#kissin under the mistletoe>>

[aellesira]

— KISSIN' UNDER THE MISTLETOE!

pairings, kinich x gn!reader.

summary, two attempts mualani made to get you guys to kiss, and one that he made himself.

notes. ahh this took longer than expected! also i made it gn i hope that's okay! <.3

“...Everything is going according to plan.”

Mualani smirked schemingly to herself. It was Christmas time, the most festive time of the year, where every year, a great Christmas party is hosted in Natlan. This year, Mualani took it upon herself to host the big Christmas party.

It was very grand too, what with the great Christmas tree standing in the corner, oh so beautifully decorated with baubles, holly and lights, not to mention the shiny star on top. A diverse range of presents of different shapes and colors overflowed on the floor underneath, labelled with names of guests arriving today. How much fun it would be to open them! The smell of hot chocolate wafted through the air, and one couldn’t help but contemplate how much time Mualani must have spent to plan this dinner, and one couldn’t help but appreciate it all.

But for Mualani, besides all the festivities and planning, this Christmas, she had a mission. A personal goal, one could say. 

To get you and Kinich to kiss under a mistletoe.

The idea came about back in November. While at a weekly hangout with your best friends, Mualani was also there, and somehow the topic of crushes came up, and after being peer pressured into saying the name of the person you liked you slipped up and admitted to having a crush on Kinich… to which, honestly? Mualani was absolutely flabbergasted. 

But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Kinich had always been more open with you, if at all, and, thinking about it further, Mualani realized that as she was the common friend between the two of you, perhaps she could play cupid. Since then, along with being occupied with the dinner planning, she was also planning a perfect moment for the two of you to be caught by ‘chance’ under the mistletoe (that she would hang over you), having to kiss and the lot. 

Although, you could have refused a kiss if you were feeling shy… but Mualani brushed this thought off quickly; there was no way she was going to let Christmas pass and not have you and Kinich officially dating. No way!

By this point, near enough all the guests had poured in, packing the place up with hearty laughter, Christmas carols and so on. Mualani looked to the left; Kachina was receiving presents from Chasca. Behind them stood Xilonen, who had arrived a couple hours earlier to help Mualani out with the decorations and preparations. Looking to the right, Citlali and Ororon were only arriving now. Then, behind those two, Mualani spotted Kinich entering with a fairly small gift in hand, Ajaw groaning something in his ear and Kinich refused to listen.

Then? Mualani caught Kinich staring at you from his place near the entrance. She giggled to herself, and couldn’t help but imagine how the two would look if you ever ended up together. 

Next thing she knew, Kinich had made his way towards herself. 

“Here.” Kinich didn’t smile, but Mualani could feel the warmth behind his unfazed and cold demeanor. “Merry Christmas, Mualani.”

Mualani gave Kinich a good-natured grin, touched, and then gave him a warm hug back. “D’aww, thanks Kinich! I left your presents under the tree, so make sure you check ‘em out later, okay?” When she pulled away, Kinich nodded and the two engaged in a short conversation before leaving to meet his other friends.

“Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas!!” Mualani called out from behind him, trying her absolute best to hide the blatant smirk on her face. Now that the two people she was trying to get to kiss under the mistletoe were here, Mulani’s plan began.

Attempt 1.

Whistling to herself in an attempt to look unsuspicious, Mualani crept closely towards the fireplace, hiding a mistletoe behind her. She’d noticed that both you and Kinich frequented the fireplace, and so she discreetly placed a mistletoe in the most perfect spot, although once placed Mualani did think that some other people might get their chance to kiss instead, considering how much of a common palace it was to be seen in. 

Except, at the current moment, right after Mualani placed the mistletoe, you were crouched down and warming your hands in front of the fireplace. You didn’t notice  Mualani sneakily placing the mistletoe just earlier… and by chance, Kinich was walking towards the fireplace.

Stifling a mischievous laugh, Mualani snuck away from the scene, hiding from the two of you, and watched expectantly.

She didn’t know the reason why Kinich was coming towards you, but he seemingly came there for you. However… 

Just before he could tap your shoulder, just before it was about to happen, the moment left as soon as it came. 

“Heyy, Kinich! I didn’t think you were coming, come on, let’s go have some fun…!” Some idiot guest grabbed his shoulder, before dragging him to the snack table to get some snacks.

Mualani’s anticipating grin wiped off completely, and, huffing and making a mental note to ban this person from the guest list next time (kidding she’s too sweet to do that), she understood that she needed to get creative. She had to try harder. Maybe she should get more people involved. Yes… of course, another scheme was forming in her mind.

Attempt 2.

After her first failed attempt, Mualani decided it would be best to add someone into her plot, so she went ahead and told Kachina about her plans, and of course, your secret crush on Kinich. 

“H-Huhhhh? (name) likes Kinich–” Kachina’s ears turned red when she thought about this new revelation; she was equally as shocked about this as Mualani had been a few weeks ago, and Mualani had decided to enlist her help!

“Shh! Yep, I know! I was extremely surprised too! Kachina, would you mind helping me out?” Mualani whispered. “The plan is simple. You’re going to place the mistletoe on the doorway between there,” Mualani pointed towards the hallway. “And I’ll make the two of them go over there before anyone takes their chance.” she giggled.

“Mm, but Mualani? What if they don’t notice the mistletoe?” Kachina remarked. Mualani tapped her chin in thought, but when she considered this, she had to admit it was a good point. Mualani would have to somehow persuade the two of you to go to a specific place and on top of that, notice the mistletoe. 

“I’m sure they’ll see it. You can’t miss it! You just do what I asked, ‘kay?” Kachina nodded, taking the mistletoe from Mualani’s hands and going over there.

“Okay! Now to convince them to go over there… hm…”

–

After she was able to convince both you and Kinich separately that someone wanted to meet you both, Mualani just had to watch. More watching, of course… This was getting boring now, what with all the suspense, but it would be worth it if you two kissed this evening!

You were already waiting there, having noticed the mistletoe  hanging on the door. Your cheeks turned warm as the implication settled into your mind. Maybe said person looking for you wanted to… kiss you?

If that was true, then you weren’t too sure you’d want that. After all, your heart belonged to Kinich. Your mind didn’t immediately think that it’d be Kinich, not that it was, but you didn’t want to stick around.

So, without another second thought you walked off and joined Xilonen for some Christmas karaoke. Oh boy, Xilonen can sing.

And of course, the person who “wanted to meet you” was Kinich. Yes, Mualani told him the exact same thing, that somebody wanted to meet him for something over there. But Kinich did take his time, and so when he did decide to get this over with, he saw you leaving the exact same place. Coming over there, he too noticed the mistletoe hanging on the door, which, now that Mualani thinks, only an idiot could not have noticed it. 

His heart kind of sank when he realized that if it was you who wanted to see him… maybe… you wanted to kiss him? But… chickened out last second and left. Yeah, that could be the only reason why. At least in his eyes.

Now, something only he knew at the time was that he had a soft spot for you. He’d never felt like this for anyone, in fact; when the two of you started talking he swore he was getting ill… because what was with the butterflies in his stomach all of a sudden? The desire to seek you out? Not that Kinich could accept the truth, but he was in love with you too.

Mualani on the other side of the room had watched the whole thing, you leaving, Kinich’s apparent sadness and then him leaving himself. The way she groans out of helplessness is almost comedic, but now the party's almost over. Luck had not been on her side today at all, huh?

–

Shoulders slumped forward slightly, head hung down… Mualani reflected over today. It had been fun and all, but… she couldn’t get you guys to kiss. The one thing she’d wished for this Christmas! Darn…

The party being over, Mualani and some of her friends who had decided to stay were cleaning up. Kinich would have left… probably? She didn’t know. But you, as the sweetheart you were, decided to help clean up, and it’d been a few minutes since she sent you to go get some cleaning supplies from the cupboard upstairs… Why were you taking so long?

Well, the answer to the question she’d asked in her head came quickly when she was about to enter the room and she froze right outside.

Kinich was dangling a mistletoe… over you.

Suppressing a gasp of surprise, Mualani watched on. Kinich was holding a mistletoe with one hand and his other hand had found its way to your waist, pulling you in.

Then you let out a soft gasp, because no way this was happening. Did Mualani have a hand in this? But little did you know, for all those failed attempts Mualani made hours earlier to get you both to kiss under the mistletoe, this was one attempt that Kinich was making himself.

“Are you the person Mualani told me that wanted to see me?” At your confusion, Kinich’s brows furrow. “I noticed you were running away from there before, so-”

“What? Mualani told me someone was going to meet me… oh.” Now it made sense. Mualani winced as you two came to the conclusion that Mualani was trying to do something here. Not that you two minded it.

“I see… well, now that we’re here… may I?”

Nodding shyly, you were starting to get nervous. However, before you could do anything else, Kinich leaned in, brushing his lips against yours. You relaxed quickly and your fingers slid down to the side of his face.

Mualani couldn’t help the red that decorated her cheek as she watched from afar… but… at least, her mission this Christmas had now been completed. Oh, Archons, this is too cute to watch.

[jadeylovesmarvelxo]

🎄 Under The Mistletoe 🎄

Someone in Hellfire plays matchmaker between you and Eddie ❤️ Featuring mischievous Hellfire members, pesky mistletoe and lots of fluff 🎄

Going to open my requests for a little while so if you have any holiday requests then let me know. 💌

🎄❄️

There's a very good reason. Why the holiday season is a wonderful time. For a boy and girl to fall in love.

Cause Santa and Cupid, planned exactly what you did, When you kissed me by the mistletoe above.

We stood there kissin' by the mistletoe. Tingle, tingle. Muah, muah, muah, and away we go, jingle, jingle.

Kissin' by the mistletoe, love came to stay and now it's Christmas every day.

Aretha Franklin - Kissing by the mistletoe 🎄

❄️🎄

Christmas had arrived in Hawkins. The snow was falling casting in the town in an image of a perfect winter wonderland. All Eddie had heard for the last couple of days was festive tunes and jingles, he did like Christmas but this was a bit much.

He couldn't exactly say that he had the best Christmas growing up, when his mom was around it felt special to him, she adored Christmas and Eddie loved that it made her happy.

Then he was left with just his old man and those were the worst times, Uncle Wayne was his bubble of safety and normality then and now. Thanks to uncle Wayne his love of Christmas has returned slowly.

Did that mean he wanted to be driven crazy by hiliday tunes? No. Then there was his enemy of the season. Mistletoe.

All week he had seen giggly, kissing and loved up couples, they were driving him mad. It made him grumpy and twitchy and he avoided the cursed plant like the plague.

At least when he was in the drama club and safely ensconced in all things Hellfire Club related he could relax. He had spent some time earlier setting up for the campaign and it was a good one, a mini adventure which was Christmas themed of course and very exciting.

For a few hours he could be in total DM mode and nothing mistletoe related could happen...

🎄⛄

At five o'clock on the dot Dustin arrived with Lucas and Mike, then everyone else hurried in. Eddie ignores the way his heart skips a beat when he sees you.

"Gentlemen and ladies welcome to this special edition of Hellfire, where we can enjoy the delights of our new festive themed quest and avoid the evil plants of doom... I swear If I see one more hint of mistletoe I'll..."

"Eddie" you say softly and that captures his attention as you point up to the ceiling, he stops mid-rant and his eyes bug out as he sees the mistletoe hung above him. No. Jesus H Christ, no.

The mistletoe was directly above you and Eddie.

His eyes narrow and he looks around the room immediately suspicious, Jeff and Gareth are sniggering to themselves but stop at the look on his face.

"Who did this?" he hisses to the rest of the group and looks at each of them in turn. No one is owning up to putting the mistletoe there and that frustrates him even more because that dreaded thing wasn't there at any other point of the day.

