#now i can kick back for a while and let betas chew on it before i do an edit pass

[shastafirecracker]

THROWS MUG ON THE GROUND FLIPS THE TABLE AND THROWS THE TABLE AND COMPUTER OUT THE WINDOW

IT’S FINISHED MOTHERFUCKERRRRRR

[deputy-buck]

Well now you gotta let us know your thoughts on Hawk/Tim puppyplay

!!! love you anon, so much !!! here's Tim's lamb + some other items and photos

Is it a way for Hawk to take more control? yeah, a bit. But is it more so about Tim letting go and being more comfortable with himself? Abso-fuckin-lutely.

I project a little onto Tim, and I HC him being very unsure and over-conscious of his movements, like his physical bodily movements, he's over-aware of anyone's eyes on him to the point he thinks "Am I walking normal? what do I do with my hands? is this a weird way to stand?" It's super fun- I've settled on "Skip" being Tim's pup name :3

Also I'd like to say a super special THANK YOU to @lispenard-street for beta-reading this fic for me!!! Literally every piece of input you had was gold and the absolute correct thing to do, not to mention all the super kind words you had for me even though the draft was in shambles when you first saw it lmfao- So thank you, Gem💚

-

Fetch

Hawk was consumed in drafting a small speech for a function Senator Smith had organized —something about acknowledging McCarthy's threat to the State Department but encouraging diplomacy— when Tim showed up on his doorstep looking like a kicked puppy. His boy promised that he would be quiet and that all he needed was to be somewhere safe while he felt this way. With a beat of hesitance, Hawk let him in, slightly worried no work would get done. Hawk really has no clue how telling a bunch of grown men and women to essentially stand down will do any good for the department, but he'd rather chop off his own hand than go against Senator Smith. 

Tim’s head feels light and full of syrup-damp cotton. He’s quite familiar with this feeling, having been experiencing it for some years; the swirling, strangling, suffocating need to serve and submit. But it’s all different now, knowing that he has someone he can relinquish himself to. Knowing he can let his mind float away and still be safe regardless of whatever may happen around him.

His tongue is wet and heavy behind his teeth, forcing him to swallow the excess spit before it drips past his stress-chewed lips. A warm buzz tingles across every inch of his skin and radiates through his insides; the feeling settles somewhere in his hips and weakens his knees, joints threatening to buckle beneath his weight. The urge to sink to the floor right on Hawk’s doorstep nearly wins but he has just enough sense left in him to know that it would get the door shut in his face.

Instead, he takes a couple wobbly steps across the threshold and into the foyer before giving in to the downward pull and sinking to his knees on the hearth rug that poses as a welcome mat. Tim struggles with bumbling, pawing hands to strip himself of his clothes, only managing to shake out of his coat and claw at the already loose knot of his tie before he lets his hands drop to his lap in defeat. Head swimming, lungs unable to draw in enough air, he looks up to the man standing in front of him, asking —begging— for help with watery eyes, throat resistant to form any sound other than a pitiful whine. 

Hawk smiles and gently peels away the layers of Tim’s human facade: tweed, cotton, tortoiseshell, and gold all in turn. Replacing it with leather and brass, unbinding his pup from responsibility and expectation, letting him be raw and sensitive here where Hawk can protect him—can be the soothing balm to all his scrapes and burns caused by the world.

With a finger hooked in the D-ring of Tim’s collar, Hawk leads his pup into the living room. A little bit of fussing over Tim’s blanket, a brief pitstop at his desk to fetch Tim’s little white lamb, and a soft yet firm command of “Down. Settle, Skip,” later; Hawk redirects his attention back to his speech —leaving his little pup to play at his feet—  intent on making good progress tonight. So he's got a pencil in his hand and three sheets of paper —two already full of his scrawling, thankfully— on an old book in his lap. He's not sitting at his desk for this —his back hurts too damn much— but instead is reclining on the low couch on the opposite wall. 

                                                          ===

Tim nudges his little white lamb into Hawk's lap, propping his chin on the older man's robe-covered knee, huffing and whining when his handler doesn't immediately look at him. The sweet noise catches Hawk's attention immediately, quickly switching his focus to Tim's pouting lips and glimmering eyes instead of the stark white pages.

Those big doe eyes shine with a playfulness that has Hawk's heart seized with warmth and affection for the young man. 

He’s just a boy, Hawk marvels.

Tim had been quietly playing by himself on his rust orange tartan blanket at his handler's socked feet, manipulating the soft toy with his hands and rubbing his cheek against the fluff of its fur, nipping at the tiny ears and tail. But that gets boring after a while, and Hawk hasn’t so much as reached down to pet him in the last twenty minutes. 

A break might do Hawk some good— his eyes are starting to sting anyway.

"Wanna play, huh?" Hawk sets the pencil and makeshift writing pad aside, picking up the small plush and shaking it in front of Tim's face. A laugh bubbles up from his chest as Tim presses his chest forward against Hawk's shin and snaps at the toy, teeth clacking together when a soft, felt hoof gets close to his nose. Maybe he'll catch it one day but today isn't that day.

"Get it, boy." With one last flick of the toy in Tim's face, Hawk tosses the cotton-stuffed lamb across the living room and into the kitchen hall; he had moved the chair that usually sits in the center of the room over, giving his pup room to play while he worked. Hawk is thinking of making this furniture configuration permanent, always allowing Tim to slip down to the floor and be 'Skip' with nothing in his way when his boy’s mind starts to shift and slide to one more canid.

This is a fairly new addition to their play, fetch. It still feels odd to crawl on the floor in nothing but his briefs and collar; bright sconces of the kitchen hall leaving him nowhere to hide. Tim feels a bit exposed, as though his most vulnerable parts are bared for Hawk to scrutinize from his comfortable perch. The skin of his face, chest, and back flush a rosy shade of pink knowing Hawk is watching him.

Hawk rakes his eyes down Tim's body, a ball of heat beginning to wind and coil low in his belly. With a slight readjustment of his robe and briefs, Hawk makes sure to conceal his growing erection, knowing that's not what his puppy needs right now.

Tim clambers his way across the living room, palms and knees softly thumping on the hardwood floor as he chases his lamb. The nickel tag clipped to his collar jingles with each plodding step. He's not going to humiliate himself by trying to trot after it —he knows he'll fall flat on his face— but he's learned that Hawk wants him to crawl instead of get up and walk. Dogs don't walk upright, Skip. Down, boy. 

Once Tim reaches his beloved lamb, he dips down to grab it between blunt teeth. Jaws clamped down on the soft fabric, Tim shakes it side to side like a terrier with a rat or a Beagle with a rabbit: mauling it before bringing it back to his owner for a reward. His hair falls into his eyes as he does so, obscuring his glasses-less vision even more when he turns his attention to Hawk, panting softly, searching for that warm smile he's always trying to draw out of his handler. The one that lets Tim know he's doing good.

He gets it, a sharp show of teeth, the highest value reward Hawk could ever give.

"Bring it here, Skip. Come on." Hawk encourages, patting the top of his thigh to beckon his pup back to him. He loves when his boy turns into his pup, the thorns of defiance and questioning stripped away to sweet, silent submission. Hawk wouldn't change Tim's inquisitive mind and crashing emotions for anything, but it's nice not having to be on his toes, waiting to be thrown off-kilter by a question he hasn't allowed himself to think about. 

Tim ducks his head as he crawls back to Hawk, still a bit too aware of the position his body is in. Hawk had said he likes the way Tim's shoulders flex and strain as he lumbers across the floor on all fours. The memory of Hawk growling those words in his ear while the older man's hands squeezed and kneaded the muscle in Tim's arms prompts Tim to pause once his hands hit the scratchy circular rug. He slides them forward to stretch out in front of himself, chest nearly brushing the floor, fingers clawing at the rug, intentionally tensing his shoulders to make the muscles ripple and cord beneath his skin. Arching his back like a dog who just woke up. His collar tightens around his throat as he does so, biting into his skin, leaving the faintest mark for later.

Satisfied with the shaky sigh and chuckle Hawk lets out, Tim straightens back up to finally bring the toy back to his handler, a little more confidence in his stride. His tag jingles a little louder now. Depositing the lamb in Hawk's open palm, Tim sits back on his haunches, ready to chase and retrieve the toy again, willing to bare himself for as long as Hawk will grant.

"Good boy, Skip." Hawk praises, free hand ruffling through Tim's hair, pausing to gently scratch behind his pup's ear the way Tim loves. "Always such a good puppy for me." 

-

Again thank you so SO much for beta-reading this for me, Gem, you're the best!!

[ryukatters]

The Feels

A/N: My brain has been running on empty for MONTHS, depleted of brain juice. This is all I can offer for AOT pt 2 coming back. I’m just happy to see all my babies once again. They gave me the strength I needed to finish this in two days.

Credits: Gege Akutami because I slapped Eren’s face on top of that one Yuuji panel, also shoutout to my baby @alert-arlert for the inspiration! Please read her work that inspired me here! Also check out this by @lacheri. Also shoutout to Cherry for beta-ing this, ily.

Summary: In which one simple question alters the course of you and Eren’s friendship. Alternatively, “it started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?”

Content/warnings: modern! AU, fluff, this turned into smut really fast, k*ssing, friends 2 luvers, Eren’s kind of awkward, slight jealousy on Eren’s part, teasing, nipple play, dry humping, slight humiliation, cunnilingus, facesitting (eren’s a strong boy don’t worry), damn I just realized this bitch talks a lot, Eren...finishes in his pants, no penetration (aside from tongue and fingers hehe), mentions of overstimulation

Pairing: Eren x Fem-bodied! Reader

Word count: 2.7k

“Have you ever wondered what it’s like to kiss one of our friends?”

You look up from your phone to stare at Eren, his expression unreadable. He’s not looking at you at all. His sharp profile punctures your field of vision. He’s sitting on the floor, shoulders hunched, while idly scrolling through some online shop on his laptop.

“N-no, at least I don’t think I have.” You watch his brows furrow, unsure if it’s because he came across a pair of kicks that he likes or because of your answer. “Do you mean in a romantic sense? Like if I’m interested in them?”

“No, like. Just out of pure curiosity.”

“Pure curiosity?” You stare at him, deadpan.

“Yeah.”

Silence fills the room. Eren has no idea why he asked that question in the first place. It’s a stupid question. Did he accidentally speak his thoughts? Maybe. And sure, he’s wondered what it would be like to kiss you. Plenty of times. Even things that went beyond the scope of kissing. More than he’d like to admit. But you don’t have to know that. Not right now, at least.

Eventually, he gathers up the courage to tear his gaze away from his screen to meet your eyes. He’s not sure what he expected to see, but seeing you try and read his expression made his heart race in his chest. Did you know what he was thinking? Are you thinking about what it’d be like to kiss one of your friends? Eren doesn’t even want to begin to think about the implications about the fact that he was one of your friends. He can’t believe he’s set himself up for failure with such an incriminating question. Eren wishes he can crawl under the couch and wither away.

You bark out a breathy laugh, catching Eren’s steady gaze. You pretend to mull over the question a little longer, but eventually ask:

“You think Jean would be a good kisser?”

“Jean?” Jean? Out of all the people you could’ve chosen, you chose Jean?

Eren would have let it slide if it was anyone else— Armin, Mikasa, Connie— okay maybe not Connie. But Jean? Please. Catch him on another day, then maybe.

“Eren?” Oh shit. Has it been that long since he said something?

“Yeah?”

“Something wrong?”

“What? No. Everything’s fine. I’m fine,” he chokes out the last part. “And to answer your question— no, I don’t think Horseface would make a good kisser. I mean, look at him, he probably drools a lot when he does.”

“That’s rude, Eren.”

“I was just kidding,” Eren assures. A pause. “Half-kidding.”

You give him a non-committed nod and hum before cocking your head to the side. “How about you, ‘Ren?”

“Me? What about me?”

“Have you ever thought about kissing one of our friends?”

Eren chews his bottom lip in thought before nodding. “Yep,” he sighs, popping the “p.” He finds himself shutting down his laptop and getting up from his place on the floor, stretching out the kinks in his muscles. He chooses not to elaborate intentionally.

“Who have you thought about kissing?”

“Why do you wanna know?” He takes a step and plops down on the couch beside you, arms spread on the back of the couch. Your brain short-circuits when you feel his bicep flex at the nape of your neck. You take a deep breath.

“Because! It wouldn’t be fair if I told you and you didn’t tell me. Besides, you were the one that brought it up in the first place.”

“Mm, yeah,” he agrees, stretching beside you lackadaisically, having no regard for how much of your personal bubble he was taking up right now. “But ‘m tired. Maybe I’ll tell you some other time,” he yawns, leaning back on the couch as he closes his eyes.

You smack his chest lightly to grab his attention, trying to ignore how firm it felt beneath your touch. Your hand lingers there for a moment, and you can see the beginning of a smirk appear on Eren’s lips. His warm hand wraps around your wrist before you can pull away. His calloused hand feels slightly rough against your skin, but strong.

“Fine,” he sighs dramatically, guiding your palm to rest right above his heartbeat. He presses his hand on top of yours, enveloping it.

“You really wanna know?” When he opens his eyes, his viridian stare is glazed over, and the timbres of his voice sink an octave lower, sending tingles down your spine.

“You wanna know who I’ve been thinking about all this time?” He asks again, this time bringing his face just a feather’s width from yours. His breath tickles your lips, teasing you.

It’s always been a game of cat and mouse between the two of you. One always has to chase, and one always has to be chased. Yet neither of you have been caught. Perhaps, then, it should be likened to a game of ‘chicken.’ Always skirting around each other, politely. Lingering touches, stolen glances, secret memories for you two to share. Getting closer and closer to one another, but never actually reaching that point of impact. When it comes to that final moment, the endgame, both of you swerve away from each other.

You wonder how long it’s going to be this way. Eren’s gotten more and more insistent, and you can only keep your walls up for so long. How much longer were you going to ignore the obvious elephant in the room?

You and Eren, Eren and you.

What would it be like to just give in?

“I do.”

Those two words seal your fate. Eren doesn’t wait to close the gap between you two, pressing his lips against yours firmly. Your whole body feels like it’s on fire. Eren feels like the gasoline fueling your desire.

It’s you who pulls away first, feeling like you’ve had all the oxygen deprived from your lungs. Eren kisses you once, twice, three times before he gets sick of your fleeting taste in between. He guides you over his lap, your thighs on either side of his, straddling him.

You make a conscious effort not to sit on his hardening length that was slowly starting to press against the inside of your thigh, tantalizingly close to your liquid heat. Eren seems to have other plans as his hands grip your hips to sit you down.

Any attempts at self-preservation are thrown out the window the moment Eren feels your hips slot against his. You two just fit so perfectly together, he thinks, like you were made for each other. You were just so utterly intoxicating that it made Eren want to drown in you, for all of his senses to be filled with you. It’s here that he realizes what he feels for you encompasses so much more than just simple admiration, it was a type of longing that was enough to make a man feral when given even just a small taste.

He captures your lips once more, his tongue darting inside to mingle with your own as he grinds his cock against your clothed heat. He swallows your moans greedily, like a man dying of thirst.

“You like grinding on my cock like that, baby?”

Whatever you were going to say gets stuck in your throat as he bucks up roughly, hitting your clit directly. It’s all coming too fast, too hard— Eren has a way of making you lose yourself in the pleasure that you can’t even think. He has you falling apart and you two have barely even done anything.

“Yeah, fuck— that’s it, keep grinding that pretty pussy on me.”

The way you swivel your hips makes Eren’s head swim. He wants nothing more than to devour you, taste everything you have to offer. The hunger that’s been slowly consuming his being— his want, no— his need for you has unleashed itself in its entirety, and he lacks the self-restraint to keep it contained any longer. He wants everything you’re willing to give him. Your voice, your body, just you. As he rips off your shirt and your pants, leaving you hot and needy in your bra and panties, Eren thinks he’s officially in love with you.

With shaky, adrenaline filled hands, he unclasps your bra and tosses it aside, forgotten in some corner of his living room.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he sighs as he takes one nipple in his mouth, sucking and nipping purposefully. His other hand snakes up from its place on your hip to pinch the other one, areola hardening between his fingertips.

Your moans ricochet off the walls, filling the room with saccharine euphony that only deepens Eren’s desire for you. He drinks in every sound, filing it in a special place in his brain for future use. He finds himself getting closer and closer to his own release, and he can tell you are as well from the way your cries have become more incessant and whiny.

All at once, your delirium is quelled when Eren stops his ministrations. The look of confusion on your face makes Eren chuckle, but you can’t even find it in you to be embarrassed for being so desperate.

“What’s wrong, princess? Were you close?” He coos when you nod your head yes, giving you another searing kiss as a sort of consolation prize. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you feel good again.”

“I want to taste you, will you let me?”

“Taste me?”

“Mhm,” he hums, lowering himself down until he’s on the floor, in between your legs. You’re still in a similar position, but now you’re gripping the backrest of the sofa, knees sinking into the plush fabric on the cushions. “You’re so fucking wet. You’re dripping through your underwear.” To prove his point, Eren drags his pointer finger along your slit, using the pad of his fingertip to rub circles on your clit.

“C’mon,” you feel him nip at the meaty flesh of your thighs, then sucking hard enough that you know there’ll be bruises blossoming tomorrow. “Ask me to clean your sloppy little pussy up.”

“I- Eren, I can’t.” It’s too much, what he’s asking for. It’s so embarrassing that you don’t even want to think about it.

“Why not?” You can feel his hot breath fan against your quivering heat, drenched with desire for him. You subconsciously arch your back further, close to suffocating Eren between your thighs, which is exactly what he wants. “C’mon,” he insists, wrapping his arms around your thighs, pulling you down just a breath’s width away from his face, “ask me to eat you out. And make it pretty.”

It’s now or never. You want it so, so badly that you’re practically shaking with anticipation. You swallow your pride, and feel the shame rise up to your cheeks as you speak, voice barely above a whisper, “Eren, eat me out. Please?”

“Oh god,” you hear him groan breathlessly between your legs. “Yes, I’m gonna make you feel so fucking good, baby, ‘swear.”

Eren slides your panties, wet with your slick, down and off with ease. The cool air hitting your labia makes you jerk up a bit, making Eren growl with annoyance.

“Sit on my face,” he demands, sinking you back down. He’s far too strong for you to escape his grip, so you push down slowly until you’re lightly pressed against his face. He gives your clit a nice, sweet kiss, causing you to gasp from the sudden jolt of pleasure. He lets go with a wet ‘pop’ that reverberates around the room.

“C’mon princess,” he gives your thigh a reassuring squeeze. “You nervous or somethin’? I thought I told you to sit on my face.”

“I’m just,” you swallow thickly, trying to recollect your thoughts, “what if I suffocate you?”

Eren gives out a hearty chuckle, and you can feel it vibrate throughout your entire body. “I’m not gonna break. ‘Sides, I think I can die happy here. You just taste so damn sweet.” And as if to prove a point, he pulls you back down again, except this time without reservation. You sink down on his face completely. He licks up and down your slit, sucking on your clit. Eren’s tongue laps up all evidence of your arousal before wriggling itself inside your tight hole. His fingers replace his tongue, skillfully pressing up into that special spot that has you seeing stars. Your brain practically turns to mush. You start grinding down onto Eren’s face, knuckles turning white as you continue to grip the couch for support. The way you roll your hips has your clit rubbing perfectly against the bridge of Eren’s nose, causing your eyes to find purchase in the back of your skull.

Eren, on the other hand, can’t help the way his hips thrust up into the air with every squeeze of your thighs around his head. His cock was struggling against the confines of his pants, but even the slightest pressure was met with tremendous pleasure.

This was definitely going to be a lightbulb memory for him. Nothing, no one, could ever compare to this.

He doesn’t even want to stop for air.

“Oh god, Eren— don’t stop, please. I’m so fucking close,” you gasp.

He doesn’t stop. He moans as he sucks even harder and thrusts his fingers in and out even faster, the lewd sounds of your combined sin filling up his apartment.

You feel yourself begin to ascend to release, but you need some sort of anchor to ground you, to connect you even closer to the man underneath you. One of your hands snakes down in between your legs to grab at Eren’s brown locks. Your fingers twist against his scalp and you pull as you plateau, your juices being expelled each time your pussy spasms, effectively coating Eren’s face and hand.

The mix of pain and pleasure Eren feels from you pulling his hair is enough to send him over the edge, groaning and whimpering as hot, sticky cum coats the inside of his boxers. He continues to lap at your pussy, with less fervor this time, enjoying the way you tremble above him from overstimulation.

You both stay unmoving for a short while, panting as the two of you try to regain some semblance of composure. Eren taps at your thigh, signaling you to get up. You practically collapse on the couch, sighing as you stretch out the kinks in your muscles.

“Good?” He asks, bemused.

“Better than good, that was the best I’ve ever had,” you reply earnestly, sitting up with a newfound sense of determination. “Now, let me repay you.” You begin to get up before Eren shakes his head in the negative.

“You- uh, don’t have to.” Eren rubs the back of his neck, the tips of his ears slightly tinged with red.

Your eyes dart down and see the wet patch right below his waistband. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” he chuckles, bending over slightly to give you a kiss on the forehead. “Just means that I enjoyed it, and your pussy was that good.”

The post-orgasm clarity is in full effect now, and before you have a chance to gawk at his statement, Eren is already making his way out of the living room. “Stay there, I’ll be right back.”

He leaves for a split second before coming in a new pair of pants, with one of his shirts and a water bottle in hand.

“Arms up, c’mon.” You do as he says, and your senses are met with the smell of laundry detergent and Eren’s signature sandalwood scent as he puts his shirt on you. “Drink.”

He lays down, head resting against a throw pillow nestled against the arm of the couch before patting his abdomen, telling you to lay on top of him. You oblige, arms wrapping around his neck, and his finding their way around your waist instinctively.

“Eren— uh, my underwear?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he sighs contently, rubbing circles up and down your back. “You’re not going to need them.” You blanch and he laughs, one hand traveling up to grip your jaw so he can give you a kiss.

“And just for the record,” he pulls away a bit to brush some stray strands of hair out of your face, grinning widely. “I only wonder about kissing someone if I like them— in a romantic sense.”

Work belongs to @ryukatters. Please do not repost or share my work on Tiktok.

[mypoisonedvine]

claimed || alpha!Andy Barber x reader

summary: an interrogation with an alpha is no place to have an unexpected heat.

word count: 2.7k

warnings: smut (dub con; the reader goes into heat and can’t think clearly enough to say no), a/b/o dynamics, loss of virginity, mentions of misogyny/discrimination against omegas, vague noncon and violence references, kinda housewife kink, possessiveness, breeding kink, praise, overstimulation, knotting, slight bondage (reader is handcuffed), slight pain kink, implied/subtle age gap, pregnancy mention at the end, kinda soft!dark andy but he's really not that dark

"This would be a lot easier for both of us if you started telling the truth."

You chewed your lip, looking away from the man across from you; it was impossible to keep eye contact when his gaze bore into you like that, when he gave you that stern, dominating look.

Andy Barber was so obviously an alpha, he was one of those types that just reeked of it. Figuratively— with the way he towered over you, his masculine body and strong features— but also literally considering his scent was filling the room now: pine, cinnamon, sage, and something a little bit sweet that made your mouth water.

It made sense for an alpha like him to have a high-powered, high-pressure career like this; he probably got a real kick out of squeezing information out of scared betas who couldn’t stand up to him.

And that was the role you were going to play now, because he was wrong: it would not be easier if you told the truth. If he knew what you really were, you’d be doomed.

You’d been hiding successfully as a beta for a long time by now, and you weren’t about to give it up now, even if it would likely have the charges against you dismissed. Omegas lived sheltered, oppressed lives; sought constantly by alphas, they had their pick of the finest since omegas were so rare, but until mated they were extremely vulnerable— and afterwards they were usually made to be subservient housewives, constantly bearing children as a consequence of their extreme fertility.

Maybe some omegas were okay with that, plenty probably loved that lifestyle since it was sort of the instinctual habit of an omega by nature, but not you. Never you. You wanted a life, a real life, your own life as more than an alpha’s mate. Thankfully you’d found the right mix of suppressants and perfumes to hide your scent, the right work schedule so you could always be home for your rare heats, and voila: to the rest of the world, you were a beta.

Being a beta meant being unnoticed, unacknowledged, never pursued and never courted. And that was exactly how you wanted it.

If Andy Barber knew that the man you’d stabbed was an alpha trying to force himself on you, there was a chance he would understand that it was self-defense and let you go. Then again, a lot of alphas seemed to think that being forced to mate was just par for the course for an omega; surely Andy wouldn’t be one of those types, as a man of the law, right?

“I can’t,” you finally answered.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” he assured, some of his anger shifting to a soothing tone. It really did calm you down; he must have been using his ‘alpha voice’ on you, and the fact that it worked should’ve been a red flag but you didn’t notice. “Let’s start from the beginning. You said you were at home but no one has confirmed your alibi. You said you didn’t know the victim but you obviously reacted when I showed you his picture. And, you said you weren’t there at the time of the murder but we found your DNA on the body.”

A little smile pulled at the corner of your lips, exactly not the reaction Andy had been expecting. “You’re lying,” you whispered.

He tensed up as you called his bluff. The DNA found at the scene was in the process of being analysed, sure, but it would be weeks until the results came back. “How can you be so sure?” he pressed.

“Because I.  Wasn’t. There,” you hissed, glaring back at him; he shook his head solemnly..

“No, that’s not it. I can tell when you’re lying, too, you know,” he warned.  “Tell me how you know I don’t have your DNA at the scene?”

“Because… because…” you breathed, blinking a few times as the room started to get warmer. Your head was spinning, your thighs clenched together— and when Andy reached out to rest his hand on yours and ask if you were alright, his touch sent it all into overdrive.

No, no, it wasn't your time yet. It shouldn't have come for a few more days, and you’d arranged to be bailed out tomorrow so you’d go into your cycle safely at home and not in jail. But now it was beginning and you had no way to stop it. Had the smell of an alpha really been enough to start your heat early?

Andy watched you start to pant and sweat with a furrowed brow, unsure what he was witnessing because he’d never had the opportunity to see it before. His ex-wife had been a beta, he'd never even met an omega before— they were quite rare after all.

But what he lacked in experience, he made up for in instinct; his body told him everything he needed to know about what he was seeing. “Omega,” he growled lowly, watching your whole body erupt into shivers at the timbre of his voice.

As far as alphas go, Andy was relatively level-headed, not as preoccupied with instinctual desires to dominate, to claim, to impregnate. A lot of alphas viewed mating with a beta as settling, although it was the much more likely outcome, statistically speaking. Andy, though, never really saw it that way, even knowing how much harder it would be to have a child with a beta. Their fertility was significantly weaker, both the males and the females, and Jacob was the product of years of trying; in all their marriage him and Laurie had never used any contraceptives and she only got pregnant the once.

But an omega? Especially a young one like you? He could knock you up right now, if he wanted. That power was intoxicating. It was exactly what he never knew he needed so badly.

“I don’t need the results of your DNA to know what you are,” he explained firmly. “I can’t believe I didn’t know before— you must have tried really hard to keep it a secret, little one. You must be so afraid of who you are… and who I am, for that matter.  It must scare you to imagine what I could do to you.”

You whimpered, the noise tugging his heart in conflicting directions; to comfort you, or to make you do it again.

“I’m not going to hurt you, if that’s what you think,” he assured. “Not if I can help it…”

Honestly, he wasn’t so sure he would be able to help it; he felt his own sanity slipping as he watched you writhe and cry, instinct overtaking logic in the both of you.

"Alpha, please," you shuddered, the title making his cock harden instantly, uncomfortably filling the trousers of his suit.

"You smell so good," he purred, taking his jacket off as he stood up to cool off a bit. "I can smell your heat, Omega. I bet everyone in the building can—” he glanced to the locked door— “but I'm the only one here."

"Need you," you whined, tugging on the handcuffs that kept you bound to the table.

"Stand up, bend over," he commanded, and he'd barely finished speaking when you'd already done it, bent at the hips with your forearms resting on the table as you waited for him. "Good girl."

He rolled up his sleeves and took his place behind you, caging his body in with yours, nuzzling into your neck to get a deep breath of your scent.

"Fuck, so sweet," he groaned. "Waited so long for this. To feel an Omega on my cock. Never thought it would really happen. Has an Alpha ever taken you before?"

"No, I never… no."

"Not just unclaimed but a virgin. Christ, am I dreaming?"

But he was too far gone to take any more time to appreciate his luck— he needed you now, and he was taking you all for himself.

If he wasn't so overcome with need he wouldn't have thought to tear your clothes off, but now he didn't even think to question the idea, shedding you of your clothes like they were made of paper until you were completely exposed to him, your wet core vulnerable while another wave of your sweet scent filled the room.

"Look at all this," he grinned, kneeling down to lap at your folds and taste your slick. Your eyes rolled back in your head, your channel craving to be filled. "All for me, Omega?"

"Yours, it's all yours…"

"Doesn't it feel good to be claimed, little one? To be owned?"

"S-so good," you agreed. "Want your knot, Alpha. Want your mark."

A growl echoed in his chest when you said that, and he craved nothing more than to bite your neck and bond you to him for life.

But, it would be better if he saved that for a little later.

He stood up again and gave your ass a quick slap— nothing too rough, just enough to make you yelp all cute and whiny— before grabbing your hips to pull them back into his. You gasped and pushed back onto him, shamelessly rubbing yourself against the thick outline of his cock.

"Gonna make a mess on me with all that slick, Omega," he growled, but it was by no means discouragement.

"Want it in me, please," you sobbed. Unable to resist your begging anymore, he hastily opened his belt and fly, sighing with relief when he wrapped his hand around his cock and pulled it out. Your whole body visibly quaked when he swiped the swollen head through your folds, coating himself in your plentiful arousal.

Without any further warning, he pushed his cock in with a loud moan, a cry tearing from your throat as he tore into your body. "Shh," he soothed as his fingers rubbed your spine, "that's my girl, that's my pretty Omega."

But pain wasn't really your issue; it hurt, yes, but what made you cry was that you were already on the edge, about to come from hardly anything. When he thrusted once, you lost it and your legs quivered as a new wave of slick started to dribble down them.

"Are you coming?" he asked darkly.

You could only nod, biting your lip to try to keep from moaning too loudly.

"Oh my god…" he groaned, amazed at how sensitive you were. Clearly he wasn't the only one realizing how powerful and incredible it could be when an alpha and omega mated.

He started to really pound into you then, each brutal thrust knocking you forward.

"Feels good when you come for me, Omega. Do it again."

You couldn't help yourself; his voice had complete control over your body, his words a command you were helpless to resist. With a broken whimper you came again, walls squeezing his cock in a weak and stuttered rhythm.

"It's better than they say it is. Even better than I imagined. So fucking good," he sighed. It felt so right, that was the thing. It felt like your body was made to be claimed and owned by him.

"Want your knot," you whined, "please, Alpha—"

"If I give you my knot, you're mine. My Omega. You will never allow another Alpha to touch you. You will not speak to another Alpha, look at another Alpha, even Betas are off-limits. When I bite you, you'll be bonded to me and become my wife, you'll never disobey me or leave me. When I knot you, you'll give me a child. Is all of that perfectly clear?"

It was everything you'd wanted to avoid just an hour ago. Now it was your greatest dream come true. "Yes, Alpha. Yours, Alpha."

"Want to be bred, Omega? Bred by your Alpha?"

"Please!" you sobbed.

"Then keep coming and I'll let you have it soon," he promised. "I'll give you all my come like you need so badly."

You whimpered as your walls seemed to try to suck him in deeper, gripping him so tight that it made his head spin. Orgasm after orgasm washed over you, too many and too numb to count, each part of you slowly stripped away and replaced with pure, all-consuming pleasure.

The base of his cock began to swell and you mewled proudly— that is, until, it just kept growing and you couldn't imagine taking anymore.

"P-pull it out," you begged instead.

"I told you that you would take my knot, was I not clear?"

But you hadn't realized how big it would get, how far it would stretch you— and it was still going. "It hurts, Alpha, please!"

"You'll get used to it, gonna keep it in you all night and give it to you every day so you'll have plenty of practice. Take my fucking knot while I come inside you and breed your cunt."

When his knot finally grew to its full potential, streams of hot come began to fill you, deeper than you had ever imagined possible. It was overwhelming, apparently unending, and one final orgasm rocked your body as you milked his cock for all it was worth.

He wrapped his arms around your body, holding you close and soothing you as you shivered and cried, his kisses trailing up your shoulder to your neck where, finally, he sunk his teeth into your skin and left his mark on you.

Your walls quivered around him at the feeling of being claimed, mated for life. In that moment you didn't notice or care that it was to a man you barely knew; he was your Alpha now, that was all that mattered.

He kissed and licked over the sensitive bitemark, whispering praises your ringing ears couldn't quite process yet.

At least you were getting bailed out a day early.

//

Andy kept his promise about exactly how owned you would be. For the first few months you didn't even leave the house, he was too busy filling you with his cock every day. Although he was happy to claim you anywhere he happened to find you— the shower where he hopped in randomly, the kitchen where he bent you over the counter, the living room where he pinned you onto the couch— his favorite place was the bed. It was rougher and more animalistic in the other places, but in bed he was possessive in an entirely different way.

"My wife, my sweet little wife," he whispered in your ear as he slowly thrust all the way into you, making your back arch until your chest pushed against his. "My Omega. All mine."

"Yours," you agreed.

The protectiveness increased tenfold when your scent changed during pregnancy, even more when you started showing; he was obsessed with the way you looked full of his baby.

As for you, omega life was better than you'd expected. At times you felt smothered by him, but simultaneously you felt worshipped and loved like you never thought you could deserve. He certainly spoiled you, though he expected your unwavering loyalty in return.

That part was easy, though. Love, not fear, kept you in check when other alphas had a wandering eye. They knew you were mated, the bitemark scar (which Andy never, ever let you cover) and ring (which Andy never, ever let you take off) were sign enough along with the change in your scent to them. Occasionally one would shoot his shot and get unilaterally rejected by you before getting his ass kicked by your husband. If only they knew what you'd done to the last alpha that tried to creep on you; how you met Andy in the first place.

