#personal content: just quietly overtake

[thespiralstaircasewriter]

Being stone, just for this once.

(twin piece for "The Visit" on ao3)

People I met casually advise me, no, they plead with me, not to mention Hell, so that “it don’t draw closer”.

Driving, when I’m ready to put my foot down, idiots get unto the road before me, and we’re forced at a snail pace.

Are those “idiots”, then, or agents sent from above?

No answer to that. Which is a condition of life, among others, but sure one that’s especially easy to observe.

So, I should not say, or even, should I ban from my lexicon the truth-in-joke: “I’ve got Hell in my veins?”

Be thankful for traffic jams? Pick up my crumbs of actions, amass the human-like acts I accomplish during the day. Although I should say that they sprout from me like weeds from the side of rubble and dirt?

Speaking of dirt, earth and soil, namely of the fresh, soft type, slightly damp, of feeling it on my face in my mind, and wishing, with relief, for it to cover this, my face… For it to cover me, and for me to be a name on a gravestone, no, just a stone slab, plain and simple, one from which, as expected, no sounds come, no matter the questions or soliloquy talks you have ready when you turn up in front of them…

So, shall I say, what are all these sensations, or movements of the mind, given that the deceased actually don’t feel a thing?

Death is not peace, or rest, or relief. It is but nothing. Nothing in itself. The ceasing of the whimsical exception of existence, and a laughably temporary one, come to think of it.

So, could it be that seeking relief in this life is my underlying desire? To be, when still alive, the silent one, withdrawing answers, no matter how heartfelt the insistence of the ones obstinately questioning the stone?

(per la traduzione Continua a leggere)

Per una volta, essere pietra.

Persone che incontro casualmente mi consigliano, anzi, mi pregano di non nominare l’Inferno, “se no viene più vicino”.

Sulla strada, guidando, quando voglio accelerare, idioti si immettono davanti a me, imponendo una velocità da lumache.

Sono “idioti”, quelli, o agenti superiori?

Non c’è risposta. Condizione del vivere, tra altre, di certo una delle più osservabili.

Quindi, dovrei non pronunciare, anzi cancellare dal mio lessico la finta battuta: “Ho l’inferno nelle vene”?

Ringraziare il traffico? Raccogliere briciole di azioni, raggranellare atti all’apparenza umani che in una giornata riesco a compiere. O meglio, che mi crescono addosso, come erbacce sul fianco di un mucchio di terra e macerie?

Parlando di terra, o di terriccio, meglio, del tipo fresco, morbido e leggermente umido, sentirlo sul viso con la mente, desiderare con sollievo che lo ricopra, quel viso… Ed essere un nome su una lapide, no, una lastra di pietra semplice e liscia, di quelle che, come è giusto aspettarsi, non rimandano alcun suono, non importa con quante domande e discorsi da soliloquio ci si presenti.

Allora, dico…. Che sono tutte queste sensazioni, o manifestazioni mentali, dal momento che i morti non sentono niente?

La morte non è il momento della pace, del riposo o del sollievo. Non è altro che nulla, IL nulla. La cessazione della stravagante parentesi dell’esistere, a guardar bene più che risibile.

Quindi, cercare sollievo da vivi sarebbe il desiderio mio sottotraccia? Essere da viva nella parte di chi nega risposte, e tace, non importa quanto accorate le insistenze di chi si ostina a chiamare in causa la pietra?

[strawberryspence]

Listen, it’s been a hard few days.

From the day Eddie— his new friend— got pulled into this shit show called The Upside Down, to when he literally had to watch Max float into the air as the evil wizard from the other dimension tried to kill her from the inside. To today, in which Eddie’s in the hospital— after Steve miraculously carried him on his back to the hospital— and where Max is also in— broken and in a coma, but alive.

It’s natural to feel confused from fatigue and emotional distress. But this? Dustin doesn’t even know what to do with it.

It’s been a long morning. After a lot of suffocating, but well deserved, smothering from his mother, he then got another suffocating but again, well deserved smothering from Steve when he finally picked him up.

Steve looks tired, dark circles under his eyes, his hair is… a mess. It’s flat and not styled. It looks like he didn’t even go home? Did he stay by Eddie’s side the whole night? For someone who hates someone, that’s a lot of effort. Dustin opens his mouth to ask or investigate, but they arrive at the hospital in a record time. Steve probably ignored every street sign.

What Dustin doesn’t understand is why Eddie’s room is jam packed so early in the morning? In the room, there’s Erica, Lucas, Mike, Robin, Nancy and Wayne, Eddie’s Uncle. And now there’s him and Steve.

“Why are you all in here?!” Dustin asks the room. There’s too many people in the small hospital bedroom.

“The doctors said he’s waking up anytime soon.” Nancy informs him, not taking her eyes off Eddie.

“And you’re all here to just watch him?” Dustin pushes in distress, “You guys, we might overwhelm him when he wakes up. We should do it one at a time.”

“I am not leaving.” Erica voices out at the corner of the room.

“Guys.” Dustin says, his voice wavering with anxiety and worry. He meets Mr. Munson’s eyes, who softens at the expression on his face.

“It’s okay, kid.” Wayne rasps, “Eddie would love to wake up with everyone just watching him. Ya know how dramatic he is.”

This earns a few snickers and chuckles from them. Dustin looks around to see if Steve stayed, only to see him exiting the room with Robin. Robin’s softly rubbing his hand with her hands, like she’s comforting him. There’s a look on Steve’s face. It’s— concern? worry? But they’re already gone before Dustin can study it further.

After all of this, Dustin will put it on top priority to get those two together. Why they won’t just date, he never understood.

Eddie groans and silence overtakes the whole room. Dustin stares at him, quietly praying for his friend to finally wake up, for him to be okay. He just wants Eddie to be okay, he never intended for him to get dragged into this.

Eddie moans as he slowly moves, his eyes fluttering open and squinting at the bright light. Dustin can hear everybody holding their breath.

Eddie turns to Wayne. Stares at his Uncle for a second before he smiles. Suddenly, Dustin can finally breathe again. He watches as Eddie looks at every person in the room. Smiling and waving a small wave to everyone.

But his smile drops. Oh no.

“What’s wrong?” Dustin asks, as he moves closer to Eddie. The fear is already cruising through his veins.

Eddie turns to Nancy in alarm, “Steve?”

Nancy blinks back, confused, “What?”

He ignores the question. Turning to Wayne instead, “Wayne?”

Wayne nods, leaving a kiss on his head, “Calm down, boy. Give me a second.”

Wayne stands up and jogs out of the room.

“What’s wrong, Eddie?” Nancy asks, as Mike comes closer too. Dustin doesn’t know how to help but Eddie’s hand is shaking.

“We should call a doctor.” Lucas announces.

“No!” Eddie immediately answers, “No! I just want—“

The door springs open. It thuds against the wall with force. Steve moves closer to the bed, breathless as Robin and Wayne follow him in the room.

All the tension— They just— They just vanish from Eddie. He visibly melts into relief. His shoulders sagging in content, and he has this smile on his face. It’s… It’s a smile Dustin has never seen on his face. It’s small, but bright and full of adoration.

Eddie whispers something. Which Dustin thinks he hallucinates, or maybe he heard it wrong. But he turns to the others, and from the look on their faces he might’ve actually heard it right.

Eddie lifts his hand, beckoning Steve closer, and then he says it again, clearly and louder.

“Sweetheart.”

Steve blinks and in a surprising turn of events, he— he starts crying. Steve Harrington starts crying. Dustin didn't even see him cry after he was tortured by the Russians.

“You fucking idiot!” Steve glares at Eddie, “I told you not to be a hero! I told you not to be cute! I asked you for one thing! And you did it anyway! What if I didn’t get back in time? What if I wasn’t able to bring you to the hospital? You could’ve died! You almost died!”

Dustin gasps in anger. How could he do this? Eddie saved him! “Steve! Shut up!”

“No!” Steve turns to him. There’s tears streaming down his face. “This is between me and him.”

“Sweetheart.” Eddie calls out again, and his hand is still in the air waiting for— whatever he’s waiting for.

“I’m so sorry about him, Mr. Munson.” Dustin turns to Wayne, who shrugs at him. He looks entertained. Which is weird.

Steve sniffles, shaking his head, “No. Don’t sweetheart me, Edward fucking Munson.”

Eddie groans, “I did what I had to do.”

They stare at each other for a few more minutes as the room fills with uncomfortable silence.

“I am sorry.” Eddie finally whispers and Dustin wants to interrupt. He doesn’t have to apologize about anything. He did what he had to do.

Steve sniffles, “Good.”

Eddie does something he has never done in the entire time Dustin knows him.

Eddie (Edward apparently) Munson pouts.

“Now?” Eddie lifts up his hand again.

“Okay.” Steve whispers before…

Before intertwining their hands together. Steve sits on Eddie’s bedside, sweeping Eddie’s hair off his face. They’re acting like they’re the only people in this room. Maybe they think they are.

“I am glad you're okay, sweetheart.” Eddie says, a smile dancing on his face.

“Me? Of course, I am okay.” Steve replies. There’s a softness to his voice that Dustin’s never heard before. “Do you want me to call you a doctor, baby? Are you okay?”

“No, I just wanted to see if you’re okay. Just needed to know.” Eddie stares up at him, it comes out loopy but there’s a real spark of joy in his eyes.

Woah, alright. Steve moves closer and kisses Eddie— On the lips. Oh my god? Is Dustin dreaming? Is Vecna still alive and showing this to him?

“What the hell is happening?!” Mike demands, breaking the glass of peace they have, and making Steve pull away from Eddie immediately.

“Oh.” Steve breathes out. Like he’s just realizing that they were there. Dustin frowns as he sees Steve’s face contour from fear to sadness. Fear for what?

“Uh.” Steve stammers, looking back at Eddie who looks like he’s about to bite Mike on the arm.

“Steve and I are dating. Since the starcourt mall burned down.” Eddie finally explains, and Wayne immediately moves closer to them like— like he’s trying to protect Steve and Eddie. From what? From them? Instinctively, Robin moves to follow Wayne.

“Oh.” Someone says, maybe it was Nancy or maybe Mike.

Dustin blinks. He tries his best to absorb the news, but he can’t think straight with that devastated look on Steve’s face or that defensive look on Eddie’s. What’s wrong with them dating? Well, Dustin takes offense over the fact that Steve didn’t tell him but there’s nothing really wrong. Two boys—

Oh. Oh.

“Alright.” Dustin finally says, making everyone turn to him. He tries to make it sound as casual as possible, “Listen, congratulations. But I am angry that you both hid this from me.”

Lucas is nodding his head beside Dustin, “Dude. Really? Our dungeon master? Come on now, Steve. You could do better.” He teases, making Steve finally cough a tiny laugh.

Mike scoffs, “If there’s anyone that could do better, it would be Eddie. Really, Eddie? Steve? I can’t believe you fell for the Harrington Charm.”

Eddie sputters a response, but he’s too busy blushing to say anything.

“Instead of ice cream, I want insider information for the next campaign.” The room erupts into noises as Mike argues that Erica can’t do that, Eddie relaxes and says no one can have insider information. In the corner, Dustin sees Nancy hug Steve and say something into his ear.

Dustin lets his eyes wander and he meets Eddie’s eyes. Eddie smiles at him, nodding. It’s his way of thanking him.

They’ll talk later, and Eddie will get his own lecture from Dustin. Maybe a shovel talk for each of them. Not that they really need it, Steve looks at Eddie like he’s the creator of the universe and Eddie looks at Steve like he holds all the answers of the world. Perfect.

But he lets it be for now. Again, it’s been a hard few days. There’s nothing wrong with letting himself bask in this sliver of happiness and safety.

[ackermonie]

a perfect world pt.2

pt1

tags: @mor-pheus @nitimurinvetitumsposts @pompompompompompompom

content: shibuya incident, pregnant! reader, hurt/comfort but mostly hurt, angst, mentions of abortion, gojo wanting to be a dad in the future, reader hides pregnancy, mentions of megumi

it’s a bit chilly. you stand in the unusual silence of the square usually buzzing with life, especially on halloween night, positioned on a pedestrian bridge.

there is something pinning you in place. you feel heavy, never enough oxygen in your lungs. you have a few minutes before you need to meet with your team-mates, so this is the last bit of peace you will get for a while.

you try to ignore the burden lying within you. guilts seeps in your brain at the thought that it is a burden, because fuck, you’re never the person to call a child, let alone the product of you and satoru’s love, a burden.

but right now? when you’re about to lay your life in a fight you don’t even know you’ll survive?

a sense of protection overtakes you, surging panic through your very veins, urging you to just fucking flee. you don’t have a good feeling about this mission.

you lowkey hoped that he’d find you before it all goes down. you didnt have the time to meet after your big revelation, only having time to throw in a couple of “stay safe”s through text, but at a time like this, when everyone inside the veil is asking for the gojo satoru, you doubted he’d have time for you.

however, a gust of wind proves you wrong. you don’t move, looking over the railing still as the atmosphere buzzes with the pure powerful energy that is your satoru.

your heart drops when first thing he does is wrap his arms around you from behind, a hand settling on your belly.

“pissing all by yourself, handsome?”

you genuinely can’t help the giggle pulled out of you, no matter how short-lived it is. he rests his chin on the top of your head, and you tilt your gaze down to settle on the instinctive hand resting protectively where a whole new life is being created. you hesitantly put your hand on top of his, a shaky breath escaping your lips at your first attempt of acknowledging the slightest of bumps under your hands.

“is this your post?” satoru asks quietly.

“no,” you intertwine your fingers with his. the sadness in your bone at a loss that is yet to happen heavies you some more. this embryo's story is bound to end before it even begins. “i’m with nanami and megumi outside the veil.”

“i heard nanami’s bringing ino around for his grade 1 recommendation,” gojo builds a conversation. he lowers his head to your shoulder, turning his head to plant a sweet, lingering kiss on hour neck. “that’s bound to be a good watch party.”

“ino’s talented.” you reply, voice empty, mind elsewhere. “it’s about time.”

you two stay quiet for a few seconds, looking out on your comrades at a distance. the gnawing in your chest opens it up, convincing you that if satoru lets you go the world will cease to exist.

you grasp his right bicep with your left hand, pulling you both more into one another. he doesn’t move his hand from your belly, and you are almost convinced that he just fucking knows somehow. self-conscious, you turn around in his arms, allowing him to hold you to his chest instead.

your arms are tugged in between you two, and from another angle, it will look like satoru has engulfed your body whole into his.

“oh, my baby,” you can hear the smile in his voice while your eyes brim with tears. “we’ll be fine. quick in and out.”

you try to nod in his chest, but a sob involuntarily breaks out of your lips. he rocks you side to side silently, sighing in what sounds like absolute content to your ears.

you’re not crying because of the mission, you’re never like this.

everything is happening at once. you can’t even breathe properly unless his arms are around you.

“good thing you’re with megumi,” he rests his chin on the crown of your head again. “if that fucker decides to summon mahogara one more time—“

your sob breaks into laughter. you hit him on the chest.

satoru laughs along with you. “he’s so dramatic sometimes. i wonder who is he like.”

you look up at him, face red and tear-stained and all, with a deadpan that makes him want to kiss you silly. he continues laughing, and you realize that his blindfold hangs around his neck, allowing you to see just how big his smile is. dimples on display and eyes closed in absolute bliss. you want to grab him and run.

he grabs your cheeks endearingly, resting his forehead on yours. “I think we did a good job raising him, no?”

oh god.

more tears brim in your eyes as he tilts his head back to properly look at you. you attempt to smile as you nod, but the thoughts his previous statement triggered chokes you. you are, once again, reminded of what lies in the space between the two of you.

and by the look in his eyes, you know what he will say next will break you.

“good practice run. little fucker is at maximum difficulty.” he plants a kiss to your nose. “I never thought i'd be dad material, really. but having those kids around recently,” satoru pauses, wiping a thumb gently on your cheek. "seeing you with them, made me wonder how nice it'd be to have some of our own at some point."

“satoru,” your voice breaks, unable to control the sad expression on your face any longer. one of your hands holds his as he still cradles your cheeks.

"we just need to finish all of this." satoru smiles down at you. "make this world better for them. make it safe for them to grow without trouble."

your arms are suddenly thrown around his neck, and his own scoops you from the ground, pulling you as close as it is humanly possible. you hide your face in his neck, failing to conceal your sobs.

he chuckles a bit, but this time around, you can tell the heaviness that lies within. "come on, sweets. if i knew i'd make you this sad--"

you shake your head almost frantically. "n--no."

“you can cry to me all you want after we’re done,” he gives you a squeeze before he sets you down on the floor. he tilts your head up to him, wiping away your face with the material of his sleeves. “don’t get too shaken up before a fight now, okay?”

you nod almost childishly before he plants a sweet, lingering kiss to your forehead

“you have both megumi and nanami. you three will be just fine. i know you cant take care of each other and get the job done.”

“who’s gonna take care of you?” the look on your face shatter’s satoru’s heart. he still smiles, wiping his thumb under your eye.

“you will,” he grins. “i’ll come back right here, and you’ll take care of me just fine.”

=============================

i thhiinnnkkk im making more parts of this teheee

more?

[crisiscutie]

Darling and Sephiroth cockwarming after a long day of dealing with the kids? 😣

This Fluffy Sephiroth or "Fluffy" Sephiroth? 🤔 I will make this Fluffy boi. Yandere version here. Enjoy this scenario~.

Content Warning: NSFW. Some angst.

Exhausted from your maternal duties, you almost collapsed onto the bed, but you managed to steady yourself, avoiding any discomfort for yourself or the little one inside of you. You love your triplet boys. You really do. But sometimes you wanna just throw them into a chest and ship them off to the promised land... or whatever that is. Not too long after your arrival, the bedroom door slammed open, making the poor hinges creak for dear life. You couldn't help but smirk briefly, knowing that the only other person who could have made such a grand entrance in your household, aside from your son Loz, was his dear father.

Sephiroth took a moment to calm himself before slowly closing the door, mentally adding yet another item to the growing list of house repairs. Afterward, he untangled his disheveled high ponytail, allowing his flowing silver mane to cascade down his back. Finally, he approached the bed and motioned for your pillow. You smiled, lifting your head from your pillow as you allowed him to remove it and fluff it up for you. Even when he's on his last nerve, he's still so thoughtful and sweet to you. He then joined you on the bed, his throbbing cock pressing against your eager entrance, covered by your silky panties.

You pulled your panties aside, granting him access. You two have been waiting all day to fuck, but one distraction came after another. But now, the moment was here. A low grunt escaped his lips as he slowly entered, your wet cunt stretching around his cock. He held you close, with one hand supporting your breasts and the other tenderly cradling your pregnant belly.

"Are you sure this next one is only a single?" he asked playfully.

"We must trust the midwives, my love," you retorted.

"No one can be sure of everything. I hope Angealica can handle the boys right now..."

"Of course she can. She's our firstborn, and already mastered the art of keeping the boys in check!" You couldn't see it, but you know he's got a big smile on his face. You let out a pleasurable sigh as he lazily thrusts, savoring the sensation of his thick cock being massaged by your walls.

"So, what do you think it will be?" You asked, your gaze fixed on the sunset over the fields from the bedroom window. In the distance, you could see the village that your family frequently visits. Sephiroth slightly narrowed his eyes and his hand began to slowly rub your pregnant belly. It's almost as if he was listening or communicating with something. After a short while of silence, you said his name, wondering if he heard your question or if he zoned out.

"...It will be a girl." He blurted out. You raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"Are you just saying that because you don't want more boys?"

"No. I'm certain," he said, his slit eyes darting off to the bedroom window, watching the sunset like you.

"If you say so. What name should we pick for her, then?"

"Lucrecia..."

"Hmmmm," you mumbled. The name had a nice ring to it, although it seemed oddly specific to suggest at a time like this. You want to ask him where he got it from, though you're sure that he had already endured a relentless barrage of questions from Yazoo today, so you'd leave it be for now. "I like that name... How about Lulu for a nickname? Or Lucy?" His cock twitched inside you as his normally lazy thrust had a bit more vigour to it this time. "I'll take that as a yes," you huffed out, as he quietly chuckled. The two of you relaxed in silence for a short while after that, now watching the moon overtake the skies while wild chocobos wandered through the fields. Soon, the silence was disrupted by a thought that entered your mind.

"Our tenth anniversary is coming up... It's incredible to think about how far we've come. From being SOLDIERS to building a beautiful family away from Shinra, it's truly remarkable. He would be proud." Sephiroth's vast white wing sprouted from his back, it enveloped both of you, his grip tightening ever so slightly.

"I..." his velvety voice trailed off. One of his fingers gently traced the intricate engravings on your mako-encrusted wedding band. He had crafted it for you years ago, just before the arrival of your firstborn.

"-was so scared of losing you, like how I lost my mother. That's why I wanted to give this to you as a parting gift," he whispered, his voice trembling. Your eyes grew heavy as the realization washed over you. No wonder he had seemed so mournful when Angealica's birth was approaching. Without warning, he thrusted once more, eliciting a sharp yelp from you as his cock hit your cervix. He then nuzzled into your neck and whispered a quiet apology, his tears cascading onto you. In that moment, you clasped your hands over his, affirming your unwavering support for him. It was only natural that a fear like that still lurked in his heart, but it was undeniable that he had become a better man throughout it all.

"Don't worry," you reassured. He lifted his head from your neck. "If I didn't leave you then I won't leave you now. For good luck, why don't we renew our vows? It'd be a celebration of the people we became, our rebirth. Fate did its damndest to keep us apart, but we couldn't be stopped." He stayed silent, allowing your words to sink in. A moment later, he spoke up.

"So be it," he said. You had to stop yourself from yelping in delight at his response. Despite the lingering doubt within Sephiroth, he was comforted by knowing you would help him navigate through it.

"So much to plan~! What should we get the boys to wear? I wonder if the village boutique sells maternity wedding dresses-"

"I admire your eagerness love," Sephiroth said, his voice slightly trembling. "But maybe we should save the planning for another time. It's been a long day," his words carried a hint of nervousness.

You pouted playfully, yet you also nodded in agreement. Both of you slouched, and closed your eyes, eagerly anticipating the new day that lay ahead. Your fantasy with him was finally etched in stone, and nothing could rip it apart.

I think "My Silver Lining" is a perfect song showing the growth and tenacity of Fluffy Sephy and his darling's bond. 💜

[witchslove]

I Can Do It Better

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Summary: When you find out your best friend has never had an orgasm, you help her out.

Warnings: 18+ nsfw content; smut, bottom!wanda, fingering, semi-clothed sex, drinking games, cheating(?)

–––––––––––––

“Never have I ever had a boyfriend.”

Wanda threw her head back in a laugh at your statement and took a swig of her drink. “Well, obviously. You don’t like guys,” she said, glaring at you playfully.

