#possibly would let herself get arrested

[natalievoncatte]

There was a knock at Lena’s door, and it startled her awake. She was awake, but also wasn’t, sitting in a side chair beside her sofa with a glass of whisky still in her hand, loosely held by tired, nerveless fingers. It nearly fell from her palm when the sound jolted her from the twilight between fitful wakefulness and falling asleep sitting up. By her side was that goddamn picture, the glass still cracked. She grabbed it and forced it down so she didn’t have to see her grinning face, feel the ghost of a warm soft cheek lightly grazing hers.

The whisky made a fiery stab at her heart as she finished it and went to the door. She already knew who it was, the only person who’d dare disturb her at this hour, and who could get past her security.

Kara stood in the hall, clad in fluffy pajamas and disbelieved, tracks left by hot tears still cut into her soft rosy cheeks. There she was, the pretty little crying princess again.

It was an act. It was bullshit. The real her was hiding behind it, standing tall, appraising Lena’s faults with eyes that could burn mountains, the cold judgment of an extinct empire carved into her godlike, inhuman beauty. Lena made herself see that, refused to let her guard down.

“What, Kara?”

“Can I come in?”

Lena didn’t even answer. She began to close the door, only for her movement to be arrested by a single word.

“Please.”

Part of her made her stop. She seethed against it, hated it. She had carved icy knives of vengeance to carve it out herself. Alcohol had failed to drown it and the sharpest logic was dull against it. It was both too hard to crush and too soft to squeeze, this hateful thing that coiled around her heart and made her feel when she had sworn never to feel again.

Kara took a halting step forward. Lena threw out her palm and pressed it into her chests, stopping her.

She shouldn’t have done that. There was something heady and intoxicating in it. Kara froze in place, and Lena could feel her pulse along her collarbones. The pinnacle of alien might, strength so vast that nothing could stand as her equal, and she stopped from Lena’s lightest touch. That was power.

“What do you want?”

“Just to talk.”

“I’ve heard your apologies. Don’t waste my time unless you have some new material.”

Kara licked her lips. “Maybe.”

They couldn’t stay like this. Resting a hand on her chest had too many possibilities. Touching her had too many implications. It would be so easy to let the soft thing win and bring her hand up and hold her palm to that soft cheek and seek to balm those tears, make it better, care.

She let herself remember that Kara’s pain was a shoeld for Supergirl’s judging wrath and pulled back, but she didn’t close the door. Kara did as she slipped inside.

Thee was a heavy pause of silence, where Kara just breathed, soft and ragged.

“Why are you here?” said Lena.

“I needed to see you. I needed to know you’re safe.”

“Nightmares?”

“Worse,” said Kara. “It was so much worse.”

The agony in her voice shook Lena.

Forcing herself to composure, she poured another three fingers of single malt and flipped into her chair, extending neither drink nor invitation to Kara. The drink was a bad idea. It was dangerous. The smokey, hazy heat of it burned the soft bitter taste of regret from her teeth. Lena didn’t look at her.

“It was the imp.”

“Excuse me?”

“It calls itself Mxy. It says it’s from the fifth dimension but I have no idea if that’s true or not. All I know is that it has vast powers, even godlike. The last time it… it tried to force me to marry it.”

Lena knew what darkness in her birthed the hot rage in her gut, the possessive jealous fury that welled within her at those worse. This thing, how dare he.

She took a drink.

“It… he came to me tonight and said he wanted to make amends. He offered to let me change the past. I could fix whatever I wanted.”

“Hmm. Must have been a trick,” said Lena. “Let me guess, restoring Krypton had some ironic Twilight Zone twist.”

Kara blanched, blinking. “No, I… I didn’t even think of that. I asked him to help me fix us.”

There is no us, Lena began to say, but the words died on her tongue. She washed the taste away.

Something in her twisted, a cold shiver like a water dumped over her head. She knew Kara’s bullshit super senses would pick up on it and steeled herself.

Rubbing her arms, Kara paced.

“I tried telling you at different times, so you’d hear it from me and not Lex or someone else.”

“What happened?” Lena said, trying to look more interested in her whisky than the answer.

It was purely an intellectual curiosity, she told herself.

“You died,” Kara said, blunt. “You died every time.”

“How?”

Every which way. Reign killed you five or six times. Mercy blew your brains out all over my chest. Lex… Lex could be creative. Poison, blades, fire once. He was fond of sadistic choices and clever tortures. Say, use red wavelengths to negate my powers and set up a sadistic challenge I could never pass, that sort of thing. It got so bad I stupidly wished I’d never met you.”

Her voice was ragged, breathing uneven. Fresh tears glittered on her cheeks and Lena felt herself lunge, start to stand. Kara’s pain called out to something in her, something beyond the physical or even the emotional. It was like something in Lena’s soul yearned to stop that terrible pain.

“The worst was when you drowned. Almost.”

Lena looked away, swirled her drink.

“Sounds like you kept trying.”

“I did. The timeline where we never met was one of the worst. I wasn’t there when your chopper crashed. Your mother… you tried to kill me and I couldn’t even fight back.”

“Is this where we segue into the ‘I would never hurt you’ lecture?”

“No. I did hurt you. I deserve your hate. If someone else did to you what I did, I’d snap their neck.”

Lena flinched. There was something cold in that admission, something brutal and beyond even Supergirl. Raw.

None of her rules matter for me.

A tiny voice in that darkness whispered to her: And if some poor bastard locked her in a Kryptonite cage the way you did, they’d be begging you for death. They’d know you’re a Luthor.

Lena shuddered.

“What do you do?”

“I kept trying. I thought… I felt… I had to keep trying.”

“Well, you gave up and came here eventually. You…”

Kara swallowed hard. “It thought it worked, finally. I picked the night I reached you from Corben. Remember that?”

“I remember,” Lena said, hesitant.

Kara Danvers believes in you.

“I told you when you asked me why I saved you. I took you home, made sure you were safe. Life went on. These… these timelines or whatever they were, Lena, they were real. I lived them. That one was, it was…”

“What?”

“A few days later after things calmed down we went to lunch. We were just chatting about something unimportant and you looked at me and our eyes met and it was like…”

Kara looked away from her, wrapping her arms around herself the way she did, not a smug Supergirl pose but a woman shielding her heart from the world that clawed at it.

“When I first arrived on Earth there was a night where my powers had just kicked in and I looked at the sky. I could see more than stars. There was an aurora that was invisible to humans. I could see invisible lines of energy crackling between the stars, the cosmic background radiation shimmering on the dark. Can you imagine that? I can see the remnants of the Big Bang when I stargaze.”

Lena’s had trembled, the dregs of her booze shaking in the bottom of the glass.

“It was like that,” said Kara. “I knew I’d never be the same. I was staring at you like a big goof and you just stopped talking and stared back. I blurted out ‘is this a date?’”

Lena clutched the glass so she wouldn’t drop it and forced the tears back with all her might, but she was weak. Always weak.

“I take it I said yes,” she managed to say, voice quivering.

“We got married three years later. Lori was born a year after that.”

“Kara,” Lena began.

“Then it happened.”

“Kara, shut up.”

“Kalibak killed you. My sister. My little girl. My everything.”

Lena hurled the glass and Kara snatched it from the air in a superhuman blur. Lena was already on her feet, stabbing an accusing finger.

“So what?” Lena demanded. “We’re star-crossed lovers, now? Is this your ploy to fix it? Make me realize how in love we are? It’s a sick joke, Kara.”

“I know I can’t fix it,” said Kara. “I don’t want to.”

Lena blinked, her rage momentarily cooled. “What?”

“I would rather live in a world where you hate me as long as you’re still in it.”

“Kara,” Lena said.

“We are star-crossed. I don’t know want I did to deserve this but I can’t fix it. There was never a right time to tell you. It was doomed from the start. I’m here to tell you to let me go, Lena.”

She blinked. “What?”

“I know about Non Nocere. I know what you’re trying to do. I’m here to ask you to stop. Please. Don’t do this. Don’t ruin you life over me.”

“Why couldn’t you just save me and leave?” Lena demanded. “That’s what everyone else gets. A quick rescue and a wave and a wink and you’re gone. Why did you have to drag yourself through my life and wreck everything?”

“I tried that.”

Lena screamed, bellowed at the top of her lungs.

“So what? So fucking what, Kara?”

Kara just stood there.

“I don’t know. I just… I just had to see… all I want is for you to be safe.”

Lena turned away from her.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry,” Kara choked out, behind her. “I did go back to Krypton one time. I told him I wanted to stay and die with my world, that it was the only way.”

“Let me guess, you did that and…”

“Car accident.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Lena cried. “You have to be kidding me.”

“He made me watch. Not just you, everyone else that died because there was no Supergirl. I… I think I’m in Hell.”

Lena blinked. She turned slowly. A memory came flooding back to her from another time, a closed casket in a small Irish church with Lionel Luthor lurking, waiting for her with an entourage. She’d asked the priest in her precious child voice, am I in Hell, Father?

A sob forced itself out of her. She let herself look at Kara, standing there bedraggled and teary eyed in rumpled Hello Kitty pajamas and felt sick, like she’d swallowed a belly full of rancid oil. All she could see was the hurting, and she wondered if that was it, if this pain was the source of the unbreakable quantum entanglement that had dragged this alien being across a gulf of stars to fuck up her life.

Or save it.

“Kara,” Lena whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I dragged you into my life.”

“I’m not,” Kara whispered. “It was a gift, every minute of it. I wouldn’t trade a single moment for anything. Even the ones that didn’t happen.”

“What the hell do we do?” said Lena.

“I leave. I keep saving you. You find someone else, live your life, be happy. I do everything I can to keep you in this world and watch you grow old. That’s it. I should go.”

Kara turned and Lena screamed, balling her fists.

“Don’t you fucking dare leave this penthouse, Kara Danvers.”

Kara froze.

“I went back.”

“Went back to what?” said Kara.

“I went back to let you out of the Kryptonite cage. I couldn’t stop thinking of you lying on that cold floor in pain so I had to go back, but you weren’t there. I… I… I don’t know what I’m doing. I want to stop this but I just keep going and I don’t know what to fucking do anymore. I’m so lost.”

Kara’s shoulders slumped.

“I would take it back if I could.”

Kara turned back to her.

“You don’t have to.”

Lena backed away, unable to look at her. Kara crossed the gap in seconds and tenderly rested her hands on Lena’s arms.

“I’m sorry. I mean it. I am truly sorry from the depths of my soul. I would fix this if I could.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” said Lena. “It makes my soul hurt, and I don’t believe in souls.”

Lena pulled her in, clinging to her as if she might disappear. Kara was tentative, testing with every movement.

God, they had a daughter. A child! Lena could imagine, almost see… what had she done?

“It’s going to be okay,” Kara said. “I think this is what I was supposed to learn.”

“What?”

“To own my mistakes, and if I don’t want you to be a villain, I shouldn’t treat you like one.”

“I’m so tired.”

“I should go home and let you rest. This is a lot, I know, and it’s late. I…”

Kara trailed off, and Lena looked up at her. Their eyes met, and Lena… knew.

“Will you come back?” said Lena.

“Always.”

[hellodropbear]

it's time. (II)

mapi leon x daughter

yay for part II! (part I here)

trust even i'm surprised that i finished this over the weekend (definitely should not have because I definitely have too much uni to be writing this)

hope you enjoy !!!!!!

~~~~~~

It was an unfamiliar sight, Mapi in the training kit. She frowned at herself in the mirror, still not entirely sure that this was the right decision. It felt unfamiliar too. The sleeves were tighter than she remembered and the shorts fell lower than they used to.

Even Isabel seemed to notice something was off with her mother, clinging to her all morning and providing her with more hugs and kisses than Mapi could have asked for.

"Go out?" The toddler was confused, clearly. It wasn't often that they left the house straight after breakfast time, but she knew they were leaving because she was dressed up in her special red and blue shirt and her Mami had brushed her curly hair back into a ponytail, clipping any stray hairs back with her favourite fluorescent clips. 

"We are going to training today, Is. Mami is going to play with your Ale and Leila from yesterday!" She mustered on a smile as large as she possibly could, trying to hide her anxieties and fear from the child and instead busying herself with slipping on her socks and some baby adidas sneakers. 

"Patri? Pina?" She frowned, wracking her brain for the other names. "Jenni?"

Mapi nodded. "Yes, with them too-"

"Ingrid!" Isabel beamed. "She pick me up!"

"Ingrid will be there, I'm sure."

The toddler laughed in delight, standing up from where she was sitting on the floor, her shoes and socks successfully on her feet. It was only when Mapi stood up too that she charged into her mother's legs, wrapping her arms around them in a big hug.

"Don't be sad, Mami!"

"I'm not sad, Is." She picked her up easily, grabbing both their bags for the morning and walking out of the apartment. "I'm excited!" 

It wasn't a long drive to the training centre, maybe half an hour. Isabel was easily entertained in the back, her lion captivating her in ways Mapi didn't think she would ever be able to comprehend.

But the 30 minutes was over too quickly and before she knew it she was walking back through those doors and into the changing rooms. She was early on purpose, wanting to avoid all the attention on her as she walked in also and wanting to meet the babysitter that the club had found to watch her daughter as she trained.

"She's 14 months old, she is smart though. She can say around 30 words and has a really good memory. She can walk well, climb up stairs if she's given the chance so please don't leave her alone near any steps because she is more than likely to fall."

The young looking girl nodded, her eyes flicking to the list she was given.

"She eats at 12?"

"Usually. There is a lunch box in her backpack, just start with the stuff labeled 1 and 2, then keep feeding her until she refuses. Usually she'll eat all the food offered, but if she doesn't want it, don't force it. Don't let her sleep if she gets tired because she naps at around 2 which is when we'll get home and I don't want to mess up the schedule."

The blonde nodded as Mapi looked her up and down, clearly judging whether she was good enough to look after her precious child. 

She hesitated. 

"Have you ever been arrested?"

The girl, maybe 18 years old, looked at her in confusion.

"No?"

"Where you a high school bully? Homophobic? Racist? Anything?"

She shook her head. 

"No, no. The club hired me, I have all my qualifications and plenty of experience. I had to go through two interviews for this. I'm from the preschool just up the road, we volunteered and then had to go through a long process to be hired by this club. I promise, I'm a good person."

Mapi nodded, still seemingly unconvinced. 

"This baby is everything to me. Ok? If a single hair on her head is missing or harmed, I know where to come looking."

She held the baby tight, not wanting to let go and the girl's eyes widened, cracking her knuckles out of anxiety. 

"Mapi!" 

Both Mapi and the babysitter's heads whipped towards the door, Alexia striding in and standing beside her shorter friend. 

"Leave her alone!" She shook her head, before looking towards the girl in front of her and sticking out her hand. "Alexia. What's your name?"

"Camila. Nice to meet you." She smiled uneasily, still hyperaware of Mapi's judgemental eye despite Alexia's sharp words and nudge in the side. 

"Nice to meet you too, Camila." She turned back to Mapi. "It's time to say goodbye to the pequena and go over to training. Jonatan just asked if you were actually coming back today or if he misheard because you're late. Don't restart that trend of being late every day, please." Alexia's was balancing on a fine line between desperation and leadership, Mapi well aware that she was trying her best to not be completely overbearing and bossy. 

Mapi rolled her eyes, taking one last glance at the increasingly more nervous babysitter in front of her before looking back down at the clueless baby in her arms. She planted soft kisses all over her head, trying to avoid the tears from springing to her eyes. 

"Ok, my Is. Mami loves you so much and I'll see you so soon. Be good for Camila for me, yeah?"

The baby smiled excitedly, clapping her hands. 

"Mami!" 

She wrapped her arms around Mapi's neck, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek and patting it once she had moved away. 

"I love you, Mami."

"I love you too, Is."

She blinked away the tears as she passed the small child over into the arms of the stranger, trying to ignore the look of confusion that crossed her daughter's face as she handed Camila the backpack. 

"Mami? Where go?"

"I'll see you very soon, my love." She struggled to look at her daughter as she spoke, worried that she would burst into tears and prevent her mother from leaving. 

The centre back kissed the crown of Isabel's head as the emotions washed over her, promising she would be back soon and that everything would be ok. Isabel seemed to understand well enough, looking up at Camila with curiosity, poking at her face with her chubby fingers. 

"Everything will be ok, Mapi. I promise."

Mapi nodded at her babysitter, leaning into the comforting arm that Alexia had placed gently over her shoulder. 

"Thank you, Camila." Alexia spoke for Mapi, sensing her friend's emotions. "We'll see you in a couple of hours."

It was only when they left the room that Mapi allowed a single tear to slip down her face, quickly brushing it away to try and hide that she had become so emotional. 

"It is stupid." She shook her head, looking away from Alexia. 

The midfielder was quiet for a few seconds, trying to decide the best way to deal with this unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation. 

"It is not stupid. She is your daughter, you are worried, this has never happened before. It is normal to feel this way."

Mapi shook her head, sighing softly.

"I have never had a babysitter for her before. You are the only person who has ever taken care of her without me there."

Her voice broke at the admission and she finally turned to make eye contact with Alexia. 

"What if she hates it? What if she needs me and I'm not there for her?"

The midfielder didn't respond, almost certain that Mapi wasn't done talking; that these were rhetorical questions. 

"What if it doesn't work out and she needs me for the rest of her life? What if I can never come back to football?"

Alexia sighed softly, Mapi's voice fading out a clear indicator that she was finished. 

"Maria, you can't worry about things that haven't happened yet. You will figure everything out, I will help you." She lead the centre back towards a seat, subtly texting Jonatan that they'd be a few extra minutes late. "Isabel is a good girl. She will be good for Camila and she will be happy to see you in a couple of hours. And if not, we can figure something else out, we can find a new babysitter, we can think of something else."

The centre back used the heel of her hands to rub at her eyes aggressively, sighing and leaning into Alexia's embrace. 

"I just worry that I'm not doing everything right for her. I want it all to be perfect because if Luis was here, her life would be more than perfect. He would have been such a good dad, and I can't even give her that."

The brunette observed Mapi carefully, using her thumb to gently wipe away the few lone tears that remained beneath her eyes. It was a topic that had come up often, Mapi's insecurities in comparison to her friend, but it was a topic that Alexia still struggled to talk her friend out of. 

Because of course Mapi is a great mother, but Luis would have been a great father too. Mapi knows that more than anyone so Alexia can't just say that they will never know if it's true or not. 

It would be an insult to Luis' memory. 

"Just because you don't have that picture perfect family does not mean you are doing anything wrong, it doesn't mean you're a bad parent. Isabel is happy, she is smart and she loves you. It's all you need. And yes, Luis would have been a great father but there is a reason that he trusted you to have her. Biologically, Mapi, she is yours. Luis wouldn't have agreed to spending all that money if he thought you were a terrible person with bad morals, bad decision making and not a maternal bone in your body. You just have to believe he would have trusted you with her life. Everyone else does, it is just you that struggles to comprehend it."

Mapi was silent but Alexia hadn't expected a response. Maybe in a few days when she had time to think about the midfielder's words, which Alexia was sure she would; she always did. But they were so meaningful - her words, too meaningful to be able to come up with something to say right on the spot. 

"Thank you, Alexia." 

~~~~~~

Surprisingly, training went well. It took five minutes and a splash of water to the face for Mapi to face the team in the gym, but it took less than 10 minutes for her to forget about all her issues once she started training. 

The gym work was stuff she had been doing for a year alone, but as soon as they headed outside and started playing, Mapi realised how much she had actually missed the sport. It was a part of her, she realised, and maybe she had been so down because she had been missing it for so long. 

She was practically flying up and down the field, blocking shots, dominating rondos and shooting free kicks far out of the box. 

It was like she was on a high, nothing would bring her down; nothing could slow her down. 

And Mapi couldn't have been happier. 

Alexia watched with pride as she slowly reverted back to the person she once was, boisterous, excited, happy. She was becoming the person that the midfielder had missed for almost a year and a half; the person she knew before her life was flipped upside down and shattered into a million pieces. 

The person that Alexia had prayed every night to see again. 