In the end, maybe it wasn't so bad to fall into your instincts, your natural role in society. Andy sure made it pretty enjoyable with the way he brought you to the height of pleasure over and over every night. "Mine," he promised you in deep whispers, "from the moment I saw you."

[thedarkplume]

Hey, guys I hope everyone's day is going spectacular! As you all know, today is Chris Evans 40th birthday!! I wanted to do something special for such a special day. Thus, I have compiled a list of my absolute favorite stories written for Chris Evans's characters.

Be advised, however, some of these are dubious consent, non-con, daddy kink, spitting, squirting, oral m/f receiving, creampie, anal, and all other manner of kinks I did not realize I enjoyed until joining the site.

It took me a very long time to compile this list and I may have to do some for Sebastian Stan later since some people want to cancel him. But we're not going to talk about that right now.

Here is a list of some of my absolute favorite Chris Evans stories in no particular order.

Golden Boy (Dark!Steve Rogers) - @angrythingstarlight

What sets this one apart from the rest of her stories, is that there's a deep resentment from Steve to Bucky in the very beginning of their friendship.

What The King Has (Soft!Dark Steve Rogers) - @sincerelythedarkside

I just read this one this morning. This was sooo good guys!

Hidden Solace (Andy Barber) - @ozarkthedog

This was difficult. I kept thinking I'd pick Reparations or Cock Worship, but Andy being a little touch starved did it for me.

Burning Desire (Andy, Steve & Ransom as Triplets) - @sinner-as-saint

She really gives you the best of 3 worlds here!

Ticking Clock (Dark!Andy Barber) - @syntheticavenger

Another tough choice. Synth comes straight for your heart and vagina, and you'll love her for it!

Stealth (Steve Rogers) - @afriendlyblackhottie

I may have bitten off more than I can chew, guys! It's so hard picking just one because there's nothing she's written that I can say is not one of my favorites. I'm telling you, get some wine or your favorite drink (alcoholic or not), put your feet up, and enjoy this lovely lady's artistry!

Back Rooms (punk!Me from Playing It Cool) - @fineanddandy

Not only did she use the fabulous @nix-akimbo edit for this one, but she makes you question if loyalty to a friend is worth walking away from a guy that genuinely wants you.

A Different Kind of Love (Alpha!Andy & Beta!Jake) - @river-soul

Can you imagine having both Jake and Andy in an A/B/O world? Read this story and you won't have to imagine!

Wear Me Down (Ari Levinson) - @navybrat817

Her fight is commendable, but you can't fight fate!

The Valentine's Cock Up (Steve Rogers) - @drabblewithfrannybarnes

God, this makes me laugh just thinking about it!

Original Sin (Dark!Bryce Langley) - @stargazingfangirl18

This had to be my hardest pick yet. What can I say about this ridiculously talented author? She made me lust over Robert Pronge which I promise was not an easy feat. I went kicking and screaming, but I'm here. Honorable Mention to her latest series Necessary Arrangements & Devil's Advocate.

Good Little Wife (Soft!Dark!Mob!Andy Barber) - @donutloverxo

All of her stories have a sort of soft and gentle reader that the men trip over themselves to take care of. I love it!

Goodbye Again (Endgame!Steve Rogers & Avengers!Steve Rogers) - @sweetlyscared

I can go on all day about how much I love this story! The emotions, the love, the loss, gah!!! I'll never not reblog this story.

Snowed In (Ransom Drysdale) - @the-iceni-bitch

Another author who has me lusting over Robert Pronge! I love her Ransom stories, beginning with Snowed In, because while he's still an ass, his girl gives it back just as easily.

Renewing Vows (Dark!Steve Rogers) - @gotnofucks

Dibs is one of my favorite authors. She's one of the few authors on this site that when you read her stories, especially the dark ones, you feel the obsession and single-minded desire to possess you no matter the circumstances. I love how she incorporates her culture in some of her stories as well, particularly the Happily Ever After series. You know it's wrong, but seeing the Avengers in their desi apparel still makes me go, "aww! They really want to make her feel welcomed!" P.S. I really, really came close to choosing Murder at the Whorehouse!

Dark Assassin (Dark!Silverfox!Steve Rogers) - @kleohoneyao3

It took me forever to find this story again. I've always been attracted to older men, but Silverfox!Steve is the goat! My second favorite is Of the Earth.

Little Red series (Steve/Curtis/Andy/Ransom/Johnny) - @autumnrose40

This proud Omega always gives you the best C. Evans characters stories. And she's not afraid to push boundaries with different species(werewolves, mermen, octogods, etc). I'm always so happy to see she's posted something.

Creamsicle (Robert Pronge & Dark!Andy Barber) - @sapphirescrolls

I don't think I need to list Robert as dark, do I??? While she has a cornucopia of dark writings, this is my favorite!

I Have Questions (Steve Rogers) - @royallyprincesslilly

Accidentally dirty-talking Steve Rogers? Hell yeah!

Unhappily Married (Dark!Steve Rogers) - @cherienymphe

This is a wonderfully talented dark writer. I almost chose Twice Bitten several times because (1) she writes vampires the way they're meant to be written, and (2) Steve is so unapologetically hot and cold with the reader it makes me weep. But I do love kids (set in fiction only) and poor Nathan needs a real mother!

Hirsute (Werewolf!Andy Barber) - @avintagekiss24

Whew! This was tough. I literally love all her stories, particularly Blue Ocean Floor and her latest, 'with the weight of the world at the tips of my fingers.' There's a sleek elegance to her writing that is unmatched.

Let Me Teach You (Jake Jensen) - @vannybarber

Jake Jensen does not get enough love. Luckily, he's starting to come up. This writer gives him all the love and appreciation he deserves with this story.

Tell Me You Love Me (Steve Rogers) - @lotusss-flowerbomb

We all have pasts, but if you're going to let your co-workers get drunk around your girl, give her a heads up that you may or may not have hooked up with the gorgeous red-haired spy. Loved this so much!!

Mr. and Mrs. Ari Levinson Invite You to...the Worst Wedding. Ever. (Mob!Ari Levinson) - @caffiend-queen

I've never seen Ari written like this. He's wild and crazy and utterly addicted to his new little wife.

I loved everything about this wedding, especially the author letting us see the different Jewish wedding traditions. If you didn't love Ari before this story, you will after this story!

This was fun you guys! And it gives me a point of reference in case I once again lose some of the stories listed here.

As an added bonus, here are some of my favorite @nix-akimbo edits:

[xmyshya]

You're my star shining on me now

summary: Suna Rintarou is flooded with memories on your 2nd wedding anniversary. genre: heavy angst warnings: heavy angst, mentions of d*ath, mentions of s*icide MINORS DNI betas: @haikyooot thank you so much, love you special thanks: to @haikyooot again for helping me with making it hurt even more. to @kurinoot and @miki-snake for the help with the banner. a/n: This is a work of fiction. Do not recreate any of the behaviours presented in it. If you're in a bad place mentally please, please, please, seek help. Fic is part of the rintarhoes "But my feelings" collab! You can find the masterlist here wc: 2k

“Hey baby,” Suna Rintarō says as he sits down beside you.

He’s met with silence.

“I brought you flowers, your favourites. I can’t believe it’s our 2nd anniversary already.”

Still nothing.

“Baby girl, would you let me talk for a while?”

There’s no reaction, but he knows you can hear him. He hopes you’re listening too.

“Remember when we met in high school? I thought you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. You were…”

...surrounded by the astral halo. That’s how Suna saw you for the first time. One day on a lunch break, when he was eating with the twins, you entered the cafeteria with your classmates; your smile was brighter than the sun itself, and your whole figure, surrounded by a silver aura, blackened out everything around. Suna’s hand froze halfway to his lips, a cluster of rice forgotten between the chopsticks, and Osamu made fun of him for it.

“Oi, Sunarin, ya okay?”

“I think I just saw an angel,” he mumbled, eyes still focused on you.

“Suna, doncha dare follow the light!” Atsumu exclaimed a little too loud, earning a kick on his shin from his brother.

That’s when you looked back at him, at the source of the noise, and nodded; you acknowledged his existence. And until that moment he had laughed at all the romcoms and deemed them unrealistic, mocked all the people who ever claimed, “it was love at first sight”.

Because at that moment, he felt it—the electric impulse that defibrillated his heart and made it beat for real, the heat spreading throughout his veins like a wildfire, the tremble of his body as if he was a leaf moved by a wind—Suna fell in love for the first time in his life.

“Listen baby, I know I’m not good with words. I’ve never been good with words. But please, bear with me, okay?”

Suna takes a deep breath before continuing.

“God, it took me so long to ask you out. It wouldn’t have happened if not for the twins. They were always idiots, but for this I will always be grateful to them. For getting us together.”

“Suna, how long are ya gonna just watch her, huh?”

Atsumu had a nasty habit of talking with his mouth full, of chewing with his mouth open, and it irritated Suna to no end. He only shrugged in response to the question.

It was a warm, spring day; many students went outside to eat their lunches. The boys were seated in the shade of a big tree, right across your bench. You’d been exchanging nods, and smiles, and hellos for a while now, but never more.

“He’s right, yanno. ‘S kinda painful to watch.” Osamu chimed in.

“Nobody asked you.” Why did they even care so much? It was not their business.

“Right… ‘Kay, ‘m gonna be back in a sec.”

The blond stood up with a loud slap on his thighs, and Suna looked at him for the first time during their break.

“Where the hell are you going?” he asked, but Atsumu only waved him off.

Suna watched his friend approach your group, saw how your friends giggled at whatever he had said, and his heart clenched. What if you were interested in the bleached twin too? You didn’t titter at him, but still listened with your eyes focused on the speaker.

But then Atsumu pointed his thumb at where Suna and Osamu were sitting, your gaze followed and fell on him, and his heart threatened to jump out of his ribcage. You smiled and nodded, and the blond waved at the two boys triumphantly for them to come.

“H-hi, I’m Suna Rintarō.” He muttered under his breath; he’d never been shy, just quiet, but you were there smiling so pretty, that he couldn’t help but feel humbled.

“Nice to meet you, Suna-san. I’m Y/n.”

Suna smiles fondly at the memory, certain that you can’t see the wetness gathering in his eyes. Or maybe you can, because you’ve always been able to read him like an open book.

“I’m getting sappy, I know. I swore I would never, but I just—”

He closes his eyes and sighs, there’s still so much he wants to tell you. And you’re waiting patiently for him to regain some composure, your lack of reaction strangely encourages him more.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, I’ve been insufferable sometimes. I acted like I didn’t care, I hurt and annoyed you, but even when you shout at me, you’re the only one I want. You’re the only one I’ll ever want.”

Suna was tired. He got recruited to EJP Raijins, had to move to another prefecture, but you were there with him, for him.

The apartment you lived in was tiny, and neither of you had expected anything more as you had just started your adult lives. But it was fine, it only meant that the love you shared was more condensed between the walls.

It also meant that there was nowhere to hide when Suna was too tired. He had been away for 2 weeks for practice, meaning 2 weeks surrounded by people all. the. time. His body ached from all the training and his mind buzzed from the constant chatter; he just wanted to be alone for a moment, to sit in silence and recharge.

“Rin! You’re back!”

Your voice welcomed him as soon as he opened the door, your arms open wide for him. He hugged you with a pat on your back, pulled away quickly with a kiss to your temple.

“I missed you, Rin.”

“Yeah.”

If you were hurt by his lack of affection, you didn’t show it. Or maybe he just failed to see it. Most probably the latter, since he locked himself in the bathroom.

“You okay, baby?”

“Yeah.”

Silence. He should have been worried, he should have thought twice, he should have communicated, but he didn’t. After eternity under the shower and still in his frustrated bubble, Suna left the bathroom, right back to your nagging.

“You don’t look okay, Rin.”

“Yeah.” And with that he disappeared in the tiny bedroom; you followed.

“Rin, talk to me.”

Silence.

“Rin? Are you listening to me?”

Your voice was so gentle, so worried. He didn’t know why it angered him so much, he didn’t know why it made him storm out the door with a “leave me the fuck alone”.

He did know, however, that he fucked up badly. Suna came back to a quiet home, scared that you left him. But when he entered the bedroom, you were still there, curled up and shivering. So he lied down and embraced you, whispering “I’m sorry”s into your skin.

“You can’t do that to me, Rin.”

“I know.”

“You need to tell me what you need, how am I supposed to know?”

“I know.”

“I missed you, Rin.”

“I missed you too, baby. So fucking much.”

Suna suddenly remembers something and reaches to his pocket where a small box resides. He pulls a ring out of it and rolls it between his fingers for a moment before speaking again.

“Damn, I still can’t believe you stayed with me. Married me. I was so nervous when I was looking for a ring, good thing Osamu was with me. But in the end I knew. As soon as I saw this one, I knew this was the one. And I prayed you’d say yes.”

It’d been a few hours of walking in and out of all the jewellery stores in the city and Osamu was getting impatient.

“Suna, do ya even know what yer lookin’ for?”

The man in question shook his head, still hunched over the cabinet at yet another shop. His friend sighed. Suna was frustrated too. All the rings looked the same, why even make so many brands if they were all the same?

But just as they were leaving, Suna saw it in his peripheral vision. It was illogical, because how could he see something so small from that distance, but he did. The ring had a tiny stone shaped like a star, with even tinier stones surrounding it like a halo. Just like when he’d seen you for the first time.

“This one.”

-----

He really wanted it to be perfect. Just the two of you in a nice restaurant, preferably located on a roof of some tall building, with both of you dressed up. He would tell you how beautiful you were, that the view didn’t compare, and the intensity of your blush would rival your lipstick.

But life had other plans, because perfect would be boring, right?

The twins were staying over to celebrate Osamu opening a branch restaurant in Nagano, and they were never a good combination with lots of food and alcohol. The laughter and lively chatter echoed between the walls, playful banter only made the decibels rise.

Atsumu, in his tipsy state, gesticulated wildly at his brother, trying to prove some point. One of his hands knocked a glass off the table; the whole content landed on your shirt. The blond started apologising profusely.

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I’ll just go get changed.”

In retrospection, he sucked at hiding things. Because just one minute later you came back to the group holding a small velvety box. Opened.

“Rin? What is this? I-it fell from the shelf when I— when I reached for your shirt.”

You stared at him with eyes wide open.

“Marry me?”

And somehow it was still perfect.

“And soon after, I got you to say yes for the second time. How lucky I am!”

Suna couldn’t wait for that day to come, couldn’t wait to see you in a white dress. He knew it would be special, that you would be more beautiful than ever before. But he wasn’t ready for this.

He wasn’t ready for the rapid beating of his heart when you stood at the opposite end of the aisle. He wasn’t ready for the butterflies in his stomach to go wild when the music started playing and you smiled. He wasn’t ready for the happiness bubbling up his throat when you walked towards him. And finally, he wasn’t ready for the tears to fall when he slid another ring on your finger.

Somewhere at the edge of his awareness Suna knew there were other people at the reception, but he didn’t care. Not when he had you in his arms, smiling so sweetly and lovingly at him; not when he swayed with you to one of your favourite songs; not when his angel was finally, truly his.

“I love you. So much.”

“I love you too, Rin.”

“You know, the first year of our married life was the happiest time of my life. It was as if my dreams came true, my prayers were heard, I could’ve conquered the whole world if I wanted. I would’ve climbed the highest mountain, would’ve circled the globe twice, would’ve crossed any desert, if I held your hand.

So why, why didn’t I pick you up for our first anniversary date? Why was I waiting for you to arrive, in that damn restaurant, in the warmth and safety?”

Suna’s tears are flowing endlessly as he chokes on his words.

“Why did that fucker have to be drunk? Why instead of your voice I had to hear that of policemen and doctors? Why did I have to wait behind the glass when they were trying to push life back into you?!”

His body is trembling from the violent sobs.

“I can’t do this. It’s been a year, this nightmare has been going on for a whole year. I love you my angel, my starlight. I will always love you, and only you.”

Suna gets up from the bench to lay down the flowers on your grave and kisses the top of the gravestone lovingly, as if it were your forehead—the cold granite that buried his dead heart along with you. Then he lifts the ring up to the sky, the stone catches the sun rays and scatters little rainbows.

“Wait for me, my angel. Soon I’ll ask you to be mine again.”

[ghost-ghost-baby]

Bad habits (alpha!shoto x omega!reader x alpha!izuku poly imagine)

Warnings: self harm (cutting) mentioned, nothing too graphic tho, swearing, angst, hurt and comfort??? Omegaverse, reader tries to b sneaky, it doesn’t work, Shoto and deku know this bitch too well, protectiveness?? Shoto is had in a crisis, Izuku's hero complex goes bbbbrrrr

Summary: reader does a big sh relapse Nd tries to hide it from their mates,,,,, it does not work!

Word count: 1.1k

Not proof read (if u wanna beta for me pls hmu I hate editing)

You were going to meet your mates after work, something you’d been looking forward to all day. Your mental health hadn’t been the greatest lately, in fact it was probably worse than it had been in years, and you’d fallen back into more unsavoury habits to deal with it. But that wasn’t the point! You were seeing your mates! It didn’t matter that you were tired, or that your thighs stung with every step, you were seeing them! The three of you met outside your apartment, Izuku jumping up and down with excitement the second you came into view, and the alpha ran to you when you were a couple of feet away, Shoto telling him to be careful as he followed. Izuku wasn’t careful, your thighs collided with his as your alpha swept you up into a hug, and you had to bury your face in his neck to stop yourself whimpering. It was fine, you were fine.

“Y/n, I missed you! You haven’t been texting me as much, are you okay?” Izuku set you down so he could pepper your face with kisses, and you whined at him until he pressed a kiss to your lips. Then Shoto caught up to the two of you, and he frowned at you until you pulled away from Izuku to greet him.

“Sho! Missed you!” You held your arms out for a hug, and Shoto quickly pulled you to him, pressing a kiss to your forehead before he rested his chin on the top of your head, and his eyes fixed on Izuku. Izuku nodded, grabbing your key out of your bag and unlocking the door, with Shoto carrying you in a moment later.

The lock clicked into place and Shoto gently set you down, him and Izuku both turning to face you, and you felt your anxiety kick back in.

“You smell like blood, why?” Shoto’s deadpan tone didn’t match the concern that laced his face, and you let out a nervous laugh as you reached up to scratch the back of your neck. Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck fuck. You had to come up with some kind of excuse!

“It’s uh- just that time… of the month?” You couldn’t meet their eyes, and Shoto just let out a disappointed sigh that cut right through you.

“Y/n, we can tell when you’re lying!” Izuku crossed his arms over his chest, and their stares made it even harder to come up with an excuse.

“Okay- yeah- but only because it’s nothing to worry about! I was just cooking earlier and I accidentally sliced my finger!” You bit your lip as you waited for a response. Technically you weren’t meant to cook, your mates insisted you could get hurt, so maybe that would be enough to distract them-

“Funny, your scent still smells the way it does when you’re lying.”

“Yeah! And your hands are completely uninjured, tell us the truth, Y/n, please!” Izuku grabbed your hands and you winced when he stepped closer, automatically shifting from foot to foot, completely forgetting why you had to be careful until-

Your jeans rubbed too much on your thighs, and horror shot through you when you realised the cuts had reopened, and judging by the scared look on your mates faces, the jig was up.

“Y/n… what happened? Was there a villain attack? Did someone hurt you?” Izuku had tears in his eyes now, and your own gaze darted between him and Shoto before you finally had the guts to speak.

“F-Funny story, actually! You remember that uh- habit I had when the three of us first started- started courting?” Izuku’s grip on your hands tightened at your words, and the temperature in the room dropped as Shoto’s quirk acted up like it always did when this topic came up. “I may have uh- accidentally- fallen… back… into it… kinda…”

“Go- go to the bathroom, now! Shoto, get your quirk under- under control before you follow us, Y/n is already stressed and they can’t be worrying about calming you down as well.” Izuku went right into hero mode, the alpha turning you around and all but marching you to the bathroom, lifting you to sit on the counter when you reached it.

“Pants off.”

“I-Izuku! That’s so-“ You stuttered, only to be interrupted when your alpha growled.

“Pants off. Now. I- I need to see how bad it is and- and make sure it’s dressed properly.” Izuku’s scent was overwhelming, quickly filling the room and suddenly you were just… too tired to fight about it.

“I- okay…” you quickly undid the buttons on your jeans, carefully pulling the garment down over your hips and thighs, and quickly covering as much of yourself as you could with your shirt while Izuku finished pulling them off, and you pouted when he just dumped them on the floor. You chewed on your bottom lip as Izuku surveyed the damage, most of your thighs were covered in the flat, light scars you’d had for years, but the part closer to your hip was covered in wounds ranging from two weeks old to from just the day before, the fresh ones oozing blood at a rather leisurely pace.

“This has- has been going on for a while, you didn’t- say- say anything?” Izuku busied himself grabbing the disinfectant and bandages, and you could only shrug and avoid his eyes.

“Y/n, he asked you a question.” Shoto’s voice startled you so bad you jumped, accidentally kicking Izuku from where he was trying to clean your injuries, and he couldn’t help but let out a growl at the impact.

“Sorry, Zuku, and I don’t know I just… didn’t wanna bother you guys, ya know? You’ve been working really hard and- and it was just meant to be- a one time thing.” Your words came out strained as the sting from the disinfectant kicked in, and both your alpha’s winced when your scent took on the sour tone that meant you were in distress.

“I know, baby, I know, you’re doing so good!” Izuku cooed, leaning forward to kiss you before he got back to his task. “Relapse is- is a normal and expected part of- of recovery! And- And it doesn’t take away from your- your progress! But Y/n, we’re your mates, you need to tell us if you’re feeling down, at least, okay?”

“We could have a code word, if that’s easier?” Shoto finally piped up, and you nodded in response, relaxing as Izuku applied gauze to your thighs, at least the pressure got rid of the sting from the antiseptic.

“See, Y/n? We’d never be mad at you for something like this, we just wanna help you.” Izuku pulled you into a hug once he was finally satisfied that you were taken care of, and you just let your head rest on his shoulder, arms loosely wrapping around his waist as he carried you back to your room, and you smiled when you realised Shoto had already set everything up for your movie night. You really were lucky, huh?

[iamjungkooked]

Until My Last Breath

↳Pairing: Jungkook x female reader

↳Genre: Smut (mild), Romance, Angst

↳Word count: 13.4k

↳Warnings: swearing, mild oral sex (f receiving), way too much making out, grinding (sort of?), mention of death. More than all of this Jeongguk is just fucking delicious in this fic (that’s the biggest warning i can give you)

↳Rating: 18+ (Don’t read if you are underage)

↳AU: werewolf! Jungkook + human OC

↳Summary: Sporting an undercut and tattoos Jeon Jungkook waltzes back in your life after 5 years of being away. You think you know him– and just when you think you have gotten close, he reveals a secret (or two). Following this, is a series of trials and tribulations that concludes in a way you never expect.

(Alternatively: the one where Jungkook creates a mess out of you)

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Your hands hurt from holding the grocery bags. Mrs. Jeon did offer her help but you refused because she has so much to do. If anything Jimin should have accompanied you considering that he’s always going on about how he’d marry you if he could.

Alas, he wasn’t there either because being the beta of the pack meant he had to run morning training and education with the younger children since Jungkook wasn’t there. Generally this was something the alpha of the pack would do-- but Mr. Jeon was busy with the politics of the werewolf and human world. Had Jungkook been here he would have been running the session seeing as he is next in line to be alpha of the pack. But he was miles away on the other side of the country. He has been for five years and truth be told you can’t even remember what his face looks like anymore.

With thoughts such as that the only accompaniment, you march along with as much energy you can muster at each step. The house comes into view. Once again with no other company but your own to entertain yourself you take a drip down memory lane. You remember the awe you first felt when Mr. Jeon brought you to the house. Your father had just passed away while on a drug raid. Mr. Jeon being his best friend brought you with him.

In the early days, the entire family tried to hide their secret. But then on a full moon, you curiously followed Jungkook out and watched as he transformed from man into a beast. Initially, you wanted to scream with horror, but the air got stuck in your throat when he began approaching you. Rooted to the spot and with no escape, Jungkook-- rather his wolf form nuzzled his nose against your neck and whimpered. The fear was gone just like that. All night long, you accompanied him, roaming the forest behind the house getting into all sorts of trouble. When the effect of the full moon began to fade during the early hours of the morning you remember sneaking back into the house and rummaging through his room to get him clothes for when he transformed back.

You kick the giant black gate open and walk down the cemented pathway flanked on either side by lawns outlined with a variety of flowers. To your left was the gazebo that Mr. Jeon built when you were sixteen as a birthday present because that happened to be your obsession at the time.

As the foyer nears, you see a huge commotion outside. It seemed everyone and their mother was present. With urgency in your steps only worsened by curiosity, you reach in no time. You stand on your tiptoes to get a view of what was happening, however, the five grocery bags in your hands weigh you down.

Momentarily the crowd parts. You see the outline of a face that isn’t recognizable-- the hoodie covering half the profile.

“What is going on?” you gather the courage to speak loudly against the chatter of the crowd.

It is loud enough to get the talking to stop and everyone turns to you, including the mysterious stranger.

He pulls his hoodie down.

The grocery bags drop from your hands, just as your mouth hangs open.

“Jungkook is back!” one of the kids tugs at your arm in excitement.

Well shit. You never could have recognized him even if someone planted his younger version of right next to him. He is probably just shy of 6 feet tall. Although engulfed in a black crewneck, you could tell he was built. His dark wash ripped blue jeans contour his thighs to perfection and just when you think he couldn’t have changed further you notice his hair. He had gone off and gotten himself an undercut. His hair was on the longer side, and it was parted to the left of his head while the undercut was visible on the right. He had even gone so far as to get tattoos that adorned his fingers, and his forearm-- a music note. Well now you were fucked because how could you ever resist a man with that kind of hairstyle and tattoos.

Correction, how could you resist a fucking werewolf who wears an undercut and has tattoos?

“Y/n?” he speaks and you swear you could have heard angels speaking to you.

You keep mum. In fact, you can’t even hear him. You’re too busy undressing him with your eyes. Your heart pounds, your knees feel weak because this man is simply too gorgeous to exist. How the hell is everyone else standing on their two feet while you feel like you’re going to fall any moment?

You say something. You have no idea what exactly because your ears are ringing, but you know something comes out of your mouth which causes everyone around you to giggle. You might as well just turn around and go hide somewhere because you’ve probably made a fool of yourself.

“Huh” comes his deep voice, but it’s faint. His remark only makes you wonder what you spat out.

“It’s hot” you fan yourself with your hand. Your mouth is parched, dry like the desert. “You--  Wow. You look--nice to--- welcome. I mean, g-good— to” you look at him, and pause to collect your thoughts. “Good to have you back. I think...” you are completely breathless and dazed by the end of that word salad. Your forehead scrunches in a frown as you try to shake away the magic spell his presence has cast on you. You don’t even bother to wait for a response as you run back down the pathway you came. You follow it out of the gate and turn the corner. A few paces up the hill you come upon the gated entrance to the forest.

You hear someone calling you out, but you’re a damn mess. You aren’t willing to let anyone see you like that. You run as far into the forest as your legs will carry you-- far, far, away from him.

You can finally understand the phrase “avoid like the plague” because that’s what you have been doing to Jungkook. For the past four days since he has been back, you have done anything and everything you can to avoid him. If you see him in the house, you immediately make a u-turn for your room. If you see him outside, you hide behind anything you can find-- a pillar, a bush, a tree, a car, another fucking human being.

Of course it doesn’t help that everyone tries to keep pushing you to him. Well, mostly his parents. But also random people like the ladies in Mrs. Jeon’s book club who on Saturday made a spectacle out of you.

“Come on, pose for a photo” they had said when they saw you and Jungkook out and about the house. You weren’t even looking at one another when they swarmed you and him, taking you by the arm and making you stand next to one another. They didn’t even ask nicely-- no. They demanded that you and Jungkook take a photo because apparently you two look amazing together. Despite your protests, and vigorous head shaking-- they basically pushed you to him, and thankfully he managed to steady you on your feet by catching your waist.

His arm around your waist as he holds you flush against him and your hand on his forearm while you two looked at one another-- that’s the picture they took. You may as well have just gotten a whole fucking photoshoot done while you were at it.

“Y/n’s probably always had a crush on him” one of the ladies, Mrs. Ri had mentioned while all the others including Mrs Jeon crowded around to look at the picture on the camera.

A tomato couldn’t be more red than you and that's saying something. All Jungkook did in response was shrug at you like he was enjoying it. Normally a man might object to being treated this way. But he didn’t utter a single word. Only he looked quite amused by the whole situation and your reaction as he smiled and chuckled to himself.

On the other hand, his parents always mentioned in his absence that they would love if you and him got together. You never paid any mind to those conversations in particular because it was Jungkook— atleast how you remembered him before he became a fucking Adonis. Not that it’s the only thing that matters. But you just never felt this way before, and now you do.

You tiptoe through the house while everyone is busy at this time of day. Mrs.Jeon is probably with all the other ladies for their book club, Mr.Jeon no doubt is in his study and Jimin is probably with Jungkook, training.

It sucks to be the only human sometimes because they can always hear you, and know what you’re thinking. But you can’t do the same. It makes you feel vulnerable. But everyone is good at reminding you about how lucky you are to be human.

You traipse through the living room, peeking behind from walls here and there to make sure Jungkook isn’t around because if you see him you’re sure you’ll lose your shit. Again.

There is a certain chunk of the wooden floor that creaks under pressure so you take care to avoid it. Because in case Jungkook is anywhere inside the house he’ll hear it.

Creak

“Fuck” you mutter, shutting your eyes tight and carefully lifting your toes from the damned spot which makes another sound.

You hear footsteps on the stairs behind you. Too scared to move, you straighten up.

“I was wondering when I’ll see you again” comes Jungkook’s voice.

“Heeeyyy” you turn around, plastering a smile on your face and it screams fake.

“Four days huh. Good job” Jungkook looks impressed as he comes down to ahalt at the last step . “How did you manage to avoid me for four whole days? I am curious”

“You knew”

“Of course I knew” he’s mouth moves as he chews gum, one brow raised at you, looking absolutely devilish (in the best way possible). “Too bad the streak has come to end” he places his hands in pockets lining his black sweats.

Well fuck. No point in denying it anymore then.

“If it wasn’t for this stupid floor I could have gone the whole week. Probably” you decide to give in instead of pretending you have no idea what he’s talking about.

He steps towards you, one corner of his mouth curved up in a sly smirk. “That would never happen. You’d have made a mistake at some point before that”

“Maybe” you shrug. You’re so surprised that you’re able to find your words this time. “Welcome back by the way” you offer a genuine smile, trying to make up for that botched attempt when he first arrived.

“Thanks. It’s good to be back” he sighs contentedly. “I missed this place and the people.” he looks around and then his gaze comes to rest on you. “Well, one person in particular” he looks you straight in the eyes.

“Your mom” you reply. He loves his mother.

“Yes. But also someone else”

“Who?” curiosity gets the best of you.

“Just someone” he shrugs.

You’re about to respond when Jimin comes in. “What are you two doing here?” he looks at Jungkook as he stops next to you, throwing an arm around your shoulder.

Wordlessly, Jungkook’s eyes change color from his hazel brown to icy blue. He steps towards you and Jimin, and then pulls Jimin’s hand away from your shoulder. He looks at the boy, jaw grinding as he chews gum. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” his voice is calm, but his eyes are absolutely terrifying since they harbour a cold, mean look. They change back to brown in an instant once Jimin nods. You notice how tense Jimin looks but he walks with Jungkook anyway.  

They’re probably only gone for thirty seconds. But when they come back their body language is completely relaxed. They look like two pals reunited after years.

“Everything okay?” you ask Jimin.

“Yeah. All good” he nods. “I was just congratulating him”

“What for?” you look between the two of them, feeling awfully suspicious.

Jimin is about to open his mouth when he catches Jungkook’s gaze. Jungkook shakes his head and you notice, at which point you turn to him. “Fine. I don’t want to know” you huff. You start towards the back door which leads to the backyard where Mrs. Jeon is with her friends.

Just a couple steps in, you’re tugged back. You turn around to find Jungkook holding onto your wrist. There is something about the way he looks at you. You’ve seen this look before in movies—it’s the way the hero looks at the heroine when he thinks she isn’t looking. It’s soft, but it’s wanting-- a complete contrast from the way he glared the life out of Jimin just minutes ago. He looks like he’s got something to say, but he’s holding back.

“What is it?” your voice is quiet, like you’re too scared to speak out. As if your voice will give away the crazy whirlwind of emotions in your chest.

“Nothing” he blinks and lets go of your wrist. “See ya around” he turns on his heels and walks the other way as Jimin follows him.

The woods at this time of the night are majestic. Moonlight bathes the tops of trees in a silver glow. The moonlight filters through gaps in tree branches, and covers the ground in a white sheen. It looks nothing short of magical.There is a slight chill in the wind, but it’s nothing you aren’t used to. The fallen leaves crunch under your feet. Sounds of crickets chirping, owls hooting fills the air.

You walk through the pathway bordered on each side by large trees the branches of which meet in the middle above you, forming an archway. You feel safe in the womb of nature like you’re protected and nothing could touch you. Without fear, it’s easier for you to take in everything. The air you breathe feels fresh, and crisp. If you could, you would make time stop so you could stay in the woods at night and never have to leave.

As each step carries you further into the woods, you feel more and more at peace. The trees become more lush the further you go. The animals are more noticeable deep into the forest. You see squirrels running around the trees, there are bird nests high up in the branches. You can hear mockingjays in these parts of the forest too.

You stop by the clearing in the woods. This side of the woods is your favorite. You sit against the trunk of one of the trees, resting your head. You look at nothing in particular in the sky. It’s clear above you, with a full moon shining. Your mind immediately goes back to Jungkook as you gaze upon it. You feel tortured every time your thoughts turn to him. You don’t know if it’s normal for you to want to cry, but you’re already shedding tears. Your quiet sobs accompany the sounds of nature. The weight seems to be lifting off your shoulders, and it feels easier to breathe. But then you think of him and that someone he mentioned. It causes you to sob even harder. You hiccup, using the back of your hands to wipe away the tears.

