#lets use those fancy purple tags

[sky-daddy-hates-me]

@staff explain this.

Explain how Lebanon, Israel, Colonialism and Middle East are "trending" yet I've not seen Gaza, Palestine, free gaza or free palestine trend a single time.

[nikkisheep]

To Be Alone With You (Part 4)

Anthony Bridgerton x female!sharma!sister!reader (soon)

mentions of Benedict Bridgerton x female!sharma!sister!reader

Warnings: cheating (Anthony is engaged to Edwina), SMUT!!!!!! oral (f), fingering, over stimulation, sexual tension, cursing, body worship, jealous Anthony, biting, angst at the end, hair pulling, breeding kink

I'M SO SORRY IT GOT TO BE SO LONG :)

Summary: Anthony finds out about your art session with Benedict and means to remind you who you belong to as you remind him who he chose to belong to.

Songs to listen to while reading: **= smut part, *=angst

**Amantes: Esme (song is in Spanish but is very soft and sets the mood)

**Take Me To Church: Hozier

**I Wanna Be Yours: Arctic Monkeys

**Shameless: Camila Cabello

**wRoNg: ZAYN

*The Great War: Taylor Swift

*Say Don't Go: Taylor Swift

Tag List: @shealuna, @m-rae23, @littlepeanut03, @aellabridgerton, @sydney-m, @faatxma, @wildthoughtnananna, @uraesthete, @themadhattersqueen, @sydney-m, @theantiquehobbit

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED, COMMENT OR MESSAGE ME

You watched the Lady's maids get you ready in front of a large mirror. When it came time for you to get your hair done, your best friend, Phoebe, ushered the other maids out. Phoebe was the daughter of your mother's Lady's maid. The two of you grew to be fast friends as you grew older. Phoebe hoping for marriage and you planning to find a man worthy of her.

"If you are not careful, the others will know what you and those two Bridgertons are up to," She said as she pulled your hair off your neck, revealing the bruises from your "art" session with the second son.

"Phoebe!" You gasp. "I told you that as you are my best friend, not for you to use it against me."

"Darling, I am not using it against you nor am I blaming you. Do you know how many women would kill to be in your position?" She giggled as she put your hair in the tight bun that it needed to be in.

"I would rather not be in my position if I could help it," You said while looking down at your hands.

---

The Bridgerton house was covered in their signature baby blues. There were flowers, candles, and other decor everywhere to be seen. All the Bridgerton brothers were decked out in their fancy suits with those beautiful neck ties. Benedict's was a soft yellow and Anthony's was a dark blue. The others wore white.

Dressed in your family's dark purple color, your mother had the neck line deeper than what is normally accepted. You knew that she just wanted to help you find a man but the only man that you really wanted was one who was engaged to marry your sister.

Moving to the drink table, you grab a cup of water. You notice that nearly everyone else had chosen the lemonade. When you turned back around from the table to the ballroom, one Colin Bridgerton was making his way to you.

Giving a short bow, Colin moved to stand beside you.

"Do tell me, Miss Sharma, how have you enchanted my two idiot brothers?" He asked with a sly smirk on his face.

"Why, I do not have the slightest idea," You reply, hoping that he wouldn't pressure.

"See, I don't know if I can accept that answer, Miss Sharma," Colin said. "It seems that their eyes have not left you since you walked into the room."

With that he left your side, only for one Anthony Bridgerton to step into his place.

"Evening, Miss Sharma."

"Viscount Bridgerton." You nod.

"How have you been?"

"I've been fine, my Lord," You quip. "How has your engagement been?"

He looked at you with a flash of hurt at the sudden mention of his engagement to your sister.

"How was the art session with my brother?" He said with a jealous undertone in his voice.

"It was wonderful. I learned a lot. A lot that some men can't teach." You walked away at the end of your sentence as you moved to the dance floor with Anthony.

The way his eyes looked at you with such passion and desire at the same time nearly dizzied you as his left hand came to rest on your waist and his right holding yours. His warm skin melted through the soft white fabric of your glove and you could feel his warmth through your gown.

Your bodies moved in waves of motion as you stared into each other's eyes, mapping out every hue of color as though this will be the last chance you would see each other. After all, this will be your last chance to see Viscount Anthony Bridgerton unwed. The last chance to be with Anthony Bridgerton. Your Anthony.

"Your gown is exquisite, Miss Sharma." Anthony moves to turn you so your back is pressed against his chest, his arm holding yours across your chest. His lips near your ear so you are the only one to hear, his warm breath fans over your exposed neck and the top of your chest as it rises and falls with the sheer excitement and nervousness that came to being this close with the Viscount, your lover in the darkest nights.

"Thank you," You said. "You don't look to bad yourself, My lord. "

"Anthony," He said. "I have told you to call me Anthony."

"My lord, I have only called you that in private." You began to become flustered with the memories of your night meetings before his engagement.

"You seem to be flustered," He says as he pulls you closer as the music stops, his lips directly beside your ear. "Tell me, do you still think of me when you are with my brother?"

You pull back quickly with surprise. You go to say something, anything but you can't seem to find the words.

"It's okay, darling. My brother is a worthy lover, however, I must make you remember who you belong to." He says before squeezing your dress to walk away to greet a man by his mother.

---

You sit in your room, looking out the window at the small lake outside. The night reminds you of when you first let Anthony touch you.

His skin against yours in the cool water as he moved his lips against yours in fever as he wanted to consume your every thought and replace it with him. The way he picked you up out of the water and laid you on that dock. The way he ravaged you with hunger and lust as he picked you apart and put you back together with pleasure being his glue.

Your hands start to wander up and down your body as you remembered the ways that he touched you, making you feel immense pleasure that you had never known until that night. You shake the thoughts away from your mind as it started to thunder outside, signaling a thunderstorm was about to hit. Just as a loud crash of thunder clapped, a small thud against your window sounded so much louder in the howling wind and rain. You open the window to find Anthony Bridgerton soaked head to toe in water. His hair was stuck to his face and his clothes were stuck to his body. He waved you down and you went.

"Have you gone mad?" You whisper shout.

"Mad? No. In love with you? Yes." He smiles.

"You don't mean that, My lord."

"But I do."

"You made me believe you loved me only for you to propose to Edwina. My sister!"

"I never meant to actually fall in love with you!" He yelled, hands coming to be thrown up in the air.

"So it's my fault that you love me? Is that what you are trying to tell me?"

"No! Yes! I don't know how I fell in love with you." He stared at you as the rain continued to pour around you. "I just know why I love you. Let me show you how much I love you."

"What about Edwina?"

"What of Edwina?" He asked, confused at the even mere mention of her. As if the mention of his fiancee was left a bad taste in his mouth. Not that she wasn't a lovely girl, but because she wasn't you.

"What has happened between you two?" You tremble at the thought of the two of them doing the things that you have done together.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked. "Nothing has happened."

"Have you kissed her?"

"No."

"Have you held her body close to yours?"

"No."

"Has she been given the same pleasures that you once gave me?"

"You are the only one that I have ever wanted to be with that way in a long time. I do not care for Edwina that way. When I told you that I only feel this way about you at the lake, I meant it." He said, moving to grab your hands to pull you closer to him.

His brown eyes bored into yours as he scanned your face for any resistance. He pressed his body against yours as he bent his head down to press light kisses on your neck.

"I desire you so deeply I feel it in my bones."

"I believe that may be the cold and the rain."

-----

You lead him into the house, quietly to not wake anyone, and held his hand as he followed behind you up the stairs. As he stared at you with want, you lead him to your bedroom. He helped you run a warm bath as the two of you had been in the rain for the last hour.

You step closer to him, hands coming up to cup his jaw as you pulled him down to you level and kissed his lips. He gasped at the chill of your lips which lead you to slipping your tongue inside his warm mouth. You moaned as your hands wandered his wet body and started to slip his waistcoat off his shoulders to reach his shirt. His own hands came up to start unbuttoned his shirt before you ultimately ripped it off him.

"I quite liked that shirt," he said with a smirk.

"I'll buy you a new one," You said as you unbuttoned his pants and stripped him bare before you.

Your hands came up and started to touch his body as he kissed you, removing your wet clothes for your body. The two of you laid in the tub as the warm water surrounded you both.

Your head on his chest and his chin on the top of your head gave the two of you the feeling of closeness that you needed.

"I love you," he whispered into your hair.

"I know. I love you too."

You turned to kiss his lips and hold him close to you. Your tongues move together as if they were dancing, in secret promises of love and lust. Your hands explore each other's wet bodies as you lay in the warm water. Anthony's chest tickles your back lightly and you can't help but sigh at the thought of being like this forever.

----

Anthony dried you in the white fluffy towel and wrapped you up before grasping your face to kiss your lips once more. His kiss was slow, exploring your mouth as though it would be the last time, not knowing if there would ever be another time he could touch you like this, to taste you like this.

His arms came to pull you flush against his bare body as his hands caressed every inch of your skin, wanting to memorize the feel of your skin underneath his hands, to feel your warmth radiating from you.

He walks you back to your bed, never breaking the kiss until he pulls away long enough to gently push you back so you fell onto the mattress softly, swiftly landing on top of you, connecting your mouths once more. It felt like your air was stolen right out of your lungs and your body set aflame. Your legs spread to allow him to lay in between them as his hands ran down your sides as he kisses your thoughts and air away from you.

Anthony's scent filled your nose as you breathed him in. His touch washed any thought away as his lips ventured down to your neck, kissing and sucking lightly, making you sigh in content as you felt Anthony's tongue gently soothed over any bites that he left as he moved down your body.

Quiet whispers of "You're so beautiful" and "I love you" slipped into the night as Anthony kissed down your stomach and met your hips. Brown eyes met yours as he looked at you for permission. You nodded for him to continue and you closed your eyes as you awaited the blissful pleasure of his mouth on you but it never came.

"Words," His eyes said. "I want to hear you say it."

"Anthony, please! I need you!" You moan as you try to grind your hips into his face.

"I love you," was all he said before he held eye contact as his mouth opened and his tongue touched your pussy. His lips came to your clit as he closed his eyes at the sweet taste of you. He moaned softly into your cunt as you gripped his hair with one hand and the other, the bed sheet. Your hips rolled against his mouth as he pleasured you. You noticed that the bed was moving slightly as you opened your eyes and saw that he was staring at you as he ground his hips into the mattress to relieve himself some of the pressure that was torturing his cock.

"Oh my Lord!" You nearly shout as you clasp a hand over your mouth to quiet yourself.

"Do not bring my title into this bed," He grunted against your body.

You moaned at the sheer feeling of his fingers slipping into your hole, stretching you for the later events with his dick. He looked at your with admiration as he played your body like a violin. Anthony slipped from your hips as he moved himself to rest his face above yours.

"So beautiful."

"Anthony," You gasped into his mouth, panting to catch your breath.

"Does this feel good?"

You moan as his fingers brush your g-spot before curling there and massaging it.

"It does feel good, doesn't it?" He smirked. "So pretty. My pretty girl."

"Anthony," You keen. Your stomach tightening. "Please."

"My sweet girl, you don't have to beg." He looked down at your soaked pussy. "Cum."

Your orgasm wracked through you as Anthony continued to finger you through it. Waves of pleasure washed over you as over stimulation started to set in.

"Anthony," You whine.

"One more."

His fingers sped up as his search for another orgasm from you became desperate.

"Such a good girl," He praised. "My good girl. Doing everything that I tell you. Thinking that she can just fuck my brother but look who has her now. Look at how good you are being for me."

Your back arches as you let out a moan and Anthony clasps a hand over your mouth to silent you. You cum once more before Anthony moves in between your legs once again to line himself up with your entrance.

"Gonna fill you up so good," He groaned as he sunk into you. "Gonna see you so full of me, going to be dripping me for days."

You groan as he starts slowly moving against your walls as you clamp down on him, slowing his movements even further.

"I want to feel you," You moan as your arms wrap around his shoulders and pull his weight on you. You hand goes to his hair and you gasp when he thrusts deeply.

"Oh, Anthony."

"Yes, moan my name. Forget my brother. Forget any other man but me. I am the one making you feel this good." He groans into your neck as he starts to pick up pace.

"Only you, Anthony," You moan, back arching off the bed and your hips rising to meet his. "Only you make me feel this good."

His lips find yours and swallows your loud moans, keeping them for himself and only him. His hips move faster as he starts to get near his release. His thumb moves to your clit and starts to circle it as he kisses your neck and move down to your breasts, sucking softly.

"So beautiful," He moaned. "My pretty girl."

Your orgasm hit you like a train and you bite down where his shoulder meets his neck, earning a hiss from Anthony as he moved over you quickly, jack-hammering into you, trying to reach his end. You hands pull at his hair and his lips find yours.

His warmth spills inside you, your eyes rolling back as you feel him fill you completely. He falls on top of you, trying to catch his breath. You look at him in the soft moon light shining from your window. The rain was still coming down hard outside.

"I love you," You whisper.

He turns to look at you, smiling at your words.

"I love you too."

You smile before sliding closer to kiss his lips. His arms come around your body and pull you closer to his body so your legs tangled together.

"I wish we could be like this forever," You sigh, drawing circles on his chest with your finger.

"I know, I know." He sighed as he relaxed against you. "I wish it wasn't like the way it is."

You turn to look at him with a frown.

"When do you need to be back home before one of my sisters find us?"

"I can leave in about an hour," He said, looking into your eyes before kissing you softly.

"I can work with that," You smile before turning over to sleep against his chest.

"I love you, Miss Sharma."

----

You awoke with the other side of the bed cold. You turned over, hoping, wishing, that Anthony was still there. That he had chosen to stay, to risk being caught just so he could wake up next to you. You remember the feeling that you got when he used "Miss Sharma" rather than your name when he told you that he loved you. It was too vague for your liking. There were three "Miss Sharmas'." You sigh before getting up to start your day.

You look at his side and realize that there was a letter on your bedside table.

My Dearest, Miss Sharma

I awoke with a perplexed train of thought as I watched you blissfully sleep. I love you as deeply as the deepest parts of the oceans and even further than that. I wish there was a way for me to sleep in the same bed as you. To stay in the same home with you, to hold your love as close as I can until it was the only thing that I knew. I wish there were a way for me to undo everything that I gave done. I struggle with words compared to Benedict which on the subject of Ben, I give you my full permission to pursue him. Just because you can not find the happiness that you deserve with me, does not mean that my dear brother can not full fill that void that I have caused to be created in your soul.

I love you, Miss Sharma. How I wish I were able to say, "I love you, Mrs. Bridgerton. My viscountess." Perhaps in a different reality were I didn't propose to your sister, it would be you who I am marrying. Someone that I truly love despite that being everything I did not want when I was looking for a bride.

Yours true and with my deepest love,

A.B.

[winkwonkwankwenk]

Gojo Head-Cannons!! (SFW & NSFW)

SFW

Has modeled a few times just for fun, definitely a Paparazzi-Darling.

Has a major sweet tooth. Will accept any snack if it's high in sugar. He keeps snack cakes and candies in his pockets at all times. He sulks when you make him eat a meal before dessert when the two of you are out, almost like a petulant child. "I'm eating this Spinach because I want to, not because you told me to- and definitely not because it's so fucking good..." He cheers up again the moment you cave and let him run to the chocolate fountain.

Loves traveling. He can't stay in one place long before getting angsty. He'll hop on the nearest train or plane the moment he sees photos of an area, not bothering to pack a bag- he'll just buy whatever he needs while he's there. "Let's go to Morocco tomorrow. Or would you prefer Dubai?"

Black card holder. He's got a couple of them. He leaves most of them laying around the house and has left them in public on occasion. Worst case scenario, he just has to get a new card. Perks of being wealthy.

Shopping sprees! Gojo loves going shopping, so the moment you ask he grabs his keys and runs to the door. Even though shopping was your idea, you end up regretting it. He drags you to every store he sees, making you wait as he changes in the dressing room. He always ends up with hands full of bags, mostly things he brought for you when you weren't looking. He surprises you with gifts as thanks for tagging along.

He has a skincare routine. Toner? Got it. Moisturizer? Got it. You actually use his products because hello- they're clearly working. He also gets his nails and toes done regularly and the two of you often have spa days together. You'll sip and sit, eating fancy wines and cheeses while gossiping. "Did you see what he wore? I would never."

Always scoops you up when it's raining and hides you in his jacket so he can use infinity to block the rain. "Can't have you getting sick." His cheeks are tinted pink when he says this, and all you can do is smile.

Lightweight when it comes to alcohol. A shot gets him tipsy and he makes the worst decisions when he's drunk. You had to stop him from stripping once, and from then on he's never took a sip without you being near.

Loves cuddling. In bed? Yes. At work? Yes. On missions? Hell yeah! Every chance he gets to have you in his arms he eagerly takes.

He's a gym rat. He'll invite you to work out with him and pout if you decline. Sometimes he'll do push-ups with you under him, kissing you every time he goes down. "What? Kisses are my reward for all of this hard work." He'll tease, and then drop down for another. He's seen and heard those audios you have saved, so sometimes he'll taunt you by saying your name each push-up to make that whimpering sound you seem to adore.

Can't cook for shit. He's burned water before. It's funny, the amazing Gojo can't do something as simple as frying an egg or making toast.

Clingy boyfriend! He'll spam call, text, sometimes even show up outside your door with flowers and your favorite sweet. It can be pouring rain outside and he'll still rush over, even as lightning cackles in the sky. That's just how much he loves you.

He's attached to your stuffed animals. You've caught him trying to sneak some out of your place to take to his. You end up caving and letting him take home one squishmellow, he coats your face in kisses after.

Gets jealous easily. He wants all your attention and when he sees you giving it to another guy he'll act nonchalant but really he's holding back the urge to purple-hollow the dude.

Loves dancing. He'll pull you up off the couch or in his arms and loudly blast your song. Your song- the one the two of you listen to all the time. "We'll play this at our wedding for our first dance," he always jokes...sometimes you wonder if he's joking.

He wants children. Whenever the two of you are on a walk and see a family, the children run up to him and beg to play. Something about him radiates paternal energy. The parents of the kids will aways apologize but the two of you laugh it off. "That's going to be us soon, y'know." He'll whisper into your ear before your walk resumes.

It gets...intense when the two of you argue. He's stubborn in his stance, even when it's debating who's turn it is to do the dishes. Part of the problem is he finds you so damn hot when you're mad, the other problem is how he can't take anything seriously. He always plays things off as a joke until he sees how upset you are, and then the guilt will eat away at him. He always apologizes first, accompanied by make-up-gifts. "I shouldn't have said what I did, forgive me?"

He gets overstimulated sometimes because of 6th sense, and you're the first person he calls when it gets bad. Your voice is enough to calm him down, but a kiss on the cheek doesn't hurt.

He said "I love you" first, even with a shaky voice he knew he had to say it then or he never would.

NSFW (Kinky stuff ahead)

Loves making out with you but especially in public. He doesn't care how it makes other people feel, he'll pull you into a sloppily kiss and suck at your lips until they're kiss swollen. Drool, lots of drool, because he's obsessed with the taste of your tongue.

The first time you pulled his hair he made such an embarrassing noise he hasn't let you do it since. On occasion, you manage to sneakily bury your fingers in it and give it a firm tongue. A strangled moan will spill from his lips and then you have about five seconds to run. Good luck.

Pussy eater. Ass eater. He loves your taste. He'll bend you over the kitchen table and eat you out until your legs shake and your juices puddle on the floor. He'll lap your juices up and hold them in his mouth, then let them trickle into your mouth as he kisses you. "Mmm…now you know how good you taste."

He's a switch, perfectly fine with letting you lead on days you want to. His favorite positions are reverse-cowgirl, doggy, and sixty-nine. He loves when you sit on his face, nothing turns him on more than having your pussy on his skin. He likes to tell you how good you taste, even when his tongue is buried inside of you.

Three rounds isn't enough- he needs days. If you can still walk when he's done then back to the bedroom you go.

Pink tip. His cock is roughly eight inches, decently thick. He knows how to use it, and that's what really matters. Cum flavor is sweet, what did you expect from a man who's diet is 90% sugar?

He's a foreplay fan, thus why he loves making out with you. He also finds it so fun to finger you, play with your clit until you squirt. "This is where you're weak right?" He knows all of your favorite spots and especially the ones that push you over the edge until you're a soaking wet mess.

He'll try anything once, several times if he enjoys it of course. That's why he lets you peg him on occasion. He's let you cuff him down to the bed a few times. He's even worn a maid outfit for you.

He likes cumming on your skin, leaving his semen sprayed on you like a glaze. He also likes watching you swallow, it makes him shiver because you do it so eagerly. He'll still cum on your face after.

He's a loud lover. The neighbors better hear, or else he's not putting enough back into it. He knows he's doing good when you're screaming and squealing and there's knocking on the front door. "Good girl, let them hear how good I make you feel."

Bomb make-up sex. Whatever the two of you were fighting about doesn't matter now, not when he's ramming into you and holding your legs behind your head. How are you supposed to be mad when he's fucking you senseless?!

Steals your panties and finds it funny when you find them at his place. You've lectured him about it hundreds of times but his only response is a smug smirk. "Come on, I'm serious! I don't know how they got here." and "You must've left them last time you came over."

Only pulls out because he knows you trust him enough to let him hit raw. "Can I pleeease cum inside?" He always asks when he's close, and always respects whatever decision you make.

Aftercare is mostly cuddles, kisses, and takeout from your favorite places. He'll casually go to the door naked, jumpscaring the delivery person but since he tips them double what the food costs they never say much besides thank you. He'll feed you, then bathe with you when you can walk again. He likes to wash your hair, put on your lotion, help you put on fresh pajamas, and then he'll tuck you back into bed. "Rest up," he always says before you drift off.

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[ghoulishlygrey]

The New Mrs. Dekarios

Chapter One

Find chapter two here <3

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Gale Dekarios x Fem!reader/Tav

18+ MDNI

Tags: weddings, tailor!astarion, bride!reader, oral sex, cunnilingus, wedding fluff, praise kink, soft Gale, sorcerer tav

Read it on Ao3

Enjoy!

Words: 3484

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

The Waterdeep breeze tickled your face and sent your veil from out behind you, gracefully floating on the wind. You had just stepped out from the tower, you were wearing your dream wedding dress. You felt so beautiful, the dress fit you like a glove and accentuated all your best features. You stared down the aisle and your eyes met your fiancé’s. He looked so handsome in his formal wear, a deep purple with golden accents around the sleeve and collar. He was misty-eyed as his gaze fell to you, a deep sigh resonating in his chest as he brought a hand up to swipe at his eyes. Shadowheart and Karlach were already at the end, standing off to the left. They looked wonderful in the outfits you had picked out for them, though Karlach looked a tad uncomfortable to be wearing something so fancy. You were glad to have fixed her internal engine, and were glad to have freed Shadowheart from her toxic faith. They both smiled at you from across the venue, sharing the same sentiments. Alfira and some hired bards play a lovely tune in the corner, waiting for the bride, you, to show up. 

Lae’zel sat in the audience, not wanting to take place in such an event, she even used the word *istik* when asked about it. But she was here nonetheless, and that you were grateful for. Astarion unfortunately couldn’t be there, as your wedding took place during the day, albeit sunset. “I’ll show up to the reception, darling.” He assured you, putting another pin in your, at the time, too-big dress. Astarion had tailored it for you, his own little contribution to your big day and his own special way of being there for you. Withers stood in the middle of everyone, big book in hand and a blank expression on his decaying face. Classic. The teiflings you had slain the goblin leaders for made up the bulk of the audience, along with the remaining companions you picked up along the way. Wyll stood next to Gale, as he was presented with the honor of being best man. Tara, Gale’s tressym, sat on a pillow next to Wyll, two rings tied with twine around her collar. 

As you began to walk down the aisle, you thought about every event that led up to this moment. What if you had never been abducted? What if you had never walked past his malfunctioning portal? You would never know, and would never want to find out. After everything you had endured, it seemed to be all worth it in the end. Worth it for this moment. 

You finally reach the end of the aisle, handing off your bouquet to Karlach. It was composed of night orchids, a beautiful gift from Shadowheart that you just had to incorporate in your big day. She was one of your best friends, after all. 

Gale takes your now free hands in his, fingers running over your knuckles. “You’re stunning.” He rasps, a familiar tone to his voice that stirs something within you. 

“Thank you,” You reply, moving your hands to interlock your fingers with his, “You look very handsome.” And you meant it. You had never seen him wear something so extravagant and sophisticated, used to him wearing either light armor or his classic robes. He looked delicious, you thought, and if nobody else was here you’d drag his ass straight back into the tower and tear the clothes from his body, relishing in each button and buckle.

The fantasy doesn’t last long as you ground yourself and remember where you are. There was plenty of time for those shenanigans later.  

“Let’s begin.” Withers says, tone as formal as ever. 

“Welcome to all. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of,” He says your name, “and Gale in holy matrimony.” 

Withers prattles on with his speech, all the while you’re locked in eye contact with Gale. You’ve always loved his puppy dog eyes, big brown spheres that looked at you like you were the only girl in the world, a gaze that held you in such high regard. You give him a warm smile, one he returns with a slight chuckle, he was just so damn happy. 

“Do you,” Withers says your name,”Take Gale to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

This was it, the moment you had been waiting for since the first words you had spoken to this handsome man. “I do.” 

“And do you, Gale, take,” He says your name, “to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.” Gale says, words spilling from his mouth the second Withers was done with the question. He was clearly excited, a fact that made you blush. 

“Now, the vows.” Withers grabs your attention, looking at you blankly but expectantly. You clear your throat, getting ready to address not only your lovely fiancé, but your massive audience too. Karlach hands digs in her suit jacket, pulling out a folded piece of paper and hands it to you. You nod in thanks. 

You unfold the paper, trying to swallow the lump in your throat, you were nervous; you weren’t used to giving big speeches. 

“Gale, my love,” you start, taking one of his hands while keeping the other one busy with holding the paper, “Ever since I pulled you out of that portal, I have loved you. I have loved you through our adventures, through our hardships, through everything we have faced. Even when you absorbed my rare magic items, which I still don’t know the logistics of, by the way-” That gets a chuckle from the crowd and Gale. His eyes were sparkling with unshed tears, a reaction that spurred you on to continue your speech, “-I have loved you.” You feel the tears in your own eyes now, you could just feel the love radiating from your lover as he stares at you, listening intently. 

“My love for you will never falter, like a star; when I am long gone my love for you will live on through our poetry, through the friendships we’ve made, and finally it will live through you. I have not regretted a second of our journey together, and if it takes an illithid tadpole for us to be together, so be it. I know we can tackle anything that’s thrown our way, we’ve been doing an amazing job already. So whatever comes next for us, I’m glad it’s with you.”

You hand the paper back to Karlach, turning back to Gale and giving him your full attention. To start, he says your name, voice like honey as he does. “Before you I was lost, wandering through life without purpose. I never knew what real love was, what it could be like, what it could feel like. When I first met you, not only was I taken by your beauty but your kindness. You could’ve easily walked past that malfunctioning portal but you didn’t. Instead you calmed it with your talent in magic, and pulled me out. If not for you I would be lost, you are the leading light in my life, and you have been since the moment I laid eyes on you. You have continued to take my breath away with your courage, valor, and talent and I will love you until my last breath. I shall say it one more time for emphasis; I love you.”