She hadn't lost any skill either, still the fierce defender who would put her body on the line if it meant preventing a goal and the entire team was shocked. Excited, maybe, to have one of their best players back after a slightly disappointing season. It definitely wasn't a secret that they had missed their key centre back. 

Mapi was thrilled. Excited, over the moon. She couldn't believe how good just one session with the team made her feel, the complete antithesis of how she was feeling when she broke down to Alexia, in doubt of everything she had done over the past 14 months. It felt like the beginning of her life falling back into place and she almost drunk with happiness and pride as she sauntered back into the changing rooms. 

She was the last one in, chatting away to one of the technical analysts about something entirely unrelated to football, so she was expecting a half empty changing room, most people heading out quickly or showering after the somewhat gruelling session. 

What she didn't expect was for everyone to be standing and waiting for her, beginning to chant her name as she entered. 

The tears that sprung to her eyes were happy this time, finally feeling like she was out of the long and dark tunnel, lost and confused with not a clue how she was going to get out. 

But like most tunnels, the way out was right in front of her. So obvious but so frustratingly challenging to reach, such a long journey required to get there. 

"Calma, calma!" She laughed as tears filled her eyes, a single pair of arms pulling her into a hug that was quickly joined by the rest of the team. "Vale. I love you all so much."

"Ah Maria gone soft!" Leila's teasing voice was easily distinguishable over the rest of the cheering and Mapi could only slap her lightly on the side as the hug dissipated. "I am joking, Mapi, of course I am." 

Leila smiled too and it was then that Mapi noticed her glistening eyes, and when she looked around the room, she noticed the same thing in a lot of her long-term teammates. 

"It is a family, Maria. Everyone is right there waiting for you to let them in."

"Everyone is there for you, Mapi. They love you."

"They were all so proud of you when they came yesterday, they can't wait for you to come back."

"They asked about you over the weekend, they want to know how you are doing."

"They want to meet Isabel, but they're worried that she's so small that they'll hurt her accidentally. They said they really wanted to visit you though, so long as I hold the baby."

Everything that Alexia had said to her about her teammates rushed through Mapi like a warm stream, emotions floating through the gushing water until Mapi was a crying mess in her cubby, completely aware of where the sudden emotion had come from. 

Because the midfielder was right, they were a family and Mapi did have their support. Even though she asked them to stay away, even though she ignored them for months. 

They were still there for her and the centre back knew that she would be there for any one of them if the roles were ever reversed. 

Because they are a family and the love each other like sisters.  

Alexia's arm was around her again, the familiarity a fire blanket on the emotions that were blazing through her. 

"Are you ok, Mapi?" The midfielder knew the answer to her question before she even had to ask it, but blinked away her own tears as she watched her friend fall apart. 

She wasn't used to an overload of emotions when it came to Mapi, usually just experiencing her naturally upbeat nature. She was never much of a crier, usually going numb immediately at any tragic or disappointing news, hiding her emotions to anyone around her and only breaking after she was sure she was completely alone. 

She still was like that, but with Alexia it's different. Alexia is her best friend and has seen her through so many highs and lows of life that she is entirely familiar with Mapi's sporadic emotions. 

Her tears in the locker room were not expected, but they did not come as a surprise to Alexia. Because the past months, full of challenges, of sadness and grief have lead up to this moment of pure and unbridled joy, something the midfielder had been desperate to witness for so, so long. 

There are of course be hiccups, bumps in the road and dips on the rollercoaster still to come. It still would not be an easy road for the centre back.

But for now, she was on a high and that was all that mattered. 

She had found herself again, out there on the field, right where she belongs. 

"I am just so happy, Ale."

~~~~~~

"Isabel!" The small toddler's head whipped up to the door, spotting her godmother at the door, beaming as the midfielder strode towards her. 

"Mi Ale!" She stood up from where she was sitting, waddling towards Alexia and wrapping her arms around her legs until the brunette reached down and picked her up, balancing her easily on her hip. 

"How was she?" Alexia's attention was on Camila briefly, as the blonde stood up, a sheepish smile on her face at being caught doing role play with a toddler. 

"Good!" The blonde nodded, only continuing at Alexia's silent request. "She was very well-behaved. We did some drawing, we played with toys, we played with blocks. She ate all the food she was offered and I think she is almost ready for a nap."

Alexia nodded, her attention back on Isabel. 

"You had a good day, Is?"

She nodded giddily. 

"Camila says I can come back again soon!"

"I'm sure you will." Alexia looked back up at the blonde who held out the small backpack. "Thank you, Camila. Mapi will be very grateful."

"It's no problem. She's an absolute pleasure."

Alexia smiled, telling the baby to wave goodbye and watching as she did so, before walking back out the door and towards the locker rooms. 

"Where Mami?'

"We're going to see Mami now."

Isabel babbled away incoherently as they wandered through the facility until she spotted her mother in the locker room, excitedly poking at Alexia and gaining Mapi's attention. 

"Mami! Mami!" 

Mapi's head whipped up and her face dissolved into a smile, standing up and striding towards her daughter, easily plucking her from Alexia's arms. 

"Hello my Is! I have missed you." She placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head as the child wrapped her arms around Mapi's neck. 

"Mami!" 

Mapi chuckled at her daughter's inability to say much else, instead just holding her close, grabbing her own bag and the small backpack from Alexia and heading out to her car, the midfielder close behind. 

"So I assume you're coming back tomorrow?"

Mapi looked at her friend like she was stupid, a soft smirk on her face as she finished strapping Isabel into her seat. 

"Of course I am. I'm back, Alexia. I think for good."

"I'm proud of you." She stood awkwardly, leaning on the side of the car, watching the blonde fuss over her daughter. 

"I wouldn't be here without you." It was clear that Mapi was becoming emotional again and was trying desperately to not let herself fall apart again. 

Alexia could see that, so she didn't do anything else or say anything else. Mapi was happy and that was all that mattered in that moment. 

"Drive safe."

Mapi looked at her again, the same look of amusement at her friend's statement. 

"I always do."

Alexia rolled her eyes, waving goodbye and walking over to her own car, her eyes still on Mapi as she got in. She was emotional herself after the training session, finally realising that her friend was slowly coming back to her. 

It was after Mapi had driven away and Alexia was sure that she wouldn't be seen that she allowed the tears to fall freely. 

It was relief, really. She was relieved that Mapi and Isabel really were going to be ok.

~~~~~~

Isabel was asleep in the back of the car by the time they arrived back home, and Mapi was able to carry her upstairs and into her cot without her stirring at all. 

It was only after she had finished up with some household chores that the baby monitor went off, soft garbling coming from the nursery.

"Hello there Is!" She cooed at the groggy toddler, lifting her up out of the cot and rocking her gently. 

She quickly ate the snacks she was offered, still sleepy when Mapi placed her into the stroller and headed outside and downstairs for their afternoon walk. 

"Where do you want to go today, Is?"

The toddler looked up when she heard her name, shifting from her comfortable position, arms wrapped around her lion toy. 

"Leon! Mi Leon." She held it up to Mapi and roared quietly, laughing at herself when Mapi smiled down to her. 

"Your lion." The mother confirmed, leaving the lift and walking through the foyer of her apartment. 

They were walking out when she heard someone calling her name, turning around quickly to see the pretty new signing, Ingrid Engen, walking towards her and leaving two large suitcases behind. 

"Ingrid?"

"Do you live here?" The Norwegian was smiling as she spoke, although Mapi could hardly tell whether she was actually smiling or if her face was permanently set in the positive expression. 

"Yeah. We live on the 6th floor." Mapi nodded, smiling but avoiding eye contact with the gorgeous brunette. "Do you?"

"I'm moving in today. 4th floor."

Mapi's heart had been steadily increasing ever since she heard her name, but at those words she thought it may stop right then. 

"We're just heading out on a walk, if you wanted to come."

The Spaniard didn't know why she was asking, but the words just came out. She could feel her face flushing as she spoke but the Norwegian just made her feel so unbelievably nervous. 

Ingrid looked down at her bags, then back up at Mapi. She blushed, smiling sheepishly. 

"I would love to. I'll just run these upstairs if that's alright?"

Mapi nodded, moving towards the seating on the right to sit down and wait, her head in her hands as she went through all the reasons why this was a bad idea. 

She didn't even know Ingrid, yet the midfielder made her feel a type of way that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She seemed so calm and so kind, someone that Mapi so desperately needed, yet refused to admit it. 

Because she didn't have time to be a girlfriend. She was a mother first, then a footballer. Having a partner just wasn't an option, not when she was so busy with her current occupations, not when she already felt so guilty for handing her child off to a babysitter every time she needed to do her job. 

She looked up at the sound of the elevator arriving, standing up when she saw Ingrid and pushing her pram over towards the door. 

"So, congratulations, Mapi!" The Norwegian beamed and the Spaniard looked at her in confusion which prompted her to elaborate. "Today... you had your first session back since Isabel. That's what the others said, why they were all so excited."

"Oh. Yeah." Mapi grimaced. It wasn't something she was particularly happy about, considering she gave birth over 14 months ago and only just went back to team training. "I'm glad to be back, I definitely missed it."

"I can imagine." Ingrid smiled as they crossed the street, the setting sunlight catching her eyes and causing them to sparkle, something that didn't go unnoticed by the Spaniard. "It can't have been easy."

Not wanting to get into that now with someone she barely knew, Mapi changed the subject with ease.

"Where do you want to go? We usually just go down to the park and have a bit of a play there, but we can go somewhere better if you'd like?" 

Ingrid shook her head.

"We can go to your park today and then somewhere else another day! I'm sure that your daughter wouldn't appreciate someone coming in and changing her routine." The Norwegian continued to smile, and Mapi became more and more sure that her face was always set in that grin.

She chuckled lightly at Ingrid's words, shaking her head. 

"She wouldn't care in the slightest. As long as she has somewhere to run and play with her lion, she's happy."

"She's adorable."

Mapi knew. She knew she had a cute kid, one that people in the supermarkets would rush over to coo at. But her kid was so much more than that because she was smart and she was so loving. She had an excited personality and was full of so much joy that Mapi would wonder where it was all coming from.

She loved her child from the moment she was placed in her arms, but the excited and joyful person that Mapi was known as had been lost since her friends were killed in that car accident.

Isabel reminded Mapi so much of her old self, but she didn't know where it could have come from. The baby’s joy and excitement about the world was the complete antithesis of Mapi's overwhelming grief, fear and confusion. 

And she knew that if it wasn't for the small baby that she loved more than anything else in this world, she probably wouldn't have made it through the death of Luis. Definitely not. 

But Mapi didn't tell Ingrid all that, instead just nodding in silent agreement. 

"She's a good girl. She's good for her Mami." The Spaniard looked down at the small toddler whose eyes were slowly drifting again. "She's always sleepy after her nap, then she'll be wide awake for a while at the park and usually will fall asleep on the way home. I'll wake her up when we get back, we'll eat dinner and then she likes to cuddle after dinner and that's when she'll fall asleep for the night and I put her down."

Ingrid laughed quietly. 

"Very established routine?"

Mapi blushed furiously, smiling with a sheepish expression. 

"The baby books all said routine was good. We fell into one and it's easy. She's easy. You know I took her to my paediatrician when she was 5 months old because she never cried?" Mapi laughed quietly. "I was so worried and searched up why and it was so scary that I took her."

Ingrid laughed alongside the Spaniard. 

"What did your doctor say?"

"She said that Isabel's happy, that I'm doing a good job and that I should never use google to find out what's wrong with her." She scoffed. "That’s why I had to start reading things up in the baby books!"

Their laughter dissolved into easy conversation as Mapi lead them down the street, letting Ingrid do most of the talking, listening intently as she raved about her home, her family. She told Mapi that Norway was filled with countless fjords and mountains, lakes and rivers that gave the country soul, spirit and wonder. She said it was a hidden gem, the most beautiful thing in the world. 

But Mapi disagreed, because how could anything be more beautiful than the girl that was stood beside her. Her eyes widened as the thought flashed through her mind, instantly averting eye contact and subtly shaking her head at herself.

She was like a 12 year old on her first date with their crush, and she cringed at the painful awkwardness that she made up in her head.

Ingrid listened as Mapi spoke about her home, back in Zaragoza where her parents and brother still lived, the Norwegian enthusiastic about visiting the Spanish city and immersing herself in the new culture.

Mapi listened as Ingrid complained about missing her cat and dog at home, and the Spaniard told her that she could meet Bagheera as a temporary substitute. 

It was easy for both of them, despite the language differences. Light conversation fell lightly in English, google translate only proving useful a handful of times, though Mapi emphasised that Isabel could barely understand her first language, let alone English.

The sun was well and truly setting as they arrived at the park, Mapi laying out the rug and pulling her daughter from the pram right under one of the street lights that would prove useful in half an hour. 

"Mami!" The girl squealed when her mother's face was finally in front of her, her eyes lighting up as she was placed on her feet, Mapi crossing her legs and sitting down beside her. 

"Is, you remember Ingrid from yesterday?"

The baby nodded shyly, moving back towards her mothers arms, nudging her face into the crook of Mapi's neck. 

"Don't be nervous, my lion cub! Remember, we are brave at heart."

"Lions, Mami." Slowly, her face peeked out from it's hiding spot, waving and smiling shyly at the Norwegian who waved back, a soft smile on her face. 

She slowly moved towards Ingrid, holding out her lion toy and making a lion noise. 

"She wants you to copy her." The Norwegian smiled at Mapi who had supplied the useful information, roaring softly at the small girl who giggled loudly and pulled the lion toy back into her arms. 

"soy leon!"  Ingrid couldn't understand Spanish, but somehow she knew what the toddler was implying, nodding happily as Isabel continued to babble in incoherent Spanish, entertaining herself by rushing between the two footballers who sat on opposite sides of the mat. 

The distance became shorter and shorter, however, as the two footballers inched ever so slowly towards each other, their voices softening as the sky became darker and the space between them smaller. 

The curly haired toddler fell exhaustedly into her mothers arms, dropping her lion beside her and cuddling up towards her mothers neck, successfully ending the ongoing conversation between the two adults. 

"You are tired, mi amor?"

Instead of answering, she yawned loudly from her comfortable spot in Mapi's arms, Ingrid laughing softly at her tired face. 

"I think it's time to head home for some dinner, if that's alright?" Mapi shifted nervously as she stood up, unsure if she should offer her hand to help Ingrid also. 

Luckily for her and her decision making, the Norwegian stood up and picked up the blanket before Mapi had finished her internal debate. 

"Of course!" Ingrid flushed crimson, her mind and body brought right back down to Earth, the floating feeling slowly evaporating as she folded up the blanket, an uncomfortable silence falling over the duo. 

Mapi was right in her prediction that Isabel would fall asleep as they walked home, and Ingrid laughed as she noticed that the girl had passed out almost instantly when she was placed down in the pram, tucked into a blanket and hidden away from the rest of the world with a scarf that Mapi used as a makeshift curtain. 

The walk home went quickly and the trio were back in the brightness of the apartment complex before they knew it. 

"Thank you for taking me with you this evening." Ingrid smiled gratefully, pulling Mapi into a soft hug. 

The Spaniard tried to stop herself from melting into those strong arms, but she was rendered speechless, her heart rate sky rocketing and her eyes closing. 

She regained her vocal abilities once the hug broke, clearing her throat awkwardly and averting her eyes. Those green eyes were too much for the Spaniard, they made her palms sweaty and her heart beat too fast for her liking, so she resolved to just not look at them. 

"It's no problem. Thank you for keeping me company. It was nice to talk to someone whose entire vocabulary isn't just limited to 'Mami' and 'lion'."

Ingrid laughed, and Mapi realised again that the sound of her laugh had the same effect on her as those sparkling eyes. 

As they said goodnight and retreated to their own rooms, Mapi also realised she was well and truly fucked. 

Because she couldn't date, there was no time. 

But she had fallen for the Norwegian, hard and fast, and she didn't think there was much she could do about it. 

