#second will show up in a matter of... something

[ourdawnishotterthanourday]

Forest Adventures: Exploring New Boundaries [M] — Kim Mingyu

✧ Because who said camping couldn’t be fun?✧

A camping trip is the last thing on your mind when your husband suggests taking you away for the weekend. But when you suddenly find yourself standing in the middle of the forest, it becomes clear that this is Mingyu’s way of cashing in the bet you made. Just one problem – you absolutely hate camping. So, now it is up to Mingyu to show you just how much fun camping with him can be.

✧ Genre: domestic AU; camping AU; SMUT [18+], fluff, established relationship ♥ Pairing: chubby female!reader x husband!mingyu ✧ Word count: 22.7k+ ✦ Warnings: reader is plus-size with big boobs and a big ass!, ass-man!mingyu, sweet hubsand!mingyu, mention of bugs, reader is terrified of bugs/insects/spiders/etc. (i.e. entomophobia), mentions of alcohol/drinking — pls let me know if I missed any :) ✎ Notes: 1) nsfw warnings under the cut! 2) this is a continuation of my other fic, A (W)Hole New Experience, but you can read this as a stand-alone too :) 3) and yes, I totally wrote this because I hate camping myself and thought it would be fun to write about hehe – and because I love a good outdoor fic *cough ‘F*ck My Thighs’* 4) also, the itinerary is at the end of the fic in case you're curious!! ♕ Shout out: special thanks to bestie @forsythe-lll for always supporting my crazy ideas!! and ofc @wonustars for being my nr1 hype-woman for this fic 🤭 also thank you to @gyuswhore and @cheolism for beta-reading this thing for me ^^ and lastly, thank you to the members of @svthub for helping me brainstorm some ideas for this fic 💜 couldn’t have done it without all of these wonderful people!

♡ REBLOGGING AND/OR FEEDBACK WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED — DON'T BE A STRANGER PLS ♡

nsfw warnings: big dick!mingyu, soft dom!mingyu, outdoor/public sex, mentions of anal, skinny dipping, spanking, dick sucking, fingering, raw sex (reader is on birth control), squirting, overstimulation, light choking, light food play (pls let me know if I missed any!)

“Let’s have a ramyeon cook-off.”

The words had left your mouth before you could even properly think it through – courtesy of host Yumi and her endless wine refills that you couldn’t seem to escape from. Not that you wanted to, though. It was the expensive kind of wine that left you with a relaxed and cozy feeling after every sip, something you welcomed after a rather stressful and hectic workweek. However, it also made you a little more impulsive than you normally were, hence your response to your husband’s claim that his ramyeon was the best.

“A cook-off? With me? Right now?” Mingyu asked with a raise of his brow, almost as if he was trying to assess whether you’d been serious.

You grinned and leaned back in your seat, fully aware that everyone in the room had stopped whatever they were doing to hear what you had to say.

“Yes. Unless you’re scared to lose.”

“Scared? No way.” Your husband snorted before a mischievous look took over his features. “Bring it on, baby.”

For a split second, the rational voice in the back of your mind tried to remind you of who you were going up against – aka your husband, the person who cooked most of your meals, the person whose cooking skills were out of this world.

The sudden realization caused a tinge of regret to wash over you, but it was already too late to back out.Because Jeonghan, who’d watched the entire thing unfold, saw his chance and took it before you could try to play it off as a joke.

“I hear you two are in need of a kitchen.”

The older man was quick to jump up from his seat to get himself involved in the matter. It was no surprise, really. He loved chaos, drama, and competitions, so a cook-off starring two of his good friends was a perfect combination of everything.

Mingyu nodded, the corners of his mouth slowly forming into a cocky grin that was meant for you. “You heard it right, Hyung. My wife here thinks she can make better ramyeon than me.”

“I don’t only think I can, I know I can,” you retorted as you imagined how satisfying it would be to wipe that damn smirk off his face.

“Ooh damn, Mingyu. You better watch your back,” Sora giggled from beside you, which earned her a playful glare from the man in question.

“I’m not one to back down from a challenge, especially not when my wife is the one challenging me,” he stated, after which he threw a wink in your direction.

The audacity of this man.

Jeonghan smiled triumphantly and clapped his hands. “Great! Then that’s settled. We’ll have a cook-off.”

Yumi, who was just as excited about the prospect of an impromptu contest as her husband, practically sprinted out of the room while yelling, “I’ll go prepare the stuff!”

No one in the room was even slightly fazed by the woman’s sudden outburst. If you’d learned anything about Yumi, it was that she tended to get super excited about things, which – in combination with a little bit of alcohol – usually resulted in her yelling and jumping all over the place. You were just glad Seokmin and Soonyoung weren’t here to egg her on, because you couldn’t afford any distractions right now.

You needed to win this thing and prove your husband wrong once and for all.

“What about the stakes?”

Everyone turned their attention to Wonwoo, who’d been observing the whole thing quietly while sipping his beer. The man had a point though. What was a contest without a reward?

“Right! That’s the best part,” Sora agreed with her husband.

“Good point. Can’t forget about that now, can we?” Jeonghan teased as he turned back to you and Mingyu, a devilish smirk replacing the grin that had been there just a few seconds ago.

“Well? What’s it going to be?” Sora asked impatiently when neither you nor Mingyu spoke up.

“Yeah, baby. What’s it going to be?” your husband taunted with a raise of his brows.

“The loser grants the winner a wish.”

That pulled a chuckle from Mingyu, who was sitting across from you.

“You sure about that? You know you’re gonna lose right? Might want to choose carefully.”

It took everything in you to remain calm and keep a straight face upon hearing those words, but you managed to catch yourself just in time. The last thing you wanted to do was give Mingyu the satisfaction of seeing the effect his words had on you. He was not getting you today.

Instead, you forced a sweet, narrow-eyed smile as you spoke. “Has no one ever told you that bragging results in bad luck? Might want to think twice before you start acting all cocky.”

“Now where’s the fun in that? Besides, you’re hot when you get all worked up.” Mingyu smirked as he leaned closer, your faces only inches apart.

“You’re insufferable, Kim Mingyu!” you huffed before starting to rise from your seat to avoid his heated gaze. Unfortunately, he anticipated your move and pulled you down into his lap before you could voice your disapproval.

“Am I? You screaming my name every night seems to imply something else though,” he mumbled into your ear as he snaked his arms around your waist.

“Yah!” you hissed, feeling both embarrassed and frustrated with Mingyu for revealing such an intimate detail in a room full of your close friends. However, you couldn’t stop your thighs from clenching ever so slightly, something which your ever-observant husband didn’t fail to miss.

“What was that, baby?” he mused, lowering one of his hands to teasingly squeeze the flesh of your denim-clad thigh with his large hand.

Just as you were about to open your mouth, the feeling of something hitting the side of your head interrupted your train of thought.

“Hyung!”

“Ow!” you exclaimed, turning your head to see Jeonghan holding a rolled-up newspaper in his right hand, a murderous expression adorning his face.

“Serves you right! No one wants to see you two tango on my couch!”

“It’s just a little warm-up,” Mingyu grumbled as he let you get up. He followed shortly after.

Sora, who was watching the scene with an amused expression, met your gaze and gave you a thumbs up – her way of letting you know that she’d definitely witnessed the little moment between you and your husband. You just shook your head at her, already knowing that you’d be hearing about it during your next girl’s night.

“Are we doing this thing or not?” Jeonghan’s voice sounded, pulling your attention back to the matter at hand. The cook-off.

“Yes,” you and Mingyu responded in unison.

“Then shake on it and let’s go. We don’t have all night and I’m hungry.” Jeonghan looked at the two of you expectantly.

“Mrs. Kim.” Your husband held out his hand.

“Mr. Kim,” you responded, your eyes locking with his dark brown ones as you shook his hand to seal the deal.

With all the formalities finally out of the way, Jeonghan practically pushed the two of you toward the Yoon family’s spacious kitchen, where Yumi had set up a variety of ingredients, pots, pans, and kitchen utensils for you to use.

As the remaining part of your friends piled into the space to watch the spectacle, Mingyu took that opportunity to steal your attention.

“You really think you can beat me, baby?”

You rolled your eyes in response. “Not this again. I can and I will, Gyu.”

“Getting a little too confident, I see,” he snickered, which earned him a glare in return.

“Look who’s talking, Mr. Bragger.”

“At least I brag and win.”

“You w—”

“Alright! You ready?” Jeonghan interrupted your little squabble before it could take off, and it was probably for the best. You knew your husband well enough to know that this was his way of trying to rile you up in the hope you’d get distracted and start making mistakes. It might have worked before, but you weren’t about to let him get his way today.

“Let’s do this,” you said and gave your husband one final look before taking your place behind the enormous kitchen island.

Thirty minutes later you watched anxiously as Jeonghan collected everyone’s votes.

You’d opted for a rabokki-style dish, which was a mix of Shin ramyun noodles with rice cakes coated in a sweet and spicy sauce, complemented with sausages, fishcakes, and mozzarella cheese to top it off. Mingyu, on the contrary, had gone for a much more simplistic version – Shin ramyun, an egg, mozzarella cheese on top, and some toasted seaweed on the side.

Initially, you’d wanted to go for something basic as well, but then you’d thought about it and decided that with competition as tough as Mingyu, you needed to come up with something fancy if you wanted to have a chance at winning this. But now, as you watched Jeonghan collect the last vote – Wonwoo’s to be precise – you suddenly weren’t so sure if you’d made the right choice.

“Let’s announce the winner!” Yumi jumped excitedly before trying to pull the glass jar from her husband’s hands.

“Careful, honey,” Jeonghan scolded playfully, though he did nothing to stop her from taking the jar.

In the meantime, Mingyu had latched himself onto your side, one of his hands going to your ass as usual.

“Get ready to lose, baby,” he whispered before gently patting your soft buttock.

Your jaw clenched at his taunt, already feeling more than a little annoyed with the man’s overconfidence – it was a trait in your husband you both loved and hated at the same time. At the moment, however, it definitely made him look like a cocky little shit.

“Don’t test me, Gyu.”

You knew he was dying to say something else to get on your nerves, but fortunately, Yumi had just pulled the first piece of paper to call out the first vote.

“Attention everyone! So, the first vote I have here goes to…” te both of you for a second. “Mingyu!”

Your mood instantly soured at that revelation. Of course the first vote had to go to him.

“What was that again, baby?” Your husband squeezed your ass gently, but you refused to look at him because you just knew that he had a big fat smirk on that pretty face of his.

Three more votes to go. You still have a chance, Y/N.

Yumi thrust the glass jar back into Jeonghan’s hands, deciding that it was more convenient to have him hold it while she pulled out the next piece of paper.

“Aaand vote number two goes to…” She smiled before shifting her eyes in your direction, “Y/N!”

“Ha!” you exclaimed, turning your head just in time to spot the look of surprise on Mingyu’s face. “Not so cocky now, huh?”

“That’s just one vote,” he grumbled. It might have been onhe vote, but it was enough to give you a little bit of hope again.

“Next vote,” Yumi announced as she unfolded the third piece of paper. “Goes to… Mingyu!” She shot an apologetic look in your direction.

“Told you,” your husband teased.

You crossed your arms as a frown took over your face. “We could still tie.”

At least, you liked to believe so.

“Alright!” You watched as Yumi took out the final piece of paper and opened it. “The last vote goes to… Mingyu!”

As soon as your husband’s name had left her mouth, Wonwoo and Jeonghan started cheering for their friend, walking up to him to congratulate him while you could only sigh in frustration. Mingyu had won fair and square – you knew that – but you couldn’t help but let that fact make you feel even more disappointed in yourself for losing the bet.

You’d been so confident that today was going to be the day you beat your cocky husband at his own game. But now you just felt stupid for assuming that victory would be yours for once.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I tried.” Yumi’s lips were formed into a pout as she approached you.

You shook your head, offering her a small smile. “It’s not your fault, Yumi. Thanks for having my back as always though.”

“Not that it makes anything better, but I did actually prefer your dish over Mingyu’s. Unlike a certain someone…” Her eyes drifted in Sora’s direction. Said woman was trying to sneak out of the kitchen in the hope no one would notice, but you and Yumi had caught her right in the act.

“Sora, you traitor!” you called, which made her freeze for a second before she hit you with the puppy face.

“I’m sorry, Y/N! I just wanted to be honest. Please don’t be mad!” she begged.

“Yeah, don’t be so hard on her, baby,” your husband’s voice sounded in your ear, after which you felt his arms wrap around your waist from behind. “I’m just that good.”

Your jaw clenched at his taunt. “How good can it actually be, though? You just made some simple ass ramyeon.”

“Why don’t you have some and tell me before you start doubting me?” Mingyu chuckled and squeezed your side.

“Fine, let’s have it,” you grumbled and leaned forward to pull the pan containing Mingyu’s ramyeon closer so you could have a proper taste. Yumi handed you a pair of chopsticks, which you used to shove a good amount of noodles into your mouth.

“Well?” Jeonghan asked from beside you, which made you realize that everyone had quieted down to listen to your verdict. “Good enough for you to accept your defeat?”

“It’s… decent,” you mumbled after swallowing the bite of food. That was definitely a lie. It was freaking delicious, but you weren’t about to say that out loud and feed your husband’s already huge ego even further.

“Well, it just so happens that the majority of our friends preferred my decent ramyeon over yours, which means you owe me a wish, baby,” Mingyu said before he kissed your cheek.

“Don’t remind me,” you groaned, throwing your head back against his shoulder. “Just tell me what you want already.”

“I’ll keep it a surprise for now. You’ll know when you need to know.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” you responded, twisting your head to look at him.

Mingyu just grinned, his eyes sparkling with joy as he shrugged. “Hmm, sucks to be you then.”

“I guess it does,” you sighed, wondering just how bad it could actually be.

Little did you know that in only a few weeks’ time, you’d find out just how horrible of a punishment your husband had in store for you.

DAY 1

This was bad. Really bad.

You were pretty sure that you were experiencing a real-life nightmare because you were definitely not standing in this huge ass forest right now – although the sight of your husband’s shit-eating grin told you something completely different, something you’d not at all been prepared for.

Fuck.

“Kim Mingyu, this better be a damn joke or I swear you will be sleeping on the couch for a week.”

“What happened to being excited to go on a trip with me?!” your husband exclaimed with wide eyes, clearly surprised by your sudden threat.

“Exactly! A trip. One where we rent a hotel room or an apartment with a comfy bed and a proper bathroom. Not one where we sleep on the goddamn forest floor!” you nearly cried as your eyes scanned the trees and bushes surrounding the two of you.

The light rustling of leaves here and there sent shivers up your spine as you imagined what kind of terrifying creatures could be hiding in there. You’d never been a fan of bugs, so being here, in the middle of the forest where they were no doubt crawling all over the place, definitely didn’t do your sanity any good.

Mingyu was very much aware of your little phobia. At least, until this moment that’s what you thought. Either he had mysteriously forgotten about it, or this was his way of pulling a prank just to get a reaction out of you. You doubted it was the first option, so you settled on the second one. Because you didn’t want to believe that your sweet husband, the one who always wanted nothing but the best for you, was really this cruel to put you through a full weekend of camping when he was well aware that this was the last thing you wanted to do.

But, upon hearing the words that left his mouth in the next moment, that little bit of hope you had started to crumble right in front of your eyes.

“You lost the bet, baby. And if I recall correctly, we decided that the loser will have to agree with whatever the winner wants,” your husband pointed out as he wrapped a comforting arm around your shoulder.

Your body automatically stilled in response, everything suddenly falling into place. So that’s what this was all about.

That stupid ramyeon contest you had suggested.

Looking back on it now, you just wanted to laugh at yourself for even thinking that you could have stood a chance against the Kim Mingyu. He was the better cook out of the two of you after all – something you should have known with you being his wife – so why did you have to open your big mouth and shoot yourself in the foot with that bet?

You definitely blamed it on the liquid courage of that night. There was just no way you would have suggested such a thing if you had been sober. Sober you knew damn well that no one had ever managed to beat your husband in a cook-off. Those who had tried had failed miserably, so what the hell had possessed you that night? The whole thing had literally been doomed from the start.

It had been nothing but a moment of weakness, and right now, especially right now, you regretted it more than ever.

If you were honest, you had fully expected him to use his win as an opportunity to get you to do a striptease for him – a thing he had been begging for for a few weeks now. It wasn’t like you didn’t want to – because you were more than happy to do it – but you had wanted to save it for a special occasion. Though at this moment, you weren’t even sure whether he was ever going to receive that striptease.Because this? This certainly wasn’t it.

To say that you had been blindsided by his idea of a ‘fun trip’ was still putting it mildly. And the worst part was that you didn’t even have a say in the matter – a deal was a deal and that was that. Besides, you were pretty sure that your husband would never let you live it down if you tried to get out of it. You hadn’t forgotten about that time he made you eat a plate of escargots, all because you had refused to do a week of morning runs with him in the aftermath of another bet you’d lost – you really needed to stop making bets with your husband.

That memory alone was enough to make you think twice about stealing the keys and making a run for the car. Still, that didn’t mean that you couldn’t at least try to convince your husband that it wasn’t too late to change your plans. Yes, that’s how desperate you were.

“I’m aware of the rules we established, but… but you know I hate camping, especially the bugs that come with it. Why would you do this to me? Just why, Mingyu?” you whined, a small pout adorning your lips as you looked at the man beside you.

“Trust me, baby. I’m gonna make it worth your while,” he assured you before gently tapping at your pouty bottom lip. He thought you looked absolutely adorable trying to get out of it. And although he hated to see you upset, he couldn’t help but enjoy it a little bit… maybe a little too much.

“You can make it worth my while by taking me to a nice hotel. Doesn’t that sound much better than this, hmm?”

Mingyu chuckled as he leaned in to kiss your cheek, “You’re not getting out of this,” he whispered, which was followed by a soft whine of defeat from your side. “You gotta try to explore new things. And what better way to do that with me, your husband?”

“I’m pretty open to anything but this. Do you seriously want me to sleep in a tent with you while we’re in the middle of nowhere? There are bugs everywhere! And what about snakes? Have you even thought of that?”

Mingyu playfully rolled his eyes at your dramatic display. “You haven’t even tried, baby,” he stated before his lips morphed into a devious smirk. “Besides, just a few weeks ago you thought you weren’t into anal either, but look at you now. You can’t get enough of my cock in your ass.” He winked and lowered his arms to grab two handfuls of your plump ass.

“Shut up, Gyu,” you whined, trying to wiggle out of his grip. Despite the slim chance of you encountering another human being in the middle of the forest, you still felt at least a little embarrassed about your husband’s sudden show of affection. “That’s totally different and you know it.”

“Is it though? It’s just something unfamiliar right now. But who knows? You might like it more than you think.”

“I hate you,” you groaned, leaning your forehead against his chest as you thought it over. Technically he was right. You had never even given it a shot, so why was it so hard to just suck it up for a few days?

Mingyu laughed and gently put one of his hands underneath your chin to get you to look at him. “No, you don’t. You love me.”

“After today, I’m not so sure anymore,” you mumbled, your lips shaping into yet another dramatic pout.

“At least promise me you’ll try. Please, baby. You owe me that much at least.”

You sighed deeply, still not entirely having convinced yourself. “I don’t know, Gyu.”

“I could always make you another plate of snails,” he teased, pinching your squishy cheeks in between his fingers.

Your eyes widened at the threat, your body tensing up at the same time as you immediately recalled the awful taste of the dish he’d prepared.

“Oh, hell no!” There was no way you were going to relive that shit again.

“Just kidding,” your husband grinned, leaning in to softly peck your lips. “I was actually going to suggest taking you on a proper trip next month.”

That immediately got your attention, the threat he’d just made already long forgotten at the prospect of a more ‘luxurious’ trip in the near future.

“You would?” Mingyu hummed in response, his dark brown orbs sparkling as he looked at you with adoration. “Ugh, I guess I can’t say no to that. It’s not like you’re going to let me leave anyway,” you finally sighed, accepting defeat. The only way you were going to get through this was to accept your fate and try to enjoy it.

“You know me so well, baby.” Your husband smirked triumphantly.

“But if I die out here, I swear to god I will haunt you for the rest of your life,” you warned, jabbing your index finger into his toned chest.

He was quick to catch your finger and lifted it to place a gentle kiss on it. “As if I would ever let anything happen to my queen.”

“You better keep that promise, Kim Mingyu.”

“Trust me, baby. You won’t regret this.”

With your camping adventure now officially confirmed, Mingyu was quick to drag you back to the car, where he opened the trunk to reveal all the stuff he’d been hiding from you up till now. No wonder he’d told you to take a long nap while he went to load up the car.

“So, you really thought of everything, didn’t you?” you mused as your eyes scanned the equipment. Despite everything having been stacked meticulously, you could spot the outlines of a tent, as well as some camping chairs, two sleeping bags, and a crate full of what you guessed were snacks at the top of the huge stack.

“Yep,” Mingyu smirked as he started unloading the overfull car.

“Can’t believe I didn’t see it coming,” you muttered, watching in amazement as your husband pulled various bags, coolers, and boxes out of your shared SUV. “How did you even manage to keep this all a secret?”

“Believe me, it wasn’t easy with you being around the whole time. But then again, I’m just that good, baby,” he said and winked at you before grabbing ahold of another box.

“As if,” you huffed while stepping forward to grab a few bags of your own. If you were going to be here, you might as well make yourself useful while you’re at it. Besides, the sooner you got done unpacking, the sooner you could relax – although you wondered how ‘relaxing’ it could be with all those bugs lurking in the shadows.

Still, you tried to shake off those thoughts as you and Mingyu moved all the stuff to your designated camping spot to set up what would be your camp for the next few days.

It turned out that unpacking wasn’t half as bad as you’d expected it to be. In fact, you found yourself rather enjoying the whole process as time flew by. It was exhausting, sure, but getting to spend quality time with your husband after a few busy weeks made you happy and excited. Plus, with Mingyu constantly cracking jokes, and his cute habit of checking up on you whenever you were doing something out of your comfort zone, it wasn’t very hard to momentarily forget about all the downsides of camping.

After completing about ninety-five percent of the work, Mingyu practically ordered you to make yourself comfortable in one of the large camping chairs – he didn’t have to tell you twice – which is where you were currently sitting with your feet tucked underneath you, happily munching away on some spicy rice cracker snacks while you watched your husband make some final adjustments to the huge tent the two of you had set up together.

You had to give it to him. Despite it being a simple camping trip, Mingyu had made sure that everything was top quality, the tent in particular. It was a beige, pentagon-shaped family tent with a double-sided wall, five screened windows, and a transparent roof, which Mingyu said would be perfect for stargazing – you couldn’t help but agree.

The interior was just as nice as the exterior. It was bright and open – courtesy of the many windows – and definitely large enough to fit another three or four people if necessary. But with it only being you and Mingyu, there was still lots of space left after setting up your two-person sleeping mat with matching sleeping bags and pillows.

The remaining space had been divided into a storage section, containing your luggage, the coolers, and other kitchen and camping supplies, and a ‘relaxation corner’ as your husband called it, which consisted of a small side table and two small but comfortable-looking inflatable bean bags. And if that wasn’t enough, Mingyu had also put up several sets of fairy lights, both in and around the tent, in an attempt to make the entire space feel homier and less tent-looking.

All in all, you weren’t mad at the final result. You had pretty much everything you needed to get you through this weekend.

At least, that was until a sudden thought occurred to you.

“Wait a second,” you started, which immediately gained your husband’s attention, “how could you let me pack my things without giving me a single clue? I didn’t prepare for this camping trip at all! I’m gonna be fucking freezing, Gyu,” you whined, your snack now completely forgotten as you thought about the clothes (or lack thereof) you’d packed in your purple carryon. “You could have at least packed me an extra bag or something.”

“You mean this bag?” Mingyu asked, holding up a large backpack which no doubt contained whatever you hadn’t accounted for.

“I— what? You packed a bag?”

Your husband grinned as he made his way over to where you were sitting. “You didn’t think I’d let you freeze to death, right?”

“Well, no but…”

“I got you, baby,” Mingyu said and crouched down in front of you, placing his hands on the tops of your thighs. “Stop worrying and let me take care of you this weekend, hmm?”

You nodded slowly, covering his hands with your own. “Alright, I guess I can do that.”

“Good.” He smiled and leaned forward to kiss you softly. “Now, how about some dinner?”

“Yes! I’m craving a nice warm meal,” you said and allowed Mingyu to pull you up from the chair. “Oh, and I need to pee. Please tell me we at least have a decent bathroom nearby.”

Please, please, please, don’t tell me I have to—

“Yeah, about that,” your husband began, his expression suddenly turning serious and his eyes avoiding yours at all cost, “I’m afraid you’re gonna have to find a bush somewhere, baby.”

He better be lying.

“Are you serious?” you asked nervously, already feeling your heartbeat increase when your husband didn’t say anything. “Gyu!”

At your desperate cry, his serious façade vanished, now replaced by a devilish grin. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Gosh, I should have taken a picture of your face.”

“Mean, mean, mean,” you pouted, glaring at the man in front of you while you poked his sides. “Scaring your wife like that! Just show me where I can goddamn pee.”

“Alright, alright!” he giggled, grabbing ahold of your wrists to stop your tickle attack. “I’ll show you.” He then left your side for a moment to grab a roll of toilet paper before reaching for you once again.

“Come on.”

He ended up guiding you down the path and towards a little house that looked decent enough in your eyes. There were two bathroom stalls, two shower stalls, a couple of sinks, and a big mirror, all of which seemed to be rather clean. At least your husband had made sure to give you that, because you were pretty sure you’d rather pee or shit your pants than crouch down behind a bush to do your business.

“The place is cleaned at least once a week, and we also seem to be the only ones using it this weekend, so we should be good. What do you think?” Mingyu asked, looking at you expectantly.

You nodded and turned to him when you were finished with your inspection. “It’s… good.”

“That’s what I thought.” He smiled and pulled you into his side to kiss your temple. “You think you can handle it from here? I’ll go start on the food.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

As your husband took his leave, you carefully opened one of the stalls, half-expecting a spider or insect to jump at you. But to your surprise – and much to your relief – the stall was completely void of them, which allowed you to go about your business with some peace of mind.

The absence of creepy crawlers definitely helped you feel slightly more at ease, and for just a moment, you thought that spending a weekend in nature maybe didn’t have to be so bad after all. But that thought was instantly abandoned when a huge spider made its presence known just as you were about to reach for a paper towel to dry your hands.

The scream that left your body could no doubt be heard by anyone in a one-mile radius, but that was the last thing on your mind at that moment. You needed to get the hell out. The paper towel was long forgotten as you made a beeline for the door, running back to the camp as fast as your legs could carry you, all while screaming out your husband’s name.

Said man was immediately on high alert at the sound of your voice echoing through the trees. Add in the look of terror on your face and he was about ready to fight whoever or whatever had caused you to react like this.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me, baby,” Mingyu urged as you ran into his arms, completely out of breath.

“I-In the bathroom… spider… huge,” you panted, not being able to stop a shiver from running through your body at the thought of that thing.

“Wait what? So you’re not hurt?” Mingyu asked, moving you back a little so that he could examine you for injuries.

“No! But I’m traumatized!” you exclaimed with a frantic shake of your head. “There’s no way I’m going back there by myself. No fucking way.”

Mingyu could only laugh as he wrapped you back up into his warm embrace. “How about I go with you then next time? I’ll make the evil monsters go away,” he chuckled, which earned him an arm pinch in return. “Ow!”

“Serves you right,” you huffed, but couldn’t help but crack a small smile. “You didn’t see it just chilling there as if it owned the damn place. The most terrifying thing I’ve seen in my life.”

“Can’t have that now, can we? I’ll make sure to let it know,” Mingyu smirked as he led you over to the little table that had been set up. “But first… food! It’s almost done, so get comfortable.”

“What are we having?” you asked and leaned over to peek at whatever he’d been cooking inside the large pot on the portable stove.

“Just some decent ramyeon,” Mingyu grinned.

You gave him a pointed look at the reference, but he only winked and draped a tea towel over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the stove.

Later that night, you watched Mingyu with envy as he slept soundly beside you. His semi-long dark hair was all over the place, his leg was bent at an odd angle, and his mouth was slightly open, but despite how silly he might have seemed, he looked so calm and peaceful – the complete opposite of you.

Whereas Mingyu had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, you just couldn’t seem to fall asleep, no matter how hard you tried. Normally, you didn’t have any problems falling asleep – even in unfamiliar settings – but not even the sound of Mingyu’s soft, comforting snores could help you this time.

You had a feeling it had something to do with having to sleep in a tent that allowed you to hear everything around you. It was like every little sound was amplified, leaving you hyper-aware and very much attuned to your surroundings. From the leaves rustling in the wind to the crickets chirping, and the frogs croaking in the distance, you heard it all… and it was driving you nuts.

Mingyu no doubt had something planned for the both of you, and you feared that if you didn’t manage to get at least a couple of hours in, you wouldn’t be a very fun person to be around for the next twenty-four hours. Your husband didn’t deserve that kind of treatment, especially not when he’d worked so hard to arrange everything for this trip.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, you lazily reached for your phone and tapped the screen to check the time.

2.53 AM. Fuck.

You turned around with some effort and propped yourself up on your elbows, opting to read something on your phone in the hope that would do the trick. But just as you’d selected a kindle, some movement to your right caught your eye.

Right there, stuck to the outside of the tent, was what you confirmed to be a large insect that seemed to be nearly the size of your palm.

Your first instinct was to scream for Mingyu, but you caught yourself before any sound could leave your mouth. Did you really have to wake him for this? It was stupid, honestly. You were aware of that. The thing wasn’t even inside the tent, but still. The fact that it was just there, right beside your head, was enough to tense up your whole body.

Ignoring it was what you should have done, but with your entomophobia, you knew that the voice in the back of your mind wouldn’t allow you to do so. Besides, you were pretty sure that sleep would also be out of the question if you didn’t do something about it.

That’s how you found yourself reaching out for the sleeping man beside you after some consideration.

“M-Mingyu,” you mumbled, nudging your husband while keeping an eye on the ginormous bug that was stuck to the outside of your tent.

“Mingyu, wake up,” you said, this time raising your voice a little as you nudged him again. Only it did exactly nothing. The man remained dead asleep, snoring away without a care in the world and totally oblivious to your state of panic.

It was only when the bug moved that you decided you’d had enough. With a simple flick of your fingers against Mingyu’s forehead, you managed to pull the man from his deep slumber, much to his annoyance.

“Fuck,” your husband groaned as he grabbed onto his forehead in pain. “What the heck was that for? You okay, baby?”

You turned on the flashlight on your phone and aimed it at the side of the tent. “No, I’m not! Look at that thing, it’s huge!”

Your husband took one look at the bug before letting out a tired groan. “It’s on the outside of the tent, nothing to worry about.”

“I don’t give a shit. It’s right beside my head. W-what if it breaks through the tent and crawls inside?” you stuttered, scooting further into Mingyu’s side when the thing suddenly decided to move again – barely an inch, but still.

Your husband decided that was the moment to start laughing, his chest rumbling as the deep sound reverberated through the tent. You, however, didn’t think there was much to laugh about. You were more concerned about the bug that was still there.

“Mingyu, please,” you begged. “It’s not funny!”

“I’m sorry, baby. You’re just too cute.” He chuckled and propped himself up on his elbow before reaching over to deliver a solid blow to the tent wall. The impact caused the whole tent to shake for a few seconds, and when it stabilized again, the bug had disappeared.

You released a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding.

“Better?” Mingyu asked as he laid back down.

You nodded, finally allowing yourself to take your eyes off the tent wall. “Much. Thanks, Gyu.”

“Now try to get some sleep, okay? We have a busy schedule tomorrow.”

“I’m trying, but I can’t,” you groaned, plopping your head down on your pillow.

“Is that so?” You hummed in response, watching as the corners of your husband’s mouth shaped into a bold grin. “You’re in luck then because I know just the way to help you with that.”

You felt panic wash over you at his implication, very much aware that you were in the middle of the forest with nothing but a few layers of tent shielding you from anyone who happened to be in the area.

“Gyu, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not? I promise I’ll be quick.” He was already out of his sleeping bag and hovering over you, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he waited for your answer.

“Because…” you started, momentarily distracted by the hand that was trying to wiggle underneath your hoodie. Not to mention the lips that had suddenly attached themselves to your neck. “Gyu, we’re in the middle of the forest and this tent is not sound pro— ah!”

Mingyu removed his teeth from your skin, placing a gentle kiss on the mark he’d left before moving his lips toward your ear.

“That’s too bad because I don’t give a fuck,” he whispered, which was followed by his teeth teasingly scraping along the outer shell of your ear.

Oh boy.

Your eyes automatically closed at the action, goosebumps forming all across your skin as your husband gently nibbled on your ear lobe.

Even though you didn’t want to admit it, everything he was doing had the desired effect. Your nipples were hard as rocks and your panties were sticky with arousal from only a few simple touches. As your husband, Mingyu knew your body like the back of his hand, so he obviously knew what buttons to push, and where to touch you to reduce your mind to mush and bring you intense pleasure. But that also meant it was ten times more difficult to say no to him.

“S-still, I don’t think we should,” you stammered, surprised to feel the hand that had originally been trying to get inside your hoodie now inside your underwear, so close to where you wanted him… needed him.

His movements halted for a moment, but at the small whine of protest that followed from you, he felt more than encouraged to continue with whatever he had in store for you.

“You want me to stop?” he asked, watching with a grin as the feeling of his fingers brushing over your swollen clit sent a series of shivers down your body.

Of course you didn’t want him to stop. You wanted him to make you feel good, you wanted him to make you cum all over his fingers, over and over again until you had nothing left to give.

