#otp: one touch of your hand and god comes rushing back

[buffysummers]

Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia in season one of The Borgias (2011-2013)

[alj4890]

I got an ask we know Riley gets kidnapped by Anton but what if Anton was in love with her and he didn’t wanna kill her but makes her his. What if Olivia killed Claudus for shooting drake.

I love the way you think, Nonny! I actually would have eaten this up with a spoon if that had happened in canon. To be honest, I really liked Justin in book 2. If he had been a new love interest, I would have done a play through just to see what happens if Riley chose him 🤦🏻 Of course then we find out he is behind all the bombings and such so...oops, LOL. When I first saw your request, I made an aesthetic with just Justin/Anton and Riley in mind. I completely forgot to add a definite OTP of mine, Drake and Olivia, to it. Smh. The story though will definitely include them along with Riley and Justin. I am so tempted to turn this into a series 🙊

@gkittylove99 @krsnlove @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @ofpixelsandscribbles @twinkleallnight @lodberg  @amandablink @neotericthemis  @mm2305 @sfb123 @iufilms

Masterlist

True Intentions

It had happened when he had not been paying attention. It shouldn't have happened at all. He had one goal. One mission. Nothing had ever come to mean more to him than that. Nothing. No one.

Until Riley.

He knew he shouldn't have spent so much time with her. He shouldn't have helped Maxwell in picking the right dresses for her. He shouldn't have stuck around to see her come out of dressing rooms, an excited smile upon her face, as she twirled around for them to give their opinions.

It had taken all his will power to keep from telling her what he truly thought. Riley's beauty was simply stunning, not because of her outer loveliness, but more that he saw her inner beauty shining through each trial she faced. Her strength amazed him. Her wit brought a smile to his face. Her kindness touched his heart.

It made him begin to long for things he shouldn't. They shouldn't be a part of any dream or plan he had.

And yet...she was beginning to crop up in his thoughts. In his dreams.

In his plans.

He winced as he tried to get comfortable.

His plans hadn't exactly gone as he had hoped. In fact, he should have talked to his men and explained that Riley was not to be a target.

Thank God for Drake. If he hadn't jumped in front of her, she would have been taken from me.

His lips twisted in another painful grimace.

"Are you in pain?"

Justin looked up and tried to smile. "Just a little."

His nurse shook her head. "I told you to buzz before it got too bad." She gently checked his wound.

"I don't want to be a bother." He mumbled.

"You aren't." She patted his hand. "You aren't any trouble at all." Her nose wrinkled. "We had a few nobles cause unnecessary problems when the attack happened."

"Really?"

She rolled her eyes. "Some were knocked down during the chaos and demanded they be admitted."

He chuckled softly. "Sounds like something they would do."

"It's a shame that good people like you were seriously hurt while those spoiled nobles try and take all the attention." She readjusted his covers after administering some more pain medication in his IV. "I don't know why King Liam is so hellbent on bringing them back to court."

"What do you mean?" Justin tried to fight the effects of the pain medicine. "What's he doing?"

"He and Lady Riley are going on some type of tour to some of the major houses to personally invite them to their wedding."

His brow furrowed.

A unity tour. That would work on these small minded individuals. It was a smart move. The public were already Team Riam. Once the royal couple convinced the most powerful houses to come to their wedding, all the other minor lords and ladies would follow suit.

"Well played, Liam." Justin's eyes drooped closed. "Well played."

**************

He couldn't believe that they not only convinced Madeleine's entire family, but also somehow got all of Portavira on their side.

"What's the plan?" Claudius asked.

"We need something big to remind everyone that we aren't a one trick pony." Justin told him.

He looked out the window. Leaves were beginning to change with the first hints of autumn in the air.

A hint of a smile appeared as a plan began to form.

"It would be a shame if Cordonia's apple orchard had a bad year, wouldn't it?" He eyed his second in command.

Claudius chuckled. "It really would."

******************

Justin watched as every channel showed the devastation of the orchard near Applewood. He couldn't help but smile over Riley making the people love her even more for her righteous anger. Her promises to bring those responsible to justice along with making the orchard bigger than before made him nearly burst with pride.

She had grown into her role more so than he had ever imagined. Gone was the timid young waitress from New York who uttered no comment when reporters surrounded her. She was a confident woman now who could think on her feet.

Justin thought she was more attractive than the first time he had seen her floundering in front of the cameras, in desperate need of a hero. It hadn't been a bother to rush to her side then and put his arm around her. Her wide eyes had lifted to his and he had nearly melted from her beauty.

He still couldn't believe that she forgave Liam for choosing another over her. Granted Madeleine impressed him with how she could manipulate reporters into spinning a story to her advantage, but Riley was so many things that the cold countess was not. She deserved better than what she got.

And he planned on giving it to her.

*****************

A week after the orchard burning, he turned to see the one rarely far from his thoughts.

"Justin!" Riley rushed over to engulf him in a hug.

"How's my favorite media darling?" He asked.

She leaned back and gave him that smile that was brighter than flash bulbs. "Much better now that I know you're recovering." She playfully glanced about before whispering, "Save me from Madeleine!"

He laughed as he hugged her once more. "I don't know. I've seen her work and can't find fault with it."

Riley pouted. She linked her arm with his as they walked down the hospital hallway. "I prefer your guidance to hers." Her nose wrinkled. "It's weird being told how to act by Liam's former fiancée. I know there wasn't anything between them, but still."

Justin patted her hand. "Tell you what. If Madeleine is unable to do her job or you decide to fire her, then I will gladly step back into my old position." He dug around in his pocket for the earpiece she had used during Liam's engagement tour.

Her smile reappeared. "Old faithful."

"I'm always Just-in-time." He teased.

*****************

It had been too close. He hadn't expected Riley to go anywhere near Constantine. And there she was, by Liam's side, graciously accepting some necklace from the old man who had destroyed her initial happily ever after.

His heart had nearly stopped as he watched rubble fall around them. Riley had frozen in fear over Liam's safety. It was a nightmare come to life as pieces of the wall and ceiling began to collapse.

At least one good thing had come from this: one king was dead.

It sadly wasn't the king he needed to die.

Justin began to plan how he would comfort Riley once Liam was gone. He wouldn't have to tell her it was he, himself, who orchestrated his death. But he would make certain to enjoy the benefits of it.

His eyes narrowed over another slight problem he had.

He was going to have to kill his own wife too.

******************

Lythikos...

It had been almost too easy. Madeleine was already in need of a distraction after hearing Liam gush over how excited he was to marry Riley in a few weeks. Once she requested a fruity cocktail, he knew then that the poison could go undetected taste wise.

The bartender left to go replenish the champagne. Madeleine's irritation over having to wait on a refill was drawing attention.

"Here." He grinned at her. "Allow me to make you another."

Her eyes widened. "Aren't you that press secretary that helped Riley?"

"I am." He began to mix a strong cocktail for her while adding the poison, all right under her nose. "And I must say you are the best I've ever seen."

Madeleine's irritation disappeared over the compliment. "I am, aren't I?"

"Riley's lucky to have someone so knowledgeable in ways of both the court and public like you." He added.

"Yes, she is." Madeleine muttered. "I'll do anything for my country, even if it is a thankless job."

"You should be recognized for your sacrifice." Justin handed her the deadly drink.

"Yes, I should." She took a gulp.

"How is it?" He asked.

"It's the only good thing here." A tipsy grin appeared on her face when she saw Riley. She grasped Justin's hand and pulled him in her wake. "Let's go say, hi."

"Boooooo!" Madeleine giggled when Riley turned around. "It's the ghosts of press secretary past and present."

"The what now?" Riley lips trembled with suppressed laughter as she looked up at Justin for clarification.

"I'm the ghost of press secretary past." He winked at her.

"OoooOooo!" Madeleine swayed where she stood.

"Whoa, there." Riley tried to steady her. "You okay?"

"She's had a little too much." Justin mimed drinking.

"It's a party!" Madeleine slurred. "It's in the worst place ever but it's a party and I'm going to...going to..."

"Enjoy it?" Riley offered.

"Extractly!" Madeleine's brow wrinkled over that not being the right word. "Expactly?"

"Exactly." Justin corrected.

"That."

The crowd quieted around them when Olivia took the stage to offer a final toast of the evening to Liam and Riley's wedding.

"Woo!" Madeleine cheered.

Riley and Justin tried to shush her.

Her giddy smile fell as her rosy cheeks drained of color. "Somefing's not..."

"Madeleine?" Riley lost her grip on her when she swayed violently to the right. "What's--"

Madeleine hit a table, causing the plates to clatter and the vase of blood red roses to fall over.

"I hate this place." She collapsed on the floor.

"Madeleine!" Riley dropped to her knees and tried to bring her to. "Liam! Mara! Come quick!"

Justin stepped back as the two came to see what was wrong. He watched as Olivia made her way through the crowd to find out what the all the fuss was about.

"What's wrong with her?" Riley asked.

"She's been poisoned." Mara whispered.

*******************

Justin loved seeing the delighted surprise once more on Riley's face when he said he would take over Madeleine's duties for the rest of the tour. It would have been a perfect moment if Liam had not been standing there. He was ashamed to think of his nearly giving himself away when he panicked at the sight of Olivia walking in behind him.

He wished Lucretia would quit trying to push Olivia into going into the family vault. She had a sick sense of humor in wanting her niece to discover she was already married. For some reason, she did not approve of the way her niece depended on her friends for support.

Justin knew the power friends could have. Had he not been trained by his own parents' friends, he wouldn't be the worthy man next in line to the throne. His comradery with his own men inspired their loyalty and willingness to die to make him king.

He needed to distance himself from Lucretia the moment they got out of Lythikos.

****************

She was supposed to come alone! Why did she bring Riley? I can't kill her. I need her. I deserve to have a choice in the one I want ruling by my side. The people already adore her, much more so than they admire Olivia. I was supposed to become free of this marriage. Once she and Liam are dead, I'll be able to be king and have--

"Justin?" Riley's eyes were clouded with confusion as she looked first at a picture of him dressed in a royal uniform. "What is this?"

"I'm sorry, Riley." His voice cracked on her name.

Justin reached in his pocket and pulled out a revolver.

Lucretia cackled with glee as she told her niece the truth about her marriage.

Justin stood there silently as the woman he loved shook her head in denial.

She's so incredibly sweet to doubt a friend could be the bad guy. I hate that I can't pull her away from all this and simply explain why I should be the ruler of Cordonia. I deserve it. I worked for it. My entire life was made for me to take the crown. She would be able to understand that. Look how far she's come in her own life. Who could imagine a waitress from some dive bar in America would come to be the next queen of a small European nation?

"Do it already!" Lucretia hissed. "Shoot her!"

He couldn't do it. Even as he held the gun steady, pointed directly at the woman he loved's heart, he couldn't shoot Riley.

"Get away from her!" Liam ordered.

Justin spun around to see the king and guards filling up the narrow passageway.

"I thought you said this was secure." Justin snapped at Lucretia.

"It was." She held her hands up in surrender.

Justin watched as she stepped forward, pretending to stumble.

His eyes widened as once again his love was trapped within a collapsing room.

He managed to see her safely end up in Liam's arms before escaping through a hidden passage.

He left Lucretia to the guards. She had served her purpose and was sadly of no use to him any longer. Now he could plan what he truly wanted to happen.

*******************

Liam and Riley's wedding day...

"I don't care who you kill. Olivia and Riley are to be taken alive." Justin told the small team of men he was sending in. "If you have to wound them to get them here, make certain Riley's is non life threatening.

He ignored the questioning look Claudius sent his way.

"Bring them both to our stronghold." His eyes narrowed. "Do not fail me."

****************

Later that night...

"Good work." Justin straightened his jacket. He wanted to look his best when he saw Riley again.

Claudius smirked at him. "Just think of all the men we would still have if you had let me go alone."

Justin chuckled. "True, but at least we are free of our weakest links." He smoothed his hair back. "Now take me to our guests."

***************

"I know the real Justin is somewhere in there." Riley leaned as far forward as her bindings allowed. "You helped me gain the love of the people. You know that if you kill me, the people will not readily accept you as king."

He couldn't help but smile. "I know and that is why I don't intend to hurt you."

"Then why kidnap us?" Olivia demanded.

He turned toward her. "If I'm to be king, then I have to take the necessary steps to claim the throne." He motioned for Claudius to come in.