"Your Mami is so silly, Isabel!"

~~~~~~

yay finished

I haven’t done much romantic writing so I’m worried that this will be painful for everyone to read (like it was for me) but let me know what you think!

if you have any requests please let me know, i will either add them in or write something about them at some other point (i have seen the ones that have been sent in and i will be writing them, just have to go through planning stages first)

i also was inspired from the olympics and have written a blurb of isabel as a teen competing in a sport (5 cents to anyone who can guess which sport) so please let me know if you'd be interested in reading it hahahah

and also let me know if you see any mistakes because i edited this all in one go and was too lazy to do a final read :)

(in summary, let me know)

have a nice day x

[leqonsluv3r]

good girl

re4!leon kennedy x fem!reader

— a oneshot

warnings: MDNI, 18+, inappropriate use of handcuffs, unprotected sex, use of nicknames (babygirl, baby, etc), praise, porn with literally no plot, mentions of raccoon city & leon being a lil rookie, reader has hair that can be tugged on but no other physical appearance mentioned, use of female pronouns (she/her), established relationship.

“she smirks at the handcuffs, “never been arrested before…” she says with a small chuckle as she swings the handcuffs around her finger, looking up at him. “not those kinds of handcuffs, babygirl.” he says with a small grin, looking over her face as her smirk stalls a little bit. letting herself realize what he really meant, her mouth becoming dry. she was deep in it now.”

—or reader finds leon’s handcuffs and he shows her what he uses them for

when she met leon, it was hard for her to believe that he even looked her direction. not because she wasn’t his type, he loved any kind of woman, no matter how she looked.

she was just not use to someone who looked the way he did to talk to her, or even ask for her phone number. it was bizarre in her eyes, like hell had frozen over in the best way possible.

she knew he was different from other guys right from the get go, he opened the car door for her and payed for her meals. he held respect for her in the way that most men hadn’t.

and it made her like him much more then she anticipated.

they continued to go on dates, hang out at each others places and then eventually they had sex.

she had never had a guy…who felt and gave like leon did. he would gladly go down on her, no questions asked. he ate her out like she was a meal, making her back arch and her hands fist at his hair.

no man had ever made her feel like that before.

he shared everything with her, what he did before and why he was here in the city. he even shared some of his embarrassing stories from when he was a kid. they talked about everything.

and as time grew on and they became more serious, leon asked her if she wanted to move in together. get a place and be in one spot, which made her happy, but she had never lived with a man that wasn’t family before and it did make her a bit nervous at first.

leon reassured her that everything would be fine though, he knew how nervous she was. he could read her like a book after all the months they had been together.

and she said yes, which led to her packing all of her one bedroom apartment into boxes. stuffing clothes into garbage bags and dismantling furniture. she was stressed but it was definitely worth it at the end of the day.

this led her to now, currently moving all her boxes into their new place together. she was sweaty, exhausted and stressed but she had the biggest smile on her face and nothing could take that away.

she was finally in her own place with leon, nothing could be better.

“settling in? i just moved all my shit in two days ago, haven’t unpacked a single thing.” he says with a wipe of his forehead with his bicep as he walks into their practically empty kitchen.

she chuckled, “yeah, all my stuff is scattered around. i have to go pick up the furniture that i’m keeping tomorrow. didn’t have enough energy to get to it today.” she says as she sips on her plastic water bottle that she brought with her, moving some hair out of her eyes.

he smiles at her and comes over, wrapping his arms around her waist. “it’s all worth it though right?” she hears him mumble into her ear, pressing a small kiss on the shell of it. she bites her lip, trying to fight back a stupid lovesick grin, “yeah, definitely.” she says softly as she looks over her shoulder and up at him.

he was worth it, the stress of packing and unpacking was definitely worth it. being with him was worth it, all of it was. she wouldn’t trade it for anything, no matter how stressed and strung out she was right now. nothing could beat the look on her face.

leon could see that.

“do you wanna try unpacking the bedroom first? i already built the bed.” he says with a small smirk into her hair, holding onto her waist with hands that could easily crush her, but didn’t. she fights another grin, “mhm…” she hums.

they unpack the bedroom, what they can of it. she becomes exhausted after about 10 boxes. moving was clearly not her favorite task, that was apparent.

if anything she despised it, but she’d do anything for him. even if it meant packing her entire apartment into boxes just for him. she’d do just about anything for him. even this.

he sighs and looks at her, “you feeling okay?” he asks softly as he rubs his hand over her shoulder. she sighs and nods, rubbing at her eyes. “i’m just tired. today was a lot. i just…moving has never been fun.” she says with a weak smile as she looks up at him next to her.

he nods, chuckling, his hand still squeezing and rubbing at her shoulders. “but you like it right?” he asks with a teasing raise of his brow. she grins; lovesick just by his eyes on hers. “absolutely.” she responds without hesitation.

“good, thought i had something to worry about baby.” he says with a small laugh, moving to grab the last box of the bed. it was his, the messy scrawl of his handwriting on the side was barely legible. she laughs softly and sits on the side of the bed, watching him tear open the cardboard box with ease.

she looks at the decor of their room, the black iron headboard and large queen bed that had dark green sheets and a duvet to match, their photos and books, little knickknacks from life spread together throughout the room. she really was home with him.

it sunk into her exhausted bones that moment as she looks over at him, watching him unpack stuff from the box. “what’s in there?” she asks with a small looking from the box label to him.

he sighs and lifts out a picture frame, showing her a picture of him. he was definitely younger in the picture, maybe 21. he was in his police uniform, smiling widely at the camera. she smiles softly, “aww! look at you!” she says with a teasing smile as she moves over on the bed and towards the box.

she knew he was a cop at one point in his life. something unfortunate happened that made him disband from that and go to his current job. he never really spoke of it, saying that he couldn’t technically. she didn’t mind, she knew he was only following orders and doing what he needed to.

he rolls his eyes, “i wasn’t expecting that much of a reaction.” he says with a small blow of his lips. handing the framed picture towards her. she takes it and traces her fingers over the frame. “how could i not? you looked so cute in your little uniform!” she says with a small giggle as she showcases the photo in his direction again.

he rolls his eyes again, “shut up.” he chuckles lowly as he continues to pull stuff out of the box. loving his girlfriends teasing on the matter, he would agree that he was cute back in his day. back when he was a bright eyed cop, eager to protect and serve. but he had no idea what was in store from him that day in ‘98 when he went to raccoon city.

he pulls out his uniform, the spare one that they gave him to commemorate his service to the force when he first graduated the academy, holding it in his hands. a myriad of emotions crosses over his eyes and she doesn’t miss it.

“you miss it?” she says with a small curious expression over her face. her tone gentle as she analyzes the mixed look over his face. he sighs, “i only did it for one day, but i miss the idea of it.” he says as he glances over at her on the bed.

she nods in understanding, “i’m sorry, honey. i really am. i know what it’s like…in a sense to have something that you wanted ripped away from you.” she says softly as hers brows dip in sympathy. “i don’t know what happened,” she pauses and takes a small breath. “but whatever did happen that day. doesn’t mean that you aren’t still that person inside.” she whispers softly.

he smiles at her, so grateful that even if she doesn’t fully understand. she’s willing to try for him. he knows that, knows how caring, loving and understanding she is. she’s been that way since they started dating.

he dug into the box again, pulling out some handcuffs and holding them up. “i forgot all about these.” he says with a small smirk as he looks over at her. she tilts her head and her eyebrows furrow, “they’re just handcuffs…” she says with a small chuckle.

he shakes his head, “we got two pairs of them. i used one for my uniform and my other pair…these pair of handcuffs i used personally.” he says with a small smirk as he holds them up.

“personally?” she says in confusion, the dots weren’t connecting in her brain and she had no idea what he was even talking about. “i used them on the girls i dated before you.” he says as he holds up the handcuffs, twirling them around his finger with ease.

they were just a normal pair of handcuffs, normal metal ones that looked like anything a police officer would carry. that was until the dots connected and her eyes widened, realization dawning on her when she figured out what he truly meant by using the handcuffs.

her cheeks flushed red, her wide eyes blinking at him from where she sat on the bed. “really? i didn’t know you were into that.” she says and it’s not all shock, it’s curiosity and something else entirely.

he chuckles lowly, he sets the handcuffs on the bed. then moves the half empty moving box off the bed. “i am, i haven’t done it in a long time. haven’t been willing to find someone to try it again with.” he says with a small tilt of his head as he runs his fingers over the clasp of the handcuffs.

she doesn’t know what within her makes her open her mouth and say, “i’d try it with you.” she says softly as she looks at the large pads of his fingers running over the metal surface of them. as if he’s in contemplation, he looks up at her. “really? you’d be handcuffed, wouldn’t be able to touch me and i know how you like to touch me.” he says with a small quirk of his lips.

his eyes gleaming with something predatory and exciting, igniting her bones into flames. her core throbbing as she shifted on the bed under his gaze. she tucks some hair behind her ear. “yeah…” she breathes slowly, “i’d do it.”

he smirks and shakes his head, chuckling. “are you sure? you seriously wanna go down that road, baby?” he says with a grin, still holding the handcuffs in his hands. hands that could swallow her whole and easily break her in half, she feels her core throb again. that familiar feeling resurfaces in her underwear.

she nods slowly, licking her lips. she felt saliva leave her throat. she wasn’t sure, but she wanted to try it. wanted to give him what he wanted. he nods slowly and gestures to her clothes. “strip.” he says with a small demand, not even a question. something she can’t even argue against if she wanted to.

she slid off of the bed under his gaze, as she strips off her clothes one by one until she was completely bare. he feels himself get harder at everything that’s transpiring right in front of his eyes. her naked for him has never failed to make him hard, make him want to devour her whole and take her.

he goes over to the half unpacked box on the floor and gets the keys for the handcuffs, unlocking them and walking back to where she stood on the opposite side of the bed, waiting for him. he licks his lips, unlocking the handcuffs with a small clink.

she feels her arousal pooling between her legs at his gaze, blue deep pools of his irises that are almost dark with lust. he sweeps his eyes over her bare frame in front of him, “turn around, baby.” he says softly and lowly at the same time.

the gruff of his voice making her erupt in goosebumps as she turns around, putting her hands behind her back without him even having to ask. he chuckles lowly, “eager to be handcuffed, very naughty babygirl.” he hums lowly as he clamps the handcuffs around her wrists, locking them and making sure they fit comfortably around her wrists.

she feels his words wash over her, feeling the cold metal clink over her wrists behind her back, the cold feeling making a shiver crawl up her spine. he backs up, licking his lips from behind her, admiring her handcuffed and naked.

she can feel his eyes boring into the skin of her back, making her bite her lip. her core was throbbing for him, wanting him more then anything. the exciting prospect of what was to come seeped through her pussy.

he strips off his shirt and pants, tossing them to the floor by her clothes on the floor. she swallows as she hears each drop of his clothes to the floor behind her, her heartbeat accelerating in her bones as he drops his boxers.

he was just as bare as her now, he takes a couple steps closer and leans over her back, running his fingers over her stomach from behind. “all naked and dripping for me baby, i can practically smell it on you.” he says lowly as his hot breath drifts over her neck.

she swallows and her eyes flutter open and shut, “i’ll tell you what’s going to happen now, okay?” he says softly, his voice was so familiar yet raspy and full of desire for her. she nods slowly as he presses a kiss to her neck, making her bite her lip. if she bit it any harder blood would draw from the anticipation.

“your gonna get on the bed, bend over and i’m going to fuck you until your crying on my cock. sound good?” he says with a small raspy chuckle as she draws his fingers from her stomach up to her breast, lightly squeezing it. a small whine escapes from her lips as she nods. he presses another kiss to her neck, he motions for her to do what he says.

she manages to crawl onto the bed, it was more difficult without her hands. he grabs a pillow and puts it under her hips keeping her somewhat comfortable and propped up. her cheek pressed into the new sheets that covered their bed.

she feels the bed dip with his weight as he kneels behind her on the bed, running his large hand over the dip in her ass. his dick was standing at attention now, hard and leaking precum as he grabs it.

she wiggles her ass a little in his direction, “please leon, cmon.” she whines as she tries to get some kind of friction from the pillow underneath her hips. he chuckles lowly, running his hand slowly over his shaft, “patience babygirl.” he says with a small squeeze of her ass, she whimpers softly

he lets go of his cock and runs his fingers into her leaking core, putting two fingers inside of her to stretch her out. he always did this before, just to get her ready for him. no matter how many times they had sex, she still was never prepared for his size.

she moans softly into the duvet cover on their bed, trying to push back against the two fingers stretching her out. “please…” she whines as she tries to pull at the handcuffs, her pussy swallowing his fingers as he stretched her out.

“you’ll get it, like i said, patience baby. i don’t wanna hurt you.” he says in a low tone as he kneads her ass with his free hand. she whimpers and clenches around his fingers, her arousal sucking his fingers into her entrance. he continues to knead her ass and stretch her out, “sucking my fingers in princess, jesus.” he says in a small groan.

she whimpers at his words, trying to chase his fingers again but he pulls them out and she sighs at the loss. he chuckles at her small sigh, “i’m sure you’d rather cum on my cock, right?” he says with a small little smack to her ass cheek he was kneading.

she nods into the duvet her face is half buried in, her wrists aching a little from the handcuffs. he sighed softly, “don’t worry princess, i’ll give it to you. give you anything you want.” he says with a small smirk on his angelic features.

he grabs his cock and runs it through her soaked slit, whimpering trying to get friction against the head of his cock. the tip hitting her clit a couple times, making her bones ache and her core pulse.

“so wet and needy, just needed some dick.” he says in a mocking tone as he lets out a half groan, his hard erection covered in her release. she felt her pussy throb and her hole clench around nothing at his words, “well, here you go baby.” she heard him say before he shoved himself into her soaking entrance.

she moaned loudly, her body automatically reacting. she felt so full of him, her bones in her center accommodating him and his size. she felt her bones in her wrists ache as he kept one of his large hands steady on her ass, letting her get adjusted before he started moving.

“breathe, baby.” he says in a soft but low rasp of his voice from behind her. she nodded and did as she was told, breathing in and out slowly, trying to think about anything else other than the sheer size of how he stretched her out.

“good girl.” he praised when he saw her take some deep breaths. he saw her relax a little as her hips adjusted on the pillow that propped her up. he slowly flexed his hips back and pushed in a little, starting to slowly thrust.

she released small noises into the duvet on their bed, tugging at her wrists on the handcuffs. he eventually started to pick up his pace, a little faster as he grabbed onto her handcuffed wrists behind her back and tugged her up.

she gasped, him still fully sheathed inside of her. her back was now pressed to his chest, her knees shadowing his on the bed. he held one hand on her stomach and another on her breast, kneading slowly as he began thrusting deeper at this new angle.

she moaned loudly and canted her head back, tears welling in her eyes, “leon…” she moaned as she felt her hands form fists behind her back. his hands keeping her steady as he fucked into her from behind, his his snapping against her ass. “good girl…” he groans into her ear, “fuck…so fucking…god—tight…christ.” he manages to get out between moans and groans that escaped his lips.

his touch to her chest and his words, she felt that familiar feeling bubble in her lower belly. “harder…” she whined as she tried to move against her handcuffs on her wrists. he obliged, bending her back over the pillow and putting his hands on her hips, snapping into her with such force that their bed shook.

her eyes went crossed and she felt tears leak out of her eyes, almost drooling on the sheets as moans leaked from her mouth. chants of his name, curses and screams of pleasure. sex with him never disappointed, ever.

“gonna…cum…” she managed to get out in between the cries of pleasure and the sound of his hips against her ass. he just kept pounding into her, like a wild animal. she pulled at the handcuffs on her wrists again, clenching her fists as she felt herself becoming closer and closer to the end.

“cum for me, princess. scream my name.” he says lowly as he keeps snapping his hips, making curses fall from their mouths in a chant. he could feel himself getting closer, his hips starting to stutter but so determined to deliver what she needed.

she felt the blissful end, her eyes fluttering shut and then lined with tears. “leon!” she screamed as she came, releasing all over his cock as she melted into the mattress. the clenching of her around him, her walls sucking him in was enough for him to release a low groan, “princess…”

his end came too, shooting thick ropes of cum into her womb, painting her walls white with him. she could feel him filling her up, feeling so dazed and full. just so satisfied that her body and arms felt like jelly.

he breathed heavily as he reached away on the bed, grabbing the handcuff keys, unlocking the handcuffs and tossing them on the floor by their clothes. she felt her arms collapse down to the mattress.

he pulled out of her, their mixed fluids leaking out of her. he leaned down a ways on the bed and licked the dripping fluids from her entrance, causing her to shiver and her thighs to tremble a little from her intense orgasm.

“you did so good, so fucking good baby. c’mere.” he says softly as he leaned back and moved to the headboard. she weakly raised her body from the kneeling position on the bed, moving her shaking and sweaty body to lay beside him.

he wraps his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her sweaty hairline. his hands rubbing up and down her spine. “so proud of you.” he whispers into her hair. she smiles lazily as she looks up at him from her head on his shoulder.

she blushes from his praise, the tiredness from the day of moving and the sex sweeping over her. “sleep now, we’ll deal with all the other shit tomorrow.” he says calmly, running a hand through her hair and holding her naked body close to his.

and she did, her eyes fluttering shut. his heartbeat against her ear pulling her into sleep. their heartbeats in sync as they held each other, promising not to let go.

taglist: @heartsforvin

an: hope you guys enjoyed, please interact if u did :,) my asks and requests are open in my bio. my taglist and masterlist are linked at the beginning if u wanna interact. i love you all sm <33 kisses, xx

[thedemoninme141]

Her Heartbeat, Chapter 1: Her Anger.

Summary: Wednesday's anger got her into trouble, Where do you come along?

Warnings: There isn't really any warning but I guess WednesdayBeatingPeople???? FLUFF!!!! No angst in this chapter, but who knows what happens in the future...

Masterlist

Wednesday sat there, in her dorm, right in front of the half-colored half-dead window.Your diary in her hand. And for the first time in her life, Wednesday felt anger. Anger was for people who lost control, who let their emotions drive their actions, who lashed out in fits of rage. Wednesday was never angry. She was annoyed most of the time, but angry? Never. At least that's what she kept telling herself. But inside, her blood simmered with a quiet rage, an anger that she had never considered a flaw but rather a necessary tool for survival. It was not an issue—it was a tolerance bar. And God help whoever crosses it.

So when those boys at Weathervane decided to mock Enid, they unknowingly signed their own fate. The day was already going bad and Wednesday's tolerance bar had reached its limit, and she had done what she deemed appropriate. Enid had tried to stop her, of course, pulling on her arm. She was still in control, right?

Okay fine! She broke a few bones, dislocated a jaw or two, and made sure they would remember to keep Enid’s name out of their mouths for as long as they lived.

When the cops came to the scene, Wednesday was still standing over the boys, wiping her knuckles with a napkin. She was arrested for the third time in her life. Or was it fourth time? Those boys were arrested too, but somehow it was only Wednesday who ended up with a mandatory sentence: Anger Management Therapy sessions. How utterly ridiculous. What could possibly be wrong with expressing herself in a way that ensured she was heard, understood, and remembered?

"You cannot say no, Wednesday, if you do not attend and pass this therapy session, I will have no choice but to expel you."

Ugh, why did Weems even survive Thornhill's poison?

And that’s how Wednesday found herself stuck in this new circle of hell. It was infuriating. It was unjust. And it was a complete waste of time.

The sessions were held in a nondescript building just off the main street in Jericho, where people who had done things they "shouldn't" were supposed to fix themselves. They were meant to "reflect," "heal," and "improve." Wednesday didn't need improvement. She was perfect as she was, she was everything they could never be: self-sufficient, rational, and unapologetic.

The group leader, David, was an insufferable man in his mid-thirties. And much to Wednesday's dismay, he was the male version of Enid. He was incessantly cheerful, overly intrusive, and sickeningly optimistic about everyone’s potential for change. Wednesday found him exhausting.

David had made it his mission to get Wednesday to "open up," constantly encouraging her to share her feelings, recount her past, and dig deep into the source of her "anger." But Wednesday refused to play his game. She sat through the sessions in stony silence, expressing her disinterest as the other participants spoke of their mistakes and regrets. The only sound she made was the tap of her boots. Maybe she can annoy David enough to get kicked out of this nonsense.

She showed up late, ignored his questions, and rolled her eyes whenever he tried to address her. But David was unflappable. He would only chuckle softly, as if she were some mischievous child whose antics were endearing rather than infuriating. Every time she pushed, he merely pushed back with more patience, more persistence, and an infuriatingly steady resolve. After a while, she realized he would not break, and she would only be prolonging her sentence by continuing to fight him.

