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#like she REALLY sent me a whole big message thinking she was right
becca-e-barnes · 2 years
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Becca what about DBF!Bucky fucking the reader until she squirts? I feel like he would be so cocky about it and would 100% try to get her to squirt again
🍑 anon
You're not wrong here, he would be so cocky and I nearly think he'd be condescending about it? In a very sexy way though 😩
I can't stop thinking of this with Bucky railing you while you're bent over the kitchen counter. The edge of the marble is digging in a little with how delightfully he has you pinned down. "Mhm, you feel like a dream." He grunts, marvelling in the glistening slick that coats his length as he drags himself slowly out of you before slamming back in again.
Your little yelp almost makes it sound like you had no idea he was going to fuck back into you so hard and it makes him chuckle quietly to himself.
"You take me like such a good girl, you know that? Happy to bend over anywhere for me and take every inch of this dick like it's all fucking yours." He can hardly control himself, his thrusts getting a little faster and it's just mind-blowing.
"Such a good girl for you, daddy. O-oh fuck, please, that's so good." You can't help but go a little stupid. His thrusts are punishing, hitting deep and hard at a pace that makes your legs a little weak but God, it's incredible feeling so much pleasure all at once.
His thrusts are landing a little too nicely though. It's a lot and there's no fucking break from it, not that you even really want one. You can feel the flutters in your tummy, gentle ripples of pleasure getting more and more intense with each thrust until you're babbling nonsense, almost ready to cry because it feels so damn good.
It doesn't take long for your head to fall onto your forearms and you feel all that build-up come to an earth shattering climax. It's a peak quite like nothing you've ever experienced before and you feel your body gushing in response, a stream of hot arousal pouring down the inside of your thighs.
Bucky's groan is fucking beautiful, clearly he didn't expect your body to react like that. "Oh god, good girls don't squirt like that, honey." His voice is so low it sends shivers down your spine.
"It really feels too fucking good for your silly little brain to handle, doesn't it? Dumb little thing squirting on daddy's cock. Go on baby, let me see you do that again. One more and then I want to feel that against my tongue."
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hecateslore · 6 days
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💌
supervisor!simon
You lied down, cooling off from all of the random shit you were doing, so rearranging your living room, dusting things, potting plants, playing with the stray that is always outside eating its food.
You get a notification on your phone, you look to read and It’s from johnny. 
“What the fuck?”  
“You busy?” the text message read, You sure weren’t!
You get up and stroll, You think about your response standing in the middle of your kitchen. “Uh no? Lol” You send the message and proceed to set your phone on the kitchen counter. But before you do, Johnny’s caller ID pops up on your screen. 
You let out a groan, you hated when people did that. “Hello,” you answer it, sounding as cheery as you can. “Hey,” he says and you say hey back. 
“What’s up?” you ask, itching your head out of confusion,”Just wanted to call.” You can hear him shrugging on the other end of the phone. “Well that’s nice of you,” You state, it comes out more like a question. “Can I ask why?” 
“I was thinking about our conversation earlier,” he says, you bite your lip in thought, “What about the conversation?” 
It was pretty straightforward, one day you and simon couldn’t stand each other, johnny gets hired, he flirts with you here and there, he makes weird jokes about how weird simon is, takes you on a date, that is a date but it’s not a date, so he wants you to have redo. Sounds as straightforward as it gets. 
“You liked me then ?” Johnny says on the other line, You let out a huff, “I did.” admitting it out loud made your chest hurt. It sounded bad to say. “Is he there?” He asks, “No,” You say, and look around your apartment. Johnny sucks in a breath, “You okay?” you ask in return, “I’m alright,” he says. “Can I ask why you’re calling?” You shift on your right leg, “I really don’t know.” he chuckles. “Okay,” you let out a breathy laugh, “The dinner meant a lot to me if that’s what you want to know.” you share. Johnny lets out a breath. “I did want to know.” He answers, “I know you did,” you state. 
“Simon really does it for you,” he chuckles again, “Maybe,” You think about Simon for a second, and remember the text message you sent, you pull your phone away from your face and scroll to your messages, the text saying delivered under its green hue. 
You put the phone back to your ear, “He’s a good guy, It just was a misunderstanding on both parts.” You inform him. “A misunderstanding.” He repeats, “Never thought about it that way.”
“I didn’t either,” you exhale, grabbing a glass from your cupboard. “Seems like he treats you well?” 
Even though you two weren’t together and there was a very big chance that You and Johnny wouldn’t ever be together, From the day you saw him standing next to johnny. Simon's presence just loomed over you. The need to be around him all the time sometimes engulfs you. He's so caring and attentive and he listens most of the time. Of course you were sick in love, stressing when he wouldn’t talk to you, it’s like putting you under a spell.   “Hey, I’m gonna call you back,” You announce, “That’s alright.” he assures you, “Talk to you soon?” 
“Yeah, sure.” You hang up. Still no response from Simon. You text him again asking if he was okay, or if he needed anything. 
And on your end, still no response. 
-
The whole weekend you and Simon barely spoke, you’d send a message and he’d read it 6 or 7 hours later. You played phone tag with him, hoping to catch him at some point but eventually you turned yourself in and went to sleep waiting for a response. 
Monday you walk into the office, Simon in a random chair rolling around. Joking with Victor, who’s all of a sudden very funny. You ignore everyone’s good morning’s and hello’s. You bolt past him and head to the break room and see a very cheery Johnny chatting Linda up. 
“And she’s just the cutest you’d love her,” Linda says while showing him her phone. A cute girl on her screen, You fill up your water bottle and roll your eyes, walking past them without saying excuse me.“What’s the matter?” he creeps up behind you, massaging your shoulders, You squirm away from him. “You okay?” he asks, “I’m fine.” You mumble. “You Sure,” he prods, trying to be funny, “I kinda just want to be alone .” You look at him, he backs off, and goes back to whatever he’s doing. 
The day went exactly like that, Simon not paying attention, Johnny being a kiss ass, both of the men making your ass itch, profusely (there was no other way to describe it, sorry!). You packed up your stuff quickly, making a quick exit. Ignoring Simon's attempts at getting your attention. You get i
When you unlock the door, you can see your reflection in the sliding glass door. You look exhausted. You drop your bag on the floor, and take your clothes off and get in the shower, once you get out, you open the clock app, and check the time from back home. You slide into bed and get comfortable, your legs and arms feeling a bit heavy from today's emotions. 
You go to your contacts, and click on your moms, It rang and then it stopped, your moms voice on the other end, “Hello?” She answers just like you, “Hi mom,” you breathe, holding back your tears, “Hey babY!’ She says overly excited, a small sad smile forming on your face, “Hi Mom,” your voice breaks, “What’s the matter?” she says picking up on the tone of your voice. “It’s nothing,” you sniffle, “Where’s dad?” you ask immediately, “where he’s always at.” She chuckles, “You know I was just talking about you today?” 
“Oh god,” you chuckle nervously, “All good things I hope.” You cross your fingers, “I’m not that much of a gossiper,” she giggles. You smile at the smile of her laughter, missing waking up in your childhood bedroom, watching your parents in the kitchen and your siblings running around and terrorizing each other. You get another call, cutting your mothers sentence in half, “Hold on mom, someone else is calling,” You announce pulling the phone from your face. 
Simon’s contact on your screen, You let out a sigh and you can hear your mom’s “oh lord.” from the phone's speaker, “Mom, I’m gonna call you back okay?” You say, “That’s fine, I gotta get to bed anyway,” She shares, “I’ll call you tomorrow?” You ask, “Sounds good.”  
“Bye mom, I love you.” You tell her, “I love you too.” She says before clicking off the call. 
You call Simon back. “Hey,” his deep voice answers. “hi.” you answer back, “What was going on today?” He says, worried. You let out a big sigh, “I don’t know.” Irritation in your voice. “You sound mad,” He chuckles, “I’m not.” you mumble. 
You weren’t mad, just disappointed, not that you didn’t run errands with him or that he didn’t text you all day, or that he didn’t care that you missed him or also because he didn’t check on you. But because you know the lengths you would go, to just be near him. Which was embarrassing on your end. 
“You sound pissed,” He bothers and you roll your eyes. “Is this what you called for?” You snap. “Partially, but I called to see if I could come over.” He states. “It’s whatever.” you mumble before clicking off the call. 
Simon immediately calls back, you let out a loud grunt, “So is that a yes or a no?” He asks, “It means whatever, come if you want, don’t if you don’t.” You press the glowing red button again, Shutting your phone off. Throwing it somewhere on the bed. 20 minutes later, you can hear Simon's loud police-like knocks. You groan and get out of bed. Making your way to the front door you shut off all the lights that were still from when you entered your apartment. 
When you open the door you see Simon in his gym clothes with a nice packed bag hanging off his shoulder. Immediately reaching to touch your forehead, You swat his hand away, “im fine” you move out of the doors way letting him in. He follows behind, taking note of the way your shoulders slump, your aura is off. 
“I’m gonna take a quick shower.” He announces, you nod, and slide back into your bed, waiting for him to get out of the bathroom. When he does he’s just in his underwear, you watch him walk towards your bed, his thick legs taking long strides towards you, finally, landing on the bed next to you. You’re both quiet, he wraps his arms around your waist. 
“Can I ask something,” He says hesitantly, “what?” you yawn, “When was the last time you got your period?” You pull away from him, “Why?” you ask concerned, “just answer the question,” 
“Let me check my phone,” You search for it frantically, this couldn’t be right. it won’t be. Simon searches also, finding it in the sheets he then hands it to you, “Here,” he says softly, watching you intently. 
You scroll on your screen going to your tracking app, “when was the last time we had sex?” You ask, scrolling up and down the calendars logged with red drops. “Like a week ago.” You let out a weird noise, something between a groan and whimper. Anxiety hits your stomach immediately. You scroll down, and as if life couldn’t have a more sick game in mind, the calendar for last month wasn’t logged. 
No red drops, no symptoms. You’re quiet, and Simon grabs the phone from your hands, He scrolls up and down, “What does this mean?” He asks, still scrolling. “I didn’t log my period,” you answer, Simon sucks in a breath, rubbing his hand over his face, “When did we first start?” 
“Like over a month ago, I don’t know,” You say frustrated, “Don’t get frustrated,” He starts, “I’m not,” you snap again, “I’m thinking,” You huff. “My cycle probably changed or something,” You try and soothe yourself. 
Maybe that could explain the weird behavior, the need to be around him, how sleepy and snappy you are. The headaches, the irritation. No. It doesn’t. 
You sit with your legs crossed, “This is just fucking great.” You huff. 
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webslingingslasher · 1 year
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How about “desperately wanting to be angry, but they can't push past the hurt they're feeling with the trust being broken” from the prompt list? An angsty one with a really fluffy ending? <3
it's a little angsty, little fluffy *reader thinks peter's cheating
It always started with a ‘hey girlie,’ text. 
Any girl in a relationship knew what that meant. 
You thought Peter was a safe bet, there was no way Peter would ever cheat on you, right? 
Two words sent you into panic, your heart was beating a million miles a minute, your vision felt dotty and the urge to throw up, cry and scream was running rampant, even if you were to have a mental breakdown you didn’t know where to start. 
Actually, first things first, who is this chick? You clicked on her name, Cynthia Prescott, no mutual friends. There were only a few pictures, each smile she wore dug and pushed further and further into your gut, there would be no way Peter could ever cheat, unless it was with a girl like that. If you had big enough balls you would watch her story, but you already felt like you were shutting down. 
You wanted to respond. Anything, “hey, sis.” or “wussup, girlie?” maybe even  “please god don’t ruin anything for me, he’s all I have.” Instead you swallowed your tongue and closed out, if you didn’t ask then she wouldn’t tell, then you wouldn’t have to know. That was the best possible plan, you could pretend this never happened, you didn’t know a Cynthia Prescott, and by the looks of it none of your friends did. 
‘Message me back, girlfriend! I have something to bring to your attention.’ 
A second message, emojis littered her words, it was like sprinkling glitter on an open wound. You wanted to scream, you kept telling yourself it wasn’t real, he couldn’t have done it. For a minute you think about deleting the app all together, but that would make you weak, wouldn’t it? Run away, play pretend that your boyfriend didn’t cheat? 
You should be angry, seething, enraged. You should want to tear apart his dorm room, wipe his computer’s history, email his professors a list of curse words they remind him of, spill coffee on his returnable textbooks, anything to cause him a pinch of the hurt you were feeling. 
It was hurt, wasn’t it? The way your stomach dropped, the way you feel frozen, the way you can’t stop thinking about it. ‘Not peter, not peter, not peter,’ a chant rattled your mind, you collapsed to his bed, ‘hey, girlie, not peter, hey, girlie, not peter,’ you couldn’t help to pick up your breath. 
A full blown panic attack, when was Peter coming back? His class ended at four, what time was it? Where was your phone, the phone with the dm, the one with the text, the one that says he’s cheating. 
“Woah, are you okay?” 
Peter’s hands were held up, he was thrown off seeing you hyperventilate on his bed. Your hands shake, you should be angry, you should be screaming, you should hate him. So why do you want him to say sorry and hug you, kiss you softly, hold you until you feel whole again, why did it hurt so much?
His hands wrap around your shoulders, “baby, you okay?” 
You stared at him in shock, “you’re cheating on me.” A fact, not to be questioned. 
Peter pulls a face, “I am?” 
You nod, “I got a text.” 
“Oh.” He looks at the ground, you see guilty, you nearly break into tears. Your stomach hurts, your chest is tight, you feel lightheaded, nothing feels right and everything just hurts. 
“Can I ask who with?” 
A sick joke, he couldn’t even keep count, he wanted a number from his lineup. You shrug his hands off, wipe at your nose, “Cynthina Prescott,” Peter’s eyes widen, he nods, the name bouncing in his mind. 
“Baby, who the fuck is Cynthia Prescott?” 
“I don’t know! You’re the one fucking her, she told me!” 
Okay, maybe she didn’t but you knew what that text meant. 
“Baby, I don-” 
“Don’t call me that! Liar!” 
He sighs, “I don’t know a Cynthia, Y/N, I swear.” 
Your eyes narrow, “then why did she tell me she did?” 
“I don’t, I’m,” he’s pulling at straws, he feels like he’s the one being gaslighted, he looks for your phone on the bed. 
“Did she tell you in person, or text you? Bab- Y/N, I don’t know who she is I promise.” 
You hold a hand to your chest to settle your breath, “instagram dm,” Peter rested a hand on your head to calm you, his other hand finding your phone and opening up the app, and tapping on messages he saw the culprit immediately. He was ready to defend his honor to death, his next step is tracking them down. Until he blinked at the messages, “honey, did you delete something?” There was nothing that indicated anything of the sort, just a cryptic message, if anything he thought it was spam. 
“No,” you whimper the words, his fingers massage at your head slightly, he seemed confused but you also never would’ve guessed he’d cheat. 
“Baby, I don’t see anything about me here. I don’t know who she is and she isn’t following anyone I know.” 
“It’s a hey girlie text, peter!” 
Peter finally sat next to you, your phone in his grasp. “I don’t know what that is,” you groan, “it means like, hey girlie, your man is doing something sus.” 
Peter scrunches his face, “but I don’t know her, look, just message her, ask her to show you.” 
You shake your head fast, “I’d rather not see it, I don’t want to see you with someone else.” 
He huffs, “I’m not cheating! I’m not skilled enough to do that, let alone have enough time in the day!” You sniffed, peter grunted, “fuck this, I’m asking.” 
‘I’d love to see it, girlie!’ 
You wrinkle your nose, almost on automatic response it shoots a reply. 
‘You’re so pretty, I’d love for you to promote our new product! Just add me and download our app, use my name for a free bottle!’ 
Relief fills you, it was a bot, a simple mlm, a pyramid scheme, no real threats. 
“Oh my god, peter, I am so sorry, I didn’t-” 
“Geez Louise, babe. I know I’m nerdy but fucking a robot? C’mon now.” 
A joke, he wasn’t mad. Even after you accused him of the worst betrayal, he was trying to make you feel better. “I was so hurt and scared, I didn’t believe it, or didn’t wanna believe it, so I didn’t message her back but, like, i’m so sorry petey.” 
 Peter presses a kiss to your temple, “it’s okay, baby. It was very convincing, it said hey girlie.” 
You groan and lean into him, “you don’t understand, you will never understand.” 
“Is that a tone? Are you taking a tone up with me? Should I text Cynthia for a good time?” 
You sock his arm, “too soon!” 
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its-time-to-write · 5 months
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hi my lovely !!
i’m such a big fan of your jamie work and was wondering if you would consider writing about jamie using bantr ??
like she works at richmond and jamie had like a massive light bulb moment when he realised who he’s chatting to but also that he may be are falling in love
totally get if not on your radar !! x
Here you go!! I haven’t written a fic with Bantr yet, so this was fun!!
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not saying you’re in love with me 
Dating apps aren’t really your thing. But to be honest, are they anyone’s thing? Or are they like resumes, where everyone just pretends they’re easy and lies about their qualifications?
It doesn’t matter, because you’re on one anyway. 
Keeley Jones (damn her) had hunted you down and practically begged you to sign up for Bantr. 
“Look, you’re young, sweet, and mad fit. Can’t have a bunch of hot footballers in the app and no ladies!”
You had groaned as you put the chicken for today’s lunch in the oven. It’s not easy being Nelson Road’s on-campus chef. There are diet plans to follow, and a million hungry boys all the time. 
It also means you can’t escape Keeley when you’re in the middle of prepping lunch. As soon as it’s served and cleaned up, you can go home. But for now, you’re at her mercy. 
“Keeley, just because I’m the only twenty-something girl on staff here doesn’t mean that I want to date a footballer. Go bother Samantha. She’s what, thirty and goes on dates every weekend? She’s a perfect candidate.”
Keeley pouts. “I’ll set up your whole profile for you. You don’t even have to tell me if you’re talking to someone, just if you like it, yeah? I’ll help you with meals for a week.”
You point your tongs at her. “You will not even think about touching my food for the rest of eternity,” you warn. 
“So you’ll do it, then?” Keeley asks, giving you the full puppy dog expression. 
You consider for a moment. You’re single at the moment, and have been for a good long while. It wouldn’t hurt to be on Bantr and anyway, it’s not like anyone will know who you are. 
“You’re sure it’s anonymous, then?” you ask. 
Keeley jumps up and claps her hands with a squeal. “Totally! Oh my god, I’m so excited for you. I’ll set it up right now. Give me your phone.”
You point to your bag. “It’s in there. Passcode is-”
“Already know it,” Keeley interrupts. You’re not going to question how or why, you just nod and throw your gloves in the trash. 
“Hairnet looks great on you, Keels,” you say conversationally. 
“Fuck you,” she replies, not looking up from your phone. “And- done! You’re ready to start bantering. Ooh, there are a LOT of men nearby! Wonder how many of them are part of AFC Richmond?”
You shoot her a glare, but she just grins. “Put my phone away,” you tell her. 
She slides it back into your bag. “Just promise me you’ll tell me if you like it. I’ll never ask for anything ever again,” she promises. 
You roll your eyes with a laugh. “Sure thing.”
STRIKE09 has sent you a message
You grab your phone as soon as it lights up. Keeley’s going to be fucking thrilled that you’re enjoying Bantr this much, and that you’ve been chatting with someone for a week. 
You open your phone to your chat. 
STRIKE09: finally off work
STRIKE09: how’s ur day
STRIKE09: burn anything?
BAKERGURL22: that was a one time thing!!
BAKERGURL22: work was fine. got off early so I could try a new recipe at home
BAKERGURL22: hbu?
STRIKE09: not bad. lads stole all my lynx so im going to boots to get more
BAKERGURL22: u really know how to romance a girl
STRIKE09: ah shit yea should probably try harder to impress u
You chuckle. Whoever STRIKE09 is, he’s been impressing you from the first day. Always asking questions about you, but never too invasive. Flirty, but not over the top. You’d set your age range in 20s-30s, so you were relatively confident this wasn’t some old creep. 
Your phone buzzes so you look down again.
STRIKE09: what did u make today?
BAKERGURL22: lemon cupcakes. not very healthy but super delicious
BAKERGURL22: I have to cook all this healthy stuff at work and sometimes I want to unwind and bake something with too much sugar ya know?
STRIKE09: bet theyre mint
BAKERGURL22: no they’re lemon
STRIKE09: oi, we got a comedian
BAKERGURL22: look, I had to make plain chicken and a salad with fucking olive oil as a dressing today
BAKERGURL22: it was so gross. I apologized 2 the staff but like, it’s what they all requested
BAKERGURL22: worried im gonna be banned from cooking ever again
Across Richmond, Jamie Tartt nearly drops his phone in Boots. He knows exactly who the girl on the other end of this conversation is. The question is, do you know who he is?
He’d assume no, based on the way you’ve been cagey about work. Not private enough though, because he remembers you making a face earlier that afternoon as you said, “Sorry this lunch is such shit, but I guess you all probably don’t care. I swear I’m a better cook than this.”
Jamie had smiled and kept moving, but he’d been thinking about your scrunched nose all day and the sweet way you said sorry.
What are the odds that he matched with someone who worked in the same building as him?
Apparently pretty high.
Jamie’s not really present the entire time it takes him to check out. He’s grateful that the combination of his hoodie plus the tired teen checking him out means he doesn’t have to talk to anyone. 
He kicks off his shoes and flops onto the couch as soon as he gets home, trying to figure out what to say. Should he say anything? What if he does and you decide you don’t like him?
He shrugs it off and puts his phone away for the night.
You frown at your phone for the hundredth time this morning.
“What’s got your knickers in a twist?” Keeley asks from her position at the coffee pot.
“Haven’t heard back from my Bantr match. It’s really strange. We were talking last night and then he just stopped responding. He at least sends me a good morning message, but I haven’t even gotten that.”
Keeley gives you a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, babes. Ghosting is an epidemic. Have you looked at any of your other matches?”
You shake your head and say, “Nah, I wasn’t really interested in them. I really fucking liked this guy. He was sweet, funny, and so good at flirting. I dunno, maybe it’s easier to be like that because it’s all through a screen, but it felt like we had an actual connection.”
“Well, you don’t have to message anyone else if you don’t want to. You can delete the app altogether.”
You say, “Thanks, Keels,” then go back to chopping vegetables. One bright spot of the day is that lunch will be less shitty than yesterday.
You slide the vegetables in the salad just in time. You hear the familiar rumble of AFC Richmond coming in from the field so you plaster a smile on your face and get ready to pass them their lunch.
The rest of the afternoon slides by in a haze. You put an earbud in as you wash the dishes, say goodbye to the office staff, then head out the front door to your car. Someone calls your name and you jump. “Jesus, Jamie.” You turn around to see him push himself off the wall by the door. It looks like he’s been waiting there.
“Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “You headin’ home?”
You say, “Yeah, I only work for part of the day. What are you doing out here?”
Jamie wraps his hands in the front of his shirt and considers what he’s going to say. He’s been thinking about it all morning, and he’s still not sure what the right approach is.
“Look,” he begins hesitantly, “y’know how Keeley’s promoting Bantr?”
“Yeah,” you say.
“I been chatting up this girl, like, and she- I dunno, I really like her. I was thinking we could meet in person but I don’t know if she’ll… fucking… want to.”
Christ, he’s stumbling over his words like a goddamn fool.
You raise an eyebrow and say, “Okay..? Are you looking for advice?”
You’re beyond confused right now. This is the longest Jamie has ever talked to you, and certainly the most awkward he’s ever been. Usually he takes his food with a wink and a “Thank, love.” Sometimes he’ll even through in a compliment.
Jamie untucks his hands just to shove them in his pockets. Fuck it.
“I know it’s you,” he says bluntly. You open your mouth to say something, but he keeps talking. “Figured it out last night when we were talking. You made lemon cupcakes yesterday, yeah? You hated lunch yesterday and said sorry for it like a million fucking times. My username is fucking stupid, just my position and number.”
He stops, unsure where to go from here. Meanwhile, your brain is whirring a mile a minute. 
“You’re Strike09,” you say slowly. Jamie nods and you slap your forehead. “Oh god, I was flirting with you! Shit, this is so fucking awkward. I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t have done it if I knew who you were.”
“No, that’s the thing.” Jamie takes a few steps, closing the distance between you. “Don’t think we would’ve done it if we fuckin’ knew each other. But we did. And we like each other.”
Your head is still in your hand. This is too much. You’re conscious of the fact that you’re still in your hairnet.
You look at him just long enough to ask, “So what’s your point?”
“We should give it a go.”
You snort. “Yeah, right. What’s your actual point?”
Jamie looks at you incredulously as he says, “That is my actual fucking point! I like talking to you! I think you’re fit! I know I’m fit and you like talking to me. I sneaked out of training to talk to you. Told Roy I weren’t feeling well, and he’s gonna send someone to check on me soon so if you have a real reason why we can’t try dating, I want to hear it.”
“I don’t,” you admit. “It’s just a lot to process.”
Jamie nods. “Yeah, alright, yeah, sure. Let me know. Um, I have to get back before someone finds me. I’ll see you around.”
“See ya,” you halfheartedly reply. 
You think about Jamie the entire way home. You head straight to the kitchen and mechanically begin pulling out baking supplies. Cooking is fun, but it’s also your job. Baking is how you unwind. You’re halfway through an orange tart when you realize what you’re making. 
“Damn it!” you cry. Fucking Jamie. You smack down your spatula and grab your phone to text Keeley with a request. She responds almost instantly with Jamie’s phone number. 
He picks up on the second ring. 
“You rejecting me over the phone now?” he quips. 
“How’d you know it was me?” you ask. 
“Keeley,” he replies, and you can’t stop a smile from spreading across your face. 
“Same,” you say. “I wanted to tell you that I thought about it, and I want to go out with you. I don’t know when you’re free, but I’m around after 3pm pretty much every night. God, that sounds super lame.”
Jamie laughs. “So if you sent me your address, I could be at yours in…”
“Fifteen minutes,” you supply. 
“Set a timer, babe,” Jamie says. “Bet I can make it in ten.” 
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freefalls06-blog · 5 months
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Protector
Anonymous request: if you’re open to doing a non-relationship one with Lucy, where she looks after a younger player and is really protective of her, maybe something similar to suffering alone, I loved that one!
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Summary: YN signed for Barcelona but one team mate hates her guts. Lucy Bronze x reader. (Platonic)
Warning: Bullying.
Keira 📲 I don’t like her. I don’t like her attitude, her ego or that god-awful accent. The kid needs to go.
Y/N has left the group chat.
Pulling my hood up I stepped on the bus I could feel eyes on me as I turned the music up finding a spot in the middle away from everyone i dived into the seat my head finding the cold glass and my eyes finding a nice dead plant to stare at.
My heart sank as my thoughts washed through me. Moving to a powerhouse team was massive but it was bigger at the age of 18. During the FIFA World Cup, I was just happy to be there and then after coming 4th my phone was blowing up.
Ellie Bear 📲 Good-luck today kid, score me a goal!!
Sammy K📲 LETS GO!!!!!!!!
Gorry📲 So proud of you!
Caitlin📲 You got this.
mac📲 Oh my child is starting momma proud 😍
Lana 📲 My child 😍💕
Raso 📲 coming in at 5'3, mouth like a sailor and speed that I cant catch YN YLN 🤣💕
Messages from my national team were what kept me from breaking down. The message from my grandparents made me want to stay afloat, not sink to the feeling I have right now. I re read them all over again the Tillies group chat blowing up with good luck messages.
Gorry sent a video
Opening the video Harper big smiling face hit the screen "Aunty YN...good wuck" Watched her kiss the screen and my heart swelled. Fuck Keira and her pity behaviour. She can hate me all she wants. Hated me since we came across each other during Friendlies in England.
"YN?" Turning my head I looked at Lucy "Can I sit?" Shrugged moving my bag "Hey Kid look at me"
Huffing I pulled my AirPods out looking at her "Are you okay?"
"Peachy"
"Come on YN I know what Keira wrote hurt you. It was wrong of her-"
"Lucy I like you but I don’t like your girlfriend I'm over the so called pranks, the bullying. I've done nothing but be 18 and sign for a powerhouse team and all she has done is rain on my parade. I'm done not trying anymore " Moving my head back to the window I stared out at the window my AirPods blasting music.
Lucy stayed with me the whole trip. I think she was a little torn wanting to return to her girlfriend but also be there for me. Lucy has been my sounding board and protector but when it came to Keira actions it was as if she couldn't see it.
When the bus parked and Coach gave a little speech I was off the bus second Lucy stepped back. My hood still up. Today I was starting, I was ready but I wondered if anyone on the team felt this way about me.
….
Went through the motions warming up was easy and before I knew it I was running down the wing "KEIRA YEAH" she looked at me and turned the opposite way into danger.
Groaning I pushed my legs burning as I caught up to the other team forward. Stepping behind Lucy becoming her second, watched Lucy dominate for the ball "Wrap" I called "now" catching the ball on my right foot I began sprinting down the line.
Hitting it with my right I watched the ball middle straight to Alexis. The crowd went wild as Alexis sprinted over to me slamming me in a hug "YES KID"
"Well done YN" Lucy smiled wrapping me in her arms "You did so good today"
Whistle went and we ended up winning 3-0 and my name had all the assists on it. I smiled as I stared at the crowd screaming and cheering "You need to back off her Keira I mean it, this isn't funny. She's 18 out here alone and your trying to make the whole team hate her"
"I am not Lucy"
"Really" I tried not to listen but I couldn't help but clap and let my ears listen in "This isn't the Keira I know and love don't be this ugly person"
"Come on Kid" Turning I looked up at Mapi and Ingrid "Let's go see the fans"
Nodding I let them take me over and before I knew it I could hear my name being called I smiled as I took photos and Signed jerseys. Shock ran through me as some had my name on it. Felt tap on my shoulders turning it was Lucy I nodded as I smiled for a photo.
Two Weeks Later
I could taste the metallic in my mouth. My teeth digging into the inside of my gum, my leg bouncing, huffing I grabbed my eraser rubbing out my work. My eyes finding the countdown clock.
Letting out a long breath I slide my chair back closing my eyes taking a few deep breaths trying to calm myself down.
"Everything okay?" snapping my eyes open looking at the laptop, the supervisor staring at me.
"Sorry yes just nerves"
The supervisor smiled "You're doing fine… keep going"
Nodding I looked at the question, flipping over my scribble paper I began breaking it down a smile slowly reaching my face as the answer appeared. Entering my answer I moved onto the next when I heard the squeak of the door.
Frowning I turned to see Keira and Ona a dirty smirk on both their faces 'Please get out' I mouthed.
Keira smiled walking around the desk Ona on the opposite side. My eyes widen when my laptop slammed shut "No Keira give it back....Keira not Funny Please" I begged.
"No your all study and no fun" she laughed "RUN ONA" watched them both turn to the door laughter echoing as the ran down the hallway.
My heart stopped my eyes watering. Looking down at my watch. Exhaling I sprinted out the door tracking the two down "Woah Kid slow down" Pushing out of Lucy's grip I headed to the locker room to see both girls hiding behind a teammate.
"Give it back" Marching up to Keira I reached for it as she placed it over her head out of my reach my nose flaring as I glared her down "Keira"
"Catch" My breath held as I watched my laptop soar through the sky. Breath relief washed through me when Ona caught it, turning on my heels.
"Ona please"
"No more Study" Ona Pouted "Have coffee with me get you hot chocolate" Her eyebrows wiggled
"GIVE IT" Turned to the loud voice behind me, Ona frowned giving Lucy the laptop "SHE IS DOING HER HSC EXAM TO GRADUATE SCHOOL"
Grabbing the laptop I dropped to the ground the laptop in my lap. Clicked on Enter thousand times "So sorry I thought you were just studying" Ona signed "So sorry"
"YN?"
Supervisor has submitted 62% of the Test due to laptop Closure.
My vision blurred and the taste of iron filled my mouth as rage bubbled within. Slamming my laptop shut I stood walking over to my locker throwing it into the back.
"YN-"
"YN you finished your test?" Turning I stared at Coach Jon's giant smile plastered on his face "Your Grams would be proud" Nodding I gave the thumb up. It was the one thing that was signed in my contract was my schooling and the Barcelona team has gone out of their way to help me but all for nothing.
When coach Jon left I could feel eyes on me. Grabbing my water bottle I glared at Ona and Keira before stepping out of the locker room. Wiping away the slow tear I went through training like a ghost. I did as I was told and I put the effort in. Ignored anyone who tried to talk to me.
I had promised my grandmother when she signed the papers. I was 17 I needed her signature. I had study hard, declined team bonding nights and dinners and it was all for nothing.
When training was finished I helped pack up the cones before heading down the tunnel to get out of my boots "Keira I can't believe you AGAIN after you fucking promised you'd leave her alone"
"Babe it was a joke"
"Did it look like a joke to you? She was in tears? This is really important to her…don’t understand why you've gone out of your way to pick on her"
"I will say sorry okay"
"Don’t think that will fix it, Keira, Your first shitty attempt at sorry went south just seriously leave her the fuck alone she is out here with no one, she's alone do you remember what that was like? Because I do and I'm not going to let people like you tear her down out of jealousy"
Keira scoffed "Not jealous of her"
"Right well Keira I know wouldn't be doing this, Keira I know was nice to everyone"
"YN?" Turning to Ona I raised an eyebrow "I am so sorry I wouldn’t have touched. Thought you were studying...I am so sorry and I mean it I will do anything to make it up to you"
Nodding kept my mouth shut unable to conjure a sentence. Pushing off the wall I headed back out to the pitch grabbing a few balls I headed to the goal mouth. I didn't want to be in there whilst everyone tried to pick a side.
Kicking the ball I loved the sound of the ball hitting the net. Taking a deep breath "Hey"
"I don't want to hear the sob story Luc" I signed kicking the ball
"Give me a ball" Nodding I passed a ball "Top corner left" Watched Lucy ball hit the corner the ball sliding in "Your Turn" Smirking I lined up the ball "Alright Right top corner"
Lucy and I stayed out laughing the whole time "Alright you win this one" she smiled helping me collect the balls from the net "I'm here for you regardless of my relationship with Keira"
"Why?"
"Why? Because you remind me of me just less cocky"
I scoffed "I don't think anyone can be that cocky"
"Hey its confidence" she hip checked me "Happy you’re here YN you earn it don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I'll protect you from the bully"
"mean your bitchy girlfriend"
"Hey" Lucy pointed "I might dislike her right now but I still love her"
Putting my hands up in surrender "Fine keep my mean comments to myself. Thanks Luc"
"Anytime Kid now lets go get something eat I'm buying"
"Oh say less"
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be-missed · 4 months
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Not Strong Enough (Chap 5)
Jenna Ortega x Fem!Reader
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(pictures not mine)
Summary: Jenna was visiting her mom in the hospital to drop off the food that will be eaten for the hospital party, but she met a resident surgeon and she thought "God forbid I ran into an accident, but I want her to open me and stitch me up." While the surgeon tries her best to keep her fan girling low-key.
Warning: curse words.
A/N: 5th chapter, thank you for waiting. I'll be using a different POV her, please tell me if this is better or no. Also, I think if I start using this POV, y'all need to be guessing what's inside of Jenna's (in the story) mind.
Masterlist
Chap 1 | Chap 2 | Chap 3 | Chap 4 | Chap 6
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Chap 5
"Hey, thanks for today, I really enjoyed the concert. See you around!"
You kept on reading the last text message that Jenna sent you after the concert. In the past few days, you are trying to keep your distance from the girl that you have been liking for some quite time now. After the concert, listening to the songs, it feels like you are having a revelation; you can't and you won't be the love of her life you thought.
So what you did was to be more productive than you are to stop yourself from thinking of the other girl and checking your phone. In the hospital when Jenna visits, you try to lessen your interaction and dismisses her telling that you are busy and needed in the surgery room. But one time, Jenna caught you seating in the chairs and watching a video on your phone. You didn't know that she'll go visit and unfortunately she asked around and asked what time is your break.
You were watching Melissa Barrera's 'Get To Bed With Me' YouTube video for Harper's Bazaar. "So, you are on a break, right?" You heard from your side and that got you surprised, it is Jenna's voice and you answered "Hey, I didn't know you were coming." and she chuckles and said "I came to surprise you, you were always on the go when I visit" she said and sat beside you.
You look at her whole figure intently, nothing has change, still the same chipped nail polish from the concert, same chuck taylors that she loves to wear, her headphone hanging around her neck, that necklace she wears sometimes when she is in the mood and a few rings.
"Yeah, I'm really sorry... there's a lot that's been going around here" you said with a sad smile and Jenna answered "No worries, I'm just glad I get to talk to you." and smiled at you.
Why does she need to smile like you are the softest thing that she have ever seen. "So, I just noticed, I mean I don't want to assume, because like, you know, it's not good, but I would like t you know, ask maybe, or like no, I've been meaning to tell you-" Jenna started to rumble but you held her hand and squeezed it and said "Hey you're rambling, it's ok breathe."
"Okay, I noticed that you are kinda ignoring me. You haven't replied to my message last last week, you have been ignoring me when I go here, I mean yes, we talk in facetime but you end it so quickly. I just... I miss you." Those words came out of Jenna's mouth.
She misses you. SHE MISSES YOU.
"Oh..." You started "I'm sorry if you feel like that, but I have been really really busy." You ended. But you feel like Jenna knows that you are lying to her.
"Sure, I mean, I'm sorry to bother you." Jenna said and went up to stand but you stopped her "Hey, please don't think that you're bothering me, that can never happen" and you smiled at her.
"Okay..." Jenna said and accepted your answer "So, do you have any plans for Halloween?" she asked and you answered "Yes, actually My friends and I are having a Halloween Party, just the four of us since we can't handle big events" and ended with a laugh.
"That sounds really nice, what are you dressing up?" Jenna asked you with such curiosity and you answered "Well, I'll be dressing up as Mavis from Hotel Transylvania."
Jenna took a mental note on that. The both of you heard a blaring sound and a voice said "Code Blue" and that alerted you.
"Hey, I'll be calling you, I am needed, duty calls." You said and kissed Jenna's cheeks and hugs her and you bolted out.
---
"Y/N please stop walking around, please" Ava stated while you pace around the break room with you friends watching you like you were in a loop. Beatrice enters the room, kissed her wife and looked at you weirdly.
"What is happening here?" Bea asked and her wife answered, "Well your friend here kissed her little princess, IN THE CHEEK." Ava exaggerated the last words that made Bea chuckle and said "Wow, a kiss on the cheek made you like that, how about when you get to kiss her." and the wives made fun of you that made you stop from pacing.
"GUYS! This isn't even funny!" You said that made the both of them laugh even more, "Chill down Y/N, girl friends kiss each other in the cheek." Beatrice emphasize the space between girl and friends "And please calm your thoughts down, try to stay in the present and no overthink yeah." Beatrice added.
"Okay, sure sure, I will try" you sat beside them and drink your water.
"So are you ready for our Halloween Party?" Ava asked and you just nodded "Okay, I can't wait to see you in your costume."
---
"TRICK OR TREAT" Those are the three words that the four of them hearing while they are having a dinner and playing monopoly.
"Damn, it's so late and there are kids outside." Ava stated as you went up and opened the door to give them candies and give them compliments for the effort that they did for their costume.
As you take your seat again "You can't blame them. I'd be walking the whole neighborhood just to get lots of candies" and rolled the dice, you moved your character that landed on boardwalk. You hollered and celebrated as you got the most expensive property in the game.
"That's not fair Y/N, you need to leave some property for us." Camila exclaimed while pouting like a little kid, "Oh stop it, you almost owned all of the land on the other side."
Beatrice gave you a house and the card for the boardwalk. Another knock on the door and a "Trick or Treat" can be heard, with a happy feeling, knowing that you'll be crashing Ava and Camila in the game, you happily get the bucket of candy and opened the door, and it stunned you.
Jenna was the one that is in front of the door, with her little cousins.
As you scanned her face, you could also see a surprised look, she probably doesn't assume that you will be the one opening the door and will be giving them the treats.
"Hey..." you said with the brightest smile, feeling like a fucking winner even if the game hasn't ended, but looking at Jenna with her orange long sleeve under a yellow jersey T-shirt, cargo shirt, and on her adidas rubber shoes. You intake in everything that is on her and she replied back with a smirk on her face "Hey back to you beautiful."
"Can I get my candies now?" You hear a littlw voice and you looked down and answered "Sure sweetie, here get anything you want" and almost gave all of the candies to Jenna's cousin.
"Whoa there, that's a lot for you miss." Jenna exclaimed seeing that you almost empty the candy bucket that you have.
"Didn't know you live around our block?" Jenna said and you answered "Oh no, this is not mine, this is actually where Ava and Beatrice lives" and scratched your head, "You wanna join our party?" you asked Jenna and she answered "Oh I would like to, but as you can see I'm tasked to bring the kids to trick or treat"
That made you sad because you won't be hanging with Jenna.
"But... I can come after we round the whole block if that's alright?" She asked and that made you smile and you answered "Sure, that's great" and you watched them walking away. The both of you shared a small wave.
As you went back to the table, you said to the group " I hope it's okay that I invited someone later?" and that made them look at you "It's just Jenna, so I hope you don't mind?"
"Wow, so now you got the guts to invite her huh? But yeah, it's okay for me, how about you my love?" Bea said and Ava nodded because her mouth is currently full with m&m.
"It's about damn time I get to meet her. I'll show her how I fucking nailed Wednesday's dance" Camila exclaimed and both you and Beatrice said "Please no."
---
An hour passed and the four of you are just watching a horror film when the doorbell rang. When you opened the door, you saw Jenna standing with a wine on her hand.
"Hey you didn't need to bring something" you said and Jenna answered "I think it's good to impress your friends" and the both of you entered the living room that made the other three stare at you.
Beatrice paused the movie and Camila said "Wow, you got your whole costume planned huh?" and that made you look at her questionly.
You then scanned Jenna's costume, orange long sleeves under a yellow jersey T-Shirt, a cargo short, and a rubber shoes. That's where it clicked, SHE WAS DRESS AS JOHNNY, Mavis' husband.
"Surprise" Jenna said in a little voice and looked at you worriedly.
You bit your lips and said "Well good to see you husband." You kissed her cheeks again and pull her to the sofa to the spot where you were seated earlier and the movie continued.
"I hope it's okay" Jenna whispered and that made you look at her, you were so close to her face, the lights of the TV illuminated her face, and that just took your breath away.
"What do you mean?" You asked, a bit of perplexed on what she's asking. "I dressed up as Johnny" she said.