"You're the one who shot Drake!" Olivia shouted, struggling against the ropes biting into her tender skin. "You'll regret that."

"And you tried to kill me!" Riley added, narrowing her eyes.

"That was a mistake." Justin quickly said. "You were never to be harmed."

"Then why all the attempts?" She asked. "Why do you persist in--"

"You weren't supposed to be here, Riley." He knelt down in front of her. "You should have stayed in New York until the time was right"

Her eyebrows drew together. "What are you talking about.

Justin asked Claudius to remain with Olivia while he took Riley somewhere private.

"If you think for one second that I will remain with this man while you take her away go do only God knows what," Olivia's chair creaked at her straining to break free, "then you don't know what a Nevarkis is truly made of!"

Justine rolled his eyes over her rant as he untied Riley from her chair. He kept her ankles and wrists bound together. He swept her into his arms and carried her out.

Olivia's shouts were silenced by the sound of a hard slap.

Riley struggled in Justin's arms. "What did he do to her? OLIVIA?!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Justin, please don't--"

"Nothing's happened to her." He took her into a surprisingly clean, yet drab, sitting room.

Riley was dropped on a chaise lounge. She eyed the door then Justin.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He repeated. He gently cupped her cheek, fingers brushing along her jaw line. "I love you too much to ever harm you."

Riley stilled. She looked up at him. "You what?"

He knelt before her. "I'm in love with you. It didn't hit me until you told me you had accepted Liam's proposal on the train. I didn't plan it, but I refuse to hide my feelings any longer." He smiled at her. "You've proven yourself as the rightful Queen of Cordonia. Once Liam and Olivia are dead, you and I can rule this country as we see fit. We'll--"

Riley shook her head. "Justin," she believed he was deranged and knew she had to handle this carefully, "I'm flattered. Really I am. I mean, we both know I would never have gotten this far without you."

His smile grew at her realizing she owed him for her meteoric rise within the court.

"But if you kill Liam and Olivia, the people will not feel any love or loyalty for you." She tilted her head as she studied him. "Surely you see the problem with this plan."

"People respect power." He explained. "They respect someone who fights for what is rightfully his. Since my birth, I have been meant for something greater. My parents, Olivia's family, even my soldiers realized that I alone am worthy to rule over this country." He focused once more upon her. "And I've seen that you are the one to do so by my side."

Riley shook her head. "Justin, I am honored," her voice cracked on that lie, "to have your love but I can't accept it." Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm in love with Liam."

"Riley, he didn't choose you." Justin argued. "He left you on your own to fight against nobles, the press, even his own father. You deserve so much more than being an afterthought."

Tears slipped down her cheeks once more. "That wasn't what he did. He was trying to protect me. And I--"

He leaned down and kissed her.

She froze at the touch, refusing to participate.

"Once Liam's gone, you will see the truth." Justin promised.

"I won't." Her eyes narrowed. "As long as I live, I'll hate you with everything within me for taking him from me."

"You don't have it in you." He shook his head in amusement. "You've forgiven everyone. Olivia, Penelope, Madeleine, even Constantine. You never hold a grudge."

"You'll be my first." Riley vowed. "Liam is the love of my life. If you ruin my chance to finally be with him, I will never forgive you. As long as there is breath in my body, I will find a way to destroy you."

"You are amazing." He murmured, knowing she was speaking from her heart. He couldn't wait for that devotion to be for himself.

"Anton?"

The two turned to see Claudius in the doorway. "Liam should be here any moment."

Justin nodded and told him he would meet him and the rest of the men downstairs.

He lifted Riley in his arms and placed her back in the cell with Olivia.

His wife had the bruised imprint of Claudius's hand on her alabaster cheek. Blood had dried on her bottom lip. No tears had fallen from the force of the hit. Her left eye was bloodshot as she glared up at him.

"Liv?" Riley choked out. "Are you--"

"I'm fine." Her harsh answer echoed in the chamber. "It will take more than some two bit thug to hurt me." Her eyes did a quick scan to make certain Riley wasn't hurt.

"If you will excuse me, I have to go prepare for Liam's last night on earth." He retied Riley to her chair.

She threw her head back with all her might to connect with his face.

His glasses broke from the force of her strike. Blood poured out his nose as he stumbled away from her.

"Don't ever," his voice dropped to a hiss, "do that again, my love." He gripped her chin and jerked her face up toward his. "You will learn how to behave soon enough."

He slammed the cell door and left them alone.

"Did he hurt you?" Olivia whispered.

"No." Riley bit her bottom lip. "Not yet."

*****************

"Where is my wife?" Liam demanded.

Justin couldn't help but be impressed. The young king was standing before him, completely outnumbered, yet didn't show the slightest flicker of fear.

He asked the one question that he himself would have asked if Riley was taken from him.

"She is well." Justin replied. "Which is something I can't promise about your own well being."

"I want to see her." Liam bit out. "Now!"

Justin's chuckle was interrupted by a hastily whispered message from Claudius. His head jerked around to search the dim hallway as if doing so would reveal the missing prisoners.

How had they escaped?

"You don't get to make demands here." He snapped at Liam.

"Let Riley and Olivia go." Liam ordered. "And I will take their place." His eyes narrowed. "I know it is a temporary one."

Justin couldn't help but smile. The man was indeed brave to trade his life for Riley and Olivia's.

"No!" Riley screamed out from the stairs.

Chaos broke out as she led the charge to attack the Sons of the Earth. Justin watched as she ran over to protect Liam's back.

The couple were doing their utmost to protect the other from harm.

Their friends were taking his well trained soldiers out one by one. It was embarrassing to see how pitiful his men fought.

Olivia moved into his line of sight. Fury blazed across her delicate features.

"I'm impressed." He told her, unsheathing his sword. "I should have searched you myself."

"Trust me." Olivia circled him. "It will be the last mistake you'll ever make!"

She lunged at him. He easily parried her attack. "I think you've forgotten that it was your parents who gave me the same training you had."

"I think you talk too much!" She twirled about, bringing her daggers up to stop his sword from meeting her shoulder. He grunted from her heel piercing his leg as she pushed off to break his hold.

They continued to try and deliver punishing blows to the other. She was desperate to kill the man who was after her friends and country. He was anxious to be free of their marriage.

He noticed from the corner of his eye Claudius and Drake fighting. His second in command stunned the commoner with an uppercut to his jaw, causing Drake to stumble back into a wall.

Olivia heard the scuffle and followed Justin's line of sight. Her face paled at Claudius moving towards Drake to end him once and for all.

With a flick of her wrists she not only slashed Justin but threw her other dagger at Claudius. It struck true along the side of his neck, cutting into his jugular. He let out a garbled scream as he fell to the floor.

Justin hissed at the deep gash she had made along his ribcage.

Seeing that it was a lost battle, he hopped the banister and began to rush upstairs. He would have to go into hiding once more before orchestrating another attack.

"This ends now!" Riley yelled out at him.

He spun around to see both her and Liam rushing toward him. He raised his sword, determined to put an end to the man who stood between him and the throne. He hesitated when Riley jumped in front of her husband.

"You're not taking him from me!" She raised her battle ax. "Every time you try, I will stop you."

Does Liam know how lucky he is? She waited on him to choose her. Twice! And now she stands here, ready to defend him to the death. How could any man not fall in love with Riley?

His refusal to fight her was his downfall. He was pushed over the banister by the royal couple. While his breath was knocked out, Maxwell and Hana bound his hands together behind his back.

He looked about at his fallen and captured comrades. His attention was drawn toward Olivia and Drake. The pair were covered in blood and bruises, yet they were leaning against each other. Drake had his arm around her while softly speaking. Whatever was said caused Olivia to press even closer to his side. Her arms slipped around his waist. Her eyes were closed tight as she allowed him to hold her.

Justin had suspected something more between the pair. It looked like his coup for the throne had accomplished something for them.

Bastien and the rest of the King's Guards rushed in. After talking to the king and new queen, he collected Justin and hauled him outside.

On the way, Justin met Riley's eyes.

There were so many things he wanted to explain to her. He believed she would have been on board with his plans for the kingdom. Once he had killed Liam and Olivia, he would be the benevolent king the country needed. Gone would be the purpose for pompous nobles. He would have established a council of Cordonia's citizens from all walks of life to advise him. People would be rewarded and honored for their service instead of simply being born to the right parents.

And she would have been his queen, guiding and protecting all she deemed worthy.

"Riley, I..."

"You will never ever hurt those I love again." She hissed.

"Take him away." Liam ordered, keeping his arms locked around his wife. "He will be dealt with in the morning."

Justin knew then that it was pointless to try and explain. She would never give him a chance after all that had occurred.

For the first time in his life, he realized that his intentions didn't matter to the one he loved most.

[dcbbw]

Hello, I have been going through a lot lately and would like to request OTP with SGL x Riley B where Liam takes it as a challenge to make her toes curl 😏 within a 24 hour period. How many times can he send her over the edge? Thank you for all you do to bring a smile to my face and smut to my tumblr 😂😂😂

Thank you for the ask, @umccall71! Firstly, prayers and positive vibes your way that you make through your storm unscathed and much better for it. Secondly, I cannot give you full on SGL x Riley B smut because that is coming in the DC AU series. I promise!!!

I know we discussed Liv x Max replacing your original pairing, but I think I have come up with a compromise to make us both happy.

This takes place within DC AU’s COVID Universe.

HUGE thank yous to @burnsoslow, @bbrandy2002, and @ao719 for pre-reading and helping me with the sticky part! (pun not intended)

THIS ASK IS NSFW!!

It was 6:42am, but Riley’s apartment was still dark despite it being daylight savings time. It was due to a combination of no lights being cut on and the dark clouds and heavy curtain of rain pouring from the sky. DC was experiencing an early morning thunderstorm, a common occurrence during the summer when the same weather forecast was issued day after day: hazy, hot, humid with a chance for strong storms.

But it wasn’t the rain that woke Riley up; it was Liam’s hand cupping the side of her breast. She kept her eyes closed, squeezing them even more tightly shut. She had no idea what to do, even though she had been expecting this. It was a natural next step.

The pandemic shutdown had accelerated the trajectory of what Riley had planned to be a slow-going process. What was supposed to be a 2-week shutdown was now entering month three. Three months of togetherness on a level Riley still wasn’t sure she was ready for, but it was … nice.

There were kisses: light and playful, deep and sensuous.

They had established a domestic routine that included cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

Once a week, Liam and Riley went to his apartment to empty his mailbox, check the food in the fridge, and visit with Urthula. They then went to Riley’s office so she could check the mail, upload documents for telework, and make a check deposit. From there, they went to Liam’s office so he could scan documents to clients and supervisors and check his mail. Their last stop was at the grocery store, where Liam would look up recipes and videos for ingredients needed for his daily meal planning. Riley stocked up on liquor and junk food.

At some point, Liam stopped sleeping on the sofa and began sharing the bed with Riley. They were both nervous: Riley was still skittish and didn’t want to rush into anything; her nervousness no longer stemmed from Drake; it was Liam. If Liam hurt her, she wasn’t sure what she would do.

There wasn’t enough ice cream in the world to heal the hurt that would cause.

Liam’s nervousness came from a fear of giving Riley B. the wrong impression of him and of pushing her outside her comfort zone too soon. How to let her know they could be best friends and lovers? He was willing to sit back and let her lead the show.

And now, here it was. Would she continue to deny them what was natural? Or would she let go, even if just a little bit?

She recalled the night before: They had fallen asleep on their sides, Riley the little spoon to Liam’s big one. His arms were wrapped around her waist, her hands laying on top of his. Then she had to use the bathroom; then he did. She woke up to take her thyroid medication; he woke up to make sure she did. They talked a little, Liam commenting on the strong wind that had picked up. They finally fell back asleep, and now … this.

She exhaled a deep, silent breath at the feel of his hand against her there.

She wanted more.

Behind her, Liam’s eyes were closed as he held Riley B.’s breast in his palm. It felt heavy yet soft; it was driving him mad.

He wanted to see it. See her.

He hadn’t planned on feeling up his best friend at the crack of dawn; hell, he hadn’t planned on touching her in any way she was uncomfortable with, but at some point when they had fallen back asleep before the storm came in, Riley’s tank top had ridden up. Liam’s hands had gotten tangled in soft cotton; in extracting himself, he found himself cupping the side of her breast.

