#n being the only competent person that’s fooling anyone

[twc-thoughts-you-didnt-ask-for]

What if the detective wasn’t a detective at all but a barista and accidentally spilled hot coffee/tea all over A instead

[katszumi]

“stare at her longer people might confuse you for a stalker.” mina said for only his ears to catch, not for the paparazzi that’s incoherently shouting at them.

katsuki unintentionally peeled his eyes away from you, his face contorting. “wasn’t staring.” gruffly, he responded.

he placed a fist over his open dries van noten blazer. he straightened his posture, broadening his shoulders for the picture being taken ahead. once pictured, the two of them both took a few steps down the carpet, preparing to restart the process.

mina refused the urge to snort at his words. he wasn’t fooling anyone, the look on his face even contradicted his own words.

the pink woman placed a hand on her hip, shifting her weight on her left leg as she pushed her right leg forward a smidge. “don’t lie to yourself,” she paused her words, allowing the paparazzi to take her picture for the nth time. “i get it though, she’s beautiful, especially tonight.”

in his head, katsuki immediately agreed. you were the most beautiful woman within a five mile radius, hell, maybe even in the entire country of japan. there wasn’t another woman katsuki could name that could compete with you.

a few yards down, you were busy doing a useless interview with some fuckin’ extra he’s never heard of. your smile was from ear to ear, your gaze daring and fierce, and your aura alluring. all of it was for free for a person that did not deserve any bit of it at all. if katsuki had a say, the reporter should be on his knees, kissing the ground you walked on, thankful he was able to breathe the same air as you.

finishing up one of their last poses, mina and katsuki sideways walked down the carpet once more, angling themselves towards the thousand cameras in front of them.

“still, i wasn’t staring.” he refused her words again.

flashes of white surrounded the area, the cameras whining at every second, every angle of the duo being snapped at.

“sure, bakugou.” this time, mina allowed a small chuckle to part her lips. “heard a certain hero is courting her.”

like a black cat, katsuki’s ears sharpened at her sentence, his eyes darting towards mina only for a second. “bullshit.” he called it. he doesn’t remember you mentioning anything similar to that.

but he reminds himself, what relationship did you two have for you to tell him things like that?

“don’t shoot the messenger, just what i heard.” a smirk quirked up the corner of her lip, mina sending one final pose.

it couldn’t have been true. it was impossible for a rumor about you to have gone around without katsuki hearing about it. mina must’ve been trying to lure him in, to make him slip-up. yeah, that had to have been it.

he wasn’t going to fall for mina’s ridiculous plan.

without thought, katsuki looked over at you once more, his eyes analyzing you more than he’d like to admit.

while it was true he wasn’t going to fall for her stupid plan, it was also true that you’ve had more of a certain glow to you lately. your eyes had been more softer and your smile seemed more genuine.

nah.

he wasn’t falling for it.

but, as soon as his foot touched the end of the red fabric carpet, his legs were taking themselves towards you and that shitty reporter. for why? of course it was for a completely different reason than to what mina said.

almost as if you were reading his mind, your head turned, your soft eyes meeting his fervent vermillion irises.

“katsuki, what a pleasant surprise.” you greeted him with your usual bright smile.

the reporter that was granted all of your attention also ogled at katsuki. mainly because he interrupted a private interview, but also because it was the katsuki bakugou in front of him.

katsuki stood aside of you, still letting all of the focus to be on you, but close enough that he placed his hand on your back gently.

“had to make myself known. feel like you’ve been tucked away all evenin’.”

instead of letting you reply, the reporter finally took his chance to speak up again. “dynamight, what are your thoughts on y/n swiftly climbing the ranks?” the reporter pushed the microphone in his face.

katsuki raised his brow at the male, but nonetheless he opened his mouth to reply.

“what else do you want me to say? obviously it’s well-deserved. these fuckers been sleepin’ on her for way too long, it’s about fuckin’ time.” his voice harsh, but his words were somewhat kind. “she’ll be dominating the charts in less than no time.”

“do you see yourself collaborating with y/n anytime soon?”

now, you looked at him, waiting for his answer.

“if she grants me permission.” katsuki met your eyes once more. “only the best of the best can work with y/n.” mina’s words entering his mind from earlier, he removed his eyesight off of you, back onto the reporter.

“so, that means—”

he interrupted the male, “that means no shitty extras. at all.”

needless to say, katsuki did in fact fall for mina’s antics. the truth coming out days later that there was no rumor of a hero courting y/n, but rather a mind game mina played on him for shits and giggles.

also a few days later, katsuki came across a new rumor that was headlined in the press, but this one he didn’t necessarily mind so much.

Y/N AND DYNAMIGHT WORK BUDDIES, OR MUCH MORE?

[night-daily]

It's always been you | Luke Castellan x Apollo! fem! reader

summary: It's Valentine's day at the half blood camp and you try to show your love for Luke but you aren't the only one who wants him.

warnings: not proof reading, sorry!

a/n: i know its not valentines anymore but its still february, so enjoy ;)

It's Valentine's day, finally. You've been waiting for this day to come since you stepped into the camp a half year ago and then got claimed as Apollo's children, which wasn't a full surprise, according to Luke, you fit just well at his cabin, you're an expert archer, a healer who always helps everyone and a great singer with the sweetest voice I've ever heard, you put to shame at anyone who thinks can sing. And since that moment, Luke stole your heart, well, not literally, of course, but sometimes you doubt that, why else you only feel alive when he's around you? or when one of his smiles is directed at you or when you hear his laugh and you're the cause of it.

So yeah, you were waiting Valentine's day just to confess your feelings to Luke, it was cliche but it was the perfect day at the same time, and to be honest, you couldn't wait another day.

You sealed the letter, keeping the contain in secret, a nervous giggle escaping from your mouth, “Today is the day, what can go wrong, right?”

“Luke will be a fool if he rejects you, and I don't think he will either, he looks at you with heart eyes, even a blind person can see it, so you don't have anything to worry about” One of your sisters gives you a quick hug before heading to the bathroom.

A sudden confidence runs through your body at her words, taking a deep breath and you walk out of your cabin to Luke's, holding carefully the letter in your hand.

As you walk, you see everyone rushing from side to side carrying flowers, cakes, even swords, so this is Valentine's at the camp, uh? Not so different from the exterior world.

You're finally a few steps from Luke's cabin, but apparently you're not the only one, there is a big crowd outside, waiting for something, no, someone.

what the f—

“If Luke keeps receiving more chocolates, he'd open a candy store for sure” A group of guys says at your side. You knew Luke was popular, and you expected that would be a few people aside you who will try to gain his heart, but damn, how could you compete with half of the camp? Why he would like your gift? Why he would choose you?

The confidence left your body, feeling defeated, you turned in your steps, and walked away not before glancing behind you, only to find more people arriving with gifts in their hands.

A bitter smile is on your face now, “It could be worse, I guess”

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

The rest of the day you felt irritated, seeing everyone so happy holding hands, exchanging gifts, or just talking to each other lovely, 'cause you were supposed to be doing all this stuff with Luke. Your friends noticed your change of humor but no one dared to say anything, and you were glad they didn't, you know the moment they asked you if you were okay, you'd cry. And that's the last thing you need right now.

Also, you were going to ignore Luke but it seemed the other way. Every time he tries to reach you, a group of girls will come out of nowhere and interrupt him, and being the nicest person you know, which is one of the things you love about him, he won't tell them to back off and that gives you time to leave without him noticing. At least that's what you thought.

The night before Valentine's, Luke barely slept, he spent half of the night, out of the camp, he went to the city when everyone was sleeping to get your gift. He was supposed to get it a week before but the store said they'll get new ones until February 13, so here he was.

He knew you'd like it, after all, he saw it in your eyes at the moment your gaze fell on that beautiful harp.

It was night, and you were walking to your cabin, you were tired after practicing with your arrow.

“Hey, wanna get out of the camp with me?” Your head turned faster than you anticipated at the sound of his voice reaching your ears, “Sure” You shrugged your shoulders, trying to act indifferent but to be honest, you'd follow Luke to the Tartarus without thinking, you trusted him with your whole life.

He extended his hand to you, an invitation, your heart beating faster, and you finally lied your hand on his. And then the two of you slipped through the forest, holding hands and glancing behind you, to make sure no one would snitch on you.

All the way to the city was an adventure, like always when you were with Luke. A few monsters appeared on your way but the best swordsman was beside you and quickly, he defeated them. And you were ready to help him (not that he needed it) but Luke told you, “If someone can't take a few monsters for you, then they're not worth it” And he returned to fight while you were too stunned to do or say anything.

After that, he cleaned himself with some water and you two continued on your way to the city, talking and laughing all the way, and sooner you were on some random street of the city, watching all around you. Everything glowed almost like your cabin, but what really caught your eye, was a big golden harp, with crystal flowers on it, and it made it brighter, but instead of making you look to other way it only made you look at it intensely. Your eyes were glued to the harp, and your feet to the ground, so when Luke noticed you weren't by his side, he got worried, looking at the crowd around him, he finally spotted you, you were in front of a store, looking something. When he walked next to you, he understood why you stopped, indeed was beautiful.

“Wanna ask the price?” Your eyes didn't move from the harp, “No need, there's the price but it's too expensive, I can't afford it” Luke looked at the sign and you were right. “Who says you have to pay for it?” He was teasing you now, “I'm not stealing it, Luke” Rolling your eyes, you grabbed his hand and walked away from the beautiful harp.

The son of Hermes just smirked shaking his head, you don't have to steal it.

He laughs just remembering that night, now with the harp in his arms, rushing to his cabin without being caught. He was seriously exhausted from being chased by the employees of the store, they're seriously worse than the monsters.

He placed the harp on one of the night tables beside his bed. The plan was to leave it at your cabin, so it'd be the first thing you'd see when you wake up, but the tiredness screamed to his body to just lie down and he promised he'd deliver to you in the morning, which will it be in two hours-ish.

But when the morning came, he only woke up by the noise around him. Who could be making so much noise so early? Opening his eyes, he noticed he was surrounded by boxes of chocolates, roses, everything.

what the h—

“You're finally awake, we're trying to clean up the entrance, but there's a huge mountain of gifts for you, so we'll be glad if you help us”

Gifts? Mountain?

“Shit! It's Valentine's” The sudden realization makes him fully awake. The harp was still on his night table, untouched. He cursed himself and hurried to take a shower, he couldn't wait to see you.

But the day didn't go as he planned, everything was wrong, and it was night already. Luke was waiting for you at the campfire, the harp by his side, but ten minutes went by and you didn't show up. He begin to worry, why would you miss it? You adore singing and everyone loves to hear you, especially him.

Once again, he grabbed the harp, and made his way to your cabin. You're outside, sitting alone, your legs crossed and with something in your hands. You close your eyes and your sweet voice breaks the silence, you're singing, but it's not a song he can recognize nor the sentiment you're used to sing, usually you sing only happy songs, it's weird when you sing something so... nostalgic.

He walks closer, he's only a few steps from you, when his name comes out of your mouth.

And you've seen all my darkest fears Like you've known me for a thousand years The girl who's really underneath All the scars and insecurities, baby I swear that you've been sent to save me You're Luke, the only one that my heart keeps coming back to

The song is about him. A million thoughts running in his mind. When did you write it? Why didn't you sing to him? And—

“Do you really feel that way about me?” Your eyes don't meet his at first, but you are tired of running away from your feelings, it was or never “Yes” His eyes look at yours deeply, almost like he could see the truth from them. If it weren't for the harp on his arms, he would just run to you, but instead, he put it on the floor next to you, your eyes open fully when you see it. It's the harp you wanted.

You jump into his arms, and he catches you quickly, holding you tight, your faces so close that you can feel his breath, he looks at your cherry lips, licking his, you're waiting for him to kiss you, but he takes his time to admire your face, how could someone be so pretty?

You can't wait any longer, and connect your lips, they're soft and rough, the perfect combination, and the best part it's, that they fit with yours, like a puzzle piece.

“This belongs to you” He nods his head to the harp, “Now you can sing it again”

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

song: Always been you by Shawn Mendes

[delusionalwings]

― synopsis -> when he doesn’t expect to "fall in love", especially with a human

― characters -> lucifer, mammon, leviathan

― gender neutral reader

― headcanons

― warnings -> yandere, toxic behavior, manipulation (luci), obsession and rude behavior (mammon), obsession and camera installed without permission (levi)

― a/n -> i spend way too long on this but it was fuuuuuun

LUCIFER

It would have amused him had the actors in this ridiculous play been different. But he is neither a fool nor a procrastinator so he accepts the fact readily with his usual calmness. It seems that he is interested in you, a mere human, but also Lord Diavolo’s choice for the exchange programme. He needs to play his next move cautiously.

When you become entangled with a nasty rumour, you approach Lucifer. Since the start, he has been the one to provide assistance to you unbidden so he seemed like the best choice. After getting his advice, you ponder the best course of action and carry out the execution. He watches you closely with amusement.

Diavolo praises the way you handle the situation. Lucifer announces indignantly that if anybody messes with you, he will deal with them personally. Everybody believes that you share a special bond with Lucifer because of the additional edge to his speech, the glare and the sadistic promise of pain in his smirk.

It is like Lucifer to kill several birds with one bullet. Now he knows that you are worthy of his thoughts, given your intelligent reaction. You must think a little better of him owing to his help. The others will leave you alone. And he has an excuse to stay closer to you for at least a fortnight. He will stick close and keep testing your competence. It’s no joke that the Avatar of Pride has taken a fancy to you, more so when he expected to never feel this way for anyone.

 MAMMON

He knows quite well that his greed is not restricted to materialistic items only. So when he starts obsessing over you, he freaks out dramatically, gambles all his money away, gets beaten up by moneylenders because of his carelessness and when you patch him up and smile, he finally accepts that the human ain’t too bad. Given the bad treatment he had been subjected to, he wasn't expecting to fall in love but then you came along and now you are all that goes through his mind.

He is very non judgmental so he doesn't care that you are a human. However, he thinks that associating with a demon may get you enemies. He tries to distance himself in the beginning but being someone who has difficulty denying his urges, he ends up giving you the special treatment. From the dark. 

He thinks of the best gift ideas and executes them flawlessly without revealing his identity. Good fortune seems to follow you these days. The only reason for suspicion is his behavior. He goes overboard with the tsundere act, so that now it feels stifling and hurtful. Every time you get a present from this “secret admirer”, you notice how he acts more supreme and offensive with the “I am the Great Mammon and you are only a puny human”. His bullying reaches an all time high, cutting you deep and scarring you, as the pace of the gifts catch up like a rope tightening around your throat. 

LEVIATHAN 

Eh? EHH?? No no, this can’t be happening! What is this era of cringe where he feels obsessed with a 3D character?! You must be an anomaly in the system! How can you just come along so casually and shatter his hope of staying single forever? He was quite content with his waifus and husbandos! They don’t expect anything in return and he knew that it was impossible for him to end with them! Life was simple! Oh now he is overthinking and gulping down energy drinks and dreaming about how wonderful you are!

He isn’t really bothered about the mortal part since he has watched enough anime to know that demons fall for humans all the time!  Key information about upcoming cosplay conventions keeps slipping from his mind like his sanity! It is the end of Leviachan, OMG he needs to worship the anime gods for mercy. 

Now instead of bingeing his favourite anime, he is watching you sleep at 3 in the morning through the cameras he installed in your room without your permission. He can't forgive you. Before your arrival, he was a dedicated albeit a gross, yucky otaku but now he is a normie who is thinking about puke-inducing lovey-dovey stuff like holding hands and going on a date! What a downfall for the Lord of Shadows! You must take responsibility and help him get his passion back. He can’t lose the Levi that has lived till now just because of you. He must have you right in front of his eyes so that he can go back to focusing on anime rather than watching your every move. You make him so unhappy by talking to those other demons. He can’t even sleep at night. You are terrible, you know that? Stay close and he won’t hold a grudge. He will be sweet like all those normies in love with fake promises at the tip of their tongues.

[curiousquirks]

Caught Your Attention (18+)

Pairing: AFO x Fem!Reader

Content Warnings: Non-Con, Pegging, Fem-Dom, Reader referred to as Female and AFAB, Aphrodisiacs, Degradation, Mommy Kink, Overstimulation, Orgasm Denial, Blackmail, Light Collar Play Word Count: 4,755 A/N: Reader has a quirk (meta ability) that allows them to produce an aphrodisiac from their body. This is also set back in the day when AFO was far younger but was gaining power rapidly. Other than that, there wasn’t any specific plot because this is shameless smut. Requested by @jennoah

The spontaneous creation of Quirks also saw the creation of people willing to selfishly use them for their own gain. Exceeding amounts of power and influence carried All for One quickly through the ranks of rising villains. He was no stranger to people wanting to compete with him to try to topple him from his growing tower. Being younger and on the front lines of people scrambling to gather as much as possible left All for One having to learn as he went. Naturally he was bound to make some mistakes in his early days. He still fared better than most though. Some would say it was natural born talent that gave him an edge most people didn’t have.

All for One was a very charismatic man, he knew exactly how to talk to people. It allowed him to sway conversations and manipulate people precisely how he wanted. It wasn’t fool proof though. It didn’t work on you; and you were such a mystery. He had interacted with you a few times, but heard plenty in passing. You had a Meta Ability too, but he just didn’t know what it was. You weren’t interested in any of his tactics and you were certainly self-sufficient and powerful on your own. You never accepted anything he had to provide, you certainly had no desire for another Meta Ability. So, what could he possibly offer you?

Nothing. 

He was a cocky, arrogant and narcissist bastard who you wished to never have to interact with. You didn’t want him dead. That was too extreme, especially when he could still have his uses. He had a lot of influence and power, more than you have gained especially considering how young he was. It irked you. His web of connections was too strong to sever, leaving you with little options to even try to dismantle him. Leaving you with a crazy idea that honestly could humble him. Afterall, breaking someone this proud gives you more room to get better negotiations right? Especially when you leave room for easy blackmail. Proud men like him don’t want to look bad, let alone be humiliated by a woman.

Since he had such a complicated network building, it only seemed fitting to try to catch him like a fly in that little web. He wasn’t the only one with contacts and he can’t have his guard up all of the time. You didn’t even have to worry about him trying to break free or potentially killing you. Once you had him in your hands, the last thing he’d want to do is leave. Outside of the effects of your meta ability, men were always really easy to control with sex. It would take time, but thankfully you were patient. Setting yourself up and carefully positioning yourself, waiting for the right timing. Which landed you in your current perfect position.

You pressed your back against the wall, taking a glance around the corner. Your vantage point in his place gave you a view towards his open bathroom door. Either he’s really good at pretending to not notice you or you were successfully evading his detection for the moment. Who knows what he has up his sleeves right now; it was always hard to figure that out. Subtly and mystery saved him, not letting anyone know what he had to utilize at any given moment. Worked the same for his meta abilities as it did for his emotions. He was busying himself with personal grooming it seemed, his hand delicately holding a shaving razor. His frame leaning closer to the bathroom mirror to keep attention to detail. 

He briefly paused, putting you on edge as you expected his eyes to lock onto yours in the mirror from your hidden position. He didn’t though. You weren’t too far away, just far enough to be safe but it was still in range of your Meta Ability. You lifted your sleeve allowing a faint mist to float off your skin letting it drift into the room towards him as you kept eye contact on him. You had been doing this subtly for a few minutes now. Your ability worked better with direct contact, you had figured that out through trial and error. Soon enough you’d be able too. He placed the shaving razor down as he moved to rinse his face. You watched expectantly as you waited for your ability to affect him. He turned off the facet and reached for a towel to pat his face dry. He seemed to pause again, making a subtle adjustment in his posture. 

He seemed to brush it off as he made his way out of the bathroom, turning the light off and closing the door. He made his way towards his kitchen. You could barely see him but thankfully you still could keep some watch over him. You mentally cursed, normally it shouldn’t take this long. Shouldn’t be surprising that this insufferable man had a high tolerance for this type of thing. It would allow him to not be easily distracted. Just another thing that had you gritting your teeth in annoyance. Your eyes slightly widen in surprised amusement when you see your work starting to pay off; there’s a flush spreading across his skin and growing bulge in his pants. He adjusted his posture again, shifting on his feet as his eyes narrow. 

His fingers reach for a cup drying on the rack, which he holds for only a second before slamming it down on the counter. Your body slightly jolted from the sudden movement but you held steady. You blinked rapidly as you watched him intently, making quick work to continue into the next phase of the plan. 

He made a quick but annoyed click of his tongue as rolled his neck, seeming to try to shake off some unexpected tension. He paused again before making a quick move to turn in your direction just in time to feel a sharp sting in the back of his neck. His body started feeling as clouded and fogged as his mind, a clear sign that the potent sedative was working. His heavy lidded eyes locked onto yours, only briefly, before he collapsed onto the floor. You stood triumphantly above him, observing your prey as your grin was full of mystery and maliciousness.

━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━

The first thing he noticed through his blurry vision was your form standing over him. He then felt hot fingers pressing ever so lightly into his skin. He tried to sober up, but his brain couldn’t catch up fast enough. He let out a sharp hiss when the slightest pressure touched his clothed aching cock. He tried moving his arms, barely registering that they were tied behind his back. His eyes snapped to the movement in front of his face, taking multiple seconds to register the fingers snapping clearly aiming to get his attention. His eyes blinked as slowly as his mind was moving.

“Good morning, princess.” Your voice echoed in his mind, followed immediately by your intoxicatingly cruel laughter. “Glad to finally have your full attention,” Your hand gently palmed his cock, his hips immediately bucking up against you as a shiver ran down his body. “Especially since certain parts of you woke up already.”

“What do you–” He began before taking a sharp intake of breath as your fingers glided over his bare skin again. “What do you think you’re doing?” His tone was full of venom, and it wasn’t hard to see the hatred in his eyes. 

“I’m taking my time in getting some justified blackmail as I watch you fold and crumble beneath me.” You heard his scoff before he gritted his teeth. “You, on the other hand, are going to lay here on the floor and obey my every command like a good boy.”

His breathing got more ragged, it was hard to fight off the pure lust consuming him he had to admit. Before he had even had the chance to make a snide comment back you had run your bare hands along his skin. That faint mist from before radiated off of your skin infecting his mind, body, and soul. Every touch of your fingers against him radiated electric sparks that made him want to ravage every fiber of your body. He felt hot, the fabric of his pants feeling too tight as the layer of sweat coating his body forced them to stick to his legs. He felt weak. 

“How are you feeling now, huh tough guy?” You teased, your fingers grabbing his chin as you forced his frantic and distracted attention back onto you. Your voice alone caused his throbbing cock to twitch with every syllable. “I bet you wish you could just sate your desires, to just sink your cock deep inside me.” You mocked, your other hand making quick work of undoing his pants. 

If you kept talking, that might have just forced him to finish on the spot. His eyes fluttered the second the cold air hit his cock once it sprung free. His breathing hitched as your fingers ghosted against it, every shred of what little willpower he had left was preventing his hips from bucking up. He cursed the very molecules of your existence but he lacked the ability to voice anything out loud. It was a strong Meta Ability indeed. He tried focusing on what little sanity he had left to try to figure a way out of this. 

“I’m just trying to focus on figuring out which end goal you’re trying to achieve here.” He spat out, struggling heavily as he tried wiggling his body slightly to assess and figure out the type of restraints you used. “Do you intend to kill me after you’re done toying with me? Extort me some more for power?”

“If I was going to kill you, I would have done so when I had the chance. I got your guard down, I had every opportunity to do it at that very moment. You are on the right track though. I want your resources. I want you to owe me.” You explained as you straddled him. You could feel his heart rate increase dramatically as you grinded down against him. It took everything in him not to react, to give you the satisfaction. His cheeks were flushed as a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. “Actually, no. I want to own a powerful man such as yourself. Men would kill to be in your position right now, you know. You’re a lucky man.”

He scoffed again, his eyes narrowing dangerously at you. “I’d much rather be in control than be–” He began before you interrupted him.

“Humiliated?” You asked, a grin playing at your lips. “Every powerful man like yourself secretly loves this shit though, don’t you. You just want a woman taking control to give you what you need, not what you think you want.”

“I’m afraid you’ve got that wrong, my dear.” He retorted, fighting back a shudder as your hands ran up and down his bare chest. “You just look like a desperate whore. Having to do these depraved embarrassing acts just to get your hands on a man, because no one wants to touch you.”

“Oh?” You could admire how much willpower this man is managing to hold onto. There was so much venom in his voice, he was using all of his power and using it to fuel his anger towards you.  If you respected him, this would be impressive. You scooted yourself down his body, resting on top of his lower legs as your fingers curled around his cock. “We’ll see how you really feel soon enough.”

Your thumb swiped over the tip of his cock, feeling the twitch immediately against your hand as you gave it a few strokes. You locked eyes with him for only a moment before you had dipped your head down, running your tongue against the throbbing vein along the bottom of his cock. You then circled the tip before wrapping your lips around it. You heard him gasp out a sharp breath. Your moment of triumph was soon upon you, surely he wouldn’t last long at all. His hips bucked up, forcing his cock deeper down your throat. The warm wet feeling engulfing his every thought. 

“G-Get off me–gah…” He choked out, followed immediately by a curse under his breath. 

His words fell on deaf ears, your attention focused on creating suction around his sensitive tip. Your hand grabbed his shaft and created a steady rhythm. You could feel the muscles in his legs tense up, as his breathing got more ragged. You suddenly and without warning pulled yourself off of him. He let out a gasp of air as his muscles clenched tightly, his release so harshly delayed leaving him aching.

“You bitch…” He whispered, gritted through his teeth, but you heard him. “Enough with your games.”

Your fingers wrapped around his cock again, using your own spit as a lubricant as you started pumping it at a fast pace. You watched with sick glee as his eyes snapped shut, his muscles tensing up at the exhilarating pleasure coursing through him. At a much faster rate than before you had pulled your hand away suddenly, causing a choked noise to escape his lips. Your fingers ghosted over his twitching cock, his hips instinctively bucking up towards your hand. A growl reverberated somewhere deep within him as his eyes shot open to glare at you. 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, now that’s not very nice of you.” You mocked, softly wrapping your hands around his cock again. You set a painfully slow pace as you positioned yourself against his legs to prevent him from moving them too much. “I didn’t say you could come yet.”