She attended every session and waited silently while the others poured their hearts out. She refused to say a word, they didn't deserve to know a thing about her. Maybe things aren't exactly too bad. She can just go through alone without causing any trouble so David can finally give some positive feedback on her report and let her be free.

But he had thrown a new wrench into her already miserable routine. He announced, with that obnoxious grin plastered on his face, that they were now required to bring a "partner" to the sessions. Someone who can vouch for them, that they are making progress outside of the therapy session too. Someone who could act as their support system, their "anchor" in times of distress. As if she needed an anchor.

The mere thought of dragging someone else into this circus wasn't exactly unpleasing. At least she could pass her time watching them suffer.

But the problem was she didn't have a line of volunteers waiting to join her in group therapy

Enid, unsurprisingly, had refused immediately, citing her “makeup sessions” with Yoko as an excuse. Wednesday could see right through her, though. Enid’s answer wasn’t about makeup; it was about not wanting to spend her Fridays and Saturdays in a gloomy room with a bunch of disgruntled teenagers and their annoying leader. And honestly, can Wednesday blame her?

Eugene was a possibility, but he was too innocent, too eager to please. He would end up making her look ridiculous in front of the group.

Xavier would have jumped at the opportunity if he hadn’t transferred out last month, much to Wednesday’s relief. Wednesday needed someone but Xavier? Ew, Wednesday wasn't that desperate.

However, she was desperate enough to ask Bianca, who, getting the chance, mocked her before refusing her, “You got yourself in this mess, Wednesday. Surely you can get yourself out,”

That left no one. Not a single person who would willingly subject themselves to the torture of these sessions, and certainly not for her sake. But David had made it clear: no partner, no progress. And no progress meant more sessions, dragging on into the foreseeable future until she complied.

Fine. Screw Bianca. Screw this whole place, this entire ridiculous therapy group, and all its pointless exercises. There wasn’t even a single murder to investigate, no mysteries to solve, nothing to occupy her mind except these meaningless tasks assigned by the so-called professionals who think they can ‘fix’ her. Wednesday was done. Maybe she should run away again. Yes, she could slip out, make her way to Weathervane, and catch a bus to anywhere but here. No one would miss her, and she wouldn’t miss them.

Wednesday was so engrossed in her thoughts of escape that she didn’t even notice when someone approached her. It wasn’t until she heard an exasperated voice that she snapped out of it.

“Hey! Are you even listening?”

She blinked, her gaze shifting to the source of the interruption. A girl stood in front of her, arms crossed, looking more annoyed than intimidated. Wednesday’s eyebrows knit together.

“Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Y/n.”

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, completely unimpressed. “Congratulations. So what am I supposed to do with that information?”

"Ugh" you groaned “Well, I need your help,” you stated, trying to sound confident but there was an edge of uncertainty in your voice.

“No.” Wednesday didn’t even bother to ask what you needed.

“Oh, come on!” you shot back, clearly annoyed by her immediate dismissal. “At least ask what I need help with! I heard you’re quite good with these kinds of things.”

Wednesday’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What things? If you’re talking about murdering someone, then sure.”

“No, not murdering someone!” You glanced around nervously, almost mumbling. “It’s… umm… kind of like that, but not really… how do I say it…”

Wednesday cut you off with a sharp glare. “Waste my time, and you'll be the one getting murdered.”

“Okay, Jesus, calm down,” you muttered. “I need your help kidnapping someone.”

Wednesday blinked, taken aback. Her expression flickered with surprise, but it was quickly masked by her usual indifference.

"Why would you even think I’d help you? Wait, first of all why would you even think I’m qualified for this job?"

"Because you’re bored," you said plainly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You see, I missed the last few months of last year, so I missed your grand entrance and your Hyde case, but I’ve heard about your reputation. How you took down Crackstone and how you saved the school. But I know you didn’t do it for the school—you did it for the thrill. For the challenge. You like going against the system."

She hated how accurate that was. It made her uneasy, like you could see right through her. Still, she wasn’t about to admit that you were right. Instead, she said, “No,” once more and got up, ready to walk away.

“Wait, I can give you money.” you blurted out.

The audacity... Wednesday stopped in her tracks, turning to glare at you. “What on earth is wrong with you? Do you really think I’m some kind of hired goon? Someone you can just pay off?”

Your face flushed, and you quickly shook your head.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. It just… slipped out. Please, I really need your help. Just tell me what I have to do.”

Wednesday should have turned around and left. She should have put as much distance between herself and this ridiculous request as possible. And yet… there was something in your audacity that intrigued her. Besides, she did need a partner for her therapy sessions, and making someone else suffer through them could be mildly entertaining.

"Fine," Wednesday said, her voice low and measured. "I’ll help you, but in return—"

You didn’t even let her finish. "Okay, done, agreed."

Wednesday blinked, momentarily thrown off by your eagerness. She hadn’t even told you what you would need to do, but you didn’t seem to care. You grabbed her hand, pulling her along with you as you headed towards the main gate.

"We don’t have much time," you said hurriedly. "We need to kidnap her right now."

Wednesday stumbled slightly as you dragged her along. Why wasn't she yanking her hand back? Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Right now? Without any plan or any information?"

"Yeah, yeah," you said dismissively, waving your hand as if that was a minor detail. "I’ll tell you that on the way to the asylum."

“The what?” Wednesday’s voice rose slightly.

You just kept walking, your grip on her hand firm, and for once, Wednesday found herself caught up in someone else’s madness instead of her own.

CHAPTER 2 : Her Touch

[Author's note: Celine pretty much wrote the chapter 1, I just made some changes here and there, lol it took more time for me to create the art for this project than writing this, good news is Chapter 2 and 3 are almost ready.]

[peppermint-monster]

Rengoku Kyojuro. X Chubby Reader!

Warning: Dirty Talk, Handjob (solo), Petname (Little Flame), Fingering (Female Receiving), Spanking, Caught, Oral sex (female receiving), Rengoku being a tease. Basically, NSFW. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also, be mindful that I didn't really mention much of the reader's appearance (besides, she's a female) since I wanted to keep it vague for everyone to relate as much as possible, though it is definitely for the more voluptuous side of ladies. 😊

Please be mindful that the photos are not mine, but the making of the collage is.

MINORS DNI!!!! 🔞🙅🏻‍♀️If you're not comfortable with this, please ignore!

Rengoku X Chubby Reader!

Rengoku Kyojuro was definitely the golden retriever to her black cat; he was radiant, positive, and motivated compared to her aggravated, gloomy, apathetic demeanor. In all honesty, he was odd. Nonetheless, he was her master, and she was his apprentice, someone she admired and looked up to but secretly craved.

He was the sweetest man she had ever met. 

Treating her so well that he made up numerous training exercises that were much easier for her, also allowing her to train graciously by his side, whipping her into proper shape. Though being a Demon slayer was no easy task, it was mentally and physically draining, often leaving her body sore and her fingers cut with callousness. Afterward, as a celebration, he would take her to eat, saying his signature phrase, “Umai!”

His unexpected, amusing outburst caused her to discreetly smile at herself while taking a bite of her rice.

When he finally took her to her first mission, Master Ren~ was there every step of the way. He supported her in every way until the demon they were hunting got the upper hand, catching her off guard. The demon was about to strike her, but a sudden thump seemed to pause that. 

That thing was the demon's dismembered hand, which caused them to scream in anguish. She was so caught up in thinking about what her mentor had done that she didn't notice him moving in front of her in a battle stance. “Don't worry, I got this.”

Okay, so…her first mission wasn't the best. She even apologized for almost getting them both killed, bowing over with her face heating up in embarrassment and tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“You’re right. That was reckless of you, but it was also irresponsible of me to think you were ready.”

“I'm sorry.” She failed her Master's.

“But with how things could have gone, I could say you did better than expected, and that counts.” He sighed, placing his hand on her head and patting it.

Why was he so nice to her when he should be lashing out? She doesn't get it but can't help her heart from beating fast.

Despite her reluctance, they are now at Butterfly Manor, per her master's directive. Miss Shinobu insists that she be confined to bed rest for days to recuperate and avoid overworking, while her mentor has gone on a solo expedition, leaving her feeling disheartened.

Thanks to the help of the sweet caterpillar triplets, she was able to heal correctly, much to her relief. With such happiness, she wanted to get back on track and improve her training with her mentor. 

For that to happen, she needed to let him know she was okay.

Despite being under house arrest and having only seen Master Rengoku once, she couldn't resist the urge to visit him upon learning of his return. Even though she knew it was wrong, she sneaked through the dark corridors and stood directly in front of his chamber.

With nerves building up inside, she lightly knocks on the sliding door.

Knock

Knock

A moment passed of dead silence. No noise coming from the inside can be heard.

Feeling intrusive and not wanting to bother the man, she turns to walk away but stops mid-step when she hears faint sounds coming from his room. Overthinking the worst and believing Rengoku had been injured during his assignment or had perhaps drawn an intruder his way, she bursts through the sliding door, expecting to see her mentor hurt and struggling to bandage himself up or someone ready to strike. 

Instead, she was met with his arms, keeping his upper body upward as he lay, there the gracious Flame Pillar himself, Rengoku Kyojuro, was in bed, desperately stroking his heaving member.

In disarray, the iconic uniform worn by all Demon Slayer members was noticeably absent. Instead, leaving him draped in a robe, slightly ajar, with his majestic naked body fully exposed.

Unveiling every scar she’d fantasized about feeling, running her hands down his chest and to his leaking member- though back to this embarrassing encounter.

Her lips parted, and a gasp escaped before she could contain it, expressing her surprise.

Catching the lustful gaze of her dearest mentor.

"I-I'm sorry," she blurted out before she could stop herself once again.

Before she could allow Rengoku to cover himself fully, she turned around and dashed out of the room. However, she barely made it a few steps before the baggy pajama pants she was provided caused her to trip and fall to the floor, further embarrassing her.

“Ow..” She mewled, rubbing her forehead while sitting in a W position.

Unfortunately, the situation has taken a turn for the worse.

"It seems that we've caught someone trying to sneak a peek into things they shouldn't be."

A harsh voice looming over her sent a shudder down her spine. 

Her breath seized as she saw her dream guy; his formerly spiked-up hair was now unkempt, with bangs falling low and obscuring those fiery eyes that used to stare into her soul, now appeared to be undressing her with his sinful gaze and faint smile he always seems to wear.

Trailing her gaze more down, she saw his robe was still unfastened, exposing his well-built body. Continuing lower down his happy trail, Rengoku appeared to have some dignity by putting on a fundoshi, much to her relief and dismay.

The moment that sliding door closed, Kyojur was at his wit’s end.

He treats his curvy apprentice like the goddess she is, worshiping her mind, body, and soul and never once treating her anything lower than that standard. However, being the man who must train her so she could someday become a Demon Slayer has its moments where he has to be tough and rough with her so that she won't get killed if a scenario were to come.

Much to his dismay, it just happened days ago with that infuriating Demon. He expected much better from her but was caught off guard and almost killed in front of him. If Kyojuro didn't interfere, he was certain his beloved flame would have died.

So when the opportunity came to protect her, he took it, forcing her into house arrest to “Heal.” Even then, he couldn't handle that and went on a mission to distract himself from what had happened.

But even that couldn't help him.

The metaphorical leash he’s tightly held was slowly loosening from his grip.

“You are in serious trouble.” Kyojuro’s hands roughly grabbed her ass, kneading a handful of her cloth skin as he could fester, making her whimper.

“Such a bad girl, my sweet flame.”

“Whatever.” She huffed out, rolling her eyes. “It’s not my fault. I knocked multiple times, but no response.”

Kyojuro was irritated and annoyed by her sassy behavior, and he needed to take a deep breath and not let his intrusive thoughts get the best of him.

She backs away from the tall man, trying to walk away from him, but is stopped by a big, surprisingly warm, rough hand that grabs hold of the back of her neck, bringing her close. She let out a gasp, and then he took full advantage by slamming his lips down on hers.

Her arms instinctively pressed against his nude chest as her heart beat loudly on her own.

“Such lies your speaking.” He mumbles against her, grabbing her hair and pulling her head to the side to give him access to her neck.

As though sensing her need to defend herself, Kyojuro kissed her again, still hungry and desperate but more gentle than before. 

“Admit it, you're a voyeur.” He whispers in her ear with a sly grin.

"What!" She whisper-shouts, her cheeks burning from shock and humiliation.

He shifts his hand from her neck to her waist, drawing her in against him while he pushes them back and toward the bed's edge. This causes her to fall back onto the bed, with one arm supporting her while Kyojuro leans over her.

She looked up at him with those dough eyes and plump lips sinking between her teeth.

That’s it, Kyojuro finally snaps.

Finally, he let go of the subconscious leash, liberating himself from the subconscious restraints.

Bringing himself forward, Kyojuro sat at the edge of his bed and took hold of one of his beautiful flame’s ankles, bringing her close to the edge of the bed to undo her pajama pants and pull them down her legs.

He took a sudden deep breath, feeling his breath catch at the astonishing sight before him.

“You’ve been naughty, my sweet blaze.” Kyojuro guided her to stand before him, resting his hands on her waist to keep her still. She rested her hands on his shoulders while staring in a longing gaze.

“I think you need a punishment.”

His hand firmly comes down against the curve of her ass, and she gasps at the contact—a slap ringing through the room.

“One!”

He smirked at her reaction, seemingly satisfied at the dark handprint quickly revealing on her skin.

“Keep count for me, k?” He softly caressed her ass with his other hand while grinning and repositioning the one that was holding her hands behind her back.

Before she could say a sentence, his free hand roughly met her ass again. The full force of his strength struck her left ass cheek more aggressively than she anticipated leaving her crying out.

“Two!”

Another slap landed on her other cheek, slightly lighter than the first two but still hard enough to take her breath away and anticipate more.

“T-Three.” She hesitated for a moment, nearly losing track of the count, but she quickly regained composure before her devoted master could take further action.

Another slap landed on her ass.

Then another.

And another.

There was a brief pause, Kyojuro letting go of her restrained hand while also allowing the throbbing soft flesh of her ass to have a break from its punishment. Rubbing a hand over the darker shade he had left, feeling the warmth it brought and much more.

“What’s this?”

Seeming to notice between her spread buttocks was a damp patch on the front of her panties. Dawning on him that his curvy beauty was getting off on this.

“You like this?” He murmurs under his breath.

Curiously, Kyojuro slips her panties halfway down her legs, caught between her lower thighs, his thick, calloused fingers spreading her folds. It's sinful how hot her wet heat is; squelching noises filled the room. “Should’ve known you'd be like this since you're a voyeur.” He chuckles to himself.

Shudders of embarrassment ran through her body. She squirmed on Kyojuro's lap and buried her flushed face in the mattress, muffling her whimpers and soft moans.

“K-Kyo…”

Yet he was stronger than her, keeping her in place as he slapped her cunt. Making her arch her back as she cries out.

His fingers bully their way inside her, and Kyojuro chuckles, feeling how her gummy walls immediately tighten around him.

Leaning down to face his sweet, precious flame, he whispered in her ear, “Looking for something bigger? Hmph~ You’ll take what I give you, whore.”

She tilted her head to the side, looking at his radiant gaze. Lust could be seen through his lidded gazes.

Scissoring her warm heat, her juice splashed with every deep thrust dripping down her thighs and to the ground.

“Ooooo~” Her mouth formed an "O" as tears welled in the corners of her eyes. Her legs trembled while she pitifully tried to hump his fingers. 

“Gonna cum?” He hummed against her.

“Ugh, yessss…”

At the edge of her orgasm, about to cum so beautifully around his thick fingers, which were speeding up and sloppily beating her g spot, Kyojuro pulled his fingers out and rubbed her lower lips before he slapped her throbbing clit for good measure. Standing up and off the bed, he removed himself from his sweet, curvy beauty, quickly wanting to get rid of his undergarments.

Revealing his once again long and hard cock, springing free and in his hand, moved down to give himself much-needed friction pulling on the heaving rod.

She whines, throwing a tantrum under his gaze.

“How dare you! This is so not fair!” She pants out. Pouting at the sight of her master stroking himself in front of her, making her feel ever so desperate and needy, her warm heat once again feeling tingly and in want to finally cum.

That her right hand slowly started to make its way down to her throbbing clit, but the Flame Hashira was fast enough to grab her once again ankle and bring them upward, sliding her legs apart, keeping a firm hold on her parted thighs, and he brought his body forward and between her legs.

His sharp stare kept her in a trance.

“Don't you dare touch yourself unless I tell you to,” He growled lowly and demanded as she gasped from the sudden sensation of the tip of his member probing at her slick entrance.

She bit her lip to keep herself from moving her hips, shuddering at the restrained.

“Do I make myself clear?” He fixed his gaze, concentrating intensely on the sweet flame in his hands.

She quickly nodded her head. At this point, she couldn't go against him as much as she wanted to fight against him. She was willing to go along with whatever he wanted just to feel her sweet release.

But against her better judgment, her hips disobeyed her and moved against her will. Moving against him, his tip slid along her slick folds. One of his hands quickly went down to her doughy hip, pinning it down as he furrowed his eyebrows, his mouth hanging slightly as he inhaled sharply.

“You’re so despicable. Such a needy little slut that can't stop herself. Just want me to lay everything down and just slam my dick inside you, huh? Have your juice all over me, hmmm?” 

It was only for a moment, just a moment, that he allowed himself the pleasure of his tip dragging along her throbbing bud as he spoke those sinful words to her as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Though only for a moment.

“But you don't deserve that. This is a punishment, after all.” That set her off, whimpering for him to continue, edging him on to continue dragging his length along her, but she was stopped by the tightly held hand on her soft hip.

Rengoku quickly yet dreadfully pulls himself off her before going down on his knees, bringing her lower half to hang off the bed and onto his shoulder and his hot breath hitting her core.

Suddenly, sniffing noises emerged from the room, shyly having the curvy beauty cover her face in embarrassment.

“You smell sweet~,” He says before placing a hand on the top of her lower stomach and the other spreading her lower fold, allowing him to kiss her pussy, causing her to whine.

“No…” She timidly sought to encourage him to move away from her lower half, reaching for his shoulder in an effort to pull him away, but he remained stubborn.

Licking her pussy and sucking on her folds, causing her to cry out and squirm under his grasp. Instantly bring her thighs together to ease the bliss she was feeling.

"Nah-huh" He fumbles to speak, too preoccupied with covering her cunt and repeatedly creating the number eight on her delicate clit, all the while firmly placing a hand over her thigh to keep them apart.

The feeling of his warm breath hitting her core and his tongue making swirls around her clit before slipping past her slick fold was a feeling she had never felt before, making her hands move to his hair, holding onto the spiky strands for her dear life.

That was his cue to nip at her delicate fold, for always trying to break him apart from his feast, causing her to let out another lewd moan.

Each touch has her gasping and her inside clenching around nothing as her legs begin to shake from the sweet torment. His strong hands on her body felt as if she was on fire as she tried to grind down against his lips, but his grip only tightened around her doughy thighs, sinking deeper into the soft flesh, and her sweet moans only seemed to grow loud at the sight of his biceps flexing.

Instinctively bringing a hand behind her to clutch onto the sheet as continuous kitten licks and sudden sloppy kisses on her pussy sent her feeling once again her sweet edge as the knot formed in her stomach and her back began to arch, catching Rengoku’s fiery stare.

While all this was happening, not once did he allow himself the pleasure of touching himself. legs knees under him with his thighs spread wide, visibly showing his weeping hard-on.

The throbbing flesh was hot to the touch, ready and dripping with pre as it twitched with every thrilling pretest and moan she dared muster in an attempt to run away from him.

He waited for the right time. The right moment to finally give the heaving rod a few strokes right as she was about to cum, wanting them both to climax at the same time. 

He smears his pre around the head, encouraging him to continue around the length and down to the base.

Kyojuro slowly stroked himself, following the same rhythm he had set with his greedy mouth. Imagining his cock being the actual one doing these things. His stroke became pumps, sweeping his thumb over the tip, swallowing her with his heated eyes as she watched him intently, barely blinking.

Groans escaped his already parted lips, deep and clear rumbling through her lower half. 

He was on the verge of his release as he squeezed his tip. He could feel her shuddering on his shoulder, and he used it as a sign to pick up on his rhythm for both him and her.

“I’m gonna, I’m gonna…” In a moment of desperation, she lets out a weak cry, her eyes half-closed and rolling back as she runs her fingers through his hair. In her agitation, she tugs at his hair as she reaches her breaking point.

Milliseconds before Kyojuro moaned out loud.

He shot ropes of hot cum onto the ground, momentarily closing his eyes and losing himself devouring the sweetest juice he ever tasted.

Finally, after minutes had passed, the pounding in her head made her hyper-aware of his breathing, so shallow and deeper than she ever heard it.

Pulling away and resting her lovingly on the bed, Kyojuro stood from the ground. Pins and needles ran through his legs, yet he didn't seem to care. Finally allowing himself to open his eyes, he stared at the beautiful beauty he towered over, pupils dilated and plump lips enticing, all spread out on the bed with only her pajama shirt on.

