#loved mallory here in a way i didn't expect to

[foxsoulcourt]

To Tell The Good From Bad, Villains From Heroes (55180 words) by moon_of_mercury Chapters: 18/18 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: James Bond/Q, M | Gareth Mallory/Eve Moneypenny Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Eve Moneypenny, M | Gareth Mallory, Bill Tanner, Nomi (James Bond), Felix Leiter, Madeleine Swann Additional Tags: Mission Fic Summary:

Almost 5 years have passed since SPECTRE left MI6 vulnerable. Bond and Q have both made their own choices in the aftermath. Now, the time to pay the price is at hand.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Six months ago I gobbled down this whole work, part of the 2020/2021 RBB. It's a testament to the power of it that I had not yet marked it as read written a bookmark for it. Circling back today to do both.

This is a f a b u l o u s, complex, well-constructed work sparked by @themuller13​‘s art ​. I LOVE it both the evocative art + the story so much. Love seeing Q walk away from MI6 + learning why; love how damn complicated it is for Q + Bond to turn towards each other; the MI6 family is so.well.done, and L O V E the many OCs which round out the cast of characters.

What's f*%!ing W i L d is something I had to keep reminding myself over + over + over again: this a NTTD fix-it completed over six months before we knew eXaCtLy w h y we needed a fix-it fic! Yeah. Wow.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. And if you do, please love up the author @themerc for all the reasons. Because, yeah, wow. 💜

[yanderelionwrites]

Trick or Treat (Male!Yandere x Reader)

A Halloween one-shot for spooky season 🎃 I didn't want it to be too long so it's a little rushed, but here it is. Enjoy!

Content Warning: yandere, breaking and entering, assault/grabbing, manipulation

Word Count: 1.9k

“Are you sure you don’t wanna come to the party with us? I have a spare costume you could borrow that I know you would look great in!” Your roommate asked, adjusting the faux dog ears that were sitting atop her head as she walked into the kitchen.

You pulled a candy bowl out of the cupboard, dumping the sweet treats you had bought earlier today and filling it up to the brim. You smiled politely at her, but shook your head.

“Nah, I’m good. You know parties aren’t really my thing. Besides, somebody’s gotta watch over the house to make sure it doesn’t get TP’d or egged or whatever.”

“Still, though, I feel bad leaving you here by yourself. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“You sound like such a mom, Mallory,” Your other roommate, Tristan, snarked, coming down the stairs clad in a black cat costume. “(Name)’s been home alone plenty of times before. They’re not a kid.”

“I know, but it’s Halloween! The holiday just makes being alone feel more scary…”

“I’ll be fine, Mal,” You sighed, though you were still grateful for her concern. 

“We should probably get going now,” Tristan said, checking his phone. “Come on, Mal, let’s go,” Tristan grabbed ahold of her wrist, dragging her out the front door. “Don’t have too much fun without us, alright?” He winked at you.

“Bye, (Name)! We’ll probably be back around midnight! Call us if you need anything!”

After waving them goodbye, you took a small table and placed the candy bowl on top, leaving it out front with a “take two” sign. You had only bought one bag so if it ran out, it ran out. Locking the door behind you, you made your way upstairs to your bedroom, excitement coursing through your body. You loved your roommates, but there was just something about having the whole house to yourself that made you giddy. A true introvert at heart.

Plopping down on your bed, you turned on your TV, scrolling through streaming sites to decide what to watch. In honor of the holiday, you naturally chose a horror movie, something you’ve never seen before but heard good things about. Cuddling up with your favorite plush, you get comfortable as the film starts, ready to experience the same dread and terror alongside the main characters.

That feeling never came however, because you quickly fell asleep not even 30 minutes into the movie. An hour had gone by by the time you woke up, with the credits rolling and the obnoxious sound of the doorbell going off. You stuffed your face into the blanket you were wrapped up in, hoping and waiting for the visitor to go away. The candy bowl was probably empty and some greedy brat was outside demanding for more.

You were forced to jump out of bed and stomp down the stairs when the ringing only continued, followed by loud knocking. Damn entitled kids. You thought bitterly, undoing the locks and yanking the front door back without even checking who was outside first.

“Look, I don’t got any more candy, so just-” You barked, but stopped mid-sentence when you were met with a tall figure dressed head to toe in black clothes. He had a hood covering his eyes, with a mask obscuring his nose and mouth. He stood eerily still, staying completely silent, only the sound of his heavy breathing being heard. It felt like an eternity before he said, “...Trick or Treat.”

Your eyes widen, backing up a bit and closing the door enough to shield yourself from him. You definitely were not expecting a grown-ass man to be outside your door asking for treats. Chuckling awkwardly, you stutter, “U-Uhm, sorry…we unfortunately ran out of candy…”

“Darn…that’s too bad,” The man’s voice was husky, but muffled by his mask. “I was really looking forward to having something sweet tonight,” He flipped his hood off before pulling his mask down, giving you a hungry look. “You’re wrong, though. The sweetest piece of candy is standing right in front of me. I could just devour you in one bite.“

Slamming the door shut, you quickly locked it again, disgust and slight fear taking over you. The audacity he had to just start flirting with you was downright deplorable, the creepiness of it all causing your hair to stand on end. Maybe this could be a prank? A stupid Halloween scare that would rack up millions of views online, with poor you being one of the unfortunate victims. 

Yeah, that’s probably what it was. You wouldn’t expect any less from this neighborhood, after all. Your heart was still pounding as you tried to convince yourself that it was just a joke, however, and you headed into the kitchen to grab something to drink. A glass of water was needed to calm your nerves.

After gulping down the cool liquid, you searched for a snack to chow down on. Hopefully if you eat something while watching your movie, you won’t fall asleep this time. Deciding on microwave popcorn, you popped a bag in and waited for it to be ready. 

Only a few seconds went by when you heard tapping on a window. It was coming from the sliding glass door that led out into the backyard. At first, you wanted to believe you were just hearing things, but the next taps were louder and incessant. The last thing you wanted to do was investigate, having had enough fright for one night, so you stayed where you were.

Good thing you did, because immediately after the tapping stopped, came a loud crash. You screamed, watching in horror as you witnessed a brick fly through the glass door, shattering it to pieces. Reflexively, you quickly grabbed a knife from the knife block, just in time to see the man from before casually stalking into your home. He turned to you, an eerie grin on his face as he approached. You pointed your weapon towards him, making sure he kept his distance.

“Stay the hell away! The fuck’s your problem, why are you breaking into my house?!” You shouted, putting on your nastiest glare.

He cocked his head to the side, as if he couldn’t understand why you were angry. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m here for my candy,” He said matter-of-factly. Smirking, he curled his pointer finger at you. “So put that silly thing down and c’mere.”

“You’re insane! Get the fuck out of my house!”

“So rude,” The man huffed, pouting like a child as if this was all a game to him. “Well, if you’re not going to give me my treat, I’ll just have to give you a trick. That’s how this works, hm?”

Before you could even process his words, he lunged forward, twisting the knife out of your hands with ease. He was stronger than he looked, and within a matter of seconds, he had you pinned against the counter. You winced as your stomach dug into the marble surface, and you desperately tried to move your hands from out underneath his iron grip. They wouldn’t budge.

“Don’t struggle too hard, darling. It’ll make this easier for the both of us,” The man breathed into your ear. Chuckling, he added, “You’re cute when you’re scared, you know. God, I can’t wait to taste you.”

Your fear only worsened at that, struggling even harder even though it was useless. “W-Why are you doing this? Who even are you?” Your voice wobbled as tears pricked the corners of your eyes.

“Who I am doesn’t matter right now. And maybe you’ll find out why this is happening to you if you do some digging later. A little detective work, if you will.”

What the hell does that mean? You couldn’t dwell on it for very long, though, because the man was pressing into you even closer now. You squealed when he dragged his tongue along the shell of your ear, anger getting ready to burst when he only laughed at your reaction.

“Get off me, creep!” You snarled, and you actually managed to jerk your arm back and elbow him in the stomach. Hissing, his grip loosened, allowing you to push him off. He stumbled back, and while he was vulnerable, you promptly kicked him in the groin. The intruder yelped in pain as he fell to the floor. You took this chance to run, practically throwing yourself at the front door and fumbling with the locks so you could get the hell out of there.

“Yeah, you better run…while you still can…” The man groaned, but his threats hardly fazed you considering he was just a pathetic heap on the ground now.

Flinging open the door, you sprinted out of the house, planning to find safety with one of your neighbors. You couldn’t get far, however, as you ran into someone quite familiar.

“Tristan?” You panted, hands on your knees as you tried to catch your breath while looking up at your worried roommate.

“(Name)? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Tristan asked, putting a hand on your shoulder to try and comfort you. “What are you doing out here?”

You sucked in a few more breaths before explaining the situation to him. “There…someone….some guy broke into the house… He was after me…he tried…tried…” You couldn’t even finish your sentence, it was too terrifying to relive. 

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now,” Tristan hushed you, pulling you into a surprising embrace. It was something you never expected from him, but you returned the gesture anyway.

“He’s still in the house, Tristan… We need to call the cops and get away from here,” You pulled away from the hug, eyes now focused back on the house. “I left my phone in my room, so can you call them?”

“Yeah, I will,” He nodded, whipping out his phone to start dialing. “Let’s go back to my car and stay there until they arrive, okay?”

The two of you made yourselves comfortable in the warm car, and you listened intently as Tristan called 911. After he hung up, he told you that they were on their way and would be there as soon as possible. It was able to calm your beating heart only a little bit. There was a beat of silence between you two before you decided to speak up.

“So where’s Mallory? Is she still at the party?”