“Tara, if you will.” Withers signals to the tressym, who gets up from her purple silk pillow to rub against Gale’s leg. He picks her up, holding her out so you can take the rings from around her collar. “Thank you,” Gale says into her fur before setting her down, Tara seems to nod before heading back to her pillow, settling in to watch the rest of the ceremony. 

You hand your ring to Gale, holding out your left hand for him. He delicately takes your hand, sliding the ring over your ring finger, a perfect fit. It was your dream ring, everything about it was everything you ever wanted; everything you dreamt about since you were a little girl. 

The ring you got Gale was also beautiful, it was silver with embedded amethyst. Purple, his favorite color. 

You meet his gaze again as he takes your hands in his. You never knew a gaze could hold so much love and admiration until you met Gale, until you had this relationship. 

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride…” Withers looks like he very much wants to leave, or that he couldn’t care less, you couldn’t decide and you yourself didn’t care.

Gale gently moves his hand to cup your face, and your arms go to his shoulders. He pulls you closer before delivering a chaste kiss, sweet and simple. You return in kind, slotting your lips over his. 

The kiss is over as quickly as it started. Everyone in the audience has risen to their feet, applauding you as you take your new husband's hand and head down the aisle and back towards the tower. As you did, you sneak a glance over to your lover who to your surprise is already staring at you. “What?” You ask him, cheeks glowing with a pink blush.

“I’m looking at the most beautiful woman in the world, the new Mrs. Dekarios.” He beams at you, and you beam right back. Soon, you come upon the tower and you reach a hand out to open the door. 

“Ah, ah, ah, what do you think you’re doing?” Gale asks, putting his hand over yours and stopping you. “I’m opening the door? We have to get ready for the reception.” You glanced back at your guests, all of which were mingling, retrieving drinks from the various barrels and crates, and dancing to the music. 

“We do this right or not at all.” Gale says, and before you can question what he means he’s scooping you up into his arms earning a surprised squeal from you. “Gale-!” You say, arms automatically linking behind his head and around his shoulders. 

He gives you a wicked smile before kicking open the door and walking through. “There! Now we’ve done it properly.” He holds you in his arms for a moment longer, taking a moment to gaze upon your face. You take the opportunity to lean in and kiss him. The kiss starts out slow, so slow that Gale is able to delicately set you down without breaking it. However, it picks up quickly when Gale slides his tongue across your lips, requesting access. You allow it, opening your mouth for him, allowing your tongues to clash together. 

You feel his hands skate up your back and your arms around his shoulder tighten, pulling him as close as possible. What he does next makes you gasp into his mouth; he begins to undo the corseted back of your dress, hands expertly undoing your laces. You know exactly what he has in mind. “We can’t.” You say, barely breaking the kiss to get the words out before diving back in. There were so many people just beyond the front door, all of which were waiting on you. Gale just smiles against your lips before continuing his unlacing. He halts the kiss when he’s done, leaning back to get another look at you. “I need you.” He says, voice dripping with lust. And boy, did you want him, too. 

“But the others-” you start, turning your head to gesture towards the curtained front window.

“Can wait.” He cuts you off, leaning back in to make a trail down your neck with his mouth. You moan when he finds your pulse point, sucking lightly.

“Wouldn’t this be bad luck?” You chuckle, hands carding through his hair as he kisses back up your neck and towards your lips. 

“I think we’ve had enough bad luck to last us a lifetime. The world owes us.” He says, pulling back from your face to look into your eyes. His were twinkling, pupils blown wide in want. 

Your eyes glanced at the clock on the wall. The sun was setting steadily outside, the reception started when night overtook the sky. You wagered you had approximately twenty minutes of free time before people came looking for you. Your eyes drift back to his, and it’s like he’s almost reading your mind. “We have to be quick,” You start and you can see the excitement hit his face as it lights up. You slide out of your dress completely left in only your undergarments. He takes a second to take you in, pressing a kiss to your shoulder.  

“I will ravish you properly later, my love, as you deserve. But for now I just need you, and you may have me in any way you desire.” 

As much as you’d love to be full of him, sheathed to the hilt on his cock, you wanted to make this time about him, wanted to give him pleasure. 

You sink to your knees in front of him and the shock on his face makes you chuckle. 

“What?” You ask, hands making themselves busy with the buttons on his trousers. His hands fall over yours, stilling your movements. 

“You don’t have to do that, this should be about us, not just me.” 

“We have all night to make it about us but for now shut up and let me ‘ravish you.’” You quote him to himself and he laughs, removing his hands from yours and letting you continue your unbuttoning. 

“I love you.” He says simply, gazing down at you with that familiar look, the look that made your knees weak and heart full. “I know.” You tease, finally pulling his trousers down his legs. 

His erection is already fully present, restrained behind the fabric of his underwear. Your mouth instantly starts to water, just the thought of taking him with your mouth stirs something in your core. 

You push the waistband of his boxers down and his cock springs free. You grip the base, earning a shudder from your husband. 

“So perfect,” He coos, hand going to your head and massaging gently. 

You just smirk up at him, making eye contact as you take the head in your mouth, tongue swirling around it and lapping up the salty precum. 

Gale’s head fell back with a groan, and his hand made a slight pressure against your scalp, a silent asking of you to take him further. 

You let him go entirely after that, if only for a moment. 

“So impatient.” You scolded light-heartedly.

He chuckles, “You’re the one who said we have to be quick.” 

You hum in response, going back to the task at hand. This time you do take him further, letting him in inch by inch. When you reach as far as you can, you wrap your hand around what you cannot, making sure he was covered entirely. 

You felt your eyes flutter shut as you worked him over, tongue rubbing the underside of his shaft. You hollow your cheeks, creating a suction that makes him gasp. 

“I fo-forgot how good you were at this.” He smiles down at you, the hand in your hair petting you. “Such a good girl.”

Something about his praise ignites something in you, shooting a wave of pleasure down to your core. 

It spurs you on, encouraging you to take him deeper, bobbing your head and opening your throat as his head hits the back of it. You suppress a gag, your saliva dripping from your mouth and down his shaft. 

He grunts and moans at every little movement you pull, whispering sweet little praises all the while. 

“So good, such a perfect mouth on a perfect girl.” He manages to get the sentence out through moans and grunts, hand on your head tangling in your hair, following each movement. 

It was just too much, the pressure between your legs grew with each word and sound he made. You reach down, hand disappearing below the waistband of your panties. Your fingers find your sensitive bud, making small circles around it and you moan against his cock. 

Gale catches what you’re doing and it sends a steady blush across his face. “You look so good doing that.” 

You whine, hand in your waistband moving faster with each breath you take. Soon you can feel his resolve faltering above you, his hips shaking and breath heavy. 

“I’m going to-”

“Do it.” You momentarily slide from his cock to look up at him before continuing your languid motions. 

With a few more head bobs, he’s there, releasing into your mouth. You take it in, lapping up every drop as it shoots in your mouth. Above you, he’s moaning, free hand over his mouth to keep himself from alerting everyone outside to your activities. 

With a little pop, you pull off his shaft, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand.

“I saw what you were doing down there, did you finish?” He asks, helping you up before tucking himself back into his trousers. “No,” You were honest with him, you didn’t have enough time to finish yourself off, but that was fine, that moment was supposed to be about him anyways. But when you look at Gale, he almost looks offended.

“Well, we can’t have that!” He says grabbing your hand and leading you to the couch in the living room. You gasp when he (gently) pushes you down onto the cushions and kneels before you. 

“My lady,” He starts, grabbing one of your hands, “Allow me.” 

You part your legs for him, allowing access to your clothed cunt. “If you insist.” You laugh, allowing his hand to slip from yours as he pushes your underwear to the side.

Even though he’s seen it a thousand times by now, he always is in such awe when he gets to see your sex, gazing at it and you like he was lost in the desert and your pussy was water. 

He wastes no time diving in, licking one broad swipe up your folds. You mewl, back arching off the couch at the contact. He brings a hand to your lower stomach, keeping you firmly grounded.

“I have barely touched you yet you’re soaked, you truly are magic.” He says, momentarily watching you from between your legs. To him, you were magic itself. Somebody that he worshiped, someone that he loved. You knew all this, and returned it ten fold. 

He turns his attention back to your aching hole, tongue dipping in as he makes another stripe. He starts to lap at your hole, tongue moving in and out at a steady pace. You moan, long and loud and it causes him to pop up once again. “We must be quiet, dearest. We don’t want them hearing us.” He chuckles, face glistening with your juices. 

You laugh, making a show of you covering your mouth with your hand and beckoning him to continue. He does, diving back into your pussy with renewed vigor, lips coming to encircle your clit and sucking gently. You bite your hand, choking back a cry of ecstasy as he makes you see stars with his tongue alone. You gasp when he introduces his fingers, plunging one and then two into you. 

He moves in and out of you rhythmically and you find yourself rutting against his face, moaning whenever his nose rubbed against your clit. You were chasing your high, relishing in the feeling of the coil in your stomach tightening with every thrust of his fingers. His fingers are stretching you out so deliciously you can’t help the tears that spring from your eyes. You curse mentally, you’d have to redo your makeup before you went to your reception. 

A couple more plunges and you’re there, cumming around his fingers with a muffled scream. He laps at your hole more, catching every last drop of your orgasm. You collapse into the cushions, panting slightly as he moves to lay next to you. 

“Now *that* was magic.” You sigh, head looking to the side to catch a glimpse of Gale who is already staring at you. 

“Everything we do together is magic, my love.” He sits up, and you catch another glimpse of his beard, dripping with your slick. You blush, adjusting your underwear back to its proper position. 

He stands, “Alright, up you get.” He holds his hands out to you, “We have a reception to attend.” You glance out the window, goddammit, you were already running behind schedule. 

“Race you to the top of the tower.” You say, picking up your dress from its state on the floor and taking position at the base of the stairs.

“Oh, you’re on.” He says, running past you and up the stairs.

“I didn’t say ‘go!’”

You run after him, laughing the whole way.  

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

note: Thanks for reading! If you'd like to see more of my work don't forget to follow me here for updates and more fics.

[pillow-anime-talk]

life with chrollo.

request ; @roseamie01: can i have some chrollo x reader? it’s up to you to write about anything and i am fine with nsfw stuff so i leave it to your imagination!

# tags: headcanon; current relationship; simple day with chrollo from morning to night; romance; a bit of fluff and soft!chrollo; sfw & nsfw

warnings: mention of sexual activities, nasty sex with chrollo, spanking, hair pulling, spitting, slutty names, deep throat, blood and bruises mention

includes: gender neutral reader ft. chrollo lucilfer {hxh}

author’s note: sorry for waiting so long! thank you and have nice day/night :)!

→ sfw part ←

↘ Chrollo is husband material for me. He’s a really calm man who cares about the person closest to him if he truly loves them, and not just manipulates them and forces them to do bad things.

↘ Always puts his partner at first place and gets angry when someone tries to “steal” you or is too pushy with you.

↘ I’m also sure he likes to show off your relationship and always stays close to you in important meetings; he always has his hand on your shoulder or hip and often gives you kisses on the lips or hands. He also likes to tease all his male friends who are still single.

↘ He’s a gentleman. He loves all those smooth situations, like letting you through the door or paying for a fancy dinner. I also think that Chrollo likes to pamper you materially and never spares his money for a new gift for you: new shoes, a pretty cotton sweater, jewelry with beautiful gemstones, and is even willing to buy you a small pet if he sees that you will be a good future owner and take care of the animal appropriately.

↘ Chrollo is understanding and patient, though often overprotective and gets angry when you don’t listen to him or do stupid/dangerous things like going on missions with him or playing with Pakunoda’s weapons. However, he never raises his voice at you because your smile is apology enough for him. He’ll just take that knife or gun from you and give you a popsicle or your favorite bag of candy in return.

↘ He’s really cute and the rest of the Troupe are surprised by his behavior because Chrollo without you and with you are two completely different people.

→ nsfw part ←

↘ In bed, however, Chrollo is... different.

↘ Just as he seems loving and affectionate with you around people, in your bedroom he’s not afraid to use more insulting words towards you. He loves to be rude, demanding and fast, sometimes too fast that orgasms go through your body one by one and you choke or cry with pleasure.

↘ During sex, Chrollo loves to bite you, pull your hair, spit on your face red from exertion, or slap your butt with such force that you feel pain for the next two or three days. 

↘ Sometimes he is so crazy and strong that the pressure of his hand causes bruises, even scratches and light blood stains on the light-colored sheets. He loves to make you agonize and bliss at the same time.

↘ Your boyfriend is a monster who always sets the pace, control and position (of course he sometimes grants your requests, but mostly he decides about your sexual activity). He loves to fuck you from behind and standing up against the wall, he also loves sex sitting down and one where he can bind your body with a tie, a piece of string or even his own T-shirt.

↘ He’s not a fan of sex toys and you both know that his tongue or fingers alone are enough to satisfy your needs. He also loves oral sex, or rather a strong deep throat. When he sees your face turn purple and more saliva drips from your mouth than usual, he’s so satisfied.

↘ A loving relationship with dirty sex is the perfect description of your relationship.

[ofrosesandblooms]

Tags: smut-ish?, public, (pretty short), marking, mirror, lewd incubus so obviously, eating out, reader uses dresses and lingerie, but no obvious gender specifics (if i missed any of that stuff pls tell me)

Love y'all ❤️

Imagine being the SO of an incubus. Of course he'd make you somewhat jealous, knowing his line of work which, essentially was what he required to live.. all the carnal desires imbued into one man, his fingers imbued with powers of lust. He knew what he was doing always.. which is why it isn't so surprising when he would;

- Wake you up in the best way possible. His face buried between your pretty legs. He'd praise how well you'd take his touch, his tongue, his fingers. You'd barely be able to speak. He'd tell you how sweet you taste. The deep purr in his voice as his tongue would lavish you. If sin had been personified it was him. There'd be no way to get out of this delicious morning awakening unless you either said no, or safeworded. From his view, he loved seeing your face get teary from overstimulation and pretty sobs of enjoyment. The quake in your legs and soft whimpers. Drove him insane. Not to mention hungry..

- Walk up behind you, as you look in the mirror. Fixing your makeup for some fancy party. Of course he was never jealous in that regard. He knew he had you, and you wouldn't leave. His fingers absentmindedly flicking your sensitive nipples as you fix your earrings. You had to steady yourself, glaring at him from the corner of your eyes. He'd shrug- smiling. Fingers caressing down your legs, another warning glare that slowly but surely turned into closed eyes. A soft whine coming from you, his fingers teasingly stroking or touching your sensitive flesh. He'd be making it impossible to move away as his other hand would be digging into your waist. His claws causing red to bloom onto your skin. Hope you didn't need that dress.. intact-

Your face reddened, you had to stare at your slackjawed expression, tongue lolling out. Those eyes flitting up. Sure.. you could go to that party. But not without a few marks here and there. He'd purr at how cute you sounded, remarking on it with the smugest tone known to man.

- Always buy lingerie or perfumes you wanted, the only exception being. You had to let him see it or smell it first on you. Though this usually led to him spending all that time with you in the changing room. You having to stifle the whines, the soft whimpers. He'd take it as a challenge, obviously deciding to up the ante. Going harder on you.

Until a store clerk has to ask if you're fine- all she's getting is a pathetic held back- half sobbed whine. And another purring laugh from him, at your composure being ripped to shreds.

His favourite colors: red, maroon, purple, black (like no light can be seen type of black).

Favourite toys: butt related toys, ones that you had to keep in all day. Vibes, anything that he can use against you. Lord help you if he finds out any kinks of yours.

Kinks: overstimulation, edging, public type shit, marking their partner.

[snek-disappearedagain]

the next twst birthday set should be a sleepover party set and since it starts with Jamil we get to see him with his hair down all asleep and stuff bc the baby is tired let him rest (also Jamil with his hair down would give me LIFE)

AND LIKE Riddle probably has some super fancy pajamas and Cater would totally have a whole ass nightly skin care routine, he has one of those cute headbands that you use for like face masks on. Ace probably does something dumb to be cool, Deuce probably does something dumb too but neither are dangerous and both are fun and they’re laughing all of them.

Leona is sleeping like usual, he definitely doesn’t wear pajamas he probably sleeps in like a t shirt and sweatpants or smth, Jack would wear headphones to sleep and he would have either soft music playing or the loudest rock music ever (nothing in between except I might accept smooth jazz)

Azul probably doesnt sleep much so we just see him passed out at his desk in a button up shirt (with maybe a few buttons unbuttoned) and pants and his beautiful purple socks. Jade tries to sleep but Floyd is not tired and he wants to have a pillow fight so yeah 👍

Already mentioned Jamil but the second he finds out the theme he’s out like boom asleep he’s resting now it’s his birthday (however he has to sleep in a pillow fort in the dorm’s lounge because the dorm worked together to make it and he will admit it’s comfortable asf). Kalim seems like he would be the first to fall asleep at a sleepover, but no, nonono he’s up at 3am telling ghost stories and laughing and asking people their crushes /hj

Vil also has a nightly skincare routine (obviously), but he also has the most elegant pajamas you have ever seen. I’m talking full on silk set with a shirt, pants, and sleeping mask. There’s a fluffy robe, and slippers, and everything and he looks stunning. Rook is himself, he probably sleeps on his back with his hands to the side and his eyes OPEN /j Epel really wants to throw a pillow fight, and sadly he can’t in pomefiore so whoever his duo is better invite him to a pillow fight in their dorm >:(

Idia games like usual but he uses his birthday keys and gets a SSR/4*/5* (whatever the games highest card option is called) and he’s happy he’s like :D and all is well. Ortho would either make his own pajama wear or Idia would make it, either way it includes SPECIFICALLY a cat themed sleeping mask

Silver falls asleep early and he looks very comfy, very happy. Sebek also falls asleep early and someone (probably Lilia) drew on his face which is funny because that would happen. Lilia doesn’t sleep but he has the ugliest, most atrocious, most uncomfortable pajamas ever. Malleus takes a midnight stroll in a dragon onesie, I will not be telling who got it for him that is up to you.

Btw if you don’t read the tags you won’t know that this is actually my friend’s idea, we talked on discord about it and I expanded on it here so like yeah 👍

[flamehairedwritings]

Stray: Chapter Three

Characters: Lt. Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Female Reader 

Rating: E, 18+ ONLY

Words: 6.2k

Summary: Ghost has a fine time making you admit you need want him.

A/N: Chapter Three of Six. A chapter posted every Monday!

Entire Story Tags: hurt/comfort, angst, enemies are lovers, porn with plot, they're not nice people, but are they

Chapter Tags:  Angst, simon says some not nice things again, simon literally says, angst, dub-con, just to be safe, mdom, rough, nipple play, slight edging, hold the orgasm, multiple orgasms, throat holding, slight choking, slight overstimulation, biting, marking, gloves on, one spank, slight fight for dominance, a little switchy, reader gets one over on Simon, dirty talk, unprotected sex, creampie

Read on AO3

Stray Masterlist

Please don’t copy or steal my work, and please don’t post it on any other sites. I do not consent to my work being used for AI purposes.

─

Chapter Three - Club 31 High

“The shit people wear these days.”

“I don’t know, I think you’d look lovely in tassels.”

“Fuck off, Gaz.”

He hears Gaz chuckle in his earpiece, making him sigh as he adjusts his grip on his rifle, continuing to gaze through the scope at the street below.

More like back-alley, actually.

A short queue of masked people are waiting to be let through a rusting metal door, a big bloke with shades on even though it’s fucking night taking their names and checking them by speaking into a walkie.

“I think he’s more of a leather man.”

“Shut up, Soap.”

“Look at that handsome fucker there, arse out an’ all. There’s your look.”

“Can we keep the channels quiet, for fucks sake, there might─”

Ghost breaks off as a figure enters the field of his scope, striding down the alley, heels echoing.

He knows those heels.

And he’s never lucky enough for things to just be fucking coincidences.

“Ghost? What’s goin’ on?”

He exhales a long, exasperated breath as he follows the figure, thin-strapped black dress with thigh-high split touching the ground, the square, low cut neckline pushing the figure’s tits in and up tantalisingly, the silky black, wavy wig reaching down to the waist.

The mask that’s resting on top of it is the final giveaway.

Why can’t it just be a fucking coincidence.

“Ghost?” Gaz prompts.

“There's been a complication,” Ghost grits out.

The complication in question strides past the queue, and smiles at the bouncer who smiles and nods familiarly.

And when the door is opened for you, you look up, find him up on the roof, smile, and pull the half-skull mask down over your face.

And then you pass through the door.

“Fuck,” Ghost hisses, lifting his head and swiftly getting to his feet.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Keep your eyes and ears out, boys. I’m goin’ in.”

─

Deep purple and blue lights flash quickly, and music blares. He can barely fucking see or hear. But thankfully he’s fitting right in, every single person here masked up and in either some kind of uniform, fancy suit or dress, or barely anything. Anyone and everyone is welcome here, as long as your name’s on the list.

His certainly hadn’t been, but they’d scoped out a back entrance earlier in the day, through the cellar, and he’d only had to evade a couple of bar staff before he’d found his way here.

‘Here’ is Club 31 High, as exclusive as they got, and probably fucking gorgeous to other people. Marble columns and floors, plush red seats and curtains, chandeliers, it seems more suited to opera and orchestras than the sultry, Deep House music that’s thumping throughout the chambers. People grind and rock against each other, off their faces on drugs or alcohol. He has to move around the edge of the rooms, passing people kissing, sucking cocks, fingering, and fully fucking in the darker corners.

Anything goes here, as long as your name’s on the list.

He scans each briefly illuminated face, trying to find yours, or, really, the mask you seem to think would be so fucking funny to wear. Some people grab at him along the way, trying to pull him onto the dance floors, or rub against him, caressing him. He passes by swiftly, trying to get through quickly without drawing too much attention. He’s spotted some bouncers here and there, and there’s got to be cameras everywhere, though how they can pick anything up is a wonder.

Gritting his teeth, he heads into another chamber, this one bigger, the ceiling higher. It’s even louder and darker in here, and, moving down the steps into it, he wishes he’d brought his fucking headset. It wouldn’t look so fucking weird to wear it here.

He scans the crowd, but it’s nearly fucking impossible, people are dancing too much and the lights are flashing too much and─

A hand slides across his lower back, around his side, and someone stands in front of him, both hands resting on his vest. He’s about to step away, disappear into the crowd, when his eyes lock with yours.

“Hello, Simon,” you say with a smile, though he lip-reads it rather than hears it.

How can anyone fucking hear in here.

As if hearing his thoughts, you slide your hands up, wrapping your arms around his neck, and only have to rise up a little higher due to the heels to rest your lips against his ear.

Even then he can only just hear you.

“I knew I'd get you out dancing one day.”

“The fuck are you doing here?” he shouts into your ear.

“Having a girl’s night. And we were told strictly no boyfriends, so shoo.”

Stepping back, you release him, smile lingering, and turn, melting into the crowd.

“Fuck sake…” he hisses, following after you swiftly.

People move out of the way, too far gone to be annoyed at being shoved. His eyes are fixed on the back of your head, and then, when you stop suddenly, he nearly collides with you as you turn to him. Raising your hands and arms above your head, you sway your hips, and he rolls his jaw.

“Let’s fucking go,” he shouts, knowing you can lip-read, too, though no one would have a hard time understanding him.

Your blood-red smile widens.

Turning around, he thinks you’re about to set off again when you actually take a step back.

And then you lean back against him, settle your hands on the back of his neck, and grind your ass back against his cock.

Raising his eyes to the pitch-black ceiling, he pushes out a harsh breath.

For fuck’s sake.

You don’t stop, rolling your hips, arching your back, able to find the beat of the noise and make it seem like music to him.

His fingers flex at his sides.

No, no, no.

Shoving you away, gritting his teeth, he watches as you turn to him, lips lifted in a wide smile.

A game, always a fucking game.

He can see you’re about to move again, disappear and have him searching like a fucking dog, and he won’t have that.

His hand darting out, he grips your upper arm and moves first instead, pulling you through the crowd. You don’t hit at him and if you’re shouting, he can’t hear it. Though you’re just as likely to not want to make a scene as him.

At the edge of the room, he spots someone heading out of a door into this room and heads to it, pulling you through it into a small, circular chamber. A marble table is at the centre, with dozens of white roses in a large vase resting on top of it, and as the door swings shut behind you, it does a fantastic job of muffling a large portion of the music. Not enough, though, and it’s still too public here. He pulls you towards another door, marvelling at how you still haven’t said a word, and pushes it open. There’s a long corridor, doors on the left, a mirror that stretches all the way down on it on the right. How anyone could see themselves in it is a mystery, though, as the lights are so dimmed you could barely see your own face.

Pushing the first door open, using the handle, he finds it’s a bathroom, a small, really fucking fancy one.

Perfect, but not this one. He pulls you down the corridor, right to the end, and you still don’t say a word, heels echoing.

Those fucking heels.

Reaching the final door, he pushes it open, finds it empty, and then pushes you in, releasing your arm. He steps through after, locking the door behind himself. It muffles all sound of the outside, he thinks most likely by design, these bathrooms not just for pissing and shitting, but fucking too.

And what a bathroom to fuck in. The toilet is to his left, the grandest he’s ever seen, made from the same marble as the floor and walls, a thick red rug is in the centre of the room, in front along the far wall is a plush red loveseat, and to his right, a marble counter stretches across the short wall along with a mirror, with a sink cut into it and what must be designer products in the corner. The light’s not as dim as it was out in the corridor, but it’s still low.

What he wouldn’t give for some clear fucking strip lighting.

His attention returning to you, he watches you, your hands behind your back, that fucking smile still in place.

Hang on, hands behind your back…

“Come here. Hands where I can see them.” He moves forward, and you raise your hands, empty, as you lift your chin and inhale a breath.

He thinks he might see your lips part before he bends down, but that’s probably just from taking the breath.

He can’t help his gaze from briefly dropping to your heels. Yeah, they’re the ones.

Leather, platform, thick straps, heavy gold buckles at the ankles.

He remembers the cold feel of them against his shoulders. 

Shoving the memory away, he starts to roughly pat and feel at your legs, searching for weapons.

He hears you exhale a laugh, widening your legs obediently when he taps a hand from one to the other. “Oh, Simon, they take weapons at the door, they’re in the lovely cloakroom.”

“All of them?” His hand moves up the thigh where there isn’t the split, and he pauses when he feels steel against his gloves. Lifting his head, he arches an eyebrow at you, watches your smile widen, and then slides his fingers under the holster and pulls sharply, ripping the knife from your thigh. He tosses it behind him, making a mental note of where he thinks it lands. Moving his hands to the other thigh, then out onto the silk material of the dress, he slides his hands up your hips, over your stomach, around your back, and then to your waist.

