#just wanted to update y’all since i said today could be drop day

[kithtaehyung]

[ 3tanW ] gonna be resting and working on this all of today!! idk if it’ll be done in time for drop today but we shall see🥺🍊 it’ll either be the last 3tan part of 2022, or the first 3tan part of 2023🤍

[ssuperficialspacecadett]

Escrito en las Estrellas (Written in the Stars)

Chapter Six of the Through the Scope series | Chapter Seven

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 4.6K

Chapter Overview: You celebrate your first month working at Brass Knuckles

TW: t*m in the gif (i hate this mf and i dont care who knows)

Notes: okay so this chapter is what started me on my 'through the scope' journey ! i was driving back home to visit family and the phrase "it's written in the stars" just came to me so naturally i had to write an entire Frankie fan fic just so i could birth this one scene (i had no other choice obviously). this chapter was originally twice its length, but i cut it in half so i could make two chapters out of it hehe. i updated the tag list so please let me know if i missed you !! as usual ... my asks are always open & happy reading <3

*no use of y/n & female presenting reader*

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“So you two really haven’t hooked up yet? Not even a small kiss? You’re killing me right now. It’s been a month!” 

You’re on the phone with Robbie this evening to keep you company while you fold laundry. When she says that you have already been in Florida for a month, you feel shocked. Has it really been that long already? You count up the weeks in your head and today, Monday, marks the start of your fourth week here. Four weeks of watching your dad get stronger, four weeks of working at Brass Knuckles, and four weeks of crushing on Frankie. 

“I told you we haven’t done anything, Robbie! But fuck if I don’t want to. The only thing is that I think he’s in a weird place with his girlfriend right now. Or maybe she’s his ex-girlfriend that he’s sort of talking to again? Ugh! I don’t even know!”

You give up on folding, you are doing a terrible job at it anyway, and flop yourself down, stomach first, on your bed. 

“Why don’t you ask Benny about it then? Maybe he can give you some clarity?”

“For someone that’s so smart, you are so dumb.”

“Excuse me?” Her tone is playful, but still laced with warning.

“Look, I can’t just ask Benny about Frankie’s love life. It would be a dead give away that I like him and it just seems like…it just seems like an invasion of privacy.”

“You’re just stalling, you fucking baby. They are your friends right? Benny and Frankie?”

“Well, yeah? I would say so.” You’re not following where she's going.

“Then you should be able to ask them about what’s going on in their lives. That includes their love lives. We ask each other all the time!”

God you hate it when her logic makes sense.

“Okay! Okay. I’ll ask Benny about it at work this week then. Would that make you happy?” 

“No, that would make me content. What would make me happy is if yall finally fuc-”

“Woah!” You cut her off with a laugh. “Don’t you have some studying to do, miss. lawyer?” 

“I resent you for changing the subject right when we were getting somewhere, but yes I do. Call me when you grow a pair and ask?” 

“Trust me, Robbie. You’ll be the first to know.”

You laugh to yourself as you toss your phone on your bed and roll over onto your back. You would be lying to yourself if you said that you wouldn’t be happy if you and Frankie finally hooked up either. Since you have been here, you have gotten a small feeling that he might like you back. First there was him observing you when you two first met while his friends talked around him. Then there was him inviting you out with the guys for fight night. After that was him not shying away when you gave him the note with your number and a heart. Y’all shared a beer together, he dropped everything to help you with your car, and proceeded to spend the majority of the day with you eating and shopping. Did he almost kiss you in your apartment that morning or had you just romanticized his gentlemanliness? There had to be something there right? Right? 

But there was Rochelle. The woman who came before you. The woman who was first in line. While she was bad news according to Benny, you still felt hesitant about stepping on anyone's toes. You wouldn’t want that done to you. And yet you found your mind exploring the possibilities of what y’all could be to each other. Acquaintances? Friends? Something more?

***

It’s Benny’s turn to buy lunch today and he pulls through with Chick-fil-a. The conversation is natural while the two of you eat. Each of you take turns spitballing ideas on how to make the gym stand out more, if they should start selling food during fight night, if you will be a ring girl.

“When pig’s fly, Benjamin Miller. That’s when I’ll be your ring girl.”

The conversation slowly shifts into a more personal one. He talks about how he and the other guys love going to the beach together, but their schedules haven’t allowed it in a while. How all the ladies there can’t get enough of ‘old Brass Knuckles’. You share about how you and Robbie love walking around in downtown Austin, Texas and hunting for the best coffee, or food, or book stores. 

“The beaches back home weren’t really the best.” You confess.

“You should come with us then! Maybe we can all plan somethin’!”

“Yeah.” You say wistfully. “Robbie is coming down in March when her school lets out for spring break. What about then?” 

“Sounds fuckin’ awesome to me!”

Your tongue burns with the question you have about Frankie. It’s Thursday, which unfortunately means, it has taken you most of the week to gain the courage to bring it up. In your defense you had tried earlier, but it just never seemed like the right time. It would be weird to casually bring that topic up at random, but now that friends are being discussed…

“I’ve got a question.”

“I’ve got an answer.” He takes a sip of his drink. “Shoot.”

“I was just wondering how Frankie and Rochelle were doing. I noticed that he has seemed happier lately. Maybe they worked things out?”

He sets his cup down and looks at you quizzically. You get a nervous feeling that he’s onto you.

“Now that you mention it, he does seem happier, doesn’t he? Which isn’t anythin’ to take lightly. Especially for a guy like Fish. But to be completely honest with you, he doesn’t talk about her much around us.”

“Wait really? Y’all don’t talk about who y’all are dating?” Now your nervousness has started to make you sweat. 

“It’s not that at all. It’s just,” He rubs his forehead with his hand. “It’s just different when it’s Rochelle. I told you that she doesn’t belong in his life and I still stand by that. Do you remember when I mentioned that we were a fucked up bunch?”

You nod your head at him.

“Well, it’s not my place to get into all of Fish’s business, but she played a pretty big part in that for him. It took me, the guys, and the strength of whatever higher bein’ is out there to pry him from her grip. He knows we don’t like her much. I think that's why he keeps most of it to himself.”

“Oh.” Now you feel stupid for asking. There is clearly more going in that relationship than you previously thought.

“But, he would have told us if they were officially back together. That I know for a fact.”

You’re content with his answer. At least now you know that you aren’t being a homewrecker. Surely a little more innocent flirting wouldn't hurt. Well it might hurt if he doesn’t see you that way.

“So that’s the only reason you asked?”

You stop, a french fry in hand, and cock your head at your coworker. “What?”

“Don’t play around.” He snatches the fry from you. “What’s the real reason you want to know what’s going on with Fish?”

In this very moment you make an elaborate mental scheme of how to murder Robbie and get away with it when she comes down to visit you. 

“I was just curious.” You shrug.

“God, you’re such a fuckin’ liar!”

“I am not!”

“You got a thing for him, don’t you?!”

“I-I…well I-”

“I knew it! You like Fish!” He looks as happy as a kid on Christmas morning.

“Fine.” You can’t help but laugh at your friend's glee. “I like Frankie. I think he’s great.” 

“Hey, I’m just glad it didn’t turn out to be Pope. That man needs to be humbled every now and then.” 

The two of you burst into a fit of laughter together at the front desk. The people currently working out probably think y’all need to be admitted into the loony bin. It felt nice to finally tell someone here. Granted, Benny is Frankie’s friend, but now he’s yours too.

“Please,” You pant. “Please promise me that you won't say anything to him, Benny.”

“I promise I won’t say anything to him.” A cheeky grin splays across his face.

“I don’t think I like the way you said that.”

“Then don’t think about it. I said that I wouldn’t say anything about it, so I won’t.” He holds up one of his hands. “Scouts honor.” 

You breathe a sigh of relief as he cleans up the remains of lunch and walks over to the trash bin.

“I didn’t say that I wouldn’t do anything about it though!”

He takes off running as his words register in your brain. You stand and yell after him as he vanishes into his office. 

“Benny I’m going to kick your ass!”

The door’s bell must have gone off in the commotion because when you turn around to face the front of the lobby a very bewildered woman is looking directly at you. 

“Oh! Sorry about that! Welcome to Brass Knuckles! How can I help you today?”

***

Operation Catch-A-Fish Chat

Benny: It’s on boys! It’s fuckin’ on!

Will: Damn that was quicker than I thought.

Pope: Did she say something?!

Benny: She told me that she liked him while we were having lunch. Let's get this operation cookin’!

Will: I’ll be damned.

Pope: Told you we wouldn’t be pimping her out, Will.

***

Frankie lays on his back and watches the fan blades spin above him. The room is still stuffy as the hot air inside is only being pushed around. It makes him ache to be in a helicopter again. To feel the bone chilling air right as he climbs into the cockpit before a mission. He never felt cramped when he was in the air. Not like he does now on the ground.

He tries to pick a singular blade and count how many times it can circle the base of the fan in a minute, but he keeps getting distracted. You keep distracting him. He never manages to make it past 15 before you pop into his mind. Your melodic laugh, the way you furrow your eyebrows when you think, how it took you 30 minutes to pick one item off the menu at breakfast. He wonders how you’re spending your Thursday night. Guilt creeps in when he realizes how deeply you consume his thoughts. Although he doesn’t know if that guilt stems from the fact that he’s thinking of you while he lies next to Rochelle in her bed or because he didn’t feel guilty at all until he remembered she was there in the first place. What he does know is that he wouldn’t feel as cramped and lonely as he does right now if you were with him. You could have your limbs wrapped around him as tight as could be and he would still beg you to squeeze harder. 

He turns his attention to the woman laying next to him when she breathes out deeply. She looks so much different in sleep. Her harsh features have softened. Her brows are relaxed and her lips aren’t contorted into a perpetual scowl. She looks, he thinks, kind. As if she is completely incapable of being the person that has wreaked so much havoc and heartache onto his life. She looks like someone who would want to be held as she slept. Someone who would want their lover to pull them in close and whisper sweet nothings in their ear that would be kept secret by the darkness of the night. Unfortunately, that wasn’t who she was. Rochelle never wanted Frankie to be affectionate with her unless she initiated it or when they were going to have sex. Even then she would groan in annoyance when he took too long kissing or going down on her. 

“Just fuck me already.” 

Although he would never admit it, he craved that intimacy. That closeness with his partner. He loved having his hands constantly on the woman he was with. It kept him calm knowing that she was close to him. He noticed that he also had less nightmares on the rare occasions Rochelle would allow him to hold her while they slept. She stirs slightly and rolls over so her back is facing him. 

“God, what the fuck am I even doing here?” He whispers up to the fan blades. 

He hated himself for winding up back in her bed. They haven’t officially gotten back together, but this is how it always started. She would slither back into his life and he would trip over her and fall right into her trap. It made him even angrier than he knew how she worked and he still wound up here. Yet, it’s so easy to slip into a routine you already know no matter how toxic it may be. The ball is still technically in his court. He still hasn’t given her an answer about the status of their relationship. He hasn’t completely sunk beneath the waves yet. He needs to remind himself that history doesn’t equate to longevity. He wants quality over quantity now. 

The dinging of his phone pulls him from his thoughts. It’s a message from Benny in their group chat.

Benny: Sorry for the late message, but I’ve been doing some thinkin’. Since our girl has been here for a month I think we should celebrate. I know she wouldn’t want anything over the top, so maybe The Barrel this Saturday? Y’all down for that?

Pope: It’s about damn time she came out with us. I think I’m free then too.

Will: Benny, I’m literally awake in the next room. You could have just come and told me about your plan. 

Benny: Text is easier. I don’t have to get out of bed this way. 

Will: She definitely deserves more than a few rounds since she has had to deal with you for a month straight. I’m surprised you haven’t scared her off. 

Pope: Same here. I would have run for the hills by now if I were her.

Frankie: Yeah I’m down too. Will and Pope can carpool with me and we can meet y’all after closing time.

Benny: Sounds good! See y’all then!

“Who was that, baby?” A sleep riddled voice asks behind his shoulder.

He feels his body recoil at the pet name. A pet name he once had to beg her to call him. Something to make him believe that what they had was good and sweet. How could something he longed for sound like nails on a chalkboard now?

“Just the guys. Go back to bed, Rochelle.”

Frankie falls asleep wondering if he will get the privilege of sitting next to you at the bar.

***

“I already said that I would come tonight, Benny! You didn’t have to keep asking every hour of the day.”

If you were being honest it was getting on your nerves. He told you last night that you absolutely, without a doubt, had to come to The Barrel on Saturday after work. You knew that you had been pushing it off so you conceded. You just wished Benny would get that through his thick skull. Although, having someone that invested in you is foreign so you put your annoyance out of your mind and focus on the good.

“I know. I know. I just want to make sure everything goes perfect. You told your dad that you wouldn’t be comin’ tonight?”

“Yes! I did everything you asked! I don’t know why you’re so worked up. We are just going across the street to get a drink after work.”

“I just want to make sure.”

“Aww!” You pinch his cheek as he waits with you in the laundry room. “Does Benny have a crush on me?”

“You wish you could get in on all this!” He flexes his left arm and blows a kiss at you with his right.

“Fuck off!” You shove him out of the room. “If you want to go get a drink you better leave me alone so I can put this load in the dryer. Long gone are the days of leaving wet towels to sit overnight at Brass Knuckles.” 

“That’s why I love ya’!” He pokes his head back and kisses your cheek. A lovely juxtaposition to what you just did to him. “I’ll head over there and get us a table. Meet me there after you lock up?”

“If you’re lucky, Miller.”

Shortly after Benny bounds gleefully out of the gym, the washer announces that it’s finished. You hum to yourself as you toss the damp towels into the dryer and press start. It’s all a breeze from there. You collect your things from the desk, turn off the building's lights, and lock the front door. That’s funny you think my bag feels lighter than usual.

The night air is hot, but not uncomfortably so, as you walk across the street to The Barrel. The soft glow from the sign acts as your north star. You can hear how packed it is even before you swing the door open. How are you going to find Benny through all these people? Your eyes survey the room as you make your way through the crowd. A hand shoots up in the back and starts waving frantically at you. As you slip through more people you finally reach the clearing. It was all of them. All of the guys were waiting for you at a quaint table in the back. 

“Happy one month!” They say in unison and raise their glasses.

“Oh my-” 

You’re so starstruck that you can’t speak. They all beam as you make your way to the table and to the only empty chair. The one that sandwiches you right in between Pope and Frankie. 

“Is this seat taken?” 

“It is now.” The man with soft curls responds warmly. 

“Are you surprised?! Did we get you?!” Benny can hardly sit still in his chair.

“Yes,” Your cheeks are going to be sore from smiling in the morning. “Y’all got me good. I can’t believe y’all remembered.” 

“Of course we did, hon.” Will’s voice acts as a beacon of calmness in the bar’s chaos. “The gym was close to burnin' down before you showed up and saved it. Brightened our lives in the process whether you know it or not too.” 

“Will…” Tears threaten to trickle down your face. 

“It was not!” Benny bites back at his brother. “But, I am happy you called about my ad.” 

“Cheers to you, hermosa!” Pope slides a bottle over to you. “Welcome to the group.”

As you raise your glass to clink with all of theirs, you look at each and every one of them. The genuine care they all have for you sprinkles your skin like a light summer shower. The kind of rain where it’s so soft that you don’t even realize you’re soaked to the bone until you reach your destination. It just kinda sneaks up on you. That’s exactly what they did and you couldn’t have been more grateful. 

“Okay I need y’all to indulge me for a few minutes.” It’s somehow already 1:00 in the morning and you’ve lost count of how much you have had to drink. “I’ve been trying to figure out what each of y’all’s individual signs are and I think I finally cracked it.” 

“Like our call signs?” Frankie’s shoulder presses up against yours when he leans into talk. You hope he doesn’t catch the way your breath hitches. 

“You mean y’alls call signs. I still haven’t gotten mine.” 

“You’re always going to be Brass Knuckles to me, Benny.” You offer to the man across from you. “But no, not y’alls call signs, I already know those. I mean your star signs.” 

“Oh, shit! I was hooking up with a girl once that was really into all that mumbo jumbo!” Pope sounds even more excited than you do. “I already know these carbrons don’t know what they are. Google y’all’s birthdays and find out what it is.”

Once each of them confirms that they know, you crack your knuckles and pray that you have guessed correctly. 

“I’ll start with you, Santi.” Maybe it’s the alcohol or maybe it's because you truly feel like his friend that you use his first name. “I think you’re a libra because you’re charismatic, you’re tactful-”

“You better stop before I fall in love with you.” He taunts.

“And you’re a whore.” The entire table erupts into boisterous laughter. “I didn’t need the stars to tell me that though.” 

Next you move your blurry vision to Will. 

“I think you’re a cancer. You’re someone who cares deeply about the people that are close to you. You always want to know how others are feeling, but ironically, you tend to keep your own emotions locked away. You think you will be a burden if you share them, but you won’t, I promise.” 

“You hired a witch to work for you, Benny.” He brings his drink to his lips, but his eyes stay playfully trained on you. 

“Do me next! Do me!” 

“Alright, Benny. I think you’re a sagittarius. You have an enthusiastic love for life and adventure alike. You always lift the mood of the room when you walk into it. The life of the party if you will.”

“Freaky.” He whispers to himself. 

You turn your attention to the man you have been most excited to talk about. “And last, but certainly not least: Frankie.” You are too drunk to notice the hush that has fallen over the group as you rest your hand on his shoulder. “I think you’re a taurus. You’re very hard working, a loyal and faithful friend, and you love physical affection.” 

 It takes Benny choking on his beer at your last comment to shake you from your trance. You slide your hand off Frankie's shoulder and turn back to the group.

“So…was I right?” Everyone is looking at you with wide eyes and open jaws. “I’ll take that as a yes.” 

Benny spends the next few minutes drunkenly pleading with you to tell him more about himself and his future.

“I’m not an oracle, you know. I just observe people and their actions and try to figure them out.” 

“Well,” Pope arrives back at the table with the last round of the night. “Tell us what you have observed about Fish.” 

“No, you don’t have to do that.” Frankie says shyly.

The alcohol in your bloodstream has made you more confident. “I want to.”

“Let the woman work, man.” Pope slides him a beer. 

“You tend to be the glue of the friend group. A man with a hard exterior, yet a soft interior. While you'd never say it outloud, you enjoy taking care of people. You find it gratifying and it gives you a sense of purpose.” You have to stop to get your bearings for a second and acknowledge that maybe you shouldn’t have had that last drink. “Maybe that’s because you served or maybe that's just in your nature. I haven’t figured that out yet, but I’m working on it.”

Frankie hides his face with the bill of his hat, but everyone knows he's smiling under there. 

Pope reaches behind you and claps his friend on the back. “Está escrito en las estrellas, hermano.”

As the bartender announces the last call, your group takes that as the cue to head home. Benny is more trashed than anyone realizes so Will says he will take him back home. He wrangles Benny’s keys away from him so he can use his car to drive them both. You were in no state to drive either and were too far gone to feel any embarrassment as the two men left point that out. With Pope grabbing your tote bag and Frankie grabbing your hand, the three of you walk to his truck.

“Come on,” Frankie helps you into the passenger seat while a very annoyed Pope gets into the backseat. “I’ll take you home.” 

You can only mumble out a small ‘mmm’ to him because your body has become heavy with sleep. He takes it upon himself to gently buckle you into your seat. As he leans over to click it into place he gets a whiff of your perfume. It’s more muted now since the day is over, but it’s still just as potent to him as the second you put it on this morning. After he finishes, he hops down and closes the passenger door. 

“He’s so nice to me.” You whisper to Pope in the backseat before you drift off.

“You have no idea. I just hope you remember when you wake up.” 

Frankie climbs into his seat and cranks up the car. Both men opt to listen to the quiet sounds of the tires on the road instead of the radio for fear that it will wake you up. He pulls into your apartment complex and parks as gently as he can. 

“Grab her keys from her bag, would you?” Frankie asks. He keeps his eyes on you while Pope looks. You look just as sweet in sleep as you do awake, he thinks. You really were as lovely as he thought you were. 

“Uhhh, Catfish?” 

“What?” 

“She only has keys for the gym in here. I can’t find her apartment keys.” He hears Pope laugh dryly in the back seat. “I couldn’t have planned something more perfect if I tried.” 

“What are you going on about?”

“The way I see it you have two choices. Choice one is to wake her up and ask her where her keys are.”

“I’m not going to wake her up, Pope. Mirar, solo mírala.”

“Choice two is to let her crash at your place tonight.”

They both look at you, sound asleep and ignorant about the current situation. 

“I don’t know, man.” Frankie looks over his shoulder at his friend. “I don’t want her to wake up and think I kidnapped her or something. Won’t that be scary for her to wake up in a place that she has never been before?”

“It beats the hell out of waking up in the morning outside of her own front door.” 

He knows his friend is right, but he’s still hesitant as to how you will react when you wake up. Reluctantly, he puts his truck in reverse and heads for Pope’s house. 

***

Unlocking his front door while he has you in his arms bridal style proves a lot more difficult than he originally anticipated. Yet, he would do it a million times over if it meant that he got to hold you this close. When he finally gets inside he closes the door with his foot and heads straight for his bedroom. There was no question about it, he was going to sleep on the couch and you were going to get his bed. He walks into his room and leaves the door open so the hallway light can spill inside. Thankfully he didn’t make his bed this morning so the covers were already pulled back enough. He sets you down on the mattress like you were made of glass; one wrong move by him and you would shatter into a million pieces. A small cry escapes you when his body is no longer touching yours. He wants to capture that sound and keep it locked away in his heart. Before he tucks you in, he carefully unties your shoes and sets them down beside the nightstand so you will see them in the morning. He brings the covers up so that they rest just below your chin. Despite his initial hesitation to bring you back home with him, he can’t help but feel that you look perfectly in place in his bed. He kneels down next to you and tucks a rogue strand of hair back behind your ear. You unconsciously lean into his touch, seeking the warmth he provides. His lips find a home on your forehead and he whispers to you before he gets up to leave. 

“Sweet dreams…mi estrella.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

{tag list: @cutesyscreenname @rsquared31 @smol-beb @bitchwitch1981 @avastrasposts @hoeslingz @saltybutteredtoast @javicstories @c-justhere @pimosworld @modernperplexity @beboldbebravethings @mxtokko  @moonliqhtszn @tanzthompson @megcads @myloveistoolittle @casa-boiardi @jitterbugs927 @partyofone3413 @pedrit0-pascalit0 @golden-library @pati-et-vivere @pedro-pedrito-pascalito }

[shapeshiftinterest]

Bets And Bells: sun x moon x monty (CH 4)

based on THIS pic i drew

monty meets moon during their security route and sun finally has a speaking roll

story under the read more

Bets and Bells (also on ao3)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Monty paced outside his greenroom, grumbling to himself. He forgot the pizzaplex was getting a deep clean today  when a group of staffbots and their janitor leader swarmed his room at 2AM. The gator had just enough time to snag a few knickknacks that would have registered as trash before being booted out.

He couldn’t even hang out with the other Glams; all the animatronics were getting system updates and his appointment was last. Not to mention his tail was acting up since yesterday. Getting the DJ to juggle him was totally worth it, but waiting for his turn was soooo boring!

The bassist huffed and started stomping over to Kid’s Cove. He’d been meaning to explore it for a while so why not now?

                                                    Kid’s Cove

“Wonder ‘f I could get away with taking one of these...,” he muttered under his breath, staring at one of the treasure chests strewn about the area . If he emptied out the coins he could get more plushies to shove in his room; his closet was getting a little full anyway.

Before Monty could think about sending a message to one of the deep clean coordinators his audio processors picked up the sound of... jingling? Wait-

“Hello~.”

“OH SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA!” Monty screeched, stumbling back and falling on his tail. Oof, yeah that’s broken; sucks to be the P&S mechanic who had to fix that later.

Moon had basically jumpscared the poor gator by rapidly dropping upside down from the ceiling and stopping right in front of his face. The cove’s cable was artistically twisted around their left leg for balance. Not that Monty was paying attention what with currently having the equivalent of a robot heart attack on the floor.

Moon froze, staring upside down at the Glam, hat miraculously still on their head. Monty stared back.

“... pfff hehehe.”

Moon snickered, shoulders shaking from trying to hold back. One hand covered their mouth as they untangled themselves from the cable and gracefully dropped down.

‘Moony!’ Sun chastised from their headspace. ‘It’s, pfff, it’s not nice to laughahaha!’

Moon sent them a smug ‘>;3c’, prompting their partner to burst into a fit of giggles. ‘SNRK!’ Sun choked out, fumbling for composure. ‘Oh my stars, you’re terrible.’

‘And you’re a hypocrite, Sunny Sun. uwu.’

‘Stooop! XD,’ Sun whined, fake pouting. ‘Meanie Moonie, go help Mr. Montgomery.’

‘Only after you admit it was funny, Sunny~’

‘Ok ok. It was pretty funny when he got startled hehe.’ They rolled their eyes, blowing a raspberry at their other half when Moon sent them another smug cat emote. ‘Now go go go! We still haven’t told him why we’re here yet!’

Moon suddenly scuttled closer, but before Monty could react they plopped down on the floor next him, criss cross apple sauce.

“Uh.”

“We’re sorry for scaring you, Mr. Montgomery.” Moon said, picking at a loose thread on the carpet. “We just wanted to thank you for the new uniforms; thought it was ok to give you a little startle since you did it last time.” They picked up his shades, which had fallen off when he stumbled, and offered them to him.

Monty blinked and felt his face. Huh, no wonder everything looked brighter. Taking the shades from Moon he grinned and put them back on.

“Heh. Not gonna lie, y’got me good, lil guy.” Monty said, shooting them a finger gun. “The new threads look good on ya. Nice t’see P&S didn’t skip out on our deal, wouldn’t wanna be seen as a promise breaker now would I? Gwahahaha!” The bassist amiably thumped Moon on the back a couple times.

Moon lurched forward at the force and gave a little grunt, hands gripping their knees to keep balanced. Oh wow, validation from a Glam; could this day get any better?

“Y’know y’all can just call me Monty though, right? Everyone already does.”

Well stars n’ garters, apparently it could. Sun was doing cartwheels and squealing in their headspace.

‘Oh. My. GOODNESS!!!’ They grabbed Moon’s conscious and started shaking it, bells jingle jangling and echoing all over the place like crazy. ‘HE’S GIVING US PERMISSION TO SAY HIS NICKNAME, MOONY!!! AAAAAHHHHH I’M SO FLIPPIN’ EXCITED!!’

‘Sunshine, calm down! You’re making us blush!’

True enough, Sun’s excitement was transferring over, half of Moon’s face was glowing a little and getting stronger.

‘Sorry, sorry! I’m just so- so- a;lsd;LSAKDFJ;ALDK;lasLKJL;kLASDAS!!!’

“Welp, speakin’ of P&S, it’s almost time for my update. See ya later, darlin’.” Monty made to stand but almost toppled over if Moon hadn’t caught him midway. The two looked around to see the gator’s tail bent at a few weird angles.

Huh, how did that happen?

Moon stiffened at the sight, eye lights shrunk to pinpricks as their face plate darkened. Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no no no no. They’d injured a Glam. It was one thing to damage the Daycare Attendant, P&S didn’t care much about them anyway. But a Glam?? One of the main band???

Inside their headspace, Moon smacked their head with the palm of their hand. Stupid, stupid, stupid Moon. He was going to get decommissioned. Oh Faz, he was going to get Sun decommissioned. Moon’s grip on Monty tightened as they panicked.

“Uh, darlin’?”

What were they going to do? They were head of security, what kind of security guard injures the coworkers they’re supposed to be guarding??

‘Moony, breathe!’ Sun called out. ‘You’re fine, everything’s fine!’ His counterpart whined internally.

“Moon!“

“Hngk!”

Monty’d smacked both clawed hands on either side of Moon’s face, forcing them to focus on him. “Dude, don’t worry. My tail was already messed up before I went to Kid’s Cove. Y’just busted it a little more is all.”

Moon started shaking. Wow Monty, way to go; wordsmith of the year over here. A real smooth operator.

“Tell ya what, let’s make a deal. You help me get to P&S in the next few minutes, and I don’t tell anyone you scared me so hard you helped break my tail a little. ‘Kay?”

Moon nodded, calming down. Sun took a breathed a sigh of relief. His partner tended to overthink to the extreme sometimes.

“Cool. So how’re we doing this? Do I lean on you or- WHOA!”