“I…don’t need–stop” He scrambled everywhere in his brain to get something cohesive out, but his brain was foggy with thoughts of your body, your mouth, your voice. Every possible scenario comes up with that involved drilling his cock deep inside of you; warm, wet, dripping and consuming. 

“You really want me to stop, you seem close? Hm, you sure you don’t wanna come?” You teased, focusing extra pressure near his tip since he is extra sensitive. Even though you’re only doing soft slow strokes, every touch feels magnified. His body is on fire. He whispers a simple please beneath his breath and your hand immediately retracts from his cock. 

“Fuck...” He grits out behind his teeth, his chest rising and falling at an accelerated rate. His aching cock twitches again, more pre-cum leaking from the tip. He deflated against the floor again.

More mist floats off of your skin and into the air and he swears he can see stars. He honestly thinks that if you even ghost your fingers against his cock again, that’ll be it. Every fiber of his being can only think about you; in every carnal way, in every primal way. His glassy eyes locked onto yours, completely fucked out of his mind. The future most feared man in the entire country, looked like a desperate puppy beneath you. Like a desperate whore. 

“Are you gonna behave now?” You asked, testing to see just how far gone he was. He nodded quickly and eagerly, his light hair sticking against his sweaty forehead. “You're gonna be a good boy for mommy?”

You could see the gear shift, something in him changed. The name, the title; something unlocked. He groaned as looked ready to come on the spot. A grin quickly spread across your face. You knew it. Perfect.

You got off of him and stood up. You snapped your fingers and made a gesture that asked him to sit up. He quickly obeyed, with some struggle, and perched himself onto his knees. You cooed at him and cupped your fingers under his chin, tilting his head up. 

“Such a good boy.” You praised, taking in his breathless flushed face. “You want mommy to make you come?”

He nodded and you wasted no time in laughing at his misery. His face burned with humiliation and growing defeat. The ache deep within himself was too strong, he couldn’t focus on anything else. You walked over to the bag that you had brought with you and reached in to grab something, his eyes watching you intently the entire time. You pulled out what looked to be a collar. You walked back over to him and attached it around his neck. You grabbed and attached the leash into place too, giving it a good tug. He held his place well, almost like he had expected it. Your Meta Ability can’t cause people to suddenly be into shit that they’re not. So to say you’re surprised is an understatement. You expected some fucked up shit, but it was more of a joke thought. 

“Don’t you look like such a pretty boy.” You praised, knowing it was so degrading for him to be referred to in such a way. You wrapped the end of the leash around your hand a few times before leaning down towards his face. “Are you going to behave for me? I’ll give you exactly what you want if you do.” 

He held an intense stare, multiple strong emotions swirling in those piercing red eyes. His face held a stoic expression but the deep flush spread across his face gave him away. A layer of sweat was coating his body, his hair matting against his forehead. He was struggling to keep a steady breathing pattern too. A sick grin spread across your face, relishing in how you didn’t even have to do anything to get him in such a state. He had some strong willpower but he still wasn’t as compliant as you would’ve hoped.

“I didn’t hear an answer.” You said, irritation apparent in your tone. “You’re not getting shit from me if you don’t give me an answer.”

He just held that same intense stare, clearly trying desperately to hold onto his resolve. Well, it’ll definitely feel more fulfilling to break him completely. You were hoping it wouldn’t come to this but anything for your mission at hand. You used your other hand to roughly grab his chin as you yanked the leash towards you, forcing his face closer to yours. You didn’t give him much time to process, barely allowing the shock of the situation to surface before you crashed your lips onto his. You could immediately feel his discomfort and disgust as you forced your tongue into his mouth. The second your tongue brushed against his, that’s when you felt the shift in his demeanor. Your meta ability affects your body fluids too.

He melted into your kiss, a stifled groan catching in his throat as you melded together. You didn’t stay long, just long enough, pulling away as a thin line of saliva broke between both of you. His eyes were softer now, his breathing more noticeable and his panting louder. His face attempted to follow after you, chasing you like a puppy. A smile pulled at the corner of your mouth as you loosened the leash wrapped around your hand. That should work perfectly now. Only one way to really test that theory though.

“Are you going to be good for mommy now?” You mocked, eagerly awaiting his reaction.’

“Yes.” He said breathlessly and immediately. 

You held your surprise well. There was just something in the way he said it. You had figured that he would completely cave at this point but something about this man submitting to your will was different from the others. You moved backwards, tugging the leash to signal him to follow you. His lust filled body moved to stand and follow after you towards the bed like a love sick animal, his legs shaky and wobbly to stand on. In a clearer mind he would finally register what room he was in. He couldn’t care less at the moment about the details, only doing whatever he had to in order to appease you for his own selfish needs. 

“That’s a good boy,” You praised, reaching your hand out to pat your hand on the bed. “Now get up here and lay down on your stomach for me.”

He seemed hesitant, moving slowly but still following your commands. He struggled slightly, with the restraints holding his arms in place behind his back but he managed to do exactly as you asked. He groaned as his throbbing cock pressed against the comforter, the friction driving him insane. You cooed from somewhere behind him, having moved away. He tried turning his head to see where you went or what you were doing, but the angle wasn’t providing him with much. 

“No peeking, wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.” You teased from somewhere behind him. 

He waited for what felt like ages, resisting the urge to press himself against the bed to gain some relief. He didn’t have to wait long though, his brain too muddled to focus on much aside from his raging desires which kept him thoroughly distracted. He felt the weight difference on the bed as you pressed your knee into the mattress. You placed your hands on his hips as you used your knees to push his legs apart. He didn’t resist at all, letting you move his legs. In one forceful motion you dug your fingers into his skin as you lifted his hips into the air. One of your hands left his hips as you snuck it between his legs, wrapping your fingers around his cock. He shuddered, his hips jerked at the sudden contact. He bit back a moan, as your hand skillfully set an agonizing rhythm. 

He hadn’t noticed your other hand left his body until he let out a surprised choked gasp as your finger placed cold lubricant against his entrance. His eyes shot back towards you, surprise clearly evident across his face despite the fact that you can’t see most of his face. You circle your finger around the rim before slowly inserting your finger inside of him. Your other hand never stopped your pace, despite how much he started squirming against you. You pumped your finger in and out of him for a minute before inserting another to help stretch him.

“Look at how you’re sucking me in, you must love this.” You teased, feeling his legs tense up. “You’re into more kinky shit than I thought. You poor thing, never getting to express yourself in such a depraved way because of that pride of yours.”

You heard him curse on his breath, feeling that building heat that was robbed from him multiple times already. He fully expected you to do it again. Your fingers curled inside of him and he pressed his face into the mattress. You could feel the shakiness of his legs as you worked him into a beautiful release, hot spurts of cum shooting against the comforter. His groans were muffled into the fabric but quickly became choked as you continued stroking him and pumping your fingers inside of him.

“F–Fuck…Stop–” He tried to cry out, almost biting down on his tongue. His body shook underneath you, his cock painfully twitching against your hand as his body tried desperately to get away from you.

“Aw, look at you baby. I thought you wanted to come?” You mocked, finally giving him some peace by removing both of your hands from him suddenly. You watch his body collapse against the bed, gasping for air. “You look so pretty.”

His brain struggled to regain any control once he was able to breathe again. He didn’t have much time before your bare hands were running along his ass, groping at his body, your meta ability still actively at work and continuously affecting him. His groaned, electric shocks jolt through his body as you move his ass into the air again. He didn’t have the time to process the foreign object pressing against his ass before he heard the shutter noise from your phone’s camera. He turned his head towards you to look at what you were doing before your hand was on his face pushing it back into the mattress. 

“Ah ah ah, what did I say before?” You chastised, gripping the strap-on in your hand and rubbing it against his asshole. The slick cold feeling of the silicon against him had his body jerking forward. His eyes widened as they glared back at you. Despite the anger trying to show through his eyes, the lust was far stronger. “You are going to lay here and take mommy’s cock like a good boy.” A grin spread across your face as you felt his leg twitch as a jolt of pleasure went straight to his cock. “And you’re going to love every second of it.”

“I…I already finished.” He tried to retort. 

“You don’t get to decide when I’m finished.” You told him, lining the strap-on with his entrance as you slowly started pushing it into his twitching hole. “Now, you’re gonna sit here and fucking take it like a good boy.” 

You felt his entire body tense up as you pushed it all the way to the base. You dig your nails into his hips as you savor his muffled groans and whines. “You’re taking this better than I thought you would, you must be a real whore.” You mocked, slowly pulling out the strap-on before slamming it back into him. “Fuck I can’t even feel it and I know your hole is tight and just sucking it in. You love getting fucked like this, huh?” 

The pain was burning, but your meta ability was forcing his brain to only focus on the lustful enjoyment. Morbidly twisting the painful stretching into blinding pleasure. He bites back any noises that threaten to spill from his lips, his heavy breathing escaping through his parted lips. His face shoved to the side, desperately trying to keep a little grasp on his sanity. One of your hands reaches down to grasp his weeping and throbbing cock, the jolt of his hips causing one of the hidden noises to finally escape his lips.

“There you go, let mommy hear you.” You attempt to coax him, setting a rhythm as you stroke his cock and slam your hips into his. “You're taking me so well.”

He finally started letting those noises slide past his lips, the vulgar and dirty noises filling the room were too late to actually cause him more humiliation. He was too far gone, lost completely in the pure pleasure coursing through his entire body. “Please–...” He choked out, his muscles tensing up as he felt that burning feeling building for his release. “Mommy, please–”

“Come for me, baby.” You cooed, making one last slam into his ass as you gave quick strokes to his throbbing cock. More hot cum spurts out against the comforter again, causing a worse sticky mess. Your hand didn’t relent in its torture of his cock though.

 

“S-Stop–” He cried out, his body violently twitching. “Fuck–”

“I want to make sure I get out every last drop.” You teased, continuing stroking his twitching, throbbing, aching cock. His whole body was tensed up, strangled gasps escaping him as he tried with every fiber of his being to pull himself away from you. The struggling was moving his hips against your strap-on though, causing more jolts of electric pleasure surging through him. “Just a little longer.”

You watched him struggle and writhe beneath you, completely losing control over his body. You didn’t make him struggle much longer though, watching as his body completely collapsed against the bed. He struggled to catch his breath, more sweat coating his body as his chest heaved. You pulled the strap-on out of him, smirking at the noise he made when it was fully removed. He squeezed his eyes close for only for a moment before they snapped open when he heard that shutter sound again.

You quickly sent this photo away too, having it stored safely away for the perfect blackmail. You looked down at him, more menacingly than before. “I can do this any time I want and you’ll let me. I own you now and you love it.” You said, not threatening him at all as you were simply explaining exactly how he felt. You bare hands run softly over his back, a shutter wracking his body. “Rest up, I’m not done with you yet.”

[bonkbobl]

beautiful fool

ROOSE BOLTON X READER | PART 2

a/n: wait okay i didn't mean to fall down this rabbit hole but roose bolton can get it i dont really care. genuinely sometimes i forget that hes a bad... bad bad bad man. he has that flavor of bad thats just so alluring though i cant resist. i forget that the boltons often torture people for fucks and giggles but rewatching the scene where roose just fucks with jamies head for no reason other than thinking it might be funny made me think to what lengths would he go for something he actually wants. warning that its unedited and unplanned and this is more or less a train of thought fic.

summary: he had to have you. whatever it takes.

warning: REALLY explicit, major dubious consent, honestly headed toward straight noncon. very problematic trope of being forced to fuck but then enjoying it. forced marriage. id say dark roose but lowkey this is pretty in character for this bad bad bad man bad man. bad man.

Your heart raced out of your chest, fear even threatening to bubble and explode out of your throat. You almost got away. You nearly escaped. And here you were, tackled into the mud just by the river by men who wanted to hurt you. Hurt you and whatever was left of your family.

The men who whispered taunts in your ear as they tied your hands behind your back laughed. These were the same men who just two days ago invited the woman who you call mother and the man who was like a brother to you into their home to feast and murdered them.

You knew they'd send out a hunting party after you. But you thought swimming in the water might throw them off your scent. You weren't so lucky.

And as they dragged you back, the words of those men rang ominously through your head, "It's too bad the lord wants her untouched. I'd very much like to touch this one."

A lurking feeling told you that you'd probably have preferred to fall into the river and crack your head open on some jagged rock than find out what use the Lord of the Dreadfort had for you.

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

"What happens if I refuse," You asked, lifting your chin in defiance, as much defiance as you could manage with your arms tied behind your back.

Roose tilted his head at you almost like he was amused that you'd even think you have a say in the matter in the first place. "Then I'll put a bastard baby in you," he responded, his frankness and lack of shame sending cool shivers down your back. "And once the bastard is born I'll put another in you."

You couldn't help the frustrated tears that pooled in your eyes and you ripped your gaze away from him, fear bubbling in your chest and making you feel sick.

"Whore of Winterfell, or Lady Bolton. It's your decision, love."

Ever since that conversation you had pondered how likely it is you'd make it even a few miles before you were captured, either by Bolton hunters or the Ironborn. Either would be unpleasant. You wondered if you could find a way to just be done with it all and join your ward family in the seven heavens rather than fight. But you knew you could never bring yourself to. You were one of the living, through and through. You had to run.

And plan, you did, but no opportunity came. It was only a matter of time before you were put in a pretty white dress and brought under a Godswood to speak your vows to the man who betrayed your true king.

All you could think was why. Why cant he just let you go. You have no legitimate claim that could threaten him. You're not a stark. You're just a girl. You don't come from a large family. Not one of influence. There are no banners to raise. No substantial actions you could take against the new wardens of the north. You were more likely to die trying to run north than you were to be any kind of threat.

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

It wasn't like Roose to hold affections for any particular person. It was rare for him to even feel a vague sense of fondness towards anyone. A person is useful and competent. If they aren't then at best they are a nuisance that he could do without, at worst a threat to the Bolton name.

But you.

You were every bit as much a fool as the man who took you in as a ward, and that same mans son who grew up with you. You fretted over honor and doing the right thing when your enemies would not pay a second thought. You argued in favor of the late Queen Talisa's insistence on helping both Northern and Royal forces, allocating countless coppers toward medicating the enemy.

You aggravated Roose to no end when you first began to speak out. And yet he found that his eyes would always meet yours, rake downward against his will really. And though it only added to his aggravation, he brushed those feelings aside as the natural desires of a man.

He, in no way, found you difficult to gaze upon. It was infuriating, even more so that you seemed to understand the effect you had on men, flirting about with the son of Karstark and joking crudely with the men as if you weren't a lady to be respected.

And yet he found a stirring in him when you'd make an innuendo that was a little too risque.

He soon found it difficult to not think of you. Especially when you, the beautiful fool, revealed yourself to be of a sharper mind than even the King in moments.

"I love Talisa, truly, but think about it, Robb. You may be winning battles right now. But if you become too close to her, your closest advisors may falter. You risk losing the war."

"We have little food to sustain the rest of the camp, perhaps it'd do the Northern cause some good to do something about the overflowing kennels. As distasteful as it is to execute so many."

"Karstark will be avenged if you go through with this, please Robb. His forces make up a third of ours. Think. Think about it, I beg you."

Roose was irked by the fact that he agreed with you on more occasions than not, but he was impressed nevertheless. And it only kept you on his mind more. No, it wasn't love, Roose was sure of it, it erred more on the side of an intrigue that escalated to the point of near obsession. You were, after all, young, beautiful, thoughtful, and you held a level head. More strong than his first wife, less stiff and rigid than his second. More alluring and exciting than both.

The way Roose saw it, Robb Stark was becoming more dangerous to the interests of the North, growing increasingly reckless as the war went on. It was really his duty to usurp the so called King in the North, whod surely lead all the great Northern Houses to extinction if this masquerade continued on. You, however, would be a great loss if you were to drown alongside the wolf.

A great loss, indeed. Not to any higher purpose, you were not from any significant house. No, you just deserved to live. It baffled Roose to know he felt that way about any one person. But he reasoned it's simply because he wants you for himself. His pretty little wife — you'd fit that role so well.

He even remembered the way the old Lord Frey cackled when he stated his intentions with you.

"Marry any of my daughters and I will give you her weight in silver, My Lord. An offer of good faith and my grandson shall become Warden of the North."

"I'm honored by the offer, believe me. But I already have a prize that I've set my eyes on."

Frey's eyebrows arched in amusement.

"The Stark Ward," Bolton answered the unspoken question.

And the old man laughed, harder than a man his age should be able to, and sure enough his joy was cut short by a few uncouth coughs. "Pretty slut. I cannot say I blame you, Lord Bolton. I'm embarrassed I didn't think to take that pretty thing as my spoils before you did."

Roose offered a polite smile and hum, "I'll wed one of your children or perhaps grandchildren to whatever child I will have with my new wife."

Frey chuckled, nodding, "Hm, expect me to remember such a promise, my lord..." Then with a sardonic smirk, the lecherous old man spoke again, "Eh, I assume you aren't the type of man to like to share, are you, Lord Bolton."

And Roose's smile dropped into a hard glare. Frey laughed again, waving him off.

"A joke," he reassured, "Alright. After we kill the boy and his mum, you keep the whore. I cant wait to see how you deign to tame the bitch."

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

The very same halls you grew up in echoed terribly as your husband led you to the chambers you would share. The Lords chambers. You remember running to this very room to pester your Lord and Lady, sometimes Sansa or her older brother running alongside you.

Lord Bolton hardly spoke a word to you. All the better, for you could not bear to look at him. All those months of sitting across him as both of you counseled the proclaimed King in the North, and you thought you knew the man. You even admired him, vied for his approval. You thought him to be intelligent, more clear headed than the men that are easily driven by anger or lust and other vices of men. You'd smile to yourself on the occasions he'd agree with you or appear to approve of your advise.

To be honest, you thought Lord Bolton had no such love or affection toward you, especially in the very beginning when he wouldn't even stop to regard you, or he'd clearly speak over you, brush you aside, advise your king the opposite of the words you'd spoken. You thought he saw you as a mere child, playing at king and hand like you and Robb would as babes.

Now you think he really must have hated you. You wonder how long he hated Robb, and all the Starks, all their allies. But you, he must have hated you especially. Why he would feel the need to subject you to the greatest torture of living with him, being bred by him, carrying child after child, you wondered why why why. Why does he hold so much resentment toward a young girl. He must be a sad man.

You suddenly realized he was staring at you, watching your teary eyes, your clenched jaw, your shaky breath. You stared him in his cold eyes, defiant. Though you knew it was useless. You knew what would come next. He made it clear.

Whore of Winterfell, or Lady Bolton.

Was there any difference?

For Lady Bolton, the children you bear him would be heirs rather than bastards. For Lady Bolton, you'd have a title, your "honor" in tact. But everything that mattered would remain the same. Youd take him nightly. You could only hope for him to cease his visits once a babe has taken to your belly

"Lady Bolton," your husband commanded your attention.

You faced him, inches away from the bed. He towered over you and you did your best at a feeble attempt to not let him intimidate you. You were scared. You wanted to be strong but the thought of what was to come next was scaring you. There's no escape.

"Lord Bolton," you replied, nothing but spite in your tone.

He breathed a humorous scoff, shaking his head slightly, "Undress yourself," he said, barely above a whisper, challenging you by tilting his head to the side. His eyes were so cold, barely feeling. You'd not be surprised if he told you he wasn't human.

Swallowing, you began unlacing your dress, attempting to remain hard as steal. But a tear finally trickled down your face when his hand reached up to cup it.

Your fingers stalled to a halt when he leaned in to kiss the tear, an action that would be comforting from any other man but you knew he meant to mock you. This was meant to be humiliating. He doesn't care for you. He kisses your tears away to remind you he doesn't care. He might even like it. Stop crying.

But you couldn't. You squeaked out a small sob as his lips came down to meet yours, hungry and demanding. Your shaky breath let out a heavy sigh through your nose and the feeling of fear strangely extinguished from your chest for a moment. Instead, your chest rose and you met him in his kiss.

His lips were surprisingly soft, his tongue felt dirty in your mouth but you couldn't explain why you didn't want to bite it off and spit it out. Instead you felt helpless and you let his tongue roam your mouth with little to no fight. When he pulled away from you, a string of spit tried desperately to keep the two of you connected but smacked against your chin after a mere second.

Your breath was heavy, cheeks wet with tears, flushed and probably looking a mess. You didn't want to imagine it. The vague sense of disgust with yourself remained but it just felt slightly different. You didn't know how to place it. It stirred rather pleasantly in your lower tummy and you felt really tense down there.

"I will repeat this command. But for the future, I want it to be known that I don't enjoy repeating myself. Undress yourself."

You heard his words clearly and allowed him to kiss you again. Your fingers clumsily and hurriedly worked at your dress. You stripped yourself bare as he did as he liked, kissing, nipping at your lips. His hands explored the new inches of your body as they became more and more exposed to him.

They roamed over your back, and back in front to cup your soft tits, weighing them, toying with your nipple... roamed back down your back, squeezing your firm ass. You couldn't place the feeling, you couldn't place it. You didn't like the feeling. You wanted it to stop. And yet if he pulled away you felt as if you might lean back into his touch inexplicably. You'd hate it but you'd go back for more.

Whenever he groped you a little too hard, you'd whine without even realizing it and Roose's pleasure would grow. Once you were fully naked, you grew awkward, not knowing what to do with your hands so you backed toward the bed. But he followed.

The rough fabric of his clothes felt harsh against your soft skin. You had nothing to do but whimper again and when you turned your head away, he simply let you, instead taking the opportunity to finally look at you, his little wife. Beautiful, clever, stubborn little wife.

You ducked your head, crying, confused at the way you felt, confused as to why you weren't fighting him harder. And that spurred you to begin.

Roose realized you weren't fighting him the second he kissed you and he shared your confusion for a second until he felt your tongue caressing his in reciprocation. He's sure you hadn't even fully realized your own actions as you had rushed to comply with his orders.

He half expected you to be a shy blushing bride but this reminded him that you were a little of a tease with Robbs men, cracking nasty jokes that a lady should not have been aware of. You were no blushing bride. In fact, you were a bit of a slut. A tease.

And suddenly, it struck him that the behavior hadn't so much aggravated him in the way that he thought. In fact the memory of you flirting with those men who were now burried in the ground or thrown into the river, gave him this strong sense of accomplishment to have you here.

Roose began undoing his trousers, unsheathing himself to your horror and you pushed him away, escaping the only way you were permitted, crawling on the bed and trying to get over to the other side. Roose was too fast, grabbing your ankle and pulling you down.

You fell but you kicked him in the chest and he laughed, dropping your ankle, but only so he could grasp your hips firmly and pull you back along the edge of the bed.

"Down, girl," he commanded, as if you were a dog.

You cried, clawing at anywhere to escape to. But he was right behind you and as you looked around, you knew it was hopeless. Still the fight burned on in your chest. Then you heard a smack and a sharp pain in your buttock, jolting you under your husband.

Another one came because you refused to calm yourself, then his hand slipped between your thighs and he spanked you again as another feeble warning.

"My lady," He started, waiting for you to calm finally before chuckling. Then your torturer informed you of something, no doubt to break your spirits, "Are you aware, Lady Bolton, how wet your cunt is?"

His rough weathered fingers rubbed at your entrance, barely pushing in and sure enough the sound of your slick being rubbed and spread around, filled your ears. Your fists balled the sheets under it and your legs helplessly kicked up, though with no purpose. You couldn't get away. From him. From your shame. From your body's betrayal.

"Your womb is begging me to fill it. You feel it, don't you?" He taunted, "You're confused, aren't you. Stupid, confused, little wife."

His fingers slipped away and you fought to catch your breath, fists relaxing because he stopped. But then his fingers were replaced by something thicker and hotter and your struggle resumed. Your hips squirming but all it did was slicken his cockhead for an easier entrance.

"Let me clear your confusion, stupid little wife." Roose cooed to you, the tone of his voice unfitting of the cruel words. "You are exactly where you belong. Under your husband, serving your husband. The Warden of the North. There's no need to fight your fate or fight your pleasure as you are exactly where you belong."

Then he began pushing into you and your toes clenched, back arching inexplicably. The new angle that you provided made it easier. You knew it didn't make sense but it made perfect sense to Roose, who chuckled behind you, smacking your ass, this time not in displeasure but as a praise. Your body twitched at it, cunt squeezing and pulsing around him as if it were trying to suck it in.

Your moans grew more wanton as he pushed in torturously slow. And of course it hurt, stung, when he forced past your maidenhead but you couldn't even bring yourself to squirm away from that. You were rightfully his.

When his hips met yours, he just held himself buried inside you for a few seconds and you continued to contract and twitch around him, small squeaks of confusion escaping your throat against your will. You couldn't stop squirming. The sensation of something so big filling you stirred you uncontrollably.

A hand trailed down your thigh, nudging it upward and you followed the movement, allowing him to prop your leg up on the bed. Then he began thrusting and your face heated up when you heard just how wet you were. Each time his hips pressed flush against you, youd feel the cool sensation of your slick on his balls.

It was all so vivid. Even if you couldn't see what was going on behind you. You knew. And the most shameful noises forced past your throat as your husband fucked you deeply and slowly.

"Listen to yourself," Roose muttered, hands coming up to grab your shoulders.

It allowed him to hammer deeper and harder into you, the sharpness of his thrusts contrasting the slow strokes he started with. You cried out, shameful but you were horrified to find that you did not want him to stop. Not when he was... oh his cock was hitting something inside you. Deep inside you.

"Keep making those noises, darling wife. I cant tell if I enjoy your pleasure more or your tears."

You cried out, a small sob at the end of it. And despite your better judgement, you turned your head to look at your husband. Your naked body contrasted so much with his garments, which stayed mostly unmoved. Only his pants and breeches were pulled down to his mid thigh.