He was the first to move before she could lean up to kiss him. Crawling into bed and hovering over her with his arms supporting his weight on either side of her head, he leaned down and kissed her.

His captivating kiss carried the familiar taste of her, drawing her close to him by the neck, molding her into putty in his hands.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Hi! Could I request full HCs for MC getting in trouble/arrested for something they didn't do, but nobody believes them? Eventually they're proven innocent but maybe even the M6 might have a little flicker of doubt for a moment?

The Arcana HCs: MC gets falsely arrested

Julian

If you've ever worried that he can't relate to you in the past, he certainly can now! He's been in handcuffs plenty of times -

On a more serious note, he's not giving up on you for a second. Every moment that he's allowed to be by your side, he's there, and he's taking the best care of you that he possibly can

He doesn't doubt you for a second (he remembers what it was like) but he does doubt himself

What if this is secretly his fault? What if he did something he doesn't remember doing, and you got mistaken for him? What if he made someone angry so they framed you to get back at him?

Will suggest lying to take your place multiple times and might actually try it if you and Portia don't stop him

Might also suggest actually committing some kind of legal infraction of his own so he can at least join you in there

So relieved when you're acquitted that it's all he can talk about to everyone he meets for the next two months. Rubs it in the face of every friend who ever doubted you

Asra

They're annoyed, more than anything. And shocked. But mostly annoyed

Not at you, of course! No, he's annoyed at the fact that you're being confined somewhere that he can't be for you and that you're being treated so poorly

When you tell them the charges against you aren't true, they believe you completely, but truthfully they're less concerned with your innocence and more concerned with your wellbeing

Can and will attempt to break you out regardless

Would much rather blip you out of where you're being held and start a completely new life from scratch somewhere else then let the process drag on and on, watching you be silenced and doubted

Never misses a single visit

Never lets you feel like things are out of control. As long as you want to subject yourself to this, it's your decision, and as soon as you choose otherwise, say the word and you're both out

Immeasurably proud of you when you stick it out and are acquitted

Nadia

Furious. Absolutely furious. Seething with rage

A person of your character? Who holds the trust of the Countess herself and the admiration of the city?? Accused so recklessly???

Absolutely unacceptable

That said, she remains completely calm on the outside and allows things to proceed. She's been a fierce advocate of establishing a new, effective justice system, and she intends to see this through

Does her best not to extend her influence far enough to count as making the process unfair, but still ensures she gets to visit you at least once a day

There is a point as the evidence is assembled that she does find herself wondering, for a brief moment, if you really are guilty. If you forgot, if there were extenuating circumstances you can't tell her

And she hates herself for it as soon as she sees your face again

So smug when you're exonerated that the people who argued against you nearly make a run for the hills

Will make a point of publicly proclaiming your innocence after

Muriel

Triggered. Triggered. So. Very. Triggered

Hadn't heard anything about the incident itself until you were arrested, so he didn't know what to think until you told him you were innocent. Once you did, though, he believed you

He knows when someone's lying and when someone's telling the truth, and he needs to make sure that others can see your honesty

He also knows that he's not the person best suited to publicly helping you. Regardless of his circumstances, he has his own history in the cells that still make his stomach turn to walk past

He'll talk to Asra. He'll talk to Nadia. He'll put himself through hours of conversation with them and whoever else is determined to exonerate you, supplying every detail he has

And he'll brave the personal hell of seeing you live out the daily misery of his worst memories, behind the same bars, staring at the same stone walls, to be with you as the hours drag by

Beyond relieved when you (and he by extension) are freed and he can hide away in the woods with you to recover

Portia

She actually assumed the charges were true until you told her otherwise - you're her partner in crime for life, she's just wondering what pieces are missing to justify you and why she wasn't included

Until you tell her you're innocent, and she's furious

There is NO WAY you're getting falsely imprisoned on her watch. She will march to hell and back and drag whoever she needs to with her to get you out

Pushes nonstop both to have you acquitted and to sway public opinion about you. It feels like a hopeless task at first, but she doesn't give up and she has enough friends to pull it off

Might miss a visit or two, but never goes longer than a day without stopping to see you and always smuggles treats and comforts past the guards for you no matter how often you tell her not to

Actually manages to stage an impressive protest in your favor the day the decision is made

Takes you home and dotes on you nonstop afterwards ... and then victory marches you all around town to thank the helpful friends

Lucio

He tries to help you. He really, really does

He argues with the guards, screams at the people who sent for you to be arrested, and makes the racket of a lifetime

Which, unfortunately, only makes things worse

(Neither does him admitting to all of his own criminal history, in his attempt to argue that if he got forgiveness then you should too)

He's relieved when you tell him you didn't do it, and he clings to that belief like his life depends on it. You're the good thing in his life. Nobody takes away or denies him that good thing

All that pent up frustration needs an outlet of some kind, and that results in him hounding the assigned investigators instead into letting him help them

And help them he does - not with the books and papers, but with long nights and rabbit trails until the true culprit is found

One can imagine how proud he was to drag them by the collar to where you were, shaking the confession out of them and leaving with you. He deserves so many kisses and cookies for this -

[little-diable]

The Game is Won - Professor Aaron Hotchner (Profiling 101 Series, Part 9/9)

I decided to end this story here, because I want to focus on a few other ideas I can't let go of. Thank you so much for your love on this fic! Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated. Enjoy my loves. xxx

Summary: The reader enrolls in professor Hotchner's class "Profiling 101", a man she has always looked up to, a man who treats her like an asshole from day one. Will her need for academic validation manage to push the two closer together? Will her bright mind push her into the world of Aaron Hotchner and the BAU team? Will he manage to keep his distance before the world he tries to protect her from can get its grasp on her?

Warnings: 18+, smut, piv, some angst due to the kidnapping, regular CM stuff, a happy end

Pairing: Professor!Aaron Hotchner x fem!reader (2.5k words)

Profiling 101 Series Masterlist

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight

Her heart was racing, pounding in her chest. Every step she took felt like a risk, with the room closing in on her. Her fingertips were bleeding, her head pulsing in pain. She was driven by her determination, driven by the need to escape. And she was close, so very close.

Deep down she had feared the man, deep down she had wondered how far he’d take it. But as she had noticed that he hadn’t locked the door to the room she was held hostage in, everything had begun to clear up. He was stuck up, did believe too much in himself, not even thinking about the possibility of (y/n) trying to leave. This was her chance, probably her only chance. 

With a shaky breath, (y/n) let her eyes wander. She was now in what appeared to be his office, eyes focused on the window to try and figure out where she was. It took her a moment to read the street name, but the second she managed to focus on it, she reached for the corded phone. 

Her hands trembled as she dialled Aaron’s number, no longer sure who she could trust – especially after her kidnapper had dropped Penelope’s name. (Y/n) counted the seconds passing by, eyes squeezed shut to try and keep calm. Aaron would get her out, he would come to her rescue. 

“Hello?” The sob that left her at the sound of Aaron’s voice was almost violent, shaking through her whole body. (Y/n)’s hand shot out to stabilise herself, clinging to the nearest chair to try and stay on her feet. 

“Aaron, it’s me, (y/n).” She inhaled a shaky breath, and had to wipe her face to try and get rid of her tears. (Y/n) heard him shuffle around, heard the deep breaths leaving him. “Listen to me, Aaron, he’s working for the FBI, and somehow Penelope is involved in this.”

“What? What’s his name? Where are you, sweetheart?” A groan left her as she sank down on the chair, limbs no longer able to support her weak frame. The room was spinning, she was close to being swallowed by darkness, but now wasn’t the time to give up, not when she was so close to disappearing from this hellhole. 

“I,” another sigh left (y/n), eyes squeezed shut. “I don’t know his name, but he’s about the same height as me, brown hair, dark eyes, he’s wearing round glasses. He told me Penelope helped him, I don’t know how, but she has something going on with him. The street’s called Jerwick Road, but I- uhm I don’t know which house I’m in.” 

“I’ll get you out. He’s working on the case, I’ll have him arrested in a minute. Hold tight, sweetheart, I’ll come get you. I always will.” 

……

“Morgan,” Aaron had his fingers tightly wrapped around the handle of his office door, trying to keep his composure as he let his gaze wander. (Y/n)’s words kept ringing in his ears, repeating them over and over again. How could he have been so oblivious? He should have trusted his gut, and should have picked up on the uncomfortable feeling the guy had emanated.

“You alright, Hotch?” Derek stood close to Aaron, concerned eyes wandering over his hard features. 

“Where’s Garcia and Kayce?” He quietly murmured his words, eyes still not meeting Derek’s. Aaron kept trying to figure out if Kayce was close, knowing they had to work fast. He needed to get to his woman, needed to hold her close as soon as possible. 

“Hotch, what’s going on?” Only as Derek didn’t answer his questions did Aaron dare to look at him. Could Penelope be involved in this? The woman Aaron loved like a sister? The woman who loved (y/n) with all her heart?

“(Y/n) called, it’s him. He told her that Garcia helped him get to her.” Derek took a step away from Aaron as if he had been pushed, eyes growing darker. For a second neither of them spoke, but then they both began to move, quick steps carrying them down the stairs. Aaron called out to the others as he followed Derek to Garcia’s office, hand wrapped around his gun. 

None of them spoke, guided by the tense atmosphere, knowing that something was going on, something that left their boss shaking with what appeared to be anger. Derek came to a halt in front of the door, he let his eyes wander back to Aaron, waiting for the nod that would give him the go. And within seconds, they burst into Penelope’s office, forcing a gasp out of her as her wide eyes found her team, guns drawn. 

“Where is he, Penelope?” She flinched at the sound of her first name rolling off Derek’s tongue, eyes instantly turning glassy.

“Who? What is going on?” Aaron could instantly tell that she was just as confused, not understanding why her family was standing close to her with their guns drawn. But he had no time to lose, especially when Kayce was no longer with Penelope.

“Kayce, where is he?” Her eyes flickered to Aaron’s, not used to him speaking with that harsh tone he only used on unsubs. A sight that left his heart clenching. Tears ran down her cheeks, seemingly spurred on by her confusion and her shock. 

“He left almost ten minutes ago. What did he do?” 

……

She must have passed out, swallowed by darkness after Aaron had ended the call. Perhaps it had simply been the fault of the safety she had felt for the first time in hours, knowing that Aaron would come and save her. Whatever it was, it had instantly forced her out of this reality.

But now she woke with a groan, eyes struggling to focus on her surroundings. She was still in the office, no longer sitting on the chair, but lying on the ground. It took (y/n) almost a minute to set into motion, knowing that she needed to get out of the house while she was still alone. With a sigh leaving her, (y/n) shifted on the floor, eyes squeezed shut because her surroundings were still blurred. 

“I have to say, I’m impressed.” Her eyes shot towards the door, her heart coming to a stop as her eyes met the ones of her kidnapper. He was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed in front of his chest, lips pulled into a smirk. “I didn’t think you had it in you, (y/n). It’s a shame it has to end like this, I wanted to keep you around for a while longer.”

“They’ll be here any moment now, you lost the game, because you got sloppy, because you underestimated me.” Her words seemed to swallow him wholly, drowning in waves of anger now flushing through his system. (Y/n)’s gaze was forced down to the gun he had cocked, pointing it at her with a sinister smile glued to his lips. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, (y/n). You’re in no position to defend yourself.” He took a step into the room and didn’t take his eyes off her features as he closed the door. A shudder ran down her spine, goosebumps covered her limbs in fear of dying in a room with a man she hated more than any words could ever describe. She needed to drag this out and give the team a few more minutes to find her. 

“You won’t kill me, it was never the plan to kill me.” She murmured her words while slowly rising to her feet with aching limbs. (Y/n) carefully watched his every expression, trying to stay calm as she reminded herself that this was the situation she had been training for. And now, as she watched him with tired eyes, she knew that he wouldn’t kill her, not when he still hadn’t shot her, even after moving around. 

“You messed it all up! You were supposed to stay in the room, wait for me like a good girlfriend would do. But I misjudged you, you’re no longer worthy, I have to get rid of you to free myself from your spell.” Confusion swapped through her, words she couldn’t pay any further attention to as the loud sounds of somebody calling out her name echoed through the house. 

She was safe, she was safe, she was safe. 

……

“Here, let me.” Aaron stood behind her, arm wrapped around (y/n)’s waist. Their eyes met in the bathroom mirror as he carefully watched her wipe her face clean, struggling to get rid of the blood covering her skin. 

It hadn’t taken the team long to find her, within minutes she had been freed, ripped from the man’s grasp who had been shot by Aaron the second he had moved closer towards (y/n). The sobs that had wrecked through her as Aaron had pulled her into her chest had been violent, shaking up the whole team as they engulfed her, all but Penelope and Derek. 

“Can I ask you something?” By now she had turned around in Aaron’s hold, staring up at him as he cleaned her face and neck. The hum that left him vibrated through her, once again reminding (y/n) that she was safe, that she was right where she belonged. 

“Did you figure out why he had ties to Penelope?” She watched a frown tug on Aaron’s features, taking his time to answer her question. It seemed as if he was still as shaken up as she was, reminded of the past trauma he had been forced to endure. 

“He befriended her and got access to her system, and from then on he managed to get into her system to watch you. She’s shaken up, Derek’s currently with her.” (Y/n) shifted her weight onto her toes to meet Aaron’s lips for a slow kiss, needing to feel him close, desperate to feel him pressed against her body. 

“I’ll visit her tomorrow, I can only imagine how awful she’s feeling.” Aaron pulled her in for another kiss, placing the wet towel down to wrap both his arms around (y/n). The moan that left her allowed a grin to widen on his lips, enjoying the feeling of having her back here with him, the only one who’d ever be able to make her feel like this.  

“Take me to bed, Aaron.” Her whispered words rang in his ears, forcing them to part as Aaron pulled her into his bedroom. Carefully he pushed her down on the mattress, pulling her shirt over her head, and her jeans down her legs moments later. 

“God, how I missed you, how I missed having you in my arms, I won’t ever let you out of my sight again.” His words left her chuckling, forcing (y/n) to pull him down, unable to reply with words. Aaron kissed his way down her throat as his hands did quick work on her bra, letting it fall down to the ground. “My pretty girl, how I feared that I wouldn’t ever get to see you like this again. I would have burned earth to its ground for you, everything to have you back with me.”

“Aaron,” she choked on his name, eyes finding his as she parted her lips once again. (Y/n) was overcome by her emotions, unable to stop herself from speaking what she had wanted to say for years. “I love you, so goddamn much.”

“I love you too, and I always will.” Aaron kept holding eye contact as he sucked on her hardening nipples, forcing groans from (y/n) that made his cock twitch. Both wouldn’t waste any time tonight, it had been too long, too many hours had passed without feeling one another close – hours they wouldn’t get back.

“Love me, Aaron. Fuck me, please.” His hum vibrated on her skin, shooting shudders down her spine. (Y/n) watched his every move, how he rose to his feet to undress, how he reached for the nightstand to pull a condom free. Only as his cold hand found her heat, panties ripped from her, did her eyes fall close. He brushed his fingers through her slit, collecting drops of her arousal to spread on her folds. It felt as if she was reborn, finally freed from the grasp darkness had on her.

“I got you, pretty girl, let me take care of you.” He aligned himself with her heat, slowly pushing into her to leave them both breathless. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke, needing to adjust, allowing her to let go of a heavy moan. With a small nod thrown his way, (y/n) allowed Aaron to move, clinging to him as he began to build a fast rhythm. 

Her nails scratched at his skin, begging for more without finding the strength to speak up. But Aaron seemed to understand everything her body was telling him, fucking her even deeper. Their eyes met as she reached for his hand, wanting to feel every part of him on her, guiding his fingers to her pulsing bundle. 

“I will always love you if you let me. You’re forever mine.” Tears welled up in her eyes, her throat was too choked up to reply, (y/n) could only hope that he could read the emotions swimming in her pupils. God, how she wanted to be his till the end of their time. How she wanted to cling to Aaron till their last breaths would leave their frail bodies. 

Aaron dipped his head down for a slow kiss, tongues moving together as he fucked her into the mattress, set on burning his touch into her skin. He could almost hear the racing beat of her heart, he could almost feel her passing out beneath him due to the intensity of their touches. All for the man she loved, all for the woman he adored more than words would ever be able to describe. 

(Y/n)’s walls fluttered around him, already close to the edge, begging Aaron to give her the last needed push. With his fingers adding more speed to their movements, he watched her fall apart, pleasure-drunken features staring up at him. It was a sight so raw, a sight so beautiful, Aaron followed her down moments later, letting go with a groan. 

Slowly he pulled out of her, getting rid of the condom before he pulled (y/n) into his chest. Neither of them spoke for a while, hung up on their thoughts, wondering how they had ended up right here. Brought together by their shared interest, forced to meet as student and professor, guided by their emotions for one another. But yet it had always felt awfully right as if they had been made for one another.

“I love you, Aaron Hotchner.” (Y/n) shifted in his grasp, staring up at him with a smile. 

“I love you too, (y/n).”

[hobiebrownismygod]

Let's talk about Jessica Drew - Character Analyzation/Rant (People don't like powerful women)

LOOK AT HER.

This magnificent woman sports a luscious afro while wearing 80s style clothing. Afros and natural hair in general are symbols of African American pride and embracing your African heritage. Her clothing style is very similar to the clothing style and fashion that African American women wore in the 80s.

I couldn't find a better picture, but do you see my vision? Also they are serving 🤩

She oozes culture and black power. She's a pregnant, yet badass black woman who drives a motorcycle and is proud of her heritage. Yet people dislike her. Why?

Because she's an aggressive, no-nonsense, black female character

One of the reasons people dislike Jessica Drew is because we see her reprimanding Gwen for visiting Miles, and telling her that she can't see him again. However, controversially, I think Jess was right about this. Gwen disobeyed direct orders and let her heart get in front of her head. She ignored her mission and the result of that was Spot's escape and a possibility of interdimensional unraveling. Jess had all the right to reprimand Gwen for this, because in her perspective, Gwen messed up. But even though Gwen messed up, Jess was still willing to give her another chance. She agreed not to tell Miguel, because she knew Gwen would be sent home, proving that she still had Gwen's best interests at heart and didn't want Gwen to have to go back to deal with her dad and the possibility of being arrested.

The second reason people dislike her is because she allowed Gwen to be sent back to her universe. However, people are completely forgetting the fact that she wasn't the person sending Gwen back to Earth-65. Miguel was. Jess did her best to protect Gwen, and gave Gwen numerous chances, but in the end, Gwen failed her mission and disobeyed orders, causing her to be sent home. This is not Jess's fault. People are also ignoring the fact that Peter B. Parker, a man that knew Gwen way before Jess did absolutely nothing to save Gwen from Miguel's rage. What did he do instead? He stood there and made jokes. Instead of actually addressing the situation and a girl who considered him her friend, he decided to crack a joke. Not even a funny joke. But people are blaming Jess for this. Why?

Because people don't like seeing strong, aggressive female characters. Jessica oozes confidence. She's confident in her heritage, she's confident in her capabilities and she's confident in herself. Her tone is sharp, she doesn't mess around and she doesn't put up with people's bullshit. Ex. her telling Peter B to "stop talking" and her telling Hobie he's "not helping". People don't like seeing aggressive black female leads, because it makes them uncomfortable. People are quick to label a woman who's aggressive as "harsh" and "argumentative" but proceed to label Miguel, the person who sent a homeless teenager back to her dimension, as someone who's "doing what he has to". I'm not saying Miguel is a bad person. I'm saying Jessica isn't a bad person.

Jess is also most definitely going to get a character development arc considering how she was obviously doubting her loyalty to Miguel in the last 30ish minutes of the movie right after Gwen was sent-home and during Gwen's speech with Miles' parents when Jess was listening.

Jess Drew was slightly harsh on Gwen, and didn't object to her being sent back to her dimension. Was this wrong of her? Yes. But does that make her a bad person? No. People are misinterpreting her character. She is not a bad person and she does not deserve the hate people are spewing against her. She is a strong black female character and we need more people like her in the media to look up to.

BTW, I'm not black but I tried to be as accurate in my description of how Jess embraces her heritage as I could, so if you see any inaccuracies or have any comments, please correct me <3

[candycandy00]

The Doll House - A Choso x Reader Fanfic Part 4 (Final)

When your younger sister is tricked into selling herself to the Doll House, you rush there to help her, only to find her being led away by her trainer, Choso. Moved by your desire to save your sister, he convinces the owner to let you take her place.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Read Geto’s Part Here!

