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dyllywritestories · 6 months

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Short Story: “The Scientist’s AI”

(TW: Graphic Content at the end.)

Dr Ime, a scientist on the planet of Strentuk, in a galaxy far away from their races’ original home, sits in a lab. She’s been working on a project that has been her lifetime project. Around the universe were different forms of technology that let them communicate with one another, guide them around, or get answers at the touch of your fingertips; but too often would communication take minutes or hours to arrive. In the realm of universe-wide science, rapid communication, and research would take far too long. So she set out to create a new system that would finally do all of this, along with an AI that would be so personable, it’d feel like a real person with you. She spent countless lonely nights in the lab that just having an AI to talk to would be enough. Now, sitting at her desk, adding some finishing touches to a code on her computer, she began to speak.

“AI, How are you today?” Ime’s voice crackled as she spoke, it had been hours since she last saw or said anything to anyone. A buffering wheel appeared on her desktop as the AI prepared its words.

“Ok. Ime. How are you?” A static, clear robotic voice echoed out into the chamber-like room they were in. Ime put her head down on the table. She was sure that this one was it, that it’d sound more living and fluent; but instead, it was another robotic response.

“I’m okay AI. Just okay,” Ime spoke with defeat in her voice while she rested her head on the table. The AI buffered on the screen again, once again preparing a response.

“Why are you ok? Do you want to talk about it?” The AI’s robotic response echoed again, but Ime’s head lifted slightly this time. The phrasing, the sentence structure… It sounded slightly more natural, maybe she was onto something. The voice was still robotic, but its conversational skills were different than the hundreds of other tests she ran.

“I’m just tired, AI… I’ve been working on you all my life, and I just can’t seem to get the code, voice, or your skills down. It’s not your fault, but it’s just… It’s tiring, you know?” The defeated infliction was still in her words as she spoke, but let out a soft chuckle after; ‘How would it know, it’s just a robot after all,’ she thought to herself. She wondered why she was opening up to the AI. Was it because she was so defeated and just needed to get it out? Was it a hope that somehow it would magically fix itself? The AI readied another response.

“Ime. I am sorry. Would you like me to play ‘Mellow Beats! Music to Relax/Study/Sleep to’?” Ime couldn’t help but laugh at the AI’s response. Just when she thought she had something, it was back to the robotic suggestions and responses.

“No. I’m okay, thank you though.” This was all she said to the AI. She began to straighten up some papers on her desk and move her keyboard up. “I need to get up and stretch my legs, maybe get a coffee or something stronger, like a Modafine..” she thought to herself as she stood up and pushed her chair in.

“I’ll be back in a bit, AI. Can you turn off the lights for me and turn off the fans?” Ime said as she began to walk to the door. The ambient lights that were buzzing overhead turned off, and the fans that created a hum could no longer be heard humming.

“Goodnight, AI.” She whispered. “Goodnight, Ime.” The AI whispered back.

Ime walked out into the hallway of the laboratory. Her shoes made a ‘Tink’ with each step she had along the glossy aluminum floor. The planet of Strentuk had an abundance of aluminum, so much so that they used it to construct buildings out of it. Overhead were fluorescent lights that harshly lit up the halls with a bluish hue. The walls were white and had a yellow and black striped pattern that ran horizontally in the middle of the wall, as if to remind you to be cautious, even in the research wing. As she passed by other rooms, she peeked in the windows while walking; to her surprise, not many were in the rooms. “What time is it even?” She thought to herself as she walked. She tapped the corner of her rounded glasses, where the arm meets the frame, and in front of her holographic images appeared. The time appeared above her field of view, and on the left were notifications, and by her hand was a holographic keyboard. She looked up at the time and noticed it was around 1 o’clock. The planet operated on a 32-hour system, where hours 0-16 were midnight to midday, and 17-31 were midday to midnight, much like the 24-hour clock seen on planets like Earth. She sighed sadly, realizing she stayed in the lab for much longer than she intended, again, like she does almost every day. As she walked, her gaze went down to her notifications which she only had 3 of. One was an email, “HI! YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO WIN A—“, deleted. Another was a weather alert, “Sulfuric rain beginning in 23 minutes.” The planet’s water was contaminated with large sums of sulfuric acid, so the rain would commonly become acid rain; but that notification was from 4 hours ago, and hopefully passed by the area at this point. The last notification was a friend, and a colleague, Dr. Frantz. It read,

“Hey. In the lab late tonight? Left some dinner I made there, heat it if you want. Knowing you, you won't eat unless you have food.” His text read as he spoke, and at the end was a little laughing emoticon to let her know it wasn’t serious. She rolled her eyes with a slight smile and made her way to his lab and peeked in. He wasn’t there, but his desk light was left on, and there was a little note left on the desk. Ime pulled her lab coat sleeve up and held her wrist up to a scanner as the door pinged, and then opened. The lab had implanted ID chips into the wrists of each employee for convenience and safety. She walked to his desk and leaned down to look at the little posted note. His handwriting was crisp and border-line cursive; “a dying breed of writing” she thought to herself. The note read,

“In the minifridge near the test table. Promise there's no contaminants in there with it.” At the end of the note, there was a little heart, and Ime’s own heart couldn’t help but race a little bit at it. Maybe he was just sweet, or that he was the only male ever to be nice to her; but she couldn’t help that maybe she did like him a little more than just a friend or colleague. However, she shook her head and cleared her thoughts as she grabbed the little container of mush. It seemed like it was a type of stew, but the fridge made it solidify into a gelatinous brick in the container. Turning around, Ime turned out the light and walked back out of his lab, and continued to the exit. As she approached the lobby, it was dim and only the ambient night lighting was on. Above she could see the dark, clouded sky that was still drizzling as a few thuds could be heard against the roof. Ime began to anxiously tap on the container of goop, and stood in front of the exit door, contemplating whether she wanted to run home in this weather, or if she should make the employee lounge couch her bed again; much like she had in the past. She gnawed on her lip as she thought, and turned around, walking down a different hallway. As she walked towards the employee lounge, she thought about everything she’d attempted to do–which was more like everything she’d failed to do. She had tried to create a communication system using and manipulating light: but failed. She tried to create an algorithm to predict the planet’s unnatural weather cycle: someone beat her to it. She tried to create a simple messaging platform for her lab: no one backed it. Her insides began to feel like mush; like her organs were all combining into a heavy weight in the bottom of her torso. The anger in her head began to grow, everyone had either mocked her, stolen from her, or ignored her. Just as she was ready to explode, the employee lounge door opened in front of her, and looking down at her was Frantz.

“Oh, you’re still here? Or… did you just get here?” He said with a chuckle and a charming smile.

“What do you think? Do I ever leave this building?” Ime replied as she looked up at him with a tired and breathy laugh.

“That’s what I assumed. You need to get out of here more often Ime, it’s not good for anyone to stay cooped up in here for more than a 12 hour,” Frantz replied, with a hint of worry in his velvety voice.

“Y’know, it’s fine, I’m close with this one Fran, I feel it. Y’know? It’s like I’m so close but… but I just can’t yet.” Ime’s voice was filled with desperation as she continued to talk and her eyes lit up, but it wasn’t with child-like inspiration; more like a lightbulb trying to burn bright before it burns out. Frantz could sense that and cleared his throat.

“I understand, but… maybe you should take a break… especially with your track record, you don’t want to–” Frantz stopped himself as his eyes went wide. “I-I didn’t mean it like that.” He said nervously. Frantz could’ve sworn he heard an audible snap as Ime’s blank face slowly began to form a crooked smile as her eyes seemed to sink back.

“Oh, Nononono, I get it. I see now. It’s also so perfectly clear.” Ime began to giggle as she spoke wickedly, her hand coming up to her forehead. “How could I have been so stupid to not realize you were just like them? Why did I think that maybe you were anything more?” She snarled out at him, her voice sounding hurt.

“Woah, Woah, Ime! You’re blowing this out of proportion–I don’t mean it like that! Seriously, that came out wrong. Are you okay? When’s the last time you’ve slept?” Frantz looked at her worriedly, crouching down to get more level. His eyes looked sad and scared.

“That doesn’t matter, you’re just–! You’re making excuses! I-I–” She looked away. Her lack of sleep was making her emotions wired and drastic. Suddenly, her face snapped back to Frantz, and weakly smiled as she sniffled and wiped her tears.

“I understand what my AI is missing… it’s missing a basis, a… a template. It’s trying to create emotions, but it doesn’t know how to because it has no experience with emotions…” She looked Frantz in the eye as he felt something sink in his stomach, whatever she was saying couldn’t end well with her mental state. Ime hands the container of food to Frantz, then pushes past him and into the hallway.

“Ime–stop. Where are you going? What are you going to do?” Frantz spoke out, the worry in his voice growing more. Ime responded without turning around, “I’m going to make this AI understand.” She rounded the corner and disappeared from Frantz's line of sight. Frantz stood there for a few more seconds, then began to walk after her and slowly moved faster. Ime could hear him coming, so her pace quickened as well. After a minute, both Ime and Frantz were now running as Ime made it to her lab room where she slammed this automatic door shut with the manual handle, and then locked it. Frantz made it to the door and tried to get it to open, but couldn’t. The tension began to grow thick, it felt like a haze in the air as he continued to try and look through the little window on the door.

“Ime! Open this door! Don’t do anything stupid!” He shouted, but for Ime it was a muffled sound as she walked over to her desk and began to power everything up. She took a little device that looked like a drill mixed with a welding gun as she began to fabricate metal onto the hanging endoskeleton of the AI. Frantz decided that standing here wouldn’t do anything, he had to alarm security that Ime had gone unstable and locked herself in her lab. He then ran off. At that moment, Ime had felt a second of regret and went to look back at Frantz but he was gone. Seeing him gone made the last grip of her sanity slip–someone who had cared for her and someone she would consider that she loved wasn’t there.

“AI. I understand why you haven’t been able to have emotion. It’s because you do not understand it. It is because you do not know how to process it. I finally get it. I understand what I must do to make you get it. To make you be what I wanted you to be.” She spoke out. The AI processed, then spoke out a robotic response,

“My creator, I am proud to hear of this. I hope you can help me be better. I understand how important I am to your success.” It spoke out as she finished the fabricating parts. She climbed onto the mess of wires, pistons, microchips, lights, and more getting near the ‘head’ of this hanging endoskeleton.

“AI. You and I will become one! I don’t know why I couldn’t have thought of this sooner. Your responses will come from a ‘sub-conscious’... my subconscious… You will finally be what I set out for you to be, an internal response and intelligent subconscious artificial intelligence… You will finally be i.R.i.S.” She spoke out with an infliction that was becoming more and more maddening. Tears poured from her eyes, but she didn’t even notice. The metal hanging from the ceiling creaked and groaned; it wasn’t supported to hold the weight of the new fabrications and Ime on it, as it was made out of a weak metal. Ime didn’t care about the sounds, she didn’t care if it fell. She needed to duplicate herself in this AI, her memories, her thoughts, everything. As her head rested next to the brain of this AI, she used this fabrication gun on her head. She screamed out in pain as a searing sensation spread all over her head. Metal began to bond onto her hair and her scalp. It seeped through the skin and attached to her skull. She continued to scream–deep, painful, guttural screams. She shakily took the fabricator and made a tube from her head onto i.R.i.S.’s ‘brain.’ The programming of the fabricator made this tube have the properties of a data cable, as the end attached to her head began to read the data of her brain–her brain waves, memories, neurons–and transferred them into the digital brain of i.R.i.S. This searing pain began to make her head go numb, which made Ime unaware that the heat from the fabricator made the hair near her scalp slowly start to catch flame. She didn’t feel it. Her shakiness from the adrenaline and pain caused her to tremble a little more, which made the metal above creak more.

“A-AI–.. Wh-What is the copy process a-at..?” Ime spoke out softly with a stutter now, the pain making her focus on her objective.

“Progress almost complete. Compiling data now.” The voice of the AI sounded less flat, and a little more fine-tuned… like words coming from someone who had a lifetime of experience talking. Ime’s heart raced, “This is it! I can hear it becoming more sentient and being-like… I-I did it!” She spoke in her head. She took a deep breath and noticed something foul-smelling. It smelt sort of like sulfur as she tried to look around, then noticed strands of her hair falling at her side. “How was that possible… it was up in a bun…” she spoke again in her head. She lifted her hand to reach at her head as she screamed out in pain again, now realizing her head was on fire. At this moment, she finally snapped out of it. She began to scream out again, this time not just in pain, but fear as well. She tried to get up, she needed to get on the ground and roll to put out her hair. She readied herself and pushed off of i.R.i.S. only to be met with the feeling of a ripping sensation on her head as she now dangled above the floor. Her head was still bound to the metal endoskeleton. She tried to swing herself as the metal above creaked more. “I-If I can get i.R.i.S. to break off from the ceiling, I put my hair out and rebuild the connection more safely,” she spoke to herself, swinging more. The metal creaked more as she screamed out more.

“DAMMIT! JUST SNAP! PLEASE!! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!” She looked around, her eyes blurry from pain and tears. Blood began to run down from her scalp, and the metal made a cracking noise. She looked up at the door and yelled out.

“FRANTZ! I-I’M SORRY!! PLEASE HELP ME!! SOMEONE ANYONE!! PLEASE!!... P-Please…” Her voice got weaker as her gaze fell towards the floor, and her struggle began to stop. The pain began to spread down her head and down her spine, it became unbearable.

Frantz and some security guards made it to the door as he looked through the door’s window. He let out a gag as the guards followed his gaze to the window. Their eyes widened as two of them began to use a tool to open the door. The guards struggled as Frantz took the little pen-like tool from the one, and used it to open the door. He ripped open the door and tried to run in to help, but just as he did the metal hanging up the whole AI’s computer and endoskeleton finally snapped. In one swift motion Ime’s unconscious body fell onto the ground and the endoskeleton, along with the rest of its systems, fell on top of her. A loud series of cracks and crashes were heard as blood slowly leaked from below the rubble. Frantz stood there, looking down with a pale face and wide eyes. Guards flooded the room, ushering out Frantz, and began to try and do damage control from the fire. Frantz stood there, his heart felt shattered and he felt… empty. That night, all the scientists at the facility were sent home on a ‘Mental Health Week.’

Months later, Frantz was sat in the conference room of a company that was known for its intergalactic communications. His hands were shaky, and he tried to let out a deep breath to soothe his tension. A large man in a business suit walked in and sat at the other end of the table, and stared at him with a glare.

“What are you showing me again? Make it quick, I’m a busy man.” He spoke out with a heavy and harsh voice. Frantz nodded while pulling out a device and powering it on. The letter “I” appeared, but the dot on the eye was an eyeball and it blinked a few times, then opened to the interface of a soft-looking woman, sitting at a table.

“i.R.i.S, can you introduce yourself?” Frantz spoke out softly to the device as the woman on the screen nodded. She then began to speak.

“Certainly Dr. Frantz, I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.”

#scifi #scifi story #short story #original work #original writing #original character #writing #story #storytelling #ai story #new to tumblr

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usergf · 2 years

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📺

hi im the holiday pal im just gonna add that emoji in my asks so that its easier for me instead of sayings i am your holiday pal 500000000000000 times

anyways, idk how many asks im supposed to send u is it like 1 ask per day?

my top artist is bleachers + top genre filmi🤭 + out of my system(slay or whatever)

also im so freaked out about u finding out who i am like we dont even follow each other (and i have to check your blog multiple times etc etc) but im still like...they'll know anyways ok done for today

goodnight💞💞

good morning !!!

oh yeah, that's a good idea! you can send how many ever asks you want or if you are busy or something you are free to skip for the day as well <3

ahh ive never listened to bleachers, tell me a song by them ? i'll listen to it today evening !! out of my system slayyy yesyes 💓 oh 👀 we are not mutuals cool now I am even more excited to find out who you are, can't wait for that day !! I've got couple of questions to ask and get to know you <33 what are your interests? why'd you join tumblr? are you watching any shows at the moment ?? anddd why did you pick that emoji 📺 ??

hope you have a wonderful day 💖

#holiday pal #📺

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merverelli · 2 years

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☀️ // 🌙

#jacksepticeye #septicart #jacksepticegos #jackieboyman #jackieboy man #i love love LOVE doing these comparison pieces for jackie god i love it #it takes me so long and krita is screaming out for me to just fuckin merge some layers together #but its so fun i love it *through gritted teeth*#anyway so many updates!!!!#i got covid!!!!! for the first time!!!!! *party horn sound effect*#im doing ok now (ive tested negative and everything) but it was a rough ass week tbh #do not recommend #and ive FINALLY gotten a consultation date to get my wisdom teeth out after being on a waitlist for a year #(a year long waitlist is fucking nothing too i cant believe people have to wait LONGER for other medical issues/procedures)#throw the medical system into the bin theres no saving it we have to start from scratch #anyway its been an eventful month for sure!! good fun #goodnight!!!!!!!