His expression hardened upon evaluating your features. There was nothing more beautiful, your lips parted in a pleasure that confused you. The tears had dried by now but your hair was a mess and your eyes swollen and pinkish. Not to mention the way you were splayed out beneath him. He landed a firm spank to your buttocks again, aiming to leave marks.

You whimpered, eyebrows coming together as your pussy clamped down around him. Roose grabbed your hip that was propped higher than the rest of your body due to your leg that was positioned on the bed. And he used that hip as leverage to pull your body into him.

The confusion within you turned to fear when an unfamiliar feeling began building within you. You cried out loudly and involuntarily clamped down even harder around him, pulsing uncontrollably as he jackhammered into you ruthlessly, intensifying when his hands abandoned your hips for your neck.

You couldn't help but feel as if you were reduced to a little object. He could grab you wherever and however he wanted and pull you against his cock and you had nowhere to run and yet you couldn't even deign to lift your legs and kick at him. You surrendered to the smallness that he made you feel, cries and distress replaced by whimpers and submission.

You came to find your body shaking and convulsing with a blinding kind of pleasure. Even your moans died into a breathy, shaky sigh, back arching as you sank further into the sheets beneath you. Your lord gave no sign of stopping, another self satisfied hum rumbling from his chest.

"Good, so good, darling. I knew you would come to enjoy your new position."

And with that you were filled again with shame, though not yet strong enough to overshadow the stubborn pleasure which muted any feelings that might incite discomfort. You especially could not feel displeased when your husband firmly snapped his hips into you, releasing a grunt. He continued to pump into you, slowly but firmly. sighing along with his thrusts. It was the only compromise in composure that he allowed you to see and you were only sure at this point that he was finished with you.

Surprisingly the spilling of his seed didn't feel like much but your cunt squeezed him, as if it was aware. And you felt satisfaction wash over you, as if your body was also aware.

To your shock and shame, your ass gyrated beneath him, rolling itself against him to fully milk him for all he had to offer you. And you hid your face, pausing once you realized.

After recovering from his release, Roose watched you closely, appreciating the way you still squirmed, restless. You moved your leg back down to the floor and pushed back, hips meeting his and your cunt convulsed again around him due to the overstimulation. He stood like a barrier, looming over you a he rested his hands on the edge of the bed where your hips were and your restless little cunt continued to twitch and pulse as you tried to compose yourself desperately.

You breathed deeply but it was hopeless. You could not walk away with your dignity, fully aware of how Lord Bolton stared upon his Lady Bolton, satisfied with how you gave into him so easily.

You shivered and your breath hitched when he landed a kiss to your shoulder blade. Then you sighed, settling down again for him. And a needy whimper confirmed your submission.

Roose loomed over you, giving you another small kiss on your temple.

"You did well, my lady."

The approval got to you. Your days on Robbs counsel trying your best to say anything intelligent that would make him accept you as an equal. It all led you to this moment. But you never did accomplish your goal of being viewed as an equal, at least it didn't feel that way in this moment. His softening cock still inside you, the only thing stopping his spend from trickling down your leg. Oh the shame of it all.

"I'm pleased to find that you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"No," You protested but in your voice you could tell you didn't even believe yourself.

Lord Bolton merely laughed. And you whimpered again, willing yourself to sink into the bed and disappear. Then your husband pulled back and spread your ass cheeks apart, giving you a lengthy thrust. Though he was not as hard as he was moments ago, the movement was enough to make you shiver.

"Then we should try again in a half mark of an hour. I shall train my lady wife to welcome me into her bed."

You bit the inside of your mouth to prevent another whimper but it was ripped from you when Lord Bolton spanked you again.

Oh yes, Roose Bolton would commit a thousand betrayals and massacre a hundred false Kings if it meant he'd end up with you, here, to warm his bed.

[downwiththeficness]

Shadow and Veil-Chapter Fifteen

Summary: Eva Moore’s life was a carefully constructed fiction.  Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his  best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty  well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run  her over. Now, she’s faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life  from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings  for her husband’s new business partner at bay.

A/N: This fic is a sister-fic to A Need So Great and A Need Unleashed.  You do not need to have read ANSG or ANU to read this fic, but there  are Easter eggs from those fics in Shadow and Veil for readers with keen  eyes.  This fic is explicit for canon-compliant blood, gore, violence,  and sex. As such, it is intended for an adult audience, only. A/B/O  dynamics come with their own warning. Anyone under the age of 18 should  not interact with this work. I do not consent to reposting this work to  other platforms. Reblog only to Tumblr.  

Word Count:~4,400

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“Finally you’ve arrived!”

Eva hurried towards the table, offering apologies, “Traffic was awful.”

Myra lifted a disbelieving brow, “Well, you should have known traffic would be bad this time of day and planned for it.”

“Yes, sorry.”

“You’ve already said that. Now, sit down so we can be served. I’ve already ordered for us since you decided you wanted to be late.”

Knowing that, if she said anything resembling a defense, Myra would take it as a personal insult, Eva shut her mouth and sat. The waiter was already rolling a cart towards them, tea and finger foods loaded onto a tiered serving tray. Eva smiled at him in thanks before turning her attention to Myra.

“This appointment was written in red ink and circled four times on the calendar,” Eva said, “Is there an emergency?”

Myra’s hand made a kind of ‘oh my god’ gesture, “Of course there’s an emergency. My son thinks we can pull together a dinner party in less than a week—eight guests, no less.”

Eva nodded slowly, “Alright. I’ll call the chef. The napkins were cleaned and pressed from our last party. I can call the grocer and see if he’ll prioritize a special order.”

“No,” Myra replied, “It has to be more than our usual fare. He’s invited that district attorney from Texas.”

She paused, processing, “I wasn’t aware that he knew the DA.”

“He doesn’t,” Myra explained, “this is supposed to be an introductory meeting. I think Josh wants to buy a factory out west, though God knows why.” She took a breath, “I mean, its not enough that he’s cornered the market here in Louisiana, but he wants to branch out into another state, too. Its ludicrous.”

Eva considered her words carefully, “Josh is ambitious.”

Myra wasn’t having it, “He’s a fool if he thinks he can compete in such a large market.”

“I think,” she hedged, “that he will regret it if he doesn’t try. He says he’ll do a soft opening. If it fails, it won’t be such a large loss.”

Josh had said no such thing, but Eva was sure that would be his plan. It always was when he was moving into new territory.

“Oh, God forbid the man has regrets,” Myra groused.

She took up a pair of tongs and picked from the tray a few tiny sandwiches. As she arranged them on her plate, Myra visibly centered herself. Her lips pursed and a furrow deepened between her brows. It was an expression she made periodically when Josh was being obstinate. Myra rarely disagreed with him out loud, but her face said more than enough.

Eva waited for Myra to put the tongs back on the tray before picking them up and making her own selections. The tuna wasn’t particularly any good at this restaurant, but the ham and cheese was Eva’s favorite. She took as many of them as she thought she could get away with before setting the tongs down. When Myra was done pouring a serving of tea, Eva took some for herself—three scoops of sugar.

“Now,” Myra began after sampling a sandwich and dabbing her face with a napkin, “let’s talk place settings.”

For over an hour and a half, Eva listened to Myra debate options. While she listened, she ate two plates of sandwiches and drank tea until her bladder complained. For once, Myra was too distracted by the enormity of the task to notice how much Eva was eating. Even with the larger than normal meal, Eva still felt hungry.

Licking her lips, she considered the last few sandwiches at the bottom of the tray. Myra didn’t seem like she was going to eat them, but taking them for herself felt somehow rude. Eva eyed Myra as she wrote in a small notebook, detailing her decisions with precision.

Better not, she thought. Be happy with what you got.

“There,” Myra said, with finality, “I think that will do it.” She sighed happily, “We’ve covered a lot of ground today.”

Eva was relieved. If she didn’t get to the bathroom soon she would pee her pants. She let Myra pay the bill and made her excuses, hustling to the bathroom. After emptying her bladder, Eva set her purse on the counter to wash her hands. In the mirror, she studied the fading bruise that ran from her nose to her cheekbone.

It was well on its way to healing, barely noticeable beneath the pallor of her skin. The flesh was still tender to the touch, a constant reminder of the danger she was tempting. Josh would be angry even after the drugs were found. He’d made his feelings known about how much he was going to have to pay ‘that asshole Diego’ once he got the shipment back.

At least he kept his hands to himself.

Grabbing her purse, Eva left the bathroom and walked through the restaurant towards the entrance. The valet took her ticket and the car was brought around. With nothing left to do for the day, Eva decided to visit the library.

It was quiet, save for the drone of the air conditioning. School was back in session, so there were very few people inside. Eva spent some time perusing the stacks, hands touching novels she’d already read several times.

Turning down the non-fiction aisle, Eva stalled over the foreign language section. Her fingers hesitated over the bright yellowed spine of an intro to Spanish book. She debated it for a few seconds before pulling the book from the shelf. Thumbing through the chapters, Eva mouthed along silently.

She didn’t need to know Spanish.

She took the book, anyway.

In the driveway, Eva tucked it away in her purse before walking inside. She carried it up into her bedroom and stowed it in her nightstand to read before bed. As she was taking off her day clothes, Eva heard a yell from downstairs. It sounded like Josh. Curious, she pulled on a robe and stepped out into the hall.

Josh was, in fact, yelling from somewhere near the living room.

Eva descended the stairs, craning her head to see what all the screaming was about. As she turned into the living room, she caught Josh hanging up the phone.

He looked at her with a manic grin, “He fucking did it!”

“Who? Did what?”

“He found the shipment!” Josh threw up both hands in a gesture of victory, “Almost all of it. I don’t even care that I’m going to pay through the nose for this. The man found it in less than a week. Can you believe it?”

What she couldn’t believe was how happy he was. Josh was nothing short of pissed off since that night at the farm. This change of pace was unexpected. And suspicious.

“I invited him over for a drink later,” Josh went on, “A night with the boys. Alexei will be here.”

“Okay,” Eva drawled, “There’s a new bottle of scotch on the bar.”

“Good, good,” Josh muttered, his thoughts elsewhere, “Did you get some of those cocktail napkins? The ones with the embossing?”

Eva nodded, “They’re on the bar, too.”

“Good,” he repeated, then, “I need to get changed.”

Eva watched him head for the stairs with confusion. Less than an hour ago, Josh hated Horacio—Diego—whoever. Now, he was worried about having the right napkins for a ‘boy’s night’ with the man. Eva chalked it up to another one of Josh’s ever shifting moods.

“Huh.”

Shaking her head, Eva climbed the stairs. As she passed Josh’s room, she caught him holding up a pair of ties as he tried to decide which he wanted to wear. Eva kept walking, but her expression drew up into a frown. When she got to her room and closed the door behind her, Eva shook her head again. She didn’t want to waste time worrying about what Josh might be thinking.

There were other, more enjoyable, things to do.

Eva sat on the bed and arranged the pillows around her so that she could sit up against the headboard. Then, she pulled out her new book and turned to chapter one. She read through it four times before she tried to move on to chapter two. Her brain struggled with adding more words to her vocabulary and she had to go back.

In the one year of high school Eva attended, she took a single French class. While it seemed valuable, given the fact that she lived in Louisiana, it certainly wasn’t helping her  at the moment. Slowly, she mouthed along to with the words, tracing them with a forefinger.

The doorbell rang.

Eva flinched, her knees drawing up towards her chest. Hugging the book in her arms, she listened intently. Voices filtered up towards her. She set the book down and stood, moving slowly towards the door. Carefully, Eva cracked it open.

“How much?”

Alexei.

“Almost all of it,” Josh replied, “Can you fucking believe it?”

“I can’t.”

“We needed good news and here it is!”

There was a pause, then, “I mean that I can’t believe it, Josh. The shipment goes missing, Diego questions the only people who know about it, and then he find it again—for a price.”

Eva held her breath as she listened. Alexei had it almost right. And, if she weren’t already aware of just how much Horacio was manipulating their business, she would be supporting him in digging further into the matter. In fact, Eva would be digging into it, herself.

“You’re so paranoid.”

Their voices were moving down the first floor hallway towards The Lounge. Eva pulled the door almost closed even though there was no way they could see her at this angle. She listened for a minute more, but they were already too far away.

Closing the door, she sighed and looked around the room for answers that she had no hope of finding. Her eyes fell on the vent near the door that led to the terrace. She chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at it, contemplating a plan.

During her first year in the house, Eva mapped every creak and dip in the floor of her bedroom, the hallway, the staircase, and the kitchen. Moving through the house soundlessly became the goal that kept her sane until she picked up some work with their old accountant. Every once in a while, she tested her mental and muscle memory against a clock and oiling the garage door was still a semi-annual ritual performed at Easter and Christmas.

Taking slow, deliberate steps, she made her way over to the vent and laid down next to it. Muffled voices rose to the ear she pressed against the cold, slatted metal.

“”I’m just saying that we should question it.”

“Why? We have what we want.”

“Because we don’t know what he wants.”

“He wants what all criminals want. Money.”

“And, he’s getting a fucking lot of that, isn’t he.”

“Why can’t you be happy for me?”

“I am happy. But, we need to be smart.”

“Are you saying that I’m being an idiot?”

“Of course not.”

“It sounds like you’re saying I’m an idiot.”

“I’m saying that we need to make sure that we’re all on the same team.”

“He’s done everything he said he was going to do.”

“You don’t think that’s suspicious?”

“I think that’s competence.”

“No one is that good.”

“It certainly feels like he’s that good.”

“What it feels like is a trap.”

“Oh, please. He’s not smart enough to lay this kind of trap.”

“You don’t know that!”

The doorbell rang.

Eva push up on her hands and rose to her feet. She retraced her steps to the door and opened it about an inch.

“Diego! The hero of the hour!” Josh called out effusively.

“Dr. Moore. Thank you for the invitation.”

“C’mon to The Lounge, we got lots to talk about.”

Closing the door, Eva made a second trip to the vent, eager to hear the conversation. She squinted into the middle distance as her ears strained to pick up anything that might be said.

And then the music started.

Cursing aloud, Eva dropped her head into her hands and sighed. The record player was directly in front of the vent down below. She wasn’t going to be able to hear a single thing said in that room as long as it was playing.

Standing, Eva threw herself down on the bed. She stared up at the ceiling until her eyes began to cross and then got up to take a shower. In the safety of the hot water and steam, Eva couldn’t put off a conversation with herself that had been resting heavily in the back of her mind.

Josh wanted to ‘retire’. And, he wanted to try for kids again.

She rubbed harshly at her face, as if scrubbing the sensitive skin would somehow wash away the disgust she felt at the thought of living—truly living—as husband and wife with him. Any other person might cry over it, might wail as they grieved for the life they were losing.

Eva didn’t have much of a life to speak of.

She didn’t cry. She didn’t wail. She didn’t grieve.

She did get angry. The kind of hateful anger that led to eviscerating a bridge that had already been crossed. And, in her anger, Eva finalized her plan of escape. After gathering up the money and touching base with Bobbi Lynn, she would get her passport from the safe in Josh’s office and she would take her car to the Mexican border. After she crossed the line, she would trade the car in and keep moving south.

Josh’s vacation idea would work in her favor. She’d already talked with their travel agent about places that would be best suited for visitors that didn’t speak the language. Resort towns. Places she could get a job and somewhere to stay where she wouldn’t stick out too much among the tourists.

From there, she would try to make a life worth living.

Shutting off the water, Eva grabbed a towel and ran it over her body. Then, she pulled on her robe and made her way back into her bedroom where she spent another half hour or so reviewing the first chapter in her book.

Downstairs, the music continued to play.

Hunger edged into the peripheral of her attention and upset her concentration. Eva glanced at the clock. It was well past the time for supper—not that Eva would chance making any kind of meal in the kitchen. Too much noise would draw Josh out of The Lounge and Eva didn’t want to deal with him any more that night.

Putting the book back into her nightstand, Eva stood and went to the door where she cracked it open. Listening intently for a long time, she determined that the coast was probably clear and she stepped out into the hall.

Tracing the well known path, Eva balanced her hand on the banister and descended the stairs. All the while, she kept listening for movement. At the bottom of the stairs, she glanced back towards The Lounge.

The door was closed.

Letting loose a breath that had been sitting her lungs since she left her room, Eva lifted her shoulders and turned towards the kitchen. Already, her mind was trying to remember what sort of junk food she’d picked up during her last grocery run. About half way across the hall, the door to The Lounge opened.

Eva froze, her whole body stiffening in fear of being caught out of her room when she was so clearly not welcome. Eyes wide, she blinked as a broad shoulder breached the threshold and angled into the hallway.

Horacio.

She loosed a second relieved breath.

He spied her at the other end of the hallway and she could see that she’d caught him off guard. Not knowing what else to do, she gave him an awkward wave and went about her way.

In the kitchen, Eva flicked on the lights and padded over to the pantry to peruse the available snacks. As she considered the choice between a Twinkie and a Swiss Roll, the floorboard near the island creaked.

Eva looked over her shoulder, “You shouldn’t be in here.”

Horacio skimmed his hand over the counter top as he moved closer, “I won’t be missed.”

She scoffed, “Not by Josh—at least not tonight. But, Alexei? He thinks you’re a walking, talking trap.”

Stalling near the pantry door, Horacio smiled wide, “They’ve passed around a couple joints since I got here. Believe me, they’re not worried about me.”

“So, that’s what you’re doing in here? Got the munchies?”

Horacio laughed, his head tilting back to expose the vulnerable column of his neck. Eva’s breath caught at the sight of him. She swallowed dryly to quell a fresh wave of attraction.

“No,” he replied with ease, “I’m pretty good at making it look like I’m participating when I’m not.” Then, “I told them I had to use the bathroom.”

“Oh,” Eva said, “You completely missed it. Its the first door on the right.”

His humor turned wry, “I know, Eva.”

“Ah.”

“I actually wanted to see how you were doing.”

Eva demurred, “I’m fine.”

Horacio’s hand lifted and he brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek, “Are you?”

The bruise.

She stumbled over her words, frazzled by his touch and his concern, “Its fine—I’m fine.”

His jaw clenched, “He hit you a lot? Or just when you get him to see reason?”

Defenses flying up to protect her, Eva leaned away, “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

He sighed, walking backwards until his back his the island. Leaning his hips against it, he crossed his arms and regarded her with banked annoyance, “What are you doing in here?”

Eva waved her hand towards the pantry, “I didn’t get to eat supper. Thought I’d make myself a snack.”

Chin flicking upwards, he said, “Go ahead.”

Aware of his attention, Eva went about pulling what she wanted from the pantry. Cradling the bounty in her arms, she carried it to the island and laid it out. Eva pulled one of her smaller serving trays from the cabinet below and set it on the counter. Horacio watched her intently as she worked.

“So,” Eva said, unable to take the silence, “Josh says you found our missing product.”

“I did.”

“Do you want to share details?”

“I can’t.”

She sighed, “Well, I had to ask.”

“I admire your perseverance.”

Eva hummed as she opened a bag of pretzels and poured them onto the tray around a small pile of plush marshmallows. There was no need for it to be pretty to look at, but she took her time, anyways.

“Do you always eat like this?”

His voice was low and amused. Eva looked up at him briefly, catching his eyes following the practiced movements of her hand.

“No,” she admitted, “usually I’m sneaking food upstairs and hiding the wrappers in my purse so that Josh doesn’t see.”

A pause, then, “Why?”

With a wry, self-deprecating lilt in her tone, Eva answered honestly, “No doctor worth his salt wants a fat wife. How could anyone trust him to keep his patients healthy?”

Horacio shifted his weight, “How is tonight different?”

She shrugged, “Josh won’t leave The Lounge until you’re gone. And, he’ll sleep in tomorrow because he will likely drink too much while you’re here. I have time to get rid of the evidence.”

His head bounced in a nod, “Smart.”

Another shrug, “One day he’ll figure it out. Until then, I’ll enjoy my occasional sugar rush. Its the little things in life that keep you going, you know?”

Expression doubtful, he said, “You shouldn’t have to do all this just to eat.”

Eva picked at the plastic package of a Twinkie, “I made my bed a long time ago. I can’t complain about sleeping in it.” Then, because she didn’t want to talk about it anymore, she tore it open and pulled one of the cakes apart from its twin. “Ever had a Twinkie?”

His eyes dropped to rest on the golden treat in her hand, “No.”

“Want one?”

Horacio considered it, then leaned forward and took a slow bite. Eva’s hand trembled as she watched his lips wrap around the soft cake. Words escaped her as he met her gaze. Dark brown eyes held her immobile while he straightened and chewed.

He swallowed and licked his lips, “Its too sweet.”

“Amateur,” Eva shot back with a smile.

Taking her own bite, Eva went about placing the remaining Twinkie on the tray followed by a pair of Swiss Rolls. Then, she stood back and analyzed the arrangement.

Chips.

It needed chips.

Eva went back to the pantry and grabbed a bag. On her way back to the island, Horacio caught her around the waist and pulled her close. His cheek pressed against hers and the chest beneath her hands expanded in a long, decadent breath. Eva’s shoulders relaxed as he firmly wrapped his arms around her waist.

It was so, so nice to be held like this—all wrapped up in his warmth, in his scent. Eva closed her eyes and let herself enjoy it.

Horacio nosed down along her jaw and to the side until his mouth hovered above hers. Without the benefit of sight, the heat from his body was intensified. Fire hot. With the barest of touches, he brushed his lips against hers. Eva drew a shuddering breath, anticipation fluttering in her belly.

Another kiss, no firmer than the last.

Eva’s mouth parted and her chin tilted up in a silent request for more. It was request that he denied. All he would give her was soft, careful caresses of skin against skin that did nothing to assuage Eva’s growing want.

Her hands curled into the material of his shirt, pulling him further into her body. He rocked forward and his arms tightened, but he refused her. She whined plaintively. Horacio was not moved. His answering chuckle set her teeth on edge with the need for payback.

Rising up on her toes, Eva took the kiss she wanted. Her hands traced a path up his chest and over his shoulders until she could rest her fingers along the nape of his neck. She urged him closer until they were pressed together from chest to knee. His body dwarfed hers. It curled around her, acting as a solid wall of protection that she had no idea she needed so badly.

Eva was moving. Walking backwards with him through the open arch that separated the kitchen and the darkened dining room. Horacio pressed her against the wall as the kiss continued with breathless abandon.

His hands ran over her hips, skimmed up her waist and back down again where they clutched the fabric of her robe. Eva arched into his touch in a wordless invitation that he didn’t seem ready to take.

She was utterly charmed by that.

He broke the kiss to catch his breath. In the dark, they stared at one another. Eva could feel that she was standing on a precipice—they were standing there together. It would take nothing more than a soft breeze to push them over the rocky edge into the unknown below. As she held his gaze, Eva knew that she’d already made the decision for herself and now all that was left was for Horacio to make his.

Licking her lips, she leaned back into the wall and tilted her head back and to the side. The movement exposed not only the tender skin of her neck, but also the softly throbbing gland behind her ear.

It was possibly the most intimate gesture she could make with her clothes on.

Horacio’s body shuddered, one hand coming up to cup her jaw. Then, slow enough to give her time to change her mind, he leaned down and pressed his lips to the gland. Eva sucked in a gasp, the sensation foreign and ecstatic. It ran through her body to settle low in her belly.

The press of his mouth came again, coupled with a swipe of his tongue. Eva mewled softly, a sound that had never come out of her mouth before. She held onto his shoulders with a tight grip, scrambling to stay upright when her knees wanted to give out under the weight of the feeling of him drawing the taste of her into his mouth.

Horacio pulled away again only to catch her lips in a heated kiss. His chest rumbled with a hum of pleasure as he kissed her again and again and again. She’d never been kissed like this before, never been held so securely. Certainly not—

Josh.

Startled, Eva turned her face to break the kiss, “Wait!”

Horacio stopped kissing her long enough that Eva was able to gather the scraps of thought running around in her head and form them into a coherent sentence.

“You can’t go into there smelling like me.”

He shook his head, “With what I gave them, it will be a miracle if they’re conscious when I get back.”

He moved to kiss her again and Eva (reluctantly) avoided it.

“You didn’t poison my husband, did you?”

Horacio chuckled, “No. But I did give them something a little stronger than what they might find from a local dealer.” He paused, “Partnering with the government does have a few benefits.”

Eva stared at him for a moment, processing, “Some day we’ll talk about how that works. But, until then, you need to go back to The Lounge and I need to go back to my room.”

Put out, Horacio stepped back from her, “Its the one at the back of the house, right? With the terrace?”

Eva nodded and adjusted the tie of her robe. Horacio let her fiddle with it until she was satisfied and then he took her hand and led her back to the kitchen. He let her gather up her snacks and, with a lingering kiss near the door, he walked out into the hallway that divided the house in two.

She followed him until she got to the staircase. Tray in her hands, Eva nimbly ascended, aware that Horacio watched her until she rounded the landing.

[bookishtheaterlover7]

And the way they do it is mighty impressive to me. Plus, they win points for the shade. // while TMZ may be doing shady shit pertaining to this shitshow and it alludes to this definitely being PR….

tMZ still ain’t shit!

They released Kobe’s death publicly knowing his family hadn’t been notified yet.

They always have to be the first to release things and they do so by getting info in the most grimy way.

They were the first to confirm Michael Jackson died and they did that by doing shady shit to get the confirmation just so they’d be the first official publication to release the news.

Don’t be fooled by this mess, TMZ is grimy asf.

But again that does show they know shit about this mess in reality and I agree with marketing anon, I peeped how they and many others put “reportedly” on every publication talking about these two getting hitched.

I’m sure TMZ is aware in the slightest that his fans don’t believe this mess is legit and it’s a failed pr stunt as anyone can send TMZ information anonymously and I’m sure many fans have asked them to search for the marriage license or they may have did that in their own.

Since I believe this to be PR, I can only imagine that when it’s officially ended, TMZ will have a future post of …..”Captain America star, Chris Evans was never legally married” or some crap and proof that there’s no documentation or pics.

It’s a reason the following happened:

“Reportedly married”

Chris stated he had two “ceremonies”

Chris and her have NEVER stated the other’s name anywhere publicly.