It’s now your turn to arch an eyebrow as his hands near your chest, swiping between and under your tits.

“Do you really think I could conceal anything else in this?”

“Wouldn’t put it past you. Turn around.”

He makes you before you can, gripping your shoulder and spinning you to face the mirror. The sudden action makes you have to press your hands down onto the counter to steady yourself. Your lips twitch as he slides his hands up your hips and across your back. It’s cut low, though, to the middle of your shoulder blades, so it doesn’t take him long.

A hand moves up your bare skin, up the back of your neck, under the hair, feeling along the scalp of the wig.

You hum gently, closing your eyes as your lips twitch again, and his hand quickly leaves.

It goes instead to your mask, which he slides off, and inspects the inside.

“Really fucking funny, wearing this.”

You meet his gaze in the mirror. “Admit it, it turns you on.”

His lips press together, and he tosses the mask onto the counter. “What’re you doin’ here.”

“Well, I was very much enjoying myself, and then you just grabbed me like a brute and pulled me in her─”

“Stray.”

“Simon.”

You tilt your head, a smile lifting your lips as you gaze at him in the reflection.

He, though, is stone-still.

“It’s not fuckin’ funny anymore, Stray.”

Your eyebrows raise and your lips part in faux-surprise. “Oh, is this about what happened at the warehouse with Angelo?”

He hates the way you say the name, nearly purring it.

“You nearly had me and the boys killed.”

“But none of you did die, did you─”

“I said nearly.” The bark of his voice has you silencing yourself. 

For a very brief moment.

“So, what, I’ve betrayed you, have I, Simon?” You snort. “That’s your own fault.”

He still hasn’t moved.

“Did you think I was going to hurt you. When we were there.”

Silence.

You’re looking at him in the reflection, mouth in a thin line, and he’s looking at you.

You don’t speak.

His mask and the dim lighting hides the flexing in his jaw.

“Do you think I’m gunna hurt you now?”

He needs to know.

He hopes you don’t fucking realise how much.

Silence stretches on again.

He doesn’t ask again, but you know he won’t move until you do.

You keep looking at him a little longer, though.

You did hurt me. You broke my heart. You betrayed me. And you don’t even know it.

Lifting your chin a little, you give him a light smile. “No. I wouldn’t let you.”

He exhales a breath, something easing in his chest but not enough. “Is that right. You know, you’ve put me in a fucking position here─”

“No, Simon, it’s you who’s put me in a position.”

Your far-too-pleased with yourself smile returns as you press your ass back against him.

His jaw clenches, but he doesn’t move. “I’ll finish. You’ve put me in a fucking position where I could, no, should, walk out of here, let you go, let this all be done. Or…” Suddenly, he grips your hip, hard enough that you hiss in a breath. “... I could repay you for what you did at the warehouse.”

You panic for a moment that Soap told him, but, no, the fury in his eyes tells you otherwise.

You know what a grateful Simon looks like.

“Repay me? You’ve just been moaning about how awful it was.”

“Well… You were working so hard to make it up to me, weren’t you.”

“‘Make it up to you’─”

“Grinding on my cock like that. You were practically begging for forgiveness.”

You laugh, your head tipping back slightly.

“Oh, you’re so─”

His hand suddenly darts up, gripping your jaw under your chin, tipping your head back further as he simultaneously takes a step forward, pressing you against the counter.

“No, you don’t get to fucking talk unless I tell you to,” he murmurs against your temple.

If you obey now, right now, then he knows you’re in; in once more in this twisted fucking game he should end but he just fucking can’t.

He watches you in the mirror.

Your eyes slide down to meet his.

And you don’t say a word.

He exhales a breath, dropping his chin a little so his lips are closer to your ear. “I’m gunna ruin you for him. It’ll be my cum leaking out of you, running down your sweet legs as you trot on back to him in those fucking heels.”

Fucking hell.

Your stomach twists deliciously as you gaze at him.

And you risk it. 

“Is that a promise?”

You can’t see him smile as he allows this one insolence. 

“It’s a given, love.”

Raising his other hand, he pulls the material mask over his mouth and then bites at your jaw and kisses down your neck.

You gasp and moan almost with relief as the hand then slides across your stomach until his forearm is against you, and he pulls you back further against him, closing the little space there is.

His vest causes you to have to arch your back though, your ass once more firmly against his cock, and he’s not going to fucking complain.

“Look in the mirror, look at yourself,” he murmurs, your eyes having fallen shut, and he bites at your jaw again as they snap open. “You’re going to watch all of this, and you’re gunna fuckin’ think about it while his cock’s inside you. You’ll be thinking of me and only me when you cum.”

Your breathing has sharpened, but there’s a burning in your eyes, some kind of anger there.

There’s probably a defensive quip for Vitale on your tongue, but you’re still behaving.

“Look at you, bein’ a good girl for me,” he murmurs, and your lips part on a sharp exhale.

He loves when you behave, almost as much as when you don’t.

His hand rises, and he tugs the neckline of the dress down, exposing your tits and making them lift higher. He rolls your nipples between his fingers, and he chuckles lowly as your knees buckle momentarily, a moan escaping you.

“Does he do this for you? He doesn’t strike me as a giver.” He moves his hand from your tits to your mouth, resting two gloved fingers against your lips. “Suck.”

You do, instantly, swirling your tongue as you find his eyes in the mirror.

“Yeah, good girl.” He indulges for a few moments longer, his cock twitching in anticipation and memory, and then he swiftly pulls his fingers away. Moving them back down to your nipples, he circles them with your saliva.

Your back arches as much as it can as you sigh out moans, remembering to keep your eyes open.

He mouths at your cheekbone, not giving you an inch of room. “How does that feel? Speak.”

“Good, so fucking good,” you breathe, trying to rock your hips back against him.

Ghost hums his approval lowly, breathing in the scent of your skin, a hint of fragrance there from whatever you’d put on it. 

“I want you dripping,” he murmurs, twisting, pinching and pulling your nipples, going from one to the other. “I want you aching for my cock until you think you’ve gone mad. I want you begging for me.”

He can feel your pulse through his hand spread across your throat and neck, his fingers gripping at your jaw still. 

It’s faster.

“Good, isn’t it, love. You dripping yet? Is your cunt soaked?”

Your body is on fire, his fingers so fucking good but it’s not enough.

Managing to turn your head closer to him the smallest amount, you try to find his lips, murmuring, nearly pleading, “Mmh, take your gloves off.”

He angles his head away. “They’re stayin on. And did I say you could talk?”

Suddenly his hand leaves your tits and grips the skirt of your dress, tugging it up over your ass roughly. You try not to appear too pleased as he chuckles.

“No knickers? You were wantin’ this, weren’t you? Wantin’ me?”

He brings a hand down on one of your ass cheeks, swiftly and sharply, tearing a soft cry from you.

“Speak.”

You exhale a laugh, unable to help yourself. “Your ego is almost as big as your─”

The grip on your throat tightens a little, for a moment.

“No smart words from you today, just the truth.”

The truth. How frightening.

Still, though, you smile.

“But that was the truth. And your cock is big.”

His lips are against your ear once more, voice low, demanding. “So tell me, then. You came here wanting it, didn’t you?”

You expect him to perhaps spank you again, play with your nipples maybe or caress your skin. But he gives you nothing. It’s maddening.

Licking your velvet-red lips, you exhale a long breath. “... Yes.”

You feel him smile.

“Good girl.”

He plunges two gloved fingers into your pussy.

“Oh, fuck,” you cry out, hands pressing against the counter.

He nips at your earlobe. “I’ll allow that, only because you sound so fucking sweet.”

His fingers move instantly, fucking you slow and deep.

And he barely takes a breath before speaking again.

“How many fingers does he need to stretch you properly? Dainty little things, weren’t they. Does he have to work hard, poor fucker.”

And, yes, the anger’s there again, burning in your eyes, and your teeth are biting into your lower lip.

It’s satisfying to him, as fucking twisted as it is, that you so clearly want to snap and yell at him, but you won’t. For him. Because he said you can’t.

It makes his cock so fucking hard.

He wants to see just how good you’ll be, how much you’ll obey him.

What will be your breaking point.

“Does he cum first, or does he make you first? Countless times, like I can, like I do. Does he know what you sound like when you’re desperate, out of your mind, overstimulated but fucking begging for more?”

He slips a third finger in, still moving them tantalisingly slowly but deeply as moans fall from your lips.

Yet despite giving them to him freely, anger is still clearly blazing in your half-lidded eyes. 

And he can’t get enough.

“Do you moan and grip at him, beg him, hang on to him. Do you look up at him with those pretty fuckin’ eyes, beggin’ with them when your head’s too fuckin’ empty to form words? Do you─”

He catches himself.

Your words from the warehouse have been circling round and round in his mind since you spoke them.

And I love him─

Had that been it. Were you going to say that you love him fucking you.

Or that you love him. End of. Full stop.

He’d never know, and he hadn’t wanted to know.

He still doesn’t want to know.

Exhaling a harsh breath, he slips a fourth finger in.

Every breath you exhale is now a moan, one hand gripping at his forearm, and your other suddenly moves back, cupping the back of his head, your fingers pressing in.

He can feel your walls clenching around him, fluttering, and he groans against your ear.

“You gunna cum already? You been that desperate for me?”

He listens to you moan and mewl for a few moments longer, fingers flexing against your throat, before he orders, “Speak.”

Your legs are nearly trembling. “Yes.”

“Beg me. Ask me to cum.”

“Please, Simon, please can I cum, please, I need to, please─”

“Mmh, not yet. Hold it.”

You make a strained sound, eyes closing tight, and he fucking loves that you’re obeying.

But he doesn’t want to reward you. Not yet.

Lips against your ear once more, he watches you in the mirror. “Did he fuck you later, after we left, after we burned that place to the fucking ground. Did you ride him, did you tell him sweet little things to soothe his fuckin’ ego. Did you hold him─”

“Simon─”

“Did I say you could speak.”

There’s no anger in your eyes now, just… 

Why would you be sad. He doesn’t fucking understand it.

Are you that attached to the fucker?

Whatever reason for it… he fucking hates seeing it.

Softening his grip on your jaw a little, he turns his head slightly, lips pressing against your cheek.

“How does this feel? Does your clit need some attention, is it aching for me? Speak.”

“Yes,” you breathe again, knees bending slightly for a moment as you try to rock your hips.

His hand finally releases your jaw and lowers, and he walks you back half a step to give himself the room to slip his hand down your stomach to the slit of your dress, yanking it up so his fingers can find your clit.

You gasp sharply as he strokes at it, your body jerking slightly as you hang on the precipice of your orgasm.

He watches you in the mirror, your eyes closed, mouth open, chest heaving.

And still you don’t allow yourself to cum.

Opening your eyes, though, you beg him with them.

Fuck…

He presses an almost kiss to your cheek. “Cum for me, love. Go on.”

You cry out as you grip at his head, your back arching, and you cum instantly. Your pussy squeezes at his fingers, gripping them tight, and he grunts against your skin, pressing another nearly-there kiss to it.

“That’s it, good girl, cum all over my glove, give me it all.”

Your body jerks as you moan, and when it finally goes slack, your head leaning back against him, he smiles.

“That was a big one, wasn’t it. You’ve been fuckin’ desperate for that.”

You just try and catch your breath, your fingertips softening on the back of his head. He pushes your head to the side with his own, then drops his lips to your neck. 

“Speak,” he grunts as he bites your shoulder.

You inhale a shuddering breath, swallowing. “… Yes…”

“Good girl.” Pulling his fingers out of you, biting you again when you moan as they leave you, he groans lowly as he wipes his fingers on the ass cheek he’d slapped. “Good fuckin’ girl.”

You hum somewhat weakly in reply.

Not weak enough, though.

You gasp sharply and your hips buck as he starts to stroke your clit again. Your eyes snapping open, you lock your gaze with his.

“You’re gunna cum again for me,” he murmurs against your skin.

Still sensitive, your hips buck again, but he’s stroking so lightly, so gently, though that’s almost making it even better. His other hand slides over your stomach, his forearm holding you against him again, your hips now only able to jerk a little.

The blissful pleasure of your orgasm has only faded slightly, so with each stroke he gives, it rises a little higher… but… and you fucking curse yourself… it’s not enough.

And he knows it.

“Need somethin’ inside you, don’t you,” he says against your ear, still holding your gaze.

You nod, your breathing long, deep and shaking as you try to regulate it.

He exhales a breath. “Not yet. And this time, you’re not gunna take your eyes off yourself.”

Fucking hell…

Dropping your hand from his head, you flatten both palms against the counter and shift your gaze to your own, and he chuckles quietly.

“Good girl.”

His fingers quicken.

Your teeth grit as you try to stifle a sharp gasp.

“No, no, don’t be doing that…” He’s looking at you in the reflection still, head leaning against yours. “… You’re gunna look at yourself and you’re gunna be loud.”

The way he caresses, circles and strokes your clit, the leather of his glove slick against it…

You’re leaning your head into his, hips bucking, and you give in, mewling loud enough to fill the space because you don’t care, it just feels so good.

He’s biting at your shoulder and neck again, too, almost with a sense of frenzy.

And then he starts talking again.

“What does he say when I mark you like this? Do you hide it from him? Do you avoid him?”

Muscles in your jaw jump and flex as you grit your teeth tightly

His eyes flick up to you. “Speak.”

“Yes,” you grit out.

“And what does he say?”

You stare at yourself, eyelids fluttering a little as pleasure sparks through you.

“Speak.”

Your jaw is clenched tight, teeth pushing into each other.

Suddenly, you turn your head closer to his.

“Kiss me.”

“No,” is the instant answer.

He’s punishing you, and you know it. 

It could be worse.

He could have left.

So why hasn’t he.

Why is he here, fucking you.

If you betrayed him, if he hates you that much, why is he here.

Why is he asking these questions.

Why does he care.

Does he care.

You’ll probably never know.

The anger that had been bubbling inside you, simmering in some kind of control, now explodes as you gaze at him.

How could he care.

Your elbow drives into his lower stomach, just under his vest, and then you slam your head back, the back of your head colliding with his nose and jaw.

“Fuck─ What the fuck─” he starts hissing, releasing you automatically.

Spinning, you shove him backwards.

“What─”

You shove him again, silent.

His brow is furrowed, eyes slightly wider. “Love, are you oka─”

You shove him again.

He falls back onto the loveseat with a grunt, and you straddle him instantly, gathering the silky material of the dress around your hips. His eyes narrow slightly in realisation then, his hands going to your thighs, gripping them.

“This what you want, huh─”

“Shut up,” you snap, releasing the skirt of the dress and tugging his belt open. “I don’t want to hear from you anymore.”

His mouth still exposed, you can now see the self-satisfied smirk he gives you. “You want my cock inside you instead, yeah.”

“Shut up.” You pull open the button of his trousers.

“You that desperate for me?”

“Shut up.” You yank the zip down.

“Do you cling at him like this─”

Your hand flies up, gripping his jaw. 

Leaning closer, you hiss, “Shut the fuck up.”

His smirk is now gone, and an anger that nearly matches yours smoulders in his dark eyes.

And then he knocks your arm away, so you punch his shoulder, then grab at his throat, your other hand going for his trousers. He shoves your hand away from his throat so you use both hands to pull his cock out as he fists at your dress, lifting it higher to expose your pussy.

From this angle, he can see it glistening now, wet, open and ready for him.

“Christ…” he hisses through gritted teeth, watching you position his aching, flushed pink tip against your hole.

Watches you sink down on him, his cock disappearing inside you.

He makes a strained sound in the back of his throat, balling your dress up in his gloved fists.

“Yeah, you like that, don’t you, Simon,” you breathe, hands now firmly gripping his shoulders.

Fixing your gaze on his eyes, before he can answer you start to move your hips, and you don’t want to be slow, you don’t want to tease, you don’t want to give him any gentle satisfaction at all right now, so you set a hard, firm pace, riding him aggressively.

“I bet your cock was hard the moment you saw me, and the way you came running after me… Who’s the desperate one?” 

His eyes flick up, locking with yours, and your entire body is taut, waiting for him to switch this once more, while also feeling pleasure burst and spark through you.

“I told him about your base and here you still are, fucking me, wanting me wet for you, marking me… like you don’t even care… and what if one of your boys had died─”

Snarling, he shoves your hands off his shoulders, grips them at the wrists and holds them at your sides.

“You’d better watch your mouth.”

You laugh, and you don’t know where it comes from. “Oh, have I hurt your feelings? I didn’t know you had any.”

He’s silent, the only sound his short, harsh breaths as you ride him.

You don’t look away. “Take the mask off.”

“No.”

“Take it off.”

“No─”

“Let me see you.”

He falls silent.

When he moves, it’s swift.

A hand darts up and grips the long hair of the wig, and he yanks, pulling your head back.

You cry out as your back arches, small, delicious bursts of pain sparking along your scalp where the wig is secured.

His other hand runs firmly down between your tits, to your stomach, to your hip, gripping it. It’s possessive, how he does it, and it pisses you off. Knocking his arm away so he releases the hair, you grip his shoulders again, nails digging in, and you lean forward until your forehead nearly presses against his mask, and you wrap your arms tightly around his neck, locking you in that position.

He pushes against your hip, trying to put some distance between you but you won’t let him.

“Look at me,” you hiss, and he does, stilling as your eyes lock on to each others.

And, somehow, neither of you speak.

You just look at each other.

His gaze is hard, jaw tight, and you just ride him as you grip at him. Ride and squeeze your walls around him until…

His lips part on an exhale, no, not an exhale… a moan.

Ghost moans.

The corners of your mouth lift into a breathless smile as you squeeze him again, desire surging through you.

He grits his teeth at the sight of your smile, low grunts coming from the back of his throat, hands now tight on your hips, and you feel something feral snarling and snapping its jaws inside you.

“Come on, come on, come on, come on…” you hear yourself murmuring, squeezing your slick walls around him every time your hips rise.

His mouth is open, fast, quiet breaths escaping him, and you want to kiss him, you want to bite at his lips, you want to have him kiss you fiercely and deeply in the way that shows you he cares, even if it’s just now, even if it’s just for a little while.

Your mouth hovering over his, you don’t, though.

Because he doesn’t kiss you.

Makes no move to.

Gasping as a wave of pleasure suddenly rolls through you, you realise one of his hands has moved, his gloved fingers now somewhat clumsily stroking at your clit.

There’s almost a sweetness to it; that he’s still wanting to give you pleasure, make you feel good despite both your previous words, despite the slight curling of your lip and his hardened eyes.

You hate him.

He probably hates you.

“Cum, cum for me…” you suddenly realise he’s groaning, fingers of his other hand gripping at your thigh, almost desperately.

Gritting your teeth, your nails bite into his shoulders.

You hate him, you hate him, you hate him, you hate him…

“Cum for me,” you hiss, the pace of your hips starting to stutter slightly as your orgasm nears, dangerously close.

He’s staring up at you, unable to stop small moans and grunts from falling from his open mouth.

“Love─”

“Cum in me,” you command, and he inhales a sharp breath, hand darting from your clit to your hip, gripping tight, and then his hips jerk as he cums.

His eyes squeeze shut as he exhales a deep, shuddering breath, and your own fall shut as you moan, feeling his cum deep inside you, and the thought of it, the feel of it, the knowledge that, yes, it will leak out of you exactly as he intended, has you cumming, too.

Your head falls forward, leaning against his, and you hear his short, sharp breaths as you mewl, his hand sliding from your hip to your lower back, fisting your dress there.

Your hips slow to a stop as he breathes hard against your shoulder, and you try to soften yours, your arms staying around him.

The only sound that now fills the room is his breathing, and you just listen to it. Just feel him against you, inside you.

His hand flattens against your back.

His fingertips press in a little.

Gentle.

You pull back, press your hands against his chest and push yourself off of him.

His cock slips out of you unceremoniously, and he grunts as it does, but you’ve already turned away, adjusting your dress and flattening it.

You hear the metal of his belt clanking together as he tucks his cock away, before he zips his trousers up then secures the belt.

Pulling the top of the dress up over your tits, adjusting them, you then smoothe the dress down. Running your hands down the wig, you run your tongue along your lips, feeling the lipstick having collected in some areas. Smoothing and spreading it out with your finger tips, you’re aware of how silent he is behind you.

You hate him.

“This was the last time,” you hear yourself say.

“Sure it was.” 

Why is he still entertaining this, entertaining us.

You’re about to ask that exact question, snap, shout, scream it, when he speaks suddenly.

“You’re scared of Vitale, aren’t you.”

You still, hands paused in needlessly adjusting your dress again, eyes flicking up. Turning to him, you’re expressionless.

“What?”

He’s still sat down, hands resting on his thighs, mask back in place, eyes on you. “I saw it. At the warehouse. Why does he scare you.”

A corner of your mouth lifts a fraction. “Nothing scares me, Simon.”

“I did.”

You pause before you can catch yourself, so you make your mouth lift a little higher. “You didn’t. You startled me, there’s a difference.”

His eyes haven’t left you. “I know what I saw. On all accounts.”

Exhaling a breath, you push your hair over your shoulder. “Think what you like.” Turning away, you head towards the door.

“Stray.” 

His tone has you halting, but you keep your back to him, staring at the door. 

You hear him stand, take a few steps towards you.

“I know you were scared of me. I know that. What I don’t know…” You remain silent. “... What I don’t know is if you were scared for me.”

Silence.

He can’t believe he’s fucking said it.

Not even a proper question, just words, but words that have been rolling round and round in his mind incessantly.

He gazes at your back, that tautness in your shoulders, your waist moving as you breathe, your head slightly tilted down.

Then, you half turn to him… and there’s nothing on your features.

“Why would I be. I’m nothing but a whore, remember.”

A coldness spreads through his chest as he watches you go, his own, fucking regrettable words, in your voice, echoing in his mind.

─

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Masterlist

Tagged: @sistasarah-sallysaidso, @gifsbysimplysonia, @ryethebrokengae, @poohkie90, @corvusmorte, @captainutsstuff, @ff-huntress

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

Adventures in Babysitting

A/N- I have never in my life wanted kids but Eddie gives me the WORST case of baby fever🫣

Summary- Eddie needs your help after he agrees to watch his neighbors kid

Genre- Fluff

Warnings- Mentions of pregnancy (not the reader)

Tag List- @imagine-all-the-imagines @hellfirewh0re @paola-carter @whiplaaaaaaaaash @ladyapplejackdnd @thatlonelypieceoftoast @efvyqrs

Words- 3.3k

(ugh i’m so upset i couldn’t find the gif i used before 😭 it was so cute)

You sat at the kitchen table finishing up whatever was left of your homework from yesterday. College was definitely a lot harder than all your teachers from high school said, but it made life a whole lot easier when you got to pick your classes. Thankfully during high school you were pretty responsible with your money, saving up whenever you could to afford to send yourself to college right after graduation. Nowhere too fancy, just a local community college, but it was nice being able to still hang out with your friends during the week and still have time to work and see Eddie.

You figured he was off with the guys, at band practice or doing one of their campaigns like they always did, it was Friday night after all. And those nerds did love getting deep into their campaigns and play late into the night. It was only about 7:30, so at this point they were probably at the halfway point.

Sighing, you closed your notebooks and put them back into your bag before the kitchen phone rang.

You stood from your seat and leaned onto the wall as you pulled it off of the handset and put it to your ear, furrowing your brow as you could hear a baby crying,

“Hello?”

“(y/n)? Oh thank god,” It was Eddie, and he sounded frantic, “listen i need you to come over and help me with this.”

You shook your head in disbelief, not fully understanding what was happening over on Eddie’s side,

“Help? With what? And why does it sound like you have a baby?! Are you babysitting?”

“I’m not babysitting! One of my neighbors asked if i’d watch her kid while she went out to do some stuff, she said she’d pay me so i told her i’d watch… I think her name’s Beth.”

You giggled to yourself,

“Sweetie… that’s babysitting. And it’s nice of you to watch her baby while she’s out but what do you need my help for?”

“You babysat a lot in high school, i figured you’d know how to stop her crying better than i can. She’s been like this nonstop for 10 minutes and i don’t know what’s wrong!”

You rolled your eyes and sighed,

“Ok fine, i’ll be over in 10 minutes. Just hold her and sit on the couch until i get there, gently rock her back and forth to try and calm her down.”

You hung up the phone and quickly grabbed your bag and keys, turning out the lights as you get into your car and sped down the road to the trailer park.

It was surprising that someone trusted Eddie with a baby, and you knew he really had no experience with kids. No one ever really trusted him as a babysitter until his name was cleared, but even still, people were wary of him. He had told you before about one of his neighbors, Jennifer, a young mom who was only a few years older than the two of you, and from everything he’s said she seemed like such a kind person. And she must trust Eddie a decent amount to leave her baby with him.

As you parked your car in front of the trailer, it was eerily quiet around. The gravel crunching under your shoes, the crickets chirping in the grass, it was the calm before the storm. You walked up the steps and knocked on the door, waiting for Eddie to let you in like he always did. He opened the door and your eyes widened.

His hair was pulled back but it was still messy on top of his head, the shirt he was wearing had a little bit of spit up on the shoulder, and a tiny baby was being held in his arms. Her little hands balled up into fists as she whined and cried in her purple onesie that was a bit dirtied up from her spit up. You could see the exhaustion in his eyes,

“Thank god you’re here, what do i do?” You stepped in and closed the door behind you as Eddie went back to sit on the couch, rocking her in his arms.

“How long have you had her?”

“Only an hour, she was fine earlier! I mean she pulled at my hair so i had to put it back but i don’t know what made her start crying-“

“Jennifer’s her mom right? Did she give you a diaper bag or something?” You looked around and spotted an unfamiliar bag on the kitchen counter, quickly going to grab it and bring it into the living room, rummaging through it. You pulled out a small, soft blanket, one of her baby bottles, a new onesie to change her into, and everything you would need to change out her diaper, “I’ll take her off your hands for a bit, you lay that mat out and get all the diaper stuff set up around it and i’ll try to calm her down a bit.” You gently scooped her up into your arms and Eddie did exactly as you said as you held her close to you, petting her back to calm her as you gently bounced up and down, softly whispering to her as Eddie finished up.

“Ok, it’s all set up. Now what?”

“Now, we’re gonna change her,” You gently laid her out onto the mat and undid the buttons on her onesie, “and you can change your shirt and feed her when we’re done.”

As you started to undo the little elastics on her diaper, Eddie cringed and covered his nose, making you giggle.

“Ugh, thats her?!”

“Yes it’s her! You have to check her diaper like every 30 minutes, babies can’t really control when they go.” You cleaned her up and handed him the dirty diaper to toss, “Here, go throw this one away while i get her dressed, and then you go change.”

As he walked back into his room after tossing the dirty diaper, you slipped Beth into a new, clean onesie and grabbed her a pacifier as you picked her back up. Her crying had stopped the moment you put her back into your arms, but she was still whining as you gave her the pacifier. Her little blue eyes opened finally and you smiled as she looked up at you, petting down the wisps of dark hair on her head, whispering softly down to her as you gently bounced her in your arms,

“Shh, it’s ok sweetie…”

“You’re really good with her. Well, better than me.” Eddie said with a laugh as he walked back into the living room in a fresh shirt, his hair retied and fixed up.