Without missing a beat, Tristan said, “Yeah, she is. I just had to come back cuz I forgot something. The last thing I expected was to see you in such a panic, though. Good thing I got here when I did.”

“Yeah… I wasn’t sure what neighbor would answer the door to help me, so I’m glad I ran into you,” You confessed.

Tristan laid a comforting hand over yours and smiled. “I’m just happy you’re not hurt. That guy’s gonna pay for what he did.”

You gave him a weak smile in return, before leaning into his touch. Seeing Tristan being so soft was new, but you found it sweet and appreciated how hard he was trying to soothe you. You closed your eyes as he wrapped an arm around you, glad that you were finally away from that creepy intruder.

Tristan let you rest, pulling out his phone when it buzzed with a text alert. Opening the message, it read:

I’m out of the house now. Sorry I couldn’t keep em pinned for longer, I know u wanted to look like the hero or some shit. Though it looks like it still worked out in the end

Trying to hide his smile, Tristan replied:

Thanks man. I’ll send the rest of your payment over in a bit, after the cops leave and things settle down.

Stuffing his phone away, he squeezed your arm gently, smirking at the way you moved in closer. You were so easy to scare.

Right into his arms.

[sawyerconfort]

the coven (+ marie and kyle) realizing they must be in love with you would include...

Officially back and so ready to write for our coven!

To celebrate that I'm reopening requests, I decided to give you some headcannons. They've been running through my head for a while and I thought I should post them ASAP!

Hope you like it!

Anyway, enjoy!

Orders are officially reopened, but please take it easy! I don't want to leave anyone without posts around here!

-------------------

The Coven and Their Allies Realizing They're Must Be In Love With You (Young!Reader, just for the record!)

Cordelia Goode, Fiona Goode, Zoe Benson, Madison Montgomery, Misty Day, Nan, Queenie, Myrtle Snow, Mallory, Marie Laveau and Kyle Spencer!

Cordelia Goode

Ok, we know that Delia went through a lot before getting here and that her self-esteem is not the best…

Regardless if it's as Supreme or before that, Delia never felt enough for anyone to love her and definitely avoided falling in love.

Maybe after Hank, things got worse in that regard.

But there, in the middle of her path, there was you.

Cordelia tensed as she realized that she was liking you more than a friend.

She didn't want Fiona to know (if she was still alive), so she just kept it a secret.

Okay, maybe Myrtle would have been the first person to know that she was in love with someone again, but she was the exception.

And Cordelia had to process all that on her own for a long time before she got up the courage to talk to you.

It started with just an exchange of ideas, a casual conversation that happened out of the blue when she approached you somewhere you guys went together.

Cordelia even offered to buy you drinks from time to time, a way of signing that there was something more and a way to at least be helpful and content.

(Of course it wasn't out of the blue, Cordelia kind of calculated her steps (not in an obsessive way) so she could get to you without stuttering…)

Delia won you over little by little, and your conversations gave her the confidence to keep going ever since.

Until the day she thought she couldn't keep it all to herself anymore.

"I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever felt anything like this for anyone before, but the truth is, I'm in love with you, (Y\N)… And, you know, it's okay if you don't love me back."

Secretly, she wanted you to reciprocate.

And well, actually, you reciprocated because who wouldn't fall in love with Cordelia Goode, right?

Fiona Goode

Let's start with the fact that you destabilize Fiona's entire pose the moment she first lays eyes on you.

And has been doing so ever since.

Falling in love has never been a problem for Fiona, she has done it countless times, and every time her loves have yielded incredible things for her.

But with you, it's different, and feeling it knocked her out at first.

Like, she's the queen of self-centeredness, and all of a sudden, she starts caring more about someone else than herself…

Nobody, nobody at all, would know that Fiona Goode is in love.

Oh yeah, and then there's the age thing, which she found a little humiliating at first, especially when she realized it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Of course, she had to make the first move.

And it would happen at a time when you're alone, at the bar, probably ordering a drink (similar to Cordelia's).

The difference is that Fiona wouldn't waste any time.

So, you can expect anything, anything, from her.

Endless flirting to make you blush.

And she always cracks that smile when she succeeds.

She will probably strike up a conversation, trying to find out what your tastes are, and use that to her advantage in an attempt to win you over.

Apart from the irresistible charm, which she uses even involuntarily.

Not to mention that once she got more intimate with you, she would brag about being the Supreme and most powerful witch ever.

"Would you ever consider dating someone older, (Y\N), like, casually?"

Zoe Benson

I believe Zoe (just like Luke) would be the most normal person to fall in love with, and handle it better than other girls.

Like, of course, she has the issue of her power and the like.

But I don't think she would consider that, especially after getting used to being a witch and having control of her powers.

Not that there wasn't that care and concern for her safety either, because the moment she realized everything, she wouldn't want to lose you.

I think she would also be like Cordelia and would need some more time to gain confidence in herself to confess her feelings for you.

Still, you can expect a few notes in the most unusual places you should find them, written by her.

Some were references to poems, others were song lyrics. Zoe would use that feature to be able to declare herself to you without having to use her words.

A few subtle flirtations when you met casually, whether it was on purpose or not.

Zoe is incredibly distracted when she is in love with someone.

And that would yield great content for Madison, who would be the first to find out about her coven mate's new love.

In a pre-Apocalypse era, Cordelia would have been your confidant.

And if it happened after that, Zoe would find a way to handle it all on her own too.

Either way, Zoe wants you to be sure that being with her is completely safe, despite the troubled life she leads.

"I think I'm in love with you, (Y\N). I'm serious."

Madison Montgomery

(anon who asked me a while ago about madison falling in love and being a complete mess, this one's for you!)

I don't think I need to comment on how frustrated Madison would be to fall seriously in love.

She doesn't give in that easily to anyone, but with you it's strangely different.

You can expect a softer side of her to come out over the days.

Not that her bitch side didn't prevail, of course, but you get the point.

Madison has a huge difficulty with words, and she secretly doesn't want you to know that it's because she has self-esteem and emotional issues.

Usually, when she stutters to talk to you, Madison pretends it was just a random distraction, with something passing by that caught her attention.

And you know the truth, but you think it's cute when she doesn't admit it, so you just let it go.

When she decides to tease you for fear of showing too much weakness and showing her feelings, it gets hot…

Like, when her bitch persona takes over, you can expect the dirtiest flirting, with her claiming with all the certainty in the world that she's going to win you over, no matter what.

But the thing that always gives away how much Madison fell in love with you is her jealousy flare-ups.

If you're relatively close and hang out together, she'll get used to other people talking to you.

But if you start a friendship for now, you can expect that seeing another person too close to you would give her a nervous breakdown.

Another one of the cute things Madison in love would bring you.

Given time, she would open up to you, no dirty jokes, no malicious intent, just pure, genuine feelings.

"Fuck, (Y\N), I swear to God I'm going to regret this, but I need to tell you that I'm in love with you, and this time I mean it."

Misty Day

There is no more lovable person while in love than Misty Day.

(Okay, my favoritism plays a big part, but honestly, I can't imagine anything else happening on Misty's part.)

It's very likely that this is her first time falling in love with someone, and it leaves her literally in a panic for days…

She's always done pretty well on her own, but after she got to know you, she realized that company might not be such a bad idea.

But she's a little scared to get close to you, scared that you'll somehow abandon her.

So things would start out slow, with Misty approaching you, making conversation and hoping to get to know you better after that.

You would expect her to get very carried away talking about the things she likes (aka Stevie Nicks, swamps and flowers).

And you can hope that would be the cutest thing to witness.

Speaking of flowers, she would take you to see the Miss Robichaux Academy greenhouse, in an attempt to get even closer.

And then she would make a point of introducing you to her favorite songs.

If it happens at a time when she's already tested the Seven Wonders, Misty would make a point of playing with a few of them to see if you're more easily impressed.

Misty is exceptionally clumsy when it comes to being in your presence.

Like, at the ultimate level, literally, she's a mess whenever she sees you, her nervousness, wondering if she's doing everything right.

And Cordelia would be responsible for calming her down when needed (and giving her advice on the best ways to get to you.)

"So, (Y\N), I think… I think I like you. Like, a lot. In fact, I think I'm in love with you, that's it."

Nan

Nan is too confident about her feelings to talk to you.

So honestly when she realizes she's in love it's not a problem.

She's just a little in doubt if it's really what she wants, and if you won't be amazed at the things she can offer.

Nan realizes that falling in love is harder than she thought, so whenever she can, she enlists the help of the other girls.

Madison would certainly tell her to confess her feelings at once and don't give a shit.

But Zoe would certainly be keen to give the best advice.

As it turns out, Nan has her own ways of dealing with these kinds of feelings, and again, once she really does gain confidence, she'll come after you without any help.

Little gifts and a few words of affirmation are all it takes for Nan to demonstrate how in love she is with you.

She's occasionally showing off her gift of clairvoyance, just to impress you and make sure it's not a problem.

"Okay, this is incredibly unexpected, but I'm having a vision about us… and that means I love you beyond friendship, (Y\N)."

Queenie

Queenie would probably be a person who would easily give in to feelings.

Not that being in love wasn't a shock to her, because it would freak her out that anyone actually cared about her for who she really is, even if she was a complete mess.

But once she was sure how she felt about you, she would go to great lengths to let you know.

She's completely honest, so whatever she has to say, she'll say it to your face, of course, as softly as possible, but directly.

Queenie is the type of person who, in front of others, would pretend to hate clichés.

But she would do them all for you, from little notes to sweets to a cliché date in the moonlight to flowers, anyway…

Now, if you wouldn't mind knowing, Queenie would die and kill for you (after all, that's what voodoo skills are for, right?).

She wouldn't think twice about confronting someone who was harming you, even if it meant hurting the person physically.