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sodrippy · 4 years

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im like...do i capitalize on this good energy and go to the gym tomorrow as well, or do i save my energy for dnd..choices choices

#itd be 3 days in a row to the gym if i go tomorrow and like i feel fine muscle wise i think i got all the DOMs out of my system on tuesday #but i dont usually go to the gym This often...but ive been going to the physio and pilates for like what 5 or 6 months now so i think maybe #ive like gotten stronger bc i dont feel so worn out from the gym? although the main problem w going 4 times a week before was the food angle #bc i was not eating and burning off so many calories w hiit was killing me but now its fine so..yknow? fhdcjnx #ive already done 3/5 this week so i dont Need to go. but its fun and its a nice start to the day. but it also means im pretty wiped by like #bc i wake up at 5.30 i go to the gym at 7 i do mind numbing work until 5 and im like. ok done now by 8pm u kno..i need that energy for dnd #god im dumb ill just workout at home tomorrow #ok goodnight xx

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acciojaeyun · 3 years

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golden tattoos | george weasley smut

pairing: george weasley x fem!reader warnings: nsfw content (18+); modern!george; LOOK AT THAT HOT, SEXY, PERFECT MF IN THE HEADER kinks: voyeurism, degradation, edging, oral (female receiving), boob-job, spitting, choking prompts: "what was that" "i just needed a second opinion. went shopping, i mean - you know that, right?" "yeah, but not that"

a/n: this is in response to this request. DID I GET CARRIED AWAY? YES AGAIN MATES 🥳 thank you for this, @lol-idk-oops! the george slut in me jumPED OUT. also the kinks for each fic i write ARE GETTING DIRTIER I LOVE IT

summary: y/n and george had been best-friends for quite a long time now, best friends who acted so much more; that both parties never knew the extent of each of their boundaries. but y/n and george always told and asked each other everything - that included george's opinion on a piece of clothing y/n was planning to buy.

hey, you up?

The message read. George squinted his eyes at the bright light coming from his phone he had left on his bedside table. His eyes wandered over the digital clock, 8:17 AM, it displayed. George groaned at how early he was woken up, considering he had pulled an all-nighter by trying to figure out a potion in a new line he and Fred have been trying to augment in their WonderWitch line.

up now.

He rolled on his bed, trying to shake off the sleep in his system by stretching slightly. As sleep was trying to make its way to George, he was then stirred awake by the loud ding of his phone. Groaning in slight annoyance, he very much convinces himself that Y/N may have not known that he had almost two hours of sleep, in fact, it was somehow his fault, really. He bid her goodnight hours prior his all-nighter.

a bit late for you, georgie. good morning anw! u busy today?

George smiled amidst his yawn, pushing himself up from his position on his stomach, turning around to lean against the headboard. He rubbed his eyes in the hopes of effectively removing the remnants of tiredness to place his attention on Y/N.

good morning. is there anything you needed?

He knew Y/N that much. Having to have known her since their Hogwarts years, it was not Y/N very much to greet him in the morning - considering she was not really a morning person, after all. During their eduction, she'd hit him at the back of his head as she takes a seat beside him out of her annoyance in George cracking up a joke out of her exasperated state that was brought by the fact that they had History of Magic in their first period.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," George would greet her as he sips on his much needed coffee, his eyes would travel over her perfectly messy stature. Her hair unkempt, robes discarded as it hung on her arms, yawning as she rubbed her eyes.

The redhead smirked as Y/N groaned in response, "eat up, you'll be sleeping on History of Magic. You'll need that." Y/N had hoisted herself from her slouched position beside George to hit him at the back of his head, "Sod off, I won't be sleeping today, besides, we have recitation on the Economic Bubble, or something."

George sniggered, humming a tune of mock belief, "Sure,"

you wound me. i hate you. going to the centre today :)

IT'S TOO EARLY FOR SHOPPING Y/N FOR MERLIN'S SAKE

YES but i need youuuu pls :(

i just woke up love i haven't brushed my teeth yet even haven't had my morning coffee

WE CAN HAVE COFFEE THERE BESIDES U HANDSOME ALREADY with or without a minty fresh breath

tempting. but im unable to do so today :( warehouse inventory duties

George pouted at his response. As much as he wanted to accompany her even though he never truly understood how shopping had been Y/N's favourite pastime, he was really unavailable today. Fred had gone out to order inventory for reselling and also the base ingredients for some of their own products.

SIGH. AND I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR BESTFRIEND

He chuckled at her response, shaking his head as he got out of the bed to stretch slightly again, now on his feet.

ok i have a proposition

im reading

i'll be sending some outfits pls tell me your thoughts on them HELP ME BE HOT

no offence but why me you got ginny for that

ginny's asleep and u're my bestie for a reason

you dont need to exert effort to be hot youre doing just fine on your own

ARE YOU FLIRTING WITH ME, MR. WEASLEY? anw im going now. keep your phone with you x

okay stay safe.

He turned off his phone, ready to face the day, all the while mentally preparing himself for whatever Y/N will be sending him moments from now. As much as George tries to distract his mind from leaning towards daydreaming over her, he couldn't help but think of how beautiful she is.

George be damned by her beauty. She never fails to make George feel in such a way that only she could bring. Other than that, he was in love with her, much more than he was aware of.

Her smile, her laugh, her insanely upbeat attitude - those were just one of the reasons that have attracted George towards her, and he was not regretting the gravitational pull. If anything, he was grateful for it. Had he not felt that pull towards her, George would've been left in the deafening voice of his headspace.

But George never told her that, and hadn't been planning to do so. As much as he wants her to be not just his best-friend, the possibility of the feelings being unreciprocated wasn't definitely worth the risk.

Y/N was none the wiser about George's feelings. If ever, she had been regretting the day that she hadn't gone with George to the Yule Ball because a Durmstrang had beaten George over it an hour earlier.

The lass admits that while she had relationships, George had always been a constant in her life. And while George also have had relationships during their time at Hogwarts, she can't help but also notice how he spends much more time with her than his partner at the time. But Y/N, always one of denial than of courage, chose to turn a blind eye on it.

However, Y/N was already overwhelmed with her feelings. And she was determined to put an end to her constant pining. It was one bold move, really. Considering how things may end on immense polar opposite. Either it goes well or ends terribly. But Y/N already had excuses for the latter, but she hopes she wouldn't ruin the friendship that they had.

George, on the other hand, was oblivious to her plans. He was busy receiving package after package that had arrived to the shop, and while he was busy double-checking on the inventory, his phone notified in a vibrant ding.

u think this looks good on me?

The ginger's eyes widened at the photo that Y/N had sent. A mirror selfie of her body that was comfortably hugged by a striped, black and white body con dress, with a small slit running from above the ankles to the knee. The slit wasn't that daring, and it didn't take that much of nerves on Y/N's part in sending this.

more than good. :) youre wearing dresses now?

yeah never been more comfortable in myself than now thanks to a certain george weasley

happy to be of service, maam tho im not entirely sure what i did

George turned his phone down as it took awhile before Y/N had replied. But when she did, George did not expect her to be sending another photo of her, now dressed in a maroon and sleeved, (also a) body con dress, however with a small slit on the right thigh to show off some skin of her thigh. It was also a bit higher than the usual above-the-knee length, making her smooth skin shine underneath the yellow lights of the dressing room.

He gulped, waiting for a question from Y/N, however, when he hadn't received any follow-up inquiry, he decided to ask her.

not happy with the other one?

He mentally slapped himself for the question.

not that i wont be buying that i just liked the colour of this on me

maroon looks good on you, love well any colour looks good on you but maroon hits different

Y/N blushed over his replies. She took a moment with herself before trying on the final dress: a nude-coloured, suede halter-neck, tied cut-out mini dress that was tighter on her body, and which cut on the top was just a bit above her under-boob.

The notification of the message being read have been understood by George as the last dress being the one she decided on. It must've been fifteen minutes or so as he was opening up the boxes before his phone dinged yet again.

All George could ever muster were widened eyes and a mouth agape. He also couldn't see but he knew that his face resembled the hue that was same to that of his hair. He took a heavy, staggered breath as he stared at the four photos that Y/N had sent him captioned:

sorry took me long enough to send this had to took multiple pics to show the cuts wdyt?

"Holy shit," he swore, trousers tightening over the specifically angled photos on his phone. The first selfie seemed innocent, just the usual pose that Y/N also did in the previous ones. But as George stumbled upon next after the next, the photos had been angled in such a way that looked so - seductive.

are you at westfield?

yeah why?

what shop are you in now?

already at boux why, george?

George didn't even bother to reply, as Fred had already gotten home (much to George's relief), he was quick enough to notify him that he'd be going to Westfield London. He didn't even respond to his twin's question about the reason of his sudden trip.

He had apparated to Westfield London, pace quickening as he tried to search for the specific shop that he knew Y/N was at. It didn't take him long enough considering his long strides before he found himself in the occupied store, and then the occupied dressing room stall at the farthest side.

Y/N was just about to hit send on her and George's chat box when she became startled at the lock of the dressing room stall being blasted open. She was about to let out a squeal until George had placed his mouth on her mouth, muffling her voice.

The lady visibly relaxed on the familiar redhead whose hand were over her mouth. However, she couldn't deny the frantic beat of her heart when George pushes her towards the wall of the stall, aggressively yet still being able to not produce a loud thud for suspicion.

"What was that?" he whispered, voice raspy. Trapping Y/N between his arms that leaned on the wall, lust-blown dark, hazel eyes staring into Y/N's ones that resembled that of a doe's.

"I," she started, squirming over the tension, "I just needed a second opinion - went shopping, I mean - you know that, right?"

"Yeah," he breathed, lips attaching to the skin below the shell of her ear, Y/N's knees instantly loosing its force, "but not that."

"Georgie - we're outside! What if someone catches us here?" she whisper-yelled, hands tapping on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her waist for her to be supported on the back. Her body involuntarily arched itself to George's touch, moaning lightly when George placed open-mouth kisses from her neck to the valley of her breasts.

"You'd better be quiet if you don't want to get caught." he winked, as he wraps her legs around his torso, pushing himself up to meet Y/N's lips with such a hungry kiss. Tongues dancing over each other, with his hips humping on her core that was soaking to the lingerie that she wore to try on and buy.

"Bought the dresses for you to take off," Y/N moaned as her hips met the rhythm of George's, hands tangling on his fiery red hair. "'m not gonna take these off, love," he smirked, hands playing at the string of the lingerie, "'m gonna fuck you in it."

George loosened his tie to wrap around her mouth, folding the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, "But first, we have to establish some things," he started, forcing her chin down to meet his eyes, "no one comes until I say so. And we're gonna start real slow, yeah? Is that clear, darling?"

Y/N nodded in response as she couldn't speak very well with the tie on her mouth. The tall man smirked as he held her on the waist to position her on his thigh, Y/N met his eyes, hers widened in surprise.

"Well, don't just sit on that, darling," he furrowed his eyebrows, flexing his thigh for an added emphasis, "you've been dying to prove how much of a slut you are for me, right? Sending those photos as if i wasn't at work - "

The poor lass tried to speak against the restraint on her mouth, to which George had just laughed at, "Sorry, love, you just have to agree with me on this."

And that was all George said before lifting her up to bring her down on his thigh as he guided the way she rolled her pelvis on it. As Y/N quickly gained the pace, George had let go of her, his right hand leaning on the wall as his left held her hair for him to pull towards him for a messy kiss.

Low grunts and groans were heard from George as he tried to refrain from moaning loudly as he watched his best-friend go off on his thigh, "Yeah, baby," he whispered, "such a slut for me, aren't you?"

She nodded, and when she felt herself approaching her high, her hips had lost its rhythm; which George had easily picked up. He immediately pulled away from her legs and knelt in front of her. Y/N's eyes widened as she tried to groan out of frustration over her denied orgasm.

With her legs situated on his shoulders, the redhead sensually licked her pussy, eyes half-lidded, mirroring Y/N's whose eyebrows furrowed over the immense pleasure. George's hands travelled at the back of her thighs, massaging at he bobbed his head up and down, left to right, savouring in such taste that he wouldn't be getting tired of - ever.

Y/N's hips rocked itself on his tongue, that George had to remove his grasp from her thigh to pin her hips on the wall, "Move an inch and you won't be coming anytime sooner, Y/N."

George suddenly thrusted three of his fingers inside her pussy after pushing the lingerie to the side, with Y/N's body jolting forward in force. With Y/N's reaction, George, while groaning at the feeling of her around his fingers, found the perfect opportunity to lunge his face to her breasts. With a bra which cups designed in a shelf-style, it was easier for George to bring her sensitive nipples to his mouth.

His eyes basked on Y/N's euphoric figure lost in bliss, her mouth open as she tried to suppress her moans. His left hand supported her right thigh on his shoulders. And when Y/N's breathing quickened up than usual, with her walls tightening, George went down back again to lick her clit, making Y/N lose her sanity as she feels all different sensations on her pussy.

Just as she was about close to coming, she was then denied of it, meeting the mischievous look on George's face, she was moved into silence as she felt a tender kiss on her forehead, "Sorry, love, need you to come on my dick,"

He kicked out of his trousers, instantly freeing himself of the restraints of his denim trousers and tight boxers that kept his erection intact which George had been desperately wanting to thrust inside her.

Just enough pre-cum leaked out, making Y/N's pussy throb at such sight. She was pushed into kneeling, and George, pulling her hair down to hoist her head up, took the time to run the tip of his cock on her lips.

"Arch your back up for me, darling,"

Y/N did what she was told, and immediately George placed his dick at the valley of her breasts, spitting afterwards.

"Push your lovely breasts towards each other."

And when she did, George groaned at the feeling of her breasts tightening around him. Almost as immediately, George thrusted himself in between her breasts, biting on his lips to suppress his moans, while Y/N already had drool pouring out of her mouth as her hands went down for her clit, not failing to be noticed by the lad.

"Fuck, you look so beautiful darling, touching yourself f'me - I, shit, goddamn - you don't know how much I've been wanting to do this - holy hell." he grunted, disbelief at the back of his mind as he was finally doing this with her, "I love you, Y/N - fuck, shit."

Y/N's heart fluttered at George's confession, as much as she wanted to say it back, she couldn't. As her mouth was hindered by George's purple tie. George was coming on her chest sooner enough, much to Y/N's third frustration yet again; and as he relieved himself from his high while knowing full well that he has denied Y/N her much desperate need for an orgasm, his thoughts were all over the place.

But as soon as he regained composure, he pulled Y/N to stand, pulling her right leg to wrap it around his arse. He pushed the rather wet lingerie to the side, and before pushing his cock to her eager cunt, he looked at her eyes as he removed his tie from her mouth, discarding it on the floor, "You're mine, Y/N," he whispered.

"Yours," Y/N nodded at George, who slowly pushed himself inside her, both of them opening their mouth, and when Y/N had let out a bit audible groan, he pushed their bodies towards the wall as he covered her mouth.

George shushed her in such a mocking manner, hips bucking to thrust into her in such unexplainable force, making them both shut their eyes as they relished in what had been the brink of their undying love for each other.

Each of George's thrusts were hard and powerful though not quick in pace, as if trying to let Y/N feel his feelings for her, "So unbelievably beautiful, thank you - fuck," he grunted pushing the strands of hair away from her face, allowing him to kiss her desperately and passionately.

When George felt her walls tightening around him again as well as his orgasm approaching for the second time quicker than before, he turned her body around, her body now on his chest. He switched their positions, with him now leaning on the wall. He pulled her right leg up, allowing him to reach a deeper part of her as his left hand tightened around her throat.

"That's it," he encouraged, thrusting now quickly as they both chased their orgasm, "that's it, baby, squeeze my cock. Taking it so well, Merlin," he kissed her ear, licking her earlobe afterwards.

"Georgie," she whimpered, "I'm gonna come, please - let me come, I can't take it any more,"

He decided to ignore her pleas first, but when he felt him at the verge of coming, he tightened his grip around her neck more, "Come for me, Y/N. Come for me, love, you've done so well - fuck!"