It wasn't there when he was setting up earlier, no pesky mistletoe was in sight and yet now it was just casually hanging above his head, directly above his chair. "That wasn't here earlier, so one of you little shits did this" he snaps.

He could feel himself sweating as you peered up at him, fuck. It's not like he didn't want to kiss you, he really wanted to but he highly doubted that you wanted to kiss him. Why would you?

"We don't have to do this" he says to you, he would never want you to feel pressured into kissing him. He was going to kill (the character) of whoever did this in the most violent way possible.

"Eddie" the way you say his name makes his knees turn to jelly, his usual confidence and don't give a fuck attitude is long gone and now he's terrified.

You see Eddie was totally smitten with you but didn't realise you were equally smitten with him. Which is what brings us to mischievous elves (Hellfire members) plotting this escapade.

Then your lips meet his and he swears his brain short circuits just for a second, he melts into the kiss and then he's kissing you back and you let out a soft moan that goes straight to uh...places and he wants nothing more than to just keep kissing you.

"Ugh that's enough dude, gross" Mike groans and Eddie reluctantly pulls away from you, feels pleased with himself that your lips are all kiss bitten and your eyes mirroring his in complete lust and adoration.

"About time" Gareth sags in relief, now the two of you could stop tiptoeing around your feelings for one another. Eddie sends him a death glare but completely softens when you take his hand and lean across to whisper in his ear.

"We're totally doing more of that later" your gaze is full of need and a tiny bit of mischief and it may be the first time that Eddie has ever wanted to speed run through a campaign. He couldn't wait for later but for now he had to get into DM mode.

If only you would stop looking at him like that, all impish and beautiful then he might be able to concentrate.

While he's making moon eyes at you for a few seconds Dustin, Erica, Lucas and Mike huddle together and discreetly high five.

"Mission accomplished" Dustin beams until Erica frowns and lets out an exasperated huff. "Yeah sure, like you bunch of nerds could have done this without me" Lucas is about to argue but Erica stops him.

"Nope, don't say a word dumbass. I hung the mistletoe because I'm not afraid of Munson like you three are, so this is down to me" She takes a mini bow and leaves the three boys gawking at her as Eddie finally starts the session.

🎄❄️⛄

[cuntphoric]

a/n; happy holidays everyone, love all of you guys <3 they're gonna get little elves soon, !!not proofread well enough

ah yes, that time of the year. christmas. one of your main favorite holidays!

the crackling fire casting a golden glow on everything.. outside, the snow falls gently - kids are probably making snowmen and sledding, maybe even having a snowball fight.. but inside, there's only heat, heat between the two of you.

gojo stands in front of you, wearing his santa suit - his suit is snug and tailored, a red velvet jacket with white fur trimmed, a black belt with a silver buckle, matching red pants that hug him just right - paired with black slacks, and last but not least, the tilt of the santa hat perched on his snowy hair.

as he eyes you in your own very hot ms. claus fit - your fit is just straight up sexy, tight red velvet that hugs your tits, trimmed with white fur along the neckline and hem. the skirt is short, barely brushing your mid thigh that just adds to your hotness, the lace up corset detail cinches your waist perfectly, red thigh high stockings - paired with short, red heels, and of course, a little santa hat that completes the look!

your eyes wander, lingering on the way the red clings to his thighs before snapping up to his face when he calls out your name. oops, got caught..

"y/n! caught you staring," he takes one step!

“shut up,” you mutter, shifting on your heels. he takes two steps!

"hmm- nah!" he chuckles, one hand on his right hip. he takes three steps!

score! three steps in - now he's holding something above your head with two fingers, the small green leaves and the mix of red and white berries swaying with each swing.

"under the mistletoe!!" he exclaimed out happily, looking down at your figure, "well what happens now? huh?"

you roll your eyes, a smirk curling up at your lips. "a kiss," you sigh out, faking annoyance—

before you can react once more, he grabs your wrist, tugging you close. and in an instant, his lips are on yours, quick but soft - his lips are everything. your body immediately melts into him, your lips responding to his. his hands slip around your waist, pulling you flush against him. the fire crackles in the room, making it warmer.

all you can focus on is him—his lips, his hands, the way he feels against you.

once he pulled away, he rubs his hands on your back. "listen! i'm sorry for eating the cookies but in my defense- i am literally santa-" he pouts.

you really try to ignore the flutter in your stomach, but you can't.

"i still-" you start to speak, but before you can finish, gojo's kissing you again, this time more urgently. his lips are on yours, his hands moving to the back of your neck, pulling you closer, pressing you against him. the firelight dances across in the background, casting lighter shadows on your features.

your hands move on their own, tugging at the front of his santa suit, needing to feel more of him. the moment his jacket is off, his bare chest presses against yours, and your skin tingles at the touch. he groans against your mouth, and you feel the tension between you both snap. he's already lifting you effortlessly, your legs wrapping around his waist as he walks you toward the rug by the fire. his lips don’t leave yours for even a second as he lays you down, his body hovering over you. you're trapped beneath him, the heat of the fire warming your skin, but the heat from gojo is so much more different.

his hands slide beneath your costume, tugging at it until you needed to shrug the rest off, exposing you completely to him. you gasp when his hands trail over your skin - his lips move lower, kissing a trail down your neck, over your chest, making you arch into him when he goes particularly rough on one spot.

"you look so perfect," gojo growls out, "yeah? y'know that right?" his voice rough with hunger. his hands slide between your legs, and you seriously can't stop the moan that slips from your lips as his fingers tease you. his mouth trails lower, kissing and biting at your skin, driving you insane with hornyness and need.

"toru.." you breathe out, that was one of the few things you've said this entire time! ..probably too entranced in him touching made your brain fuzzy from the start and that's completely normal. your hands started to grab at him, tugging him closer. you want him, need him. your body aches for him, and you feel the wetness in your core start to grow.

and of course he can tell - he doesn’t waste time, pushing you down onto the rug, his body pressing against yours, his lips finding the curve of your neck as he lines himself up behind you.

before you can even process it, he flips you so you're easily folded—he's got you locked in the most perfect mating press known to mankind, your legs folded up to your chest, pinned tightly under his strong hands as he thrusts deeper, more relentlessly. every inch of your body is held firm, trapped beneath him, unable to move, unable to escape the overwhelming pleasure he's giving you.

"merry christmas, baby," he whispers against your skin, and then he's inside you, filling you completely. your breath hitches as he thrusts into you, the pace slow at first, but quickly turning desperate and quick. goodness you were seeing stars - or maybe the twelve reindeer's on santa's sleigh..

whatever it is, you know he isn't holding back, because with every thrust, he drives deeper. his hands grip your hips tightly, pulling you back against him as he rocks into you harder, faster. the sound of skin against skin mixes with the crackling of the fire, and all you can focus on is the way gojo's body moves against yours, the way he makes you feel. and it is good - perhaps even jolly?

his breath is ragged, his hands tight on your body as he has you take everything he gives. "so good," he groans, voice rough. "you feel so good."

you feel your breath catch as he thrusts deeper, his santa hat falling onto your stomach before he quickly brushes it away. he continued to hit that spot that made your toes curl and your nails dig into his shoulders, making crescent shaped marks in his skin.

"f-fuck, toru..!" you gasp, your voice shaky as he sets an unrelenting pace, his lips parted in concentration.. "slow down, i—"

gojo, ever the annoying, cut you off with a low chuckle, leaning in to press his lips to your ear. "what's wrong, baby? too much for you?" his voice was so cocky, but the way his hips snap forward says otherwise.

"i swear to god—" you start to say, but a particularly deep thrust steals your words, making you whimper instead.

"swear to santa," he corrects with a smirk, clearly pleased with himself. his hands shift, gripping your thighs tighter as he angles himself just right, drawing another loud moan from you.

"toru!" you wanted to roll your eyes but you knew you couldn't, since it'll instead make you accidentally roll your eyes back. "oh—r-right there."

his breath is heavy, uneven now, but the way he praises you.. god. "so good for me," he murmurs, his words almost reverent as his hips twitch, each pulse of his cock making you feel like you're drowning in him. "took me so well, just like that, yeah? such a sweet girl."

"toru, i—i'm gonna—" your sentence trails off into a whimper as the tension in your body coils tighter, ready to finish.

"cum for me, yeah? let me feel it- be a good girl f'me," he groans, his voice dropping an octave lower.

your vision goes white as your body arches against him, your release hitting you hard. you cry out his name, your walls clenching around him as waves of pleasure wash over you.

his cock still pulses inside you, the heat of cum making your body shiver, and you can hear his soft voice right by your ear, low and rough, whispering praise after praise, "good job, you did so well.. fuck, you're so tight.. perfect for me."

you manage to catch your breath just as he shudders above you, his hips stuttering as he cums in you next. his grip on your thighs tightens as he grinds into you one last time, before he fills you up completely.

"merry christmas to me," he murmurs, his voice breathless but still teasing.

okay- what. you can't help but laugh softly, reaching up to run your fingers through his hair. "yeah, merry christmas to me too.."

[mrsarnold]

. ۫ ꣑ৎ . advent calendar

syn : okok so welcome to my advent calendar for 2024 !! its pretty simple

who you can req for : any wnba/wbb people, pio characters, obx characters, sturniolo triplets, any celebs!, arcane, tlou

prompts : here

status : closed!

. ۫ ꣑ৎ . day 1 : snowflakes in my stomach when we're kissin'

day 2 : it's beginning to look alot like christmas

day 3 : moodboards day !! 1. 2.

day 4 : yeah your my home, my home for all seasons!

day 5 : lookin' at you got me thinkin' christmas

day 6 : walking around the christmas tree

day 7 : last christmas i gave you my heart!

day 8 : in my heart is a christmastree farm

day 9 : santa tell me if your really there!

day 10 : mistletoe hung where you can see !

day 11 : walking in the winter wonderland!

day 12 : and the patridge in the pare tree!

day 13 : moodboards day !! ( skipped )

day 14 : skipped

day 15 : skipped!

day 16 : santa baby slip a sable under the tree!

day 17 : frosty the snowman!

day 18 : with a note saying ily i meant it !

day 19 : race here from the northpole to bev hills!

day 20 : underneath the mistletoe lastnight!

day 21 : underneath the tree !

day 22 : underneath the mistletoe

day 23 : moodboards day !! 1.

day 24

DAY 25 :

tags : @ivxmpis @thaatdigitaldiary @sierrale8ne @cherryswisherz @pboogerswbb @st4rrzynight @yannasuniverse @heart4caitlin @latenighttalkinqwp @sweetluna20 @janaelalfysblunt @cosmopretty

[hexite-dissolving]

snowflakes in my stomach when we're kissin'

Gift for @weltraum-vaquero ! Jayce Talis x GN!Reader Summary: Does Jayce like the winter? No. But will that stop him from taking advantage of its holiday traditions to steal a few extra kisses? Absolutely not. Word Count: 1,042 Tags: Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Mistletoe, I'm feeling ✨festive✨, My First Arcane Fic, the title is from the xmas version of nonsense by sabrina carpenter but shhhh y'all don't see that, Jayce is a Sweetheart, Jayce Talis is a lover boy SFW

Jayce doesn’t like the winter, a fact you became aware of rather quickly when you first got to know him. After narrowly avoiding death as a child at winter’s hands, he can’t stand this time of year- not to mention all the sickness floating around and the textural nightmare of bundling up to go outside. You can’t blame him, you aren’t the fondest of it either, which is why you take so many extra measures to ensure he stays comfy cozy until spring returns with its warmth. Despite his hatred for the gloomy cold months, though, is how much he enjoys the season’s holidays and festivities. Jayce adores bringing you home to his mother, or joining you and your loved ones for dinner and exchanging gifts. 

