was also super easy but this was even easier somehow. I play these games for the story and experience not to be challenged or whatever. There are quicktime events and in Until Dawn these are done by hitting one of three buttons (square, triangle, circle) within a very short amount of time. In The Quarry the quick time events are done by moving the joystick in the direction it tells you too. This is so much more manageable. So for me, this was a pro but I get why it would be a con for some. Until Dawn also had a feature where you had to hold the controller completely still while hiding. This feature was janky and was super sensitive to movement. The Quarry did away with this and introduced holding your breath while hiding. This feature requires you to hold down the X button and release it only when you think it is safe. Much easier. They also give you the option to adjust some of these functions to make it easier or harder.

While the story has its faults, overall it is fun and spooky! It’s modern day but it has an 80s vibe that is entertaining. A bit predictable at some points but I don’t think it made this story any less good.

The soundtrack was fire

Replayability. Even though I looked up all the other endings, I enjoyed the game enough to want to play through it again so I can get those endings for myself.

This isn’t something I realized could happen in my gameplay because of the choices I made but there is actually a third thing that can happen to your characters. They can live, die or this third secret thing that I won’t spoil but I thought that was a really cool feature!

Barely any jumpscares!

Movie mode! I don’t know if I will ever actually use this mode but I thought it was awesome they added it. Basically you pick at the beginning whether you want everyone to live or die and then you just sit back and literally just watch the game as a movie. There’s also the director’s chair feature where you take it a step further and pick out character traits and then see how the traits affect the character’s actions and ultimately the outcome of the game. From what I’ve heard the movie mode is about 4-6 hours long.

So I will wrap this up by saying that I thought this game was a strong successor to Until Dawn. It was similar enough that you will enjoy it if you love Until Dawn but it might not leave as much of an impact as Until Dawn does. Overall, I think I enjoyed Until Dawn more but I will say I loved the creepy summer camp setting more than the ski lodge in Until Dawn. I’m getting excited to play it again as I type all of this!

[xxreader-writerxx]

Already Won

Word count: 2.1k

Fred Weasley x Fem Reader

Warnings: Cursing, angsty, Cheating Mentioned, Blood Mentioned, Knife Kink Mentioned, Reader nearly cuts finger off, Panic Attack-ish (Fred), Poor Plot, Snogging at the end, and Abandonment Issues

A/n: This isn't amazing it was just to kick my arse into writing again lol, fighting writers block atm

Y/N= Your Name L/N= Your Last Name Y/H= Your House

I'm cutting vegetables in the kitchen for dinner when I hear the door unlock. I smile to myself and grab the coffee I made, reheating it with a quick spell. "Baby! Did you get the creamer while you were out?" I ask, turning the corner. "I was supposed to?" I hear a different voice than what I was expecting respond. "Oh its you." I say plainly, annoyed by the sight of my ex boyfriend Draco. "Hey darling. I missed you." He says, walking to try to give me a hug but I push him away disgusted. "Didn't I dump you like what five months ago? After you cheated on me with Pansy?" I ask, turning to go into the kitchen. "Your still on that? I'm back so everything can go back to normal!" He says and I scoff. "Nope." I say when I hear the door open.

"Baby, the witch down the street ran out of creamer but, I got coffees down the street. Then I dropped them on myself trying to get inside." I hear Fred ramble. I walk out chuckling and see him stripping as he walks into our room. "The coffee burns." He says, still distracted by getting clean clothes on. I walk over with Draco tailing behind me. "Honey, someone's here." I tell him and he whips his head around, grabbing his shirt to cover himself. "Shit. Sorry sorry.... Not sorry what the hell is he doing here?" He asks, seeing Draco. "Figuring it out myself- Oh my god Freddie, how hot were those coffees?!" I ask, seeing a burn mark forming on his shoulder.

"I wanted them to be hot enough to make it home." He says sheepishly. I walk over, grabbing the burn medication I conjured after discovering having Fred Weasley as a boyfriend means a lot of burns to heal. I pull down the sleeve and rub the ointment on. "Ow..." He moans and I nod sadly.

When I finish I put a bandage on him and take his hand. I bring him to the fridge and grab a lolly. "Suck on this while it heals, it'll cool your body." I say and he winks, placing the lolly on his tongue. "While I suck on this why don't you- Why are you still here." He says, breaking his flirty behavior to look at Draco who is glaring at Fred. "Name's on the lease." He says with a smirk. "You're kidding. He's kidding." He says looking at me upset. I freeze trying to think of a solution when I finally sigh. "He's right..." I say, I shove my face in his chest and he glares at Draco angrily. "You are going to leave." He says through gritted teeth. "Where would I go huh?" He asks, still cocky. "Do I give a shit? No. Now your things are in the hall closet, take those bags and leave." He repeats, keeping me against him.

"I don't remember your name on the lease." He says with a smirk and Fred nods. "Yeah but I have my initials on-" He says as he start to raise my shirt trying to reveal the initials he cut during an exciting night two days ago. I slap his hand and he looks at me cheekily. "Anyways, I guess you can stay in the guest room and I'll go unpack." He says and I grab his jacket before he can leave the kitchen. "Fix it." I say sternly and he groans. "I'll stay in the guest room." He mumbles and I nod promptly.

***

I wake up next to Fred and look for whatever woke me. I get up realizing its 5:37 and shake Fred softly. "Baby we need to get ready for work. I'll go make breakfast." I whisper and he nods into the pillow, golden ginger hair surrounding his freckled face softly. "Baby, if we told George what happened he'd understand, let's sleep in." He offers and I sigh. "If I had another owner to take care of my shop then I would jump in your arms but..." I say and he groans nodding.

I make my way into the kitchen to make us omelets when a figure makes me jump. "Fuck." I mutter as Draco takes a sip of his coffee. "Honey?" I hear from behind me and I turn to see Fred fiddling with his tie. I walk over smiling to myself at his loose tie and messy hair. "Stupid Blood Traitor can't even tie his own tie." I hear Malfoy mumble as I tied Fred's tie, getting angry I nearly behead Fred on accident but he stops me with a soft hold on my hips. "Here's the thing, Malfoy, I'm doing this... To do this." Fred says smirking pulling me in for his signature kiss. I sigh into the kiss almost forgetting about my troubles until they cough to signify they're still there.

"I'll make our breakfast, you work on tea?" I ask and he salutes cutely. I start chopping up onions when I feel myself get enveloped in a hug, Fred's face snug in my neck. His lips threateningly close to my neck, butterfly kisses every now and then. "What are you up to?" I giggle as his hands tickle my sides. "I just love you..." He whispers and I smile. "I love you more." I whisper and he kisses my cheek. "I'll cook the omelet, you go watch your program. It's on." He whispers and I turn, placing my hands on the counter behind me. "I can take care of the food. Don't worry about me." I whisper back and he kisses my lips softly. "Please? When else will your show be on this early?" He asks and I smile. "If you insist. But at least let me cut the peppers." I say and he nods.

***

I'm cutting dough in my café when I hear the door open. I smile warmly, keeping my eyes to the counter. "Hello! I'll be with you in a moment." I say when someone pushes my chin up softly. "Hey darling." Draco says and I groan. "Malfoy, I'm not your darling anymore. I'm dating Fred." I state, my entire body growing warm with anger. "I know, I know... But I wanted to try and win you back." He states, holding up a gold necklace. "You think I can be bought?" I ask, seething with anger. His face looses color as he shakes his head. "N-no! I meant this as a sorry-" He begins but I slam my knife down. "Get out."

I walk into the twin's shop, unusually tired, I see George and walk over lazily. "Hey- What the hell!?" He asks and he grabs my arm, tugging me to Fred's office. "Where are we going?" I ask lazily. "FRED." He yells banging on the door. Fred opens the door angrily but the anger turns to worry when he lays his eyes on me, or to be specific my finger. I cut it, deep. "Oh look at that..." I say and he scoops me up. "Oh god oh god..." He mumbles as I lay my head on his shoulder. "You smell nice." I whisper and he shakes his head. "What the hell happened?" He asks and I frown. "Draco came to my shop and gave me this." I say and I show him the necklace and he looks at it upset as he buckles me into the car. "You've lost a lot of blood..." He whispers, tearing up a bit. "I'm fineeee." I tell him and he kisses my forehead softly. "Just stay awake..." He whispers and I nod softly.

I wake up in a hospital bed and Fred is holding my hand. "Baby?" I ask roughly, my throat burning from sleep. "Thank god." He exclaims, holding me close to his chest. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?! You don't understand how happy I am to see your eyes open." He tells me, clutching my shirt tightly.

***

Ever since the accident Fred kicked Malfoy out and I got someone to take over the shop while I heal. Fred's been clingy since because he says he nearly lost me and every time I remind him it was only a bit of blood loss but he always responds with "same thing". Malfoy has been sending flowers, expensive gifts, and baskets each with a note begging me to take him back. I laugh at every package because they come from Pansy's apartment. Now its two months later both me and Fred going strong, and Malfoy hasn't given up.

I walk into the house back from groceries with Fred nowhere to be found. I hear shaky breathing from our room. I walk in and see Fred in the corner crying silently. "Freddie?" I ask and he hides his face in his arms. "I'll be out in a minute." He whispers and I sit next to him on the floor. "What's wrong?" I ask and he cries again. "Nothing, don't worry about it." He whispers and I tug his hand to wrap around it. "Tell me..." I whisper back and place my free hand on his cheek. He leans into my hand, closing his eyes happily. "I love you..." I tell him and he sighs. "I'm sorry." He tells me and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Did you break something?" I ask and he laughs, wiping his nose. "No... I'm sorry I can't provide for you." He tells me and I finally am able to sit on his lap, his hands resting on my hips as he places his forehead in the crane of my neck. "What?" I ask and he digs his head further. "Malfoy gets you all these fancy gifts and I know I'm not enough. I don't have diamond necklaces, my flowers are always picked, and he has so much to offer... And I'm here being the idiot who has a joke shop instead of a stable job. Its a matter of time before he finally wins you back and I would understand, who'd want me over Malfoy..." He cries into my neck and I run my hands through his hair softly.

"No... Baby I don't care about jewels or money. I love your flowers, how you tell me why each one reminded you of me... I love you Freddie.... I could never be won by Malfoy wanna know why?" I coo into his ear softly. "Why?" He asks, looking up at me with his soft hazel eyes. "Because you've already won. A million times, you've won. When we became best friends at 8, when I saw you on the bus, when you left school, when you moved in with me after my break-up, not letting me ignore help by saying you needed a place to stay because George and Angelina were moving in when we both knew you could live at the burrow... Every day you have won me. How can I prove that?" I ask and he smiles sweetly. "You just did... I love you so so much." He whispers and I smile, kissing his nose.

I hear the doorbell ring and he looks towards the door upset. I groan getting up and open the door. Draco is there crying holding flowers. "Please." He whispers and I go to slam the door but he stops me. "I know I don't deserve it but please give me another chance. Weaslebee could never care for you, not like I can. So please take me back." He says and I get angered by those words. I grab his collar and shove him back. "Do not talk of Fred that way." I say and he scoffs. "You know he won't. I have money we can land on, he doesn't. So cut the bullshit and take me back." He spits and I punch him right in the nose. "Leave. And I don't mean my door, I mean my life Malfoy." I tell him as he doubles over, flicking him off.

I walk back into my house and find Fred smiling at me, eyes still puffy but I couldn't care less, he's beautiful. "I love-" Is all he can say before I grab his collar, pulling him into a long kiss. He leans into it after recovering from the shock. I wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls me to wrap my legs around his torso. He sits on the couch, pulling me flush against his body. "I love you so much..." He mumbles as we take a second to get air. "I love you more." I say, diving to attach my lips to his. He pulls away after a while and smiles, moving hair from my face softly. I smile back, a giggle escaping my lips. "What?" I ask and he kisses me softly. "I guess I did win." He whispers and I kiss him again.

[nsfwflint]

Office Politics: After Hours Bonding

Finally, I have finished chapter two of Office Politics! I started this chapter almost immediately after I finished my Nayoung oneshot and struggled so much with it the last few months. I really hope you all enjoy the new chapter! Also. Apink counter: 1/6

AFF link: Here

The clacking of computer keys echoes throughout the office. The deadline for the current project is approaching fast, so everyone has been putting in extra hours lately. Tension in the office is the highest that it’s been since you started working here. It’s been two weeks since Seungyeon gave you your final audition. However, because of the importance of the project, your transfer to the acting department is temporarily put on hold. Which Seungyeon is taking full advantage of, pulling you aside for stress relief throughout the day. It’s also been two weeks since you found Eunji standing with Seungyeon’s panties, telling you to be ready. So far, she hasn’t shown any intent to follow-up though.

With a tense groan, you lean back in your chair. Closing your eyes, you pinch the bridge of your nose as you try to relieve some of the strain on your eyes. You take a deep breath as your arms stretch toward the ceiling. After another deep inhale, you open your eyes and look around the office. The clock on the wall across from you catches your attention. 8:45 P.M. As you release another groan, you check to see if anyone else is still here. With the rest of the office dark save for the light at your desk, you decide it’s time to go home. You start to turn off your computer when something bangs on your cubicle. Jumping slightly, you turn to see Eunji slamming her arm on the top of your cubicle. She smiles after seeing your reaction.

“Come on, rookie. We’re going to get something to eat. You’re paying.” Eunji says as she slaps her hand against the wall of your cubicle.

“O-okay.” You stutter, your heart still racing from the surprise.

“Why are you so nervous? It’ll be fun.” Eunji flashes you another smile as she pats your shoulder.

After gently squeezing it, she lightly drags her fingers along your shoulder before pulling her hand away. You finish shutting down your computer as she goes ahead, waiting for you near the door. After gathering the rest of your things, you sling your bag over your shoulder and go to meet the beauty that’s waiting for you.

“Hurry up, rookie,” she calls to you, “All the restaurants are going to close by the time you finish.”

You lightly jog over to her, Eunji is definitely not someone you want to keep waiting. When you finally reach her, she gives you another smile and puts her arm around your shoulder.  There’s no romantic intention behind the action, more like when a drunk guy excitedly leans on you to tell a story. You slightly lower yourself to adjust for the height difference. Eunji laughs at the sight of you hunching over to accommodate her. She takes her arm off your shoulder and punches your arm lightly.

“Come on, I know a good place to eat. You’ll like it. I’ll drive us.” Eunji laughs.

You nod as she gives you another smile.

“Perfect, let’s go,” Eunji slaps your shoulder again. “It’ll be fun.”

As you both walk through parking garage, your eyes can’t help but follow Eunji’s ass as it sways with each step. The tight black skirt she’s wearing fully accentuates her voluptuous hips and you can vaguely make out the outline of her cheeks. Mesmerized by her amazing curves, you’re startled when she stops walking. You look up to see her staring at you. Eunji silently meets your eyes while you gulp nervously. After a few seconds, she turns back around without speaking. As she turns and starts walking, you think you see a small satisfied smile on her face for a second before it disappears. A loud beep bounces off the concrete walls when she unlocks her car. Ducking inside, you make yourself comfortable in the passenger seat as you buckle the seatbelt.

Buildings pass by as Eunji slowly drives throughout the city. Staring out the window at a stoplight, you’re reminded of your nervousness from when you first moved to Seoul. Your anxiousness gave you many sleepless nights. Unable to settle down, you often went for late night walks throughout the city. The countless city lights always managed to calm you for some reason. You snap back to reality as Eunji turns on the car radio.

“Sorry, I hate driving in silence.” Eunji turns and gives you a bright smile.

“That’s fine, I do too.” You smile back.

You’re pleasantly surprised at the difference in her personality. Eunji is always so professional in the office that she almost seems cold, so seeing this friendly and comfortable side of her is refreshing. As she navigates the streets, several songs play with Eunji knowing the words to each one. Her rich voice fills your ears as you silently enjoy this private concert.  Every once in a while, she’ll turn and give you a friendly smile as she sings. Finally pulling into a small parking lot, Eunji puts the car in idle so she can finish the song. After nailing the final high note, she turns to you with a warm smile.

“All right we’re here, let’s go.” Eunji says excitedly as she undoes her seatbelt.

Stepping out of the car, you stretch your arms out as you glance around. After a few seconds of looking around you turn to Eunji, confused.

“Where are we?” You ask.

“The parking lot for my apartment building.” Eunji walks around to your side of the car and puts her hand on your shoulder again.

“What? I thought you said we were getting something to eat?” You tense up nervously.

“The restaurant is around the corner; it doesn’t have any parking so I have to park here anyway,” She says with a cheery laugh. “Come on, I promise you’re gonna love this place.”

Eunji continues her hearty laugh as she drags you around the corner. Upon being pulled into the shop, a barrage of savory scents assaults your nose. The fragrant aromas of spices float into your nostrils as the sound of boiling oil bubbles in the background. Quiet chatter continues around you while Eunji drags you to a table in the back. She pulls you towards a table as you carefully squeeze past other customers. You bow politely as you make your way to the only open table at the far corner of the restaurant.

As you both try to maneuver in the cramped corner of the restaurant, Eunji takes her time scooching past you, her ass pressing against your dick. Even through both of your clothes you can feel the softness of her pillowy ass as it slowly slides across your cock. You try to focus on the scents from the kitchen to prevent yourself from hardening against her ass as you register the faint scent of tea leaves from Eunji’s shampoo. After she finally slips past you, you swiftly take a seat, trying to hide your growing erection under the table. You nervously look around the restaurant, trying to find anything to look at to get rid of your erection.

 “What are you looking around so much for? Have you never been in a chicken restaurant before?” Eunji laughs.

“I have, just not one like this. I normally just go to a chain.”

“Ah. I like this kind of place more; it always tastes better. I usually work pretty late and normally I don’t feel like cooking when I get home. Thankfully this place is open pretty late so I come here fairly often.”

“Fairly often? You’re here almost every day,” A voice says as you turn to see an older woman next to your table. “This is the first time you’ve brought anyone else at all though, much less a man.”

“Stop it, Auntie,” Eunji whines to your surprise. “Rookie, this is Auntie Park, she owns the restaurant. Auntie Park, this is the new rookie at my office.”

“It smells amazing, Mrs. Park,” You say bowing politely. “I’ll take whatever you recommend.”

“I’ll take the usual.” Eunji turns to Mrs. Park.

“All right, it’ll be out soon.” Mrs. Park gives you a friendly smile before walking back to the kitchen.

After a few minutes, both of you are digging into the best chicken you’ve ever eaten. A mixture of spices dances across your tongue with each bite. As you savor the incredible taste, the bell attached to the door chimes as someone walks in. Turning to look, your eyes are met with a gorgeous girl holding a delivery carrier. You’re admiring her amazing body when she notices your staring. She brushes her blonde hair behind her ear and gives you a flirtatious wink. You awkwardly wave to her when you feel a sudden crashing pain in your leg.

“Ow. What was that for?” You exclaim as you turn back to Eunji.

Eunji frowns and kicks your leg again. It should have been obvious from her figure, but you never realized how strong her legs are as you rub your calf.

“That second one is because you don’t know what the first one is for. Come on, we’re leaving and you need to go pay.” Eunji gets up and grumpily walks out the door.

After paying Mrs. Park and thanking her for the food, you follow Eunji out the door and stop in your tracks to see her standing there, staring at the night sky. The street light softly glows over her body as a slow breeze blows her hair forward from the back. She gently tucks her shoulder length hair behind her ear as she turns to you. You’ve always known she is attractive, but this scene is really showcasing just how beautiful Eunji actually is. She turns and walks to you, stopping as close as she can get to you without touching you.

“We’re going upstairs to my apartment now.” She says flatly.

“Why? It’s not too late, I’m sure the taxis are still running.” You say as you pull out your phone to call a cab.

“Because I’m gonna fuck your brains out.”

Your brain stops functioning as you stare at her blankly.

“What?”

“I said I’m gonna fuck your brains out. I told you to be ready.” Eunji takes another step closer to you.

“That was several weeks ago, I just figured you changed your mind.”

“I’m not a slut like Team Leader Seungyeon. I’m not going to have sex with you in the office randomly throughout the day during work hours. We’ve been busy with the project so I haven’t had time to set things up. But I’m not going to waste my chance tonight. Now get upstairs so I can ride you so hard that you won’t be able stand properly.”

Before you can say anything, Eunji is already pulling you towards her apartment. Your mind is racing as you both rush up the steps of her building. You can’t wait to experience the sensation of her amazing ass in your hands. After unlocking the door, she pushes you inside as you trip over the small landing. As you pick yourself up Eunji stares at you with such intense eye contact, you suspect she’d give Seungyeon a run for her money. She grabs your hand and drags you down the hall into her bedroom. When you finally get inside, she turns and looks into your eyes again.

“Strip.” She commands.

Not wasting a single second, you immediately drop your pants and boxers down to the floor. Kicking them into a nearby corner, you take off your shirt and throw it on top of the rest of your clothes. Eunji walks over and gently grasps your dick. Looking into your eyes, she gives your cock soft measured strokes. She wraps one hand behind your neck and pulls you down, slowly leaning in for a kiss. Deciding to tease you as you lean in, Eunji gives your lips a quick lick before pulling back. Continuing to provoke you, she repeats her process of leaning in and denying you a kiss by giving you quick kisses almost everywhere but your lips. Your chin, your cheeks, your nose, any place near your mouth that isn’t your lips. Finally having her fun, Eunji leans in but stops right in front of your mouth.

“I want you to lay on my bed and close your eyes.” Eunji whispers, her warm breath tickling your lips.

You quickly plop on top of her bed with your head on her pillow, excitedly thinking about what’s going to happen. Quiet rustling and soft metal clinks fill her bedroom with anticipation. The excitement dies slightly as you feel her lift your arms and slide something cold onto your wrists. You frown as a series of small metal clicks registers in your ears. Your frown deepens as the sensations and sounds repeat at your ankles.

“You can open your eyes now.”

After hearing Eunji’s sultry voice, you open your eyes to find yourself handcuffed to her bedposts. Lightly pulling against the cuffs, the cold metal strafes against your wrists. You try to close your legs, only for your handcuffed ankles to keep them spread. Upset at the denial of being able to feel her soft flesh, you turn to Eunji to complain only to be stunned by the beauty of her naked body standing at the end of the bed. Your eyes slowly travel up her shapely legs with wide hips that perfectly accentuate her bountiful ass. The tight toned stomach she spent so many hours achieving at the gym leads up to her perky breasts. With her short black hair beautifully framing her face, Eunji gives you a teasing smile as she sees the desperate lust on your face.

“There we go, that’s a good look in your eyes. I want you to call me Mommy.” Eunji demands.

“What?” You reply with a surprised look.

“If you call me Mommy, I’ll help you out with that growing problem of yours down there. So, do you want me, rookie?” Eunji asks in a seductive whisper.

“Yes, I do.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, I want you Mommy.” You plead.

“Good, that’s what I wanted to hear.” Eunji gives you another mischievous smile.

She softly climbs on the bed, slowly crawling into the empty space between your spread legs. Stopping before your crotch, Eunji slowly spreads her legs out in a way that avoids touching any part of you. With a lustful stare, she looks into your eyes as she slowly caresses her breasts. Eunji bites her lip seductively as she softly squeezes her tits. A few quiet moans make their way out of her mouth as she slowly slides one hand down her stomach. Her fingers gently reach down her crotch, gently rubbing her pussy. She pauses briefly, giving a slow long lick from her palm to her finger tips before returning her hand to her soft pussy.

“Tell me what you wanted to do to me.” Eunji commands.

“First, I wanted to take my time exploring your body. Start off by kissing you, savoring your taste as our tongues entwine with each other. Slowly make my way down and worship your tits, sucking and biting on your soft nipples.” You admit.

As you begin describing what you had planned, Eunji gradually increases how fast she rubs her pussy. Between the sight of this gorgeous woman masturbating in front of your cock, and the fantasies of your thoughts, you quickly feel your erection harden completely.

“Keep going.” She hisses in a pleasured whisper.

“Then I was going to move down and eat you out after giving your soft thighs a few kisses. Run my tongue all over your folds, licking and slurping up all your juices. Gently pulling on your lips before slowly swirling my tongue around your clit.”