“Do you?” your husband pressed once more when you’d failed to answer his question. He took it a step further this time and used his thumb to gather some slick before rubbing it against your clit in slow circles.

Your mouth clamped shut as you tried to fight the whimper that threatened to escape. You were this close to losing it and Mingyu knew it, which is exactly why you didn’t trust your voice at the moment. So instead of answering his question, you simply shook your head.

“Use your voice, baby. Do you want me to stop?” He dipped two of his fingers into your heat without warning and your first response was to open your legs wider for him. His digits found their destination almost instantly, tips pressing against your gummy walls just the way you liked.

Your will to resist vanished completely with that. You couldn’t take it anymore. You wanted this, right here, right now – tent or not.

“N-no. God no. Don’t fucking stop,” you whined and bucked your hips, eager for some more friction.

Mingyu couldn’t hide his little victory smirk.

“That’s my girl.”

It was fair to say you slept like a baby when he was finally done with you.

DAY 2

The next time you opened your eyes, light was streaming into the tent and Mingyu was nowhere to be seen. His sleeping bag was already neatly folded and stacked on top of his pillow, which told you that he’d probably been up for a little while.

Reaching for your phone, you noted that it was 7.45 AM – way too early for your liking. You would have loved to sleep a bit longer, but you were glad for the little bit of sleep you’d managed to get. Your husband had lived up to his promise, being quick to tire you out with his skillful fingers, after which you went out like a light.

You almost didn’t want to admit it, but the whole idea of anyone being able to catch you in such a compromising position had excited you more than you would have thought.It made you wonder what else your husband had in store for you, and if there was a possibility the two of you could repeat last night’s events.

The sudden sound of leaves crushing, and metal clinking against metal, made you sit right up in the makeshift bed. It was followed by a loud sizzling sound which indicated that someone was cooking.

Leaving the thoughts of your husband’s fingers on your body in the back of your mind, you got up and folded your sleeping bag before putting your small stack right next to the other one. You then shuffled to the front of the tent to step into your shoes and reached down for the big zipper.

“Gyu?” you called as you unzipped the tent, only to be greeted by your husband happily dancing behind the portable stove. “Gyu,” you giggled, walking close enough to touch his arm.

He tensed up for a moment, but when he noticed it was just you, he quickly relaxed.

“Oh! You’re up!” He beamed, taking down the headphones he was wearing.

“You’re awfully cheery this morning,” you chuckled, mimicking the shimmy move you’d seen him do just a moment ago.

Mingyu couldn’t help but smile at your cute imitation.

“How can I not? It’s going to be a beautiful day and I get to spend it with my pretty wife,” he said and pulled you in for a warm hug. You were more than happy to oblige.

“Hmm, I guess so.” Your smile widened as he pressed his soft, plush lips against yours. “What time did you get up anyway?”

“About two hours ago, I think?”

Your eyes widened at the statement. “Two hours ago?!”

“It’s no big deal. I just did some research and made some preparations for today,” your husband assured you.

“I could have helped with that, you know?”

Mingyu shook his head. “No way. I’ve got everything under control, baby. Besides, you looked so adorable sleeping and I wanted you to get some rest.” He smirked. “Speaking of which, did you sleep well?”

“I did. Thanks to you,” you mumbled, a small grin plastered onto your face as you once again recalled last night’s events.

“Glad to be of service,” he snickered and lowered his hand to softly slap your ass. “Now, on to actual business. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. There’s already some coffee on the table, so please have some. You’ll need all the energy you can get for today.”

Walking over to the small table, you sat down in one of the chairs and reached for the large thermos bottle.

“And what exactly is it that we’re doing?” you asked while you poured yourself a steaming cup of coffee.

Mingyu took his eyes off the stove to throw a cheeky look your way. “Patience, baby. I’ll show you after breakfast.”

Your eyes narrowed playfully. “Why do I have a feeling you’re having a little too much fun with this?”

“Because I definitely am.”

“Give me strength,” you muttered before carefully sipping on your coffee.

Five minutes later, Mingyu joined you at the table with two bowls of kimchi fried rice. The two of you ate in silence for most of it, just opting to enjoy each other’s company and the sun that was starting to break through the trees.

Mingyu’s cooking skills never failed to amaze you. He could make anything work, even with limited cooking supplies and ingredients available to him. The flavors and textures were always so on point, and this kimchi fried rice was no exception.

You were sad to finish the last bite of the delicious meal, but that feeling was quickly overshadowed by the realization that Mingyu was finally going to tell you what he had planned for the day.

“What’s this?” you asked, observing the large white envelope your husband handed you.

“Open it and find out.”

Mingyu watched expectantly as you peeled the envelope open and pulled out a laminated A4-sized piece of paper.

You gasped, your eyes scanning over the paper titled ‘Camping with Mr. & Mrs. Kim’. Mingyu had made it pretty clear that he wanted to make this trip as comfortable as possible for you, but you’d never expected him to create an entire itinerary to go with it. He’d truly thought of everything, from the layout to the colors to the activities and the time schedules.

When the hell did he have time to come up with all of this?

“Wha— Gyu… You made this?” You traced your fingers over the cute little stars Mingyu had added to the paper.

“You like it?”

“This is amazing! It’s ambitious, for sure… but I can work with this,” you nodded, offering your husband a grin.

He beamed, seemingly relieved with your positive response. “Glad my efforts weren’t for nothing. I know this trip isn’t exactly what you expected, but I hope you’ll like what I have planned for us.”

You released a breathy chuckle and leaned across the table to kiss his lips. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Unbelievably amazing? I know, right? It’s hard to be me sometimes, I’ll tell you that,” he sighed dramatically.

“Don’t push it,” you warned, noting the smug look that had taken over his features. “The trip isn’t over yet.”

“Trust me, baby. You’ll want to go camping again after this.”

You let out a snort. “I doubt it.” You then looked back down at the itinerary, your eyes stopping at the time slot named ‘surprise activity’. “Are you going to tell me what that surprise activity is about though?”

“Nope. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise then, would it?” He winked and moved to get up from his chair, bowl in his hand.

“Oh, come on! Please, Gyu,” you begged, quickly grabbing your own bowl to follow after him, determined to find a way to get him to spill the beans.

At precisely 9 AM, the both of you set off for Mingyu’s scheduled forest hike. How you’d managed to make that happen was a mystery to you.

Between trying to convince your husband to let you in on the surprise, cleaning up the dishes, changing into an appropriate outfit, and being greeted by yet another giant spider that had decided to hide in your shoe, you were certain that you wouldn’t be going anywhere. But of course – Mingyu being Mingyu – he had managed to convince you to put aside your fears for today after lots of sweet kisses and words of encouragement.

So, here you were, trying to conjure up all the positive thoughts you could find to make you forget about the eight-legged creature you encountered earlier this morning, or the fact that the leggings you were currently wearing were just a little too tight around your ass for your liking.

When Mingyu told you that he’d packed you an additional bag with all the necessities you would need for this trip, you’d expected to find an assortment of your favorite items. But instead, you discovered that he’d packed most of the bag exactly to his liking… including several pairs of leggings that you hadn’t worn in forever. It wasn’t like you didn’t like the pieces – or you wouldn’t have bought them – but they did nothing to hide the dips and bumps on your legs and butt, which is why you preferred not to wear them in public.

Although you were aware that Mingyu loved everything about your skin, and that you had absolutely nothing to worry about with the way he praised your body every day, you were still more than a little salty about this sneaky move of his.

“You really couldn’t have chosen a different pair of leggings, huh?” you grumbled after you’d been walking for about fifteen minutes.

“I could have, but these happened to be the first ones I saw.”

“You’re such a liar, Kim Mingyu!” you exclaimed, which was followed by a loud snort. “I haven’t worn these in ages, which is why they were in the back of our closet.”

“Oh, really? Someone must have misplaced them by mistake then, I guess.” He shrugged, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

You threw him a pointed look, letting him know you thought he was full of shit. “Yeah, that someone being you. I know you too well, mister. You chose them because you like the way my ass looks in them.”

“Well, when you put it like that…,” he peeked down at your ass with a satisfied smirk, “your ass does look amazing, baby, bigger even. I can see every jiggle this way.”

You rolled your eyes, wondering how you’d ended up with such a shameless husband.

“Perv,” you muttered, but still loud enough for Mingyu to hear.

“What was that?” Mingyu ripped his eyes away from your behind to stare at your face in disbelief.

“You heard me,” you dared, noticing the way his eyes darkened at your response.

Oh oh. You knew that look. And it usually meant nothing but trouble… for you.

Mingyu suddenly leaped forward, reaching out both of his hands in an attempt to grab you, but you anticipated the move and were able to jump out of the way, leaving only the feeling of his fingers grazing your bare arm as you took off without another thought.

“Yah! Come back here! You’re gonna regret saying that!”

“You’ll have to come and get me first then!”

You turned around and giggled at the sight of your struggling husband, knowing there was no way he’d be able to chase after you with all the weight he was carrying on his back. Mingyu had insisted on being the one to carry most of the heavy load, which included a few liters of water, food, his camera, and God knows what else he was hiding in his backpack.

“Just because you’re faster now doesn’t mean you’ll always be faster, baby.”

You grinned and waved him off before happily continuing your way, not at all feeling affected by his threat.

“I can’t hear you from over there!”

The rest of the walk was rather peaceful, with you and Mingyu snapping pictures here and there, and him pointing out pretty flowers and blossoming trees every so often. At one point, the two of you even spotted a small family of rabbits huddled together, grazing on some grass and blissfully unaware of you and Mingyu watching them from afar. Upon your request, Mingyu took a few pictures with his camera to commemorate the moment and then you were back on your way, leaving the fluffy creatures to enjoy their mealtime.

Despite nearly having your day ruined by an enormous spider scaring the living shit out of you so early in the morning, you were very glad you’d let Mingyu convince you to tag along. You’d never been a big fan of long hikes in general, but you sure wouldn’t have wanted to miss this for the world – getting to experience the fresh, earthy forest air for the first time in forever, the feeling of the warm sun on your skin as you walked through the beautiful scenery, and most importantly, the quality time you got to spend with your husband.

You’d never seen him as excited as he was now, practically dragging you down the path and stopping at everything that seemed noteworthy, all too eager to tell you about the little forest facts he’d read up on with the biggest smile on his face. That alone was enough to get you just as excited.

It was only when you neared the end of your three-hour hike that you were in dire need of a break. Your legs were starting to cramp, and your shoulders were becoming sore as a result of the small backpack you were carrying, your body not quite used to the additional weight.

With Mingyu being the observant husband he was, he was quick to notice the change in your expression and the way you’d subtly slowed down your pace, which eventually led him to suggest a short and much-needed drink break. The words hadn’t even left his mouth and you’d already dropped your stuff on the brown, leaf-covered forest floor. You then lifted yourself onto a sizable rock and let your legs dangle freely, happy to let your sore feet rest for a few minutes.

“You okay, baby?” Mingyu handed you a bottle of water, which you all too eagerly accepted.

After quickly screwing the cap off, you took a few big gulps of water before you felt good enough to respond.

“Yeah, I am now,” you gasped as you handed the bottle back so that he could drink from it too, “but everything freaking hurts!”

“We’re almost at the lunch spot, though. You’ve been doing well so far.” He placed the bottle down beside you and took his position between your legs, his hands on either side of you, caging you in.

The rock you were sitting on gave you more than enough height for Mingyu to look you in the eye without him having to bend down.

You took that opportunity to roam your eyes over your husband’s impressive physique. The white t-shirt he was wearing did nothing to prevent you from seeing the toned pectoral muscles hidden beneath. Neither did it stop him from showing off his muscular arms, which were glowing as a result of the rays of sunlight shining down on them.

Being this close, you were able to see every little detail. The little hairs and freckles on his forearms, the flex of his muscles as he shifted his weight, and not to mention the prominent veins you loved to see – they ran from his wrists all the way to the crease of his elbows, where they disappeared into his smooth, tan skin.

All those mornings spent at the gym had certainly paid off.

“I do have to admit that I’m enjoying this more than I would have thought.” You smirked, allowing your eyes to trail back to Mingyu’s, which were already glistening with mischief.He grinned triumphantly.

“See? You’re already becoming a camping enthusiast.”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t go that far,” you said, noticing that the distance between the two of you had become smaller during the time you’d been admiring him.

“Maybe you just need a little extra convincing,” he mumbled, leaning forward so that his chest was pressed right against yours, his breath hot against your face.

Though you felt gross and sweaty from the intense walk, and your first instinct was to push Mingyu off your damp form, the hands grabbing onto your ass and his semi-hard dick pressing into your crotch made you want to do the complete opposite.

“Maybe I do,” you whispered, trailing your hands over the front of his shirt and past his shoulders to cup his face. At the same time, Mingyu closed the little bit of distance between you.

Warmth instantly consumed you the moment his lips touched yours, the pain in your joints pushed to the back of your mind as you let yourself get sucked into a haze by the man wedged between your thighs. His plush lips were soft against your own, moving gently, coaxing you to part your lips to let him in for a taste. Mindlessly, you obeyed, a series of tingles washing down your back as you allowed his tongue to slip past your eager lips. You let out a whimper to voice your approval and tightened your legs around his waist to feel him even closer.

From then it was like a switch had turned. What had started as gentle and soft was quickly becoming heated and intoxicating with the way your husband was kissing you – scratch that – devouring you. He was like a starved man scoffing down a meal, almost as if he was afraid that someone would come and snatch it away at any moment. You were all too happy to respond, though, returning his kisses with the same hunger while one of your hands found its way into his black hair.

Mingyu’s own hands had not yet moved from your ass, but you didn’t mind one bit. His large, warm hands covered every bit of your soft flesh – caressing, squeezing, and delivering the occasional slap to pull a needy moan from you.

You welcomed every single touch, every kiss, every shiver that ran through your body as you relished in the heated moment between you and him. Your mind was completely fogged up, his perfect woodsy, sweaty scent invading your nostrils, overwhelming you and making you lose the ability to think clearly for a few blissful moments. At one point, you even stopped caring about the fact that you were still very much in public, dry-humping your very sexy husband on top of a rock, for everyone to see.

A particular hard slap to your backside was what eventually pulled you back to reality. You gasped at the impact, tugging harshly on the thick, black locks you’d gathered between your fingers in a reflex.

This time it was Mingyu’s turn to moan, his lips losing their vigorous rhythm momentarily at your unexpected move.

Your lips curled up into a grin. It wasn’t often that you were able to catch your husband off guard, so you felt extremely satisfied with the reaction you’d managed to pull from him.

But your euphoria was short-lived when Mingyu pulled away, leaving you to chase after his lips like a desperate puppy, eager for more affection. You didn’t want it to stop, and he had not given you the feeling he wanted to either, so you were quite taken aback by the abrupt ending.

“What are you doing?” you whined as you opened your eyes, lightly tugging at the locks again in a futile attempt to reconnect your lips.

Mingyu just chuckled at your pouty expression and gently untangled your fingers from his hair.

“We have a schedule to get to, what else?” He then lifted your fingers to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the digit that carried your wedding band.

“Are you serious? You’d rather go back to the schedule than back to our tent to finish this?”

“And miss out on the rest of the itinerary? No way, baby.”

You looked at him as if he’d grown two heads, wondering who the hell this Mingyu was.

“You can’t tell me you don’t want this. You got me all hot and bothered for nothing,” you groaned.

“Then are you gonna let me fuck you right here, out in the open and for everyone to see?” Mingyu’s eyes went from playful to hungry in the span of a few milliseconds, his tongue coming out to wet his lips as he watched you intensely.

Your mouth opened only to close again as you processed his words, finding it very hard to ignore the nagging ache between your slicked-up thighs with his captivating stare burning right through you. Just a second ago you probably would have said yes to his proposal without another thought – truth be told, you probably would have let him do anything he wanted – but now that the cloud of arousal had already cleared for the most part, and your rational side had taken over once again, you were suddenly very aware of your surroundings… and yourself.

At your stunned expression and your lack of response, Mingyu’s eyes morphed back into their playful state before he threw his head back to let out the loudest laugh yet.

“Don’t look so scared, baby. You can keep your clothes on. I’m just kidding.” He grinned and leaned down to grab the large backpack from the ground, which he swung onto his back with some effort.

“Jerk!” you grumbled, though you also felt slightly relieved at the same time. You weren’t sure whether your poor heart could have handled any more of that sexual tension.

“Were you really kidding though?” you asked carefully after you’d hopped down from the rock to retrieve your own backpack, wondering if he could have been serious after all.

He grabbed your hand and gave it a light squeeze before throwing one of his cheeky smirks your way.

“Guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”

Wait and find out… or whatever that was supposed to mean.

Lunch was relaxing and relatively uneventful. Mingyu had picked out a pretty spot in a large, open field where he laid down a sizable blanket for the two of you to sit on.

Not surprisingly, your husband had prepared a generous spread of food, including a few rice balls, some egg rolls, and a variety of your favorite kimbap, all of which he insisted on feeding you himself. That led to the necessary back and forth, with you arguing that you were “a grown woman and perfectly capable of feeding yourself” and Mingyu claiming that he just wanted to “spoil his pretty wife”. Of course, you had no counter-argument to that – you loved it when he spoiled you.

That’s why you eventually gave in and let him feed you as you sat in between his legs, secretly enjoying every second of the princess treatment.

When you were full and satisfied, Mingyu leaned you back against his broad chest to give you another moment to rest. You took that time to bask in the sunlight, allowing the pleasant warmth of the rays to seep into your body. It was probably the most at peace you’d felt in months – no work, no calls or messages, absolutely nothing to distract you… well, except for your husband, who couldn’t seem to keep his hands off you.

You jumped at a sudden tickling sensation on your arms and opened your eyes in a panic, only to relax when you realized that it was, in fact, not another bug coming to traumatize you but Mingyu, who was lightly running his fingertips over your exposed arms.

Goosebumps erupted all across your body as he traced random patterns into your skin. His fingers very slowly made their way up your arms before eventually moving into your hair, gently massaging your scalp for a few minutes. You were in absolute heaven, completely enthralled by his electric touches in this blissful moment. It felt so good that you even dozed off for a few minutes.

After what felt like way too soon, however, Mingyu nudged you awake to announce your departure for the next item on the itinerary. You were less than thrilled to get up from your comfortable position, but you also knew that you still had quite a bit of a journey ahead, and you didn’t want to disappoint Mingyu by throwing in the towel before you’d done everything on his list.

Much to your disappointment, the so-called ‘surprise activity’ was still very much a surprise. Despite your continuous begging and your obvious attempts to get him to slip up, Mingyu had refused to budge. You wondered what could be so special that he wouldn’t just let you in on the whole thing. Because how many things could you possibly do in a forest?

You’d thought of a few things such as birdwatching and fishing, neither of which sounded particularly exciting to you. Mingyu knew you weren’t a big fan of birds – you still hadn’t forgiven that goddamn pigeon for pooping on your head in the middle of your date – and as far as fishing was concerned, you just didn’t see the point in waiting for some poor fish to take the bait, only to end up throwing it right back where it came from.

No thanks.

With those options eliminated, you had one other potential idea – a scavenger hunt to be precise. You wouldn’t put it past your husband to come up with something as cliché as that. It seemed like he’d done more than enough research for this trip, so the thought didn’t seem too crazy. Besides, you liked games and puzzles, especially when they involved competitive components. And who were you to say no to a little healthy competition between you and your husband?

The man in question currently had his nose buried in a small notebook that he held in his left hand, a map in the other. Mingyu had hardly said a word since you left the lunch location, only speaking when you needed to take a left or a right, which was more than a little frustrating.

If only he would let you look at whatever he’d written down in that little notebook of his. So far, every time you had tried to sneak a peek, he’d caught you and told you off.

“Are you finally going to tell me what this surprise is?” you asked impatiently when he still hadn’t told you after forty minutes of walking.

“Give me a moment, baby. I’m looking for the right spot,” he answered, not taking his eyes off the map in his right hand.

Right spot? Right spot for what exactly?

It took another ten minutes before Mingyu finally stopped walking.

“Okay, this should be it!” he exclaimed excitedly, folding up the map before stuffing it back into his pocket.

You stood in the middle of the forest path you’d been following, taking in the rows of gorgeous oak trees lining it, their vast canopy protecting you from the bright and burning hot sun. It was a pretty sight, for sure… but you also wondered what was so special about this spot in particular.

“So… what exactly am I supposed to see?” you questioned when nothing in particular caught your eye.

“I’ll give you a hint.”

Mingyu then lowered his large backpack to the ground and opened it to pull out several empty Tupperware boxes. You suddenly understood why he’d chosen such a ginormous backpack for your hike – anything smaller wouldn’t have been an option with the amount of stuff he’d brought along.

He handed one of the boxes to you, and you studied it carefully for a few seconds, not quite knowing what to do with it.

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I still don’t get it. It’s empty.”

“Yes! And it will be our task to fill it.”

“With…? Leaves? Stones?”

Mingyu chuckled, shaking his head at your incorrect guesses. “Not exactly. We’ll be collecting ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Isn’t that cool?!”

Well, that wasn’t quite what you’d expected.

“Excuse me? You want us to pick some random plants and eat them?”

Your mind was already imagining the worst possible scenario – a one-way trip to the morgue because you’d accidentally eaten something poisonous. That didn’t sound particularly appealing to you.

“You really think I’d propose this without doing the proper research?” He raised the small notebook he’d been studying before giving you a pointed look. “Baby, you should really know me better by now.”

You really should have. Because when he finally showed you the contents of said notebook, you realized just how much time he’d actually taken to look into this. He’d written page after page of detailed notes about where to find what plant, which plants were safe to eat and which ones weren’t, and much more, all with corresponding pictures for easier recognition.

The more Mingyu explained, the more at ease you felt, and the more excited you became at the prospect of making a dish with ingredients you’d collected yourself. It was far from the surprise activity you’d expected, but in all honesty, he couldn’t have chosen better. You and Mingyu boIth loved anything food-related, whether it was cooking or eating, so this was the perfect little activity for the two of you.

“Have I told you I love you already?” you asked when he finished speaking, overcome with a sudden surge of love for your husband.

You honestly didn’t know what you did to deserve someone as caring and thoughtful as Mingyu. He was always so selfless, never asking for much, never taking but always giving to everyone around him. It was one of the things that made you fall in love with him, and now, five years later, you felt like you were falling in love with him all over again with all the emotions welling up inside you.

You loved Mingyu with all your being, that much you knew already – and so did he. But knowing that he’d gone through all this effort just for you, thought about every detail from start to finish, and did it all with a smile on his face, filled you with a sense of awe and admiration for the man that was simply too much for your heart to handle right now.

“You might have, but I don’t mind hearing it again,” he chuckled, wrapping an arm around your waist to pull you close, allowing his scent to envelop you like a warm, comforting hug.

“Well, in that case… I love you Kim Mingyu,” you mumbled with a small smile, and leaned in to briefly press your lips against his as butterflies fluttered around in your stomach.

“I love you too, baby. Very…,” he leaned in for another short kiss, “…much.”

“Thanks, Gyu… for trying to make this experience as fun as possible for me,” you said, your fingers playing with the hem of his t-shirt.

His eyes momentarily softened at your words. “Anything for you, baby.” Then, his lips tugged into a smug grin as he leaned in close again. “But if you’re looking for a way to thank me, I could think of a few things.”

“Way to ruin the moment, Gyu.” You rolled your eyes, jabbing your finger into his toned chest.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it,” he snickered, which let you know just how not sorry he was.

“Just show me where these damn plants are before I change my mind,” you huffed and shoved the empty box into his hands before crossing your arms over your chest.

“Okay, okay! Let’s go pick some plants!”

From then on it was back to serious business. Naturally, Mingyu took the lead and started your hunt for ingredients. The plants you were specifically looking for were Korean wild chives, also referred to as dallae, and ssuk, better known as mugwort. According to Mingyu – and the hundred sources he’d consulted during his preparation – this time of the year was the most ideal for harvesting because the flavors were supposedly at their peak.

Both of you diligently scoured the fields and riverbanks for the two vegetables for a good while before Mingyu spotted the first ingredient – ssuk. He made you study the plant for a few minutes and nearly short-circuited your brain when he flooded you with another batch of facts, which, clearly, you were never going to remember anyway.

Only after that did he let you wander off on your own with your empty box in hand, carefully looking for ssuk plants with young and tender leaves as Mingyu had instructed you – these would apparently bring out the best flavor of the ssukguk he had in mind.

It didn’t take long for you to fill up your container. With the continuous sound of the cicadas roaring in the background, and the calming rustling of the oak trees surrounding you – their leaves clashing and fluttering around from the impact of the breeze – your body had gone into autopilot, hands sorting through dozens of bundles of ssuk, not stopping until you’d found the most perfect-looking ones.

Mingyu came to find you just as you were closing up your container. His own container, just like yours, was filled to the brim with the plant, and you were fairly certain that there would be more than enough ssuk for at least three or four batches of ssukguk.

Your husband took it upon himself to doublecheck your collected batch – for your and his safety – and when he was satisfied with what he’d seen, he bestowed you with sweet praises and then continued to pull you into an unexpected mind-numbing kiss that made every inch of your skin flush hot. The butterflies that had been dormant came back to life, swirling around in your stomach until you felt dizzy and weak in the knees. Your mind felt like it was slowly melting again, gradually succumbing to the irresistible force trying to suck you in. And you weren’t doing anything to stop it from happening.

Mingyu, who was either completely oblivious to your suffering or simply chose not to acknowledge it, pulled away all too soon, once again leaving you with a need for more. The subtle quirk of his lips and the cheeky grin that followed at the sight of your pouty expression told you all you needed to know.

That little shit.

You refused to talk to your husband the entire way to the dallae field, much to his annoyance. It was funny, really, to see him so desperate for your attention while you gave him absolutely nothing. No look, no smile, no reaction at all, which, honestly, was hard enough as it was. But he was the one who wanted to play games, so that’s what he could get. Maybe then he’d stop trying to start something he wasn’t planning on finishing.

It was only when Mingyu dropped to his knees in front of you – very dramatically – and begged for your forgiveness, exclaiming his love for you at the top of his lungs, that you decided he’d been punished enough – you also may or may not have used the opportunity to get one of his famous foot massages out of it. Mingyu didn’t care, though. He was all too happy you were talking to him again, so a foot massage was a minor compromise in his eyes.

With that little hiccup out of the way, you two were back to the task at hand: gathering dallae. The field it was located in was huge and dense with all types of plants and bushes that you didn’t recognize at all. Feeling completely lost, you turned to Mingyu for help, hoping that he could make sense of all the different kinds of flora.

It came as no surprise when he told you that he’d already spotted the second and final ingredient you’d be collecting, nor were you surprised when he excitedly dragged you along to give you another one of his crash courses. You watched him in amazement as he spoke passionately, noticing the way his hair slightly stuck to his forehead from all the hard work he’d been putting in, and the way he cutely scrunched up his nose as he studied the dallae from up close.

It was a sight for sore eyes, which you unfortunately didn't get to enjoy for long as Mingyu reached the end of his short lesson. You were somewhat disappointed because it meant you had to stop ogling your handsome husband, but you accepted a new Tupperware box anyway, forcing yourself to focus on your given task.

Filling up your Tupperware with dallae went much faster than collecting ssuk. After only fifteen minutes of you plucking bundles of fresh green dallae for the jeon you’d be making, you came looking for your husband to show him your inventory. This time, he only praised you after briefly inspecting your container, thinking twice about rewarding you with another one of those breathtaking kisses. It was amusing, watching him try to restrain himself from touching you when that was all he wanted to do.

You were no different, longing for his touch, your body itching to feel his hands back on your skin, grabbing you, squeezing you. But for the sake of the itinerary and your sanity - the latter in particular - you ought it best to steer clear of Mingyu... at least while you were out and about.

That's why you pushed those sinful thoughts to the back of your mind for the time being, although you were fairly certain you'd be revisiting them sooner rather than later.

The hike back to the camp went surprisingly fast, mainly because you’d already walked quite a bit of it during your ingredient hunt, so the final part of the walk wasn’t as bad as you’d expected it to be. That didn’t mean you were any less tired. Your feet were killing you, you were sweating all over and you were pretty sure that if you didn’t get another dose of caffeine soon, you’d fall asleep before even getting a taste of your husband’s ssukguk.

Mingyu, who was able to perfectly read you, already had a steaming cup of coffee waiting for you when you returned from the bathroom, clad in a fresh new outfit that was much more comfortable than the one you’d been wearing during your hike.

“Thanks, Gyu,” you sighed, immediately feeling much better when you finally let the warm, caffeine-filled beverage glide down your throat.

“I could tell you needed that,” Mingyu said while moving over a few big chunks of wood in preparation for the campfire.

“Wait, you brought an axe?” you sputtered, eyes widening slightly when he suddenly pulled the object from a large sports bag.

Mingyu beamed, propping the sharp object against his shoulder like it wasn’t able to slice through his skin with one wrong move.

“Sure did! Isn’t it a beauty?”

“Do you even know how to use it?” you asked, worry etched on your brows as you tried to recall an occasion where you’d seen Mingyu using an axe – there were none.

“Seungcheol Hyung taught me how to use it. He’s a pro at chopping wood, remember?”

Yes, you did remember something about Seungcheol being good at wood chopping, but that didn’t make you feel any less anxious about your husband handling such a dangerous tool.

You nervously bit your lower lip. “Just be careful, okay? I don’t wanna see any chopped-off limbs.”

“I promise.” Mingyu smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be right here so you can watch me. How does that sound?”

“Good, I guess,” you mumbled, still not entirely convinced, but choosing to trust your husband.

It was fair to say that you’d been completely wrong to doubt Mingyu about his wood-chopping skills. While you cleaned the vegetables you’d collected, thoroughly washing them with water and carefully laying them out to dry on a small drying rack, your husband was splitting the wood pieces like a professional, each hit precise and calculated, as if he’d been doing this his whole life.

Distracting… that’s what it was. You found it hard to keep your eyes away from the man, not because you were worried about him accidentally chopping off his fingers, but because he looked like a goddamn snack the whole time. He’d rolled up the sleeves of his white t-shirt, showing off even more of his perfectly sculpted arms. Not that you were complaining, though. You were practically drooling at the sight before you, your own task long forgotten as you ogled the flexing muscles on his veiny arms like a kid in a candy store.

You had to hold back a groan when you noticed the first few beads of sweat starting to roll down the sides of his face, watching with immense focus as they slowly slid down along the curve of his chiseled jaw, his smooth throat, and finally dipped inside the neck of his shirt, leaving the rest up to your imagination.

Your thighs were subconsciously rubbing together, slick beginning to stain your panties as you let your fantasies take over, arousal swirling inside you. Mingyu was none the wiser – at least you hoped so – splitting wood piece after wood piece while you, his wife, were thinking of all the ways in which you wanted him to fuck your pussy raw with his big dick.

“Everything okay there, baby?” Mingyu asked out of nowhere, catching you by surprise. He quickly put down a new wood chunk and raised the axe in the air, muscles pulling and coiling beneath his white t-shirt as he brought down the object with a loud grunt, the sound of which almost made you drop the bundle of dallae you were holding.

“I’m fine,” you squeaked, praying that he hadn’t caught you gawking at him. The last thing you needed was Mingyu teasing you for the rest of the night. “Nearly done here,” you added, your voice much more controlled.

Your husband set down the axe, stretching his hands above his head, which provided you with a tiny sneak peek of his robust abdominal muscles. It took everything in you to tear your eyes away, but you managed – barely, failing to notice the mischievous glint that crept across his features.

“Good, because I’m ready to get this campfire started.”

Setting up a campfire turned out to be a piece of cake for someone as prepared and as handy as Mingyu. It was a win for you, honestly, because you were able to sit back while he did his thing, only handing him the occasional chunk of wood or kindling. And then next thing you know, you had a full-on sputtering, crackling fire blazing, the heat of the flames warming the air while the sounds of dying branches gasping for their last breath filled the camping grounds.

It was a beautiful sight, especially with the sun starting to set and the enchanting, lively greenery surrounding it, and by the time you and Mingyu had finished dinner, it had become even more magnificent. With the sky now fully darkened, and radiant stars lighting it up like tiny snowflakes in the night, the campfire seemed to echo the starlight, its golden glow brightening up the entire area like a luminous supernova.

The two of you were enjoying all of it, cuddled up beside each other, gazing at the beautiful night sky as you lounged on a large blanket that you’d laid out earlier this evening. It was the perfect way to end the action-packed day.

“Psst!” Mingyu suddenly whispered, interrupting the peaceful atmosphere you’d been relishing for the past thirty minutes.

“What?” You lazily turned your head to face your husband, who was no doubt scheming something based on the impish look he gave you.

“Don’t think I didn’t see you ogling me when I was chopping up that wood.”

You quickly averted your eyes at his brazen confession, mentally cursing yourself for having been so obvious.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you finally said, choosing to play dumb.

“Are you sure about that?” You could feel his warm breath hitting your cheek now.

“Very sure,” you breathed, your body tense as you tried to keep your expressions under control.

“Why are you lying to me, baby?”

“I’m not. I— wait, what are you doing?” You frowned, caught off guard when Mingyu suddenly sat up to pull off his dark green hoodie, revealing a black t-shirt that was hugging his body in all the right places.

“Oh, don’t mind me.” He threw you a cheeky grin. “It’s just getting a little hot here with the fire and all.”

You let out a snort. “That’s such a lie, Gyu. You’re doing this on purpose, just admit it.”

“If I admit to that, will you also admit that you were ogling me this afternoon?” he mused.