And now he wanted more.

But he needed to know she wanted it also.

“Riley B.?” his voice rumbled in her ear.

She moaned softly as she arched her back into his chest. “More,” she pleaded.

Liam’s eyes flew open. “Are … are you sure?” he asked cautiously.

“Yes. But no sex, Liam!”

“Whatever you want, Riley B. I just want to make you happy.”

Liam kissed her shoulder before rolling her onto her back. He angled his body over hers as he searched her eyes before his lips tentatively brushed against hers. Her tongue swiped his lower lip before he pulled it into his mouth. Their tongues tangled slowly at first; this was no ordinary kiss. The promise of more that accompanied their usual kisses was being replaced with the certainty of more. Liam’s hands impatiently pulled at the sides and hem of Riley’s sleep shirt.

A brilliant flash of lightning lit up the room as they separated so the shirt could be lifted away from her body. Her breasts lay bare before him, the heavy globes of flesh flashing golden in the brief illumination. Her nipples were a dark chocolate brown, erect and begging to be suckled.

He shimmied out of his pajama pants; his erect manhood sprang forth. Riley’s eyes grew wide; her center pooled.

She gripped Liam’s shoulders as she pulled him back down to continue the kiss.

Their first morning breath kiss. It was delicious.

Thunder rumbled in the sky as Liam’s mouth moved down Riley’s body. He kissed her jawline, her nearly invisible surgical scar. He reached her breasts. He gazed at them in awe, memorizing their details: Each breast had a prominent vein running through it. Her areolas were dotted with moles. He hefted them in his hands; one had a chicken pox scar on its underside.

His thumbs flicked across her nipples; the brush of his skin against hers elicited a low moan from Riley.

Riley watched him as the fingers of one hand fisted in Liam’s dark hair; the other slowly stroked along his very erect, very impressive length. Her hips rolled against his hand as she softly moaned between heavy breaths.

Liam’s lips were firmly attached to Riley B.’s nipple, his tongue circling, licking, and flickering across her puckered flesh. He let out a shaky breath when he released her, only to have the length of his tongue lick her breast from underside to nipple.

The wetness of his tongue against the warmth of Riley’s skin caused an eruption of goosebumps to break out across her creamy skin.

“Oh, God … Liam!” Riley moaned as her hands tugged at his locks.

His eyes lifted to take in her lust-infused features as he resumed his suckling. “Hmmm?”

One hand held her breast as the other began drifting down her curves; he reached her center. His cock throbbed as it leaked pre-cum onto vanilla scented sheets. He placed his hand between her thighs to push them apart, but she spread them for him.

Offering herself.

Liam reluctantly released her nipple; the cool of the air on the wet skin made it stiffen even more. He slid down the bed so he could see Riley B.’s most secret place. The smell of her arousal greeted him first; faint, sweet, enticing.

Once again, lightning lit the room to allow him to see her essence-dampened skin.

She shaved down there.

He spread cocoa-colored lips to reveal her pink. He bit his lip to hold back a groan as he slowly pumped two fingers in and out of her slippery entrance. His slightly opened mouth hovered over her clit, willing himself to not taste her.

His tongue swiped her from clit to entry.

“No sex! You promised no sex until we dated.” Riley’s protests were uttered in a desire-filled voice.

God, she wanted this, but she had to stick to her own boundaries, her own standards. She wanted him. He wanted her. For so long. But Riley wanted what this could be to be different; she wanted Liam to want more. More than this.

Liam’s lips released her bud and began traveling up her body. His lips pulled at the side of her neck; she smelled of sleep and yesterday’s perfume. He captured her lips, his tongue slowly rolling with hers.

His fingers still pumped within her.

“We’re not having sex; it’s a makeout session!” he corrected her.

Riley’s hand gripped Liam’s cock more firmly in her hand; her strokes sped up.

“You know exactly what you’re doing, Liam Daniel!”

Liam’s hips rocked rhythmically in Riley’s hand. “Don’t be middle-naming me, woman!”

Silence as they continued to jack and jill each other. Liam let out a moan. “Yes! Yes, Riley B. … just.like.that!”

Riley’s eyes were closed as she felt the thick meat wrapped in her fist; they opened when she felt Liam’s body pressed atop hers. “What are you doing?”

“No sex,” Liam promised. “I just want to grind against your body. Can I do that, Riley B.?” His eyes were wide with hope, dark with lust.

I want to put the tip in.

“God, yes,” Riley moaned as their hips humped and ground against each other. The bulbous head of his cock pressed against her clit; Riley’s neck arched as her head pressed deeper into her pillow. Liam pulled back to stroke himself against her length. It was wet, slippery.

She was so beautiful. He loved her so much.

A clap of thunder so loud it shook the bedroom walls exploded in the sky as Riley’s body quaked with orgasm; Liam’s body shuddered and jerked with his release.

The cries from their shared crescendo echoed throughout her apartment.

Afterwards, they lay on their backs, catching their breaths as rain continued to pound the earth. Liam washed them up, smiling at Riley B. the entire time. When he climbed back in the bed, he grabbed his phone and began tapping keys.

Riley hid her disappointment; she wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Cuddles, conversation, falling back asleep? Whatever it was, Liam getting on his phone after such an intimate experience and ignoring her wasn’t it.

Maybe if there weren’t so many layers being added to a decade-long friendship; maybe if she could just let go and trust; maybe if she just lowered her fucking expectations.

Maybe if she just stopped overthinking everything.

Riley let out a sigh as her hand fumbled over her bedside table, searching for the remote. Liam heard the clatter and looked up from his phone.

“What are you doing, Riley B.?”

“About to cut on the television,” she replied tersely.

Liam smirked, but inwardly, insecurity was running rampant.

Did I move too fast? Maybe I didn’t please her?

“I need to step my game up if all you want is television after our wake-up.”

“You wanted your phone, I want television,” Riley replied as her hands curled around the remote.

“For breakfast ideas!” Liam said, holding out his phone.

Riley reluctantly glanced at the phone screen: pictures of something called baked Sicilian eggs. Her eyes widened slightly.

“We have a routine: I do breakfast, you do dinner. I wanted to make you a special breakfast because you know … thank you,” he explained in a rushed voice.

“You were looking for … breakfast?” Riley asked in an embarrassed tone. She hung her head to hide both her embarrassment and relief.

Liam nodded. “What else? You wanna help me look?”

Riley released her hold on the remote and scooted across the bed to lay her head in the crook of Liam’s shoulder. His free arm wrapped around her as he positioned the phone between them.

“Yes, please,” she replied eagerly as Liam’s fingers stroked her hair.

Tagging: @sirbeepsalot @wannabemc2 @jared2612 @katedrakeohd @hopefulmoonobject @custaroonie @jovialyouthmusic @thequeenofcronuts @amomentofsinclairity @bobasheebaby @ao719 @sashatrr @marietrinmimi @ladyangel70 @gardeningourmet @umccall71 @angi15h @romanticatheart-posts @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @blznbaby @tabithacarlisle @bbrandy2002 @ab1901 @janezillow @debramcg1106 @radlovedreamer @lodberg @thecordoniandiaries @ramseyandrys @caroldxnvxrs @princess-geek @burnsoslow @annekebbphotography @merridithsmiscellany-blog @queenjilian @emichelle @indiacater @loveellamae @forthebrokenheartedthings @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @glaimtruelovealways @zaffrenotes @bebepac @liyanin @dibberdipper @choiceslife @ac27dj @the-soot-sprite @gnatbrain @seriouslybadchoices @sanchita012 @anotherbeingsworld @atha68 @aworldoffandoms @hopelessromanticmonie @princessleac1 @amandablink @yungnayque

 #ns*w #lemons #sgl #riley b #dcbbw writes

[shnuggletea]

Happy WIP Wednesday!! Chapter One is LIVE on Patreon! 

Synopsis: They were friends for years. Almost as long as they were lovers. She was his best friend and the only woman he loved. And he was hers. But that was four years ago before Inuyasha broke Kagome's heart and married someone else. When he shows back up in her life randomly, she doesn't care if she's being childish.

Just so you all know, I have one new chapter of Cell Mates: Freed done but I want to get two more finished before I start posting again (so there’s less lag time in between posts). Don’t forget that chapters 1-2 are on my Patreon now as well as the first chapter to this fic and many others for your consideration. As well as access to the Kissing Booth for you to create your very own kiss between your fave OTP. Subscribe today!!

He stood, leaning against the wall right beside her door. Hands shoved into the pockets of his tight, light blue jeans he hid his claws. But not his ears, sticking out proudly on top of his silver halo of hair. Even tied back behind his head, she knew it would be just as long as she remembered, the tips touching the top of his ass. Her own hair was just at her lower back now and she wondered if he would notice the difference? 

Not that it mattered, it didn’t matter!! She screamed at herself inside her head and ducked just as his golden eyes lifted from the floor to seek out her gray ones.

Standing up straight, she could tell he was nervous. That only made her more on edge, tottering between anger and agony. Whatever his reason for being here, she didn’t care. Or rather, didn’t want to know. So she ignored him, as childish as that was. It didn’t stop him from standing unbearably close to her, so much so, she had to stop for a moment and push him back, praying he missed the shudder that rushed through her as she felt his tight warm skin through his thin t-shirt.

“Kagome…”

He was whispering like he was struggling to get out her name. 

If it was that difficult, then why was he even here?? 

Her answer was to nearly break her key inside her lock, struggling to get her door open fast enough. Looking at her feet, the bags she sat down were missing. Without looking at his face or eyes, she turned back to rip them from his hold. It was then that she noticed her shaking, emotions making a wreck of her once calm and satisfied form. 

She hated how he did this to her. No matter how much time passed and how much she told herself she had moved on, was the bigger, better person, his presence would call into question all of it. There was no one that could affect her like this and she hated him for it.

Then his fingers gently ran down her scars. The four long, deep marks he had left on her when they were children. Another reminder of the two of them when she had enough as it were. 

Jerking harshly from his touch, he gasped lightly. “I just want to talk…”

“Four years and now you want to talk? Forget it, Inuyasha. Just stay away from me.”

His once hidden hands clenched into tight fist by his sides as she watched, still not looking up at him. Now inside, she tried to shut her door but he stopped her, a foot in the way. “Kagome, just listen to me…”

“NO!” She screamed, lifting her tear-stained face to shoot fire at him with her eyes. He was taken aback, stumbling in her hallway and out of her doorway. So she slammed it shut and locked it tight, knowing he was still just on the other side. Something he proved when he began banging a fist on her door.

“Damnit, Kagome, for once stop being the stubborn wench you always are and let me talk to you!!!”

“Go back to your wife!!” She called out as bitterly as she could before sliding down her door to the floor. 

The groceries, now forgotten, scattered on the floor before her and her grab bag dug into her side. Even fruitless, she did her best to not make another sound. Not because he wouldn’t hear her, the youkai could hear her breath and heartbeat as they raced painfully. No, she did it to hear him, needing him to be gone so she could leave as well.

She bit her lower lip as punishment for her cowardice, letting him keep her from things she needed to do. But she couldn’t face him. Or worse, have him follow her. How he found her, she wasn’t sure but it was the last thing she expected to happen today.

Time passed slowly and she didn’t hear any more sounds from her door. But there was no way to know for sure as she carefully collected herself from the floor along with her room temp groceries. Setting them in her kitchen, she caught sight of the clock. 

“Shit.” She cursed to herself, running and digging out her cell in haste. 

The ringing in her ear only made her heart rate spike more. But then the other end finally connected. “Oh thank god. I’m so sorry about this…”

“But you need me to pick him up?”

“Yeah, I’m...stuck. I’m so so sorry…”

“Please. You barely ever call needing something. I’m always calling you. It’s no problem, I got it.”

“Thank you soooo much!!”

Hanging up, she gingerly lifted up on her toes, pausing by her door as she passed it again. Looking out the peephole, she didn’t see a trace of the silver-haired demon. She couldn’t see or feel him, he was gone. The feeling was just as empty as always, happy he was gone but lacking any real joy from it. Her mind threatened to slip into another one of her ‘visions’ but she fought it, forcing her to stay in the presence. 