“Oh fuck.”

“Then I’d flip you over and rail you from behind, with your amazing ass slapping against my body. After a while I would turn you back over into missionary and finish my last few thrusts while kissing you. I’d reach underneath and squeeze your ass, feeling it jiggle in my hands as I cum inside you.”

Eunji stares into your eyes again as she gradually slows down rubbing her pussy.

“Unfortunately for you, only one of those things is happening. The only part that will be happening tonight is that you WILL be cumming inside me.”

Your cock visibly throbs from the thought of cumming inside Eunji. Upon seeing your dick twitch, she flashes a mischievous smirk as she slowly crawls up your body. Her silky skin lightly grazes your shaft as she drags her body against yours. The feeling of her soft pussy brushing against you causes your dick to twitch again, lightly bumping against her cunt. As she finally brings her face in front of yours, she gives a triumphant smile. Eunji knows that she’s completely dominant over you and that you’ll do almost anything to feel her body. She leans in, hovering her lips barely above yours. You reach up to kiss her, only for her to pull back and put her finger over your lips.

“Sorry rookie, as punishment for earlier. there will be no kissing tonight.” She teases.

Finally realizing that she kicked you out of jealousy for checking out the delivery girl, you frown at how much Eunji is teasing you. Noticing your frown, she gives a soft giggle before leaning and whispering in your ear.

“Maybe if you’re a good boy and satisfy me enough, I’ll give you a kiss as a reward,” Eunji whispers before softly nibbling your ear. “But for now, no kisses for you.”

As you contemplate how you’re supposed to be good enough when you’re chained up, Eunji turns around and straddles your face. Her sculpted thighs surround your head as she slowly grinds her pussy into your face. Thankful to finally have some part of her body to interact with, your tongue darts up and aggressively licks her pussy. Your tongue slowly runs over her folds as her soft cunt slides against your lips. Sweet juices slowly trickle onto your face as your mouth explores her crevices. You flick the tip of your tongue against her folds, savoring as much of her taste as you can. You manage to hear a muffled moan through her thick thighs that are covering your ears as her body shifts.

Eunji falls forward, resting her body along yours as she lightly grasps your dick. Your cock twitches from her warm breath as she gives your shaft slow deliberate strokes. She squirms as your tongue continues to massage her wet cunt. You softly suck on one of her folds, pulling on it as tightens her grip on your dick. Her warm tongue slowly slides along your shaft, the sensation shooting a jolt of pleasure throughout your body. Your toes clench as Eunji wraps her tongue around your dick. A soft groan barely escapes your lips before the sound is absorbed by her pussy.

Trying not to be a selfish lover, you struggle to keep your focus on Eunji’s wet pussy as she slurps on your dick. She slowly takes your tip into her mouth, playfully pushing it past her lips before taking it back out of her mouth. Her tongue slowly massages the tip of your dick, tickling it gently. As you explore the valleys of her pussy with your tongue, Eunji’s soft lips slide down your shaft to the base. Your senses are overwhelmed as your tip hits the back of her throat. You slip your tongue inside her pussy as she aggressively bobs her head on your cock.

Your tongue gropes the soft walls of her cunt as Eunji squirms against your face. She messily slurps on your dick, strands of saliva streaming down the sides. Swirling her tongue around your tip, her blowjob goes into overdrive as she starts bouncing her pussy onto your face. Her wet cheeks constrict your cock as her lips glide up and down your shaft. You desperately try to reciprocate the pleasure, but you find yourself immersed in the ecstasy of Eunji’s blow job as you slowly stop licking her pussy. About to cum, your tip twitches in her mouth as her warm spit drowns your dick in pleasure. Without warning, Eunji slips your dick out of her mouth, releasing the tip with a resounding pop. She lifts her pussy off of your face, turning around with a disappointed frown.

“That’s not good. I can’t be the only one giving pleasure.” Eunji scolds.

“I’m sorry-“ You start before she cuts you off.

“You’re sorry, what?”

“I’m sorry mommy. Your blow job just felt so good that I couldn’t focus on anything else.”

“That’s no good. Mommy is going to have to punish you now.”

Eunji crouches on top of your dick, her pussy just barely grazing against your tip. The soft lips of her cunt lightly brush against your tip as she slowly rocks back and forth. She continues to tease your cock, squatting right over it but refusing to put it inside. Frustrated that she continues to gently rub against your dick, a frown spreads across your face. Your desperation to be inside her written all over your face, Eunji gives you a smug smirk before slamming herself onto your cock. A loud groan leaves your throat as the sudden tightness overwhelms you. You’re afraid you’ll cum as soon as Eunji starts to move, but you look up to see her relishing over your expressions. She leans down in front of your face again, her breasts pressing against your chest.

“That’s a nice expression you have there. Am I so tight that you’re going to cum already?” Eunji asks, smiling seductively.

“I’m trying not to because mommy wouldn’t like that, right?” You groan.

Eunji’s smile grows at your response as her soft walls squeeze your shaft. She gives your cheek a soft kiss before leaning to whisper in your ear.

“That’s a good answer. Now for another question: who is tighter, Seungyeon or mommy?”

“Mommy is the tightest.” You instantly blurt out.

Eunji blinks, apparently surprised at your immediate response. After a brief second, her smirk returns as she slowly grinds on your dick.

“I thought I was going to have force you to say that. Interesting.” She muses.

Thankfully in the few seconds your answers gave you, you grew accustomed to her tightness so you don’t cum right away. Her velvety walls constrict your cock as they slowly push it back and forth. Seeing you squirm in pleasure from her grinding, Eunji gives you a goading smile. She raises her hips, slowly taking you out until just your tip remains inside her.

“Do you like being inside mommy?” She teases.

“Yes, you feel so amazing.”

Pleased with your answer, Eunji slams herself back onto your dick. A pleasured gasp exits your lungs as her delectable body ripples from the impact. She leans in front of your face again, her beautiful smile hovering right in front of you. Her tantalizing lips teasing you by staying just out of reach. Eunji slowly lifts her hips so only your tip is inside her again. With a mischievous smile, she starts circling her hips with the head of your cock barely remaining in her. The tight warmth of her pussy pressures your tip. You wince as you feel your tip begin to swell.

“Does that feel good, rookie?” Eunji asks playfully.

“It feels too good. If you’re not careful, I might cum too fast.” You warn.

“Go ahead rookie. It will help you last longer for the next round.”

Increasing her speed, Eunji continues to circle her hips with your tip inside her. The velvety walls of her entrance constrict your dick as she lowers her hips slightly. With your shaft now halfway inside her, her movements tug and pull on your cock. You frown as she takes out everything except your tip again. Even though you desperately want more, her hot cunt pleasures your tip. A groan escapes your mouth as you feel your dick swell again. She must have felt it too, because Eunji gives you another teasing smile.

“That’s it. Cum inside mommy. Fill me up.” She says, trying to hide her small moans.

Without warning, she slams herself on your cock again. The overwhelming tightness of her cunt combined with the sensation of her soft ass rippling against your thighs gives Eunji everything she wants. Your tip throbs from the extreme pleasure as intense streams of cum shoot out into her depths. A small shudder makes its way over your body as thick ropes of cum continue to erupt out of you. After one last forceful spurt, the two of you remain motionless as you catch your breath. A moment of silence passes before Eunji speaks again.

“That was a lot of cum. I can feel how deep it went.” Eunji says in a tone you can’t decipher.

“I didn’t mean to cum so fast, you just felt so good mommy.” You apologize.

“It’s fine. Like I said, it just helps you last longer for round two. Which starts right now.”

To make sure that you’re ready to go, Eunji turns around without taking your cock out of her. Your vision now focused on her heavenly ass; you find yourself fully erect again. You feel your tip press against the ceiling of her cunt as you stare in awe at her gigantic ass. It’s huge, but also toned from all her time at the gym. She slowly raises her hips again, her massive ass jiggling at even the slightest movement. Your tip throbs inside her and Eunji takes it as a cue, piercing herself on your cock. Her pillowy ass crashes against your waist. The soft flesh of her ass ripples along your skin, a sensation so incredible you think you might cum again already. Thankfully, your body has grown accustomed to the intense pressure of her tight cunt. As she slowly bounces on your dick, the only thing you’re able to do is moan.

“Fuck. You’re so tight mommy.” You groan.

“Do you like seeing mommy’s ass bounce on your cock?” Eunji teases.

“I do, watching it shake like this is so hot.”

“I can feel how hard you’re getting inside me. You’re so fucking big.” She moans.

Suddenly, Eunji gets off your dick crawls off the bed. She spends a few seconds noisily looking through her nightstand before returning to you.

“I think that’s enough punishment for tonight.”

Slowly making her way to each of your arms and legs, Eunji unlocks the restraints. As the last feeling of cold metal falls off you, you sit up and rub your wrists. You look into her eyes and an understanding passes between you. Knowing that you’re now free to do what you want to her body fills you with a new kind of hunger. With an aggressive lunge, you flip Eunji onto all fours with her giant ass staring up at you. Suddenly a thought flashes through your mind and a mischievous smile spreads across your face.

“I don’t think it is enough punishment. After all, you didn’t uncuff me for me.” You say, raising your hand.

“What do you-“ Eunji gasps, your palm striking against her ass cheek before she finishes her sentence.

“You uncuffed me for you. If I was cuffed like that, I couldn’t make you feel as good as you need me to make you feel.”

You slap her ass again with moderate force. Having never spanked before, you didn’t realize how tricky it is. Clearly you don’t want to hurt her, but you also don’t want it to be weak. Judging from Eunji’s whimpering reactions, you’re using just the right amount. Without warning, you plunge your cock into her cunt.

“Oh fuck.” She screams.

Another moan escapes her lips as your hand slaps her ass again. The silky flesh of her ass ripples against your hand as your cock twitches inside her. Her hot cunt clamps around your dick, the tight walls pressuring your shaft. You smirk as your payback is clearly effective against her. As Eunji tries to back against you, you slip your dick out of her. Turning back to look at you, you notice that she’s frowning and you know you’ve almost won. Your cock drenched with her fluids, you slowly slide it up and down against the lips of her pussy.

“Call me daddy.”

“What?” Eunji exclaims.

“It’s simple. If you want this dick as bad as I think you do, you’ll say it Otherwise I’m more than happy to just go home. Now. Call me daddy.” You tease.

You hear her mumble something under breath.

“I can’t hear you.” You spank her ass again.

“I… daddy…” She grumbles.

“What did you say?” Your palm strikes against her jiggling flesh once again.

“I WANT YOU TO FUCK ME DADDY.” Eunji moans at the top of her lungs.

With a triumphant smile, you slam your dick into her wet pussy. Her needy screams bounce off the walls of her bedroom as her cunt clings to your shaft. No longer caring about pacing or domination, your goal is just to fuck Eunji as hard as you can. You slap both of her ass cheeks with your hands and squeeze them aggressively. The soft sensation of her skin fills your hands as her gigantic ass heaves with every thrust.

“Harder, daddy.” Eunji begs desperately.

As you mercilessly piston inside her, you’re honestly surprised at the role reversal from Eunji. Not twenty minutes ago she was so confident and demanding, relishing the control she had over you. Now here she is, frantically begging for your cock and arousing you in a way you’ve never experienced. You slide your hands off her ass and tightly squeeze her hips as you pound away at her cunt. Her slick walls cling to your cock, tugging and pulling along your shaft. Your breathing starts to hasten as you become more aggressive with every thrust.

“Fuck. You’re so fucking deep. Keep fucking me just like this daddy.” Eunji whines needily.

With no intention of stopping, you continue your violent thrusting into her pussy. The harshness of your animalistic slams takes its toll on Eunji as she collapses onto her elbows. Bending over her back as you ram into her, you feel yourself losing control as her plump ass continues to ripple and jiggle against your waist. You frantically ram your dick into her depths, pumping into her with all the strength and speed you can. The immense pressure from Eunji’s hot cunt intensifies and you know you don’t have much time left. You decide to take your final thrusts and punish her one last time. Suddenly stopping your thrusts, you smile as she turns around.

“Why did you stop? I’m almost there.” She whines.

Eunji squirms on your cock, desperately trying to bring herself to orgasm.

“So am I. I want you to beg me for it. Beg me for my cum.” You demand.

“Please fuck me. Fill me with your fucking cum daddy.” She cries out.

“Well, since you asked so nicely.”

You slam into the depths of her cunt. It only takes a few more thrusts into her heavenly body to bring you close to the edge again. The entire situation is a perfect storm of ecstasy. The tightness of her drenched pussy as her velvety walls tug on your cock. Her enormous ass crashing and rippling against your waist. The cacophony of her needy moans combined with the sounds of both of your flesh slapping into each other. With all the strength you can muster, you give one final violent thrust as your tip throbs against the ceiling of her cunt.

Your combined moans fill the bedroom as the feeling of ecstasy overwhelms the tip of your dick. A mixture of fluids fills her cunt as her juices soak your shaft. At the same time, thick streams of cum erupt out of your cock, flooding into the deepest parts of Eunji’s pussy. With a shrill moan, her body trembles violently against yours, her tight walls constricting your cock. Her cunt tightens hungrily around your dick, trying to pull as much semen out of you as you have in you. The two of you slowly begin to wind down from orgasm as several blasts of your seed surge into her cunt. One final ropey stream of semen spurts out of your cock and you both collapse onto the bed. Your cock slipping out of her, you watch as a monstrous amount of cum flows out of Eunji’s pussy. She turns and gives you a smile as she uses her fingers to push it back inside her.

“That was amazing, rookie.” She says, still trying to catch her breath.

“You felt so fucking incredible, Eunji.” You pant as you position yourself so you’re lying next to her.

With another smile, Eunji leans in and finally gives you the kiss you were so desperate for earlier. Her soft lips gently press against yours. You feel yourself start to stiffen again, but just as you go to stick your tongue in her mouth, she pulls away. She gives you a teasing smile and you both know you’re thinking the same thing. The two of you take a small reprieve to get up and grab your cellphones. After you both send a message, you smile at each other before quickly returning to bed.

You swore the elevator ride was never this long. Thoughts flood your mind as you nervously tap the outside of your pants pockets. You’re anxious about Seungyeon’s reaction. While you clearly didn’t flat out say it, between the timing and your position title, it’s extremely obvious that you and Eunji called out yesterday to fuck all day. The second you step off the elevator, you can feel it in the air. A tension so heavy that it’s almost suffocating. As you walk into the lobby, every fiber of your being screams at you to run. Turning the corner and stepping into the office; you see Seungyeon waiting for you, the anger radiating off her body. You swallow nervously, figuring that she’s angry that Eunji and you missed work yesterday to fuck all day. Before you can say anything, Seungyeon storms up to you and pushes a piece of paper into your chest.

“Box up your things.” She says in a firm tone, trying to hide just how angry she actually is.

You’re shocked. You miss one day and she’s firing you? As your mind races, you go to speak but nothing comes out. Seungyeon reads the confusion on your face and her expression softens slightly from worry.

“You’re not fired. Report to the 14th floor. Your temporary transfer to the acting department has been finalized. You’ll be there for two months for training.”

A sigh of relief rushes out of your mouth. You’re not fired. Not yet anyway. You quickly pack up your things and leave your desk. Upon returning to the lobby, you turn for one last look before you report to your new posting. After a quick glance, you turn the corner again. Stepping onto the elevator, you quietly press the button for the 14th floor. As you slowly climb to the 14th floor, you reflect on everyone’s reactions. Eunji and Hyejeong didn’t appear to be bothered at all and Mina was too busy trying to reach her deadline. Seungyeon was the only one that showed any kind of emotion about your transfer. Before you can process what that means, the doors ding and you’re greeted by a beautiful woman you’ve seen countless times on the screen. A sleek black skirt clings to her hips as a tight white button-up hugs her sizable chest. She gives you a teasing smile upon seeing you stare at her body.

“Hi there. Welcome to the acting department. I’m Han Bo Reum and I’ll be in charge of your training. I look forward to getting to know you.”

[datleggy]

I need both of your “surprise Buck was/is pregnant with Eddie’s baby and they find out because Chris finds him” anons to finish their drabbles. I need the Buddie confrontation scene with all the angst and betrayal from both sides. (Meanwhile Chris happily keeps his baby brother occupied and whispers about how he’s gonna parent trap their dads.) Please and thank you.

he anon sent more and here it is! it's wonderful, pls read!! <3

ANON: As the anon who your last ask was talking about might I just say I am sobbiiiinnnnnggggggg 😭😭😭 that was so good omg but ALSO now I have an addition to my earlier blurb 👀👀👀

Eddie is frantic, from the moment Buck called to now. Let's rewind a bit though, for context.

After running into Buck in Austin, they did meet up, without Chris, to talk. Buck had Eddie meet him at his new fire house, which. Hurt? It hurt, in a weird way that Eddie couldn't quite place at first, but he realizes now what he was feeling; jealousy that Buck has moved on and seems so comfortable here, longing for Buck to return to them, to the 118 (if he's being honest though, it's him he wants Buck to return to more than anything, but that's hardly fair after everything), regret that he treated Buck so poorly that the other man not only felt he couldn't tell him about the baby, but that he felt he had to move states.

Eddie met him there regardless, though, because ultimately it was Buck's choice. Eddie was grateful Buck chose to talk to him at all, so he wasn't going to argue over the chosen venue.

They met up, and they talked, and Buck confirmed that the baby he was carrying was Eddie's. He was in shock at the confession, upset for the first few moments, even. And it showed on his face, because the next thing Eddie knew, Buck was backing away from him, arms crossed over his stomach and tears running down his face, begging Eddie not to try and take his baby from him.

"I know I shouldn't have ke-kept this from y-you, but Eddie pl-please! He's all I h-ha-have left, I won't make it if you t-take h-him!" Eddie was shocked, and horrified at Buck's words. It took him a few minutes to calm him down, and weeks of slowly increased communication between the two of them (and Christopher, of course) before Eddie was able to convince Buck that he wasn't planning on trying to gain custody of the baby. He had explained that, yes, he wanted to be in their son's life, wanted Chris to be in his brother's life, but he wouldn't do anything to hurt Buck anymore then he already has.

It took almost the remainder of the pregnancy, but they were finally close to where they had been before everything went to shit. Not that they were lovers again, Eddie doesn't think either of them are ready for that, and Buck agrees, but they were on the fast track to becoming best friends again.

So of course he's the first person Buck calls when he goes into labor.

"I'm sorry, you're what?"

"In labor," Buck says sheepishly over the phone. "Or at least, I think I am? I mean, I'm three days overdue so I doubt these are practice contractions, but I guess there's always the possibility, and oh my god if I called you at 3 in the morning because of practice contractions, Eddie, I am so sorry oh god--" he can hear Buck working himself into a panic attack, so he cuts in.

"Hey hey, none of that. Even if these are Braxton Hicks or whatever they're called, I'm glad you called me. We agreed we would be in this together, right?" There's a pause on the other line before Buck speaks.

"Yeah. Together."

Eddie smiles at the soft tone of Buck's voice, and he can picture him perfectly in his mind's eye as though he were there in front of Eddie. Sitting at the end of his bed, both hands framing his belly (which has gotten big since the first time they ran into each other three months ago, the doctors estimating that the baby is somewhere between 8 and 9 pounds, which Buck was Not Pleased to hear, and blames Eddie for, especially when he found out that Chris was nearly 8 pounds when he had been born), and tears in his eyes despite the smile on his face at the prospect of meeting their baby soon.

Eddie takes a deep breath to steady his own racing heart and asks "So, what do you want to do?"

"Huh?"

Eddie can't help the breathless laugh that leaves him, every passing moment feeling more and more surreal as he realizes that /this is happening/. He's going to be a father for a second time, he and Buck are having a baby together and they're going to meet him soon.

"Do you want me with you, Buck? Because I can leave now, fly down there and be with you when he's born. Or we can stay on the phone, or you can FaceTime me. Whatever you wanna do, babe." The endearment leaves his mouth before he can stop it, but he doesn't try to back track.

"I--" Buck cuts himself off with a cry, more surprised then in pain, but Eddie still hates the sound. He starts to wonder, if Buck wants him there, will Eddie even be able to face seeing him in that amount of pain? He'll do it, of course he will, he would do anything for Buck and their boys, but god it might just break him. This isn't about Eddie, though.

"Breathe, baby. Deep breaths, just like in those classes TK took you to." Everytime he and Buck talk, the other man has stories either related to the baby, or related to his new family. Sometimes even both, like when he told Eddie about the Lamaze classes Buck's friend TK took him to, highly recommended from when TK went himself with his boyfriend Carlos leading up to their son being born. Eddie couldn't help but feel that ugly, burning jealousy, but he tried to sound as happy as possible over the phone. Buck wouldn't appreciate the jealousy, since Eddie lost out on what they could have been thanks to his own anger and mistreatment of Buck.

A few moments pass before Buck comes back on. "That hurt," he says with a small, pained laugh. Eddie can't tell if he wants to cry, punch something, or both, but he tamps those feelings down.

"I know, I know. But you've got this, Buck. You're gonna kick labor's ass, right?"

"Right," Buck responds weakly.

"Damn right, right. You're so strong, Buck. There isn't anything you can't do, and nothing you won't do for your kids. You've got this." He hears Buck take a deep breath, steeling himself.

"Yeah... yeah! I've got this. I've got this!" That golden retriever enthusiasm is back in full force, and Eddie grins.

Buck announces that he's going to start packing some stuff and getting his things together, so Eddie will be in speaker phone. For the next few minutes, Eddie listens to Buck ramble off random facts about babies and labor between verbalizing his hospital bag checklist. He hums in the appropriate places to show he's listening, asks clarifying questions so Buck knows Eddie isn't bored or just humoring him. Before too long, Eddie can tell that Buck has picked the phone back up, removing it from speaker phone.

"Hey, Eds?" His voice is quieter, more subdued then it has been for most of their time in the phone.

"Yeah, Buck?" His own voice is soft, curious but undemanding.

"I-- you said, earlier, that you would-would come down, if that's what I wanted? Like, to be here when the baby is born." Eddie feels his heart start to race in his chest, not sure if he's eager to hear Buck's decision or dreading it.

"I did," he confirms anyway, wanting Buck's comfort more than anything else.

"... Is that offer still on the table? You coming down here, I mean." Eddie can feel his breath catch in his chest, and he realizes that, yeah, he was eager to know what Buck wanted him to do. He feels like jumping into the air and cheering, knowing Buck wants him by his side as he delivers their baby boy into the world.

"I can leave in ten minutes, and be with you in four, five hours at the most." His response is almost immediate, and Buck laughs on the other end of the line. "Is that what you want, Buck? Me to be there, with you?" Eddie hears a sniffle and he knows Buck is in the verge of crying.

"I-- is that alright? I don't-- I can't do this alone, Eddie. I know I have everyone from the 126 here, and all of them would sit with me through this in a heartbeat, but... I need it to be you that's here with me. I want you to be here when our son is born, want you to cut the cord, be one of the first to hold him, all of it. I... I need /you/." And how could Eddie ever say no to that?

"Give me a few minutes to pack a bag and make some calls, okay? I'll call you right back, and before you know it, I'll be right beside you, holding your hand and letting you break as many fingers as you want." Buck gives a wet chuckle and agrees, but both men have a hard time saying goodbye, even if it will only be for a few minutes.

"I'll see you soon, Buck, okay? I swear."

"Yeah, I know you will, I know. I'm just nervous, is all. Having you here, even just over the phone, it helps. So much, Eddie." He knows what he means. Hearing Buck's cheerful voice after a long day never fails to make Eddie feel better, make him feel that no matter what, everything will be alright. He can only imagine how much better things will feel for the both of them once they can actually see each other, touch each other.

"I know exactly what you mean. I'll be there soon, okay? I'll call you back in a second and you can tell me more statistics about babies born in cars, or whatever." Buck snorts a laugh and Eddie smiles at the sound.

"I swear to God if you jinx this and I end up giving birth on the highway, I will kill you." They laugh together, but Eddie knows now that he has to get things in order if he wants to be with Buck ASAP. Neither man wants to say goodbye.

