#oh man this is too many words BUT I hope you find it kinda interesting

[bornforastorm]

U are so mysterious about your writing hannah bornforastorm!!! I have 2 for the fic specific ask game about "crabapple crabs": gimme a BTS of your fave scene (im gonna guess that it is either BJ and hawk at the rocks or the scrabble game).

aaand i have a million dollar question for you about offscreen events: how do you imagine hawkeye and trapper's postwar reunion went, which in your fic led to them living together :)

oh beloved ben majorbaby!!!! you are so nice to send these!! to be called mysterious is so funny

to save space because boyyyy do I blather:

BTS:

lol so my favorite scene is actually the “are you fucking my man??” scene between Trapper and BJ. I'd be so happy to deconstruct BJ and Hawk on the rocks (which is as much about the two of them as it is about Hawkeye's relationship to his hometown to me), or the scrabble game (I did sooo much scrabble score calculating lol), which probably had more active thought put into them. Here, I don’t know if there’s good behind-the-scenes work to share, except that the early part of that scene where Trapper is like, "wtf is wrong with you" was absolutely fixed by you!! Personally!! You were so right that it needed clarification on the conversation Hawkeye and Trapper have already had off-screen (the burden of the limited BJ perspective!). Initially I had imagined BJ goes to bed the night before and Hawk and Trap immediately talk before going to bed themselves. So Trapper has been stewing on it all night and getting more and more pissed off at BJ, and so in the morning, he's already mad as hell. But it needed a little more finesse in the overheard conversation to make that all clear. Figuring out when Trapper is nice regarding BJ (to Hawkeye's face, because he clearly needs the reassurance), when he's trying to have a productive conversation with BJ (the "be nice why don't ya" section) and then when he actively turns against BJ (after BJ tries to pull the "you weren't there!" card again) took some tinkering. The very first draft of this scene was a lot meaner to BJ a lot quicker.

as a side note on this scene-- I am p pleased with my little "the coffee is exactly how I like it but it tastes too good to be right" bit between BJ and Hawkeye, because I think the difficulty of continuing things post-war for everyone is that the things that felt right over there do not translate to back home. Is the underlying connection even still there? I'm obsessed with the scene in Mash Goes to Maine where Trapper shows up in Maine for the first time and Hawkeye is so scared things will be irreparably different between them. And things are different, but they are the same. So I tried to bring that into a lot of moments in the fic, including this one!

And then of course Trapper is mean to BJ, BJ tries to push back but he's in the wrong so he can't win. I do like writing BJ as someone ready to get into a physical altercation here. It feels right for him-- as a defense to his masculinity, against his underlying attraction to Trapper (bc Trapper is undeniably hot and is walking around shirtless and totally confident about it and BJ loathes it), against Trapper's implication that BJ doesn't care about Hawkeye in a healthy way.

Then Trapper is smug about BJ’s insecurity, and happy to rub it in BJ’s face a little. At this point the scene sortof wrote itself. The power of that iconic tumblr post 🙏. BJ working himself up into a fit at the concept of Hawkeye and Trapper fucking, and Trapper like, "yeah man" is inherently powerful.

I am however VERY proud of the "I wouldn't have thought I'd have to explain it to you" bit, which I think feels in character with Trapper while also being like, so fuckin mean and biting. I like that Trapper can be mean sometimes. He's not a mean person, like I think BJ often is, but he sure can turn on some cruelty when the situation calls for it and I liked writing that.

I actually love all the Trapper-BJ scenes, where it's just the two of them trying to suss the other one out. Like the scene where they decide to get drunk together I really like too! Both the moment of understanding on the stoop and then the afternoon of toasts. Love to write this dynamic that has no precedent from the show to mirror or ape! Fun!

OKAY! Moving on!

The Off-Screen Reunion!!

I have written 9,000 words of this that I hope to actually finish as a real fic someday. So you may get all this in real story form at some point bUT here's the gist: basically Hawkeye gets back, is having a weird time, staying with his dad because the house he owns doesn't really feel like home (he barely lived in it before being drafted). One night he re-reads the letters Trapper sent him (which are part of Crabapple Crabs. For the sake of this, Trapper wrote and Hawkeye just kept it to himself. Too personal! But he also never wrote back. Too painful!) and then digs out the tape-recorded letter he sent his dad that has Trapper's voice on it. Wanting more of that voice, he calls Trapper in Boston and they have the most stilted, uncomfortable, who-are-we-to-each-other conversation where Trapper is like, "I figured you didn't want anything to do with me" and Hawkeye says "Well I was pretty mad at you but I want to do with you, I love you." Trapper hangs up sortof abruptly and Hawkeye is like, okay that was it, I blew it, I'll never see him or hear from him again.

But Trapper shows up on his doorstep the next day, in the rain of course, and they talk all night about this and that and BJ and it's easy and comfortable and by the morning it's like... yeah things aren't the same, but we can be. We want to do the work to make it work. We care about each other more than the hardships.

Meanwhile Trapper's already divorced and is having a hard, miserable time in Boston. It's too busy, he's still operating on meatball time, working too hard and too fast and it's fucking him up. So when Hawkeye suggests he stay for a while, he does. And then he just... doesn't leave.

He fixes up Hawkeye's house, makes it a home for him, for them (cleaning and furnishing a house as a metaphor). Having Trapper around creates an excuse to introduce him around town, gets Hawkeye out of his head and back into the community. They decide they can do good by starting a clinic, which is an invigorating project for Hawkeye. Another instance of me being really into Mash Goes to Maine lol. Trapper likes the town and the weirdo people, and now they have something to work towards together. They play scrabble and eat lowkey vegetarian at home and the town is like, well those Pierces have always been weird so why shouldn't Hawkeye have a war buddy come live with him? Ain't any weirder than the other weird stuff. And we like the war buddy, he's a good fella and his kids are nice girls and ain't it nice they come up sometimes.

So that's how I imagine it happens, more or less!! Someday I'll finish the full fic version, which honestly so far is hugely about the rest of the town and Hawkeye's relationship to the town too lmao I can't help myself

[xenizaation]

project: star x

Warning! Sexual content ahead! Minors pleas dni!

pairing: jeon jungkook x fem! reader

genre: rockstar! jungkook, smut, friends to lovers kinda?? idk man

word count: 6k

warnings: jealousy, pet names, exhibitionism, mutual masturbation, oral sex(f receiving), protected (rough) sex.

a/n: this was a request! hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii <3 ! haven't written a jk fic in such a long time, hope you guys would like this as much as you liked my previous one, and hopefully, the lovely person who requested this would like it too. hope i used your idea well! enjoy and as always, stay safe! xoxo

you'd be lying if you said you aren't a fan of your own friend.

you'd be lying if you said you don't know his every song word by word, if you said you don't try to go to his every concert and admire his legendary art that's expressed in flashy lights and embellished in high notes and guitar solos. you'd be lying, also, if you said that you don't have a crush on him.

and you're a good liar.

jungkook was born to be a rockstar, and most of the time, you dare think he was born to be your friend as well. only your friend, sadly. the theory that he was made for the stage was proven to you once again tonight, after he made a whole stadium scream all the words to his songs in a show that was nothing short of magical.

as you walk backstage, it's like the fiery buzz inside your body still lingers from earlier. your ears stuffed from the loud music, your throat raspy from singing, legs soft from jumping around a little too much. the adrenaline doesn't want to leave, holding on to every cell of your body like it would never depart.

it's stupid, you think. how after the years have passed, you never managed to confess to him, that you thought your little dumb crush would pass- even though it never did. you grew accustomed to every time that the butterflies in your stomach replaced the tired feeling after a concert when you went to see him backstage. tonight was no different. especially as his voice was starting to be heard from a room.

"tonight was fucking amazing, guys!" he exclaims happily just as you gaze inside the room.

"it sure was," you say excitedly, awaiting for his reaction. he turns around, his face lighting up even more when he sees you, legs already carrying him quickly towards your figure as he hugs you tightly with a wide smile on his face. "it's good to see you too!" you add out of breath as you wrap your own hands around him.

six years. that's how long you've been friends. you started out as nothing more than coworkers, back when he was at the beginning of his musical career and you were only an assistant to his old producer. things evolved fast, you had a passion for writing and producing, he was the only one interested in it, and that was one of the many things that brought the two of you together. the passion you both had for music.

you left the label just a year after you met, hand in hand, ready to take on the challenges that the industry was ready to throw at the both of you.

you wrote and wrote and wrote. jungkook sang even more. and in your little home improvised studio, you managed to write, record and produce what is remembered, even to this day, as his best album.

his career boomed after that. tv appearances, fully-booked concerts in big-ass stadiums, a lot of awards (he even took you as a date to the grammys that one time), and even movie castings. no one could get enough of him. not even you.

you both became a lot more busy after that, success was taking over your lives and so, you didn't have much time to see each other. but you still did once every couple of months at his concerts, or at your birthdays, or random dinners you would plan.

he writes his own songs now, what a pity. but he still asks your opinion for each and every one of them.

"you're here!" he says, leaning out of the hug. "you made it!"

"of course i made it!" you answer with equal excitement that you find in his tone while looking into his eyes.

"oh, don't you dare say that," the man scolds as he breaks physical contact with you. "i know how busy you always are."

you smile. it's true, but never too busy to make time for him.

sometimes you asked yourself if jungkook actually knew how you felt about him. if deep in his heart he knew one of his best friends had feelings for him, but didn't want to accept it. once in a while you caught yourself staring at him for too long, or answering him in a sweeter tone than you usually do, even trying to look your best every time you saw him. maybe he knew and didn't feel the same, so he chose to ignore it.

you liked to fantasize about how it would turn out if you ever confessed to him- if it would play out like in those romance movies and he will say that all this time, he felt the same about you. you'd go ahead and move in together, you would be with him during the tours, seeing his every concert, and he would be in your studio every time you finished a song so he can hear it first.

but jungkook was a precious friend. you could never ruin that with your stupid crush.

you greet the members of his band, which you already know too well. jungkook took great pride in being your friend, so he made sure you got to meet them even before he played his first show. you congratulate them for the amazing show, and then go back to catch up with jungkook.

"so there's this after party," he says, looking at you with a demanding look on his face. it makes your heart skip a few beats. "you coming, right?"

his hair is a lot different than the last time you saw him. he used to have this beautiful medium-long black hair that went just below his pretty eyes but now he shaved his sides, bleaching it on top and dyeing it in a beautiful minty color. he sent you a picture right after he got the new haircut a few days ago, saying that he needed "a pop of color in his life now that he got to see you so rarely.". you thought about that message for days. he had a new piercing in his brow, and a few more tattoos on his hand.

"so you can ditch me again for some girl?" you huff, rolling your eyes at him jokingly.

although fame took over his life, jungkook never abused his power, but still, he was a man with needs who knew how to take advantage of his looks to take any girl into his bed. it was of no surprise when he looked way above hot even before he was a star. it never really bothered you, seeing him with all those pretty girls. it's not like you ever confessed to him.

"i never did that!" he says, hand over his heart, taking fake offense to your words. you raise a brow and he laughs. "okay, fine, I'm all yours tonight."

it makes you laugh too, knowing that at the end of the night, this will be proved as a lie and it will be just another thing you can shove in his face the next time.

"c'mon it's a good opportunity for us to catch up with each other," he pleads as he places a hand on top of yours, making your skin burn right underneath his touch.

"all right then, playboy," you say while slapping his firm shoulder. "you're lucky I'm in the mood to get wasted."

in no more than half an hour, you already arrive at the club where jungkook's party takes place. the place is crowded, filled with pretty models, different artists that you recognize from tv, and even artists you collaborated with. you see a few fellow producers that you greet with the wave of a hand and a bright smile. as you look around, you realize that the place is filled with celebrities and you might just be the most mundane of all.

you follow your friend who aims straight for the bar, greeting the bartender with a cozy handshake. he says something close to his ear, making sure he is heard even with the loud music playing in the background. the other man nods and places two shot glasses on the bar, filling them right after with clear liquid.

"cheers!" he shouts as he hands you a shot, while he takes the other one. you click the small glass to his and throw your head backward as you let the vodka pour down your throat, burning its way to your stomach.

"i'm just gonna go and say hi to some people around, that ok?" he asks as he gets closer to your ear. you remain petrified for a second, getting a whiff of his perfume as all your attention goes to how his shoulder leans into yours, the simple gesture making your heart beat faster.

you manage to nod, and with a smile on his face, jungkook makes his way through the crowd, greeting people left and right, as he makes it known that the real star of the night has arrived.

time passes by and you're left with no other choice than to drink some more, or to hold conversations with a few familiar faces that recognize you as well. you're about six shots and two cocktails down and everything starts to feel more familiar. the dance floor filled with people having fun, the bright colorful lights that shine on you every now and then as you sway your body left and right to the rhythm of the song playing...what feels the most familiar though, is how jungkook has ditched you yet again. when you see him in the corner talking to a beautiful red-haired girl, flirting his ass off as she can't stop smiling at his words, you just scoff, realizing you need another drink.

you make your way to the bar, pushing past the sweaty bodies until you reach your destination and ask for a drink.

"haven't seen you around," you hear a husky unfamiliar voice from next to you.

you turn your head to find the source and you're met with a pleasing sight. a tall man sitting straight on the stool next to you as he drinks from a glass of whiskey. his hair is dark brown, swiped away from his beautiful face, making his sharp jawline more prominent than it might be in reality. in your drunken-daze you realize that you've never seen him before- he would be a recognizable sight for you have rarely seen men as handsome as he is.

"i could say the same," you say as you raise your glass in front of him. it takes a few seconds before he touches it with his glass and drinks some more of the brown liquid.

"i'm kai." he says, beautiful smile adorning his features as he offers you his hand.

"y/n." you reply, shaking his big hand shyly. he has a soft hold on you, not making it last longer than a few seconds so you don't become uncomfortable.

"what brings you around here, y/n?" he asks curiously, and fuck, your name sounds so delicious rolling out his pretty mouth.

"ah," you begin while pulling a stool closer to him before plopping down onto it. "he is what brings me here." you complete, pointing to jungkook who seems to have a business yet to be finished with the redhead.

the more you look at him the more your heart sinks down your chest. how could he abandon you again? he could be such an asshole sometimes.

"didn't know the man of the hour had such a beautiful girlfriend," kai purrs the compliment as he leans closer.

"oh, no, no, no," you quickly blurt out with a chuckle. "i'm not his girlfriend."

he raises his brows, intrigued by your answer. you take the time to scan his features more, wide eyes framed by long eyelashes, rounded chin, and plump lips- very kissable at that.

"what?" he asks, amused by your own involuntary giggle that came out of you at the sound of your thoughts. the room spins around a little as you look into his eyes, he is definitely a charmer.

"i was just thinking," you blurt with a stupid grin on your face. alcohol in combination with a very hot man that seems to be interested in you might not make such a good combination.

"do tell," he urges as he suddenly moves one strand of hair from your face, tucking it safely behind your ear. your heart skips a bit, forcing your eyes to widen as you look at him.

"your lips," you say shyly, drifting your attention back to the meaty element plastered on his face.

"what about them?" he asks as his face comes closer to yours. he intimidates you, not in a bad way but in a "you're really drunk and you don't think you can resist him" kind of way. but then again, his attractiveness might be something you could not resist even if you were the most sober woman on earth.

you dare say nothing more as you place a hand on his muscly bicep, not knowing if you should push him away or pull him closer. time seems to be frozen in place as he awaits for your answer, and you have none other to give.

things are quite different on the other side of the room. jungkook's attention has been fully on you since the moment you sat on the bar stool, ending any conversation he had right then. his eyes were fully fixed on you, and of course, the stranger at the bar who was so obviously flirting with you. you seemed to be flirting back as well, fluttering your eyelashes at him any chance you got, and a certain unidentified feeling started to burn in the pit of his chest, making him rush to you when he saw you getting closer and closer to him. there was no way in hell you would hook up with that man in the state you're in.

jungkook often mistook jealousy for worry, but now was not the time to debate on that, not while you were almost kissing the man in front of you.

he came out of nowhere, grabbing you by your arm as he excused himself in front of kai and dragged you to a quieter hallway. a darker one that most probably led to the bathrooms, which no one was even interested in.

"what are you doing?" he growls into your ear, and if you didn't know him better you would say he sounds jealous.

"what?" you ask confused as you piece things together. "the guy at the bar?"

"yes. what was that?" he demands to know, his chest pressed against yours as he traps you between the cold wall and his sturdy body.

you start laughing, trying to push him away, but he doesn't move an inch. you look up to him in the dim lighting of the club, his cold features traced by the shadows, his wet lips that you'd wish to kiss instead of that one guy who now sits alone at the bar, you notice as you turn away from jungkook.

"can you answer me?" he asks again, this time in a softer tone as his hands cup each side of your face.

there's nowhere else to look than into his eyes. you feel mad knowing that he suddenly feels betrayed by the one thing he always does to you.

"what? i was just blowing some steam off for fuck's sake! am i not allowed? are you the only one who gets to ditch me?" you spit, feeling frustration take over your body. the audacity he has, to account you for his action when he is reckless with his own.

"just go hook up with some girl around here and leave me alone," you add as you slap his hands off your face, pushing him away as you try to maintain your balance enough to walk away from him.

"you're drunk." he remarks.

"so?" you ask.

"so you're gonna fuck some guy you just met in this state?"

maybe. maybe not. what's his deal anyway? you're a fully grown adult who can make decisions for yourself.

"i don't see how that's your problem." you reply, turning your back on him.

you take two, maybe three steps before you feel his hand pulling you back, pinning you in the same spot against the wall, trapping you again with his muscular body.

for a second you think you are dreaming. that he is not there, and neither are you. that his lips on top of yours are just a figment of your imagination, and the smell- no, his smell, is just a ghost of all the times you were close enough to him to smell it.

your nails dig into your palm just to make sure you're not imagining, and this is really happening.

his hand brushes your cheek, soft lips searching your own for some kind of resistance- which they are not met with. you melt into it, it's something you craved for such a long time, isn't it? jungkook's body presses further on yours, leaving you breathless when his other hand hugs your waist, and his tongue pushes past your lips to play with your own wet muscle.

he tastes sweet, you realize, not like alcohol the way you do, but sweet nectar that gathers on his tongue every time he slides it on your own. your body feels hot, jungkook's might be even hotter as your hands place themselves on his torso only to feel his hard abs.

no. this can't be right.

"no, no, no," you say quickly, snapping back to reality, causing jungkook to quickly stop his actions. "what are you doing?" you ask, searching his eyes filled with confusion to find an answer.

"didn't you say you wanted to blow some steam off?" he asks innocently, waiting until you roll your eyes to show you one of his smug smiles.

true. but is this the answer? you keep thinking that this must come at a price. that you will give in to temptation and end up regretting every decision you've ever made.

his face gets close to yours again. you close your eyes, preparing for another kiss, but it doesn't come. jungkook's nose brushes your own softly, then your cheek, then it grazes against your eyelashes sweetly. it tickles in a pleasant way so you giggle quietly, but he is so close that you bet he can hear your heartbeats, even over the loud music.

"come home with me," he says after a low chuckle. "please." the man adds, whispering close to your ear just so that his hot breath fans over your sensitive skin.

his voice is trembling as he pleads for you to grant his wish, and you barely manage to keep your knees from shaking as you think about his proposal. it would not be the first time you go to his home, of course, but it was the first time when it actually implied something more than just staying over.

"what for?" you tease, placing your hands on his wide chest.

you get to feel more of him as he chuckles in response to your words. you feel his muscular chest, his irregular breaths, his warmth, and even the way his heart beats.

"to blow that steam off," he answers smugly as his hands take a hold of you again, finding comfort on your hips.

"you mean you want to fuck me?" you ask bluntly. maybe the alcohol was starting to affect you a bit now.

"you don't?" he pushes, pulling you closer by your hips until there's not even an inch in between your bodies.

you do. it's like a wish come true, in reality, and in the magic of the moment, you don't even bother yourself with overcomplicated existential questions like "does he even like me, or does he just want to fuck me?" or "what is going to happen if you do it? will you still be friends? will you even talk tomorrow?". you decide to handle these questions another time, right now you aren't going to say no to something you want to do anymore.

"let's go then," you say as you lace your fingers with his, leading him out of the club. he follows closely in your footsteps, holding your hand tightly as his body comes in contact with yours once every few people decide to not make space for both of you.

you find a cab as soon as you're out of the noisy club. the driver- a middle-aged man that was polite enough to turn on the radio loudly as soon as you and jungkook started kissing, seemed to have no idea who the man accompanying you is. the exact same man who was now touchier than ever, sliding his smooth palm all over your body.

"we're in a cab." you remind him quietly when his ear comes in the proximity of your mouth.

he only chuckles darkly, scooting closer to you as he makes sure the driver doesn't see any part of your body in the mirror. his hands slide slowly up your thighs as he makes eye contact with you, lips adorning a wide smile.

"i'm sure he's seen worse, baby," he assures you as his palm climbs up your leg, until it reaches the zipper of your jeans. he pulls it down slowly while kissing your neck, his hand sneakily toying around with the elastic band on your panties.

you bite your lower lip in disbelief, trying to contain shaky breaths as jungkook's mouth becomes more insistent on your neck, leaving wet kisses and red marks blooming on your skin as he sinks his teeth into it. his smell is driving you insane, expensive cologne scented like musk and bergamont that invades all your senses, leaving no room for anything other than him.

fuck, you think as soon as his hand slides past your panties and finds a hold of your aching clit quickly, way too quickly. he smiles when your hips rise to meet his touch, craving for more as his fingers start rubbing smooth circles on your bud, igniting a certain heat in the whole entirety of your body. he kisses you again, drowning your silent moans with his mouth, his lips, his tongue, his teeth. you can't get enough.

your hand trembles as it reaches out for him, going straight to the erection in his slacks, rubbing it in the same rhythm he rubs you. you're surprised by the length and the girth of it, making your mouth water instantly as you think how it would be to have him inside you. your pussy craves it, and aches for it as jungkook's hand shows no mercy in rubbing your clit with immense hunger to see his purpose fulfilled.

you start zoning out, already feeling your body sensing everything at once when your orgasm is just near the corner, only a few more strokes and- the car stops. you jump alerted as you look out the window.

jungkook removes his hand rapidly, letting you zip your pants as he does the same with his and inches away from you. mere seconds away from him let you feel empty, unfulfilled.

"we've arrived." the driver dares to say shyly as he lowers the volume of the music.

jungkook mutters an awkward thanks as he hands him the money for the ride- way more than it could've ever cost to bring you home, but that should make up for what the driver witnessed on the way home.

you both get out quickly, and your friend is quick to come by your side and hold your waist, pulling you closer to his body, as you both start laughing.

he opens the door to his home and you enter, immediately feeling his touch as you step inside. jungkook pulls you up by the back of your thighs, and you hug his waist with your legs in your time. his palms hold you in place by your ass, stroking it sinfully as he latches his lips onto yours once again, carrying you through his empty rooms until you reach his bedroom. where he places you gently on the mattress.

he sits at the corner of the bed, removing his shirt with a single move as he looks down at you. his body is slightly illuminated by the moon shining outside his big windows and you do nothing but glare at his toned abs as you struggle to remove your shirt as well. he giggles at your clumsy attempt to do so and quickly comes to your aid, pulling it from your body. he unbuckles his belt, stepping out of his pants as his body is left only adorning his boxers. you admire him once more, taking more than a few seconds to look at his thick thighs and the half erection he has while he stands looking at you in his full naked glory. fuck, he's so hot.

the next article of clothing tossed away is your own pants, which he so masterfully gets you out of as he kneels on the ground, between your legs which he now spreads. you support your weight on your elbows as you look into his eyes, not able to mutter even a single word as he pulls your panties down with a swift movement. he pulls you closer to him, starting to place wet kisses on your thighs as he gets closer and closer to your core.

"you're so wet," he says as he slides a finger down your folds, parting them while he gathers all your wetness on his digit. "seems like you've been wanting to do this just as long as i have." he growls lowly just before latching his lips to your clit, stroking it with his tongue.

you're too busy being overwhelmed with pleasure to analyze his words for more than a second, your mind goes entirely blank as all you can focus on are the movements of his muscle. he sucks it gently, licking his way down your hole, and then back to your sensitive bud again sucking it more forcefully every time.

two fingers slide in easily, massaging your velvety walls as they make your core throb, tightening around his slender digits as you feel the pressure to let go in your whole body. he curls them inside you, brushing them against a sensitive spot you believe no one has reached ever before. his mouth shows you no mercy, he uses it to lick, and kiss, and even nibble on your clit, making your whole body spasm under his touch.

"cum for me, baby," jungkook murmurs, fastening the pace that his fingers drive into you effortlessly. "i wanna lick it all up." he adds, and his wicked words aid you in coming closer to your release. like a desperate slut, you grab his hair in a fist, while moaning awfully loud as you feel your whole body tremble. just like that, stars explode in your whole body, the electrical feeling making you feel like you're ascending to heaven as your walls pulsate around his masterful fingers. you've never had such a godly orgasm.

a man of his word, he indeed licks all of your sweet release, not letting even a drop go to waste. he rises slowly, bed shifting under his weight as he picks you up by your waist and plops you on the center of the bed. his chin is glistening, thanks to the mix of his saliva and the juices he squeezed out of you. taking your bra off, jungkook stops for a few seconds, admiring your naked body as his hands travel from your neck, to circling your nipples and then back to your thighs as he pulls you closer to his form.

"you're so fucking beautiful," he says as he smashes his lips into yours, kissing you with the same hunger that he used just a few moments earlier to devour you. his compliment make your insides twirl, heart beating faster than ever before as you swirl your tongue around his, tasting yourself on it.

your hands scratch his wide back slowly as they travel south, moving downwards just until they meet his fully erected cock. you slide them inside his boxer, finally stroking his veiny shaft. jungkook groans into your mouth, and you take pride in the fact that he acknowledges your touch and deems it pleasurable. his hips start moving as they create friction between your soft hands and his twitching member. fuck, he wants this just as bad as you do.

not being able to resist your touch any longer, jungkook gets rid of his boxers immediately, throwing them somewhere on the floor before he reaches for the drawer of his nightstand. he opens the red foiled package and slides the condom on his cock skillfully. he positions himself between your legs as he gives himself a few starting pumps.

"is this ok?" he asks all of a sudden as he stops abruptly.

"you think i'm going to stop this when you're about to fuck me?" you ask back, amused of the situation and the abrupt change in his attitude.

he chuckles, as he teases your entrance with his tip, leaning over you and taking one of your nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it before biting softly into it. it makes you shiver, moaning his name filled with pleasure and a burning desire to feel him take over you completely.

"do you want me to fuck you?" he asks, voice laced with sin as he looks up to you, focusing his attention to the other nipple.

"fuck- yes!" you moan as a reply just when he lets out your nipple with a loud pop.

"how?" he interrogates further, using kisses to climb up your chest.

no one has ever asked you this before, all the men you encountered in bed until now were always selfishly chasing after their own pleasure, so they never asked what were yours.

"rough," you manage to blurt out as you feel him up again, touching his biceps and feeling muscles contract due to him supporting his weight above you. "hard...i want you to ruin me," you say before his head shoots out in surprise and he looks at you, his expression morphing quickly into a satisfied one before he kisses your jaw softly.

"never took you for someone who would enjoy that," he whispers close to you as he pushes up, aligning himself once more with your entrance.

he thought about it before?