Chris was not listed on any official 2023 wedding list although he was one of the biggest celebrities to tie the knot last year.

One major publication even made an entire separate article with about four or five other male celebrities who got married just to be able to add Chris, because they couldn’t add him to any official list because he’s not married and due to legality reasons. But the fun fact was every other guy listed was included in the official 2023 celeb wedding lists and had pics to prove they legit got married, all except…… Chris Evans.

The simple fact every single person claiming to have attended or were listed as guest at the wedding(s) had something to promote within the weeks or months afterwards.

The fact people kept randomly inserting the wedding in thins that had nothing to do with Chris.

The fact NDA was mentioned so no one can question why there were no details about the wedding. (Imagine people who they claim attended having make up stuff and talking to the media about two events that didn’t actually happen, the storyline would have fallen apart so it’s easy to just go ….oh there are no pics or talk about the details of the wedding because of the NDA clause.

The fact they keep pushing these two with numerous articles yet claim they are so “private” helps with the narrative of …..why don’t we see them often when in reality neither one of them is around the other unless pertaining to his ridiculous stunt.

Many more things have happened to show this is fake but I was just giving examples. I thank marketing anon for providing facts and being logical in their approach because we’re all 💯% on the same page, this is some bullshit they keep trying to sell and one has to wonder if the train will eventually crash or some to a full compete stop and when. 😂

Ooh damn... It does go beyond that...

But that article would be a dream come true... Honestly. Like Jesus, reading that at some point would feel like ASMR videos, or blackhead extraction videos. So damn satisfying. 😆

Don't worry, N🫶nnie. Let's hang in there. Eventually it will. Until then. Let's enjoy the view 😉 and thank Marketing An🫶n. Because she should be given a lot of credit 😅

And we'll get through this. We just need to hold on.

[allthingstonki]

Sniper ghost warrior contracts 2 character customization

#Sniper ghost warrior contracts 2 character customization how to#

Raised by his mother, Mama Cecile, he has a peculiar repertoire of good behavior and fool-hardy disregard for rules. He has a huge call for doing the right thing even if it will harm him in the end. He can and will avenge those people who are innocents and considered naive in his book. However, take one step beyond the limitation line he calls his conscience, then everything is up for grabs. He always have the time for being with the people he loves. Keaton is a blend of the typical anti-hero and the misguided softie. [ w e a k n e s s e s ┄ arrogance sensitivity to harming/killing women or children [ d i s l i k e s ┄ silence dogs being alone [ l i k e s ┄ classical music knives socializing Sharp features coming from his Spanish mother. Stands at 6 feet flat with dark brown hair with blonde highlights. [ Keaton Helter | Kit | 28 | | Male | Pansexual The previous second in command needed to be replaced for reasons unknown to Vixen. She was appointed Supervisor and Second in Command when she turned twenty-five, but she may as well always been in charge as she takes matters in her own hands and deals with them efficiently. Her youth initially was a barrier, but once Vixen took anyone to the mats if they challenged her- she managed to crawl her way up the hierarchy and get personally noticed for her determination, ambition and loyalty. Her character appealed to the Head of Division so they recruited her despite her young age. She worked for the government in a typical agency until she was twenty when she was drafted to the Division. At the age of ten her skills were beyond her years and the only thing holding her back was her lack of strength against larger opponents, but even then when she would compete or fight she would put on a good show.ĭue to her passion of fighting, as soon as she was old enough Vixen entered the field. From jiujutsu to judo she is well versed in all martial arts.

#Sniper ghost warrior contracts 2 character customization how to#

Vixen was taught how to fight practically the moment she could walk. She also likes to fight the recruits that get too arrogant and likes to put them in their place. With her experience she almost always smashes them and humiliates them though. If Vixen has a problem with someone or some has a problem with her- she prefers to fight them head on with no weapons to hide behind. She is not one to beat around the bush and does not sugarcoat anything- even in front of new recruits. Vixen is blunt, and can come across as rude or inconsiderate- but really that is how she talks. She has no qualms about doing work- no matter how violent, and had worked her way up in the world due to the way she can think with her head and not emotions. Vixen is not an open book and does not like her personal background to be known to anyone other than who she tells. [ w e a k n e s s e s ┄ High Expectations of others Lack of empathy Being nice [ s t r e n g t h ┄ Hand to Hand Combat Fluent in French Being Intimidating [ d i s l i k e s ┄ Cowards Defiance Cats [ l i k e s ┄ Fighting Taking Control Chocolate Lean and fit, with a large scar across her abdomen + more smaller scars scattered across her body. Vivienne Gardania | Vixen | 26 | 05.11.93 | Female | Straightīlond wavy long hair with brown eyes. (view spoiler) [ Supervisor and Second in Command

[btsqualityy]

Fools Rush In: Chapter 3

Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Strangers-to-lovers, age gap!AU (reader is 30, Jungkook is 23), Angst, smut, fluff

Summary: You deliver the news to Jungkook and he makes his own decision.

Warnings: None to note.

WC: 2.1K

Two weeks later, you found yourself staring blankly at the large number “25″ that was on the front door of what you had recently found out was Jungkook’s apartment. 

You had come to Seoul to compete in the Korea Open so you decided to try and look Jungkook up. You had Yoongi get in touch with some of the organizers of the French Open in order to get his information and luckily, he lived in an apartment right in the city. 

Even though you had made the decision to keep the baby and raise them alone if you had to, you did feel as though Jungkook deserved to at least know so that he could make his own decision. That’s why you had been standing in front of his door for the better part of 10 minutes, trying to work up the courage to knock on the damn door. 

Just as you raised your hand to knock, the front door flew open, almost making your heart beat out of your chest. 

“Are you the delivery woman?” A tall, broad shoulder man asked and you shook your head as you lowered your hand.

“No. I’m actually looking for Jeon Jungkook,” you replied. 

“Ah, he’s inside,” the man told you. “Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, thank you,” you smiled, waiting until the man had stepped aside before you walked inside and slipped off your sandals. 

“I’m Jin, Jungkook’s roommate,” Jin introduced himself as he shut the front door. 

“I’m Y/N L/N,” you said. 

“Wait, you play tennis right?” 

“Yeah, that’s me,” you nodded.

“I though you looked familiar!” Jin exclaimed, making you laugh. “What are you doing here to see Jungkookie?”

“Uh, I’m just,-”

“Hey hyung, was that the food?” Jungkook asked as he strolled out of his bedroom, walking over to the front door before freezing in his spot when he saw you. “Y/N, hi.”

“Hi,” you smiled, lifting your hand and waving a little. 

“What are you doing here?” He wondered as he paced over to you. 

“I’m sorry for just popping up like this but I needed to talk to you,” you stated seriously as you looked at him and although you could tell from the raising of his brow that he was confused, he turned to look at Jin. 

“Can you give us a second hyung?” Jungkook requested and Jin nodded.

“It was nice meeting you Y/N,” Jin smiled and you nodded to him before he walked away and stepped into another room next to the one that Jungkook had come out of. Once the door closed behind him, Jungkook looked at you again. 

“Do you want to come sit down?” He offered, gesturing to the couch. 

“Sure, thanks,” you murmured as you walked over to the couch, sitting down on the edge and Jungkook sat himself down next to you. 

“So, how have you been?” He wondered. “It’s been like three months since the French Open right?”

“Yeah, and I’ve been ok,” you shrugged. “Just getting ready for the Korea Open.”

“Oh, you’re competing in that?” 

“Yep.”

“You’re gonna kill it,” he smiled and you couldn’t help the way that your cheeks warmed up at the praise.

“Thanks,” you chuckled. “What about you, how have you been?”

“Good, good, can’t complain,” he said. “Just been working a lot but that’s it really.”

“Still doing photography?”

“Yeah, that’s what helps pay my half of the bills,” Jungkook laughed. “I’m sure you didn’t come here just to ask me about photography though.”

“I didn’t,” you giggled awkwardly. “So, do you remember the night of the French Open, when we spent the night together?”

“Don’t I?” He smirked. “I was a little miffed that you left without saying goodbye but I figured that the whole “drunken one night stand” thing wasn’t typical for you.”

“It’s not and I’m sorry for that, by the way,” you apologized. “I kind of panicked when I woke up.”

“I get it, don’t worry about it,” he waved his hand dismissively. “But why are you asking if I remember that night?”

“Well, um, I kind of...maybe....might’ve gotten pregnant that night,” you revealed. 

“Yeah right,” he laughed loudly. “Be serious Y/N.”

“That’s the terrifying thing Jungkook, I am being serious,” you insisted. “I’m pregnant.” The smile slowly slipped off of Jungkook’s face as he realized that you weren’t joking, and you watched as he abruptly stood up from the couch and began to pace the length of the living room. 

“What the fuck?” He muttered. “We used a condom.”

“It had to have broken.”

“You’re a woman that plays sports, wouldn’t you be on birth control?”

“I haven’t been in a committed relationship in two years and I don’t do the whole “one night stand” thing, remember?” You explained. 

“You literally disappeared on me and had me wondering if the whole night that we spent together even fucking happened and then suddenly, you show up and tell me that you’re pregnant,” he huffed, pausing his pacing in order to look at you. “I’m just supposed to accept this?”

“I know it’s a lot to take in and it’s out of nowhere,” you began. “It only takes one time though. So yes, I am pregnant and you’re the father. I thought you deserved to know.”

“So does that mean you’re going to keep it?” He questioned and you nodded your head. 

“Yes, I am.”

“I don’t think I can be a father right now Y/N,” he sighed, resuming his pacing. “I just graduated from university and I’m up to my eyeballs in fucking debt that I only just started paying back and I’m only 23! I can’t be anyone’s father at 23!”

“Look, you don’t have to be involved,” you said and he stopped in his tracks. “I only came here to tell you. I can raise the baby on my own if I have to.”

“And what, I’m left to be the big bad guy who isn’t in his own kid’s life?” 

“Any decision that you make going forward is your own,” you told him. “I didn’t want you to find out somewhere else because I am going to have to go public with my pregnancy eventually, and I didn’t want to keep the baby from you if you did want to be involved. I just wanted to tell you so that you could make an informed decision, that’s all.”

Just then, a door opened and Jin walked back into the living room. 

“Hey Jungkook-ah, Taehyung said that he wants to go out for dinner so I canceled takeout, that ok?” Jin asked and it took Jungkook a few seconds to focus before he looked over at his hyung. 

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Jungkook agreed easily. 

“I should get going,” you suddenly said, getting up from the couch and reaching into your purse, pulling out a card before walking over to Jungkook and handing it to him. “This has my number and the address of where I’m staying for the next few weeks on it. Take all of the time that you need to think things through and then let me know.”

“Alright,” he replied and you gave him a small, closed mouthed smile before walking to the front door and letting yourself out. 

......................................

“Y/N’s pregnant,” Jungkook confessed, two bottles of soju deep into dinner, which caused both Jin’s and Taehyung’s eyes to widen. “And I’m the father.”

“Tennis legend Y/N L/N?” Taehyung asked for confirmation and Jungkook nodded. 

“That one.”

“How the hell did you hook up with her?” Jin laughed. 

“Met her at the French Open, we talked for a little bit, and then went back to my hotel room,” Jungkook replied. “I woke up the next morning and she was gone so I didn’t think much of it. It was just a one night stand, you know?”

“Is that why she showed up and why you’ve had a bottle of soju in your hands since we got here?” Jin wondered and Jungkook nodded again. 

“Yep.”

“Well, are you gonna be involved?” Jin asked. 

“I’m not sure,” he admitted, yelping when Jin reached over and smacked the back of his head.

“What the hell do you mean, you’re not sure?” Jin scoffed. “You can’t just have a child out in the world that you don’t know.”

“Wait hyung, just because Jungkook consented to sex doesn’t mean that he consented to having a baby,” Taehyung pointed out.

“He consented to the possibility of having a baby when he didn’t protect himself and wrap his dick up,” Jin shot back. 

“Actually, I did but it broke,” Jungkook muttered before taking another gulp of soju. “It’s not like I don’t want to be there though. In fact, my first instinct is to call her and tell her that I’ll be there for whatever she needs.”

“What’s stopping you then?” Taehyung questioned. 

“She’s just...she’s one of the biggest athletes in the world and she’s gonna go down in history as one of the greats while I’m just a 23 kid who doesn’t even know where my life is going. She has it all together and she doesn’t really need me. Hell, she might even be better off without me.”

“It’s not about if she needs you or not though, it’s about you being there for your child,” Jin told him. 

“She said that she could raise the baby alone if she had to,” Jungkook mentioned. 

“Just because she can, it doesn’t mean that she should have to,” Jin stated and for some reason, that sentence stuck with Jungkook as he swallowed down the rest of the soju that was in the bottle. 

......................................

A few days after you showed up to his apartment, Jungkook couldn’t get you or the baby out of his mind. He never expected to be in this situation at only 23 years old but the more that he thought about it, he realized that he wasn’t completely...afraid of it like he first thought he was. 

Sure, he somewhat freaked out when you first told him and then went into catatonic shock afterwards but the more that he thought about it, the easier it became for him to warm up to the idea. 

Jungkook always wanted kids and even though the two of you weren’t married and weren’t a traditional couple by any means, he knew that you could be a good mother. You were determined, hardworking, and passionate and those were all qualities that he admired in a person. He figured that if he were going to have an unexpected baby with anyone, then why not it be you? 

He was also a person that believed in fate and destiny. If he managed to get you pregnant despite the two of you using protection and you still chose the keep the baby even before knowing if Jungkook was going to be involved or not, it all had to be a part of some larger plan that neither of you were privy to. 

In the end, that was the thought that he decided to put trust in and that led to him finding the card that you had given him, dialing your number. 

“Hello?” You answered a little breathlessly.

“Y/N, it’s Jungkook,” he said. “Did I call at a bad time?”

“Not at all, I was hitting the ball around with my coach,” you chuckled. “That’s why I’m out of breath.”

“Ah ok,” he nodded. “Well, I just wanted to call you because I’ve been thinking a lot about you and the baby, and I’ve decided that I want to be involved in their life.”

“Really?” You gasped softly.

“Yeah. I mean, I can’t just let you raise them by yourself when you didn’t create them by yourself,” he sighed. 

“I don’t want you to feel forced though, Jungkook,” you explained. “I know that this is a weird situation but I don’t want you to resent me or worse, the baby. I meant it when I said that I can do this own my own if need be.”

“Just because you can do it on your own, doesn’t mean that you should,” Jungkook pointed out, echoing what Jin had told him and you just smiled softly to yourself. “You’re gonna have to be patient with me though, because I don’t have the slightest idea of how this whole parenting thing goes.”

“That makes two of us,” you giggled. “But we’ll figure it out together, ok?”

“Alright,” he agreed.

“I have my first doctor’s appointment in three days, on Thursday and you are welcome to come if you want,” you offered. 

“You haven’t had a doctor’s appointment yet?”

“I couldn’t get one in the States before I had to leave to come here for the Open so I just figured that I’d wait,” you told him. 

“Oh ok. Well, yeah,” he replied. “I’d love to come.”

“Cool. I’ll text you the details, ok?”

“Ok. Bye Y/N,” he said. 

“Bye Jungkook,” you smiled before hanging up the phone. As Jungkook pulled his phone away from his ear, he couldn’t help but to feel oddly at ease about the whole situation. He felt deep down that everything would be ok, and he just hoped that it actually turned out that way as well. 

......................................

Tag List:  @mwitsmejk @hey-youre-appreciated @bettyschwallocksyee @jaiuneamesolitaiire @knowlestaehyung @missseoulite @afangirllikeme-blog @fan-ati--c @d-noona @bang-bang-bangtxn @claricedelune @daydreambrliever @dunixxd @unicornbabylover @paperpurple @addictedtohobi @bbtsficrecs @bts-junseagull @eltrain80

[extremelyblackandwhite]

illicit affairs

pairing: sheriff lee bodecker x younger! reader

warnings: smut (18+), cheating, age gap

a/n: i love perfumes which smell of daisies so i made the reader use something like that. i do imagine her going for a very much female appearance and aura despite her personality and i can see lee fancying that sort of fragile femininity look paired with her independency. this song is based of illicit affairs from taylor swift but i was also listening to all too well at some points so i think some of that passed onto the writing. hope you enjoy xx

> DRESS

Leave the perfume on the self that you picked up just for him so you leave no trace behind like you don’t even exist. Take the words for what they are a dwindling, mercurial high, a drug that only worked the first few hundred times ... And you wanna scream don’t call me “kid”, don’t call me “baby”, look at this idiotic fool that you made me. You taught me a secret language I can't speak with anyone else. And you know damn well for you I would ruin myself a million little times ...

The snow settled onto the ground, a view she could see from her white window. Sprawled against her window pane, the blue soft fabric of her dress cascaded down her body as she watched the snow fall and become one with the mass of white covering the once green grass of her home. Her feet dangled in anticipation, hair cascading into hairdresser set curls, held away from her face with a pearl barrette. Her fingers dangled across her collarbones, feeling the cold matching pearls which unlike her barrette clip, had been offered to her by Lee on thanksgiving. “A pretty girl like you deserves her own pearls” his voice echoed in her mind whenever her feeling felt the smooth irregular circle shapes of the pearls laying against her collarbones. There was nothing more than she wanted than to wear those pearls to the police winter ball, to show up wearing something he had bought for her with what money he gathered from his fickle Captain position, but she couldn’t. Everyone knew what she had, what jewellery she had, it was all valued at the insurance centre downtown and the pearl necklace definitely wasn’t. Her own pearls rested inside her ivory jewellery box along with the ribbon she was wearing around her waist when she first kissed him, and the comb that held her hair in place whenever she met him during windy nights. 

Her grandmother had left before her, leaving with the grocery shop owner as her date for the ball but she had stayed behind. She had told her she’d rather go alone, blaming her loneliness on the fact all the boys her age were either engaged thus going with their wives and the single ones not wanting to do with her. Of course that was further from the truth and as she watched the snow fall, she imagined Lee’s cruiser driving through the snow, stopping in front of her home and knocking on her door to take her. But those were nothing but impossible scenarios created from the deepest part of her psyche. Looking over her shoulder, the clock on her bedside table shone 9PM into bold red letters. She should get going before her grandmother got worried. Her eyes lingered across her beauty parlour to the silver platter with her perfume, the one she’d picked just for him after hearing how much he loved the smell of daisies. She had to leave it, she couldn’t put any perfume on, she couldn’t take her pearls, she doesn’t exist. At least, she as Lee’s lover does not exist for all that everyone could know and nothing hurt more than the sound of her pearls returning to her ivory box. It was were they belonged, away from everyone, hidden, a mysterious sin secret. 

With her white fur wrapped around her arms, she entered her glossy yet dull red car, pulling the hood up despite the weather. She wanted to feel the cold, she wanted that numbness to hide what she had been feeling for the last months. It was all so exhilarating when it began; the summer walks, laying in the middle of the forest in an old towel as he feed her ripe strawberries, escaping from her grandmother’s house at night and meeting him up under the apple tree in light dresses. However, at time wind down, she started to crave the rest of a relationship, the holding of hands. Instead what she got was clandestine meetings in parking lots, behind the bars or in the middle of the forest when no one could see them. She constantly told herself it was going to eventually be her turn, he was gonna leave Jane for her. Yet, she seemed to constantly fall on the same error every mistress before her did, the mistake of forgetting her place. Stopping in front of the old town hall where the ball was being held, she could see the soft lights, hear the laughter and it made her sick. She didn’t want to go in, she didn’t want to see those happy couples but she had too. She had to put up a show, be the little pedestal trouble starter woman she was expected to be and so she would. 

Stepping into the hall, her eyes immediately found Lee in the corner speaking with the Sheriff, arm draped over Jane’s shoulder while the other hand held a clear cup probably with his favourite drink. Her heart sunk to the same place it always did as she got lost in the dance floor. She knew everyone in this town hall, from the first boy she ever kissed Jonah and his third wife Elizabeth to Billy whom had been prom king with her. There was nothing new anymore and what once felt new and true was now anchoring her inside a fishbowl of images of her own mistakes and unfulfilled life needs. 

      - Hey, Y/N. - Billy called out for her attention. She held onto the fur wrapped around her for comfort as she prepared her facade of a happy girl at a happy party. - Your grandma told me you ain’t gotta a partner for tonight. Could’ve told me, I would’ve taken you. 

      - It’s ok, ain’t like I need a man. - she replied, almost angrily although he deserved no anger from her. - What’s the stage for? We’re getting a band tonight?

      - No, the new sheriff candidates announcing themselves tonight. Prepare for the blood bath. 

      - Sounds interesting. - she spoke out, her voice getting mumbled out as the mic’s sound hurt her and everyone else’s ear. The police chief stood there in his best attire, holding a small piece of papers, his fat thumbs hitting the mic to gather everyone’s attention. He already had their attention merely by wearing a cowboy’s hat with a formal suit. 

       - Now folks, we all now how much we gonna miss our good old Sheriff but it’s time to elect a new one. - his southern accent was pronounced, too pronounced, cartoonish even. Y/N remembered laughing as a child when she first heard him speak only to immediately shut up when her grandmother looked her way with a look which left room for no questions. She herself had barely developed an accent, her grandmother still very keen on instilling in her the education she herself had gotten. However, the longer she spent with Lee, the more it would sometimes slip; one or two words, nothing major. - Of course, Leroy is running again.

     - I don’t know why he tries. - Y/N whispered to Billy, concealed laughing smile behind her hand. 

     - You gotta admit it’s a good thing to imagine. Damned Leroy and his prostitutes running the town? We’d be forgotten by God.

     - We’re already forgotten by God. We were banished from the garden of Eden, don’t you remember? - she teased, always enjoying to toy around with the religion Knockemstiff was so hang up on. - We’re probably direct descendants. 

     - You ought to keep that mouth shut if you don’t wanna get in trouble. - he warned yet it went through deaf ears. Y/N liked stirring it, specially when it came to things which were so analytically flawed. 

The regular list of candidates continued to go from officers to common folk who all believed they could make the town better. At least that was all they said they wanted to get some votes but at the end of the day, they just wanted to control the town with an iron fist. Do what they wanted without anyone question it. She couldn’t blame it, humans are hardwired to go crazy for power and let it consume them so she just let it pass. She knew all the candidates, they were always the same. Leroy, Matthew, Edwards ... all the common ones, she even wondered why they kept announcing it. Those three competing for the sheriff position was as certain as the sun coming up each morning. 

      - The last candidate is our cap’tain Bodecker. - her head snapped to the stage as every sound seemed to dim until she was surrounded by pure silence. All she could hear was the buzz from her ears as she watched him climb up the stairs to the stage, shaking the chief’s hands. 

Everything seemed to be stuck in slow motion yet her mind was running faster than a shot bullet. The clapping was slow, everything was silent yet she could see their hands slowly clap and their lips moving in whispers. Her eyes roamed the crowd finding Jane right in front of the stage, looking up at him with adoration at the possible place she could possible hold; the sheriff’s wife. The slow motion ended with a loud crash and suddenly everything seemed just too fast. She ignored Billy’s pleas for her attention and moved straight to the small plastic tables covered in burgundy towels to make it look fancier where all the drinks and food were being held. One of her only friends from high school Mary was the one in charge, happily serving food and drinks to anyone who asked.

     - Hi Y/N. - she always looked like the perfect housewife and that was always what she wanted to be. Beautiful, bountiful blonde hair with a few flowers matching her pink dress. Despite it all, she was always nice to her even with their different life goals. 

     - Hey Mary. How’s Paul? I heard from rumours you two had quite a nice honeymoon. St.Louis, right? 

     - Yes. He booked us a nice honeymoon suite, it had flowers and those heart shaped beds and chocolates. It was real nice, I’m hoping to be pregnant soon. What about you? Your grandmother said you came alone. You could’ve told me, my brother would’ve taken you.

    - That’s alright, Mary. I don’t intend to stay for long ... Uhm, can I have a drink?

    - Of course. Sidecar, as per usual? 

    - I think I’ll just have a double cognac, please. Or maybe some gin ... whatever can make me dizzy the fastest.

    - Everything, okay?

    - Just need to forget some stuff, it’ll be okay. - she forced a smile. At least half that phrase was true. Mary served her up with her best gin and she returned to the dance floor, trying to blend with the rest of the attendees, however her baby blue dress was much too different from anything else in town. 

Y/N thought she’d be best outside where no one could see her and so she left, avoiding Billy who kept asking for her. She leaned against the old wood of the town hall, mascara running down her cheeks, and gin glass on the other one. She looked like the perfect warning tale of why you should not mess her married men. She knew better, she knew so much better but she still did it, like the idiotic little fool she seemed to be. Y/N sighed, the air condensing in the air as she drank from the glass.

     - Pull yourself together, Y/N. - she looked to see side, her grandmother standing outside with the look she used to give her when Y/N embarrassed her as a little girl. - What did you expect?

     - I’m just not having a good day, nana.

     - You’re hanging around with Captain Bodecker that’s what you’re doing.

     - What?

     - Don’t play innocent with me, Y/N. You’re just like your mother and I’ve raised your mother so I’d know. I saw you leave in his car last week. Do you want to defend yourself?

     - Is it even worth it? - she took a sip out of her drink. - What do you want me to say? 

     - I want you to pull yourself together and go inside. You better have this finished off before those elections start. I will not have my granddaughter be a home wrecker.

Y/N ignored it. There was nothing her grandmother could say that hurt more than what she was already feeling. She watched the snow fall from the cover of the banner covering the town hall, cold and icy yet somehow warmer than her. The drink didn’t last forever and although it was much stronger than what she was used to, she didn’t feel the slightest bit dizzy. It was if the universe was punishing her for her choices. She shook her head, leaving the glass onto one of the windows. She’d be better off at home and she’d already made her appearance. If someone asked where she was, she could’ve blamed it on their drunkness. Opening her little clutch, she started fishing for her keys through a sea of change, makeup and receipts. 