"I'll be with you soon, Evan."

"Yeah, okay. Eddie, I-I..." Eddie waits patiently for whatever Buck was going to say. His heart hammers in his chest.

"... Be safe, Eddie." He can't help the bitter feeling of disappointment that floods through him, but he returns the sentiment, regardless.

They hang up, and for a moment, Eddie simply sits on his bed, head in his hands. All he wanted to do as they said their goodbyes was to tell Buck that he loved him. He doesn't feel like he's earned the right to say that to him yet, though. He has to earn it.

With that in mind, he starts packing a bag, calling Hen to see if she and Karen would be able to babysit Chris while Eddie is in Texas.

Dhdhjajsiejsj so sorry about that again, hope you enjoy (and thanks again to that person who sent that other ask, bc that was an amazing blurb they sent 😌) 😭😭😭

[missluthorwillseeyounow]

Part III Wed By Candlelight (The Portrait of the Secret Bride)

Supercorp The Corpse Bride AU

Part I, Part II , AO3

EPILOGUE

The lush verdancy of the countryside unfurls itself on the road in front of Kara, and she rolls down the windows of her rental car to let the fresh air in. A deep inhale brings the smells of grass and earth, and Kara smiles to herself.

It's Kara's second day here. She'd gotten in late from her flight and she'd spent most of yesterday in her hotel room, jet-lagged and feeling barely human. The long flight, the bustle of the city, and the general fatigue that accompanies travel had settled on her and she'd allowed herself one day to recover in bed. 

She would take longer to recuperate, maybe do some sightseeing in the city -- but honestly, she'd been too excited. So despite still feeling the effects of jet lag like a bad hangover, she'd taken her rented Subaru and set off for the countryside. 

Alex would probably laugh at her impatience, but this moment has been two years in the making, Kara can hardly be blamed for being unable to wait.

Two years. Since the last time she'd dreamed about ghosts from the past. And in those two years, it's almost all she's been thinking about.

The book is almost finished.

For two years, Kara has been writing her family's secret legacy. Each page has been a loving chronicle of Lena and her Kara's story.

She's taken some liberties, of course. There are no records of what happened that fateful night, and the full story only lives in Kara's memories now. No one else knows, and apart from the portrait of Lena inside the locket around Kara's neck, there's no proof that this had even happened.

But it did. And now, it just needs an ending.

For the past two years, Kara has been combing through references, records, centuries-old documents to find information on the Luthor family. The last of the line were Lex and Lena, and the name had ended with them. With their deaths, the fortune had dissipated -- and of course, the home had been transformed by her ancestor and now belongs to Kara's family.

But Kara has something in her memories that records don't have.

Something Lex had said to Lena had wormed its way into Kara's mind all these years, and it still hasn't left.

“You’ve never been poisoned before, have you, little sister? Well, I have. Arsenic has a very mild odor. Usually, one would never recognize it, but I know because my bitch of a wife put it in my drink the night she left me, sneaking off like a frightened little rat, just like you were planning to.”

As loathe as she had been to recall Lex Luthor or his caustic words, once she remembered it, a theory had planted itself in Kara's brain, and it had taken hold.

All the records said that Lex had brought infamy to the family for killing his wife and child. But if Lex's wife had managed to escape him, then she may well have survived. And if she had, what happened to her baby? Was she able to take the child with her? If so, where did they go? What happened to them?

It's taken two years of careful research -- fueled by Kara's dedication to telling Lena's story, and her own natural curiosity -- to find out. Tracking down Lex Luthor's wife to her hometown, sifting through various names she might have used and tracking down descendants, finding exciting leads, and coming up against numerous dead ends.

And then three months ago, she'd finally tracked down a doctor living in the small town Kara’s heading to now, who -- if her theories are correct -- could be a long-lost descendant of Lex Luthor. 

Kara had contacted her, explaining as much as she could about her book without totally freaking this stranger out. The doctor was very interested in hearing Kara's story -- if a little skeptical at first. She had been polite enough in her earlier emails, but the more Kara told her about the story, the more intrigued she became. And the stronger Kara’s conviction that her theories were correct became as well.

And now four months and a whole barrage of emails between them later, Kara's finally about to meet her.

Kara spies the charming little mailbox on the side of the road, and knows she's at the right place. She steers the rented Subaru into the road beyond it and curiously surveys the place. 

As she turns the corner, she finds the picturesque cottage, half-hidden by ivy climbing up its walls and a small grove of blackthorn and aspen trees. Rows of bright little sea-lavender blooms line the walkway. A lovely tabby cat perched on the wall licking its paws completes the delightful picture.

Once she's parked, Kara self-consciously straightens her appearance. The fresh air helped with the jet lag a bit, but she still looks exactly like she got off a ten-hour flight. 

She lets out an exasperated sigh as she straightens her button-up and tries to flatten her hair from where it had been blown all over her face during the ride. When she's satisfied, she takes a deep breath and approaches the door to ring the bell.

Kara is fiddling with her glasses as she waits -- a nervous habit -- and when the door opens, she nearly snaps them clean in half. She chokes as she gets her first sight of the doctor. "H-Hello."

"Yes?" The face on the other side of the door wrinkles slightly in confusion and concern at her tone and the expression of utter shock that Kara is wearing right now.

It's the same face in the locket resting over Kara's heart, nearly identical at first glance -- from the sharp angle of her jaw to the high forehead to the clear viridian eyes. It's as if the portrait has come to life right in front of Kara's eyes two hundred years later.

She feels an odd sensation in her chest that she can’t quite understand -- it’s at once a sting and a balm. It's been two years since Kara's seen that face outside of lines and brush strokes on a old memento.

But the longer Kara stares, the more she notices the differences. This woman's face is slightly rounder, her features just a degree softer, and she has a scar near her right eye.

The woman inches slightly away, and Kara realizes she's been staring at her for a full thirty seconds without saying anything. "Sorry. Y-you're Dr. Kieran?"

Kara almost wants to laugh, because of course this is Dr. Kieran. Of course Lex Luthor's last living descendant has his sister's face. Wherever that bastard is, he must surely be rolling in his grave.

"Oh, you're Kara Danvers!"

The woman's voice trills over a small laugh, and Kara can't help but stare more. Hearing her own name in that voice is so strange but delightful in a way that makes Kara shiver. That voice is familiar -- yet somehow lighter and more melodic than that of the woman Kara had met two years ago. The voice of a woman who didn't live under the shadow of the Luthor name, who didn’t spend so many years alone and nearly-forgotten. 

"It's lovely to meet you." The woman opens the door wider and extends a hand toward Kara. "Please, call me Lena."

Something pings inside Kara at the name, and she takes the woman's hand with a smile she can’t contain.

"Hello, Lena. I'm so happy to finally meet you. I have so much to tell you."

_________

by SorrowsFlower

I had a note to myself that said “This is the year we finish fics, bitch! Yeah!” and actually 3 fics (out of my 8 SG fics) finished this year ain’t bad.

I’m optimistically making this into a series in the hopes that I can actually write the other scenes I thought up for this AU that didn’t make it in the fic.

[tchallasbabymama]

Make it Better

Heyyy y’all! Here’s Ch 8 of Playlist. Check out my masterlist HERE to catch up and read my other stories. This is a long one....

Check out the actual Playlist HERE

Word count: ~10k

CW: Smut

“What?!” K’Hari yelled at his only child as she cried at the kitchen table. Tamala had sat both of her parents down to tell them the news and so far her father was not taking it well. “Say that one more time so I know I understood you. You’re what now?”

“I’m calling off the wedding,” she said through her tears.

“What happened, busi?” her mama asked softly as her baba continued to seethe next to her.

“What happened doesn't matter, Aja. What matters is your daughter has lost her fucking mind if she thinks-”

“Baba, he loves someone else!” Tamala yelled as K’Hari’s eyes rolled in exasperation. “He’s always loved someone else.” She hung her head and berated herself for not seeing it sooner when her mother’s hand reached out to tip her chin upwards to meet her gaze.

“Sithandwa, he could learn to love you,” Aja said softly while using her other hand to wipe the tears from her daughter’s eyes.

Tamala moved away from her mother and looked at her in horror. 

“I thought you would be on my side! He doesn't love me, mama, and he never will. He said so himself...he only loves her.”

“Who is this elusive love of his?” K’Hari’s voice took on a sinister tone.

“H-her name is Ashanti, she's from the Merchant Tribe-”

“Owns an art store?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Y-yes, how did you know?”

K’Hari sighed and his head fell back. He should have known all along.

“She’s the girl that got herself kidnapped by Princess Zenzi, but the king never said why she was the target. Demethi!” He struck the table, shocking Aja and Tamala. “Does he still see her?”

“No,” Tamala sniffled, “I put the fear of Bast in her and told her I would have her exiled if she contacted him again. It must have worked, I’ve never seen T’Challa so angry before.”

“Did he hurt you?” 

“No, mama, not physically anyway. He told me...he told me I would be his queen but she would always have his heart and that this was just an arrangement. What does that even mean?!” Tamala broke down crying as her parents gave each other a look.

K’Hari and Aja Obu had wanted nothing more than for their daughter to marry well, so when the opportunity to have her marry the king presented itself they took it. In council meetings K’Hari and several of the other elders voiced their concerns about the king not being married. He would always brush it off until K’Hari had the idea to align himself with the Border tribe and not allow his immigration proposal to pass. He knew the king would want to speak with him one-on-one about it, and during their meeting he insinuated that his vote could be bought if the king would marry his daughter. Three birds, one stone. They didn’t expect the king to be so cruel and tell Tamala about their deal though. 

There was a long silence as K’Hari shook his head frantically at his wife, knowing she was on the verge of telling Tamala everything.

“Busi-”

“Aja, no-”

“Thula! This was all your idea anyway,” she snapped and K’Hari shrunk into himself. Aja wiped Tamala’s tears and held both of her hands. “Honey, your father made a deal with the king-”

“What kind of deal?” she asked through her stuffy nose and freefalling tears.

“My dear, I-” he cut himself off with a sigh. He never imagined his plan going south, so he had hoped that he would be able to get away with not telling her what he did, but all of that got thrown out the window the minute she showed up at their house in tears. “I made a deal with the king. He wants to open Wakanda even further to the Lost Tribe and allow them to immigrate here. It is a good proposal, but I split the vote and convinced Hodari of the Border Tribe to follow my lead. The king came to speak with me about it and well, uh, long story short I promised him my and Hodari’s votes if he would take you as queen. I knew how important his proposal was to him, and how the rest of the council had been pushing him to find a wife. It was the perfect plan.”

“No it wasn’t! You used me! And mama, you knew about it!” She snatched her hands away from her mother and stood from the table.

“Busi, we-”

“No! You basically sold me to the king! Actually, nevermind, because in order to sell something the buyer has to actually want it! You pushed me onto him and you thought that was ok? You thought I wouldnt eventually find out?!” She quickly gathered her things and ignored her parents’ protests as she stormed out of their home.

Tamala had nowhere she could go and be alone away from everybody, so she retreated to her temporary quarters in the palace. She stayed in there for a week, only letting kitchen staff in and out, but she was upset even more by the fact that nobody came to check on her wellbeing. She already knew she wasn’t wanted by the king, but it wasn’t until then that she realized how much the rest of the royal family never seemed to like her either. She knew she could be abrasive at times, but for them to be so cold? Then it dawned on her that they must have all thought she was involved in her father’s schemes.

“I wouldn’t like me either.” she mused to herself and decided she would go set the record straight at breakfast. 

The next morning Tamala was so anxious that she almost couldn’t make it in time, but she was able to pull herself together at the last minute. She emerged from her room and made the long walk to the elevators that would take her down to the dining area. The butterflies in her stomach flew faster and faster the closer she got, and she was sure other people could hear her heart beating out her chest. By the time she reached the door she had forced herself to calm down again, knowing that what she had to do required a clear head and an unwavering disposition. 

The palace guards opened the doors for her and when she saw them she immediately lost all of the confidence she had worked so hard to build. She had expected to just see the four of them there, but for the first time since she moved into the palace a month ago they had several guests at the table as well. 

M’Baku and his chieftess Shani were seated next to each other across from Queen Mother and Shuri. N’Jadaka sat next to his little cousin with Okoye to his left. It was her off day so they had invited her to join them for breakfast. Her ex-husband W’Kabi was nowhere to be seen, but instead there were two colonizers at the table next to M’Baku. One that looked like a human version of a golden retriever and the other seemed to be part robot. The empty seat at the foot of the table was her only option, so she sat down and tried to drum up the courage to make her announcement.

“Tamala, we have barely seen you this week,” Ramonda remarked, without looking up from her food, only partially interested in her response.

Tamala cleared her throat and when everyone reluctantly turned to look at her she locked eyes with the king. She could still feel how cold and detached he was towards her, which only solidified her decision.

“I needed some time to myself, to think. I have decided to...to call off the wedding.” Everyone was shocked. They all knew of the arrangement since they had each cornered T’Challa at some point to try to talk sense into him. None of them liked Tamala. She was rude, she was entitled, and she had a jealous streak that rubbed them all the wrong way. Worst of all, they thought she was only with T’Challa because she wanted the throne. “I didn’t know about my father’s plan, but I do now and I can’t go through with it. I can’t spend my life with someone who doesn’t love me.”

She kept her eyes on T’Challa and saw his face fall when he found out she was unaware of her father’s plan. He immediately felt bad for what he said to her when he realized her feelings for him were real.

“Tamala, I-”

“I know. You thought I was after the title. I wasn’t, but my father was.”

“That still doesn’t excuse what I said to you.”

“No, it doesn't, but I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes.”

A silence fell over them and she looked around at the guilty faces surrounding the table.

“Did all of you know?”

Everyone nodded or grumbled their response and she felt even more embarrassed knowing that everyone knew it was a lie but her. She sat back in her chair in disbelief.

“If it helps, that’s not the only reason we didn’t like you,” N’Jadaka stage whispered to her from across the table. Shuri and M'Baku snickered as Ramonda reached behind Shuri’s chair to hit her nephew upside his head. 

“That does help, thank you N’Jadaka,” Tamala said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. 

“Could someone fill me in on what just happened?” the blonde colonizer, Steve, asked of his friends after another silence filled the table.

“I got you, man. So basically T’s been trying to make it so Black people can move to Wakanda, but her daddy is head of the Mining tribe and won’t let it go through unless he marries her.”

“What happens to the proposal now? Will he still block it from going through?” Okoye asked.

They all turned to look at Tamala.

“I-I don’t know.”

“Have you told your father about your decision?” Shani added.

“Yes, a week ago.”

“So you decided to wait until the wedding was damn near upon us to let us know?” Queen Mother was getting a headache. “Come with me after you finish eating, we have to call the press and cancel all the vendors and-”

“Mama, I will handle whatever needs to be done. Tamala has been through enough in regards to the wedding.” Ramonda wanted to argue with her son, but she knew he was doing the right thing.

“Very well then,” she gave in.

“So what are you gonna do now?” Bucky asked Tamala and everyone’s ears perked up in curiosity. 

“I’m not sure, but I definitely can’t go back to my parents’ after this.”

“That is understandable. You are welcome to stay as long as you need to.” T’Challa said across the table.

“Thank you, T’Challa.”

“It is the least I can do.”

-------

With three weeks left until the wedding, Ashanti was finally leaving for her month-long trip to New Orleans. She had purchased a cell phone and linked her beads to the archaic device so she wouldn’t have to use them in public. She had done her research on the city and even though her itinerary mostly involved just letting her creative juices flow, there were a few things she knew she had to see and do before she left.

When Chidi and Bisa dropped her off at Wakanda International they were still a little uneasy about Ashanti’s plan. She had never left Wakanda before, but here she was flying across the globe by herself to a city where she doesn’t have any friends or even extended family to look out for her, but they were supportive because they knew it was her dream. When she was young she always wanted to explore the world, but Wakanda was still closed to the outside so she let the idea slip away. She thought the only way she’d get to see it is if she became a War Dog, but Ashanti never had any interest in being a spy. Now her dream was finally coming true, and despite the anxiety twisting her stomach she couldn’t be more excited. 

Her flight only took about 7 hours on the Wakandan jet, and when she touched down and stepped out of the airport she was met with the wet heat of the southern United States. The temperature wasn’t too different from what she was used to, but the humidity made her feel like she was under water. She summoned a Lyft and people-watched as she waited for it to arrive.

She was relieved when it finally pulled up, looking forward to what she hoped would be an air conditioned ride.

“How’s it going ma’am?”

“Hi, uh, it’s good. André, right? How are you?”

“Yes ma’am. Here picking up,” he looked at his phone for confirmation, “Ashanti, but uh, I’ve had better days. Where you from? I hear your accent.”

“Do you hear yours?” she asked playfully as she slid into the back seat while he put her bags in the trunk. He laughed and the warmth of it brought a smile to her face. “I’m from Wakanda.”

“Ohhhhh, Wakanda huh? What made you leave paradise?” He asked as he plopped into the driver seat and closed the door.

“It’s not a paradise.”

“For those of us out here it is.” He looked at her through the rear view mirror for just a second. Her face fell, forgetting how privileged she was to grow up where she did. She had been so focused on getting away from the king that she forgot just how beautiful her homeland could be. “You should be careful out here, I’m sure it’s pretty different than what you’re used to. Crazy folks out here...you going down to Bourbon at any point?”

“Most likely, I’ll be here a while.”

“Hm. Well if you do please, please be careful chère. People get real stupid when they drink.”

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind. Are you from here?”

“Born and raised. I moved up to Memphis for a while, but came right back. Always on the Mississippi though. What brought you here? You don't seem like the partying type and judging by all that luggage you’re planning to stay for a while.”

She sighed, not sure if she should get into it with her driver, but decided there was no harm in talking to him. 

“My ex is getting married and I just needed to get away for a while.”

“Still love him?” he looked at her through the mirror again and she looked back at him before nodding.

“Yeah I do, it’s complicated…”

“Sounds like it. I been there though. My babymama moved on a couple years ago and I still ain't over it. He’s a nice guy though so I can’t be too mad about it. As long as my girls are taken care of, that’s what matters.”

Ashanti listened and nodded along, watching the city pass by as they drove down the interstate to her new temporary neighborhood. She knew they had arrived when he turned off the exit and she saw a mural painted along a wall that read “Tremé” in colorful letters. They drove a few more blocks before André stopped the car in front of a house with a colorful, plant filled fenced-in courtyard. There was a fat tabby cat lounging in the walkway by an adorable little iron bistro set. Before getting out of the car she used her iphone to review the instructions the host sent her, then she swung the door open, ready to see her living space in person. André grabbed her bags out of the trunk and placed them on the sidewalk for her.

“Could you help me carry them in?” she asked of her Lyft driver who turned to look at her like she was crazy.

“Ma’am, you sure are trusting. I’ll help you, but you can’t be out here just letting people in your place like that.”

Ashanti blushed, she hadn’t even thought of the danger she was putting herself in and she was thankful that André seemed like a good man. He brought her bags into the living room and took a look around, whistling at the sight. 

“I’ve never actually gotten a look inside one of these new Air Bnb’s, these are niiiice. Ruining the neighborhood though, but what can you do?”

“How is it ruining the neighborhood?”

André chuckled a little at her naivety before concern crept up on him, too. This girl had let him into her home, alone, and he wondered what other stupid things she might get into.

“You know, how about I show you around. I’ll be your personal chauffeur while you’re here. For a fee, of course.”

“Of course. That sounds like a good idea...ok lets do it.” 

“Great, did you want to settle in or go out now? I can run some quick errands while you rest up”

“I’ll be hungry in about a couple hours. Come back then?”

“You got it miss lady, see you later,” he turned to leave the house but turned back with a serious look on his face. “Make sure you keep these doors locked, you seem like the type to just keep them open.” 

“I will.”

He squinted at her, not believing a word she said.

“I said I will, Bast!”

“You better,” he pointed at her as he closed the door behind him.

She plopped on the couch and she was thankful to have the space all to herself, but the vibe was quickly ruined by him yelling at her from outside.

“Lock the door Ashanti!”

She scrambled from her spot and locked the door.

“Happy now?” she shouted at him.

“Thank you!” she heard him say right before the car door closed and he drove off. 

She was finally alone and could really feel the energy of the place. It would be perfect for her little artist getaway. The south facing windows let in so much natural light that she wouldn't even need to turn the lights on during the day. She had already scoped out where she would set up her easel, and she made a mental note to ask André about art supply stores since she could only bring so much on the plane.

She made her way to the bedroom and plopped down on the bed, testing its softness. Once she was satisfied she rolled off and went to the bathroom to set up her toiletries. When she opened the door she was thrown back in time to when T’Challa first invited her to his quarters after their first date. The monstera in the corner and the ivy draping down the walls reminded her of what she always called his “jungle chic bathroom”, but she quickly shook the thought out of her head. She stripped down and stared at herself in the mirror as the water heated up, but ran back to her suitcase to grab her kimoyo beads. They were synched to her phone, but she thought the sound quality was better on the beads.. 

“Hey Kim, play music.”

How do you mend when you worlds apart?

Ooh, carry on

Ooh, from the start

Somehow, we fell in love, then fell right out of touch

And ooh, that was hard

But ooh, here we are

And it's easier to walk away

Than to look for what would make you stay

“Next song please.” she grumbled, not in the mood for a love song. Thankfully the next song was anything but. 

“There’s some whores in this house, there’s some whores in this house…,” she sang along loudly while scrubbing down.

When she was finished she got out and did her usual routine before laying down to take a nap until André came back. When he did, she was excited to see that he brought gumbo. 

“I wasn’t sure if you were too tired to go out or not. Either way, this’ll heat up pretty good tomorrow. I made a big pot yesterday, figured you’d like some authentic ‘Nawlins’ cuisine.”

Her eyes lit up and she dug right in, obviously hungrier than either of them thought she would be.

“Mmm, this is amazing. You made this?” she asked, having yet another flashback to her first date with T’Challa. 

“Sho did, my daddy’s recipe.”

“Well tell your daddy I said thank you.”

“Tell him yourself. We having a fish fry this weekend, you should swing by. His place is just a few blocks from here.”

“I’ll be there! It’s not like I have any real plans or anything.”

“Yeah, what you gonna do while you're here?”

“Walk around, explore, paint, take in some sights, do some touristy things.”

“Let me guess, voodoo museum and cemetery tour?”

“That’s on the list, yeah.”

“Nah, my granny can probably tell you all that better than some tourist trap.”

“Will she be there this weekend?”

“Oh she never missed a fish fry in all her 79 years.”

Ashanti laughed

“Good. So about our chauffeur situation, how about $2,000 a week?”

He stared at her in disbelief.

“What? I’m sorry, is that too low? I’m not good with the conversion rate-”

“No that’s way more than I been making, you got yourself a deal. Hell I’ll be your protection detail too if you need it.”

She giggled a little bit and finally felt her shoulders relax. As much as she knew she needed this trip, it scared her to be so alone so far from home, but André’s warm aura made her feel safe in his presence. As far as she could tell, he was a Bast-send.

The two stayed in for the night, talking and getting to know each other until André left around 9. Ashanti locked up behind him and carried herself up to bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

-------

The king chose to take the day to himself, and he decided to spend it the same way he spent his favorite off-day, with Ashanti at her shop. She had to have seen the news by now and known the wedding was off, but she was still not answering his calls. He grew concerned and decided to use his day off to try to make things right. 

As he walked through the market with his Dora, waving at the occasional excited passerby and stopping to talk to the children that wanted his attention, he felt lighter than he had in a while. He was finally free of Tamala and once her father’s scheming was revealed to the council, he and Hodari were replaced by their second in command. The proposal to open Wakanda to the Lost Tribe had passed and now they could start prepping for the day when their doors would truly open to the world. His plan had gone through, he wasn’t being forced into marriage, and the council had even backed off of their incessant need to marry him off. All he needed now was his lady.

Chidi was the first to see him round the corner and he waved the king over, saluting him to keep up appearances in public. 

“What are you doing here, my boy?”

“I wanted to see Ashanti, do you know if she’s in?”