Jayce has so much love for the people in his life it is hard to keep it in, so you suppose that the holidays are just a convenient excuse for him to shower you in affection- or ask for it. 

His favorite excuse by far was mistletoe. Any opportunity to kiss you was one he’d take, and during the holiday season there were just too many to pass up. Every outing took nearly twice as long because Jayce would pull you under every sprig you came across for a kiss. 

The scent of something herbal and fresh greeted you as you opened the door to  the sight of your beloved. It wasn’t uncommon to see him waiting for you to return home if he wasn’t caught up in the lab- in fact it was strange for him not to. But there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes as you shucked off your coat that immediately made you suspicious. 

“What's with the look, hm?” you ask, toeing off your boots and scooting them next to his with your foot. 

Jayce grins in a way that only serves to strengthen your suspicion. He’s definitely up to something. “What look?” 

“You know what I mean.” 

He shrugs nonchalantly. “I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about, babe. Oh- you should look up, by the way.” He barely contains a boyish giggle as he directs you, one that makes your heart swell. 

Curious as to what it is he’s set up, you do, and see a cluster of mistletoe taped to the lightswitch dangling over your head. That must have been what you smelled when you walked in. When you pull it down to take a whiff, sure enough, it’s exactly that. You look back over to Jayce, who looks awfully proud of himself, as you set it down on the table next to your keys.

“C’mere, pretty boy,” you beckon, curling your finger in a come hither motion. 

He scurries forward like an excited puppy and wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you into a dizzying kiss. Warm, soft, sweet like the rest of him, and just as desperate too, like he’ll never get to kiss you again. He melts into you when you tug him closer by the collar of his shirt. Every hum and sigh reignites the blaze in your chest, and it isn’t until your lungs begin to burn that you pull away. He smiles, winded, and leans in to pepper your face and neck in more of his affections. 

“Miss me much?” you joke, but you already know the answer. 

His voice is honey-sweet muffled against your neck. “Always.” 

When he finally breaks away, the two of you settle into your normal evening routines. You tell each other about your day, prepare for dinner, and you fondly listen as he recounts the progress he and Viktor made today with hextech. A while after dinner, your stomachs full and warm, you lay with Jayce’s head in your lap while you read, combing your fingers through his hair. He turns into your stomach and weaves his arms around you, and what you thought was just him getting comfortable turns into something else when you feel his hand rooting around behind you. You cock an eyebrow as his hand slips between the cushions supporting your back. 

He rolls over, gazing up at you and producing yet another cluster of leaves and red ribbon, dangling it between your eyes. The playful grin he’s sporting makes your heart stutter in its tracks. Good gods, he’s so precious it may actually kill you.   

“Really?” You can’t stop the snorting laughter that escapes your lips. You lean down and peck his lips, savoring how he chases after you when you pull back. “You’re pretty needy tonight, puppy. What’s next, am I gonna find some in your pants too?”

Jayce’s eyes widen as his cheeks dust red. Cute. He coughs into his free hand before he collects himself, and gives you a coy smile. The same one he always whips out when he wants something, but won’t outright ask you for it for one reason or another. “I mean, you can find out for yourself. You know, if you want to.”

You grant him another small smooch, drifting your hand down his chest and stomach, toying with the hem of his shirt. His breath hitches against your lips, and you retract from him like the cruel lover you are. “Later, baby.”

He whines, and you almost go back on your word right then and there.  

The exhaustion of the day you’d had finally slams into you as you cross the threshold of your shared bedroom at some late hour of night. You collapse into bed with a sigh, burrowing into the soft blankets like a cozy ferret. Jayce follows suit, nice and toasty when he snuggles up beside you. He calls your name softly, pulling you out of sleep’s slowly strengthening hold. He taps the headboard with a shit eating grin. You crane your head up to look behind you- lo and behold, one last mistletoe is tied around the wooden bedpost. You snicker softly and lean over him, your breath ghosting over his lips. 

“My god, you are insatiable, y'know that?” You nuzzle into the strong palm cupping your jaw, pressing your lips to the calloused skin. 

“You love it, though.”

You close the distance between you, the stressors of your day and the late December chill outside long forgotten.

[b0n3s-is-gay]

Christmas Science Lesson

A Very Merry Outsiders Christmas -> Here!

Synopsis: Decorating with Mistletoe is a dangerous game, especially when your boyfriend is Sodapop Patrick Curtis...

Tags: Fluff, kisses, gn! reader, falling on top of each other, pinning.

"Kissin' by the Mistletoe..." You absentmindedly hummed along to the radio as you stood on a chair, hanging up the mistletoe above the doorway as a joke. The whole point of this was to spice up the house hold with all the decorations and cause some chaos.

"Love come sta-" You hummed again before you felt the old chair give way under you due to the stress, the warped metal bending and sending you to the floor and taking some of the garland with you. "Fuck!"

Sodapop whipped around and tried to catch you, which ended up with you landing on top of him. "Fuck- You alright down there Pepsi?" You asked as you opened your eyes, only to see you were face to face with him while the mistletoe dangled above you from the garland that fell with you.

"I'm fine, but I didn't expect you to pin me to the ground." Sodapop answered with a laugh, finally noticing the mistletoe dangling above you. "Hm? The radio is saying to kiss under the mistletoe, the mistletoe is right there, you're on top of me... Might as well put that bough of Holly to use..." He whispered before trying to kiss you, only to be stopped by your finger on his lips.

"Mistletoe and Holly are not the same thing, Soda... But sure, I can give you some kisses." You chuckled before leaning down and gently kissing his lips with a smile.

Tag List: @witchyleehibernates

[bijouxcarys]

𝑻𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒊𝒏𝒅 (𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔 𝒙 𝑶𝑪) - 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑵𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏

Masterlist

Character Profiles/Face Claims

Playlist

A/N: she's back again. hope you enjoy this one as always, please leave me replies and likes n shit because it helps with the motivation and i love talking to people about it gahhh

CW/TW: light angst, mentions of violence, and Seth Rollins. he needs a warning on his own.

Tags: @empressdede @thetribalqueen @heauxvibez @bigsimperika

@cyberdejos2 @keyaho @headoftheetable @jstarr86 @southerngirl41

@tshepisho @cry1nwhileimcumm1n @maeb99 @thedesireds @dzdndcnfsd

@expert-texpert @niknakbucks92 @sillyteecup @trentybenty @pittieprincess22

@electronicwitchsandwich @thefairywithboots

(If you want to be tagged in any future Roman fics, just let me know!)

Eight years.

Eight. Fucking. Years.

Pushing a decade since Roman Reigns had last seen Seth Rollins. And now, after all that time, he was headed straight for a meeting that felt uncomfortably like stepping into a cage with a venomous animal. A serpent, slick and coiled, lying in wait.

The SUV hummed steadily beneath his hands, the engine a low growl that matched the tension curling in his chest. Beside him, Nate sat with a distant, unreadable expression, her fingers tracing slow, absent-minded circles on the fabric of her jeans. Her usual veneer of sharp, calculated confidence had been replaced by something raw and unpolished—like a blade that had been sharpened too many times and now threatened to snap. The incident with Boris and Alexei ganging up on Katya… and the vicious switch in her father’s disposition during their last encounter. It all shook her—more than she let on. But even now, she carried herself with a quiet intensity that made it clear she wasn’t fragile. Whatever storm churned behind her eyes, it hadn’t broken her.

Behind them, the low murmur of voices from the backseat added a strange counterpoint to the thick silence up front. Jimmy and Jey were mid-banter as usual, the rhythm of their exchange as natural as breathing, while Sami—wedged awkwardly between them—offered occasional nervous laughs. Solo, however, was silent, his presence brooding and heavy, as if he could fill the entire vehicle with his sheer displeasure.

Roman’s gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, catching his enforcer’s watchful eyes. The unspoken tension between them was a steady undercurrent, but Roman chose not to address it. It wasn’t worth it.

Not yet.

“I’m just sayin’, man,” Jimmy piped up, leaning forward with a grin. “Two weeks before Christmas is a hell of a time to be dragging us out like this. You know what I could’ve been doin’ instead?”

“Ain’t no better time for business than now,” Jey replied, nudging his twin. “Half these fools too busy kissin’ under mistletoe to notice what’s really goin’ on.”

Sami chuckled anxiously, his eyes darting over at Nate as if seeking her approval. “I mean… it’s intense, right? Meeting Seth Rollins. The guy is—”

“A snake,” Roman cut in sharply, his voice like a crack of thunder in the confined space. His jaw tightened, and his fingers flexed on the wheel. “Seth’s a snake. Always has been.”

Nate’s lips twitched, a flicker of amusement that didn’t quite form into a smile. She didn’t need to ask for details; Roman had already told her the whole story in his rare moment of unguarded honesty the night of Alexei’s engagement celebration. How Seth’s betrayal had nearly cost him everything—not just regarding business, but his pride.

She could understand that. Hell, she could even empathise. Traitors weren’t just dangerous—they were personal.

“I-I know it’s not my place to ask,” Sami ventured hesitantly, “But… you sure about this, Boss?”

Roman didn’t bother looking at him. His eyes stayed locked on the road, the stretch of asphalt ahead illuminated by the harsh glare of the SUV’s headlights. “We do what we have to,” he said flatly. “If Seth has something we could use, we’re gonna take it. End of story.”

Sami shrank back slightly, his nervous energy radiating like static. Beside Roman, Nate stirred, her voice low enough that only he could hear.

“Before we get there,” she murmured, “A warning.”

Roman arched a brow, a muscle in his jaw ticking. “Oh? You think I need one?”

“I think your pride has a nasty habit of making decisions for you,” she replied evenly, cool but not unkind.

The twins exchanged a glance in the backseat, Jey arching an eyebrow at Jimmy as if to say, “She’s really pushing it, huh?” Sami, ever the peacemaker, tried to lighten the mood with a small chuckle.

“You really know how to keep him on his toes, Nate,” he offered.

Nate didn’t even glance back, her focus fixed on Roman. “Seth’s not here to settle a score,” she continued. “He’s here because his wife’s convinced him to offer information. And you’d better make sure to keep any ego on a leash before you let it get the better of you.”

Roman’s grip on the wheel was almost death-like. But he didn’t snap at her. Not this time. Instead, he just let her comment hang like a taut wire about to break.

Jimmy let out a low whistle, leaning back in his seat. “Man, I ain’t ever seen anyone talk to you like that before, Uce.”

“Shut up,” Roman muttered, though there was no real venom in his voice.

As the SUV slowed to a stop at their destination—a deserted parking lot on the outskirts of the city—Roman scanned the area with a practised eye. The single streetlamp overhead cast long, spidery shadows across the cracked pavement, and the only other vehicle in sight was a dark sedan parked a safe distance away.

Nate was already unbuckling her seatbelt, her movements quick and efficient. “Stay here,” she said without looking at Roman. “I just need to make sure they’re ready for… Uh, well, you.”

Roman’s gaze narrowed, his lips curving into a faint, wolfish grin. “You actin’ like I can’t handle myself, Volkov.”

“I’m acting like someone who knows a shitshow when she sees one,” Nate shot back, her tone edged with just enough sarcasm to make him pause. “Give me five minutes.”

He stared at her for a long moment, the weight of his scrutiny pressing down on her like a physical force. But to her credit, she didn’t flinch.

“Fine,” he said at last, leaning back in his seat with a sigh. “But don’t take too long.”

As Nate stepped out of the SUV, the twins exchanged a look of disbelief.

“You see that?” Jey whispered, elbowing Jimmy. “She’s got him on a leash, man.”

