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yuzukult · 1 month ago

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shooting your shot [preview] | kmg & reader

title: shooting your shot pairing: kim mingyu x fem!reader/oc - preview genre: angst, fluff, eventual smut, coffee shop owner!mingyu, assassin(?)!oc, hitwoman(?)!oc wc: ~3.8k for teaser summary: settling down, getting married, having kids, and having a 9-5 job that you go to everyday isn't really something you've ever thought about. however, kim mingyu suddenly wakes you up with a warm cup of coffee paired with that wide cheesy grin of his, and suddenly... that life doesn't sound so bad. or is it? warnings: mature themes, eventual smut, mentions & utilization of guns and other weaponry, mentions of gangs, drug dealers, etc - additional themes will be added once it is posted officially a/n: i know i have some series that are incomplete (i'm sorry) but i honestly lost a lot of inspo for writing... i want to get back into it bc it was such a fun hobby for me, so i figured i'd start over and release a preview of something new i was working on !! it's similar to the themes of i'm bad too (a doyoung fic i wrote years ago) but this is a bit more mature imo !! enjoy the teaser :)

“I like you.”

You blink blankly.

Kim Mingyu always manages to put himself in the worst situations. Last week, Hana, his employee at the cafe he owns, had asked him if he wanted to go out for dinner—being as naive as he is, he assumed a group dinner, only to find himself sitting across the table from her at some fancy three Michelin star restaurant with a small candle lit between them before she confessed her heart out to him. A month ago, he agreed to help his friend Joshua fix up his house and without asking for details is how he ended up stuck on a roof because the shingles needed to be replaced… and well, he’s afraid of heights. Then at another time, his sister asked for a ride and he quickly agreed without any questions when he clearly should have because he was sitting outside of a sketchy ass alleyway in center city. It’s where the boy he disapproved his sister of dating lived, right beside all the homeless people and junkies resided.

And now, with you laying flat on top of a building somewhere downtown, he says those words nervously over your earbuds as you watch your target through the ocular lens. Does he know what he’s getting himself into?

“What?”

Mingyu takes in a deep breath of courage to reiterate himself. “I like you. Like, a lot. I know you’re gonna say that I don’t know you well enough to like you—”

“—you don’t—”

“—but you make me feel things in my chest that I can’t control.”

“What? You’re mistaking heartburn with how you feel for me?” You spot the four blacked out Cadillacs parked outside of the building across the street with bodyguards that begin to surround the area. Mingyu better speed this up or you’ll have to hang up on him.

He sighs. “It’s not heartburn. I like you, really. I wanna give this a shot, but only if you let me.”

“Ask out Hana. She’s pretty.”

You could hear the hint of irritation in his voice from your lack of hesitation. “It’s not just about a girl being pretty. It’s about her personality too—how she is, where she’s from, what she does for a living…” you laugh quietly and he barely catches it. “… see! You think I’m funny too. It’s a great trait in a guy. Doesn’t hurt to give me a shot, does it?”

Ironically, it does hurt when you get shot, especially with the intent you have at the moment with a rifle in hand.

You spot one of the bodyguards pressing against the buds in his ear.

“Let me call you back.”

“Wait, what—” Click.

Just seconds later, the middle aged man in a black suit comes out within a herd of security, all dressed in a similar fashion with dark shades and an earpiece. A warning shot, that’s all this was. It’s supposed to scare him, threaten him enough to do what your client says, because that’s what you’re always hired to do.

Shoot the warning bullet.

All the years of training, going undercover, working for the good and the bad guys have brought you to this—a third party contract killer—wait, rephrase, not a killer, but rather just a shooter… well, not only shooting either. A threat, not a promise, and if your client prefers the commitment, you’d advise them to another person who can pull that final trigger.

A hitman? With no intent of death? Is that a better name for it?

Today, your mark is Jeon Jungsik, or better known as J.S., a drug lord in the city that’s planning to expand his market into illegal weapons. He has a wife, two daughters and three sons, all which he plans to take under his wing during this development however is slowly treading the line of your current client’s objectives.

“I don’t kill,” you told him, the leather gloves in your hands snap with the adjustments you make. “So if you’re trying to take out the competition, I should be clear that I’m not gonna do this personally. I can refer you elsewhere, if you’d like.”

“That’s fine,” the man said, leaning back in his exorbitant chair. You could almost smell the unlawfully obtained crocodile leather material of his seat. “It’s just to scare him a little. Give him a running start to get out of the game. I wanna give people a chance to become an ally. Then maybe I’ll reach out to you for your associate’s number. I like to think of myself as a nice guy.”

It doesn’t take long, but with one press of the trigger, the man recoils and collapses on the floor with his whole team pulling out their weapons in all directions.

“Oh.”

“What? Shocked to see me?”

His face heats up but could anyone blame him? The girl he’s been crushing on is standing before him, hours after he confessed his feelings only to be hung up on. In all fairness, he thought that was a sign that you weren’t into him.

“Kinda, yeah. I thought you said you’d call me back.”

“You were on the way,” you reply, fingers skimming through the laminated menu taped to the plexiglass. “Thought I’d stop by so we could talk. If you still want to talk.”

“I—Hm,” he begins, unsure how to even talk to you at this point. “How about I make you your usual, and we can talk over a cup?”

Nodding in agreement, you shove your hands into the front pocket of your blue jeans. You’ve since switched out of your work attire, tossed and stuffed into a duffle that sits underneath the flooring of your car, along with your disassembled rifle.

That, exactly all of that is why you could never hold a serious relationship. And that’s what you want to tell him—honestly and genuinely, it had nothing to do with him but rather everything to do with you. How could an innocent guy like him, someone who ran the neighborhood coffee shop with regulars that worked in such mundane jobs ever be with someone who was considered a hired sort-of-assassin? Marksman? Markswoman? Was there even a word for it?

Finding an empty table, you plop yourself in the seat. He’s really cute, you have to admit that, and despite keeping yourself at an arm's length with every person you meet, somehow Mingyu always oversteps those boundaries and you’ve never even thought twice in trying to stop him.

Tousled hair and apron on, he’s got some coffee stains on the sleeve of his shirt, light bags under his eyes from waking up at the crack of dawn to open up shop, he still manages to radiate that same bright energy as he always does.

“Black coffee and one sugar,” he announces with a cheeky smile, pushing the ceramic cup to you. “Your usual. Kinda reminds me of you. Bitter, but you’re just a bit sweet.”

Gross. But why do you kind of like it?

“Why do you like me?”

His smile fades. It’s mostly out of embarrassment and nervousness, not because he lost feelings for you in that span of time, but he feels like this is grade school all over again. “I thought we went through this already.”

“I know, but…” grabbing the spoon that sits on the plate underneath, you sir the dark liquid with the steam rising. “I don’t know if I can give you what you want, Mingyu. I’m just a regular customer that helped you out once when you almost got robbed. Maybe you’re thinking that you owe me or something.”

Almost a year ago, when the shop was closing up at midnight, a man in a ski mask attempted to steal the money at the register with a loaded gun.

Truthfully, you weren’t really planning on stepping in at all. On your way home from another job, the thoughts that crossed your mind didn’t include going into that café, but after seeing that scared college girl’s face behind the counter with a gun to her head, you let out a sign before swinging the front doors open.

Needless to say, the man in the ski mask was flipped, kicked, and shoved, his gun thrown to the side as you call her to grab zip ties from the back so you could tie him up for the cops to arrest him formally.

“Here,” you handed off your own personal number to the girl, figuring she’d use it in case of another emergency, only for it to fall into the hands of Kim Mingyu, the guy who had already been ogling you everyday during your morning routes.

“OK, ok,” he says, placing his hands flat on the table. “Maybe I don’t know you, but I want to. I wanna learn about you, I wanna know what your favorite foods are and if you like Post Malone or if you prefer rock bands. Are you a morning person or a night owl, and if you’re just stuck waking up in the early hours because of your job because that’s the only time I see you here. I—I really like you, and I can’t seem to put into words why, but I want to get to know you.”

You roll your lips. It takes you a minute to respond, but the minute seems like hours to him. Bringing the drink to your lips, the warmth hits your tongue and you can feel it in your chest.

It’s dangerous, letting someone like him in your life. In the chance that someone figured out your identity and realized he was your weakness, it wouldn’t be long for him to get captured and kept as a hostage.

“I’m not a good girlfriend,” you warn him, fiddling with the spoon.

“And where’d you hear that?”

Maybe it was the guy who you binded up with rope last weekend, delivering him to one of your clients when you recalled him saying something along the lines of, “Is this the type of shit you’re into? I bet you don’t even have a boyfriend ‘cause if you did, he’d fucking hate you.” Or a couple weeks ago, when that one dude groped you from under your skirt and you twisted his arm, wincing with, “you’re so sexy but you’d be an awful fuck anyways.”

Sure, they weren’t word-for-word “you’re not a good girlfriend,” but you’d say it was pretty fucking close.

“Men,” you retort nonchalantly, grabbing your drink again. “I don’t think I’m good at commitment, Mingyu. You seem amazing at it. Wasn’t there a girl that stopped by a while ago who was begging you to take her back?”

He grimaces, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. You wish it was your very own, threading through them with his lips pressed against yours, the taste of a vanilla latte lingering on his tongue, along with a sharp inhale of coffee beans from him carrying the bags over his shoulders all morning during inventory restock.

But it doesn’t work like that. You and Mingyu can’t work out like that. Not while you remain in this profession.

“An ex-girlfriend. But you don’t have to worry about her.”

“Never said I was.” You were. Maybe just a little.

“Can… Can I at least try to pursue you? You’re not flat out saying you don’t like me, it just seems like something is holding you back.”

Yeah, you think to yourself, because it’s exactly that.

Your colleagues don’t settle, or at least, they don’t settle while they’re still taking jobs. There’s too much risk involved, all which include putting your loved ones in danger.

But for some reason, a flat out rejection doesn’t come out.

“Don’t get mad if nothing comes of it.” With that, you grab your coffee and engulf it like a shot before placing it back on the table.

“Girl, you really don’t need me to be here.”

You sigh. Arguing with Sunny on a Thursday morning isn’t really something you want to do, but Sunny loves to bicker.

She’s the opposite of her name—Grumpy is what her parents should’ve given her, instead they chose the bubbliest and warmest name for the coldest and most bitter person.

Nonetheless, you do like her.

She makes the job more enjoyable, somehow her dark casting clouds are a distraction to what this job really entails because your attention is too busy being on how she responds groggily to every little thing.

“Why do you say that?” You ask, adjusting the kevlar vest around your upper body. It’s tight around your frame, as it’s supposed to be, but you admit it’s a bit hard to shift into any position with this on. “I always need you here.”

“You really don’t,” Sunny glares at you, slipping into her jacket before she zips herself up. She’s a trained assassin—keyword: assassin. Her job is to leave the assigned Target dead, without a breath or a heartbeat left. Bringing her here only serves the purpose of her making the final shot. “You are perfectly capable of following through with this job—your aim is impeccable. Why the fuck did Summers assign me to this? Does he think I need a chaperone?” With the Boss being her brother, it’s fair that Sunny thinks that Summers did this on purpose; he’d been on her ass these past few months when she accidentally missed her marque—but it wasn’t entirely her fault, there’d been a sniper on the opposing side playing defense.

With a laugh, you snap your precision sniper together. It reminds you of those toys you’d find in the aisles of stores growing up, the ones your parents pulled you away from because they were “made for boys.” Meanwhile, there’s two girls who stand on the roof of a building in the city, holding two real ones. “It’s more so for me than for you,” you admit, popping the ear piece in. “I don’t kill, remember? I’ll aim for the warning shot first, the Client will call the Target, and if it doesn't go well, you’ll make the final hit.”

Groaning, she climbs onto her stomach. “I don’t get why you don’t kill—your fucking accuracy is off the charts. You know Summers framed your training targets? That’s how he gets clients—that shit is hung in his office when they come in. Raves all about you.”

You can’t hold back the flattering smile as you mimic her lying position several feet away. “He assigns other people for the job though.”

She turns to roll her eyes at you. “Yeah, because you won’t fucking kill.”

You shake your head. Now, the waiting game starts. “Well, my hits are impactful and torturous. I’d say that’s worse than killing. Plus, why kill when I can use it as an excuse to hang out with you?”

“Or—hear me out,” Sunny begins, peeking through her scope, “you could just fucking answer my texts when I hit you up to go clubbing.”

“I don’t ‘club,’ Sunny.”

“Why? Are you afraid you’re gonna upset Summers?”

You furrow your brows. What does she mean by that? “What?”

“Oh, come on,” she’s turning the rifle from side to side, skimming the area. “You’re his literal favorite. My brother practically has heart eyes whenever you’re around. Like I said, he hung your training targets in his office. Last week, he told me he thought you were pretty.”

You narrow your gaze through the scope but the scowl was for Sunny. “What did you ask him? Pick between me or the Wicked Witch of the West? Who’s prettier?”

“That’s not the point.”

“Ahhh, I see,” you snicker. “Plus, even if he was interested, I might be into someone else.”

Did you really just say that?

It flowed off your tongue a lot more smoothly than you’d prefer, catching even yourself off guard.

Sunny’s mouth drops as she looks over at you. “You’re lying.”

“Pay attention,” you gesture ahead. “And… I’m not. Someone asked me out and I’m considering it.”

“Normie?” A voice through the earpiece says. “Or is it another hitman?”

Sunny grins when she hears her brother. “Hey, Summers. What are you doing on this line?”

You suck in your cheeks.

From what you understand, Summers doesn’t get involved in any of the on-the-ground work. He’s bound to his desk at this point—besides constantly networking, and meeting with Clients, he’s writing contracts, all while managing to assign the work to his hitmen and stuffing money into their pockets. Summers is the mastermind of this all, the head of operations, and it never minded anyone that he didn’t get into the details of everything.

That’s why when you hear his voice over the line and not Chan who sits at his computer (with the ten monitors on display) all day, you’re suspicious.

“Just making sure you’re doing your job,” he says, clearing his throat. “You’re not giving her a hard time, are you?”

“No, but you’re giving us a hard time just from your attendance.”

He clears his throat and diverts his attention back to you. “So…” Summers calls out your name gingerly. “Is… Is he a normie or another hitman?”

You and Sunny lock eyes for a moment; yours glaring and hers content, proud of herself for making the correct observation.

“A normie,” you state calmly, and you can almost picture Summers doing that awkward neck rub. “Nothing serious yet, we’re just talking.”

“Ah,” he chuckles softly. “Just like your mentor, right? Seungcheol? Didn’t he quit the field so he could be with his normie wife?”

“Summers, Target acquired. Status update?” Looking through your scope, your rifle follows in suit of the direction he’s walking. “Did the Client call?”

Summers uncomfortably coughs at the situation and hands the mic over to Chan. “Sorry, uh. Chan, give direction.”

Sunny shoves Summers after tossing off her gloves. “Summers, what the fuck was that? You were distracting us from our mission. If it weren’t for our prized Hitlady here, we wouldn’t have gotten the Target. Are you crushing that bad?”

Standing outside of the van parked blocks away from the setpoint, you both switch out your gear.

Your ears heat up, and so does Summer’s. “It’s fine,” pulling out the earpiece, you toss it into the bin Chan provides. “He’s our Boss anyways. He makes the calls, so if he distracts us, that’s his decision.”

“Yeah, see? Also, can you stop treating me as just your brother? I’m running an organization here. Give me some credit.”

Chan snickers quietly from the sidelines and you grin in his direction.

Sunny takes a deep inhale. “Look, whatever. We did the job, and it worked out. I didn’t even have to kill anyone, our 98% aimed so well, the guy was so scared that he admitted defeat. Another win in our book.”

You groan. Not the “98%” shit again—a couple years ago, there’d been an internal competition between all the assassins. It was pretty much an accuracy test; how precise were your shots, the amount of times you were able to hit that same spot, and additional factors such as weather, timing, and so on were factored in.

Needless to say, you got a 98% accuracy score.