“She’s been gone for about three weeks now, she needed to get away from all the wedding coverage. She’ll be back next week unless her plans have changed. She barely calls us so I have no idea. Can you believe it, my only daughter goes halfway around the world and can't even call me to say she’s alive! Don’t have kids, T’Challa, they’ll rip your heart out.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Where did she run off to?”

“New Orleans.”

“That fits her,” T’Challa smiled fondly while picturing her painting on an old balcony with jazz musicians playing down below or eating beignets and sipping coffee at Cafe Du Monde. 

“Not enough to forget about her parents, it doesn’t!” Chidi fussed, causing Bisa to stick her head out from the back. Her face lit up when she saw the king.

“Oh hi T’Challa dear.” She came out from the kitchen and gave him a hug, surprising the few customers  Zana Cafe had during the after lunch lull. 

“Bisa, a pleasure as always.”

“I’m sure he told you Ashanti is off galavanting around the world avoiding your wedding. By the way, congratulations on being single again. I could tell you hated every moment of being with that woman, she seemed too clingy for you.”

“Thank you, it is good to be single again.”

“Not for too long, I hope,” Chidi’s eyebrow raised as he stared up at the king.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good.” Chidi clapped him on the back and the king said goodbye to who he hoped would be his future in-laws.

As he crossed the street to Taj’s his nerves picked back up.

“She’s not even here man, chill out.” He spoke to himself softly and took a couple deep breaths before entering the store.

The doorway chimed every time a customer passed through, so when Zina heard it chime and  looked up she nearly dropped the beads she was sorting.

“M-my king!” She saluted him as Jafari came from the back room to see what all the commotion was about, before stopping and saluting him as well.

“Please, no need for that.”

“What can we do for you, your highness?” Jafari asked since Zina seemed to be stuck in a trance staring at the handsome king. 

“I was hoping to place a custom order.”

“The jewelry artist is out of town currently, but we can still take your order. It probably won’t be ready for another month or so. She doesn’t allow special orders to skip the line.”

“That is fine, I can wa- is your friend ok?”

Zina was still glued to the spot, staring at the king.

“Z, why don't you finish the beads in the back, I’ll handle up here.”

“Yeah. Ok, yeah, sorry, heh.” She shook herself out of it and rushed towards the back to get away from the king so she didn't embarrass herself further. 

The two men shared a knowing look and the king chuckled, used to that reaction by now. He had, after all, been fine as hell his whole life.

“So, what would you like?”

“First, I would like it to be anonymous.”

After about 30 or so minutes of finalizing the design, the king left the shop still feeling light, but now with a tinge of anxiety. He wasn’t sure how she would feel seeing him again, but the one big obstacle keeping them apart had finally been removed and he hoped she saw it that way, too. 

-------

Ashanti’s time in the Crescent City was coming to an end, and she didn’t want to say goodbye to André and the rest of the François family. She invited them to come visit her in Wakanda and she was sure at least a couple of them would actually take her up on her offer. Saying goodbye to everybody had been rough, but she was more than ready to go back home. She even said goodbye to the fat cat that laid around in her courtyard most mornings. When André dropped her off at the airport they were both misty-eyed. They had become the best of friends and he was already planning to come visit Wakanda during the summer with his daughter Désirée, who simply adored Ashanti. They hugged and kissed each other's cheeks before he sent her on her way through security.

The flight back seemed to take a whole lot longer than the flight there, but she still made it in about the same amount of time thanks to the jets being infused with Wakandan tech. As they got closer to the border, she could feel the tattoo on her inner lip start to tingle, and when they landed it finally subsided. She nearly ran off the plane when she saw her parents and roommates waiting for her at the gate, and she attacked all four of them with a giant hug.

“I missed you all so much!”

“Chile no you didn't, you barely texted me.” Kwame joked as she hit his arm.

“And you barely called us. Must have been some trip!” Chidi added.

“It was! I have tons of pictures. I met this guy who-”

“A guy?” her mother interjected, concern written on her face. Ashanti misinterpreted it as concern for her safety but she was actually concerned about the state of her and T’Challa’s possible relationship. 

“Yes, mama, a guy. He was my driver and we became friends and his family sort of took me in for the month. It was great!”

The five of them made their way to  Zana Cafe and were met with Zina and Jafari, who were both ecstatic to have their boss back.

“Bosslady! You look well-rested.” Jafari pulled her in for a hug before Zina could do the same.

“That’s because I am. I need to do the whole vacation thing more often. Travelling is so cheap thanks to the conversion rate. Did you know our money is worth five times as much as American money?”

“Can’t say I’m surprised. Why don’t you go ahead and start telling stories and I’ll bring the food out?”Chidi suggested.

Ashanti had them hanging on her every word all night long. She told them about everything, from the cemeteries to the swamps to Bourbon street to the history of Marie Laveau. She told them about the jazz musicians and what she learned about the effects of hurricane Katrina and gentrification. She told them about the François family and the kindness they showed her, and even pulled up some pictures of her work on her beads to show them.

“I’m definitely going back at some point.”

“Don't you want to go somewhere else instead?” Zina asked, stuffing her face full of food.

“I want both,” Ashanti said with a laugh. She had missed her friends and family, but wouldn't trade the last month of her life for the world.

It started getting late so Zina and Binta left to go be with their respective significant others, while the others cleaned up the table. Jafari was the next to go, and after he left the remaining three descended upon Ashanti too quickly for her comfort.

“Do you know already?” Kwame asked her suspiciously.

“Know what? You’re freaking me out.”

“About the king.”

“Why would you- I left to get away from him, I don’t want to think-”

“Intyatyambo, they called it off weeks ago,” Bisa added.

Her whole world stopped, but she was too tired to process the information they had just given her.

“I-I don't...why?”

“Nobody knows, but the king came down here looking for you the other day.” said Chidi.

“He did?!” Ashanti asked, looking to her mother for confirmation.

“He did.”

“Well, um- that’s cool I guess. I-I need to get some rest, it’s late and my brain hurts.”

“Get home safe sithandwa,” Chidi ordered.

“I will baba, bye. Bye mama.'' She hugged them both before she and Kwame drove home in his new hover car.

“So this André guy?”

“Just a friend, Kwame.”

“Ok but is he cute?”

“You know that American show you like to watch? Oh, what’s it called...Insecure! He looks like the light skinned guy on there.”

“Nathan?! Girrrrl and you didn’t hit that?”

“No, ew, he felt more like a brother.”

“Mmmhm, so you didn’t go get your groove back?”

“Meaning…?”

“Did you get that back blown out in Nola or no?”

“No.”

“Girl I swear, the wrong one of us is doing all the travelling.”

The two laughed as they entered their home and said good night before going their separate ways.

As comfortable as her bed back in New Orleans was, it pales in comparison to her bed at home. She knew not to even sit down until she was ready to pass out. She quickly showered and threw on a big t-shirt before hopping in her bed and drifting away to dreamland.

Mmm, Ashanti.

Come sit on your throne, kitten. 

Ride me just like that.

Bounce on it.

Cum on my dick.

Nah-uh, don’t fucking move, I’m cumming in this pussy. My pussy. 

“Your pussy, baby,” Ashanti whimpered in her sleep just moments before her eyes flew open. She hadn’t had a dream like that in months, now all of a sudden her body was acting crazy just because she heard he was single again. As far as she knew, the council could have another wife lined up for him so there was no need to even get excited. Apparently, nobody told her pussy that. 

She looked at the clock and was surprised it was well after 10am, until she remembered she probably had jet lag. Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knock at the door.

“Oh good you’re up, I was just checking to make sure you were breathing,” Binta joked as Ashanti threw a pillow at her from the bed. 

“I’m alive, just jetlagged. I don't think I’ve ever slept this late in my entire life.”

“Yeah girl that's why I came up here to make sure you were ok!”

“I guess it’s something I’ll have to get used to if I’m going to be travelling a lot.”

Binta sat on the end of the bed.

“You really did love it huh?”

“I did, and there are so many places to see!”

Binta laughed and was about to say something when her beads rang.

“Oop, gotta go. Mrs. Obi is going into labor, but her doula came down with a stomach bug this morning so I get to step in.”

“Good luck!” Ashanti shouted at Binta as she frantically ran down the steps to grab her work bag and go.

Ashanti sat up in bed and stretched her arms out wide before swinging her legs over the side and standing up, stretching even further. She padded her way to the bathroom and checked herself out in the mirror while brushing her teeth. She decided to shower again since last night was more of a quick rinse, so she cut the water back on and got naked. 

“Hey Kim, play music.”

How do you mend when you worlds apart?

Ooh, carry on

Ooh, from the start

Somehow, we fell in love, then fell right out of touch

And ooh, that was hard

But ooh, here we are

And it's easier to walk away

Than to look for what would make you stay

This time she was in the mood for the love song, so she allowed it to play all the way through.

Remember when we first met?

We were having so much fun

So, now, how can we both forget

Telling each other, "We're the one"?

We would make love (We would make love)

At the drop of a hat

Remember that?

(Yeah)

I remember you and me (You and me)

Close as any two can be (Two can be)

Now we're strangers in the night (Strangers)

Awkward in the tight

Oh baby, do you want to make it better?

Do you want to stay together?

Hey, if you do

Then let's please

Make some new

Memories

The song was cut off by her beads ringing. She finished rinsing off and hopped back out the shower to see who was calling her. She threw on a robe, then answered the call. She was surprised to see Zina on the other end.

“Hey Z, how’s it going?”

“Hey Shanti, so um the shop is really busy and Jafari got that stomach bug that’s going around and-”

“I’ll be there in 30, no worries. Breathe Zina.”

She took a deep breath and was able to destress a little bit.

“Sorry, I just get a little tense sometimes.”

“I understand. If it's too busy for you to handle, just close the doors and we can reopen when I get there. See you soon.”

She ended the call and searched for something to wear. She threw on a white t-shirt and colorful joggers with sneakers before grabbing her bags and heading out the door. 

When she arrived at Taj’s the customers had died down so she was able to work in the back and look through her commissions. There was one that stood out to her, it was an anonymous client who wanted a very simple necklace. They could have bought one like it at the front of the shop, but she guessed this person wanted it made just for them. Looking at her calendar and other commissions she guessed it would be ready in a  month or so, but with it being such a simple design she decided to go ahead and make it to get it out of the way.

-------

The king was surprised when Jafari called him to come pick up his order. It was way earlier than he had expected, but he would never complain about getting to see Ashanti sooner rather than later. T’Challa decided to take the day off again, and he knew his sister wouldn’t take too kindly to it so he decided to make her favorite breakfast for her. When his mother and sister rolled into their en suite kitchen, following the delicious smells wafting through the royal wing of the palace, Shuri immediately knew something was up. 

“Unyana, shouldn’t you be working?”

“Oh no. Is this a bribe?” Shuri asked, eyes scanning over the American-style breakfast and mouth watering at the fluffy golden pancakes. She wanted to stand her ground, but they called to her. T’Challa knew what he was doing. 

“Don’t think of it as a bribe, think of it as a thank you in advance,” he said with a sly smirk on his face.

“Let me go clear my schedule-” she sighed.

“No need. Already done,” he smiled at her as he shovelled scrambled eggs onto her plate.

“You’re the worst. This better be for a good reason.”

“It is.”

“Are you going to tell us what it is?” Queen Mother inquired. 

“No, not yet.” T’Challa didn’t want his family to get too excited.

“Ugh, I deserve to know since you're making me queen for a day.”

He stared at her, deciding between telling her and keeping it to himself. His decision was cut short when his kimoyo beads rang and he answered to see Nakia looking very excited.

“N’Jadaka told me everything! How did it go?”

“Oh so you told him but won’t tell us?! Your own mother and sister? Your own flesh and blood? How rude.” Shuri said, crossing her arms and giving him a look of disapproval, making him roll his eyes at her dramatics.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to start anything, I was just so excited. You know the prince can’t hold water, I don’t know why you ever tell him anything.”

“You are right as usual, umhlobo wam.”

“Well, I’ll let you go since you obviously have some explaining to do,” she looked behind T’Challa at the princess and Queen Mother who had looks of displeasure on their faces. “Call me after!” And with that she ended the call and her hologram disappeared from his hand. He took a deep breath and turned to face his family.

“So?” Ramonda asked impatiently, Shuri nodding along.

“So...I am going to see Ashanti.” He paused as their faces lit up and he couldn't help but smile, too. “I went to see her on my off day a couple weeks ago, but she was out of town. Apparently she left to avoid the wedding coverage...but she’s back now, so I took the day off to go see her.”

Their smiles were up to their ears despite the silence that followed T’Challa’s explanation.

“I haven’t seen you look this happy in a long time, unyana wam.”

“Thank you mama, I’m hoping all goes well.”

“Bast be with you, dear.”

“Ugh, I guess I’ll do your job for you. Tell my sister I said hi and I miss her!”

Ramonda smirked at her daughter’s choice of words, and T’Challa fought to keep a smile off his face.

“I’ll do just that.”

“Well, go ahead and eat so you can get out of here,”  Ramonda encouraged her son.

T’Challa chuckled at his mother’s insistence, but did what she said. He tried his best to not rush through the meal, but his excitement took over and he inhaled his breakfast before kissing Shuri and Ramonda on their foreheads and running out the door.

As soon as he left the kitchen his nerves kicked in and he decided to smoke a little something on his balcony before heading out. The royal grower had left him a nice hybrid strain, and after a couple of hits he felt calm enough to do what he needed to do. He ashed his blunt before making his way down the palace elevators and out the front entrance. 

He strolled through the city with Okoye and three other Dora, standing tall and smiling at the few other pedestrians when they caught his eye.

“You’re in a good mood today. Is it the weed or our destination?” Okoye teased him.

“Yes.” he responded and chuckled as she gave him a knowing glance. She hadn’t seen her king this happy in...well it’s been a while.

They stopped just around the corner from Taj’s and T’Challa took a deep breath before walking forward. Thankfully it was still early and the market hadn’t livened up yet, so Taj’s would most likely be empty or at the very least not busy. 

The Doras stood watch at the open doors and he stepped in, causing the chimes to ring out once again. He was met with the same smiling faces as before and he immediately deflated since he had been hoping he would get to see Ashanti.

“My king.” Zina and Jafari said in unison, saluting him in the process. 

“Hello, I received a message that my order is ready. I would love to speak with the artist if she is in.”

“Sure, I’ll go grab her. She’s just in the back working on another order, I’ll be right back,” Zina said before hopping off her stool and disappearing behind a multicolored curtain that had been dyed by children in one of their art classes.

By the time Zina reached Ashanti’s workstation, she was overflowing with excitement.

“The-anonymous-client-is-here-and-they-want-to-meet-you!” she rushed out.

“Zina, breathe. One more time, please.” Ashanti looked up from measuring the pair of pendulums that would become pearl drop earrings when she was through with them.

“Just come out front and see for yourself.”

Ashanti sighed and set down her tools, brushing off her clothes as she stood and following Zina out to the front. She figured the anonymous order was either from someone she knew or from someone of nobility from one of the tribes, but nothing had prepared her to see T’Challa standing in her shop just like he did almost two years ago. She froze on the spot when she saw him and her two employees snickered at what they assumed was her “starstruck” face, not knowing it was anything but.

“Hi.” he said softly with a smile.

“Hi. So you’re my anonymous client?” her voice softened as she took in his form. T’Challa was many things, but he was not someone who repeated outfits, yet here he was in her shop wearing the exact same clothes as the day they met.

Zina and Jafari’s jaws fell to the floor as they both realized that Ashanti knew the king.

“That I am. I hope you don’t mind, I needed a way to see you. I didn’t want to just pop up at your home, but you blocked me, so...I understand though-”

“Holy shit-” Jafari said under his breath but much louder than he anticipated, causing Zina to elbow him in his side.

“W-we’ll just be in the back,” she stuttered as she pushed Jafari into the back room to give them privacy.

There was a tense silence for a moment before T’Challa spoke.

“I heard about New Orleans. How was it?”

“It, uh, was great. I was there about a month and met some really great people. Got a lot of painting done-”

“Hm” T’challa nodded with a warm smile on his face.

“What?”

“When Chidi told me you were in New Orleans that’s exactly what I pictured you doing. You, on a balcony, painting, with Jazz musicians playing on the street below.”

“So you pictured me, huh?” she teased.

T’Challa laughed. “Yes, quite often I’m afraid,” he took a step forward. “And you? Do you still think about me?” he asked her while moving closer so that the only thing between them was the counter.

Ashanti’s heart beat faster and her palms got sweatier with every step he took.

“All the time.”

“Do you have someone special in your life?”

“No. Any more arranged marriages on your end?”

He chuckled and shook his head, “No.”

“Good.”

“Good?” 

“Mhm.”

“Ashanti,” he took a deep breath. “I really am sorry.”

“For what?”

“I should have never let you go-”

“I needed to go, T’Challa. If you had chased me I just would’ve run further away.”

“Ok,” he nodded. “However, I know that if I had to see you with another man it would tear my heart to pieces, so I am sorry from the bottom of my heart that you had to experience that pain.” His big brown eyes twinkled with sincerity and her nerves simply melted away.

“Eh, I’ve had worse,” she joked, shrugging and holding up her pinky.

The two of them stared at each other in silence with small smiles plastered on their faces.

“Ashanti,” he began as he grabbed her hand and kissed it, feeling the cold metal of her robotic pinky beneath his lips, “I know it’s been a rollercoaster, to say the least, but my heart will always be yours.”

Tears welled up in her eyes and one escaped, prompting his thumb to reach out and swipe it away.

“Please don’t cry, kitten.” he said as tears threatened to escape his eyes, too.

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“Don’t be sorry, my love.”

She looked at him in that moment and took in his face that she missed more than her heart could bear. She missed his deep dark eyes, his broad nose, his bushy yet tamed eyebrows, and that lopsided gap toothed smile. She missed scratching his beard when they kissed and oiling his scalp with him seated between her legs. She missed the little things about him and their time spent together, and she was tired of running. She was tired of letting her fear dictate her happiness. She was tired of other people standing in their way, but now there was nothing in their way but a wooden countertop.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered. 

He quickly rounded the counter and pulled her body in close, planting his lips on hers. She melted into him as they both finally let their tears fall. They stayed in that embrace for Bast knows how long, taking in the moment and reacquainting themselves with the feel of each other. 

T’Challa had missed the smell of her perfume and the pomegranate leave-in conditioner she used in her hair even more than he realized. Her soft body conformed to his and it took all of his willpower to not explore her body more, so he leaned back to untangle himself from her momentarily only to be pulled back into her embrace. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the comforting sound of his heartbeat.

“Not yet,” she whimpered as she pulled him in tighter. He chuckled and rested his chin on top of her head after placing a light kiss on her crown. He saw the curtain ruffle slightly and knew her employees were eavesdropping.

“I think we have an audience.”

“I figured.” She refused to let go. “Can we go somewhere else?”

“Anywhere you want.”

The wheels in her head turned and turned. She didn’t want to be bothered by either of their loved ones, but she wanted privacy.

“Take me back to the lake.”

“Anything for you.”

She looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye. This time it was true, he really would and could do anything for her. There was no fiancee or council standing in his way. 

“Zina, Jafari, you two can come out now,” she said as she pulled only halfway out of the king’s embrace, his arm still around her waist. Her two employees tripped over themselves from behind the curtain and emerged with guilty looks on their faces.

“I’ll be gone the rest of the day. If it gets too crazy I trust you two to handle it on your own.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Of course, bosslady.”

She momentarily left T’Challa’s warmth to grab her bag from the back before they sauntered out of Taj’s hand in hand.

-------

When you take somebody for your own

It can't survive on history alone

Meet me at the hotel, motel

Though we got a room at home

Go to a place that we don't know so well

It be nice, add a little spice

Try some new seduction

Show each other how

Give each other new instructions

On what makes us

Feel good

Now

I just wanna make you feel good now

Do you want to make it better?

Do you want to stay together?

And it's easier to run away

Than to look for what would make you stay

The music played in the background as they swayed back and forth. Her ear was planted directly over his heart again, listening as it beat in time with her own. His right hand intertwined with her left as he held her close and his chin found its home on the top of her head once more. They were both too full of emotion to speak, so they let the music do the talking for them. 

Do you want to make it better?

Do you want to stay together?

If you do

Then let's please

Make some new

Memories

Do you want to make it better?

Do you want to stay together?

If you do

Then let's please

Make some new

Memories

Do you want to make it better?

Do you want to stay together?

If you do

Then let's please

Make some new

Memories

Do you want to make it better?

Do you want to stay together?

Eventually the two of them tired of dancing and laid back in the grass talking about their time apart. When she spoke of New Orleans her face lit up, and he made a mental note to take her around the globe. The conversation turned serious about halfway through and T’Challa told her the whole truth about what happened with Tamala, even telling her of his behavior towards her.

“That poor girl.”

“I know. Had I known she was serious I wouldn’t have been so crass with her, but in my mind she was just another obstacle blocking me from you. We’ve since made up and are on good terms, but I still feel like shit about it.”

“Challa, you hold on to too much. You apologized, she accepted, and you two made up. Let it go, don’t let it eat you up inside.” She cupped his face in her hands.

He nodded in understanding and kissed her wrist, sending chills down her spine.

“How is the sobriety going?”

“It’ll be six months next week.”

“I’m proud of you, you know that?” 

“For becoming an alcoholic?” he joked.

She pinched his arm.

“No, silly. For getting a handle on it. My umalume was an alcoholic and I saw what it did to him. I’m happy you were able to get better.”

“I am too.”

They sat in another comfortable silence staring at each other until Ashanti got an idea. 

“Want to go for a swim?”

A smile slowly crept up the king’s face before he bolted up, already pulling his shirt over his head.

“I’ll take that for a yes,” Ashanti laughed. “Help me with my zipper?” She stood up and turned around, moving her beaded cornrows out of his way.

“Of course,” he said as he came up behind her and pulled her zipper all the way down, revealing a lavender lace bra and the top of what he assumed to be matching panties. “Still into lingerie, I see.”

“Oh please, like you aren’t into it too.” She looked at him over her shoulder and smirked.

“You’ve got me there’” he said with a chuckle that rumbled from deep within his chiseled chest and made her weak in her knees. Ashanti turned around and her dress dropped to the ground, revealing her almost naked body. She undid her bra and let it fall next, freeing her breasts that he loved oh so much. Last to go was her underwear, which she slowly slid down her legs before standing back up and looking him in his eyes as if to challenge him. “You’re next” her eyes said to him. 

T’Challa undid his belt buckle before unzipping his pants and pushing them to the ground. He had nothing underneath and Ashanti’s eyes were immediately drawn down to his thick, beautiful dick. She moved closer to him and placed a light kiss on his lips before taking his hand in hers and leading him to the water. The waded in to where Ashanti’s feet could still just barely touch the ground and she finally let his hand go and turned around to face him.

“I want us to start over. Like you said, we have a rocky history and I don’t want to carry that baggage with us anymore. We deserve a fresh start,” she brought her hands up to his shoulders, “You know, my umakhulu used to always tell us to take our problems to the river. He said freshwater had healing properties and could wash away your sorrows...well, it’s not the river, but I imagine this could work about the same way.”

A smirk fell on T’Challa’s face as he listened to her speak. “I never told you the name of this lake, did I?”

“I don’t think so, why?” Her big brown eyes stared up at him curiously.

“This is the Ichibi Lokuphilisa, blessed by Bast herself.”

“Oh...damn, I’m good.” she said as they both busted out laughing. Her bringing them to the Lake of Healing must have been a sign from Bast. Just like the dreams she had before meeting T’Challa and the ones she continues to have to this day. 

“You brought us here for a reason, what will you have me do now, my love?”

“Do you mean that? Do you love me?”

His hand splashed up out the water and cupped her face while his other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her into him.

“I’ve loved you since our first date. Before I even met you I had these dreams-” 

Ashanti’s eyes widened in shock.

“I saw you, too! I mean, it was blurry, but I saw you come into the shop and then I’ve had like a million sex dreams about you. Those haven’t gone away, either.”