“You learn a thing or two after having to watch them all the time.”

He walked over and stood behind you, looking down at Beth with a smile as she looked up to him,

“She’s real cute when she’s not crying you know.”

You giggled and turned your head to kiss his cheek,

“And you’re cute when you don’t have baby vomit on your shirt. I’ll hold her for a few, you go warm up her bottle and then you can feed her.”

“Why don’t you feed her? She seems to like you a lot more.”

“Because her mom asked you to babysit, not me, so she’s your responsibility still. I’m just here to help.” You sat on the couch as Eddie went to the kitchen to warm her bottle, “And if you’re gonna babysit, you have to know how to take care of a baby.”

You looked down at her in your arms and smiled, her little eyes wandering all around the trailer before becoming fixed on Eddie as he walked back into the living room, sitting next to you with a bottle in his hand.

“Did you heat it up right?”

“I think so? What’s the right way to do it?”

“There’s really no ‘right’ way to do it, you just have to make sure it’s not too hot for her. Put a little bit of it on the back of your hand, if it’s warm then you should be ok.”

He did as you said and wiped the spot of milk off of his hand onto his shirt,

“Fells fine.”

“Good! Now you take her,” You carefully gave her to Eddie, making sure she was comfortable in his arms as he leaned back onto the couch, “and you’re gonna make sure her head it tilted up just a little bit while you feed her.” He was following your instructions very carefully, adjusting her head slightly as it rested in the crook of his elbow.

He took the pacifier out of her mouth and replaced it with the nipple of the bottle, holding it up for her. It was finally quiet in the trailer. Peaceful.

Seeing how Eddie was being so careful with the little baby in his arms made you smile. He’d been around kids before, and he was always great with them, but taking care of a baby was an entirely different story. As she was laid peacefully in his arms, he was thinking about how her mom must feel. He was exhausted after just an hour but he couldn’t imagine how it would feel to have to take care of something so small and fragile 24/7.

As Beth drank from the bottle Eddie was holding for her, her hands reached up and her little fingers wrapped around one of his and you could feel him tense up slightly.

“You ok?”

“Yeah…” He said quietly with a gentle smile, his eyes never leaving from the baby in his arms.

You leaned your head onto his shoulder,

“I think she likes you.”

“You think so?” He said with a laugh, “She really liked yanking on my hair earlier, she’s got a tight grip!”

“Well i’m sure you liked to pull your dads hair when you were a baby,” you said with a giggle, “babies don’t know it hurts when you pull on other peoples hair.”

He smiled, but stayed quiet for a moment, deep in thought.

“Do you think i’ll be a good dad?” His eyes finally looked up from the baby in his arms and met yours. You could hear the slightest bit of fear in his voice and his eyes were glossy. He was thinking about his childhood, his parents, everything that led up to him living with his uncle. He’d never been in a situation that made him think over something like this, but holding that little girl in his arms and having her finally be so peaceful around him made him realize he really didn’t know what he was doing when it came to kids, let alone babies. His parents definitely didn’t know what they were doing with him when he was a baby.

You gave him a gentle smile and softly kissed his lips,

“You’re gonna be a great dad. It takes a lot of learning when you’re a parent but i think you’re gonna do great when we have kids.”

“But my dad-“

“You’re not him.” You cut him off quickly, wanting to destroy any thoughts of him becoming like his dad. He wasn’t someone who scared easily, but you knew that becoming like his dad was something he feared more than anything else in the world. “You’re not anything like him, and you know you’re not.”

He said nothing, only nodding before giving you a quick kiss, looking back down at Beth as she finished her bottle.

“Looks like she’s all done,” he pulled the bottle from her lips and slowly lifted her from his arms and supported her head as he laid her over his shoulder, “and i’m supposed to pat her back right?”

You nodded and gave him a gentle smile,

“Yep, but be gentle, just do it until you hear her burp.”

He patted her back for a few moments and chuckled as he heard the tiniest squeak come from her over his shoulder,

“Man, i forgot how cute babies are,” he lifted her off of his shoulder and set her upright in his lap, her little hands balled up with one of them in her mouth, “they’re so tiny. We were this tiny once.”

You laughed and reached a finger out to tickle Beth’s tummy, making her smile in Eddie’s lap. He then did the same, moving his hand down to tickle her as she giggled again.

He moved himself down onto the floor with her still sitting in his lap,

“Hey, grab one of those bigger blankets from the bag would you?”

“Yeah sure,” you stood and walked back over to the diaper bag, taking out one of the larger blankets out and laying it onto the carpet, “what for?”

He gently set her down onto the floor on her tummy and sat down before her,

“Jen said to let her crawl around for a little bit before i put her to bed, and she was looking kinda sleepy,” you sat down on the floor across from him as he laid himself out on the carpet to face Beth, her little eyes peeking up at him made him smile, “i wanna see if she’ll crawl over to me.” You could hear a hint of excitement in his voice.

You watched as he laid out on his stomach, looking at Beth across the blanket on the floor,

“Come here Beth, come on…” He tapped the spot of blanket before him to get her attention and she slowly inched her way towards him, grabbing small spots of the blanket in her little hands and kicking out behind her to push herself forward. His smile got bigger and bigger as she came closer and closer, the littlest smile on her face as she kept pushing herself forward.

There was suddenly a gentle knock on the door and you stood up from your spot on the carpet,

“I’ll get it, you stay right there.”

As you opened the door, a woman just about your height was standing there before you. Dark hair, bright blue eyes, this had to be the Jennifer that Eddie had been telling you about.

“Hi! Are you (y/n)? I’m Jennifer, i’m Beth’s mom, i just came to pick her up.”

“Hi, yeah, it’s so nice to meet you! Come on in,” you let her inside and shut the door behind her, “they’re just over here in the living room.”

As the two of you stepped in, you could see Beth’s little hands gripping onto the hair on top of Eddie’s head. Jennifer rushed over to grab Beth,

“Oh gosh, i’m sorry Eddie, i should’ve warned you that she liked to pull hair.” She said with a laugh, taking Beth into her arms after removing Eddie’s hair from her grip.

“Oh it’s no problem.” He said laughing as he stood up from the floor, folding up the blanket and getting Beth’s things together into the bag, “I’m glad i was able to give you some time away from her for a little bit, she’s adorable but i know babies must be pretty stressful.”

“Yeah, she’s a bit of a handful sometimes, but me and Matt are managing. It’s just been tough since he switched over to the night shifts at work, it’s been hard to find time to run out and get errands done but i really appreciate you watching her Eddie, it means a lot.” she reached into her purse and pulled out a few $20’s, handing them to him, “Here, it’s the least i can i do for having you take her on such short notice. And (y/n), i’ve got some for you too, i hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Oh, no, you don’t need to give me anything! Eddie did most of the work with her, i just came over to help, i hope you didn’t mind.”

“Of course not! To be honest, it’s the two of you i really trust with her out of everyone else in this park. Eddie was such a big help while i was pregnant and i really appreciate everything he’s done to help out me and Matt.”

You remembered a few times that Eddie told you about a couple months back. He would help her up the stairs to their door during the last few months of her pregnancy, and would even go over and mow the lawn for her while Matt was out at work, he was the only one out of everyone else in the park to help them out when they needed it.

Eddie finished gathering up Beth’s blankets and bottles into the diaper bag and handed it back over to Jennifer,

“Well, anytime you need someone to look after her, i’ll gladly take her off your hands.”

Jennifer slung the bag over her shoulder and held Beth with the other arm, her little hands reaching back out to grab for Eddie, making Jennifer giggle,

“Well it seems like she’s gonna want to see you again soon. Do you think you’d be able to watch her again next week?” She gently bounced Beth in her arm as she started to yawn, leaning her head onto her moms shoulder.

“Yeah, absolutely! I’m always here if you need a babysitter,” He said with a smile, “And don’t worry about paying me, you guys are stressed enough as it is with her and i know moneys probably pretty tight.”

“Eddie, you’re an angel, really you don’t know how much i appreciate you watching her.” Beth started to slowly drift to sleep in her moms arms, her little blue eyes closing and the pacifier in her mouth almost falling out, “I think i better get back home before she decides to wake up again, i think we both need some sleep. Thank you both again for watching her.”

“Of course! It’s no problem at all!” You said with a smile, walking with her to the front door and opening it for her, Eddie following soon after to say your goodbyes as Jennifer made her way back to her trailer with Beth over her shoulder.

You shut the door and turned back to face Eddie,

“You are too sweet, who knew ‘cult leader’ Eddie Munson was so good with babies.” You said with a giggle, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

“Well like you said, i should probably learn how to take care of them, especially if i’m gonna be watching her a lot more.” He smiled down at you, arms going around your waist, pulling you in closer for a kiss, “You know when we were talking earlier while i was feeding her you said ‘when we have kids’, not ‘when i have kids’… Trying to tell me something?” He smirked and raised an eyebrow, making you laugh.

“No babies! Not right now at least, but i mean, we’ve been dating for how long now? And we’re getting older, and getting into the whole ‘domestic’ kinda thing, maybe eventually we’ll have one.”

“You think so?” He held you close by the waist, his forehead resting on yours, “Might be nice to have a little (y/n) or a little Eddie running around here.”

You giggled at the thought, a little curly haired toddler running around the trailer, Eddie holding them while playing his guitar, and you know he would be the best dad he could be.

“Maybe…” You smiled and leaned up to give him another kiss before he reached his hands down and hoisted your legs up onto his waist.

You giggled and wrapped your legs around his hips, his hands firmly holding onto your ass to keep you up,

“But we definitely don’t need something like that right now, taking care of a baby 24/7 doesn’t sound like that would be too fun. Besides…” He trailed kisses up and down your neck as he carried you into his bedroom, “i think making a baby sounds like a lot more fun.”

_______________________________________________

If you’d like to read more of my work, make sure to check out my masterlist 🥰

[roninreverie]

Big Mama's Chinese Roots and a Connection to Tang Shen?

First off, to preface... this whole thing started because @caro-rolo figured out that the Mystic Portal Key doohickeys in Rise are actually just some kind of fancy compasses that have North, South, East, and West written in Chinese characters.

Now, the first thought I had to learning this was "Tang Shen" because in the TMNT universe where Japanese influence is pretty heavy, she is notable for having a Chinese name.

She is also the love interest of Hamato Yoshi in many different variations. Though in Rise, that role belongs most notably to Big Mama, with Tang Shen being a blink and you miss it easter-egg credit on the cover of Jistu for Justice:

Mama is also most likely the source of where Splinter got his mystic portal key, and she even has one of her own in her office. Judging by how much control she has over the Hidden City, from the Battle Nexus, to demolition derbies, to train stations, to crime rings, she seems to have a large control over just who all is in her city, and these keys could very well be something she controls directly.

Now, Big Mama has all the set ups for having typical TMNT Japanese roots. Even her home estate seen in "Hidden City Job" has a very Asian look to it inside and out:

Plus, the whole "her being a yokai", makes it easy to assume she is based on some kind of Japanese spider demon like Jorōgumo, Yatsukahagi/Tsuchigumo, or Ōgumo, etc.

But "Yokai" can also be used to describe the Chinese term "yaoguai" which is basically the same definition.

So if Mama were a Chinese spider demon instead, the first one who comes up on a quick Google search is "zhī zhū jīng" or "spider woman". These are 7 spider demon sisters who fight Sun Wukong in Monkey King: Journey to the West.

Here, the spiders changed into seven beautiful young ladies who wanted to eat the flesh of Sun Wukong's master, Tang Seng, which is said to make the consumer immortal and forever young.

"Tang Seng"... "Tang Shen"... sounds pretty similar.

And aren't there also some animation ties from ROTTMNT to Lego Monkey King? Tangent side note, but there's a spider demon queen in that universe too and guess what? SHE'S PURPLE!

And where did Mama and Lou Jistsu first meet? On set of one of his movies "Crouching Shrimp Hidden Tiger Prawn" in 1984. A movie where an actress like Tang Shen could very well have ties to? (We'll come back to this at the end.)

Another chip in the Chinese vs Japanese bucket is Big Mama's Security Team:

At first, I thought their distinct faces represented Blue Japanese Hannya/ Oni masks, but what if they're supposed to be Chinese Nuo masks instead? Not unlike Zuko's Blue Spirit mask in ATLA.

You could also argue these guys are wielding a sort of Qinglong Ji or Fangtian Ji, which are Chinese spear or polearm weapons. (But if anyone knows what those spear thingies are really called, please let me know, it's driving me nuts!)

...

In conclusion, I got sent on a massive rabbit hole because of a fictional compass and regret nothing! 🧭

Now what is Big Mama's connection to Tang Shen? Are they related? (The actress does look a bit purple.) They could be sisters like the 7 sisters of the Monkey King lore. Did Mama seek to get rid of Tang Shen so she could get closer to Lou Jitsu herself? Are they the same person? Is Big Mama based on Japanese or Chinese folklore? Did any of this make any sense at all?

Let me know what you think, and thanks for joining me for another deep dive into another one of my random ROTTMNT theories!

EDIT: (PS- Sorry, if the "read more" messes the order of these up, but the scroll was annoying me in my own tags.) 😅

[sarahjswift]

You Don't Always Have to Watch Them - IWHAIWSA Chapter 2

Hello everyone! I was originally going to wait until Thursday to post this chapter, but I'm having a pretty crappy Monday and wanted to get this out there. It brings me joy to read other's fanfics and I wondered if this would brighten people's day - plus, I love the validation I get from the comments XD. To everyone struggling with work and most of all school like I am, I sympathize and remember - summer is almost here! I had multiple huge tests today - and this whole week - so good luck to all those who have the same :)

Word Count: 2.7k (it's a long one!)

Warnings: Light Smut, Language

Tag List <3 : @backtobl4ck, @blue-bird17, @renxzs, and @aelinchocolatelover. These are my amazing wonderful tag listers - just let me know if you'd like to be added!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter <333333 Have an amazing Monday!!

___

Only the intense sunlight streaming in through the bay windows managed to wake Aelin up at 8 in the morning. She groaned and rolled over, tugging her sheets over her head as her mind began to register. With a start, she sat up as she remembered the events of the previous day. 

There was an extremely hot man living literally right next door who was the father to her daughter’s new best friends. No biggie. Not a big deal. 

“Gods,” she muttered as she hopped out of bed. No use trying to sleep now. She crept across her room to her bathroom, careful not to wake Eve, and switched on the lights. Blinking at the harshness of it, she stared at herself in the mirror. She sported purple smudges, bedhead, and red splotches on her cheek from where the pillow was. Great. 

After a quick shower, Aelin brushed her hair back into a braid and pulled on her swimsuit before slipping into her favorite sundress - a perfect sky blue dress that was tight on her chest and waist and ended with a flowy skirt. She spritzed on some of her Gucci perfume - the perfume Eve liked to call “Mommy’s fancy scent” because she so rarely used it - in the scent of “lemon verbena”.  Some mascara and subtle lipstick and she was ready for the day. 

There was no reason why Aelin was getting so fancy and dressed up. Not at all. “And it doesn’t,” she scolded herself in the mirror, “have to do with Eve’s playdate later.” 

__

“Mommy, I want a popsicle,” Eve whined, dragging her feet through the hallway. She was in her swimsuit all geared up for a breakfast at the pool in her purple swimsuit and floaties, googles plastered to her head. She looked absolutely adorable, and Aelin’s heart strained every time she looked at her daughter. 

“Sweetie, can I get a picture, please?” Aelin asked, choosing to ignore her kid’s earlier request. Eve frowned and shook her head, stamping her foot. “Please, Eve. Just one for Dad?”

Aelin tried not to let her hurt show as Eve’s face lit up and she beamed, posing in the hallway. She snapped a quick photo and sent it to Sam before tucking the phone in her tote bag and continuing down the hall. 

“You can’t have a popsicle, but there will be pancakes at breakfast.” Aelin took her daughter’s small, slightly sticky hand and smiled down at Eve. “And we’ll have ice cream later.”

“Thank you Mommy,” Eve squealed, giving her mother a side hug. 

They reached the pool and Aelin sighed with delight at the sight of the pristine resort, facing a view of the ocean far below. The pool was massive, with a diving board and water slides, and the area was decorated with picnic tables decked with food. Families milled about, adults chatting as they ate and kids playing happily in the pool.

“Isn’t this just beautifu-” Aelin’s statement was interrupted by Eve’s screech of delight and she watched with alarm as her daughter raced through the crowd, arms flung out to see-

Lilly and Henri, running toward her with beams on their faces, and Rowan, following close behind with a focused expression on his face as he struggled to keep up with his kids. At the sight of him, her heart dropped - and when he noticed her, his face went slack. She forced a smile on her face and walked toward them. 

“I thought we weren’t seeing you until this afternoon!” she greeted the family - or rather, Rowan, who was the only one listening. The kids had already headed toward the mountains of food in the corner. 

“Guess we had the same idea.” Rowan’s gaze flicked between her lips and back to her eyes and Aelin felt her heartbeat grow faster. She took a short breath and cleared her throat, motioning toward the pool. 

“Are you going to swim?”

“If the kids are, yeah.” 

Aelin raised an eyebrow. “Rowan. You do realize that there are like five lifeguards on their shift right now? You don’t have to constantly watch them.”

Something flickered behind his beautiful eyes. “It’s fine. It makes me feel better.” 

“Well…,” Aelin began, stepping closer. “While the kids eat we could swim. They’re fine and safe out of the water, right?”

“Depends on who you ask,” Rowan snorted, but when Aelin took one step closer he nodded. “Alright. Let’s swim.” 

__

Aelin had never felt more scandalous as the moment she pulled off her sundress to reveal her swimsuit, the same one from yesterday. It wasn’t skimpy - she wouldn’t wear that with her kid present - but it was very flattering on her figure. She locked eyes with Rowan as she stepped out of her flip-flops and he pulled off his shirt. An image flashed before her of him doing the exact same thing later, but they were alone with no kids, no adults. In a bedroom. 

“Do you think the water will be cold?” Rowan asked as they neared the pool. 

“I kind of hope so,” Aelin laughed, shading her eyes from the hot morning sun beating down on them. 

They neared the deep end and paused there, waiting to see what the other would do. “Are you going to go in, or just stand there all day?” she teased. Rowan gave her a challenging grin that made her want to blush like a teenager and she watched in delight as he took two steps back and then made a running dive into the pool. 

She clapped her hands, laughing as he came up. His hair was plastered to his face and he swept it back, motioning with a hand for her to come into the pool. “Oh Gods no,” she said breathlessly. He raised an eyebrow and climbed up the ladder again. She watched, confused, as he walked over to her, dripping water, and grabbed her arm. 

Even soaking wet, his hand was warm and she hoped he couldn’t feel her pulse jump under his grasp. She took shallow breaths as he pulled her to him, maintaining intense eye contact as he gently pulled her forward, forward - 

Before she knew it, Aelin had plunged into the icy pool, Rowan’s hand remaining steady on her arm. She squealed like a child and felt her feet hit the bottom. Forcing her eyes open, she saw Rowan counting down with his hands. At his signal, they both pushed off and shot up into the air. 

Aelin couldn’t breath from her laughter, and to her delight Rowan was hooting loudly, his face lit into brilliancy with joy and humor. He was so beautiful like that he took her breath away, and she didn’t have control over her body as she leaned forward and -

Fuck, fuck! Her high was wearing off and she couldn’t kiss him but her movement had been obvious and Rowan was surveying her, wide-eyed. In the split second she had to decide, she lifted up her head and pressed her lips to his forehead. His skin was warm under her lips, and her eyes may or may not have closed briefly before she pulled back. 

Rowan was watching her, his eyes darkening, and she felt his hands on her shoulders tense, saw his whole body tense.  As if a nightmare, he released her and slowly swam away, toward the ladder. Aelin watched him go, toward his children, before sinking underwater, the sting of rejection and mortification overwhelming her. She squeezed her eyes shut as the tears threatened to fall before pushing up again, determined to keep her head high and go take care of her daughter. 

↜↝

Two crying kids were just what Rowan needed to solidify this absolutely perfect day. Apparently Lilly and Henri were so upset over being “torn away” from Eve they took it upon themselves to cry hysterically as Rowan dragged them to the playground. Now that they had finally calmed down, he watched them from a bench as they played tag with the other kids at the playground. 

His jaw was clenched so tight he was sure his teeth were going to fall out as his mind replayed the dreaded event over and over again. He was such a fucking idiot. The most dazzling woman he’d ever seen had kissed him - on the forehead, but whatever - and he’d gaped at her like an idiot and then swam away. 

It didn’t even register in his mind that Aelin hadn’t kissed him on the mouth - her lips had sent such shocks of electricity through him that she might as well have. But in the moment, when he felt like he could collapse, Lyria and the events of the past two years had flashed through his mind and he couldn’t help his horror. 

Rowan couldn’t, wouldn’t, go through what he had with Lyria again - for his heart, yes, but mostly for his children. Their divorce had been so ugly, and the events before that so miserable, he was sure Henri and Lilly were scarred for life. 

As if on cue, his phone erupted with a call from his ex-wife, her smiling profile filling the screen. He glared down at his phone, debating whether or not to answer, before finally picking up. It’d be more trouble than it was worth. 

“Hello?” Rowan felt his stomach drop at the sound of her voice in his ear - sweet like honey, just as he’d fallen in love with her ten years ago at twenty. 

“What do you want,” he gritted out.

“C’mon, honey. I just want to talk to them. Give me five minutes, I promise I’ll-”

“You’ll what? Convince them to come visit you and make me give up this vacation to go watch them?”

He could feel Lyria’s leash slip and her annoyance filled her voice. “Gods, you don’t need to watch them all the fucking time when they’re with me! I’m their gods-damned mother!”

“Based on the way you treated me in the seven years we were married, I’d say I have pretty good reason to watch them,” Rowan snarled. All the events of the day caught up to him and he began pacing around the bench. 

“Oh my fucking Gods. You’re just mad because I’m the only woman who ever thought you weren’t perfect and I told you so and so you’re pissed-”

“Fucking tearing me down every day in front of my children and slapping me during fights is what happened. Not the gaslighting shit you spun for the judge. Save it.”

“Look, my prison time is almost up and then I’ll be on parole. If you’d just-”

At her words, Rowan’s head and stomach emptied out. Lyria would be out of prison soon - on parole? Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

“I’m not listening to this shit. I’m going back to my vacation with my children, whom you have no right to see.” Rowan near-shouted, hanging up the phone. He threw it onto the ground forcefully, blowing out a breath of relief as it bounced harmlessly off of some moss. 

He turned again toward his children, who were obliviously playing hide-and-seek. Collapsing onto the bench, he closed his eyes and focused again on the static electricity from before. 

__

Rowan: I’m sorry. I had a really toxic ex-wife and I just got reminded of it. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I’m a bad person. 

Aelin: *typing*

Aelin: It’s ok

Aelin: I shouldn’t have violated that. It’s not what I’m trying to teach Eve. I need to respect personal space

Rowan: Well if that’s the case I’ve been not…great in that department either haha

Aelin: oh?

Aelin: I don’t remember that, mr. perfect. When was this shocking event?

Rowan: *typing*

Rowan: earlier. When I grabbed you at the pool. 

Aelin: *typing*

Aelin: That’s alright. I liked it

Aelin: i liked it a lot haha

Rowan: *typing*

Rowan: and I liked everything that happened after that. 

↜↝

Aelin stared down at her phone screen. It was ten pm and Eve was long asleep, leaving Aelin sitting alone in her room watching YouTube, before Rowan had texted. Now, they were engaged in a very steamy phone conversation. 

She leaned against the cool wall, breathing deep, knowing that he was on the other side of the plywood. Her phone dinged and she eagerly looked down - and let out an involuntary groan. 

Rowan had sent her the world’s most adorable picture - a selfie of him in a large hoodie, giving the camera a thumbs-up and tired smile. Henri and Lilly were sleeping on either side of him, covered in blankets. 

Aelin felt her mind overload with the absolute cuteness of it and without thinking she saved the photo to her phone. For his profile picture, she told herself. 

Well, now she had to send him one back. She frowned down at herself - her hair was unbrushed and she was in sweats, but oh well. She held up her phone camera and threw a thumbs-up - as he had - at the camera, pouting her lips in a cute expression. 

Aelin: *attached image*

Aelin: my kid is in her room so i’m alone and not as cute but

Rowan: you’re adorable 

Aelin: i know 

Rowan: of course you do

Aelin: 😘

↜↝

Aelin was the most gods-damned beautiful woman Rowan had ever seen. He peered down at the photo she’d sent, eyes drinking in her allure. Even dressed down, she was breathtaking. 

He looked down at his children and slowly stood up, carrying them to their rooms. He stood there in the small living room for half a second before making up his mind. 

Meet me in the hallway, he texted Aelin before rushing toward the door. Before lurching it open like he longed to do, he checked his reflection in his phone camera. He looked tired and his hair was a mess, but - too late now. 

He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Aelin had read the message, and he could hear her footsteps from their room. His heart was in his throat as Aelin opened the door, walking toward him. In sweatpants and a hoodie, she looked as stunning as in her bikini. 

“Rowan?” she breathed, eyes wide. Rowan knew his eyes were probably nearly black but he couldn’t help himself as he reached around Aelin and shut both of their room doors. Aelin tracked every movement and pivoted her whole body to face him as he drew closer. 

“Aelin,” he began. His voice failed him and he gazed into the eyes of a goddess, trying to convey what he wanted. From what happened next, he was pretty sure she had gotten the message. 

Aelin drew in a sharp breath and slid her hand up his arm, leaving hot fire in its wake. Her hand slid up, up until she was cupping his cheek. Rowan leaned into it, not breaking her gaze. Aelin’s eyes were almost heavy-lidded now, and she took her other hand to pull Rowan to her. 

Rowan felt her lean into him, but he stood just taller than her that her nose bumped his jawline. He closed his eyes as he felt her press kisses along his jaw, taunting. She looked up at him with those damn eyes, and that’s when his control broke. 

With a snarl, he gripped her chin and drew his lips to hers, relief filling him as she tightened her hold against his neck. Without breaking the kiss, he turned so she was up against the wall, leaving her to his mercy. Aelin opened her mouth to him and he stifled a groan as their tongues brushed. 

Rowan moved his hands under her sweatshirt, finding with delight there was nothing but bare skin under it. He broke the kiss and pressed his lips to her neck, his hands stroking her waist, her sharp breaths like a melody. She plunged her hands into his hair, running her fingers through it, and there was nothing, nobody like her, and her scent was filling his nose and he was going to explode and -

Aelin froze and Rowan stiffened too as they both heard the sound of children’s footsteps. Hissing, Aelin moved away from him and swiftly moved back into her room. He felt the loss of her heat like someone had dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on him, but he just gritted his teeth and walked back into his room, locking the door behind him.