“I was not ly—” Mingyu raised his brows, challenging you to deny it again. “Okay, fine! I admit it. You were driving me fucking crazy this afternoon. You and your stupid arms, hands, everything!” you groaned, throwing your head back in defeat.

“My hands and arms, huh? Tell me what you were thinking about, baby.”

“It’s embarrassing,” you whined, and attempted to hide your face in his chest, but Mingyu wouldn’t have it.

“Tell me,” he demanded, his voice dropping dangerously low as he grasped your chin, forcing you to look at him.

“Your hands… on my body,” You swallowed thickly under his heated gaze, “and your dick inside me, you fucking me till I can’t walk.”

Mingyu’s gaze darkened even more, his grip on your chin slightly tightening.

“Is that so?” he muttered, to which you gave a little nod. “Then how about we finish what we started this morning so I can do just that?”

“Right h-here?” you stammered.

Mingyu smirked, his eyes twinkling in the light of the campfire. “I don’t see why not.”

“Don’t you think we should go inside the tent?” you whispered, your eyes darting around nervously.

“I’d say fuck the tent. But it’s up to you, baby.”

Right, the choice was up to you. Because if it was up to Mingyu, he would fuck you wherever he pleased, not worried in the slightest about being seen. The only one worried about getting caught was you. But what was the big deal? As far as you could tell, the camping area was completely empty aside from you two, so what was holding you back from going through with it? You weren’t exactly sure either.

Come on, Y/N. Be a little wild for once.

Mingyu, who’d been patiently waiting for your answer, was definitely not expecting you to pounce on him without warning. You pressed against his clothed chest to force him on his back, barely giving him enough time to breathe before your mouth molded with his, kissing him with a startling vigor that left his mind reeling for the first few seconds.

But then his hands were on you, wandering with purpose, skimming under your hoodie in search of your naked skin. Everywhere he touched left a trail of fire in its wake, and every single one of your nerves came to life under his skillful fingers. You struggled to keep up with his lips, the press of his toned body against yours stirring up a storm of desire inside your gut that you weren’t quite prepared for.

Your fingers desperately tugged at the shirt he was wearing, and Mingyu wasted no time to comply with your non-verbal request, briefly disconnecting your lips to take off the clothing piece to reveal his impressive build.

You bit your bottom lip harshly to fight back a groan that threatened to escape, momentarily distracted by the breathtaking sight that was your husband.

Goosebumps formed on his perfect skin as his torso was exposed to the cool night air, drawing your attention to his taut, brown nipples. You let your fingers trail over them, watching with a newfound excitement as he twitched underneath your soft but teasing touches. Mingyu let you, urging you to explore more of him with a demanding groan and a squeeze to your backside.

You did exactly that, shifting your focus from his chest to the prominent lines on his abdomen, which were now even better accentuated by the light coming from the smoldering campfire beside you. Your nails carefully scraped over the well-defined muscles, lightly applying pressure, but not enough to leave behind marks.

Mingyu was a shivering mess by the time you reached the little happy trail below his belly button, his chest heaving, his cock fully hard, and his mind swirling with arousal from your administrations. You’d taken over every inch of his thoughts, slowly fogging up his brain with your magic touch, and his hands were itching to take the lead.

It wasn’t long before Mingyu gave into those impulses, no longer able to fight the impatient demon trying to claw its way out. His hands abruptly halted your movements, and his back lifted off the blanket to work you out of your clothes, not stopping until he’d ripped every single item off your body.

With your clothes now in a pile on the other side of the blanket, he guided you back on top of him with an easy strength, his eyes drinking in every inch of your bare skin, from your full, heavy breasts, to your soft tummy, all the way until he settled at the chubby mound between your plush thighs. It was a sight that made his dick twitch with anticipation.

“God, you are so fucking sexy,” he groaned, grabbing onto the fat of your hips before pulling your bare cunt down onto his very noticeable erection.

You were quick to bring one of your hands up to your mouth, trying to muffle the moan that you weren’t able to hold back in time as your walls clenched reflexively at the new sensation. But Mingyu ripped it away before you could, allowing the sound to resonate into the dark night.

“Don’t hide those pretty sounds.” He gently trailed a finger along the base of your throat, sending a series of shudders down your spine. “I wanna hear you… all of it”.

“Oka— shit!” you whimpered when Mingyu suddenly grabbed a handful of your breast, his fingers applying just the right amount of pain and pleasure as they dug into the squishy flesh.

“That’s more like it.” He grinned as his hand came down on your ass… hard, the sound of his palm hitting your supple skin loud enough to alert anyone in the area.

“Gyu,” you gasped when he did it once again, your hands finding its way into his hair, pulling insistently to express your delight while at the same time pleading for more.

Mingyu slid one of the hands resting on your ass up your back and reached around your neck to pull you in for another toe-curling kiss, pressing your body flush against his as he pushed his tongue past your lips for a second time tonight. The moans vibrating at the back of your throat were swallowed by Mingyu as he deepened the kiss, the hand on your ass continuing to knead and rub your pudgy flesh with the intent to bruise.

You were already too far gone to care, more concerned with the burning ache between your legs. Your hips shamelessly rolled against Mingyu, providing some sweet relief as you rubbed your throbbing clit against his clothed erection, your glossy slick staining his grey sweatpants, and the coil inside you winding tighter and tighter with every drag.

And then suddenly it snapped, the impact that followed striking you like a bolt of lightning, every muscle in your body drawing taut as you released with a muffled cry of your husband’s name, your cunt desperately clenching around nothing. Mingyu was right there to catch you, both of his strong arms wrapping around your waist to steady your convulsing body while his mouth caught your little sounds of pleasure.

“You made such a mess, baby,” Mingyu said as his fingers brushed through your puffy folds, being careful not to bump into your sensitive clit while he assessed the wreckage you’d left behind.

“You’re mostly to blame, though.” You managed to sit up with a little bit of strength, splaying your hands across his chest for support as you offered him a grin.

“Yeah? I made you this wet?” he mused, eyes sparkling with hunger.

“You tend to have that effect on me,” you whispered as you leaned down, your lips brushing against Mingyu’s for a moment before you caught his bottom lip with your teeth, gently nipping at the skin until he was squirming beneath you.

One of your hands wandered between your bodies to palm him softly through the fabric of his sweatpants. You observed your husband’s handsome face closely, noticing the way his brows furrowed and his jaw clenched, followed by a buck of his hips and a series of breathless curses.

Feeling confident, you scooted down further, tugging off his pants along the way, only to discover that he’d gone commando.

You licked your lips at the sight, quickly throwing the stained pair of sweats onto the clothing pile.

“All prepared, huh?”

“For you? Always,” he returned with a wink.

“I see,” you hummed, licking your lips once again as you repositioned yourself between his strong thighs, taking in the bulging veins forking along his aching girth. It drooped hard and heavy against his pelvis, with large beads of pre-cum leaking steadily from his angry, red tip.

Your mouth watered at his sheer size, warm slick continuing to pool between your thighs as you imagined your husband stretching out your walls, molding you into the shape of his cock like he had done so many times already.

“You have such a nice cock,” you sighed, reaching out to wrap your fingers around the base of it, gently sliding him through your fingers a few times before leaning forward to get a taste of the salty substance you’d come to love, your tongue teasingly sliding through his slit as you lapped it all up.

Mingyu was in no state to respond. His breath left him in a sharp hiss at the feeling of your wet muscle teasing his sensitive tip. All conscious thoughts vacated his brain the moment he felt your warm breath fan against the base of his length. One of his large hands fisted into your hair when you began pressing a series of open-mouthed kisses along it, your gaze hot and heavy as you watched his every move from under your thick lashes. It was such a provocative sight that Mingyu had to stop himself from jamming his whole cock down your throat when you finally sucked the head between your luscious lips.

A loud groan sounded from Mingyu’s lips at the sudden wetness that surrounded him. He watched ardently as you took him in, not being able to stop another groan when your tongue started tracing the throbbing veins adorning his length. When he felt his tip press against the back of your throat, he automatically tightened his fist in your hair, his teeth clenching at the terrible things your mouth was doing to his thoughts.

You swallowed greedily, catching your husband by surprise as your throat constricted around him, suffocating his cock to the point where he momentarily lost control of his body. The jerk of his hips that followed forced another inch or two of his length down your throat. You gagged in reflex, placing your hands on his thighs as you abruptly pulled back to cough.

“Fuck,” Mingyu immediately released your hair, “sorry, baby.” His eyes were apologetic, although the sight of the drool spilling from your lips made him want to shove your mouth right back onto his throbbing cock.

“I’m fine,” you gasped, digging your nails into the flesh of his thighs as you lowered yourself again. “You know I can handle it,” you grinned before you wrapped your lips back around him.

Something about your words and the way you hollowed your cheeks as you began to suck him ignited a fire in his gut. Without realizing it, Mingyu had his hand back in your hair, eagerly guiding your head up and down in a steady rhythm, which was occasionally interrupted by you choking and spluttering whenever he tried to force just a little too much of his cock down your throat.

The view forced Mingyu to throw his head back at some point, his eyes clenching shut and his eyes rolling to the back of his skull as a debauched moan escaped from his lips. One more look at you with your mouth stuffed full of his cock and he was positive that he would explode in an instant.

You were thoroughly enjoying yourself, letting your tongue work your husband the way you knew he liked, your hands filling in wherever your mouth couldn’t reach. Your eyes did not leave his face once, wanting to catch every little change in his facial expression, every twitch, every gasp, and every moan. You were utterly delirious with the sounds you pulled from the man between your lips, arousal continuing to drench your inner thighs as you hummed around him in approval.

The moment you felt Mingyu start to tremble, you reluctantly forced yourself to retreat, which resulted in a frustrated and unexpected whine from the man himself. It made you pause for a moment, not because you didn’t like it, but because Mingyu hardly ever whined.

Your mouth had wrecked him good… and you were extremely pleased with that.

“Baby, please,” he rasped, his dick twitching as you released him from your lips with a wet plop. He reached for your face, his fingers trailing down to grasp your jaw as another whine left him.

Your lips quirked as you pulled your head back to escape Mingyu’s wandering fingers. Before he could complain more, though, you quickly moved to straddle his thighs once again, hovering your neglected cunt above his drooling cock.

Then without saying anything else you reached down to grab ahold of him and guided the tip to your entrance. Both of you held your breath as the engorged head slid inside, the stretch it caused sending a pleasant burn through your lower half. You placed your hands on his chest for support while you slowly sank further, your eyes meeting Mingyu’s blown pupils as you felt him throb against your walls.

Mingyu’s hands immediately found their way back to your hips, squeezing the flesh roughly as he tried to stop himself from burying his entire length inside in one go. It was so easy to get lost in the feeling of the warm wetness of your walls surrounding him, and he wanted nothing more than to slam his hips up to feel all of you and get drenched in your slick. But he held back for your sake, letting you go at your own pace, even if it meant he was starting to get slightly lightheaded with the way you were squeezing him so tightly.

“So full, Gyu,” you whimpered when your ass finally met Mingyu’s pelvis, his cock now completely buried inside you, filling you up to the point where you felt like you were going to come undone from just that alone.

“You feel amazing, so warm… and wet,” Mingyu sighed dreamily, his eyes lazily trailing over your voluptuous body before they fixated on your swollen clit, his tongue coming out to lick his lips hungrily.

You were not prepared for what came next. One moment, your husband was taking you in in all your naked glory, and the next one of his thumbs had attached itself to your clit, pressing firmly against the little nub.

“W-wait,” you stammered, arousal licking up your spin at the sudden wave of pleasure. “Oh fuck!” you squeaked when he began to move his digit in slow circles. Your hips began to move on their own accord, allowing your body to take the lead as you tried to chase the blissful feeling.

Pretty soon, your debauched moans resounded through the area as you continuously lifted yourself off Mingyu’s lap before firmly sitting back down, your breasts bouncing heavily with every movement. Mingyu ground into you as you rode him, meeting your hips with his own while his thumb rubbed sloppy figure eights into your clit.

Your face was pointed at the sky, eyes clenched shut and your fingers flexing against Mingyu’s burning skin as you drowned in the euphoric sensation. It was more than you could handle – the slide of him inside you, the finger teasing your throbbing clit – it was too much. And Mingyu could no doubt sense it.

“Cum,” his rough voice ordered, after which he slightly increased the pace of his thumb while his free hand came down harshly on your ass.

Something unraveled inside you and exploded at his demand, your nails digging into his toned chest as your silky walls uncontrollably clamped around his cock. You cried out his name, chanting it like an oath as you were completely thrown over the edge. Mingyu fucked you right through it, never letting up and following your jerky movements with his thumb to watch you spasm and convulse on top of him.

“So fucking pretty when you cum for me,” he rasped, delighting himself in your pathetic whimpers, which he recognized as a sign of you becoming overstimulated.

You shook your head frantically. “I c-can’t… too much,” you gasped, letting your body sag as you attempted to pull your husband’s eager hand away from your abused clit.

Mingyu listened, removing his hand to give you a little relief, but that didn’t mean he was done with you yet. He stilled his hips momentarily to bend his knees slightly and planted his feet firmly onto the ground. Next, he wrapped his iron arms around your back, forcefully pulling you down and pressing you tightly against him, leaving you with no way to move.

Then he was back to fucking you, thrusting up his hips in a toe-curling rhythm, this time chasing his own orgasm. Your walls were still fluttering in the aftermath of your orgasm, your creamy slick gathered at the base of his cock and slowly dripping down to his balls, drenching his skin. It only drove Mingyu to fuck you faster, rougher, deeper as he longed to spill his seed inside your greedy cunt.

You were a crying, moaning mess as you let your husband have his way with you. Fat tears had started to roll down your cheeks from the intense overstimulation he was subjecting you to, and you were almost ashamed to admit that you were loving every second of it.

Your senses were going into overdrive, rapidly clouding your brain with lust as Mingyu’s hips frantically bucked into you, the sound of skin-to-skin slapping loud in your ears. A familiar sensation was quickly building up inside you, pulling tighter and tighter until your body began to tremble, and you felt yourself get thrown over the edge for a third time. Your back arched, and the fingers trapped at your sides curled into tight fists as you felt wave after wave of pleasure crash over you.

Mingyu felt like he was drowning. He was delirious with the feeling of your gushing pussy soaking his cock with every thrust, the hot and sticky essence inviting him to release inside you.

“Gyu, please… please!” Your walls spasmed uncontrollably as they tried to milk Mingyu of his cum. You were more than ready for him to fill you up, and you didn’t care if you sounded pathetic begging for it. You’d happily beg for the rest of your life if it meant being able to experience the feeling of your husband’s warm cum spraying your insides.

Mingyu relished in the sounds of your desperate pleas. They spurred him on to put even more power in his thrusts for this final stretch. He was clinging onto you for dear life, hips frantically rutting into you, and little choked moans escaped from his lips as he felt the tension in his stomach near its peak.

“Shit, shit shit, I’m cumming!” His orgasm hit him in full force at once. His hips jolted erratically before he buried himself deep inside your walls with a loud grunt, filling up your puffy cunt with balmy spurts of cum.

Mingyu shuddered as he slowly felt himself come back to reality. He released the iron grip he had on you and let his eyes flutter open to peer down at your naked form. You were a limp mess against his body, no doubt exhausted and fucked out by the sounds of your heavy breathing. Your face was hidden in his shoulder, but he thought you couldn’t look more beautiful than this, splayed across his chest, covered in a thick sheen of sweat that made your skin glow oh so prettily.

“You okay, baby?”

“Well… that was more intense than I thought it would be.” You released a breathy chuckle against his shoulder, feeling perfectly content like this… in Mingyu’s arms, right where you belonged.

“It was,” Mingyu agreed as he soothingly ran a hand up and down your back. “Probably one of the hottest things we’ve ever done, though.”

You lifted your head, briefly meeting his eyes see him already grinning at you. With all the strength you could muster, you pushed yourself up onto your elbows to get a proper look at his face.

“Agreed.” You chuckled and reached out to remove the sweaty hair from his forehead.

“So…” Mingyu started, letting his hands slide down to your ass to give it a comforting squeeze.

“So…?” you returned, wondering where this was going.

“Now that we’ve almost reached the end of the day… how did I do?” he asked, a sheepish grin adorning his handsome face.

“Not bad at all, I’d say.” His grin quickly dropped at your disappointing response.

“Excuse me? Not bad? That’s all you have to say? Really?”

You failed to hide a smirk, hoping to cover it up with a fake cough.

“Yep.”

He immediately caught on. “Oh, I see how it is, huh? How about I prove myself some more?” You felt his dick come back to life between your walls. “I got way more tricks up my sleeve.”

“Yah! I was just joking, Gyu,” you sputtered, suddenly fearing for your poor nether regions.

But Mingyu didn’t buy it. He had you flipped over in a second, his huge form now hovering over you as a devious look crept across his features.

“Well, I’m not, so gear up, baby.”

DAY 3

Waking up the next day was complete and utter hell. It all started when you decided to ignore the alarm Mingyu had so kindly set for you. And then when you still hadn’t made a move to get up after a first, a second, and a third warning from your husband, he decided that ripping off your sleeping bag and not-so-gently dragging you out of bed was the only way to get you moving.

Yeah, you were not happy with your husband… and that was you putting it lightly.

He did redeem himself a little bit with the steaming coffee and egg-fried rice he had waiting for you when you reluctantly emerged from the tent, but it didn’t take away that you’d missed out on a big chunk of sleep… or that you were currently experiencing the effects of that.

Your nightly activities really did a number on you. Mingyu had stuck to his word – that being fucking you till you were no longer able to walk – and only then, when you were completely spent and stuffed full of his cum in every way possible, he’d let you go.

It was some of the best and most exciting sex you’d had – with you being out in the open and all – and you had absolutely no regrets in that regard, but with you currently feeling the way you did, you just wished Mingyu would have taken that into account and cut you some slack this morning.

But no, there was no time for that. After breakfast and changing into some fresh hiking attire, it was straight back to the schedule. No amount of begging or moaning from your side was going to get Mingyu to divert from the itinerary he’d so carefully planned out. Although you hated his persistent nature at the moment, you also admired that about him. He’d gotten even less sleep than you had, again preparing all the food and whatnot, and he still looked like the happiest and fittest person on earth. How was that even fair?

A small consolation was that the lake hike wasn’t as intense or as long as yesterday’s hike. The path was a lot less rocky and sloping, and combined with the slight drop in humidity and the additional break here and there, it made the walk a lot more bearable.

It also allowed you to conserve most of your strength – or well, the little bit of strength you had left. Your body was still sore from all the activities you’d engaged in – both the scheduled and unscheduled ones – and you were pretty certain you’d need a few days to recover from it all. You were hurting in places you didn’t even know could hurt before today. How people managed to do this for more than two days was beyond you.

Fortunately, you were able to push aside some of your pain when you reached your destination, too mesmerized by the view to register anything else for a few minutes.

The lake looked absolutely ethereal.The dark blues and greens of the lake stood out against the bright greens and browns of the oak and maple trees lining it, giving it a deep hue that was further emphasized by the beaming sunrays hitting the clear water.

Small ripples slowly danced along the sides, softly hitting the lake’s edges with every motion due to the soft breeze wafting through the air. There were no sounds aside from the familiar roaring of the cicadas and the heavy echo of birds chirping in the distance, which created a sense of peace and calm you welcomed with open arms.

It was like a page right out of a nature book, only this was very real, and right in front of your nose.

“This is beautiful,” you breathed, hand placed in Mingyu’s as he guided you closer to the lake.

“It is, isn’t it?” He smiled, taking in every single one of your cute expressions as you reacted to the view. “I thought you might appreciate it.”

“You were correct,” you affirmed, turning your head away from the pretty scene to throw your husband a small smile of appreciation.

The two of you stopped in front of a large oak tree, which put you a good twenty meters away from the water. Mingyu crouched down and placed the ridiculously large backpack onto the grass, moving to open it.

“I also hope you’re hungry because I brought a lot.”

“Another feast?” Your eyes lit up. “Hell yes, I’m starving,” you moaned, raising one of your hands to rub at your empty stomach. You then motioned for him to hand you the red picnic blanket he’d just pulled from the backpack.

Mingyu laughed at your eagerness and placed the object into your hands before reaching inside the backpack again. “Alright. Then let’s set everything up so I can feed you, hmm?”

Your stomach growled loudly in response to his statement.

“Me and my stomach agree,” you said, not able to stop the fit of giggles that followed. Mingyu couldn’t hold it in either, laughing along with you and nearly dropping a couple of the Tupperware boxes he was carrying, which, naturally, sent both of you into another fit of laughter.

Once you’d calmed down enough, you got back to work, quickly arranging all the items Mingyu had brought along on the picnic blanket. And when that was all done, it was finally time for the feast he’d promised you.

Oh boy, some feast it was. You didn’t think he’d be able to top yesterday’s lunch, but you were wrong. Mingyu had truly gone out for your final meal. On top of the ssukguk and dallae jeon leftovers from yesterday’s dinner, there were also servings of tteokbokki and bibimbap, kimchi and pickled cucumbers, chocolate cake and grapes, and a whole bunch of your favorite snacks and drinks.

He wasn’t kidding when he said he’d brought a lot.

“I’m now convinced you’re actually insane,” you said as you gawked at the spread in front of you.

Mingyu, who was seated beside you, reached into the container with the tteokbokki and picked up two pieces with his chopsticks.

“I will take that as a compliment.” He chuckled and brought his hand up to your mouth to offer you a bite.

You gladly opened your mouth, instantly closing your eyes as you savored the sweet and spicy flavors coating the chewy rice cakes.

“How did you even manage to do all of this?” you asked when you’d swallowed, your eyes following Mingyu’s chopsticks as he picked up some cucumbers.

“I’m full of surprises, baby.” He winked, about to raise the chopsticks to his mouth. But before he could have a taste, you quickly cut in and stole his bite. “Hey!”

Serves him right.

“How’s that for a surprise?” Your voice was muffled due to the food in your mouth, but Mingyu heard you loud and clear.

“You’re lucky we’re both hungry,” he grumbled with a shake of his head and reached for the cucumbers once again.

You decided to leave it at that, choosing to take care of your empty stomach rather than tease your husband, the man who had worked so hard to put this food together, the man who wouldn’t let you eat your lunch in peace unless he got to feed you. Unlike yesterday, you had absolutely no problem with that. You happily accepted bite after bite of delicious goodness, now more than ever grateful for your caring husband and his incredible, mouth-watering cooking abilities.

The only downside was that he wouldn’t stop feeding you. Despite your claims of being close to exploding, he refused to believe you. He was like a typical grandma, afraid that you would starve if you didn’t finish everything on your plate. While you appreciated his concern, you told him that you didn’t look forward to puking your guts out because you’d eaten more than you could handle. That eventually got him to back down. Your stomach couldn’t be more relieved.

After that little squabble and a quick cleanup, you went back to enjoying the view that was the shimmering, blue lake. If it were up to you, you’d stay here all day, listening to the calming sounds of the water and the rustling of the trees without a care in the world. But you knew that it was only a matter of time before Mingyu would announce your departure.

“Wanna go for a quick swim?”

Okay, maybe it wasn’t after all.

“A swim?” You briefly glanced at the water and then back at your husband, who was looking at you expectantly. “I didn’t pack a bathing suit, though.”

Mingyu leaned back onto his hands, his dark eyes shamelessly roaming your body.

“Who said anything about needing a bathing suit?” he said, his lips slowly tugging into a smirk.

You raised your brows. “Are you implying what I think you’re implying?”

“And what if I am?” he challenged.

You shook your head and released a snort. “I’d say you’re crazy.”

“Hmm, if I recall correctly, you didn’t have a problem taking off your clothes for me yesterday.”

Right.

“That was different.”

“Oh really? How so?” he mused before popping a grape into his mouth.

“Well… you know. It was jus- because we- it just was, okay?” you stuttered, knowing damn well your argumentation was complete shit.

“Very convincing, baby.” Mingyu snickered. “Just say it if you’re too scared to join me.”

“Yah! Who said anything about being scared?” You glared at the smug look on his face, already feeling your competitive side start to come out at his taunt.

A confused look crossed Mingyu’s face as you abruptly stood up. “Woah, where are you going?”

“What does it look like?” You grabbed onto the hem of your shirt and swiftly pulled it over your head, revealing your black and white sports bra. “I’m going for a swim. Now are you joining or what?”

Mingyu felt his dick kick in his shorts at the provocative look you sent his way.

“Say no more.”

In the next few seconds, clothes were flying as you and Mingyu raced each other. What you had not considered, however, was the fact that your leggings would be a serious obstacle. Whereas Mingyu had no problem yanking his shorts down, you were struggling to take off your final clothing pieces. The tight fabric clung to your legs, putting up a serious fight as you attempted to roll them down.

Meanwhile, Mingyu had just pulled off his underwear and was already sprinting towards the water, leaving you cursing under your breath as you finally managed to tug off the forsaken pair of leggings.

By the time you reached the edge of the lake, Mingyu was already in the water, watching you with twinkling eyes.

“About time, slow poke,” he teased.

You huffed, crouching down to get a feel of the water temperature. “You try wiggling out of a tight pair of leggings before you start calling me names.”

Mingyu slowly moved in closer, his eyes zoning in on the hand submerged in the water. “I’ll pass. I prefer watching you.”

“Of course you d— Gyu!” you squealed, totally ambushed by the hand clasping around your wrist and yanking you forward. You screamed as you lost your balance, landing face-first into the cold, icy water.

Your husband was having the time of his life, his head thrown back and his hand clutching his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably. You emerged a few seconds later, with your hair completely drenched and messed up from your fall.

“I hate you,” you sputtered, shooting daggers at the man in front of you.

“No, you love me.” He pouted, his eyes wide as he grasped your face between his hands.

“Stop giving me those eyes. I can’t believe you just did that.”

He smirked, dropping the puppy act just like that. “I told you I was full of surprises, didn’t I?”

“Little shit,” you hissed as you decided to hit him with a taste of his own medicine.

With a little wiggle, you escaped from his grasp and scooped up a huge handful of water before throwing it right in his face. Then when he was momentarily immobilized, you jumped on him and pushed him under, making sure that every single bit of him was submerged before you loosened your grip.

Mingyu appeared from the water with a loud gasp, his eyes instantly darkening as they settled back on your form.

“Oh, it’s on.”

From that point onward it was a full-on battle between the two of you. The once quiet and peaceful lake district was now filled with your screams and the repeated sounds of water splashing as you aimed for each other. Mingyu wasn’t making it easy for you, using his strength to trap you in his arms at every chance, splattering you with water until you were squirming in his grip.

You were just as ruthless, though, using your knowledge of his body and ticklish spots to lower his guards for the perfect strike. More often than not, it got you a few good splashes in before he regained his composure and the whole thing started all over again. It was easily some of the most fun you’d had in a while.

Currently, you were in the middle of tickling your husband’s underarms, giggling as he writhed underneath your touch, begging for your sweet mercy.

“Okay! Okay! Truce!” he heaved when he’d managed to escape from your clutches.

“Fine.” You chuckled at the sight of his flushed face. “I guess I can cut you some slack.”

“I was doing just fine actually,” he returned, grabbing you by the waist to pull you closer.

You smiled as you hooked your arms behind his neck. “Whatever makes you feel better, Gyu.”

“You’re lucky I love you, baby,” he mumbled, leaning in to nuzzle his nose against yours.

“I sure am,” you agreed, stealing a kiss from his pillowy lips.

“Remember how I said I’m full of surprises?”

“Uhu…”

His hands moved down to your legs, wrapping around your plush thighs as he wrapped them around his waist. “I got one more.”

You shivered at the way his dick brushed against your clit. “What’s that?”

“Why don’t you let me help get out, and I’ll show you?”

“Okay,” you breathed, already liking where this was going.

Mingyu offered you his hands after he’d hoisted himself out of the lake and you took them without hesitation, your gut clenching at the prospect of yet another surprise. He then led you back to the blanket and made you take a seat.

Your skin was covered in little goosebumps as you lowered yourself onto the blanket. The sudden change in temperature combined with the subtle breeze made you feel somewhat chilly, but it wasn’t unpleasant or unbearable in the slightest.

You waited patiently while Mingyu busied himself behind you, making sure to stick to your promise to not sneak a peek until he’d found what he was looking for.

When he finally spoke again, your body was tight with anticipation, and your mind had gone over about a hundred different possible scenarios – nearly all of them involving Mingyu’s large hands on your supple skin.

“I saved the best for last.” He took a seat behind you, his legs stretched out on either side of you. “Close your eyes, baby.”

You felt a jolt deep in the pit of your stomach as you did what he asked.

“Now lean your head back as far as you can.”

Again, you did exactly as he said. You only stopped moving when the back of your head hit what you assumed was his chest.

“Open your mouth.” His voice was low in your left ear, the deep sound sending a tingling sensation all the way down to your throbbing cunt.

Carefully, you parted your lips. A shaky breath left your lips as you awaited his next move. God knows this was Mingyu’s way of getting back at you for teasing him. It was a possibility you had considered, but you didn’t want to believe that your husband would ruin your good vibes by making you eat something disgusting.

The moment of truth arrived when your tongue came in contact with something… bumpy? And was that a hint of sweetness you detected? You resisted the urge to open your eyes. Instead, you slowly moved your tongue as you dared to explore further, now convinced that this was not one of Mingyu’s stupid pranks.

Feeling brave, you bit down, your teeth sinking into the juicy fruit you recognized as a strawberry. Your favorite. A little moan left your lips as you reveled in the flavors of the berry, the mix of sweet and sour prickling your taste buds in all the right places.

Mingyu watched closely as you enjoyed the treat, the fruit coating your succulent lips with sweet red juices. He never would have thought that the sight of you eating a regular strawberry could be such a turn-on, but here he was, hard as a rock and wishing he was that strawberry.

Not being able to control himself, he moved one of his hands to your chin and lowered his head before pressing his hungry lips to yours. His tongue swiped at your bottom lip to get a taste of the sweetness, and then he pulled back swiftly, which drew a needy whine from your throat.

“Good?”

Your eyes opened and you nodded, licking your lips to clean up the remaining strawberry juices. You didn’t miss the way Mingyu’s eyes flickered to your lips, or the sudden sharp intake of breath and the way his dick twitched against your lower back.

“Want another one?” You never nodded faster in your life.

Mingyu chuckled and grabbed another berry, this time allowing you to keep your eyes open as he brought the bright red fruit to your lips. Your eyes didn’t leave each other as you bit down, the sexual tension in the air only increasing with every fleeting second. The whole act made your pussy tingle all over, and you were having a hard time keeping your thoughts sane as Mingyu looked like he was seconds away from devouring you whole.

A couple of drops of strawberry juice escaped your lips as you chewed, trickling down the corners of your mouth and neck before you could realize it. Mingyu was quick to catch some of the droplets gliding down your neck, slowly trailing his index and middle fingers back up along the same path they came from.

You swallowed thickly when he pushed at your bottom lip. Your mouth automatically opened, your lips welcoming his fingers with a gentle suck while your tongue lapped at the juice he’d collected. Mingyu was a gone man as he watched you with a mouth stuffed full of his fingers. The way you were sucking and licking at his digits reminded him of the way you’d gone down on him just yesterday and the way you’d made him see stars with just a few simple touches. He couldn’t wait to return the favor.

Mingyu pulled his fingers from your hot mouth with a wet plop and immediately replaced them with his mouth, his tongue dancing with yours as his hand slid down to your breast. A shudder filled with arousal racked through you when his fingers closed around your stiff peak, softly tugging at it until your hips started to lift off the blanket.

“Easy, baby,” he grunted as he wrapped a strong arm around your middle to hold you down.

“Please, Gyu,” you wailed, grabbing onto the back of his neck to ground yourself.

His other hand dropped to your stomach, where he started to pinch your supple flesh. “Tell me what you need, baby.”

“Your fingers on my pussy.” You were so wet, that you were pretty sure three of his fingers could slide in without any resistance.

“Yeah?” He slid his hand to the inside of your thigh, his fingers caressing the skin for a moment before moving to circle your quivering nub. “Like this?”

“Shit, yes!” you cried, letting yourself fall back against your husband as you bent your knees up to your chest.

“What else?” he mumbled into your ear, his fingers slowing down ever so slightly as he awaited your answer.

You released a frustrated moan, your wide eyes moving to meet Mingyu’s ravenous ones. “Need you to put your fingers inside me and fuck me hard,” you breathed, feeling heat seep into your cheeks.

Mingyu shuddered against you as you spoke so brazenly. His cock was a leaking mess, dripping embarrassing amounts of pre-cum against your soft back as he thought of the ways he could make you come undone with his fingers. It was enough to get him into gear.

You released a high-pitched squeal as Mingyu gave you exactly what you needed. Two of his fingers greedily dipped inside your dripping cunt, curling against your slick walls until he’d found the spot he knew would make you fall apart at the seams.

“That what you wanted, baby?”

“Yes! Fuck, yes!” You shook, your body drenched with heat as you felt yourself already close from just a few rough strokes of his fingers.

“Listen to that sopping cunt.” Mingyu sped up the pace, his fingers hammering into your pussy with a strength that made the tension building up in your gut nearly unbearable.

“S-shit,” you hissed as a hand wrapped around your throat, forcing you to look at the man who was currently knuckle-deep inside your walls.

Mingyu growled as he applied a little pressure. “Cum on my fucking hand.”

And then suddenly you were flying, not able to hold back any longer. A string of curses left your lips as your legs began to tremble like crazy. Your nails desperately clawed at the skin of Mingyu’s neck, needing something to hold on to while the muscles of your vagina violently pulsed against the thick digits that were still pounding inside you.

It was too much, and you weren’t sure your sensitive cunt would be able to keep up in this state. In a feeble effort for mercy, you reached down to push at his strong arm, immediately feeling the way his muscles tightened as you applied some force, his bulging veins taunting you.