Read Toji’s Part Here!

Read Nanami’s Part Here!

Read Sukuna’s Part Here!

Read Gojo’s Part Here!

Note: Please remember that these stories don’t take place at the same time, or even one after the other! Consider each one its own timeline. So if you see Geto and Toji with other dolls, don’t be alarmed lol. I had to do it this way because if I don’t, by the time I get to the last trainer, there won’t be any other trainers left to interact with!

AU! Each trainer will get their own story! This is Choso’s. I’m keeping the tag list from previous parts. If you’d like to be tagged in future parts, let me know! You must be an adult to be tagged! Any feedback whatsoever is adored!

Smut. 18+. Fem Reader. FemDom. Sub Choso. Oral sex. Rough sex. Ice play. Threats of rape/violence (by the villain). Divider by @benkeibear!

You throw on your shoes and rush to the door of Choso’s room, throwing it open and getting halfway down the hall before you realize Choso is right behind you. 

“You’re coming with me?”

He nods. “It’s after dark. You can’t leave by yourself.”

You pause in the hallway, remembering the house rule. You don’t want to drag Choso into this mess. Yosaku is violent and rash, he could very well hurt someone sweet like your trainer. But you can’t just abandon your sister! Choso apparently notices the conflict in your eyes. 

“I would go with you even if it wasn’t dark,” he says, then steps by you and knocks on Toji’s door. 

Within minutes, Toji is standing in his doorway, lazily scratching his bare stomach. “Yeah? What do you need?”

“Can we borrow your car?” Choso asks him. 

Toji’s eyes seem to sharpen, perhaps after seeing your worried expression and Choso’s intense look. “Sure,” he says, digging into the pockets of his pants to retrieve the keys. “Something wrong?”

Choso takes the keys from him. “Just someone bothering her sister,” he says. 

Toji glances at you, then back to Choso. There’s an odd gleam in his eyes, like a cat that’s cornered a mouse. “Want me to go with you?” The hint of excitement in his voice confuses you. 

Choso shakes his head. “There’s no need. Thank you for offering though. I’ll have the car back soon.”

You don’t miss the disappointment on Toji’s face as he waves the two of you off and closes his door. 

As you climb into the passenger seat of Toji’s rather plain four door car, you ask the question that’s burning a hole in your brain. 

“Why didn’t you let Toji come with us? Safety in numbers, right?”

Choso’s eyes are focused in front of him as he pulls out onto the road. You didn’t even know he could drive, but he seems very comfortable behind the wheel. “We don’t need Toji,” he says, “and I would feel bad if he got arrested and it complicated things with Megumi.”

“Oh, right,” you say, feeling terrible. “That was really selfish of me to want to involve him.”

Choso’s eyes slide over to you for an instant before returning to the road. He’s accompanied you to your house twice before to get things you need, so he knows the way without being told. 

“You’re worried about your sister. Of course you want to do everything possible to help her. It’s natural,” he says in a comforting voice. He’s quiet for a moment, then asks, “You said Yosaku is yakuza?”

You nod. “His father runs a small time syndicate. But he’s a big guy, and he’s volatile. He has three friends with him, from what my sister can hear through the door, and he might even have weapons.”

You’ve been trying to keep up with the string of panicked messages from your sister, assuring her that you’re on your way. 

“Has she called the police?” Choso asks. 

“She did, but his father has connections in the police department. She doesn’t think they’ll come. Apparently he’s shown up at the house a couple of times before, but this is the first time he broke in. She didn’t want to tell me because she knew it would freak me out. And… he’s been threatening to go and make trouble for me at the Doll House.”

You said that last part carefully. You didn’t want to worry Choso or upset him but you feel like he has a right to know yakuza thugs are threatening his place of employment. 

To your surprise, a soft chuckle escapes Choso’s mouth. You can’t imagine what could be amusing about this. He glances at you and his face straightens. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me. It’s just that imagining someone making trouble at the Doll House is very funny.”

“How?” you ask, genuinely confused. 

“The trainers at the Doll House, and even the owner herself, they’re all people you don’t want to mess with. Ever. So if someone came to make trouble, they would get far more than they bargained for.”

“Really?” you ask, picturing the other trainers in your mind. You can see Toji or Sukuna being intimidating, even being violent. But the others? Goofball Gojo? Pretty boy Geto? Kindly Nanami? You can’t imagine them fighting. But Choso seems confident that they could handle any problems that arise. 

Wait, does that also apply to him? Is Choso someone you “don’t want to mess with”? Surely not. He’s sweet and submissive. You just hope he doesn’t get hurt by trying to help you. 

Choso pulls into your driveway and the two of you jump out of the car. The front door is standing open, hanging off its hinges. Someone clearly busted it down. The violence and strength that required sends a shiver down your spine. 

As you and Choso step inside, you see that the living room is a huge mess. Cushions have been pulled out of the sofa and cut open, the tv is smashed, and two lamps have been broken. You barely have time to take note of the damage before you hear voices coming from upstairs. 

You can hear several men talking and laughing loudly, and you pick out Yosaku’s voice among them. 

“Come on out here and play with us, babe! You don’t wanna be my woman anymore, so you might as well entertain all of us!”

You start up the stairs, but Choso stops you with a hand on your shoulder. So calmly that it’s almost eerie, he steps in front of you and makes his way up. 

There’s a loud banging sound, probably Yosaku banging on the bathroom door, and you hear your sister scream out, “Go away! I called the cops so you better get out of here!”

Yosaku laughs. “Oh, you mean my dad’s buddies? They ain’t coming, sweetheart. Now, if you make me break this door down to get you out of there, I’m gonna-“

Yosaku’s voice cuts off when Choso reaches the top of the stairs, you close behind him. The scene before you is terrifying. Four big, dangerous-looking men are standing in the hall, gathered around the bathroom door. Yosaku is holding a metal baseball bat, and one of the other men is holding a crowbar. Just what do these creeps plan to do to your little sister?! 

“Who the fuck are you?” Yosaku asks, looking directly at Choso. 

“I’m a trainer at the Doll House,” Choso says simply and honestly. 

A couple of the men chuckle, but Yosaku’s eyes shift to you. “Oh, it’s you! The bitchy big sister who made my girl dump me!”

Suddenly your sister’s voice carries through the door. “Sis?! Are you there?!”

“I’m here! Don’t open the door, no matter what! Just stay in the bathroom!”

Your sister doesn’t reply, but Yosaku narrows his eyes. “See, that’s the problem between us,” he says, taking a step toward you and Choso. “You always have to stick your dumb bitch nose into our shit. How bout I break your little boyfriend’s legs and make him watch me and my buddies fuck you bloody? Then we’ll drag your precious little sister out and do the same to her.”

You feel like ice water has been poured down your back, and you start to wish you had involved Toji after all. These men are dangerous! And now Choso is going to be hurt! 

One of the other men pulls a knife from his pocket and starts toward you, but Yosaku holds his hand up in a motion that says “I’ve got this” as he walks the few steps needed to reach you. You can’t see Choso’s face, being behind him, but you can only imagine how horrified he must be. 

When Yosaku reaches the two of you, he reaches his free hand out toward Choso, perhaps to grab his collar, but something… happens. You didn’t see it clearly, just a blur of motion, but suddenly Yosaku is on the floor, screaming, and his arm is caught in Choso’s grip, twisted at an unnatural angle. 

Before you can even process what you’re seeing, Choso makes some kind of movement, and you hear the most grotesque snapping sound you’ve ever heard. Somehow you know for certain that Choso has just broken Yosaku’s arm. 

Yosaku screeches like a wounded animal, thrashing on the floor, the metal bat sliding out of his grip and forgotten on the floor. 

The other three men stare at Yosaku, then at Choso, completely stunned. Then all at once they charge at him, brandishing knives and a crowbar, swinging at him and screaming obscenities. 

Choso maneuvers further into the hall, away from you, and you watch as he calmly dodges their attacks, then counters with devastating hits that seem to strike their weak points like magic. All three of them crumble to the floor. It took less than two minutes, and Choso isn’t even winded. 

He turns to you, and for a tiny moment, his face is intense, his eyes glinting with rage, but his expression quickly softens. “Are you alright?” he asks. 

You nod blankly, wondering if this is all some bizarre dream. Then you remember your sister is still trapped in the bathroom, so you rush over to the door and yell, “It’s okay now! Choso took care of them! It’s safe to come out!”

The door clicks unlocked, and then slowly slides open as your sister peeks out. When she sees you standing there, she runs out of the bathroom and into your open arms. “I was so scared!” she cries, clutching you. 

You stroke her hair as you hold her. “I know. But you did good! You were smart to hide and call me. It’s over now. Yosaku won’t bother you again.”

“The hell I won’t!” a strained voice calls out. Yosaku is still on the floor, cradling his broken arm, his face pale and sweaty. “Once I tell my dad about this, you guys are fucked!”

Choso walks over and squats down beside Yosaku, who flinches and tries to move away, maybe sensing danger the way prey can sense a predator. 

“You and your father might want to rethink that,” Choso tells him. “These two sisters are under the protection of the Doll House.”

Yosaku looks at Choso incredulously. “So what?! It’s just a brothel! It’s just-“

“Ryomen Sukuna works there,” Choso says. 

What little color remained in Yosaku’s face instantly drains away. His eyes grow large, as if he’s just seen something nightmarish. “Ryomen… Sukuna?”

“He’s a colleague of mine,” Choso says. “Oh, and Fushiguro Toji as well.”

“Fushi…guro? Th-the Fighting Demon?!” 

“Yes,” Choso replies, “and they’re very, very protective of the Doll House. They would both be extremely upset if anyone made trouble for us.”

Yosaku looks like a deflated balloon, all the anger and attitude replaced by fear. “I-I’m sorry!” he suddenly shouts, trying and failing to roll over and assume the bowing position. “I didn’t realize Sukuna and Fushiguro were involved with the Doll House! Please don’t tell them about this!”

Choso looks down at him coldly, an expression you’ve never seen on his face before. You can’t help thinking it’s kind of sexy. “I won’t mention this to them,” he says, “under the condition that you never bother these sisters ever again. Never speak to them. Never show your face before them. Pretend they don’t exist.”

Yosaku nods emphatically. “I’ll stay away from them, I swear!”

“Good,” Choso says, standing back up. “Now gather your trash and leave.”

Yosaku scrambles to his feet, wincing and holding his arm, then hurries over to his friends and begins frantically kicking at them, screaming for them to get up. Eventually, they all drag themselves out of the house with their heads hung low. 

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

Choso turns to the two sisters once the men are gone. His doll looks so lovely, holding her crying sister, being the kind and nurturing woman he knew her to be. He smiles at them, happy he could be of help. 

His doll looks up at him and smiles back. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you enough.”

“It was no trouble,” he says, feeling a little bashful. 

They decide to spend the night at the house, since her sister is still understandably shaken up, so Choso calls Toji to let him know. 

“It’s fine,” the other trainer tells him over the phone. “I’m not going anywhere tonight anyway.”

Choso thanks him again and hangs up, returning to the living room where his doll is cramming the ripped cushions back onto the couch. She stops and looks around the room. “What a mess. Maybe I should just set her up in an apartment for the time being. She really doesn’t need the whole house to herself.”

“I can help you clean up,” Choso says, bending down to pick up some fallen objects from the floor. 

His doll flops down on the sofa. “Let’s just wait until morning. She should be calmed down enough to help by then.”

Choso sits down beside her. “Are you okay? I know this was all very stressful.”

She turns toward him. “I’m fine. I’m just glad it’s over. I had no idea you could fight though. You were amazing!”

He blushes. “I do a little martial arts. I’m not nearly as good at it as some of the others.”

She leans closer to him. “To be honest, I thought it was extremely hot.”

“You did?” he asks, leaning forward to meet her. 

“Mmhm,” she murmurs as she kisses him, slowly and passionately, licking his lips. 

He’s struck by the urge to press her back onto the couch and fuck her wildly, but he would never do something like that without being told to, and not while her younger sister is right upstairs. 

Choso is honest to a fault, even with himself, so he’s aware that he’s falling in love with her. Tonight only cemented his feelings. He’d never experienced such anger before, such cold fury, as when Yosaku threatened her. It made him realize that the thought of any man putting his hands on her, for any reason, made Choso’s chest tighten. 

Two different buyers have already expressed interest, and Choso really should have allowed meetings to be set up by now. There’s only a week and a half left of the training. How is he going to feel when she leaves?

He’s already thought about keeping her, but he’s not sure how she feels. Maybe… maybe he should just ask her. 

She pulls away from the kiss and settles against him on the sofa, seeming to relax. He looks down at her face and asks, “How would you feel about staying with me?”

His doll looks up at him with wide eyes, then she slowly sits back up. “What do you mean?”

Oh, that’s right, she probably doesn’t know about that particular rule. “Trainers are allowed to keep one doll they’ve trained. Your contract would transfer to me.”

A mix of emotions flood her face. Surprise, joy, and something more heated. “So… you would choose me?”

Choso nods, feeling a blush creep across his cheeks. “But only if that’s something you want.”

She opens her mouth to answer, but then suddenly pauses. “Wait, would you keep training other women? Because I don’t think I could stand knowing you were being intimate with someone else.”

Choso smiles, happy that they both feel the same way. “I would quit working as a trainer,” he assures her. 

She wraps her arms around him, pulling him close. “Then my answer is yes! I’ve been dreading the day I’d have to leave. I want to stay with you!”

Two days later, after Choso has informed the owner of his choice and the paperwork has been completed, he and his his doll simply have to wait for the training period to be over before her contract is signed over to him. Choso hasn’t told her yet, but he intends to release her from the contract. If she decides to leave him, so be it. He wants her to return to her job, which was important to her, and to spend time with her sister. Hopefully, they can all spend time with Yuji as well. 

Presently, Choso is tied to the bed, naked but for a red collar around his neck. His doll is straddling him, holding a thin chain connected to his collar. She’s wearing a bright red corset trimmed in black lace, the tiniest pair of red panties he’s ever seen, and shiny vinyl boots that come up to her thighs. She’s an absolute vision as she leans over and retrieves an ornate silver bowl from the nightstand. Inside it is a pile of ice cubes. 

She takes one cube from the bowl and rubs it over Choso’s lips before kissing him, then she slides it down his neck and over his chest, holding it a few moments against one hard nipple before moving down. Choso shudders beneath her, the cold contrasting with the heat of the room and her warm body on top of him. 

She scoots down so that she’s sitting between his spread open thighs, and she smiles as she begins stroking his fully erect cock with the ice cube in her hand. Choso’s hips buck at the freezing sensation sliding up and down his shaft, and he whimpers out, “Ahh, so cold, Mistress!”

She giggles at his reaction, then locks eyes with him as she pushes the ice cube into her mouth. She swirls it around her tongue for a moment before bending forward and wrapping her lips around his cock, taking his considerable length into her mouth and pressing the ice between her velvety tongue and his tip. 

Choso cries out, jerking against his bonds. He can feel the slippery ice gliding over his cock as she licks him, one of her hands warm as it squeezes his balls. Just as the ice melts into cool water, he loses his composure, twitching as he begs her to let him cum. 

She pulls away and looks down at him, her lips shiny with various fluids, and says, “Go ahead and fill my mouth.”

Then she clamps her lips around him again as he finally climaxes, shooting his thick cum directly onto her icy tongue. When finished, she moves up his body, the silky texture of the corset rubbing over his taut skin, and unties his wrists, freeing him. She uses the chain to pull him up by his collar, so that he’s sitting upright in bed. 

“Choso,” she says, breathing out his name as if it’s the most precious word she knows, “I want you to fuck me rough and hard.”

He draws back and looks at her face. In truth, it’s something he’s fantasized about from time to time, but he only really wants to do the things she tells him to, so he’s never mentioned it. “Are you sure?” he asks. 

She jerks on the chain, pulling his face close to hers. Her skin is flushed, her eyes lusty. “Make me scream.”

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

You’ve been thinking nonstop about how hot Choso was when he took charge at your house and beat up the men threatening you and your sister. And while you absolutely adore the sweet, compliant Choso who whimpers and quivers under your touch, you’re kind of curious about what he would be like if he were rough with you for once. 

So you gave him a command, and he’s obeying. 

Within seconds he has you on your back, your flimsy panties ripped away and your corset torn open, allowing your breasts to spill out. He only takes a moment to dip his fingers into your folds, confirming that you’re drenched, before he bends your legs up and spreads them far apart, plunging his entire length into you. 

You gasp, your hand clutching the chain, jerking it reflexively, causing his mouth to crash into yours. And then he’s thrusting, deeply, roughly, slamming into your cervix and making you see stars. Fuck, it’s amazing! His hard body feels so good against yours, one hand squeezing your breast, his tongue in your mouth. 

Has he been holding back this whole time? Waiting for you to tell him to go wild? You should have done this sooner. 

He breaks the kiss, groaning when your pussy clenches around him, then leans forward to lick up the tears you didn’t realize were rolling down your face. 

You scream out as he thrusts particularly deep into you, “Ahhh! Choso! Choso!”

With one final cry of his name, you reach release, cumming on his cock, shaking with pleasure as he continues fucking you until his own climax comes. You jerk the chain once more, pulling him into the deepest kiss you’ve ever shared. 

You sigh in contentment later, as you snuggle in close to him beneath the covers. You never imagined in your wildest dreams that you’d become a doll, much less be happy as one. But as long as you’re with Choso, no matter what the future holds, you know the two of you will be alright. 

Tag List:

@suguguro @kaedear @onyxsphynx @poopoobuttsy @butterskyy @collectionofdolls @akaotv @witchbybirth @bloofinntoona @wasurenagusaa @tclbts @tojirin @lucyrocks86 @badbyeyoongi @97britt @aydene @lzaj19 @lyn-lotte @missthatgirl @peachedtv @ladytamayolover @nanam1nx @deegausserr @voids-universe @hinata7346 @maflorex @issracollen @xkittiecatx @ryumurin @emrys3456 @mysecretesc8pe @typicalloser3 @gabriiiiiiii @fvsm4x @tyunhyukamyloves @rottmntrulesall @jakeywon @better-imagination-9 @wealwayskeepfighting @denenene @tomura-complex @kuro-chi69 @hellsingalucard18

[ara-line]

Some myth busting about Israel's Eurovision participation

Do note that I use countries here when referring to participation. The term broadcasters would be more accurate since a national broadcaster chooses the entrant and the broadcaster is a member of the European Broadcasting Union, the organization behind Eurovision. But a lot of people use the term countries instead of broadcasters, hence why I'm using that word as well.

Myth 1. "Israel isn't even in Europe"

Well, any country that's part of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia are members of, can participate. Same goes for associate members like Australia, hence why Australia is allowed to participate. Lebanon and Morocco could also participate but choose not to because of Israel. In fact, Morocco's only participation was when Israel wasn't participating in the contest, and Lebanon planned to participate but didn't because of Israel's participation. There are rumours going around that this is also the case for Tunisia and Qatar.

Myth 2. "Eurovision banned Russia but not Israel."

Not completely true. Russia was initially going to participate in the 2022 contest, but several countries protested against Russia's participation and threatened to withdraw if Russia was allowed to participate, thus leading to them being kicked out. We will come back to this point about several countries threatening to leave.

Myth 3. "A lot of the artists speaking out about Israel could actually just withdraw from the contest to make a real statement."

You do realize the EBU actually will fine countries if they withdraw too late without good reason? I'm pretty sure a lot of these countries have contracts in place for their contestants, and since the contest is set to take place in mid May, withdrawing would mean possibly being blacklisted from the music industry and losing out on more opportunities. Not for being pro Palestine, but because they backed out on a contract they signed and left the many, many people who work behind the scenes high and dry on really short notice.

Technically not a myth but worth mentioning: 4. "Israel should be kicked out because her presence is a security risk."

Where do we even begin with this? If a country like Sweden, where the contest is being hosted, isn't able to protect its contestants from terrorist attacks, they shouldn't be hosting. It's that simple. I doubt anyone would've said this if Russia was allowed to participate in 2022.

Myth 5. "Eurovision lets Israel pinkwash its crimes."

@pauvrecamille really summed up how a lot of the discourse around pinkwashing can be boiled down to "country I hate gives their gays more rights than one I like." We could talk about how the only transgender winner is from Israel herself.

And if there is a case to be made for pinkwashing in Eurovision, I would argue that it applies more to Russia and Azerbaijan than it does to Israel. At least Israelis can criticize their government and not fear being arrested.

Speaking of Azerbaijan:

Myth 6. "If even one country withdraws from the contest, then that will send a statement to the contest."

Not true. Armenia withdrew from the 2021 contest because of the war with Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijan was allowed to participate in the contest. This is even after we already know they've cheated twice in the contest, on top of the human rights violations. And we could talk about how so many were forcibly displaced because of Azerbaijan hosting the competition in 2012.

We can also talk about how Ukraine withdrew from the contest in 2015 because of Russia's invasion. Russia was still allowed to participate and went on to place second that year.

In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia and in 2009, the Georgian entry was called "We Don't Wanna Put In" which contained veiled references to Putin's invasion. Because Russia was hosting the contest that year, the EBU tried to get Georgia to change their song. Georgia refused and ended up withdrawing.

Remember what I said about several countries threatening to withdraw if Russia was allowed to participate in 2022? It took a total of 10 countries expressing their concerns about Russia's participation and three or four threatening to withdraw if Russia was allowed to actually get the EBU to reverse course on their decision. So there's that.

EDIT: Myth 7: "People wouldn't be bullying the artists for participating in the contest if the EBU kicked Israel out."