“What’s wrong?”

You can’t forget that voice. You look up at Jungkook as he stands with his hands in his jean pockets.

You shake your head. “Nothing. I just-- I miss--” you begin to cry again. “I-I miss my dad” another sob escapes your throat.

“Can I give you a hug?” he asks in a soft voice, which makes you want to cry even harder. “Please”

You nod.

He comes over, sits down next to you and gathers you in his arms. He pulls you into himself, wrapping your arm around his side, as he holds you. You place your cheek against his chest as you hold him close. It may have started because of him, but it continues because you do miss your dad. The moment you said “dad” was when you knew you couldn’t stop even if you wanted to.

“I am sorry y/n” he strokes the back of your head. “I really am” he sniffles.

You pull back to find tears staining his cheeks. “Why are you crying?” you look up at him.

His gaze is locked onto yours. “Because, I can feel what you feel”

“Sorry. I forgot you’re a werewolf” you shift back on your spot, forcing his arm to fall from your shoulder.

He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it. He looks at you a few seconds longer. “Yeah. That’s it” he says, blinking and a lone tear escapes. Your fingers twitch at your side, needing to wipe it away. But it might be too weird so you let your fingers curl into a fist.

“Thank you for doing this” your mouth curves in a soft smile. “How did you find me here?”

“I’ve seen you in the woods for the past four nights. I didn’t know who it was at first because I only saw a flash of your hair, or your shoes. But today I followed you and it’s good I did because pretty girls like you shouldn’t be crying alone”

You snort. “Right. Pretty girls like me”

He raises a brow. “You don’t believe me?”

“I believe you. I just don’t believe your words”

“Then tell me what I can do to make you believe me” he states. You’re sure he isn’t serious but one look at him tells you he means every single word.

“Jungkook, it’s alright. You don’t have to do anything” you shake your head. But then it strikes you. “Although there is something…”

“Anything” the corners of his mouth upturned in a soft smile-- one that made your heart skip a beat (or ten maybe).

“I want to see your wolf form” you look at him tentatively, wondering if he’ll turn you down, or maybe even shout at you for making a request. Asking a werewolf to show their wolf is a sacred request and not something that should be asked lightly. You know how important their wolf form is to them. It’s like talking about sex among humans, but much more of a touchy subject.

“That’s it?” his eyebrows are furrowed together at the miniscule nature of your request.

“So you’ll show me? Can you do it on your own will?” your hands clasp in front of your chest in anticipation.

A laugh bellows from his chest. “Of course. I’ll show you” he stands up, dusts his hands, and the back of his jeans. “You may want to close your eyes because I need my clothes for later”

Without needing to be told in exact terms, you close your eyes and cover them with your hands for good measure. You can hear sounds of feet shuffling, a belt unbuckling and soft thuds—probably his clothes dropping ctx dagainst the soil.

“I’ll count to five and then open. One, Two, Three, Four, Five”

You give it a few more seconds just in case before you’re uncovering your eyes. Standing in front of you is a majestic white wolf, with icy blue eyes-- Jungkook’s eyes. Your mouth falls open, your mind unable to come up with words. You cautiously step towards him, hand reaching out wanting to touch him. He meets you halfway, nuzzling his nose against your hand. You laugh.

“You’re beautiful Jungkook” you whisper as you stroke the fur, which is softer than velvet against your hand.

The wolf whimpers in response.

“What can you do as a wolf? Any tricks?” you ask, forgetting that he’s not a dog.

He growls, baring his teeth.

You throw your hands up. “Geez. Sorry. I was just curious” you reach for his muzzle as you continue stroking gently to help him calm down.

He steps back, turns around and starts further into the forest.

“Where are you going?” you ask.

He whimpers and motions beyond the clearing with his head. You start to follow, when you remember his clothes and grab them. He’s already a few paces ahead of you. It seems that even his wolf isn’t patient.

“Slow down will you?” you yell as you run to try and catch up. He doesn’t listen though as he continues on.

You’re breathless by the time you reach a beautiful meadow full of wildflowers and fallen timber. Flowing right next to the meadow is a stream littered with little stones and large rocks alike. Moonlight shines through the cracks between tree branches above you. The air is cooler than you have ever experienced in this part of the woods. The grass is lush and soft beneath your feet unlike the rest of the forest which is mostly soil. You don’t know how you never came upon this place on your walks. But then again Jungkook probably knows the forest best.

He is stopped at the edge of the stream. You drop the pile of his clothes on a log, and walk towards the stream. You crouch and place your hand in the running stream. The icy cold water sends shivers down your body. You flick some of the water on him, at which point he growls at you again.

“This is fun” you chuckle as you get up.

He whimpers as he tackles you to the ground, and nuzzles his nose in your neck.

“It tickles, it tickles, it tickles” you laugh as you try to push him away. You doubt you could have pushed him away in his human form but as a wolf it’s impossible. You rub your hand against his fur. He mewls and falls on his back next to you and you rub his underbelly. He loves it as he continues to make these cute noises and all you want to do is hug him.

A twig snaps somewhere in the distance. Jungkook jumps up to his feet, growling, teeth showing as he paces in front of you looking in the direction of the sound. He continues to snarl and growl, pacing increasing in speed. He looks ready to kill. You abandon your perch on the grass in favor of standing up. You tread towards him. At this point you’re more scared of what he’s doing rather than where the sound came from. You reach him, stopping by his side. You look at him— at those blue eyes of his, and take a step forward but he’s quick to nudge you back with his head.

“It’s alright” you reassure him as you caress the top of his head.

You try once more to step beyond where he’s standing but he gives another push and you tumble back slightly. He snarls at you as he looks back at you over his shoulder, warning you to stay in your place. He turns back to inspect the woods, pacing from side to side.

“Alright. Fine” you give up. “But please don’t do anything. It could just an animal like a squirrel or something”

Ears perked up, he stands towering in front of you.

“I don’t think it was anything” you stay in your spot, as you place your hand on his flank.

He holds up his nose, moving his head in every direction like he’s trying to smell something out. He starts stepping back, his rump hitting you as he does. He turns around, leaning his muzzle against your shoulder, like he’s trying to comfort you and find comfort in you.

“It’s okay” you whisper, skimming his fur. “We’re fine” you wrap your arm around his neck.

He lets out a small cry as he snuggles into you.

“I brought your clothes by the way” you let go of him and he steps back. “I think it’s best if we go home. It’s already 1”

He steps back a few paces and disappears behind a tree while you turn around and wait for him.

“Give me a sign whenever you’re done” you call out. You wait and wait for what seems like ten minutes but is really only a minute or two.

He clears his throat. “I am good.” he says.

You turn around to face him. You really missed seeing his face-- in the human form. He was majestic in his wolf form, but there is something about the human side of him that you can’t get over. In all honesty, he’s a sight to behold.  

“So, what did you think?” he rubs his hands together in anticipation.

“You’re amazing” you meet him halfway. “I’ve seen almost everyone’s wolf form. But yours is breathtaking”

He chuckles. “Thank you. I am sure he’s happy to hear it too” he closes the distance. He reaches for your hand, curling his fingers around your palm. It’s the warmest feeling you have ever felt.

You open your mouth to protest but he’s already cutting you off.

“I am not letting go, until we’re out of these woods.” he tugs on your hand as he turns around and begins towards the house.

“Thank you. It is sweet of you to protect me”

“It’s my job to protect you. I will always be there when you need me” he squeezes your hand in reassurance.

It’s nice to know that you have someone in your corner. “I wish I could say the same. But you don’t need me to protect you”

He nods. “You’re right. But if I ever need a hug, I know who to come to”

Little does he know that you are ready to give him the whole wide world. “Anytime”

Your eyes lock for a few seconds and both of you burst into grins.

Walking in the forest by yourself is always peaceful. But walking in these woods hand in hand with Jungkook is euphoric.

A pang of dread fills your chest when Jungkook ignores you.

Just when you thought things were going good, he distanced himself. You don’t know what went wrong in the days following the night in the woods. But he was avoiding you. It wouldn’t have felt so bad were it not for the fact that the way he ignored you was cold. It wasn’t like you where it was more benign in nature and it was clear that you were avoiding him for fear of embarrassing yourself. He knew that too. But with him it’s something else

He wouldn’t even look at you. A frown seemed to have permanently settled on his face. He was never present anymore. He was always lost in thought with an inscrutable look in his eyes. If you showed up where he was, he’d leave wordlessly. If you tried to talk to him he’d act like he couldn’t even hear you and that would be followed by his departure. And when he did look at you-- the only way to interpret the expression in his eyes was: resentment. You had no idea why he was doing that.

So as the whole family, including Jimin was sitting in the backyard under the canopy for breakfast, Jungkook made to leave just as you were approaching to join them. But his mother made him sit back down.

“Jungkook, you’re not going to leave” her tone is stern.

He rolls his eyes with a huff as he sits back down.

“What’s wrong with you dude?” Jimin leans in, thinking he’s whispering but his voice is a tad bit louder than that.

Even you can hear him just as you are a few steps away.

“Nothing” his voice is devoid of emotion. He leans back in his chair, sliding down against the back like he just wants to disappear. He fiddles with his fingers.

“Hi everyone” you offer a tight lipped smile. Everyone except for Jungkook replies. “Hi Jungkook” you say after not being met with a response.

He stays silent, holding the same sulked posture as before, not even acknowledging your presence.

You catch Jimin’s eyes. He gestures with his head to Jungkook as if to ask ‘what’s up’. You shrug because you have no clue what has gotten into him. You take the empty chair next to Jungkook and you can see him shifting in his chair uncomfortably. Your heart sinks in your chest, but you dismiss it. You look over at Jimin sitting on the opposite side of the table. He looks between you and Jungkook and you just know he’s thinking something. You both look at each other-- a silent conversation ensuing.

“Oh no. I forgot the cutlery” Mrs. Jeon jumps suddenly. She gets up when you interrupt.

“It’s okay. I can grab it” you gesture for her to sit down. “Do you want that special set?” you smile at her.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together like this. I think it’s time we use it. This is a special occasion. The box is in the attic. Will you be okay?”

“It’s okay. I got it”  you put her concern to rest with a grin.

You glance at Jungkook who still hasn’t moved an inch as he is still playing with his fingers and ignoring everyone around him. You make way inside the house, and up the stairs to the second floor. The entrance to the attic is on the second floor. You turn right on the landing, moving towards your room and at the end of the hallway. You pull the rope which unfolds the ladder. It comes down, you climb it and reach the musty room.

It’s full of boxes. You rummage through them to find the one labeled cutlery. The box is quite heavy, but you manage to climb down with it safely. You push the ladder back up, and the door closes blending in with the rest of the ceiling. You carry the box down the first two flights of stairs, slightly shaking because of how heavy it is.

You lose your footing at the beginning of the third set of stairs and down you go five stairs. The box slips from your hand. A scream rips through the air. You manage not to hit your head. But your ankle twists during the fall. You’re laying on your side attempting to get up when everyone rushes into the room.

Jungkook is the first one to arrive. “Are you okay?” he helps you sit up and you wince.

It hurts so damn much, you can’t stop yourself from crying. “I- I am” you grimace. “I am fine” you croak through a strained voice, tears sliding down your cheeks.

“No. You’re not” he cups your cheeks to make you look at him. He inspects your head for injuries. “You’re not fucking fine” he’s pissed as he’s practically at the verge of yelling. “What the fuck were you thinking?” he slides an arm under your back, and the other under your knee as he picks you up off the floor. You lock your hands behind his neck, keeping your gaze cast down. You don’t want to look at him in this condition.“I am taking her to her room” he announces, and no one even gets a word in because he’s already started up the flight of stairs.

You try to contain your cries, but the pain is too sharp especially at your ankle. You can sense him looking down at you.

“What were you trying to do?” he shakes his head. You should have called for help, you idiot”

“Sorry” you snivel still not meeting his eyes. “I was just trying to bring the box down and I lost my footing”

You reach the room, and he kicks the ajar door fully open. Once you’re in, he kicks it close. He gently lays you down on the bed, adjusting the pillow underneath your head.

You wince in pain, wiping away the tears. For the first time you look at him and he’s pacing, like he was in the woods except he’s in his human form. “Where does it hurt?” he sounds concerned but it’s that angry kind of way. There is no softness in his tone, if anything its gruff.

“You don’t have to worry. I am okay”

“Bullshit” he stops and sits at the edge of the bed, as he takes off your shoe and sock to look at your ankle. He touches the ankle bone, and you inhale a sharp breath. “See” he shakes his head like he’s disappointed. “That looks like it’s sprained. You could have asked--”

“You for help?” you complete his sentence, full well knowing that’s what he intended.

His eyes flicker to you, but he doesn’t say anything. He begins to gently feel around your ankle for any other injuries, brows furrowing in concentration.

You watch him, as he continues to look for other wounds,or gashes-- scanning your legs, arms, and face. You can’t understand the sudden shift in his behaviour. “What are you doing?”

He stops to look at you. “What do you mean? I am checking for any other injuries” he says in a blunt tone and resumes inspection.

“That’s not what I mean” you push his hands away from your forearms just as he’s looking over for more bruises. “Why do you suddenly give a shit? What do you care if I live or die”

He opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again and shuts it, grinding his jaw. “I’ll grab ice” he ignores your question and gets up from the bed.

You tug him back by the hem of his sleeve. “I need an answer”

“I don’t have one” he yanks his arm, and the cloth slips from your fingers.

“This is what I am talking about” you bite the inside of your cheek just as he’s approaching the door “One minute you act like you give a crap about me, and the next you act like you wouldn’t blink an eye if I died”

He’s reaching for the doorknob when he turns around. His brown wide eyes stare back at you He scoffs. “I wouldn’t care if you died?” his disbelief reflects in his partly open mouth. Do you---” he covers his face with his hands, taking in deep breaths and letting his hands run through his locks before looking at you. “You have no fucking clue what you’re talking about” he turns around and reaches for the door when there is a knock.

He sighs in frustration. “Who the hell--” he opens the door.

Jimin stands on the other side of the door with an ice pack in his hand, and a bottle of what looks like medicine. Jimin peeks over Jungkook’s shoulder, about to say something. But Jungkook grabs the ice pack and medicine wordlessly and shuts the door in his face.

He walks back and presses the ice pack to your ankle, while holding the tiny bottle out for you.

“I don’t want it” you say sharply, looking to the side.

You hear him huff. “Do I look like I give a shit right now?” he seethes through clenched teeth.

You turn to him. “You know this whole tough guy act doesn’t scare me”

He pulls his lower lip between his teeth. If this were a cartoon he would have smoke coming out of his ears. “Just take it”

You study him, your gazes locked on each other. Neither of you even blink. His nostrils are still flaring and you’re still breathing heavily through pursed lips. “I hate you” you snatch the bottle from him and chug the bitter liquid down.

His expression changes for a moment-- the look in his eyes softens. He blinks, casting his gaze down momentarily. But then he’s back to carrying a frown on his face as he looks up at you. “You should. You shouldn’t like me at all” his tone gentler than before, hiding beneath it an infinity of disappointment that you catch.

“Well now I don’t. You damn well made sure of that” you grab the pillow next to you and hide your face behind it.

Seconds later you hear the door slam and that’s when you scream into the pillow.

Your ankle gets better in the next couple of weeks, but your relationship with Jungkook doesn’t. You’re still distant from each other. Still angry at each other. Your silent fight has tensed the atmosphere in the whole house. It’s awkward to say the least. Mr. and Mrs. Jeon skirt around you both, walking on eggshells whenever you are in a room together. Dinners are silent for the most part except for when his parents make conversation about their day.

You both ignore each other. Neither of you even looks in the direction of the other person. If you happen to pass each other in the house, you avoid each other.

Perhaps everyone has had enough-- especially Mrs. Jeon since she broaches the subject at dinner one night.

“Alright” she holds her fingers in a steeple. “What the hell is wrong with you two?”

You and Jungkook glance at each other wary of how she’s speaking because she never swears-- not even use the word ‘hell’.

You both say at the same time. “Nothing”

“Bullshit” she slams her hands on the table.

“Honey” Mr. Jeon looks at her.

She dismisses it. “ No. We’re going to address this”

“Mom” Jungkook looks at her warningly. “Don’t”

“What happened?” she looks at you. “He won’t tell me” she glances at her son from the periphery of her vision. “But I know you will”

“Nothing. I promise” you offer a half hearted smile.

“I wasn’t expecting this from you y/n” she sounds disappointed.

“Mrs. Jeon. I swear to you it’s nothing. Even if there is something we can sort it out amongst ourselves”

“Well that’s just the problem isn’t it. You’re not. You don’t even look at each other”

You avert your gaze sideways.

“Just drop it will you?” Jungkook sounds frustrated. “We’re good” he doesn’t even look sincere in the least bit.

You nod finding purchase in your lap, barely making eye contact with anyone.

“Whatever it is, apologize” she demands. She looks to Jungkook, raising her brows at him expectantly. She waits for him to say something. He avoids looking at her but she is persistent. It’s only for a few seconds but he crumbles under the pressure and mumbles a “sorry”

“Look at her and say it” Mrs. Jeon says curtly.

He looks at you, eyes meeting yours for the first time in weeks.

Something changes in you and once again you feel like crying just because he’s there.

“Sorry” he looks away, folding his arms across his chest and chewing on his lip.

“Well you can tell him Mrs. Jeon that if he isn’t going to mean it, I don’t accept it” you glance at her and then back at your lap, leaning against the chair. 

“You can tell her that this is all she’s getting from me” he looks at his mother too.

“Tell him that he’s the one who started it. So, if he can’t even own up to it there really is no point in talking about it” your cheeks feel warm as you keep your gaze fixed firmly on your lap.

“While you’re at it mom, you can tell her that she shouldn’t be talking about things when she doesn’t know what’s going on” Jungkook rolls his eyes.

Your nostrils flare and so do his. You’re breathing heavily, cheeks red and eyes wide. “Maybe Mrs. Jeon you can remind him that he never actually told me what his problem is” you glare at him.

She looks between the two of you and your both lower your gaze.

Jungkook scoffs, returning an equally contemptuous glare towards you. “I don’t have a problem. It’s not my fault she doesn’t understand I don’t actually want to talk to her”

“Great! you throw your hands in the air and look at his parents. “You can tell him he’s the biggest asshole I have ever met in my entire life and I regret ever feeling anything for him” you slam your hands on the table and storm off.

The breeze is cool as it caresses your face. You sniffle away the tears as they well up in your eyes. The woods seem to be the only thing that can comfort you. You walk down your usual pathway, hugging yourself against the chill. As you look around at the moon bathed trees, they look different to you. But they don’t seem as beautiful to you as they did when you were with Jungkook.

The whole forest feels different.

You reach the clearing once more where he found you. You’re overcome with emotion, and your eyes tear up once again. You choke a sob away. You sit against the same tree, look at the same clear sky blanketed by stars. His voice echoes in your head when he asked if he could give you a hug.

You don’t know what happened to that boy. You don’t know where he went and if he will ever come back. You thought he was a friend. But it turns out he wasn’t. He’s just a stranger that you used to know.

You’re immersed in your thoughts. You look down at your hands, a bittersweet sigh passing your lips.

There is a rustle in the bushes near you and you’re immediately on alert. You slowly stand up trying not to make any sudden movements. You look in the direction of the sound and see two glowing brown eyes staring at you.

Your breath catches in your throat. You don’t straighten up fully, for the fear of aggravating whatever animal it is, so you stay in a partly bent position, hands visible by your side.

The animal steps out from behind the shadows.

It’s a wolf-- a black one. It’s not Jimin because his fur is brown. It sure as hell isn’t Jungkook.

The wolf growls at you. It steps towards you like a predator towards prey.

Full blown panic sets in. You’re frozen on the spot. Your heart beats hard and fast, as if the sound rings in your ears. Is this how you die? Alone in the woods? Your whole life flashes in your mind. Among all of that the only name and face that echoes in your head is Jungkook’s  because you would hate to die and not have a chance to talk to him. That would be the biggest regret of your life.

The wolf is still approaching you, and it’s halfway there. It growls and snarls-- saliva dripping from its mouth.

“Oh please no” you whisper, as your knees begin to buckle.

The wolf takes a leap towards you. But at the end second, you see a white one knocking the black one out mid air. They both fly some distance and fall on the ground.

“Jungkook!” you scream running in his direction.

Those blue eyes look back at you as he gets up on all fours.He keeps growling at the other wolf.. You know better than to interfere, so you stay behind him. Both of them snarl at each other. The other wolf howls, probably to try and intimidate Jungkook. But then he howls-- it’s loud and fierce so much so that you have to close your ears. He then makes a sound that is a mix between a roar and a growl as he steps towards the wolf.

“Jungkook no” you hold your hand out for him but he’s just beyond your reach. He looks back at you. You shake your head. He turns to the other wolf and makes a sound that sounds like a threatening bark.

There is a moment where they both just look at each other. Then the other one whimpers and leaves-- tail between its legs quite literally.  

Your knees give out and you fall on the ground, sobbing and hugging yourself. Your cries fill the air. You sob hard enough to make your whole body shake. You have never felt such fear in your life and not just for yourself. You were more worried for Jungkook.

He comes running to you, fully clothed somehow. He immediately holds you in his arms. He holds you close, chin resting on the top of your head, as you bury your face in his chest, body shaking in his arms. You can’t even breathe  properly-- gasping for air with short shallow breaths.“Jungkook” you whimper, holding onto his shirt.

“I am here” he squeezes tighter. “I am right here. You’re safe”

“I-I” you pull back to look up at him, eyes swollen and red, tears still falling down your face in droves. “I thought you were going to...” you bawl again just at the thought of something happening to him. You hide your face against his chest, wrapping your arms against him so tight, you’re sure he’s having a hard time breathing.

“I am okay. I am not even hurt” he reassures you.

“I was so…” you hiccup. “Worried that--that s-some-something w-would happen to you” you manage to choke out the words.

“Look at me” he holds your face in his hands, wiping away the tears with his thumbs. “I am completely okay. I was worried for you. I was scared. I was so so scared” he gazes into your eyes, and you know he’s speaking the truth because he’s beginning to cry too.

You sniffle, trying to control your sobs so you can tell him. “The only thing I could think of was you. I didn’t want to die without talking to you. I was afraid I would never get to talk to you”

“Me too” he croaks. “You didn’t get hurt anywhere did you?” there is panic in his eyes as he suddenly realizes that.

You shake your head. “No. You saved me”

“I told you I’d always protect you didn’t I?” he snivels.

Your lips just in a pout, lips quivering. “How did you know?” you slide your thumbs against his cheeks to wipe the tears.

“I came to the woods to cool off for a bit” he stops to rub the tears from your cheeks as the water works start again. “I was just so pissed, so naturally my wolf took over and I transformed. I was just roaming around, when I could smell you. I followed your scent. I saw the whole thing and trust me, my heart almost stopped. I was waiting for the right moment to intervene and when that wolf jumped at you, I lost it”

“I am sorry I said all those things” you clutch the material of his shirt tighter, looking down.

“No. I started this whole shit and if I hadn’t you wouldn’t have gotten into trouble. I could have lost you tonight and it would have been my fault. I could never forgive myself” he takes your hands in his, curling his fingers in yours. “I am so so sorry”

“So we’re good?” you chuckle.

He doesn’t laugh with you. “Look, if this night has proved anything, it’s that you shouldn’t like me. I told you. Don’t like me. I am not right for you. I am not even good for you. Look at where I landed you tonight” his fingers begin to slip from yours.

“You’re wrong” you hold tight onto his hands.

“I can’t y/n” he avoids your eyes, his shoulders droop. He looks absolutely defeated.

“What’s the reason?” you press on. “Is it someone else?”

“No” he’s quick to shut down that train of thoughts in your head. “There’s no one else. But I can’t. You hold too much power over me. That’s exactly why I can’t”

“I don’t get it. You do all these things for me that no one ever has. Your actions say one thing and your words another. What am I supposed to do Jungkook?”

“Don’t like me. Stay far far away from me” he pulls his hands away from yours. “I’ll take you home”

“Jungkook-”

“I am taking you home” he says firmly, as he lifts you off the ground in his arms.

You hook your hands behind his neck. You let your head rest against the crook of his neck. You let him take you home because you’re too tired to fight. You don’t want to fight with him because you know that you love this man. If the night taught you anything, it was that.

“Y/n we’re going to be leaving” Mrs. Jeon hurriedly comes into the kitchen, opening up cabinets and grabbing food.

“Leaving?” your brows furrowed. “Where?”

“Jungkook’s dad and I have to go to the orphanage in the city for an event. We’ll be back by tonight. But Jungkook is home if you need anything” she packs up a bag full of food, probably for the journey since the drive to the city is 2 hours.

“Wait, you’re both leaving? Jungkook and I are going to be alone…?” your voice trails at the end, having been met with a dreadful realization.

Mrs. Jeon’s nose scrunches as she walks over to you. “Is everything okay?”

You’re too busy worrying so you don’t even hear her.

Mrs. Jeon calls out your name a couple of times before she physically has to shake you. “Y/n, what’s going on?”

You blink rapidly. “Oh nothing. Everything is fine. I just thought he would go with you too”

“We asked him, but he said you’d be alone at home so he’ll stay too”

“He said that?” your eyes widen. You don’t understand his concern.

She nods. “Mmhmm. He also said he will stay just in case you need something while everyone is gone. I would ask you to come too but I didn’t want you to feel bad”

You shake your head. “It’s alright. I’d cry the whole time anyway thinking of my parents” you chuckle. “But you know I can take care of myself”

Mrs. Jeon chuckles. “I know that. But tell Jungkook that because this boy was adamant on not wanting to leave you alone. I don’t understand him” she shakes her head, like any mother aggrieved of her child would. You can’t blame her though. He is a unique specimen.

“Yeah me neither” you purse your lips in a smile.

“Alright. We’ll be off then” she gives you a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “If he troubles you, call me right away”

“I will”

She makes haste of leaving, carrying the bag.

You spend a better part of the day hiding in your room, avoiding Jungkook. It’s the only place in the entire house where he won’t come. Not after everything that has happened between you. He’s honorable in that sense. Things have shifted between you once again. There’s no anger anymore. All of that has been replaced by awkwardness. Now if you see each other, you only nod at one another. Occasionally, you talk too. But it’s always surface level things. Nonetheless, it’s a step in the right direction.

At half past one though, your stomach starts to grumble and gradually all you can think about is food. It’s a relief in a way because it distracts you from him. You spend ten minutes trying to persuade your brain that you’re not actually hungry.

“I am not hungry” you chant it like a mantra hoping that at least for a while it will go away.

After agonizing and torturing yourself for half an hour, you give in.

“Fuck this” you grumble as your hunger gets the better of you. You drag yourself down to the kitchen. Unlike last time though you don’t tiptoe around the house.

You go into the kitchen, open the fridge to find two plates already filled with food. A note, no doubt from Mrs. Jeon is stuck into the cling film: don’t forget to eat.

You grab a plate for yourself, leaving the other one in the fridge for Jungkook. You’re about to shut the door, when you change your mind. This may serve as an excuse to talk to him. At the end of the day, you’re going to be living in the same house. So you figure you can’t go on avoiding him.

You grab the second plate, heat both of them in the microwave.

You head back upstairs, where the bedroom’s are. You turn left at the landing towards his room which is at the end of the hallway. You stop in front of the door, and seeing as your hands are full you settle for calling his name. “Jungkook, you in your room? I got food”

You wait, but there is no response.

“Jungkook” you call again.

No response. Finding yourself with no other choice left, you somehow manage to balance the plate on your forearm. With the free hand, you turn the handle.

You peek your head inside to find the room empty. Just as you’re about to leave your eyes catch something at his bedside table. You know you shouldn’t go inside, but you can’t help it. You leave one of the plate’s on his bedside table  because you can’t lug three things around. You grab it, meaning to ask him about it when you find him.

You close the door, and head back downstairs. You walk the whole of the first floor from the dining room, living room, kitchen, family room calling out his name. But he’s nowhere.

“Maybe he’s in the basement” you think to yourself as you head downstairs. You walk down the steps.

It’s dark save for the blue LED lights running along the ceiling. You walk in further turning the corner from where the pool table, and the arcade game machines are. You remember that before Jungkook left he had set up one half of the basement as his gaming room.

Sure enough as you near the room you hear sounds of gunshots, and rifles and some mild cursing which makes you chuckle.

You don’t bother knocking as you enter. The same blue LED lights adorn the room. You can see his black mop of hair against the couch.

“Are you hungry?” you say tentatively as you stop next to the couch.

He immediately stops playing, throwing his remote on the ground as he turns to you. He takes off his headphones. You notice his hair is tied up in a bun, which manages to make your heart skip a few beats.

“Oh hey” he says, straightening up. “You didn’t have to” he notices the plate in your hand.

“Your mom said you haven’t been eating” you hold the plate for him and he reaches for it.

“Thanks” he offers a pursed lip smile. He takes the plate and sets it aside on the side table. A few beats of silence pass. He taps his fingers against one another, something you notice he does when he’s nervous. His eyes stay fixed on his hands.

“Will you make me a promise?” you look at his profile.

He clears his throat. “Depends on what it is”

You roll your eyes, fully expecting that response. “Just say you will”

Your persistent gaze makes him shift uncomfortably in his spot. He sighs, looking ahead at nothing in particular, while thinking over your request. He turns to you. “Fine”

“Promise me if I ask you questions, you will answer. It can be anything”

“That doesn’t sound very fair” his lips quiver at the corners, a hint of smile making an appearance. “What if I don’t want to answer”

“Too bad” you narrow your eyes at him. “You don’t have a choice. So?” you raise your brows giving him an expectant look.

He considers your demand, looking back at his hands again. “Well looks like I don’t have a choice”

“Good. Because I am asking right now”

At this, he looks at you wide eyed.

“Now?”

You nod. “Mmhmm. Tell me why you won’t act on your feelings”

He opens his mouth to speak but you cut him off. “Don’t deny it. If you didn’t feel anything for me you wouldn’t have lost your shit the day I hurt my ankle and you sure as shit wouldn’t have risked your life for me” you remind him. “And you wouldn’t have put this next to your bed” you bring forward the picture of you and him Mrs.Jeon’s friends had taken-- the one where you’re both looking at each other as he holds you by the waist.

He lets out an exasperated sigh. He rubs his hands on his face, resting his elbows on his knees as he keeps his face covered. He pulls his hands away , crossing them together. He looks at you, trying to determine how he should begin. “You’re right. I do have feelings for you. I’ve been here before y/n and…” he pauses, swallowing thickly.

“And what?” you prod, placing the photo frame next to you.

“She was beautiful. You should have seen her. She was amazing, just beyond I could express. Everyone here loved her. We used to spend every day together. Her parents hated me for it” he lets out a chuckle, a nostalgic look in his eyes.

“What happened?”

“She-- she died”

Your mouth hangs open. “I am so so sorry. I had no idea. I am sorry. Just.. forget I asked. I don’t need to know” you feel guilty immediately.

“No. It’s alright. I’ve already started. There was a fire in the woods years ago and she died in that. Some humans were having a bonfire and they left the fire burning. It caught on and somehow she got stuck in the middle of it with no escape” he looks down at his hands yet again.

You shift closer to him and wrap your arms around his shoulders resting your head on against the crook of his neck. “I am really sorry”

“Thank you” he places a hand on your forearm, leaning his cheek on your head.

“If I had known, I never would have pressed you. I feel like an asshole” you mumble.

“You’re not an asshole” he replies.

“I get it now and I promise you I won’t ever ask you to consider your feelings for me again” you lift your head and place a kiss on his cheek.

His lips curve up in a grin immediately and he is quick to place a kiss on your cheek too. “You’re amazing” his gaze locks with yours.

“I know” you grin. “Can I ask you something else too... ?” you say tentatively.

He nods. “Anything”

“Did you… did you imprint on her?” you ask, noting just how close you’re sitting to him. You can smell his breath, and feel it on your face as he beholds you in the most loving look in his eyes.

A coughing fit ensues for Jungkook, and you unwrap your arms from his shoulder, in favour of gently patting his back. “Sorry. Bad question hey?”

“No” he dismisses with his hand. “It’s just I’ve never been asked that”

“Forget I asked” you shake your head.

“No. I promised. Not her. Only my human side loved her. To imprint on someone all of me, including my wolf has to feel something. That’s the only way werewolves can imprint and it would be a far stronger bond than what I had with her” he sighs. “I have imprinted on someone. Not her” he finally answers your question.

“Oh my god” your heart sinks. “I- I have no idea what to say” you shift away from him, feeling like you’ve violated some rule. As if you have made him cheat on someone with you.

“Y/n” he says as soon as he sees your body language tensing. “It’s not what you’re thinking”

“No” you shake your head. “I am sorry. I am so sorry. I am so fucking stupid” you get up abruptly and march off while he calls out for you.

As is customary every third Friday of the month, the children from the neighbourhood gather around the campfire. This time Jungkook is there so he’ll have to answer all their questions.

Everyone sits around in a circle, some on the logs and others on chairs. Jungkook and you sit on opposite sides of the fire, Your eyes are fixed on the embers burning away. He holds a stick as he’s poking at the coal to keep the fire going. Your eyes meet momentarily as you both look up, but you look away first, busying yourself with watching the fire burn away the wood once more. You can still however feel his gaze resting on your face. But you’re too resigned at this moment to feel anything but emptiness.

“Is everyone ready?” Jimin comes along, absolutely chirpy and the complete opposite of how you look and feel. That’s when you sense Jungkook looks away. Jimin settles into the empty spot on the log next to you. He passes around drinks to the group. He offers you one too, but you decline. “Hey” he nudges you.

“Hmm” you turn your attention to him.

“What’s going on with you? Everyone’s been asking me what’s up”

“Nothing’s up” you shrug. “I am absolutely okay”

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. But at least don’t lie” Jimin purses his lips in a smile.

“Sorry Jiminie. I am just not feeling great. I’ll be okay I promise” you note with a half assed smile.

“So who wants to go first and ask Jungkook questions” Jimin turns to the group once he’s assured by you. The group is made up of mostly older kids in their late teens. But there are some younger children mixed in the group.

A chorus of ‘me, me ,me, me’ starts up.