"just tell me to stop if it becomes too much," he says just before his hands hug your waist and turn you around, your face buried instantly into the pillows as he positions your ass up.

he pushes in slowly at first, letting you grow familiar with his cock as your breath hitches from the amazing stretch. he goes in and out lazily, brushing his palms over your ass cheeks as he does so. you're already out of breath when he starts bucking his hips faster into you, setting an incredible pace that makes you hold his sheets tighter in your fists. his cock slides against your walls smoothly, hitting the newly discovered sensitive spot over and over again.

there's not much room for talking, the room is filled with moans from both of you and pleads of each other's names- they sound just like desperate prayers. he grows impatient, violently smashing his hips against your ass just like you asked, making you feel close to cumming again with each and every drive inside of you. your body burns, jungkook's body does too, making beads of sweat fall down on his white and clean sheets like a reminder to both of you of what has happened when all of this will end. you don't want it to end.

but contrary to your wishes, the man's hand finds your sensitive clit for the third time tonight, urging you to release a high-pitched moan as he starts rubbing again, faster, rougher than before. it takes a few moments before you come again under his touch, and when you do, it downs you both, his own hot seed filling up the condom as he tries to regain his breath, collapsing over your drained body. you both crumble like sand, melting into each other like you are one single being.

you feel him soften inside of you just before he pulls out, leaving your hole feeling lonely and empty as you finally drop your ass into the mattress, sinking your body into it as you roll around, managing to see him.

he's removing his condom, tying it before he throws it on the ground. "gross!" you'd think in other circumstances, but not now. he lays back into the bed, next to you, as he looks at your body like a hunter looking at a beast he managed to finally tame. sparkles are dancing in his eyes when he finally looks into yours, cupping your cheek lovingly before kissing you. he pulls you closer, but doesn't say anything, so you don't either. you nestle comfortably into his side as he hugs you warmly, the surfaces of your bodies sticking together because of the sweat.

he strokes your hair gently and you let yourself be taken to sleep in his hold as you inhale his perfume again, this time filled with the pure smell of his sweat filled with pheromones.

morning comes like a punch in the face. your head hurts because of the alcohol, and your body feels sore because of the sex. jungkook still sleeps, a few inches away from you as his chest rises slowly with each breath he takes. he looks so different, so peaceful from his usual self that is on the stage, singing his heart out onto the mic while all the lights shine on him. now, the only light shining on him is the one of the morning sun, stroking his features gently.

you get up slowly, searching for your panties quietly and putting them on.

"are trying to sneak out?" you hear his raspy voice. your attention goes to him again, laid out on the bed as he stretches, legs fully spread out and his body only masked by a piece of the blanket that covers his manhood.

"not really," you smile, as you put your shirt on lazily. "i was cold."

you get back on the bed, wrapping your own body, as well as jungkook's with the blanket. you scoot closer to him, and he instinctively hugs you like it's all he's done his entire life. minutes of silence pass before he says something again.

"would it be weird to ask you on a date now?" he chuckles.

you do too, placing your head on his chest in order to hear his heartbeats. louder than you could ever imagine jeon jungkook's heart could beat for you.

"you ask all the girls to dates after you fuck them?" you ask amused, thinking about just how many women have been in the exact same place you are right now. how many of them got to experience the magical touch of your friend?

"not really," jungkook says as he hooks his finger under your chin, forcing you to look at him in hopes that you would be able to read the honesty in his eyes. "just you." he whispers as he kisses your forehead gently.

"careful, kook, if somebody hears you they might think you like me," you say with a grin on your face as you push your weight into your elbow.

"and they might be right." he replies, same cute smile on his face as he brushes your hair out of you eyes and tucks it behind your ear.

the same gesture offered by kai last night, only it does not make you feel the same way. last night it made you intimidated, maybe even fearful of what may come next, but now it feels loving, and calming, putting your heart at ease as it does with the rest of your body.

"i do like you." he states clearly, staring into your eyes and waiting for your reaction. he doesn't know where it's coming from, but he's sure he can't ignore the way his heart] gallops faster around you anymore, nor can he forget the jealousy he felt last night. you belong with him, not some random guy at the bar. not anyone else, for that matter.

it's such a cliche, you think as you remain petrified upon hearing his confession. you lived in fear of confessing only to realize that you lost years and years wondering what could be instead of what can be.

better late than never, right?

"i like you too." you say back, kissing him after what feels like an eternity.

[healmydesires]

you’re my medicine ꕤ (a.s)

pairing: anakin skywalker x fem!reader

summary: you’re convinced you don’t like anakin, and that he loves to get under your skin. but one summer, you find out just how wrong you’ve been.

genre: fluff + angst + smut (18+ mdni) modern/lifeguards!au

word count: 16,5k+ (oops... bon appétit)

tags/warnings: frenemies/enemies to lovers (it’s one sided but oh well 🫣), miscommunication, assumed unrequited love from both sides, reader described as shorter than anakin, mutual pining, alcohol consumption, an oc as readers best friend, inexperienced/virgin!reader, a bit of thigh riding, unprotected sex, piv sex, loss of virginity, soft!dom anakin, sub!reader, vaginal fingering, oral (f!receiving), kinda pleasure!dom? idk… I just love pleasure doms, multiple orgasms, creampie, a bit of daddy kink, some breeding kink, overstimulation, size kink, lots of pet names.

a/n: hellooo this is my very first anakin fic. this idea came up to me when I couldn’t sleep and I just. had to fantasise about it… and eventually I just. started writing it. anyways anakin is a new special interest and I’m literally obsessed with him. I just love him sm. ALSO! the title is inspired by bisous by aya nakamura! it’s a french song and I just. associate it a lot with him. hehe anyways ,, hope u enjoy <3 🥺

please don't forget to interact or reblog <3 thank u for reading <3 🥰 if u can, let me know if you’ve enjoyed it, it encourages me a lot!

AO3 • masterlist • playlist

Aquasplash, a water park in the south of France, near the French Riviera. Around sixty kilometres from Nice located in a city called Fréjus. 

Every summer, you come down to the south for eight weeks, to work as a lifeguard. The water park held too many children, multiple variations of slides, impressive sized pools and Anakin Skywalker.

Unbelievable. 

He’s always here during summer. Every year for the last three years and you can’t seem to understand why he keeps coming back to this particular place. It’s not like there aren’t any water parks overseas.

You can’t stand him sometimes. You know that hate is a strong word. One you try not to use often. But the frustration you feel whenever Anakin is around you consumes you to the point where you can’t even spare him a look sometimes. 

You don’t necessarily dislike the man, it’s just that he gets on your nerves in such a unique way and you can’t stand it. You truly can’t remember the last time you genuinely enjoyed his company.

He’s so charming, flirty, arrogant and just overall obnoxious. For some reason, he tries to make your life difficult. It can’t be for nothing. He thinks he can just come into your favourite summer job and sweet talk his way up to becoming one of the assistant managers. The job that you so desperately wanted, ripped away from you by the prettiest and most self-assured man you’ve ever met. All in the year when you thought you could become friends.

He ruined it all.

Yet, he’s still trying to be nice to you since day one. Too nice. You can’t seem to understand why someone would try to make you like them when all you did was being rude to them.

Either way, Anakin Skywalker is a fucking menace.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

It is early in the morning, the heat is already rising, warm and hazy, promising a hot summer day. 

You drive out of the centre of the city, the sun shining, windows down and the radio blasting your favourite pop song at the moment as you hum along to the tune. 

Once you see the “Aquasplash” sign you take the first turn right, moving off the main road, slowly following the small road towards the water park’s entrance. The sound of gravel crumbling underneath the wheels of your car gives you a nostalgic feeling. Bringing you back to when you would come here with your family every summer. 

As you pull your car into the staff parking lot of the water park and turn off the engine, you exhale loudly before closing your eyes briefly. You enjoy the short moment of peace as you listen to your surroundings. All you can hear are the seagulls squawking in the distance and the buzz of insects around you. 

“There’s my favourite princess.”

There goes your peace and quiet.

You swear under your breath, “fucking hell,” as you let your head fall against the top of your steering wheel. You slowly open your eyes as you give him a side glance.

Anakin is leaning against the right side of his car, staring at you with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. 

“Skywalker.” you greet him rather unfriendly, your voice filled with annoyance.

He shakes his head with a chuckle. “You don’t seem that happy to see me.”

“Nope.” 

A frown forms on his face, but as quickly as it appeared it vanishes. He composes himself and a grin replaces it. “Ouch! You wound me sweetheart, I thought you’d miss me.” 

“Missing you? Boy please.” You scoff and roll your eyes before you push your car door open, hitting Anakin softly with your door, pushing him out of your way after you take your duffle bag out of the passenger’s seat. 

You don’t spare him another glance as you make your way to the entrance of the park, locking your car with a press of a button. 

“I know you’re lying!” He shouts before you hear him follow you. 

This time you don’t reply. Too annoyed to give him your time of day. Anakin loves to bother you, loves having your attention on him at all times. You’re aware you’re a stubborn person and it never seems to make him stop to try and get you to look at him, to notice him.

You head towards the office near the entrance of the park. As you enter the building you notice that it’s full. You smile as you recognise some of your colleagues from last year and you wave at them.

You hear a familiar voice calling out for you and you can’t help but squeal as you see that it’s Padmé Amidala. You quickly drop your bag as you both envelope each other in a big hug.

“I’ve missed you so much!” She cheers as she squeezes you close to her. 

“Not as much as I missed you.” You smile as you pull away, winking at her.

“Impossible.” She tsks playfully. Her eyes move to Anakin who stands behind you and she gives him a friendly smile. “Hi Anakin.”

Anakin greets Padmé, before making his way further in the room. He comes to stand close to Obi Wan who is once again the manager for the summer.

“Alright, now that everyone has arrived, let’s get started with everyone’s assigned tasks and positions.” 

As he starts talking you zone out, still feeling quite tired from your long drive yesterday to the south coast. Padmé smiles knowingly as she sneaks a glance at you. 

Around fifteen minutes pass and he’s still going giving everyone orientation and their assignments, until you hear him call out your name. 

“Yes?” You blink as you make eye contact with him.

“You and Anakin are partners for the summer.”

“What?” You exclaim. You can’t believe what you’re hearing.

You see from your peripheral view Anakin smiling at you cheekily and you can’t help but move your face to his direction, narrowing your eyes at him. He shrugs at your expression and then returns his attention back to his friend.

“What this means for you two,” Obi Wan continues with a smile as you huff out in protest, “is that you will have to share most posts together.” He says as he hands out your timetable. 

“Alright, is this all?” You ask impatiently. 

“Yes—”

You sigh and roll your eyes dramatically before grabbing your bag and your friend’s hand, tugging her along with you, making her chuckle as you walk out the building to go to the changing rooms. Your colleagues shuffle out slowly afterwards. 

“Not a word.” you grumble.

Padmé’s eyes shine mischievously, as she presses her lips into a thin line in mock seriousness and makes a motion to zip her mouth with the hand you’re not holding.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

So far, the first two weeks are uneventful.

Every day whenever the visitors arrive, you are constantly busy. You’ve switched posts here and there but other than that nothing worth mentioning happened so far.

Anakin and you have been sharing the same posts but not that much either so it has been a rather peaceful two weeks for you. 

But this afternoon, you’re partnered with him again to observe the main pool of the water park together. 

“I don’t get it,” your colleague and one of your best friends, Padmé, smirks, eyeing you as she’s sitting at the table in one of the staff's kitchens while you slice strawberries for the both of you. “Anakin isn’t as bad as you make him to be.”

“Padmé…” you groan annoyingly before you continue, “that’s because he didn’t take the job you so desperately wanted for so long.” You’re already tired of this conversation, and it barely started.

Maybe it’s your own fault, for comparing yourself to him or that you resent him for getting that job. You’re quite literally aware of how childish it sounds, but you can’t seem to care. You know how much you deserved that job. 

Your friend rolled her eyes at your words. “You should really let this go, it’s not healthy. Besides… It's been two years—”

You cut her off instantly, continuing your rant. “He can’t just come here and take everything from me. He is already one of the best swimmers and lifeguards out there. He is so fucking ‘pretty’ and smart, he always gets whatever he fucking wants anyways. What else does he want?” 

You tangle your fingers through your hair in frustration as you sigh loudly. 

“Maybe…” she begins hesitantly and your gaze meets hers. “Maybe, he didn’t want to steal this ‘job’ from you. Ever thought that he wanted this job just as much as you?”

You scoff but she continues with a small smile. “And perhaps, my dear friend, you should try and be friendly with him. I meant when I said it isn’t healthy to hold such a grudge for two years. He is only trying to be nice to you.”

“Yeah sure,” you huff as you cross your arms in front of your chest. “He’s too confident around me, trying to get under my skin at all times.”

“Under your skin? I think he just likes you.” Padmé says with a smug smile.

“L-likes me?” You splutter as you feel your cheeks burn hot. 

Your friend shrugs nonchalantly, “it seems obvious to me.” 

Padmé isn’t right, she can’t be. 

“Anakin Skywalker doesn’t like me. Nor do I like him.” You whisper harshly as you sit down across from her with your plate full of strawberries.

“Of course.” She says as she grabs a strawberry from your plate, her voice sounding nothing but sarcastic as she rolls her eyes for the second time since she started this conversation. 

“What?” You level her with a glare. “What does that mean?”

“It means that you’re in denial, that's what.” She says impatiently.

Before you can even reply back, the man himself enters the room with a wide smile. You can’t help but stare at him as he greets the both of you. He’s wearing a white shirt that stretches across his chest, with the blue logo of the water park centred in the middle and red swimming trunks. His hair looks messy but he looks so beautiful, it’s unfair. The fact that he let his hair grow out makes him even more pretty. You’d be lying if you didn’t find him attractive, he’s extremely handsome but you would never admit that to anyone out loud. During the time that you spent observing him, eyes trailing up and down the tall length of him, you didn’t notice how Anakin did the same to you.

“Ready to get back to work?” He asks rather enthusiastically. 

“Sure, Anakin. I’m still on my break though. Let me finish eating and I’m good to go.”

His face lights up at your words. He doesn’t say anything and just regards you with a small smile as he leans against the nearest wall.

“What?” You feel yourself grow warm under his mirthful stare. Feeling rather embarrassed as he looks at you. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He shrugs, the smile not leaving his face. “You never call me by my name.”

You stare up at him, suddenly confused. You think about what he just said, trying to recall a time where you would call him by his first name. But you don’t remember anything. You always call him by his last name or ‘skyguy’. Heat overwhelms your body at the realisation.

“Well, okay. Don’t make me regret it.” You try to say as nonchalant as you can while trying to avoid looking at anyone, instead staring down your plate. 

You don’t have to look at Padmé to know that she’s staring at you, her smirk dripping with amusement. 

“I won’t,” He winks before moving away from the wall. “See you at the main pool, sweetheart.” He says with a wave as he leaves the room completely. 

You feel relieved once he’s gone, exhaling as you finally meet your friend’s gaze as she looks at you knowingly. “What?”

“Nothing.” She shrugs with faux innocence. 

“That look does not say nothing, Padmé.” You look at her pointedly.

The brown haired girl laughs and shakes her head. You narrow your eyes at her as she continues to giggle.

“What’s so funny?” You huff as you cross your arms in front of your chest. 

“Well, it’s funny that you’re so oblivious to each other's feelings. Your own feelings specifically.” 

Hot warmth blooms across your chest at her words, until blood rushes to your ears, but you scoff either way. “What do you mean, feelings? There are no feelings. I don’t like him.”

You say it confidently even if you could hear a tiny distant voice in the back of your head calling you a liar. You push another strawberry in your mouth as she chuckles at your words.

“You’re not fooling anyone but yourself.” She snorts. 

You both fell in silence, mostly because you’re ignoring her. By now the plate of berries is empty and all you can do is stare at it. You sigh dramatically as you pick up your plate, moving to put it in the dishwasher after rinsing it off. 

“Anyways, my break is over. I’ll see you later.” You say as you make your way to the door.

“Don’t forget, we’re going out tonight!” Padmé calls after you.

“How could I forget, you’ve been mentioning it every day at least once this week.” You smirk as she sticks her tongue out at you playfully. 

“Don’t act like you haven’t been looking forward to it.” She says as she points a finger at you. 

“Yeah, yeah… anyways, see you after work!”

“Have fun with your loverboy!”

You flip her off and all you can hear are her giggles as you leave the room.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

The air is thick with humidity, the summer heat enveloping you completely, and smells like chlorine. The sun is beaming down on you as you’re sitting on one of the big red lifeguards chairs. You’ve been observing the pool all afternoon, sometimes blowing your whistle whenever some children would do water bombs too excessively.

Anakin is leaning against your chair. You’re simultaneously looking out after all the swimmers in the pool and occasionally listening to Anakin ramble about anything he feels like sharing with you.

“Sometimes,” you ponder out loud, “I wonder why Obi Wan paired us two together and— hold on, why are you blushing?”

“W-what? I’m not blushing.” Anakin splutters as his face flushes more as he averts his gaze.

A devilish smile spreads across your face. “Sure you are.”

“I am not.” He huffs as he continues to try and avoid looking at you. He looks kind of shy all of a sudden. His face is still flushed, his eyes are bright and his plump lips look so kissable— hold on, why are you thinking about his lips? And why do you want to kiss them? You try to mentally shake the thought out of your head but the damage has already been made. You feel a hot flash of warmth spread over your whole body.

You genuinely hope that he doesn’t notice any of that. 

You raise your brows at him, crossing your arms over your chest. You tilt your head as you stare at him.

“Anakin, do you have anything to do with us being paired?” 

“Of course not,” he says quickly, looking flustered.

“Mmm yeah, sure.” You smirk, entirely entertained by the way his gaze keeps avoiding yours. His silence is enough to make you giggle but you can’t enjoy it that long though.

“Why does it matter?” He says more confidently, finally looking at you directly. “Is something up with you? I’ve noticed that you haven’t insulted me in a while.”

You blink at him as your smile fades as heat flashes your face, because you actually don’t know what to reply to him. Anakin is right, you haven’t been insulting him for at least a week. 

You don’t answer him instantly like you usually do, and he chuckles as he shakes his head at you. 

“What?” You say a bit nervously, but you quickly collect yourself, crossing your arms in front of your chest as you roll your eyes at him. “No, of course not. I’m completely fine. In fact I’m keeping all the insults for later.”

“Uh-huh, sure you are.” He says his lips twisting to hide his amusement, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“Yes, I am.” You say with confidence.

He’s just watching you and you feel yourself grow warmer under his stare. Suddenly you feel very hot, feeling overwhelmingly warm. Maybe it's the summer weather, or maybe it’s something else.

As silence falls between you two it gives you a bit of time to think. About how the man is always being nice to you. Teasing you, being playful with you. The way he always tries to catch your attention. The way he loves to banter with you. 

Or how you notice a lot of things about him lately. 

Like how his skin tans so easily, how when he gets a bit too close you notice he has some green speckles in his eyes, how blue and black looks so good on him. Or how his white shirts tend to cling on him so well. Or how no matter which room he’s in, whenever he smiles he lights up the whole room. Or how the whole world seems to stop whenever he looks at you. 

You gasp as you look at him, hopping off your chair, walking closer to the tall man.

“What?” He snorts. 

“I know what you’re doing.” You narrow your eyes up at Anakin as you walk closer to him, poking a finger into his warm solid chest. 

“What am I doing exactly?” He looks down at you with an amused smile on his face, looking entirely too entertained. He’s so fucking charming, it’s infuriating you.

Your skin feels extremely flushed, a bit damp, your hair is sticking to your neck and sweat is beading at your chest, your skin and red bikini clinging to your shirt. 

“Stop being—” You stumble over your breath, as it hitches in your throat, realising that you’re both standing way too close to each other. You are close enough that you can see the outline of his features, the faint slope of his nose, his jawline, or the scar near his right eye. Both of your chests are almost brushing, his warmth radiating off on you. 

“Stop being what? Or rather, doing what?” He says, a smile still on his face. Why is he still smiling?

You try to put some distance again between the both of you, but as you do you almost trip, and his arms move quickly, hands coming to steady you on your waist. 

“Careful sweetheart, don’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

“What?” A sense of panic envelopes you as you realise that his hands are still on you. Anakin’s hands feel warm and wide as his palms rest on you, over your shirt. His touch feels dizzying and it feels as if you are growing warmer by the second. 

“Angel—”

“No,” You shake your head frantically, as you push his hands off you. “Stop being so nice to me all the time, stop trying to distract me, stop giving me all those pet names. Just stop. I know what you’re trying to do.” He looks at you with wide eyes as you’re going off on a rant, not able to stop. “You’re trying to get to know everything about me, trying to be all nice so I let my guard down so you can just strike and take, just like you did last time.”

He looks down at the space between the both of you, tilting his head to the side as he frowns. 

“Sweetheart, what do you mean last time?” 

“You know exactly what I mean.” You mumble as you look away.

“No I don’t.” Genuine confusion and concern graces his features. “Also, am I truly distracting you?”

“Huh?” Your cheeks flush with warmth at his words as simultaneously you feel your anxiety bubbling up inside you, embarrassment overwhelming you. 

“You said I’m distracting—”

“I didn’t,” you cut him off nervously as the warmth in your face continued to rise, still not sparing him a glance. 

Anakin says your name in such a soft manner, as he tries to get you to look at him. Suddenly you have had enough of this conversation. Thankfully the loudspeakers announce that the park is closing in half an hour, saving you from talking more about the subject.

“I’d love to stay and chat but I have other places to be!” You say hurriedly as you quickly walk away from him. You ignore him as he calls out after you multiple times, determined to get home as quickly as you can so you could start and enjoy your weekend off. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You’re slowly swirling your straw in your favourite cocktail as you’re staring off in the distance, while you’re sitting on a lounge sofa at the new and fancy rooftop bar Padmé convinced you both to go to. Everything feels a bit hazy, probably because of the alcohol that’s warming up your body or maybe it’s the dimmed colourful lightning and the smoke that hangs a bit in the air. 

Your thoughts keep wandering off to earlier today, about the way Anakin looked so confused and how concerned he was when you had your whole rant in front of him. He genuinely looked like he didn’t know what you were talking about when you insinuated that he hurt you last time. What if he actually didn’t know—

You feel your friend nudge you as your thoughts continue to wander. “Did you hear what I just said?”

“Huh?” You blink as you look at her. You were so immersed in your own thoughts that you didn’t hear what she was talking to you about. “No, I’m sorry. Could you please repeat it?”

“Alright,” Padmé sighed. “What happened earlier?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You mumble as you avoid her gaze.

“Come on,” Padmé whispers your name, “I know something happened between you and Anakin.”

You exhale loudly, staring at your drink, shrugging. “There’s nothing much to talk about.” 

“Okay, well. If you eventually feel like talking about it, let me know.” She gives you a small smile.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” you give her a grateful smile back as you squeeze her hand that’s closest to yours. 

You pull away, leaning against the sofa as you enjoy the last bits of light. The air is still warm, as the sun is setting. You can still hear the soft relaxing music in the background despite the amount of people talking over it. You close your eyes for a moment as you feel a breeze hitting your face, caressing your skin and hair. You desperately needed a night out and you’re thankful for Padmé picking out this location. 

“Man, I truly needed this.” You chuckle after you take a sip of your drink. 

“You mean going out?” Padmé smirks, “I knew you’d love it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” You roll your eyes playfully, “you told me so.” 

“Damn right I did.” She smiles cheekily. “You always love going out.”

“Not as much as staying at home though.” You argue as your lips curl into a smirk. 

“True, true.” 

You both talk and properly catch up, finally taking the time to hear each other's stories since the last time you’ve been able to do so was months ago. She laughs as you tell her about all your dating experiences from the past year. Your dating life is quite literally a disaster. You can’t seem to find someone in life that you can truly connect with. No matter what gender. You either end up with another friend or the dates just stay at the first date. You crave a true connection. Someone you can truly be yourself with. Someone that you can talk to about anything and everything and someone that is truly there for you.

Minutes later your eyes stray from hers for a moment as you look across the bar, your smile slowly fading as you recognise Anakin and Obi Wan stepping out of the elevator that led to the rooftop. You feel your body flush with heat as you make eye contact with Anakin. You hate the way your body reacts whenever he’s around. It’s been reacting to him a lot more lately. He looks so incredibly handsome, annoyingly so, like he always does, but the lightning makes him look even more pretty. He smiles and gives you a quick wave before he leans closer to Obi Wan. He murmurs something in his friend’s ear as he gestures to the direction Padmé and you are sitting. 

“What are they doing here?” You question as you continue to stare into their direction. 

Padmé grins sheepishly at you after she looked behind her. 

You narrow your eyes at your friend suspiciously. “You have something to do with this?”

“I may have invited them…” she flushes as she bites her lip.

“Why?” You groan.

You don’t care that you sound whiny, or that your voice sounds a bit panicked, you just don’t feel like spending a whole evening or night with Anakin Skywalker. A moment that was supposed to be relaxing. 

“Because, we both like them. They are our friends.” She exclaims.

You’re not happy, or at least you convince yourself that you aren’t. But you don’t feel like arguing with Padmé right now. You decide at that moment that the both of you deserve to have a fun evening together and if you have to spend it with Anakin too then so be it. 

“How did you let them know where we were?” You raise one of your brows at her.

“I texted them?” She looks at you as if you asked her the most ridiculous question in the world.

“Okay, yeah, stupid question.” You roll your eyes with a laugh.

“You know, you could always ask for Anakin's number. I’m pretty sure he’d give it to you happily. You’re his favourite girl after all.” She smiles deviously.

You huff, shaking your head in the process. “I don’t need—”

“Hey,” Obi Wan smiles as he greets the two of you, “sorry it took us so long.”

You feel your cheeks flush with embarrassment, you truly hope they didn’t hear what Padmé said. You greet them with a small smile and you finally look at Anakin, finding him already looking at you. He greets you with a small “hi” as he smiles before you see his eyes scan your outfit. 

You’ve spent a good hour looking through all the clothes you brought along with you, debating which outfit would be the best for a night out. You wanted to look hot. So in the end you decided on wearing a black dress, one of those corset dresses with a deep plunge, with a thigh slit on the left side of the dress. You also have dark heels on, not too high but not that low either. You normally don’t like wearing heels, preferring your comfortable white sneakers, but Padmé insisted that wearing sneakers under such a pretty dress is a no-go. Plus you have a small black shoulder bag that’s sitting at your feet. As for your makeup, you’re wearing dark nude eyeshadow with smoked eyeliner, and on your lips you have some pinky nude shiny lip gloss. 

You feel your body grow warmer under his gaze, and you can’t help but feel a bit shy and insecure. You don’t understand why, but you kind of crave his approval.

You’re taking in his outfit. He is wearing a white button-up shirt, his chest a bit more exposed and you have to force yourself not to look too long. You don’t want him to notice that you’re looking at his chest. He’s also wearing some nice blue jeans, the kind that just look good on anyone.

Padmé calls out your name, and as you face her she is already smirking at you. You can’t help but roll your eyes at her.

Anakin clears his throat, “we’re getting drinks, do you guys need anything?” 

“No, we’re good. Thanks for asking.” Padmé smiles.

As both men leave to go to the bar, she turns to you once again. 

“What was that?” Padmé smirks with amusement. 

“What do you mean?” You mumble as you avert your eyes to your lap.

“Don’t act like you weren't staring at each other.” She says with a laugh. 

You sigh heavily, “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Oh come on now.” She rolls her eyes playfully.

Before you can say anything back to your friend, you hear your name being called. Your eyes widen as you recognise that voice from anywhere. You quickly whip in your seat as you see one of your best friends standing there, Javier. 

“No way?” You gasp before quickly making your way over to your friend to hug him. “Is this real?” 

He chuckles as he envelopes you in a big hug. “I am very real, yes.” 

Javier is one of your closest friends besides Padmé that you’ve made since working at Aquasplash. He is a Puerto Rican exchange student that came to France to study Engineering. He worked with you for two summers straight until he moved back. You missed him terribly and hadn’t seen him for at least two and a half years. He’s always been a person that could make you feel important. He had a sense of humour that actually made you laugh. He’s one of the smartest people you’ve ever met. A lot of people think you guys have feelings for each other but all the love you have for the man is purely platonic. 

“You have no idea how much I missed you,” you chuckle as you pull back to look up at him.

“I missed you too, buddy.” He smiles warmly.

“How long are you staying?” You ask him hoping he isn’t here for a couple of days.

“I’m here on vacation for at least two months, so we can hang out as much as you’d like.” 

“Ah finally, I almost thought you wouldn’t show up tonight.” Padmé says with a teasing look as she crosses her arms, still in her seat.

“You knew?” You gasp.

“Surprise?” She smiles sheepishly. The two of you laugh at her words. 

“All these secrets.” You tsk playfully as you shake your head at Padmé. 