“Neither have mine. My dream was blurry too, but I kissed you in your shop and then when we met and you dropped that broom, I felt sparks when our hands touched. I knew then you had to be the woman from my dream. Ashanti, my soul loved you before I even knew who you were.”

He wiped away the tears that were steadily falling from her eyes before kissing her forehead, her nose, then her lips. 

“I love you too,” she whispered against the king’s lips while they stood there forehead to forehead, looking deep into each other’s souls. “And I don’t want to be without you again. I know I’m the one that left-“ she was cut off by him pressing his lips to hers.

“None of that matters now. Fresh start, right?”

She looked up at him and nodded.

“Fresh start.” 

He leaned back in for a kiss and the two of them got lost in each other’s mouths, lips suckling and tongues swirling. Her hands found their way to his curls and his travelled down to her ass before giving it a squeeze, making her melt into him even more. Her legs came up and wrapped around his waist and he growled into the kiss, deepening it and holding her tighter. His dick rested between her cheeks as she rocked her hips back and forth along his length, grinding her clit into his pelvis as she let out a soft moan. She had missed how he felt inside her and couldn’t wait any longer, so she lifted herself up to place him at her entrance, and he rolled his hips forward to enter her slowly.

Ashanti hadn’t had sex with anyone since Zane, but her body immediately opened up for T’Challa, allowing him to slide into her with ease until they were connected pelvis to pelvis. Neither one of them realized the tears that fell from their eyes as they kissed and rocked into each other, letting the water hold them steady.

“Ndiyakuthanda” he whispered over and over in her ear, imprinting himself on her body once more as he nibbled on her earlobe.

Ashanti couldn’t open her mouth to form words, only moans of pleasure. She wanted to return the sentiment and tell him she loved him too, but the feeling of him inside her overwhelmed her senses. Tears continued to  stream down her face as the pain of being apart from him  the last year and a half washed away. Her body felt tingly all over and everywhere he touched her a searing heat followed, warming her skin from the inside out. 

It took most of T’Challa’s strength to keep his knees from buckling from the pleasure he was feeling , but the lake waters kept him upright. He felt at home inside her and he couldn’t help the words of praise and adoration falling from his lips.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“I missed you so much.”

“Mmm you feel so good around me.”

“I’m yours, Ashanti.”

The tension inside her rose with each whisper, and when she was finally able to find the strength to speak she pulled back to look at him, taking in the tears that had made their way down his beautiful face. 

“Ndiyakuthanda, T’Challa. With all my heart.”

Their lips smashed together and he lifted her higher, allowing the water to cushion her fall back down on him as he went impossibly deep inside her. His thrusts got rougher and she saw stars.

“Come with me, kitten.”

That was all Ashanti needed. She had missed so many things about T’Challa, but hearing him call her by her favorite nickname of his sent her over the edge.

Every time their hips met she grinded further into him and the tension rose in both of their bodies. His toes dug into the sediment as she wrapped her legs even tighter around him, both preparing for their orgasms. Ashanti was the first to break, his thrusts sending her over the edge. She called out his name as she released all over his dick, making his thrusts falter. Her walls contracted around him, locking him in place as he came deep inside her.

Neither could bear the thought of not touching the other, so they stayed just like that, trading light kisses and declarations of love as the waters around them stilled.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife, @ljstraightnochaser @determinednot2fall

[evermoreholland]

Happy Wife, Happy Life - Harrison Osterfield

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield x Reader

Warnings: fluff, mentions of sex and pregnancy

Word count: 1.4k

A/n: Requested by @just-a-littlebit-of-everything: “A request if thats cool 😁 casual relationship fluff with Harrison. Maybe just domestic bliss at home together? Idk thats vague but let your ideas sore!” I changed it up, but I hope I did your request justice :)

~~~

Harrison enjoyed being an actor. It was a dream of his ever since he was young. It took him a while to branch off and take on different roles, but eventually his career took off, leaving him with plenty of new opportunities. More importantly, he met you. You were a school teacher and Harrison had no idea how he had the pleasure of meeting you, but he did. From the moment Harrison first laid eyes on you he was captivated by your remarkable presence. You had a good heart and you were giving. You eventually gave your heart to Harrison. Then, you got married.

Being married to an actor had its ups and downs. You loved Harrison with every fiber of your being, but it was hard letting him go for a new role. You treasured the moments you spent together, because he usually had to leave soon after.

Harrison had been home for about a month now, and you were ecstatic. He wanted to make time for you and he wanted to spend time with his beautiful wife. And that’s where you are now. You were sound asleep holding onto Harrison. It never mattered where the both of you were, being in each other’s arms felt like your safe place.

It was Sunday and Harrison woke up first due to the sun shining directly into his eyes. He then realized that he had left the blinds open from the day before. Harrison turned his gaze towards the digital clock by your bedside table and it read 7:58 AM. He shuffled around a bit trying to fall asleep. He wasn’t able to leave the bed due to your tight grasp around his middle. His shuffling eventually woke you up. You stirred around and began rubbing your eyes.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you darling?” Harrison asked as you removed your arms from around him and laid down on your back.

“If it wasn’t you it was probably the sun. It’s so bright,” you said quietly, voice coated with tiredness.

“It was definitely the suns fault.” Harrison chuckled.

“Sure thing, husband.” You giggle. You yawned as you turned back to face him, looking into his crystal blue eyes. Harrison’s eyes always shined bright, especially when the sun was out.

“Your yawn is adorable, wife,” he said as he moved some stray hairs away from your face. “I can’t believe we actually got married.” He still couldn’t believe that you agreed to marry him a little over a year ago.

“Yeah, you’re annoying and you wake me up too early on my day off,” you teased.

Harrison looked back at the clock and said, “Y/n, it’s 8:00 in morning.“

“Too early,” you mumbled. One of the things you disliked about your job was waking up early to make it to the school building on time. Saturdays were when you worked on your lesson plans, so Sundays were your time to relax.

“Wanna go back to sleep, angel?” Harrison asked gently, stroking your hair while you moved closer to his chest. The loud yawn that came from your mouth answered his question, so he pulled you closer and you both drifted off back into slumber.

You both slept for another two hours in each other’s arms. You woke up to the sound of one of your phones ringing. You were first awake and realized it was your phone. You saw that your sister was calling and you picked it up, Harrison now awake.

“Hello?” You answered groggily. You looked over your shoulder to see the time. 10:04 AM.

“Hey Y/n. Do you and Harrison want to come for lunch at around 12:30?” Your sister, Arabella asked. Arabella was your older sister and she was married with two gorgeous daughters. You looked towards your husband and he mouthed a ‘yes’, already hearing the conversation. Harrison loved Arabella’s husband, Joshua and they got along really well.

“We would love too. What should we bring?” You asked.

“I was thinking some of your chocolate chip cookies that the girls love. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. We will see you soon,” you said and your sister said her goodbyes and hung up.

“Let’s get the day started, yeah?” Harrison said as he made his way out of bed, reaching for your hand to pull you up.

You both went to the bathroom to do your business and then proceeded to brush your teeth together, just like you did every morning since Harrison has been home. After that, you washed your face and made your way to your closet to pick out your outfits for the day.

“Can we match?” Harrison asked half-jokingly, half not.

“Absolutely not,” you said as you picked up your favorite dress from the hanger. Harrison picked out shorts and a polo and you both got dressed.

“Let’s go bake some cookies!” Harrison exclaimed after his clothes and shoes were on. He was such a little kid at heart, but you adored him. Harrison picked you up and ran with you to the kitchen. He placed you down and you immediately got to work.

“You need any help?” Harrison offered.

“I don’t want you burning our house down, my darling husband,” you said as you rummaged through the cabinets to get out all of the ingredients you needed.

“Alright, angel,” Harrison said as he went to sit at one of the barstools by the counter so he could look at you while you baked. You prepared the cookie dough fairly quickly and were able to get the cookies in the oven at a good time that you wouldn’t be in a rush. Once you put the tray in the oven, Harrison hopped off of the bar stool and came towards you to give you a hug.

“You’re the best wife I could ever ask for,” Harrison said in appreciation, while holding you close.

“And you’re the best husband,” you replied. Harrison grabbed his phone from his pocket and began to play some music. The two of you swayed around the kitchen together, enjoying each other’s company. A few minutes pass and your oven timer went off, letting you know that the cookies are finished. You let go of Harrison to get the cookies but Harrison steps in front of you, getting them out of the oven for you. He turned off the oven and got the cookies out and even placed them on the cooling rack.

“Thanks, hubby,” you said.

“Anything for my angel,” Harrison said as he leaned in to kiss you. It was short but sweet.

“While the cookies cool, I’m going to put on some makeup. Do you mind putting them in a container when they’re cooled?” You asked Harrison as you made your way out of the kitchen to the hallway.

“Of course, wifey.”

You went to your bathroom to put on some light makeup and did your hair. You then made your back into the kitchen seeing your husband smiling all goofy.

“What are you smiling at?”

“My wife is just so beautiful,” he said as he made his way towards you, and then kissed the top of your head.

“Thank you, H. Are you ready to head out?” You asked as you took a look at the clock.

“Yeah. I’m driving?” He asked as he picked up the container of chocolate chip cookies and handed them to you.

“Sure,” you said with a smile and you were on your way.

The drive to your sister’s house was around 20 minutes. Harrison and you jammed to music and enjoyed the ride together. When you got to your sister’s house, you were engulfed in hugs from your nieces, Anna and Jade.

“Hazzy!” Anna shouted, hugging Harrison’s leg. Harrison picked the 2-year-old up and smothered her with kisses.

Lunch went well. You chatted with your sister about your nieces while Harrison and Joshua talked about sports. The girls really enjoyed your cookies, chocolate all over their faces.

“Jade, you got something on your face, darling,” Harrison said and wiped the chocolate off of the 5-year-old’s face. Jade smiled in appreciation and gave her uncle a big hug.

“When are you and auntie Y/n going to have a baby?” Jade asked and you giggled at the question.

“Hopefully very soon, Jade,” he said. Harrison had been talking about having children for a while, you just didn’t seem ready, but after today you know you are ready.

After lunch, you and Harrison played with your nieces for about an hour and then you decided to go back home.

Once you were home, Harrison decided to ask you the question of the day.

“When are we going to have a baby?” He asked, holding you close.

“Wanna start now?” You asked suggestively.

“Hell yeah!” Harrison exclaimed as he carried you off to the bedroom. Baby Osterfield would definitely be coming soon.

~~~

Harrison Osterfield Taglist:

@foreverfearless244 @lost-aesthetic-of-past @redvb911 @thebackoftheshed @purplepizza-summerrain @babyfacespidey @ella-okayy @captainchrisstan @ab1ga1l @bonejaws @kindasortahumanbutalsoinsane @purpleskiesstorm @starlight-starks @lonikje @multifandomfangirlaf @tomhollandsotherpinkytoe @ifilosemyselfagain @doctorextrastrange @hannahholland1811 @redlips-c @ella-okayy @beverlyparkerr @kickingn-ames @peonyophelia @fancyxholland @viagracex @unsaidholland @cindercock @musicalkeys @in-a-lot-of-fandoms-tbh @hollandfangirl @halfblood-princess-505 @every-heart-has-scars @lovewolfspirit @tombob2005 @notsosmexy @parker-potters @icyhollands @chloecreatesfictions @whatthefuckimbisexual @yoongi-holland @serendipitous-amor @am3l1a-24 @fallinfortom @starlightbucky @god-knows-what-am-i-doing @dorbiksbitch @akila-stilinski @voguesir @galaxysquidcat

[grocerystore-gf]

OKAY HI ITS ANON WITH THE LONG CRUSH STORY EVERYONE PLEASE BUCKLE THE FUCK UP🎢

So I met my crush, M, through mutual friend E four years ago. M and E had gone to school together previously but weren’t close then. E quickly became my best friend. Four years pass, and we’re juniors now, and the three of us get really close, along with getting super close with 5 other people.

In this group of eight, we love each other very much. Some might say too much. We peck on the lips, we hug, we cuddle, we make sex jokes, etc. Keep in mind that I’ve had a crush on M buzzing just below the surface for four years.

On my birthday at the end of October, the 8 of us met up for dinner and went back to one of my friend’s houses for a movie. The whole group was so excited abt this, because finally after nearly two years of quarantine, we would be able to meet up in one big cuddle pile. I’m not a person who drinks, but the night of, M takes a shot or two of vodka and E downs one. For most of the night after that the two of them are all over each other and I am sick to my stomach. They’re dangerously close to making out several times, sitting on laps and wrapped in arms and this is PERFECTLY NORMAL for the group but I can’t fucking STAND it between THEM.

By the end of the night, only M, me, and our friend H (house resident) are still there. M, still tipsy, rolls into my arms and we finish the movie cuddling.

A few weeks later and we meet up at our other friend A’s house, all 8 of us again. This time everyone’s sober. M and E cuddle really closely again. E tells me afterwards over text that she thought M was genuinely about to make out with her before A’s mom called us to dinner. I was gonna cry.

Now, within the past month we realized how close M and I live, and long story short: he would sneak out of his bedroom window, walk the 10 minutes to mine, and I’d sneak him in through my basement so we could cuddle at like 1 in the morning. These nights are the most one on one conversation I’ve ever had with M, as most of our friendship had been developed in our group. And he’s so soft and cute late at night, Aarna, I cant even take it. I wrote down lists of things he did so I wouldn’t forget anything sweet lol lemme know if u wanna see that too girl cuz I mean 👀

And we kept sneaking around until one night my parents caught us - and thank god they’re not strict as fuck. My mom yelled for a bit at us both, lectured us, asked us questions, and eventually sent me to bed and drove him home at 2:30 am. Tells me not to do it again. (I want to fucking do it again).

My parents and two siblings keep asking me if I’m dating him - and I say no, every time, because we’re not dating. We’re just friends. Our friend group is just like this. As much as it kills me.

Fast forward a little. I go with friends M, N, and S to McDonald’s after school one Friday. I love these boys so I asked them what they wanted and I’d buy it. M wanted a Big Mac, and I got it for him. HE PROCEEDED TO EAT NOT ONLY THE BURGER, BUT SOME OF MY CHICKEN NUGGETS AND MY FRIES. NOW AARNA I LOVE THESE BOYS- BUT HE MESSED WITH MY FOOD AFTER I GOT HIM WHAT HE ASKED FOR!!!!!! I made a fuss about it you best believe. He hugged me while laughing and said he would buy me chicken nuggets on Monday. I said I was still upset [/j] that he got exactly what he asked for and STILL ate from my food - he leaned in with a grin and asked if that made him my girlfriend. I said yes. Yes it did.

That week, M’s mom was out of state, so his house was empty (he’s an only child). We took the opportunity and seized it - I went over and we chilled, cuddling and eating food and small, quick kisses.

Over that weekend, friend A invited me over to watch the Joker with her because I’d never seen it. M asked if he could come too. Movie night arrives! A’s mom got us candy. When M shows up we spend the movie cuddling, basically leaving A out (although we do give her kisses and hand holds and hugs). At one point, while eating sour patch kids, I put one between my teeth and told M to take it from me. He goes for it, and accidentally bites my lip HARD and it starts bleeding. I start to fake attack him and he wrestles me into a hug on his lap. A sends pictures of this whole ordeal to our group chat, and H explodes that we should date. Obviously I fucking agree, but every time someone types in the chat that we should, M types back “no” completely deadpan. My heart sinks. I try to forget about it.

Now, Monday evening, we had a huge upset in the group. Certain events have blown up around one person, S - revealing him as manipulative and meaning the rest of us need to cut him out of the group. The people S hurt the most were E and A.

M wants to protect them first and foremost. He wants to protect me, too, because I’ve broken down over my friends being hurt and he doesn’t like seeing any of us in tears. But E and A are his first priority because they’ve been more directly hurt. And I’m worried when we all confront this together on this coming Monday, that seeing him comfort E is going to make me seethe with jealousy.

Regardless of that, he had to go to a family dinner last night (he hates his family). I told him that if he needed to escape at any point, just text and the two of us could go somewhere. He came to see me at my house telling his parents he was only walking the dog so he could get a hug. Things this week have been hard on him, too, even if he won’t admit it. I walk him and his dog the 10 minutes back to his house (also, did I mention that it was legitimately snowing here last night, and that both of us were only in sweatpants and hoodies? Fun times). A few houses down from his door I give him a last hug, and he kisses my neck before we part ways. A few hours later I mention in the group chat that I want potato chips and he tells me he could get me some. He delivers to my house and I give him more hugs - I don’t walk back with him this time.

More time passes last night, and I lament in the chat that I’m not falling asleep with someone. E agrees, saying it’s a crime she’s not in someone’s arms. M pipes up to say that he DOES have a window he could sneak out of (she lives fairly close as well). Except, E’s parents are extremely strict and she refuses to take the chance - they’d kill him if they found the two of them together. M responds that whatever fate he met would be worth it if it meant he got to hold her for one night.

I nearly through my phone across the room Aarna!!!!!!!!!!!!! I nearly lost it!!!!!!!!

But the conversation moved on, to H’s new boyfriend, and whether E and N deciding they should date on a whim earlier was actually gonna move forward as a sincere relationship, and that M is my “girlfriend” and I’m his “boyfriend”. H responds “I knew you two were dating” to which M says “are we”

Aarna...my heart palpitations

But not even too long later, A complains jokingly that she hates the rest of us because she doesn’t have a partner, and M says he could still be someone’s boyfriend

This boy is SO wishy washy it’s making me lose my mind. I think I’m legitimately in love with him and that’s disgusting. I hate emotions. One moment he’s giving me quick pecks on the lips and telling me I’m very pretty and walking 10 minutes uphill in the snow with no coat for hugs, and the next he’s telling my best friend he misses her, he wants to hold her, she’s hot as fuck and he’d kiss her any day. It is so clear to me that in his hierarchy of needs, she is closer to fundamental than I am. He chooses to be closer to her every time both of us are an option. At the core of it, they’ve known each other for longer, it makes sense. But it fucking hurts. And I’m starting to resent her for it! I’m starting to hate hanging out with her when he’s there because I have to watch him not want me; I’m starting to roll my eyes when she sends texts with no ulterior motive because I don’t want him to show her sympathy or humor or anything close to a loving response. And hating her is scary, and I don’t know what to do. This all makes me want to rip my hair out and cry and scream and throw up.

So anyway. That’s the story. Missing a lot of random comments and texts and anecdotes that I’ll spare you from reading, but still with probably a lot more detail than you bargained for. Thanks for listening girlie. Ily. Ur v cool

this was a hell of a fucking roller coaster oh my god. goodness i rly feel for u. but idk from the stuff i read it really seems that guy is just playing... but anyhow i really hope it works out for u 💓💓💓had hell of a time reading this lmao. feel free to talk about random stuff like this w me anytime mwah 🧚‍♀️🔫

[deathlikesdeep-dish]

Heat (Zoro x Reader)

Hiiii!

I’m new on the One Piece fanfic scene but I had a ton of fun writing this first little story for the One Piece of Summer Writing Challenge! (also please forgive me if there’s multiple submissions i’m returning to tumblr after like an 8 year hiatus lol) (also also i’m sorry i’m verbose i hope this isn’t too long)

Warnings: some language

Word Count: 3628

Word Prompt: Heat

You can hardly believe that it’d been two whole years since the crew had been together. Two years. Holy shit. You feel a lump in your throat as you approach Shakky’s place. You have no idea who, if anyone, had already arrived. Your heart races excitedly at the thought and a small smile creeps over your features. You make yourself sit on a nearby bench and breathe before you hike the last flight of stairs to the bar. It’s a hot day, impossibly hot and you sit and take a sip of water from your hip flask. The cool liquid pours down your throat and you sigh happily as you wonder what the very near future would hold.

Would it be Franky? You imagine the blue-haired madman, and laugh. Maybe he’d found another way to fuel his cyborg frame other than cola. You laugh again.

Who am I kidding? You think to yourself. The reason he runs on cola is because he wants to run on cola.

Or maybe it would be Usopp or Chopper? The last time you saw Chopper, it had been so frightening. He was vast and out of control from using those rumble balls. A shudder runs up your spine at the thought, but you push the thought away shaking your head. Your h/c hair ruffles at the motion, and you push a strand out of your face as you stare at the ground beneath your boots. Usopp, you are sure, will be one of the early ones, not wanting to be one-upped. You roll your eyes, your mind’s ear imagining him shouting, “Well, of course I’m here first! I’m the great captain Usopp!”

You already know what Brook--you mean “Soul King” had been up to. You laugh. You had to admit that his stuff was pretty catchy, and you wonder if he’d even want to come back to the pirate life after all that fame and fortune. It had been nice over the last two years to follow him in the papers whenever you could; a small link to your old life had been comforting and familiar.

Nami and Robin were almost certainly already here--Nami, probably off conning some shop owner into giving their store away half-price, and Robin wandering around looking at architecture, reading a book, or saying weirdly cryptic lines to passersby. You sigh fondly, reminiscing about the times the three ladies of the Strawhats spent together. Not having had many female friends to speak of before the Strawhats, it had been nice to have some badass women to bond with over the months before your separation. In your two years alone, you’d missed the companionship.

Maybe Sanji is at Shakky’s already, cooking up some delicious concoction for you to devour. Your stomach grumbles on cue, and your mouth waters thinking about it. If Luffy was already here, then any food would be gone twice over. Of all the changes that are sure to have occurred, your captain’s appetite is the least likely to change. You can only imagine what power he has achieved in the last two years. Your stomach sinks a bit thinking about when you learned of Ace’s death in the Paramount War. The pain Luffy must have endured. Alone. But, he was not one to dwell, and wouldn’t want you to either.

So you don’t. You’re strong--much stronger than you were the last time the crew saw you. You’re not the same girl that you were two years ago. No, not even close. You’re taller, with broader shoulders and hips. While you were once slender due to malnutrition, you are now toned and muscled after two years of hard training. You felt vitality that you once never thought you’d feel coursing through your muscles. Your top, frayed at the hem, falls to just above your naval and drapes over one shoulder, leaving the other uncovered. Your s/c flesh is exposed to the waistband of your khaki shorts. The leather of your boots is soft and worn, the same pair you’d been wearing when you were launched away from your crew by Kuma. The holster dangling from your waist carried some of your throwing knives, which you twiddle absently at your side in nervousness. You had become adept at hand to hand combat since the crew saw you last. You are nimble, fast and lethal. You smirk and let the confidence roll over your body. You can’t wait to see how skilled everyone else had become.

You flex and stretch, standing up from the bench and begin your ascent up the stairs. They groan under your weight and you shift the bag on your shoulder, securing it more tightly against your body. You feel your heart beginning to race again at the thought of the final crew member. You can only imagine how strong he’d become.

Zoro.

You think of his green hair, and his white shirt, the top buttons always haphazardly undone. His slim black pants and boots, the sound of his earrings jangling in the sea breeze. You see his tight, intense gaze and that smirk that always weakened your knees. The knot in your stomach tangles more at the thought as you crest the top of the stairs. You recall the days that you sat in the Crow’s Nest together as he worked out. He never paid you much attention, but simply tolerating your presence in his sacred space made you feel important.

You feel the heat rise to your face and you can’t tell if it’s because of the sweltering sun of the Archipelago or the indecent thoughts that have begun to flood your mind. You take a deep breath as you nearly reach the doorway of Shakky’s place, when you stop in your tracks at the silhouette in the doorway. The sun is bright, so you can’t make out who it is right away, but as the figure takes a step, there’s no mistaking that green head of hair.

“Well,” You hear Shakky’s voice from inside the bar.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d be the first,” You hear Rayleigh’s voice chime in.

The greenette stays silent for a moment and then replies, “Oh yeah? Nobody else has shown up.” He pauses. “Well damn, guess they got lost.”

You can hear the smirk in his voice. It’s unmistakable.

Before you can stop yourself, you call out to him. “Zoro!” You immediately flush, but you know this time it’s not from the heat.

You see Zoro stiffen at your voice, but he quickly turns around and meets your gaze with his own.