The Daycare Attendant wasted no time in scooping the other up princess style and calling for their cable. Once it was secured and they made sure Monty was holding on, they bounced a few times before leaping into the air and ‘flying‘ towards P&S.

“This is awesooommeeee!!!” Monty yelled, his mohawk getting mussed by the wind. The two touched down in front of the elevators, Moon figured they might as well just keep carrying the Glamrock all the way since it’d be faster than helping him walk.

"We know you said it was fine, but we’d like to apologize again for accidentally hurting you.” They said, letting him down in front of the P&S entrance.

“It’s fiiiiine.”

“But we-”

A spark went through the bassist’s mind. “Actually,” Monty said, tilting his head to the left and tapping his chin with blunt claws. “There is one thing y'could do that'd make us totally square.”

The jester’s eyes brightened at the suggestion. “What is it? We could fly you around again, or, or-. Bandaids!”

Moon started counting on their fingers what they thought they could do. “We have first aid in our chest cavity. We usually kiss booboos better for the little comets but we don’t think that works for robots... Mmmm, only Chica can ingest food so Moondrops and Sundrops wouldn’t work on you. Uh-.”

 “Whoa whoa, cher. Nothing like that.” Did they really just offer to kiss his tail better? Pfff, man these guys were a riot. “I was just wonderin’ if you’d be fine with me keeping your old bell is all.”

“Our old... bell?” The Daycare Attendant’s face plate spun in confusion. “You still have it?” To be honest, they’d thought the Glamrock had thrown it away or lost it. Or maybe it’d gotten snatched by one of the cleaning crew or children. Kids sure did love shiny objects. Heck even their assistant, Nina, loved to hoard little trinkets that fell around the craft area or into the lost and found.

“Yeah, I uh, y’kno.” The bassist scratched the back of his head. It sounded kind of weird now that he was saying it out loud. Stupid Roxy, forgetting how bad he was at lying on the fly. Yep, it was totally all her fault. “It’s shiny an’ round. I like the sound it makes.”

HHHHHhhhhhh stop explaining, you idiot. You’re making it worse! Monty could feel his servers heating up as he rambled. Oh Faz, he couldn’t stop. Shut up, shut up, shut uuuup!!

Moon tugged the cap over their face as Monty kept talking. In the dark lighting, Monty could clearly see the left half of their face plate glowing through the fabric. At least he wasn’t the only one feeling awkward.

‘Say yes, say yes, say yes!’ Sun chanted, flapping his fists in excitement. Their rays were spinning out of control.

“You can keep it.” They said, interrupting both animatronics with a slightly muffled voice. And before the gator could say anything else (please no, let the convo die with some grace), Moon blurted something about finishing their patrol and they were gone.

The only evidence of Moon being there was the sound of jester bells getting farther away and, at one point, the animatronic tripping over a fallen endo in their haste.

BONUS:

chica is finishing up her appointment, freddy is in a recharge station, roxy just got out of her update

roxy: what the fuck kind of train wreck did i just watch with my own 2 eyes

monty, muzzle hidden behind his claws: shut uuuup

roxy: what happened to lying about the bell. oh my god were you flirting with the daycare attendant :D

monty: LEAVE ME ALOOOONEEE ( /)////(\)

roxy: this is amazing, i’m telling chica once she’s done charging

monty: /groans/

side: moon tries to copy ch 1 monty in this in a permission/ example kind of way

like when you’re not sure if your friend is ok with being called babe and then someone calls them that and you’re like 'ah! that nickname is ok for them!’, except with sneaking up on each other

[yesimwriting]

All The Good Dreams

A/n this one is based on a request from @ateliefloresdaprimavera who requested a fic where General Kirigan has been dreaming of the reader for as long as he can remember and that’s one of his few reasons to smile and the reader has been having the same kinds of dreams about him and when they meet they just know. 

This one is being written in third person bc it’s the only way I can see this fic being done but I’m a little insecure about writing in third person so be gentle lol

Also a little personal update I’ve been working on my original novel and it’s coming together y’all!!

--

ALEKSANDER. 

The morning sunlight seems to only come to take her from him, peaking through the curtains and stirring him awake and away from his dreams. Aleksander keeps his eyes closed for a moment longer, trying to will her features to remain in his mind. She had looked more angelic in last night’s dream, dressed in all white and watching him with an adoration he doubted real life could duplicate. 

The girl has haunted his dreams like a ghost of promise since before he began to change the world. Since before anything in his life was solidified. He lets out a sigh, something similar to a smile playing at his lips. Thinking of her would not bring her to him, if he could manifest her, she’d be by his side right now. He has things to do, duties and obligations that will bring his final goal closer. Each day is a step closer to victory, and each night brings the promise of dreams. The promise of her. 

--

Y/N.

“Y/n.” The voice is gentle and distant. “Y/n,” a little harsher. “Wake up, you’ll be late.” 

Fighting against grogginess, y/n wakes up, eyes squinting open. “What time is it, Danna?” 

“Late.” Danna’s reply is curt as she steps away from y/n’s cot. “I thought you were awake already and then I came in to look for my boots and you were still asleep with that ridiculously peaceful look.” Danna paces around the room. “You must have been dreaming of your prince again?” 

Y/n feels her skin warm. “He’s not a prince!” It’s a weak defense. “I regret telling you that almost every time I dream I see the same man.” 

Danna drops down, grabbing her worn boots and pulling them on quickly. “You’re making me believe in soulmates, l/n.” 

Y/n rolls her eyes, sitting up and placing her feet on the ground at her own leisure. “It’s nothing like that--I’m not even sure he exists.” 

Lacing her shoes, Danna narrows her eyes at y/n. “Sure.” Y/n opens her mouth to protest, but Danna beats her to it, “If you need to argue with me, do it while getting dressed, we can’t be late today--General Kirigan’s visiting this camp for the first time and I doubt he’d appreciate being interrupted by a non-Grisha medic.” 

At that, y/n wrinkles her nose, but she stands anyway. “Ugh...Grisha.” She walks towards her uniform. “They can get away with anything and I hear Kirigan’s the worst of all of them because he’s in the same order as the Black Heretic that began all of this.” Y/n pauses, crossing her arms. “And it’s ridiculous that the army even needs non-Grisha medics. Healers exist and they should not be primarily reserved for other Grisha who rarely get injured, especially to the extent that the rest of us do.” 

“I know, y/n, but don’t speak like that until the General is gone.” Danna draws her lips into a thin line. “And hurry up before you get us both in trouble.” 

Y/n lets out a sigh. “Go ahead without me, I’ll catch up.”

Danna eyes her friend wearily. “Alright, worse comes to worse I’ll try to cover for you.” 

“You won’t need to.” Y/n isn’t sure she believes herself. “I’ll be there.” 

Danna pulls on her second boot, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t really believe you.” She stands easily. “But knowing you, you’ll talk yourself out of any trouble the way you always do.” 

“I do not always talk myself out of trouble.” 

Turning to leave, Danna pauses, “Whatever you need to tell yourself.” 

Y/n rolls her eyes. If she had more time to argue with Danna she would take it. But she doesn’t. She’s quick to get dressed, thoughts of the mysterious stranger from her dreams keeping her company. Last night he seemed more tired than normal, a crease between his dark eyebrows as he sat by her side. A part of her she keeps buried worries about him. It’s ridiculous, to concern yourself over a figment of comfort your mind created for you. 

By the time y/n’s changed, she knows she doesn’t have much time to get to her station. She’s rushing out of her tent, one boot still untied. The medic bag she slings over her shoulder swings as she jogs towards the medical tent. Today the camp is hectic, everyone desiring to appear efficient and reliable for General Kirigan. It’s all ridiculous to Y/n. General Kirigan will never be impressed by them. If he’s revered even among Grisha, Y/n can’t imagine the superiority complex that man must possess.

Her eyes scan the soldiers and workers she knows so well, each of them behaving so differently than normal. There is no friendly chatter this morning, no casual banter. There is only the business of war. 

Y/n watches the people she knows, so focused on their nerves that she barely registers the person she crashes into. “Sorry!” The apology leaves Y/n on instinct.  Her bag falls off her shoulder, gauze and antiseptic falling onto the ground on impact. Y/n bends down instantly, beginning to pick up her supplies. She mentally curses herself for being so easily distracted and not properly shutting her bag this morning. “Everything’s so hectic today and I was running late and I just--I have no idea how I didn’t see you.” She drops her supplies back into her bag. “I guess it’s a good thing they keep me off the battlefield and in the medical tents.” 

Reaching for the last of her supplies, Y/n’s eyes land on the shoes of the person she just crashed into. They’re leather. The fine kind of leather meant for marble halls, not trekking through the unknown. Y/n’s mouth goes dry as the possibility of the graveness of her mistake sets in her mind. She exhales slowly, daring to look upwards as she closes her bag. 

When her eyes meet those of the stranger, she is left with no choice but to gape. She’s not staring because she’s now at the mercy of General Kirigan. She’s not staring because nothing could have prepared her for his beauty. She’s staring because she knows that face. She knows those sharp features and steady eyes.

His lips are slightly parted. Y/n is struck with the odd thought that perhaps he too has words wedged into his throat. 

“It’s you.” The whisper leaves her faintly. 

The words seem to unfreeze Kirigan, his expression moving from shocked to stoic. “Excuse me?” 

Awkward regret floods through Y/n. She drops her head downwards, desperate to escape the power of his gaze. “General Kirigan.” She uses her words as a way to dismiss the emotions her chest seems to be brimming with as she stands. He’s not the man from her dreams. That’s impossible. “I apologize for my inappropriate behavior an--” 

“No, no,” he shakes his head once. Y/n bites her tongue at his dismissal. “You said ‘it’s you.’”

Embarrassment knots her stomach. “I just hadn’t realized that I ran into you, General. I--I knew you were coming today, but I wasn’t expecting to see you much less like this.” 

Kirigan’s eyes seem to be nothing more than inviting pools of kindling emotion. So familiar yet so distinct. He can’t be the man from her dreams. The man from her dreams must be nothing more than a composition of traits she finds generally attractive. General Kirigan just happens to possess those features. That explanation is the only thing that keeps Y/n’s feet rooted to the ground, but the longer she looks at him the more that explanation loses its strength. There’s just something so knowing behind his expression, so specific to the face that she’s only seen while asleep. 

Tearing his gaze away to scan the area, Kirigan reaches forward, placing a hand on Y/n’s arm. The touch leaves Y/n warmer than it should. Maybe that’s why she lets him lead her forward, ducking into an empty medical tent. She keeps hold of her bag as he turns, his eyes full of something dark and unknown. But not angry, Y/n notes, no, not angry. The look is too peaceful for rage, perhaps even hopeful. 

“When you looked at me…” He exhales, voice low and sacred, “You said ‘it’s you’.” Y/n can only blink, still mesmerized by something so foreign and familiar all at once. “Do you know me?” 

In his urgency, Kirigan’s hold on Y/n’s arm becomes more assured. Something in Y/n wants to pry herself free in order to prove to herself that she’s capable of resisting his drawl. But his touch is not to trap her, the look in his eyes tells her that. His touch is pleading--desperate and hopeful. 

“Everyone knows you,” when Y/n finally finds her voice, she is not convinced it is her own. 

The corners of Kirigan’s mouth fall downwards, something in him threatening to deflate. “I meant--have you seen me before?” The question is not one Y/n is too willing to answer. How could she tell this strange man, this general she was convinced she’d dislike on some fundamental level while never speaking to him, that she knows him? She knows him like she knows her own beginning. “Because I’ve seen you.” 

Y/n can’t help the way her eyes widen. This doesn’t mean anything, she warns herself, he could have seen her walking. “I didn’t see you, that--that’s why I ran into you--” 

“No, you’re avoiding the question.” Her face is warmer than it was when Danna was teasing her this morning. It’s warmer than it’s ever been. “Because you’ve experienced it as well.” 

The swelling in her chest is overwhelming. “Experienced what?” 

Kirigan eyes the entrance to the tent once more, confirming that no one is approaching. “All of the good dreams,” he exhales, “They have been of you.” 

Y/n can’t help the way everything in her melts. She’s not insane. She’s not projecting something dangerous onto the Shadow Summoner. “I see you in my dreams always.” 

Slowly, he releases his grip on her arm. Watching her like she might be a mirage, Kirigan raises his hand, brushing his knuckles along Y/n’s cheek. She lets him, holding her breath until his hand falls back to his side. A part of Kirigan expected the girl to be a trick of the light, something that his touch would reveal to be a fallacy. But she remains true, watching him with eyes the size of saucers. 

“How long I’ve been waiting for you, you’ll never know.” His voice is as heavy as a lament. 

Y/n feels her back straighten slightly on instinct, desperate to pass whatever scrutiny is being passed over her. “How--how does this happen? How do two strangers dream of each other for so long and...” 

Something knowing colors his smile a shade of ambitious green. “What is your name?” 

“Y/n.” 

Kirigan’s minds flit through lifetimes worth of faint memories. The girl laughing, the girl teary eyed, the girl embodying all the stars he’ll never have, the girl representing all he needs. Y/n. There’s finally a name to her. 

“Y/n,” the name is a gift. Kirigan pulls a ring from his fingers before grabbing Y/n’s arm. Too lost in a strange euphoria, she lets him pull her arm forward before pressing his ring into her skin. Her brow furrows as he begins to guide the metal down her skin. That slight confusion quickly turns to total shock as a thread of light begins to spindle down her skin, following the path he’s creating with the ring. “You and I are going to change the world.” 

--

General Taglist: @theincredibledeadlyviper @grishaverse7 @lonelystarship @mentally-in-northern-italy @uhanddreag @kaitlyn2907

[princessofprocrastination]

New Hair (Wilbur Soot)

MASTERLIST 

summary : pure cuteness of wilbur’s reaction to you getting a drastic makeover (short)

A/N : y’all i dont have any ideas. help.

If you were being honest, you had to admit that you got bored of things pretty easily. You often moved furniture in your room to get a new scenery when you got bored of it after a couple months. You got rid of tables, boxes when you got tired of seeing the same thing. 

So, it was human nature for you to do something to your appearance after a while. 

Your hair was dark brown at some point, which at some point in your life, you got highlights. After that took it’s turn, you dyed it black. It stayed black for a while since you were attending public school, but you did a tiktok trend on your hair the moment you graduated. 

You bleached parts of your hair, dyed it red at first, then changing it to purple, and lastly dyed your entire head burgundy and settled for a while. 

Now, this was the time you got bored. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you were bored of seeing your boring and plain old hair colour, being back to brown. 

While you sat on your desk zoning out, it felt like a lightbulb went off in your head. You had a great idea. 

You weren’t one to ask for people’s opinions. Whatever you liked, you’d do. Which was why there was no one you asked who could stop you from dyeing your whole head of hair blonde. 

Your boyfriend, Wilbur, was the type to support anything you do. He thought you rocked every single hair trend you went through. He has never been the type to criticise anything you did to yourself. 

With that thought, you booked a hair appointment. 

You made no comments to hint to Wilbur what you were up to. You made sure you came back from your hair appointment when he was streaming, so that you got to document his reaction. 

Sitting on the salon’s chair for 6 hours was not what you envisioned to do. Though you were excited to see the result, you hated not being able to stand and walk around. 

You told Wilbur that you were hanging out with your friends, getting lunch and a mani-pedi, since you were doing one anyway, just not with your friends. That way, he couldn’t see through your lies. Also, you technically weren’t lying to him.

While you sat on the uncomfortable chair for hours, you chatted with Wilbur, trying to make sure he has had his lunch before he turned on his PC to stream. 

You sent him updates now and then, lying at some point when you had to tell him where you were shopping and eating. 

When you sat down on that chair again after rinsing your hair, you gaped at your own appearance. You barely looked like yourself anymore, but that was what you wanted. 

You watched the hair stylist blow dry your hair and curled it as the finishing touches before you could leave to show your boyfriend your surprise. 

“Okay, and we’re done.” the really kind hair stylist told you. It seemed the both of you bonded while you sat in the salon for 6 hours. You even exchanged Instagrams to catch up again one day. 

You thanked the woman, giving her a tip before promising to drop her a message before leaving to go home. 

Obviously, Wilbur was bound to be confused to hear the door opening. He hadn’t expect you to come home so soon. You heard him say some words to his camera as he played chill minecraft with Slimecicle. 

You smiled to yourself as you opened his door quietly. Since his set-up was facing the door, it meant he couldn’t see you open his door. 

You slowly walked up to him, trying to be as sneaky as possible. You gave the camera a quick wave, your boyfriend still very focused on looking at his screen but not the viewfinder and screaming. 

You gave him a small tap, seeing as he jumped from his seat, not expecting anyone to come in his room, though he heard the front door of the house open. 

“Holy shit, you scar-” He tried to say but stopped as he took in your new look. 

“OH. MY. GOD.” He screamed so loudly you almost flinched away as the sound reached your ears. You smiled brightly at him. 

You heard someone talking to him on his headphones that was still sitting on his head. 

“Wait, shut up, Slimesicle. Let me drool for a while.” Your boyfriend said. 

You didn’t know you were able to smile more until today when he said that to his friend, who was waiting for him to continue playing with him. 

“You are so gorgeous, let me just absorb this real quick.” He told you before getting up from his chair, lifting your left hand and spinning you to get a good look. 

“Fuck, you look so hot.” He kept on complimenting. You laughed as he looked at you from top to bottom. 

At some point you were sure he forgot he was streaming as he brought you face close to his to give you a quick kiss, which he got until he remembered that his friend was waiting for him. He didn’t do anything, though, just kept looking at you so adoringly. 

He really took his time just taking in your new look into his mind. 

He sat back down on his chair, hand still holding yours as he took you to sit on his lap to finally tell his friend who was still kept waiting and laughing at watching Wilbur’s reaction about his beautiful partner. 

He played minecraft for a while longer as you sat watching him and reading his chat until he said something again. 

“Wait, it’s not my birthday is it? Was this supposed to be a present?” He asked, genuinely wanting to know if he did forget his own birthday. You simply laughed at him along with Slimecicle.

[mirukupuddin]

A Full Physical with Fushiguro Megumi

Hey y’all, as expected this is my contribution to the Jujutsu Hub collab event with @suna-reversed ​! I had so much fun writing for Megumi and hope I can do some more JJK stuff in the future kekek please go and check out the amazing works and give them lots of love! 

Warning! this content includes sexual intercourse and violence, please do not read if you are a minor. All persons portrayed in this fic are 18+.

Warning(s): Injuries, Blood mention, Violence, Nudity, Oral sex (female receiving), Unprotected sex, aphrodisiac use, Dub-con, medical terms that are defo not correct lmao

“Fushiguro!” Kugisaki yelled out to the raven-haired man as the curse came bounding towards him at an immeasurable speed. It sunk its fangs into his arm, before dropping to the floor as Nobara nailed into the straw doll. Megumi groaned collapsing to the floor gripping onto his arm. The pain was subsiding within moments, but something pulsated within him, it felt  his skin was on fire.

“Come on, let’s get you back to the estate, maybe Doctor Ieiri can patch you up” Nobara swung her arm under Megumi’s to support him. He grunted in response, feeling the eerie sensation pass around his body.

Meanwhile at the clinic you work struck, looking incredulously at your mentor, “Eh? You really want me to take over the clinic for today? Is that really alright?”

“Goodness me, you should have some more faith in yourself, (Y/n)-chan, you did qualify after all” Shoko chuckled. “Besides, it’s looking like a pretty quiet day, isn’t it? I’m sure you will be fine. In any case, you have my number if you need further assistance” And with that, your rather exhausted mentor exited the clinic, bags in tow.

You let out a sigh looking towards the clock, it was coming up to 6pm, so there were only  3 more hours before the night team take over. You pulled out your phone, flicking past the home screen of Megumi and his dogs. These long shifts really did make you yearn a lot more for time with him. Little did you know that time was mere moments away.

The doors of the clinic slam open unceremoniously as Nobara dragged Megumi in. You ran into the front room, eyes widening at the sight of your boyfriend with his arm slung around Nobara.  

“Oh, hey (Y/n)!” Nobara grinned, shifting Megumi’s  weight so that she could grab your hand, cutely. “Fushiguro and I were a little careless and ran into some trouble with the curse down by the docks.”

Megumi refused to make eye contact with you, a light blush dusting over his pale cheeks. You smiled, kindly grabbing onto his other side and letting Nobara ease up on her hold. The three of you stumbled into the examination room, Megumi eventually finding purchase on the bed. You looked towards Nobara “I think I’ve got it from here, I’ll keep you updated with everything. Thank you for bringing this dummy back safely.” You smiled at her kindly, a smile she returned before nodding at both of you and taking her leave.

The lull of florescent lights hummed and was the only thing heard in the room. You smiled, grabbing a sterile tray, emptying some dressing pads and some saline to clean the superficial wounds that were at the top of his arm. His uniform was covering nearly all of it despite being in tatters at the wound sight.

“Take your shirt off” you continued your ministrations, gathering sample containers to make sure whatever had attacked him hadn’t poisoned him.

“Huh?” The man in questioned looked at you as if you had pulled him out of a dreamlike state, causing you to chuckle.

“I need you to take your shirt off so I can see your wounds, Fushiguro-san” You prepped the needle to perform a blood test. You ran your hands up his non-afflicted arm, goosebumps rising to the skin as you wiped the area with an antiseptic wipe.

“Fushiguro-san?” He repeated, the name sounding foreign on his ears. He winced feeling the needle penetrate his skin but it wasn’t enough to quell the faint rumbling in his chest.

“I’m at work Megumi, so it’s strictly professional.” You grinned at him before going to grab sterile pads to dress his arm. Megumi’s eyes followed your movements, dark orbs landing on the dip of your back as you bent over to retrieve the tools. Your dress rode up exposing the tops of your thighs. A growl emitted from Megumi’s chest as his cardex of lewd memories of you flash in his mind. He tried to shake the thoughts away but even shutting his eyes made him envision you bent over, with your uniform so askew and-

“Megumi? Did you hear what I said”

“Shit” Megumi thought “ Urm, no I didn’t catch that?”

“I asked you how you were feeling”

“Warm” he fidgeted in his position on the bed  “Just warm”

You walked up to the man sat on the bed, placing a hand on his forehead. He averted his eyes away from your concentrated ones. Eyes linger on the way your lips parted in concentration, he could hear his heartbeat thrumming in his ears and his face blossoming a blush. As if by themselves, his hands stopped fiddling with the bottom sheet of the bed, opting to grab you by the hips. You looked at him incredulously, as he pulled you to slot against his body, resting his face in the crook of your neck.

“M-megumi, what are you doing” You flushed, pushing against his chest.

“I’m sorry doctor, this curse has made me do such impure things and think such lewd thoughts about you” He grumbled into your neck, starting to caress your jugular with pecks. You could feel his rapidly hardening cock against your stomach, letting out a whine in protest.

His breath was coming out in laboured puffs against the crook of your neck “I can’t wait, I need to feel you, (Y/n)” he growled rutting his hips into yours.

“N-not here, what if someone comes in…” You moaned trying to resist the urge to give in. All those rational thoughts being submerged with the feeling of Megumi kissing and marking up the column of you neck. “Fuck” you sighed in resignation.

That was all Megumi needed to grab you by the hips and slam your body onto the examination bed. Your gasp allowed him to push his tongue roughly into your mouth tangling it with your own in a deep, passionate kiss. “I missed you so much” He growled pulling your hips to rut against his hard cock. His lips campaigning on bruising your neck and clavicle as his fingers reached to pull at your uniform, the buttons straining against the force of Megumi’s tugging. You grabbed his hands to stop him from ripping apart your dress, opting to take it off yourself, leaving you in just your underwear.

Megumi’s already lust filled eyes darkened at your exposed body, if he wasn’t already fixated on destroying you there was nothing stopping him now. You took off your bra exposing your breasts to him, nipples pebbling at the cold air. You ran your hands through his silky locks, his face planted in between your breasts licking and suckling at the skin and yet again marking your untarnished skin.

He bought his face up to yours kissing you deeply and grabbing at your thighs to wrap around his waist. His onyx eyes looked at yours clouded over with pure lust, an unfamiliar expression you’d never seen in the man.

“I love you so much (y/n), God, you’re going to be the end of me” He groaned into your neck making you giggle.  His hips were bucking into yours uncontrollable, as if it were acting on its own accord.

“What has gotten into you, baby?” You chuckle running your fingers down the muscular expanse of his back. He had always been built more on the leaner side but since his 20s he had grown a lot, in all the right places. Your eyes darted back to the bite that had previously been situated in the area between his shoulder and elbow, it seemingly disappeared leaving an angry red mark. The only time you had seen this was a reaction to a very potent aphrodisiac by a curse. The only cure being…release.

Your mind was ripped from your daydream as Megumi was tracing his lips along your thighs, before licking over your underwear.

“What are you thinking, Doctor (Y/n)?” Megumi hummed.

“Well- I hypothesised something…hmm.. the only treatment I can recommend is pretty lewd I don’t know if you can handle it” You remarked, pushing up onto her elbows eyeing up the man in front of you.

“Oh, is that so? What might that be then?” He smirked back playfully

“All you have to do, is cum” You rubbed your knee in between Megumi’s legs making him jolt.

“Well then-“ he huffed out, breathlessly “I better get to it then”

His tongue lolled out and he groaned tasting your essence on his tongue through your underwear. He yanked them off, tossing them with all the other discarded clothes before pulling your thighs over his shoulders and plunging his tongue into your core. You bit the back of your hand as to stop you from squealing in pleasure. Megumi moaned as he swirled his tongue around your clit, vibrating against it. You had your fingers threaded through his charcoal locks, as he licked and kissed at your pussy.

“Megumi~” You rutted your hips against his face chasing your high, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles at your hips. He sealed his lips around your clit, sucking and licking at it with gusto; he looked up through thick lashes, eyes pitch black and hazed with arousal. He pushed his finger inside you experimentally, nudging around to find the spot that makes you see stars. His tongue already lapping at your core was enough to send shivers and jolts down your spine. You moaned out his name like a prayer as he rubbed and massaged at your sweet spot. Your pussy was pulsing around his long digits, feeling like your peak was approaching with a vengeance. You threaded your fingers through his silken tresses your thighs trembling around his head. Megumi had decided he would die happy like this. Besides the point, he continued fucking you with his fingers through your climax as your gripped onto whatever purchase you were able to find. You whined as Megumi’s smooth tongue continued running over your clit, feeling overstimulated, but he didn’t seem like he was going to stop.

 “Baby,” you hummed, making him perk up, leaning his head on your thigh as he licked you one last time. He crawled up your body, planting his lips against you and rubbing his clothed cock against your core. Your hands trailed down his torso, smoothing over his abs making him shiver and groan in delight. You undid his trousers letting him kick them off, before delving your hand into his boxers. Megumi bit his lip, almost hard enough to draw blood as you palmed him. Precum was oozing out of his cock unabashedly as he whined and rutted into your hand.

“Does that feel good, Gumi~” you giggled seeing how dishevelled your poor boyfriend looked. It felt borderline sadistic seeing him gyrate into your hand so shamelessly, his eyebrows knitted in frustration.

“(Y/n), please” He grovelled burying his face in the crook of your neck, “let me fuck you, I can’t hold on anymore”

You nodded and let out a gasp as Megumi’s grasp on your hips tightened. He cock was red, leaking and throbbing as he lined it up with your slick cunt. You both heaved out a sigh as he sunk into you. You could tell he was trying to hold back, his forearms quivering and fingertips dancing along the dips of your body.

“Let go, baby, it’s okay~” Your words like treacle against Megumi’s ears. “I want you to fuck me”

 Before long, his cock was ploughing into you, the lewd noises of skin on skin echoing in the humid room. You were gripping onto his shoulders, crescent shapes etching into his flushed pale skin.

“Fuck, you’re so good, your pussy feels too good” he huffed into your ear, he was so painfully hard and your warm insides were making him feel things he couldn’t imagine. Your knuckles were paling as you clawed into his shoulders. You wrapped your legs around his slender waist pulling him into you as he rocked his hips deeper into yours. He licked up the column of your neck where he had previously marked. He bought his hands up to your face, tracing your lips with his thumb.

You leaned up to capture his lips in a passionate kiss, fingers tangling into his dark mess of hair. He grunted as your pussy tightened around him. The veins along the underside of his cock were so sensitive, they were grazing your insides so blissfully. You felt him pulsing inside you making you call out his name.