“Gyu,” you whined, trying to close your legs around his arm. But he quickly draped his legs over yours and ripped them back apart, his fingers never faltering as they sopped into your pussy.

“Be a good girl and take it,” your husband snarled, leaving you a whimpering mess in his arms.

In an attempt to even the score, you blindly reached behind you to grab onto the cock that had been firmly pressed up against your back this entire time. Your fingers squeezed tightly, sliding up from the base before pressing down on his leaking slit and spreading the gooey pre-cum all over the swollen head.

Mingyu choked on a moan at your unexpected move. The muscles in his abdomen tightened and the fingers locked inside your walls halted momentarily so his brain could register the sudden blissful sensation.

You stifled a giggle, biting down hard on your lip to try and hide your satisfaction.

“You think that’s funny, huh?” Mingyu mused darkly, lightly tightening his grip on your throat.

Oh oh.

You quickly shook your head. “No… no— fuck!”

But it was too late. Mingyu went right back to his brutal pace, pulling moan after moan from your lips while you wiggled in his tight hold. Your hand was weakly rubbing at his cock, your mind way too fogged up from the overstimulation that you could hardly control your limbs. Mingyu didn’t care, though. All he cared about at that moment was your pleasure and making you cum again with his fingers.

It didn’t take long before you reached said ecstasy once more, the pleasure hitting your body like a tidal wave breaking through the shore. A stream of arousal followed with it, gushing out of your cunt and completely drenching your inner thighs and Mingyu’s hand. You tightened your grip on his cock in response, triggering his impending orgasm as he began to shoot rope after rope of hot cum against your back with a sharp hiss.

The both of you laid there for a while, just basking in the warm afterglow of your highs, not saying a single thing as you tried to calm down your racing pulses. It was only when Mingyu’s watch started beeping that he shifted behind you.

“Is it time to go already?”

“I’m afraid so,” He carefully wiggled out from underneath you. “We still have quite some work to do.”

“Ugh, you’re right,” you sighed as you got up too, already dreading having to walk back and pack up.

Before you knew it all evidence of your raunchy sexcapade was gone, and you were back in your hiking gear, ready to make your way back to the camp. Mingyu took your hand inside his large one, giving it a gentle squeeze as he studied you for a moment.

“Ready to go?”

You nodded with a smile, allowing yourself one final look at the lake before you let him pull you along.

“I still can’t believe we did all those obscene things in public, by the way,” you said after a few minutes of walking.

“Oh believe it, baby. We did and it was fucking hot.” Mingyu wiggled his brows.

You laughed at his silliness. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I liked it more than I thought I would.”

“Yeah? Does that mean we might be doing this camping thing more often?” he asked hopefully.

“Possibly.” You shrugged. “It was a definite no at first, but these few days have kinda made me see things differently.”

“That’s the spir—” Mingyu abruptly stopped talking. You looked at him to see his eyes glued to the top of your head.

“What?” you asked nervously, turning your whole body to face him. “W-why are you looking at me like that?”

A grimace took over his features as he slowly raised his hands. “Okay, baby. Don’t panic, but there’s a little something in your hair.”

Dread filled your body.

“What?! What’s in my hair? Oh my god! Oh my god! Gyu, get it out!” you screamed, feeling like you could cry from the immense fear you were currently experiencing.

It took you at least a whole fifteen minutes to recover from the shock. Only after multiple thorough checks of your body and countless reassurances from Mingyu, were you able to calm down enough to resume your hike back to the camp.

“So…” Mingyu started after another few minutes of walking, “about that next camping trip…”

The terrifying look you threw him told him all he needed to know.

“If you think I want to go camping again after that shit, you’re out of your mind Kim Mingyu!”

Oh well, he tried.

© All rights reserved — ourdawnishotterthanourday // Please do not repost or edit any of my works without my permission!! If you see any of my works outside of this Tumblr, pls report it to me asap. Thank you in advance!

AND THAT’S ANOTHER WRAP!

I’m so glad I managed to finish up this fic and share it with you all!! Hope you enjoyed this next chapter of husband!Mingyu hehe! Would be amazing to hear your thoughts on it 🥹

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[darkbluekies]

GOLDEN TRIAL

Yandere!mafia x yandere!female!mafia x female!yandere x yandere!king x yandere!doctor x male!detective!reader

Summary: Its 1935 and you've been sent on the Liner Normandie to retrieve a stolen painting. You have six suspects and the clock is ticking — you only have four days before the ship reaches New York to find it. But soon, you find yourself caught up in something even more serious than you could have believed.

Warnings: getting hit in the head with a bottle, kidnapping, mentions of drugging, stalker behavior, light misogyny(?), guns, needles, violence

Word count: 11.7k

DAY 1 — Debark

The ship towers over you like a mad giant. Gray smoke rises from the two forward funnels. It’s the biggest in the world, bigger than any man made object that can float. You shake your head. Focus. You’re not here for pleasure. You continue your way over to the terminal. The agency sent you in hopes of finding the lost painting, no one else. You need to stay focused, they’re counting on you.

Without questioning, you give the fake ID to the man behind the desk. When you had started out as an agent, you were always nervous that your covers would be blown and you would be found out. Nowadays, you’ve noticed that if you look nervous, risk are that you’ll be asked questions. 

You walk over the gangway with your bag in hand. You have just above four days to find the painting — a very famous portrait of a woman with her head slightly turned to the viewer, wearing a big, blank pearl earring. It was stolen from the Mauritshuis in the Netherlands two weeks ago, and details have revealed that it has been taken to France, and will be moved to America on the SS Normandie. The painting itself isn’t insanely big, but the fuss about it’s disappearance is. You have to find it at all cost. 

Before you got here, you had time to take a look at the passenger list. There are six people you recognise, where of five could be your potential smugglers. 

Silas Achilleos, a mob boss wanted by the police, and his second in command. A man like him was probably not interested in paintings, but he could have clients who did. And those could pay him heaps of money. 

Edmund of Vesanus, a young king who likes the bachelor life. He surrounds himself with loads of women and alcohol, partying like nothing matters. He would take the painting because he doesn’t want anyone else to have it. He’s traveling with his doctor, a certain Karl Kry who you don’t know much about. 

Hedwig Carter, a young heiress who’s father is noble, and who's mother is famous in the acting business is traveling with a young woman named Jerry Kim, someone you guess is Hedwig’s chaperone. Hedwig is known for getting whatever she wants with a snap of her fingers, and if she wants a painting … she will get it. Jerry, however, does not have much information out in the open. Everything about her before she started to work for Hedwig is wiped away. You want to know who she is and where she comes from, and what she would want a painting for.

You walk down the stairs to your cabin on A-deck and start to pack up, using the second bed in the room to store your bag. After settling in, you decide to take a look around this magnificent vessel to get familiar with it. You make your way up to the promenade deck and give the open cinema by the stairs a quick look. You guess that they’re going to put on movies once the ship reaches open water. If you’re lucky you’ll see something interesting. And hopefully, you have the time to watch it. 

The promenade is enclosed decorated with a gray floor, comfortable deck chairs and clear windows. A line in the tricolor fashion runs along the floor, as if to show where to walk. You walk on the line, flashing a little childish smile. You’ve left Le Havre and are on your way out towards the Atlantic’s open arms. The clock is ticking. 

Your eyes lock onto someone walking towards you and you immediately realize that it is Hedwig and her chaperone, an east asian girl … wearing pants and a long sleeved shirt. You don’t realize how obvious it is that you’re staring until the woman opens her mouth and you realize that they’ve stopped right in front of you. 

“What are you staring at, sir?” she asks, raising her eyebrows and putting her hands in her pockets. “If you want to say something, do it.”

“No—no, sorry”, you say quickly, feeling your cheeks heat up. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

“Tell me, do you approve of women who wear pants?” 

It sure looks weird, but is it? When you think about it, aren't pants just pieces of the same fabric as skirts, just sewn differently?

“Uh, I … suppose so.”

To that, Jerry nods approvingly.

“I don’t see why only men should wear pants”, she says.

“Well, I don't feel comfortable wearing them”, Hedwig chuckles nervously and smiles softly. “But they fit you, Jerry. They really do.”

“You must be miss Carter”, you say, as if you don't know, and shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, please call me Hedwig! Who are you?” 

“I’m Axel Ainsworth, I'm in the art industry.”

Hedwig’s smile widens. “That is very interesting, I love art. Especially portraits. Capturing humanity’s differences and details are magical. Don’t you think so, Jerry?”

“I’m more for that new thing — surrealism, I think it’s called — where everything is here and there and weird to believe”, Jerry says, shrugging. “But portraits can be okay too, depending on what type.” 

Hedwig has turned her eyes to you, glued them onto you as if you are the only thing she could ever see. “Are you traveling alone, mister Ainsworth?” she asks. 

You have remembered your entire forged background and learned it skillfully. Even your fake name rolls off the tongue as smoothly as if it was your real name. You're traveling alone because you're on your way home to your fiancé from a business trip. 

“I see”, Hedwig smiles and turns to the woman next to her. “Let me introduce you to my chaperone, miss Jerry Kim. You're always welcome to sit with us during dinner. We'd be more than happy to accompany you.”

“I'm grateful to know that, miss.”

With that said, the two women walk away. You frown and sigh. Hedwig seems like a very sweet young woman, it’d be a shame if it was her who was the culprit. Her chaperone, on the other hand, gives you weird vibes. Something about the look in her eyes … as if she’s looking right through you, scanning you. 

You continue down the promenade until you turn into the Winter Garden, a half moon-shaped room full of plants and lamps and big, wide windows, overlooking the special shaped bow that has given Normandie the speed it has. Passengers have already started gathering in the Winter Garden to talk to friends and family and watch how Normandie makes her way out onto the Atlantic. None of them resembles the men you’re looking for. You continue your way through the ship, eventually finding yourself in the smoking room on the embarkment deck, where you had stepped onto the ship. You had only glanced at the room before, but now when you’re standing in the smoking room — and very well the lounge since they’re connected — you realize how stupid you must have been to miss it. There must be ten meters up to the ceiling, you think, and bigger than a concert hall. A long, grey staircase leads up to the outside deck. The art deco interior is modern and sleek, but the whip overall has a classic, conservative design that reminds you of the great liners of the old age. You sigh while thinking of the Mauretania and the Olympic, Britain's biggest rivals which now are laid up in Jarrowtown, side by side, ready to be scrapped. There’s something melancholy about it all, and at the same time something beautiful, starting as enemies and now ending it all under the same flag, together. 

You shake your head. Focus. Your eyes catch someone standing by the windows, someone very familiar. Silas and his right hand man. You move closer, trying to hear what they’re talking about.

“I’m not complaining, I just think that it is annoying that it has to take four days to get to America”, Silas mutters and takes a whiff off his cigar. 

“Any other ship would take double the time, sir”, his second in command says apologetically. “I doublechecked.”

“I don’t like being in one place for too long.”

“See it as a vacation. You’re deserving of it. Let’s enjoy some good food, alcohol and some company. It’ll do you good.”

“I don’t like to be in one place too long. Especially when we know that they're on board!”

You furrow your brows. Who?

“Nothing will happen.”

Silas hums and smokes again. You’ve stood by the windows a few meters away, pretending to be interested in the horizon. Silas turns his eyes to you. 

“You, sir”, he says, pointing at you with his cigar. 

You look away from the ocean. Both Silas and his second in command have turned to you, their dark eyes looking right at you. 

“Yes?” you ask. 

“Is it true that the Normandie keeps her speed?” Silas asks. “No matter the weather?”

“I believe so, sir.”

Silas nods in satisfaction. “Good.”

You decide to try to get some information out of him. You know who he is, but he doesn’t know who you are, doesn’t know that you’re out to get him. To him, you’re just another first class passenger. 

“Are you in a hurry?” you wonder. 

“You could say that”, Silas sighs and turns his eyes out the window again. 

You hold out your hand. “I’m Axel Ainsworth.”

Silas second in command gives him a short look before his boss shakes your hand. His grip is hard, firm. 

“You can call me Silas”, he says. “No need for a surname.” He takes another blow on the cigar. “What brings you out on the ocean like this?”

“I’ve been on a business trip, but now I’m going home to my fiancé”, you say, pretending to smile at the thought of your made up fiancé.

“What business are you in?”

“Art.”

Silas lifts one of black his eyebrows. “Art?”

His second in command straightens his back. 

“Yes, sir”, you say. 

“Are you a … painter?” Silas wonders. 

“God no, I can’t handle a brush even if my life depended on it. I’m an art trader, I help people sell their paintings for the right price.”

“I see. Well, one can’t do everything.” He blows a cloud of smoke. “Have you traveled on this ship before, Axel?”

“No, it’s my first time. But I’m not unfamiliar with the ocean, I used to travel a lot on the older ships in my younger days.”

“Then I suppose you have a favorite?”

You think for a second. “I did like that Cunarder, the Lusitania … such a shame Germany sunk it.”

“You never know which ships are safe or not, just look at that Titanic fiasco. They thought it was the safest ship afloat. Yeah, sure it was.” Silas shrugs. “Wouldn’t surprise if this peace of junk also sinks. Why wouldn’t it?”

“Well …”

Silas’s second in command taps him on the shoulder and whispers something in his ear. Silas frowns and nods before turning to you. 

“It was nice speaking with you, but I have some business to deal with”, he says shortly. 

“Have a good day”, you say. 

Silas nods politely and leaves. You follow him and his second in command with your eyes until they’ve left the smoking room. He was nicer than you had anticipated. 

Your next suspect, you find in the dining hall that evening. You’ve met up with Hedwig and Jerry in the reception. Hedwig is wearing a pink evening gown with pink gloves. Her honey blonde hair is curled and put up with hairpins. Jerry is wearing a dark purple, sleeveless dress, showing a couple tattoos. In her short, black hair, there’s a little decoration that reminds you of a flower. She's wearing dark lipstick, in contrast to Hedwig who wears a Hollywood red.

“They wouldn’t let me in unless I dressed ladylike”, she mutters. 

“I think that you look gorgeous, Jerry”, Hedwig smiles and takes her hand. 

“I guess that it isn’t that bad.”

“I like your tattoos”, you say. “Where did you get them from?”

“A tattoo artist, of course.” She then twists her arm to show something on the inner side of her bicep. “Okay, I made this one myself.”

You step closer, seeing a small heart tattooed on her arm. 

“That’s cute”, you smile. 

“Thank you”, Jerry smiles smugly. “Hurts like hell though.”

“I can imagine.”

The stewards allow you into the dining room and — for what feels like the thousand time today — you’re amazed by the interior. Silver walls with golden ceiling and art decor wherever you could see. In the middle of the long dining hall, there’s a gigantic, golden statue of a woman. 

Hedwig and Jerry leads you to a table and sit down. That’s when you see your last suspects. They’re walking through the dining hall, dressed in tuxedos. The king can’t be more than twenty years old. His doctor is a minimum of fifteen years older. 

“You son of a bitch”, he says suddenly and looks at the table you’re sitting at. “Hedwig?”

Hedwig’s eyes widen in shock.

“Edmund, what are you doing here?” she asks with a smile. “Sit with us, please.”

The king and his doctor sit down at your table. 

“Good evening”, the blonde doctor says and shakes yours and Jerry's hand before introducing himself. “I’m Doctor Kry.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Axel Ainsworth”, you say. 

“This is king Edmund.”

You’re about to shake his hand, but Doctor Kry removes your hand. 

“I’m sorry, but he doesn’t shake people’s hands”, he whispers. 

“Oh, I see”, you say. 

The king gives you a bored look. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, your majesty”, you tell him politely. 

“How do you know Hedwig?” he asks shortly. “I haven’t seen you before.”

“We met today”, Hedwig smiles. “Axel, Edmund is my relative. It’s been months since we last saw each other.”

“I’ve told you to visit.”

“I know.”

“Are you that much of a hypochondriac that you need a doctor to accompany you while you’re traveling?” Jerry chuckles. 

“What are you doing here, Jerry?” Edmund mutters coldly. 

“She’s my chaperone”, Hedwig explains.

“Oh fuck me.”

“Your majesty, maybe you should think about your language”, Doctor Kry says. “We are around others.”

Edmund rolls his eyes before looking at you in a bored manner. 

“Tell me”, he says, “where do you come from, mister Ainsworth?”

You ramble your rehearsed background. Edmund nods along with you.

“I’ve always wanted to visit that place”, Doctor Kry says. “I’ve heard that it is a beautiful city.”

“It is”, you say. 

“And now you’re going to America”, Edmund says. “What were you doing in France?”

“I was on a business trip.”

“What type?”

It strikes you as odd. He doesn’t sound interested, but still he asks you curious questions. 

“I’m in the art business”, you say.

“What for?” Edmund wonders.

“Art is beautiful and should be getting what it is worth.”

“I like art”, Doctor Kry. “I would do anything to see the Mona Lisa.”

“Why didn’t you visit it when you were in France?” Hedwig wonders. 

“We didn’t have time … Edmund didn’t want to go there.”

“Why should I squash together with other people to see paintings?” Edmund scoffs. “If I want to see a painting, I get it for myself. That’s that.”

“But do you like art, your majesty?” you ask. 

“Everyone likes art”, Edmund replies nonchalantly. “That’s what gives life meaning.”

“Have you read a certain story, Edmund, called ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’?” Jerry asks with a teasing smile. “Thought that it’d fit you.”

The story is about a man who wants nothing more than to remain youthful … to the point where he has a painting of himself where all of his sins can be seen. In the end, the picture is as gruesome as can be, but Dorian himself is as youthful as he started.

“Oh, shut up, Jerry”, Edmund mutters angrily. “One day, I’ll teach you manners, believe me.”

Jerry smirks. 

You eat dinner together with the young king and the doctor. Afterward, to soothe your aching stomach, the five of you walk up to the outside promenade deck to get some fresh air. You strut under the lifeboats, under the stars. Above you, a big luminous sign spells out the name 'NORMANDIE’, casting a soft light on you. Doctor Kry has lent his blazer to Hedwig, and you’ve tried to offer yours to Jerry who refused before you had the time to open your mouth.

“Ladies, I think it’s time for you to retreat”, Edmund says, sounding sweeter than before. “It’s starting to get late.”

“The evening is young”, Jerry insists. 

“I’m tired”, Hedwig yawns.  

“Jerry, be a good girl and bring Hedwig to your cabin”, Edmund grits. “Please. I’m not fighting with you again.”

Jerry rolls her eyes, removes the doctor’s blazer and tells you goodnight. Hedwig gives you and Edmund a hug. Her flowery perfume clogs up your nose, dulls your head for a moment. The three of you wish the girls a pleasant evening and continue walking. 

“Hedwig is a stupid girl”, Edmund says, strolling slowly. “One can’t help but want to take care of her.”

“She seems very sweet”, you admit. 

“She is. Just very naive. I’ve promised her father that I’m going to take care of her whenever I meet her.”

“Her chaperone is … interesting”, Doctor Kry remarks. 

“God, yes, I hate her!”

“What is it about her that you don’t like?” you ask curiously. 

“I do not like girls like her. Did you see her tattoos? She often walks around in man’s clothing and I don’t think it’s fitting for a woman — especially someone that is close to my relative. I don’t want her influencing Hedwig.”

“I don’t think you have to worry, your majesty”, Doctor Kry says calmly. “I think Hedwig is going to be okay.”

“If there’s one thing I’m glad for, it is that Hedwig is predictable.” He groans. “I need a cigar. Let’s go to the smoking room.” Edmund turns around to give you a look. “Axel, are you joining?” 

“I don’t know”, you reply. “It’s the first day, I’m still tired from embarking.”

“Don’t tell me that you’re going to bed now.” He looks at his expensive watch. “The clock is ten. Stay one hour.”

You give up and follow them to the smoking room. Maybe it is for the best. If you want to get close to them, you’ll need to spend as much time observing them as you can. 

Sitting with them in the smoking room, you find that Silas and his second in command aren't here among the other men. You frown, thinking that they would be here since they were earlier. 

When you’re allowed to leave, two hours later, your mind is fogged up by smoke and whiskey. You make your way through the empty corridors to your cabin, closing and locking it behind you. Tiredly, you sink down on your bed and sigh out. You have observed them, and talked with them the entire day, and yet you haven’t figured out who could be hiding the painting. They all seem interested in art. They all could have taken it. 

There's so many questions. What kind of doctor is Kry? Where did Jerry come from and why is there no information about her? Why would someone like Hedwig hire her as her chaperone? And who is that person that Silas doesn't want on board? Is there someone you haven't accounted for, someone else that can have stolen the painting?

You hide your face in your hands and groan. Three days left.

DAY 2 — Sea

You wake up early, get ready and head out into the corridor. You lock the cabin door behind you, feeling the handle to make sure that it is locked and make your way to the Winter Garden to have a cup of coffee. The large windows give you a wide view of the calm ocean. The sun rises up from the blue water in a magical sense that has you hypnotized. It's all so very quiet and relaxing.

After your cup of coffee, you stretch your muscles, and contemplate going down to the swimming pool to take a few laps, to warm up your muscles and clear your head for the day's work. You pay the purser and make your way down to the swimming pool on D deck. The tile walls are covered with art that reminds you of ancient Greece and the new, abstract type of paint. The pool itself was formed as a long rectangle with curved corners, green steel ladders, and a steep and a shallow part. Throughout the shallow part, there were thick, dull spikes, likely to stop children from going out into the deep end. 

Despite being the early hours of the first morning on board, someone is already in the water. Doctor Kry.

“Good morning”, he says. “You’re up early.”

“So are you”, you reply.

“I always need to clear my head before starting the day.”

“What about the king? Is he swimming too?”

“Don't kid around. He doesn’t wake up until nine. I wouldn’t be able to get him out of bed before that anyways. He’s a very deep sleeper and hates getting woken up.”

You feel your heart skip a beat. 

“Where do you have your cabin?” you ask. 

“On the promenade deck, one of the suites. A-54.”

Bingo. 

“Why do you ask?” Doctor Kry wonders.

“I was just thinking that since the king doesn't want to be disturbed, choosing the right cabin place is important.”

“Did we choose a good cabin then?”

You nod, despite not knowing a single thing about cabin placements. The only thing you're aware of is to be as far away from the noisy engine room as possible.

Perhaps if you asked the purser, you could get the number of the other cabins. He, if anyone, should have the passenger list. 

You glance back at Doctor Kry who's still hanging by the side of the pool. This is your time to investigate him. You slowly get into the water.

“Such a shame that you didn't get to visit the Mona Lisa”, you say as you start to swim. “It's a very pretty painting.”

“So I've heard”, Doctor Kry says slowly.

“My favorite painting is ‘the girl with the pearl earrings’, have you had the opportunity to see it?”

He's quiet for a second.

“I haven't”, he says, sounding low. “I guess that, an art trader like you, must be troubled by its disappearance.”

“Of course”, you answer.  

At this point, a detective and an art trader don't seem like different things, especially since both would be looking for the same thing.

“Can I ask you something?” you wonder.

“It depends”, Doctor Kry says. “Go ahead.”

“Forgive me for being nosy, but why doesn't his majesty like Jerry?”

“He is very old fashioned. He doesn't think that women should be dressed in pants or have tattoos. Edmund is very self centered, yes, but he's also very possessive of the ones he holds dear — example being miss Hedwig. As you may know, his parents were murdered by enemies to the monarchy and ever since, the only relatives that have been in his life have been Hedwig and her family. They're very close in age too — Hedwig being eighteen and Edmund nineteen — which has been a very important thing for him. He sees her as a friend, maybe his only friend. So having someone that could potentially blemish his friend and only family is a threat to Edmund.”

“Then why does Hedwig have Jerry?”

“I don't know. It could be because of a teenage revolt. Jerry is different to everything that Hedwig has ever known … and now that she's eighteen she might want to try something new.”

“Do you think that Edmund is worried about her? Because of Jerry?”

“I wouldn't say worried, because the only thing the king worries about is himself, but I think that there's something along those lines. I think that he sees Hedwig as an extended part of himself rather than her own person.”

You nod carefully.

“I wonder where Hedwig found Jerry”  you say. “How someone like her could get the job as Hedwig’s chaperone. Do you know where she comes from?”

Doctors Kry suddenly laughs.

“You ask an awful amount of questions this early in the morning”, he says and gets out of the water. “I'm sorry, I don't have more answers for you, Axel.”

You look up at him, where he stands on the tile floor. He looks down at you with a small smirk.

“You remind me of a little boy”, he says and lowers his eyes onto your physic. “You're awfully trained to be an art trader. One could think that you were an Olympian.”

“Shouldn't a doctor be pleased that I am taking care of myself?”

“I am. You look good, healthy.  Just found it humorous.” He wipes away a few drops of water trying to go into his blue eyes. “I suppose that I will see you later. Goodbye, Axel.”

“Goodbye.”

You decide to do a few more laps around the swimming pool before getting up and drying yourself. Tomorrow morning, you will sneak into Edmund’s and Doctor Kry’s cabin to see if the painting is in there. But for now, you need to go to the purser. 

You change into your suit. In the front pocket, you keep a little commonplace book to take notes. You  make your way back to the pursers office. The man behind the desk gives you a service smile and asks how he can help you. 

“Do you happen to have the passenger list?” you ask. “I would like to know where some people’s cabins are located.”

“What is your name?” the purser wonders. 

“Axel Ainsworth.”

“Who are you wanting to find?”

“Hedwig Carter and Silas Achilleos.”

The purser disappears into his office. You wait impatiently, suddenly feeling watched. Carefully, you glance over your shoulder, but the only ones in eyesight are two men who are conversing. The purser returns. You fish out your notebook, ready to note it down. 

“Miss Carter has cabin B-23 and Mister Achilleos has cabin A-11.”

You write it down. “Thank you.”

With that said, you leave to go to the staircase. You’re not sure where to go, so you decide to take a stroll down the enclosed promenade while thinking. Doctor Kry knows more, you think, but he doesn’t want to tell. 

You sit down on one of the deck chairs to write down what you have gotten to know, so that you won’t forget any important information. You write down the suspects' motives to steal the painting, Silas’s weird enemy, their relation to each other — which only connects Edmund, Kry, Jerry and Hedwig — as well as the answers that you have gotten from Doctor Kry earlier today. Who has the painting? Your first instinct says that Doctor Kry doesn’t have it, because he’s not interested in that painting. Had it been the Mona Lisa, things would have been different, but this painting doesn’t interest him. That doesn’t mean that the painting couldn’t be in his room, though, because Edmund could still want to have it. 

You stand up after a while and continue walking. Your eyes fixate on something in the distance. A woman dressed in pants talking to a man in a suit that seems to be hiding in the corner of the promenade. You frown. 

What does Jerry have to do with Silas's second in command? 

You want to move closer, but you don’t want to expose yourself. You’ll have to change the relations in your notes, because there’s clearly something more than you’ve been led to know. 

What if Jerry’s lack of background has something to do with the mafia? It would explain her tattoos … that or being a sailor. But because of what you've just witnessed you can most likely scratch the latter. A shiver runs down your spine. If Jerry is dangerous, then Hedwig could be too. You stop in your tracks. Hedwig? Really? Edmund said it himself, she's a stupid, naive girl. Could she be dangerous?

You walk up to the open deck in the stern of the first class accommodations where you find a few kids playing something reminding you of curling. You sit down on the zig-zag benches placed out on the deck and watch them. They notice you looking and ask you to join them, so you do. You decide that maybe you can pleasure yourself in a harmless children's game for a few minutes, and continue the mission after.

When lunchtime rolls around, you make your way down to the dining hall. It's emptier than yesterday evening. You find Silas and his second in command sit by a table. Silas notices you and waves you over. Your feet bring you to him.

“Sorry to cut our talk short yesterday, Axel”, he says politely and gesticulates at the chair in front of him. “Sit down. Let me buy you lunch.”

And so, he does. You sit down and try your best not to glance at the second in command who’s black eyes burn through you. Your stomach twists. 

You both get lamb, something you have eaten many times before. Still, it tastes better at sea.

“What did you say that you were here for again?” Silas asks suddenly as he’s cutting his meat.

His voice sounds different from yesterday. You clear your throat to make sure that your voice won’t shiver.

“I’ve been on a business trip”, you say. “And now I’m going home.”

“Yes, yes, I know that. What I mean is that you didn’t tell me why you were in France. What kind of business trip was it? What did you do? I know that you were there for art, but what do one do on an art business trip? You have to forgive me for being curious.”

“I was meeting some people from the Louvre.”

“I see. About what?”

“Art’s future, how to make sure they don’t break or smudge or get tainted by the sun. And how to protect them. You must have heard about ‘the girl with the pearl earrings’ missing?”

“Yes, of course. Isn’t it weird that someone would steal that painting? Why not a Monet painting? Or the Mona lisa?”

“I don’t know. Maybe taking one of them would be too big of a deal. Maybe the one taking the painting thought that since it isn’t one of the most cherished, they’d have an easier time taking it … that the commotion about it would die out sooner or later.”

“Perhaps.” 

You’ve noticed that you haven’t heard the second in command’s voice at all, beside the talk he had with Silas yesterday. He doesn’t speak to anyone else than Silas … and Jerry. You still don’t dare look at him, scared that he will see right through you and know that you’ve seen him talk to her. You wonder what they were talking about.

“Did you have a good time yesterday?” Silas asks.

“Yes, I did”, you reply.

“Did you meet someone?”

“No, I didn’t. I chit-chatted with some people here and there, but kept mostly to myself.”

“You do good in that. You never know who you can trust on a big ship as this. You never know who wants you good or not.”

“Why are you traveling, Silas?” you ask innocently. “You said that you were impatient to get to America. Is there a reason?”

“Of course. Everything has a reason. But I don’t think I can share that with you. At least I shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

Silas turns his black eyes to you and smiles slightly. His hungry gaze makes you freeze. He had seemed so sweet yesterday, but you finally see a slice of what makes him so terrifying. 

“Because someone like you shouldn’t know that”, he smiles. 

“I understand”, you say and take a piece of food into your mouth, to avoid speaking further.

“You have to excuse my man here”, Silas says and nods at his second in command. “He’s the shy type. He goes wherever I go, so you have to get used to him.”

“Is he your bodyguard?” you wonder. 

“You could say that. But I’m always prepared in case someone wants to attack me.”

He opens his blazer, showing you a revolver tucked into the fabric. You have your own in your suitcase. Walking around with it feels too risky, but maybe you’ll have to go get it. In case anything happens.

After lunch, you’re left with a weird feeling in your stomach. You have talked with him for an hour, about everything between heaven and earth … and yet it feels like you have been having two conversations in one — one on the surface and one real. 

You walk to your cabin and press down the door handle and walk into the room. The first thing that strikes you as odd is that there’s a new smell in the air. A flowery scent. You can swear that you have felt it before. Without a second to waste, you open your bag and pick up your gun, putting it in your suit. Quickly, you turn around, realizing something. Didn’t you lock the door when you went out this morning?

That evening, you spend dinner with the two girls and stay in the smoking room with Edmund for what feels like an eternity. Edmund wants to play a deck of cards with you. He seems a bit more relaxed than yesterday and even smiles a bit. 

After your games against Edmund, you decide to retreat. You walk down the long, dimly lit corridor. The narrow spaces feel almost ominous at night time, although barely any daylight reaches here at daytime either. You glance over your shoulder every tenth step, hesitating, can't help but feel watched. Your hand reaches for your gun, but before you have time to get it, someone reaches up behind you and smashes something heavy in your head. Everything turns black.

DAY 3 — SEA

“He's waking up.”

Your eyes feel like lead, and your head is even heavier. It takes a few tries to open your eyes and when you finally manage to, you want nothing more than to close them again. For a few seconds, you wonder if you're dreaming. They're all here, looking down at you. You look around and notice that they've tied your hands and feet, and left you on the floor at the end of the bed, with your back against the footrest.

You catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall. Just a bit past one in the morning. The third day has begun. You have been blacked out for three hours.

Your head is pounding, making it hard to think clearly.

Jerry bends down, grabs your chin and turns your head back and forth to inspect the damage caused on your head.

“He'll live”, she says and gives your cheek a quick, but harsh, tap.

“Well, well, Y/N”, Silas says, smirking. “You're a bit nosy aren't you?”

The mention of your name causes you to twitch and widen your eyes. In your dulled stage, you wonder if you've heard wrong, but the smirk in their faces confirm that you have, indeed, not lost your hearing.

“So, you were the agent”, Silas continues and shrugs. “I gotta admit, I was hoping that it wasn't you.”

“You were smart-”, Doctor Kry starts. 

“But not smart enough”, Edmund cuts him off sharply with his arms crossed over his chest. “‘Art dealer’, yeah, sure. A detective dealing with art. That's not the same, Y/N, if you didn't know that.”

Silas picks up something from his pocket, a small commonplace book. 

“‘Suspects are all interested in art, could be any of them’”, he reads out loud. “‘J involved with S? Talked with SIC.’ Jerry? Involved with me? Talked with my second in command? You seem to have it all written down.”

“I was involved with Silas”, Jerry says. “I know his second in command very well.”

“How—How did you … know?” you ask, baffled. “Were you all in on it?”

“Not from the start, no”, Doctor Kry says. “I only knew Edmund and had met Hedwig before. I didn’t even know Jerry, Silas or his second in command.”

You quickly realize that Jerry is the linking chain between them. She linked Hedwig, Edmund and Kry to Silas and his second in command. 

“I had already been informed and knew that there would be someone on this ship out to get me”, Silas says. “I heard that Jerry was on board and caught up with her. She told me that she and Hedwig had met you. It was her that thought it was weird that you asked all of us about art. My men dug, and found out your real identity. My men saw you speaking with the purser, hearing you ask for our cabins and decided to tell it all to me and my second in command, who told Jerry … who told the others.”