Jimmy grinned, shaking his head. “Ain’t no leash. She’s jus–”

“Enough,” Roman growled, cutting off their laughter with a single word.

But even as he said it, he couldn’t shake the strange sense of unease coiling in his chest. He watched Nate approached the sedan, her silhouette sharp and unyielding against the harsh glow of the streetlamp.

“Man, she’s somethin’ else,” Jey muttered under his breath.

“Yeah,” Jimmy agreed quietly. “But, uh, you think she’s… worth it?”

Roman didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on Nate, his thoughts a tangled web of doubt, frustration, and something dangerously close to admiration.

In the rear end of the car, Solo shifted, his eyes narrowing as he also watched Nate, but with an intensity that bordered on hostility.

“She’s takin’ liberties,” he hummed.

“Yeah?” Roman said, eyeing Solo in the rearview mirror. “You got a problem with that?”

Jaw tightening, Solo refused to reply. The silence that followed was heavy and oppressive—Roman practically felt the heavy tension between them, thick enough to choke on.

Nate adjusted her jacket against the chill of the evening as she stepped out and away from the SUV. She needed this meeting to go well. She knew that there’d have to be some… discussion prior to bringing Roman into the equation, but she wasn’t prepared for just how much the idea of explaining Roman’s involvement to Seth would feel like walking into a minefield.

Seth Rollins wasn’t exactly known for his restraint, and based on what Roman had told her about their history… it wasn’t going to be a friendly reunion.

As she approached them, Becky noticed her and gave a sly smile. She had one arm casually slung around Seth’s shoulders, leaning into him like they were in their own world. Seth, meanwhile, glanced at Nate with open curiosity and mild suspicion.

“You’re finally here,” Becky said. “Thought maybe you’d changed your mind about meeting the second-best architect in New York.”

Nate raised an eyebrow. “Second-best? You finally admitting defeat?”

Becky laughed. “Not a chance.”

Nate’s attention turned to Seth, who studied her carefully. He wasn’t what she expected—not entirely, anyway. His sharp eyes gave him an air of unpredictability, and his grin held a touch of mischief. But there was something grounded about it, too, like he was the only one keeping Becky tethered to reality. And… possibly vice versa.

“And you must be Seth Rollins,” Nate offered a hand. “Thanks for coming. Becky told me… a bit about you.”

Seth clasped her hand, his grip firm but not overbearing. “Yeah, well, Becks tends to leave out the boring parts. So what’s the deal? She said you needed help, but she wasn’t exactly handing out details.”

Nate hesitated. She wasn’t one for oversharing, but there was no avoiding this part. “We’ll get to that,” she said, glancing at Becky for support. “But first… I just need to let you know… something.” She cringed a little at her inability to correctly construct what was sure to be a groundbreaking revelation for both of them. “The other… person I’m working with. It’s… Well, it’s someone you’ve… known before?” Nate clasped her hands together, furrowing her brows at Seth.

Becky immediately straightened, sensing the apprehension in Nate’s voice. “Oh, God, Nate, who?”

Nate looked between them, weighing her words carefully. “Uh… Roman Reigns.”

The reaction was instant. Seth stiffened, his jaw tightening as he pulled his hands up to his head like he’d been burned. “Nope,” he said flatly, stepping back. “I’m out.”

Becky blinked, caught off-guard. “Seth—”

“No way,” he cut her off, pacing a short distance away. “I’m not working with that guy. Are you serious, Becky? You couldn’t warn me about this?”

“I didn’t know either!”

Nate held up a hand, trying to calm him. “Look, I know—”

“No, you don’t know,” Seth interrupted, pointing at her. “That guy? He’s a control freak. Thinks he’s better than everyone else. Hell, he probably still thinks he owns the damn universe.”

“Hang on, that’s not fair,” Nate said curtly, surprising even herself with the edge in her voice. Seth’s eyes snapped to her, but she didn’t hesitate. “Not based on what I’ve been told, anyway.”

“Ohhh of course, he’s told you everything, right?”

“Seth–”

“He’s told you allll about the times he got all the credit, he got all the adulation from everyone we ever came across. And all about the time I was told, I was promised, an out if I took him out!”

“No, he hasn’t told me about the charisma he clearly possesses more than you do, but he definitely told me all about you pulling a gun out on him out of nowhere after years of loyalty,” Nate gritted her teeth, swallowing her words as soon as she said them. 

Seth’s brows angled downward as he glared at Nate. He was already ready to go back into his hole and crack open a beer. But his wife had dragged him here, meaning it had to have been important. But still…

“I’m not getting dragged into whatever ego trip he’s on this time.”

Nate took a steadying breath, reining in her impulse to defend Roman further. She wasn’t here to argue; she was here to get Seth on board. Focus.

“Look,” she said, lowering her voice, “I’m not asking you to be his best friend. I’m asking you to help me. My family could be in danger—my little sister could be in danger. People are already dead because of this, and if we don’t get to the bottom of it, there’ll be more.”

Even though Seth’s expression hardened, he didn’t walk away. So Nate pressed on, sensing an opening.

“I get it,” she said softly. “You don’t like him. I’m not asking you to. But this isn’t about Roman—it’s about stopping this mass assassination. A military-grade shipment of weapons stolen in plain sight. Damian Priest. Gone. Bad Bunny and his men. Gone. Some of the most powerful people I’ve personally ever met. Whoever is behind it, has the balls to take out an entire underground, and I’ll be damned if my family is next. My sister is twenty-years-old. Barely experienced the world. I’ve protected her up until now, but who knows how much further that can go?” She licked her lips, taking a tentative step toward Seth.

“Surely you must know what that feels like… the need to protect your family.”

She let the words hang there for a minute, knowing the implication would hit him. Seth’s gaze moved to Becky, who was watching him carefully. The subtle shift in his expression told Nate she’d struck a nerve.

“You don’t play fair, do you?” Seth muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re just like her.”

Nate glanced at Becky, who smirked at her husband. “Told you she was a smart one,” she said. “And for the record, she’s not wrong. This is bigger than any grudge any of us have.”

Seth sighed, looking between the two women. “Damn it,” he grumbled. Finally, he turned to Nate. “Fine. I’ll help. But don’t expect me to be nice about it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Nate said, a small smile on her face as she did.

Seth squinted his eyes at her, but there was no real malice behind it. “You better know what you’re doing,” he said.

“I always do,” she replied. Then, after a pause, she added, “Thank you. Really.”

Seth waved her off, already walking back toward Becky. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t make me regret this.”

“Noted,” Nate agreed with a nod before swiftly turning and heading back to the SUV to retrieve Roman. A small wash of relief took her; convincing Seth to work with Roman, even if brief and loose, would never be an easy feat. But she’d done it.

She pulled open the car door and slid halfway inside, immediately sensing the anticipation dwelling on the inside, with Roman sitting stone-faced and the rest of his crew watching her expectantly.

“Well?” Jey asked first, leaning forward slightly.

“It’s… complicated,” Nate admitted, looking directly at Roman. “It’s probably best if you come alone. Seth’s already skittish, and adding more of an entourage won’t help.”

Jimmy and Jey exchanged glances but didn’t argue. Sami nodded diplomatically. “Yeah, probably doesn’t help if we roll in looking like we’re about to start a turf war.”

Solo, on the other hand, scowled. His arms were crossed, his usual stoic demeanour giving way to something closer to frustration. “You want him to go alone?”

“It’s not ideal,” she carefully accepted. “But it’s the best chance we have of keeping things somewhat civil. Neutral.”

The enforcer’s glare shifted to Roman, silently challenging him. Roman exhaled through his nose, the barest flash of irritation crossing his face. “I’ll be fine,” he affirmed, locking eyes with Solo. “You don’t need to babysit me.”

“Ain’t about babysittin’,” Solo stiffly countered. “It’s about makin’ sure you safe, Chief. That’s my job.”

Roman’s gaze softened just enough to be noticeable. “And you do your job better than anyone… But this ain’t a fight, Solo. It’s a conversation. Let me handle it.”

Solo hesitated but eventually nodded, though his posture remained rigid. On guard. Nate noted the exchange but didn’t comment, instead nodding toward the door. “Come on, bol’shoy paren’,” she said to Roman. “Let’s get this shit done.”

They both stepped out into the cool night air, the silence between them stretching as they walked. Nate glanced at Roman, noticing how his jaw was already clenching as he caught the distant sight of his former brother, and let out a heavy sigh.

“Don’t be a bitch about this, alright?” she breathed, her tone light but pointed.

Roman shot her a sidelong look, one dark eyebrow arching. “You think I’m incompetent, Princess?”

Nate smirked, a spark of mischief lighting her eyes. She tilted her head slightly, her British accent dropping with playful mockery. “Oh, I definitely don’t think you’re incompetent, darling.”

Roman’s lips twitched, his expression briefly cracking with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. He didn’t miss the way she emphasised the word, the memory of their most recent encounter whispering between them like a live wire. “Watch it,” he teased, the heat in his tone anything but malicious.

They reached the middle of the parking lot, where Seth and Becky were waiting by their car. As soon as Roman and Seth locked eyes, the tension skyrocketed. It was like watching two apex predators sizing each other up, neither willing to back down. Roman stood tall, his presence commanding as always, while Seth leaned casually against the car, his smirk a deliberate provocation.

Nate exchanged a quick glance with Becky, who looked equally bewildered by the sudden standoff. “What the fuck…” Becky mumbled under her breath, looking between the two men.

“Don’t ask me,” Nate replied quietly, crossing her arms. “I think this is just… testosterone.”

The silence stretched out uncomfortably until Nate finally decided to intervene. “Right,” she said, clearing her throat. “What have you got for us, Seth?”

Without breaking eye contact with Roman, Seth pushed off the car and gestured toward the trunk. “Back here.”

Roman frowned. “Why?”

Seth glanced at him with an unreadable facade. 

“Because I’m going to kill you, put you in my trunk, and piss on your corpse,” he said with a deadpan delivery.

Becky audibly groaned, her head falling into her hand. “Jesus, Seth…”

It was hard to tell if the emotion that caught Roman was amusement or annoyance.

“Charming,” he said dryly.

“Hey,” Seth shrugged, “Just getting it out of my system.”

“Done yet?” the Samoan asked flatly.

“Not even close,” Seth shot back, opening the trunk.

Becky sighed, leaning toward Nate. “This is going great, don’t you think?”

“Oh, swimmingly,” Nate snorted, thick with sarcasm. Roman and Seth could continue their silent battle of wills if they wanted, but for now, she was more concerned about keeping the night from devolving into chaos.

Seth motioned toward the open trunk, revealing a stack of folders and a laptop that looked like it had seen its fair share of back-alley dealings. He picked up the top folder, flipping it open too casually, considering the weight of the information inside.

“Here’s what I’ve got,” he began, his tone switching to professional. “I’ve been keeping tabs on movements that feel… off. Have been for years, call it a… hobby of sorts. Funds shifting around, old accounts suddenly waking up—things that don’t scream ‘legit.’” He glanced at Roman, smirking a little. “So, when exactly did this shipment of yours go missing?”

“September,” Roman replied.

“Hmm,” Seth murmured, pulling out a piece of paper with a handwritten timeline. “Figures.” He looked at Becky briefly before continuing. “You said Damian Priest was taken out during the same event, right? What’d it look like? Close quarters? Long range?”

Roman exchanged a look with Nate, acutely aware of her close connection with some of The Judgement Day members. “Sniper. Precise. A single shot between the eyes.”

Seth’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Interesting. That’s not just skill, that’s money—serious money. You want that kinda precision, you’re not hiring your cousin’s buddy from down the block. You’re bringing in someone with credentials.”