A moment later Obi Wan and Anakin both return with drinks. The bearded man smiles brightly as he recognises your best friend.

“Oh, hi Javier,” Obi Wan says, “it’s been a long time. How have you been?”

As both Javier and Obi Wan are catching up, your eyes almost automatically drift to Anakin. His eyes are almost narrowing at how close you and Javier are standing. You look at him quizzically before he looks away and sits down across from your original seat. 

You wonder why he was looking at the both of you like that. He looked almost jealous? You’re certain that couldn’t be the case, because you’re sure he doesn’t genuinely like you or feel about you in a romantic way. Besides, it’s not like you care. You don’t have much time to think about it, because Padmé gestures to you to come back to your seat, patting the space next to hers.

Once you are back in your seat your brown haired friend leans closer to you. “Javier looks so good.” Padmé whispers, loud enough for you to hear.

You snort, soon turning into a chuckle. 

“Yeah?” You ask with an amused smile. 

“Yeah,” she says as she bites her lip, hiding her shy smile. 

“Oh, do you have a crush?” Your smile turns more wicked.

“Shut up.” She groans as she slaps your arm. 

“Oh my god, you do.” You gasp.

“Quiet down,” She whispers as she looks around her, making sure that no one else hears them.

You giggle at her antics. “It’s okay, I think he has a crush on you too.”

“Really? You think so?” She asks with hopeful eyes.

Your smile turns soft as you nod. “Yeah, I’m sure. He tends to always look like a lovesick puppy around you.”

“You’re lying.” She pouts as she blushes furiously.

“Of course not.” You say as you look at her seriously. 

“Hmh,” she looks at you in disbelief. As if you’re still not being truthful with her.

“Don’t tell him I told you this but,” you whisper as you look around you before continuing, “he talked about you a lot whenever we would hang out.” 

You wouldn’t expose your friend like that if it wasn’t for a greater cause. You’re tired of the fact that two of your closest friends are pining after each other. Especially since now you know that Padmé has feelings for Javier too. 

“No way.” Her eyes go wide at the information. 

“Yes way.” You nod with a smile.

“Okay,” she bites her lip as the blush on her cheeks turns darker. “You think I should make a move?”

“Definitely, I think you should.”

A couple of moments later, Javier comes to sit next to Padmé. “What are you two talking about?”

You lean closer to the side as you make eye contact with your other friend. “Nothing you should concern yourself with.” You say quickly with the most saccharine smile ever. 

“Rude,” he pouts dramatically. “Is this how you treat your best friend who you haven’t seen in over two years?” 

You stick your tongue at him playfully in response. 

After a few drinks and the night turning darker, as the stars in the sky become more visible, the air is still quite warm, you start to feel extremely at ease. Conversations flowed easily with all of you and it was truly a good feeling to be talking to everyone. Even Anakin. Especially him. 

You’ve all been talking for almost two hours. And in those two hours, you’ve learned a lot about Anakin. Just like Javier, he’s studying engineering. The only difference is he's still studying abroad. He lives in Amsterdam apparently, which is your dream city to one day move into. He would laugh in such a sweet way as your eyes would widen at the information or your interest in the city. Would answer all your questions about one of your favourite cities in the world. 

Or how you learned how much he loves to read during his free time. Or his favourite music, specifically how he is a huge fan of Coldplay. He loves all kinds of music. He said he can’t stick to one music genre. There’s so much more that you’ve learned about him.

The more you know about him, the less you dislike him. The less he irritates you. Maybe after all this time, the irritation was something else entirely, buried under the false pretence of dislike. Most likely it was just pure jealousy. You used to genuinely like him. He always makes you feel things in such a furious way. He makes you think about him constantly. No, you know that deep down it wasn’t just jealousy, it was more than that. 

You know something has changed for you. What exactly, you don’t want to face yet. For now, you blame the atmosphere. Something in the air is making things shift around, feel different.

It’s only after you’ve emptied your second or third cocktail, you honestly have no idea, that Javier announces that all of you should do a game of truth or dare.

It’s as if the universe wants to play with you.

“Oh my god, no.” You groan.

“What’s up princess?” Anakin says with a teasing  smile. “You got anything to hide?” 

“W-what? No, of course not.” You stutter as you feel your body burn hot at his words.

“He does have a point.” Javier says as he tries to stifle a laugh.

“You should be on my side!” You exclaim dramatically. 

Padmé snorts next to you.

You turn to look at Padmé, narrowing your eyes at her. “What about you?”

“I mean…” she shrugs as she tries to fight off the smirk on her face.

“Great.” You turn to look across from you, ignoring the way Anakin is smiling mischievously as he looks at you. “I guess I don’t have to ask for your thoughts on this?” You ask Obi Wan.

The man shrugs and you huff.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t.”

You groan at his words.

“Come on, don’t be so dramatic.” Javier laughs. You look at him in a fake menacing way which makes your friend laugh even more. “Alright, alright. I will spare you, for now.” He gives you a look that says nothing but danger.

“How generous of you.” You huff, rolling your eyes at him. 

“You’re first,” your best friend says as he looks at you. “You get to choose whoever you want.”

“Nice,” you say with a devilish grin. You’re thankful that you have some time to mentally prepare yourself for once it’s your turn. Because you are certain that if it’s Padmé’s or Javier’s turn that you’re doomed. 

“Uh-oh,” Padmé says with apprehension. 

“Javier,” you start, the man groaning loudly at the mention of his name. “Ok, hold on, why am I not allowed to be dramatic but you are?”

“I’m not being dramatic.” He scoffs, as if you had the audacity to accuse him of such a thing.

“Anyways,” you roll your eyes. “Truth or dare?” 

“Dare,” he picks unhesitatingly.

You snicker at his choice. You pretend to think for a second before you clear your throat, “I dare you to kiss the hottest person in our group.”

Javier’s eyebrows rise together at your bold request. While Padmé blushes bright red next to you. Obi Wan is smirking as he looks at your two best friends. Anakin on the other hand, is frowning. You have no idea why though.

“Is that the dare?” He hesitates.

“Yep,” you smile brightly. 

“You sure?” He questions again.

You sigh heavily. “Javier, you’re the one that wanted to play this game.” 

He gulps before he looks down at the brown haired girl who sits in between the two of you. He moves closer to Padmé, cupping her cheek. “Is this okay?” Javier checks in with her. 

Padmé nods her head shyly but without any hesitation. He says something under his breath that you can’t seem to catch before his lips connect with hers in a gentle kiss. Her arms move instantly, as she wraps them around his neck. 

You whistle as the kiss between them gets a bit more deeper. Eventually they pull away as they gasp for air. Their foreheads are touching as they look at each other with small satisfied smiles. 

“Finally.” You clap your hands as you smile with so much happiness, because your friends finally made a move on each other. You might’ve pushed them into the right direction, but you’re happy that they are showing their affection for each other now.

“You’re dangerous, girl.” Padmé laughs as she turns her head to look at you. But she looks truly thankful for what you did.

“Just doing God’s work.” You say with feigned innocence as you shrug. 

“Before we continue, who wants another drink?” Obi Wan asks the rest of you as he stands up from his seat.

“Me!” You say a bit too quickly and loudly as you stand up from your seat, adjusting your dress as it rides up.

Obi Wan chuckles. He asks the rest of the group what they want as you write down everything down on your notes app so you don’t forget. 

Once you have the orders down, you both make your way to the bar. You feel a pair of eyes on you as you walk away. A chill goes down your spine as you have a feeling who is looking at you. In fact you know you don’t have to turn your head to know that it’s most likely Anakin.

As you reach the bar, you lean over it and try to get one of the bartender's attention. It’s a bit busy, three other people are trying to order at the same time. One of them gives you a nod of acknowledgement, before he comes down to where you two are. Once he takes your order and you’ve paid for it, and leaves, Obi Wan clears his throat.

You raise your head, to look at him expectantly. “Hmm?”

“You know, I’m aware of how frustrated you are that Anakin got the assistant manager position and that you didn’t.” He says carefully. “They picked him because they felt like he was the most qualified.”

You feel slight irritation but mostly embarrassment bubbling up inside you at his words. As you’re about to open your mouth he continues.

“But I feel as if I am inclined to tell you this though.” He starts, “Anakin had a lot of other proposals from other workplaces for summer, other than Aquasplash. A lot of better ones actually. But still, he decided to take on this one.” 

Your mouth drops slightly at the new information. Why would he want to come back every year if he had better places to work at. It doesn’t make any sense. Everyone knows that Anakin is insanely smart and talented. Plus, why would he travel so far just to work at a place every summer with a person like you. Someone that’s been rude to him most of the time. 

“Why?” You frown.

“Why do you think so?” He asks with a small smile. 

You laugh, still puzzled as you shake your head “I don’t know?”

“Sure,” he says as he gives you a look.

Suddenly, you feel overwhelmed as you think about all the moments where Anakin’s always been nice to you, even when you’re nothing but an asshole to him. The way he always tries to catch your attention. Trying to make you laugh. Or the way he loves to spend time with you even if you’re being mean to him. How playful he is. How he loves to tease you or how he seems to only have eyes for you lately. For years actually. Or when his smile would either brighten or soften whenever you enter the room or space he’s in. Or the longing looks he would give you sometimes. 

No. You must be imagining things. 

Your eyes widen as you look at Obi Wan again. You search for a reaction that tells you that you’re wrong. But he just smiles at you knowingly.

You don’t know how or why your feelings for Anakin seem to have shifted so much, all you know is that any trace of hatred you had towards him has disappeared, wiped away to make room for something else. Deep down, you know that this was all just a facade. You’re never truly angry with him. You never disliked him. It was all an act to protect how you always truly cared for or liked him. The feelings you so desperately tried to push away, a feeling that could only be described by a four lettered word. A feeling that might have been around for a long while.

And you’re sure you ruined everything, because you’re such an asshole. 

Suddenly you feel a tightness in your chest. Your breath is turning shallow and ragged and you hear your ears start ringing. It feels as if the sky could be falling down on you any second.

Concern flashes through Obi Wan’s face as he notices a shift in your behaviour.

“Are you okay?”

“I—” you try to speak. “I-I need to go. I’m sorry.” You say hurriedly before you walk away as fast as you can, in need for a moment to be alone.

“Hey, wait,” he calls your name out.

You don’t know why you always feel like running away whenever you’re confronted with something big like your feelings but you know you can’t look or speak to anyone at the moment.

You desperately need to be alone even if it is just for a little while. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You don’t know how, but somehow, you ended up at the beach. The moment you leave the building your phone has been vibrating non stop, not reducing your anxiety at all. So once you sit down on the sand you put your phone on silent after sending one message to Padmé that you’re safe, ignoring all the other texts and missed calls. 

You didn’t stray that far from the bar, which isn’t that far from the coast, only a couple of hundred metres.

Your mind starts to wander back to Anakin, the man that you so desperately tried to dislike for years. Which was all a facade for how you truly feel.

You think about how the fact that the one person that you’ve ever fallen in love with deserves better than someone like you that has been mean to him for years all because of something so stupid. 

You wish you could go back in time, so you never held a grudge in the first place. So you could actually allow yourself to enjoy being around him, to think of him. 

You groan as you feel tears well in your eyes again as the thoughts consume you almost completely. 

“Things will be okay,” you whisper to yourself as you try to regulate your breathing while also mentally calming yourself down. 

You decide to focus on the sea.

Looking at the sea somehow never fails to calm you down, the sound of the body of water grounds you. As you watch the waves crash every time they hit the shore, you feel your anxiety gradually dying down.

You dig your bare feet in the sand, your heels long forgotten as they sit next to you. At the moment you don’t really care that you'll be covered in sand by the time you leave. The beach, specifically this one, brings you so much nostalgia. 

Brings you back to when you were a child.

You briefly close your eyes as you inhale the smell of the sea, exhaling a couple of moments later, releasing a bit of anxiety at the motion. You smile as you feel your body gradually relaxing as more tension dissipates, finally feeling a bit more at peace.

A couple of moments later after you feel your anxiety die down, you feel someone’s presence as they come to sit next to you. 

Unhurriedly you open your eyes again before turning your head slowly. Your eyes widen as you acknowledge who is sitting next to you. As your eyes meet Anakin’s you notice that he is already staring down at you. He’s looking at you with so much concern and an emotion that looks so tender. There’s a flicker of yearning flitting through his eyes as he continues to regard you.

Your bottom lip starts wobbling as you squeeze your eyes shut as you desperately try not to cry. 

“I’m so sorry.” You finally break the silence as tears well in your eyes again as you look at him.

“Hey, shhh sweetheart, there’s no need to apologise.” He whispers as one of his hands comes to squeeze your shoulder. His touch sparks a warmth in your body, just like he did earlier that day.

“Yes there is.” You whisper as you look away, your tears falling freely now. 

“Look at me angel,” he says softly. 

He is so caring and gentle with you, you feel awful, you don’t deserve that after being so horrible with him.

“No, I’m serious,” you say as you try to wipe your tears away. “I’m so sorry for being mean to you.”

You’re crying more now, the tears streaming down your cheeks constantly, your make up leaving some tracks because of it. 

“Sweet girl,” He says as his hands come to cup your face, holding you so tenderly, as his thumbs swipe at the tears that fall from your eyes. Your sad eyes look at him as he tries to comfort you. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I’ve been nothing but an asshole to you. All because of something as stupid as a job position.” You whisper as you continue to cry.

“Princess, are you upset because of that?” 

“Yeah, it’s so stupid.” You nod, as you keep sobbing. “I feel so stupid. I’ve never really disliked you, it was all just bullshit. A fucking facade. And for so long I believed I didn’t like you. It’s so fucking stupid.”

“Shhh, I’m telling you right now, It’s okay, you’re not stupid. I know you feel that way right now but you’re not stupid at all. You’re one of the smartest people I know. I am not upset or angry with you, I don’t think I could.” He says as he quickly moves to wrap his arms around you, bringing you closer to him. “I’ve got you, love.”

Every time your body shakes, he holds you tighter. Eventually pulling you into his lap, as you cling to him, your hands holding onto his shirt as if you are afraid that he’d disappear. His face is buried in your hair, yours against his chest as he holds you close.

One of his hands moves to caress your head softly, as the other holds your body close to him. As his fingers continue to caress your head you find yourself being comforted by it, your sobs eventually dying down as you feel yourself relax and calm down while hugging him. 

His embrace soothes you. Anakin is truly such a  comforting person, you could hold him forever.

You slowly pull away from his chest after you’ve completely calmed down, enough to look up at him. As you stare into his eyes, you feel yourself get lost in them. He is truly, so beautiful. 

Before you realise what you’re doing, you raise one of your hands to his cheek. He closes his eyes momentarily at your touch, relishing it. Once he opens his eyes again, he watches you intently, his cheeks flushing red. You feel his heart racing while your other hand rests on his chest still. 

“Anakin,” you whisper, looking shyly up at him.

He smiles at that. “I will never get tired of you saying my name.”

“Well, I haven't really said it much.” You bite your lip as you try to keep yourself from smiling. Of course, it’s not successful.

“True, but still.” He chuckles, “I will always enjoy you saying it.”

“Hm,” you hum as your eyes shift to his lips every few seconds, “I have something to confess.”

You need to confess your feelings to him. You’ve been hiding them for years, even from yourself, now it was enough. You need him to know, even if he doesn’t feel the same way, even if you misunderstood the whole thing. He deserves the truth.

“Go ahead,” he says as his eyes bore into yours, the intensity making you unable to look away. You’re both breathing in each other's air at the moment. You feel as if you’re being pulled by a magnet, your face slowly moving closer to his.

You feel your body get overwhelmed with warmth, as you mentally prepare yourself to tell him how you feel.

“I’m in love with you,” you say nervously, your confession barely above a whisper. Time stands still in that moment, your faces only a few inches apart, his arms still holding you tight against him, one of your hands resting on his cheek and the other still on his heart. “I think I always have.”

His breath hitches at your words, leaving him momentarily speechless. He looks as if he’s processing the words. Anakin leans in then, slowly, watching for you to pull back or show any other sign of not wanting him close. 

He leans in until his forehead touches yours, and you hold in a sigh at the thought of him being so close to you, the heat of his skin radiating off of him, his scent intoxicating you and filling your senses. 

The tip of his nose nuzzles yours, his warm breath kissing your lips, less than a few centimetres away now, and you move your thumb on his cheek, stroking his skin.

“I love you baby,” he whispers, making you still your movement on his cheek as you look at him with wide eyes. Heat spreads throughout your body and your heart flutters at his words, your cheeks feeling hot. “You have no idea how much I do.” 

“I love you too, Ani.” You say shyly. The moment his nickname leaves your lips, his mouth is on yours.

He kisses you with so much passion, pouring all his affection into the kiss as he holds you tightly. The kiss reflects how much he cares and loves you. 

You gasp into his mouth, feeling him as he moves his lips with yours and pulls your body somehow impossibly closer to his, as if he’s not satisfied enough, needing you as close as you physically can. He groans into you, tilting his head to kiss you deeper, and you open your mouth for him when you feel his tongue tracing your lower lip and licking into your mouth.

He moves one of his hands to come to cup your cheek as the other keeps you close, pressing you against him. He tilts his head as you moan into the kiss, deepening it.

He feels and tastes amazing, his touches feel heavenly, just perfect. You know that you will get addicted to him quickly. 

Nevermind, you already are.

He moans into the kiss, completely losing himself to the feeling, his warm tongue swirls in your mouth as his soft lips still move with yours. He is better than you ever imagined, his big hands gentle yet firm, his kisses overwhelming you. 

You feel the temperature rising between you two. Eventually you have to pull away as you gasp for air. Your forehead rests against his as you both breathe in some fresh air. 

His lips then move to your jaw, travelling all over as he presses soft kisses.  “Do you want to go back?” He whispers as he nuzzles his head against your neck. 

“No, I’d rather stay here all night with you.” You giggle as he then resumes to pepper kisses on your skin. As his kisses become more intimate, moving from your jaw to your neck, your giggles soon turn into little whimpers and moans. 

“Good,” he whispers, his voice sounding much deeper than earlier, before his mouth moves up, his lips trailing towards yours to envelop them in another kiss. 

Reuniting your mouths, Anakin kisses you deeply, his hands busying themselves with tracing your body above your clothes. You can feel one of them slowly going down beneath your arms, softly grasping at your hips and down your legs, on the way back up finding themselves beneath the dress you are wearing.

You move your hips against him instinctively, without a thought, grinding down on him, which makes him pull away with a groan. 

He moves back just enough to press his forehead to yours again. The two of you breathe in each other’s exhales, lips still almost touching as he finally speaks.

“Baby girl, you’ll be the death of me.” He rasps.

You feel your body flush with warmth at his words. Heat pools in your lower body. You bite your lip before giggling, you start peppering his cheeks, jaw and neck with kisses as you grind your hips against him again. 

His hands come to hold your hips, halting your movements. You whine as he holds you back, pouting up at him.

“Oh princess, don’t be like that.” He looks at you pointedly.

“But—”

“I’d love to continue whatever is happening right now, but not here.” He whispers the last part. 

You bite your lip as you try to hide your smile, your eyes twinkling with mischief. Your hands come to tug at the collar of his shirt, tugging him down to you. “Then take me home big boy.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You both stumble into your apartment once you unlock the door after the fourth attempt. It’s hard to unlock anything when someone as hot as Anakin, or an amazing kisser like him, keeps distracting you with kisses. 

You giggle against his lips as you finally kick your heels off. Your feet are eternally grateful once you’re out of them. You sigh with relief as you feel your body relax instantly. 

“Man, I hate sand.” He laughs as he also kicks off his own shoes. 

You chuckle at his words, “Of course you do.”

When Anakin moves his body to meet you again he wraps his arms around you, holding you close to him. You borrow your head against his chest, nuzzling against his shirt. You’re certain that soon you’ll get addicted to his affection, as if you want him to drown you in it.

“I love you so much,” you whisper against him.

Anakin, pulls away just enough to look down on you. One of his hands moves to cup your cheek, his touch so gentle.

“Will you say it again, sweetheart?” He pleads as he looks at you with adoration. “I just need to hear it again, please.”

You smile warmly up at him, before you stand slightly on the tip of your toes to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you, Anakin.”

Anakin traces your face with his fingertips. Pushing the loose strands of your hair out of your face, he leans down to press a gentle kiss on your lips. Pulling back just as fast as he kissed you, “I love you too.”

He laughs as you chase his lips instantly. 

“You’re laughing at me?” You gasp, feigning shock. 

“No, sweetheart.” You pout up at him as he continues to chuckle.

“Yes you are.” You pull away from his touch with a dramatic huff.

“Come on baby, you know I wouldn’t.” 

“Oh do I?” You say as you pretend to think about it for a second. 

He laughs again, as his arms come to wrap your body close to his once again. You feel yourself melt in his embrace, feeling safe and at home.

As much as you love being hugged, you crave more. 

“Ani?” you whisper. He pulls away just slightly.

“Yes, sweetheart?” He says as he grasps your hands and kisses your knuckles, heat enveloping you instantly. You feel your body get all warm and mushy at the affection.

“I… want you.” You say, your voice barely above a whisper. 

He halts his movements at your words, his eyes searching yours. “You want me?” He smiles softly down at you. 

“Please,” you beg as you lean up to trace your lips with his, “I want and need you. I’ve always wanted you.” You press your lips against the corner of his mouth and you wrap your arms around his neck. You look deeply into his eyes, as you continue. “It’s always been you,  Ani. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. My heart has always belonged to you.”

The moment the words leave your lips, his eyes are glazed over, clouded with lust as he no longer holds himself back. His lips envelop yours in a loving but lustful kiss.

His mouth moves, slow and oh so passionate. Anakin kisses you like he has all the time in the world. You love the feel of his lips on yours, you could kiss Anakin all day. So soft and yet so full of passion. He tilts his head a millimetre to fit against you better and you unconsciously perk up on your toes to reach more of him.

You part your lips slightly to catch your breath, inhaling slowly as you taste him and only him. His tongue sweeps across your lips making you whimper. His wet muscle wraps itself against yours a moment later, hot and wet and steady as he tastes your mouth and kisses you deeply.

More warmth pools between your thighs as you continue to kiss each other while your hands wander all over each other. You’re quite certain that your lacy underwear is ruined by now.

Your tongues slowly swirl and dance against each other as your hands try to find purchase on his arms. You feel your core clench around nothing and become even more wet as both of his hands travel from your waist to your ass, squeezing it in his hands and pushing your body closer to him. 

“I’ve loved you for so long.” He whispers against your lips, his hands moving up to hold you. “Sweetheart, you’re my everything.”

You feel drowsy and hot all over, your mind all over the place, your heart beating insanely fast. You’re breathless and Anakin laughs softly as he takes in your state. You need this man so bad.

His mouth trails down your neck, pressing wet open mouthed kisses all over your skin, leaving you a whimpering mess.

“Ani,” you whine as you subconsciously rub your thighs together.

“I got you, kitten.” He whispers in your ear. You whimper at the pet name while he moves one of his  legs, sliding between your legs. You mewl as he presses his jeans-covered thigh against your covered heat which has you clinging onto him.

“P-please, I—” you stutter.

His hands move to your hips, guiding your body to move against him. The friction against your pussy has you moaning and you start to rub yourself against it.

“Fuck, you’re so wet.” He groans as he feels the wetness seeping through the fabric.

Anakin lifts his head and your eyes catch his, his lips finding yours in a rough kiss, not wasting any time as he slips his tongue past your lips. Your body is trembling as he devours your mouth and continues to guide your movements. The man of your dreams is wrapped around you completely, a hand tracing your back, the other holding your hips.

“Pleaaase, need more.” You whine against his mouth, “I need you.”

Suddenly, he lifts you up, and you wrap your legs around him instinctively. The passionate kisses don’t stop as he carries you and looks for your bedroom. Once he reaches your bed he places you gently down the sheets.

The bed dips before he hovers over you. He looks at you intensely as his hands move to your thighs, spreading them so he can fit between them. You whimper against his lips as his fingertips trace the skin of your thighs.

“Anakin, wait.” You say nervously. 

He stops his movements instantly, as he looks at you with concern. “What’s wrong sweetheart?” 

“Nothings wrong Ani,” you nibble at your bottom lip as you look at him. “I just, I’ve never done this before. Being intimate, I mean. I want you, I do, I just wanted to let you know.”

“Sweet girl,” he whispers as he looks at you tenderly, with so much love. “Baby, that’s okay. Don’t you worry about that. I will take good care of you.” 

A small smile forms on your lips at his words, and you nod. Anakin leans down, pressing a soft kiss on your forehead. Your body relaxes completely at the action. His lips move, all over your face, placing soft kisses on every piece of skin. 

“Ani,” you giggle before chasing his lips. As your lips connect with his again, your arms wrap around his neck, your hands tangled in his hair. His lips are so soft and swollen. You’ve kissed each other so much tonight that you almost can’t feel your lips anymore. The kiss is like velvet against yours, and as his mouth moves, delicate and slow, you can’t help but sigh into the kiss.

All you can taste, all you can feel, all you can see, all you can think about is him.

Lust coursing through your bloodstream, you detach your lips from his, moving to pepper kisses along the sharp outline of his jaw, your lips tracing the edge. Instantly, Anakin’s hands drop to your thighs again, his hands tracing the skin then moves higher underneath your dress, towards your ass before pulling you flush against him. You writhe underneath him, your lower abdomen squirming against the outline of his growing bulge.

Your mouth parts, as you keep grinding against him, as breathy moans leave your lips. 

Anakin sits up, quickly removing his shirt, discarding it somewhere in your room. Then moves back closer. He dips his head down, burying his face into the crook of your neck, his soft lips tenderly roaming over the skin. 

“A-Ani,” you stutteringly whimper, your eyes rolling back when he playfully nips your skin. He presses open mouthed kisses to the sensitive spot just below your ear before sucking harshly. Responsively, you mewl. More wetness pools at your core, growing more wet as he takes care of you.

You sigh under him, “I want you,” you mumble quietly.

Anakin runs his nose down the column of your throat before tracing the shape of your collarbone. When he reaches the crook of your neck again, he bites down softly, making you whimper out his name. Lazily, he flicks out his tongue, the wet muscle gliding soothingly over your stinging flesh. He pulls away just a bit as he mutters “I want you too, baby girl.”

“Then do it, take me.” You groan almost impatiently.

Cupping his chin, you pull him in for another kiss, desperately needing to feel his lips against yours once again. He dips his head down almost automatically, as he chases your own, he slides his tongue inside your mouth and you react instantly, gliding yours against his.

Feverishly, your hands begin roaming over each other, hot lust clouding your minds as your kiss grows fervent with desire. You move your hips desperately as you moan against his lips, hoping that he will get the hint. 

“So needy,” he groans against your mouth.

Anakin’s large palms push under the hem of your dress and over your bare thigh under he reaches the junction between your thighs. Unhesitatingly, he presses his hand to your covered folds, and the sudden touch has you breaking your kiss with a strangled cry.

Soft whines spill from your lips, you grind into his hand unconsciously, your walls clenching as you feel him softly stroke your folds over the fabric. The wetness between your thighs is uncomfortable. As he rubs your throbbing clit, you feel your hips stutter at the action. He groans as he feels more wetness at your entrance.

“Such a wet pussy, is this all for me angel?”

You nod frantically, but Anakin doesn’t seem satisfied enough.

“Come on, be a good girl and use your words.” He taunts with a smirk.

“Yes, all yours.” You manage to whimper, your voice sounding strangled and pathetic, as he applies pressure on your clit. “Only yours.”

“That’s my good girl,” he says with a grin. His fingertips find the hem of your dress and you sit up slightly. You raise your arms quickly to help him get rid of your dress.

You feel your body tremble in anticipation, as his eyes roam all over your half naked body, his eyes not being able to stick to one place. Growing wetter under his heavy stare, your inner walls clench around nothing. You feel your heart picking up as his hands reach for your hips, holding them and pressing your body closer to his once again.

“So beautiful.” He whispers as his hands trace your skin.