“How about we go one by one” Jimin suggests and the sea of hands in the air disappears.

“How was the city?” someone from your side asks. But you couldn’t be bothered to know who.

“It was good.” he sighs, poking the fire logs once again. “But it was dull compared to this place” his eyes flicker to you momentarily.

You catch him, if only for a second and then look at your hands as you fiddle with them.

“Did you find a human mate? I am sure you met very pretty girls” one of the girls asks. The question you piques your interest.

You remember she was the one who excitedly told you Jungkook was back.

He doesn’t respond immediately which only makes you think that he did meet someone there. Why wouldn’t he? She’s probably the one he’s imprinted on. You would leave were it not for Jimin who holds your wrist with a shake of his head as soon as he sees you’re about to get up.

“I did meet girls.” Jungkook says, looking at the little girl. “But they are nothing compared to someone else I know” he shifts his gaze to you once more. “She’s beautiful, but she doesn’t see it that way” he looks right at you, like he’s speaking to you, and you only. Time seems to stand still momentarily because he acts like no one else is around. “It’s a shame because she really is the most beautiful girl I have ever met” he holds your gaze, rendering you unable to look away.

You hear aww’s and squeals from all around you which pulls you away from the trance and blinkingly you avert your gaze.

“Does she know you like her?” someone else asks, this time a boy.

He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I think she does. By the way, I thought this was about exchanging stories about our ancestry” he looks around at everyone.

“Yeah. We hear those every month. But this is much more exciting and romantic” one of the older girls probably in her late teens replies, and everyone agrees as they nod or offer a ‘yes’ in agreement. “Tell us more. What’s it like to imprint on someone?”

“Are you sure we should be talking about this? Aren’t they young?” Jungkook looks at Jimin.

“They won’t tell if you don’t. Right guys?” Jimin chuckles and everyone nods eagerly.

“Alright then” Jungkook continues.

At this point you really want to leave because you don’t want to hear about how she makes him happy, and how his whole life has changed because of her. But you stay because some part of you is still holding onto hope of you and him.

“It feels like gravity is shifting from underneath you. When you look at her, you can see everything clearly. It’s as if your past, present, and future come together all at once and everything makes sense. It’s as if you finally find the ‘why’ of your existence. You’ll be anything for her-- whatever she needs be that a protector, a friend, a lover. Anything… he trails.

“That’s so romantic” the girl squeals dreamily. “I want that too”

Jungkook laughs. “Any other burning questions?”

“When are you going to tell her?” another question comes which only furthers your resolve to leave. You get up, having had enough of it. The moment you stand, everyone turns to look at you. Without a word, you begin walking towards the house.

“Don’t you want to know who it is y/n?” Jungkook yells as you leave,  his words halting you in your steps. You feel everyone’s eyes darting back and forth between you and him.

You look over your shoulder. ‘I already told you”

“I think you’ll want to know,” he replies. You hear the crunch of the grass beneath his feet as he walks towards you. He gently places a hand on your elbow to turn you around. “Just let me tell you”

You glance up at the man. “I won’t be a--able to hear it” your voice cracks.

“I did imprint on someone—“

“Jungkook” you say warningly.

“Just listen to me” his grip on your elbow tightens, his jaw tightening.

“Jungkook please” you beg just as your eyes begin to water. You avert your gaze to the side. “Please. I cannot do this” you shake your head.

“I love her” he continues anyway despite your protests. You know he’s looking at you. But you can’t. You can hear the pain in his voice which makes everything so much more worse because that means he could never love anyone the way he loved her. “ She makes everything make sense and-”

“Just stop” you yank your elbow away from his hand and walk away.

You sit at the edge of the pier which juts out to the side from the boardwalk. just as the sun begins to set behind the mountains. The night market bustles in the distance. Crowds and crowds of people and come and go. Yet you feel calm, just watching the waves ripple beneath your feet. You dip them in the cold water, shivers running through your body. You splash the water, trying to pass your time.

You would have gone to the woods but given everything that has happened in that forest, you’re not too fond of it at the moment. This time Jungkook won’t be there to protect you. He’s out with his friends somewhere. You didn’t bother to ask where, not that it is any of your business.

From the periphery of your vision you can see a group of guys jumping down on the wooden planks of the pier.

You feel disappointed because you won’t have the space to yourself anymore.

They’re laughing, and being boys in general which makes you roll your eyes.

They pass by behind you, being as loud as ever. You ignore their incessant and annoyingly loud voices as you focus on the sun which is still in the process of setting. You close your eyes, the wind blowing softly against your face, and through your hair.

“Y/n?”

You instantly whip around to come face to face with none other than the man who had made a home out of your thoughts.

“Jungkook? You’re here?” You question, using your hands to push yourself up.

“Careful” his hands come out as if to hold you in case you fall.

“It’s okay” you tuck strands of hair behind your ears. “I am fine”

“I was just with my friends” he turns behind, and points to them while they stand a respectful distance away. They wave at you and hesitantly you wave back. “Why are you here?”

“I needed to get out of the house. The woods aren’t exactly my favorite place right now. So I thought why not come here” you shrug.

He nods, sliding his fingers in his jean pockets, rocking back and forth on his toes. “So…”

“So…” you fold your arms across your chest out of sheer self-consciousness.

“Do you maybe want to-” he starts.

“Hey Jungkook” a random girl throws her arms around his shoulders from behind, chin resting on his shoulder.

You look between the two of them.

This must be her. She’s pretty

“I thought we were gonna go eat” she pouts at him questioningly.

He doesn’t look at her as he speaks. Instead he locks eyes with you. He stares at you— wordlessly, like he’s lost in you. “Yeah” his reply is intended for her.

“Well introduce me, won’t you?” she looks at him and then at you.

“This is…” he’s still looking at you and you only.

“I am Alix” she extends a hand, much too cheerfully.

“Y/n” you can only manage to press your lips to feign a smile.

“Ohhh” her mouth opens in realization and she looks at him, like she’s impressed.

This time he looks at her and nods.

“Well y/n, do you want to come to dinner with us?” she offers kindly. But to your ears it’s anything but.

“No. I am alright. But thank you” you look at her. “See you at home Jungkook”

“Just come” he says just as you’re about to turn around to leave.

“I have to do some stuff at home” you say listlessly. “I’ll see you tonight” you reply with a ghost of a smile.

Yet again you turn away from him, not even waiting for his response.

You walk all the way back home, thankful that the way back is quiet, and not many people are around. You take the road from the pier that merges into the street that leads to your house up the hill.

You kick your feet beneath you, sighing heavily every so often. A fluttery feeling intensifies in your stomach the closer you get to home. Your chest feels heavy, a dull ache coming on. Your breathing quickens pace, not so much from the effort of walking up the hill but the mental exhaustion that you’ve faced in the past few weeks.

Love fucking sucks.

Your thoughts are occupied by Jungkook and Jungkook only. Every thought begins and ends with him and soon enough your head is full of memories you spent with him-- good and bad. It’s like a movie playing in your head-- beginning with the first time you saw him after he came back, and just a few minutes ago to Alix and her perfectly pretty face. How could he not love her?

By the end of it, you’re positively bawling your eyes out. Tears upon tears cascade down your face, with no indication of stopping anytime soon. You wipe your nose with the back of your hand, sniffling. Your legs become heavy with the weight of carrying you up the hill. Your head hurts, and you’re sure you’ll faint if you don’t sit down soon.

You quietly continue to sob, head hung low as you reach the gate. You push it open. Your feet drag beneath you, a heavy tread leaving marks of soil from the walk up on the cemented pathway. You open the door to the house, only to hit your head on something.

“Ow” you mumble, rubbing the spot that’s starting to ache. It only makes you sob more. “What the hell...” you lament under your breath, beginning to cry with the force of someone writhing in pain on all fours. You fall on your knees, everything inside you giving up. You cry the way a child does-- hiccuping, heaving to catch your breath only to have it be drowned by another wave of painful sobs.

“Just stop” Jungkook’s voice cracks, as he falls to his knees in front of you too. “Stop doing this to yourself” he croaks.

“I don’t know how to” you strain.

“I can make it all go away y/n” his cheeks are stained with tears too. He gathers you in his arms just like he’s done before. He kisses the top of your head. “Just let me make it go away. Please”

You break the embrace to look up at him through tear soaked eye lashes. “You can’t” your voice quivers.

“If you just…” he stops to take a deep breath, arms loosely wrapped around your back. He’s defeated into silence by your cries.

“It hurts” you clutch the material of his shirt., tucking your chin into your neck “It hurts so so much”

“It’s you”

You don’t even hear him, as you hide your face behind your hands, your body shaking due to your forceful sobs.

“It’s you.” he says again. “Listen to me. For once. Please” he’s begging you at this point.

You uncover your face to look at him. “What?”

��It’s been you all along”

“Wh…” your mouth remains open as you gawk at him. You hastily wipe your face with your hands as if that will somehow help you make sense of it.

“It’s you” he says in a whisper. “It’s you” he looks into your eyes this time--really looks as he says it for the third time almost like he’s saying it as a mantra. “I love you”

As if on cue, you stop crying because his words sink in. You don’t just hear them, you understand them. You begin connecting the dots. “Holy shit” you look at him daze. “I never even gave you a chance to speak” you bemoan that fact.

A bittersweet chuckle softly crosses his lips. “You didn’t. If you had, you wouldn’t have tortured yourself like this. Couldn’t you see it?” he searches your eyes for an answer that will make sense to him.

“How could I have? You’re you and I am me-- clumsy and stupid. You acted like there was someone else this whole time” you rub your eyes to dry the tears away.

“You never gave me a chance to tell you. I tried so many times. That night in the woods when I said I feel what you feel, you misunderstood that as being part of my abilities as a werewolf. But that’s not true. I feel every emotion you feel and I feel it ten times more than you because I imprinted on you .Then I tried to tell you during our conversation in game room and you walked away”

“Then why didn’t you do anything? Why didn’t you just act on it? You should have stopped me”

“You know why” a slight frown adorns his forehead.

You gulp hard, realizing the depth of what you just said. An apology is just at the tip of your tongue. “I know I said I wouldn’t ask you to consider my feelings ever again. But Jungkook, I can’t. Being around you overwhelms me. All I want to do is be around you, have you in my sights and when you’re not I feel disappointed and sad. I miss you every single second of the day when you’re not there. ”

“I have seen the entirety of us y/n-- everything that was, is and all that is to come ”

“I’ve imagined a whole future with you too”

He doesn’t respond.

Your stomach feels tight, your chest feels like something is pressing on it as his silence continues. Your gaze doesn’t leave him for even a second. You feel like you’re naked, as if the whole of you is on display, vulnerable to the point where even a single look will be enough to make or break you.

“I am just asking you to love me” your soft voice doesn’t dampen the gravity of your words.

He scoffs. “That’s just it though. I don’t just love you. I am bound by you. I am bound to you for the rest of my existence. That’s far scarier than love”

“I don’t know how to reply to that. All I know is I am in love with you exactly the way you’re in love with me” you shift closer to him, locking your fingers in his. “Because I can’t deny you any more than you can deny me”

He looks down and plays with your fingers. “That’s true. But I haven’t stopped thinking about the night you got attacked. What would have happened if I wasn’t there? What would I have done with myself if something happened to you?” his words reflecting the guilt he’s been feeling.

“Quit blaming yourself” you chide him. “Anything can happen to me, or to you at any given time. So stop worrying about that and keep your promise of protecting me. It’s not like you can switch this off”

“Not any more than I can stop breathing” he replies.

“Then love me. It’s simple. Jungkook, we either do this, or we don’t” it’s not that you are giving him an ultimatum, but it’s a fact.

“You know as much as I do, that even if in some ridiculous world I wanted to say no, I couldn’t. So you don’t have to worry about me not loving you. Because that just isn’t possible. Not only because I chose you but because that’s just how it is”

“Then what are we doing here?”

“I already told you I love you. You know that I do”

“And that’s supposed to be it?” you raise your brows at him.

His lip quivers into a lopsided smile, the solemn mood beginning to shift. “Tell me what you want”

“Just kiss--”

His lips on yours quiet down your thoughts to nothing. Shivers cascade down your body in waves. He invades each of your senses. The fluttering in your stomach grows intense. His lips feel soft against your own.

Jungkook keeps his eyes slightly open, taking a guilty peek at your face. He still couldn’t imagine if this was a figment of his imagination, or if the universe had gifted him this moment just at the right time. But he felt thankful for it beyond words could express. Every breath he took smelled like you— like water lilies.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a very long time.” he breathes heavily. He doesn’t even give you the chance to speak because he’s pressing his lips to yours once again— softly and gently. His hands run the sides of your body, the material of your shirt gathering together, exposing your skin.

He guides you up without breaking the kiss, pulling you in to erase every inch of space between your bodies. You can feel every contour of his body against your own. You hold him tight, trying to take in the feeling.

His hands slide under your thighs as he picks you up, you wrap your legs around his hips, as he takes you inside the house. He carries you as if you don’t weigh anything— through the house and up the stairs to his room.

“What” kiss. “About” kiss. “Your parents?”

“Not” kiss  “here” he mumbles between a kiss.

He kicks the door open and carries you in until your back hits a wall. He gently lets you down, till the tips of your toes are touching the floor. He breaks the kiss. “You know I won’t do anything you don’t want right?” his gaze, fixated on your eyes.

You nod, running your tongue over your lips and tasting him.”How could I not want this” you pull him by the nape of his neck, unable to bear even one second of distance. He happily obliges, melting into the kiss with a content sigh. It kind of feels like you’re drunk because there is a slight buzz and your mind feels hazy. You’re thoughtless at the moment, and your entire body is burning. Kissing him, touching him-- is all the intoxication you need to feel out of control. Neither your mind, nor your body is acting under your direction anymore

Your whole being is responding only to Jungkook. Every kiss, every soft touch, every caress, every stroke elicits a reaction from you.

“Tell me what you want, baby” he asks, leaving a trail of kisses down your neck and to your chest. “Tell me exactly what you want” his mouth parts against the skin of your neck as he bites down gently.

You can’t help the moan that passes your lips and fades into the air. “You”

He inhales sharply at your words as if that is enough to turn him on. He lifts his head up to look at you “You wanted me to love you right?” he pushes your thighs out by burying his leg between yours. He pushes his thigh against you exactly where you’re aching for him.

“Oh my god….” your voice fails you.

“I’ve thought of you so many nights, for so long” he pushes in more and you grind your hips against his thigh.

“I want more” you can’t help but mumble. “Please”

A corner of his lip raises in a smirk. “Your wish is my command” . He swipes his thumb against your clothed clit. “Is this what you want baby?”

You nod, a whimper crossing your lips as the sound of your heavy breaths fills the air.

You continue to rock your hips against his thigh, while he continues to rub circles on your clit. “Does that feel good?” he asks, but before you can even respond he’s shoving his tongue down your mouth through your parted lips.

You moan into him. eyes shutting tight at the fluttery sensation between your legs. You clutch the fabric of his shirt, unable to hold yourself up longer as you clench around nothing in particular. You feel the adrenaline in every part of your body-- in the pounding of your heart, in your breathless noises, in the way your body grows warmer by the second.

You open your eyes to look at him, cupping his face in your hands. But he’s already looking at you. His pupils are dilated, irises beginning to change colour from his chocolate brown to blue while he continues to kiss you. His hand stops moving against your clit, and he removes his thigh from between your legs. At the loss of friction you feel like a starved animal, needing more, and more, and more. You didn’t think you could ever feel this way, but he was making you abandon all of your inhibitions and want whatever he could give you. You didn’t know if you would ever feel satisfied after what you started.

But Jungkook knows exactly how to pleasure you and then some more as he picks you up and leads you to his bed where he lays you down. He hovers over you, palms pressed into the mattress on either side of you. He gulps.”Are you sure?”

You only nod.

He shifts down, unbuttoning your jeans, and sliding them out from under your legs. He throws them on the floor. He parts your legs, resting his upper body between your legs. He doesn’t waste any time, as he licks a strip on your clothed clit.

“O-oh- oh my….” your fingers curl around his hair, and you push his mouth flush against your core.

He moans against your flesh, laying kitten licks against the sensitive skin. The friction tenses the knot in your stomach even more. Just when you think there’s nothing more he could do, you feel your insides being stretched as he pushes a finger into you. Your back arches at the sensation. He buries his finger knuckle deep,curling it and inside you and hitting that sweet spot. Broken moans and gasps cross your mouth, while your toes curl from all the pleasure.

Seconds tick by and turn into minutes which turns into hours and just like that the night flies by. You don’t know how many times you come undone under him, above him. You stopped counting after the second time because you weren’t even in a state where you could think about thinking anything.

You lay under the sheets facing each other--limbs entangled and noses almost touching. Every few seconds the tip of his nose touches yours as he moves in to kiss you, but then he stops.

“Stop being a tease” you pout at him.

He laughs, showing his pearly whites. His eyes crinkle at the corners just like they do when he’s happy. He leans in, to place a peck on your lips. Then he shifts his head up to kiss your forehead. Then gently, he places a tender kiss at the tip of your nose. He pulls your hand into his as he brings it to his lips, laying down gentle kisses on each knuckle.

“Who taught you how to be romantic?” you tease

“I’ve always been romantic” his gaze locks with yours, a gentle smile coming onto his lips.

“By the way what did you talk to Jimin about that day?” a sudden curiosity shifts the subject.

A look of realization crosses his face “Ah” he says. “I told him about you”

“So that’s why you were pissed” you chuckle.

“Pissed?” his brows crinkle together.

“You were jealous of course. You looked like you were going to kill him” a corner of your mouth lifts into a smirk.

“No. I wasn’t. That’s childish stuff. I just thought he should know that at that time you were kind of taken. Not really but you know…”

You tap his nose. “If you say so” You trace the outline of his face with your fingers. “Are you happy?” you whisper.

“More than I can tell you. Are you?” he licks his lips as his eyes flicker to yours.

“Mhmm” you nod. “Happiest I have ever been I think”

“Good” he kisses the back of your hand. “That’s all I want for you baby”

“I can’t believe you’re mine” you look into his eyes-- finding yourself falling in love all at once.

“You better believe it” his lips turn up at the corners into a grin. “I don’t know how much humans mean it when they say ‘forever’. But let me tell you us werewolves tend to take the stuff pretty seriously.”

You chuckle silently, huffing through your nose. “Your point being?”

“You better believe I am yours, because you’re forever y/n. Until my last breath”

THANK YOU IF YOU READ THIS! REBLOG, COMMENT, LIKE! 

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ataraxia - ch. 3 [ diluc x reader ]

ch. 3 - questionnaire pairing: diluc x gn!reader warnings: mention of injuries, mentions of murder, mentions of familial passing. not beta read. words: ~2.7k words fic masterlist [ prev ] - [ next ]

chapter summary: your newest companion, diluc, fulfills his end of the bargain. you’re not quite sure what you’ve gotten yourself into. a/n: not sure how long this fic is going to be in its entirety. guess we’ll just see what happens! it’s starting to have a very different writing style from most of my stuff ;;; but that’s ok!

diluc rests within the spare bedroom of your cottage, across the hall from you. with the threat of infection eliminated, his wounds sutured, and his broken bones properly set into casts, his recovery is but a waiting game at this point. sure, he likely has several months to go, but your main priority is getting him walking once more. you would have to head into the city within the next few days to retrieve a pair of crutches for him, but until then, diluc would have to rest.

he’s finally, thank the archons, wearing a shirt. the redhead is also far less grumpy now than your previous encounters, albeit a bit drowsy when he speaks due to the influence of the far stronger pain medication that the healer prescribed him. while diluc mostly insists on managing himself, he is still unable to walk long distances, if at all, and likely wouldn’t be able to move around for the next few days.

which, of course, left diluc dependent on you.

the urge to ask him to cough up mora in exchange for your undying attention (aka, y’know, not letting him die in the midst of your daily activities) is awfully tempting, but the presence of your parents still lingers heavily in your house. while they’re not around to influence your actions anymore, the nostalgic décor of the spare bedroom diluc rests in serves the world’s worst purpose: it forces you to have good morals. therefore, out of the goodness of your heart and definitely not because you’re worried that you’ll unsettle the spirits of the dead, you ultimately decide not to ask diluc for repayment.

what you do ask him for, however, is to uphold his end of the verbal contract you two had made. sure, you’re not in liyue and under the jurisdiction of morax, but you still expect diluc to follow through. you have far too many questions for the redhead, but elect to let him rest for a bit. he had had the courtesy to thank you when you placed another glass of water, a book, and an apple with some cheese by his bedside, but had gone quiet for the rest of the day.

you now stand in your kitchen, making yourself dinner for two in silence. you have no idea if diluc will even have an appetite or if he’ll even like what you’re making, but you crack the eggs onto the skillet nonetheless. the dish in question is rather simple: toast, ham, poached eggs, and mayonnaise. within minutes, you’re serving up the plates of food and you decide to leave your own in the kitchen.

despite the door being cracked, you knock slightly on the door to diluc’s temporary room. you cringe internally as it swings open from the gesture, but diluc, who is surprisingly awake and in the middle of reading the book you had left him, doesn’t seem to mind the sudden intrusion. his head perks up upon seeing the food in your hands and you feel guilt swirl in your stomach. had he been hungry this entire time? oops.

“hi, i... uh... made food,” you awkwardly greet, holding out the plate to him. diluc takes it with his uninjured left hand and sets the plate in his lap.

“thank you,” diluc says and the words are strangely genuine. much to your behest, in the short encounters you’ve had with him since the healer departed this morning, he has been nothing but polite. it’s irksome. you want a reason to hold a grudge against him due to his crankiness yesterday. however, it’s proving to be hard.

“adventurer’s breakfast sandwich,” you explain, gesturing to the dish. “hopefully you don’t have any dietary restrictions.”

“i do not,” diluc confirms as he cuts into the poached egg with the side of his fork. you watch as the yellow yolk oozes out. “are you an adventurer?”

you shake your head. “nope. just grew up with some in the family.”

“ah.” diluc says and silence falls between the two of you. you shift awkwardly as he begins to eat and diluc makes no effort to engage you in conversation. great, you think. we’re both awkward.

“are you an adventurer?” you finally ask, unable to think of a better conversation starter. you know your food is getting cold, but it can wait. if you do this little chit-chat with diluc right, you’ll be able to get the answers you need.

“not quite,” diluc says after swallowing the bite of food he’s chewing. you await an elaboration. he does not provide you with one.

you quickly realize that talking to him is going to be the equivalent of prying teeth. you’ve never wanted to be a dentist. this isn’t going to be fun for either of you and he’s certainly not going to make it easy, even if the two of you did have an agreement. so, you decide. i’m not going to make it fun for him either.

“so, diluc,” you sing-song, sitting down in rocking chair in the corner of the room. you hastily shove the quilt that rests upon it to the side. “how’d you get your ass kicked?”

diluc sets the fork down on his plate, having finished his meal after scarfing it down. he narrows his eyes at you, unamused, but decides to indulge you with an answer anyways.

“i got in a fight. i did not get my ‘ass kicked’,” he explains. it’s a rather awful explanation.

“you got in a fight with your enemies.” you clarify dully, unimpressed with his answer.

“correct,” diluc says. silence falls between the two of you. it’s only interrupted by the rumbling of your stomach, which diluc can thankfully not hear. you stand from your chair, take his plate from him, and pad into the kitchen before returning with your own plate. you sit back down in the rocking chair and begin to eat as diluc stares at you warily.

“i have questions for you,” you say before he can bury his nose in the book you provided him once more.

“such as?”

“your ‘enemies’. do they know you’re here?” your safety is your first priority. while you don’t want diluc to die, you’re not about to sacrifice your own life for the man who brought trouble to your doorstep.

“no.” he responds after a brief moment of thinking. his tone is rather sullen, yet it reeks of honesty. yuck.

“how do you know that?” you ask, poking at the runny egg yolk that bleeds onto the bread underneath it.

“we would both be dead if they did.”

you have half a mind to kick him out for that response, but choose to swallow another bite of your sandwich once more. what a relaxing, polite answer from the stranger lying in your bed. for all you know, he could be a murde- holy shit. is he an enemy of the state? am i housing a fugitive?

“diluc,” you begin and he tilts his head inquisitively, surprised by the sudden desperation in your tone. “just who are you running from?”

the panic in your voice is evident and it causes diluc to actually consider your question. after all, you could have the fontaine government knocking at your door tomorrow morning and arresting you because of this weirdo. you weren’t too worried about his ability to stick a knife in your neck either. thanks to him somehow fracturing one of the strongest bones in his body, he likely wouldn’t be able to do that yet. yet.

“oh. i am not a fugitive or anything, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” diluc says. it provides you little relief.

“answer the question.” you demand and diluc parts his lips to speak, before closing them once more. his brows furrow slightly as he thinks of a response.

“i did agree to answer your questions. although i can’t necessarily say i trust you yet, i am indebted to you for your hospitality.” diluc’s answer still manages to evade the question, so you ignore his platitudes and instead stare at him pointedly. he seems to get the hint as the corner of his lips threaten to twitch upwards into a smile, but he quickly returns to his typical stoic expression.

“my enemies are the fatui.”

your fork clatters against your plate and you bite back a groan. so, diluc is an enemy of the state. just not your state. while you certainly wouldn’t get in any legal trouble for housing him, especially since fontaine’s relations with snezhnaya were tempestuous at best, it would inevitably bring trouble knocking to your door. but you knew enough of the fatui to know diluc is telling the truth. if they knew of his location here and he was a great enough enemy to have sustained such injuries from them, then the fatui would have arrived to kill him already. for now, only two other people besides diluc knew of his arrival to the farm: you and the healer.

as much as the healer loved mora, she hated the fatui more. you weren’t too concerned with her involvement in the situation. you, on the other hand, were the biggest concern. if the fatui came knocking at your door asking for diluc, you would hand him over with little to no hesitation. after all, they rewarded compliance with hefty amounts of mora and you were no fool. such an amount would truly be life changing.

“that sucks.” you finally respond before stuffing your mouth with another bite of food. 

“for them.” diluc says. his tone lacks any haughtiness, leaving you perplexed. you swallow the food in your mouth before staring at him quizzically.

“they broke your femur.” you remind him and diluc seems nonplussed about the confession.

“i’ve maimed twenty of their agents. potentially killed, but i typically do not stick around to view the results.” diluc says. yup. there it is. the murder confession. of course. although, you had to hand it to him. despite how bad you wanted the fatui’s mora, if you were capable of kicking their asses, you would do the exact same thing. therefore, you bite back your judgment.

“why? i mean, apart from the fact that the fatui suck. everyone knows that,” you wave your fork lazily in the air. “but why specifically risk your own life to... aggravate them?”

diluc’s eyes break away from yours and it appears you’ve hit a sore subject. you brush it off. the man can confess he beats up fatui agents for fun but can’t easily say why? that wasn’t your fault. the redhead could sort out his problems on his own time. you were just curious, that’s all.

“they’re a nuisance where i’m from,” he explains, although his voice appears to be rather distant.

“mondstadt, right?” you ask and diluc looks up at you with wide eyes, startled by your accuracy. “i can recognize the accent. it’s not very discreet. gonna have to change that if you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb.” his expression settles into a slightly sheepish one at your words.

“you’re new to this, aren’t you? the whole espionage thing?” you ask, moving your now empty plate off your lap and setting it on the floor next to you.

“how could you tell?” diluc asks cautiously. you can almost see the walls around his personality reinforcing themselves with each spoken word.

“you didn’t have a game plan for what you did if you got injured. if so, you wouldn’t have showed up on my doorstep. you also asked for a healer long before you knew anything about me besides my name. you didn’t hide your accent. and, no offense, but your appearance sticks out like a sore thumb. red hair and such a distinctive black jacket don’t exactly help with keeping a low profile,” you explain and diluc just stares at you blankly, folding his hands in his lap.

“you are very thorough.” he says and you flash him a smirk.

“i’ve had all day to think. but, trust me and i’ll trust your words, even though i probably shouldn’t. this is just a farm and i’m just trying to make ends meet. i don’t really care to get involved in politics or any of that, but, unfortunately, i can’t just let you die,” you lean back in the rocking chair. the tips of your toes graze the ground lightly, preventing you from swinging back and forth.

“thank you for that,” diluc says and the two of you fall into silence. his eyes glance at his book, but it appears as if he’s trying to be respectful. the redhead seemed to be fairly awful at small talk, but you were going to force it anyways.

“what are your next plans?” you ask. “you’ll be walking in a few days. are you going to go challenge the tsaritsa herself?”

much to your surprise, diluc laughs quietly at your question. “no. i... still need to figure out what i’m going to do. despite how much i want to, i cannot simply throw myself back into the thick of things.”

ah, so the fatui vanquisher did have some basic preservation skills. what a surprise.

“well, you’re more than welcome to stay as long as you need to,” you offer. you’re not quite sure why you do, but the words exit your lips before you can rescind them. 

“in exchange for payment, i presume?” diluc asks as a formality, but you shake your head no.

“you’ll have to pay for your food. i’m no bed and breakfast, after all, but... hm. let’s just say i have some family that would want me to support those who made enemies of the fatui.” your words are intentionally vague, much like his earlier ones. diluc’s eyes soften in understanding found within the words not spoken between the two of you. you can relate to him on his fatui hatred, even if you would sell diluc to them for the price of a single corn chip.

“but overall,” you continue, burying your grave even deeper. “you can stay here free of charge. however, i do expect you to help out around the farm once you’re able to.”

“that is... quite generous. thank you.” diluc praises you and you shake your head, waving his words away with a flick of the wrist.

“i’m not doing it for you.” you stand up and walk to the doorframe, your back now turned to him. “the fatui killed my parents. you kill the fatui. it only feels correct.”

you turn to look at him over your shoulder and flash him a faux smile. it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. diluc stares at you expressionlessly, yet you can see the sympathy in his eyes. the same pity in his eyes is the one you see in most of the townsfolk. it’s why you keep to yourself. it makes you feel small and insignificant. but you don’t snap at the redhead because of it. instead, you just sigh, before glancing at the bedside table to make sure he had enough water.

“i’ll be in my room. don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.” your voice is softer than before, but you don’t await an answer from him. instead, you shut the door behind you, before letting out a sigh and running a hand over your face.

jeez, you really know how to overshare, don’t you? you chastise yourself, but before you can beat yourself up too much, your dog trots up to you and nudges you gently. the gesture pulls you out of your negative thoughts and you walk over to the back door, opening it up for him to go outside.

your dog pauses for a second, glancing up at you and wagging his tail for a brief moment, before bolting out the door. this time, the night is filled with clear skies and little to no threats.

“be quick.” you call after him. you hear a soft bark in response and, staring out into the vast expanse of green grasses before you, you feel a churning in your stomach. you’re unsure whether it’s trepidation or excitement for what’s to come. 

you aren’t sure you want to know.

tag list (send in an ask to be added/removed!):  @quixoticmirror​ @fishyfish-y

[hoebii]

Fairy Good 2.0

Pairing : Fairy! OT7 x Reader  Genre : Fluff, Fairy!Au Rating : G Warnings : None that I can think of Wc : 2.5k A/N : Thank you @sugasbabiie​ so so so much for being my beta! She made this mess into something comprehensible lol, she’s the mvp for this. We don’t speak about the little plot-hole with the maknaes, okay? okay. As usual, hope you guys like this, feedback is always appreciated~ This is for the ‘Tiny Tan’ monthly theme from @thebtswritersclub​

You woke up to something, or someone, incessantly poking your cheek. Not wanting to leave dreamland just yet, you swatted at whatever was attacking your face when you heard a tiny yelp. 

Your eyes snapped open at the sound; even through the drowsiness, your mind remembered the seven tiny fairies you lived with. “Oh my god, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jin assures you as your eyes settle on his tiny body slowly standing up straight on the bed. 

Rubbing your eye sleepily, you couldn’t help but blush when you heard Taehyung cooing at you from somewhere in the room, muttering something about looking like a baby. 

How ironic, you thought, to be called a baby by a literal baby.

Yawning, you bring your attention back to the eldest fairy. “What’s up, Jin? You know not to wake me up on a weekend unless something’s wrong.”

“Something is wrong!” The tiny fairy exclaimed, distress clear in his voice as he looked up at you. 

Gently picking him up so he was standing on your palm, you asked, “What’s wrong, bub?”

“Namjoon is missing!”

Your eyes widen, now wide awake, “What do you mean Namjoon is missing?”

Jin sighed in worry, flopping down on your palm, his wings fluttering sadly as he looked like a kicked puppy. “He wasn’t there when I woke up, and when I looked for him throughout the apartment, he was nowhere to be found.”

“That’s… concerning,” you mumbled, letting him hop off your palm before moving to stand up from your bed, patting Taehyung gently when he came flying to you. 

“Morning,” he greeted you, placing a kiss on your cheek before flashing you his boxy smile. Taking a seat on your shoulder, he snuggled against your neck happily. 

You gave him a small smile, too worried about the missing leader of the little fairy group to be fully relaxed. Walking into the kitchen, you were faced with five tiny worried faces. You tried to keep a neutral expression as you approached the counter where they all sat, helping Taehyung get down there with the others as Jin flew by you to land too. 

“Y/N! Namjoon hyung is nowhere to be found!” Jungkook exclaimed, doe eyes brimming with tears as his lips trembled. 

“Baby, please don’t cry,” you cooed, patting his head gently to try to calm him, “he couldn’t have gone far; we’ll find him!”

“Are you sure?” he asked, sniffling as he moved closer to you, enjoying the little pats you were bestowing him with. 

“Yes, baby. We’ll find him for sure,” you reassured. 

Your attention was stolen when you felt someone tug at your t-shirt, moving to see Yoongi and Hoseok standing by you. 

“Can we talk to you for a second?” Yoongi asked, “Alone?”

Knowing it had to be something serious, you nodded, leaving the younglings in the kitchen to follow the older ones into the living room. 

“What did you need?” You asked as you took a seat on the couch, eyes darting from Jin to Yoongi to Hoseok. 

“We think Namjoon left the apartment,” Hoseok whispered, not wanting the younger ones to be able to hear - all four of you knew that they were most likely hiding by the corner to eavesdrop -.