[bippot]

Loved bad boy Bob 💕💕💕. Have you seen bad times at the el Royale? If so, Miles fic?

I have seen Bad Times, so here you go...it's quite long (I got carried away)

Summary: Although he doesn't know her movies, Miles becomes enraptured by one of his guest and fails to restrain himself to show her the kind of love he believes she deserves.

Yet, their fling must be kept under the radar because her stage mother is rather possesive.

Additional Tags: Secret Relationship, Voyeurism, Fluff and Smut, Canon-Typical Violence, Mommy Issues, Childhood Trauma, Gun Violence, Angst with a Happy Ending

Music recommendation: A World Without Love by Peter and Gordon

Full Masterlist - here

Decked out in her favourite sleeveless flared denim jumpsuit the star of stage and screen, the illustrious Y/N L/N, drove into the parking lot of the hotel her manager had told her to check in at. It was a fancy looking place and well known for its clientèle over the years. Senators and thieves and those who liked their privacy had stayed in the establishment ten times over. And, she was sure they paid handsomely for the employees' indiscretion.

Not that Y/N had anything to hide. Rumours swirled around the starlet as they did with everyone in the industry. Yet, unlike those around her, the chatter was just that. They had no solid foundation. No evil deeds that she kept deep in the cupboard for a pesky reporter or detective to uncover. Hollywood and the greater world was yet to tarnish her.

Miles knew that as soon as she sauntered through the door. He could tell as soon as she gave him a warm, genuine smile that the El Royale was no place for a lady with a heart such as hers. This place would corrupt her in no time.

Yet, he couldn't seem to make his mouth move. She looked like a dream come true. Every inch was perfectly sculpted and her hair shone in the soft lights of reception. And, by the time she had gently closed the door behind her and let out a friendly "It's awful windy out there, don't you think?" he was utterly hooked.

Somehow, Miles found his voice. "I hope the weather wasn't too much trouble for you, ma'am."

His reply came out a little stiff and her smile grew brighter when she heard his words. She glanced in all directions, taking in all the lavish interior of the hotel with a curious glance. Her eyes were dancing between each piece of furniture before she glanced up and breathed out, "Such a beautiful chandelier," at nobody in particular.

Admittedly, she did have a point. The El Royale was an alluring hotel because that's what it was supposed to do. The building reminded him of the Monkshood flowers that one of the ladies in his hometown used to grow in her front garden. They were a brilliant, rich purple shade that made all the other gardeners around envious of Mrs Watson's skills. However, they weren't as envious when dear old Sooty the dog decided to taste the petals one day and immediately went into cardiac arrest. Beautiful but deadly.

Then, her gaze was then cast on Miles. He swallowed the lump in his throat at the sight and forced himself to nod back. "Sorry, I can't help but marvel at handsome things," Y/N replied, flashing him her pearly whites once again. That's when he realised she'd been beaming at him as he reminisced about the past. She didn't even seem to register the way his cheeks were burning bright red.

"Its beauty is only surface level." He took a breath so he could lie, "I heard that one of the hotels in Tahoe had the Dalai Lama stay there one time, ma'am. Now that must be the perfect place for one such as yourself. I'm sure I have their telephone number around here somewhere."

Chuckling at him, she walked up to the desk and leant her elbows against the wood, placing her hand on her fist. "I don't think that's true," she stated, completely unaffected by the fact that he'd lied to her, and she tilted his badge so she could read it. "My dear Miles, you have been fed misinformation. Yet, I think you know that too."

Fuck, he'd never been good at lying, especially to pretty ladies. Clearing his throat, Miles tried to ignore how close she had gotten. Not a single muscle in his body relaxed at all. All he could see was that face. Damn the way that her lips formed his name like a prayer, and damn how mesmerising she looked as she said it.

While she wasn't currently in danger, she could be. Staying at the El Royale increased her chances at brushing shoulders with the seedy side of reality. The hotel held many secrets within its walls, and he desperately refused to add hers to the list. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't like he had much of a choice.

"Aren't you going to give me the big speech?" she questioned him, tilting her head to the side. "My mama stayed here a while back. She said the boy behind the counter had real stage presence when he gave her the speech."

Stage presence? Nobody had ever told him that he was charismatic in any way. In fact, he thought he was downright boring most of the time. He hadn't even gone to college or studied or done anything remotely interesting - anything he felt comfortable telling a stranger. If someone had told him that he possessed some sort of charm, he would have laughed them out of the room.

"Your mama oversold my skills," he joked, trying to keep his cool. Though the way that her lip curled up at the corner made his knees go weak. "Still, I'll do my best."

Here it was. He walked around the desk and stood on the state line, delivering the lines he said every day. Obviously, he knew them like the back of his hand but he felt obligated to recite them with a bit more gusto than usual. Maybe it was because she was looking at him like he was the most interesting thing in the lobby.

"The El Royale is a bi-state establishment. You have the option to stay in either the great state of California." Playfully, he hopped into California. Then, he slid into Nevada, dragging his foot to meet the other with a flourish of his arms. "Or the great state of Nevada. Warmth And sunshine to the west or hope and opportunity to the east. Which would you prefer?"

"Bravo, bravo!" she applauded loudly, making the man blush from the compliment alone and he gave her bow as if he'd just been on Broadway. "Can I give you one tinsy piece of advice?"

"Of course, ma'am."

"Have a little more hope in your skills, Miles. My mama was right."

Oh god, what was happening? Why was the girl being so kind to him? Nobody was this nice to him unless they were after something. But, there was no trace of mockery or ill intent in her features. There wasn't even a hint of malice. She genuinely seemed to find Miles likeable and amusing. That was new. And he was not sure what to make of it.

"To answer your expertly delivered question, Nevada please. Don't mind which room. As long as it's got a comfy bed, I'll be content."

"Would've expected you to be a California girl after all, Miss-"

"Call me Y/N," she offered, holding out her hand for him to shake. Once he did, her fingers felt so warm against his and he was trying to focus on something other than her touch. He was failing miserably. His hand lingered longer than necessary, and yet, she didn't seem to mind at all. "It's very nice to meet you, Miles."

Now, he had no idea where the confidence came from that graced him with the ability to lift her knuckles to his lips and softly kiss them, but he did it and he did it with a warm smile. "Likewise, Miss Y/N."

Was she blushing?

"Just Y/N, Miles. No need for formalities."

"Y/N."

He repeated it slowly, savouring the way it felt slipping off his tongue, like sweet honey. It was almost foreign. The way it rolled on his tongue in the most pleasing way possible. He was glad that the others weren't around to hear how utterly enchanted he felt by the woman in front of him.

"Which room has the comfiest bed then? Or have you already stolen that one for yourself?"

Before he could stop himself, he scoffed, "Definitely not. My bed is like sleeping on rocks," and there was no disputing how her expression changed. She looked somewhat concerned and slightly alarmed at his statement. "It's not like I sleep much anyway."

If he thought that admission would ease her, he was wrong. It only served to confuse her further and cause a deep frown to form on her lips. He gulped nervously under the weight of her stare and quickly tried to brush past it.

"Room Four. It's closest to all the amenities here in reception and has the comfiest bed on the Nevada side."

For a moment, neither of them moved, then Miles turned to retrieve her key and money when she handed enough over for the week, but the sudden silence of the surroundings made him hurry up his actions. He hadn't moved so fast in so long.

"I'll walk you to your room," he blurted out suddenly and instantly cursed himself for doing so. It sounded incredibly creepy and stalkerish; a bad combination in his book. Despite the fact that he was the bellhop too, he wished he'd never said it so frantically.

"Lead the way."

With a curt nod, Y/N followed him as he walked her to her room across the lobby. The entire trip to her room, he kept glancing back at her, wondering if she noticed the strange behaviour he was exhibiting or if it was just him. Whatever it was though, it was making him feel awkward.

As they finally arrived at her room, Miles turned towards her, trying his hardest to look calm despite feeling as if he were suffocating underneath the pressure of her gaze. Her eyes were filled with an emotion he didn't want to decipher, but judging by her expression, he would've guessed that it was probably a worry.

Was she worried about him? Had he somehow offended her? Perhaps she saw through his act, or perhaps she was merely curious as to why he kept looking at her strangely. However, before he could ask her if he'd done anything wrong, she spoke first. "Are there any other guests here?"

"No, ma'am. Just the two of us."

"We're alone?"

The hopeful tone she spoke with was not lost on him. Although her voice remained casual and composed, it did not escape his attention. He nodded slowly.

"Wow, I've never been alone before," she breathed out, smiling at him, her expression showing pure joy at their current situation. He certainly didn't miss the flutter that shot through his heart. Stepping towards him, she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and took her suitcase from his grip. "Thank you, Miles."

Without saying anything else, she disappeared into her room, leaving Miles standing there dumbfounded and completely speechless. His chest tightened, causing him to wonder whether she'd truly enjoyed the brief moment that they shared together or if she was just playing him or if she was just that nice.

Either way, his brain couldn't help but replay the sound of her laughter again. It was soft and sweet and made him forget... fuck, he forgot to get her to sign the ledger. That stupid ledger! He stomped towards the front desk to get it and returned to her door less than five minutes after she had closed it.

"Yes, Miles?" She asked through the wood as he knocked on it.

"Sorry, Y/N, ma'am. I forgot to get you to sign the ledger, do you mind if you could do it now? I can always come back later if -"

She opened the door to reveal her face without a trace of makeup on it and she was obviously about to change as the puffy shirt she'd been wearing under her jumpsuit was gone and the straps had clearly been hastily pulled over her shoulders so she wasn't revealing her cleavage too much.

It made his insides churn and he swallowed harshly in an attempt to quench the rising lust he felt for her. Instead, he cleared his throat and forced a smile onto his face, although he really wanted nothing more than to just grab her by the waist and drag her into his arms, kissing the life out of her senseless.

Then he remembered the ledger and held it out towards her. She smiled at him before taking it from his hands. Without another word, she began scribbling her name onto the page in neat, cursive handwriting. She even added a smiley face at the end for extra measure.

"There. Done," she exclaimed excitedly and handed it back to him. "Did I see one of those Automat thingamabobs earlier?"

"You did, ma'am. We offer both sandwiches and pies." He leaned forward and whispered, "Although, I must admit - and I beg of you to not tell my boss - the food here ain't as tasty as it used to be. I apologise in advance. Try to get apple pie if you can, it's the best of the worst."

Following his lead, she also closed the gap between them and inquired in a hushed voice, "So, does that mean you would decline if I asked you to join me?"

The way she looked up at him from beneath her lashes with such innocent, pleading eyes, made him feel so hot inside. He was certain that he wouldn't last a single second with her if he let her continue looking at him like that.

Fuck it. "Any chance to spend more time in your presence, I'll take, ma'am."

Her eyes widened, seemingly taken aback by his response, and her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. There was no doubting it this time, she definitely blushed at that. "Really?" She asked, sounding more surprised than he expected her to be. "Oh Miles, you're too sweet for your own good. I'll meet you at seven?"

"I'll be there."

Without giving himself another chance to speak and somehow fuck up, he hurriedly walked back to reception, cursing internally that he hadn't said goodbye properly, and headed towards the bar to pour a glass of whisky for his nerves.

As he was doing that, Y/N was lying in bed, her head resting on the pillow, gazing up at the ceiling. Her fingers idly toyed with the ends of her hair, twisting the strands about each other in an effort to keep herself from squealing aloud in pure glee from his bold declaration.

Now, her mama wouldn't approve. God no. But... her mama wasn't here. What harm could it do? He had been nothing but friendly and polite with her so far. Despite how Y/N knew she was naïve when it came to the outside world and those inhabited it, she could tell that Miles didn't want to hurt a fly.

Whether he was capable of hurting a fly or not was a completely different question. A question that she didn't know the answer to.

To occupy her time before dinner, Y/N decided to change into something more comfortable. Miles had arrived when she thought about putting her nightgown on, but now, that wasn't appropriate. She needed to look presentable for dinner with her new friend, especially since he seemed like a proper gentleman who deserved her respect and gratitude.

Miles usually checked up on his guests through the two way mirror to ensure they had settled in without trouble, which was the most innocent way he used the observation corridor. It was so he could prepare if they asked for more towels or pillows before they'd even said the words out of their mouth to him. This part tended to last a quick two minutes.

Not this time. When he first realised she was changing, Miles shielded his eyes instinctively. But then his curiosity got the better of him and peeked at her through a slit between his fingers to find her shimmying down the bottom of her jumpsuit. His jaw immediately hit the floor in complete shock and he stared unabashedly at her curves. His eyes traced every single dip and part of bare skin from her neck to her breasts to her thighs and her waist to her... to everywhere she was exposed.

He felt lightheaded just looking at her. How could a woman be this beautiful? Was it possible? His thoughts swirled around in his mind, drowning out everything else as she removed her bra, leaving her clad only in a white, lacy panties. He couldn't breathe at all due to how aroused he was right now.

When she put her new dress on, he immediately felt a little guilty for staring so shamelessly at her. He hadn't meant to stare; it's just that she was simply too tempting. Once she was dressed, he shifted so he could no longer see through the mirror, and took a few deep breaths to calm himself and his erection down. It would be a sin to touch himself over what he just saw. Not because he didn't want to - because he did want to, he really wanted to - but because it would be perverted.

Even though Miles had never had the touch of a woman before, he knew what it entailed after filming it so many times. Truthfully, it terrified him. The kind of intimacy he usually witnessed was rough, crude and violent. Y/N didn't deserve that. She was soft and kind, caring and gentle. She didn't belong in that category, and therefore, he realised he shouldn't touch her. Under no circumstances should he ever treat her in such a way.

But his body betrayed him, telling him otherwise as he felt his cock hardening further. He couldn't touch her, but he could touch himself. In order to ease the pain and satisfy the throbbing ache that formed within his member, Miles had to do something about it. His fingers fumbled with his belt for a moment before finally managing to release the latch and pull it open. He quickly reached down and unzipped his jeans, allowing them to fall to his thighs.

His breathing grew heavy when he looked down. The bulge between his legs stood tall and prominent. He couldn't wait anymore and took himself into his hand, stroking his shaft while closing his eyes tightly. He slowly pumped up and down, gradually increasing the speed of his motion until he found a rhythm where it all began to melt away until there was only him lost within the image of her, and a pleasurable haze surrounding his body.

The pressure was building up behind his stomach and he groaned, gripping tightly onto the corner of the wall beside him for support. He couldn't wait any longer. He couldn't stop. He clenched his jaw together tightly and pressed his forehead against the cold wall as his hips bucked upwards, trying desperately to find relief.

With one last powerful thrust that shot him directly to heaven, he let out a cry of pleasure as he released all of his feelings all over himself. His body trembled slightly from the adrenaline coursing through him and he slid down the wall to sit in a heap on the floor, ashamed but sated for now.

Once he had recovered his breath enough to think again, he wiped the dribble off his chin - that he was unaware of until his sense came back to him - and sped to his room in order to change his clothes and rid himself of the remnants of his indiscretion in a hurry. As he threw open the wardrobe and pulled out a fresh pair of clothes, he tried to focus on getting ready for dinner, not the sight of Y/N's lush, inviting curves lying there invitingly and tempting him with their beauty once again.

Clearly, he was going insane. He could feel himself becoming obsessed with her. It wasn't fair for him to have such desires, not when he barely knew anything about her. Yet, he craved her company so deeply. He found himself unable to help himself. It was impossible to not get drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He was powerless to resist.

"Hiya Miles!" She greeted as she entered the lobby. He'd been staring off into space, obviously daydreaming and jumped slightly upon hearing her voice. Thankfully, he managed to compose himself and offered her an awkward smile.

Unabashedly, his eyes followed her figure as she moved across to the automat. He pretended to be busy with a piece of paper, pretending not to notice the way that every single movement of hers brought him immense pleasure. And when she turned and caught him watching her, he averted his gaze.

Y/N examined the pies through the glass and came to the conclusion that they were very anaemic looking in their current condition. And, there were only two left. One blueberry. One apple. It almost seemed like fate. She slid coins through the slot and patiently waited on their food to become more toasty.

Inside his head, Miles was having a little conflict. The more time he spent making it seem like he was doing actual work meant less of a chance to overstep his boundaries and get caught red handed drooling over a lady that was so far out of his league. However, he needed to be around her. That's what currently occupied his head - her.

And, she would eventually realise that stapling the same piece of paper ten times was a method of distracting himself.

"Food's done. Do you want to pick the music?" She called out once she'd placed the pies down, looking over her shoulder to see Miles jump at her voice again. "Sorry for startling you, honey."

Honey. He had no idea if she could see how his face softened as he heard that pet name fall from her lips. He shook his head lightly, forcing the silly grin that threatened to form on his face away.

He couldn't resist any more and made his way to the jukebox to pick the song. As soon as he saw Peter and Gordon, he knew that was what he was going to pick. "World Without Love okay?" he asked after he'd pressed the button so it was too late if she hated it. Luckily, the way she bopped her head to the beat implied that she didn't mind it.

Before Miles knew it, he was sitting in front of Y/N with apple pie on his plate. She'd given herself the blueberry, which wasn't as nice as the apple and he'd told her that. Had she forgotten? Or was she being nice yet again?

"How has your day been, Miles?" Y/N inquired as she bit into her pie, letting the lacklustre flavours flood her taste buds and filling her up with happiness despite how soggy the pastry was. "Were there any guests leave this morning or have you been here on your own for a while?"

If Miles didn't know any better, he'd say her eyes glistened a little when she tasted the desert, like a child who'd finally been given a piece of chocolate.

"No visitors," Miles said. "Just been me all weekend. Your arrival was quite the surprise."

"A good surprise, I hope."

Her smile widened as she spoke, causing his heart to flutter and butterflies in his stomach. She really was a sweetheart and even though she was completely foreign to him, he still adored her. It scared the shit out of him how much he genuinely enjoyed spending time with her even though he'd only met her today. She brought a smile to his tired face.

"The best surprise, ma'am," he admitted before taking a bite of his pie. Why did it taste better today? Was it because he was in a good mood? No, no. That can't be possible. It must be a different brand. Yet, he was sure they hadn't changed suppliers.

The pair continued to speak while they ate, a weird sense of familiarity between them despite how unfamiliar they were with each other. And he soon found out she was an actress.

"I'm sorry, I don't get out to the movies much these days," he confessed, sounding almost ashamed. She shrugged.

"Don't apologise," Y/N reassured and leaned her elbow on the table. She played with her fingers while gazing into his eyes for a short while. Then she admitted, "If I'm honest, I don't really like it when people recognise me these days." She chuckled, blushing a little and looked down shyly. "When I was a kid it was exciting. These days? I'm not so sure."

Miles unconsciously slid his hand on top of hers. She smiled and laced her fingers with his and squeezed them gently. A surge of warmness spread through his chest, his face reddening, and he cleared his throat nervously, but didn't shy away from her touch. They shared smiles and a comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying the comfort the simple contact provided.

"If it's any consolation, you're the prettiest movie star I've ever met," Miles blurted out suddenly. He cringed inwardly when he heard the words come from his mouth. He'd intended it to sound smooth, flirtatious even, but it came out rather blunt instead. He stared intently at Y/N, willing for some sort of reaction to take place.

She blinked, surprised by his sudden compliment, her cheeks dusted pink. She opened and closed her mouth for a few seconds before breaking out into a bright smile, causing Miles to relax slightly with a smile of his own tugging at his lips.

"And, you're the prettiest concierge I've ever met," she replied softly. Her eyes danced around the lobby, admiring the beauty of their surroundings, but ultimately settling on Miles himself. He felt a slight thrill course through him as she gazed at him, noticing how intensely his gaze lingered on her lips.

But, he quickly dismissed any thought of kissing her. They probably wouldn't know where to begin and he doubted he would be able to control his actions, which was the last thing either of them wanted. So, he chose to keep his feelings at bay and instead opted for some light conversation.

"How'd you find the pie?" He asked casually, hoping that his attempt at nonchalance would pass unnoticed, although it was rather obvious. But, thankfully, she didn't seem to suspect anything, or if she did, chose to ignore it completely.

"It's... the best dessert I've eaten in years. But, my mamma puts me on a diet so I don't think my judgement is all that good."

"A diet? I've never understood why lovely ladies deprive themselves of the joys of life."

"Well, it's not my choice." She shrugged as though it made perfect sense, before pausing briefly. "I do agree with you though."

After all he'd heard of her mother, Miles was starting to not like the woman very much, especially considering how she treated Y/N. He found himself wishing that he could take care of her properly. Not just because he liked Y/N, although he definitely did. He wished that he could protect her. Protect her honour. Protect her soul. She deserved it.

However, he realised that he'd gotten lost in his thoughts again. The warmth inside Miles grew exponentially as she stared straight back at him with her piercing eyes and the sweetest smile. How long had it been since anyone smiled at him like that? It felt good. Really good.

"Ma'am, I hope you don't find this too forward, but would it be alright if I kissed you?" He blurted out before he even noticed what he'd done.

It was something he'd been dying to ask her ever since the moment he'd set his eyes on her and the feelings of desperation and longing took over whenever the thought of her filled him.

"Yes!" she replied without a hint of hesitation, her eyes twinkling.

As soon as that word slipped out of her mouth, he felt like he was going to melt from the sheer amount of relief coursing through his body, a wave of happiness rushing throughout every inch of his being.

So, she shifted around the booth to sit next to him as he slid his arm on the seat behind her, holding her close. He cupped her cheek in one of his hands and gave an awkward laugh. "I, uh, it's been so long... back in school," he mumbled sheepishly as his thumb brushed her cheekbones. "I'm sorry... I apologise if it's, if I'm not -"

Interrupting him by surging forward and pressing her lips against his own was not something he'd expected her to do, nor was it something he was prepared for. The world seemed to slow down and everything around him disappeared, leaving nothing but Y/N.

For one brief second, he was frozen, too shocked to even react. The soft press of her lips against his own, the hot feeling spreading through his entire body as though a warm blanket had been wrapped around him, her sweet scent flooding his senses was so perfect. And then he returned the kiss, his emotions flowing freely as he moved his tongue along her bottom lip, urging her to open her mouth and allow him access. When she did, he deepened the kiss and ran his fingers through her hair.

Everything melted away as he focused only on her, only on her lips. He was intoxicated by her. His heart pounded loudly in his ears; he couldn't hear anything else as her nails began drawing small patterns against his jaw. He could barely believe what was happening.

And the kiss was far too scandalous to be allowed in polite society. However, neither cared about such things. He felt free; as though he had no torrid past or sketchy present, he had absolutely none of the responsibilities that burdened him in reality. So, he let himself be selfish once more, pushing aside the consequences of doing such things and focusing on how amazing this felt.

How wonderful this felt. How he loved the way Y/N tasted. How she kissed back. The way she matched the rhythm of his mouth. He needed this. Needed to feel her. Wanted to be near her. He pulled away slightly to catch his breath and stared down into her eyes with wonder as he tried to comprehend what had just happened.

The room spun a little as he took in a big gulp of air, the sensation dizzying and couldn't help but notice the colour high in her cheeks, her chest rising and falling heavily as she panted. They both sat there in complete silence for what seemed like minutes. Until, finally, he spoke.

"...Is this real?" He whispered, almost scared to say those dreaded words aloud. Because, he honestly wasn't certain.

A movie star kissed him?! That's simply preposterous. Wasn't she supposed to be famous, or something? Why would she be interested in little old Miles Miller? In fact, she was the most beautiful girl in the whole world. Why, oh why, would she go for a concierge?

"I hope it is," she breathed out and laughed a bit.

"So...if I asked if you wanted to do it again, you would say...?" He trailed off, uncertain and doubtful whether to push for an answer or not.

"Would you like to kiss me again?"

A smile lit up her features when the words left her lips and his eyes flickered downward to study the enticing curve of her lips, his body reacting automatically and leaning towards her.

"Yes. Very much."

Her smile widened impossibly and they leaned in to meet each other halfway, closing their eyes as their lips collided in another searingly passionate kiss. Their lips melded with soft touches, lingering, exploring, learning. Every movement, every gasp, every sigh. Nothing was wasted, nothing was rushed or desperate.

No, this was slow and sweet, and their kisses were tender. Achingly tender. It felt right. Everything felt right.

Then he moaned against her lips and shot away in embarrassment. "I apologise... I, uh, got too into it. Sorry, if I took it too far..." He mumbled awkwardly, avoiding her stare as a blush crept onto his cheeks and spread across his neck. He really, really wished he hadn't crossed a line. "I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable, ma'am."

"What? No! Oh goodness, no," she reassured hurriedly, reaching out to lay a reassuring hand on his forearm. "Please don't worry yourself! I found it rather enjoyable."

"Oh... well, I'm glad to hear that," he replied with a relieved grin, his gaze flickering to hers. And, despite the nervousness swirling within him, he couldn't help but feel happy.

Because, despite all the pain that he'd been put through over the years, his countless failed attempts at finding happiness, his many flaws and imperfections, the terrible person he was as a teenager, the scars and mistakes that littered his body and soul, and the dark secrets he held hidden beneath his skin, he finally found one pocket of happiness in the world, and her name was Y/N L/N.

"I don't usually do this sort of thing, I'm sorry if -"

"Please stop apologising to me." She interrupted him with a slight shake of her head, as though she couldn't believe he was thinking so lowly of himself. "And besides..." her voice dropped to a whisper, a playful smirk playing on her lips as she reached out with one finger and gently stroked the side of his face before continuing. "Who am I to refuse a handsome man such as you? You're quite irresistible."

Miles couldn't contain the delighted grin upon his lips as he looked down at her, his blue eyes twinkling like galaxies as he gazed deeply into her eyes, drinking in every detail, every expression and every tone.

But then his eyes wandered down and he caught a brief look at her bra strap. The fabric of her sleeve had fallen and given him a peek at the skin there.The guilt came washing back into his brain as he felt his face heat up in embarrassment, the memories of watching her in the observation corridor flashing through his mind. He tugged her dress back in place and quickly averted his eyes before she could see the shame he suddenly found himself feeling and cleared his throat nervously.

"I know you just told me to stop apologising to you, but I can't. I did a bad thing, Miss, and I understand if you never want to see me again," he admitted and knelt on the floor beside her while keeping his eyes locked with hers and his voice soft. "Just know, I'll always remember your kindness. Please, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

She frowned as she saw tears forming in his eyes and she immediately stroked his hair soothingly in an attempt to calm him. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked softly, placing the palm of her hand underneath his chin and tilting his head upwards to look her in the eye. "Miles? I don't understand."

"It's just... the first time in a while anyone has ever shown me any kindness and you're so pretty, you are..." he murmured, struggling to find the proper words and, in the end, merely looking into her eyes for a moment before breaking away with a sigh. "This hotel is for the damned. For the corrupt. And my bosses, they, uh, they make me spy on people sometimes."

"Are you spying on me?" She raised an eyebrow, her expression growing curious.

"I haven't been asked to... the mirror in your room, it's a two way. There's this corridor where I can look into each room and earlier I..." He took a breath, gathering all his courage to tell her. "I looked into your room and you were changing. I should've looked away. My mother raised me better than that. But I couldn't help myself. I didn't mean to."