    - You better not be thinking of driving after you just drank. - she turned her head to see Lee with his hands on his waist, playfully smiling at her. His smile faded as he noticed the streaks of mascara from her eyes to her jaw. - Did that shithead Billy say something? 

     - No ... Lee, I wanna go home okay. - she sighed. - Can you just pretend you didn’t see me drink?

     - I was hoping we could spend the night together. Rent a hotel room outside town. A real nice place, with a pool and some room service. My treat of course.

     - I ... We can’t, Lee. Your wife is inside as she’s gonna notice you’re not there and you’re not home. 

     - She’s going home early. Jane’s been taking a few sleeping pills. She’s down for the night, won’t even notice. - he took a few steps closer to her, knowing everyone was too drunk to even remember. - I was waiting for you to come greet me, congratulate me. I can’t believe my girl wanted to leave before showing me how pretty she looked. 

     - You didn’t tell me you were running for Sheriff. - he cupped her face, thumb caressing her cheek. - You said it was a silly position.

     - Yeah but ... it’s a Sheriff. I could become Mayor, ya know. The old sheriff thinks I’d be good for it. - he scratched the back of his neck, something he always did whenever he was nervous or was confronted by something he did not expect. Y/N had learned to read him and knew him better than her own favourite books. - C’mon, kid. It’s a night worth celebrating, don’t you think?

     - Don’t call me kid. - she shot her head his way, his word hitting a particular hurt spot which she didn’t realise she had. 

     - Hey, I’m not trying to mock ya. - he rose his hands. - What’s wrong, huh baby? Hm? Tell me sugar, I hate it when you’re upset. Besides, if it was that Billy kid I’ve been wanting to give him a good beating.

    - Don’t call me baby, either. - she sighed, throwing her purse inside the car, before turning to him. - Billy didn’t do anything I’m just ... tired.

    - I’ll drive you home, then.

    - I don’t wanna go home either. - she pushed her hair from her forehead, looking at the ground. The snow engulfed her feet and her shoes, yet it might as well have engulfed her entire being. Lee noticed her lip trembling and how her free hand was trying to stop tears from falling down. He looked behind him, the town hall door shut, before taking his jacket off, draping it over her shoulders, and opening the car door for her. 

 Y/N daren’t look him in the eye, instead sitting in the passenger seat as he pushed the hood of her car up. After all, most people did not enjoy driving in the snow with the hood up. She didn’t know where he was taking her and for all it mattered she didn’t want to know. If he was driving her to her killing location, it sounded much better than having to work out through the bubbling feelings in her tummy. Y/N didn’t even noticed how much she was crying until the tears started streaming so fast they were falling onto the palms of her hands like diamond daggers. She leaned her head against his shoulder, watching the road ahead through the blurry orbs of her own eyes, trying to find some warmth through him. The drive seemed endless and her mind rushed in an even more endless way as she considered all her choices til now. She found it unbearable how not guilty she didn’t feel about it. She could still remember the feeling of the cold water against her body and his lips against hers, being tangled in his bed sheets while he drank a beer, his grunts as he thrusted into her inside his patrol car. She remembered every detail either it being lust or romantic but most importantly she remembered how he looked at her. It was almost as through rose coloured glasses, most of the times agreeing with her pessimist view of the town she was in. Lee looked down on her, watching her perfect hair break through the gelled curls she had set down. He never liked the polished look anyway, he loved to see her walk in her white dresses and freshly washed hair flowing with the wind. This woman sat next to him was gorgeous but he preferred his Y/N, he preferred the woman who would poke fun of casualty and rush into the woods with her nightgown. This woman next to him was pretty yes but she seemed tainted by a sadness he could see yet couldn’t help. He didn’t want his Y/N to be the slightest bit sad. She did not deserve it. She was too pure, too young to be consumed by the loneliness, darkness and sadness that came with being an adult. Yet again, he had to start learning the young woman she was wouldn’t stay young forever. He wanted to know how to help. he wanted to be the man who wakes up next to her on summer mornings and winter evenings but life is not how we plan it out to be.

She watched the snow fall from her window as “You are my sunshine” played on the background from her radio. Looking up to him, his eyes were glued to the road, the sign of leaving Knockemstiff way past them and the hotel on the horizon. She called it the Heartbreak hotel, with its red walls and luxurious nature. A more fancy place for those who wanted to give a better night to their mistresses but that was not why she called it the heartbreak hotel. It was due to the fact she ended up crying every time she or he left. While inside those walls, she could pretend they were Mr. and Mrs. Bodecker, young couple moved out of Knockemstiff on a romantic getaway yet she wasn’t Mrs. Bodecker, Jane was. She had seen who the future sheriff’s wife was and it was not and it would never be her. He stopped the car in the parking lot, looking at her who was lost in thought, leaned against his shoulder.

   - Come on, sugar. What is it? - Lee kissed the top of her head. - The heck happened in that Town Hall?

    - Just being silly, Lee. - she shook her head, faking a smile. - Just don’t like parties one bit.

    - I hate ‘em too, sugar. All show no action. Besides no party is a party without my baby. - he hooked his ring finger under her chin, softly pulling it up. She tried not to look at the moonlight illuminating the silver band around his finger, a symbol he belonged to someone else and she knew it. She had seen the wedding photo on his secretary, a much younger Lee with a much younger Jane with the facade of a happy marriage. Thinking about it always made her sick and ever since seeing that picture she couldn’t bring herself to do so. - Come on, let’s get you a bubble bath, yeah?

She followed him into the hotel almost in a zombie like state until the reception. The talk was a dance she had danced before, it was all the same. Lee would present money in cash so it wouldn’t show up on his credit card statement. He would sign in with a fake address but with his own name and no one would question it. After all, the staff wanted money, they didn’t care if it was an illicit affair or not. To be honest, she didn’t care much anymore.

     - Mrs. Bodecker? Mrs. Bodecker? - the receptionist called out to her but it didn’t even register until she was looking her into the eyes. Mrs. Bodecker, she was definitely not. - Would you like a complementary tea? You look cold.

     - No, it’s okay. - she smiled while Lee grabbed the keys. His hand wrapped itself around hers, leading her over to the elevator.

God, she wanted him. She really did, he thought to himself. It was an unbelievable feeling to have someone who loved him back, someone who always had encouraging words to tell him, someone who would stay after a fight. He thought and imagine what it would’ve been like if she was born earlier, god he would’ve courted her and would’ve married her the second they were out of high school. Sadly, the woman he loved was born 10 years after and he met her when he was married. He led her to the 13th hotel room and closed the door behind them.

     - Things are gonna be different when I’m sheriff. No more sneaking around, no one will dare  say a word. I can move to Brewer Heights, heck, I can buy two houses, one just for you and me.

    - Lee ...

    - Where are your pearls, sugar? You know I love to see you with them, makes you look so pretty.

    - You know I can’t wear them in public, Lee. I am not your ... - she shouldn’t say that, she should not let those words out. - They’re not insured under my name, people would comment about it.

     - You worry too much. - he pushed the fur that covered her arms down, placing a small kiss on her elbow. - My little over-thinker.

     - One of us has too, Captain Bodecker.

     - How about some champagne? - he pointed towards the champagne bottle in the ice bucket by the dresser before walking towards it, raising it so he could inspect the brand. He longed for the finest things in life, no longer wanting to be that middle to low class man he’d been forced to be. Being Sheriff, Mayor someday was going to be really something, it’d be his chance.

    - I’m not 21 yet, Captain.

    - Only a month til you are, kid. - he filled two long crystal flutes, handing it over to them. - By then I should stop calling you kid, huh?

    - You shouldn’t call me kid, now. - she took a sip of the golden liquid, hoping it would take away her jealousy. Lee hummed, leaned over to kiss the crock of her neck, climbing up to her jaw in a move that was sure to leave marks. It was okay for him to leave marks on her, she was unmarried, young but on him? Sometimes she wanted to, sometimes she wanted to mark his pale plump skin as a possession, one that screamed Jane might have the wedding ring but she had the man. Yet, she couldn’t. - You look so handsome tonight.

    - You’re my worse critic. - he smirked, placing his glass on the bedside table before pulling her chin towards him, placing a soft kiss on her plump, painted lips. - God, you can’t even imagine how fucking hard I got when you walked in.

    - Such gentle behaviour. - she teased, fingers lightly tracing the skin of his face. He moaned, leaning in to kiss her again. - I wore it just for you. Blue. I knw you like it.

    - You’re always such a good girl for me. - he started to remove his jacket, pushing on her chest lightly so she laid against the luxurious bed.

The alcohol sure did a better job than her about making her forget what she was doing it. The alcohol and his kiss, his touch on her skin made her forget the clench in her heart when she saw Jane Bodecker clap once they said his name. It made her forget she couldn’t hear perfume around him unless he showered, it made her forget. Both of her moaned through the kiss, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that it was a sin. Maybe that’s why it taste so sweet, the sin, the thrill. None of them cared really and all he wanted to do now was hold her, touch her, look at her.

    - You are so beautiful. - he spoke, more to himself than to her specifically, leaning down on the bed as he spread her legs, taking his place in between them which was so familiar to him. Lee ran his knuckles through the middle of her folds, cold hands making her shiver. - Ev’ry darn day I wake up and I think, I got myself the most beautiful woman in the world.

Her eyes were glued to the ceiling, the white paint of it engulfing her as his hands caressed her thighs. All she could feel were his cold hands massaging the skin of her thighs, spreading them apart and giving him full access to her. His lips attacked her core, always chapped which made her feel so good, it made her know it was him giving her that pleasure. She moaned out loud as he dwelled in like a starved man, her head relaxing against the pillow. There was never any mercy with him, he teased her like he owned her, focusing on her clit while licking her folds. He had her exactly where he wanted her - starving for him.

   - You’re gonna see. - he mumbled out while he relentlessly ate her out. - When I’m sheriff there will be no more hidin’. No one gonna dare say anythin’ about it.

   - Lee, please ... no foreplay. - she whined, begged even as he stopped his motions. His eyes curiously searched for hers, hands pulling his body up as he stood on top of her. - I just want to feel you.

   - Weren’t you feelin’ me, sugar?

   - You know what I mean, Lee. - she wrapped her hands around his neck, head cocked to the side. - I don’t want any foreplay today.

    - Oh sugar ... - he chuckled leaning down to kiss her collarbone. - You’re just a cock slut for me, aren’t ya? Can’t just wait for me to treat ya right ain’t it, baby?

     - Lee, please. - she whined, hands wavering over his police issued chunky belt. Lee smirked, holding her hand before she could do anything. Y/N pouted, head leaning against her shoulder. - C’mon.

   - But baby, you look so pretty when you’re begging. - he returned to kiss her neck, leaving marks which were sure to become hickeys tomorrow but she didn’t care. No one was going to see it. - I was expecting you to come congratulate me in the way you always do, maybe in the back of the town hall. Hoping someone would catch us so they’d see you’re my girl.

    -  Lee ... -  she whined as he kept kissing her neck and collarbones. - Please.

    - Tell me what you want, baby. You know I do everything you want. - he rose from her neck, toothy grin as he leaned down to kiss her plump, pink painted lips. - Tell me you want my big fat cock. I know you do, baby. Tell me how much you need it. 

  - Lee ... please, need you.

  - You have me, baby, tell me what you need. Tell me what you want. - his knuckles ran through the middle of her folds again. - You’re so wet, baby. Just tell me what you want, c’mon

  -  Lee ... please. - she looked at him with those wide eyes that could get someone to commit murder for her, as he pushed down his trousers. - I want you to fuck me with your ... big fat cock, Capitain. 

  - Oh, baby ... - he leaned his forehead against hers as he pushed his cock past her entrance, eyes shut tight  as he tried to keep himself sane at the mere feeling of her walls contracting against him. His lips found hers as he shed himself fully into her. Her hand searched for his, as Lee slowly rolled his hips against hers, basking in the mere high that was being inside of her. - You okay, baby? 

  - Yeah. ... fuck, move. - she whined as he removed himself from her and pushed back in, slowly starting to rock into her as he always did. The little tease. Her hand clenched his as he speed up his thrusts, lips returning to hers in a messy, moaned filled kiss. All she could hear was the sound of skin against skin and interrupted breathing. - Lee, fuck.

  - I know, baby. - he laughed, returning to kiss her the way he liked as her walls started to clench more forcefully against his member, milking him for all he was worth. His free hand grabbed her hip as he further sped up against her, bruising her skin as his breaths got more raggedy. He bite onto her neck as he felt his control over his own orgasm disappear. 

  - Lee, fuck! - she moaned, almost raising off the bed as her own orgasm washed over her. Her head fell against the pillow, sluggish as he continued to thrust into her until ropes and ropes of cum painted her walls. He chuckled mid grunt, holding her against him as he turned around in bed. 

  - You all fucked up, aren’t ya, sugar? - he kissed the top of her head. - You’re gonna see, sugar. Things are gonna be so much better.

  - Right ... - she cuddled against his chest. - Hm ... Lee can you drive me back home early on?

  - Early shift?

  - Yeah.

  - Okay, sugar.

The morning was a harsh breaker of dreamy hazes and just like that she was back to the place where she always was, in her home, surrounded by the scent of the perfume she had bought just for him. She sat on her dress, taking the necklace he had given her from the little mother of pearl seashell shaped box and holding them against her chest. She loved him, she really did. Some people had their downfalls and hers was painted onto her neck and held by her hands. He was her downfall. 

The sun was high up on the snowy midday in Knockemstiff and once again Lee had been resigned to desk duty after the Sheriff not taking it too lightly he decided to run without his permission. Normally he would’ve been upset but he knew, he knew he was close to winning and then he could throw away those stupid hotels and just get her a little house close to him. God, he couldn’t fucking wait.

    - Captain Bodecker, someone here for you. - his secretary knocked on his door. - Mary Gillies, sir. 

    - Mary Gillies? - he knew her to be a friend of Y/N’s, perhaps her only friend other than that punk Billy. - Send her in.

    - Good afternoon, captain. - she said as she walked into his office. - I’m so sorry to be bothering but Y/N ...

    - Is she alright? - he interrupted her.

    - Yes, well ...  - she rummaged through her bag to find a cushioned envelope with his name on it. - She told me to give you this.

   - What is it?

   - I don’t know, captain. I must get going, my husband is waiting for me.

   - Of course. Thank you, Mrs. Gillies.

He waited for the woman to be out of his office and for the door to be shut for him to open the envelope. The minute he opened the envelope, pearls fell into his desk, the same pearls he had given Y/N followed by a small note in the dusty pink stationary that normally laid on her dresser. Turning it around, he saw the words he’d been dreading to read or hear ever since he met her. I’m sorry, Lee. He threw the letter on his desk before getting up from his desk as fast as he could, ignoring the calls from his colleagues as he got into his cruiser. Damned, Brewer Heights, why couldn’t it be closer?

He approached her home fast and closed the door as fastly as he ran up to the door. Her hag of a grandmother was possibly at church and he had learned where they kept the spare key; behind a violet pot. His heart was beating as fast as a deer on a hunt as he climbed up the stairs and found the once filled room was empty, with only a perfume bottle on her empty dresser. He observed the whole room as if he were in a nightmare, sitting on her bed as he clenched the pearls he had given her not so long ago, the smell of daisies in the air as some song played on the still turned on radio.

You never know dear how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away ...

taglist: @lookiamtrying​ 

[joonie-beanie]

Present | Diluc x Reader

Word Count: 6,692

Pairing: Diluc x GN Reader (Traveler)

Preview: After realizing that Diluc never gives himself a chance to relax and enjoy the many festivals of Mondstadt, you and Kaeya come up with a plan to create a festival specifically for Diluc. One that he won't have a choice but to enjoy.

"I want this all to work, because more than anything, I want to see the look on that bastard’s face when he realizes we’ve created an event so perfect that he’ll have no reason not to relax. He’ll be pissed.”

In which Kaeya is a little shit, Diluc doesn't know what's coming, and you're a bit of a (love-stricken) fool.

Mondstadt, as the city of freedom, has no shortage of festivals.

Each year, there’s at least half a dozen festivals—well, official ones, at least. Sometimes Good Hunter or Angel’s Share just happen to be doing a special of sorts—you know, a new wine tasting, a limited-time seasonal recipe, and all of the sudden the entirety of Mondstadt is out enjoying themselves and creating a festival of their own.

During the first leg of your journey, when you’d crusaded with the Knights in order to stop Dvalin, you’d experienced your fair share of the city’s festivities. On a handful of occasions, you’d ended up nursing a glass of Dandelion wine—watching as Mondstadt’s residents mingled in the bars, and seeped out into the music filled streets.

Venti had a habit of putting on a show, his cheeks flushed pink as his melody entranced his audience. Jean tended to immerse herself in her work, but Lisa and Amber always managed to drag her away—the trio getting a bite to eat, and a bottle to share. And Kaeya…well, Kaeya could typically be found in Cat’s Tail—flirting his way through the evening with no shortage of confidence. And if he ever felt like being a bit more mischievous, he’d head over to Angel’s Share and see if he could rile Diluc’s feathers.

Speaking of…the red-headed winery owner never quite seemed to enjoy the liveliness of Mondstadt. No matter how much his workers tried to relieve him of his place behind the bar, he never opted to indulge himself. On occasion, he would leave Charles to run things by himself—quietly slipping out the back door and returning no more than 15 minutes later, not a hair out of place.

It wasn’t until after you’d figured out exactly who the Darknight Hero was that you realized what exactly it was he was doing in those short reprieves of his.

“You know,” you say, the evening of your last festival in Mondstadt. Diluc is making his way back in from the side gate—the masks of defeated Hilichurls left in the grass behind him. “You deserve a break.”

“The Knights use the city’s festivities as an excuse to get drunk and shirk their duties,” he responds, crimson gaze turning to you. “If I don’t keep an eye out, Mondstadt will be left undefended.”

“But that’s not fair to you!” Paimon argues over your shoulder, peeved on his behalf. “Even Master Diluc deserves some downtime!”

“I feel better when I’m doing something—slacking off doesn’t suit me.”

“It’s not slacking off it's relaxing,” you argue, scooting from your spot atop the short concrete wall and following after him once he makes his way up the stairs. “Everyone deserves to relax, especially you, Diluc.”

He sighs at your persistence, B-lining for the back door to the bar.

“You don’t need to worry about me, Y/N.”

“I don’t need to, but I am.”

He pauses in his stride, turning to look at you. Confusion creases his brow, as if he’s not used to anyone outside of his staff genuinely worrying for his well being.

He stares at you for a few seconds, his gaze flitting to the slight pout of your lips. Unfortunately, a little pout isn’t enough to break him.

“Please don’t worry, I promise I’m fine,” he says, his features softening. He doesn’t smile, but the look in his eye is enough to have your heart skipping a beat. Luckily, if your cheeks flush, it can easily be passed off as a side effect of the glass of alcohol you’d already downed.

Without waiting for a response, Diluc then strides forward and returns to the bar. You’re left alone in the street, staring after him--at least, until someone else saddles up beside you.

“I came looking for our dear old friend Diluc since I noticed he was gone, and here I find him out here with you,” Kaeya’s teasing voice reaches your ear. You glance over your shoulder at him, rolling your eyes when he cocks an insinuating brow.

“15 minutes is long enough for a quickie, no?”

“Oh hush,” you say, slapping the front of your hand against his chest. He chuckles.

“Hey, don’t tell me you would be opposed.”

You decide not to respond to that, opting to change the topic, and while Kaeya certainly notices, he chooses not to push it.

“You know,” you start. “Diluc never participates in these festivals because he knows the Knight’s are out enjoying themselves.”

“Ah, and by that you mean “Diluc hates the fact that the Knights are taking a break, and is busy masquerading as the Darknight Hero to protect the city instead, since he thinks we’re incompetent”.”

You wince at his wording. “Well…I wouldn’t put it like that.”

“But he would,” Kaeya scoffs. He eyes the drink in his hand, swirling the contents at the bottom of the glass. Silence stretches for a moment.

“You’re worried about him.”

“I think he just deserves to…I don’t know…enjoy himself??”

A grin stretches at Kaeya’s lips. “Well, if you show up in his bedroom wearing a cute little lingerie set I’m sure he’d—”

“Paimon, look! There’s Venti!” you hurriedly interrupt him, pointing at the intoxicated bard that has come into view just up the road. “Didn’t you say he owes you a meal at Good Hunter?!”

Luckily, the distraction works. Paimon gasps, realizing you’re right, and floats away from your side.

“Hey! Good for nothing bard! Time to pay up!”

You breathe a sigh of relief before turning a narrowed gaze on Kaeya. He holds his hands up innocently.

“Whoops~”

“You have no self-control,” you tell him with a huff, attempting to brush past him and head back into the bar. The cryo-user catches your wrist, however, before you can get too far. With little trouble, he tugs you backwards—your bottom bumping into a wooden table set out behind you, and you reach back to steady yourself. Kaeya places his hands on either side of you, effectively caging you in.

He smiles cheekily.

“If I had no self-control, you’d be flung over my shoulder as I carried you back to your lodgings.”

You cock an eyebrow at him. “Then what’s stopping you?”

The question isn’t teasing, but curious. This is far from the first time Kaeya has entered your personal space, or made naughty insinuations while around you. In fact, once before he had thrown you over his shoulder and attempted to escape, only to be stopped by Jean along the way.

This time, however, despite his bold words, he’s not moving to follow-through.

You hold his gaze, waiting for an answer, and he sighs.

Hanging his head, his soft hair brushes against the skin of your neck as he rests his forehead on your shoulder.

“Because…I think you’re right.”

“…what?”

“I think you’re right,” he repeats, finally taking a step back and giving you some space. There’s a disgruntled yet bashful look on his face.

“I think…maybe…Diluc should relax for a day. Even just an evening, really. I mean, after all, if he doesn’t relax every now and then he’ll age horribly.”

You breathe a laugh at that.

Pushing yourself up, you eye the Knight considerately.

“…you really do care about him, don’t you?”

Kaeya shoots you a look—one that obviously screams “don’t you dare say a word more”—and luckily for him, you don’t. At least, not about his secret concern for Diluc.

“So, if we want to get him to relax for once, how do we do it?”

Kaeya pauses, considering how exactly the two of you can take on this nearly-impossible task. It will be no easy feat to get Diluc to relax, even if only for a few hours. He doesn’t trust a majority of the Knights of Favonius, if any, so even if Kaeya recruited other Knights to guard the city during the next festival, he doubts Diluc would simply accept the increased defense in Mondstadt and relax.

No…of course it wouldn’t be that easy.

“The city is too big,” Kaeya says, making his thoughts known. “Even if the Knights didn’t take a break during the next festival, and chose to patrol instead, I don’t think Diluc would see them as competent enough to actually prevent an attack. He’d assume they’re pouting about being on guard while the rest of the city is having fun, which…wouldn’t exactly be wrong, I’m afraid to admit.”

“Then…why not have a festival in a smaller area?” you suggest. “Maybe the area around the cathedral, or—”

“The winery…”

There’s a look of surprise on Kaeya’s face, like he’s taken aback by his own brilliant idea. But, the more you think about it, the winery would be a perfect place. The area to survey isn’t nearly as large as the entire city, and the winery is already bustling with staff that could help out with the preparations.

“That…yeah, that would definitely work,” you agree, feeling excited that this plan might actually be successful. But…then you remember your sibling, and the fact that you’re leaving for Liyue in the upcoming days, and your cheery demeanor quickly melts away. Kaeya, even while buzzed, is quick to notice.

“Leave all the preparation to me,” he says. “I can ask Jean, and Venti…maybe even Amber to help out too. I want this all to work, because more than anything, I want to see the look on that bastard’s face when he realizes we’ve created an event so perfect that he’ll have no reason not to relax. He’ll be pissed.”

You laugh at that. “Okay, I feel bad leaving you to do everything, but…I trust you, if only because I know your need to see him pissed off is genuine.”

“Perfect,” he says. “You just need to meet me at the Winery at noon exactly 30 days from now.”

“30 days from now?” you blink, head tilting to the side. “Why--?”

“April 30th,” he responds, not bothering to explain when you don’t register the significance of the date. “You’ll see. Just be there.”

“Got it,” you nod. “April 30th.”

Kaeya hums, pleased that you won’t be forgetting anytime soon, and then leans in. Before you can register the movement—too busy thinking about your and Kaeya’s newly formed scheme—you feel a pair of lips press against your cheek.

Kaeya smiles as he inches back.

“Now, be safe in Liyue, alright?”

As annoying and flirtatious as Kaeya can be at times, you sense a sincerity in his words and his actions.

“I will,” you promise softly, and with that, Kaeya turns and disappears back into the city. Two days later you leave Mondstadt behind as you make your way to Liyue, and never once do you forget to count down the days each time the sun sets.

Exactly 30 days after your conversation with Kaeya, you wake up in a bed at the Wanshu Inn. The sun is just starting to peek over the horizon, and you feel the most rested you’ve felt in the last month of traversing all over Liyue. You assume it’s thanks to being able to sleep in a real bed—not a sleeping bag, in a tent, with one eye open in case any monsters come your way.

No, after accepting a commission for the Inn, they’d offered you mora as a reward, and immediately you’d turned around and given it right back.

“Can I…have a room for the night, instead?”

Thankfully, they’d been more than happy to oblige.

“Today’s the day!” Paimon exclaims as the two of you make your way out of Wanshu, and up the road to the North. “We get to see all our friends from Mondstadt! Aren’t you excited??”

“Of course I am!” you respond with a quiet laugh, eyes trailed on the path ahead. It will be a few hours walk to make it to the winery, but you should make it there by noon no problem.

“I’m just…a little worried. I hope Kaeya’s planning went alright…”

“Oh, don’t start worrying about silly stuff!” Paimon scolds you. “We’ll be there soon, so don’t start thinking bad things! Just trust Kaeya, okay?”

You look at her curiously.

“…do you trust Kaeya?”

Paimon stares blankly. Then, she speeds up the path, arm outstretched.

“Okay! Let’s get a move on!”

You make it through the mountain pass between Mondstadt and Liyue just as the sun hits its highest point in the warm spring sky. Across the lake, you can spot the Dawn Winery and a smile tugs at your lips.