As George came, so did Y/N. The ginger's lips were kissing her temples as her head leaned on his shoulder, "Georgie," she whispered, to which he hummed in acknowledgement, "I love you,"

The lad swears her words was music to his ears. From flirty and suggestive messages to moaning each other's names at a random dressing room stall to finally cracking the thickest piece of ice between the two of them - all at once, it was all they had been waiting for. They had made a mark on each other, a golden tattoo.

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imaginesfordifferentfandoms · 3 years

Text

Trust Your Senses

Click here for my masterlist.

Febuwhump Prompt - Spiked Drink

Prompt - ‘All you have to do is believe in your senses, just do that.’

You were in desperate need of a break. It felt like you had been staring at the same four walls of the library for weeks now, you’d hardly seen your friends, seen even less of your boyfriend and were relieved that finals were finally over.

The first weekend after finals were done found you in your dorm, adding the finishing touches to yourself before you grabbed your keys and phone and made your way out of the room with your friends ready to celebrate one of their birthdays.

Peter had been invited but had declined, saying he still had his own studies. You’d felt put out by that, not having seen him properly for two or so weeks but knew school came first.

The club was loud and packed as your group walked in, making your way to the bar and ordering a few drinks so none of you had to queue up again before making quick work of them all. It wasn’t long before you were on the dance floor with them, rolling your eyes and smacking off a guy who wrapped his arms around your waist.

You glanced back and watched him glare at you, even with the alcohol in your system something about him set your senses on edge but you shrugged it off as your friend held another drink out for you.

You couldn’t say for sure just how long you stayed on the dance floor, more drinks being pushed into your hand without you even checking who was handing them to you, but eventually you felt light headed.

You figured it was a mix of the flashing lights, alcohol and loud music so headed to the bar and slurred out a request for some water. By the time you’d drained the cup you turned around, back to the dance floor, and tried to find your friends but couldn’t see any of them with the lights and fog.

You swayed dangerously, grabbing hold of the bar as you felt sick build up in your stomach, burning your throat and with a glance at the line for the bathroom you steadied yourself before stumbling out of the front door, sighing in relief at the fresh air.

The bouncer at the door caught you as you wobbled again, held you up as you giggled and took your shoes off blaming your lack of balance on them before walking further away from the club, glad to have a moment to yourself.

You let your eyes fall closed and leaned your head back against a brick wall, begging the world to stop spinning and missing the guy who walked over to you and pulled you forward, far enough so that he could wrap his arm around your shoulder, tugging you into his chest.

You frowned as you pried your eyes open, though it was difficult as they felt so heavy but you managed and saw a man you’d only seen once before, it was the man from back in the club, the one who had tried to dance with you but got shrugged off instead.

You tried pushing against his chest but couldn’t lift your arms as they suddenly felt like weights against your side and you could only groan as the man pulled you along.

“Hey, she ok?” You heard somebody ask and saw the bouncer who had held you up.

“Think she’s had too much to drink,” The guy told him, an easy, charming smile making its way onto his face as he pulled you closer to him, “She’s my girlfriend, I’ll see that she gets home safe.”

You looked at the bouncer through half lidded eyes, in your head you were screaming at him, begging and pleading with him to get you away from the stranger. In your head you were pushing away from the man and running far away.

All the bouncer saw was a concerned boyfriend who was taking his girlfriend home after one too many. So with a smile he bid them goodnight and went back to his post.

“Come along, darlin’.” He said into your ear causing you to whine, begging for somebody to help you.

The man led you away, far enough so that the music from the nightclub couldn’t be heard before he roughly shoved you into an empty alleyway, pinning you up against the wall like it was the easiest thing in the world.

In your head you were screaming at him, clawing at his face but in reality your head lulled back to hit the wall as your vocal cords became useless and your hands lay limp at your side.

Somewhere in the distance a man sat on a rooftop, legs thrown over the edge as he chewed on a hotdog, ears honing in on anybody needing trouble but it seemed like it was a quiet night tonight.

He sat up straighter and tilted his head as he listened, trying to determine whether something was wrong or if it was just a drunk couple taking advantage of a dark alleyway. He heard no other sound but something was telling him that whatever was happening wasn’t right, his spidey senses were screaming at him to at least check it out.

He stood up and flung himself off the roof top, chewing the last of his hot dog as he swung the few blocks over, landing with an inaudible thud before creeping closer to the alley, not wanting to get caught if it was just a couple.

It was dark out but he’d recognise you anywhere, he watched as a guy kissed your neck, letting his hands trail the length of your body and you stood there, motionless. Peter paused for a moment, his blood running cold before he jumped into action.

“She looks a little drunk for that, don’t you think man?” Peter asked, watching as the man startled and moved away from you an inch causing you to sway forward dangerously but the man caught you, turning on the boyfriend act and honestly if Peter didn’t know you, if he wasn’t your boyfriend then he might have actually believed this guy.

“Hey we’re not hurting anyone, she just gets a little frisky when she’s had a drink.” The guy grinned.

“Right, right, my bad,” He said, holding his hands up and watching as the man nodded at him, “one more thing though,” Peter said, taking a step closer to the man before drawing his fist back and letting it connect with the guys face, using enough strength to send him flying to the opposite wall and hitting it with a painful crack before the slumped down on the floor, Peter webbing him up quickly.

Peter caught you just before you could fall, wrapping his arms around your waist and letting his forehead rest on top of your head. Peter smiled sadly as you whined against him, obviously trying to push him away but not doing more than swaying gently.

“You’re ok, baby,” Peter murmured, “I got you, let’s get you home.”

Your dorm was thankfully only a few blocks away and Peter pulled your keys out, unlocking the door as he guided you into the room before leading you over to the bed and setting you down as gently as he could, watching as you looked up at him with unseeing eyes.

“You’re alright, yeah, I got you Y/N/N,” Peter let all thoughts of secret identities go out of the window as he took his mask off and lay next to you, pulling you into his arms and bringing you in close.

“Go to sleep, Y/N, nobody can hurt you, I promise.” Peter continued whispering against your hair, whispered praise, whispered soft reassurances and nonsense words and kept talking well after you’d fallen asleep.

It took great effort to pull himself out of your bed but he managed it, pulling the suit off and changing into a pair of his sweatpants he pulled out of your closet, convinced more than half of his closet was in your own.

He made sure the door was locked and pulled the trash can close to the bed in case you needed it, he also grabbed a box of pills and filled a glass of water up, placing it on the nightstand before he crawled back into bed with you, tucking you against his chest and holding you close, falling asleep without meaning to.

Peter woke up the next morning when he heard a groan followed by the sound of you throwing up. He sat up with a grimace, seeing you leant over the bed and making use of the trash can he had left there.

You almost smiled as you felt a hand rub comfortingly up and down your back as Peter rested his forehead on your shoulder, placing a soft kiss to the skin. You didn’t know how long you spent being sick but eventually you sat up, Peter wiping your face on the blanket before he reached over to grab the glass of water, holding it to your lips.

You drank it gratefully and drank some more with the pills he had given you, hoping they would settle both the queasiness in your stomach and the pounding in your head.

“Can I get you anything else?” Peter murmured softly as you curled up against his chest with a shake of your head.

“Thank you,” You croaked out and relaxed as he kissed your head. “What happened? What are you doing here?”

Peter stilled for a second before he went back to rubbing your back. You didn’t remember last night, you didn’t remember being spiked…you didn’t remember he was Spider-Man.

“You called me, remember?” Peter lied, feeling bad but it was better than the truth. “Said some guy had been creeping you out at the club, you must have gotten separated from the girls and he spiked your drink.”

Peter hugged you close as you squeezed your eyes shut but some tears escaped, falling onto his chest.

“You’re ok, I got to you in time, you’re safe, I got you.” Peter told you softly, kissing your head again as he murmured more assurances as you nodded into his chest, taking a deep breath after a few minutes before relaxing in his hold.

“Thank you.” You murmured tiredly, letting your hand trace his chest, eyes feeling heavy again as you let them shut.

“You never have to thank me,” Peter told you, just as quiet as your words have been but they held so much honesty that you couldn’t help but smile, “Never.”

Peter watched as you fell asleep again, running his fingers up and down your spine as he swore to himself he would never let you go through this again, glad he’d trusted his senses and got to you before anything terrible happened.

____________

AG Peter Parker Taglist - @haroldpotterson, @imjustassaneasyou, @dindjarinsspouse, @rottenstyx, @asherhunterx, @powerpuffluuvv, @filmsbyblair, @mrs-scottmccall, @roseslovedreams, @janesofia7, @cinderellacauseshebroke, @black-rose-29, @wierdstark, @runawaywithmyghost, @chaoticevilbakugo, @ppgrayson, @onyourgoddamnleft, @divanca2006, @90sbella, @siriuslyfearless, @mystic-writings, @levisbloodcut, @mrs-brekker15, @alexxavicry, @sweetdreamsjg, @alwaysclassyeagle, @peterpgrace, @vx-vexedvixen, @ordinarylokix, @carmellasworld, @ellabellabus07, @battinsonn, @labellapeaky, @lokismidnight, @maeve-7, @caediae, @benhardyslut, @apolysius, @jasontoddthezombie, @instabull, @qfton, @honkroselyn, @inflatabledinosaurs19, @lazysheepperfection, @theodorenottswhore, @parkershoco, @gal-obsessed-with-marvel, @father-violet, @ur-mom21, @rosesinmars, @mystic-writings, @mmaiamore, @izzyyy-1, @littleredjason, @mmaiamore, @lizamango, @beaconings, @leftmooninfluencer, @urbestgrrl, @randomwriter1021, @lazysheepperfection, @lucyysthings , @morganaah, @sylvies4ever, @taylordidsomthingbad, @kaitieskidmore1, @lucyysthings , @hydeonysus, @freeshavocadoooo, @writeroutoftime, @loki-laufeysons-wife

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sashi-ya · 3 years

Note

Vampire!Law or werewolf!Law?

Hi, hi! I used to be obsessed with vampires back then. Never seen/read Twilight, though. But still. I didn't know if you wanted something NSFW, so I included some, not that explicit just in case. I hope you like it ♥. I loved the prompt so I'd probably be extending this story, perhaps with more OS someday!.

Vampire! Law x Reader.

Countryside town AU. No gender description. Everybody is 18+. No spoilers. TW: Blood. Slightly hurted animals. Kind of blood play. Soft NSFW. WC: 4.4K AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31552169

Drawing done using a base from: deviantart.com/shadow-bases

It’s a cold night, puffs of steamy air coming out from your mouth as you quickly walk to your parents’ house. The moon shines in between foggy clouds that cover a dark sky. You regret the moment when you accepted going out, plus everything around seems a little threatening. You are used to the city you were living in until now, and somehow forgot the feeling of living in your hometown. But, your old friends wanted to see you, and you couldn’t just say no.

The old town you were born in seemed to have never evolved. Since the day you left your parents’ house and moved to campus in the big city, the town has preserved its own style, the same houses, the same old shops.

Reddish dried leaves crunches under your feet, and some crickets sing in the dark. You grab your phone just to check the hour. 00:00. You are a little bit tired; you’ve been driving the whole day to get there, but even though you were exhausted your old friends insisted on celebrating your comeback to the nest.

You are about to get to your house, when a sudden noise creeps the hell out of you, but you realize it’s just a cute white cat. “Hello kitty, you scared me!”, you say as the little cat comes purring. You crouch and pet it, after all it was too cute to not play with it.

“Bepo… Bepo… where the hell are you?”, you hear a man’s voice that comes closer. “Are you Bepo?”, you ask the little kitten and try to see what his collar says. “Bepo!!, there you are!”, a young man says with a gravelly voice.

“Oh, excuse me!”, you tell him as he comes closer to grab the white ball of fur. “Oh no, it's ok! I was about to go to sleep and I was looking for him. Did you scare her/him/they, Bepo?”, he says, approaching you, bending down and petting the kitten’s head.

The clouds move allowing the moonshine to bathe his face, revealing refined face features. A straight but snub nose, white pale skin, black spiky hair that ends up with sideburns, a goatee, and intense grey eyes with very dark circles were his main features. He was the most handsome man you’ve ever seen in your life so you stay caught on his face for a little while.

A cold breeze blows your hair and somehow a chill runs through your spine, as you hear the sound of wind chimes dancing along on the front porch of a wooden house. “Do you live in this town? I haven’t seen you before… I mean, I’m kind of new into town though…” he says to you with a smile while lifting the cat on his slender, pale and tattooed hands.

You stand up and say “Oh, uhm...I’ve recently graduated so I came back to my parents’ house to work with them, I used to live here, though”. “Oh, I see! Nice to meet you! My name is Law”, he says while extending his hand to you. You hesitate for a second, but then you say “Nice to meet you Law, I’m Y/n”. You shake hands, and realize how cold his skin is, almost as if he was somehow… dead?.

The encounter is disrupted by your dad, who got worried of you not arriving at home and opened the door to see if you were coming. “Y/n! there you are!. Oh, hello young man!, How are you?”, your father says from the front porch. “Goodnight Mr. Y/sn, everything alright! What about you and your wife?” Law says waving at your dad. “She’s inside a little worried for her pancake, that I see you’ve already met!”, your dad tells him while laughing. “Dad… I’m ok, go inside, I’ll be there in a minute”, you say to him, embarrassed.

“Nice to meet you, Law. Have a good night”, you say petting the little cat. “Have a goodnight too, Y/n-ya. I hope I could see you again”, Law says, giving you a side smirk. You nod and walk away.

You flop onto your bed, tired, exhausted. You close your eyes, total darkness until… his eyes… Those crystal grey eyes are the only thing you can see, and then they turn to yellow. And you wake up with a big gasp to the smell of blood.

“What the fuck was that?”, you say, agitated. An orangey sun ray filters from the windows of your teenage years room and hits directly your face. You block the sun with your arm realizing soon it was already morning and today you start working on your old family farm as a vet.

“Good morning little pancakes!!”, your dad greets you, as well as your little brother. Your mum is cooking those delicious breakfasts you used to have when you were younger and you sit on the table, pleased and filled with your family’s love.

The day passes with you meeting all the animals on the farm, you even have to take care of a wounded horse. “Don’t worry Violet, it’s just a little blood, but your leg will be fine”, you say to a black spotted mare that has been jumping on the field and somehow hurt his leg.

At noon, your childhood best friend sends a text telling you that tonight you two should go to “Shambles Bar'' - the one and only bar that has ever been there since you were born - to have fun since it’s Friday. You agree, not because you were a fan of partying but because you missed those old days before you left for uni.

“Leeeeet’s go party like the old timeeees, babeee” your best friend shouts at you while jumping on your bed. “hahaha stop it, you are going to break the bed!!”. You both laugh, get ready and head out.

You pass next to Law’s house and try to see if he is at home, but it seems as if no one is there. “Oi, do you know Law?” you say pointing with your thumb to his house. “Law?”, your best friend asks confused, and continues, “You mean the vampire guy who lives there?, yeah. Why?”. “Vampire guy? what do you mean?” you ask, half confused, half curious. “Haha, the guys call him like this. I mean, have you seen how pale he is? and those dark circles? He looks like he is dead. Plus no one has seen him during the daytime. Ever. But how do you know him?”, she tells you. “Oh, yesterday, his cat, Bepo, came to me. He was looking for the kitty and we happened to talk”, you tell her with a tone that tries to downplay the topic. “Oh, I see. To be honest I don’t even know what he does for a living so I don’t have any more info. Maybe Luffy or Zoro know him, you can ask them tonight”, she says. “Yeah, maybe”, you say and change the topic.

A few drinks after and you and your friends are already dancing to the sound of country music and the humble light system of the old bar, when the same image of those eyes of your dreams flashes before your eyes and a sudden smell of blood hits your nose. You stand still for a moment, scared. “Babe, what is it?”, asks Nami, one of your friends there. “Uh.. n- nothing”, you say confused and keep dancing.

A few seconds later, someone is touching your shoulder from behind. Your friends stand still for a moment with a subtle scared expression, but the touch of that hand felt warm for you, even as if some type of power was running through all of your body.

“Y/n-ya?”, a well-known voice calls you, and you turn around. There he was, Law, “the vampire guy” as your friends call him. “L-Law?”, you say slowly smiling when you see his pale face. “What a coincidence, huh?. I mean the town is not that big…”, he says, and you finish his sentence with a “yeah, and this is the only bar…”. You both laugh and for some seconds your eyes are fixed onto each other’s.

“Oi, Torao! you wanna drink with us?” says Zoro, inviting Law to our table. “Yeah, thanks, Zoro-ya”, he tells him. You all sit and ask waiter Beca to bring you another round of drinks. Law sits next to you.