Her so-called foresight had a bad habit of taking her down memory lane too. Which was different from a normal human’s as she was thrust into the moment as if it were real. With the feeling of fingers on her spine, she knew it wasn’t a premonition or a memory she wanted to revisit. She returned to her cool existence and waited for her friend to come through for her. Alone.

Tagging....

@underwater0phelia​ @lavendertwilight89​ @mamabearcat​ @nartista​ @nopenname22​ @echobows​ @superpixie42​ @smmahamazing​ @redflamesofpassion​ @jme-chan​ @cstorm86​ @cicleydark-light​ @ruddcatha​ @lavaffair​ @kirrtash​ @sistasecbhere​ @obsessandfangirl​ @britonell​ @lordofthechips​ @mcornilliac​ @faolenwolf​ @classyhumanathletepalace @keichanz​ @phoenix-before-the-flame​ @artisticloveexpressitsall​ @lamuertadehambre​ @noyourenotreal​ @mitty-san​ @thenoammonster​ @little-deeluna​ @royaltrashpanda​ @sailorbabydoll92​ @storyweaver2017​ @malditamigs​ @adorabubblesblog​ @lilms-obsessed @petri808​ @anniehcresta​ @fan-dumpp​ @itzatakahashi​ @utakuprincess​ @theschultinator​ @all-too-ale​ @little-inukag-obsessed​ @theseagullqueen​ @queenofthesquirps​ @jolinaaa00​ @knowall7k​ @neutronstarchild​ @fawn-eyed-girl​ @eringobroke​ @sapphirestarxx​ @dangerouspompadour​ @misspepperpottss

[sohin-ace]

Jolyne - Edge

This is cross-posted from Wattpad and available on AO3.

Enjoy~

Female reader cause let's face it, we're all gay for Jolyne lol

You were just chilling at home with Jolyne at her house. She invited you to sleep over tonight and how could you deny such an invitation? A girls' night with Jojo? Just the two of you? Hell yeah!

You were both having a great time, talking about nothing and everything. Even if you didn't do anything interesting, as long as you were together, it was a good time.

At one point in the evening, you both decided to get changed into your pajamas to get more comfy for the rest of the night.

Jolyne was seated on her bed and she let you change. She didn't put much thought into it when you suggested to change in her room as it wasn't anything to fret about, just normal girl stuff, right?

But when you started to undress, she suddenly couldn't take her eyes off of you. She didn't really know why. It was like you had cast a spell on her. She knew she shouldn't be staring at your body like that and respect your privacy, but at the moment she was witnessing something very unexpected and rather pleasing to the eye.

You slowly removed your shirt and for some reason, just watching the skin of your back and the outlines of your bra made Jolyne feel some type of way. Weird, but good at the same time.

Were you always hiding such a delicate waist underneath your clothes? And your skin looked so smooth, and those curves though? Damn. She just wanted to put her hands on it, just to see if it felt as good as it looked.

Jolyne felt like it was a shame you had to cover your beautiful body on a daily basis, she suddenly wished you would always be shirtless in front of her.

But then you slid your shirt over your head and removed it completely and Oh nooo! With your hair flowing back down and your arms stretching like that, she started to feel something tingly and warm at the pit of her stomach.

'Fuuuuuck' she thought anxious with a heavy blush rising to her face. 'Get your shit together Jolyne!! DON'T. BE. HORNY. NOW!'

She put a hand over her mouth to prevent her jaw from dropping to the floor. She glanced at you again and you were folding your shirt slowly. Standing there, beautiful and effortlessly sexy even from the back.

She was picturing herself and you in untold situations by watching your subtle movements. If it wasn't for your innocence' sake, she would just snatch your hips and do very bad things to you right here and there.

'No, no, gotta protect this smol bean, stop having pervy thoughts! Calm. Your. Tits.' She thought to herself, hoping it would help.

Jolyne harshly rubbed her face and head, trying to erase the sinful thoughts out of it. You were driving her so crazy it almost hurt.

You slightly turned your head to the side, looking all carefree and innocent, totally unaware of the chaos that was happening behind you on the bed. Jolyne upon noticing this, immediately played it cool and said.

"Damn girl! You look fiiiine" she wolf whistled at you.

"Aah!" you blushed "Stop it, you're just saying that~" you smiled flustered, putting your shirt slightly over your front in shame.

'Oh my god she's the cutest when she's shy!' Jolyne tried to keep on a straight face but her heart was melting inside her chest. She fell for you more and more each second.

On your part, you thought that Jolyne had such an upbringing energy around you, it felt flattering to be complimented by such a beautiful girl as her.

You seemed completely oblivious to this but Jolyne had a HUMONGOUS crush on you. But you would never see it, insecure as you were. You didn't think a litteral queen like her would even be slightly attracted to a potato like you.

Everytime she complimented you, you would always respond with "Naah" and "Oh stop it you~" and most commonly "You're even better!". You thought she said those things only to pump up your low self-esteem. But the truth is, she only wanted you to see yourself the way she saw you.

I mean, why would she even like you of all people. Sure you were nice but she could get way better, right? But to Jolyne, you were the most perfect angel she laid her eyes on. She couldn't ask for better than you.

You secretly thanked her for the nice compliments and was grateful to have her. Your heart would always swell with love when she commented on even the tiniest things about you. She made you feel so loved and desired, you wished you had the guts to tell her how you felt.

"Girl, hurry up and take the bottom off, I wanna see those cheeks" Jolyne added with a goofy grin.

"J-jojo!!!" You threw your shirt at her face in embarassment and she laughed "Cut it out! You're such a perv sometimes" your face was exploding in many shades of red but you couldn't help but smile at the same time. Even if you wanted to, you could never be mad at Jolyne.

You turned you back to her again to remove your bottom as Jolyne still had your shirt splayed all over her face. It smelled just like you she loved it. She would have to ask you if she could wear it one day, it was actually kind of cute too.

When she removed the cloth from over her head she just thought she was about to explode from that view in front of her. Her mouth agape, she let out a tiny squeak that she muffled instantly. Good thing you didn't hear it.

'sshhHHHHIIITTTTTTT!!!!' She hollered in her head while her heart was hammering her chest.

Currently, you were bent over to remove your bottom, giving her the best view of your butt. It wasn't much, and you didn't do it on purpose, but for Jolyne, you were pushing her to the edge.

You couldn't see it since your back was facing her, but behind you Jolyne was terribly agigated, trying to conceal her squeals and inhuman noises and basically looked like a crazy fangirl seeing her otp kiss.

Jolyne on her side was SCREECHING inside. She wouldn't be able to contain it longer. The more she looked at you, the more she imagined lewd things about you.

How round and soft-looking your ass was, like two delicious buns put together. She had to muster up all of the energy she had to not go and feel it up right now. And your thighs looked so enticing she wanted to cover them up in hickeys.

And those underwear, perfectly hugging your hips and... Black lace? How dare you! In front of her own two horny eyes. It was like everything about you was made to break her.

She wiped some drool out of her mouth and controled her heavy breathing. She had to calm down and stop thinking, or else she would just pounce on you and traumatize you for life.

You went over to her desk to get your pajamas, which consisted of a cute nightgown. But before you could grab it, Jolyne rushed off the bed to get it before you.

"WAIT!!! Not yet!! I still want to admire that ass!!" She grabbed your PJs and held them above her head so that you couldn't get them.

"Wha- Jojo what are you doing?!" you stretched over to get them, but in vain. Screw her and her tall height. You grabbed her arm to try and lower it, but she was too strong and stood still.

She smirked down at you. From here, she had the most perfect view of your perky chest and she wanted to die on the spot.

"Hee hee, Y/N you're so cute I could squish you right now"

"Squish me when I'm not naked please! I'm cold!" you tried to reach up again by standing on your tippy toes, but just looked even more adorable to Jolyne who was grinning brightly.

You suddenly stumbled a little bit forward and bumped into Jolyne who stiffened up upon feeling your boobs against her chest. Then she looked at you, no longer smiling. Her eyes were cloudy and wide, like her soul had just left her body. She lowered her arm to your shoulders length.

You softly grabbed your nightgown and stepped back a little bit, snickering in victory. But when you saw no reactions from her, you stared at Jolyne with a bit of confusion.

"Jojo are you okay? What's wrong?" you asked concerned about her sudden change of attitude.

Jolyne didn't respond and just grabbed your shoulders, pulled you against her body again and snaked her strong slender arms around you.

You gasped at the contact. "Jo-!"

"Can we stay like this a little bit? I'm scared of what I might do to you if I look at you...." she lowly muttered with a soft tone that you never heard from her.

You didn't really understand what she meant by this, you only understood that she needed the embrace. You have known her long enough to understand the skinship she needed sometimes. You happily complied and wrapped your arms around her torso, squeezing her a little bit and enjoying her warmth.

Jolyne was the most confortable person, and you were the best at hugs. You two were the perfect pair.

The tall girl calmed down and sighed as she enjoyed the softness of the moment. She needed some fluff to overpower her raging hormones.

She wouldn't dare taint you before you even talked about it or consented to it. Also, she definitely wanted to confess properly first. She knew how much of a romantic you were at heart, so she wanted to go slow for you to be sure you were ready.

She melted into the hug and let out a breath of delight as she was engulfed in your intoxicating scent.

"You're a little bit on edge Jojo, you want to talk about it?" you asked softly, rubbing your fingers up and down her back in a soothing gesture. She shuddered under your touch.

'Gosh' Jolyne thought. 'I really hit the jackpot'. Just when she thought you couldn't get more perfect.

Jolyne ran a hand through your soft hair and muttered "I'll tell you when the time comes... Now get dressed Y/N, I'll get us some drinks and snacks."

She slowly pulled away from the hug. She was going to confess to you in a better setting. Right now was too soon.

You looked into her eyes whispering an 'okay' and flashing her an angelic smile. You grabbed both her hands and continued.

"Tell me when you're ready, I'll always listen." you leaned up to kiss her cheek and Jolyne's heart skipped a beat. She smiled at you and walked off. You got dressed and flushed a bit.

"Oh Jolyne... I love you too..."

Bonus:

Before passing by the kitchen to get you both something to snack on, Jolyne went to the bathroom for a quick pee break. But when she sat down, she looked at her underwear and sighed.

"Oh my god..."

[cosmicpeko]

Tool ㅡ Chapter 1: Rage

Word count: 1,071

OTP: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu x Peko Pekoyama | Danganronpa 2

Story type: fanfiction

Short summary: Peko Pekoyama dives into her most precious memories in an intimate journey to self-love, trying to live with emotions she can’t control and to discover what is like to be a real person. More notes at the end.

Read on AO3

ㅡ

My voice repeats: I am a tool. I was brought to this world to be by his side; I shall fulfill my purpose.

Mid-march rain falls on a wet wooden floorboard. Semi-open sliding door of the minka house hidden in the woods allows the wind to enter between the internal walls, run under the furniture, play with the paper on the floor ㅡ it untidies the room.

It caresses blonde hair. Freckles expose to the water ㅡ silky smooth skin becomes its path down to the pointy chin, through the neck, hides in the collarbones. Drops rest on his lips, tongue catches them, it drinks. He's smiling. He's relaxing every muscle of his body. He's resting ㅡ he's letting go. He breathes deeply. "I love rainy days. It feels like time stops for a while. Doesn't it, Peko?" A calling voice awakens my thoughts. Head raises, shoulders tighten. Humidity hurts my bones, angers my bruises. "It does indeed, Young Master." Red eyes wandering to finally meet hesitant green ㅡ I shall converse more, he demands, silently, as he keeps his gaze on me. I apologize. "...It feels like the sky is in a rage, too, though slowly but surely, it will pass. It has a rash temper, and it needs to let its anger go, then eventually, it manages to stop. Sometimes, it calms itself immediately, sometimes it destroys everything that falls victim under his reign. Mother Nature gave it immense power over us." Green eyes look delighted. Sweet humming slips from his still-smiling mouth. "You always get this poetic, dontcha? It's a women thing, you give them nothing, they play with words around it until they done covering it in fuckin' pink and flowers." He laughs. "How are you even 18? You sound like a nostalgic granny." I do not know what being poetic means. I happen to imagine inanimated objects embody different personalities. My Master ㅡ he reminds me of the sky. Every mood he owns is similar to its changes. He is calm and still like a summer night, he is impulsive like a storm. He is cheerful and fresh like a newborn sunrise, yet he is pained and melanchonic like a dying sunset. I've lived enough to see them all. "Does it hurt?" I am unworthy of his worried touch. But I don't dare to move. "It does not, Young Master." "Peko- you're literally a whole purple thing. Not even a mashed sweet potato looks this ugly." "I do not feel pain, Young Master. I live to serve you at my fullest - I need to be trained." Careless fingers gently press over the darkest spots on my left arm, then retreat, as he searches for even little hisses or whimpers of mine. Not one sound leaves me ㅡ I learned how to control myself with time. But I can still feel it ㅡ broken bamboo swords echoe inside my ribcage. Pristine fists turning purple and blue. Heart broken. Soul stronger. "Fine," his figure rises again and stands tall in front of mine. Distress contained in a self-hug, "I know this is your job and all, but please, don't push yourself too much. You are already strong enough. Just yesterday, you beat the shit out of that asshole at the pub like he was planning to destroy the world." "I do not deserve your worry, Young Master." "Peko, I said quit that "Young Master" shit-" he stops, suddenly, eating his own breath. I cannot decipher what is that is eating the perfect green of his iris as his gaze locks into mine. Something I never quite encountered before. Rage ㅡ but not the same as the sky's, nor the storm. Something different. Hot wind of the desert, carrying sand and flames. Burning hills. Searing gardens.