Roman crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. “Professional. Just like we thought.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying…” Seth gave him a look that screamed obviously, before pulling out another folder, opening it to reveal a printout of a bank statement. “Now, here’s where it gets fun. I’ve been tracking some weird transfers—big ones. They’ve been popping up since late August. All routing through an account I haven’t seen active since 2015.”

Nate leaned forward slightly, looking down at the statement. “And the account belongs to…?”

Seth tapped the paper with a finger. “Back in the day, it was listed under the name ‘Shattered Dreams Armory.’ A nice little alias for weapons trading. But now?” He flipped to another page, showing a different name associated with a recent transfer. “It’s going under ‘Viper Machinery.’”

Roman’s brow furrowed, and he exchanged a quick glance with Nate, who was visibly processing the information. “Viper Machinery,” Roman repeated under his breath before shaking his head slowly. “I’m not sure I’ve heard of it.”

“Not surprising,” Seth said. “Whoever’s running it is smart. They’re keeping their tracks covered. But these transfers?” He pointed down at the statement. “They’re big. Someone’s moving a lot of money, and they’re using old channels to do it. Feels like someone’s waking up old ghosts to pull this off.”

“You got specifics? Dates? Amounts?”

Seth rolled his eyes at Roman, needling his tone somewhat. “Do I look like I half-ass this kinda thing? Of course I’ve got specifics.” He flipped the page again, showing the detailed breakdown of the transfers. “August, a hundred grand. September, another two-fifty. October, half a mil. All to this account.”

Roman reached for the folder, but Seth didn’t hand it over immediately, instead holding it just out of reach. “You’re welcome, by the way,” he said sarcastically.

Roman’s jaw tightened, and Nate groaned loudly. “Chert voz’mi, bozhe moy,” she muttered, stepping between them. “Can we not do this right now? Just give him the bloody folder, Rollins.”

Seth relented, but not without a small glare from Becky, who was clearly unimpressed with his antics. Roman opened the folder, scanning the contents quickly. His face scrunched up as he processed the information. Shattered Dreams Amory… So familiar, yet so far out of his grasp of recollection. 

“You’re welcome,” Seth repeated smugly, leaning against the car, like he couldn’t help himself.

“For what?” Roman looked up at him. “Doin’ the bare minimum?”

Seth grinned. “For not charging you, big guy. Information like this doesn’t come cheap. You should be thanking me.”

“Thank you,” Roman said dryly, making it more than obvious that he didn’t mean a bit of it.

Nate pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes before holding a hand out between the two men. “Are you two done measuring dicks, or do I need to referee?”

Seth chuckled, as though he’d just heard the funniest thing in the world, which prompted Becky to roll her eyes and nudge her husband. “For the love of God,” she said. “You’re not twelve.”

“I’m just saying,” he replied innocently, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

Roman ignored the banter, flipping through the folder in his hands, before glancing back up at Seth. “Anythin’ else?”

Seth actually hesitated for a fraction of a second, blinking at Roman like he wanted to say something more but thought better of it. Instead, he confidently shook his head. “On them? Not yet. But if you’re dealing with someone who’s willing to reanimate a name like Shattered Dreams, you’re in deep. And not the fun kind of deep.”

“Great,” Nate mumbled, her patience wearing thin. “Just what we needed to hear.”

Roman closed the folder with a snap. “Let’s keep this movin’.”

Becky leaned against the edge of the sedan, producing a brown envelope from inside the trunk. “Alright,” she began, glancing between Roman and Nate, “My turn. After we agreed to meet, I took it upon myself to make a few calls. Got in touch with a couple of lads who owe me a few favours.”

Nate’s head snapped towards her, sharpening her features. “You what? Becky, are you serious? Why the fuck would you bring more people into this?”

The redhead raised an eyebrow, completely unbothered by the outburst. “Relax, Sherlock. A shootout in a warehouse isn’t exactly the kind of thing people overlook. You think nobody was gonna notice? Someone was bound to find out something happened there eventually.”

“And who, exactly, did you talk to?” 

“Finn Bálor,” Becky said calmly, “And JD McDonagh… You know them.”

“That’s exactly the problem!” Nate hissed. “I’ve already had Rhea down my throat, Beck, I didn’t exactly want the rest of Judgement Day sniffing around. I’m pretty sure they already think it was my dad who did all thi–”

“Was it?” Seth flat-out asked. Nate glared over at him, taking a heavy breath through her nose.

“Listen, Rollins, I already don’t like y–”

“Would you relax?” Becky cut her off, holding up her hands. “I was smooth about it, okay? Finn and JD know how to keep things quiet, and you know damn well Finn doesn’t give a shite about anyone but himself.” She folded her arms, staring Nate down. “Besides, I’ve known Finn for years, you think I’d go around shouting your business? Give them some credit.”

Unbeknownst to Seth and Becky, Roman had slid his hand down to Nate’s lower back, giving her a little squeeze firm enough to get her attention. “Chill, Volkov, you’re good,” he said quietly. “Let her finish.”

Nate exhaled sharply, eyes flicking to Roman briefly before crossing her arms over her chest. “What did Dumb and Dumber find then?” she grumbled.

Becky reached into the envelope in her hands and pulled out a clear ziplock bag, holding it up for everyone to see. Inside were several shell casings. “Finn and JD went back to the warehouse to scout for anything left behind. Turns out, there were shells from both your weaponry,” she said, nodding toward Roman, “And the Volkovs.”

“Wow, look at Captain Obvious…” Nate mumbled, huffing a little.

Ignoring the jab, Becky proceeded to pick out a single shell from the bottom of the bag, holding it up between her fingers. “Except this one.”

Squinting his eyes, Roman leaned in to take a good look at it. “And that is?”

Becky handed the shell to Seth, who held it up like he was examining a rare artefact. “This,” Seth began, “Is a casing from a Barrett MRAD sniper rifle. High-calibre, precision-focused, and expensive as hell. Not the kind of thing you pick up at your average black-market arms dealer.”

Nate tilted her head, face contorting slightly. “And where does that get us?”

Seth’s smirk was complacent. “It gets us here.” He opened up yet another folder and laid out a piece of paper on the floor of his trunk with what looked like a transaction log. “This particular rifle? It was registered in 2013 to Shattered Dreams Armory. And we already know that whoever’s behind Shattered Dreams has rebranded into this Viper Machinery nonsense.”

“So, whoever pulled the trigger on Priest…” Roman started, “Used a weapon they got directly from Shattered Dreams.”

“Exactly,” Becky confirmed. “Whoever’s pulling the strings here has been at it for years. They didn’t just steal your shipment and take out Priest on a whim. This is methodical. They’ve got resources and connections that go way back.”

Nate’s hands curled into fists at her sides. “Perfect,” she huffed. “So we’re dealing with a ghost who knows how to cover tracks.”

“You’re not wrong,” Seth said. “But now you know what to look into. Viper Machinery is your link. Find out who’s using it, and you’ll find out who’s behind all of this.”

Nate’s shoulders stiffened, and her voice rose slightly. “And how exactly do you expect us to do that? It’s not like they’re advertising their services on Craigslist.”

“Nate,” Roman stepped in. She looked up at him, her breathing quick and shallow, irritation boiling over. His eyes locked with hers, steadily. Grounding her. “We’re gon’ figure it out,” he reassured. “You’re no good to anyone if you’re workin’ yourself up too much to think.”

Her lips parted as though she wanted to argue. And she did. God, she could argue with a brick wall if it was laid wrong. But the quiet authority in Roman’s tone—and the way he wasn’t looking at her like an opponent but a straight up ally—made her pause. She breathed out slowly, nodding at him. “Okay,” she said softly.

Becky’s brows lifted as she watched the exchange with great interest. “Huh,” she chuckled. “Look at that… He’s not a total arse.”

Seth scoffed a little but didn’t comment, instead gesturing to the folder still in Roman’s hands. “That’s all I can give you for now. But if you want my advice—”

“Did we ask for it?” Roman interrupted.

Seth grinned. “Yeah, yeah, acknowledge me, I get it. Just don’t screw this up, Big Dog. Because if you do, it’s not just your ass on the line. It’s hers too.” He nodded toward Nate.

If this were under any other circumstances, Roman may have just floored the guy. But, adhering to Nate’s requests, he just cleared his throat and tucked the folder under his arms, turning to her. “Let’s go.”

As Roman began making his way back to the car, Nate took a quick moment to give Becky an appreciative glance, mouthing a silent thank you in the process before catching up to Roman with a small jog. Walking back to the SUV, she caught the tiniest flicker of a smirk on the Samoan’s face.

“What?” she asked defensively.

“Nothin’,” he replied, the smirk only deepening. “Just nice to see I’m the one who can shut you up.”

“Don’t push your luck, Reigns, we’re barely back to the car yet.”

Nearing the SUV, Roman’s stride began to slow, casting a wary side glance at Nate. He stopped just shy of the vehicle, and his hand lightly caught her elbow, stopping her in her tracks too.

“You good?” he asked evenly, though sharp eyes scanned her face like he was reading between the lines of a book in a language he couldn’t decipher.

“Fine,” Nate answered quickly, perhaps too quickly. Her guard was up, her tone clipped in a way that Roman didn’t miss. Couldn’t miss. In fact, he hadn’t missed it all night.

“Uh-huh.” 

Roman didn’t buy it for a second. The slight tilt of his head signalled he wasn’t going to let her brush him off this time, folding his arms across his broad chest, the folder securely in one hand. “You headin’ back to Tribeca tonight?”

She hesitated, which already told him more than her eventual answer. “Yeah. But I can make my own way if it’s inconvenient, if you’ve got something else going on.”

That stumped him. “What?”

Nate squinted her eyes, confused as to why he was looking at her like she’d just spoken a foreign language. Maybe she’d just spoken in pure Russian and didn’t realise.

“I mean… You’ve got things going on, right?” she shifted uncomfortably, dropping her voice, “I don’t need to–”

“Hold up.” Roman’s tone was calm, but weighty enough for her to happily shut the fuck up. “You don’t need to what? You worried ‘bout me all of a sudden? ‘Cause that don’t sound right, Princess.”

She bristled, a small scoff escaping her. “I’m not worried, I’m just—”

“You’re just…?” He leaned slightly closer, his voice dipping lower. “Go on. Finish that.”

“I’m being practical,” she huffed with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, okay…” He was clearly unconvinced, shaking his head and muttering under his breath, “Practical, my ass.”

Nate wanted to argue, even started to part her lips to refute his dismissal, but he cut her off before she could. “We’ll drop everyone off back at my place first, then I’ll take you to Tribeca.”

“Why not just stop at Tribeca on the way?” she frowned. “Makes more sense.”

Roman’s eyes locked onto hers in that stern, cold way they did when he wasn’t willing to negotiate, to argue. “Because I wanna talk to you.”

Brows knitting together, a flicker of confusion crossed her. “About what?”

“Just get in the car, Volkov, or I’ma leave you here.”

Nate stared at him for a moment, debating whether or not to push back, but ultimately sighed heavily and started her way round to the passenger’s side of the car. “So bloody infuriating…” she mumbled.

“Heard that,” he called from the other side of the SUV, the signature smirk back on his face as he climbed into the driver’s seat and instantly turned toward the back seat to pass Jimmy the folder. “Take this. Focus on two names: Shattered Dreams Armory and Viper Machinery. I’ll break the rest down later, but for now, I need you on it. Both of you,” he added, looking between Jimmy and Jey. “We’ll get Tamina on it too.”

“Got it, Uce. We’ll take care of it,” Jimmy agreed, pursing his lips as he perused the documents with Jey attempting to lean over Sami to get a look at it himself, as though he couldn’t just ask for the folder when his brother was done with it.