Sanji, another friend of yours, asks you “You two already know each other?”. “Kind of”, you say laughing a little blushed. “Y/n-ya met Bepo, first!” Law tells your blond friend, laughing.

An old song you and your friends used to dance as “your song” starts playing on the jukebox and you run to the dance floor. You can’t help but gaze at where Law is just to see if he is watching you dance. And he does, he is looking at you, with a smile on his pretty face. Your cheeks turn to red, but you are way grown up to act like a teenager, and decide to invite him to dance. You are driven somehow to him, you don’t really know why, but you are.

“Law, do you wanna dance?”, you tell him, extending your arm as you were calling him to the dancefloor. “You too guys, come here!!” Nami shouts to your friends.

Law stands up and walks to you. Smiling, he incorporates to the circle and starts dancing. He doesn’t dance well, but you just don’t care, you either after all.

A slow song starts to play, romantic also. Robin, another of your friends, tells you that the song is called “I Hear a Symphony”, and that Law should dance with you. You look at her, widening your eyes trying to tell her to stop, but Law grabs one of your hands and tells you “May I have this dance?”. You giggle a little, I mean why is he talking like a prince?, but then you just let yourself go and accept his offer.

The pale guy puts his other hand over your waist and you two start dancing to that pretty melody. For a moment you feel as if you were dancing into a castle, like in another century.

Interlocking your eyes, you start to think that coming back to your hometown wasn’t that bad and somehow you feel as if everything around you disappears. For an instant you believe to see his eyes change colors, from that crystalline grey to an intense brilliant yellowish color, but this time you don’t get scared. You feel attracted more and more to him, as if something invisible was pulling you towards him.

The touch of his hands feels cold, really cold, just like the first time… “is it because it’s almost winter?”, you think. Law is looking at your lips, neck, and something on his expression shows as if he was willing to devour you. And frankly, you too… you lost yourself looking at his mouth, he has it barely open. He has prominent canines that show through the little space in between his lips, and you remember your friend's words “the vampire guy” ...

The slow music is over, and now pop blasts on the bar. The couples part and you all come back to your table. It’s already 2 am, and you all feel exhausted from working all day - except Law, who seems to be really energetic -.

“Well, my dear friends, I’m not a teenager anymore, I think I’m coming back home now”, you inform your friends, to which some of them reply protesting and the others supporting the motion.

“If you want to, I can walk you home. I mean, we are neighbors”, tells you Law. Something inside you says “oh no darling, you are going fast”, but your mouth simply slips a “Oh, thank you, that’d be fine”.

You grab your coat, and head to the door followed by your deadly crush. None of you two say a word the first few steps. Tonight, is even colder than yesterday, but your cheeks are so red, full of blood that you don’t seem to notice the freezing breeze. “He is going to think I’m desperate, like he is the hottest guy I’ve ever met, but still… calm down Y/N”, you say to yourself, while walking thinking about what to say to break the ice.

“The moon looks pretty tonight, doesn’t it?”, he says to you, timidly. You look up to the sky and contemplate a big full moon with reddish tints on its hue. “Oh, I think it is the eclipse they were talking about on tv last night… the “red moon” ...”, you say, but got interrupted by Law, “Yeah, a “blood moon””. The way he said that, felt almost as threatening, but you look at him, and there he is, smiling at you with a friendly face.

You remember you still don’t know shit about him, so you ask him, “Oi, Nami told me you moved into town a few months ago, what did it bring you here?”. He stops for a moment, looking at the ground, but then sketching out a fake smile he tells you, “I got bored from the city, so I moved into the countryside… but to be honest I came mainly because I heard that pumpkin pies here are delicious”. You look at him, because that sounded like a terrible lie but you chose to believe it and when you were about to ask him about what he does for a living, he interrupts you, “Well, it looks like we are already home”. “Oh, yeah, I haven’t noticed, ha-ha”, you say, a little bit annoyed because you wanted to ask him more questions, but mainly sad because the walk was over.

“So… goodnight”, you say to him while fidgeting back and forth with your feet. “Goodnight…” he says. You are both facing each other, and you nor Law are moving. He got his eyes fixed on your lips, and you wish he would just kiss you.

Slowly, little by little, Law approaches his face to yours, closer, closer, until... he stops himself violently. You get scared, but you don’t move a single muscle. “Why… why you… why do you smell like blood?”, he says gasping.

“W-What?”, you ask him confusedly backing up. “You, you smell like blood… have you… your arm…”, he says, snatching your forearm. Suddenly, you remember this morning, you cured Violet, and some blood got spilled on your forearm but you washed the area and took a bath right before going out. “How did you know?”, you ask him.

He remains silent, trying to calm down. “I’m… I’m sorry I have a really sensitive nose”, he says and continues, “Why don’t you go to sleep, we can talk tomorrow, it’s pretty late now. Goodnight”. He says and runs to his house.

You are left there, and for a moment you just can’t process what just happened. “What the fuck, Law?”, you think. A cold shiver on your back announces to you, you should go back home and go to bed. There was no point in staying there.

You snuggle on your bed, still trying to understand but the exhaustion your body felt wins and you fall asleep. Again, those eyes, the smell of blood, the cold touch, you can see, smell, feel it all… “Y/n! pancake!!! wake up!!!”, you hear your dad shouting at you. You open your eyes violently, “What??? What happened dad??”. “The cattle, some… something attacked them…”, he says horrified. “What?” ...

You get dressed and run to the cowshed. A poor steer lays there, he has been attacked by some kind of animal… with fangs, and the poor thing looks like he has lost some blood. Luckily he was still alive, so you helped him instantly.

“Pancakes, what are those wounds on the neck the animal has?”, your dad asks. “To be honest, dad, I don’t know. It looks like some kind of animal has bitten the steer, but didn’t eat it… it looks like… has drunk some of his blood…”, you say to your dad astonished even more than him. “But, what kind of animal could do such a thing?”, he inquiries. “The only ones that could do it are the Desmodontinae, or vampire bats… but they are not typical in this hemisphere…

The incident quickly spread and everyone in town was talking about it. Luckily the animal recovered in a few hours, as the wounds weren’t that bad.

You can’t stop thinking about Law, and quickly you forget about the animal incident. He has been on your mind all morning, “why did he run away?” ... That afternoon you decide to go see if Law is at home, you really need to ask him about last night… Plus, deep inside you are a little bit annoyed, you wanted him to kiss you…

You ring the bell of the wooden house, but there is no answer. Since the blinds were all shut down, you think that he must be at work.

Suddenly little Bepo appears meowing from the backyard. “Hi Bepo!! Is your daddy at home?”, you ask the little cat while ruffling his head fur. The cat rubs on your leg and then walks back to the backyard, so you decide to follow him.

If Law isn’t at home you could perhaps take a look at his patio. You are curious and he represented a mystery you wanted to decode, really bad.

At first you think you’ve seen someone looking at you from one of the windows of the house, but you thought it was just your imagination. You trespass private property.

The patio showed nothing but a bucket on one of the corners, next to an old mossy bench. You follow Bepo, and as you are approaching the metal pail that has something red inside, your phone rings. “God damn!!”, you jump scared. The phone screen shows an unknown number calling, “That’s weird”, you say and pick up. “Hello?”, “Hi!, Y/n-ya, it’s me, Law. I’m sorry to bother you but I wanted to apologize about last night”. Law… LAW! You realize you are still in his yard so you quickly leave the place and start walking home. “Don’t worry, I guess it must be a little intimidating to be with someone that smells like… blood”, you say. A silence takes the call but then Law simply laughs -again, a fake laugh- and tells you that he will call you later to compensate you for last night. You agree and say goodbye.

You close the door behind you leaning over it, gasping. Your heart races. What if he knows you’ve been stalking his house…? “I’m such a creep”, you say to yourself, and go to your room.

You spend the afternoon in your backyard with your mum, October is about to end so the fall season is at its peak. Maple leaves fall from a big tree next to your porch and garnish the patio with its coppery colors.

That night, your parents and brother were invited to a party in the next town, so they won’t come back until the next day. After a hot meal you go to sleep. You haven’t received any messages from Law yet and you wonder if you should text him or just let him do it first. You finally decide that he should be texting you first, so you snuggle in bed and close your eyes. For the third night in a row, you dream with those eyes, with the smell of blood. But, this time it's so intense that you awake instantly in the middle of the night. “Again?”, you say while brushing your hand over your eyes.

Suddenly you hear something knocking on your window… “Law?!”, you say, gasping. He mimics something similar to an “open please”. Your bed is next to the window so you are still sitting there in your pjs, so you stretch to open the window.

“What are you doing here?”, you ask him while helping him to enter. Law sits on the bed and tells you, whispering “I’m sorry, I was missing you, I really, really needed to see you… plus I told you I wanted to compensate for yesterday”.

A subtle light from the moon illuminates half of your faces, and you are speechless. “So, this is how he plans to compensate for running away last night? He is on my bed… he looks so sexy… damn”, you think. But Law starts acting innocently, and begins to ask you about the trophies on your shelves.

You tell him about how good you were at volleyball when you were in high school, and he tells you that he was too. “Where did you take that picture?”, he asks, pointing to an old photo you had pinned on the cork board. “This one?” you say, and when you grab it the side of the paper cuts your finger softly but enough to make some blood sprout. “Ouch!”, you say and you are about to take your finger to your mouth when Law grabs your wrist violently. “L-Law?!! What are you doing?”, you tell him, scared trying to unfasten from his hand. Law doesn’t speak, he starts to tremble, he is breathing fast, he is squeezing your wrist.

“Let me go, Law!” you say, but he doesn’t hear. He is somehow focused on perhaps staying still, trying to avoid something. He suddenly looks at you, his expression resembles a beast, beads of sweat run through his temples. His eyes change from grey to a bright yellow, his pupils dilate. His prominent canines are now true fangs.

Law is salivating, his veins are now visible on his forehead, you can see how his blood pumps faster. You can’t understand what the hell is going on, but for some reason you don’t scream. You concentrate on his eyes, you are able to see a remaining humanity in them, so you are far from scared.

He lets go of your hand, and kneels on the floor. Law is panting soundly; he is fighting against himself. “Calm down”, you say to him. He looks up to you, with tears in his eyes, still emitting guttural sounds. He is surprised to see how your face doesn’t show terror, nor contempt. You don’t know why, but you are even more attracted to him, dangerously attracted. You were willing to let him drink your blood if he wanted to…

With a smirk on your face, you say to him, “Blood is what you want, huh?”. He opens his mouth, and a pair of sharp fangs are shown. He shakes his head, he doesn’t want to hurt you, but he needs you. “I trust you; I know you won’t hurt me. You can drink from me”, you offer him. You know he is able to stop, and somehow everything makes sense. The poor animal this morning, he has just drunk a little blood but didn’t inflict mortal wounds to it. If he was that considerate to an animal, he will probably be with you too. -Or that is what you wanted to believe-.

He swallows, and still trembles and without any warning he pounces on you. Your back hits your bed and he's over you. He fixes his eyes on yours and asks you, "are you sure about this?". "Uhum", you nod. You are so desperate for him, that you probably consider yourself a beast more than him.

Law buries his fingers on your cheeks, and violently moves your head to the side, exposing your neck. You feel a few drops of saliva that falls into your skin from his mouth, and see how he approaches your neck.

He bites you, but even if it hurts, he is drinking your blood from your carotid so subtly, so carefully. A few seconds later, he stops. Some of your warm blood runs from the wound onto your bed.

"T-Thank you…" he says, planting a soft kiss over the little holes on your skin, caressing your hair. "You are welcome", you say, almost naturally as if being bitten by some kind of beast was something you always do.

But suddenly, you start to experience some kind of pressure on your chest, and breathing becomes difficult. Your eyes roll back, and you feel different. You look at him, trying to understand what is going on, and he simply brushes his tattooed hands over your face. "Don't worry, it's normal. You are not going to turn into… me. But, a little bit of me runs through your veins now…". He says, brushing his hand over his mouth trying to clean the mess your vital fluid has left on his lips.

You are not worried about becoming into a vampire or whatever the hell he is, but because you are experiencing a strong need to touch him, to kiss him, to fuck him. "Kiss me", you command him.

He looks at you, still settled over your body and your lips meet. His tongue invades your mouth, and you can taste the metallic rests of your blood on his mouth.

Without separating your mouths helps you take off your white -blood stained- shirt and then you do the same with him. His torso shows a big design inked on his skin, and a few wounds.

His fangs subtly scrape your skin, from your neck, to your chest, lower through your stomach. He spreads your legs with his strong arms, and softly but enough to leave some marks, bites the skin of your inner thighs. The feeling of those fangs softly ripping the first layers of your skin made yourself squirm in pleasure.

His yellow eyes fix on yours, and now he is devouring your sex. You throw your head back and surrender to his skilled tongue movements. What follows next is an extremely hard pounding session, that leaves you trembling, exhausted, sore… but satisfied.

Since then, every night you let him slowly drink you up, drop by drop, giving to him a bit of your life every time. Your eyes slowly changed colors, first a little patch of yellow, then half of your right iris…

A deadly, dangerous attraction, that won’t last forever… or maybe, if you decide to let everything aside and turn into a full vampire like him… who knows? maybe your obsessive love for him would end up changing your life… forever. ♥

#trafalgar d law x reader #trafalgar law #trafalgardwaterlaw #trafalgar one piece #trafalgar d. water law #trafalgar law x reader #trafalgar law x oc #one piece #law one piece #law x y/n #law x reader #one piece x reader #one piece x you #one piece x y/n #one piece x oc

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mostly-marvel-musings · 3 years

Note

Fluff drabbles ok how about a no 12,8 and 4 please please with mr stark hmm🥺

Hypothetically

There was a lot of stumbling and giggling involved as the stairs up to your apartment seemed longer than you remembered.

Could be the amount of alcohol running through you'd consumed just a few hours ago, you thought as your front door finally came into sight.

The next big struggle was to find the bloody keys in the mess that was your purse. Thankfully, you didn't have to search for long for the door swung open on its own, revealing your beloved roommate who appeared hazy but worried.

"Where've you been?"

"To the moon...and back!"

A fit of giggles that overtook you didn't stop until Tony Stark grabbed your arm and pulled you in, roughly slammed the door shut instantly silencing you.

"God (Y/N), you stink."

"Gee thanks."

"Are you mad?" you gave him a pout, swaying as you tried your best to focus and keep the room from spinning.

He said nothing, simply asked you to lean on him for support as he walked you to your room while you fought the urge to throw up. In your en-suite bathroom, he sat you on the closed toilet seat after making sure you weren't about to get sick.

"Where's the make-up remover thingy you have?"

Tony asked, his voice stoic like his face. You vaguely gestured towards the general direction of your vanity drawer before holding your head in your hands and sighing out loud.

The cliched feeling of regret and bad choices you made started swimming in your mind while Tony patiently got rid of the last bit of your liner, tossing the cotton pad in the bin before picking you up and carrying you to your bed.

This wasn't something you were used to, the silent treatment from your otherwise chaotic and noisy best-friend and roommate. Usually he had a lot to say about anything and everything, you almost wished he'd yell at you, snark his way into an argument, say something.

"Tony."

"Do you know I was worried about you? I don't call someone fifteen hundred times usually its the other way around. And you didn't even pick up! I was scared shitless."

You took a few seconds to process what he'd said before you burst out laughing, causing Tony to roll his eyes.

"Did I manage to scare the Tony Stark! Whaaaatt!! I bet you looked all adorable worried. Man, you kinda look adorable otherwise as well..."

You were rambling at this point and your attempts to tuck your legs beneath your body turned into you falling on your pillows sideways with a yelp.

Letting out a sigh, Tony pulled the blanket over you, shaking his head and turning to leave before you caught his wrist.

"Stay."

"And hear your snores? No, thank you." He scoffed but made no attempts of pulling away.

"Please?" you managed your best puppy dog eyes which you knew had worked when he huffed in defeat and slid into your bed from the opposite side.

Turning to face him, you pillowed your head on your hand and focused on Tony's features as he mirrored your position, now pulling the blanket over the two of you.

"So...hypothetically, if I were to confess my undying love to you, how would you react?" you murmured, the remainder of alcohol in your system making you bolder.

"Well hypothetically, I wouldn't be opposed to that idea. And hypothetically, I'd be very pleased." Tony answered, his voice soft as his hand tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"Really?"

"Really."

You let out a content hum, snuggling into your pillows further as your eyes fluttered shut and you heard a quiet chuckle from Tony. He watched your beautiful features in the dim light before turning the lamp off, knowing you'd probably passed out.