You thought, why would she feel sorry for dressing up as your husband, as Mavis' husband? Because what she just did for her costume, being in a couple costume with you, sent you heart beating impossibly fast that you fear it will just stop and Jenna will be seeing you body lying on the floor while your three friends are trying to perform a cpr on you.
"No worries, I kinda like how you played it off, it looks good on you." You said and if the lights were on, you will notice how the blush on Jenna's face creeps in. "You are beautiful as well Y/N" Jenna said.
"Can we please now watch" Camila said to the both of you because she is just literally seating close to the both of you, which made the both of you said your apologise quietly and sat comfortably beside each other.
The night went on, and the five of you finished two movies. Beatrice and Ava are now cleaning the living room while you clean the dining room which leaves Camila and Jenna in the living room.
Camila broke the silence and said "I really liked you on Wednesday." and that made Jenna smile and said a thank you, Camila then continued "You know, if I may, I can show you how I perfected the dance you did in the ball" Camila stands up in the middle of the living room and within a second you tackled Camila into the floor, not wanting to make Jenna feel uncomfortable since you have watched a lot of her interviews about the Wednesday dance and also you are concerned about your friend who can't really dance to save her life.
"WHAT THE FUCK Y/N" Camila exclaimed and pushed you off of her "I'm sorry, I just missed you" you answered while you are still lying on the floor.
Jenna went to you and helped you up "Are you okay?" she asked and you just nodded.
"That was not fair Y/N, I was about to show Jenna my dancing skills" Camila said with a pout on her lips, and that just made you giggle.
Jenna buts in and said "Maybe you can show me next time when we meet each other again."
But that just made your head shakes for a no, earning a few "no" that can be heard from Bea and Ava.
Finishing up and gathering your things, you said your goodbye to Ava, Bea, and Camila. Jenna by your side walking towards the street.
"Thanks for inviting me tonight" Jenna said kicking stones that got in her way.
You looked at her like a little kid, thinking it was fun to see her like this, enjoying herself and being young & free. "No problem, I love having you around and the girls have been wanting to meet you since they only got to greet you in the hospital" you said.
"Really? I'm glad to hear that. I also enjoyed spending time with them" She said.
Walking a few more streets and you were nearing Jenna's house. No small talks were made, only the noise of the neighborhood can be heard and your small hums.
Jenna the breaks the silence "I just noticed that you always invite me to do something while I just go and say yes."
"Well, I like hanging out with you" you answered, because it is true. You know for yourself that even if you don't have any feelings for Jenna, you would enjoy her company.
"How about if you come to our Family dinner next time, sounds good?" Jenna suggested and it surprised you. How come you got invited to a Family Dinner and that made you super shy because you will gonna be surrounded with Jenna's family and you were scared that they will not like you. But then you reminded yourself to calm down and live on the now.
"Uhmm sure, if that's okay with your family, I don't want to intrude" you answered and Jenna smiled and said "Oh trust me they would love you there, my mom was also planning in inviting you, she said you are like a daughter to her"
Wow, Natalie has plans on inviting you, that was the first time you heard that. You know that you and Natalie have this bond and you feel so treasured and loved, thinking that Natalie thought of you more like her daughter.
Stepping in front of the Ortega's front door, you and Jenna faced each other earning a sweet smile on both of your faces.
"Thank you for tonight" Jenna said.
That moment, this moment, you were so sure that you wanted to kiss Jenna, you are thinking, you have stopped yourself many times to not kiss her so maybe this is a good chance to let go and just kiss her. Live on the now, you think. Your heart beating loud and you try to block the negative thoughts.
So one of your hand went into Jenna's side, you were slowly leaning in, waiting for a movement from the other girl to pull away and you felt none, so you persisted and you felt that Jenna was also leaning in, placing her hands into your shoulder.
A flashing of lights and a honk is heard that broke you apart. The windows rolled down and you saw Jenna's dad waving, getting down the car and going towards the both of you.
"Hey girls, hope I'm not interrupting something?" said and hugged Jenna and looked at you.
You introduced yourself "Good evening Sir, I'M Y/N, Jenna's friend and Natalie's co-worker.' and stretched your hand to shake his hand which he did shake and exclaimed "So you are who's Jenna is talking about, huh?"
Jenna nudged her father "Dad, please stop" which made her father laugh and said "Well, if you are hungry you can go inside and dig in." and leave the both of you outside again.
You broke the silence and said "Well, I'm gonna go home" you take Jenna's hand and kissed the back of it, "Good night my husband" You said with a teasing smile referring to Jenna's costume and you started to walk down their front yard.
Jenna then said "Good night to you my wife, call me when you're home" and blow you a kiss which you catch and kept it in your pocket that made Jenna laugh.
And that maybe was the greatest Halloween that you could have ever have in you whole life.
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Chap 6
A/N: an update, hope this was good. Thanks for reading!
216 notes · View notes
tiny-pretty-sana · 2 months
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push and pull | jeongyeon x jihyo
[request 1] [request 2] pairing: jeongyeon x jihyo genre: plot with smut and a bit of angst warnings: nsfw (+18), minors dni, men dni tags: ceo!jeongyeon, ceo!jihyo, service top!jeongyeon, rival relationship, enemies to lovers (kinda?), betrayal, happy ending, other twice members w/c: 18.4 k a/n: first time writing smut, i'm nervous!! i'm also nervous bc i made jeongyeon a woman in stem and i'm not so i just used big words randomly. i tried to turn those requests into this and i hope i made justice to what you had in mind even though it took me longer way than i expected. feel free to leave any comments, feedback or suggestions 🖤
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"You could have sent me a message" is the first thing Jeongyeon says to the woman who just entered her office bowing ninety degrees with a serious face. "This better be important, Mina-ssi, no one should see you enter this building" she says, warning the young woman.
She just nods as she looks for the right words thinking about the dialogue she has been practicing in her head since she decided to address this issue face to face without intermediaries. At first she hesitates, but decides to be clear instead of beating around the bush.
"Excuse me Jeongyeon-nim, but I think this will interest you" she finally speaks and the other waves her hand inviting her to sit across the table of her huge office, making her take a seat immediately before continuing. "ZoneTech is starting to work on video games."
As soon as those words leave her mouth, the Signal Systems CEO's face changes and her body takes on a different posture, her jaw tightens and her fists clench tightly. On the other side of the big desk Mina, analyzing her every move, notices her obvious frustration. For a few seconds she remains silent waiting for any question or comment from the other woman, but this one, who is somewhere between surprise and anger, does not utter a single sound beyond a breath that deepens and accelerates as the rage invades her. This is a personal attack. It’s not the first time something like this has happened; after all, this whole war has been going on for more than half a century.
In 1942, friends and partners in business, Yoo Byungho and Park Youngho, opened a home furnishings store. At that time, the country was going through difficult times with the Japanese occupation and the subsequent Korean War that led to so many years of political instability, but thanks to Yoo's creativity and Park's sales skills, the business not only survived but grew from a humble store to a small and promising company. In the early 1960s, a new era of prosperity would come for the country and for these entrepreneurs as well when they expanded the business importing and selling  household appliances, founding Zone Systems. Unfortunately, due to constant disagreements between Yoo Byungho and Park Youngho, this pioneering company would not reach its fifth anniversary, as the partners broke their alliance and created Signal Systems and ZoneTech, respectively. Against all odds, taking different paths was the key to success for both.
Today, Signal Systems and ZoneTech have established themselves as the most important companies in the country, having a great influence on economic, political and cultural development. Despite the impressive achievements of each of them individually, it is impossible to talk about one without mentioning the other, the reason for this is not the shared origins but the numbers, data and rankings always place one behind the other with slight difference, if one year the market has been dominated by ZoneTech, it is most likely that the following year those numbers will be surpassed by Signal Systems. If you ask any technology expert, economic expert or ordinary consumer which brand is better, the answer will never be unanimous.
And it is a really complex answer since both cover the same businesses such as consumer electronics, technology, finance and, in recent years, have incorporated entertainment. The only thing that makes them different is that SignalSystems is known for creating and using the most advanced technology always wrapped in the most sophisticated designs, while ZoneTech stands out for making that technology accessible to the general public with more affordable prices and more practical designs.
This is how a disagreement between partners has now become a war between the largest South Korean business groups, a battle that has been going on for six decades and in which four generations of the Yoo and Park families have already participated. A dispute that is now at its peak since the great-granddaughters of the two businessmen, Yoo Jeongyeon and Park Jihyo, took over as CEO, and, like their ancestors, they were friends before they were rivals.
"How do you know?" is the first thing she asks.
"Well, as you know I am a programmer. This last month they have been doing individual interviews to workers from each of the departments telling us that they are looking for new ways to organize the work teams according to our interests, aptitudes and skills, since they want to release different products next year and they need the highest efficiency" she begins to explain confusing Jeongyeon, who doesn't quite understand what Mina is trying to say with all of this. Still she listens to her carefully trying to get answers.
"At first they were normal questions about our work interests and whether we had hobbies related to our work, but when I mentioned my liking for video games they seemed interested. The questions started out generic... what kind of video games I play and so on, but then they asked me if I think the company would have the capacity to create their own games and if I would be interested in working on that hypothetical project" she seems to conclude.
The CEO, with an increasing anger, gets up from the desk without knowing what to do with her hands and tries to calm down her nerves before speaking "I want information, I want data and I want documents that prove what you tell me, that's what I pay you for, not for you to come to me with assumptions''. At no time she raises her voice, but her tone is stern and threatening, although not enough for the programmer to lose her signature serene demeanor.
"I know, that's why I didn’t come until now" she replies "I was handed this morning" she says as she takes a folder out of her briefcase and puts it on the table.
Seeing that it is a folder with the orange logo of the rival company neatly printed and partially covered by a red and black stamp warning that it is confidential information, she returns to her chair and takes the papers in her hands. A quick read is all it takes for Jeongyeon to come to the same conclusion as her informant "ZoneTech is going to create a video game" she mutters to herself. As she reads her jaw tightens again and her fists clench the pages until she stands up and begins to scan each page. When she has a copy of the thirty pages that make up the document, she places them back in the folder and returns it to its owner.
"You may leave, Mina-ssi" is the last thing her boss says and she does what she is told, taking the folder and her briefcase, not without bowing before walking through the door.
Once she is alone in her office, she goes through the papers again, this time more carefully and without losing detail. Unlike Park Jihyo, she does get involved in the development process of many products, as both her hobbies and her studies have always leaned towards engineering and programming and not on business and economics like her rival. In fact, the ten video games that have been released in the last three years under the Signal Games brand were Yoo Jeongyeon's own idea and creation, who saw an opportunity in this market in which the company never dared to venture before. Perhaps this is why she gets the best of her for the first time and grabs the phone.
"Dahyun-ssi, I need the usual apology basket for Miss Im, but this time write ‘thank you’ on the card" she asks her secretary.
Just a few meters away from the door of her office, Kim Dahyun tries to hide her surprise and takes note of the instructions given by her boss "Okay, you will have the basket ready in an hour. Should I also add the usual bouquet with flowers that mean friendship, or would you rather I also exchange them for thank yous?"?"
"Mhm… good point, Dahyun-ssi, I hadn't thought of that. Use both of them and add some blue if possible, I trust you. When it's ready, send everything to her home and also free up my schedule for the rest of the day. Thank you very much."
Of course, the favor she asks to her longtime best friend, Nayeon, costs her more than a basket of her favorite foreign snacks, three packages of the best meat on the continent and of course the latest model of the Signal System cell phone. ₩ 10 billion for his next movie is exactly what it costs her. That is the price of Jihyo's personal phone number. For anyone else it would be crazy, but for the CEO, who was putting her friend in such a compromising situation after the latter had for years stayed out of the fights between them, the price seems more than reasonable.
The negotiation was not easy, but as soon as Nayeon had the basket on her doors and the first payment for the financing for her next film project, Jeongyeon received a message with the phone number. Minutes later, at the other end of the Central Business District, Park Jihyo smiles with satisfaction when her phone lights up with the name: Yoo Jeongyeon.
"I was waiting for your call, Jeongyeon-ssi" is what Jeongyeon hears after a single tone.
"Then I'll save the explanations, I have an offer. It will have to be face to face and just the two of us. As soon as possible. I want neither intermediaries nor interveners."
"Where will we meet? You know perfectly well that if we are seen in the same building the effect on the stock market would be immediate, but if we do it in secret and the press catches us it will be all over the news making all kinds of assumptions and spreading all kinds of rumors. And I don't think your father would like that, would he?" she says with a sarcastic and mocking tone.
"Jihyo-sunbaenim, I'm not for your stupid games right now" she says with a tone that denotes that her patience at the moment is at its limit. "I'll take care of the place, it will be neutral, casual and public enough so as not to raise more suspicion than is necessary. Try to keep it discreet and of course don't wear or bring anything that would imply that this is a business related meeting" she makes clear with a serious tone that only provokes Jihyo more to keep pushing Jeongyeon's buttons.
"And why would you and I be in one place if not for work?" she says with obvious sarcasm in her tone that doesn't go unnoticed by the other one. 
"We can just be some old friends getting together to catch up" as soon as she says that a loud and snarky laugh is heard but no words precede it, so she keeps talking. "I'll send you the address, see you there" she declares.
"Wait!" she says before she can cut the call "Did you have my contact saved or did your spy give it to you?" she adds but before she gets an answer she hears a few beeps indicating that the call has ended.
That’s how the first private conversation the two have had in four years ends, a conversation that leaves both of them with such a strange feeling. It's not as if they haven't spoken during all this time, they have actually crossed some words on more than one occasion during all kinds of events acting as complete strangers with empty words without any purpose beyond showing a cordial and polite relationship in front of colleagues, business partners, politicians and the press. Now, although the conversation was brief and straight to the point it felt personal somehow with the warnings, the sarcasm and the challenging undertones of the conversation that is never present or at least not so obvious in the formal and aseptic talks they usually have in front of others.
It was almost like going back to that usual bickering between the two that used to annoy Nayeon during their high school years when the three of them were inseparable friends. However, the difference was that this time it did not come from playfulness but from the current hostility that exists between the two businesswomen.
There was a time when things were different. It had always been Jeongyeon and Nayeon until the first week of their senior year when they were approached by a short girl with big bright eyes that introduced herself to Jeongyeon even though they both perfectly knew well who the other was and with determination told her that she would be as good or better then her. From that day their friendship but also a friendly competition between the three of them began. By the middle of the school year, Jihyo had already surpassed the highest grades and top scores in all the clubs and sports that up to then belonged to his unnies Nayeon and Jeongyeon.
This situation, far from distancing or confronting them, made them get closer and become great friends. Despite the rivalry that had marked the relationship between their families, Jeongyeon did not mind because she expected the new students to beat records and records just as she had done since she arrived. On the other hand, Nayeon enjoyed having someone as competitive as her while Jihyo did not really care as she considered Jeongyeon her greatest competition and example to follow because, like her, she would inherit a big company and had to be as good as her. This was not the case with Nayeon, who, although she had an impressive academic record like the other two, she was the daughter of an actor and a writer, so outside of school their competition was a simple game with no major meaning for both of them.
Needless to say, many things have changed over the years and nothing is the same now. Nayeon has been there for both of them as a friend, confidant partner in crime and sometimes even as a wingwoman, but they are no longer '3mix' as they used to call their small squad. Now they are just Nayeon and Jeongyeon on one side and Nayeon and Jihyo on the other.
Two days after the call, the two find themselves staring defiantly at each other in one of the best restaurants in the city. The older one arrived early and was already seated in a more distant and private corner of the establishment when Jihyo arrived led by some waiter. As soon as he left, they exchanged a cordial greeting and the first words.
"So a restaurant," is the first thing Jihyo says with a provocative smile as she takes a seat.
"Can you think of anything better? I thought you usually like my ideas quite a bit" she replies immediately without thinking much and as soon as those words leave her mouth she regrets it, she has come here to look for solutions not to make the whole situation worse.
"It's not a complaint, but don't think that by inviting me to dinner I'll take you up on your offer" she replies in the same defensive tone.
Jeongyeon rolls her eyes at Jihyo's unassertive attitude, although she understands that she herself has not been very welcoming so far. They haven't even ordered yet, so there's still time to change the course of the conversation and the dinner, so she intends to do her best to leave this restaurant with a closed deal and not a fight that will make the problem grow even bigger. And she knows for a fact that falling for Jihyo's games will only make things worse.
As if the waiter had heard her thoughts, he appears with the menu giving them a chance to make a fresh start and forget the little run-in they had just a few seconds ago. They both take it, thanking the waiter and strat going through the expensive and exclusive dishes, looking up from time to time to stare at each other, as if making sure that they are really at the same table about to share a dinner, just the two of them with no one else around. The last time they did something like this was so long ago that it seems like a dream, as if those memories are not theirs. Jeongyeon looks at her trying to read her, long ago a single grin, frown or sneer was enough to guess her mood or if something was on her mind, but now it almost feels like the person in front of her is a complete stranger.
Jihyo is no longer the enthusiastic, competitive, playful but insecure and innocent teenager who used to call her unnie with those big bright eyes, those cheeks that made you want to pinch them and her characteristic long brown hair. Now she has an ambitious and confident woman in front of her, still with reminiscences of her playful personality, it is obvious that she still likes to play games, but they are not innocent anymore.
She knows what she wants and does whatever it takes to get it, that is something she has made that clear to Jeongyeon these past years with her mind games, strategies and foul play. The sparkle in her eyes has disappeared and they are no longer so expressive, the gaze is cold and she feels like she is analyzing each and every one of her moves. Her appearance seems to have changed according to her personality, it is obvious that she looks much more mature, she is now a 26 year old woman, but it is not only the passing of time, her look is also a statement.
Her hair is shoulder-length, a little longer than hers, and dyed black. Her features are more defined and her jaw is sharp, her characteristic cheeks have disappeared with age, but her mole is still on the tip of her nose. Actually, her whole body is much more defined even though the black blazer style dress she wears covers her arms, Jeongyeon got a glimpse of her toned and tanned legs before she sat down.
"You look great, Jihyo-sunbaenim" she compliments her to break the ice and tries to show that she didn’t come here looking for a challenge or a fight.
This catches the younger one off guard, surprising her, none of the thousand scenarios of the encounter she has been creating in her head these days had prepared her to receive a kind comment from Jeongyeon that seemed sincere. She has always been a person with a cold and distant attitude, saying nice words, giving or receiving displays of affection is not her thing, or at least it wasn't. Maybe she has changed too, Jihyo thinks to herself.
"You too, you look good, Jeongyeon-ssi" she replies with a small smile without showing her teeth and takes the liberty to tease. "I see your style has been refined, I hope your dad didn't have to burn your sweatshirts like she used to promise."
The comment makes them both relax and the tension dissipates slightly with their soft laughter, for a moment they seem to know each other and it’s like nothing has happened between them just for a few seconds.
When they were teenagers and were forced to attend all types of social and business related events, it was common to see Jeongyeon wearing a sweatshirt among the elegant women's dresses and the boring men's suits. That always annoyed her father, but also the young Jihyo who would always lectured her about the importance of etiquette and reminded her that in the future she would be the heiress of an important company, so she should dress like one.
Now Jeongyeon is in front of her and still keeps a somewhat more casual style than expected from the CEO of one of the biggest South Korean companies with her blonde highlights in some parts of her hair and her characteristic tomboy style, now much more sophisticated. Black pants, a beige shirt with a brown turtleneck sweater underneath. Comfortable and discreet, but it really suits her.
Jihyo shakes those thoughts out of her head when the taller one asks if she would like to have the same wine as her. Usually, Jihyo would order a beer, but in a restaurant like this it's more suitable if she orders wine, especially when Jeongyeon points out the wine she chose would go very well with her meat. It kind of hurts her pride but she knows she is right.
After the waiter takes their order they continue a conversation so superficial that they will surely forget it before dessert, however they do not take their eyes off each other analyzing and memorizing every movement, no matter how subtle it may be. It is not until they drink their second glass of wine that Jihyo dares to talk about the reason that has brought them here, or rather to ask what it is.
"I’m guessing you didn't invite me to dinner to talk about wine," Jihyo says with a slightly sarcastic tone. "What's that offer you mentioned? It must be very interesting for you to have dared to call me and even put Nayeon-unnie in the middle of it."
At this Jeongyeon nods "Always straight to the point, some things never change" she says receiving a shrug in response. "Well let's get down to business then...". She takes a a long sip and says "Forget about video games and in return Signal Entertainment will disappear from the industry with the only condition that the group becomes part of your company, with no cost, those girls have worked hard and are succeeding, it wouldn't be fair to them" she states in the shortest and most concise way possible.
For the first time since they sat down, Jeongyeon can read Jihyo's expression, the surprise on her face is more than obvious, but it soon changes to one of satisfaction. Her strategy was working like a charm, even much better than she expected.
"I knew the video game thing would get you to react right away, but I have to admit I'm getting more than I intended" she says amused "Actually some things never change, you're still the same nerd you were in high school" she laughs.
"Do we have a deal then?" she asks, ignoring her remark.
"Not so fast. If I remember correctly your Itzy girls debuted a year after ZoneMusic debuted StrayKids...if we brought our own video games to market we'd be balancing the scales don't you think?" she says, unable to help grinning. "Why would I turn down the chance to beat you on your own ground?" she adds defiantly.
"I didn't want to get to this part of the deal, but if you don't accept it I will file a lawsuit against ZoneTech for plagiarizing our technology and using it in your products on more than one occasion."
"I didn't know you were capable of taking risks, it seems that there are also things that change" she says completely carefree and even amused, for her this is a game, but for Jeongyeon it is not.
"I promise you I don't want to do it, but if necessary I will go all the way because it's a won case."
"You seem very confident, you know the best law firms would fight over the case and it wouldn't stay in court. It would be all over the media and it would end up becoming a public trial."
"I know, and that's why I want to avoid it. The evidence is more than obvious, without getting too technical, your products have always come out later and I have proof that you have spies in my company."
At this last statement, Jihyo lets out a wry laugh "You say that as if you don't have your own spies lurking around my company, in fact we are here because of one of them, aren't we?"
"I don't know, can you prove it?" challenges Jeongyeon. "Because I have recordings and audios that prove that discarded programs, software and designs have been stolen from me and then used by your company" as she says this, thebCEO can see her rival's face change even though she tries to hide it as best she can. "I have more than enough with the information, I don't need my... informants to steal and if they did I would like to think they would do it better than this girl, I don't know if you are familiar with the name Son Chaeyoung, short, dyed black her and plenty of tattoos."
Of course she knows who the girl she is talking about is, the same way she knows that Myoui Mina is the one who gave her the video game information, but there is no way to prove it since that information was shared with fifty other workers. Fortunately for Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon has better plans for her if Jihyo accepts her offer, her work as a designer is so good that she intends to come to an agreement with her before she ends up working for ZoneTech, but unfortunately for Park Jihyo, the tattooed girl is not so good when it comes to computer science, espionage and keeping secrets. Chaeyoung was recently caught on the servers floor trying – unsuccessfully – to steal a software program, and who caught her was none other than Minatozaki Sana, ZoneTech's receptionist, but a computer scientist and shadow informant for Signal Systems.
According to the Japanese woman, despite her boss Yoo's request not to go into details, she only needed to unbutton a couple of buttons on her shirt and a couple of innuendos for the short girl to end up on her bed showing her all her tattoos and confessing to her what a designer was doing with a laptop and a bunch of cables on the server floor in an attempt to impress her.
This same story, although omitting quite a few details, is what Jeongyeon tells Jihyo to show her that she is not playing a game and that she is totally being serious, but Park is stubborn and the conversation continues until dessert arrives. The older one assures her that any judge would eventually be on her side, she even invites her to check with her own lawyers before giving her an answer. She also assures her that she would not like to have to solve it in court because it would be a long and tedious process for both of them regardless of who wins. She reminds her of the fuss that would be caused and that the legal process itself would be nothing compared to having the media on their backs for months digging up dirt of the company, their family and even personal issues that may or may not be a lie would come into play. And in this sense, they both know that it would only be enough for their personal interests to be exposed for their public image and status to be seriously damaged.
Jihyo is confident that she could get some good lawyers and the possibility of a billion won lawsuit does not worry her; however, the damage it could cause to the company's image and her family's legacy and especially the work her father did, worries her and is what makes her consider Jeongyeon's words. If the theft of information and espionage were to come to public knowledge, she should prepare herself for the worst.
"Think about it, Jihyo-ah," Jeongyeon says, dropping the formalities, once again rendering the other speechless, she just takes a sip of her wine instead. "I know I have no right to ask you to trust me, but we were once friends and I wouldn't want this senseless family war to continue for another sixty years."
"And your way of ending it is to sue me?" she says in disbelief.
"It's not like that, I've offered you a deal that you know would benefit both of us. You've always loved music as much as I love video games, we both win".
All of this is not enough to convince her when she does not trust the person in front of her, there is something that makes her distrustful, it seems all too simple to end four years of hatred between them. Why now? Why all of a sudden? Is this all about stupid video games or are they just a way to build bridges between companies? Is this all a strategy? Is this all a strategy? are some of the questions that go through her mind.
"How do I know I can trust you?".
"First of all, Nayeon-unnie would finish me off if I tried to hurt you, carrying out the lawsuit would mean ending a friendship of over 20 years. But if that's not enough to convince you, I can show you all the evidence I could present against you, so you can see that I'm serious about this. Obviously it would be stupid to give them to you since I would be helping you prepare a good defense, but if you come to my place I will show everything to you. Even the security videos and recordings of Son Chaeyoung. You just have to set a day for me."
"I want to see them now," she replies resolutely.
This time it is Jeongyeon who is caught by surprise, she did not expect to receive such an immediate response. It is rushed but true to her word, Jeongyeon pays for the luxurious dinner and they both leave the restaurant catching some curious glances and hearing some murmurs in the background.
"I guess you didn't come driving in those heels" says Jeongyeon as she looks up and down her perfectly sculpted legs "I can give you a ride and then I'll have someone drive you back to your house". 
She takes some time to actually give her an answer. Under normal circumstances, Jihyo wouldn't accept the favor as she prefers to do things her own way, but under normal circumstances she wouldn't be going to her former friend's house on a Friday night either, so she agrees and they both leave in the same car after Jihyo gives her driver and bodyguard the night off.
The drive to Jeongyeon's house is longer than expected but they barely exchange a few words and just stare at the road while listening to music. The music is soft, perfect for driving at night. The volume is loud enough so that they don't have to engage in conversation, but none of them are able to pay attention to it when all they are able to hear are their own thoughts. They have met again, they have talked after a long time, the deal, the lawsuit… but also the compliments, the teasing and the bickering. There are so many things to think about and so many feelings to process, they don't even know how they feel about what's going on. 
At last they arrive, Jeongyeon's house, unlike hers, is on the outskirts of the city, in one of the most expensive districts of the capital, although her own luxurious duplex apartment in the city center probably cost the same as this huge, modern house. It really suits her, Jihyo thinks as she gets inside, led by the taller one. She's never been much of a sociable person, but she doesn't like to be isolated either, and though she may boast a simple lifestyle, she wouldn’t give up the comforts that her family's money and status have brought her. After all, that is how they both grew up and it is all they know. It is in an area away from the hustle and bustle of the city but not far away you can see luxurious homes and the occasional mansion. The interior as well as the exterior has a modern and contemporary design with the newest and most advanced technology in every corner from the living room to the kitchen where they are now.
"Beer right?" she asks, earning a confused look from Jihyo, when they were friends she wasn't old enough to drink and lately they hadn't shared any context casual enough for her to know about her fondness for beer. Jeongyeon seems to read her mind and while opening the fridge she simply says "The cans that Nayeon-unnie keeps in her fridge" she clarifies, of course that was it, although the two pretend the other doesn't exist on a daily basis, when they are spending time with their friend sometimes it is inevitable that she briefly mentions the other or or remember her existence, especially when there is a space in Nayeon's fridge reserved exclusively for the beers and soju she usually drinks with Jihyo.
Despite cutting off any personal relationship between them, they have never stopped being present in each other's lives either for work or for their best friend. A fact that makes Jeongyeon's decision decisive, this situation must end no matter what, we can't go on fighting all our lives.
She offers her the beer and instructs her to follow her to her office, once there she asks her to turn around to open the strongbox where she has all the evidence she would use in case the lawsuit goes through. When she is able to look again she finds before her a series of folders stacked one on top of the other rising about 20 centimeters above the table, several hard drives and also CDs. Jihyo assumes that they are actually the same contents in different formats, knowing the cautious nature of the woman next to her, it is an assumption but also a wish. In front of her is what could bring her career, her company, her family and her legacy to an end. It is at this exact moment and without yet diving into the documents that she becomes fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
She could try to defend herself against every attack and will do so if necessary, but she is not so arrogant as to think she would come out unscathed. She knows full well that the damage it would cause would be fatal even if she could strike back with every blow, and that would mean the end for ZoneTech and for Signal Systems as well.
"Go ahead, take a seat" Jeongyeon invites her knowing that she is in full control of the situation right now.
"Can I see everything?" she says looking directly at Jeongyeon and from the expression on her face, Jeongyeon doesn't know if she is genuinely asking her permission or if she is testing her to see if this is not some trick.
"If you're going to go through all the documents, I guess we'd better get comfortable. Let's go to the living room."
So that is what they do. After reaching an agreement for Jihyo to leave their cell phones away from her, they both get comfortable in the living room, each one with a beer in one hand and several folders in the other. Although the tension is not the same as it was at the beginning of the evening, neither one of them trusts the other, the tension is in the air. Jeongyeon, in addition to making Jihyo leave her cell phones in another room, doesn't take her eyes off her and the latter can't help but look over the documents to see what the other is doing.
From time to time Jihyo, not being well versed in the subject, asks Jeongyeon some questions and she has no problem in resolving her doubts. Soon they open the second beer and between the questions and the occasional accusation of plagiarizing each other's products and marketing strategies on both sides, they also start to mention some anecdotes from the past and on occasion they share things about their current life without going into details.
It's getting later and later, but the activity, conversation and beers keep them going for the time being. Jeongyeon is actually taken by surprise by Jihyo's determination, she is really willing to read every single document, she is already on the fourth folder and still has three more to go plus videos, recordings and images. The older one could leave the other one going through everything alone while she does something other than look at her while attentively reading documents with a frown on her face, making the same expression that appears on her face when she tastes food she likes, just like she did sometime during dinner and a few hours ago with the first sip of beer.
She could give her space, but at the end of the day, it's not as awkward as she'd hoped but she also knows she has to be cautious because any misstep could ruin everything. And, although she'd never admit it, she'd rather be talking and catching up by pretending for a moment that their friendship never broke up, rather than explaining stuff about technology on a Friday night after two glasses of wine and a few cans of beer.
"Are you really planning to read the whole thing? Aren't you tired?" she asks with honest concern.
"If you want me to leave, just say so," she says, finishing the can of beer in one gulp. "But I need to know what I'd have to deal with. I don't think you'd be thinking about sleeping either if you were in my situation."
"That's not what I mean, I mean if you're not tired of all this – aren't you tired of trying to outdo me at everything?"
At this unexpected question Jihyo just bursts out laughing "Oh my god, I didn't have you down as someone this self-centered. Do you really think this whole situation is about me trying to prove I'm better than you?"
"Well I think it's pretty obvious, in fact, if memory serves me correctly, the first thing you told us after saying your name to us is that you would be as good as us in everything. Soon after that I remember you had the highest grades in high school and beat our records in soccer, archery and athletics" as Jeongyeon recalls, on the other side of the couch, Jihyo looks at her in disbelief frowning and holding the bridge of her nose while listening to her. "I know that was like a game, it was our thing and you outdid me in everything, but we are adults now, we can't be playing games or fooling around. I think it's time to accept that this isn't getting anywhere, no one is winning here."
"Are you drunk already or are you still just as dense?" is what comes out of Jihyo's mouth almost unconsciously and she instantly regrets it and takes a breath before starting over. "Sorry that came out harsher than I intended. What I mean is that you haven't really changed, have you? You've always understood numbers, computers, video games and all that like no one else, but when it comes to people..."
"What do you mean?"
"This has never been about me trying to be better than you or beating you, well now it is but it's not about you, it's about doing my job and keeping my company at the top" she states and adds “and certainly the fact that it's you makes it all the more entertaining”.
Jeongyeon ust rolls her eyes at that last remark.
"You should know better after what happened" she says without going any deeper into the subject because it's not necessary for the other to understand what she's referring to. "It's really frustrating that you don't realize the things you have right in front of your eyes, I've never known if you're really unaware or if you're faking it" she sighs. "Knowing that I would be in the same high school as the heiress of the rival company and my family's enemies, needless to say I wanted to be better than you, but you didn't treat me as such so before I knew it we became friends and we were getting closer each day.  I only saw you as my rival the first week, it didn't take you long to become my role model".
"Role model?" is surprised Jeongyeon as she approaches Jihyo, feeling curious to know the younger girl's side of the story and to know what she means when she says she doesn't realize things.
"Think about it, your future and mine were going to be quite similar. Heiress to one of the biggest companies in the country, the first woman to be in charge and you were older than me. You had the best grades, records in most sports, captain of the soccer team and participated in dozens of clubs. I looked up to you and wanted to follow in your footsteps because I knew they were the right ones, I didn't want to beat you, I aspired to be as good as you".
Jihyo's heart is racing as her story progresses because even though nothing new is going to come to light. There are things that are still unresolved, conversations that were never had and wounds that remain unhealed that she doesn't want to think about. Her heart doesn't race much faster than Jeongyeon who knows as much as she does what she's about to hear.
"But we both know it was more than just admiration, I loved you and just wanted to be good enough for you. I-"
Right when Jihyo is in the middle of her confession, a wave of feelings hits Jeongyeon throwing her to the lips of the woman in front of her looking at her with those big and expressive brown eyes. It takes a few seconds for Jihyo to realize what is happening but when she does she doesn't move away, instead she lets herself go and closes her eyes ignoring all the alarms going off in her mind. It's a timid kiss, their lips don't even move until Jeongyeon takes the lead. At first her kisses, like her movements, are delicate and tentative giving Jihyo room to stop her at any moment, but this doesn't happen.  They both know that the sensible thing to do would be to stop, but they don't know how to do it, they can't do it. It seems that tonight the two of them are letting each other break through all the walls and for a moment they forget about the world and their problems. It feels too right to be a mistake.
Their lips feel so familiar it makes their hearts ache. Their mouths taste like beer, memories and regrets. The taste of the past on their lips is so strong that it makes them pause.  For a few seconds they exchange glances, catch their breaths and look for any sign that makes them stop or a gesture that invites them to continue. Jihyo is the first to speak after coming to her senses.
"What the fuck Jeongyeon?" she wonders out loud.
All that confidence she had when she threw herself at the younger one's lips vanishes right after hearing her words. 
"I'm sorry!" she exclaims with hesitant and nervous gestures. "I thought... I shouldn't have-"
This time it is Jihyo who interrupts her, but not with a kiss but with a statement that surprises her even more. 
"I thought you hated me," she admits. 
"What? I have never hated you, Jihyo" she replies somewhat more relaxed and looking into her eyes with honesty. 
"I have...sometimes I still do" she confesses leaving Jeongyeon stunned. 
"In that case it's better to stop here and forget about what happened. I'll take you home" she says, trying to brush it off and getting up from the couch, obviously trying to show indifference to Jihyo's words but she can see a slight pain in her eyes.
When she is about to get her car keys she feels a hand around her wrist and then turns around and sees Jihyo looking up at her with an amused smile "You didn't let me finish, I know we shouldn't do this, the last time we kissed things didn't end well" she says more as a reminder to herself than to Jeongyeon "that's what makes me want to hate you, no matter what you do you're always going to drive me crazy. I hate that you still have this effect on me." 
Hearing her words Jeongyeon's whole body heats up and she can feel her cheeks burning as she hears the low tone of Jihyo's voice, she doesn't know what to reply and the other one isn't sure if she wants to hear what she has to say. Before she can give her an answer she pulls her arm pushing her towards the couch right next to her. 
Are you sure?" asks Jeonyeon "We can stop if you want, at any time and we can forget about everything that has happened since you walked in the door."
"Unnie..." she replies lowering her tone and leaving Jeongyeon speechless, she no longer remembered how the word sounded coming from Jihyo's mouth. "Let's forget everything that happened before we walked through that door, just don't hurt me this time" she pleads with a sigh, letting herself look vulnerable like she never did before. 
In front of her is no longer the successful and intimidating CEO who occasionally makes her job impossible. Gone is his cold, distant and inaccessible image. It is simply Jihyo, who asks her to guard her heart, to tear down her walls to let her pass and remind her that she is the woman who never fails to make her heart race, who takes her breath away, who makes her head spin and gives her butterflies in her stomach.  
She knows perfectly well why all she is asking her not to hurt her, she doesn't need to explain it to Jeongyeon to understand what she means. But before she can give her an answer as reassurance, other than nodding her head, it is Jihyo who makes the first move.
This time it is not so sudden, the movements are smoother, they take their time to place themselves in a more comfortable position, still keeping a safe distance between them. She doesn't know what time it is or how far she is willing to go, but she doesn't want this to come to an end, she wants to savor every moment without rushing. She touches Jeongyeon as if she wants to check that she is really there, that she is not a memory and that she is not going to vanish from one moment to the next as she has done so many times before. She doesn't know what time it is or how far she is willing to go, but she doesn't want it to end. She touches Jeongyeon slowly as if she is memorizing every fold of her clothes with her hands, as if she is afraid that it is really a dream that could vanish at any moment. The taller one lets herself be touched without putting up any resistance, she lets Jihyo take the lead, she knows she needs control right now and is willing to give it to her – for now – .
The younger one gently caresses her cheek, tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and moves her hand down to her collarbones. Her fingers slowly snake around his neck and when she squeezes lightly at last Jeongyeon reacts by letting out a soft whimper. As she maintains her grip, his eyes travel from his own hand to the lips of the woman whose neck she grips as delicately as she does precisely and then to her eyes, where he sees something she hadn't seen before. Immediately the grip on her neck tightens a little more and Jihyo moves until she ends up on her thighs, straddling her. 
"If you hurt me it's over" this time it doesn't sound like a plea at all but more like a threat and Jeongyeon has a feeling it won't be the first one she'll hear tonight. 
"Yes ma'am" Jeongyeon whispers, unable to help but smile, far from being uncomfortable in the position she is in.
As soon as these words leave her mouth, Jihyo releases her neck to grab her shirt and crush their lips together in a hungry kiss. This time it's deeper and more passionate, but full of emotions like the first one of the night. Their lips explore each other again with kisses that are increasingly impatient, heated and wet creating sounds that fill the silent room.
Shortly their tongues start to get involved exploring every inch of their mouths moving in perfect synchrony. As they devour each other it is not their tongues fighting for dominance, but them fighting for control until Jihyo caresses the roof of her mouth with the tip of tongue leaving Jeongyeon at her mercy making her forget all about her little power game as the first moan escapes from her lips. Hearing the sound echoing against her mouth, Jihyo's hands clinging to his shirt pulling her closer and feels the heat coming off her skin as she wraps her arms around her neck. 
They kiss for what feels like hours pausing only to catch their breath or let out soft moans against each other's mouths. But their hands have barely explored each other's skin and not a single button or zipper has been undone yet. When eager kisses are not enough Jeongyeon's lips move from her mouth to her jaw and down to Jihyo's neck as she caresses the naked caramel skin of her exposed thighs.
When Jeongyeon starts tracing kisses all over her neck, Jihyo can no longer ignore the growing wetness between her legs especially when the kisses are accompanied by soft bites and licks that go all the way down to her chest, driving her crazy. 
"Take off my dress" she commands with a whisper against her ear before nibbling it, sending a shiver down Jeongyeon's spine. 
Then Jeongyeon without taking her mouth off her neck undoes the buttons of her black blazer style dress which fortunately stays closed with only two of them. This is the only moment when they stop kissing to help Jihyo undo her dress and throw it on the other side of the couch. This time they lock their eyes instead of their mouths, as they do so, they can't help but smile seeing each other's red and swollen lips. In Jeongyeon's case the image of Jihyo on top of her makes her mouth dry. The path her gaze follows begins at the hungry eyes and is followed by her glossy, wet lips, her neck painted with red marks that will soon begin to darken to purple and her body solely covered by a set of lacy black that leaves her breathless. It is the first time they have seen each other like this and Jeongyeon needs a few seconds to process this view.
She has Jihyo sitting on her thighs dressed only in her underwear which, despite being black, doesn't quite hide the wet spot between Jihyo's legs. Knowing that she is the reason for that wet spot makes Jeongyeon feel her own and squeeze her thighs in seeking some relief, this action doesn't go unnoticed by the woman on top of her who doesn't take long to tease her about it. 
"Do you like what you see? Tell me what you want" .
Jeongyeon just nods and stares without missing a single detail of her defined muscles, of how her chest rises in sync with her breathing and how her abs tighten as she continues stroking her thighs. It's impossible to have Jihyo in front of you like this and not want everything with her. 
"I-I want you" she stutters against his mouth.
It's not the response Jihyo expected to receive, but it satisfies her enough to return to kissing Jeongyeon impatiently, her kisses are accompanied by the subtle grind of her hips against her thighs. His hands run through her hair and grab it to guide his mouth to her chest but before working on her chest Jeongyeon is quick to unclasp her bra finally releasing her mouth-watering breasts to capture them with her mouth eagerly. The moan that escapes her as she feels the warmth of his tongue brushing against her nipple hardened by both the cold and the growing pleasure invites Jeongyeon to continue her ministrations and give attention to the other breast with one of her hands brushing her finger softly over the nub just to end up trapping it between two fingers, pinching it with a little pressure.
Her other hand, which just seconds ago was caressing her thighs, moves to her lower back keeping Jihyo in place but also testing new limits by sliding her hand inside her underwear. A touch that gives Jihyo goosebumps in anticipation for what is to come.   
Bodies exploring each other, blood rushing through their veins and breaths racing. The sound of wet kisses, labored breaths and muffled moans from each other's mouths is all they hear, but all their senses are getting the attention they need to push them further into each other.
Jeongyeon has her mouth busy playing, teasing, licking, sucking and nibbling on Jihyo's breasts as her hands grab and caress her by sinking their fingers into each other's bare skin. Most of the time her eyes are closed, unable to keep them open as the sounds coming from her mouth cause her mind to cloud and her core to throb. It's an overwhelming sensation, just like the desire that drives Jihyo to move her hips seeking more pleasure as she rubs her center against Jeongyeon's body, bringing herself to the brink. She notices the beads of sweat running down her chest and being caught by Jeongyeon's tongue, taking her to new places making her feel things she's never felt before, she's doing wonders with her mouth but right now she needs her somewhere else as she notices the building sensation in her stomach. She doesn't want it to end yet and like this, she needs more, she needs her.