I am ashamed of how long I have been staring into my Master's eyes.

Hands rub together, trying to reduce the silence into a paste of aching shame, cold sweat, shivers ㅡ quickening heartbeats. "Fuckin' quit it, Peko." he repeats, voice calm and still. Summer night. "We agreed on it since we're starting school together again. I asked you kindly - this is starting to feel like I'm commanding you and I do not. Want. This shit. Got it?" Composure fights distress in an internal war I do not desire nor understand. I am still capable of holding myself back. "Yes-" tongue plummets in my throat "yes." "My fucking name, Peko." More heartbeats. Uneasiness. Silence. Composure. "I said what's my name, Peko." Head rises. Eyeballs tremble. Rain drips through blonde hair, through freckles, through silky smooth skin. The wind stopped cutting my cheekbones. "Young Master." Quick steps and pace ㅡ few seconds pass before his skinny figure starts rushing towards me. Red eyes follow instinctively like those of a fox preying on a rabbit in the snow, hands steady, knees firm. Last breath, a millisecond. Hold. He does not attack me. Instead, he kicks the wall behind me, where my back was laying, seeking relatively satisfying rest. I do not move, but I quiver. He retreats, then shouts. "My fucking name, Pekoyama!!!" Mind goes blank. Ringing sounds conquer my eardrums in a blink of time.

"Yes, Fuyuhiko!!! For God's sake!!!"

A growl leaves with the wind, scratches my throat and steals my breath. Every wall of the minka house shakes as I step upwards, stand taller than him, confront him unconsciously head-on. Teeth unraveled like fangs.

"When did you lose yourself, tool?" I want to know. When did I first witness my balance crumble. When did I allow emotions to get the best of me. How. How did I lose track of my inner being. "Don't you ever forget your life's only purpose. You don't get to have any other meaning than that."

How dare I confront my Master like that.

Instead, something is born anew through his face. Simultaneously. Fresh and wet sunrise across shiny lashes. He saw me, getting weaker under his command for the first time. He knows something I don't know. He sees something I don't see. He cracked me open.

Delicious chuckles flourish beneath his teeth. "Let's go," abstract flowers crown his newborn smile, perfume so numbing, "I want to go deer hunting last time 'fore we join a brand new hellhole." The distance between us increases as he runs outside the safe perimeter, completely run over by pouring rain.

He holds the keys to my soul.

ㅡ

So hello again. I really hope you liked this first chapter! More are to come. Peko is an extremely fascinating character to me and I can’t wait to dig into her a bit more and let you meet my version of her personality! This was heavily inspired by @thewildwilds beautiful art. 

A special thanks to her, who indirectly taught me to love Kuzupeko in a brand new way - I’m so obsessed with them. (I also really hope she sees this ,,)

[buffysummers]

Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia in season two of The Borgias (2011-2013)

[polar-stars]

A little (personal) Ranking of the Shokugeki openings

 Now that the final ones are out; I thought I could share my thoughts and opinions on the openings and endings we had throughout the years :0

Keep in mind: Personal. When it comes to music, tastes tend to vary.....drastically at times. Please don’t get offended if your favorite OP is not on place one 

I’ll do the endings in a separate post I think. Because I already spent much more time thanI expected on this one alone. 

-

Openings

1. Opening of Season 3, 1st core (”Braver”) - For a long time I struggled with naming my absolute fave of all the openings, because, until “Chronos”, I liked them all a hella lot and they never failed to get me hyped up for the episode that’s about to ensue. However, now I stand here and I can safely say that “Braver” is my ultimate fave out of all the openings of Shokugeki. It’s just so powerful and full of energy and I don’t think any other opening just filled me with so much anticipation and thrill of what’s about to come. Whatever one might think of it I think we can all agree that Central Arc was a shift of tone for Shokugeki and I think “Braver” also captures said shift pretty well. The openings beforehand just...sound more light-hearted in my opinion? They’re certainly rocky but also just more cheery I would say. “Braver” sounds more serious and tense in comparison. And everything is perfectly complimented....through the visuals. Oh god the visuals. While they’re rather spoiler-y indeed, they’re still....so good? So fitting to the music and the story that’s about to come? Just...Already the title card and how we see the dark clouds over Totsuki with some flashes of lightening instantly tells us: “Okay, this story is going to take a turn.” And it’s just?? Kinda really epic to me? Then there’s those fun character intros, the very dubious and also harsh showcase of the Elite 10, memories of Erina’s past....ahhh. I could gush about the visuals for hours being real. But that’s ultimately also what puts “Braver” on the top spot. Not only is it the opening that I revisit the most when listening to music, it’s also the one I just enjoy watching the most because it’s just such a delight for me. 

Also “Braver” has OTP-Moments.

2. 2nd Opening of Season 1 (”Rising Rainbow”) - Yeah, I really do prefer that one over “Kibou no Uta”...you’re allowed to be insulted. But ah, what can I say? The Autumn Election Premlins are just one of my favorite parts of Shokugeki as a whole. It gave many of the characters I love and cherish some pretty epic spotlight and just....It was great! “Rising Rainbow” also just simply appeals to me more in terms of music and the visuals are super fun as well. I especially like the character intros of “Rising Rainbow”. I tended to skip through “Kibou no Uta” at times, but I never skipped through “Rising Rainbow” I think. It was just fun to me. Nowadays, “Rising Rainbow” also just has really strong nostalgic value given that it’s from Season 1 🤷🏻‍♀️ Lastly, there’s also the fact that I read through the lyrics of “Rising Rainbow” and like...they’re really beautiful to me...

3. Opening of Season 3, 2nd cour (”Symbol”) - I SWEAR “KIBOU NO UTA” WILL BE THE NEXT ONE. But man, what can I say....I just really, really often listen to “Symbol”. It’s really energetic but, like “BRAVER”, it has more of a serious, tense touch to it...fitting for the Central plotline. It even feels....kind off hopeless? Like, idk, we’re about to witness a battle that just seems to go nowhere but they’ll still give it their all? (which it should have been being real). It just, to me, really paints the foes they’re about to take on as strong and fearsome in a sense. The visuals are ultimately not as exciting and thrilling as Braver’s to me, but still a lot of fun regardless (especially the Elite’s part. I live for that stuff). 

4. 1st Opening of Season 1 (”Kibou no Uta”) - My preference for “Symbol” over “Kibou no Uta” is just really paper-thin being real. But well, what “Kibou no Uta” has majorly going for it to me is actually just the heavy nostalgia. It’s the very first opening. The one that started it all. Of course I do have some sort off connection to it. When listening to it it does never fail to make me think of easier days and I relate fond memories to it. But honestly? Back when I actually was 16 and began to watch through Shokugeki? It took me so long to warm up to the opening? It wasn’t my kind off thing at all in the beginning? ahdhd But yes it eventually grew onto me, but meep...There’s just other openings I liked instantly haha. But this one will always have a special place in my heart. 

5. Opening of Season 2 (”Rough Diamonds”) - “Rough Diamonds” is so pumpin’ and energetic and as I was younger and so immensely hyped for Season 2 because I loved Season 1 so much...I honestly loved it and it took my heart by storm? So meep, there’s also some nostalgia attached to this one. But I think what ultimately puts it lower on my list these days is that...I listen to it very rarely these days and it’s also from the Season kind off revisit the least actually? “Ni no Sara” was not terrible, but it rushed through what’s one of Shokugeki’s best arcs of them all and it just...It just cut so much and added so little and that really disappointed me back then. (So many....lost OTP scenes honestly. Season 2 is so DRY of MarYu moments, 16-yo me was SAD okay). So yah....

6. Okay so what is the newest opening called? According to the Wikia its...well: Opening of Season 5 (”Last Chapter”) - I like the song being real? Just doesn’t have as much power as some of the other openings but well, it’s fine. Music-wise I have no issues. Also, the opening does start sweetly. Very sweetly. I love the opening scene of this opening. (okay Lea we get it, shut tf up) But aside from that, meh...It’s just, this is the opening to the season I’m least excited for? Visual-wise it first shows my beloved character (one of them being hidden in the corner, which is also a HUGE minus point to this opening because WTF IS HE DOING THERE) but meh, it comes with the aftertaste that I know in advance that they’ll barely get to do anything this season. And then it goes on to show the stuff that....I couldn’t care less for? Because BLUE Arc.....sucks. It just sucks. And too much reminds me of my beloved anime just being destroyed by the carelessness of an author and //SIGHS//. It’s regardless visually more exciting than the last place so meep. 

(also were Erina and Asahi in wedding clothes REALLY necessary?! It comes across as so sickening now that it’s been revealed to manga readers at least that the two have the same father?)

7. Opening of Season 4 (”Chronos”) - I don’t really dislike the song itself. It’s fine...I listen to it occasionally but even music-wise it just doesn’t have the same strength as the other openings to me. But what truly, truly puts this opening on last place are the visuals. The visuals are....boring. They’re so, so, so boring. Except for Soma and Erina, no one is allowed to move even a hand and it all just comes across as insanely stiff and unexciting? It was honestly just a let down for me? Because unlike the recent season, I was actually excited for that one and just...”Chronos” is such an immense down-grade after we had both “Braver” and “Symbol” within the Central Story to me. Honestly? I skipped it every single time when watching through Season 4. Because it just wasn’t exciting. 

[silvorr]

Gabriel Approves The Second Time Around

Part 3

When Plagg was satisfied with the cheese stash he kept in Adrien’s bag, the little Kwami turned around ready to whiz over to his charge and head to school, but was met with the sight of his kid sitting at the edge of his bed and looking at something in his hands.

Plagg sighed and floated over. “Are you looking at that damned ring again?”

Adrien flinched but didn’t move, “I’m really doing this Plagg.” His voice was hoarse and it was as if someone had stolen his breath away. That someone was probably Marinette.

Plagg simply rolled his eyes at Adrien’s dramatics, “I thought we were over this yesterday.”

“I thought so too. I’m scared Plagg.”

“I told you the promise ring’s a bit much.”

Adrien shook his head, “Not that. Just the- the whole idea of it. Of this. We’ve been going out for a month Plagg. What if- what if this is too fast for her? What if I’m rushing things? Should I wait? What if- “

“Oh please.” The pure snark in the Kwami’s tone had Adrien looking up in time to Plagg coming to hover in front of him, his green eyes full of a strictness he’d never seen before, “That girl is head over heels in love with you, even I can see it and I’m usually napping in your pocket! If anything, you’re not doing this soon enough. You’ve already been on four dates with her, what more do you want?”

“I- “

“Oh nuh-uh.” Plagg shook his head and crossed his arms, “Let the Kwami speak. As cheesy as this sounds, both of you deserve to be happy, kid, and both of you have already danced around each other for long enough.”

Adrien sighed and looked back down at the ring he held in his hand. It wasn’t anything extravagant, nor was the tiny heart shaped gem real. If it had been, Adrien knew with certainty that Marinette would never accept it. For one reason or another, she hated being spoilt, as fun as it was for Adrien. Too many times he had been unwillingly paid back and right now, he really couldn’t have her saying no.

“Maybe I am worrying about this too much.”