“Anything is fair game in Never Have I Ever, Wands,” you retorted with a smug smile on your face. “And technically I could’ve in the past before I realized it.”

“Fair point,” she mused, giggling as she began to think of one for you.

The two of you had decided to have some sort of a girls’ night, which consisted of watching a movie and getting drunk. After the movie ended, you were a little more than halfway through a pack of beers and decided to play some drinking games. 

You and Wanda were long-time best friends and told each other nearly everything so you figured a friendly game of Never Have I Ever couldn’t hurt. If anything, you might find out something you didn’t know and it would only bring the two of you closer. 

Wanda racked her brain trying to think of something she’d never done that you had. She finally landed on one and before her slightly drunk brain could register just how personal it was, she blurted it out. 

“Never have I ever had an orgasm.”

If you had been drinking from your beer, you were sure you would’ve spit it out everywhere. 

Wanda’s face paled as she realized what she just said out loud to her best friend; it was something she’d never told anyone before. 

She couldn’t go back in time and not say it, so she just looked at you and waited for you to take a drink, because that was the rule of the game. She hoped you would brush it off and take your turn, but you didn’t.

“What about… I thought you and Vision…” you said, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

Wanda sighed, her cheeks turning rosy. “Um, yeah, we did but he didn’t- I didn’t…” she mumbled out, feeling shy.

You sat there, processing what she was telling you. It didn’t surprise you that Vision wasn’t good in bed. You’d never really liked him and you’d told Wanda she could do better, but she disagreed with you. He was the first guy to ever put in real effort on dates and he was kind, if not a little odd. 

You tried to appreciate him for at least that and at the end of the day you just wanted to see the brunette happy. Sometimes you weren’t sure if you just wanted to dislike him because she wanted to date him instead of you. 

No, she was your best friend. You didn’t see her that way - or at least that’s what you told yourself.

“And you’ve never… you know, touched yourself?” you asked awkwardly, not really wanting to pry or make her uncomfortable, but genuinely curious. Her admission caught you terribly off guard and you weren’t sure if it was your interest as her best friend or your interest as someone who maybe wanted to be more than friends that pushed you to drag out the conversation.

Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment. “No,” she said quietly. “I mean I’ve tried, I just… couldn’t get there.” As the words left her mouth, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. She was certain the night couldn’t get any more embarrassing. 

The image of Wanda with her hand between her legs trying desperately to get herself off flashed in your mind and you had to suppress the groan you wanted to let out at the thought of it. 

“I’m sorry,” you responded, causing her to look up at you inquisitively. “That you’ve never, you know.” 

It could’ve been the way you said it or it could’ve been the drinks, Wanda didn’t know, but either way she was speaking once again before she could stop herself. “Is it as good as everyone says it is?”

“It’s better,” you muttered, immediately feeling bad when you saw a frown overtake her features. “I mean, it’s okay I guess.”

Wanda let out a defeated sigh. “I wish I knew what it was like, I feel like it’s this big inside joke everyone’s in on except me,” she said dejectedly. When you turned to her, she was playing with her fingers in her lap, a nervous habit of hers that you found adorable if not a little disheartening knowing she was anxious. “Vis and I tried and he- he got there. But I don’t know, I don’t think I did.”

“Oh, trust me, you would know if you did,” you quipped, trying to lighten the mood. You realized that was the wrong thing to say when she brought her knees up to her chest and avoided eye contact.

“Wanda,” you started, scooting closer to her. “It’s okay that you haven’t, I was just surprised is all. I don’t want to see you sad over this, how can I get that pretty smile back on your face?”

“Give me an orgasm,” she joked, but it came out sounding more like a demand.

You stopped breathing for a second, not sure if she meant it or not. “Do you really want that?”

It was her turn to tense up, taken aback by your response. Her eyes met yours and she could sense your nerves, which mirrored her own. “You- you would do that?” 

“I mean… I could,” you swallowed. “But would it be weird?”

She stared at you thoughtfully for a moment before replying. “I don’t think so. It would just be a friend helping out another friend, right?”

“Yeah,” you lied, knowing that doing this favor for her would be dangerous for you and your repressed crush on the brunette. “Right, exactly… a friend helping a friend.”

“Okay,” she paused and took a breath. “Then yes.” 

“Yes?” Your mind was reeling with what was happening and you were struggling to keep up.

“Yes, I want… that. For you to…” she trailed off, waiting for it to click in your mind.

“Oh, right, yeah.” Your body felt warm and you worried your hands would start sweating. “Okay, so just… here? Now?”

“I don’t see why not,” Wanda answered, fidgeting.

“How much did you drink?” You really didn’t want to miss an opportunity to touch the girl you’d been fighting the urge to want for so long, but you definitely weren’t going to take advantage.

“A little more than two beers. I’m fine, Y/N, I’m not drunk.”

You looked into her eyes for any sign that she was lying and all you saw was anticipation.

You nodded, before trying to figure out how you would do what she asked of you. “Lay down, get comfortable.”

She complied, leaning back against her pillows before looking up at you expectantly. You cleared your throat, your mouth feeling suddenly dry. Mentally trying to shake away your nerves, you moved closer so you were hovering over her.

“Is this okay?” You wanted to be sure she really wanted this.

“Yes,” Wanda breathed out. “Now get on with it.” You both chuckled and the suffocating tension began to ease up.

“Yes ma’am,” you said teasingly, before leaning forward. “Um, can I kiss you? Or do you just want me to…”

Wanda blushed, almost looking away. “If you think it will help, then it’s okay.”

You smiled reassuringly and leaned in, closing your eyes as you pressed a featherlight kiss to the corner of her mouth. Pulling away to read her reaction, you noticed her pupils had dilated and couldn’t help but smirk before attaching your lips to hers.

You kissed her slowly and gently as if to let her know she could stop you at any time, but she didn’t. She lifted her head to deepen it, following your lead as she moved her mouth against yours. 

Your tongue swiped against her lips to ask for entry and she opened her mouth in response. The first touch of your tongues together made her moan softly into your mouth and you felt a pang of arousal upon hearing it. You wanted, no, needed, to get more of those sounds out of her. 

You broke the kiss to trail your lips down her jaw and neck. You kissed the skin and sucked lightly, avoiding leaving any marks. Once you reached her ear, you took the lobe between your teeth and gave it a soft tug, noticing the way her body shuddered beneath you.

You pulled away to take her in, enjoying the sight of her so clearly worked up already. Her eyes were dark, her chest heaving. She looked adorable biting her lip as she looked up at you.

Your fingers played with the hem of her shirt, sliding into the fabric to touch heated skin, silently asking for permission to keep going.

She gave you an enthusiastic nod and you let your hands explore freely, finding her covered breasts and giving them a gentle squeeze. Her breath hitched in her throat and you wanted more. Removing your hands for just a moment, you slipped them under the cups of her bra, letting your fingers brush against her straining nipples.

A whimper escaped her mouth at the feeling of your hands on her and the delicious sound made you throb.

You decided against putting your mouth on her breasts and sucking the sensitive buds into your mouth because, as much as you wanted to, you weren’t sure if she wanted to be so exposed to someone that wasn’t her boyfriend. This wasn’t supposed to be anything more than you helping your best friend solve a problem, scratch an itch. The last thing you wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

You removed your right hand from her bra and brought it down to just where her skirt ended. “Are you ready?” you asked, drawing teasing circles on the soft skin of her thigh.

“Yeah,” Wanda answered breathily. “Please.”

The sound of her begging made your head fuzzy, but you focused on the task at hand: giving Wanda an orgasm. Just the thought of what was about to happen made you undeniably aroused.

Your hand moved up her thigh, under her skirt, until you reached her underwear. You ran your fingers along the front of her panties, almost moaning at the wetness you felt seeping through the fabric. 

“Fuck,” you mumbled, heat settling low in your stomach at the realization that Wanda was this wet for you. 

Wanda was underneath you, so turned on from your touch that she was dripping and making a mess in her panties. 

You applied more pressure, finding her clit through the fabric and rubbing small circles into it. 

Wanda threw her head back and whined, her hips jerking up at the new sensation. “That- that feels really good.”

You smiled and stopped only long enough to tug her panties down her legs. She kicked them off and spread her legs when you brought your other hand down to pry them open. 

Your fingers immediately went back to their place on her clit, massaging it more purposefully now that you were touching her without any barriers.

“Oh fuck, Y/N,” she moaned, her face scrunched up in pleasure.

Her bare pussy felt amazing under your fingertips, her clit pulsing and folds drenched. She felt soft and warm against you and you were already addicted. 

You dragged your fingers through her slick folds, nudging her clit on each upstroke, drawing cute whimpers from her. Straightening your middle finger, you slid it into her slowly, watching her face for any signs of discomfort. You knew she wasn’t a virgin, but you wanted to be gentle and work her up to an earth-shattering orgasm.

She moaned at the intrusion, her throbbing pussy practically sucking your finger in as deep as it would go. You moved it slowly in and out before adding another finger, making her gasp and buck her hips. 

You could definitely get used to the feeling of her velvety walls clenching around you, but you quickly shook the thought from your head. This was a one time thing, a favor and nothing more.

You began to thrust your fingers inside her at a steady rhythm, curling them in search of the spot that would make her scream. 

You knew you found what you were looking for when she let out a choked moan, her back arching off the bed. 

“God, that feels - oh - so good,” Wanda panted out, desperately gripping the sheets for something to hold on to.

You brought your thumb up to rub her clit in time with your thrusts, smiling to yourself at the way her hips couldn’t seem to stay still.

Your free hand came to her waist, pinning her down as you continued to pleasure her.

“You look so pretty like this, Wands,” you said, unconcerned with whether or not you might regret saying too much. “I can’t wait to see you fall apart for me.”

The moan that followed your words was nothing short of needy and loud. You couldn’t help but take a mental note that she liked being talked to while she was getting fucked. 

Whatever you were doing to her, it was working. Wanda had never felt like this even when she tried to grope her own tits and slip her own fingers inside herself. She felt a tight heat deep within her, building up, begging to be released. Her whole body felt like it was burning, a delicious warmth that started deep in her core where your fingers expertly curled against a spot she didn’t even know existed, spreading out like wildfire across the rest of her body. 

She didn’t know it could feel like this. With Vision, it started out as a dull pain from him entering her with little to no foreplay besides a lengthy makeout session. At some point it had felt nice and she could feel herself craving for a release, but it never came. He didn’t really bother to touch her clit, nor did he manage to hit whatever heavenly spot you were stroking over and over again, making her see stars.

You were nothing like him; the way you were touching her was unthinkable. She didn’t even know it was possible to feel this good.

She was close, so close she could taste it and she almost didn’t want it to end so soon. But as much as she wished she wasn’t coming undone so embarrassingly quickly, she also wanted it more than anything in the world. 

With your eyes on her, dark and full of lust, your mouth saying things that made her even wetter if that was possible, and your fingers curled deep inside, she knew she was about to break.

“I think- fuck, I think I’m gonna-” Wanda tried to get out between moans and whimpers. “It feels so…”

You leaned down until your lips were nearly touching her ear, so close she could feel your warm breath sending shivers down her spine. “Come for me, Wanda. Make a mess on my fingers.”

That was all it took for Wanda to tumble over the edge into pure bliss. Her back arched and her eyes squeezed shut, her mouth hung open in a silent scream as she trembled beneath you. Her legs closed around your hand, trapping you there, not that you had any intentions of leaving just yet, your fingers still pumping slowly inside her as she twitched against the bed. 

She clutched the sheets so tightly she was almost worried she might rip them but she couldn’t be bothered to care. She couldn’t even form a coherent thought as she rode out her orgasm, pulsing around your fingers and coating them in sticky wetness. 

When she finally came down, she laid there trying to catch her breath as your movements slowed to a stop. You tenderly pulled out, making her whine either from the emptiness or the sensitivity, and wiped your fingers off on the sheets.

She hummed as her pussy clenched with the aftershocks, finally calming down enough to open her eyes and look at you. 

When she did, she almost felt ready to go again. You were laying by her side now, still facing her, but what really drove her insane was the way you were looking at her. Your gaze was hungry, your eyes twinkling and lips parted to let out uneven breaths.

She could see in your face that you wanted her and she couldn’t remember ever feeling so desired, not even by her own boyfriend. 

The moment lasted but a second before you were sporting a smug grin like your normal self again. “How was that?” 

Wanda laughed. “Did you like… miss everything that just happened?” she joked, making you chuckle with her. “It was amazing. Thank you.”

“As good as everyone says it is?”

“It’s better,” she repeated your words from earlier back to you and you beamed at the compliment.

“Glad I could help,” you paused, trying to decide if you should say what you really wanted. “I think… I think you should break up with Vision.”

Her eyes widened, but she let you continue. 

“You deserve someone who can please you like that all the time. And it’s really not that hard if they’re actually paying attention to you and what you like. I’m not telling you what to do or trying to ruin something that makes you happy. I just think you deserve better.” 

Her heart fluttered with how much you cared about her and she didn’t know how to respond, feeling uncharacteristically shy in the face of a serious conversation about feelings, so she teased you instead. “So what you’re saying is I deserve mind-blowing orgasms.”

You snorted at that before answering. “Something like that.”

“Okay then give me another one.” She wasn’t sure where her boldness came from, but she couldn’t take it back now.

“What?” Your mouth dropped open in shock.

“I said…” She leaned forward until your faces were inches apart. “Give me another one.”

“What about Vision?” 

Wanda’s face softened, her tone becoming more serious. “I think I actually am gonna break up with Vision,” she admitted. “Not just because of what you said. Although you were right.” 

“That you deserve mind-blowing orgasms?”

She slapped you on the shoulder, laughing. “No! Well, yes, but about all the other stuff too.”

You smiled at her and couldn’t resist messing with her again. “So, about what you said…” You reached out to place a hand on her waist, gripping her hip with a smirk forming on your face as you leaned in. “I’m guessing no one’s ever tried to make you come with their mouth?”

Her breath hitched. “No,” she replied, biting her lip in anticipation.

“Let me make you feel good.”

She nodded and you lowered your head, excited to give in to temptation. As soon as she felt your mouth on her, she knew this wouldn’t be the last time.

[talesofesther]

sweet calamity | ch 10, epilogue

Wednesday Addams x Reader

Series Summary: It was something people described as the sweetest pain, the feeling of when the soul that’s destined to find yours is closer to you. Wednesday saw it as a curse, promised herself she would hate whoever was chosen for her; but it’s easier said than done.

A/N: Just a sweet little thing to thank you all so much for all the love and support you've shown for this series, it was a joy for me to write it and I'm so so happy it was just as good for you to read it, thank you. I do plan on occasionally writing extra little stories within this universe, so let me know if there's something specific you'd want to see. <3

Masterlist | Read ch 9 here

You weren't a morning person. But mornings like these? They're something close to perfect.

Soft, barely there rays of sun came through the window; they cast a golden light over your eyes that makes you frown in your sleep. You hugged your blanket closer to your chest — your stiff, oddly heavy blanket — and buried your face in it.

Last night was girl's night; Enid's insistence, much to Wednesday's dismay, and when you remembered to look at the time it was already 1 AM. Weems would have your head if she caught you roaming around past curfew, so your only option was to sleep over.

Wednesday had insisted you took her bed, while she got comfortable on a mattress on the floor.

In the middle of the night, you felt the weight of a body coming to lay down beside you. You didn't comment on it, just slid your arms around her waist and placed a kiss on the back of her neck.

Now, as your body starts to wake up, you remember it. You opened your eyes and instantly wanted to have your cellphone with you to capture what you saw.

Wednesday shared a pillow with you, she had her eyes closed, lips lightly parted as she breathed evenly; there was a softness to her, no creases to her eyebrows or sharpness to her jaw; she was completely relaxed as the golden rays kissed her skin.

You took your time to paint the image of her on your mind; the image of your girlfriend — it's been a month, and the thought still gets your stomach fluttering.

"I can feel your eyes on me," she mumbled, her eyes still closed, voice still laced with sleep.

"'m sorry," you said back just as quietly, gingerly twirling a piece of her midnight hair on your fingers, "you're just too adorable like this."

One dark eye peeked open to look at you, and as much as she tried to look murderous she still had the most adorable sleepy face, "say that again and next time you sleep over, you won't be waking up."

"Oh," You chuckled at her empty threat, "you'd miss me far too much," inching closer, you bumped your nose with hers, feeling the way her fingers closed around the fabric of your pajama shirt. She met you in the middle of the pillow, gently pecking your lips.

There's something special about being with Wednesday right as she's waking up. It's the way she snuggles closer to you, lazily placing kisses on the edge of your chin; her eyes closed as she stifles a yawn; her soft hum of contentment as she makes herself comfortable against you.

Wednesday is tender in the mornings, when sleep is still overtaking most of her senses, and the quietness of the morning air is still around you two.

You could see yourself loving these mornings.

—

"Please Wednesday, I promise it'll be fun," Enid pleaded as she and Wednesday made their way to the quad.

"You and I have very different ideas of fun," the Addams girl huffed, walking over the threshold that lead to the outside area, her gaze instantly skimmed over the outcasts hanging around in search of you.

"I bet she'd like it," Enid countered, finding you and gesturing in your direction.

Wednesday's scowl deepened when she noticed you standing by the maple tree with a certain boy beside you.

Blonde hair and blue eyes then blocked her view, "so?" Enid smirked.

Wednesday sighed as if the mere idea of a double date with Enid and Ajax was the same as signing her deathbed.

The silence stretched with a staring contest between the two friends, until one relented; "I'll think about it."

Enid's smile only grew upon hearing it; promising her friend an enjoyable night before leaving for her next class.

—

"You can come by the greenhouse later if you want, I'll be there," you offered, taking a glance at Andrew who walked beside you.

He smiled, though it looked more like a grimace, "isn't your girlfriend gonna threaten to pluck out my nails… again?"

You chuckled, trying to convey some calmness to the poor boy; "don't worry, she's sweet… most of the time," you mumbled the last part.

"If you say so."

"I do, meet me there and I'll help you find the best poisonous little flower for your assignment," you grinned, giving him a friendly wink.

He nodded eagerly, thanking you before crossing to the other side of the quad to his group of friends.

You were about to do the same, head inside to find Wednesday and walk with her to anatomy class; but a hand closing around your wrist strayed you from your path, pulling you swiftly into a corner and away from the prying eyes of your peers.

She found you first, of course.

Your body is trapped between the wall and your girlfriend, her dark eyes are boring into your soul, taunting and alluring.

"Hello my little raven," you grinned, taking hold of her blazer to tug her closer.

"I see Andrew still holds no love for his life," she greeted back, tone sultry in a way that got you shivering.

Leaning in, you peck the corner of her lips, shy of going where she wants you to and you smirked when her quiet huff of annoyance reached your ears, "he's harmless, I've told you already."

"He's a puppy with separation anxiety, castration is still considered."

Her apparent seriousness got you chuckling. You took hold of one of her braids, your heart thundering for being the only one who's allowed this close. "Does it make you feel better if I say he's terrified of you?"

Wednesday hummed, her hand sneaking around your hip, "as he should. But yes, it does feel satisfying."

"I'm yours, you know," you told her softly, looking at her even softer, "there's no need to worry."

All you got in turn was a nod, but you knew that words hardly held the same importance as actions to Wednesday; you see her affection in the way her eyes soften, the way she squeezes your waist before letting go.

You took her hand when you both stepped into the quad again, a familiar habit already — whenever you're walking side by side, her hand always finds yours.

"So, Enid has been talking about this double date…" You started, already holding back a chuckle.

Wednesday groaned, "their idea of a good date is the opposite of mine."

"I wouldn't say that," you teased, already feeling Wednesday's incredulous eyes on you, "I remember the effort you put into our first date, I think Enid would be proud."

"Shut up," Wednesday grumbled, her cheeks burning pink.

You're lucky she loves you.

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Thank you for reading ♥. Feedback and reblogs are literally what keep me motivated to continue posting here, so I'd appreciate it if you could take some time to reblog and comment if you want. <3

Wednesday’s taglist: @milkiane @bookfrog242 @heelaechan @imagine-reblog @simp4wanda26 @sakurarukas @bluetreecloud20 @the-night-owl-blr @imlike-so-gaydude @user284747 @dreifhraniquo29 @emeraldevan @simp4nat @boobabietch @impossibleliv1031 @deadpool-in-a-snood @rainbow-love4ever @maria-403 @pompompuri @halleest @wandaromanova @marveloussimp @rainbow-hedgehog @left-and-right-up-and-down @get-the-fuck-outta-here @awolfcsworld @elduster @alexkolax @georgi-salva @imdumbhi @youralphawolf72 @reginassweetheart @justyourwritter69 @yangsroboarmm @8e-h-e8 @irish-piece-of-trash @femalehomosexual666 @wol-fica @wednesdays-woes @vorsdany

[sanjisprincesswifey]

love spell ⋆ sanji x reader

summary: sanji puts a spell on you

♡: female reader. 800+ words. sfw content.

sanji jumps up at the sound of the galley door opening as the lock unlatches from its hinge. he wipes the small trail of drool from his chin, shutting the cookbook he must’ve fallen asleep on.

annoyed, his eyes shoot up to the door, expecting luffy to be sneaking in for a late-night snack. sanji genuinely questions if that lock on the fridge could actually stop luffy if it came down to it.

when you poked your head into the room, scanning the area until the two of you make eye contact, sanji sighs in relief. “oh, hi y/n. what’re you doing up?”

sheepishly, you wave to him, quietly shutting the door behind you. “sorry sanji…i wasn’t expecting anyone to be up. just wanted some water to soothe my stomach, i’m not used to being on the ocean just yet,” you joke, pointing to the sink.

“ah, don’t worry. you get used to it after a while. it is your first night with us after all.” he gets up from his own seat just to tap the counter near another, “sit down, i’ll make you some tea that is sure to cure a stomachache instead.”

“that’s so sweet, but you don’t have to—” before you can even finish your sentence, he’s already reaching into a cupboard for the tea kettle. “thank you,” you resign.

“i aim to please,” he smiles, pouring in some water and grabbing the appropriate ingredients.

you glance over your shoulder to the books that cluttered the table, able to read the titles for a couple, smiling at the ones you recognize. “doing some reading?”

“hmm? oh yeah, those. saw a couple of books on your home island that i didn’t recognize so i figured i’d learn some to make you feel more at home here,” he softly admits.  

staring at his back for a minute, you blink once or twice to make sure you had clearly heard what he said. “why would you do that?” was all you managed to ask.

“i remember how difficult it was when i adjusted to being here, thought it would help you to, you know, make you feel more at home here with m—us,” he chuckles, leaving the kettle to boil and coming over to you.

he picks up one of the books, handing it to you to look through as he watches your smile grow wider after each page.

you begin folding down the corners, pointing out recipes that would go best with what meals and your own personal favorites. “in my opinion, these ones are some of the best and you’re a really good cook so i’m sure you could make them ten times better than i could,” you sheepishly admit.