“I’m so close, baby” He growled

You smoothed a hand over his back before finding purchase on his shoulders again “me too,”

“Can I cum inside you please, oh god, (y/n)” He whined, holding back from drooling all over your steaming body. You nodded and he let out a borderline pornographic groan, spilling his seed and painting your insides. He continued fucking you through his orgasm, whining at how overstimulated and sensitive his cock was but wanting to feel your cunt gush around him.

“Ah- Meg-Megumi I can’t- I’m going to cum” You moaned wantonly, feeling his thrusts become sloppier and erratic. He was huffing into the juncture of your neck and shoulder set on making you feel the pleasure and high he was riding. He pulled your legs over his shoulders groaning at the change of angle but railing you deeper; You had to bite into the back of your hand to withhold the screams daring to slip out as your body shook in pleasure. The tight knot that had situated in your stomach unravelled as your orgasm rushed over your body in a thick fog. Megumi was practically salivating at the way your pussy was clenching and pulsing around his cock, his eyes shutting tightly being lost in the pleasure.

He collapsed on top of you, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck

“You wanna do it again?” He grumbled out; his cock somehow seemingly hard.

God, this was only the beginning of the night and it was almost certain you’d be walking funny the following morning.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 313: Deku VS Lady Nagant

Previously on BnHA: Hawks’s super-hot badass murder senpai Lady Nagant showed up to fire a cupid’s arrow into my heart, and a bunch of literal bullets into my son. Deku was all “oh shit it’s Hawks’s super-hot badass murder senpai, what do I do, let me think back to Hawks’s advice for a sec.” Flashback!Hawks was all “anyway Deku so if my super-hot badass murder senpai ever shows up you’re basically screwed so you’d better abscond the fuck out of there.” Present!Deku was all “lol idek why I flashed back to that conversation since I’m just going to do the exact opposite of what Hawks said” and charged directly toward Nagant because WHY NOT. Overhaul was all “waah I need to get back to my boss who I put in a coma out of love” and Nagant was all “jesus christ why did I even bring you here” and had a flashback to AFO who was all “ILU NAGANT IMMA GIVE YOU AN EXTRA QUIRK SO PLEASE CAPTURE DEKU FOR ME PLEASE AND THANKS” and yeah. Shit is all over the place right now and I love it.

Today on BnHA: All Might gets attacked by a pair of discount assassins and is all “Call an ambulance! ...BUT NOT FOR ME” and it’s really badass but also I really wish he would stop tempting fate like this. Lady Nagant is all “[casually flies around town shooting shit]” and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t read an entire chapter of just that. Deku is all, “[gets shot (≥_<)]” and releases a giant Smokescreen which prompts En to show up. En is all, “( •᷄⌓•᷅ ) (⌣̀ Δ⌣́) ( •̀_•́ )σ (¬､¬) (눈_눈)” which I consider to be a high point of both the chapter and of my life. The chapter ends with Deku using the Third’s quirk to launch a bunch of random objects at Nagant so that he can jump up and grab her arm all sneaky-like, and I’m sure this is going to prompt another week’s worth of discourse that I don’t care about at all, but fuck it, I’m having a good time.

OH WE’RE CUTTING BACK TO ALL MIGHT WELL THAT’S NICE I GUESS. CONGRATS ON NOT BEING DEAD

you named your car??

you named it Hercules??

I love you so much??

please marry me you giant fucking dork???

lmao speaking of huge fucking dorks

who the fuck are you clowns. la dee da we’re gonna murder All Might with our synchronized spear attack!! I mean... they’re clearly trying their best... maybe I should just be nice and politely hype them up like All Might is so clearly trying to do

like okay, but we all agree that this is actually the least intimidating attack any of us has ever seen, right?? these guys zipped up their hoodies all serious-like and are trying to attack All Might and Hercules with their Walmart tiki torches, but just, no?? right?? like the only way this could possibly be effective is if they were trying to kill All Might with secondhand embarrassment

“those are assassins” this is a VERY generous assessment, All Might

OH MY GOD THE TIKI TORCHES ACTUALLY KILLED THE FUCK OUT OF HERCULES

[slaps roof of car] this baby can fit so many weaponized festive backyard lighting solutions in it

and yet, even after watching this with my own two eyes, I still can’t take these dudes seriously. idek what it is. anyways r.i.p. Hercules, I loved you a lot but I guess you weren’t actually a very good armored car were you

omg they didn’t know it was All Might??

okay 1) for a moment there I was like “oh hey maybe they’re not so bad after all” but then a moment later it was like “ah nope, they are.” like, that was an interesting .06 second emotional journey there. anyways 2) All Might you have my permission to kick their asses for this disrespect, and 3) anyone else all of a sudden getting “wouldn’t this be an interesting time for Stain to suddenly show up” vibes?? no?? just me???

(ETA: hmm tbh I’ve still got those vibes and they haven’t gone away lol. Stain?? you out there buddy?? do you want to be cool for just once in your life. ball’s in your court pal.)

OH SNAP ALL MIGHT ARE YOU REALLY GONNA DO IT ARE YOU GONNA KICK THEIR ASSES

PROTECTIVE DAD MODE ACTIVATED?? BECAUSE YOU KNOW I’M HERE FOR THAT SHIT, SO YEAH, FEEL FREE

omg he’s shouting at them about how much Deku has suffered lmao and they’re just like falling over from being scolded

so they have absolutely no idea what he’s talking about though, right? “SIR THIS IS A WENDY’S” well whatever, you killed his pet car so he’s in a bad mood now

OH MY GOD

LIKE, JUST SO WE’RE ALL CLEAR, THESE FOUR PAGES SO FAR HAVE MADE ALMOST ZERO SENSE. LIKE MAYBE 2% SENSE TOPS. BUT ASK ME IF I CARE. GO AHEAD AND ASK. I SAID GO AHEAD, IT’S OKAY. ...NO I DON’T CARE AT ALL THANK YOU FOR ASKING

(ETA: also, the more I look at this panel, the more I’m just like, why the hell would you phrase it like that though, sob. way to doubly tempt fate?? are you trying to give Horikoshi a challenge??)

and now back to Deku who is randomly bouncing around the city and narrating it to himself just in case he was confused about why he was doing this

who are you talking to Deku. but thanks we appreciate it

man you gotta love that overconfidence. the smartest guy in the world warned you away from this lady, so SURE, LET’S RUN RIGHT UP TO HER. “I APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT, FLASHBACK!HAWKS, BUT I’LL TAKE IT FROM HERE” well okay then!!

I think it would be funny if RHA.com put little Buzzfeed-style polls in between the chapter pages so they could survey people at random intervals as they read their way through the chapter. like, you finish this page and then there’s a little poll there asking “do you think Deku’s plan of catching up to Lady Nagant and finding out where Shigaraki is will work?”, and you click “no” just like everyone else and then nod as the results show that 97% of your fellow readers also picked “no”, and you chuckle to yourself wondering how many of the 3% accidentally clicked on the wrong option by mistake, and then you keep on reading

ANYWAY, SO

HOW’S THAT PLAN WORKING OUT FOR YOU SO FAR DEKU. nice kick, though!!

omggggggg

ouch

update: Deku’s plan not really working out. sources tell me my boy has been fucking shot. this is an ongoing story and we will keep you posted with the latest developments as they come in

wait what

feel free to explain to the rest of us what all of this “UNLESS...” and “THAT POSSIBILITY...” shit means anytime, Deku

oh lol did he realize she could fly??

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE, CNN’s John King reports that Deku is still fucked. eyewitness reports now coming in that Nagant is doing no-look shots and basically not even giving a fuck. sources described her mannerisms and expression as “sexy, but in like an effortless sort of way.” we will continue to bring you the latest

so now there’s basically an entire page of Deku being all “ah fuck so she’s basically closing in and she could already hit me with impossible accuracy even from Far Away, so if that’s the case then her being Up Close is probably going to be even worse!” making good use of that Big Hero Brain there, Deku

so now what, you’re doing some kind of spiraling kick thing?? how is that going to help

oh lol he’s using Smokescreen to create some cover. aww, good for you Deku you named one of your Smokescreen attacks

OH NO LADY DON’T TELL ME AFO DIDN’T EVEN FILL YOU IN ON THE BASICS

seriously, AFO?? you basically told her what Deku’s exact strategy was going to be but then couldn’t be assed to drop that little, small, barely notable piece of knowledge that Deku is rocking multiple quirks?? is it supposed to be a secret or something?? you dropped the ball here man

damn this is getting intense now

(ETA: the way En is poking Deku’s head in that first panel is fucking sending me, I love this guy so much omg.)

well then what are you planning, Deku?? I’m actually really curious!! I am genuinely starting to be invested in this fight scene not only in the “wanting to see who wins and how that impacts the plot” sense, but also in the “wanting to see how it happens because the choreography and strategy is actually pretty cool” sense, which honestly hasn’t happened for quite a while now! this is fun

anyway so what’s up Deku, are you going to use another quirk?? I’ve been speculating that he hasn’t actually unlocked the last two yet (since Two and Three didn’t exactly seem convinced when we last saw them), but maybe I’m about to be proven wrong

(ETA: well he clearly has Three’s obviously, but Two’s is still MIA, and that’s the one I am of course the most curious about. that’s the one we’re all curious about, let’s be real.)

OH SNAP???

AHHHH I’M HYPED LOL. ANOTHER SHINY NEW QUIRK LOL SHOULD I PUT UP THE USUAL DISCOURSE DISCLAIMER

(ETA: so yeah, after thinking on it, I’m not gonna say “please no Deku discourse on my blog” this week, but I probably will ignore any discourse that does come my way though, just because I don’t have much interest in getting involved in what would probably be a pretty repetitive discussion. like, I can just sum up my opinions (which is what they are) here instead. in fact here they are lol:

1) I like the SIXQUIRKS and I like seeing Deku be a badass.

2) I also don’t think Deku is too OP. more like he’s exactly as OP as he needs to be at the moment, given that we’re approaching the end of the series. I expect the other kids will also be pretty damn OP when we see them fight again. we’re just at that point now where they’re all badasses (as well they should be; they’ve grown a lot and they deserve it). it’s just that Deku’s the one we’re getting to see right now.

3) of course I miss Kacchan and the others, but for me this vibes much closer to the MVA arc where even though I missed them, I was still having a blast (as opposed to the dark days of the Basement arc where I was pretty much losing it lol). like, even though Kacchan’s my favorite, I still love Deku a lot and this arc has been amazing for him getting to shine on his own (for like the first time, really).

4) y’all know I love the OFA plot and I’ve never been shy about that lol. I like all of the Vestiges a lot. Banjou and his over the top personality; En and his “guy you thought would be serious and :| all the time but is actually hyper-animated and ALL OVER THE PLACE” energy; Shiro who actually is a :| sort of guy lol; Three who I still expect will be fleshed out in a more detailed flashback at some point; and of course Two, who, well. you know what I think about him lol. Bakuverse is still on the table and I’m still hyped. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we still have yet to see Two actually talk to Deku (as opposed to talking to the other Vestiges while Deku is distracted). did he lend him his power yet?? or is he still holding out?? either way it’s definitely going to be a Big Thing when it finally happens and I can’t wait to see it.

5) Lady Nagant is Everything and just because Deku grabbed her arm doesn’t mean the fight is over yet lol. Overhaul hasn’t come into play yet either. not to mention that even if the fight is over, the “where do we go from here” part still has me excited either way. her connection to Hawks and the HPSC is very intriguing and we’ve barely touched on that as of yet; she definitely has more of a role to play in this.

6) last but not least, I feel like every week the discussion is all about how much focus Deku’s getting, and how OP he is or isn’t, and OFA this and OFA that, but meanwhile I’m actually so invested in the character development here though?? the way Deku has distanced himself from everyone (except for the Vestiges, because of course they’re already dead so it’s not like they can die again lol)?? the way he’s pushing himself far too hard and we can see the shadows in and under his eyes, and the fact that he never smiles, and even All Might has remarked on how he isn’t taking care of himself at all?? the fact that he’s so single-mindedly obsessed with focused on stopping AFO?? the fact that he’s still the same sweet old Deku despite everything and was so kind to that fox lady with the umbrella, but there was also something so sad about that scene because it felt like a reminder of the type of hero that he wants to be, but that he’s not allowed to be right now?? because the stakes are too high and the world is falling apart?? and he feels like he’s the only one who can do something about it?? and that he has to be?? and that he is putting so much pressure on himself right now, and it’s absolutely too much pressure for any one person to bear, and I feel like no one is fucking talking about this lol goddammit.

anyway so yeah. I have feels about this, and every week that slow-burn angst is getting more and more intense behind the scenes, and I feel like it’s all going to hit a breaking point eventually. sooner rather than later. it really feels like a mirror of Katsuki’s post-Kamino arc. where all that angst was just churning below the surface for like twenty chapters and then it finally was like “okay it’s time” and it all came bursting out and we got the best five chapters of the fucking series (in my admittedly biased estimation lol).

basically, I know that most of fandom is billing this as either the “villain hunt” arc or the “solo Deku SIXQUIRKS fighting arc” or whatever. but for me, it’s always been and still is the Deku Angst arc lol. the cool fights are a sexy bonus (the worldbuilding less so because even though it’s interesting to see society at such a low point, it’s also very depressing and gets old pretty fast), but for me the thing that’s really keeping me engaged chapter after chapter is seeing Deku like we’ve never seen him before. seeing him all quiet and withdrawn and brooding and focused on AFO, AFO, AFO, and seeing that “he just doesn’t take himself into account” mentality taken to extremes. I am invested in that. I’m soaking up that angst each and every week, and I’m invested in seeing what comes of it. it’s a big picture thing. week to week this arc might just seem like a bunch of villain fight scenes, sure. but Deku’s emotional journey is the thread that’s going to carry this arc through from beginning to end, and for that I’m willing to be patient.

anyway that turned into a BIG OL’ RANT there but yeah! so those are my thoughts on the disk horse as it currently stands. and like I said, I’m open to discussion, but tbh I will probably just wind up repeating these same talking points endlessly so just a fair warning lol.)

anyway so Three says Deku has yet to use his quirk at ALL but now he’s trying to combine it with another quirk?? damn. also please check out En’s face here you guys

En launching a sneak attack up my favorite character list by the sheer power of his expressions alone. he really knows how to make the most of his screentime

OH DAMN DEKU

at this point the 3% from that hypothetical poll earlier are starting to feel prettttty damn smug, I’ll bet. well shit

what in the fuck

?? so like releasing his chi or whatnot?? isn’t that basically just like base OFA all over again?? also Deku did you seriously just apologize to Gran’s cape

update: Nagant has turned her eyeball into a gun

hm. hmmmmmmm. ...okay yep, still somehow sexy

anyway so she’s just floating up there building suspense, as one does. lord I sure hope she has good reflexes because something tells me she’s going to need them

OH SNAP HE THREW GRAN’S CAPE AS A DECOY WHAAAAT OKAY THAT’S SOME SMART SHIT DEKU

LOL SHE’S MAD NOW

JESUS CHRIST SHE JUST NEVER TAKES A GODDAMN BREAK FROM BEING AWESOME HUH

DEKU ARE YOU JUST THROWING EVERY DAMN THING IN YOUR INVENTORY

but without the cape and the hood how will you continue to look like an enigmatic badass. you really can’t. which means we might finally be moving on from the wandering nomad part of this arc, stay tuned

LOL YOU MANIAC

I hope he went full Kacchan with the dialogue there. his face sure looks like it lol. popped out of a building all mad fdskljlkj omg

well this was fun, shit. I still have basically no idea what Three’s quirk does though lol. like, can he use it to charge up objects with kinetic energy or something?? but then what was all of that talk about combining it with one of the other quirks?? or was that just because he was using Smokescreen at the same time??

(ETA: having seen and read an additional half-dozen explanations of Three’s quirk, I can say with confidence that I still have basically no idea what it is or does.)

anyway so!! Deku is a badasssssss but something tells me not to count Nagant out just yet even so. also I really enjoy seeing Deku flip out on people like he doesn’t have a fucking hole in his torso because it reminds me of A CERTAIN SOMEONE and I always love to see him channeling that feral energy; I feel like it’s been a while

anyways good luck to you both!! I truly wish that both of you could win. but if not, then maybe you can at least become friends instead. you have so much in common, you both can fly and have multiple quirks and you’re both badasses, and plus it would just be really funny to see the look on Hawks’s face lmao

[dudeandduchess]

Yakuza!Kyōjurō x F!S/O: Sugar and Spice (Mafia!AU, Modern AU, NSFW Series)[Chapter 4]

Summary: Kyōjurō and (Y/n) meet at a party, only to find out that their lives would change forever— since they had been arranged to be married.

Note: Since it’s my birthday today, here’s a little something for y’all. Yaaaay! I was supposed to do a double update, but I got busy. But I hope y’all like like as much as I loved writing it. Can anyone guess where Kyō and (Y/n) are going though???

Warnings: Mild Smut, Teasing, Making Out, Dysfunctional Family Relationships

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

***

Breakfast was a silent affair in the (L/n) household; as usual. Even more so when it was just (Y/n) and her mother— Akari— sitting stiffly at the dining table and picking at their meals.

(Y/n)’s back was ramrod straight, even if she was feeling all of the tension pooling at the base of her spine. She knew that she had to keep her posture as impeccable as ever, ‘as is fit for a Prime Minister’s daughter’; like her mother always said.

She couldn’t even take a bite of her food, in her apprehension of earning her mother’s attention. So, she pushed it around her plate at best.

However, her efforts were still all for naught, since Akari spoke up. “What are the things on your agenda today?”

And from the corner of (Y/n)’s eye, she saw Rin straighten up— ready to prattle off the same list that she’d gone through earlier— when she answered for the woman. “I have charity events all day. Why?”

“Just asking, since you have to maximize your appearances for the family while you can.” Akari finished her sentence with a quick look up at her daughter, before turning back to her food and taking another bite of her salmon.

Another reason why (Y/n) couldn’t eat her food: she was sick of having the same thing whenever she ate with her mother. Poached salmon with a poached egg right on top, green beans amandine on the side, with a spot of jasmine tea to wash it all down.

For the past fifteen years that she and her family had been in residence at the Prime Minister’s mansion, her mother had always picked out everything for her whenever she could— from the way that she used to dress, down to the things that she ate. And whenever she tried to protest, she was always branded as too ‘rebellious’ and ‘ungrateful’; so she’d learned to just stay quiet— if only to avoid conflict.

It was a godsend that her father had finally let her move out when she started university; on the condition that she would always spend her breaks with the family.

“Yes, okaa-sama,” (Y/n) muttered under her breath, not in the mood to even talk to her mother. She just wanted breakfast to be done with already, so she could get as far away from the house as possible.

Fortunately, her mother’s secretary announced that she was already running behind for a meeting— so without even a single glance at her, Akari walked right out of the dining room; causing (Y/n) to finally let go of the breath that she’d been holding since she had sat down at the table.

“Do you have some candy, Rin?” The young woman asked softly, wanting to wash out the taste of the jasmine tea that she’d taken a sip of earlier. And when the other woman handed her a piece of cherry-flavored candy, she wasted no time in popping it into her mouth. “Thank you. So, what’s the first thing on my agenda again?”

However, for the second time that day, Rin was cut off before she could even answer; that time, with a loud series of honks from the outside.

“(Y/n)-sama,” One of the housekeepers hastened into the room; a little flushed and breathless from having exerted that much energy, before continuing, “You have a guest.”

“Who?”

“Your fiancé, ma’am.”

She couldn’t help but close her eyes and pinch the bridge of her nose, because that was just what she needed after dealing with her mother: another difficult person to handle.

Still, she found herself feeling a little better— and a little flushed from remembering what he had done to her just the day before— since he was a good distraction. Not to mention, total eye candy. And with a little sigh, she began her walk to the front door.

When she got there though, it was to see Kyōjurō pinching one of the fresh calla lilies between his fingers; only to jump when he heard her words clear as day.

“Those are real.”

The blond grinned at that— bypassing the center table that had the vase of flowers that he’d been admiring— as he closed the distance between him and (Y/n); boldly wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. “Really? Not as real as this kiss, though.”

With those words hanging in the air, Kyōjurō then leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss; smiling into it when he felt her respond for a brief second, before pulling back a little. He wasn’t having that, however, so he chased after her lips while his free hand cupped the back of her head.

He could hear a few housekeepers gasping in surprise a few ways away, but he couldn’t care less about any of them. Not when he could taste the candy that (Y/n) had in her mouth. So, even more boldly than before, he snaked his tongue between her lips, and slowly coaxed the piece of candy right into his own mouth.

A little breathless from his antics, he finally broke away from (Y/n)— but not before pressing one last gentle kiss against her lips. “Didn’t know that you liked cherry, baby.”

“Shut up,” The young woman whispered, chest heaving and cheeks aflame with a blush. But she made no move to push herself away from Kyōjurō; not because she wanted to stay there forever, but to save face— since she could feel the beginnings of an erection pressed up against her. “What are you doing here?”

“You tell me to shut up, and then you ask me a question. You’re so confusing, sweetheart,” Kyōjurō teased, but still supplied her with a decent answer. “I’m here to take you out for breakfast.”

“I already had breakfast.”

“Then a second breakfast.”

“I have a charity even to go to later,” (Y/n) protested.

But Kyōjurō wasn’t having any of it. “I’ll take you after breakfast. So go and get everything you need, baby.”

***

“Wait, wait!” (Y/n) almost screeched, as she sat down on the buttery leather seat of Kyōjurō’s flashy, red Audi R8. “What about security? I was supposed to have-”

Before she could say anything more, the blond leaned down and pressed his lips against hers— effectively shutting her up— before jerking a thumb at the car behind his own. “You think I would bring you anywhere without thinking of your safety? Over there are two of my most trusted men: Shinazugawa and Tomioka. They don’t necessarily get along, but they get things done…”

And to add to that, Kyōjurō continued, “Besides, you have me to protect you, baby.”

With that, he stole another kiss from (Y/n), before grinning down at her and getting her settled in her seat. He didn’t know why, but taking care of her like that sent his heart fluttering wildly in his chest; maybe it was the novelty of actually doing it for a woman, or maybe it was all because it was her, and the fact that they were going to get married, but he loved every minute of it.

It wasn’t even that he wasn’t a gentleman to his past lovers— he was— but he didn’t really care for them at all. They were good for one thing, and he only kept them around for that, since he was busy with running his family’s business.

But with (Y/n)… he couldn’t even explain it. She was special.

Trying to suppress a smile, he walked around the car to get to his side, before buckling himself in and turning the engine on. However, when the radio turned on, it was still connected to Kyōjurō’s phone— and it had (Y/n) wide-eyed for a second, before she burst out into a fit of giggles.

“I wouldn’t have thought that you were the type to listen to Arashi,” The young woman teased, her giggles getting even louder when Kyōjurō decided to be silly and dance and sing along to the chorus of ‘Turning Up’.

When (Y/n)’s giggles calmed down into a smile, however, the thought that maybe— just maybe— spending time with him wasn’t that bad crossed her mind; and it had her silently agreeing. Especially when she looked back up at Kyōjurō and saw him grinning as he pulled out of the driveway.

When he wasn’t being a teasing horndog, he was okay; at least to (Y/n).

“What time do you need to be at your charity event?” The question had her jumping in surprise, but she quickly composed herself and rifled through all of the mental notes that she had made before leaving the house.

“Ten. And then I have another one at three.”

“Do you like doing these things?” It was such an offhanded question, not meant to be prying at all, but (Y/n) felt it hit much closer to home than her fiancé had intended. Still, she wasn’t mad at him for it; in fact, she felt… relieved, and happy.

Because, for the first time ever, someone had finally asked her what she thought. It was something small and insignificant, but to her that meant a lot— and it had her warming up to him just a little bit more.

“Well… to be honest, no. I don’t like it.”

Kyōjurō was just about to ask why she still did it if she didn’t like it, but the brief glance he cast at her— making him catch a glimpse of the melancholy look in her eyes— had him speaking before thinking. “Fuck those charities. Let’s just go out on a date today.”

“My mother would have my head!” (Y/n) exclaimed with a shake of her head, feeling a rush of excitement coursing through her at the possibility of rebelling; but still trying to stay rational and do what had been asked of her.

However, the blond already beat her to the punch, since he had pressed one of the numbers on the screen— making the car extremely silent, save for the revving of the engine, and the steady ringing of the line.

When someone on the other end picked up though, Kyōjurō didn’t even waste time on pleasantries. “Can you call my mother-in-law’s secretary and tell her that I’m taking (Y/n) out on a date? For the whole day.”

And with that, he dropped the call, letting the car be filled by the song that had been playing before; acting as if he hadn’t just sealed his fate by making his future in-law severely dislike him.

“She’s going to hate you.”

“Too bad, I’m still taking you out on that date.” And, as if to prove his point, he pulled the turn signal before making an illegal u-turn. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any other cars on the road.

(Y/n), completely shocked, screeched, “That was illegal!”

“Baby, you’re marrying me; you’ll be finding out all the illegal things I do for a living very soon."

[hongnanglen-arina]

ASMR | Kwon Soonyoung/Hoshi

Genre: Smut

Pairing: Hoshi x fem reader

Warnings: sexual content

Words: 3.6k

A/N: Hi there! Before my angsty Shua fic will drop, have this one first hehe. As always, English isn’t my first language so excuse my grammar ♡

⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅

Your ASMR blog was well known. It was your hobby.

At least twice a week there was an update for your followers.

If people were asked about ASMR, they would think of mukbang first, right?

But your blog offered a different kind of ASMR.

No one knew who you were in reality except your closest friends. And of course, your boyfriend.

There was never a video. Just sound. Of you having fun.

Getting out of the shower, all nice and clean was the best feeling. Or was it to reach your orgasm after a long denial? You stopped midway to your bedroom, coke in one hand as you cocked your head to the side, not sure which one was better. There were often such dialogues going on in your head. It just showed you how crazy your mind was. Not only did you look sweet and innocent to everyone who didn’t know you and saw you on the street but deep inside you were a kinky little vixen which your friends and boyfriend knew.

You took a big gulp of your drink and hummed happily. Your boyfriend should arrive at any minute. Today was another special schedule for your blog. 

When you sat down in front of your laptop, you opened your blog. After stating it, you’ve gotten a lot of followers. Some even called themselves fans. It always made you giggle. How could anyone be a fan of just a voice? Because no one had ever seen your face nor real name on the internet. For you it was funny especially reading that they used your audio recordings for other purposes. Dirty purposes.

You loved to scroll through the comment section of your blog. Reading all those filthy confessions often turned you on for another recording. Also it gave you a boost in confidence.

Speaking of your recordings. The audio files that you uploaded on your site were recordings of you pleasuring yourself. Moaning into the microphone or cursing how good it felt. There were never names, long dialogues or any other interactions with the people you uploaded it for.

Since you’ve started, you had a total of 86 files online and over 40 saved on your hard drive that you still had to edit. Why you were doing it? Maybe for the kick. The fact to know that people would hear how you were climbing up the ladder to your orgasm really heightened the pleasure. And it satisfied you a lot, every time you read the comments cheering you on.

The day you uploaded a file of you and your boyfriend having sex, your blog nearly exploded. The reason why he was included was because he just lost a bet at a party with your friends. Everyone was already drunk when a table tennis session began and Soonyoung was more than sure to win against Jun. If Jun had lost, he had to run down the street in the middle of the night, naked and meowing loudly. But as much as you would have loved to see that happening, your boyfriend Soonyoung lost, making him automatically the next special surprise on your blog. 

Yes, your best friends knew about your hobby. Some had listened to your recordings and at the beginning your friendship was a little strange. Especially with Minghao, who was forced to listen when his roommate started one of the files. He always avoided eye contact with you but when you got together with Soonyoung, it slowly became better. And now, almost a year later, they all had gotten used to it and even made fun about your blog from time to time or teased you. But better like this than being confronted with a shy and awkward Minghao again.

Yesterday you announced the special surprise what you were going to record today and promised the file to be up by next sunday. And as always with your couple recordings, the comment section went wild. Some of them gave Soonyoung the nickname ‘tiger’ because sometimes he would make similar noises all of a sudden. He gave that nickname his approval and you knew how much he loved it as he called himself like that ever since.

You giggled at the comments while you were waiting for your boyfriend to arrive.

- The return of the tiger! Raise your hands y’all!!

- He should be in it more often. God he sounds so fucking hot!

- Hearing you two together is so filthy. I love it!!