“You have more men?” you ask and can’t hide how shocked you get.

“Of course. You don’t think I would go on board with only one man? Do you think I'm stupid, darling? You, on the other hand, probably should have had someone, at least.” 

“Awfully inconsiderate of your bosses, don't you think, to send you all alone?” Jerry says.

“You were looking for this, weren’t you?” Edmund asks and pulls out something from a wooden box behind him. 

You stare at it with wide eyes. The painting.

“Who—Who had it?” you can’t help but question, gulping between the first word. 

“Me, of course”, Edmund says with an offended, yet proud scoff. “It will do nicely in my castle.”

“Now, little Y/N, you know”, Silas says. “Are you happy now? Your mystery is solved.”

Your head hurts too much to answer. You’re not sure if you’re happy. You have learned where the painting disappeared, but you’re tied and hurt, and in the enemies’ grasp. A mixed bag, so to say. 

“I can’t watch the blood”, Hedwig suddenly says and stands up from the armchair she's sitting on. 

She has been the only one that hasn’t smirked at you and seems genuinely apologetic that you're here, but you don't trust that damsel in distress look anymore. She pushes through the others to reach you with a wet handkerchief in her hands. Carefully, she kneels down in front of you and wipes the wet cloth against your forehead. She wipes away the dried blood gently.

“What are you going to do now?” you spit, coming your head to the side. “Throw me overboard?”

“Not exactly”, Silas says, smiling menacingly. 

“Not yet, at least”, Jerry says, grinning.

“If I don't meet my contact in New York, people will know that something has happened to me”, you say coldly. “They'll hunt you down.”

“Oh, will they now? I didn't realize that we had stolen their golden boy.” Silas's cruel smile widens. “Well, Golden Boy, plans seem to have changed.”

You glare at him in confusion. Silas pets your head twice and you hiss at the painful touch. Whatever they hit you with, it must have caused a gigantic bruise.

“Seems like we have to keep you for a while”, he says. “But you will have to stay in here, I’m afraid. You probably understand that we cannot let someone like you wander around the ship.”

You glare at him.

“Do you really think ropes will stop me?” you ask. “I'll be out of here in no time.”

“I would very much like for you to see what we do to you if you decide to break free.” He gives you a testing look before turning to his new companions. “Oh, and one more thing …” He picks up a familiar revolver, spinning it around his hand. “... thank you for the free gun.”

You want to curse at him, but keep quiet for your own sake.

“It's late, the ladies should head to bed”, he says, gesturing for Hedwig and Jerry to leave. “We need to keep someone here to make sure that our little Golden Boy won't free himself and run around, causing trouble.”

“I can take the first shift”, Doctor Kry says and golds up a syringe filled with a translucent liquid.

“Do not harm him, you hear me?” Silas tells him warningly. “I want him alive, coherent and unharmed.”

“Where am I supposed to sleep?” Edmund questions angrily. “In this cabin? Now that I'll have people staring at me?”

“You and Doctor Kry will take Y/N’s cabin”, Silas says.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Stop being so spoiled, your majesty.”

“Won't that be suspicious?” Silas’s second in command questions. “If they see the young king exit and enter someone else's cabin instead of his own?”

“No one knows his cabin”, Silas says as if things were obvious. “Besides, we're in New York tomorrow anyways. It won't be a problem.” He turns to the others. “Scatter.”

The five of them walk out, leaving you and Doctor Kry alone. The doctor sits down in one of the two armchairs in front of you with a long, tired sigh. In his hand, he twirls the syringe.

“What is that?” you mutter.

“Something that will make you go to sleep if you're trying to escape”, Doctor Kry says simply, as if he was talking about watering flowers.

“Why did you hit me in the head if you had that instead?” you ask bitterly.

“Because it wasn't me, it was the second in command and Jerry.”

“Did you lie down in the swimming pool? About not knowing where Jerry came from?”

“No, Y/N, why would I? I told you that I didn't know anything. I didn't get to know until this afternoon.”

“And yet you're quick to jump the wagon to get me killed. I thought doctors were supposed to be nice.”

“I’ve never said that I was nice.”

“What do you gain from this? Why do you want to engage in collusion with people like this? What kind of doctor even are you?”

“Still, with all these questions … look, Y/N, it’s late. You’d do good in trying to get some sleep.”

“On the floor? With my head pounding in pain? With my hands and feet tied?”

“Suit yourself.”

There’s a deadly silence after that. You listen to the sounds the Normandie creates, and somehow wishes that she could save you, but you’re trapped within her, there’s nothing to be done. You rest your head back onto the edge of the footrest and sigh heavily. Doctor Kry looks at his syringe as if it is the most interesting thing he has ever witnessed.

“I'm thirsty”, you say after a while. 

Doctor Kry stands up, walks over to the dressing table where a crystal carafe is waiting and pours you a glass. He returns to you and holds the glass to your lips, making you drink. You gulp it down and breathe heavily. Doctor Kry returns to his armchair. 

You don't know how long you've been sitting on the floor before you start to fall asleep. You thought that you wouldn't, not in this position (figuratively and literally) but you somehow fall asleep. 

“Wakey wakey, Golden Boy.”

You feel someone poke your head to the side multiple times and open your eyes to see Jerry hold a stick in her hand which she's using to poke your head.

“It's morning”, she says.

You groan groggily. She imitates you and chuckles.

“Did you have a pleasant night?” she teases.

You decide not to answer, not to humor her further. Your eyes draft onto a silver tray on the table.

“Yes, that's your breakfast”, Jerry says and lifts the tray, putting it on the floor in front of you before sitting down. 

She picks up a piece of toast and holds it to your mouth. You take a bite, feeling more humiliated than ever. If only you knew that this was where you'd end up when you stepped on board in France.

“We will be in New York tomorrow”, Jerry says, holding the toast to your lips. “And we'll sneak both you and the painting past your contact.”

“It's just a painting”, you say cluelessly. “Why do you all want it so much?”

“I’m not particularly interested in the painting, but I know that Edmund and Hedwig are.”

“Why?”

“Art nerds.”

“Is it even selling for much?”

“It is — if you give it to the right consumer.”

“And you? What do you gain from this?”

“The thing isn’t about what I gain, it is what I lose … in case I let you roam freely. I don’t trust what you will do with the painting or it’s contents. Plus, you know who I am. If you wouldn’t have stuck your nosy head in everything, you wouldn’t have any problem with me.”

You suddenly realize something. 

“Jerry, I need to go to the bathroom”, you say. “I haven’t been to the bathroom since before you knocked me in the head.”

She sighs heavily. “Alright, come here.”

Before pulling you up on your feet, she unties them. You stumble, almost falling on Jerry. 

“Watch it, big boy”, she warns you. “If you knock me down I’m kicking you between your legs until you can’t have children.”

“If you hadn’t tied my feet, I would actually have blood in them. I can’t feel them.”

She unties your hands bitterly. You make your way into the bathroom and catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. Hedwig had wiped away some of the blood, but there were still traces of it in your scalp. You sigh heavily. What should you do? Finally, your hands and feet are free, but you aren’t yet. And — after a quick look around — there’s no way out. The only way out is through the door which Jerry is guarding. 

You could perhaps get out by defeating Jerry, but you have something against fighting women. But, then again, she had knocked you with — what you guess was — a glass bottle. You look around for something that can help you and lay your eyes on a metal bar over the bathtub, used to pull one up. Without a second thought and will all your might, you rip it off. You give it a few squeezes, feeling if it could be strong enough to be used as a weapon and trying to find a comfortable, yet strong, grip. 

You open the door quickly and swing the metal bar towards Jerry. She tries to grab it out of your hands but you push her off and knock her to the ground with the bar. You're not sure how hard you are hitting her, but it's enough force to keep her down. Quickly, you make your way past her and storm out of the cabin, almost crashing into the opposite wall in the corridor. You look around quickly, trying to think of where to go. After what Silas said, that he has more men than just his second in command lurking around, you're not sure who you can be seen by. You need to find an officer. You need to get higher.

Shit, the painting!

Your heart is beating loudly in your chest as you scurry back into the cabin. Jerry is lying on the floor, unconscious, and you almost feel bad for knocking her, but you know that it had to be done. It was her or you. Quickly, you open the wooden box and fish out the painting, tucking it under your arm. You can't hide it in your cabin, not when they know about it. You have to dispose of it somewhere safe.

Every step you take is careful, planned and mortified. You clutch the painting tightly, as if it is life itself.

Moving through the long corridor, you're certain that someone will jump out behind a corner and knock you out, like yesterday. Adrenaline is pumping through your veins, almost making you nauseous. You continue through the corridor, over to the hall with the staircases. Your suit has dried blood on it, you look (and feel) manic, will anyone take you seriously?

You freeze as you see a pair of eyes on you. Kry. His blue eyes seem to darken as he notices you, and the painting.

Quickly, you throw yourself into the elevator, and press a random button, wanting the doors to close before Doctor Kry reaches you. And they do, but when you look at the display beside you, you're going the opposite to where you need to go. New plan, you think, I have to sneak into tourist class — or third class, whatever gets you furthest away.

While standing in the elevator, you take a look at the painting to make sure that it hasn’t been damaged in this mess. You turn it around to inspect the canvas and notice something stuck in the corner of the wooden brackets. Carefully, you reach your fingers in and pull out a folded paper. Tucking the painting between your arm and your waist, you unfold the paper to find a list of names and locations … some of which you recognize. They’re all wanted criminals and you guess that the ones you don’t recognize are criminals as well. And the locations …

Your body goes cold and stiff. For a few moments, it feels like the entire world has stopped spinning. This is suddenly more serious than you could ever expect. Quickly, you put the paper in the pocket of your black pants.

You make your way through corridors you haven’t been in before, through doors you’re sure you’re not allowed through. You can’t help but look around at the new environment. Despite being one of Normandie’s lower classes, the attention to detail had been given to every centimeter of the ship. 

Focus!

You’re not sure where you’re going, but you need to find someone that can help you. You consider giving it to a random passenger and ask them to give them to an officer, but in your entire training, you have been told not to pull innocent civilians into your job. They could get seriously hurt and it would be completely your own fault. 

You make your way through tourist class, making sure not to be seen by anyone. If Silas have more people than you thought, why wouldn’t they be in multiple classes? You’re not even sure why the painting have caused this big of a commotion, but there’s no way you can give up the painting now — not after everything you’ve gone through. Your head is still pounding from the glass bottle and your heart beating out of your chest by the sight of Doctor Kry. He knows that you’re roaming freely, and soon, they all will know … and they will look for you. Silas’s words still ring in your ear; “I would very much like for you to see what we do to you if you decide to break free” — well you surely don’t. But where can one run where the space is limited? It’s not like you can grab a lifeboat and sail your way to safety. The sea can be just as dangerous as the people you’re dealing with. 

You look around for someone in black uniform, desperately wanting to find someone to help you before you get a bullet through your head. Finally, you find a steward carrying a metal tray. Like lightning had struck through you, you barge forward and grab his arm. 

“Sir, you have to help me!” you hiss and pull him into an empty corridor. 

“What are you doing-?” he gasps. 

“Please listen and listen quickly”, you whisper in pure panic. The words fall out of your mouth incoherently, but you somehow manage to create the sentences you need for the steward to listen to you. “I have to get to the Captain! Like … now! It’s really, really urgent! Please, just trust me!”

You look around with wide eyes, heart now pounding in your throat. The steward nods in confusion and signals for you to come with him. You’re not sure why he decides to trust you, but you’re ever so grateful for it. He takes you through hidden passages used for staff so that none of the paying passengers will have to see them, up a couple of steep stairs and through some more doors. You hug the painting tightly against your roaring chest. Every corner makes your heart stop, terrified that someone will stand on the other side and knock you out the second you turn. 

The steward points at a door with a golden sign on it — ‘Officers’ quarters’. You pound on the door until you’re sure your knuckles bleed. A stern looking man in neat uniform opens, giving you a dark look. 

“Who are you?” he questions. “What do you want?”

“I’m Y/N L/N, I’m an agent of the crown and this is the missing painting that has been all over the news … you have to keep it secure until we reach New York.”

The officer looks confused as he takes the painting in his hands and lets you into the quarters. 

“You’re bloody, what happened to you, sir?”

“There’s six passengers — Mr Achilleos and his man, His Majesty Edmund of Vesanus, Doctor Karl Kry, Miss Hedwig Carter and Miss Jerry Kim. They knocked me out and kept me in a cabin the entire night. They’re working together. They want this painting …”

… and probably my life by now.

“ … keep it safe”, you beg the officer and feel your voice quiver. “Please. If i can’t meet you at the harbor when we dock tomorrow, please give it to my contact — I will write down his name —  and tell him that he can find further information on board the ship.”

“I will tell the captain about the passengers, they will be taken care of and kept in arrest until we reach land where the police will deal with them”, the officer says.

“Thank you. A lot. Really.”

“You can stay here if you want.”

You feel for the note in your pocket and shake your head. “I have to do something first.”

The officer nodded. On shaky legs, you open the door and walk out into the corridor again. The steward is long gone and you’re alone in an unfamiliar corridor. You suddenly feel exhausted and decide to stay close to the door for a few moments to catch your breath, as if the officers’ quarter was a safe place. 

The note has to be hidden somewhere across the ship so that your contact can find it in case you don’t make it out alive. The note is more important than the painting and can, under no circumstances, go in the wrong hands. These names have to reach your contact. The group will look for the painting in belief that the note is still there, so the note has to be hidden separately so that they won’t find it. 

You make your way through the corridors slowly, making sure not to be caught with the list of names on you. In a weird, panic filled daze, you make your way through corridors, through lounges and dining halls where you hide the note. Underneath a chair, stuck to the corner. You deice to find your way back to the officers’ quarters and somehow find yourself out on deck. The wind is grabbing at you, pulling you left and right. You have a hard time keeping yourself on your feet. No one else is outside and you suspect it has to do with the fact that it’s early in the morning and the dark gray sky above you threat of rain.

“Y/N, don’t move.”

You turn to see the second in command with a gun in his hand.

“If you shoot me you'll ruin your life”, you say to him as confidentially as you can muster, but you can't help but worry if he's going to pull the trigger. 

“Do you think I care?” the second in command questions with a scoff. “I serve my boss until my last breath, I couldn't care less about other trivial matters. Where's the painting?”

“You don't care for the painting. Ask me instead where the note is.”

His eyebrow twitches.

“You know about the note, huh?” he says, eyes narrowing. “Seems like I'll have to get that out of you.”

“Why don't you have your boss do it? Or is he in arrest?”

“Don't worry about him, he always comes out on top. Come with me now or I will shoot you-”

“Shoot me then. The note is hidden and the painting is with trusted people.”

“Idiot. Do you think I was born yesterday? If I shoot you, I can't get the note. You may be stupid, but i dont think youre careless enough To sacrifice yourself for such a trivial thing. Get over here. Now.”

You're unarmed and alone, but if there's one thing you've been taught, it is to not give up without a fight. Your eyes catch onto an officer patrolling the upper deck and whistle. As the second in command takes his eyes off of you, you dive head first into the swimming pool. From his perspective, you don't think — wish — that he sees the man above him. The water wraps around you like a cold blanket and for a few seconds you can't even feel the wetness, only biting cold that almost makes you gasp under the surface. Somewhere, you think that you can hear a gunshot and see something whooshing past you in the water. And then another, and another. And then nothing.

You don't return to the surface until you're sure that the bullet rain has stopped. Your burning lungs gasp for air and you grip the ladder to your left. The second in command has been wrestled down on the deck by the same officer you saw. A smile tugs at your lips as the second in command glares at you from the floor, smashed against the planks.

“Sir, are you alright?” the officer asks, panting.

“I'm okay”, you reply, panting heavier.

An ice cold wind cuts right through you.

“Go inside”, the officer tells you.

“Y/N!” the second in command shouts as you've started to walk. “Don't forget that there are more. You barely know half of the people we have on board. Don't think for a second that you are safe!”

You pretend not to hear him and make your way inside for warmth. Unsure of where to go because of the second in command’s words, you return to the officers’ quarters.

That evening, you make your way down to the arrest. There are still two questions you haven’t gotten an answer to. You've gotten your gun back from a steward and have tucked it in your blazer. Nausea is eating you up from the inside as you walk into the room, watching the cell and its habitants.

“Look who it is”, you hear Jerry snicker. “Change your mind, Golden Boy? Do you want us out?”

You don't even bother to answer.

“The painting is in a safe place, and so are the note”, you say. “I suppose that Jerry, Silas and your second in command wanted the note and not the painting … and Edmund and Hedwig wanted the painting … but what did the Doctor want?”

“Me?” Kry asks coldly and walks over to the bars with his arms crossed. “What I wanted?”

“Yes”, you reply.

“You, of course. Imagine, my own little lab rat that I could do whatever I wanted with … no one would even bat an eye if both you and the painting disappeared.”

“You won't get any of it.” You let your eyes wander over the six people. “Not the painting, not the note, and absolutely not me. Jail is what you will get.”

You can hear Hedwig start to sob in the corner of the cell. She has sunken down along the wall with her head hanging between her knees, body shaking with sobs. Edmund sighs and walks over to her side, grabbing her shoulders and trying to pull her up on her feet.

“Don't cry”, he says quietly. “We won't go to jail, I will make sure of that. I won't allow it.”

“Did you just come down here to revel in our misery?” Silas asks you. 

You're not sure why you came down here. Did you want to make sure to yourself that they were behind bars? Or make you feel more powerful? Or even just get to see them?

“You do know that we will have our revenge, don’t you?” Edmund says and looks at you. “This is not the end.”

“I hope that you like being a dog, because that's what you're going to be, leash and all”, Silas scoffs.

“Tattooed”, Jerry adds on with a tilted smile. “Marked. Would Golden boy like that?”

You ignore her, and walk over to the cells bars, eyes glued onto Hedwig. 

“What were you doing in my cabin?” you ask. 

She freezes, looking cluelessly at you through her teary eyes.

“What?” she asks in shock. 

“Your perfume was all over my cabin”, you say coldly. “Why were you in my cabin?”

“I-I’m sorry, Y/N!” she cries and runs over to the bars, reaching out for you. 

You back away.

“I’m sorry, I-I … I looked through your things. I couldn’t help it, I just … I really, really wanted to hold you. I didn’t take anything, I promise! Please believe me, Y/N, I just wanted to- … it doesn’t matter. Forgive me.”

You don’t answer. Maybe Hedwig isn’t as sweet and innocent as you thought. 

DAY 4 — End of voyage

After your hell night last night you couldn't be more grateful for the somewhat pleasant night you had. Every single sound and movement woke you up, preparing you to see one of the six criminals or their acquaintances. And since a ship is in constant movement and makes sounds only God knows about, you barely slept for an hour straight. But at least you were in a warm bed.

You can't eat anything during breakfast. You stare at the sandwich and steaming coffee in front of you with a twisted stomach. The room is filled with passengers, like normal, but the bright room can’t be more dark and sinister. It is as if someone has drained it of color. Any of the smiling guests can be one that want to put a bullet through your skull, and is waiting for you to rise from your chair and follow you outside.

When a waiter comes over to your table, the coffee has stopped steaming. 

“Good morning, sir”, he says politely and places a silver tray with a silver cloche on your table. 

“What is this?” you ask in confusion. 

“A gentleman told me to give this to you. He has paid for it and everything.”

With that said, he smiles and walks away to continue his job. You glance down at the dome looking metal and feel your heart sink. Although you don’t want to, your heart reaches out to pull it away and reveal whatever is lying on the silver tray underneath. You’re not sure what you are expecting but a small, folded paper is certainly not it. As if on autopilot, you open the paper to see only a line. 

“We will be waiting for you when we dock, you won’t get past us. We are watching you.”

You were right. A knot appears in your throat. Your legs go numb. You will be killed. 

The air is hard to breathe in and you have to get out before you suffocate. You get out on the deck with the lifeboats hanging above your head and lean against the railing. In a few hours, Normandie would dock and you would be caught. You’re not sure that the steward who had helped you before would be able to save you, and you don’t want to put him in more danger … but you can’t step off the ship in New York’s harbor. The lifeboat above your head gives you an idea. A stupid, right out ridiculous idea … 

You look around you before your shaking hands release the lifeboat from its holds. You have been taught the most outrageous things to rescue yourself — including lowering an ocean liner’s lifeboat. The davits slowly bring the lifeboat downwards and you climb in, lying down to avoid being seen. Your body trembles with fear, unsure of what this will bring you … or where it will bring you. 

There's nothing on the ship that you should bring with you. There's no guarantee that the lifeboat will reach the harbor safely, but its a try. The painting will be more secure with the steward. 

You feel a ‘thump’ from when the lifeboat hits the waves underneath you. You see how Normandie towers above you, the black steel never seeming to end. A pair of heads stick out from the side and something hits the water beside you. Quickly, you cover your body with your arms and legs, curling up until all vital organs are covered. Hitting you with bullets on this distance are harder than one can think, but not impossible. The second you’re sure that they can’t reach you, you get up and start to paddle. If the men tell a steward about the missing lifeboat, they’ll steer their ship over here to get you. 

Your arms quickly grow sore. From now on, you’re entirely alone. There’s no one to save you in case anything happens and you will have to find your way to land by yourself. But it's better than being on board the ship.

The sea around you feels abnormally calm. There’s no distinctive sounds apart from the waves hitting the side of the lifeboat. 

You sit for a moment, taking the time to think. This case has been different from all the others you have done. More personal than you could ever have anticipated. You’re not sure why, but something with this case told you that things wouldn’t be over if they got their way. It was more than just materia, they want you too … to use as they please. Doctor Kry was right. Who would bat an eye if you disappeared along with the painting? They wouldn’t call it a kidnapping, it would be a disappearance that could be explained by the painting. And now they have none of it. Not the painting, not the list of criminals and not you. Pretty successful, you think. Maybe you succeeded this mission after all? 

You hiss as you touch your sensitive head. You’ll have to find a doctor in New York.

Hours go by. You row, you rest, row, rest, row, rest. Throw up. Damn if you have gotten a concussion, you think, but it’s probably just the sea air making you nauseous. 

How things had turned out. You thought that you would have had to deal with one or two criminals … not six. Ad how Silas had seen right through you … 

It’s over now. It will be over soon. Is it over?

You continue to row. 

in the distance, you see a fishing ship pulling up their net and you wave with your arms in hope for them to see you, which they inevitably do. Your exhausted, cold body is picked up and wrapped in an old blanket. 

“What were you doing out in a lifeboat like that?” one of the old sailors asks. “Which ship has sunk?”

“It’s the Normandie!” another one says as he reads the name on the wooden planks. “Has the Normandie sunk?!”

You tell them that it hasn’t suck — in fact, it’s steaming on better ad stronger than ever — but that an accident had happened, which resulted in you all alone in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. 

They give you a yellow rain coat that you use to hide in and join the sailors to New York’s harbor that evening. In the distance, you see the different ocean liner piers. Cunard-White Star Line, United States Lines, HAPAG, Italian Lines, Swedish-American Lines … and finally, Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. Normandie was towering above all the other liners and you stood there on the pier, looking at it. Four days ago, you had been standing in the harbor at Le Havre and been excited to step on board. But now, that you are looking at it from afar, in the dim lights, there’s something unsettling about the her. It looks like she’s apologizing to you for everything that she allowed to happen between her walls. You almost start to cry. 

You turn around and walk without giving the ship one more glance, hoping that it will be the last time you get to see the Normandie. 

You meet up with your contact in a small warehouse that following morning and tell him what you have hidden on the ship. He promises to retrieve it. He already has the painting and has secured it, had gotten it from the very steward you had left it with. 

“I have something else too”, he says and gives you an apologetic look. 

“What?” you ask and watch him closely as he takes out a paper from his pocket. 

“I’m sorry, Y/N.”

You open the paper and feel your blood go icy cold. The handwriting is unfamiliar, but the nickname you see written in black …

“Thought you could lock us in? Think twice, Golden boy, we’re already out. We’ll find you, be so sure of that. Don’t think that we will let you slip away. You will look good in a leash.

S.A”

You fold the paper just as quick and breathe out a shaky breath. 

“Don’t worry, Y/N, you will be protected”, your contact promises. “It will not be any problem, I assure you.”

With the six people’s contacts and power, you doubt that your protection will do much, but you nod. The painting is safe and the note is safe. They may have escaped jail and are looking for you, but you succeeded with your mission. And that is all that matters.

[genericpuff]

Lore Olympus just pulled off the biggest whiff in webtoon history.

I promised I would choose one of two headlines and of course, this is the one we wound up with. But should we really be surprised? Rachel herself seemed to be telling on herself down to the minutes leading up to the finale, fully confirming to us that yes, she's been writing this comic at the last minute, by the seat of her pants, for ages now.

(that second one was literally posted TWENTY FUCKING MINUTES BEFORE THE COMIC UPDATED.)

Welp, let's get into it. Possibly the last essay I'll ever write about this dumpster fire of a comic (but probably not, let's be real LOL)

CONTENT WARNING: DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND FASTPASS SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES FINALE AHEAD!

Holy crap, where to even start with this. I knew it was going to be bad. I knew it was going to be rushed. I knew it wasn't ever going to live up to what I had hoped it would be years ago when I was still a diehard fan.

But I didn't think it was going to fall quite this hard. Despite bracing myself for the worst, Rachel has once again let my expectations down through a final display of explosive mediocrity and disappointment.

Yes, the episode is called "You're Welcome", and yes, that instant "ick" you're feeling is the exact same as what we're all feeling. This title plays into the dialogue later, but what a shitty, lowkey mean-spirited title for the series finale.

Now, before we get into the actual episode, the WT ads for this are just... so desperate and misleading.

They are trying SO HARD to hype up something that isn't there, and at the last minute to boot, because Rachel definitely hadn't written any of this ahead of time.

First off, the bit about the gods being in "eternal chaos" of course isn't a stake worth worrying over because Gaia literally does away with Ouranos in the first 5 panels.

Did you really think I was joking about that 5 panels thing?

That's it. That's the death of Ouranos. As mysteriously and quickly as he arrived, he was gone, after Gaia ripped out of him what appeared to be some purple sunny side up - but it's actually, in fact, Apollo.

And that's when we start to get some of the worst dialogue I've ever seen throughout LO. Remember when I said LO's dialogue was like Shenmue 3? Welp, the finale decided to continue that tradition and further fuel the suspicion that this entire thing was written by ChatGPT.

Oh, by the way, that "thank you, ma'am" was Artemis' first and last line of the episode. So once again, just like in Episode 248, we're completely robbed of her reaction to Apollo being a rapist piece of shit and the character development she could have had as a supporting character. The women in this "feminist retelling" really couldn't be more half-baked.

Gaia stumbles upon Persephone, and I'm not even gonna fucking bother showing the panels where Gaia says it's time to "make things right" because they literally don't matter. Why don't they matter? Because Rachel just had to get in one more pointless time skip.

We're shown a sequence of pointless images that I'm not gonna show as I don't want to waste my image limit on them, depicting Hades having a sad day because his small wife isn't with him and oh nooo what could have happened?? Did Persephone finally divorce him ??

Nah, we couldn't possibly have an actually happy ending in this comic. Instead we get a completely pointless phone conversation between Hades and Hecate-

Not only is the grammar particularly bad in this episode, but the actual script-writing is atrocious. We literally did not need this phone conversation to happen because-

-we're cutting BACK TO THE PRESENT THAT WE JUST CUT AWAY FROM FOR A 3 MONTH TIME SKIP. FOR NO REASON BESIDES SHOWING HADES BE SAD OVER SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY ISN'T THAT BIG A DEAL, AS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE.

I- I LITERALLY HAVE NO WORDS. I HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS. ALL I CAN HEAR IN MY BRAIN IS THE LEGEND OF ZELDA ITEM GET MUSIC-

-BECAUSE THIS WHOLE THING SUDDENLY SOUNDS LIKE SOME CONTRIVED FETCH QUEST. WHAT DO YOU MEAN HADES AND PERSEPHONE HAVE PROVEN 'TRUE LOVE' IS REAL? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY HAVEN'T USED 'LOVE' AS A FORCE FOR DESTRUCTION?? ARE WE FORGETTING THAT HADES MUTILATED A GUY IN THE NAME OF 'LOVE'? THAT PERSEPHONE LITERALLY INVADED THE HOME OF HADES' CANONICAL FIRST WIFE BECAUSE SHE FELT MILDLY THREATENED BY HER?

This whole concept of "true love" that Rachel is trying to convey feels so juvenile especially for a series that has sold itself as being mature and thought-provoking and progressive.

HAHAHA SO FUNNYYYYYYY why does Rachel write like this. this is, at best, the writing of a 13 year old on fanfiction.net, which I SHOULD KNOW, because I WAS ONE OF THEM. BUT I'M 28 NOW AND RACHEL HAS ANOTHER 10 YEARS ON ME.

Okay, this is the part where I'm CONVINCED Rachel either just mashed this into the episode in the MINUTES leading up to its release, or she used ChatGPT or something. Because NONE of this dialogue makes any sense. Beyond how stilted and lifeless it is (seriously, this dialogue reads like something from Empress Theresa) Gaia is clearly meant to 'replace' Erebus here which I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO EVEN EXPLAIN IS SO FUCKING DUMB, but ALSO what is even Persephone trying to communicate here? "That is true, but it was a deal I was willing to make and ties me to the Underworld. Please don't change me." What? Gaia hasn't even insinuated that she's going to do anything to Persephone, why is Persephone immediately jumping to this conclusion? What does 'changing' her mean? Is she asking Gaia not to force her to sacrifice something (which she never did)? Or is she asking Gaia not to strip her of her Underworld status? Because again, why is that even something Gaia would do?

Maybe this is harsh but I'm pretty sure even Empress Theresa is more coherent than this, what in the flying fuck is Gaia talking about?

"I can just see the potential for conflict! To relieve you from the burden of the whats, the hows, and wheres." Like... okay, first of all, that second sentence isn't even a complete sentence, it's a dependent clause left hanging, but also what the fuck does this MEAN. Is she EXCITED for the conflict but then contradicting herself by saying she wants to relieve Persephone of that conflict? Or is she saying she can see the conflict it would cause for Persephone to have to perform duties in both realms and trying to insinuate that she's going to relieve her of those complications?

Here's what I think happened - I think that second 'sentence' wasn't supposed to be a sentence, but the start of the sentence to the next panel-

So with that theory in mind, the sentence becomes, "To relieve you from the burden of the whats, the hows, and wheres, you are to spend three months in the Mortal Realm to do spring and the rest of the year in the Underworld. That seems fair to me."

It's still a very poorly written line of dialogue, but at least with that fix in mind it makes sense. But man, you can really fucking tell this episode was submitted at the last minute because that's a serious syntax error that should NOT have happened in this two-time-Eisner-winning comic.

Errors aside, it's clear that Rachel is following through on having Persephone spend only three months in the Mortal Realm, rather than the traditional six. There ARE other translations that have that number closer to four, but those four are the time she spends in the UNDERWORLD, meaning she's always spending either equal or MORE time in the Mortal Realm. Of course, Rachel doesn't want her self-insert small wife power fantasy to actually have to be separated from Hades despite this being a retelling of The Abduction of Persephone, so instead of her spending three months in the Underworld, she's now spending them in the Mortal Realm, literally doubling the MINIMUM amount of time (four months) she was originally meant to reside in the Underworld.

But oh no, apparently those three months are STILL NOT SHORT ENOUGH FOR PERSEPHONE-

Of course, Rachel "Retcon" Smythe had to have her cake and eat it too. I always worried something like this was a possibility, but I never thought she would actually prove me right - not only is Persephone only separated from Hades for three months out of the year, but actually he can visit her any time he wants to, so really, they're not separating at all.

I think Rachel needs to look up "reunion" in the dictionary, because if you can visit each other any time, then that means the 'reunions' are no longer special occasions. This completely removes any semblance of depth or meaning from all of the storytelling leading up to this, all of it with the expectation that this was a retelling of the Abduction of Persephone, because that's what Rachel said it was going to be. At this point it's safe to say that Rachel has zero business attempting to "retell" mythological stories, because she doesn't even seem to grasp the concept of why they were written the way they were to begin with. Either that, or she really just doesn't care, and the only reason for making LO a Greek myth comic at all was to propel her career.

This also brings me back to those promotional ads, the other one that posed the question, "Will sacrifice be enough to bring these two back together?"

This is stating the obvious, but I need to make it perfectly clear - Hades and Persephone have never sacrificed a single thing. The only thing they could POSSIBLY quantify as a "sacrifice" is "not being tied at the hip for a few hours", because even Persephone going on the equivalent of a work trip next door is apparently enough to make Hades sad as we saw in the 3 month time skip panels. Why is Hades so sad and lonely if he can visit her any time? Why is he acting like he hasn't seen her in years when he's actually on his way to reunite with her? Why is Hecate calling to ask him if he's "okay" as if he JUST got separated from her, but actually he's about to literally go to the Mortal Realm to reunite with her?

Hades hasn't 'sacrificed' a damn thing, neither has Persephone. They've both always gotten exactly what they wanted, even at the cost of breaking the story's own established rules. Their 'sacrifice' is equivalent to what billionaires think are 'sacrifices' when they can't buy another yacht or go on that third overseas vacation for the month.

And even outside of this episode, when have these two ever sacrificed anything?

I've tried so hard to think of what sacrifices have been made by the characters within LO, and I genuinely can only think of one - and that was when Artemis chose to go to the Mortal Realm with Persephone instead of staying with her family in Olympus. That was a genuine, selfless sacrifice, made by a character who has been shelved in favor of focusing on the self-centered pink and blue airheads.