Grabbing your coffee cup from the table, you bring the slightly cold liquid to your lips. It was hot when you picked it up this morning at Mingyu’s coffee shop; his bright smile illuminated the entire restaurant, almost (keyword, almost) causing your heart to do flips in your chest, but now it’s a bit cold since you were too busy to finish it all.

“I’m not that good, Sunny. That’s why you’re here today—covering for me if we did have to aim to kill.”

Sunny raises a brow before twisting the cup in your hand.

“Is that… hearts around your name? Who’s Mingyu?”

You turn it to your direction and your face warms up instead of the coffee. There’s scribbles and doodles around your name, signed by Mingyu at the bottom. As corny as this is, it’s… kind of cute. “Oh. He uh…. He’s the guy I’m sorta seeing. The Normie, if you will.”

Summers looks at you with a concerned expression. “Is that what you want? To date a Normie? He doesn’t know anything about this side of you—how’s he gonna react when he finds out you hurt people?”

“I mean, we’re just talking.”

“But what if he wants more? Then what? Are you going to tell him that you’re an assassin?” His tone is stern, and you sneak a glance at Sunny who just gives you that I-told-you-so look.

“I… I’ll work on that when we get there,” you blink blankly. “Is there something wrong?”

He sneaks a glimpse at his sister and Chan who watch him attentively. “Uh, no, there isn’t. Just uh… expressing concern, is all, from a boss’ standpoint. You know. I have to make sure my people don’t have any obstacles that can affect the workplace.”

When Sunny rolls her eyes and drags Summers away to avoid another uncomfortable conversation, you sigh in relief while climbing into the back of the van and shutting the door closed.

“Well, that was entertaining.”

You toss the vest into the bin. “Yeah, I don’t know what to do about that,” you shrug, plopping into the seat next to Chan. “Do you think I should quit? I feel like this whole thing with Summers, the missions, and potentially settling down in the future might fuck everything up. Do I even want to settle down?”

“Are you kidding me? If I had at least a third of your skills, I’d be signing up for every mission possible. Your skills will go to waste.”

You sigh, rubbing your face with the palm of your hands. “I feel like I’m at a bit of a standstill, if I’m being quite honest.”

“About this Mingyu guy?” Chan swivels his chair back to his 10 monitors propped onto the walls of the inside of the van. His fingers dance along the clackiness of the keyboard, but his ears stay perked at your responses. “I thought you said you guys were just talking.”

“We are, I just…” shoulders slouching, you release another weighted breath from your chest. “I don’t know.”

“Well, whatever it is, you probably need to establish some boundaries with Summers,” Chan says, shutting down the system before turning back to you. “You know how he is.”

You quirk a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s a nice guy, but he can be a little possessive,” his eyes have hints of pity in them, like they’re directly toward you. “Even with Sunny. Like come on, when’s the last time she’s ever introduced a boyfriend to him?”

“Sunny doesn’t even really date.”

“Not since Summers punched her last boyfriend.”

Oh. Well that’s new. “I’m not his girlfriend though—and I’m definitely not his sister either.”

“You’re on his radar, that should be enough.”

thanks for reaching the end !! :) thanks for being so patient with me throughout all the years, i'm excited to start my journey all over again.. so bear with me if i suck lol pls lmk what you think !!

#seventeen fanfic #svt fanfic #seventeen #kim mingyu fanfic #kim mingyu #mingyu x reader #mingyu fanfic #mingyu #gyukultfics

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v6quewrlds · 1 month ago

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&.⠀⠀OFF THE TABLE II⠀⋆⠀JUSTIN HERBERT.

pairing⠀⁎⠀justin herbert x single mother!oc. word count⠀⁎⠀10.7k.

series summary⠀⁎⠀in maya's eyes, love has been completely off the table since the birth of her son, miles, six years ago. fate disagrees with maya's point of view, bringing her justin in more ways than one.

author's note⠀⁎⠀updates might be a little slow after this one. listen y'all, if you're from socal don't pay too close attention to the geography. i'm taking reddit's word for a lot of things in addition to the fact that i have zero clue where justin lives and don't care to know. series warnings⠀⁎⠀18+ mdni, smut, oc warning [maya atkins], single motherhood, friends with benefits, discussions of guilt, mention of deadbeat dads.

read more⠀⁎⠀justin herbert masterlist⠀⁎⠀previous, next.

"From my point of view, I think there's no harm in fully going for the Latin-Asian fusion thing. That opens your options a bit more flavor-wise." Her client of the month was a struggling upscale sushi bar on Manhattan Beach, and Maya was adamant about bringing in a fresh perspective. She had spent the last week experimenting with recipes that would appeal to the area's diverse palate without alienating the restaurant's existing clientele.

"So with the ceviche dish, we could incorporate some sushi-grade fish and add a twist with some citrus-marinated jalapenos," Maya suggested, her mind fully engrossed in the culinary brainstorming session with her client. Her laptop was open between them, a picture of the dish she had in mind taken on her phone the night before after a late-night cooking session two days prior.

The restaurant owner nodded, his eyes lighting up at the idea. "I like it," he said, scribbling notes down on his own pad. "It's definitely something we could promote during happy hour."

"Exactly," she echoed. "I would even go as far as promoting it alongside one of the signature cocktails we talked about. Something with a bit of heat to match the jalapenos, like a spicy marg or a wasabi cucumber gimlet. Really round out the profile."

The restaurant owner nodded again, scribbling away. Maya felt a buzz of satisfaction at the thought of her idea coming to life. "On the idea of keep the menu fresh, what do you think about rolling out a weekly special?" she asked, her mind racing with possibilities. "You could use local, seasonal ingredients to keep it exciting for repeat customers. The local clientele here is on the wealthier side so most will be open to trying new things."

He nodded enthusiastically. "That's a fantastic idea. I've been looking for a way to keep the menu feeling exclusive without being too stuffy." He leaned back in his chair, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I'll have to talk to our suppliers, but I think we could definitely make that work."

"Great," she said, her voice brimming with excitement. "I'll draft up a few options for you to consider and send them over tonight. When do you think I'll be able to touch base with your service staff to talk through their concerns and the new menu ideas?"

The owner checked his calendar before looking back up at her. "How does next Friday sound? We're closed between lunch and dinner from 2 to 5 for staff training. That's usually when we go over menu changes, important reservations, that sort of thing."

Maya nodded, scribbling the details in her planner. "I'll make sure to be here. I'll bring the samples for everyone to taste." She stood up, smoothing out her dress pants. "Thank you for your time today, Mr. Castillo. I'll have the menu draft in your inbox by tomorrow."

Mr. Castillo stood as well, extending his hand for a firm shake. "Thank you, Maya. I really can't thank you enough for this. I'm excited to see what the future holds for us here."

Maya walked out into the warm afternoon, heels clicking rhythmically against the pavement as she dug in her purse to locate her keys. The beach was a short walk away, and the salty breeze carried the faint sound of waves and distant laughter. Despite the allure of the ocean, her thoughts remained inland with Miles. She slid into her car and started the engine, the quiet purr echoing in the quiet oceanside streets.

Miles would be wrapping up a playdate at a former preschool classmate's house within the next thirty minutes, leaving her just enough time to set her route to the host home. She pulled up to the house, a tastefully decorated Craftsman-style home in a quiet neighborhood of Culver City. The yard was meticulously maintained, with a row of tulips lining the walkway.

The front door had been left unlocked, the message shared through the playgroup's group chat. She stepped into the living room, the smells of freshly baked cookies and playdough assaulting her nose, reminding her of those late afternoon preschool pickups. The sound of children's laughter grew louder as she approached the backyard. Miles' giggle was unmistakable, a sweet melody that brought a smile to Maya's face.

"Is that slide new?" she asked, sliding the glass door open and stepping onto the wooden deck. The laughter grew louder, and she spotted Miles at the top of the new play structure, his little legs dangling as he waited for his turn to zoom down the slide.

Danielle, the mother hosting the playdate, turned to wave Maya over. "Hey girl! Bryan installed it last week just for today, what do you think?" She asked, her eyes shining with pride.

Maya couldn't help but laugh. "It's amazing, I'm surprised you guys haven't had a line out the door for the neighborhood kids."

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Oh, trust me, we have. We had to set up a schedule so they don't all show up at once."

Maya chuckled, watching Miles slide down with a look of pure joy. "Well, it's definitely worth it," she said, her eyes focused squarely on her son.

"Anything new with you?" Danielle asked as Maya took a seat at the patio table, sipping from the iced tea she had been offered from a tray.

Maya took a moment before responding, contemplating how much to share about her recent romantic developments. She decided on a small nugget of truth. "Just had a good few weeks," she said with a nonchalant shrug. "Work's been busy, but I got out a little bit, flirted, nothing came of it but it was fun."

Danielle's eyes widened with interest. "Flirted? That's a first since, what, Miles' dad?" She leaned in closer, setting her own tea down. "Spill. Who's the lucky guy?"

Maya felt a warmth spread through her body and into her fingertips as they cupped the glass. "It's no one, really," she said, trying to downplay it. "Just a guy I met at a bar. We texted for a bit, but I think he got busy or something. It's whatever."

Danielle leaned back in her chair, studying Maya's expression. "You're holding out on me," she accused playfully. "You've got that look."

Maya couldn't help but laugh. "What look?"

"The look," Danielle insisted, her eyes twinkling. "Did you follow-up with him? Maybe he's just… busy."

Maya took a deep breath, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation at the thought of seeing Justin again. "No, I didn't," she admitted, her voice dropping a notch. "I just… I don't know if I'm ready for all that yet, you know?" She looked at Danielle, her friend's expression one of understanding. "I just feel so out of my depth with all this. He was charming, sweet, but I guess I just wasn't special enough to keep his attention."

Danielle reached out and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "You're more than special enough, Maya," she assured her. "And if he's not giving you the attention you deserve, then he's the one missing out."

Maya nodded, trying to convince herself of that fact. Her thoughts drifted to the previous week's encounter with Justin, his gentle touch, and the way his eyes lit up when they talked about food. She had hoped their casual flirtation could evolve into something more, but the silence following their meeting had been deafening and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

"Should I reach out? Maybe he is just busy and forgot," Maya wondered aloud, her eyes straying to her phone on the patio table.

Danielle gave her a knowing look. "If you want to see him again, just text him. Worst-case scenario, he's busy or not interested. But you'll never know unless you try."

Maya nodded, staring down her phone, chewing her lip, then turning to locate her son in the midst of his play. "Are you gonna do it?" Danielle deadpanned, breaking the silence.

With a deep breath, Maya picked up her phone, tapping her index finger against the back of her case. Then with a sigh, she set it aside. "Maybe later. I've got a shit ton of stuff to get done tonight." She turned her focus back to Miles, who was now engaged in a game of tag with his friends.

"Maya…" Danielle called, her voice cutting through the laughter of the children. "You're not seriously going to leave it like that, are you?"

Maya's eyes snapped back to her friend's, the warmth in them pushing aside the doubt. She took a deep breath, her hand hovering over her phone. Hovering, but not quite making the move to unlock it. "What do I even say?" she asked, the question a whisper.

"Just be you," Danielle said with a soft smile. "You managed to pull him in at the bar, didn't you? A simple 'hey', ask him about his week, maybe throw in a little self-deprecating humor about your crazy work schedule. Keep it light, easy."

"I'll think about it," she mumbled, watching as Miles dodged the grasp of one of his friends with the agility of a seasoned athlete. The way he laughed, carefree and uninhibited, was a stark contrast to the cautious tightening in her chest at the thought of reaching out to Justin.

As the playdate wound down, Maya helped gather the toys scattered around the yard and thanked Danielle for a great afternoon. With Miles in the backseat, she drove home, the quiet hum of the car's engine allowing her thoughts to drift back to the texts, or rather, the lack thereof.

It wasn't until Friday night rolled around that she reconsidered Danielle's advice.

She had decided to treat herself to a quiet solo dinner at a sushi grill, gathering some last minute inspiration to tie the bow on the Manhattan Beach fusion menu. Armed with her notebook and purse, the distant fire from the center grills heated her face from her spot at the hostess stand. The smell of ginger hung thick in the air, and Maya felt her stomach rumble with anticipation.

The walk to the bar was a long one due to the placement of the grills in the direct center. She had picked a spot that was a little less crowded, but still allowed her to observe the flow of the kitchen and the interaction between the staff and customers. As she approached the counter, she noticed one of the two bartenders was busy serving a large group of male patrons. Maya took a moment to appreciate the sleek black and chrome setup of the bar, the way the light reflected off the bottles behind it.

The men standing at the bar stood heads and shoulders above the average patron, their broad shoulders and muscular builds giving them away as being athletes beyond the shadow of a doubt. She shrugged the observation off; the grill was located in a neighborhood popular with pro athletes, so it wasn't unusual to spot a few lingering around the more exclusive spots.

The second bartender, a petite brunette with a bubbly smile, saw her approach and waved her over. "What can I get you started on tonight, love?" she asked.

Maya took a seat and perused the menu. "Just a ginger beer for now. I'm still deciding on food."

The bartender nodded and set to work, the sound of ice clinking against the glass a familiar and comforting melody in the background. As she waited, Maya couldn't help but overhear snippets of the conversation happening a few stools down. One of the men was talking about a game from college. She turned her head to take in the decor of the restaurant, taking in the modern chandeliers and the abstract art on the walls.

It was when she turned back that she saw him staring directly at her. Justin. Every unfathomable inch of him. His hair was shorter than it was when she had met him weeks ago, but that same quiet confidence was there, his eyes the same piercing shade that reflected the light gorgeously. His cheeks flushed a slight pink, and he looked surprised, yet delighted. She felt her eyes widen as they locked gazes.

He stepped away from his group of friends, drowning out their conversation as he approached. "Maya," he said, his voice a low rumble of surprise. "What are the odds?" There was that familiar lean against the bar top, his beer already forming a ring on the sleek surface.

Maya's heart skipped a beat, her hand frozen mid-air as she tried to process his sudden appearance. She gave him a nervous smile, her eyes darting to his friends before returning to him. "Hi, stranger," she said, her voice a little shakier than she had intended.

Justin grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Small world, isn't it?" He leaned closer, eyes drifting over her notebook and beer as he took in the scene before him.

"Yeah," Maya replied, her heart thumping in her chest. "What are you up to?"

"Just having dinner with the guys," Justin said, gesturing to his teammates who had all turned to look at them now, an array of wide smiles and amused glances passing between them.

"Is that what's been keeping you busy? Dinner with the guys?" Maya asked, her voice filled with a teasing lilt. She couldn't help the little thrill that shot through her at the sight of him, the way his eyes held hers, the ease of their conversation.

"I deserve that," he flushed under her teasing. "Actually, I just was in Oregon for a few days handling some…" he paused, licking his lips hesitantly as if carefully choosing his words. "contractual obligations."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Contractual obligations?" she echoed. "You're not going to tell me you're a CIA agent or something, are you?"

Justin chuckled, his gaze dropping to the floor briefly before returning to hers. "No, nothing that exciting." He didn't provide any additional details, which only served to pique Maya's curiosity further. The bartender returned to take Maya's order, and she requested the chef's special. The petite brunette nodded before heading back to the POS system.

The men from Justin's group continued shooting them glances just behind his back, their whispers and laughs growing louder. "Am I interrupting time with your friends?" she joked, trying to ease the tension between the two of them.

Justin shook his head, his smile unwavering. "Nah, we're gonna be here for another 30 to 45, still waiting on a table." He cleared his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing before he slowly added, "We'll have plenty of time to bond before the season kicks in."

Maya took a sip of her ginger beer, the fizz tickling her nose as she pondered his words. "The season?" she questioned, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. She had no idea what he meant by that, but if the way he eased that detail in told her it was significant.

Justin looked a bit flustered, as if he'd said more than he meant to. "Yeah," he said, his voice a little less sure than before. "I'm an athlete. NFL."

Maya's eyes went wide, the ginger beer almost slipping from her grasp. "Oh," she managed, trying to keep her cool. "Which team?"

"The Chargers," Justin said, his voice a mix of pride and something else she couldn't quite place. He was watching her reaction closely, gauging her interest or perhaps waiting for recognition that didn't come.