“well, i don’t know about that, but maybe you could help me make them for dinner. i could use a native’s expertise,” he offers, leaning in near you to read over the lines of each page.

sanji’s shoulder is only inches apart from yours as you watch his slender fingers scan the page, mumbling the words that accompany them slightly under his breath.

there’s an unexplainable pull you feel in your chest, it’s strange but you can’t seem to make yourself look away from the man in front of you.

“these seem simple enough; though i’d love for you to join me in the kitchen tomorrow, if don’t mind, of course,” sanji smiles, turning his head ever so slightly. his movements are slow and that pull tells you to not back away, keeping little distance between your faces.

“yeah, i think i’d like that,” you breathe. your confidence seems a little high-strung now that sanji didn’t seem to back down either, the corner of his lips pulling into a sly smirk.

the high pitch tone of the kettle drags you both away, much to sanji’s disgruntlement. you watch the boiling water pour into both his and your cup and the delicate aroma of your beverage overtakes you as you enjoy a sip.

“i’ve never had tea this good before,” you compliment, which sanji accepts with a smile. looking over the ingredients on the counter, you notice a few that you recognized.

a quiet gasp leaves your lips when you remembered those particular ingredients are in a certain love spell tea that circulated around your home island. noticing the nearly half-empty glass in your hand, you can’t help but giggle.

“thank you sanji, i think i’ll be heading to bed now.”

his face falters a bit and so does yours, but you make your way to the door with your cup in hand anyway. you hesitate when you reach for the doorknob, and when you cautiously look back, sanji had already been staring back at you with a satisfied look in his eye.

when you exit, sanji stares at the door just a little bit longer with a goofy smile on his face. he walks over to the table, flipping the pages and reading over the instructions for the tea he had just made you from the page he was drooling on earlier.

like, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated! (✿◠‿◠)

[weemssapphic]

Hi :) I have a Larissa x reader request, feel no pressure to do this if u don’t want to and ofc u can mix it up and stuff <3

I’ve had this song from mean girls stuck in my head all week and I was wondering if you could perhaps write a young!larissa x young!reader fic based on this song? For example, Larissa wanted readers attention so she changed herself to be more like the popular girlies (perhaps morticia?) or asked reader to tutor her in a subject to spend more time w/ them only to find out that reader preferred her before she changed herself.

The song ends in angst but the fic could be however you like ofc. Anyways I just love the idea of Larissa being like cady from mean girls, tish being like Regina and reader being like Aaron.

If u do end up doing this- thank u sm 🥹 and if u don’t wanna, don’t worry :) I love ur work and I’m happy to read anything u write 💘

a/n: thank you again for the request! i really really hope this did it justice because damn, was i excited to write this! even though the song ends on an angsty note, this fic will have a happy ending <3

young!Larissa Weems x young!fem!reader {other pairings: references to (young!)Morticia Frump x reader, Morticia x Gomez}

words: ~6.1k (oops)

warnings/content: slight angst with a fluffy ending, Larissa is adorably shy, Morticia is possessive as shit, sapphic yearning

You Don’t Have to Pretend With Me

A light breeze passed through the quad - the last days of summer were slowly waning, giving way to cooler autumn weather. The colder air raised the hairs on your arm and you felt Morticia’s arm slink loosely around your waist, her warm palm coming to rest on your forearm and gently stroking the skin there. 

“Are you cold? Gomez, give her your jacket,” she snapped her fingers at the boy, who immediately began to shrug off his blazer at the command.

“Tish, I’m fine,” you soothed, leaning into her touch, your eyes darting subconsciously over to her roommate, Larissa. Her eyes bore holes into the stone surface of the table as she twisted her fingers in her lap. You shifted in Morticia’s grip and gently kicked at Larissa’s shins under the table, causing her to jump in surprise. A smirk graced your lips at the blush that crept up her cheeks - you’d noticed more often lately that the taller blonde was rather shy around you, and you couldn’t help but tease her a bit. You loved how easily you were able to fluster her, adored the pinkish hue that would overtake her face, a bit like your own personal sunset.

“Earth to Larissa. Are you with us?”

“Sorry, I must’ve zoned out for a moment,” she mumbled, smiling in such a dorky way that had you struggling to suppress your swooning.

“Morticia and I are going shopping on Sunday, you wanna come?” Larissa’s eyes lit up and she nodded, soft blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders. 

You felt the arm around your waist tighten possessively and bit your lip. Your relationship with Morticia was, in a word, complicated. You’d been dating on and off for around a year now, though most of that time was admittedly off. You’d most recently decided you were better off as good friends, but sometimes Morticia’s flirtatious and rather possessive side still came out to play.

But Larissa, she was different… where Morticia was a little overwhelming, always in your personal space, Larissa was reserved, held back. Where Morticia loved to show off, Larissa expressed her pride quietly. Larissa was always so soft and reassuring, showing you so much compassion and empathy whenever you’d confided in each other. She was intelligent and quick-witted and knew how to use it to her advantage. And god, she was breathtakingly beautiful…

The bell rang, signaling the end of your lunch break. Thanking the heavens that you had a free period, you sighed and leaned into Morticia’s casual embrace to shield yourself from another cold breeze, waving goodbye to Larissa and Gomez as they headed off to their next class together. 

—

As soon as he was sure he was out of earshot of you and Morticia, Gomez stopped dead in his tracks, nearly causing Larissa to stumble over his much shorter figure. 

“Gomez, what are you-”

“Larissa, you like her, yes?”

“Who are you-” Larissa’s eyes went wide, then her face flushed as she realized to whom Gomez was referring. Of course he’d caught on - the boy was no fool when it came to romance, and he’d caught her staring at you when she thought you weren’t looking more than once. 

“Yes,” she relented with a huff and an eye roll. “But it doesn’t matter, it’s not like I compare to Morticia anyway.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice, her blue eyes wavered a bit and she cast them to the floor. She was not going to cry, not in front of Gomez.

“Larissa, how could she not love you?!” Gomez lifted Larissa’s chin to hold her gaze and she rolled her eyes at the boy. 

“What do you want?” She narrowed her eyes at him, critically searching his face for any signs of mischief - he’d never been this kind to her, she suspected he mostly hung out with you guys to get closer to Morticia. 

Gomez let out a long sigh. “It’s obvious you have eyes for Y/N. And I’ve been trying to court Tish for a while now. Both can’t happen if they’re still all over each other. And I’d like to ask Tish to the Rave’n this year.”

“Okay… what does this have to do with me?”

“You have to distract Y/N.”

Larissa snorted. “So that you can make a move on Morticia. Right. And how do you suppose I do that, Gomez? Morticia’s all over her.”

“She’s very good at botany. She could tutor you. You get close, spend some time together, just the two of you. Give me time to woo Morticia.”

“But I don’t need a tutor, I’m the best in our class…”

“You don’t have to need one,” Gomez rolled his eyes. “Just pretend to need one.”

Larissa chewed her bottom lip as she considered his proposal. Just then, your melodic laughter floated from the quad and caught her attention. She looked over his shoulder just in time to see Morticia pull you onto her lap and tuck your hair behind your ear. Her stomach dropped, a familiar twinge of jealousy burning bright in her chest, licking at her ribcage like an untamed flame.

“Fine,” she snapped. “I’ll do it. This better be worth it.” 

— 

“Tish,” you cried out between giggles as the dark-haired girl pulled you onto her lap and brushed your hair off your face, tucking it behind your ear. 

“Yes, mon cher?” She raised her eyebrows and grinned down at you, causing you to blush deeply and look away. Your eyes met Larissa’s across the quad. She seemed upset somehow, and you offered her a sheepish smile. Even with a frown on those pouty red lips, you thought she was the most beautiful girl at Nevermore, and your stomach did a backflip imagining it was Larissa pulling you into her lap, not Morticia. Maybe if you could somehow get her alone, if she weren’t so damn shy around you…

~~~

Sunday rolled around and that meant it was finally time to go shopping with Morticia and Larissa. Once you were ready, you burst into the girl’s shared dorm room, a wide grin spread on your face. 

“Mooorning, ladies, are we ready?” You sing-songed, plopping down on Morticia’s bed and watching as she sauntered over to give you a hug. 

“Nearly,” she said. “If that one finishes her makeup soon.” She jerked her thumb at Larissa who sat at her vanity in the corner, applying her lipstick. Larissa paused mid-stroke, looking mildly annoyed, and furrowed her brows. 

“Take your time,” you cooed from across the room, before an argument could ensue. “You’ll look gorgeous.” 

Larissa’s cheeks reddened, she quickly averted her gaze and focused on her reflection in the mirror, a slight tremor overcoming her hands. Morticia sighed dramatically and sat down next to you on the bed, handing you her brush in a silent command to brush her hair, which you happily took over for her, while keeping an eye on the blonde from the corner of your eye. 

Ten minutes later you were out the door, following the roommates down the winding staircase of Ophelia Hall, trying to keep yourself from staring at Larissa. She looked stunning today, her long, silvery blonde hair pulled away from her face, curled into an elegant ponytail. Whenever she pulled back her hair, it emphasized her smooth, porcelain cheekbones and arched brows, drawing attention to the sapphire pools of her eyes… And then there was the matter of her style, so different from Morticia’s and even your own. A high-cut white turtleneck, with a long gold skirt and a matching coat. Oh shit, now you were staring. You coughed and covered your face to hide your blush and followed your friends outside.

The taxi ride to Burlington was a bit tense, as the cab driver was suspicious of outcasts, and Morticia’s goth aesthetic coupled with Larissa’s impressive height never failed to make them stick out. The three of you breathed a collective sigh of relief as you were all but dumped outside the mall entrance.

Morticia set the pace for the day, as she usually did, dragging the two of you in and out of various shops until she found something worth trying on, which was how you found yourself sitting on a chair in a dressing room, waiting for Morticia to try on outfit after outfit. For each dress, she gave you quite the show, twirling around and showing off, tossing you a wink and blowing kisses in your direction. You humored her, giving her the “oohs” and “ahhs” she so desperately desired, telling her which dresses were “simply made for you!”

Little did you know, Larissa was watching from the sidelines, absolutely seething. Seeing how you responded to Morticia, to the dark, provocative things Morticia tried on… so completely the opposite of the conservative, drab things she herself normally wore. If she was going to get your attention, she was going to have to step up her game.

“Larissa, did you find anything?” You asked her softly, noticing that the blonde was lost in her own thoughts. 

“I did, in fact,” she answered rather smugly, brushing past you towards a changing room and all but slamming the door behind her.

Minutes later, the door to Larissa’s changing room opened. She emerged and your breath caught in your throat. 

“Rissa?” She looked… different, that was for sure. The sleeveless black gown was a stark contrast to her alabaster skin, you racked your brain but you weren’t sure you’d ever seen her wear all black before. It clung to her curves like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination, bringing a flush to your cheeks. Her breasts all but spilled out the top - you were sure you’d heard her complain before about Morticia wearing similar low-cut pieces.

“Do you like it?” She was breathless and looked very eager, a shy smile plastered on her face, cheeks dusted pink, and you thought it was the cutest smile you’d ever seen - you couldn’t possibly tell her you thought it was a bit… out of place on her. Maybe she wanted to branch out a bit? And you had to admit you didn’t really mind the extra bit of skin showing. You bit your lip and nodded, relishing in the grin that spread across her face at your approval.

“God, I’m exhausted after all that shopping,” you giggled a short while later, as the three of you stood in line at the food court. “I can’t wait to sit down and eat.”

“Rest your head on my shoulder, mon cher, it’s the perfect height,” Morticia cooed, drawing you into her and allowing you to rest against her. You hummed absentmindedly and Larissa’s shoulders stiffened from where she towered over the two of you. You eyed her with interest, wondering why she was suddenly so tense, but you didn’t have time to linger on the thought as Morticia pushed you up to the counter to order lunch for the three of you.

~~~

You were always the first to arrive to botany class, and as such you saved your friends' seats around you. Soon after, Morticia arrived, Gomez trailing behind her like a lost puppy. She slid into the empty chair next to you and Gomez took a seat at the table behind you. 

“Where’s Larissa?” You craned your neck towards the door, wondering if you’d somehow missed her. 

Morticia let out a groan and pinched the bridge of her nose. “She’s having some sort of identity crisis. She’s coming.” She sounded annoyed, and just as you were about to ask her what exactly she meant by “identity crisis”, Larissa walked into the classroom.

It quickly became apparent what Morticia had meant. The girl had traded her signature cherry-red lipstick for something darker, a plum color similar to what Morticia generally opted for, and even her eye makeup was considerably darker than usual. She also seemed… shorter somehow? You couldn’t quite place it, but she didn’t seem to tower over everyone quite as much as she usually did. She took her place behind you, next to Gomez, and you turned around, worry marring your features. 

“Larissa, are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” Her eyes widened imperceptibly, brows knitting together as she offered you an unnerving grin.

“It’s just… yeah. Nevermind. You look good,” you offered weakly, smiling and turning back around as your botany teacher, Ms. Morrison, was starting the lesson.

“Miss Weems, we’re looking at Triphyophyllum peltatum today. Could you be so kind as to tell the class which family this plant belongs to?”

“Umm… is it Droseraceae?”

Ms. Morrison’s brow creased. “Unfortunately, Miss Weems, that is incorrect. I expected better from you.”

You stole a glance at Larissa, who gazed sheepishly down at her desk. It went like this a few more times, Larissa answering questions incorrectly and Ms. Morrison becoming increasingly more annoyed. 

When the bell rang, you felt a hand on your shoulder. Looking up, it belonged to Larissa. She was definitely closer to your height now. Weird. You were brought out of your daze at her next words.

“You’re good at botany, right?” She fiddled nervously with the hem of her blazer.

“I mean, I think I’m pretty decent, yeah.”

“Well… clearly I’m pretty shit at it. There’s no way I’m passing the midterm like this. Do you think you could tutor me this semester?”

You were taken aback by the request - you’d always thought Larissa was intelligent, way smarter than you were, she was top of nearly every class. You’d never dreamed of having to tutor her in anything. But judging by today’s lesson she really was struggling, and you would never pass up the opportunity to finally get to spend some one on one time with her - away from Morticia’s prying eyes, no less.

“Of course, Larissa. I would love to. How about you come to my room after dinner, my roommate won’t be there and it’ll be quiet,” you grinned at the flush this brought to Larissa’s face. She agreed and you parted ways, spending the rest of your day with your head in the clouds, daydreaming about your study date with Larissa.

~~~

After dinner you all but ran up to your dorm room. This would be the first time you’d spent time alone with Larissa and even though you knew it was only a study date, you wanted to impress her anyway. You freshened up your makeup and decided to throw on your favorite forest green cardigan, just as you heard a knock on your door.

With a deep breath, you opened the door. Larissa stood before you, her makeup still, well, extremely overdone. She wore a short skirt paired with a black, lacy blouse that had nearly all the buttons undone, drawing attention to her cleavage and the scarlet bra she wore underneath. You gulped and drew your attention back to her face, stepping back a bit to allow Larissa to step into your room and (hopefully) giving you time to cool the blush on your cheeks.

“Make yourself comfortable. Do you want something to drink? Tabitha convinced Ms. Morrison to let us get a mini fridge in here and we just stocked it up last weekend. Or I could make you tea or something?”

“Tea would be lovely,” Larissa smiled shyly, sitting gingerly at the edge of your bed and playing with the hem of her skirt. 

You plugged in your electric kettle and waited for the water to boil, a comfortable silence falling over the dorm room as you prepared two mugs. The tea bags were on a shelf next to your desk, just out of your reach, and you grunted as you pushed yourself onto your toes, stretching out to grasp for the box.

“Rissa,” you complained loudly, turning towards her and giving her your best pitiful pout. “I’m too short. Can you reach the tea bags for me?”

Larissa made to stand up, then hesitated a moment, hovering over the edge of the bed. “Umm… I don’t know. I… yeah I’ll see…” she stepped over to the shelf, reaching towards the box but her arm wasn’t quite long enough. “Sorry… I can just climb on the desk though, it’s fine.” She seemed frustrated with herself as she clambered up in order to reach the shelf and pull down the box of tea bags for you.

You took the box from her, eyeing her as she slipped back down and stood there awkwardly as if waiting to be dismissed. 

“Did you shapeshift?” you asked quietly, watching Larissa out of the corner of your eye as you poured the boiling water into the mugs. Larissa nodded, folding her arms across her chest and seemingly caving in on herself, eyes trained on the water kettle in your hand.

You nodded back, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable, and handed her one of the mugs, a white mug with a rainbow unicorn. 

“Soooo… Larissa Weems is bad at botany?” you teased, pinching her side and moving to sit on your bed, curling your legs under you and patting the empty spot at your side.

Larissa looked like she was about to argue, then thought better of it and swallowed thickly, coming to sit beside you. 

“Y-yes, well I took a look at the homework that’s due next week and I don’t understand any of it, I’m afraid.”

“Then let’s start there,” you gave her a reassuring smile and grabbed your textbook from where you’d tossed it at the foot of the bed earlier, scooting closer to her until your thighs pressed together and you could feel her warm breath on your cheek. 

As the evening wore on, you’d gotten a fair bit of studying done, but the botany textbook was soon discarded on the floor of your dorm room. The two of you were laying on your backs, giggling about something that had happened in class the other day, when you decided you were going to be brave.

You reached out until you felt Larissa’s hand, warm against your own. You threaded your fingers between hers, lifting her hand up and tracing the faint lines on her palm with the pad of your thumb. You could hear her breath hitch next to you, which only spurred you on. 

“Larissa?” You turned your head to face her, waiting until your gazes locked, and for a moment the air around you stilled, your stomach turning pleasantly.

“Yeah?” There was a beat of silence, the only sound was the rustling of some leaves outside the window. Larissa’s eyes were wide, her lips parted slightly, warm breath coming out in ragged puffs.

The door to your room slammed open as your roommate stepped over the threshold and tossed her bag unceremoniously at the foot of her bed. You groaned, slamming your eyes shut and giving Larissa’s hand an apologetic squeeze. 

“Y/N, what are you - oh, shit, I’m sorry!” Tabitha’s eyes widened as her gaze fell to your hand, fingers still intertwined with Larissa’s. “I thought you’d be done by now, it’s nearly 2 am.”

“It’s fine,” you pushed yourself up on your elbows and gave Tabitha a meek smile. “I didn’t realize it was that late.”

Tabitha offered you a salacious smirk as she crossed over to bed and plopped down, crossing her legs. “So what have you two lovebirds been up to?”

“Tabitha!” You tossed your pillow at her head and she let out a hearty chuckle, catching it and grinning at you, but saying no more.

Larissa was frozen in place next to you, cheeks rosy, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.

“Can I walk you back to your room?” You slid to the edge of your bed and offered her your hand, praying you weren’t overstepping, grateful when she beamed up at you and took said hand.

Throwing a glare back at Tabitha (who had the decency to at least pretend to look ashamed), you guided Larissa up the two flights of stairs to her dorm room, apologizing profusely for your roommates utter lack of manners. 

“It’s fine,” Larissa giggled, her hand warm and so very soft in your own. “She seems funny, and like she cares about you.”

“Yeah, she’s alright I guess,” you rolled your eyes playfully, having arrived at the door to Larissa’s room. “So, umm… I was thinking maybe we could meet at the Weathervane after class on Thursday? You know, to study… or whatever.”

“Or whatever?” Larissa’s smile unnerved you and your gaze dropped to the ground, you suddenly felt a bit lame for even suggesting it. Would she even want to go with you? Didn’t she have better things to do? “I can’t wait.”

You looked up, meeting sapphire eyes that danced with excitement. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

~~~

You stood in line at the Weathervane, humming quietly to yourself as you waited for the barista to take the order of the businessman in front of you. A pair of gloved hands came to rest over your eyes, causing you to yelp and jump out of your skin. 

“Guess who?” The smooth, English accent of the low voice in your ear gave her away in an instant.

“Riss,” you grinned, pulling at her wrists. “Don’t scare me like that!”

“Sorry, it was too tempting!” Larissa pulled you into a one-armed hug, which you gladly reciprocated, enjoying the closeness to the object of your affections.

“What can I get for you?” The barista - Kevin, if his name tag was anything to go by - eyed the two of you warily. It was no secret the disdain that the normies held for outcasts, and even though you were used to it in your daily interactions here in Jericho, it still stung a bit.

“I’ll have a cappuccino. Larissa?”

“Could I get a hot chocolate please?”

Kevin nodded, ringing up your order. “That’ll be $6.00 even.”

“Allow me,” you swatted away Larissa’s hands as she reached for her purse and proceeded to pay for the order, then ushered her towards a booth at the back of the café. 

“Thanks for paying, you didn’t have to,” Larissa’s voice was quiet, as if she hoped you wouldn’t hear her, and you reached out to hold her hand across the table. “I wanted to,” your thumb stroked the back of her hand and she ducked her head, looking up at you through mascara-coated eyelashes. Your heart began to thump erratically in your chest and you considered closing the distance between the two of you as a shadow appeared next to the table. Kevin cleared his throat, awkwardly placing your mugs down in front of you and shuffling away.

You sat back with a huff, groaning internally at another moment lost to some external intrusion. Even when Morticia wasn’t there, the world seemed hell-bent on ruining every intimate moment you had with Larissa.

The girl in question took a sip of her hot chocolate, setting the mug down between the two of you and pushing it across the table.

“You have to try it, it’s the best I’ve ever had!”

Your gaze flicked down to the mug, eyes drawn to the lipstick mark at the rim. It was the exact shade of plum that Morticia always wore, you noted. You picked up the mug, gingerly, as if it would shatter in your hands. For a brief moment, you wondered if you should drink from that exact spot. Be daring, you told yourself. Your pulse skyrocketed at the thought. How would Larissa react? You locked eyes with the blonde, who watched you eagerly.

You chickened out, placing your lips on the opposite side of the rim and taking a sip.

“Mm, yeah, it’s really good!” Larissa grinned smugly, clearly proud that she’d been right to make a good recommendation.

You pulled out your botany textbook, deciding you might as well do what you’d come here for and at least help the struggling girl a little bit. She was a quick learner, which was good, considering you were finding it harder and harder to focus with her leaning across the table - her breath ghosting over your face, her perfume clouding your senses, her cleavage on full display. 

Your mugs were long empty and the evening crowd was slowly clearing out of the café. The sky outside the window was casting hues of orange and pink on the table, on Larissa’s porcelain skin and silver hair. She looked ethereal in this light, her eyes glistening, leaving you entranced. Kevin was starting to sweep the floors, his gaze flitting in your direction every so often - probably a sign you should be getting up to leave soon.