His lips then crash against yours as you gasp openly into his mouth, desire growing, and take it upon yourself to guide his hand back down to your pussy, this time underneath your panties. His mouth leaves yours to unleash a heavy groan into your neck at the first slip of his fingers between your wet lips.

“You’re so fucking wet, kitten.” Anakin groans as he drops his head to your shoulder, as he runs his soft lips over your flesh, peppering kisses onto your skin. 

His lips trail slowly down to your neck, all the way to your chest. Anakin breathes in through his nose, a flash of heat warms you up at his words and you shiver when he exhales warmly through his mouth and onto your nipple. “You’re a fucking goddess.”

That’s all he says before he wraps his lips around one nipple, teeth just skimming your skin as he sucks and licks passionately, then he pushes one of his fingers inside your pussy. 

The slight stretch causes your walls to contract, and as he pushes further into you, your cunt practically swallows the length. Feeling you grip his finger, he detaches his lips from your breast.

“Fuck— such a tight pussy,” he hisses. “I’ve dreamt of what your pussy would feel like, but I never thought it’d be this good,”

Your soft noises of ecstasy become louder as the pleasure overwhelms you. His tongue starts licking again, long licks with the flat of his tongue over your hard nipple as his other hand keeps pumping his finger in and out of you at a leisurely pace. His tongue swirls around your nipple, tracing its outline over and over again, while he simultaneously suckles at it.

You whine as your core starts clenching around his finger, begging for more. Instinctively you begin moving your hips, grinding against his hand, as he groans against your skin. Anakin’s lips leave your breast with a wet pop and he looks at you intensely as he continues to fuck you with his finger. You are panting heavily, barely able to think straight as he slowly slips another finger inside you. With each movement, you feel your entrance open and close, your eyes rolling back at the sensation.

“Ah fuck, daddy.” You whimper in a daze, not realising what spilled from your lips.

He groans and moves his face back up, to meet yours, engulfing you in a passionate kiss, swallowing all your little mewls.

“Good kitty, doing so well for daddy.” He pants against your lips.

Your breath hitches at his words, bucking your hips up towards his hand in response, silently begging for more. Of course he notices and slips a third finger in, moving them slowly at first as your tight pussy tries to adjust to the addition. 

Little whimpers leave your lips as he fucks you slowly with his fingers. You feel so full, you can’t help but imagine him fucking you with his cock, knowing that he’s probably massive. His pace eventually speeds up as you move your hips along with his movements. His lips move back to kiss you, as you whine against his mouth. Your hands clutch his shoulders as you move along with the pace of his fingers, feeling him curl them and spread them.

“Does that feel good, baby girl?” Anakin moans at the moment he connects his thumb with your little pulsing clit. “My love, do you love it when I play with your little pussy?” He rubs your bundle of nerves at the same pace as he fucks your tight walls. You buck your hips, moaning as you nod at his words. “Use your words, kitten.” He tuts.

You writhe against the sheets as you mewl. “Fuck! Yes, please, please, Ani. It feels so good.”

Anakin leans his head back down, trapping your lips in yet another heated kiss. Instinctively, you feel your legs spread even more open for him as you feel yourself get close to your first orgasm of the night. His tongue slips easily into your mouth after another gasp falls from your lips. You can’t help but moan, whine and whimper as he continues to pleasure you. Your hands wander to the back of his head pulling at his hair softly making him moan into your mouth.

“F-fuck, I need you so bad.” He groans as his thumb applies more pressure on your little nub. He curls his fingers forward with every penetration until your thighs shake.

His eyes stare into yours, lust and adoration written all over them. Once he fastens his motions inside you again, you moan and squeeze your eyes shut. A burning intense feeling, a tight coil in your lower abdomen makes you arch your back beneath him.

“Come for me, my baby.”

You open your eyes slowly, locking eyes with him. His intense gaze is what it takes for you to come undone. The hot feeling spreads all over your body, your body tingling, your hips moving at their own accord against Anakin’s hand as you gasp loudly.

“Doing so well for me princess,” he says proudly, smiling as his fingers slow as you come down from your high. 

As you come back to your senses, you feel his fingers slip away from your heat. You feel your pussy clench around nothing every now and there, your wetness dripping down the sheets, which makes you whimper helplessly.

Anakin climbs off the bed, as he makes quick work to remove all of his clothing. You are still in a daze, closing your eyes for a moment.

Once he removes the rest of his clothes, you feel him move back up to you. He leans down, roving his lips down to your neck, licking and sucking, as his hands cup your sensitive breasts, massing them in his hands. You whimper, it’s too much, everything is too much. You feel so hot as Anakin litters soft kisses down your shoulders to your chest. Your hands find his head once again, running your fingers through his hair as he breathes onto one of your nipples.

“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” He says softly against your skin.

Anakin’s lips move slowly down your body, kissing every little place he can find on your skin while he pushes your body back against the bed. His lips travel all the way down to your hips making you whine and beg silently for more.

A mischievous smile plays on Anakin’s lips as he looks up at you through his eyelashes. “You smell so good, I am sure you taste just as good, if not better.” He groans before taking your underwear between his teeth, while pulling it off your legs slowly. Your mouth hangs open as you watch him, truly speechless someone could make this look so hot. Anakin keeps looking at you as he slides down your body, pulling it off you when it reaches your ankles.

Once he pushes your legs wide for him, you whimper as the air hits your wet slit. Anakin smiles as he kisses all the way up to your leg, taking his sweet time to give your body the attention you need. He presses soft kisses from your ankles up to your knees, his hands move along with his mouth, caressing the insides of your thighs as he gradually moves up your legs.

His lips linger on your thighs, licking and sucking some kisses on your soft skin, Anakin’s lips are so close to where you need him the most yet he feels so far away.

“P-please Ani, baby, I need you…” you practically beg, so desperate for him to finally give you what you desperately want.

“I love it when you beg for me kitten,” he whispers against the flesh of your thigh before his lips move higher making your breath hitch. His fingers move to spread your outer lips for him, Anakin smirks as he slides two fingers inside of you, watching the way your body squirms at the sensation, and you moan against the pillow next to you trying to muffle yourself.

“Mmmm you’re so wet for me baby girl, you’re literally dripping on my fingers,” he says before he presses some kisses on your pubic bone, making you buck your hips in response. “Easy, kitty, we have all night.”

“God, d-daddy… please move your fingers or anything. I just. I need you so baaa—” your whining gets cut off once you feel his lips around your clit, sucking it into his mouth, coaxing a loud but broken moan from your throat. “F-fuck!”

You feel like screaming, you don’t know what to do with your hands, feeling so lost and overwhelmed with the pleasure Anakin’s giving you already. He dives between your legs, licking a stripe up through your folds and teasingly dipping his tongue into your entrance along with his fingers before he travels up to your clit, spreading your lips with his wet appendage and sucking your button into his mouth.

You feel your body trembling terribly. You need more. You try to grind your wetness slowly against his lips as your body continues to shake.

Strong arms are suddenly locked around your thighs, securing your hips with his biceps, holding you still despite your attempts to grind your pussy against his lips.

You grab a random pillow as you hold it against your face to muffle your loud noises while your hips move along with the pace of his fingers. A moment later you feel him grab the pillow and remove it from your face, you whine as he drops it next to your body.

“I want to hear you, my sweet girl, don’t hide your pretty face and moans from me.” He says against your wetness as he curls his fingers inside you, playing with the sensitive spot inside you.

“A-ah, Ani, daddy please. I-I need more.” You moan desperately underneath him. You are squirming, it is so good you can barely even figure out what he is doing with his tongue.

Anakin slowly removes his fingers out of you, making you whine at the loss. He chuckles against you, heat spreading all over your body at the action. His tongue is lapping at your lower lips. Loud incoherent noises come out from your throat. You’re squirming at the feel of his tongue moving around your entrance and Anakin just sighs like there’s nothing in the world he’d rather be doing than this right now, eating you out in your bed, and it feels so so good.

Slipping his tongue finally into your entrance, he curls the muscle upward to brush your walls, you practically scream at his actions, arching your back slightly off the bed. Your head swims from his ministrations. Moaning and whining, you continue to writhe underneath him. You can feel the tight coil in your stomach, ready to snap.

“P-please, please. Ani, I’m so c-close.” You squeak when he starts thrusting his tongue in and out of you just like his fingers that had been doing it earlier before, your body trembling as you try to grind your hips into his mouth as you repeatedly whine his name.

“Come on baby, come for me,” Anakin says against your pussy before plunging his tongue back inside. Your trembling hands reach for his head, tugging lightly at his longer dark blonde strands, while moving your hips against his face, fucking yourself onto his tongue. As he applies pressure on your sensitive spot inside you with his tongue, you can feel his thumb circling your clit, making you see stars.

With a bit more pressure on your clit you come with a loud whine, your vision turning white and your ears ringing as you feel your movements against his face getting sloppier. 

The orgasm you’re experiencing feels so intense, the pleasure overwhelming your senses. You feel your pussy gushing against his lips, feeling more wetness slipping out of your entrance as Anakin moans against your cunt. You take in some deep shaky breaths, trying to gasp for air as you come down from your high. Your body trembles heavily as you try to come back to your senses. 

You feel Anakin’s tongue still licking up your pussy as he retreats his fingers from your pulsing hole. His mouth feels heavenly, but you whine at the sensitivity. He moans as he licks against your tight hole, licking up your release, his tongue prodding your entrance again.

“‘S too much.” You whimper at the overstimulation.

Anakin ignores your pleas, moaning against your heat as he continues to eat you out. The man you adore so much between your legs keeps sliding his tongue up and down your sensitive slit. Your little mewls and other noises of ecstasy spur him on, to move his lips back up to your clit. He sucks the nub softly between his lips. 

The walls of your pussy clench furiously, the empty feeling inside you intensifying with every lick, and as your wetness trickles out of you, your core practically begging to be filled.

You begin grinding your hips against his face as moans keep spilling off your lips. “You’re so sensitive, kitten.” He remarks as he presses a kiss to your clit. 

Eventually he leans down, slipping his tongue into your entrance again, he curls the muscle upward to brush your walls, the sight of your fingers bunching the fabric of the sheets in a tight grip encourages him to do it again and again.

You are a mess of his name, you chant his name over and over again. As if his name is the only word that you know at the moment. Your hips move against his face as you continue to whimper and moan breathlessly underneath him. 

Writhing below him, you feel him lick up and press against a sensitive spot inside that has you seeing stars, while your hips buck against his face uncontrollably. Your fingers are once again gripping onto his dark blonde hair rather harshly and your hips push against his face to shove his tongue deeper into your hole.

“Please,” you beg. You’re so, so close. You just need a little bit more to climax.

“Come,” he whispers his demand against you, before plunging his tongue back inside you as his thumb comes up to press against your little bundle of nerves. You come with a loud whine, your hips stuttering as your vision turns white. You cry out his name, your voice unable to remain steady. Your fingers are tightly woven through Anakin’s hair and your hips push so far against his face, you think you are almost suffocating him.

As you slowly come down to reality again and you try to catch your breath, you hear him praising you softly while he continues to lap at your wetness gently, until you whine and nudge him away with your leg because the overstimulation is getting too much for you. Finally Anakin detaches his mouth from your pussy.

He quickly licks the wetness off his lips before he crawls back up to you with a smirk, to kiss you deeply, cupping your face in his hands. You moan at the taste of yourself against his tongue, your eyes fluttering against his skin while you kiss, your arms wrap around him to pull his body closer against yours. You sigh happily, against his mouth, you feel yourself melting in his embrace already. You can feel his soft mouth smiling against yours, as the kiss gets more heated.

“You did so good for me, baby. My good girl.” He whispers against you. 

You pull away to look down between your bodies. He’s incredibly long, insanely so, and somehow even thicker, its rigid girth intimidating against your body. His shaft throbs under your gaze and you can’t help but fixate on it, you swallow thickly at the sight of it, the walls of your cunt constricting around nothing.

You can’t help but wonder if it was even possible to fit inside you. 

His lips chase your own, as he envelops you into another sweet but deep kiss. “Care to share what you’re thinking?”

“H-how?” You say quietly as you stare at him.

Anakin chuckles and you can’t help but pout at the sound of his soft laughter. “Baby, I’m not making fun of you. I swear.” He reassures you quickly as his hand cups your cheek gently. “Don’t worry, it will fit.”

You can’t help but roll your hips against his to feel his cock. You’re whimpering and moaning as you move. It turns slick as you keep grinding yourself against him, and he has no trouble gliding his hips against you and rutting it into your clit.

“Oh, baby,” Anakin groans, and it’s because he reaches down and grasps himself to line up between your lips and slide. He keeps rubbing the head of his cock from your entrance, up to your clit, circling until you squirm underneath him, and back down. Every single time his tip rubs against your hole you tremble more. He loves the sounds you make as he spreads his precum around your slit, where you are still dripping for him.

“Please, daddy.” You gasp openly into his mouth, desire growing quickly. You are still extremely wet, but the thought of him finally entering you with his big cock makes you wetter. Anakin swallows your whines with his lips against yours, hips rolling against yours. He kisses you full with fervour, his grip on you intensifying heatedly.

His broad body covers your own smaller body with his. You can’t help but love how bigger and taller he is than you. You feel so small under his large body, but in a good way. You’ve always had a thing for much taller guys. You love how sexy he is; his deep voice, his big hands, his large, muscular, sweaty body. You love hearing him call you his baby, his princess, his love, all the loving names he comes up with for you. You love how he treats you, how he has always treated you. He makes you feel safe and so loved. 

You are trembling against him, filled with anticipation. You writhe against him, wishing he was just filling your pussy up already.

“Are you ready for me, baby?” He whispers as he looks deep into your eyes. “I’ll try to be as gentle and as slow as I can, okay? Let me know if you want me to stop and I will.” He promises you.

You whine and nod, not trusting your voice at the moment, as you rub your pussy against his dick.

“Fuck,” he moans, “I need you to use your words baby.”

“Okay,” you whisper breathlessly. “I love you.”

“I love you too sweetheart, so much.”

He leans back down to kiss your lips again, he reaches down and grasps himself to line up between your lips and slide. He rubs himself up and down your slit for a while longer before one of his hands leans down to spread your outer lips sliding his dick teasingly around your entrance. You arch your back slightly and whimper loudly out of frustration.

“P-please—” your whine gets cut off at the feel of him applying pressure at your tight hole.

Anakin slides the tip in such a slow way it is agonising. At first he struggles to enter the tight, unused walls of your virginal pussy. Your lips part with a cry. He is so careful, like he is afraid you might break. You let out a long broken whine as he gradually pushes more of him inside you. 

You whine at the stretch of him. He is so huge. Your tight pussy clenches around him as it tries to accommodate his massive girth. He continues to push more of his cock inside you. He leans down to kiss your lips gently as he moves more inside, hoping that the distraction and the kisses will soften the sting.

“Fuck, how are you so tight.” Anakin moans against your mouth, almost undone by the tight embrace of your velvet walls around his cock.

His hips still once he hears your strangled gasp. “Wha— it’s not m-me. Ah, fuck. You’re just huge.”

“Do you think you can handle more?” He smiles tenderly as he looks down at you.

“M-more?” You stammer with wide eyes.

“Yeah,” he says breathlessly.

“Please,” You flutter your eyes close and whine as you nod. You grip the bed sheets between your fingers as you beg him for more.

“Good girl,” he grunts softly. You think there isn’t a possibility to get more wet but as he utters those words you feel your heat get sopping wet. Your pussy continues to pulse and clench around his cock as he moves deeper inside you.

Once he bottoms out, you feel his tip kiss your cervix. Anakin lets his body rest against yours as he allows you to adjust to his size. You feel extremely full, as if he is made for you, and only you. A sudden feeling of completeness overtakes you, the sense of wholeness overwhelming you.

The feeling of him filling you up so completely has you seeing stars and digging your fingernails into his shoulders. You feel one of his hands finding your hand, lacing them together as the other one reaches up to your face.

His breathing is heavy as you squeeze his cock constantly. Small whimpers spill from your lips as you squirm underneath him.

You need more.

You slowly open your eyes to look up at him with pleading eyes. “Please, Ani.”

“You need me to move baby?” He asks gently, as his thumb swipes over your bottom lip.

“Yes, please.” You beg as your pussy clenches around his thickness rather hard which makes him moan. “I need you to fuck me so bad.”

He nods before he starts moving slow and deep, one hand reaching down to play with your clit, while the other holds onto your hand tightly. The sting was hurting for a while, but it easily morphes into a more pleasurable feeling as he moves against you. 

He moans as he drops his head to your ear to kiss and lick at the sensitive skin just below it.

“Such a tight pussy,” he groans.

A loud noise like nothing you’ve ever made escapes your throat, a strange cry of his name.

Anakin’s entire weight is braced on one hand beside you, his other hand moving to rest on your back, under your body, as he pulls your chest into his. Your legs are splayed open on either side of his hips as he grinds his cock into you. The angle is so good, gradually he picks up his pace, leaving you a whimpering mess underneath him. Every time he thrusts into you, his pelvic bone drags along your throbbing clit, making you cry out his name in pure ecstasy.

“You’re taking me so well, kitten. Doing so so, good for me.” He whispers against your skin as he nuzzles his face against your neck.

You whimper as his lips move back up to your lips, enveloping them in a heated kiss. At a certain point you feel him slide into a pressure point in your core that has you clenching like a vise around his dick. Your eyes roll to the back of your head from the pleasure he is giving you. Your legs shoot out, wrapping them around his hips, and your heels dig into the fleshy globes of Anakin’s ass, pulling him deeper into you.

“Feeling good my sweet girl?” He moans, a small smile forming on his lips as he watches your face contort in pure pleasure.

His mouth covers your own instead as he swallows all your little noises, you can feel the tightness return in your belly, the tight coil that pulls tight, tight, tighter. Suddenly everything feels too much. It is just too much for you to handle.

He quickens his pace, his hips snapping up to yours to a fast tempo. “This pussy was made for this me, isn’t it, kitten?”

You can only moan his name repeatedly in response. His hands can’t seem to get enough of you, sliding around your hips and lower back, wanting to feel all of you, touch you everywhere. Your arms wrap around him and your nails dig in his back making him groan. The feeling of the coil is tightening in your belly, tingling down to your legs, ready to snap at any moment.

“You’re so beautiful,” he admires you, cursing under his breath when you purposefully tighten your walls around him. “You look so pretty when you’re stretched around my cock, fuck— I bet you’d look so pretty full of my cum too.”

“Please…” you whimper at the thought of him filling you up with his cum. As your thoughts start to wander, things that you shouldn’t be thinking of yet, all because the thought of him filling you up with his cum has your thoughts going feral. It has you involuntarily clenching around him. (You try to store that fantasy for later.) “Please daddy, fill this pussy up.”

He groans as he buries his face in the crook of your neck.

Fervently, the two of you rock into each other, chasing your own highs. You cling desperately to him, your arms holding onto his shoulders as you writhe together. You crave his kisses, needing to feel his lips on yours, you strain your neck and press your mouth to his. Instantly, his mouth opens, and your tongues begin moving against each other leisurely.

One of his hands slides between your body before you feel him stroke your clit. He rubs your clit with enough pressure to ensure you’d cum. Breaking from the kiss, you cry out against his lips, your breaths heavily intermingling together.

“You want to cum, sweetheart?” 

You nod frantically at his words with your eyes closed as you bite your lip harshly. “Please, f-fuck. Need it so bad.”

“Cum for me, baby,” Anakin urges. His command, paired with the way his fingers caress your clit, and how his cock drags against your sweet spot, has you at the brink of your climax.

Mouth falling open, your muscles strain as you choke out a cry of euphoria. Your whole body trembles, squirming underneath him as you come undone. You held his body closer to yours, your nails digging in his back, scratching it. Head lolling back, your back arches violently as you twist and contort in pleasure under him. 

Anakin groans in your ear as your walls spasm and pulse around his cock, begging him to cum inside, desperate for him to fill you up the way he promised.

Feeling your pussy tighten in a vice-like grip, your inner walls gushing with wetness as you milk his shaft, Anakin moans deeply.

“Fuck,“ he moans, pushing himself up as he thrust deeper into you, the head of his cock hitting your cervix repeatedly. “Going to fill this pussy up, until it’s full and messy.”

His own head falls onto your chest, and with a few more thrusts, he buries his cock as deep inside you as he can before he cums.

He moans loudly, as he comes inside you. The warmth of his seed fills you up and spreads within your walls. His warm cum fills you up deeply, the mild heat of it settling deep inside you and causing you to squirm under him. You whimper at the feel of his cum dripping out of you.

Once both of you catch your breaths, Anakin leans his forehead against yours before kissing you tenderly.

You feel him soften inside you, and as soon as you feel him move to pull out, you whine in protest wrapping your legs around him to prevent him from leaving you yet.

“Stay.” You whisper against his lips.

Anakin lets out a breathless chuckle at that.

“We need to clean you up.”

“Right now?” You whine again.

“Yeah,” he smiles as you pout. “How about this, I will clean you up and then we can cuddle as much as you want.”

“Will you stay?” You continue to pout.

“Yes, if my girl wants me to stay I will.” He smiles down at you, looking at you with so much love.

“Oh really?” You grin at him. “Am I your girl?”

He rolls his eyes playfully. “Yes, of course. Who else?”

“I just wanted to hear you say it.” You giggle before you press a soft kiss at the corner of his lips.

“Yes, you’re mine. Just like I’m yours. Completely.” Then his head moves just slightly, to capture your lips in another deep and loving kiss. As you lose yourself in the kiss, you don’t really notice as he softly unhooks your legs from around him. Moments later he pulls out as gently as possible.

You whine in protest, your walls a little raw from his thick girth, and when he retreats completely, you can’t help but squirm. Instantly, his cum begins leaking out of you, causing you to mewl in pleasure, your entrance throbbing and only forcing more of his cum out. 

Anakin sits back on his heels, his eyes drop to your pussy, a low groan falls from his lips. Your legs are spread wide, and your pussy slightly gaping from where he’d fucked you open. But he’s more focused on how his cum leaks out of you, his seed dripping down your ass. Or how your pussy clenches around nothing every now and then. His chest swells with pride, and he can’t help but smile lazily.

Leaning forward, he presses one hand onto your inner thigh, while the other swipes two fingers between your slit, gathering up his cum, and pushing it back into you. You wince at the sensation, a low groan slipping from your throat at the sensitivity. He presses a kiss to your knee in apology after he pulls his hand away.

“Come on baby,” he chuckles as he moves off the bed, taking you along with him. You whine as you realise that you’ll have to come along with him, leaving your soft bed.

“What? I thought you were gonna clean me up?” You pout. Your legs wobble a bit, your body aching as he tugs you to the adjacent bathroom of your bedroom.

“I changed my mind.” He smiles cheekily.

You raise your brow at him, looking at him suspiciously as he guides them into her shower. 

“If you think that we’re gonna do anything but clean ourselves then you’re mistaken mister.” You poke his chest playfully.

“I know,” he winks before he turns the shower on. Immediately, water shoots from the shower head mounted to the wall, the spray wetting your arm. 

Once you’re both cleaned, which took a while because you did more than just clean; lots of kisses and touches were shared, both of you finally crawled back into bed. The night is filled with lots of talking, laughter, your kisses, cuddling, more noises of pleasure and all the love you both share for one another. You know that you’ll never get tired of loving Anakin, regardless of how new your romantic relationship is. And you know he feels the same way about you too. You’re tired of running away, tired of pushing your true feelings away. Finally allowing yourself to be truly happy with the love you have for the man that adores you just as much.

He’s your medicine.

[the-traveling-poet]

OH MY GOSH! That modern!au was so beautiful???😭😭 I’m not a sucker for moderns au cause I like to keep things as canon as possible but saying that I loved this would be an understatement. 🤩 Please write a pt 2?? 💕

══════════════════════

Phone Call

══════════════════════

After successfully arriving at the Cast Meet and Greet event a couple hours away from your quaint apartment, you were able to meet your idol at long last.

Though you had been awkward in greeting the man of your dreams, you planned to make up for ‘lost time’. With his phone number tucked securely in your phone’s contact list, you anxiously awaited the right moment to send that first text.

══════════════════════

Pairings: Actor!Levi x Fan!Reader

Warnings: modern!AU, language, fluff

Taglist: @21aurora @deepzombieyouth @braunsbabe

══════════════════════

A/N: thanknyou so much Anon, and also AGREED. I’m not one for modern!AU aot fics, but the request kinda struck me and I thought ‘why not?’ And I’m content with how it turned out?? So I’m happy to do a follow up :3

I’m so sorry it took me forever!

Hope you enjoy pt. 2!

══════════════════════

Part 1 | Part 3

══════════════════════

That hour had passed you by surprisingly quickly, with how often you’d space out staring over the crowd of fans to fantasize your interaction with Levi Ackerman all over once more in your hazy mind.

Just what had happened? Your babbling and jumbled words, earning you a receipt of his own personal number??

The more you thought about it, you figured this had to be some grueling joke. It had to, right? This never happened outside of fiction. Perhaps he had given you a public number of his, and if you texted it you might just end up embarrassing yourself.

But the look he’d had in his eyes when he glanced up at you before signing those ten numbers under his signature onto the very paper he held…surely he wasn’t one for cruel practical jokes, right?

Tucking the paper away for now, you brought yourself back to the present as the interview began.

For the entirety of the event, you couldn’t keep the giddy grin from your face as your favorite actors and actresses posed as their beloved characters to answer popular questions across many social media platforms. They would quote the author’s original scrip for accurate answers, as well as adding their own personal takes on the topics as the character’s roles.

How could this event have been any more enthralling; you had thought, just before managing to meet the gaze of Levi from the back of the room. Your breath stuck in your throat once more as you quickly diverted your stare.

But upon hearing the man start to speak into his small microphone to answer some questions on a cue card he held, your gaze snapped back up in an instant to find him. You could listen to his voice all day and never tire of how husky and yet smooth he sounded. While the questions were indeed interesting, and provoked curiosity within every fan present, you found it hard to focus on the words.

You punched your thigh to make yourself concentrate less on the paper held securely in your hand, and more on the event you’d paid a good amount to come see.

The hours ticked by all too quickly, as much as you were anxious to get a chance to text Levi’s number. But finally the moment arrived when the cast all took a stand and thanked the audience for showing up.

Shaking hands grabbed at your belongings as you stood to clap alongside the hundred or so fans. The room was slow to clear, prohibiting you from leaving through the double doors just yet.

Realizing you’d be stuck in the exit line for some time, you let your anticipation get the better of you and pulled out your phone. You hesitated when the contact screen popped up, wondering just what you would say, should this in fact not have been a joke.

“Fuck it,” You whispered, hitting send.

Hey, Mr. Ackerman, this is Y/N from earlier. Loved getting to meet you today!

With a shaky sigh you pocketed your phone, fighting with your bag as you scanned the dispersing crowd. Your eyes naturally drifted back towards the interview table, watching the cast clear their things and be led back through a single door liking the back wall.

Surprisingly, Levi hadn’t departed yet. He stood beside two guards, arms folded and leaning casually against the table as they chatted.

You’d nearly looked away when his posture straightened. He pulled a thin black phone from his back pocket and unlocked it. You nearly lost your breath when he seemed to be reading the screen closely as his nimble thumbs ran across the lower half of the screen.

Daring to hope, you ducked down in the crowd slightly and checked the message you’d sent. And there at the bottom of the screen appeared a bubble icon.

Biting your lip, you were slightly saddened to see the line moving along. But now, you had a bit of a bounce to your step as you left the building and re-emerged back in the extensive parking lot.

You had to remind yourself to look away from your phone screen and watch for passing cars as you passed the walkway. Hastily unlocking your car, you slid inside and locked the door after you and picked up your phone.

I’m glad you enjoyed the event. But please, just Levi is fine. Seems you were anxious to test the validity of this number?

Who knows how long you sat there, shaking in your seat as your thumbs flew across the screen to form a response. But after some time discussing the event, Levi brought up the situation in which you hadn’t been able to say all you had wanted; what with the time limit per fan and your awkward stumbling.

With a burning face and shaking fingers you replied ‘yes’ to his suggestion for a quick call, as he had nothing left on his schedule after the interview, at least for a few hours.