Using the grip she has on the older girl's hair she pulls her away delighted by the image of Jeongyeon's wet mouth attached by a string of saliva to her nipple "Fuck..." she murmurs as she shifts her posture getting off her lap. At the loss of contact Jeongyeon whines and looks at her with pleading eyes making Jihyo grin "I would never have guessed you were this needy" she says as she moves her hand to Jeongyeon's face and grabs her by the jaw to devour her mouth before whispering "Get on your knees''. The words that come out of her mouth are halfway between command and plea as she sits back down on the couch, leaving a space between her slightly spread legs for Jeongyeon to position herself.
She doesn't need to repeat it a second time as it barely takes her time to position herself on the floor on her knees and between his legs. Due to the difference in height between them their faces are almost at the same height, but that doesn't matter when it is more than evident that Jihyo is in charge, even though she is the one in a more vulnerable position as she is the one who is almost naked and with her legs spread wide open exposing herself completely. Jeongyeon looks at her wanting to learn by heart every detail of her body, but behind her gaze there is more than just lust, there is admiration and adoration. She just watches without saying or doing anything, waiting for Jihyo's next command as she feels her whole body burning and a tingling sensation in her stomach as a result of the urge to please Jihyo in this way.
Not once does her hand loosen its hold on his jaw, only loosening it as Jeongyeon positions herself and once she is on her knees under her attentive and hungry gaze she uses her thumb to ghost over her lips, a motion that Jeongyeon immediately responds to by trapping the finger between her lips sucking it and stroking it with her tongue giving her a taste of what is to come. The warm, wet sensation of her mouth trapping his finger catches her breath and the ache between her thighs grows at the image and the contact of his fingers with the walls of her mouth. 
"I need you" she breathes as she slides her finger out of her mouth to take them into her own tasting Jeongyeon's mouth.
In her eyes, as in her words, what she senses is desire, hunger and lust. She wants this as much as she does and is willing to give it to her. Without looking away she caresses her legs from her ankles to the edge of her lacy panties, taking her time and switching between soft kisses and the occasional playful nibble. When he brings his mouth to her inner thigh to deposit a kiss he inhales Jihyo's scent, makes her light-headed and sends a shiver down to her own throbbing center.
She's dying to taste it, but she is not done with the teasing until she slides a finger along her clothed core, drawing a louder moan from her throat than before. It's embarrassing how sensitive and pent up she is to make sounds like that with a single touch. From that moment on she knows it won't last long as her whole body jerks from the light touch that has allowed her to feel her wetness despite the piece of cloth that still separates her from her target. 
That's when she finally decides to completely undress Jihyo and she, feeling the cold air against her uncomfortable and growing dampness, lets out a breathy whimper. Jeongyeon shoves a hand between her legs to spread them more in order to gain better access and to take a few seconds to revel in the image in front of her. Just inches from her eyes, nose and mouth is Jihyo's glistening sex that leaves her stunned. Intoxicated by what she sees, the smell of Jihyo's pleasure and the sensation of her own pleasure she finally reacts and looks her back up into Jihyo's eyes.  
"Can I?" she says, asking for permission.
"Please" she tries to say in a neutral tone that fails to hide the desperation to receive the attention she so strongly craves.
That's all it takes for Jeongyeon to bury her head between Jihyo's tanned legs.
She starts where she left off, with kisses and nibbles on her inner thighs slowly until her whimpers sound too needy to continue ignoring them and to prolong her torture. They seem to have come to an agreement because at that very moment she notices her hands grabbing her hair again to guide her to where she needs her the most. 
The first contact is a tentative lick with his flat tongue from bottom to top that stops before reaching her clit, that's enough for a moan to escape from her half-opened mouth. He repeats the action a couple more times at a slow pace, sliding his tongue between her folds and her slit and even teasing her hole but never reaching her bundle of nerves testing her limits once again, enjoying her every reaction and tasting her wetness. His hands do the same, sliding up and down caressing and grabbing her thighs, her hips, her torso, her chest and her ass without stopping anywhere, leaving caresses with his fingertips and sometimes gentle scratches.
Despite the pleasurable but torturous ministrations, Jihyo is loving every second, every lick and every rub, her moans getting louder and louder as the pleasure washes over her and the embarrassment of sounding desperate fades away. The sounds coming out of Jihyo and the wet sounds of which she herself is to blame motivate her to go one step further, sucking on her clit. As she does so she looks up so as not to miss a single detail of Jihyo's reaction. His act catches her by surprise, but her body is quicker to react than she is and it takes seconds for Jeongyeon to notice how the grip on her hair is tighter and how Jihyo's thighs now press the sides of her head covering her ears, even then she doesn't stop hearing Jihyo's moans. 
"Oh fuck right there, stop teasing" she sighs between moans guiding Jeongyeon's head between her legs. 
She continues licking, sucking and nibbling gently making her juices drip down her spit onto the couch and onto Jeonyeon's chin who notices how her own arousal becomes uncomfortable every time she makes a move however small and feels the seams of her pants rubbing against her hardening clit making her moan against her center.
For a first time together there is no awkwardness and Jeongyeon manages to hit all the right places swirling her tongue around her clit, lapping on her juices and dipping her tongue inside her only to remove it seconds later making her pussy clench around nothing. When she doesn't like something Jihyo lets you know right away and guides you with her words or by pulling your hair, she is also not shy when letting you know she is doing the right move in the perfect place by being much more vocal and also doesn't hesitate to praise her when she deserves it.
"Yes baby! just like that!" she moans loudly as Jeongyeon draws shapes onto her clit while she easily slides two fingers inside her. 
Jihyo feels herself getting closer and closer to her high and grinds her hips against her mouth as she pulls her as close as physically possible. Jeongyeon's fingers move faster and deeper reaching new places as she curls her fingers. This has Jihyo squirming under his touch making her feel light-headed and too close to the edge even if she is still fully dressed and untouched.
Making Jihyo feel so good, hearing her praises in between her loud moans as she begs for more, feeling her warm and wet insides, seeing how she is unable to maintain eye contact because she can't help but close her eyes and arch her body has her so dizzy and overwhelmed with her own sensations. When she hears her call her "baby" she can't help but slide her free hand between her legs and apply a little pressure teasing herself and focusing on her own heat instead of her aching knees. 
The mere hint of her fingers stroking over the fabric makes her jerk and gasps, sending vibrations to Jihyo's throbbing cunt. Totally intoxicated by her choking breaths and the scent of the woman trapping her between her legs, she doesn't even realize how his eyes are piercing her until she hears "Don't you dare." That makes her gulp pull her hand away immediately, but at no point do her fingers stop darting in and out of Jihyo who looks at her with a mischievous smile. 
"Sorry" she apologizes before going down on her again.
"Now be good and make me cum please" she says a little breathless and bites her lip when she feels his tongue again. "I will make you feel so good and you will cum when I give you permission baby." 
She swears that every time she hears that pet name come out of Jihyo's mouth she is about to cum, just like she is about to do thanks to her good work. Since Jeongyeon is back to accompanying the fingering with her tongue all over her thighs, folds and clit, Jihyo is soon back to being close to her release. 
"B-baby I'm so... close. Don't stop!" she cries out what is meant to be a warning, but she can't help it when she shatters as she reaches her orgasm.
All it takes for Jeongyeon to bring her to climax is suck on her swollen nub at the same time she curves her fingers deep inside her hitting her sweet spot. Her whole body arches completely tense just before she starts to jerk as she tugs Jeongyeon's hair with one hand and puts her other hand to her mouth in a futile attempt to silence the obscene scream she just let out, she doesn't say the name of the woman responsible for her screams but "baby". 
That doesn't stop Jeongyeon who continues her movements slowing down when she notices his legs squeezing her head and that's when she moves her mouth away just a few centimeters, she can still feel his breath against her middle as she allows her some time to come down from her high and doesn't take long to fill her thighs with kisses as she cleans her up a gesture that melts Jihyo's heart who sees for the first time this loving and sweet side of her unnie. 
At that moment she realizes where her hand is and finally lets go of Jeongyeon's hair who starts to feel a slight discomfort from all the tugging "I'm sorry" she whispers before pulling the collar of her shirt to kiss her again tasting herself first in her mouth and then on her cum covered fingers looking at Jeongyeon with hungry and lustful eyes that make her press her thighs against each other.
"Stop" Jihyo reminds her "You’ve been very good to me, let me make you feel good now. Where’s your room, unnie?" she asks her in a way that makes Jeongyeon feel some embarrassment for being treated this way by someone younger than her, making her blush because she is enjoying it more than she deems appropriate.
The second round is on the bed and barely lasts a few minutes. After Jihyo practically rips off Jeongyeon's clothes and gets on top of her making herself comfortable between her legs, Jihyo takes control and starts rubbing their slick centers while their mouths devour each other in an animalistic way. She is still sensitive from her first orgasm and Jeongyeon is already on the verge of cumming just by eating her out, so they cum in no time. In any other situation or with someone else it would have been almost embarrassing, but between them the situation far from feeling awkward feels right, safe and they even joke about it but not for long.
They go fast and they go slow, sometimes gentle and sometimes rougher trying different things, discovering each other's bodies, learning what the other likes as if they were trying to make up for all that lost time and those first times they didn't have together in one night. It doesn't take them long to recover from the earth shattering orgasm they've shared either, so the second round turns into a third and a fourth until they lose count of the kisses, caresses and orgasms they've given each other. As the night progresses they become more vocal and when they go for the last round they whisper sweet nothings to each other between kisses that are no longer about pleasure but about feeling each other. When their bodies are exhausted and their eyelids begin to close involuntarily the first rays of sun are rising through the trees and mountains. 
"Don't go" she blurts out without thinking and in an attempt to regain her composure adds "Get some sleep, you're too tired to go home, it's dangerous, you could cause an accident". 
"You say that like I'm going to drive" she giggles. "Just say you want me to stay" she pushes. 
"Why would I want that?" she says it trying to sound annoyed by the accusation, but she's too tired for it.
Jihyo shakes her head and smiles getting too close to her and her lips causing Jeongyeon to close her eyes in anticipation but instead of noticing a kiss she notices Jihyo's breath against her lips saying "You're such a tsundere... it's very charming honey."
Jeongyeon almost chokes when she hears the pet name, it's not the first one of the night, but it's the first one she doesn't say to her between moans. Maybe because she knows there is some truth in her words she doesn't talk back and just says "Just stay, we'll talk about this tomorrow" she says in a soothing voice as her eyes struggle to stay open at least until she hears Jihyo's answer, but she lies on her side turning her back to her as she doesn't feel ready to look her in the eyes in case he rejects her offer. 
"I'm staying, I missed you" he whispers as he hugs her from behind, spooning her.  Once again it is Jihyo who proves that she is the brave one between the two by daring to name what she feels and say it out loud exposing herself once again and being vulnerable in front of Jeongyeon even though she has promised herself a thousand times during this time that she would never do like this again, that she would protect her heart like she hadn't done in the past.
When she wakes up she notices a warm body on her body and she doesn't need to open her eyes to know who it is, Jihyo is still there and this time she is the one in his arms. Nor does she need to remember what has happened as the mixture of smells from the room and the sheets hits her invading her nostrils. She would swear she can feel Jihyo's taste on her tongue, his fingers ghosting over the skin of her back and even his fingers running through her hair sending a shiver up her back as she recreates moments from the night before in her head. The memories cut her breath away, but her mind soon travels elsewhere and the memories of the night are replaced by a compelling need to shower and change the sheets. Some habits never die, not even when Jihyo is naked in her bed. 
On any other occasion Jeongyeon would already be throwing the sheets in the washing machine, preparing breakfast and cleaning up the mess in the living room where the paperwork is piled up among some beer cans. However,the uncertainty and the thought that this was a slip-up or an unforgettable accident that would never happen again keeps her pinned to the bed more firmly than the grip of Jihyo's arms or the leg that is currently wrapped around her waist.
The woman above her keeping her warm and all her senses alert doesn't take much longer than her to wake up, but those minutes are enough for Jeongyeon to overthink about every possible scenario and about all the paths this can take from now on making the warmth she felt in her chest when she smelled Jihyo's hair before she opened her eyes turn into an unpleasant pressure in her chest caused by the growing anxiety she tries to manage as best she can. 
"Morning, Jeong" she hears Jihyo say in a husky voice.
Looking at her she can't help but smile at the sight of the traces of makeup, this is another thing she wouldn't have allowed under normal circumstances, but the truth is that she usually didn't end up collapsing on her bed as the first rays of sunshine come out. Seeing Jihyo with her eyes slightly closed, makeup messed up, lips still swollen and some marks spread across her neck and chest makes her light-headed. 
"Good morning, Ji."
That way of calling her draws an immediate smile on Jihyo's face, she's used to being called that, Nayeon calls her that often, but on Jeongyeon's lips it just sounds different, she doesn't remember the last time she called her that way. To think that just a few hours ago he was referring to her as Jihyo-sunbaenim makes her head spin.
Jihyo dares once again to try her luck and gives her a peck on the lips, getting an unexpected response. 
"We should take a shower."
The two have different plans, but the two have their way and before getting into the shower they share a heated make out session that ends with Jeongyeon panting against her mouth as she reaches orgasm riding Jihyo's thigh.  
After sharing a shower in which they exchange kisses again and which becomes the perfect opportunity for Jeongyeon to return the favor, they both end up wrapped in the comfortable clothes of the owner of the house who prepares coffee and a delicious and abundant breakfast for both of them, while Jihyo watches her feeling her heart pounding in her chest.
Their relationship had never gone this far, neither when they were secretly in love with each other nor after Jihyo's first confession years ago. Certainly the furthest they got in their relationship beyond friendship was with that same confession with a bouquet of flowers that ended in a kiss. This is all new to both of them, but it feels dangerously familiar as if they have done it all their lives, something that frightens both of them. Neither can rationally explain that something that shouldn't have happened in the first place feels so natural to both of them as if the years, the distance and the enmity that has lasted almost five years never happened. And this time not even Jihyo is able to say out loud how normal this situation feels, fearing that it's all in her head and going too far risking being wrong and ending it all in one fell swoop, just like it happened the other time.
They talk, the conversation is not as deep as it should be given the circumstances, but it doesn't stay superficial either and they touch almost all the important points. They talk about Jeongyeon's offer or threat – depending on who you ask – and come to the conclusion that they shouldn't be mixing personal matters with work, so it still stands and Jihyo will have some time to think about it and consult with her own legal team if she considers so. On what happened last night they both agree that they got carried away without giving much thought to the possible consequences. Jihyo described it as a "moment of weakness" while Jeongyeon called it an "impulsive and irresponsible act," but neither dared to pretend it was a mistake. 
After a heated conversation that was interrupted several times by some insults, cursing, accusations and kisses they came to the conclusion that it had been a good time that both had enjoyed, but if repeated they should have a conversation beforehand that they don't know if they are ready for. And of course, Nayeon can't know anything about this, at least while they figure out what will happen between them from now on. They talk about everything and nothing, their friendship, their estrangement and the open war between them, which seems to have finally reached a point of truce. But always leaving out the taboo subject that always comes up but they don't dare to talk about, they just tiptoe around it. 
Before the situation becomes too domestic, Jihyo decides she should leave. "Can your driver take me or should I call mine to come?" she asks.
"I don't plan to go out and he lives nearby, if you want to go now it's better if he takes you home" she offers ignoring the slight but obvious awkwardness that has settled between them.
Jihyo nods and in a few minutes she is ready to go, Jeongyeon is even kind enough to give her something more comfortable than her clothes from last night and offers her a pair of sneakers that are too small for her, so she doesn't have to wear heels.
"Thank you."
"They're just sneakers, I don't even wear them" she shrugs without noticing Jihyo's sudden and unusual shyness.
"It’s not about the sneakers…” she stutters. “Just- thank you for everything."
"Don't thank me at all, I-I really enjoyed it Jihyo-ah" smiles Jeongyeon with a slight blush painting her cheeks and the tips of her ears.
"Me too unnie" she says, staying awfully close as her gaze drifts down to her lips, but she does nothing.
They both giggle nervously not really knowing how to act around each other after everything that has happened in the last few hours. Now it's awkward, they have no regrets but that's not how things were supposed to have ended, they had arranged to meet to talk business. And they had done that but they also got drunk on each other's lips, sank between each other's legs, spent the night with their limbs intertwined and now they were struggling to quiet the butterflies in their stomachs. 
It doesn't take Jihyo much longer to get into the car to leave, Jeongyeon opens her door for her and before closing it she says "Think about what I showed you last night, take as much time as you need." She then closes her door, last night she had taught her many things and she knows exactly what she means but her mind can't help but go to other places, feeling her skin bristle and her stomach tighten as she remembers the image of jeongyeon emerging from between her legs and looking at her with those puppy eyes and swollen red lips covered in a layer of both saliva and her own juices. The memory is so vivid it's as if she's standing in front of her right now and she bites down on her finger to make sure she doesn't let out a moan right then and there as her thighs rub together involuntarily seeking to feel something.
When she gets home she doesn't receive any message or call, the next day neither and when the weekend is coming to an end neither. She knows that Jeongyeon sometimes needs to take some distance and be left alone with her thoughts to process things. If she herself was anxious and a bit scared about what would happen from now on it is natural to think that the other would be the same, maybe a bit more so given her reserved personality. 
Days go by and she still receives nothing making her anxiety increase. 
Of course she could write or call her at any time, at this point it is more than obvious that Jihyo is not afraid to take the lead and make the first move. But this time is different, she needs Jeongyeon to take the initiative for the first time for more than just preparing a lawsuit that threatens the future of her company, her life as she knows it and her family's legacy. 
It's a matter of pride, she knows. She refuses to pursue someone who wouldn't do the same for her but also out of fear of being rejected once again and getting her heart broken. She thought that after all she has been through and with her age she is more than ready to face rejection, but the truth is that if Jeongyeon rejects her again when there are no more external reasons to do so, it is likely that this time the pain will be much worse. 
By the time a week has passed Jihyo's uncertainty has turned into disappointment, she even comes to think that being directly rejected after receiving her first kiss was less cruel than whatever Jeongyeon is doing now. But in fact, it could be much worse.
After spending the weekend turning down invitations to meet friends because lying in bed staring at her phone with the screen off while listening to the most heartbreaking ballads is what she needs right now, Jihyo gets the news on Monday morning.
"Jihyo-nim, Hirai Momo is coming, it seems to be some kind of emergency"  her secretary Lily announces over the phone. When this happens nothing good happens, problems with products that are about to be released, system failures that were not foreseen and hundreds of other problems that Jihyo doesn't understand but which she knows mean that something is not working as it should. 
Hirai Momo, one of the software developers at the head of the department enters nervously and hurriedly with her fringe hairs sticking to her forehead from sweat, her shirt sleeves rolled up and her tie unbuttoned. She is out of breath and her glasses are covered in a layer of mist indicating the urgency of the situation as Momo seems to have come running into the office. All the signs alert Jihyo and prepare her for the worst, she is ready to hear that their new line of cell phones that are about to be shipped to every store in the country will have to be recalled due to some glitch, like that time they discovered that their new long lasting batteries exploded. She was prepared to listen to anything except for what Momo says as soon as she catches her breath without even leaning in. 
"We've been hacked." 
The initial shock leaves Jihyo frozen in place within moments but it doesn't take her long to react as she puts the pieces together, of course it's Horai Momo who's breaking the news to her that they've suffered an attack. It only takes her a few seconds to get up with fire in her eyes and stand in front of Momo making the employee swallow hard. 
"It has been stopped, but we don't know yet who has done it or what information they have stolen or altered" she says before Jihyo unleashes her anger at her, but this is not enough. 
"You better fix this as soon as possible or I will fire you and make sure you have to go back to Japan because you are not going to be hired anywhere in this country, not even to clean toilets" Jihyo threatens pointing her finger and staring straight into the face of the woman in front of her who is not able to look her back in the eyes because if she does she knows she will end up crying.
"Yes, Jihyo-nim. I'll fix it" she says bowing a bunch of times while stuttering a few apologies before walking away. 
I should have figured it out, now she feels completely stupid for falling for it. It's kind of evil and sick even for their fucked up relationship, Jihyo thinks. 
Without thinking twice she grabs her bag and leaves the office asking Lily to cancel all meetings until further notice, seeing the obvious anger of her boss she doesn't even dare to open her mouth and just nods vigorously. She has seen Jihyo angry a million times, but never like this, so she imagines that the news Hirai gave her must be very serious. 
As she is about to leave the building she catches a glimpse of Minatozaki Sana at her reception desk and unable to control her anger she heads to her desk. Sana's usual smiling expression disappears as soon as she sees her boss's gaze and she freezes in place, from the look on her face only one thing can have happened, she knows it. 
"I'll tell you the same thing I told your friend Hirai. If I find out that you are involved in this you can start packing your bags to go back to Japan because I will personally make your life a living hell" she threatens her with a stern tone, but low enough to only reach the receptionist's ears. As quickly as he arrived, she disappears from her side and exits the building where a car is waiting for her.
From the very first minute Sana got into all this she knew it was risky and she is not worried about the consequences because she knows that just as Jeongyeon promised them, she has nothing to worry about. Still there is something bothering Sana because she doesn't really know what the CEO is referring to, so she decides to immediately look for Mina and Momo to get answers. 
Meanwhile, Jihyo, who feels that she has more than enough information, gives her driver the address of Signal Systems' main building at the other end of the Central Business District. There he is greeted by a wide-eyed receptionist, Chou Tzuyu, who can't hide her puzzled face when the CEO of the rival company she works for as an informant is in front of her. However, her job at Signal Systems is to receive those who have an appointment with Yoo Jeongyeon and let her or her secretary know that they have arrived. Obviously, the name Park Jihyo is not among today's meeting list and has never been before, so the astonishment among the workers and visitors who have recognized her is generalized. Tzuyu can only fear the worst and her suspicions are not misguided when she leans on the counter asking for Jeongyeon's floor number, the way to the elevators and orders her not to warn that she is here. The receptionist who is smart enough and appreciates her life does as she tells her and also gives her a guest access card without asking any questions. 
That's how Park Jihyo gets to the top floor of the Signal Systems building where the office of its CEO, Yoo Jeongyeon, is located, nothing more than that. But for Jihyo, right now she is nothing more than her rival, one who uses disgusting tactics even for her usual game which includes espionage among other things of questionable ethics. Between the elevator and their destination is the desk of Dahyun, Joengyeon's trusted secretary and Jihyo's informant. 
"Good morning, Dahyun" she greets her with a smile that sends a shiver through Dahyun's body, who seeing the fire in Jihyo's eyes doesn't know if she should fear for her job or her life. "I come to see your dear boss, I guess she's in her office."
The secretary nods and when she opens her mouth to continue, Jihyo makes a gesture with her hand telling her to shut up and then walks with firm steps towards the office. She storms in, but what she sees leaves her as shocked as those in the room. 
"Jihyo?!" Jeongyeon's voice sounds surprised and confused. 
"JIHYO?!"  the woman with her back facing the door exclaims even more surprised and confused. 
"Nayeon?" she is so astonished that for a moment she forgets why she has come here. 
They look at each other, shocked by the situation they are in, they stare at each other without saying anything for a few seconds until Jeongyeon decides to take control of the situation as she feels her heart hammering in her chest. It's been a week since she saw Jihyo and since then she hadn't contacted her, so the last thing she expected was for her to suddenly walk into her office just on the same day and at the same time that Nayeon does. 
"What are you doing here?" she asks, trying to control the trembling in her voice. 
"Stop pretending, I'm not falling for your game. You know what I'm doing here" she says harshly, very different since the last time he talked to her.
"Well... I guess" she says, looking at Nayeon with concern. The older woman looks at one and then the other like she's watching a tennis match. "But I mean, you could have texted or called me," she says, turning her gaze to Nyeon again to see if Jihyo gets the message. 
"Yeah right, the only way with you the only way things can be done is face to face or did you want to have more proof to add to your fucking folders?" says Jihyo starting to lose her composure as she feels like she is being treated like a complete idiot once again. 
"I think this is a conversation you two should have between the two of you" Nayeon says stepping in for the first time. "And I know maybe this is my fault because I was the one who asked not to know about your stupid corporate war, but I think I deserve an explanation. I thought you two didn't talk and all of a sudden you show up unannounced talking about proofs and folders."
"You're right unnie" she says, directing her gaze towards Nayeon and then Jeongyeon, looking at the latter in a way so cold and full of rage that it makes her stomach turn. "Why don't you explain it to her? Tell her. Tell how you invited me to dinner to make me a deal and how it was actually a threat. I give in to what you ask or you ruin my life, my family and the work we've done for decades." 
Her gestures are exaggerated and she doesn't take her eyes off Jeongyeon who looks at her dumbfounded not knowing what Jihyo is getting at, at first she thought she was being theatrical, she can be very passionate sometimes. It's not until she sees her eyes that she realizes she's totally serious, there's no sparkle in those big beautiful eyes anymore. Then she sees it, she has the same look as that one time, but this time she doesn't understand why.
Neither of the older girls knows quite what to answer, but they don't need to because Jihyo continues "Come on! tell her what happened later" she insists. She sounds really hurt, almost desperate, worrying both of them who have never seen Jihyo this distraught.  
"Jihyo, calm down" Jeongyeon says in a soft tone as she approaches her. "I don't know what happened, but I do know that you don't want to tell Nayeon like this. Calm down and we'll talk."
"Don't even fucking think about telling me to calm down Jeongyeon. In fact I would really like my friend to know the kind of person she has next to her. Someone capable of doing what you have done to me" at this point she starts to raise her voice.
"I'm going to need one of you to explain to me what's going on, but I understand this is something you two need to work out between yourselves" she says still in her seat as she gestures for Jihyo to come closer and when she does she grabs her hand and caresses it trying to calm her down.  "Breath" she whispers to the younger girl who is breathing fast, then looks at Jeongyeon threateningly and says "If you did something to her, this time I'm going to pick a side Yoo Jeongyeon" Nayeon warns Jeongyeon pointing her finger at her. "I'm going to leave, please don't do anything stupid, I'm serious."
Nayeon over the years has learned to stay out of her friends' fight because after trying to intervene numerous times over the years she knows that all they need is to have a conversation that they have never been willing to have. She has heard both sides of the story and knows the motives that have driven each to do what they have done and, while she has not always agreed, she understands why each has done things the way they have and would be unable to judge them for it. She also knows about spies, informants, infiltrators... or whatever they call it.  She is the first to know that they do not always act according to the image of impeccable businesswomen they portray to the world. At the end of the day they are her friends despite the feud that exists – or existed – but if Jeongyeon has harmed Jihyo in some way that has gone beyond their professional rivalry, she wants to know about it even if she has to wait for them to sort things out on their own first.
They both watch Nayeon leave the office and look at each other. Jihyo has her clenched fists and tight jaw, she is still breathing heavily and can see her veins bulging in her neck and arms. From the obvious tension all over her body she can tell that she is indeed holding back and trying not to lose control. Jeongyeon is at a safe distance and is doing her best to try to maintain eye contact and to keep her trembling hands busy and out of Jihyo's sight, adjusting her clothes and hides them from time to time in the sleeves of her blazer, a gesture she had managed to shed but which is inevitable to return at times like this.  Her calmness had left with Nayeon. She still doesn't know what's going on and is afraid of making a mistake with Jihyo that will take her back to square one or much worse. She's willing to do everything in her power to avoid it, but it's definitely a possibility considering she's never seen Jihyo like this. 
"Ji I swear- ".
"Don't even think of calling me that" she raises her tone. "Stop lying, cut the act, Nayeon is not here."
"Why don't you tell me what happened?" the other tries again. "I know you're completely confident that I know but maybe it's good to talk things out for once."
"Oh this will be a good conversation because I would really like to know why you are a backstabbing bitch who is capable of betraying me again."
Maybe it's not in the best of circumstances, but Jihyo finally says it. The time has finally come to talk about the subject that both of them have been purposely ignoring. They never talked about it when it happened and neither did they talk about it at the restaurant, in Jeongyeon's living room, in her bed or the next day while having breakfast. They talked about many other things and talked about the past but this was a badly healed wound that no one dared to touch. 
"Finally you say it, I knew you haven't let it go, are you still angry about it?"
"I'm not, but even if I were you would have no right to judge me. Tell me what kind of friend would take advantage of the moment I was going through for her own benefit."
"That's not what happened, there's a reason."
"Jeongyeon..." he spits out her name while getting as close as the table between the two of them allows her. "This isn't about having different opinions, it's about facts and the facts speak for themselves. My father died, you stood by me through the entire funeral, you hugged me and promised to be there for whatever I needed" she says as angry tears build up in her eyes. "Overnight you cut off all contact with me and a month later ZoneTech released an announcement informing that Yoo Jeongyeon was taking over as CEO of the company." 
Our brains have a tendency to forget the bad times so that we can move on, but for Jihyo it was impossible to forget everything that happened during one of the darkest chapters of her life. She was only 22 years old, studying abroad about to graduate from a prestigious foreign university. One day while studying in the library for the first exams of the term she got a call from her mother crying inconsolably telling her that her father had suffered a heart attack. She still remembers the cry of pain her mother let out when she asked if he was okay, if he was in the hospital. Her father had died on the spot and there was nothing they could do. She left everything immediately and thanks to a family friend she was able to go on a private flight back to Korea a few hours after the call. 
During those days she did not shed a tear, but she knew that if at any time tears came to her eyes Nayeon and even Jeongyeon would be there to offer her a shoulder to cry on. It had been a while since the relationship between her and Jeongyeon had changed and they were becoming more and more distant, but she was the first to let her know that she was there for whatever he needed and she proved it by not leaving his side during the funeral and even during the opening of the will in which only the closest family members were allowed to be there.
No one expects to have to read the will of someone as young as Jihyo's father, not even Jihyo herself. When he named Jihyo as the sole heir and manager of the company and the family estate, he believed that when the time came for them to open her will, she would already have a successful career within the company and maybe even a family to take care of. However, that was not the case, so his daughter was forced to leave her new life as a student abroad with all her new friends and aspirations to return home and take the reins of a technology empire and one of the largest fortunes in the country while maintaining her excellent academic record as a model student in a new university.
Needless to say, it was difficult and she even paid for it with her health at times as she did not eat properly, she was overworked and under-rested. Despite having people who could do a lot of things for her, she needed to keep her mind busy because on top of her father's death there was the uproar with the press and media when some of the details of the will came to light. A few days later her friend and unconditional support during this hard process, Jeongyeon had started to avoid her and Nayeon from one day to another without giving any explanation.
The reason was discovered soon after through Signal Systems' statement, after that it was Jihyo who decided not to talk to Jeongyeon ever again unless there were cameras, potential partners or important clients in front of them. 
Jeongyeon sighs because despite having good reasons that back up her decisions, she didn't act wisely and now she knows it, but that still doesn't explain why Jihyo has suddenly stormed into her office accusing her of betraying her. Before sharing her side of the story and asking for explanations she steps out from behind her desk to continue the conversation on the couch she has for more informal meetings. When she puts her hand on Jihyo's arm inviting her to make herself comfortable, she moves her arm away and mumbles, "Don't touch me". She is hurt, maybe even more hurt than angry. 
Being aware of the younger girl's hostility, Jeongyeon believes it is a must to calm the situation down if she wants Jihyo to listen to her instead of looking for the perfect opportunity to elevate the conflict to another level, fearing that everything will end up exploding hurting the two of them and by extension Nayeon.
She takes the first step by offering her a tissue with her still shaking hands to wipe away her tears and offers her a smile. Jihyo immediately notices the shaking hands and all the alarms go off in her head, she had forgotten that sometimes in stressful situations Jeongyeon suffers anxiety attacks if she wasn't starting to have one already. Even if she feels absolute disgust towards her right now, she would hate herself if she triggered an anxiety or panic attack.
"I'm fine," Jeongyeon assures her, noticing the panic in her eyes, "but we both need to calm down and since it's too early for a beer I'll ask my secretary to make us some tea," she concludes.
Reluctantly Jihyo agrees and in a few minutes they are seated drinking tea in silence, thinking about how they got to this point. They have always had problems with communication, and although it has been between yelling, this is the first time they have been so honest with each other. Not keeping up appearances, not ignoring each other's problems, and not bottling up their feelings. They haven't done it in the most healthy or civilized way, but it's a start. 
After several sips Jeongyeon's hands stop shaking, but Jihyo shifts on her seat impatiently. 
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you what I did to make you like this" the older one breaks the ice "as you pointed out I can be quite dense" she says shyly. "If this is all about the deal I offered and the lawsuit, I-"
"Stop! Do you really think I'm worried about a lawsuit right now when you just fucking hacked me?" she asks, losing her temper again, but she doesn't mind, it hurts so much that she couldn't care less if Jeongyeon sees her like this or if everyone in this building could hear her. "You sleep with me, and once again you suddenly disappear. Today when I got to work they hacked ZoneTech and when I got here there's Nayeon. You had it all planned" she accuses her directly as tears start to fall from her eyes. "I just asked you not to hurt me and you ruined me" she says trying to hold back the tears. 
It takes Jeongyeon a moment to process and react to all the information Jihyo has given her between screams and tears. She doesn't understand anything that has happened, but it breaks her heart to see Jihyo. Not even during her father's funeral did she cry or when he first broke her heart and now she has her in front of her telling her that she has ruined his life. It hurts her that Jihyo might actually think she would do something like that, but seeing her sobbing with her mascara smeared and her eyes bloodshot from anger and crying makes her chest hurt.
Despite her fear of how she might react, she wraps her arms around her and finally speaks “Ji, trust me one more time and believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with this and I know deep down you know that I wouldn't be able to do something like this. I would never hurt you" she whispers softly in her ear trying to soothe her, but Jihyo's crying only increases soaking her shirt on the part of her chest where her head is resting. 
The sobs get louder and she begins to hear Jihyo cursing at her and telling her that she hates her, but she can't blame her. It's been some unfortunate coincidences and no wonder Jihyo has thought the worst. 
"Stop treating me like an idiot, you already did it once" she manages to say between sobs. 
Jeongyeon sighs as she continues to hug her and caress her back "I think it's time to explain everything that happened" she says as she pulls away from Jihyo to look at her face and grabs her hands so as not to lose contact with her skin. She looks away, unable to look at her because of the pain, anger and embarrassment she feels.
"I told you the other day and I will tell you as many times as necessary until you believe it. I don't hate you and I have never hated you, nor have I ever wanted to hurt you. I love you, I always have and I'm so afraid of what you make me feel that all this time I thought that by pushing you away I was protecting both myself and you as well" she sighs. "Our lives are so complicated and I thought that someday these feelings would go away" she looks at her anxiously looking for a reaction in Jihyo, who still won't look at her, but at least the crying is more controlled. "I thought what I felt for you was a high school crush that could ruin everything for me, but it's not like that and running away from you and everything you make me feel almost ruined my happiness." 
Until now Jeongyeon had never been clear with her feelings, but that's not all. "I thought that by running away from me I was doing you a favor and that if you hated me everything would be easier. That's why I never gave you the reasons or explanations you deserve and now I know it was a huge mistake, but after everything that has happened I wouldn't forgive myself for pushing you away from me again, because I know that this time it would be the final one. If you are willing to listen to me, I will tell you everything, but I promise you that I have nothing to do with this hacker attack you have suffered."
Jihyo is not sure, experience, all the times she ended up calling Nayeon crying, all the times she ended up in bed with strangers and the times she got drunk looking for some relief tell her to be smarter, that this time she should be the one to end it all instead of staying to suffer another disappointment. However, the more irrational part of her, the part that still thinks there is a possibility of a future together, begs her to stay and listen to her.
She looks down at her hands between Jeongyeon and when he manages to calm her breathing she looks up at her not quite sure of what to do or what to say even though she has already made up her mind. 
"You look awful" Jeongyeon tells her in a pointless attempt to tease that almost bring Jihyo to tears again "Fuck- sorry I was trying to joke, Ji" she says nervously repeating the affectionate nickname once more. With one of her hands she tries to fix the mess of her makeup and with all the gentleness in the world she reaches over and kisses the tears still left on her cheeks. "There's a restroom over there, take your time" and Jihyo just nods, too defeated to refuse.
Just as he told her, she takes her time and manages her best to clean her face, fix her hair and clothes trying to pull herself together. After Jeongyeon has seen her like this, she feels pathetic. Until her breathing returns to normal she doesn't come out of the restroom, though her red and puffy eyes give her away. 
"About the hacking let me take care of it, we'll find the culprits and I'll do my best to fix it and prove to you that it wasn't me."
"I believe you" Jihyo finally speaks and the relief is so great that Jeongyeon can't help but let out the breath she has been holding. "This morning when Hirai Momo came to my office I assumed it was your doing, the attack has been stopped, but when I left they didn't know what its origin was or what exactly they did."
"I will talk to Momo, it will be solved today" she assures her while holding her hand. 
Before continuing with their unfinished conversation, Jeongyeon calls Hirai Momo and makes her look for Myoui Mina and also Minatozaki Sana who, to Jihyo's surprise, is also some computer expert. After listening to too many technical words, Jihyo was finally able to participate in the conversation and they ended up making a deal: if they managed to find out who was responsible in 24 hours, they can keep working in the company and they will not have to go back to Japan as she had warned Momo and Sana hours before. Jeongyeon, in her efforts to show Jihyo that things would be different from now on if she trusted her, encouraged them with the promise of inviting them to dinner at the best restaurant in the country.
Once she hangs up the phone she directs her gaze towards Jihyo "What do you say? Let's get out of here, grab some food and I'll take you wherever you tell me so I can explain everything to you. I'll even burn paper by paper all the evidence of the lawsuit if I have to because I don't plan to lose you and take the risk of Nayeon killing me."
This time Jihyo smiles and nods, taking her hand "Come on, but if you give me reason to be suspicious I'm telling Nayeon" she jokingly warns her.
So that's what they did, Jeongyeon told Dahyun to cancel everything on her schedule for the rest of the day and hoping to get lucky, she also told her to let her know if they have to cancel their meetings the next day. Of course Kim Dahyun did that and rearranged his schedule but not before opening the group chat with Chayeoung and Tzuyu to tell them everything she had overheard, especially the mention of Minatozaki Sana, Chaeyoung's situationship.
They end up at Jeongyeon's house as well, although the purpose is quite different this time. Jeongyeon explains to her the reason behind each time she broke his heart. She explains how her father did everything he could to keep her away from Jihyo, even forcing her to study abroad. She tells her that that kiss she gave her after receiving her bouquet of flowers and her confession on her graduation day was sincere, but knowing that she would be away for so many years at a university thousands of miles away she didn't want to take away her opportunity to have a first high school love and maybe to find someone who was really good for her, someone who wasn't afraid to love her. She reveals to her each of the events that led her to accept the CEO position after finding out that her father would do everything in his power to end ZoneTech by taking advantage of the instability he thought Mr. Park’s death would bring. She did that in an attempt to protect her but it didn't last long since she was forced to respond to the constant attacks that Jihyo initiated once she settled into the position. And of course she makes it clear to her that this last week of silence had been an attempt to give her space when the truth is that she was dying to talk to her, to listen to her, to see her and to feel her in her arms again.
When the conversation ends, it's already dark and Jihyo goes back to sleep in Jeongyeon's bed, but tonight they just share kisses, secrets, apologies and the promise of a future together. Before sleep overcomes them Jeongyeon whispers in her ear "Don't go to work tomorrow, let me take you on a date to make up for my mistakes and to start making up for time we wasted".
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frenchiereading · 9 months
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Chapter 13
Chapter summary: Putting new relationships to the test
Word count: 14.5k (ooooops)
Chapter warnings: 18+ MDNI, fluff (it’s the summer), smut (not really explicit, every piv is protected as is the rule with these two, even when it’s not explicitely mentioned), angst (Author Chose Not to Apply Archive Warnings because it would spoil it too much but if you’re worried about what it could be, shoot me a DM before you start reading)
A/N: Hi, it’s been a while. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and sent nice messages when I was feeling so down. The scene after Reader’s shower was unfortunately inspired by everything that I have been feeling when I felt lower than low. 
I hope you will enjoy this chapter. I did so much research to try and get it as right as I could.Comments, reblogs and questions are always greatly appreciated. 
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July goes by so fast.
Cassie's slumber party isn't even the next time you actually see her after your dinner all three together. They video call you two days later, while you're in the grocery store. Phone wobbling and the little girl's face out of focus. Image shaking, smiling big at you from the diner booth she's apparently trying to climb out of to speak to you faster. Half the screen ends up being covered by Frankie's fingers as he tries to keep the phone somehow upright and his daughter somehow safe by his side so she doesn't faceplant.
“We're getting milkshakes!” She shows you her pink drink, the curly straw.
“Yum!”
“I got strawberry! Papá got chocolate!”
“That's not why we're calling is it?”
“We got the house!”
It's a shrill in your speakers, Frankie does flinch next to her, hat low on his forehead but smiling at you whenever you do catch his eye. The loud sounds are not enough to dampen his mood tonight. You were the second person Cassie thought of to share the news with after his parents. Who first got the news that their son had a girlfriend since Cassie didn't think it was necessary to check with her dad before proudly announcing it. So Frankie supposes he can expect a longer call from them later on when she's asleep and not monopolizing all the attention.
For now, he's seriously debating just treating her to a whole greasy dinner because of how thoughtful his kid is. How innocent and full of life and kind. Other scowling patrons be damned, she's so happy, she can shout for a bit.
You celebrate the big news with them in person on Friday, bringing whatever alcohol-free version of sparkling apple juice the shop attendant recommended so that Cassie wouldn't feel excluded. Frankie even breaks out his new wine glasses for it, that she holds so carefully, over the moon to be treated somewhat like the grown-ups.
When you hug Frankie tightly, because it's such a major step and he's been praising that house for more than a month, biting his nails, crossing fingers and toes, when you do hug him close and he breathes you in, arms tight around your back, Cassie joins in. Head cushioned on her father's hip, one arm around his leg and one around your waist.
Such a significant moment made even better when Benny jumps off the couch to collide into his friend's back, a loud group hug! echoing around your cluster, making you all wobble and the little girl giggle. You as well. Frankie's arm stays warm on your waist while he pushes his friend away, one laughing kiss to your cheek. Mumbles of how he won't miss such chaotic behavior yet knowing he'll need time to adjust because for the past year, Ben has been the most supportive friend.