"I'm sorry, but I had to. I love you, (Y\N)."

And at the end of the day, she's just being honest and looking out for you.

Myrtle Snow

Complete madness, that's what it would be like when Myrtle Snow fell in love with you.

She may appear calm in front of others, but would secretly freak out when she realizes she's into you.

Unlike Fiona, she probably wouldn't deal well with the idea of the age gap at first.

But Myrtle would get used to it and see how insignificant it is when she realizes that her company is good for her.

Like, it's the first time Myrtle has been able to feel truly happy, not being in Fiona's shadow or the Council itself.

And she would certainly go against several Council laws for you.

But there would be the weird part of it, the crazy things you would be exposed to, being with Myrtle.

Of course, at first her ideas were completely crazy, but you learned to like it and get used to it.

To help, now you make her think twice before trying to gouge someone's eye out or making an impulsive decision.

Countless trips to Balenciaga now and then, the only place Myrtle and you would feel safe being yourself.

"(Y\N), honey, I think I like you more than I should. I think I definitely love you, in a romantic and sexual way."

Mallory

The biggest cliché of two teenagers falling in love could possibly happen between you.

Mallory is the most devoted and romantic person you could ever meet.

She's shy about admitting her feelings for you at first, but she'll learn the best way to say it without being too direct and scaring you off.

Coco basically being your cupid.

Mallory would hand you little presents from time to time, and when she noticed you had a bad day, she would do anything to cheer you up.

Very cute scenes of jealousy would happen even before she confessed her feelings.

Just like Misty, she would use her knowledge of the Seven Wonders and other powers to impress you.

And maybe, combined with her angelic beauty, it would work.

"I love you, (Y\N). More than a friend. More than I've loved anyone in my entire life."

Marie Laveau

Marie is tough and keeps everything a big mystery.

But she wouldn't be initially surprised to be in love with you no matter what.

I mean, she doesn't have to worry about love lives anymore after she supposedly got the woman she once ruined with her romances.

Without Delphine, Marie would become someone much more open and secure about her feelings.

And she would let you figure it out for yourself what was going on, though, because she was still afraid to express herself out loud.

She would make a point of keeping you safe from her enemies.

And I think Marie would be the perfect companion to learn how to survive in an increasingly cruel and evil world.

After all, three centuries of existence had to indicate something, right?

"The thing is, I think you're hot, (Y\N), and what do we do now?"

Kyle Spencer

Kyle is the smol bean we all deserve.

If it happened before the accident and before he was magically turned into a frankenstein, he would do anything to get at you in the best possible way.

But if it happened before, he would probably also be brave enough to take the first step and surprise you with the most infamous pick up lines.

If it happened later, Kyle would be afraid to scare you with brutality as an enemy.

But he would be surprised when he realized that the love he felt for you kept him from hurting you in any way.

Small gestures that would show how much he loves you, secretly, without having to use words.

Kyle would still remember a little bit of his life before the accident, so as time went on, he would become frustrated with not being able to talk to you about how he felt.

And I think he would make an effort to learn to speak again if it meant that it would bring you closer.

"I. Love. You. (Y\N)."

[sparrow-orion-writes]

Happy WBW! Today's is incredibly niche, but what does your world's gratitude look like? Are large acts of thanks required or scorned? Do most people find it polite to express thanks? Or, if that's a little much, how about your characters? What are their feelings toward giving and receiving gratitude?

I loved this question so much and now that's everyone else's problem, please get ready for an essay.

Arcadian Wilds:

Ari

Ari grew up in a world where respect was owed without cause. Thankfulness was something expected, required, whether or not the individual sees reason to give thanks. It makes being thankful into a chore. I wrote a little thing here:

He remembers his mother telling him he was to marry at sixteen. He remembers the false gratitude behind the building, frustrated grief of his own powerlessness.

As for how gratitude was expressed in his culture, it was largely through gifts. The value of the gift in proportion to that of the thanks given.

Giving gifts to the goddess was a more spiritual matter. They believed that they were giving pieces of themselves in a more metaphysical way, than leaving actual gifts.

April

On the opposite end, April comes from a place where nothing is really expected of anyone. People fall into places they belong and pass the time. Giving thanks was never really very high on his list, however there's an important distinction to make for April between giving thanks to people, and giving thanks to the gods, and also, in April's unique case, animals too.

April had largely grown up waiting to die, he realised. He can't remember ever even being acknowledged as a living person. Maybe that's why he rarely wanted the help of others. He's not sure he ever learned how to say thank you.

Vs

He held out his hand to stop Ember in his tracks. "Don't step on any jars - the offerings - to the forest people." He'd left a few in his time here before. His way of saying thank you for his own knowledge; something that only half makes sense to him now. Even if he did, or didn't believe, just in case it seemed only right.

Vs

"Thank you for not biting me," April muttered, staring into the large pincers with surprising calmness. To solidify this, he threw it half of his sandwich, which it took gratefully and scurried off.

Released:

Mallory:

This man is a walking train wreck, this is important. He's overly thankful. People walk all over him and he's like cheers for that. Get this man some therapy. Or don't because whatever wrong with him is more interesting.

Thìodran's Acolytes:

Blood. Many blood. Lots of flesh?? Honestly general cult stuff when it comes to giving thanks to an eldritch apocalyptic god.

Dieredredah's Witches

Kindness to bugs, especially spiders. Reverence of the small and mundane. Divination.

Cardinal Sins

Tulip and Aspen:

Aspen thanks Tulip by offering its hand. Tulip thanks Aspen by sinking his teeth into the offered flesh.

And honestly that's all that matters rn.

[millylouedward]

The Very Best Books of 2023

I read 52 books in 2023, and that basically means I can do anything with a strong enough will.

I told myself if I couldn't complete my Goodreads reading challenge this year, I would never amount to anything in life. I would grow old and die and I would not ever be able to say I accomplished anything, because if I couldn't meet this one goal, I would never meet any.

The good news is, I read all 52 books and finished with a month to spare. As it turns out, I am not worthless nor incapable of accomplishment. Yay!

The bad news is, I read a lot of really good books this year. In fact, 61% of the books I read I rated 4 stars or higher. We're going to have to get really serious right now if I'm going to pick only 5 of those 32 Really Good Books.

Here are some of my criteria for Very Best Book of the year:

I remember the story (I'm very forgetful so this is important)

I had a strong emotional reaction to the story

The writing was strong, vibrant, and interesting

The story kept me constantly hooked

Alright, now that that's decided, let's get into it.

5. We Do What We Do In The Dark (Michelle Hart)

This book had me so messed up after I read it. It's like the depressed queer woman anthem. I'm not a big fan of mental health literature like My Year of Rest and Relaxation or The Bell Jar, but I think the addition of another intriguing character who both feeds into the main character Mallory's issues and heals them at the same time created a sense of intrigue for me. We Do What We Do in the Dark is full of beautiful, alluring prose that makes my little literary heart sing and balances out the weight of the obsession Mallory builds for the professor as she fights her own loneliness.

This story stuck with me, really. The relationship between the professor and Mallory is complicated and problematic yet meaningful and sensual and artistic. And don't get me started on the cover. I'm a sucker for paintings as covers for books, and the cover designed by Jaya Miceli is fantastic.

The reason why I leave at the bottom of my top books is that I didn't have a strong emotional reaction to the story. I loved it, I thought it was poignant and profound, I thought about it for months after reading it. But it just didn't quite draw out of me anything deeper than those feelings. And that's okay. This is not a book that is meant to make your eyes go wide and your jaw drop. It's meant to make the reader curious in the best way.

4. Atalanta (Jennifer Saint)

You say Greek myth feminist retelling, I say, SAY LESS.

Atalanta is a powerful retelling of the only woman of the Argonauts on their journey to retrieve the golden fleece. After being raised by bears and adopted by Artemis (goals) she is thrown into a world she's never known when the goddess asks her to join the quest in her name. Our girl Atalanta has to fight vicious creatures both human and non, survive extreme conditions, and make it back to Artemis without breaking her vow of chastity.

I found Atalanta to be heartbreaking and magical at the same time. I was frightened by the horrors she faces yet constantly curious about what the fate of her life with Artemis would be. The writing is beautiful and dynamic. Every character is fully fleshed out and presented flawlessly. I'm pretty sure I cried at the end.

I put this one at number 4 because the first chapter was hella boring. Like, borderline DNF boring. It's not the author's fault, nor is it mine. It's full of exposition that you need in order to understand everything else that's about to happen. I struggled to get through it. But starting right at the beginning of chapter 2, it became increasingly better.

3. In The Dream House (Carmen Maria Machado)

I went into In The Dream House expecting a fictional thriller. I didn't read the blurb. And I was pleasantly surprised when I was wrong.

This memoir is powerful, absurd, inventive. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. The nameless antagonist fills the reader with dread and fear every time they enter the page. It begs questions about the woman in the dream house's intentions and fears. Who is she, really? What brought her to become the monster under the bed in the author's life?

I absolutely loved the structure of the memoir. It's creative and thoughtful. It feels as if the author is dissecting her story to understand it better, putting it under different lenses in hopes that something microscopic will be revealed and explain all the pain she's been through.

This memoir is so profound to me. If I could forget it all and read it for the first time again, I would do so in a heartbeat.

2. The Hike (Drew Magary)

"Every moment I become more confused and concerned" -Milly, at 61.15% into The Hike

I know what you're thinking. Milly, how could you let a male author on your list of the very best books? You probably aren't really thinking that. But I am. How could I? I am a devoted women's lit reader. I love the way women write way more than men. I crave the emotion and the depth that is often lacking in male-written novels. I'm sorry but it's true.