He stopped to observe the metaphorical gears turning in her head as he noticed the look of shock slowly taking shape on her features. His stomach sank, unable to stop the wave of dread rushing through his blood as he watched her slowly begin to realise the full implications of what he was telling her.

Quietly, she asked, "Did you like what you saw?"

His eyes lowered to his lap briefly before lifting back to her and nodding hesitantly. "I, uh, I did," he said reluctantly, trying to avoid meeting her gaze. "Every part of you is mesmerising and that doesn't excuse my actions. I'm so so-"

Once again, she silenced him with a kiss, this time pressing her lips firmly against his. Her arms slipped around his shoulders pulling him closer to her as he kissed back in kind, letting out a quiet sigh and wrapping his hands on either side of her waist. He ran his hands along her sides, tracing her curves delicately and savouring the soft touch of the smooth fabric of her dress against his calloused fingers.

When they parted for air, he rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes as he continued to run his hands along her body. He didn't dare open them. Didn't dare move as he remained there for what felt like hours.

After a moment, he felt gentle fingers brushing the top of his head, tucking stray strands of his messy locks behind his ears and holding his cheek in place with her other hand.

"Can I see this corridor?" She asked quietly, her voice husky, almost raspy.

His eyes fluttered open, and he looked deep into her eyes, wondering momentarily if it was wise to allow her to visit that section of the hotel. If the company knew about it...

"You won't tell anybody, will you?" He asked timidly, afraid she might take offence. After all, why would she trust him now? She shook her head as she smiled gently down at him, her thumb rubbing tiny circles against the light stubble of his cheek.

"Nobody would believe me even if I wanted to."

With a nod, he stood from the ground, offering her his arm, which she graciously accepted and allowed him to escort her to the corridor. As they walked past the maintenance closet that was his room, she let out a sad sigh and stopped outside it. "Sweetie, you deserve more comfort than this," Y/N whispered in a small voice. A small, sincere voice that made him feel even worse.

Then she noticed the needles next to his cot, which he'd clearly forgotten about until then because he froze and his head snapped back towards hers, his eyes wide, a startled gasp escaping his lips. He wasn't going to deny it if she asked. But she didn't ask. She quietly closed the door and slipped her hand into his as they continued walking, neither one speaking.

They entered the corridor together, a solemn silence settling, and Miles stared at his feet, the seriousness of inevitable conversation weighing heavily upon his conscience already. Y/N squeezed his hand gently and brought his attention back to her.

"I assume you have seen some scandalous things in your time here at the hotel?" She questioned gently, the look on her face sympathetic, understanding and deeply concerned.

"Uh, yeah, you could say that."

Just as she'd done when she'd first entered the hotel, her eyes scanned across every single part of the room, taking in every single aspect before her and walking away from him to really absorb every part. That was until her gaze lingered a little longer on a particular spot of the wall to the right of her room. Miles followed her line of sight.

"Oh...that's, uh, I forgot to clean that up." He winced slightly and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before continuing in an apologetic tone. "I got a bit...excited, ma'am." He glanced sheepishly at her, waiting to see how she'd react.

But, surprisingly, her expression remained unchanged, although he could sense a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"When you were watching me?"

Miles swallowed hard. He forced himself to nod his head, his cheeks burning bright red in humiliation, and, after clearing his throat yet again, he continued. "Yes, I-I've seen a lot of things in my life and you, you have no idea..." His face twisted into a frown. "This hotel is evil and I'm no better. You are a literal angel and I'm sorry. So sorry that we've corrupted you. You shouldn't be here, not like this."

For what seemed to be an eternity, she stared at him, her eyes piercing straight through him before she sighed. "If I were you, I wouldn't waste anymore breath apologising," She mumbled as she shook her head and reached for his hand once more. "My whole life has been watched by strangers, and at least I know this stranger by name. I don't know you well, but I do know enough, Miles. Enough to know that you are a kind person and that you don't deserve to be stuck here. This is not where you belong."

As her thumb caressed his skin, the corners of her mouth began to quirk upwards and a smile formed on her face, but Miles could sense the sadness concealed beneath it. And he didn't blame her for it. He understood, and he also felt horrible that she hadn't been given the chance to live a normal life. He'd only met her today and yet, somehow, he had already become so aware of how much she disliked her career, her fame, everything.

"I hope you're right," he breathed as he cupped her cheek with his left hand and brought their foreheads together, inhaling sharply as he felt her hot breath fanning over his skin.

Eventually, they did leave the corridor. Miles walked her to her room and, once she'd opened the door and stepped inside, he turned to walk away, muttering a quick goodbye but she held onto his arm before he got too far, stopping him in his tracks.

"Miles, would you like to stay with me tonight?" She whispered tenderly, and despite the fact that he really, really wished to accept her invitation, he still hesitated, looking nervously over his shoulder like he assumed someone was going to stop him. But nobody came.

It was entirely his decision.

"Of course I want to," he replied, staring earnestly into her eyes as he waited for her reply. "But I don't think I should."

She frowned for a brief moment, confusion clearly evident in her features, before she finally nodded her head, letting go of his arm slowly as she wrapped her arms around herself, hugging herself tightly.

"I don't trust myself. I'm a weak man, I know that, and I don't trust myself to not touch you. It's not right of me."

"What if I want you to touch me?"

A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she averted her gaze. Her mother would be livid. Propositioning a man she'd just met? How brazen! Her eyes returned to meet his as she gave him a hopeful look, her brows furrowed and her bottom lip between her teeth.

Suddenly, his heart was hammering painfully in his chest. Was he going to regret giving in (because of course he was going to give in)? He wasn't sure, and yet, the thought of being alone with her filled him with a nervous excitement he couldn't describe.

Without another word, he took a step forward to close the distance between them and pressed his lips softly against hers, feeling his heart thumping wildly as he closed his eyes and let himself indulge in her touch. The second his tongue brushed against hers, he felt himself move her further into the hotel room and close the door behind him, but there was no thought there. It was instinctual.

One second, they were standing in front of the door, the next, the back of her knees hit the bed and she fell backwards onto it with a squeal, making him chuckle as he followed her down. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on either side of her head and gazed down at her.

"This is a stupid idea," he muttered as a grin tugged playfully on his lips and he dipped closer until their noses touched. Her eyes flickered briefly down to his lips before returning to his gaze with curiosity filling them. "But I suppose I can't help myself, can I?"

And he sealed his fate with another kiss, his free hand trailing down her spine till it landed just below her butt, cupping it possessively and drawing in closer to press himself flush against her body, his groin brushing up against hers and making her moan softly.

Immediately, Miles felt the vibrations of her moan reverberate throughout his entire being, a pleasurable sensation shooting down his body and igniting something within his chest, causing him to lose control. His hands travelled down her body until they reached her thighs, pulling them upward and pushing them open, leaving very little space between them.

"Miles... Miles, I've never - Be gentle..." Y/N whispered shakily, her eyes flickering shut as he ran his fingers along her inner thigh. She moaned loudly at the contact. Her hands fisted the material at the hem of his top, bunching it up and tugging on it, her nails digging into the soft cotton.

Gentle. He rarely ever saw that at this hotel. But now, here, with her, in her room, with her eyes shut and her legs slightly parted, it all suddenly felt so right, so right. That's all he wanted. To make her feel good and safe and comfortable, to take care of her, to be with her, and maybe to be able to make her feel loved too.

"I ain't either. I've seen it and I don't want us to be like that. We won't be. I promise. I'll cherish every single part of you, every precious piece."

He paused, drew his hands away from her leg and trailed up her abdomen until he was cradling her cheek, brushing his thumb against her bottom lip and gazing affectionately into her eyes, trying desperately to convey to her what he was trying to tell her. The heat he felt surging through his body, the need coursing through his veins, to make love to her...all of it was overwhelming.

"Let me love you the way you deserve it, and I will." His words were soft and low, filled with desire, sincerity, and a deep emotion that he could not hide. He meant each and every one of those words; there was no hesitation in them. There wasn't even any doubt.

And then, after what felt like an agonising eternity to him, Y/N lifted the hem of her dress up and pulled it over her head, revealing herself to him completely. For a brief moment, Miles stared down at her, taking in the full beauty of her, her curves, her curves that were made of nothing but perfection and pure temptation.

"Uh, now you," she anxiously demanded, gesturing for him to undress too, her voice husky as she bit down lightly on her bottom lip, her cheeks flushed.

Slowly, he removed his shirt, allowing it to fall to the floor and, after standing, removed his trousers and dropped them on top of his shirt. "Th-this is me," he told her, smiling sheepishly when her eyes widened as she stared up at him, her cheeks turning even redder than they already were. "Sorry that this is it."

"Don't apologise," she gasped out quickly as she pushed herself into a sitting position and held her hands out so he would get closer to her. "Can I? I mean - Would it be okay?" Her fingers hooked themselves around the waistband of his underwear. "I've never seen one before."

When he gave his consent, she tentatively slid his underwear down his hips and he stood completely naked before her, watching silently, waiting for whatever reaction she might have had to see. She blinked several times, as though trying to process what she was seeing, before she looked back up at him with a shy smile adorning her features.

"So that's what a penis looks like in real life."

The way she said it made Miles roll his eyes and shake his head, unable to keep the smirk from forming on his lips as he moved towards her, his eyes flicking between her innocent, curious ones. He placed a finger underneath her chin and lifted her face so he could place his lips against hers again, savouring the taste of her, and enjoying every single second of having her against him.

Frankly, he couldn't remember the last time he was so contented in his life.

"Lie back," he murmured against her mouth before he started removing her bra, taking his time and kissing her neck and shoulders as he went.

Once the bra joined his discarded clothes on the floor, he trailed down her torso slowly and kissed along her abdomen until he reached her navel and looked up for confirmation that he could continue. She nodded her head eagerly, biting her bottom lip as she watched him wiggle her panties down her thighs, her breath hitching at how beautifully perfect and delicate he looked in that very moment.

His hair was all over the place, his lips plump and swollen, his skin covered in goosebumps, and his chest heaving as his fingers traced her waist.

"I, uh, I have a general idea about what to do so... tell me if this is bad or if you want me to stop," he mumbled, his cheeks flushing red as he began pressing kisses against her stomach, his breath tickling her skin as he did so.

Y/N was silent as she watched, mesmerised by the sight that was unfolding before her, yet couldn't help herself from closing her eyes as Miles kissed her inner thigh. "Oh Miles," she breathed, her voice shaking with pleasure as he grazed his lips further up her leg, pausing for only a few seconds to allow her time to react before he continued.

"Can I? Can I touch your...?"

"Please."

Here goes nothing, he thought nervously as he brushed his finger through her folds, teasing her and drawing small gasps of air from her lungs. He nudged her clit a few times, but never lingered so she urged, "Can you, uh, a bit higher?" And he didn't hesitate at all in complying. "That feels good."

"It does?"

"Mhm," she hummed breathlessly, her eyes fluttering open and looking down at him with a lustful look in her eyes that nearly caused his insides to turn to jelly.

"Do you ever... Oh, I can't believe I'm going to ask a lady this. Do you, you know, touch yourself?" he asked curiously, tracing slow circles around her clit.

Her cheeks reddened immediately. "Sometimes. I've never been able to... ah... finish the job."

"Oh?"

"I don't think my fingers are long enough."

Long enough? Surely, she could touch her clit without any problem? Oh. Then he remembered all the times he'd seen women getting pleasured and slid his finger to her entrance, poking in only slightly to see if he was going in the right direction, and was pleasantly surprised when she let out a gasp of surprise and bucked to take more of his finger.

Clearly, he was doing something right. So far, so good. His lips curled into a grin as he stroked her gently, his other hand moving from her hip to hold her hand, rubbing circles onto her palm. He pressed light kisses along her belly and ribs as his confidence rose, his movements quickening, feeling like he couldn't get enough of her, of this woman beneath him.

"Is this okay?" he muttered, his eyes never leaving her.

"Yes! Yes, it's great, just like that!" she replied excitedly, placing her free hand above his and gripping his shoulder tightly when he slid another digit in. He smiled softly to himself, happy to hear the response he had received. It sounded as though she liked his touches; it seemed like a start, anyway.

As he worked to find that special spot inside her that brought her the sweetest bliss she'd ever experienced, he kept whispering sweet reassurances to her, his voice soft and gentle and loving in an almost magical way that made her shiver and melt into a bundle of delicious butterflies. Butterflies that swam through her mind as well as her body, causing her to close her eyes and moan his name repeatedly under her breath, begging for more, more, more.

"Miles, I think I'm ready. Please, please make love to me."

This time he hesitated a little bit more; he knew that asking her that would be a risk, a big one, one that could end very badly. But still, his body reacted faster than his brain and within mere moments, he was lifting her thighs over his and settling between them, positioning himself to slowly and carefully push inside her entrance.

When he felt the warm sensation of her walls wrapping themselves around him and the tightness of the muscles contracting around his shaft, he groaned deeply and buried his head in the crook of her neck. He inhaled her scent, her fragrance, her smell of passion and sweetness...and he swore that he was lost.

Completely consumed by her, by everything she was and nothing mattered anymore. Not anything other than what he felt right now; their connection; what they were together, because it felt like everything he had wanted and needed since he first laid his eyes upon her.

"Can I start to move? Is this okay?" he whispered.

Her answer was a slight nod, which caused him to begin moving in and out, gently, slowly, making sure that he wouldn't hurt her. As he got used to the sensation, he moved his hands down to her hips, holding on tightly as he continued to rock and thrust inside her, a satisfied moan emitting from deep within him each time.

"Oh baby, does this feel as good for you as it does for me? Do you need-"

Y/N cut him off by kissing him hard, her arms looping around his neck and pulling his lips down against hers passionately, desperately needing to feel what he was doing to her. The kiss grew sloppy, filled with heated gasps and moans, their bodies pressed firmly together as they continued to move slowly against one another.

"You can go harder, if you want."

Miles groaned loudly at the sound of those words. "Are you sure?" he whispered hoarsely between heavy breaths, his eyes meeting hers intensely as he pulled back from the kiss.

"I won't break."

A low, throaty chuckle escaped his lips as his gaze travelled downwards to where they were connected. He was entranced at the sight of his cock sliding in and out of her, stretching her and filling her, knowing that every inch was inside her, giving her pleasure for the very first time.

"You're beautiful, y'know that?" he uttered, increasing the forcefulness of his strokes.

She swallowed hard, arching her back and letting out a long, high moan at the feeling of being stretched so much, pushed so far. Her eyes locked onto his as he continued to stare into them lovingly, completely engrossed in the scene playing out before him.

Their breathing became more laboured and erratic, the heat between them rising rapidly, becoming almost unbearable, their sweat dripping down their bodies, their hearts pounding loud enough in their ears to drown out everything else.

With one final thrust, both of their voices mingled together in a shout, Y/N releasing the tears building up behind her eyes before her entire body tensed and shuddered, her legs trembling underneath him, the intensity of her orgasm hitting her suddenly, causing her toes to curl and her face to scrunch up, tightening around him even more.

He groaned loudly and quickly pulled out of her, fisting his cock until it spilled all over her stomach, leaving him panting heavily with a dazed look in his eyes while she tried to catch her breath. She opened her mouth, ready to speak, but no words left her lips.

Instead, she stared at him, unable to believe what had just happened, her face a bright pink hue as she stared up at him, searching for a hint of regret. When she found none there, she simply wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him to her chest tightly, burying her nose in his hair as his hands wound tightly around her lower back.

"Did... Did I do okay?" he murmured softly, a goofy grin tugging at his lips once she nodded against his hair.

"Did I?"

"You were perfect."He lifted his head up and looked into her eyes tenderly before leaning down to plant a soft peck upon her forehead and then another on her lips, causing a round of giggles to erupt from her. "Thank you for sharing this moment with me," he said, brushing his fingertips across her cheek before pressing several kisses against her mouth again. "For trusting me enough to have this with me."

She gave him an equally wide smile. "You've made me happier than... than I can ever remember being, so no, thank you, thank you Miles."

They lay there in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the feeling of being together, their limbs tangled together and the warmth radiating from their bodies, seeping into every single crevice, every nook and cranny of their bodies.

The moonlight streamed into her room and began illuminating every single one of his features, making him appear ethereal in its presence. Her gaze lingered on him, taking in how incredibly handsome and gorgeous he really was, his blue eyes glistening with love, his expression soft, his skin smooth and flawless.

"What's with that face?" he asked softly, running his thumb delicately over her cheekbone, wiping away a stray tear that had escaped. She chuckled lightly and shook her head lightly, turning her face towards him and pressing a small kiss against his palm.

"I don't want this to be a one time thing." She paused momentarily, looking down at her hands and biting her lip. "I... I just feel like myself here. The next five years of my life are planned out and taken care of, just as the last five were. But right now, here with you, I'm just Y/N."

A frown settled on his features and he placed his forefinger against her chin, raising her head up to meet his eyes again. "You know where I work. Come and see me whenever you want."

"It's not that easy."

"Why not?"

Inside Y/N's head, she was debating over whether or not to tell him. And, as strange as it sounds, the decision was easy. Despite the fact they had met only twelve hours before, she was sure Miles knew her better than anyone else in her life. Still, she posed the question, "Do you want to know a secret?"

"Only if you feel okay with me knowing."

Before she spilled the tea, she chuckled and gave him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. "You're so sweet." Then came the confession. Her face fell as she admitted, "The only reason I was allowed to come here was because I threatened to kill myself if I didn't get a vacation."

Miles' jaw dropped open in shock, his brows furrowing slightly as he stared at her in bewilderment.

"My mama has had me working non-stop since I was six. I know if I carried on the way I was going, she would have had me committed to one of the mental hospitals..." Her voice trailed off and she took in a sharp breath, her voice wavering as she confessed to him, "She hates me. She loves me, sure, but she doesn't like me. She loves the money, the fame, the success, all of that."

Tenderly, Miles reached out and cupped her cheeks, stroking her cheekbones with his thumbs soothingly, a sad yet caring look on his face. "What about your dad?"

"He died a while back."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry for unloading all this on you like that. I shouldn't have done that." She forced a smile. "Forget I said anything."

But he wasn't having any of it. If she wanted to spill secrets, so did he.

"The only way I can sleep more than two hours is to get high. I've never slept all that well but it got so much worse when I came back from Vietnam. I -"

"Oh lord, I feel like a real asshole now." She sighed heavily. "You have a reason, a real reason, to complain. You're a veteran and I'm just a whiny child who can't handle not getting her way."

He let out a hearty laugh and ran his thumb softly along her lips before kissing them gently. "You are nothing of the sort, darling. Pain is pain no matter where it comes from, whether it's in the brain or the heart or the body," he said gently. "And I'll tell you something... I think you are definitely the most beautiful, smart, kind and amazing person I have ever laid my eyes upon."

A blush formed immediately on her cheeks as she lowered her gaze, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay as she felt her heart start racing again.

"Come on," Miles cooed after a few moments of silence, "Let's get some rest...and please don't be offended if I'm not here when you wake up. That just means I couldn't sleep so...you know." His voice drifted off awkwardly at the end of his sentence, but she got what he meant.

"I understand. Although I do wish you could sleep without it, I understand."

Wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her on top of his chest, he kissed the crown of her head, inhaling and exhaling slowly whilst rubbing his hand up and down her back. Y/N watched him for a few minutes, her gaze lingering on him, studying his facial features as his breathing regulated and her fingers tracing across his collarbone in slow circles.

Then, after a short while, she leaned over his sleeping figure, planting a quick kiss on his forehead before settling down on his chest to fall asleep. She'd have been happy to stay awake just watching him sleep forever, but exhaustion soon overcame her senses and she started to drift off into slumber, the sound of Miles' quiet snoring lulling her into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

Surprisingly, Miles didn't have any nightmares that night, not a single one. He still woke up every few hours, but that was only because that was his routine nowadays. Every time he'd wake up, he'd glance over at the sleeping form of the girl lying on him and would find her fast asleep and curled up securely against him. And every single time, he'd think, 'Wow, this is real. She's real," then close his eyes with a smug smile, eventually falling back to sleep shortly after.

That morning, after a long and exhausting night, the sun rose and the world outside filled with light. As the sunlight poured through the bedroom window, Miles blinked his eyes repeatedly in an attempt to clear them, yawning loudly as the events of the previous day played through his mind.

Y/N stirred beside him and turned over, burying herself even deeper within the warm blanket covering her before lifting her head up and gazing at Miles through bleary eyes. A slight smile crept up on him before he pressed a brief kiss to her lips and shifted onto his elbow, reaching out his hand to brush a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"How'd you look so pretty in the morning? Like a vision of perfection." He smirked when a faint pink dusted her cheeks. "I must be the luckiest man in the universe to be waking up with such a gorgeous creature beside me."

She raised her arms and wrapped them loosely around his neck, smiling and laughing quietly at his comment as she replied, "If you say so."

"Oh, I do say so. I really do." He pulled her closer, pressing his nose into her cheek affectionately. "I better get to work before everyone starts calling for me. I was supposed to phone the boss' office last night to give him the daily report but it seemed to have slipped my mind, and I blame you for that. You're a bit too distracting for my poor old brain."

With those words, he slid out of bed and grabbed his clothes from the floor, hastily putting them on before throwing on his jacket and shoes. "Don't I get a kiss before I go? I won't survive otherwise," he added, grinning as Y/N rolled her eyes playfully and pushed herself upright on the mattress. She grabbed his collar and pulled his face down towards hers before connecting their mouths together in a deep and passionate kiss.

When they broke apart for air, both of them were breathing heavily, and they smiled goofily at each other. "Dinner. Same time as yesterday?" Y/N asked him.

"Of course."

He nodded, flashing her another bright grin before pecking her cheek before heading out the door in a hurry. Y/N giggled, shaking her head at the sight as she flopped back onto her pillow, closing her eyes once more.

Miles made himself look presentable and worked his way through the list of shit he had to do that day. First one his agenda was to do yesterday's daily call in. He expected that it wouldn't take long as there was only one name on the guest list.

"I apologise but the phones were down yesterday. The rain really did a number on the lines, it seemed," he lied into the receiver. Then, after listening to the person's complaints for a few seconds, he said, "Only one guest. Room Four, Miss Y/N L/N."

Even her name brought a smile to his face. That smile faded when the voice on the other end responded, "Keep her under surveillance. Film her tonight, that is if she's still alive. Have you heard any rumblings from her room this morning?"

"No, uh, no I haven't."

"Clean up may be required. Phone if the body is in need of removal." There was five seconds of silence then the man hung up on Miles.

His feet moved faster than his brain processed that information. He raced across to Y/N's and began knocking sharply on the door. "It's me Y/N," he called softly into the wooden door. He waited patiently for several moments, holding his breath and drumming his fingers against the wood until he heard her footsteps approaching her side of the door.

Opening the door, she stared at him in confusion. "Is everything okay?" Taking a step backward, she held the door open for him and he stepped inside as quickly as possible, closing the door behind him cautiously. She took a moment to study him, a frown marring her pretty face.

"My boss has requested that I film you. Who was in the room when you, uh, made your threat?"

"Just my mother."

"Ah, then I assume it was her who informed my boss that you were possibly planning to have a... an 'accident'."

"Oh."

Quickly rushing to soothe her, he ran his hands up and down her biceps gently. Still, he thought aloud, "I don't understand why she would want such a thing on film."

Y/N had an answer. Whether it was right or wrong was unknown, but there was no doubt that the thought was dark. "I assume it's because it would be my last performance."

The words left her mouth and they hung in the air between them, a heavy weight settling between them. He looked deeply into her eyes, searching for any sign that it was a thing that could happen. Miles shook his head in disbelief and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Nevermind it. I'll tell you just before the recording begins and just after it ends." He brushed a strand of hair back from her temple with a finger, looking into her troubled eyes, and she closed them, nodding silently. "As long as you don't give them anything to talk about, they won't talk."

After checking she was okay and one final kiss, Miles went back to work.

Turns out, Miles was right - she did nothing out of the ordinary on her recording so nothing could be used against her. And as soon as he'd filmed her for the appropriate amount of time (most of which she pretended to sleep through), he informed her that it was all over.

"Nothing to worry about?"

"Nothing at all."

"Well, come here then, my darling Miles," she cooed and slipped her hands into his, pulling him towards where she was knelt on the bed. He chuckled at her antics before letting himself be pulled onto the bed, landing on top of her.

Their faces were inches away from each other and he reached his thumb up to caress her bottom lip gently, her skin soft and smooth underneath his touch. "We'll have to be quieter since there's somebody in three," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. Her breaths hitched when he dipped his head lower, capturing her lips in a searing and passionate kiss that got more scandalous by the second.

They spent every night of her stay like that, both of them growing more confident with each interaction they shared and enjoying the newfound intimacy that came along with it. During the day, they'd do their own things, but as soon as the night came, Miles found himself sneaking into Y/N's room. She always welcomed him in, welcoming him into her life, her heart, her very being as if it were the most natural thing ever, and they'd spend nights doing whatever else they could to try and forget what was waiting for them once her stay was over.

"Mm, good morning," she greeted him on the final morning, smiling up at him as she opened her sleepy eyes. They stared at each other lovingly for some time, before he leaned forward to capture her lips with his own, kissing her deeply, savouring the sweet taste of her mouth.

Miles had been awake for a while. Knowing that he may never see her again, he had risen early that morning, deciding to make sure he had plenty of time to commit every detail of her face to memory. He'd studied every curve, every wrinkle, every line and freckle on her skin as he traced his fingers over her delicate cheekbones, admiring every inch of her beautiful face with a longing gaze, drinking her in with a love so pure he didn't believe he was capable of feeling as such towards anyone else ever again.

"You're killing me with all this lovin' today." She tilted her chin upwards slightly, giving him access to her neck, and he kissed lightly, teasingly, at her pulse point while his hands rested lazily on either side of her waist. "How long have you been awake, honey?"

"Long enough."

His kisses moved downwards slowly across the edge of her shoulder blade and made their way towards her breasts, teasing her and tantalising her in turns. He nuzzled her skin, causing her to let out a sigh and run her hand along the hairs on the back of his head, her fingernails skimming lightly over his scalp.

It was a no brainer; he couldn't resist touching her anymore. It drove him insane every single time they were separated - he wanted to feel her skin against his own, smell her scent, hear her heartbeat - and the thought that he wouldn't be able to do that for a while was tearing him apart.

So, he wanted to ensure that she'd remember him. Every kiss, every tender gesture, every touch, every smile, every moment of bliss that had passed between them in that small room, he wanted her to remember it forever. And he'd always wanted to know what it was like to go down on a girl. Two birds, one stone, really.

Settling between her thighs, he parted her legs wider and lowered his head, placing soft kisses all over her stomach and down her hips, eventually getting close to her core. Her breathing grew heavier, more shallow as the anticipation and desire built up inside of her.

"Please," she begged him as she felt his nose graze her clit. That was all he needed to hear before he began licking and sucking at her core. His tongue flicked and swirled around the sensitive area, teasing her, drawing as many moans out of her as he could.