Christ…

You immediately notice that your eyes only meet one of his, a scar running from forehead to cheekbone on the left side of his face, his eye tightly shut. It makes him look even more ruggedly attractive, if at all possible, and you allow yourself to stare for a moment.  His jaw, still angular and chiseled, is formed into a lazy half-smirk. Your e/c eyes trail down from his jaw to his throat and his collarbone, a body part you became intimately familiar with when you’d spent long moments staring at it over the top of his unbuttoned shirt, wondering what it would be like to nuzzle your face into its contours.

A part you are not used to seeing so casually, was the rest of his broad chest, which is exposed under the deep green coat he was wearing, the trademark Mihawk scar that ran from shoulder to hip still proudly displayed. You are glad to see that his haramaki remained unchanged over the last two years along with the three swords he carries at his side. He shifts his weight to his left side and leans his forearm on the hilt of his swords.

“Y/n!” He replies with a broad grin of recognition. He jogs toward you, and you find yourself moving towards him too.

Zoro is stunned to see you. In all honesty, he is stunned to know that he’s the first to arrive in the first place. Although, he did leave several weeks prior. Just in case.

You are...so different. His eyes move across your body, and he coughs, a slight flush spreading across his cheeks. He grits his teeth frustratedly.

Shit...get it together. He thinks to himself.

“I can’t believe we’re the first ones here!” You say, before pausing. “Actually...how the hell are you the first one here??”

You laugh and he manages to chuckle too. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He jokes.

“Shakky and Raleigh inside?” You ask, jabbing your thumb towards the open door to the bar.

Zoro nods, rubbing a calloused hand at the nape of his neck. “Yep, they’re in there. Waiting like the old gossips they are.” He laughs quietly, shaking his head.

You can’t help but watch his arm move behind his head. His worn bandana is tied around his bicep over the top of his coat, and you can’t help but imagine how his tanned skin stretches over the muscle there. You realize, too late, that you had been silent for a beat too long.

“Y/n? You good?” He asks, raising a brow.

Your attention snaps back like a rubber band and you laugh nervously. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, sorry. Just can’t believe how long it’s been.” You say lamely.

You walk into the bar, Zoro trailing behind you and you greet Shakky and Rayleigh with a wide grin. Shakky compliments your new look, making you spin around as if to show off your outfit. You can’t help but feel confident and a surge of pride wells within you. She pours you a drink, having already poured one for Zoro, and invites you to sit down at a far booth. You sit next to Rayleigh, playfully bumping him and he wraps an arm around your shoulder. He gives you an affectionate squeeze as he tells you how pleased he is to see you guys again. Zoro takes a seat at the far corner of a booth. He props his feet up and takes a long drag of sake straight from the bottle. He’d already finished the drink that was poured, naturally, and stopped Shakky before she could pour him another. He asked for the bottle, shrugging and said that we should just “cut out the middleman.”

You regale the three others in your tales of the last two years. You speak about your Master, your training, the island you’d resided on, everything. Shakky gives updates too, about some of the rumors that had been floating around in the Strawhats’ absence, particularly about Luffy and Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro. Shakky, never one to be subtle, asks Zoro pointblank about what he’d been up to.

“Eh, not too much excitement,” He says vaguely. “The usual. Swords, drinking, naps.” Shakky rolls her eyes, unsatisfied, but you just laugh, knowing that he was not one to talk too much about himself.

After a long while, the four of you notice that the sun has begun to set. You are beginning to feel the drinks you’d consumed, your laughter a bit louder, your tongue a bit looser, your hair a bit wilder. The bar is illuminated in deep orange and red hues and you glance over at Zoro. Half of his face is cast in shadow, while the other half colored the same tint as the room. It looks almost as if he is on fire and you are mesmerized by him. He’s staring at you intently. You see beads of sweat along his hairline, and you notice that he has removed his outer coat.

“Damn Shakky,” He breathes, not breaking eye contact with you. “I don’t remember it being this hot two years ago.”

Shakky laughs. “Well, we’re going through a bit of a heatwave right now. It’s unusual for this time of year, but occasionally the weather currents bring a front in. It’s supposed to be like this for the next few days.”

His knees are propped up and he rests his forearms on top of them as he breaks your gaze and looks out the window. HIs profile is immaculate, and your eyes trace each feature--his straight nose, his angled jaw, and his full lips. Your lips subconsciously part, and it isn’t until you feel your tongue on them that you notice how you’re staring. Shakky, however, has noticed how the two of you have been trading stares at each other the entire evening. She smirks and stands with a yawn.

“Well Rayleigh,” She starts. “It seems likes it’s about time to close up shop for the evening. You good?”

Rayleigh looks confused at first, however, when Shakky gestures quickly to you and Roronoa, Rayleigh nods knowingly. He looks down at his nearly full drink and smiles. He tips his head back and swigs down the rest, placing the empty glass resolutely on the hard wood. “You know what, Shakky? You’re absolutely right. These old bones can’t drink like they used to. I’m headed down to my place at the docks. It’s cooler there anyway.” He stands up and bids the room farewell. The doorbell jingles behind him as he exits the bar.

You get the feeling that they’d been watching you and Zoro, and you feel embarrassed. But you don’t want to complain. You just hope that Zoro wouldn’t be ready to turn in yet either.

Shakky approaches Zoro and gives him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Night, Roronoa. If you get lonely, my room is always open.” She winks at him, entertained by how he squirms at the unexpected contact.

“Uh, yeah, sure…” He mutters, flustered. Shakky laughs.

“Shit Roronoa, just relax. I’m only kidding.” She walks over to a door behind the bar, presumably that led to her sleeping quarters, and opens it. “Or am I?” She grins slyly.

This time, Zoro knows better. The greenette shakes his head with a chuckle. “Goodnight, Shakky.”

She, too, disappears. The door closes behind her with a soft click, and the two of you are left alone. The sun has finally set beneath the mangroves and the sound of crickets fills the room. Despite the sun having set, the room is humid and very warm.

You reach a slender hand up and wipe beads of condensation off the back of your neck with a nervous sigh. “You’re right, Zoro,” You say after a moment. “It is absolutely stifling in here.”

He hums in agreement and holds up the bottle of sake questioningly. You nod and he tosses the closed bottle to you. However, his toss is a little short and to the left. But you’re fast and you catch it without a problem, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Aim much?” You joke as you pour yourself another drink before tossing it back to him.

He catches it easily and smirks. “Well, just checking to see if all that training you were going on about actually paid off.” He takes a swig. “Seems like it did.”

You were unbelievable. Zoro marvels at your agility. He had been enthralled as you told your story of the last two years. He watched the way your eyes lit up in excitement at certain parts or when your tone shifted to something more sinister. This was the y/n he’d always known--vibrant, curious and powerful. Zoro has always admired your tenacity. It was something of himself that he saw in you. He admired your intelligence as well, and your quick wit. It had always been a little intimidating, but now you were a force. It overwhelmed the swordsman. And thrilled him in the same way a new enemy excited him, got his adrenaline pumping and his heart racing.

He watches as you take a sip of your drink. His gaze follows the long line of your neck down to your collarbone, which he finds himself lingering on for longer than what was appropriate between nakama. You had always been objectively attractive, but Zoro never really paid attention to things like that. But now, you made that impossible to ignore. He is very attracted to you, entranced by your confident aura that pours off of you like cool sake.

The alcohol warms your blood and before you know what you’re doing, you prop your elbow on the table and say, “Seems like your training paid off too. I mean, look at you. All extra-muscley and shit.”

Zoro’s eyes widen slightly before he laughs out loud. “Thank you? I think.”

The liquid courage you’ve consumed does little for your filter (or your shame) so you continue. “I remember when I used to hang out in the Crow’s nest while you worked out. You were strong then, obviously. But it’s different now. You seem...invincible.” You breathe.

Zoro takes a moment to consider. “Invincible, huh?” He chuckles. “Hardly.”

You scoff and roll your eyes, but don’t reply.

Zoro stands up, his coat remaining in his seat. Your eyes follow the contour of his chest and he notices you watching him. He loves knowing that you look at him the same way that he looks at you.

“Come on,” He says after a moment, holding out his free hand, the other still holding the bottle of sake.

You take it without thinking. “Where are we going?” His hand is rough and cool to the touch, despite the heat in the room. He’s never held your hand before now. His good eye lands on you with a smirk that turns the knot low in your stomach.

“Up,” He replies in a whisper.

You nod wordlessly and stand up, trailing behind him as he walks towards the back door of the bar. When you exit, you sigh happily when a cool breeze flows along your damp skin. He echoes the sentiment with a contented hum, and continues towards the side of the building where he finds a ladder.

“Ladies first,” He grins, gesturing for you to climb the ladder up to the roof of the bar.

You raise an eyebrow, but comply nonetheless. As you climb, you make sure to move your hips more exaggeratedly, knowing the view you were providing him.

He knows exactly what he’s doing, of course, and admires your ass as you climb the ladder. You really are something. He wants to do more than just hold your hand. He wants to trail his hands along your curves, feel your strong body against the planes of his chest. He wants to know what your lips taste like, what your h/c hair feels like entangled in his fingers. But he knows that he needs to take it slow for both of your sake. It’s been two years. A lot has changed, and you are still his nakama first and foremost. There’s nothing that he would sacrifice to keep that.

The ladder is taller than you think it is by looking at it and when you arrive at the top of the bar, you are surprised to find an expansive platform.

“Wow,” You look open-mouthed. “How’d you know this was up here?” You look to Zoro who hops up onto the platform.

He shrugs. “I didn’t. I just saw the ladder earlier and figured it would be worth exploring.”

He walks up behind you in all of his shirtless beauty and sits, his legs apart as he leans back on his forearms. You’re still standing, looking up at the vast mangroves all around you, the stars peeking through the tree-tops. He lets you admire the scenery because it gives him a few moments to admire you. He clears his throat to get your attention and pulls you down to him.

With a light gasp, you find yourself sitting between his legs, your back against his chest and his arms wrapped around you. You are blushing furiously now. He hums contentedly, moving to nuzzle your hair and inhale your clean scent.

“What are you doing?” You manage to croak out.

“Enjoying the company,” He murmurs into the side of your neck.

You feel his heart beating swiftly against your back as you lean into him with a deep sigh. Your brain wants to overcomplicate this.

What does this mean? What does he want? Does he feel the same way about me that I feel about him? Does he...you gulp. Does he...want me, the way that I want him?

He feels you stiffen. “Y/n, hey,” He says. “It’s okay. This doesn’t have to mean anything that we don’t want it to mean.”

It seems like mind-reading is on the roster of new super powers he’s acquired. You grumble internally.

He laughs, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear before he moves away. You whimper softly at the loss of contact, and turn to face him with a confused look. Though he did shift backwards, he didn’t move all that far away from you, so you’re surprised that you’re nearly face to face when you turn around.

He gently touches his thumb to your parted lips. “We’ve got time, y/n. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. So let’s just take the time and figure it out.” He smiles.

You feel your heart swell in your chest as you meet his intense stare. “Y-yeah, o-okay.” You stutter, still not quite believing that Roronoa Zoro has anything he wants to figure out with you. Your reverie is interrupted by Zoro’s gentle kiss. It’s a kiss that foreshadows what else could come of it, one that’s slow and burning and brimming with possibilities. He pulls away with a shudder.

“We’ve got time.” He says again, seeming to convince himself with the second iteration. “Besides,” He pulls back fully this time, taking in your lovely face before he smirks. “It’s too damn hot to be this close right now anyway.”

[unsaidholland]

atlantis | h. holland

sorry if this feels forced, but this is based off of atlantis by seafret! still kind of have issues writing as this took days to finish, but i think i’m slowly getting back into it :)

warnings: none it’s just sad and angsty ig

when two broken people find each other and start depending on one other for happiness, their relationship is likely to fail. you always thought that you and harry would be the exception, but you were just another statistic, another example. you two were just like the rest. built on rocky ground, the relationship started to crumble. slowly at first, but once the foundation started to collapse, so did everything else.

harry thought it was better this way. he thought it was better for the two of you to be apart. with his whole heart, mind, and soul, harry knew it was impossible for him to save you and for you to save him. there was no way it was possible, after all, everyone had told him he couldn’t properly love someone until he could fully love himself. 

it was about four months ago when harry started feeling everything start to come down on you. he had flown out for work, and he realized things were only getting worse. you could barely get through the day without him, and he spent all day at work distracting himself from breakdowns. by the second week away, he had become a master at holding his tears in. you on the other hand couldn’t leave bed for days, and then suddenly you would be better. all of it was temporary though, all the joy that you would feel for that short amount of time was always temporary. you weren’t happy unless you were with him. the countless phone calls, facetimes, messages, and snapchats exchanged acted as nothing more than a temporary fix. you loved each other, truly, but nothing would have prevented the breakup.

it had been a month since harry had left when things started to look up. the time difference made you feel close to him, but nothing erased the fact that he was still miles and miles away. harry had a day off work, but you were working that day so the only time you had to call him was when you got home. he was two hours ahead of you, so by the time you got off at around eight pm, it was already ten pm for him. you called him at 8:42, and you each talked about your days. he told you about the things he saw exploring the city with tom, while you told him about the customers you had interacted with. then the comforting silence came. although the two of you were apart, but you felt like you were together, sitting in the same room. 

“hey y/n? i miss you,” harry said. you gave him a soft smile and repeated the three words back to him. the two of you went to bed that night with a sense of security. things started to turn up after that day, they really did, but like all positive things in life, it was only temporary. it wasn’t long until things started crashing down again. 

harry had returned two months after he left. it was a short job, but tom had only recruited him for doing reshoots. the two of them came back and soon enough you were back in his arms once again. it was then when everything started crumbling. 

you were over at his house, as you normally were when he was home and you weren’t working. the two of you laid together on the couch, bodies intertwined under a fluffy white blanket. harry was deep in thought about your relationship. it clearly wasn’t working. it was being forced. he loved you, nothing could erase that, but nothing could erase the fact that the relationship was unhealthy. maybe it was just a phase, maybe he was just in a negative mindset, maybe his intuition was wrong and he was listening to himself overthink, but it all sounded so convincing.

you felt harry tense up a little bit. as you looked up at him, you saw his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. you just continued to watch him without any idea what was going on in his mind. it was only when he brought up his thumb to his mouth to start biting at the nail and the cuticle, a habit he did when he was feeling particularly nervous or anxious, that you intervened. 

“what’s wrong bub?” your voice was soft, so soft he almost didn’t hear it over all his thoughts. his mind was running at a thousand miles a minute, but you easily stopped everything.

“just thinking,” he replied, voice just as soft. his voice had always felt warm to you, but in that moment it seemed a little colder, a little guarded. it seemed as if he was drifting from the relationship. you ignored it. he loved you, that was all that mattered, right?

“‘bout what? you look like you’re thinking quite hard h.” you weren’t wrong. he was thinking hard, but he wasn’t going to tell you what about, and you weren’t going to press him for answers. you brushed it off as nothing, and when he stayed silent for a while, thinking of what to tell you, you placed a kiss on his soft, pink lips. a kiss that, unbeknownst to either of you, would be one of your last. 

that night harry laid awake in bed as you were fast asleep next to him. his thoughts seemed to be running laps in his mind because no matter how many times they circulated, they only seemed to go round and round. they never left, no matter how hard he tried to push them away. are we building this relationship up only for us to tear it down? is it all going to come crashing down? is it inevitable? he fell asleep only thinking those thoughts. the curly-headed boy didn’t get much sleep that night, but he knew what he needed to do. 

at lunch the next day, the two of you sat at the kitchen table, eating sandwiches and salads. everything seemed fine, but harry’s leg was shaking violently under the table. his hands were shaking and soon enough, without him realizing it, the words left his lips. he couldn’t take them back. “i don’t know if we’re working anymore,” he had said. but he regretted it.

“are you breaking up with me?” you asked him, tears welling up in your eyes, not believing that this was really happening. you needed him, you loved him. did he not love you back? 

“y/n, i love you, but love isn’t enough to keep this relationship going, you know that.” with his whole heart and mind, he knew that he couldn’t take these words back no matter how much he wanted to. if he could take them back, would he have done so?

“please tell me why this has to end.” your voice was so quiet and fragile that you weren’t sure if he was going to hear it. you wiped the tears that had fallen down your cheeks, not wanting him to see, but he did. he was fighting with himself, wanting to wipe away your tears, but not wanting to succumb to you. the relationship wasn’t working, he needed to remind himself that. what was once filled with excitement and life was now empty and only filled with love, but that wasn’t enough to keep it going.

“i’m sorry,” was all harry could muster out. he reached over the table to grab your hand, but you got up and went to grab your stuff. you needed to get out, and you needed to go now. 

the rest of harry’s day was numb and cold. he knew that breaking up with you was going to hurt, but his eyes were red from crying and cheeks stained with tears. he felt empty without you, but he reminded himself that was the reason he broke up with you in the first place, that it was because the two of you were co-dependent people, leaning on each other for substance. you needed to be two independent people, coming together to form a new part of yourselves with each other, coming together to mould your souls together. 

he thought that he wasn’t made to love someone or to be loved. it hurt him knowing that he could let you walk away so easily even though he initiated it. he thought that maybe, this wasn’t something that life had cut out for him, maybe he would never be in a stable, healthy relationship. 

harry could feel how alone you were. you lived just down the street, yet you seemed so far away to him. he thought about you curled up in bed, the covers pulled up to your chin as you sobbed. his imagination wasn’t too far off from reality.

he thought about how he wanted to take everything back, but couldn’t. he thought about how all he wanted was to save you, to make you feel better. but he did this himself, so he couldn’t save you. he couldn’t save your relationship. you had turned out to be his atlantis, your relationship that built up, only for it to collapse until there was nothing left. all he was left with was lost memories of you, and like the lost city, your relationship would never resurface.

[deantransgressions2]

8x23 sacrifice

#1: “which pretty much means that you’re our bitch” (said to crowley)

time tag: 10:41

#2: sam: “i have no clue what to say now” (about confession) 

dean: “well, i mean, i could give you suggestions if you want.” 

sam: “o-okay. yeah. sure.”

dean: “all right. well, i’m just spitballing here, but if i were you, uh...ruby, killing lilith, letting lucifer out, losing your soul, not looking for me when i went to purgatory, for starters.”

sam: “thanks.” 

why did dean offer to give sam suggestions? what possessed him to think sam would ever wanted him to?

time tag: 13:54

#3: dean: “or, hey, h-how about what you did to penny markle in the 6th grade? why don’t you lead with that?”

sam: “well, that was you” 

ok. remember how i said in the s5 episodes how dean always shifts blame onto other people, so he doesn’t have to deal with his own guilt? yeah, here’s an extreme case of that. also, wtf did he do to penny?

time tag: 15:00

#4: “now, if anyone needs a chaperone while doing the heavy lifting, it’s sam.” 

what did he say in the last episode? what. did. he. say. ill tell you :) 

“over the past couple of months, i’ve seen him do crap that i didn’t even think was possible...there’s not a doubt in my mind that he’s gonna cross that finish line. not one.”

so what is the truth? who fucking knows.

time tag: 18:03

#5: tells sam that if he is not back in 8 hours, to finish the trials. very odd behavior. why does sam have to wait around for dean? if sam wants to cure a demon before lunch, then hurray! bc it’s his own decision, not deans.

time tag: 18:15

#6: tells kevin, who is clearly exhausted and mentally drained, to “translate. that’s what you do”. as if kevin is their slave and not an 19 year old kid. 

time tag: 19:51

#7: “you did a lot of damage up there, man.” (said to cas, for no reason)

time tag: 23:01

#8: dean having an existential crisis at the realization that gay people are real. 

time tag:  24:18

#9: tried, and succeeded to get sam to stop the trials. dean has been saying all season how sam isn’t strong enough to complete the trials. how he can’t be trusted. but in the end, it’s dean who can’t complete the trials, huh?

time tag: 35:40

-----------okay i’m gonna pick apart the speech bit by bit and make each section a different transgression because there is a lot wrong with it, all for various reasons. ------------

#10: sam: “so?” and dean is shocked as if he isn’t the #1 person responsible for making sam feel this way...

time tag: 35:57

#11: “think about what we know, huh? pulling souls from hell, curing demons, hell, ganking a hellhound” he never does any of these three things ever again after this. 

time tag: 37:28

#12: sam: “you can barely do it with me. i mean, you think i screw up everything i try. you think i need a chaperone, remember?”

dean: “come on, man. that’s not what i meant.”

sam: “no, it’s exactly what you meant. you wanna know what i confessed in there? what my greatest sin was? it was how many times i let you down. i can’t do that again.”

dean: “sam-”

sam: “what happens when you’ve decided i can’t be trusted again? i mean, who are you going to turn to next time instead of me? another angel, another..another vampire? do you have any idea what it feels like to watch your own brother just...” 

all the reasons why sam wants to kill himself, dean put in his head. look back at 8x01 and see how happy sam was. how healthy he was. now watch this. 

time tag: 37:35

#13: “hold on! hold on! you seriously think that?” uh yeah. you literally told him this not 8 hours ago....

time tag: 38:23 (use this time tag for all below)

#14: “because none of it..none of it is true.” so why does he say it? all the time?

time tag: ^

#15: “look, i know we’ve had our disagreements, okay? hell, i know i’ve said some junk that set you back on your heels” odd way to say suicidal

time tag: ^

#16: “but, sammy....come on. i killed benny to save you. i’m willing to let this bastard and all the sons of bitches that killed mom walk because of you. don’t you dare think that there is anything, past or present, that i would put in front of you. it has never been like that, ever! i need you to see that. i’m begging you!.” 

hey, do you guys remember when dean was gonna let sam die alone just because he had an addiction? haha yeah. good times....amnesia is my only explanation for this. 

time tag: ^

[doctorgerth]

One Piece of Summer (Heat ZoroxReader)

(I apologize if I did this wrong! First time submitting to things lol)

Hiiii!

I’m new on the One Piece fanfic scene but I had a ton of fun writing this first little story for the One Piece of Summer Writing Challenge! (also please forgive me if there’s multiple submissions i’m returning to tumblr after like an 8 year hiatus lol) (also also i’m sorry i’m verbose i hope this isn’t too long)

Warnings: some language

Word Count: 3628

Word Prompt: Heat

You can hardly believe that it’d been two whole years since the crew had been together. Two years. Holy shit. You feel a lump in your throat as you approach Shakky’s place. You have no idea who, if anyone, had already arrived. Your heart races excitedly at the thought and a small smile creeps over your features. You make yourself sit on a nearby bench and breathe before you hike the last flight of stairs to the bar. It’s a hot day, impossibly hot and you sit and take a sip of water from your hip flask. The cool liquid pours down your throat and you sigh happily as you wonder what the very near future would hold.

Would it be Franky? You imagine the blue-haired madman, and laugh. Maybe he’d found another way to fuel his cyborg frame other than cola. You laugh again.

Who am I kidding? You think to yourself. The reason he runs on cola is because he wants to run on cola.

Or maybe it would be Usopp or Chopper? The last time you saw Chopper, it had been so frightening. He was vast and out of control from using those rumble balls. A shudder runs up your spine at the thought, but you push the thought away shaking your head. Your h/c hair ruffles at the motion, and you push a strand out of your face as you stare at the ground beneath your boots. Usopp, you are sure, will be one of the early ones, not wanting to be one-upped. You roll your eyes, your mind’s ear imagining him shouting, “Well, of course I’m here first! I’m the great captain Usopp!”

You already know what Brook–you mean “Soul King” had been up to. You laugh. You had to admit that his stuff was pretty catchy, and you wonder if he’d even want to come back to the pirate life after all that fame and fortune. It had been nice over the last two years to follow him in the papers whenever you could; a small link to your old life had been comforting and familiar.

Nami and Robin were almost certainly already here–Nami, probably off conning some shop owner into giving their store away half-price, and Robin wandering around looking at architecture, reading a book, or saying weirdly cryptic lines to passersby. You sigh fondly, reminiscing about the times the three ladies of the Strawhats spent together. Not having had many female friends to speak of before the Strawhats, it had been nice to have some badass women to bond with over the months before your separation. In your two years alone, you’d missed the companionship.