You drove off with a tight grin, awkwardly taking the call once it rang. It was slow to begin with, you trying to be formal and Levi trying to convince you to just be yourself.

An hour into the drive home, you’d hardly recognized just how easy it had been to open up and ask the things you really wanted to know. He answered every question you had, to the best of your ability.

He never once sounded annoyed, nor distracted as the call progressed. In fact, he started asking you simple questions of his own.

Are you from around here?

No? Where at, then?

How damn long did you drive to get here?

When did you get into the show?

Why was my character your favorite? He’s kinda a dick.

All too soon you’d pulled into the lot outside your apartment, and bade him a hesitant goodbye. You’d have continued the call, if it hadn’t already been two hours of conversation and he had a shoot he had to attend for the company.

Offhandedly, he mentioned thinking on letting you have the first look how the photos would come out before he hung up, leaving you with an explosive feeling of butterflies in your gut.

Climbing the straits towards your room, you unlocked the door and flipped onto the couch with a barely contained scream.

You were living a reality you hardly thought feasible, how could you not be over the moon?

Just when you’d thrown your phone to the side some time later to grave dinner, your phone buzzed one last time.

*Attachment : 4 images.*

Never thought I’d give my number to a fan. Coffee at Highland Cafè around 2 o’clock next week? That’s closer to you.

[headphonesbones]

Shattered dream sans x a reader who works for nightmare- [idk if this is what you mean by like you know writing reqs-]

Cas and Null decided to write this together! Hope you enjoy <3

-----

Alright, this is probably gonna get real complicated REAL FAST

Man is crazy (obvi)

But he’s thankfully (or maybe not thankfully) crazy for you

Uhhh… good luck with that…

So man, this can go a few ways… None of which are probably good lol

Let’s say you’re close to Nightmare before stuff hits the fan. Well, as close as you can get to him…

He’s kinda emotionally constipated, but we love him (kinda)

Nightmare, if he actually gives a damn about you, probably would be… let’s just say “reluctant” to have you around his newly corrupted brother.

He trusted him even less now tbh

BUT

I mean, at least he’s not suspiciously nice anymore??? /j

So, man’s crazy x2 so both of them are kinda trying to manipulate you in order to “see their side”

Basically, they’re fighting over you. One as a romantic interest and the other as platonic… probably.

But basically, neither are exactly “right”

You were doing a pretty good job at trying to stay away from Shattered!Dream until, one day, he managed to corner you when you were really sleepy

“Oh, poor thing. Aren’t you tired of mercilessly working for that…. Imbecile brother of mine? Come here, rest your head.” Shattered cooed at you from the other end of the room, watching you stumble your way into your house after a particularly rough mission. How did he even get in here? You were too tired to care. You shuffled over to him and slumped down at his feet, resting your head in his lap. He places his hand on your head, tenderly stroking your hair and murmuring sweet nothings. 

So naturally, you were like “whaT THE FU-”

Nah, you totally didn’t suspect anything. I mean, how different could Shattered!Dream be from his old self? (very different, as you’d come to find out)

You hadn’t slept in literal days, you’d just come back from one of Nightmare’s missions, things got messy in that mission, “your husband is dead, we found him with no head” type shenanigans. 

(… the frick did I just say???? ADHD brain is wack as frick, don’t do vegetables, kids)

Your brain was confused and static-y (is that a neurodivergent thing???) and you were just done by that point

You were kinda not too trusting of him, buuuuut… his lap was comfortable, what else can I say, Your Honor?

(I was just in a silly goofy kinda mood, so I fell asleep on my mortal enemy’s lap)

His voice was relaxing, his lap cozy, the mood just right, and you were exhausted beyond belief

So what did you do?

You fell asleep

Anyways

I have no idea if any of this is coherent

When you woke up (like 16 hours later, thanks to exhaustion) you found that you were in your bed.

You, not knowing wtf just happened, are confused, of course.

Was that all a Dream? Well, Dream was involved but NO, IT WAS NOT A DREAM

HIT THE PANIC BUTTON

You have gay panic for a bit until you see the note on your bedside table

He called you mi cielito in the letter.

Mi cielito?? Depending on if you know Spanish, you may be a little confused. Means “my little sky”... what can I say, he’s a sucker for Moon, Sun, Stars, Sky, etc. motifs

Same

Alright, so…

Thankfully, unlike Nightmare, he’s probably not gonna leave dead birds outside of your doorstep

(probably)

You know, for someone that doesn’t really like cats (we all know what I’m talking about), Nightmare sure does act like one… Neko! Nightmare coming up? (I know the word “neko” just dealt +40 psychic damage to one of you out there)

----- 

Alright, I didn’t really answer your request but I am PLANNING on making this a smol series. So like… a few parts? I just really want to get this out! :]

Cas was sorta working off of first caffeine in week, combined with not sleeping in over 24 hours.

Hope you enjoyed! Please, feel free to send as many requests as you want!

[itslottiehere]

even the sun gets clouded sometimes (h.s) —  part three

hello beautiful people! here we are, part three is all yours. this fic means so much to me, and this part is extremely autobiographic, and i just hope you don’t mind that lol. i just wanted to thank you again for the crazy support i received on this fic, it still doesn’t feel real. thank you, thank you, thank you. please, as always, read the trigger warnings. it’s a sensitive topic, and i don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable. as always, please leave your feedback in my asks on in the tags, it’s really important! without further ado, happy reading! love you all <3

> part one | part two

masterlist | leave your feedback or requests here

tw: angst, fluff, swearing, talk of self harm.

word count: 8.4k (grab a snack)

—

their movie nights became a regular thing. every week, one of them would text the other “movie night?” and in a half hour at most they were sitting on her couch, a take out of some sorts on the coffee table, deciding who could choose the movie that night. it usually happened after a hard day, like when harry’s car got totalled (and he got to sleep on her couch again. “double win this time”, he thought) or when she had back to back clients who were way too rude, and she just wanted to relax. if someone had asked her a month before if she thought about spending time with harry as “relaxing”, she would’ve laughed at their faces for 10 minutes straight. but it turned out that harry’s a great listener, a really good one. maybe not so much at giving advice.

“just tell him to fuck off.”

“harry, i can’t do that, he’s my boss!”

“and what? bosses can’t fuck off?” 

this went on for a few weeks, and in that time she got to know a little bit more of harry: his interests, his hobbies, the movies he liked best.

he was a real fan of romcoms, and the dichotomy was extremely funny: a tall, well-built man, who had a resting face that seemed to be of someone bothered 24/7, who teared up whenever he saw a cliché love story.

harry would argue all the time that he was definitely not crying, and she’d let it slide. it was kinda cute. 

she also learned that harry was a lover of cats, and wished he could get one but feared that they were going to get lonely, with him being out most of the time.

“it’d be nice to have someone around, you know? the apartment gets lonely sometimes.”

she nodded solemnly, understanding perfectly what he was saying. sometimes it was just nice to have someone there with you. not in a romantic way, not even in a friendly way, but just in.. an existing together kind of way. 

she felt the same often, and that’s why niall was frequently over at her place. he loved being at her’s — mostly for the couch and the beer she kept just for him in the fridge — and she liked the company.

harry actually found out a bit more about her. she didn’t share much — and he didn’t dare ask any personal questions this time, still embarrassed about what happened almost two months and a half before. but he learned what she did for a living, which was interesting.

“yeah, i work for a publishing company. that’s why i have a thousand books all over, i can’t seem to find a place for every one of them. but it’s okay, i love being surrounded by them.”

“but the others say that you’re on the night shift whenever you are not out with us, made me think you were a nurse?”

“oh well, they say that when i stay late at the office. i usually stay there till after 11pm, hence why they call it “the night shift”.”

“why do you stay so late?” harry inquired, putting his chin into his hand, leaning a bit forward.

“sometimes it’s because i have a deadline, or because i’m reading a draft that’s just too captivating and i didn’t even realise that time passed. i really enjoy my job, and even if sometimes i have to deal with not-so-nice clients or a crabby boss, i love it all the same.” 

“i see, that’s pretty great, actually. not many people get to say that about their job, you know?” she just nodded. “so, any new novels i should be on the lookout for?”

on friday night, harry texted her “movie night?”, even though they already had one on monday, but he was so tired from the week and just wanted to relax. and seeing her was what made him the most relaxed.

more times than not, he wouldn’t be able to finish the movie, nodding off about halfway. then he was waken up by soft — albeit, slightly cold — hands of a certain someone, who put a quilt that smelled so much like her on him and was picking up his legs, urging him to lay down and get in a more comfortable position.

she never woke him up telling him to go home, just offered him a place to stay. he really couldn’t put into words how much he appreciated that.

so, he was hoping to see her and perhaps get to sleep on that soft couch, surrounded by everything that reminded him of her. he didn’t know if it was weird, how much comfort she brought him. 

all his hopes were crushed when she texted him back.

“i’m so sorry, i’m on the night shift. rain check?” 

he stopped in his tracks. he was already on his way to pick up dinner, because she never said no. 

not even when she was on her period and wanted to just be swaddled in a soft blanket, away from the world. she told him that he could come over, but she had one simple condition.

“please bring over the greasiest burger you can think of. there’s an extra key under the doormat, i can’t stand up.” 

when he arrived, he did find the keys and he opened the door. he saw her all curled on the couch, and he could’ve just smothered her cheeks with kisses.

the thought scared him at first, but when he really thought of it, it was the same feeling he got whenever he saw a cute little kitten or puppy. like, a cute aggression kind of feeling. 

he saw her face light up as soon as he came in her line of sight.

“well, that’s a nice change.” he thought. perhaps her smile was directed to the burger sitting in the bag on the coffee table, but harry thought it was directed to him as well.

so, to hear her say she couldn’t make it to movie night, made him frown. he really, really wanted to see her. he was even going to let her choose the movie! 

but a change of plans was needed.

—

it was nearing 8pm, her stomach was rumbling and her eyes were about to close. all she wanted that night was go home, have a nice bath and get into some cozy pjs, preparing herself for the christmas shopping she had to do during the weekend. 

the thought of asking harry to come over for a movie night crossed her mind, but she didn’t want to bother him, he probably had better plans for a friday night. she was more of a homebody, so staying at home sounded like a dream, but harry told her he liked going out in clubs and such.

that’s why she was surprised when he texted her, and she hated telling him no, but she had too many things on the following monday, so she thought she would get ahead as much as she could.

which meant that she had to turn down movie night, and she just knew he had that cute pout on his lips, that he’d get once she’d won the third round of “rock, paper, scissors” for who could choose the movie that night.

around 8:15, there was a soft knock on her office door.

“oh sorry guys, i’ll get out right now but you can also not clean this room, i’m going home late!” she got up from her chair and started picking up her papers so she could get out of the cleaning crew’s hair.

but when a familiar mop of curly hair came through the door, she stopped cleaning up.

“harry? what are you doing here? is everything okay?”

“yeah, yeah, everything’s fine. i brought dinner.” he came through the door and walked into her office.

“but... why? a-and how do you know where i work?” she looked at him quizzically.

“i texted sarah and asked her for the address. and why? can’t i just want to see you?”

she couldn’t stop her cheeks from getting warm, as warm as the feeling she was feeling in her belly. he wanted to see her. 

“no no, of course.” she coughed a little. “please sit. and thank you so much, i’m so hungry.”

“yeah, i know, i could hear your stomach growling from the end of the hall.” he chuckled.

“hey!” she acted offended, but was smiling as wide as him.

they ate their dinner — well, she inhaled her food — and they chatted a bit.

“so, tell me more about your job. about you, in general. it feels like i’ve done all the talking these last couple of months.” he cleaned his hands on the paper towel, getting his fingers clean from the sticky sauce.

“uhm, i don’t have much to tell, i’m not that interesting to be honest.”

“i think i have to disagree.” he looked up at her, and she could feel herself swoon. “why are you here tonight?”

“oh, i just have back to back staff meetings on monday morning, and then i have meetings with clients in the afternoon and i’m not going to be done with everything in time if i don’t stay late tonight. i need to have the weekend free of work.” she confessed, clearing up her desk from their containers. 

“need a weekend away from everything?” he wondered. 

“i do, yeah.” she smiled. “but that’s not happening this weekend, unfortunately. i have to shop for christmas presents, i’m already late and i have to get them all at once, and it’s really overwhelming.” she sighed.

“you’re tired.” he noted.

“not all that nice to hear that for a woman, you know? it means i look bad.” 

“no, it’s not what i meant. i just can see your eyes halfway closed. you can’t work right now, you’re falling asleep.”

“but i need to, harry, i have to fin-“

“no, you don’t.” he interrupted her, his gaze piercing. “i’m getting you home. and i won’t take no for an answer.” 

“but harry, i-“

“nope. we’re going home.”

“but-“

“do i need to pick you up and carry you to the car? because i will do it if you keep fighting me on this.”

she looked at him, wondering how the hell they ended up there. 

harry just tilted his head to the side. “you ready?”

it felt like she had no other choice but to nod.

—

when she asked him to stay and watch a movie, harry couldn’t say no, finally getting what he wanted all along.

this time he knew he probably wasn’t going to be the one to fall asleep first, for once! as soon as she was asleep and in bed, he was going to go home. 

his plans slightly changed though, because a sleepyhead decided to rest her head on his lap, and he couldn’t move an inch. he wouldn’t.

and honestly? he really didn’t want to. 

it was like when a cat decides to rest its head on you. you are the chosen one, and you will not move till the cat moves first. 

now, instead of a cute ball of fur, there was a just as cute girl, curled up with her hand close to his knee, lightly fisting the fabric of his trousers. 

she didn’t fall asleep that way, but when harry saw the uncomfortable position in which she passed out, he had to do something to make her a little more comfortable. and that’s how they ended up here.

he saw her sleeping before — at adam’s cabin, especially — but never got to linger on her features.

he could see she had a slight furrow in her brows, and he just wanted to put the pad of his finger against her skin and smooth it out. was she having a bad dream? was she overthinking even when asleep? was she uncomfortable? 

then he focused on the curve of her nose, and lastly on her lips. they were slightly pouted, a bit open, and just looked so soft. so pretty, and pink, and soft.

harry couldn’t say this was the first time he thought something like that. he found himself often looking at her lips, especially since she told him she usually focuses on them when people talk.

“like, i don’t want to seem like a creep, but if i don’t watch a person’s mouth while they talk to me, it’s like 90% of the information doesn’t reach my ears.” 

and since then, he couldn’t stop himself from doing that. although, he often did that with her only. 

huh, weird.

and then he started watching her lips when she would eat, seeing how she kept them shut while she was chewing, because she couldn’t bear hearing people making noises with their mouths when they eat. harry got a pillow straight to his face one time, followed by the threat of her smashing his teeth in if he didn’t cut it out. a feisty one, she is.

and while he observed them in all of these occasions, he noticed how plump they were, how pink and just... pretty.

one night, when he was a bit tipsy, he was just about to tell her all of this, but thanks to his lucky starts sarah unknowingly came to his rescue, tearing her away from him and dragging her to the bathroom.

he thought that was for the best, she should never had to know the thoughts he had swirling through his mind. it mostly happened when he was unconscious, especially when he was staying over at her house.

“it’s just because you’re literally surrounded by her stuff. you are in her apartment, on her couch, with her quilt around you, her smell lingering. it’s fine.” he thought to himself, a pathetic way of shoving his dreams out of his mind.

when he first dreamt about kissing her, he was scared shitless. they had been friends for about a little over a month then, and he felt a bit weird dreaming about a friend that way. 

it wasn’t even something dirty, they were just having fun at the park, he was pushing her on the swings.

“higher, harry, higher!” 

“love, if i push you any higher you’re going to fall!” he said laughing.

“i don’t care, just do that, please!”

“no love, i can’t, you’re gonna get hurt.” 

she started slowing down once he stopped pushing her and when she was almost still, he came in front of her, stopping her for good when he placed his hands on her knees, crouching down a little to get to her face level.

when he caught the look she had on her face, he could’ve just melted. she was pouting, pouting, for pete’s sake.

“hey, what’s this all about?” he said, pointing at her lips.

“you didn’t push me higher.” she looked at him, trying her hardest to keep her pouting face, but he could see the smile that wanted to creep up on her face. 

“aw baby, want me to make it better?” he said sweetly, tilting his head to the side.

“yes, please. thank you.” she smiled a little, looking at him. 

and that’s when he leaned in, leaving a sweet kiss, taking her plush bottom lip between his. he could feel her crumble underneath his touch, even if he was seeing this from a third person point of view. he could feel the soft skin of her lips, tasting her cinnamon chapstick, and what he imagined — and was almost positive — she just tasted like: the sweetest nectarines of the best summer of your life.

when he pulled away, he saw her eyes were still closed, as if she was wanted to bask in the moment for just a second longer.

“made it better?” he told her, smirking at her still flushed face.

“mmh mmh, i think so.” she finally opened her eyes, and smiled back at him. “now, your turn!”

“love, how do you think you’re going to be able to push me!” 

“shut up, i’m strong.” he gave her a cut the bullshit look, and she was absolutely offended. “i’ll show you, c’mon! get on then!” 

he woke up gasping, looking around the room to understand where he was. when he realised he was at her apartment, he groaned a bit. of course he was. 

as said, he was scared. not just by the kiss itself, but by the sheer intimacy of it, because it clearly wasn’t the first they shared, anyone could’ve seen that. he also noticed how happy she was, how loud her laugh was, how comfortable she had to feel with him to show him her more childish side.

what scared him most, you ask?

the fact that he envied the dream version of him. 

ever since then, those kind of dreams came to his mind often, but he always pushed them aside, as games his mind was playing on him. he didn’t think about kissing her when he was awake, did he?

“no, i don’t”, he kept telling himself.

but seeing her all curled up against him, her lips looking so soft and plump made him think twice about his words. 

instead of just laying one on her — when she was unconscious, may he add — he decided to tuck the hair that fanned over her face behind her ear, with a touch so light he thought that he wasn’t even touching her. but he wanted this contact to last a little bit longer.

so, he lightly grazed his finger over her cheek. even her skin was soft as a pillow, what was wrong with her?

he run his thumb along her jaw, and when he felt her shift, he panicked.

“shit, shit, shit, don’t wake up, don’t wake up, please.” he murmured so quietly it was barely a whisper, putting his hands up as if she was going to go off like a bomb.

she didn’t wake up, but she did turn her head, from facing the tv to facing harry. she brought her hand again at — now — the top of his thighs, but instead of holding onto his trousers, she gripped his sweater, that was a bit baggy.

“thank fuck” he thought, because she would’ve grabbed his crotch if she didn’t find that sweater. 

—

after the movie was over — harry didn’t pay too much attention to it, after she fell asleep — he thought it was time to make her go to bed and rest properly. but he really didn’t want to wake her up.

so he tried to pry his sweater away from her fist, just so he could lay down her head on the couch and get up. he did just that, and once he was on his feet, he crouched down again, putting one arm under her knees and one under her back, picking her up. 

when she was finally in his arms, she curled up against him, tucking her head in his chest, a hand spread at the center of it. harry looked up to the ceiling, asking any god or ethereal being what the hell did he do to deserve this.

once they reached her bedroom door, he opened it with his foot and carried her to her bed. he tucked her in, and as he was about to leave when he felt someone gently take his wrist, and heard a soft voice, barely a whisper.

“stay over? don’t wanna wake up alone.”

and could he really say no to that? 

could he really say no to her? 

she was asleep before he could answer, so he just took her hand, squeezed it and told her under his breath. “of course, love.”

—

the following morning harry woke up before her, which was kind of unusual. she was usually the one who stirred him awake to have breakfast — she got better at cooking eggs and pancakes, so he didn’t have to lie anymore about just drinking coffee in the mornings. 

but last night she must’ve been spent, she probably wanted to sleep in a little more.

that gave him time to look around her living room, seeing how she decorated for christmas. there was a huge tree, probably almost three meters, with warm yellow fairy lights and red and gold adornments, a shiny star on the top.

then there were all kinds of trinkets all around, even little statues of mary, jesus and joseph, the whole nativity scene. he didn’t know she was a religious person. 

he thought it must’ve taken her so long to decorate all by herself, especially the tree. she probably climbed over something to put the star on top, risking to fall down and get hurt. couldn’t she have asked him to help her?

he decided to stop lurking and go into her kitchen to fetch some ingredients to make her breakfast, for a change. when breakfast was almost ready, he decided to go wake her up.

he walked into her bedroom as quietly as possible, not wanting to startle her awake. when harry reached her sleeping figure, he put his hand on her shoulder, shaking a little.

“good morning, sleepyhead. it’s time to wake up.”

she grunted in response.

“c’mon now, breakfast is almost ready.”

she grunted again, making him chuckle.

“not a morning person, are you?”

“just five more minutes, please.” she croaked. he muttered a low “alright”, and went to go back to the kitchen, but her fingers grabbed his wrist.

“stay here, i’m cold. heater must not be working properly.”

he couldn’t say if he was more happy or shocked by her request. smirking, he sat back down on the bed, close to her legs. but that wouldn’t cut it, clearly. 

“what are you doing all over there? get in here.” she moved the comforter and patted the bed underneath. when she noticed he wasn’t moving from his spot, she spoke up again. “hey, get in here quick, the heat is going to leave.”

he chuckled, and finally stood up and got into bed beside her. he wasn’t even in there for two seconds, that she was already wrapped around him, as if he was going to disappear.

“just five minutes, right?” he softly asked her, his arm going around her shoulders, hand on her bicep.

“yeah, five minutes.” her face was tucked in his neck, and he could feel her lips grazing the skin of his throat when she spoke.

she really was cold, and she had been the whole night. when he carried her to bed last night, she was half awake, and when she asked him to stay over, she imagined he was going to sleep with her in her bed. but then, he went back to the living room, and she was just too tired to call him back.

so, when harry came to wake her up, she tried putting it a little more plainly, and even then the man couldn’t take the hint. 

5 minutes soon turned into an half hour, and she can’t lie: she never felt so comfortable. who knew harry was so great at cuddling?

the both of them were in that sleepy state when you’re not really asleep but you’re not totally awake either, and if she didn’t have to run to the shops to buy christmas presents, then she would’ve stayed there for the whole day. 

harry could describe the feeling as heaven, nothing ever felt so right. how come they didn’t cuddle before? 

but other questions came to mind: what’s happening? why did he wish he could stay in this bed forever? why does her tracing patters on his chest make him feel like he’s on a rollercoaster? 

when they finally dragged themselves out of her bed — that was even more comfy than her couch, if possible — breakfast was indeed ruined and they decided to eat while they went out.

“wait, you want to go christmas shopping with me?”

“you’re the nut job who’s going shopping for presents five days before christmas. you need all the help you can get.”

and so, off to the shops they were.

but here’s the thing: how can you purchase a present for someone who’s right there with you? and what the hell would he like for a present? she had absolutely no clue what to get him.

maybe he wasn’t getting her a present, but she wouldn’t care, after all they started being friends only for a few months before, she wasn’t expecting anything from him. but hell was going to freeze over before she didn’t get him a present, that was for sure.

she got all the others presents, and harry went back to her apartment, looking like a porter with all the bags he had in hand.

“you sure you got everything? don’t you have a third grade cousin that needs something? or a remote uncle that you haven’t seen in 17 years?”

“my god, you should be a comedian.” she looked at him with a fake smile.

“i don’t even know how they are going to receive these if you bought them today.” he scoffed. “mind opening the door for me, darling?”

“i’m trying! you’re a pain in the ass, styles.” she grumbled. “and i’m going to spend tonight packing them, and then i’ll overnight them. i don’t know if they’ll get the presents in time for christmas, but it’s the thought that counts.”

she finally managed to open her apartment door, and let harry go in first: the man couldn’t wait to drop all the boxes and bags.

“and i wouldn’t have this problem if i went back home for the holidays, but i’m not, so here we are.” she said while closing the door.

“why aren’t you going home?” and why did she sound so upset about it?

“you know, work, life, stuff. i hope to see them a little later next year, but going back now was impossible for me.” she shrugged.

“i see. at least we’re going to spend it all together, though?”

“yeah, it’s going to be great, i bet.” she gave him a tight lipped smile, which didn’t sit right with him.

“what’s up?” he asked.

“nothing, what?”

“you’re not the only one who can read people. tell me what’s going on in your mind.” he looked at her pacing around the room, leaving the presents on the kitchen table.

“it’s nothing important, it’s probably going to sound so silly, you wouldn’t-“

“i wouldn’t have asked if i didn’t care. please, tell me.”

she took a deep breath and sat on the couch. “it’s just that christmas is my favourite holiday. i love the atmosphere and back home we really celebrate christmas: a table of no least than 20 people, all the aunts and uncles and cousins, people who i probably see once a year, at that very dinner.

and then we have all these traditions, little things that make me miss home. like, my mum used to wake up me and my sister with christmas music on christmas day, every single year, and she still does it every time we get back home for the holidays.

or like, on christmas eve, me, mum and my sister go to the church i used to go to when i was younger for the vigil, and we have this mass that it’s like two hours long but it’s just so beautiful. i wouldn’t consider myself a religious person, but being in that room just brings me so much comfort that i can’t even put into words.” she looked up at him, eyes a bit teary.

“then we used to come home, around 11am and we would watch “the grinch” while we waited for midnight to open our presents.” she sighed. “it’s such a special holiday for me, and when i think about the fact that there was a time when it didn’t feel like that, when i was away from them... i don’t know, it makes me sad.” she gave him a small smile, looking down at her shoes.

“hey.” he put his hand on her knee. “we don’t have to talk about this, any of this. i’m sorry i pushed you, i didn’t want to make you sad.”

“no, it’s okay.” she swallowed thickly. “i- uh.” he saw she was struggling to find the words.

“i think i’d like to speak about that, if you wanted to hear about it. i don’t want to force you to stay there and just... i don’t know, throw all my trauma at you.” 

“you wouldn’t. i would gladly listen, if you feel comfortable enough, though. niall is going to rip my head off if you aren’t.” the last part he murmured under his breath.

“what was that?” she inquired.

“nothing important, love. whenever you are ready.”

she took another deep breath, sitting crisscrossed on the couch, facing him but with her head looking towards her fingers, which she was basically tearing apart. 

“since i was a child, i used to feel things, emotions, very strongly. i would always say that they would feel amplified, and i absolutely loved that. i loved feeling everything so deeply, because it reminded me that i was alive and i was here and i could do anything i wanted to. but once i moved away, i don’t know what happened, but i just started feeling a little less, and a little less. till i was numb. 

i was desperate, i couldn’t recognise the person looking back at me in the mirror. i didn’t cry, i didn’t laugh, i was just... being, existing. i was younger, i was stupid and i did something even more stupid, just wishing that i would feel something, even if that something was pain.” her voice started wavering, she pulled her lips in her mouth in an attempt to stop her tears from falling.

harry was watching her, but didn’t dare utter a word. she was finally opening up — he doesn’t know if for the first time ever or not, but he didn’t dream of interrupting her, if she wanted to go on.

after a little while, when it seemed like she calmed down a bit, she resumed talking. 

“it went on for a while. it wasn’t just the physical aspect of it that was causing me problems, but also the mental state i was in. i cut everyone out of my life, didn’t go home for two years straight: i skipped christmas, birthday dinners, anniversaries. i felt like the worst person ever walking on earth, but i still couldn’t really feel anything. and that just made me spiral, because i was mourning the person i was before. i missed her. fuck, i missed her so much.” she sniffled. 

“but then, one day i just knew that it all was getting too much, that i couldn’t keep going like this or else the ending i was heading towards was going to be catastrophic. so i reached out and asked for help: i went to therapy, and i still go to this day. not exactly for the same reasons, but mostly to have a place where i can just let go, i guess.” she stopped and looked at harry, who was staring at her, his brows lightly furrowed, meaning he was listening to every word.

“and therapy really helped getting me out of that mental space. it was difficult, uncomfortable, i had my fair share of setbacks, but during one session my therapist told me something that i hold close to my heart to this day, ever since then.” she smiled to herself, eyes focused on the cushion she was sat on.