- Can he tease you until you are a mess again and beg?

- Can’t wait for his raspy rawwwwrrrs hehe (;

- How about you edge him this time??? Pretty please?

Hearing the keys, you quickly got up and ran towards the door to see Soonyoung standing there dressed in all black, pushing his shoes to the side with one foot and taking off his black snapback. Biting your lower lip, you hissed softly, locking eyes with him.

“Okay, damn.. you look hot.”

“When don’t I?”

You snorted playfully but made your way closer to him anyways, immediately being pulled in a deep kiss. One hand held you close against his chest while the other squeezed your ass, you felt him smirk against your lips. “Hope my little kitten is ready for her tiger.” The grip on his leather jacket tightened when his teeth grazed your neck, sucking your sensitive spot just below your ear. “Always,” you sighted with closed eyes.

“Good.” He pulled back, licking his lips as he took your hand and led you to the bedroom.

Following him, he made you sit on the bed as he opened the recording program on your laptop. In the past, he often made it for you so he knew where to click. Adjusting the microphone beside the bed, he made sure that it was working before joining you.

You saw the red light on your microphone and smiled at him approvingly, giving him a quick kiss as a reward. When you are about to pull away, he grabbed your hip and held you in place, connecting your lips with his again. Effortless his tongue slipped past through your teeth as you gasped, his hand massaging your exposed thigh.

Actually, your plan was to tease him first and then to make him lose his mind while he’s tied up on your bed but the way your boyfriend was kissing you right now made you weak and unable to stick to your previous plan. His musky perfume filled your senses, combined with his tongue dancing with yours, it made you breathless. He was needy and so were you.

Pushing him back against the headboard, he looked at you, mouth open and chest heaving slightly, eyes hooded. You smiled and removed the leather jacket and black turtle neck, leaving his dark hair messy and in this very moment he looked adorable to you if it wasn’t for his eyes which gave you a lustful gaze. Leaving your eyes roam over his exposed chest and abs, you asked yourself how you had survived all those years without your boyfriend.

You were on your knees in front of him, dressed in a short silky negligee. Soonyoung groaned at the sight of you. “Help me out of my pants and sit on my lap, baby.” Your eyes widened and you automatically covered his lips with your hand but he only lifted one eye brow and shrugged. Normally you wouldn’t give long commands like this but that meant you may have to cut it out of the recording later. Or not. Doing what you were told, your fingers opened his denim jeans and pulled them off his legs.

A shuffling of the blankets can be heard and you sat down on his lap, your hands on his shoulders as you sink down, feeling his warmth against your core. You felt the urge to move but you wanted to get your approval first. Normally you were more the submissive type of girl in the relationship with Soonyoung but once in a while he would gave you the control. Today didn’t seem like this when his hands were back on your hips, making you move back and forth on him.

“O-ohh..” was all you said, staggered and weak, feeling his clothed cock rub against the thin fabrics of your already wet panties. Continuing on moving on him, you kept eye contact with your boyfriend whose lifted one hand to brush lovingly over your cheek, mouthing ‘i love you’. You smiled and silently said it back before leaning in to kiss him again. 

One thing you loved a lot during foreplay was when Soonyoung massaged your ass. How he roughly kneaded the flesh and spread the cheeks, causing your folds to spread as well. And the feeling of them being slick and sticky while he would do that, turned you on. On top of that you were sitting on his lap at the moment, riding him, knowing too well that with each passing second, your juice would soak his underwear more and more. 

Holding your face in place, his kisses went from the corner of your mouth to your blushed cheek, further to your earlobe and lower to your neck, leaving open mouthed kisses everywhere his mouth would reach, sometimes sucking softly at the spots he knew you liked, resulting him to receive moans from his girlfriend. He wanted your reactions to be louder. Not only for the recording but also for himself. He just needed the confirmation that he was doing the right thing. While Soonyoung bit down on your shoulder, his hand left your face and before you could ask, his thumb hook under the strap of your negligee, letting it slid down your arm and exposing your breast. He placed his hand on your mound and started kneading it.

Gasping, your hands found his hair and while your hips were still rocking back and forth on him, you tugged at his strands, causing him to let out a low groan. You felt his fingertips pinch your nipple and you arched your back, asking for more as your chest pushed into his hand. Soonyoung smirked against your collarbone and without a warning, he smacked your ass, filling the room with a loud sound and followed by your surprised yelp.

You had to stop yourself from saying your boyfriend’s name out loud. Soonyoung noticed it and chuckled before grabbing the hem of your soft gown and pulling it over your head. The moment the cold room temperature made contact with your heated body, a cold shiver ran down your spine and Soonyoung watched how your nipples slowly hardened at the cold air. Carefully taking one of your arms, he kissed over your goosebumps, his eyes telling you that you won’t feel cold much longer and you gave him a nod.

He motioned you to get up so that you two could remove the last piece of clothes on your bodies. Once it was done, you got a condom from the night stand but when you started to rip it open, you heard your boyfriend make a disapproving noise. “Uh uh….” pointing at his lap, he wanted you to sit down again. Without aligning himself, you got into your previous position and moved your hips again but now the feeling was more intense without the fabrics in the way. Letting your wet folds spread your juice along his erect cock felt amazing. 

Faint curses left both of your lips as his grip on your ass tighten, spreading your cheeks again and with every motion, you felt your clit rub delicately against his pelvis. While your body shivered with pleasure, Soonyoung enjoyed the view you were offering his dark eyes. He could watch you like this all the time and he really loved the soft mewls you made for him.

Whenever he was alone at his home and felt horny, he would open your blog on his phone and listen to one of your recordings as he would pump himself. He saved two of you getting off with a vibrator. Those recordings were gold in his opinion because the microphone seemed right beside your mouth so the sound from the toy wasn’t too loud and he could enjoy your moans to the fullest. Although those recordings would often be very short because of course you knew the best where to stimulate to get off. And if you reached your orgasm fast, he knew how horny you were since you were bad in edging yourself. You were too weak. Whenever you wanted something, you wanted it as soon as possible. The only person who could tease you and still hear a sincere ‘I love you’ afterwards was him. Only him. 

With another smack on your ass, his hands found their way to your chest, now massaging your breasts with both hands and connecting your mouthes again. Taking your lower lip between his teeth, he groaned lowly, heightening your arousal even more. 

“Ahh… baby….” you whined as you wanted more, still thinking of the condom beside your leg that was halfway ripped open. Soonyoung didn’t have to ask because he knew exactly what you wanted. Even though he wanted to tease you more, he felt a little impatient himself so he took the foil package and ripped it open. 

Hearing it, you automatically stopped and lifted yourself so he could put the condom on. Seeing him do that, your mouth watered. You felt thankful that Soonyoung chose not to tease you today. You wanted to feel the delicious stretch and now you could finally get it. 

“Get it, kitten.” He licked his lip while pumping himself, waiting for you to move and sink down on him. You didn’t need another word from him as you quickly moved and shuddered when the tip of his cock nudged your entrance, holding tightly onto his shoulders. You swallowed thickly before moving a little lower, feeling the head push in and out a little. It was like an unspoken ritual between the two of you. A little taste of what was to come. After a couple of seconds, you finally sank down on him with a high pitched gasp. Soonyoung let his head rest on the headboard, his neck on full display for you as you saw his adam’s apple bob up and down. He tried his best to suppress his swearings. No matter how often you two fucked each other, he would never get enough of this feeling. The feeling of your bodies being intertwined. Connected in the best way possible. 

He couldn’t explain how you would still be this tight even after your longest session of 3 hours a year ago. Long teasing, long edging, the roles switched several times, there was the use of different toys, even a bigger dildo than his size but your walls would still swallow his cock the same way it did when you two had your first time. 

After adjusting to him, you started riding him, switching from jumping up and down and rocking back and forth whenever your thighs started to burn. You put your hands on his chest and slowly scratched over it with your fingernails, causing him to snap his head and look at you with such a dark expression that you could have come right then and there. His eyes were half covered with his bangs as his eyes traveled lower to your breasts, leaning forward to take one of your nipples in his mouth and immediately sucking at it harshly, making you moan and wrapping your arms around his head. His other hand was pinching your other nipple and you had a difficult time to keep your rhythm. 

You felt your sensitive nub rub against Soonyoung’s pelvis and the familiar fire became stronger. “F-fuck… just like that.” You couldn’t recognize your own voice. It was much higher. And then again, originally you wanted to have control today. You would agree instantly if anyone would ask you if you were sex addicted. Because sex with Soonyoung was the best you’ve ever had. He always made sure that you felt the same pleasure as him. That you would come the same amount as him or even more often. He wasn’t selfish at all and loved to make you feel good.

He bit down on your mound, making you whine surprised when suddenly he flipped you over so he was now hovering over you, smirking down. His lustful gaze made you instinctually press your thighs together to feel some friction but you couldn’t since his legs were between them. Carefully taking your hands and placing them above your head, he held them secure with one arm as he slowly pushed inside of you again. Your moans were swallowed in a heated kiss, Soonyoung didn’t waste any time because he instantly moved in and out if you, giving the penetration you needed and could never do the same when you were on top. It was less friction on your clit but when he wanted, he would hit that specific spot deep within that made you see stars. But for that, he had to thrust upwards a little.

The room was filled with noises of skin smacking against skin, your whines and his low moans. Also the bed which was slightly squeaking with every hard thrust. His cock slid in and out of your warm walls like the missing piece of a jigsaw. He fit perfectly and knew how to make you lose your mind. 2 years ago he told you that he could make you come without moving inside of you and he succeeded. First you were laughing over his words but when he continued to whisper filthy things in your ear, you got more and more aroused until you came with a high pitched scream of his name. He owned such power over you.

The moment you heard him growl like a tiger, you felt his teeth sink down on your neck and with a broken yelp, you arched your back, causing him to hit your g-spot with his next thrust and you choked on your own spit, not knowing if you wanted to get away or more of it. It felt too much to handle but at the same time you wanted more. His tongue licked over the bite mark, soothing the sting before sucking at another spot. Your body was covered in a thin layer of sweat and so was his. Soonyoung’s hips kept snapping against you, resulting in your moans rising in pitch. “You… feel so good…” he breathed hotly against your skin as he thrusted upwards, now without a break, over and over. 

You gasped loudly and absentmindedly fought against his grip on your wrists, feeling the tension getting stronger. Your orgasm was close. Squeezing your eyes shut, your thighs started to shake while your boyfriend still fucked you hard and deep, chasing his own release. The way your walls literally sucked in his cock and how your legs were trembling made Soonyoung more than proud. That was his girl. His pretty little vixen. 

Getting onto his knees, he grabbed your hips and fucked you in such a force, you had to silence your screams against the back of your hand which was secured over your mouth, your knuckles turning white as your other hand nearly ripped your sheets. Right before Soonyoung came, he licked his thumb and placed it on your clit, giving you the final stimulation before you two came almost at the same time, your walls milking him relentlessly. He felt how more and more cum filled the condom he was wearing, his abs twitching with every squirt. 

Your legs couldn’t stop shaking even when Soonyoung slowed down his movements until he came to a halt. You both tried to catch your breaths, unable to speak. Neither of you moved for a while until he carefully pulled out of you, rubbing soothing circles over your hip. A soft shine left your lips when you felt empty again. 

Your boyfriend rolled on his back beside you, a satisfied expression on his face. It took you a moment until your breathing was almost normal again and you felt the black haired boy next to you shift, making you open your eyes and look at him. He softly covered your arm with kisses until he reached your shoulder and nuzzled his face cutely against it like a cat. “It was amazing. It always is with you.”

Making a kissing face, he understood and gave you one. When your lips separated, your two smiled at each other. You loved him with every fibre in your body. The sweaty hair that was sticking at his face didn’t make him less attractive, instead it made Soonyoung even sexier. 

Shaking you out of your lovey-dovey thoughts, he cocked his head to the microphone and you made an understanding noise. Slowly getting up as your legs and core were still sore.

You turned off the recording program and watched how the red light slowly faded. Soonyoung was propped on his elbows, his eyes on his softening cock. “You told me before that it’s addictive to update your blog and I have to agree. It’s like having sex in public but at the same time, it isn’t. Although….” He poked his cock, his finger touching the white fluid outside and inside the condom. “I wouldn’t mind, trying that out one day.” He looked at your back when you turned around to face him, a mischievous smile on your still swollen lips. “Me neither.”

Soonyoung clicked his tongue and winked at you, making you giggle. “Next time?”

[tchallasbabymama]

Troubled Waters Chapter Three

Hello, my lovelies, I’m back 🥰 Recovery is going well, so I started working on this chapter a few days ago, and voilà, c’est fini! I hope y’all enjoy the chapter but know I’m still working on some requests so these probably won’t be weekly updates. I’m shooting for every other week with requests in between, but we’ll see how it goes. Let me know if you want to be tagged in anything, and check out my masterlist to read my other stories and oneshots. There’s plenty of content for y’all to enjoy! As always, likes are appreciated, but your comments and reblogs really make my day.����

Word count: 5,759

Sego watched with concern from across the garden as yawns replaced Nia’s usual morning ballads. After the third yawn stretched over her usually cheery face, he set his magazine down on the metal bistro table and interrupted her daze, “You didn’t sleep well last night?”

“No,” Nia pouted as she turned to face her friend. “I kept waking up every couple of hours and then when I finally got to sleep, I kept hearing a voice talking about ‘the thinning’ over and over. I don’t even know what that means.”

“Sounds ominous. Did you ask Celeste?”

“Of course I did,” she snapped and immediately regretted it. “Sorry, I’m tired.”

“Clearly,” he rolled his eyes and she narrowed hers before spraying him with the water hose. “Hey!”

Nia giggled and went back to her plants as she pondered the message from her dream. Sego picked his fashion magazine back up and flipped through the colorful pages. He wasn’t one for clothing around the house, but when he was in public in his human form, he liked to keep up with the trends.

A comfortable silence fell over the two of them, and minutes passed before an idea came to Nia as she stroked a large monstera leaf. “You know, mama wasn’t much help, but someone else might be.”

Sego set down his magazine again and his face turned serious.

“Plan B?”

“Plan B,” she nodded.

Sego cracked his knuckles and stood up, “I’ll get the drum.”

Nia finished up outside and washed her hands before piling a plate full of the excess sausage and grits she had cooked with Sego in mind. He wasn’t hungry that morning, so it seemed her leftovers weren’t meant for him in the first place. Nia opened the ritual by placing the plate in the center of the altar and lighting her frankincense resin. She wafted the smoke around their bodies and Sego’s drum, opening them to the spirit world as she hummed the unnamed tune that always came to her during rituals. Once Nia set the small clay pot of burning resin back on the altar, they were ready to begin.

The two friends got into position with Sego placing the drum between his legs and rubbing his hand lightly over the head to set his intentions while Nia stood tall with her head and shoulders back as she waited for him to begin. A few moments later, Nia came alive at the first strike of the drum. She let go and allowed herself to get lost in the sacred sounds, stepping in rhythm. Her feet carried her counterclockwise as her upper body snaked forward and back, being pushed and pulled by unseen forces. When her head began to tingle, she fell to her knees, triggering Sego to pick up the pace as she swayed from side to side with her eyes closed and head tilted back. Nia’s ears began to ring with a high-pitched tone that grew louder and louder until her body grew warm and her eyes flew open. She saw a swirling aura above her, and even though she had hoped to contact Bast, she welcomed unknown spirit. She figured it had something important to say since they usually just communicate through the veil. However, this one felt the need to deliver it’s message in person. Nia’s irises turned white as she parted her lips, allowing the being to enter her body. Goosebumps appeared all over her skin as the high of possession took over her, and the spirit settled into her flesh. The room went quiet as Sego carefully observed his friend. She showed no signs of danger, but he held tight to his drum, ready to banish the strange spirit if necessary.

“Who are you?” he asked, and Nia’s head quickly shot to his direction.

“I am Oma,” she spoke in a gravelly voice that unnerved Sego. Despite the chill that went down his spine, he recognized the name as one of Nia’s distant ancestors, and his apprehension waned. However, his curiosity grew as he wondered how she was able to travel to them so easily.

“What do you want?”

“To warn you.”

“Of what?”

“The realms, they are moving.”

“Moving how?”

“Closer. Space between getting smaller and smaller,” she droned.

“What do you mean?”

“The dead will walk among the living, and the humans among your people.”

“But how is that possible?”

“Bast. Her magic weakens.”

Sego’s heart dropped into his stomach.

“Well, how-”

“You cannot stop them. Worlds collide.”

“Who is ‘them’?”

Nia’s head rolled back, and her body began to convulse as the spirit prepared to leave her host.

“No, not yet!” Sego tried to stop her, “Who is doing this!?”

“Be careful. She is precious.”

“Who?!”

Nia’s mouth flew open, and Oma exited her body before disappearing back into the realm of the dead. Sego rushed to his friend and caught her head before it hit the floor, laying it softly on her altar pillow. He grabbed the blanket Nia’s ugogo had woven for her only grandchild and laid it over her shivering body. Confused by what he just witnessed, Sego returned to his drum and closed the ritual with his skilled hands striking the instrument in rhythm. The sound cleared the air, and the vibrations traveled to Nia’s passed-out form, waking her from her state. He played softer as her chest heaved, and she reoriented herself with the world. Nia sat up slowly when her breathing returned to normal, her chilled fingers clinging to the blanket as she looked to her friend. Sego nodded and laid his palms flat on the drum.

“It was...scared,” Nia spoke softly as she ruminated on the spirit’s emotions. “Who was that?”

Sego pointed to the photo of her great-great-great grandma and her sisters. His finger landed just above the shortest one, all the way on the left. Her smile was the brightest of all her sisters, and her wings the biggest.

“Oma?” Nia asked through her brain fog as she tried to piece together what had just happened. As usual, she could only remember how the spirit felt in her body. This one felt anxious and in a hurry. “She’s never spoken to me before. What did she want?”

She attempted to stand, but Sego picked her up and carried her to her bed.

“I will tell you later. Right now, you need to rest.”

Before she could even protest, Nia’s body betrayed her, and she fell into a deep slumber. She slept the day away and woke up to fragrant smells wafting from the kitchen. Sego knew she would need to refuel after what she had just experienced, so he had prepared a hearty dinner to build her strength back up. Nia dragged herself into the kitchen right as he scooped the stewed meat and vegetables over a large bowl of rice. No words were spoken as she slid into the chair and dug into her food as though she hadn’t eaten in days. Sego took a seat on the other side of the table and waited for her to finish. It didn’t take long at all, and when Nia’s body finally felt full, she leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath.

“So, what did she say?”

Sego’s face contorted into a grimace as he spoke, “She, uh...she said the human realm and the realm of the dead are moving closer to ours.”

Confusion clouded Nia’s face as she tried to wrap her mind around Sego’s words.

“But how? Bast-”

“Is weak. Oma didn’t say how or why, but her magic is failing.”

Nia’s breath caught in her throat, and she looked down at her hands, testing her powers and making them glow a vibrant purple.

“I don’t feel any different, though.”

“Maybe because your magic was gifted to you, she doesn’t have to maintain it like the veils?”

“I didn’t think they required upkeep.”

“I didn’t either, but they’re thinning somehow.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Nia thought about Oma’s message before another question entered her mind.

“Why her?”

“She didn’t say,” Sego shrugged, “but she said to be careful and that ‘she is precious.’”

“Who?”

He shrugged again, and Nia stood from the table with conviction, “We should go see my dad. Maybe he’ll know more about her.”

“It’s worth a shot,” he lisped as his forked tongue flickered out and his body melted to the floor. His spotted skin turned to brown and black scales as his arms absorbed into his torso. Nia left to grab her bag, and she returned as his legs melded together. Sego slithered up her body and draped himself over her shoulders. When he got settled, Nia closed her eyes and felt the atmosphere thicken as she transported them to the magic realm. It was much easier than it was the last time she visited over a week ago. Usually, traveling through the veil felt like swimming through water, but it felt more like walking through a downpour this time.

“Did you feel that?” she asked Sego, and he nodded lazily.

Nia walked out her front door and warded it up tight before turning around and facing her other world. She smiled at the vibrant blue sky and breathed in the fragrant floral air before taking the first step into the magical realm. Her stomach twisted with anxiety as Sego’s words echoed through her head, but she was quickly pulled from her trance when a little voice called out on her right.

“Sawubona, Nia!” Adana waved excitedly, and Nia couldn’t help but grin at her young neighbor as she played with her doll on her front porch.

“Sawubona, Adana. How are you feeling today?” she asked as the girl glided over and hugged her waist. Sego slid down Nia’s shoulder a little, and his tongue tickled Adana’s cheeks, making her giggle.

“Good!” she said proudly as her wings flapped behind her.

“Let’s keep it that way,” Nia chuckled as she booped the little girl on her round nose. “I see you’ve been practicing flying.”

“Mhm. Umama said I’m not allowed to fly higher than this yet,” Adana said as she motioned to the few inches between her feet and the ground.

“That’s probably best. You remember what happened last time.”

Adana nodded, thinking back to when her mother had to carry her to Nia’s late one night with a broken wing.

“Umama says she’s gonna teach me how to go higher when I get bigger, and-”

“Adana, dinner!” Zita called from her kitchen, and the little aziza’s wings fluttered even faster at the thought of whatever her mother had prepared for her. Everyone in the neighborhood knew Zita was a fantastic cook, and despite having just eaten, Nia’s stomach grumbled at the thought of another meal. Especially one prepared by Zita.

“Tell her ‘hi’ for me,” Nia called out as Adana quickly waved goodbye and flew indoors. Sego shook his head fondly at the little girl as the door closed behind her, and Nia was thankful for the brief interaction calming her nerves.

As a known healer to all, Nia was very popular among the residents of Birnin Umlingo, the Magic City. She returned waves and short greetings as she made her way to her father’s place, which wasn’t too far from her own. When Nia and Sego arrived at the baobab tree Amare had fashioned into a cozy home for himself, she found him lounging on a limb with a book in his hand. Amare looked up from the page when he felt someone near, and joy spread across his face at seeing his greatest creation. Both of them started to glow faintly as they laid eyes on each other, and his large orange wings spread out as he flew down from his resting spot. Amare enveloped Nia and Sego in a warm hug and kissed her cheek before rubbing the python’s head.

“What are you doing here?”

“What? I can’t come visit my old man?”

“Who are you calling old?” he playfully scolded her as he held the intricately carved door open for her to come inside. She looked around at all the human gadgets that filled his home and smiled warmly at his treasures. Nia had always loved his collection, but the books and records were her favorite. Sometimes, they were all she had during the lonely days of her childhood.

“Oh, nobody,” she played coy as she removed Sego from her shoulders and set him on the ground. “How are you, ubaba?”

“I can’t complain, especially today,” he winked.

“Because your favorite daughter is here?”

“Of course! And I have a date in an hour.”

“A date?!”

“Yes, he’s taking me to a restaurant opening in the town square.”

“Sounds fancy. Who is this mystery man?”

“I’m sure you’ll still be here when he arrives. You can meet him then,” Amare said excitedly before another thought crossed his mind. “Oh, and I forgot to tell you! I popped over to the human realm and got these.”

He held out his arm, and Nia marveled at his brand new kimoyo beads, “Ooooh, those are nice.”

“Aren’t they? Top of the line,” he bragged as he examined the new bracelet that he had almost no use for in the magic realm. “Enough about me, though. Is something up? You never drop by unannounced.”

Nia sighed and plopped down in her favorite high-backed leather chair.

“Something’s wrong, ubaba.”

Amare’s eyebrows furrowed, and his wings sank a little as he sat across from his daughter.

“What is it?”

Nia explained her dream and the ritual to him and watched as his face contorted in confusion and disbelief.

“-and then she was gone.”

Amare leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his face.

“Oma, huh?” he asked, and Nia nodded. “She was a powerful medium when she was alive. I guess if she can communicate with the dead from this realm, then she can easily communicate with the living from the realm of the dead.”

Nia nodded and continued, “I was trying to reach Bast when she cut in.”

“Hm...maybe she didn’t ‘cut in.’ If Bast’s magic is failing, she might not be able to hear you wherever she is.”

“Maybe you should ask T’Challa,” Sego quipped from the other side of the room as he changed back into his human form. Nia shot him a look to be quiet, and he smirked.

“The king?”

Nia sighed, “Yeah, I forgot to tell you I saw him again.”

“Sure, ‘forgot’ to tell him,” the shapeshifter mumbled.

“Sego!”

He put his hands up in defense, “Ok, I’m done.”

“So what happened this time? Did he recognize you? I hope you gave him a piece of your mind. King or no king, nobody hurts my baby and-”

“Ubaba.”

“What? I’m just saying. So what happened?”

“A bad man tried to hurt me, but before I could do anything, he showed up. He insisted on cleaning my wounds, so I let him, and…”

“And?”

“And he saw Zita and Adana, so I had to tell him about us.”

“You what?!”

“He had questions! What was I supposed to do?”

Amare sighed. “Ok, well, what did he say?”

“He was shocked, but I think he responded well. He didn’t treat me like a freak or anything.”

“That’s good. He seems like a decent, level-headed man.”

“I don’t think he’ll tell anyone. He was-” Nia was cut off by a ringing in her head as the protective wards around her home warned her of a visitor. She could tell by the low pitch that they were coming from the human realm. “I have to go, ubaba. Someone’s at my door.”

Amare and Nia stood while Sego sank back down into his python form and slithered over. The father and daughter hugged each other tightly and said their goodbyes before Nia and Sego were out the door and on their way home.

--------

Earlier that same day, T’Challa sat on his throne and halfway listened as the council argued over trade agreements between the tribes. His attention waned somewhere between the third and fourth attempt to compromise, and his mind wandered to the conversation he had with Nia almost a month ago. He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind lately. Not just her, but what he learned that night, too. He could barely wrap his mind around magical species existing in the first place, much less within his borders.

He was jolted back into the present by a nudge on his left arm and frowned at his cousin.

“What?” he whispered under his breath, knowing N’Jadaka could hear him. The prince also had the heart-shaped herb pumping through his veins from his coup attempt a year ago, so his senses were just as enhanced as T’Challa’s.

“Quit daydreaming,” he responded, equally as low so as not to give their conversation away to prying ears.

T’Challa fought an eye roll and straightened up in his throne.

“Let’s table this discussion for next week,” he cut the conversation short. “Now, is there anything else on the agenda for today?”

“No, my king, but I have one more thing I’d like to bring up,” said the Merchant tribe elder tentatively.

T’Challa nodded for her to continue.

“There have been some strange happenings among my people,” she began. “Just yesterday, a woman wandered into the market yelling about creatures nobody had ever seen before, then she collapsed and started seizing.”

“You’re concerned about a psychotic or epileptic episode?”

“It’s not so much the episode as what came after, your highness.”

“Ok…”

“She died before the doctor could get to her...and then she disappeared before the coroner could examine her body.”

“What do you mean ‘disappeared’?” T’Challa’s eyebrows furrowed as he leaned in closer.

“The men who transported the body were found knocked out cold...and when they woke up, she was gone.”

“Sounds like there’s a sick motherfucker around here somewhere,” N’Jadaka muttered with his signature scowl on his face. “Bodies don’t just disappear for no reason.”

The king ignored his cousin and focused on the Merchant elder. “You said she mentioned strange creatures?”

“Yes, my king. She looked deranged, and she spoke of creatures with dripping claws and visible skulls...She seemed terrified.”

T’Challa leaned back in his throne, and his mind wandered to Nia again, but this time with purpose. That didn’t sound like any creature he had ever heard of before, but he wondered if she had. His thoughts were interrupted by the Mining tribe elder.

“Also, if I may?”

T’Challa motioned for her to continue.

“There have been multiple sightings of abnormally large hyenas around our province.”

“There were some sniffing around the entrance to the lab this morning, but the Dora scared them off,” Princess Shuri added. “They didn’t look like any hyena I’ve ever seen. They were huge!”

M’Baku’s breathing faltered for a moment; he had heard of creatures like that before. When he met Nia a year prior, he began to worry about the existence of other, more dangerous magical species, and now his fears seemed to be coming true. He couldn’t just come out and say it, though, especially since several of the council members already considered the Jabari to be a backward people. He didn’t need “superstitious” added to the list of reasons not to like them. However, he felt that T’Challa might be a little more open to what he had to say. M’Baku decided a private audience with the king would probably be best.

“Hm...has anyone else noticed anything strange or unusual?” T’Challa asked the room, and two more hands went up. He nodded to the Border tribe elder, and the older man cleared his throat before speaking.