That changed when I read The Hike. Nothing about this story is predictable or sensical. It is wild and painful and scary and funny and absurd. I can only describe it as a blend of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, The Good Place, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm still thinking about how shocked I was at the ending. I can't even begin to explain (pun intended).

The narrative follows a man who goes out for a short hike and ends up on a years long journey as he tries to get back to his family. It sounds very yawn, I know. But his journey is full of odd creatures that don't make sense, like a talking sea creature and a cannibalistic giant and dog-faced bad guys. All the while, he is trying to make his way to the "Producer," the only person who can release him from the path and return him to his family.

The Hike is easily one of the best books I've ever read.

1. Carrie Soto is Back (Taylor Jenkins Reid)

I picked up this book because of the cover. Who is Carrie Soto? What is she coming back from? With her head tilted towards a golden glow, bathing her in the color, the reader can imagine that this is a story about a woman with serious power (cue Money, Power, Glory by Lana Del Rey).

And the reader would be right. Carrie Soto is the bet tennis player in the world, until her body begins to slow her down and she is forced to retire. Then, when a young tennis star puts Carrie at risk of losing everything she worked for, she returns to the game to defend her title one last time.

Can I just say, I love good boss bitch main character. I love the women who just don't give a fuck, who are not here to put up with anyone's shit, who want to win and say fuck you all and go home. Carrie Soto is my woman.

Taylor Jenkins Reid delivered a riveting, edge of your seat story in Carrie Soto is Back, and does so with a fantastic writing style. The narrative jumps back and forth between Carrie Soto growing up as a young tennis player to her as an adult in the 90s preparing to face off against Nicki Chan.

What I love so much about this book is that it makes the reader question why we treat women in the public eye the way we do. It asks the reader to consider what we really want when we want fame and money and success. What does any of it mean when we have no one?

You can imagine how sad I was when I realized I'd just finished the best book of this year in MARCH. I sat there on my couch thinking there is absolutely no way I will find a book that makes me feel the way Carrie Soto is Back did. Ugh. If y'all have recommendations. Send them my way for 2024.

[khaleesiofalicante]

There is something so weird about my reaction to this chapter. Usually, I'm holding back tears and anxious for the next chapter. But I'm calm this time.

And I think its because, one there was no flashback and two, we had David and Max interacting without anyone else there. With David just trying and Max being honest. The flashbacks leave me mourning and this was the first time I saw David make a good decision. So that was nice after the massive cluster fuck of last chapter.

I don't really know what David is going to say to Jaden's proposal. Everything having to do with Jaden has been so messed up that I wouldn't be surprised if he chose to say yes.

And maybe thats what Max needs to move on. To see David choose Jaden again one final time to realize that he doesn't deserve this pain. But this is Max who just like Alec, knows there is no one else for him. Who could forgive David anything and everything.

I get that David was probably within his rights to divorce Max. Probably because something very violent happened to Lance, I'm betting he killed someone with a gun just because of how David reacts to the thought of Lance with a gun.

But the thing is, I bet Max would have forgiven him. Max wouldn't have left David. Max would choose to fight and is still willing to for him after everything David has done to hurt him. Whether David wants to acknowledge it or not, Max will always love him and choose him. And David will always choose to run away.

Do I think David is traumatized and dealing with such a massive amount of issues that I couldn't wrap my head around it? Yes.

Do I think the more than 10 years David has had are enough to deal with the toll of the horrors he endured? No.

Do I think Max has been perfect? No.

Do i think David is doing his absolute best? ABSOLUTELY.

Do I think Mallory fucked with his head to not only mess up his memories but to somehow make him think that Max actually hates him? Yeah, that seems to be where this is heading.

But I think Max deserves someone willing to fight for him. And David has chosen not to.

Ohhhh many thoughts here. But i'll share the most important one because i have to go back to work 😒 This of course is influenced by MY perception of love and relationships.

I've always felt that it's unfair to compare people's commitment in relationships. Of course there are certain values that apply to all such as, faithfulness (not cheating).

But the thing is when we get into a relationship, we don't become similar or become one person. We're still two different people who are trying to make it work together. And more often than not, these two people are different.

So, I've found the "i would have fought for us but you didn't" argument during a breakup or even the "i would forgive you if it were you why can't you forgive me" argument incredibly unfair. Because these are two different people. They have two different personalities. So, comparing their actions in a similar situation and saying "Max would have never" is not fair. Of course Max would never. Because he is not David. David is a completely different person. So, he handles things like David. We can't expect David to handle a situation he is in like Max would (and vice versa).

And we can't expect David to fight (whatever it is) the same way Max does. Max's instinct is to fight and David's is to flight. We can't ask them to swap. It doesn't work like that. At least, it shouldn't work like that.

Because then we're compromising who we are to survive that relationship. And what happens is our partner falls in love with 'who we have to be' to save the relationship instead of 'who are actually are'.

I absolutely agree that Max (and everyone) deserves to be with someone who is willing to fight for him. But the thing is, we often forget, not everyone fights the same way.

I can assure you that David is fighting. He is fighting right now harder than he has ever before (and that's really saying something). It's not just the way we want him to fight. He is fighting in the only way that he can.

David can only fight like David.

[wikiangela]

she-hulk episode 6!

yaaay a wedding episode, this is gonna be fun (that 4th-wall break was great, I love when she does that lmao)

damn you agreed to be a bridesmaid for someone you haven't talked to in years? I'd maybe go to the wedding because I love weddings but that's it lmao - and I wouldn't even invite people I went to high school with wtf lulu 😂

I love how the title card keeps changing every episode, this is so great 😂

I like Mallory, I'm happy we're getting more of her haha

"I'm a nice guy" 🤮 aaand he jumped out of the window lmao - no but the fact that he just "kills himself" instead of getting a divorce is a hilarious concept 😂

"you'll find someone. don't feel bad" - oh my god how those things piss me off 😑 you don't need a guy to be happy dammit 😒😑😂😂

in the show it's like 2023/4? I guess? right? who the hell still asks team Edward or Jacob even in 2022??😂 jfc this is so middle school sns 😂😂 at least it made me laugh🤣

Titania is here yaaay!! I love the way she speaks in this show, it gives "an entitled influencer" and I'm living for it 😂😂

they're making Jen do everything and Johnathan is a dog. this is so funny but also like..... wow Lulu's a bitch 😂😂😂

I love that it's "Lulu and her groom" and we just don't get his name because it's "her day" 😂 such a bridezilla move 😂😂

I love the story with Mallory Nikki and Mr immortal this is so entertaining and funny and so interesting - generally my fave thing about this show is seeing "regular" people with powers (as in non-superheroes) and how they use their powers in their lives and get in trouble lol there's so much potential there, if watch fuckin seasons of this

aww I love that Josh seems to like Jen for Jen 🥺 this is what she needed to hear

okay, she-hulk looks awesome and while Jen looked good too, that dress fits she-hulk better than any other bridesmaid tbh 😂

oh wow Lulu's drunk and excited about she-hulk - didn't expect that 😂😂

Nikki is like, the best friend ever, obviously she told Jen, I mean, it might be just trolling on the internet like Mallory said but it might be serious (and we all know it's serious 👀👀)

oh no, someone's like observing her all the time?! it has something to do with the guys that tried to get her blood for sure

I loved this episode tbh, it was great - loved seeing Titania in general but also seeing her get her ass kicked lmao - Jen was great and I really hope Josh turns out to be a genuinely good guy, she's had enough disappointment lol - and Nikki and Mallory team up was fantastic, I loved them and how they handled Mr immortal haha - he was hilarious too 😂

I can't wait for the next one and pls give me Matt Murdock already!!!

[callistomeadowforge]

There were really just three main parts to all her operations. The second part; the hook and the diversion. | Task 010: The Interview

1 / 2 / 3

Once again, put on display. Expected to perform a show. Because it was all this was to them; entertainment. River squinted against the bright lights. Was Perry sitting at the Square, watching her right now? He was. He had to be. The alternative was far too harrowing to contemplate, though contemplated it she had.

She sat down as the applause petered out. Calix beamed at her.

"Ms Mallory--River, welcome. You look exquisite! I have no doubt that this brand of rustic chic will be everyone's fashion inspiration around here for a while, thanks to you."

Of course, it wasn't really her he was complimenting. It was the dozen layers of clown makeup and the tree dress to match.

"But speaking of around here, you have to tell us. How has the city treated you?"

"Oh, you know," she chuckled. Like a fraud. "It's definitely been fun exploring the tower. For one, you have really good coffee here. I mean out-of-this-world good. For two, you have an excellent pool. To be fair, I don't think I was actually allowed in there, but you guys won't tell anyone, right?"

The audience laughed, way too self-satisfied about being brought in on the joke, way too into themselves. It didn't matter. River knew how to play dumb innocence extremely well. She giggled when Calix shot her a conspiratorial wink. This wasn't so difficult, after all.

"And did you do all this exploring on your own or did you make new friends? Will we perhaps be seeing you working together with friends later in the arena?"

In the spirit of coming off personable, there was probably no harm to answer this one truthfully. Or mostly truthfully. "Yes! You all probably know that I know Fitz from home, but I've definitely made new friends, too. The other tributes are great," because she hadn't interacted with the careers save for Smith and Mason "--we've learnt plenty from each other," one way or another "--and you will definitely see me working with some of them."

"That's always heartening to hear. We know, though, that training is not without its challenges, even with the help of friends. Did you come across any difficulty at all?"

"Absolutely." River admitted. "I mean, I'm from Seven. The skills of our people revolve around climbing trees and swinging axes, and look at me, I'm not strong enough to even lift an axe." The crowd bellowed with laughter once again. "So, yeah, I had quite a bit of catching up to do."

Calix nodded, looking a little solemn for a moment, as if he understood how difficult it must have been for her. She had no doubt in her mind that he didn't.