She paused before shaking her head with a chuckle. "Can I be honest?"

"Always," Justin said, leaning closer.

Maya took a deep breath and put her ginger beer down. "I have no idea who you are," she admitted, a laugh tumbling from her lips. "I'm not a sports person. But if you say you play for the Chargers, I'll take your word for it."

Justin's expression brightened with a hint of relief, taking another step closer to her. "No big deal. It's just my job," he said with a shrug.

"So, that's why you're so busy…" she hummed with an upwards curl of her lips. "CIA agent moonlighting as a football player."

That drew a genuine laugh from him, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Something like that," he responded. She took note of the deep dimple that appeared in his right cheek. The sound of his laughter was infectious and she found herself joining in.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm pretty busy myself," Maya said, absentmindedly flipping her notebook shut. "One secret for another?" she asked, moving forward when Justin nodded. "I have a son. He keeps me just as busy as I'm sure you are."

Justin's smile faltered for a moment before regaining its former warmth. "That's a big deal," he said, his voice genuine and a little softer than before. "How old is he?"

"He's six," Maya said, her eyes shining with pride. "His name is Miles." She watched Justin's reaction carefully, expecting some sign of disinterest or discomfort, but his expression remained open, curious even.

"Six… first grade?" Justin asked, his gaze holding hers with a gentle curiosity that made her heart flutter. She didn't miss the way his eyes dipped to glance at her hands before releasing a shallow breath at the absence of a wedding ring or even a tan line on her left ring finger.

Maya nodded. "Yeah, he's a handful but worth every second," she said with a warm smile. She felt a sudden need to explain herself, to justify her presence in this bustling bar on a Friday night. "He's with my parents for the weekend, so I have a little free time."

Justin's gaze remained on her, his eyes filled with something she couldn't quite read. "Well, it's good that you get some time for yourself," he said, his hand briefly brushing against hers on the bar.

The urge to explain herself continue to ravage her senses, pushing her to provide another disclaimer. "I really don't want you to feel like I'd be offended if you didn't want to pursue things," Maya spoke quickly, her voice a little shaky. "I know having a kid can be a deal-breaker for some guys. No hard feelings at all. I'd probably feel the same way if our situations were reversed."

Justin's expression grew serious, his thumb tracing lazy circles on her forearm. "Maya, I'm interested. Really interested," he assured her, his voice deep and sincere. "As long as you're single, I'd like to get to know you better."

The tension between them grew thick with anticipation. Maya felt a rush of heat to her face and took a moment to compose herself. "Well, I am single," she murmured, looking away shyly before meeting his gaze again. "But I can't guarantee that I'll have much time to devote to… whatever this might be."

"I get it," Justin said, his voice understanding. "My schedule's pretty packed too. My trip to Oregon was a last-minute Nike thing, and I've got a lot riding on the upcoming season." He took a sip of his drink, looking at her intently over the rim. "I can't say it would be fair for me to start something serious either. Asking for your number at the bar was a bit out of character for me, honestly."

Maya sat up a bit straighter at that revelation. "What do you mean?"

Justin cleared his throat, his voice dropping to a murmur. "It's been a while since I've put myself out there like that." He paused, searching her eyes for understanding, continuing when she nodded. "But I liked talking to you, and I'd like to do it again. Maybe without the pressure of making it into something it's not ready to be? At the very least, I think you're worth sacrificing some sleep over."

Maya felt a stutter of her heart, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "So, you're proposing…?"

"We can keep it casual," Justin suggested, his thumb still tracing circles on her arm, sending warm shivers down her spine. "Keep seeing each other, no strings attached, no expectations."

Maya took a deep breath, her eyes searching his. It was a tempting offer, one that whispered sweet nothings into the part of her that had been starving for male companionship for so long. "So… friends with benefits?" she asked, her voice steady despite the racing of her thoughts.

Justin's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, but he met her gaze without faltering. "If that's what you're comfortable with," he said, his voice earnest. "Emphasis on the friends part." A muscular arm bent behind his head to scratch nervously at the back of his head. "I just don't want to miss out on what this might be."

He tapped nervously against his glass bottle, the nervous tick defeating the auditory integrity of the confidence in his voice. Maya took another sip of her ginger beer, her mind racing with possibilities and potential consequences. Her eyes flicked over to the group of towering men who had been watching them, now engaged in their own conversations. She knew what he was asking wasn't typical, but something about the way he spoke, the sincerity in his voice, made her feel like it could work.

"Alright," she finally said, setting her drink down. "Friends with benefits it is. I'll go ahead and let you know that I'm free until Monday morning." There was a haze in Justin's eyes as he digested her words, his hand lingering on her forearm.

"Perfect," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his calendar. "Promise I won't make the mistake of leaving this to chance again," he said, looking at her with a determined expression. "How about tomorrow night?"

Maya felt a thrill at his decisiveness, nodding eagerly. "That works for me," she said, watching him tap away at his phone.

Justin looked up, his gaze locking onto hers. "It's a date," he confirmed. "My place or yours?"

Maya's pulse quickened at the prospect of spending the night with him, but she remained cool. "Mine," she said with a nod. "I can send you the address."

Justin nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "Text it to me. I'll come over around seven tomorrow night." His words held an air of promise. She nodded, her voice a whisper as she agreed to his plan.

"Justin!" a male voice called out from his group, breaking the intimate moment. He looked over his shoulder, offered a thumbs up, and mouthed "I'll be right there."

Maya felt a twinge of disappointment at the interruption, but she knew this was a public place and he couldn't ignore his friends. "Go ahead," she said, smiling. "Don't keep your team waiting."

"Thank you," he murmured, his hand briefly squeezing her forearm. "I'll text you around five to make sure it's still a good time to come over?"

Maya nodded, trying to keep her excitement in check. "Sounds like a plan," she said, her voice a little too high, a little too cheerful. She welcomed the embrace he offered, feeling the warmth of his body against hers, the strength in his arms, and the beat of his heart against her chest. It had been so long since she'd felt this kind of closeness with someone, and she had to admit, it was intoxicating.

"See you tomorrow?" she asked, her voice thin with a whisper.

"Count on it," he said, his eyes filled with promise. He gave her a final squeeze before letting go, and Maya felt the sudden chill of the cool air in the bar.

Maya watched as Justin walked back to his table, his teammates slapping him on the back as he approached. She couldn't help but feel a bit like she was floating as she finished her ginger beer.

"I might've fucked up," Maya announced the moment the call to her best friend, Brooklyn, connected. She could hear the TV playing in the background and the clatter of kitchenware, but she had to get it off her chest before the excitement overwhelmed her.

"What did you do?" Brooklyn's voice was a mix of amusement and concern.

"Are you alone?" Maya whispered into the phone, her heart racing as she put the phone on speaker and set it down on her bathroom counter.

"Yeah," Brooklyn replied, her voice dropping an octave as she muted the TV.

"Look up Justin Herbert," Maya said, her voice barely a whisper as she paced the bathroom floor. "Tell me if you recognize the face."

"I know what he looks like, quarterback for the Chargers, right?" Brooklyn's voice came back after a few seconds of silence. "What about him?"

Maya leaned against the cool marble countertop, taking a deep breath. "Remember how I said I met a guy at the bar but it didn't go anywhere? That guy is Justin Herbert."

Brooklyn gasped. "You fumbled a quarterback?" she exclaimed. "Maya! Are you just finding this out?"

"Kind of," Maya said, her voice tight. "I ran into him again tonight at this sushi grill. He's actually really sweet, and he seems to be into me…"

"Maya, spit it out!" Brooklyn's voice was a mix of disbelief and excitement. "What happened with him?"

Maya took a deep breath and recounted the evening's events, from the awkward run-in to their unexpected connection, and finally, to the arrangement they'd made. "So, we're doing this friends with benefits thing," she concluded, apprehension coating her words.

Brooklyn was silent for a moment before she burst into laughter. "Girl, you've got to be kidding me," she managed through her giggles. "But seriously, if he's cool with you being a mom and all, and you guys are on the same page, I say go for it. You deserve some fun, and if the sex is good, keep him around; if it sucks, don't."

Maya couldn't help but laugh too, feeling some of her anxiety dissipate. "Thanks, B," she said, rolling her eyes at her friend's blunt advice. "But it's not like it's going to be a regular thing. He's a professional athlete, and I have a kid. We're both busy."

Brooklyn's voice grew serious. "You know what, Maya? Sometimes you just need to let go and enjoy living in the moment. You're a great mom, and you work hard. If this is something that makes you happy without messing with Miles' life, then why not? You deserve a little treat every once in a while."

She felt dazed, her mind playing back the feeling of his eyes on her, his hand squeezing her forearm, the blush that spread across the bridge of his nose and spilled pink across his cheekbones. It was like she'd swallowed a handful of confetti; the colors of their encounter glittering through her thoughts.

"Did you set something up? When are you seeing him?" Brooklyn's question brought Maya back to reality. She checked the time on her phone, realizing that it was already late, nearly midnight. "We're supposed to meet tomorrow night," she replied, chewing her bottom lip.

Brooklyn's voice grew more solemn. "When was the last time you…?" She didn't need to finish the question. Maya knew what she was getting at. It had been a while since she'd been intimate with anyone. Too long, if she was being honest with herself.

She wasn't ready to unearth the various reasons why she hadn't been with anyone since Miles' father. It was a conversation for another time, if it was ever a conversation she was willing to have. "It's been a minute," she admitted, shaky words hinged on a shakier breath.

"I genuinely want you to enjoy yourself tomorrow, My," Brooklyn said, her voice a gentle reminder that she was still listening on the other end of the line. "Just take it slow and make sure you communicate what you want."

Maya nodded, though her friend couldn't see it. "Thanks, B. Love you." They talked a few more minutes before wishing each other off. By the time her head hit the satin pillow, every inch of her was buzzing with anticipation.

The next day at work was a whirlwind of client meetings and brainstorming, leaving little room for her thoughts to stray. Yet, every time she glanced at her phone, she could feel her eyes drifting up to the time, ticking down to their rendezvous.

The clock hit 5PM and just as he promised, a message from Justin popped up on her screen. "Still good for tonight?" he asked. Maya felt butterflies in her stomach, and she quickly typed back, "Still good," she confirmed. "I'll be home from work in a bit." He responded with a few logistics, letting her know he would be stopping by his home before heading over.

If this were a cartoon, Maya would have jumped out of her skin at the chime of the doorbell. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart knocked against her ribcage, and she felt the heat in her cheeks spread down her neck. Her reflection stared back at her, jittery and anxious, in the mirror near the entryway of her home. She took a deep breath, smoothed her hair, and checked her outfit one last time: white linen drawstring pants and a square neck top of the same tone that she had agonized over for much longer than she was ready to admit to anyone.

Time slowed as her eyes swept over her figure in the mirror, taking in her fresh matching manicure and pedicure, hastily done in her bathroom before leaving for her meetings that morning. The doorbell rang again, and she took one more deep breath before heading towards the sound. She opened the door to find Justin standing on her porch, lilies in hand and a boyish smile playing on his lips. His hair was impeccably tame, a touch more gelled than it had been the night before, and he looked fresh from the shower, the smell of soap and cologne wafting towards her.

"I hope you don't mind," he said, holding out the flowers. "Thought they'd be nice."

Maya's eyes widened as she reached a hand forward to accept the bouquet, feeling the soft petals against her fingertips. "They're beautiful, thank you," she murmured, her cheeks growing even warmer as she stepped aside to let him in. "Come in."

Justin walked in, his presence filling the room with a sense of excitement and nerves. He looked around, nodding in approval at the cozy yet elegant decor of her home. "Shoes off?" he questioned, quick to notice the wooden shoe rack by the door.

"Yes, please," Maya said, lifting the bouquet to her nose, inhaling deeply as her eyes fluttered shut. When brown eyes met pale green, she couldn't help mirroring the shy smile that grew on Justin's face. They both knew what tonight was about, but the gesture felt sweet, almost too tender for what they had agreed to. She led him into the living room, the soft glow of the pendant lights casting shadows across his broad shoulders.

"Lilies," she hummed out, searching for a vase in her kitchen as Justin followed her, his eyes taking in her home with curiosity. She filled a clear vase with water and placed the flowers in the center of her kitchen island.

"I wasn't sure if you had a preference," Justin said, leaning against the counter as he watched Maya arrange the lilies. His voice was smooth, like a high-grade dark liquor, resonating in her chest and running through her veins like warm honey. She swallowed, her throat dry, and turned to face him.

"Magnolias are my favorite," she responded, opening a drawer to find her kitchen scissors, a navy blue pair that perfectly matched the accents scattered around the room. "But lilies are a close second. Thank you. They're gorgeous."

Justin took a step closer, his gaze dropping to her mouth, then back up to meet her eyes. "You're welcome." His voice was low, movements slow as he moved to stand just behind her. As she set down each flower after trimming the stems, he placed them in the vase, his large hands gently peeling open the petals that had folded in on themselves.

Maya felt his body heat radiating against her back, and she could hear the soft thud of his heart in her own chest. She snipped the last stem at an angle, handing it to Justin, her fingertips brushing against his. He took the final lily and placed it in the vase, stepping back to admire their combined effort.

"Nice work," he spoke softly. "Fits with the vibe of your place."

Maya set the scissors down in the sink. "Thank you," she murmured, feeling the weight of the moment settle over them like a warm blanket.

"How long have you been out here?" he asked, stepping away to lean against the island. His arms crossed over his chest, accenting the muscles beneath his shirt. They strained against the plain black t-shirt, discipline from his training evident in every line of his body.

"In Culver?" she clarified, feeling her back straighten as she leaned against the sink. "Two years now. I've lived in LA County my whole life, can't imagine living anywhere else." She turned to face him, her eyes tracing over the lines of his jaw, his cheekbones, and the way his eyes seemed to darken under the dim light the longer they stood there.

"It's a good spot," Justin agreed, his voice still a soft rumble. "Quiet, but not too far from the action." His eyes searched hers, a silent question hanging in the air. Maya felt the tension build, a delicious cocktail of nerves and desire.

"I'm assuming you're out near the beaches somewhere?" Maya asked, her hands nervously rubbing her arms. The question was innocent, but she felt the urge to fill the silence that stretched out between them.

"Hidden Hills, actually," he spoke up, his eyes finally taking her full figure in. "It's quieter, more private, close to the mountains." Each word grew successively lower, dripping in a tone that suggested although he was more than happy to discuss his living situation, there was something else on his mind.

Maya felt the air thicken. "It sounds beautiful," she managed, the words clipped and breathy as his hands found her arms. He removed her hands from her skin, drawing her closer to his body. There was a gratifying magnetism to his touch, a force that made her knees weak.

A hand found her waist, the touch electric, sending a shockwave through Maya's core. She stepped closer to him, feeling the warmth of his breath against her cheek. "It is," he responded, the words falling from his lips nonchalantly.

Her head tilted back to take in the full view of him, the soft light from the pendant lights above highlighting his features. Justin's hand slid from her waist to the back of her neck, his thumb brushing against her pulse point as his eyes searched hers. "So beautiful," he whispered, his breath warm and sweet.

The moment was charged, the air around them crackling with the unspoken understanding of what was about to happen. Maya felt a flutter in her stomach, a mix of anticipation and nerves that she hadn't felt in a long time. She stepped closer to him, chest to chest. His hand tightened around her neck, angling her head just right as he leaned in. Just before their lips met, he asked a question, clementine sweet and a little shy, "Can I kiss you?"

Maya's breath caught in her throat. The brief handful of seconds between the question and her response seemed to stretch on for hours. Then, she nodded, her eyes fluttering shut as his lips met hers. The kiss was gentle, soft exploration that enveloped her lips in supple warmth. She leaned into him, her hands finding his biceps, feeling the power beneath her fingertips. He kissed her like he had all the time in the world, as if he had no where else to be. It was just them, in her kitchen, the scent of the fresh lilies mingling with the lingering aroma of his cologne filling her senses and making her head spin.