Plagg threw his tiny hands up in exasperation, “Finally!” The tiny god whizzed into the shelter of his breast pocket and nudged him softly, “Come on kid, you’ll end up being late for school.”

Adrien stood up and grabbed his satchel, “May lady luck be by my side.”

Plagg snorted. If only Adrien knew…

-

 Adrien was already seated when Marinette walked into the classroom. This was one of those rare days when Marinette was on time. That being said, Adrien hadn’t expected her to arrive this early, he thought he’d have more time to prepare but clearly, that wasn’t so.

“H-hey Marinette.” God, when was the last time he stuttered around her? He thought it had ended after their third date.

She gave him her sweetest smile, the effects of which were clear in the way his heart beat extra loud in response. “Good morning Adrien.”

‘WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO BE SO PRETTY?!’

Adrien shrunk on himself a little and mumbled, “Good morning Marinette.” To his relief, she hadn’t heard him, but Nino had. The DJ was busy stifling his laughter into a fisted hand and Alya was shooting him weird looks.

Adrien didn’t dare turn around to start conversation, lest he be blinded by that angelic smile again, but then Nino and Plagg nudged him at the same time and he sighed. He had to get this over with at some point.

“Hey Marinette?”

She continued rummaging through her bag and gave him a non-committal hum. The fact that she hadn’t met his eyes yet gave him some form of relief, because he couldn’t trust himself to word properly if he had those beautiful bluebell eyes on him.

“Will you- will you come to the-the stairs near the Eiffel Tower with me? At-at lunch today?”

She finally looked up and there was something- something bright in her eyes that had Adrien’s heart stutter to a stop.

‘Is it hot in here or is it just me?’

“I’d love to Adrien! What about- “

This time Alya intervened, “We’ll come along later, m’kay? Nino and I have something we need to do before that.”

“Okay.”

Adrien made a sound similar to being choked, but he was saved from any embarrassment when the teacher walked into the room.

God, this was going to be hard.

-

 When lunch came around, Alya and Nino helped Adrien and Marinette escape without anyone bothering them, for which Adrien was eternally grateful. Any interruption now would end up in him losing his nerve completely and who knows when he’ll be able to muster up the courage to propose again?

Still, it was far too quickly that he found himself seated on the steps near the Eiffel Tower. The tower seemed as beautiful as ever, but not as beautiful as it had been when they had gone on their first date there.

“Adrien? Are you okay?”

Adrien turned to look at Marinette and he was immediately captivated by her bluebell eyes. She looked worried and he could understand why; he’d been acting weird around her the whole day today but could you really blame him?

“Marinette there’s- there’s something that I- umm…”

“Adrien?”

His hand had wandered into his pocket, where he could feel the cool metal of the ring. His fingers traced the heart shaped jewel on it.

“You- You really are something special Marinette.”

That caught her off guard. Her eyes widened in surprise and her cheeks started to flush red. She managed to squeak out, “Thank you?”

Adrien let out a shuddering breath, “W-we’ve gone out on what, three dates now?”

“Four.” She mumbled. He knew that, hadn’t forgotten. Still:

“I really really enjoy spending time with you Mari. You really are an amazing girl.”

She had her eyes closed and her breathing was heavy. Adrien had a feeling that she already knew where he was going with this.

“What’s your point Adrien?”

“Marinette.” Her eyes were on him again. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Her hand flew up to her mouth in time to muffle a choked sob. He had pulled out the promise ring and was holding it out to her, and while she couldn’t take her eyes of the ring, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

Finally: “Yes yes yes, a hundred times yes!”

He chuckled and she jerked forward until he had his arms wrapped around her and she was giggling uncontrollably into the crook of his neck. He laughed along with her and held her tightly. She was his, finally his! Nothing could compare to the joy that made his heart stutter, to the beauty that stole his breath away. She was so amazing and sweet, and he had the privilege of calling her his girlfriend.

When they finally pulled away just enough to look at each other he leant forward and kissed her forehead, “God, I like you so much Mari.”

“I like you too Adrien.”

He let her pull herself out of his grasp and extended a hand to her, “May I?”

She giggled and accepted his gesture, “You may.”

He was grinning uncontrollably as he slid the ring onto her finger. It was a snug fit and that fact alone would have been enough to make Adrien cry with relief. Proposing was so fucking hard, how did Marinette do it when she first confessed to him?

“Adrien?”

He looked up at her and his breath caught in his throat. The pure joy in the way she looked at him, her gorgeous smile, everything about her was so… ineffable. Completely and utterly ineffable.

He was too captivated to notice exactly when they had sidled closer to each other, or when she had slowly snaked her arms around his neck, or when he had encircled both his arms around her waist. In that moment all he knew was that her face was centimeters away from his, that his gaze kept flickering between her eyes and lips, and that to kiss her now would mean… everything.

She cupped a hand on his cheek and he leaned into the touch, his eyes already fluttering close. Almost there…

They heard their voices before they saw them. Someone loudly proclaiming about how excited she was to have lunch with her friends and two amused chuckles that followed after. Adrien sighed and he let his forehead rest against Marinette’s for a split second before he was pulling back and so was she, but not before he had softly kissed her forehead and whispered, “Next time.”

They could finally see their friends approach them with Lila in the lead, who waved excitedly. Adrien giggled at Marinette’s sour expression and waved back as his girlfriend quietly huffed beside him.

As Alya, Nino and Lila joined them on the steps, Nino shot Adrien a questioning look and in response, Adrien shifted closer to Marinette so he could wrap an arm around her waist and shot the DJ a cheeky grin. Lila, who had clearly planned on sitting next to Adrien and probably latching on to his arm (like the parasite she was) faltered at his gesture. She looked between him and Marinette and her smile turned slightly bitter, subtly enough so that anyone not particularly looking wouldn’t notice. She awkwardly stopped just a step or two below the new couple and sat down.

Alya caught the whole interaction and her eyes widened as she shot a look at Marinette. Marinette could only blush and snuggle deeper into Adrien’s side in response. Clearly, that was not enough to satisfy Alya’s insatiable thirst for these kinds of things. “Did something happen while we weren’t here?”

Marinette simply pressed herself harder against Adrien as she kept her gaze firmly down on the concrete steps and Adrien tightened his grip around her in response. While Marinette was dying in embarrassment though, Adrien was soaking in all the attention with a welcome grin. “You could say that, right Marinette?”

Marinette might have mumbled something in response but Adrien couldn’t tell.

He looked straight at Alya and his grin turned into a smirk, “I asked her out.” Then, almost like an afterthought, “She said yes.”

Alya let out a huge whoop and fist pumped into the air and Nino chuckled as he clasped Adrien’s back, “I’m proud of you man.”

“My OTP is cannon!”

Lila, who had been uncharacteristically quiet during this whole time gave them all an uneasy smile, “I’m really happy for you Adrien. And for you as well Marinette.” The way she said her name, Adrien sent a warning glance at Lila. Lila’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my GOD, the class is going to flip!”

-

 Once the school day had ended and Lila was finally in the safety of her room, she let out an enraged scream, “WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS!”

She threw her bag against the wall in frustration and stalked over to her bed, pulling at her bangs the whole way, “That good for nothing clumsy nobody! How dare she! HOW DARE SHE! Adrien belongs to me; how dare she try to steal him away! Why I- UGH.”

Lila stared up at her ceiling from her position on her bed, her mind moving at a mile per minute. She couldn’t understand what Adrien saw in that girl Marinette, but one thing Lila was sure of, it wouldn’t be enough to keep Adrien away from her. Adrien was Lila’s, he belonged to her the minute she had set her sights on him and some goody two shoes wouldn’t be enough to change that. All she needed to was-

Wait.

Lila smiled. Her biggest advantage over Adrien was his father. His father, who- well he probably hadn’t approved of his relationship with Marinette, had he?

Lila giggled in delight. Adrien- oh poor sweet Adrien- would soon see what his father had to say about this.

[eviesmyspiritanimal]

Girl’s Trip Part 10

Summary:  Evie, Mal, Uma, Audrey, and Jane go on a road trip to the beach for a three-day weekend. Evie's driving and has road rage, Uma constantly pesters Audrey, Mal thinks it's all kind of funny, and Jane's wide-eyed and lovably clueless as usual. Friendship and family feels.

  “WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!!!” Mal was shaken from her position sleeping against Evie’s shoulder and she felt a big grin come onto her face at the sound of that very familiar voice.

  She must have been asleep longer than she thought. The last thing she remembered was her and the other four sitting on the benches and deciding to rest since they got so little sleep the previous night.

  “I couldn’t give two flippin’ pancakes about what she definitely without question did not do, I asked where is she?!!!” Hades’ voice carried throughout the entire police station and everyone else in the cell with her was starting to wake up, too, knowing that they were surely about to be saved.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to hear your daddy,” Uma told Mal with a good-natured laugh.

  “Florian, mind your own business and explain to these people who that perfect, innocent little angel is!” Hades shouted angrily just before he burst through the door to the hall leading to their holding cell.

  Mal stood up and wrapped her fingers around the bars, unable to keep the smile off of her face at the sight of him.

  Hades’ eyes widened and he practically ran the rest of the way down the hall. He took her face in his hands, surveying her carefully and quietly as he checked for any damage

  “Hey, baby girl,” Hades greeted, pressing his forehead against the metal bars and allowing his hands to slip from her face in favor of placing them on her own hands on the bars.

  “What happened to perfect, innocent little angel?” Mal teasingly questioned. Hades chuckled under his breath, rolling his eyes.

  “It was in the heat of the moment, okay?” Mal simply let out a sharp bark of laughter at his statement, but she quickly sobered, looking at him with a more quiet and calm emotion.

  “I’m really glad you’re here,” Mal expressed with a sincere smile. Hades nodded in response, squeezing her hands gently.

  Jay, Carlos, Harry, and Gil poured in through the door and the other girls stood up quickly to greet them.

  Mal moved away from Hades to greet Jay and Carlos, and Evie sidled up to her. The girls reached between the bars and laced their fingers with the boys’.

  “How did you end up in jail?!” Carlos questioned, laughing as he looked at the two of them.

  “It was a big misunderstanding,” Evie bashfully admitted with a wide grin as she squeezed Jay’s hand gently, her other arm wrapped around Mal’s waist.

  “It must’ve been gargantuan,” Jay joked and the four shared a laugh. Mal and Evie backed away so Jane and Audrey could see their boys.

  Jane hurried over and squeezed Carlos’ biceps through the bars, explaining from the very beginning everything that had happened to the five of them throughout the trips.

  Audrey rushed to Jay, grabbing his jacket and pulling him against the bars.

  “Kiss me,” Audrey cried, puckering her lips the best she could between two of the metal rods. Jay chuckled at her and returned the kiss, however strange it felt.

  “I love you!” Audrey exclaimed suddenly and sucked in a breath in shock at herself. She subtly gauged Jay’s expression. She had never said that aloud to him before, and she couldn’t help but feel a little strange upon the admission.

  “I love you, too,” he told her, nuzzling her nose in the space between. Audrey felt her heart flutter pleasantly and something warm increasingly rising in her chest as she enjoyed having him as close as the bars allowed.

  Uma walked over to Harry and Gil and the son of Hook looked her up and down in pleased shock.

  “Took you long enough, you scurvy dog,” Uma grinned widely, and Harry laughed breathlessly.

  Uma reached through and took his hook in her hand tightly, closing her eyes. She had never truly been without him before and she found that even though she didn’t really notice it before, since she had time to think in jail, Uma had missed him terribly the past two days.

  Her eyes shot open in shock, though, when his lips were planted firmly against her forehead. He pulled away quickly, but the kiss lingered on her head and she involuntarily felt a bit of disappointment at his withdrawal.

  “Ahoy, cap’n,” Harry smiled softly and Uma stared into his crystalline blue eyes for a few moments before being distracted by Gil suddenly starting into a rather embarrassing monologue.

  “Woah, I think you two just had a moment! I don’t know about everybody else, but I’m totally shipping Huma!” Gil announced and everyone else looked at the dark-skinned girl and her first mate.

  Uma stepped back in embarrassment, refusing to look at Harry as she tried to push away her feelings about being put on the spot.

  After a moment, Audrey nodded in agreement, considering it deeply. Mal just rolled her eyes. Carlos offered a thumbs-up and Hades just looked at them both with an expression that expressed some sort of weirded out disgust.