"Well, if axes isn't your thing, you must have other strengths. Care to give us a few hints, at least?"

The nature of her strengths was that they needed to remain hidden in order to work. She clearly couldn't say this, so what should she say? "Oh, no, I can't spoil it!" River giggled. "Maybe I have a few tricks up my sleeves. You'll see. Honestly, though, what I know for sure is just that I'm going to do my best. I want to go home--and I'll do everything I can to do so."

"We love to hear that! We'll definitely be looking out for these tricks. And who will you be going home to?"

Her time was almost up. It had probably been Calix's intention all along to wrap on this note. Her voice faltered a little when she spoke this time, but that should work in her favour. She certainly hoped it did. "My cousin, Perry. It's just the two of us, he practically raised me. He-- he suffered an injury recently. So, yeah, I have to go home, Calix. I have to."

Calix pressed a hand to his heart while the audience cooed with sympathy. River could've gagged at the supposed display of emotion. Did they not realise that Perry's beating had ultimately also been for their entertainment? Did they not realise that she would've been happier never having to leave home?

Another round of applause escorted her off stage. Maybe the same noise would carry her off to her death, too.

[freydheim]

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law 1.06- "Just Jen"

I realised after last week's post that I forgot to mention that I was really sad for Jen that she didn't get any dates when she was just listed as Jennifer Walters. She's so cute and sweet and deserves to be liked for who she is, not just for the fact she's She-Hulk, and ALSO not just when she is She-Hulk! I'm a bit scarred from the Defenders Saga when it comes to love interests for Marvel heroes now, but I like to think that perhaps this Josh guy might be a real option? He seems sweet, and like he really does like Jen, so I'm going to hold onto my hope until we see otherwise!

Okay, so with that addressed... I feel TEASED after last episode! They gave us Matt's helmet but DID NOT GIVE US MATT? I had been operating under the impression that this was the last episode of the season- which I only found out it wasn't once I finished- so I was dead set that we were seeing Matt this week, and I was quite upset to find out that was not true. We are now at six episodes and counting until we see Matt Murdock, and I am really hoping they will put me out of my misery and put him in episode 7! Give me Matt Murdock!

And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming! Jen's at a wedding! I could not stand Lulu almost from the moment she opened her mouth. Jen looked so nice as She-Hulk, and I know I opened this commentary talking about how she deserved to be liked for who she is as Jen, but I also think that she deserves to be accepted when she is She-Hulk. She looked great walking into that wedding, and Lulu invited her knowing she was She-Hulk, as well as inviting Titania who had been very publicly going at it with She-Hulk? Who does that?

Speaking of Titania, I found her character really interesting this episode. I hadn't really expected that she would have all those insecurities that came out during her fight with Jen at the wedding, but I have to admit, that did win some sympathy from me for her. I think most people know how it feels to be insecure about something, and a lot of people do become jerks in trying to hide that. Now that it's out there, though, I hope she can become a better person.

Also as a bit of a sidenote before I move on from the wedding, the way they were building up Jonathan, I thought he was going to be the absolute worst, skeevy, slimy kind of frat boy guy they could come up with, and then he was that little zombie dog if you will, and suddenly he became my favorite character! I love Jonathan! We need more episodes with Jonathan, please. Thank you.

(In all seriousness, there is an emetophobic trigger at around 18:15 that lasts until roughly 18:26, where Jen gets s* while flirting with Josh.)

So, moving on from the wedding... this whole "Mr. Immortal" case. This guy is terrible, but I have to admit, I did laugh really hard when he just threw himself out the window. I mean... if I could do that and survive? I'm just saying that would be a great way to make an exit. But, I did find it very interesting how they went from such a comedic storyline into something so serious, with the site that was threatening Jen/She-Hulk and talking so terribly about her. I agreed entirely with Nikki- Jen needs to know about this, because she needs to decide what to do moving forward.

As for next week? Once again they've left me with questions, and this definitely seems to be getting more serious as we get closer to the end! My first question here is does Nikki like Mallory? It's really starting to feel like it with me, and with Nikki making it clear in the last episode that she isn't heterosexual, I thought that might be where they were going. But apparently Mallory is not available, so we'll just have to see if it develops into anything! My other question is, perhaps obviously, what is this lab? It seems very mysterious and threatening, so I look forward to getting answers about that- hopefully with Matt helping Jen get them!

But what did you think of the episode? Drop your thoughts in the replies below, or feel free to reblog with your own commentary :) You know I always want to hear from you, and I hope I will! Until next the next one- skål!

[metalbuckaroo]

Don't Worry About It

Summary: When your mom asks you to relieve the babysitter; you weren't expecting it to be a different one than usual.

Warnings: cursing

AU: Babysitter!Bucky x Reader

AN: To clarify, both are of age, I'm thinking mid 20s. Requests and asks always open! Feedback and reblogs are appreciated.

MASTERLIST

Gif not mine

"Can you please just-" Your mom took a deep breath from the other end of the phone. "Go to the house and relieve the babysitter, please? I'll be home in an hour at the most."

"Yes, I'm locking up now. Don't worry about it." You said as you pulled the glass door of your work closed. "Thank you, I will pay you back when I get home."

When you walked into your mom's house it was quiet, meaning your kid brother Toby had already went to bed.

Making your way to the kitchen, you heard heavy footsteps coming down the hallway; not looking up from your phone as you texted your mom.

"I'm sorry it's so late. My mom got stuck at the office and I just g-" You stopped when you saw a pair of boots instead of the flats the usual baby sitter wore.

Looking up, you're eyes were met with bright blue ones, a timid smile playing on the brunette's lips as he stuffed his left hand in the pocket of his jeans. "It's fine. He fell asleep early."

"You're... not Mallory." You noted, the much taller man pressing his lips together and shaking his head lightly. "I'm, uh, Bucky." He reached his right hand out to shake yours gently.

You gave him a light smile before clearing your throat and tearing away from his gaze. "Anyways, Bucky, sorry for making you stay so late. Last minute change to my mom's schedule." You said breathing a laugh, digging in your wallet.

"I'm guessing it's 140?" You asked, glancing up at him. He gave a quiet 'yeah' and nodded as you continued to dig in your wallet for his payment.

"Shit- I only have 120 on me." You cursed, grabbing your bag to search for any loose change. "That's fine." Bucky shrugged, shoving his other hand in his pocket.

You shook your head. "No, no it isn't. I don't like owing people money." You exhaled, scraping up another three dollars. "I can go to the ATM?"

He shook his head and cleared his throat lightly, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he contemplated what he was going to say. "Just, uh- let me take you out for coffee and we'll call it even."

You narrowed your eyes at him, footsteps padding down the hall. "You're not leaving already, are you?" Toby said from the doorway, rubbing his eye. "Toby, its already 11pm. I'm sure he wants to get home." You sighed, leaning to look behind Bucky as Toby walked to stand beside him.

"Did he show you his cool arm?" He beamed, a wide smile nearly hiding the tired look in his eyes. Bucky's cheeks tinted red at your brothers question. "No, he didn't. Now, go back to bed."

Toby tugged at Bucky's left elbow, making him chuckle nervously at the young boy. "You gotta show her, Bucky. It's so cool, she'll love it and you can take her on a date. Then you can come over all the ti-"

"Toby, bed. Now."

His lips turned down in a frown, Bucky's cheeks burning red from being put on the spot. "Sorry about him, and for being late." You started searching through your purse again. "And also being short on the mon- fuck."

You jerked your hand out of the bag when your finger scratched across a paper clip. "You ok?" Bucky stepped forward, reaching his hands out towards yours.

Your eyes caught the gleam of his left hand for just a second, before he tucked it out of sight behind his back. "Yeah, just never listened to my mom about leaving paper clips in my bag." You said breathing a laugh.

"Here." He reached his right hand toward the stack of napkins on the counter and grabbed one, holding it to your finger. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it." He kept his eyes on your finger, not wanting to look directly at you in hopes you hadn't noticed him trying so hard to hide his hand.

"Saturday good with you?"

Bucky's eyes went wide as he looked at you. "What?" He said, shocked. "The date. To call it even."

Another tint of pink washed over his cheeks and he nodded with a light smile. "Yeah, perfect."

"Great." You smiled. "Well, it's just a scratch, and I'm sure you're very ready to go home. Ten hours of Toby can be exhausting."

He breathed a laugh and shrugged as he followed you to the front door. "He definitely has a lot of energy. It was fun though."

"Has an imagination for days." You pulled the door open and Bucky walked out onto the porch, turning to look at you once he was at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm filling in for Mallory for her two week vacation, so... See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

[mascwhump]

Cataclysm

I’ve decided to try something new. Here’s a piece written in first person, from Mallory’s POV.

This can be considered canon.

CW: domestic noncon, suffocation

-

I set down my textbook and notes neatly on my desk. I had my tea, clicked on the lamp, and prepared to study until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Just as I began flipping through my textbook, the front door opened.

"Hey, babe," Kendall greeted.

"Hey," I replied.

"Have you eaten yet? Ah, of course you haven't. Let's go get something to eat.”

"Actually, I was just about to study.”

"You're always studying."

"Not always."

Kendall kissed me on the cheek before grabbing a lager from the fridge. I went back to what I was doing. I was a few pages in when he came up behind me and start to rub my shoulders.

"Why don't you come lay down? It's only Thursday, you'll have time to study tomorrow," he suggested.

"I really have to do well on this exam," I replied, "I've got to spend as much time as I can on this, love."