“We took a man into custody yesterday for killing his wife. He claimed she was alive when he left for work, but when he came home, all that was left was her bones. Of course, he’s claiming innocence, but the neighbors say they didn’t see her at all that day, which was unusual. But, um, we’re not sure how he was able to remove the flesh so easily. There looked to be bite marks.”

T’Challa looked to his little sister, who had a horrified look on her face, and grabbed her hand in his. He turned to his other side and saw N’Jadaka’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“What the fuck kind of sick shit y’all got going on over here?” he mumbled so only the king could hear.

“I’m not sure,” he whispered back. The king turned back to the council and gestured at the River tribe elder. “And you?”

“Sightings of strange fish in the river, your highness. Human-sized, much larger than what we are used to.”

T’Challa’s eyes shifted to his right and he noticed the Jabari chief’s nervousness, despite his best efforts to mask his feelings.

“Anything else?” T’Challa asked the council, and they all shook their heads. “N’Jadaka and I will investigate these claims further and have a report for next week. Meeting adjourned.”

The council members saluted him and took their leave—all except one.

“My king, may I have a word privately?”

T’Challa looked at M’Baku knowingly and motioned for the chief to follow him. The two of them, along with the prince and princess, retired to T’Challa’s office to continue their conversation.

“What can I do for you, my friend?” the king asked as everyone filed into the room. Shuri sat by the window and looked out at the country nervously, obviously spooked by what she just heard. N’Jadaka plopped down next to her and tried to seem unbothered, but he couldn’t stop fidgeting with his lucky knife, repeatedly flicking it open and closed in his left hand. M’Baku sat across from T’Challa at his desk, and his leg began to bounce involuntarily as he waited for the king to sit down.

M’Baku cleared his throat anxiously before he began, “We Jabari have many...beliefs that the rest of Wakanda seems to have let fall by the wayside. I only bring this up because of what I’ve seen with my own two eyes, but I believe the elders’ reports. Call me superstitious, but there are forces out there that you would not believe. Even I haven’t seen everything, but there is someone who might know what to do-”

“You’re saying you believe the crazy lady?” N’Jadaka scoffed.

“I do not believe she is ‘crazy’. I believe she saw something none of us could ever imagine.”

“Ok, and her body?” The prince challenged him as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I do not know...but I know who might.”

“Who?” Shuri chimed in as she tore her eyes from the scenery.

“She lives with the Border tribe. Her name is Nia-”

“Olu?” T’Challa’s eyes lit up in recognition, and M’Baku couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“You know her?!”

“She was the woman who was almost abducted a month ago. How do you know her?” the king asked curiously.

M’Baku wasn’t sure how much he could say without outing her as a non-human.

“She wandered into our territory once when we were still separate from the rest of you. She was very...odd,” M’Baku looked to the king, who seemed to understand his meaning. He wondered just how much he knew of her identity. “She might be able to help.”

“Odd how?” the prince interjected.

“It’s hard to explain,” the king brushed him off to avoid further prying, making M’Baku nod along. The chief still couldn’t tell how much T’Challa knew, but he kept his mouth shut nonetheless. “I will go talk to her.”

Shuri and N’Jadaka shared a look. They both felt like they were purposely being left in the dark, and neither appreciated it.

--------

Nia snuck back into her home in the magic realm and quickly threw on a headwrap before taking a deep breath and opening her door to the human realm. Her stomach twisted up again as she laid her eyes on the king and his guards standing on her doorstep.

“T’Challa, hey,” she greeted him nervously as she leaned against the doorframe with Sego still draped over her shoulders. Nia noticed the two fierce-looking women on either side of him look at her questioningly for her informality, but they said nothing.

“Hello, Nia,” he smiled before noticing Sego. “How are you today?”

“I’m alright. I, uh, actually just got back in from visiting my ubaba.”

“With that?” T’Challa motioned to Sego, and the python stuck out his tongue.

“Sego? Yeah, he likes to get out sometimes,” she said as she stroked her companion’s head. Nia backed up a little and opened the door wider for him, “Anyways, come on in.”

The king ordered the two guards to stay on the front porch, and they stood at attention, looking out at the village. Several of Nia’s neighbors had noticed their arrival and were trying their best to seem inconspicuous as they spied on her to see what was going on. It wasn’t often that the king came around, so the rumor mill started turning almost immediately.

Once T’Challa stepped into the familiar home, keeping a wide berth from Sego, Nia closed and locked the door behind him. They made their way over to the kitchen, and the king sat down in the same hand-carved chair he sat in the last time he was there.

“Can I get you anything?” Nia offered politely as she made her way over to the stovetop and started warming up a kettle she had filled up the night before. “I made a tea blend that helps calm the mind. I’m about to have some myself if you want in.”

“Sure, I’ll take a cup,” he responded with a smile. He watched her scoop the prepared herbs out of a jar and into two reusable cotton tea bags and place one each at the bottom of a mug. She worked in silence as she tried to calm the anxious feeling that had crept back into her bones after leaving Amare’s. Sego could feel her shaking and squeezed her just a little bit to get her to calm down. She relaxed at his hug and poured the hot water into the mugs before carrying them back over to the table. Nia sat down across from T’Challa and blew on her hot tea before taking a small sip. He did the same and smiled at the flavor. “This is delicious, Nia.”

“Thanks,” she gave a small smile back as her stomach fluttered at his compliment. “So...what brings you here?”

The king sighed and leaned back in his chair, watching intently as Sego slithered down from his perch and curled up in the corner. “There have been some strange activities around the kingdom, and I was wondering if you might know anything about it.”

“Strange how?” Nia’s head cocked to the side, and she placed her elbows on the table as she leaned in closer.

“First, there was a woman who was found dead in her home. Her neighbors saw her the day before, and her husband claims she was alive when he left for work, but all that was left was her bones,” he spoke carefully and observed as fearful recognition clouded her face. Nia couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she easily put two and two together. The thinning had begun.

“W-what else?” she asked as she leaned in even closer.

“Another woman’s dead body disappeared. She wandered into the market screaming about horrifying creatures, then she seized and collapsed...but her body never made it to the coroner,” he paused to make sure she was still with him. She motioned for him to continue, and he spoke again, “There have also been reports of abnormally large hyenas and fish, but that is less concerning than the other two.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Nia mumbled as she got up and hurried to the bookshelf. She pulled out a large leather-bound book and opened it to a page near the middle before flipping a few pages forward. When she landed on what she was looking for, she set the heavy book down in front of the king. His eyes traveled to the page and widened in fright at the image of a childlike being with a mouth as wide as its face and sharp teeth on display.

“W-what is this?”

“Eloko,” Nia answered as she sat back down. “Long ago, our queen banished them to their own part of the forest. They’re harmless if you ignore them, but if you take pity on them and let them into your home...they’ll eat your flesh in minutes.”

T’Challa scanned the page, taking in every horrifying detail he could as he attempted to calm his heart rate. Not many things frightened the unshakable king, but he was completely out of his element. His mouth went dry as he attempted to speak, “And the other woman?”

“I’m not sure, but…”

He tore his eyes from the book and looked up at her. “But what?”

“I don’t want to jump to conclusions because it’s not a common occurrence, but when bodies disappear like that, there’s usually dark magic involved.”

“Dark magic?”

“Yeah...like I said, it’s not common, but over the years, there have been a few aziza who use their gifts in ways the rest of us do not approve of.”

“Like…?”

“Like creating zombi.”

“Those are real?”

“Very,” Nia shuddered and downed her tea. T’Challa’s eyes fell back to her book, and he began flipping through the well-worn pages. It felt old like it had been passed down for generations, and he surmised it probably belonged to her family for decades, centuries even. He flipped towards the front of the book, landing on the page about aziza. He couldn’t help but smile at the much more welcoming illustration. T’Challa got lost in the description as Nia stood and went to wash out her mug, needing something to do with her hands to calm her mind. He finished reading and looked up to ask her a question, but it slipped his mind when he noticed strange markings on her back in the shape of wings. He started to ask her about the scars when he realized he had seen them once before.

“It was you…”

“What was?” she asked without turning around, scrubbing her mug unnecessarily hard. Nia heard him stand and walk closer, but kept her focus on her task.

He removed the mug from her hand and rinsed it out. Before she could protest, he spoke softly, “I said they looked like wings.”

Nia stilled as she remembered her tube top left her back exposed.

“Yeah…I remember,” she murmured without looking up at him despite their closeness.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “I just didn’t think it was important.”

T’Challa smiled, “Of course it’s important! I never forgot that day…now I know how you appeared out of nowhere.”

“Heh, yeah,” Nia responded as she pushed past him to grab her tea kettle. She filled it up again, but still wouldn’t make eye contact. T’Challa looked at her, confused by her change in attitude when it clicked for him...

“You know, I wanted to see you again-“

“Then why didn’t you come back?” She snapped and he realized why she didn’t seem to like him that much.

“I did. My baba took me on a trip with him that night. We were gone for two weeks, but I came back looking for you.”

Nia paused again before setting the kettle back on the stove. She turned to face him, and he could see the confusion all over her face.

“You did?” She asked apprehensively, and he nodded in response. “I went back every day for a week before ubaba made me stop. He didn’t like seeing me so sad.”

T’Challa’s face fell and he took a step forward, “Nia, I-“

“No, it’s fine.” Nia moved away from him and his heart sank as he watched her go over to her herb pantry. She rummaged around for a while before she came back with yet another tea blend.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she began to change the subject, “have you spoken to Bast recently?”

T’Challa didn’t want to upset her more by pushing the conversation, so he went along with her train of thought.

“Uh, no. It’s been a while. Why?” he asked as he leaned against the counter, eyes tracking her as she moved to sit back at the table. Nia noticed he had been reading about aziza and smiled internally.

“The veil is thinning. That’s how the eloko got through…and who knows what else.”

“The veil?”

“Yeah, it’s like the border between realms.”

“How is that possible?”

Nia shrugged, “Only Bast knows.”

“And she’s not answering you,” he mused as he sat next to her. She wanted to move away, but forced herself to stay still.

“Nope. I tried this morning, but one of my ancestors came through and told us about the veil.”

“Us?”

“Me and Sego.”

“The snake?”

“Python,” Nia chuckled and shot Sego a look to warn him to behave.

“My apologies. So what did they say?”

“The realms of the living and dead, and the human and magical realms are colliding…they might overlap soon. That and ‘she is precious.’”

“Who is?”

Nia shrugged, “Bast, I guess.”

“But you think she’s disappeared…” T’Challa thought aloud.

“Yebo. I don’t know what can make a god disappear, though. Another god maybe?”

T’Challa’s mind wandered to his Avengers colleague, Thor, but he had no way to contact the god while he was off-planet.

“Perhaps.”

“I could try contacting some.”

T’Challa nodded as the wheels turned in his mind. “There are smaller cults around the country that worship other gods. We might be able to-“

“We?”

“Well, yes, I was hoping you would come with me. I’ll need someone with your expertise. I know nothing about all this, but you do…I need your help.”

“I don’t know, I-“

“Please, Nia,” he begged as he grabbed her hand in his. The silence was thick as they looked at each other, but neither was able to look away. “I need you.”

Nia stopped breathing for a moment as he trapped her in his puppy dog eyes. She wanted to say no, she really did…but she just couldn’t.

“Ok, I’ll do it.”

Next Chapter

Taglist: @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife, @motheroffae, @love-mesome-me, @toni9, @bribrisback, @dersha89, @impremenior, @ljstraightnochaser, @love—life—passion, @yourstrulybrii

[elvish-sky]

Hope {Aragorn x Reader}

A.N: So no prompts done today cause I was working on this, but I’m proud of it and will get right on prompts tomorrow! This is the completely reader-insert version! I honestly had so much fun writing it and am honored that this person wanted me to do so. I hope y’all like it!

Requested by @ask-the-elf-stuff on Tumblr

Pairing: Aragorn x Reader

Word Count: 1,799

Warnings: Kissing, fluff, the smallest bit of angst.

****

Hope

“You’re really leaving?” You gazed into Aragorn’s eyes, hoping that it wasn’t true.

    “I have to, Y/N. The fate of Middle-Earth depends on it.”

Your head dipped in understanding, but also sadness. 

“Do not fear. I will return.” He cupped your chin with his hand, tilting your head and kissing you. It was a light kiss, nothing like the others you had shared before. This kiss was the hope that you’d see each other again.

Breaking away, you forced a smile as you hugged him, trying not to cry. Stepping back, you waved as he followed the rest of the newly formed Fellowship through the gates of Imladris. Your father stood next to you, and as Aragorn passed through the gates Elrond drew you into his side. 

“He’ll be back, hína (child),” Elrond said as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

Nodding, you rested your head on your father’s shoulder as you watched the man depart.

Weeks later, you were pacing your room, determined to do something. Arwen stopped short in the doorway as she saw you pack open on your bed as you shoved things inside.

     “Y/N? What are you doing?”

“I do not know why, but I have felt a pull to follow. An ache, almost painful in its strength, has settled inside me and so I knew I must follow. We have not heard from the Fellowship in weeks, Aragorn could be hurt, or someone else could be, or he could be,” your voice broke, “dead.

The elf nodded in understanding. “The ache is telling you to be with the one you love.”

She then clasped your hand. “Y/N. Look at me.”

You looked at her, unshed tears of worry clear in your eyes.

“If he was dead, you’d feel it. And I know as your sister I should be telling you not to go, but I cannot help but notice the pain you’ve been in these last weeks. So go, find him.” She spread a map out onto a small table nearby, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do you just carry that everywhere?”

She shot you a look, and you quickly clammed up, peering over her shoulder as she pointed things out. 

“After crossing the mountains visit our grandmother in Lothlorien, the Fellowship had planned to pass through there, and she will know where they are.” 

You took it all in, remembering the route to Lothlorien from visits to your grandparents you had made before your mother went west. 

“Thank you, Arwen.” You smiled up at your sister.

She clasped your wrist before pulling away, placing her hands on your shoulders as she looked into your eyes. “Stay safe, Y/N.”

You nodded, shoving the last things into your pack before slinging it over your shoulders with your bow and quiver, daggers sheathed on your thighs, hugging your sister one last time before leaving your room.

   You strode down the hallway, dressed in leather hunting clothes as you made your way to the gates of Imladris. You had stopped by the kitchens to gather food supplies, making sure they thought you were only going for a hunting excursion. 

Entering the courtyard, you saw your father standing in the center, clearly waiting for you. Silently cursing Arwen, as you had hoped to slip away unnoticed, you made your way over to him.

“I should not let you do this.”

You frowned at his words, drawing breath to protest, but before you could Elrond spoke again.

“But you are free to go. I feel the ache and have felt it every day since your mother departed. I know that nothing but being with the one you love can ease that pain, and it would hurt me to know you are experiencing it. Go to Estel. I give you my blessing.” 

You hugged your father before turning and mounting your horse, brought from the stables. Turning to wave to your father one last time, you leaned down to whisper, “Let’s go, Daeroc. Let’s go find Aragorn.” The horse broke into a trot, and you left Imladris behind.

Weeks later, you led Daeroc into Lothlorien, waiting for the sentries to appear. One dropped down from a tree, and you smiled at him, recognizing the face.

“Haldir,” you greeted him with a smile.

“Y/N. It is good to see you again. I assume you are here to see the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn?”

You nodded, “Yes. I have not seen my grandparents in a long time. But before we go to them could you find someone to take care of Daeroc?”

Another elf came into view, nodding to you as she took the reins from your hands. 

“Thank you,” you smiled at her.

Later, you walked into the courtyard, bowing to your grandparents standing on the stairs above. 

“Y/N, my daughter’s daughter. What brings you here?” Galadriel smiled at you, descending the stairs with her husband to greet you, each clasping your wrist. 

“To see you, of course, and seek news of the Fellowship that I assume has passed through here.” 

Your grandmother smiled. “It seems you are in luck, for they are here as we speak.”

Your eyes widened. “But they should have been long gone by now. I wonder what has caused the delay?”

Celeborn’s face softened. “Then you do not know.”

“Know what?” You were beginning to grow quite worried. “What has happened?”

“They could not make it through the pass of Caradhras, so they turned and went through Moria, costing them the life of Mithrandir.”

You gasped, heart aching at the grief that must have caused them and the grief you now felt. 

“May I see them?” All you wanted now was to see your friends and the man you loved.

“Of course.” Galadriel beckoned you to follow her, and you did, softly conversing with your grandmother and updating her on the lives of her family in Imladris, as well as others she knew.

Stepping into the clearing, you turned to thank Galadriel, watching her fade from view behind you for a moment before continuing. 

There he was. Tall and handsome still, even grimy with dirt and dust from his travels. You debated casually walking up and greeting him more sedately, but watching him you just couldn’t hold back. All your elvish instincts left you, and you sprinted towards him, leaping into his shocked arms as kissing him for all you were worth. He kissed you back for a moment, and then pulled away, the surprise on his face clear.

“Y/N! What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you.”

His eyes widened. “You did?”

You smiled at him. “Of course I did, meleth.”

He smiled back at you, and drew you in for another kiss, hands holding you up as your legs wrapped around his waist. Deepening the kiss, he moved so your back was pressed against a tree and his hands were free to slide up your back, tangling in your hair as you lost yourselves in each other.

Sometime later, you sat with the rest of the Fellowship after the nighttime meal, talking. It was good to see them again, you had grown fond of all of them, even the dwarf, during their time in Imladris. But of course, the only person you really had eyes for that night was Aragorn, who sat next to you with an arm around your shoulders. 

Legolas had seemed puzzled with how comfortable you were with affection, it was rather un elf-like. You had explained to him that because of your father’s past, he was slightly more affectionate than a normal elf, and showed it. You hadn’t missed the wistful look on Legolas’ face as you spoke and recalled what you knew of his family, feeling sorry for him. 

Later that night, you sat by the dying embers of the fire alongside Legolas. Aragorn had gone with the hobbits to wash up, and Boromir and Gimli were sleeping, so it was just you and the elf.

“Legolas?” The older elf looked at you. 

“Can I ask you something?”

He nodded, and you continued, “I was just wondering, do you know of something like an ache? It began right after the Fellowship departed Imladris, and only subsided when I arrived here. What does it mean?”

He smiled. “Y/N. That was the bond between your soul and Aragorn’s, pulled taught with your fear of losing him. Now that you are reunited, it has gone because you are together. It is every elf’s greatest dream and worst fear to have that feeling.”

You smiled. “Have you?”

The pain in his eyes told you that maybe that was not something to be asked of others.

“I am not sure if it is in my destiny to ever feel that.” He gazed into the distance.

The two of you sat in easy silence for a long time, after that. 

“Y/N.” You turned to see Aragorn beckoning to you, and with a nod to Legolas, you rose.

“You do not have to come with us. It will be a journey of great peril, and I do not want to put you in that much danger.”

You gazed at him earnestly, “Aragorn. I shall be there when the crown is finally placed on your head. I shall be with you until the end.”

He smiled at you again and clasped your hand as you walked through the towering trees.

You had left Lothlorien the day after with the Fellowship, having officially joined up. Lots had happened after that, including almost dying with most of Middle-Earth, but months later, all was finally well. Frodo and Sam had destroyed the ring in Mordor, the forces of Mordor had collapsed along with the Black Gate, and today was the coronation of King Elessar, also known as Aragorn. 

You watched, standing next to Gimli on the dais, as Gandalf lowered the crown onto Aragorn’s head.

“Now come the days of the King!” Gandalf declared before Aragorn turned to face his kingdom. Everyone cheered as he stood there, silencing quickly as he spoke. His words were wise and sincere, and you couldn’t help but fall in love all over again. As petals began to fall, he started singing, the words quickly fading as he turned to you. 

You walked down to meet him at the bottom of the steps, gown trailing behind you. Once you reached him, he grabbed your hand, wrapping an arm around your waist as he dipped you into a spectacular kiss. Unlike the one you had shared in Imladris, this was not a kiss of sadness. This was a kiss of hope, peace, and promise. As the cheers rose around you again you knew that everything you had hoped for had come true.

Everything tag: @entishramblings @itgetsatadhazy @boyruins @anjhope1 @wellofeternalthirst @kumqu4t @katbby16

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Don’t Treat My Love Like a Habit Part Fourteen

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

Pairing: Santiago Garcia x Reader Rating: Mature (this may change) Warnings: Cursing; angst... And well.... Y’all will see Notes: Set before the movie. Not beta-read. Reina is Spanish for Queen. I hope everyone’s having a good week! 💜 Summary: You’d spent the last few days checking all of the cameras we had available for Hernandez, but you hadn’t been able to get another fix on the man.

The tracker stopped giving off a signal somewhere around El Eden, outside Jericó. There was no way for you to know if it had been knocked loose, or if it had been found, but it gave you a direction. It also put Hernandez in range of one of the last in-person sightings of Lorea, down by Las Minas.  “So I’ll drive down--” “I don’t know if you should be driving anywhere. You haven’t even gotten your stitches out yet,” You gave the phone a withering look, willing Alex to feel the power of the stare from the other end. You and Pope were at the office, looking down at a readout of all of the places the tracker had given off a signal before cutting. You’d spent the last few days checking all of the cameras we had available for Hernandez, but you hadn’t been able to get another fix on the man. Pope told you that he hadn’t gotten anything else about Hernandeze’s whereabouts from his informant, either, and that she hadn’t even expected him to be in the car that night.

The two of you had taken to calling Alex when we were in the office and having him on speakerphone when we were talking over status updates that day. You tended to go by his apartment at least once a day to check on him, make sure he was eating properly and helping out if he needed it. Pope had gone with you a couple of times, and they had been… Amiable. “Fine, you drive,” Alex retorted. You shook your head. “I’m still looking through these feeds. I get that we may get something closer to where the tracker cut, but-- I don’t want anyone going anywhere until we have something more firm. If the tech just shat the bed, or they found it and broke it, going down to El Eden isn’t going to solve anything, it’s just going to waste time.” 

“Pope, your informant doesn’t have anything?” “She didn’t the last time I spoke to her,” Pope turned his head toward the phone to answer, his eyes still set firmly on the map, “But I have a check-in with her in a couple of hours.” A check-in. You were pointedly not thinking about what that might entail. “Look, soon as we get something that looks like Hernandez--” “What if we don’t?” Alex asked. You went quiet. It was a fair question. The man had slipped up once; he’d be raising his guard, making sure nothing like that happened again. You and Pope had both been twice as cautious that week, double- and triple-checking that the door was locked before we went to bed. “We will,” Pope answered. You turned to look at him, taking in the set of his brow, the way his lips were pulling down. He meant, ‘We have to’.

--

You hadn’t had a quiet night alone without Pope since the office had been broken into. It was… Odd. Not eerie or anything, but just like something was missing. You’d briefly, stupidly, wondered if Pope felt like this when you’d stayed with Alex at the hospital. It was Pope’s apartment, he was used to being there alone. Well maybe not alone, but at least without you there-- You huffed, closing the fridge door for what had to be the fifth time that evening. Pope hadn’t told you when he’d be home back when he’d left to meet with his informant. “You gonna tell me what her name is, or should I call her Isabella 2.0?” You’d tried to tease. He’d cast you a dour look as he’d tugged jacket. “What’s it matter what her name is?” He’d asked, and the words had left him with such tired irritation that you immediately felt stupid for saying anything. “No, it… It doesn’t,” You’d mumbled. He’d just grunted, said he’d let you and ‘Brano know if he got anything, and left.

Maybe he hadn’t sounded that irritated? Maybe you’d just been thinking about it too long. Being in the apartment alone gave you a lot of time and silence in which to overthink things. You’d texted Frankie and the guys to see how they were doing, but Benny had a fight that night, so you wouldn’t be able to distract yourself with them for at least another few hours, and by then, Santiago would be home. Hopefully. Hopefully Santiago would be home. Back. Hopefully Santiago would be back. 

-- 

Hernandez is hunkered down in Las Minas. You’d jumped at the sound of your phone, and now you were just staring at the text that had come through from Santiago. Lorea? Was Alex’s answering text. Unclear, Pope’s response came through in seconds.

Las Minas, you could work with that. First thing in the morning, you’d go in and start working through the camera feeds that you could access from Diego’s office. You opened your separate texts with Santiago. Coming back soon?

You watched the screen for a few moments before setting the phone aside. A few more minutes, nothing. He’d answered Alex so quickly. You looked around the apartment, stomach churning. Maybe you wouldn’t wait until morning to head into the office and start combing through those camera feeds. 

-- 

You left him a post-it, of course. 

--

“So I’ve got five possible targets, there are like three that I’m ready to rule out, but I wanted to get your read on them before I dropped them completely,” You said, not even bothering with a ‘hello’, instead pointing to a map on the wall with printed-out imagery from the cameras you’d been able to access pinned to it, “The red tacks are the ones I think are the most likely, blue are the ones I wanna ditch.” “Have you been here all night?” Pope didn’t bother with a ‘hello’, either. “Where else would I be?” You returned your hand to the keyboard, eyes still on the monitor. “I don’t know, with Zambrano?” He said it like it was obvious, like you were over there all the time, beyond helping the guy since he was wounded. “Just stopped by after work for a bit.” “And then?” “Would you look at the map, please?” You didn’t mean for it to come out as snappy as it had, but you were… Tired, and annoyed - more annoyed than tired. Santiago had never answered your text, nor had he texted you when he got in, which you’d asked him to do on the post-it. To top it all off, he was asking if you had been at the office all night. So, presumably, he hadn’t gotten in, had spent the night elsewhere, and… And you’d gotten a tip out of it. Anything else that happened didn’t matter, and you didn’t care anyway, and this game of emotional whack-a-mole was really starting to take it out of you. 

You didn’t dare look at Pope, didn’t want to know whether he was looking at you or the map in the stilted silence that followed. But after a few moments, you heard his footsteps trail away from your desk, over to the wall, and you let yourself glance over your shoulder. Same jacket as yesterday - but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. You lowered your head back to your work, shaking your head a little. What he was wearing, what he did last night or didn’t do, none of that mattered, none of it-- “Ditch the blue.” Pope’s voice cut through your thoughts, and you grabbed the pen you’d set aside hours ago, crossing them off of the list that you’d compiled. “Too conspicuous?” You asked. “Yep.” You tossed the pen back onto the desk and glanced over at Pope, watching him look at the two remaining targets. They weren’t terribly far from one another, but they couldn’t be monitored by one person. “I’ll get Zambrano, drive down, hit them today,” Pope said, pulling his jacket sleeve back and glancing back down at his wrist, “He can drive. We won’t engage if we see anything, it’ll be strictly recon,” He added, glancing back at you.  You turned back to your computer, nodding and wordless. You didn’t like the idea, but you knew that the tip that Pope had gotten would need to be moved on quickly. “You should go back to the apartment, get some rest,” Pope added, heading for the door of your small office space. “I’ve got some stuff to wrap up here,” You shook your head. “Reina.” You looked up at Pope then, raising a brow and waiting for him to speak. He hesitated before he sighed, shaking his head. “I’ll grab walkie-talkies, Zambrano and I will radio when we’re in position.” “Fine,” You nodded, and were on your way to adding, “Be careful,” When you found yourself speaking to the door. 