  “Sorry, Gil, my OTP’s Bal,” Evie told him regretfully, her arm still thrown around her sister. Mal’s attention immediately snapped to Evie.

  “What’s an OTP and what the heck is Bal?” Mal inquired.

  “One True Pairing. Bal is Ben and Mal. Duh,” Evie explained, squeezing Mal’s torso and resting her head on Mal’s own with a laugh.

  “That’s just weird. What about Devie, then?” Mal teasingly suggested and Evie furrowed her brow in thought for a moment, trying to decipher the purple-haired girl’s word. As soon as she had, however, she got a sour look on her face.

  “You know how I feel about that,” Evie grumbled and Mal chuckled at her, angling her head up and nuzzling her cheek gently.

  “I know, and it’s okay because I do, too.”

  Right about then, Ben charged into the hall.

  “Here comes my OTP,” Evie murmured, leaning down to whisper into Mal’s ear.

  The faerie rolled her eyes and pulled away to greet Ben through the bars. He smiled widely as soon as he saw his wife and he took her hands as soon as he was in range, kissing each of them in turn.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. A little thirsty and I could do with some strawberries, but I’m good,” Mal assured him with a light laugh.

  “Fairy Godmother just called. She was at Jify-Journey, looking through the video tapes and she found the missing tape that proves your innocence!” Ben happily explained and Mal grinned widely as she shared a glance with Audrey, who was standing beside her to talk to Jay.

  “Apparently, the woman who was running the place was stealing things from her own shop, trying to collect insurance money on it. She had the tape hidden, but Fairy Godmother was able to find it. She’s sending the video content to the officers here and as soon as they get it, they’ll free you,” Ben told her.

  “You, my dear, are a genius,” Mal took his face gently in her hands.

  “Well, thank Fairy Godmother. She’s the real genius,” Ben explained and leaned in to kiss Mal. Just before he reached her lips, there was a voice clearing his throat.

  Ben pulled away slowly, his lips still a bit puckered as he looked at Hades. He had an eyebrow raised as he stared at the boy, completely unimpressed with his open show of affection.

  “You need to work on your duckface,” Uma pointed out suddenly, and Audrey immediately burst into laughter. The other three girls couldn’t help but join in, remembering Uma trying on Audrey’s sunglasses.

  “Duckface?” Ben asked, completely confused, and the girls just laughed harder.

  “Alright, it appears that you five are free to go,” Barney announced, coming through the door that Ben had just entered from a few moments ago. The five of them quickly quieted, looking at the man with contempt and aggravation.

  Hades turned to look at him and Barney’s eyes went so wide that he almost looked like a comic book character. Hades furrowed his brow and Mal could’ve sworn the policeman wet his pants.

  Barney gulped and edged around the god, unlocking and opening the door of the cell quickly.

  The five girls poured out quickly. Evie and Mal immediately pulled Carlos and Jay into a huge group hug, much preferring to be outside the bars for their embrace.

  Uma stopped in front of Harry, raising an eyebrow and completely unimpressed. He smiled slightly at her and she rolled her eyes as she grabbed the collar of his shirt firmly, successfully dragging him down to her level.

  “You know, if you were going to pull a stunt like that, you could’ve at least done it right,” Uma told him before smashing her lips against his own. He was stock-still, shocked by Uma’s sudden move.

  Before he could even attempt to react, Uma drew back just barely, leaving him wide-eyed and stunned.

  “Now, what’s my name?”

  “Uma,” he breathlessly yet emphatically answered, and she flashed him a grin as she released him gently.

  “And don’t you forget it.” She looked down at his lips once more before turning to meet Gil’s excited, puppy-like face.

  “Don’t think I missed that,” Audrey called out, and Uma rolled her eyes at her. However, her sarcasm quickly turned to laughter as Jay broke away from Mal, Carlos, and Evie to kiss her hard. She squeaked, but quickly returned it before he pulled away to smirk at her.

  Audrey was breathing hard and she couldn’t help the stupid, lovestruck grin on her face.

  “Uh-huh, look who’s talking,” Uma shot back at her as payback, but Audrey was too dazed to really care.

  Carlos grinned widely at all of them but was completely surprised when Jane quickly pecked him on the cheek. He stared at her in pleased shock and she smiled shyly. He kissed her cheek in return and she giggled before he brought her into a hug.

  Mal laughed at them but was quickly swept off of her feet by Ben as he drew her in for a kiss, too. She fisted his suit jacket as he pulled her close.

  “Well, that was sudden,” Mal whispered, her nose touching his, once he had pulled away.

  “Everybody else was doing it. I thought it’d only be right for us to join in,” Ben told her with a goofy smile. Mal let go of his suit jacket and repositioned his crown so it was sideways. She nodded her head in satisfaction and he drew her nearer, nuzzling her cheek as she giggled.

  Hades and Evie watched with a fond smile and Hades looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

  “If you ask me to kiss you, I’m going to have to pass,” he told her, and Evie couldn’t help but laugh as she shook her head, enjoying the joke.

  Since Hades came back into Mal’s life, he and Evie had become good friends and she almost liked to think of him as her father, too. But she’d never say that to his face, despite the fact that he treated her like she was.

  “Don’t worry, we’re going to get you with FG,” Evie told him, and the smirk immediately fell from his face as he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

  “Well, that’s just nasty. If there has to be displays of affection everywhere, can I just hug you instead?” Hades offered and Evie gladly complied, hugging him tightly before pulling away slightly with a grin.

  “You aren’t stealing my dad from me, are you, E?” Mal questioned with a grin and Evie shook her head with a smile as she reached out and squeezed Mal’s shoulder.

  “One hug’s not hurting anything, stingy,” Evie teased and Mal just gazed at her fondly.

  It had certainly been one heck of a vacation, but despite all of its faults, it had been a blast because they had all done it together.

[mattness]

Space Dementia

Another chapter is here! Pleasant reading!  Hope you enjoy and always...  Sorry for mistakes and stupid typos OTP: Jennifer Wright/Robert Grey /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter XIII.

The cold wind chilled her to the bone, making shiver. Slowly began drizzle and heavy gray clouds covered the sky. Jennifer hugged herself around the shoulders with the regret of not brought to the cemetery warm shirt. Gradually, all the friends and acquaintances who knew Chester Wright gathered. There weren't that many people, but Jen was pleased that they had decided to come and honor her father. To her right stood was Tyra, who had opened her umbrella as everyone else had done. The priest began to say a prayer, standing at the head of the closed coffin, on top of which lay flowers.

The warm fabric of coat fell over Jennifer's shoulders, and she immediately looked at the man who decided to share his thing. The girl gratefully smiled Robert, who is also still came. He pursed his lips, hugging Jen's shoulders and trying to warm her. Wright sighed heavily, clinging to him. Tears again dimmed eyes, should have listened to the speech of the priest. She felt so useless and empty, as if she had been ripped off a vital part of her soul. And how to cope with everything now? How to live without seeing every day the kind father's eyes and his smile? How to live without his support and funny jokes? What will she do now? There's no need to rush home where there's no one else. There was no need to stay in that damned Derry who had taken everything she loved from her. Jennifer thought about what the old house would, where repairs have not yet been completed, for sale. With the money, she would go to New York and quit the magazine to get a small advance. Here is so vacation have… Then the girl will go somewhere in Pennsylvania or California. She wanted to get as far away from past as possible to start living anew. Yes, it would be necessary to part with Robert, who was already clinging to her heart, but Jen thought it would be better. Better for both of them.

The brunette was distracted from her thoughts, suddenly noticed among the crowd of people in black suits familiar dark red hair. The wrinkled woman looked down at Jen's blue eyes and pursed her plump lips. Jen could not believe what Mary Wheeler arrived on the scene. Her heart sank painfully with the realization that she had seen her mother for the first time almost eleven years later. She hasn't been here all this time, and now she's decided to come to her ex-husband's funeral. Jennifer was very confused. Shouldn't Mary not care about her own past, the ex-husband she ran away from? She ran away and left him alone with a little girl, determined to live another life. This act Jen will never forgive her, even if she pleads on her knees.

After the coffin was lowered into the grave and everyone threw a handful of earth, everyone began to disperse. Wright decided to go to his mother and find out what the hell is she doing here. The girl let go of Robert's hand, who was heading for the car.

"Jennifer, are you coming?" Grey asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I'll be there in a couple of minutes", the girl said, trying not to lose sight of Mary. "Wait for me?"

"All right", Robert nodded.

Jen said goodbye to Tyra, who took a taxi to her house, and quickly climbed the hill, noticing the red-haired woman among the tombstones. She walked slowly between the graves, thinking about something of her own. Mary paused beside the tree, wiping the tears from her face with her black-gloved hand. Mrs. Wheeler's daughter approached her cautiously from behind, stopping a few yards away and hesitating to come closer.

"What are you doing here, mother?" Jennifer asked first, what made Mary turn around.

She smiled sadly as she looked at her noticeably grown-up daughter. Jennifer grew up a true beauty, she thought.

Jen frowned, crossing her arms.

"I loved Chester, Jennifer", Wheeler admitted in a slightly husky voice.

"And that's why you decided to show up at his funeral? Eleven years later?" the brunette began to get angry. "Without ever calling and asking how your own daughter is doing? What a strange love you have."

"It's much more complicated than you think, Jen", the woman tried to justify herself, taking an uncertain step toward her.

"Not necessary now to justify it to me!" Jen cried out indignantly, clasping her hands. "I don't know what was going on in your head when you decided to leave me with my father, and I don't want to know! You're ran away like a cowardly bitch, leaving everything behind, and for what? To show up eleven fucking years later and say it's a more complicated?!"

"Jennifer, please..."

"You're were never a mother to me and never will be, despite the fact that you're the only one left from my entire family", firmly and coldly said the girl, gritting her teeth. "The people who truly loved me and cared for me are now in their graves! And you're dead to me immediately, as soon as you're went over the threshold of our house. So you'd better go now, like you're did years ago."

Mary pursed her lips, feeling the tears running down her cheeks. The rain increased, and there was a loud clap of thunder in the sky. Jen adjusted the coat on his shoulders and decided to go back to Robert's car. The girl took one last look at her mother, whom she would probably never see again, and left. Jen got into the dark blue car, handing Grey his coat. He breathed in the smell of rain and the familiar bitter pain of Jennifer's conversation with her mother. Robert made a worried face and looked at the girl, who wiped her eyes and bit her lower lip. She looked down guiltily, not wanting him to see her like this. In fact, he didn't know what to say to comfort her. He had imagined how people comforted each other, but he had never tried it himself. Robert could scarcely restrain himself from breaking into a pleased smile as he absorbed the girl's negative feelings. Jennifer began to bite her lip nervously, shivering in spite of herself. No, not from the cold outside. From cold being between her and Robert. She'd never felt this way around him before, despite the fact that he'd been on her doorstep a lot lately. Maybe it was Jen's sudden depression, but there was nothing she could do about it. Robert wanted them to continue dating, kissing and making love more often, but Jennifer was grieving and he didn't seem to understand. When Grey reached out to kiss her one night, the brunette made it clear that she was not to be touched. The girl freaked out and yelled at him, in the end she burst into tears. He tried to comfort her, and after that moment they only hugged occasionally. Wright snapped out of her reverie as Robert reached for the key in the ignition. The car's engine started, and Grey pressed the gas pedal smoothly, twisting the steering wheel. The car drove down the wet road to Derry, straight to Jennifer's house. Finally, the Aston Martin parked in front of the garage of a familiar house, and she sighed heavily, glancing at Robert. "Not coming in?" Jen asked him cautiously. She wanted him to spend a little more time with her. Even when he was just around, it really did get easier. Still, without the support of Tyra and Robert, Jennifer would hardly have coped with all that in an instant fell on her fragile shoulders. For the past two weeks, while the funeral was being prepared, Wright had barely kept herself from doing something to herself. "No", Robert said rather sharply as he watched the wipers clear the water from the car's windshield. "I have a lot of work to do."

"Can't you come tonight?" Jen asked cautiously, tears stinging her eyes. Her heart pounded in chest at the feel of the end beginning. The girl once again wanted to throw a tantrum, but skillfully restrained herself.

"I'm sorry, Jen," he said, finally looking at her.