While you’re learning to love Liyue, Mondstadt and its people had been the first to come into your life. For that reason, the familiar sights and sounds have you feeling just a bit more at ease.

“Look! There’s Kaeya!”

Paimon points up the path, and you spot Kaeya’s blue hair in the distance. There are other figures bustling around him, and judging by their outfits, you can only assume they’re employees of Dawn Winery.

Seems like Kaeya did manage to get Diluc’s people in on the surprise.

“Kaeyaaaaa~” Paimon cries as she floats on ahead, catching the Knights’ attention. He smiles charmingly at spotting you both.

“My favorite mysterious traveler and Paimon! Welcome back to Mondstadt.”

“Good to be back,” you respond with a smile as you make your way up the small set of steps. Your gaze sweeps across the winery, and you note the tables that have been set out on one end of the patio. On the other is a small wooden stage, and on either side of the entrance are long banquet tables.

“I see you actually planned something. I’m impressed.”

Kaeya looks seriously offended at the comment.

“What? You thought I would forget? Do you really think that little of me?” he sighs dramatically, but smiles when you roll your eyes and smack his arm.

“Well, you did good, Captain Kaeya, I have to admit.”

“Thank you,” he responds, turning to survey the progress of the winery workers. It’d taken up a chunk of his free time—getting this all planned—but hopefully the look of disbelief on Diluc’s face will make it all worthwhile.

“So,” you say, breaking the silence. “What is the plan?”

“Well,” Kaeya starts. He crosses his arms, looking up to the sun in the sky. “Master Diluc is away on a trip to Starfell Lake to meet with a potential vendor for the winery. He should be back at…eh…I’d say 3, normally, but my guess is he’ll make some pit stops on the road home to take care of some rouge slimes and hilichurls, so let’s go with 4.”

You breathe a laugh, realizing he’s right. “Okay, fair. So until then it’s just preparation here, I’m guessing. What are we doing about defending the city?”

“Jean asked Lisa to lead a training exercise with the rest of the Knights. An all-night patrol of both the outside and inside of the city walls—a “test” of their will-power.”

“So…trying not to fall asleep on the job?”

Kaeya smiles. “Maybe.”

“Well, so long as the city is being protected, I can’t say anything. Hopefully that will be enough to reassure Diluc.”

“If it’s not, we can just force-feed him a few glasses of wine.”

Speaking of, you watch as two of the winery workers roll out a HUGE barrel of wine. Apparently, there are no holds barred when it comes to throwing an event for their master…

“We’re also using protection for the winery,” Kaeya pipes up, turning to stare to the North. “Amber managed to talk to that wolf boy, Razor, and he agreed to keep an eye out across Wolvendom. Amber volunteered herself to keep tabs on the area between here and Springville, so I don’t think the Abyss Order will get away with trying anything tonight.”

You nod, surprised at the lengths Kaeya had gone to make this a perfect chance for Diluc to relax.

“…god he’s gonna hate us for this,” you sigh, holding your face in your hands. You care about Diluc so much it’s insane, and the only thing you want for him is to take a little break, but man he is gonna be pissed.

“There there,” Kaeya says, patting your back. “No sense worrying now—everything is already in motion. For now, why don’t you see if you can help the preparations in some way? Everything needs to be perfect for Master Diluc, after all.”

You shoot him a disgruntled look. “Ugh, it’s so weird when you call him that. Stop it.”

“I think he gets off on it,” Kaeya responds, an amused glint in his eyes. “Maybe you should try calling him that when the two of you are alone—see if it makes him blush.”

“I’ll hurt you,” you deadpan.

“Maybe I get off on that.”

Wow, he doesn’t miss a beat.

Snorting a laugh, you turn away from him and move to help the winery staff. In just a few hours, you’ll see Diluc for the first time in too long (although you won’t admit that to anyone), and you want to do what you can to make this evening great for him.

Everything goes swimmingly until Jean arrives just before 4pm—jogging up to you and Kaeya with a perplexed look on her face.

“I know how important it is for there to be guards in order to get Master Diluc to relax, but a large number of slimes were spotted near Windrise, and with the Knights of Favonius doing their training exercise tonight in the city, I had no one available to send except Amber,” she explains with a sigh, rubbing her fingers against her forehead.

Worry knots in your throat, eyes scanning the crowd of people that have already gathered. Many of the guests are employees of the winery and patrons of Angel Share that Diluc gets along with. Only a handful of the people present have Visions, but asking any of them to give up being a part of the fun to go and stand watch in the nearby hills sounds like a terrible thing to do.

“Well--,” Kaeya interrupts your thoughts, rolling one of his shoulders. “Guess I’ll have to take over. My dear friend doesn’t seem to enjoy seeing my face around here anyway, so I might as well—”

“No,” you interrupt him. “I’ll play guard.”

Both Kaeya and Jean pause.

“Y/N…,” Jean starts, looking torn. “You traveled all this way. Out of anyone here, you should get to stay and enjoy the festivities…”

“No, it’s okay—Diluc doesn’t even know I’m here, right? I can watch for enemies. You both stay here and enjoy yourselves.”

Paimon looks heartbroken. “Well…if you insist, but won’t you miss seeing Master Diluc?”

You smile at her, attempting to be reassuring. The idea of coming all this way and not getting to mingle with your friends certainly does make your heart ache, but the entire point of this event is to let Diluc relax, and have fun. So, long as he does, you’ll be happy.

“He’ll be here soon,” you respond. Jean and Kaeya notice how you avoid answering the question—instead taking a step back and looking towards the northeast. “I should get going.”

You run off without waiting for the others to comment. Paimon scurries after you, shouting something about how she’ll keep you company instead.

“Idiot,” Kaeya sighs as Jean shakes her head.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late!” Venti says, coming up behind them. He’s got a bottle of wine tucked under his arm and a bright smile on his face. His eyes scan the nearby area, and when he spots that someone is missing, he frowns.

“Wasn’t Y/N supposed to be here?”

You’ve just arrived at the Statue of The Seven when you hear a chorus of cheers from the Winery. Turning, you watch over the treetops as the intimately sized crowd raises their glasses—sharing a toast before the merry music begins—rolling over the hills.

“I guess Diluc just arrived,” Paimon surmises, face drawn into a pout. You can tell that she wants to be down there, joining in on all the fun, and you can’t say you don’t share the sentiment.

“Looks like he took the long way around,” you say, turning away from the winery, and seating yourself at the base of the statue. “Otherwise, we would have passed him on the way here.”

Paimon frowns at you, floating down to look you in the eyes.

“Why does it seem like you’re trying to avoid Master Diluc?”

“I’m not,” you respond with a huff. “It’s just easier this way.”

Paimon doesn’t buy it.

“You know, Kaeya offered to keep guard. I’m sure Master Diluc would prefer to have you at the festival, rather than him.”

“Even if they act like brats towards one another, they’re still…frienemies,” you say, for lack of a better term. Silently, you attempt to block out the jovial noises behind you. You don’t want to be focused on something that you’re missing out on.

Paimon pouts even harder at your argument, looking like she’ll start stomping her foot midair, but she keeps her mouth shut for now. Even if you won’t say it, she knows you’re sacrificing your own wants at the moment, and bickering with you won’t do anything to help.

So, instead she flies down and sits herself snuggly in your lap—determined to make you feel better.

“I feel like any Hilichurls in Mondstadt already know not to mess with you,” she says, changing the subject. “Do you think any will show up?”

You breathe a laugh.

“I hope not. But they are quite dumb.”

Diluc has to admit…he was not expecting to come back to the winery to find that a makeshift festival had been staged at his very own home.

And on his birthday, no less.

“Surprise!”

“Welcome home!”

“Happy birthday!”

An array of familiar faces greet him as he steps into view—caught on the path between the rows of grapes. Understandably, he’s speechless. He typically is aware of the happenings of his staff, and if an event had planned in Mondstadt, surely he’d have gotten word, but…here he is, and here they are, and at the front of the pack is a certain Cryo-wielding Knight, grinning ear to ear.

Of course he had something to do with this.

“To Diluc!” Kaeya cheers, holding up his mug.

“To Diluc!” the rest of the guests’ chorus, and as if on cue, the music starts.

Diluc, perplexed, remains where he is. At least, until Jean and Venti make their way to him.

“I hope you don’t hate the surprise,” Jean speaks, offering him a glass of wine. “We just…wanted you to be able to relax for once. We know how busy you always are, and I also wanted to thank you for your help with Dvalin.”

“We?” Diluc echoes, taking the glass from her. He stares at it for a moment, hesitating, but then he remembers that Kaeya is here, and he takes a long swig.

“Yep! Me, Jean, Kaeya, Y/N--,” Venti doesn’t notice the way Diluc’s eyes light up with interest at the sound of your name. “—and even the people who frequent Angel’s Share, or work at Dawn Winery! We all thought it would be nice to hold something like this for you! And hey—no better time than your birthday.”

Diluc is silent for a moment, his scarlet eyes scanning over the crowd.

“Well,” he finally responds, apparently not having found what he’d been looking for. “If anything, I’m surprised. I should have suspected something was happening when I noticed the Knights patrolling the city in full force on my way back…”

Jean laughs—reaching out and giving his arm a friendly pat.

“Just try to enjoy yourself, alright? For one night.”

Diluc sighs heavily, but he can’t ignore the efforts everyone had put into throwing this mini-festival for him. Doing so would make him just as bad as anyone in the Abyss Order.

“Fine.”

Venti beams a smile, reaching out and snagging his wrist. Diluc’s eyes widen in shock.

“Good! Now let’s get you some food, and some more alcohol!”

For what it’s worth, Kaeya really does try to lay off the teasing. It’s Diluc’s birthday, after all. He can manage to be civil for a few hours, right? Right.

So, the cavalry captain keeps his distance—enjoys his alcohol and female companions at least 20ft away from Diluc. He dances along with the music, cracks jokes with the crowd, and flirts his way into more than a few women’s hearts. (And maybe even a man or two).

However, even while doing so, Kaeya quietly keeps tabs on the birthday boy. He is far from blind to the way Diluc’s gaze searches the grounds every so often, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone he’s sure not to find.

And yet, that doesn’t stop him from doing so time after time. Poor bastard.

Sighing, Kaeya stares past the winery, into the northeastern hills. He can see the light from the Anemo Statue beaming into the sky. A silent beacon of where to find you.

“You know,” Kaeya says, saddling up next to Diluc. He has decided to break his imaginary 20ft rule for the first time tonight—leaning back against the winery wall. Diluc is standing in front of him, eating a skewer, and blatantly avoiding making eye contact.

“It was Y/N’s idea—all of this. They wanted you to be able to relax for once.”

The redhead pauses for a millisecond at the mention of your name, before he quickly resumes chewing. Kaeya takes the opportunity to continue talking.

“I decided to help out, considering they were leaving for Liyue. Oh, and also because I wanted to see the look on your face.”

At that, Diluc shoots him a glare.

“Are you pleased with yourself?”

“Very,” Kaeya grins, swirling the wine in his glass. “You’re on your third drink, you’ve had two plates of food, and I’ve seen you smile nearly half a dozen times—which I’m pretty sure is a daily record.”

Diluc glares harder. Kaeya smiles wider.

“You’re enjoying yourself and hate me for it. This is the perfect outcome.”

Rolling his eyes, Diluc tosses the empty wooden skewer into a nearby trash bin and turns away. Kaeya is less than a step behind him—following Diluc as he makes his way to the edge of the crowd. As the two distance themselves from the heart of the festivities, Kaeya can spot the serenity swirling in the winery master’s colorful orbs. However, beneath it all, he sees a twinge of disappointment.

Once again, he finds his attention turning to nearby Anemo Statue.

Silence stretches. Then—

“I got you a present.”

Diluc cocks an eyebrow.

“I hope it’s not another vase.”

“No, that beauty is one of a kind,” Kaeya responds with a snort. “The issue is, my present…is playing hard to get. If you want to be able to unwrap it, you need to go to the Statue of The Seven.”

Now, Diluc just looks confused.

“You…left your present at the statue?”

“Actually, I think it’s hiding there.”

Worry etches into Diluc’s handsome face. Kaeya rolls his eyes.

“Why not go and see, Master Diluc? No harm in a little walk to get some fresh air, right?”

Diluc doesn’t grace him with a response. Instead, he stares at the blue-haired Knight with genuine concern. At least, until a small figure floats down the hillside and into view.

“Is that--?”

“Paimon!” Kaeya greets, not showing the least bit of surprise. “Wh—”

“Can’t talk! Gotta find a bathroom!” she yells, floating right past the two and towards the front door of the manner. Diluc stares after her, wondering if his eyes are playing tricks on him. However, when his gaze shifts to Kaeya, and he finds the Knight sipping on his wine, all while shooting him a teasing side-eye, Diluc knows what’s waiting for him at the statue.

“How long were you planning to hide from me up here?”

The sound of Diluc’s voice sends a shiver straight up your spine. Your entire body freezes, head stiffly turning to look at the man who now stands only a few feet behind you.

“I…I wasn’t hiding,” you say, jumping to your feet. You attempt to avoid his gaze, but his crimson orbs pull you in—refusing to let you look away.

Heat rises on your cheeks.

“I just…Amber was supposed to guard this area, but something came up, and I decided that since you didn’t know I was back, it wouldn’t be a loss, you know?”

Diluc’s brows furrow at your comment, but he says nothing. You cough, hoping to ease some of the tension.

“…how did you know I was up here, anyway?”

“Paimon floated down the hill from this direction,” he responds. He finally breaks eye contact, glancing up at the stars overhead. “Also, Kaeya told me that he’d left me a birthday present by the statue.”

For a moment, the cogs in your brain grind to a halt. A…what?

“It’s your birthday?!”

Diluc’s eyes widen innocently at your outburst. He looks confused, but judging by the way you’re quickly flushing red and looking bewildered, he can only assume you truly had no idea that today was his birthday.

“…you planned this event and didn’t even know the significance of the day?”

“Kaeya picked the day!” you respond, groaning into your hands. If you had known it was his birthday, you at least would have gotten a present for him! Something nice from Liyue! “I just wanted to have a festival where you could actually relax, and not be playing the hero to make up for the Knights slack! Ahhhh~”

You crouch down, holding your head between your hands. Dammit, if only you had known!

“I’m so sorry,” you finally say after a moment. “I didn’t know. I don’t have a present for you.”

If you weren’t freaking out, maybe you would have noticed the breath of laughter behind you, or the sound of footsteps making their way towards you through the thick grass. It’s not until Diluc crouches down in front of you and tucks a stray strand of hair behind your ear that you notice just how close he’s gotten.

“You’re present enough,” he says quietly, sincerely. His eyes are fond, his lips turned up into a soft smile, and for the first time in 30 days, you feel your heart skip a beat.

His fingers skim behind your ear—lingering longer than they need to—and you lift your hand—placing it atop his own and trapping it there.

“I missed you,” you admit, unable to look at him. “I didn’t want to hide myself away up here, but I thought it would be the best thing to do. I just wanted you to have a good time.”

“I am,” he reassures you, his gloved fingers curling around your own, and giving them a squeeze. He presses back to his full height, tugging you to your feet along with him. And when he releases your hand, you immediately find yourself missing his warmth.

“It just would have been nice to know that you were here. I could have snuck away sooner to come and visit.”

“Your friends are all down there.”

“But you’re here,” he immediately reminds you, the tips of his ears turning red. “And you also matter.”

The “to me” is left unspoken, but is certainly implied.

You chew the inside of your cheek. His admission—while it certainly causes your heart to race—has you feeling a bit worried.

“…are you drunk?”

The glare Diluc sends your way is telling enough, and you quickly try to backpedal.

“It—It’s just!” you spring forward, placing yourself in front of him just as he turns to leave. Your palms reach forward to press against his hard chest, effectively keeping him from going another step.

“I’m not used to…feelings…from you,” you admit, your thoughts coming out in a jumble. You don’t want him to go anywhere. He can’t just say something like that and then walk away. Doesn’t he know what he’s doing to your poor little heart??

“Of course, I’m not saying I don’t enjoy you opening up to me. I definitely do. I want you to be able to talk to me, and trust me. It was just…unexpected, okay?”

Your fingers curl into his black coat. Your eyes trace the checked pattern of his shirt.

“I…I like that I matter to you.”

You finally find the courage to look up at him, and damn, he’s so beautiful. You’re not even sure when it was that you fell for him. Perhaps it was when he faced the Abyss Order head-on at Mondstadt’s gate without anyone knowing, or when he followed you into Dvalin’s layer and fought alongside you for the first time. Really, you have no idea, but the fact of the matter is: you have feelings for him—feelings that you’ve been attempting to ignore.

“I…like you,” you admit, no more than a whisper.

On a quest for your lost sibling, you shouldn’t have time for inklings of love. Or, at least, that’s what you tell yourself. It feels selfish—falling for Diluc, of all people, because charming as he is, he’s also stubborn, and closed-off.

You know this, and yet, you can’t stop yourself from yearning.

Unfortunately, you’re not sure he feels the same wa—

“Mmph—"

Diluc’s lips on yours is what manages to stop your worrying.

He wraps an arm around your waist, holding you close as his free hand cups your cheek. While at first you go stiff with shock, you quickly melt into him. He tastes like sweet wine, and smells like firewood, and gosh, he’s oh-so-warm.

“Mm,” you can’t help the appreciative groan, pressing yourself closer to him in a bid to soak up all the heat you can. Since the sun had set, the chilling air had soaked into your skin, and while you hadn’t realized it before, you certainly notice it now.

As your lips connect—once, twice, and again—a part of Diluc’s brain acknowledges that he should grace you with a response. That he should tell you how he feels. But…he’s not exactly good at that, and actions speak louder than words, right?

So, he tilts your head up—deepens the kiss. His brows furrow as he soaks up any sounds that escape you, internally conflicted by his actions. He’s not used to doing this--feeling this way. He never intended to feel anything for you—to feel sad when you left, and excited when you returned, but…here he is, and Barbatos be damned if he was going to let you slip away now.

“Diluc,” you pant, cheeks flushed as you manage to nudge the man away. As much as you enjoy his kisses, you need air.

“Sorry…,” he says, looking bashful. His cheeks are rosy, and his eyes nervous. He had acted on pure desire, without considering your feelings, or how his actions might be perceived.

“This isn’t like me,” he continues after a moment with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

Diluc attempts to take a step back, but your grip on his jacket holds him steady.

“No, don’t be sorry,” you say. You give him a gentle tug—drawing him into you once again. Your eyes fall to his lips. “Just…shut up, and kiss me again.”

Diluc can see the desire in your eyes, and he’s not used to such an emotion being directed his way. Sure, he’s aware that a few select citizen’s perhaps have affections for him, but this is the first time anything has felt…mutual.

It’s terrifying.

Leaning in, he captures your lips once more—not hesitating to slot your mouths together and deepen the kiss. And when you make a contented sound, your fingers tracing up his chest and moving to wrap around his neck, Diluc immediately forgets about his inner conflict.

Right now, he refuses to waste the time he has with you. He can overthink his emotions later.

Wanting to be closer—to feel more of you—Diluc briefly breaks the kiss. He leans down, wrapping his arms beneath your thighs, and hefts you upwards. You make a sound of surprise, more heat rising on your face as you feel your back rest against the Anemo statue.

“This really isn’t like you,” you say, your palms moving to cup his face. Your thumbs brush over his cheeks, and you silently carve this version of him into your mind. His hair tousled and cheeks red—his body flush against yours. This is a Diluc you never want to forget.

“Shall I stop?” he asks, voice quiet. You immediately shake your head, drawing him into another kiss.

“No…it’s just a side of you I’m discovering for the first time. I don’t dislike it at all.”

You feel him smile against your lips.

“Good.”

Things begin to blur after that. The two of you forget about the festival being held in Diluc’s honor just a short way down the hill. You don’t consider that people are likely looking for the master of the winery—wondering exactly where he’d gone off to. No, the only thing the two of you think about is the feel of each other’s bodies pressed together, and the heated kisses you exchange.

Quiet gasps and moans begin to fill the area around the statue—your hands wandering against Diluc’s torso, and his lips moving to trail kisses against the sensitive skin of your throat. It’s very possible that things would have continued to get even more intimate…had someone not interrupted.

“I see you like my present.”

You can almost tangibly feel Diluc’s annoyance.

“I’ll kill you.”

Kaeya chooses to ignore that.

“It’s been over half an hour. People are starting to get worried about the birthday boy.”

“Let them worry.”

“No, hey, c’mon,” you say, brushing his hair away from his eyes and catching his attention. You smile sweetly, nodding your head towards his residence. “You should get back. This whole event is for you, after all.”

With a sigh, he loosens his grip on you—his hands moving to hold your waist as your feet touch the ground for the first time in minutes.

“Fine, but only if you come too.”

You frown. “But…the whole point of me being out here is to keep guard so you can rela—”

“I won’t be able to relax knowing you’re out here,” he argues, and the look on his face tells you he won’t be taking “no” for an answer.

“Okay, okay, fine—guess I have no choice,” Kaeya breaks the tension, sighing somewhat dramatically. For the first time, you note that there’s a bottle of dandelion wine tucked under his arm.

“You two lovebirds go enjoy the festivities. I’ll play guard until the night winds down. I’ve already had my share in the fun anyway.”

“Perfect,” Diluc says, grabbing your wrist and tugging you away. Helplessly being dragged toward the winery by its master, you at least manage to turn and mouth a “thank you” to Kaeya. Because despite your determination to guard over the area, you really are looking forward to being able to spend some time at the party with Diluc and your friends.

Kaeya flashes you a smile in response, his lips innocently parting as he mouths back some words of his own.

“Use protection.”

Sometimes, you really hate him. Tonight though…

You glance to the redhead in front of you, moving your hand so your fingers slot through his own. He slows his stride—allowing you to catch up—and then gives your hand a squeeze.

You can’t help but smile.

Tonight, you can’t find it in yourself to be mad. Not when Diluc looks so happy.

[wevegottogetaway]

Thanks fo’ saving my ass tonight

I got so much going on with uni, but I couldn’t resist. If you too are queen/king of procrastinating uni work, you have my deepest support! Hope you enjoyed x

TW: none (except fool language)

Part 2    -    Part 3*

Office parties have never been y/n’s cup of tea, the idea of enjoying yourself in the very place people usually count down the hours before they can leave, is rather ludicrous in her humble opinion. Alas as the boss’ personal assistant, she not only had to plan and organize the whole shebang but her presence was also required, supervision purposes and all that. The only solace sweetening the deal for her was that she’d be in charge of the catering too, and y/n learnt very early on that good food and greater booze could make any boring work function at least tolerable.

Now that the festivities are in full swing, conversation flowing almost as heartily as the champagne in the guests’ eager mouths, y/n thinks she did quite well. The vast open space of the office is decorated with taste, the music set at the perfect level as to not overpower the boring chitchat bouncing off its walls, and to her greatest delight, the catering company she hired has truly outdone themselves. All in all, everybody seems to be having a grand time, and y/n decides that’s reason enough to officially relieve herself of her supervisor’s duties.

As she scans over the assortment of canapés, mini-quiches, crudités and other mouth-watering ambrosias, y/n fails to notice the tall figure casually approaching her. She’s in the midst of pondering whether she should try the humous or a cream cheese and salmon toast first, mouth salivating and stomach growling in appetite, when a raspy voice interrupts her inner battle, "I see m’not the only one who’s here just fo’ the food".

Her eyes pop off the delicious hors d’oeuvres to the sight gracing them next and she doesn’t know which is the most appetizing. Because standing a few feet from her is Harry, vibrant smile and pretty dimples on show, as he leans over the verrines platter to pick the best-looking one. He’s wearing an olympic blue floral suit on top of a scandalously unbuttoned transparent shirt, a bold number that would grant anyone else looks of surprise and confusion but looked absolutely divine on his broad frame. Besides, after two years working at the office, everyone had gotten used to his unconventional fashion choices by now.

Y/n quirks an eyebrow in curiosity as she dips a cucumber stick in a bowl of humous, before quipping, "not a big fan of these things?"

Harry lets out a small chuckle in a ‘no kidding’ way, and attaches his emerald eyes to hers, "they’re kind of a drag, if m’bein’ honest."

She smiles at his admission, realizing they both share an aversion for mundanities, "I know right. Like, why party here where everyone has to be on their best behavior when we could be down at the bar without the boss gallivanting around?" she cries out in exasperation and not for the first time, Harry thinks she’s quite possibly the most endearing thing he’s ever seen. His smile widens the tiniest bit at her passionate rant, "my thoughts exactly. Do we even know what we’re supposed to celebrate?" The question makes her laugh, she wouldn’t have known either if not for her involvement in the affair, "well as the person behind this all drag," she give him a pointed look at his jeering choice of word, "it would be weird if I didn’t."

Harry’s face falls at the possibility of having offended her, but his uneasiness quickly dissipates when she starts laughing at him. "M’sorry, that came out wrong," he tells her before letting out a giggle of his own and y/n revels in the moment. The idea of interacting with him beyond the usual ‘here’s the presentation for today’s conference’ or ‘do you have the quarterly report ready’ is rather intoxicating for her already feeble nerves. "Don’t worry, I take no offense, I’m just as bored as you are," she reassures him with a smile, "the party is for a new potential investor, something about wooing them with some ‘corporate fun’. S’a load of bullshit if you ask me".

Harry nods at the explanation unimpressed, his boss’ intentions being the least of his worries. Aside from being the classic douche every manager typically insists on being, the guy has always made his distaste about him pretty clear, so Harry would rather focus on more interesting things. Like how beautiful y/n looks right now, her hair tied up in a loose bun at the top of her head, leaving a few strands to fall around her face. "You look amazing, by the way," he brings himself to say, though he thinks his compliment doesn’t even do her justice.