Even more when, even though he does stay for dinner, Cassie's choice of grilled cheese sandwiches hard to refuse, he goes out for drinks afterwards so you can all snuggle on the couch to watch a movie. After Cassie has painted your nails and you've painted hers and you've both painted Frankie's. Gliterry rainbow on his hands, fingers brushing the curls on his daughter's head laid out on his lap when she falls asleep in the middle of the movie. Luckily already in her pjs.
Yours don't stay on for very long, Frankie's greedy hands and mouth making quick work of them. Tracing languid paths over every inch of delicate skin, sucking and biting and making your back arch, pushing one breast further between his lips. Hips canting to meet his tongue and his fingers, the precise curls of them inside of you, sweaty skin on the bed sheets. Teeth biting onto your knuckles to try to keep quiet, to muffle your moans. Breathing in his groans, mouths clashing in a frenzy.
Body pushing into yours, pushing you deeper into the mattress, smothering heat surrounding you, making you clutch and clutch and whine in his chest, every thrust of his hips sending you closer to the edge. The taunt that if you can't keep quiet, maybe he'll just have to do it himself, pulling choked gasps out of you. Sobs that you are so full of him that when he collapses on top of you, holding nothing back and mouthing at the salty skin of your throat, you want him to stay there and be your weighted blanket for nights on end.
Of course that can't happen, with you going away the very next day for the baby shower of one of your former colleagues, which leads to you extending that trip to go spend a couple of relaxing days at the beach.
You do spend some nights at Frankie's over the next weeks. Whenever you go out together, which isn't as much as you'd like, Frankie is pretty swamped by all the changes trickling down from finally having bought that house. He gives you a tour of it as soon as he can. How empty it is for now, but he has big plans and so much excitement when he describes them all that you end up being positively giddy for it, too. You could listen to him shape his future all day.
The first night you stay over after a date without Cassie knowing about it beforehand, you wake up with Frankie's lips in your neck and his hand rubbing your bare stomach under your top. Palming your breast the second he realizes you're awake and you push yourself back against his hardening length. Moans escape your lips, fingers hot between your legs that you momentarily have to still.
“What if she comes in?” you mumble, worried. You're terrified that you could scar her. Frankie's reassurance tingles on your shoulder.
“She won't. It's too early, she's still sleeping.”
“Maybe we should lock...”
Scratch of beard on sensitive skin.
“Uh-uh. We don't lock doors in our house. We knock. She will knock, hermosa.”
“You're the best dad, Frankie. You know that, right?”
“Thank you. How about I show you how I'm the best boyfriend, too?”
With your head thrown back so you can reach his mouth and how tight you are when he slides into you from behind, one arm hooked to support your leg. Slow, long strokes in and out of your heat, pushing the air out of your lungs every time, pressing you down into your pillow and making you dig your nails into his forearm, whatever skin you can anchor yourself to. You have to bite your lip to keep the whimpers concealed at the filfth of how good, how hot, how sweet and perfect you feel, keep squeezing me like this and I'm going to make a mess of you, hot stuff, he drips down your ear.
Frankie takes such excellent care of you even after your entire body has stopped shaking. Warm palm smoothing up and down your back once you've rolled over to face him, his blissed out face and his yawn, to cuddle closer. How he pushes stray hair out of your eyes and kisses your cheeks and your nose and makes you want to stay in his arms forever. How you doze off again before his alarm eventually goes off and Cassie never gets to knock on the door because she's way too grumpy to be awoken so early in the summer so she can get going with her day while her father goes to work.
Her face does soften a little when Frankie tells her they have a guest for breakfast and she finds you there, feet shuffling to your side, hand rubbing her eyes, yawning and pouting and grumbling but nonetheless giving you a hug and sitting on the chair next to yours. Not so chatty in the morning, head in her hand as she eats her cereal so slowly, testing her father's patience.
It's not so difficult for him the next morning, when she's awake without a fuss, padding around the apartment, peering into his room. Looking for something.
“No Miss?” she asks quietly.
“Not today no. Not every day.”
“Oh.”
If it were up to you, you would absolutely say yes to sleeping with Frankie every night. And waking up to his kisses and his hugs. But you're on your break, regardless of how many activities you have packed to fill the days. You don't have a tight schedule and you do like sleeping in as often as you can. A luxury that Frankie still working can't afford that much. If ever.
He likes taking you out at night, a nice way to relax and have fun. He doesn't have many days off. There's one Saturday you get to spend with him, though. When Liz has taken Cassie for one final dress fitting before her wedding, less than a month to go. And Frankie has been prohibited by his daughter to come with. He's been forbidden for so long, he doesn't even have the slightest idea what her dress looks like. She's surprisingly good at keeping this a secret and his friend is bent on not even showing him a picture.
“You'd think she's the one getting married,” he grumbles to you before realizing that's a much more upsetting idea that he hopes won't happen for decades.
He scowls and in the midst of your period pains, pretty bad that particular day, it makes you laugh. You've had to come clean about how you were feeling and tell him that whatever you had planned on doing for the few hours you had together, it was clearly not happening. All you want is to crawl in bed in a dark room and fold yourself tight, so tight, so that the pain can stay trapped in your lower stomach and disappear if you squeeze hard enough.
Frankie doesn't mind. Time spent with you is always to be treasured, he assures you, eyes daring you to contradict him. Besides, you've spent time with him when he wasn't feeling great and just because you feel gross, that's not a good enough reason to make him stay away.
“Well, yes, but you didn't have blood coming out of you,” you pout when he asks if you want to cuddle.
“Hermosa.” You don't feel it but you still love him for calling you that. It's a pointed look, hands hovering above your hips until you give him permission. “I was a soldier. I've seen my fair share of blood. This is nothing. I don't mind. Besides, it's as good an excuse as any to get into bed with you.”
It dulls the pain, to have someone else with you, to shake your head at his wiggling eyebrows, and he's much better than a hot water bottle, you come to find after he's made you tea and has settled under the covers with you, one large and warm palm massaging your stomach. A nice coccoon, hums of soothing tunes that tug at your earliest memories in your ears and fingers dancing on your skin. Lips pressing gentle kisses to your neck whenever you groan. It's so hot, a bubble of fire in his embrace that you can barely breathe anything that isn't Frankie and it actually makes you feel much better. That and the painkillers.
“Hermosa?” he whispers softly after a short silence and your answer takes so long to come that he thinks you've fallen asleep. You'd deserve it. If he raises his head to peer at you, your eyelids are closed and your lips are slightly parted for the ragged breaths you have to take.
“Yes?”
“I wanted to ask you something. I thought maybe it could cheer you up. Make you feel better.”
“What is it?”
“You know that vacation I'm taking Cass on next weekend?”
How could you not, she's been raging about it. Camping but in a cabin, a house made out of wood. How they're going to walk and learn about birds and animals and trees and there are canoes and a pool and Papá said we can do bbq and eat with our fingers and also s'mores, it's gonna be amazing. She's talking about it almost as much as the new bedroom she'll soon be getting.
“Yes?”
“Well, we were making the list of what we needed to take last night and she asked if you were coming.”
What Cassie said precisely is that she wanted to take you, no hesitation in her speech, such a matter-of-fact and obvious statement that Frankie's pencil had broken on the page.
It's only been a month of you being back in her life under different circumstances and you believe you've taken it slow with her, never overwhelming her and Frankie has been spending as much time with her as he was before you came around. She doesn't have to feel threatened that her place in his heart and his life has been lessened by yours. She's welcoming you, especially because she's always enjoyed spending time with you, and you are such a great friend, she loves playing and laughing with you.
Besides, she sees lots, Cassie. She sees the way you act with her Papá and how he always has that large goofy smile on his face whenever you talk to him or you touch his shoulder or you praise the pancakes he once made you all for breakfast. She hears the laughter and the teasing and the words she can't quite understand but she understands I love you and you do say it to each other often. She sees the way you curl into Papá whenever he holds you close and that really is the best feeling in the world, she should know.
She sees how you never, ever mention school to her and that's a relief, she's stopped worrying about it pretty quickly.
Your hear the rumbles of Frankie's low voice on your cheek, the slight hesitation before he continues his tale.
“And I was going to shut it down because you know, we haven't been together long but then I realized, what the hell, I know it wasn't planned but I realized, if you'd like to and if you can, I'd love for you to come.”
The next weekend was going to be spent preparing to go back to school. New lesson plans and going over the files of your future students. A task you've delayed since going back to school means you will also have to tell the principal about your new relationship, because even though it isn't wrong he's bound to learn about it and you'd rather have it come from you than from the grapevine. You can already see his scrutinizing and judging face. Thinking about all this has been giving you hot flashes. Only a bad moment to go through in the grand scheme of things, not that you are ashamed of anything but if you can avoid thinking about work for a bit longer, you'll take it.
Besides, that proposition is incredibly enticing.
Who cares if you should probably get to know each other more in the city before you decide to go away for five days together? You know enough to know you'll have fun with Frankie regardless. But it won't be just Frankie.
“Isn't it supposed to be just about you and her, though?”
A way to relax before they embark on a bigger change. The first time they'll really be living just the two of them. You feel Frankie shrug behind you.
“When I told her that, she said, and I quote: We already spend every day together, Papá.”
Cramps are forgotten thanks to his pretty accurate rendition of his daughter and in the semi-darkness, enough to lessen your splittering headache, you can make out his grin and his disbelieving eyes when you shuffle around so you can lie on your side facing him. His finger trails down your face, following edges that it's starting to know by heart, his eyes drawn to your emotional gaze.
He's, they're, going to make you cry, on top of your raging hormones. You choke up on your sobs.
“You want me to come with you?”
His thumb brushes the lone tear that has escaped, emotions overflowing that you can't quite keep in check right now. His lips are like feathers on your skin.
“We do.”
“You won't mind? Not being just with Cassie?”
“I won't. I may have teared up a little bit last night when she asked,” he confesses, your chapped lips finding his to provide or give comfort, you're not even sure anymore. “It might not be as relaxing as what you're used to, though. A vacation with a kid.”
“I've had plenty of relaxing already. I could go for an adventure. But you have to let me pay my share.”
“Sure,” Frankie chuckles, you're always such a practical one. “D'you want me to draw you a contract or something?”
“Shut up.” You push against his chest, strong hands rubbing your back when you groan around another cramp, eyes shut tight and lips pressed together against his tee-shirt.
“I'm serious, Frankie.”
“I know you are, I was just teasing. But don't worry about that right now. Does that mean you'd like to come?”
“Yes, please.” A kiss is dropped to the crown of your head, gentle fingers are rubbing your lower back. “But you're not getting me in a canoe.”
Frankie grins in your hair.
“Ok. We'll do that just Cass and I.”
“Good. Thanks.”
That's how you find yourself in the passenger seat of Frankie's car the next Friday morning. An early start to try to beat the heat that doesn't bother Cassie in the slightest. Way too excited to be playing car games with you both. To spend the last days of July away from the city.
To stare out of the window in awe at the gorgeous forest you finally reach in the early afternoon. The family-friendly campground, a new and unfamiliar setting for you. Everything kid-oriented, Frankie was pretty proud and excited to have found a place where there were so many activities on offer and they all seem so enriching and captivating when you take a few minutes to browse the board with Cassie while he's checking you all in.
You've already put your three names down for birdwatching in the morning before Frankie has even come back to you with the keys.
For all the great planner that he always has to be during the year so he doesn't forget vital doctor appointments or the bank or, God forbid, playdates, he's more than happy to wing it for the next few days. Cassie can be in charge of choosing everything that catches her fancy. If his only worry is having to remind her that there are only so many hours in a day, then so be it.
This is his time to relax and you having agreed to come is just the cherry on top, his heart is literally soaring. He has never felt lighter.
Some time during the week, between the moment you agreed to come with them and the moment you got into his car, there had been talks about your concerns that you didn't want to ever step on his toes as a parent, that he'd have to tell you if he ever thought you were handling a situation wrong and that you would be happy to hang back whenever it was needed. Creating tension on vacation is the last thing you'd want. You're only the girlfriend after all.
Whatever apprehensions and insecurities had been plaguing you, Frankie had been quick to shut them down. Everyone's doing their best and besides, he's never had a girlfriend so involved in his child's life before either. This is new for him, too. You've been getting to know how he parents for weeks, if not months, before you were even officially together. Before you even confessed you liked one another.
And Frankie doesn't think you could ever overstep. You're way too self-aware for that.
“Do your best. You're already doing great. Have fun. Don't worry too much. I love you.”
Constant reassurance soothing your heart as much as the constant stroking of your back.
So you're taking it in stride, over the moon to be so wholly included without second thoughts. Positively glowing as Cassie decides to race you up the stairs to the door of your cabin, running in the grass under the sun and you try your best but really, between her energy and the heat, how can she do it. Not even a sprint that you're nonetheless panting when you reach her side, Frankie left to carry all the bags. The genuine joyful smile on your face and the spark glinting in your eyes enough for you to be quickly forgiven when he jockingly grumbles that he's left with all the heavy work.
That and the massage you promise him for later that night after he's complained that his back and his shoulders hurt.
It's a cabin made out of real wood, Cassie marvels. A small front porch with chairs to lounge outside under the stars and the breeze in the leaves when it's cooler at night. Even a swing seat that the little girl approves of before you've even gotten the key in the door. A fire ring to make the promised s'mores.
It's small inside but cozy, a bathroom with a shower that has Cassie absolutely gushing because it's exactly like when they go to the swimming pool in the city. A small living-room with a bunch of activity leaflets spread out on the table and pictures of local wildlife on the walls. The birds and the fish and the bears. The kitchen that looks a little bit vintage but who cares, it's fully-equiped and the first thing Frankie does before he's interrupted again is to transfer the meat he brought for tonight's bbq from the cooler to the fridge.
Two bedrooms with lacy curtains and bunk beds in Cassie's that she discovers with awe.
“Can I please, please, please, sleep in the top one?” she begs and begs, not aware that it is so not needed. Frankie will let her do anything she wants after he's made sure it's safe.
Even when she changes her mind and decides she'll sleep in the bottom one tonight then the top one tomorrow night and so on. Even when she insists that she doesn't need a bed made, she's brought a sleeping bag. An old one from when Ben was serving that she found in his apartment. One that no amount of reasoning would talk her out of. The fact that they're not staying in a tent is irrelevant. It's not camping if there's no sleeping bag, she saw it on TV.
There's no TV in the cabin. An old radio, though. No videogames, only old-fashioned ones, the ones you're all used to, not the same as the one lying in the trunk of the car so many more to try. A few comics on a shelf in the living room and a few books about nature and fishing in the bedroom.
Large, giant trees with leaves blowing in the wind surrounding the place, really the middle of the forest and Frankie did such a spectacular job finding this campground, he's pretty smug about it. Especially when he sinks onto the bed to find out that the mattress is more than tolerable. A loud groan and it's almost like he's spent the entire day driving and not just the two or so hours it took you to reach your destination. Not including the roadside attractions and the fantastic lunch you had with your perfect sandwiches. You're truly a chef, they'd said, which might just be a ploy from the both of them to get you to make them again.
There's air conditioning inside, thanks to all the Nature gods, but even with the window closed, you can hear the faint sound of laughter and people calling out to each other outside. Barking and the birds. The undertone of no worries in the summertime. Heartwarming.
Making you smile to yourself as you sink onto the bed next to Frankie, why should he be the only one to test it? He seeks out your hand, eyes still closed and smile tugging at his lips and he presses the back of it to his mouth. Content.
He looks so carefree in that brief respite while Cassie is still debating her sleeping arrangements.
You weren't lonely before you met him, far from it. Life full and busy, bustling with friends and work and hobbies. Not as many as you'd like because it takes time but a couple that you enjoy. Calls home when you were missing family or not, for happy news or no news.
Life busy, but it's like, lately, it's been slowly but steadily taking on a different shape. One that you didn't expect, one that you didn't see coming yet one that doesn't feel foreign. Weaving its way through every little interaction and touch and word of affection. Naturally.
Perhaps it should scare you, or at least make you apprehensive, how it's all changing. For some time you were, to meet Cassie as her dad's girlfriend, to not really know how to act now that you have to spend days on end with her and that you may have to act like the parent that you certainly aren't.
But these worries are being squashed.
By Frankie. Who smiles and hums against your lips when you push yourself up to give him a short kiss. To thank him for everything.
By Cassie.
“Stop kissing, I wanna go to the pool!” she shouts, barging in through the open door and Frankie gives you another kiss for good measure, trying to playfully swat her away when she scrambles on the bed and ends up tucked under his arm.
For all his talk that his back hurts, he doesn't seem to be in much pain once you're all appropriately dressed and he throws Cassie over his shoulder so they can get there faster. Or maybe that's just him making your massage be worth it, he teases with a wink while she's giggling so much, she can't hear a thing.
The muscles on his bare back flex with every step he takes, broad shoulders on display as you pick up Cassie's fallen hat. Shoulders that you do get to feel under your palms when you offer to put sunscreen on his back. A favor he returns, taking way more time than is necessary, lips close to your ear.
“You're sexy,” he whispers, carefully pushing the straps of your bikini top out of the way so not a single speck of skin is left unattended.
“I could have said the same of you.” One glance over your shoulder to catch his roaming eyes from behind his sunglasses while his fingers glide down the skin of your back, sneaking a little on your stomach whenever he thinks no one is really watching. “You're a yummy DILF.”
Frankie snorts so loud against your skin, it's a burst of hot air that also makes your entire back shake with laughter at his reaction. Before his voice turns smoother and huskier. Another whisper.
“Later.”
One hidden nip to your ear that sends shivers down your spine and the smooth rub of his hands down your back is enough to propel you toward an impatient Cassie who tugs on your hand until you both get in the pool. The water is cool and refreshing and she's been getting so much better at swimming, you know she's been practising. Apparently the apartment complex where Mrs Ortega lives has a pool and they've been spending quite some time there.
Frankie had never gone into too many details about what he'd told her to let her down when she thought they could have a relationship. Not that it matters. He's done it and she's accepted it, the girls still being friends proof enough, and he's with you now and you're both happy. You do hope she won't despise you too much when she inevitably learns that you're together, though.
You push under water to clear your head. It's peaceful even if the place is crowded and for all the activities the campground offers, you know you'll be spending most afternoons there. There are slides for the kids and Cassie is already hovering around some other children, assessing the dynamics before you watch her go back to Frankie so he can help her with introductions.
She finds your neighbors and they get automatically invited for the s'mores she made Frankie buy so many marshmallows for. All the colors of the rainbow because she wants to see how they look when they melt.
You stick to the classic ones, stuffed after Frankie's grilled meat and the veggies Cassie helped you wash and cut. Very carefully putting them to be grilled with her father's assistance. It's not as fancy as what he will be able to do once he gets a proper grill in his own backyard but it has its charm. The smell of charcoal and the curls of the smoke at the end of the day.
The waft of chocolate and sugar long after the marsmallows have been put away. It's all so quiet, after the children next door and their grandparents have gone back to their own cabin after your improvised dessert together. When the sky has grown darker, so late but no bedtime in sight. When you can begin to see the moon and only glimpses of stars illuminating the expanse above the trees.  
“Tell me about the stars, Papá,” Cassie requests nonetheless, climbing in his lounger to carve herself a pretty cozy spot by his side. His arm curls around her form, her head on his chest, eyes tilted up and chocolate smeared on her cheek.
And he does. As good a bedtime story as any. Stories about constellations, about the people they were named after. Gods and figures from mythology. Stories even about the stars you can't quite see right now. Because it's too early, because you're not where you can see them on the planet.
But Cassie doesn't mind. Most of the stories she's heard already. She nods when he sometimes shows her imaginary shapes he draws in front of her with his finger. She yawns and rubs her eyes but she keeps on listening to the warm Spanish, such a nice lullaby that you sometimes get distracted by it.
By Frankie's voice and the rich undertones of it. The rumbles of it gliding through his lips, floating comfortably around your head.
By his profile when you turn your head to gaze at them. How she rubs her head against his chest and how it moves with every word he says. How his fingers brush her hair whenever he's not making imaginary shapes with them.
So distracted that if someone asked you to recount the tales he just told you both, for some, you'd come short.
“I didn't know most of that,” you say quietly after he's finished a story. One with adventure and perils that had his tone change often enough to keep you enthralled by it. You rub his shoulder gently and when you drop your hand again, he chases it, holds on to your fingers in the space between your two loungers.
“You know so much about the sky.”
He smiles at you, at the compliment. Looks down at Cassie's half-closed eyelids, knows he's going to have to make her move soon or she'll end up falling asleep on him.
“I did want to go to space,” he reminds you. His first love and when he was a kid, books were the only way he could do it. He read so many. Still does when he has time. And the sky used to be his whole life.
“And once I learned the stars had names, I had to know how they had all gotten them. That's how I got so much into Greek mythology when I was a bit older.”
“Ah yes. I liked Egyptian mythology.”
“Coz animals?”
“You know it.”
He hasn't stopped smiling at you, smile renewed when Cassie tries to sleepily contribute to a conversation she hasn't followed and mumbles that she likes animals, too. One day she wants a pet, please. It's a soft, sleepy request.
“Let's get you to bed, warrior. D'you think you can stand up?”
One messy head of long curls shakes back and forth on his tee-shirt.
“Carry me? Please?”
That's an easier request to accept than what must be the hundreth demand for a pet in the last month. Frankie is running out of excuses.
There's not much of a bedtime routine he can get her to do, though. Too sleepy on her feet, whining at being told to put on her pjs that he gives up and tucks her into her sleeping bag with hair and teeth unbrushed, still wearing her tank top and with dried chocolate on her face.
Frankie said he wouldn't worry about little things on vacation, although he's not looking forward to the state of her hair in the morning. It's going to be a nightmare. But that's a problem for tomorrow him.
“Snug as a bug,” he tells you once he's done. Food has been brought back inside, the fire is long gone, and you've started to wash the dishes.
His hands creep around your waist, resting on the bare skin just above the synthetic fabric of the swimsuit you're still wearing, one light beach cover-up over it. He breathes you in, nose digging in the hollow of your throat. He smells the smoke from the fire and the chlorine from the pool. The grass you sat on earlier before dinner. Chocolate and honey and so much sweetness, he has to take in a bigger inhale of your mesmerizing smell.
“I think I might need a stronger massage after carrying her, hermosa.”
“How about I wash and you rinse and then I'll get right on that?”
There's soap dripping from the plate you hold up for him, bubbles rising in the sink and Frankie's dramatic sigh is loud in your neck, enough to tickle a little before he drops a loud kiss there and steps back, takes his place to your right after rightfully bumping into your side, smirking.
“Yes, ma'am.”
There's no more teasing once you get him naked and pliant underneath you, face down on the bed. Sharp grunts and low moans filling the silence at the determined kneading of your fingers on the muscles of his neck and shoulders. Your palms are warm on sun-kissed skin, massaging down his back, following the creases of his muscles. Following the trail of how he hums whenever you touch some special spots and how lax he gets, letting you press your weight down on your arms, rubbing the scarred skin and the tension in the muscles of his lower back.
Shuffling lower still to rest your butt on his thighs, only your swimsuit between him and you, warmth rising off him. Hands dancing around his ass, how Frankie bucks his hips at the first surprising touch there but then relaxes instantly, a deep sigh in his pillow. Skin as smooth as milk against his, leaving no spot uncared for. Places that hurt and places that didn't. Especially those.
Shivers down his spine at the long run of your index from his neck to his ass and then even further down to his inner thigh. Thick, sturdy skin that you want to worship and kiss until Frankie melts into the bright bedcover he's lying on, splashes of amber and gold.
His muscles clench at the fingertips pressing gently up his sides. His biceps flex at the squeezing of your hands on them after you've rounded his shoulders and before you smoothe them down his arms to his wrists. How easily you can pry his fingers open to have one pad trace each one of them. Feather touches. Slow and gentle and Frankie whines in spite of himself when you're no longer touching him there.
You feel his body twitch underneath you when you bend over him, mouth wet at the bottom of his spine, trailing short kisses all the way up, tongue hot against his neck and then against his ear when you rest your parted lips there.
“Are you feeling better, baby?”
“Mmmmm.”
“Can you flip over for me?”
With his head turned on the pillow, lips mushed against it, it's only because you're so close and it's so quiet in the bedroom that you can hear his answer. It's a short path from his ear to his cheek and you press a kiss to his beard, feeling his answer ripple against you.
“'m hard.”
“Maybe I can help with that, too. Flip over, please.”
It feels like an insurmountable task, to do what you've asked of him once your weight no longer rests on him. Frankie's floating on a cloud, body no longer a prisoner to his mild pains. He believes he'd only need your exquisite touch to survive if it ever came to that. He hasn't been able to focus on anything else since you've put your hands on him.
Nothing else but your scent and your dedication and the ways your fingers know so much about him already. All that you're learning and discovering still and with the heat of your body against him, holding nothing back, no wonder his mind went to all the other ways and places he wanted to be touched. He's been wanting to strip you off your bikini since the first glance he took of you in it.
His body is simmering with a low, steady, all-encompassing, satisfying fire. Fuelled by the sweet smile he's met with once he's on his back, hair flopped on his forehead, longer since you've started dating. Chest heaving content but eager breaths, staring up at you looking at him.
You take a second to take him in. The effect you've been having on him. The one you're currently still having, hands rubbing down his chest now. Grazing nipples and resting comfortably on his belly. When you bend over to kiss the side of his belly button, the skin that smells and tastes the most Frankie to you, your fingers do brush his hard length and Frankie can't help but push into you. Into your loose fist and then into the short kiss you drop to the tip.
He groans, short puffy exhales against your lips once you've pushed yourself back up to his face to hover above him. You breathe your question into his mouth.
“Would you like a hand massage or a mouth massage?”
One lazy hands rests on the swell of your ass, fingers digging into the flesh, toying with your bikini.
“Pussy.”
“Excellent choice.”
It's a grin that turns into a slow, thorough kiss, tongue pushing inside his mouth, happy that he is to let you be in charge.
Hands loose on your hips once you're naked, guiding you down onto his cock, watching you rub your clit against it a couple of times, biting on your lip before you sink down on it completely. Shushing sounds telling you how well you're doing, thumbs playing with your nipples, gasping every time you push yourself up and down, being so completely filled that there's no place left to breathe except in short pants.
An amazed choke, hips stuttering and pussy clenching around Frankie when he sits up with renewed energy. One arm around your waist, his cock hitting deeper inside of you like this, not a breath of air between your chests and it's a tantalizing slow rhythm he's setting. How he moves his hips into you, barely pulling his cock out, your clit brushing against the base of his cock each time he rolls his hips. Short strokes inside of you matching how you glide against him.
Mouth and tongue on your collarbone, supporting your weight, fingers splayed on your back when you throw your head back, exposing more of the sweaty skin of your neck. Holding on to the nape of your neck, helping you move with him. Exposing the enticing prize of your breasts, sucking noises joining the constant spill of your moans when Frankie's lips close around one hardening nipple, beard scratching your skin.
Fingers struggling to get a good grip on his shoulder after it becomes too much, he's so big and so thick and so good and being so attentive and he's everywhere and you're going to come, you really are, you can't hear anything but the pounding of your blood in your ears, his words of praise in your neck. Head buried there after he's rocked you on your back. One leg hooked to his waist and one pushed up, bent against your chest.
The unrelenting, faster, harder punding of his cock inside of you, how his hips stutter and he spills deep, biting down on the soft spot at the base of your neck, it makes the coil in your stomach snap and release as well. A long wail as he keeps thrusting inside your pussy, spurred on by how you're clenching around him, how you try to muffle your pleasure in his hair. To very little avail.
You fall asleep naked and too hot to bother getting under the covers. Thankful that chirping birds by the window wake you up right after sunrise so you can somehow get decent if Cassie were to come find you.
Which she does. In the city or on vacation, she does knock if the door is closed. You find that out hours later, while you're making coffee and Frankie is still in bed. How she yawns and gives you a small wave and a smaller hi, before she pads to the closed door, waits for her father's okay before she slips inside to cuddle.
You know you shouldn't, you're growing used to it, but you're forever being pleasantly surprised by their relationship.
The only thing Frankie truly needs to put his foot down and face her little grumpy frowning face for is when he won't let her wear flip-flops to go birdwatching with other campers after breakfast. Too many risks in the forest. Twigs and roots but she won't listen to his reasons so he lets her sulk until she doesn't anymore, too engrossed in what the activity leader is telling the group. Everything that she can see when she cranes her head and how she knows how to use binoculars faster than the other kids because Frankie taught her how to do it when he took her flying.
How proud she is of it and how she tugs on his hand when she thinks she's spotted the bird she was supposed to be looking for, no longer upset with him. Even less so when he gets her an activity book after they've all come back to the front desk. About birds and butterflies and insects. The one that came with three coloring pencils that she adds to the collection in the pencil case she's brought along.
A myriad of colors she gets to use on the coloring pages after lunch. Before she needs to use a proper pencil to try to complete the crosswords she asks to do with you. When you both sit in the swing seat on the front deck after you've come back from the pool. Little legs tucked under her, little book half on her lap and half on yours, your feet dragging slowly on the wooden floor to get you both to move a little. Her head propped against your arm.
Wet hair from hours spent in the pool, her skin taking on a darker shade despite all the sunscreen you and Frankie have helped apply and re-apply on her all day long. Yawns because she said no to a nap so you could all go explore the side of the lake earlier and maybe see some more birds. So hot that your dress was sticking to your back and you never wanted to get out of the pool once she could get convinced to go swim to cool down.
But she's not tired, she insists when Frankie points it out once he joins you outside. He drags a chair close in front of you, props your feet on his lap, sandals clattering down and that makes the swinging slow even more until you both come to a gentle stop so that Cassie can focus and inspect the leaflet he's handed her. The one with the few walking trails around the campground so she can decide which one she'd like to explore in the morning.
Frankie's thumbs are working wonders on the sole of your feet, digging into the flesh in all the right spots. You can't even feel self-conscious that you've been walking around barefoot quite a lot so they must be dirty by now. He doesn't care. There are crinkles around his eyes when he smiles bright up at you. Skin tanning, too, making him so gorgeous, you'd like nothing more but to sink your teeth into him and drink him up.
Another reason why you never wanted to leave the pool earlier. The sight of him lying in his lounger in nothing but wet swimming trunks, beads of water glistening on his bare chest before the sun made it all dry so fast, it had made your mouth water so much, you had felt embarassed by the thoughts in such a family-friendly setting.
Frankie's hands rub up the silky skin of your calves to rest on your knees. His cheek follows. Pillowed against the side of your leg, no other place he'd rather be, while you listen to Cassie read out loud where she'd like to go.
Until two kids zoom past the cabin on their bikes, one dog yapping happily behind them and she's distracted, sitting up and pointing at them.
“A puppy! Papá, a puppy!”
“I saw, yes. What about...”
“Can I get a puppy, too? Please?”
Frankie sighs then, from the depths of his stomach and his soul, pushing himself off you to recline in his chair. One hand drags over his face, eyes closing for a few seconds and when he opens them again, her head keeps whirling from him to you, obviously looking for support that you're not going to provide. This is a discussion you don't want to get involved in. One that you've been a witness to a couple of times over the past weeks already. Although once it was about a cat and once about a guinea pig.
“We have a backyard now, Papá. It could run and play there. Please.”
“Right, but where would it go when I'm at work all day and you're at school? Would you keep it outside?”
“Oh, I...inside?”
“By itself? All day long? Don't you think it would get lonely?”
“That would be sad,” she pouts and for a moment Frankie hopefully believes that's the end of the discussion.
Before she perks up with a seemingly brilliant idea.
“We should get two puppies! That way they can keep each other company and they won't be lonely. One for you and one for me!”
“Right!” Frankie clasps his hands loudly, slaps his thighs and all but jumps up to his feet, a fleeting but panicking look meeting your amused yet sympathizing one. “Who wants to make s'mores tonight?”
“Me!”
And that truly is the end of the discussion, for the time being. How Cassie scrambles to her feet to rush inside and get what she needs. Book about birds and leaflet about trails forgotten that Frankie gathers so he can steal her spot next to you. How you're chuckling on his shoulder when he wraps one arm around your waist and gently guides you there. Always close, no matter how hot it can get.
“That was close,” he mutters.
“You've got to admire her logic.”
“I don't think I have a clever excuse to that argument.”
“Strong save, though. Very dad-esque.”
“Trick of the trade. Gotta pump them full of sugar.”
In the end, s'mores don't have the same success as the previous night. Despite what she claims, Cassie is falling asleep on her feet and Frankie and you are the ones who eat most of them once she's in bed, the last thread of energy used to climb the ladder because it's top bunk tonight.
It's a long, peaceful evening just the two of you, fingers sticky, lips coated with sugar whenever you kiss, the rocking of the swing seat lulling you to sleep, too.
The steady rasp of Frankie's voice as you talk, conversation never waning and even when it does, the silence is comfortable. Stars brighter and brighter above the trees, mind completely content to use his chest as a pillow while his fingers lightly scratch the skin of your lower back. You wish you could stay there forever, it's pretty perfect.
Later on, you'll wish the night had never ended because when morning comes, the next day doesn't go as smoothly.
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It's impossible for you to pinpoint the moment Frankie started feeling sick. Not like himself. The moment his brain started playing tricks on him.
He's quieter at breakfast but that could just be the result of talking so late into the night and not getting enough sleep. His answers to his daughter are shorter, smiles more weary.
Eyes flicking left and right and above and behind when you all get started for your walk, Cassie swinging her bag on her back. Responsible for the map.
Maybe it's the loud bang of a car door being closed unexpectedly somewhere in the campground. Maybe it's the sound of an RV coming loudly back to life. Maybe it's the surprising large flock of birds that takes flight in a frenzy once you round some big trees. Maybe it's someone you can't see, shouting somewhere in the distance, looking for somebody. Maybe it's all of these. Maybe it's none of these.
What you do notice is the constant twitching on his hands, grasping and clutching at something that isn't there. How he whips his head around, on the look-out for things you can't see, things that aren't there, only real in his head. How he stands up straighter, and how his gaze falters whenever he gets lost somewhere you can't reach him even though he's right there next to you. How his arm shoots up in front of you, then his entire body, shielding you when bikes rush past. No risk of actually hurting you but Frankie can't see that. Not where he is and you've been doing some reading, educating yourself on what to do and not do when he's struggling but this is all so very new to you, you're feeling a bit lost.
You don't want to alert Cassie either that something isn't quite right because in the midst of what is plaguing him, you've had to notice how he's been trying to put on a brave face for his daughter. How exhausting it must be.
“I'm okay, we're okay, Frankie. What can I do to help? Can I touch you?”
His chest rises with shaky breaths, the lip he's been worrying is starting to hurt and his eyes snap to you, to your kind eyes behind your sunglasses. To the hand you carefully rest above his arm before he nods quickly and when he doesn't flinch at the light touch, you slide it down to thread your fingers with his. He clutches them tightly.
“I'm not doing okay,” he gasps.
“I know. What do you need?”
“Where's Cassie?”
“She's over there.” Crouching by a tree, comparing the little flowers she's found to the pictures in the book she took from the cabin. “She's okay.”
“She's too far away.”
“Do you need her closer?”
“Can't protect her if she's too far away.”
“We're safe here, Frankie. She's safe. There's no danger here.”
But he doesn't seem to hear you and you heart aches for him.
“Too far away.”
“All right, I'll get her back. Do you need to take a break? Or do you want to go back? I don't know. Is it better here or inside?”
“I....” Eyes darting everywhere, blinking quickly.
It's too exposed, too open, too many trees and too many loud conversations he can hear even though you've hardly met more than a handful of fellow hikers. Drops of sweat are sliding down from Frankie's temples to his neck. The back of his tee-shirt is painfully sticking to his skin. Too cold in the forest.
He flinches when you speak up to call Cassie back to you, but not when you apologize quietly and you rub his back, fingers on his neck after that, playing with the curly hair brushing the nape.
“Can I see the map? How long do we have left?”
You're more than halfway through, you find out when she holds it out for you. No point retracing your steps now, easier to finish the walk so you can get Frankie somewhere with clear entry points and exits. Someplace he somehow knows he can be safe in. You're hoping.
He lets you drag him along, focused on your hand, feet shuffling, legs like steel at first. Listening to the droning sounds of your light-hearted discussion with Cassie. Questions about rocks and trees and colors and hobbies and sports and forest legends and deer and bears. A never-ending stream so that she can't quite focus on anything that isn't you and doesn't pay too much attention to how hard her father is struggling.
Frankie's heart is pounding against his ribs, lungs too small to accommodate the air he desperately needs. Not enough oxygen yet enough to realize that you are literally saving his ass right now.
When you eventually reach the cabin again, there are the indentations of his blunt nails in the palm of your hand.
Curtains and doors closed because the heat should stay outside, which would have happened regardless of your current predicament. Frankie is shivering a little as he stumbles into the bathroom to take a shower. The worst of it is probably over, walking faster has helped, your guiding touch has helped, but his brain can't quite settle yet. How long he stands in the shower he has no idea, water drowning outside noises and as it cascades down his shoulders, soaking his back, both palms firmly planted on the tiled wall, he can somehow breathe a little better again.
There's a weight that settles in his stomach, though. A large lump in his throat and a dimmed light in his eyes after that. Not much of lunch he can swallow around it all. Playing around with the food on his plate, nibbling on it. Clutching your knee under the table because you're here, you're close and soft and real and he'd be lost without you.
No more need to pretend when Cassie curls herself on the couch with her book before she falls asleep. Almost the entire morning on her feet, running and skipping, climbing small rocks and looking for every possible animal. Fresh then humid air, hearty food in her belly.
You don't even have to look at her to know the exact second she's out because Frankie deflates under your very eyes. Drops all pretenses and sags lower into his chair, drops his head in his hands, elbows on the table, and his shoulders heave with the louder breaths he's trying to take now. Shuddering and gasping, stomach clenching around the phantom feeling of impending sickness.
The collar of his shirt is darker, wet spots from the water dripping from his hair. Your hand rests close to his arm on the table, there for him to take if he should need it again.
Long seconds then minutes go by, one louder and louder tick of the clock above the fridge at a time.
“Fuck.”
“Frankie? Is there anything else I can do to help? Do you...do you need your meds? Did you take them this morning?”
“Did I...”
He never finishes his sentence, instead scoffing, the sound suddenly unpleasant, making the skin on the back of your neck prickle with unease when he does it again. Louder. Meaner.
“Did I take my meds? What a fucking stupid question. Who do you think I am? I've been doing this for so long, of course I took my fucking meds. Jesus.”
You shift in your chair, hand retracting so you can fold both of them on your lap, wringing your fingers, feeling grounded in them while you're unable to look away from how he's sharply raised his head. How he's bared his teeth and how he's snarling and spitting the words in your face, cold dark eyes glaring at you. But you're not even sure he's seeing you. Your own voice falters, stuck somewhere in your throat at the unexpected tone of voice, the violence and the anger pouring out of him suddenly.
“Ok, I'm sorry, I...”
“You fucking should be! I mean, seriously. Who do you think you are? Did I take my meds? I don't need you to remind me about them. I've been doing this for seven fucking years! I don't need you.”
The louder he's getting, the smaller your own voice sounds. It's not him, not really, he's having a bad day, it's not the real Frankie that you love. You think you know that but the force of the rejection stings, your heart clenches and heat starts to burn up your cheeks.
“I just wanted to help,” you mumble, looking down at your bouncing knee, trying with all your might to make it stop but your body is having reactions of its own.
“You're not helping right now.”
Tears are starting to well up in your eyes, a reaction you can't control and they make your vision misty. How he's still muttering through them, how he's not seeing the effect he's having on you and how could he, you don't think he's in control either. Your shoulders tremble under the long inhale you take to steady your nerves.
You nod. Once. To yourself. Because he's not looking at you anymore. Maybe he hasn't been since he's started lashing out.
“Ok. Noted. I'm...I'm gonna have a shower.”
Tears fall down your face when your lips quiver. You shouldn't flee but you don't know how to stay and be helpful when you have screwed things up so badly. And the bathroom has a lock. The one room he can't follow in because you don't really want to see his face again right now. You don't want him to see you break down. He doesn't mean any of this. You don't think he does. It still hurts, so deep in your soul and there's panic rising up and clouding your judgement, too. You don't want to argue with him, what would be the point right now? What good would it do? You hate shouting.
Standing up hastily, you trip on nothing, hand shooting out to catch the edge of the table, unvoluntarily leaning more into his personal space, wobbling knees making it difficult to hold yourself up.
That's what makes him snap his head up at you, a crack in his neck at the movement and finally a look of recognition on his face. The edge of the Frankie you know, brows furrowed at the sight of tears freely rolling down your cheeks, hot and angry. The quick dabbing with the back of your hand which does nothing. The loud sniffling and the hasty step back you take when you see him raise a hand to reach out to you. Steady you.
“Don't. Please don't. I'm gonna go take a shower.”
“Wait, I...”
There's the whispers of your name following you but you ignore them. Ignore the loud steps and the softer knock on the door once you've safely closed it behind you and Frankie's heart sinks around the realization of what has just happened, brain foggy and mind reeling, when he hears the lock slide into place and keep him out. Another long plea of your name.
“Give me some space, please.”
Thankfully, he does. It's silent behind the door after that. Perhaps he's still there but if he is, at least he's respecting your wishes.
Water from the showerhead cascades down and blends in with the heavy tears on your face as you sit down, knees pulled up to you chest, rocking a bit. Letting stormy emotions literally wash over you. Desperation in the way you scrub your skin to get rid of how rattled you're feeling, jostled from comfort into unknown territory with Frankie. It's near impossible for a while to clutch to the anchoring knowledge, and hope, that these outbursts can happen to people who suffer like he does. That you shouldn't take it personally.
How can you do that, though. When there are so many negative thoughts piercing fragile defenses. So many plaguing your mind, flapping their invasive wings, stabbing the little solace you try to cling to that Frankie might be coming around. That it doesn't last forever. That he loves you, he's been saying it enough. That you love him, too.
But still. You feel so deeply upset, replaying his words in your head, daggers to your flesh, hurt growing and growing when you'd want to squash it down. Choking any positive thoughts you might try to hold on to. Your skin feels raw when you dry it. Flaring up and sensitive, like all your nerve endings are on the surface for the world to prob. Your dress feels too restrictive as you pull it over your head and down your body to your ankles, even though it's probably the lightest you've packed for the trip.
Tension grips your hand while it shakes around the doorknob, one deep breath that falls flat when you step into the living room to find it empty, save for Cassie who's still blissfully sleeping.