“she told me: ‘you know, even the sun gets clouded sometimes.’ even the happiest people — or what seem to be the happiest of people — have their dark days. and that’s fine. you just need to get through them.”

harry thought that no metaphor could ever be as perfect to describe her as this one was.

he was still silent, waiting to see if she had anything else to add. but she misinterpreted his silence for something bad. 

“oh god, i’m sorry if this was too much for you, you could’ve told me to stop but since you didn’t i went on and i didn’t even check-”

he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing her waist and make her straddle his lap, arms tightening in a hug that could’ve crushed her bones, but he didn’t care, he just wanted to have her close. his face tucked in her neck, inhaling her perfume, and he hoped she could understand from this hug everything he wanted to say, but couldn’t find the right words to say out loud.  

he didn’t need to say anything, all she had to know was expressed by the way he was hugging her. his face rested in her neck, her hand went straight to his hair, playing with the curls at the nape of his neck. 

she doesn’t know for how long they stayed like that, but didn’t even care.

—

christmas was around the corner. on monday, she went to the post office, dropped off every present, went to work and had the full day she knew she was going to have, but she had just two more days of work before christmas eve, then she’d spend that beautiful following day with her friends. it wasn’t going to be like at home, but it was with another family she loved just as much. 

during these two days, she worked hard on harry’s present. she didn’t know if it was going to be as good as she wanted it to be, but she’d try her very best to make sure it was.

on christmas eve, she stayed home putting the finishing touches on the presents that she had to bring the following day at sarah’s, and checked on the food she had to prepare for their dinner. 

around 9pm, she sat down on the couch, looking at her decorated apartment.

the christmas tree she got was almost a carbon copy of the one her mum had at home: three meters tall, way too big for her living room; even the decorations were very similar. 

she was sad about not being able to go home that year, but she had to be back to work on the 27th and it wasn’t smart to make such a long trip for just one day, even if it was a special one. 

but there was something more that was making her sad, or well, worried: she hadn’t skipped christmas since those years. she wasn’t in that mental place anymore, she had been clean for years now, but you can never know what could trigger you and make you fall back in old habits. 

so she tried not to think about that, but of course she just couldn’t stop. she started feeling guilty for behaving the way she did, cutting everyone out of her life, lying to them and pretending she was alright. in her mind, she knows she wasn’t in a good mental state, but that didn’t take away any of the guilt she was feeling. 

her thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on the door. she thought that maybe it was the landlady coming by to wish a happy christmas — she was a lovely older lady who always gave her candy whenever she ran into her. 

but when she opened the door, she found someone a little bit younger than her 70-year-old landlady.

harry stood there with a bottle of red wine and a present in hand. 

“happy christmas eve. let me in?”

“and here i thought you were a caroller. you sure you don’t want to sing anything?”

“shut up and let me in, it’s freezing.” 

this was probably the first time harry came over unannounced. he always texted her first, or waited for her to text him for their movie nights, but since she told him about the traditions she had with her family back home, he knew he had to do something. 

it wasn’t hard to understand that this holiday season was hard for her, not only because she was far from her family, but because of what happened in the past when she was away from them.

harry could imagine the kind of thoughts that had been swimming in her head these last few days, and he couldn’t stand it. no one should have these kind of thoughts ever, especially not during the holidays. 

especially not her.

so, he decided to participate in one of the little traditions she told him about, and thought that maybe they could watch “the grinch” together and open their presents at midnight.

when he told her this, she had the prettiest smile on her face. she never smiled at him like this, and this time he was sure that it was for him. that made him smile just as wide.

they watched “the grinch” together and they both teared up at the part where he was picked on at school. 

harry was shocked when she told him that cindy lou was played by the same actress that played jenny humphrey in gossip girl.

“no fucking way that’s her! she looks so sweet here!” 

“people grow up, harry.” she laughed. “and hold on- you watched gossip girl? how have you never shared this with me?”

“didn’t think it was an interesting fact to share.”

“are you kidding me? it’s a very important piece of information! you can’t trust anyone these days.” she muttered ironically, but that didn’t stop harry from throwing a pillow at her. 

once the grinch was over, it was around 11:30, so they decided to make some hot chocolate and wait for midnight.

“alright, 11:59, one minute to go!”

“you know it’s christmas and not new year’s, do you?”

“yes, you ass, i do know. but i wanted to wish you merry christmas at exactly midnight.”

harry smiled at her, shaking his head lightly.

they looked at each other, until her screen showed 12:00am, making it officially christmas day.

“merry christmas, harry.” she said sweetly.

“merry christmas, love.” he answered back, looking at her fondly. 

“now, for the good part... presents! wait here, i have to get yours in my bedroom.”

“ooh, i like where this is going.” he said smirking, earning an eye roll from her.

“get your mind out of the gutter, styles. you little freak.” 

he shook his head, but he was getting a bit antsy. what if she didn’t like his present? what if he didn’t like her present and his poker face wasn’t good enough and he made her feel bad? he was sure she could’ve gifted him something straight out of the trash and he would’ve loved it, but you never know.

she came back into the living room, and he could see she was feeling the same way as him. she sat back down on the floor with him, near the tree, and had her presents in hand. 

wait, presents, plural. 

he was fucked, wasn’t he?

“they aren’t the greatest presents and i usually am great at gift giving, like insanely good. but i really did try my best and i hope i didn’t disappoint too much. go easy on me, please.” she said the last bit laughing, but he could feel the insecurity in her voice.

he wanted to let her know that she would never disappoint him, but no words were coming out of his mouth.

huh, so your smart mouth can talk shit all day but can’t pay her a compliment?

but it felt like she already knew.

“so, this one first.” it was in a tube, and he didn’t know what to think. so he was quick to open it, and he smiled widely when he saw what it was. 

“it’s a movie poster where you can scratch the movies you have seen. i bought the same one, i want to put it up the wall, so we can see those movies together and scratch them.” she said, looking down at her hands.

“i love this. this is so beautiful, thank you so much.” he said truthfully. it was such a sweet gesture, and of course she would think of such a thing.

“alright, then for the second present. i thought the first one wasn’t going to be enough-” he went to interrupt her but she wouldn’t let him. “no, you shush. i thought it didn’t convey how much i care about you, so i wanted to give you this.” 

she gave him the next gift, that resembled a book a lot. when he opened it, he smiled to himself: “the unbearable lightness of being”.

she told him a thousand times that this was her favourite book and that he just had to read it, because it changed her life. but when he opened the book and flipped through the pages, his breath hitched.

this was her own copy.

“i, uh. i annotated it for you. i know it’s a used copy, — and i’ve read it like 20 times i think, so it’s pretty used — but i felt like it was just right to use my own. it’s kind of like i’m giving a piece of me to you, and i wouldn’t want to give it to anyone else, to be honest.”

he heard what he said, but couldn't tear his eyes from the book in his hands.

inside the first page, there was a small inscription.

“thank you for being here even when it’s cloudy. merry christmas, H.”

he was staring at the words scribbled on the page, wondering how lucky he had to be to be there, with her.

“it’s okay, if you don’t like it, i can just-”

“please, stop with that. i love it, i’m just speechless, i don’t think a thank you is gonna cut it.” 

“a thank you is more than enough, harry. it’s nothing too special.” she shrugged. 

“it is to me. and i’ll hold onto this forever, i promise you.” he said looking deep into her eyes, making her soft.

“i’m glad you like it, then.” she smiled. “and you speechless? that can be my present, holy shit!” she tried to lighten the air a bit, given the seriousness of that moment.

“heyy! rude.” he scowled. “now, for your present.” 

he gave her a box, wrapped with a pretty bow and a note attached to it; she decided to read what he wrote before opening the present. 

she was so giddy, anxious and happy. she couldn’t believe she was actually here with harry, reliving a tradition she only had at home. and she couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that this was all harry’s idea, that he wanted to make her feel as if she was home. 

she was just so grateful for that mishap in the woods back in october, because it brought them here, and she wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

she opened the little envelope, and took out the note.

“with the hope you’ll find your eugene fitzherbert soon enough.”

she looked up at him quizzically, but he just tilted his chin forward, silently telling her to open the box and check for herself what his note was referring to.

when she finally opened it, she felt her jaw hitting the floor.

“it’s a first edition. you probably already know this, but rapunzel is a story by the grimm brothers. and i know there’s no eugene fitzherbert in this one, and i know you love him, but i couldn’t not buy this when-”

he couldn’t finish his sentence because she threw herself in his arms, tackling him to the ground with her on top.

“this is the best thing anyone has ever gotten me. you’re just the sweetest harry, i can’t believe you did this for me. i don’t deserve this, oh my god.” she whispered in his neck, her lips grazing the soft skin. he felt the small kiss she left right on his throat, and he hugged her tightly against him, as if he wanted for them to stick together. 

“you deserve this and more, love.”

they stayed on the ground for a little while, and when she was trying to pull away he just hugged her closer.

“just, uh. just one more minute, okay?” he said lowly.

“of course. whenever you want to let go.” 

he thought he never wanted to.

but when she tried to pull away again, he couldn’t stop her.

“now my presents look like shit, in comparison to yours.” she pouted, but it was soon replaced with a smile. “i can’t even think about how much you spent over it, my goodness. you’re nuts.”

harry just chuckled, and she started talking again, looking at him in a new way. 

“uh, can i do something? but you have to tell me if you’re not comfortable and if you want to stop right away, because i don’t want you to feel forced into anything and-”

harry quickly picked up where this was going, so he placed his hand on the back of her neck, sat up, went and shut her up for good. 

her lips felt as soft as they looked, as soft as they did when he’d dream about them. this was what heaven felt like, he was sure of it.

he lightly bit her lower lip, taking it between his front teeth, earning a small whimper from her. he was going to die, he was sure of it. but if this is the last thing he got to do, he’d pass away peacefully.

she had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now that it was happening it felt like she was walking on air. his lips felt like soft pillows against her own, and she could taste the hot chocolate on them and his tongue. she couldn’t get enough.

when he pulled her bottom lip with his front teeth — those bunny teeth she was lucky enough to see whenever he gifted her a toothy grin — she couldn’t help but whimper against him, melting even more when he sucked on it lightly, as if to make it better.

they kept kissing until they were out of breath, but it seemed like neither of them wanted to leave the other’s lips for even just a second, afraid that this perfect moment was going to disappear. 

but harry pulled away first, afraid of actually passing out if he kept going.

and god, he couldn’t believe the sight he had in front of him: her eyes still closed, as if she was wanted to bask in the moment for just a second longer.

exactly like he dreamt about.

when she fluttered her eyes open, he knew he was done for. that was it, the peak of his existence. how had she gotten him so wrapped around her little finger? he was absolutely whipped for her.

she looked into his eyes, those pools of green that had always drawn her in. eight months ago, they looked at her with something very close to disdain, but now? disdain was the furthest thing she could find in them.

and fuck, was she glad about it.

after they stared at each other for a while, she spoke up again. “i still feel like i need to pay you back somehow, that present was too much.”

“mmh, i think i have an idea.” he smirked, leaning in.

“oh really?” she said teasingly, leaning in as well.

“mmh mmh.”

and they kissed again. and again. and again. and a little more after that.

—

on christmas morning, she woke up snuggled in her comforter, with two arms wrapped around her midsection, keeping her close. she sighed with content.

could things get any better?

“‘morning, love.”

apparently they could. he felt his lips kiss her head, but she wanted more. she turned around to face him, and didn’t wait a second to smash her lips against his, hearing him hum against her lips.

“good morning, bub.” she smiled against his lips, leaving another quick kiss. “sorry, i didn’t even brush my teeth.” 

he shook his head, grinning at her. “don’t care, not even in the slightest. i’ve waited for way too long to do this, so please do whenever you want to.” to mark his words, he kissed her again.

“you did?” she looked up at him and he nodded. 

“waited a long while for you, darling. i don't mind having waited now, though.” 

“ah, you’re such a sap. no surprise you love romcoms.” she smacked his chest lightly, leaving her hand right above his heart.

“hey! don’t be rude now.” he scolded her with a smile on his lips.

“alright alright, you walmart version of ryan gosling.”

“oh, you’re going to regret this.”

—

harry had to go back to his place to get ready and pick up the gifts to bring to sarah’s. 

“can’t you come with me?” he pouted.

“i’m sorry, i have to shower, get dressed and stuff. i’ll see you in a little while, i promise.”

“you could just wear my stuff.”

that made her feel all gooey on the inside, but also made her chuckle. “don’t worry, i’ll steal all your hoodies in no time. i've already started, if you remember.” she smiled, leaving a small peck on his nose.

“good. they look better on you anyway.” he pecked her lips three times before kissing her for a little longer. 

“okay, now you have go or else we’re going to be late.” she said between kisses.

“mmh mmh, you’re right, should definitely go.” he said, but just went ahead and kissed her, before she pushed her hand against his chest.

“stop it, we really are going to be late. i’ll see you soon, i promise.” she smiled softly at him, lightly shoving him outside her door.

who thought harry could be such a softie? again, herself from 8 months ago would be laughing like a crazy person if she knew that harry was at her doorstep, pouting because he had to go home and couldn’t keep kissing her. 

a couple of hours later, she was dressed up and ready to go. she heard her phone ring, meaning she received a message. glancing at her phone, she couldn’t help the smile on her face.

“i’m on my way. you ready?”

“yes, i am, E.”

“don’t know if you thought this was another person you spent all day kissing, but my name starts with an H, love.” 

she didn’t bother telling him why she called him E, maybe he’d get it someday. 

—

here it is! it’s time to say goodbye to these two softies. this fic is probably the best thing i’ve ever written, and i’m incredibly proud of it. i hope you enjoyed it as well! thank you so much for your support, it’s been crazy. thank you!

tag list (for those tagged, do you want to be on the permanent tag list? let me know!):

@his-only-angel-1989 @sunshinemoonsposts @cherrysulewski @idgasb @feestyles @msolbesg @call1800coochie @a-strange-familiar @the-art-of-living-honestly @onlyangel-k @sushiirestaurant @annesauriol @longingtobewithu @jjharry @hes-club @fairyinpurple @harrysbigspoon

[tatasoom]

PREVIEW IS RAISING PAINFUL FAMILY ISSUES

Maybe the most hard to write analysis, because I totally understand topics like divorced parents, hardworking mother, problematic older brother and all those psychological little things someone probably didn't even notice. Day's family is like trigger bingo for me and that's... interesting.

1. Let's start with the most controversial part.

Day and Mhok will come back home, I guess MUCH later than they planned and also with bad news about Day's eyes condition. Many people keep writing about Day's mother being too harsh, that she's always busy making money and can't understand how much Mhok loves Day.

You can see that in this scene every character has tears in their eyes. They all have their own truth as well.

Day loves Mhok and wants to be more independent and he's right.

Mhok loves Day and want to take care of him and he's right.

Day's mother loves Day and want him to not be hurt and she's right.

That's why this scene is so heartbreaking.

We already know about Mhok and Day's love, but look at Day's mother perspective! She was officially married, gave birth to two boys and still that wasn't enough for that man not to leave her for another woman letting her and her sons craving for food. Now you want this woman to accept that her completely blind younger son has a romantic relationship with a man she barely knows. Not even mentioning Mhok's background and financial status. For her the word "love" will never ever be enough to agree with this whole situation.

So Mhok wants to quite (and that is also right), Day can't bare the thought of loosing him even for a day now that he knows how it feels to love and be loved. P'MHOK PROMISED HE WON'T LET GO OFF OF DAY'S HAND will think Day of course. However things has already changed and Mhok will be standing outside the door:

Mhok was allowed to join this family sometimes on definite terms. Day's mother already told him that there're only three of them and those who breakes this rule is not welcomed anymore.

And for those who thinks Day and Mhok is gonna break up. Nah, not these guys. They'll be together next episode.

2. Begin again

I really appreciate the idea of giving Mhok a chance to change his life completely. When talking about Last Twilight being a series that gives hope we need to mention that no person is qualified for only one job. No matter how old are you, no matter what you studied in the uni, you can find something new you really like to do and make it your job.

Btw, could you think of that Mhok who aggressively fixed a chair becoming a chef?! The best plot twist ever haha

Also need to mention the bag in Day's hand. I have a strong feeling that Day can leave home after arguing with his mother (not blame both of them actually).

3. Love love love

It's not Last Twilight if we don't have some funny and bright scenes after some angst like rainbow after the rain.

They're in love, your honor!

It's pretty interesting that Day is painting something after meeting his father (who's an artist). Did you know that visually impaired people can be painters too?

This scene also gave us a lot of BTS shots, so we can assume that Night and Phojai will be somehow there with Day and Mhok, yay!

I like her Kiss t-shirt, she's a badass!

4. Another scene?

Now I want to tell you something about the scene we didn't see in a preview, but already have some hints for it.

One of the most beautiful picture in the whole series. Do you remember the bag? It's here, right beside Day!

I can't show everything with screenshots (and too lazy to make gifs so really appreciate everyone who makes it), but Mhok looks kinda sad listening to Day in this scene. Maybe Day needs to go back home? Oh maybe they just discussing some serious things? Who knows!

And that's all for this episode 10.

I don't like the idea of having ep 11 curse after having already like four or even more heart wrenching episodes... However we still didn't see that crying Mhok from the trailer. And moreover there's another hint for something terrifying, we just don't know yet if it's future or past. I don't think I'm ready for this sh*t if it's gonna happen later. Once I've noticed it I can't stop thinking of this moment and also can't make myself to discuss it. Let's just trust in P'Aof. And prepare some money for going to Thailand.

Thank you for reading!

For more brainrot check this.

[starliights-shining]

I wrote another thing so why not post it here too. This is cross posted on Ao3(You're Married?)

Paring: Gilles "Montagne" Touré x Fem!Reader

Warnings: NONE. SFW!!!!!!

“You’re married?” 

A surprised look plastered on everyone's face at the table. They were frozen, eyes watching the large French man as they waited for an answer. He thought it was a given, The ring was always there. His eyes glance down to his gloveless left hand, expecting to see the shiny wedding band. It was bare, most likely left in that shell dish you kept your own in. He doesn’t wear it for his morning workout and it must have just slipped his mind. He’d hate to lose the sentimental jewelry, so he doesn’t wear it often. 

“I thought everyone knew.” 

He was trying to not show his own surprise. He’s spoken about you multiple times, but now that he recalls it. He’s only ever brought you up to Doc and a few other workers, but never his teammates. He heard another person into the room, taking a seat at the table after greeting everyone. 

“Olivier! Did you know Gilles’ married?” 

He looked over at Olivier, an evil looking smirk on his face. 

“Yeah, she’s not a big fan of me.” 

They were less shocked with this new finding, knowing a lot of the Ops didn’t get along with Olivier. Still though, Olivier and Gilles are close, like going out drinking close. They kinda thought you’d get along with him. 

“What do you mean?” 

They were now pestering Olivier for answers about you, and you not even his wife. Now Olivier is going to tell them everything he knows about you. How does he explain that the very women they’re all surprised about existing works in the same building as them. Your own feet carrying you down the same halls they walk, that you’ve even read their files and practically know everything about them. 

“She’s seen my history, not a huge fan of it.” 

“She works here!!” 

There was their surprise again. Gilles leans back in his chair, thumb rubbing over the bare spot on his ring finger. He’s interested now, watching how everyone is finally finding out about you. He’s smiling, eyes darting between the group as they speak. 

“Yeah, I don’t think I’m allowed to say where. She’s here though, probably walking around right now.” 

Gilles knows where you are, you’re on your way to lunch. Probably wrapped up in a thick coat as you make your way out to your car. You like going to get food and then send him a text to come have lunch with you. What he doesn’t know is that you’re not walking out to your car, your three turns down the hall from the meeting room he’s in. You're upset, he hasn’t answered your text, his food is now cold, and the most important thing, he’s not wearing his wedding ring. His eyes land back on the man in yellow, quickly and swiftly answering those random ‘how’d you know but we didn’t’ questions, he’s avoiding the real meaningful ones. The ones he knows Gilles should be answering. 

“Gilles. What does she do? I mean, she’s gotta be pretty good to be working for Rainbow.” 

He smiled slightly, attempting to hide how excited he was to talk about his wonderful and lovely Wife. He moves his legs, fixing the way he’s sitting as he thinks about what to say. Did he want to fuck with his teammates, to tell the truth. He decided it could be good to mess around with them, but he couldn’t think of anything that was good enough. He also was taught not to lie.

“She’s just an office worker for GhostEyes.” 

He’s not wrong, but he is also severely down playing what you do. He’s hoping they don’t ask about how you read Oliviers files, he’s just hoping that maybe it’ll be enough to satisfy their curiosity. It does, they don’t seem to ask too many questions about your work. Instead they ask about your looks and trying to see if they’ve ran into you before. He answers their questions carefully, picking his words purposefully. 

“Oh, so she’s,” 

The person is cut off. You round the corner with a bag in your hand before freezing. Looking at all the people who stared back at you. Gilles notices everyone looking behind him, quietly observing the person standing there. He turns around, arms over the back of the chair as he makes eye contact with you. A smile on his face as goes to greet you, your voice swiftly cutting him off. 

“I don’t wanna hear it, Gilles.” 

Your eyes looking at the other people around him, trying to find someone who you could recognize. You only knew Olivier and that made you roll your eyes. You looked back at your husband, watching as his mouth opened and closed trying to find something. You gave him an angry look, cocking your head forward and to the side. You were waiting for him to say something, especially since he can tell you are upset. He stood up, looking at the group of people. 

“Everyone, this is my wife, (Y/N).” 

He walked over to you, his hand resting on your lower back. He watched as you gave everyone a small wave. You didn’t wanna be rude, but you were absolutely upset with the large man next to you. It only made your blood boil more when you saw the shit eating grin on Oliviers face, he’s done nothing but sat there and it was annoying. You smiled as sweetly as you could, before pushing the bag into his chest and turning and walking away. A small ‘ooh’ coming from Olivier as he watched. Gilles gave him a pointed glare before following after you. 

“Duodou, wait.” 

His voice is soft, a hand reaching out to grab at your arm. You stopped, spinning around at him causing him to abruptly stop. 

“Do you even know what time it is?” 

  You paused, not even giving him a chance to speak. 

“Far past lunch. I sent you two whole texts AND a call, Gilles!” 

You don’t even know why this was upsetting you, but it was. It took to rooting deep in your bones and it was getting to you. Him not answering the text wasn’t even what truth got to you. It was the simple fact that he wasn’t wearing his ring, but then again you can’t even fully be mad at him for that either. He sighed, putting a hand into a pocket to fish out his phone but it wasn’t there, he checked his other pockets but it wasn’t there either. He looked up at you, watching as you stared him down waiting for an answer. 

“Chérie, I do believe, I don’t have my phone.” 

He almost let out a little nervous laugh, trying his hardest to not let your angry face get to him. You gave out a huff. He doesn’t even know, is all you say to yourself. 

“I can make it up to you.” 

You’re now trying to talk yourself down from being angry at him, his almost disappointed sigh broke you. You moved closer to him, wrapping your arms around his waist. Your head laying on his chest, his arms wrapping around your shoulders.  

“You wanna do it now?” 

He hummed in response. Pulling back a bit as he watched you reach into your coat pocket and pulling out a colored snack size ziplock bag. Opening it and presenting the item to him with a bright smile. 

“You can wear this again and all the time, actually.” 

He laughs, fingers coming to pluck the ring from your hands. You watch as he slips it onto his finger. Your hands grab at his large hands and smile at the jewelry. 

“Is it this simple to make you not angry at me?” 

You hummed nodding as you looked up at him. You smiled, almost feeling bad for how you felt earlier. Your thumbs rubbing of his knuckles as you thought of what to say next. 

“I was just overreacting, I’m sorry.” 

His free hand going under your chin and pushing your head up to look at him. That same smile you fell in love with placed oh so perfectly on his face.  

“You were not overreacting, Duodou.” 

He bent down to kiss you, he planned on giving you a small little peck, but that didn’t happen. One peck turned into a kiss and then another. Not stopping until you heard someone clearing their throat. Your eyes looked over to see Olivier, what a mood dampener.

“They're looking for you two.” 

You shook your eyes, giving Gilles a soft oh well smile before interlocking your hands together. 

“Don’t worry. We’re coming back.” 

[empty-pizza]

thoughts on nona the ninth epilogue and thoughts on the book and series overall

Some of you might not have checked the blog today and will just, come back to this post to find that I decided to read 2/3 of the book today and finish it. It was good but it wasn't just because it was good, I kinda just felt like finishing. I'm kind of exhausted and I'm not sure how much my lack of understanding of what's going down at the end comes down to the book being confusing, and how much is me having no more energy.

anyway

alecto breaking out

oh great we talking all shakespeare like now, this is really making it easy to follow (i am just very sleepy)

which fuckin child is who

okay so harrow is awake now (the fuck was all that going on with the tower then)

alright from alecto's attempt to kiss

i can understand why the lyctors would have called her a monster

okay so the ninth is the line of anastasia

so alecto is swearing herself to harrow

and gideon called her a slut

as it should be, i suppose

damn and she just

went and said hi to john

and stabbed him and he said good morning

man what the FUCK does any of this imply

i do not have the brain power to process any of these layers

like, what the fuck did john plan on, or want to happen

the river is DEAD? the fuck does that mean

what the fuck is any of this shit

give me answers

j;aijdgoiahdhuipfuoifhnoanononho;oi;oi;hasdi

asid;uihadso;fpihaj[POUIAHNDSO['IGH

gadzoinks

DOUIUHGIOWEOG

Anyway yeah I'd say this was the best book in the series so far. I generally enjoyed Nona's character more than the prior two protagonists. I enjoy when childish, whimsical, naive personalities are expressed realistically through prose. I also enjoyed gradually learning more about how Nona thinks and just what she is.

The plot kept its momentum better than the second book, and followed through with a better climax than the first book. I've spoken about what I disliked about those aspects of the earlier books in prior posts. Here, the situation kept changing and developing enough that it didn't get too stale. Even without Nona driving most of the changes, it felt like she had an effect on the things around her.

I'm kind of hoping the next book begins right after we left off. We already did big timeskips twice in a row, and we haven't even answered everything that happened in the last one.

My brain is just muddled in so many questions about magic mechanics, character motivations, character history, et cetera et schmetera, that I don't even know how to put into words yet.

Part of my satisfaction here is that I think the pacing of reveals was really good in this book. It kept piling on more and more the closer it got to the end. But it really just slammed me with a bunch more questions by the ends. Reveals that raise more questions are great, and this is the right time for them considering it's the penultimate book in the series, but jeez, I am just brain strained right now. My brain has gone through one of those machines where you turn the crank and the dough goes through and comes out as spaghetti shaped. Except like, in reverse, because my brain is smoother now.

I think this has been an overall strong series, but it's somewhat unique in that the lore was the main thing I cared about. Or at least, I cared about it disproportionately to how much I usually do. That's not to say that there wasn't great character work here; I totally understand those who primarily love this series for the characters. I think I posted plenty about how interesting many of them are; hopefully that speaks for itself.

In general, it does tend to focus more on static characters. Not every character is like this, but a lot of them don't really change much (not during books), but instead only get tested at key moments to demonstrate their beliefs and conviction. Which is a totally fine approach, when the characters are interesting people, and you can instead drive things a bit more via learning more about them. When changes do occur, it's often offscreen entirely — just look at Corona and Gideon this book.

It kind of comes down to what drives you to read the next chapter. I almost always wanted to read more to learn about the lore. I often, but not always, was curious about where the plot would go next, how predicaments would be solved. And I was interested in how characters would grow or change... less than average, I'd say.

Though, the line between lore and learning more about who characters are was often blurred. I'm just not sure how much it will appeal to me personally once I already know everything about them. Maybe it'll work great on reread someday, maybe it won't.

I think I'd call this one a strong 8/10. Definitely gonna develop my thoughts on this more in the coming days but I really need to get to sleep soon.

I kind of wonder in what ways these stories will stick with me, when my experience was so lore driven. I feel like my opinion on book 2 has gone down slightly since I finished it, as the high of the reveals wore off and I felt kind of dissatisfied a few other aspects. I definitely liked the plot/characters in this book more, but I still just need to see how I settle on feeling about it all in retrospect. I mean the thing is, when you're that driven by lore, I prefer when it sticks the landing. If I don't personally like the answers in the final book I might lose a little love for the series as a whole.