“I think he wants us to leave,” you sucked your bottom lip between your teeth and eyed Kevin as he moved to clean the espresso machine, his eyes wandering again over to your booth. You were the only two customers left.

“I don’t want today to be over,” Larissa admitted with a sigh, pulling your attention back to the striking blonde.

“I don’t either…” It was now or never. “Larissa… do you think maybe you’d want to go on a date with me?” You held your breath as you waited for a reply.

“Like… a real date?” Larissa’s eyes shone with wonder, her tone was hushed, as if she was afraid you’d take it back.

“Yeah, no studying or anything like that. A real date.”

Larissa beamed. “I would love to.”

You let out a shaky breath. “Perfect. Maybe we should get out of here now though, before Kevin over there bans us from the Weathervane permanently or something. I would hate for you to have to miss out on your hot chocolate.” 

Your teasing earned you a hearty laugh and Larissa took your hand as the two of you darted from the café.

~~~

Larissa took your breath away from where she stood at the center of the quad. Her hair hung long and pin-straight down her back, her plump lips were painted a shade of deep purple, her sapphire eyes dark and sultry. Today she’d opted to wear the black gown she’d tried on when you’d gone shopping with Morticia, and you needed a moment to tamp down your blush before making your presence known to her.

“Hi,” she replied breathlessly.

“You ready?” She nodded and you led her out of the school and down the winding path to the lake. Butterflies erupted in your belly as the back of your hand brushed against Larissa’s, and your heart constricted in the most pleasant way as Larissa took your hand in her own.

You walked in companionable silence until you reached the docks. Once there, you tossed down your bag and sat at the edge of the dock, pulling at Larissa’s hand and urging her to sit next to you. 

“Thanks again for tutoring me,” Larissa said softly. 

“Of course,” you scooted closer to her, hearing her breath hitch as your thighs met. “I get to spend more time with you this way. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I think you’re really beautiful.”

Larissa’s gaze met yours, hope swirling in those sapphire pools. “You do?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. 

“I do,” you confirmed, bravely tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, feeling her shiver beneath your touch.

“Sorry, it’s a bit chilly,” Larissa giggled, and you took the opportunity to pull her into you, rubbing your palms gently over her bare arms.

“I mean, yeah, you’re barely wearing anything,” you retorted, burying your face in her neck, dangerously close to her cleavage, breathing in her intoxicating scent. It completely overwhelmed you, made you dizzy with desire, and you had to place a hand on Larissa’s thigh to steady yourself.

“I mean, apparently it worked,” she leaned back slightly to wink at you, causing your heart to flutter. “Like pretending I needed a tutor.”

“Wait… what? Pretending?” What did she mean pretending?

“Yeah…” Larissa twisted her fingers in her lap. “I-I pretended to be bad at botany to get you to talk to me.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. You’d never thought Larissa would lie to you like that. Morticia had manipulated you during your relationship, you knew that much, you were even used to it, but Larissa? You thought she was different. 

“Why didn’t you just talk to me?”

“Because of Morticia. Because you were her property.”

“Her property?” That had you seething. You were no one’s property.

“No, shut up, not property-” Larissa’s eyes were wide with panic now, she tried to lay a gentle hand on your arm but you pulled away as if you’d been burned, sitting back on your heels. 

“No, don’t tell me to shut up! You are like a clone of Morticia!”

Larissa’s dark lips fell into a pout, her chin began to wobble. “No, wait - I mean, I just thought you liked that… you like her!”

“I liked you more. The old you. Not whatever this is.” You waved a dismissive hand over Larissa’s form, causing her to shrink back and cross her arms over her chest. You almost felt bad at how insecure she looked, but you were too angry to care.

“Is that why you’re wearing all this? Is that what the makeup is? Because you think I want you to look like Morticia?” you spat out. You’d spent the last year with Morticia, you didn’t want to spend another year with her clone. You’d really liked Larissa the way she was.

Larissa flinched at your tone, at the pure venom dripping from every word. “Morticia looks really good,” she shrugged, eyes downcast, twisting her hair between her fingers as her eyes began to water.

“I don’t care what Morticia looks like. That’s just her style. I liked your style. I liked how you looked.” You stood up, slinging your bag over your shoulder and turning on your heel, before chancing a final glance at the blonde.

“And you know what?” Larissa looked up, watery eyes meeting yours, pale tear tracks streaking her cheeks. “You didn’t need to shapeshift to impress me.” Larissa bit her lip as you stormed off back towards your dorm, not stopping until you were facedown in your bed. You were eternally grateful that Tabitha had chosen that evening to spend the night with her boyfriend (“just in case you and Larissa need some alone time”, she’d said with a wink, you recalled bitterly).

The tears flowed freely then and you allowed yourself to cry into your pillow. You couldn’t believe Larissa had betrayed you like that, that you’d fallen for something so stupid. Of course she was good at botany. She was good at everything - she didn’t need you. And did she really think you were so vain, so shallow, that you only wanted Morticia, that you only wanted Morticia for her aesthetic and her body?

That night, you cried yourself to sleep, wondering how you’d ever face Larissa again. Wondering if she really thought so little of you. Wondering if the Larissa you’d fallen for was gone for good. If she’d want you anymore. If you even wanted her anymore. Your stomach clenched and and your heart ached as sobs racked your body, only stopping when the first rays of morning sunlight began to filter in through your curtains and exhaustion finally overtook your body and threw you into a fitful slumber.

~~~

You’d successfully managed to avoid Larissa for a few days after that, but eventually you had to go to botany class. You were nearly late, and annoyed to find that Morticia hadn’t saved you a seat. Your usual seat was occupied by Gomez, who was doting on your ex-girlfriend - and she was soaking up every bit of attention she was getting. Good for her, she deserves it, you thought, at least she’ll leave me alone for a few days.

The bad news was that this meant you were stuck next to Larissa. She gave you a meek smile as you slid into the seat next to her, which you returned half-heartedly. You were happy to see that at least her face was devoid of makeup, save for some mascara and her signature red lipstick, and that her hair was curled again and pulled back into some fancy updo. 

“Can anyone tell me which plant we’re dealing with here today?” Ms. Morrison asked.

Larissa raised her hand and Ms. Morrison gave her a curt nod.

“Atropa belladonna - deadly nightshade.”

“Hm. Thank you, Miss Weems. Good to have you back.” 

Larissa continued to impress, even correcting your answer at one point as you worked on a group assignment, to which you only responded with a raised eyebrow. Larissa bowed her head and lowered her gaze to her own paper, chewing at her lip to keep from saying anything else.

The rest of the week was rather lonely. Morticia was distracted, having apparently been thoroughly romanced by Gomez. They seemed to spend every free period making out in some corner of the quad, Morticia straddling Gomez’s lap and giving the students of Nevermore Academy quite the show. 

More than anything you wanted to talk to Larissa, but you didn’t know how. It was like every time you were in the same room, your mouth went dry. You were still wary after having been lied to - sure it had come from a good place, she’d wanted to impress you. But by pretending to be a ditzy airhead version of Morticia? Did she really think you were that stupid?

Divine intervention took over and the decision to talk to Larissa was taken off your hands when you were sitting in the quad, reading, knees tucked under your chin, as a shadow appeared behind you.

“Hey.” Your heart clenched as you realized how much you’d missed that soft voice.

“Larissa,” you looked up at the taller girl - she was definitely back to her normal height, as she now towered over you again.

“May I sit?” She crossed her arms defensively over her chest as she waited for a response.

“Of course,” you scooted over to give her more space. She left a few inches between the two of you, and seemed rather stiff.

“Those two won’t leave each other alone, I can barely go back to my room. They’re just so damn loud all the time.” There was a hint of annoyance in Larissa’s tone and you followed her gaze towards Morticia and Gomez, who were enjoying each other’s company on the other side of the quad.

You snorted, closing your book and watching the pair with amusement. “You could always come to my room,” you offered, somewhat unsure about your proposal but knowing that, despite everything, you’d love to spend more time with her.

You heard a sharp intake of breath and turned to watch Larissa’s face carefully - she seemed to be grappling with something.

“I wanted to apologize for the way I acted,” Larissa began timidly, “I made an assumption and it appears I was wrong. I thought you would like me more if I changed myself. I didn’t think I was interesting enough to compete with Morticia, because I’ve always been second best to her. I didn’t think this would be any different.”

“Well I don’t think you’re second best at all… not to me anyway,” you took Larissa’s hand in yours and laced your fingers together. “I fell for you long before you decided to become some sort of weird Morticia clone.” It had slipped out before you knew what you were saying, and a heat rose in your cheeks, all the way to the tips of your ears.

“You fell for me, huh?” Larissa’s cheeks looked just as pink as yours felt.

“Maybe,” you whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Then maybe you wouldn’t mind going to the Rave’n with me?” Larissa met your gaze, cocking her head to the side in question.

“Yes! I mean no, no I wouldn’t mind!” You blurted out, internally scolding yourself for seeming so eager. Larissa let out the breath she was holding.

“Be sure to ditch that ghastly makeup though. It may suit Morticia but I much prefer your lipstick.” You winked and Larissa’s lips twitched up into a hesitant smile.

Larissa leaned in, placing a chaste kiss at the corner of your mouth, leaving behind a light stain of red lipstick and causing your heart to flutter pleasantly.

Suddenly, long arms enveloped you and dragged you onto her lap, drawing a loud squeak from your chest.

“Since when has the Larissa Weems gotten so bold?” you teased after regaining your composure. 

Larissa sunk her teeth into her plush lower lip, clearly weighing her next words carefully. “Since I saw Morticia do that and decided I wanted to know what it was like.”

“And?” You were breathless, you were both breathless. 

“I think I could get used to it.”

-

thank you to @afeatherformills for the beta, as well as my gf for swooping in with some last minute ideas to save my ass lmao.

tags for those who may be interested: @orchidsshine @sapphicsbeloved @scumppa @zephyr-is-tired

[forhappysake]

What Lurks Within, Pt. 4

Author's Note: Simply enjoy!

Content: When the BAU has their first solid lead on the Denver case, Y/N volunteers to interview the suspect with Luke's help. After gaining a fresh perspective and a new lead, the group decides it's time to examine the personal lives of one of Denver's most important officer's: the police chief.

Warnings: General anxiety, brief mentions of Cat Adams, some bickering, sexism and mentions of domestic abuse, brief mentions of drug use and adultery, established relationship, fluff

As I went to follow Luke out of the room, Spencer caught my arm, taking me by surprise. “Why are you doing this to yourself?” he asked, a hint of anger burning in his eyes. 

“What do you mean, Spencer? I’m doing my job,” I tried to pull my arm away, but he kept me in his solid grasp.

“You haven’t been in an interrogation room since…” he trailed off, letting the silence overtake us. I knew what he was thinking. You haven’t been in an interrogation room since the night you and I took on Cat Adams.

I paused for a moment to take a breath. “I know that, Spencer. Do you think I don’t know that? It’s time for me to stop being afraid and start getting back out there. Besides, this guy is a detective in his own department’s interrogation room, I don’t think he’s going to do anything crazy.” I tried to reassure him, but he kept staring at me with a look that I couldn’t quite read. 

I gently removed his hand from my arm, bringing one of my own up to cup his cheek. “I’m fine, Spence. You said it yourself, I can’t be sidelined.” He met your eyes, and the anger burning there had morphed into genuine concern. 

“I’ll be behind the glass the whole time,” he said quietly, leaning into your touch. 

“I know you will.” With that, I slowly removed my hand from his cheek and followed Luke down the hallway to where he waited outside the interrogation room. Luke opened the door for me, allowing me to slip in first. As I waited for Luke to shut the door, I saw Spencer disappear down the hallway, into a room where he could watch the interrogation behind the protective, one-way glass. 

The door closed with a click and I turned to face the man in front of me. Up close, the forty-something year old Jason Andrews was no looker. His slicked back dark hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in months. His teeth were an odd shade of something yellow, and I thought I noticed the faint scent of body odor wafting about the room. He was relatively short with an average build, and a suit that was a size too big. Luke and I sat down across from him, as Luke rested his file on the table. I could feel Andrews’ eyes on me, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of my acknowledgement just yet. 

“What’s all this about?” Andrews asked, leaning back in the metal chair he’d been sitting in for nearly an hour. 

“We want to talk about your coworker, Ryan Whittendon,” Luke said. I watched Andrews’ expression for any sign of response, and for a brief moment I thought I saw a hint of malice cross his face. 

He let out a breathy laugh, “What do you wanna know? The kid’s a good guy.” Luke opened the file in front of him, thumbing through some papers. He pulled out the article about Whittendon’s promotion to Head Homicide Detective, setting it in front of Andrews. 

“I want to know what you have to say about this.” Andrews crossed his arms in front of his body, tilting his head to examine the article. 

“What am I supposed to say?” Andrews deadpanned. 

I took the opportunity to speak for the first time. I feigned sympathy. “Whittendon beating you out after all your hard work must have been pretty disappointing, huh?” I offered him an empathetic smile, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. 

I could see the smirk forming on Andrews’ face. He turned to Luke. “Well, isn’t she a doll?” Though I couldn’t have seen him behind the one-way glass, I could almost feel Spencer’s eyes boring into the back of my head. I continued my act, twirling a pencil innocently between my fingers. 

Luke chose not to respond, shuffling through the papers again before pulling out the document Emily had shown us minutes before. The number of complaints against Andrews highlighted in neon yellow on the front page. Luke set the paper in front of him, covering up the article about Whittendon. “Are comments like that the reason you have twenty-seven harassment complaints from coworkers?” Luke asked. 

Andrews looked at the file, his smirk replaced by a grimace. He picked up the document for a moment before grunting and setting it back down on the table. “It’s not my fault,” he started, “all these women are just too sensitive to accept good loving from Jason.” His use of the third person almost made me bust out into laughter, but I maintained my persona. I saw Luke’s tough exterior almost crack before he took a deep breath and held on to his tough-guy act. 

“So, it’s not your fault that you weren’t chosen for the promotion? It’s the fault of all those women who just couldn’t see what kind of genuine guy you are?” Luke raised an eyebrow at Andrews. 

“You get me, son,” Andrews smiled. “If they’d loosen up a little bit, this office would be a lot more fun.” 

“Uh-huh,” said Luke. “But like Agent L/N said, it still had to hurt pretty bad when you were passed up for the promotion.” 

Andrews shrugged. “I mean, yeah, it sucked. What are you going to do about it, you know?” I scanned his face for any sign of malice, but found none resting behind his colorless eyes. 

Luke mirrored his shrug. “That’s exactly what we’re here to find out. What did you decide to do about it?” If it was possible, I saw Andrews’ blank stare become even more devoid of thought. There’s no way this guy was smart enough to come up with a scheme of altering files… let alone be our unsub. 

Luke sighed. “Excuse us, Agent L/N and I have to look over something. We’ll be right back.” Luke stood up from the table, walking over to the door and waiting for me to follow. As I rose from my chair, I heard Andrews’ clear his throat. 

“She’s a pretty little thing. I bet she wouldn’t turn me in for trying to have some fun.” I turned to see his dark eyes raking over me. I bit my lip, calculating my response. 

“I’m never opposed to some fun,” I said. Not waiting for his response, I turned quickly and followed Luke out of the room into the area where Spencer waited for us.

“Well, what do we think?” Luke asked. 

I laughed, running my hands over my face and dragging a hand through my hair. “He’s gross. He’s a misogynist. He’s sure as hell not smart enough to be behind all this.” I looked at Spencer, but his eyes remained focused on Andrews in the interrogation room. “What do you think, Spence?”

“I think you’re right,” he said, only glancing away from Andrews to address Luke and I for a brief moment. “He’s not shown any signs that he isn’t telling the truth. If I’m being honest, he just doesn't fit the type, regardless.”

A disappointed silence filled the room as we realized we were no closer to solving the case than we had been before we picked Andrews up. “What a waste of time,” Luke mumbled, plopping down in a chair in the corner of the room. I paced for a moment, wondering how to execute our next moves. A thought hit me. 

“What if I go in there alone,” I started, as Spencer turned towards me with his eyebrows raised, “and see what he has to say about his colleagues?” Spencer and Luke exchanged glances. 

Luke shrugged, gesturing towards the door, “I’ve heard worse plans. Maybe he’ll be more open with you. Be my guest.” I didn’t wait to examine the look on Spencer’s face before I turned and headed out of the room, taking a deep breath before I reentered the interrogation room. 

Andrews’ eyes lit up when I walked in. “Ah, she returns, stunning as ever.” Despite the icky feeling his attention gave me, I offered a flip of my hair and a shy smile in response, sinking down in a chair across from Andrews. 

“Detective Andrews,” I said, raising my voice an octave or two in an attempt to sound as sweet as possible, “we’ve had a lot of trouble with your office lately.” The smirk he wore turned to a confused frown as he uncrossed his arms and leaned back in his chair once again. 

“What do you mean, doll?” he asked, genuinely curious as to what I had to say. 

“Oh, you know,” I twirled a strand of my hair around my fingers, biting at my lips. I hoped whatever I was doing was working. “Just unorganized stuff… messy files… lack of cooperation… you know how it can be,” I shrugged. 

Andrews seemed more serious now, as he lowered his voice. Dropping the nickname, he addressed me by my professional title for the first time. “Agent L/N, I hate to talk bad about my coworkers,”- could have fooled me- “but this office hasn’t been run right in years.” 

I felt myself perk up at the statement. “Care to share?” I asked, leaning forwards to make sure he knew he had my attention. He seemed satisfied by my response, as he leaned forward over the table. 

I could smell the coffee on his breath as he started to speak again. “Off the record,” he shot a glance towards the one-way glass behind me. Andrews looked back at me again, “Chief Graydon never should have been put in charge of this place.”

I leaned back a bit, tapping my pointer finger on the table. “Why’s that?” 

Andrews scoffed. “He can’t control his own household, how’s he supposed to run an entire police department?” I cocked my head to the side, a sign that I expected him to continue. He sighed. “His daughter’s a druggie, his wife has slept with half the guys here, and his son- don’t get me started on Phillip.”

I nodded. It didn't sound like much to go on, but a lead was a lead. “Well, thank you for the information, Detective Andrews. If we need anything else from you, I’ll be sure to let you know.” I offered him a playful smile and a wink, sticking to my persona as I packed up the items on the table. “Sure thing, doll,” the nickname returned. “Oh, and if you ever want to have a little fun, I’d be more than happy to-” before Andrews could finish, the door to the interrogation room swung open. 

Spencer stepped into the room. “Trust me, she doesn’t want to have any fun with you, Detective. If you’ll excuse us,” Spencer’s hand on my lower back guided me out of the room and back to the bullpen of the police station. I felt a mischievous smile creeping on my face as he continued to guide me towards the conference room. 

“What was that, Doctor Reid?” I asked him as we entered the conference room. 

He raised his eyebrows, “You’re telling me you didn’t want me to come save the day.” 

I laughed. “Not particularly, I felt like I was handling myself quite well.” 

“You were-” Spencer’s agreement caught us both off guard. “Maybe I just didn’t like the way he was looking at you.” 

“So the truth comes out, Doctor,” I smirked at him again, a hint of amusement in my eyes. Spencer rarely displayed jealousy and tried his best to avoid being overly protective, but when he did, I always found it quite entertaining. 

“Really, Y/N, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were enjoying yourself in there.” He walked around the conference room table, taking a seat at the head again. 

I shrugged. “I was, just a little. I forgot what an actress I am.” I sat down in a chair next to him, reaching for his coffee cup and taking a drink for myself. He sighed, covering my free hand which rested on the table with his own. 

He suddenly became very serious. “You did great,” he said. 

I nodded. “Thank you, Spence,” I said quietly. Silence fell over the conference room for a moment before Luke walked into the room, carrying a new folder we hadn’t seen before. 

“What’s that?” Spencer asked. 

Luke held the file up. “This? Funny you’d ask,” he tossed it on to the table, sitting across from me on the other side of Spencer. “This is Chief Graydon’s file.” 

My jaw dropped a bit. “We’ve only been out of the interrogation for five minutes. How did you get that so fast?” Luke looked over my head, nodding in the direction of the police station’s main office. I turned to see Richie, the techie, peeking out from over his cubicle, his thick glasses and messy blonde hair evident over the divider. When he saw us looking at him, he immediately ducked back down. 

“You made the tech analyst pull his boss's file?” Spencer asked. 

Luke shrugged. “What’s the problem? He seemed a bit sketched out at first, but I just told him you wanted the file,” he gestured at me. “After that, he was more than happy to. I think he’s got a little crush on Y/N over here.”

I giggled, leaning back in my chair. Spencer gave me a look laced with warning. “What?” I asked, feigning innocence. “I’ve always liked the nerdy, scrawny type,” I patted Spencer’s thigh as Luke let out a roar of laughter. 

“She’s so right, Spencer,” Luke nodded. A bit of a blush had come over Spencer’s cheeks, as had a playful frown. He rolled his eyes, before rising from his seat. 

“Anyway,” Spencer tried to change the subject, “what’s in the file, Luke?”

Luke set the file on the table, spreading out the papers to allow himself a better look. “Graydon’s had some questionable arrests in the past, but he’s always gotten off clean. He was suspended in ‘04 for a pending domestic case against him, filed by his wife, but those charges mysteriously disappeared.”

It was then I noticed that JJ was standing in the doorway of the conference room. “What is up with the treatment of women by leadership in this office?” she asked, shaking her head incredulously. I nodded in agreement as she pulled the door shut behind her and sat down next to me at the table. Andrews with the verbal harassment, Graydon’s domestic charges… what a lovely bunch. 

“What about his kids? Andrews was pretty adamant that they were a part of the problem.” I asked.

Luke shuffled through the papers. “There’s nothing in here about his kids. If they’ve been in trouble with the law before, Garcia can pull their information.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket before pressing a few buttons, the line rang to life. 

“Penelope Garcia, knows what you want and has got what you need,” Penelope’s voice rang through the conference room. 

“Hey, Garcia. We need to know if you can tell us more about Police Chief Graydon… specifically about his children.” Luke said. 

“If? If I can find anything? Do you even hear yourself?” Penelope’s scoff was evident through the phone.

“I know, I know. If anyone can do it, it’s you,��� Luke joked. 

“Give me thirty minutes, I’ll call you back with the rundown.” Her end of the line died once again. Luke wore a small smile, which he tried to hide by running a hand over his mouth. I made a mental note to ask him about his little banter with Penelope later. 

“Until then,” I said, looking around the room, “where are Emily, Rossi, and Matt?”

“Well, let’s see,” JJ started, staring up at the ceiling and counting off team members on her fingers. “Matt and Rossi are at the coroner's office getting updates on the final cause of death for the latest three victims. Last I knew, Emily was going to talk to Whittendon about his original files to see who all would have had access to them prior to their arrival in D.C.”