Being forced to be apart for a couple days to do the equivalent of a day job and whining about it the whole time is not a 'sacrifice'. Neither of these characters have ever sacrificed anything, they just feel like sacrifices because they have the integrity and empathy of soggy cardboard.

sigh Anyways, we're back in the present and Hades and Persephone immediately decide they're gonna have sex because ofc, and then we get this gem of a panel-

MMMMMM

FUNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY JOKE

For some reason it's just a common thing for people to just be in Hades' home, and they can't seem to get any privacy as a result of this, but I digress. Turns out they still need to have that coronation for Persephone.

There is... so much wrong in these three panels.

First, to state the immediate issues - why the fuck are they mentioning Apollo at Persephone's coronation? Like first of all, no shit Apollo isn't gonna be there, but also, if this is supposed to be an event for and about Persephone becoming Queen of the Underworld, then why in the WORLD is Apollo even being mentioned? This is supposed to be a "feminist retelling" where the victims are empowered and heal from their trauma, but LO once again can't try to show any sort of positive growth for the victims without bringing up the assaulters and giving them screen time. It just goes to show that Rachel's idea of "healing" is purely rooted in the revenge, and not the growth. It's a very high schooler approach to this subject, hellbent on showcasing how all the meanies from the past are losers now and life just sucked for them forever, but inadvertently proving its own point that the victims haven't and can't move on because the narrative is spending so much time on caring what's going on with the abusers. It's the "I don't care! Look at how little I care! I'll prove it to you by putting in the effort of showing you how little I care!" approach, it doesn't really feel like moving on.

It's not about how Persephone and his other victims could have grown and healed, no, Rachel always needs to highlight just how much worse the bullies and haters and abusers are doing to make the victims seem like they've healed by comparison. Don't get me wrong, I can understand wanting to showcase the downfall of a character like Apollo, but this just... isn't the right context for that? Because it's once again taking attention away from the victim to focus on the abuser. It's once again spending screentime on the voices of the oppressors rather than the oppressed.

And speaking of, what the fuck is this punishment even? I knew Rachel wasn't gonna be able to resolve this plotline properly, she never had the capability to, but ... community service? Are you fucking for real? What is this even a punishment for even? Was this EXCLUSIVELY the SA, or does this ALSO include his attempts to overthrow Zeus by poisoning him, nearly killing Daphne, Eris, Eros and Psyche, trapping Eros and Psyche in an enchanted basement, and framing his father's 'death' on his half-sister? Because if so, how in the world is anyone content with community service? He hasn't even been turned into a mortal, HE'S STILL A GOD, so what's to stop him from going "WE'LL MEET AGAIN, SPIDERMAN" and trying something else? How is this a reasonable resolution in ANY context?

This is why I talked at length about what an issue it was to hide what Apollo really admitted to. Because now we really don't know what exactly he confessed to, and thus we can never really see the point of views of the victims outside of just Persephone - and we still don't even get Persephone's, because she just walks away from him and then he gets eaten by Ouranos and next we see of him is him doing community service! Once again, any emotional development that could be given to Persephone and the other victims is stripped away to make room for the point of views of the oppressive men. In this, the two-time-Eisner-winning "feminist comic" that is LO.

And that brings us to the "where are they now" segment. Yes, as we all feared, there's a "where are they now" segment, and it's as rushed and underwhelming as we ought to have expected it to be.

There is just... so much to unpack here, and yes, all of it is delivered in the dumbest way possible that only raises more questions than answers.

So Rhea and Metis are just back and we're not gonna talk about the implications of them being alive again?

Dionysus is a 3 month year old in the body of a teenager / young adult, and his mom is just alive now because Hades conveniently got his hands on more ambrosia and brought her back to life offscreen? But somehow Triptomelus and Hedone are still child-sized relative to their ages?

How did they 'heal Zeus'? And why is he so content with losing his power as King and Apollo being sentenced to community service after making an attempt on his life? How does he feel about the letter that Hera gave him? Did he even read it?

Where the fuck is Hebe in all of this? Is she okay? Do people still think it was her who put Zeus in a coma? Or did Apollo confess to that, too?

You're telling me Hera and Echo are just in a relationship now despite the fact that Hera is literally racist towards nymphs and there is ZERO reason for them to have a relationship in the comic beyond the fans making gratuitous headcanons out of it? How is Rachel, a bisexual woman, so bad at writing actual lesbian relationships and giving them the same amount of attention as the heterocis ones without shoving them into the background as props for insincere queer rep? And what about Hera herself? How did she overcome her role as the Goddess of Marriage to finally divorce Zeus?

"Ares is still a dog!" Haha! Ares is still a Persephone simp! Happy end!

Why is Eros just standing there smiling at the camera struggling to be seen past Hedone who's just floating right in front of him? You're telling me there wasn't a better place to put her out of that entire panel?

"Hades and Thanatos have been making more time for each other. Sometimes they even have a conversation." I'm sorry, is this supposed to be funny? The man abused Thanatos for years, treated him as just a lowly employee when he was literally his adopted son, and now you're trying to play it off as a joke that they're "making more time for each other"? What the fuck is this?

TGOEM disbanded? Why? What about the women who were genuinely a part of it?

Also, Artemis and Selene are just good friends now because reasons? Because they're both affiliated with the moon, I guess? Why is Selene even in this comic-

"They are still looking for Kassandra". Who? And why? This feels like such a last minute addition to acknowledge a character that the comic spent WEEKS foreshadowing only to have her finally appear as a pointless McGuffin, but it's so last minute that it does nothing. I'm assuming it's Eros and Psyche looking for her, but like... why can't they find her? They're gods, tracking down one mortal shouldn't be that difficult LOL ???

And also, where the fuck is Leto?? You're telling me she was an accessory - maybe manipulating Apollo, maybe not - but we don't see what happened to her? Is she just back to being a social outcast then? jesus christ this comic isn't finished-

Kassandra is where the "where are they now" sequence ends, and we're treated to one final horribly written dialogue scene between Hades and Persephone, where they tell each other how much they love each other in a desperate attempt to convince the audience that this is, in fact, a romance.

There's this thing in romances called chemistry, and if you're good at writing it, you shouldn't have to write dialogue like this. You should be able to see how much the characters love each other through their actions, through their small behaviors around each other. It's not always about what they say out loud, it's about what they don't have to say, because when two people really share that close of a bond based on love and trust and chemistry, words often aren't necessary.

Hades and Persephone do not have that chemistry. It has been apparent for years now, but this final exchange really is the nail in the coffin. There are no microexpressions or subtle emotions, no subtlety in their word choice, and nothing unique setting their voices apart. It's all just "wow thank you for being such a wonderful amazing partner, you are amazing and I love you" word salad that has to do all the heavy lifting for the completely non-existent chemistry that's been at its absolute worst throughout this entire season.

And worst of all, despite this story trying so hard to be focused around Persephone, around her story, her trauma and her healing, her voice... it's still all just about Hades. In the end, she's thanking Hades, and forcing him to say "you're welcome". All of it is trying so hard to convince us that Hades has been a positive addition to her life, that she 'owes' so much to him, but we've obviously seen plenty throughout the comic that begs to differ. And even if he were a better person than he is, it still doesn't change the fact that once again, the men are being held up above the women, with the women being grateful to the men who choose them. LO can try its hardest to convince people that it's feminist, but it is, at best, reinforcing the very same structures of the patriarchal system that it claims to despise and rebel against.

We do get one line from Hades acknowledging Persephone's part in the relationship-

-and it falls so fucking flat because it's still about him and what she does for him, and because nothing about their relationship was built on any sort of organic chemistry. There was a lot more chemistry back in S1, but it was still predicated on Hades lusting after a vulnerable 19 year old girl.

Yep, and that's it. That's the end.

Except it isn't because Rachel wanted to try and be smart by including an 'epilogue' that's really just stretching the episode out pointlessly for another few panels. And of course, we had to get another time skip, just a final dose of salt in the wound, this time to years ahead when we inevitably had to reconnect with Persephone and Hades in the future after Melinoe was born.

To recap, Melinoe doesn't remember... because Hades had Morpheus erase her memories.

This plotline has really started to give me the ick because it actually feels very familiar. Bear with me here, because I'm gonna go on a bit of a tangent about my own original work, but it's because I wrote a plotline exactly like this years ago.

There's this... turning point, in Time Gate: Reaper, when the main character Uzuki is kidnapped by a Reaper (see: undead) who wants to experiment on her in the hopes that he can somehow gain her abilities to bond her soul with others (which later allows her to literally possess people after she becomes a Reaper herself). Mitsuhiro, the male deuteragonist who kickstarts the plot by telling Uzuki she's got a limited amount of time left to live (which he knows thanks to his magical death timers that mark themselves on his skin), feels an immense amount of guilt after finding out she was kidnapped by the Reapers (at this point she's been gone for three months), as they were originally after him; he worries that she was made a target simply due to him associating himself with her, and vows to rescue her.

With the help of some other spunky teenagers and anime trope characters, Mitsuhiro does eventually rescue Uzuki - but for the three months she had been gone, she had been tortured, abused, and experimented on, causing her mind to split and for her to lose any sense of awareness of who Mitsuhiro or her other friends were. She was no longer herself after the hell she had been through.

Mitsuhiro's solution to this is to have Springlock - another Reaper with motivations that are not yet clear to the cast - erase her memory. This is not a light decision that comes without consequences - for the remaining duration of the story, Uzuki is plagued by night terrors and panic attacks, unable to really remember what happened to her aside from whatever brief flashbacks her brain recalls in its haze of memory loss. She is traumatized, both physically and mentally. She has lost three months of her life and memories, and doesn't know how to explain why she's covered in scars that are still healing, why she's missing organs, why she's now blind in one eye, and why the sound of scraping metal and ticking clocks gives her panic attacks. Mitsuhiro has convinced her friends that she's suffering from memory loss due to trauma, but only he knows the truth that he forcefully took her memories away from her, without her consent. This was not the right choice to make. It was not noble of him, it was not a grand gesture of love, he made a decision on her behalf without her consent that has now resulted in her becoming a nervous wreck. Sure, she still would have had PTSD if she remembered what happened, but at least she would know why and could then seek adequate help. Without those memories, she has nowhere to begin to heal. And so we see the consequences of this throughout [AFTERBIRTH] and even the upcoming Thread of Fate. It is a long-term problem that is not going to be solved overnight, especially not with Mitsuhiro withholding information from her.

Reading about Melinoe having dreams about her experiences trapped in Tartarus with Kronos ... it felt familiar enough that I had to talk about why the insinuations of this are so fucked up. I know there are people who are gonna handwave it away as "she's just a kid", "these are gods so what does it matter", etc. but ... it just feels like such an oversight to have Hades effectively erase her memory of her trauma and then hint at them still being present in her mind through her dreams. She did not ask for that. And the fact that she's now dreaming about it all does not bode well. But we're supposed to think Hades made the correct choice, regardless.

But none of this is effectively expanded on or explained, because we get one final scene of Melinoe and Demeter visiting Persephone, who has just given birth to... Makaria?

So it turns out Persephone and Hades are just able to have biological children now. Don't know why, but of course they both look exactly like Hades.

What I was really confused by though is the fact that it's Makaria and not Brimos. Do you remember Brimos? The child that was foreshadowed in Hades' original fantasy dream sequence about his future children about Persephone?

Either Rachel completely forgot about him, or she saw all the criticism over the fact that Brimos isn't a confirmed child of Hades and Persephone (rather, an epithet that can apply to basically any Underworld god including Persephone and Hades) and that her "research" was dependent on a book she read when she was 13 and decided to axe that. But she went to the effort of establishing that all the dreams Hades had were , in fact, canon visions of the future, so good job Rachel, you created yet another plothole on top of the hundreds of others.

And that's where the series ends, on a final nuclear-family-photo of Persephone, Hades, Melinoe, and Makaria. Of course, Dionysus and Thanatos aren't present in this shot because this is Lore Olympus and only biological children count /hj

Why Rachel couldn't move the "the end" portion to THIS part, I don't know, but I'm also expecting way too much of the person who finished this 20 minutes before it was due.

So that's it. Six years and that's what we get. I didn't expect much, but I was still incredibly disappointed, as were many others who walked away from this dazed and confused. Maybe it's all the "haters" deserve at this point. But what of the fans? While many of them are celebrating this ending at best and tolerating it at worst, I can't help but think of the fans of this comic who hung on for so long in the hopes it would "pay off", just for it to go out as gloriously as a wet fart.

As for me, I have such mixed feelings about Lore Olympus ending, but none of them pertain to the comic itself. Most of what I'll miss from this comic isn't the comic itself, but the people who have made reading it every week so fun, the artists and writers who have enriched the content with their own interpretations of what could have been, and the experiences of being part of such an amazing community made up of people who are as long-term-obsessed about this piece of media as I am.

I get people who ask me a lot if it's "worth it" to be so engrossed in the LO slander, who assume that I'm going to "regret" ever being a part of it all... but from where I'm standing right now, I couldn't ask for a better view.

Even if I didn't love every minute of it, everything I have here I owe to this comic. This stupid, wonderful, boring, amazing, pile of shit comic.

[thesassypadawan]

Ask Nicely (Master Anakin x FemPadawanReader)

Summary: Somedays you think your new master hates you and others… Well, let’s just say, you find out soon enough…when he expresses his disdain for you asking Obi-Wan nicely to take care of your needs.

Warnings: 18+ (minors dni), because of all the lovely smut. Jealous Skyguy, rough fingering/kisses…and Ani’s thick digits. Padawan Reader is of age, 5 years younger than him.

“What’s the big deal? All I did was train with Master Kenobi,” you huffed. Rolling your eyes so hard that you wondered if they’d get stuck like that.

Anakin had been lecturing you nonstop for the last half hour. Starting from the minute he had practically dragged you out of the dojo…through the temple halls…back to your shared quarters. His strong hand wrapped firmly around your arm the whole way.

“For the fourth time this week,” he growled. Arms crossed as he leaned in the doorway, a frown on his face. “As your master, it’s my responsibility-”

“And you’re doing such a great job…” Having shed the last of your sweat soaked clothes, you began rummaging through your drawers. Back turned to him, not caring that you were standing there in only your undergarments. “…of neglecting those duties.”

You weren’t in the wrong, not in the very least. The two of you never had the greatest of relationships or, for that matter, one really at all. Constantly arguing and fighting, butting heads over anything and everything. Which grew worse when you abruptly became his padawan learner; to the point where you were verily certain that he hated you.

Or there was always something else that led you, made you want to believe…

Capturing your elbow, he easily whirled your around. “Listen here, it’s not my fault-”

“No, it is!” You snapped; jabbing your finger into his chest, refusing to stepdown. “You’re the whole reason why I have to go ask Obi-Wan nicely to help take care of my needs!”

Clearly striking a nerve, you watched as Ani’s jaw clenched tighter. Eyes narrowing at you, something dark flickering inside them. “Careful now; you don’t know-”

“Actually, I think I do,” you boldly interrupted once more. Mouth curling up into a sly grin, because you knew what you said next would anger him enough to either silence or… “You’re jealous! You can’t stand the idea of another man…let alone your old master…touching my body! Guiding me, teaching me how to move in ways that you aren’t able to!”

“Little one,” he snarled in warning. Shoving you back against the dresser, pinning you in place. Towering over your smaller frame menacingly.

You should have been terrified, horrified. Despite this though, you kept goading Anakin. “And his big hands felt so good resting on my hips… His fat cock pressing into my ass…”

Before you could continue, you were cut off by a quick, invisible squeeze to your neck. One that left you briefly stunned, speechless. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll see what you have to say about Obi-Wan after I’m done teaching you.”

Not even a second later and his mouth was slotted against yours in a fiery kiss. Biting sharply at your bottom lip, demanding entrance. All the while his mechno hand found its way to your breast, tearing the bindings off like they were nothing.

The moment the cold air hit your exposed nipples, you let out a small whimper. Allowing Ani to slip his tongue in, wrestling with and pinning yours down. Showing you who was in control, attempting to force you into submission.

You tried to pull away, but he held you fast to him. Organic hand gripping the back of your head, long fingers tangling and tugging your hair roughly. The other delivering a solid slap to each tit before he finally decided it was time to break apart.

Gasping, coughing for air. A desperate whine escaped you as he trailed his lips down your jaw, your throat; leaving an array of lovely marks in their wake. Until they wrapped themselves around a pebbled bud; sucking hungrily, biting lightly when your back arched in response. “M-Mast-ter.”

While he lavished your chest with hot kisses, Anakin’s hand followed the curves of your body. Brushing your clothed mound, chuckling once he felt how drenched you were. “Would you look at that; already so wet for me. Bet the old bastard can’t get you like this…”

Nipping a sensitive nub one last time, he had risen back up. Hand grasping your chin tightly, lips crashing against your in another searing kiss. Making you mewl softly, body trembling in anticipation.

“…or sound like that,” he growled low. Suddenly yanking your panties to the side, plunging two leather clad fingers into your cunt.

Squealing, you clenched hard around him. Walls fluttering from the foreign sensation, from being stuffed so full. Hips rocking back and forth in time with his painfully slow pumps. A squelching sound filling the air.

Wanting and craving more. All that pent up frustration had you already so embarrassingly close to crashing over the edge. That you were reduced to a mere babbling mess when Ani abandoned your mouth and pressed his lips to your neck again. Kissing the junction of it and your shoulder, tongue lapping at the tender flesh. A pleasant shiver running down your spine. “P-please…please…”

His pace picked up, thick digits thrusting deep with you. Bullying and bruising your cervix, muttering. “Oh, are you close? You want to cum?”

Panting, you nodded frantically. The heat inside of you overwhelming while you lost touch with reality more and more from each drive.

“Words,” he demanded. Adding the remaining two, slamming them brutally into your packed pussy. “Use them.”

“Yes, s-so close!” You squeaked, the coil in your stomach threatening to snap at any moment. “L-let me c-cum, master!”

At your words, he sunk his teeth in. Breaking the skin, hissing a ‘no’ as he abruptly withdrew his fingers. Pulling away, your fresh blood tinting his lips red.

A wild cry flew from your mouth. Sobbing at the denial, body sagging against the dresser. Hips bucking shamelessly in the air, trying to regain the pleasurable feelings that had been coursing through you.

Grabbing your ass, Anakin squeezed…smacked it hard. Smearing your slick across your freshly soiled panties. “Only good padawans get to do that…you haven’t been. Now, why don’t you try asking me nicely and maybe…I’ll help take care of your needs.”

Tag List: @espinathena-17, @myheartwillgoon2022, @cacti5539, @wifeofasith, @princessswifie, @kenobiskywalker16, @loverforoldermen

[koqabear]

hiii this is for the 2k event, i wanted to ask if u write hybrid!au cause yeonjun dressing up as nick wilde has got me feeling a little delusional. if u don’t completely ignore this but if u do, can i request fox yj and maybe bunny reader?

[2K Masterlist]

"Yeonjun is adamant that you’re a pretty, porcelain doll. You’re more than ready to shatter that idea and show him that you’re stronger than he thinks."

fox hybrid! yeonjun x bunny hybrid! reader // wc: 1.9K // genre: hybrid au, pwp. this is just straight filth im sorry. MDNI.

warnings dom!yeonjun, sub!mc, somnophilia (consensual), oral (f rec.) pet names (bunny, good girl), degrading, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, degrading, kitchen sex, manhandling, dacryphilia, begging, scratching, possessiveness, unprotected sex, breeding kink, creampies, aftercare kinda, girl idk i literally just dissociated when i wrote this i forget how exhausting this all is!!

Notes: the healthcare system is fucked even in fanfiction, you can’t escape. 

Every decision you’ve made throughout your relationship with Yeonjun has led to where you are now:

Face down, ass up, tears in your eyes and words muddled through the drool that spills through your lips. 

You’ve told him countless times that you’re not fragile; that the sweet, docile image he has of bunny hybrids is nothing but a sham, and that you can take anything he offers with a confident stride— and though he simply laughed in endearment and shook his head at your claims, you insisted. You insisted throughout all the sugary sweet times he made love to you, during all the moments where you felt his hands hesitate to hold you, as though he was afraid that putting pressure on your body would be enough to make you shatter. 

The words were tiring to both his and your ears at some point: the petulant whines asking for more, your pathetic attempts to try and take control and change the pace entirely— Yeonjun’s sharp, narrowed eyes that flickered at you in warning was the harshest thing you received from him— but judging by the shivers that flowed down your spine like water, your fluffy tail twitching in attention, you knew that your body only craved for more and your brain wouldn’t settle down until you got your way.

You could say that he warned you. He really did, technically, sitting you down for a serious talk about something you two never really discussed in detail. You watched with wide, slightly confused eyes as he explained to you that his heat was approaching, and that you definitely shouldn’t be around for it— when you perked up to interrupt, he merely shook his head to shut you down and continue his explanation. 

“I usually take medication, but my insurance no longer covers my usual prescription.” he told you, his ginger ears twitching in annoyance from the mere memory, “I’m taking a leave from work for it, and… I want to spend this time alone.”

“It gets intense… I don’t want to hurt you.”

A bruised ego and terribly confrontational personality was truly a god awful combination. Though you suppose it helped you for the better, considering that after a good argument with your ever-so loving and doting boyfriend, he finally gave up. 

You can remember the sight so vividly; his ruffled hair, the fluffy tail that whipped from side to side as he finally slumped back against the couch, out of breath and exhausted— his ears pinned against his head in defeat the moment he took a good look at you, in all your still fired up and energetic glory. 

He knew it was a losing battle the moment you cocked a challenging brow at him, as though begging for him to continue.

The word okay has never sounded better from your boyfriend's mouth. 

••••

That all leads you back to today. It’s been— oh, you really can’t remember. A day? Maybe two? You don’t think it matters at this point, since the only thing that fills your mind now is the feeling of being full, stuffed, and warm. 

Yeonjun gave you a chance to back out the second he opened the door for you. He spoke to you calmly, softly, nervously, watching you hop around his living room and throw your overnight bag on his couch, overjoyed to be taking such a monumental step forward in your relationship. You dismissed every slow, anxious sway of his tail as you ate dinner together, listening intently as he told you about how he’s gotten with his previous partners. 

It was too much for many of them. He gets aggressive. He gets insanely needy, it goes on for hours, even throughout the night. 

You prayed that he didn’t notice the pathetic clench of your thighs and slight arousal as he told you about his details, nodding sweetly when he asked if you were okay with doing the things he mentioned. 

You established a safeword, coddled him the moment you noticed his temperature beginning to rise, and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead as you murmured your goodnights. 

About six hours passed when you first felt it; you’ve always been a light sleeper, so you were doomed the second your sensitive ears picked up on the sound of restless rustling behind you. You tried your best to ignore it, your drowsy mind eager to go back to sleep, but the white noise of sheets moving around was quickly accompanied by something else— breathy, desperate gasps.

“Bunny…” Yeonjun’s raspy whine was enough to have your ear twitching slightly; more rustling, and suddenly, a scorching heat hovers behind you. “Bunny, need… need you s’bad…”

His hands are heavy on your skin, almost scorching with the way he restlessly makes his way up your shirt, groping at your tits before they slide down your stomach, feeling you up all the way down before they stop at your thighs— without warning, he presses flat against you, a hand snaking beneath your body to wrap around your stomach and pull you flush into him. He was so hard, so needy that the very feeling of your soft ass pressing against him was enough to rip out a broken sob from him.

“Let me fuck you,” he murmured against the shell of your ear, words that slurred together showing that he was also half-awake, probably not too aware of his actions and the way he rutted into you helplessly, “C’mon bunny, lemme use you.” 

Your ass that pressed back into him and the sleepy whine that left you was enough for him.

You can only remember drifting in and out of consciousness that night; the sloppy, wet sounds of skin against skin and desperate grunts was nothing but white noise to you at that point— Yeonjun was glued to you for hours on end, fat cock thrusting harshly into your poor, abused cunt, filled with so much cum that it could only smear onto your inner thighs and his balls, leaving a mess you wouldn’t be able to clean anytime soon. 

When you woke up, you were on your back— your pussy was sore and a whine bubbled up uncontrollably from your throat, hips canting up and against Yeonjun’s face— your hands were shaky as you fisted the sheets, tears pricking your eyes as you listened to Yeonjun’s sweet nothings against your skin, leaving bites and kisses against your thighs as he promised you that he’d be quick, that he just needed to eat your sweet cunt— you’d get cleaned up nicely after. 

Yeonjun was a liar, of course— because none of his sweet promises included his burning desire to fuck you after you came, cleaning you up only to push his cock back in and fuck you right into the mattress; legs pressed against your stomach, wails leaving you as he plunged into you with abandon, frantic hands scratching down his back as you cried from the overstimulation— it only ended with him pressing deeply into you and emptying yet another load into your tired cunt. 

The semblance of normalcy that followed after didn’t last very long, either— yeah, getting carried to the shower and having him clean you up and scrub you down was nice, and sitting at the counter as you watched him make a quick breakfast was nice too, a heartwarming glimpse into a domestic future with him— but you were only able to get halfway through your meal before Yeonjun decided that he’d much rather bend you over the kitchen counter and have you there instead— moaning wantonly as he watched your trembling legs fail to keep up, buckling under his pace and forcing him to hold you up with his insane strength— and just when you thought he was getting tired, he simply flipped you on your back and laid you on the counter instead; he always did think you looked really pretty when you were totally fucked out, anyway. 

Maybe that’s when hours started blending together— he was sweet and caring when he needed to be, cleaning you up with a feather-like touch and kisses that warmed your heart— only to give you the whiplash of the century when his pupils dilated and the only thing he honed in on was you. 

You. You you you. 

His ears would press against his head and his tail would flicker dangerously, narrowed, focused eyes meeting your bleary ones with ease; you could only sit there and let him maneuver you however he liked, shivering and falling limp with each time he’d slide his cock into you, as though you finally felt complete. 

You looked so breathtaking to him— under him, over him, whatever position he suddenly found himself needing you in— teary eyes and swollen lips calling his name like a mantra, a prayer, a plea for him to use your body until he got his fill.

There was something so addicting about the way you trembled from the overstimulation, sobbing and writhing yet never saying your safe word. It had Yeonjun fascinated, the guilty part of his mind berating him for trying to see how far he could take things— yet, no matter what he did or what he said, you only seemed to beg for more, like you’d been waiting for this moment for ages.

“Take it, T-take it like a good toy,” Yeonjun hissed, fingers digging into your hips as his cock battered into you ruthlessly. You merely cried and moaned, cotton tail wiggling with every drag against your walls, the soft fur coated with dried cum, “said you could handle it, right? Stupid fucking bunny— nothing but a cumdump for me, hmm?”

Your squeals and chants of yes! Yes yes yes! only spur Yeonjun on even more— his body feels as though it’s on fire, bright hair sticking to his sweaty skin as he merely pushes himself further— you can practically feel his back hover over your own, able to tell that he’s close from his faltering pace and shaky breaths that fan across your skin. 

“Want me to breed you?” he asks, though there’s no need to ask anymore if the previous loads he’s dumped into you are any indication of your answer. Yet he still does, almost like instinct; it’s much more satisfying to hear you beg for it, anyway. 

And you do— your begging is so cute, how could he ever resist? Yeonjun’s nails might break your skin with how tightly he’s holding you, teeth digging into his pouty lip as he pumps himself into you, once, twice, then empties out everything he has to offer— your back arches and your hips move back to try and glue yourself to him, crying out his name in satisfaction as he fills you for the nth time of the night. 

The way you keen out, the sight of your ears that are pinned to your head along with your tail that shivers with satisfaction is like drugs to him; he’s hopelessly addicted to you, to all of you, from your stuffed cunt that continues to suck him in to your soft voice that whimpers out at every sensation you offer him.

Such a good girl, Yeonjun thinks to himself, butterfly kisses spanning along your sweaty skin, your barely conscious form curling into him for more, how did he get so lucky?

Even after he’s given you a moment to rest, laying down with you on top of him, you still cling onto him, sighing in content as you allow him to cockwarm you, already bracing yourself for the moment he feels himself needing you again. And as you both drift into a much needed nap, Yeonjun can only find himself thinking one thing. 

Thank god for you and your argumentative nature.

[appleblueberry-pie]

hear me out- yandere Miguel capturing us after we managed to escape from his lair (he kidnapped us) and us dealing w/ the consequences he put up for us 👀

Anyways thank youuu 🤭

I Thought You Knew Better Than This.

You've never thought your own home could look so ruined. He threw and destroyed everything. Your walls covered in claw marks in certain places with big and heavy pieces of furniture destroyed and laying on the opposite side of the room it's supposed to be on. You tried to make minimal sound as his hand on the back of your shirt continued to hurt you. Miguel hasn't stopped breathing heavy since he found you hiding in your little corner. He was seething. Absolutely furious with how the way things have turned out. It was supposed to be a simple day today. He drowns you in his luxury and money while he also indulges in the feelings of happiness that your happiness gives him. But when he was distracted and had his back turned, you disappeared without a second to spare, taking his patience and mercy with you.

Even though he wasn't wearing the symbol of his power, his spider-suit, something about him wearing just regular clothes while chasing you as if he was a predator catching his prey made your heart pang in fear. You said nothing and kept to yourself as he practically shoved you into the fully formed portal.

When you two were back into your very carefully decorated and designed (he would call this your real bedroom in your real home)bedroom meant for your comfort and safety, Miguel sat on the edge of the bed and had you planted on his lap. Your back touched his hot chest and your each of your legs were spread out with the outer sides of his own.

You swallowed thick bile and continued to keep your mouth shut. Your eyes roamed around your room in hopes of self soothing your erratic inner turmoil. Miguel grabbed the lower part of your face and turned you to make eye contact with him. His eyes held some sense of control within him, but you knew his heart was telling an entirely different story. You tried your best not to look away, knowing how he feels about eye contact.

"Por qué te fuiste?"(Why did you go?) His voice was quiet as he asked. He spoke to you as if you were a child, and truth be told, you really really didn't want to tell him why. But the last thing you should ever do is lie. Especially to him. "I just.....I didn't want to be with you." You silently croaked out the answer, guilt showing in your eyes, but he didn't care. "Hm? Don't I give you everything? Don't I take good care of you? Papi no te cuida bien?"(Doesn't daddy take care of you?)

You slowly nod and he shakes his head. "I don't understand. Help me understand why you thought it was a good idea to run away. Please." You stutter as you try to answer as his hand somehow sneaked past your pants to rub his cold fingers on your clit through your underwear. ".......B-because I-" "Because you don't think. You just act immediately on your thoughts and leave me to clean up your mess. This is why I make you stay home."

No matter how hard you tried to ignore his fingers, your body somehow managed to build pleasure from the constant stimulation he was giving you. "I'm sorry." He rolls his eyes and begins to take off your pants. "Yeah." You didn't want to think about what he wanted to do with you. You drop the pants onto the floor once they pool around your ankles and Miguel manhandles you over his lap.

"Wait, no, Miguel. I don't wanna do this, I'm not ready!" You feel his digits prod at your entrance as best as they could through the small and unnecessarily damp part of your underwear that he caused. "It never seems like you're ready for me to give you any of your punishments, mi cielo. But don't you think it's time for me to give you what you deserve?" You squirm under his hold, and he rightfully continues to hold you down.

"No!" He coos at you while staring down at your panties, shoving the piece of the cloth to the side to access you more easily. "Mmmm, I think I should." Two of his digits poke at your hole and your shame drastically increases as you automatically whine at the feeling, squirming in his arms.

You hated, hated getting sexual with him. It wasn't fair that he had more experience than you and could play with you like an instrument, making you sing every song known to man. He was so good at touching you, you never wanted to try it again since the first time it happened. Knowing how hard it was to not only ignore him, but also how hard it was to go against his word when you and him both knew he could make you feel so good in ways you didn't think was humanly possible.

Miguel looks back up to see your reaction as he inserts his fingers and you immediately go silent. His fingers thrust inside of you two, three times and then on the fourth time, curls on that spot and you squeeze your eyes shut. A very small upward curve makes itself known on Miguel's face. He softly praises you and continues working your pussy out. "There, we go, bebé. No se siente increíble? Déjame escucharte."(Doesn't that feel amazing? Let me hear you). Your hands tighten their hold on his thigh and you shake your head no. He suddenly pulls his fingers out, licking them clean before tossing you onto the bed, immediately taking his hard cock out of his pants. "Está bien, nena."(That's okay, baby) He almost seems to say his words excitedly, rushing to mount your ass, one of his hands on the small of your back to keep you in place, his head hanging to watch the hot tip of his cock slip between the plush doors to his only escape to reality, indulging in you entirely. "........Tengo otras maneras de hacerte cantar."(I have other ways of making you sing.) He was gone, too far gone to stop and it was all of your fault.

He lets out a shaky sigh, leaning down to connect his chest to your back, now moving the hand that once was restricting you so that his body can take that role, and instead putting his hand in your hair to move your face to meet his. You look up at him with those adorable glossy eyes, the tears threatening to drop down your pretty cheek only makes him smile. "You did this to yourself, baby. Don't be so sad. All you have to do is let me do the work, okay? Just relax." Then his lips connect with yours in a sweet, loving kiss that you fucking hated. But your opinion never mattered in these moments, and it especially didn't matter when he kept deepening the kiss, groaning into your mouth as you felt him very gently intrude your entrance.