Y/n looks down at her own outfit then: a knee-length red dress composed of a skater skirt and a backless top that only holds with a couple pressure buttons clasped behind her neck. Her cheeks warm up to match the color of her apparel, betraying the timidity she’s always fallen victim of whenever he happened to be in her vicinity. Y/n’s never been one to shy away from her feelings or trip over her own words when facing her crushes, but there is something about Harry that teleports her right back to her sheepish 13 year-old teenage self. Also, she’s not too keen on office romances and the drama that usually ensues so she’s always made sure to stifle her blossoming attraction and keep their relation work-appropriate. Surely that must account for most of her awkwardness, doesn’t it?

Her eyes trail back to his face and her response comes in a shy euphemism, "thank you, you clean up quite nicely yourself." It’s enough to quirk Harry’s lips in a bashful smile, their  complexion evidently on edge as they tread uncharted territories. Professionalism has always regimented their interactions with kind but polite rigidness, neither of them quite inclined to cross that invisible line, but tonight seems to challenge that.

Tonight, Harry is resolute in his infatuation, no longer inhibited from social construct but driven by a quest for knowledge; anything that will help him decipher her carefully shielded crux. Tonight, he endeavors to scrape the edges of her rough diamond to expose the gem encapsulated inside, peel back the stoic layers of her exterior to find her unapologetic and intrinsic nature. Tonight, he is thirsty for secrets and confidential disclosures, and he won’t leave until he’s drained it all out of her. Unless she tells him to fuck off, obviously.

Harry keeps the conversation going as he browns the buffet for a new delicacy to snack on, "so, what would you be doing if you didn’t have to be here?" He wants to know everything, the present and the past, the good and the bad, the superficial and the substance, the messy and the orderly, but he figures he should start by what she likes to do in her own time. The things that loosen her up after a tense week at work, the things that will make her eyes shine with passion as she relates them back to his curious mind.

The question reaches her ears as she takes a sip of her drink, "mmm," she smiles around her glass before placing it back on the table, "-that’s easy. Playing pool with the gang at Gibson’s." Her answer spills without hesitation, a heap of follow-up questions already brewing up in Harry’s brain, but the foreign name is what beckons his attention first, "Gibson’s?" he echoes with a faint rumple pulling the skin between his eyes. Is that the name of a friend? A boyfriend? Out of all the questions he’s contemplated, y/n’s relationship status never crossed his mind. He’s always assumed her to be a single woman, the evidence of a significant other never present in her language and demeanor.

A wave of relief washes over him at her elaboration, "it’s a bar couple blocks from my place. It’s been my friends and I’s HQ ever since we all met." The sentiment has her eyes sparkle at the remembrance of all the happy memories the place hosted, and Harry stores the information in his mental list of all y/n’s soft spots.

"Sounds rad, so you play pool?" he inquires with enthusiasm. He’s been knows to play a game or two in his youth, though it’s been a hot minute since he’s felt the weight of the cue in his hands as he sinks ball after ball in their respective pockets. He remembers the elation of it all, the adrenaline coursing through his veins at each successful strike, and his heart flutters at the thought of ever sharing a game with her; she seems like the competitive type in the most entertaining way possible. Before his thoughts can spiral into much filthier realms, like bending her over the table mid-game when his own skills prevail and she turns into a sore-loser, y/n’s voice rings him back to reality.

"Uh uh, correction," her expression suddenly turns in false seriousness before she proves him right about her competing tendencies, "I win at pool." Her eyes are so full of confidence, a spice of mischief sparkling in their corner, she would have no difficulty persuading anyone of anything that passes the threshold of her mouth. Harry certainly doesn’t doubt her mastery of the bar game, but it doesn’t stop him from challenging her in a slightly elevated pitch, "oh is that so?"

Y/n only grins at the banter, not at all fazed by his taunting remark, "maybe you’ll have to find out for yourself." She reaches for another snack, not taking her come-hither look off his handsome face, and Harry revels in her flirtatious advances, a smug smile taking possession of his lips as he surfs of the same wave of seduction. "Is that a challenge?" he philanders back, fueling the sensual back-and-forth they seem to have embarked upon.

"Not much of a challenge if I know I’ll win," y/n replies with cheek, her self-assurance once again burgeoning like sexy wildflowers sprouting from the ground underneath Harry’s feet, wrapping around his ankle and growing along his body to twine around his spellbound heart. He absolutely loves her unfaltering aplomb, finds it undoubtably sexy but he can’t let her know that just yet.

"Cocky."

"Confident."

They both chuckle at their repartee, enjoying this ping-pong of quick-witted banter they’ve never found in anybody else before. It’s like their intellects were meant to collide in galvanizing forces, the encounter of two fiery psychs too brilliant to one up the other.

Harry is mesmerized by their connection, if he knew sparks would fire this bright, he would have made a move ages ago. "Fuck, you’re something else," he shakes his head in incredulity before confessing, "definitely not what I expected."

Y/n’s chest tingles at his comment, a rivulet of liquid glee leaking through her arteries to pump her heart and her ego full of bliss, "Oh so you expected something, did you?" She punctuates her teasing with a thousand-watts power smirk, and Harry finds it strikingly alluring.

Not about to let her have the upper hand however, a burst of smugness crosses his features as he boomerangs her earlier allurement back to her, "maybe you’ll have to find out for yourself." It earns him a deep jazzy laugh rooted in her tummy and a tinge of pride swirling in his own. He wants to pry laugh after laugh from her belly until her last giggle, only relenting once the muscles in her chest are aching from unbridled joy.

Y/n sighs in content before taking a bite out of a mini-tartlet as she considers how to proceed in this much too flirty conversation. "So what would you be doing tonight, if not for this stupid party?" she returns his first question before realizing,  "-wait a sec, what are you doing here if you hate these things so much? My presence was mandatory but yours isn’t."

"I’ll have you know I was coerced into coming too," he quips back in a fake defensive tone, hand pressing to his chest, "Mike from accounting begged me to tag along, he just broke up with his girlfriend so I didn’t have the heart to tell him no." The selfishness of the gesture softens her heart in a goo of adoration, but she can’t let him know that just yet.

"Softie."

"Chivalrous."

His comeback has her giggle, a rejoinder already tiptoeing at the edge of her lips, "see, who’s cocky now?" Her eyes are full of jest and lightness, somehow taking the weight of the party off his shoulders. Turns out, food and booze are not the only remedies for boring work functions, y/n’s company is just as effective if not more, and that’s with the guarantee of a hangover-less comes next morning. Harry is truly happy he decided to make an appearance tonight, a sentiment he definitely didn’t foresee for the night. The realization has him faintly shaking his head in amazement, his lips letting out another whispered "something else" softly enough that it doesn’t quite reach her already inflated ears.

"So did you have any plans tonight?" She reiterates the question not wanting to ever stop talking with him.

There are probably a hundred exciting plans he could have conjured up to come off half as intriguing as she seems to be, but instead he decides to go the honest route, "nah, I would have probably crash on my couch, this week’s been pretty hectic." His truth is confirmed by the faded blackness tinting the skin below his eyes, a proof of hard work and long hours under the heedlessness of a greedy superior. Y/n knows it all too well, having had firsthand experience with her boss’ jackassery. That’s why she directly inquires, "boss giving you trouble?"

Part of Harry is eager to steer the conversation back to more pleasant waters but he guesses talking a little bit about work was inevitable at some point, especially since they both share palpable distaste for their superior. "The maniac keeps giving me last minute reports like I’m expected to work all night along on his bullshit projects," he explains dejectedly before running his hand through his luscious curls in sign of frustration. "Barely finished in time fo’ the party tonight, I had to slip in his office to put the file on his desk, that fucker had already left."

Y/n listens attentively, her chest tightening in empathy at the recollection of his misfortune. She’s very familiar with the embittering feeling that comes with working your ass for someone that barely registers your efforts and dishes the office hours before you can even dream of clocking off. She’s faced the same scenario time and time again, including tonight, when she’d come up to lock the boss’ office hours after he left to get pampered for the party. She barely got time to make the double commute to and from her place, much less spend hours getting dolled up. She does remember the odd file on her boss’ desk though, "oh I was wondering what that blue folder was about, he never usually leave unattended paperwork on his desk."

Harry starts nodding in confirmation before stopping dead, eyes widened in distress, "wait, did you just say blue?" he asks in urgency.

Y/n frowns at his sudden agitation, her mind reeling to try and visualize the state of the surroundings she left several hours ago. She’s pretty positive she saw a blue binder laying there, not that she knows the ramifications of that simple fact, "yes I think so, why?"

The dire nature of the situation becomes painfully obvious as Harry’s face turns into a mess of  dread and panic, "oh shit, oh fuck, no no no," the words keep tumbling from his mouth in a ramble of nerves. "So stupid, m’so fucked" he keeps muttering self-admonition in quiet anger, hands griping at the root of his hair.

Concern is starting to fester in y/n’s guts as she takes in his disheveled state, "Harry, Jesus, take a breath, tell me what’s going on," she steps closer to him, one hand softly holding at his biceps as she tries to connect their gazes.

Once his eyes plug into hers, pupils blown out in turmoil, he finally calms down enough to word  out his mishap, "s’not the right file on his desk, I only use red binders for the reports." Spinning around out of her hold to shout his stress back to the wall in a loud "fuck!", Harry’s mind is caught up in a swirl of possible excuses to give to his boss, all sounding more ridiculous than the other. He can’t think of way to fix his mistake and escape the inevitable berating coming his way comes morning.

Fortunately for him, y/n is not about to let this happen, "it’s okay, we’ll fix this," she encourages. "What’s on his desk right now?"

Harry looks back at her then, not totally convinced that this all mayhem is salvageable. His boss is never going to tolerate this minor negligence, especially once he finds out the irrelevant material mistakenly slipped amongst his work. "My 14 year-old niece’s english project" the answer comes out as a question, a hint of self-deprecating humor lacing through his words. "Bloody hell, he’s gon’ have my head fo’ that one."

Harry is adamant in his doom, but if anything, y/n is not a quitter. "No he’s not. He hasn’t seen it yet, right? You said he was already gone when you brought the file."

He takes a long breath, "I suppose not."

"Guess it’s a good thing I have the keys to his office then, yeah?" She smiles proudly as a beacon of hope shines on his conflicted face. The forest green of his eyes seems to breath back to life in an endearing revival, effectively tugging at y/n’s heart’s merciful strings.

"Fuck, you’d do that fo’ me?" his shoulders loosen up in relief, the tension slowly simmering down to a gentle buzz, as he envisages the possibility of an illicit break-in. Well, as illicit as it may be, considering they have the keys. Still, best they don’t get caught snooping in the boss’ office, for both of their sake.

"Of course, silly. No questions asked," y/n answers with a smile, and her willingness to put herself in potential trouble, warms Harry’s heart from inside out.

"Y/n, you’re an angel, a life savior," he grabs her shoulders in each of his hands, his gratitude painted all over his soft traits. "Fuck, I could kiss you right now." The words fly out of his mouth without him realizing their significance after spending the last ten minutes coming onto her. And well, y/n isn’t too opposed to the idea either, and she thinks she might hold him to that promise in retribution for her saving grace when the time and space works better in their favor. "Alright Casanova, let’s get your ass out of this mess," she grabs her purse form the table and takes his hand to guide him through the cluster of people milling around the office space, eventually reaching the row of elevators across the room.

As they stand waiting for their lift to come, Harry starts fidgeting with nervous energy, feeling like a kid who’s about to get caught trying to steal straight from the cookie jar. "Shit, alright, we have to be discrete if we want to pull this off," he tells her, not taking his eyes off the room in case someone would look at them and read their plan straight off their guilty-looking faces.

"Says the guy in the flashy suit," y/n immediately counters, in an attempt to revive the playfulness of their synergy. The night was going swimmingly before the whole ordeal, and she’s convinced this foxy little adventure can only add to the appeal of an evening full of surprises.

Harry’s indignation at her dig teeters from his pouty lips, "hey! It’s not that bad." She giggles at his poor rebuttal, and as the doors of the elevator open, they quickly take a few steps inside.

"Harry, that suit is so loud, it could break the sound barrier," y/n teases as she eyes the crowd of people frivolously chatting away, while waiting for the door to close back.

"Thought I cleaned up nicely," he cheekily throws back her words from earlier, letting them resonate within the small confines of the elevator as they make their way up to their boss’ office.

She turns to face him then, a smile spreading on her supple lips, "don’t get me wrong, you look wonderful, just nowhere near decent for a secret spy mission."

Her words have him beaming back at her in a second, his mind fixated on her compliment rather than how impractical it is that his clothes are flashier than the Queen’s; in his defense, neither are y/n’s. "Damn, just got upgraded from nice to wonderful, this night is actually turning around," he chirps as the door open to the deserted hallway of the top floor.

"Alright, more action and less flirting, Styles," y/n playfully chides him. "Go get the right file, while I open his door, we should be quick in case he decides to bring the tour and his special guest up here." She sends him off with a tilt of her chin in what she knows to be the direction of his office, and Harry complies with ease and starts backtracking a few doors down, "yes ma’am."

While he’s gone to fetch the correct document from his office, y/n rummages through her purse to find the key of her boss’ office and unlock the door. Once she’s inside, she makes her way around the imposing mahogany desk commanding the space, and finds the imposter file sitting innocently on the polished wood. For pure curiosity’s sake, she starts leafing through its contents and lets a small chuckle as she takes in the endearing work of a young aspiring writer.

Her reading is interrupted by Harry’s hurried strides when he joins her in the room. "Here’s the damn report," he flings the folder on the desk next to his niece’s, red clashing with blue, mocking him for his slight negligence. As he absorbs the sight of y/n’s face engrossed in the teenage’s fiction, he moves slowly behind her, getting a glimpse at his niece’s whimsical words over her shoulder, before his eyes settle on the bare skin of her back.

Y/n welcomes his sudden proximity, has stranding on end as she feels the soft puffs of his breaths against her neck. "Your niece is quite the writer, does she always come to you for advice?"

She ignores the shivers running down her spine, and gulps when Harry’s voice greets her ears in a deep quiet hoarse, closer than she excepted, "usually, yeah. I was the one who got her into writing, so it’s kinda become our thing, I guess."

She smiles at his softness, "that’s really sweet," and draws in a long breath in a vain attempt to calm her jitters. She can almost feel his presence on her skin though they’re technically not touching, her fingertips tingling in anticipation.  

Another frisson travels through her when he responds with a low "mhm," his nose slightly grazing behind her ear, taking in her beguiling fragrance. Jasmine and vanilla, fresh and soft, exciting and comforting at the same time; it suits her perfectly.

"Harry-" she doesn’t know what to follow the whisper of his name with. Careful? Not here? Please don’t stop? At this point, she wants nothing more than to succumb to his affections, regardless of their improper whereabouts.

Harry brushes the back of his index down the smooth skin of her back in a featherlike caress, "thanks fo’ saving my ass, tonight," he murmurs into her ear, before laying a small kiss behind it.

Y/n is exulting under his tender ministrations, her eyes closed to enhance the feeling of his touch. "Anytime," she breathes out as her head tilts backward, a hand coming behind his neck in a silent plea not to let go, and Harry smiles against her skin at her receptiveness, goosebumps of his own blossoming across his body.

His next words are out of his mouth before he can think, "mmm, I owe you a big one," his playful persona resurfacing now that the situation was handled. They snort in unison at the double-entendre, and Harry slides his free arm around her waist to bring her closer to his chest in silent remittance. Y/n doesn’t mind though, she kinda likes this boyish side of him, but she can’t let him know that just yet.

"Gross."

"Hilarious."

Their ping-pong of wisecrack is back despite the tension permeating the air. It’s the kind that speeds heartbeats and moistens palms in lustful anticipation, the kind that curtails people’s breath as their lungs fill up with voluptuous aphrodisia. "Will you let me kiss you? Show you all my gratitude? I really wanna have a taste, love," he pleads for her permission, and y/n is too consumed by desire to deny him, "have it."

In one swift move, he spins around and latches his eager lips onto her. Passion ensues, hands roaming all over each other to find the perfect hold; the back of a neck, the lapels of a suit jacket, a few strands of hair, the curve of an exposed ribcage, it’s all intoxicating but there is always more to explore. Their tongues are caught up in a heated tango of their own, swirling around each other to quench the thirst of passion, licking their lustful way around their mouths.

At one point, Y/n finds herself pressed against her boss’ desk, one leg around Harry’s waist as he attaches his hips to hers in a heated embrace that leaves them breathless upon parting. He rests his forehead against her temple as they both process the intimate exchange, not ready to burst out of this fairy bubble. "Fuck, been waiting to do that for a while," he exhales with a smile, still incredulous at the evening’s proceedings, and the girl nestled in his arms.

"Same," she agrees and gently cups his face to bring his eyes back to hers, barely believing the adoration and warmth swimming within his lovely olive irises.

Harry’s heart feels like a ticking bomb about to implode, the sweet taste of her lips already providing him with a fix he didn’t know he was addicted to. "One more," he demands against her mouth before diving into another searing kiss. This time his hands explore more meticulously, scavenging for other soft spots to add on to his mental list. The dimples in her back right above the curve of her ass seem to rival the area at her side right below the swell of her breast, but Harry is pretty sure he’ll find more sensitive spots in the near future. Hopefully.

Once again, the need for oxygen compels them to part way, but neither of them make a move to separate their tangled limbs. Y/n is reveling in the moment she’s been daydreaming about for months, "so good," she keeps whispering sweet nothing against his lips while rubbing her nose against the bridge of his.

Harry clears his throat as he regains his bearings, realizing that there are still very much in the middle of their boss’ office, a place they are not supposed to be in, doing stuff they’re not supposed to be doing. At least not here. "Let’s get outta here, yeah?" he brushes a strand of hair that fell in front of her face, "you can kick my ass at that game of pool as promised, and I’ll tend to yours once we’re back at my place, what’dya say?"

And well, how can one say no to that?

➪ Masterlist

[malibumiu]

hi !! i loved your makoto naegi gender bend hcs and if you are taking requests, can i request naegami (byakuya n makoto) gender bend hcs? if not thats ok, have a wonderful day/night! (you can call me '⭐️ anon' )

Oh goodness hello!! I'm glad you like my lil Hcs and you would be my first emoji anon!! So sorry for the wait! But I hope you like 'em! They're under keep reading!! :3

First thing first we are establishing right now: Togami is 6’1” or taller. She is taller than Fukawa, not a shortie!! If you mad that she is then go somewhere else and be mad fool😝

We’re starting this right off the bat very gay- Togami has a painting of Naegi that she painted herself, no it’s not a silly anime piece of work either it’s like realism renaissance era type art. Hey if she’s the ultimate heir then I would think she has the skill. It’s hung up in her room, and Naegi still gets all blushy when she sees it too. (You can also imagine this scenario as just non-GB togami and naegi :p)

Do not ask them which one of them wears the pants in the relationship, they will politely and dramatically tell you to fuck off, they are both girlbosses and you must accept that fact.

Togami is tall and skinny and therefore gets cold rather quickly, luckily Naegi is always is up for a cuddling sess even though Naegi herself always claims she’s cold, don’t believe her that girl is fucking warm. Alsoooo~ Togami definitely cuddles on the softer parts of Naegi’s body or uses them as pillows.

While they have totally different styles, I think that on occasion they know how to match, it doesn’t have to be the same clothes or shoes but more subtle like jewelry or shoes even.

Speaking of jewelry, I know Togami has taken her to Tiffany’s and co more than once and has also bought her a few birthday gifts from there and one of the gifts was a diamond ring and how convenient Togami had one of her own! (Kirigiri, being the smart sleuth that he is, realized that they were both engagement rings.)

Togami being the bougie rich girl that she is, shops in high end shops for literally anything (mostly clothes) but will bring Naegi with her... shenanigans and hilarity usually ensure or… more naughty situations.

Speaking of that they have reserved day or two where they go out on shopping sprees typically they’re around Tokyo but when Togami really wants alone time without anyone bothering them she’ll take Naegi farther like France or something

The class themselves had a sneaking suspicion that two very much so had taken a liking to one another(the only person who was in denial was Fukawa ofcourse) Naegi would just giggle it off whenever they teased her about her. Togami would stick to her standard tactics of ignoring them or flat out deny it completely but if you were Kirirgiri or Ludenberg you could catch the frantic rambles of why Naegi is incompetent but also ok- very competent, valuable even.

The staff at the Togami manor(s) are often delighted when Naegi comes around, that often means that Togami is a bit nicer to them that day and they don’t have to work as much since Naegi will try to do it by herself. Also its just nice seeing a more lively person around the manor is nice too!

Meanwhile Pennyworth is honestly just really happy to see Togami is bonding and acting like a normal teenager instead of being cooped up and swamped by working. Once they start dating she is the first to know about it and keeps it a secret from the other Togami members.

With the Naegis they were more than happy to see their daughter with someone who made her happy. Despite knowing they’re commoners, she has nothing but respect for the two of them. The other Naegi (let's call him Ko) Ko she’s somewhat iffy with him.

Like they don’t hate one another, but Ko is just being wary of his older sister’s girlfriend bc 1. He has witnessed her assholery before and Togami would get an earful if he hurt her feelings 2. Just being an protective older younger sibling in general.

Last one: Whenever Naegi wants a kiss but Togami pulls a ‘Well just get taller’ line, Naegi hooks finger in her crosstie and yanks her down for a kiss.

[micasaessakusa]

Faults

Pairing: Akaashi Keiji x Reader Genre: Angst Word Count: 2.421 words

It’s his fault, Akaashi thinks.

How and why he thought you would ever be satisfied with a man like him was beyond him. He guesses it’s his own fault for letting himself believe that he was worthy enough of your attention, deserving enough to be picked, simply enough to replace the one before him - the one who held your heart. 

And now as he stares at you and him, he realizes - the man in front of you still holds your heart.

For all his insecurities, Akaashi recognizes that it wasn’t entirely his fault why he became so enamored with you. How could he not be, when for the past three years you’ve been showering him with affection, looking into his eyes as if he’s the only man you’ll ever love, and letting him love you as if you wholly trusted him to not break your heart?

But who’s he kidding? He can’t really blame you for what he’s feeling. And he can’t blame you for his mistake of being washed along by the waves of delight to the point where he became blind to the truth.

It’s so obvious, isn’t it? He’s not compatible with you. Anyone with eyes can see it, but it was just so blissful in the bubble he was in that he didn’t realize he couldn’t give you what you really need.

You’re exuberant, he’s reserved. You like to socialize, whereas he prefers his alone time.

Overall, you were polar opposites, and the only thing he had in common with you was volleyball. Well, you even went different paths with that - he pursued literature after college while you went on to compete in the professional leagues.

So really, the only thing that held you together was the faraway memory of being high school classmates and playing for your respective teams in Fukurodani. 

A sad smile graces his lips as he sees you with him - Oikawa Tooru - the ever perfect gentleman, a successful volleyball player, and also your ex-fiance. Akaashi sits still in his car as he watches you and Oikawa inside the cafe, the way your face practically lights up when you talk to him, and how the man in front of you effortlessly matches your energy.

And while it pains Akaashi to admit it, it’s clear to him that that is what compatibility is. You and Oikawa just fit so well together, he’d be a fool to deny it.

It strikes his heart harder than he would’ve liked, but now he understands how you and the setter got to the point of marriage, well, almost-marriage. But really, the only reason you and Oikawa aren’t together anymore was because of his dreams. And if Akaashi really did get to know you in the time you spent together, then he could confidently say that you’ll forgive Oikawa without a beat’s hesitation if he so much as breathes a ghost of an apology towards your way.

After all, as a passionate athlete yourself, you understand perfectly well how important Oikawa’s dream is to him.

It’s still clear as day to Akaashi, how subdued you were when he saw you again after years. The MSBY Black Jackals hung out fairly often and as a close friend, Akaashi was always invited. It just so happened that the men’s team did promotional activities with the women’s team and that’s when he got reunited with you.

You were different then, to put it bluntly.

Akaashi spent a lot of time with you in high school, and back then, you were this bright, loud, unstoppable force, much like his best friend Bokuto. People even took to calling you and Koutarou siblings because of how similar you two were. So when he saw how quiet you were in the few times you went out with the MSBY team, he was a bit shocked.

It wasn’t his business, though, and Akaashi respected the change. He figured it must have been a personal preference of yours, but really, it wasn’t his place to think too much about it.

But words go around especially when it involves two renowned names, and he later found out about how you got engaged to Oikawa a couple of years ago only for it to be broken when he left for Argentina. You were devastated, said Bokuto.

In your time with MSBY, you’ve gotten close with his best friend again, and in turn, with him too. He saw how closed off you became, how just utterly sad you were, and how you had a hard time opening up again to those around you.

However, time was forgiving to you, and you soon found yourself back on your feet, ready to stand back up and burn even brighter than before.

Akaashi smiles as he remembers how brave you were the whole time. Even then at your lowest, you pushed forward, intent to rise on your own two feet to tackle the world. But just a week ago, it was like he was turned back in time when news broke out that Oikawa Tooru was back in the country.

You were restless, distracted. You tried to mask the conflict you were feeling, but Akaashi, being observant as he was, saw it all in your eyes. And now as he witnesses you engulf Oikawa in a tight hug, he breathes out.

He knows what he has to do.

Maneuvering his car away from his spot, he drives back to your shared apartment. The whole way through, his brain keeps repeating the scene of you burying your face to Oikawa’s chest, your grip tight on his back, while the setter has his arms around you as if he doesn’t want to let you go ever again.

And Akaashi understands, even though it pains him. He understands because who would want to let you go when you’ve given your heart to them?

It hurts.

But again, he thinks it’s his fault for fooling himself that he could be enough for you. Who is he to stop you from seeking happiness with your first love? With your true love?

No one, that’s who he is. He will set aside his own selfish needs if it means you could be with the one you want to be with. After all, wasn’t it his selfishness that brought him to this situation in the first place?

He knew Oikawa had - still has - your heart, but Akaashi still selfishly loved you with all of himself.

Stopping in front of the unit, he cuts the engine off and braces himself before he leaves his car. The walk towards your apartment seems like eternity, his feet dragging along the floor as if he’s being pulled down by the earth. And he might as well have been, if the heaviness in his heart is any indication.