"Why didn't I do this sooner?" He was clearly enjoying himself, taking full advantage of his position to please her as much as he could with the limited time he had left with her, and the fact that it turned him on too was a bonus. "You definitely taste better than those god awful pies. Wish I could taste you every day."

A laugh bubbled out of her throat at that comment as her head fell backwards. Yet, it was soon overshadowed with another moan as he added a finger into the mix, thrusting into her slowly with a purposeful intent, his lips moving against her clit at a steady rhythm. A whine escaped his lips as she gripped his hair tightly, her eyes squeezed shut in ecstasy.

Due to all his ministrations, she was wriggling beneath him, her movements becoming more frantic until he splayed his hand across the expanse of her stomach and pushed her back down to the mattress. "I got you, baby. Try to relax for me now," he whispered as he continued to pump into her, driving her closer and closer to the edge. "There we go. Come on now. Give it to me."

He watched with satisfaction as her body trembled under him, her muscles clenching and relaxing around his fingers. As her legs started trembling violently, he increased the tempo of his strokes, pushing deep and fast into her, eliciting cries from her lips. The sight of her in this state aroused him beyond measure.

Honestly, he didn't even care about how loud she was getting. There were only two other rooms that were currently in use and they were both on the California side.

Soon enough, her body gave in to the sensations of pleasure shooting throughout her entire being, causing her to tremble and writhe beneath him. They waited for her breath to slow and for her hips to stop jolting.

"Oh Miles, oh honey, I'm gonna miss you. Obviously more than just the sex, I'm gonna miss you in the quiet moments, y'know? I'm gonna miss your voice, I'm gonna miss your arms wrapped around me... You make me feel so happy, and safe, and loved... I wish I had all of this, all of you, to myself forever."

Her words caused tears to prick behind his eyes, and he pulled her tight against him, his cheek pressed against the top of her head. His hands stroked the length of her back soothingly as she cried against his chest, her words lingering in his mind for hours afterwards.

When she was checking out, another guest was waiting to be checked in so the pair couldn't have the heartfelt send off that they wanted.

"Goodbye for now, Miles."

"Have a safe trip home, miss."

Then she was out the door.

'My dearest Miles,

I apologise for taking so long to write. My mother has been watching me like a hawk ever since I returned to her. My hairdresser, she's a lovely woman named Georgia that I've known since I was young, is my only way to get these letters to you. When I was a kid she used to sneak sweets and chocolate to me, now it seems that she's kind enough to post my letters to you.

Oh, this is Y/N by the way. I forgot to say.

In our time apart, part of me had hoped that I would manage to push the thought of you from my mind so I couldn't miss you, but that's not the case. The thought of you is still there. I don't think it's ever going anywhere and, truthfully, I don't mind it. It is the only thing that is guaranteed to bring a smile to my face every day, whether it's a happy smile or a sad one.

Forgive me if this letter isn't terribly exciting and I'm distracting you from your life, but I couldn't help it when all I want to do right now is steal my mama's car and drive to you.

I'm never sure how to end letters so all I'll say is l hope to see you soon. I'm still trying to convince mama to let me have monthly breaks. She seems unconvinced. Maybe she'll be more responsive next week.

Words aren’t enough but they'll have to do for now, Y/N :)'

Miles had been in a daze after he read her letter. It had been two months since they'd seen each other last and yet, seeing the first word of her letters felt like a physical blow to him. It was bittersweet: of course he wanted to hear from her again, he desperately needed to, but he also found that it made his yearning for her even worse.

He spent every moment of free time he had coming up with a response.

'To my angel,

Throughout my life I never been good at doing all that fancy poetic kind of writing so I'm sorry if my words aren't as flowery as yours, but I'm trying. Expressing myself is something I'm not great at. I'm just gonna try really hard and hope that you'll understand.

Georgia seems nice and I'm glad you have somebody close by that shows you the kindness you deserve – though I wish there were some way that I could be the one doing that.

The cleaners came not long after you left, as they tend to do on Friday lunchtimes, and I don't know. It made me sad to think of them cleaning away the final traces of you from your room. In a way, it was the only physical reminder of you (until your letter) and they took it from me.

Obviously they didn't know that and were a little surprised when I acted off with them, yet I don't really fault them for it now. After all, they had to clean it.

I also don't know how to end this. I reckon the best way is to reassure you that your letter made my shitty week into the best I'd had in two months. To tell you that my feelings haven't changed one bit and that everything I feel for you will remain the same.

Can't wait to see you too, Miles <3'

It was impossible to keep a straight face as Y/N read the letter at her hairdressers. Since the L/N's had known Georgia so long, Y/N was allowed to go there without supervision every week. "What's got you so happy, Sweet Pea?" Georgia asked her as she ran her fingers through Y/N's hair, tying it up in a bun to keep it out of her face.

"I made a friend."

"Does your mother know?"

"No."

"Good." Georgia nodded. "I could sew a secret pocket in your coat if you want to keep your boyfriend's love letters away from your mother's prying eyes?"

That was something Y/N hadn't thought of - where she would keep the letters. Just about everything she owned was under the watch of her mother. "You would?" She gasped, looking over at her with big, pleading eyes, which Georgia quickly responded to with her usual smirk.

"I might if you tell me who he is. Who is this Miles that you had me send a letter to?"

Y/N's eyes widened slightly, a blush rising to her cheeks. She wasn't expecting such an immediate response. It wouldn't hurt to tell her a little bit, would it? "I met him at the hotel I stayed at."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Well, does he know who you are?"

Being with Miles, Y/N often forgot that she was famous, that people she didn't know knew her. Coming back to that reality was a little overwhelming. She was no longer Y/N, she was Y/N L/N.

"Not at first. He doesn't watch many movies and, uh, he was in Vietnam when Death to the Moon came out so he probably missed the time when my name was everywhere -"

"Sweet Pea, your name still is everywhere," Georgia cut in with a roll of her eyes, gesturing to the billboard that was directed opposite the salon that had both Y/N's face and name on it. "I don't think you can hide yourself from anyone anymore. Enjoy it, enjoy the limelight while it lasts. It will fade."

"I guess," Y/N laughed, though it was humourless and sad sounding. She sighed and turned back towards the mirror, her expression turning serious. "I'll be waiting for it to fade."

More and more letters were exchanged over the next batch of weeks that followed. Until Y/N finally convinced her mother for three days off and the only stipulation was that she had to spend them at the El Royale. It was a win-win.

"Room six for you Mr and Mrs Hill, my name is Miles and I'll show you to -"

He stopped mid-sentence. There stood Y/N, smiling at him and clutching her handbag close to her body, looking gorgeous with her curls falling over her shoulders and her eyes sparkling as she greeted him with that stupid cute grin. His heart jumped in his chest as he tried to fight back his wide grin.

"Uh, Miss L/N, it's a pleasure to see you back. I'll be right back to check you out - I mean in - check you in," Miles fumbled over his words, stumbling backwards and bumping into his desk before managing to recover in enough time to show the Hill's to their room.

Waiting for his return, Y/N walked around and gazed at the lobby. It was unchanged. Exactly as it had been when she first arrived a few months prior. She sat down on one of the armchairs and pulled out her journal again, flipping to a clean page to write a little note.

When Miles returned, he had the biggest smile on his face. A huge, dopey smile that stretched from ear to ear. It was almost contagious and it made Y/N smile just looking at him. She held up the note, which was just 'Missed you!' in bubble letters. Miles's eyes lit up as he read it. He felt giddy and euphoric inside. His happiness made him unable to think properly and rushed to Y/N before he realised he had taken a step forward and leaned down to kiss her.

The kiss was short and sweet, but they both felt like they were drunk on its warmth, its familiarity and its sweetness. It had grown, blossomed and became even more precious to both of them.

"Probably shouldn't have done that in front of the windows," Miles muttered sheepishly, yet within five seconds, he cursed, "Oh, fuck it," and kissed her again, this time longer, deeper and more passionately. When they broke apart, they shared a shy smile.

From that moment on, they saw each other every month for a few days and as soon as she left neither could wait until the next visit, and then the next visit, then the next and the next.

A year in and they developed a routine of sorts between themselves. She'd arrive and he'd deal with the other guests before showing her to her room, where he'd chivalrously carry her suitcase into her room. Then, unchivalrously, would pin her against the door and start making out like horny teenagers, hands roaming freely and tongues tangling together.

Y/N giggled as her hands clutched onto his shirt. He grinned, kissing her neck, nipping softly at the skin with his teeth and causing goosebumps to rise on her soft flesh. "Miles..." she whispered, tugging at his hair lightly.

"Hmm?"

"l got you a gift and I can't wait to give it to you."

"For me?"

"For you."

With a satisfied grunt, Miles pulled himself away just enough for her to take his hand and lead him to the bed. Sitting down on the edge of it, he waited patiently for her to unzip her case and pull out the boxed presents she'd purchased for him. "So this is why your case was heavier this week," he joked quietly, lifting up the lid carefully and letting out a small sound of appreciation when he realised what was inside. "Meccano!"

To her, Meccano was just small pieces of metal and screws but he'd told her how much he had wanted a set when he was a kid and now he had five of them. As he continued to look through the box, Y/N sar behind him and rested her head on his shoulder, taking comfort in how happy he seemed. It was good to see him so carefree. So full of life. He looked so beautiful, it filled Y/N with pride and joy.

"I assume you like my gifts?" Y/N murmured, her lips brushing against Miles's shoulder. He nodded very enthusiastically. "Good."

"I actually got you something too."

"You did?"

"Yeah, baby, I'm not going to forget our one year."

Neither had told the other that they had gotten presents and didn't expect a present of their own, but, like usual, they were on the exact same page.

Quickly moving to the door, Miles turned and explained, "I was going to give you it at dinner but I'll go get it now instead." He was speedy to retrieve her gift from his room and return to her. "Close your eyes, I forgot wrapping paper."

Y/N closed her eyes obediently and soon felt a large rectangular thing being placed on her upturned palms. Opening them slowly, she opened her mouth in surprise when she saw that what she was holding was actually a drawing. A really good drawing of her. She took it carefully from the box and stared down at it, tears coming to her eyes.

"I drew it myself," Miles explained. "It's not great but-"

"It's wonderful, honey."

Unlike some of the other pieces of art she'd seen of herself, Miles's picture of her wasn't intentionally flattering but it was real. And it was put together with so much love. It was how she looked when she genuinely smiled - her cheeks squishing her eyes up, crinkling in the corners, and her nose scrunching up and her grin goofy. She looked like a normal girl who was joking around. She looked comfortable. Happy. Content.

Pulling the drawing closer, her nose scrunching up, she brought it close to her face and began crying. Her voice choked up as she said, "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." She looked up, wiping her eyes and seeing Miles gazing down at her with such adoration, an expression that mirrored her own.

"I'll draw you a thousand pictures if you want," he promised, taking the drawing out of her hands and placing it on her suitcase so he could hug her tightly, his cheek pressed against the crown of her head. "Anything more than that and I'll get early arthritis."

She let out a chuckle and pulled back just far enough to look up at him. "I love you," she stated firmly, cupping his cheek and caressing the warm skin with her thumb. His smile somehow widened, almost comically so.

"And I love you so much, Y/N," he replied, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers in another long passionate kiss.

Their lips slid together perfectly. Neither of them had the need to breathe. Neither of them cared. And neither of them heard the door opening until it was too late.

"What the-"

The two jumped apart and turned around, their eyes widening in shock as her mother entered the room. Fury was written across her features as she glared daggers at Miles, but to be honest, primarily at Y/N. Her nostrils flared and she pointed a finger at the boy, her voice dripping with venom.

"Take your hands off my daughter!"

Miles swallowed hard and raised his hands so they were hovering on either side of his head.

"Ma'am -"

"Don't Ma'am me. Thank the lord Georgia let this little thing slip so I could stop you from defiling my child," Mrs L/N snapped. Y/N couldn't help rolling her eyes at her mother's antics, which was not something she would've dared to do a year ago.

But things had changed. Y/N had changed.

"Mama, leave Miles alone. You're embarrassing yourself, and Miles doesn't deserve to be insulted by you." Y/N crossed her arms and looked her mother dead in the eye. Mrs L/N pursed her lips and turned her glare onto Y/N, the intensity making the girl shrink into herself slightly.

But still, Y/N remained firm, refusing to let her mother bully or belittle her any further. She knew that if she did, there would only be a bigger problem and a bigger mess that would result from Mrs L/N having a fit. That was never going to happen. Ever. Because there was no way she was ever going to let that woman control her life anymore.

"Look what you've done to her, boy. She's rudely talking back to her mother without any sense, and I won't tolerate this behaviour!" Mrs L/N barked at Miles accusingly, ignoring how he flinched when she waved her hand around. He was trying to keep his composure and remain calm, but it was a losing battle.

"Mama, please..." Y/N pleaded softly, her heart shattering in pain as she noticed how affected Miles looked by her mothers anger. "Please don't hurt him for being kind to me."

Mrs L/N huffed loudly and shook her head. "Kind? Kind? How am I supposed to go around knowing my daughter is a whore and a tramp?! My daughter is a goddamn slut! Who would have thought?!"

Miles clenched his fists, breathing shakily through his nose, and Y/N instinctively reached out and grabbed one of his hands, silently urging him to be calm. Y/N knew that Miles could do some real damage if he got angry enough. He could kill someone, maybe even her mother, in seconds.

"I think you should go," Y/N calmly suggested, trying to keep her voice steady as she spoke. She gave Mrs L/N a pleading gaze. "Go home."

"Oh no, no! This isn't over, young lady. Not by a long shot! You may have fooled everybody else, including your Daddy, but I know better. That peace and love act is bullshit! There's nothing innocent about you now thanks to him."

With those words, Mrs L/N reached into her bag and pulled out a gun. It was a small, silver pistol, probably about four inches long, with a silvery finish. She had it aimed right between Miles's brows, making Y/N gasp and move in front of him without hesitation.

Although Y/N knew this was all happening, it still felt so surreal. Her world was spinning, her emotions were running high. All she wanted was Miles and this was definitely not helping matters and she'd be damned if she let anything happen to him. She couldn't bear the thought of him getting hurt. Not because of her.

And Miles was thinking the exact same thing but in reverse. Yet, unlike Y/N, he had the skills to sort the issue out. It would be an aggressive diffusion and that wasn't something he ever wished for her to see, but her safety was paramount.

So, he nudged Y/N out of the way while saying calmly, "I apologise in advance, ma'am," and punched Mrs L/N in the face, grabbing the gun from her grip and turning it on her in seconds. He stood there and watched as she fell to her knees, clutching her jaw in agony and gasping for air. The sound made him feel sick to his stomach.

"That's for being a bad mom," he growled menacingly, his voice low and dangerous, making Y/N shiver slightly. He then crouched next to her and flicked her bloody nose. "And that's for being insane."

"Bad?" Mrs L/N scoffed. "No, I made her. Without me, she'd be nobody. Nobody would know her name without me."

Y/N didn't know what to do. She'd never seen him like this before. Never, ever. The man who had been gentle and loving towards her was suddenly punching people to the point where his knuckles were bruising.

"Miles," she whimpered, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently. He instantly stopped what he was doing and wrapped her up in his arms, his body tense and cold, not showing any sign of relaxing anytime soon. She took the opportunity to take the gun from his hand, her fingers trembling as she tucked it into the back of her skirt.

On shaky legs, Y/N walked over to her mother slowly and offered a hand to help her up, holding her gaze steadily. Her mother hesitated for a second but eventually slapped it away, yanking herself to her feet on her own accord, her hand immediately going to clutch her bleeding lip.

"What a man you've picked, Y/N. A dirty, violent, scumbag." She sniffed as she tried to compose herself. "Okay, pack your suitcase. We're leaving. Now." She walked past Y/N, heading towards the doorway, and threw one last dirty look at Miles.

"I'm not coming with you, mama."

She stopped dead in her tracks and whipped her head towards her daughter, an angry expression plastered across her face once again. "Two options: you come with me and I graciously forget about this blip, or the police find out who gave me this busted lip," she said, her voice raising slightly at the end. "Now, come on."

A few moments passed in silence as Y/N stared at her mother blankly, feeling frozen in place. The tears that she had been fighting to hold back finally broke free.

"Why do you do everything in your power to make me unhappy?" Y/N asked brokenly, dropping her voice to barely above a whisper and taking a step forward. She hadn't meant to say it, not really. But there was something burning inside of her and she found herself unable to suppress it.

"I do everything in my power to make you successful."

While Y/N knew that was somewhat true, she just couldn't seem to accept it. After everything her mother had put her through, surely not all of it was her benefit. That was in no way completely true. Sure, her mother was pushy and that was helpful, she was also spiteful and that definitely wasn't.

"Thank you, but..I-I think I can manage on my own from now on," Y/N replied firmly, forcing herself to keep her cool while wiping tears from her face, her cheeks flushed and cheeks wet. She cleared her throat. "So, please, just leave me alone."

"You're good! This boy! This boy has his claws in you and you'll never shake them loose!" Mrs L/N shrieked hysterically. "He will ruin you! He'll corrupt you. And then what good are you to me?!"

Y/N was tired of hearing that shit. Of hearing people speak about her like they were a damn prize or a trophy to win. Like all of it was her fault.

Tired and worn out and hurt and broken beyond belief, Y/N couldn't stand listening to her mother's words anymore. She had heard enough. She was sick of the abuse. Sick of her mother being cruel and selfish and unfair. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Think of your life: he's going to be in jail by the end of the day and you, you'll be all alone -"

Before she realised she'd done it, Y/N brought the gun out in one swift movement and pointed it directly between her mother's eyes, pulling the trigger and causing her to fall down lifelessly on the floor. She looked down at the lifeless body and blinked repeatedly until her tears dried up, and she managed to gather up the courage to turn around and face Miles again, only to realise he was staring straight at her with wide, shocked eyes.

"W...what?" Y/N stammered out breathlessly, her heart pounding madly against her ribcage and her chest tightening painfully, suffocating her. She gripped her shirt tightly and took a deep shuddering breath to stop herself from hyperventilating.

This wasn't happening...this wasn't happening. It can't be happening...

Miles quickly snapped out of his trance and his brain moved a mile a minute. His mind swarmed with every possible scenario until he remembered something that had happened not long after he'd first started working at the El Royale.

A guest who frequented the establishment had threatened to expose the hotel's secret and was promptly disposed of. Y/N's mother knew the hotel's secret.

"I can handle this. I can. I can handle it. It's okay…" Y/N repeated under her breath as she stared vacantly at her shaking hands. "Everything is fine."

"Stay here, I need to make a call."

Before she could reply, Miles kissed her on the forehead and rushed to reception to call his boss. It took a few seconds for him to get through, but when he did, he wasted no time telling him what had occurred - or rather, what he wanted them to think had occurred.

"Any witnesses?"

"Mrs L/N's daughter, although she seems grateful for the whole thing so I don't think she'll make a fuss," Miles lied

almost too smoothly, trying his best to stay composed and appear nonchalant , which was hard due to how nervous he was at that moment. He wasn't exactly proud of lying, but what choice did he have?

"Keep an eye on her."

As soon as the line clicked off, Miles dragged his hands down his face and sighed deeply, his muscles tense and his mind buzzing with thoughts and feelings he couldn't quite grasp.

One thing he knew for certain was that the El Royale had corrupted Y/N L/N.

Miles found Y/N in the exact position he'd left her in. She stood in the middle of the room, staring at the blood on the carpet and her mother's lifeless corpse. Tears were running freely down her flushed cheeks as she struggled to control her breathing and the rising sense of panic.

"Baby..." he mumbled quietly but urgently, walking up behind her. He placed a tentative hand on the small of her back and gently rubbed circular circles on it, hoping to ground her and calm her down, even though he himself felt very shaken right then.

Yet, Miles was more familiar with this type of thing. He dealt with mental breakdowns many times during his time in the army. He experienced it all too often to count. And he had experienced them alone.

"It's all sorted out," he whispered softly, his lips brushing the hair on top of her head. "Everything will be alright."

After a moment or two passed, Y/N turned around and looked up at Miles with wide, glazed eyes, her bottom lip quivering slightly before she pressed her them together, looking away from him and biting down on her bottom lip in an attempt to try and stop herself from bursting into loud sobbing.

He couldn't blame her for crying. He couldn't blame her for falling apart like that. All he could do right now was wrap his arms around her and rock her back and forth gently as he let her cry and tremble and grip onto him like her very life depended on it.

"When the clean up crew gets here, you'll have to act like everything is fine, okay? Let me do the talking." Miles pulled away just enough so that he could look Y/N dead in the eyes. The girl nodded and smiled weakly.

"You got it." She responded softly.

For a brief, brief moment, Y/N forgot who and where she was. Forgot everything except that he was right here. For a brief, brief moment, she thought they'd be alright.

In the blink of an eye, others arrived, carrying their tools and equipment in tow. Eventually though, things began to pick up. People began asking questions, most of which Miles answered and Y/N nodded in agreement. Some of the questions were more probing, some less, but overall it was a lot to deal with.

After signing so many NDA's and being told exactly what would happen if she ever said anything about what she saw, Y/N was moved to a new room. She sat on the bed staring blankly into nothingness, her fingers fidgeting and twisting together nervously.

Weirdly, Miles was celebrated. Since he'd posed the murder as his act of defence towards the El Royale, he was praised for his actions since his boss thought he was showing the ultimate sign of loyalty. In a way, he was loyal. Just not to the El Royale. He didn't give a fuck about the hotel.

And it wasn't too long before he was slapped on the back and urged to, "Go check up on the girl and, don't worry, we won't say anything if we hear her screaming. You deserve a warrior's celebration and she's pretty," with a slimey wink that made Miles want to vomit.

One, how dare someone think to do that to any lady? Two, how dare someone think to do that to his lady? And three, how dare someone think that he was capable of doing that to a lady? It was wrong! Totally wrong! Absolutely wrong! But like a lot of things in Miles' life, it would be easier if he just kept his head down, said nothing and quietly made preparations so that it wouldn't happen. Or if it did happen, he could be prepared to stop it.

Y/N was locked in another staring contest with the wall when he entered her room. He walked over to the bed and crouched between her knees, taking hold of her trembling hands and kissing them. She sniffled once and finally lifted her tearful gaze up to meet Miles'. They both remained silent for a bit; neither of them knew what to say or how to talk.

"I think once I'm allowed to leave, I can't, shouldn't, come back," Y/N murmured eventually, her voice breaking with emotion, her eyes tearing up again. Miles frowned, stroking her knuckles with the tip of his finger and rubbing the back of her palm comfortingly with his thumb.

He wished there was something he could say to ease her pain, but the truth was that there was nothing he could possibly say to fix this kind of situation, but he wished there was anyway he could help. The worst part about it all was that he was powerless, unable to stop it. Unable to protect her from the world. From everything that was hurting her. He hated seeing her suffer like this.

"Tell you what, when we get into the off season, I'll take you back to my home with me. We'll stay in bed till noon each day and watch reruns of tv shows all afternoon, eating junk food, and pretending that we're normal people living our lives in peace. How does that sound? Sounds nice to me. Yeah?" Miles said cheerfully with an enthusiastic grin, trying to brighten the mood and erase the dark aura from Y/N's body as much as possible.

"That does sound nice," Y/N murmured quietly, smiling lightly, wiping tears from her eyes. "I don't know if I deserve nice."

With a knowing sigh, Miles took a seat next to her. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this, the guilt never goes away and it never will. It doesn't matter whether she deserved it or not, you'll still feel terrible about what you've done," he paused and took a deep breath. "But if anyone deserves forgiveness, it's you. And as far as I can see, the only thing you did wrong was fall in love with someone that your abusive mother didn't approve of."

"Falling in love with you is the only right thing I've done in my whole life." Y/N closed her eyes and leaned her head against Miles' shoulder. "Thank you, Miles...for making my life a little brighter and I'm sorry I ruined it."

"Don't apologise," he shook his head, pulling her closer as she snuggled up against him. "It'll be okay, okay? I'll make sure that it will. Don't worry."

The following day, the cleaners had reverted the hotel room exactly how it had been before the shooting and everything that originally was in there, including the couple's anniversary gifts, had been removed and replaced.

Miles made sure Y/N was near him at all times since that slimy guy kept giving her weird looks and whispering dirty comments behind her back. And, boy, he was glad he had locked their hotel door that first night because an hour or two after he returned to her, somebody was rattling the door knob.

Thankfully, nothing happened. But the pair did opt to stay in Miles' tiny bedroom away from the others for the next three days that she was under surveillance. The bed was uncomfortable, the blankets were scratchy, but it didn't matter, nothing mattered compared to having Y/N safely in his arms every night. She spent her days there while he worked because Miles could very easily see if anyone walked in the direction of his little maintenance closet and stop them before they'd even get a chance.

When her surveillance was over, Y/N was briefed about how she should proceed. Her mother's death had been from a heart attack, she'd been told, and that it was a very sad and sudden incident that horrified a doting daughter such as herself. That's why she needed a few months back from the spotlight. She was grieving and needed some time and space to recover.

So, that was her excuse when she returned to Los Angeles.

Before she left, Miles gave Y/N one last kiss. A quick peck on the lips that lingered longer than it should have but neither one of them cared anymore. "Remember the story, stick to it and I'll see you by the end of the month. Okay?" He said sweetly with a smile, running his fingers through her hair and leaning in to press his forehead against hers.

"Okay." She replied in a quiet tone as she wrapped her arms around him tightly and squeezed him close. "And Miles..." She pulled away slightly and tilted her chin up so that she could look into his eyes. "I love you...so much."

"I love you, too. So much," he whispered in response, cupping her cheek in his hand and caressing it with gentle movements. They gazed lovingly at each other for a few moments before Miles pressed his lips onto her forehead. "Be safe, please?" His eyes pleaded.

"I promise."

As soon as they looked away from each other, she turned and headed out. Miles sighed deeply and let his shoulders sag. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to punch walls until his knuckles bled, but none of those things came out. All he felt now was empty and tired.

The following month was the worst of Miles' life.

'To my angel,

Firstly, I've got some bad news. The boss wants me to work another month

and I'm afraid what the repercussions will be if I decline. While I was not punished for what happened, I am still under his thumb. Probably even more now.

But, we will see each other again. Just not as soon as we had planned.

How are you? Are you doing well? Do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything - I mean it, you can call me whenever you can. If anything happens. If nothing happens. Be warned, the boss will be able to hear everything we say, but still, I would never decline a chance to hear your voice.

I'm afraid I have to cut this short as I hear the priest who is staying here grumble and groan. He's old and probably fell. Which I do feel bad about because, I'm not going to lie, I'm coming down from a really bad trip and I don't see it getting better any time soon, yet I know that if I had been out there, I could've caught him.

I love you, baby, and don't give up hope. Even if things do not turn out the way we wish they would, we are young and have time, Miles <3.'

He slipped away for a moment to the post box down the road and it was the only bit of peace he had that entire day.

A news channel was the one who told Y/N about what went down at the El Royale.