“What?!” you exclaimed before clearing your throat at their panicked faces. Lowering your voice, you whispered, “What do you mean he left the apartment?”

“We noticed that the window was open while looking for him, so there’s a chance that he left through that,” Yoongi explained, voice still low. 

You mentally cursed yourself; why did you never close that damn window? That was the same window the fairies entered your life through last year, and now you feared that your carelessness might end up with you losing one of them the same way. 

As if being able to hear your thoughts, Jin stepped closer to you, giving you a smile as he said, “It’s not your fault, Y/N. Namjoon is old enough to be responsible for his own actions.”

You chewed on your bottom lip, heart still heavy with guilt. “But…”

“No buts!” Hoseok ordered, only to be interrupted by none other than the maknaes flying over to you. 

“Unless we’re talking about butts!” Taehyung announced, giggling at the word ‘butt’ alongside the other maknaes.

You couldn’t keep the chuckle that escaped you at the childishness of the fairies.

Jin shook his head, trying to keep a stern facade, “Didn’t I teach you little ones not to eavesdrop?”

“But-”

“No,” he cut the maknae off.

You sighed, taking pity on the sad fairies, and picked them up. Maintaining eye contact, you asked, “You know that listening to others’ conversation is wrong, right?”

When they gave a small nod, looking like kicked puppies, you placed soft kisses on their heads before letting them down as you turned to face Jin. “There, they know what they did was wrong; let’s all calm down, alright?”

“You baby them too much, Y/N-ie,” Jin said, still not looking pleased about the situation. 

You narrowed your eyes at his words playfully as you leaned closer, “If I don’t baby the babies, then who will?” 

You booped his nose, smiling at the way he huffed, “come on, Jin. Don’t be mad now; I’ll buy you some strawberries the next time we go grocery shopping!”

“Oh! Oh! Can we grab some mint choco then too? Namjoon-hyung hates that flavour; it’s so fun to annoy him,” Jungkook giggled, though his giggles soon died down, the cheerful mood vanished as soon as it came. 

Silence fell over the apartment; everyone worried about the missing fairy. 

Clapping his hand, Hoseok brought the attention to him, “Let’s not get sad already! For all we know, he’s still asleep somewhere- maybe waking up in the middle of the night and falling asleep somewhere else.”

Yoongi, Jin, and you shared a look, knowing that Hoseok was only saying that to comfort the maknaes. 

“Exactly! Hobi is absolutely correct,” you chimed in when the younger ones didn’t look fully convinced.

Yoongi gave you a grateful nod as Hoseok smiled at you, making you smile back. Jin cleared his throat, “Hoseok, why don’t you stay with the kids while the three of us go out to look for Namjoon?”

“Outside? Joon-hyung went outside?” Jimin asked, his eyes wide in shock and fear. They barely ever went out without you after they started living with you, too many people trying to capture them.

Jin sputtered, panicking at the slip up which made the others start panicking too. Thinking quickly, you gently lifted the teary eyed maknaes, cooing softly as you pat their heads. 

“No, no, no, hey don’t cry! Joon didn’t go out alone,” you soothed, “Jin meant Yoongi and him would come with me to look for clothes for Joon! You know how much he complained about his jacket getting destroyed.”

“Y-yeah!” Jin chimed in, stuttering slightly.

Taehyung gave you a skeptical look, not buying your excuse but still nodded slowly, “If you say so, Y/N-ie.”

“Uh-huh! Now run along with Hobi, have fun,” you urged them, making the three of them fly away to the little ‘play space’ - which was basically a decent-sized dollhouse - with Hoseok following them. 

Yoongi scoffed, giving you a flat look, “really? That’s what you could come up with?”

“Well, I didn’t see you coming up with something better,” you bit back, scrunching your nose in displeasure.

“...Whatever.”

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

You briskly walked down the busy street, Jin and Yoongi safely residing in your bag so they could remain safely hidden from the public. The three of you have looked for Namjoon in every nook and cranny on your block but to no success in finding the fairy. 

“Where could he have gone?” You murmured, brows furrowing as you scanned the place yet again - making sure you didn’t miss anything - before moving on. 

Tired of walking, you decided to sit down on a fairly deserted bench, opening your bag a bit more so Jin and Yoongi could pop out. 

“No luck here,” Jin said, rubbing his chin as he tried thinking about where else to look. 

The three of you sat there silently, trying to decide where to go next, when suddenly Yoongi spoke up. 

“Did we cross that little river that you take us to sometimes, already?”

“The river? Oh, the picnic spot we go to in the forest behind the complex?” You asked.

Yoongi nodded, making you shake your head, “Nope, we walked in the opposite direction.”

“Is it possible for us to go there now, then?”

You shrugged, “I don’t see why not.”

Climbing back into your bag, Yoongi tugged Jin back inside too. “Let’s go then,” he called out, barely visible from their spot inside. 

Standing back up, you adjusted the bag before you started walking, now towards the new destination given to you by Yoongi. “Alrighty then.”

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

Hoseok grunted as Jungkook poked him again, “What?”

“Where’s Y/N-ie and the hyungs?”

Hoseok rubbed his forehead, taking in a breath before looking at the maknae with a tight smile. “Kook, I’ve been with you here the whole time; how would I know?”

 Before the younger could reply, however, Jimin spoke up, “They’ve been out for so long, though; grocery doesn’t take this long to get.”

Hoseok tried to come up with an answer, not knowing how he would get out of this without telling them about the true intention for your sudden departure. 

“We could call her,” Taehyung suggested suddenly, looking unbothered as he sat by the window enjoying the warmth he felt from the sun. 

Hoseok sighed in relief at the interruption, thanking his lucky stars as the other two shared a look, grinning as they rushed to Taehyung. 

“You’re a genius!” Jimin exclaimed, hugging him tight while Jungkook nodded excitedly from beside him.

“I know,” Taehyung replied, smiling smugly. 

Hoseok shook his head, flying behind the younger ones as they zoomed to the spare phone you kept in the house in case they wanted to contact you. 

When he arrived, he saw Taehyung already tapping on the screen to activate it before Jimin happily danced over the keypad to unlock the device. Jungkook grinned as it was his turn now, following Jimin’s action as he too jumped from number to number to dial you. Taehyung pressed the green call button when he was done, the three of them sitting by the device impatiently as it rang. 

After a few rings, they heard your voice from the other, quieter than usual. 

“Y/N-ie! Why are you so quiet?” Jungkook asked, pouting when he couldn’t hear you properly from his spot. 

Hoseok chuckled as he went closer, noticing that they forgot to put you on speaker. Without another word, he did just that, smiling softly at how much brighter the others' smiles got when they heard your voice clearly.

“Hello?” your voice came through, making Taehyung reply with a ‘hello.’

“Ah, Taetae! Why did you call? You need something?” 

“No,” Jimin said, “we just missed you.”

They heard you coo, making them smile even more and move closer to the phone. 

“Where are you guys? Grocery doesn’t take this long to bring!” Jimin asked.

They heard you clear your throat, hesitation in your voice as you said, “About that…”

“Yeah?” Jungkook urged, waiting for you to speak more. 

“We’re out looking at potential fabrics for Namjoon! That’s why we’re late,” they suddenly heard Jin speak. 

“But you’ve been out for almost the whole day!” Jungkook whined, “we miss you! We miss Namjoon hyung!”

“Please don’t be sad, babies. We’ll be back soon!” You tried to assure.

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

Jin and Yoongi stared at you from their position in the bag where you placed it down after reaching the river. You were on call with the younger ones and Hoseok as you paced the place while trying to soothe them.

“Jin hyung?” they heard from somewhere beside them, making them both snap their heads towards the sound to find none other than Namjoon. 

The two of them froze in shock for a moment, trying to process the situation before they tackled a very confused Namjoon to the ground, bombarding him with questions left and right. 

“Where have you been?” “Why didn’t you let any of us know before you left?” “Do you know how dangerous it is to leave the house alone like that?” “All of us were worried sick about you!” 

Looking like a lost puppy, Namjoon could only silently listen to his elders scolding him while holding the object in his arms tighter. 

“Huh?”

“Huh? Huh?” Jin screamed, “You go missing for almost a day without any trace, and your answer is ‘huh’?”

“I-” Namjoon tried explaining himself, though he was cut off by you walking towards them while still staring at your phone screen. 

“Alright, the babies are soothed for now. Where do you think we should start looking first?” You asked, eyes still glued to your screen. 

“We don’t have to,” Yoongi replied, shooting a look at Namjoon, which made the other one sheepishly rub his neck. 

Looking up from your phone, you asked, “What do you mean- Namjoon?!”

You dropped to your knees to be closer to the three fairies, leaning down to be face to face with them. “Where have you been?!”

 Namjoon smiled sheepishly, fidgeting on his spot before presenting the object in his hands to you without any words.

“What’s this?” You asked as you plucked it from his hands, noting that it was a four-leaf clover. Your brows raised at it; you knew how difficult it was to find one, looking at the fairy in question. 

Namjoon kicked at the ground, refusing to meet your eyes as he blushed. “You were stressing about your upcoming projects, so I thought maybe getting you a four-leaf clover for good luck would make you feel better,” he explained, “so I woke up early and came here to look for one. I didn’t realise how much time passed in that time; I thought I could be back before you guys woke up.”

You felt your heart racing, tears lining your eyes as you took Namjoon on your other hand, bringing him close to your face. 

Seeing your teary eyes, Namjoon panicked, “Please don’t cry! I’m sorry I left like that and worried you guys!”

You shook your head, laughing softly before placing a kiss on his head, making him flush at the action. “I’m not crying, bub. I’m just so touched at how thoughtful you are.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, Joonie. Thank you so much for your gift,” you assured him, “I’ll keep this with me at all times after turning this into a resin keychain!”

“Really?” Namjoon asked, his eyes sparkling excitedly.

You nodded, carefully placing the clover back into his hands, “Why don’t you hold onto that till we get home? Make sure it doesn’t get ruined?”

Namjoon nodded vigorously, saluting as he took the leaf back as you chuckled, “Let’s go home then, okay?”

“Yeah!”

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

“Just so you know, Jungkook might cling to you once you get home,” Yoongi told Namjoon as they all sat inside the bag as you walked back to your apartment. 

“They missed me that much huh?” Namjoon asked, chuckling. 

“We all did. We can’t be bangtan without you,” Jin chimed in, nudging him playfully.   

[feliix]

in his arms ↠ hhj (18+)

↠ Hyunjin x Reader 

↠ Genre: Established Relationship!AU, Smut Fluff, Angst if you squint 

↠ Rating: M 

↠ Word Count: 5.3k

↠ Summary: The average Netflix & chill night is just not doing it for you anymore. After conducting some research and gaining the confidence you needed, it’s finally time to suggest the idea of having sex to your boyfriend.

↠ Warnings: explicit sexual content, soft sex, unprotected sex, first time sex, virgin sex, multiple orgasms, oral (f receiving), fingering, nipple play, creampie, praise, aftercare?

↠ A/N:  @moonlightlino​ this is for you for being the best support system a girl could ask for, I literally would not have been able to write or post this without you AH I love you♡ and thank you to @jinterlude​ for beta reading this♡

It’s only been a few months since Hyunjin asked you to be his girlfriend. Needless to say, things between you have been a bit slow. Not that there was anything wrong with that, you loved getting to spend time with Hyunjin. Any time you get to spend together is greatly appreciated, but at this point you want more.

To put things into perspective, you are a virgin. And you know for sure that Hyunjin is not, making it difficult for either of you to bring up in conversation. He cares for you deeply, wanting to make sure that your first time is ‘perfect’ or something.

It’s not like you haven't tried to bring it up before. When make out sessions got a little too heated, Hyunjin would back away, wanting to take a break and ruining any shot you had to go further.

But by this point you are too exhausted from trying to suggest the desired deed, exhausting all options and being dodged each time. You aren’t sure if he’s doing it on purpose, or if he’s just really bad at getting the hint.

Taking it upon yourself, you decide to conduct some research of your own. If anything, you don’t want to embarrass yourself during your first time. You know that Hyunjin is experienced, and no, that’s not something that you’ve ever held against him. You're just a later bloomer than he is, and there's nothing wrong with that. What matters is that you’re ready now, you’re in love with him and you’re ready to take your relationship to the next level.

“So I’ve been thinking,” you begin, hands placed gently on your lap as your eyes meet his.

“Thinking about?” He questions, raising a brow in your direction as you nervously chew your lip.

“I think,” your shoulders tense, taking a deep breath and closing your eyes to get some composure, “I think that we should have sex.”

The statement is blunt, catching Hyunjin completely off guard that he nearly chokes on the air he breathes. Not giving him much of a chance to calm down from his coughing fit you speak up again, not able to bear the awkward tension.

“I’ve been doing some research and-”

“You’ve what?” His voice stammers out as he suppresses another cough from leaving his throat, his cheeks puffed out in an attempt to hold it back, “Research on what?”

Noticing the palms of your hands are quickly becoming clammy, you drag them across the fabric of your jeans, doing your best to coax yourself into relaxing instead of dwelling on how unbelievably awkward this conversation is.

“I’ve just been looking up some stuff online about how to like… I don’t know.”

Hands quickly covering your eyes, you sink into yourself. Maybe this isn’t something that you should have brought up. The internet has some mixed reviews, some saying to let it happen naturally while others say to make a plan. You’ve always been more of the spontaneous type, but alas, here you are, making a plan.

Hyunjin doesn’t interrupt you, but simply  waits for you to finish what you have to say. It's painful. Having him just sit there with his brows furrowed while your face heats up with nerves.

“I just wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing when we...I mean if we...you know.”

It’s beyond impossible to make eye contact with him now, especially when he knows exactly what you mean now. There isn’t anything else that you have to say. But thank god he doesnt let an awkward silence take over, quickly jumping to take your hands in his before speaking up.

“Y/N,” his soft voice instantly brings you comfort, his thumb stroking over your hand to ease your anxiety, “there's nothing you have to be worried about, I love you. You know that?”

A nod is all that you can manage in response, doing your best to just focus on your breathing before getting yourself all worked up. There is nothing to be worried about. It’s Hyunjin, he knows you better than anyone else and would never want to make you uncomfortable.

“We don’t have to do anything that you’re not comfortable with, baby. We don’t have to have sex if you’re not ready–”

“I am,” you’re quick to interrupt him, not wanting him to ramble on anymore. The nerves that once consumed you are now gone, your body props up straight as you make eye contact with him now. Confidence is key, and if you don’t show him you’re sure about this you know there’s no way he’d go through with it.

A gentle hand tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear, exposing your supple cheek to him before placing a soft kiss on it. He’s being extra gentle today – taking his time to let you think about each of his movements and words before he moves forward. There’s nothing he wants more than to make sure that you’re comfortable.

Hyunjin waits a few moments, relishing in your gaze before his fingers take place on your hips, pulling you closer to him until you’re adjusting yourself on his lap. Nothing so far has been anything new, just his newfound calamity and regard for your comfort. His eyes wander between your forehead, eyes, and lips, visually confirming that you’re showing no signs of discomfort.

Sighing in acknowledgement, you rest your head on his shoulder, the earthy smell of his cologne consuming your senses as your nose brushes against his neck.

Hyunjin shivers in reaction; his neck is one of his most sensitive areas – something you figured out quite quickly. He finches each time your fingers brush his neck, whether it's accidental or on purpose, Hyunjin always gets a chill from it.

Rubbing your back soothingly, his hands gently roam to the swell of your ass, giving it a subtle squeeze. It's not something that you expect, your back stiffening in reaction as your head snaps up to him wide eyes. He’s not normally this cheeky with you, but as things are you can tell that this is a good sign. The smirk on his face says it all.

Hyunjin moves in slowly, his lips meeting yours with pure desire while your heart pounds against your chest. A gasp leaves your mouth when his lips start to move gently against yours, his tongue tenderly brushing across your bottom lip as he notices the part in your lips. The kisses he gives you are delicate, so faint and sweet to show you how careful he’s being with you. It's something you appreciate, smiling into the kiss as you begin to lose yourself in the thought of him.

Pulling away for a breather, his warm breath fans across your face. You take this opportunity to open your eyes to glance at his expression, but you can’t see much as he rests his forehead against yours. The look in his eyes was endearing yet filled with lust; it's unclear if he’s holding himself back for not. But he’s being extremely cautious, more so than usual.

“I want you, Hyunjin,” your whisper lands on his lips, your thighs unconsciously pushing together to ease the growing throb of your core. In an instant Hyunjin is adjusting himself beside you, his hips shifting backwards slightly as his thighs tense.  A hand is placed on your thigh, tugging you in his direction to shift yourself onto his lap. That's when you can feel it – his hard erection pushing up against your clothed core.

“Y/N,” your name sounds breathtaking as it leaves his lips, “I want to know that you’re sure about this.”

He doesn’t give you much time to respond, cutting you off in the nicest way possible as his mouth brushes lightly against yours. You pull away slowly though, savoring every moment of this build up that you can. You are sure, you’ve never been so sure about something in your life. It’s Hyunjin, it always has been.

Nodding your head in agreement, your peak up at him through your eyelashes. “I’m sure, Hyunjin.” Your voice sounds so innocent, a stark contrast to the filthy things that are racing through your mind.

Hyunjin’s eyes are looking at you like you’re holding his entire world in your fingertips, doting on your every feature. To him, you’re perfect, and he can’t help but want you in this moment, accepting that now is finally the right moment to kick things up a notch.

In one swift motion Hyunjin is placing an arm under your knees, the other stretching to support your back when he sweeps you off the couch. You follow his movements accordingly, wrapping your arms around his neck to hold yourself against him. As your head falls into his chest you take a deep breath, the comforting smell of his cologne consuming you once again. You aren’t nervous, he’s your safe-haven – his arms holding you tightly as his smell calms your nerves.

As he makes his way into the bedroom he lies down carefully on the mattress, resting your head on the massive heap of throw pillows it's decorated with. His stare is wandering your body, eyes raking up and down your figure in disbelief. It's not like he hasn’t thought of you this way before – but this time it's for real.

Shifting awkwardly in your place, you curl your lips into an apprehensive smile and tilt your head to the side, hoping that he’ll say something to ease the awkward energy beginning to fill the room.

“I’m sorry I would have made this like...better if I knew you wanted to do this tonight,” a defeated sigh leaves his lips as his hand reaches for the back of his neck. His fingers graze the skin, scratching it lightly and pushing his head forward to avoid eye contact. So much for easing the awkward tension.

“Better?”

Hyunjin had always planned on making your first time special, probably more than you would have realized. He wanted all of that stereotypical romantic stuff. Taking you out to a nice dinner, lining the hall with candles, having mood music playing in the background, he wanted it all. But you caught him off guard, which was okay. It's much more natural for things to happen like this; but he can't help but think about how he could have made your first time just a little bit more special.

“Yeah like, something more romantic, I guess.”

The disappointed look on his face makes your stomach twist. He’s always so hard on himself to be the best for you, when one thing doesn’t go his way he takes it to heart. You know the only way he’ll get over it is with reassurance, which luckily is something you’re always willing to give Hyunjin.

“This is romantic,” you smile, pushing yourself up onto your knees to place a soft kiss on his cheek. Hyunjin releases a sigh of relief, or displeasure, it was a little hard to tell with the disappointment still evident on his face. Either way, your instinct is to calm his nerves, hoping that it could also settle your own in the process.

“Can I?”

Your voice comes out stronger than expected, hiding the nervous feelings wracking at your brain. It's not until your eyes are wandering down to his crotch until he picks up on what your question is really about; staring at the semi-hard on that you can make out through his sweatpants. Not able to stare for long, your eyes quickly shift back up to his – wide in disbelief.

It takes everything in you to not curl into a ball of embarrassment the second the words leave your lips. It's evident he’s nervous too, for different reasons than you, but still. Hyunjin’s lips begin to roll in between his teeth, bearing back a laugh. That's when you feel your cheeks heating up, immediately bringing up your hands to shield your eyes, far too humiliated to look at him any longer.

“You’re so cute,” a soft chuckle leaves Hyunjin’s lips following his words, grabbing ahold of each of your wrists in his hands. The barrier separating your embarrassed eyes from his looming stare is broken. A slight smirk present on his lips, quite contrasting to the pout overtaking your features. So you let your shoulders fall, sinking into yourself while you inhale deeply.

“I’m sorry,” you whine, letting a gush of air press out of your nostrils. Hyunjin’s reaction immediately changes, his hand letting go of your wrist to climb onto the bed with you.

“Sorry for what?”

It was a genuine question. There was nothing you had to apologize for, but the sliver of anxiety riddling your system is making your brain act out of whack. Hyunjin’s been nothing but patient with you, he always is, but for some reason you can’t get out of your head and just let things happen in the moment.

“I feel like I’m being weird now and you don’t want to do it anymore.”

“So you think that I don’t want to have sex with you right now?” He asks, his eyebrows raising in question.

“Maybe I’m just–” Hyunjin’s arms meet the backs of your bent knees, pulling them out from under you so you’re laying flat on your back. In that split second he is now hovering over you, your chest heaving for air as adrenaline begins to pump through your veins.

Hyunjin’s face is just inches from yours, his hot breath fanning over your flushed cheeks as he moves his lips closer to your ear, “Do you have no idea how hard I am for you right now?”

Breath catches in your throat as Hyunjin’s teeth nip your ear– arousal suddenly begins to gush from your core. You can’t see him but you know he’s wearing a shit eating grin, pleased with your reaction. He’s enjoying this effect he has on you.

Shivers run down your spine as lips graze your jawline, peppering kisses down to your neck until he reaches the collar of your shirt. In one quick motion, his fingers are sliding underneath the fabric and pulling it over your head. Goosebumps litter the surface of your skin as your torso is exposed to the cold air of the room. You’re flooded with emotions. Yes, things between you and Hyunjin had gotten hot and heavy before; the only difference is this time you know where things are heading. As you watch his eyes devour your figure, your legs unwillingly begin to cross. The arousal flooding from your center is far too prominent to ignore now.

Your core throbs in desire as Hyunjin’s lips meet the skin of your chest. His hands roam over your sides as you roll your head back. Mind racing with dirty thoughts, all you can think about is how badly you need him right now. It’s better to amp yourself up now than to dwell on the small fears swirling in the back of your mind.

Soon Hyunjin is ridding himself of his own clothing and tossing the fabric aside, getting back onto the bed completely nude before he rests his body over yours again. You swallow thickly, unsure what to do now that he is naked and on top of you. The google search history definitely does not have anything to guide you through a situation like this.

“Babygirl?” He’s quickly able to sense your sudden change in demeanor as he looks down at you with cautious eyes,  “you okay?”

His words snap you out of your thoughts, shaking your head as if you’re physically removing your worries from your brain. “I'm just…not really sure what to do now,” you say as you break eye contact with him, your eyes wandering down his naked figure.

With a gentle kiss placed to your lips, Hyunjin sits back on his heels, pulling your arms so you're sitting up in front of him. “Well normally this is the part where we get undressed, but if you’re not comfortable with that…”

He doesn't have to finish his sentence before a smile is creeping onto your face. Thankfully his lighthearted commentary is soothing your worries. It doesn’t hit you that this doesn't need to be as big of a deal as you’ve made it out to be. It's just you and Hyunjin here.

A small nod of your head gives him the go ahead; one of his hands reaches slowly towards your back to fiddle with the clasp of your bra. The feeling of sweet relief consumes you as the elastic releases from your body – there really is nothing like taking your bra off after a long day.

But Hyunjin doesn't stop there. Like the princess you are, you wait for him to finish undressing you; pulling your pants and underwear down your legs and throwing them off to the side of his bed and into a messy pile on the floor. You’re getting over that sense of anxiety now, there is absolutely no desire that you have to cover yourself from him. The way his eyes gloss over your figure with such admiration makes you feel safe under his touch – his touch that trails from the tops of your thigh and traces the curve of your side.

“Beautiful,” mumbles past his lips. Heat rises to your cheeks once again, fighting the instinct to cover your face as you blush at his compliment.

“You’re sure you want to do this?” Hyunjin asks one last time, one hand brushing your hair back as the other supports his body weight. You hum in response, lifting up to peck his lips tenderly. He looks so angelic over you, a slight blush tinting his cheeks the longer he looks at you.

In one swift movement he’s rocking back into a kneeling position. Tilting your head, you watch his slender fingers wrap around his hardening member, watching in awe as it grows with each slow pump of his wrist, the collection of bracelets adorning his wrist swaying with each movement.

Soon he’s pushing your knees up so your feet are placed flat on the mattress. The cool air washes over your dripping core sending shivers through your body. And just like that, Hyunjin’s lips are moving south, his tongue diving into the soaking depths of your cunt. Involuntarily your hips buck towards him, unable to control your own desire from the pleasure his mouth is bringing you. Hyunjin’s thumb soon meets your clit, circling the bundle of nerves gently as his tongue presses flat along your slit.

A moan escapes your lips as his tongue moves faster. Mind flooding with filthy thoughts about how good his mouth feels on you; you’re clueless to how anyone could manage to form a coherent sentence during something like this.

You let out an airy gasp as his fingers move down to your entrance, circling around it a few times before dipping inside. Unable to resist the urge, your hips jump up towards him, bucking into his touch. A hand flies up to cover your mouth, shocked at your own body’s response to his touch.

“Hm?” he smirks, well aware of the effect he's having on you. If he didn’t want to rub it in even more he’d give you a second to calm down, but you have barely enough time to react before his index finger is slowly pushing into you. Your eyes flutter shut as his finger draws outwards. Bliss consumes your body, the outside world slowly seeming to fade away with each motion of his wrist.

Your walls squeeze his finger deliciously as they adjust to the new sensation. And Hyunjin’s eyes are kept on you, taking into account your comfort and keeping track of how your body reacts to each of his movements. Another finger is soon added; your body reacting to the extra pressure by tensing for a moment, the greater size doing a number on you. But luckily the mild discomfort is quick to disappear. All thanks to the soft kisses being pressed to the inside of your thigh.

Your hips jut forward as Hyunjin’s fingers begin to separate, stretching your walls as they move in scissor-like motion. For a moment you think you’re seeing stars, the breath trying to escape your throat getting caught in reaction.

Hyunjin places his other on your lower stomach as his lips begin to trail up and down your thigh. A path of residual saliva is left in his tracks; the cool air meeting with your supple skin gives you a quick chill. But the scissor-like motions pick up in pace, your walls constricting and contracting around him as your arousal coats his fingers. You know he has to keep going. You’ll never be able to take his size if he doesn’t prep you enough.

As your hand reaches down to rake through his long blonde locks he picks up his head to meet eyes with you. The satisfaction from the way you take his fingers is written all over his face, as well as some residual arousal coating his lips. The expression on his face is unfamiliar to you – his eyes are so dark and filled with desire they look like they could swallow you whole.

Your stomach churns with anticipation as his fingers reach new depths inside of you. All prior pain is morphed into sweet pleasure, all thoughts in your brain swirling with Hyunjin and his control over your desire.

“Hyunjin,” you breathe out, a raspy moan-like sound closely following his name. You’re in need of more than just his attention, the cries of pleasure leaving your lips says it all. He narrows his eyes in response, his eyes still locked on your expression as he waits for you to continue.

“I-I think I’m–”

Euphoria consumes your body all at once. Back arching off the bed, your cunt squeezes over his fingers tightly. Hyunjin’s praises fall on deaf ears while your body enters the ultimate state of bliss.The pulse of your orgasm is unforgiving, rendering you immobile for what feels like eternity as you ride out your high.

It takes a minute for you to come down, but once you do you’re too in shock to even say a word. His eyes are pooling with desire after watching you cum on his fingers; you have no idea how long he’s wanted to see you like this.

“Think you can make it for another?”

The quick nod of your head is more eager than you anticipate, earning a satisfied chuckle from Hyunjin. Again, he’s rocking back onto his heels before leaving one last kiss to your clit. Oversensitivity makes you squirm in his touch, wondering if you’ll be able to last very long once he’s inside you for real this time.

His nimble fingers return back to their place on his cock. You can’t help but admire how pretty and delicate they look wrapped around his fully hardened member. His slender digits using the arousal from your orgasm to slide graciously down his shaft. Its mesmerising, eyes wandering up and down his toned figure and sneaking a peak at his facial features; eyebrows furrowed and eyes clamped shut.

He’s focused, caught in the moment of making sure he’s harder than he’s ever been. It gives you a minute to regroup as well, still quite sensitive from your previous orgasm. Hyunjin’s eyelids flutter open gently before locking eyes on you – it’s finally time for the main event.

Hyunjin moves carefully to adjust you, taking your hips in his hands and scooting you until you're in a comfortable position and he can kneel between your legs. One last glance grazes over you to make sure you still want to go through with this. All that's evident is your eyes heavy with lust and your chest heaving as you wait for him to push forward.

Slowly, the tip of his cock presses against your entrance. Adrenaline courses through your veins as the thick sound of blood pumping fills your ears. Is it nerves or excitement – perhaps it could be touch of both? But you’re sure to give Hyunjin a reassuring nod paired with your hand reaching out for his to hold.

Hyunjin accepts the gesture, interlacing his fingers with yours. And now it’s time for what you have been waiting for all along.

Hyunjin pushes into you slowly, your velvet walls surrounding his hardened member all at once. A muffled grunt leaves his lips, quickly disguising it as a cough as he tries to refrain from moaning loudly in satisfaction. He’d feel too selfish crying out in pleasure so soon while you’re still trying to adjust. You feel so tight around him it's hard for him to keep his composure, it's unlike anything he has ever felt before.

“Feels so good babygirl,” he moans as he begins to pull backward, gripping you tighter as he pushes back into you slowly, “so fucking tight.”

You keen at his praise, but the discomfort in your lower half is prevalent. Tears begin to prick at the sides of your eyes before you squeeze them shut, desperate to hide it from Hyunjin. You know it would worry him too much but you didn’t want it to stop. If it was anything like before the mild discomfort would soon turn to pleasure, you just need to give it some time.

Though your expression doesn’t go unnoticed by Hyunjin, who has been studying every inch of your body since the moment he undressed you. Out of instinct he’s leaning forward, placing a soft comforting kiss to your forehead and then your lips before tilting his head to your ear.

“You’re doing great, babygirl,” his whispering tone quickly brings you comfort. The sensation of his smooth, deep voice ignites a fire through your body. With a deep breath you’re finding yourself relaxing more, wanting more. But he doesn’t move, just waits for you to adjust to his size and strokes his thumb over your joined hands.

It's all in your head – the underlying nerves you still carry cause you to restrict yourself from living in the moment. Hyunjin had prepped you well enough – you’ve already cum once tonight. You’re ready.

Hyunjin is looking at you with apprehension, you notice once your eyes are languidly opening to meet his stare. A subtle smile graces his lips, his blonde hair pushed back by the hand that's not holding yours. He’s patient and he doesn’t mind – not as long as you’re comfortable.

You let him know you're ready with a soft smile and a squeeze of your hand.

With a determined look on his face, Hyunjin’s cock draws back once again. Your velvety walls squeeze him deliciously as he returns, this time the stretch more bearable than the last. It's becoming easier for you to let your body relax under Hyunjin. Just focusing on the way the soft skin of his hips graze against yours while his long blonde hair sways gently is bringing you back down.

With a few more slow thrusts, the uncomfortable stretch is no longer as noticeable. Hyunjin’s fingers roam your body to distract you from the pressure, finding other areas to pleasure you in accordance. A small gasp leaves your lips as his thumb finds its way to your mouth, dragging it down your bottom lip to coat it in saliva. Your eyes follow it closely as he makes his way down your body, stopping at your nipple and rolling the perky bud between his fingers.

“Fuck.”

You can’t hold back as his mouth takes the place of his finders. Hyunjin’s tongue washes over your sensitive bud greedily, your back arching off the bed in reaction. It's so much stimulation at once – your mind won’t stop buzzing. His cock glides in and out of you so effortlessly; like you were made just for him. Hyunjin doesn’t let that go unnoticed either. Words of praise leave his lips in the form of mumbles, only amplifying the sense of your arousal.

The pleasure you’re feeling is unmatched. Heart pounding in your chest and sweat beading down your chest, your need for him intensified. Slowly, your hips swivel downwards, meeting his eager thrusts into you. Desire consumes you, the mild ache in your core completely gone and replaced with lust. Your drive for him is only building; shifting and grinding your hips into his until you can feel yourself on the brink of white hot pleasure.

“So good for me,” he groans, his thrusts quickening, growing deeper to match your motions. A mutual moan is shared between you, his tip hitting new territory in your center.

This build up is much more intense than the last. The feeling of your muscles tightening beneath your skin and throbbing of your cunt only rises as his cock meets a space that hadn’t been touched before. Unable to control yourself you’re left screaming his name into his neck. It's impossible to get a grasp on your own body. The need to chase your high is much too strong to slow down now.

And now you know what everyone talks about. Yet all of the mindless google searches and skimmed over articles you read have nothing on this feeling. That much desired knot was tightening, begging to be tugged and snapped to lead you to your end.

The sweat that gathers on Hyunjin’s brow glimmers in the dim light as his hips buck harder into yours. You can’t help but notice how breathtaking he looks like this; pleasure squeezing his eyes shut and pursing his soft lips into a tight line.

“Cum with me?”

His voice is raspy, winded even. It's phrased as a question but you take it as an order, nodding your head although Hyunjin isn't able to register your response at this time. He can tell where you are from the pulse of your walls wrapped around his cock, whether it's intentional or not. His thrusts soon become sudden, craving a high so deeply that he’s not able to move fast enough.

Changing positions quickly, Hyunjin rests his arms on either side of your head. His hair comes untucked from behind his ears, shadowing his eyes from your view. Swiftly, you bring your hand up to brush it backward to read his expression; his soft features now morphed with determination. Sweat beads down the sides of his face with each surge of his hips.

Before you have any time to catch a break he was moving upwards, straightening his back and driving his hips into yours, chasing his high. Extending your neck back, you let out a muted cry – the force of his tip against a sensitive spot inside you beginning to push you over the edge.

“Fuck, Hyunjin!”

The tight band in your stomach snaps as you chase your release, Hyunjin’s name repeated from your mouth like a mantra as your back arches off the mattress. It was unlike anything you had felt before; your body felt numb yet so sensitive all at once. Pussy throbbing sporadically around Hyunjin’s cock, he isn’t able to hold on any longer.