His kisses. His kisses successfully distracted you. Those plush lips making you forget your words. And when his tip oh, so gently kissed that spot inside of you when he was fully in, you felt your mind begin to buzz and didn't even realize you stopped trying to resist. Miguel took that moment to let his hands roam your heavenly body. There were only a few times he got to do this, and sadly, it was only when he was having sex with you. He wanted to be able to touch you every day. He wanted his hands to touch your stomach, your sides like this every morning and every night. He wanted to soothe your mind and body like this every day in any way he could, outside of a sexual context, because he knows he could. He just wishes you would love him back so he can give you what you truly deserve. Own him like you truly deserve.

But then he remembers you telling him he wasn't shit, his love wasn't shit, you wanted him dead, wanted him gone, he was worth nothing and the only thing you'd enjoy would be him in the dirt. Dead, gone, cold and forever silent, out of your mind. But what about all of this he built for you? What about those mornings you'd be in his arms and immediately realized you cuddled him all of the damn time in your sleep? What about those times he had to help you cook, had to help you with those weirdos who cat-called you outside, had to help you with your stress? Your pain that he took away from you? Just like this?

What about that? "Nothing I do is ever enough for you." His hips slowly roll into yours and you focus on the sheets in front of you, ignoring his crazy talk. "Maybe I should try giving you all that I got. Maybe then, you'll learn to be thankful." He grabs you by the waist and pulls you to the edge of the bed. Both pairs of feet touch the ground, but you both remain bent over the bed. His hands grab onto yours and pulls them up, giving you no space or peace of mind to be able to ignore anything he's doing to you.

The soft rolling picks up speed and force, the jabs he makes inside of you increasing in pleasure with each thrust. You begin making sounds you can't control, and Miguel smothers you with kisses on your neck, praising your actions.

You hated him. You hated how you began leaning into his affection and relaxed at his words as he fucked the logic out of your mind. You hated how he numbed your tongue and continued to abuse your sweet spot constantly, knowing how sweet you'll be to him afterwards. And even when you grind back into him, all of your muscles tensing as he rubs at your clit during your orgasm, you still find a way to try and curse his name, only for it to come out of your mouth as if he was an angel from heaven.

Miguel pulls out to shoot his load onto the sheets, knowing the relationship you two have isn't something he wanted his child to see. It'd take a few more months.

You let him clean you, wash the sheets, feed you and put you to bed. And you couldn't find it in you to complain, let alone have any kind of opinion of what just happened. Not when you were this tired. Miguel decided to skip work for the rest of the night to sleep with you. You don't say anything.

You curled into his arms, knowing the next morning will just be a mental battle with yourself over giving in or continuing this exhausting fight you were putting up. His hand softly caresses your head, the other one holding your body close to his. He is whispering to you in such a soft and lovely tone, it just makes you wonder how obsessed he really is with you. Skin to skin. He lulls you to sleep and stays awake for a good while, just to embrace the moment he's never given. Then follows you into his subconscious.

[ataraxiaspainting]

The Grand Design.

Yan Arlecchino x F Reader.

Synopsis: Spring is soon to arrive in Fontaine, thawing out the waters and making the land greener. After weeks of being held within the walls of Hotel Bouffes d'ete, The Knave has promised you that you may go to the Florence Festival together as a reward for your good behavior. Though you are now here, you soon are reminded of how Arlecchino’s definition of a reward is quite different from yours. Still, it is best to remain on her good side. The man you two are following should have known that well too.

Warnings: Yandere themes, manipulation, kidnapping, stalking, spoilers for Arlecchino's story quest, and minor character death/violence.

Word Count: 4.1k.

*~*~*~*

Ten Songs Like This Piece:

Brutus (Instrumental) by The Buttress

I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE by Måneskin

Bernadette by IAMX

Who Is She ? by I Monster

Bang Bang Bang Bang - Remastered 2021 by Sohodolls

Deutschland by Rammstein

Sex with a Ghost by Teddy Hyde

Beautiful Is Boring by BONES UK

Teeth by 5 Seconds of Summer

Swimming Pool by Marie Madeleine

*~*~*~*

“Something wicked this way comes, and as I set to face it, I'm unsure, should I embrace it, should I run? What motivates me? Hatred? Is it love?” – The Buttress, Brutus

*~*~*~*

The room that The Knave put you in when you first arrived here never fails to seem smaller than it is. Your designated bed is placed in the middle of the wall farthest from the locked doors. There is a large window on each side made of up pink and white stained glass, but no matter how much you attempt to punch them, they never shatter. The floor has carpet on top of it, just soft enough for your bare feet to feel comfortable.

Arlecchino never lets you out of your room even for meals, and thus had a wooden table installed in front of the right window. There are two chairs too; one for you and one for whomever is put up to the task of watching you while you eat. Only to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients, she said after you gained enough courage to ask. I don’t want you to get ill. You had attempted to skip meals before, but as soon as the children who had cleaned up your plates and trash after every meal had found out, “Father” was soon notified. She was not completely furious, but she was most definitely not pleased. She scolded you for what felt like hours. All you are doing is lowering your strength… surely you’ll understand eventually.

You don’t throw away your food anymore, after she was the one that oversaw you eating every day for around three weeks, her eyes seemingly staring into your soul.

At first, you ate your food because you wanted the children in charge of watching you to not suffer punishments if they were not up to the task.

But after having enough conversations with Arlecchino, your motivations changed. Once an agent of the House of the Hearth used the vacant room beside your own to sneak out and run away. From the sounds you heard from the other side of the wall, it seems they were found out immediately. Arlecchino didn’t seem distraught when she visited you a few minutes later. Her appearance was not unusual, but from the crashing noises, you knew that the agent must have tried to fight The Knave herself.

They were not successful, that much was clear. Arlecchino hadn’t even broken a sweat, while they were fighting for their life.

There was a gift for you in one of her hands. A small black box with a red ribbon. You soon connected the dots. The escapee had the worst luck. Arlecchino was already on her way to your room, and just so happened to witness them opening the unlocked window. They didn’t scream though, despite all the other loud sounds of throwing vases and such, which also showed Arlecchino finished off her target quicker than they could beg for mercy or help.

Here at the House of the Hearth, everyone is responsible for their own actions. Loyalty shall not go unrewarded. Obedience shall not go unsupported. But… Foolishness shall not be without a hefty price to pay. Lies shall not be without precious items being taken as due compensation.

So, now your top priority is to be on your best behavior solely for yourself.

Every child here looks up to you. They have treated you as such ever since you woke up behind locked doors. But they also ensure that Arlecchino’s lessons are as drilled into your skull as her lessons are drilled into theirs. They ensure that you remain compliant.

All in all, they have taught you more about the House of the Hearth than “Father” ever could. The children scold you whenever you don’t follow the House’s long list of rules as if they are your caretakers. In a way perhaps they are, in Arlecchino’s point of view, but you would never admit to that. They reward you whenever you remember to water the few plants they had placed beside your bedroom window and cheer whenever you greet their savior with a bow and a good afternoon, Madam. They take away the few books Arlecchino has given you whenever you refuse to eat and yell at you whenever you refuse to even look at her.

Why are you so ungrateful?

We only want what’s best for you!

Do you wish to break Father’s heart?

So you don’t disobey them anymore. You had realized that they were not disciplining you to have The Knave not be mad at them. No. If only it were that simple. They discipline you because they want you to be a part of their family. That is why the younger ones slip drawings of you underneath your doors. That is why the older ones joke around with you during mealtimes.

You don’t throw out any drawings given to you.

You attempt to laugh at unfunny jokes. To get access to more freedoms, you must be on your best behavior.

You have to get the children’s blessings to even be considered good enough to step into the House’s flower garden.

It has a glass ceiling with all sorts of carved plant designs on top. Rainbow Roses. Romaritime Flowers. Lumidouce Bells. Lakelight Lilies. There is a path right down the middle to see each of them in all their glory. At the end of it, there is a small tree just big enough to shadow one or two sitting people. That place has become your sacred spot. You read and even take naps there, when your unbendable schedule allows it.

That place is also where Arlecchino first proposed an award for behaving well for the children.

Lyney tells me you are adjusting well. You noticed that her tone was the smallest bit higher, but you didn’t pay attention to the way the corners of her mouth pointed upwards just slightly.

You didn’t answer her, instead nodding your head.

I trust his judgment, and therefore you can choose a reward from the two I have selected for us.

As soon as she says the first option, your hearing gives out. Your mind is focused on it and it alone. The Florence Festival. An opportunity to finally sweep your hands on blades of grass and feel the wind flow into and out of your hair. It’s paradise, plain and simple.

*~*~*~*

The small circular table’s wood is light in color, and its iron framework leaves little to be desired. The chairs possess a similar appearance due to the use of the same materials, but the top rounded rail has a fake red rose attached. It was likely formed from melted ore that was poured into molds instead of being carved by hand, but you don’t dare ask about it to the one sitting across from you, sipping her hot beverage and looking at the flower fields in the distance.

You don’t want to see anyone get in trouble for your pickiness. 

Right?

You observe in silence as a single petal drops from the vase of flowers between your two dishes, almost as if the universe is conspiring to vex Arlecchino much at the expense of the fates of those who cross her.

You are unsure as to whether or not you count.

The food on your side compared to the food on her side could not be more different; rainbow macarons and a latte and steak tartare and a cup of black tea. But they still have a common similarity despite their appearance and ingredients; they are outrageously overpriced.

The main dishes you can understand. After all, they are this cafe’s specialties along with the top two bestsellers. But the drinks are another matter entirely. You cannot possibly comprehend in what world would a cup of tea with no sugar or cream amount to ten thousand hundred Mora and that being a reasonable price. The same thing with your latte, but you figure that the added sugar and cream had understandably raised the price. 

Though twenty thousand Mora for something that took less than ten minutes to prepare when you lived by yourself is evil. Some guilt stirs within you when you think about the total amount of Mora Arlecchino has spent on you thus far on this little outing. You two have not even made it to the Florence Festival’s famous entrance arch yet. In addition, surely there will be other things she will get you, either by your request or by hers.

The Knave raises her hand like a corpse arising from its slumber.

“From what my information sources have told me, this… ‘Florence Festival’ is about the arrival of spring. It sounds rather wholesome, in my opinion… and it sounds like something the children would like to partake in, next time.” She looks down at your still full plate. “Is the cuisine not up to your expectations? We can go somewhere else if you would like.”

You shake your head, and pick up the pink macaron in an attempt for Arlecchino to not call over a rather unfortunate waiter. “No, no… It’s fine. I promise… Peruere.”

You spoke her true name with a softness akin to a dove’s plucked feathers. She does not smile, but instead leans over and grabs the red macaron off your plate. You do not stop her. Her teeth sink into it right up to the center where the raspberry jam is. The filling leaks out onto her lips, but soon blends in as they share a similarly saccharine hue.

“It is unkind to lie to me.”

Between her fingers, the macaron is crushed to near dust within a single motion. Arlecchino does not scowl, but there is a small frown on her face. A tsk sound. Disappointment.

“They’re… rather stale, aren’t they [First]?”

“I shall call over the foolish owner of this establishment, and then we shall go see the rest of this festival.”

You pray not for the owner, but for you. Arlecchino's vigilant gaze is constantly fixed on you, making selfishness seem like a mere reflex.

*~*~*~*

“I must admit I have other plans relating to this festival.” Arlecchino sighs, slowly her walking speed until she comes to a stop.

You copy her movements like you are her reflection, but unlike what she sees in pools of blood, you don’t speak when she does.

She puts one of her clawed hands near her chin as she continues. “Consider it to be an immovable obstacle, if that is how you wish to see it. But I still need your help regardless.”

You suppress all feelings of wanting something else than taking orders day in and day out, not wanting your metaphorical leash to be pulled. Arlecchino looks to her right, past the stalls of event sellers, and to the back of a young man.

“If it also makes you feel better, you shall be rewarded for assisting me.” She offers. “After our task is done, I shall buy you anything and everything you want here. The cafe was just a little sample of all the wonders I can give you if you earn them.”

Your focus is not on her words but on the stalls. It is unintentional, she knows that. But she has never been one to tolerate disrespect from anyone, and so she snaps her fingers to bring your gaze back to her. You look up at her like you are one of her apostles. She has attained your attention, your fear, and your eyes once more, all without harming a single Crystalfly. Who knows how long this will last before you regress back to old habits? She hopes for your sake, that the day you divert from her love is the day this world falls down. Even then, she will catch up to you no matter how many people she has to bury, or even if she has to bury herself.

You two will never be apart, because she won’t let anyone do so, even if it was the Tsaritsa herself.

“Yes, Arlecchino?” 

Your voice is not nearly as trembling as it used to be, but to her, that is a great thing. It means that you have the strength to carry yourself properly, but you still depend on following the rules to not be scolded. Newer children who did not ask to be in the Fatui have acted similarly once she has given them a stern talking to. Their heads are tilted upwards, and they have their one hand on their chests. The other is always behind their back with two of their fingers crossed. While you possess the former, you do not possess the latter anymore. Arlecchino is proud of you, for that. You must have learned plenty from the children. While she is not your father, she is still the head of the House of the Hearth, and all other body parts follow suit. 

Like the spider she so loved growing up though, if the head is cut off in any way, the legs will still be able to flourish. She learned that from observing specifically jumping spiders. When a much larger spider came, it bit off her chosen jumping spider’s head and left the rest of the corpse. The legs scurried away. 

The legs still lived their life even without the head in place. The children will follow suit eventually, once Arlecchino eventually perishes. Though you will follow her. She expects nothing less. Thus, she already has preparations for what is to come on that fateful day.

It will be painless though. She guarantees that.

“Follow him,” She orders. “Befriend him, if you would like. Just please don’t get too attached, now.”

*~*~*~*

When you’re off to do your task, Arlecchino reminisces of better times. She sighs, sits down on one of the nearby benches, crosses one leg over the other, and looks down at her black hands. The same ones that hold others that are brimming with purity. Though she has never touched your hands, she can tell they are warm and soft, and everything else hers are not, from how much hand lotion you use each week and how often you manicure your nails. She doesn’t want to ask you, but the reason for this is unknown to her. Is she afraid of rejection? No. That cannot be it. 

You wouldn’t dare reject her, after all, that you learned never to do at Hotel Bouffes d'ete. Lyney and Lynette were your main teachers if she remembers properly. Though, now that she thinks about it, Foltz must have had some lessons for you as well. He is not a cruel boy to those who have earned Arlecchino’s trust, but at the same time, he has no mercy for those who break Father’s rules. Lynette must have stopped him on multiple counts every time you acted out of line.

Foltz is too impulsive, while Lynette is frankly too calculating.

That is why she chose Lyney to teach you most of the ropes she set out.

Lyney is good at that sort of thing.

He has the power to get everyone to listen to his beck and call with a simple smile and a few words. She also trusted he would help you feel more comfortable, as Lyney always gives gifts and speaks more gently to newcomers. With his help, Arlecchino knows very specific things about you, details that outsider Fatui spies would never be able to grasp. Whether or not you told him those things is insignificant. Lyney may not be as observant as Lynette, but he still has a knack for seeing finer habits and actions. Arlecchino also knows though that because of the twins’ bleeding hearts, they often bury anything Foltz will tell on before he sees them. After all, Foltz still has yet to grasp certain aspects of your body language and speech patterns because he doesn’t see you as often as he wants to, but Lyney and Lynette know much more because they spend the most time with you.

She doesn't mind it at all, because they treat you like family. That is all Arlecchino wants when it comes to you, to make you see their way and for everyone to get along.

…

If only the faces of the Hearth stayed the same, that they only grew and never lessened. It disappoints her, whenever she has to deal with people that are ordered to be erased.

But even after they are erased by her, sometimes the dead come back in surprising ways. Like the man you are following. It pains her, somewhere deep down. She knows that it is for the best of the House, but emotions cannot be suppressed forever.

She almost weeps when she thinks of a familiar face but closes her eyes before tears can fall.

“Pierre Snezhevich,” she says. “You had the chance to be reborn, took it… and now, for what? This time you are destined to die for good, I’m afraid.”

She takes the bundle of dried daffodils from her pocket and lays them beside her.

*~*~*~*

“I… daffodils are my favorite flower.”

The man takes but a few steps closer as he says those words, smiling. But the moment you attempt to bridge the gap yourself, he stops and looks around. His pointer finger adjusted his glasses as he looked more in peril than happy. The other hand drops the bundle of daffodils near his feet, and you see them both retreat into his leather jacket’s pockets.

You don’t move any closer, afraid that you may scare him off with any sort of movement. You don’t move any closer, afraid of scaring him away and invoking Arlecchino’s wrath. If you fail this mission, who knows how long it will take before you’re allowed to go outside again?

You simply wait in place with your hands in front of you, and attempt to give him the most comforting smile you can muster. But your acting skills are still subpar when compared to The Knave and her children. So because of that, the man doesn’t move from his position either, scowling.

“Need something?” He asks, making it glaringly obvious he doesn't trust you in the slightest. “If you have something to say… say it already. Please.”

“Uh… I just complimented the bouquet in your hand. I… don’t really have anything else to say in particular, I just wanted to strike up a conversation.”

The man looks past you, and you don’t hear a verbal response. 

Instead what you hear is the clattering of high heels touching the path’s bricks.

“Ah, dearest, here you are.”

A familiar clawed hand rests just above your collarbone, the arm just above the opposing shoulder. You don’t speak and only watch as the man’s expression delves little by little into complete terror. His eyes widen and his knees crumble. 

“Eric Draftler… What a surprise. We haven’t seen each other in a long time.” 

“You… two know each other? I was just asking about the daffodils,” You play into the lie, this little image Arlecchino told you to sketch with hardly any directions on whatever to do. The wind leads the daffodil petals on the ground into the air, and soon some of them are gone. Only the leaves remain. “This… is my fiancée. Arlecchino.” 

“Didn’t I just tell you we know each other?”

“Yes but still,” You don’t look into her eyes, instead staring at Eric’s shadow from across the path. For you know what is lurking within their depths, somewhere deep down in there. Disappointment, and a scolding waiting to happen. You can practically hear it now, her voice edging on anger with no ounce of any other emotion in her tone. “I just wanted him to remember if he… forgot. That’s all.”

Gradually, as you both proceed, Eric begins to move further and further away from you, walking backward. Eventually, you manage to guide him to a less crowded section of the festival, almost as if you pushed him there.

“Tell me, why did you kill Ginelle?”

Arlecchino’s voice is no longer friendly, and her grasp on your neck area is tighter. But you still don’t dare to ask her to stop, because that will make your injuries far worse. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Fatui scum.” Eric hisses, his arms now covering his stomach as he turns paler. “I have never met you.”

Arlecchino lets go of you, crossing her arms as she gets closer. “Oh really?”

“Not in person at least!” Eric says, almost yelling. “You-”

As Arlecchino puts a finger to her lips though, Eric’s voice gets quieter.

The clattering of high heels also gets quieter as she gets the closest she can be to Eric without giving up the illusion of common courtesy. She shakes her head and looks down on him. Arlecchino never tolerates anything other than murmuring voices, gentle singing, or absolute silence. 

It’s something you have come to know quite well. This rule has no exceptions.

“Now, now, Mister Draftler.” She leans just slightly. But her head is still held high. “I just wanted a conversation. I promise you that this conflict can result in no physical fighting if you just listen to what I have to say.”

Eric does not move back anymore. While his mind is most likely forwarding the flight response, his body is stuck at a standstill. It’s a stance you have grown to know well when Arlecchino approaches someone; them being an enemy, a friend, or otherwise is of no significance to her. All she wants is control, and to appear above everyone else.

Whether to guide, defend, or crush depends on your perspective more than hers. She has the power to make dreams come true but often chooses to conjure nightmares instead. They teach better lessons that way in her opinion, regardless of whether they are the last lesson they will ever learn or one of the first in a long line of those to come. 

“You’re simply overreacting, I’m afraid.” A tsking sound emerges from her throat as she continues to look down into the eyes of her already-defeated foe. “I do not wish to detain you and bring you to Snezhnaya for further questioning. My dear [First] will be all alone with no one to care for her quite like I do if I have to go all the way to the Zapolyarny Palace to oversee your trial and due punishment. I am sure you don’t want that either, yes?”

Eric does not respond, putting his hands back in his pockets.

“You know your past life, don’t you?” Arlecchino asks, no, states. “You most likely don’t remember anything but key fragments, but that is more than enough to justify giving you the death sentence. When you attempted to sneak out via that room next to [First]’s, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. You repay me by killing your own sister?” 

While Arlecchino does not tolerate loud noises from other people, she has nothing against raising her own voice. So, she does just that.

“How dare you.” She steps just a bit closer, having her arms crossed once again. “You were my child once, Pierre. But no longer.” Arlecchino puts a hand out towards Eric and squeezes. The man begins to choke, clawing at his throat. 

You put your hands over your eyes, and wait until it is over.

…

You’re not sure how long it takes for Eric to die.

It couldn’t have been more than two minutes, you think. But time dragged on as you attempted to blur out the sounds of Eric’s gasps and scratching.

From the little bit you allowed yourself to see, you could have sworn Arlecchino was smiling.

“You didn’t do the best job, I’m afraid.” You hear The Knave say, and realize she is talking to you.

“I’m sorry.”

She sighs then, you think. The clattering of her high heels gets louder as she approaches you. Then a thump.

“It’s alright. You still managed to get the target distracted while I did the rest. In addition, this was not a terrible outcome for your first mission.” Arlecchino puts a hand on your head, and you uncover your eyes, looking up at her. “Be proud, [First].”

Her nails don’t poke into your scalp like you feared they would. You’re grateful for that.

“Well, a deal is a deal, yes? Let us enjoy this festival while it lasts.” She turns around to look at the body behind you two. “Oh, and don’t worry about that. It’ll stay here to teach a lesson to fools.”

You weren’t worried about that in the first place.

You’re worried about what will happen to you when your plans of escaping are executed.

“Is something the matter?”

You attempt to smile, but if anything you look exhausted. “No. I’m just… happy.”

“I’m glad.”

[jacaerysgf]

Unexpected Surprise

Summary: While attempting to gain the support of the vale, jeyne arryn has plans of her own for the prince.

r.q: Everyone forgets house Arryn😔🤘🏻 baddies of the vale Can you write something w Jace and an Arryn maybe lady Jayne’s little sister or daughter or something? Not a totally unreasonable alliance !! They have the coolest castle and knights also Ms Aemma Arryn ™️ like hello!! (I’m impatient as hell for more Vale coverage in season 2)

w.c: 900+

c.w: baela and jacaerys are not betrothed, arryn!reader jenye’s daughter, FLUFF, just a very cute fic, drabble, not proofread

a.n: IVE HAD THIS DONE SITTING IN MY DRAFTS FOR NO REASON OMGGGG but with the recent jeyne content i felt inspired to write this !! just something super simple <3 HOPE YOU ENJOY !! LOVE UUUU GUYS

masterlist - requests open

“Im sorry, what my lady?”

“I wish for you to marry my daughter.”

This is not how jacaerys thought this would go. When he arrived in the vale he thought he thought he would have to make simple small talk, present some of the benefits, hells even throw some complements her way in order to convince her. This however had not been in his cards.

“I'm sorry my lady i do not understand.”

“My daughter, y/n remains unmarried, around your age, a sweet girl, agree to wed her and me and my men will bend the knee.”

He blinks. He has no clue what to say to her. Jeyne stands after a moment, “I shall go fetch her.” He watches as one of the guards tries to stop her and tells her he will go retrieve the girl but Jeyne seems determined to go herself and he moves letting her leave. Jacaerys stands awkwardly in the middle of the room unsure of what to do.

He is not too sure he can just flat out agree to a proposal without his mother position, it is not like he is a second son, he is the heir to the queen. The next king, his wife to be the next queen. Yet when he sees you walking into the room, wearing a long dress in your house colors with your mother trialing behind with a pleased look on her face he finds himself wanting to agree to the marriage right away.

You are stunning. Easily the most beautiful women he’s ever seen, sure he hasn’t seen that many women but it doesn’t matter. He watches as you bow and mindlessly nods in acknowledgment, unable to take his eyes off you.

Jeyne looks between the two of you with a satisfied look. “Why don’t you show the prince around?” She gives you a pointed look to which you nod, “Of course i would be happy to.”

He walks over and offers you his arm with a smile on his face and you graceful take it before you begin to walk off with him. Jeyne stays behind and smiles to herself.

“My mother is very forward i apologize to you.” He simply shakes his head, he finds himself look at you instead of the halls he’s supposed to be looking at. “It is not an issue my lady, I rather appreciate it.” You look at him curiously but turn away once you notice he is already looking at you. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Many people speak in riddles, not saying what they mean or truly want, your mother is a rare gem.” You smile at the praise of your mother, “She truly is.”

You lead him outside and begin to tell him about the different plants and different sculptures around the courtyards. He is so charmed by you. The way you light up when you spot something and you begin to tell him of a memory you have, like how your mother scolded you for jumping around in the fountain, or when you almost fell out of one of the window's when you fell asleep.

“You truly love this place.” He can tell. The way you smile at the guards as they walk by or the way you know every detail about everything in the walls. But he sees the way you falter slightly at his words, “Am i wrong?”

You shake your head vigorously, “no no i do, its just i have never been away from here. My mother is a very protective woman, she waves away any suitors, she never even lets me leave the eyrie it is ridiculous!” You realize you're letting your emotions show too much and bow your head, “i am sorry that was out of line.”

He grabs your hands and you look at him with wide eyes. “I understand my lady, my mother is similar, i have truly never traveled to far, i wish to explore, once my mother has her rightful throne i believe i will take the time to see westeros a little bit,” He pauses before he speaks again, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, “I could take you with me? if that is what you wish my lady.”

He watches as your eyes begin to glow and you beam at him, “truly? oh nothing would make me happier.” He nods and grips your hands tighter, “I shall take you everywhere.”

He does not expect you to throw your hands around his neck and pull him into a hug. He wraps his hands around your lower back, pushing his head into your neck and breathing in your scent. “I will accept your mothers propsal at once. You will fly with me to winterfell.” You pull back and give him an eager look. “Winterfell? Truly?” He nods, “I am to go meet lord cregan stark.”

You can barely contain your excitement at the thought of seeing something that was not the eyrie, especially a place as grand as winterfell.

Jeyne watched you two smile at one another from a window above with a small smile on her face. She does not hear the guard approaching her from behind, “You seem pleased my lady.” She says nothing to him for a moment, simply continuing to stare at the two of you. “Tell my men to ready themselves for war. It seems he will accept my proposal.”

perm jacaerys taglist <3

@tyronesien @itsbookworm987 @cruelworldlana @smurfelle @ireneispunk @hxtd @venmondiese @urmomsgirlfriend1 @aegonswife

[hellsslibrary]

your twisted wonderland first time stories are so good! is it fine if i request you write about vil, rook, jade, leona, and cater next? i love top male reader stories but its hard to find ones about twisted wonderland :<

-🍤

»—> Vil's, Rook's, Jade's, Leona's and Cater's first time + Azul from another request.

#a.n. : my writer's block and problems in life are finally over and I'm writing again. An amazing sight, but still.

#cw/tw: top!male!reader, bottom!male!character, first time obviously, praise kink, fingering, teasing, and quite a vanilla sex in general, sex toy(Cater), riding(Leona), very little nipple play(Leona), dirty talk(Rook), Rook is a brat just a little.

This is definitely a planned action, simply from the fact that Vil more than knows about sex (I think Eric explained this to him as a child as needed). Therefore, it is at least planned on the part of your yes/no, preferences and the like.

I don’t know why, but it seems to me that it’s important for Vil that your first sex with him be vanilla and romantic. That is, so that this sex is not so much a show of your lust, but of intimacy, your trust in each other.

If you are not a virgin, by the way, you will think that you are a virgin. This guy will guide you as if he knows everything, where, what and why (although he didn’t go beyond jerking off, because he didn’t see the need for it).

But he will still give you control, almost completely, simply because... It’s more convenient for a virgin than to do it all himself.

“Mmm... Yeah, it feels good,” Vil mutters as your fingers poke into that sweet spot and his fingers curl into the sheets. “Please continue... A little slower, yes, like that.”

A quiet moan of pleasure escapes his lips as your fingers slow down ever so slightly, pressing with each slow but rhythmic thrust into him. He sighs shakily, his arms wrapping around your neck as he presses a chaste kiss to your lips.

"Vil? This..." You whisper, watching as he spreads his legs beneath you invitingly, a smirk blooming on his lips that turns into a smile of pleasure in a matter of seconds. "Too tempting for a virgin."

"In your opinion, I'm always tempting, no? Or do you think I don't notice your glances at my ass?" Vil asks, chuckling and making you laugh too and kiss his lips, in a deeper way, and push your fingers even deeper.

It is clear that the sensations will be strange. But he’s still pleased, and the main thing is that it’s you. And Vil is not one of those who goes back on his word, after all. And if he allowed you to fuck him, then you will do it (if you want, ofc).

Vil simply found some kind of peace in this first act. Slow thrusts, your hands touching his body, which has become like a continuous erogenous zone, your quiet voice whispering praises and compliments to him... It's wonderful.

“Ah, [M-Mc]... It’s so good, don’t stop, I beg you, my love,” Vil whispers, closing his eyes in pleasure, feeling the relaxed, slow tremors inside him; a whine escapes his lips as you lift his hips off the pillow, going deeper.

“So good... You take cock too well, handsome. Although it’s you, what else could I expect,” Your whisper is heard in his ear, and he melts at the sound of your hoarse laugh.

His nails dig into your back, creating crescent-shaped marks. His hips rock in time with your thrusts, meeting them. Moans and whines escaped his slightly reddened lips from the kiss, mixed with the sound of your name... Just perfect.

I'm honestly not sure if this was planned or not. Just from the fact that I can easily imagine something innocent with him developing into something obviously intimate and... I'll leave it up to you.

And you DO NOT need to discuss the main important things before getting into bed. He knows everything about you, which seems strange, especially if you have never even thought about it, but this is Rook... But he will tell you his boundaries and what he loves, yes.

He is absolutely calm before the penetration begins, absolutely. You even begin to think that he lied, that this was his first time. He's too... Stretched for a virgin. (Although let's be honest, I just think he was playing with himself. And I think he's one of the few people who did it with his hole, lol)

He doesn't moan at all before the penetration begins, like AT ALL. Rook just watches your fingers penetrate him with a satisfied smile and red cheeks and tells you all sorts of praise and some phrases that make you swear you want to simultaneously blush and hit him at the same time.

“Mmm... Your fingers are so good, Mon cher, it’s almost unbearably good. If you’re so good with your hands, then I can’t even imagine what it will be like when your dick is inside,” Rook whispers with a half grin, half smile on his face, his palms lie on your chest, drawing some invisible patterns there with his fingers.

A sigh escapes your lips and you lightly slap him on the back of his thigh, causing Rook to twitch slightly but only chuckle at your displeasure showing; his back arches when you make deliberate, harsh contact with his prostate.

“Rook, I ask you, keep quiet... Everything has its time. Have you heard of such a phrase?” You ask a rhetorical question, and a joyful glint appears in his eyes when he realizes that he has angered you just a little.

He's also calm when you finally insert your dick, it's like he's done this all before, seriously. Although moans are already beginning to escape his lips, he still does not stop these dirty conversations, they even intensify.

Although they soon turn into only convulsive declarations of love and praise when he approaches orgasm or this happens after the first orgasm.

"Ahh... You're so deep, it's incredible! Don't stop, please," Rook ululates as his face slams into the pillow again, squeezing it in his grip, causing it to tear pitifully.

“I didn’t plan on stopping, blondie, don’t worry,” He trembles when he hears and feels your whisper right next to his ear.

Your tender kiss behind his ear absolutely does not fit with the rough and rather sharp thrusts, creating a wonderful difference between roughness and tenderness... And damn, he can feel how his dick is getting hard again.

... No, I don't think it was planned, no. But this was not something wild too. It’s just that at some point you smoothly flowed into intimacy when there was the most suitable time and moment for this.

Although you have probably discussed similar topics with him many times before. I just think he's terribly curious when it comes to his partner, plus he probably doesn't have much of an idea of ​​how sex works between someone who has legs.

An absolute mess. He gradually, but quickly enough breaks down under any of your actions, touch, word, even glance. He simply surrenders to these sensations headlong.

"Jade, are you okay? You haven't said a word since my fingers were inside..." A question leaves your lips as you watch Jade try his best to hold back any sounds that escape his lips, and he just nods, "Baby... Give me a verbal answer."

"Y-yes! This—... Th-this is so good, mmhmm... Plea-please don't, agh, st-stop!" Jade groans, barely able to utter the words, causing a chuckle to escape your lips, causing the moray eel’s already red cheeks to turn an even darker shade.

His body trembles, his hands grab at anything just to maintain a little sense of reality. His cheeks are completely red, his teeth are nipping at his bottom lip, his eyes are closed as tears stream down his face... What a charm, right?

You'll probably need to keep his mouth closed somehow when you finally enter him. He will no longer be able to control his moans, and he will moan so damn loudly.

He doesn't even feel discomfort, he just wants all of you. He wants you to go ahead and just fuck him like he deserves.

“Hush, precious, hush. You'll wake everyone up, these aren't soundproof walls after all,” You whisper as Jade's head is thrown back on your shoulder in pleasure, and your fingers are in his mouth, playing with his tongue to muffle him just a little.

Your other hand lowers and lifts his body on your dick, making him twitch and whimper every time. His thoughts are jumbled, if he can think at all right now. Now there is only you, him and your dick, which lies perfectly in him.

No, this is not planned. I think it was completely unplanned. For some reason, I imagine him sending you a repost of some video where there is something sexual and like, “Maybe we can do it too?))”

And if you agree, he is the happiest in the world. He expected that you would not agree and then he would have reduced everything to a joke, but since you agree...