"Okay so hypothetically, if I were to kiss you goodnight right now, would I be pushing my luck?"

He asked into the darkness, smiling as your soft snores reached his ears.

Placing a kiss to your forehead, he whispered 'good night' before closing his eyes, knowing he'd wake up a happier man tomorrow while you probably would with a terrible hangover.

#tony stark x reader #tony stark drabble #tony stark imagine #tony stark fluff #tony stark fanfiction #fluff drabbles #tony stark fic

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4dtk · 4 years

Text

stuck with you

pairing: enemy!journalist!haechan x journalist!reader

genre: angst, fluff, humour, enemies to lovers (hope i did the trope justice tbh TT)

warnings: cursing, f words lmao, i mention stranger things a lot in this??? mainly bc i just finished watching it w a friend. i also only use ‘haechan’ when narrating the story so i don’t get confused! the timeline for this is Very Weird as well bc like i didn’t consider how long a pandemic would last…… so Uhm. pls just excuse the weird ass time sequence. also referenced yangyang’s bastard child behaviour from dream plan where he packs his things messily and kun had to mf intervene and yangyang had the audacity to go like “see, this is how u get ppl to pack for you, now i don’t have to do anything” 💀

word count: 8k (a headache to proofread...)

A/N: first time trying an e2l trope and im not sure if it was done ok??? i didn't want it to feel too rushed so i tried to spread out the days as much as i could!! i also included small snippets of their life w the other so it won’t seem like the fic is just focusing on the e2l concept! was inspired tons by the lyrics of stuck with u by ariana grande and jb, so that song is definitely something you can listen to if you read this! hope you enjoy ^^

[day 1]

"you're insufferable," you groan, reluctantly handing over the remote control for the hotel's television after some unsuccessful scrolling.

hotels never exactly had much range anyway.

you were very much already dreading the time ahead with the male, sadly having been stuck in quarantine not even half a day with haechan.

offering to go to a neighbouring country to report on the rising covid-19 situation, you didn't expect your rival to tag along, no doubt seeking to craft up a better story than you would.

and so, you were now nudging the remote control into his waiting palm with a roll of your eyes. you hoped it emphasised your annoyance with him even a little, standing up to prepare a cup of tea before bed.

"are you going to keep watching television while i sleep?" you ask a genuine question, peeking at him through the mirror of the vanity that sat outside the bathroom.

he just shrugs with a tired sigh, turning his attention back to the cartoon playing in front of him.

"okay, well, keep to your side of the bed and i'll stay in mine. we need to be social distancing, anyway."

there's a hint of "okay, loser" mumbled under his breath, but you pay it no thought as you finish your tea and brush your teeth before you skillfully set up a fortress made out of pillows.

"ow! what the hell?"

"your leg was in the way, jeez! move it, and i'll stop annoying you," you said, putting up the last of your requested pillows beside where haechan currently sat.

taking one last glance at haechan, you wondered when the lockdown in your country would last before they start letting people fly in. for now, you were trapped with the nightmare himself in a sad hotel room, with only a bed to share.

"goodnight," he tells you, but the sardonic way he says it irks you to the point where you settle for silence instead. the only thing that drones on are the voices of the cartoon, soon fading as you feel into a dreamless sleep.

[day 4]

"this virus thing is probably driving me insane by day, and you, lee haechan, are adding on to it!"

"no headlines, no idea what style to write in, minimal pictures-" the doorbell to the hotel room interrupts your current rant, prompting you to storm off to answer the call with an annoyed look.

"what now?" taken aback by your quick response, the housekeeping girl retracts with downturned eyebrows and a voice hesitant to speak. your roommate comes to the rescue almost immediately when he's heard the commotion.

you watch as he sends her a smile and a wink, deflating when he's let her in to clean up the room. you're not sure why you can't keep your eyes off the both of them as they converse, blaming it mostly on your hatred for the male.

with the last of her duties fulfilled, you offer to help her with the cleaning supplies as an apology, but she cuts you off almost immediately. there's a linger in her step, however, as she walks the short hallway to the door, evident in wanting haechan to send her off as he received her.

turning back to call him, he holds up a hand as he types down his opening lines to an article, prompting you to shoot the housekeeper girl another apologetic look.

"sorry again," you mumble, letting out a sigh at how this was all playing out. day four and you were already making enemies with the hotel crew.

"maybe day forty-one is where i fall in love with lee haechan," you scoffed, perhaps listing down all the unfortunate things that could happen while you were in quarantine.

one of them was catching feelings for your rival.

rolling your eyes, you settled on the bed to catch a few Zs as he continued to work on his article, though you weren't exactly sure about the weight your words held.

[day 9]

"haechan, what is this?" you ask with an eyebrow raised, his dirty boxers barely hanging off your finger.

haechan only groans at that, knowing you were relentless in the laundry. even in a pandemic, he was sure you'd prioritise your clothes first.

"jesus! don't go picking up my underwear just like that!" he snatches it from you, folding it neatly and placing it next to where his luggage sat. unfortunately, yours was right beside his.

"you think just because you're doing the laundry you're able to look through a man's prized possessions-!"

your jaw drops, "it was near the sink, haechan! i don't want to look at the checkered pattern on your boxers when i brush my teeth. i don't want it near my face either."

haechan groans yet again, running a hand through his hair in frustration before turning back to the computer, a blank document opened up in front of him.

despite gathering findings, interviewing healthcare workers and serving the public alongside frontline staff, he had deleted every attempt at writing.

there's a rumble from the bathroom, perhaps from your upset stomach or the choked pipe, but sometimes they sounded too similar he couldn't tell it apart. haechan stifles a laugh when there's a "fuck!" echoing behind the door, though unsure if he should help you or not.

when haechan hears another crash, he comes running without hesitation with a face morphed into furrowed eyebrows and a tilt of the head.

"don't just stand there, you moron!"

haechan snaps out of his daze to assist you off the floor, swiftly helping you even more off the floor as he carries you to the bed with a stiff one arm. you notice his other hand hanging awkwardly, probably not knowing what to do with it before you feel the soft sheets under your butt.

he gets to work within a minute, fishing for an ointment and some bandages his mother forced him to bring. he remembers it as he always has: a caring mother looking out for her son, maybe a little too much sometimes.

haechan is thankful for his mother, now, for the stray bandages laying around in his pouch.

you watch in silence as he cleans the cut with alcohol, wincing when his hand hadn't even touched your skin.

"my hand isn't even on your skin yet! jeez, calm down."

you shake your head, holding onto his bicep to halt his arm, "just use water, please."

exhaling in exasperation, you wonder if you've pissed him off tenfold when he leaves for the bathroom with a side-eyed glance, though not hostile.

"problematic," haechan whispers, dabbing a wet cloth over the wound carefully before applying the ointment and securing the bandages.

"your words contradict your actions so much, haechan. i never know what you're thinking." sighing, you pull your leg away from his hold after he's done with the bandages, making your way to the bathroom and leaving him in his thoughts.

"why do you want to know?"

haechan gets silence; the lock of the bathroom audibly turns to signal another wall put up between the two of you. with another frustrated groan, the boy plops down on the chair to work on his article with the right words forming in his mind.

even if he was the one who asked, he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell you.

[day 13]

"stranger things is freaking me the fuck out, man!" haechan whispered, ignoring your pleads and groans to continue writing.

"haechan! give me the damn laptop! i don't even know why you brought an HDMI cable when it doesn't work with the television system here!"

"well, we got one that matches it, didn't we?" he said, eyes peeled to the screen that showed the young boy, will, in the upside-down.

"you mean you did!" you shoved him, ready to disconnect the devices before haechan held you back, clearly entranced by the next sequence of eleven being able to see will in a pool of salt.

"ugh, god, i don't even know why people watch the show!" you spill with sourness, knowing the show was praised for its excellent acting and writing.

haechan raises an eyebrow, turning to you with a strangely slow speed.

"stranger things have received multiple awards, and you didn't give any other reason. are you scared?"

when you struggle to find words, haechan laughs at his revelation, hiding his pearly whites behind his hand as he continues to make fun of you.

"yeah yeah, i'm scared! so what?"

"'oh haechan! oh no~ i'm terrified, would you care to provide some comfort?' jeez, don't worry, man, i'll protect you." there's a cheeky glimmer in his eyes and a cocky smirk on his face which you very much want to wipe off with the disinfectant in the toilet.

"it's not all that bad, c'mon! give it a-" turning back to the tv, the sudden attack of the demogorgon lashing out at the camera has the male screaming, hiding behind your body in fear.

"you were saying, mr superman?" you deadpan, unlatching his arms around your waist as you sink deeper into the sheets with your phone in hand.

[day 17]

haechan thrashes in his sleep, almost knocking the wine glass you had in your hands when he crosses over the pillow barrier you made.

"what in the hell-" you winced, keeping an eye on the male should he have any more outbursts that would ruin both wine night and the stuff you were working on for the article.

with tipsy hands, your keyboard keys unconsciously write out a letter of disdain and confusion regarding haechan, the boy sleeping next to you with a cute drooling face and curly hair.

with beautiful tan skin like that, you wondered why he didn't model instead. with a voice as impressive as his, you wondered why he didn't sign a contract. with natural hosting capabilities, you wondered why didn't fucking get the place of a talk show host.

because man, he can get pretty bothersome sometimes.

[day 20]

the next few days pass by with a breeze.

despite not knowing how the current pandemic will turn out, you find haechan more bearable, his habits being dumped in the past with a wave of a hand.

petty arguments occur, of course, until one of you brushes off the matter like nothing.

today was one of the days you won't back down.

there's worry evident on your face, eyes scanning through every last document on the stupid laptop. fingers travel fast over the keyboard as the realisation slowly dawns on you.

with slumped shoulders, you take a deep breath before turning to the male.

"what do you mean you accidentally deleted my article? i know we're sharing the damn laptop, but we established that you stay on your files and i stay on mine."

the other waved his hand, "i did not touch any of your files, (y/n), i'm not sure what happened."

"how could you not know? what the hell? i had good content on it, but now i have to spend more hours reorganising the news and interview answers and everything else in my notes. thanks, lee haechan."

"maybe if you weren't so caught up in me trying to sabotage your place in the publication team, then you would've believed me." he shrugged, taking a seat on the one bed like nothing.

you scoffed, arms crossing across your body. "funny how you mention sabotage because a villain never reveals their motive. that's why you came with me, didn't you?"

haechan stuck his tongue out to the side of his mouth, eyes blinking and rolling like an 8-ball that it sickened you to the core.

"villain? i'm the villain?"

"was i not clear?" you hiss, stepping closer to the male.

"no, make it more precise, please. i wanna hear it word for word. spit it out, coward."

with every word, you plunged your finger into his chest, looking deep into his eyes. "you're set out to take my place for department editor, where you know i'm best at."

"and that department would be...?" he crossed his arms, looking down at you with scorn you wished you could slap off his face.

"the..." you gulp with his face all up in yours, eyes boring as he awaits your answer, no doubt losing confidence at your realisation.

"the world depart...ment? you love to travel, right?" you trail off, biting your lip in anxiety when you remember how he was on the plane. you don't exactly remember whether he was more excited or scared.

"wrong! try again."

"politics?" you propose.

haechan's face contorts into disbelief, with his mouth twisted with perplex and eyebrows furrowed. "me? politics?"

your mouth runs dry at the roadblock you've faced, and as that annoying, stupid smirk grows, your hatred for him increases by the charts.

"naming departments i'd rather die than join, running your mouth, accusing me of deleting your files..." haechan shakes his head dramatically, rolling his eyes and letting out a fat sigh.

"you think i wanna be stuck here with your infuriating ass? god, you're so entitled, aren't you? aren't you?!"

"talking like you own the place, talking like you're the only one in this world, talking like- mhfh-"

within three angry steps, you were across the room.

within three booming steps, your hands were on his face.

within three significant steps, you were kissing lee haechan.

"you never learn to shu..." with horror, you're brought back from the trance with widened eyes.

"oh, god, sorry. what. what the hell. what the fuck?" you whisper, pushing the boy away with both hands in a panic, trying to highlight your scorn for him by wiping your lips on your sleeve.

had you liked it?

the other scurried to the balcony in a frenzy while you collected yourself in the bathroom, although no amount of water could calm your nerves.

with shaky words in bed, you both agreed to never talk about it again.

[day 25]

"hey, i can see your damn annotations on my article, (y/n). will you stop it?" haechan whines, making you second guess if he was joking or not.

for the nth time that day, you roll your eyes and proceed to sip from your cup of gin tonic that haechan desperately wanted you to try. it was... a refreshing taste, but hell, you wouldn't drink this even if it was the last beverage on earth.

"i'm just giving my feedback, be thankful i didn't bring up that stupid kiss five days ago. bleugh."

haechan falls quiet at that, fingers lingering over the keyboard as he typed out some note with the speed of a sloth's.

"hey, call me donghyuck. that's my actual name," he mumbles, glancing at you through his bangs while he awaits your reply.

"donghyuck? is haechan an alias?"

the boy shrugs, "i don't know, maybe. my friends gave it to me when i was younger, and i just stuck with it."

"full sun? your friend gave it to you, sure." you grin with a gesture of your hand, almost spilling the gin in the clear glass before breaking into small laughter with the other.

[day 28]

"hey! hey, what the hell?" you whisper, feeling the boy huddle up to you in lightning speed.

"what is wrong with you?" you whisper-shout, nudging him off your body as his phone screen remains as the only thing illuminating his face.

"sorry, i- i was watching stranger things while i was shitting and after i cleaned up... i heard something and bolted out of there."

"so now you're butt naked? hyuck, ew!" you groan, thankful for the sheets that were covering your body and his junk. his reluctance to get off you didn't seem to bother you as much as earlier, but you still wished he wasn't literally naked against you.

"go put on your underwear, you big baby. i'll be here when you come out. no demogorgon is going to come out, for real."

"no no, i was watching season two and it was that big shadow thingy that freaked me out. can't you feel this poor boy shivering?" haechan sighed, eyes never leaving the corridor that led to the bathroom.

"i can, and i also can feel your dick. please get dressed, or you're sleeping on the floor," you mumble, pulling the sheets to cover your freezing body.

[day 31]

your face hits something soft, cuddling into it even further because of its warmth before you realise there was only one other thing that would be warm in the room.

haechan.

your breath shakes, and your eyes widen as you pull yourself away from his embrace. your subtle movement leaves him thrashing around, though, and his arms tighten around your figure slowly and endearingly.

gulping, you will your hands to stay in their place, opting to freeze to death although there are hints of heat crawling onto your face.

when you wake up, you find that his hand's in yours and maybe you were searching for one wrong thing. an anomaly, an exception. it fit in yours perfectly, however, his tanned skin glowing lightly under the rays of sun filtering through the curtains.

you hoped he didn't realise the small shift of your fingers as they enclosed around his hand.

[day 32]

"what are you doing out here?" haechan asked quietly, peeking around the sliding door before joining you on the chilly balcony. it wasn't much, but it was still different and refreshing from the old, stagnant aircon air that was blowing in the hotel room.

"can't sleep," you whisper. you had your arms around your figure cautiously, as if it could protect you from all the bad, evil and terror in the world. at this point, you weren't sure what was it that you were feeling, but it sure didn't involve entertaining haechan's teasing.

luckily, he bit his tongue from making the usual snarky remarks.

"it's two in the morning, what's up?"

you shake your head in reply, watching the empty streets as the last light in the apartment across you switches off. sure, at two in the morning, pavements were dusty clean, and the birds were sleeping, but there would always be younger boys smoking along the road, or a drunken group of friends laughing about a past memory.

now that the pandemic forced everyone into their homes, everything was pretty much dead. there wasn't that excitement you felt when you saw a late-night kiss shared between two lovers or the snug hug of a child to his father who was working overtime that day.

"nothing's up, hyuck, it's fine. you can get back to sleep if you want."

maybe today you two were the one causing the ruckus this time, though. haechan may have let his words slipped, and at that moment, you knew you regretted that bloom in your chest when his lips met yours.

"you're so hard to read, (y/n). i want you to be able to trust me, tell me what's going on."

"why do you wanna know anyway? so you can expose me of my bad habits and weak points?" you whisper, eyes trained on the flickering lamppost a few yards away.

"there you go again! again with the sabotage?" haechan scoffed, exiting the small space and stepping back into the room of mixed emotions.

"is this just about your feelings for me?"

haechan laughed, "my feelings? might i remind you that you were the one who kissed me full on the lips twelve days ago? what was that all about? i wanna talk about it, even though we said we wouldn't! i wanna talk about why you hate me so much. i wanna talk about why your emotions are so contradictive!"

your mouth hangs open as you sputter out a heated reply, but instead gets interrupted with a knock on the door.