The hand cupping her face guided her into a more passionate kiss, his other arm wrapping around her waist to pull her closer. Maya melted into him, the heat of his body enveloping her, making her forget the exhaustion of the day. He kissed her as if her starving, as if he had been waiting for this moment since the moment they met. His kisses grew more urgent, his tongue slipping past her teeth to tango with hers. She whimpered softly, her hands roaming from his arms to his chest, feeling the contours of his muscles.

Breaking the kiss, there was a brief pause before she laughed. Slow and soft as her head bowed forward to hide the smile that was growing across her face.

"It's been a long time," she eventually confessed, meeting his gaze again.

"Would you believe me if I said the same?" Justin's voice was low, the question a gentle tease, as he brushed his thumb across her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw. The admission hung in the air, stretching the moment out into something more intimate than it had been before.

"No," she chuckled, her arms draping over his neck, releasing an involuntary sigh as both of his hands held her waist tightly, pressing her closer to him. "But I appreciate the attempt to make me feel better."

"Save your compliments until after," he responded with that bashful smile of is. His head dipped to kiss along her neck, hands hovering over the curve of her ass, not quite touching but the promise was there. He was giving her control, making her feel desired without overstepping, and Maya appreciated it more than he knew. "Might disappoint you."

Maya's laugh was light and airy, the sound of it filling the kitchen. "I doubt that." She leaned back into his touch, her eyes closing as his mouth worked its magic. His mouth rediscovered hers, the kiss deepening and growing more heated. Her head tilted back to give him better access, the feeling of his kisses setting her skin on fire.

Justin's hands moved from her waist to her hips, his thumbs gently digging into her skin as he lifted her onto the counter. The coolness of the marble sent a shiver down her spine, her legs wrapping around his waist as the kiss grew more intense. His kisses grew more demanding, his tongue caressing hers, tasting and exploring every part of her mouth. Maya's hands slid down to his chest, her nails lightly scoring the fabric of his shirt.

Maya felt her heart racing, her breath coming in shallow gasps as Justin's kisses grew more urgent. He paused, his eyes searching hers for consent. She nodded, unable to speak, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He took this as his cue and leaned back in, his teeth grazing her neck, slipping the strap of her top down her shoulder as his kisses trailed down to her collarbone. She let out a small moan, her hands fisting in his hair as she tried to hold onto something solid in the storm of sensations.

His hands roamed up her sides, feeling the softness of her skin, the heat of her body. He squeezed her hips, cursing under his breath before he leaned back into her, pulling the top over her head and capturing her mouth again. "Bedroom," she said between kisses before pulling back to catch her breath.

Their eyes locked for a moment, the air thick with desire. He nodded, lifting her off the counter with ease. She wrapped her legs around his waist, his strong arms supporting her as they stumbled through her house, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Where am I going?" he laughed upon the realization that he had no clue which way was which in her space. She reciprocated his amusement, pecking his lips one more time before tapping his hand, delighted as he took the nonverbal hint to set her down.

Maya led him through the dimly lit hallway, the sound of her pulse pounding in her ears. They reached her bedroom, a soft oasis of white and grey tones, the king-sized bed dressed in silk sheets that matched the curtains fluttering gently in the breeze from the open window.

"You're stunning," Justin murmured, his eyes drinking in the sight of Maya standing before him in her bra and linen pants. She took a seat at the edge of her bed, crossing her legs, watching him as he took off his shirt. His abdomen was a washboard of muscles, each one defined and rippling as he moved. She felt a surge of desire that was almost overwhelming.

His hands parted her legs, providing space to accommodate his larger frame as he knelt between them. Maya's eyes traveled down his body, her gaze lingering on the waistband of his pants. Justin caught her stare and chuckled, placing a warm kiss to her cheek. "Patience," he whispered, his hand finding the back of her neck to draw her back into a kiss. His thumb traced the line of her jaw, his eyes searching hers for any hint of doubt. Finding none, he kissed her again, pressing her back into the mattress.

"I wanna know what you like," Justin murmured against her ear, his breath warm and tickling her skin. His hands began to explore her body, his fingertips dancing along the edges of her bra and the waistband of her pants. Maya felt a shiver run down her spine, her body responding to his touch. "You'll tell me what's working and what's not, yeah?"

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, nodding as her eyes fluttering closed. She felt his hands move to her bra clasp, deftly unhooking it, allowing her breasts to spill out into his waiting hands. He took his time, teasing her sensitive nipples before his mouth followed, suckling and nipping, making her back arch off the bed.

Maya's breath grew ragged as she felt Justin's hand slide down the front of her pants, his thumb brushing against her clit over the fabric. She gripped the bedsheets tightly, trying to maintain some semblance of control, but it was a futile effort. His touch burned into her skin as he drew the pants down her legs, dropping them where he had disposed of her bra moments before.

"Justin," she whispered his name, a plea and a warning. He looked up at her, before leaning over her, trailing slow kisses from the top of her breasts down the center of her chest, over the small roll of her stomach, and down to her navel. He kissed her gently, a silent promise that he'd take care of her, that he'd make her feel good.

Maya's body responded to his touch, her legs instinctively spreading wider. He kissed along her inner thighs, the anticipation making her quiver. His hands creeped up her thighs, pulling her closer to the edge of the bed as his mouth hovered just above her panties. She felt him inhale deeply, a subtle groan escaping him as if her scent was intoxicating. The fabric was the only barrier between them now, and the heat of his breath made it clear that he was more than ready to take things further.

Maya felt exposed, vulnerable, but his gaze was nothing but adoration and hunger. Justin took his time, kissing along the soft skin leading to her core, making her squirm and whimper with need. His touch was light, feathering over her most sensitive spots, building the anticipation to a crescendo.

Her hand moved to cover her mouth as she sighed and squirmed underneath him. Justin took the cue and began to kiss her through her underwear, the touch of his lips brushing featherlight against her, making her toes curl. "Oh," she breathed out, the sound muffled by her hand. He looked up at her, a smug smile playing on his lips before he hooked his fingers into the fabric and slid it off her.

The coolness of the air hit her skin and she shivered, but it was quickly forgotten as Justin's warm mouth replaced it. His tongue found her folds, flattening and exploring, making her body tighten with pleasure. He was gentle but insistent, slow but deliberate as he indulged in his first tastes of her. Maya's hand fell away from her mouth, and she gripped the bedsheets tightly, her knuckles tight as she moaned his name.

His thumbs parted her folds, giving him better access to her clit, and he began to circle it with the tip of his tongue. Maya's hips rolled upward, urging him closer, her thighs tightening around his shoulders. Justin took his cue, increasing the pressure and speed, his tongue flicking and stroking her sensitive nub as Maya's breaths grew erratic.

"Shit," Maya hissed through gritted teeth, the sensation of his tongue on her clit was almost too intense. Her legs trembled, and she felt like she could come at any moment. Justin seemed to sense her urgency, his movements becoming more purposeful, his tongue pressing harder and faster against her swollen nub.

"Talk to me, Maya," Justin rasped, his voice thick with need as he continued to pleasure her. His arms wound around her thighs, keeping her in place as he feasted on her. She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her moans to a whisper, not wanting to be too loud. Her hands found his hair, her fingers tangling in the soft strands as she directed him to the exact spot that sent shockwaves through her body.

"So good, Justin, so good," Maya breathed, her eyes squeezed shut as pleasure began to coil tightly within her. The warmth of his breath, the wetness of his tongue, it was all too much and yet not enough.

Justin took her words as encouragement, his tongue swirling and flicking over her clit with newfound vigor. He could feel her body tense, her legs shaking. His hands gripped her hips, holding her still as she began to buck against his mouth. Though he could sense she was close, he could tell she need a bit more to send her over the edge.

"What do you need, baby?" Justin murmured against her, his voice gruff with desire.

"Your hands," she whispered, her voice shaky. "Use your hands, please."

Justin's eyes gleamed with understanding as he slid one hand up her body, his thumb tracing circles around her clit as he inserted two fingers into her, stretching her and curling them in a way that had her hips jerking up to meet him. Maya's eyes rolled back in her head, a long, low moan escaping her as he found that magical spot deep within her. The hand she had embedded in his hair gripped the strands tighter, her other hand gripped the sheets next to her head as she arched her back, pushing herself closer to him.

"Mmm, sweetest thing," Justin murmured as he began to pump his fingers in and out of her, stroking her in time with his tongue. He could feel her getting wetter, her muscles tightening around his fingers as she grew closer to climax. Maya's moans grew louder, and she threw her head back, her body shaking as she lost control.

"There you go, so beautiful," Justin murmured, his voice a gentle rumble against her thighs as he watched Maya's orgasm crash over her. Her body tensed, then released, a gush of wetness coating his hand as she rode out her peak. Maya's mouth fell open, and she stared down at him with a mix of shock and pleasure. He took his time, his tongue and fingers moving in tandem, ensuring that she felt every ounce of her climax before finally pulling back after she had gone slack with satisfaction.

He kissed a path back up her stomach, her breasts, and her neck before finally claiming her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. "Thank you," she murmured against his mouth, her voice hoarse from her moans. "Fuck, thank you so much."

Justin chuckled, his eyes bright with amusement and arousal. "I should be the one thanking you," he said, his voice a low growl as he positioned himself at her entrance. "You taste incredible."

She breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath as she watched him fumble in his pockets for a condom. He pulled out a black foil packet and ripped it open with his teeth, rolling it on with a confidence that made her stomach flip. "You okay?" he asked, his voice gentle, and Maya nodded, still floating on the aftershocks of her climax.

"I'm glad you had one, I'm sure mine are expired," she laughed nervously as she watched him sheath himself, the mood lightening slightly. Justin leaned in to kiss her again, his hand resting on her cheek. The kiss was tender, contrasting with the passionate, desperate one from moments ago. He positioned himself at her entrance, his cock pressing against her wet folds.

"Stopped by CVS on my way over," he chuckled against her lips as the head of his cock swept through her folds, teasing her. "Think the guy at self checkout nearly recognized me," he whispered, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

Maya couldn't help but giggle, the tension in the room dissipating slightly as she felt the warmth of his skin pressing against her own. "Well, I'm grateful for your preparedness," she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as she felt him nudge against her entrance.

Justin took a moment to appreciate the feel of her, the slickness of her arousal coating his tip. He pushed in gently, watching her face for any signs of discomfort. Maya's eyes went wide, and she took a deep breath, but she nodded her consent. He pushed in further, inch by inch, until he was fully sheathed inside her. He stilled, giving her time to adjust to his size.

Mirrored sighs passed through parted lips as she adjusted to the fullness of him. Justin's gaze remained fixed on hers, a silent question in his eyes. Maya nodded again, and he began to move, his hips rocking in a steady rhythm that had her gasping. The initial stretch gave way to a warm, delicious friction that had her breathing out slow and deep. He was mindful of her comfort, his strokes deep and deliberate, each one hitting that spot she hadn't realized she'd been craving.

Her body began to respond, hips moving in sync with his, the quiet slap of skin on skin echoing in the room. "God, yes," she purred as she held his face in her hands, her lips brushing against his before taking his bottom lip in a gentle nip. Justin's eyes darkened, and he picked up the pace, his hips moving faster, his cock driving into her with purpose.

Their breathing grew ragged, their kisses sloppy with passion as they lost themselves in each other. Maya's legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper, urging him on as the tension within her began to build once more. "Deeper, please," she whispered, her back arching as he hit her sweet spot.

Justin's muscles flexed as he complied, shifting his weight to press her further into the mattress. She released a strangled moan that sent a jolt of pleasure through him. He could feel the tightness of her pussy, her walls contracting around his cock as she grew closer to another orgasm. His own desire was mounting, his balls drawing up tight, but he was determined to make sure she came again before he allowed himself the release he desperately craved.

His nose nudged against hers, foreheads touching as their eyes locked, the air thick with desire. "You take me so well," he murmured, his voice strained with effort as he held back his own climax. She nodded, her hands roaming his back, her nails digging in as he pushed deeper into her gaining a steady rhythm that had her crying out.

"Feel so good around me, squeeze me just right… fuck, you're so tight," Justin groaned into Maya's ear. Maya's eyes squeezed shut tighter, her orgasm building again. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed this, the feeling of being filled by someone who knew what they were doing. If she wasn't so caught up in the moment, she might've felt a twinge of embarrassment at how pathetic she sounded. But she didn't care; all she cared about was the delicious pressure building in her core, the way Justin's cock hit her in just the right spot, the way his muscles and warm skin felt under her fingertips as she clung to him for dear life.

"Don't stop, please don't stop." She whispered, voice trailing off with a moan. He watched her face, her eyes scrunched up in pleasure, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. He leaned in, taking her mouth in another bruising kiss, his hips snapping into her with a ferocity that had her gasping for air. Maya felt the second orgasm wash over her, her body tightening around him, her nails digging into his back.

Justin could feel her pussy pulsing around his cock, the sensation so intense that he had to bite back a groan. He waited for her to come down from her peak before he allowed himself to let go, his hips moving faster, harder, until he couldn't hold back anymore. He buried his face in her neck, biting down on his bottom lip as he came, his body shaking with the force of his release.

For a moment they sat in the stillness, panting and sticky with sweat, their hearts racing in sync. When he pulled out, Maya made a small sound of protest, the feeling of emptiness sudden and surprising. He kissed her neck gently, his breath warm against her skin. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low and concerned.

Maya nodded, savoring the feeling of his weight on her. "Perfect," she murmured, her voice hoarse from the moans and cries that had filled the room. She felt him shift, his body sliding off hers, and she reluctantly opened her eyes to find him standing beside the bed, disposing of the condom.

He turned back to her with a soft smile, "Bathroom?"

Maya nodded, "Through that door, to the left."

While Justin was in the bathroom, she couldn't help but replay the last few moments in her mind. The way his muscles had tensed with his release, the sound of his grunts of pleasure, the weight of him pressing her into the mattress—it was all so overwhelmingly perfect. She took a deep breath and decided to use the time to collect herself before he returned. She stood up from the bed, groaning at the ache between her legs, and walked to the bedside drawer to grab an old t-shirt, deciding to hold on pulling on a clean pair of underwear until her own trip to the bathroom.

When he came back out, Maya was lying on the bed, her legs drawn up to her chest, the shirt riding up to expose her smooth, brown skin. She felt a bit shy now that the haze of passion had lifted slightly. Justin leaned over the bed, planting a kiss on her forehead. "So, about those compliments…"

Maya couldn't help but laugh, full, bright, and warm, pulling him down towards her for a peck. "The compliments still stand. It was really good." Her giggles continued as he flushed under her gaze, bashful but pleased.

She stood from the bed, heading off to the bathroom to clean up. When she returned, Justin's back faced her, muscles beneath sun-tanned skin flexing with the effort of pulling his discarded shirt over his head. "What are you up to for the rest of the night?" Justin asked, glancing over his shoulder as he moved to zip and button his pants.

Maya shrugged. She felt a sudden shyness wash over her. It had been so long since she'd had a one-night stand, and she didn't quite know the protocol for what came next. Was she supposed to kick him out? Rush him toward the door and pretend it was nothing more than a good lay? Or was she allowed to enjoy his company a little longer? Offer him to stay the night?

If the way he seemed to move in slow motion as he zipped up his pants was any indication, Justin had noticed the hesitance in her tone and the indecision in her gait. He turned to face her fully, the question in his eyes mirroring the one in hers. "Tell what you're thinking," he spoke, the rumble of his voice cutting through the quiet of the room.

Maya took a deep breath. "I don't know if this is how these things usually go," she admitted, playing with the hem of her shirt as she leaned against the doorway of the bathroom. "But, I had a really great time tonight. And, like you said last night, I do think we could be really good friends. Even with the other stuff."

He stepped closer, reaching out to take her hand. "So tell me your plans for tonight. Friends hang out, right?" Justin's eyes searched hers, hopeful but not pushy.

"Well," she exhaled, trying to ignore the way her heart raced at the thought of spending more time with him. "I've had a recipe bouncing around in my head for a client I'm working with. I could use some fresh eyes, and a taste-tester." She bit her lip, watching his reaction closely.

Justin's smile grew wider. "I'd love to help," he said, genuine interest lighting up his eyes. "Did you think I'd turn down a meal?" He laced his fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle tug. "Lead the way, chef."