The drive to Roman’s house was steeped in a quiet friction. Sami and Jimmy chatted quietly in the back, with Jey and Solo inputting here and there, but it wasn’t difficult to feel Solo’s wandering observation, even from all the way in the rear. But the Tribal Chief knew how to handle his enforcer, so he just ignored it for now, focusing on the road.

When they pulled into the long driveway leading to the house, Roman brought the car to a slow stop and cut off the engine. The Usos, Sami, and Solo climbed out, though the latter lingered, gripping the door frame as he glanced at Roman. His eyes flicked over at Nate, seated quietly, her form more withdrawn than usual.

“You’re not comin’ in?” Solo asked.

Roman shook his head firmly. “I’m takin’ Nate back to her place.”

Solo furrowed his eyebrows, narrowing his eyes inquisitively. “Why can’t she–”

“Solo,” Roman interrupted carefully. “Make sure everyone’s good inside. Hold it down ‘til I get back. Won’t be long.”

For a moment, Solo didn’t move, and focused back on the outside in the passenger seat. Unlike earlier, when she might have met his stare with defiance, she simply looked away blankly, as though her attention were somewhere completely unrelated and distant. The shift that even he noticed, left Solo frowning, but his cousin’s authoritative presence was enough to prevent further questioning.

“Yeah. Alright,” he grunted with a reluctant nod, before stepping back and shutting the door.

Roman shifted back into gear and eased the SUV back down the driveway, soaking up the silence that took over the space. It was thick. Not heavy, per se. But it was more… elusive—uncertain, fatigued.

Nate leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, her eyes fixed on the blur of city lights as they made their way toward Tribeca. She wasn’t one to sink into a foreigners space comfortably, but it was hard not to with the exhaustion that began to seep into every inch of her being. The need for solitude pressed on her greater than the need for compliance.

Surprisingly, the large Samoan beside her didn’t push her to talk, his hands steady on the wheel. He’d give her this time, at least…

But, like always, tranquillity never found peace in the lap of a Volkov; a faint, unmistakable growl broke through the monotony—the sound of a stomach protesting its neglect.

Roman glanced sideways, one brow lifting in amusement. “That your stomach?”

Nate sighed, a reluctant smile forming despite herself. “Maybe,” she admitted gently.

The corner of Roman’s mouth curved upward, and he let out a low chuckle. “Damn, you got a beast in there or somethin’?”

The moment felt fleetingly normal—just two people sharing a bit of levity in the aftermath of intense conversation. Nate rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the airy laugh that left her lips.

“I think it’s trying to mutiny,” she dryly jested, that classic British edge that only some could detect as humour.

“You hungry? We can stop somewhere. Grab somethin’ real quick.”

The question caught her by surprise, and she hesitated before shaking her head. “No, I’m fine.”

“You sure?” he asked, looking at her for a beat longer than necessary before he returned his focus to the road. “Your body’s tellin’ you somethin’, Volkov, probably a good idea to listen.”

The ease of the previous exchange simmered down slightly, the smile on Nate’s face now just a vacant chime of a grimace as she straightened in her seat. “It’s past six.”

Roman frowned. “What, that like a rule or somethin’?”

“Something like that.” She didn’t elaborate, just continued to watch as the road came toward them and disappeared under the car.

The instinct to understand Nate’s habits and the reasons behind them seemed to gnaw at Roman’s psyche; he wanted to press further. Wanted to figure her out. Entirely. But the way she adjusted her posture—the way her shoulders tensed—put a stop to his curiosities. Maybe it was cultural, he reasoned, some family thing he had no right prying into.

“Alright,” he simply said, letting it go.

The SUV fell back into silence, but this time it was softer, less oppressive. Definitely less oppressive than one would expect after such a strange exchange. But Nate’s mind drifted, like it always did in times of energy depletion and thinning patience, but she couldn’t deny the foreign sense of ease she felt sitting there beside Roman. Beneath the complete instability of home, he provided a quiet kind of… security. 

A sensation of safety that eluded her elsewhere.

Roman parked the SUV a few buildings down from Nate’s apartment, just far enough to keep the vehicle out of the view of security cameras at the front of her complex. They were out of the way enough that they wouldn’t be interrupted, save from the occasional hum of passing traffic in the otherwise still night.

Neither of them moved for what seemed like the longest minute of Nate’s life. His hands were still on the wheel, knuckles rolling a little as he adjusted his grip. His jaw; tense as he prepared for a conversation he wasn’t entirely sure how to start.

Nate shifted slightly in her seat, fingers brushing against the door handle. The exhaustion had deepened during the quiet drive, and all she wanted was the sanctuary of her own space—a moment to shut the world out, Roman included. Too much on her mind. Too many emotions bubbling beneath the surface.

A few glasses of whiskey, blasting some music, and a hot bath seemed like, at that moment, the best thing in the world.

“Thanks for the ride,” she said softly. It wasn’t too much like her to express gratitude so easily, but it felt different tonight. Tonight, she just felt like a massive burden. A bout of deadweight nobody truly wanted to drag around with them. Like she was in the way, yet… never there when needed.

She made a quick move to open the door, making it clear she wasn’t looking for further conversation. “I’ll head in from he–”

Roman’s hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around her wrist firmly, but not so much that it would hurt her. She froze, breath catching in her throat. There was no malice in the touch, but his authority—his… insistence was what stopped her as effectively as a wall would.

“Not so fast.”

Turning her head slowly, her eyes met his, noting the sharp angles of his face highlighted by the streetlight beside where he’d parked up. The furrow of his brow, the set of his jaw. He didn’t speak at first, his hand sliding up from her wrist to her forearm, a clear goal in mind. Her body practically stiffened as it stopped just short of her shoulder before moving upward again. 

When his thumb brushed over her cheekbone—light, reverent—she flinched. It was slight, but Roman noticed it.

His fingers lingered, barely cupping her face now, and his thumb traced the faint but unmistakable cut along her skin.

For a man like Roman, who could be cruel and brutal when necessary, the tenderness in his touch was jarring.

“What happened?” he asked quietly. It was calm, but the undertones were anything but.

Nate tried to turn her head, tried to move out of his hold, but his hand didn’t budge. “It’s nothing,” mumbled. “Really. Just… I slipped, that’s all.”

“Don’t lie to me.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

She sighed, shoulders slumping a fraction in the process. “It’s not a big deal. Things happen, Roman, let’s ju–”

“I said, don’t lie to me,” he interrupted, his tone sharper this time. His thumb brushed over the cut again, eyes darkening as he did. “You expect me to believe you ‘slipped’ and landed on your face? C’mon, Volkov, you’re better at lyin’ than that.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her silence speaking louder than anything she could have said.

Roman’s jaw tightened, his patience fraying. “Was it… what’s his name, Alexei?” he asked. Voice dropping an octave.

Nate shook her head immediately.

“Boris?” he asked next, the faintest trace of confusion colouring his words, like the concept made little sense.

Again, she shook her head.

Roman paused, his hand still on her cheek, thumb still tracing small circles near the edge of the cut. His eyes searched hers, and for the first time during this particular conversation, he hesitated.

“...Dimitri?”

It felt heavy on his tongue, almost too vile to say aloud.

She didn’t nod. She didn’t shake her head. Didn’t move at all, in fact. And the silence that followed was deafening.

Roman’s hand dropped from her face as if her skin had burned him. He leaned back in his seat, his eyes locked on her. The shift in his expression was progressive. The anger rising within him was like a tidal wave, slow and inevitable.

“Your father?” he repeated through a low tremble that barely contained his impending fury.

Nate didn’t respond, just had her hands clasped together tightly in her lap. She couldn’t even look at him in her time of weakness. To her, it was… pathetic.

“What kind of man,” he began, “Puts his hands on his own daughter? Huh? What kind of… pathetic, weak bastard thinks that’s okay?”

She stayed silent, her head tilted downward, but she took in every syllable of what he was saying.

“You’re his daughter,” Roman continued, the words tumbling out now, fuelled by a rage that only seemed to grow. “His blood. You don’t hit your own, Nate. You don’t raise a hand to any woman, let alone your own damn kid. What the fuck’s wrong with him? What kinda sick—”

His voice broke off, and he slammed a hand against the dashboard, the sharp sound echoing in the confines of the car. Whilst Nate didn’t flinch, her chest began to rise and fall a little faster now, a shallowness forming in her breath.

Roman shook his head, running a hand over his face. “I’d never–” He stopped, his throat tightening and his teeth gritting painfully. “I can’t even think about doin’ somethin’ like that to Ava. I’d cut off my own fuckin’ hands first. That’s your daughter, you protect her. You don’t…” He trailed off, hands clenched into fists.

He just… couldn’t shake the anger simmering beneath his skin. The thought of a father hitting his daughter—it wasn’t just foreign to him; it was repulsive. It dug at something primal, something deeply ingrained in his core, and the more he thought about it, the harder it became to let go. But it wasn’t just the abstract idea of it anymore. It was Nate.

And that’s what finally made him pause.

She was sitting next to him, as still as a shadow, staring out of the window like she could somehow dissolve into the night if she tried hard enough. The cool, unflappable Natalka Volkov, who never so much as blinked when the stakes were high, had tears streaking silently down her cheeks.

Roman blinked, as though his mind needed to catch up with what his eyes were seeing. She wasn’t sobbing, wasn’t shaking, wasn’t even making a sound. It was quieter than anything he’d ever witnessed, but it hit him harder than if she’d broken down entirely. She wasn’t just crying. She was breaking—right there in his passenger seat.

For a moment, he just watched her. The sheen of tears clinging to her lashes, the way her chest rose and fell like she was trying to breathe through a knot in her throat. It dawned on him, slow and heavy, that he’d never seen her like this. Ever. Nate didn’t cry. She snapped, she fought, she drank, she laughed. But she didn’t cry.

Not until now.

And it wasn’t just the tears. It was what they meant. It wasn’t lost on him that her guard was always so airtight, so impenetrable, and the fact that she’d let it slip in front of him of all people—that told him everything he needed to know. Whatever was happening with her, whatever had driven her to this edge, it was… bad.

Roman’s nostrils flared in his disgust, his anger, as it rose back up in his chest again. But it was different now. Before, he’d been mad at the idea. The principle. Now, he was mad for her. For Nate.

How bad was it over there?

For years, he’d painted the Volkovs—and every Russian tied to them—with the same brush. Ruthless, cold-blooded criminals. They weren’t people to him; they were obstacles, enemies. And when Nate first came into his life, that’s exactly how he’d seen her. A means to an end. A pawn in the game.

But now?

Roman exhaled sharply, leaning back in his seat and dragging a hand over his jaw. Damn it. He meant it that time he told her she wasn’t her family. She wasn’t like Dimitri. And that was part of the problem. She’d spent so much of her life fighting to impress her father, maybe even to be a better, more powerful version of him, and now Roman hated the fact that he was starting to care.

Care.

Forbidden territory, that’s what she was. The daughter of his enemy. A woman he wasn’t supposed to feel anything for. And yet here she was, unravelling before him. He hated the way it twisted his insides. Hated the way it made him want to protect her, to keep her from whatever hell she was facing at home.

This wasn’t who he was supposed to be. He didn’t care about the women he fucked. Hell, he didn’t even think about them after the fact. Yet since that night at the safehouse, he hadn’t been with anyone else. Not once.

The realisation hit him like a punch to the gut, and it only made him angrier. Just another thing to add to the mountain of bullshit piling up around him. 

Letting out a sharp breath, he looked over at Nate again. Her face was angled toward the window, but her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. He could see the faint tremor in her fingers.