Why am I even surprised this is a talking point?

Edit: Myth 8: "Eurovision is treating Israel differently because of the whole lyrics change situation."

I've seen this on both sides, and this is not true. I've mentioned Georgia earlier, but I also want to mention Armenia's 2015 entry, originally called Don't Deny. It was changed to Face the Shadow and allowed to compete. It's reportedly about the Armenian genocide. The point is, stuff like this happens all the time. In 2021, in the midst of protests and lack of freedom, Belarus sent a pro government band with a song containing veiled lyrics threatening to subjugate the protestors. The EBU allowed them to submit another song but ultimately, Belarus was kicked out after they still failed to follow the rules.

So no, this is not out of the norm. At least from what I know. I'm more than happy to edit this section out if I have been proven wrong. God knows I've edited this post many, many times.

Final thoughts:

A lot of the people who are all high and mighty about boycotting Eurovision would absolutely not be doing that if it was Russia participating. They certainly didn't when Azerbaijan did in 2021.

A lot of the misinformation around Eurovision this year can be chalked up to antisemitism and not understanding how contracts work. I think it's also really performative and virtue signaling at best. Yes, it's true that the postcards(clips for the broadcast while preparing for the next performer) for the 2019 contest, held in Israel, where filmed in disputed territories.

Actually, let's talk about the postcards.

You see, KAN, the Israeli broadcaster, chose not to film the postcards in territories like the West Bank. And they were criticized for it by the right wing Israeli government. So there is a true fact about something bad the Israeli government did that you can criticize them for.

Now back to the topic at hand.

Yes, it's true that Israel's lyrics were changed so they could go ahead and participate this year. It's just that now, it's really difficult to have a sane conversation about Israel in general. It's difficult to have a sane conversation about antisemitism with some people. Take this post here trying to combat antisemitism only to end up having to fight Islamophobia. Put a big F in the chat for the OP of that post, yikes.

If no one got called anti LGBT when the World Cup was held in Qatar and people still watched, I don't see why people who choose to watch Eurovision this year should be called pro genocide.

Last but not least, I want to end this on a more positive note, so this year's contest is looking really good. No one's completely sure who will take the win this year, but right now the song with the most bets to win the contest is Switzerland. It's not like 2023, where we all knew who was going to win weeks before the actual contest. So I'm interested in the outcome this year. You guys are more than welcome to throw in your own opinions on this year's caliber of songs if you want.

[aziraphales-library]

Hello! First of all, thank you so much for all your impressive work! It's kind of specific ig but, im a big history nerd, so i love anything with the ineffable husbands set in history. I'd love to read more set in medieval times or the Victorian era. What would you recommend?

Hi! You can check our #through the ages tag for loads of historical fics. Here are a couple of medieval and a couple of victorian fics to add to the collection...

The Serpent and the Lady by summerofspock (T)

Aziraphale was thankful Crowley was nowhere to be seen. He would never let Aziraphale live this down. Bestowing a kiss upon the winner of a tourney? Crowley would surely mock him for years to come.

Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live by Fire_Traveller (M)

Crowley hadn't thought too much about it when she spread the rumour that red hair was a sign of a witch - but all too soon, it's blowing up in her face, and with a few other things raising the suspicion of some villagers, the demon finds herself the target of a witch hunt. There's only one being who can possibly help her get out of this mess - Aziraphale. But when the villagers actually arrest Crowley, the angel will have to come up with something to save his best friend...

The Seven Temptations of Aziraphale by Duinemerwen (T)

Mexico, 1379 A.D.: While taking a well-deserved holiday, Crowley makes a bet with a rival demon as to who can tempt Aziraphale to commit more of the seven cardinal sins. Best four out of seven wins. Loser leaves Earth forever. But winning's not as easy as it looks. Not when there are some fourteenth-century sins that even a demon can’t outrun... Standalone, canon-compliant story featuring friendship and humour. Complete.

Principia Obscura by books-and-omens (T)

London is terribly dull in the summer heat, and anyone who is anyone has driven out to Lord Hartswell’s country house party. Planned are an archery competition, a boat race, even a costume ball—and in the middle of these festivities, two extraordinary gentlemen appear to be engaged in a contest of their own.

The Gleam of Gold by EdosianOrchids901 (T)

Thanks to the Victorian fascination with all things strange, Crowley is captured and put on display. Without his sunglasses, his eyes provide the main attraction of the show. Can Aziraphale find him and save him?

The After-Hours Do by haleinedelail (E)

Crowley can quite plainly see that Aziraphale has got himself into some kind of trouble, which of course, sets his teeth on edge... but the angel won't say why. All the demon knows is that it's something to do with that discreet gentleman's club in Portland Place. Something there is amiss, and it's more than just a bunch of grown men learning the Gavotte together. Crowley is mischievous but (bite your tongue!) nice, and something about that combination has never allowed him just to let it go, when Aziraphale needs help... even when Aziraphale isn't fully aware he needs help. Spying, bickering, and Victorian-ness ensue.

- Mod D

[beardedmrbean]

Police in Maryland are asking for any possible victims to come forward after a man accused his middle school teacher of sexually assaulting him multiple times in 2015.

The alleged victim claims Melissa Marie Curtis, 31, engaged in sex acts with him when he was a minor. He claims the abuse started when Curtis was 22 and he was a 14-year-old eighth grade student at Montgomery Village Middle School in Montgomery County.

Charging documents allege the abuse lasted for several months, from January to May 2015. The man says all the sex acts happened within Montgomery County, but in different locations, such as a school classroom, a movie theater, multiple homes, and Curtis’ car. He claims the two had sex more than 20 times.

Curtis turned herself in on Nov. 7 after the Montgomery County Police Department’s Special Victims Investigations Division issued an arrest warrant. She is charged with sexual abuse of a minor, as well as multiple counts of third- and fourth-degree sex offenses.

According to police, Curtis was a teacher in Montgomery County for approximately two years, working at Montgomery Village Middle School and Lakelands Park Middle School.

Jesse Weber spoke with renowned journalist and founder of the TruBlu streaming service Chris Hansen about the ongoing investigation for Law&Crime’s Sidebar podcast.

“At least anecdotally, to me, it seems like we’re seeing more survivors, victims coming forward. People are starting to feel more comfortable,” Hansen told Weber.

“It also speaks to this notion about some people saying, ‘oh, well, it’s a young adolescent boy’s dream come true to have a sexual liaison with an older woman.’ But at that age, it causes a lot of damage,” Hansen said. “And obviously, in this case, you had a boy who was 14 years old at the time of the offense, who all these years later has come forward, because it would seem to me that he’s suffering from what happened, that it impacted him in a negative way. And that’s why it’s a crime.” “If it was something that was harmless or purely sexual in nature for him, you would likely let it pass,” Hansen continued. “But he felt compelled to come forward and report a crime that happened, you know, eight, nine years ago. And this is significant because somebody in the position of trust like a teacher, should not be able to get away with this. And it’s not a harmless fantasy. It causes damage.”

Investigators believe there could be other students who were victims of Curtis. Anyone with information is asked to call 240-773-5400.

Article link

[sea-owl]

Oh no sorry not the isekai AU. The AU where due to circumstances each of the Bridgerton’s lost their loves. An example I think Daphne lost Simon because she was too late to the dual and Anthony shot him in the shoulder. Simon left the country after that. All the Bridgerton’s lost their partners in similar ways (Anthony married Edwina and Kate left to go back to India, Penelope vanished after Colin found out she was Lady Whistledown etc.). Then somehow the siblings traveled back in time to Daphne’s entrance to society. I was thinking what if instead of keeping a cool head about everything and thinking about how they are going to approach their true loves slowly instead the siblings just snap.

I'm so sorry anon but I really don't know which au this is. It sounds like a good au, but if I wrote it out I can't find it. I have the vaguest guess but im unsure if it was one of mine or someone else's, but I have the vaguest memory of an ask that included a part that said Simon gifting Daphne a piece of jewelry that was actually an heirloom passed down to all Duchesses of Hastings before he left England but she was getting married to the prince instead. Again I don't know if that one was mine or someone else's, I feel like it might be @thekatebridgerton but I'm not 100% sure.

But we can start a new one!

So let's start with the bad endings.

Saphne: For this one I'm thinking the duel happened just a bit earlier. Anthony and Benedict knew that Daphne would go to Colin to get any information so they purposely gave him the wrong time for the duel. This led to Daphne arriving after Simon losing the duel and getting shot in the shoulder. Daphne tried to chase after him but her brothers dragged her home instead. Per their agreement Simon left the country after that. Daphne did end up getting married to the prince but she was never truly happy in that marriage, she was content at best with a few moment of happiness with her children here and there. She never did fall in love with the prince, and moving so far from her family did make things harder at times but like most things in her life Daphne learned to adapt to the cards that were handed to her.

Kathony: Anthony and Kate could never let themselves stop putting duty first. Anthony could also never get over his fear of dying young. In the end Anthony had married Edwina and Kate had left back to India. During their marriage Edwina and Anthony were cordial at best but when Edwina heard of her sister leaving a part of her blamed herself and another part blamed Anthony. They both did their duty and had one son, but after that they both came to an agreement where they would find pleasure and possibly happiness outside the marriage. So long as they were discreet. Edwina had met her true love in one scholarly Mr. Bagwell who she would later remarry once she was widowed. Anthony threw himself even further into the role as the viscount, though there were times he would look while ridding to see if a familiar rider would appear out of the mist just like she did all those years ago. Kate on her side did return to India and cut contact from her family. She bounced around from governess job to governess job, keeping herself busy so she does not dwell on thoughts of the past, and people she loves but would prefer not to remember for her own emotional sake.

Benophie: The news of Sophie's arrest had been brought to Benedict's attention later that day. Had he been a little bit faster, or had the news got to him just a little bit sooner, he would have been there when Posy took the blame for the item Sophie was said to have stolen. Araminta, who was losing control over both Sophie and Posy did not like that and both ended up getting sent to Australia where they stayed after their sentence was done. While they could have gone back to England if they raised the money for it neither wanted to risk facing Araminta again. They ended up changing their names when starting over. Benedict always kept a close eye on any news of former convicts returning to England. Praying any of them will lead him back to Sophie.

Polin: Things were getting heated on both sides of Penelope's life. The hunt for Lady Whistledown continued, becoming even more intense. More guards were haunting the print shop where she used to go, and she has heard more than one whisper of spies keeping eyes out in ballrooms. Meanwhile as Penelope someone had found out about her Irish Catholic heritage from Portia's side. Prudence and Philippa were spared due to them being married already and Felicity was still young enough they could hide her away until it blew over but Penelope and Portia took the hardest blow. Despite the fact that Portia converted years ago for her survival and Penelope was never raised catholic. To be honest she should not have been that surprised when Colin finally caught her in that church, dressed as a maid. They argued, screamed at one another, which turned into a very intense kiss. After Colin said he needed to think. Penelope had thought he hated her now and surely he would turn her in? Colin legit just needed a moment to think, he was given a lot of information in one day, and he was already protective over Penelope when news other family broke out, now it was just intensified. He was going to propose marriage the next day. What Colin did not know that the column Penelope was going to send out would be her last one. She later disappeared into the night, and he spent years looking all over the world for her, chasing down any lead, not knowing that she had hidden herself away in America.

Philoise: After her conversation with Anthony, Eloise lets her fear of commitment win and decides to return to London without marrying. Phillip takes the rejection gracefully, quoting that he did invite her to see if they suit. They did not, and he was not going to push her. Eloise's heart broke, though, when the twins asked why she was leaving tears in their eyes. In London, life continued on, Eloise found things to occupy her time, movements that she wanted to help move forward, and while she enjoyed pushing for change, she still felt her life was rafher lonely. She was never truly happy in London, never was, and often found herself itching to run just like when she was younger. Then, one day, many years later, during a society event, she would rather not be at a Sir Crane was announced. Eloise was taken aback because her Sir Crane wouldn't be caught dead in London. And it wasn't her Sir Crane, rather it the son of her Sir Crane. Oliver didn't say much to Eloise but did stop by to call on her the next day. He gave her a bouquet of medow cranesbill. "A final gift from my father," Oliver told her.

Franchael: After the death of John, both Francesca and Michael had mental breakdowns. All Michael could think to do was run while Francesca dug her heels in at Kilmartin estate and kept it running. When they reunited years later, both refused to talk about John and what happened to their friendship, despite the fact that's what they needed to do. Being reunited, Francesca became aware of this sexual tension that has been simmering between her and Michael. Still upset that her husband and unborn child were taken from her, she found herself wanting to walk down a wicked path. Well widows are more ignored by society so why doesn't she have some fun? She falls into bed with Michael. They still don't talk. Not only is Francesca discovering her physical intrest in Michael but some feelings she rather ignore are emerging too. They still don't talk. Francesca discovers that Michael has malaria and has attacks from it every so often. They still won't talk. One of these attacks ends up taking Michael's life and Francesca ends up right back where she was all those years ago. The man she loves is dead and she's pregnant. Only this time Francesca has to hide away, but her baby makes it. Thanks to Janet and Helen they organize papers so the boy is considered legitimate and the new earl of Kilmartin. Francesca loves her son sometimes she wishes his father were there so she could tell him she loved him too.

All the siblings have regrets in their lives by the time they pass on. None of them ever really found that love match Violet used to describe what she had with Edmund. Oh, they had their great loves, despite how fleeting they were. Some did marry, some chose to remain unwed. But none of them expected to wake up on their past selves bodies. After poking around they discovered the year is 1813, Daphne is in her on third year in the marriage mart and the Duke of Hastings has just passed, leaving his title to his only son.

Several thoughts hit at once.

Simon was due to return to England soon. Kate would follow a year later. Sophie was currently trapped with Araminta. Penelope was debuting this year. Phillip was currently at Cambridge. Michael was in the army.

Their loves were so close. They lost them once but never again.

[rekino2114]

can I ask sdra2 with reader that got cheated/ or almost died by their ex

Sdra2 girls with a reader that was abused by their ex

A/n:I kinda decided to go with a mix of the two ideas you gave me

Sora

(Credit to @omori-kunster for this amazing sora banner my weird brain got bothered that she doesn't have an introduction like everyone else so I decided to use this, please let me know if you're ok with me using it)

Sora probably picked up on some habits of yours that suggested you had a troubled past with relationship, and wanting you to trust her completely asked you about it.

She was flabbergasted when you told her that your ex abused you, why would they do that to such a kind and sweet person?

If she meets your ex she will just glare at incredibly hard while mentally spouting out all of the possible insults she can think of.

"Don't worry y/n, I won't treat you like that. I love only you, and nothing will make me stop"

Kokoro mitsume

She already knew about it very early in your relationship, but she didn't want to confront you about it because she wanted you to be the one to bring it up whenever you felt ready.

She's probably one of the best people you could tell. She's a psychologist, so she probably knows how to handle similar situations. She'll make sure to show you her love more directly after that conversation to show you that she's not like your ex.

She asks you to ignore your ex if you ever meet them again. They don't deserve your time, plus engaging in conversations with them might trigger you.

"I'm very proud of you for telling me this y/n. You are very brave to open up, and I'm glad you trust me enough to do so"

Emma magorobi

Even with her acting skills, she couldn't hide how heartbroken, surprised, and pissed off she was at hearing your story, she just couldn't believe someone could do this to you.

She decided to share a bit of her traumatic past with you too, if you trusted her that much, then she should do the same.

This is one of the few times she thinks about using her influence for something like this. She'll accuse your ex of everything you told her they did on social media, hoping to get them arrested.

"I am so sorry for what happened, my love, but on the bright side, now we know we can trust each other even more"

Setsuka chiebukuro

She probably noticed when you flinched while she was hugging you, she loves being physically affectionate but she wants you to be comfortably with it first, she will sit you down and try to ask you what was wrong.

She was just so shocked that something like that happened to you, she knows people like that exist but she didn't expect you to be a victim of that. She will remind you of her love daily and will make sure to show you that she is much much better than your ex.

She might try to find out who your ex is if you don't feel like telling her, if to just satisfy her curiosity. But if you ever meet them again she will turn your head the other direction while hugging you and shooting them a death glare.

"Don't worry now. Big sis has got you, no one will hurt you again while she's with you. I love you more than you could ever imagine. Don't forget that, ok baby?"

Hibiki otonokoji

Hibiki doesn't have much experience with love so she probably didn't notice anything particularly weird about your behavior, she just thought you were shy and didn't like physical affection and it was fine with her.

When you told her that you were actually abused by your ex, she just started crying and hugging you. She blames herself for not noticing earlier, but from now on, she makes sure everyone treats you nicely, even by yelling at them if they do anything to trigger you.

She could not contain her rage if she saw your ex around. She would just scream and yell at them until she had no voice left in her, and thanks to her vocal training that's a lot of time. (She considered beating them up too but then realized she's too weak)

"I'm so sorry for not noticing earlier y/n but don't worry I will make sure no one treats you like that again you only deserve the best"

Kanade otonokoji

Your ex is so dead. As soon as she learned you had an ex, she was already planning to kill them just to make sure they didn't bother your relationship, but when she learned they actually abused you,her plans got way way more brutal.

Of course she will make sure you feel loved and protected, she'll make everything she can to make you trust her, she'd never hurt you after all, but with the people who harm you it's another story.

You'll never see your ex again because conveniently, shortly after telling kanade about them, they disappeared mysteriously, while it was a surprise it definitely wasn't an unwelcome one.

"Darling, don't worry about your ex anymore, ok? I promise they'll never hurt you again as will no one else I'll make sure of that my love"

Iroha nijiue

Iroha isn't the smartest so she'll probably mistake some of your gestures as shyness or simply inexperience like hibiki.

She cried too when she heard your experiences, she blamed herself even If she didn't do anything, you ended up being the one to comfort her but she makes sure to show you her love too especially by hugging you a lot.

She's way too shy and scared to do anything if she ever meets your ex so she will just ask you to go to another place.

"I-i'm sorry for what you've been through y/n *sniffle* I really am. B-but if it makes you feel better I love you and will never treat you like that"

Yoruko kabuya

Yoruko is pretty observant, so even if not immediately, she noticed the signs but didn't wanna be too forward so she waited for you to be ready to tell her, dropping hints that she was fine with whatever happened in your past along the way.

While she expected it to be something like this, she was still surprised at the sheer amount of abuse you went trough, she will try to comfort you the best she can and will try to be a little less tsundere and show you her love more directly.

She really doesn't want you to meet your ex again to keep you safe so if she ever sees them she will guide you away and start berating them with insults and threats.

"I feel really sorry for you y/n but at least you have me now, you're safe with me...and loved"

[adventuringblind]

Drive With You Forever

Chapter Three: showing you me

Summary: The reader has been used by her father for many things, resulting in some interesting quirks. When her father ends up under house arrest, she finds herself tangled in a world of fast cars, love, and inhuman abilities.

Chapter summary: Max and our clueless reader finally explore their feelings for each other.

Warnings: Jos Verstappen, mild age gap if you squint, Max and Reader have no idea what they are doing

Notes: I bad so much fun writing this chapter! I promise that next chapter, we get to see Charles.

Previous <-

Masterlist

It was an odd feeling to be on the cusp of stepping into adulthood. Seb had said that they would take things slow. He wouldn't just shove her into responsibilities she either didn't understand or didn't know about.

He'd also said countless times over the year that her feelings towards Max are completely normal. Even going as far as to reassure her that is she shows him her powers that it's up to her.

The voice in the back of her head kept saying no. The fear of him being terrified of her stopping her from telling him.

Max had figured she wanted to tell him something. He'd caught on after she litterally choked on her words. But he didn't want to push her. She'd opened up to him about some of the things she'd lived through and seen. It made sense that she may not want to talk about it.

It didn't alter their friendship. He still went to her on good days and bad days. They practically read each other like open books now.

Max had convinced her to let him plan something for her birthday. Small and comfortable, of course. She agreed hesitantly.