If she were a few shades lighter, the warmth in Maya's cheeks would have been glaringly obvious as she led Justin to the kitchen. She hadn't had anyone in her kitchen, not like this, for what felt like an eternity. It was her sanctuary, where she poured her love and passion, and now, she was sharing it with someone who had the power to dismantle the walls she'd built around her heart. There was a strange comfort in the simplicity of it all, though—just two people sitting in the aftermath of the afterglow. It felt almost domestic.

Wide eyes watched as Justin lifted a bite of the upscale plate, Maya's twist on her grandmother's oxtail stew recipe, to his lips. She'd been nervous about serving something so personal to a man she'd only just met, but the way he savored each bite told her she'd hit the mark. She couldn't help the pride that swelled in her chest as he nodded in approval, swiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "This is incredible, Maya. Really good."

The smile that broke out on Maya's face was a mix of relief and satisfaction. She watched as Justin took another bite, his eyes closing in appreciation. "Thank you," she said, feeling a bit more at ease now. "It's based on my grandmother's recipe. I've been playing around with it for a new client."

Justin continued chewing, slightly amused by the way she retrieved a notebook from one of the island drawers. She flipped the small black cover open, sorted through the pages filled with neat rows of notes, and scribbled something down. "Ah, the notebook," he teased, taking a sip of the freshly made mango-passionfruit juice she'd blended together.

"The notebook," she echoed with a chuckle, "This is my bible. It's where I keep all my thoughts, notes, and inspirations for my work." Maya looked at the notebook with affection before setting it aside, focusing her gaze back on Justin. "So, tell me, what do you think needs to be tweaked?"

He pondered for a moment, swirling the juice in his glass before taking another sip. "I don't know," he said honestly with a laugh and a shrug. "It's perfect, really."

"Okay, I guess I could ask specifics," Maya said with a smile. "What do you think about the balance of flavors? When does the spice kick in for you?"

"The flavors are spot on," Justin replied, his eyes sparkling with delight. "The spice is a slow burn, which I like. It doesn't overpower the other seasoning." He took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. "But, if you're looking for something to tweak, maybe just a hint more of thyme."

"You don't even know what that means, do you?" Maya teased, raising an eyebrow.

Justin chuckled, setting his fork down. "No comment," he said, his cheeks tinged with a hint of pink. "But seriously, Maya, this is amazing."

Her laughter filled the kitchen, the sound bouncing off the gleaming countertops and stainless steel appliances. "Well, I'm happy to hear that," she said, her heart swelling with pride. "Maybe we can make this a regular thing. You can be my taste-tester."

"I'd be happy to help," Justin said with a grin. He casted a glance to his Apple Watch. "But, I gotta head out. Got some early morning training I can't miss." He stood up, stretching his tall frame, his muscles rippling under his shirt.

"It's getting late," she echoed. "How long's your drive?"

"Not too bad," he said, brushing a hand through his hair. "But I've got to get going if I want to get some decent rest."

She walked him to the door, feeling the cool night air sneak in as he stepped out onto the porch. He turned to her, his hand resting on the doorframe, and for a moment, Maya watch the conflict play out on his face—desire to stay, responsibility to go. "I had a great time tonight, Maya," he murmured, his eyes holding hers in a way that made her knees weak.

"Me too," she whispered, her voice barely a breath. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words and the hope of future moments. Justin leaned in, capturing her in another kiss, tenderly giving into a brief second of abandon before pulling back. "I'll text you," he promised, the words lingering in the air as he took a hesitant step back.

"That sounds familiar," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as a good-natured smile tugged at her lips.

Justin chuckled, that deep, round dimple in his cheek resurfacing. "Deserved again." He propped his forearm above her head, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes tracing the lines of her face as her head tilted back to properly take him in. "But I promise, I won't be the one to fuck this up again. I'll text you first. I swear."

Maya's smile grew into a grin, the warmth of his body radiating against her as they shared the small space. "I'm holding you to that," she murmured.

Then there was a lull. Justin made no effort to turn around, unlock his car, and leave. Instead, he remained where he was, his eyes locked onto Maya's. It stretched on forever; this silent conversation passing in between dilated pupils and shallow breaths. From this angle, where Justin towered over her, Maya could see the slight stubble on his chin, the way the moon cast shadows on his cheekbones, the softness of his lips that had just been on hers. There was a pull to him, a gravitational force that she hadn't felt in so long, and she found herself leaning in for just one more taste.

She swore it would be quick. Just one more kiss to hold her over until they saw each other again. But as soon as their lips met, she felt everything all over again. The heat of his skin, the softness of his mouth, the way he tasted like a drug. It was addictive, this rush of sensation, a hit to the system that made her heart knock against her ribs. Her hands curled into his hair, his touch pressed into her waist.

One more kiss was never going to be enough.

She was obsessed.

#&. cassie writes.#justin herbert #justin herbert imagine #justin herbert smut #justin herbert fanfic #justin herbert fluff #justin herbert angst #justin herbert x oc #justin herbert x black oc #justin herbert x black!oc

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notapradagurl7 · 4 months ago

Text

Finally, Better.

Divorced!Black!OC x Clifford Smith/Method Man. (present-day)

Summary: Cori is a single mother of two, a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, who seeks a change in her life due to her struggles with weight after her divorce. Encouraged by friends, she joins a gym and meets a trainer named Cliff, known for his effectiveness. As they work out together, Cori and Cliff develop feelings for each other, despite Cliff's initial stance on dating clients. Eventually, he asks her out, and after a successful date, they become intimate. A few months later, Cori gives birth to a baby girl.

Warnings: heavy dirty talk, fluff, heavy smut, divorced!reader, use of AAVE, both horny, praise, consensual intimacy, cursing, oral(fem reciving) size kink, creampie, spanking, rough sex

(Requested by duhitzkayla

A/N: here you go! Hope you enjoyed it, I have missed writing about this fine man, ugh😩😭 Don't forget to leave comments, likes and reblogs are welcome to support, drop a request if you like, they're always open! ❤️🫡

Taglist: @megamindsecretlair @satoruya @planetblaque @playgurlxoxo @becauseimswagman1 @yassbishimvintage @blackgrlmagic @hxneyclouds @kaylalb @pocketsizedpanther @beenathembo @brattyfics @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @nayaesworld @ovohanna24 @novahreign @writingsbytee @avoidthings @kimuzostar @slippinninque @keyera-jackson @theblacklewinsky @euphorichappiness10 @life-in-the-slut-house @miguelspvssy @liatreads @kaylaahisthebestest- - @uniqueoutlierblog @dxddykenn @sageispunk @secretlifeoofmarpessa @mymindisneverhere @mind-somewhere-else @valarghoulis @jazziejax @enchantedillumination @saturnville @browngirldominion @henneseyhoe @irlvampfairy @avoidthings @uzumaki-rebellion @planetblaque @blackmoonchilee

———-

Being a divorced single mom with a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son wasn't for the faint of heart, but Cori continued to not let anything get her down, she kept a lucrative career that kept the bills, mortgage, and car bills, everything all at once paid in her one story home.

Her ex-husband was exhausting with his rabbit-ass mind, the fights about everything weren't worth it. His need to be in control.

That morning, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloped the cozy atmosphere of Brown Sugar, a charming café run by local Black owners.

Cori sat at a rustic wooden table with her friends, Melanie and Shania, their laughter mingling with the soft murmur of conversation around them.

As they savored rich brown cups of dark roast and indulged in an assortment of delectable pastries, a lingering worry tugged at Cori’s thoughts—her baby weight.

Each sip of her steaming latte was accompanied by a rush of guilt as she couldn’t but compare her postpartum body to the easy confidence of her friends.

They exchanged concerned looks between each other and then back at their bestie.

“Are you okay?”Shania asked, her face softened gently, placing her cup down.

Cori shook her head, “No, I've got this baby weight on me but I know it’s time for a change,” She replied with confidence.

“That’s the spirit Cori! You’re not alone in this either, Mel and I had the same baby weight after our little ones,” Shaina explained with a promising tone.

Melanie agreed with a nod of confidence, wiping the stain from her plump lips, and the corners of her mouth.

“She’s right and we found the perfect gym and the right trainer, the gym is called Gym Haven, and be sure to ask for that fine trainer named Cliff, whew! He got us right!” Melanie exclaimed with a giggle.

Cori listened intently from their words, and decided to go tomorrow morning to meet her trainer, so much was ahead.

The sweet flavors danced on her tongue, yet the shadow of self-doubt loomed in her mind.

Cori arrived at Gym Haven the next morning, her heart racing with excitement and nerves. As she stepped inside, the sound of weights clanking and the rhythm of upbeat music. She took a deep breath, reminding herself of her goals.

Walking toward the front desk with the beautiful brown-skinned woman, her smile right on cue once Cori appeared.

“Hello, welcome to Gym Haven, you’re Cori right? From the phone call?” She asked her.

“Yeah, that's me, I called in for training sessions with Cliff yesterday,” Cori replied, smiling back.

The woman nodded with a grin, “Yes, he is heading your way right now!”

You nodded, and turned around to see the man.

“What’s up? You must be Cori,” a deep, smooth voice called out. Cori looked up to see a tall, muscular man with a confident smile approaching her. His skin glistened slightly from his workout, and his dark hair cut in a taper fade.

“Yeah, that’s me,” she said, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“I’m Cliff,” he said, extending his hand. “I’ll be your trainer. Ready to get started?”

“Definitely,” she replied, shaking his hand.

“Good to hear. Let’s see what you’re working with,” Cliff said playfully, leading her to the workout area.

“Don’t worry, I’ll push you, but I’ll also make sure you’re having fun.”

As they began to lift weights, do squats, run miles on the track, sweat fell from their bodies. Cliff kept her motivated in the best way, each one kept the weight off but still she needed this.

She gently got off the treadmill, and Cliff passed her the water bottle, as she took long sip and a few gulps of it and he did the same. They began to look at each other with a light chuckles.

“So, what do you do when you’re not training clients like me?” Cori asked, catching her breath.

“I’m usually here at the gym or spending time with my family. I’ve got an eight-year-old daughter, so it’s a lot of running around,” he replied, his eyes lighting up.

“Same here! My kids keep me on my toes,” she chuckled, feeling a sense of camaraderie.

Hours passed in what felt like minutes, and as they wrapped up, Cliff handed Cori a towel, their fingers brushing against each other. “You did great today. I think we could make a real team.”

“Thanks, Cliff. I appreciate that,” she smiled, feeling a warmth spreading through her.

“Actually, I was thinking… how about we grab a smoothie after this? You know, to celebrate your first day?” Cliff suggested, his gaze intense as he waited for her answer.

Cori bit her lip, contemplating. “I’d like that,” she replied, her heart fluttering with anticipation.

They headed to a nearby smoothie bar, you settled for a strawberry banana smoothie while he went an energy smoothie that was still filled with fruit.

The two of them sat across from each other at the table, and began to discuss other things. work, their kids and life in general.

“I finally had a day off for myself today, no work, the kids are staying with their grandmother and my ex was crazy too,”

Cori didn't mean to blurt it out so quickly, she didn't know this man enough to tell her business. Ugh, why did I tell him that? Cori thought to herself.

“I'm sorry,”

Cliff shakes his head in empathy, “Nah, you're good, I understand completely,” he knew exactly what she is telling him. His divorce wasn't a walk in the park either, he felt your pain.

“It’s tough, Trying to balance everything, especially after a split,” he said softly.

Cori nodded, the weight of her experiences surfacing as she spoke. “It really is. Some days, it feels like I’m just trying to keep my head above water with the kids and work. And then there’s this pressure to get back to how I used to be,”

“Girl, let me tell you, you’re beautiful just as you are,” Cliff brought up, a warm smile spreading across his face.

“It’s not about fitting into a mold; it’s about feeling good in your skin. And you’re doing that.” he went on to say.

Cori felt her cheeks heat up, “Thanks, Cliff,”

Honestly she felt good about making this change, working out and meeting this man. Her friends were definitely right about this place and Cliff.

Maybe getting back into the dating pool wouldn't be bad, nope you just this man, don't rush it.

“Honestly, I'm ready for another workout session,” you replied back.

After more and more workouts, you leave the gym satisfied with your progress, so far, so good on your part. But that man was fine as hell though, thankfully you signed up for the 30-day training session with Cliff.

Over the following weeks, their workouts more progress for you.

Once you were done with your workout session, you approached Cliff who gave you a fresh towel. Wiping your forehead clean while panting.

“Damn, today was intense,” you laughed, leaning against the wall to catch your breath.

Cliff stood by the machine, panting heavily, and nodded in agreement. “You did amazing, Cori. I can see you’re really pushing yourself,” he said, his deep yet raspy voice sending shivers down your spine.

“Thanks, I feel like I’m finally getting back to myself,” you admitted, glancing up into his eyes.

“You know, it’s not just about the physical—it's about the mental too,” Cliff said, his tone shifting to something more serious.

“That's true, I see it in myself every day, I come here,” You replied back, drinking your water.

“Absolutely. I see it in you every day, I'm sure that your kids see it in you as well,” he replied, taking a step back to let you breathe.

You smiled, the thought of your children looking up to you filling you with pride. “I know so. They’re my little motivators.”

“Then let’s keep them inspired,” Cliff said, grinning. “You’ve got this, and I’m here to help.”

As you come by, the bond between the two of you grows stronger. You shared jokes, laughter and stories.

One evening, after a particularly grueling session, you both collapsed onto the gym floor, breathless and laughing.

“Okay, I think I’m officially the walking dead,” you joked, lying back, your box braids splayed out around you.

Cliff chuckled, lying next to you. “Nah, you’re just giving your muscles some love before we hit the next round.”

“Right, right! All part of the master plan,” you said, rolling your eyes playfully.

In that moment, silence enveloped you both, and you could feel the tension shifting. You turned your head to look at him, and he was already looking back at you.

“Cori…” he started, his voice low. “I know I said I don’t date clients, but…”

Your heart raced at his words. “But?”

“I can’t help but feel something between us. It’s more than just training,” he confessed, his gaze steady.

You bit your lip, contemplating your response. “I feel it too, Cliff. But I don’t want to rush anything. I’m just getting back into dating, and I have my kids to think about.”

“Trust me, I get it. I have my daughter to think about too,” he replied, his expression softening. “But I think we should explore this…us.”

You nodded, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. “Okay, let’s take it slow. but I’d like to see where this goes.”

“Slow and steady wins the race,” he said, flashing you that charming smile that made your heart flutter.

After that conversation, things shifted in the gym.

One evening, after a workout session, you both decided to grab some dinner. As you sat across from him at a cozy restaurant, the conversation flowed effortlessly.

“So, what do you like to do for fun?” Cliff asked, leaning forward, his elbows resting on the table.

“I love to cook. It’s my way of unwinding after a long day with the kids,” you replied, your eyes lighting up at the thought. “What about you?”

“I love to cook too. I love going to kitchen and discovering new foods that I can whip up from scratch,” he said, his enthusiasm infectious.

“Great minds think alike,”

One night, after they’d finished a particularly intense workout, Cliff invited Cori back to his place to unwind as they settled onto his plush red couch.

“Wanna watch a movie?” he asked, his voice low and inviting.

“Sure, but I might just end up watching you,” Cori teased, her heart racing as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

Cliff chuckled, his gaze intense as he met her eyes. “I hope you like what you see.”

As the movie played in the background, deciding for a scary movie as you pointed out the obvious to the actors to not go inside the attic. He chuckled with you and agreed.

Cori’s breath hitched as Cliff leaned closer, his hand brushing against her thigh, igniting a fire within her.

“Cori…” he murmured, his voice deep with desire. “Can I kiss you?”

Her heart raced as she nodded, and in an instant, his lips were on hers, all the yearning, pent-up lust to let out on each other, deepening the kiss.

“You ready?”

“Hell yeah.”

Their clothes were gently taken off, and tossed across the floor. Their bodies gently plopped onto her bed, and the couple kissed again.

Cliff gently pulled her legs apart, making her breath hitch before kissing him again. He pushed his manhood inside, and she moaned wildly at the feeling of him. He filled her up completely.