“Nate,” he said finally, yet a little rougher than he intended.

She didn’t turn.

“Nate, look at me.”

So she did, albeit slowly with her eyes still shining with unshed tears.

“How did it happen?” he asked.

She held off on an answer. Half-wishing that this conversation never even started in the first place. Then, as if the dam had cracked, she breathed out and began to speak.

“They told Katya,” she said quietly, distantly, “That she’s going to marry Alexei in February.”

Roman tilted his head. “Alexei,” he repeated. “The guy your old man’s pushin’ into business?”

She nodded, her gaze drifting again, as though she were replaying the memory in her mind. “She’s so sweet, Roman,” she murmured, almost to herself. “She’s not like us. Not like me. She’s… pure.” Her breath caught, but she kept going. “I’ve tried so… so hard to keep her away from all of this. But now they’re dragging her into it, and she doesn’t even know what she’s being dragged into.”

He noted how her voice softened when she talked about her sister, how her hands tightened in her lap as if trying to hold herself together.

“You told them no,” he half-asked.

Nate nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Of course, I told them no,” she said, her voice finally gaining some edge. “But no one tells my dad no. Not without…” She gestured vaguely toward her cheek, her meaning clear.

Roman’s eyes narrowed as the pieces clicked into place. “You stood up to him.” A hint of… pride, perhaps—creeping into his tone. She shrugged, the facade slipping back into place, though not quite as solid as before.

“Someone had to,” she said matter-of-factly.

He let out a low huff, almost a laugh, humourless and dry. “You’re outta your damn mind,” he shook his head. “You know that?”

She smirked faintly, the first real emotion that touched the realm of positive, he’d seen from her since they parked. “Yeah. I’ve been told.”

“You’re not like him, y’know,” Roman suddenly interjected, the caught-off-guard expression on Nate’s face more endearing to him than it should’ve been. “You’re not like your old man,” he repeated. “I know I told you that before, but I meant that shit.”

Even though she didn’t respond immediately, it was noticeable how the tension in her shoulders, and all the way down her back, softened. Like… she was relieved. And he didn’t elaborate, didn’t push. He didn’t need to. She’d been getting better at seeing through him, and she saw through him now. Whatever else he felt—anger, frustration, pride—he buried it under the same stubborn mask he always wore.

And she let him, because she got it.

And the quiet that stretched like the one after a storm that promised another was on the horizon, wasn’t awkward. Just heavy. Roman rested his hand on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the street ahead, while Nate sat motionless beside him. At first, he thought she was about to leave, but something stopped her.

Her eyes narrowed a bit, a slight furrow in her brow as her teeth caught the edge of her bottom lip. She was thinking, deeply, about something; he saw it in the harshness of her swallow, in the small, involuntary twitch of her fingers against her lap.

Shifting in her seat, she leaned back before leaning forward again, clearly unsure of how to approach whatever was on her mind.

“Nate,” Roman said, cutting through her thoughts. “What is it?”

She faltered, tightening the muscles in her jaw. Then, with a minute, shaky breath, she spoke.

“Could you…” She trailed off, biting at her lip again before starting over. “I was just wondering if—actually, no. Forget it, it–”

“Nate,” he interrupted firmly enough to stop her spiral of second-guessing.

She exhaled sharply, shoulders deflating as she tried again. “Could you do me a favour?” 

Roman arched a brow, glancing at her out the corner of his eye. “Depends on the favour.”

“Nothing… crazy,” she rushed to explain, a nervous edge creeping into her words. “And honestly, if you can’t, it’s fine. I get it. You’ve got your own stuff, and I don’t want t–”

“I’ll do it.”

She blinked at him, startled by how quickly and definitively he’d agreed. “You don’t even know what it is,” she tilted her head.

“Does it matter?”

“You love to play the hero, eh?” she huffed through a soft, incredulous laugh.

He shot her a look that was half-warning, half-amused. “I’m not a hero. What d’ya need, Princess?”

Fidgeting with one of the buckles on her leather jacket, she hummed. “I uh… I need you to put me in touch with Tamina.”

“Tamina?” Of all the things she could’ve asked, that wasn’t what he expected.

“Yeah.” She looked up at him, already seeing the question in his eyes before he could ask it. “I need to sort something out,” she said. “I need information on someone, and Tamina… she’s the best at finding things, right?”

There was no hesitation when he nodded almost instantly. “Alright.”

That simplicity caught her off guard. “Just like that?” she asked, squinting at him like he had an ulterior motive.

“Just like that,” he confirmed.

Honestly, she was expecting to have to go into details, to convince him to let her talk with Tamina, but apparently not.

“O-okay,” she finally uttered. “Can you give her my burner number?”

“Your burner?”

She nodded, glancing away briefly before meeting his eyes again. “I can’t leave any trace of this. Not at home, not on my regular line. Nothing. I’m being serious, Roman, this needs to stay off the radar.”

As much as she expected him to press for answers, he wanted to. It was just part of who he was; the constant need to be aware of everything that’s going on, not content with the thought of not being in the know about something he is indirectly aiding. But Nate clearly had her reasons, and if those reasons meant she had to go to these lengths to actually ask him for help, he wasn’t about to argue it.

“Fine,” he mumbled, reaching for his phone from his pocket to make a note for himself. “You’ll hear from her soon.”

“Okay…” Nate sat in silence as she watched his long thumbs move over his phone screen, her thoughts clearly still racing, her own fingers drummed lightly against her knee. She couldn’t help the shifting in her seat, and the need to take slow, deep breaths. 

Eventually, her hand hovered near the door handle, but she didn’t open it yet. Instead, she turned toward him, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Thank you,” she whispered, carrying a note of sincerity even he wasn’t prepared for. He raised an eyebrow, now averting his gaze back to her.

“For what?”

“For… I don’t know.” She stumbled on her words, then let out a small laugh, muttering to herself, “Ya chertovski nenavizhu sebya…” She cleared her throat. “For not making this harder than it already is, I guess. For just saying yes without asking too many questions.”

Roman shrugged, placing his phone on the dashboard. “You needed somethin’. I said I’d do it.”

There it was again—that simplicity. So infuriatingly matter-of-fact. Nate felt a warmth bloom in her chest, but she shoved it down before it could spread too far and too wide. She leaned forward slightly, taking in the details of his face as if trying to decide whether or not she should do what she was thinking of doing. What her body was telling, ordering her to do.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she proceeded to lean in closer, her lips brushing softly against Roman’s cheek, just above where his beard meticulously bordered the rest of his face. A kiss so quick and delicate that it almost didn’t happen.

Freezing for half a second, Roman’s body came to a stop at the unexpected gesture. She lingered just long enough for him to feel the warmth of her spearmint breath, the faint scent of her perfume protracting in the process. And the shampoo she used, clear-as-day vanilla with the smallest hint of rhubarb, coming together with the cocoa butter lotion left as an after-aroma. 

Intoxicating.

When she pulled back, there was something gentle behind her honey eyes—something vulnerable. “Thank you,” she said again, more as a mumble this time.

He didn’t answer, just kept the dark fix of his gaze locked on her with an unreadable countenance. 

Alas, she cleared her throat once more, straightening up as she reached for the door handle again. “Keep me in the loop, okay? About those folders Seth gave you. I want to know what else is in there.”

Roman nodded once, curtly and with an air of finality. “You’ll know.”

Nate opened the door and slipped out of the car, the cool night air hitting her as she turned back to face him. 

“Goodnight, Reigns. Don’t get yourself killed,” she said, a smirk appearing in the limited light. He mirrored, switching on the engine and resting his forearm over the steering wheel.

“G’night, Princess.”

With one last tight-lipped smile, she shut the door and made her way toward the apartment building, her figure disappearing into the shadows. Roman sat there, staring at her fading form in the side-view mirror, the faint impression of her kiss still lingering on his cheek like a ghost.

He didn’t even move until she was completely out of sight, until he knew she’d gotten inside the building, and it wasn’t even until he was halfway home that he realised she’d played on his mind the whole time. Never once left a single iota of brainpower for anything else. She was getting under his skin in ways he hadn’t anticipated, more than she ever had done up until that moment, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

All he knew was that, for reasons he didn’t want to admit, he found himself admiring her all over again.

[vampyre-bytess]

🎄 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!! 🎄

Kissin’ under the mistletoe hehehe

[lowkey-calico]

Smoochin my sweetpea under the mistletoe, and kissin' some of our frens under the mistletoe too :>

surprise smooch on our fren Nuna

Our fren Sky couldn't handle it lol :>

[littlebearnation]

the 12 days of landoscmas

a full list of fics - the release dates and the titles.

Dec 2nd: snow's coming down

Dec 4th: rockin' around the christmas tree

Dec 6th: bundled up in their mittens and coats

Dec 8th: all i want for christmas is you

Dec 10th: i'm dreaming of a white christmas

Dec 12th: snowflakes in my stomach when we're kissin'

Dec 14th: i'll be your secret santa (give anything to have ya)

Dec 16th: i'll hold your hands, they're just like ice

Dec 18th: that champagne buzz down to my toes

Dec 20th: with you (under the mistletoe)

Dec 22nd: guess you make her happy like i couldn't do

Dec 24th: now i've found a real love, you'll never fool me again

Bonus 1: you're all that i need, underneath the tree Bonus 2: i'll be cleaning up bottles with you on new year's day

this series is complete.

© all rights to littlebearnation 2024.

[pearlescent-poppies]

Hello!!

Welcome to day 3!!!!

I apologise for the late post! Life kinda hit me today but I hope you enjoy the technical double post that I’ll be doing later!

This fic was a really challenging write for no reason, so it’s quite a bit shorter. I hope you don’t mind!

And as always, I really appreciate any reblogs/kudos or comments here or on AO3.

Well anyways! Here is:

Day 3: Schwhip, Gingerbread Houses

For: @theseusmc

Todays songs are: Sleigh Ride, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, and Kissin’ By The Mistletoe

I really really hope I did them justice Scottie! Love you lots!!!

(Fic under cut)

In front of them lay two gingerbread houses separated by a divider. The table is covered in scores and scores of candy and the rules have been set, all’s left to do is start.

“Ready, Snowflake?” fWhip asks his partner with a challenging grin.

“As I’ll ever be Ember,” Scott giggles back as they lean in and meet for a kiss.

After Scott turns on his Christmas music playlist it's go time. The playlist sets the benchmark for time, they have six hours, and while they definitely shouldn’t need that many, it’s just for fun anyways.

———

Around three hours pass before they’re done. Both too locked into their task to make real conversation aside from little competitive quips.

The finished products are absolutely gorgeous, fWhip and Scott both very clearly artists by trade.

fWhip’s house is classic, though beautifully detailed with filigree piped in icing, white, crystally sprinkles placed with care over the ground and roof to create a glistening snow effect on the white icing, red and green gumdrop lined roof, there’s even two little gingerbread men made to look like they’re ice skating on a pond.

Scott’s smile softens as he admires the build when he looks at the familiarly coloured gingerbread men. “Is that us?” He asks.

fWhip settles behind her and wraps his arms around her waist; then settles his chin on her shoulder, “Mhm, they are. Cause you love to skate so much.”

Scott turns his head awkwardly to press a peck to his lips, “That is adorable. Just like you.”

He laughs and sighs quietly as Scott liquifies in his arms, “I think you mean like you,” he says smartly.

“Oh is that right fWhippy?” Scott teases with a giggle.

“Absolutely it is mon coeur.”

She groans at the petname usage. “You’re never letting that one go, are you,” he says flatly. When they’d first gotten together during Empires season one, fWhip had chosen French as the Grimlandian language, and the most common romantic name for someone is, mon coeur, translating to: My Heart. It was endlessly endearing then, and even more so now.