The door to your bedroom is left ajar, as dark inside as the rest of the cabin and there's no point delaying what comes next, your churning brains would probably wake her up if you were to stay in the same room.
Frankie's sitting on the floor by the foot of the bed, knees up to his chest, a heavy pillow between his open legs that you can see his hands torture for something to do. Floppy hair on his forehead. A wild, tortured look on his face when he hears the quiet closing on the door before you lean against it.
With red eyes that Frankie can still make out if he squints through the light that still shines in the room even after he's pulled the curtains closed. His heart breaks at the sight, the breaths you're trying to control, how you hug yourself close. So far away from him. A couple of steps to reach you only if he stood up. But he doesn't deserve it.
He scrambles to you however he can. With the words he's been turning in his mind ever since you've shut him out.
“Honey, I...I'm so sorry I...I'm sorry for yelling and for what I said. I'm so sorry, please, I didn't mean to upset you.”
The unprompted and freely given apology takes you a bit by surprise. There's been apprehension in your blood at which Frankie you were going to find, which version of him you were going to have to deal with. Sincerity flares up as he gazes at you, honesty in his words and without realising you were doing it, your shoulders unclench and relax. You're going to be fine.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“I...I hurt you, didn't I?”
“Yes, but...”
“No, no buts.” He shakes his head quickly, scowling, nails digging further into the soft pillow. “That was...I'm sorry, I really am...I just...”
One loud exhale, unable to finish his thoughts.
“You apologized, Frankie. It's all that matters. Do you hear me?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. How are you feeling?”
A shrug, he gnaws on his upper lip, your eyes drawn to the way his jaw works around it all. Eyes quite unable to settle on anything.
“Not worse. Bit better than when we were outside.”
“Can I do anything else to help? That is, if you want my help.”
His eyes snap back up to you at the hesitation in your voice, how unsure you sound of yourself. You don't want to overstep again, you don't want to cause him more anguish.
“Of course, I....please.”
Frankie feels such relief, that you're still here, that you're not angrier at him, you should be and yet you aren't. You're still being kind and he doesn't deserve it. The dim light in his eyes is so broken as he pleads, he sounds so vulnerable that even if he hadn't apologized, you know you would still have pushed your own feelings down to focus on him. They haven't been ignored, though, and it's comforting. That your Frankie is coming around.
“Can you tell me what you need? I don't want to make a mistake. I....Should I stay? Or do you want to be by yourself? Do you want to talk? Should I....”
You stop abruptly, realizing that this might not be helpful either. Too many questions overwhelming him, too many options.
“Maybe I shouldn't ask so many questions. Sorry.”
It's what put you in this particular situation after all. You're trying so hard, trying your best, figuring this all out, trying to be there for him, that Frankie feels so awful for what he's said to you. Words leaving his mouth against his best wishes, despite knowing deep down they weren't helping. There he had been, a helpless spectator to the hurtful comments he'd spat at you. He hates himself for it.
“Please, stay, if you'd like. I'd like you stay. You don't have to stay over there, either. Unless you're more comfortable there. I'd understand. I've been an asshole,” he mutters, ashamed.
Admittedly, earlier, there was a fleeting second when his reactions scared you. When you didn't know for sure if you'd be safe talking to him. Yelling is upsetting, rattling you to your core. But not anymore. There's no more raised voices, no hint of them anymore.
Frankie focuses on the soft padding of your bare feet coming closer. Heart still beating too fast in his chest but easing up on the pain at the sounds. The woosh of your dress when you kneel in front of him, rocking back on your heels, hands flat on your thighs. Close but not crowding him.
“Is touching okay?”
“Yeah.”
It's a jolt of pure softness, the light way your hands carefully reach over to cradle his face. Pads of fingers brushing rugged skin, brushing away stray tears that he must have shed while you were in the bathroom. You stay silent until his roaming eyes somehow settle on yours. Being met by puffiness and your wet eyelashes. The smile blessing him in spite of everything.
“Hi, muffin.”
“Hey.”
“You'll be okay.”
He nods slowly between your palms.
“I'm sorry I upset you, hermosa.”
“Thank you.”
“I don't want to upset you ever again.”
It's a nice sentiment, eager and full of promises.
“But you might. Or I might. That's life. And I'm not going to lie, it freaking hurt. Hurts.”
He briefly loses your touch so you can press your palm to your chest, compressing the damage to your heart you're still feeling. The one which is slowly being mended. Your thumb brushes back and forth on his cheek.
“But that's not really you, Frankie. That's you hurting, too, and I'm sorry I triggered that and made it more difficult. I want to do better. I want to support you and be there for you. It may take some time, to figure it all out, to figure you out, but lucky for us, I've got all the time in the world. I'm not going anywhere.”
He'd hang up his head if you weren't holding him so fiercely. It feels like a dream that he doesn't deserve, to have you by his side. How did he get so lucky?
“You don't have to....I don't deserve y...”
“Shshsh. You do. I love you.”
“I love you, too, hermosa. So much. And I feel like such a dick because you are nothing but supportive and then I go and do that just because it sounded...it sounded like....it sounded like.....like you didn't trust me.”
A rush of shame floods him, eyes cast down to the pillow he's still manhandling, a giant stress ball to keep his hands occupied, to power him through talking.
“I do trust you, Frankie.”
“I know.”
“You're doing so good, you're amazing, but I thought, you know, slip-ups can happen when there's a change in routine.”
“That's true. And to be honest, a long time ago, when I wasn't used to it, I used to forget them sometimes. My meds. My dad...he used to make it his mission to check the pills everyday to see if there were less than the day before.”
“And what would he do? Shove them down your throat?”
It draws a dry, empty chuckle from him. No spark in his eyes when he blinks them up at you. Facial hair tickles your skin but you're not moving an inch.
“He didn't have to. It's not like I didn't want to take them. I just....life was a mess. Sometimes I forgot. But not anymore. And you...asking me this, being there for me, all day when it's been hell, it made me realize it....I don't know what I would have done without you today. Really. You've saved me and the thing is....the thing is, you weren't supposed to be here.”
“Oh.”
Your hands slip down a bit, resting on the sides of his neck, right below his chin. Barely touching. Another tiny shard of pain lodges itself against your heart, ready to pierce through it.
“Do you regret asking me to come?”
“What? No. Never. I love having you here. We're loving it. We've been having a great time, haven't we? Apart from how I royally fucked up.”
As quickly as your heart had been bracing for a painful impact, it swells again and if you make it through the day without a pounding headache, you'll consider yourself lucky.
“You didn't fuck anything up. Everybody's got bad days. We'll get through it. Together.”
“And that's the thing. You're here and I love you but I realized, and I got in my head and then it's all I could think about like....you weren't supposed to be here. It was supposed to be just her and me and if it had been that and it had been a stronger episode because that was nothing and if it had been, what would I have done? I couldn't have handled it without you so what if I....”
His breathing quickens, chest heaving that you can feel against your arms. How fast his heartbeat pounds in his neck. How he's clearly lost his grip on rational thinking and they're just swirling, those naging notions, invading every crack in his usual strong resolve. How this is much more than PTSD now. You press harder against him, making him feel your presence, if he ever doubted it.
“Frankie, hey, listen. No point thinking about ifs. I know it's hard, your brain is against you but these situations did not happen. I'm here. With you. To help. You're not alone.”
“But you won't always be here. Or anyone. Not in the new house. What if I fuck up when it's just the two of us, what if I can't control it, what if I snap or yell like I did to you and I...I scare her and...I shouldn't have bought that house. I shouldn't try to.... It's not safe, what if...”
The unmistakable sound of fabric ripping hardly slows his spiraling mind. He keeps on pulling and pushing on the poor, ruined pillow, less money back on the deposit and you can only crowd closer, hands brushing down his sides to rub his legs, any part of him that you can reach to warm him up.
“Frankie, baby. Listen to me. You are strong and capable and you are doing you're absolute best given the circumstances. Your brain is being a total jerk right now but you know this. You're doing a great job. You're a good man and a good dad and you will never let anything bad happen to Cassie. You love her. More than anything.”
He nods quickly, wipes his twitching nose.
“More than anything, yes.”
“Ok, good. And besides, it will never be just the two of you. Physically, maybe. But I'll always be a call away. Your friends will always only be a call away. It's not just you.”
“I don't....” A spike of culpability flashes in his eyes, behind the tears he can't control and it's almost impossible to keep your own emotions in check. How he's breaking in your arms. “I've asked so much already. I don't want people to think I can't do it alone. I don't wanna be a burden. I'm a grown man, I should be able to....”
“Francisco.” And that makes him pause, his next words dying on the tip of his tongue. “Listen to me. Carefully. You will never be a burden to the people who love you. Do you hear me? Never.”
Such fierceness in your voice that he does hear it, the resolute tone and the words. The assurance, the promises. The comfort and the safety behind what you're telling him. His hands clench and unclench on the pillow, loosening their vicious grip. Hot tears slide down his cheeks as he blinks.
“It's okay to ask for help. At any age. It doesn't mean that you're weak. It means that you are strong and resilient.”
These are things Frankie believes he knows, that have been said to him over and over throughout the years. Things he supposes he believes in, but his brain is too foggy right now, he can't quite cling to them. He can cling to your arms. That's real.
“Can I give you a hug?” you ask softly, pillow forgotten so that his clammy fingers encircle your wrists.
“Please?”
“Come here.”
He buries his face in the crook of your neck, buries himself in your scent, mixed with what he somewhow registers as his body wash, it smells like you used that for your shower. Never strong enough to overpower what makes you you. The gentleness, the compassion, the empathy.
It's a bit of a shuffle so you can hug him closer, dress riding up high on your thighs when you press closer, legs wrapped around his waist, a real bear hug and he all but crushes you to him, large hands pushing against your back, pushing you so that when you hear a heartbeat, you can't quite tell if it's only yours or both combined.
“You're a wonderful person, hermosa.”
“I love you, muffin.”
“I love you, too.”
“Cupcake.”
“Cupcake,” he repeats, a snotty snort on your shoulder.
“Do you want to stay on the floor?” You have to ask after a while. It's not that it's uncomfortable, but really, just a tiny bit. His arms tighten around your body.
“I wanna stay with you.”
“Sure, me too. But can we maybe move to the bed? You'll feel better lying down.”
No response this time, only a weak nod and an even tighter grip on your dress. A steadier breathing against your skin. No real effort to get moving at all. Your legs are starting to ache now.
“Five more exhales and then we stand up, ok?”
“Ok.”
Even when that time comes, Frankie is a bit limp as you try to help him to his feet. No strength left in his body.
“You gotta help me here, muffin. You're way stronger than I am. Look at those delicious biceps.”
You grope and squeeze his muscles, mustering the brightest smile that you can in case his eyes flick to yours, which they don't until you're finally lying on your sides, Frankie's hands under your dress so he can clutch at bare skin and feel that you are not going anywhere. He hums shakily at your fingers carding through his sweaty curls.
“I know change is scary,” you say in a whisper, faces so close your noses are touching. “But think of how happy it's making you to finally have your house for your family to live in. For Cassie to grow up in. With you. All your big plans. Think of how much you've accomplished to get there. You're amazing, Frankie. I'm so proud of you. I hope when your brain gives you a break, you can remember it, too.”
Apart from his nodding, it'd be hard to say if he's heard you. With his eyelids closed, the turmoil you can see at the eyeballs relentlessly moving where there are hidden. With the frequent twitching of his nose and the littler, more settled breaths he's taking now, warm puffs of air on your lips. It's hard to say if it's him replying or if it's him drifting to sleep when he whispers back.
“I love you. Please, don't leave. I'm sorry.”
“You're okay. I'm right here.”
His hand curls itself on your hip more firmly and you don't realize when your own eyes close, a will of their own, the more regular breathing that you can feel with your hand on his back lulling you to sleep, too.
It's the creaking sound of the door opening and Cassie's inquiring Papá? and your name that jerk you awake. Hair mussed, vision blurry while you get your bearings, Frankie's soft whimpers when you sit up to put a finger to your lips to let her know you should both be quiet.
“Your dad's pretty tired,” you explain quietly after she's sitting on the couch next to you, swallowing big gulps of the glass of water you've poured for her.
“Is he sick?”
“Oh, I...”
“Coz he looked funny this morning. Maybe he ate some bad food. One time, my abuelo ate some bad food and he was white as a sheet, my abuela said. And he had to stay in bed and drink chicken soup to get better. Chicken soup is yummy.”
“I'm sure it's nothing that some rest can't fix,” you assure her, watching the thoughful nods, the wild hair she keeps blowing on so it won't get in her mouth. “In the meantime, though, would it be all right if we went to the pool just us? So we can let him sleep some more?”
“Yeah, ok. Are we still getting popsicles?”
It was a promise made to her after she'd been a real trooper on her first real hike this morning. She'd spent all lunch debating which flavor she was going to get. It eases some worries to hear that she's not even questioning that it will be just you with her.
“You bet we are. That's the first thing we're gonna do.”
“Yay!”
Unsure whether Frankie's phone is on silent and not wanting the unpleasant noises to be the cause of his awakening, you both craft him a note that you gently lay on the pillow where your head was resting minutes before. The one he's gripping loosely now. Cassie signs her name next to yours, drawing a big heart underneath it. Giggling to herself, one hand on her mouth when her father snores right as you're leaving the bedroom again.
It's the note and the loving words that lead him straight to you a couple of hours later. Mind still foggy after a nap which was way too long. Mouth furry and a couple of painkillers he's popped to ward off the headache behind his eyebrows.
Cassie spots him first, from where she's swimming towards you and she loses her focus, collapses into your arms, little legs sliding against yours to not get too much water in her mouth.
“Papá's here!”
He waves back, finding your chair and sitting down on it, watching you both amble to him, water dripping everywhere. How the first thing you do is plop your large sun hat on your head, casting shade on your face, before you can assess how he's looking. He doesn't mind the scrutiny. Or the wet imprints of Cassie's hands on him when she kneels next to him.
“Are you feeling better, Papá?”
“A little bit, thanks, warrior.”
“You're welcome! We can make chicken soup if you need that for dinner.”
“That'd be nice, if we have some.”
“Can we get another popsicle now? You said we'd get another one with Papá!” Her attention redirects to you, standing close to Frankie, his knee bumping against your calf and your hand soft on his bare shoulder.
“We sure can! You want a popsicle?”
Lost a bit in trying to wake up fully, it takes a few seconds for Frankie to register the gentle tapping of your finger on his skin to get his attention. He's starving. But nothing in the fridge, no leftover, looked appealing. Food too heavy that the mere sight of made his stomach lurch a little. Popsicles are mostly water, though.
“Sure but I...I didn't bring any cash with me.”
“No worries, I've got you. Can you grab my wallet, kiddo?”
Expertly, she turns around to rummage in your bag, sparing you some time to rub your hand over Frankie's broad back as you sit next to him, the plastic underneath you both creaking but who cares.
“I hope it's ok, that I came here with her. I didn't know what else to do? I didn't want to leave you by yourself when you asked me to stay but I mean, we were bound to wake you up so...”
“Hey.” Two fingers on your chin stop your rambling. His lips are dry against yours, affection pouring out of him. “Thank you, hermosa. For everything.”
“You feeling better?” you can't help but press.
“A tiny bit, yeah. No more shaking or panicking and I can think a bit more clearly.”
“Good. Let's take it easy, shall we?”
“Ok, cupcake.” The umprompted nickname makes you shake your head, lips tugging into a grin and it brightens Frankie's mood even more, heavy clouds slowly lifting.
“What flavor do you want?”
He ponders the question, Cassie back against him, looking intently, cheering and clapping when he says it.
“Pineapple?”
“Yay! I win!”
“You win? Wait...,” he narrows his eyes at the both of you, his daughter's unabashed glee and the way you're still forever smiling at him, in spite of the rollercoaster of emotions he's made you go through today. “...Did you guys bet on what I'd choose?”
“You always choose pineapple, Papá.” Her tone of voice is almost scolding, he can't surprise her anymore and she ducks when he bumps lightly into her shoulder. “I want pineapple, too, please!”
“Coming right up! Two pineapples for the Morales!”
Cassie giggles at the cheeky tone, swatting her father's probbing fingers from her messy braid. It's wet of course, but it's also not sitting straight on her head, locks coming out of the scrunchie.
“D'you do your own hair, sweetie?”
“No. She did.”
“Not bad,” Frankie ends up conceding out loud, voice betraying the lie. It's terrible but the job got done and the little girl didn't have to constantly brush hair out of her face.
“It's only her first time, Papá. Practice makes perfect.”
“D'you tell her that?”
He raises an eyebrow, heart beating slowly, more slowly now, the remains of the anxiety attack and the morning fading away with each passing minute. How comforting it feels to have Cassie close, the most important and valuable thing in his life, he'd go to the end of the world for her, and she's so full of life, bright sunshine by his side, giggling.
“I did.”
“Little rascal.” More giggles at the teasing. “Come here.”
This time, because he's not messing with her head, she comes willingly when he tucks her into his side, hugging her tight.
“I love you, Cassie.”
“I love you, too, Papá. Also, I like that she's here,” she adds as a wise afterthought, eyes drawn to how you're waiting by the small concession stand to get the treats, chatting with another woman, someone he doesn't know. Your chair's neighbor, he'll find out when you'll both walk back together.
“I like it, too. You girls have been having fun?”
“Yeah. She went on the slide with me.”
“She did? Man, I wish I could have seen that.”
Frankie gets to see it again. After refreshing popsicles, the few licks of your watermelon one he gets that has Cassie go yuck. After you've lathered his back with suncreen, applying enough pressure to get rid of some of the tension knots that have reappeared in his troubles. After Cassie barely had to beg to get you up the slide again, despite your best attempts to tell her that your bikini almost came undone last time.
That's when you know Frankie is coming around, when he leans closer and teases you that he hopes he gets to see that. One first unsure hand on your knee that you cover with your own. It's welcome.
A glint in his eye.
previous / next
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A/N: This is the campground I very loosely based mine on.
214 notes · View notes
avocadoooo · 8 months
Text
foolish one
character: alhaitham x fem!reader
a/n: i didn't do the whole song, small letters intended, also never proofread🤸‍♀️ do send in requests❗
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you give me just enough attention to keep my hopes too high
rubbing the sides of your forehed, you let out a heavy sigh while looking at the random numbers and formulas written in paper infront of you that you've been trying to understand for the past twenty minutes. the longer the time passes, the longer the number jumbles and shuffles together.
and when you were right on the edge of giving up, you a pair of hands clap right next to your hear startling you.
"you've been staring at that stack of paper for the past twenty minutes and you haven't even gotten passed the first page yet," you hear a familiar voice say, immediately recognizing the owner of it.
"if you're not going to help, best get away. i'm not in the mood to deal with your scolding today, alhaitham."
he doesn't say anything and you hear some shuffling, thinking that he's going to leave, you put your headphones on when suddenly the chair infront of you was pulled from its place. he sits down, dropping a stack of paper infront of you with his neat handwriting of his notes, ready to help with the parts you struggled with (all of it).
wishful thoughts forget to mention when something's really not right
arguing with alhaitham was one that tried their best to avoid, not just because he always thinks that he's right, but also because he makes you think you're making a big deal of things that really are a big deal.
alhaitham's eyebrows meet as he says, "i just ate outside, i didn't think you'd make that big of a deal out of this."
you roll your eyes, already used to him saying those words as you say, "you ate outside when i told you i was going to go and cook us dinner. you also went out of your way to go with nilou, you know how i feel about her, haitham."
he crosses his arms, already over the argument and says, "we've gone over this millions of times already, i told you that she's just a colleague. will you ever get over this? it's getting tiring"
a tear drops as you turn around, locking yourself in your room and your heart with you.
and i will block out these voices of reason in my head
all the signs were pointing to the exit. you knew that it was probably the best thing to do, especially in your situation, but were you going to do it? of course.
you won't.
every single thing about him was screaming red, that it was something wrong and dangerous. and you were well aware of that.
but you always liked red better than green anyway.
and the voices say, "you are not the exception, you will never learn your lesson"
you knew that staying in yours and alhaitham's relationship is a bad idea, hoping that things would turn around and work out for the better.
but you also knew that wishing for that would be throwing another star to the already millions of missed shining ones.
and yet you did anyway. your friends advices going into one ear and out the other as you run back to him. but you know they'll be there for you, ready to catch you as you fall into their arms, crying once again.
you swear you won't come back to him, that you'll be choosing yourself this time around and it'll be better as they nod along, knowing that you'll be back by his side in the morning, things said the night before already forgotten as you look at him with lovestruck eyes.
and you know damn well that he knows that as well.
foolish one, stop checking your mailbox for confessions of love, that ain't never gonna come
was what your friends always told you numerious times, on multiple occasions. have you ever listened? no. have they gotten tired of reminding you? yes. they've realised that you're foolish, you were always a hopeless romantic, but they never thought you'd be a foolish one as well.
and here you were, all dolled up for your anniversary dinner, phone on the table you're sitting infront of with the messages you sent hours ago, looking down at the device with teary eyes.
"hey al, i know you're busy with work but i just wanted to remind you of the date we have tonight! you also said you'd send what you were gonna wear so we can match, see u:))" - sent at 11:30am
"it's 3 hours 'til the date but can you send me the picture if you're not too busy since yk i take a while to get ready. thanks, love" - sent at 3:03 pm
"an hour to go and i have to leave in 20mins, we won't be able to match since you haven't sent me yours, sorry:((" - sent at 5pm
"here at the [location], take your time though" - sent at 5:50pm
you checked the watch on your wrist, 7:43pm, it read. it's been two hours now that you were waiting for your beloved to show up.
"maybe he's just working overtime" he would never work over time.
"he's probably stuck in traffic" the reason you had to leave 20 minutes early was because this place was 5 minutes from his work place so it'd be more convenient for him to come.
"his boss most likely asked him to stay late" he is the boss.
even if you were the one being embarrassed for waiting for wlmost two hours in a restaurant, you still tried making excuses for his behavior anyway.
you grabbed your phone and started typing away
"love, i might leave now since it's been almost two hours that i've waited, you're probably home already since you got tired from work and forgot about the date, it's okay though, we can make up next year"
then you hit send, and just as the message gets delivered as you stood up, a phone chimes from the entrance so you turn to look.
and then there he was, standing at the front talking to the server and you smile thinking that maybe he was just late after all when he walks in and turns to look back out, with his hand extending out.
a hand holds his delicately as nilou walks in.
he turns, looking around the restaurant when you lock eyes, his are shocked, while yours are filled with disappointment. you shook your head as you walk out the exit door, not even bothering to look back as he calls out your name.
you were indeed, the foolish one.
164 notes · View notes
lostlovesoul11 · 2 years
Text
[MILF HUNTER]
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Pairing: Haechan X Reader
Warnings: Smut, oneshot, milf reader, use of mistress, age difference(legal), very switch energy, sexting, tension, flirty, oral receiving (m/f), humiliation, praise, dirty talk, sex toy, solo masturbations, degradation, fucking, neighbour, darcphilla, orgasm denial, breeding, squirting.
Word count: 7k
18+ only no minors!
meant to be posted last month but whatever.
Summary: what happens when the local milf online lives in your neighbourhood?
Did you know, women in their 30's are the horniest... they fuck like no other," Jaemin licks his lip as he reads through the article on his phone.
"Yeah their libido increases as they age, something to do with their hormones levels." Renjun adds further, "They call it the women sexual prime time."
Haechan immediately perks his ears up upon this information, eyes fixed ahead at his two friends giving him new information he's never heard of.
"Which basically means I should find a milf right now." Haechan shoots out with a smirk. He's unapologetically himself.
"Oh god," Renjun replies.
"Can't say I didn't expect it," Jaemin responds back at his friend with a chuckle.
After a conversation with his friends, Haechan surely had to test it out for himself. He just can't stop thinking, thinking of how eager and horny women could get. Was it true? Thoughts appearing in his dazzled mind.
He gets his laptop from the table, taking it right to the bed with him. Leaning back in a comfortable position, he opens up his search engine. Typing away to find websites and scrollin down before he comes across one specific site.
www.hotmilfsinyourarea.com
Interesting he thought, as his brow raised up in curiosity. One thing about Haechan was he had many tastes in people. He's pretty open minded to newer things, new experiences.
Fingers almost rushing to click on the said link, opening up a whole new different world. Haechan scrolls through the variety of Milfs that are designated on the site, waiting to be approached. Fuck there's so many options, he thought. Scrolling away before his mind stops, his eyes squinting as he focuses on a particular name, AngelMilf00.
The image was a cropped body shot in a dress that hugged both breasts well. Easily a size DD. This piqued Haechan's interest for sure, after all he loves himself some milkers.
He began to read through the bio about Angel clicking at every image that was possibly posted. One thing he loved was how immaculate the lighting was. Really emphasising on those voluminous large breasts. There was body shots against a white wall, back arched as her perky ass was on display. The white wall brings more attention to the features. However her face was still hidden. That was still a mystery. But for now Haechan's cock is growing through his pants, expediting.
His cock already aching for some action. Those images of Angel sent an immediate blood rush to him. Imagining her being bent over and ass being covered in redness, fuck. His hand pressing down his bulge, letting out a tiny groan before removing his pants and boxers, exposing his hardened cock.
Hand gripping on his cock when he begins to stroke upwards and down, he lays slightly back. With his other hand he types up a quick message.
Hyuck66: hey, quick question. those milkers a size DD? he asked.
AngelMilf00: hi! oh wow you're actually correct. She responded.
Hyuck66: I guess you can say I know my things well, especially my favourites, he replied.
AngelMilf00: definitely. I'm guessing your also into milfs with big tits? She asked.
Hyuck66: i mean, fuck yeah. I don't discriminate. I love me all kinds of women, you know.
AngelMilf00: nice. So tell me, can a young guy like you keep up all night? Use that cock well enough?
Hyuck66: I'd keep you begging for more, hun.
AngelMilf00: I like the confidence.
*sends incoming tit pic*
AngelMilf00: gonna touch your cock for me?
Haechan doesn't need to be told that twice. Sexually frustated as ever since he got home. His cock already grew larger while scrolling to your images on the site. Except this time, the image sent was not online. It was sent specifically for him.
She has her tongue darted to the side as a cheeky grin is across her hidden face, breasts begging for air. Wondering how many cocks have cummed all over them, fucked them in between. He noticed Angel had a birth mark on the right side of her tit. Hot. Imagine giving her hickies all over that body... fuck.
"Wanna feel those cock sucking lips so badly...." he murmurs to himself. Speeding up his pace, sweat rolling down his forehead as he approaches his end.
AngelMilf00: enjoy the mini. I gotta go now, don't miss me too much.
And just like that she left. The poor boy hissed, palming his cock and stroking furiously until his hands covered in the wet coat.
------------------------‐---------------------
"What you up to mom?" Haechan asks entering the kitchen, trying to find himself some snacks to indulge in.
His mom looks up as she puts the remaining food in the basket. "Oh this is for our lovely neighbour who recently moved in. Thought it'll be a nice welcome gift. Would you like to come with me to give this?"
Haechan opened up some sweets as he put some in his mouth, "i can't Jaemin texted me earlier to come over at his place." He replies, not really interested in seeing who the neighbour is.
"That's okay, maybe next time then. Oh and invite Jaemin over for dinner, don't forget!" She responds, watching Haechan walk out of the kitchen.
"Will do mom."
Bro remember that girl I told you about last week?" Jaemin sighs, rubbing his temples from how frustrated he is because of her.
"Ah yeah she's hot but crazy," Haechan responds, fingers on the controller as he continues to play the game on screen.
"She's too annoying."
Haechan continues playing until he won the game, stretching himself as he leaned back, "Block her, you know what, I'll even give you that chicks number I got from last week."
Jaemin brings out his phone at the suggestion and hits the block button. Grinning at Haechan for his kind offering. "You really something else. Got all the girls hooked fr," he laughs.
A small smirk forming from his mouth, Haechan responds, "what can I say, I'm a ladies man after all.
"So what happened with your milf search?" Jaemin asked.
"Shit, I forgot to tell you. I actually spoke to one online. Her names Angel, she got me acting crazy.."
"What, no fucking way!"
"Yeah, i know right. I might ask her to meet up sometime. She seems to know what's good."
"Well that was quick,"
"Not quicker than you busting in that one chick you had sex with last month!"
"HAECHANNNNN-"
-
Jaemin didn't live too far from Haechan, so they both walked back on the streets as they closely approach Haechan's house.
As they both walked, Jaemin saw Haechan's mom standing nearby as she spoke with someone. Unable to see clearly, they walked more, until...
"Yo, Haechan isn't that your mom over there?" Jaemin stops at his tracks causing Haechan to stop also.
"Yeah, I think some new neighbour moved in recently so she went over there." He shrugged, walking ahead of Jaemin.
Jaemin catches up to Haechan as he walked, "imagine if that neighbour is hot though," causing Haechan to snort.
"Yeah right. Probably an old fart as usual."
He wasn't really focusing on who and where the neighbour was, clearly uninterested on what's going on. But Jaemin stopped almost immediately, perplexed at the sight ahead.
"Uh, I don't think so..." Jaemin utters slowly causing Haechan to look at the shock on his face.
Haechan turns to his left before he speaks up, "What you mean-"
Shocked. Bamboozled. This can't be real for sure. How is a person like you even here? Better yet, the new neighbour! There's never particularly anyone remotely attractive that lives around here in Haechan's mind, however you, you're different.
You was smiling away as you spoke, The way the wind blew against your hair, pushing it back to only expose those gorgeous large breasts. That shirt did not help at all for Haechan's imagination, almost getting squeezed by both breasts wishing he was between those. The way those jeans fitted right against your body, emphazing on the perky full butt you have.
Haechan can almost feel his cock throb, damn. One thing about Haechan was he can get whoever he wanted. Girls would beg for his attention, fall for him all the time. In his mind, he knew he wanted you as soon as he laid eyes. But will you also fall for this charmingly confident boy too?
"Dude.. she's so fucking hot," Jaemin uttered, almost shocked how a person like you are even living here. "That's a total milf right there, how do you get so lucky.."
Haechan smirked, scanning you all over, "Shit, I'll tap that..."
Once dinner was over and Jaemin left, Haechan could finally fix his issue from earlier, thanks to his lovely neighbour.
He scrolled back on to the website, remembering the last time he spoke with a milf, except she ended the chat rather fast. This time he needed to release, he needed more.
Hyuck66: hey
AngelMilf00: hey there, missed me?
Hyuck66: of course, you left me hanging before.
He's right. Angel abruptly ended the conversation whilst he wanted to go further, that did annoy him slightly. Normally women throw themselves at him, never once has anyone left him hanging except Angel.
AngelMilf00: well, I was busy in my personal life. And I thought a guy like you needed to be tamed a lil.
Hyuck66: guy like me?
Haechan wonders what impression Angel has of him.
AngelMilf00: well, you're pretty confident for a young guy.
Hyuck66: does that intimidate you?
One thing about him is he's very confident, which majority of people love. So he's curious to know what Angel thinks. Is he too straight forward? Is that what she likes? Or not?
AngelMilf00: oh, no, of course not. I'm just not used to it, normally guys want to be dominated.
Hyuck66: who said I can't be both?
It's true, he can be both ways. Something about Angel he wants to dominate so badly yet be submissive towards.
AngelMilf00: how many times did you cum the last time we spoke?
Hyuck66: like, a total of 5 times.
Angel didn't say anything else about that. However, the image that was sent by her, Haechan has used for his wank material for hours.
AngelMilf00: all that cum for me?
Hyuck66: i have so much, I'd shower you with all my cum if I could. Make sure every hole sucks my cum right in.
He ain't lying, the amount of times he cummed because of that one image of Angel's breasts, having to change his sheets because of how much his load was falling.
AngelMilf00: such a good boy, always making sure your mistress owns your cum, right?
Hyuck66: yes
AngelMilf00: yes what?
Hyuck66: yes mistress
This is new for Haechan but hearing this just makes him want to be submissve and do exactly what she expects. He bites his lips hearing how much of a good boy he is. He loves praise. Ha.
AngelMilf00: then why the fuck of are you stroking your cock right now? You think im stupid?
Hyuck66: fuck I'm sorry
Shit he gasped. Angel knew him well enough to know its exactly what he's doing. He's stroking his cock right now.
AngelMilf00: are you really sorry?
Hyuck66: yes.. mistress.
AngelMilf00: then don't you dare touch your cock right now.
Haechan groaned. Hes so turned on and his cock is twitching for more touch. It excites him yet frustrates.
Hyuck66: okay, mistress.
AngelMilf00: tell me what you think of doing with me. Want to stretch my cunt out? Can your small cock even do that?
Hyuck66: i keep thinking how pretty your cunt is, more so whilst my cock slides inside. I can't stop thinking how your tight cunt swallows my whole cock in.
AngelMilf00: i can fit my whole fist up my cunt, think your cock can beat it?
Hyuck66: I'd like to think so, mistress
AngelMilf00: slap your cock right now.
Haechan swallows before his hands were raised as he gave a tight slap, causing a stinging pain almost immediate, hissing to himself.
AngelMilf00: is it red?
This just causes him to get even turned on, being denied to touch himself yet he can slap his cock.
Hyuck66: slightly
AngelMilf00: keep slapping it until it gone red
Hyuck66: h-hurts...
AngelMilf00: good. It's what you get for thinking your useless cock is even good enough for me to use. Pathetic.
Blood rushes to his sore cock, veins pertruding out hardening as each second passes. He can't hold himself much longer. He's so whiny and it hurts, he just keeps moving his hips as he lifts them up, imagining fucking Angel's tight cunt.
Hyuck66: fuck
Hyuck66: can I please cum??
Hyuck66: can i use a toy..
AngelMilf00: what kind of toy?
Hyuck66: its a... artifical vagina..
AngelMilf00: what a desperate little bitch. I bet you even made holes in your wall just for that small cock to get action.
Hyuck66: i don't deserve you but can i please use it???
AngelMilf00: God you're the biggest loser ever. Hands not enough for you?
AngelMilf00: how long have you been using it for?
Hyuck66: it's not enough. I'm such a loser it only feels good when I'm inside a hole..
Hyuck66: i wish I could fuck your hole mistress
Hyuck66: I got it a few years ago... I don't use it much now but I'm so fucking horny I need to fuck a cunt badly
Hyuck66: Please mistress 🥺
AngelMilf00: Take a video of yourself fucking into it and send it straight to me
Hyuck66: thank u so much Mistress
Fuckkk.. he bite down his lip, enough to cause a bleed. The humiliation of his old little secrets just makes him grow harder. Impossible for him to even finish himself off with stroking. It's not enough, sweat running down his worn out state. He needs a cunt, a cunt to fuck all the way in and burst his load.
He places his phone at the perfect angle, making sure his lower body parts are all shown.
Haechan rushes up with his sensitive cock, desperate for any kind of touch. He's had people to fuck all the time But for now he has no one, having to improvise.
Getting up towards his drawer, managing to find a toy he's kept well hidden. A time were he was so desperate (down bad) he ordered an artificial vagina just to feel his cock in something tight, sucking him all the way in. What a fucking loser.
He hits the button Record and begins.
He puts it in place. Fingers wetting itself in his saliva before he shoves them inside the artifical pussy. Precum already fell below, making it extra wet for access. Bringing hips forward, pushing his hands on the toy when he makes an entry.
"Fuck mistress..."  he gasps while his remaining inches push through. He feels like he's in heaven right now, being allowed to feel pleasure after being restricted. Although not being  Angel itself, his thoughts can't contain themselves, betting this is how good being inside Angel would feel like.
"Your cunt feels so good... ah..." Closing his eyes as he sways his hips forward, this time increasing his speed. He grunts hard, cock twitching wishing it was Angel.
He whines ever so loudly, his balls are hurting as they smack against the toy. Over extering his power by leaning ahead further, trying to fuck himself quickly as he aches.
"You're so nice to me Mistress," he grunts, speeding his pace like he's fighting for his life. Body covered in full sweat. "Letting me fuck a hole with my useless cock," continuing fucking into the hole savagely.
He's so fucking desperate to cum, his body is bolting into a shock. Cries are coming out of his mouth unable to control himself any longer. He's so ready to burst his load.
"Fuck," he cries out loud biting his lower lip. God he sounds heavenly even when he cries. You can only imagine how beautiful he looks with tears.
"Mmh, c-cumming, c-cumming Mistress..." he bit so hard into the pillow ahead of him, twitching all over once he released his hot cum. Even after he let out his cum inside the toy, he still pushes his cock inside of it. Not being able to get enough of the feeling. Forrcing his cum to stay put as he imagines watching it inside of his Mistress's pretty cunt.
Hyuck66: *sent a video*
Hyuck66: god, that was the best release I've ever had
Hyuck66: my cock still hurts
Hyuck66: i wish it was your cunt instead
Hyuck66: I've never had someone do this to me.. i really liked it Angel
AngelMilf00: I'm glad I got that side out of you baby boy
AngelMilf00: you did so well for me
Haechan felt so exhausted, after having to use his all energy just to release. He never thought feeling humiliation would feel this good. And boy did he love the praise afterwards, grinning hard at the message sent by Angel. Hes so happy she's pleased.
Hyuck66: thanks angel
Hyuck66: i gotta go now
Hyuck66: hopefully we'd speak soon
That was the last message he sent. Weared out by the activity, rushing to the bathroom for a quick shower.
----------------------------------------------------
Holding your grocery bags all at once was probably not the smartest thing to do, causing struggle as you lost grip of them. Great, you thought.
Just as you're trying to grab a hold on a few bags, you see unfamiliar footsteps approaching right towards your direction.
"Need help?" A sweet voice was raised, causing you to lift your head up. It didn't help that the scorching sun was out today, hitting your eyes having to squint at who was in front.
A tall man came in to your peripheral. Legs for days, wearing mid length shorts exposing his thickly thighs. Eyes scanning towards his upper body, straight to his face. His face was illuminating beneath the sun, accentuating his beautiful features. He was a very handsome guy, you thought.
"Sorry, Yes I'd be glad if you could help," You laughed, shaking off your thoughts feeling ever so awkward. Which idiot even picks up this many bags at once? You sighed.
Just as he leaned down, his gaze almost met with yours. You don't know why you felt awkward, eyes looking at everything except him. Feeling shy out of nowhere. Continuing to pick up the remaining bags, until he his hand stopped you.
"It's fine I can hold them for you," bringing his hands forward to take the bags away from you, "I have muscles for a reason," He joked.
You didn't even realise your eyes lingering on his arms as he grabbed most of the groceries. He certainly looks like he goes gym often, you ponder. You managed to break your thoughts and walked over, finding the keys in your purse to open the front door.
You opened your door as you walked inside your home, the boy behind with all of your groceries.
"You can put them on the counter," you spoke out, watching him carry all your groceries putting them directly on it.
"By the way, what's your name?" You questioned.
"I'm Haechan," the cute boy spoke.
"Well thanks Haechan for helping me pick these up." Returning a warm smile.
"My pleasure, a beautiful woman like you shouldn't be carrying heavy things," Flirting right at you.
Beautiful.
It's been days since you've thought of gifting Mrs Lee sonething.
You've been in your kitchen preparing some brownies to offer Mrs Lee for being so sweet and welcoming since you moved in. A kind gesture from your side to return back.
Finally managing to finish them, putting them inside a container. You grabbed hold of it and started walking out of your house straight to Mrs Lee's home.
You reached her porch and knocked on her door a few times, waiting patiently. Figuring she wasn't home since no one opened the door, you decided to walk back, until a door opened.
Haechan smiled widely at the sight ahead, "Well hello there," Leaning on to his door with his messy bed hair, looking attractive as ever.
"Hey," you spoke until you realised who's at the door, "H-Haechan?" You had no idea Haechan was living right next door to your house, neither do you have a recollection of him saying he's Mrs Lee's son. It felt weird but yet a part of you liked to see him once again.
"Ah you're probably surprised, I actually live here," Hand brushing over his soft hair, realising he forgot to mention how he lives right next door to you. "But I'm happy to see your pretty self again," He flirts, leaning against his door with his arms crossed, watching you with a sly smirk.
Feeling flustered hearing him complimenting you once again, fuck. You look down and remember the reason you came here for.
"Actually I wanted to bring these," handing over the container to him, "For Mrs Lee and you." Although they were initially for Mrs Lee, however that's changed now.
"Mrs Lee has been very sweet so I thought i would return her a gesture," you smiled. Handing the box of brownies you made.
Haechan got his hands forward as he reaches for the container, "Oh thanks, made these yourself?"
"Yeah," you replied.
"Then I'm definitely having a taste," licking his lips as he tilt his head to the side, eyes shooting up to you, "Wanna come in?"
You didn't expect Haechan to invite you inside although you knew Mrs Lee, you haven't ever visited inside. It's okay you thought, it's just your neighbour right?
"Uh.. o-okay then," you smiled as you walked in to the house.
"You have a really nice house by the way," you say, as your eyes travel to every part of the home. It was well maintained and clean, hearing some background tv noise playing on inside. You kept strolling around the place.
Your eyes perk up to a portrait of Haechan and his mom. You see where the looks come from, he's undeniably beautiful. You shift your eyes back to him, "Is it just you two in your family?" You asked hesitantly, maybe it wasn't your business but you felt curious to know more.
Haechan walks by your side as you stand there, eyes glued on the image ahead. "Yeah it's just me and my mom," He adds, "It's cool though, I have a lot of cousins and friends living near me, so I don't feel anything less."
You didn't want to further ask any questions since it's not really your business. But having Mrs Lee as his mother, she seems to play both roles fairly well. It must be nice to have people around you, you thought.
"Why did you move here?" Haechan asked, curiousity of what a person like you are doing here. You don't seem to have anyone you live with or any family. He wonders.
Breaking out of thought, you responded, "For a fresh start I guess." You chuckled slightly.
"Bad relationship?" He questioned, surprising you how he guessed that immediately.
"Yeah, my ex wasn't the best after all. Cheated on me with some younger girl," you spat. Haechan's eyebrows raised in quickness at the allegation. Its surprising to him, you're drop dead gorgeous. Clearly that man must have been on some form of crack.
"Ouch," trying to sympathise. "That must have hurt."
"Mm," you breathed out. Not really wanting to get in to the details of how it truly made you feel. You're way over that stage of life now.
Having no idea that Haechan's eyes were glued on to you throughout the whole conversation.
"It must be lonely for you not having someone around," Sounding like he wishes he could change that for you.
You shrugged, "it can be sometimes but I'm okay with it."
"It's a shame," he cooed. Almost like he's making fun of your phlight which made you furrow your brows.