“Fuck..you feel so good, move,” she groaned softly, her hands gripping the sheets as she felt him going in and out at a rough pace.

Cliff pulled back, looking down at her with a smirk. “You like that?” His hips rolling into her, thrusts wild and sloppy, her wetness covering his dick after every stroke. Her wild moans filling the room around them, her nails scratched his back.

The bed creaked underneath once Cliff kept thrusting hard with no mercy, all she could was scream out his name, “Y-yes! Cliff…fuck!” she whimpered, his thumbs dug deep into her hips, leaving bruises on her melanated skin, watching her bounce.

He was bullying his dick to fit every inch in her pussy, slamming into her g-spot. His hand grabs his lover by the jaw, forcing her to look in his eyes, he brought her over the edge, pleasure flowed through. “You’re taking me so well, baby,” he groaned, so close yet so good for both of you.

Wetness spilling all over his dick with fervor, “I love how you take every inch, how does it feel?” Cliff trailed off with a groan, forcefully thrusting fastly and caused a sharp jolt of pain and pleasure to make you moan loudly, “So…good! Shit!” and your walls to clenched tighter.

On verge of a release, knots tightening in her stomach. Her body felt so hot and coated in sweat, “Mine…” you gasped, moving her hips, your teeth sink deep into his sink, marking the male as yours, he hissed.

Before she could say anything, Serenity were already cumming around his dick. Screaming out in pleasure as Cliff spilled his release inside you making him groan, “I'm so proud of you,” he praised before kissing her forehead, feeling of your essence spill out.

He pulled out immediately before taking off the comdom and tied the ends, They were both breathless when they finally pulled away, their bodies tangled together.

She looked up at him, a satisfied smile on her face. "I feel better, thank you" she thanked her boyfriend, her thumbs caressing his cheeks.

He grinned down at her, his eyes sparkling. "No problem, I'm always to help." he replied, before kissing her again. Tracing lazy circles on her thighs.

Once that was done, Cliff pulled his sweatpants and scooped her up in his arms. Running her hot bath, as she washed herself up clean.

Getting dressed in her pajamas while he took a shower before he leaned forward from the bathroom, “Did you bite me?” he asked with his brows furrowing.

“Yeah, I did. I was trying to match the energy,” Cori chuckled, as she applied lotion to herself.

“You’re good, you were like a damn vampire, I like it,”

After months later of dating Clifford, she began to feel nauseous and threw up in the toilet, she went to the doctor and Clifford drove Cori, turns out she was pregnant with a baby girl.

Once that sank in, you left the doctor with Clifford and arrived back at her home with him. Both of them sitting on the couch.

“You okay baby?” Clifford asked in concern, his hand gently rubbing her stomach in circles.

Cori glanced back at him, exhaling. “We have a baby together, but do you still want to be with me and my kids? Our baby girl?” She asked him, wiping her tears away.

Clifford’s face softened, filled with love and understanding. He was going to be with Cori.

He reached across the couch, taking her hands in his, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles. “Of course I do, Cori. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You and your kids… they mean everything to me,” he said earnestly, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

Cori felt a wave of relief wash over her; the weight of uncertainty that had been pressing down on her chest began to lift. “I just want to make sure we’re doing this right,” she admitted, biting her lip.

Cliff nodded, his expression serious. “I get it. But I’m committed to you, to us. I want to be there for you and the kids, through everything. I want to be a family.”

His words warmed her heart, and she found herself smiling through her tears. “You mean that?”

“More than anything, I'm all in, I don't plan on stopping either,” he replied, leaning closer to her.

She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying each other’s presence, the reality of their future slowly settling in.

“Do you think the kids will be okay with this?” Cori asked, breaking the silence.

Cliff chuckled softly, “They’ll love having me around. And besides, I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve to win them over,” he replied with a playful grin. “I can cook, remember?”

Cori laughed, feeling the stress ease. “Yeah, I remember. They’re going to love that.”

————

#black!reader #black fanfiction #black writer #black!fem!reader #notapradagurl7 #black!oc #method man x black!reader #method man smut #method man fic #method man #wu tang clan #black fanfic writer #x reader #tumblr #masterlist #reader

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vortexbloom · 5 months ago

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Velvet Nights (Part 2)

Pairing: Phainon x Escort Girl Reader

Fandom: HSR (Honkai Star Rail)

Warnings: Toxic male OC, Modern Au, Kinda short

─୨ৎ────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────୨ৎ─

Masterlist - Honkai Star Rail

Masterlist - Genshin Impact

Moodboards - Genshin Impact

Masterlist - Marvel

Boycott List

Velvet Nights (Part 1)

Velvet Nights (Part 3)

Velvet Nights (Bonus)

─୨ৎ────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────୨ৎ─

English isn’t my first/native language, so there might be misspellings etc.

I do NOT own any Characters !

Have fun reading this :D

Art by: @junnoelle on X (Twitter)

You woke up wrapped in silk sheets, the scent of expensive cologne lingering on your skin. Phainon’s arm was draped over your waist, his breathing slow and steady against your shoulder.

It felt…peaceful. And that terrified you.

This wasn’t the life you knew. Your world was neon lights, whispered deals, and men who saw you as nothing more than a transaction. But Phainon wasn’t like them.

He never treated you like something to be owned.

And that made it harder to resist him.

As you carefully slid out of bed, grabbing your dress from the floor, you felt his gaze on you.

"You’re leaving," Phainon murmured, voice still husky from sleep.

You exhaled, refusing to look at him. "I have to."

"You don’t."

His words made you freeze.

Turning, you met his blue eyes, soft, unwavering. "I can take you away from this," he continued, sitting up, the sheets pooling around his waist. "You don’t have to go back to that club. To them."

You swallowed hard. "And what? Be yours instead?"

Phainon’s expression darkened slightly, but he remained composed. "No. You’d be your own. But you wouldn’t have to sell parts of yourself to men who don’t deserve you."

A bitter laugh escaped you. "And you think you do?"

Silence.

Then, Phainon stood, closing the space between you. His fingers traced along your jaw, tilting your face up to his. "I think I could," he murmured, his lips inches from yours. "If you let me."

Your heart clenched. You wanted to believe him. But you knew better.

"Phainon…you don’t belong in my world," you whispered.

His grip tightened just slightly, golden eyes searching yours. "Then let me bring you into mine."

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾

You didn’t leave the club.

You couldn’t.

Phainon didn’t understand, this wasn’t just about money. It was about survival. The club wasn’t just a place you worked; it was a place you were owned.

And the owner, Dain, didn’t take kindly to girls trying to run.

"You’ve been distracted lately," Dain mused one evening, swirling a glass of whiskey between his fingers. His eyes, sharp and predatory, never left yours.

You forced a smirk. "Maybe I’m just getting bored."

Dain chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "I heard a certain client has been keeping you busy. One with a lot of money and a little too much interest in things that aren’t his."

Your blood ran cold.

"You know the rules, sweetheart." He leaned forward, his voice dropping. "No one gets to keep you."

His words weren’t a threat. They were a warning.

And Phainon was in danger.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾

You tried to push Phainon away after that.

Tried to go back to the way things were. Cold, detached, untouchable.

But he wasn’t the kind of man who let things go easily.

"You’re lying to me," he said one night as you sat in his car outside the club, refusing to meet his gaze. "Something’s wrong."

You shook your head. "You don’t get it, Phainon. This is my life."

"No," he said firmly. "This is the life you were forced into. That doesn’t mean you have to stay in it."

Tears burned at your eyes. "And what if I don’t have a choice?"

Phainon was silent for a long moment. Then, his hand slid under your chin, tilting your face up.

"You do now," he murmured.

And in that moment, you realized something terrifying.

Phainon wasn’t going to let you go.

Even if it meant tearing down the world that kept you caged.

Taglist: @ivana013-blog

Make sure to tell me if you want to be tagged in the next parts.

Have a good day/night/evening/morning/afternoon ☼꥟☽

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writeforfandoms · 2 years ago

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Captain John Price

One shots

The Shape of You - John Price x f!reader - you're having awful cramps and can't get comfortable at all. Fortunately, John knows a way to help. SMUT. On AO3 only.

Glitter and Gold - John Price x f!reader - As the princess, you always knew you'd marry for power and politics. What you did not expect was to be married to the dragon.

Bartender - John Price x f!reader - You work as a bartender. The one night the 141 is in your bar happens to be the one night some jerk causes trouble. Price steps in to help.

Fear Not This Night - 141 x f!reader poly - Being part of the 141 pack meant you watched out for your boys, always. As their medic, it meant you sometimes flew into danger for them. When someone uses that knowledge against you to separate you from your pack, you pay the price.

Call Me Little Sunshine - John Price x f!reader - established relationship. You've had a bad day, but even from a different country, your husband knows how to make it better.

Let It Snow - John Price x f!reader - John Price is your neighbor. Just your friendly neighbor. Nothing more. At least, until the heat in your flat dies.

Series

Puppy Love - John Price x f!reader - Gaz decides to get a puppy, and drags Price along for the ride. Also, the breeder is cute. And single.

Fall Into Me - Fem!OC x various - After the betrayals and the lies, TF141 and certain members of Los Vaqueros start up a private security business and settle down. There’s a lovely coffee shop on the ground floor of the office building they’re in, and it doesn’t take long for bonds to start forming between them and the owner, Rose.

Waking Lions - eventual John Price x f!reader - You’ve been working as an independent intelligence agent for a long time. You like your life - you choose your own hours, you have your own clients, and you get to go wherever you want, whenever you want. Very little pins you down. You never expected this to change, least of all because of one man.

Born for Greatness - John Price x f!reader - As a liaison, your job is often interesting. Your newest job is to help a PMC pack, the 141, to prevent any further Incidents. But there's something about this pack that is different from others you've worked with...

Shadows - part one, two, three - John Price x f!reader - Zombie AU. About a year and a half after the end of the world, you're unexpectedly rescued by a group of four men. Time to find out what you can make of life now.

Blurbs

Price reassures you

#john price x reader #john price x you

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pmdaumountainluxio · 18 days ago

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MtLu Sidetracked: 11 - DeLIGHTfully RUIned Expedition

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If you still recall Sidetracked 2, I once featured two characters from a different PMD AU Series, that is before I decided to make the Cameos a Tier perk. I did it again and, things didn't go as planned (lol). That, or this is pretty much expected.

Thanks to @bokureii for approving the dreamy (yes, just like in Sidetracked 2 with the TSAoLE Crossover, this kind of Cameo happens in a dreamscape that is not fully canon) crossover page. Now may I introduce you to the snarky Nastrino and patiently concerned Veronica, from another PMD AU, Light and Ruin, by the same mentioned author.

I gotta say, Veronica is built different. She was able to put up with Rini's attitude (which sometimes edges to borderline abusive), and now this. Nastrino's being a bit too entitled here unfortunately, but I can't say I'm on Benjamin's side because he's just as much of a foul-mouthed know-it-all bully like his client here. I mean they both are...

Oh and, that Mienfoo's one of Benny's teammates who appeared from C2-9 with him, Fern.

You can follow Light and Ruin in @bokureii's Tumblr

---

[Main Cover] [Chapter Cover] [Previous] [Next]

---

You can follow the comic series in the ff:

[Comicfury] [Ko-fi] [Patreon] [Itaku]

You can also leave a tip / support in Ko-fi and Patreon.

OCs in cameo belongs to Bokurei

Mountain Luxio is a PMD AU Comic Series inspired by the indie game Celeste. Pokemon, PMD and Celeste: (c) respective owners Do NOT repost elsewhere, copy, distribute, sell or translate! Other than that, please enjoy.

#mountain luxio #mtlu #pokemon mystery dungeon #pmd au #pmd comic #alternate universe #pokemon #luxio #pokemon luxio #pokemon comic #torracat #mienfoo #sylveon #shiny pokemon #hatterene #sidetracked #side story #mtlu sidetracked cameo

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desirees-world18 · 1 year ago

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An Affair- Antoine Lambert

Show: Emily in Paris

Pairing: Antoine Lambert x OC

Warnings: minors DNI 🔞. cussing, smut, fingering, p in v, unprotected sex, begging, overstimulation, cheating, affair, and age gap. i think i got everything if not please let me know so it can be added. this is my very first written post on here so please be nice but critiques are always appreciated :)

Author’s Note: feel free to leave any feedback in the comments!!

NSFW content underneath line. enjoy:)

____________________________________________

Anastasia Kingston had always dreamed of moving to Paris. The allure of the City of Love or The City of Lights, with its charming cafés, beautiful architecture, and rich history, had captivated her since she was a child. So, when she received a job offer from Savoir, a prestigious marketing firm in Paris, she jumped at the opportunity. It was a chance to leave her small town in England behind and start anew in one of the most romantic cities in the world.

With a mixture of excitement and nerves, Anastasia arrived in Paris on a crisp autumn morning. The air was filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and the distant hum of city life. Her new apartment, a quaint studio in the Marais district, was everything she had hoped for-cozy, stylish, and quintessentially Parisian.

On her second week at Savoir, Anastasia was introduced to some of the clients they had been working with. Among them was Antoine Lambert, a charismatic and strikingly handsome man with an easy smile and an air of confidence. Antoine was the owner of Maison Lavaux, a perfume company renowned for its luxurious scents. Known for his charm and persuasive skills, he quickly caught Anastasia's attention.

One afternoon, Anastasia, Antoine, Sylvie, Luc, Julian, and Emily gathered in the Savoir conference room to discuss new scents for Maison Lavaux. The meeting was intense, filled with debates and discussions. Finally, it was Anastasia who convinced Antoine on the new perfume scent. Impressed and relieved, Antoine decided to celebrate. "How about dinner to celebrate your brilliant idea?"

Antoine asked Anastasia with a twinkle in his eye after the meeting had concluded. Anastasia hesitated but then agreed, feeling a flutter of excitement. They found themselves at a chic bistro, sharing a bottle of Bordeaux and talking long into the night. As they sipped their wine and exchanged lingering glances, the tension between them reached its peak.

Unable to resist any longer, they found themselves entwined in a passionate embrace, kissing as if the world around them had ceased to exist. Their affair began that night when Anastasia invited him back to her apartment. As they entered her cozy studio, Antoine pulled her into a passionate kiss, which quickly turned into a heated make-out session. His hands roamed her body, while hers wrapped around his neck.

He placed his hands on her hips, moving them against his growing bulge, causing her to break the kiss and moan. "You have no idea how long l've been waiting for this," he whispered, still moving her hips against him. He pulled her shirt over her head, kissing down her chest as Anastasia's moans grew more frequent and her movements more frantic. He paused to unbutton his shirt, tossing it aside, and Anastasia did the same with her bra.

He took her nipple into his mouth, alternating between her breasts, eliciting more moans from her. "Fuck, Antoine," Anastasia moaned, grinding her pant-covered core against him. Antoine pulled away from her chest to pull down his pants, and she followed suit, both discarding their bottoms, leaving only their underwear.

Antoine lowered Anastasia onto his covered erection, grinding her against him. Anastasia moved faster, pressing down harder as she felt her release approaching. One of her hands tangled in his hair, pulling at it and eliciting a low moan from him. He curled his finger upward, slowly thrusting it in and out. "I think you can handle another one," he murmured. Anastasia nodded quickly, desperate for more. He added a second finger, curling both upward before thrusting them deeper.

"What's wrong? Do you have to come?" he teased. "Y-yes, please let me come," Anastasia begged, and Antoine shook his head with a smirk. He added another finger, thrusting faster, her legs starting to spasm again. She finally released all over his fingers, which he slowly withdrew, bringing them to his mouth. "You made quite the mess," Antoine remarked, sucking her juices from his fingers while maintaining eye contact. He pulled her into a kiss, letting her taste herself on his tongue.

He then removed her panties and his boxers, tossing them aside. Antoine ran his tip through her folds, lubing himself up before pulling Anastasia closer by her hips. He lifted her and slowly lowered her onto his cock, ensuring she felt every inch and vein. Once fully inside, he let go of her hips, allowing her to adjust to his size. "Show me how good you can ride my cock, sweet girl," Antoine urged, leaning his head back with a smirk.