She'd been feeling better than she had in a while after cutting all ties with her job. She'd bought herself out of all the contracts for upcoming films she was supposed to be in. Her publicist had been fired. Then a statement had been sent out to the press about her retirement from acting.

Then, as she was walking to say a final goodbye to Georgia, a television in an electronic store window broadcasted a shot of flames engulfing the outside of the hotel.

"Reports have finally come out about a multiple homicide at the El Royale, eight found dead last week in what appeared to be a gunfight. One currently in a critical condition. Though it is believed that two or three people may have fled the scene. Anyone with any information call the number below."

Dazed, Y/N's feet took her straight to Georgia's without her realising it. Once there, however, she stood outside it, her hands clasped firmly in front of her as she thought about Miles and tried to keep from crying. She had no idea what she'd do if she ended up losing him. It was hard enough as it was already. She had no idea how she would deal with it if she lost him.

"Sweet Pea, what are you doing just standing in the doorway? Come inside, dear." Georgia motioned for her to enter the salon. With a heavy heart, Y/N entered the salon and collapsed onto a chair at the vanity, burying her face in the palms of her hands.

"Have I got any letters?"

"Yes, two."

Georgia reached into one of the drawers, pulled out the objects in question and handed them over to Y/N, who immediately noticed that they had different handwriting. One was Miles', she knew that like the back of her hand. The other, she had no idea.

Y/N read Miles' first. In the corner it was dated on the day of the fire. And his spelling was atrocious so she knew he was high.

Then she moved on to the mystery one.

'Dear Miss Y/N,

There's no easy way to say this but Miles is in the hospital.'

There was the biggest sigh of relief released from Y/N's lips. He was alive, that was enough.

'And his condition is, to put simply, not good. He was stabbed and died for a few minutes before the firefighters found him and the paramedics managed to revive what little life he had left.

He doesn't speak much, it's too hard while he's in the process of recovering, but he has said your name too many times for me to count. And he has a habit of humming that Peter and Gordon song that came out last year, he mumbled something that sounded like 'playing in ambulance' so I can only assume that's what popped him back up.

I can only assume what you are to my son based on the letters they found in his room and gave to his mother and I. I know that your appearances at the hospital would mean the world to him. You're important to him, Y/N. More than you may realise.

Hope to see you, Charles Miller'

At the bottom was a 'ps' that included what hospital and room Mike's was currently in.

Without another word, Y/N was out of her seat and was walking out, calling over her shoulder, "Thank you for everything. Telling my mother about Miles was a shitty thing to do but I forgive you," as she shut the door behind her.

The journey wasn't long and she was soon standing in front of Miles' room with her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she stared intently at the door and waited for the courage to knock. Finally, she raised her knuckles to tap on the door lightly.

Opening it was a man that had a sweet smile and cute nose, which was exactly like Miles'. Charles took one look at the girl before him and chuckled, immediately gesturing for her to come in and pointed to a billboard that could be seen from the window.

"I thought he was saying that you looked like the actress in the picture, not that you are her," the man commented, giving Y/N a friendly smile as he closed the door gently. "His mom will be back in a sec and she won't believe that Miles bagged himself a movie star."

"Oh, I'm not anymore. I quit today," Y/N confessed sheepishly as she walked across to sit on the edge of the bed, scanning every part of Miles' sleeping form. He was lying on his side with an oxygen mask on his face and bandages covering the lower half of his torso.

"Would you like me to give you a moment alone?" The man asked kindly when he saw the look on her face.

"Yes please. Thank you." Y/N smiled gratefully and nodded, watching as he quietly exited the room before reaching over and brushing Miles' hair gently out of his face.

There were bags under his eyes and his skin was almost completely grey, yet she couldn't help but notice the tiny smile that tugged on his lips for a split second.

"My beautiful boy... Why is the world so cruel to you? Why did you have to go through all of this?" Y/N muttered, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes and fall down along her cheeks. She didn't want to cry. But she couldn't stop herself. "Tell you what, the moment you get better I'll make sure we have the most boring, normal life we can think of. We'll go to the park, maybe go ice skating, you like ice skating right?"

Y/N giggled as Miles shifted ever so slightly towards her. She watched as he breathed slowly in and out, waiting for a response that wouldn't come.

"I just met your dad, he seems nice, he reminds me a lot of you." She brushed a finger against his cheekbone gently, teasing, "He's handsome. Maybe I've got a crush on your dad too, so you've got some competition now, eh?"

"Losing to my old man would surely do me in," he croaked, gathering the strength to open his eyes. "Hi baby."

His voice was raspy and dry but it made a small smile appear on Y/N's lips nonetheless.

"Hi honey."

They'd get through this. Together. Like they always did.

[the-fluffiest-trainer]

Like this? I just talk and it... oh, yes, it's writing the words! How does it know how to do that?

Uh, well, hi everyone? Can I delete that earlier part? And that too? This would be so much easier if I had those "hand" things to actually press all these tiny buttons...

Let me start over. Hi everyone, my name is Fluttershy, and I... don't really know what I'm doing here? Or where "here" is? Or anything about these two legged people with their hands and their fancy devices that write for you when you talk into them, but at least they all seem nice so far, and that's good. This girl named Shauna gave me this device and she says I'm in a place called Kalos, but I've never heard of it.

Apparently there's a professor who knows about me already, and sent four kids out to find me? That's nice of him, and maybe he knows more about how I fell into this world. If any of you, whoever it is in here that I'm talking to, uh, however that works... if you know anything or have any advice, and... I don't know how I'm going to actually hear you, to be honest, but I guess this thingy takes care of it?

I wish my friends were here. Maybe they are? I remember Twilight, fighting for all of us but we couldn't help her, and... something... and then falling from the sky, and I barely got my wings under me before hitting the ground in this strange little town. I should definitely go find this Professor Sycamore and see what he knows.

(OOC info under the cut)

Hey everyone, this is a pokeblogging rp blog for Fluttershy from MLP:FiM. She has no idea what pokemon (or humans) are and honestly, out of character I don't either because I've made it to nearly 30 without ever playing a pokemon game before now. At the recommendation of a good friend who's also into the pokeblogging scene here, I'm starting with Pokemon X. This blog is in the same universe as Gwyndolin from @moonlight-eternal, mostly because I didn't want to have to learn everything about two different games.

In general the blog is typically lowish stakes and sfw, and I'm open to interaction with any other pokeblogs, Fallers or otherwise (just be nice and everything should be okay). Given the plot of Pokemon X, some higher stakes will occur occasionally when dealing with Team Flare. Tags "#mid stakes pokeblogging" and "#high stakes pokeblogging" will be used as appropriate.

Twilight Sparkle is also here, having Fallen into Kalos several months before Fluttershy. Others of the Mane Six have landed elsewhere in the pokemon world and have been mentioned, but have not appeared on the blog.

Headcanons / conventions taken with this timeline include:

All pokemon are sapient, but most cannot communicate in human language. Fluttershy's talent of speaking with animals carries over to pokemon as well.

Fluttershy is the equivalent of mid to late 20s in human terms, but the kids she meets are still kids, maybe mid teens or so.

Consistent font colors used:

Fluttershy: Standard black text

Visual description in videos: [Bracketed italicized black text]

Arden (Fluttershy's delphox): Orange text

Twilight: Purple text

Lysandre: Orange bolded text

Team Flare members: usually red text

Shauna: pink text

Fluttershy's pokemon team:

Arden: delphox, trans girl, even fluffier than Fluttershy herself. She craves violence. She operates the holocaster sometimes for typing or taking videos.

Talia: gardevoir, girl, forcibly adopted a trainer so she can battle and eventually evolve.

Sienna/Muffin: skitty, girl, caught by Twilight and then given to Fluttershy via Professor Sycamore.

Keseph: amaura, girl, resurrected from a fossil in Ambrette Town.

Osha: absol (shiny), girl, found in the woods around Geosenge Town trying to warn about some sort of danger there.

N/A

Twilight's pokemon team:

Luna: espeon, girl, found Twilight right after she Fell and never left.

Raya: lucario, girl, sought out Twilight based on aura senses and led her to meet humans for the first time.

Spike Jr.: crobat, boy, given as a gift by Lysandre.

Crystal: lapras, girl, given by a pokemon breeder on Route 12.

N/A

N/A

Content warnings for this blog:

Canonical events of Pokemon X

Trainers can be affected by pokemon moves if improperly targeted

General blanket warning for post-apocalyptic themes

Other notes:

Sometimes I take liberties with game mechanics in favor of writing something that makes more sense from a perspective of actually living in this world and seeing pokemon battles and such. This may include:

I will typically ignore the physical vs special distinction for moves, stats, and so on.

I will ignore the effect of Natures on stats.

I usually forget that Abilities exist, or at least ones outside of the usual STAB. I do know STAB and it makes sense to exist.

While types do exist, I consider the advantage factor to be less than the games' value of 2. Probably more like sqrt(2), so super effective moves do 141% damage and not very effective is 71%.

On some occasions, I may even ignore a type matchup if narrative reasons or simple common sense contradict the game logic.

If the game goes to such lengths to obscure the actual values of IVs and EVs from me, then screw it, they don't exist. Every pokemon has IVs that make it good at the things its species is meant to be good at.

In general, all this basically means I'm taking an approach closer to the anime than the games. I have no prior experience with either, I just want something that makes sense and doesn't require being Autisms Georg about pokemon just to run a blog.

Story arcs so far:

Intro arc (no tag): Fluttershy arrives in Kalos and takes the position of player character, up through meeting Sycamore in Lumiose.

#reunion arc: After hearing from Sycamore that Twilight is also around, Fluttershy seeks out her and her research team in western Kalos. She finds out more about how exactly she Fell.

#screamkitty arc: Fluttershy foolishly ventures into the wilderness around Geosenge Town to investigate a terrible noise, and eventually acquires a new pokemon.

#darkened souls arc: Shauna asks for help with a mysterious pokemon ailment, but neither Fluttershy nor Twilight can figure it out. Aliana of Team Flare hypothesizes that another Faller may be involved.

#seeing a ghost arc: coming soon!

[moonsanoverthinker]

Thanks for the response to my jewelry hc ask! I love all the subtle allegiances being showcased. For another. Hair dye headcanons please? I've got a couple but they tend to verge into au territory

This is one I’ve not thought too much about, so expect some rambles (I say that like it’s not a reoccurring theme) And I enjoy making head cannon stuff so feel free to suggest others!

Again all of these are based off vibes with zero evidence!

Jon- 100% dyed his hair in uni at least once, it wasn’t a good dye job but it was fine…(sections of the back weren’t dyed at all) This purely comes from the fan chosen canon of the Mechs being Jon’s uni band (one of my favourite AO3 tags) Also under that same uni shitty hair dye jobI just imagine him with like sections in different colours but not because it’s intentional, like there’s a part that’s red and another that’s blue and some of it’s black which he claims is intentional but it’s clearly not.

Martin- Likes the thought of dying his hair but doesn’t like the change of committing to it. Actually no he did dye it once but it was barely any different so no one notice, plus it was semi-permanent hair dye so it washed out after two weeks. The others did manage to convince him to use those spray hair colour things during Halloween so he got to enjoy the colours without the commitment.

Sasha- I’ve got two main ideas for Sasha so bear with me folks. Idea one is that she has the remnants of a hair colour still showing through despite dying over it multiple times, like how red somehow shows through in certain lights. Idea two is that she dyes the ends of her hair fun colours and claims it’s still professional looking because it’s not her whole head. Also side note, the NotSasha had the same hair dye colour as original Sasha but the shades never seem to match, they’re always off somehow.

Tim- I’ve split this into different versions of him because reasons. Series 1 would dye his hair all the time, whatever colour he fancied at the time he’d do it, Sasha also encouraged him and would sometimes help him and he didn’t care if it looked ‘unprofessional’ because of the colour. Series 2 would dye his hair occasionally but not as much so the colours usually faded before he changed them, NotSasha would encourage him but there wasn’t the enthusiasm anymore and she stopped helping him but he didn’t know why. Series 3 still has the last hair colour from series 2 but it’s faded and mostly grown out until he just decided to dye over it all in a more ‘natural’ colour because he didn’t want to deal with it anymore.

Basira- Again two thoughts so bear with. Thought one is she split dyed her hair at least once, possibly the whole of one side and then the whole of the other side. But thought two is she split dyed it but only did the ends, so it was like a half and half dip dyed ends vibe, that she lets fade but the faded colours are a vibe and just look really nice, sometimes she has the bright colours but it varies.

Melanie- Whole head dyed one colour, and it’s definitely not a natural colour. She’s used to freelance work so she’s not always needed it to be ‘professional’ looking in terms of colours so she kept it the same colour when she started working at the institute. Elias told her to change it but she refused and told him to fuck off, then proceeded to dye it an even brighter colour.

Georgie- She again dyed her hair once or twice in uni (better dye job than Jon’s) then she just dyed it more natural colour then left it for a while, but she did dye the underneath section of her hair a colour so it wasn’t noticeable from certain angles unless she put her hair up or had it sitting a certain way.

Daisy- Okay so I’ve got a thought for this so again bear with. So Daisy has dip dyed hair, but it’s like a dark reddy purple kind of vibe, and when the hunt starts to be more present it’s pretty vibrant / obviously dyed but when she goes through her trying to fight it stage it fades over time and then when she feeds into it again the colour comes back (I don’t know how this would work but let’s not think too hard about that)

Elias- I don’t know why but all I can think of is this man with a single section like strip that he’s dyed white himself. Also 1. Would he get grey hairs because of the whole technically being really old thing? And 2. Does he dye over them…

[julymarte]

Friendship

(you can find this pic without the walltext in the #meme redraw tag in my blog)

So the other day i made THIS post so i thought i'd share more information about their relationship

Taru might end up a lil in the shadow of her more popular friends but she really is the glue that keeps them together somehow, starting from the beginning...Taru and the twins pretty much grew up together they are more than just childhood friends they are almost relatives you know when you call the parents of your childhood friends uncle and aunt even if you are no way related? That thing. they are pretty much cousins- when they were children they were almost inseparable they almost spent more time together than with their siblings ( both the twins and taru have younger sisters, they also have a close bond). growing up the friendship with Nakir grew more than the one with Uri, they are still very good friends but other than gossiping and having some walks and chit chat around the market they don't do much else, with nakir instead they share the same 1 braincell if there's something dumb or risky be sure that they will team together and do it anyway for the thrill of it. Both Nakir and Taru did feel pretty sad when they had to be separated for 8 long years when she enrolled the Red Moon Academy(might do a post about the whole merc system one day let me know if you'd like to see it) and they most likely made other friends Nakir out and Taru inside of it but none as meaningful as what they have so upon their reunion it was an immediate decision to become teammates and work on missions and assignments together.

As for Pravaal...Him and Taru met for a very short time before she entered the academy but we need a little context here, mercenaries in the kingdom of moon are actually a lil bit different from what one may imagine while thinking about a regular merc, some of them have gathered quite the fortune and gained a title on par as nobility ... some are more on the fancy snob side others more on the military side...Taru's family on the part of her mother is one of them(on the military side), Pravaal is a noble sure but he has technically no ties with mercenaries aside from his runaway father most likely being one BUT a couple of merc nobility with ties with the academy offered to give him shelter after he reached out for help from the academy after fleeing from home when just a kid so, for a couple of years, they were eachother's only friendly face at those booooring adult meetings.Taru's sister seemed to enjoy them while both Taru and Pravaal used to spend their time making fun of the snobby rich elders and finding ways to prank them, he would be pretty shy about it back then but she wouldn't hesitate to take the lead on the mischief... they met again when she graduated and to her surprise he and Nakir knew eachother too cause they had been training together for the purple class, she did not expect them to have developped a rivalry tho XD (and of course she had no idea to what happened with Uri) It's just thanks to her that the three became a trio, one day Nakir and Pravaal were arguing on who would take a specific mission and she just proposed " why don't we go together" they reluctanctly accepted but it ended up being a big success, the chemisty of the party was a bit unstable at first but even tho Nakir and Pravaal deny it, they are a pretty good team. And after a good mission what's best than a niiiice celebration at the Twiin moons, they sure have become regulars at that (shady) pub and it's not rare to see them hand around there- but yeah good things don't always last, have you ever had that one friend that disappears after they get a special other? well this is kinda what happens here except their drifting away is not much cause they don't hang outtogether anymore but cause they LITTERALLY MOVE TO OTHER WORLDS, she of course has the means and will go see them but it's always kinda bittersweet

[pennameofshame]

Luca Kaneshiro x Shu Yamino

Luca Kaneshiro x Shu Yamino (NSFW)

I was supposed to use the following tags to write this however I didn't so my bad.

politically-motivated weeb handjobs what could be hotter than mafia wing kink

instead the tags that can be applied are :

Sounding, smut and I’m pretty sure this entire fic can be a warning

this is my first nsfw fanfic ever so I apologies if there are some issues within the fic like grammar or scenes not linking properly etc.

MDNI

Luca Kaneshiro is a well known figure within the underground network, his connections spreading far and wide with people everywhere and anywhere. He was known for being ruthless but equally just in some sense, a John Wick, Mysta had teased once implying he truly was the ‘man you send to kill the boogeyman’. Luca would argue that it was a team effort with just his name at the front. However, for someone well known and talked about along with his colleagues no one could actually put a face to the names with the help of a demon and sorcerer, allowing them to integrate into society and live somewhat peaceful lives within the slows of their work. Behind the scenes the five men had their own lives, chemist, officer, detective, novelist and businessman/ceo. Luca was also much different, being more relaxed and extroverted, happy to smile and not constantly have to be serious due to work stresses, he could be himself to some extent; this didn’t mean he wasn’t guarded but there are those who he doesn't see as threats the grandma next door who bakes extra sweets for them or the children running to the playground or even the fancy dressed sorcerer who had wrapped his arms around the ‘officer’ in their shared home.

“You’re back early” Luca commented, locking the door to their shared house, slowly turning around to look at his beloved cupping his face in the palm of his hand.

“You look pretty…”

“You also look like a magical girl,” Shu groaned, planting his face into the other's chest grumbling.

“You ruined a perfectly good moment” Shu let go and walked away to rest on the sofa turning on the tv leaving an amused Luca to go to the kitchen and make tea for the both of them. Placing two cups on the table in front of them he sat next to Shu still smiling as the latter was focused on the TV. Shu’s slender figure was adorned in robes matching the colour of his hair with pinks and light purples weaved in the overlapping of the robes hung deep while barely clinging to his shoulders, his hair was held up in place by a hair pin Luca had gifted him it was gold and had jade entwined into its main peace but also beads of it hanging from it. In moments like this Luca wanted nothing more than to strip him and kiss every bit of skin he could however he had opted to instead hold him close to prolong the moment of bliss he had missed the last two weeks.

Shu, his Shu, his moon was someone who was neat and tidy, he had hand crafted a box, labeled it and placed it directly in the middle of those two along with the cross sections of prim and proper. It wasn't a farce in fact even when relaxed or even drunk Shu somehow managed to be neat and tidy and clean edges and all however in this moment he wasn't.

A huff from the sorcerer had disrupted the peace, and turning the TV off Luca broke the silence between them.

"What's wrong, you've been tense since I've got here. Did something happen or did I do something?" Luca was concerned but maintained a soft voice.

"You know how maddening it is to go to a damn event full of pretentious and entitled people who- who have no clue what they are doing! but for some reason think they are the most smartest and, and the most relevant people-" Shu was missing for two weeks due to personal business, yes, he was a powerful sorcerer who, in fact, had a bright moon and star learning under him he also had a division delegated to him where he was vastly underestimated and had been attending meetings and events for said division.

In a quick motion Shu had straddled the blonde glaring at him while clutching his t-shirt into his fists.

"Your not listening are you" 

"Sorry love, I, uh, I was a little distracted" Luca's reply seemed to only worsen his mood.

"Fine" slender fingers removed the hair pin letting a deep purple cascade down.

"Then get on with it" moving his hips against the others Shu was trying to gain some kind of friction while Luca had panicked, yes he was thinking about this a few minutes ago, maybe even when Shu was gone, but not like this.

"He- Shu wait!" Holding the other's hands in place he couldn't even open his mouth.

"Luca Kaneshiro, I've had a very frustrating two weeks so if you don't rail me this instant I'll find a way to deal with it myself and you won't like the result" Indigo eyes were glowing and something in the air had shifted. Shu was dangerous, Luca Kaneshiro may be the one the world feared but that was because they didn't know Shu, he was an immortal being who had grand achievements and stories they hadn't known. He was someone who was more balanced than himself and capable of bringing the strongest of men to their knees in terror without even having to look at them, if he so pleased. 

Shu Yamino was danger finely crafted into a singular being. He was laced with charm, and sincerity that was as genuine as could be hiding a man of sheer terror behind it. 

And that man was on top of him demanding something he was more than willing to give.

"No wings?" The slight in his voice arose some interest in the other as he slipped off the robe from his shoulders, proceeding with his previous plans. Luca traced his lips against the curve of Shu’s neck, one hand behind him, warm on his back and the other at the top of his thigh, pushing him to his waist. A rough tug on blonde hair forces a groan out of him and their eyes to lock, a smirk snakes its way onto Shu’s lips, his hold not yielding while ever so slowly moving his hips against the others. He leans forward next to Luca's ear letting out soft, airy moans. Now palming himself Shu takes the time to unbutton Luca's pants sliding his hand under the waistband, fingers wrapping around him with only his thumb moving against the slit at the top and sometimes pressing against it.

"Fuck, Shu please" his voice strained as the sorcerer proceeded to suckle on his neck, Luca moved his hands to the others hips grinding him against himself groaning at the friction which stopped when both his hands were tied behind him. This time he was glaring at Shu who was more than amused by his expression.

"Be a good puppy and take what's given, ok" Shu got up discarding the robe to the side folded with the hairpin laid on top as he then went to strip Luca. Kneeling down between his legs. Shu dragged a lone finger up the underside of his cock stopping at the slit on top only to blow air to the head making Luca whimper. Shu takes the hair pin and summons the lube from their draws, wetting the object and the head of Luca's cock. While pumping the rest of him he gently inserts the hairpin in sliding it up and down while pushing down Luca's hips. Using magic he keeps the object in place.

"I'll be back, don't come or even try to break free" He says while picking up his clothes heading up. Luca however whines and whimpers at the first slow drag of the pin. However as it gradually increases speed he begins to moan louder, rutting his hips to add any kind of friction. Throwing his head back with eyes sealed shut Luca could feel the knot slowly unravel on for it abruptly stop with the pin being harshly removed.

"Aah, fuck Shu, please just let me cum, it's to much" He huffed out almost whining his abdomen convulsing slightly. Shu was back standing in front of him, he didn't say anything and his expression was cold but he moved to straddle his waist using his fingers to guide Luca's cock to his hole. Pouring cold lube on top of Luca’s dick then putting extra on his fingers he inserts it inside of himself slowly adding a second and third stretching himself to take Luca. Moaning with his back arched, one hand on the blondes shoulder for support as the other moves in and out of him at different paces has him releasing high pitched moans that almost sound desperate.

"Luca- I want it, I want you inside me, aaahh~" Shu took his fingers out as he rubbed against his prostate. Positioning himself he rubs the tip of the mafia boss's dick against himself, gasping slightly as he sinks down muffling any sound that could escape him by sealing his mouth shut.

"I want to hear you" 

Shu wrapped his arms around Luca's shoulders, nails dragging against his skin, soft kisses were pressed to Shu’s shoulder once again and Luca's want to hear Shu moan quickly took a hold of him as he started thrusting his hips upwards.

"Ah, Luca, wait, I-mmmngh" Shu quickly started bouncing on his dick moaning out loud and as Luca thought he could cum but a pressure at the bottom of his dick and balls stopped him a low rumble deep in his chest erupted sounding his annoyance. Shu kept riding, readjusting himself by placing his palms behind him on Lucas' legs. The movement became erratic and Shu brought a hand to his own hardened dick, using the slick from before he moved his hand to a different pace squeezing himself randomly until he came. Hot cum splattered against Luca's chest and he groaned again as Shu tightened around him. Coming down from his high Shu was gasping for air but still managed to whisper.

"cum inside me"

The restraints were gone and Luca placed his hands under Shu thighs, lifting him and roughly laying him on his back. He pushed Shu’s legs to his chest lining himself up looking for a go ahead and Shu nodded and Luca smirked.

"Darling, I hope you're prepared to be ruined" a quick motion and Luca sheathed himself inside pushing till the hilt, giving a few seconds to grind further in before pulling out and thrusting back. Shu was moaning louder and babbling words that would fall apart before they could leave his mouth with the only consistency of ‘Luca’, ‘yes’, ‘right there’ and ‘more’.

Luca slowed down, shallow drags as his place slowed, causing Shu the whimper from want. The drags became longer but the pace remained slow. Shu was begging with tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Luca please! Please just fuck me! I need it so bad! I- ooohhh" a quick thrust angled a bit interrupted him. Luca placed his legs on his shoulders and grabbed his waist pulling him closer to himself, lifting him and sliding a cushion under his hips (that was of no use). Holding his hips in places Luca started thrusting at a quick pace, jaw clenched and low groans left him; his eyes were laser focused on Shu who was being manhandled by him. He sometimes wondered if the sorcerer knew how beautiful he looked like this, when he’s in control and when he’s completely under his mercy; he might record him and show just to see his composure falter even just a bit or to bring out something darker. For now Luca readjusted, folding the other now setting a more erratic pace causing Shu to mewl and cry out from pleasure. Almost finished, Luca held the base of Shu’s dick causing him to gasp and contract around him even more so and a few seconds later Shu’s back arched as he let out a final loud moan as he orgasmed. Luca, seeing this, came inside of him only to stop after a few thrusts and start moving his hand that was around Shu causing him to mewl and whine from the over stimulation. 

“God you're so pretty” It wasn’t whispered but it was the softness and how sonorous it was that drove Shu to the edge, cum splattering over his abdomen. Luca watched and his smile had softened at the sight of his darling twitching and tired. Bringing his other hand to cup the other's face he leaned down to lay a gentle kiss however was interrupted when he had whined again.

“You’re- You're still inside” Shu huffed, catching his breath. Luca chuckled sliding out and finished his previous action. Luca got up, not before saying a quick ‘I’ll be back’ and making sure his Shu was comfortable. He returned back and put his arms under him, lifting him and walking to their bedroom to the bathroom. Shu kept his eyes on the mafioso and tangled his hand into his hair.

“Lets wash up, then you can rest till your heart's content” Luca stated, placing him in the bathtub.

“Is this why you took so long? Measuring the perfect temperature for me?” Shu’s voice was laced in mischief that reached his eyes as his fingertips graced under Luca’s chin causing him to blush a little. However the smile never left, shaking his head while a soft chuckle left him. He got up and got into the tub enjoying the warmth while sitting behind Shu.

“For you, my love, of course” Another kiss placed into purple hair and Shu relaxing, he had calmed down and told Luca about his trip more clearly and content all while Luca listened to every word holding him close.