“I see,” I looked around the room for a clock. “What time is it?” 

Spencer pulled back the sleeve of his suit jacket, checking his watch, “It’s 8:30 a.m.” 

I sighed. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I haven’t eaten real food since noon yesterday.” The three others nodded in agreement. 

“I saw a diner down the street. Do you guys want to grab some breakfast?” Luke asked. 

“Yeah, actually. That sounds really good to me,” JJ said, looking to Spencer and I for our response. I nodded in agreement and Spencer shrugged, as if to say he’d follow us wherever. 

“Awesome,” Luke said. “Don’t worry, it’s my treat.” 

“Whoa,” said JJ, taking a step back in fake shock, “when did you start throwing money around?”

Luke laughed, “When I found Rossi’s wallet in the back seat of the SUV.” He held up the small leather wallet and my jaw dropped. 

“Luke, you can’t use our boss’s credit card to buy us breakfast!” I said with wide eyes. 

“C’mon, this guy’s a millionaire. I don’t think he’s gonna notice $30.” Luke opened the door to the conference room, allowing JJ to walk through first before following her towards the precinct door.

To be continued...

[queenendless]

🩵Satoru Main Frame (Adult!Gojo x Fem!Reader)🩵

A/N: Yall. MANGA LEAKS. New episode tomorrow about ... ya know what. And I'm not okay. So more self-indulgent comforting cute stuff okay!?

Fluff, wholesome turned steamy confessions, make out time, and all with the best man there IS!

All credit to JJK and the image goes to Gege sensei ... even after the crap they just pulled .... sorry.

PLEASE DON'T STEAL OR COPY MY FAN WORK, LIKE AND REBLOGS/SHARES WILL DO!

I hope you all enjoy my attempt at consoling venting content during this time. Okay enjoy!

You may not be the strongest nor a sorcerer for that matter, but your use as a Window meant you were a member of Jujutsu Tech for as long as you were usable to them.

Meaning you not only got to see the first and second years who you've gotten closer to; all precious in their own crazy ways, but you also got to see their sensei. Whenever he was around, you mean.

Watching you mingling with his students from afar kept you on a fidgety edge. Toying with your hands and checking yourself over to make sure nothing looked off.

"Whatcha talkin' about~?" Gojo weaseled cheekily into your group talk with the two female students turned kouhai friends of yours.

"None of your noisy business." Maki tersely replied.

"Personal private space, creepy sensei!" Nobara snapped out.

You mouthed I'm sorry over the shoulder as the girls dragged you off the opposite way. Him gaping at you a bit at your concern before grinning coyly as he waved it off like it was no big deal made you a bashful smiling mess.

Exorcizing curses high enough in the air for you to see made you bashfully look away from his cheery expression above, to your internal elated heart but to your other two companions' ire.

"Going overboard as always," Megumi groaned.

"At least the area got evacuated." Yuji's trying optimism did not lessen Megumi's annoyance.

Even having lunch in the courtyard, seeing Gojo annoying Nanami-san passing by the outdoor roofed pathway nearby made your dopey smile have your two eating buddies look to you then to their sensei, piecing it all together.

"Ooohhh you have got it bad~!" Panda teased only to deflate. "But does it have to be Gojo-sensei?"

"Bonito Flakes." Inumaki shook his head, eyes pitying your choice.

You were internally panicking as swarms of butterflies frazzled your nerves, externally staying mute and red as you looked nowhere else but your lunch box set.

And yet, you couldn't help it.

Despite everyone's obvious distaste for the strongest sorcerer on their side for his crazy rule breaking irresponsible antics, that didn't deter you in the slightest.

Even as you finished your meal and excused yourself, hurriedly leaving, you seeked out that chaotic man purposely.

His voice.

His strength.

His spikey propped up snowy hair paired with that velvety black blindfold resting over those illuminating eyes you've only heard about and never seen with your eyes —!

"L/n~!" That familiar cheery voice breathed in your ear from behind. You yelped, jumping in fear, before swiftly turning around at that toothy smile. "Hi~!"

"Uh – I – I was just … just –!" Your stuttered rambles were cut off swiftly as he pointed a finger right in your face.

"Question! Answer truthfully, pretty please~!" His wide toothy grin had you sold.

"Um …. okay?"

"You were looking for dear old me, weren't you?" The smug confidence from his expression to his irresistible voice had you flushing and swelling up inside in anxious worry. You felt either lying or not would just amuse him.

Looking at your feet in burning bashfulness, you quietly spoke. " … Yes."

He hummed loudly, his smile widening, rubbing his chin in thought. "What about exactly?"

"Just … just to …" You felt darkness overtake you, looking up slowly, startled out of your own skin at how close his face leaned into your personal space.

"Yeeeeees~?" Gojo was enjoying this too much.

Shakily gasping, you breathed in and out deeply through your nose.

"When you're not too busy … I was wondering if you'd … want to … hang out?"

He held his chin, pondering, humming loud enough. "Hang out, huh? Well, while I'm flattered you think so highly of me and my presence … I can't help feeling suss … what brought this on all of a sudden? Especially since this is the first time you've spoken to me. When it's just us two … all alone … when I can be the most unpredictable one here and you are unprepared for what I could do~?"

His wiggling fingers and the low tone he spoke in had your brain screaming at you to tuck tail and bolt.

Yet you didn't want to move. You were stuck in place. Entranced by his everything.

"Like THIS~!"

A whoosh of the winds and the setting made you dizzy when the secured warm embodiment of the strongest kept you caged against his front. Blinking while getting your bearings to what happened, you saw the cloudy blue sky way up close. Your eyes peaked down.

Yep, you were way way high up. And Gojo alone kept you two floating still and not plummeting to oblivion. Exhilarating being on top of the world with the strongest there is and petrified of the extreme height. You trembled, clutching your hands at his jacketed lower back, when his enriching voice lulled down your nerves.

"You're not gonna fall."

"Gojo-san, what are you – ?!"

"Figured I'd get the point across on top of the world. Literally." His towering self-gazed down at you; blindfolded and all. "All those gazes you give me, seeing you smiling down below when I'm up this high, I could tell right away that you're not like everyone else. I mean, your admiration and affection has not gone unnoticed …" His chuckles set you in a blushing burning state as butterflies raked your nerves, leaving him chuckling deeper and longer.

That's why his deep frown unsettled you so much. "But I'm not the best choice to have feelings for."

Your heart began cracking.

"You know the spoken truths about me from the others. The idiotic, irresponsible playboy teacher that causes chaos wherever he goes. But you still view me as more than that, don't you?"

Your nod of agreement brought him to brush his nose against your forehead tenderly. "All I want is to not have anyone feel lonely anymore in this doomed system of ours … yet in this imbalanced world … it still finds ways to give me hope." His arms gave your waist a squeeze. "You have to be somewhat crazy to survive this sorcerer's life. Perhaps I'm just that crazy for thinking this all up on the spot."

You can feel the crazy emanating off of him.

"To think, a wild card such as myself holding your precious self in my arms right now … I revel in it~ I mean sure, you're not the strongest one here. That'd be me." You deflated at his light jab and smug pride. "But still, the sound of your voice soothes me deeply. I cherish how your smile lights up wherever you are. You still see the good in me despite all my flaws. Heh, you're something else, you know that?"

You yelped as he lifted you up with one arm, having your bum rest on his forearm, immediately hugging his neck in your wrapped arms. You gulped at how close your faces were now.

"I know earlier I said being with me isn't the best choice to make … but I … I don't want you to stay away either. I don't want us keeping such a distance apart. After all, you didn't intend on us just hanging out like coworkers or comrades even today … right?"

Your squeezing lips betrayed your true intentions loud and clear. "No …" The ends of his lips curled upwards as you took a deep breath, braving to see this through. "I like you Gojo-san … a lot. You … you truly do care about our comrades … your students … you want them to stand with you … help in your fight to bring about a better world … makes me want to support and help you in any possible way I can … I'm not the strongest … so supporting the strongest is the next best thing. Then there's your own enriching laughter, your enrapturing voice, your odd sense of humor …"

Listing it all off had him beaming proudly. "Most of all … deep down you do care … in your own Satoru way …" You giggled at that last one when his rattled groan startled you just as much as his embrace did, having your legs hugging his waistline, burying your face in his neck so as not to panic at how high up you were.

"Why you gotta be so cute~?!" He whined playfully. "So naive … so adorable … ugh why must you make me sway so~!?" He dramatically cried out to the heavens. You snorted at his performance when the cradling gesture of his hand running slowly through your hair comforted you much more than you thought. "Now I'm really tempted not to let you go." The deep possessive tone he took shivered you to the core.

Breathing in his scent that soothed your anxious quaking soul, you dove fully in. Past the point of no return. "Then don't."

He pushed your hair aside enough to kiss the bare skin there, your shuddering gasp leaving his lips curled into your flesh at his greedy claims. "I hope you're prepared for what you just signed up for." The howling winds hit you hard as you clutched onto him for dear life when his warp to solid earth only took a moment, back on school grounds with the main building in plain view in the distance. "Because I like you too … and I plan on keeping you sweetie all to myself."

You pulled back, looking down at him gave you a surge of control at having this giant looking up at you with such a charming face. "Gojo-san –"

"Just Gojo or Satoru is fine coming from you, Y/n~" He assured you with his blessing.

You shyly smiled. " … T … Toru too?"

Literal sparkles appeared, adorning his face as he laughed out loud, unrestrained and rambunctious, as he hugged you tighter. "Oh, you are quite the catch, indeed!" Your own laughter was soft compared to his but it only heightened his affections for you. "Yes, yes, Toru too … has quite the ring to it~ So, can we make it official then … Y/n? Will you let me take you out?"

Your hands held his face, gently brushing his cheeks, bringing a light blush to his own cheeks had you endearingly gleam. "Yes."

He kept one arm around your waist, so his other arm wrapped around your shoulders, brushing aside your hair, massaging your scalp, smiling broadly. "Can I kiss you?"

Your eager nod followed by your own face leaning in was all the prompting he needed as the hesitant smooch felt so freeing.

You felt yourself at peace. Your skin tingled at how sweet he tasted, how safe and warm you felt in his hug. Tepid pecks soon turned to lingering drawn out sucks as your sighs pleased him, even more so when his tongue lapped at your bottom lip before treading new ground in your cavern, leaving a mewling mess inside you against his hungry groans as your tongues danced.

Weaving your hands upwards just to run them through his stand upish do, you accidentally making his blindfold slide down, letting his hair fall free, revealing his Six Eyes. He didn't mind, if only to look upon you with his gaze out in the open. The vibrant blue pulsated with such vigor and drive it had aroused you beyond all reason.

Running your own hands through his hair, you pulled him deeper to keep him as close as possible, both of you sighing elatedly as the squelched sounds of kissing passion wafted through the air. The gleaming sun highlighting you two in your own little world made it all the more sacred.

"Thank you, Y/n~" He gasped, pulling free from your wet tasty mouth as his fingers brushed your clothed sides and neck, his hold on you lingering as his strength was unbound, mushing his lips to the corner of yours. You felt lightheaded at how smooth and rich your name sounded coming off his tongue. "For giving me the chance to ask you out."

You hummed contently, smiling. "You're welcome."

He chuckled. "Movie date. My place. Sound good?"

"Wow, so forward. And we just started dating and everything." Your sarcastic tone had him smugly smirking as he spun you two around, cherishing your laughter at his action.

"I can't help it. Just you and me … nestled together … binging and snacking to our hearts content …. now that's my kind of heaven. And I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon." The covetous manner he voiced in your ear before tugging in your lobe had your mind racing on what it could insure for you, to both your excitement and nervousness.

Your surprised squeal and his dark chuckles were the last sounds heard in the vicinity before Gojo warped you two away yet again.

You, the admirer, just became the admired.

By the most selfish, gluttonous, overwhelming man there ever is.

But he's also yours now.

And honestly?

You wouldn't have it any other way.

[leeknowsintrusivethots]

Marked By Him

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

Pairings: Vampire!Lee Know/OC

Summary: Vampyres dominate the entertainment world with their otherworldly beauty and talent. It's a world you must be born into, but a few lucky ones are Marked. Stripped from her home and everything she knows, Minji's Marking means that she has to rely on the Devil himself, Lee Minho, to be her mentor. He's cute and sweet to the public, but behind closed doors the monster comes out to play.

Content: Angst, Slow burn, lotsa plot, eventual smut, vampires, dark themes, original characters, first person perspective, general 18+ content, alternate idol universe, asshole Lee Know, surprise love triangle, discussion of blood, discussions of death, discussion of illness, discussion and debate of fictional religions,

WC: 3848

Minors do not interact. Do not repost my content to other websites, this includes translations.

Notes: Random fun fact: fruit flies live an average of two months and I am prone to exaggeration.

Uncertainty. 

Dread. 

Abject horror. 

All of these could describe my feelings as my third meeting with Minho loomed near. I went through the motions: dance practice every night along with vocal lessons and days spent at the dorms with Maeri and Yoojin. The adjustment was hard, sometimes brutal, but I was coping the best I could.

Learning and absorbing information had always come easy to me, but dancing and singing were more physical than technical. Reading up on music theory and proper technique could only take you so far, and I was miles behind the other trainees in terms of skill and ability. Thankfully, Maeri was always happy to coach me through difficult dance moves and concepts while Yoojin politely helped me not sound like a dying animal in our vocal sessions. The vocal instructor still visibly cringed whenever I sang and I still tripped over my own feet during dance practice but it had only been two days. I was hoping progress would happen in time. 

During the wee hours of the morning when the dorm was silent, I studied 'Marked.' I quietly read by the light of a dim book lamp so as not to disturb my sleeping roommates, and I soaked in the knowledge like a sponge and took notes in my notebook like I was back in highschool all over again. I had already decided I couldn't rely on Minho to be my guide into Vampyrism, so the book was all I had and I intended to use it. 

Chapter Two was a detailed account of the earliest known history of Vampyres, and I found myself absorbed. It covered a lot of events that were not readily available public knowledge, including the First Coven: a group of ancient Egyptian Vampyres that banded together to create the first official Vampyric governing body. The First Coven would grow and shift over the years into the High Vampyre Association that was prominent in the modern day. Most of the Association could trace their ancestry back to the founders of the First Coven and a lot of the core ideology was still present even if adapted for the current times. 

There were ups and downs over the centuries as the First Coven grew in influence and power, spreading well across the world and overtaking smaller covens as they went. It was filled with battles of politics and principles. At times, it was bloody as beliefs grew and changed and opposition rose to contest the power structure. The First Coven always reigned victorious even as the humans around them were ignorant to the Vampyres they shared the world with and the battles raging right under their noses. 

I devoured the stories, the concepts of liberation from the darkness and cooperation with humans very much present in all of them. It was fascinating and far more than was shared with the general population. I was so intrigued that by the night of my next meeting with Minho, I had read well past my assigned chapter. 

Time management had never been my strong suit and I realized with a start as I glanced up from the pages of the book that it was just a couple of hours till sunset. I hadn't slept but my new world was set to wake up the second the sky turned orange and the sun sank into the horizon. Being a creature of the night was a hard adjustment when you had spent a lifetime in the sun and my sleeping patterns had been torn up and tossed into the trash along with my humanity. My week as a trainee had seen me living off caffeine and cat naps in-between practices and it seemed as if the upcoming night would be no different. 

I glanced away from the clock and back to the book in my hand wistfully. The upcoming chapter would cover the medieval period from the perspective of Vampyres and I was excited to get into it. The time period was a favorite of mine, and I knew it would be even more entertaining through the lens of a Vampyre. From what I recalled of my limited Vampyre history, it was also the time where Marks were first made known to the Coven. They (we?) we're unknown until the Tudor Era of Europe. 

Despite my interest, I forced myself to close the book and set it on my nightstand. I settled back into the sheets of my bed and closed my eyes. I would only get a few hours of rest, but it would be much needed when it came the physical torture that was dance practice and the emotional thriller that was Lee Minho. 

It felt like the second my eyes closed, I was being shaken by a hurried hand. My eyes cracked open groggily to find Maeri's smiling face. Her hair was already styled straight and hanging loose around her chin. She was dressed and ready for practice. 

"Get up, Nerd. We leave in twenty," she informed me perkily. 

My body protested as I got out of the haven that was my bed. I got dressed hurriedly, throwing on a pair of sweats and an oversized band shirt over my sports bra. Too tired to bother with hair, I pulled the messy mop into a tie on top of my head. It took all of a few minutes and when I was done I headed to join Yoojin and Maeri in the common room. 

Our dorm contained multiple rooms, and we shared our common area with other trainees. They milled about, also getting ready for the day while awaiting their own transportation to reach their schedules. I hadn't interacted with them much but it wasn't really of my own choosing. I was a bug waiting to be squished or a novelty with no in-between and even living with them had not changed that mindset if the brief glares thrown in my direction were any indication. I ignored the looks as I had been doing so since my arrival and focused on my roommates. 

"Are you… ready?" Maeri asked as she looked at me with a curious confusion evident in her features. 

"Yes?" I answered back with a question. My body was up and moving, but my brain hadn't fully accepted that it needed to wake up as well. I glanced down at my choice of clothing, thinking maybe I had managed to put my pants on inside out in my sleepy haste. 

"You have your meeting with Minho today, right?" Maeri prodded. At the mention of my mentor, my brain woke up enough for the dread to seep back in. Our last meetings had erred on the short side, and I hoped that the upcoming one would as well if only for the sake of my sanity. 

"Yes," I answered after a moment's hesitation. "I have my books in my bag. I-"

"At least wear a cuter top, and brush your hair," Maeri interrupted in exasperation. 

"Put more delicately, she's implying you might want to put in an effort to look presentable for your meeting," Yoojin took over before things got out of hand. She had a tendency to do that. Even her voice alone seemed to calm those around her. 

"Why on Earth would I want to do that? It's not a date," I argued back, giving Maeri a withering side eye in the process. 

"No…" Maeri said in a singsong voice. She was smiling at me now, the cuteness washing away my irritation just as quickly as she caused it. "But I've seen some of the things you brought from home. Including photocards, stickers stuck to your laptop, and blah blah blah. Fairly certain I even saw a poster you haven't unpacked yet. You're a fangirl and no proper fangirl would waste such an opportunity. I wouldn't if I had the prospect of regular meetings with BamBam."

"A friend gave all that to me," I tried to deny. I really didn't want to get into the argument of how he was so much different in person than the image of him I thought I had known, and I definitely didn't want to get into how I still found him to be disgustingly beautiful despite his dual personality. 

"Sure," Maeri tsked. 

"It's true! I'm much more of a Bangchan kind of girl," I argued halfheartedly. 

"Regardless, Minho is an idol - a fairly prominent one. It would do you well to leave a good impression," Yoojin said with an air to her voice that strangely reminded me of my mother when she was giving me life advice. At the comparison, my arguments melted and my shoulders sunk. I turned without another word and went back to our shared room to change and primp. 

I quickly brushed my hair and pulled it back up into a ponytail. I let my bangs hang loose with the shorter fringe that framed my face. It was still messy, but with intent and style this time around. The band shirt I switched out for a nicer more form fitting one. In a small effort to feign nonchalance, I picked an old GOT7 shirt with Jackson Wang's face displayed front and center. I contemplated changing out my tried and true baggy sweatpants for shorts but thought better of it. Clothes could be armor, and I needed all the armor I could get when handling Lee Minho. 

To make my lovely roommates happy, I also swiped on a bit of concealer in key spots and put on a layer of mascara. To complete my low effort look, I topped it off with a small amount of clear bubblegum scented lip gloss. I wouldn't be walking a runway anytime soon, but at least I looked more humanoid than before. 

I headed back out to Maeri and Yoojin to present my efforts and get on with the day. At my reappearance, I could have sworn Maeri's eye twitched but she held her tongue. Yoojin gave a soft smile with a small shake of her head. 

"Remind me to take you shopping for some proper workout clothes," she said, not unkindly. Coming from other people, I might have taken her offer as an insult but I had quickly learned Yoojin was simply the type to care for people. She had an almost motherly aura which was mildly strange for a young Vampyre but it was still comforting. 

"As long as that offer comes with food, I am game," I agreed cheekily. 

"If food is involved, I am inviting myself along. Besides, Minji needs all the help she can get," Maeri chimed in. 

"You're ganna need help in a-" my threat was cut off by the timely intervention of Yoojin. 

"The car is here. Make sure to bring your bags," she instructed the both of us. Like good kids, we put the bickering aside and followed our unofficial leader after gathering all of our things.

The drive from the dorms was a short one. Yoojin stuck to her phone during the trip while Maeri and I continued our bickering. She only intervened when she thought it necessary so we were left to our argument about whether to get cream cheese or crab rangoons with our lunch. 

As we pulled up to the building that housed JYP Entertainment, Yoojin finally interrupted, "Why can't you guys just order both?"

"It's the principle-" Maeri and I started at exactly the same time. At our in sync answer, we all broke out into a chorus of hearty laughs. 

"You two are far too much alike," Yoojin said in-between bouts of musical laughter. Both Maeri and I reared up to rebuke the notion before the scene in front of our company's building caught our attention. 

It was 8:00pm on a hot summer night in Korea and the sun had set a couple of hours ago. Of course, in Seoul, the city never slept. Copious amounts of streetlights illuminated the street and walkways and an indistinct black van was pulled up to the curb directly in front of the car that had dropped us off. It would have been entirely unremarkable if it were not for the man that was climbing out of the backdoor to the awaiting security escort. 

Christopher Bang, also known as Bang Chan, could unintentionally make getting out of a car look like an ad for a high end fashion brand. He was dressed casually, jeans and a t-shirt, but he looked so good and confident that you would think he was wearing the latest runway looks. He smiled politely, dimples and all, to the security escort before turning his attention back to the van. Following him came the rest of the members of Stray Kids in all of their glory and I felt my heart rate increasing to hospitalization levels.

My stance on a higher power was variable on any given day, but looking at each of the members in turn had me praising whatever act of nature had led to the creation of these men. They were all so beautiful that I wouldn't even question it if someone told me it was an act of divine intervention. I found myself thinking of the teachings of the Church of Light. They didn't hide their anti-Vampyre sentiment and they claimed Vampyres were a blight upon man - a creation of an evil being sent to punish humanity for its sins. In their twisted world view, Vampyres were pure malignance with beautiful faces that would lure you to the darkest pits of hell. They would seduce and charm until the Light of your soul was extinguished and you were left a Husk of your former self. 

It was all bullshit, of course.

The scientific community from all across the world had been pushing back against the ideology that Vampirism had anything to do with the mythological creatures of lore. It was simply the mutation, and that was that. I knew that just as well as most open minded younger people did, but looking at the faces of one of the most prominent active male Kpop groups made me curious. If it simply was an act of nature and science, our reality was incredibly unfair and a very rare few took home all of the aesthetics and talent. 