He also probably once tried to finger himself, but he didn’t really succeed, because his fingers didn’t reach what he needed, so he maybe used toys, or didn’t touch his hole for the time being.

"Mmm, are you sure this thing is comfortable, pumpkin? Is everything wonderful?" You ask to make sure he's absolutely fine as he lies on the bed, fascinated by the toy below.

"Y-yes... It feels good, really," Cater whispers, moaning as the toy touches his prostate. It's just a prostate vibrator with a circle of rubber that attaches to the base of the penis... But he swears it's never felt as good as it does now.

An absolute mess when you penetrate him. He's quiet though, I guess. You feel so much better than anything in his life has ever felt. And... A real cock is probably more pleasant to have than rubber, glass or other materials.

And yes, he won't let you go. He will cling to you with all his might, but he will still hold on to you.

“Cater... Calm down, calm down. I’m not going anywhere,” You whisper as his nails run down your back for the hundredth time in these moment, leaving red marks there that will clearly make your tomorrow less rosy.

“So-sorry,” He sobs, wrapping his legs around your waist, practically hanging on you as you continue to thrust in and out of him at a slow pace, “You're just... So h-hot and wet inside... And twitching, too! Weird..."

I think this is more about presenting you with a fact rather than a planned action. He can just lie on your lap in the garden and then say something like “I want to have sex tonight” and start snoring a few seconds later, and you react however you want.

For the first time he is surprisingly active, I think. Really active. Of course, he doesn’t know how to do anything in practice, but if you want him to suck you off or something, he will do it. (And will still do it damn well)

Quiet asf. Just a few growls, maybe very quiet moans, but it’s hard to get him to other sounds. In general, I think that he is not particularly sensitive himself.

“Mmm, come on, herbivore... I'm not glass, damn it,” Leona mutters as you slip your fingers into him a little too slowly for his liking and he sighs contentedly when you speed up a little.

"Sorry, sorry. I just don't want to rush anywhere, okay?" You speak, specifically aiming for his prostate and he just makes some kind of guttural sound reminiscent of agreement.

He will ride you. Yes, you can fight me, I’m ready, but he will do it. Leona wants to control the pace of your first time, so he will do that.

Although, of course, when he gets tired, he’ll just lie on top of your chest and you’ll have to fuck him like that because it’s convenient for him, lmao.

"Ha... Leona, you look incredible when you're on top of me, you know?" You ask, looking at him riding your dick at a slow, but quite sharp pace, while his hands lie on your chest, sometimes squeezing it convulsively in his palms.

“Yeah, I always look incredible actually... But I'm glad you recognized my greatness in a position that no one else saw,” Leona whispers with a smirk, flicking your nipple lightly, chuckling as you twitch inside him, but then it’s his turn to moan as you lift your hips, meeting his bounce halfway.

Yes, considering him, this is planned. He was very nervous, thinking that something would go wrong, so he discussed it with you in advance and of course asked when, after the start of the relationship, you would feel comfortable taking this step.

He is absolutely nervous before starting, even if he has read a lot of educational literature on this topic. He thinks something will go wrong or you won't like something.

He... Something between quiet and loud, yes. The most common moans, whines and sighs. Although, if you overstimulate him or just bring him into some kind of faint state of ecstasy, he will sound like the girls from hentai, I swear.

"Azul... Relax, okay? You're pretty tight even for a virgin," You whisper, squeezing his thigh reassuringly, letting him know that you're here and you're not going anywhere.

He nods, wiping his eyes from the accumulated tears, although it didn't really help, because they almost immediately appeared again. Azul sighs deeply, taking one of his pillows and covering his face halfway as he continues to stare at you.

“Okay, sorry... It's just unusual, I didn't think people walking on two legs felt this way,” Azul mumbles, muffled by the pillow but surprisingly able to keep his voice unwavering, throwing his head back when you touch his G-spot.

The absolute prince of pillows, at least the first few times. It's not that he wouldn't want to do something. He's just embarrassed and has no idea what to do.

Definitely a very kisser. Firstly, to muffle his moans, which make him ashamed. And secondly, it seems to me that he has a sensitive mouth and tongue... And his throat too, if you have a long tongue.

Azul meets your lips with his own again as he lies on his back, his legs twitching on your shoulders from the thrusts inside him. His tongue slides awkwardly against you as you run the wet muscle over his teeth for the hundredth time that evening and then pull away.

“You're so cute, Azul... I had no idea you'd be so clingy,” He blushes when he hears you whisper against his ear and squeezes his eyes shut when you lick the shell of his ear.

“It’s not true, love... Don’t tease me,” Azul mutters, covering his face with his hands, although he immediately leans forward when you kiss him again.

[li0nn3stuff]

Kiddo

Chapter four

Kiddo masterlist

English is not my first language, be kind.

Modern!Older!Aemond x Modern!Younger!Reader

•Chapter warnings: obsession, stalking•

A month after the encounter.

She used the bike to get to the train station.

She liked it, it was obvious she did. No matter the weather, she always smiled when she got on her bike. She always waves to all of the people she sees during her ride, always gentle and sweet, smiling softly.

People liked her, it was clear, she had the ability to make a homeless person smile in its worst day with her sweet face.

Her clothes were always a second hand, she never had something new. She looked beautiful, riding in the street between the fields.

She attracted.

She took the train early in the morning.

Her foster family was composed mainly of kids, she was the older one. 

Her foster mother was around fifty-six years old, she started adopting with her husband when they were around forty-five.

His girl was their first.

On paper there wasn’t much about the relationship between Mrs Beckham and Miss Beckham, or their relationship with his girl.

Mrs Beckham died when his girl was ten. Miss Beckham kept adopting children soon after, one after the other.

The house was big, yes, but full, placed out of the city, surrounded by nature for miles.

Off the train, she would get back on her bike and get to school.

Her light darkened in the city. It was not something she changed, it was the people who surrounded her. The way they looked at her, just because she didn’t dress like a slut. If she wore a skirt, it covered her knees, if she had a cardigan with a bit of cleavage, she always had a shirt underneath.

She always wore that necklace. The one Aemond touched. He felt proud of having touched something she wore everyday. It was a golden silver chain that held a piece of sapphire. The gem hadn’t been levigated nor shaped, it was natural.

When she was in the city, and she was alone, walking, she always put on her earpods.

Aemond asked himself why multiple times. Maybe she just didn’t like the sounds of the city.

Aemond closed his tascable notebook and hid it in the pocket inside his suit jacket, leaning back on his seat. He looked at her one last time, as she walked inside the school, until he wouldn’t be able to see her anymore.

It took him a while to accept it, but in the end, there was nothing he could do.

He was obsessed with her. 

He was obsessed with a kid.

No. No, no no. He just had to meet her. Once he’ll know her, she will disappear from his head.

Despite that should make him feel ashamed, and he tried, he didn’t feel it. The only shame he had was not having been able to make her his, yet.

Not have talked to her yet.

To be fair, Aemond didn’t know how. He met new people, clients, but that approach was something purely professional, and he couldn’t present himself like that to his girl.

He had approached women at bars before, when he was younger, but that was only for a quick fuck to relax him. Though, it had been a few years since he actually put effort to hit on a girl, now they just kept coming to him themself.

She wore a white skirt as always, long to her knees, and a thigh shirt.

Aemond looked at her form disappear inside the school.

It was unusual of hers. It showed her curves perfectly.

Aemond didn’t like it. He didn’t like people looking at her when they didn’t know she was his.

He didn’t like people looking at her at all.

Aemond started the engine and drove off the school, trying to not be seen much.

Did she want to impress someone at school? Did her friends trick her into something else?

He had to make sure she would be fine. He looked at his watch as he got out of his car and walked to the elevator, going up to his company offices.

“Floris, what’s my schedule for today?” He asked his secretary as he walked towards her.

Floris, his efficient secretary, greeted him with a professional smile. "Good afternoon, Mr. Targaryen. Your schedule for today includes a meeting with the board of directors at 2 p.m. followed by a conference call with potential investors at 4 p.m. And there's a dinner reception hosted by the Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m."

Aemond nodded, his mind still preoccupied with thoughts of the girl he had just seen. "Cancel the dinner reception," he instructed firmly. "I have other matters to attend to."

Floris raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden change in plans, but she knew better than to question her boss. 

"Of course, Mr. Targaryen . I'll take care of it right away."

As Aemond settled into his office, he found it difficult to concentrate on the tasks at hand. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He couldn't afford to let his personal feelings interfere with his work. But deep down, he knew that he couldn't shake the sense of responsibility he felt towards her. 

After all, he had taken an interest in her life, even if it was from a distance. And now, he couldn't help but feel a sense of obligation to ensure that she was safe and happy.

At the end of the day, she was his girl.

But as much as he wanted to be a part of her world, he knew he didn't belong there. He was a man consumed by darkness, by ambition and desire, and he knew that he would only bring her pain and suffering if he allowed himself to get too close.

Or maybe not. Maybe he would be able to help her. 

And yet, despite his best efforts to stay away, he couldn't resist the magnetic pull she had over him. He wanted to protect her, to shield her from the harsh realities of the world, to be the one she turned to when she needed comfort and solace.

But he knew that he could never be that person for her. He was too damaged, too broken, too consumed by his own demons to ever be worthy of her love.

Or maybe she could fix him. She could be the one to help him.

As the day wore on, Aemond found himself growing increasingly restless. He needed to do something, anything, to ease the turmoil in his mind. 

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in frustration. For the first time in a long time, Aemond felt utterly powerless. And he didn't like it one bit.

As the conference call with potential investors was coming to an end, Aemond felt the urge to run away even stronger.

“We are happy about how this conference turned out, Mr. Targaryen.” Harwin Strong said, smiling.

Move your ass.

“We will let you know what will be our decision, but I must admit, you are simply perfect, just what we need.” He kept talking.

“A pleasure.” Aemond nodded, and got up before Harwing could add anything more, extending his hand to shake his. Harwing hesitated for a fraction of a second, surprised, but he immediately recomposed and shook his hand.

“Pleasure for us as well, Mr. Targaryen.” Harwin walked out of the meeting room. Aemond sighed, as he rubbed his temples.

He needed her. Even if he could only watch her from a distance.

He needed to know if she was fucking around, because his girl could never.

He sighed and got up from his chair, going into his office, he put his laptop in his bag, then he quickly walked out of the office.

He had five minutes from the bell at the end of the school day.

He usually got there in ten.

If he loses her movements when she gets out of school, he is fucked. He had to get there in five minutes. No matter how.

Whatever reason why she was dressing up like that, he had to know. He tried to drive as fast as possible, trying to surpass some vehicles when he could. He felt his head numb. The only thought he had was her, he could almost smell her perfume. Her smile, her eyes. Her body.

He stopped the car just in time. A young guy was throwing insults at him from inside his car, as he drove along the crossroad. 

He looked at the time, and he realized he was late. school has just finished. He groaned, and he clenched his hands on the steering wheel, looking ahead of him. He sighed and looked at the traffic light, red. He was about to cause an accident. 

Something was seriously wrong with him.

He could have repeated it to himself a thousand times more, but still, if what was wrong with him was her, he wasn’t ready to fix it.

Then he saw her.

Y/N.

She was there, standing outside a bar. 

He saw the boy reaching her, coming from the backside of the pub.

The boy that he almost ran over. 

He wished he had run over him.

The traffic lights turned green, and he quickly tried to find a way to park the car as close as possible. 

He parked behind the bar beside the one where his girl was, and quickly got out. He walked to the front side, and he lit himself a cigarette, acting like he was just waiting for someone as he looked at his girl.

The boy approached her, and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Aemond felt a rush of anger, he felt his hands shaking, and he almost dropped the cigarette on the floor.

He will kill him.

If not, he will make him suffer for touching his girl. 

The boy was wearing the school jacket, and he had all the aspects of “the popular school kid”. He was probably the best player at football in their school.

Aemond remembered high school times. He remembered when Daeron, his little brother, blatered to him when he was in high school. It was always the same.

Guys like that don’t date girls like her.

If not to play them.

Despite his anger, his jealousy, Aemond had no idea of how to stop that… that date. How could his girl date someone when she was his?

He saw them getting inside the bar, and he was actually concerned for his girl.

He won’t let anyone hurt her. He looked around the bar, looking for security cameras.

There weren’t.

He walked back to the back of the pub, going to his car. There was a sign that said that the parking lot was not watched. No cameras on the back of the pub, covered by the sight of people or cars passing by. The parking lot was completely isolated.

Rectification. He knew how to stop the date.

He looked around again, to be sure no one was there, he tied up his hair, and grabbed a hat from his car. He looked down, grabbing the keys from his pocket and started striping the car.

The noise was not too loud, but it was disturbing, and it was giving Aemond a headache, but he kept going. He had no time to do research, but he was about 76% sure that boy had at least one enemy. Someone the boy would blame, because he would never suspect him.

Maybe.

Aemond crunched down and hit a wheel, enough to pierce it. At last, he hit a window, so the theft protection would start ringing. Aemond quickly moved away, reaching the front of the pub, hiding his hat in his pocket.

He saw a few people outside looking around, confused by the sound, then he finally saw the boy running outside, along with his girl. She was looking at him worriedly.

God, she was beautiful.

He wanted to touch her, now, while she wore that pretty outfit.

She should have worn it only for him, not for some stupid boy.

She tried to follow him when he went to see the car, but the boy abruptly stopped her, saying something he could not hear, he only saw the way he spoke to her, harshly, angrily.

His girl stepped back and nodded, going back inside the bar.

He should have left.

He just committed a crime, only so she would not be on a fucking date.

He just committed a crime, and he had to leave, at least before the police would show up.

He went inside.

He looked around and he saw his girl sitting at a table, alone.

Her head leant down, reading the book she always had with her.

He wanted to approach her, touch her.

He wanted her to see him.

He turned and walked to the bar counter, asking for a bottle of water.

He had to get out. Go away. Quickly.

He quickly paid for the wanted and turned to go away looking at her one last time.

He stopped all his movements.

She was looking at him.

She smiled.

She had been looking at him.

Tag: @zenka69 @blaustappen @julczimozart @diannnnsss @i66cilla @odeioemail @queenofthekeep @summerposie @tssf-imagines @vaylint @sweet-nothings-s @esposamultifandom @av989436751 @ladythornofrivia @xcinnamonmalfoyx @deliaseastar @kotadislikesthissite @nebulamorada @madelynwal @shari-berri

[penelopepine]

If the world was ending...

How would the 141 guys react when told the world was ending in 24hrs.

CW: talks of death

Price:

Was at base when he heard the sudden and shocking news. The first thing he did was call Laswell and confirm if this was really happening. When told it was he sent you a text saying that he was on his way to you, and to not leave the house. Price knew that everyone would know in a few moments, and that is when the chaos would start.

He gathered the boys making sure that they knew what was happening, and sent them off with a few words and a hug to where ever they wanted to be in the last of times.

After that you where the only thing on his mind; he had to get to you. He hated that he couldn't protect you from this, but at the very least he could hold you when the time came.

Price always thought that he would die in combat. So knowing that the last thing he ever felt, smelled, or saw was going to be you brought him some comfort. Maybe that's wrong of him to think, but he didn't care. He loved you and he would always choose you.

Gaz:

Was out getting food for the two of you when he received the call from Price. He honestly thought that Price was trying to tell him some kind of code. That he was in trouble and needed help, but couldn't say it directly. It wasn't until Price promised him multiple times that this was really happening did he start to believe it.

His captain told him that the news was probably going to be going public in a matter of minutes, and that he needed to get home before the ensuring havoc started.

Gaz tried not to show what he was feeling in that moment. The last thing he needed right now was to cause panic that would keep him from you any longer than needed.

While speed walking home he makes sure to text you saying to stay inside, and wait for him. Gaz didn't wait for you to respond with questions; you would know soon enough he's sure. Especially if the sudden screams was anything go off of.

He wasn't worried about that though. You were the most important thing to him, and he wouldn't let anything keep himself from you.

Once home the first thing he did was hold you. You had heard the news; your tear stained face was evident enough of that. Sitting on the couch, holding on tight to you, he couldn't help but think about all the plans still wanted to do.

Gaz wanted to propose to you, to have kids with you, and to grow old with you. He never imagined that he would be dying with you. Not now; not like this.

Soap:

Soap and you were out and about in town grocery shopping when Price called him letting know the news. A short conversation between the two had Soap tugging on your arm towards the front of the store. You had immediately questioned him with what he was doing. He asked you to trust him right now, and that you both needed to get out of the store.

It seems that you two weren't fast enough though since in just a few seconds screaming erupted in the store. That was only the beginning though as that was soon followed by more screaming, and people hastily running around.

You had demanded answers once finally in the car. That is when he broke the news to you as gently as he could, but how can something like that ever be gentle?

Soap calls Ghost once you've calmed down, and started to call a few of your own loved ones. His friend answers right away to his call. They share a few moments together knowing that this will be the last time they ever hear from one another.

It wasn't until you both were inside the comfort of your shared home did the break down start. Soap is sat on the ground, his back leaning against the front door, while you sit on his lap. The two of you crying with one another.

He refused to even let go of you for even a second after finally getting up from the floor. His mind would be filled with nothing, but you as the world comes to it end. If today was going to be the last day then he wasn't going to let his mind be filled with anything but you.

Ghost:

You were taking a nap next to Ghost when the captain called him. He knew Price wouldn't lie about something as serious as this, and once he confirmed the information he hung up the phone.

He refused to wake you up, and tell you the devastating news. Sure you might get upset with him for doing that, but he didn't want to ruin the peace you felt right now. Ghost knew that he would let you sleep through the whole event if he could. Never having you know that all of this was coming to an end.

Ghost got himself comfortable and laid down next to you; pulling you into his arms so he could hold you. He knew that you would be soon waking up, and he would have to explain everything. Not now though because right now was only you and him.

The following time for Ghost was spent memorizing everything he could about you while also trying to remember every moment he has ever spent with you. Every touch, smile, laugh, fight, and feeling he has ever had with you.

[heretherebedork]

One of the hardest parts is knowing that I could have been Sun as a teenager. My parents were open and accepting and I had no secrets and I had no idea why anyone would have a secret from their parents. I never did out anyone, luckily, but I understand how it happens. And how it happened here. Sun is just so used to honesty and she has no reason to consider any other reaction... even though she should know better... I get why she doesn't. It's wrong and she should not have outed anyone without being certain it was okay but I see the innocence of where she comes from, that certainty that every family can be like your own if you just treat them that way.

But Ongsa's face here? That fear and that pain and that instant worry? The way Alpha had already reminded her that she would have to tell their mother someday? The knowledge that she already fears this? Oh, it hurts.

And this just hurt. But it also shows that Sun wasn't looking to Ongsa during this. She wasn't following her signals or seeing her face fall or her nerves. Nothing of the sort. Sun didn't wait for Ongsa, didn't consider what she wants or what she was ready to do... she outed three people without a second thoughts or a moment's hesitation. And as much as I want to live in a world where that's something no one has to worry about or hesitate about, we don't live in that world.

(This also shows, honestly, how little they've talked despite dating each other. That Sun doesn't know Ongsa is still in the closet to her family? That Ongsa has never told Sun about all of this? They're dating and they love each other but none of this has come up because they're young and they assume everyone thinks the way they do.)

THIS is where I get frustrated with Sun. Seriously? She is not young or innocent enough to truly believe there's no such thing as homophobic parents or people or that staying in the closet is a thing no one does. I understand her relationship with her parents has shaped her but to take this level of offense at Ongsa trying to stay in the closet when they did discuss them coming out publicly and it was always Ongsa who hesitated and didn't want to tell others? It's rough to see.

NEVER?! Never!? That's what you take from this Sun!? It has NOT been long for you to be waving around forever in her face. You've never even discussed what coming out to her parents might look like or why she's in the closet and now you're upset and outing her more thoroughly in your upset?! The agony.

Poor Ongsa. She's barely holding her together and her girlfriend is outing her to her parents and her parents are frustrated and she didn't want any of this and now she's stuck in the middle and it hurts so much to watch her.

Sun, how you can look at your girlfriend looking like this and still out her to her parents?! Come on!

Repeat after me, kids! No one deserves to be outed, no matter what you think, no matter what you believe, no matter your comfort level. No one deserves to be outed. Do not out the people you love. Do not out them even if you think it's for the best. People come out in their own time and in their own way and everyone deserves that.

(I am also very, very worried about how they're going to handle this tbh.)

[enhagvrl]

enhypen pointing out your insecurities

a/n: I'm backkkkk!!!! keep your eyes upon cause im currently working on a long sh fic and a series for niki. thank you to everyone for being patient with me and don't hesitate to send in your requests!!<33

rest : fifaz pocketz 02z

heeseung

“ Well I’d be damned if my girlfriend was actually as crazy as people call her to be.” 

You have always been a quiet kid, keeping to yourself most of the time. But someone managed to watch you get into a fight with a stranger on the street. You were simply trying to defend yourself from being harassed by some perverted stranger when you kicked them too hard in the side of their stomach and broke one or two ribs.

Since then rumours had been going around the campus that you were a brutal little shit who had gotten into a lot of fights which made you the target of other people’s gossip and just messed up your whole school life.

But at that time, heeseung was the one who really did not give in to those rumours -  he hung out with you and made you feel all sorts of giddy feelings you have never experienced with anyone else before. 

But right now was not the case, as you were left alone in your thoughts about heeseung maybe believing all those rumours about you too.

“ Baby, you okay?” heeseung asked, voice laced with concern over the sudden quiet atmosphere which took over the room within 5 seconds

“ huh? Yes? Yeah. I’m okay. Sorry, what were you saying?” you asked, your voice devoid of any sort of emotion which made heeseung wonder if he said something wrong.

“No you went silent all of a sudden so just got worried. What’s on your mind? Tell me.” hee said, turning his whole body towards you to make it known that you have his entire attention now. 

Not being able to take in the sudden change in the atmosphere, and the obliviousness of heeseung to the effect his words had on you, you muttered a quick “ sorry. I’ll be back.” and rushed out of the house leaving behind a confused heeseung who had not got a moment to register your apology properly before you already disappeared from his sight.

niki

“ Of course you wouldn’t be able to get in with that body of yours”

You had been trying real hard auditioning to get into this big dance team in your city which will be performing in SDC, one of the biggest dance competitions out there. But no matter how many routines you showed them, they still did not approve of you joining the team and told you to stay back in the studio. You were clearly aware that the reason they were not taking you in despite your excellent dancing skills was because of your body. You did not have a slim dancer body as other dancers have and SDC heavily depended on judging the figures of the dancers participating. But in hopes of changing that, you were constantly trying. 

“Bae, you good?” you snapped out of your trance, hearing your name being called. There stood Niki, breathing heavily and the track humble by kendrick lamar now softly playing in the background. 

“What are you thinking about?” he asked a second time, noticing your eyes were distant and how you stopped rambling about how unfair the world is to people like you. 

“....yeah…yeah yeah I’m fine…nothing…just kind of zoned out.” 

“ oi, don’t think too much about it. You couldn’t get in, you could not. That’s fine. You just have to work on your body more. You know competitions these days heavily depend on how well it looks executed and for that you are required to have a perfect body, as they call it.” he says, turning up the volume again and getting back to practise for his artist of the month performance. “Don’t ponder about it too much,  and just get to work with your body if you want to get into those big contests.” 

Instead of taking his constructive criticism as motivation like you always do, you felt tears welling up and ran out of the practice room. The music had stopped and quick footsteps could be heard behind you, but you ran without looking back.

© enhagvrl on tumblr, 2024.

[bitethedevil]

Am i delulu or does raphael admire tav/durge? I know its him performing, but as gale says "inviting to dine with devil is devils equivilant of serenade and roses" and first scene where we meet him he does eye tav/durge througly from bottom to top. Also he says "im fan of your work" to durge. So idk?? It lowey feels like raphael is fond of us in game but i need proof/ professional analysis. [Ahem you are the professional mouse afterall heehee~]

He Loves Us, He Loves Us Not: What is Raphael’s Relationship with Tav/Durge?

*Puts on my little mouse glasses* I’m glad you asked. I’m summing up a few points that I have also written about in another analysis called ‘Raphael and weaponized mortality’, so if that sounds interesting, you can find it in my reading list.

Everything about Raphael screams wolf in sheep’s clothing (or a cambion in man’s clothing if you will). Here are a few points illustrating this:

Cambions naturally have a really predatory kind of stench to them because they are entirely carnivorous. Yet, he is described as a perfumed trickster who smells of cherries and sulphur, most likely because he is trying to cover up that smell.

Poetry, an art that is very dependent on nasty mortal concepts such as ‘feelings’, is something we know he uses a lot. He’s not really good at it and he even says it’s not his ‘main interest’ to Karlach in the second act. His theatrical nature and use of poetry humanizes him, and I think he is well-aware of this.

When you call him out as a devil in front of Mol, he says something about how she wouldn’t believe them anyway, ‘not with his angelic complexion’. We also know that Gortash’s parents sold him to a ‘warlock’ and that’s how he ended up with Raphael. I’ve seen multiple places that that warlock is supposed to be Raphael himself.

Now this all makes me believe that he usually does not reveal his true nature to his clients unless: 1) they’ve already signed, or 2) they are so utterly fucked that they have already reached the point of no return with him and are forced to take his deal no matter what.

Yet, he reveals his true nature to us from the get-go. Yes, one could argue that the tadpole-gang does fulfill option 2) according to him and that’s why he does it, but I think it could also be something else. I think he knows from early on that we are his best bet, so he chooses to lay out all his cards on the table and tries to build as much trust as he can from the beginning.

This is also the function of helping us with Astarion’s scars. Dealing with a devil when you’ve never dealt with one before? Scary. Dealing with a devil when he has proven once before to keep his word? Much less scary. He’s ‘grooming’ us for trusting him to keep his word with THE deal (and he gets to fuck over Daddy Meph by potentially robbing him of a lot of souls. Win-win.)

I think Gale is right on the money when he says that it’s ‘a devil’s equivalent to serenades and roses’. Raphael is like a bird or something. He’s showing off, charming us, but also reminding us that he is big and scary. Although despite the fact that he is big and scary ‘he simply wants to help us’.

He’s done his research and already knows everything about us, so he knows exactly how to play us. This is demonstrated in the comment to Durge in the beginning and the thing he says in Last Light if you tell him he knows nothing about you: “Don’t I indeed?.

I really think that we turn into an obsession for him at some point and that the lines between the obsession about the Crown and his obsession about us blurs. This seems definitely to be the case in his journals. I mean the poor guy has nightmares about us…

I also am so sure that he is not even trying to trick us into anything with the Orphic Hammer. He truly does believe that the Emperor is a threat to us. See this:

I DO think he admires us or at the very least is heavily rooting for us. I don’t remember the exact quotes, but Korrilla tells us in Sharess’s that her and Raphael made a bet about if we would make it to the Gate, and Raphael won that bet because we had. He really believes in our merry little band of idiots.

His reaction if we betray him is also very telling I feel like. Notice how his eyes widen for a moment before they narrow and say the ‘You’ line. He seems surprised. In that whole sequence he is obviously pissed, but most of all I also just get the feeling of a man that has been humiliated and who is angry that he had put so much time, work, and trust into us.

He says that ‘he is fond of us, in his way’ and that I completely believe. It might not be out of love or affection or anything like that, but he is as fond of us as a cambion can be of someone. We’ve grown on him, and he sees potential and use in us. We fascinate him and I’d even go as far to say that he respects us. I feel like even if you give him the Crown of Karsus and he gets to rule the Hells, he will not forget the people who brought him there. He would not flaunt the fact that he had mortals help him get the Crown, but I think that when he goes on his spree to fuck up the realms outside the Hells, Tav and gang would at the very least be spared or even given privileges in that new world order. Is that a bit fucked up? Yeah…But we have to remember what he is: a devil.

(Thank you so much for the ask <3 That became a long answer. I love to yap lol)

[tarotbydelilah444]

pile one • ♥️

eight of pentacles • ace of wands • temperance 

Your person still has feelings for you. The feelings that they have for you could have expanded since the last time the two of you spoke or seen each other. This person realized that they are in love with you, and there feelings are way more deeper than what they initially thought. This person has finally come to the realization that you are the “one,” or someone they are meant to spend the rest of their life with, maybe in the past they failed to realize that you were the one due to their own ignorance, or sabotaging the connection because they truly couldn’t believe it until the two of you went separate ways. This person sees a future with you, if you two were ever to reconcile. They want things to be more balanced this time when they return, specifically around July, November, or the upcoming full moon, but they want to wait before making a move, so be patient with them. This person thinks about you on the daily, specifically at night. They find that they can connect with you and your energy better at night, so this person may show up in your dreams, or you may catch yourself thinking about them all of a sudden because you are living rent free in their brain. If you sent this person explicit photos, or videos of yourself, they still look at them and find you extremely irresistible and fantasize about all the sexual things they would love to do with you, or to you. To your person, you are the total package, you are beautiful, intelligent, funny, confident, and literally perfect in their eyes. They can’t find anyone that is on your level even if they tried. They also wonder if you are happy without them in your life since there hasn’t been any communication, or further action. They are determined to do everything in their power to put in the work and effort to get you back into their life. They still see a bright and beautiful future ahead for the both of you and they are willing to work on themselves and be patient with you until you are willing to give them a second chance.

pile two • 🥀

queen of swords • the devil • seven of swords • the hermit 

This person does not have positive feelings whenever they think about you. They could still feel hurt over how the connection ended, or the distance between the two of you. They still harbor resentful feelings towards you and find it hard to forgive you. This person could’ve wanted to reconcile with you in the recent past, but they may believe you are involved with another person, so they decided to remain to themselves by cutting you off to protect their energy and peace. You and this person could have exchanged some words before parting ways, or they view you as abrasive, heartless, and nonchalant. Yet, they still find it hard to completely detach from you because they still think about you all the time and are often reminded of you every where they go. This person feels like you betrayed them in some way. They feel like abandoned by you, or that you left them in the cold. The person is still incredibly drawn to you, yet they view you as very toxic, or that this connection is extremely irresistible, but toxic. You are like a drug to this person that they cannot kick no matter how much they try to get you out of their system. This person is still sexually attracted and connected to you and still has thoughts about you every time they think about you. This could’ve been a friends with benefits, fling, or situationship until someone eventually caught feelings and things became complicated soon after. They feel like they can’t trust you and are doing everything in their power to avoid you and this connection to work on themselves and heal to find something better in the future.

pile three • 💔 five of pentacles • five of cups • two of cups

Your person is in denial about their feelings for you. This person has feelings for you, but they are deciding to keep these feelings to themselves instead of confronting them and confessing to you how they feel for now. This person for the time being is focusing on themselves and realizing that they need to heal some things within themselves before they can even offer you the love that you deserve in return. This person has some unresolved feelings from their past that still affects them and that is preventing them from going steady with you. This person could still be hung up over an ex, or they are still working through some painful feelings that they experienced from their past relationships. This person is attracted to you, but they have major trust issues, and may not completely trust you, even if your intentions are 1000% pure. It would be wise to give this person some time to work through their issues, so try not to be pushy, or too demanding of them. You can expect communication in June, July, next year, or the next full moon. This person often battles with themselves if they should take action towards you, or should they leave this connection behind for now. This person is so afraid of opening their heart to you, so they run away or remain guarded to avoid getting their heart broken again, but I see that it deeply hurts this person to deny themselves a chance of experiencing new love with you. This person sees your potential and what this connection can become, but fear holds this person back. This person feels like they can be themselves around you and at times, they want to drop their guard and fears and jump into this connection with both feet and take that leap of faith, but it may take some time before they can reciprocate.

[linkito]

ok listen. listen. i need this. i love this.

kiss prompt #22 in a rush of adrenaline. (scariannnn)

“Scar!” Grian exclaims, rushing toward his soulmate with newfound urgency.

The death was already wholly destabilizing, made worse by feeling every ounce of pain and panic Scar was experiencing while being unceremoniously torn apart by zombies, but to make matters even more terrible, Scar hadn’t slept in the same bed as him to respawn. 

Of course he didn’t. 

They hadn’t shared a bed at all since this whole game began, even though they had before, almost as if the soulbound only served to drag them apart.

That meant that after the agonizing experience of a shared death, the two of them woke up separated. Grian has no idea where his partner was, left alone with their pursuers, who luckily decided to show an ounce of mercy as he picked up their scattered supplies with trembling hands. 

But as soon as he spotted Scar on the horizon, he dropped everything and ran, heart pounding in his throat from lingering fear and the ever-growing anxiety that maybe Scar wouldn’t return at all.

Which leads to him calling out his soulmate’s name in desperation, leaping to meet him the moment he sees Scar open his arms in a slightly reserved offering. His eyes are downcast, pointed ears drooped in shame, but Grian barely registers it before he’s flapping his wings with what little strength he can muster in their clipped state and practically tackling Scar. 

Scar stumbles backward a few steps with a slight yelp, momentarily startled, but then more pleasantly surprised than anything to find his partner cling to his chest, hands gripping tight to any bunching of fabric he can find.

“G?” Scar asks, voice almost timid, and Grian finds that he doesn’t like that tone at all.

It doesn’t belong. It isn’t right.

He grabs Scar’s face and kisses it right off of him, leaving his soulmate absolutely reeling to catch up with the rush of adrenaline Grian is experiencing right now.

It’s rushed and awkward, lips pressed together a little too hard. And though it takes a second, Scar snaps out of his stupor, grabbing hold of Grian’s cheek as he leans in further, returning the kiss much more softly, but with an equal amount of fervor--

And then Grian is immediately pulling away, as if the mere concept of Scar actually returning the affection was not something he had accounted for, causing him to recoil as his face flushes red, eyes quickly averting Scar’s gaze.

Suddenly, he’s terrified once again.