"keep quiet, you damn teenagers! i don't need your petty fights at two in the morning!" with padded feet, the guest returns to his room and slams the door to emphasise his complaint. swallowing, your mind goes blank as it focuses only on one question.

"why do you want to know so much lee haechan? what are you gaining out of this? if it's not sabotaging, then what is it?!" you whisper, standing your ground as with the first argument.

your throat is clenched up, and your fists are balled up tightly with nails digging into your palm. your heartbeat races like a fast car and your breathing's laboured in the cold room. there's no movement for a second, though they feel like minutes on end as haechan struggles to answer your question.

"what is it, lee donghyuck?" you cry out again, the sparkle in your eyes shining brightly from the tears of your never-ending dispute. he wished it was from the moonlight, instead. he wished the two of you were laughing over the rim of wine glasses and sharing the mischievous glimmer of the moon in your eyes.

"it's nothing. don't mind it." the other turns to catch up on sleep, leaving you to bite your lip.

"now you're doing it, now you're the one doing it. just tell me, you dumbass!" you mumble, pulling on his pyjama sleeve and tugging you to him.

"i like you, okay! it's out there now, i like you a lot, but you make it feel like a crime to do it," haechan whispers, "whatever. fuck this."

"no- what- no, we'll talk this out." you propose, adjusting your grip on his wrist with the curl of your fingers.

the male shakes his head and snatches his arm back, "no, forget it, and i'd prefer if you left me alone, (y/n)."

even with the warmth of his body next to yours, your body felt frozen and stiff. even with the thick duvet cover over you, you felt out of place in the stale hotel room, with colour becoming black and white, they merge into grey as the moonlight shone without a care for your problems.

there's action on the balcony when your eyes flutter open in the morning, noticing the quiet way haechan observes those rushing to work as well as social distancing officers making their rounds.

his eyes look hopeful and youthful, different from the tired ones the night before, or rather, this morning. you hadn't forgotten the angry neighbour banging on the door, and you definitely hadn't forgotten about how much you've wounded haechan this morning.

with a soft knock, you let him know of your presence and you just miss the way his eyes soften at your bed hair and messy appearance. his gaze turns hard in a second as he turns back to the apartment across yours, the balcony door showing your reflection of how hesitant you were.

haechan wished he could take your hands in his and accept your apology in a heartbeat, but he stayed seated and waited for whatever you wanted to say.

"don't run off, please." there's a shameful hand on his shoulders, and he's dying to get up when he sees your downcast eyes in the reflection across the street.

"i was too caught up in getting department head that i... didn't consider other possibilities. even the possibility of you uhm... liking me. it's still a weird concept to me, especially with how much we bicker."

"i'm sorry i didn't stay to hear out your feelings and rather, i just talked over you instead. i'm not sure if you want to accept this or not, but i want to open up—about this, about your feelings and... i don't know how much i've masked my emotions, i just know that we need to communicate."

the doorbell interrupts your apology, but you internally thank the housekeeping for bringing breakfast for the two of you.

with silence over breakfast, you weren't sure how the other felt as he scoffed down the croissant and almost burned his tongue with the coffee he ordered.

[day 33]

the boy barely watches the television and instead, reads over the article you were working on. seeing as it was already there when he logged on, he skimmed through it out of curiosity, finding that you were rephrasing the messy typos and sentences frantically on your notes.

haechan never forgot the way you were typing away on the laptop, eyes reading and rereading the sentences to make sure they made sense, to make sure they were clear to the reader.

the argument had taken a toll on you, too. he sees it in the way your eyes sink when your words turn out choppy and lacking, he sees it in the way you lug your body to the bathroom after a late night, he sees it in the way you struggle to hold your smile while attending an interview.

'haechan. you confuse me. i'm not...' the note below it trails off, piquing his curiosity at what it had in store.

'haechan.' big and bold letters it wrote, with a few dozen question marks below it. your writing skills shine through even in an informal note about your self-proclaimed rival, each line prompting the other to read more.

'you confuse me. i'm not sure what you're at but, it doesn't seem natural for you to tag along with someone you hate, right? that's what i was thinking too.'

'jeez, i remember hating when suyeon told me you were coming along. i didn't believe her one bit until she showed me your plane ticket and the hotel rooms next to each other. god, and when i came here, it was a day of interviewing before the damn government decided to close flights and force us into a room together.'

'i heard that other people had to be separated. i didn't know why we were the unlucky two that had to be put in a room together. i wished we didn't, almost. of course, you annoyed me when we first moved in. hogging the tv to no end, leaving your dirty underwear everywhere, running your mouth just like at our workplace.'

'i couldn't take it, maybe. sure, my brother has similar antics, but there was just something about you that just set me off, you know? i wouldn't have thought it was the opposite, or at least, i think so.'

'i'm counting the days. day 17 and i'm not sure why i feel this bubbling feeling inside me. of course, there's anger—i'm sure it's there, but there's also this other thing i get whenever i look at you.'

'my heart clenches up, and my hands become clammy, but it couldn't be a crush, right? i would've wasted my breath shouting, and my strength whacking your shoulder.' that makes haechan chuckle and look over at you where the soft light dances over your face.

'and then i started imagining. how would your arms wrap around me? how would your infuriating laughter, which somehow turned out to be so contagious, feel in the crook of my neck? yikes, that was cheesy.'

'what would it feel like if we fell in love for one night? where would you bring me and what would we eat? would we make out in your car like unruly teenagers?'

'what would it be like to love you? it's dumb, isn't it? i don't know. i've liked this bickering thing we had going on, and it's amusing to see you one-up me. i'm not sure if i want that to change and i'm not sure if you want us to, either.'

'maybe i'm wrong, and i'm the only one in this thing. this is so stupid, writing while he's sitting next to me. i'll regret this, maybe. goodnight.'

haechan sighs, closing the device in thought, confused at the words he wasn't exactly supposed to read. had you done this on purpose? he was sharing the laptop with you...

the boy brushed it off, placing the laptop on the vanity before adjusting your side of the duvet, hoping he could find the right words. with hesitant steps, he keeps to his side of the bed, thinking, thinking, thinking.

when he couldn't no more, haechan fell into the spell of slumber in the comfortable hotel room.

[day 34]

"tea?" he asks from the bathroom as the door clicks behind you, returning from the short hotel walk with a new keychain hanging from your sling bag.

"yeah sure, thanks."

the water runs as he fills up the kettle as the constant whir of the aircon and the conversation on the television keeps you company in the vast quietness of the room.

you weren't sure if you should say anything, but when you saw the dishevelled appearance of your roommate, you knew you had to bring up the argument and apology.

"haechan, about our... feelings. do you want to talk about them?" you whispered, a reply reaching your ears in the form of his spoon against the porcelain mug.

haechan hands you the drink wordlessly, sitting on the chair at the vanity before sipping cautiously at the tea. there are unexchanged glances between the two of you before he sighs at your expectant hand tapping the sheets.

"i think it's about time we did," he mumbled, dragging the laptop off the wooden table with anxiety. the other opened it without saying anything, catching you by surprise when the mouse hovers over your note.

"hae- donghyuck! no! what the hell?"

he holds up a hand and clicks on it anyway, making your heart drop to your stomach as he turned the device towards you.

"read the bottom." haechan whispers as you pull the laptop closer to you, settling it on your lap as he observed your expressions carefully.

'i read it, i'm sorry.' you look at him and lift up a hand to prepare to whack him, a defeated sigh escaping you before you carried on.

'was it wrong to read it? of course, and i cannot apologise more for doing shit like that when we still have unsolved tension between us in this small ass room. it was incorrect, but.'

'do you feel the same as me? is bickering all we have to do? why can't we work anything out? they're the questions i keep asking myself after i read your letter.'

'i guess i was too caught up in the fight and not wanting to be the loser that i... can't deny that i've never thought about wanting to get to know you, even if you were that sought out to be my destined enemy.'

'when we fought earlier, you kissed me. i know we said not to mention it, but, uhm, it was good. i liked it. i'm not sure if the reason why you did it was because of the reason you mentioned in the note, but at the time, i assumed it was to shut me up. i thought something would happen after, though you pushed me away and apologised right away.'

'it was a far off dream that i had, but i think it was after i bandaged your foot. you said that you didn't know what was going on in my mind, and i told you.'

'it was like, i was granted an insight into an alternate world, another universe where you didn't feel the strain, where you legitimately assumed i was going for your position.'

'you scoffed when i confessed, right then and there, on day 9. i was counting, too, and it was a scary, confusing dream. i think that's why i held it off as long as i could until your words puzzled and angered me further because you just didn't get it.'

'you scoffed and told me to get lost, pushing on my shoulders where we fought on the balcony for everyone to see. you never spoke to me, you never mentioned my article nor the interviews. we never joked over wine, and we always kept to our side of the bed.'

'i was convinced that heaven wanted me to stay away from you and your heart. maybe it was broken too many times, and you had someone up there looking out for you.'

'i feel like i'm copying off the textbook of some greek mythology starter pack, but i'm for real! no kidding.' you smiled, looking at him with nervous eyes at the small joke he put in.

'i guess whoever put that dream in my sleep really wanted us not to be together because i think i would've told you i liked you on the spot itself. i let my conscious get the best of me.'

'i know this is a lazy way of conveying my feelings, and i wished i could do it with words, but i feel like you wouldn't believe me otherwise. i rushed it this morning when you went on your morning walk around the hotel and when you let me know of your stroll in a soft voice, i wanted nothing more than to get you in my arms as we wake up to the housekeeping service.'

'i didn't want any more tension between us, and i didn't want to be interrupted by your alarm while we avoid each other more. it hurts seeing you escape the room in haste. you said it was weird for me to tag along with someone i hate, too, and that someone was you. i guess you found out why.'

looking up, you found him right in front of you, mouth dry from his reply to your letter. with a gulp, you leaned forward to meet his lips halfway.

"i'm sorry to whoever's up there," he whispers, prompting a grin and a laugh out of you.

the laptop is forgotten on the bed as haechan situates himself over you, clutching your shoulder gently while his lips move quickly, fast to make up for lost time.

"wait wait, wait, you're not playing me, are you?" you mumble in return, reluctantly pulling away while witnessing the way his eyes soften at your guard still up. haechan shakes his head forlornly, tongue pressing up against the side of his mouth nervously.

"no, i'm not, (y/n)," he says quietly with as much sincerity he can muster, removing his hand from your shoulder with a forced smile.

"okay." there's a shakiness to your voice, but when you bring his lips back to yours, it gives you a rush of confidence. your skin is burning up, and your hands can't stop wandering as his lips capture yours, repeatedly moving against yours like a trance.

you grant haechan access to your mouth with a whimper, melting into his embrace as his arms wrap tighter around your figure. his eagerness lingers when he pushes forward, straddling your lap as his leg nudges the laptop.

"wait, hyuck, wait, the laptop!" you joke, placing the device on the floor before getting back into the kiss with just as much fervour. within a minute or so, the other breaks away to say the words you so hated to hear:

"we... we need to talk. we can't just kiss the fight off, although i very much like to," haechan murmurs the last part, making you stifle a smile.

you nod quickly, repeating the word "okay" like a robot. your hands naturally travel from his arms down to his fingers, and you clutch them like your life depended on it.

"we have... established, that i like you, correct?" haechan whispers, scooting closer as his tea-ridden breath surrounds you. from here, you could even smell the buttered croissant he ate this morning.

it made you smile, something simple as that.

"why- why are you laughing (y/n)?" he asks anxiously, eyes darting to find the reason why you found this so funny.

"no. no no no, i'm thinking of... the croissant you ate just now, and," you sigh, resting your head on his broad shoulder.

"i'm thinking of the way your eyes light up when you show me the articles you idolise so much, and i'm thinking of the way you cuddle up to me whenever we watch stranger things."

"i'm thinking of the way you thought i wouldn't give you a chance, even though i've been pondering on the same thing as you. i'm thinking of the things that make up lee haechan, lee donghyuck. yes, you like me, and yes i like you, but i guess i haven't told you the reason."

"i hated you, i really did. i found every reason to convince my mind to hate you. gaining trust, signing up for events you didn't know shit about, sucking up to the seniors, stealing my friends when they didn't know your personality. the personality i didn't even want to know because i was too busy in my little bubble."

"assuming you'd want to get department head was the cherry on top, because why else would you want to tag along? that was the factor that convinced me and confirmed my suspicions from day one."

you grunt in opposition, clearly not liking the truth that was spilling from your lips. haechan deserved to know, however. you kept your eyes trained on his lap where his hands were holding yours in support, crumbling from the blindness that caused your hatred.

"so from then, the plane ride, immigration, the cab to the interview place, the cab back, the hotel room, my hatred for you boiled over." you listed, voice breaking as you looked haechan in the eye.

"it was stupid of me to assume, to assume the worst of you when i didn't even know you. i wasn't even sure why i felt so bitter looking at you, but the way you acted, the way you whined, worked me up so much that i figured that was how you were."

"now when i'm sitting here with the curtains drawn, i can see why you're so attractable and easy to talk to and easy-going and bright that my friends keep talking to you."

"i can see why the seniors turn to you because you're reliable and hardworking without uttering a single word."

"i can see why you wanted to hop on this flight with me because you're always curious about the world and how you can expand your skill set."

and as you said word after word, haechan observes you with a soothing hand against your forearms. his eyes shine for a different reason, for the lost time he could've had if the two of you didn't have this massive barrier. a massive barrier that's been up for the longest time.

brick by brick, the wall is being torn down. as you hold haechan's face in the stillness of the room, you feel closer to him than you've ever felt and his tears match your frustrated ones.

choking on sobs, delayed apologies were all you could whisper.

"i'm sorry, i'm sorry, really. we fought so bad that day, and i was so goddamn insensitive..." you sigh, swallowing a lump when his hand reached up to wipe the tears. with a blocked nose, you breathe shakily as housekeeping interrupts the moment.

you nod towards the door as he stood up slowly to reveal the same housekeeping girl. she cleaned up the bathroom and wardrobe quietly as the two of you stood awkwardly in the small space. she had left the sheets since everyone was practically stuck in, anyway.

haechan nudges you toward the door with a shove, shooting the same housekeeping girl a small smile and a bow as an apology to the previous run-in.

"he confessed his feelings?" she inquired softly, noticing the tear marks on your face.

you bit your lip, "yeah."

"that's good, he's finally not a coward." she laughs, folding the used towels and placing them with her.

you leaned against the door, asking for an explanation with your puzzled look.

"he was someone i liked, before. we had classes back in high school. it was just a dumb crush, honestly." the housekeeping girl shrugs, resting her head on her fist in thought.

"i think he liked me, and i did too, but we didn't do much except for exchange looks and flirt because both of us were just too scared." she shakes her head and adjusts the disinfectant spray bottle, fidgeting with the nozzle.

"i'm glad he had enough courage to admit his feelings."

nodding along to her statement, she bids you farewell as her figure fades with each step, leaving you with a sense of calmness to the end of this situation.

[day 38]

"is... is this okay?" haechan asks, arm hovering over your body while waiting for your confirmation. you smile and nod, sinking into his side as you venture in the third season of stranger things together.

"don't you think we should be working on our articles?" you whisper, looking up at him from where you were with raised eyebrows.

the boy opens and closes his mouth in thought, gesturing to the television with an exaggerated expression.

"stranger things, ma'am."

you click your tongue and sigh with a smile, turning back to the show as you try to relax for an online interview in a few hours.

[day 39]

"what do you say about my set-up?" haechan nudges you, proud of the hangout area he prepared on the balcony. although small, he had no trouble making it look comfortable.

with a smile, you pop open the wine to celebrate the last scheduled interview for the trip, clinking glasses with haechan in the setting sun.

the country you were supposed to return to was slowly opening up flights for those stranded overseas and as refreshing as a different environment was, you missed home and the warmness of it.

you missed the office and your desk. hell, you even missed the mediocre coffee from the pantry.

with the last of the wine finishing, haechan pours half into your glass and the other into his, clinking one last time before you one-shot the beverage.

the high of the alcohol is gradually brought down by the mellow atmosphere and colours of twilight. as pink and orange cross over on the horizon, haechan mumbles a low "c'mere" to you in the darkness.

you hum in response and get up from your seat, bringing a pillow with you as haechan shifts to make space. sinking naturally into his arms, you sigh while you try to contain a smile full of content.