She lifted herself almost to the tip before lowering herself back down, riding him harder and faster. When Anastasia started growing tired, Antoine wrapped his hands onto her hips, planted his feet onto the floor, and started roughly pounding up into her. Anastasia moaned out in shock but when she leaned her upper body back, they both moaned out as his cock hit even deeper than before.

By the time they were done, they had gone multiple rounds, tried multiple positions, and had multiple orgasms. Their encounters were filled with a mix of exhilaration and guilt. Anastasia knew Antoine was married, but she couldn't deny the magnetic pull she felt towards him. Antoine, for his part, was equally captivated by Anastasia, finding in her a sense of excitement and freshness that had been missing in his life. Months passed, and their clandestine relationship grew more intense.

They would steal moments together whenever they could, always careful to keep their affair hidden from their colleagues and, most importantly, Antoine's wife, Catherine. One afternoon, as Anastasia and Antoine lay tangled in each other's arms in her apartment, Antoine's phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at it and froze, his face draining of color. "It's Catherine," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"She knows." Panic surged through Anastasia. "What are we going to do?" she asked, her mind racing with the possible consequences. "We need to talk to her," Antoine replied, his tone resolute but calm. "I'll handle it." Later that evening, Antoine returned home to find Catherine waiting for him. Her expression was composed, almost serene. "Antoine," she began, "I know about you and Anastasia."

Antoine braced himself for an onslaught of anger and accusations, but to his surprise, Catherine remained calm. "I've known for a while," she continued. "And I've had time to think about it. I'm not angry, Antoine. In fact, I'm relieved." Relieved? Antoine couldn't believe his ears. "What do you mean?" he asked, bewildered. Catherine took a deep breath. "Our marriage has been more of a partnership than a romance for some time now. I've come to realize that I want more from life, and so do you. If Anastasia makes you happy, then I won't stand in the way. I approve."

Antoine was stunned. He had never expected this reaction. Catherine's understanding and acceptance felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders. He nodded, gratitude and relief flooding through him. The next day, Antoine shared Catherine's response with Anastasia. She was equally shocked but felt a sense of relief and hope for the future. Their relationship, once shrouded in secrecy and guilt, now had a chance to flourish openly.

With Catherine's blessing, Anastasia and Antoine continued their romance, their bond growing stronger each day. Anastasia's life in Paris had taken an unexpected turn, but she embraced it with open arms, knowing that sometimes, the most unexpected paths lead to the most beautiful destinations.

#emily in paris #antoine lambert x reader #antoine lambert smut #my first post #my writing #desirees-world18 #antoine lambert #antoine lambert x oc

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stanofwar2 · 7 months ago

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Journal Entry 1, 2

Saw that my poll was tied between oc journal entries, and a mix of all three. So here's the start of Leon's Journal entries of his time in Gravity Falls. Hope y'all like it!

Transcript/clear text below

June 12th

I can’t believe I’m writing in this old thing after so long, but what the hell else am I gonna do after all the weird string of events that happened this afternoon.. I’m not even sure how to start all this, I feel like a 10 year old writing in her diary… Oh well, not like I’ve got anything better to do. This old beaten up journal my therapist gave me a while ago to “ Journal and process my feelings ” is finally serving a purpose while I’m stuck here.

So how did I get here? Simple, I was making my way through the back-roads in Roadkill County Oregon so I could cut down my travel time so I can get to my client Mrs.Vandersheisse quicker (I’m going to need to call her as soon as my phone is done charging)

But as I was cruising, enjoying the scenery of huge redwood’s expanding as far as the eye could see, I looked back to the road and crashed my car after a Gnome rode a deer into the middle of the road and startled me! Which caused me to panic and swerve out of the way and straight into a tree! Luckily my airbag deployed, only leaving me with a couple of bruises at the end. Once my head stopped spinning I dragged myself out to assess the damage only to see that the front of my car was wrapping around the trunk of the tree that didn’t even budge, almost mocking me. I was grumbling to myself as I leaned against a tree, practically fuming with anger when I heard a set of footsteps approaching, a rough, gravely voice following quickly as the stranger approached. He asked me if I was alright, saying he heard the crash from his house.

I told him I was, opening my eyes slowly and I.. I was a bit.. Caught off guard when I opened my eyes to look at the guy. He was, well. Not what I would have expected to see out here. To be honest I was expecting a redneck with the smell of patriotism thickly wrapped around him but Instead I was greeted by a somewhat heavy-set, but muscular, older guy with short gray hair wearing a tight red t-shirt and white pants, a gold chain that peaked out of the collar of his shirt, taunting me.. Drawing me in..

His eyes peered at me behind square glasses that framed his face well. From his accent he’s probably originally from a big city, I’m guessing Jersey.

He. Was. Hot. And I found myself stumbling over my words a bit, worrying if I had hit my head harder than I thought or if I was passed out. He didn’t seem to notice.. I think If he did he didn’t say anything, just continued to ask me if I was okay, how and why I crashed, and where I was heading. I told him a little before I felt dizzy and nearly fell over. I caught myself but this guy gently wrapped his arms around me and told me that it was probably best if I get my head checked out, so he walked me all the way to his place, keeping me steady, and finally telling me his name. Stan Pines. I told him mine and he told me how nice it was to meet me. He smelled like the ocean

I was a bit.. Surprised to see that his house was actually a tourist trap called the Mystery Shack. Which I swear I saw a bumper sticker for, though it didn’t have an address so how I or anyone would find it is a mystery to me (wonder if that’s intentional?) I awed at it, earning a good chuckle from the guy who asked me if I’d ever been, to which I said no. He smiled wide, going into a proposition speech about how it’s one of the best tourist traps in the Pacific Northwest, that he would know since he made the place. I chuckled, finding his spiel somewhat endearing. But eventually he got me inside and called out for someone named Ford and Soos (Or was it Zeus?)

Soos, the now apparently current owner of the Mystery Shack came out asking, “What is it dudes?” Stan filled him in about my car and told him to go into town and get a tow truck. Soos saluted and ran out, giving me his quick condolences for my car. Then, there was Ford. I shook my head when I saw him come in, asking Stan why he called him. I thought I was seeing double! Making me worry that maybe I’d hit my head harder than I thought. Turns out that he’s Stan twin and a big shot with 12 Phd’s so Stan wanted him to give me a check up. Stan caught him up, to which Ford gave me a concerning and serious look and quickly got to work, grabbing some stuff to give me a full check up. It was awkward as he prodded and asked me questions like my name, my birthday, who the current president was, and eventually asking what had happened, giving me a good look at him as well and noticing that he has six fingers, which caught my attention, but I didn’t comment on it, didn’t want him to feel like I was judging him, making me quite the hypocrite. I told him 90% of the truth, keeping out the Gnome part of it. He hummed, his mind whirling away, asking me about my last name and swearing that he’d heard it before somewhere in his research. I wonder if he knows my family?

I just chuckled and then finally met the other family members of the household. Mabel and Dipper Pines, 13 year old twins spending the summer at their “Grunkles” place. They were very sweet and friendly, practically interviewing me about who, why, and how I was here, to which I gave them all I was comfortable telling, leaving the more.. Weird parts out. Stan let us know that it would be a little bit before Soos told him how bad the damage on the car is. I was nervous as I sat there, people-watching the Pines family, their antics and general weirdness growing on me, easing my nerves. At least until Stan got the call from Soos.

So, Good news, I only had a minor concussion and would be fine shortly. Bad news, my car is pretty much completely fucked and it’s estimated it will take a whole month to get it running. A MONTH!! I was.. Well I was devastated. I am devastated still, wondering what gods damned me to be stuck here in the middle of nowhere!! And in a house so damn noisy and filled to the brim with spirits!! Ghostly lumberjacks meandering about, trying to get mine and others attention. Luckily, they all are pretty weak so as long as I ignore/tune them out, I’ll be fine. But it’s.. Not just them there’s a generally strange aura surrounding this place. I felt it in the woods, which is completely normal but for it to be this strong and consistent here? That’s the odd part, then again in general this whole area has felt.. Off. Not bad, just, off, different.

Anyway, I groaned, wondering what the hell I’m going to do now! Where I was gonna stay for a whole month! I heard some small whispering before Stan sat down next to me, cleared his throat and put his warm hand on my back, telling me he was “sorry that life had given such a nasty hand.” But he said that it wasn’t all bad news, that he and his brother had been talking and while they couldn’t help with the whole car issue, they could clear out a room in the Shack, giving me a place to stay until I can leave. I couldn’t believe it, why were they being so nice to me? I was.. Skeptical and Stan found that entertaining, letting me know that it was because there weren’t any good Motels in town and they could use an extra pair of hands to help around the house and to watch the kids. So basically they were giving me a place to stay in exchange for a free babysitter. Which, as annoying as that is, isn’t the worst offer I’ve had. So I agreed.

Mabel was all the happier to have another person to talk to. She gave me the ~Grand Tour~of the shack, eventually leading me to what would be my room, which was clearly a storage room that she and her brother had cleared out and tried to make look homey. Which was very sweet.

Eventually Soos returned, giving me my travel bags. Stan dragged a mattress into my “room”, gave me some sheets that he swore he “cleaned recently” before giving me another apology about my car. But it was different than before, it was.. Softer, genuine. But I didn’t pry, just thanked him, to which he gave me another confident, exaggerated smile and told me “Anytime buddy, welcome to Gravity Falls” (Guess that’s the town’s name) before walking off to do Gods knows what.

I’ve set up my bed, cleansed my room with some sage, and placed some warding crystals in the corners of the room, hiding them so the kids or anyone don’t mess with and or steal them. So now, here I am, sitting in my new room recounting the odd string of events that have led me here in a busted up journal that I don’t even remember packing.

I should stop here for now, Mabel peeked in to let me know that dinner is ready so I guess I’m off. Until next time.

Leon

#Gravity falls oc #oc #Gravity falls #oc x canon #Stan pines x oc #journaling #stan pines #ford pines #soos ramirez #dipper pines #mabel pines

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2dmax · 2 months ago

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Max K. Commission Info

Summer 2025 🐍 🌾 🌺

Get PWYW OR structured commissions from yours truly! Thanks for reblogging, even if you aren’t interested right now.

NEW “Pay What You Want, Get What You Get” Guidelines ——————EXAMPLES ABOVE——————

To get a PWYW commission, please inform me of your budget and what you would like drawn.

All budgets, big or small, under the PWYW style will be handled the same way. Paying more will NOT allow you more control or more revisions. If you want more control over the piece, reserve the possibility for more revisions, have a very complex project in mind or a tight deadline, please check my Commission Packages below.

Pose,

presence of props,

simplification or stylization of the subject(s),

materials used,

size of the drawing, and

amount of body shown (headshot, bust, waist, full body)

are ALL subject to the artist’s discretion.

Digital touchups can be provided for important errors (adjusting skin tone, accidentally omitted element, etc.) but major revisions or artistic suggestions from the client will not be accepted.

Every PWYW commission will be delivered digitally with a white or plain color/gradient background. Art will be done on paper using primarily ink and water color, and will be done at the artist’s own pace. Expect a 2 week to 1 month turnaround. Commissioners will also be given access to a digital feed to track the artist’s progress.

PWYW is truly name your price. Please expect variety, looseness, and experimentation in the results.

All Commission Types 🖌️ 🎨

Packages

These are excellent starting off points for most common commission types. Additional specificity and complexity can be purchased. All basic packages can be done digitally or traditionally, include simple backgrounds, minimal/no props. All include full color, fully finished works.

Full Body Illustration - $50

An artistically rendered drawing of a solo character in an expressive, dynamic pose. The artist may take some interpretive liberty with the reference material. To include more detail for very complex subjects, or otherwise have more control over specifics, please choose the “Reference” option below.

Couple’s Illustration - $80

A waist up artistically rendered drawing of two characters in an interactive and expressive pose. Doesn’t have to be romantic couples - friends, enemies, family, pet & owner, or other pairs and duos OK.

Multipose, Reference, Environment, and Group Lineups - $100+

For commissions that require either multiple poses of the same character, groups, two character or more in full body, complex or action poses, or a character inside of an environmental background (vs. a simple backdrop). Reference pages can include close-ups and detailed shots. Perfect for a TTRPG party portrait!

Mini Illustration - $30

Chibis, portraits, icons, or details/props only would fall into this category in most cases! This price reflects a solo figure/pose only. Please see Multipose or Couple’s for any drawing with more than one figure.

Experimental Commissions

18”x24” Handmade Poster NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2025

artist’s choice of medium only. typically acrylic/mixed media. always on extra large poster sized paper. great way to celebrate your favorite OCs or canon characters!

paper clay figurine - $100

chibi humanoids/animals/ferals/anthros only. between 2"-3" cubed, give or take. armature wire, paper clay, paint, and varnish. these are delicate art items, not toys; not suitable for children. includes a photoset at no additional cost. PLEASE SEE SHIPPING INFO.

standalone comics page - $200

2-5 panels, 1-2 characters, 1 location. artist’s choice of medium only. can be OCs or canon characters.

PWYW commission

Please see ABOVE SECTION for PWYW info!

Ordering, Shipping, and ToS

How To Order & What To Expect 📬

Message me on social media, email me at [email protected] or fill out my google form

Send me visual and/or text references

Tell me about the characters personality or special meaning to you

Include any preferences or notes on important elements

Provide payment info - for ppal please provide your email!

Provide the email address I can send the finished artwork to

I will communicate with you and confirm your request!

You will be given a link to my Trello queue

Payment is due once the sketch is confirmed, or up front for new clients

Delays will be mentioned on the Trello feed

If your commission requires further input or revision rounds, I will be in touch

Refunds for started work or finished work are not available

Larger commissions ($200+) can be paid in segments if negotiated

Shipping Info

I am currently located in Taipei, Taiwan. Shipping is VERY expensive to the western hemisphere. Your artwork will be scanned at high quality and delivered to your e-mail for free. Physical shipping is provided at cost to anyone willing to pay for it. I have not as of May 2025 shipped from Taipei internationally, so this would also be experimental and your art may arrive damaged, delayed, or not at all. Basically, do this at your own risk!

Terms and Conditions 📜

Your commission is for personal use; icons, roleplaying, in your blog theme, as a wallpaper, or to print out and tape to your fridge. Commercial use may be negotiated in some cases.

Your final art is sent over Google Drive. I will either transfer ownership or delete the file after 7 days. Please download locally.

You must credit me on the platform used if reposted. Feel free to use art, with credit, on sites like ToyHouse.

You may not use my art to promote anything hateful or illegal. You may not claim it as anyone else’s creation. You may not use it for commercial uses, or to edit, adapt, trace, or directly reference, without permission. You may not re-sell my art, but you may trade it or gift it. I may use my art in my own promo material with no notice to you.

Unsolicited advice on my pricing or how I otherwise conduct my business is subject to a $1,000,000,000 fee via personal check, made payable to Joe Mama!

See examples in my art galley here.

Thank you for reading and/or reblogging!

#commissions #manga art #manga style art #retro manga #anime art #traditional art #digital art #artists on tumblr #oc art #pwyw art #pwyw commissions #artist for hire #ttrpg art #2dmax commissions

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sugarmasonmearii · 4 months ago

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[C] Brunch in the Tavern

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A Vaporeon eating spaghetti in a tavern called Star Tavern, during brunch hours. Layne really likes the Tangela Spaghetti from that day's menu.

Descrip aside, this is the grindiest I had gotten on a commission. Linework took the longest, but it went smoothly as soon as I started shading and coloring.

Though if you ask, what is Star Tavern? It's actually a Discord Server which I'm the owner of, and is also a Roleplay setting in said server.

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If you're interested, you can commission me. [Do check here] for details. Or you can check my [Carrd art commissions.] Or you can DM me too.

You can support me via [Ko-fi] and/or [Patreon] too! Subbing to certain tiers will grant commission priorities and discounts!