-- 

“How was the fight?” You asked, leaning back from your monitor and stretching your back over your chair as you spoke into your chair. “What fight?” Alex’s voice crackled through your headset. “Mic,” Pope’s sighed over Alex’s question. “Shit, hang on, ‘Fish-- Sorry, guys,” You apologized before tapping the mute button on your headset - the controls were so damn sensitive. You’d already accidentally knocked them half a dozen times. You raised your phone back to the ear you’d pushed your headset back from. “Sorry, Fish.” “Late night?” Frankie chuckled. “... So how was the fight?” You repeated, not in the mood to touch that just yet. “It was great. Benny kicked the guy’s ass.” “Atta boy,” You grinned, pushing yourself out of your seat, “How’ve you been?” You listened to Frankie catch you up on what you’d missed the last couple of weeks, checking your phone screen now and again for any texts from Santiago or Alex, just in case. “You okay, Q?” “Fine, why?” “You sound a little...Dead.” “Forgot what a sweet-talker you were, chulo.” “You know I don’t mean it like that--” “I’m teasing, Frankie,” You smiled a little, grabbing your mug and walking over to where you’d set up the coffee maker in the back office that Diego had allotted you and Pope, “I’m fine, just… Yeah, late night. Work, you know.” You hesitated as you set your mug down, thinking. “...Frank?” “Yeah?” “Let’s say… Hypothetically… That there was a, like… Snowball’s chance in hell that there was some truth to all the teasing you’ve done about me and Pope.” “How big a snowball?” “You know that boulder that chases Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark?” “Oh, no!” Frankie laughed, and you couldn’t help but smile a little bit at the sound of it -- it was so light, and after the mental hell you’d been putting yourself through, it was nice to hear someone laughing about it. “What’s going on?” He asked. You looked down at the coffee pot, trying to cobble your thoughts together. “It’s just-- Ugh, hang on,” You reached up, adjusting your headset as it began to slip, your hand brushing the controls as you did, “It’s just that-- I don’t know if it’s because I’m staying with the guy, or-- Or what, but I can’t get him out of my head. It’s bad, Frankie. And I mean, it’s not new, either, I’ve had feelings for Santiago since… Since before I took this job. I mean they weren’t always serious, not like they are now, but there’s always been something there for me--” Now that you were admitting it, you couldn’t get the words to stop; they were spilling out like unorganized tupperware from a hastily shut cupboard, “But fuck, it’s just been so much-- Worse isn’t the word, I mean, noticeable, maybe. Fuck, I’ve been living with the guy, we sleep in the same bed, and he’s cuddly, and I like it way too much. I spent half the night looking for new apartments because I just… I can’t do it anymore. If I don’t get out of there, I think I’m gonna fall in lo--” “Hey Q?” Alex’s voice crackled in through your earpiece. “Hang on ‘Fish--” You sighed, raising your hand to your headset. But before you could even touch it-- “Your mic is on,” Santiago’s voice was quiet, almost regretful. Your heart slammed into your rib cage with the force of a freight train. You reached up with a shaking hand, tapping the mic button on your headset again to mute it. “...Francisco, I’m going to need to call you back.” Tag list: @justanotherblonde23​  ; @revolution-starter​  ; @emurlemur​ ; @badbitxhbuckybarnes ;  @supernaturalcat7​ ; @mylittlelonelyappreciationtoo​

[uswntfics]

CATastrophe (Becky Sauerbrunn x Reader)

A/N: Hey y’all, hope you enjoyed this one I randomly wrote it a while ago. As always requests are always welcome.

Y/N shoved her hands into her pockets as she slowly walked along the sidewalk, enjoying the cool air and looking at all of the Christmas lights happily lit up on so many of the houses as she passed. It was still surreal to her that she finally got to take her dream road trip around the U.S.

She had a break from her job as an athletic trainer for Stanford University's women's soccer team before preseason started after also helping out a few WPSL teams over the summer as well. However it was still weird for her to be alone for the Holidays. Ever since she had come out things hadn’t been the same with her family.

She sighed and continued up the path toward the hiking trails. It was beautiful here in Denver but she couldn’t help but wish for something more. She was about to turn around and head back to her car when she heard a sound coming from the brush on her left.

“Hello?” she called, unsure, but she made sure to be ready to run if she needed to. She then heard a pitiful sound from a scared or injured animal.

She knew she probably wasn’t being the smartest but she stepped toward the brush slowly, hoping not to alarm the animal.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” she said in a soothing voice, parting the brush to see a dirty and travel worn cat looking up at her with scared eyes, “Aww hi little one, are you lost?” She cooed, slowly putting out her hand for the cat to sniff her hand.

The little cat must have decided she was okay because it wove closer and brushed it’s head against her leg making Y/N chuckle and scratch it's small head. Beneath the dirt and small scratches it looks like the cat was tabby with some white. Y/N took off her hoodie and wrapped the small cat in it, the cat just meowing and snuggling into the sweater.

Y/N smiled and saw that the cat was wearing a collar with a tag. However the tag was pretty cached with dry mud, so it was impossible to read at this point. "Well let's clean you up at the hotel and call your family. I'm sure they miss you." The cat purred as Y/N scratched under its chin.

Luckily it didn't take too long to make it to the car. Y/N rifled through the trunk of her car, doing a mental victory dance when she saw an old box for her boots which should be the perfect size.

She set the cat that was still all wrapped up in her hoodie, into the box. the cat merely meowed, but it seemed to sense it was safe because it curled up in the box and shut its eyes. Y/N couldn’t help but smile as she carefully shut the door to the backseat and crawled into the driver’s seat and started the car.

The 15 minute drive back to the hotel was uneventful. Y/N checked and made sure the cat was still asleep. When she saw that it was, she carefully lifted it up and found a duffle bag in her trunk, carefully setting the box with the sleeping cat in it, not zipping the top, just setting an extra jacket over part of the opening so that nobody could tell she was smuggling in a cat.

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief when nobody stopped her once she got into her room and shut the door. She carefully set the bag down and started to run the bath so that the water would warm up. she got a few towels ready and then went and grabbed the now half awake cat.

‘Meow!” The cat scolded her as she picked her up and walked toward the sound of the water. “I know little one, I know. But we have to get you and your tag all cleaned up so we can find your family. “ Y/N said softly she laughed as she swore the cat rolled it’s eyes at her.

Y/N grabbed one of the flimsy plastic cups that had been left in the room and set the cat down in the back of the tub. She filled up the cup and gently held the cat in place as she poured the warm water over the cat. “REEEEOOOOWW!” The cat screeched, slightly panicked. “Oh I know honey, I know but we need to get you nice and clean." The cat, who Y/N figured out is a girl calmed down as Y/N soothingly rubbed shampoo into her fur and then rinsed her off, making sure to pay special attention to her collar and tag.

“Missy huh, that name fits you baby girl.” Y/N said as she gently wrapped Missy in a towel and gently dried her off. Once Missy was dry enough Y/N set her so that Missy’s head was laying against her leg as she grabbed her phone and typed in the number from Missy’s collar. She hit the call button and hoped for the best, absentmindedly stroking Missy’s fur.

Kelley O’Hara sighed as she watched her roommate Becky Sauerbrunn stare into space again. Becky hadn’t been the same since her cat Missy had accidentally got out of their apartment in Salt Lake City a week before they had to leave for USWNT Camp. It would be 2 weeks ago today and they haven’t heard or seen anything.

Kelley felt terrible. She had been the one to hold the door for a second to grab the water bottle that she had dropped in the doorway as Becky waited for her in the car to leave for training. Missy was too quick for her to catch..

Their whole Royals team had helped them search for the week, as well as Ashlyn, Ali, and Alex since they had the week off before the camp but they weren’t able to find her. Becky had been even more quiet than normal and it made the whole team feel terrible. Kelley was about to try to make a joke to try to cheer Becky up again when there was a knocking at the door. Kelley sighed when Becky didn’t even look up toward the door.

Kelley opened the door and smiled sadly at her teammates. “Team bonding tonight. What would you like to do Broon?” Alex asked.

Becky just shrugged and sighed, “I’m sorry I’m bringing everyone down but Missy is my baby, and now I don’t know..” Becky sighed at the thought.

“Hey, first of all don’t apologize, we all understand, and second of all I have faith Missy is okay. We’ll help you find her,” Christen said, squeezing Becky’s arm. They decided to play a trivia game since that’s one of Becky’s favorites. Sonnet was floundering for her team of herself, Lindsey, Mal and Sam when She was saved by the bell, or the ring of Becky’s phone.

Ali grabbed it off the nightstand to hand to Becky. “It’s an unknown number.” Becky frowned but answered the phone.

“Hello?” Becky said.

“Hey, this is going to sound really weird but are you Missy’s owner? I found a cat with tabby markings and a white belly and this was the number I found on her tag.”

Becky froze. “What really?! Yes this is her! Where did you find her?!” Becky asked,a huge grin forming on her face. It shouldn’t be too far, one of her teammates could maybe pick her up after training.

“I actually found her on a trail in Denver. She’s all clean and ready to come home!”

“What all the way in Denver?!” Becky was shocked, she could barely wake the girl from a nap and she had somehow ended up hundreds of miles away?!

"Yeah, I'm guessing she had a long journey.." Y/N observed as she scratched Missy's head.

"Yeah we live in Salt Lake City. But I'm in Carson right now and I don't know if I have anyone who could get her soon…” Becky worried.

“well I’m on a road trip right now anyway, I can drive her down if that’s okay.” Becky was shocked. Thanksgiving was in a few days and a complete stranger was offering to drive her cat over 16 hours??

"Are you sure? I don't want to put you out at all." Becky said.

"Of course, it's not a problem at all. We'll leave tomorrow. Is it okay if I text you updates?"

"Of course, and I can't thank you enough! I'll text you the hotel address too! Thank you so much.." Becky trailed off.

"Y/N." Y/N finished

"Well Y/N I'm Becky and I can't thank you enough."

Y/N smiled as she could tell how much this Becky cared about Missy.

"No problem I'll see you soon Becky." Y/N said and hung up. She got a text shortly after from this Becky. After getting ready for bed Y/N chuckled as Missy curled up on her chest. Y/N decided to snap a picture so Becky could see Missy was safe and sweet as ever.

"What was that Broon did someone finally find her?!” Kelley squealed

Becky chuckled and nodded excitedly “Yes! You’ll never believe where she was found!”

“Where Becks?” Christen asked.

“Denver! I mean she is literally the laziest cat ever but she travels hundreds of miles?!””

The team cracked up “Wait if she’s in Denver how are you getting her back?” Tobin asked.

“The girl who found her, Y/N offered to drive her down here to return her.” Becky grinned, she couldn’t be more grateful.

“Damn Broon, you haven’t even met the girl and she’s already willing to drive 16hrs for you! I say go for it!” Pinoe yells, causing Kelley, Sonnett and the youngins to laugh and Christen to smack the back of Pinoe’s head as Becky blushes.

Before Becker could say anything her phone dinged with a text. Becky opened the text and nearly swooned. There was simply a picture of Missy perfectly safe snuggled up and asleep on Y’N’s chest.

Becky was so happy to finally see Missy but She couldn’t take her eyes off the most gorgeous woman she has ever seen.

Her dark hair framed her face perfectly, her hazel eyes so amazingly intriguing to Becky.

She was snapped out of it when Ashlyn let out a whistle “Damn Broon she’s hot and seems to love animals as much as you do! I second Pinoe’s idea!” Ashlyn called as Ali smacked her arm and Becky realized that the team had crowded around her phone to look when she had been staring at the picture.

“Okay leave her alone.” Alyssa spoke up, glaring at the team, causing most of them to scatter.

“Thanks.” Becky said quietly to her best friend on the team, trying to will away her blush.

“They’re not wrong though you know, she should get here right around Thanksgiving Day. Why don’t you invite her to the team Thanksgiving party/dinner. If anything you’ll get another good friend.” Alyssa said calmly, just wanting her friend to be happy.

Becky shrugged as she considered her friend’s advice, it couldn’t hurt anything.

Before she could change her mind she texted the new contact in her phone, inviting Y/N to the team’s dinner.

Y/N texted her acceptance after Becky assured her that she wouldn’t be a bother.

Becky smiled at the message, she wouldn’t admit it to anyone except for maybe Alyssa, Christen and Ali but she was excited to meet the gorgeous woman who had saved Missy. Who knows maybe this whole CATastrophe could end well after all.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Omertà👄16

Warnings: noncon sexual acts; vibrating panties; humiliation; some violence.

This is dark!Bucky and dark! Loki and explicit (with sides of dark!Steve and dark!Thor). Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Your father was a bookie and taught you everything you know about numbers. After his death, you were taken on as a bookkeeper for Loki Laufeyson, resident crime boss in Manhattan. But can you keep your place in the background when a man from Brooklyn threatens to drag you to the forefront?

Note: I finally updated y’all. I was stressing all night about this and I did it!

Thank you. Love you guys!

As always, if you can, please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

Loki didn’t say much when he found you in your office, gripping your forehead as you bent over the ledger. He bid you to go with him and nothing more. You closed the thick book, tucked it away in your bag, and did as he said. The foyer of the casino was almost complete and you glanced around as you passed through. All it needed was a coat of paint. Then there was the rest of the place.

You took the passenger’s seat as usual. You cradled your bag on your lap. Loki’s engine hummed softly and he pulled out without hesitation. He kept a single hand on the wheel as his other hung over the end of the armrest. He was mad. When wasn’t he?

“So…” He began. “This morning?”

“I’m sorry,” You muttered. “I got carried away.”

“Carried away?” He sneered. “That’s being generous, dear. Stupid, foolish, childish.”

“I was stressed, I--”

“Stressed? You don’t know stress,” He hissed. “All I’ve asked you to do is open your legs and shut your mouth, that’s not fucking difficult, darling. And we all know you can handle the numbers just fine.”

You gulped. Did he know you were lying? Did he know about Bucky?

“I’ve got this rabid dog from Brooklyn breathing down my neck, my brother, the oaf he is, is my only ally,” His hand snaked over and gripped your thigh, “And you continue to make every day harder than the last.”

“I wasn’t-- I didn’t-- I’m sorry, Loki,” You winced as his fingers pinched your flesh sharply.

“Shhhh,” He hushed. “I don’t want to hear you. If you are sorry, you will do as I say without a word.” He squeezed your leg even tighter. “And you will act like you like it, even if you don’t.”

You held in a whimper and he finally drew his hand away, your leg pulsing from his tight grasp. He turned onto the street of the hotel and drew up smoothly. He handed over his keys to his valet and was halfway to the door as you got out. You followed, shuffling on your heels, and barely caught the door before it could hit you.

You knew it wasn’t just you. You were just the cherry on top. After last night, you had no doubt that Bucky had done his best to irk him further. He liked to put his foot down, liked to push buttons until he got a reaction. He was good at it.

The elevator ride was torturous. Loki was as silent as before. His long fingers rubbed against each other as thought brewed in his mind. The doors dinged and he stepped out ahead of you. Again, you were in a half-run to keep up with him. 

He flicked his key card through the slot and pushed his door open. He waved you inside gruffly and followed you. He snatched your bag and dropped it against the wall. He sighed and went to the phone on the small table beside the sofa. He picked up the receiver and his green eyes pierced you as you lingered by the door. He curled a finger to beckon you nearer as he began to speak.

“Yes, I’ll have a bottle of champagne sent up and a bottle of Sauvignon. Top shelf.” He slammed down the handheld and you flinched. “I’m expecting company. You should get changed.”

“Company? Who--”

His hand flew up and framed your chin. His fingers threatened to crush your draw as he pulled you closer and bent over you. “What did I say about speaking? You do what I say without complaint. If you cannot, your punishment will be much, much worse.”

He released you and you stumbled back. You resisted the urge to rub your face, still tender from Bucky’s punch and now agitated by Loki’s touch. He turned away and disappeared into the bedroom. You wondered if you should follow him; surely if he was expecting someone, he didn’t have time for that.

He returned, a box in hand, and strode over to you. He shoved it towards you and you barely caught it.

“It was meant to be a gift but since you cannot behave, I shall have to make it otherwise,” He sneered. He checked his watch and stepped away. “Ten minutes.”

You blinked and wrinkled your brow. You lifted the lid off the small box to reveal a pair of bright red panties. Confused, you touched them and your fingertips grazed something harder than lace. It vibed against your touch and you looked up to Loki as he watched you. He held a small remote in his hand and smirked.

“Go on, get changed.” He chided. “You’ve wasted enough of my time today.”

You bit back your revulsion and spun away from him. You went toward the bathroom door and he tutted.

“Where are you going? I’ve seen it all before. Go on. Right there.” He snickered.

You rolled your eyes and let out a long breath. As much as you were humiliated by how easily he could control you, you were angry. Bucky, Thor, the panties. It all was slowly piling up. You couldn’t handle it much longer and you didn’t know whether that meant your demise or something worse.

You set the box on the armchair and methodically undressed. You looked up but Loki seemed little interested as he paced around the sofa and continually checked his watch. You folded your clothes, out of habit, and slipped into the panties. They were tight and the lace chafed against your skin.

You jumped as they buzzed and you looked back to Loki. He grinned as his thumb hovered along the face of the remote.

“Keep the shoes on,” He winked. 

You bent to grab your heels and slipped your feet into them. Your legs ached from the strain of them already. Loki crossed to you and gathered up your clothes from the chair.

“You will earn these back,” He stood straight. “What I need from you is simple; you will keep me and my guest content…” Your eyes rounded. “Yeah? Keep our glasses topped up. I am certain you can handle pouring.”

You tried not to scowl at him. He was toying with you; figuratively and literally. He disappeared into the bedroom of the suite once more and you let out a surprised grunt as the panties vibed again. He entered again and turned the remote in his fingers.

“You will stand by the bar until I tell you otherwise,” He directed as he pointed to the glass top bar. “And you will wipe the trite look from your face.”

He hit a button again and you gave a shuddery breath. You braced yourself and went stiffly to stand where he said. You turned to face the room and folded your hands.

 A knock came and Loki briskly went to the door. He opened it and welcomed the hotel staff member and his metal cart. It was a young man who seemed stunned as he caught sight of you. You stared at the wall and ignored his wandering gaze. Loki had him roll the cart before you and tipped him before he left.

“My… company should arrive soon,” Loki sat on the couch and stretched his arm over the back. “You will answer the door and show him in.”

You nodded and he tapped his fingertips along the cushion. He crossed his legs and his other hand fumbled with the remote before slipping it into his pocket.

“Remember, dear, not a word, not a sound,” He taunted.

You were silent, stewing in shame and fury. You couldn’t imagine how this day could get any worse and yet you were always surprised. There was always lower to fall. Always worse to face. You stared at his black hair, combed back neatly, and your nostrils flared. Let him think he broke you, let him think he’s won. That will make it all so much easier.

Another knock and you wobbled in your heels. You hesitated and then the buzz came between your legs, a warning. You went to the door and opened it. You tried not to let your distress show, even as you faced the last man you wanted to at that very moment.

“Sweetheart,” Bucky greeted as his eyes flicked up and down. He stepped inside and bent to kiss your cheek. “Looking wonderful as always.”

You stepped back and let him past before you closed the door. Loki beckoned to you with two fingers as he stood. He shared a rigid handshake with Bucky before he sat again, not so relaxed as before.

“I have champagne or some red,” Loki offered and looked at you. “Darling, I’ll take the red.”

“I’m not much for wine,” Bucky unbuttoned his jacket as he lowered himself into the armchair. “But suppose I could try the same.”

You went to the cart and uncorked the bottle. You took two glasses from behind the bar and poured the wine carefully. You focused on the simple task as you felt Bucky’s eyes lingering on you. You took the glasses and handed one to each man. As you resumed your place, you felt the vibe, stronger than before. You bit the inside of your cheek and pressed your palms against your thighs.

“Do you always play with your food?” Bucky asked.

“Pardon?” Loki slithered.

“You know what I mean. I’m more to the point.” You glanced up as Bucky spoke and he caught your eye. He licked his lips and winked. “I guess the wait is worth the prize though.”

Loki sat up straight and sipped from his glass. “We arranged this meeting to discuss the casino. The renovations. You seem to have an issue with my plans for the gaming rooms.”

“Boring,” Bucky sniffed the wine and crinkled his nose. Even so he swallowed half of it in a single swig. “We’re not going for a speakeasy. This is the twenty-first century. You need to update.”

“I welcome your input on the decor but to this point you’ve not been so forthcoming on the matter,” Loki remanded. “I thought you didn’t care.”

“Well, I own the greater share, I think I care about every bit of it,” Bucky countered. You flinched as the panties vibed. “Wouldn’t you say?”

“Fair,” Loki took another drink.

“I’ve been focusing on staff. We’ll need to be ready for opening.” Bucky finished his wine and grimaced. “Think I’ll try some of the champagne instead.” 

You nodded and grabbed the bottle, uncorking it with only a small puff of foam. You crossed to him and he held out his glass. As you started to pour, the panties vibrated and didn’t stop. You spilled a little over the side and righted the bottle.

“Sorry,” You uttered as the champagne dripped over Bucky’s hand.

You returned to the cart and exchanged the bottle for a cloth napkin. You handed it to him and his fingers brushed yours as he took it.

“It’s fine,” He assured you as you pressed your thighs together. Loki was holding the button down. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“Yeah,” You choked as you took the cloth back and returned to your vigil. His eyes lingered on you as you tried not to quiver.

“Anyway, tomorrow I was planning on having a look at a few girls for the gig. Cocktail waitresses. We’ll need quite a few.”

“This isn’t a strip club,” Loki sneered.

“These girls will be clothed, somewhat,” Bucky chuckled. “Don’t you worry. But men like a little skin, it tends to open their pockets. Trust me, the bar will be just as lucrative as the tables.”

“That is not what I agreed to.”

“You don’t seem to have much issue with the idea,” Bucky gestured to you. “Not in private at least. It’d be a bit… hypocritical, wouldn’t it?”

“I pay her to do my numbers, she keeps my company because she wants to,” Loki bluffed. “Don’t you, darling?”

He waved you over and you looked between him and the other man. You neared and took a breath. “Yes.”

Loki set aside his glass and his hand settled on your ass. He turned you and pulled you down onto his lap. He draped your legs across his, his hand crawling up and down your thigh. His other moved beneath you and the panties buzzed again. You shuddered and caught his hand unthinkingly.

“In my experience, men don’t need to boast about the truth,” Bucky said.

“Boasting?” Loki tapped your leg and pulled you close. “Go to him,” He whispered in your ear. “Not at all. I am confident enough that she prefers me.”

You stood and went to Bucky. You focused on keeping it all in. You couldn’t crack, not now. You lowered yourself into his lap and Bucky was quick to spread his hand across the thigh, holding you to him as you sat sideways atop him.

“She will always come back to me,” Loki declared.

“Hmmm,” Bucky shifted beneath you. “You undo that leash and we’ll see who she goes begging to.”

“I’ve got a firm grasp on it,” Loki snarled.

“Do you?” Bucky leaned in as his hand slid down your thigh. “She must’ve slipped her collar last night.”

“Last night?” Loki repeated darkly.

“I did notice she had a late morning,” Bucky slipped his fingers between your legs and felt the crotch of the panties, grazing the vibrator within. “I can’t help but feel responsible.”

“She was… drunk, she--” Loki stood and drew his hand from his pocket.

“I can’t help myself,” Bucky poked his finger beneath the lace. “And I think she can’t either. You know, I don’t need toys to make her--”

“Enough,” Loki marched across the room and wrenched you out of Bucky’s lap by your arm. “This is a business meeting.”

“Is it?” Bucky rose. “You keep saying your not in the business of strippers and yet you’ve got her strutting around like--”

“She’s mine,” Loki pushed you behind him. “Understand? You have your stronghold on the casino but not her.”

“That’s what you think,” Bucky stepped closer, the men almost chest to chest. “But she didn’t tell you about last night, did she? And she didn’t come here because she wanted to.”

“She does what I tell her.”

“So you told her to fuck me?” Bucky challenged.

Loki seized Bucky’s collar and was met with the same. The men held each other in a deadlock and you grabbed your boss’ arm as you tried to part them.

“Stop!” You cried.

“I own fifty-five percent of the casino. If you have her running the numbers, she is part of that fifty-five percent,” Bucky growled. “And no, I’m not open to a buy-out.’

“You two!’ You grunted as you tried to force them apart. “Stop it! Stop! Let go!”

“Go!” Loki elbowed you away, still latched onto Bucky. “I’ll deal with you in a moment, you little slut.”

“No! Stop!” You tried to push between them. “You both are children! Just stop!”

You were shrugged away easily as Bucky forced Loki back a few steps. The collided with the sofa then the table, which fell and overturned the cart before slamming into the bar. You looked around, frantic. There wasn’t much.

You scurried across the room and unplugged the tall lamp that stood atop the console table. You tore shade off and lifted the heavy stand. You grunted and made your way back to the intertwined men. You hit Loki first, then Bucky, both taking a blow to the shoulder. 

They slipped down to their knees and you hit them again. They parted and you raised the lamp again but found yourself flat on your back as your feet were kicked out from under you. You landed heavily with the lamp atop you.

You sat up and caught your breath. They gripped their shoulders as you got to your knees.

“You fucking idiots.” You grumbled. 

“Shit, sweetheart,” Bucky groaned and looked to Loki as he rubbed his arm. “Seems the leash is slipping, huh?”

Loki lunged at Bucky and you raised the lamp again. He fell back and you stood unsteadily, pointing it at both of them.

“I don’t care if you kill each other. Go ahead.” You backed up and grabbed the blanket neatly folded atop the bench. “But I’m going to sleep. I’m not doing this tonight.” You wrapped yourself in the throw as you neared the door and hiked your bag up onto your elbow. “I’m tired.” You opened the door and glared back at them. “Either of you show up and I’m gonna break your skull with this.”

You skirted out into the hall and slammed the door behind you. You stumbled, thrown off-balance by your heavy bag and the clunk lamp. You righted yourself and peered down the hallway. You ambled down the curlicue carpet and sighed.

Neither of these men were your way out, but another might just be.

[snelbz]

The Ranch {2}

An A Court of Thorns and Roses, Nesta x Cassian, Modern AU, fanfiction.

Collaboration: @throne-of-ashes-and-beauty​ x @tacmc​

Summary: Nesta had spent years in Paris, living her dream and drowning in riches as a gourmet chef, capturing the hearts of the city and its people. But, after her father passes away unexpectedly and leaves his cozy, countryside B&B to his oldest daughter, Nesta is moving back home to the tiny town of Velaris, where the ranch, her sisters, and her father’s unfulfilled dream, awaits.

Sidenote: Being posted between two blogs, it is too chaotic to keep up with a tags list, so all chapters will be tagged with “#TheRanchNessian” & “#SharaCollab”.

A/N: This story has been in the works for so long and we have poured hours and hours into it. There have been weekends where we did nothing but write (and drink wine) all day long, because this story just flowed out of us (and, of course, the wine flowed in). We say it all the time, but writing together is our favorite thing to do. This is our first full length fic together and I can’t believe we’re finally sharing it with y’all. As always, let us know what you think and a reminder that Tara and I will be going back and forth posting chapters, so look for chapter 3 on her blog soon!

The Ranch Masterlist

Cassian had been up for hours, but felt as if he’d blinked and it was nine in the morning. He’d woken up at four and while he was making coffee, he looked out the window and watched a young calf grazing in the field. He took a sip of his coffee, and headed towards the fridge to start cooking breakfast and-.

His coffee was forgotten on the counter and his boots and shirt were on in seconds.

If there were cattle up this far onto the property, it could only mean two things. The fence was down somewhere (or worse - cut again) and it had been all night.

He saddled Lyria and rode for what felt like miles before he found the section of fencing that had been, once again, cut clean through.

He cursed as he dismounted, carefully investigating the area. The box powering the fence had been shut down and all three of the conductive wires shredded through. Cassian sighed as he walked through the opening and looked down into the field where the cattle grazed.

There were six cows of varying sizes below.

“Damn it,” he breathed and headed back toward his cabin.

First things first, he had to fix the fence. It would do him no good to catch the missing herd, just for them to get loose again. Then he’d bring Beau down with him to herd them back into their pasture.

After repairing the fence and locating the herd, he found himself by the main house. And once again, that little red sports car was parked in front of her.

With a sigh, Cassian opened the back door and went inside. She was, once again, in the kitchen, but this time she was cleaning. The lemony scent of all-purpose cleaner hit Cassian as he shut the door behind him, more loudly than he should have. 

She peeked over her shoulder, observing him. “Nice to see you fully dressed yourself before gracing me today.”

Cassian chuckled. “Disappointed?”

She just shook her head, going back to cleaning the countertops. “Not at all.”

“Pity,” Cassian mumbled, pulling out a chair from the kitchen table and taking a seat, watching her every move. “Shirt can come off, again, just say the word.” 

“When you speak,” Nesta began, opening one of the top drawers and emptying its unnecessary contents into the garbage, “do you find yourself as annoying as I do?”

Cassian just grinned. “Look, I’ll leave you alone in a minute. Just thought you’d like to be updated on what’s been happening this morning. Also, do you drive from here to the house you’re staying in every time? Because...it’s really not that far. It’s perfectly walkable. Or, are you just afraid of getting your shoes dirty?”

Nesta stopped what she was doing and turned to face him, leaning back against the counter. “First of all, you’re an asshole, but I’m sure that’s not news to you. Secondly, did something happen this morning?”

Cassian watched her for a moment as he tied his hair back. “Some fencing had been cut along the far east pasture line.”

Nesta blinked. “Okay…”

“You don’t know what that means, do you?” he asked, humored. “You lived here for eighteen years before you left, did you not?”