"And why is that?" You spoke, well yes it was a shame what happened but you cant change the past. Frankly you give no shit about what happened.
He looks straight ahead as you both stand, "Whoever that guy is was a fool. Real men now better." Its hilarious how someone like Haechan says these things, he's a young guy after all. What does he know?
Your face turns to the side where he stands straight, eyes fixated on him as you speak, "Know what?" You don't know why you even thought its wise to ask that from someone like him. Maybe you wanted a start, a start of something...
He tilts his head as he looks straight at your curious state, gaze almost turning darkly, leaning in as his finger pushed back the hair fell across your face, tucking it behind your ear gently. "That woman like you deserve to be fucked, fed and bred."
You froze. Hands tugging onto your clothes hearing the lewd words coming from Haechan's mouth. Mouth slightly opening feeling like the air has been pulled out of you. It was dangerous to ask him such a thing, what did you expect from a overly flirtatious young guy?
You'd be lying if you didn't get some thoughts, imagining how it'll be like to get bred... fucked... No! No! This is wrong. He's Mrs Lee's son. How on earth would she react knowing you think of her son in such ways. But you can't fight the tension that's been lingering since the very first meeting. He's youthful, handsome and so cocky.
You swallow hard before you could even speak, even his touch is driving you insane. "I... I h-have a delivery coming soon.. I should leave now," Trying to think of mere excuses just so you can get out of this situation. The longer you remain here the more your thighs squeeze harder, hoping Haechan doesn't notice what is bundling beneath.
Haechan smiled, "Of course. It was nice speaking to you. I hope to see you soon."
You hate how normal he acts while you become a whole mess infront of him.
Running isn't your forte but god, did you run for your life right there. Finally entering your house as you slammed your door, your back pressed against the cold. What the hell was that? Unable to even make sense of what just actually occurred. Did he just imply that towards you?
Closing your eyes shut as you bite down your lip, wondering how he would fuck. The type that pounds you straight to your next life. Absolutely relentless. You bet he knows exactly what a woman wants. Has he fucked a lot of girls? Has he been with someone older? The way he carries himself shows a sense of pride of knowing everything, such a cocky shit.
Can he handle you? Does he know the very nice neighbour of his holds a quiet secret? The secret how your the complete opposite of you show yourself to be. No one knows why you moved away, except Haechan now. But what he doesn't know is how you dealt with the cheating. Extremely hurt and questioning your self worth. Feeling like you was never good enough.
That was until you came across a part time role doing some online chatting on some sex app. All you had to do was talk and send pictures to a bunch of men online, young or old and fulfill their fantasies on some site.
It helped tremendously, boosting your confidence and feeling extremely desired. You felt wanted and sexy for once. Even met up with a couple who you explored yourself with, discovering a side of yourself you never even knew existed.
You walked over your room, going through your draw picking up one of your favourite vibrators. Maybe you can't fuck Haechan, but you can fuck yourself over his thoughts right?
That's when you got rid of each clothing and threw them on the floor. Spreading your legs only to find a strong aroma hitting your nose, your dripping so fucking badly.
Pressing the level to the highest setting, holding it closely to your clit as it vibrates all around it. Wandering how Haechan would eat your cunt, swirl that tongue of his he always let's out while he licks his lips. The type who forces his face inside your thighs and suffocates. He keeps begging for more, wanting to savour every fluid that comes out of your body..
"O-omg... H-Haechan...." hands touching your entire body wishing it was his, this time it didn't take long to cum. Already being a complete mess.
Your gasping for air, riding out the extreme orgasm thay jolts over your body. Legs trembling as the feeling is washing all over you.
----------------------------------------------------
This aint enough for you having to constantly fuck yourself over him. Its been days. You think maybe finding someone and just fucking the tension with them will solve this lingering issue, right?
You managed to scoop a date online from one of your dating apps, you was always a regular on it until you felt bored. You just need a good fuck that is all, expecting nothing else. That's when you came across Joshua. A well spoken guy who is extremely attractive and has a great personality.
He instantly wanted to see you once you both spoke away, meshing really well together. You gave him the time and address to pick you up, as he really wanted to take you out for a date. And why not? After all it's a great distraction from Haechan, fucking on another dick.
He wanted to see you later in the evening time, leaving you only a few hours to get ready. You showered and dried up, applying your lotion around your entire body. Even massaging your breasts whilst your at it, getting them plumped up. Once your done, you start looking through your closet until your eyes fell on a dress. Opting for a tight hugging dress, emphasising on to your beautiful curves.
You kept looking directly at the mirror, in awe how godly you looked right now. Waist snatched, dress complimenting each body part. Getting just in time ready, quickly applying your favourite perfume all over yourself. Applying lipstick just before you leave the house. You knew you looked good tonight.
Joshua parked outside your house, sending a message of his arrival. Your face lit up once you saw the text and begun to walk over your door. Finally. A part of you was nervous, what if Haechan was outside? What would he think? But you brushed those anxious thoughts off.
You walked out of your porch, until you heard someone call you. Please don't be Haechan...
"____ you look beautiful!" Mrs Lee spoke, eyes gazing your entire body before looking back up, "what's the occasion? A date?" She raised a brow.
You let out a slight giggle, thanking God it was someone else who called. "Thank you Mrs Lee. Yes, I'm going on a date."
"Oh he's going to be mesmerised once he lays his eyes on you, I hope you enjoy your date."
"Thank you," you smiled politely. If only she knew the reason why you're going on this so called date is to fuck your frustration over her son.
---------------------------------------------------
You arrived home not long ago. You had a great time over all, Joshua took you out for a nice meal which he paid for then you both had some car sex. He was a great fuck, you loved every second of it. However, you still feel this ache between your legs. Your mind yet again going back on to the flirty young neighbour of yours.
Wondering if it was Haechan fucking you instead... Nope. Not again. Head already hurting just be the thoughts of it. It'll probably never happen, or is it you just don't want it to happen?
That was until you hear your door bell ring. Who the hell would it be during this time? Walking up until you opened the door, eyes widening in surprise to see who is standing at the door, Haechan. The same person you've been wanting to avoid the whole time coming at the possible worse timing ever. It's like he just read your thoughts, feeling completely suffocated in his presence.
"Woah... you look gorgeous."
The first thing he uttered, only to cause your cheeks to fluster at the said compliment. It happened every time, whenever you came across Haechan he always managed to make your cheeks flared, hotness emitting from it. But he always had something to say and like usual he complimented. Not thinking to highly of it.
"That dress hugs your figure really well. I like it on you." His eyes linger down longer, Another compliment yet again. You had to make sure he was alone, you looked over him to see if there's a sign of anyone else there but it was full of silence.
"Thanks Haechan," you shyly responded being infront of his dark gaze. Before you could say anything else he spoke up.
"Can i come in? I wanted to talk to you."
"Sure," you said, walking letting enter as you close the door from behind. You walk towards him in the living room as he stands.
''So what did you want to speak about?"
"How was your date?" He shooted right away, curiosity in his mind. How did he even know?
"How did you know I went on a date?"
"Ah, my mom mentioned it earlier, said you looked stunning, which I don't doubt," Licking his lips as he gazes down your body.
"Ah it was fine..." you spoke as you looked down. You didn't want him to be here right now. Feeling the ache between your legs hitting you more. As much as you wanted him, you know how to separate your job between real life, which is why you always tried to avoid him whenever you came across. Which is why you fucked Joshua 2 hours ago.
"Your date got really lucky", if you was mine this entire outfit would be ripped off as soon as I laid eyes on you." Somehow he boldness coming from his words like never before. Was he drunk or something?
"Haechan, stop. This is really inappropriate of you." You snapped back.
"Oh fuck sakes. He sighed annoyed. You should know by now what I think of you. The filthy thoughts i have of you in my mind..."
"I think you should leave."
"I don't think you want me too," He smirks walking over to you. Your mind puzzled with thoughts, not realising your going down towards the kitchen counter as you hit behind it. His hand one the cold surface locking you in. "Think I haven't catched you staring at me all the time?"
He leaned in so close to your ears, with a small whisper, "Think I didn't notice the way you squeezed your thighs together that day _____?
"Nonsense," you spit.
"What's nonsense is how bad you want me to the point you had to go on a date with another guy just to fuck. Bet you thought of me when he fucked you huh, wishing it was me. Even playing with that wet cunt of yours, I know you think of me too..."
"S-stop..." you plead. Shutting your eyes to avoid eye contact. Feeling like he'd see you falter and the act of how you truly feel will come out.
"Why stop when it's only right? When we both want this? When it feels so good..." whispering into your ears
He was right. Suprised to hear the truth behind his words. You've been gawking at him ever since, lewd thoughts consuming your mind throughout the day. Fingering yourself for nights.
His knee comes between your legs as he spreads them open, watching how you slowly grind over them desperately, "You love this."
"What do you want Haechan?" Looking straight ahead watching how he leans in even closer to proxmity.
"You know what I want," the boy utters a whisper besides your neck leaving a cold sensation, causing a shock to your body that you aren't used to.
"But I can't.." you desperately sigh. Closing your eyes wide shut. The placement of his lips felt so good yet you just couldn't, it was wrong. What would happen if his sweet mom found out?
"You didn't say that during our conversations, AngelMilf00..." he snickered, feeling a smile above your skin he laid his lips on.
"W-what....." you barely managed to utter out being in a state of confusion, eyes opening wide at the shocking statement. A million questions surrounding your mind. Puzzled by his words. How does Haechan know your AngelMilf00? Who told him? How did he know you use that website? How did he find out?
"H-how do you k-know about that...?" You asked nervously, still in utter shock.
"So... wait, you're... Hyuck..."
"66," he finishes.
"Believe me I was shocked myself too. I thought i was being delusional but you have the exact same birth mark on your chest," He points his finger directly on to it. God even his touch fucking feels electrifying.
"I remembered seeing you before and I noticed that mark. But for some reason I couldn't shake it off, the more I saw the picture you sent me, the more I was convinced it's you."
"Mistress.."
Hearing him call you that sent a shock to your body, your cunt barely surviving as its heart beat increases. Fuck. His sweet voice calling you, the times when he was being such an obedient boy. It was him all along.
You gulped hard as you heard him talk. How something so small can expose everything. It's quite ridiculous to even say that allegation, but it was right in your case. It was you after all.
"So thanks to your beautiful birth mark on my favourite set of tits", Eyes flicking down with his fingers wandering down to your breasts, I just knew right away. So tell me sweetheart, Am I right?"
You never would have guessed Haechan would be one of the people you speak with. Still shocked, how that very person you had admired lived right close to you. All them nights of speaking, fucking on your fingers in thoughts of him, wanting him to put you in your place as much as you wanted to do him. And here he is, the man himself.
"F-fuck.." you slowly muttered, breath getting hitched up before speaking up, "Y-you're right Haechan."
Haechan chuckled, doing that hot habit of his when brushing his fingers in his hair, grinning so hard."I can't stop thinking about you, how good you'd take up all my cock inside your cunt. But I can't stop thinking how much ur dripping underneath this pretty dress."
"Who said I'm dripping?" You retorted, with a half grin across. The lies told by you is ridiculous. Knowing damn well your wetter than ever at this very point yet the brat in you wants to not admit it.
Haechan extends his hand on your thighs before his fingers swirl up towards your heat, causing you to bite your lips. "So if I just put my hand under your needy cunt you're telling me you won't be dripping of wetness?"
He's not stupid. He knows how his touch drives you insane just by seeing your reaction, leaving a small whimper.
Ever since he's entered in your home, He can't help but think what flimsy material that dress is. Easily ripping apart. Leaving nothing to his imagination, hugging your curves so tightly.
You grab hold of his hand tightly, stopping him from entering inside, "I guess I should teach you other ways to find out, don't you think baby?"
And here comes the side of yourself which Haechan always wanted to experience, for once finding someone who counterparts and puts him right in his place, happily.
"Then teach me," Haechans voice drops lower, face pushing down towards your heaving chest as he looks up,"Teach me how to make you feel good mistress..."
"Sit." You demanded.
All Haechan has ever acted was being cocky for his own good. You know what will put him in his place right now.
He kneels down as he gazes up, eyes turning from dark to soft in an instant, like a stupid little puppy waiting for his treat.
"You got quite a mouth on you, you know that?"
"But I-.."
"Shut the fuck up. Did I ask you to speak?"
Pulling your dress all the way up only for Haechan to see you have absoutely nothing on underneath. Your bare cunt is just dripping with slick, throbbing for touch. Spreading your thighs wide enough, pulling his face closer to nozzle in between your thighs.
Shivering from whats happening, he squeezes his own thighs in pleasure. His cock hurts so so bad. But he wants to please his mistress.
His lips launch around the folds, slight hair which prickles his face. You love the feel of his fat pink lips going all across.
You grab on to his soft hair only to pull it vigorously, an indication for Haechan to keep going. He can't even pause for any second to let out a breath. You want to cum. It's a need, a necesscity.
Grinding all over his gorgeous slick filled face, you slightly squat your thighs on to his cute nose as it hits the clit. Wanting him to feel suffocation, the only way to serve you is being close to giving up entirely. His hands tighten against your thighs, red marks arise having his fingers firmly pressed into your skin. A sign of struggles, you can hear his groans. His face being filled of your cum and his own tears, looking the most beautiful ever.
Thighs burning so badly, moving away from his nose, you move your hips all his mouth. The gush of his own saliva splattered all over. He fucking loves eating pussy, he just wants to take you all in, being all kinds of nasty with you.
"Look so pretty with a cunt on your face, Keep going and you might get a treat," You praised, moving your fingers on his around his cheek looking down at the desperate little bitch who would do anything to please his mistress.
Haechan loves hearing praise, knowing he is doing such a good job. It further excites him by becoming aggressive with his sucking, his tongue spreading over your folds before he shoves them deeply inside your cunt. Making you tremble as the pleasure begins to overflow your entire body.
"K-keep going," you breath out with a moan, mouth opening wider each time he swirls his tongue around, inserting it in and out. You knew your approaching your end very soon as your body continues to shake tremendously, legs aching not being able to remain stable.
You have your hand on the kitchen counter for support, spreading your legs further just to feel his desperate tongue slurping all the way down to your ass. Running your own hands to your breasts, you tightly squeeze and pinch your nipples. Knowing how much he admires your breasts you put on a little show for him, as hes not being allowed to touch.
He growls loudly inside of you, veins popping out from his neck ready to burst. He continues to get aggravated. He hates how he can't even put his hand above and fondle your beautiful breasts. Suffering just by watching, cock hardening at each second. You know the look he has in his eyes, he's at his breaking point. You love it.
"Shit, I'm going to squirt.." you shivered as you spoke. You stop moving but Haechan pulls you closer beneath you, his eyes begging for more. He's not done yet, he wants to ride you out completely.
"N-need to be good, I want to consume it all, I wanna be your good boy-, he sniffles in between with cum filled around his features. His eyes almost puppy like, watering with your slick mixed with tears. He looks so cute like this.
"P-please Mistress," he begged so obediently.
"O-open your mouth baby," Releasing once his mouth is entirely open, flushing down the liquid that exerts out from you. Looking below and watching how he doesn't miss a single drop. He enjoyed it so much, still slurping your hole because he loves to give pleasure.
You bring him up and immediately kiss him. Feeling the taste of your own self on his lips.  "Fuck me Haechan," you murmured against his lips hard, bodies colliding roughly.
You love teaching him a lesson, he's always been cockier than ever and deserves to be put in to place. However, you know how great he'd be fucking you, mouthing full of disgusting things. You love to be dominated.
"Gladly," he excitedly states. He knows he won't be able to last long at all and needs to feel being inside of you. Removing his belt, taking his pants half way down, he flips you around against the counter.
He slaps your swollen cunt hard then soothes it with his mouth as he kissed, "Fucking love this cunt," he groans, eliciting a loud moan from your mouth.
He strokes his cock once before pushes it through your abused cunt. You can feel the way all his inches pushed through, his cock felt so good inside you. This is what you've always wanted to feel, Haechan's cock sliding through.
"Mm.. your cunt is much tighter than I thought." he growled. Eyes rolling back feeling your warm cunt. Increasing his pace once he settled in. He sinks lower and lower with his hands over your waist, making you feel all his inches.
"You feel so big in me," you moaned. His cock was a fairly decent size with thick grith. He felt perfect, strecthing out all yours walls already. Like he's made for it.
He delivers small licks over your spine, causing a shiver over your entire body. "Yeah? Giving you deeper strokes, Thought I had a small cock, huh?"
His hands grab on to your breasts, squeezing them before he flicks with his fingers.
Your eyes rolling back, Haechan is thrusting aggressively. You know he felt some way about it but really you just was playing.
"Mmm.." you wince out.
"Those grown men know nothing. You're just a slut in heat. Begging to get fucked," mercilessly fucking you with his other hand finding its way to your clit. Speeding roughly as his hand moves around the clit.
"Your c-cock feels so good..."
Haechan chuckles, "Oh I know it does. That guy definitely didn't fuck you right, needy cunt of yours keeps begging for my cock," Smacking your ass with a loud thud, groaning as he thrusts his hips forward, pushing you on to the cold surface.
Haechan squeezes your throat, balls smacking behind your ass as he begins to feel like he's coming. Fucking you straight animalistic.
"Only i can fuck you this good," ramming his cock faster as one hand is on your throat, tightening as he increases his pace. You can hear his gorgeous loud groans, his drool coating your back as it slips behind you.
"Wanna know something? Getting slower in his pace after the build up, making you wince. "I've been fucking others but I don't even cum in them. Wanna know why?"
"W-why Haechan...." you muffled out
He picks his pace back up, going ballistic with his balls hitting behind, hand grabbing your throat pressing on it roughly, making you suffocate and harder to breathe.
"Because you own my cum. It belongs to only you."
"C-cumming.... oh.... fuckk..." you cried. Your whole body shaking, legs trembling from the orgasmn that just occurred. Rolling your eyes back and loudly moaning, you creamed all over his cock. The feel of his hot cum shooting all over your cunt and owning it was the best thing you ever experienced.
He keeps thrusting his cock inside your wet cum filled cunt, making sure your inside sucks it all in. Swallowing it down.
"Shit.. your cunt felt so good I couldn't help but fucking bust," he looks in awe at how much your dripping.
You loved it. Finally fucking Haechan and getting rid of the frustration building between you both.
You both cleaned up in the shower together, then he left soon after.
Already you're feeling ache down below. But at least now you can call him over and fuck how ever much you wanted.
Texting Jaemin:
Haechan [12.30am] yo u won't believe who i just fucked...
Half an hour after
Angel [1.00am] meet me tommrow
Angel [1.01am] miss your cock
Well that article was true after all.
©2022 lostlovesoul11 all rights reserved.
2K notes · View notes
risenwrites · 4 months
Text
Title: Hustler
Pairing: Sampo Koski X Historian! Female! Reader
Warnings: The reader is not the Trailblazer. Reader has a BIG crush on Sampo. Some slightly suggestive themes. Manipulation of feelings, aka Sampo, is an asshole. Based off of the “Everwinter City Museum Ledger of Curiosities” Event, so minor spoilers.
Word Count: ~3.4k
Status: Semi-Edited
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You stare at Pela, eyes wide like she'd told you the world was ending. Which, for you, practically was thanks to the favor she asked.
Pela wanted you to catch the person behind the recent thievery of artifacts. You, of all people? The whole situation had been explained to you with, at least you hoped, no details left out. Helping the Silvermane Guards catch a criminal sounded exciting, but at the same time, you fear for your safety. You press your lips together while fiddling with your fingers. The short Silvermane Guard looked at you, eyes filled with hope, and all you could do was look away.
"… I'm not sure about this, Miss Pela. Shouldn't you tell this to the Temporary Museum Director?" you ask, dearly hoping she'll listen to you. "After all, you two had worked so hard to get to this point in the investigation," you added. Pela simply smiled and shook her head. Which had you internally deflate and panic at the same time.
"I don't want to trouble them more since they're getting so close to completing the museum," she explained. "Besides, sending you in their stead will lessen the chance of Mr. Cold Feet escaping since you are– sorry, were Norbert’s friend. Tell Mr. Cold Feet that Norbert sent you, or you could pretend to be Norbert since you know him so well!"
You tried to give her a look to tell her you weren't quite sure, but you could tell she didn't notice as she continued to smile at you. Even if she did, you were sure her mind was already made up. You sighed and placed a hand on your face while shaking your head.
"Miss Pela, I'm a civilian… What if this person turns out to be dangerous? I'm only a historical researcher for the museum. I-I really think sending me is a bad idea." you try to argue.
Again, Pela shook her head with a smile. "I promise you'll be safe. I'll keep in touch with you through text, and if you don't respond for more than a few minutes, I'll head over immediately," she explained while placing a hand over her heart. "I swear on my duty as a Silvermane Guard that no harm will come to you. If it helps, I can add some payment for agreeing to help."
You hated it, but when Pela mentioned payment, you were almost hooked. It took all you had to not agree immediately. Having some extra money would be fantastic, especially with how much your personal funds went toward your research. Maybe now you could pay for some healthy food…
You mentally slapped yourself and shook your head. Swallowing hard, you looked down at your feet in contemplation. Should you really agree to help? Yes, you'd get paid, and there was guaranteed help if the situation went south. Still, this would be very dangerous for you, and something in the back of your mind was telling you to decline. Yet when you looked up to tell Pela your answer, the words got stuck in your throat from seeing Pela's smiling and hopeful face. You chew the inside of your cheek, then sigh in defeat.
"Okay… I'll help," you reluctantly agreed with a weak smile.
Pela practically beamed upon hearing your agreement. You'd never seen her this happy outside of her passion for books. "Wonderful! You should head over to the Grand Gothe Hotel immediately to avoid having Mr. Cold Feet get suspicious," she quickly explained.
You give a slight nod, and while unsure you made the right choice, you wave goodbye and leave for the hotel.
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Upon entering the hotel hallway, you received a text from Pela. You pulled out your phone and quickly looked over the messages.
"Okay... Lightly knock three times, then hard twice. It should be easy to remember," you think as you approach the door.
You take a moment to gather your thoughts and ready yourself before lightly knocking three times, then hard twice. When there was no immediate response, you internally panicked and wondered if you'd somehow gotten the password wrong.
"Uh... Norbert, is that you?" a familiar voice asked from the other side of the door.
At that moment, you froze and felt butterflies appear in your stomach. You'd recognize that voice anywhere, and hearing it had you panic more. There was no way he was the one behind all this trouble. Sure, you'd heard rumors about the shady dealings he had. But now he was an upstanding citizen of Belobog who helped save it alongside the Trailblazers-
You flinched out of your thoughts when the voice spoke again, "Hey... you're takin' an awful long time to respond, Norbert."
With panic running through your veins, you cough a little bit to hopefully get your voice to sound like your old friend. "Apologies, yes, it's me," you answered.
The person on the other side of the door groaned and then spoke, "What took ya so long? I was worried the Silvermane Guards mighta got to ya! But yer not the type to turn someone in at first capture, riiiiiight?"
It took everything in you not to chuckle at how he said: "right." A genuine smile appeared on your face, along with a blush, and you could feel your heart beat faster. However, that also made your heart metaphorically break since there's only one person you know who makes you feel this flustered. Which meant he was the one behind all these thefts.
"Well, it's time for me to get on out of here. After all, we already made a nice little fortune on this trip, huh?" the voice continued and pulled you, once again, out of your thoughts. You blinked a few times, trying to think of how to respond.
"How could I ever betray such a dear friend?" you asked rhetorically, voice still sounding like Norbert.
"Uh-oh, someone is getting a little emotionally overinvested..." the voice almost immediately responded, which surprised you slightly. You'd always thought he'd treat his customers, well, so-called customers, like friends since that's what he liked to call them, at least when he was talking with you.
The voice playfully scoffed. "You know what we are?" the voice continued. "Accomplices. You know what that means? Partners in crime! You know what else that means? We're not friends!"
Your heart sank a little bit, and the smile you had began to turn into a frown. Did... did he think of you like that, too? Even if you had never been one of his customers... you'd helped out before when he needed someplace to stay in the Administrative District. Everything about your friendship with him started to be questioned since now you weren't even sure if the Sampo you knew was the real Sampo.
"Alright, enough chinwagging. So, how much did the microfilm sell for?" the voice suddenly changed topic while you were still lost in thought. You hardly paid attention or thought clearly about how much the artifact would sell for when you answered.
"500,000 credits," you answer almost immediately and, without realizing it, begin to slip back into your normal voice.
The voice on the other side of the door was quiet for a moment. "... What? 500,000?! No offense, kid, but I can't see you haggling that kind of number... Or maybe you... Ugh! What- what kind of hotel is this, anyway?! No peepholes on the door?!"
Upon realizing your mistake, you snapped out of the spiraling thought process you'd been having. Your face paled in panic, and you tried to think of some way to get a better handle on the situation before he could get away. However, he spoke before you could think up some way to have him not suspect you.
"Ya'know, I just realized there's something I forgot, uhh, maybe you can help me remember. That Gears and Wisdom sculpture I told you to take apart and hide away... Can you remind me of how many pieces it had?" the voice asked, sounding suspicious.
"Easy, a little under 60," you said simply since you knew how many pieces were in the sculpture. You quickly froze when you realized that you stopped mimicking Norbert’s voice.
When “Mr. Cold Feet” didn't respond, panic flooded your system as you worried your cover had been blown. You knew this was a bad idea, yet you still agreed to get some much-needed money anyway. Maybe you weren't so different from him as you thought, but there was no time to dwell on that thought. Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and forced the door open even though it might have badly bruised your shoulder and arm.
You opened your eyes to see the person you feared was on the other side of the door: Sampo Koski.
He put a hand on his forehead and gritted his teeth together while looking away in some form of shame. "Uh, ugh..." he grumbled and avoided eye contact momentarily. Then he forced a smile and looked at you. Both of you were silent for many seconds.
"Oh... uh guh huh, I mean-- oh! If it isn't my valued friend," he forced out while rubbing his hands together. "What a pleasant surprise to see you again. Isn't it amazing how fate brings people together? Hah? Hah? Our bridge of friendship could extend all the way to Everwinter Hill!"
You weren't sure what your expression looked like, but whatever it was, Sampo looked away very quickly. For your own sake, you hoped the heat in your cheeks was from rage rather than being flustered from looking at him. You swallowed hard and began fiddling with your fingers again.
"... Some people had been guessing you were behind all this... At least that's what I'd been told," you explained, and you could hear the heartbreak in your voice.
Sampo's eyes widened, and he brightened up for a moment. "Guessed? So... they don't have any evidence," he said with a sly grin starting to appear on his face. However, he quickly made that grin disappear as he turned away from you. "Hah, well, I mean, how could they? You already know that yer old buddy Sampo is a model citizen these days! Y'know, the guards on security duty in the restricted zone? I-"
"Deliver their breakfast every day..." you finished for him, having heard him talk about it many times. "Yes, I know... You've told me when you've stayed over at my house."
Once again, the room became quiet as you tried to wrap your head around this turn of events. You could feel some tears of sadness and frustration begin tickling your eyes. You'd so badly wanted to believe the rumors about him were wrong. That he wasn't the conman everyone made him out to be. You desperately tried to not start crying as he turned back to you.
"... So, uh, kinda cold out, haha... Man, this is getting uncomfortable," he tried to make small talk but quickly gave up. "Um, okay, okay, I have a proposal-"
"Do you think of me as a friend? O-or as someone you can use for free housing?" you suddenly cut him off.
His eyes widened in surprise before he blinked a few times. "Huh? Why would ya ask that question in this kinda situation? Aren't ya here to bust me and get me arrested?" he asked in complete confusion.
You ball your hands into fists and press your lips together. Taking a deep breath, you look him in the eyes while a few tears roll down your face. His eyebrows were furrowed together in what you hoped was confusion and concern since you started crying. At first, you didn't say anything since the words kept getting caught in your throat. Like if you were to say anything, all the disappointment would come flooding out in the form of sobs.
"... Is this all because of what I said when I thought you were Norbert?" he asked with a small sigh. "Because if it is, that's pretty silly since what I said was meant for him. Not you," he quickly added with a slight chuckle.
You press your lips together and narrow your eyes at Sampo. You wanted to believe him, really you did, but you still were unsure since, in the past, he never even stayed at your place long enough to have a meal with you. That was something friends did together, right?
He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. Then he suddenly brightened up and grinned like an idea popped into his head. Confidence began to ooze from him as he moved into your personal space. Before you could react, he leaned his face close to yours and brushed the back of his fingers against your cheek. With his other hand, he wiped away some tears with his thumb.
Immediately, your face turned bright red, and you tried to look anywhere in the room except him. You could hear your heartbeat hammering in your ears as you tried to calm down from having him invade your personal space. A shiver ran down your spine from his warm breath on your face. 
"Hey, hey, why you lookin' away?" he asked with a hurt tone. "Like I was saying before, I have a proposal for you! I'm sure you'll find it very reasonable," he began with his hands resting on your face. "I've been making a small fortune recently in the artifact business lately... I'd be willing to give a third of my earnings. How about that? In exchange, I only ask you, please don't tell the Silvermane Guards about me."
You swallowed hard and stared into his eyes. You soon glanced to the side and brought your hands to your chest. "If that's all he was going to say, why did he feel the need to invade my personal space?!" you internally screamed.
"I-I doubt they'd believe me if I said something like that... Besides, stealing and selling m-museum artifacts is illegal... a-and I work at the museum so..." you explained, keeping your gaze away from his eyes.
Feeling his sigh fan across your face had you jolting in surprise. You felt his hair tickle the side of your face while he moved his mouth to your ear. He chuckled and whispered, "Y'know something? You're not very subtle, sweetheart."
Your eyes widened in panic, and you went ridged. Did... did he know how you feel about him? Who are you kidding; of course, he would figure that out. The feeling of one of his hands moving from your face stopped your short train of thought. You took in a sharp breath as you felt him run his hand down along the side of your body until it came to a rest at your hip.
 "Maybe along with a few of my earnings... I can also pay up for all the times I've stayed at your place? Maybe something you'd enjoy doing with me? Hm?" he hummed into your ear.
"I-I-I, uh, um, I-I d-don't know this is r-really sudden-" you stuttered out while trying to back away, only to find your back bumped up against the door. A loud "eep!" was forced out of you when Sampo moved and stopped touching your face in favor of leaning against his forearm above you. He pulled away from your ear to have his lips close to kissing yours.
"Aw, come on, I've seen how you look at me. Your face turning bright red whenever you see me in public... heartbeat racing. Gotta tell ya, seeing you get so flustered every time you see me is fun to watch~" he stated with a smirk. Though, for some reason, this smirk felt more... sinister than other ones you've seen him wear.
He let out a breathy sigh and lidded his eyes. "We don't have to go all the way... Just let me give you one kiss~" he whispered despite how he was practically kissing you already. "Then later, I'll swing by and drop off the money. Maybe then you'll be more up to going all the way?"
The world around you spun as you tried to calm down from the onslaught against your senses. All of your senses were completely overwhelmed and filled with Sampo. The idea of kissing him had crossed your mind a few times (okay, maybe more than a few), but the suggestion of doing something more had you nervous beyond belief. He'd never show any sign of attraction to you. You could hardly believe that this was really happening. Your thoughts swirled around to the point you couldn't remember why you'd come here in the first place.
Taking a deep breath, you hesitantly moved your gaze back to look into his eyes. Your breath hitched in your throat from the burning passion in his eyes. You’re silent for a moment since all you can do is admire his green eyes. Suddenly, Sampo moved his arms so your head was caged in on both sides by his forearms.
"... O-okay!" you squeak while closing your eyes tight. "Y-yes, I want you to k-kiss me!"
"Finally," he sighed, and you could hear the smugness in his voice. He softly chuckled momentarily, then lightly pressed his lips against yours. "Keep your eyes closed~" he whispered against your lips.
Then, suddenly, he pulled away. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you waited for something to happen. You waited and waited and waited. It was only when you heard your phone buzz that you opened your eyes.
Sampo was nowhere to be seen, and the window had been left wide open.
You stared at the open window, trying to piece together what had happened. When the realization hit, you felt your heart shatter into pieces. You took a few steps forward, tears rolling down your face as you fell to your knees. You lifted up your hands and stared down at your palms for a moment before hiding your face in your hands as you sobbed. He used you. He used you and how you felt to escape arrest. Sure, you weren’t entirely blameless, but the fact he seemed to care so little about you shook you to your core.
Suddenly, you heard someone knocking on the hotel room’s door behind you. “Miss Y/N?” called out Pela, worry laced in her voice.
More panic flooded your system, and you stood up. Images and thoughts of how Pela would react had your hands shaking. If she found out you practically let Sampo escape, you’d be arrested for sure. You wiped away the tears the best you could, but more seemed to keep coming every second. Before you could tell her to come in, Pela opened the door with her expression full of concern. Her eyes widened upon seeing you, and she rushed closer.
“What happened? Are you alright? Did Mr. Cold Feet hurt you?” she asked while checking over you for any injuries.
You stood there, body frozen in place in a mixture of fear and shame. Slowly, you shook your head while tears kept rolling down your face. “Lier,” you bitterly told yourself. He had hurt you, but the emotional wound was still too fresh. Besides, telling Pela what really happened might get her arrested.
Pela didn’t look at all convinced but still nodded curtly. She gently held your hands to give you some comfort while glancing around the room in search of evidence of what happened here. “Did you get the chance to see what Mr. Cold Feet looks like?” she asked while looking back at you.
You stiffened up, unsure how to answer. The bitter part of you wanted to expose Sampo and make him pay for hurting and toying with you. Yet the fear inside you proved to be a much stronger force as all you could do was solemnly shake your head again. Pela stared at you for a moment, then sighed softly, holding your hands tighter.
“I… I’m sorry. You were right; this is no place for a civilian like you. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this,” she apologized, stepping toward the door. “Let’s get you back home to calm down before I ask more questions. Is that okay with you?”
You felt your heart ache even more. Lying hurt so much that you briefly pondered why Sampo lied so often. However, the thought of him had you wanting to curl in on yourself. You followed Pela as she led you out of the room and glanced over your shoulder to briefly look back inside the hotel room. “Y-yeah… that sounds great,” you weakly agreed, closing the door behind you.
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darkstarerotica · 6 months
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Taking Rachel
You tell me you want me to come over. That you have a surprise for me. How could I resist. I've been thinking about you all day. You had sent me pictures of you laid out with an inviting look on your face. Your big blue eyes staring at me through the photo. Framed by your bright blond hair.
Fuck those eyes... They get me every time.
I get to your place. I message you that I've arrived.
"cum on up, doors open" I laugh to myself over her spelling. Always the writer. Always the brat. I remember the messages that she sent me. Stories she was working on that would make my cock grow in my pants. Embarrassing when at work. What am I 16? If anyone noticed no one said a word.
I climb the steps and go into the living room. It's empty but I see a soft light from the bedroom. "Rachel?" No answer. But I hear something from the bedroom. A muffled sound letting me know someone is there.
I go to the door. Knock quietly. No answer just a light moan. I slowly open the door..you're covered in a cozy grey blanket. Your bright blue eyes staring at me. Your hands moving underneath the thick blanket. I stare for a moment enjoying what I see.
"you can continue" I say your eyes close a little as you keep working your pussy. One hand fingering yourself the other gently circling your clit.
"couldn't wait for me, huh?" You shake your head no emitting a emitting a moan as you do. I move over to your chair and continue to watch you. I feel my cock staring to stiffen. The view is heavenly.
After watching for a moment I say "I need a better view of this show" and I slowly pull the blanket off of you. Letting it drop to the floor. I'm surprised you're not completely naked. But I love the outfit. Your white blouse is open showing your pink bra and your wearing that adorable plaid mini skirt. Your eyes get big as you watch me look at you.
I move back to my chair. I'm fully hard now. You continue rubbing your clit taking the other hand to your mouth. Licking your wetness from your fingers then slipping it into your bra and teasing your barely exposed nipple. Teasing your nipples like you're teasing me. Again always the brat.
You start to moan a little louder. "Oh no my little princess, you don't get to cum yet, not until I tell you it's ok. I move to the side of the bed. Standing there I take my belt off. And fashion a loop around the end. I place it around your neck and pull you over to me.
With one hand holding your improvised leash I use the other to unbutton my pants. I slowly unzip them pulling out my rock hard cock. I gesture for you to come off the bed. You nod, well I guess you're not always a brat. "Kneel" I tell you "place your hands on your knees". You must really want my cock because you do it quickly. I pull you towards my hard cock with the belt. Your mouth open and waiting. Your blue eyes staring up at me. "I've been thinking of your cock all day sir". Grabbing my cock in one hand the belt in the other I simultaneously push into your mouth as I pull your neck towards me. I easily slide into your wet warm mouth. My hand free I place it against the back of your head and guide it till you've taken my whole cock into your mouth.
You gag a little but take it all. "Good girl, and on the first try, now let's see those eyes". It takes all my strength not to cum right then. But I've got lots of plans for you tonight. "Keep those eyes up here" I say as I slowly start fucking your face. Deep long strokes. Pushing and pulling simultaneously.
"oh that's a good girl, you're such a good little cock sucker" you moan and nod. Keeping eye contact. Moaning through my thrusts. Girls that love giving head are the best of girls I think. I get lost in the pleasure. Rachel always gives the best head.
With her hands still on her knees my cock is getting dripping wet. Saliva spilling out from her mouth. Streaming down her face to her chest and thighs.
After I've had my fill I pull you up by the neck... spinning you around I grab your arms behind your back pulling tight on your leash. You can feel my hardness between your legs. I kiss your neck and releasing your arms, slide my hand between your thighs. You're so wet your thighs are coated and sticky. "Such a perfect slut, sucking my cock make you even wetter than touching yourself?"
You nod and then that turns into a moan as a finger slides inside you. I return the deep moan. Fuck. You are so wet. But still so tight. "Hands on the bed" I command. You obey. I slide my hands down the side of your back and flip up your skirt. My finger has turned into two fingers and your moans have gotten deeper. I drop to my knees. Staring at your most treasured and sacred centers. I spread you open and my tongue starts to circle your labia. Reaching for and teasing your clit..you smell amazing and taste even better. You moan louder and push yourself back towards me. My tongue taking turns penetrating you circling you. I feel that you might cum. Your legs are starting to resemble.
"no my bratty little princess, not yet". I stop for a moment your breathing slows down. I'm so turned on by how hot you are. Your smell, your taste your wetness..it's taking everything for me to not just ravish you right now.
But instead I spread your cheeks apart. My tongue eagerly finding your tight forbidden hole. Already wet from your pussy I lick it clean circling and rimming you. Your moans turn into vocalizations "oh... Oh... Fuck... Fuck my tight little ass with your tongue" I oblige you completely. My tongue penetrating into your ass. Licking you up and down. The shaking builds again. "Not so fast my little slut" I stand up, grabbing my belt I pull your neck back. Then my hips move toward you. I don't even need to guide it. It knows it's home and slides easily inside you. We moan together.
"fuck, you're so wet... So tight, how's a dirty slut like you so tight?" Only your moans answer me. I place my hands around your waist. Left hand is still holding the belt around your neck. Grabbing tightly I start to pump into you. First softly then getting harder and faster. I move my right hand off your waist and take your shirt off one sleeve at a time. Then I unhook your bra which we slide off of you. I'm holding your skirt up with the belt in hand as I smack into you. My heavy balls striking your clit with every thrust.
I reach around, play with your nipples. Our moans now a choral cacophony. Sliding my hand down I play with your clit. Your knees weaken.
"I said not yet!" I stop and flip you around throwing you to the bed. I push your knees apart and move between you..grabbing your hands I hold them above your head. Mounting you..my cock still knows the way inside you and I simply move my hips into position. But this time I thrust inside you much more vigorously. I hold you there pinned as I fuck your now nearly limp body. Moan after moan escaping your lips timed to each hard thrust.
"that's it my little slut take my cock, let me fuck that pussy of yours like you've never been fucked". Not stopping I pull your head back, kidding your neck. Pumping even harder. You're now practically screaming. My mouth finds your nipples I lick and bite them. Each time sending electricity into your body.
"fuck... Fuck.. fuck me oh God"
"you feel so good, fuck your little slut"
Then finally "I can't, I can't I'm going to cum... I'm going to cum all over your cock... Please let me cum"
Taking pity I whisper in your ear "that's it my little slut, you can cum for me now" you release into a body shaking orgasm..screaming out. Body shivering and quaking. I pull my cock out and watch you as you continue to shake and convulse I straddle you and move up your body. One hand on my belt the other on.my glistening cock I start to stroke it.
"look at me" I say, then those bright blue eyes find mine and that's all I can do. Thick streams of cum accompanied by my tortured moans pour out over your face, eyes, and hair. I collapse beside you. Loosening the belt and pull you close. Your body still trembling. I pull you into me. Your cum covered face nestling into mine.
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anonymousewrites · 2 months
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Adolescent Antichrist (Book 5) Chapter One
Father Figure! Lucifer x Teen! Reader
Chapter One: Is That So Much to Ask on My Birthday?
Summary: (Y/N) has to deal with their birthday without Lucifer.
Mouse Note: Welcome back to Adolescent Antichrist! Book 5 is here! And, yes, we're starting out unhappy. Sorry not sorry, it's necessary. But, anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! Please remember to comment, I love interacting with you guys. I'm so excited to share everything I have planned with you all. I have the next two books planned, and I am just so so excited to start this book and continue this series. Seriously. So, here we go! (Also, me posting a birthday chapter on my birthday??? Wow)
            (Y/N) ignored the knock at the bedroom door as they slept.
            “(Y/N),” called Chloe.
            They groaned and pulled a pillow over their head.
            “(Y/N), come on, everyone’s here,” said Chloe.
            No, they’re not, thought (Y/N).
            “Just come out for a little bit,” said Chloe.
            “Leave me alone,” said (Y/N) finally.
            “(Y/N), all your friends are here,” said Chloe.
            “I don’t care.”
            “It’s your birthday. They want to support you.”
            “It’s my birthday. I just want to be left alone,” snapped (Y/N).
            “(Y/N)—”
            “Go away, Chloe. Please.”
            “…Alright. But I’m right outside if you need anything,” said Chloe.
            She didn’t get another response.
            (Y/N) just curled up more and tried to ignore the outside world. The ache in their heart from Lucifer’s absence hadn’t abated, and they were left feeling empty every day without their dead. They went about their days like a robot, trying to remember how to feel but unable to trust themself to get close to anyone after the person (Y/N) decided to trust first betrayed them and abandoned them.
            Now (Y/N)’s birthday had arrived. They were turning sixteen.