Kendall sighed and left me alone, but only for another twenty minutes or so. He shut my book and took my pen away. I was about to snap at him when he pulled me up by my shirt and began aggressively kissing me. I pushed him off of me. It's not that I didn't want him, because of course I did, but he had to wait. I told him that, and I could tell he wasn’t pleased. I wasn't expecting him to grab me and throw me onto the bed. He ripped off my trousers and pants before getting on top of me. I began to shout, and he responded by shoving his fingers down my throat. I instinctively bit down. Hard.

He ripped his hand away and smacked me. I froze. He had never struck me before, and it sent me into shock. He even seem surprised with himself. I expected him to stop then, but he didn’t. He pinned me underneath him as he slipped down his own trousers and forced himself into me. I bit into his shoulder, hard enough to taste blood. He grabbed a pillow and shoved it into my face. He held my wrists down with one hand as he held the pillow with the other. Now, I couldn't see or breathe. My legs being the only thing left free, I kicked and struggled to get him off of me. He pressed down harder.

I had to conserve oxygen. Deep down I knew there was no way I was going to get him to move. He was stronger than me. Everyone was much stronger than me. So, I quit struggling. He let up a bit, and I could finally pull in short breaths. Hot tears stained the pillowcase. My throat was raw from screaming. I wanted more than anything to get him off of me, but I couldn't. I lied there, and I took it. The pain lessened over time, yet with each thrust caused a small cry to escape me. He abruptly moved the pillow. My trembling lip and streaks of tears seemed to please him. He grinned.

"Please, stop," I softly pleaded.

"No. Not until I cum," he said.

"Y-You're hurting me. Please."

"Keep begging, baby."

I turned my head and shut my eyes tight. I whimpered when I eventually felt his release inside of me. He let go of my wrists and lied on top of me to breathe. I was finally able to shove him off.

"Get out," I spoke.

He grabbed my throat and leaned toward my face.

"I wouldn't tell anyone about this, if you know what's good for you. Nobody would be believe you, anyway," he breathed.

"Get out! Now!" I choked.

He spit in my face and laughed before moving to find his trousers. I sat up and pulled my legs to my chest as I watched him dress. He left without another look at me, and that's when I began to sob. I didn't understand what had just happened to me. The man I loved, the man I thought loved me, who swore to protect me, just shattered everything in a matter of minutes. I forced myself into the shower, where I lied and continued to sob. I let the scalding hot water run over me for hours. My skin was pink and raw by the time I got out. I decided to sleep on the pull-out that night. I couldn't even stand to look at my bed.

The following morning, he sat next to me during a lecture, acting as if nothing had happened.

[volturialice]

i'd like some tragedy au for #4

4. [insert prompt here] — you post a prompt, and i’ll write three sentences based on that prompt, set in the same time/setting as my current project

now there's one I never expected to hear! ok ok have a ficlet

When she comes out of the English room, Jasper is leaning against the lockers by the door, looking like some kind of teen movie wish fulfillment fantasy. He picks up her books, rewinding the imagery a few decades. Next they'll be getting pinned at the soda fountain.

"Did you enjoy my performance?" Alice asks, bumping her hip against his leg.

"I always enjoy your performances," he says dryly.

"Lucky me. Otherwise I'd be long dead from the plague or something," she posits, swinging their hands between them.

"Smallpox or typhus?"

She wrinkles her nose. "Ew, neither. Something sexier. Maybe I would have caught syphilis from my faithless, drunken husband."

"And that's so much better. You've married a faithless whoremonger in this scenario?"

"It's all right, I've broken my vows, too. I've cuckolded him with a rakish vampire, you see."

Jasper shrugs. "Still a better love story than The Most Lamentable Tragedie of Edward and Isabella."

She laughs. "It is not! You sound like Lauren Mallory."

That earns her a wince. "I retract it, then." They turn down the hallway for the auditorium, which is always empty during lunch period.

"Does that mean you're going to audition?" he asks.

She hasn't decided yet. It would be nice to be Isabella again for a while, to speak those beloved words to a new audience...but ugh, high school.

"I'm considering it," she says.

"Forks High is a far cry from the London stage," Jasper points out, shouldering open the door to the dark auditorium as if to illustrate. 400 years on, and he's still so negative.

"Tell you what. I'll audition if you do the lights again," she offers, shucking her backpack into a seat.

He sets their books down in a neat stack. "So we can stage another scandal at the cast party?"

"Exactly. This time we can say we got drunk and did anal."

She loves that stupid face he makes, where he's too obviously in love with her to feign convincing exasperation. "They're high school theater kids, Alice. They'll be scandalized if we make eye contact for too long."

"True." She shrugs out of her jacket. "Imagine how scandalized they'd be if they knew we were about to fuck in the auditorium."

"Mm. Get over here," he groans, and she obeys, pushing him down so she can straddle his lap, biting gently at his neck for good measure. His voice is a bit hoarse when he says: "Have I told you lately how glad I am that you didn't die of syphilis in the 1600s?"

"You're right," agrees Alice as his hands find their way into her hair. "This is a better love story than Edward and Isabella."

send me No Excuses writing asks

[notsuchacleverboyq]

00Q Prompt

James' Lover (part two)

In which MI6 payed Lucy a visit and now Q helps James dealing with the aftermath of what happened.

Part one here.

The delight in Q's expression was sharp and bright as he observed a pair of MI6 agents leading a black-haired woman through the building.

Her dark eyes were wide as she scrutinized the surroundings with confusion and pure fear, her steps short and unsure.

- It's lovely to have you here, miss Roberts - Q said as Lucy was forced to walk through the corridor in which he was standing.

The woman's eyes immediately snapped on the quartermaster's figure, staring at him with the expression of someone who would have clearly wished to be anywhere else.

- I wish you a fine stay - Q told her with a bright and warm smile as she walked by, satisfaction growing through his veins as a resulting of her look.

Watching as the two agents escorted Lucy in a room, Q heard some quick and rushed steps behind himself, turning around to notice M approaching him.

- Sir - the quartermaster greeted him, with rigid posture.

- Q, I need you to convince Bond to accept medical assistance - M ordered and the quartermaster sighed silently.

Bond was known for a lot of things. One of those was his habit to avoid medical like plague.

- Why me, sir? - Q questioned.

- Because he listens to you - M answered.

Obvious, Q thought: there were very few people Bond was prone to pay attention to, without snubbing them. Q was one of those elects.

- Yes, sir - the quartermaster responded, accepting the order.

M immediately walked over, exceeding Q in order to follow the ilk rout of Lucy and the two agents.

When M stopped in front of a door, the quartermaster recalled Bond's fear of others finding out about what had happened, understanding how the agent's fright immediately went to his reputation as a double-0.

- Sir? - Q called and M immediately froze, looking at the man with a questioning expression.

- I have a request - the quartermaster immediately referred him, the sharp and professional tone standing out in his voice.

M turned towards Q, nodding slowly.

- Go ahead - Mallory demanded.

- Keep this a secret: 007 appeared to be...disturbed by the chance of others knowing - Q explained.

M seemed to take a second to well comprehend the request, grumbling in response as he headed for the room again.

- Request accepted, Q. Now go - Mallory eventually replied.

- Thank you, sir - Q immediately said, showing a shallow smile, before M finally disappeared in a room.

Now he needed to convince Bond to follow him in the medical.

The best was probably to just get stubborn over it and insist until James would have surrendered; but Q had never dealed with Bond in such a distress.

He was still struggling to find the right method when he got in front of the lab, in which the agent was still peacefully sleeping on the green sofa, in the corner of the room.

Q smiled softly, walking with light steps to not startle Bond.

- Bond? - Q called, gently shaking James' shoulder to try and wake him up.

The agent immediatly flinched at the touch, sitting up with an impulse, and grabbed Q's wrist with a firm and strong grip. The quartermaster winced at Bond's rapid movement and froze right where he was.

The fear in James' eyes faded after a few seconds and he released the quartermaster's arm.

- Sorry - Bond mumbled.

Q, who was rubbing the skin of his wrist to erase the tingling pain, just waved it off.

- They payed miss Roberts a visit: she's currently under interrogation - the quartermaster explained him.

- Thank you - Bond muttered, looking anywhere but in Q's direction.

The quartermaster hummed in response, not speaking for a few seconds.

- You need medical, thought - Q suddenly said, making it sound like a demand.

As the quartermaster had expected, Bond groaned in response, showing his clear disapproval.

- M's order - Q added, not letting the agent any chance to complain about it.

With an heavy puff and right after getting himself up from the sofa, Bond seemed to surrender and faced Q with a cold stare of his.

- Make it quick - the agent snapped.

- It's not me you need to be harsh to, James - Q grumbled, still referringto Bond with his name to keep his words more friendly.

With no more words, they both headed to the medical and Q was rather surprised by how docile Bond had become all of a sudden: not a single dis, no grumbling, no resistance of any kind; the agent simply followed the quartermaster like an obedient dog.

It was almost creepy to witness.

However, it lasted until they were in front of the medical.

- Please, stay - Bond muttered and Q had to look at him to make sure he hadn't imagined those words.

The agent sounded tentative, clearly afraid of something that the quartermaster found himself unable to acknowledge. Still, he wasn't going to deny him his presence, since the fear in Bond's eyes appeared more than real.

- Of course - Q quickly replied with a quick nod.

Immediately, Bond's eyes turned less cold, as if he was yielding part of the concern to the quartermaster. Q received that, unconsciously, as he felt oddly protective of the agent in a way he had never been, such as Bond had never looked so vulnerable since he could remember.

Expecting to be followed, the quartermaster entered the medical, smiling politely to the doctor.

- Hey, Jim - Q said, in order to gain the man's attention.

The bald man, clothed in a white coat, turned around and gave back the smile.

- Another incident in the lab? - Jim questioned and Q shook his head.

- No, it's not me - the quartermaster explained, moving to the side to let Bond step closer.