Nesta’s eyes narrowed. “I assume you’re going to tell me, considering you like to hear yourself talk so much.”

“It means, sweetheart, that someone purposefully came onto our land and cut our electric fence, in hopes something would happen to those animals.”

Nesta asked, “You fixed it though?”

“Yes, but I-.”

“Great. Here’s the thing, Cassian,” she turned and continued cleaning. “As you’ve so kindly pointed out, I don’t know the first thing about ranch work. I also don’t care to. So as long as you keep the ranch running smoothly, I don’t need to know everything that goes on.”

Cassian was staring, but unlike yesterday, it wasn’t at the way her ass filled out the jean shorts she wore. It was in shock. “You don’t want to know what’s going on with the ranch?”

“Secondly,” she continued, not acknowledging he’d even spoken, “in regards to our land, I decided to take a look at the property boundaries. I’d like to add another building.”

“Another building? Nesta, there’s barely enough land for the cattle as it is.”

Ignoring him again, she pressed on. “While I was looking for them, the deeds for all three houses fell into my lap. You said you knew my father for a long time, right, Cassian? So surely you’d know how bad his procrastination was.”

His heart dropped into his stomach.

No, there was no way she was about to say what he thought she was.

“Why don’t you check that envelope on the table?”

Cassian reached for it with trembling fingers. When he opened it, he saw that it was the deed to his house, yes, but the bottom line, the line where the original owner’s name belonged…

It was blank.

“Looks like he never got around to going and getting it notarized,” Nesta said, pulling another drawer open. She found silverware inside, her mother’s priceless silver set from their wedding. It was tarnished and bent. She pulled it out and set it to the side, to clean it later on.

Cassian slowly folded up the letter and tossed it onto the table. “So, what? You’re going to kick me out of my house?”

“It’s my house,” Nesta clarified.

Cassian pushed back his chair with such force that Nesta almost flinched. “Let me see his will.”

Nesta turned to face him, meeting his eyes for the first time since he’d opened the envelope. “What?”

“I want to know exactly what he left to you. Shit, I’ll call his fucking lawyer. I’ve lived in that house for eight years, Nesta, taking care of this land like it's my land. You get rid of me, this whole operation goes to shit.” He was fuming, barely able to think clearly. His hands were shaking as he shoved them into his pockets. 

She, however, was the epitome of calm. “I didn’t say I was getting rid of you.”

Cassian’s jaw clenched. 

“I expect you, if you want, of course, to continue working here. Elain says you’re great at what you do and I trust her judgement. But, I do expect you to respect me as your boss, just like you did my father. You will do as I say, and no more meaningless flirtations.”

Cassian scoffed, loudly and humorlessly. “You think a little too highly of yourself, Sweetheart.”

“I will sign the log cabin to you and allow you to continue your and my father’s agreement if you agree to my terms,” she continued, as if manipulating him pleased her. “I want another building on the property, and I want you to build it.”

Cassian blinked, his anger turning back into shock. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

She fished around in a box before pulling out a small polishing rag. She went to work on the silverware. “You said you would do anything that needs to be done.”

“I’m a rancher, Nesta. And a handyman, at best,” he gestured around the kitchen. “I fixed your air conditioning, and I can do other things like that, but I can’t build an entire damn house.”

“Stable,” was all Nesta said.

“Excuse you?”

“A stable. I want a stable closer to the house.”

Cassian was stunned. “You...want a new stable?”

“Yes, the barn and stables down by the round pen are falling apart. I don’t think the horses are safe in there.”

“And you care because..?” He didn’t mean to sound like an ass, but everything he’d learn in the past eight years completely contradicted what she was telling him.

“Just because I didn’t care to learn how to ranch doesn’t mean I don’t love my horses.”

He blinked at her and he hesitated, but spoke. “I can...try. But like I said, I’ve never built anything like that before.”

She set the polishing cloth down and the one fork she’d been meticulously polishing during their entire conversation. “That’s fine. I’ve- I’ve never run a B&B before but here we are.”

“Have you been down to the old stables?” He asked, not accusingly, but curious. “Do you even know how many horses we have?”

“We had nine when I left,” she said, looking out the window. “And they were all fairly young. Theoretically, they could all still be alive. How many?”

“Eight. Sold one, lost one, and had one just appear out of nowhere.” He couldn’t read her tone. Couldn’t tell why she was asking.

“Who was sold?”

Cassian tread carefully, watching her. He stood and got a coffee mug from the cabinet, pouring a cup from the steaming pot on the counter. He took a drink and leaned back against the cabinet. “About three years ago, a girl and her parents stayed the night on the way to a rodeo in Cheyenne. She was a barrel racer and her horse was getting too old. She saw Hue out in the pasture and asked if she could ride her. They paid us cash before they left and Hue is a world champion barrel horse now.”

Nesta nodded, remembering exactly what she’d looked like, why Feyre had given her the name. Nesta had never been a fan of Paint horses, but it was no question that Feyre fell in love. “And the one who died?”

Cassian hesitated again and this time Nesta looked up. His hazel eyes were sad. “He was a great horse, Nes.”

Nesta looked away and tried to blink the tears away.

Phoenix.

“What happened?” she asked, nudging the fork with her finger.

“He just started to colic one day, we’re not exactly sure.” He crossed one booted foot in front of the other. “A day or two after the colic started, we had the doc come out and he said he was completely blocked. If we didn’t get him moving and get that block to pass, we were gonna lose him.” Cassian bumped his heel against the toe of his boot. His spurs jangled as he did. “He never got back to his feet. I’m sorry, Nesta.”

She sniffled and nodded, but refused to look up at him. “You should, uh, go do whatever it is you do now. I’ll talk to you in a bit. I’ll have lunch ready at 1:00, if you’re hungry.” She began to head towards the doorway leading to the living room.

He reached for her wrist. “Nesta, it’s-.”

“Leave,” she said, snatching her arm back. It was firm, but it wasn’t unkind, showing Cassian just how broken up over the news she was. Even more so when she added, “Please.”

She kept walking and was out of his sight as soon as she turned the corner into the living room.

He sighed, rubbing his hands down his face.

Today was nothing like he planned.

____________________________

Nesta spent her day working. After Cassian brought his unpleasant news, and she’d asked him to leave her alone, she didn’t see him. He made himself scarce for the remainder of the afternoon, and she no longer cared what he spent it doing, knowing full well he would make himself useful around the ranch.

Elain was right, he was a great rancher. 

It was why she was allowing him to keep his house on the land. He was right. If he were to leave, the entire ranch would go to complete shit. 

Phoenix lingered in the back of her mind all day, no matter how much she tried not to think about him. 

She finished polishing her mother’s fine silverware, pissed the entire time that her father had treated them like meaningless pieces of plastic. After that, she finished cleaning out the kitchen and was busy in the living room when Elain texted her.

Still on for tonight? We were thinking we could go to the old corner bar.

Nesta sighed. She wanted so desperately to say no, but Elain had missed her, and she had missed Elain. Besides, she’d given Nesta an entire house full of free furniture.

I’ll be there. What time?

8?

Ok. 

Nesta looked at the time. It was just after six. She could certainly use a shower. She hadn’t taken one since she’d arrived the morning before. Her water wasn’t turned on in her little house, but she was too stubborn to ask Cassian where the main was.

Especially after what had happened that morning.

She was tempted to text Elain and ask if she had invited him to dinner, but didn’t want it to seem like she cared.

Because she didn’t. 

Not one bit.

So instead, she bundled everything she would need to get ready into her suitcase and tossed it in her backseat, slamming the door a little harder than she probably needed to.

She mumbled something about ‘not wanting to get her shoes dirty’ as she climbed into the driver seat and started the car, heading up to the main house. She headed into the house and started up the stairs, heading for her old bathroom on the second floor. But she paused and smirked, turning and heading back down the hall, towards the master suite, which took up the bulk of the second floor.

As she walked through the house, she swore she heard the floor creaking upstairs, but knew how much noise this house made while she was growing up. She could only imagine how much it would creak in the middle of the night now.

As she took a quick shower, she pondered the idea of turning the B&B into a haunted mansion type of deal, because there was no way anyone was going to be able to sleep here if the house made as much noise at night as it did during the day. Ultimately, she knew she’d have to get someone out to check the foundation of the house and probably redo the floors at some point.

As she turned the water off and pondered all that she would have to do to fix this place up, she was thankful for her notoriety and success in the world of all things culinary. When she’d gotten the call about her father’s death, she’d been in Paris, talking to young culinary students how to properly chop for the different methods of cutting. His funeral had been planned so quickly that there was no time for her to even request to go. A few weeks later, when she’d received a call from his lawyer, telling her that he’d left her his dream, his baby, there was no question of what she needed to do.

Her three restaurants in Rome, New York, and Paris were all on the market in less than three days. Forty-five minutes later, she sold them to a single buyer for eighteen million dollars.

She’d sold her brand, her craft, everything.

She was thankful, because now she had the funds to do what she needed to save this place.

Stepping out of the shower, Nesta wrapped a towel around her wet body. She ran one through her dripping hair and combed through it. She yawned and checked her phone, finding it wasn’t even seven yet. If Nesta had any hope of staying awake after her long day of cleaning, she’d need to start drinking copious amounts of caffeine now.

She decided coffee didn’t sound half bad and decided to make a pot while she got ready.

Passing by the front door, she locked it, just in case somebody decided he wanted to visit again. She continued into the kitchen and put a pot on to brew.

There was something peaceful about a pot of coffee brewing. Nesta loved the little noises the machine made as it made her a pot of delicious energy filled goodness. 

As it did its job, Nesta turned to head back down the hall and up the stairs to the master bathroom. She was excited to meet Elain’s man. She had heard a lot about Azriel throughout the last few years, and Nesta wanted to meet this guy for herself.

The man that stole her sister's sweet, beautiful heart.

She wondered if Elain had asked Feyre and if so, if Feyre would show up.

Nesta wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t.

Nesta didn’t care if she didn’t.

Either way, Nesta had to admit that a night out would do her good. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had gone out or done anything for herself, other than work.

As the air conditioner kicked on, she was hit with a sudden chill and regretted only wearing a towel. She’d brought her outfit for the evening and didn’t want to put it on until she was ready to leave, but the clothes she’d worn earlier today were sweaty and gross.

She’d found her mother’s old clothes in one of the closets upstairs earlier and wondered if the floral robe she used to wear was there as well. Tightening her towel, she headed upstairs and was passing by the bathroom when the door opened up.

Nesta screamed and jumped backwards, Cassian stepping back similarly. He almost slipped on the damp tile but kept his footing.

As her breathing returned to normal, Nesta asked, “What in the hell are you doing here? You said you lived in the log cabin!”

“I do, but I got bucked off one of the mares and was covered in mud and shit.” He crossed his arms over his tattooed chest. “Why aren’t you down in your fancy, new house?”

She put her hands on her hips, standing her ground. “My water is off and someone hasn’t told me where the main shutoff is so I can turn it back on.”

Cassian lifted a brow. “Someone hasn’t asked.”

Nesta shook her head. “Get out. I have to get ready.”

Cassian made a show of his eyes grazing over her body, covered in only a towel. She had to force herself to not do the same to him. She was perfectly aware of the small, blue cotton towel that covered only a small portion of his massive frame. She was perfectly aware of how low that towel hung on his hips.

“Can I get dressed first?” He asked, voice quiet as his eyes met hers, once more.

The minute they did, she couldn’t look away. “If you must.”

He looked like he wanted to say something else, especially when his tongue peeked out to wet his bottom lip. But instead, he silently closed the door between them, and Nesta released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

She continued down to the study in the hall and to the closet where she’d found her mother’s clothes. It only took her a few seconds of searching before she found the thin, soft, blue and white fabric.

It felt just like she’d remembered.

Nesta dropped her towel and, after shaking it out, put the robe on, thankful that her father had been such an emotional sap and couldn’t get rid of anything of her mother’s.

Nesta’s mother was a beautiful woman, but Elain was shaped most like her. Her chest and hips were not nearly as full as Nesta’s, which made the short, modest robe her mother had worn around the house nearly obscene on Nesta. Nevertheless, she wore it, loving the feel of it on her skin.

She walked back down the stairs with her towel draped over her arm, finding the bathroom door open and the room empty, steam still fogging the mirror, and turned toward the kitchen to get her coffee. She found him already in there and she hesitated, but continued in.

“Nice robe,” he said, peering over his mug.

“Gotta date?” She shot back, eyeing his clean jeans and button down shirt. His feet were bare.

Cassian chuckled. “Not quite. Your sister asked me to dinner with her and Az.”

Nesta froze, just as she was about to start pouring her coffee.

“Judging from your reaction, I assume you’ll be there, too.”

Nesta sighed, continuing to pour her coffee before taking a sip. “You’d assume correctly.”

Cassian smiled - true and genuine. “Let me drive you. Save gas.”

Nesta didn’t reply. “Tell me about Azriel.”

Cassian's brows shot up. “What?”

“Tell me about him. Elain is sure he’s the one, so I want to know everything.”

Cassian slowly sat his mug down and ran a hand through his damp hair. “He’s a great guy. Caring. Loves Elain more than I ever thought he’d love anyone. We’ve known each other since we were kids. I’m surprised you don’t remember him from high school.”

Nesta’s gaze shot to his. “What?”

Cassian's brows rose. “He went to high school with us.”

With us. Nesta hesitated, and Cassian definitely noticed.

“Ah, I knew you didn’t remember. Doesn’t surprise me. Your nose was always stuck in a book. Everyone thought you were a complete bitch, by the way.”

Nesta sat down her mug with far too much force on the countertop. “You don’t know what the hell you're talking about.”

“Am I wrong?” Cassian asked, chuckling.

Nesta practically growled, “About which part?”

“Any of it.” He took a drink of his coffee.

Nesta was quiet for a few seconds, knowing she couldn’t contradict any of what he’d said.

No, she didn’t remember him.

Yes, her nose was always in a book.

Yes, she was a complete bitch.

Dropping the subject for another time, she instead asked, “What does he do?”

Cassian rolled his eyes. “Why can’t you ask Elain or Az these things at dinner?”

“Because I want prior knowledge going in. She mentioned something about a dealership last night? But also tractors?”

“New tractor dealership opened in town. He’s a mechanic there. He used to work for a local business, but they had to shut it down last year. You’ll come to find that most local businesses around here aren’t making it anymore,” he said.

Nesta looked around. She knew the B&B had been struggling for years, but her father had never given up on it.

“Well, I guess I’ll get ready, if you’ll excuse me,” Nesta said, taking her mug and walking toward the hallway.

“No more questions?” Cassian asked, and when Nesta looked over her shoulder she found him watching her walk away.

“Is he good to my sister?” Nesta asked.

She was surprised to see his eyes soften when he said, “Very.”

Nesta turned without another word and headed back to the master bedroom to finish getting ready.

A half hour later, her hair and makeup were done and she was shimmying herself into a tight pair of jeans, a black tank top, and a pair of tennis shoes. Cassian was still sitting at the kitchen table, scrolling through his phone.

“I can drive myself, you know,” she muttered, putting her empty mug in the sink.

When she turned back around, his phone was ignored, all his attention was on her. A moment passed and he cleared his throat. “I realize that, but it’s never a bad idea to have a designated driver when you’re going to a bar.”

Nesta raised a brow. “You don’t drink?”

Cassian's grin widened. “I can just hold my alcohol.”

“And I can’t?” Nesta scoffed.

Cassian shrugged. “I don’t know, can you?”

Nesta took a minute to think about it. “Fine. There’s no point in both of us driving. Since I mean, we live together. Not together! But- Shit.” She sighed. “But we’re taking my car.”

He chuckled, but she could see the grin he was hiding, and got to his feet. “Like hell we are.”

They bickered the whole way to the door, which took longer than one would have expected. Nesta telling him she wasn’t riding in a dirty, beat up, old pickup and Cassian telling her to get the stick out of her ass and not worry about a little dirt.

As they stepped out onto the front porch, Nesta locking the door and hiding the key, she said, “These shoes were two hundred dollars, I’m not putting them anywhere near cow shit.”

Cassian just stared at her. “You own a cattle ranch.” Nesta hated it when he used logic and was going to tell him as much when he continued on and headed down the porch stairs. “And they’re just as likely to get dirty at the bar as they are out here. Now come on, this isn’t up for discussion. I can’t even fit in your tiny car.” He opened the passenger door and waited for him.

But Nesta was staring. Mouth open, not blinking, full on staring. “What is that?”

Cassian sighed. “It’s my truck, now get in, let’s go. It’s been a long ass day and I want a beer.”

This was not the truck Nesta was expecting to find out front. This definitely wasn’t the truck she’d seen him driving around the property. No, that truck had been on this property for as long as she could remember.

Nesta, stunned into silence, did as she was told. He had to help her up into the cab, and the second his hands were on her, she felt like the air had been pulled from her lungs.

“You okay?” Cassian asked, waiting as she turned her legs out of the way of the door.

Nesta nodded and he closed the door, heading to the driver’s side. She shook her head a couple times, trying to clear the fog in her head that always seemed to cloud her thoughts to when she was around him.

He started the truck, which was much quieter than Nesta was expecting and they were on their way.

It was quiet the first few minutes, only quiet music playing through the radio. Cassian kept time with the songs in multiple ways. Sometimes, he would brush his fingers along his jeans, almost like he was playing guitar. Sometimes, he’d tap the beat out with his non-driving foot. But mostly, he drummed on the steering wheel, often with his thumbs but occasionally, his whole hands.

Nesta just stared out the window. Finally, she turned to him and asked, “I’m sorry, if this comes off as rude, but how exactly were you able to buy this truck?” Cassian opened his mouth to reply but Nesta charged on. “Cause this is a very, very nice, very, very new truck.”

Cassian looked offended. “Definitely came off as rude.” Nesta rolled her eyes. “I-”

“I’m just kidding, relax,” Cassian said, laughing. “We just met, you can’t know all my secrets.” 

“Oh my god,” Nesta began, staring at him from the passenger seat. “It’s illegal, isn’t it? You’re a hit man, aren’t you? Or a thief, oh my-”

“I can promise you I don’t break the law,” Cassian promised, then winked. “Often.” 

Nesta shook her head. “You’re an interesting man.”

Cassian laughed. “Yeah, so are you. But, you know, a woman. By the way, we need to get you a pair of boots.”

Nesta looked down at her sneakers. “What’s wrong with these?”

“First of all, who the hell spends two hundred dollars on a pair of tennis shoes?” Cassian asked, then went on without giving her a chance to answer. “Secondly, must I continuously remind you that you now own a ranch?”

“I can be a ranch owner in my nice shoes.”

Cassian smiled as he turned into the parking lot of the bar. “But why the hell would you want to?”

She looked across the truck to his giant feet. He still wore his dusty boots. “Maybe you’re the one that needs new shoes. How long have you had those? They’re practically falling apart.” 

“We’re not talking about me here, okay? We’re talking about you.” He hopped out of the truck before Nesta could respond and as quick as a flash, he was opening her door for her and helping her down from the cab. “And I’m pretty sure as soon as we go inside, you’ll see that I’m not exactly in the minority here, sweetheart.”

When he put her feet down on the ground, he kept his arms around her for a second and Nesta groaned in disgust and pushed back against his chest.

His rock hard, muscled chest.

He stepped back and as Nesta looked up into his hazel eyes, she tried not to think about the two times she’s seen him without his shirt, and the one with almost nothing. She cleared her throat and looked away. She started heading for the door and said, “So, heads up this could be...rough.”

Cassian caught up, sliding his hands in his pockets, after locking the truck behind them. “Okay?”

“I’m sure Elain invited Feyre, though I don’t know if she’ll come.” Nesta paused, realizing just how much anxiety she was feeling on walking through those peeling double doors. “She hates confrontation just as much as I do.”

Cassian was confused. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t she come?”

Nesta sighed, stopping before they got too close to the doors. “Feyre and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms, okay? She’s never forgiven me for leaving when mom died and I’ve never exactly given her a reason to, but… Gods, I just couldn’t stay here anymore.”

“It’s going to be fine,” Cassian said, leaning against the brick wall. “Rhys will be here, and I’m sure he can calm her down.”

“Who’s Rhys?” Nesta asked, glancing over at him.

His eyebrows nearly shot into his hairline. “Her fiancé…”

“Her fiancé?” Nesta rubbed her temples. “I need a drink.”

She felt calloused hands wrap around her wrists and they were pulled from her head. Cass dropped her hands at her sides and said “It’s a good thing we’re at a bar then because I think I can help with that.” Despite herself, Nesta laughed. “Come on, boss. Let’s go.”

Her nose wrinkled as they started walking into the bar together. “Oh, don’t call me that. I don’t like it.”

Cassian snorted. “You sure? I would’ve thought the subservient inferior thing would do it for you.”

Nesta threw her head back and laughed, the sound so rich and beautiful, it stunned Cassian into silence for a moment.

“Cassian!”

His head whipped to the side, toward the bartender who’d called his name. “What’s up, Luce?”

He pointed toward the far corner of the bar. “In the back, corner booth. You want the usual?”

Cassian glanced down at Nesta. She asked, “What’s the usual?”

He smirked. “Guess you’ll have to find out.”

She didn’t miss a beat before she tilted her head and said, “Make mine a double.”

Cassian’s eyebrows raised again and he said, “Okay. I’ll see you at the table.”

“Okay.” Nesta walked towards the back corner that the bartender, Lucien, she recalled his name being, letting her hips sway a little more than she typically would. But this banter, this back and forth with Cassian... It made her feel...different.

It had been far too long since she’d been with a man. Far too long since she’d found release in anything but her hand or some form of plastic. And even though he annoyed her to no end, even though he pushed her buttons and made her insane, Nesta found herself wondering just how far she could push him.

She was thinking about how good he’d looked wearing nothing but jeans and those dirty boots when someone stepped in her path. “Excuse me, if I could just-.” Nesta paused, realizing that she was looking into her own eyes. “Feyre?

A decade had done her baby sister well. She had grown up, that was for sure, a woman now, not the awkward teenager Nesta had left behind.

Feyre didn’t say anything, didn’t smile or even react to her eldest sister saying her name. Instead, she pulled back her hand.

Next thing Nesta knew, her face was screaming in sharp, searing pain. Strong arms wrapped around her and turned her away from her sister’s rage but her voice seemed to be farther away, too. Granted, the entire bar went silent at the sound of skin on skin, and when Nesta looked up, tears welling in her left eye, she found Cassian looking down at her. “You okay?”

She nodded, pressing her hand to her already swelling cheek. She could hear another hushed male voice calming Feyre down but couldn’t find the courage to look away from Cassian’s hazel eyes.

Cassian let her go and turned his back to her. His voice was light as he said, “A simple hello would have been good, Feyre.”

Nesta watched over his shoulder.

Feyre was storming away, and all that stood in her place was a man who Nesta assumed was Rhys. 

He looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck. “She, uh, needs a minute.”

Meanwhile, at the table in the corner, Elain looked horrified. She was sitting, hands over her mouth, as a man wearing a black hoodie and a baggy beanie whispered into her ear. 

Nesta was mortified.

Even as the people around her moved on, resuming their conversations and whatever else, Nesta knew her face had turned a deep shade of red - and not just where Feyre had slapped her. 

“This was a mistake,” she whispered, backing away. “Take me back to the ranch.”

Cassian turned to meet her gaze and Rhys followed Feyre into the hallway where the restrooms were, both of them disappearing. 

“Stay a while,” Cassian said, voice low. 

“After that?” Nesta laughed, palm still pressed against her cheek. “Fuck, no. Take me back.”

“Not before you have a drink.”

Nesta’s embarrassment was quickly turning into anger. “Take. Me. Back.”

Cassian paid her no mind. Instead, he went around her and spoke in hushed tones to Lucien. The bartender nodded, poured two shots and placed them beside what Cassian had previously ordered - the usual. 

Before Cassian could even say a word, Nesta had two shots down and was sipping on a tall glass of whiskey. 

Cassian watched with what looked like amazement. “Slow d-”

“Tell me to slow down and you’re the next person in this bar getting slapped,” Nesta snapped, sitting on a barstool. 

Cassian took a seat next to her. “Yes, ma’am.” 

“I can’t believe she fucking slapped me,” Nesta said, quietly, head already beginning to feel light. She didn’t drink much, just a glass of wine from time to time. She spent too much time working to drink. “I knew she wouldn’t be exactly pleased to see me, but…”

“When she comes back, I’m sure she’ll apologize,” Cassian promised, putting his own glass to his lips. 

“I don’t want an apology,” Nesta said.

Cassian shook his head. “I know we’ve just met, but you are one stubborn woman.”

Nesta was so focused on her drink that she didn’t notice Elain coming toward her. It wasn’t until her arms were thrown around Nesta’s neck that she put her glass down on the bar.

“I’m so glad you came,” she said, obviously trying to pretend like their family drama hadn’t just been the bar’s entertainment. “This is Azriel.”

Nesta smiled, taking in his dark apparel. “You don’t look like someone that would work on tractors.” A laugh sputtered from her lips.

Cassian looked from her, to her glass, then to Elain. “She wasn’t kidding. She really can’t hold her liquor.” 

Azriel just smiled, gently. “Not the first time I’ve heard. Elain’s told me a lot about you.”

Nesta leaned closer to him when she whispered, “And Cassian has told me a lot about you.”

“Oh no,” Azriel chuckled, looking to Cassian. “All good things I hope?”

Cassian shrugged. “Keep hoping.”

About that time, a door slammed on the other half of the bar. The four of them turned to see Feyre storm from the bathroom, grab her purse from the booth and walk out the front door. She didn’t so much as spare a glance at their direction.

“Oof,” Azriel breathed, watching the door slowly close behind Feyre’s retreating figure. He then glanced over to see Rhysand leaving the bathroom, rubbing his hands over his face in exasperation. “Bigger oof.”

Rhy looked at the table and found it empty, but glanced over and found their group looking towards him. He made his way through the crowd until he joined them.

As he approached, a shot glass appeared next to Azriel’s arm and he handed it to Rhys after throwing a grateful look to Lucien. Rhys tossed it back and let out a sharp breath. He pointed at Cass, Az and Elain with each word he said. “Not one of you assholes could at least warn me that she was coming?”

Nesta understood his frustrations, but the alcohol in her had her too far gone to care. “What? How am I the bad guy here?”

Elain looked sympathetically at Nesta as she said, “If we did, Feyre wouldn’t have come and you know it.”

“Wow,” Nesta said, cutting off whatever Rhysand was about to say in response. “You sure know how to make a girl feel welcome.”

“Well, Feyre’s pissed now, so...” Rhysand sighed, then truly looked at Nesta. 

Nesta couldn’t tell what he was thinking and, thanks to the alcohol, she really didn’t care. “Look, you hurry after her and tell her that I love her. Okay? Then...you can come back and get me another drink. Bartender!”

“Okay,” Cassian said, looking over his shoulder to shake his head at Lucien. “I think you-.” When Cassian looked back to Nesta, she had finished off his drink. “Seriously?”

“Also, who the fuck does Feyre think she is? I mean...she isn’t perfect, either. She hates me, so what? She’s not the only one that ha-ha-hates me. I hate me. I had to get out. I had to leave, okay? I had to go. It’s-it’s-it’s not my fault she doesn’t understand that.” Nesta was pointing to where Feyre had disappeared through the double doors, into the night. “I had to leave. I had to.”

Elain looked up to Azriel with sorrow-filled brown eyes. 

Nesta snorted. “Cassian.” She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close to her. “Get the red-haired man to give me another glass of the usual.” 

All of Rhysand’s frustration seemed to have faded as he watched Nesta allow the alcohol to consume her. “Look, I’ll talk to Feyre, okay? Maybe we can get together...soon…”

Nesta shrugged. “She won’t listen. She’s almost as stubborn as me. You know, people have always said we both take after our mo-.” Nesta froze, unable to get the word out. She cleared her throat, picking up the glass behind her that had just been refilled. “Our mom.”

With that, she downed its contents. 

Cassian handed her a glass of water and stepped in front of her and she sipped it. He leaned down so he was eye level with her. “You okay?” She nodded. “You gonna get sick?” She shook her head no. “Good.”

He took the now half empty glass of water and set it back on the bar, before unceremoniously tossing Nesta over his shoulder. He grabbed her clutch where it was sitting on the bar and waved it at his family. “Glad we could do this, can’t wait to get everyone back together again.”