            And their dad still hadn’t come back. They were still alone and broken and empty and tired of everything. Nothing anyone could do could fix the whole Lucifer’s departure had torn in them.
            (Y/N) just wanted him back. They wanted Lucifer to come home. They wanted their dad to come back to them.
            Instead, (Y/N) was forced to confront the fact that he wasn’t coming. Once again, they had to understand that not even important moments of their life would bring Lucifer back. He was gone—forever.
            And (Y/N) would be broken forever.
l
            “Are they coming out?” asked Olive hopefully as Chloe walked back into the living room.
            Chloe sighed and shook her head. “They’re staying in. I’m sorry that you all came out here for this.”
            “(Y/N)’s our friend. Of course we came to support them,” said Noa.
            “Even if they’re not ready to celebrate,” said Leon.
            “But they haven’t felt alright for months,” said Marcel, worried.
            “Is there nothing we can do to help them?” asked Amenadiel, looking at Linda.
            The therapist sighed. “I don’t think so. Only time can really heal this. Lucifer leaving…It’s a big change for them.”
            “And Birdie has enough trauma surrounding abandonment that this really hurt them,” said Em, casting their eyes down.
            “We should leave them alone,” said Chloe. “That’s what they said they wanted.”
            “We’ll leave their gifts here,” said Linda, smiling. “If they need anything, just let us know.”
            “Yes. We’re here to help,” said Amenadiel.
            “Yeah! And we all sent (Y/N) messages to say, ‘Happy Birthday,’ ” said Marcel.
            “They’ll appreciate that,” said Chloe, smiling.
            “Do you mind if I stay here?” said Em. “Just for a little bit. Just…in case.” They couldn’t just stand by. She wanted to help (Y/N) in some way, even if it was just sitting beside them.
            Chloe nodded. “I think that would be good. I have to check in at work, so having someone near with (Y/N) right now would be good for them.”
            “Let us know if we can help at all,” said Noa.
            “Yeah,” said Olive.
            “We’re here for them, as well,” said Leon.
            “I will,” said Em, smiling.
l
            “Birdie.”
            (Y/N) heard the familiar voice, and their heart ached. “What? I thought I told everyone to go away.”
            “They did,” said Em. “But I can’t just leave you.”
            “Whatever,” muttered (Y/N).
            “I’m not letting you break down like this,” said Em resolutely. “I can’t let you just sit there alone and push everyone away.”
            “Fuck off,” snapped (Y/N).
            Em kicked open the door, and (Y/N) yelped, sitting up. “What the hell?!”
            “I said I wasn’t letting you sit in here alone,” said Em, walking in.
            “Go away!” said (Y/N), standing up and glaring. “I want to be left alone to my own misery! Is that so much to ask on my birthday?!”
            Em hugged (Y/N) tightly. (Y/N) froze up and stiffened, not having expected that from Em, who was barely that affectionate.
            “It’s going to be okay, Birdie,” said Em softly, holding (Y/N) tightly.
            (Y/N)’s eyes widened, and they burned as tears collected. “I-I…”
            “I know,” said Em. “I know.”
            (Y/N) sobbed and hugged Em back as the tears began to fall. “He left me, Em. He left me…”
            “It’s going to be okay,” whispered Em, guiding (Y/N) to the floor as their knees buckled and they collapsed. “I swear, it’s going to be okay.” She let (Y/N) sob into their shoulder and held them tight.
            “How could he leave me?” said (Y/N), clutching onto Em’s shirt.
            “I don’t know,” said Em. “But you’re going to survive.”
            “…I just want him back,” whispered (Y/N).
            “I know. I know.”
            This wasn’t going to heal. There would always be a hole in (Y/N)’s heart without Lucifer.
            But Em hoped that they’d find a way to keep going. That was what she wanted for them.
l
            Lucifer stared at his phone, eyes empty of emotion. All he could look at was the picture displayed in front of him. (Y/N)’s face smiled out at him, and it broke Lucifer’s heart.
            He’d never see that smile again. He’d never hug them again. He’d never see his kid again.
            And Lucifer’s heart would never be whole because of it.
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writingsfromhome · 1 year
Text
The Ex-Text
Main: the ex
A/N: The main bits: both you and Harry are the exes of cheating partners (you found out when he texted you). Invited to your exes’ wedding, the two of you decide to road trip it together but it’s not what you thought it was going to be.
Prologue (text) / Main (ex) / Epilogue (what’s next)
————————————————————
I did not expect him to be good looking.
Okay, maybe attractive is a better word. His hair could use styling, his razor blades a sharpening, and his suit could use some tailoring. But he was fit.
“Is this what we’re going in?” Harry, he’d told me his name after I’d responded to his text, points to my blue Volkswagon.
“I don’t see you with a better car,” I didn’t like the hint of judgement in his tone.
Here was the guy who’d sent me what Taz and I called the Ex-Text. Really it was an Imploded-Life Text but it didn’t have the same ring.
I’d held out an hour and then gave in, texting him back: yes. the nerve
Are you going
Ofc not! I’m not a clown
What if we went together. Like flipping them off by going together
Are you still in the revenge phase?
Nah I’m over it. If they’re inviting us we should show up.
The idea of saying fuck you by showing up was appealing.
I should know your name first.
Harry. Styles if you want to search me first
…you barely have any photos of you. I’d continued looking at his online profiles, thinking the idea through before responding. I’ll go if I can drive. You can pay for the trip.
It was a plan: we would drive the 4 hours to Exeter in my Volkswagon and hopefully not want to die in the process.
“We should get a move on. Wedding’s at 3:30,” I get into my front seat and he folds his long legs into the seat beside me. The wedding itself was probably happening as we drove but to be there we would have had to drive through the early morning or stayed over night. Both Harry and I agreed we didn’t want the extra fuss. We would just show up for the reception.
“What’s that smell?” Harry sniffs the air.
“Peaches and cream,” I point to the car freshner dangling from the mirror.
“Smells like a teenage girl threw up a lung filled with peach juul.”
“That’s colourful,” I was starting to regret inviting him on a 4 hour road trip. “You’re not going to be this cheery the whole way through right? Because I was hoping to spend a lot of it moping.”
“Sarcasm,” he snaps his fingers. “My favourite.”
“We’ll get along just great then!” I start the car and get on.
“So why did you agree to this?” Harry asks after only a few minutes of silence.
“I dunno,” I drive carefully as I merge onto the freeway. “I guess it doesn’t hurt to show my ex I’m doing fine.”
“So what did you do when you found out? Trash his things? Set his car on fire?”
“Umm,” I bite my lip. This was embarassing.
“Did…did you beg for him back?” Harry goes with his judgey voice again.
“No. I’m not that pathetic,” I glance at him. He’s fidgeting with his sleeve. “I didn’t do a lot actually. Mostly just ignored him, then cleared out the flat when he was gone. Um…I dunno. I always thought I’d be that American country girl crazy if my man ever cheated on me. Turns out I’m very English.”
Harry laughs, it sounds genuine. “I guess we’re not all Carrie Underwood.”
“Hah! No. What did you do? When you found out?”
“Ehm,” he rolls down a window and rolls it back up. “I didn’t find out she was cheating. She’d actually told me she met someone new-“
“Really?”
“Yah,” Harry fidgets some more.
“How long were you two…”
“Three years or some.”
“Shit,” I didn’t know. I didn’t know a lot about this stranger who shared something this big with me. “I was nearly two years when you sent me those texts.”
“Yeah…we were both blindsided though.”
“Understatement.” I clench my jaw when I remember the feeling of getting those messages. The way my stomach dropped and my life turned upside down. “So you two broke up after that. Then you decided to text me?”
“Funny story,” he says and I know it wasn’t going to be. “I was hung up over it. I sort of stalked her on the internet and her new boyfriend. And I found his instagram with you on it…I reached out to you.”
“Oh,” so I was a casualty in his search for answers. That doesn’t feel good. This whole time I thought he’s been kind enough to let me know from one cheated person to the other.
“Yep,” the silence descends when I don’t respond. It ticks by and I glance at the time. It’s only been 15 minutes.
“So what do you do Harry?” I could barely find anything on social media about him. I was curious.
“I’m a teacher,” he says. I can’t help the sharp look I throw his way.
“A teacher!?”
“Don’t be so shocked.” He mumbles.
“I thought teachers were cheerier, that’s all.”
“Oh and all your teachers were cheery growing up?” I could tell this was a sore subject for Harry. Ha, subject, I smile to myself at the pun.
“Oh no,” I recall my year 7 teacher. “Mr. Harkner hated children. I got in trouble all the time.”
“You? Ms. Troublemaker?” Harry uses the same disbelieving tone I had minutes earlier. It makes me realize he was maybe quite petty.
“Exactly,” I try not to let his attitude bother me. “I never actually did much. Just happened to be wrong place wrong time, and he knew out of all my friends I was the easy one he could pick on.”
“Hmph,” Harry stares out the window.
“What? You find some relatability in the story?” I tease a bit, gauging how uptight he was. Plus, he wasn’t making much an effort to talk. And it would be an awkward 4 hours if we rode in silence.
“A bit,” he glances at me. “It’s just that I treat all my students like that, not just the easy targets.”
For a split second I think he’s serious but when I glance at him I remember what he said about sarcasm.
Game, set and match; guarded and sarcastic. I really did know how to pick a road trip partner.
“That’s good. Fair treatment and all that.” I reply with a smile. Out of my periphery I see him look at me for longer than a glance, and then look back to the window.
He doesn’t return the question.
“So what do you teach?”
“Business. But I studied design. I applied for the digital art position but they stuck me with business.”
“Digital art that’s cool,” I worked with digital artists a lot but because he didn’t seem to care about my side of things I don’t divulge.
It grows suffocatingly awkward as we’re plunged into more silence. I ask him if he wanted to put any music on.
“Sure,” he switches on the radio. I tell him he could connect his phone but he tells me he’d rather the radio.
“So you like pop?” I try for conversation again after listening to obnoxious music for another 20 minutes.
“What?” He snaps out of his daze.
“Pop music,” I motion to the stereo. “You put it on, seem to enjoy it?”
“Oh,” he shrugs. “I just listen to whatever’s on as background noise. You can change it.”
“Yes please!” I hand him my phone from the dash. “Could you connect that and open Spotify. I’ve got a road trip playlist in there.”
He fumbled with the phone like he’d never held one before. “Oh. Uh, you’ve got a few texts.”
“Ooh, from who?” I focus on merging into the exit I needed to take.
“Taz?”
“Oh, my best friend.” When he doesn’t check the message I look over. “What does it say?”
“You-you want me to read your texts?” He looks like I’d told him to flip through my nudes.
“Yes!?” He was kind of really odd. “What’s it-“
“Text me before you head out. And, serial killer vibes? And, you better be driving because I haven’t heard back. Is this about me?”
“Duh Harry c’mon,” I chuckle. “She’s being protective, don’t take it personally. Can you just text her and say everything good with a thumbs up and heart?”
“Uh yeah I guess-“
“Merge into far left lane,” the speakers interrupt.
I wait for Harry to send the text, and go into my Spotify. When Rihanna comes on I smile and finally start enjoying the drive.
“Isn’t this pop?” Harry asks.
“Not-well,” I think about it. “Kind of, in the sense she’s popular. But this playlist is curated. It’s different than turning the radio on and just letting all the rubbish play on.”
“Curated,” I can sense Harry’s judging tone. I choose to ignore it. The song fades out and Taylor Swift comes on next. I also ignore his snort.
We drive another half hour in mostly silence. We comment on the scenery, the few trees that had changed colour, or when we drive by Reading and he asks what went through the namer’s head when they named a town Reading. That started a conversation of places with weird names but Harry’s still very guarded. It leaves me confused how a guy like him would agree to coming to an event like this, and reach out to me to join.
“So Harry,” I turn down the volume a little when we hit traffic. “Why did you agree to this?”
He stutters a bit, the question took him by surprise. “I just want to show Vanessa I’m over it. Say fuck you to both of them. And show her friends and family that I moved on too. I know they all pity me. I’m pretty sure some of them knew about it when it was happening.”
I notice how he can’t name the cheating by its name. “And…have you moved on?”
“Well,” he drums his hand on the door. “Yeah. It’s been over a year.”
“Well I still want to punch his face when I think about him sometimes. I wouldn’t blame you if you weren’t.”
He goes quiet, maybe this is it? He’ll actually open up?
“I don’t think we’re in the same boat.”
Nope. He just closed off even more.
“If you say so,” I keep poking the bear. “If you hadn’t texted me I wouldn’t have gone. I really don’t care what him or his family thinks. They’re all dead to me.”
“But you want to punch his face,” he tries to trip me up.
“Yeah? It would give me some pleasure to do it. Some closure that I got the last…move. But I don’t obsess over it.”
“You’ve moved on? You have a boyfriend?”
“No,” I had gone on a few dates too early and had some regrets. After the fifth bad date in a row I had decided to focus on myself this year. “I’m enjoying being single, on purpose. Just focusing on myself. I’ve been in relationships since my early 20s so…it’s been interesting just being solo.”
“I feel like that’s something girls just say-“
“Then you’re very misogynistic and mistaken,” I cut him off. I’ve had a dozen conversation with men just like this when I told them this piece of info. Including my dad. “Of course it’s a bit hard at first when you’re so used to having a significant other. And sure it gets a bit lonely from time to time. But you learn so much about yourself. And you really learn to appreciate yourself. Have you kept on with the dating then?”
“Uhh,” Harry chuckles, a deep throaty thing. I smile involuntarily. “I don’t know if I’d call what I do dating but…I get around.”
Ah. More things slide into place. Bitter ex, left by his girlfriend. Jaded and jilted. Now he uses as many girls as he can to fill the void she left behind. But he never gets to the root of his issue. Because he won’t face how badly his ex left him like.
See, spending a year alone does wonders on understanding yourself and others too.
“You’re quiet. You don’t like what I said?” Harry asks.
“Oh no,” I laugh. I’d gotten too in my head. “I was just thinking about it all.”
It goes quiet again. None of us talk and my playlist plays on until it ends. It had an hour and a half of music, right on cue as my phone shows we had less than two hours left of this.
“You have any more curated playlists?” Harry asks after a few minutes of silence.
“Why? Did you enjoy the first one so much?” I try to meet his edge with some light teasing but it doesn’t do much to soften the sharpness.
“There’s a services coming up. Can we stop?” Harry ignores me.
“Sure,” I mutter. His wish is my command.
Harry disappears inside once I park and I wander around. I want to buy something at the Starbucks, and catch Harry ahead in line. I excuse myself and join him, he looks surprised to see me.
“Thanks for saving the spot,” I say as I catch a few people shoot me a look.
“I didn-“ I loop my arm through his and raise my eyebrows before he can protest. He seems to understand, although he untangles his arm from mine and moves up with the line.
“We should fill up on gas too,” He tells me. I’m surprised he noticed, he seemed lost in his thoughts for most of the trip.
“Yeah! Thanks for the reminder. Hmm, what are you ordering?”
He shrugs. “Coffee?”
“Anything to eat? I love their cakepops—have you had one?”
“No,” he seemed disturbed at the idea of eating something called a cakepop.
He goes up to order and I do too, settling on an oat latte and a sandwich which I scarf down as Harry fills up on gas. I feel better on the caffeine back on the road.
“So how’s Van?” I ask when we’re back on the road. “I’ve seen her—I mean she’s beautiful. But I don’t know much about the woman my ex cheated on me with.”
“I dunno,” Harry shifts uncomfortably. “That’s a weird question.”
“Not really,” I counter. “It’s not like we have much to talk about, we don’t really know each other too. I’m curious.”
“You know we don’t have to talk?”
I glance at him and our eyes lock. It’s strange, because I’d mostly been looking at his side profile this whole day. His eyes are intense, I’d consider then green but he turns away before I could figure them out any more.
“I know that. Only because you’re doing a really job at it.”
He huffs, I guess it’s supposed to be a laugh because what comes out after is, “For the way you come across, your sarcasm is a nice surprise.”
“What’s that mean?” It was the first time he indicated he was actually paying attention to me, to what I was saying.
“You have this nice single girl thing going on. Even thought the last guy you dated cheated on you and probably ruined your life. Yet you’re this cheery positive girl next door. But your sarcasm gives it away that you’re not all that.”
His analysis shuts up anything I would have said. He’d read me like a book. And here I thought I was doing such a good job at reading him; that he was so indifferent to me just because he was barely talking to me.
I couldn’t deny what he was saying. Taz, the only person I let my sarcastic side out to, had told me many times I was too much of a people pleaser. That Ethan cheating on me should show me no matter how much I please, I can’t convince people to like me or to stay if they don’t want to.
The problem was I didn’t know any other way to be. And it frustrated me. And I had a constant playlist of commentary in my head of how I really felt but I bite my tongue so much it no longer resembles one.
I feel naked.
“That’s an interesting take,” I don’t agree or disagree. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “Doesn’t really answer my question but sure.”
He doesn’t say much. Then he answers, “She is beautiful, that’s what caught my attention when we first met. Back then we were working at the same school. She was in administrative team. She quickly moved on to doing work for the school board itself but when I first saw her I thought Women like her are why men have always been tempted to cheat with their secretaries. It’s ironic…”
It was. It was also stupid. But I let him continue.
“I kept finding excuses to come by her office and talk to her. One thing led to another and when she left the school, we decided to proper go out. She’s smart, sweet when she wants to be otherwise she can really make you beg. She laughs at all my jokes, she was really good with my family. And we shared the same taste in likes—we always agreed on what to do, holidays, date nights, all that. I thought I was going to marry her…”
Harry trails off. His description had veered into the emotional as his words became coated in nostalgia, anger and regret. I pretend not to notice but it was a small car and the silence grows awkward instead.
“Thanks,” I croak. I clear my throat with a swig of coffee. “Thanks for sharing that. At least now I know Ethan didn’t leave me for an empty vessel hey?”
The joke lands flat and I take another swig of my coffee. Harry’s hand drums the door handle again, deep in thought maybe?
I let him be and focus on the drive ahead as the road gets busy again. I wonder if anyone else on this strip of road was also going to the wedding.
I thought it was so weird Ethan had invited me. Maybe from his perspective, it had ended okay despite the way we actually ended? Because I never had the explosive reaction, or the accusatory one, or anything that comes off as angry and hurt. Maybe my dissociated and passive acceptance of what he did made him think I was okay.
I wonder how his family felt, his mum adored me. She used to come to our flat sometimes just to hang out with me. His dad wasn’t really in the picture but I assumed he’d be at the wedding. And his brother who was a lot younger but we’d bonded over video games since I’d recently left a job in that industry. He’d really liked me too. Even though I told Harry they were all dead to me, I did miss the feeling of hanging around his family. They often gave me that warmth my parents hadn’t growing up. And being an only child, it felt nice to bond with his younger brother. That was one thing I took away in my year of reflecting and being alone. Whoever I dated next, I wanted him to have a nice family. One I could get along with. Or at least, that would be a bonus.
“So are you close with your family?” I ask, curious about this guarded and sullen man.
“What?” His confusion makes me giggle, the question made sense in my head but it must have sounded random.
“Sorry, I was just thinking about how I used to be close to Ethan’s family. Before everything.”
“Oh,” he nods. “Yeah. I’ve just got an older sister. But we’re all very close. My mum’s always made sure we have a safe place to come home to.”
“That sounds really nice,” I feel a bit choked up with him saying that. I imagine it, the tenderness my mother never had.
“It is.” He agrees. “You?”
I wasn’t expecting him to ask me back; he hadn’t returned a lot of my questions this trip. Of all the ones he had to return… “No. I’m an only child of divorced parents. We’re sort of scattered. Phone calls on birthdays and Christmas. That’s it. Not that we were very close before the divorce either.”
“Yeah divorces are hard,” Harry says with an emotion I can’t distinguish. “So you spend your holidays alone?”
“Eh,” I try to act nonchalant. This had always been a sore spot for me. “Kind of. Some years I had visited home but my dad sold our childhood home some years back. My friend Taz—the one your texted, usually invites me to hers. Christmas with found family is what we call it.”
I can sense his gaze on me for a while. I try not to fidget, but when the silence goes on too long I look at him and flash a half-smile.
“I’m understanding the sarcasm a bit better now.”
“I-“ I laugh. He’d caught me off guard. He was good at making me underestimate how attentive he actually was. “You should teach English with how well you’re reading me.”
“So I am getting it right?” He says with excitement, it’s a new expression on him. His grin, when I look, looks nice on him. He looks a lot more alive, and for that I don’t berate myself too much for giving that away to him.
“Just remember,” I raise my finger. “I can read you too.”
“Okay well don’t hold back on my account.” He crosses his arms, his body shifting to turn to me.
“Nuh-uh,” I shake my head.
The directions recalibrate just then and his voice is drowned out by the AI. Some roads had cleared up and we were less than an hour out. The proximity had both of us falling silent.
I start to feel the beginning of nerves. I didn’t so much care about Ethan but seeing his family, seeing our friends in common, seeing a part of my past I’d tucked away for good. I wondered if it would bring up any new emotions.
“For a minute there I forgot where we were going,” I try to make light of the intense silence we’d fallen into.
“Me too,” Harry lets out a small laugh.
“I’m suddenly feeling a bit nervous,” I say. I wanted to see if Harry would open up if I did. But he doesn’t say anything at all. Getting him to open up was like prying teeth out. “Are you nervous?”
“No,” he answers too quickly. He must realize this because he goes back on his answer. “A little. Only cuz I don’t know what to expect.”
“Well, they did invite us so,” I shrug. Harry clears his throat, his fingers tapping away on the door. “We just show up, stick up our metaphorical middle finger, eat their food, and then we don’t even have to wait for the dancing. We can leave before if you want?”
“Yeah we’ll see,” he mumbles. Despite our progress in the car he was back to closed off. I sigh, and decide to ignore him.
I ask him to put on the ebook I was recently listening to. It was the latest in my kick of reading more classics. I was making my way through Frankenstein, it wasn’t my favourite but I liked the storyline.
We don’t talk for much else of the trip but Harry grows more fidgety every time my phone gives an update on the route. By the time we take our exit into Exeter he’s practically vibrating.
“Hey,” I put my hand on his knee at a red light. “You gonna be alright?”
His knee stills under my hand. He doesn’t meet my eye as he nods. “Yeah yeah. I’m alright.”
“My car’s vibrating,” I try to joke, gently, maybe get a laugh out of him. “I would’ve told you to skip gas if I knew you could power the car.”
“I’m not a child YN,” he says. My name in his mouth sounds foreign, he hadn’t said it once. It’s a weird realization to have as I get told off by him. “You don’t need to coddle me and try to guess my feelings. I’m fine.”
I plant my hands firmly on the wheel, my heart dropping. I thought we’d gotten to a friendly place, but turns out he was just as much of an arse than when we started 3.5 hours ago.
“Alright then,” I mutter. He ignores me. Nothing new.
But a few minutes of driving he apologizes. “I didn’t mean to be so rude after you drove us here. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah,” I wave away the apology. “It’s an intense thing we’re going to it’s alright.”
I know he’s looking at me but I ignore him. I was upset at the way he’d spoken but we were stuck together and I didn’t want to dwell on it. He was my only lifeline at this wedding, so I wanted to minimize the friction.
“It’s okay if you’re upset,” he says, unexpectedly kind.
“Guessing my feelings?” I glance at him with my eyebrow raised but the word feelings catches in my throat. He looks away first, and I’m embarrassed by my display of emotions. I take a subtle deep breath.
“Destination on the left,” my phone announces. I turn in where she says. The parking lot isn’t full, I glance at the time. 3:17 We were a bit early.
“We’re early,” Harry says out loud.
“D’you want to go in or just wait here?”
“Hm,” he glances at the few faces near the building. Mostly caterers move in and out of the building. “We can wait here a bit.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I turn the engine off and it’s suddenly very quiet except for the sound of Harry’s leg moving up and down, up and down. He catches me looking at it and he stops.
“Sorry.”
I shrug. I didn’t want another scolding so I say nothing. That is until he takes up tapping the dashboard.
“Can you stay still?”
“Oh. Sorry. I…I’ll stop.” He sits on his hands and I roll my eyes. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Harry stares at me silently, like he knew it would pull more out of me. And of course it does.
“Well, you’re just the image of fine right? So I don’t have anything to say!”
He sighs. “Yeah! I’m nervous alright!? Happy?”
Without driving and a seatbelt on, I can finally turn to him. “Harry. I’m not trying to prove myself right or something. If you don’t like talking about emotions that’s fine, you didn’t have to bite my head off about it. But it’s also okay to be nervous. Even though Van should be the embarrassed one to have done what she did and still ask you to her wedding. I know that’s why I don’t give a fuck about Ethan.”
He looks at me, actually looks, not like the glances he’d been giving all day. He opens his mouth and then shuts it. I wait for a response but none came. I should’ve known as much.
“My heels are in the back,” I finally say. “I should switch them now before we go in.”
I leave him with his undecided response and change my shoes. I apply a quick coat of deodorant, and check my makeup is still intact after being on the road. When I’m done, he’s still inside.
I walk up to his window and tap. He startles and opens the door.
“We going in? It’s now past 3:30.”
“Yeah,” he drags his feet as we walk up. When I reach the door first, he calls out to me. Again, my name sounding different out of his mouth.
“Hm?” I look at him.
“Are you sure we should do this? Do you really want to do this? I don’t know if it’s a good idea-“
“I did not drive,” I grab his hand and they engulf mine. Ethan and mine were the same size, it’s nice how neatly mine folds into his. “Nearly 4 hours to turn back and drive back.”
“But we don’t have to,” he tries to protest as I drag him through the entrance. “I’m sure Exeter has some fun we can do-“
“You’re not turning back. You have nothing to be nervous about!”
“It’s not-“ Harry stops himself and this makes me pause just before we follow the last arrow to the ballroom. I wait for him to finish but he looks embarrassed—like proper embarrassed. “If we go in we…”
“I’ve got your back,” I reassure him when he doesn’t finish that sentence either. “We’re each other’s plus ones right? We have each others backs. Now c’mon, I don’t want to walk in late either.”
Harry accepts what I’m saying. He rushes ahead to the seating plan and walks ahead to our seats. He fumbles with the table, slipping something in his pocket before pulling my chair out for me.
“Thanks?” I tell him.
“Yeah,” he looks around the room, a lot of seats were empty but it seemed the bulk of the wedding had made it out here.
“Oh my god Harry?” A slim bald guy finds his seat—at our table, and looks delighted to find Harry. “I saw your name on the chart I didn’t actually think you’d show!”
“Yeah mate why not,” Harry stands up to embrace him and in those few seconds he transforms to someone else. Someone I had not been driving with today. He has an easy smile and demeanor. I look on with an awkward smile on my face. “Everything’s cool right, just celebrating love.”
“It’s bloody nice seeing you,” he says when he steps away.
Harry was such a fake, but I don’t let my smile falter as the stranger’s eyes land on me.
“Oi Harry, this must be the reason you can come here to celebrate love!?” The stranger looks between us both. I clock on a second too late—Harry’s already introducing us.
“YN this is Van’s cousin, also Harry. Harry this is YN.”
“Nice to meet you.” I smile politely.
“You too! And I’m Vanessa’s very distant cousin. I’ve been living in Prague the last two years so I’m not around much. Actually I was convinced by the love of my life when he proposed to move with him.”
“Aw,” I say. He’s beaming and openly sharing his life story. So different from Harry. “Is he here?”
“No,” his face drops. “He couldn’t get the time off. That’s why I’m at this table…alone.”
“That’s too bad. He’s a really cool guy,” Harry tells me. “I’ve seen him fold his body into a trunk like-“
We’re interrupted when another couple joins the table. Coworkers of Van’s and luckily we don’t know each other. I still hadn’t had to talk to anyone I knew personally and I was hoping to keep it that way.
“Hey,” I lean into Harry when the table is distracted. “You didn’t correct her cousin, are we pretending to be here together together?”
“Yeah is that alright?” Harry asks. A part of me is annoyed he didn’t mention this earlier. I would have been more prepared with details. But it’s like he knew what I was thinking. “We started talking after everything, we bonded, reconnected in the summer and started dating. Okay?”
“Glad you thought it through,” I lay on the sarcasm heavily. Harry places a hand on my back, it’s warm and it tingles.
“I’m sorry. Just go with it right now?”
“Whatever.” I sit up straight and his hand falls.
When more guests arrive, so do the couple. I admit I thought I’d feel a stronger emotion but when I see Ethan walk in hand-in-hand with Vanessa, a big grin on his face, I feel a pinprick of disgust followed by a wave of relief. I really was over this chapter in my life, even though I never got to say my piece I was happy I was out of the relationship. As good as it once had been, the silver lining is that Ethan showed me his true colours before it got any more serious.
I glance at Harry, curious. His smile is plastered on his face but his eyes track the couple like a sniper. They’re devoid of the emotion his smile is trying so hard to convey. His back is straight as a ruler and the drink raised in his hand is second from cracking.
“Harry,” I put a hand on his arm and lean in to whisper. “Stop trying so hard.”
He catches himself when his eyes finally look into mine. I tell him he looks creepy, but he only clenches his jaw.
“You don’t have to torture yourself,” I lean in to say. By now the cheering had settled down as the couple join the wedding party at the front.
“I’m not,” Harry turns his head to reply. Our faces are a few inches away from each other. Definitely green, I conclude about his eyes. Encased in a black rim with flecks of something else. It was too dim to discern. “YN.”
There he goes saying my name again, so low and close to my ear a shiver runs up my spine. My eyes fall to his lips, shit, I look away entirely.
“You don’t have to lie to me,” I mumble.
“Oh quit whispering love birds,” Van’s cousin calls us out. “I’m lonely here, and bored. Tell me how did you two meet?”
As appetizers are served we launch into a jumbled story where we try to avoid the “after everything” Harry’s story mentioned.
“I think it’s shitty how you two broke up,” I hear him saying to Harry on the side. “I told her too! I told her he was a good one and you let him get away.” Harry tries to act nonchalant but he grips his arm. “Really! I think it’s really mature that you were able to come by-“
“YN!?” A voice I wasn’t expecting to hear breaks me out of my eavesdropping. I look up and Ethan’s mum stands over me. “Oh it really is you! I thought I had to change my prescription sitting up there! What a delight for you to come I had no idea Ethan and you were…friendly!”
“Oh it’s so nice to see you!” I stand up and allow the big embrace she gives me. It feels maternal in the exact way I missed.
“God I’ve missed you,” she clutches my hand. “Sometimes I consider just calling you up when I’m in town if you want to hang out but I didn’t think Ethan would like that. But now that I know you and him are on friendly terms I’ll speak to him!”
“Oh well,” I pat her hand. “I don’t know if I’d call it friendly but-“
“But you’re here!”
Harry chooses the moment to stand up. “You must be Ethan’s mum.”
“Oh yes,” she smiles kindly at him. “And you? Is this your date YN? He’s handsome.”
“Ohh yeah,” I smile at Harry but my eyes are flashing him a warning. I wrap my arm around him and lean in, giving in to Harry’s warm sturdiness. “This is him…”
“I’m happy you’ve found someone love,” I warm at being called a pet name. I really missed her. “I was really disappointed when I heard…well-“
“Water under the bridge,” I reassure her.
“I should tell the youngest you’re here,” she releases me from her hands. “He’ll want to say hello.”
“Okay,” I give in to one last hug. “I’ll be here.”
“She really likes you,” Harry notes when I sit.
“It’s nice,” I swallow down the emotions I feel and busy myself with the next course.
Some speeches are given, a couple toasts around the room. I’m in need of a better drink so I convince Harry to follow me to the bar even though he wasn’t drinking. There are a few people in front of us so we wait in silence.
In a quick second, Harry crowds my space and leans in to my ear to whisper something but my senses become so heightened with him draped all over me that I don’t register what he says. Until I hear her.
“Harry,” the two of us turn to the voice. Vanessa stands in her white midi dress—she must have changed from the wedding, with a short veil, and an angry glare. “Are you serious?”
“Hello to you too,” Harry nods. His hand stays glued to my lower back.
She glances at me and back at him. I look between the two of them. It’s like a Western standoff, waiting for the first person to speak.
“What’s going-“
“I can’t believe you,” she cuts me off. “What kind of petty bullshit are you still pulling!? It’s been over a year, and you show up with Ethan’s ex?”
“Not everything is about you,” Harry says as I say offensively, “I have a name.”
“Yeah YN, whatever. I can’t believe you’re here playing his game.”
“I’m not playing a game,” I was so confused. They invited us how could she be standing here pointing fingers? If they didn’t want us to come why would they invite us?
“She’s not—“ Harry’s hand presses into my back. “We’re together. Sure we bonded over you two but we’re together because we like each other. And she’s here with me.”
Harry looks at me and I look at him, a bit dazed. I could barely follow the conversation.
“You’re twisted,” she says with venom just as Ethan joins us.
“YN? I thought mum was mistaken. What are you doing here?”
I must look really confused as I look at him, his genuine question. I look at Van who looks pissed, and finally at Harry who looks plain guilty. Just like that, it clicks. It clicks and I can’t believe I was played. But before I could let it show that I was an outsider on this plan, like a loser, I play cleanup.
“I’m here with Harry,” I stand up tall, Harry hand feels suffocating on me now. “Your wife invited him did she not?”
“Is this some kind of joke?” He looks around the group. “Since when did you two start dating?”
“Since when was it your business?” I demand. “We’re both single, we can date. It’s not like I’m cheating on you with him. Right?”
Ethan backs down immediately. I’d played the ace I never pulled back when shit hit the fan. Ashamed, he makes a whatever motion.
“I just didn’t know.”
“Anyway it’s getting a bit stuffy in here. I’m getting air.”
I walk away, as far as I could which was right outside the front doors. When I reach the railing I let it take my weight. I couldn’t believe it. I was a clown.
“YN!” Harry’s voice rings out behind me. “YN let me expl-“
“Shut up!” I turn to him. “Nothing you fucking say is going to make this any better. Nothing.”
“I know I know,” he runs a hand through his hair. “Yet I want to say I’m sorry. I thought we wouldn’t catch much attention I-“
“You tricked me into coming! You-“
“What are you doing!?” Harry tries to pull away as I attack his suit jacket and come up with our name tags I remember he’d tucked away. One says Harry, the other Harry plus one. I throw them at his face but they’re only cardstock so they flutter pathetically to the ground.
“I can’t believe you tricked me into driving you 4 fucking hours because you’re still hung up over your ex! You—did you send me a fake invite? Oh my god did you-“ I pull up my email and yep. The sender might say Ethan but the email address is a fake one. I reach behind me to steady myself with the railing.
“How could you?!”
“It’s a fuck you to them right?!” Harry tries to convince me. “I thought asking you to be my plus one you would say no! This way you would come if I convince you and-“
“No!” I shout. The sun was starting to set and the golden hour casts over the entrance, on Harry’s face. His eyes flicker with specks of fire in a forest. He was a forest fire, and I’d caught myself in its midst. “You’re obsessed with your ex! Oh my god you made me complicit in your obsession?? You lied and manipulated me into your plan and I’m such an idiot to have thought…” to have thought I could come back from tonight mostly unscathed, to put the final period at the end of this story. Now I just looked like a petty psycho ex who crashed her ex’s wedding.
“This is so humiliating!” My tears of frustration pool out of my eyes and down my cheeks. “I look like a petty fool in there because of you! This is so fucking embarrassing!”
“Why do you even care what they think?“ Harry takes the step down so that’s he’s right above me. “I thought they were all dead to you.”
I slap him. It shocks the both of us into silence.
“I didn’t mean to-“
“No,” he holds his cheek. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that much but I regret it immediately. I wasn’t the kind of girl that did that, but I was in unchartered waters. I didn’t know what I was doing here! “I deserve that.”
“Why couldn’t you just tell me the truth!?” I ask, the shock of the slap leaving me tired. “Why did you lie for months?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s all?” I walk down a few steps. “All this and you don’t know? God.”
I walk away and out to my car. I just needed to be alone but I soon hear his footsteps behind me.
“I was just thinking about myself. You were just a means to an end,” his voice stops me in my tracks just before I open my car door. “I asked you how you dealt with everything. Well I’ll tell you how I did. I was the pathetic one asking her to take me back. I needed her to see she made a mistake. I made myself miserable, pushed away everyone in my life. Became someone I don’t even recognize. I can’t even listen to anything that’s not pop without thinking about her. It’s pathetic, and so am I. I’m a loser YN. I’m sorry.
I just thought you were my way in to show her—prove to her something I’m realizing now she doesn’t give a fuck about. It’s unfair to you, to treat you like just a-I dunno, a chess piece. I didn’t even think about telling you the truth. And the longer I spent time with you the worse I felt as I realized this was so wrong. I tried to say something before we went in but it just didn’t…I’m sorry. I’m an asshole.”
“You are,” I tell him without turning around. I get in my car and slam the door shut. I wasn’t going to soothe his ego, tell him it was okay. I felt humiliated, and betrayed, and upset. And he lied to me. I sit there and think about our entire interactions, the way he tried to keep me out and fidgeted anytime our invitations came up. His responses all of it I…it was right in front of me. But I wanted to believe he was a good guy. I wanted to be the nice one. Me and my people pleasing had fucked me over again. I knew something was up! Why would Ethan invite me? Why was I an idiot!? Why did I think coming here was a good idea?
I hit the steering wheel. It feels good so I do it again but when my finger crunches in a bad way the tears come. I cry, frustrated and angry. My makeup was ruined but it’s not like I was going back in there.
It must be a half hour later. The sun was mostly gone and a small knock on my window scares me.
Harry. I open my window a crack. “Hi,” he clears his throat. “I know it’s the last thing you want to do but you should come back in. If you want to come out of here alright, and I know I’m the guy who put you in here so you don’t have to take advice from me. But if you want to sell that you really came here with me and you don’t give a fuck about him, we have to pretend for at least an hour. A half hour. Then I’ll drive us home. And you’ll never have to see me again. Ever.”
He was right. I was angry because I knew he was right. Skipping out on the wedding after being confronted would just confirm to Van and Ethan that I was here for petty reasons. But I don’t give in right away. I let him try to convince me, almost beg me before I open the lock and get out.
“I’ll need five in front of a mirror.”
“Yeah,” this time Harry doesn’t rush in front of me. Nothing else to hide, he walks beside me back to the venue. He waits outside the toilets while I rearrange my face to something decent. I put in some eye drops to clear the red, and take his arm with a fake smile as we get back in.
“You alright?” Van’s cousin asks with a sympathetic smile. For a second I think Harry told him and I’m ready to lay into him right there but Harry clarifies.
“She’s alright. Just some cramps right love?”
“Right,” I look into his eyes, the ones I thought were pretty. Now they just looked the colour of a snake. “Thank you.”
The DJ calls the first dance and everyone looks on with awe. I zone out until Harry’s hand squeezes mine under the table. I snatch it out of his without looking at him, for maybe the first time in my life I don’t care if it offends him.
I’m not present as more couples join the dancefloor. Our table pushes us to go out too and after the millionth time I stand stiffly with Harry as we walk up. I begin to make out people I knew, friends and family of Ethan’s. I make out their surprised looks when they recognize me but I keep my head on Harry’s traitorous chest and dance with him. I hated his guts.
“Excuse me, YN?” After the second song we’re interrupted. I look over to find Ethan’s brother looking at us nervously.
“Oh my god! Look at you!” I immediately crush him to me and he hugs me back with enthusiasm. “You’ve been working out!”
“Yeah,” he takes my hand as I turn my back on Harry. He takes the cue and moves off the floor. I dance with Ethan’s brother. “I started going to the gym. Mum said all the time playing video games wasn’t going to get me a decent girl.”
“And has it?” I ask him, my previous gloomy disposition is replaced by all the love I hold for this kid.
“Not really,” he blushes. “But I’m only 20. I have time yeah?”
“Oh yeah, you’ll find a really nice girl.” I pat his cheek.
“I’ve got to get this!” Ethan’s mum is suddenly near us snapping photos. “Ignore me! Continue what you’re doing!”
“Mum,” he groans and I laugh. When she moves out and the music is in its last chorus he speaks again. “I hope the girl I end up with is even as half as nice as you are.”
“Aw,” my heart is so full right now. It also hurt that I had to cut off contact with these lovely people because of Ethan. How a guy like that came from a family like this is beyond me. “I’m sure you will, you’re too sweet not to.”
“Ethan’s gi-wife. His wife can be a bit mean. We all liked you better.”
I don’t have words to respond back. I rub his shoulder as the song ends.
“She treats him really bad, she’s not always nice to him when mum’s not around. You were so much better.”
“I…” I didn’t want to talk shit about them at their wedding. And I wasn’t sure why he was telling me this. “I’m sure Ethan knows what he’s doing kid. And we can still be friends, my number’s the same if you or your mum are ever around town let me know okay?”
“Okay,” he looks content. I give him one last hug before deciding I was done with the night. But as the dance music comes on, I bump into Ethan’s cousin and we catch up a bit. She also tells me Ethan was an idiot. Even though I wasn’t here for validation, it felt nice knowing people saw my side.
As I head to my table to find Harry, someone catches my arm.
“Why do you keep talking to my family?” Ethan demands. I could tell he was one too many drinks in so I try to make my distance.
“Well they’re coming up to talk to me. I’m just catching up. Despite what a bag of dicks you are, your family is nice.”
I shock myself with how blunt it comes out. Tonight was rubbing off on me—Harry but also everything he did.
“I-I don’t know why you came. Why you’re with him. Van says he’s immature and emotional.”
“Sounds like she had a type,” I raise my eyebrow. I was on a role.
“Then so do you,” he rebuttles.
“Well the great thing about you cheating on me is that we broke up and we don’t have a say in each other’s lives. Your family still wants to talk to me, and they can. I can look at you and see how pathetic I was to have dated you. And it’s alright.”
“What happened to the sweet girl I used to date? My family liked her, not this bitch you became.”
“You cheated on the sweet girl,” I remind him. His jaw twitches.
“There you are,” Harry slides smoothly in beside me. His hand curls around my waist and I lean into him despite wanting to throw it off. “Ethan.”
Ethan looks between us before continuing to address me, “Are you two dating to get back at me or something?”
“You think I care enough about you to do that?” I raise my eyebrow. “I don’t give a shit about you Ethan.”
“Van chose me,” he tries Harry this time knowing I wasn’t bullshitting.
“Good for you,” Harry says with a clear voice but his hand tightens on me. “Congrats. YN and I should get going.”
We walk away in silence to our table. He lets go of me so I can get my purse. My face feels hot as I shuffle through it for the keys. I’m emotional; I feel bad for the sweet girl, the person I still try so hard to be. I’m just a doormat, even Harry saw that and walked all over me.