The agent moved closer with slow steps and the doctor frowned at him.

- What happened this time? - Jim asked.

- It's rather private, I'm afraid - Q quickly answered and could hear James sighing in relief.

The doctor nodded, waving at James to sit down on the cot.

- M just required a quick check - Q added, staying still as Bond sat down reluctantly.

As Jim attempted to unbutton his coat, the agent flinched away, causing Jim to take a step back and Q to stiff.

- Do it yourself, then - the doctor demanded, his voice calm.

Nobody spoke as Bond undressed himself, until he was sitting with bare chest.

From where he was standing, Q could notice several more red lines running over the agent's rigid muscles, pretty similar to the ones on his face. The quartermaster walked around Bond with lips parted in preoccupation, his eyes searching over the bruised and reddened skin.

- Why didn't you tell me? - Q questioned, stopping in front of Bond.

- Take a guess - the agent replied, looking down.

He had been scared, Q thought. It was rather obvious, but still left the quartermaster's mouth bitter to know such.

- Don't worry: this is the less harmful thing whereby he's ever ended up in medical - Jim informed him and James seemed to puff silently.

Q was close to disagree, being really far from believing it was as harmless as it looked.

- They won't even leave a scar - Jim continued.

The agent and the quartermaster stayed quiet, letting the doctor to disinfect the cuts. Bond gave some light wincing every now and then but, for the rest, he seemed completely lost in his thoughts. Q didn't even need to wonder what he was thinking about.

- You can dress up - Jim informed the agent, moving to put a away a bottle of disinfectant.

Q gave him a quick smile, turning around to let Bond dress up.

What was going to happen now? Was James going to solve everything as he always did, refusing any kind of help? Was Lucy going to really pay for it?

Some steps in the corridor distracted Q from his thoughts and then Tanner entered the room.

- Bond? - the man called and Bond immediately raised his gaze.

There must have been some news from the interrogation, Q thought.

- She insist on saying she's your girlfriend - Tanner started and Bond got up with a grumble.

- Ex girlfriend - the agent specified.

- Since when? -

- Now -

Despite he didn't say a word, Q was rather surprised and relieved by Bond's sudden decision.

- I'll inform her - Tanner said, nodding slowly.

Q, in a different situation, would have probably laughed at that, but he just limited himself to stay quiet and step closer to Bond.

- Is that anything? - the agent asked.

No, there was more, the quartermaster noticed when Tanner didn't answer immediately.

- Regardless of what we'll get out of her during the interrogation, she's not going to come out of this without repercussions - the man told them.

Finally allowing himself a shallow smile, Q felt more serene, not having to worry about Lucy anymore.

[khaleesiofalicante]

Happy New year dani🎉🎉 I just read the fic iam happy that David and Jaden are over. That was one fucked up relationship. I feel sad for David he pov was really needed for the story to understand both sides. Is lance disabled? Was that during Mallory was murdered by Max? I expected Max being at Aj show. Iam glad David told him he didn't ruin David's life because he clearly blames himself for all the messes. And a question healing is process the person does it in his/her own way but hurting other people in process of your healing how much of that is right? Even if person doesn't know it while he/she is hurting other people unintentionally but shouldn't they make amends with the people they hurt? Iam not taking sides on David or max i love them equally. Both are different people they both do things in there own way but we see max fighting more, may be we will see about David more in upcoming chapters his side should be heard how he fighting with himself and others.

You mentioned fix it fics which reminded me of your fic cop Alec and lawyer magnus fic which was the first one i read of your fics.

I hope this year brings you happiness happy new year dani 🎉🎉 thank you for your fics. I hope you write some malec exclusively byee.

Thank you so much and happy new year to you too 💙

To answer your question: Of course it's not right for our healing to hurt another. You can't heal by hurting someone else. But that's not the point Jace was trying to make. He (and even David) were talking about how we can't judge someone's healing.

The thing is, we all want David to heal. But we want him to do it the right way, right? Something that works. Something that's healthy. Something doesn't hurt anyone else. Like the TV show is doing. Maybe something like therapy. Maybe something like moving on dating someone else (who doesn't look like Max).

But the thing is, I feel, our expectations are unrealistic here.

David is fucked up. You can't expect a fucked up person to heal in a normal, healthy way. Fucked up people deal with stuff in a fucked up way. So, this healing is not as simple or one-dimension as we want it to be. I hope that makes sense :)

[romantichore-blog]

12, 13, 27, and 42 for Kieran!!

thank you so much, kas! 💜 I apologize, this got a pretty long. I haven't talked about my bear child in so long!

12. How patient is your OC? How hot-headed are they?

Kieran is incredibly patient, which he attributes to his training as a hunter when he was still a Skaal. he later on came to hone that skill when he became a part of the Thieves Guild, both because you need to know how to wait for the best moment to make your move and because he had to deal with Mercer, which in itself was enough of a headache. he's specially patient with children and being a dick to them is the one surefire way of making him lose his cool.

13. What is your OC’s gender / sexuality / race / species / etc.?

he's a cis man, demiromantic and pansexual. Kieran is technically a Nord, but he doesn't really vibe with the local rhetoric because he was raised in Solstheim. he doesn't really understand why the guards call him "kinsman", and definitely doesn't see himself as a "son of Skyrim".

27. What kind of childhood did your character have?

his childhood was the average Skaal child one - raised by the village, helping with chores, rolling around in the dirt with the farm animals, tailing his older sister wherever she went. I headcanon the Skaal have a rite of passage when one gets old enough, and in Kieran's case, he was expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become the tribe shaman. he was far more interested in becoming the first hunter, though, and insisted on taking both trials. he ended up taking three - shaman, hunter and warrior - and passed all of them. for a couple of years he worked really hard on his hunting skills, both because he enjoyed it and because he wanted to prove to the rest of the tribe that a 6'4 wall of a dude can be sneaky, thank you very much.

when he was in his late teens he went out exploring with his sister and his boyfriend at the time, and the three stumbled upon an old Nordic ruin that was full of cannibal draugr. he was the only survivor, and when the tribe started to press him for answers, he tried to run away. he was promptly cast out, and was so ashamed that he didn't try to argue or ask for forgiveness. he made his way to Raven Rock, got in with Glover Mallory and was shipped away to Skyrim.

technically not his childhood anymore but he worked for the Guild from around 17 to 22, when he got fed up with Riften's bullshit, stole what was left from the Guild's coffers and ran to the hills, where he just kind of settled down. he's 32 at the beginning of the game, and refuses to set foot in Riften because he's well aware they might still be looking for him.

42. Does your character have any scars? Where did they get them from?

he has a few! a bunch of battle scars, mostly, but there are a few worthy of note: claw marks on his face from a bear attack, half-moon shaped scar on his lower abdomen where a woman tried to stab and then geld him, and my favorite, a puncture scar between his left thigh and butt cheek, because he was shot in the ass.

then he has half a sleeve of scars/tattoos on his left arm, another headcanon that the Skaal have traditional markings for people who pass their trials.

I actually wrote a oneshot about his scars years ago, that I had completely forgotten about; while Kieran is dragonborn in my canon, I also love the idea of him being a companion or secondary dragonborn and my hands were sinful and free back then 👀 it's still here if you'd like to take a look!

[iamwickedlovely]

Michael Langdon x Reader (Forbidden Love), Part 2

Warning: May contain foul language, and sexual content. Rated M for mature.

Requested from: @del-rcys

Genre: Romance | Drama | Horror

Synopsis: This story is about you, as a reader, and Michael Langdon (AHS: Apocalypse). You have met Michael some years ago, before the Apocalypse happened, in a coven. The location was taken place in Romania, at the moment, in a gothic setting, such as a castle. You were meant to be the new supreme, and the powers you possessed were beyond great - that consisted of love and beauty, and you were curious by nature. Eventually, Langdon, including you, fell in love. That love turned into pure bliss and desire. With every love story, comes with a tragedy, unfortunately. At least, this one, in particular. There were rumors spreading across the coven that a witch hunter was spotted. This hunter was very dangerous, and caused harm and havoc between Michael and you. Soon, you fell pregnant, and weird, dark visions and dreams came along with it. Eventually you understood Langdon was known as the Antichrist, and you two were separated, because he was casted out for satanic situations. Eventually, you were hung, because you were supposed have no sexual relations with Michael, but the others found out since you carried his child. After you passed away, this angered Langdon to cause mayhem to the coven. Darkness crept in your soul that was left behind, and eventually fell into the dark arts, mostly to find a way to come back to life, so you can reunite with your beloved Michael, and have your child with you both. It wasn't until years later, at the Outpost 3, that things finally turned the tables around. You, as a reader, will eventually find that out.

___________________________________________________________

Second part of the story, Forbidden Love. I will continue to write more, thank you everyone! You guys are awesome! 💜

____________________________________________________________

[Continued]

Michael Langdon x Reader (Forbidden Love) [Flashback, Part 2]

[Present day in Outpost 3]

Michael Langdon kept himself busy by trying to distrupt the minds of the current residents in Outpost 3, trying hard to get a firm grasp on their hidden darkness they never let out in the open. How he enjoyed manipulating humans and playing with their minds like instrument, it was just so easy for him to do. He liked getting under their skin, witnessing them fill with nerves and worry.

A girl named Mallory. someone who wore thick, black framed glasses, was in the room with Michael for a discussion. She looked a little scared by his superior movements as she sat on a sofa, just so she could feel cornered by the guy. She tried to let her steady gaze on him, even though she desperately wanted to leave already.

Michael strolled around the room slowly, and kept watch on her. He talked very seriously, trying to get her to fess up, "I can see into the dark places that people desperately keep hidden."

What? She wondered, keep cool and collective. "I don't have any dark places."