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice it until Maeri gave me a casual but mildly frantic elbow to the gut. It was becoming a trend with the two of us, apparently. I forced myself back to reality and realized with a start that the men in question were staring back. All eight pairs of eyes were trained in our direction, including the infuriatingly cold pair that belonged to Lee Minho. His held mine in a battle, but I wasn't even sure what we were fighting for. 

Yoojin, our most level-headed elder, smiled a coolly polite smile at the guys and herded me and Maeri to the doors. I could tell Maeri was chomping at the bit to crack a joke about me being ‘starstruck.’ It irritated me but what got to me even more was that she was right. It was a cliche right out of a badly written novel, but I was an ordinary girl who had something extraordinary happen to her. My only claim to fame or fortune was winning a few won from coming in second at a vocabulary competition in primary school. I was certainly not accustomed to rubbing shoulders or even being in the same location as the rich and the famous. 

In the life span of a fruitfly, I had gone from undecided incoming university sophomore to Marked Trainee. I could train for a lifetime and never be able to measure up to the world I was thrown into. I could debut and make millions, but it would still never change my background. I would realistically never reach the level of Lee Minho and his ilk. I knew that, but it didn't stop a fire that had begun to burn in my gut the moment I had first shared a space with him. 

I had started off life just like any other Jane Doe in the world, but the opportunity for a new destination was being handed to me on a silver platter. If I let it pass by and cowered behind an inferiority complex, I would wake up at sixty in my average house with my average husband to have lunch at an average restaurant with my average kids. I would collect my average pension from whatever run of the mill job I landed at with nothing but regret and resentment eating me alive. I knew myself well enough to know that I could never live with the knowledge that I had wasted an opportunity of a lifetime, but there was something more. 

I was a petty bitch, and I would never let Lee Minho and his demeaning stares and smirks win. 

I was already planning to thank him for pushing me to succeed when I accepted my first industry award. 

_______________________________________

“Minji!” My name being yelled across the practice room had the momentum of the dance moves I had been practicing come to an abrupt halt and my feet entwining under me and my face approaching the ground at lightning speed. I could see the scuff marks from tennis shoes getting closer and closer and yet I couldn’t find it in myself to care. I was lightheaded and had even reached a point of exhaustion where the muscle pain was simply no longer present. I had become a husk simply following the laws of physics. 

“Minji.” This was a different voice. It was almost serene, soothing. I tried with all the wits left in me to locate the sound, but I couldn’t. Everything was dark. 

“Minji! Wake up right this second, or I will call 119 and ensure this lives in your head forever as one of the most traumatic and embarrassing moments of your life.” This voice was more insistent, and prodding. I could hear a whine in it. The words were humorous, but veering into pure panic. 

“Should we call?” Another voice.

“Who do we call? She’s Marked. Human services or the Vampyric ones?” It was yet another one. 

“Please, back up and give her some space.” The calming voice commanded the others. “Ms. Jung, our roommate passed out due to exhaustion and overexertion. She should really have more fitness training before joining us in the more intensive dance lessons.”

Ms. Jung? A surge of annoyance took root in my fuzzy brain. I didn’t like that name for some reason. It took a second for the wheels to turn back into place and start properly spinning in my mind. Ms. Jung was the dance instructor. I had been dancing and then suddenly I wasn’t. I had been at practice with my roommates and the rest of the trainees on our schedule. That thought had my eyes flying open immediately to take stock of the damage. The other trainees were not my fans - that was a certainty. If my resolve to use this opportunity was to be effective, I could show them no weakness. 

Despite the renewed determination in my brain, my body was slow to agree. My vision was blurry, making everyone surrounding me appear to have hazy edges of color enveloping them. Their faces blurred together, but the number of them had panic setting in. I was already a zoo exhibit thanks to the Mark on my forehead, but I had become the newest addition to the local freak show. I was sprawled out pathetically on the hard floor of the practice room for all to witness.

“She’s awake?” One of the unfamiliar voices stated dumbly. It wasn’t an exclamation of relief or excitement. It was like asking a passerby if it was going to rain on any given day - mundane and only mildly interested. 

“Thank goodness!” The insistent voice breathed out. The haziness of my vision was fading enough for me to make out the relieved looking face of Maeri. She had leaned in closer to examine me so her face was right in front of mine. 

“Maeri,” I croaked with a scratch in my throat.

“Yes?” She questioned quickly. “Do you need water? Some Tylenol? I can get it for you.”

“You’re too close, you brat,” I replied halfheartedly. 

“I think she’s fine,” she informed the others with a quick chuckle as she backed away to give me room to breathe. I realized too late that it would have been better for my emotional health had she stayed where she was. Everyone in the room - fifteen young and primarily Vampyric trainees - were staring at me. I felt my face heat up and my insides burn with embarrassment. 119 was certainly not needed for this experience to rank high on my list of most humiliating moments in my life.

“I think you should take a break from dance practices for a while,” Ms. Jung butted into my mortification. “We have a company gym in the building. Use the time in your schedule to improve your endurance.”

I saw and felt the withering look that Yoojin shot at her. I had been delirious, but I remembered bits of the conversation that surrounded me before. She was taking credit for Yoojin’s suggestion. I knew Yoojin likely had my health and wellbeing in mind, but Ms. Jung appeared to simply be saving face in front of her audience of trainees.

“Ms. Jung is right,” Yoojin said with a charming smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “We certainly don’t want you dying of exhaustion on her watch.”

“Of course not. Your well being is of utmost importance,” Ms. Jung agreed eagerly. 

Yoojin never lost her smile and our instructor beamed back at her like the entire exchange wasn’t one of the strangest things I had ever witnessed in my life. It was eerily reminiscent of my quiet battle of wills with Lee Minho, only this was basically a student battling with their teacher and the subject of the battle was not pride but the safety of the students - of me in particular. 

A chill went up my spine and the fine hairs on my arms stood up like danger was imminent. His voice was in my head. His questions teased me, making fear spread its toxic wings from my heart to my mind. 

"Do you know of any active groups with a Mark as a member? Have you seen news of any Marks debuting? Switching companies? Getting kicked from their programs?"

Surely, I was being irrational. There was no way that I was in any danger. There was no way that the entire industry had some secret vendetta against Marks. It was ludicrous and I must have still been a bit loopy from fainting. The outline on my forehead was simply a product of genetics and not the design of some odd conspiracy. 

“It’s a target, and you will be surrounded by predators.”

Even when he wasn’t near, Lee Minho was filling my head with doubts.

[liaromancewriter]

Passing Time

Premise: It’s a long drive to Naveen’s cabin, giving Cassie to reflect on recent events. Set during 1.16.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 1,130

A/N: Submission to @choicesjunechallenge prompt "fantasy". I'm using @choicesflashfics week 39, prompt 2 (in bold). Also using #3 Grumpy Affectionate dialogue prompts from @creativepromptsforwriting. Tagging for reblog to @creativepromptfills

Cassie Valentine watched the scenery gradually change once they left the Boston area. Low-rise office and apartment buildings competed with strip malls and box stores built near interstate exits to attract suburban shoppers.

Eventually, the vista gave way to evergreen trees and those beginning to bloom again after a harsh New England winter planted along either side of the highway.

The view was monotonous, but thankfully, she thought the drive wasn’t excessively long and checked her wristwatch. The stop at Harvard Medical School’s research building to collect the phage therapy had taken longer than expected, and the sun already hung low in the sky.

Her phone remained silent, and she took that as a sign that Dr. Banerji was still holding on. Landry would have texted or called if his status had changed. At least, Cassie hoped so.

Two months ago, she’d have said she knew Landry Olsen very well. But now she wondered if she saw the person she wanted to see, not who he really was.

They had bonded on the first day of residency over their mutual admiration for Dr. Ethan Ramsey. But the man was also the source of their fallout. Landry’s jealousy of her bond with their medical hero had caused him to sabotage her career.

She rationalized that Landry could’ve tried to get to know Dr. Ramsey. Even before she knew about Naveen’s condition, she had tried to get Ethan to notice her. But her former friend had been content to pine from the sidelines, never once introducing himself properly to the other doctor.

She’d had to ask for Ethan’s autograph on Landry’s behalf, for crying out loud!

“Are you okay? Is it Naveen?”

Cassie turned her head at the alarm in Ethan’s voice beside her. His brows furrowed in concern as he glanced at the phone in her hand.

“Yes…I mean…no,” she stammered. “Sorry! I was lost in thought.”

“Must have been something bad,” he drawled, accelerating to overtake the car before them. “You looked ready to go into battle.”

“Nothing quite so dramatic. Although,” Cassie mused. “I suppose fighting for my medical license would fall in that category.”

“An apt analogy,” he said quietly.

Cassie twisted in her seat to face Ethan. “Have you ever been subject to an ethics trial?”

She wondered if she had gone too far, but he answered anyway.

“No, but I’ve skirted close to the line. All good doctors do,” he added. “Our work isn’t black or white; the answers aren’t always obvious. So, we have to take chances even if, and especially when, the outcome is uncertain. Naveen taught me that.”

His voice hitched on the last, and she found his vulnerability incredibly appealing. The companionable silence stretched as the car ate up the miles.

Cassie glanced at Ethan out of the corner of her eye, surreptitiously studying the scruffy jaw, the corded muscles of his neck and how his Adam’s apple moved when he swallowed.

She felt her cheeks turn red as she recalled standing in his bedroom, her naked butt plastered against the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Her hands locked behind his head, pulling him close while his tongue repeatedly brought her to the edge of completion.

His hands gripped the steering wheel, and she remembered how tightly he’d clasped her hands in his last night just before their hips connected. Her mind wandered into a fantasy that was just as good as reality.

He was clothed now, but she’d run her hands across the taut muscles of his chest and strong shoulders last night. Her nails had raked down his naked back before her palms cupped his ass, her hips rising to meet his hard thrusts, her moans matching his grunts.

Oh god. She’d had sex with the Ethan Ramsey!

“Now what?”

She must have made a sound, for he briefly took his eyes off the road to stare at her, an eyebrow quirked in question.

“We had sex, Ethan,” Cassie blurted, losing her composure at the sight of impatient blue eyes, so much like how she remembered them from the first time they met.

He smirked. “Yes, we did. Multiple times if I recall correctly.”

Amused, Ethan winked at her before switching lanes and exiting the interstate. The car slowed to a stop at a red light at the top of the off-ramp, and he grinned at her.

“Are you blushing? Didn't have you pegged for a prude, Cassie.” His fingers traced her hot cheeks, and he stared intently at her lips. “Especially not after you mooned all of Boston last night.”

“Oh, just shut up, I’m not blushing!” she protested, wondering if there was any way she could check her reflection in the overhead visor mirror without Ethan noticing.

He chuckled, the deep rumble reminiscent of round two last night when she’d begged him to let her climax after he’d teased her over and over with his hands and tongue. Just like then, the sound sent a spike of lust and arousal through her body.

“For the record,” he drawled, leaning in, his lips hovering above hers. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

Cassie waited for the kiss with bated breath, but the light turned green, and the driver behind them honked.

Ethan lifted his hand in a wave and took his foot off the brake, turning left to join the country road toward Naveen’s place. Cassie remembered the turn-off from the drive earlier today and knew they had maybe fifteen-twenty minutes left.

Time to get serious, she lectured herself. Naveen and Landry were highly observant, and she needed to keep her emotions for Ethan under wraps.

A short while later, they were on a dirt road and could see the top of Naveen’s cabin ahead. Ethan parked the car beside a wood shed, switched off the engine and just sat there, staring unseeingly at the cabin walls outside.

“There’s still hope, Ethan,” she said gently, remembering his self-incriminating words earlier about letting his mentor down. “For you and Naveen, too. Your relationship isn’t broken.”

“I don’t know what we are, but I miss what we were,” he said. His earlier lightheartedness was replaced by profound sadness.

“And what is that?” she asked.

“Naveen believes in you, and I do too,” she insisted when Ethan didn’t respond.

Ethan twisted his lips wryly. He covered her hand resting on the console between them and squeezed it in silent gratitude.

Cassie longed to wrap her arms around him and pull him close in comfort. But someone might be watching from inside, and their alone time was at an end.

“We should go in, Dr. Ramsey,” Cassie said, pushing the car door open.

Ethan shook himself out of his reverie and turned to give her a small smile. “Yes, our patient awaits, Dr. Valentine.”

-------------

All Fics & Edits: @annfg8 @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @takemyopenheart @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @hopelessromantic1352 @mrs-ramsey

[twistnet]

sweet boy [ robert floyd ]

⋯ KINKTOBER PROMPT ; day 21 [ praise kink ]

⋯ WARNINGS ; female!reader, smut [ sub!bob, handjobs, praise kink, oral sex -- female receiving, coming untouched, multiple orgasms, cum, #bobfucks ] + mature language

⋯ NOTE ; this content is strictly for those 18+ ; any minors // ageless // blank blogs interacting with this post // masterlist will be blocked

a part of him wondered how he had exactly gotten himself into this position. the logical side of his brain that was currently working overtime to subvert the lust-filled haze that had over taken his person at the simple twist of your wrist.

bob groans, eyes twisting shut as his hips jerked up into your fist. he was already so close, given the amount of pre-cum that had gathered at the tip. yet, you used it to your advantage continue to slide your fist on his red cock, working him closer and closer to his orgasm.

it’s almost as if he’s gone on autopilot, completely lost to the pleasure you were giving him in that moment, and all he needed was just a little push -- which came in the form of something he wasn’t entirely expecting.

“oh, my sweet boy... you look so pretty like this.” you coo, and the words seem to light something inside of bob. as no more than a second later, hot ropes of cum are spurting from his cock, covering his lower belly and your hand.

you make a noise of surprise that quickly fades as you stroke him through the rest of his orgasm until he’s weakly pushing your hand away and huffing to catch his breath, “you did so good, baby.” you smile, watching with rapt attention as a dark blush overtakes his features and bob averts his eyes for a moment until he sucks in a deep breath, “t-that’s... never happened before...”

“it’s nothing to be ashamed about, baby. it just means i was taking good care of you.” you shoot him another smile, patting his calf before shuffling into a better sitting position. however, bob’s eyes widen and he’s quick to sit up from his spot against the pillows to grab at your wrist, “wait! don’t let yet!”

“i wasn’t... just getting comfortable. was there something you wanted?” you question, head cocking to the side as you wait for him to answer. he flushes slightly, trying to put what he wants into words -- something that doesn’t sound embarrassing the second it leaves his lips.

“i want to make you feel good.” bob mutters, before shifting until you’re the one laying back against the mattress and bob is hovering over you. you smile up at him, letting him work your pants and panties off before discarding them to the floor.

your thighs part in invitation -- already picking up on what he’s wanting to do, giving him plenty of room to do as he pleases. bob seems to short circuit at the action, eyes widening as he takes in your glistening folds. mouth suddenly going dry before his eyes tick up to meet yours.

and at your soft, reassuring smile, he leans in. lips latching around your clit and gently sucking on the bundle of nerves, “fuck” you gasp quietly, head dropping back as bob seemingly gains a little bit of confidence and begins to flick his tongue against the bud, alternating between gentle sucks and flicks that slowly begins to shoot pleasure up your spine.

he ducks back to suck in a much needed breath, willing down the blush rising to his cheeks as he returns his mouth to your pussy. tongue pushing between your folds to seek out your clit again. and when he finds it, he quickly gets back to work circling it, keeping it as his main focus for the time being as you let out a shuttering breath, “fuck, baby... you’re doing so good.”

“yeah?” he mutters against your cunt, eyes shining with pride as you nod, “yeah, so good, sweet boy.”

bob’s eyes glaze over, lust filling them as he moans softly, obviously enjoying the sweet name you’ve given him. and sets his focus on making you come on his tongue. 

his tongue then slips further, circling the tip around your entrance. his nose bumps against your clit harshly, as his tongue dips into your cunt, tasting you for everything you have to offer. you pussy clenches down and around his tongue. bob takes his time to savor you, nearly driving you crazy as his tongue prods at your entrance, arms dragging you closer to push his tongue into you. his nose nudges against your clit with each flick of his tongue along your walls. hips jerking up to meet his strokes, grinding your pussy against his lips as he groans, sending vibrations straight to your core.

“fuck, bob, baby.” you mewl, back arching with a gasp as he begins to eat you out in earnest, alternating between quick flicks of his  tongue over your swollen bud of nerves and large, broad strokes over your folds. he tightens his grip on you in the slightest, so he can fasten his lips to your cunt and suck.

you come against his tongue seconds later, back arching almost violently as your hands find security in his brown locks, fisting them tightly between your fingers until your orgasm subsides and you go limp against the pillows.

bob gently calls your name, hopeful eyes watching and waiting as you look up at him after a moment of catching your breath. his lips and chin are wet with your orgasm, his hair standing up in all different ways and his glasses slightly askew. all outshone by the big, bright smile that comes across his lips as you look up at him.

“how was it?” he questions, smile still present on his lips as he waits for your answer -- though a part of you feels he already knows it. you match his smile though, after catching a glance at the front of his pants now stained with cum, “i think you know just how good you made me feel, sweet boy.”

blog navigation ⇢ [ kinktober masterlist ]

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Lost & Found - Chapter Nineteen.

Another chapter and wishes of a very happy Friday to my beautiful audience! :D

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen

Words - 3,763

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, Minors DNI. Recounts of kidnap, child trafficking, physical/verbal/sexual abuse.

4am. It was not a time Emma was used to seeing, unless she was up late being railed into a new shape by Guero, or enjoying the pleasures of partying. She knew Lee would be even less impressed, with how much she thrived upon a good night’s sleep. 

The very lady was waiting outside as they came out, Gilly yawning in the passenger seat. With their bags dumped in the back of her Escalade and Axl dropped next door for a stay with his uncle Tyrone (who proclaimed ‘imma spoil the dude to death, man!’) they climbed in, still half asleep. Since Emma had no passport or ID yet, Lee, Gilly and Guero were sharing the driving, just over three hours each to make the ten-and-a-half-hour journey rather than flying. 

“I feel bad, that we can’t fly and it’s because of me,” she huffed, Lee hitting the freeway, the engine roaring as the six hundred and eighty-two horses beneath the hood all charged to gallop. 

“How come you ain’t got that sorted yet?” Gilly asked, Emma sipping from her bottle of cherry Coke, burping quietly.  

“Because of a point Guero made,” she began, tightening the lid and placing it in her lap. “Since I’ve been a missing person, there’s obviously still a file open on me, one which will be closed when I show up. I’d likely have to be interviewed by the police over where I’ve been and who with for so long as well, too many questions would be asked.  

“If I ratted on Rocco, my worry about being snatched would turn into a worry about being shot in the head. I was going to go down the new identity route and buy fake documents, but depending on how all of this goes, I may not need to.” 

Lee looked at her in the rearview mirror, winking with a smile. “Here’s hoping, sugar.” She then paused before noting something glaring in similarity about the way all four had chosen to dress. “I can’t help but fuckin’ notice, I love the way all four of us try to look a little less like the tattooed reprobates that we are and instead, end up looking like the goddamned Addam’s Family.” 

Every single person within the car was donned in black, all of them beginning to laugh when they noticed that their attempt at semi-smartness had them appearing as if they were attending a funeral. 

“Goths R Us, man,” Gilly snorted with amusement, beginning to whistle the theme tune to the aforementioned family movie, Emma giving the double finger click at the required point, too.   

“Well, I gotta say it, sunshine. You suit being a redhead,” Lee then spoke, turning to look at her, thinking how pretty her bestie looked in the long, red wig with tumbling waves.  

“Doesn’t she, though?” Guero chimed, winking at Emma. “Maybe a little too much. Goddamn women, pulling some Jessica fucking Rabbit magic on a man." 

"What is it about you guys and that woman?" Lee cried, moving her car to the middle lane to overtake a slow-moving vehicle ahead. "She's a fuckin’ drawing!" 

"Yeah, and I'd nail her until I erased her, I swear to god," he chirped, Gilly busting into hysterics. 

"Same, bro. I'd fuck her until her colours ran!" Everyone fell apart in fits of laughter, Lee thinking that already it was more than worth her 3am start and missing her precious sleep for the sheer entertainment value alone. She wasn’t the only one glad of it, the comic relief provided by her boyfriend and Gilly just the thing Emma needed to take her mind off the fact that with every mile that passed, she was nearing the man she feared most.  

By the seven-hour point, Guero returned to her side in the back while Gilly took his turn behind the wheel, her nerves were palpable. Looking out of the window while gnawing on the side of her thumb, she saw a hand reach for hers in her peripherals, turning to watch Guero softly shake his head with a faint smile.  

“You’re stressing.” Pulling her hand away from her mouth, he grasped it in his, shifting over a little closer and wrapping his arm around her. “You gotta stop. Nothing bad is gonna happen.”  

“Easy to say that,” she muttered, leaning into him. 

“Yeah, it fucking is,” he snorted, kissing her head. “Cuz’ I’ll fucking finish him if he lays a finger on you, and you know this.” His hand tightened its grip on hers, his nostrils flaring a little. The rage towards Rocco still swirled just as tempestuously as ever, along with his already short fuse.  

He softened a little then, realising she likely didn’t need to hear it, or worry about him being able to hang onto his fiery temper. “I get it, you feeling nervous. It’ll be alright, though.”  

Nervous was somewhat of an understatement, Emma feeling like she wanted to throw up as Gilly parked outside the hotel just over three hours later.  

“So, what I’m thinking is that after talking to Obispo, these guys seemed to be enjoying everything the resort had to offer. Squash, golfing, casino, etc,” Lee began, after the guys had gone to check in. “Which means that I can hang around in the bar, keep an eye on the comings and goings of ‘em. Except, fuck. I don’t know what he fuckin’ looks like.”  

Emma pulled out her phone, calling up Google. As with a lot of notable members of the mafia, Vincent’s face was very easily accessible. Clicking on his mugshot from an arrest after a large shoot out he’d been arrested for his part in around a decade ago, she turned the screen. “Like that, but a little aged. He’s very distinctive.”  

Lee had already taken a good look at the hotel layout, scanning the pictures and seeing that from the large bar and restaurant area, the front desk and entrance was visible. She was entirely happy to play barfly with Gilly while Emma hid in her room. “Alright, and there’s my visual. He looks... intense.” 

That was one way to describe a man who had once chopped off someone’s feet and fed them to Diavolo, his Akita. “He is, he’s very formidable.” Her voice was small, the quietness of her tone reminding Lee of her demeanour back when they’d first met, minus the shaking and the stuttered words.  