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OCs in the picture belong to their corresponding owners:

VaporeonLayne (client): Layne (Vaporeon) RedLionZero: Sora (Meowscarada), Gabriel (Left-side Luxio) and Esther (Espurr) SeraiBK3: Serai (Absol) Me: Mearii (Artsona), Starburst (Right-side Luxio) and Claire (Iron Valiant)

Pokemon: (c) Nintendo, Gamefreak, TPCi and Creatures

Art by me

This is a paid artwork and only the client and the artist can reupload or use. Do not reupload, use for machine training or copy.

#art commission #commission #pokemon commission #pokemon oc #vaporeon #luxio #absol #meowscarada #espurr #iron valiant #tavern #spaghetti #kitchen

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ronineedsanexorcism · 6 months ago

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“WHO WILL WE MET AT THE GRAND MOZZA-GALA? TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VICTORIA SAUCINGTON-BÉCHAMEL, ALSO KNOWN AS 'SAUCY TORI' – SINGER AND OWNER OF VICTORIOUS PIZZA.

let's dive more into one of the greatest ovenists who will appear at Great Mozza-Gala!

she firstly debiuted as a indie pop singer and quickly gained popularity and fame

Victoria got married with Alessandro Alicante to whom she gave birth to their only daughter, Allie. Marriage to one of the greatest ovenists inspired the woman to take an interest in pizza-making

Her pizzeria – Victorious Pizza – turned out to be a great success that made her own husband jealous — 'cause she was taking his clients away! After that, they started to argue more and more and finally decided to divorce - leaving her daughter to Alicante.

Saucington wasn't as saddened over the divorce from her husband (unlike him) because shortly after the divorce was announced she recorded a short album containing three songs - which were a disstrack on Alicante!

What's that ring on her finger?! It turns out that during the ZArena case, Victoria remarried... Becoming the wife of Angelica Béchamel (ex owner of Big Data Pizza)! Angelika revealed that she opened a pizza food truck where the pizza is served by robots

And that's all from today's news. Let's listen to our sponsors...”

here's first introduction of my ocs which gonna be at my fanmade chapter 6 au Case Of Great Mozza-Gala

I love this woman a lot...

versions without background, shading etc

#good pizza great pizza #gpgp #gpgp oc #oc x canon #original character #gpgp fanart #I LOVE THIS WOMAN SM RAAAH

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mirrormazeworld · 11 months ago

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Twisted Wonderland Yuu oc Rambles

Notes : I don't usually do yume here (prefer to do it on X instead) but I have been thinking lately since my research on twst with Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass almost completed, I can say the hcs, world building and my Yuu-sona lore is already matured enough. Therefore I want to re-introduce my Yuu oc again because I think you will be going to see her more often from now on. I have always been a Crowley yume since day one I created this blog around two years ago and all of my research are all actually dedicated to build her lore so that I can ship her with my most favorite character in twst : Crowley

Without further ado, meet my twst oc/ Yuu oc/ Yuu sona : Ayumu Astaude

Ayumu's NRC outfit illustration by 00Azell_

Character overview (subject to change depending on where the canon story is going) :

She is originally a 21 years old antique shop owner which she inherited from her deceased family at the age of 16 as she decided to drop out of school and continue her family's legacy. During her work restoring Victorian era post-mortem photos from an anonymous client, she fainted in front of an antique large mirror at night due to poisonous gas leaking. At that time she experienced a phenomenon called "Bloody Mary effect" where the reflected image in the mirror looks distorted because of the dimly lit shop and her fading consciousness. She saw a hand in the mirror and desperately reached out to it before she fainted. The next time she opened her eyes, she woke up in a coffin inside a room with many coffins and a large dark mirror and a strangely cat-like monster named Grim.

Ayumu's twst chibi sprite by bucchinragi

If anyone asks what she is twisted from, she is twisted from Queen Alice of Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

"Conqueror of Dreams" (Ayumu The Queen Alice) illustration by mirrormazeworld (me)

Despite being twisted from Queen Alice of Through The Looking Glass, her hair color isn't yellow/blonde but red instead. I made it that way so that it may refer to Persephone, the Greek Goddess in which the original Alice in Wonderland was inspired from (and also as parallel to Riddle since he is the leader of Alice in Wonderland dorm, a prequel to Through The Looking Glass)

Her coffin logo is a White Queen chess piece in front of a mirror (in the original Through The Looking Glass, Queen Alice is a white pawn that got promoted as White Queen.)

Personality wise, she is pretty much like Goddess Persephone but calmer. She also got other traits from a certain ancient Goddess in which the original Through The Looking Glass was inspired from (I'm not talking about it here though but let's talk about it next time in a separate post) Her perceptive, composed and curious nature made her a formidable strategist and also a Prefect to watch over the other students. Her responsibility as a Prefect gave her a special condition : she doesn't need to join any club in NRC so that she can just focus more on her work and seeking information about how to go back to her own world. Crowley deliberately wrote her age as 18 for her student ID since she didn't have her identity card with her when she arrived in Twisted Wonderland (so that he could make her doing the workload equivalent to an NRC staff but being paid below minimum wage)

She doesn't have and can't use magic, but her knowledge of many things as an antique shop owner are already enough to make up for it.

#twisted wonderland #twst oc #twst yuu #yuusona #mirrormaze oc #twst mc

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voidsteffy · 11 months ago

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Anand (S/O Satyamurthy) x fem!OC

A/N: Um so hi 🧍🏽‍♀️Please read this and lemme know how you like it in the comments. This man is my pookie bear, and also this movie plays on the tv whenever I ask for it to ok? This is My Movie. And also @mahi-wayy asks and I deliver again, what can I say🤗 btw, timeline may be skewed ignore that, it fit that way. No trigger warnings except the mention of death. Not proofread.

Word count: 2.2k words

More than grief, grief of a person who they know dying an untimely death, everyone’s face he saw outside his house that day had a glimmer of joy. Joy of his family’s downfall, which would mean they had something to gain from it.

Coming out of that room, having written off all the assets to save his father’s honour, it was the first time Anand had felt truly alone. There was a family depending on his every step now. His mother who saw her husband die ; his brother wasn’t himself after the death and his sister-in-law who was truly herself at the moment - strong and stern ; his little niece, the innocent girl who still couldn’t understand why her grandpa hadn’t come home for dinner.

“Amma…” he sat his mother down. She didn’t have any interest nor want of grandeur, but what he did was going to all but drag them onto the streets. “I had to sign away all the properties. They asked me to claim bankruptcy but I couldn’t drag his name through mud.”

She nodded, suddenly older than he’d remembered leaving her, and held his shaking hands.

“Nandu, your father was Satyamurthy.” (dignified man who tells the truth)

He didn’t have it in him to smile, but years later, he’d look back to that moment and find some courage to smile. “Was. And always will be.”

He planned to sit there until someone called him, until someone needed more from him than his signature. But from the bustle in the house, one voice suddenly stood out.

“How dare you manipulate my client into this trap?! Don’t you realise we can move the court for untimely misrepresentation of information? Just because you’re benefiting from—”

“Listen here, Mrs. Lawyer. If you think I’m standing here in this house by my own free will, think again. I stood no benefit from the shitshow that just took place in that room. I simply gave him his options and—”

“And who are you to give him options? Don’t you think I’m unaware of your motives here Mr. Sambasiva Rao. Henceforth, whatever communication you’re to have with my client, will be through me. I’d suggest you leave these premises unless you want me to drag you and your friends here for their claims of bankruptcy in the past.”

It was a confusing day for Anand, but for a moment he could think of something other than death, debt and his future.

“And it’s Miss Lawyer to you sir! Get out of my sight!”

The owner of the angry voice rounded the corner of the living room, and walked straight into Anand.

“Swapna?”

What was she doing here, fighting battles in the hallways?

She’d changed, from when he last saw her. Her brows were furrowed, nostrils flared from the argument, and her eyes outlined generously by kajal that gave her a divine resemblance. Hair almost falling out from her unkempt bun and files and papers held close to her chest, Swapna re-entered Anand’s life in his favourite dark teal sari.

“Nandu.” she froze.

Maybe she was unnerved by the stoicism on his face or the cluelessness when he asked “What are you doing here?”, that she beckoned him to sit immediately.

“Hey… How are you?”

“I could be better.”

“But you didn’t choose to be better, did you?”

Her accusation, he realised quite quickly, was gentle. He sighed, “What are you doing here, Swapna? Really…”

“I’m the family lawyer, I need to execute the will before anything can be surrendered as debt paid off.”

Anand looked up, imagining his father’s all-knowing smile.

What have you planned, Nanna?

Swapna was the first and last friend he remembered making. Every other friend in his life just came and went, but Swapna… he couldn’t forget her if he tried. Her father, despite being too young to be a father and as much of a successful businessman as he was— shared a faint friendship and acquaintance with Anand’s father. With both her young parents working during school years, Swapna stayed back at Anand’s house more often than not. She was more of a favourite in his house than he himself was. She always had the depth of oceans in her heart when she spoke, the world on her shoulders. Always a serious and loyal daughter, law student, friend and as time went on, his girlfriend.

They didn’t specifically share it with anyone, and no one suspected anything intimate going on with them, nothing different from the normal familiarity. They were each other’s warm embraces and without realising the gravity of his plans, a young Anand already had a diamond ring hidden deep in his cupboard meant for the love of his life.

She had been fidgety and moody after graduating, but Anand chalked it up to fear of the future, and anxiety about revealing their relationship to their parents.

Until the week after her graduation from law school, she was invited to Anand’s home along with her parents for something important.

His parents wanted Swapna to be married to his brother.

Anand hadn’t known about the proposal until it was staring him in the face as a wedding invitation card in the middle of his living room.

Instead of a yes, the entire house sunk in silence, Swapna standing at the centre of it with a guarded ashen face.

“Forgive us if we were too forward amma,” his father smiled sheepishly. “We’ve always thought of you as a part of our family, and became eager at the thought of you being the daughter of this house.”

It was true. Anand saw the emotion behind his father’s statement. But he also saw his brother’s refusal of this proposal. He loved someone. Anand knew this because he had met that sweet, stoic someone just a day ago when she had proposed marriage to his brother.

Swapna had tears in her eyes, shaking hands wiping it away fervently before she shook her head.

“I’m sorry uncle, but I don’t belong in this house.”

She’d looked right at Anand after she’d said it, and she walked away from years of friendship. Years of being with each other, from this house she felt like she didn’t belong in.

Behind her, her parents apologised and left him to pick the pieces of his mother’s and father’s broken hearts.

The day after that, Swapna had flown to Australia for her post-graduation and left Anand behind. With the ring still back somewhere in his cupboard, buried beneath years of friendship and excuses for her.

“Hello!”

“Hello?” his sister-in-law’s stoic voice clicked him out of his anger. All that rage that had been boiling within him melted his bones and his legs felt like jelly.

Anand crumpled into the nearest chair. “Ah, hello. Vadina…”

“How are you, all okay? You sound like you’re stressed,”

He snapped his fingers at Param, gesturing him back out from all the earlier plans of leaving. Life had a way of reminding his purpose lately, and it always seemed to squash him more than humble him.

“Nothing like that vadina! How are amma and sweetie?”

“We’re doing okay—”

“The wedding will be done in a few days. We’ll pay the school fee the minute I come back.”

“I didn’t call for that mister.”

She didn’t sound wounded. Three lakhs was not a small amount to have not stressed about. Instead, in her serious reply, a tinge of concern touched him. Seemed like a part of his father lived on in her. She wasn’t infinitely kind like him, or perennially smiling, but till this day he felt like he left his mother at home with his father. Nothing would happen to anybody because vadina had his back.

“But that’s what I came here for.”

After a few instructions on keeping his health from deteriorating any further, his sister-in-law bid goodbye. He was left to accept green flowers and a lot of stupid nonsense from the old man parading around the mandap. But Anand would do it. For his family.

After the party with the groom and Pallavi’s social friends, he sat there at the half-built mandap in the dark after hours, ID card twisted around his wrist like a tourniquet, a reminder of why he was doing this job.

Anand didn’t need a reminder of what whirlwind life had been lately, but bringing Sambasiva Rao to the same wedding he was incharge of was fate’s cruel game.

“Nandu…”

For the past few days, ever since he had called Swapna to look over his contract with Bhadra after realising it was Pallavi’s wedding, she hadn’t left the venue. He behaved like he didn’t see it, but Param and Sameera were somehow always near her to chauffeur her or check on her necessities. If she noticed the special treatment, she didn’t say anything. They began to get closer, bridging the silence of all the years she was away with a conversation here and there while she helped him with stuff way above her paygrade. She didn’t mind, she said, not if it gave her an excuse to talk to Anand.

So that evening, when she approached him like he was a panicked deer, he couldn’t help but give a small smile.

“Hi.”

In seconds, there was a cup of warm coffee in his hands.

“For the hangover. I got it when it was hot actually. But I couldn’t find you that easily.”

“Really? Where did you look?”

“The edge of a cliff for starters.”

A laugh bubbled out of him, which made her crack a smile too. She never could bear it if Anand was moody. She took the change in his demeanour as encouragement and continued with a dramatic sigh.

“And then the bar, and then under some classless businessman’s classless booted foot.”

“So that’s where you found me.”

“Nope, no luck there either,” Swapna’s skirt swirled as she turned about and sat down beside him, “Because you got out from under it.”

It took Anand but a second to remember that for a long time, they had depleted their woes just being there for each other.

No one had been there for him in a while.

“Sameera told me what happened, she feels bad.”

“If I had a buck for everytime someone felt bad that something embarrassing happened to me, I’d have enough money to pay my bills.”

“She’s not someone though,” Swapna offered, “She’s Sambasiva Rao’s daughter.”

“Oh great, now the one friend I’ve made over here is cruel by blood.”

There was no rebuttal from Swapna. It was almost 3 in the morning and the nearest light was a blinking lightbulb somewhere far near the welcome carpet. It was just them, shoulder to shoulder, but Anand felt Swapna slip away like he hated to see all those years ago.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

She shook her head, “No, no you didn’t… I’ve just been wanting to tell you something about Sambasiva Rao.”

“Okay?”

“And everytime I try to pluck up the courage and tell you, it just ends up feeling like the wrong time and then I don’t end up telling you which brings us back to the same—”

“Swapna…” his fingers shushed her lips, rough and calloused just like they were back then. He was closer now, and he whispered like he was okay with her panic. “The time is right now, it’s ok, tell me.”

“Nannu maa parents dattata theeskunnaru,” (“I was adopted by my parents.”)

His brows furrowed.

Swapna rolled her eyes, “Oh my god, speeches you can make, but where’s your mind when it comes to connecting information? Nandu!” she whisper-yelled to continue their conversation. “I was adopted as a kid!” she looked at him like he had to make a comment about it, he assumed.

“Oh my God I’m so sorry,” he hit his temples like he was begging his mind to work, “Sorry! When did you know?”

“The day I graduated…”

He paused. Wait, that meant—

“That was why I rejected the proposal that day… Anand, all those years ago, when I said I didn’t belong with your family, that was because I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere.”

Anand wrapped his arm around her, and like it was muscle memory, her head rested in the nook of his arm.

“So you didn’t hate my family?”

“No! When you weren’t picking up my calls, I called your parents and told them about everything in detail. Aunty said she’d tried to make you talk to me many times, but you hadn’t agreed.”

That was right, and Anand felt his muscles clench at how close he had been to getting her back. If he had just thought about his mother’s requests, then he would have talked to Swapna and gotten the love of his life back. He wouldn’t have been away on his bachelor trip when his father died.

He hesitated, taking in the information when something clicked.

“Wait, what does that have to do with Paida?”

“Because he’s my birth father.”

The world all but gave way under his feet, and Anand wished he could blame it on the alcohol. Swapna didn’t make a big note of him being still quiet, assuming he was just processing what to say.

“So, you singular friend - Sameera is my sister, and by that connection… We’re both cruel by blood if you look at it that way.”

Anand looked up at the stars.

What is this Nanna?

A/N: So.... tada? There can be a part two of this if y'all don't shoo me out of this site after reading this. Also, notice how only his mother and Swapna call him Nandu.

#manu writes #son of satyamurthy #south indian fanfic #indian cinema #indian fanfic #allu arjun #desiblr

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