Hyunjin’s head is thrown back in pleasure, an airy moan leaving his lips simultaneously. You can feel his release painting your walls; the white, hot spurts of cum making you feel so unbelievably full. You have never felt closer to Hyunjin as you have in this moment, his body collapsing over yours. A deep breath leaves your lips as his arms wrap around your tired frame, holding you close as you come down from your highs.

“I love you, Y/N.”

The words are whispered beside your ear, it's not the first time that you’ve heard him say it but something about hearing it now seems different. Soft kisses grace the clammy skin on your neck; your blissed out figure unable to move much more than a gentle smile.

“I love you.”

And for the rest of the night this is how you remained, wrapped in each other’s arms before passing off into a blissful slumber. Your heart is warm, satisfied with the night and the beautiful man you were lying beneath. Needless to say, it was worth the wait.

‘In His Arms’ is copyright 2020 @chaangbin​​, all rights reserved. Please do not repost on any platform or translate without permission.

[calpalirwin]

Happiness in Misery

Summary: Amidst the torture that is the Winter Soldier program, Bucky finds solace in another recruit’s company.

Word Count: 6.1k

A/N: Everybody say thank you to @jessalyn-jpeg​ for beta-reading/crying over this with me

And away, and away we go!

__

A light clunked on loudly overhead, so bright I had to squint in order to see anything at all. “New recruits to train. C’mon,” was the gruff instruction, followed by the sound of metal clicking and the door of my cell swinging open. “Now!”

Silently I followed the guard through the corridors, knowing better than to ask any questions. Instead I wondered what type of recruits they had gathered this time. And whether or not any of them would survive the process. Useless wondering as I already knew the answer. The recruits were going to be a ragtag round up of hopeful prospects: people who put up a fight when being captured. And they might pass today’s training, but the serum would kill roughly half. And the others would die eventually when they proved to be noncompliant and dangerous. Leaving me to train a new batch of recruits, and the cycle would spin on. Exhausting work, but my compliance meant I lived another day. And I’d survived too much to die in captivity.

The large gymnasium training area had about twenty hopefuls lined up along the back wall, guards scattered strategically throughout the room. But it wasn’t the guards I gave my attention to. Some of the recruitments had more fear in their eyes, some with more fire, but all with the identical cold expression. All but one. A young woman at the end of the line had her lips pulled back in a snarl. The fire in her eyes burned brightly as we locked stares, a low rumble in her throat. Her stature felt too small to bear the weight of such intimidation she was projecting, but I liked it all the same. She reminded me of someone I felt I had known before: a small man with an unwillingness to give up. The details were blurry, and I wasn’t sure if the memory was even real. But it gave me hope nonetheless. Hope that almost caused me to smile at her.

I took up my mark in the middle of the room, standing at attention, waiting for the order to be given. Twenty versus one? This would be a breeze.

A whistle blew, but nobody moved, the twenty people looking around in confusion. “Fight!” came the verbal order.

With hesitance, a few people walked my way, fists raised. Punches thrown half-heartedly were easily blocked as I stayed on the defensive. Only defend until they get the serum. You can take the blows, they can’t, and if you accidentally kill another potential… I suppressed the shiver, refusing to let myself go down that path.

Punches and kicks came with less hesitance. Stronger as the expectation of what to do settled in their minds. Grunts of effort filled the room, along with the occasional scream of agony as a fist collided with metal instead of flesh.

I blocked, ducked, and dodged, receiving a couple of well-placed hits, but I stayed on my feet, my body barely moving from my original mark.

Five minutes ticked by, then ten, each prolonged minute resulting in more recruits sitting down in exhaustion. As fifteen minutes neared, three people were still trying to fight me. But they were getting wiser about it. They started working as a team.

Two of them advanced. The distraction. I defended the advances, scanning around for the third, knowing they were coming but unable to locate them as the other two kept giving me their all. Then, something, or rather someone, came crashing full force into my side, my feet squeaking against the wooden floor at the unexpected hit.

I thought that was it. The one sneak attack just outside of my peripheral. But no. Again, the body slammed into me, the ear-piercing squeak from my boots sliding on the wood emitting around the room again. Then a third attempt that finally knocked me unsteady.

My hand flew out to break my fall, but the body came at me again, full on tackling me to the ground. And because flinging them off, even in defense, would result in trouble for me, I had no choice but to let it happen.

My back hit the ground, the person landing on top of my chest. With a yell, they started hailing punches down on me, their knees driving into my sides. I raised my arms over my face, and tucked my legs, rolling out from under them.

They fell off of me in a huff, and I knew they weren’t ready to give up. Unfortunately for them, I was the quicker one to my feet. Gently, I pressed one of my boots on their chest, getting a good look at the opponent who’d managed to do what many have failed to do. The young woman, her snarl still in place, the growl still in her throat.

She gripped my ankle, trying to push my foot off her. When that didn’t work, she switched to hitting my foot as hard as she could, yelling all the while.

In a simple, but swift motion, I lifted my foot off of her, then pulled her up by the front of her shirt, setting her on her feet. I flickered my gaze over to a guard who nodded, before blowing a whistle.

Knowing they didn’t care for, need, or want my input, I turned to head back to my cell, certain I would see the young woman again very soon.

~~~

“Do you talk at all?” a voice asked me as a tray slammed down across the table from me.

I raised my eyebrows in silent question as the young woman from earlier sat down across from me, fork poised over her dinner as she studied me. Waiting for an answer I never gave.

Each of us took a bite of food, chewing while we studied the other. “Well?” she asked with an impatient eye roll. “Do you not speak English? Hello?” She waved a hand in front of my face. “Earth to Robot Arm. Anyone home?”

“It’s James,” I stated, flatly.

Her eyes flashed in delight. “He speaks!” she marveled. “So… what’s the deal with this place?”

“That’s confidential. You’ll learn on a need to know basis. If you’re lucky.”

“If I’m lucky? Uh-oh. Don’t like the sound of that…”

“Just do as you’re told.”

“Mmm… Is that what you were doing earlier by not fighting back? Doing as you were told?”

“You don’t want to fight me.”

“You don’t know what I want.”

“Yes, I do. You want to survive. And I’m telling you the best way to do that is to follow orders, and keep your mouth shut!” My words were harsh, but I needed her to understand. And I feared I’d already said more than I was ever supposed to.

~~~

The screams of those deemed worthy of moving on to Phase Two sounded through the halls the next morning. Tortured screams of agony as the serum changed them on a molecular level, setting every nerve ending on fire. Panicked screams as it took with some, and wiped out others, no one sure of which category they fell into until it was too late. The burning was otherworldly, but from experience, you wanted the burn. The burn meant you were alive. A test of survival in the cruelest of manners.

The screams lasted all day. The cafeteria held faces covered in haunted exhaustion or sheer terror of the fate that still awaited some. In their faces, I scanned for hers, feeling my heart drop when I couldn’t find her.

“You could have warned me,” her voice said, heavy with exhaustion as she joined me across the table.

I let out my breath in a sigh of relief. “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better than them, that’s for sure,” she said, raising a finger to gesture at the screams still echoing throughout the compound.

I nodded, keeping my thought of how she looked better too to myself. She now had a fighter’s body to match her fighter’s spirit, no longer the fragile thing she’d been yesterday.

“You don’t say a lot do you, James?”

“No.”

“Woooow,” she deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not sure what your deal is, but I’m not the person you want to make friends with. In fact, I’m about to become your worst nightmare.”

She waved her hands sarcastically. “Oooo, I’m so scared, James. What makes you think I want to be friends with someone who hasn’t even asked me my name yet anyways?”

“It’s not important.”

“Riddle me this. How is it important for you to go out of your way to look for me, and be relieved that I seem to be okay, but that importance doesn’t cross over into knowing my name?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but she cut me off.

“And don’t bother with some line about how you weren’t looking for me, or care if I’m okay, because we both know that’s a lie. We don’t know each other all that well, but I know damn well that you aren’t asking the others if they’re okay, or looking around worriedly for them. So what gives, James?”

“I care because you’re proving you have what it takes to survive. But learning your name, or anything about you for that matter, is a useless waste of time because unless you listen to what I told you about following orders and keeping your mouth shut, you won’t survive.”

“And why do you care if I survive, or not?”

“Because you remind me of something I think I used to know.”

“Did that person survive? Or am I your sick attempt at a second chance?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know if he was real, or if I made him up.”

“Damn, that’s dark…”

I shrugged. “Just try not to hate me too much when I get my revenge for you knocking me on my ass the other day.”

Her eyes sparkled playfully. “Oh really? You gonna fight back this time?”

“I’m allowed to now.”

~~~

It took a few days for her to learn what I meant. Phase Three happened at a slower pace. Instead of a group fight where I couldn’t do much besides play defensive, Phase Three meant individual hand-to-hand combat. And I wasn’t allowed to hold back.

For them to run their proper tests, and to make sure I was always in top form, Phase Three was spread out over a week, with a fight occurring once a day. But, I knew well enough now that if Phase Three was only a week, it meant that only seven had survived the serum of Phase Two.

I fought her on day four.

Much like the first day, she had a snarl on her lips and fire in her eyes. And she wasted no time in figuring out her newfound strength as she attacked.

Her blows landed harder and with more accuracy as I blocked, waiting for the break I knew was coming to launch my own offensive against her.

My first swing connected with her stomach, and when she hunched, I hit her in the jaw, taking a small pleasure in the way her eyes widened in surprise.

Back and forth we went in a choreographed dance of exchanging hits, the serum putting her on an even playing field with me. And while I had more training, she still had that unwillingness to quit, making us more even-matched than most recruits I’d fought with.

With no one yielding, the guards ordered us apart after a half hour, both of us bloody and bruised, but still with more than enough energy and sheer willpower to keep going.

“If it wasn’t for your fancy arm, I would’ve had you,” she tried to joke later at dinner.

“No you wouldn’t have,” I smirked. “You’re gonna need a lot more training to take me down.”

“I’ve done it once, I can do it again.”

“It took you four tries, and two other people distracting me. And I wasn’t allowed to fight back,” I reminded her. “So keep gloating over that victory, cuz it’s the only one you’re gonna get with me.”

“That’s what you think. But, I think it’s time you learned the name of the girl who’s gonna take you down.”

My eyes went wide. “No, don’t!” I rushed to stop her.

“Y/N,” she said anyway.

“God damn you…”

“Oh, relax. I know your name. What’s the big deal?”

“If you have to ask, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

~~~

Names, along with any personal details, meant attachments. Attachments meant caring. And caring meant getting hurt. And as much as being alone sucked, getting hurt sucked a lot more. Physical pain I was growing accustomed to. But emotional pain? A risk I avoided at all costs.

Thankfully, stubborn streak aside, Y/N appeared to take my advice to heart. When the remaining six of her recruitment class started dropping, I knew she had her suspicions that she wanted to talk with me about. But she didn’t voice them until the evening she walked into the cafeteria and it was just her and me.

“What the hell is this place, James?” she asked me in a whisper. “And I swear if you tell me that’s confidential information, I will bash your head into the table until I see brain matter.”

I snorted at her threat as I glanced around. “The name changes depending on who you ask. The Super Soldier Project. The Winter Soldier Program. The Americans called it Operation Rebirth.”

“Operation Rebirth? That’s what made that Captain America guy. Are you saying we’re him?”

“Yes, and no. America had their version. And Hydra has theirs.”

“Who’s Hydra?”

“We are.”

“And the serum?”

“Made you a super soldier. And Hydra’s going to either make you the perfect obedient soldier. Or they’ll get rid of you.”

“Is that what happened to everyone else? They got…” She slid her thumb across her throat.

I nodded. “If the serum doesn’t kill you, Hydra will.”

“Hasn’t killed you,” she pointed out.

“That’s because I play by their rules.”

“So that’s why.”

“Why what?”

“Why you don’t talk much. And why you’re short with me when you do. It’s a defense mechanism. A useful one, but a defense mechanism all the same.”

“Congratulations, you cracked the code,” I deadpanned, before reaching for the cookie on my tray and handing it to her, “Wanna cookie for being so smart?”

“How about you teach me how to become one of the survivors like you instead?” she asked, taking the small dessert from me anyway.

~~~

Although missions and training were tense under Hydra’s zero tolerance for error expectations, having Y/N around almost made it bearable. Something about misery loving company.

Under Hydra’s eye we became the perfect unit. The compliant assassins. And after the exceptionally tough days, it was nice to have someone to seek comfort in. Gentle reassurances that we’d survive after nightmares plagued our sleep, or after we helped bandage up each other’s wounds in the infirmary after a mission mishap.

Knowing that we weren’t alone in our hellish existence was enough to keep us from going completely mad.

Right up until a mission went wrong. Or maybe it went right.

Y/N was fighting with a red-haired woman, my own focus fully locked on the blonde man with the shield that he kept trying to hurl at my face. A wild swing sent my mask scattering to the ground and when I locked gazes with the man, he paused. Confusion and concern replaced the fighting exertion previously painted on his face. His eyebrows furrowed together. “Bucky?” he asked slowly.

“Who the hell is Bucky?” I asked in equal confusion. Memories of a blonde man similar to the one in front of me flashed through my head in a rapid succession. Memories I never knew were real or not. But as I stared at the man and he continued to stare at me, part of me wondered if maybe the memories were real. More than that, I wanted them to be real. Or at least, I think I wanted them to be real.

An explosion went off, and someone was tugging me forcefully away as the man ducked for cover. “James!” Y/N hissed in my ear as we made a break for it. “What the hell was that?!”

“I- I don’t know,” I told her. “I-I think I know him. Knew him.”

“Well you better forget real fast,” she said, her voice a low warning.

“I know…” I replied, internally wincing at what I knew was coming for having hesitation during a mission.

~~~

I wasn’t sure which was worse. My own painful interrogation session, or listening to hers across the hall, her screams of “No! I don’t know anything! I swear!” filled with more terror than I ever knew a scream could hold.

Leave her alone! I wanted to scream at them. She’s telling the truth! It’s me! It’s my fault! But all I could do was answer their questions as vaguely as I could. I don’t know how the man recognized me. I don’t know if I know him. I was just following orders, I don’t know what happened, but it won’t happen again. I won’t hesitate, they could trust me.

And then try not to scream so loudly myself as electricity shot throughout my body.

~~~

Her face bore the same scratch marks as mine, her eyes holding the same skittish fear, body flinching at every excessively loud sound. My fingers itched to reach out to her. To have the pads of my thumbs soothe the ache in the abrasions, and catch the tears threatening to spill down her face. To allow us each, for even the briefest moment, the chance at vulnerability and weakness. But I swallowed thickly, and with it the urge, forcing my face to remain blank and void. Not in here, James, not in here.

“James…” her voice croaked across the table at me, her eyes even struggling to meet mine.

Quickly I pressed a finger to my lips, scanning around the cafeteria. “Shh. Not here.”

“Hurts, James.”

“I know.”

“Worse than training.”

“I know.”

We ate what we could stomach before slinking off to the barracks. Now that the serum was proving to be working more often than not, we’d gotten a small upgrade. No longer trapped in a cell by myself, I now had an entire barrack to myself. Technically there was a no fraternization rule, but it mostly applied to the new recruits that continued to come in droves, leaving Y/N and I with the closest thing to real privacy we could get in a place like this.

“They didn’t believe me,” she said, taking a seat on one of the bunks. “They know how close you and I are, so they think I knew the man too.”

“I’m sorry…” I said, the bunk creaking as I sat next to her.

“Why did that man think he knew you? And why did he call you Bucky?”

“Do you remember back when we met I said that you reminded me of someone I think I used to know?” I asked in lieu of answering.

“Was that him?”

“I think so… I- Everything about my past life before Hydra is a messy blur. That’s part of the training. Making you forget. Making you unsure of what little you do remember. But if he knew me, then that means that those memories I have are real. And if he’s still around…” I didn’t dare finish my thought. Didn’t dare let myself go down the path of hoping that I could turn the clock backwards. Get my life back. It was useless because I knew better than by now to think there was any chance of getting out of Hydra alive. And it was utterly selfish as I locked gazes with Y/N and she nodded sadly in understanding what I left unsaid.

“If he’s from your past, and he’s still around, that means you have hope,” she voiced it anyway.

“Yeah…”

“Take your chance, James.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not? If you have a chance to get your life back, why not take it?”

“Because.”

“Because why?!” she snapped, angry that I appeared to be stupid enough to not risk everything to get the hell out of here.

“Because they’ll kill you! They’ll think you had a hand in it, and they’ll kill you for it! And I’ve worked too damn hard to keep you alive, so you’re not dying because of me, understand?!” matching her anger at her not understanding that I couldn’t leave her behind. That I didn’t want to leave her behind.

“Coward,” she spat in my face.

I rose to my feet, towering over her. “Coward?! I’m the reason you’re still alive, but I’m the coward for wanting to keep you that way?!”

“Yes!” she shouted, glaring up at me as she stabbed a finger into my chest. “You trained me. Not them. So do it! Take your chance! And let them try to kill me. But something tells me that they won’t want to do that.”

“Oh, and why’s that?”

“Because I’m stronger than them for one. And for two, it would be a stupid waste for them to lose not one, but two super soldiers.”

“That’s a stupid gamble.”

“Take your chance, James, and we’re both free.”

“Both of us can’t get free at the same time.”

“I know. So just come back for me, okay? Take your chance. Then come back. Be my hope, like this man is yours. And we can handle whatever comes after that.”

She spoke with such certainty that I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that getting out would be worth whatever potential consequences would surely follow. I wanted hope. And what really were the consequences? We both already knew what Hydra was capable of. We already lived in a situation that was worse than death. A life lived constantly on edge, wary of every move we made. So maybe it really wasn’t that stupid of a gamble after all. “Okay,” I promised. “Okay.”

~~~

It turned out that getting free meant a lot of isolation, which I was already used to, so it wasn’t that much of an adjustment. Well, isolation within reason I should say. I had to stay low, off the radar. But I wasn’t alone. I had the blonde man. Steve. His name was Steve. And we’d been close friends before. And he helped me make sense of the muddled memories of my past, like slowly putting together a puzzle where all the pieces were one color, impossible to differentiate one from the other. And he had his friends, the Avengers they called themselves. And they helped me too where they could, breaking down the mental blocks Hydra had instilled in me.

But the fear lingered. Not so much that Hydra would eliminate me once they found me. If they found me. But fear for Y/N. Fear for what she had to suffer through for the cost of my freedom. Fear that I wouldn’t be able to hold up my end of the promise of being her hope of getting out. A fear that ate away at me every day I was cooped up in the Avengers headquarters.

And then, one morning a newspaper was slammed down in front of me. “What is this?” Steve asked, his tone somehow both demanding and soft.

I looked down at the article. A headline about a recent attack on the UN. A grainy black and white photo of the building in flames, and a blurred image of a person slinking away amongst the chaos. But even though the person was blurred, I could make out what they were wearing because I’d worn it myself for so many years. 

For a moment, panic made my chest tighten. Had I? No… I couldn’t have… Could I? No. No, it had to be her. There was no way it could have been me.

“Buck,” Steve prompted, his arms crossed as he waited for an answer.

“I- I don’t know. I didn’t do it, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No, I know you didn’t do it. But word on the street is that it's related to Hydra.”

“Okay,” I said, not sure what kind of answer he was looking for.

He sighed. “There’s only so much we know about Hydra. But you…”

There it was. The reason he was bringing this to my attention. Not to accuse me. But so that I would provide the much needed intel as the resident Hydra expert. Unfortunately, I didn’t have an answer he was going to like. “They never told us anything. They gave us the target, and we carried out the mission. Ready to comply…” I clicked my tongue in my cheek with disdain, shuddering at the bad taste that the last three words left in my mouth.

He pointed a finger at the blurred person. “But do you know how many others like you are out there? How many are under Hydra’s control?”

“Just me and her. They keep trying to make more. Waves and waves of people. But nobody lasts long. They kept me out of necessity. They kept her because I trained her to be a necessity as well.”

“So bringing her down is…”

“Not an option unless you involve me.”

“But if we get her, we get Hydra.”

“Yes. But trust me, you can’t get her without me. She won’t let you, for one thing. And for another, I won’t let you.” Unless I was the one standing in front of her, she’d kill anyone in her path because that’s what she'd been trained to do. It’s what kept her useful to them. And hell, even if it was me standing in front of me only guaranteed that I’d be on the receiving end of her skills. But I had the advantage of knowing her moves before she made them. After all, they were my moves.

“No,” he shook his head. “No. You tell us everything we need to know about how to bring her in, but you’re not on this mission, Buck. We’re not risking having you near Hydra.”

“Then you don’t have a mission.”

“This isn’t the time for threats, Buck. This is serious.”

“I’m not threatening you. I’m telling you the facts. If I am not on that mission with you, she will treat you like a target for her own protection against Hydra. And you do not want to be a target. Bring me on the mission. We get her. We take down Hydra. It’s that simple.”

He sighed, his face contorting in deep concern and worry. “It’s a huge risk… you being near Hydra.”

“It is,” I agreed. No point in disputing the obvious. “But here’s the thing. Hydra taught me how to do a lot of things undetected.”

He sighed again. “I’m not sure how well I like this plan. But I’m gonna trust you on this. We all are.”

~~~

“If you find her, tell me,” I directed with authority. “Nobody engages with her, but me. Understood?”

There were nods and murmurs of agreement. The memory of fighting me was still fresh in their minds, none of them were overly eager to engage with another super soldier of my caliber again if they didn’t have to. And Y/N wouldn’t hesitate like I had. I’d be lucky if she pulled her punches, but I wasn’t counting on it. She didn’t know we were coming. And she couldn’t give Hydra the slightest inkling that she was pulling a fast one on them once I located her. It was a delicate balance of using the skills Hydra had drilled into me against them.

Perhaps lucky for all of us, they didn’t really know what or who to look for, whereas I did.

I noticed the shadow well before anyone else, slinking away to catch her off guard. I crept quietly up behind her, and as I reached out to grab her, she whirled around, a knife burying into my side. I hissed through my teeth, not having expected that at all, and pulled the blade free, letting it clatter to the ground as we locked gazes, her eyes wide as she took me in.

I nodded in answer at the question she didn’t dare ask, pressing a finger to my lips.

Her eyes flickered to the small bloom of blood that was darkening my shirt, and when she raised her eyes again to meet mine, I thought she might look apologetic. But all she did was smile sinisterly at me.

Alright, game on, I thought. “Initiate plan,” I spoke into my earpiece, as I dodged the punch she delivered my way.

The plan was a diversion so Y/N could disappear with me under Hydra’s radar, preferably before we had to actually hurt the other, current knife wound aside.

It was like deja vu of our first meeting, her attacking and me playing defense. The only difference this time was that when her blows did land, the hit was rather painful, especially when she targeted her hits to my weakened side.

I took it all in stride, blocking and dodging the best I could against her as I waited for the diversion I knew was coming.

When the building went pitch black, I struck out, knocking her own comm system out of her ear and stomping on it forcefully, listening to the crunch of it under my boot. “Move!” I barked, grabbing her arm.

I dragged her along for a few steps before she found her footing, her stride matching mine quickly as we made our escape. I knew she wanted to say something, but I shook my head sharply. There were still risks that Hydra was listening somehow, even if I’d broken the main way of connection to her.

Through a tangled maze of hallways, I navigated our way through the dark to the getaway car, the van doors pulling open welcoming us. I shoved her in ahead of me, sparing a glance behind before I jumped in after her.

Aside from the sound of us catching our breath, the van was silent as the driver peeled out, and headed back to headquarters.

Then, as reality settled in that the mission had gone off exactly as planned, Y/N threw herself across the bench seat, crashing into me.

“Ow…” I wheezed, as she held me in a vice grip hug.

She immediately let go, sliding across the seat away from me. “James…” she said, her voice a tremble of a whisper.

I nodded, opening my arms for her to fall back into. “It’s over,” I soothed, relishing in the feeling of holding her against me. “It’s all over. We’re safe.”

“Oh, James,” she wept, her fingers softly grazing over my injured side.

“Shh, don’t worry about that. It’s over. We’re safe. I’ve got you.”

~~~

I wish I could say that getting Y/N out of Hydra meant that all our problems went away. But that wasn’t the case. Because what came with the fallout of bringing down Hydra was having to figure out what to do with not one, but two super assassins with a crime record a mile wide. Words of “pardons” and “life-sentences” were thrown around. There was also the concern that even though Hydra had been brought down, that they could resurface in the future, and would go to any length to recapture what they had lost. And they could do it too. They caught me twice before, and her once. How hard could it be to do it again?

It was very much the conundrum of winning the battle while the larger war still raged on. And when they started the circle of fighting over options for the millionth time in an hour, I snapped.

My hands slammed down on the table in the conference room, startling everyone. “Shut up!” I hissed. “Shut up with your pardons, or ideas of serving time! Shut up with your Hydra worries! Just shut up!”

“Buck-” Steve started.

“No!” I thundered, rising to my feet. “The only people who can protect me and Y/N, are me and Y/N! We know what it takes to survive Hydra! So just… Don’t worry about her and me. I got it covered.”

“Buck-” Steve tried again.

“No,” I shook my head. “Look, I’m grateful for all the help. But we’re not a problem you guys need to solve.”

“Well,” Tony cleared his throat matter-of-factly. “Most of us live in the facility here. Accommodations. Easy to track each other down when we need to. Security.”

I smiled wryly at the man. He was as egotistical as his father had been, but he was a man of action over words, and wasn’t big on emotions, which was something I could both respect and relate to. No sense in being sentimental about things that didn’t require sentiment. Words of thanks were on my tongue, when a scream echoed through the building.

While they all looked around at each other with more startled expressions, wondering who had screamed and from where, I took off at a run.

I burst into the room she was in, finding her curled up as tight as she could be, eyes frantic as she cowered in the corner of the room. “Y/N…” I said softly, feeling my heart crack in my chest. Electricity shooting through my body was less painful than seeing her scared, because I knew how hard she always fought to not let that part of her show. As much as I liked to think she’d survived everything because I’d been there to ensure it, that was only half of the truth. She’d set the world on fire before daring to admit that she was scared. And this now made it the third time I’d seen her this terrified, and all I wanted was to set the world on fire for her. Make everyone pay for any ounce of hurt she’d ever endured.

“James?” A broken sob of uncertainty.

I nodded, taking a slow step forward. “It’s me. I’m here.”

“Where are we?”

“With the Avengers.”

“No more Hydra?”

“No more Hydra.”

Her lower lip trembled, a rogue tear sliding down her face. “You came back?”

I smiled, taking quicker and longer strides now across the room, closing the distance between us. Always too much distance. “I promised you I would,” I said, sitting down next to her.

“You don’t know how hard it was without you… What they did when they realized you were gone…” Her breathing sped up as the tears spilled faster.

“Shh,” I soothed, pulling her into my arms, much like I had in the drive over here. “Nobody’s ever gonna hurt us again, okay? I’ll keep you safe. Always. We’ll be okay. I’ve got you.”

We sat like that for a while, me rubbing at her back as she calmed down and slowly relaxed her body against mine. And then I felt laughter bubbling up in my chest, and before I could stop it, both of our bodies started shaking with the force of my laughter. “What are you laughing about?” she asked with her own giggle.

“I just-” I wheezed, fighting to get the words out as I tried to stop laughing. “It’s just…” I took a large intake of breath to steady myself. “Oh, man… Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to be able to do this?” I asked, meaning me holding her, but I didn’t wait for an answer, the words spilling from my lips. “I- I was alone for so long. I got used to not caring about people, and not being cared about. Used to turning off that emotional part of me. But every time I tried to push you away, you pushed back even harder. And… God… you ruined me. You absolutely ruined me.”

“You don’t sound that angry about it,” she said, her fingers resting gently against my chest that heaved with each half chuckle of breath I took.

“I’m not. You’re the first person I cared about after Steve. You were the only person I cared about when I was the worst version of myself. And I- The lengths I would go through to make sure you’re safe. The lengths I have gone through, and will always go through for you… I just… You mean a lot to me, and I hope you know that even if I don’t always have the words to say it directly.”

“I love you too, James.”

__

Tag List

@cxddlyash @stanofalotofthings @philthepegacorn @youngblood199456 @binxiboo @creator-appreciator @felixtok @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof @jessalyn-jpeg @lilyoflower @mychemicalimagines @rougese7en @milea @partiesandblurrypolaroids @summerdaughter

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Tiptoeing: Around You | m.

✰ Pairing: Christian Yu/Reader 

› Genres: Smut, Fluff, Mildest of Angst

✰ Rating: 18+ 

› Warnings: Language

✰ Status: Oneshot 

› In Collaboration: With @shadowsremedy​ who altered my plans a little, but I don’t mind it. Here is his fic, they’re both in the same universe: Tiptoeing: Around Love.

✰ Beta Read: @suhdays​ and @ppersonna​

›  Banner: @shadowsremedy​

✰ Summary: YN has pined after Christian for a while, but after one more kick in the butt by her best friend and an evening in the same room she finally acts on those feelings.

›  A/N: This fic was written for the sweet and mildly chaotic @dee-ehn​ for her birthday. You deserve the world, but since I cannot give you that we’re going to have to settle for some fictional content starring the ever handsome and rude Christian Yu. I hope you enjoy it love and I hope your day was great!

“Pft, you’re no better than me,” YN whispered into her phone.

There was a loud chuckle on the other side and then it stopped abruptly.

“Yeah, but at least I have a girlfriend. You’re out here acting like a lovesick puppy for a guy who is clearly into you. I don’t know how much sadder this can get at this point. It’s been months, YN,” Yoongi said.

Naturally, she rolled his eyes at his words. The fact that all of that was true mattered not. Or at least most of it was true, she wasn’t quite sure if Christian was into her. Everyone said he was and there were some signs, like flirting and being touchy but he was like that with a few of his close friends. That alone couldn’t be the indicator for his feelings. If they were feelings at all. For all she knew she and everyone else were seeing the signs of lust and not romantic feelings that led to a monogamous relationship.

At least that’s what the voice in her head told her when she got up the courage to think he actually liked her and planned to act on it. The pesky ass voice couldn’t let her have nice things.

Despite her clear acknowledgement of the factualness of what he said she couldn’t let him have the last word. It just wasn’t a true testament to their friendship if she didn’t try to gain the upper hand.

“Well, at least I’m not using fuckboy antics to get out of telling the person I’m dating I love them. You can’t use that psycho bitch, who tried to kill me might I add, as an excuse for why you don’t say it forever, Yoon. Especially since you know Jamie isn’t like that. But you gotta take the plunge and talk to her before too much time has passed and she won’t want to listen anymore.”

There was a brief silence before a dramatic sigh left his lips. YN could imagine the look on his face as he did it too. A mix of sadness, resignation, and annoyance at the fact that she was right. They wouldn’t be such close friends if they both didn’t hate being proven wrong while also understanding the other enough to know when it was the right moment to push it.

“Okay,” he whispered.

“What was that?”

“Okay! You’re right. But you need to stop tiptoeing around the subject and just tell him already. He likes you, let him know you feel the same way,” he said.

That got YN to sigh with about as much feeling as Yoongi had. Her body felt tired as she thought of having to speak those words, but she realized she really needed to get it over with. Even if she threw up in the process, it had to happen.

“Okay,” she mumbled.

“Hm? What was that?” he mocked her.

“Okay, damn. I’ll do it. So annoying.”

Again, he laughed and it made her happy to hear him not so down like he’d been for days. Of course, the laughter could only help so much, but it was better than nothing.

Biting her lower lip her head turned so she looked at the studio door where the man who she was losing it over was. He waited for her to bring in snacks and she’d stopped part way to call Yoongi about something unrelated to the conversation they had. One that she was so lost in that she didn’t realize twenty minutes more than needed had gone by.

“Shit, I have to go. I should have been back already. I’ll call you later. Love you. Bye.” she said.

Yoongi laughed. “Love you too.”

With that she hung up the call and took a deep breath before walking towards the studio door. Her hand grasped the knob for a few seconds as she took a deep breath and thought over Yoongi’s words. Maybe the all-nighter they planned was the right place or maybe it was the worst possible place for her to do that since she’d still have work to do if he reacted negatively.

When she finally opened the door and stepped in she’d decided to just see what happened. There would be no forcing herself to say anything about it or actively stopping herself. For once she’d go with the flow, with a bit of hope that she’d randomly get the urge to blurt it out like she sometimes did.

Upon her entry Christian’s head whipped up to look at her. He stared her down as she kicked off her shoes and made her way to her seat. The expression on his face didn’t give way to his thoughts, but she assumed he was confused as to why it took her so long to get back.

“You get lost?” he asked, taking the bag from her.

“Nope. Just had a phone call.”

Christian paused for a second, his brow raised in question.

“Yoongi?”

YN didn’t stop what she was doing for many people, especially when it came to work related things needing to be done. But Yoongi was her oldest friend and she’d hop on a plane without a moment's notice if he needed her. That meant that usually people could guess who she’d been talking to easily.

“Yeah. He wanted to whine some,” she said.

Her attention moved to the computer in front of her, which still held the work she’d left off on. Christian had messed with something a little, but for the most part had seemed to be focused on what went on upon his own screen. Something about what he was doing reminded her of a thing she’d forgotten with the clip was editing and despite the hunger that plagued her she went straight into work. Of course, she felt Christian’s eyes on her the whole time and heard him chewing away at the snacks in the bag but her mind hyper focused so none of that matter.

About fifteen minutes passed before her hands stopped moving and Christian used that to pull her chair for the desk. Her immediate reaction was to tell him off, but he shoved half of a sandwich towards her mouth and she found herself biting it without a thought. That brought a smug expression to his face, but she merely rolled her eyes and snatched the sandwich.

There was some small protest from him, but it stopped as she took another bite of the sandwich. YN was so hungry that she hadn’t really chewed anything or tasted it for that matter. She’d had little to eat throughout the day because they’d needed some last-minute shots and that left her running here and there. Anything consumed was burned off within an hour or two. Which is why Christian had offered they go get dinner first, but she knew a heavy meal would make her focus on editing harder. Food made her sleepy most of the time.