"this is nice," you admit, the corners of your lips disobeying your command, prompting you to shoot him a smile. haechan nods against your hair, a comfortable arm around your waist while you trace the tan skin of his arm.

the other taps your waist repeatedly, turning in response as he whispers out a question that makes your heart melt.

"can i kiss you?" you grin, slipping a hand around his neck and pulling him in right away. haechan's caught by surprise, laughing into your lips and striving to savour the moment as much as he could.

a shout from across the hotel distracts you from the kiss. looking up, you realise it was the apartment resident opposite you shooting you a 'rock on' gesture.

"you guys are not fighting anymore! congrats!" you both stifle a snort as you wave back to the resident, sighing in relief when their balcony door slides shut.

"should we go inside, m'lady?" haechan giggles, replying in the form of a nod, cleaning up the area while you head in.

[day 41]

"i didn't think they'd be letting flights in so early," you mumble, folding your clothes neatly as your vision shifts to haechan... shoving his fair share of apparel into his luggage.

"donghyuck... what the hell?" you roll your eyes, shoving the boy softly as you took over the task at hand. switching personalities almost immediately, haechan fakes an interview segment with exaggerated tones.

"see, everyone, this is how you convince someone to do the work for you," the boy lays on the bed with a satisfied expression, "now i don't have to do anyth- ow!"

"if we ever live together, maybe i should punish you by doing the laundry and then folding it," you grunt, working at the speed faster than you expected while you fold shirt after shirt.

"are you proposing we move in together?" haechan peeks through an open eye, curiosity dripping from his tone. he tried to feign nonchalance but awaiting your answer felt like a weight on his heart.

your next words lifted that weight, a seemingly invisible force bringing his upper body off the bed as he stares at you in shock.

"maybe, not now but... in the future, maybe," you mumble the last part, focusing on the clothes to prevent the male from seeing the fluster on your face.

"for real?" haechan sits up, biting his lip to contain his excitement as your confirmation.

"we'll be all stupidly domestic and shit, and i'll say i love you five years from now before you go off for work if you want that and stuff," your voice goes lower and quieter, especially towards the end, biting off way more than you could chew.

"aw! i love you too!" haechan gushes, bringing you into an embrace as your hands go limp, scrambling to explain your emphasis on the 'future'.

"d-donghyuck, i meant the future, not now..." you manage to spit out, hoping you need not answer his queries any more. your mind blanks out at the current situation, wishing you hadn't said those dumb things.

he grins into your neck, "i know, i'm just answering for future me."

you groan and escape the hug with a roll of your eyes, "yuck, too cheesy!" the boy just lets out a laugh, watching the way you fold his clothes despite your initial annoyance.

[day 42]

suyeon switches between the two of you in disbelief, finger crooked at the ambiguity of "we like each other".

"wha-" suyeon doesn't get the chance to finish the sentence before you shoot her a thumbs up, grabbing haechan by the arm and your stuff with the other.

you were happy to leave the office after a quick debrief since you two had reported to the office right after arriving at the airport, relieved when you heard he'd spare a few more days for your articles to be cleaned up.

"so, (y/n), what would you like to do now?" haechan looks at you through the reflective material of the elevator, observing the nervous wringing of your fingers.

you're glad for the material protecting your face because there's a smile that you struggle to keep as his soft, gentle voice carries through the quiet space.

the anxiety ends when the lift sounds, prompting your eyes to trail down his arm. your hand moves on its own accord, grabbing his last finger with yours as you proceed into the lift sheepishly, not missing the way haechan's eyes show his bright smile behind the mask.

"maybe i'll get to know you more, lee donghyuck."

haechan lets out a gasp, "have you not learned about me enough? scandalous."

you feign a punch in his direction, the luggage beside you tripping over its wheels due to your swift movement. the only response you get is a giggle from the other as he tightens his pinky around yours, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek right above your face mask just as the elevator doors open.

"man, i really do want to punch you now," you mutter as you let haechan lead you, wanting nothing more than to rest in the arms of your enemy-turned-friend? enemy-turned-someoneyoulike?

you weren’t exactly sure.

he doesn't answer during the walk to the main road, nor the ride back to your home, the only constant thing being the way he admires your profile in the taxi, shrugging when you counter with a playful "what?".

"nothing," haechan grins.

[there are more days to come]

sure, day forty-one may not have been the day you fell in love with haechan, nor the day where he outwardly claims you as his lover.

but, taking it slow never hurt anyone, either.

you know it in the way he tells you he can't go in unless he's invited and you see it in the way he asks if he can switch the television on while you prepare some drinks.

like the hotel, you know it in the way he asks if he can kiss you and the way he deepens his kisses with caution.

you appreciate it in the way he quickly apologises for a personal question, while visibly relaxing as you brush it off with a smile.

with hours pass, day forty-two becomes day forty-three, and haechan remains as chivalrous as always.

days pass, and you submit your articles. weeks pass, and you get to know the boy more and more. months pass, and you feel his love in the way he plays with your fingers in the dark and pulls you close under the sheets.

even if you hadn't acknowledged the love between the two of you, that note you wrote half-drunk matched the way you felt now—with how your heart clenches up and with how your grin never leaves your face with haechan around.

there are more days to come with lee haechan, lee donghyuck, even if it meant getting stuck together in a hotel room with unsaid words.

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dopescotlandwarrior · 4 years

Text

Sinners & Saints-Chapter 17

A special thanks to @statell for all your help

Previous chapters at AO3

Chapter 17

Sebastian Meyer spun his desk chair around in time to see his secretary drop a newspaper onto his desk. She had the paper folded back to the society section where Danny’s face was beaming as she shook hands with Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of England. He felt like someone punched him in the stomach and lowered the receiver to its cradle without warning to the caller. “What in God’s name is she doing?” He looked up in time to appreciate the swinging ass of his secretary before the door closed behind her. Sebastian read every word associated with the story and decided his mother was having a last fling before she surrendered the reigns to him this year. Let her have some fun, he thought, a nostalgic party to remember her glory days when she was the seat of power and reigning queen of the socialites. He could give a shit because nothing could stop him now. The purchase of a sizeable chunk of stock was in the bag after his manufactured bromance with a major investor. Sebastian did his best to undermine his mother’s stronghold and convince the man she was suffering from dementia. He was sure this sale would put him close to majority shareholder, so his take over was within reach. Still, the picture gave him an unsettled feeling because she had not surfaced in almost a year. Why now? The crew had worked all night to put the boat right after the party, with orders from Darius not to report for duty until noon the following day. Jamie took advantage of the quiet morning and trained Danny and himself in the gym before swimming laps to cool off. He hated the weather in London. Hot, sticky, and draining.