Maybe Sanji is at Shakky’s already, cooking up some delicious concoction for you to devour. Your stomach grumbles on cue, and your mouth waters thinking about it. If Luffy was already here, then any food would be gone twice over. Of all the changes that are sure to have occurred, your captain’s appetite is the least likely to change. You can only imagine what power he has achieved in the last two years. Your stomach sinks a bit thinking about when you learned of Ace’s death in the Paramount War. The pain Luffy must have endured. Alone. But, he was not one to dwell, and wouldn’t want you to either.

So you don’t. You’re strong–much stronger than you were the last time the crew saw you. You’re not the same girl that you were two years ago. No, not even close. You’re taller, with broader shoulders and hips. While you were once slender due to malnutrition, you are now toned and muscled after two years of hard training. You felt vitality that you once never thought you’d feel coursing through your muscles. Your top, frayed at the hem, falls to just above your naval and drapes over one shoulder, leaving the other uncovered. Your s/c flesh is exposed to the waistband of your khaki shorts. The leather of your boots is soft and worn, the same pair you’d been wearing when you were launched away from your crew by Kuma. The holster dangling from your waist carried some of your throwing knives, which you twiddle absently at your side in nervousness. You had become adept at hand to hand combat since the crew saw you last. You are nimble, fast and lethal. You smirk and let the confidence roll over your body. You can’t wait to see how skilled everyone else had become.

You flex and stretch, standing up from the bench and begin your ascent up the stairs. They groan under your weight and you shift the bag on your shoulder, securing it more tightly against your body. You feel your heart beginning to race again at the thought of the final crew member. You can only imagine how strong he’d become.

Zoro.

You think of his green hair, and his white shirt, the top buttons always haphazardly undone. His slim black pants and boots, the sound of his earrings jangling in the sea breeze. You see his tight, intense gaze and that smirk that always weakened your knees. The knot in your stomach tangles more at the thought as you crest the top of the stairs. You recall the days that you sat in the Crow’s Nest together as he worked out. He never paid you much attention, but simply tolerating your presence in his sacred space made you feel important.

You feel the heat rise to your face and you can’t tell if it’s because of the sweltering sun of the Archipelago or the indecent thoughts that have begun to flood your mind. You take a deep breath as you nearly reach the doorway of Shakky’s place, when you stop in your tracks at the silhouette in the doorway. The sun is bright, so you can’t make out who it is right away, but as the figure takes a step, there’s no mistaking that green head of hair.

“Well,” You hear Shakky’s voice from inside the bar.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d be the first,” You hear Rayleigh’s voice chime in.

The greenette stays silent for a moment and then replies, “Oh yeah? Nobody else has shown up.” He pauses. “Well damn, guess they got lost.”

You can hear the smirk in his voice. It’s unmistakable.

Before you can stop yourself, you call out to him. “Zoro!” You immediately flush, but you know this time it’s not from the heat.

You see Zoro stiffen at your voice, but he quickly turns around and meets your gaze with his own.

Christ…

You immediately notice that your eyes only meet one of his, a scar running from forehead to cheekbone on the left side of his face, his eye tightly shut. It makes him look even more ruggedly attractive, if at all possible, and you allow yourself to stare for a moment.  His jaw, still angular and chiseled, is formed into a lazy half-smirk. Your e/c eyes trail down from his jaw to his throat and his collarbone, a body part you became intimately familiar with when you’d spent long moments staring at it over the top of his unbuttoned shirt, wondering what it would be like to nuzzle your face into its contours.

A part you are not used to seeing so casually, was the rest of his broad chest, which is exposed under the deep green coat he was wearing, the trademark Mihawk scar that ran from shoulder to hip still proudly displayed. You are glad to see that his haramaki remained unchanged over the last two years along with the three swords he carries at his side. He shifts his weight to his left side and leans his forearm on the hilt of his swords.

“Y/n!” He replies with a broad grin of recognition. He jogs toward you, and you find yourself moving towards him too.

Zoro is stunned to see you. In all honesty, he is stunned to know that he’s the first to arrive in the first place. Although, he did leave several weeks prior. Just in case.

You are…so different. His eyes move across your body, and he coughs, a slight flush spreading across his cheeks. He grits his teeth frustratedly.

Shit…get it together. He thinks to himself.

“I can’t believe we’re the first ones here!” You say, before pausing. “Actually…how the hell are you the first one here??”

You laugh and he manages to chuckle too. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He jokes.

“Shakky and Raleigh inside?” You ask, jabbing your thumb towards the open door to the bar.

Zoro nods, rubbing a calloused hand at the nape of his neck. “Yep, they’re in there. Waiting like the old gossips they are.” He laughs quietly, shaking his head.

You can’t help but watch his arm move behind his head. His worn bandana is tied around his bicep over the top of his coat, and you can’t help but imagine how his tanned skin stretches over the muscle there. You realize, too late, that you had been silent for a beat too long.

“Y/n? You good?” He asks, raising a brow.

Your attention snaps back like a rubber band and you laugh nervously. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, sorry. Just can’t believe how long it’s been.” You say lamely.

You walk into the bar, Zoro trailing behind you and you greet Shakky and Rayleigh with a wide grin. Shakky compliments your new look, making you spin around as if to show off your outfit. You can’t help but feel confident and a surge of pride wells within you. She pours you a drink, having already poured one for Zoro, and invites you to sit down at a far booth. You sit next to Rayleigh, playfully bumping him and he wraps an arm around your shoulder. He gives you an affectionate squeeze as he tells you how pleased he is to see you guys again. Zoro takes a seat at the far corner of a booth. He props his feet up and takes a long drag of sake straight from the bottle. He’d already finished the drink that was poured, naturally, and stopped Shakky before she could pour him another. He asked for the bottle, shrugging and said that we should just “cut out the middleman.”

You regale the three others in your tales of the last two years. You speak about your Master, your training, the island you’d resided on, everything. Shakky gives updates too, about some of the rumors that had been floating around in the Strawhats’ absence, particularly about Luffy and Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro. Shakky, never one to be subtle, asks Zoro pointblank about what he’d been up to.

“Eh, not too much excitement,” He says vaguely. “The usual. Swords, drinking, naps.” Shakky rolls her eyes, unsatisfied, but you just laugh, knowing that he was not one to talk too much about himself.

After a long while, the four of you notice that the sun has begun to set. You are beginning to feel the drinks you’d consumed, your laughter a bit louder, your tongue a bit looser, your hair a bit wilder. The bar is illuminated in deep orange and red hues and you glance over at Zoro. Half of his face is cast in shadow, while the other half colored the same tint as the room. It looks almost as if he is on fire and you are mesmerized by him. He’s staring at you intently. You see beads of sweat along his hairline, and you notice that he has removed his outer coat.

“Damn Shakky,” He breathes, not breaking eye contact with you. “I don’t remember it being this hot two years ago.”

Shakky laughs. “Well, we’re going through a bit of a heatwave right now. It’s unusual for this time of year, but occasionally the weather currents bring a front in. It’s supposed to be like this for the next few days.”

His knees are propped up and he rests his forearms on top of them as he breaks your gaze and looks out the window. HIs profile is immaculate, and your eyes trace each feature–his straight nose, his angled jaw, and his full lips. Your lips subconsciously part, and it isn’t until you feel your tongue on them that you notice how you’re staring. Shakky, however, has noticed how the two of you have been trading stares at each other the entire evening. She smirks and stands with a yawn.

“Well Rayleigh,” She starts. “It seems likes it’s about time to close up shop for the evening. You good?”

Rayleigh looks confused at first, however, when Shakky gestures quickly to you and Roronoa, Rayleigh nods knowingly. He looks down at his nearly full drink and smiles. He tips his head back and swigs down the rest, placing the empty glass resolutely on the hard wood. “You know what, Shakky? You’re absolutely right. These old bones can’t drink like they used to. I’m headed down to my place at the docks. It’s cooler there anyway.” He stands up and bids the room farewell. The doorbell jingles behind him as he exits the bar.

You get the feeling that they’d been watching you and Zoro, and you feel embarrassed. But you don’t want to complain. You just hope that Zoro wouldn’t be ready to turn in yet either.

Shakky approaches Zoro and gives him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Night, Roronoa. If you get lonely, my room is always open.” She winks at him, entertained by how he squirms at the unexpected contact.

“Uh, yeah, sure…” He mutters, flustered. Shakky laughs.

“Shit Roronoa, just relax. I’m only kidding.” She walks over to a door behind the bar, presumably that led to her sleeping quarters, and opens it. “Or am I?” She grins slyly.

This time, Zoro knows better. The greenette shakes his head with a chuckle. “Goodnight, Shakky.”

She, too, disappears. The door closes behind her with a soft click, and the two of you are left alone. The sun has finally set beneath the mangroves and the sound of crickets fills the room. Despite the sun having set, the room is humid and very warm.

You reach a slender hand up and wipe beads of condensation off the back of your neck with a nervous sigh. “You’re right, Zoro,” You say after a moment. “It is absolutely stifling in here.”

He hums in agreement and holds up the bottle of sake questioningly. You nod and he tosses the closed bottle to you. However, his toss is a little short and to the left. But you’re fast and you catch it without a problem, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Aim much?” You joke as you pour yourself another drink before tossing it back to him.

He catches it easily and smirks. “Well, just checking to see if all that training you were going on about actually paid off.” He takes a swig. “Seems like it did.”

You were unbelievable. Zoro marvels at your agility. He had been enthralled as you told your story of the last two years. He watched the way your eyes lit up in excitement at certain parts or when your tone shifted to something more sinister. This was the y/n he’d always known–vibrant, curious and powerful. Zoro has always admired your tenacity. It was something of himself that he saw in you. He admired your intelligence as well, and your quick wit. It had always been a little intimidating, but now you were a force. It overwhelmed the swordsman. And thrilled him in the same way a new enemy excited him, got his adrenaline pumping and his heart racing.

He watches as you take a sip of your drink. His gaze follows the long line of your neck down to your collarbone, which he finds himself lingering on for longer than what was appropriate between nakama. You had always been objectively attractive, but Zoro never really paid attention to things like that. But now, you made that impossible to ignore. He is very attracted to you, entranced by your confident aura that pours off of you like cool sake.

The alcohol warms your blood and before you know what you’re doing, you prop your elbow on the table and say, “Seems like your training paid off too. I mean, look at you. All extra-muscley and shit.”

Zoro’s eyes widen slightly before he laughs out loud. “Thank you? I think.”

The liquid courage you’ve consumed does little for your filter (or your shame) so you continue. “I remember when I used to hang out in the Crow’s nest while you worked out. You were strong then, obviously. But it’s different now. You seem…invincible.” You breathe.

Zoro takes a moment to consider. “Invincible, huh?” He chuckles. “Hardly.”

You scoff and roll your eyes, but don’t reply.

Zoro stands up, his coat remaining in his seat. Your eyes follow the contour of his chest and he notices you watching him. He loves knowing that you look at him the same way that he looks at you.

“Come on,” He says after a moment, holding out his free hand, the other still holding the bottle of sake.

You take it without thinking. “Where are we going?” His hand is rough and cool to the touch, despite the heat in the room. He’s never held your hand before now. His good eye lands on you with a smirk that turns the knot low in your stomach.

“Up,” He replies in a whisper.

You nod wordlessly and stand up, trailing behind him as he walks towards the back door of the bar. When you exit, you sigh happily when a cool breeze flows along your damp skin. He echoes the sentiment with a contented hum, and continues towards the side of the building where he finds a ladder.

“Ladies first,” He grins, gesturing for you to climb the ladder up to the roof of the bar.

You raise an eyebrow, but comply nonetheless. As you climb, you make sure to move your hips more exaggeratedly, knowing the view you were providing him.

He knows exactly what he’s doing, of course, and admires your ass as you climb the ladder. You really are something. He wants to do more than just hold your hand. He wants to trail his hands along your curves, feel your strong body against the planes of his chest. He wants to know what your lips taste like, what your h/c hair feels like entangled in his fingers. But he knows that he needs to take it slow for both of your sake. It’s been two years. A lot has changed, and you are still his nakama first and foremost. There’s nothing that he would sacrifice to keep that.

The ladder is taller than you think it is by looking at it and when you arrive at the top of the bar, you are surprised to find an expansive platform.

“Wow,” You look open-mouthed. “How’d you know this was up here?” You look to Zoro who hops up onto the platform.

He shrugs. “I didn’t. I just saw the ladder earlier and figured it would be worth exploring.”

He walks up behind you in all of his shirtless beauty and sits, his legs apart as he leans back on his forearms. You’re still standing, looking up at the vast mangroves all around you, the stars peeking through the tree-tops. He lets you admire the scenery because it gives him a few moments to admire you. He clears his throat to get your attention and pulls you down to him.

With a light gasp, you find yourself sitting between his legs, your back against his chest and his arms wrapped around you. You are blushing furiously now. He hums contentedly, moving to nuzzle your hair and inhale your clean scent.

“What are you doing?” You manage to croak out.

“Enjoying the company,” He murmurs into the side of your neck.

You feel his heart beating swiftly against your back as you lean into him with a deep sigh. Your brain wants to overcomplicate this.

What does this mean? What does he want? Does he feel the same way about me that I feel about him? Does he…you gulp. Does he…want me, the way that I want him?

He feels you stiffen. “Y/n, hey,” He says. “It’s okay. This doesn’t have to mean anything that we don’t want it to mean.”

It seems like mind-reading is on the roster of new super powers he’s acquired. You grumble internally.

He laughs, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear before he moves away. You whimper softly at the loss of contact, and turn to face him with a confused look. Though he did shift backwards, he didn’t move all that far away from you, so you’re surprised that you’re nearly face to face when you turn around.

He gently touches his thumb to your parted lips. “We’ve got time, y/n. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. So let’s just take the time and figure it out.” He smiles.

You feel your heart swell in your chest as you meet his intense stare. “Y-yeah, o-okay.” You stutter, still not quite believing that Roronoa Zoro has anything he wants to figure out with you. Your reverie is interrupted by Zoro’s gentle kiss. It’s a kiss that foreshadows what else could come of it, one that’s slow and burning and brimming with possibilities. He pulls away with a shudder.

“We’ve got time.” He says again, seeming to convince himself with the second iteration. “Besides,” He pulls back fully this time, taking in your lovely face before he smirks. “It’s too damn hot to be this close right now anyway.”

@laws-yellow-submarine​

WOW WOW WOW this is absolutely amazing, my darling!!!! I was totally enthralled the entire time and was really hoping it wouldn’t end any time soon! And you painted the scenes so beautifully, it felt like I was actually in the story!! All the characters are so well written and gah I didn’t think it was possible to fall more in love with Zoro but damnnn this story had me swooning for the swordsman 🥰

I really really enjoyed this and I’m honestly so glad you took part in this little challenge! Could I add this wonderful story to the masterlist? 💕

[lixiepeach]

The Heart of the Sea, Part 7

Pairing: Arthur Curry x OC

Summary: Marina Allen has dedicated her life to conserving wildlife but when she stumbles upon the truth about the company she’s working for she decides to take a stand. A stand that leads her to nearly being killed and meeting her soulmate by chance. It seems like fate is intent upon repeating history but Arthur Curry has other ideas.

Warnings: Smut

A/N: Realized I never posted this here and I wrote it months ago. Sorry!

Masterlist

*********************************************************************************

“Arthur, where are we going?”

Arthur had pulled Marina out of the house as soon as she had finished getting dressed and herded her into her car. Arthur had blindfolded her before driving off, and she was certain he was driving in circles now.

“It’s a surprise.”

“You’ve told me that five times. You know I don’t like surprises.”

“You’ll like this one.”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of driving, Arthur finally stopped the car. Marina could hear the ocean close by, meaning they had to be near the beach. Arthur gets out of her car, his boots crunching in gravel as he makes his way to the passenger side door. He helps her out, leading her forward a few steps before stopping her, standing her still.

“Can I finally take the blindfold off?”

Arthur chuckles, wrapping his arms around her from behind, engulfing her in his hold. “Yes, you can take it off now.”

Marina slips the blindfold off, blinking a couple times to adjust to the bright light. She looks around, finding herself standing in front of a small cottage with a “for sale” sign in front of it.

“Arthur...did you buy a house?” Arthur holds a key up in front of her face, laughing. She turns to face him, looking up at him. “H-How?”

He shrugs. “We can’t live with my parents’ forever. And I thought it would be nice to have a place to come home to. As to how, saving the world comes with some perks.”

Marina stands on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You are amazing.”

Arthur grins, kissing her sweetly. “Yeah, I know.”

Marina swats his arm. “Can we go inside?”

Arthur takes her hand, leading her up the path to their new home. The other houses on the street were mostly summer homes, spaced far enough apart for plenty of privacy. The cottage was painted white with a blue trim, adding to the nautical feel of it. There’s already furniture inside, Arthur taking the liberty to pick out a few things. He would give her free rein to decorate though.

The cottage was a single storey, with one bedroom and one bathroom. They didn’t need much space, and if Arthur’s plan succeeded, they wouldn’t be staying there very often. Not for extended amounts of time anyway. A path leads from the back door down to the beach. With the windows open they can hear the waves crashing on the sand, a sound both familiar and pleasant to both of them.

Marina stares out the big window in the bedroom, looking at the sea in the distance. Arthur had progressed their relationship further in the last two days than she had thought it would ever get to. Not that she was complaining, but it had been a lot.

Arthur wraps his arms around her from behind again, leaning his cheek on top of her head. “Do you like it?”

Marina smiles, leaning back against him. “I love it.”

Arthur smirks. “Wanna christen our new bed?”

Marina giggles. “Don’t we need to pack and move our stuff in?”

“Most of it is in the back of your car.”

Marina looks up at him. “Did you pack our stuff?”

“Well, most of your stuff was already in boxes. It was just packing my stuff and fitting it into your car.”

“It’s a good thing you’re not a very material person.”

Arthur grins, pulling her tighter against him. “It is.” She can feel him against her stomach, the bond between them not helping. She can practically taste the arousal in the air.

Marina stands up on her toes, pressing her lips against his. Arthur is quick to act, lifting her into his arms, carrying her the few steps to their new bed, both of them falling onto it. Arthur’s hands are everywhere, tugging at her clothes, his clothes, feeling her skin. It had been less than a day since their first time, but neither of them acted like it.

Marina tugged Arthur’s shirt off, desperate to feel his smooth skin under her hands. She could feel him through their bond, his arousal, his own desperation to be inside her again. She was already soaked, his own arousal feeding hers.

Arthur’s hands ignite sparks wherever they touch her skin, too much and not enough at the same time. They had been so desperate to complete their bond yesterday they had taken little time to feel each other out. Arthur had hardly kept his hands to himself in the time since, but even then it wasn’t the same. Arthur strips her of her clothes faster than she can remove his, tossing them every which way. Arthur presses his body against hers, pushing her into the mattress. She doesn’t mind the heavy weight, her fingers digging into his back.

Arthur’s lips trail a path down her neck, Marina tilting her head back to give him more access. His beard is rough against her skin but she can’t complain, tangling a hand in his hair as he moves lower down her body. Moans leave her lips as he nips at the side of her breast, dragging his teeth over the sensitive skin. Her hips arch off the bed as he takes her nipple in his mouth, teasing the sensitive bud. His hand works her other breast, wetness dripping down from between her legs.

He trails his lips down her body, moving her legs apart with his shoulders. She relaxes, watching him as he takes her in. She flushes slightly, feeling just a little self conscious as he stares at her, but the feeling is quickly replaced when his mouth touches her. She gasps at the sensation, Arthur sucking at her clit. Waves of pleasure roll through her, her back arching, pressing her hips against his face. He smirks up at her, golden eyes glinting as he shifts, pulling one of her legs over his shoulder. He teases her entrance with his fingers, coating them with her wetness before pressing them into her. He keeps his mouth on her clit, his fingers working into her, searching for her spot.

Marina is a moaning mess as he works her up, keening as his fingers find her spot, pressing against it. Her hand tugs at his hair, pressing his face against her harder. She was on the verge and just needed a little more. But he moves away before she topples over the edge, sitting up on his knees over her. She groans, giving him a dirty look and he just laughs, undoing his belt. He kicks his pants off, having forgone underwear as usual. He was big and hard and she could feel her walls clench in anticipation.

He pressed his body against hers again, pressing their lips together. She can feel him against her, her hips moving slightly to relieve some pressure. He groans against her lips, shifting so he can reach between them, dragging his length against her. She keens, wanting to feel him again, wanting to be full of him again. He presses into her slowly, stretching her but there’s no pain for her. His thrusts are shallow as he works his way into her, her body opening to him.

His thrusts get deeper as Marina relaxes, her legs wrapping around his waist. She presses close to him, burying her face in his neck as they move together. His arms wrap around her, holding her up against him as he picks up speed, the sound of their skin slapping together almost as loud as their moans.

It doesn’t take long for them, lost together in their sensations and their bond together. Marina falls over the edge first, getting lost in her pleasure, dragging Arthur over as well. Arthur thrusts a few more times before stilling, spilling into her. They take a moment to catch their breath, Arthur pressing his forehead against Marina’s. They hold each other, breathing each other in for a moment. They’re far from done, but both of them need the moment to take each other in and feel each other before they lose themselves to their need.

*****

Marina traces patterns on Arthur’s chest, the sun low in the sky. They had spent nearly the whole day getting closer to one another, and as Arthur put it, christening their new bed. Arthur’s fingers were tracing a pattern on her back, his eyes closed and breathing even. The sound of the waves was relaxing, Marina nearly falling asleep in her relaxed state.

That is, until Arthur’s stomach growls. They had skipped lunch, not wanting to stop their christening. Marina stops tracing her pattern, leaning up on an elbow.

“We should get something to eat.”

Arthur nods, stretching his arms over his head. “Agreed. My mom sent over some food.”

Marina nods. “I should have probably warned you that my cooking is sub-par at best.”

Arthur shrugs. “As long as it’s edible.” He sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to find his discarded clothes.

“We’ll see.”

Marina helps him bring the boxes in from her car. Well, she carries a couple while Arthur packs the rest in without even breaking a sweat. They would have time to unpack later, Marina focusing on fixing something easy for dinner. Arthur finds the box his mom had sent with kitchen supplies in it. They would have to do some more shopping for necessary items later, but for now they’d work with what they had. She would have to get used to working with what she had once Arthur returned to Atlantis.

Part 8

[cocochannel00]

Birthday Surprise

Harry gives (Y/n) a special surprise for her birthday...

It was currently 8 am and you had just gotten off the night shift at the hospital. You loved your job as a nurse, you really did but three-night shifts in a row as left you completely drained and ready to sleep. You had just pulled up to your shared London home with Harry when your phone buzzed with a message from Anne.

Happy Birthday, love, hope you are having a marvelous day. I know this is very last minute but Harry just messaged me saying he is doing a surprise show for the new album tonight at the Electric Ballroom and wanted me to ask if you’d like to come with me? I can pick you up at 5 and we can go to soundcheck if you like? Gives me an excuse to bring over your gift! -Anne

You groaned silently as you dropped your car keys on the kitchen counter. You desperately missed Harry as you hadn’t seen him in the last four months, but all you wanted to do was sleep for your birthday this year. Despite this, you knew you couldn’t give up the chance of seeing Harry especially since you had lost track of what country he was playing in by now. Just as you were about to respond to Anne and reluctantly tell her yes you would go, Harry sent you a text.

Happy birthday, darling, hope you are having a wonderful day. I know you just got off a shift most likely, but Jeff decided to squeeze in a secret show tonight at the Electric Ballroom and I was hoping if you weren’t too exhausted you and mum could come? Can celebrate your birthday after the show if you're not to warn out -H

You smiled at his text. Harry was one of the sweetest people you had ever met and the fact that he wanted you at the show warmed your heart. Making your way into your bedroom you sat down on Harry’s side of the bed and snuggled up to his pillows before responding.

Thank you, Love. Anne just texted me about it so I’ll let her know that I’ll be joining her. Can’t wait to see you tonight. Think I can convince Lambert to let me pick your shirt for the night?