Edit: To clarify this point a little, it's really that there's two kinds of reveals. There's the ones that are actual reveals, which tended to be really interesting. And there's the ones that mostly engaged me on the basis of "this tiny detail could be implying really insane things later." Some of which paid off, some of which still haven't. It's a fun feeling to engage with while reading, but for me it relies not just on the reveals paying off, but me being left with an overall feeling that engaging with the narrative in that way was worthwhile. If the series ends up not really caring about rewarding readers for paying attention that much (which I'm not saying will happen, it's just always a possibility) then that takes away a lot of my enjoyment retroactively.

Of course, it's also possible that if I did a reread, I'd end up appreciating the character work a lot more than the first read, and end up caring about the lore a lot less! This is just what I engaged with on this read and my present experience. I definitely can't say I understand everything about the characters, so there might even be whole layers to how they grow and change that I just didn't pick up on here.

Fun series and I really enjoyed liveblogging it! I hope you don't mind me kind of just, rushing through the final book today. Trust me, that was out of enjoyment primarily (also the library has kind of wanted these back for a while). I appreciate everyone who enjoyed my posts and commented things, and I'll definitely be sticking around and reading more comments as I try to make sense of all the shit I just read. I hope you enjoyed my first-timer thoughts.

[gren-arlio]

Olympics ain't until next year, so let's talk about the objectively cooler one. Welcome to Episode 9 of (Waku) Puyo Extras.

(Always liked how the characters are drawn when they're small. Oh, and the lad next to Satan? That's Rasp, and I believe they don't have a set gender. Least from what I heard from the EPPC.)

Hello one and all, it's the guy who's harassed by Witches (or just a single Witch) all day, every day without fail. Seriously, outta anyone in the world, it's the dude with the Yosuke pfp, it really does run in the Persona Bro archetype to have wack ass luck. (World's worst crackship)

Silly stuff aside, welcome to the 9th episode of Waku Puyo Extras, and if you've been following for a bit, nice to know you've stuck around, and for new guys, it's fine, there's no continuity. Im just late posting this.

This time around, we're talking about PuyoLympics, and I hear you wondering, "Didn't you say you'll talk about Arle's Travel Log last time?" And you're absolutely right, I did. However, it's kinda hard to find footage for the game itself, and I do need extra time, so we'll cover it next time. Curse these games for being niche.

I'm glad PuyoLympics isn't as niche as the others we'll cover some other time (Madou Sugoroku is going to be awful to find footage for,) and I've had this on my backlog, we may as well cover it now, yeah?

So let's cut to the chase, shall we? Not having a tiny video to translate does feel weird still, but otherwise, hope you enjoy.

-----

So, What's the Origins?

Like Serilly's Happy Birthday, PuyoLympics was also a Disc Station game, released in 1997 for PC. Is it safe to say that PC got more games can console players?

(Not exactly the coolest looking start screen, but the opening itself was pretty cool.)

What's interesting about this game is that there's...two versions of it. Well, sorta. PuyoLympics in Basa~ru is technically a sequel, but it's more of a minigame from the original, so there's that. (Covered an entire game in one paragraph.)

The game itself is a sports game, yeah, but it's also somewhat a collection of minigames as well. Think those Mario Party sports minigames, but Puyofied and also you only can choose 2 characters.

-----

Alright, So What's the Story?

It begins as usual, to be honest. Satan is cooking up devious shit again but he somewhat wants to have a twist. In the meantime, Arle and Witch are arguing (leaving even the narrator a tad confused,) about Arle being unathletic.

(The peak of this argument. Words I can't even say.)

They then stumble upon a flyer, stating basically "Yo the Olympics are starting. Win to get a wish." and to settle their scores, Arle and Witch compete, along with a couple of other guys we can't play as, notably Rulue, Draco, and Schezo.

Satan decides that everyone will duel for the prize itself, though you only really play as the two girls. But to get in spirit, he dresses up as a coach to fully begin the thing.

(For some reason, all the footage I got were on Witch's side, even with looking on NicoNico. It was legimately hard to find footage for Arle. However, I do know both their endings, at least.)

For Arle's ending, Satan does say that she can indeed make a wish. However, Arle's unsure of what she should even do, and settles for...losing weight. In which Satan gives her...whatever is shown on the bottom.

(Seriously, what is this? They say it's a magician training cast but...I dunno, man.)

And how about Witch's ending? Well, Satan gives her the choice of whatever she wants, and she's also kinda unsure. However, unlike Arle, she has too MANY wishes to have, and Satan gets absolutely fed up and leaves, angering Witch. And you know what? Good on you, Satan.

-----

So, How's the Gameplay?

Gameplay itself is compressed of several minigames that you play as either Arle or Witch. The Olympics are a big deal after all.

Some of the events are things like the Meter Dash (I'd assume 100,) swimming, and...one game where you smack Puyos aside. I can't explain that one well.

Though in the swimming one, other characters appear at the very least.

(The whole squad came to cheer you on. You can't tell me they're not good friends.)

The games themselves are fairly short, and usually range about the 40 seconds to about a minute or so, they ain't called minigames for nothing. Still, there's some enjoyment itself with playing them.

-----

How About the Visuals and Characters?

Visually, least in my opinion, the game looks really good, and the OST itself is up to par with the series as a whole. Every character looks fairly well made to boot. Good on ya Compile.

And how about the characters themselves? Well...thankfully, they're fairly retained to what we're used to. Let's talk about the main two.

-----

Arle:

Our 2nd favorite girl Arle is roughly the same that we usually know her of. Here, she's still pretty dang cheerful thankfully, though with the argument with Witch and the whole going to the Olympics thing to settle their score...it's not petty, I swear.

However, something I want to note is that (supposedly not) due to Witch's comments about her being unathletic does actually kind of stick with her, as her wish is to lose weight...even if Satan kinda went the weird route to help change that. At least it shows she does have insecurities. (Seriously, what the hell is that armor going to do?)

And hey! If you play her route, Rulue makes an appearance early on, as well as Draco, who's sporting her outfit from Puyo SUN.

(Why are Rulue pants so different anyways? Still, it's nice to see her and Draco appear, even if she's more-so just a conversation with Arle and another for Witch.)

-----

Satan:

Ah, good old Satan. Never fails to just being a stupid idiot that we love. He's the whole reason why this Olympic thing began, and he's somewhat embracing it. Due to image limits (Yes, I plan the image routes ahead of time,) I can't show...In photos.

Here's a link to it. May as well, since it's so relevant.

He's a blast to actually hear and listen to. I genuinely like this version of Satan. And he even got turned into stone from a comment once. Now THAT'S comedy. I wouldn't say he carries the game, everyone does their part, but I gotta say that he's easily one of, if not the best, written character in this game.

-----

Witch:

As per the Gren Norm, I got so much more to say about Witch because...if the meme told you anything, she's definitely out there. The whole Olympic thing somewhat escalated due to Witch insulting her over being unathletic, which I mean...ouch.

If you play her route, you actually get a cameo appearance with our boy, the 2nd big guy in this Tumblr blog, Schezo Wegey. And if you know me, I'm gonna explain what happens. (At this point I document every misdeed this girl does)

So, Schezo comes into the frame wearing his Puyo SUN outfit as well, and while Witch says hello and why is he here, immediately labels him as a pervert after he claims he wants Arle again and also wants to win the Olympics.

(Silly Schezo. You're not playable.)

Witch then asks to take off his cape, because he looks like a pervert when he does...and low and behold, he actually does it, shocking her.

And frankly, I'd be surprised also. However, as none of us predicted, Schezo says if she's gonna laugh, to just do it. But she doesn't. Rather, she compliments him. A lot.

(If you've seen the meme, she's basically saying that he has a nice physique for his title, and that he has really healthy skin.)

Schezo asks if she's okay, (she's not) and she yells that he's wonderful/beautiful, causing our boy to think that she's gone insane and runs.

And she chases after him.

(Welcome to my ""Job"". Went from knowledge and Schezo to Knowledge, Schezo, and a lot of documenting of Witch and Arle. You signed up for this.)

Good on Schezo for taking the initiative and actually just leaving...well, more like run away, but good on him.

-------

So...Final Verdict?

The verdict is fairly simple honestly. Elementary, even. The game itself is a very charming game, with a really nice OST, artstyle, and even character writing to an extent. Every character is just fun to read ok and listen to, and it's nice to see such a silly concept be done fairly well.

-----

And For Those Wondering About Arle's Travel Log And Updates Overall:

Don't worry, I got it planned. I'm writing it, I didn't forget it. It's just footage is hard to come by and I want to make this the best I can. And besides...I'm making a Halloween special. I gotta.

And after that special, I plan to take a week or two off to relax. Then...idk, we try to translate Arle's Route of Waku Puyo Dungeon. The Waku part of Waku Puyo Extras will become real AGAIN...

Then, I'll take a break during New Years/Christmas. I don't want to risk burnout. But that'll be all for this time.

See y'all another time.

[royalelusts]

i love the teenage m! reader hcs you wrote for obey me! could you write some hcs with the same prompt but different characters? have a nice day!!

im glad you enjoyed reading them! i had fun writing it! i hope you enjoy this one too.

✰ mammon

⚬ When i tell you he was annoyed

⚬ Not only does he have to watch the exchange student

⚬ The exchange student is a random teenage boy

⚬ Not to mention a human

⚬ What was lucifer thinking??

⚬ But his annoyance didn’t last long

⚬ This brought opportunity!

⚬ He could plan out so many schemes using you

⚬…was his first initial thought process

⚬ How was he supposed to know you were going to get this close to his heart?!

⚬ Oh well now you have big brother mammon in your life

⚬ He definitely still pulls you into his schemes

⚬ Well he tries to

⚬ He’ll come up to you all excited telling you his next plan

⚬ Only for you to look him dead in his face and say “that is the stupidest shit i've heard all day”

⚬ >:/

⚬ Well damn you couldve just said you didnt like it and kept it moving

⚬ But it does pull him out of a lot of dumb things so its technically a win

⚬ Oh do you remember that one devilgram story where mammon left for a while?

⚬ When he came back to see how concerned you were he lowkey felt bad

⚬ Like wow i really left my partner in crime

⚬ He is your number one supporter

⚬ You got a 54 on a test?

⚬ Hell yeah lets go celebrate

⚬ He’s like one of those moms who complain about you telling him about a project at the last minute but then breaks their back to help you finish it

⚬ When you came back to the house of lamentation after chapter 16 he was the first one you talked to

⚬ More like clung to but whatever

⚬ Tbh he was the one that convinced you to come back

⚬ “Even if you’re obnoxious sometimes you’re my responsibility. I got you.”

✰ leviathan

⚬ To be honest when you first met leviathan you were kinda excited

⚬ One of the pins on his shirt (vest? jacket?? cloak???) was from an anime you liked

⚬ It was just a bit of normalcy considering the whole situation

⚬ Then he called you a normie…

⚬ YOU GAVE HIM THE MEANEST SIDE EYE

⚬ “At least im not a shut in”

⚬ …

⚬ that lowkey hurt his feelings :/

⚬ There was so much tension between both of you

⚬ It was unbearable for everyone

⚬ This also made it difficult when you needed to borrow his vinyl

⚬ And when he wouldnt let you in his room?

⚬ You did the most logical thing in the world obviously

⚬ “It doesn’t matter. TSL sucks anyway.”

⚬ WHEN I TELL YOU THE DOOR FLEW OPEN

⚬ Mammon had to drag you away before things got too heated

⚬ After the whole tsl fiasco the tension dialed down

⚬ The hatred turned into competitive energy :D

⚬ By default you are now Henry

⚬ Sorry there isn’t any room for arguments

⚬ Levi now indulges in all of your interest

⚬ You even got him interested in some of them

⚬ he keeps a lookout for exclusive items to get you

⚬ Why shouldnt you have the best items???

⚬ Late night binges and game nights!!!

⚬ Lucifer has scold you many times about staying up for diavolo knows how long

⚬ But why would you listen to an old man like him anyway?

⚬ You had mentioned that you’ve never been to a convention before and levi was appalled

⚬ He now takes you to all of them with full cosplay if you want

⚬ Lets just say everyone wants to be you two

⚬ Moral of the story y’all are besties now

✰ belphegor

⚬ “You’re bullshitting me right? I risked my life to get that stupid vinyl from Levi to get up here only to find some random guy locked away?”

⚬ …huh

⚬ The person that’s going to let him out was a human?

⚬ Not to mention a teenage boy at that

⚬ Well we cant be picky

⚬ Assumed you were gonna be easy to manipulate

⚬ …key word assumed

⚬ WHY WERE YOU SO STUBBORN??

⚬ “Even if you are a human you’re locked up for a reason right?”

⚬ No matter how much he tried he couldn’t convince you to help him

⚬ Wanted to slam his head into the wall with the headache you were giving him

⚬ Somehow you left agreeing to get the rest of the pacts

⚬ (you vaguely remembered seeing a picture of him and beel happy together so you caved)

⚬ Throughout the process though you would manage to slip past lucifer to visit the attic

⚬ You would tell belphie about the crazy adventures you’ve been through since arriving

⚬ As obnoxious as you were he did find the stories of his twin enduring

⚬ Anyway to the attic events

⚬ “See i knew there was reason your ass was locked up”

⚬ When he went in for the “hug” you socked him straight in his jaw and booked it down the stairs

⚬ *cue cat and mouse chase music*

⚬ After that things were….mhm

⚬ You refused to stay at the hall of lamentation for a while

⚬ Even when you were convinced to come back you were obviously tense around them

⚬ The first time you spoke to belphegor again was when he caught you late at night in the kitchen

⚬ He apologized but didnt blame you if you didnt want to be around them

⚬ “Its not everyday i get strangled by a guy i saved”

⚬ You both chuckled

⚬ Building trust was an extremely long process and you made belphegor work for it

⚬ Oh but when things do get better though??

⚬ MENACES I TELL YOU

⚬ Y’all can shit talk everyone for hours

⚬ Its how you two bond <3

⚬ You thought the dissing was limited to the privacy of your rooms?

⚬ You my little friend are sadly mistaken

⚬ There are codenames for people if you’re talking in public

⚬ No one is safe

⚬ Oh and if said person/demon/angel does something around you two?

⚬ Sending a single look across the room will say everything you need to

⚬ You’re now an honorary member of the anti-lucifer league

⚬ You found out that belphegor has the comfiest bed out of everyone

⚬ So now that’s where you take majority of your naps

⚬ Though if you lay down before him he will not hesitate to fall on top of you

⚬ No use complaining young human

⚬ This is your fate now

[spaceventurer]

My sweetheart - Corinthian meet-cute.

Pairing: Corinthian x Original Character (Gender neutral)

Summary: I was just planning on going to a local coffee shop with my friend Lila. When I actually arrived, things went different. I met him.

Content/Warnings: Fluff, sad start but quickly forgotten.

Words: 769

Requested: No

I pace around in my room, nervous for a reply from my friend. She agreed to meet up with me today at a local coffee shop, but she seems to be ghosting me. However there's also a chance she's just busy..

After a few more minutes of pacing, I decide that I will go to the coffee shop and I'll see if she's going to show up.

She most likely won't.

A bell chimes announcing that the door has been opened. I walk in, not with a smile, not with my usual cheerful behavior. Instead I greet the barista with a hopeful but sad frown.

“The usual?” He kindly asks. With a look on his face that screams that he didn’t mean it at all, and that it’s just his job to be kind.

“Please.” I mummer softly. Although I’m still sort of expecting for Lila to come, I know she won’t. She’s that kinda friend that is all talk but won’t actually do what she promises.

After having recieved my vanilla iced coffee, I look around the shop’s room for a place to sit down and relax. However it seems to be very busy today, the room is filled with students, friends, lovers and so much more.

I eventually walk over to a place by the window which seems to be empty. So I sit down on the side closest to the back wall, relaxing my back and legs that have been way too overworked by standing so long. Then I look up and suddenly notice there’s a man on the other side of the table, he was hidden behind a divider for privacy. I swear I didn’t see him!

“Oh- I’m sorry I’ll find another place!” I say while standing up from my seat.

“No please, take a seat. I don’t mind.” The blonde says. I nod and slowly sit down and try to relax while sipping my coffee. Now that I am sitting, and actually notice the man that’s sitting right in front of me, I notice how he radiates confidence and also how extremely hot he looks.

I cough lightly while trying to supress the heat that rises to my cheeks. The stranger wears sunglasses, which I must say is weird because we’re inside but I understand he must have his reasons. But oh my lord, he rocks those shades.

“See something you like sweetheart?” The blonde man says smugly. He’s smirking. Oh right, I’m staring-

“Oh- I erm, I’m sorry?” I say while laughing nervously. The man leans forward and smiles,

“Don’t be, I quite enjoy the attention of such a beautiful creature like yourself.” he flirts, shamelessly I might add. This time I can’t stop the blush forming on my face. 

“Ah- Thank you, you’re quite handsome yourself.” I admit shyly. He smirks again, he knows what he does to me- He must.

A silence falls, but not that awkward first meeting silence, no. A comfortable silence, as if I have known this man my whole life. The stranger adjusts his glasses and tries to make a conversation start again.

“What’s your name love?” He starts.

“It’s Robin, nice to meet you…?”

“Corinthian.” Oh- That’s a… unique name, it’s certainly interesting. Is it his real name, or just a pseudonym.?

“Is that a pseudonym, or am I insulting your name with that question?” I ask genuinely. 

“It’s my given name, yes.” He says seriously. “And no, it’s not biblical.” He adds after I open my mouth slightly to ask exactly that question.

“Does everyone ask that?” I ask rhetorically. “Wow, it must be annoying to have so many questions about just a name.” 

“It is.” He smiles. Finding his smile infectious I smile back. It was a true smile, which reminds me of…

“I remember I was actually waiting for someone.. But it seems she didn’t show up.” I say slightly disappointed. Corinthian’s vibe changed real fast.

“Was it a date?” He asks curiously but also somehow.. jealous?

“No, definitely not. She’s an old friend.” I smile politely.

“Ah alright.” He relaxes at that. “Before we part, might I have your number?” Corinthian asks hopefully.

“Sure!” I say happily, immediately giving him my number. He gives his phone and his hand brushes mine while he gives it. Gosh, that made me feel something. Like I am a teen all over again. Anyway, I type in my number and call myself to test if it’s all good. And it is.

I hand over his phone and he thanks me. After that we exchange our goodbyes and I go home, and think about him nonstop.

[hoetani]

| ONE DATE |

Warnings: fluff, lil angst maybe, comfort kinda (17+ Blog)

Relationship: Ran Haitani x fem!Reader

A/n: V quick for a special Haitani’s bday!! (happy bday to him too ig)

“C’mon, just one date.”

As you’ve grown older, you’ve come to learn many life lessons, for example, if you want something you need to work for it, or to always treat others with respect and they’ll do the same, or Ran fucking Haitani doesn’t give up easily.

At this point it doesn’t faze you, it’s almost become routine. You bump into each other, he asks you out, you politely decline and then he smirks cockily like he’s enjoying this little game.

At this point you expect it, especially here, at the famously held house party. Patting his arm consolingly, you give him a pitiful smile, “Nice try.”

His smug smile never wavers, “One day you’ll say yes.”

“Sure.”

Oh how you’re eating your words, because if there’s one life lesson that always comes back to bite you in the ass, it’s ‘if you don’t want something to happen, it will most definitely happen’.

“C’mon pretty girl, one drink,” the sleezy guy slurs as he obnoxiously leans his weight against you. It’s hard not to choke against the strong stench of alcohol on his breath, it makes your eyes water.

“I-I can’t,” you manage to wheeze out, arms flailing slightly to keep yourself upright.

His grip tightens on your body as he leers at you, mouth curling into an ugly smirk, “Why not?”

Your brain is on overdrive as you race through a folder of possible excuses, before you can even think, you blurt out, “I have a boyfriend.”

He looks taken aback, allowing you to wrench free from his grip. Massaging your sore shoulder, your nose scrunches at the sight of him – you weren’t exactly scared, but extremely uncomfortable.

“I don’t see him.”

“That’s because he’s getting me a drink,” you say, hoping your performance is at least slightly believable, “actually, there he is now.”

You scamper off without another word, slipping next to the purple haired male and snaking an arm around his waist. Ran tears his gaze away from the interesting game of beer pong and peers down at you with a queried brow, “Didn’t think you’d change your mind that fast.”

“There’s a guy harassing me,” you say quietly, “told him you were my boyfriend.”

You can practically feel his ego inflate as his signature smirk makes an appearance, “Is that so?”

Leaning down, he scrutinises your face before planting a small kiss to the corner of your lips, it’s a chaste and modest display of affection but you suddenly find yourself wanting more. You pull away spluttering, “What the hell was that?”

“Isn’t that something a boyfriend would do?” he asks no one in particular, “You’re right, a boyfriend wouldn’t kiss you there, he’d kiss you properly.”

Before Ran can envelope your lips fully, you push him away, flustered and embarrassed. His poorly stifled chuckle makes you huff petulantly. Your shenanigans are interrupted when you make eye contact with the weird man from earlier. Shyly, you grab Ran’s hand and lead him to the other end of the house; the dance floor.

Slowly, you begin to sway your body, blending into the crowd with Ran at your side. His heavy hands rest on your hips, pulling you closer until there’s no distance between you. His repressed groans are enchanting and for some reason you want to hear more. You can feel him lean down, the trace of his breath against the crook of your neck.

“So, about that date…”

[fervency-if]

You're such a kind soul😩Your words are healing my parent's issues(💀'cus it's both of them). Thank you for being so welcoming. Somehow, talking to you feels like I'm talking to a famous person😂I mean, in a sense you are famous, don't know how many readers you have but in my mind is a headcanon that you're known among the IF community.

Talking about our dear Elan, I saw that you updated the game🥰I'll play it as soon as I finish this message, I'm missing him rn😔I was romancing the Psysichian in my second playthrough, but as as soon Elan's deathbed scene comes up, I drop everything to save that man lol

Then I'll keep up supporting you guys💗I follow at least 12 IF blogs, I need to learn how to type faster if I plan on messaging all of you💀but the time I spend typing isn't nearly half the time ya'll spend writing those masterpieces🤌🏼

Is really nice, isn't it? Sometimes our names can tell a little something about us.

Oh! If you were in the Physician's shoes, what would do? Dying from plague really isn't a great way to go, but not everyone had the chance to say if they wanted the Nocturnal life for themselves since there's isn't much explanation before the bloodletting.

Kinda giggling now remembering Twilight because Edward spent 24/7 thinking about the dilemma of turning Bella, he felt as if he was condemning her soul to Hell😭

That's really impressive😮Writing is a skill that can be learnt and polished along the way, but I do think some people are naturally inclined to it. Is writing something you always liked to do?

I'm glad you're having fun with it, you're the author so you enjoying your story as much as your readers do is a must🥰

😔there you go again soothing my nerves in asking things, you feed your public way too good.

Oooh I see!I was quite surprised when Roswhen turned out to be a cannibal, I thought they would thirst for blood since I choose that option and was the one to bloodlett them. Kinda nonsense on my part since the Physician did the same with Aubrey and he turned to be a Cannibal lol

Hahah, a fun find indeed! Thank you for the bonus information, getting to know your characters and ideas has been quite fun 🫂

Oh! And I'd like to know, which one of your RO's would you romance? Since you like it so much making your audience thirst over the whole cast, let's turn the tables now🥸

Aah, right back at you, so are you! (Or bounce back, as our friend Elan would have said.) It's always nice getting asks from you! 🌸 (Aw...) Haha, ah, that is fun I must say! I am not one of the 'bigger names,' so to speak, but I definitely have more readers than I thought I would have, which, of course, is beautiful to me!

I'll put the rest of the reply below a cut, since it got long:

I hope you will enjoy spending some more time with Elan and the others - I bet he would be flattered to hear that people missed him! Oh, that's the 'trouble,' or how to put it, when a game has more than one love interest that one likes, isn't it! It doesn't always go as planned, haha! I certainly don't blame you!

That really is kind of you, to take the time to do that! 🫶 Hehe, aw!

You're right about that - sometimes little secrets, even, in a sense.

Oh, that's an interesting and tricky question, regarding what I would do if I were in the Physician's shoes... I would definitely want to be less secretive than her, that much I know; I would certainly try to be as upfront as I could from the start, and I would want people to be as well-informed as possible - not that it would be easy in certain situations, since many of her patients are delirious or actively dying without any time to think such a decision through. I would have too much of a bleeding heart to simply ignore the sick and go on with my day, even though the alternative isn't exactly ideal either...

Haha! I was unaware of that, I never read those books! Aah what a dilemma the vampires have...!

Aw, thank you! Yes, I have always been interested in writing; even before I learned how to read and write at age four, apparently I sat in my bed telling stories to my stuffed animals according to my parents, so it seems as if I have always wanted to get some stories out.

I feel very happy that I'm this motivated regarding my story - I think the fact that it's an interactive novel helps me combating writer's block since there are much alternative text and different ways to go; it's harder to find myself stuck when there is more to do, hehe.

You really are sweet! 🍀

I would say it made sense for you to be surprised about that even so, since it would have made a lot of sense for them to become a vampire, so I certainly wouldn't call it nonsense!

My pleasure - I'm glad you found it fun to read! 🫶

Ooh, let's see here! That's a tricky question in a sense, who I would romance, since I love all my character the same amount, but seeing this from an outside perspective, how I would have played the game if it wasn't mine and I didn't know what I know right now, thinking about the playstyle I would pick... I think I will have to say Aubrey, because I wouldn't be able to resist playing as an absolutely unhinged and ravenous character during my first playthrough, haha, just embracing each and every craving, and since Aubrey is and does just that, they would be quite compatible, my character and him... So chances are that his romance would come quite naturally to the sort of character I would amuse myself with!

[setsailtomorrow]

Yizhan fic-rec

oh yes, we’re doing this again! here’s a rec of some more recent yizhan fic. there’s been some exchanges, some kink memes, and just some regular good stuff, so the time felt right.

as long as you’re by my side E, 4k, OverthinkingThis, spoonful_of_sugar

"Where are you taking me, gege?" Yibo asks, as if he doesn't already know. The fingers of his right hand find the collar fastened around his neck and absently caress the tags hanging off a loop at the front. They tinkle softly over the low hum of the car’s engine.

Xiao Zhan smiles, buckling his seatbelt. "Somewhere special, darling."

Or: Mr. Xiao takes his spoiled puppy out for an evening of food and pampering.

soft, sweet, kinky

*Against All Expectations 6k, M, jiejieaini

It all came to a head in the middle of filming. There was only so much that suppressants could do to control the baser instincts of the alphas working on any project, especially in such close contact as Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan were. It felt like they had hardly been apart in months.

Xiao Zhan was restless. Frustrated. The takes weren’t going well and he was getting more wound up with each passing moment. This frustration was only accentuated when Wang Yibo teased him for, yet again, screwing up one of his impossibly long and difficult lines. He had finished the take, stalked off and said nothing on the bus back to the hotel. His skin felt tight and itchy and he put it down to the heat of the day and his sweat-soaked costume.

He got back to his room and slammed the door shut, stalking into the shower to scrub off the makeup and wig glue and hoping to take the edge off by jacking off. The frustration only seemed to grow. It wasn’t enough. Nothing felt like enough.

———

Alpha Xiao Zhan goes into his rut. Alpha Wang Yibo is there for him.

we have some hot gaybo going here.

the blue yearning, the summer light 10k, E, planetb612

In the summer of 2026, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo swap bodies for the second time. This would not have been a problem — except for the fact that they have not been in contact since 2020.

bodyswap-au! these are fun and not many to be found. got that good future take as well, the kinda getting back together thing.

draw me like one of your good boys 12k, E, sandorara

“Wow Gege, you’re so good. You should draw me.”

Just the words irritate Xiao Zhan before he even looks up. When he does, the annoyance brewing within him only grows. Right behind his shoulder is a young man who looks like a collection of some of the worst parts of humanity: obviously filthy rich, covered from head to toe in objectively ugly, ‘hip’ streetwear and possessing zero manners. He’s pushed much too far into Xiao Zhan’s personal space, and somehow manages to look entirely nonchalant about it all despite the supposed praise and over-familiarity. Clearly nothing but hollow words. Xiao Zhan grits his teeth.