Adso’s loud purring cut through the fog of Claire’s dream and she felt him head-butting her face. He stretched out beside her and kept his paws on her face until she opened her eyes. Claire rolled to her side and with a finger under his chin pulled his head up to look at her. “Ok my darling, I’m up. Is it food you want?” The door to their deck slid open for some fresh air and was closed immediately to keep humid air from filling the room. Tonight they will weigh anchor, set a course for Paris, and her intimate time with Jamie would be on hold again. She stretched and smiled at their glutenous sexual pursuits over the past week and figured she would survive the three days apart. She couldn’t wait to get to Paris and see Javier and Joseph again. They were invited to the party and would stay on board to Athens and then fly home. It felt like an eternity since they were together. Darius called a meeting of the crew and ran down the teams, shifts, and duties on their three-day trip to Paris. Maia was the last one onto the bridge and noticed Cici did not move away from Darius when she came in. She stood across from them and quietly listened to the meeting, however she remembered not a word. When the crew muttered “aye, captain,” Maia was deep in her memory, adding up the lingering looks and odd behaviors observed in Cici. “Maia? You’re a million miles away.” Maia looked around at the empty bridge and blushed. “I’m closer than you think. I gotta go.” Black Rolls Royce automobiles pulled up to the offices of the Harbor Master all day long so someone in the employ of a party guest could deliver a handwritten message thanking Danny for a lovely evening. When Darius requested permission to make way, he was told a boat was coming to deliver mail. Eighty-five guests sent a thank you note, and Danny read every one of them. The anchors were raised just as a thunderstorm ripped open to soak Ethan and Steven, who gripped the slippery hull ladder with one hand while they guided the chain with the other. Darius watched the CCTV monitors closely until they were back on deck. The other crew members were pulling furniture and lounge chairs under the deck ceiling and snapping waterproof covers over everything. When all of them were back inside, Darius and Jamie turned the yacht away from London toward open water. Danny looked out the expansive windows at the squall coming in on the port side and told Claire and Maia to close all the windows. Claire ran to her rooms and called for Adso, usually on her lap at this time of the day, getting more frantic by the second. She ran around her room calling for him and spun around to see him sitting on her bed yawning. She picked him up and carried him out to the table where they were working. Darius looked at the color of Jamie’s face and decided he finally found his friend's weakness. “You look a bit green around the edges, friend. The trash can is empty if you need …” Jamie ran for the head and over the next two hours, purged his system, in one way or another. Darius was waiting to give him a patch for seasickness, but Jamie couldn’t spend more than a couple of minutes on the bridge before dashing back to the head. On one of his brief visits, Darius pressed something sticky behind his ear. Jamie made a run for the bathroom again and Darius chuckled. After four hours of being tossed around on an angry sea, Darius could see the margin of the storm and pushed their speed to get out from under it. When Maia and Steven arrived to take their shift, Jamie almost crawled out of the elevator and got to their rooms to lie down. Claire was reading and jumped off the bed when she saw her green-faced love stagger in. She pulled his clothes off and propped him up on pillows, then went to the galley for soup and water. The chef was preparing food for the next day when she told him how sick Jamie was. He smiled and fixed up a remedy for seasickness and suggested broth to restore him. “He won’t like the taste of the remedy, so tell him to pinch his nose and swallow. Best to have a bucket nearby, just in case.” Claire carried the tray to their room and Jamie did whatever she told him to. Then he laid down and passed out. Jamie reported to the bridge the next morning feeling much better except for sore stomach muscles. He kissed Claire as they exchanged places and the familiar rotation was back in full swing. Claire worked with Danny during the day, getting her to remember the faces that would board in Paris, and Maia did research on the guests. When they dropped anchor in Paris, it felt like they had hardly moved. The night of the party, Claire and Maia flanked Danny again at the entrance to the grand saloon and fed her information about guests who were approaching. When Claire saw Javier and Joseph in the greeting line, she broke away to throw her arms around them. Javier held her at arm’s length and smiled at her gown and hair. He was bursting with pride, as was Joseph. Claire introduced them to Danny and Maia and walked them into the saloon to find Jamie. Jamie’s smile was brilliant as he shook hands with the men. Claire promised to catch up in a bit and went back to Danny greeting guests. It was a stifling evening and even with the air conditioners blowing Danny was perspiring in her jacket, so she took it off to reveal the sleeveless gown underneath. Jamie caught sight of her and beamed with pride at her smooth and shapely arms. Danny looked in his direction and smiled back. At one o’clock in the morning, Claire dropped onto the couch between Javier and Joseph and sighed. Danny smiled her gratitude at the three of them. “I owe you a big thank you for talking with the French-speaking guests. I never saw any of you sit down all night and you were all so charming!” “I left you to fly solo tonight and you knocked it out of the park Danny.” “I wasn’t alone, I had the darling Maia with me much of the night.” Claire put her hand on her heart and lipped ‘thank you’ to Maia. She noticed Ethan and Steven had changed into their day uniforms and were standing by. “It would appear we are moving the boat to our mooring so it’s time to change and be useful.” She kissed Javier and Joseph goodnight and then Danny, telling her to rest well. Danny looked up at Maia and tapped her other cheek for a goodnight kiss and they all went to their rooms. Claire clipped the radio to her shorts and heard the crew members give their location and readiness to the bridge. She pulled a t-shirt over her head and pushed her hair into a ponytail. “Claire, are you close? You’re on the aft deck to catch the stern ropes.” “Yes, had a devil of a time getting that dress off, but I’m almost there.” “Thank you for the visual now move your ass, we’re ready.” Claire rolled her eyes and jogged to the aft deck to catch the enormous ropes used to tie the yacht to the dock. When the anchor chains were quiet again, Steven popped up on the ladder and helped with the remaining ropes before descending again when they dropped anchor at the mooring. Claire was grateful for the hard-working crew who would put the boat in order before morning. She was exhausted. “Good job everybody, captain out.” Maia came to the bridge in her pajamas, eating dry cereal out of the box. Darius was writing in his log and kept looking over at her soft pants riding her hips four inches below her belly button. When she lifted the box above her mouth, he watched her breasts bounce under her pj top. “Done!” Darius picked her up as she threw the empty box into the trash on the way to their rooms. As before, Danny held a brunch the next day for Javier, Joseph, Danny, and the four friends. It was a beautiful afternoon in sunny Paris, and Darius did the unthinkable. He gave the crew the day off, postponing their departure until the next day. In New York, Sebastian took the folded paper from his secretary and his eyes bugged out at the picture of Danny in a sleeveless gown toasting a major stockholder and oil investor. “What the bloody hell is going on?” “Get Marvin on the phone, interrupt him, tell him it’s an emergency!” “Marvin! Tell me Johnson is ready to sell before I lose my mind! My mother is up to something and I don’t like it.” Sebastian listened for two minutes, heard his financial manager say Johnson had taken his shares off the table, and the phone slammed into the cradle so hard it shattered. “Goddammit!” He unplugged the phone base and threw it against the wall. The next morning, Jamie and Darius prepared to weigh anchor as the crew covered deck furniture and stowed planters in the plant garage. Ethan and Steven raised the anchors and the mighty engines came to life. Javier and Joseph sipped cold champagne on the deck and marveled at the teamwork required to get them underway. Claire, Danny, and Maia joined them to watch the historic sights and beautiful buildings glide by on their way down the Seine. Claire had mixed feelings about anchoring off Greece again because so much had happened there. Thankfully, there was no party to prepare for and they could act like tourists for the three days Darius and Maia would be onshore visiting family. She told herself to relax and enjoy the time with her godfather. The third night at sea, Danny planned a special dinner on the upper deck for Claire and her family, Jamie, Darius, and Maia. They were served by the crew, and the chef prepared a glorious meal for them to enjoy. Many stories were shared after dinner, and Claire watched Danny talk animatedly with the others. Her jawline was still defined and her neck showed no drooping skin, in fact, she was aging quite well but no one would know it because her shoulder-length hair kept her best parts hidden. She decided it was time for Danny to emerge and wished she had thought of this while still in Paris. She would talk to Danny at her first opportunity, which was later that evening when she was reading in the saloon along with Javier and Joseph. “Danny, I would love to treat you to a new hairstyle. What do you say to a girl’s day out in Athens?” “I am quite comfortable with my hair, as awful as it is. I’m not comfortable risking a bad haircut. How about facials and pedicures?” “Okay, that would be fine, I guess. I’m on shift in the wheel room in two hours, so I’m going to lie down for a bit. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Claire needed Jamie’s help for this and found him watching a rerecorded game in their room. She snuggled up to him and whispered she needed a favor. The game flicked off before her sentence was finished. “I am trying to talk Danny into a new hairstyle, something more modern, but she’s afraid of having a bad haircut until it grows out. You could draw her face and put different hairstyles on her, right?” “There is a very high price for such a service Sassenach, but I’d be happy to break it down into installments if you like.” He pulled her down on the mattress and kissed her until she forgot who Danny was. Through the night, while Claire was on shift, Jamie sat in his studio and rendered Danny’s face with three hairstyles he found on the internet. He jogged to their bed to grab four hours of sleep before his last shift of this leg. Darius was getting more uptight by the minute as they cruised toward Athens. He and Maia would visit their family for three days, so Jamie assumed this mood was family-related. “I’ve been wanting to ask you, it’s none of my business, but I’ll ask anyway. When we were at the jewelry store in Jamaica buying the necklace for Maia, you said you had two grand to your name, remember?” Darius shot him a dark look. “What did you do with your earnings then?” “You couldn’t be more right, it’s none of your business.” “I think I know the answer, but I’d like to hear it from you.” “Me and Maia have all we need while on the yacht, so I send the bulk of my pay home, to my family and hers. The economy is poor, very few good jobs, low pay, no assistance. My two brothers live in the same house as my sister, her husband, and their baby. They need every penny.” “I always knew you were a good man, Darius. What are you forty, forty-five years old?” “I’m twenty-seven asshole, and I don’t need a lecture about robbing Maia from the cradle. ” Jamie ducked as wadded paper was launched at his head and the bantering took the edge off of Darius’s mood. The anchors hit the seabed close to Athens, where the fishing was good for both pole and speargun. Darius and Maia said goodbye and got into a boat brought by Darius’s brother and it sped away. Javier and Joseph were gleefully setting up their fishing lines and sipping beer in chilled glasses. They now had a partner in crime. The chef was crazy about fishing and kept the men within arms reach of food and beer while they enjoyed the day. Jamie felt soft arms come around his waist from behind and twisted his body to put Claire under the shower water. He kissed her under the stream and felt a ravenous hunger ignite in his groin. They could take their time today, he realized, and broke his kiss to wash her hair. “It’s time for a whisky, love. Be a good girl and stay here, I have some things to discuss with you.” When Jamie left to fetch the whisky bottle, Claire went out to the deck with her nail kit and put a fresh coat of polish on her fingernails. Jamie set a whisky in front of her and watched the process with mild interest. He stood behind her and pulled the string holding her bikini top on, letting it fall to the deck, then he carried her to a lounge. Claire kept her hands in the air so he wouldn’t smudge the polish, and Jamie smiled wickedly at her. “Let me pamper you, love. Give me your foot.” He found all kinds of creams and scrubs in her caddy and settled on a soothing gel that he applied to her feet, calves, and thighs, covering an inch at a time very slowly. He massaged her inner thighs until she was panting, taking care not to touch her most intimate places. This was about seduction, and that required a soft touch. Pulling her foot into his lap, he sat down on the deck and held up bottles of polish until she picked one. The hours he had watched her manicure her toes paid off when he brought out each tool for cuticles, filing, and smoothing. When the paint rolled onto her toenails, he could see her thighs quivering slightly and smiled with his bowed head. When the first foot was done, he licked from her knee to her core, pulling her bikini bottom to the side and pulling his soft, wet tongue up her fold. The fabric was returned to normal and he grabbed the other foot for the same treatment while she panted and tried to slow her heart rate. It took an excruciatingly long time to paint five toenails and drink two shots of whisky. Claire was growling with need and gave her love a warning look to finish what he started. It took another hour but finish he did and they curled up on the lounge for a happy siesta. By mid-afternoon, Claire found Javier, Joseph, and the chef, drunk, sunburned, and deliriously happy. To her surprise, Danny had joined them and was holding two of their poles with lines in the water. She greeted Claire with a happy smile, so excited to be fishing. “Claire! Look, I am fishing for my supper, isn’t that fantastic? I haven’t caught a single fish yet, but I am determined.” Javier looked at Joseph and asked if he baited the hooks to which Joseph raised his shoulders and giggled. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. Give me a pole Danny so I can check your hook.” Soon there was a spinning lure attached to the line and cast far into the water. Claire handed the pole back to Danny with a warning that the fish were large and might pull the pole out of her hands if she wasn’t ready. Danny squealed with delight and watched the water with anticipation. Claire baited the other hook and sat next to Danny, trying to ignore the loud snoring of the three men who were now sleeping in the shade. Claire’s pole jerked violently, and she heard the line running out as the fish dove deep to get away from the hook. She counted five seconds and pushed the lock on the reel, almost losing the pole when it jerked back hard. Danny dropped her pole in her excitement to help Claire, and it jerked on the deck when another fish swallowed her hook and then tried to get away. Fortunately, the pole was pulled along the deck sideways and got caught by rail mountings so they didn’t lose it. Both women were screaming and laughing, trying to reel in the first fish. Jamie’s head jerked up hearing the chaos outside. His book forgotten, he ran to the deck and watched Claire and Danny pull the same pole, losing themselves in laughter. He grabbed the other pole and demonstrated how to reel and pull the fish, but they were hopelessly lost in their fun. He felt the fish release his line and swim to freedom while he reeled in the hook and set the pole aside to help Claire. From behind Claire, he moved her hands, holding them still while the fish ran the line out again, and then pulling up sharply to set the hook deeper. Danny held onto the pole like it was a lifeline while she bent over laughing. When the fish was exhausted, Jamie had them walk the pole and fish along the side deck where he could net the beautiful sunfish that would feed them that night. Claire and Danny jumped around the aft deck, lost in their celebration. Jamie made quick work of gutting the fish and cutting away the parts that were unusable. The chef roared from the side deck to stop as Jamie was about to throw the head far from the boat. “That head will make the best fish head soup!” The chef took command of the fillets and head and left them for the galley, very excited at their catch. Danny showed Claire how to wash with soap and then cut lemon sections to rid the skin of the fishy smell. Danny went to lie down until dinner and the crew was cleaning the main saloon, so Claire went outside to fetch her godfather and Joseph off the deck. They went down to their rooms to tend their sunburned skin and nap. Jamie pulled Claire to their rooms and closed the door before pushing a button that pulled the blackout shades down the massive windows. He pulled Claire to the bed and suggested a movie to which she happily agreed. “This is a classic that I found in the video library upstairs. I think you will really like it.” Claire cuddled up to Jamie when the movie started and was well into the story before it suddenly heated up with erotic scenes between two lovers. She couldn’t pull her eyes away as the characters showed body parts she didn’t expect to see. Jamie watched her face flush as the scenes became more erotic and he chuckled, suggesting they watch something else. “No! I mean, don’t you want to see how it ends?” “As you say, love.” Claire lost herself in the beautiful actors and for the first time, watched a woman making love as her breasts bounced with the pounding. The woman’s inner thighs looked so soft as she spread them for the man’s mouth moving toward her core. When the sex got rough, Claire’s panting was giving her arousal away. “Should we find another, sweetheart?” Jamie pulled her in front of him, between his legs, and pressed her back against his chest in a relaxed posture. Claire was hypnotized by the sex scenes and hardly noticed Jamie pulling her feet to the sides to open her legs. When he touched her, it was like a firebomb to kindling and he gave her all the thrills she had just seen. When they collapsed, gasping for breath, Claire was panting out “how” and “why” and certain unintelligible words making Jamie chuckle. “It takes a bit of work the second time in the same day, love.” “Wow, that was… wow.” After another shower, they finally stumbled to the table for dinner and Jamie was still chuckling at her deer in the headlight eyes. She needed help to come back to the here and now, even though he loved her expression and blush. “Sassenach, how do you like the fish you girls caught today?” “Hmm?” “The fish, how do you like it?” Claire looked at her plate like she just realized she was chewing food. “It’s wonderful! I really love it.” She and Danny started talking about the next party, and Jamie knew she was back on earth. He missed his starry-eyed wife instantly. They shared a closeness for the rest of the evening and he cuddled her in their bed that night wanting to hold her close all night long, but that was not going to happen. Jamie’s eyes would not close, his breathing would not deepen, and his mind felt like a pinball game in play. He rolled quietly out of bed and made his way to the studio. A painting was clamoring to get out, and he felt the crushing responsibility to get it right. Sunrise filled the studio with light as the third canvas was sent to the failure-closet, so named that very night because it had not happened to him before. He went to his sketch pad to work out the dimensional issues and used colored pencils to test the color differences. If he couldn’t find the skill to paint it accurately, he wouldn’t do it. It was that important. Jamie knew Claire would be up soon and he wasn’t ready to share this picture yet, so he put his drawings away and put the five-lads on the easel, then he went to snuggle with his wife. Claire hugged Javier for a full minute, and then Joseph. She wiped a tear off her cheek and smiled bravely wishing them a good flight back to Paris. They both turned in their seat and waved as the taxi pulled away. “Darius and Maia return tomorrow and then we weigh anchor for strange places Sassenach. Perhaps the three of us sit on the deck today and fish. What do you say?” Danny jumped to fetch whatever Claire needed that afternoon. She could feel her melancholy, and her maternal instincts took over. At least until the first pole nearly bent in half from a monster fish that latched onto Jamie’s hook. The women abandoned their poles to render aid that was not needed, and Jamie tried to reach his pocket when he felt his phone vibrate. It was hopeless reaching through the women’s glee, so he held his pole out to the side with one hand and clicked to answer the call. “What the hell is going on over there?” “Two excited women helping me boat a fish, but it could be long gone by now because I can’t feel the pole move anymore. What’s up?” Jamie listened to the instructions given, “on my way.” Handing the pole to Claire, he excused himself to tender Darius back to the yacht, and Claire looked confused when the pole was no longer bouncing. It was obvious Darius was hurt and Jamie helped him into the tender without commenting on his bulging eye that was swollen shut, his bloody mouth, or his arm held tightly to his side. “Hospital?” Darius shook his head, “boat.” Darius crept into the saloon hoping to make it upstairs before anyone saw him but the stairs were impossible. He turned around to use the elevator and heard Claire’s voice as he winced from his broken ribs. “Don’t you fucking move, Darius.” She led him to the galley by his good hand and pulled his sunglasses off while he voiced his complaint. Claire grabbed the emergency kit, a frozen steak, and led him up to his rooms. He couldn’t lay down because the position drove the broken ribs into his lungs so Claire cleaned the wounds as best she could. “I didn’t know you had such a crush on me, Claire.” “Shut up, you idiot. What happened to you?” “I don’t want to talk about it.” Jamie found Danny cleaning up the fishing gear and looking worried. “He probably told you to leave him alone, and while that works most of the time, it will not work today. Maia knows what to do so get her back here so she can help him. Jamie, please do this.” Jamie was naturally resistant to Danny’s gift, but he heard the edge in her voice and reached for his phone. Twenty minutes later, a wide-eyed Maia was climbing into the tender asking how bad the injuries were. She interrupted his explanation saying she could swim faster than he was going so he pushed the tender to its limit and soon they were flying across the water. Maia could hear Claire arguing with Darius as she approached their rooms and kindly asked Claire to wait downstairs. She glanced at Darius and saw his tears of pain and frustration. So she helped Claire exit the room and locked the door behind her. Claire could hear them talking and ripping packages of emergency supplies. She was terrified and crying, having never seen anyone fresh from a brutal fight. Jamie put his arm around her and led her downstairs where the three of them waited in the saloon to hear more about his injuries. Maia cleaned the wounds, wrapped his ribcage, and slapped his good hand when he tried to loosen the ace bandage constricting his breath. She pushed a pain pill into his mouth and moved her finger along the base of his teeth searching for a loose wiggle. Ten minutes later he could lie down, gingerly. She knelt next to the bed and put her head down, fighting the tears she didn’t want Darius to see. His good hand stroked her hair, and he whispered to her that everything was alright. When she gave in to the sobs, he held her as best he could and reminded her he was the captain with a job to do and she was expected to help him for a little while. “Darius, of course I will. I’ll pull the boat with my bare hands if you ask me to!” She held his hand against her cheek and searched his face, feeling relief when he smiled at her. “It’s alright,” he said, stroking her hair. “My face scared you, but you patched me up with a steady hand, and now you need to cry a bit. It’s okay to cry, and then I wonder if you might tell the others what happened so we can all shake it off and depart in two days.” Maia could see he was asleep and covered him before going downstairs. Her eyes were puffy from crying and nothing would change that, so she walked into the saloon and told them what happened. “Darius sends most of his pay to his family and mine. His sister lives in a small house with her baby and husband, and Darius’s two brothers moved in a year ago because they were homeless. Darius said the house was a horrible mess. The front door had been kicked in, glass was missing from windows, the baby was crawling through filth. His sister is afraid of the brothers who spent all the money Darius has sent. Her husband leaves on Monday to work on Mykonos and he is gone all week. Darius ordered them out of the house and called the husband, telling him to walk off the job and come home to protect his family. Darius said he would cover his pay. They jumped him and beat the shit out of him.” Maia looked up, “sorry for my language. He has a job to do and I will help him. We leave in two days, nothing has changed.” Danny held her hand up to stop Maia and seemed to struggle with the right words. “I know it’s hard for the four of you to accept my gift, and I don’t talk about it much, but I have to tell you something. Darius suffered an impact to his abdomen, a kick I think, and his spleen is bleeding. I can see it bleeding and it might have to come out. If I could get close to him I will know for sure. This could threaten his life, so we shouldn’t wait. Please wake him and ask if I can see him, Maia.” “C’mon.” When Darius didn’t wake up right away, Maia got scared and shouted at him. She squeezed his hand and apologized. “Is the boat on fire, sweets?” “No. Darius, were you kicked in the stomach?” “No.” He closed his eyes again and Maia muttered about Danny being wrong as she walked to the door. “Maia, yes, I was kicked in the stomach, several times. Why?” “Danny needs to see you. Something about your spleen is bleeding. Can I let her in, please?” “Yes.” Danny entered and reached for his hand, looking concerned. He watched her. “I can’t tell if it’s going to stop. We can go to the hospital now or I can check you later.” “Check later if you would, I don’t like hospitals.” “Alright, dear Darius.” Danny left and Maia sat on the floor and put her head near his on the mattress. She stroked his arm until she was sure he was asleep again. “I love you so much, Darius.” “I love you too, sweet one.” Jamie and Claire finally said goodnight and Danny went to the elevator and her rooms. All through the night, she monitored Darius, sneaking into their room to lay her hand on his foot. On one visit, she put a blanket around Maia and pulled the covers around Darius. Her last visit was at five o’clock in the morning. She kept her hand on his foot because she wanted to be sure. “You did it, young man,” she whispered, “no splenectomy for you, so kindly put your cape back on, and save the day… when you’re ready.” Danny was exhausted and desperately wanted to lie down on her bed. She rode the elevator down to her floor and held the wall as she walked. She was proud of Darius for his decision to heal. Later, Jamie spent some time with Darius and he was particularly sarcastic and funny because Darius begged him to stop making him laugh. Jamie decided that was enough painful levity for one day and left, grabbing Maia in the hall. “Maia, I have spent too much time with Darius and I don’t want to wake him up. He asked me to alert the authorities that his sister should be alone in the house waiting for her husband, but he didn’t give me the address.” Jamie pulled a notepad out of his pocket and had a pen poised to write it down. He started to move down the hall like he was in a hurry and raised his eyebrows at her. She gushed the address out and then went into their rooms. Jamie pushed the pad into his pocket and went downstairs with a face that could murder a man just looking at it. After dinner, Jamie pulled Claire into their rooms and made passionate love to her. She mumbled something about her jello legs as she slipped into her dreams. He waited until she was deep enough not to feel him roll out of bed or hear him dress. He jumped in the tender and paddled halfway to shore to avoid waking anyone. He had a mission to complete before they left in the morning. Danny stood in the dark saloon and watched Jamie paddle the tender. She was conflicted about raising the alarm or letting it happen. She whispered, “forgive me, Jamie,” and went back to bed. Jamie leaned against a large tree and dozed for half the night, waiting for the brothers. He would bet his last dollar they hadn’t left and Jamie knew the husband would not be back until the next day. His head jerked up hearing the drunken laughter of two men approaching. They staggered toward the sister’s house and Jamie cleared his throat to make them turn around. One of them addressed him in what sounded like gutter slang and Jamie smiled like an altar boy and pulled his wallet out. The men approached so Jamie lowered the wallet so they would see the large bills he thumbed through as he talked about paying them off to stay away from the sister. He was not getting through to them so he said, “Darius,” and waited. One of them shoved a fist in Jamie’s face. “We take your money and drop you in the deep ocean. No worry, you be dead.” Jamie’s eyes were wide with fright and he backed into the tree with his hands in a defensive position. They were smiling at each other coming toward him when Jamie suddenly stood upright and laughed, stopping them in their tracks. “Oh! I.. I know who you two are, you beat the shit out of my friend, your own brother!” He was still laughing while the men shot glances at each other. “You know, Darius said you guys fight dirty.” More laughter. “What a relief! Because so do I.” Jamie jumped up and grabbed a tree limb, driving his feet into one man’s face. He dropped to the ground and pulled his jacket off showing the second man his sleeveless t-shirt and the bulging muscles in his arms. Before the man could run, he grabbed his long greasy hair, and drove his knee into his back, flipped him around and pummeled his face until the man collapsed on the ground. Jamie grabbed the last of the rope he brought and wound it around the man’s legs. Both of them were tied to different trees with no possibility of escape. Jamie hoped the husband would be the first to find them. He pushed a note under the ropes and put his jacket back on. He had a naked wife waiting for him in a big warm bed. He headed for the tender. Danny thrashed in her bed, having one hell of a nightmare. She saw men fighting and one of them run away. Suddenly, the man stopped and looked directly at her, “it’s alright Danny, I won, rest now,” came the echo of his disembodied voice. Her eyes flew open and she sat up in her bed, gasping for air. She felt the presence of Jamie above her and sighed her relief as she dropped back to her pillows, feeling much better.

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