“Slow down,” Christian said, his Australian accent thickening with the worry in his tone.

But his warning was too late because she’d shoved the last piece into her mouth and swallowed it. Her hand reached for the other in his hand, but he gently pushed it away and handed her an opened water instead. She glared at him but drank down the water; though with the way he stared at her she stopped herself from downing half of it in a few seconds. Sips were slow and small until she felt her throat less dry.

“Now can I have the other half?” she asked, her voice sickly sweet and a pout on her lips.

For a moment Christian just stared his eyes focused on something on her face. At first, she wondered if she’d gotten anything on it while eating, but then she watched him bite his lower lip and his eyes flicker up to her’s and then down again. She thought that he had to be looking at her lips and her heart did a thing, though her mind wasn’t sure if it was him wanting to kiss her or something being on them. In a moment of uncertainty, she wiped at the lip and came up with nothing, but that seemed to be enough to snap Christian out of whatever trance he’d been in.

Without a word he passed her the other half of the sandwich and then got busy unwrapping his own. Silence followed with a few words spoken here and there when one of them stared at either screen long enough to have a question rise up. It was a good little break from YN’s thoughts about what happened minutes before and also got her mind ready for what she was going to do for the next several hours. Dread filled her, but knew it wasn’t impossible by any means.

“Ready?” Christian asked after finishing off his tea.

YN nodded and just like that they got to work.

Christian was to focus on piecing together a visual that would encompass the entire comeback the Dabin planned, while YN was focused on getting through the main music video. There were some others she had to do, but they were all shorter and didn’t need some of the magic that the main one did. Part of her cursed the team for being so damn ambitious, but it kept her on her toes so she couldn’t complain. Well, wouldn’t complain until she felt the urge to pull out her hair because something wasn’t working.

But for once she went through her edits without any real roadblocks. She navigated the things that they’d talked about adding and her own ideas for things to flow seamlessly. There were a few snags here and there, but they were nothing that she couldn’t fix in a few minutes or that Christian couldn’t help her with.

They’d long learned to work together fluidly so all of it came easily.

A few hours in YN pulled her headphones off and pushed her chair away from the desk. Carefully, she stood up and stretched her body since it got a little stiff from sitting in one position for so long. Once she’d properly given them the movement they needed a yawn ripped free from her lips and she felt a wave of tiredness hit her. Of course, she wasn’t done by any means.

“I’m going to get something hot and something with caffeine from the kitchen, you want anything?” she asked.

Christian didn’t respond so she poked him hard and repeated herself, he shook his head no without ever glancing her way. She knew he’d complain later, but she didn’t have it in her to pester him, so she slipped on a pair of slides near the door and ventured out.

The kitchen in the building DPR was set up in wasn’t too far from Christian’s studio, in fact she walked back fifteen feet to get to it. Something she was thankful about because despite being in motion she felt her body grow more tired as each second passed. It’s why she was quick to grab an energy drink from the fridge and down that thing. It was followed by the consumption of red ginseng because it always helped her in some way. Or at least she placebo effected herself into that thought. After she moved to make herself some hot chocolate. Thankfully, they had a Keurig, so she didn’t have to worry about heating water herself. By the time it was done she’d gotten a few large marshmallows from her hidden stash and happily deposited on top of the hot, chocolatey liquid.

With her energy drinks consumed and her hot beverage ready she made her way back to the room. She took care not to spill any of the drink and sat it down on the small table that Christian kept over on her side. It was where she sat all her drinks or food out of fear that she would knock it over if it were on the desk with all the equipment.

The moment her butt hit the chair there was a frustrated grunt and Christian all but threw his headphones down. His right hand moved to card through his hair and his eyes closed as he let out a harsh breath.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as she moved closer.

There was no response, but she waited for him to get his bearings. Sometimes editing made you so annoyed that words failed to come together right away. There had been many instances where someone asked her questions and all they got in return was grunts or her starting a word only to scream halfway through.

A minute or two went by before he opened his eyes and spoke up.

“I just can’t get it to transition like I want. I’ve been trying different methods for the last hour and assumed I wanted to try out all the options, but they just fuckin’ suck. I don’t want it to suck. It needs to not suck.”

“I doubt it sucks, let me see,” she said as she moved even closer.

However, Christian was having none of it and knocked his chair into hers so she’d go back onto her side. He was stubborn as hell when in a mindset of defeat, so she had to be persistent. She knocked chairs with him a few more times before getting up. Before he could steady himself she pushed it back and it rolled almost to the door. Standing she leaned over and looked at what he had. Nothing sucked per se, but she could see what his issue was.

She got several clicks in before he protested again.

“I’ll just choose one and come back to it tomorrow or something. It’s fine, you have your own stuff to work on.”

“Shh.”

“Did you just shh me?” he asked incredulously.

Rolling her eyes she turned around to glare at him but froze up when she realized he was standing and doing it awfully close to her. His head was tilted down as he stared at her and with the way she’d held her head up high their faces where maybe an inch apart.

In an instant the atmosphere changed and YN did not know what to do. Part of her screamed to back away quickly and the other part of her wanted her to close the gap. The voices in her head were at war and then she noticed his eyes on her lips again and threw out all fear.

As she leaned closer Christian did too and soon enough their lips were pressed against each other. The initial kiss was chastise, something to test the waters, but once they got comfortable with it the intensity grew. Their heads tilted and their bodies pressed closer together. Soon enough YN’s fingers were threaded in his hair and his hands caressed her hips and ass.

With her lips on his all thoughts kind of left her, besides how soft they were and how she wished she’d kissed him sooner. And how she didn’t want to stop doing it.

Christian squeezed her ass a little too hard though and in retaliation she slowed the kiss and bit his lower lip. When he stilled she worried about if he didn’t like that, but then he released a sound akin to a growl. His lips were on hers again in seconds and she got so wrapped up in the kiss that she didn’t realize that he’d started lowering onto his chair and bringing her with him. She didn’t start to pay attention until he had her straddle one of his thighs.

He wasted no time with subtlety bouncing that thigh causing a bit of friction between her legs. It was bearable for a while but then he pressed a little hard and her lips parted as a gasp escaped them. Christian took that as a chance to slip his tongue into her mouth, swirling around hers. Though compliant with all his actions YN did try to gain control of the kiss, but all it took was another firm grazing of her crotch to have her moaning out. One bounce in particular had her pulling away from his lips.

But just because she stopped didn’t mean that Christian did, his lips went to kiss along her collarbone which was readily exposed in the off the shoulder top she wore. The feeling of them on her skin sent a shiver up her spine and inadvertently had her grinding down on his thigh, which only got her even more excited.

Her pleasure must have been apparent because once again Christian’s hands were on her hips. Unlike before though he used that leverage to move her along his thigh. With his lips still kissing across her shoulder and neck he moved her back and forth, ensuring he was pressing down enough that she could feel the friction despite her shorts.

The pace was slow at first, but it was enough to ensure that YN was growing wetter by the second. Her body felt on fire and it didn’t help when Christian began to suckle hickies onto her. She felt very stimulated and that’s what caused her to cry out in pleasure when he began to speed up the pace.

“Fuck,” she said.

“Oh, we’ll definitely get to that, but why don’t you take over and ride my thigh, baby? Get yourself worked up for me,” he whispered in her ear, slowly pulling away but not before biting gently on the lobe.

YN did not need to be told twice. Her hands moved to his shoulders and she sat firmly on his thigh before dragging herself back and forth. At first, she was frustrated because she couldn’t find the right amount of pressure to feel anything worthwhile, but before she could give up Christian started guiding her.

“Just like that. Yeah, you’re doing so good for me. Keep going and you can pick up the pace. Make yourself feel good,” he said.

There was no verbal response from YN besides the moans she released when the friction truly started up. Goosebumps covered her skin the more she got into, her body tingled and she wanted more. Craved more.

But the look in Christian’s eyes as he watched her get herself off was too good a sight. His eyes had darkened a bit and she could see the lust in them. It didn’t help that he was biting his lower lip as his eyes remained firmly on the thigh she was on. He was enjoying the show and she wanted to give him more, so she kept going and her pace quickened again.

Though her pace change was also out of desperation. She’d gotten worked up quickly and despite how good his thigh felt her orgasm felt out of reach. Getting closer to it was all she wanted, so she moved with a vigor that could get her there.

That didn’t fly with Christian though, his hands held her still.

“No, no. You are not cumming on my thigh. You’re doing that with me inside of you,” he said.

YN groaned. “Then get inside of me.”

That elicited a laugh from him and made YN finally look directly into his eyes. He appeared very amused by how she’d responded.

“I should have known you’d be just as bossy like this.”

Naturally, that ended with her lightly slapping his shoulder which brought on more laughter from him. She was ready to get off his lap after that but yet again he held her in place.

The thing was that unlike before the expression on his face was softer and less like that of a man who said she would only cum on his dick.

“I know this is ruining the moment, but before I bend you over this desk and fuck you until you can’t walk I want to be very clear with you. I want to be with you. This is not me just fucking you because I find you attractive as hell. Got it?” he said.

Though she wanted to roll her eyes at his delivery she couldn’t help but smile as happiness filled her. Hearing him say it made her night and she would stay like she was or cuddled up to him for the rest of the evening, but there was a persistent problem still between her legs.

She leaned forward and leaned towards his ear to whisper, “And I want to be with you, but we can discuss that later. For now you have a problem to fix and a lot to prove if you think you’re going to put me on bedrest tomorrow.”

It didn’t take long for him to get her off his lap. He barked orders about getting off her shorts and panties while he ran out of the room for a moment. By the time he returned she was undressed on her lower half and bent over on the desk. Her legs were spread slightly and it gave him the view of her glistening pussy, just like she wanted.

“Shit,” he mumbled.

YN tried to keep the laughter from escaping her at his reaction knowing he’d probably tease her if she did. There was no time for all that, she needed him inside her as soon as possible.

Once she heard the sound of pants unzipping and dropping she felt herself perk up. Her ass rose up a little more and that seemed to pull another groan from Christian who sounded like he was fumbling with something behind her. She was going to ask if he needed help but then she felt the head of his dick press against her slit and she moaned.

Slowly he moved it between the lips of her pussy causing her to push back wanting more. The feeling was so good, but she still needed him to go further. Thankfully, he didn’t keep her waiting for long. Before she could fully process it he’d pushed inside of her completely. There was some discomfort from the sudden intrusion–one that was the first of its kind in a year–but he didn’t move and she adjusted fast. The stretch still felt a bit odd, but not something she hated. In fact, she loved the feeling of being full of him.

“You can move,” she said.

He didn’t need to be told twice because in the next second he was moving at a moderate pace. His hips moved back and forth, while one hand on her back kept him balanced.

YN’s eyes fluttered closed as she focused on the feeling of him. She’d been worked up enough that she was more than prepared for him, but also enough that she was sensitive. It wasn’t the same level as if she’d orgasmed, but it was enough to have her feeling extra with every stroke.

After several thrusts at that speed Christian suddenly sped up out of nowhere. It was enough that her hips moved away from the desk and hit against it every time he slammed back into her. It was a little painful, but the feeling of his dick pushing into her and hitting just the right spot made up for it. Her moans had been soft before, but with each thrust she grew louder.

At some point she was almost screaming out because of the brutal pace, but that didn’t mean that he slowed down. In all honesty it felt like he went harder and she loved every second of it. Wanted him to never stop.

And because she was so focused on how he felt she didn’t notice the tightening in her stomach and the way she was close to the edge until she was over it. Her eyes opened wide as her orgasm crashed through her.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she said.

Despite the clear indication that she’d come Christian didn’t stop. His pace slowed down some, but he kept pistoning into her. As she finished the last moment of her high the sensitivity set in, but she found herself building up again. Her pussy wanted a break, but she wanted him to keep going.

While she was ready to stay bent over for him until he came, Christian had other plans. Using his right arm he wrapped it around her torso and pulled her up so her back was against his chest. That hand moved down to rub her clit, something that had hips bucking because it felt like too much. She squirmed a lot, but then his left hand came around to wrap around her throat and she stilled.

“You’re going to give me another one, right?” he asked, though she knew it wasn’t up for discussion.

“Yes.”

“Good girl.”

Without another word spoken by either of them he kept her how she was and continued to thrust into her, but his intense pace from before returned. His hand continued to rub and pinch her clit, which caused her to vibrate in pleasure. Plus, his hand remained around her throat squeezing every so often and she loved it more than she cared to admit. So much that her next orgasm came a little quicker than the last.

There was a weird feeling in her stomach though, but she had no time to assess it before she came. Her pussy spasmed and then she felt an intense pressure before she felt her thigh grow wet.

She’d squirted all over his dick and herself.

“Fuck, definitely going to have to do that again some other time,” he murmured.

YN didn’t even have it in her to respond to him, she just relaxed against her body as he continued fucking her. It took a minute or two before his precision slipped and she heard him moan out. He didn’t stop until he finished cumming and then he just stood there, his chest rising and falling heavily against her.

Three minutes passed with them like that before YN said something.

“We can’t stand here all night. Also, I’m so tired from this and working, we gotta rap this up.”

Christian laughed, but pulled out. From there YN leaned against the desk trying to orient herself. In that time Christian had discarded the condom and pulled his pants back up. He helped her do the same, though he didn’t bother fixing her pants completely. H

Carefully he turned her around to face him and smiled at her clearly exhausted, but happy face.

“How about we take showers, get changed, and call it a night? If you want you can stay at mine and we can start first thing in the morning,” he said.

Not one second was wasted debating it, YN just nodded in agreement.

“If I can shower and sleep I’ll be happy.”

That made Christian smile wider and then he leaned down to press a quick kiss to her lips. He moved away to lead the way out, but YN took one step before reaching out to grip his arm. Worry colored his expression and then when he noticed the way her legs seemed to shake a little a smirk made its way onto his face.

“What was that about me having to prove something?” he asked.

“Fuck you.”

[carelessannie]

lookin for love (in all the wrong places)

chapter five

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four

In CA:CW Steve kicks Spider-Man in the chest, awakening a soul deep bond and sending Peter into his first heat, before running away to Wakanda.

The soul bond, omegaverse, Spidershield angsty romance everyone needs.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Peter Parker Chapters: 5/ Chapter word count: 6.5K Fic Rating: E Warnings: mild violence and implied sex trafficking, extreme levels of fluff Read it here on AO3 Title is from this song by Johnny Lee

Steve

The ferry docks in the Åland Islands for a few hours overnight, allowing the two of them to sleep in shifts to be safe. After dinner, they had swept the ship for suspicious persons and bugs, tagging three places around their hallway with ears to keep an eye out for possible threats.

Even with the precautions, Steve feels on edge as they sail in the morning. Neither he nor Natasha get more than a few hours of sleep, and once the sun rises, they decide to spend the rest of the journey on the upper deck. Separating for the duration of the trip, Steve takes the helm while Natasha lounges closer to the stern.

There’s no attack, no threat to be concerned about— so when the ferry docks a few hours later, the two of them are already seated in their car and driving down the off-ramp. Steve takes the wheel first, while Natasha guides him East, following the sun until it sits high in the sky.

They stop at the border to Russia and switch vehicles, easily slipping through as the newly-mated Alpha and Omega couple on their Russian passports.

And if Natasha bats her eyes and gets them a free passage to St. Petersburg, Steve isn’t complaining.

It’s as they’re driving away that Natasha flinches at something one of the border police says under their breath, and Steve raises his eyebrow in question as he steers to merge back onto the highway. If Natasha is showing her reactions, it has to be important.

“They thought…” she pauses, chewing on her lower lip, before starting over, “When they reviewed our documents, they thought you might be my... trophy Alpha.”

“Okay,” Steve says slowly, furrowing his eyebrows, “Is that bad for us?” He doesn’t quite understand what the issue is, or why Natasha might be anxious. The two men— Betas, probably— had given them a suspicious onceover, but otherwise let them travel in peace.

Natasha makes a frustrated noise, “I’m not translating it right. They think you’re my stud— that I brought you in from America or England to… breed.”

Horrified, Steve almost swerves the car off the road. “What— does that happen often?”

“Often enough that they may call it in. It’s not illegal, technically, but if they catch wind of possible trafficking…”

“Oh,” Steve checks the rearview mirror, suddenly all too aware of the surrounding cars and trucks. “What’s our move, Nat? Do you think they’ll actually come after us?”

She shakes her head again, “Best to get to St. Petersburg. We can call Tony from there, and switch out cars. If someone’s on our tail, they’re bound to know where we’re headed anyways. Stark can get us new documents by the time we reach the base.”

“Fine. I assume you know your way around the city?”

“Steve,” Natasha coos, “haven’t I taught you not to ask questions you already know the answer to?”

He shoots her a grin, “Good, then you’re in charge of ditching our ride. I’ll make a few calls.”

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” Natasha murmurs as she reclines in the seat, shifting to give herself a good view of both side mirrors while still seeing clearly out the front windshield. She crosses her feet at the ankle and pulls down the lid of a carefully worn baseball cap. If Steve didn’t know better, he would assume she fell asleep in the passenger seat.

They spend the last two hours of the drive in a tense silence, both of them on high alert. Steve knows from experience that Hydra likes to hide in plain sight— so he scans license plates, calculates distances, and carefully surveys the people in each car, looking for anything out of the ordinary. So far, nothing.

That changes when they enter the city.

Immediately, both of them sit up straighter, scanning the surrounding lanes for a threat.

“Do you—”

“Yes, stay alert,” Natasha hisses. Her hands are digging rapidly through her backpack until they pull out their last international phone. In one swift motion, she destroys it on the dashboard, lowering the window to sprinkle pieces onto the highway, sure to be crushed further by oncoming vehicles.

Steve changes lanes, inching closer to the quickly passing exit ramps. He doesn’t see a suspicious car— no black sedans, no tinted windows— but the feeling of being watched is undeniable.

“Exit here.”

Natasha’s voice is flat, and if Steve wasn’t listening for it, he would have missed the direction. Instead, he steps on the gas and throws the car into the right lane, barely avoiding the traffic cones as he speeds down the single exit ramp.

“Slower,” Natasha is reaching behind him as he merges back into traffic, this time heading West into the heart of the city. “When we get into the city, look for a coffee shop. You’re going to drop me off. Drive around the corner and watch for me— I’ll order you a drink inside and pretend I’m grabbing an item from my car. Instead, you will switch places with me, and sit outdoors drinking what I order. Keep your eyes up, run if you need to. I’ll rendezvous within an hour. Got it?”

“Got it,” Steve confirms, already slowing down as they breach the populated city limits. It isn’t long until he’s pulling up to a small café and Natasha is sauntering down the sidewalk, drawing any nearby attention to herself as he swings the car around back.

Traffic is thick, stifling, and he’s grateful to have the intel portion of this operation. Within five minutes, Natasha is in his rearview mirror, and he steps out of the vehicle to offer her the wheel.

He pulls his own hat lower to shield his face before slipping into the coffee shop, sidestepping immediately and settling into a corner table. There are three other patrons, all scattered throughout the space and engaged in the work in front of them. No threats yet.

“Peter?” a heavily accented voice calls, and Steve has to stop himself from flinching. It’s a common name— he needs to get himself under control. The voice calls out, “Peter?” once more, just as a tall, well-built man strides through the door, walking up the counter and picking up the drink.

The man turns around, “Huh. Didn’t know you were goin’ by Peter these days.”

“Sam,” Steve breathes, meeting his friends’ eyes with a shocked smile. He jumps to his feet and pulls the other man into a hug. It’s shakey— both of them chuckling and holding on tight— but the embrace is warm and feels like home.

“The hell are you doing here?” Steve grabs his arm, steering them both outside and towards the patio. “Not that I’m not grateful to see you, but… how did you find us?”

Sam shoots him a disbelieving look, placing the coffee cup between them before reclining back in his seat, “I got a tip a few days ago— something about Hydra and a base nearby. Stark got me a ride over yesterday and said I could plan on intercepting you here.”

Something in his face turns thoughtful, “You seriously didn’t see Redwing on the way in?”

“Uh,” Steve sorts through the details of their fast paced cut into the city, but can’t remember Sam’s drone being anywhere in sight.

Sam chuckles, “I followed you from the moment you entered the city— c’mon, you can’t tell me you didn’t see him, not with the way you were driving.”

“Dammit, Sam,” Steve curses. “We thought…” and then he laughs, slumping back into the patio chair and scrubbing his face. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”

Sam spreads his arms wide, and gives Steve his widest, most charming smile, “Takes one to know one, Cap.”

There’s a beat of silence as Steve sips his drink— it’s perfect, not that he expected anything less from Natasha. Sam looks good, if not a bit tired. The smile on his face is practiced, and Steve knows it’s more for his sake than anything. They’ve never lied to each other, never had the opportunity to, so if Sam is appearing strained and weary, Steve knows he’s supposed to notice.

“Decide not to take a pardon, then?” Steve hedges, watching as Sam raises an eyebrow in amusement.

“No, Steve,” he looks out into traffic, carefully thoughtful, “it’s been a rough few months since Germany, but Sharon and I have been doing some ground work wherever King T’Challa is willing to send us. There’s a lot of shit going down, and— up until now— the only goal I really had was finding you again.”

A rush of guilt hits Steve in the chest, and he winces, “Look, I’m sorry for leaving you—”

“Hey, no— don’t do that,” Sam dismisses him, waving away the apology with one hand, “I knew you had to go to Wakanda, I had other shit that needed to get done.”

“Still, you deserved a better friend than that.”

Sam laughs, but the sound lacks any real joy, “I think we all deserved better than we got.”

There’s not much to say after, and Steve takes a long pull of his drink, trying discreetly to check his watch. Forty minutes until Natasha returns.

And speaking of, “So where did the Widow herself head off to?” Sam asks, checking his own watch. “Thought I’d catch both of you here.”

“Switching out cars. We assumed Hydra was tracking us into the city,” Steve narrows his eyes across the table, and it makes Sam laugh again.

“Damn, well... can’t say I’m sorry. Stark wanted me to keep a low profile until we crossed paths, and…” Sam sits up taller and leans across the table, forcing Steve to meet his eyes, “he mentioned something about keeping you stable.”

“God dammit—”

“Language.”

“Shut up, Sam,” Steve huffs, scrubbing his face with one hand, “why can’t Tony keep shit to himself.”

“Something I shouldn’t know about?”

Sam’s always been good at coaxing answers out of him, and Steve curses the other Alpha mentally for it. Why does he always attract friends who know him better than he knows himself?

“I found my soulmate, Sam.”

Jerking forward, the other Alpha’s eyes grow wide as his hands come down, hard, on the table. “Shit, Steve. When on earth did you have time—”

“I didn’t, Sam. That’s the thing. Fuck—”

He feels rage flow through his body for the first time in ages, and Steve’s hit with a flash of their bonding moment, marred by fear and devastation from his young Omega. He closes his eyes, remembering the residual pain from each heat. Scared and empty and alone.

There’s a hand on his arm, but Steve shakes it off, “Remember the kid Stark brought to Germany? Spider-man?”

“Sure, Bucky and I fought the kid, and he stuck us to the floor.”

“I fought him, too,” Steve sighs, rolling up the sleeve over his left arm to show the bright red and irritated word etched into his skin, “and I kicked him right in the chest.”

Sam doesn’t reach forward to touch. He barely gives it a glance, reaching over to roll up his own sleeve. Steve has to stop himself from growling in sympathy— the writing is black, smudged and illegible.

“Sam…”

With a sad smile, Sam rolls his shirt back in place, “It was years ago— and we bonded in combat. I got a few years with him on active duty, and then I felt when he was shot out of the sky.”

Sam meets his eyes, “Fucked me up good for a few years.”

“I had no idea.”

“I’m better now, sure. Wouldn’t show you if I wasn’t. Just letting you know, whatever you’re going through with this kid— because obviously you’re not with him now— that you’ve gotta value whatever time you get. In our line of business? I’m grateful I got years instead of moments, you know?”

Something clenches in his chest. Steve feels tears prick his eyes. He has to look away, afraid of the suddenly all too real possibility of crying in public. Quickly, he covers it up with a swig of cooling coffee, letting the emotions wash away alongside the bitter, familiar taste.

“I’ve never even met the kid, Sam. All I know is that he’s an Omega, and he has a strong bond with Tony.” Steve sighs, checking his watch again, “We were supposed to be extracted in Oslo, but got the tip instead. I’ll head home to him after we take care of the threat here.”

He can tell Sam disapproves of this choice, but the other Alpha just shakes his head, nodding to draw Steve’s attention back to the street, “Looks like our ride is here,” he chuckles just as a beat up Jeep swerves across traffic, coming to an abrupt stop in front of them.

The window rolls down, and Natasha makes a show of lowering her sunglasses, “Pickin’ up strays, Rogers?”

Both of them stand and approach the car, and Sam smiles as he takes the backseat, “Good to see you too, Romanoff.”

“I hope you brought your uniform,” she muses, swerving back into traffic once both of them are buckled in, “we’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

---

Peter

I think you’d hate my friends, Alpha. I don’t know, maybe not. I think you’d like that they wanna take care of me, even if they’re both little pieces of shit. I bet a visit from Captain America would shut them up. Or… Are you still Captain America, Steve?

Just as Peter finishes the line, the main cafeteria doors slam open. Both of his friends— MJ and Ned— have their arms in the air, gesturing animatedly.

“There you are!”

It’s as if he summoned them. Damn Spidey-senses, never working when he needs them to.

Peter squirms in his seat, “Hey, guys…” he checks his exits, noting quick escape routes. Sure, he’s never actually needed to run from his friends, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. “What’s up?”

Ned scoots into the bench next to him, pressing in close and draping an arm over Peter’s shoulders. MJ takes a seat on Peter’s other side, and both of them give Peter award-winning smiles— terrifying, really. Matching smiles only usually mean one thing.

“Can’t we just hang anymore, Parker?” MJ rolls her eyes, taking a discreet look at the pages in front of Peter on the table.

He quickly closes his notebook, “Sure, sure. I mean, we can hang— we hang all the time,” Peter catches them exchanging a glance, and sighs, “is there something you want? I’m trying to get homework done before practice.”

With a shake to his shoulders, Ned chuckles nervously, “No, no… we’re just looking out— ow!”

Peter looks down. MJ definitely kicked him.

“— I mean, we’re just wondering…”

“You wanna go to a Halloween party, Peter?” MJ cuts in, flicking at Ned’s arm where it’s still draped around his shoulder. Her face is open, fairly honest, and it catches Peter off guard.

“When’s Halloween?” he asks, thankful when Ned pulls his arm back.

The two of them exchange another look, “Uh…” Ned clears his throat, “it’s today, Peter. Today’s Halloween.”

“Oh.” Peter peeks into his folders to check the date on today’s homework, and sure enough, October Thirtyfirst is printed clearly across every page. Huh. He’s usually great at remembering holidays like this. “I wonder why May didn’t say anything…”

“Because,” MJ grabs his backpack, starting to shove notebooks and textbooks back inside, “we asked her to keep it a surprise. And your mom, too. We just didn’t think you were enough of a dumbass to miss the whole holiday.”

“Honestly, Peter, I don’t get how clueless you can be.”

He just nods along, letting the two of them pull him out of the cafeteria and walk towards the carpool lane. Maybe some part of him wanted them to find him today— who knows? Several other, better, hiding spots come to mind, but Peter doesn’t have it in him to protest.

A night off sounds like too much fun.

His mood immediately improves when they step outside. Parked closest to them, dark and intimidating on the curb, is one of Mr. Stark’s cars.

Happy is standing outside, holding the back door open, “Hey, kid. C’mon— haven’t got all day.”

“Oh!” Peter turns to his friends, both of their expressions smug and satisfied, “Please tell me the party’s at the compound? Oh god, I literally have nothing to wear. I have no idea—”

“We’ve got it taken care of,” MJ pushes him from behind, and Ned laughs, motioning for Peter to get in the car first.

“How did you—” Peter slides into the back seat, freezing when he sees who’s waiting for him, “Mama!”

Mr. Stark smiles— wide and genuine— and opens his arms wide. “Hey, kid. Surprise?”

Peter melts into the older Omega’s arms and squirms to get closer, ignoring how his friends laugh and tease him as he does so. Mr. Stark ruffles his hair, and rearranges them as the car starts moving. Ducking under his arm, Peter settles into Mr. Stark’s side and lets his eyes slip shut with the steady movement and noise of chatter in the background.

“You have a good day, Pete?”

He looks up to Mr. Stark and smiles, “It was okay, a lot better now. Did you help plan this?”

“What do you think, bambino? These friends of yours are… passionate.”

The description makes Peter chuckle. He’s fully aware just how passionate his friends can be. They are digging through the amenities stored in hidden compartments, and somehow both end up with a can of soda and several boxes of candy.

Peter ignores them in favor of burying himself into the warmth of Mr. Stark’s scent. There are lazy, calloused fingers in his hair, and he relaxes even more— a pleased purr building effortlessly from his chest.

When they eventually pull up to the compound, Ned and MJ are out in a shot— barreling through the doors and screaming into the empty halls.

Before Peter can leave the car, Mr. Stark grabs his shoulders and turns them to face each other, staring intentionally into his eyes. “If you don’t want to do this, Peter, we don’t have to? I have about fifty people coming over for a costume party, but I can cancel it and we can spend the night just us, if you’d like?”

He takes a moment to actually think it over. His skin is crawling, eyes already heavy with exhaustion. The thought of socializing with more than a few people is turning his stomach, and he looks into Mr. Stark’s eyes with a helpless grimace, “I guess I wouldn’t mind a party…”

“But you’d rather not?” Mr. Stark guesses, giving him a knowing smirk. Peter scrunches up his nose and shakes his head, and gets a chuckle in response, “Alright bambino, let me make a few calls. Why don’t you go inside and coral the animals.”

Peter laughs and leans in to give Mr. Stark a quick peck on the cheek, “Okay, Mama. Don’t work too hard.”

He catches a glimpse of Mr. Stark’s embarrassed flush before hopping out of the car, skipping towards the compound joyfully. Now that the threat of social interaction is out of the way, Peter feels excited about Halloween and the evening ahead of them.

“Ned?” He calls out, “MJ? Where are you guys?”

“Try the Eastern living room, Peter,” Friday’s voice rings out in the hallway, and Peter turns around to race down the corridor in the opposite direction, still calling out their names.

“In here, Pete!” Ned hollers.

When he turns the corner, Peter comes face to face with the classiest Halloween party room he’s ever seen. Every wall is covered in glass decorations, backlit with soft lights in various colors. An entire section of the room has been converted to a wardrobe, and both of his friends are rifling through the options.

Peter gravitates towards them, pushing aside different dresses and masks, “What’s…”

“Look, Pete— I’m you!” MJ has a Spider-man mask pulled down over her face as she laughs, pretending to shoot webs from her wrists, “bet I’d be a kick-ass Spider-man.”

He just shakes his head, “I bet you would, MJ.”

“What about me?”

Both of them turn to look at Ned as he wobbles over, legs and arms shoved haphazardly into the wrong end of a Spider-man onesie. His face is so confident as he stands in the middle of the room, and Peter can’t help the cackle that bursts out of his mouth, bringing tears to his eyes as he keels over in laughter.

“Where did… what did…” he can barely breathe, and looking up again at Ned is just a mistake.

MJ isn’t any better. She tears off the mask and coughs loudly, falling to the floor in a heap, “Ned! Where did you find that?”

“What?” Ned whines, striking a pose that sends them back into a fit of hysterics, “I don’t get how you can fight bad guys in this Peter— I feel too sexy for crime right now.”

“Please!” Peter begs as he wipes away tears, “mercy!”

“What’s all the— oh mother of god,” Mr. Stark’s voice rings out in the room, and it sends all three teenagers back into peels of laughter. He stands at the entrance to the living room with his arms crossed and an indulgent smile stretched across his face, and Peter lets himself roll on the floor and laugh and laugh and laugh.

Peter turns onto his back and lets the tears flow. They drench his cheeks and drip onto the rug, creating small spots on both sides of his head. It feels good— freeing. His next inhale is deep, his mind clears completely, and Peter realizes this is the first time he’s laughed in months. That every time he’s cried in the past few weeks has been full of devastation and sorrow.

Their combined scents slowly fill the room and bind them together as the evening progresses, each of them relaxing further and further into the moment. By the time the sun’s setting, Ms. Potts and Aunt May arrive with delivery, and the small group of them curl up on the couches to watch a Halloween movie.

Mr. Stark and Pepper take the love seat, and— with one last, longing gaze at the small spot in between them— Peter settles into a lump of blankets and pillows on the far end of the longer couch. He keeps a good distance between himself and his friends at the other end, but he can tell that there’s some awkward tension in the room as the movie starts to play.

He tries to ignore it, but Aunt May keeps giving him a look from her seat on a nearby chair.

“What?” he hisses at her, pouting a bit when she smirks.

May points at the loveseat and whispers, “You should sit with them. I know you wanna.”

“Stop!” Peter shakes his head in denial, “I’m not going to—”

“Hey, pup!” Mr. Stark calls from across the room, and Peter flushes. He knows the nickname is aimed at him.

Peter pulls the blankets up around his face, “Yes, Mama?”

There’s a snort from the MJ-Ned-shaped-lump, but it’s ignored. Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts exchange a few hushed words before motioning for him to join them, “Come on over, Peter,” Pepper says with a confident smile, “plenty of room to join us.”

He’s up and out of the seat before he even processes moving.

At different points in his life, Peter has imagined how it might feel to curl up, safe and warm, between his parents. Never, in a million years, did he think he would get to experience that.

But the space between Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts feels like home. Scents like home. It’s sweet and warm in a way Aunt May’s Beta scent has never been. Peter has never scented Ms. Potts up close, but he’s not surprised when her scent has him immediately relaxing, melting back into the couch cushions.

The only Alpha he’s ever been close to is MJ, and her scent is terrifying .

Pepper lifts her arm and gives him a small smile, “You comfortable, Peter?”

Words won’t come, his senses are on overload. He feels a hand on his shoulder as Mr. Stark moves him, turning him bodily to lay across their laps with his feet in Pepper’s lap, head on Mr. Stark’s shoulder.

“Just relax, bambino,” Mr. Stark whispers, scratching at the baby hairs behind Peter’s ear, “we’ve got you.”