"Do you resent me for that quarrel?"  the girl laughed nervously, frowning. "Robert, don't you see I can't-... My father has just died! I have no family left! I'm alone. What do you want from me?" "To let them go..." the man gritted his teeth, and Wright saw reddish spots begin to appear in his green eyes.

"Robert, it's not as easy as you think! You sound like you've never lost anyone, but I know you haven't", she gasped, barely able to keep from screaming. "If all you want from me is sex, we should break up. The sooner the better."

"I didn't say that, Jennifer!"

"But your actions prove otherwise!" the brunette raised her voice and jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her. Treacherous tears poured streams down her cheeks, and hatred of herself and Robert in this moment was overwhelming from the inside.

"Jennifer!"

"Go away, Robert", Jen said, turning to see Grey walking toward her. The rain was getting heavier by the minute, and they were standing in the middle of Jennifer's front lawn. The girl managed to get wet through, continuing to cry. Robert carefully closed the distance between them to a single step. "I'm sorry", he said suddenly.

"For what?" Wright asked, wiping her eyes.

"I was wrong. I'm willing to wait as long as I can just to be with you", he said, and he smiled faintly at Jen, who looked suddenly hopeful. The brunette sighed heavily and ran a hand through her wet hair.

"Robert, I'm going to sell this house and leave Derry." Grey frowned, not understanding. Had his beloved Jenni decided to run away? Would she fall head over heels in love and leave him? So weird. Did he do something wrong? Was there a flaw in the plan that he missed? His thoughts raced madly in his head, trying to find a reasonable solution to the problem. It was too early to move on to the last points, and especially to drag her into the sewers to the main lair. God, why is this so bad timing? It made him angry. "Where are you going?" the man asked, peering into the blue eyes opposite.

"Probably California", Jen admitted. "I can't stay here any longer, and I can't stay in New York, either... I'd rather start a new life away from my memories." Robert gritted his teeth as blood began to fill his mouth. He swallowed and took the last step between them. Jennifer watched him closely.

"So you'll leave everything? Me too?"

"I don't think you'd follow me halfway around the world", she snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you're telling the truth... Then come with me." Grey turned away from her, thinking. In Derry he could eat without fear of the police on his trail. He had caused about twenty people to go missing in Derry in the past three weeks, but the law enforcement agencies were still not going to do anything about it. People were reported missing, and Robert calmly continued to eat. He didn't know if he should run somewhere else, if he was happy enough here. And whether it is necessary to continue to stalk Jennifer? Continue to ingratiate himself and play the fool in love? Maybe, just now, to snap her neck and calmly to eat? He looked again at the girl, who was waiting for some answer. Robert looked down at the pulse beating in her thin neck, feeling no hunger. The beast inside didn't react. What was wrong with him? "I'll think about it, Jenni", Grey said quietly, and Jen nodded. He pulled her to him and lowered his mouth to hers. Wright opened her mouth for a kiss, and Robert gently covered hers. Without thinking, Jen answered and ran her fingers through the man's hair. This resolution of their quarrel satisfied her, and for the first time Robert felt real pleasure in the kiss. He ran his thumbs gently over the brunette's cheekbones, not wanting her to leave. Jennifer pulled back, noticing for the first time the gleam of her own emotions in his green eyes. She seemed to have one reason for staying in Derry after all. Wright took a step back and said softly:

"I'll call you when I decide where I'm going."

Robert nodded, watching her go. As soon as she was out the door, he sighed and went back to the car.

The Aston Martin pulled onto the road and headed straight for Neibolt street. Robert felt a mixture of anger and anger at himself. He gripped the steering wheel of the car and felt his fingernails dig into his skin, leaving a trail of blood.

The rain outside was a downpour.

The car pulled into a vacant lot near an abandoned house, hiding behind bushes and trees so as not to attract anyone's attention. Robert jumped out of the car, slamming the door, and in no time was in the old ruin. The anger continued to swell. His eyes turned bright orange, nervously searching for something to grab. His heart was pounding, a guttural howl coming from within. A strange pain began to compress everything to microscopic size.

Grey turned into his favorite clown as he paced the empty house, kicking up dust with every step. Pennywise snarled and whined and clutched at his red hair for safety. He could not understand what was happening to him.

The clown, swaying unnaturally from side to side, came into the room with the long-rotted piano and instantly turned it upside down. The piano fell with a terrible crash, breaking the floor beneath it. Pennywise continued to whimper, banging the dusty piano lid with his fist. Such despair and pain he's not experienced long. It was as if he had been deprived of his only source of food. The clown immediately awoke from his delusion, thinking that satiation would help to calm him down. He quickly ran to the old refrigerator, which sometimes put the remains of meat victims. But as soon as he opened the door, flies flew out: the meat was covered with mold, already beginning to rot. Pennywise growled angrily, aware that he was not hungry. The pain continued to drive him mad.

The clown sank to the floor, legs spread wide. He whined like a dog his master had thrown into the street. An unpleasant salty liquid stung his eyes and spoiled all the makeup, and painted lips and then trembled. Pennywise could not understand what had happened to him.

"Damn girl!", the killer clown suddenly realized, screaming and banging his fists on the floor. This is all her fault! Her! He knew.

He knew it was a bad idea. And now he couldn't even attack her. What had she done to him? What?! Pennywise clutched at his red hair, wondering how to get rid of the wretched woman for whom he now had strange feelings. How to get rid of these feelings? Maybe once she was out of town, he'd feel better. Maybe without her, he would go back to his normal routine entirely.

Pennywise's red hair was fading, turning dark brown again. The makeup drained from his face and was gone. Lush clothing in the style of the Victorian era was transformed into a modern expensive dark suit. The clown was gone, bringing back the image of Robert Grey, who had struggled to his feet and wiped the wet tracks of tears from his face. He sniffed loudly and decided to go back to the other house, where he could think better. * * *  Jen felt terribly broken after what had happened. Everything reminded her of father. It was almost unbearable to be at home. Here was the scent of a loved one and everything reminded her of him. Tears rolled down her cheeks every day, and she often sat on the sofa in front of the TV, as her father liked, and clutched her head, trying to restrain another fit of hysteria. Pain clenched her insides, biting into skin in sharp shards. Her heart was bleeding, and no one could help. Jennifer felt more broken and depressed than she had ever felt before. Tyra came to see her. She was saying something, trying to get her out of this terrible state for a couple of hours at least. Jennifer appreciated her friend's concern, but nothing helped. The world has acquired a grey tone. Every day in Derry was a dull, gloomy day, no different from any other. Nothing happened, and everything ceased to matter. No one seemed to be able to help her. Jen knew she should have handled it herself. But no forces already on this not was. There was no strength left to stand firm, to withstand all the blows of fate. One evening she was sitting on the sofa again, once again clutching her head. Tears dripped silently from her nose onto the soft carpet, and soft sobs filled the living room. Jen was completely oblivious to Robert's arrival in the house. Unlike Tyra, he hadn't been here as often since the conversation on the day of the funeral. But Wright was grateful that he had dared to come at all. Robert paused in the doorway of the living room, noticing Jennifer, who looked like a little girl who had been hurt. The man sighed and walked into the room, sitting down on the floor in front of her and stroking his knees to make himself felt. Jen gave another sob as she looked into the worried green eyes. Grey pressed his forehead against hers, trying to convey his sympathy. Or rather, he tried to pretend. Jennifer was too depressed to analyze anything now, and Robert was taking advantage of her. She began to cry again, and Grey immediately sat down on the sofa, holding her tightly in his arms. Jen nuzzled his neck, trying to calm herself. She could feel Robert gently rocking her like a small child, stroking her back. He radiated an incredible warmth that warmed her and made her feel safe. She believed that Robert would not let her drown in the terrible ocean of pain that filled her. * * *  As she packed a large suitcase, Jennifer kept track of the number of flights leaving Bangor for other States in the coming days. The first thing to do was to go to New York, where she would have a serious talk with Mrs. Johnson. Jen had already written to tell her she was coming. Last night, Wright escorted Tyra back to Los Angeles. A friend for a long time did not agree to leave, not believing that the brunette will be able to cope with everything herself. Thanks to the realtor, buyers for the house turned up pretty quickly. Less than a month later, the man informed Wright that the house was about to be sold to a small, happy family with two children. They examined the future home and were satisfied with everything. The girl was glad when got her hands on revenue for the house. Now it was safe to leave Derry, where all the memories of his childhood and his father and grandmother would remain. Her heart sank painfully, reminding her of Robert, whom she had seen the other day. Grey don't said whether he wanted to go with her or not. He had simply spent the evening with her in silence, lost in his own thoughts. And Jen didn't mind. Them both hard. She could tell by the way Robert held her hands tightly each time. They just sat in each other's arms all night without saying a word. Jen fell asleep, listening to the steady heartbeat in Grey's chest as he stared gravely into the distance... An insistent knock on the door jerked her out of reverie. She looked up from her suitcase and hurried downstairs, hoping to find Robert on the doorstep. But she was disappointed when it wasn't Robert. Three men stood in the doorway. One of them was holding up a police badge. Jennifer frowned, not understanding. "I'm David Ross", the man in the beige coat said, "a private detective who arrived in Derry three weeks ago."  "Hello..." Jen said uncertainly. "Did I break something?"  "No, miss Wright. May we go inside?" She nodded uncertainly, letting in a private detective and two plainclothes policemen. She closed the front door and went into the kitchen, where they decided to settle law enforcement. Mr. Ross motioned Jan to a chair, motioning her to sit down. The brunette obediently sat down, folding her hands on the table. "What is it, detective?" Wright asked, still not understanding. Two police officers decided to inspect the house while the detective conducted the interrogation. Jennifer frowned, realizing that these fellows didn't even have a search warrant. She wanted to protest, but didn't, because the detective was talking: "Do you know that about thirty people have gone missing in Derry in the last month?" "I heard about it", she said confidently, embarrassed.   "Miss Wright, please listen to me," David said quietly, sitting down across the table from her. "I came to Derry at the request of the local chief of police to investigate the matter. The previous detective who worked on him is on the missing persons list, and the goonies here still can't find the killer. That's why I'm here." She still didn't understand. How did the police get her mixed up in this? Jen certainly didn't know who the killer was. The girl even TV-not really watching. Only at work in the store, and even then, they are constantly turned on music channels to distract visitors. "The police have a missing persons report on Riley Briggs, who worked in the same store as you", the detective went on.  "I thought Riley quit. The authorities didn't say a word about the missing girl", Jennifer said honestly, dreading what might have happened to the high school girl dropout.  "I got a lead", Ross said honestly, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "It leads to the house at 29 Neibolt street. Just the other day, several operatives searched the house and came across human remains." The girl involuntarily covered her mouth hand.  "I think we're dealing with a cannibal who's changing his location. The same missing persons were reported to the Philadelphia and New York police. The only place we found a lead was in Derry", the man explained. "Why are we here, miss Wright? Because we have three people who are alleged suspects in this case." The other two officers returned to the kitchen as the detective took three photographs from his coat pocket. She frowned as she saw two unfamiliar faces and one damned familiar. Robert Grey. The detective seems to have snapped a picture of him as he got into his car, in the Parking lot of Derry's biggest shopping centre. Robert frowned at the glare of the sun, staring off into the distance. "Do you know any of them?" the brunette immediately guessed that it was just a leading question with a test. Lie or not.  "I know Robert", Wright said honestly, pointing to his picture. "We're... just friends."  "Pretty close friends".  The next picture on the table was of Grey standing in the same parking lot, his arm around Jennifer, leaning down to kiss her.  "You’re followed us?" she said, feeling her temper rise. "A necessary measure", the detective explained, clearing his throat. "About Mr. Grey. Did you notice anything strange about him? Did he talk to you about his hobbies or his love of anything extraordinary?"  "No. Robert is just an ordinary man, just like you and me", Jen said, not really knowing who she was protecting. "He wouldn't hurt a fly, and what about people?"   "I see", said Mr. Ross, clearing away the photographs and preparing to leave. "Thank you for answering my questions and listening, Ms. Wright. Good day." She closed the door behind them, frowning. Again strange thought about Robert have filled head. Maybe what she was accusing him of was true? Jennifer was confused, completely confused about the man she loved. She went up to the second floor, still packing. Maybe tomorrow she could talk to him about the missing. Jen doubted Grey knew anything about the dead. She hoped to the last that he had nothing to do with it.