I’m tempted to leave Harry here, drive home now. But I didn’t want to stoop to levels that low. I know he had no one here and wouldn’t have a ride home. Maybe I should tell him to take the train but-
I hated driving in the dark. I walk to Harry and hand him the keys without a word. He just follows me, but we’re stopped a half a dozen times to say goodbye to people. Van’s cousin, Harry, tells Harry to stay in touch and tries to convince us to visit him in Prague. We put a final show of love on for him, promising soon, before stepping outside and stepping away from each other.
Finally, in the car, I turn on the heating. The evening had taken a chilly turn.
“Music?” Harry asks but I decline. I put my audiobook back on, unstrap my heels, and curl up in the passenger seat. Silently we make our way back to London.
I’m not sure how much time has passed when I wake up. The heat and the audiobook must have put me to sleep. My chair is tilted further back than I had it before, a jacket—Harry’s suit jacket is draped over me. It smells like what I call man. Cologne and something musky. Ethan smelled similarly. Maybe that’s what betrayal smells like, I think bitterly.
I sit up and unfold the jacket from me. We’re in a parking lot, no, services. Harry’s missing and I peer out for a while but I don’t see him anywhere. I start to get worried, it was 9:30 and he couldn’t be missing but I couldn’t sit here any longer.
I put his jacket on and step out. That’s all it takes. I find Harry sitting on the concrete, his back against the back passenger door, playing with a pack of cigarettes.
“Harry?” I confirm. I’d just woken up after all.
“Oh YN sorry,” he sounds tired. I spot a coffee by his feet but I eye the cigarettes.
“The smell of those gives me an instant migraine.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not smoking them. I used to I just…”
When he doesn’t finish the sentence, a specialty of his, I step out of the car and slide down my door beside him. The ground is uncomfortable but I settle in.
“You’re gonna get cold,” he says before noticing I was wearing his blazer.
“You’re not?” I ask.
He holds his coffee up, as if it were a small fire keeping him warm. We sit in silence for a little while, I don’t know why I feel bad for him even though he did all this tonight. Maybe it was like feeling bad for a sad puppy after they chewed through your shoes and you shouted at them. Maybe I just pitied him. I don’t know.
“I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to accept,” he pauses, swallows. “She wasn’t even good for me. She could be so hot and cold, I used to walk on eggshells sometimes just to figure out if she was having a good or bad day. It was exhausting.”
“Hm,” I say to that.
“I don’t know why I thought I hit the jackpot with her. I thought if I let her go I would be the idiot. But now I realize she just made me so emotionally dependant on her, I lost myself when I was with her and when she let me go. I confronted her tonight, about inviting me. She admitted she wanted to see if I’d show, if I was still in love with her enough to show up. She just sent the invite to taunt me.”
I don’t say anything again. I was trying something different after all, I was trying not to be the sweet girl who made everyone feel better. It wasn’t getting me anywhere.
“I’m ashamed of myself,” he says in a quieter tone. “I don’t know who I’ve become. Tricking you like that…I don’t know why you didn’t force me to just walk home.”
“It doesn’t excuse your behaviour, or mean I forgive you.” I caution. “But I know what being in your situation is like. And you’ve been in it for over a year. I can only imagine what life’s like for you. And I thought about it, trust me, but walking home would’ve been cruel.”
“You’re not mean enough,” Harry says with humour.
“Aren’t I?” I look back at him. I don’t understand his expression, I do feel bad for him. But I don’t give into it. I let myself feel my own feelings too.
“Honestly I think you could do it. It would surprise everyone but you could. You should,” he finally says. It’s weird how he got me after only knowing me for a few hours. Most everyone I knew viewed me as 2 dimensional. It was an odd feeling to be seen in more dimensions.
“You’re a good person YN,” he says and my skin flushes in goosebumps. “Too good for people like Ethan or myself. That’s why I was kind of standoffish on our drive, I felt worse the more I got to know you. I should’ve said. But you deserve better.”
I look away from him. Into the night. A few cars are parked around, a kid cries from one of them. I look up at the stars that are barely visible and feel like the moment is a bit surreal. Like I’ll wake up tomorrow morning and think this was all a dream.
“Oh here,” Harry hands me a bag. I take it from him.
“Wow,” I pull out a cakepop.
“They’re good. Really sweet though.”
“I know,” I bite into one, surprised he’d gotten it. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you. You’re selfish and manipulative and I still don’t like you.”
“I wouldn’t expect you not to,” he stands up and dusts himself off. He reaches out a hand to me but I decline. I wanted to sit out here alone a little longer.
I finish the dessert in the cool air, and watch the scragglers move around the lot. People come and go, and I internalize that. I didn’t have to break myself apart to convince people to stay. I had to learn to stop doing that.
When I finally get into the car Harry’s re-routing the gps.
“We can put your audiobook back on?” Harry asks. I shake my head and pull his jacket back over me. Pretty soon I would fall back asleep and close to midnight I would hop over to the driver’s seat as Harry drops himself at home. Our goodbye is short and I watch him walk in before driving away. A part of me feels like this isn’t the end of us, but I’m relieved to see him go.
The next morning I’m right. It does all feel like a dream, but a dream that I feel changed by. Last night was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I pick up the phone to call my best friend and let her know.
I was changing.
———
TAG: @tiaamberxx
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deliwrites · 1 year
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𝕐𝕠𝕦'𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖? // Dream
// DATE // 24th of October 2022 // PAIRING // Dreamwastaken x Non-American!Reader (Though you could still read it as an American some things just won't make sense) // WARNING // Angsty(not really I don't think? mostly just indifferent behavior I guess) // WORDS // 3,6k // SUMMARY // Dream ghosted you after the facetime situation. You finally move to Florida to move in with your friends and suddenly he's interested in you again. (It was going to be a part with smut, but I have decided to divide this one. (So be on the lookout for a part 3 that holds more smut) and yes I did go out of my way to pick out furniture, sorry not sorry xD) // SERIES // Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 //
// MASTERLIST // ANONLIST //
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It had been a few weeks since my endeavour with Dream. I was expecting more contact with him from that moment. Sadly, that wasn't the case. Instead, I was being ghosted by him.
I tried to not let it bother me, but it really did. 'God, why did I have to be such a slut,' I thought to myself. Insulting myself for making such a stupid decision. 'Of course, this is how it would end.'
"Y/n! Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" arms were thrown around me the moment I stepped into the arrivals area. The two of us almost falling over from the force as what breaks me out of my train of thought. "Juny!" giggling I drop my suitcases. Wrapping my arms tightly around the taller girl. Her black hair up in a messy bun. I could tell she hadn't slept all night. "I'm so happy to be here! Oh!" when she finally let go of me, she giggled giddily.
"Okay, let's go! Charlee and Emmy are already waiting at home. I hope you're hungry. They're going to make you dinner," Juny took one of my bigger suitcases. Leaving me with a big and small suitcase. Did I have a lot of stuff? Yes. Was I ashamed? No. I am quick to follow her as she leads the way.
I had never been to America, so walking around the Orlando airport was a whole new experience. Which also meant I had not fucking idea where to go. Having Juny as my guide was very helpful.
Once in the car I decided to start streaming. I hadn't told anyone yet that I moved. The only info I shared was that I wouldn't be streaming or uploading videos for a bit, which was a week ago. Right after I made that announcement is when my pc and entire setup was being safely shipped to the US.
When I say I hadn't told anyone, I meant anyone. The only people who knew were the girls and my family. And with Dream ghosting me, I was definetly not telling him.
"Hello, hello, Streamies!" I called out at my phone the moment I saw viewers come in and start talking in the chat. "How are you all? I missed you guys so much!" I pause to read the chat a little bit. Messages skimming by. "Yes I am in a car," I giggle at the comment. "No, I'm not driving, I promise, I wouldn't stream and drive. Anyways, I am so glad most of you guys are doing okay," I smile brightly at the screen. "Juny, would you like to tell the very curious viewers where we are?" I ask her, moving my phone so the both of us are in view. I watch the chat as people are already guessing I'm in the US.
"Y/n, finally moved to US! The girl squad is finally complete!" Juny cheers. We both scream in excitement.
"Yes, I did! I am so excited! I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys," I sent them an apologetic pout. "But, now that I'm here. There are so many more things we can do! If you guys are up for it, I could bring you guys with me to go furniture shopping!" I turn to Juny when a question pops in my head. "Does Orlando have an ikea?"
"It does, you wanna do an ikea video?" she asks. While she answers a ping is heard from my phone. A message popping up.
Dream 💔 You're in Florida?
'Oh, so now he messages. Right,' rolling my eyes I ignore the message. 'Guess who's getting ghosted now.'
The rest of the drive I keep talking to chat, having song breaks with Juny. We were smart enough to get a nice playlist that is copyright free and put that on.
"Thank you guys so much for joining me today! We are almost home," I let out a content sigh. "God, I love saying that. But! I will see you guys soon! Enjoy your day, evening, afternoon! Bye bye!" I end the stream just as we enter our neighbourhood.
Before we even reach the house I can see Charlee and Emmy outside. They jump with excitement when they see the car driving up. Juny parks the car swiftly in the drive way. I jump out of the car, squealing as I run up to my favourite girls. They meet me halfway. Both squealing just as much.
"Oh, my god, I can't believe you're finally here!" Charlee squeezes me tightly in her hold. She might be smoll, but she is strong as hell.
"Same! It's gonna be some getting used to, but I'm so happy!"
"Let's go inside, the food is gonna get cold if we wait any longer," Emmy chuckles.
"I told you guys about what happened with Dream, right?" I started an unexpected conversation. I had been trying to forget about it all. But the sudden message from him wouldn't leave my mind. The four of us were in the living room. Not really up to doing anything big today. So we just put on some background music. All of us doing our own thing. Charlee was reading, Emmy was doing a small bit of editing on her MacBook and Juny was scrolling through TikTok. The sounds of the clips being soft enough to not bother anyone.
"Yeah," Charlee is the one that answers.
"I didn't tell you all," I sigh, putting aside my notebook where I had been writing video ideas. "After the faceTime situation, he uhm," I sigh. "He ghosted me."
"Excuse me?" Juny's voice filled with disgust. "No, did he actually?"
"Yeah, I messaged him a few times but he never replied," I told them. "He left me on read every time. I feel so stupid."
"No, don't say that!" Emmy scoots over to me. Pulling me in for a hug.
“The thing is. I streamed in the car ride here, right?” The three nod. “He messaged me during it. Asking if I was in Florida.”
“So he decides to completely ignore you for weeks and then message you when he finds out you’re here?” Charlee questions. A look of pure confusion on her face.
“Yeah, like I don’t understand him,” I admit. “I genuinely thought we might be going somewhere relationship-wise. And then he pulls this shit.”
“In my opinion, you should ignore him. Just like he did you,” Juny says. She would always watch my back. Right now I knew she didn’t want me to get hurt - more - by this guy. For now, I decided to listen to Juny.
The next day the squad went to IKEA. I was surprised I wasn't that jetlagged. Maybe it was the fact that I went to bed at a normal time here. I had been awake for 22 hours straight. Sure, I've done worse. But I needed to change my sleeping schedule and fast. I didn't want to be jetlagged forever.
"Should I stream or make a video out of it?" I asked once were all parked in the parking garage. We had gone in three cars. I know it sounds like a bit much, be we didn't have big cars. And seeing as I need an entire bed and closet, it seemed like the best option. We probably would have gone with four but I don't have a car here yet.
"I think you should make it a video," Emmy answers. "Just in case, and you can do little polls on Twitter. Like 'Which bed do I pick, left or right?' and add pictures of the beds you like."
"Oh, that is such a good, idea! Yes, let's do that," I cling to her as the four of us enter the surprisingly quiet IKEA. I sent out a tweet as a warning.
I'm in the IKEA right now. I want your guy's help picking out furniture. So, be on the lookout for polls!
"Do we want to get some lunch first, or after?" Juny asks when we get inside.
"I think in between," Charlee suggests. "We first go into the showrooms to pick out furniture that we need to write down. Then eat lunch before we head downstairs for any other kind of decoration and pick up what we have picked out," we all agree with that and head into the showrooms.
"Come here, guys!" Charlee calls out to us from one of the showrooms. Coming over I find her in a little hallway in front of a mirror. "Group pic?" she asks when all of us are there.
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Taking the picture I put it on my private Snapchat story. Of course, Dream is quick to send me a message on there now.
"Are you serious," I mumble.
"What?" Emmy asks, being the only one that heard me. Charlee and Juny currently looking at living room inspiration. Not that we needed anything new for the living room, but it's always nice to look.
"Dream, messaged me," I tell her.
DREAM 💔 That's crazy! George, Sapnap and I are here too!
"Okay, quick question. I know you're ignoring him like he ignored you. But what if you heard him out. Maybe he has a good reason. He's here, so, would you want that?" Emmy is careful with her words. Trying to see how I stood in the situation.
"I guess I would like to know why," I admit quietly. "But who says he's not just going to ignore me again?"
"You'll never know the answer for sure, but do you think it's worth a shot?" I think about it for a moment before turning my eyes back to my phone. Emmy reads over my shoulder as I type.
ME Really? Where are you guys now? DREAM 💔 We are at the end of Work space ME Oh, we are just about to enter the living room storage area DREAM 💔 We can wait for you guys if you would like? We can continue together. ME I'll have to ask the girls, we do plan on having lunch once we are done with this floor. DREAM 💔 That's fine, go ask them. We'll wait for now.
"Guys! We're meeting up with the Dream team!" I announce to the other two girls.
"What!" Juny sounds disappointed. "I thought we were ignoring him1"
"I know, but I want answers," I grab her hands, looking into her eyes. I give her a pout.
"Okay, fine," she mock rolls her eyes, making me giggle. We finish looking around, after waiting on a pol answer. I posted a poll asking if I should buy a cup or not. I really loved the STRIMMIG mug, so why not ask the fans if I should get it. The answer was a fat yes, with 92% win.
When we walk into the workspace section, I already notice the dream team in the corner of my eye. They were talking together, sitting at a displayed desk.
"I'm gonna do another poll," I say out loud to no one in particular. Taking out my phone, I continue walking down the path. Putting in another pol. "None of these desks seem big enough, should I go for a dining table desk instead," I mumble along as I type it out.
"Not big enough?" I recognize the voice immediately. A little startled, I jump. Looking up I catch Dreams grin. He, along with Sapnap and George chuckle at my reaction.
"God, you startled me," I chuckle awkwardly.
"Sorry, how are you?" Dream asks. I couldn't help it but really bothered me that he acted like nothing was wrong.
"I'm good, what about you?" I ask, stepping closer, I offer a hug as a greeting. He accepts, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as I hug his middle. He really is tall. I hate that it has an affect on me.
"I'm great, George just needs a few things for his room," he answers when we pull away. I decide to greet Sapnap and George the same way, giving them a hug as well. Then the girls walk up, greeting the three guys as well. Hugs are exchanged. Juny pulls me to her, almost like she's keeping me away from Dream.
"But does that mean, we're continuing together?" Sapnap asks.
"Yeah," the four of us answer in sync.
We continue down the showrooms, taking notice of a lot of things. Writing them down on the paper with of course the tiny IKEA pencil. Juny stays with me the entire time, arms hooked together. I appreciated it, but I also wanted to talk to Dream. I noticed him wanting to talk to me as well but we didn't get the time.
Even when we were having lunch we couldn't talk. Whenever we would try friends of either person pulled us into a different conversation. What that did do tho, was give me hope. He wanted to talk to me. That must mean something right?
Gathering all the stuff was chaos. We were running around the storage area. Everyone was laughing, camera's out for footage. At one point I was standing on one of the carts. Dream pushing me forwards and fast. He ran into a random aisle. One we didn't need to be in. And we were able to hide from the others for just a minute.
"Hi," I whisper. We sat under the shelves in an empty spot.
"Hey," he whispers back with a grin. I wasn't really sure what to say. I ended up just staring at him for a while. He was still as beautiful as I thought he was when I first saw him on FaceTime. Even more so if I was honest. It was so strange to me to see him in real life. Maybe one day I would have gotten the opportunity to meet him, but I wasn't expecting it to be today.
"Is it just me, or is it weird to see you in real life?" I end up mumbling, full of uncertainty. I wasn't sure if admitting that was a good idea. To my surprise, he chuckles, nodding his head.
"It is, but I'm glad I'm able to meet you," I'm about to make a comment when Emmy runs up our aisle.
"There you two are! We've got everything. Ready to go?" she asks quickly, a little awkward look on her face. She didn't realize the two of us were together until she reached us.
"Yeah, let's go," for now I guess we would have to leave our conversation at that. Maybe having a talk about it here wouldn't be a good plan anyway.
After paying we gathered our cars. I stayed with the multiple carts along with George, he only had to buy a desk and a few accessories. I ended up with a IDANÄS bed, two VITTSJÖ tables for at my bedside, a LINDBYN as a mirror by a small VITTSJÖ laptop table and a CHILISTRÅN cause I want me some cute plants, along with a few more plant pots, including plants. Seeing as I do have clothes, I also got a PAX / FARDAL with more than enough room for everything I own and new things to add. I got a BRUNSTA for the main light, seeing that I am a hoe for music, I got a black SYMFONISK speaker lamp which made me very poor. But Dream gifted me the duvet, along with pillows and a cute set of covers.
"How has your time in America been?" I ask George. He had been a while longer than I had. So obviously I was curious.
"Quite good actually. It's a big change, but so worth it," his answer made me smile. The look in his eyes really showed that he loved being able to live with his friends. "This is your second day right?" I nod. "Let the girls take you to all of the junk food restaurants. They are so different, but I promise they are good," I chuckle at the orgasm-like face he pulls at just the thought of food.
"Alright, I will," just then 5 cars pull up. We take up almost the entire space for loading in. We helped each other place everything in the cars but there was a problem. With all the stuff that I had, my seat in the car was taken.
"What do we do? We don't have space for another person besides the driver," Charlee voiced the obvious.
"Look, I don't mind waiting," we had the conversation while the guys were packing the desk into Dreams car. The desk being too big for Sapnaps car.
"We can't just leave you here!" Juny spoke loudly, catching the attention of the guys.
"What's wrong?" Sapnap asks.
"I can't go with them, the cars are too full," I tell them. "I'm willing to stay and wait for one of them to return-"
"But we are not going to do that," Charlee said sternly.
"My car has space, I can bring you home," Dream immediately offers.
"No, we'll figure something out," Judy says, pulling me closer to her.
"Look, I know what you're trying to do," I whisper to her. "But this is our only option right now," her face scrunches up in frustration.
"Fine."
"Are you sure it's okay?" I ask Dream.
"Of course!" He replies immediately. "We can't just leave you here stranded."
"Alright, then let's go," I am quick to say. Not wanting anyone to change their mind. "Message me the address, 'cause I don't know it from the top of my head yet," I tell Emmy who nods. Everyone gets into their cars. Dream surprisingly opens the door for me and lets me step inside. "Thank you," thanking him with a bright smile. He smiles back before going to the driver's side.
"Are you okay with us first bringing the desk to my place?" He asks once he's settled in.
"Oh, sure, that's fine by me," I tell him as I watch the others drive off. He puts on some music and starts driving. We were the last to leave, I couldn't see any of my friends' cars anymore.
I didn't realize my leg was bouncing until we reached the highway. I only realized when Dream's hand landed on my thigh. The bouncing almost immediately stopped. I didn't necessarily mind the hand, in fact, it was bringing me comfort - somehow.
His voice breaks my trance though I don't catch what he said. I look at him, releasing a 'huh?'. A smile grows on his lips as he repeats his question.
"How was your flight?"
"Oh, right, uhm. Uneventful really," I tell him honestly. "It was a long flight, didn't have money for first class. So I was stuffed with other people. I don't really mind. I did have the window seat, but having to get up to pee was the worst. Especially when the guys next to me were asleep. But I managed," Dream didn't seem to mind my rambling, but when I mentioned that I was sat next to guys. His grip on my thigh seemed to tighten just a little. Just enough for me to notice. "Other than that, they were really nice to me. They even helped me put my small suitcase in the top compartment and back out," I tested my thoughts and again his grip tightened. This time he also seemed to grit his teeth. I slide my hand over to his. Placing my hand on his, my thumb stroking gently on the back of his hand. The grip on my thigh relaxed a little bit at the touch.
"I'm glad you arrived safe and well," he says. "I am kinda hurt you didn't tell me you were moving to Florida," at this, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
"And, I'm hurt you ghosted me after what happened," my voice is monotone. Shaking my leg to remove his hand. I fully turn away from him. Staring out the window, legs closed, leaning against the door. I sigh comes from him. I can't tell if it's a sigh of annoyance or something else. Not that I care at the moment.
"I'm sorry," he says, but I ignore him. Opening the window, I let the wind blow in. The weather was nice and warm today. I prove my ignorance more by deciding to put the volume higher. Singing along loudly with the songs to pass the time.
He decides to stay quiet for the rest of the ride. Probably realises he deserves the treatment I'm giving him. Finally, we reach the Dream Team house. One I recognize from George's video. There we find Sapnap and George waiting in the driveway. They probably arrived just a few minutes ago. My plan was to stay in the car, but Sapnap opens the door on my side. Dream and George carrying in the desk.
"Come on, let's give you a tour!" His excitement has me complying. I get out of the car, following him into the house. I had to admit that the house was gorgeous. I recognized Dreams studio from the time we had that FaceTime call. At last, he showed me Dreams bedroom. "And last but not least, Dream's bedroom," he opened the door, allowing me to walk inside first. His room was surprisingly normal. Plain black hardwood bed. Covered in sacramento-coloured sheets. Black hardwood nightstands on either side. Simple matching lamps on each.
Before I could admire the room any further, the door slammed shut behind me. Startled I turn around.
"Sapnap! What-"
"You and Dream, have to talk," is all he says through the door.
Now what.
// MASTERLIST // ANONLIST //
// SERIES // Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 //
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Text
Invisible Strings Pt. II - Gwynriel One-Shot
word count: 4.4k
warnings: swear words, sexual innuendo
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As it turned out, living in hell was a lot more comfortable than she thought. At least in a strictly physical sense.
Gwyn went about her usual routines in the safety and warmth of the house, only surfacing once a day for training. You’d think the priestesses wouldn’t go as hard as usual, with their pestering instructors being absent, but something about the fact that they currently fought very real battles served as a kick in the ass. They were diligent and thorough; even adding exercises and runs as they went. Gwyn knew her friends and colleagues were just as nervous as her, had just as much energy to spare. So, they went to work.
It was all calculated, really. Gwyn tried hard all day, working both her mind and body into a state of absolute exhaustion – because she knew that night was unavoidable. And night meant too much peace and quiet. It also didn’t help that the mere thought of it was so deeply entangled with thoughts of Azriel that sunsets were like a stab to the heart.
The only thing that helped, even if it was just for a day or two, were his messages.
Two weeks after he was gone Clotho visited Gwyn in the alcove where she set up work for the day, a crumpled piece of paper in hand and a conspirator’s smile barely visible underneath her low hood. Gwyn was reprimanded by her superior for the loud shriek she let loose when she understood. He kept his first promise, at least.
The message was brief, to the point, and seemingly scribbled in a haste. But he had thought of her, in the middle of absolute chaos. So she sat there for a while, the paper pressed to her chest and staring into nothing. It spoke of numbers and strategy, but held the sentiment of ‘all will be well’. And that was enough for now.
Each morning, Gwyn was the first to arrive at the big spread sheet that was plastered to a wall in the center of the library, right by the entrance. On it, Clotho (and any other official bearing news, Gwyn included) updated the ins-and-outs of this conflict. Each morning, she surveyed the malicious piece of paper, scanning frantically for death tolls, victories, and sometimes, a direct reference to her Shadowsinger.
And so, the days simply went on, with March turning into April, and April making way for the mild May days. As the morning air around them got increasingly warm, Azriel’s messages got increasingly short.
The latest one read:
“Gwyn,
Cassian: mildly hurt (leg, will heal eventually)
Nesta: furious at Cassian
Shadows: missing their favorite
Me: absolutely done with the people around me, will have to find a cave soon for some quiet
Yours, Az”
It brought the first real smile to her face after weeks of sadness. But she also knew (from the handy paper), that a certain notorious warrior with the ability to command shadows caused quite the ruckus during the lastest battle, which was fought right at the border of autumn and summer territory. It didn’t mention exactly what happened, just implied “considerable damage done after an outburst of power”. Gwyn had hoped for Azriel to clear some things up with his message, but he’ll simply have to tell her when he was back.
It turned out, she didn’t have to wait that long.
From time to time, even Cassian and Nesta sent word, assuring her of their relative well-being and the course of this conflict. It was Cassian who, scribbled at the very end of the message, informed her of exactly why her Shadowsinger went berserk that one time.
“… and Gwynie, Az saved out asses today. I’ve never seen him do something like it. It was like he released a blast from his Siphons and Shadows together. I’m not kidding, it evaporated the whole right flank of Autumn. Sent the rest screaming for their mommies. After, when I asked him about it, he just shrugged and mumbled something along the lines of ‘it got caught in the little shit’s uniform and he nearly ripped it’. Maybe you can make something of it.”
But it couldn’t have been. It was just a bracelet, after all.
On May 7th, victory was announced. The news didn’t even make it on paper, it was simply called out by one priestess after another, until shouts of euphoria and relief echoed through the mountain. This morning, Gwyn trained like she never did before. And with a bigger smile on her face than a squat should ever elicit.
They won. And they were coming home.
---
A few days later, as Gwyn readied herself for sleep, she felt something.
It started in her chest, and she briefly wondered if she should see a healer, but the uneasiness made way for warmth after a few minutes. Warmth then turned into a tingling feeling, spreading out through her arms and legs. Then, a pull.
When she reassured herself she wasn’t having a nervous breakdown, and sleeping like this was off the table anyways, she decided to move around. The priestess threw on her dressing gown over her nightdress, and started to climb some stairs. Working out some extra energy.
Until she noticed the pulling and tugging in her chest got worse every time she was at the bottom of said stairs, and slightly lighter when she reached the top. Another step into the hall of the House proper relieved her of more pressure. And another. She was starting to freak out again, when she suddenly noticed a very real tug on her wrist.
Gwyn looked down. At the whisp of Shadows wrapping soothingly around her and pulling her further into the corridor.
She wasn’t proud to admit that it took her a ridiculous amount of time to realize. But when she did, the fireworks starting in her body made her jump into action. 
Walking turned into racing, the walls beside her blurring. But the tears escaping her might have had something to do with that too. She rounded corner after corner, climbed up a thousand flights of stairs, like she knew where she was going. Her heart knew anyways, she figured. And then, she saw him.
Azriel was sat on the armchair of his room, door left open like he couldn’t be bothered to close it, his eyes closed with exhaustion. Gwyn briefly took him in, trying to get her breathing to calm. His coloring was all off, even though he must have been outside often. His shoulders slumped, and he seemed to have lost a bit of weight too. The male looked like he needed a holiday desperately. Even back in safety, his fists were clenched as they rested on his lap.
But he didn’t loose his wings, or an arm, or a leg, or his life. He sat there, in one piece, just like the night she barged into his room crying.
A moment which simply begged for a repeat.
“Azriel?”, she rasped out. All other words escaped her.
And him too, it seemed, as his head lifted to take her in. He moved slowly, deliberately, like he fought his strength for every inch gained. So, Gwyn helped.
In the middle of his room, they clashed together so hard it stole Gwyn’s breath away. Azriel hugged her unbelievably close, his arms and wings and Shadows coming around her body and engulfing her in his scent. The priestess hugged him back just as tightly, not caring that she was only in very thin layers of clothing, or that she was crying again. Because this was her Azriel.
Still hugging, Gwyn heard him mumble something into her hair. She couldn’t hear initially over the beating of her heart, but then-
“What in the Mother’s name are you being ‘sorry’ for?”, she leaned back only slightly (like hell would she leave his arms) so she could see his face, take in his gaunt features and familiar amber eyes.
Azriel entangled one of his hands from behind her and held it open between them, palms facing up. Where her bracelet found its last resting place, it seemed.
“I was flying and winnowing home in leaps, and during the last flight – I don’t know how – I felt it sliding off my arm. Caught it midair, but I don’t know if I can fix it.”, he explained with so much sadness it made her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. The strands were almost translucent, shredded beyond repair. And Gwyn smiled at its magic.
For lack of better words, it had worked like a charm.
Gwyn felt more tears sliding down her face in pure happiness. The bracelet must have ripped as soon as the wish held within was fulfilled. As soon as Azriel was flying home, safely and healthily.
“It doesn’t matter, Az. I’ll make you a new one. Or we’ll make it together.”, Gwyn was still in awe at the tiny piece of string, and the male standing in front of her. She stood on her tiptoes, both hands coming to each side of his face, and pressed her forehead against his. “Thank you for staying alive, Azzy.”
The Shadowsinger hugged her closer, one hand coming to the nape of her neck. “Thank you for keeping me alive.”
Neither of them had the time and energy to acknowledge what they both felt, clear as day, as it glowed and pulsed in their chests. They simply didn’t care, for there were bigger miracles in the world. Well, Gwyn didn’t. Azriel seemed to be too exhausted to notice anyways.
“Shadowsinger?”, Gwyn mumbled after a while.
“Mh?”
“You smell a bit.”
Azriel snorted. “Surprising, since I’ve just come from war and raced against time to be here earlier than everyone else. But next time, I’ll just bathe instead of seeing you right away. No problem.”
Gwyn smiled. “No. Next time, I’ll come with you, remember?”
“Right. I’ll tell Rhys to piss off some important people so you can have your war. But tomorrow.”, Azriel smiled at her, his hand coming up to caress her cheek. He fell quiet while his eyes continued to roam her face, soaking up her smile.
What he said next needed to be recorded in history for the best change of subject to ever exist.
“I’m in love with you.”, Azriel confessed.
He seemed a bit taken aback by it himself, for his eyes widened almost imperceptibly. “Gods, that should have come out a bit more … cohesively.”
Gwyn was staring at him, mouth agape but already stretching back into a smile. “It was cohesive enough I’d say.” The butterflies in her stomach at least understood perfectly.
“I- fuck“, Azriel finally let go of her, stepping back to the edge of his bed and sitting down with exhaustion. He was clearly annoyed at himself, and the combination of anger, confusion and sleep-deprivation made him look like an overgrown bat that was just woken up from a nap. It was adorable, and Gwyn wanted it painted.
“I planned to tell you this in a really romantic, beautiful way. Planned it every waking minute I spent there and wasn’t preoccupied. Gwyn, you were on my mind constantly, looking over my shoulder – and apparently also guarding my back. And I wanted to do this in a way that felt grander. Like in the novels you like so much.”
She practically felt him mentally scolding himself.
“You- I-“, he took a deep breath. “The thought of not having told you when I should have haunted me. It kept me going week after week, because I just wasn’t about to die before telling you. That you are my home, and my best friend. And for a few months now, I have started to think of you differently than before. The more I wanted it to go, the stronger it got.”
The priestess had hoped, of course, but hearing him say it gave her enough material to daydream for the rest of her life. Gwyn involuntarily inched closer to him until she was in touching range again, brushing her hand through his longer-than-usual locks and massaging his scalp.
“I think I knew. Or some part of me did anyways, when we said goodbye that night in March.”, she confessed, her voice as soothing as the patterns she drew with her fingers. “You really rather faced war than just confessing this the moment we parted, huh?”
Azriel signed. “Don’t remind me of my shortcomings, please, not tonight anyways. Swords are a little more straight forward to me than words of affection.”
The Shadowsinger’s hands came up to hold onto Gwyn’s waist, pulling her downwards so she sank onto his lap, her own arms draped over his broad shoulders. Apparently, neither of them was capable to be physically separated right now. She sat on rock hard muscle and leather, and yet, nothing has felt more comfortable in her whole life.
“We can work on that.”, she promised, “Put it right on the list, next to ‘make a new intimidatingly-male-colored bracelet’.”
“We can?”, he asked – voice so low it sounded almost … unsure?
Gwyn furrowed her brows, finding his gaze again to assure herself that he was still alive and not sliding into unconsciousness while she talked about bracelets. The hope and anxiety she was met with gave her heart a squeeze.
And she realized she hadn’t said it back.
“Oh Gods.”, Gwyn broke out into giggles, “Az, I’m sorry. You need some vital information to understand.”
She cupped his face again – it fit so perfectly in her palms – and pressed a soft, loving kiss on his lips. After a moment of shock Azriel responded, moving his mouth over her own in gentle, careful movements. It was her first kiss after Sangravah, and it felt exhilarating.
“I love you, too.”, she mumbled, her mouth still so close to his it brushed his skin with every word. “And only now that you’re back I feel like I can breathe again. You make me want to be brave and strong – even voluntarily go into war. You are my best friend, too. But at the same time so much more than that.”
Azriel’s face, previously neutral in expression, finally crumpled with emotion when he felt the truth in her words. That she wasn’t about to take them back or reject him.
“May I kiss you again, love?”
Gwyn smiled. It was all her body was able to do now. “Most definitely.”
---
Never had Gwyn seen a person that devoured that much food within so little time. It was actually impressive, and there was probably some kind of money to be won with that talent.
Her and Azriel were seated at the gigantic dining table in the house, serving themselves with the large breakfast the house provided in celebration of Az returning. And even though Gwyn ate perfectly normal these past weeks, she decided to treat herself too. Because a second helping of syrup-covered pancakes never hurt nobody, and she did go through a lot of mental tension.
Azriel was on his third or fourth plate by now, mixing sweet with savory and already looking so much better than last night as he filled her in on the fascinating and heartbreaking details of what happened. Gwyn doing the same with updates from the house and library.
Despite that fact that the priestess never felt more at ease with another person than Azriel, safe for her late twin, it was like they had reached another level of familiarity this morning. Oh, Gwyn was still giddy just looking at the male and the way he made holding a fork look swoon-worthy, but they might as well have been together for a decade. No anxious fidgeting, no desperate search for topics to talk about.
The fact that they officially spent their first night together might have helped.
It was all very innocent, to be fair. They simply refused to let go of one another, and so Azriel suggested she stay with him. Gwyn agreed, for purely practical reasons of course. And after the Shadowsinger had his much-deserved dinner and bath, they found each other again under the soft cover of the duvet. The blush that stole itself into Gwyn’s cheeks had nothing to do with the hot tea as she remembered it.
“What are you thinking about?”, Azriel’s voice held a dangerous teasing edge to it.
Gwyn took a sip from her cup, biding her time and hoping the color would miraculously drain from her face again if she tried hard enough. In front of her, the Shadowsinger raised an eyebrow. She felt like a kid being caught with her hand in a bag of candy.
The priestess set her cup down with pointed care and readjusted herself on her seat. “I’ve been wondering when Cassian and Nesta might arrive. Hopefully today.”
Definitely not her best diversion.
“Oh? And you were blushing because…?”. When Az caught a lie, he was as relentless as a hound on a scent.
“Well, I’m happy. For obvious reasons.”, her tone was way off, too defensive and high-pitched to have sounded normal. Gwyn blamed his beautiful lips for throwing her off her game. And the fact that she got an unlimited number of kisses from them now.
She wouldn’t come out of this easily. So, she might as well go down swinging. Because teasing your significant other was one of the benefits of becoming an official girlfriend. “I’m just so excited to see Cass again. Train with him. I’ve missed him so much.”
Gwyn added a sigh for good measure.
Azriel’s eyes narrowed at her. But whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a loud shriek.
Both of them were out of their seats in a heartbeat, Shadows flying out in every direction to scout.
“Balcony.”, Az mumbled, a dagger poised in hand and already on his way to the massive glass doors to their side. Gwyn followed him on silent feet.
But before his hands touched the handle, he relaxed his posture and let out a startled laugh. A Shadow curling around his ear must have given him a closer idea of their ‘threat’.
Landing on the balcony before them were Cassian and Nesta, wearing ridiculously large grins on their faces and looking a bit worse for wear.
Gwyn pushed past Az, out of the doors and flung herself in Nesta’s arms before she touched the ground. 
“You’re back!”, she whisper-cried into her hair while her best friend squeezed her in return. Those remained the only coherent words she uttered in her direction. They proceeded to communicate in a series of squeals and unintelligible sounds. But the sentiment was conveyed.
After that, the morning continued in a flurry of hugs, random outbursts of happiness and endless topics to talk about.
Their favorite, much to Azriel’s chagrin: Gwyn’s relationship status. Because according to Cassian, ‘nothing about this war was as bad as having to endure Azriel’s constant sulking’ and it ‘finally paying off’. Az seemed a bit taken aback that it didn’t remain their little secret for a while, but endured the good-natured teasing like a true hero.
Which, actually, seemed to be the general consensus of his behavior.
“That fucking battle, let me tell you.”, Cassian managed to get out in-between mouthfuls of food, “One second, we’re all in deep shit. Next, the whole right flank – incinerated. Nothing but darkness all around. And I just thought: ‘What the hell, who else in this army can wield that kind of power?’. Turns out”, Cassian clapped Azriel on the shoulder affectionately, “Az here did that all by himself.”
‘Az here’ looked ready to bolt into a far-off mountain village.
“How did you figure out to do that anyways? And why has that brilliant idea not come to you during the multiple wars we already fought?”, Cas asked.
Azriel just shrugged, clearly not comfortable with the question, which caused Cassian to roll his eyes at him. “Gwyn, any ideas what to make of it?”
Gwyn of course had an idea, but she also new Az didn’t really want to talk about it yet. So she answered carefully, “Maybe it was a burst of emotion. Your Shadows seem to react to that sometimes.”
“I got a bit angry.”, Azriel confirmed in a low, almost gentle voice. The explanation was clearly aimed at Gwyn, but it was Cass who answered.
“A bit angry my ass. He cut the guy’s head clean off his shoulders and then released a blast of power that had Rhys do a double take from the other side of the field.”
Cassian shook his head, and that was that. The conversation then turned to way more comfortable topics, and as soon as Cassian finished eating, Nesta flashed him ‘the eyes’. Both were out of their seats within seconds, not even bothering with an explanation.
Not that either Azriel or Gwyn needed one as they exchanged a long-suffering look.
“Can I interest you in a flight?”, he asked, already making his way to the balcony. His eyes sparkled with mirth and happiness, and Gwyn had never been more in love.
“Well, yes, you can.”, she pranced over to him, lacing her fingers with his and letting him take the lead to the railing. She always wanted to fly with him. “One more thing, before I lay my life into your hands.”
“They are very capable hands. But sure, go ahead.”, the Shadowsinger smirked at her in such an openly flirty way it made Gwyn blush. But she powered through.
“Soo. The angry tantrum you threw. You think it had anything to do with the bracelet almost ripping?”, she asked, the truth in her words confirmed as she took in his shocked reaction. Well, if you counted a slight widening of his eyes as outright shock.
“How on earth did you guess that?”, he replied, pulling her closer by the waist. “You’re too smart for your own good, Berdara.”
Gwyn giggled in triumph. She would not rat out Cassian and the hint from his message, not if it meant that Azriel thought her to be psychic. “It made sense. With you seeming so crestfallen as it ripped.”
The atmosphere changed after she said that, his playful attitude turning somber.
“It was a difficult few days. We lost a good chunk of our army, some valuable assets too, and both my brothers turned to their respective partners for solace while I stayed by the campfire.”, he spoke the words very matter-of-fact, but they hit Gwyn nonetheless. She could picture it, how he had to stay in the cold darkness without the comfort of a loved one.
“I’m not saying you should have come with me. To this day, I’m thankful you decided to stay.”, he quickly added, “Usually, this kind of misplaced jealousy would leave me hopeless and angry. But I felt your bracelet around my wrist, so instead I started to remember you. The thoughts of you, your smile, your gorgeous freckles – it felt like you were physically present. All my hope and dreams anchored to the bracelet. It spurred me on, because I wanted to win this war so you could live in peace. And it reminded me not to lose my temper and strike without thinking, so that I might return and have the courage to admit my feelings to you.”
“But that one time, I let anger take over. Because it nearly ripped. And it felt like I was about to lose that one tether I still had to you. The thought made me mad with rage.”
Gwyn stared at him in awe. At the male, who had saved her home yet again, and who’s unyielding loyalty made her heart race.
“We definitely have to work on your anger management.”
Azriel snorted, but nodded his agreement. He leaned down to carefully brush his lips against hers, the silent question answered by the priestess as she rose to her tiptoes to deepen the kiss. She was certain she’d never get enough of this.
“I’m so proud of you, Az. For getting through his, fighting for me and your family, for coming back to me. I love you.”
Being able to say it so freely now was a groundbreaking experience. Especially when it ultimately led to the great Shadowsinger blushing.
“Back to the topic of anger management though-”, Azriel said as he moved to scoop Gwyn off the floor, ready to take flight, “What was that again you said about Cassian earlier?”
Gwyn’s arms looped around his neck, holding on for dear life even though they were still firmly grounded. Her teasing would come to bite her in the ass now, it seemed. “Umm, I think it was that I hoped him and Nesta would return today. And ‘yay’, it came true.”
Lying by omission wasn’t too bad, right?
Azriel nodded pensively. “I seem to remember. But after that, I just recall feeling like I was stabbed in the heart.”
Gwyn had to bite her lip to stop herself from grinning. This playful side of him was her new favorite thing. “Weird. Heartburn?”
“You might be right.”, he answered slowly. Their eyes caught for a second. Then, Azriel stepped onto the railing, Gwyn still tightly cradled in his arms. He turned his back to the precipice, and the grin that graced his features felt simultaneously joyous and dangerous. “Must have been heartburn.”
He let himself fall backwards, laughing out freely as Gwyn shrieked with excitement. The drop lasted only for a second, before Azriel turned and caught them with the spread of his mighty wings. They lurched upwards again, sailing on a breeze towards the city of Velaris.
“I sincerely hope you are deaf on one ear now!”, Gwyn laughed. She was barely able to form the words from the wide smile that seemed to be permanently plastered to her face when she was with him. Even though her stomach remained somewhere on the balcony, she already loved flying.
“And I sincerely hope you think twice before you tease me.”, he answered in mock seriousness. He added a quick kiss to her cheek for good measure, just in case she misunderstood him. “You being with me now– it means you have to spare me from heartbreak like that.”
“I never took you for someone who likes to be coddled.”, Gwyn shot back.
“Ohh, you clearly don’t know what you got yourself into.”, Azriel drawled, banking right to fly over the outskirts of Velaris.
Gwyn thought to herself that she was more than happy to figure it out.
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