He lets his eyes close slowly. Both of them are scent-marking him subtly— squeezing his arms and legs, kissing his hair, and laying a blanket over him sometime later. The movie passes by completely unnoticed, and Peter dozes comfortably.

Why can’t every night be like tonight?

As the thrill of the night is fading away, Peter hears Mr. Stark offer his friends a ride back to the city. The two of them are fading as well, and it doesn’t take much convincing to get them out the door and into a waiting car.

May kisses him on the head before she leaves, “Sure you don’t want me to stay, Pete?”

“M’sure,” he murmurs, blinking up at her lazily, “you have work in the morning, right?”

“Yeah, champ. I do. You okay staying the night here, or do you want to head back with me?”

Peter looks back at Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts with a hopeful smile. Both of them laugh, and Mr. Stark waves his hand dismissively, “You know you’re always wanted here, Pete.”

“By both of us,” Pepper adds, squeezing his leg where her hand is resting.

“Alright, alright, I can take a hint,” May chuckles. She leans in for another kiss and Mr. Stark gets up to walk her out, leaving Peter and Pepper together on the couch.

He looks up at her. Everything about Pepper screams an intimidating mix of composure and warmth. Now that Mr. Stark is gone, he can separate their scents— and something about her distinct Alpha scent has him ducking his head, shy and submissive.

There’s a light touch on his arm, “Don’t hide from me, Peter,” her grin is soft and reassuring, “if you feel uncomfortable with me like this, you don’t have to stay— you know that, right?”

Her eyes are kind and not at all judgemental. He believes her doubtlessly.

“We haven’t spent much time together, have we?” Peter asks, hesitantly.

Pepper shakes her head, strawberry hair sweeping gracefully over her shoulder, “No, I don’t think so. Tony does come home smelling of you often, though.”

“Oh!” Peter sniffs his shirt, grimacing, “sorry about that, he helps me…”

“No, don’t worry, Peter,” she places a hand on his shoulder again, “I just meant that I’m familiar with your scent already. Tony even puts some of your items in our nest— I know he wants me to get used to our scents together.”

“Why… why would he do that?”

“Oh, Peter,” Pepper sighs. She shakes her head and leans back against the cushions, “we’re gone on you Peter. We really want to adopt you… at least informally.”

“She’s right.”

Mr. Stark’s voice is loud in the living room as he makes his way back to the couch. With a little bit of maneuvering, Peter is stuck in between them again, and this time he’s resting against Pepper’s chest. Her arms easily settle next to him on the sofa, aware of his space and cautious not to close him in.

“We have a secret plot to adopt and steal you away, kid,” Mr. Stark smirks and kicks his legs up, sipping on a drink as they settle together. “I just needed to get proper approval beforehand, you know?”

Peter hums, and he knows his own scent has gone sweet in satisfaction. The thought of being adopted— having a mom and dad, Alpha and Omega— is overwhelming.

“You promise?” Peter whispers. Part of him is scared of the possible rejection, even though he knows Mr. Stark rarely lies to him.

“Of course, bambino— whatever you want.”

As they cuddle together on the couch, trading hushed stories and sweet laughter, Peter has a thought.

It’s not the most responsible thought he’s ever had. If Mr. Stark digs too deep, he’ll chalk it up to being a teenager, being emotional, being an Omega.

“Mama?” Peter stares up at Mr. Stark with his best puppy-dog expression, and pouts his bottom lip, “Can I ask a favor?”

“I’m suspicious already, but sure— what is it?”

Pepper chuckles behind him, and Peter reaches down to hold her hand for comfort, “Can you get my letters to Steve?”

With a loud cough, Mr. Stark chokes on his drink and sputters. His hands fly up and wave around frantically, possibly looking for something to anchor him. Peter curls further into the shield of Pepper’s body and lets her deal with the aftermath— patting Mr. Stark’s back and criticizing him for being so dramatic.

“In what—“ Mr. Stark starts, coughing hard, “In what universe would that be a good idea, Peter?”

“I... I didn’t...”

“Actually,” Pepper interrupts, interlacing their fingers together, “I think that might be a good idea.”

Mr. Stark looks betrayed, affronted. Peter turns to smile up at her, “Really? You think so?”

“Once your hormones are stable, why not?” Pepper asks, kicking at Mr. Stark when her Omega makes a disappointed face, “It might be helpful for your Alpha to hear from you.”

“Get his head on straight,” Mr. Stark grumbles. His hands are clenched, and he refuses to look at them.

There’s a beat of silence where Peter just stares at Mr. Stark, hoping for an answer. He knows it’s a big favor to ask— but if anyone can get it done, he knows Tony Stark can.

“Fine.”

---

Hi Steven Grant Rogers, God. Would you make me take your name? I really hate that. Maybe I’ll ask you to take my name instead. Mr. Stark said I could send you one letter every month, and that if you respond, I can have that letter back. I hope you respond. Uh... I’m not sure what else to say. My name is Peter and I’m in high school. I know that makes things hard for you, being old as dirt, but I hope when we meet that it won’t be too awkward. I hope you stay safe. I’m finally on suppressants and doing better than I was before. Your words on my arm barely hurt anymore. Okay. That’s all for now. Yours, Peter Benjamin Parker Oh! PS I’ve sent a little sample of what I scent like. Mama said that you would like that.

Tag list (let me know if you’d like to be added or removed): @purplefreakwolffish @instantsharkskeletonpizza @justslightlycrazy @angelstarker @femmeparker @starkeraddictbaby @starkentrprises @snowstark @sarcastich

[classysassy9791]

Fandom: Inuyasha Genre: Romance/Humor/Fluff Pairing: InuKag Rating: T

The conclusion for this little fic that has waited 6 years for completion. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Thank you to @akitokihojo for being such a stellar beta for this fic, and helping it come to its completion. Couldn't have done it without you!

For @inukag-week Day 6: Transformation.

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l

Part 4 Word Count: 2,000

Can also be found on FFN and AO3

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It had been a very long time since Kagome had experienced a hangover.

The buzzing in her brain soon became too much to ignore as it beckoned her to consciousness. She opened her eyes to the dimly lit room. Sunlight peeking from beneath the closed curtains indicated it was daytime and she silently thanked herself for being smart enough to close them before leaving her apartment the evening before.

Kagome wrapped the duvet around herself and tried to grasp a hold on the fleeting darkness of unconsciousness. She knew nothing would cure a hangover except time, and she would rather spend it floating through dreamless sleep than deal with the repercussions head-on. Waves of nausea added to her misery and she could faintly smell whiskey with each exhale - a scent that was intoxicating last night, yet this morning it only caused her stomach to twist further.

Her phone pinged with a message, but she didn't dare even try to reach for it, the annoyingly bright glare of her phone not exactly something she wanted to sabotage herself with. As the minutes passed by, she became more acutely aware of her brain feeling like it would swell beyond the capacity of her skull, and her dehydration became too obvious to ignore. Her tongue felt like cotton as she licked her dry, cracked lips. Damn, why did the morning after always have to remind her of what a bad decision the night before was?

She squinted and finally set her gaze on her nightstand. A surprising wave of relief washed over her. Drunk Kagome must have had an intelligent moment, for on her nightstand stood a bottle of painkillers and a glass of water. As quickly as she dared, she propped herself up on one elbow, trying to ignore the slight spin of the room, before greedily popping two pills and finishing the water. Even so, her thirst was far from quenched.

As Kagome tried to sort through her memories of the night before, she quickly registered that she had no memory of coming home last night. The last, clear recollection she could come up with had her sitting at the bar with Inuyasha and sharing a shot with the bartender.

"Shit," she groaned, hanging her head before precariously pulling her legs from beneath her blanket. Blacking out from drinking had been a favorite past time of hers back in her early college days. It wasn't because she didn't know her own limits when it came to being intoxicated, but back then, she simply didn't care. Drinking had been her favorite vice when it came to dealing with the pressures of school, boyfriends, and girl drama. It had been years since she had felt the need to get obliterated so completely.

Finally finding her courage, Kagome reached over and unlocked her phone. The red battery sign at the top meant it was almost dead, so she quickly scrolled through all the alerts on her phone. There had been way too many messages and missed calls from Hojo, which triggered the memory of the picture she had sent him. Her nausea increased ten-fold. Regret was a spiteful bitch.

Hojo was going to be the afternoon's problem. Maybe even tomorrow's problem. All Kagome knew was that it wasn't going to be a now problem.

Kagome plugged in her phone and once she was on her feet, the room swayed, almost causing her to lose balance. She stumbled out into the hallway to her bathroom to relieve herself. When she finished, she washed her hands and splashed cold water on her face just to feel something refreshing. The person's face who greeted her in the mirror no longer resembled the glamorous girl of the night. Only a woman's face awash with guilt, a wrinkled set of pajamas, and hair that was far from attractive.

From the other end of the apartment, Kagome suddenly heard a key turning in her front door. Immediately, she felt panic rise in her throat, eyes going wide. No one had a key to her apartment, not even Hojo, so unless she had been robbed last night - which she very may well have considering she had very little memory of it - no one should be coming over.

She swallowed thickly against her cotton throat and grabbed the first weapon at her fingertips - a plunger. Yeah, she wasn't winning any awards for being clever, but she was hungover and scared for her life.

Kagome crept down the hallway toward the front door and nearly lost her breath at who she saw standing in her entryway. The man from the bar last night - Inuyasha? - was making his way to her kitchen with a carrier filled with coffee and a bag from her favorite breakfast joint down the block.

"Good morning," he greeted casually, not at all thrown off by her presence as he set down his packages on the counter. "I brought you breakfast."

Rage and astonishment swelled in her chest. "What the fuck are you doing in my apartment?!"

He winced and held his hands over his ears before turning to glare at her. "If you could wait until after eight in the morning to start yelling, I'd really appreciate it."

"You didn't answer my question," she seethed, wide eyes sweeping the rest of the apartment for evidence as to what exactly happened last night?!

Inuyasha studied her from across the room and laughed at her dumbfounded expression. "Did you think I was a burglar or something? What's with the plunger?"

Kagome looked down at the plunger she held in his direction like a sword, and felt a blush bloom across her cheeks. She hurriedly hid it behind her back. "W-What was I supposed to think?"

He simply rolled his eyes. "Do you want breakfast or not?"

She bit her lip, but couldn't deny the ravenous hunger eating away at her stomach. Probably half the reason why she was so nauseous. Without saying another word, she slipped back into the bathroom to put away her weapon before meeting him in the kitchen. The sweet aroma of coffee and fresh bagels greeted her. She could've kissed him all over again.

"I didn't know how you liked your coffee, so I got cream and sugar just in case."

Kagome slowly sat down in the chair across from him, watching him slather some cream cheese on his bagel and drink his black coffee. She racked her brain as to exactly why Inuyasha was in her apartment, and then flashes of the night before came rushing back, of sloppy passionate kisses and tangled sheets.

Her heart dropped to her stomach.

Inuyasha studied the array of emotions that flickered across her face while he slowly chewed his bite of bagel and then swallowed. "Kagome, how much do you remember of last night?"

She bit her lip, shameful eyes lifting to his. "Um, well…" Her gaze fell to her person, realizing she was no longer wearing the sequined black dress she had gone out in. All the evidence pointed to a girl she wanted no relation to, making decisions that were very, very regrettable.

"We didn't sleep together."

Kagome's eyes flew to Inuyasha's, his deep voice quelling her fears. "We-We didn't?"

Amber eyes watched her carefully before turning back to his bagel. "No, we didn't. I'm not the kinda guy who beds a girl when she's drunk. Not my style."

A breath Kagome didn't know she had been holding escaped her lips. She had never been the type of girl to have one-night-stands. Her friends always teased her about it, but it was something she prided herself in. Having sex with someone wasn't something she did on a whim. She wanted to know she meant more to someone than an easy lay.

Her brows furrowed as she sipped on her coffee. "If we didn't sleep together, then why are you here?" she questioned. It would've been one thing if she had woken up with a naked man in her bed and kicked him out because of sheer embarrassment. It was another thing entirely that a man she didn't sleep with would bring her breakfast in the morning.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I was too tired to get another ride home last night, so I slept on your couch."

Kagome glanced over the breakfast bar to see a blanket and pillow on her couch as evidence that it had been occupied the night before.

"You know, you probably shouldn't drink so much."

She threw him a glare. "Did I ask for your judgement?"

He shrugged. "I'm just sayin'. Letting a stranger take you home because you're too drunk isn't exactly attractive."

Kagome scoffed. "Oh, thanks for the help," she snipped sarcastically. "What would I've done without you?"

Inuyasha grinned. "Probably throw a party to celebrate my absence."

"Probably, yeah," she hotly agreed. "I would've been just fine on my own."

"Maybe."

She frowned, flashes of last night starting to come back. They had been two heartbroken strangers in a bar who found comfort in their shared misery. Under the neon flashing lights and upbeat techno music, they gravitated toward one another like moths to a flame. But by morning they had transformed; she no longer represented the alluring woman who bewitched him, and he no longer appeared as the mysterious man who captivated her.

Now, she was simply Kagome Higurashi - a woman who was dumped by her fiance and had a mile-long to-do list regarding cleaning up their frayed relationship. And he was simply Inuyasha.

Kagome inwardly cringed. She didn't even know his last name. Or what he did for work. Or anything about him really.

Just fucking great.

"Look, Inuyasha," she began, setting down her coffee. "I appreciate everything you, er, did for me, but-"

"When we're done here, we should go on a real date."

Her mouth fell open. "What?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Why not?"

"You have got to be joking," Kagome said while shaking her head. "One-night stands are literally just for one night, and we definitely would not work out."

He grinned. "Damn. That's a quick deduction there."

Kagome blushed. "I just mean that, last night… it was great and all, but…"

"It's daytime and the whole world's changed?" Inuyasha finished for her.

She sighed and looked away. He was right. Things were different. Last night didn't happen often for her, and bringing home a guy to her apartment never happened. If it were up to her, she'd stuff last night in a box as a precious memory and then forget it ever happened.

"I'm not saying I'm over Kikyou."

Kagome met his gaze. His eyes locked onto her, and held not an ounce of mirth. He was serious about this. He wanted to see if this could become something.

"And I doubt you're over your ex-fiance," he continued. "But, last night was fun. You're different and piss me off to no end-"

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

He sighed and after a moment finally stood up. "Look. You seem like a great girl. But I'm not one to beg. Thanks for the couch." Slipping his phone into his back pocket, he turned to leave.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome called as she chased after him.

Dammit. This guy was so infuriating! He insulted her, and called her names, and angered her enough to make her slap him upside the head. But he also made her laugh, and feel alive, and made her want to kiss him again and again.

She couldn't deny that she wanted to see him again.

Grabbing his elbow, she made him stop in his tracks and look over his shoulder at her. "What?"

"This…" she started, fumbling for the right words. "This is never going to work. You and I."

He gave her a lopsided smile. "I'll pick you up at six."

And then he was gone, closing the door behind him.

Within a moment of him leaving, Kagome realized something: Meeting Inuyasha was either going to be the best luck she ever had, or the very worst. At least, on the bright side, he had already witnessed her at her lowest.

How bad could it be?

[excusemin]

sweet | kth

Pairing: clumsy!Taehyung x tsundere! female reader

Rating: g, sfw

Genre: slight angst, fluff, enemies to lovers au, strangers to lovers au

Warnings: cursing, tsundere behavior, sarcasm from the reader

Word Count: 4.1k 

Prompt: Ice skating with clumsy! Taehyung and tsundere!oc who just wants to ice skate in peace but "omG you're going to flatten your butt by falling down so much, here, hold my hand. I don't want you to embarrass yourself further." (Can be e2l if you want!) [DNW: No NSFW please]

Summary:  Life is like coffee. It can be bitter or sweet. After a day of unfortunate yet bitter events, someone unexpected can make everything so much sweeter.

A/N: Hello, this is a Christmas gift for my dear, @nixwrites​!!! This was part of btsghostie’s Holiday Fic Exchange event. This was truly super fun to create and all thanks to Nix. Definitely one of the most nicest writers I have interacted with. Also huge thanks to @xlovelyyoongix​ for beta reading this piece of crackheadedness for me. Anywho, before I ramble on too much, happy holidays and enjoy! :)

Bad days were inevitable. Today… was something else. A series of unfortunate events was all it was. They said a bad thing plus another bad thing will turn out to be something good in the end. They were wrong, one bad thing after the other, came on multiplying itself and had no end.

Your phone had fallen off of your bed and cracked. Before your daily walk, one of your earphones had stopped working, leaving you to deal with the noise that you avoided on the streets. On your walk, you stepped on an abnormally large ball of chewed gum causing you to mentally curse the person who chewed this much gum. Stepping aside to remove whatever gum you could with the grass next to your feet, your eyes wandered off to notice a brand new coffee shop. 

Figuring that it would be a much better day with a cup of coffee, you decided it would be a great idea to check it out. If you knew that you would get your hot coffee spilled all over your clothes by the cute barista, you would have never stepped in. 

The sting of the hot liquid on your body made you wince in pain. A wave of emotions rushed throughout your body but anger overpowered all your senses as you looked at the guilty barista. His eyes shakily wavered up and down your body while he stammered upon his words. Before he could say anything, you took a deep breath and rushed out of the coffee shop. You ignored all the concerned glances as you walked straight home and mentally cursed the barista with all the colorful words you could think of.

Luckily, there were no more unfortunate events on your walk home but you were still angry and the way the clothes were clinging onto your skin. If it had been darker clothes, maybe you wouldn’t have been as angry but today of all days, you had to wear a white shirt. 

As soon as you walked through the front door, you kicked off your shoes and started removing the coffee-stained clothes that were starting to feel sticky. Heading straight to the restroom, you took one last look at your cracked phone before you set it on the bathroom counter and let the warm water wash off all the sticky residue of the coffee.

Once you felt clean from all the stickiness, you stepped out of the shower and dried off every droplet of water on your body. A fresh set of clothes covered your body causing you to relax immediately. You closed your eyes as you entered your room and enjoyed the comfortable aura in your home. That peacefulness unfortunately did not last long as your phone went off. Too good to be true.

Groaning as you hesitantly picked up your phone, the cracked screen illuminated your room. Another wave of groans flowed from your lips as you read the text message from your friend, (Y/F/N).

Party at Hoseok’s tonight! Before you cancel on me, remember that you owe me. See you there!

Before you could type in a reply, another message popped on your screen. 

Wear something nice. Hoseok wants you to meet someone.

Tossing your phone to the side, you grabbed the pillow next to you and screamed into it, muffling your frustrations. You pulled apart from the pillow to catch a quick breath and you rolled your eyes at the annoying ringtone that came from the phone.

You should get ready now so you can get here on time and not in the last ten minutes as usual!

Sighing, you contemplated which would be a great idea: going to the party on your own will and ignoring the world or risk having Y/f/n come drag you out of your home in one of the outfits she brought along with her. Your mind flashed back to the too revealing outfit she had you wear the last time and you shivered at the thought. Immediately, you jolted up to get ready not wanting to go through the embarrassment all over again.

Eventually, since you jolted up to get ready everything passed by in a flash and you found yourself in front of Hoseok’s house. The large house alone intimidated you. As you brought your hand up to knock, the door opened up to reveal Y/f/n. 

“I knew you’d get here early. Come on in.” She moved to the side to have you step inside the house.

“Whatever, I’m going to leave early too so don’t push it.” Y/f/n let out a knowingly glance at you as she took a hold of your hand and guided you through the large house.

“I know, my same old Y/n. You’ll have a great time tonight, a friend of Hoseok’s moved in town and he’s around your age too so you know.” 

“You know I’m not looking for anyone nor anything right now. I’m okay with how I am right-”

“And I know that, I just want you to have someone other than just me. Hoseok and I are a thing now and I don’t want you to be alone.” Your mouth opened to stop her from going on a large rant about why you should have someone important in your life but as always, she was a step ahead of you.

“And before you go on saying that I have played Cupid and matched you with a serial killer, I met the guy a few times before. He’s pretty nice, charming, and cute too but let’s not tell Hoseok about that.”

“Tell me about what baby.” Y/f/n pulled away from you to place a kiss on her boyfriend’s cheek. The sight of their affection, making you feel slightly uncomfortable but oddly endearing but of course, you’d never let her know. She would be overly hell-bent on finding your so-called soulmate. Grimacing at the eerie idea, you shook your head and looked at the couple in front of you. Hoseok placed a kiss on your friend’s forehead and turned to you. 

“Y/n! Long time no see! Before I forget, I have someone that I want you to meet.” Hoseok turned around and motioned the said person to come to him. You could not see who he was calling thanks to his tall body covering but once you were able to, your eyes almost bulged out of their eye sockets at the sight of who it was.

“Y/n, this is Taehyung. Taehyung, this is Y/n-” 

“You!!!” His eyes widened comically once he looked at you and immediately started rambling.

“Look, please listen-”

“Well, I see that you both know each other. I’ll let you be then.”

“Y/n-”

“You’re gonna spill something on me here too coffee boy?”

“It was an accident though.” The pout present on his face was almost enough to forgive him right there and then but you huffed and walked away from him. You heard Hoseok, walk closer to Taehyung and question him about the strange encounter.

“She’s the one you spilled coffee on?”

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to.”

“I know, give her some time to warm up to you. Meanwhile, enjoy the party and some games.” Hoseok patted him in the back as they went back to the party.

With a red cup of apple juice in your hand, you avoided people left and right. You avoided having any unnecessary conversations and stayed by the wall, a wallflower, as your friend has always called you.

Unfortunately, Y/f/n was always a step or two ahead of you and somehow pulled you to unwillingly join in a game of truth or dare. You were not fond of party games but you knew she’d let you go home if you played a game so you sat through the game. Luckily, no one picked on you so you inched back little by little in hopes that you could escape without anyone noticing your absence.

Forgetting that today was just an unlucky day for you, Hoseok picked on you as soon as you were about to ditch the circle.

“So Y/n, truth or dare?”

“That’s easy, truth.” You threw an uninterested look at the male across from you as you waited for him to continue.

“What, no. Live a little and choose dare. How bad can it be?” Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you heard Y/f/n speak up next to you.

“You sure Y/n?” Hoseok questioned you, knowing how his girlfriend can be at times. Nodding your head, you waited for whatever was to come for you. You hoped it was nothing too crazy but you had a second thought when you saw that same glint in his eyes that you’d see when Y/f/n had a crazy idea. They were definitely a perfect match. 

“Well this is not too hard so I dare you to go out on a date with Taehyung. And before you say no, the punishment is all up to my beloved girlfriend.”

“I really don’t have a choice, do I? Well, I guess I’ll accept and take this as my leave.” Groaning, you stood up and ignored everyone’s gaze as you walked out. 

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” You walked faster as you heard Taehyung’s voice coming from behind you. 

“I don’t but if that means that I could get away for the hell that Y/f/n has planned for me, I guess I have no other choice.” 

“Let me at least take you home, yeah?”

“And have you know exactly where I live? Yeah, no thanks.”

“I can’t have you walking alone so late. Plus, how will I know where to pick you up for our date?”

“If I say yes, will you stop talking?” 

“I- is that what you want?” Surprised at your bluntness, Taehyung stopped in his tracks and looked at you with wide eyes. Noticing that he stopped walking, you paused and took in a deep breath before answering him.

“Just a bit of peace.”

“Gotcha! Yeah, I can do that. Shall we continue?” Not waiting for him anymore, you continued to walk your way home with Taehyung by your side.

As you took in each step, your mind wandered off to how many people told you that you were too blunt. Too many to count but not that it mattered, it just stuck in your head since it has been a repetitive thing you’ve always heard. Maybe you could take it down a notch but you wanted to be well guarded. Maybe you’d think about it later but right now, you just needed to rest from this long day. Luckily, you were right in front of your door just seconds away from comfort. 

“Y/n?” 

“Yes, coffee boy?” 

“Can I get your number? You know, to plan the date and stuff.” He shyly stuffed his hands into his pockets waiting for your answer only to find your palm in front of him. Confused, he looked at your palm and into your eyes, trying to read you.

“You want my number right? Give me your phone.” An intense blush formed on his cheeks from embarrassment as he fished his phone out of his pockets. He unlocked his phone and handed it to you. You had a glimpse of his lock screen and the sight of an adorable Pomeranian puppy had your heart-melting.

“Cute... Now, here you go.” You handed him the phone back and unlocked your front door.

“Thank you. Good night, Y/n.”

“Good night, coffee boy.” Once you closed the door, you dropped all your things on the floor and headed straight to your bed. The comfortable mattress immediately lulled you to a well-needed sleep.

After a few days of planning, the day has come to go to that date. Part of you was somewhat excited but the other part of you was anxious because you pretty much let Taehyung plan the whole thing by telling him you didn’t mind doing anything. All you knew about the date was that you needed to wear something warm and comfortable enough to move around with.

While you waited for Taehyung to pick you up, your thoughts had consumed you. You couldn’t remember the last time you’ve been on a date and that thought alone had you picking at your nails. A faint knock at your front door interrupted your thoughts causing your heart to pick up its pace. Before you opened the door, you took in a deep breath and opened it once you felt a bit calmer. On the other side of the door there stood Taehyung holding a colorful bouquet.

“Hi, Y/n! I got these flowers for you, I wasn’t sure of what your favorite flower was... so I had them wrap up a little bit of everything.” You stood there flustered with a million thoughts flashing past your head as he handed you the bouquet.

“You don’t like them? Please don’t tell me you’re allergic, I should have asked-” Before he could ramble on more, you cut him off.

“No, I- I mean I do like them. I just don’t know what to say, I’ve received flowers before.” Speaking softly, you avoided Taehyung’s burning eyes by focusing on the bouquet in your arms.

“No way, a beautiful girl like you should always be given flowers.” Taehyung lowered himself to your height to have your eyes on him and he looked so confused.

“Come inside, I’ll put these in a vase and then we can go.” He nodded at you and closed the door behind him as you walked away to the kitchen. Your heart was beating incredibly fast as you filled the vase with water. Letting the water fill in the vase, you wanted to pinch yourself to see if this actually had happened because you never thought anything like this would ever happen to you.

“Everything okay, Y/n?” Once again, Taehyung’s voice snapped you back to reality.

“Yeah, everything’s good.”

“Alright, ready?” Nodding, you took one last glance at the colorful flowers before you walked out of your home with Taehyung right behind you. You hoped the blush on your face wasn’t visible as you locked your front door. 

“So where are we going?” 

“To my car, pretty girl.” Immediately, your eyes burned holes into the back of Taehyung’s hair. It was right there and then, you knew it was going to be a long day. 

The whole car ride was full of questions about where you were going and of course, Taehyung was very determined on keeping it a surprise. His response to your every indiscreet question of figuring out where you were going was with a question of his own, stating he was trying to get to know you more. 

“Okay, one hint for the pretty girl.” He stopped at a red light and turned to you with a serious look 

“Finally, shoot!” You turned to him, waiting for an answer.

“It’s going to be icy.”

“Taehyung... we are surrounded by snow. Everywhere we turn is full of snow. I- just let me know when we get there.” Sulking in the passenger seat, you ignored the laughs coming from his side and focused on the droplets of melted snow that cascaded down the passenger window. 

“Alright, we are here.” As soon as Taehyung parked, you both got out of the car to examine the view ahead of you.

“A park?” 

“Not just any park. Look, come here.” You were partially thankful that he at least told you to wear something warm but you were extremely curious about what he actually had planned.

“An ice skating rink.” The view ahead of you was breathtaking, Christmas lights decorated above and around the rink.

“Yeah. So pretty girl, do you know how to skate?”

“Of course, rollerblading but how different can this be?” The silence coming from Taehyung almost caused you to have whiplash as you turned to look at him. He avoided your gaze before he sheepishly answered you.

“I wouldn’t know.” 

“What? Are you hoping to embarrass yourself in front of me and others?”

“Actually, I was hoping to learn together and have you somehow get you to fall for me.” Before you got to say anything, Taehyung took a hold of your hand and started taking long steps to avoid your gaze.

“Anyway, let’s go!” Too flustered to say anything, you let him drag you along as you focused your gaze on the floor. You focused on how the snow beneath you would mold around your shoe as you took each step. Not feeling the sudden stop, you crashed into Taehyung’s back and almost slipped but you clung onto his torso to not lose your balance. 

“It seems like you will need my help too.”

“Shut up, as if I’d need your help.” Snickering, Taehyung collected the ice skates from the booth and led you to a locker to lock up your belongings.

Once you both tied your ice skates with an earful of bickering, you both headed onto the skating rink. You watched other skaters hold onto the ramps for leverage and decided to test it out little by little. Too lost in your own progress, you completely missed out on Taehyung stumbling over his own feet until he gently tugged on the back of your coat.

“Can you slow down a bit? I’m trying not to lose you and fall at the same time.” You tried to stifle a laugh but you lost all control when you took a look at the pout on his face.

“Just take one step at a time, coffee boy. There’s no rush here. Watch me.” You moved right in front of him so he can watch you glide slowly while still holding onto the ramp. 

After a couple of attempts, you started to get the hang of it and eventually let go of the ramp. Taehyung, on the other hand, was holding onto the ramp for dear life. His eyes wandered off to the middle of the skating rink to see some children using the ice skating support penguins. Your eyes followed his and you could not believe he was actually considering it.

“Tell me you aren’t really thinking of it.”

“Don’t you think it would look badass? Like, the blue tie would definitely bring out the color of my eyes.” The seriousness in his voice had you burst into laughter.

“Taehyung… I don’t think they’d have one your size.”

“I think they have polar bears too.” He tried to skate to you without letting go of the ramp but it was completely useless as he fell onto his knees. Trying not to fall right in front of him, you hesitantly skated right to him and put your palm in front of him.

“Come on, you’re going to flatten your rear if you keep on falling down and well, embarrass yourself too.”

“So you do care, you softie.”

“You know that I can just skate away and leave you here right?”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Bet-”

“No, please!” The grip he had in your hand tightened as you playfully pretended to skate away, the action causing you to trip over your skates and falling with him. 

You closed your eyes and waited for the pain of your back hitting the icy floor but you only heard a grunt come out from Taehyung. The sound eventually caused your eyes to open immediately to find Taehyung’s arms wrapped around you as you laid on top of him. 

“Are you okay?” His eyes scanned over your face for any signs of discomfort.

“I fell on top of you and you are asking me that?”

“Yeah, you are perfectly fine. I guess you did end up falling for me.” Groaning at his cheesy response, you picked yourself up and helped him get up.

Before you could continue to keep on trying to skate, an employee was skating around the rink notifying that there was a heavy snowstorm that was about to hit the town and that everyone had to go home immediately. Luckily, there were not enough people in the rink so leaving the rink was not a hard task. You were both thankful that the walk to his car was not far as it started to get colder.

“Are you okay with coming to my apartment? It’s not so far away from here and I don’t want to leave you alone. I can cook for you and let you sleep in my bed.”

“As long as you’re not taking me there to kill me, I don’t mind.” He chuckled in his seat before starting to drive to his apartment.

“You have my word, pretty girl.”

When you both arrived at his apartment, you were greeted by the lovely sight of the black Pomeranian that you’ve seen on Taehyung’s lock screen.

“This is Yeontan. Yeontan, this is the pretty girl I’ve been talking about. Use your charms to their full potential.” Chuckling at his words, you crouched down to pet Yeontan only to have him jumping into your arms. Taehyung felt as if his heart melted at the sight of you warming up to Yeontan instantly.

“You must want to be in something comfortable after all that ice, I’ll go get you some clothes for you. Feel free to explore.” Instead of searching for whatever comes up your path, you decided to just look for the living room to sit down. As if he could read your thoughts, Yeontan barked at you and started strutting to what you believe was the living room. When the couch came into sight, you let yourself rest on it and patted your lap for Yeontan to jump onto.

Taehyung walked into the living room minutes after with a new set of clothes on him and some clothes folded neatly in his hands.

“You weren’t just cleaning your room right now?”

“No, it’s not messy. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to come over.” You laughed as he scratched the back of his head.  

“Nice excuse.”

“Anyways, here are some of my clothes for you to wear. You can go change in the restroom that’s down that hall while I cook something up for us.” Standing up, you thankfully took the clothes from his hands and started walking to the hall he pointed to. After you changed into the clothes that Taehyung gave you, you walked out of the restroom to be greeted by a wonderful aroma. You followed the aroma into the kitchen and saw Taehyung serving up two plates of tteokbokki.

“If it’s good, I cooked it. If it’s bad, Yeontan made it. Nice apron.” You giggled at the bold words written on the apron.

“It was a prank gift from a friend.” 

“I think Yeontan would be a great cook though.”

“Of course he would, I’m his dad.”

“Well... let’s eat.” With a playful pout present on his face, he handed you a fork and waited for your reaction to his hard work. When you hummed at the delicious taste, he took that as his cue to start eating.  After a bit of conversation and a  few bites later, you finished the meal that he prepared.

Taehyung picked up your plates and dropped them off in the sink next to him before he guided you to his room to have you rest peacefully. He showed you around his bedroom and asked if you needed anything else before he went to go to sleep in the living room.

Before he could walk out of his room, you spoke softly.

“Can you stay?” He stopped right at the door and looked over his shoulder as you nervously looked at the bedsheets that covered you. Not wanting to pry, he decided to tease you just a little bit.

“Sorry, what?”

“If I have to repeat myself, I will walk myself home.” 

“Cleaning can wait. Come here my little munchkin!” As soon as you saw him race to the bed, you hid as if that would stop him from jumping on the bed. 

“You can get closer if you need more warmth.”

“You’re pushing it, Tae.”

“No more coffee boy? That’s progress.” Turning to lay down on your side, you looked at him and closed your eyes before you spoke up.

“Tae?”

“Yes, pretty girl?” He turned to face you and admired your facial features while you weren’t paying attention.

“Today was pretty fun, snowstorm and all. Thank you.”

“It really was. Now, let’s rest so we can talk more tomorrow.” He brought up the blankets to cover you and placed a gentle peck on your forehead before closing his eyes as well.

“Goodnight, Tae.”

“Goodnight, pretty girl.”

@ excusemin - all rights reserved. I do not allow my work to be used or adapted in any way without my permission