He has to do this, he keeps reminding himself. But as much as he knows he should let you go, just a mere second of thought about a day without you already has his heart ripping into shreds.

Picking up a sticky note from the counter, he writes a short note to you.

‘I’ll get my belongings tomorrow during your training. I really wish you happiness, [Y/N].’

And in a moment of vulnerability, Akaashi writes his final i love you at the bottom, taking his engagement ring off and putting it on top of the note.

He doesn’t waste time lingering in your unit and promptly drives away to his own apartment, one that’s been untouched for a long time, as he’s been naturally spending more time with you in your shared home.

And there, in the solitude of his own space, he weeps.

He lets the tears fall as he bites his knuckles to try to cover up the sobs that wrack his chest. He thinks of the happy memories he had with you, and he thinks of how thankful he is that you allowed him to be part of your life even for a short period of time.

But he also thinks of what would have happened had he not driven to join the team dinner that day after the MSBY promotional event. What would have happened if he wasn’t running late to the dinner? If he didn’t see you exiting the restaurant where the team was, only for you to enter the cafe across the street? What would have happened if he didn’t see Oikawa greeting you with a bright smile of his - one that’s far more genuine than what he shows to other people?

As he sits tiredly on his couch, head rested on the back of the sofa, he thinks it’s better this way.

Just imagining you be the one to end the relationship already has him tearing up even more. He knows he wouldn’t be able to hide his emotions from you if you tell him face to face that you’re cutting off your engagement with him to get back together with Oikawa.

It’s better this way, he tries to convince himself. But really, in a situation like this, a voice inside his head echoes that there is no “better” nor “good” because it spells nothing but a broken heart for him.

Akaashi awakes with a start, disoriented and groggy from abruptly waking up. He groans from an oncoming headache as he reaches for his phone on the coffee table to check the time, not even realizing that he fell asleep on the couch in the first place.

He sees it’s a little past midnight and judging from the steady sound of downpour from outside, it’s most likely raining hard.

Closing his eyes to relieve his headache, he moves to recline on the couch again and just as he rests his head on the plush pillow, a loud knock sounds from the door.

It must have been what woke him up in the first place, he belatedly thinks. Akaashi moves towards the door, his still-muddled brain trying to think of who’s visiting him this late in the night.

When he opens the door, he isn’t prepared - not one bit - to see the sight that greets him.

There you are, drenched from the rain head to toe and still wearing the clothes he saw you in earlier that day. Your eyes burn intensely as you gaze at him, and there’s a noticeable redness to them that assured him you had been crying.

Still crying, he confirms, as he sees tears still rolling down your cheeks in thick rivulets.

You’re shaking, from the cold or from anger, he’s not too sure, but he notices you clutching onto something, your right hand enclosed in a fist as you hold it protectively towards your chest as if it’s your only lifeline.

He urges himself to say something, anything, and as the first word breaks free from his lips, you beat him to it.

“I love you, Keiji!” you yell at him, your voice thick with emotion and your throat clogging up with a sob, but you continue.

“I know I don’t deserve you. You’re kind, sincere, genuine, intelligent, devoted, you have all the good qualities in the world. You were there for me when I was at my lowest, you supported me on my journey back up. You were there. You were always there for me. And when we started to develop something special, something we shared between only you and I, I was ecstatic. I can’t even form in words how thankful I am for you, and how forever grateful I’ll be that you let me into your life. And when you proposed--,” another sob escapes your lips, as you bring a hand up to wipe at your tears, you see him move to come near you, but you put a hand up to stop him.

“When you proposed, I was happy-- the happiest I’ve ever been, because you gave me the privilege to be by your side forever. You gave me peace, Keiji. After a long time, I’ve finally found my peace and you were the one who supported me all throughout,” you keep your teary gaze on him as you take in a deep breath.

“I understand if you don’t want me anymore. I mean, how could you? I’m broken from my past relationship and you deserve way more than a woman who’s still held back by a failed relationship. I know you know that I met up with Tooru today. Kou told me he saw you. But I just want you to hear this from me- Tooru gave me the closure I needed, we’re finally over. But you deserve so much more than a partner with so many scars.”

More tears cascade down your cheeks and Akaashi is rendered even more speechless when he sees the thing clutched in your palm. You extend your hand to him, showing him the ring he left at your house earlier that day.

“I love you so much, Keiji. I know you probably wouldn’t want this around, but please, keep it,” you whisper as you shakily hand him the ring back. “I know it’s selfish of me to ask this, but I don’t think I could take it if you cut me off from your life entirely--”

Your words are halted as he pulls you towards his strong embrace, his arms encasing you in his warm and familiar hold. And even in your state of shock, he knows you could feel the tears falling from his eyes as he buries his face in the crook of your neck.

He sobs and he lets it all out. His fear of you leaving him, how for a long moment he thought you were going to leave him for someone else.

He tells you how his heart was gripped by the fear of being let into your life only to be tossed out because he’s not worthy of you.

And with each tearful word that comes past his lips, his heart feels lighter.

With each whispered assurance you give him amidst your sobs, and with each declaration of love shared only between the two of you, Keiji’s heart becomes at peace. And there in your warm and loving embrace, he understands.

Now, he fully understands the peace in his heart.

It was never about compatibility. He chose you, and you chose him.

It was about the two of you choosing each other out of devotion and trust, even in the face of all the odds.

With tears still streaming down his face, Akaashi Keiji smiles because now, he understands.

[swan-of-sunrise]

Spellbinding (Chapter Seven-Part One)

Summary: A day before Tony Stark’s charity ball, (Y/N) is assigned her very-first mission as an Avenger and needless to say, she finds herself under extreme pressure not to fail.

Pairing: Loki X Reader

Word Count: 4k

Warnings/Disclaimers: The Spanish in this chapter was translated with Google Translate, so I’m sorry if there’s a mistake in it.

A/N: I hope that you enjoy!

Chapter Seven (Part I) July 10th, 2015 Avengers Tower, New York City (Previous Chapter)

“Hurry up, (Y/L/N), your Quinjet’s gonna be leaving soon and we still have to see if your suit’s working okay!”

As Bruce scolded Tony for being too pushy, (Y/N) finished fastening her sword to her belt with quaking fingers. After three months of extensive daily training, she was finally going on her first field mission as an Avenger; according to Director Fury and Steve, she had excelled in both magical and physical training and was finally ready to put her skills to good use. (Y/N) was excited, of course, but she was also a complete nervous wreck. What if I make a mistake and put the others in danger, she asked herself for the tenth time that day. She knew how much her teammates would be counting on her on this mission, and she was terrified of such high expectations resting squarely on her shoulders.

To distract herself from the butterflies in her stomach, she looked into the floor-length mirror and examined her brand-new uniform. It reminded her of Natasha’s full-body leather suit, but there were several distinct differences; (Y/N)’s bodysuit was made of black and purple leather, it included pieces of black leather armor and matching fingerless gloves and she wore knee-high leather wedge boots, silver arm circlets and gauntlets on her forearms. A long purple cloak hung from her shoulders by silver-toned clasps, and her sheathed sword hung from her waist. She couldn’t help but smile at her reflection, her new suit making her feel just as empowered as the tower’s two resident Asgardians. Smoothing down her hair one last time, she took a deep breath and drew back the curtain separating her from the rest of the lab, causing both men to turn and gape.

Tony’s eyebrows raised and his mouth hung open almost comically. “Damn, (Y/L/N), you look…”

“Fantastic!” Bruce smiled widely.

“I was gonna say ‘badass’ but ‘fantastic’ works too.” The billionaire gestured for her to stand on a short stool before continuing. “We designed the leather of the suit to be breathable and flexible, the armor’s bullet-proof and it can even withstand extreme heat and cold to a certain degree.” Tony pointed to her silver gauntlets as he paced around her. “FYI, these were partly inspired by our little bonding incident a few weeks back, (Y/L/N), remember? They’re not vibranium like Capsicle’s shield but they’re still bullet-proof in case any get through your magic.”

(Y/N) twisted her forearms to examine the gauntlets better. “That’s amazing, Tony!” The billionaire smiled proudly at her compliment. “But, what about my glasses? I can’t wear them on missions and you guys know my eyes don’t react well to contact lenses…”

Bruce’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “That problem had us stumped for a while, but last week we finally managed invent a solution that didn’t involve cutting into your corneas with a laser.” He handed her a pair of metal-framed glasses and held her regular pair for her. “Put these on and press the button on the right side of the frame, please.”

“Oh, my goodness…” (Y/N)’s mouth fell open as she followed his instructions and examined her reflection in the mirror Bruce held up. The glasses had flickered once before turning completely invisible, making it look as if she didn’t wear glasses at all. “How did you two geniuses manage this?”

Both scientists looked pleased with her reaction. “Well, we just adapted the same cloaking technology that S.H.I.E.L.D. used on their helicarrier and improved upon it; anyone attacking you won’t realize you’re wearing glasses unless they sock you in the eye, which is something I’m pretty sure you’d stop from happening.”

“The lenses are bullet-proof, scratch and glare-resistant, they’re fitted so they won’t fall off and we made several pairs just in case something happens to these ones.” Bruce set down the mirror and picked up his clipboard to jot down some notes. “Now, does everything feel all right? Nothing’s too tight or too loose?”

Shaking her head, (Y/N) moved her arms and legs to be sure. “Everything feels perfect.” The moment Bruce finished writing down his notes, she jumped down from her stool and gave him a tight hug, smiling when she felt him slowly return it. “Thank you, Bruce.” She pulled away from him and gave Tony a hug, which he was much quicker to return. “And thank you too, Tony. The suit is wonderful and I feel much safer now that I have it!”

“No problem, (Y/N), we just want to make sure you’re protected when you go out there.”

“Yeah, Stevie Nicks, you should always use protection.” Tony smirked playfully as (Y/N) blushed and Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose in mild exasperation at his suggestive comment.

Just then, Natasha walked in, dressed in her standard black leather bodysuit with her hair braided over her shoulder. “Nice suit, (Y/N)! Cap wanted me to tell you that the Quinjet’s leaving in five, so you’d better hurry up.”

“Thank you, Nat, I’ll be there in a minute,” She turned back to the two men as Natasha left and grinned. “Well, wish me luck!”

Bruce gave her a smile. “Good luck, (Y/N).”

Tony’s smirk widened. “Yeah, not that you need it, though; you’re gonna kick so much ass out there in that getup.”

Chuckling lightly, (Y/N) gave them one last glance before leaving the lab; on the way to the elevator, she heard someone call her name and turned to see Loki hurrying to catch up with her. Her heart beat even faster in her chest when she noticed that he was wearing her favorite outfit: fitted black slacks and an emerald-green dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his long black hair hanging loose around his shoulders. She mentally chastised herself before saying, “Hi Loki, what are you up to?”

“I couldn’t very well let my best friend leave on her first mission without wishing her luck now, could I?” Loki flashed her a grin, but she could see the uneasiness in his eyes. “You look positively fearsome in that armor, by the way. How are you feeling?”

“Thanks, and I guess I feel a little nervous,” She said truthfully as they stepped into the elevator, knowing better than to lie to him. “I don’t want to be the one responsible for any of the others getting hurt.”

Loki gently took her hand and held it between his own as the elevator rose, making her faintly blush at the contact. “Lady (Y/N), I can assure you that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Our teammates can take care of themselves, and as long as you remember all the training you’ve excelled at over these past few months, you’ll be able to protect them and yourself if the need arises. Remember, everyone in this tower believes in you, but none more so than I.”

Looking into his sincere green eyes, she could feel her nervousness slowly begin to melt away and she smiled up at him. “Thank you, Loki, that really helped.”

“I’m glad I could be of assistance,” He grinned before letting go of her hand. “And please try to hurry back, I don’t think I could handle going to Stark’s charity ball tomorrow evening and watch everyone make fools of themselves by myself.”

Stark Industries hosted over a hundred charity events for dozens of different causes and organizations every year, but one of the only ones held personally by the billionaire included an annual charity ball to raise money for children’s hospitals across the country. Since the Avengers had begun using the tower as their base three years ago, the ball had become increasingly popular as more and more people were willing to donate to attend and meet the heroes. (Y/N) was excited to go and promote such a worthy cause, but she was also excited for an entirely different reason: two weeks ago, Loki had asked her to accompany him as his date. She could vividly remember the moment he’d asked her…

“Loki? Loki, are you in there?” (Y/N) knocked on his door before sighing. “Listen, Steve told me that you haven’t been having a good day so I brought you some snacks. We can watch a movie, if you want? Trust me, nothing will cheer you up more than chocolate chip cookies and A Knight’s Tale! It’s about a squire who poses as a knight and competes in jousting tourna-”

“What’s jousting?”

(Y/N) shrieked and spun around to face a laughing Loki, pressing her free hand to her chest and smiling despite herself. “Loki, that wasn’t funny! I almost had a heart attack!”

Loki continued to snicker. “Apologies, my lady, but I couldn’t resist the temptation.”

“So, I take it that you’re having a better day now?” She followed him into his room and sat in her usual place on his couch, handing him his cookies with a raised brow.

He nodded, a cheerful look on his face. “Significantly better, actually. I suddenly remembered that Stark’s charity ball is in two weeks and that I’ll be able to enjoy it with you. That is, if you wish to accompany me…”

“Of course I’ll go with you, Loki, who else would I go with?” (Y/N) mirrored his bright smile before gesturing to the television across from them. “So, snacks and a movie?” As they watched A Knight’s Tale, (Y/N) concluded that Loki was only asking her to accompany him as a friend; she was a little disappointed, of course, but she wasn’t going to allow her emotions to ruin a fun night for her and her best friend.

(Y/N) chuckled to herself as the memory faded; they stepped out of the elevator and walked to the floor’s glass doors. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back in no time.” Before he could reply, they stepped out into the tower’s small hangar where a Quinjet was being prepared for departure on the protruding helipad.

“There you are, (Y/N), we’re almost ready to leave!” Steve called from the Quinjet’s ramp as he slung his shield onto his back and adjusted his helmet’s jaw strap.

Loki gave her a reassuring smile. “Good luck on your first mission, Lady (Y/N).” He leaned down to give her a hug but to her surprise, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and pulled her up off her feet; she giggled in surprise and he laughed, gently swaying her from side-to-side as she wrapped her arms around his neck and experienced the now-familiar fluttering in the pit of her stomach. “And please, stay safe.”

“I will, Loki, I have an important engagement tomorrow night that I can’t miss, remember?” She joked, feeling a swell of pride when he chuckled lightly. “I’ll be safe, I promise.”

He set her gently on her feet and she reluctantly pulled away from his arms, giving him one last smile before following Steve into the Quinjet. The ramp closed behind them and (Y/N) quickly strapped herself into the seat next to a familiar face as the plane lifted into the air.

“Hi Scott, I haven’t seen you in a while!” (Y/N) had met Scott Lang during her first month as an Avenger; he was in awe that she was half-Light Elf and had nearly fainted from excitement when she gave him a small demonstration of her powers, and she was equally amazed with his suit’s ability to change sizes and the way he was able to communicate with ants. He wasn’t in the tower often but whenever he was, they got along very well. “How are you? How’s Cassie doing?”

Scott smiled, a gleam in his eyes that he got whenever anyone mentioned his five-year-old daughter. “Ah, I’m good, my buddies and I just opened up our security company – we call it X-CON, get it? – and Cassie’s doing great; I helped her read through a picture-book version of Charlotte’s Web and she’s been reading it all by herself for the past week!”

(Y/N) grinned, the pride in his voice filling her with happiness. “That’s wonderful, tell her I said ‘congratulations’! And congratulations to you for your company; I take it they let you come up with the name yourself?”

As the Quinjet continued to fly, (Y/N) continued talking to the energetic man, thankful that he was there to keep her mind off the nervousness surrounding her swiftly-approaching first mission.

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

Two hours later, they had reached their destination: the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. Their mission was simple, to destroy a large weapons compound that was operated by a terrorist organization with known ties to Hydra. Scott would go in first and disable the nearly-impenetrable security system before splitting off with Natasha while (Y/N) and Steve stayed together; each group would then plant a batch of explosives around the vast compound. The explosives were rigged to a detonator Natasha held, but it was still imperative they get out as quickly as possible in case of any complications. Please let everything turn out all right, (Y/N) silently prayed as they trekked closer to the compound and took cover twenty yards away behind a fallen tree. The moment Steve gave him the signal, Scott pressed a button on the glove of his suit and instantly shrunk, and a moment later, the tiny outline of an ant could be seen in the fading moonlight, flying quickly towards the compound’s concrete wall.

“Don’t tell Tony, but I think your suit’s way cooler than his, Lang.” Natasha’s lips curled into a smile but her eyes continued to scan the area for any threats.

(Y/N) heard Scott’s soft chuckle through her comm link. “Black Widow likes my suit more than Iron Man’s? Awesome.”

“All right, you both remember the plan, right?” Steve looked up from his explosives-filled satchel and glanced at the two of them.

“We’ve been over the plan twenty times, Cap, we’re fine.” Natasha rolled her eyes but grew serious when she caught sight of (Y/N)’s face. “We’re fine, right (Y/N)?”

(Y/N) nodded once, trying to mask her nervousness with a smile. “Yeah, of course, Nat.”

“Hey super-dudes, I just disabled the security system so come on in whenever you’re ready! But, you might wanna hurry ‘cause I have to turn it back on after one minute so they won’t get suspicious…which you already know ‘cause we went over the plan on the Quinjet. My bad. And I just realized, (Y/N), you’re the only one of us who doesn’t have a cool superhero name and that’s just not acceptable, so I’m gonna make one up for you, okay?”

She couldn’t help but smile at Scott’s unique way of calming her jittery nerves. “Okay Scott, go ahead and make up a cool superhero name for me.”

“Time to go.” Steve pulled his shield onto his arm and gave her an encouraging smile. “We’ll be fine, (Y/N), don’t worry.” The two of them crept silently towards the compound and Steve motioned for her to get behind him before swiftly pulling the unlocked front door open. He immediately threw his shield, hitting the three surprised guards in the heads and catching it as they crumpled to the ground. Silently marveling at Steve’s impressive throwing skills, (Y/N) followed him as they continued down the vast hall.

“Cap, (Y/N), you’ve got two armed guards heading straight towards you on your left, and a couple of others coming up from behind.” Natasha said, revealing that she had already reached the compound’s control room.

Steve glanced at (Y/N) and gestured for her to take the lead before turning to prepare for the attack, and she immediately knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath and concentrating all her energy into her hands, she summoned two balls of purple magic in her palms; the moment the two men turned the corner in front of them, she thrust her hands and magic outwards, engulfing the men in swirls of purple magic and causing them to slam into each other and then into the concrete wall behind them. They hit the wall with a sickening crunch and fell to the ground, unconscious. Behind her, Steve threw his shield and took out the other two guards.

Natasha chuckled through the earpiece. “Nicely done, Bad-Ass; Scott and I are onto Phase Two, so you two are on your own. We’ll meet you at the rendezvous point when we’re done.”

The two Avengers continued down the halls of the compound, occasionally coming across the remnants of Natasha and Scott’s handiwork but strangely no more armed men. In no time, they reached the compound’s warehouse, which was filled with hundreds of wooden crates. Weapons, (Y/N) thought as she frowned in disgust. This particular terrorist organization was responsible for half a dozen attacks around the world in recent years that had resulted in countless civilian casualties, so she had no problem with working to take them down along with Hydra.

They quickly began planting the explosives all around the vast room but just as they finished, at least two dozen armed guards burst in. Steve immediately ran into battle, but (Y/N) froze in fear, her legs unwilling to move. Time seemed to slow around her as a familiar feminine voice spoke in her head: “Kiddo, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent…”

You’ve spent three months training for this exact moment, (Y/N) thought to herself, now it’s time to show the world its newest Avenger. She unsheathed her sword and charged at the men; she sliced through their guns like butter before they could pull the triggers and deflected their knife attacks with ease, twirling and ducking around them and using their slowness to her advantage as she slashed at them. She was vaguely aware of Steve fighting nearby but she was entirely focused on her task of incapacitating her attackers. Her luck left her, however, when she kicked an attacker to the ground; the last man standing took her by surprise then with a hard punch to the stomach and wrenched her arm behind her back, causing her to gasp in pain and drop her sword.

“No eres tan dura ahora, ¿verdad, puta?” The man growled into her ear as he pointed a knife to her chest, its tip puncturing the exposed skin along her collarbone.

“Todavía no has visto nada.” She replied, elbowing him hard in the stomach and ducking under his arm as he doubled over in pain. Rolling out of the way, she picked up her fallen sword and raised it just in time to block his knife attack; she countered it by twisting the knife out of his hands and slamming the hilt of her sword against his head. Her attacker fell to the ground like a stone, unconscious.

Breathing heavily, (Y/N) looked around for Steve and saw that he was locked in combat with a larger man. She was about to hurry to his aid when she caught sight of a sniper crouching atop a tower of crates and pointing a rifle at Steve’s unaware back. Without a moment of thought, she sheathed her sword and ran into the line of fire just as the sniper pulled the trigger. Time seemed to slow down and she could practically see the bullet flying through the air; raising both her hands and summoning her magic, she was rewarded with the sight of the bullet ricocheting away and a millisecond later, the sight of the sniper being engulfed in a swirling purple cloud and thrown roughly against the wall before falling to the ground.

She turned to see Steve standing over his defeated attacker, a stunned expression on his face. (Y/N) only breathed a sigh of relief, her pride and relief overtaking her earlier nervousness.

“Wait, you speak Spanish?”

Scott’s legitimately confused tone causing her to stifle a smile. “Yes, Scott, I speak some Spanish. A little French, as well.”

“As much as I’d love to learn more about Trilingual (Y/N), we’ve got a mission to finish. Scott and I are already at the rendezvous-”

Just then, the unmistakable sounds of thundering footsteps echoed from the hall; it sounded as if nearly fifty heavily-armed men were approaching, all heading right for them. When they turned to look through the small window of the door, they could clearly make out the bazookas the first several men held in their arms as they approached. They plan on sacrificing their weapons and their lives just to kill us, she thought with a horrified gasp.

(Y/N) quickly used her magic to keep the door barred and whirled around to face Steve, an undoubtedly insane plan coming to mind. “Nat, you have the detonator. Press the button when I tell you to.”

“But you and Steve are still in there!”

“Nat, if we don’t blow this place to hell right now, then they’ll be the ones to do it! Besides,” Steve’s confident blue eyes never left hers as he gave her an encouraging nod. “(Y/N) has a plan.”

Natasha remained silent for several moments. “All right, tell me when.”

“I really hope your crazy idea works, (Y/N), or else you two are gonna be toast.”

Hurrying to the center of the warehouse, (Y/N) knelt, pulling Steve down with her, and held her arms up above their heads; she was grateful that the super soldier wrapped an arm around her waist and raised his shield as a precaution, as things were about to become much shakier. Summoning every ounce of strength and power she could without passing out, she created a swirling bubble of purple magic to fully surround them. I love you, Loki, she thought just before shouting out, “Now!”

Explosions went off around them and caused the earth to quake, enormous balls of fire to expand across the room and the warehouse to begin crumbling away around them. To her great relief, her magical force-field held, deflecting the fire and debris and keeping the air inside fresh, but her arms began to shake with effort. All of a sudden, it felt as if she was lifting an immeasurable weight but she continued to hold her magic in place despite the pain. I have to protect Steve, I have to protect Steve, she repeated in her head, gritting her teeth and concentrating all her remaining energy on her magic. That last bit of effort did the trick; yelling in pain, magic pulsed outwards from the force field, vaporizing everything within fifty feet of them and extinguishing the blazing fires. She collapsed against Steve and struggled to remain conscious, the force field surrounding them finally fading away; they both immediately began coughing as their lungs filled with smoky air.

“C’mon (Y/N), stay with me,” Wasting no time, Steve stood and pulled her into his arms, quickly carrying her through the thick smoke and towards the distant tree line. “I’ve got you, can you stay awake for me? Stay awake, (Y/N), we’re almost there, just keep your eyes open…”

She opened her mouth to respond but could only violently cough; after blacking out for what only felt like a moment, she blinked her eyes open and realized that they were back on the Quinjet and already in the air. Her head was resting in Steve’s lap, and Natasha and Scott were leaning over her; all three of them had equally concerned expressions on their faces. “(Y/N)! Thank God you’re okay!”

(Y/N) swallowed thickly and looked up at all three beaming Avengers. “Did…did we finish the mission? Who’s flying the Quinjet?”

“Don’t worry, I put it on autopilot and yeah,” Natasha nodded, a proud smile stretching across her face. “Yeah, we finished the mission all thanks to you, Bad-Ass. Seriously, what you did was fucking amazing, (Y/N).”

Steve grinned; he had taken off his helmet while she was unconscious, and the parts of his face that hadn’t been covered were streaked with soot. “Not too shabby for your first mission, doll.”

“And while you were off being awesome, I came up with the perfect superhero name for you,” Scott grinned triumphantly before continuing. “How about ‘The Cosmic Sorceress?’ ‘Cause based off what Captain America here told us and what we saw ourselves, you showed a lot of bad guys that you’re a scary-ass force to be reckoned with, and bad-assery like that deserves a name to match.”

(Y/N) thought for a moment, a smile slowly stretching across her face as she looked up at her fellow Avengers. “You know what? I love it, Scott.”

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

Spanish Translations: No eres tan dura ahora, ¿verdad, puta?-You're not so tough now, are you bitch? Todavía no has visto nada-You haven't seen anything yet.

A/N: (Y/N) finally has a ‘made-up name’ like the others! Sorry to leave you in suspense, but Loki and (Y/N)’s ‘date’ will be the next chapter so stay tuned! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wx8TZwpDN0l33tES3W3Nk

Chapter Seven-Part Two

Spellbinding Masterlist

Tagging: @nexiva @ravenclawbitch426 @cminr @confusedfandomwriter @momc95 @nickkie1129 @austynparksandpizza @brooke0297 @destructivebliss @outoftheregular​ @itscomplicatedx​ @0-artemis​ @vivloki​