“Put. Me. Down!” Each word Nesta hollered was punctuated by a swift hit to his lower back. Or was it his ass? She couldn’t tell, nor did she care.

“Lucien, I’ll get you next time, okay?”

Cassian didn’t even need to look back over his shoulder to see his friend close out his tab at a zero balance and wrote his name on the long IOU list.

He pushed through the open doors and Nesta was still fighting him as he carried her towards the truck. “Put me down, you brute!”

“Nope, I’m doing you like you asked first. Taking you back to the ranch.” He readjusted his grip on her and his left hand planted firmly on her ass.

She gasped. “You did that on purpose.”

Cassian chuckled. “Made you stop fighting me.”

He unlocked the passenger door and dropped her on the truck bench. He tossed her clutch inside before shutting the door and walking to the driver’s side. As he was getting inside, Nesta locked eyes with Feyre, who was sitting on the bed of a black truck, parked a few spaces away. 

Waiting for Rhysand, no doubt.

But Rhysand was not the reason that Feyre’s cheeks were red and blotchy, her eyes swollen. 

Nesta quickly looked away as Cassian backed out of their parking spot and found the main road. 

“That was fun,” Cassian observed. 

Nesta looked over at him, watched as he kept one hand on the wheel and rested the other on the gear shift. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing tattoos along his forearms. 

“Do they have meaning?” Nesta asked, surprised at how quiet her voice had become.

Cassian glanced at her, brow raised, before realizing she was looking at his tattoos. “Some of them, yeah.”

“Let me guess, you’re not going to tell me because I can’t know all your secrets?” She asked, repeating the excuse he had told her so many times throughout the last forty-eight hours.

Cassian huffed a laugh, biting on his bottom lip. “Look at you, already knowing what I’m going to say.”

Nesta laughed, under her breath, as she looked at the road in front of them. There had been a time when Nesta had loved Velaris, had loved all it had to offer. She rested her head against the window and admired the starlight. 

“What about you?” Nesta asked, refusing to look his way. “Do you think I’m a bitch?”

“I think you’re….” He weighed a few words in his head, deciding which one fit best. “Difficult.”

“Difficult?” Nesta laughed. “You make me sound like a misbehaving child!”

“Well…” Cassian said, taking a sharp breath between his teeth.

“Shut up!” Nesta cried, laughing again, covering her face with her hands.

The truck stopped and settled as Cassian put it into park. A calloused finger gently pried one of her hands from her face. “Are you okay?”

Nesta knew he wasn’t asking her about her alcohol tolerance level this time. She pulled her hand away, which had still been resting on her throbbing cheek, and pressed her fingers into the tender skin. She nodded.

“I’m sorry that happened. I really am.”

She looked over at him, his voice much closer than she expected. She didn’t recognize the surroundings around her. “Where are we?”

“Outside my place. I knew the freezer was out at the main house and didn’t know what you had in yours. I know I’ve got a bag of peas inside I was gonna grab and-.”

Nesta was unbuckling her seatbelt and sliding out of the cab.

“I was just gonna grab them and take you back up to the main house,” Cassian said, killing the engine and hopping out behind her.

“I want to see it,” Nesta said, walking toward the porch. “I’ve always thought it was cute.” She stepped in something slimy and looked down. “Are you kidding me?!”

Cassian walked over to where she was standing and laughed. He laughed harder than he had in months and said, “Now do you believe we should get you some boots?” Nesta didn’t say a word, she just scraped what she could off into the grass around her. Cassian made his way up the steps of the cabin and said, “Besides, that wasn’t from a horse. That was from Beau.”

Nesta asked, “Who’s Beau?” right as Cassian opened the door.

A Blue Heeler pup, no older than six months came tearing out the door.

Nesta instantly forgot about her shoes as the pup jumped up on her legs. 

Cassian whistled. “Down, Beau.”

“It’s okay,” Nesta laughed, scratching behind his ears. “He’s sweet.”

Beau wagged his tail, knowing full well he was showing off and his cuteness was being accepted. The pup trotted around Nesta as she crossed the threshold into the small cabin.

Cassian tossed his keys on a side table, next to a recliner in the main room. “I’m training him to help me around the ranch.” 

Nesta raised a brow as Beau hurried out the front door. “Yeah? How’s that going?”

Cassian closed the screen door as he watched Beau chasing his tail at the bottom of the steps. “Not great so far.” 

Nesta laughed, stepping up beside him. “Thanks for driving me tonight. Even if you hauling me out of the bar was completely unnecessary….I would have done something I’d regret if I stayed.”

Cassian glanced sideways at her before turning to face her, head on. “Starting to sober up, are you?”

Nesta snorted. “I’m fine. My head is just a little...light.”

“Ah,” Cassian grinned. “The light phase.”

Nesta rolled her eyes, realizing how close they were standing to one another before taking a step back.

“So,” Cassian said, running his fingers through his hair. “You’re inside. What do you think?”

It was simple. Clean.

There was a woven blanket tossed over the recliner in the living room, but that, a soft leather couch, the side table, and the television sitting on top of a little table, were all that were in there. There was no table in the kitchen, but a refrigerator, a microwave, and an oven. 

“It’s nice,” she said, quietly.

Cassian laughed. “I’m not sure I believe you. Take a seat.”

He nodded toward the recliner and Nesta obeyed as Cassian went into the kitchen and opened the freezer, pulling out a sealed bag of frozen peas.

Nesta had made herself comfortable by the time he reached her and placed the bag gently over her cheek. “I know it was shitty what she did, but Feyre has one hell of a slap.” 

Nesta nudged him in the shin with her foot.

He chuckled and made his way back towards the kitchen. Nesta took a minute to lean back and close her eyes. She heard the opening and closing of a few cupboards and some ice cubes tinkling in glasses. She heard tiny hard pieces of food getting poured into a bowl. She heard his boots, heavy on the wood floor, as he made his way to the door and whistled once. The dog was inside in a matter of seconds and chowing down on his dinner. And then she heard a thud near her head.

Her eyes flew open as she looked over where the noise came from.

“I don’t think I can handle another usual,” she admitted, sheepishly.

He chuckled, leaning against the counter top bar. “I can promise you’ll like that better than the one at the bar. Try it.”

Nesta hesitantly picked it up and sniffed. It smelled sweet. “What is it?”

“Try it, sweetheart, and then I’ll tell you.” He took a large drink from his own glass, which seemed to be the same thing she was drinking. She watched him for a minute, eyes narrowed. “What?” He laughed, chewing on an ice cube.

She looked from him to the drink and back. “Waiting to make sure you aren’t about drop dead from whatever poison you were trying to sneak to me.”

Cassian began to laugh. No, not only laugh. He began to howl. He was laughing so hard, Beau began to howl along with him. Nesta’s eyes were huge by the time he calmed down and could speak to her.

“Just try it, damn it,” he said, before helping himself to more of his own. 

Nesta took a small, hesitant sip. The cool liquid was definitely sweeter than the usual at the bar.

“Maple bourbon,” Cassian muttered, finishing his glass and setting it on the table before sitting on the floor across from the recliner. 

Nesta took another sip. “It’s good.”

“I know,” Cassian said, smiling up at her.

They watched each other for a moment, and Nesta soon became uncomfortable at his gaze. Not because she feared him, but because she didn’t fear him at all. 

“I’m sorry about this morning. I was unfair to you.”

Cassian’s brows rose. “You’re just saying that because you’re drunk.”

“I’m not that drunk.”

“Neither am I,” he said, but his voice had grown significantly softer. 

Their eyes still remained connected to one another’s. 

Nesta swore she could hear his deep, unsteady breaths, as she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “I should probably go.”

She looked over and couldn’t read the expression on his face. She set the bag down, giving him her attention. “Or...you could stay and have another drink with me.” Nesta opened her mouth to explain why that was a bad idea but he held up a finger and began again. “Not because I’m trying to get in your pants, but because I think it’ll be easier for us to open up this way. No holds barred, yeah? No secrets, for the most part, just two coworkers getting to know each other.”

Nesta watched him, waited, and asked, “For the most part?”

Cassian smiled, a wicked grin, and said, “See, that’s where the drinking comes in. You don’t have to answer, but then you have to drink.”

She blinked at him. “So we’re playing ‘Twenty Questions’?”

Cassian stood, taking her glass with a huff, and saying, “Well, now it doesn’t sound as cool, does it?”

Nesta giggled, actually giggled, as he filled their glasses back to the top and gave Nesta a straw. He reached out to hand it back to her, but took it back at the last minute. She flinched and looked up at him. “No half ass girly sips,” he said, hazel eyes sparkling. “It better count.”

She snatched the glass from him and he laughed, sitting back down against the wall. He whistled once and instantly Beau was there against his side.

Nesta’s eyebrows were raised. “I’m impressed,” she said, not hiding her amusement.

He rubbed the pup’s side lovingly. “He’s a good one, that’s for sure.” He pulled his boots off one at a time and tossed them by the door, each with a loud thud. Once he’d finally settled in, he waved to her. “Ladies first.”

Nesta took a minute to think about it. “How old are you?”

Cassian blinked. “That’s the worst question, ever.”

Nesta threw her hands in the air. “Well, I thought I’d start with something simple.”

Cassian laughed, leaning his head back. “Alright. Twenty-seven.”

“Me too,” Nesta said.

“I know. We were in the same graduating class.”

Nesta cursed. She kept forgetting they went to the same high school. 

“Your turn,” she urged.

“Hmmmm,” he said, pretending to think a lot harder than he actually was. “Are you happy to be back on the ranch?”

For a split second, Nesta thought about taking a drink, but she came to the conclusion that the question really wasn’t all that bad. “Kinda.”

“That’s it?” he laughed. “Kinda?”

“You didn’t say I had to give extensive answers,” she laughed.

Cassian shook his head. “Well, now I am. New rule.”

“You can’t just add rules.”

“I can do whatever the fuck I want,” he said, leaning back on his hands as Beau nestled himself in Cassian’s lap.

Nesta pursed her lips, rethinking that drink, but decided to attempt to explain herself. “The only reason I haven’t wanted to be here is because of the memories. And I’m really hoping that I can…make new memories to replace the bad ones.”

In the end, she did take a drink, but out of fortification, not punishment. Cassian saw that and accepted her answer, not wanting to push her. She blew a quick breath out before asking, “You said you’d been working for my dad for eight years, yeah?” Cassian nodded, even though that clearly couldn’t have just been the question. “What did you do the year between graduation and starting here?”

“Tried my hand at the professional rodeo circuit.” Cassian didn’t miss a beat.

It took Nesta back. “Really? What’d you do? Bull riding?”

“Hell no,” Cassian laughed. “I wasn’t that stupid. Well, no, I was that stupid. I was just too big. You gotta be little to ride bulls. No, I was a team roper.”

“Wow.” Nesta was watching Cassian with her head tilted, almost looking at him in a new light. “Header or heeler?”

“Header,” he replied, pretending to throw the rope at the horns. “Rhys was my heeler. We were good. Won every PRCA Jr. rodeo event in our areas. So we figured it’d be nothing to make that jump up with the big dogs.” He chuckled. “We were so wrong.” He took a quick sip before saying, “The day we got back into town I ran into your dad down at Tractor Supply. Told me he needed a ranch hand to help out since Elain had college every day and Feyre was still in high school.” Cassian chuckled. “He actually hired both of us on at first, me and Rhys. He only lasted about three months though.” He began to laugh again.

“What? Why?” Nesta couldn’t imagine her father firing anyone, much less someone she had gone to school with.

“That was when he caught him sneaking out of Feyre’s window at two in the morning.”

Nesta’s eyes grew wide before she began to howl. “Oh my god. Elain forgot to mention that in our texts throughout the years.”

Cassian laughed, gripping his glass tighter. “It was hilarious. I let your dad know I was on his side, and I proved that by picking on Rhysand every chance I got.”

“Wow,” Nesta breathed, laughter fading. “And you’ve been here ever since?”

“That’s an extra question,” he said. “Unfair.”

Nesta rolled her eyes. “Fine. Go.”

Cassian’s eyes softened as he met her gaze. “Elain said you were a chef. Did you like it? Was it hard to leave?”

Nesta tilted her head. “That’s two questions.”

“Pretend it’s one,” Cassian said.

Nesta looked at him for a minute before taking a long, slow drink. What could she have said? Yes, I loved it. It was my dream. I was young, incredibly successful, and rich as hell. I left because I felt guilty for the death of my parents.

Cassian nodded, watching her. “Fair enough.”

Nesta cleared her throat before abruptly asking, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Cassian’s amused smile returned.

Nesta shrugged. “I’ve seen you near-nude twice now, it’s a question, as your boss, I thought I should ask.”

Cassian’s smile grew as he shook his head. “No, I don’t. Not a lot of time for one. Haven’t really been looking. What about you? Someone overseas you were seeing?”

Nesta looked down at Beau, who was snoring quietly. “Is that your next question?”

Cassian sighed. “I suppose so.”

Nesta shook her head. “No. I worked too much. I haven’t been on a date in...shit. A few years?”

“Years?” Cassian said, eyes wide. “Hell, woman. You couldn’t take one night off from your busy schedule in years?”

She simply shrugged. “No.”

Cassian took a drink, watching her. “When’s the last time someone took care of you, sweetheart?”

As the words left his lips, Nesta was feeling hot and cold all over, all at the same time. And she didn’t think it was just from her drink. “It’s not your turn,” she breathed.

He swallowed hard and nodded, chuckling. “Go on, then.”

She took another drink of her own, before she asked, “How did you afford that truck out there.”

Cassian didn’t even try to look like he contemplated answering as he put the glass to his lips and drank deeply. “But I promise it’s not illegal,” he added with a chuckle. Nesta could hear the slight slur to his words, making the bit of drawl heavier than normal. “Do you really not remember me from high school?”

Nesta felt her shoulders sag. “No, I- I don’t. I’m sorry. But don’t feel bad,” she quickly added. “I sort of blocked everyone out and don’t remember anyone. So at least I don’t remember you, instead of remembering you for a bad reason.”

Cassian nodded, amused. “Well, I remember you.”

Her cheeks burned. “It’s my turn to ask a question.”

“I can’t talk in between questions?” He laughed.

Nesta shook her head. “Nope, that’s my rule.”

Cassian took a sip from his glass. “Rules were made to be broken, you know.”

Nesta couldn’t stop her smile. “What do your tattoos mean?”

Cassian rolled up his sleeves even further and examined the ink. “A lot of things.”

“Bad answer,” Nesta said, slipping off her shoes and bringing her feet up beneath her in the chair.

Cassian nodded. “Then I guess I’ll drink.” He raised his glass before bringing it to his mouth. 

“And here I thought we were playing this game to get to know each other,” Nesta laughed.

“Can’t give you-“

“All your secrets,” Nesta finished. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Do you have any tattoos?” He asked.

“What?” She laughed. “So you can know mine but I can’t know yours?”

His eyes lit up. They were glazed, but so excited. “So you do. What are they?”

Nesta took a sip, but because she was copping out, but because as the night went on, as the ice melted into the sweet bourbon, she loved the taste of it. “It’s just one,” she said, standing. She began to unbutton her pants and she heard Cassian swallow harshly. She looked up at him. “Down boy,” she chuckled. “It’s on my hip. I can’t exactly show with my pants all the way on.”

He cleared his throat and stood, refilling his glass. When he came back to the threadbare living room, Nesta had the left side of her jeans pulled down, exposing her hip bone. As he looked at it, Nesta explained, “It’s a dandelion. To remind myself that everyone, even I deserve a second chance, even though you might have to endure some harsh winds.”

When she looked away from her tattoo, she caught sight of the way his jeans seemed to be a bit more tight than they were before. Letting her eyes travel up his body, she saw the  way his body was rigid, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. His eyes, that woody hazel that she kept losing herself in, it was almost completely gone, his pupils blown out. “Your turn,” he breathed, and as his breath fanned across her face, she realized how closely they stood together.

Nesta’s breathing hitched as her entire body felt weightless.

His words from before replayed in her mind. When’s the last time someone took care of you, sweetheart?

“If given the chance,” she began, voice hushed, “would you fuck me?”

The question, asked in no more than a whisper, lingered in the quiet cabin.

Cassian said nothing as those deep, hazel eyes bore into her own. And then, he took a long, slow drink, before setting down his glass on the table beside her chair.

Breaking his gaze from hers, he went down the short hallway and disappeared into the back bedroom.

Nesta stared after him. She probably should have been embarrassed, but the alcohol coursing through her system told her not to be.

Instead, jeans still unbuttoned, she took an unbalanced step toward the front door, then another.

It wasn’t until she heard quick, heavy footsteps coming back her way that she turned around and was met with Cassian’s lips crashing into her own.

[headinthe-fridge]

My Grandfather’s Lawyer (pt. 9)

⁂ – Ushijima Wakatoshi x reader –  ⁂

warning: nsfw, swearing

Summary: Your grandfather, Washijo Tanji, disowned your mother when she was pregnant with you and her hatred towards him was passed on to you. Now, your estranged grandfather wants you to leave your life in Tokyo and come live with him in his estate in the Miyagi Prefecture.

You took a day off and a 6-hour trip, intending to give him a piece of your mind before disappearing from their lives forever. You didn’t expect to see an ailing and fragile old man. Your day trip stretched into weeks and soon, you patched things up with your estranged family and warmed up to everyone -except to one: Ushijima Wakatoshi -your grandfather’s lawyer.

He thinks you have ulterior motives in reuniting with your grandfather.

You weren’t suppose to care what he thinks of you. His opinion didn’t matter.

But it did.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

AN: First of all, I AM SOOOO SORRY I haven’t updated in a while. Classes started last week I had to focus on my work for a bit. It won’t happen again. I sweaaaar. Thank you all for supporting this fic 🥰🥰 I love y’all!! I promise to bring you more Haikyuu fics!! 

You were bored to death today. You've been tossing and turning on your futon and pacing around your room ever since you woke up this morning.

For all their talk of wanting to spend time with you, your cousins and your grandfather are almost always out or busy the whole day, leaving you to yourself in the big ol' Washijo house.

Just like today. 

Well, Hoshina's here but she's currently with Kotaro. The two are busy working on some product proposals or something and you wouldn't want to bother them. Especially now that Kotaro (it seems) heeded your advice and is making his move on your cousin. Third-wheeling and cock-blocking wasn't something you wanted to do. So here you are, sighing for the umpteenth time that day.

"Y/n?"

You heard the said cousin call from outside your room. You quickly got up from your position and slid the panel open.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Kotaro and I are gonna grab coffee, wanna come?" 

You were about to say yes when a brilliant thought entered your mind. It might ease your boredom for a bit.

"You know what, I have a better idea." You suggested and witnessed how her brow rose in curiosity.

Ten minutes later, the three of you are in the kitchen, the lovebirds are hunched over a laptop on the counter island while you're on the other side, concocting a caffeinated drink whose recipe you've memorized ever since you started working at the cafe back in Tokyo.

"No need, I'm fine." You tried to reason but he's already in front of you, trying to get the two cups from your grasp. "Seriously, I'm fine."

You sprinkled the last cup with cinnamon powder and grabbed all three steaming hot cup of coffee and made your way towards Hoshina and Kotaro. The hot ceramic slightly scalded your fingers but it was something you were used to.

Kotaro glanced up, you were halfway towards them, and saw you.

"Let me help you with that." He offered, concern evident in his face as he stood up.

"At least give the other cup to me."

"You guys alright?" Hoshina asked from the counter.

You were about to reply that everything was fine when your arm shook, because of Kotaro's incessant offer to help you, causing the hot water to spill. You let out a loud yelp as the cup dropped on the ground, breaking into pieces, while the other fell straight towards your feet before bouncing and breaking.

"Shit!" You cursed, the hot liquid burned your skin.

"AHH! I'm sorry!"

"Y/n! What- what happened?" Hoshina rushed to your side and examined your injury. "Kotaro, get the first aid kit!"

He grabbed his hair in panic. "Where?"

"It's in the bathroom next to - ugh! Nevermind." She groaned. "Take care of y/n, I'll get it."

"Guys, it's nothing serious." You tried to explain but your cousin already disappeared while Kotaro already pulled out his handkerchief and wrapped your hand in it. "Relax, Ko, I'm fine."

"Na-uh," He shook his head. "Hoshi told me to take care of you so I'm gonna go take care of you."

You smiled at the guy's indirect devotion to you.

"How sweet." A voice said dryly.

Both your heads turned to the person; your grandfather's lawyer stood by the door to the kitchen, his face passive while his eyes were glued to your and Kotaro's connected hands.

"Wait! You've got it all wrong, it's not how it looks." Kotaro tried to explain but the lawyer already walked out.

"Sorry, y/n. I'll explain to him what happened after I clean this mess." 

"No need," You shook your head. "We don't owe him anything. It's not like we're doing anything wrong so I don't understand why he's acting up. again"

Your eyes widened in shock when Kotaro grabbed both your shoulders. He looked at you straight in the eyes and lightly shook you to emphasize each word.

"Ushijima. Wakatoshi. is. jealous. That's why."

Hoshina came back and quickly worked on your slightly injured hand and feet, all while Kotaro narrated what happened. "I agree."

"You lovebirds are ganging up on me now, huh." You teased, refusing to believe what they're telling you.

In the end, the three of you decided to just head out to the nearest cafe to grab coffee. On the way, Hoshina and Kotaro decided to have dinner, something they invited you in but again, you refused to be the third wheel so you just kindly asked them to drop you off after getting your coffee and bid them good night.

As you sat on your futon Kotaro's words kept on replaying in your mind. He's jealous? Was Ushijima really capable of such feeling? It could just be his attitude acting up for all you cared. But a part of you wanted to believe that the lawyer really was jealous.

A faint rap on your sliding door pulled you out of your thoughts. You sluggishly got up and approached the panels.

"Good evening, y/n-san." Saki greeted. You smiled and greeted her back. "Wakatoshi-san asked for you, he's in your grandfather's study." She informed. You mumbled a soft thanks before she went on her way.

Unconsciously, you felt nervous as you trudged the path towards the study room. 

What did the lawyer want from you now? 

You groaned and composed yourself. It's not like you did a grave sin against him, right?

When you reached the sliding panels of the room, you took a deep breath.

Why are you even acting this way?

"Ushijima-san?" You called tentatively. You heard faint rustling from the inside and seconds later, the panels slid open.

He must've felt that you weren't following so he whipped his head back to your direction.

"You wanted to talk to me?" You asked, still standing outside the room.

Ushijima didn't answer and instead turned his back on you to walk back inside the room. 

"Are you just going to stand there?"

You felt your ire rising once again, "I must've missed it when you said 'come in." You replied with full sarcasm.

If he noticed it, he didn't show.

"Come in and sit here." He gestured to the chair in front of the desk.

You stepped inside the study, observing the room since it's your first time inside. Thick books lined the shelves on the right side of the wall while a huge framed picture hung on the other side -a picture of your grandfather's family when your mother and uncles were still children, and your grandmother was still alive. Your gaze lingered on their faces so you didn't notice when Ushijima sat on the chair in front of you.

He cleared his throat to get your attention.

"First is about Bokuto."

"I wanted to talk to you and there are two reasons why." He started abruptly.

It caught you off-guard but you composed yourself in no time. You silently nod your head to urge him to continue.

"What about Kotaro?" You asked with a raised brow. You already had a hunch but asked anyway. You almost wanted to roll your eyes.

"In case you haven't noticed it yet, Hoshina likes him."

"And?"

"They were close before but ever since you entered the picture, it seems Kotaro's attentions are now focused on you, and it seems you feel the same way about him but if you want to have a peaceful relationship with your cousin, stay away from Bokuto. You don't want to hurt her, do you?"

You don't know why but it was if a thousand needles pricked your heart. It wasn't because of what Ushijima said, it was because of how he said it. 

You wanted to tell him that Kotaro and Hoshina are already dating but you cannot voice out the words. "Okay," was the only thing you managed to say. "What's the other reason?"

This time, Ushijima raised a brow. "What do you mean 'okay'?" You saw his face contorted in confusion even though it was the first time you did not disagree with him. "And one more thing, aren't you going to explain what I saw earlier?"

"What for? I'm sure you've already drawn your own conclusions, and for your information, I don't care what you think of it. So, is that all?"

You saw Ushijima clench his jaw and you mentally smiled. 

Take that!

"Another thing," He continued. "It's about your grandfather. He was disappointed with your decision to go back to Tokyo."

"Ji-ji was disappointed?.... How come? The last we talked, he said he was fine with it." Now you're confused.

"Of course he won't say anything in your presence. He didn't want to hurt you and he knows how stubborn you are so no matter how hard he tries to stop you, you won't listen to him."

You scoffed. "That's not true!"

"It doesn't." He replied nonchalantly. "But you should know by now that I care for your grandfather deeply and I want him to be happy unlike someone here who doesn't care about his feelings."

"Not true? So you mean you won't go back? You will stay here for good?"

You gawked at him, dumbfounded. "Wait a second, why does it matter to you if I stay or not?"

"Are you referring to me?"

"I didn't say it was you, but if the shoe fits."

"Why are you silent? Did I hit home?"

You thought for a moment, perplexed at something. You told your grandfather that you were only going to take care of some unfinished businesses you have back in Tokyo and after that, you were going to stay in Miyagi for good. He was greatly delighted and even offered to send his driver with you but your last request was to let you take care of everything yourself and he was good with it.

So what is Ushijima rattling about now?

"As I said, I don't have anything to explain to you. If what you're saying is true then that's between my grandfather and me. I don't need anybody telling me that even if he's the family lawyer."

With that, you stood up and briskly walked towards the door but if you thought Ushijima would let you go just like that, then you were dead wrong.

You jumped, startled, when he grabbed your shoulder and turned you around to face him.

"Let me go." You growled.

"What're you gonna do if I don't?"

"I'm going to scream and everyone will know that you're harassing me."

He chuckled darkly. "Go ahead, scream." 

That was the warning before his hot lips landed on yours. His kiss was searing and demanding, rendering you immobile. For a second, you forgot how to think but you willed your mind to function again. You kept your lips firmly closed and feigned unaffected by the kiss.

"Open your mouth and kiss me back," Ushijima muttered huskily as his lips trailed down your chin, towards your neck -sucking and biting, marking. 

You opened your mouth to protest but the incoherent words came out slurred as the pleasure hit you. You swore you might have moaned. "No.." You said and that was your mistake.

Ushijima was waiting for your lips to open because as soon as you parted them, he swiftly glided his tongue inside.

You knew that your body is starting to betray you, in fact, your hands that used to push him away fare now pressed against his nape, deepening his kiss. The urge to close your eyes and feel the pleasurable sensation overpowered you.

"I want you, y/n. Tell me you want me too." He purred.

You let out another moan as his hand roamed inside your shirt and cupped your breast. You could feel the heat pooling down your middle.

" I'll give you everything better than this so leave Bokuto to Hoshina."

You froze. Your body went rigid and mustering all the willpower you have left, you pushed Ushijima away from you.

"Y/n-"

"So this is what it's all about!" You spat and he stared at you, puzzled. "Don't worry Ushijima-san, I got your message loud and clear but you didn't have to pretend just to get what you want." 

"What are you saying?" 

"Don't give me that! If you don't what Hoshina to get hurt then I sure as hell also don't. I am her cousin and I don't want to ruin our relationship." That was the lasting thing you said to him before you scurried out of the study. You ignored his persistent calls and dodged his advances. You wanted to get away from him -fast, you don't want him to see the hot tears that formed in your eyes. You don't want him to know that you are hurt.  That yes, you do want him, so damn much it hurts.

Even without him telling you that, you don't plan on intervening between Hoshina and Kotaro's budding relationship. Because first of all, you don't like Kotaro that way and even if you did, you're willing to give way for Hoshina.

You wanted to bash your head against the wall for being an idiot, a fool for believing that what Ushijima did was because of something he felt for you.

Didn't Kotaro say that he was jealous?

Taglist: @thegrumpyhag​ @sushij1ma​ @valoryess​ @yakus-yakult​ @ly-nia​ @ushi-please​ @plutoglass @kokofirebangbomb​ @strawberryy-milkk @melanieacademy​ @defunkitatedmess​ @lunarknox​ @wtoshii​ @kyomihann​ @multishippers-trash-blog​ @monviemoo​ @sarahvvictoria​

Now everything is clear to you. He wasn't jealous, he was mad at you for being close to Kotaro because it will hurt Hoshina.

Part 10