He stared hard on her in disbelief. His hands went behind his back, while his lip twitched in a slight snarl. Time to interrogate her, he thought. He will get what he wanted out of this meeting. He spoke sternly, "Really? So, even though you worked for Coco for many years, and saved your life after the bombs fell," he paused, "Why do I believe you'd love nothing more than to pick up anything sharp enough to cut and slice her down to the bone?" He inched closer to Mallory in an attempt to have her squirm.

She stared up at him, eyes beginning to fill in freight, she felt so small on the sofa now. He tried getting under her skin, she figured it out. Just continue to keep cool and collective, she thought to herself. Michael wouldn't get what he wanted to hear from her. Instead, her answer was clearly not what he expected. Despite the fact Coco would order Mallory for absurd orders, such as wiping herself since her nails were still damp. Mallory confirmed she didn't want to kill her, and Coco needed her, because the woman was helpless. Michael couldn't help, but feel a tad disappointed. So, he had to push further, there must be something dark, he thought.

For a moment, she seemed puzzled, on the 'dark places' topic. Her eyes observed him cautiously, as she tried to not talk what was on her mind. She gulped, when Michael turned his back to her. He pondered, because he knew she wanted to ask him something.

"Dark place? I don't understand," Mallory's hands folded together on her lap, and she went on, "I thought the cooperative wasn't looking for something," she paused, and breathed sharply, "Evil."

He turned around, unhurriedly, to face her, "So, you had the notion that I was looking for people who are pure of heart, unblemished, and purely white?" He walked to her, and kneeled himself and look fixedly on her face. His hands were on each side of the sofa, as he expressed what he wanted, "Tsk, Mallory, I want a world with the seven commandments, it's all hypocritical bullshit, anyway. I am looking for people who wouldn't just eat the fruit of the forbidden tree, but who'd cut the fucking tree down and burn it for fire wood.," The corners of his mouth perked up in a sinister smile. One of his hands gently placed on hers, like a spider trapping a butterfly, "I think you were made for that world." His other hand reached to stroke her cheek using the back of a few folded fingers. He murmured softly, "I sense it in you."

Unfortunately to his distaste, he still didn't get what he wanted out of Mallory. The girl did let him know something, however, that she felt someone was trying to claw her way out of her, someone who was buried deep inside. She started to have a streak of a few tears roll down her cheek, and Michael took this as a sign that she's scared. She was absolutely terrified, especially by him.

"I want to leave," she ordered, while feeling panicked by her sudden outburst that's ready to explode. She stood off the couch, and quickly aimed to the door without looking back on Michael. Something wasn't right with him, something was off about him, she repeatedly thought.

Michael rushed to her in anticipation, and grasped her arm into his hands forcefully, "No. We're not done here. I am giving you the chance to survive, Mallory."

The next thing that happened was very unexpected. She shouted at him, "Let me go!" With that, a surge of power went out from her, not only having objects fly backward, or the fire intensifying harshly in a fire place, but he was pushed backwards. It caught him off guard. His face trembled in a terrified reaction, and he expressed it very well. He stood up and straightened himself, and kept his eyes on her, and flashed his true, demonic face, and then it abruptly went back to the handsome features that could seduce anyone. More fire sparked from Mallory, and he asked, his eyes widened, "Who are you?"

She had enough, and she didn't even understand what had just happened in that room, but she took it as her ticket to finally leave, "I don't know. Who are you?" She did ponder over that. She turned away fast, and jogged a little away from the room.

His eyes darted to the door, he needed air. He needed to talk to his father, because hail Satan, but first, his feet led him to his bedroom chamber to calm himself, even if it was a little. Once he reached to his safe haven, he analyzed the room, steadying his breath. There it is, he thought. His gaze pressed on a painting of [y/n], he couldn't let it go, because deep down, he knew he will get her back in his arms. He desperately wanted to kiss the sweet lips, and embrace her in his arms. The painting was exquisite, elegant, even. It was precious to him. He stared longingly, tracing every detail. She was wearing a velvet, Gothic, purple cloak, kind of Elvish, with a hood covering the head. The [y/h/c] framed the face perfectly. Her hands were in the front, holding a black cat, and there were a few black candles beside I the painting, that almost looked like it flickered. For a moment, he thought he was seeing things, since a little boy appeared in replace of the cat. He looked like [y/n] and himself as well. Michael closed his eyes, and reopened them. The boy was gone. How odd.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Flashback]

[y/n] couldn't sleep in her bedroom one night, because she was in deep thought. No use in trying to sleep, she sighed and let herself get out of bed. The room she was in was inside a castle, since that was where the coven stayed in. The surroundings felt eerie. Occasionally a crow would greet her outside, landing on a gargoyle to caw, as if it was speaking to her. She walked up to a glass window, and opened them to take in the night sky. It was beautiful, the moon was full, and shined brightly, it's light masked the yard that carried a little garden with red and white roses, a pond that had a couple of swans in it (she called it Swan Lake because of that), and a cemetery nearby. She loved the scenery, but something was missing. She wanted to see Michael Langdon, and as if he read her mind. He appeared underneath the window sill. It was almost similar to Romeo and Juliet. Despite her love for romance and Shakespeare, she figured this was a bit sappy, even for Michael.

Michael found her face in the window, so he called up so she could listen, "[y/n], my fair lady, shall I come to you? I could not sleep, I must see you."

[y/n]'s eyebrow quirked up, and she breathed heavily, resting her chin on her palm on the window sill, "O' Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" She giggled playfully, "Please come up, Michael, there is vines you could climb." She waited eagerly.

He shook his head, and muttered quietly to himself, "This is so fucking unlike me," but he went along with it, and she was right. There was a wooden post with vines going up to her window, it seemed like it was alright to climb on. So, he did just that, he was being careful about it, since there was some roses and thorns. However, one of the sharp thorns pricked him and drew out some blood from his middle finger. It didn't seem to phase him, though, but it still hurt. Once he reached the window and climbed over the ledge, [y/n] greeted him by wrapping arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

The noses of the two touched and snuggled together, then Michael's forehead pressed on hers, and he inhaled and exhaled evenly, "I've missed you," he brushed his lips on [y/n] passionately.

She gave out a sweet smile, gazing up at his blue, icy eyes, "I've missed you, too." She felt a little undressed, since she was only wearing a gown. Her nose nuzzled at Michael's side of the neck, and teased him a little by rubbing her thigh against his. She had something wicked in mind, that may benefit the two.

Michael's eyes narrowed, "Hmm, someone's in a mood," he went to her ear and bit on the earlobe to tug it, he growled. His hands moved freely towards her buttocks, and picked her up rather easily, heading towards her bed.

Her legs wrapped around his hips to maintain the position so she wouldn't fall, and one of her hands played with his blonde hair, combing out strands. The touch made her excited, it was so soft, even his skin was soft, and a bit cool. Her other hand cupped his cheek, and she planted a kiss on his lips.

Once they reached the bed, Michael propped her up, and she kept watch on him with the desire to make love to him. He decided to throw a little strip show for her, first, with taking his belt off first, then his trousers, jacket and shirt, and whatever was left. Soon, he kneeled in front of her, and helped on getting the gown off over her head. The clothes were pretty scattered on the floor, but not too messy. He traced every curve on her body, what a fine, young woman, he automatically moved his fingers to touch the soft skin. He cupped one of her breasts with his palm and squeezed it gently. This action led her to moan. It felt good to her. His mouth reached to her other breast and began to suck on the nipple, occasionally taking a few nibbles on the nipples, gently, but playfully.

While he did that, she arched her back, and her hands hovered over his hair, stroking along, but she started to feel inpatient. She wanted him inside of her.

Michael had her lay down, so he could be on top of her. He had her head lay on pillows, and soon, his fingers went to her tender area down below, so he could cup on it. Then, he pressed on it, as well with rubbing the clit to get started on the love making. He inserted two fingers inside, and started to pull them in and out, scissoring a few times. He was trying to get [y/n] lubricated enough.

She squirmed below him, but not too much, and she did let out a moan, "Michael," she murmured. She started to feel excited, and she bucked her lips a little. She craved him, so much. She needed this to happen.

He enjoyed seeing her reaction. He realized he was the one in control of this situation, and that made him feel delighted, just as much as the woman in front of him. He pulled out his fingers, since she's now ready, and his member throbbed. He was hard, turned on by her presence. He moved upward, positioning his member to your area, and his hands pressed on each side of your shoulders. He entered, not too hard, because he didn't want to hurt you, but enough to send them both to groan with lust. He pushed down by bucking his hips, trying to get in deeper, and she squealed in delight.

He panted, and started to move his member upward, then down, trying to find a good motion to make the situation pleasurable. [y/n] hands moved across his bare chest. Disbelief filled her, she was his, and him hers. She straddled his hip, bucking upward, and one of her hands reached around the nape of his neck, so she could pull him down to kiss the tender lips, thirstily.

Michael brushed her lips, more than once, and made trails of that across your jaw, and chin. His pace began to quicken, harder and faster. Pumping into her, desperate for a wonderful release.

She moaned, and called out to him, "Oh, hell yes! Michael! Harder! Oh, ah," she started to get filled below. Her hands clenched the bedsheets when she felt him pushing in and out harder now. Her eyelids closed, and a few tears began to stroll down her cheek, she whispered, her eyes opened to look into his, while her fingers touched his cheek in an embrace, "I love you, Michael Langdon."

He thrusted in her one last time, and the two finally reached the climax. His seed was very well deep inside her now, no turning back. She was officially claimed. He kissed her with sheer force, and he whispered, "I love you, too, [y/n]." His lips pressed on her ear, he growled and said, "You are mine. Anyone else who tries to steal you from me, they will wish they were never fucking born."