“Never. Besides, you love it,” he laughs and tightens his arms around Scott for a brief moment before relaxing them again.

They both then take a look at Scott’s gingerbread house: It’s an explosion of beautiful colour. With Christmas lights piped in frosting, a winding path of rainbow licorice, a candy cane forest, and even his own pond with a feature waterfall done with the water being pink. In contrast to fWhip’s crystal sprinkles, Scott’s snow is made to look glistening by the use of edible glitter. His gingerbread men are also the two of them.

“Great minds think alike it seems,” fWhip chuckles as he looks at the cookies.

“It seems they do.”

———

Scott let’s himself relax in his boyfriend’s arms for a little while as they admire the beautiful displays, before untangling himself reluctantly, “C’mon, let’s get these in their proper places,” he says and carefully picks up the base of his gingerbread house. fWhip smiles fondly and takes his own in much the same way.

They place them both in the center of the kitchen island and Scott fusses with them for a few minutes to make sure they look perfect in their rightful spots.

Y’see, a Gingerbread House competition was the most important Christmas tradition Scott had grown up with. His family would all gather together (a very rare occasion) and create the houses, the best one would be displayed on the kitchen island and the rest would be eaten. Most years, Scott hadn’t won, and it had crushed his heart. So when he became an adult, he continued the tradition with a few friends, but made sure none of the houses were destroyed until Christmas Day festivities.

Now, third year in a row doing this with fWhip, he couldn’t be happier to admire their works of art until after they unwrapped presents with their little found family and ate them. It was always lots of fun, and so many years removed from the crazy competitiveness of his biological family, it warmed his heart to know just how much better things had gotten.

Scott giggles as fWhip drags him away from the counter. “Where are we going?” He asks.

They get to the front door of their home, and fWhip points towards the ceiling, “Look up,”

Scott does so and groans dramatically, “Oh my stars you dork! Get over here,” she sighs and pulls him close, connecting their lips for a sweet kiss.

[aellesira]

KINICH MASTERLIST.

MISCOMMUNICATION. (PART 1)

pairings, kinich x (intended) fem!reader. summary, why is it when it comes to you, he loses all sense of rationality? content, mentions of cheating, angsty ending.

NEVER LEAVE. (PART 2).

pairings, kinich x (intended) fem!reader. summary, he won't ever be so childish again. not when he has you and his family. content, injured kinich.

KISSIN' UNDER THE MISTLETOE!

pairings, kinich x gn!reader. summary, two attempts mualani made to get you guys to kiss, and one that he made himself.

NEW YEAR'S DRABBLE. THE PRINCE'S ROSE SERIES. royal au. IRREPARABLE HEARTBREAK.

pairings, kinich x (implied fem) gn!reader, (modern au). summary, you, who often dreamed about loving someone couldn't have hoped for a better opportunity... but who knew it was your delusion the whole time? 1.2k words. content, self-deprecating reader, reader often calls themselves ugly and unpopular, kinich gives off mixed signals, angst, heartbreak, hurt/no comfort.

[jaxasstm]

❝Pfft, imagine kissin' anyone under the mistletoe, to begin with.❞

From Gummigoo

"...Oh yeah, you wouldn't know what that's like, would you gummylips?"

A scoff and those ears give an irritated twitch.

[sirserpentine]

@hazbinned said:

"Oh!" Alastor glanced upwards, smile a bit wider and more awkward than usual. His cheeks also seemed a bit more red than usual. "Why, would you look at that? It certainly is. Ha! Glad you know your plants, dear..."

Angel Dust, however, wiggled his eyebrows and leaned in.

"You boys are bein' way too scientific about this!" the spider explained, "Mistletoe ain't... phora-den...sugarplum-whatever. That smartass name Pen said. It's the kissin' plant. Y'know-- for kissin'!"

Angel had come with Val, while Alastor, dressed in a slightly more modern but still criminally outdated red suit, was Pentious' plus-one. Angel Dust had lost Val some time ago, though-- even if their almost-matching skimpy Santa costumes (Val's in red and without a skirt, Angel's with a skirt and dusty pink) visually tied them together. No, the movie star was with his buddies now... as the not-quite-third-wheel to a subtly blossoming relationship. And he loved it.

"Well, Pen," the spider schmoozed, "I'll do it if Alastor don't wanna." Angel reached up to grab the mistletoe and dangled it above his head. "Eh, eh?"

Unfortunately for all of them, Val was walking past the group with his newly-gathered snacks stacked high in his arms when he spotted them and ducked behind a pillar.

"Oh, hell no!" the moth hissed, "What the fuck?!"

That was the guy from the Blood Ball! With... Angel and Alastor? Under the mistletoe?! What a snake! Literally!

Val fished his phone out and took a snapshot and texted it to Vox. If he was going to suffer, everyone was going to suffer.

"Well... it would bring disastrous fortune if I were to decline, I ssssuppose," Pentious said. He often indulged in superstitions for the mere novelty of it. They were delightful rituals that made their disgusting world a bit more enjoyable to live in.

And seeing as how Hell itself ended up being a reality, he didn't want to take his chances with any other supernatural beliefs.

He gave a comforting glance towards Alastor, promising not to fall into a raunchy display with their bold friend. He leaned in towards Angel, puckering up and planting the briefest, chaste smooches over his mouth. It was the holidays, after all.

He hoped actually going through the gesture surprised Angel a bit, the spider being the tease he was.

Then, Pentious turned to Alastor. Kisses weren't his type from what he could tell, but Pentious didn't want to leave him out either. The serpent rearranged his hands into a heart. It was better to offer him a bail alongside the gesture.

"Well, Alastor? Will you risk your luck, or shall I send you a kisssss through the air?"

[cmgiftexchange]

🎁 2023 Gift Masterlist ✨

Everybody’s gifts from the exchange will be added to this post for everyone to enjoy, unless the gifter has chosen not to publish publicly. If your gift is not listed but you’ve posted it please drop me a DM to add it!

Fanfiction

Love They Say by @blackbird-brewster for @unitchiefs-blackbirdphoenix || T || Jemily, Tebecca

Do Not Go Gentle by @justjasper for @spritehouse || T || Moreid

Murder by @c-m-stuff for @alluring-andrayav || Spencer x Reader

Snow Angel by @foxy-eva for @drgenius-reid || E || Spencer x Reader

A Creature Was Stirring by @drgenius-reid for @cumulo-stratus || G || Spencer Reid

Something Worth Fighting For by @masterwords for @hosseinis || T || Hotchgan

Rest Your Bones Next To Me by @spritehouse for @domestikhighway58 || Ralvez

My Little Girl by @omgbigfluffwriting for @cocainechampagne || Spencer x Reader

So Just Keep Kissin' Me Under The Mistletoe by @starzzyeyed for @aad1993 || T || Hotchreid

A Gift For You by @cocainechampagne for @starzzyeyed || Hotchreid

A Heart That’s All Mine by @hosseinis for @weirdlybeans || G || Hotchgan

Overcompensating by @definitelynotmeoverhere for @scorpsik || Emily Prentiss

No Surprises by @palmviolet for @masterwords || T || Hotchgan

A Secret Santa (Or Two) by @mournfulshapes for @inlovewithjemily || E || Je T’Emily

(I Now Pronounce You) Mister Hotchner & Doctor Reid by @putting-the-bi-in-bau for @chaotic-librarian || T || Hotchreid

Falling For You by @wyrcan for @ideeylic || Moreid

Operation: Secret Santa by @roguefoxpaws for @hugyourlungs || T || Gen

If You’re Gonna Love Me, Love Me Like An Outlaw by @alexblakeisgay for @pagetprentissishot || Emily/Ian Doyle

Fanart

Temily & Garvez by @scorpsik for @gaelic-symphony

Merry Chrysler by @hugyourlungs for @definitelynotmeoverhere || Garvez

Ice Skating Date by @cargopantsprentiss for @wyrcan || Jemily

[starzzyeyed]

For the @cmgiftexchange!

My recipient is @aad1993 and the prompt they requested was:

“Something fluffy, with a bit of spice and maybe a bit of angst too! I love a slow burn 💚 maybe a case or something makes Hotch realise his feelings for Reid? I’m open to anything”

I hope you enjoy it, Happy Holidays everyone!

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid

Tags: Fluff, Getting Together, First Kiss

Words: 3.5k

Summary:

Spencer's dreading the BAU's christmas party for many reasons; not least because it means spending time off duty with his boss. The same boss he's been harbouring a deep and highly inappropriate crush on for longer than he wants to think about.

“Hey, Pretty Boy, you all ready for tomorrow night?”

Spencer looks up from his desk, where he’s been trying to fill out the same report for the last hour, and blinks slowly at Morgan.

“What’s that?” he asks, when it becomes clear that the other man isn’t going to give him any more information on what on earth he’s talking about.

“Tomorrow night,” Morgan repeats, as though it’s obvious, and Spencer just stares at him until he sighs and shakes his head. “The office party, remember? You must have seen the flyers,” he says and only then does Spencer remember what date it is.

Of course, it’s the 14th today.

That explains why he’s seen so many maintenance staff around the building today. He assumed they were just repairing the lights that had begun flickering over the last few weeks, but now that he looks closer at the man up a stepladder out in the corridor, he realises that the man is actually in the process of hanging strands of fairy lights.

“Oh right, yes, the party,” he replies, closing the top of his file and leaning back in his chair when he realises that Morgan isn’t going to leave anytime soon. “What about it?”

“Just wondering what you’re wearing,” Morgan says, waggling an eyebrow at Spencer that has the younger man raising one of his own in confusion.

“What I’m wearing?” he repeats, glancing over his shoulder in case he’s being pranked, and Emily is standing somewhere behind him, recording him for them all, him included, to giggle at later.

“Yeah, you know…” Derek starts, but when Spencer’s face remains blank he folds his arms over his chest and nods in the direction of the break area, and when Spencer follows his gaze he finds the new agent from Obsessional Crimes standing with her back to them making a drink.

“I don’t follow,” Spencer says, even though he has a growing suspicion that he knows exactly what Derek is implying, and the shit-eating grin that he gets in response only solidifies that suspicion more.

“I think you do,” he replies and Spencer groans, leaning further back in his chair and rubbing at the headache that’s been slowly forming behind his eyes all day.

“I’m not asking her to the party that everyone is already attending.”

Morgan rolls his eyes, and Spencer would mimic the action if not for the fact that his head hurts so much already.

“I’m just saying,” Morgan says, holding his hands up innocently, “People look at what you’re wearing, and if you come in something nice, you might even get lucky.” He winks and Spencer only just manages to resist the urge to groan again, deciding that it’s too much effort when Derek clearly isn’t interested in anything he has to say anyway.

Instead, he pouts slightly, hoping Garcia might be walking by and see so she can take Morgan away from bullying him, and replies sulkily; “but my cardigans are nice.”

Derek laughs, shaking his head before he turns and, thankfully, begins walking away in the direction of Garica’s office. Spencer just sighs quietly, grateful for the peace and quiet as he turns back to his report, doing his best to focus on the words there. It’s not long however before his attention begins to drift, and he finds himself staring up at Hotch’s office window every few seconds, no matter how forcefully he tries to keep his eyes on his report.

Spencer's not sure how much longer he can keep harbouring this secret, highly inappropriate crush that he has on his boss before someone catches on, but it can’t be that long.

He’s honestly surprised no one has already, given the team of so-called professional profilers that he works with every single day.

Spencer only hopes he can keep his affection to himself tomorrow night, especially if he’s going to be expected to consume any of the Christmas punch that he knows Garcia has eagerly been looking forward to making.

Read the rest on ao3 here!