He'd flown to Germany to see her. The off weekend falling on her birthday is incredibly helpful.

He was greeted by Seb at the door when he arrived. He'd talked about this for months. Seb was pratically giggling at him, and Hanna had just shook her head in exasperation but smiled nonetheless.

Seb had also been talking to the now adult, but still little girl in his eyes, about the possibility of letting Max in.

She was absolutely terrified about it but wanted to show him. She had told herself she'd do it soon. Now was probably the best chance she would have.

Max drove them up to a field. One shed been to plenty of times with Seb. She used it as her safe place when things got overwhelming. It was open, and there always seemed to be a breeze.

It was sunset now. Her nerves settled in her stomach as soon as she woke up this morning. She'd been careful not to let vision in since Max convinced her. She wanted to let him surprise her. However, that also meant she had no clue how he might react to her.

Max parked the car and dragged her further up the hill. Laughing as she just let him. He had his backpack slung over his shoulder and a Box in his hands.

When he found a spot on the other side, he pulled off his backpack and unzipped it. He pulls out a blanket and makes quick work spreading it out for them to sit on.

He pulls her down onto it. Her body practically collapsed at the unexpected force.

The sun was filled with the beautiful hues of the fall sky. Oranges and reds line the sky in a gradient. The warmth settled on their faces and the breeze ruffling through their hair.

It was perfect.

"Happy birthday." Says Max., pulling her body closer to his. He hands the box over to her.

She opens up the cardboard to reveal a notebook. Similar to the one she used to communicate when they first met. This one, though, was filled with Max's writing. Pictures, notes, ticket stubs, and poorly written poetry littered every page.

"I won't lie, I definitely had help from Victoria... and possibly Daniel." He admits. His hand reaches for the back of his neck.

She loses her words. Three years' worth of memories in one book. The emotions overwhelm her. So she does the only thing that might be able to express her thanks. She kisses his cheek.

She's done it before. Quick and sweet. Something Max got addicted to faster than he would have liked.

He can feel the fear rise back into her for a moment. The way her body seems to barely shake and the slight change in her breathing.

"I want to show you something." She not looking at him. For a moment, his mind goes to every terrible possibility. "Dobyou trust me?"

"Always."

She pulls out her pocket knife. The same one everyone had tried to keep away from her. She always seemed to get it back somehow.

She rolls up her sleeve and drags the edge along her forearm. Small beads of crimson form along the thin line. The action leaves Max confused and concerned.

Then, she focuses. Her other hand manipulates the wound. Weaving the skin back together. The energy is warm as iflt flows through her. Sweet beading at the top of her head from the power she's exerting.

Then it's gone. The only proof it had been there was a faint line and dried blood.

Max is speechless. Completely and utterly stunned. His mouth had fallen open when she pulled out the knife, and it stayed like that as she looked at him for some kind of response.

It was weird, he didn't understand it, but god did he find cool.So he did something stupid in return.

"Do you trust me?" It was his turn to ask. He was grinning because he'd been wanting to do this for awhile now.

She nodded her head. Curiosity takes hold of her.

Max takes her face gently in his hands. Her eyes are swimming with confusion as he inches closer and rest his forehead against hers.

She'd seen this in some movies. But this felt much different compared to just watching it.

Then his lips are on hers. The feeling is different than cheek kisses or forehead kisses. This was derived from a deep set of emotions she'd yet to explore.

It was good. Great, even. She had no clue what she was doing, so she let Max guide them through it.

He pulled her closer. Never wanting to let go.

But air is an unfortunate necessity.

He pulled away, eyes her wet lips, searching her eyes for some hint that she liked it. Nerves building the more she stayed silent.

"Pleade say something." He pleaded.

"I think I can get used to that." She laughed.

~

Max had asked her questions for days. He even ended up staying in Germany for longer then he expected.

Seb kept laughing at them. Max would ask, she would answer and show him, then roll her eyes. Seb reminded her that it was new and exciting to see something like this. She was just glad that he liked it and wasn't screaming in terror when she fixed the toaster with no tools.

It didn’t take long for the paddock to figure it out. Max had come into the Redbull hospitality practically beaming. Daniel didn’t even need to interrogate him.

They kept away from the public eye for now. She was still wary of people and nervous her father could come back at any second.

Max's dad was on another level of annoying after he found out. Seb had to step in multiple times because it was one thing to defend Max, defending herself felt entirely different.

Seb basically adopts Max after getting fed up with Jos. It didn't matter what place he came in, Seb was there and congratulating or consoling. He made sure to show Jos what parenting should look like.

Max and her didn't fight often. More like arguments about small things that were just a matter of communication. It took Christian and Seb to get them through the first few.

It was nice knowing they weren't alone and had people they trusted to go to. Something neither had grown up with.

They’re creating their own little family.

~

Next ->

Tags: @styles-sunflower @purplephantomwolf @boiohboii @reblog-princess-blog @jjsprobablywrong @Ipab @jayda12 (comment if you want to be added)

[heartfeltwarmth]

𝑶𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒅𝒆 - 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

After surviving the battle with the last Supreme Guardian, Cocolia Rand, most people would have expected the crew of the Astral Express to be in high spirits. While some amount of joy and relief were evident on their faces, Dan Heng could not help but notice the way Stelle’s usual small smile would falter at times when she thought no one was looking.

“This is a lot to ask of you but you and the Astral Express Crew are the only ones I can trust with this.” Stomach dropping, Dan Heng barely had time to brace himself for Stelle’s request.

Read the rest on AO3 or continue down below :3 (3,372 words)

━━━━━━☆━━━━━━

written for alteanroyals. Fun Fact: When Stelle got impaled by Cocolia’s lance, Dan Heng was the first to gasp and rush closest to where she might have fallen. Bf behavior.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! Our children can now finally see the sky!”

“We owe you so much for reuniting our families…!”

More people crowded in the streets of Belobog with loud and happy chatter. In the center of it all, the young and newly coronated Madam Guardian smiled at the now warmly welcomed outsiders. As a young child, she had always dreamed of such an occasion, not the coronation, but rather being able to see the people of Belobog together as one.

With regal steps, Bronya stepped down from the makeshift platform standing in the middle of the Administrative District and made her way to March 7th, Dan Heng, and Stelle. She put a gentle hand on March’s shoulder and nodded at everyone. “You must all be exhausted. The festivities can continue tomorrow but for now, let us all rest.”

That’s when March gave a nervous chuckle. “Is it possible that we can– uh– change hotels or…” She tried to smile harder to make up for any wordless complaint Dan Heng made as he sighed exasperatedly.

“We’re no longer wanted criminals, thankfully, but…” He glanced at Bronya who began to press her lips into a sheepish grin as well, most likely remembering the morning she was ordered to arrest the trio. “I understand March’s concern. I hate to inconvenience you at such a busy time right after your coronation, but is there a different place we can stay for the night?”

Bronya closed her eyes in thought, placing a hand under her chin. “I’m sure arrangements can be swiftly made if we decide upon something… Ah!” The young lady gestured for the three to follow her and soon the crowd behind them dissipated with their last words of heartfelt gratitude.

To the Astral Express Crew’s surprise, they found themselves walking up the stairs that led to Qlipoth Fort. Stelle was the first one to pipe up about this. “Are you sure it’s alright to stay in such an important place?”

At this, Bronya let out a small but comforting laugh. “I am simply inviting distinguished guests to my humble home. Also you three now know all of the Supreme Guardian's deepest secrets, not to mention you are the ones who helped prevent the great calamity the past Guardians worked tirelessly to get rid of. I am sure there is nothing you will find in there that I would want to prevent you from knowing.”

March’s eyes lit up. “So this is going to be even more luxurious than the VIP rooms in Goethe Hotel?! Yes!!!” She pumped her fists up in the air excitedly, earning herself a chuckle or two from just her contagious excitement. “Time to sleep away these eye bags! Dan Heng, you should try doing that too.”

Eyebrows furrowing, Dan Heng gave March a side-eye. “I do not have eye bags.”

“Dark circles, my bad. I could hardly tell the differences between the two when I look at your face.”

“Hey–!”

“Alright now…!” Stelle put both hands behind March and started to lightly nudge her in the direction Bronya was going as she smiled at Dan Heng seemingly in effort to cut between the two before another squabble broke out. “I think this is where we will be parting ways?”

Bronya nodded. “I will have someone take you to your room Dan Heng. I’m sorry ladies. You’ll have to share a room. As grand as Qlipoth Fort is, we are still limited in guest rooms.”

“It’s fine! We’re grateful either way, Bronya. Thank you.” Stelle thanked her, ignoring March’s pout for now, before Bronya waved goodbye at them to retire to her own bedroom for the evening.

“Hmph.” March crossed her arms and frowned at Stelle as they stood in front of the door of the hallway where their room would be located. “You always take Dan Heng’s side and defend him!” She complained before Stelle could even open the door.

Unfortunately instead of feeling guilty as March would have liked her new friend to feel a prick of, Stelle just giggled at how adorable the pink-haired girl was all worked up. It was a bit hard not to spoil her. “I do not. You’re mistaken.”

“Am not! You even tried to offer to keep watch last time when he was the one who suggested it in the first place Stelle! Tell me how that’s not always siding with him!” Try as she might, Stelle’s gentle pats on the girl’s back did nothing much to quell her accusations which Stelle predicted March would forget as soon as she laid her eyes on a comfortable bed.

From a short distance, Dan Heng could hear Stelle make a promise to March to make it up to her somehow which made him sigh. Seriously, that girl was always biting off more things than she can chew. Though…..somehow she still does. Still, too much of anything can be a bad thing. Dan Heng just wished that everyone could keep that in mind, especially Stelle after what he had observed of her so far.

Then Dan Heng picked up the sound of March hollering in success, happy that she was going to receive some special treatment from Stelle tomorrow which she thought she greatly deserved. It made the young man want to roll his eyes. But as he was about to turn and leave to follow a guard that just walked up to him, the look on Stelle’s face made his steps falter.

She looked… upset?

━━━━━━☆━━━━━━

It had been ten minutes since Dan Heng laid himself down on his bed after taking a long-awaited bath. But even the serenity of Qlipoth Fort did little to quiet down the tumultuous thoughts in his mind, the image of Stelle’s void expression replaying over and over.

Granted, Stelle on many occasions had a more or less neutral look on her face but it never meant she was devoid of emotion either.

Everyone around her had easily accepted that it was just her natural resting face, an expression that often hid another layer of emotion. There were just enough times where Dan Heng caught a slight twinkle of amusement in her eyes whenever Pom-Pom spoke animatedly with her. He was so, so sure that Stelle wasn’t the type to suppress her emotions given that she would make her little funny quips here and there, some humorous enough that even he at times found himself needing to fight the feeling of the corners of his mouth threatening to lift.

Could he be wrong?

Unable to find sleep, Dan Heng reluctantly got up and put on his coat without all his usual important ornaments.

He was just going to go on a quick stroll to clear his head and come straight back to his room afterwards.

━━━━━━☆━━━━━━

Whether or not the Eternal Freeze had taken over Jarilo-VI, it was still a beautiful planet. From beyond the frosted glass panes that lined the corridor Stelle was treading through, a beautiful moon lit the white snow, the outdoor heaters glowing like festival lanterns in the streets. After the Stellaron had been contained, it seemed that the cold let up even if just a little. The usual storm-covered skies of the night was clear that night for the first time in a long while.

All was quiet and ethereal, nothing like Stelle had ever seen, which made her chest tighten even more at the question of why Cocolia would ever want to trade this world for another. Stelle let her mind wander further as she stopped at the window, wondering what it would have been like to grow up in Belobog. She wondered…whether or not she had a childhood she could even remember.

Remembering Cocolia’s final moments, a hand found its way onto her chest, over where the Stellaron was placed inside her.

The voices that had plagued Cocolia’s mind… Stelle could no longer hear them, nor did she dream of them. Even so, the ashen-haired girl had found herself waking up with a trembling gasp next to a sound asleep March 7th. There were no other voices that woke her so Stelle concluded that it must have been a dream she had forgotten the moment she woke up.

“What if it was something I should remember?” Her own voice echoed in her head with hesitant inquiry. Then her mind alerted her to an incoming presence from behind her. The sensation was soon followed by the sound of a very quiet inhale. “Dan Heng?” For some reason– It looked as if he was more surprised to see her than she was to see him. Her surprise was quickly overcome with familiarity. She offered him a slight grin. “Taking a midnight stroll?”

It took Dan Heng an extra moment before he could find the words to speak. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw a few seconds as he walked down the carpeted hall. Stelle, standing before him bathed under the light of the moon. His breath caught in his throat. They were both much more simply dressed than usual, both in sleepwear and a jacket to wrap around them. But for the first time, he had to dwell in confusion on why having his guard thrown off like this didn’t alarm him as much as it usually did. It was just Stelle. Why was he being so affected right now? Right! Words– Uh–

“Just a short one.” Was his equally short reply. There was a mutual understanding that sleep had escaped them tonight.

Stelle nodded in understanding. “Me too. I thought looking at the scenery might help.” Her head turned from him and back to the scenery. As Dan Heng walked over to where he was, Stelle slightly turned her body to the side to make room for him to share the picturesque night. “Maybe you could take a picture of this for the data bank.” She smiled at him. “Belobog at different times of the day. What do you think?”

It wasn’t a bad idea in the slightest so Dan Heng gave her a slow nod. “I don’t see why not. But I didn’t bring my phone with me.”

“Oh– Ah. I didn’t think to bring mine either.”

Dan Heng shrugged with his shoulders crossed. “March is better at this sort of thing. You can pester her about it some other time.”

To his surprise, Stelle let out a small laugh. “Wow, don’t you two get along great.”

The harmless comment made the young man narrow his eyes. “If by get along you mean to annoy each other to death, then by that definition you are 100% correct.” This earned him another laugh, one that Stelle tried to stifle but could not do so entirely.

“A friendship that transcends even death, huh? How sweet.”

Then for a second, Dan Heng recalled a gray sky, the feeling of mind-blanking horror as he watched a lance plunge deep into their comrade's body. Everyone’s blood went cold at that moment even without all the ice and snow. It was a near-death experience that almost took away the latest addition to the Astral Express before anyone could get a chance to really get to know her, including Stelle herself.

Feeling obliged to ask, even more so after seeing the face she made before they went to their seperate rooms earlier, Dan Heng cleared his throat after a moment of silence. He had to force the words lodged in his throat when Stelle gave him a slightly concerned look. Seriously, wasn’t he supposed to be the one who was concerned here? “Did you really come out here to just admire the scenery?”

As Stelle went quiet, Dan Heng bit the inside of his cheek. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked, after all they’ve only had known each other for a short while. It was one thing to trust your life to someone on the battlefield, Stelle being a person anyone with a good head on their shoulders would give that trust to.

It was another thing entirely to trust someone with the life that you’re living, the experiences encompassing all the fragments and knots of one's thoughts and emotions. Even Dan Heng knew that he had never entrusted anyone with his life in that way before, leading him to think he was most likely being invasive right now. But in his case, Dan Heng had come to an understanding, a long, long time ago, that his past was a burden that he alone should shoulder. He didn't know what Stelle wanted to do with her burden but he certainly wasn't going to pry for an answer.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” He added, murmuring the last few words as he craned his neck away with regret. “I can leave you alone–”

“It’s alright! You don’t have to go…”

Dan Heng’s eyes widened.

Stelle fought to keep a stammer from overtaking her speech. “I really don’t mind the company, in fact I appreciate you asking.” Dan Heng’s body relaxed but in his mind– He couldn’t quite understand why he was feeling slightly light-headed after Stelle stopped him from leaving. “I just wasn’t sure how to tell you in a way that wouldn’t burden you too much. A lot has happened in a short amount of time and I’m sure you’re just as exhausted as the rest of us.”

Dan Heng frowned. “Burden me how?” He was determined to hear how Stelle came to such a conclusion. If anyone had implanted this useless idea into her head…

It was Stelle’s turn to look away, every small movement she made cast a glow from reflecting the moon’s beams. “I have so many questions and well– Since you’re in charge of the data bank…”

Nodding, Dan Heng motioned her to continue.

“I wanted to ask you more about Stellarons but from what I heard from Himeko and Mr. Yang….”

The Stellarons remained to be enigmas. Any information that one could get their hands on about these seeds of destruction, the data bank had already indexed them including the events which transpired after Stelle appeared out of nowhere. The IPC also called them the Cancer of All Worlds, a title that certainly brought about worry to all those who heard it. The gears in Dan Heng’s mind began to click. “Are you afraid… of the Stellaron?”

Unflinchingly, Stelle looked into his eyes and in them, Dan Heng found desperation.

“I don’t…”

She began to slightly tremble.

“I don’t want to end up like her…”

Dan Heng moved closer, cautiously. “Like Cocolia?”

Stelle nodded, her head dipping down seemingly in shame. Her fingers twitched as if they wanted to move across her body and clutch herself, to hold herself from spilling any more than she already had but it was too late. Even in this moment, Dan Heng could see with clear evidence that Stelle was still trying to be brave… yet she was failing. “If… If the Stellaron…” Stelle took a deep breath and tried again.

“This is a lot to ask of you but you and the Astral Express Crew are the only ones I can trust with this.”

Stomach dropping, Dan Heng barely had time to brace himself for Stelle’s request.

“If one day I can’t resist the call of the Stellaron, you have to stop me by any means necessary.”

“A–” The nauseating expression on Dan Heng’s face made Stelle retreat a little. “Any… means…. Necessa- No. Stelle.” His usual reserved nature was nowhere to be found as he frantically caught Stelle by the shoulder. “That will never happen. You are different from Cocolia. You even now walk on the path of Preservation that she failed to as a leader of Belobog, you two can not be any more different.”

As Dan Heng’s words reverberated in Stelle’s mind, she failed to notice the way how both of his hands now held her firmly by the sides of her upper arms as he tried to do everything he could to turn her away from making a final decision once and for all. “But the most important thing is for everyone to be safe.” She tried to explain her reasoning.

Sighing heavily, Dan Heng turned his head away before looking back at Stelle. “I’m the guardian of the Express. It should be me keeping everyone safe, including you. You've already tried sacrificing yourself once.” He then felt a gentle press on the back of his hand where he found Stelle’s fingers lightly touching the hand he had around her arm.

Shoot– When did he start grabbing her like this?? He was ready to admit his wrongdoings and pull away to apologize before Stelle clasped his hand tighter in her own.

Dan Heng’s heart stopped.

“....Stelle?”

“Thank you.” The ashen-haired girl smiled and it was so warm, akin to the golden sun like the ones in her eyes, radiant beams of light to bask under if you ever fell under her gaze. “Thank you so much, Dan Heng. I honestly can’t put into words how grateful I am to you and the crew.” Like her smile, her hand felt warm too but in the way Dan Heng could feel it in his chest even though there was still space between them.

The Eternal Freeze could have gone on for another 700 years and Dan Heng would still have never felt as warm as he did in this moment than he had in his whole entire life.

“You say all of this as if you’ve not done anything for us either.” He found his voice growing more gentle as did his facial features. What was she being so grateful for? Maybe she's just this type of person. “If we continue to keep records of who owes whom what, we’d have an archive larger than the Express itself so forget about it Stelle.”

Her soft giggle in response tickled in his ears like a dancing summer breeze and he felt his hand under hers grow hot. It didn’t seem like she wanted to let go just yet so he didn't move away. In all seriousness, Dan Heng had meant every word he had said but even as she laughed, he had to admit to himself that he didn’t feel the need to correct her. Laughter suited her. “I’ll do more research and share with you any findings we come across. And you win…” Dan Heng sighed as if to prepare himself. He couldn't believe he was deliberately choosing the next words that were going to come out of his mouth. “As cheesy as it is to say this, I need you to understand that we’re a team.”

“Roger that, Master Dan Heng.” Came the witty reply but Dan Heng could tell from Stelle’s smile that the intent behind her reply was just as every bit genuine as his statement to her.

Dan Heng sighed again, but this time with exasperation mixed with a bit of relief as he finally let her go. “At least you didn’t call me–”

“Cold Dragon Young? I put that as your contact name on my phone!”

“You what?”

“You’re really garnering up a solid fan base here, y’know?” A glimmer of amusement appeared in her eyes and Dan Heng instinctively facepalmed.

“Please stop.”

“I also wired you the money I got from selling your picture. Keep up the good work, Dan Heng!”

A blush crept up from his neck, also slightly dusting the edges of his ears. “You really didn’t have to. I’d rather you keep it so I can forget that ever happened. It’s beyond embarrassing.”

Stelle hummed as she tapped her chin to think. “Well, perhaps I should just use the credits to treat you and March to something? Let’s do that tomorrow, how about that?”

Even if Stelle had offered to take only him along, Dan Heng felt like he would have still agreed and somehow that revelation... bothered him quite a bit. Not that he’d ever reveal this thought to anyone. He had to first make sure he didn't catch a fever from being in the Belobog cold for so long.

“That sounds fine.”

━━━━━━☆━━━━━━

“Yaaawn… Where were you last nigh– Hey, why’re you turning so red??”