Think we can maybe arrange that for the night, but only because you’re the birthday girl -H

You laughed at his response before sending him a quick message saying you were going to go take a nap before the show. You quickly changed out of your scrubs and jumped in the shower, but not before setting two alarms and responding to Anne’s message. Once you were out of the shower and in one of Harry’s sweatshirts you passed out onto the bed and fell asleep.

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

A loud quaking sound startled you awake as your alarm blared next to you. You rolled over slowly and began rubbing your eyes before shutting off the alarm. After checking the time, you realized you had about an hour before Anne would arrive so you quickly responded to the couple of happy birthday texts you had received and began to get ready.

Unlike Harry, you weren’t known for your extravagant fashion sense so you put on the coziest sweater you could find and a pair of jeans before starting on your makeup.  

You heard a ping from your phone just as you were putting on your shoes, so you knew Anne had just arrived. Buzzing her in you quickly began to clean up the clutter you had laying around your kitchen and living room. The doorbell rang just as you attempted to put away one of Harry’s many suitcases he had laying around from the last time he was home. After shoving it deep in your coat closet you ran to the door to great Anne.

“Oh (y/n) you look absolutely stunning! Happy birthday, dear” Anne stated as she wrapped you in a tight hug before handing you a small box.

“Thank you, Anne, but you really didn’t have to” you replied as you began to open the box up.

Inside the box sat a beautiful small blue ring engraved with a wave. Underneath it sat a picture from the last time you and Harry had gone to visit Anne. You were sat on Harry’s lap as Anne and Gemma sat on either side of you while Michael took the picture. You quickly put on the ring and placed the picture on your kitchen counter before giving Anne another hug.

“Thank you, Anne, they’re wonderful” you stated as you squeezed her tight.

“Oh nonsense darling, it’s my pleasure now come on if we don’t hurry we’re going to be late,” she said as she guided you out the door.

———————————————————————

The atmosphere at the Electric Ballroom was incredible and you couldn’t wait to hear Harry perform his album live for the first time. He had sung you a couple melodies here and there during the writing process and he had let you sit in on a couple of studio sessions when you went out to Los Angeles to visit him earlier that year. The only song he had played for you fully was cherry. You had never seen him so nervous about sharing something with you. You knew he had broken up with her a couple of weeks before you had first met him but up until that moment the two of you had never really talked about what had happened. The song was so beautiful and so personal that it felt like you were invading his memories.

Though most of the album was about that rough break up in his life, Mitch had mentioned in passing that he had written a couple about you but you never asked about them. You wondered whether any of them had made it onto the album. Harry had made you promise that you wouldn’t listen to the album until he got back because he wanted to be there in person with you when you listen to it. It took everything in you not to listen to it the minute it came out a couple of days ago. All of your friends were gushing over how amazing it was and Anne even called crying to talk to you about it. The suspense was killing you, but you were happy you would finally get to hear it after so long.

You were aimlessly wandering around the balcony of the Electric Ballroom as the crowd slowly began to file in when Anne came looking for you.

“Went to get a drink and you wandered off. Thought I’d find you up here. Always exploring.” she said as she passed you a drink.

“Sorry, I wanted to see the place before its filled. I can’t wait to see him on stage, he’s going to be incredible” you whisper as you take a sip of your glass.

“He’s waiting for you in the dressing room. He’s very nervous to play it for you. Been calling me on the phone for days about it. The poor thing was worried to invite you in case you don't like it.” Anne replied as you both made your way down to the dressing room.

“I’ve loved every song he’s ever written! Sometimes he’s so dramatic.” you laugh as you show your VIP pass to the security guard.

You and Anne make your way down the corridor, greeting the crew as you go until you find the door labeled ‘Harry Styles’. Anne gives you a kiss on the cheek before she wanders off to go find Jeff. You knock softly on the door as you hear a soft “come in” from Harry on the other side. You slowly turn the door a poke your head in to find Harry sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. You frown slightly at the state he’s in. Closing the door carefully, you walk over to where he’s sitting and take a seat on the coffee table in front of him.

“You know, if I had known you were going to be this nervous I would have brought you a barf bowl from the hospital” you whispered as he whipped his head back to look at you.

He stared at you for a second as if processing what you said before harshly pulling you into his lap, clutching you to his body.

“Jesus Christ. Fuck (y/n) I’ve missed you so much you have no bloody clue. Been an absolute wreck today. Oh, happy birthday love” He whispered as he held your face in his hands and placed a chaste kiss to your lips before leaning his forehead against yours.

“I missed you too, H. I need you to relax though, ok? You’re going to be great. Rachel said she saw your show at the forum and she said it was amazing. Every snip and melody you’ve played for me has been wonderful and I’ve loved every piece of it.” you replied back as you caressed his cheek and placed a kiss to his nose.

“I know but tonight’s different, you’re here and moms here and Gemma and I just... oh I almost forgot your gift” he mumbled as he reached into the bag on the floor next to you and pulled out a box.

You opened the box to find a beautiful ceramic pendant necklace. The hexagonal pendant contained a shell-like pattern surrounding a blue circle, green and pink colored details. It reminded you of the ones you saw on your trip through northern Spain. You smiled as you looked at the pendant before Harry helped you put it on.

“Harry it’s beautiful, thank you,” You said before giving him a kiss.

“Keep going, there’s something else in there,” he said with a smirk as you furrowed your eyebrows at him, searching through the box. You found a slip of paper at the bottom of the box and unfolded it. It was a plane ticket to Anguilla for New Years'.

“Harry I don’t..”

“Know you’ve been saving up your vacation days so I talked with your friend from work, Margret, and she said that she talked with your head nurse and that if you wanted you could take a week or week and a half and come with me. I didn’t want to make any decision for you so I said I’d call her with your decision so if you don’t want to that’s not a-” he began but you cut him off.

“Yes”

“Yes, you’ll come?” he asked with a smile.

“Yes, I’ll come. God, I love you, thank you” you replied back just as a knock sounded on the door.

“If you two love birds are done having sex we need Harry out here. Going to start the set in 15 minutes” Mitch yelled through the door.

“I’m going to go so you can finish up and so I don’t wrinkle your suit anymore. Thank you for the lovely gifts. I’ll see you out there soon. I love you.” you said as you got up and made your way to the door.

“I love you too, (y/n)” he replied.

You couldn’t get the smile off of your face as you made your way back to the balcony where Gemma, Michael, and Anne were waiting for you. You walked past a crowd of girls before making your way over to them. Gemma spotted you first and quickly came up to hug you and wish you a happy birthday followed by Michael. Anne gushed over the necklace Harry gave you as you told them about the surprise trip he had also gotten you. As the four of you continued talking the lights in the room flickered and the opening notes of what you assumed was Golden began to play.

“You’re going to love it,” Gemma said as she gave you a big hug.

“I know I will” you replied as you listened to Harry begin to sing.

You were a little more than halfway through the show and you had already cried at least three times. Every song played like a movie in your head. The songs were so beautiful and the lyrics were so much more personal than his first album. Harry had just finished singing two of your favorites so far “Falling” and “To Be So Lonely” and was now talking to the audience.

“I wanted to thank everyone again for coming tonight. London has always made me feel like home and I’m so happy I could share this album and these songs with you all. I thought I’d switch it up a bit tonight so the next song I’m going to sing is called “Sunflower, Vol. 6″ and it’s a very special song to me because I wrote it about a very special person. Now, this person is here tonight and it’s the first time they’ve heard any of the songs on the album. It’s also this person’s birthday so I wanted to wish them a big happy birthday as well.  I’m a bit nervous about playing it, but here we go” he spoke into the microphone before giving the band a nod to start.

You were already in tears before he even began to sing. Anne had you wrapped in her arms and had offered you a napkin to wipe your tears. Harry looked up at you the whole time, trying to gauge your reaction. He saw you crying while his mom gave him a thumbs up, telling him you liked it and by the end when he had you laughing with the silly noises he was singing he knew he had gotten it right.

Every song was just as amazing as the next and when Harry brought out Stormzy to play a couple of songs you don’t think you could have screamed louder even if you tried. Harry finished his encore and thanked the crew, the band, and his fans before giving one last wave. After he had left the stage for good the lights came on and people began to make there way home.

“Well go down and greet him, you look like you about to explode. We’ll meet you down there soon” Gemma laughed as you nodded and all but sprinted towards the stairs. You raced down the corridors and flashed the security guard your badge again before running towards the backstage area. Once you spotted Harry’s bright yellow pants you all but tackled him to the ground, grabbing his face harshly and planting a strong, heated kiss to his lips. He wrapped his arms around your waist and released your lips with a laugh.

“Can I assume that you liked it then?” he asked with a smile on his face.

“Loved. I loved it, Harry. Every single one was amazing. Your poor mother was probably sick of passing me napkins to wipe my face. Loved it all.” you replied as you hugged him tightly.

Just as Harry was about to speak a man placed a hand on his shoulder.

“This your girl, Harry?” asked Stormzy as he smiled at the two of you.

“Yeah. (Y/n) meet Michael otherwise known as Stormzy” Harry stated as he held you to his chest.

“Pleasure meeting you, love. Heard it’s your birthday too so happy birthday” Stormzy said.

“Oh my god, thank you. Sorry, I just love your music” you replied back quickly, almost jumping with excitement.

“Well thank you very much, appreciate it. You two have fun” Stormzy stated as he waved and walked away from the two of you.

“Oh my god, Stormzy just wished me happy birthday. Did that really just happen? Harry do you know who that is?!” you said in shock as Harry laughed.

“Yes, Love, I do know who that is. Brought him on stage and everything. How did you like “Sunflower, Vol. 6?” he asked slightly anxious.

“You saw me cry through the whole thing, bloody loved it. Can’t believe you wrote a song about me and managed to keep it a secret. It was wonderful, and the lyrics and the kisses in the kitchen just made me remember why I missed you so much. Can’t wait to have you back for a little while” you said as you kissed his cheek softly.

“Get to have me all to yourself in Anguilla in a couple of weeks. Hope that partially makes up for me being away so long”

“Harry you don’t have to apologize or make up for anything. I knew what I signed up for with you and I am so unbelievably proud of you and this album and I don’t think I’ll ever stop listening to it. I do have one question though about my song?” you said.

“What is it, love?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“When did you come up with all of those noises at the end?”

Harry laughed. “Oh, you made those one time when you were playing with James’ daughter Charlotte and I guess they just stuck. Think it was also one of the first times I realized I was in love with you”

“Well I am very in love with you Mr. Harry Styles so thank you for making this an absolutely amazing birthday.”

“I love you too (Y/n), very much. Now, come on let's go mingle a bit before my mom thinks we’ve run away and elope” he replied, placing a kiss on your forehead.

“Wouldn’t be such a bad idea” you whispered in his ear before you released him and sauntered away with a smirk.

“No it would not” he mumbled as he followed after you.

Masterlist

[sourcherrybomb]

The SoKai Denny’s AU:

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Grand Slam

Synopsis: After a long and arduous day at work, Sora brings Kairi to the local Denny's to unwind and have a pleasant meal. But of course, things go to shit.

Sneak Peek: “Kairi… You’re not thinking straight…” I said as I slowly raised my hands towards my girlfriend. “Please, I just want to talk. Just put down the-”

But my words landed on deaf ears as she quickly rushed at me, a syrup-drenched butter knife in hand.

Tags: Romance, Denny's, F/M, Food

Words: 2.5k+

Fanart / Graphic by: @blissfulnightrain @the-secret-place

[OCTOBER 31, 2020 - 9:09PM]

Please just give us the details on the incident right before we arrived.

“Kairi… You’re not thinking straight…” I said as I slowly raised my hands towards my girlfriend. “Please, I just want to talk. Just put down the-”

But my words landed on deaf ears as she quickly rushed at me, a syrup-drenched butter knife in hand. Before I could even process which way she swung her weapon, I jumped backwards. Grabbing the butter knife that Kairi had previously knocked out of my hand from the ground, I blocked her attack.

In Kairi’s eyes, I saw the rage of a thousand beasts. Wild, untamed, and out for blood.

Around the two of us, as the cool autumn winds blew past us, an onlooking crowd gasped. Whether it be in fear or amazement, I’ll never know. However, what I did understand is the confusion that they all share and the one question everyone asked:

Why the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks are these two people having a knife fight in a Denny’s parking lot?

[OCTOBER 31, 2020 - 6:27PM]

Care to explain to details as to how she broke into this rage?

Of course.

Kairi headed out to her job at the cafe hours ago, being called into work due to the Halloween rush. She was hesitant at first since it was her day off, but she reluctantly left anyways because she knew the extra pay would help out with rent later in the month.

As for me, I didn’t have work today, so I was home for most of the day doing my usual routine. This is usually made up of playing video games, doing housework, and bothering my friend, Riku. But today I had decided to surprise Kairi by cooking dinner for her when she got home!

Great plan, yeah? I thought so too, right up until I realized I had ruined the spaghetti I made by burning the sauce... and somehow also the pasta? Like I didn’t even know that was possible, but somehow I did it?

I swear, the smell was bad enough to make a rat gag.

By the time I realized I had messed up, I knew it’d be too late. In the middle of my mad scramble to clean up the kitchen and get rid of any evidence, Kairi walked into our apartment.

Now I may be an idiot, but I’m not stupid. I took one look at Kairi and could tell that she was not having any of it. Her work uniform was disheveled and covered in various stains and crumbs. Kairi’s thumbs were fidgeting with the hem of her work shirt. When I looked into her tired, glazed over eyes, I saw a seething flame within them.

It was like a ticking time bomb in the shape of my girlfriend.

“Sora…” Kairi said tiredly. “Were you trying to cook? Again?”

I laughed nervously, shamefully resting a sauce pan into the sink. “I knew you’d be tired from work, so I wanted to make sure you could at least eat something when you got home!” I dried my hands and signaled Kairi towards me. Following suit, she practically kicked the shoes off her feet as she walked towards me.

“Dude, I love you,” she said this as she slumped into my arms. “But please stop burning things in our kitchen.”

“Sorry…” Slumping further into my arms, it was like she was melting. I had to sort of prop her against our kitchen counter in order for me to keep on carrying her. “Listen, let me at least make it up to you.”

“How?” Kairi looked up at me, the fire in her tired eyes dying down a bit.

“I was thinking of bringing you out somewhere to eat while we let the apartment air out…”

“It does smell like a burnt down Pizza Hut in here.” Kairi sighs as she traded her flats for sneakers. “Where were you thinking of taking us?”

I opened up my phone and pulled up my bank account.

Available Balance: $365.13

“Let’s just say I’m looking for a place that’s budget-friendly”

“Oh thank god,” Kairi said. “I can wear sweatpants and not give a crap.”

“Exactly!” I let go of Kairi and started to dump the burnt mass of pasta into our trash bin. “You take a load off and dress into more comfy clothes while I get rid of… this.”

[OCTOBER 31, 2020 - 7:16PM]

You know, bad days at work don’t usually cause people to attempt a stabbing.

Trust me… If it was just the bad shift, I’d agree.

Normally when I bring my girlfriend to the local Denny’s, it’s surprisingly not a bad time. Our friend Olette works as the hostess there, so we can usually get our seats pretty quickly. I usually get a Grand Slam to get my fix on pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. It’s a combo that always hits the spot when it’s 3AM, I’m hyper-aware of the world around me, and Riku is trying to find someone to take home on Sparklr. Kairi usually gets a Hammy & Cheese Omelette, mainly because she prefers the pancakes at IHOP. I always like to joke about giving her a Grand Slam once we get home.

Tonight was not the night to make those kinds of jokes. It was like the gods themselves had it out for my girl tonight.

7:45PM: Kairi and I arrived at Denny's and were told that Olette took the night off due to a cold. We were told that the wait would be close to half an hour.

8:02PM: Kairi’s left earbud died as the toddler next to us started bawling as she sang the ‘Baby Shark’ song. Mother of the child in question was too busy flirting with a busboy 20 years her junior to quiet her child.

8:07PM: Kairi dropped 27,000 Jewels in JHUX gacha trying to get a SN++ Illus. JH III Zola. All the medals obtained were ones that had been out of the meta for months.

8:17PM: Kairi and I were finally seated. Our table had sticky spots from syrup and crumbs on the seats. We asked our waitress, Asheleigh, if someone could come clean this up. The two of us were met with an unenthusiastic “Uhhh, sure?” as she called over a clearly stoned janitor. He sprayed the table once, wiped it once, and knocked the crumbs off the seats. Asheleigh took our orders with a sigh.

When I looked over at Kairi, I could tell the last half hour had done a number to her. An hour ago her anger was already near its boiling point, but now… It was like the seething fire within her eyes had evolved into a star about to burst into a supernova.

A beautiful sight indeed, but also one of pure destruction on a cosmic level.

“So Kai…” I nervously said. “Looking forward to the weekend?”

Her hands folded on the table, Kairi’s dead but fiery eyes staring out the window.

“...yes.”

C’mon man, think! I thought to myself. Anything to take her mind off this fustercluck of a situation!

“So I don’t know if you heard about this at work, but looks like JH: Master of Melodies is gonna have a preorder bonus!”

Silence.

“Y-Yeah, turns out if we get it over at Game Central Station, you get a couple bonus songs that would have been DLC! Isn’t that great?”

“...preorder exclusivity bonuses force game developers to split content amongst greedy retailers, alienating groups of consumers from experiencing the game at its 100% value.” Kairi says in a deadpan.

Crap, she’s being critical about video games... I thought to myself. Now I know I’m never gonna get through to her… Why can’t this food come any—

“Soooo I have your food.” Our waitress said, as she hastily put our plates on the table. “A Grand Slam for the spiky haired dude and a Hammy & Whatsits Omelette for his lady. Enjoy, or whatever.”

“Thank you…” I awkwardly said as I thanked whatever deity heard my prayers. “Well Kai, time to dig in!”

Silently, Kairi cut into her omelette and brought a piece over to her mouth. As if it were on cue, the food fell from the fork and onto her pants. She nonchalantly picked it off her pants and shoved it into her mouth, the look in her eyes somehow becoming even more dead.

I let out a deep exhale and started to stuff my pancakes in my face. I didn’t even notice that I held my breath in. I was honestly just quite relieved that Kairi didn’t explode then and there. We could finally just sit down, eat our food, and take a load off.

[OCTOBER 31, 2020 - 9:01PM]

Man, she really went through the ringer.

Honestly, I’m surprised she didn’t go feral sooner.

Luckily for the both of us, the incident with the fallen food was the only thing that got in the way of our meal. I was able to finish my Grand Slam and Kairi was able to scarf down her Hammy and Cheese Omelette. Looking at her face, I saw that some of the restrained rage in her eyes had been replaced with a much more tired aura.

“Hey Kai…” I softly put my hand on hers. “How ya doing?”

Sighing, she gently put my hand to her cheek. “I… I just want to get home, lie down, and forget today happened.”

After giving her a small peck on the cheek, I smiled. “That can be arranged! Now c’mon, let’s just hand this bill over and head out of here.”

But things are never simple as they seem to be.

Just as Kairi and I got out of our chairs, an ear-piercing “Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo,” came rushing down the aisle. Out of nowhere, Baby Shark Toddler bumped into Kairi, spilling the milkshake in her tiny hands all over Kairi’s legs.

“Oh sonova- Hey you!” Just steps away from the child, her mother called to us. She talked and walked with the cadence of a woman ready to chew out a teen part-timer at their first job. “Just what do you think you’re going to do about this?”

“Excuse me?” I asked in obvious confusion. “I’m pretty sure your daughter was the one who bumped into my-”

“Wasn’t talking to you, Spiky!” she snapped. “Listen up, Red, I want some recompense for my kid’s spilled drink! You think that cheap manager is gonna give me another one for free?”

“Hey now, names are uncalled for!” I retorted. “And not like it’s our fault your daughter ran into my- Kairi?”

A quiet but powerful groan escaped Kairi’s mouth, cutting me off. Her formerly clenched hands had started to crookedly flex open and contort. The tiredness in her eyes died away, being left with the energy of the ticking time bomb.

One that was seconds away from levelling a building.

“A…pologize,” Kairi said in a shaky voice. “Riiiiight. Now.”

“Apologize?” The woman mockingly laughed in her face. “Why woul-”

Before I or any of the onlookers realized, Kairi had the mother pinned down to the ground, a butter knife held to her throat. “APOLOGIZE! APOLOGIZE YOU-”

“KAIRI HOLY MOTHER OF-” As soon as my brain caught up with my eyes, I ripped Kairi off the mother and made space between them. When I turned around, I saw the woman crawling away in a frenzy, trying to escape like a dog walking with its tail between their legs.

“AaAAAaaaaaRrhrrhhgg…” A nearly inhuman growl came out of Kairi’s mouth, the grip on her butter knife tightening. When I looked into her eyes, I understood.

In removing the rude mother from the equation, I had become the focus of Kairi’s blinding rage.

“Kairi…” I slowly raised my hands towards her. “I know you’ve been through a lot today. The car is right outside. I can take you back right now, all you need to do is calm-”

“AAAAaAAaAAaaa!” Lunging at me like a mad dog, Kairi let out a guttural yell.

This is because I told her to calm down, isn’t it? I asked myself mid-dodge. Before a second thought could even pop into mind, Kairi spun into another attack from her lunge. I rolled backwards to dodge the attack, and picked up a butter knife off the table to defend myself with. After all, it was the best I could do right now. With how fast and unpredictably Kairi was moving, my only options were to dodge fast enough, or block if I was too slow.

It was like I was defending myself against a dancing blender with a knife.

Before I knew it, Kairi’s vicious attacks and my continuous defense brought us back to the entrance of the Denny’s.

And into the parking lot.

[OCTOBER 31, 2020 - 9:32PM]

“And right before your girlfriend was able to stab you with the butter knife, we arrived-”

“And tased her, yes.” I respond. “Officer Lockheart, I understand you were doing it for my safety, but I’m honestly still super concerned for Kairi.”

“And that is completely understandable,” she responds. “I can assure you that the officer that took her in exercised the most caution as effectively possible when using the taser.”

“Thank you. Is it possible to see her now?”

“The shock seemed to bring her back to her senses, so her questioning seemed to go by smoothly.” Officer Lockheart taps a pen on her chin. “I suppose it would be fine.”

After signalling one of the other officers to open the door, the two of us walked out of the interview room. Down the hall, I see Kairi wrapped in a blanket, drinking from a cup of coffee. As soon as she notices me, she puts down the mug and rushes into a hug.

“Sora, oh my god I’m so sorry!” Kairi says as she nuzzles into my chest. “I-I just really lost myself and-”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” I chuckle. “Honestly you’d give Riku a run for his money in a sparring match if you fought against him one-on-one!”

“I’ll let you two comfort each other for a bit,” Officer Lockheart tells us. “For now just stay here, I’ll see what the higher ups have to say about the situation.”

“Thanks, ma’am!” Kairi says back. Smiling and nodding, Officer Lockheart walks away.

For a while, the two of us sort of just sit in quiet. People who enter the room pay us no attention, but occasionally an officer would come up to us and ask if we needed anything. Other than that, it was just the two of us enjoying each other’s comfort.

“God, I really needed this,” Kairi tells me.

“Cuddling in a police station?” I question. “Or getting arrested for attacking people in a Denny’s”

“Jerk.” Kairi giggles as she flicks my forehead. “Nah, I mean just this! Me and you wrapped in a blanket.”

“Honestly I wish we could have done it back at the apartment. Luckily, by the time we get out of here, it should stop smelling like a I blew up a pizzeria.”

“That would have been nice in the moment, but when we get home I think I’d want something else.”

“Oh? What would that be?”

“Weeelll…” Kairi checks her surroundings, then leans towards my ear. “You never did make that Grand Slam joke of yours back at the Denny’s. Does that mean I won’t get one once we get back home?”

The whisper of her voice is enough to send a shiver down my back. I look into her eyes and instead of the rage or tiredness I saw before, I saw something much more… Carnal.

I give Kairi a peck on the lips and flash a mischievous smile.

Destiny Island Denny’s, we might never be allowed on your establishment ever again, which I understand.

But thank you for possibly the best Grand Slam of my life.