Reaching for Emma’s hand, she cocked her head. “It’s fuckin’ gonna be fine. You forget I’m ex-military. I know how to run a fuckin’ smooth operation, sunshine.” She winked, Emma feeling at ease, squeezing her hand back before the arrival of Gilly and Guero parted them, hopping out of the car.  

“Lobby is all clear from anyone of the Italian American persuasion,” Gilly spoke, swinging his rucksack over his shoulder. “Let’s go.” Taking Guero’s hand, she gripped it tightly, adjusting her sunglasses before beginning to walk. She felt as if she had a serpent writhing around in her guts, some cold, spiny creature that thrashed angrily, her heartbeat escalating, expecting him to pop up at any moment and snatch her again. 

Heading in through the glass doors that slid open with a silky glide, her eyes were everywhere beneath her oversized aviators, Guero pulling her to the right, past the front desk and through to the safety of the ground floor hallway. Immediately, she felt herself unravel a little.  

“Okay, we’ll see you guys at some point, I guess. I will call with details from my little stakeout,” Lee spoke, she and Gilly continuing down the hall as Guero opened the door to their room. 

As soon as she was inside, she felt the creeping sensation at her back abate, yet she was a nervous mess, riddled with anxiety, wanting to go straight into her medication bottle and swallow back a couple of doses to calm herself. Taking more than her standard dose tended to have the opposite effect, though.  

Reaching for Guero, she wrapped herself around him, burying her face against the side of his neck. Safe person. Safe person scent. It transported her back to a time where he was the only person she’d trusted while in the thick of her anxious duress, but for that moment her body refused to comply with the logic her brain was desperately trying to convey.  

“Breathe, baby. It’s okay.” he told her, hands stroking her back, feeling her chest rising and falling rapidly against his, her heart pounding hard. He closed his eyes, arms tightening around her, a tide of anger rising within him. She’d worked so hard in the last near eleven months to recover, and now there she was again, trembling and frightened.  

The urge to go and wait outside of Rocco’s room and bypass the plan completely, to shoot him in the head as soon as he laid eyes on the vile, abusive, child trafficking, raping sack of shit who’d once again reduced his sweetheart to a nervous wreck was almost all encompassing. He knew though that would land them in the kind of trouble none of them would survive, taking out a mafia boss without the agreement of those who served under him.  

He couldn’t even imagine an alternative to Calabrese condoning the hit, or being told that the Romano family would handle it internally, should he be in complete agreement with the proposal they were bringing to him. None of them could live unless he died, and Emma? She’d be returned to Staten Island, with nobody to save her.  

The thought of being dead and her alone in the world had been on his mind so much, he’d even considered fleeing with her to Mexico, should things not go in the favour of the Mayans. He loved his club, but he wouldn’t be a sitting duck, waiting for the weight of the mafia to crush them.  

He believed in standing to fight, and his loyalty to the club tugged strongly at him, but he was smart enough not to remain on a sinking ship if he saw water beginning to pour in. He had not come to such a conclusion easily, either. His simple desire to survive outweighed anything else, now that it potentially could come down to that.   

Realising he was spiralling into his own thoughts, he shook himself from it all, being present for her, as he needed to be before anything else. Holding her close had begun to calm her, Emma finally straightening to kiss him, resting her forehead to his.  

“And I’m calmer now.” Her thumbs stroked over the flecks of stubble dotting his cheeks. “Thanks for always been so steadying when I need you to be.” 

Smiling, he kissed her again. “You’re welcome, and good. I fucking hate seeing you like that, all cuz’ of him.”  

Sucking in a breath over her teeth, she drew her shoulders up, the weight of her sigh tugging them down again. She hated feeling like that, too, everything rushing to the surface once more. “Let’s pray he isn’t going to be around much longer to do it, huh?”  

It went without saying, he thought. 

They hung around in the room for a few hours, Lee calling at just before seven, informing Emma that the mob guys had all just arrived in the bar for a drink, before being told by one of the staff that their cars were ready. With it looking like they were heading out elsewhere for the night, she was safe to go and eat dinner in the restaurant, a prospect that made her feel nervous, but that she participated in all the same. She changed into a long, tight grey dress, having to fend off Guero before they left. 

“What’s the matter with you?” she laughed upon sitting at the table, Lee virtually vibrating in her seat opposite. “You look a little jazzed, buddy.” 

“Been on the fuckin’ coffee all afternoon! Changed to sparkly water about halfway through, but I didn’t wanna get loaded propping up the bar and I think choosing to be caffeinated might’ve been a little bit of a fuckin’ mistake!” 

Gilly snorted with laughter, shaking his head. “Dude, I told you to get decaf.” 

“Can’t ever do that, fuckin’ decaf is bullshit! I’ll be fine, they gotta pool here and I brought my swimsuit. I’ll go swim it off, do some lengths, get all the energy out, y’know?”  

Her very wide-eyed demeanour had them in soft fits, Lee’s hand shaking upon her beer glass, making her food order at a hundred miles an hour to the entertained looking waiter.  

“And I gotta deal with this all night.” Gilly laughed, receiving an elbow from the hopped-up lady herself. She seemed to calm a little for eating, a firm but polite no given when the waiter asked them if they wanted coffee once they’d finished, calling it an evening at 10pm. Well, Lee and Gilly stayed up to see if Vincent returned back at a decent hour, but Emma and Guero headed straight back to their room. 

Opening the door for her, he gestured that she should enter first. “There, you get me being a gentleman just once, before I turn straight animal.” He smacked her ass, kicking the door shut, Emma removing her boots and socks. 

“Love, you’re always straight animal,” she purred, winking at him. He snaked his arms around her, moving her hair, softly biting the side of her neck with a playful growl. Those nibbles turned to kisses, hands pawing at her. Grasping his hoodie, she pulled it over his head, her nails gently raking down his chest as his mouth met hers, manoeuvring to the bed, pushing him onto it.  

“I have to take this off, my head is like a furnace.” Pulling off the wig, she unclipped her hair and let it tumble loose, messy waves framing her face, Guero sitting up to watch keenly as she began to lower her dress. The way his eyebrows rose significantly at the reveal of her black, diamond mesh underwear tugged at the corners of her mouth. 

“Wow. Get the fuck on me, right now.”  

Ahh, the desired effect.  

“Is that what you want, hmm?” 

His eyes swept her with desire, his cock beginning to harden at just the sight of her, nodding in response to her words. 

“Yeah, I know what you want,” she spoke, coming to sit astride him, pushing her fingers into his mouth, her nipples hard against his chest through the thin mesh of her bra. “You want to pin me down and fuck my tight little pussy until I gush all over your cock, don’t you? Mmm, I love it when you get me so wet that it starts running over my thighs, when you hold me down and pound me so hard, I get dizzy. Yeah, I love it like that.” She ran her tongue up the side of his neck, her hips beginning to gyrate, grinding herself against the big erection she felt tenting his jeans.  

He groaned barbarously around the suck upon her fingers, his teeth clamping in a hard bite, Emma pulling them from between his gorgeous lips before her mouth locked to his. Their kisses rained sensuality and steamy heat, Guero lying back on the bed, the feel of pristine hotel linens sumptuous against his bare back, hands travelling all over her as he moaned against her tongue.  

If there was a sweeter way to kill time, he was yet to experience it.  

Moving beneath her, his body topped hers, pressing her into the bed as his hands slid to make short work of her underwear, sitting up only to shed the remainder of his clothes before his mouth was on hers once more. He kissed her with all the love and heated desire he felt for her, hand trailing down her thigh as he shifted his weight a little, fingers skimming over the sumptuously dewy petals of her cunt. 

That first touch had her arching off the bed, her back bending like a crescent moon, her moan rich and full bodied, his thick, clever fingers spreading her wetness around, settling upon her clit and beginning to circle. His touch was so perfect, Emma mewling softly as she felt her core ache, his breaths heavy against her neck as he moved to kiss her elegant throat, a soft groan rumbling his as he pushed two fingers into her.   

“Oh god, you’re so fucking wet for me already.” He rumbled, his mouth finding hers, kissing her with all the heat of a furnace, those keen fingers seeking out her sweet spots. Focused rotations forced soft little exclamations from her, Guero drinking them down like wine as his lips locked with hers. “Yeah, that feel good, baby?” 

She couldn’t even form words, delight tumbling through her, merely uttering a soft little moan as her head fell back on the bed, his fingers entering, rotating, dragging back, moving his thumb to her clit to stroke it in perfect rhythm. It always boosted his ego a little, seeing how easily he could make her sail into bliss with just two fingers. 

It didn’t take long for him to kiss a sizzling path down her body, his mouth craving to be quenched with what drenched his fingers, removing them, sucking her wetness from them with a hungry grunt. He pushed her legs wider so she splayed for him, delving his tongue right into her folds, the syrupy wet of her pussy drenching his mouth.   

His tongue dragged her eagerly, long licks from her glossy opening to her clit making her very bones shudder in ecstasy, Guero groaning, watching her body undulate before him. The rolling heat of his tongue pressed flat as it circled her clit, sending waves of bliss through her, her little whimpers filling the air, his hands gripped at her waist as he felt her puddling against his tongue.  

She looked down, watching him do it, gasping, her fingers raking through his hair. “You look so fucking hot with a mouthful of my pussy.” 

He grinned against her, sucking on her clit. “And you look the same while you’re getting it ate, mamas.” He winked, closing his eyes, groaning as he took a mouthful of her, loving the feeling of her thighs skimming against his face as she writhed. 

He sucked upon her like ripe fruit, his groans deep, like boulders rolling over one another, the heat radiating up her spine as she panted, watching him tipping her further into mindlessness before her eyes closed and her head fell back. The flickers of the very tip of his tongue working in speed over her clit were too much, but not enough, her body shaking in response of being so lit up. It felt like an ice storm meeting magma, her body gleaming for him, Guero pushing his fingers back within her heat, burrowing deep. 

Placing a suck upon her clit, his cheeks hollowed, the pressure gentle at first, fingers circling her walls, entering her then with rapidity, that suck intensifying until he had her crying out softly. His hunger to devour had him tearing his fingers from her, covering her entire slit in the thirsty suck of his mouth, grunting against her folds as his tongue laved her incessantly.   

Reaching for his jeans, he undid them, sliding them and his boxers down, kicking himself out of them with impatience, the need to be within her rocketing through him. His heart thundered in his chest as anticipation skittered over him, kissing his way back to her mouth, lips meeting hers in a hot mesh of filthy indulgence, his words matching.   

“Wanna spread those gorgeous legs and let me fuck you, huh? Is that what you want, for me to bury my big dick right up deep in this pretty little pussy, huh blue eyes?” Those words fuelled the epicentre of her bonfire, Emma nodding, their kisses scorching as he moved between her legs and glided into her, her walls tensing on his shaft, dragging a groan from the depths of him. He sat back on his heels, taking root in her, his eyes watching the sight of it, his cock sinking in and out, her wetness bathing him thickly. 

He fell to her then, the blinding need to chase the fire roaring through his veins consuming him, his flames catching at her edges as she wrapped her legs around him, their mouths meeting messily.   

“Oh god,” she gasped, clasping his face, seduced further by the look of dark lust pooling his near black eyes. “Fuck me, yeah, that’s it. Oh, fuck me!”   

And he did, pounding into her relentlessly, hitting her so deep, shocks skittered through her. He slowed then, wanting to make it last longer than the rampant charge his arousal was dictating, pulling himself back, thrusting a little shallower, almost retreating, slipping back deeply. His head dipped, sucking her nipples in turn, tongue circling them with a hungry grunt, his hands stroking paths of blissful heat up and down her thighs as his cock hit her deep, deep, deep.   

“Mmmm, fuck. You look so goddamn pretty, spread all around my dick. Got me so fucking drenched, beautiful.” he groaned, sitting back up again, the sight so steeped in erotic heat, he had to close his eyes for a moment, those tingles pulsing too rapidly, the desire to chase his release held fast, slowing, long lashes parting again as he stared down at her. “That feel good, huh?” 

“Oh, you’re fucking amazing!” she cried out, her body jolting when he brought his thumb to her clit, tight circles spreading glimmers through her, pleasure melting down her spine and puddling at her cunt, covering him further in her dew. She raised herself up on her elbows, her hips shunting against each of his thrusts, fucking him back with purpose as she let her gaze fall to watch it.  

He reached beneath her chin, making her focus on him, his forehead resting to hers as he stared at her with so much love, her heart felt full to burst. Stroking his face, she felt like she could see her entire future in the dark sparkle of his lust blown pupils, nuzzling him, whispering her love, sharing kisses steeped in sweet, yet burning heat.  

Her heart jolted suddenly with the weight of it, the realisation of exactly what she would lose if Vincent didn’t agree. He had to, because there was no way she would willingly or easily part from Guero now she’d finally found him. 

[venus-flytraap]

• Farfalle •

primo x reader

content: fluff, slight depression hinting, cute ass Italian nicknames

nicknames: Mio Sole (my sun)

•

It was a rainy afternoon at the ministry, and you had no motivation to do *anything.* Maybe it was the weather, or the fact that your work wasn't very exciting, but you had just felt so sluggish.

You decided now would be a good time to gift Primo a pot of flowers you picked up at the store earlier; Maybe he would help kickstart your motivation once more.

You grabbed to flowers out of the trunk of your car, heading over to his small greenhouse. You stepped in quietly, the sweet aroma of cherry blossoms filling the air. You look around in awe, realizing you had never been to his greenhouse before. Soon after, a soft whistling noise snapped you out of your trance. You looked over in the direction of it, seeing Primo watering a pot of orchids.

You walked over to him, hiding the pot of dahlia's behind your back. You tapped him on the shoulder gently, watching as he turned around.

"Oh, hello." Primo spoke with a hint of annoyance. He never let anyone in his greenhouse; not even his brothers.

"You shouldn't be here. Why do you intrude on my personal space, and for what reason...?" Primo continued, his heavy Italian accent overtaking his voice.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't know this was a private area..." You explained, a pang of guilt shooting through your chest.

"I don't allow anyone in here, but I'm feeling generous today, so I'll make an exception for you." He sighed as he looked at you, his cold, blue eye stared right at you. He flashed you a small smile as he looked around at his greenhouse.

"Say, you must have good taste in plants if you decided to, eh, arrive at my greenhouse... no?" Primo spoke, his grumpy demeanor slowly fading.

"Well, I actually came here to give you something-" You replied, a soft smile spreading across your face as you held the potted dahlia's behind your back.

"You came here to give *me* something...?" He spoke, as he gave you a confused look. He wasn't used to receiving gifts or presents.

"Well... I know how much you love gardening, and I saw these and thought of you!" You said as you handed him the dahlias, grinning. He took them, his eyes widening. He *loved* dahlia's, but he never told people that.

"T-thank you very much!" Primo replied, taken aback by your generous gift. He let his demeanor drop, revealing the plant nerd he really was.

"You know, I have not had anyone gift something to me in a *very* long time..." He continued, sighing. You looked at him surprised, not realizing.

"Really-?" You responded, quite surprised. You felt your heart flutter at the fact that you made him happy.

You had a crush on him for the longest time, but you didn't dare tell him that. The other siblings of sin teased you about, especially anytime Primo was around. You had noticed Primo giving you soft glances in the hallways anytime you passed eachother, but you never thought much of it.

Primo smiled as he took your hand gently. 

"Really. I thought nobody cared about me... Not even Satan himself. I have served him for a long time, but he had never done anything kind for me. It seems like he has his favorites..." Primo sighed as he rubbed his temples

"Thank you again, *Mio Sole*, this means a lot to me." He smiled once more, taking your hand gently.

"Say, how would you like a tour of my greenhouse...?" He offered, looking back at you. Your heart raced as you nodded excitedly.

Primo began to show you all of his prized plants, telling you any cool or interesting facts he knew about them. He seemed so genuine in this moment; He knew he didn't need to keep his walls up around you. He felt... comfortable.

You two had reached a beautiful butterfly bush. You watched as a few monarch butterflies flew around, causing you to become almost entranced.

"This is my favorite bush in the greenhouse. It attracts monarchs every year to land and roost. I live the colors of the flowers, it's one of the few things in this world that I find myself at peace looking at. Even the sound of the monarchs wings... it makes me feel alive again." He spoke in a quiet, solemn voice. You watched as a butterfly landed on his nose, the two of you laughing softly, your voices complimenting eachother in a harmonic melody.

As the butterfly flew away once more, a peaceful look came over Primo's face. He looked back at you once more, his heart filling with warmth.

"You know, sometimes, whenever I am alone and sad, I come here to look at the butterflies. They remind me that there is still beauty in this world, and that I shouldn't give up." He sighed, pausing for a moment.

"It helps me remember that life is worth living, even in times where everything looks impossible and hopeless, all the pain and heartache is worth being able to experience a single moment like this." He finished, smiling softly at you. You felt your heart almost overflowing with love for him as he let his heart out to you.

"Wow... that is... that's a beautiful way of thinking, Primo." *You spoke softly as you turned to face him*

"I just hope that one day you'll find something, or *someone* that will give you the same kind of joy." He said, just above a whisper. He looked into your eyes, his heart feeling warm.

"I already have." You responded blushing softly as you looked into his eyes.

"Oh, do tell-" Primo chuckled softly, waiting for your response.

"You." 

He looked at you, dumbfounded. Never in the rings of hell was he expecting you to fall for him. He felt his heart flutter at your voice.

"Me, really-?" He responded, a smile forming on his lips as you nodded, blushing.

"I'm glad you feel that way, *Mio Sole*" Primo smiled as he cupped your cheek, leaning in gently.

"I feel the same way." He spoke as he closed the gap between you, pressing his soft lips to yours, caressing your cheek. Your lips danced in sync as the kiss went on. Eventually, you pulled away, giving him a goofy smile. 

A butterfly landed on his nose again, causing the two of you to laugh, intertwining your hands.

You never wanted this moment to end.

[shingansoul]

Memories Treasured Like Juuru (Kiramager fic)

Summary: A collection of moments within the CARAT HQ between Juuru and the other kiramagers bonding and getting close one on one time with their little red leader.

To read on AO3, follow the link below or click the read more to read it here:

It wasn’t as if the others didn’t use and enjoy the couch and small living space set aside for them at CARAT, but compared to Juuru it was the difference between a breakroom and one’s own home.

Anytime outside of school hours and in the late evening, if any of the other kiramager’s happened by the area, Juuru could almost always be found there; smooshed into the corner of the couch drawing with fervor in his sketchbook, working on his homework sat on the floor at the table, or even taking a nap here or there when he was too exhausted between school and fighting with the others. He made himself quite comfortable there, and was a welcome addition to the routine, none alone in their lives overall. 

He was an awkward but kind kid, so small in many ways yet he seemed so utterly radiant at times with his excitement for even the simplest of things. He was both soft spoken and shy, yet when he had something to say his small gentle voice seemed to overtake everything else through sheer will and passion, as if he was using everything he had to imprint his words into whomever he deemed needed to hear them. Due to how he could be out on the field, they sometimes forgot in the spare moments of calm and casual company that he tended to be fairly quiet and was content to simply exist quietly next to the others as they did their own thing.

The crystalia siblings seemed the best at getting him to speak up, with Mabushiina’s gentle coaxing and warm laughter and then Takemichi’s innate older brother quality that invited their young leader to feel almost compelled to show him what he had made and tell him about his day whenever they found downtime together. It was cute really, like a small child showing their parents a new toy or sharing something they saw at school that day. It was almost exactly that actually, but nobody quite wanted to open up that line of thought as to why he wouldn’t then just go home and show his actual parents these things.

For every “Kiramaking!”, there was equally a day of a quiet little red boy sitting in the back or the corner out of the way happily just existing among the conversation and bustle of the other kiramagers. At this point, they’d be more likely to notice his absence than his presence with how regular a fixture he had become once he settled into the team. There were times though for each of them that they held above others as special moments with Juuru, their own little moments in time just for them getting to know and see their kiramai red’s attention directed just on or for them. And it was those moments they would hold most fondly.

Mabushiina was definitely the first to earn Juuru’s comfort, after all she was the one who scouted Juuru herself as well as having been the most interested in getting to see the person he was on his own terms and not just in comparison to his teammates. In the first few weeks after he was recruited, he would only stay at CARAT’s HQ if there was need for the team to be there all at once, but if the others were at work and he had time between school and their work, he started showing up here and there on his own.

“I’m back..,” he offered quietly one day, entering the room and looking around a bit nervously as if checking to see if he truly was the first one there. Mabushiina was quick to approach him, excitedly offering a smile and taking his hand in hers to pull him further in as if he would bolt if left too long.

“Welcome back, Juuru-san!” Her voice chimed with the soft sound of almost bell-like laughter Crystallians made as she was so giddy to see him. He had ducked his head but offered a smile in return, unsure what to do with the attention but not pushing away either.

“Since there’s no alerts right now, and the others aren’t here yet, is it okay if i just draw here? For a bit?” He sounded hopeful, and she nodded with gusto, releasing his hand and motioning to the parlor area and ghosting her free hand over Juuru’s shoulder as if to nudge him along.

“Of course! Like I said before, think of CARAT as another home whenever you need it! May I watch?”

He moved to place his things on the couch next to him and once he had gotten his art supplies out set on the table, he looked up at her and nodded with a smile. With permission acquired, she came over and sat down next to him, content to simply watch his imagination go across the page beside her. Today it seemed, his current muse was Sena, drawing her in charging forward like she always did in her Kiramai uniform. However, as he went, she noticed he had changed the extended collar of the uniform into flowing wings behind her and even adding smaller wings to her shoes as well.

It took her a few moments to place it before she exclaimed, “Like Hermes!”

He paused, tilting his head in confusion at her, and he seemed to stare at his own drawing trying to find something he was missing despite being the creator if it to begin with. She placed her hands against her cheeks, as if to hide a growing flush and she rushed out an apology.

“Ah, I am sorry! I shouldn’t have tried to guess your idea. Um-I just thought…well, Hermes is one of your world’s gods from myths and legends, and he had these winged shoes to help him fly and travel incredibly fast to be able to deliver messages for the other gods. If i remember correctly, that is..” She glanced at him, expecting some kind of admonishment or discomfort with being interrupted, but instead she found Juuru's eyes seeming to sparkle with interest and excitement. He hummed softly once she was done explaining, and she saw him move to continue working on his piece with renewed fervor.

“I think that’s a good idea…Sena-san is kinda like that too I think, except instead of messages she delivers justice and…um…and wakuwaku!”

 He smiled wide, his teeth pushing past his lips and he giggled to himself. His laugh was infectious and Mabushiina also joined in, clapping her hands and nodding in agreement. They sat there for almost an hour or so before anyone else started trickling in as various work and club schedules ran out and released the other Kiramagers from obligations of daily life. And though it wasn't long, the two made the best of it spending the rest of their time trying to place the other rangers into myths and legends of their own to match the initial artwork of Sena. It was before they became legends of their own right of course, but even so early and on earth, the kiramagers were already seen as legendary figures of incredible power, at least to Juuru.