What he wouldn’t give for some peace and quiet.

very nice! sugar didi with dom xz. a truly great combo.

zoom in, enhance 13k, G, deinde

Your streamer is toxic and slams his own fanbase on stream. My streamer talks philosophy and gives life advice while streaming horror games. We are not the same.

Or: When horror game streamer Xiao Zhan reconnects with his oldest fan, it kicks off a relationship that goes beyond the screen. But what does controversial idol Wang Yibo have to do with it all?

famous/non famous. xz is a game streamer, wyb is... well, famous. but also anonymous.

all I ever needed, you’re the one 17k, M, nikefemme

AU. Xiao Zhan, Emperor of the Nine Kingdoms, is determined to find and marry his zhiji, but it’s proving to be a bit of a challenge, even with magic involved.

Wang Yibo has an important quest involving said Emperor, but Lu Ban locks and the odd customs of this strange land are a bit of a distraction.

Things do not go precisely as planned for either of them.

Featuring: Da-laoshi offering unhelpful advice, bigbro!Han Geng, friends-with-too-much-interest-in-your-love-life Yunlong and Xuan Lu, and Ayunga as a helpful bearer of legends. Special appearance by Wang Han to bring good sense to the party.

CW: a/b/o features but is not the main point. Same with mpreg.

cute fantasy au of a sort. here be dragons.

This Must be the Place 18k, E, airinshaw

Yibo is not a fan of the idea of soulmates, doesn’t really think about his soulmark, and definitely has no time for Xiao Zhan, the ridiculously famous idol who, for some reason, keeps coming to stay at the hotel Yibo bartends at and disrupting everything with his fans and followers.

But all of his cynical opinions are tested when someone leaks a photo of Xiao Zhan’s soulmark. Because it is a perfect match for Yibo’s.

i’m weak for a good soulmark au and this was famous/non-famous as well. read it right now.

*Plain talk 22k, E, brooklinegirl

"It's this thing," Xiao Zhan says. "With Yibo. It's—I can't explain it, not really, but I can't stop telling the truth when I talk to him." It sounds absolutely insane as he says it.

"Hm," Xuan Lu says, not sounding as surprised as he'd expected. "And you think that's a...curse?" Her tone is carefully neutral.

Or, while filming The Untamed, Xiao Zhan finds he can only tell the truth. It causes some problems.

when this author does a comeback, you gotta rec it. trust in brooklinegirl, her sweaty xz and *that* summer.

How to Rid Your Gym of Fuckboys 25k, E, lyricalfog

Wang Yibo never intended to fake a relationship with his nemesis just so his mother would stop wasting her time trying to find suitable partners for him. Really. It just kind of worked out that way.

this was a treat!!! no but so many great tropes and really hot as well

*wild flower, wild grass E, 30k, islet

Xiao Zhan turns forty, ends his acting career, buys a house by the sea, and falls in love. Wang Yibo is twenty-one, and, uh - just happens to be there. These facts are not unrelated.

now this was a treat!!! i do love older xz, the fic one that has landed and decided to get out. this was very good.

lying in the dark (no sunshine) 34k, M, OverthinkingThis

Wang Yibo has had Xiao Zhan erased from his memory. Please never mention their relationship to him again.

Xiao Zhan furrows his brow, flipping the paper over and over in confusion, but other than the initials “LWJ” at the top of the page and a line of contact information, there’s nothing more to the letter.

It's been hard enough for Xiao Zhan to move on since the night Wang Yibo walked out, but now someone is fucking with him by sending a prank letter. Erasing someone from one's memory is not a thing that can be done — is it?

If it is, then Xiao Zhan doesn't want to be the only one bearing the burden of remembering what they've lost.

-----

or: It's not easy to forget Wang Yibo.

UPDATED WITH NEW EPILOGUE

uhm, i actually haven’t read this yet but was reminded that i’m gonna!

*Kept You Like An Oath 36k, M, stickmarionette

After all his wondering and all the unanswered messages, to see Xiao Zhan standing in front of him all the way out here seems like a miracle.

Xiao Zhan leans back against the railing and tips his head back into the breeze. The cap casts his face in shadow but Yibo can still hear and picture his megawatt smile.

"Here. I've been here. Waiting for you," Xiao Zhan says. Like that's a normal thing to say. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Yibo closed the book on that wild summer long ago. He doesn't expect to be faced with it again almost ten years later.

another one of these!!! they’ve moved on (xz has left c-ent) but then! ugh so good. this writer does good stuff as well, check their pseud

ON GOING SERIES: A World Apart, sparkly

The one where Wang Yibo joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Xiao Zhan does Shakespeare and they end up married and disgustingly in love (again).

i almost did not read this because of the m*rvel factor. but then i did, and i do not regret it! a future fic type of thing where they are successful and also find each other again. power couple yizhan.

*WIP: let’s not try to figure everything out at once E, corianderbunnies 🔒

Xiao Zhan takes up the patient's admission forms and turns away, washing and sanitising his hands at the small sink in the corner.

Patient Wang Yibo, he reads. His eyes are blurry with tiredness and he wants to rub them, only then he’d have to rewash his hands. Twenty-four. Presents with a sprained ankle. Urgent investigation and treatment.

Twenty-four? Christ, really? He looks like a kid.

A sprained fucking ankle? He could've strapped it up himself. The Director must be smoking something.

xz is a doctor wyb is WANG YIBO. this is such an ongoing treat, it’s cute it’s hot it’s heart wrenching when they miss each other. i do really recommend following along. (it’s already over 100k) 

* = fave

[anchanted-one]

Legend of Vajra 27 - Stopover on Ord Mantel

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43208574/chapters/110326750

Fort Garnik, Ord Mantell

Vajra left Kira to watch over the ship—and perhaps listen to any interesting gossip—and went down to the surface with just T7.

“Ever been here before, T7?”

<Negative.>

“We need to find Var Suthra’s man, this… Agent Ottau.”

<Rendezvous location = ___ ?>

“All I know, is we’re supposed to meet him at Fort Garnik,” Vajra sighed. “I think we should ask around at the barracks. Maybe the cantina—”

<T7 = Loading map. T7 = lead the way?>

“Of course.”

The Droid led him to the Barracks, but no one there knew about Agent Ottau, or an SIS base. Eventually, a Private pointed him in the direction of one General Vander.

The old soldier looked surprised when he was shown into his office. “Well, well! It’s rare to see a Jedi on Ord Mantell, these days!” He knocked a rodent off his table and said, “Please, sit down. Sorry about the Mantellian Rats. There’s an infestation, and we’re having trouble coping with it. So what can I do for you?”

“I’m here looking for Agent Ottau, of the SIS,” Vajra said. “I was hoping you could point me in his direction.”

“Is that all?” he chuckled. “I was hoping you’d come to help us stamp out the last pockets of war on this planet.”

“I might be after a few Imperial bases down here on Ord Mantell.”

“Ahhh, I see! Good for you, Padawan. Err, say? Are you alone? It’s rare to see a Padawan without his Master.”

Vajra was pleased to know that he wasn’t famous because of one live broadcast. Even people on Coruscant hadn’t recognized him. “I’m a Knight, Sir. I understand how you feel. I still have difficulty believing too!”

“Pardon my ignorance,” the General said.

“No problem.”

“So… Ottau… Ottau…” he searched through his datapad. “Yes, found it! He’s in Talloran Village. It was overrun with Separatists until recently, but they’ve finally been talked down. The situation on Coruscant made a lot of people rethink their alliances with the Empire.” A shadow passed his face for a second. “Here’s the coordinates.” He handed Vajra a datapad. “It’s a short walk. You can take a speeder, if you like.”

“Two kilometers… I’d love to walk, but time is of the essence.”

“Right. I’ll see that you have clearance for that speeder. And anything else that you might need.”

Vajra thanked him and left.

*

Shortly after Dawn the next day

Agent Ottau wasn’t surprised when he opened the door to find the Jedi had returned. “Welcome back, Master Jedi.”

“We got back to Fort Garnick around midnight, but didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Appreciate it. The Coruscant thing had many of us pulling all-nighters. Not as bad as you, I’m sure, but still…”

“It’s going to get a lot more hectic, that’s for sure,” the Jedi said unhappily. “Especially given what we found.”

Ottau took the list and looked it down. His alarm grew with every word, but years of instilled professionalism maintained his outward calm. “This… wow. Did you get any sleep after reading this?”

“No.”

“The ‘Desolator’ project. Planet-killer. Fuck…”

“I was hoping you could send it to Var Suthra and the Jedi Council for me. SIS transceivers are bound to be more secure than mine.”

“Copy that.” He handed the datacube to a droid, and asked his secretary for some refreshments. “A little rest while we wait?”

“Sure, why not?”

“In the meantime, I wonder if we can talk for a while? I went through the files of your time on Coruscant. There were several names in there which interested me.”

“Oh?”

“The soldier, Lieutenant Queens; and the spacers, Stede and Kraot. They were here a while back, and they made quite an impression. The streets outside my home were a battlefield until they cleared it all up.”

“They did? Just the three of them?”

“Well, Queens only worked with Stede and Kraot while storming the volcano.”

“They stormed a volcano?”

“Yeah. Interesting bunch. I thought I’d tell you about them.”

“A good friend of mine gave me a love for stories.”

“Good, coz this one is kinda long. So, let’s start with Captain Stede and First Mate Kraot. According to the reports, the spacers introduced themselves as traders, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, they were stretching the truth a little. They’re smugglers.”

“Smugglers?”

Ottau was amused by the Jedi’s shock. “Yeah. Ethical, most of the time. They almost always try to pick their clients. But they aren’t spotless, and their background checks are shaky. They were hired to bring crates of weapons to Ord Mantell, by a man working at Fort Garnik. The one Corso worked for.”

“I think… Corso said his name was… Bado?”

“Vidu. He was a low-level criminal whose ‘misdemeanours’ the soldiers overlooked because he was useful to them. He brought in their supplies, had a network of informants… that kind of thing.”

“I see.” Ottau could see the boy struggling to come to terms with the revelation.

“You really liked them, didn’t you? For what it’s worth, they’re good people. They don’t run supplies for people known to prey on innocents. And they hate the Empire. Would never work for them unless it involves a dying population. They’ve run supplies to starving villages and towns basically for free. And Stede is particularly vicious to slavers.”

“Well… that’s good at least. I… I’ll try not to let it color my opinion of them, if I ever meet them again.”

“Good. Sadly, the real world isn’t all light and dark. There’s shades of grey there.”

“Right.”

“So anyway, they weren’t supposed to stick long on Ord Mantell, but one of Viidu’s men, a rat called Skaavak, tricked them into running a dangerous mission in a nearby village. And while they were out, he made off with their ship, and all their cargo.”

“I doubt he knew what he was getting into. Those two are fearless. I saw them fighting on Coruscant. Skaavak would need an army to stay safe from them.”

“As it happened, an army was exactly what Skaavak had. He donated the supplies to the Separatists, so that he could ingratiate himself with them. And steal something they had. And as a bonus, the man who requisitioned those supplies from Viidu would have taken care of the pilots for him. But that last part didn’t go so well.

“Before getting into that, I think I’ll mention your other friend. Queens. A Straight-A’s student in the Phalanx Academy. Stellar performances in his maiden missions. Responsible for single-handedly saving a train from terrorists on Corellia.”

“Whoa!”

“It’s no wonder he got chosen for Havoc Squad along with his best friend, Tatiana Horakova, who was an A-grade sniper. They got assigned right in time to help Havoc locate a stolen warhead.”

“A stolen warhead?”

“Right. The Seps got their hands on it somehow. Special Forces is conducting all investigations, so I don’t know much. Anyway, their searches—the pilots for their ship, the soldiers for the bomb—they kept leading them from one Separatist held town to the next. I sat here and listened to the frightened comms chatter. Even saw them, when they swept through this town. Havoc broke up a meeting between different terrorist groups from across the Republic, and killed all fifteen of them. On their end, the gunslingers raided a Separatist archive, killing dozens of guards, and handing over copies of the data to Republic Command. They gave us everything; sympathizers, traitors, Imperial connections and more. The two groups crossed paths a couple of times, but where they really got together was the volcano. Thanks to Imperial backing, the Seps built up a strong base inside the crater. They had hundreds of their elites there, as well as a lot of their truly dirty secrets. The veterans of Havoc went in without their newcomers, but got trapped in an ambush. Queens and Horakova went in after them, and joined up with the gunslingers, who had tracked Skaavak there. I have no idea how they managed it, but they made it to several landing platforms inside and cleared all AA turrets, which allowed soldiers to land. In just three hours, they had the base.”

“I know Skaavak escaped… but what about the bomb?”

“Right. I believe retrieval became impossible, since they found Imp Special Forces inside. But they were able to defuse it, even under fire. You should have heard the Imps throwing a temper tantrum!”

“Then they still achieved their mission; to save the lives that bomb could have taken.”

“Right. And that’s how the brass took it too! Queens got a promotion!”

“What happened to Horakova?”

“I… don’t know. Normally when a soldier is KIA during such a high-stakes mission, there’s a large service. But since there wasn’t… I really hate to say it, but I suspect she was a traitor.”

“A traitor?”

“Yes. It’s odd; she didn’t have any connection to the Seps, or Ord Mantell. And not to the Empire. But all investigations are being handled by Special Forces. General Garza tends to keep things wrapped up. Anyway, that’s the story. If ever you meet Queens, or Stede, or Kraot again, just know that they’re heroes here on Ord Mantell. Especially Stede; that woman entered the range one day, and beat the blaster-pistol high score. She’s got an eagle’s eye.”

“Thanks, Agent. It was good to know. I wonder if Captain Stede got her ship back.”

Ottau frowned and sent a message to a buddy of his. He was lucky to have a quick response. “Yes, actually. And she somehow managed to put Skavaak on multiple watch lists, including one for infectious, incurable STDs.”

The Jedi and Astromech both laughed.

“Okay, we’re getting a message from Var Suthra. Looks like he got everything. Head on back to your ship, he’s ready to discuss it with you.”

“Thanks for everything, Agent Ottau. I hope we work together again, sometime.”

“Me too, Master Jedi. Me too.”

Once the Jedi left, he sat back for a moment to process the news of this superweapon. The idea that the maniac, Darth Angral, was about to get his hands on a planet-killer… no world in the Republic would be safe. He liked the kid, but he hoped that the Council could spare Jedi with real experience. It was true that he’d saved Coruscant, but this was a different game altogether.

This ‘Vajra’ was in over his head. Even on the modest chance he succeeded, he would be left damaged. After giving it good thought, he wrote a follow-up message to the Jedi Council with his personal request.

*

Kira Sensed the moment her Master arrived on the orbital station, and of course he started coming right for her. Perhaps he thought she’d made a friend, or perhaps he had Sensed her distress. His presence made her feel better though. She wasn’t going back to her birthplace, after all.

There was a panic among her captors, who had been making shuttle arrangements back to Dromund Kaas. There was some discussion, then the one called Inquisitor Ferav decided to hold her hostage.

Kira almost snickered.

All seven of Ferav’s cronies arrayed themselves in a semicircle behind them, facing the only door into their lounge.

When the door chimed, the good Inquisitor drew his blade and placed it near her neck. “Play along, now!” he whispered.

When Vajra entered, he gasped. “YOU?!”

Vajra gave her a confused look. “Kira, is this a strange party or something?”

“I wish,” Kira sighed. “But I’m not worried. You see—”

But charming, charming Ferav interrupted her. “So this boy Jedi was here all along? Well played, Padawan! Your lies convinced even Darth Angral!”

“Wait, so you’re really Sith?” he shook his head disbelievingly. “But your Force Strength is even weaker than mine!”

“Shut up, dog! Imperial Intelligence noticed her poking her pretty little nose around, and my Master came from twenty parsecs away to personally interrogate her! Unfortunately, we were led to believe you weren’t here.”

Kira snorted. “I told them you were on Corellia. Suckers!”

Vajra looked at her with a pained look. “I kinda wish you’d not done that. I could have just killed him.”

Kira snorted again, imagining her captors’ expressions.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY!?” Ferav roared. “Our Master would tear you apa—”

“By the way, Angral wanted me for more interrogation or something,” Kira said brightly. “He said I was not to be touched. You can attack whenever you want.”

Vajra did as she suggested. In a jiffy, he had closed the distance and knocked the Sith off Kira. Thrills rolling down her spine, Kira allowed her Master to pick her up and leap backwards.

“Thanks!” she said brightly.

“Take them!” Ferav screamed. “Alive! The great lord wants them both alive!”

Vajra removed her handcuffs and gave her two of his Lightsabers. “This is a good time to see what you’re made of.”

Kira blinked. “Eh?”

“You heard me. They can’t hurt you, right? Don’t worry. I’ll bail you out if anything happens. The Lightsabers connect, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Kira said. She moved quickly, and Pushed her attackers back. Ferav and one other man managed to stay vertical, but the others were knocked off their feet. Kira attacked Ferav first, striking at his midsection and neck. He fended off her blows, but wasn’t good enough to take her on one-on-one.

His upright lackey reached her after her first attack, and attempted to knock aside her blade with a heavy attack. Luckily, he wasn’t particularly fast; Kira disengaged to allow the blow to miss its mark, then stabbed him in the chest.

The others were back on their feet now, ready to rejoin the fray. Feeling the pressure of facing Ferav and his remaining cronies at once, Kira attacked him recklessly. She managed to cleave his Lightsaber and the hand it was in, but he fell onto his worthless bum, and crawled back, cradling his maimed hand and crying from the pain.

The remaining six finally reached her. They managed to shake off her Force Push this time, but were staggered enough for Kira to retain the momentum. She attacked the runt of the pack, hoping to finish him off too in the second before their comrades were upon her.

But one second wasn’t enough. They were on her, and suddenly she was pushed into the defensive. This barely-Sith comedy band had clearly trained together, and were greater than the sum of their parts. She felt quite pressed by the onslaught of blades from all sides.

She slipped, rolled, and dodged to avoid getting encircled, but knew that it was only a matter of time.

Finally a Sith managed to get under her defenses, and kicked her in the stomach. A different one drew back his hand to slap her, but she felt herself being Picked up and Pulled out once again.

“Thanks for the show, Kira,” Vajra said, letting her down next to him. “I know what to teach you now.”

He pounced; there was a loud whoosh, and the sound of a Lightsaber spinning in the air. Vajra came to a halt in front of Inquisitor Ferav, and six pairs of heads dropped down behind him, the bodies falling after.

Ferav screamed like a plucked rooster. “I SURRENDER!” he screamed so loud that the garrison in Fort Garnik would have heard him.

“Good. There’s much you can tell us.”

Ferav nodded furiously. “Anything. Anything! Just please, don’t send me back to my Master! I don’t want a punishment! I don’t want one!”

T7, who had hitherto just sat back and watched, rolled up to the Inquisitor and stunned him. Vajra locked the man in his own stun-cuffs and left T7 to keep watch before racing over to Kira.

“You alright?”

Kira glowered. “I can’t believe you made me fight those jerks on my own!”

He gave her a wide smile. “Did you notice what you didn’t do?” When she refused to answer, he sighed and went on. “You didn’t lose control. Not even close. You fought these Sith you hate like a true Jedi.”

“Oh!” Kira’s heart leapt. “So, you pulled this stunt to prove a point?”

“In part,” he said. “I also wanted to see how you fought. You’re probably aware of this, but there’s few Jedi things I’m better than you at. It’s only in Lightsabers that I’ve got you beat. Everywhere else, we’re close. You’re even better in most ways.”

“Yeah? I don’t believe that.”

“But I do. Anyway, even if I’m to be your Master for a week, I want to teach you what I can. You’re not bad with that thing, but there’s definitely room for improvement. Once we make the jump into hyperspace, we’re going to work on your swordplay together.”

She took his proffered hand and stood, dusting off her bottom. Reaching out, she summoned her own Lightsaber back into her hand, and returned the one Vajra had lent her. “Wasn’t this the same one that Master Satele loaned you? Why haven’t you built your own yet?” His blush made her chuckle. “Ahhh, have a crush on our ethereal Grand Master, do we?”

“No,” he sighed. “It’s a secret.”

“Huh?” Kira thought about it for a second before clapping her hands. “Ohhh! So it’s true then!”

“What?” Vajra looked nervous.

“Don’t play dumb with me! I’ve seen her stand next to Jasme enough times to see the resemblance.”

He didn’t say anything, but his averted gaze was all it took her to know she’d scored.

“And here I thought they were aunt and niece, maybe.” Kira guffawed.

“Kira? This isn’t a safe place to talk about it,” Vajra said, looking deeply guilty for breaking Jasme’s trust.

“Oops!” Kira felt stupid. At least the Sith was still unconscious. “Hey, T7? Be a dear and scrub a minute or two off the feed?”

<Affirmative.>

“Kira… please don’t do this to me again. I feel like…” he trailed off, and looked so guilty that Kira felt the need to pat his shoulders.

“Hey, don’t worry! It’s just Miss Motor-mouth being motory as usual.”

“Right.”

“Now, come on. Var Suthra will probably be wondering what’s keeping you.”

“Sure.”

“Just… tell me one thing. This thing about Master Satele’s ‘gifts’. It’s obvious now, that they’re special because of Jasme, not Satele.”

“Right.”

“Vajra… tell me you’re not in love with Jazz.”

His response was simple and direct. “I’m not in love with her. I see her as an actual sister.” She was satisfied with the honesty in his voice.

“Good. It’s kinda weird, like you’re using these sabers to tell yourself you’re Jasme’s little brother.”

He blushed even deeper. “It’s silly, I know.”

“Hey, I’m not judging! In fact, now that I think about it, it’s actually kind of sweet. I envy the friendship you have. Now, come on! I need some more grub. I, er… lost my breakfast earlier. Threw up on Angral’s tailored boots.”

*

Kira meditated as Vajra handled the now-Major Var Suthra, and turned over the prisoner. She could hear her crystal’s song, no problem. Any Force user could, after a few days’ training at most.

But Vajra had told her to really focus on it, to let it fill her head, heart, and soul. And so she did. It was kinda relaxing, actually; a million times more soothing than any mundane song she’d ever heard. A part of her started to wonder why she hadn’t done this before; why it had taken her more than three years to begin this kind of meditation.

Unbidden, her mind went back to her first meeting with Vajra. She recalled what he said about dancing to the crystal’s song. She finally understood what he’d meant; why he’d dedicated his entire childhood to learning how to dance to it.

“Ah, I see you like it!”

She opened her eyes to see Vajra entering with several training remotes.

“Hey, Master. You were right; it gets better every second.”

“Good. How’s your dancing? Regular dancing, I mean.”

“Master Kiwiiks… didn’t let me go out for clubbing and the like,” Kira said unwillingly. This was at least the fifth time she’d said anything about her Master, and she didn’t like it. “But I did do some ballroom dancing. The elegant stuff.”

“That’s enough to start with,” Vajra grinned. “You know how to move with a rhythm.”

“I guess so.”

“And you have a good grasp on the basics of Form VI. You don’t have to say anything more about Master Kiwiiks’ focus. I understand.”

She felt grateful.

“But… well. Master WenSuul was bedridden for most of my apprenticeship. What stopped you from requesting a Holocron to learn from? Or ordinary data cubes? Oh, or did your ‘only read erotica’ rule get in the way.”

“I—” She laughed self-deprecatingly.

“There’s only so much our Masters can teach us. For everything else, hit the library. Ours is rather good, you know!”

She felt rather annoyed, but got his point. “Actually… Jazz banned me from the library when she walked in on me… errr… watching a porno.”

“Kira!”

“Oh, your face!” She laughed hysterically. “I’m only kidding!”

“Don’t,” he said seriously. “Especially somewhere Jasme could hear you. She becomes a different person when the library is involved.”

*

“Okay, then. Are you ready?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Now that you are really listening to the song, start dancing to it. However you want. Ignite the blade if you need to.”

“Should I close my eyes?”

“If you want. You are in complete control of everything here. The only rule; no staying still.”

“Got it, boss!”

Kira began dancing like the cantina dancers she’d once seen, back when she’d snuck into a bar on Nar Shaddaa. There had been a Twi’lek named Ilea’naschae dancing then, one of the most famous in Hutt Space. Her movements had been so, incredibly sensual… almost rapturous! It had been that sight which had awakened Kira to desire… and it had been that dance which had given her a love for artful eros.

Kira didn’t want to become that kind of dancer, nor incorporate that into her fighting style—the two needed to be separate. But to start off this dance, it was a good place.

Kira began by spreading out one leg, toes pointed, then attempted a balletic spin. But her anchoring foot slipped and she stumbled.

“Dammit!”

“It’s alright. If you fall, just stand back up. The way you would in a fight.”

“You got it, boss.”

She tried again, and this time when she slipped, she just stood back up and did a reverse pirouette. For about a minute, that was all she did. But afterwards, her body really began to get into the rhythm. She began to move her arms and shoulders; her hips started to swing to the beat. She turned her head, and arched her back. And a larger variety of steps became part of her act. She stepped, sideslipped, tap-danced, turned, and hopped.

She looked at herself in the mirrors her Master had placed before his own practice, and thought that she wasn’t as inelegant as she’d feared.

“The Lightsaber training did help in this, believe it or not,” Vajra explained, when he saw her look of surprised satisfaction.

“I like it!” Kira began to dance more energetically, tossing her hair and picking up her arms. She added in full squats and lunges. Her style eventually moved on to a peppy break dance.

“Yeaaaaaah!” She’d really gotten into the swing of it now! Unbidden, her green blade sprang to life, and she added in attack and defense moves.

Vajra clapped. “That’s good! Really good!”

“Thanks, Master!”

“Now that you’re dancing to the music, start fighting with it. Let the song dictate your step. Do you need a break, first?”

“Not really, boss. Bring it on!”

He released the remotes and ordered them to begin firing in fifteen seconds.

“Ummm. Master? There are nine remotes in there! I can only keep up with six!”

He grinned. “Be prepared to surprise yourself. Again.”

The droids began firing when their countdown ended. They spewed a hail of low-powered blaster bolts at her. And they were set to hard mode, which got Kira nicely panicked. Her attempt to deflect them were, at best, desperate. Her swings were wild, and her movements exhausting.

She wasn’t used to this! In the few scraps she’d gotten into, she’d always relied on cover and running. And a lot of Force attacks. This, getting caught out in the open and unable to Force her way through, was something she’d hoped she’d never have to face. She felt stings on her arms and face after about this session started, and started to lose her confidence in herself.

“Relax, Kira. Don’t be afraid. Listen to the song.”

She tried, in which time she got clipped five more times. She yelped and jumped, her concentration breaking. But after three failed attempts, she was able to listen again. The next second, her body was able to move to the song’s rhythm as it had before. It wasn’t easy at first, but as time went on, she found herself getting back into the zone.

And suddenly, she was there. Her blades intercepted every bolt, and her movements held an economy now. Her rate of exhaustion dropped off, and she felt confident she could keep this up for another hour, at least.

She’d been worried that she would have to face off against Vajra later, but he let her have her confidence boost, not moving on to sparring.

Forty minutes later, he called for a break. “Alright. I think we should be arriving at Carrick station soon. I can drop off our prisoner. I think we’ll stay here for an hour or two, so you can go look for your choice of clothes too, once you’ve caught your breath.”

“Really? Thank you, Master!”

“Don’t discard your old clothes. We’re headed to Taris next, and you know what that means.”

“Damn. Got it!”

She collapsed against a crate as Vajra gathered up the remotes. She took a large drink from the bottle he’d left for her, and toweled the sweat off her face and shoulders.

She felt a victorious glow engulf her chest. She’d thought she would never rise above a D-tier ranking as a saberist, but in less than an hour, she’d started to believe in herself. With Vajra as her Master, she was sure she could be in the Orders top fifty within the next couple of years. In five, she might be good enough to fight Vajra himself.

“Look out, Sith! You won’t take me in this easily next time!”

*