Shiguru was an odd and eccentric man, in his own way, a mix of naturally very big gestures and a stoic “cool” facade overtop that he had developed through his career and the two often blended together for an inconsistent kind of personality. Talking with him would either garner the most humorous and silly of topics treated with utter sincerity, or with all the seriousness one could muster he would deadpan give his best attempt at jokes and the tone across both could be anywhere in between. He would whine and cry when forced into things he didn't like, yet if for the sake of looking cool, he could in an instant walk off immeasurable pain with a noble word or two to ease the worries of those around him. He had overly specific preferences and interests that did not often match the version of himself he put out most often, but if you got him talking he could go on for hours despite being a man of more action than words.

All that said, Juuru and he had ended up mastering the art of companionable silence as they could both be so deeply absorbed in their respective work, yet the presence of the other would always be felt and missed if gone. Many a day, Shiguru found himself reciting lines and testing deliveries for his various roles on the couch or at the side table, and Juuru would either be working on homework or curled around his sketchbook in a flurry just a few feet away. Today was no different.

Shiguru had made it first, without shooting that day he had taken the opportunity instead to do some research for his next role as it was an adaptation of a story he wasn’t quite familiar with. He made himself comfortable on the couch and aside from pausing for basic needs, he had been there the majority of the morning and early afternoon. So engrossed in his reading, he didn’t notice the gentle call of Juuru’s arrival (a now bright if not still quiet “I’m back!” that had been encouraged by Mabushiina that seemed to stick with him no matter who was present to hear now.). In fact, he didn't notice Juuru’s entering the room or his space until the teen suddenly sat himself on the floor between the couch and the table, bumping his shoulder blade against Shiguru’s crossed legs. 

He blinked in silent surprise, glancing down and out of assumed courtesy, he moved his legs a bit to the side so as not to bump into the boy and returned to his research. A few moments went by before the lack of any sounds really caught his attention; he wasn't expecting conversation but where was the sound of shuffled paper or clacking pencils that came with Juuru’s company? He tried to not be obvious in looking the other over, and after a few moments he noticed that Juuru kept awkwardly looking between Shiguru’s legs and the space they were once in, and he had remained half seated half curled in his mid settling he had apparently been interrupted in. Now curious and a bit amused, Shiguru feigned a natural adjusting in his seat and moved his legs back where they were, he wanted to test a theory.

He was quickly proven right, to his furthered amusement as only then did Juuru almost right away finish getting his homework supplies out and move to more comfortably sit, resting his own legs against the front of the couch and his back against Shiguru’s legs. Juuru was far from averse to touch but he didn't often go out of his way like this to get it, and the thought that he wanted to seek out Shiguru’s presence like this in that way made his chest feel warm. The older man was not one to forthright speak affections or praise too often, either it came off too vulnerable or he didn't think it necessary. But this…was doable, comfortable even. 

And so they stayed there for the next few hours, not commenting on the arrangement and only talking really when Juuru would on occasion shyly ask the older man for help with his literature homework (it just so happened Juuru’s class was also studying the story he was to play out in his next role). And when the story took a sad turn and Shiguru, despite himself, couldn't help the sniffles and tears beading his eyes, the boy huffed a soft laugh and patted Shiguru’s knee as a sign of comfort. It was nice, and Shiguru was happy to know he was just as wanted company for his leader as some of the younger more sociable members of their team. And if this small gesture was Juuru taking the lead, Shiguru was by no means one to turn down a role to fulfill to go along with it.

When Takemichi had made his wonder entrance to the team, he couldn’t shake the youngest of them no matter how hard he tried. If he fought, the other fought with him. If he went treasure hunting, more often than not Juuru would show up with his small tactical shovel (where did he even get such a thing?) full of a need to help even if he didn't know how or why. When Takemichi finally divulged his secret reason for all his desperate treasure hunting, Juuru had looked pained both for him and at keeping the secret but he still tried his best (even if his best at lying was quite frankly a bit pathetic). Now that they were on regular even terms though, no secrets and no walls, Takemichi was glad Juuru never gave up because he wouldn’t ever want to lose him now that he had him as one of his team members and little extended family. 

Now that said however, there was a difference between not wanting to lose his friend and his friend taking up residence unconscious in his lap; He had only closed his eyes a minute, he was sure, not even a nap at all just resting his eyes! And yet one moment it was just him on the couch with his siblings talking about various plans around the signal table, and the next he was blinking his eyes open in alertness with a sudden weight draped across his thighs.

“Hahaha, oi! Juuru? Juuru!” He awkwardly reached down, lightly shaking the boy’s shoulder: no dice. He shook a little harder, but that only earned him a soft grunt and his new resident curling his legs up further in against his chest but otherwise no change. Takemichi huffed, looking across the room to his brother almost pleadingly.

“Oi, Muryo, little help here? Kid’s out cold and I have places to be.”

His younger brother laughed and smiled fondly looking his way, and he made a noncommittal wave of his hand. “Nii-nii, I’m sure it can wait if you were comfortable taking a nap of your own just a moment ago. Besides, you didn't see him walk in, he was dead on his feet; he could really use a wonder nap I think honestly.”

Takemichi made a face that was definitely not a pout, but looking down at the sleeping teen once more broke his resolve and he sighed dramatically. He muttered just loud enough to be heard, “fine, fine, wonder nap it is then.” And with that, he accepted his fate and tried his best to get comfortable. He grabbed one of the various leftover scripts from some of Shiguru’s past works just to give him something to focus on and let himself sink into the words as his new charge slept on.

He got almost a quarter of the way in before getting a bit bored and letting his gaze wander down to his leader, practically motionless aside his chest rising and falling and the occasional scratch at his cheek or arm in his sleep. He didn't really snore at all so much as his breathing got a bit louder; the kid was a mouth breather in his sleep and the air passing his slightly crooked teeth made a bit of a sound, not quite a whistle but enough to say there was something there. He looked up and over to his siblings quickly, checking to make sure they were engrossed in their business and not staring at him, before looking down again.

 He often did have the time to get a good look at Juuru if he wanted to sure, but to be honest he was usually pretty distracted or rushing off to the next treasure hunt to take the time to really look the boy-leader over. He didn't think on it too often, but this close and feeling the weight of the other on him, he thought once more on just how small their leader was. Such small shoulders and thin arms were carrying quite a lot, and more than once they had seen this small body cave against their enemies even if his heart never wavered or gave up. That kiramentality of his really did push him beyond what anyone could ever expect, it took a step ahead a lot of his qualities that didn't quite make him a typical leader at all. He was tenacious though, that was for sure, even if he was a bit skittish outside of when the need arose.

Not putting much thought to it, Takemichi ran his fingers through the boy's hair once, not with intent so much as just something to do with his hand. He kept repeating the movement over and over as he tipped his head to rest on the back of the couch and just let his thoughts wander a bit in boredom. Another 5-10 minutes went by, he couldn't quite be sure, but then a soft grumble could be heard from Juuru as he slowly pushed himself up on his arms, still on the goggled man’s lap to his minor annoyance.

“Hey buddy, how’d you sleep?” Takemichi teased, flashing him a reassuring wonder smile. Juuru tiredly rubbed at his face, clearly not fully awake yet as he moved not to pull himself up, but rather to simply roll over now facing the back of the couch and burying his forehead against the older man’s hip.

“ ‘m cold…” he mumbled out, and as if to accentuate his statement, a small shudder went through his frame. 

Takemichi hummed in a tone that said, “Ah, is that so” and he glanced around, fumbling with the throw pillow to his right before he found the folded up throw blanket they tucked behind it. He shook it out to unfold it, and with a small flourish he threw it over top of the boy, making sure it covered up to his shoulders. In response, Juuru hummed softly in contentment grabbing at the blanket’s edge as if to hold it in place. As if Takemichi would dare or let anyone else for that matter.

“Enjoy your wonder nap, kiddo. I’ll wake you if we need you.” Takemichi offered softly, not really expecting the other to be awake enough anymore, if he ever was, to take it in. He returned his left hand to the boy's hair, boredly carding his hand through it with a bit more purpose hoping his charge found it at least somewhat pleasant. After a solid minute or two, Takemichi faintly heard Juuru mumble out a reply, and were it not for the words being spoken he might have missed it.

“....thank you, nii-nii….”

Takemichi’s jaw dropped in shock, but before he could retort anything Juuru was once more out cold in an instant. He looked up in exaggerated shock and appal at his siblings, the telltales of badly hidden laughter bleeding through across the rooms as Mabushiina’s chimelike laugh filtered through the air and Muryo’s hand covering his mouth was more than suspect to be hiding a smile and laughter.

Takemichi groaned, dramatically flopping his head back.

“Great, it’s spreading like an infection. Fine, Nii-nii it is because I guess I don't have a choice in anything anymore!”

Through the theatrics, he couldn't quite fight the edges of his mouth curling in a smile despite himself. A big brother again huh? Yeah, he could do that just fine.

Due to her youthful and excitable personality and small stature, Sena often was confused as being closer to Juuru’s age than the college student she really was. Even some of her team members were surprised to find that out as admittedly before Juuru, she wasn't the closest to the others quite yet. She was the first of the rangers to respect him as leader though, as his own passion and words spoke to her and she wanted to return that with dedication and understanding of her own too. That didn’t stop with just being a more proactive member of the team though or even just at being his friend, such as in moments his age and awkward personality were brought to the forefront of attention.

He had been leaning over the small vanity table when she entered, her practice moved to the morning and so with no other classes, she had come in quite early and it showed she wasn't expected when she saw Juuru startle a bit. She didn't take it personally, at this point she had learned that outside of being a ranger Juuru was actually a bit awkward and skittish even if he didn't mean to be, so she pushed on ahead and walked over to lean over his shoulder.

“Hey, Juuru-kun! What’cha up to?” She leaned her head to look at his face a bit better from this angle, her ponytail swishing to the side with the moment. He laughed a bit nervously, holding up a couple of bandaids.

“Trying to put these on….I don’t think the mirror is actually helping though.” She held out her hand wordlessly and with a sigh of defeat, he passed them over before sitting obediently in the chair and looking up at her. She hummed as she moved, easily placing the bandaids against the raised skin of the not quite cuts on the bottom of his jaw and chin. It wasn't bleeding, the skin hadn't broken, but it was inflamed and raised in a similar way to cat scratches. Once she was finished, she politely took a seat on a nearby stool that didn't sit too much higher than the vanity table chair and she looked at Juuru with a softer look, full of concern.

“Juuru-kun, can I ask what happened? That seems like a bit of an odd place to get hurt.”

He laughed awkwardly and scratched at his arm as he replied, not even attempting to look her in the face.

“Waka-san, he’s in my class, was trying to take my sketchbook while I was drawing. I didn't really notice he was there or moving anything until he suddenly snatched it, and the metal spirals on the top hit me and scratched my face a bit. Hehe, kinda silly that kiramai red can fight yodenheim soldiers, but gets hit by his own sketchbook…” he laughed nervously, looking up at Sena through his bangs for what seemed almost like approval.

Sena crossed her arms, and sternly huffed and turned her nose up at the aforementioned classmate despite him not being there.

“He sounds like a jerk to me! Did he even apologize? And what’s it his business to just take your things?” She looked at Juuru expectantly, and when she got a nervous shrug she stood up and started pacing, trying to physically walk out her temper flaring on her friends behalf.

It made more than good sense unfortunately that Juuru had bullies, he didn't exactly show his kiramaking attitude in his everyday with others, she’d had enough almost entirely silent days in CARAT to know that. But even so, what was the big deal with him just wanting to draw? He wasn't bothering anyone, yet everyone seemed to want to bother him? Admittedly, aside her childhood friend being a very specific exception, she didn't really ever get bullied much especially given her outgoing personality and her sports career making her tip closer to popularity if anything. But she knew how highschool could be, and how for as many good kids there were like Juuru, there were always bullies and jerks that thrived off making the former kids miserable.

She paced around the room for a good minute or two before it clicked that the boy she had gotten so worked up in honor of hadn’t added anything since she stood up, which made her stop and turn to check just to instantly feel guilty. Juuru had taken to just quietly sitting in the chair she had left him in, looking at the floor and holding his arms around his middle. She had made a big deal out of something he was already probably worried about if not upset by, she had steamrolled him into letting her have it out for his problem. She right away moved to sit on the edge of the seat the boy was sat in, garnering his attention to at least look up at her.

“Juuru-kun, I’m sorry. How about we do this differently.” She held her hand out to him, palm side up and she smiled at him. “Why don’t you tell me about the things you drew today, did you see or imagine anything exciting?”

He smiled at her then, meeting her eyes as he placed his hand into hers. He nodded with a soft hum, straightening up a bit before beginning to regale her all about his drawings of classmates and of all the amazing beasts and machines their partners turned into and possible new powers they could try out. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, happy to see him loosen up around her. Juuru being bullied to the level of being hurt was important, but blowing it up further didn't change the fact Juuru wasn't the type to be able to deal with it himself so telling him it was a problem was unfair to him. And as much as she wanted to have Juuru point out all the kids at school who hurt him or made him feel upset, he couldn't so she wouldn't, and she didn't want to be another person making Juuru uncomfortable and sad. Especially not here, where he was supposed to be able to relax and feel at home with the team. She would not cross the almost “sacred” boundaries that CARAT HQ offered, not after all the smiles and laughs that Juuru being there and everyone else had brought her after her own rough days in this place.

Sayo wasn’t the eldest of the kiramagers, far from it with Takemichi with them and his unique life he’s led, but due to her profession and the maturity she gave off, it seemed she struggled the most with finding equal footing with their little red ranger. It wasn’t that she looked down on him in any way so much as he placed her up above himself instead. It was something she noticed a few months into knowing each other that he did with all the other kiramagers, if not people in general but for her it was especially poignant since they didn't have much middle ground between them to meet at. She served as more a mother figure than a friend, which she didn't mind as he was a child, but she wanted him to be able to be more comfortable around her when it was just them outside of treating his wounds after missions.

She had found herself in one of those times; it was just them at CARAT again and thus thoughts of how to reach out were in mind as she sat at the vanity table, applying her regular makeup now that she was off work at the hospital. Juuru could be found sitting on the floor, foregoing the couch to simply kneel at the coffee table and stare at his sketchbook. She glanced at him every so often through the mirror as she got ready, noticing what appeared to be an art block of some sort as he kept frowning and didn't make any move to actually put pencil to paper. After a bit of this, he took to laying his head on the table in visible frustration, taking to simply watching her through the mirror instead. She chuckled, and between product applications he seemed to take his chance and called out.

“Sayo-san?”

“Yes, Juuru-kun?”

A pause before he pressed on. “Why do you not put on makeup before you get here?”

“I can’t wear it during surgery, there’s a chance of contamination as makeup tends to flake and dust off a residue as you both apply and wear it throughout the day. But once I'm here, I can wear whatever I like so I like to put it on here along with getting into the uniform.”

He made a soft sound of intrigue and went back to watching. However, this time he was much quicker to broach another question.

“Sayo-san?”

She chuckled softly in amusement. “Yes, Juuru-kun?”

“Is putting on makeup fun?”

She paused, an idea forming in her mind. She turned in her seat to properly face Juuru now, giving and now garnering mutual full attention. “Would you like to try it? I have all sorts of colors and different kinds with me, I keep my whole makeup bag here.”

In response he made a face of excitement followed by a quick frown and shake of the head. She waited and he shook his head again, crossing his arms in what seemed confusion.

“I don’t want it on my face, I don't like when things touch my face or I can't wipe them off. But I want to try putting it on.”

Ah, a simple solution then that worked for more than one problem. 

“Would you like to try putting makeup on me? You can do any style or colors you want, just be sure not to waste anything. I’d love to see what you can come up with.”

He immediately perked up again, nodding with enthusiasm as all but scrambled up to his feet to approach her. She laughed outright this time, taking out her makeup wipes to clean off the unfinished look she had started so he would have a “clean canvas.” Once she was sure her face was makeup free and another wipe down for good measure, she brought her makeup bag down with her to the floor so she would be at Juuru’s eye level.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded and offered a smile.

“I would only offer if I was sure.”

He nodded again and gave her a rather serious look that almost sent her into laughter from how intense Juuru was proving to be over this, but she was glad he was enthusiastic and that she could offer this. He asked her what all the products in the bag were for and how to apply them, and after he felt sure he knew his toolset, he went to work. He tried his best to be gentle as he tipped her face here and there for better angles and his brushstrokes were quite relaxing if she were to be honest. He made her promise not to keep track of the colors since he wanted to surprise her with something, and so unless needed for something she kept her eyes closed. She didn't dislike putting on her own makeup, but it was much more relaxing getting to just have it done for her she would admit.

She relaxed into it, almost nodding off towards the end before his sudden loud cheer of “Aaaaand done!” jolted her fully awake. He stood up with ease, and as she tried to rise to follow she found her legs had fallen asleep. She laughed as he scrambled forward to grab her so she didn't fall and he helped her walk the few steps back to the chair. Once she was seated, he stood behind her a good amount, quietly but very intensely staring at her to gauge her reaction. She was pleasantly surprised to see his choices when she looked at herself properly.

He had gone for a very bright shade of pink for the eyeshadow, a shade she wasn't too aware she owned in honesty and he had added a bit of silver glitter to the corner of her eyes. For the rest, he had mostly just went through her usual routine for foundation, contour, and the like, foregoing mascara since he was nervous he might hurt her or smear it. He had also gone for a glossy bright pink lip gloss as well, using a purple tinted brown lip liner that made it pop even more against her skin. It was much more attention grabbing than what she would normally go for, but it was quite cute she would say.

She glanced back at him and saw he was nervously fiddling with his hands, so she spun around in her chair and reached out, taking his hands in hers. He bashfully met her gaze, looking at her for approval.

“Is it okay?’

“It’s very lovely, Juuru-kun. You did a good job!”

He beamed at the praise, smiling wide.

“I couldn't really draw today, I felt stuck with my art and nothing felt right. But you gave me a different kind of art to try and it was challenging and fun, so I feel refreshed with my other art too! I got to learn about the art you do every day, thank you!”

‘What a good boy I have,’ she thought to herself with a hint of pride. She would wear this with pride for the rest of the day, and she even found herself excited to gauge reactions for when the others arrived later on. Maybe being a mother figure was just as good after all.

He was angry, not at his opponents or his teammates, but at himself in all honesty. That tournament should have been an easy team win, all he had to do was bring out the best in his team since everyone was playing to their best and it should have been a sure-win. But he hadn't done that, he had made a bad call, told his mid-laner to play jungler today so he could try a different position himself, and it had cost them. He was supposed to be a surprise to the opponents, only surprise there was that he thought it would work. He growled in aggravation, stalking his way down the hall to the door leading into the main room they all met in at CARAT. He thought maybe he could take some time to himself, cool off before anyone else got there so he didn't take it out on anyone just because he was upset. When he opened the door however, he could hear the muffled sounds of a video being played quietly from within; so much for peace and solitude.

He ran his fingers through his hair roughly, as if the smoothing motion would smooth out his temper. He looked around the table and saw nobody, not even Hakataminami-san was here due to the weekend schedule so he was only there if needed with any incidents in town. He scanned the room to find Juuru seated on the couch, a laptop in his lap and headphones in his ears. It wasn't too often that Juuru took to the internet for something to do, especially here at CARAT so it caught his attention well enough. Out of curiosity, he walked over, moving to stand aside the table to get a side glance at the screen, and what he saw instantly brought his temper back to boiling. He moved in quickly to slap the space bar, pausing the archived stream Juuru had pulled up.

“Just shut it off, nothing good happened today, who sent you that tournament stream anyway?” His tone was curt, trying not to make it a confrontation but also his frustration being brought back at Juuru just sitting there watching his failure just hours after it happened made his blood boil. 

Juuru blinked in surprise, taking a moment to glance up to meet Tametomo’s expectant gaze and he offered a small smile. 

“Tametomo-kun! Welcome back, how did it go?” 

“Don’t rub it in, damn it! You just saw, didn't you? I screwed everyone up out there because I wanted to play around.” Tametomo shot back, growling in frustration afterwards and shaking his head at his own failures once again.

“....Um, i dont ...i dont really know much about video games, and i really don't know a lot about competitive games like that one. It was kinda hard to follow, actually…I'm sorry it didn't go well, but i'm sure next time you-”

“If you don't get it, why bother watching it? And you should at least be able to tell if i'm losing, didn't you see me make an ass of myself? I yelled like an idiot out there.”

“You yell for a lot of reasons though! And since i didn't understand the game, i didn't know what kind of yelling it was. Sometimes you yell when you’re happy, or embarrassed, or worried, or when you’re sad or-”

Tametomo held up his hands, shaking them back and forth. “Yeah yeah, okay I scream and yell constantly, whatever. That still doesn't explain why you’d want to watch my tournament stream.” 

“I like seeing you play, it’s how you sparkle so I wanted to watch Tametomo-kun.” Juuru offered weakly, sounding almost a bit miffed why Tametomo would ask such a question. The kiramager in question quirked an eyebrow, “haaah??”

He stared Juuru down, waiting for anything else to explain himself or some kind of reaction, but Juuru just kept offering a shy smile and his gaze locked on in attention. Tametomo sighed, resting a hand on his hip and he dragged his other one down his face in exasperation. 

“Alright, sure. Why not just come to the tournaments then? I can get you tickets for free, and then there’s announcers to explain stuff and I can explain stuff if you want to see it so bad. Wouldn't that be easier?”

Juuru shook his head at that, looking down at his lap and fiddling with his shirt sleeve. When he answered after a few moments, his voice was quiet as if embarrassed or trying to hide something.

“ ‘s too loud and the lights are too bright…”

Tametomo stilled, putting two and two together and sighing, heat leaving him a bit. Of course Juuru wasn't trying to rub in his defeat and of course he did not avoid coming to support him on purpose, he just got too overstimulated actually showing up.

“Look, Juuru-”

The boy in question piped up again, a bit insistent, “I thought you would notice I was watching the way you do when you do solo streams and people send comments…Or I thought maybe someone else would hop in and explain stuff, but that…didn't happen..so…”

Tametomo raised his free hand to stop the other, sighing as he roughly let himself drop to the couch next to Juuru. He leaned forward and rewound the stream archive to the beginning, and hit play.

“Tametomo-kun?’

“I’ll explain it for you, so let’s just watch it. Maybe watching it back will show me how to do better next time anyway. And for the record, I guess for future tournaments if you want…i guess i can explain stuff then too.”

Juuru glanced at him in pleasant surprise, his expression open as he took in the offer before smiling a wide toothy grin and nodding.

“Okay!”

Coming to the CARAT HQ had helped him cool off a bit after all. Huh.